Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and regional issues, especially the peace process in Afghanistan on Saturday. Wang said that the Pakistani military is the protector of the China-Pakistan friendship, and the bilateral military relations are an important part of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and a symbol of their high political mutual trust. The Chinese state councilor told Bajwa that his visit aims at a comprehensive contact with the new Pakistani government so as to push the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides to a new stage and build a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future. The Pakistani military has made great efforts to ensure the security of CPEC which is a key to Pakistan's long-term development, said Wang, adding that he believes the Pakistani military will continue to improve relevant security work for the construction of CPEC and China-Pakistan cooperation. Meanwhile, Wang said the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have started to improve, hoping that the two sides will keep engaging in dialogues and accumulating mutual trust. China is willing to utilize the trilateral foreign minister dialogue among China, Pakistan and Afghanistan to continuously play a constructive role in improving the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said. For his part, the Pakistani army chief said that the new Pakistani government is devoted to lifting the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new high and the Pakistani military fully supports the development of the bilateral friendship and will keep adopting effective measures to guarantee the smooth development of CPEC. Bajwa also said that the Pakistani side commits to the anti-terrorism cause and will continue to firmly fight against the East Turkistan Islamic Movement. The army chief expressed his appreciation over China's efforts on mediation for the improvement of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying Pakistan is devoted to improving its relations with Afghanistan and is willing to make more efforts on the reconciliation in Afghanistan. Lelectricite est devenue, de nos jours, un besoin dune importance majeure, et cela, dans tous les domaines dactivite. Que ce soit dans les maisons ou [] International 84 dead in Yemens Hodeida after talks fail Khokha (Yemen), Sep 9 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 9/9/2018 11:39:27 AM IST Clashes and air strikes have left 84 people dead around Yemens Red Sea port city of Hodeida since the collapse of UN-brokered peace talks, hospital sources said Sunday, AFP reported. The sources in Hodeida province, controlled by Huthi rebels, said 11 soldiers and 73 insurgents had been killed since the talks were abandoned on Saturday. Dozens of rebels and at least 17 soldiers had been wounded. Attempted peace talks between Yemens Saudi-backed government and the Huthis, linked to Saudi Arabias arch-rival Iran, collapsed on Sunday, sparking fears of an escalation in the Yemen conflict. The rebels refused to leave Yemen for Geneva, saying the UN had not met their demands -- including a plane to transport their wounded to nearby Oman and a guarantee their delegation would be allowed to return to the capital Sanaa. In 2014, the Huthis seized control of a string of Red Sea ports and the capital, driving the government out of Sanaa and the president into exile. In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, recognised by the UN as Yemens president. They now control Yemens airspace. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine. The coalition launched a major offensive to retake Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemens imports including food and aid, in June. In July, the coalition announced a temporary ceasefire to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. State Naga students in Kolkata celebrate freshers day DIMAPUR | Publish Date: 9/9/2018 11:18:35 AM IST Naga Students Union Kolkata (NSUK) celebrated its 53rd annual freshers meet at Bishops College in Kolkata on Saturday under the theme refulgent authenticity. L L Doungel, former DGP Nagaland, graced the occasion as the guest speaker. Doungel in his speech called upon the students to explore their interests and acquire knowledge which could benefit them in their careers. Encouraging the students, he said that students should be anxious to learn and acquire knowledge and use these qualities to become refined individuals quoting Michelangelo Buonarrotis words Every block of stone has a statue inside and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. The guest speaker also encouraged the students to take advantage of the city as it offers ample opportunities and platforms to explore their interests. Unlike other cities, Kolkata offers an environment with less social distractions, he said, and urged the student to discern wisely what they choose to spend their time on. The NSUK president Thepuzo Keyho expounded on the theme Refulgent Authenticity and urged the students to be original and genuine and shine brightly with authenticity. He said someones opinion of you does not have to be your reality, and the trend of the society should not define your contentment. Vile C. Nywu and Tiajung Imsong were adjudged as Mr and Miss freshers 2018 respectively. Ranbeni Ngulie DRC Nagaland House Kolkata and different Naga pastors were also present on the occasion. The program was chaired by Ngnmgolal. The presentation by the musical ensemble from Serampore College was the highlight of the program. It ended with a prayer by pastor Hetovi Ayemi NCF Kolkata. China's top legislature will begin making a law on pre-school education to regulate the fast-growing sector that has drawn increasing public concern. The process will be initiated in the five years starting from 2018 within the term of the sitting Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), according to the NPC legislative agenda released this week. "The need to draft such a law has become pressing," said Li Lihua, an NPC deputy familiar with the legislation. "It will address all sorts of problems facing the pre-school education sector at the moment." China has specific laws governing both mandatory and higher education, which cover from elementary schools to universities of higher learning. The calls for a similar law for pre-school education have mounted in recent years as the sector has grown. In 2017, there were nearly 255,000 kindergartens across the country, taking care of 46 million children. The numbers are set to rise as the authorities aim to raise the gross national kindergarten enrolment rate from 75 percent at present to 85 percent by 2020. Education Minister Chen Baosheng admitted in March that pre-school education is facing a myriad of problems -- from a shortage of quality teaching staff to safety loopholes, outdated teaching methods, and high costs. "It is the fastest growing sector but also the one with the weakest link," Chen said. The top legislature of China said it has been laying down the groundwork for the legislation since 2013. Lawmakers completed field studies in various provinces and came back with quality reports. The Ministry of Education has called on local education departments to push for the legislation, which it says will define the duties of government departments and help them enforce stricter measures on kindergarten operators. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Despite widespread reports that Alibaba founder Jack Ma was retiring following a report by the New York Times, the Alibaba group has denied it. On Sunday, Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post cited an Alibaba spokesperson as saying that while Ma will unveil a succession plan to groom younger talent on Monday, he will remain executive chairman while the plan is carried out. New York Times on Saturday had reported that Ma would be stepping down to pursue philanthropic activities, but, however, is expected to remain on the companys Board of Directors and continue to mentor its management, something which most founders and celebrated entrepreneurs do after giving up on engaging day-to-day working of their enterprises. Ma, who at present is among Chinas richest men with a net worth estimated at $38.6 billion, gave up the role of chief executive officer in 2013, but has remained the chairman and public face of the company. During his time as chairman, he has helped guide growth at home and overseas while also spearheading Alibabas 2014 initial public offering, the biggest ever. Mas early journey Born in 1964 in Hangzhou, Ma comes from a humble background. Before starting Alibaba, which is now valued at over $400 billion, Ma was an English teacher at university. Ma, in one of his interviews, said that when he discovered the Internet for the first time, he knew that it is something which is going to change the world. It was in 1995 that Ma started an online directory and four years later, founded Alibaba.com in his apartment with 17 others. In the early years, there were very few investors ready to buy Mas idea. After being knocked back by US venture capitalists in 1999, Ma persuaded friends to give him $60,000 to start Alibaba. While it initially allowed businesses to sell products to each other online, years later it ventured into consumers segment and highly benefited from the growing consumption of Chinese population. Ma also controls Ant Financial, the online financial platform that runs Chinas largest mobile payment system and money-market fund, which raised $14 billion in its latest round of funding that took its valuation at $150 billion. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at nine places in Virudhunagar, Madurai, Coimbatore and Chennai on Saturday after Indhumathi Refineries (IRPL), a Virudhunagar-based company came under scanner for its alleged bank loan fraud to the tune of `90 crore. It is learnt that the IRPL had availed 46 letters of credit from the SBI, which were issued against bogus firms or fake invoices for a value of around `87.36 crore which was devolved on the bank later due to insufficient funds in their account. They also diverted business proceeds which resulted in a pecuniary loss of around `90 crore to the SBI, sources said. The bank had filed a complaint with the CBI in Bengaluru, who registered an FIR, conducted investigation and filed charge-sheet against IRPL, and its directors and partners - R Shenbagan, R Rajan, Raji Shenbagan, Thirumagal Rajan and few employees of IRPL and State Bank of India, among others. ED sources said that R Shenbagan, R Rajan, S Raji, and R Thirumagal did not disclose the details of financial transactions or properties involved and the bank accounts as such the searches were carried out. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: A 30-year-old man committed suicide by hanging himself in his residence at Vaagu Centre in Chittinagar on Friday night after his parents scolded him for cheating them. According to II Town police inspector K Murthy, the deceased K Ravi Kiran was a private employee and lived with his mother K Padmaja in a rented house. His father and younger brother work in Kharagpur. A few months ago, Kiran reportedly borrowed money from his parents on the pretext of constructing a house of his own at Thullur village. He told his parents that he had purchased a piece of land for the purpose. Trusting his words and hoping that he would settle down in life, they gave `2.5 lakh as a loan. They even sent invitations to relatives and friends for the house-warming function slated for Friday. When he switched off his mobile and came home late on Friday night, his mother and relatives reprimanded Kiran for cheating them and demanded an explanation. Kiran took money from his parents by telling lies that he would use the money to construct a house at Thullur. When his parents made arrangements for house-warming function, Kiran revealed the truth and later committed suicide by hanging himself in the kitchen, said the inspector.A case under Section 174 of CrPC (suspicious death) was registered. Medha Dutta By Jatin Das is how painters are supposed to be: eccentric, noticeable and a passionate outsider. The 76-year-old artist with the trademark beret and Old Testament beard had famously declared that painters today look at the gallery size before painting, but not he or his friends from the older generation. Yet size is not a stranger to him or his contemporaries in art or in life. Or in Nature, like the size of a tragedy Kerala experienced when monsoon floods devastated the state during a deluge that extended over three weeks. To raise funds for the rehabilitation effort, Das has put together a charity sale with some of the biggest names in the field of art participating in the exhibition that will be on at Lalit Kala Akademi until September 11, according to the Akademi chairman, Uttam Pacharne. The proceeds from the sale would go to the Kerala floods relief fund. Indias artist community has always reached out in the face of calamity, raising money by donating their work, unlike other professionals. Maybe its been a drop in the ocean, but we have always come forward to help causes like Punjab, Kashmir, blind children, cancer, earthquakes, the Uttarakhand disaster, the Odisha super cyclone etc, says Das, who had said a real artist does not exhibit for the public. When Sahmat was set up following theatre activist Safdar Hashmis murder, he donated a painting to raise funds for the organisation. Das is happy about the response to this charity show. Artists across cities have sent their works to Delhi. Its not just money but the solidarity that counts, believes Das. Artists and galleries are participating in the exhibition, on which artist and Dass contemporary Vivan Sundaram says, Its a noble act. We should be taking more such steps and I hope enough money is raised from the sale to help Kerala flood victims. Das has held 68 solo shows in India and overseas and has shown at prominent national and international exhibitions. During the devastating 1999 Odisha cyclone, Das was on the ground engaged in relief efforts in villages. Both in art and life, he is no stranger to turmoil. Participating Artists Jogen Chowdhury, Jatin Das, Vivan Sundaram, Manu Parekh, Pradeep Dasgupta, Raghu Rai, Rameshwar Broota, Vasundhara Tiwari, A Ramachandran, Radhakrishnan Mimi, Krishen Khanna, Daroz Dipali, Paresh Maity, Naresh Kapooriya, Manish Pushkale, Gopi Gajwani, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, P D Shumal, Rini Dhumal, Jyoti Bhatt, G R Irana, Jyotsana Bhatt, Bibhu Patnaik, Balan Nambiar, Marie Dias Arora, Shuvaprasanna, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Krishen Ahuja, and many more. When and Where Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi September 9-11, 10 am to 7:30 pm Sunita Raghu By Eighty-two-year-old fisherman Aliyabba had probably never thought that the house he had built along the coast in Mukkachery, near Ullal in Mangaluru, would one day be eaten by the sea. But it happened in July, when massive tidal waves decimated the structure. The surging waves tormented 32-year-old Gita Das too, gobbling up her agricultural land in Kendrapara district of Odisha. Mid July, crashing waves brought down a portion of the protection wall around the famous Ganesha Temple at Ganpatipule in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. Coastal erosion has reared its ugly head with much greater ferocity than before, shrinking beaches, allowing the sea a greater foothold on land, affecting livelihoods, life and property. Studies show about 45 percent of Indias coastline is severely eroding, much of it man-made. Indias 7,516 km-long coastlinefrom the rocky west to the sandy east as well as the islands Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweephas been witness to horrific cases of erosion. The situation in West Bengal is bad, claims Prof Sugata Hazra, director the School of Oceanic Studies, Jadhavpur University, Kolkata. Already we have lost a lot of islands in the Sundarbans. In the last 40 years, we have lost 120 sq km of land. Some years ago, nine coastal village clusters in Digha had been vacated, with such loss of habitat producing a lot of migrants. Many illegally built hotels in Mandarmuni, a tourist haven, have eroded. Its as if the sea is taking revenge, adds Hazra. The situation is grim in another tourist paradiseKerala, severely devastated by last months floods. Take, for instance, Alappad village in Kollam, a 17-km stretch of land sandwiched between the sea and the enchanting backwaters. Famous for its mineral-rich sandbeing mined extensively by companies like Indian Rare Earths and Kerala Minerals and MetalsAlappad might soon vanish from the map. Ponnani and Punnapra share the same fate. According to a study by the National Centre for Earth Sciences, the sea advanced by around five metres every year from 1973 to 2016. While as much as 239.6 km of shoreline has been facing the fury of the tidal waters, Kerala has gained 67.3 metres of land due to accretion. The situation is depressingly similar on the Konkan coast. The Central Water and Power Research Station in Pune has identified 60 places on the Maharashtra coast, including 12 in Mumbai, which are facing erosion. The famous Deobag beach in Sindhudurg district has reduced to a narrow strip. If it continues like this, it could adversely impact tourism. Also, 10 per cent of houses in the village are affected by seawater every year, shares Mahadev Sakharam, who runs a home stay, a couple of shops and undertakes boat rides. The Maharashtra Shoreline Management Plan 2017 shows how coastal erosion in Dadar, Malabar Hill, Mahim and Versova in Mumbai is posing a threat to infrastructure. Things are not peachy on the Coromandel Coast either. According to a report by ISROs Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC) , if the sea level rises by one metre by 2100, Chennai stands to lose 3.11 sq km of critical industrial infrastructure. Almost all in the Ennore region with 3,209.33 sq km of Tamil Nadus coast is likely to be submerged and millions rendered homeless. We are being squeezed by a seaward moving city and a land-ward moving tide, laments Saravanan from affected Urur Kuppam village. The SAC report further states NTECL Vallur, TANGEDCOs power plants in Ennore, Kamarajar Ports existing and proposed infrastructure inside the Creek, HPCL and BPCLs oil terminals, the Minjur desalination plant and portions of CPCLs petrochemical refinery in Manali will be swallowed by the sea. Erosion, according to Geography books, is a natural phenomenon. But things go awry due to human intervention. Dr KS Jayappa of Mangalore University and an expert on the subject explains: In Karnataka and Kerala when the south-west monsoon strikes between June and September, the wind activity is high which in turn produces huge two-metre high waves generating tremendous energy. As the latter hits the shore, the sediments from the beach is scooped up and taken offshore. After the monsoon, the wave energy decreases gradually and sediments get replaced on the beach. But trouble looms when human activities disrupt this occurrence. For instance, sand being mined relentlessly in the estuaries leads to a lot less sediments via the rivers making its way to the beaches. The same problem persists on the deltaic coastlines too. All the deltaic regions such as the Sundarbans, the Krishna, Godavari and the Mahanadi have been starved of sand which used to be redistributed along the coast by the long shore current. But dams, barrages and diversions being built upstream trap the silt, says Hazra. When the confluence points of rivers get closed in the absence of dredging, it impacts the carrying of sand by the rivers to the sea. Prof Kali Sahu of the Marine Science Department of Berhampur University in Odisha says the Ganjam coast receives its sand deposits due to the south-north wind, but on account of the closure of the confluences of the Rushikulya and Bahuda rivers, the drifting of sand by the rivers has almost stopped. Also, rampant deforestation has opened avenues to drift the deposits of the beaches, resulting in erosion, he adds. Like Karnataka and Kerala, monsoons pose a challenge in Goa, with sandy beaches having a tendency to erode. Says Antonio Mascarenhas, retired researcher from National Institute of Oceanography, Goa: In fair weather, the sand comes back and beaches refill themselves, gaining their original profile. Problems occur when we interfere with this natural process. From September to January, hastily erected beach shacks in north Goa impede the natural activity, with sand dunes destroyed to aid in their construction. So, when the monsoon waves climb further up the beach, without the protection of the dunes, the sea waves climb further onto land. Tropical cyclones, which the east coast is vulnerable to, also dramatically increase the effects of coastal erosion. According to the National Institute of Ocean Technology, of the 974-km Andhra coastline, 210 km have been identified as danger zones. Says former chief scientist of National Institute of Oceanography VSN Murthy, During the 1970s, it was a different scenario. Now the currents are stronger and during monsoons the tidal height is four metres. Dr Surendra Thakurdesai, head of the Geography Department at Gogate-Jogalekar College in Ratnagiri, has studied the phenomenon of coastal erosion on the Maharashtra coast. Earlier the damage to the coasts during monsoon used to get corrected in the later months. That pace of correction has reduced and hence the damage done is more of permanent nature nowadays, he says. Rising sea levels is another problem. The beautiful Pentha beach and other potential tourism spots such as Agaranasi, Hukitola, Eakakula, Madali and Habalikothi in Odisha are bearing the brunt of sea erosion. The combination of the rising sea level with the change of the wind pattern causing high waves and prolonged coastal erosion has taken a heavy toll on the coastal population, says Hemant Rout, an environmentalist and the president of the Mangrove Conservation and Marine Turtle Protection Society of Kendrapara, Odisha. The coastal ecosystem is fairly fragile and tinkering with it in a haphazard manner has heightened the problem. Says environmentalist Aurofilio Schiavina, co-founder of Pondicherry Citizens Action Network (PondyCAN): Very often the coastal protection measures themselves trigger a new cycle of erosion, with many of them designed for a localised problem ignoring the larger problem of erosion. For instance, sea walls and groynes accelerate the process disrupting as they do the natural movement of sand. So when you build a sea wall, you protect that stretch but the neighbouring stretch gets affected. Poorly conceived coastal development and construction has led to the erosion of many beaches in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. All you can see in these places are ugly seawalls made of boulders or concrete. Puducherry is a classic example. The towns entire four km-long seafront eroded away due to the construction of a fishing harbour. Attempts to mitigate this erosion by building a seawall aggravated the situation, and has caused a chain reaction of more erosion, which is now eating away Tamil Nadus beaches north of Puducherry, shares wildlife and conservation filmmaker Shekhar Dattatri whose public service video, Indias Disappearing Beaches: A Wake up Call, is available on YouTube. National Centre for Earth Science Studies director K K Ramachandra calls ports, harbours as well as groynes culprits. When constructing a groyne or breakwater, erosion is seen on the northern side while accretion takes place on the southern side, he says. There are success stories too. Like for instance the beach in Puducherry which disappeared when a harbour came up in 1986. But thanks to organisations such as PondyCAN and other citizens, which forced the government to not turn a blind eye to the problem, a 300-metre stretch of beach has slowly been formed. Its just a small portion of what we have achieved, says Aurofilio. To protect and conserve the most important and dynamic buffer between the land and the sea, let everybody fight the good fight. The tiny Union Territory just did. With inputs from Harsha, Abhijit Mulye, Sisir Panigrahy, Ashis Senapati, Krishna Chaitanya, Sri Lakshmi Muttevi, Manoj Viswanathan How to arrest the erosion Ensure availability of sand and natural processes of tide acting on the beach to nourish it and redistribute sand. Sea walls or groynes, which involve high investment, are effective only as a short-term measure. For civil engineering solutions, enlist the help of naval engineers. Prof Sugata Hazra, Jadhavpur University, Kolkata The trend in the international scientific community is to go for soft engineering measures working hand in hand with naturehybrid solutions like in the case of hard structures, using material that can be easily dismantled. Aurofilio Schiavina, Pondicherry Citizens Action Network A green wall such as growing casuarinas curbs wind activity. Vegetation such as Ipomoea biloba, a creeping vine that spreads like a mat, helps bind the sand. Dr KS Jayappa, Mangalore University The main case of degradation of the beach dune system in Goa is tourism. Instead of flattening the beach, construction could be done behind the dunes. Why cant tourists walk 100 metres to the beach? Antonio Mascarenhas, formerly with National Institute of Oceanography Mumbai Transformation Support Unit has proposed using geobagsa sand and water mix. Experts claim they can break the flow of the waves from half a metre to four metres. In 1964, during a general knowledge test in the 7th grade, I failed to correctly name the guerrillas then fighting in Vietnam. My answer was Americans as against the correct one, Viet Cong. To make up for that cardinal sacrilege, I had to atone with a visit to Hanoi, the capital of the modern state of Vietnam. Visiting that country for a soldier is like a good pilgrimage and opportunity came a few days ago as I was invited to be a part of the Indian delegation to attend the Indian Ocean Conference 2018 at Hanoi. It was organised by India Foundation, the high-profile Delhi-based think tank. One may just wonder, why organise an event about the Indian Ocean so far away from the ocean itself? In fact, Hanoi has no connect with the Indian Ocean and Vietnam as a nation appears quite far removed from any interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). So this needs a little explanation. For India, Vietnam is a crucial nation within the ASEAN grouping. Not to be forgotten is Vietnams resilience and ability to respond to unjust threats against its security from larger neighbours. Having virtually humiliated two reputed armies, the French and the American, Vietnam went on to defeat Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in 1979 as the Chinese vented their frustration on a perceived hapless people. Speaking to the common Vietnamese one is struck by their level of geopolitical understanding and sense of pride. They put forth their perception that they fought against subjugation but did not carry that enmity beyond the wars. They realise that both the US and China are important nations vying for domination of the region in which Vietnam exists. Yet, they are also aware that stepping into geopolitical camps only comes at a cost. Hence multilateralism and interest-based partnerships with bias towards none remain Vietnams concept. With the IOR and that of the Pacific being viewed as a continuum and not demarcated by boundaries, the Indo-Pacific region is yet emerging in the understanding of the world and will probably take some time in doing that. Merely naming the US Pacific Command as the US Indo-Pacific Command does not change thinking and equations, although it is along with other steps a definite trigger towards that. From a US and Western point of view, visualising the region of the Indo-Pacific as a single entity helps draw in multiple important players who may not be inimical or wary towards Chinese growth and ambitions but are yet watchful and do consider China with varying degrees of skepticism. Vietnam in the Pacific Rim and India in the IOR are two standout nations. Both have fought wars with China and also have very high volumes of trade with it. They are located in high growth regions and have been achieving good growth in recent years. Almost like India, Vietnam cannot fully reject nor embrace its northern neighbour. There is a territorial issue over the South China Sea islands and unlike Philippines, Vietnam does not display any will to compromise. Similarly, it is not willing to toe the Singapore-Japan-South Korea mode of acquiescence to the US regional agenda. The great game being played by China in the Pacific and the Indian oceans to limit navigation for others and facilitate it for itself through coercion and influence building provides a common challenge to India and Vietnam besides the international community in general. The purpose of holding the Indian Ocean Conference first in Singapore in 2016, then in Colombo in 2017 and now in Vietnam 2018 was also to message the importance of Indias Act East Policy, which includes the outreach to ASEAN and East Asia besides enhancing awareness on the Indo-Pacific. It was good to see that India invited Chinese officials and academics in good measure. In keeping the ongoing great game in the Indo-Pacific a little more transparent and allow engagement to flow, India is only doing what it should. Reset after the run of meetings with the Chinese through 2018 requires engagement for continuity. However, that need not be from any position of weakness or lack of understanding. The continuous Chinese attempt to paint India red over alleged attempts by it to take ownership of the Indian Ocean was countered by the Indian delegations pitch against Chinas attempts to helm in India through supposed economic cooperation with Indias neighbours but actually virtual quasi-military activities in the IOR. The Indian Ocean Conference is now a regular feature in the annual Indian strategic calendar. There is a need to consider balancing the strategic messaging by perhaps conducting it next in Mauritius and then in Bangladesh before returning to Malaysia and Indonesia. A point that emerged in sideline discussions was whether India should consider a regional Quadrilateral alongside Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam. Perhaps the larger international body with the US, India, Japan and Australia may be sending signals not as conducive to a cooperative Indo-Pacific. Whether the US and China should both be special invitees for such engagement is something for consideration. One thing is for sure; as the Indo-Pacific gets murkier and more complex, a single annual Indian sponsored strategic engagement may soon to be too little for India to straddle the complexities which are likely to arise. Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps atahasnain@gmail.com By IANS NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's visit to Syria, scheduled for next week, has been postponed, a senior official said on Saturday. "EAM's visit to Syria has been deferred due to the prevailing situation in that country," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a query. "Fresh dates will be decided in mutual consultation with the Syrian side," Kumar said. This would have been the first high-level visit from India to Syria since civil war broke out in that West Asia nation in 2011. Sushma Swaraj was supposed to lead a delegation to hold a joint commission meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Moualem. Media reports earlier quoted Syrian Ambassador to India Riad Abbas as saying that the visit would have taken place around September 14. India has supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against the Islamic State terrorist organisation. By IANS AHMEDABAD: Senior Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan on Saturday alleged that to justify the changed Rafale deal, the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials were being forced to speak in praise of the new deal signed by the Modi Government. The opposition parties and many activists have been questioning the change in the deal for the purchase of the Rafael fighter jets by the present government. The earlier deal by the UPA government to purchase 126 fighter planes from France's Dassault was allegedly altered to buy only 36 fighter planes for around Rs 60,000 crore. "After the expose, the NDA government doesn't have anything to justify the change in the deal, so now IAF officials are being pressurized to speak in favour of the new deal," Prashant Bhushan told reporters. Calling it a major scam, he alleged, "This is a scam of unimaginable proportions. The country has never witnessed a defence scam of such magnitude," he said. "The Bofors deal involved a scam of only Rs 64 crore, but the present change in original UPA deal, points to a scam of at least Rs 21,000 crore. Not only that, but far more is the seriousness of compromising the country's security," he said. Questioning the prime minister's motive, Bhushan asked, "Who gave the prime minister the permission to reduce the requirements of the IAF from 126 planes to only 36, overriding the IAF demands and the Defence Acquisition Council's decision?" Minister of Education Tarek Shawky said that the English language will be taught in Kindergarten for the first time, according to Al Mal. Shawky added that the curriculums are based on four standards: teaching the child who they are, learning about the world around them and how the world works, as well as developing methods of communication and respect for others, Al Mal said. Shawky said that the curriculum reform was done by the Curriculum Development Centre in Egypt's Ministry of Education, adding that the process was done precisely and efficiently in order to have the curriculums ready before the start of the academic year on 22 September. English language will be taught as a separate subject, since kindergarten in all of Egypt's public schools use Arabic as the primary language in other subject fields such as science and mathematics until the first year of elementary education. Curriculums in kindergarten and primary education will also involve English concepts. The students will study other non-English foreign languages and begin studying science and mathematics in English beginning from the first year of elementary education, according to the minister. Shawky said that the rationale for the new system is to ensure the student grasps Arabic and has the required base in English before involving it in the scientific subjects. The copyrights of the new curriculums will be owned by the ministry, contrary to the previous old system. In the old system, the curriculums were rented through innovative competitions, and the ministry didn't have the copyrights. 2.5 million students are enrolled in the new system that is set to be implemented in the upcoming academic year, Shawky said, according to Al Mal. The new system is now completed, and the updated books are ready for students and the ministry successfully finished training for teachers, Al Mal said. Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service BHOPAL: Five days after nine men, two of them reportedly Congress workers, were arrested for allegedly pelting stones on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Jan Ashirwad Yatra (JAY) bus in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh on September 2, a dramatic development pertaining to the episode happened in Bhopal on Saturday. A 23-year-old youth Sandeep Chaturvedi, who claimed to be a witness for the Sidhi police in the case, made sensational allegations in the matter before journalists at the official residence of Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh in Bhopal. He alleged that he was beaten by police, forced to turn an eyewitness and name seven men as accused in the case, despite him being totally ignorant about the incident. As Singh is the four-time sitting Congress MLA from Churhat constituency of Sidhi, where the alleged stone pelting on CM's JAY vehicle happened on September 2 evening, he has been on the target of the CM and the ruling BJP for having been behind the incident. The youth Sandeep Chaturvedi, a resident of Hinauti village (around one km from Patpara village, the spot of September 2 alleged attack on CM's vehicle) works at the petrol pump owned by local BJP leader Manoj Singh Chauhan near Patpara village in Sidhi district. "I reached the petrol pump at 7.30 pm for night duty, when the CM's JAY was passing through that place. I didn't see any stone pelting on the CM's vehicle," claimed Chaturvedi. "Suddenly at around 1.30 am on September 2-3 intervening night, two cops including a sub-inspector forcefully took me to Kamrji police station where 7-8 more cops were present. At the police station, the cops showed me a piece of paper which bore names of seven persons, Sanjay Singh, Charan Singh, Gaurav Singh, Saurabh Singh, Roshan Singh, Saurabh Dwivedi and Shivendra Singh.""I was asked by the cops at the police to state before them that I had seen all those seven persons (whose names were mentioned on the paper) pelt stones on the CM's JAY vehicle. When I told the cops that I was ignorant about any such incident, the cops beat me up and forced me to record statements as they wanted," alleged Chaturvedi on Saturday. "The Kamrji police station staff including station's in-charge Abhishek Singh Parihar has since been pressurizing me to record the untrue statements before the court under Section 164 of CrPc. The manner in which I'm being hounded by the cops, I fear threat to my life if I don't make statements before the court as per their wishes," Chaturvedi alleged further. When contacted in the matter by The New Indian Express, the Sidhi district police superintendent Tarun Nayak said "the investigations are already underway in the matter based on available evidence."Nine men, including two local Congress leaders, were arrested on September 3 for allegedly pelting stones on the CM's JAY vehicle in Patpara village of Sidhi district. After the incident, the ruling BJP and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had alleged LoP Ajay Singh's hand in the episode, as the incident happened in his assembly constituency Churhat. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday demanded that Bihars NDA government must issue a medical bulletin on Chief Minister Nitish Kumars health as the latter has been sick for over a week. The ruling JD(U) and BJP attacked Yadav scathingly, asking him to mind his own crisis. Kumar has been under the weather ever since he returned to Patna after a trip to Chennai to attend a memorial event for former DMK chief M Karunanidhi on August 30. A cabinet meeting had to be put off due to his sickness, and he failed to attend a government programme on Teachers Day. JD(U) sources said Kumar was hit by a bout of viral fever and that he is regaining his normal fitness levels fast. He is likely to resume work on Monday, they added. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has been sick for the past seven days. All his programmes have been cancelled. I demand that a medical bulletin be issued on his health in order to keep the states people informed. I wish him early recovery, tweeted Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the Opposition in Assembly, on Saturday. JD(U) and BJP leaders were aghast at Yadavs tweet and hit back soon. Twitter Baua (child in love with Twitter) Tejashwi Yadav, you should not cause such decline in the level of politics. Your crises will not be over by asking questions about someones bad health. You should be ashamed, tweeted JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar. You should also ask your friend Rahul Gandhi what diseases his mother Sonia Gandhi seeks treatment for when she goes abroad, added Neeraj Kumar. Sanjay Singh, another JD(U) spokesperson, reminded Yadav about the long illness of his father, jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. In a withering tweet for Tejashwi, Singh said: You were yourself issuing medical bulletins of your father. But what happened? It did not help him get an extension in his bail period. May God keep him fit, but even schoolchildren are caught out when they pretend to be sick. The culture of mockery that Tejashwi is promoting in Bihar politics proves the lightness of his politics. Ridiculing Nitish Kumars health proves Tejashwi has no concern for his own fathers illness, said BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand. By PTI MATHURA: A BJP legislator sat on a dharna in front of a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district on Sunday to protest against the alleged corruption at the station. Baldev constituency MLA Pooran Prakash started the sit-in at the Mahaban police station with several villagers from 4.00 pm. "The entire police station is in the grip of rampant corruption. Unless SHO Arvind Pal, Sub-Inspectors Arvind Chauhan and Ajai Havana are not suspended, and entire staff of the police station not transferred, the dharna would continue," Prakash said. The BJP MLA alleged that no work was done without a bribe in the police station and misbehavior with the people had become a character of the SHO and both the sub inspectors. Prakash was joined by Baldeo nagar panchayat chairman Kamal Kumar Pandey, division president of the BJP, Sumit Dixit, and general secretary Chintaharan Chaturvedi, along their supporters. The dharna was continuing when the last reports came in. Senior Superintendent of Police Babloo Kumar has rushed for Mahaban to sort out the problem. By ANI NEW DELHI: The General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ram Madhav, on Sunday criticised Farooq Abdullah, the president of the National Conference (NC), saying that Abdullah is playing party politics ahead of the Panchayat and urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Madhav said that the Kashmiri leader does not want the people of his state to avail democratic rights. After announcing his party's plans to withdraw from the Panchayat polls a few days ago, Abdullah on Saturday threatened to boycott Lok Sabha and Assembly elections also if the Centre fails to give an assurance on protecting the Articles 35A and 370 respectively, which are enjoyed exclusively by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Reacting to the NC chief's threat, Madhav said, "In order to provide Kashmir people with their democratic rights, we want local body election to happen in the Valley, Jammu and Ladakh. Farookh Abdullah has always done politics of his own party and never made efforts to ensure the democratic rights of people. Now when Prime Minister Modi is doing so then he is opposing it by making excuses." He added, "I want to ask Farooq Abdullah if he is opposing Panchayat election because of Article 35A, then why did he contest the election in Kargil and how did he win 10 seats? These are just excuses." While addressing an event commemorating the death anniversary of his father late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah on Saturday, the former chief minister said, "We will not only boycott Panchayat elections but also Lok Sabha and Assembly elections if the Centre doesn't clear its stand on Article 35A and Article 370." Meanwhile, National Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh feels that Abdullah's decision to pull out Panchayat polls is a "blessing in disguise" for the people. "I come from Jammu and Kashmir and was MLA during Abdullah's government in the state. Will there be any difference if they will not contest in the election? I have received around 1000 texts from people of the state asking not to let NC contest in the election," Singh told ANI. "If they (NC) will not contest in the election then it will be a blessing for the people. People of Jammu and Kashmir welcome this decision," he added. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: Criminals fired at the house of a leader of Bihars main Opposition RJD who is close to jailed former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin in the eastern Siwan district on Saturday. The incident prompted RJD to renew its attacks on the government on the law and order issue. Police said two bike-born criminals fired several shots at the house of Rajesh Yadav at Lakshmipur and sparked fear in the neighbourhood before fleeing. Two live cartridges were recovered from the front yard of Yadavs house. A probe is on to ascertain the motive behind this incident and identify the men who fired the shots, said Siwan SP Navin Chandra Jha, declining to elaborate. Local residents told police that the assailants did not appear to have come with the intention of killing anyone and that they aimed at spreading fear. During the incident, Rajesh Yadav was present in the first floor of his house. Sources said the assailants briefly spoke with Yadavs brother, who was near the doorway, before they started firing indiscriminately. Frightened by the sound of the firing, families in the area huddled in their houses. Police sources said it is possible the firing was done by people having rivalries with Shahabuddin, a four-term RJD MP from Siwan who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi. He was sentenced to life in a double murder case of 2004 and faces trial in several other criminal cases. Such incidents make it clear that law and order has collapsed in Bihar due to the NDA governments disinterest in peoples safety. We demand a thorough probe into the firing incident in Siwan, said senior RJD leader and MLA Bhai Birendra. By PTI NEW DELHI: In the midst of a political firestorm over the Rafale jet deal, the Indian Air Force is quietly making preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft, official sources said. ALSO READ | Activist and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan says IAF officials being pressured on Rafale deal They said the IAF is sending a batch of pilots by the end of this year to France for training on Rafale jets. A number of IAF teams have already visited France to help Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, incorporate India-specific enhancements on-board the fighter aircraft. India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016, for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. ALSO READ | Narendra Modi government lied on India-specific enhancements in Rafale deal: Congress The delivery of the jets -- capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles -- is scheduled to begin from September next year. Sources said Dassault Aviation has already started test flight of Rafale jets to be supplied to India and the company has been told to strictly adhere to the timeline for delivery of the aircraft. The Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others. A team of IAF pilots have already trained on Rafale jets in France and they will again go there by end of the year, sources said. The Congress has raised several questions about the deal, including rates of the aircraft, while the government has rejected the charges. ALSO READ | Rafale fighters quietly flew into India amid uproar over alleged scam Sources said the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed in Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. Officials said the government has already sanctioned around Rs 400 crore to develop required infrastructure like shelters, hangers and maintenance facilities at the two bases. The sources said France has been regularly briefing India about progress in the project to supply the jets. In July last year, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, during his visit to France, flew a Rafale jet at the Saint-Dizier airbase to gain a first-hand experience of the aircraft. According to the deal, the delivery of the jets will start in 36 months and will be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was inked. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Uncertainty looms over holding of municipal and panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir after the National Conference (NC), a major political party in the state, decided to boycott elections till the Centre cleared its stand on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to residents of the State. Three-time chief minister and NC president Farooq Abdullah has linked participation in urban local body and panchayat polls in the state with safeguarding of Article 35A, which bars outsiders from purchasing land and property in J&K and getting government jobs and scholarships. The Supreme Court is hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of Article 35A, and has deferred the hearing till January. Barring the BJP, all mainstream parties, including National Conference, PDP, Congress, the separatists, traders, lawyers, and civil society groups favour continuation of Article 35A and have warned against any tinkering with the law. After the NC decided to boycott the ULB and panchayat polls, the PDP of Mehbooba Mufti would find it difficult to participate in the polls. According to insiders in PDP, the party has decided against contesting the ULB and panchayat polls till the Central government clears its stand on Article 35A. They said the party would have announced their boycott to the polls but it was felt that it will be seen as a reaction to NCs boycott to polls. So the party may take couple of days before announcing boycott of the polls. The Governors administration has announced 4-phase urban local body and eight-phase panchayat polls from October-December. The ULB polls are scheduled to be held from October 1 to October 5 while the eight-phase panchayat polls would be conducted from November 8 to December 4. By Express News Service BHOPAL: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Madhya Pradesh State Assembly Ajay Singh has challenged Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to contest the year-end assembly polls against him from Churhat seat of Sidhi district .Churhat, importantly, is the pocket borough of Singh's family, as the seat has been represented by him and his ex-CM father Late Arjun Singh eight times since 1967. The seat considered an impregnable Congress fortress has been won by the ruling BJP only once (in 1993) during the last 11 assembly elections. "The CM says I need to fight with him openly and not from behind. But I haven't ever fought him from behind curtains. Twice in last five years, I as the Leader of Opposition have challenged him to have an open debate, by moving two no-confidence motion against his non-performing government. But it's he and not me, who has shied away from the debate on no trust vote by escaping from the patli gali," said Singh in Bhopal on Saturday. "I challenge him to come and face me in Churhat in the next assembly polls," said Singh, the four time sitting Congress legislator from the same seat. However, when queried by journalists, why isn't he willing to contest against the CM from latter's present seat Budhni in Sehore district, Singh said, it's who is eager to have an open contest with me. Singh Chouhan is the four-time sitting MLA from Budhni seat of Sehore district, which houses his native village Jait. On September 2, stones were allegedly pelted Chouhan's ongoing statewide Jan Ashirwad Yatra bus at Patpara village in Singh's Churhat assembly constituency of Sidhi district, located close to East UP. Chouhan, while alleging the hand of Singh and his supporters in the incident had dared the LoP to fight with him in the open instead of orchestrating attacks from behind. Reacting to the allegations by Sandeep Chaturvedi (a youth from his home district Sidhi) on Saturday about police forcing him to turn an eyewitness of the incident and name seven men as accused in the case, Singh alleged that neither me nor my party is behind any alleged incident of stone pelting on the CM's vehicle on September 2."Sandeep's statements before journalists today put under cloud the entire stone pelting allegations as well as expose a well-thought conspiracy by the ruling BJP and state government to defame the Congress party and attempt my political murder," alleged Singh. Even though the entire theory of CM's vehicle being pelted with stones is under cloud now, the police in Sidhi district have booked the nine persons arrested in the matter under Section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder) also, to ensure that they don't easily get bail from the court. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has shot off a letter to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the demand to open a corridor for pilgrims to visit the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan. A two-page letter written by Sidhu yesterday to Sushma states: Now an opportunity has knocked on our doors. Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long-pending demand for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. Pilgrims have been demanding this corridor for years. There was some positivity when I visited Pakistan for the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, but now, with their Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary categorically saying that corridor will be opened and even visa wont be required to visit this as part of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it is time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue. When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door. The opening of this corridor will be a huge thing for the Sikh community all over the world. Even though both neighbours have had sour relations for decades, but the corridor, if opened, can bring peace and prosperity between the two countries, it said. It added that this could break barriers, build bridges and improve relations between the two nations. My humble submission to you is to make every possible effort and bring boundless joy and happiness to the Sikh community world-over. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed the BJP's national executive on Sunday that the government had decided to set free jail inmates who were old and suffering from ailments. Modi told the delegates that the NDA government had decided on "Mukti Daan" to set free old and ailing jail inmates on compassionate grounds. The decision comes weeks ahead of the government kicking off the year-long commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The BJP, on the concluding days of its national executive meeting, adopted a political resolution, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to enjoy a 70 per cent approval rating in the country. The resolution envisages the country becoming free of poverty and terrorism by 2022 as part of the New India vision of the government. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, while briefing reporters about the details of the political resolution, which was moved by the Union Minister for Home Affairs, Rajnath Singh, said that the Modi government had ensured robust internal security, making regular bomb blasts in parts of the country a thing of the past. The resolution also said that a Naga peace accord was on the cards. It affirmed the government's commitment to the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) in Assam. The BJP chief, Amit Shah, made a statement on NRC in the national executive, vowing that the party stood for the eviction of illegal migrants. The statement said that religious minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and Christians would be welcome in the country as per the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which is before Parliament. Shah asserted that each illegal migrant from the neighbouring countries would be identified, their Indian citizenship cancelled, and their eviction from the country ensured. He added that Rohingyas were also being identified, and they too would soon be evicted from the country. The political resolution noted that the north-east had largely remained peaceful even as six of the eight states elected BJP-led NDA governments. Spelling out the New India vision, the political resolution stated that the country would be free of homelessness, hunger and joblessness by 2022. It added that the government was working to provide homes to 5 crore people in the next three years. The Trump administration decided late July to unfreeze $195 million in military aid to Egypt it had previously withheld for a year The US chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM) Joseph Votel has stressed that military-to-military exercises strengthen relations between Cairo and Washington, a statement by the US embassy read. Egypt is one of our most vital partners in the region, General Votel said. Votel was in Egypt for a couple of days to observe joint training exercises between US military forces and the Egyptian armed forces under the umbrella of the Bright Star 2018 exercises at Mohamed Naguib Military Base. Votel said that during his visit he met with senior Egyptian leaders to "explore ways to enhance the strategic security relationship between Egypt and the United States, a historic partnership which plays a leading role in counterterrorism and regional security." Votel has also highlighted that around 800 US military service members participated in the Bright Star exercises for the second consecutive year since their reactivation. The focus this year is on regional security and cooperation, and promoting interoperability in irregular warfare scenarios. The Bright Star 2018 exercise promotes our vision of a more stable and prosperous region with increasingly effective governance, improved security, and trans-regional cooperation. CENTCOM sees this expanded joint exercise as vital to securing American and Egyptian interests, the statement read. The statement added: "As a partner with Egypt, the United States remains committed to supporting the Egyptian government and people through diplomatic, economic, social and security cooperation." The Trump administration decided late July to unfreeze $195 million in military aid to Egypt it had previously withheld for a year. The $195 million in aid was part of the US governments 2016 fiscal year budget. The funds are intended for Egypt to buy US-made military equipment. Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service SRINAGAR: A separatist and an Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind militant were shot dead in two separate incidents in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday, while a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in Anantnag district. Later, a woman was injured after being shot at by suspected militants in the evening. Police said Hakim-ul-Rehman Sultani, an activist of separatist group Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, was fired upon from close range by militants in Bomai area of Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. The people, in large numbers, attended his funeral prayers at his home town at Bomai in Sopore. Few hours later, suspected militants shot dead a youth, Asif Nazir Dar, at Hazratbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar. Asif belonged to 'Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind' Al-Qaeda's Kashmir cell led by Zakir Moosa and hailed from Pulwama district, the police said, adding that the slain militant was initially affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen. In the evening, suspected militants fired on a vehicle near Jamia Masjid in Pulwama district, causing injuries to a woman identified as Simran Jan. Meanwhile, a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed and a policemen injured in a gunfight at Khul, Ranipora area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district in the morning. The gunfight took place after militants attacked a police picket with the intention to loot the weapons. "Not only was the attack repulsed, but one of the attackers was also killed," the police said. By PTI CHENNAI: The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu Sunday decided to recommend to the state Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. ALSO READ | Spurred by Supreme Court's ruling, parties urge government to free convicts A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet meeting here under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The move comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts. ALSO READ | Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Tamil Nadu political leaders welcome Supreme Court order on Perarivalan Though the apex court had asked the Governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also petitioned seeking premature release, he said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the Governor "immediately," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. By PTI CHANDIGARH: A woman head constable with Haryana Police has accused a man and his brother, who too is a head constable, of raping and blackmailing her, an official said on Sunday. Following the rape case being filed at women police station, Palwal on Saturday, a probe was launched, Palwal SP, Waseem Akram said. However, he denied the rumours that the victim was raped inside a police station as reported by a section of the media. "The woman head constable has complained that she came in contact with the main accused Joginder alias Mintu of Alawalpur, Palwal in 2014. She had first met him in Mahendergarh," Akram said quoting the complaint by the woman. "She stated that they were in touch since then and Joginder had allegedly repeatedly raped her during her posting in Faridabad, Jind and Palwal," he added. The complainant further alleged that in June 2017, Joginder introduced her to his brother-- a head constable with Faridabad Police-- who too allegedly raped her, Akram said. She alleged that Joginder has been blackmailing her for money and sexual favours as he possesses objectionable photographs of her and threatens to post them on social media. "During the investigation, it has been found that the accused Joginder is married and has two children. The complainant is also married," he said. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Kerala and Uttar Pradesh top the list of states where cases of gay sex were registered. The crimes were registered under Section 377, the provision which was struck down by the Supreme Court last week. Between 2014 and 2016, a total of 4690 cases were registered under Section 377. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), as many as 2,195 gay sex cases were registered under Section 377 in 2016, 1,347 in 2015 and 1,148 cases in 2014. Uttar Pradesh topped the list in 2016, with 999 such cases, followed by Kerala in 2017. In Delhi, 183 cases were registered under Section 377 and in Maharashtra 170 such cases were registered. According to the NCRB data, in 2015, the highest number of cases under Section 377 were registered in Uttar Pradesh at 239. In 2015, Kerala and Maharashtra registered 159 gay sex cases each, Haryana saw 111 cases and Punjab registered 81 such cases. However, among the 1,347 cases registered in the country in 2015, in 814 cases, the victims were children. Among these 814 cases, 179 were in Uttar Pradesh, 142 in Kerala, 116 in Maharashtra and 63 in Haryana. According to Home Ministry officials, those accused of consensual gay sex and facing trial or whose petitions are under review can breathe easy now as the Supreme Courts September 6 verdict gives them a ray of hope. The five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had unanimously held that the members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community possess the same constitutional rights as other citizens of the country. A RAY OF HOPE The declaration of the aforesaid reading down of Section 377 shall not, however, lead to the reopening of any concluded prosecutions, but can certainly be relied upon in all pending matters, whether they are at the trial, appellate, or revisional stages, the SC order said. T J S George By There is a strategic political coup that Rahul Gandhi can execute, and thereby transform the entire landscape of the 2019 election. Routine politicking wont do in the present climate because Narendra Modis oratorical ability to attract mass attention is unrivalled and his party has the advantage of being in power. It will be foolish to see 2019 as a Modi versus Rahul test. The Congress should understand this unusual situation and take unusual steps to meet the challenge. Rahul can swing everything in his favour with a bit of daring, and a bit of the long view. The first step is to know that he cannot just shrug off the combined handicap of inexperience in government, relative youth and the dynasty tag. Modi makes fun of these by using nicknames like Shazada and Pappu. To imagine that this drawback can be overcome with fiery speeches, a foreign visit or two, and modern marketing technology would be to succumb to the temptations of power. Pressures to commit this mistake must be resisted with daring. The long view is needed to realise that he has nothing to lose by waiting. Time is on his side. If he remains Congress president but formally withdraws from the perceived prime-minister-to-be position, it will be a boost to the Opposition among whom there are leaders sceptical of his lack of exposure to public office. The acceptability level of the Congress will increase simultaneously, making Opposition unity easier to attain. The Congress will remain a major component of the Opposition alliance, entitled to all the benefits of a victor in case the alliance wins a majority in the election. What if the Congress wins enough seats on its own to become a legitimate claimant for prime ministership? The shrewdest move Rahul Gandhi can make in such a situation is to put up another Congress leader for the top post and himself become a Cabinet minister intent on gaining administrative experience. That will raise his political stock sky-high. Indira Gandhi was a minister in Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastris Cabinet, and she was the better administrator for that (although she didnt like it at the time). By contrast, Chandrashekhar was a member of Parliament for many years, active as a Young Turk. But he became prime minister straightaway in November 1990 without any administrative experience in any branch of government. The result was that he became something of an Old Turk as prime minister and lasted only seven months, after which he withered away. Rahul Gandhi can kill two birds with one stone. While withdrawal from the prime ministerial race will crown him with a halo of wisdom, the presence of Congressmen with unimpeachable prime ministerial quality will strengthen the standing of his party in any alliance. Choosing the right one is a problem a party president with Rahul Gandhis clout can easily solve. To cite two examples, P Chidambaram is unofficially mentioned as a potential prime minister. But he could well be a disaster. For one thing, whispers about his PM qualities were contrived as far back as in 2012, when overseas media, including such weighty titles as The Economist carried the whispers. The Congress even ordered an internal inquiry about it. A more important factor against him is that his name is linked rightly or wrongly with corruption cases, his son contributing to that negative asset. Chidambaram is capable, educated and modernistic, but he is unpopular. His image is his enemy. Mallikarjun Kharge, on the other hand, is a dream candidate for prime ministership. One of the most experienced politicians in public life today, he has handled ministerial portfolios for more than 40 years, in his state and at the Centre. The portfolios have included, education, panchayati raj, industries, revenue, transport and home. The crowning glory is that he has handled all these without attracting corruption scandals. This must be a unique record. Kharge has a couple of other qualifications that are important in Indias convoluted politics. He is from the south who speaks Hindi like a native. His role as the virtual Leader of the Opposition in Parliament has evoked the reluctant admiration of even the ruling party. Additionally, he is from a Scheduled Caste, though he never plays the caste card. A Congress party that puts up Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial candidate, with Rahul Gandhi confidently waiting in the background, will be a formidable force in 2019. The only question is whether Rahul will have the daring and the long view to grab the opportunity. Prabhu Chawla By If politics is the war of ideologies, literature is the battleground of ideas. Both the BJP and the Congress are focused on the medium over the message; for the former it is the excessive use of social media, and for the latter, intellectual acrobatics on the pages of a compendium of the virtues and victories of the Congress doctrine. For the past few months, GOPs intellectually inclined leaders are flaunting their literary skills involving romance, the arts, the environment and lately politics. While BJP leaders are content with blogs, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook posts, their counterparts are being feted by content-hungry publishers as sought-after wordsmiths willing to write political potboilers that are partly rants and partly taunts. Going by the numerous book releases nowadays, more tomes have been hawked as political literature in the past four years of the BJP regime than in previous decades. The pages of history are full of former prime ministers, presidents and senior civil servants describing their glory days of youth and power. Their books do not tar or tame their opponents. But recent works hold a subjective view of contemporary politics and economics; their authors coming from all conceivable shades of the political spectrum. Since the Congress cannot best the ruling party in resources and media access, its messengers have become social influencers. Senior former ministers have zeroed in on politically potent subjects like Hindutva, UPA scandals, Kashmir, demonetization, GST and the cult and culture of Modinomics and politics as vade mecum topics. Their strategy is to produce political literature for intellectual aggrandizement to trivialize hostile one-liners on TV channels. After losing ministerial perks and berths, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid, Manish Tewari, Jairam Ramesh, Saifuddin Soz, Shashi Tharoor and Abhishek Manu Singhvi have embarked on a voyage of self-rediscovery to engage the literati and the chatterati. Their mission is to launder the UPAs tainted image through their interpretations of the catastrophes that led to its downfall. These publications are seen as part of a subtle yet high-voltage campaign choreographed to defend the Congress, which suffered its most humiliating defeat since Independence in 2014. Camouflaged as literary and intellectual exercises, their real war cry is Defend the UPA and Offend the NDA. Interestingly, all these books are not written on the same subject or at the same time. There are no overt signs of a coordinated effort to declare a literary war against the Sangh Parivar. But the subjects and the titles of each magnum opus reflect the hidden agenda of their begetters, whose objective is to idolize and eulogize the work and wisdom of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and to demolish and minimize the overarching Modi-Hindutva narrative. To meet the hard Hindutva push of the BJP and its leaders to consolidate their hold over their core constituency and bring more religious middle and lower-class Hindus into the fold, former minister and prominent author Shashi Tharoor responded with the bestseller Why I am a Hindu. Using clever turns of phrase and innovative interpretations, he interrogates the BJP band of Hinduism while portraying himself as a better Hindu. Its a smart strategy; by asserting that Indias Hindu majority keeps the country secular and democratic, he is endorsing the decade-long claim of RSS and BJP leaders, but with a subversive undertone that sounds more plausibly inclusive. In the same vein last week, former HRD and Telecommunications minister Kapil Sibal launched a frontal attack on both, the Modi governments policies and also on his definition of vindictive and false accusations against the UPA government. Shades of Truth was released with much fanfare, discussed on TV and in newsprint, and buzzed in Lutyens Delhi chatterhouses. Its thesis is the Congress built modern India through the Green Revolution, industrial revolution and a strong and decisive leadership that inspired the IT revolution. Alongside this boastful narrative, he takes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team for undermining the Congresss role in nation-building. As part of this literary orchestra, Speaking Truth to Power by Chidambaram throws down a gauntlet to the government; his collection of newspaper articles aims to excoriate the NDAs economic and fiscal policies by demonising demonetization and GST as flawed misadventures. Against the BJPs claims that Indias economic performance has beaten all records, Chidambaram predicates it is just a rainbow of illusions. The most aggressive defence of UPA scandals like 2G appears in former law minister Salman Khurshids Spectrum Politics: Unveiling the Defence. Tracing the history of Indias telecoms policy, he argues his party only followed the policy and guidelines established by the BJP when it was in power from 1998 to 2004. Salman has visualized the 2G scam not as political corruption but as a corporate battle over scuttling of optimum and judicious allocation of spectrum to various players. Disapproving of the excessive and favourable coverage of the Modi government, former Congress I&B minister Manish Tewari has embarked on an autobiographic tirade against the medias conduct during the UPAs rule. His target is the influence of corporate power on the declining quality of reportage. Avoiding naming and shaming, he attempts to prove that the current media discourse is dictated by bottom lines and not bylines. Tewari suggests the highly visible media space the ruling party gets is driven by commercial compulsions, not actual performance. The above-mentioned author-leaders have taken note of the BJPs strategy of decimating Congress icons Nehru and Indira Gandhi. As top saffron leaders attack the Nehru/Gandhi Family on a daily basis, Jairam Ramesh, the UPAs former environment minister, has taken it upon himself to project Indira Gandhi not only as a powerful political leader but also as an eco-warrior through the pages of Green Signals: Ecology, Growth and Democracy in India; a leader who struck the right balance between ecology and economy. While Congress leaders have chosen a variety of subjects to kick-start a political and economic debate, equally powerful saffron voices are absent. Most BJP leaders are either intellectually defensive on social media and at captive forums or confine themselves to repetitive discussions on Deen Dayal Upadhyay, RSS, Pakistan and Kashmir. Modi is their only medium and message. They must realize that the Congress has been able to sustain the Nehru hagiography by literary means. If there is no alternative to Modi, there is also no substitute for incandescent literary description and interpretation of rule and rulers. The time has come for the Hindutva leadership to catch up with the Congress to create alternative political literature. Only then will a new vocabulary emerge to read between the lines of historys perorations. KOLKATA: Collapse of two bridges within a span of three days in West Bengal, killing three people and injuring many, has sent the Trinamool Congress government into a tizzy and given a weapon to Opposition parties before the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. While the 40-year-old Majerhat Bridge in Kolkata collapsed on Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old Phansidewa Bridge in Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district collapsed on Friday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee admitted that 20 major bridges across the state, including seven in Kolkata, had completed their life span and might be dangerous. As a precautionary measure to protect other bridges, she asked Kolkata Police to prevent entry of 20-wheeled trailers and called for rehabilitation of shopkeepers beneath major flyovers. While Mamata blamed vibrations due to Metro work for Majerhat collapse, tourism minister Gautam Deb blamed CPM-controlled Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad for laxity in maintaining Phansidewa Bridge. However, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said the government was trying to cover up the condition of bridges by painting them blue and white and doing patchworks. The state has seen three major bridge collapses during seven years of TMC rule. Mamata blamed the previous Left government since the bridges were built during their rule. But PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, during their recent visits to the state, alleged that TMC-controlled real-estate syndicates forced both government and private construction firms to buy poor quality products from them. The collapses has brought the PWDs role into question and is likely to snowball into a major poll issue next year. Kumar Vikram By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Ramesh Singh borrowed more than Rs 7 lakh as an education loan to study in a private engineering college in the NCR area. However, he could not get a job during the campus placement, and even after more than a year, remains unemployed and unable to pay the instalments. Vimal Tyagi, who belongs to a lower-middle class family, took an education loan to fulfil his academic aspirations, and hoped to repay the loan after getting a job. But, he failed during the campus placement and is now a defaulter. These are not isolated cases of students turning education loan defaulters. According to data with the Indian Banks Association (IBA), there are currently over 3.44 lakh students who have not been able to pay instalments of education loans they took to complete their higher education. These students either did not get campus placement, or even if they did manage to find a job after finishing their course, could not command a salary sufficient to repay the loan. Each year, about seven lakh students avail education loans worth about Rs 13,000 crore. For instance, in 2015-16, 7,86,279 students took loans amounting to Rs 13,435 crore, according to data provided by the IBA and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In 2016-17 and 2017-18, the corresponding figures were 6,80,286 students and Rs 12,227 crore worth of loans, and 8,98,545 students and loans worth Rs 14,734 crore. So while the number of loans taken in the past three years has been more or less uniform, IBA and RBI data point to an increasing number of students defaulting in loan repayment, or in other words, rising bad loans. In 2015-16, Rs 4,777 crore of the total loans taken turned into non-performing assets (NPAs). In 2016-17 and 2017-18, the corresponding figures were Rs 5,191 crore and Rs 6,434 crore. Experts blamed poor placement and insufficient job creation for the increase in bad loans. Government data disclosed that in the last three years, the number of students who could not get placements crossed 40 lakh. AICTE records show that the placement percentage of students was only 33-34 per cent in the last few years. Over 25 lakh students take admissions in private colleges for technical education and out of them barely 5 lakh get campus placement. This is the main reason behind students turning loan defaulters, said Dharmendra Kumar, president of the Technical Universities Teachers Association. All-India Private College Employees Union founder KM Karthik claimed higher education has become a business and corporates were running these institutes in the name of trusts. Banks do not ask for any collateral or third-party guarantee for loan up to Rs 4 lakh. For loan of Rs 4-7.5 lakh a thirdparty guarantee is required. A collateral is asked only for loan exceeding Rs 7.5 lakh. A student becomes a defaulter if he is not able to pay the loan for three months. A public sector bank official said while banks hire recovery agents to get back the loan, the Government has advised them to adopt non-coercive strategies. The government had earlier modified the IBA Model Education Loan Scheme in order to reduce non-performing assets (NPAs). The changes made in the scheme include extension of repayment period to 15 years. Journalist turned politician Harivansh Narayan Singh, who is now on the hot seat of the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, told Manish Anand in a freewheeling interview that political leaders must sit together to discuss why solutions to burning social issues are coming from judiciary and not Parliament. He stated that progress of the country is incumbent upon ensuring 50 per cent participation of women in Parliament on immediate priority, while noting that lack of dialogue among political parties is being reflected in disruptions becoming norms in the parliamentary procedures. How do you look back at your journey from being a journalist to the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson? I became a journalist in 1977, and witnessed joys of the rich and poor alike when they spent whole night in front of Mantralaya in Mumbai to rejoice at the electoral defeat of the mighty politicians of those times. The air breathed with joys of second freedom. I was able to get a sense of what the people could have felt when India gained freedom in 1947. In journalism, we talk of idealism that certain things should happen in certain manners. In 1991, I got an opportunity to see how system works when I joined the Prime Ministers Office as an additional information officer to Chandra Shekhar. Later, I got an opportunity in 2014 to become a member of the Rajya Sabha. In two years, the apparent norm of disruptions in the House made me ponder if the highest and pious institution of democracy is living up to its mandate. Are the basic issues before the country being addressed by the House? I think there are serious questions before us to discuss. On disruptions becoming the norm in the Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had once remarked that there was a case of tyranny of unelected? Do you agree with this? The idea behind the constitution of the Rajya Sabha was to ensure refinement of legislations passed by the Lok Sabha, whose members are directly elected and who may work under tremendous pressure of the people. Also, the second chamber of Parliament was set up to give space to intellectuals, statesmen and stalwarts who may not win elections. But the idea was not to put obstructions to the legislations being passed by the House of the directly elected members. Thus, our conduct in the Rajya Sabha has to demonstrate the utility of the Upper House. What should be done so that the Rajya Sabha is not seen as obstructionist? Discipline is the bare minimum requirement to run the proceedings of the House. Mahtama Gandhi also said that there will have to be rigid and iron discipline before we achieve anything great and enduring. Jawahar Lal Nehru had said on the occasion of the retirement of the first batch of the members of the Rajya Sabha, Parliament does set some kind of examples to the rest of the country. As we behave here and work, so does the general public and to some extent others will behave elsewhere right to the down level of our democracy at Panchayats. A million eyes are upon us, and we should not set wrong examples. I think the members of the House must go through self-evaluation. So, whats the remedy in the current time when disruptions are the new normal in the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha? Its very apt to quote former President K R Narayanan who had described indiscipline and disorder in the legislative Houses as infantile disorders or the measles of the middle ages which are bound to pass, but pass they must, otherwise the system will be in mortal danger. Thus, the daunting task for us is to ensure that the democratic institutions function in such manners that people follow them. We need to get together and live up to the high expectations. We have to demonstrate the relevance of the Rajya Sabha with our work and conduct. This could be achieved with self-discipline. This is also what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu stated that discipline is the need of the hour. But its evident that the dialogue between political parties, particularly the ruling dispensation and the Opposition within the Parliament and outside, required for a healthy democracy, has become a rarity. Do you also feel it? Youve rightly said that Parliamentary system cannot be imagined without dialogue. We may have different ideologies, but must sit together and find ways out. I would like to quote former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he said after losing the 2004 Lok Sabha elections: My party has lost, but democracy triumphed. This is the spirit of democracy. But the political circumstances seen in the last two decades increased the distance among the political parties. This is not proper. The distance must be bridged. India has diversities, and unity could only be the strength. Until we restore dialogue and healthy parliamentary norms, we would not be able to find solutions to larger issues confronting the country. The concept of whip in parliamentary democracy is also seen as a hindrance to healthy democracy and dialogue, while making the MPs largely toe the party lines. Do you think the time has come to revisit the idea of whip? The whip is a tool of management for the political parties in the parliamentary proceedings. Its for effective implementation of the party decisions by coordinating with the members. Its an essential concept, while ensuring that the Houses are also run effectively. However, the issue before the top leadership of political parties is to evolve a working consensus on certain big issues before the country. After 1960s, even the Opposition parties are coming to power. So, there shouldnt be rigid positions. But there are burning issues, including population and employment generation. If we dont plan about the challenges before the country, including migration from rural to urban areas, then we will be failing in our duties. The budget for education has gone four times from `93,000 crore to about `4 lakh crore, yet the quality of education is worrisome. What would you expect from the members of the Rajya Sabha that the peoples faith is restored? The people in the country should be sensitised about economic issues in simple languages. We have tried every economic model. Weve been through crisis. Yet, I think Parliament should brainstorm on the Gandhian economic model since we would be commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. What should be done to create employments at the village level? What should be done that the economic mode is not exploitative of natural resources. Parliament should debate and discuss the big issues, including ecological challenges. Can we have any indigenous economic model which the MPs can debate and discuss? The MPs often lament that the judiciary is encroaching into the domain of Parliament. But the fact is that solutions to larger social concerns most often come from the judiciary. Do you think that Parliament is yielding space to judiciary on account of inaction? I agree with the view that the on account of the parliamentarians not discharging their duties proactively, other institutions are stepping in with their interventions. This makes incumbent upon all the members to set aside their differences and protect the supremacy of Parliament. We may differ on ideologies but must protect the supremacy of the rule of the people through Parliament. This must never go into the hands of other institutions. The day-to-day business of the country must be conducted by the legislature and the executive. Despite seven decades of Indias Independence, womens participation in Parliament is just about 12 per cent. Do you think its a cause of concern? Womens participation in Parliament should be 50 per cent, and it should be ensured immediately. In fact, the developed countries could achieve progress in their respective countries only after ensuring due representation to women. Aadhi abaadi (half the countrys population) must get at least half the representation in Parliament. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Apprehending the possibility of Enforcement Directorate registering an FIR against Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, his brother and Congress MP D K Suresh on Saturday accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the coalition government in the state. His allegations were backed by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao, who accused the BJP of misusing the central agencies. The BJP, however, rubbished the charge that the central agencies were being misused. The I-T department had conducted raids at the premises belonging to Shivakumar, his relatives and associates last year. A case filed by the Income Tax department following the seizure of cash from Shivakumars associates flat in Delhi was transferred to ED. For the last one week, BJP leaders were talking about ED officials arresting Shivakumar. I do not know the basis for such talk, but now we have a reason to be suspicious as the central agencies pass on information to BJP leaders, Suresh told reporters. He claimed that they have information that the Income Tax Department and the ED were preparing to launch an investigation against them. It is part of BJPs strategy to destabilise the coalition government and achieve their mission of winning 25 seats in Lok Sabha elections. Apart from Shivakumar, they are also targeting three other leaders in the state, Suresh said without naming them. Launching a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, Suresh said that they were trying to bring down the government by misusing the central agencies and by resorting to horse-trading. We all know about their Operation Lotus. Now, it has come to our notice that they have targeted our seven MLAs by offering them money and power. They are even threatening some of them, he accused. Suresh said he had sought the Prime Ministers appointment to tell him how the agencies were misused for political purposes. To back his allegation that BJP leaders are misusing the agencies, Suresh released a copy of a letter which he claimed was written by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa to an I-T department officer in New Delhi seeking probe into Shivakumar and his brothers dealings. We are fully cooperating with all agencies, including the I-T and CBI, but the BJP leaders are misusing the ED and it is politics of revenge that started after Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat. They are trying to put pressure on Shivakumar and me, but we are not scared of any action, including arrest. I have even told CBI officials that we are not scared of any action and believe in the judicial system and will also go before people, Suresh said and accused the BJP of trying to weaken leaders, who are strong in their respective states and trying to get them to join their party. KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao backed Sureshs claims and said it is a political conspiracy against the government. The Congress will not have any issues with the central agencies doing their job, but they are being used to target political opponents and to destabilise the government, he said. He claimed that the government was stable and would complete its full tenure of five years. The BJP accused Suresh of releasing a fake letter to mislead people. Fake letter claimed to be written by me shows the desperation of Congress to save its unholy government. I have never indulged in such cheap politics and would retire if its proven, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa stated. The BJP state unit accused Shivakumar and his brother of desperately trying to bring caste into the picture to save themselves. JD(S) backs DK Brothers Even as the Congress accused BJP of trying to destabilise the government by targeting Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, his brother and other leaders, its coalition partner JD(S) jumped to its support. JD(S) State president A H Vishwanath too accused the Centre of misusing central agencies such as Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate to hound the minister. In recent weeks, a number of murder crimes involving families have been reported in the media A mother and her four children have been found dead inside their home in New Cairo's Shorouk City, while he whereabouts of the father remain unknown since residents reported the incident to the police earlier Sunday. A prosecution team headed immediately to the crime scene and ordered autopsies on the deceased after initial investigations suggested that the father had committed the murders, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. The police have not yet issued an official report on the incident. "The New Cairo prosecution office is undergoing intensive investigations to uncover the circumstances of the crime," Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. In recent weeks, a number of murder crimes involving families have been reported in the media. Last month, a father of two children confessed to throwing them in the Nile River north of Cairo because they were being "bothersome." The 33-year-old man had first claimed that his two children, aged three and five, disappeared while he was busy chatting with someone in a park during the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha. According to a six-minute video released by the interior ministry, the father, Mahmoud Nazmy, confessed to throwing the children into the river while under the influence of drugs. Earlier this week, the bodies of a father and his four children were found inside their residence in the Nile Delta's Qaloubiya governorate with initial investigations pointing to his sister as rsponsible for the murders. Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service PATHANAPURAM: A nun of Malankara Orthodox Syrian was found dead at Church Mount Tabor Dayara and Convent at Pathanapuram on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Sister Susan Mathew (55). The dead body was found inside the convent well when the employees traced blood stains nearby, around 9 am. Police and fire force reached the spot. The locals demanded the presence of RDO before the body being fished out from the well. Pathanapuram police is taking the statements of other nuns and staff in the convent. There are visible blood stains near the well and in the room of Sr Susan. She was a teacher at St Stephens School Pathanapuram for the last 25 years. She was a native of Kallada in Kollam. Death of Catholic nun Sr Abhaya in 1992 in similar circumstances had snowballed into a major controversy and investigation by the central agencies. By PTI NEW DELHI Lashing out at Kerala MLA PC George for using 'abusive language' against an alleged rape victim, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma Sunday said such incidents are shameful. Sharma noted that the commission would be writing to Kerala DGP Lokanath Behera to take action against such lawmakers. The NCW chairperson said the nun was allegedly facing discrimination after levelling sexual assault charges against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal and that she was not getting support from the church. Sharma's comments come amid reports of Kerala MLA PC George abusing the nun. In his statement, the MLA asked why didn't the nun report the incident earlier. In July this year, the nun filed a complaint with the Kottayam district police chief, alleging that Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal had raped her and had unnatural sex with her multiple times at a small town near Kottayam between 2014 and 2016. Mulakkal has claimed innocence and said the truth will come out in the police investigation. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The first meeting of the DMKs MPs, MLAs and district secretaries after MK Stalin took charge as party president, which was held here on Saturday, launched a scathing attack on the BJP and accused it of running electoral dictatorship for the past four years with a view to crushing the parliamentary democracy in the country. The meeting also charged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was acting against Tamil Nadu on every count, thus jeopardising the interests of the State as a whole. A lengthy resolution, adopted at the meeting chaired by Stalin, vowed to thwart the attempts of the BJP to saffronise the entire country, besides resolving to take up field works required for defeating the fascist BJP rule. The resolution also said the DMK would not allow oppressive measures against those working for the Dravidian ideologies. Shyamsundar N By Express News Service TIRUVANNAMALAI: Tiruvannamalai police detained Yogendra Yadav, psephologist-turned-politician and president of Swaraj India party, who had come to the district to interact with farmers protesting against acquisition of lands for the proposed Salem- Chennai green corridor project, twice on Saturday in the morning and the evening. On the invitation of a movement against the green corridor project, Yogendra Yadav, along with Dalip Singh, veteran trade union leader and a functionary of Swaraj India, Lingaraj, farmer leader from Odisha, K Balakrishnan, state convener of Swaraj India, and Arul Arumugam, joint convener of the movement, came to Athipaadi village on Saturday. According to Yadav, the team met some 35 farmers at Arumughams house in Athipaadi at around 8.30 am. After a while, we left for a meeting with farmers. While the four of us were en route to visit the houses of aggrieved farmers, police stopped us and prevented us from proceeding. When Arul was capturing a video of this, he was dragged by the police, and all of us were manhandled by the men in uniform. Then, they took us to a marriage hall and detained there, he said. Refuting the charge of police that he was a threat to law and order, Yadav reiterated that he had come to the district to meet farmers and, no matter what, he would follow his conscience and visit them. Yadav was released in the evening, but was detained again at a new location on Kanchi village along with Arumugham and Chandrakumar, convener of the movement. We were released at 5.00 pm. While we were going to meet farmers, we were again interrupted by police, who detained us at a marriage hall, said Arumugam Yadav said that prior to his detention, he had talked to the Collector on the phone about police excesses against protesters, but the Collector had denied any such incidents. Reportedly, a letter hand delivered to Yadav by the police while he was under detention in the morning, claimed that he was being detained as per an order under Section 30 (2) of the Police Act 1861. Yadav said that application of the order was patently illegal as the Section was applicable to regulation of public assembly and processions. It did not apply to visiting houses of people. While the SP was not available for comments, Collector K S Kandasamy said, The district administration has given permission to Yogendra Yadav to meet farmers representatives at Kanchi village under the supervision of police. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and national president of Telugu Desam Party N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday offered a piece of advice to the people of Telangana. He wanted people of both Telugu states to think over the injustice done to them by the NDA government at the Centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to create differences between me and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Naidu alleged. When TDP moved no-trust motion against NDA government protesting against non-implementation of assurances given in the AP Reorganisation Act,2014, Modi tried to create differences, Naidu said. It may be recalled that in reply to no-trust vote, Modi said in Lok Sabha that while Chandrasekhar Rao showed maturity, TDP always used to complain against the TRS government. Addressing the extended meeting of Telangana TDP here on Saturday, Naidu called upon the people not to support the NDA, which did injustice to both the States. He even referred to cine actor Shivajis comments that NDA might issue notices to AP government on Monday. They (BJP government) have CBI, ED and I-T. They used them in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They may use those institutions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana too sooner or later, Naidu said while endorsing Shivajis allegations. As a senior leader, I am warning the NDA that power is not permanent. The interests of the people and values are important in politics, Naidu said. The NDA government has failed to implement the assurances of the AP Reorganisation Act. I visited Delhi 29 times and demanded the Centre to do justice to both Telugu states....But, they failed to start Bayyaram steel factory and set up a Tribal university in Telangana, Naidu remarked. He also recalled that the NDA failed to accord national project status to any irrigation project in Telangana. The BJP government has done injustice not only to Telugu states but also to all other states, he said. TS unit to take the decision on polls in 2-3 days Chandrababu Naidu said that the Telangana TDP would take a decision within 2-3 days on poll alliances. Not making any direct reference about poll alliances, he said: So many leaders are aspiring for tickets in Telangana. But, all of them not get tickets. The competition for tickets indicated that we are strong in Telangana, he said. Continuation of TDP in Telangana is a historic necessity. You decide whichever is the best for the party and for Telangana in the elections. I will support you, Naidu said. TTDP president L Ramana speaking on the occasion said : I am announcing before our president that the TTDP will make seat adjustments with those parties who join hands with TDP. No party will be able to come to power in Telangana, without the support of TDP, he claimed. Reacting to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos comments that TDP was an Andhra Party, Ramana said: TDP is not Andhra party. It is Andari (belonging to all) party. KCR too started his political career in TDP. Ramana mooted Samajika Telangana after the elections. Earlier in the party leaders meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that the vote bank of TDP was still intact in several Assembly segments in Telangana. TS unit to decide on tie-ups Chandrababu Naidu said that the Telangana TDP would take a decision within 2-3 days on poll alliances. By Express News Service NIZAMABAD: While all political parties are gearing up for early polls in the district, the BJP district committee is reportedly still searching for candidates in Assembly constituencies excluding the Nizamabad Urban constituency. Some leaders have expressed displeasure over the partys prevailing situation. They opine that such confusion at such a time will send wrong signals to the party cadre as well as the neutral voters. Several party leaders who recently joined the party had aspirations to contest in Parliament elections. However, the party allegedly directed them to first contest in one of the Assembly constituencies and gain experience. Senior BJP leader Yendala Laxminarayana has decided to contest from Nizamabad Urban Assembly constituency. He had won the seat in 2009, 2011 by-elections. Meanwhile, the party has apparently directed newly-joined leaders including D Aravind and P Sadanand Reddy to contest from Balkonda and Armor, despite their lack of interest. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Warangal East MLA Konda Surekha issued a threat to TRS leadership on Saturday that she would quit the party if the TRS did not give her Assembly ticket in 24 hours time. Surekhas name did not figure in the TRS first list of 105 Assembly candidates. Hence, she has now set a deadline for the TRS leadership.If the TRS leadership fails to respond within 24 hours, I will announce my decision. I will write an open letter too, Surekha declared here on Saturday. She is expected to return to Congress, if the TRS does not give Assembly ticket. Speaking to reporters, Surekha said: It pained me that my name did not figure in the first list of TRS candidates. Denying ticket to me in the first list means insulting all Backward Class women. She also protested against denial of TRS tickets to B Shobha and Babu Mohan. She recalled that she won with a huge majority in 2014 from Warangal East seat. I wanted TRS ticket for Parakal seat, but TRS leadership wanted me to contest from Warangal East, as I was able to defeat Basavaraju Saraiah of Congress. I have contested unwillingly from Warangal East, Surekha said. She recalled that her family made sure that the TRS won in MP, MLC and Warangal corporation elections. We never spoke against the party leadership till date. There is no representation in the Cabinet for women. Though the TRS promised to give a Cabinet berth they did not fulfil it. Yet, I have continued to be in the party for the sake of development, Surekha said. She alleged that though she worked hard for the party, she did not derive any profit from the party. Surekha alleged that the party leadership did not inform about the entry of E Dayakar Rao, Gundu Sudharani and Basvaraju Saraiah into the TRS. Why is the TRS leadership according priority to Dayakar Rao? Is there any guarantee that the TRS will give B-forms to all the 105 candidates, whose names were announced recently? Surekha asked. Call from KTR Surekha said that IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao telephoned her two days ago and informed that the TRS could not give Bhupalpally ticket and offered Parakal seat. Rama Rao asked whether I would contest from Parakal or my daughter will contest. I told Rama Rao that we will discuss within our family and get back to him. But, now the TRS leaders are making false allegations that my family sought two Assembly tickets. I said it is okay if TRS gives Parakal ticket to me, Surekha explained. She alleged that their phones were being tapped. My family members will contest from Warangal East, Parakal and Bhupalpally seats. Do you have any objection? Surekha asked the TRS leaders. Surekha claimed that she had a large following not only in Warangal but across the state. TRS counter However, TRS leader D Vinay Bhaskar alleged that Surekha had a secret agreement with PCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy. He said that TRS gave political life to Surekha. Frontrunners TRS womens wing chief Gundu Sudharani is said to be the frontrunner for the ticket, along with other aspirants such as Warangal Mayor N Narender, former minister Basvaraj Saraiah and Palakurthy MLA Erabelli Dayakar Raos younger brother Erabelli Pradeep Rao. Manish Anand By NEW DELHI: Sounding the poll bugle for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday tasked the party workers with twin challenges expose the falsehood of Mahagathbandhan (Opposition unity) and counter P Chidambaram & co with facts and figures, and asserted that the NDA would seek another mandate on the basis of achievements of the Narendra Modi government. In his inaugural address to the BJP national executive, Shah admitted that the semblance of Opposition unity and the economic narrative being pushed by the Opposition are key poll challenges for the BJP. The BJP president has directed the party workers to expose dhakosla (falsehood) and bhranti (illusion) of the Mahagathbandhan. Also, the party workers have been asked to counter P Chidambaram & co with facts and figures (on the state of economy), Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Exuding confidence that the BJP would be able to retain power in 19 states with full majority, Shah sought to portray an image of Ajey (invincible) BJP, saying that the party is number two in West Bengal, Telangana and Odisha and would benefit from the anti-incumbency against the ruling parties in these states. The party already ruled over 70 per cent of India geographically, he pointed out. Painting broad details of various Central schemes touching lives of 50 crore people in the country, Shah stressed that the campaign agenda would focus on the performance of the Modi government. While the BJP was Making India, Shah said the Congress, which appears to be emerging as the fulcrum of Opposition unity, was in the company of whose who espouse Breaking India. Invoking the legacy of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee whose images and videos dominated the venue of the national executive at the Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi, Shah argued that that the Opposition has embarked on the path of disruptive politics, as seen from the no-confidence motion which had been moved against the Modi government with no rationale. Earlier in the day, Shah, while addressing the office bearers of the party, asserted that the Opposition was indulging in misinformation campaign against the amendments to the prevention of atrocities against SCs/STs, and urged party workers to counter the campaign. Two heads, one goal With organisational elections on hold for a year on account of the looming electoral challenges, Amit Shah will lead the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. His term as party chief was set to lapse in January. Anand St Das By PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars claim of improved law and order has taken a beating due to a marked rise in crime, giving the Opposition parties a weapon to attack the JD(U)-BJP government. A rise in rapes, molestations, murders and communal flare-ups has put Bihar again in danger of getting the lawless tag. The rape of minor girls at the government-funded Muzaffarpur shelter home and the communal flare-ups during Ram Navmi have done hit the image of the state and the CM. From August 2017 to June 2018, cognizable crimes saw a 20 per cent jump in Bihar. During these 11 months, the police registered 2.31 lakh criminal offences, of which 2,722 were murders and 1,278 rapes. During the 11 months of the RJD- JD(U)-Congress government, 1.91 lakh cognisable offences took place. Between August 2016 and June 2017, as many as 2,468 murders and 1,044 rapes were reported. According to the data available with the police, criminal incidents grew by 21 per cent after the NDA came to power again in July 2017. Rape and murder saw 23 per cent and 11 per cent rise, respectively, from August 2017 to June 2018 as compared to the last 11 months of the previous government. Even though the crime data of August 2018 is yet to be compiled, the tentative figures show a rise in major crimes. While 236 murders were reported in August 2017, the figure touched 284 in August 2018, a rise of 20.3 per cent. When Nitish first came to power in 2005 after dislodging the 15-year-old RJD regime, his first priority was to tackle the rampant lawlessness prevailing in Bihar. He ensured strict enforcement of law, arrest of criminals and their conviction through speedy trials in fast-track courts. The success in tackling crime led to the RJD being almost wiped out in 2010. But, the scenario is now different. Nitish Kumar basks in the praise showered on him as Sushashan Babu (man of good governance), but law and order has nosedived ever since he allied with the BJP in a betrayal of the peoples mandate, said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. The ruling JD(U) and BJP, however, disagree. Incidents of crime occur for various reasons, but what matters is ensuring that the culprits are arrested and convicted. Our government is known for the rule of law. Unlike in the RJD regime, criminals no longer get backing of the ruling parties, said JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar. Much of polices energy is spent on enforcing prohibition due to the lucrative bribes coming in the way. This has led to calls for withdrawing the police from prohibitionrelated duty. Fighting crimes Digitally Bihar Police has signed a Rs 223-crore deal with TCS to implement the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems. Itll link all police stations and higher offices digitally and make citizen-centric services available on the Internet. Police can get the complete history of any criminal on the Network, which will be rolled out in Bihar over the next 5 years. It will enable citizens to register complaints online and use services such as person and address verification, vehicle thefts etc. The state will fund Rs 206 crore of the project cost. Namita Bajpai By LUCKNOW: The ravines of Chambal are once again booming with the guns of a new Bandit Queen. Sadhna Patels fiefdom ranges from the inhospitable Patha region in Uttar Pradeshs Chitrakoot district to Satna in bordering Madhya Pradesh. Daughter of former dacoit Chunnilal Patel, Sadhna was born in a village near Chitrakoot. She crossed over to MP after committing petty crimes, made Satna her abode and made a name through her notoriety. Sadhna now carries a reward of `10,000 on her head in MP for her involvement in kidnappings, extortion, loot and armed robbery. While the local police and sleuths of anti-bandit unit are busy compiling details of the gang of Sadhna Jiji (as she is commonly known), senior police authorities are coordinating with their Madhya Pradesh counterparts to gather more information about the bandit. A senior intelligence officer said confidential reports suggest Sadhana is accompanying the MP-based Shivhare dacoit gang. In fact, a couple of cases are already registered against her in the police stations there. Having joined as a junior member, Sadhna rose to lead the gang when its head was killed recently. Being a local, the 30-year-old is well acquainted with the ravines of Chambal and makes good use of the topography in evading arrest and crossing the border at her will to dodge the police of both the states. We are maintaining a close vigil in forests of Chitrakoot area to track this new bandit and her gang members. However, we are still verifying her credentials and whether she crossed over from MP to the Patha forest range of Chitrakoot district, said SP, Chitrakoot, Manoj Kumar Jha As per the police authorities, Sadhnas role cant be ruled out in the last weeks dacoity near Chitrakoot wherein about 150 passengers of the Ganga-Kaveri Express were robbed of their valuables in the dead of night. In the neighbouring state, she and her gang members have cases registered against them under the Arms Act and the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Dacoity Act. Among the infamous bandit queens was late Phoolan Devi, who became a terror after massacring 20 upper caste men in Behmai in February 1981 to avenge her gang rape by the Thakurs. Now, old-timers fear the way Sadhna has been unleashing criminal acts, she will leave far behind the likes of Phoolan, Seema Parihar, Kusma Nain, Sarla Jatav, and Lovely Pandey. The original legend A fearsome gun-wielding dacoit, rape survivor and two-time MP, Phoolan Devi was a firebrand. Her revenge in the form of the Behmai massacre in Uttar Pradesh had shaken India. The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Mubarak-era politician Safwat El-Sherif to three years in prison and an EGP 99 million ($5.5 million) fine in a retrial on Sunday over illicit gain charges. The court acquitted El-Sherifs son in the same retrial, overturning a Court of Cassation decision from May 2016 that handed a five-year jail sentence and an EGP 209 million fine (approximately $11.7 million) against El-Sherif and his son over corruption charges during Mubaraks era, before ordering a retrial in December 2016. The Mubarak strongman era can still appeal the sentence. El-Sherif held various public posts under Mubarak, including head of Egypt's State Information Body, the head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union, a role as the Information Minister, and the speaker of Egypt's upper house in parliament, which was abolished in 2014. In 2012, a court acquitted El-Sherif and other high-level Mubarak figures of organising the so-called "Battle of the Camel," a deadly mob attack against anti-regime protesters during the 18-day uprising in 2011 that eventually toppled Mubarak. Many Mubarak-era figures have been pushing to reach settlements in corruption cases with the Egyptian government, including business tycoon Hussien Salem in 2016 and steel mogul Ahmed Ezz earlier this year. Search Keywords: Short link: Rajesh Asnani By JAIPUR: Its raining sops and promises in Rajasthan ahead of the winter polls. Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress are trying to outdo each other in showering gifts on and selling dreams to the voters, with politicians including many who were to be seen nowhere in the past five years campaigning with full gusto. In a bid to counter the Oppositions charge that no worthwhile work has been done in the past five years, the Vasundhara Raje government is marketing its achievements by calling the beneficiaries of various welfare schemes at rallies to publicise how these measures have changed their lives. The Congress, on the other hand, has dangled the promise of jobs an area in which the BJP governments, both at the Centre and in the state, appear to have faltered. Earlier this week, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announced free distribution of smartphones with internet connectivity to 1 crore-plus beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act under the Bhamashah scheme. The list of freebies showered on the voters is long distribution of tricycles to differently-abled people; Rs 2 lakh interest free loans for barbers, carpenters, cobblers and plumbers etc; waiver of loan up to Rs 2 lakh for people who had taken loans from the SC/ST Finance Corporation and were unable to repay; loan waiver up to Rs 50,000 for 30 lakh farmers (which cost Rs 8,000 crore to the state); free medical treatment costing between Rs 30,000 and Rs 3,000,00 for BPL card holders in private and government hospitals under Bhamashah policy. Raje also claims that her government has generated employment for 16 lakh people and has promised that 1.35 lakh people will soon get employed. The Opposition Congress has predictably lashed out at what it called collective bribery of the voters. However, the party itself has also been guilty of splurging on benefits and freebies just ahead of elections during the tenure of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Congress state president Sachin Pilot has played the employment card. He promised to give a monthly allowance of Rs 3,500 to unemployed youths even as he launched an employment form under the Yuva Shakti programme. It is seen as a big gamble to cash in on the resentment against the BJP government over the issue of unemployment. As parties scramble to announce sops, its the common man whos the loser, claims political analyst Rajiv Gupta. Nothing comes for free and somebody has to pay for it. Its not a good practice and the taxpayer ultimately pays for such freebies. If the government works for five years, these free sops will not be required at all. By PTI KANO (NIGERIA): Boko Haram jihadists were in control of a town in northeast Nigeria on Saturday after sacking a military base, in the latest attack that raises questions about claims they are weakened to the point of defeat. Local officials and security sources said scores of fighters believed to be loyal to a Boko Haram faction backed by the Islamic State group overran troops in Gudumbali. At least eight civilians were believed to have been killed, while thousands of others fled to neighbouring towns. Gudumbali, in the Guzamala area of Borno state, is Boko Haram's first major seizure in two years and comes after a series of recent attacks on troops. The authorities and the military have been encouraging people displaced by violence in the long-running conflict to return to Guzamala, insisting it is safe to do so. But aid agencies say minimum levels of basic services, including shelter, civilian infrastructure and security are still lacking. President Muhammadu Buhari, a former army general, was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat Boko Haram and is seeking a second term of office at polls in February. The Gudumbali attack will again raise questions about his claims to have "technically defeated" the group and that Borno state was now in a "post-conflict stabilisation phase". An official of the Guzamala local government area, of which Gudumbali is the headquarters, confirmed troops had been pushed out of the town and Boko Haram was in "full control". A military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said the attack began at about 7:50 pm (1850 GMT) on Friday and lasted until the early hours of Saturday, "when troops were forced to withdraw". Local civilian militia member Musa Ari said: "So far eight civilians, who were errand boys for troops, were believed to have been killed in the attack." But "most civilians were spared because the attack was targeted at the military base", he added. The IS-backed faction -- known as Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) -- has vowed to hit only "hard" military or government targets. It is reportedly trying to get the support of local populations in the Muslim-majority region. Ari said soldiers and residents fled Gudumbali to Damasak, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) away, on the border with Niger. Others escaped south towards Gajiram, where nine soldiers were killed in a similar attack in June. Nigerian Army spokesman Brigadier General Texas Chukwu said he was "not aware" of the latest attack. ISWAP fighters led by Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi were last month blamed for an attack in Zari village, just 50 kilometres away from Gudumbali, which killed 48 soldiers. In July, dozens of troops were said to have been killed, wounded or missing in a similar attack on a base in Jilli village, across the border in Yobe state. Yan St-Pierre, head of the Modern Security Consulting Group, said the Gudumbali attack was "another demonstration of ISWAP's increasing capabilities and level of strength". "They've been able in recent months to attack larger, more important targets with increasing frequency and success," the counter-terrorism specialist told AFP. "It is likely to get worse because ISWAP is not only adapting to changing circumstances but benefiting from the changing dynamics in the Sahel as well." The Nigerian military regularly trumpets successes against Boko Haram and has strongly condemned any reports of significant troop losses. But there are indications of disquiet in the ranks, mirroring the situation four years ago when Boko Haram ran rampant across the northeast. Then, under-equipped troops in some instances refused to deploy. A military counter-insurgency has since driven out Boko Haram from captured territory, including Gudumbali, which was captured in 2014. But aid agencies providing food, shelter and healthcare to 1. 8 million displaced by the conflict, say much of the hard-to-reach countryside remains in Boko Haram control. Last month, hundreds of soldiers protested at the airport in Maiduguri, for several hours, shooting into the air and disrupting flights. They complained about being battle weary and needing home leave after sometimes years on the frontlines. St Pierre said Nigeria's military needed to break the cycle by acknowledging its tactics against the insurgents were not working and by addressing low morale. If it does not, "it will simply never be in a position to defeat them", he added. By PTI PRAGUE: President Ram Nath Kovind's tour of Cyprus, Bulgaria and Czech Republic was "highly productive" and all the three nations supported India's position on terrorism, a senior Indian diplomat said Sunday. During the President's visit, aimed at continuing India's high-level engagements with the European countries, a number of MoUs were signed, including combatting climate-related challenges and cooperation on peaceful use of nuclear energy. "All the three visits were highly productive, very substantive and resulted in good outcomes. All three countries are very important countries for us in Central Europe. We share very warm and friendly relationships with them, not just at the political level, but also at the cultural and people-to-people levels," Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Ruchi Ghanashyam said. "The visit helped to consolidate these ties and provide new energy, new visions for us to take forward in the years to come," she said in the wind-up briefing. Ghanashyam said all the three countries supported India's Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). "All three countries support India's position on terrorism. They have unequivocally expressed their position. All three countries are members of the EU and the EU has a list of proscribed terror outfits. When the EU has got the list, all its members automatically subscribe to that," she said in response to a question. The President's Press Secretary Ashok Malik said it was one of the "most substantive" visits, asserting that while there have been tangibles outcomes from the previous visits, the outcomes from this tour were "really rich". There were 12 agreements signed during the three-nation trip which included five broad ones, he said. "One is strengthening the already strong bilateral ties, issues concerning terrorism, UNSC reform and India's membership at the UNSC, strengthening people to people contacts and cultural ties, creating investment, technology cooperation especially insensitive and critical areas such as defence and laser technology and the issue of sustainability, an issue close to the President's heart," Malik said. "In all his interactions, the President brought up the salience of the international solar alliance which is an institution that India has promoted. We are happy with the visit and have come out with rich outcomes," Malik said. By PTI WASHINGTON: The US on Sunday congratulated new Pakistan President Arif Alvi and said it was looking towards working with him to advance their shared interests such as regional peace, stability and prosperity. Alvi, a close ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of the founding members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was sworn in as Pakistan's new president Sunday. The 69-year-old dentist was administered the oath of office as Pakistan's 13th President by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar at a simple ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad. "The United States and the American people congratulate Dr Arif Alvi on his swearing in as the new President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. "The United States looks toward working with Pakistan to advance our shared interests, such as regional peace, stability, and prosperity,' Nauert said in a statement. In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the recommendations of the prime minister. Alvi belongs to Karachi and comes from a family that migrated to Pakistan after partition. His predecessors Mamnoon Hussain's family came from Agra and Pervez Musharraf's parents migrated from New Delhi. Alvi had defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Aitzaz Ahsan and the Pakistan Muslim League-N nominee Maulana Fazlur Rehman in a three-way presidential contest. Apart from his political struggle, Alvi is also a professional dentist. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Sunday pledged to complete the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and expressed desire to further enhance the bilateral strategic partnership. Wang, who arrived here on a three-day visit on Friday, met Khan in Islamabad with a high-level delegation. "Foreign Minister underscored the significance of the CPEC for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Wang also conveyed the desire of Chinese leadership to work with the new government for further enhancing the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China. He underscored the significance of the China-Pakistan relationship which served as a model of friendship in interstate relations. Wang also conveyed the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang for an official visit to Khan. Khan reiterated that Pakistan's friendship with China is a cornerstone of Pakistan's Foreign Policy. "The Prime Minister reiterated that the Government is committed to the implementation of the CPEC," according to the statement. During the meeting, regional situation and global issues were also discussed. Earlier, he met his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. He also attended the swearing-in ceremony of new president, Arif Alvi. Wang's visit came amidst reports of unease in Beijing over how the new PTI government would approach over USD 50 billion Chinese investments in various projects under the CPEC connecting China's Muslim-majority Xinjiang province with Gwadar port in Pakistan. Khan in the past had criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for the lack of transparency and corruption in the CPEC projects. Newly-appointed Finance Minister Asad Umar has promised to bring about transparency to the CPEC projects whose details remained closely guarded secrets. India has protested to China over the CPEC, which is being built through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). A Cairo appeal court sentenced Lebanese Mona Mazbouh to a one-year suspended jail term on Sunday on charges of insulting Egypt in a video she had shared on her Facebook account in June. Mazbouh was originally sentenced to eight years in prison in July before the court ruling dropped the sentence to one year. She was arrested before leaving Egypt following an arrest warrant issued against her. Following the release of her controversial video on Facebook, a number of complaints were filed against Mazbouh over insulting Egyptian men and women. Search Keywords: Short link: Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Steve Hoffman is editor of the Piatt County Journal-Republican. He can be reached at shoffman@news-gazette.com One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Egypt's Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali launched in Alexandria Sunday the preliminary media campaign for the family planning project two is enough at Bibliotheca Alexandrina. 2 Kefaya (Two [children] are enough) is part of a national strategy adopted by the Health Ministry to raise awareness among people about the importance of birth control and family planning. In a press release, Wali said that reducing population growth in Egypt is essential in order to feel the economic growth. The Social Solidarity Ministry is responsible for seeking cooperation among various NGOs to raise awareness among Egyptian women on the importance of birth control, she noted. The first phase of the program targets 2,257 villages in ten poor governorates, namely Behira, Giza, Fayyoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan, she added. The project targets women covered by the Takaful program and it was mainly designed to encourage family planning, she added. Search Keywords: Short link: So whatever price you pay for ensuring that you send the right message to your future generations, that he sacrificed his life to liberate you and you want to show the young kids what it is to lovenothing can pay it back; so you cant put figures to love, you cant put figures to the correct decision. (Newser) Two top Republicans put it simply: A wave of political "hate" for President Trump is driving the midterm elections and could even unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, the New York Times reports. Speaking at a closed-door GOP event in New York City, the two conservativesMick Mulvaney, federal budget director, and Ronna McDaniel, RNC chairwomansaid the GOP has the money and infrastructure to repel a November "blue wave" but admitted that enthusiasm is high among Democrats. "Theres a very real possibility we will win a race for Senate in Florida and lose a race in Texas for Senate, OK?" said Mulvaney in a recording obtained by the Times. "I don't think it's likely, but it's a possibility. How likable is a candidate? That still counts." story continues below He criticized Democrats for fueling a "movement of hate" against Trump and lacking a "signature piece of legislation." And when McDaniel spoke, she derided the DNC for raising only $116 million compared to $227 million by the GOP. But they did note high Democratic turnout in the midterm primaries and conceded a widespread dislike for Trump. Their warning echoed recent comments by Republican strategists who say the GOP has offered weak nominees for races in the House, where Democrats need 23 seats to take over. As for Cruzwho is holding a 4.4% polling lead over rival Beto O'Rourke, per Real Clear Politicshe dismissed the budget chief's words: "I don't worry about what some political guy in Washington says," said the senator. "I worry about what the people of Texas say." (Read more midterm elections stories.) (Newser) A California man accused of meeting multiple women for dinner dates and then slipping away without paying the bill has pleaded not guilty. Paul Gonzales entered the plea on Friday in Los Angeles County where the 45-year-old stands charged with four felony extortion counts after two theft charges were dismissed, per CBS News. These charges come in addition to 10 others Gonzales pleaded not guilty to late last month, Fox News reports. Gonzalez made national headlines after being dubbed the "Dine and Dash Dater" for his alleged use of apps like Bumble to target women he'd meet and dine with before vanishing. Eight women were left with bills totaling more than $950, while restaurants picked up the check in two other cases, reports NBC Los Angeles. If convicted, Gonzales faces 16 years behind bars. (Read more dating stories.) (Newser) In case President Trump is having trouble sleeping, his predecessor was talking again on Saturday, with former President Obama telling voters in a southern California battleground county that "if we don't step up, things can get worse. In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Representatives and make sure there are real checks and balances in Washington." Obama was stumping for Democrats in seven competitive California races that the AP notes are vital to the party's chances of regaining the House. "We're going to put on our marching shoes, we're going to start knocking on some doors, we're going to start making some calls," he told the crowd in a speech that did not call Trump out by name. story continues below "We're in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, there's always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear," he said. Obama's speech was pooh-poohed, or even welcomed, by California Republicans. "I wish he would come more often because he reminds Republicans of eight years of misery," said Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel, who lives in Orange County. "It reminds the Republicans why these midterms are important." Obama's next appearance is in Cleveland on Thursday, where he'll stump for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Richard Cordray. (Read more President Obama stories.) (Newser) Think Vice President Pence penned the anonymous New York Times op-ed that set Washington on fire this week? Well, he's willing to take a lie-detector test: "I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do," he says on Fox News Sunday, per Fox News. He declined to say whether other officials should take polygraph tests, saying that's President Trump's decision, but he took aim at the op-ed author: "If they are that senior administration officialthey're violating an oath, not to the president, but to the Constitution." Asked by host Margaret Brennan whether anyone in the West Wing had discussed using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump, CNN reports that Pence said: "No. Never. Why would be we, Margaret?" For more on the op-ed and other flare-ups of the week: Call the cops? "There can be an investigation if there is criminal activity, perhaps," says Kellyanne Conway on CNN's State of the Union about the op-ed writer, per the Hill. "Anybody who would do this, you dont know what else theyre saying. I have literally no idea, nor do you, what else this person has divulged." story continues below No problem here: "I wish that whoever had written the op-ed would have revealed their identity, but I see absolutely no national security issues," says Sen. Mark Warner on CBS's Face the Nation, per CBS News. Warner went on to say the White House is "in chaos" and the president is "becoming more and more untethered." "I wish that whoever had written the op-ed would have revealed their identity, but I see absolutely no national security issues," says Sen. Mark Warner on CBS's Face the Nation, per CBS News. Warner went on to say the White House is "in chaos" and the president is "becoming more and more untethered." Leave the GOP? "I probably think about it every morning when I wake up, and I figure out why am I flying away from Nebraska to go to DC this week," says Sen. Ben Sasse on State of the Union, per Politico. "Are we gonna get real stuff done?" He criticized both parties for ducking substantive, long-term issues: "There's massive stuff happening in America, and these parties are really pretty content to do 24-hour news cycles screaming at each other." "I probably think about it every morning when I wake up, and I figure out why am I flying away from Nebraska to go to DC this week," says Sen. Ben Sasse on State of the Union, per Politico. "Are we gonna get real stuff done?" He criticized both parties for ducking substantive, long-term issues: "There's massive stuff happening in America, and these parties are really pretty content to do 24-hour news cycles screaming at each other." Damage control? "The president is a great asset for us," says RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Face the Nation, per CBS News. This after she spoke Saturday at a closed-door GOP meeting alongside Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, who reportedly said many Americans "hate" Trump. "I didn't hear him say that," says McDaniel. "I was there." "The president is a great asset for us," says RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Face the Nation, per CBS News. This after she spoke Saturday at a closed-door GOP meeting alongside Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, who reportedly said many Americans "hate" Trump. "I didn't hear him say that," says McDaniel. "I was there." Time to pray: "You look at the operation of this White House and you have to say, 'Let's hope to God we don't have a crisis,'" says Bob Woodward on Sunday Morning in an interview about his new book, Fear, reports CBS News. "People who work for him are worried ... that he will sign things or give orders that threaten the national security or the financial security of the country, or of the world." Regarding Trump's claim that quotes in the book are fabricated: "He's wrong, and my reporting is meticulous and careful." "You look at the operation of this White House and you have to say, 'Let's hope to God we don't have a crisis,'" says Bob Woodward on Sunday Morning in an interview about his new book, Fear, reports CBS News. "People who work for him are worried ... that he will sign things or give orders that threaten the national security or the financial security of the country, or of the world." Regarding Trump's claim that quotes in the book are fabricated: "He's wrong, and my reporting is meticulous and careful." Collusion? "I have no idea" whether Robert Mueller's investigation will demonstrate collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, says ex-Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos on ABC's This Week, per ABC News. "All I can say is my testimony might have helped move something towards that." Asked if he tried to protect Trump when questioned by Mueller, Papadopoulos replied, "Of course," per the Hill. (Read more politics stories.) 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Egypt strongly denounced late Sunday critical comments made by United Nations Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet on death sentences that were handed to 75 defendants in the trial known as "Rabaa sit-in dispersal trial." "This is a bad start for the UN human rights high commissioner," read a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry. "Egypt rejects all what came in the statement, from direct and indirect allegations concerning the integrity of the Egyptian judiciary, and [her] being led by the lies of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group while ignoring its history of terrorism and killing innocent citizens and law enforcement members during the events of the armed Rabaa sit-in dispersal." Among those sentenced to death on Saturday are former supreme guide of Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and its leading member Essam El-Erian. The court has also handed prison terms to 47 defendants. All defendants can appeal the court verdict within two months. In her statement, Bachelet urged Egypt's appeals court on Sunday to overturn the death sentences, describing the trial as "unfair." "Egypt stresses the commitment of the judicial authority to the rule of law and to providing full guarantees for any defendant to practice the right to defend himself," the foreign ministry statement read. The ministry also branded Bachelet's comments an unacceptable "insult" to the Egyptian judiciary and its members. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: Nearly a month after the Maratha Reservation protest rocked Maharashtra, Muslim Arakashan Muk Morcha on Saturday took to streets over demands of 5% reservation to the community in employment and education sectors across the state. "Maharashtra: Muslim Muk Morcha take out a protest march in Pune demanding 5% reservation for the community in jobs and education sector, among other demands," the news agency ANI reported. The protest rally, which kick-started from Golibar Maidan in Camp is moving towards the collector's office in order to press a clutch of demands. Maharashtra: Muslim Muk Morcha take out a protest march in Pune demanding 5% reservation for the community in jobs and education sector, among other demands pic.twitter.com/JfjhIuwhEl ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2018 Read | Jobs meant for OBCs won't go to other categories: Devendra Fadnavis The Muslim Community's demands also include the non-interference of the government in Muslim personal law, return of waqf properties, compensation to the youngsters who were imprisoned on false charges of terrorism and no ban on Muslim education centres. Apart from the Muslim organisations, the Muk Morcha also reached out to other community groups for their support on the matter. Earlier, they threatened to organise the September 9 march if the Devendra Fadnavis government fails to meet their demands. Read | Violence, arson marks Maratha quota bandh in Maharashtra An ordinance, which was passed to provide reservation for Muslim candidates under the previous Congress-NCP government, is not converted into a law by the current BJP government in the last four years. New Delhi: As 2019 Lok Sabha elections are approaching the nation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has planned a mega two-phase campaign strategy involving nearly three lakh volunteers to reach out to the people. The AAP has planned to conduct a door-to-door campaign to reach out to people in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital. The first phase of the campaign will be conducted in the first in November-December while the second phase will start in March-April 2019, partys Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai told reporters. In case the elections are preponed, the second round of the mega door-to-door campaign will be held in the months of January and February next year, Rai said, according to PTI. Also Read | Tamil Nadu recommends mercy for Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts We will highlight the achievements of the party-led government in Delhi, besides focussing on failures and misrule of the BJP government at the Centre during the campaign, he said. The party has already announced the names of its in-charges for five of the seven constituencies in the national capital. The party will appoint 2.5 lakh volunteers as block pramukh (head) to ensure direct and effective contact with voters in around 25,000 polling booths in all parliamentary seats. Also Read | BJP National Executive: We will rule for 50 years, says Amit Shah Each block pramukh will be responsible for at least 25 households in a booth. They will be appointed by November, Rai said. Monitoring of work done by the block pramukh will be done through 272 ward observers. The top leadership of the AAP will ensure smooth functioning of ward and booth-level workers, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bharat bandh or nationwide shutdown on Monday, called by the Congress party and the Left parties separately, to protest against the spiralling fuel prices for days and the record depreciation of Indian Rupee, affected normal life in several parts of the country. Except for a few BJP allies, most of the Opposition parties supported the 'Bharat bandh' called by the Congress. The Opposition parties led by the Congress are demanding the Narendra Modi government at the Centre to bring petrol and diesel under the GST - a move that can reduce the fuel prices by Rs 15-18 per litre. The Congress party, however, urged its workers and supporters to maintain peace and abstain from violent protests during the shutdown. Many schools and colleges across the country remained closed and states beefed up security to prevent violent situation in the wake of the shutdown. Bharat Bandh Updates: # 12:45 am: BJP blames Congress for a child's death during Bharat Bandh protest: Everyone has a right to protest but what is happening today? Petrol pumps and buses being set ablaze, putting to risk lives. A child died after an ambulance was stuck in the protests in Bihar's Jehanabad. Who is responsible? asks Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Everyone has a right to protest but what is happening today? Petrol pumps and buses being set ablaze, putting to risk lives. A child died after an ambulance was stuck in the protests in Bihar's Jehanabad. Who is responsible?: Ravi Shankar Prasad,Union Minister #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/UfvTn2P84U ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 12:32 pm: Congress intensified protest in the national capital: Congress leader and 1984 riots accused Sajjan Kumar seen during Bharat Bandh protest in Delhi. # 12:30 pm: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) joins in: Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja with AAP leader Atishi during Bharat Bandh protests in Delhi. Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja with AAP leader Atishi during #BharatBandh protests in Delhi pic.twitter.com/TBjl6E32KO ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 12:16 pm: Bullock cart protest in the national capital: Congress workers carry a motorcycle on a bullock cart during Bharath Bandh protests in Delhi's Preet Vihar. Congress workers carry a motorcycle on a bullock cart during #BharathBandh protests in Delhi's Preet Vihar pic.twitter.com/HD1KyLYLzD ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 12:10 pm: Opposition leaders during Bharat Bandh protest in Delhi: # 12:00 pm: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav mocks BJP government: The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the BJP government is so proud of themselves that even today when the Opposition has called for a 'bandh' they have increased fuel price in some places. The government can even say that inflation will bring development. The BJP government is so proud of themselves that even today when the Opposition has called for a 'bandh' they have increased fuel price in some places. Government can even say that inflation will bring development: Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/GRsfBwL7fb ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 10, 2018 # 11:51 am: UP CM Yogi Adityanath's scathing attack on the Congress-led protest: Frustrated opposition doesn't have any strategy and leadership, what else can be expected from them? I hope God gives them sense so they can differentiate between positive and negative otherwise in future they will even lose their position as Opposition. # 11:50 am: BJP condemns Congress' Bharat Bandh call: 'Bharat' will not be 'bandh', it will keep moving and progressing. No one is paying heed to this call by Congress, their 'Mahagatbandhan' balloon will also burst soon, says Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. # 11:37 am: Rahul Gandhi slams Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his prolonged silence on rising fuel prices: Narendra Modi ji is silent, he has not spoken a word on rising prices of fuel, or condition of farmers, neither on atrocities against women. # 11:15 am: 58 Congress activists taken into custody: Altogether 58 Congress activists were Monday taken into police custody in Jharkhand for forcibly trying to enforce the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the party. # 11:11 am: Protest in Madhya Pradesh: Congress workers vandalise a petrol pump in Ujjain during Bharat Bandh protest. Madhya Pradesh: Congress workers vandalise a petrol pump in Ujjain during #BharatBandh protests pic.twitter.com/LKJy97Vy6c ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 11:00 am: Business affected in Mumbai: MNS workers in Mumbai forcefully shut down shops and establishments at Bharatmata Junction Naka, Parel. # 10:42 am: Motorbike Protest: Loktantrik Janata Dal workers in Patna carry a motorbike on their shoulders to protest against fuel price hike. # 10:40 am: Manmohan Singh criticises Modi-led BJP government: Modi government has done a number of things that were not in the interest of the nation. The time to change this government will come soon. Modi government has done a number of things that were not in the interest of the nation. The time to change this government will come soon: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh at Congress & opposition parties protest against fuel price hike #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/t4Fvf5X4G8 ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 10:30 am: Bihar Protest: Jan Adhikar Party workers vandalise vehicles during Bharat Bandh protest in Patna against fuel price hike. # 10:17 am: Railway Services disrupted: East Coast Railway Zone cancells 12 trains, including Bhubaneswar-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express and Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam InterCity Express. # 10:15 am: Mumbai Protest: Congress workers stage 'Rail Roko' protest at Andheri railway station against fuel price hike. Mumbai: Congress workers stage 'Rail Roko' at Andheri railway station against fuel price hike. #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/StXaWgfXvJ ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 10:09 am: Eminent Congress leaders at Bharat Bandh Protest: Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh join Congress-led opposition parties supported Bharat Bandh protest against fuel price hike. Delhi: Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh join Congress-led opposition parties supported bandh protest against fuel price hike. #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/u5W6hfJzAJ ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 09:47 am: Chhattisgarh Protest: Congress workers protests in Raipur against fuel price hike. # 09:45 am: Opposition leaders at Bharat Bandh protest: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Yadav at bandh protest against fuel price hike. Delhi: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Yadav at bandh protest against fuel price hike pic.twitter.com/Dy7DFBV0uR ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 09:24 am: Protest affects normal life in Rajasthan: Security has been tightened in Jaipur over Bharat Bandh. # 09:02 am: Congress President Rahul Gandhi takes part in protest rally: Opposition leaders march from Rajghat towards Ramlila Maidan, to protest against fuel price hike. Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi and opposition party leaders march from Rajghat towards Ramlila Maidan, to protest against fuel price hike. #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/X7DQcVRgIA ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 09:00 am: Railway station block in protest against fuel price hike: Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik workers block railway tracks in Patna's Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station in support to Bharat Bandh # 08:41: Rahul Gandhi joins in: The Congress president arrives at Delhi's Rajghat to join Bharat Bandh protest against fuel price hike. Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi arrives at Rajghat to join bandh protest against fuel price hike pic.twitter.com/E79Dj4Hg3C ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 08:30 am: Strong security arrangements to avoid untoward incident: Extra deployment of forces has been done across the city today. Firm action will be taken on any miscreants taking the law into their hands: Commissioner of Police, Pune. # 08:15 am: RJD backs Congress in nationwide protest: Tejashwi Yadav's party extended support in Bharat Bandh, hoarding set afire by workers. # 07:41 am: Congress protest in Telangana: Party workers hold protests in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district's Bhongir and Musheerabad bus depot in Hyderabad, against fuel price hike. Telangana: Congress workers hold protests in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district's Bhongir (pic 1) and Musheerabad bus depot (pic 2) in Hyderabad, against fuel price hike #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/cVoIXXJbNr ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 # 06:44 am: Bharath Bandh in Andhra Pradesh: CPI(M) holds protests in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam against fuel price hike. # 06:40 am: Protest in Odisha: Congress workers block a train in Sambalpur as Bharath Bandh has been called by Congress and other opposition parties today over fuel price hike. Odisha: Congress workers block a train in Sambalpur as #BharathBandh has been called by Congress and other opposition parties today over fuel price hike pic.twitter.com/7rXobOCT7L ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018 Read | Amid Bharat Bandh call, petrol-diesel prices touch new high; Check September 10 rates here # 06:27 am: September 10 Petrol Diesel rates in Mumbai: Petrol is retailing at Rs 88.12/litre (increase by Rs 0.23/litre) and diesel costs Rs 77.32/litre (increase by Rs 0.23/litre) in Mumbai. # 06:26 am: September 10 Fuel Price in Delhi: Petrol is being sold for Rs 80.73/litre (increase by Rs 0.23/litre) while diesel at Rs 72.83/litre (increase by Rs 0.22/litre) in Delhi. #05:23 AM: Sonia Gandhi likely to take part in Bharat Bandh: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to take part in the Bharat bandh called by her party Congress. #05:05 AM: Mumbai police notice to MNS: Mumbai police has sevred a notice to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena under section 149. As per the notice, if any law and order situation arises during Bharat Bandh today, the party will be held responsible. Mumbai Police serves notice under section 149 to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party workers in Mumbai, states, if any law and order situation arises in tomorrows Bharat Bandh they will be held responsible. ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2018 #04:55 AM: Opposition parties not supporting the Bharat bandh: Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and Mamata Banerjee's TMC in West Bengal are not taking part in the shutdown. Naveen Patnaik's BJD and disgruntled BJP ally the Shiv Sena, on the other hand, have decided to stay nuetral but asserted that they were against the steep rise in petrol and diesel prices. Read | Vasundhara Raje's sop bonanza before elections, slashes vat on petrol, diesel in Rajasthan #04:50 AM: Parties supporting the Bharat bandh: Parties like the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), DMK, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) have extended their support to the shutdown. the Left has also declared a nationwide hartal. To protest against the sky rocketing prices of petrol and diesel, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extends its full fledged support to the Bharat Bandh declared on 10th September, 2018 pic.twitter.com/eJJU3CfXqY Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) September 9, 2018 #04:30 AM: Hello and welcome to News Nation live updates on Bharat Bandh: The Congress with support from most of the Opposition parties have called a nationwide strike today against the skyrocketing fuel prices and unprecedented depreciation of the Indian rupee. Most of the schools and colleges across the country remained closed in wake of the 'Bharat bandh'. States have beefed up security and took several other precautionary measures to tackle the shutdown. Stick with us for all the latest updates on Bharat Bandh. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu government has decided to recommend the release of seven persons convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. According to a note released by Tamil Nadu minister D Jayakumar, the state government will send the recommendation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit immediately. The move by Tamil Nadu government came after the Supreme Court asked Governor Purohit to decide on the mercy petition of AG Perarivalan. The AIADMK government, however, will seek the early release of all seven convicts, citing their petition regarding this. Also Read | PC George's remark against 'raped' Kerala nun evokes condemnations; NCW demands action The seven convicts - Perarivalan, Murugan, Santham, Nalini Sriharan, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran are currently serving a life sentence. They have been in jail for the last 27 years. The former prime minister was assassinated by LTTE bomber Dhanu in 1991. The subsequent conviction of the seven accused has been a contentious issue in Tamil Nadu with a large section of people in the state believe that they were not fully aware of the plot. In August, the Centre had strongly opposed the release of the convicts in the Supreme Court, saying that it would "set a very dangerous precedent and lead to international ramifications by other such criminals in the future". Also Read | Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape: SC pulls up Bihar government for funding Brajesh Thakurs NGO However, Rajiv Gandhis son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi had recently said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have "completely forgiven" the assassins of his father. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: NASA's Curiosity rover has sent home a 360-degree panoramic view of the Martian sky. The picture showed reddish-brown skies darkened by a fading global dust storm that has enshrouded the red planet for weeks. ALSO READ | NASAS Dawn spacecraft to run out of fuel after 11 years Curiosity rover also confirmed its current location at Vera Rubin Ridge on Mars. The rover is covered by a thin layer of dust on its deck. Earlier, rover after survey collected a new rock sample. Its last two drill attempts were thwarted by unexpectedly hard rocks, NASA said in a statement. Curiosity started using a new drill method earlier this year to work around a mechanical problem. Curiosity cannot determine exactly how hard a rock will be before drilling it, so for this most recent drilling activity, the rover team made an educated guess. The rover has never encountered a place with so much variation in colour and texture, according to Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US. "The ridge isn't this monolithic thing -- it has two distinct sections, each of which has a variety of colours," Vasavada said. "Some are visible to the eye and even more show up when we look in near-infrared, just beyond what our eyes can see. Some seem related to how hard the rocks are," he said. The best way to discover why these rocks are so hard is to drill them into a powder for the rover's two internal laboratories. Analysing them might reveal what's acting as "cement" in the ridge, enabling it to stand despite wind erosion. ALSO READ | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 2018 launch in October; Know price and features Most likely, Vasavada said, groundwater flowing through the ridge in the ancient past had a role in strengthening it, perhaps acting as plumbing to distribute this wind-proofing "cement." Two more drilled samples are planned for the ridge in September. After that, Curiosity will drive to its scientific end zone: areas enriched in clay and sulphate minerals higher up Mount Sharp. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday urged Iran's armed forces to increase their power to "scare off" the enemy, according to his official website, as the country faces increased tension with the United States. "Increase your power as much as you can, because your power scares off the enemy and forces it to retreat," the website quoted Khamenei as saying at a graduation ceremony for cadets of Iran's regular armed forces. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: Co-founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, who is also one of the richest men in China has decided to step down as the executive chairman of Alibaba Group, according to the New York Times. Ma founded Alibaba group in 1999 and is the backbone to make it one of the worlds biggest e-commerce organisations. Ma is set to unveil his succession strategy on his 54th birth anniversary, as per South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong daily owned by Alibaba. I sat down with our senior executives 10 years ago and asked what Alibaba would do without me. Im very proud that Alibaba now has the structure, corporate culture, governance and system for grooming talent that allows me to step away without causing disruption, Ma told the South China Morning Post. ALSO READ: US Open: Naomi Osaka stuns Serena Williams to win first Grand Slam Alibaba groups market value is more than $400 billion and includes film production, online selling, and cloud computing. However, Jack Ma in an interview with the Times said his retirement would not be the end of an era but the beginning of an era. Ma will turn 54 on Monday told Bloomberg TV that he wants to create a personal foundation like Bill Gates. "There's a lot of things I can learn from Bill Gates," he said. ALSO READ: England vs India: Having an extra bowler helps says Jasprit Bumrah CEO of Alibaba, Ma wants to go back to teaching as he thinks he can do much better in that field rather than being the CEO of Alibaba. "I can never be as rich, but one thing I can do better is to retire earlier. I think someday, and soon, I'll go back to teaching. This is something I think I can do much better than being CEO of Alibaba." I was not considered a good student but I improved, we keep on learning all the time. So I want to devote most my time to this, Ma added. Ma, unlike his fellow tech founders, lacks an engineering background and spends his maximum time with his philanthropic endeavours. Ma started his professional life as an English teacher in an university of Hangzhou, China and co-founded Alibaba from his flat with a group of friends. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kathmandu: The Nepal Army has withdrawn from the first BIMSTEC military exercise to be held in India following a political row in the country over the participation in the event, a media report said on Saturday. Prime Minister KP Oli asked the national defence force not to participate in the drill, compelling the Nepal Armys leadership to rollback its earlier decision to take part in the first ever military exercise of the regional grouping initiated by India. Also Read | Six killed as chopper with seven on board crashes in Nepal The decision was taken just a day before the Army squad was set to travel to Pune, where the drill will commence on Monday, the Kathmandu Post reported. The governments decision came after strong criticism from different quarters, including influential leaders from ruling Nepal Communist Party. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The armies from all seven members states had agreed to send a 30-member squad for the six-day exercise. The event was dragged into controversy as no diplomatic or political level agreement was made before deciding to take part in the exercise. The government directed the NA not to participate in the drill, Kundan Aryal, the press advisor to Oli, was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Also Read | China allows Nepal to use land, seaports for trade A senior Army official said even though they had not received a formal directive, the 30-member squad had been stopped from departing. Three Army officials who had already travelled to Pune to help plan the conference will also be returning soon, the Army officer said. Cross-party leaders in Nepal had raised their concerns against the exercise after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address at fourth BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu last week, welcomed Nepals presence in the drill. There is no point in our Army Chief participating in the exercise which our government hasnt approved, Minister for Law and Justice Bhanu Bhakta Dahal told the Post. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A Supreme Council for Women (SCW) delegation led by Secretary-General Hala Al Ansari held a meeting with the Womens Rights and Gender Equality Committee at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The two sides discussed the role of elected parliamentary committees in charge of following up womens rights and equal opportunities to ensure their integration in policies and national legislations. The SCW delegation highlighted the role of the legislative branch of government in Bahrain in promoting gender balance and using parliamentary tools to ensure equal opportunities. The delegation underlined the national model for integrating womens needs in development policies, outlining the progress achieved so far to bridge the pay gap and support womens participation in the national economy. Ms. Al Ansari stressed many initiatives implemented in the Kingdom to empower women including the introduction of Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Womens Empowerment. She said both the government and the legislature initiated many welfare programmes and schemes for women with an aim to provide equal opportunities and gender equality in all sectors. The Isa Cultural Centre (ICC) held the Bahrain Day as part of its participation as guest of honour in the Seven Hills International Film Festival in Hungary. The event was attended by around 3,000 cultural figures, writers, scenarists, musicians, officials as well as Arab diplomats accredited to Hungary. ICC Board of Trustees Vice Chairman and Head of the King Hamad Global Centre for Co-existence Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa addressed the opening ceremony. He paid tribute to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for establishing the global centre so as to reveal to the world Bahrains model of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and moderation, highlighting the millennia-old Dilmun Civilisation which dates backs to 5000 years. It's time to prove that all critics of social media networks were wrong, for they have emerged the best tool to help people suffering from various kinds of difficulties. Be it a homeless widow, a dad who wanted to save his sons eyesight or a poor youth who hardly had any bucks to afford an Iftar meal, support poured in after posts calling for help went viral on social media. The latest in line to receive help was Bahraini Ahmed Abdul Ghani and his family, whose ordeal was shared by many on social media networks. It was social activist Abdullah Al Hammadi who requested people to help the Ghani family. Abdul Ghani, who suffers from a physical disability since birth, lives with his wife and three children in a dilapidated apartment. The family faced poverty to the extent that the children had no beds to sleep on. The breadwinner is a disabled individual and has only accumulated debts while his wife cant work as she suffers from many diseases, Mr Al Hammadi told Tribune. The family was in a miserable state. And there was no food to eat. I filmed a one-and-a-half minute video and posted it on all social media networks, calling for help and it really worked out, he explained. Mr Al Hammadi said that immediately after he posted the video, which instantly received more than 2,000 views on Twitter alone, he started receiving dozens of phone calls. Many came forward to help the family and I was overwhelmed. I know a lot of poor Bahraini families, who are shy and feel embarrassed when it comes to seeking help from charity funds and societies. But I think we are duty bound to preserve the dignity of these families while helping them meet basic needs and we must always understand that social media is the best tool to facilitate help to these families. A Bahraini man convicted in a murder case attacked police officers in Jau Prison because he wanted cigarettes, court files revealed. The defendant is serving a life sentence after being convicted of murder charges, but he will stand another trial for his latest crime. According to court documents, the inmate is reported to have attacked two prison guards while they were escorting him to the jail clinic for a physical examination. We took him to the clinic after he said he was feeling tired. After completing the check-ups, he wanted to go to the smoking room and there were complaints about this convict stealing cigarettes from other inmates, one of the guards attacked by the defendant told prosecutors. At the moment, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 is orbiting around the asteroid Ryugu, while the NASA spacecraft OSIRIS-REx closes in on its target Bennu. Both missions have the same aim, to sample the asteroid before returning back to Earth with their precious cargo. While this is not the first time this has been done (Japanese scientists managed it back in 2010), the volume of rock to be returned from the asteroids will be unprecedented. Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, space scientist and co-presenter on the The Sky at Night, says, 'We've got two missions coming up that are both doing sample returns. So not only are they going to an asteroid and landing on it, but they're also going to bring samples back.' There are a number of reasons why scientists want to bring physical bits of asteroid down to Earth, despite the incredible complexity it adds to a mission. Largely, it comes down to the simple fact that scientists will be able to use much more sophisticated technology - and carry out far more detailed analysis - on these samples in labs on Earth. 'The space industry is very good at miniaturisation,' explains Maggie, 'because what you tend to do is take the lab to whatever you're looking at. But that means you're very limited by what you can do.' 'The joy of a sample return is that we don't have to do any of that. Labs across the world will get these samples and examine them in great detail, giving us the best analysis we've ever had of what asteroids are made of. It should reveal a lot about our own origins.' It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those... Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired seven missiles in an attack on Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish dissidents that killed at least 11 people on Saturday, the elite military unit was reported as saying by Iranian news agencies on Sunday. Iraqi Kurdish officials said Iran attacked the base of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group in northern Iraq on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and wounding scores more. "In a successful operation, the Guards' aerospace unit, along with the army's drone unit ... targeted a criminal group's meeting and a terrorist training centre with seven short-range surface-to-surface missiles," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the semi-official news agency Fars. The statement said the attack was prompted by a decision of "group leaders to ignore serious warnings by officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government about Iran's determination to dismantle their bases ... and the need for an end to terrorist and aggressive actions against Iran". Armed Iranian Kurdish groups operate in remote and mountainous Iran-Iraq border regions. Despite sporadic clashes between Iranian forces and militants, there is little coordination between Iranian and Iraqi forces over security of an area that has also been used by Islamic State to enter Iran. The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, an armed opposition group fighting for greater autonomy for Iran's Kurdish community, posted on Twitter pictures and video of explosions, as well as of the wounded, at its headquarters in Koya, in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Turkey has also ramped up air strikes on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq this year. It routinely targets the PKK stronghold in the Qandil mountains, near the border with Iran, where Ankara suspects high-ranking members of the militant group are located. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian and Syrian jets resumed intensive strikes in Idlib and Hama on Sunday, residents and rescuers said, as Damascus stepped up its assault on the rebels' last major stronghold after a Russian-Iranian-Turkish summit failed to agree a ceasefire. They said Syrian army helicopters dropped barrel bombs - typically filled with high explosives and shrapnel - on al-Habeet and Abdin villages in southern Idlib and a string of other hamlets and villages in the area. The Syrian army denies using barrel bombs. However, United Nations investigators have extensively documented their use by the army. Russian jets were believed to have hit the nearby towns of Latamneh and Kafr Zeita in northern Hama in a succession of raids, an organisation which monitors air strikes in Syria and a rebel source said. Damascus, backed by allies Russia and Iran, has been preparing a major assault to recover Idlib and adjacent areas of the northwest. The province is Syria's last major stronghold of active opposition to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Russian and Syrian warplanes have resumed their bombing campaign a day after a summit of the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia on Friday failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall the offensive. Turkey and Western powers have warned of a bloodbath if a major Russian-backed bombing campaign is launched in the heavily populated northwestern province that borders Turkey. The United Nations also said it feared a full-scale offensive could cause a humanitarian catastrophe involving tens of thousands of civilians. So far the aerial strikes have not hit a major city in the province where over three million civilians, many displaced from other areas, have found refuge in the course of the conflict. Russia says it avoids civilians and only targets radical al Qaeda-inspired groups but opposition sources and residents say most of the casualties in the last few days were civilians. The opposition accuse Russia and its allies of striking at hospitals and civil defence centres to force rebels to surrender in a repeat of earlier, large-scale military offensives. A U.S.-based medical charity that operates in the provinces said three hospitals and two civil defence centres were bombed in the last two days, "leaving thousands with no access to medical care". "It is distressing to see a rise in attacks on medical facilities...There are over three million civilians in this crowded area of Syria who are in a life-threatening situation," Ghanem Tayara, head of Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) said in a statement. Search Keywords: Short link: Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Israeli occupation army said Sunday that it shot and fatally wounded a Palestinian man who sought to damage the fence on the flashpoint Israel-Gaza border. "Troops recognised a suspect who approached the security fence and attempted to sabotage it," an English-language army statement said, adding that they opened fire at the man. He was given medical treatment but "later on, the suspect succumbed to his wounds," it added. Palestinian security officials said that the dead man was Atef Mohammed Saleh, 32, from Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel. They said they did not know the circumstances of the shooting. There have been regular protests along the border since March 30 as Palestinians demand the right to return to homes their families fled or were expelled from during the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. At least 176 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza since then. In the wake of the Great March of Return demonstrations, which started on 30 March, Gazas already overstretched health sector has been struggling to cope with the mass influx of casualties. Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza which it argues is necessary to isolate Hamas. The blockade is worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which human rights advocates have described as collective punishment of the Palestinians living in the strip. The Gaza Strip faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, caused by over 10 years of Israeli blockade, alongside an internal Palestinian divide, which worsened in 2017, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This week, Israel closed its only people crossing with Gaza after violent protests damaged the infrastructure. Israel said it would reopen the passage next Thursday providing the situation is calm. *This story has been edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Catalan leader Quim Torra renewed calls for Madrid to accept a referendum on independence in an interview published on Sunday, two days before separatists take to the streets in the first of a series of major protests. Following an easing of tensions between the secessionist Catalan government and Madrid in recent months, Torra last week rejected anything other than a full independence referendum. "If the Spanish government doesn't see this as a negotiable position then we will press ahead because we have a democratic mandate," Torra said in an interview published on Sunday in Catalan newspaper El Periodico. Hundreds of thousands of Catalan secessionists are expected to take to the streets of Barcelona on September 11 to mark a regional holiday which in recent years has proved a catalyst for separatist sentiment. Torra also repeated demands for charges to be dropped against nine separatist leaders accused of crimes including rebellion for their role in last year's banned referendum and a subsequent failed declaration of independence. The trial could begin as early as October, further raising tensions as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez seeks to reach a compromise with the Catalan government. Search Keywords: Short link: Political complications are hindering efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo For the tenth time in 40 years the Ebola virus has hit the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shortly after the government announced the successful halting of the outbreak in the west of the country and giving credit to the doctors and nurses who had battled for months to save thousands of lives. Until late last week, 67 people had died of Ebola since the outbreak of the virus at the beginning of August, the Congolese government said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that the outbreak started in May across large areas of the DRC. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed 76 deaths had been registered due to the virus, adding that there were 27 unconfirmed deaths. The WHO said a doctor had also contracted the virus in the first case since 1 August. A resident of the northern city of Oicha, he was hospitalised after his wife contracted Ebola when she travelled to a nearby town. Ugandan Islamist militias are holding Oicha under siege, and the fact that more than 100 militia groups are warring over Eastern Congos natural resources is making the governments task in fighting the Ebola virus disease much more difficult. The WHO considers the road to Oicha to be in a highly insecure red zone because of the conflict and the internal displacement of residents, many of whom have crossed to neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. In June, the DRC government declared an Ebola outbreak in the west of the country. It also approved four experimental treatments in a race to contain the epidemic. The Congolese Health Ministry has authorised the use of Remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences in Israel, ZMapp, a monoclonal antibody produced by Mapp Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, Favipiravir, developed in Japan and drugs named REGN3450, REGN3471 and REGN3479 in efforts to treat the disease. The first patient to receive Remdesivir in the northeast city of Beni last week was said to be doing well, according to the ministry. The DRC is at the top of an international campaign to fight the deadly Ebola virus, which claimed the lives of 11,000 people in West Africa between 2013 and 2016. The dense forests of the Congo are the original home of Ebola, discovered in 1976 close to a river of the same name. There was no vaccine to fend off the newest wave of the virus, said Peter Salama, head of the Health Emergencies Programme at the WHO, earlier this month. He added that the precise type of the virus had not been confirmed, adding that the latest casualties were caused either by the Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Zaire or Bundibugyo strains. A vaccine developed for another strain by the pharmaceutical company Merck was given to contacts of the Ebola patients. If this [outbreak] turns out to be Ebola-Zaire, then certainly that would bring that option into play. It if doesnt, we are going to have to look at much more complex options, and we may not have any vaccine options, Salama told Reuters. The DRC was a Belgian colony from 1908 and gained its independence in 1960. The country has been in constant turmoil since the three-decades rule of Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1997), who was ousted by Laurent Kabila, father of the DRCs current ruler Joseph Kabila. The DRC was then involved in conflicts with Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad and Sudan that left between three and five million people dead. Analysts believe the DRCs present fighting is a result of the countrys wealth of mineral and forest resources and a river capable of generating energy for millions of people. The security situation and the conflict between Kabila and his opponents have further complicated the mission of the government and international organisations to fight the Ebola virus. The WHO fears a wider outbreak of Ebola that may be similar to that in West Africa that engulfed countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone after destructive civil wars had rendered them unable to face further catastrophes. The DRC has been mired in constitutional problems after Kabila attempted to extend his tenure through changes that would have allowed him to run for a new presidential term. After mediation conducted by the Roman Catholic Church, Kabila accepted the two-term restriction, and now he will not be running in the elections slated for 23 December. Kabila has chosen former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary to be his successor in the upcoming elections. Observers are in two minds about whether Shadary is intended to protect Kabila or whether there will be a repeat of the Russian scenario of Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev changing places as the countrys president and prime minister. Tensions arose after the independent Congolese National Electoral Commission deemed ineligible the announcement of Jean-Pierre Bemba to run for the presidency. Former warlord Bemba is Kabilas main opponent. The Commissions decision was based on the International Criminal Courts (ICC) earlier conviction of Bemba for bribing witnesses. A war crimes conviction against him was overturned in June after he had been charged with committing war crimes in 2002-2003. Bemba is a former vice-president who turned to the opposition after his militia was stripped of weapons. He was arrested in Brussels in May 2008 on an ICC warrant. The conflict between Kabila and his opponents is weakening the governments ability to end the militia fighting in the Eastern Congo and efforts to combat the Ebola virus. International organisations fear that the displacement of people in the north of the country is helping the virus to spread to neighbouring countries that have weak medical infrastructure and are also mired in civil wars. Uganda in 2000, 2011 and 2012 and Sudan in 1976, 1979 and 2004 also suffered significant numbers of deaths owing to outbreaks of disease. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 September 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Congo fighting on multiple fronts Search Keywords: Short link: We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Egyptian Minister of Investment Sahar Nasr held talks on Sunday with a World Bank mission in charge of following up on a comprehensive program for Sinai development by means of accelerating procedures for the bank to extend $1 billion in support of the project. In a statement on Sunday, Nasr highlighted the importance of the World Bank's allocation of several grants for developing Sinai, as the political leadership has given top priority to this project. The project will secure thousands of jobs and contribute to the development of eastern Suez Canal in order to have a road network linking the Sinai Peninsula to various governorates nationwide, the minister said. Nasr noted that the Saudi Fund for Development, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development contributed a combined $2.5 billion to the project, adding that Arab funds would continue supporting the project in the upcoming years. The World Bank mission hailed the economic and social reform program carried out by the Egyptian government, especially regarding the issuance of a number of laws for improving the investment climate. The talks also tackled means of backing the private sector, as well as small and medium sized enterprises in Sinai. The Egyptian states project to develop Sinai should be completed by 2022 at a cost of EGP 275 billion ($15.6 billion), presidential aide Ibrahim Mahlab said in April. The World Bank announced in 2015 a $500 million project to improve access to homeownership and rental units for low-income households in Egypt under the SHF, which the bank said would reach 3.6 million people, including an estimated 1.6 million beneficiaries living below the poverty line over a five year period, the life of the programme. Search Keywords: Short link: Walking on Air Eckhaus Latta's spring 2019 collection, shown on the top floor of a Bushwick warehouse, was light, unfussy, and so lovely I could have cried. Designers Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta expanded upon well-worn brand standards, dip-dying denim and transforming knits into feather-light flared pants and slip dresses. One knit blue dress with square cut-outs (it was more cut-out than dress) and spiky plastic ornamentation elicited gasps, as did the two models who walked shirtless, shoulders covered in pieces that lay somewhere between jewelry and sculpture. Words with Whoopi Whoopi Goldberg, one of the most prolific (and best) NYFW attendees of all time, loved the show as much as we did. "I can't really wear any of it," she laughed. "But I loved it." Goldberg, clad in a Canadian tuxedo, said that she's loving this fashion week. "There's something about it, I don't know," she said. "It feels lighter that it has before, and I think it's great to feel lightness in these tough times." Photography by Andrew Boyle Toys 'R' Us Music was provided by an actual band of children in oversized Eckhaus Latta t-shirts, the "young people orchestra." Lead by artist Brian Chippendale, who kept the beat on a drum, a group of kids played with drums and toy instruments while gathered on a rug by Sophie Stone, which was also included in the designers' recent exhibition at the Whitney. Related | Eckhaus Latta Makes Shopping an Art Gang's All Here Eckhaus Latta is known for their casting (this season by Rachel Chandler for Midland Agency) with shows featuring friends and art world figures. Models at Spring 2019 included brand stalwarts Paloma Elsesser, May Hong (pictures of whom were also included at the Whitney), stylist and model Thistle Brown, Lili Sumner, Selah Marley, Coco Gordon Moore, and artist Susan Cianciolo, with a bonus appearance from Mission Chinese owner Danny Bowien. Chloe Wise took over the Eckhaus Latta Instagram stories, interviewing attendees with a big broadcast microphone. "All my friends said to me, 'Chloe, you are simply radiating enlightenment today,'" she said on video. "'Is it a new highlighter? Your remarkably even tan?' No. It's Eckhaus Latta." Photography by Andrew Boyle Graham Tyler Baldwin, one of the New York Times' five new designers to watch this season, originally studied sculpture. He then landed a millinery internship, and became enamored with the idea of "headwear as a form of intimate sculpture on the body." The designer went on to make hats for clients like Lady Gaga and brands including Adam Selman and Polo Ralph Lauren. And for the spring 2019 season, he struck out on his own. The label is called Graham Tyler, without the Baldwin. The debut Graham Tyler collection, which incorporated headwear and ready-to-wear, was confident, striking, and yes, sculptural. And in a deeply sensitive twist, Baldwin used his show to pay homage to his grandmother, who recently passed away. He turned a handwritten letter he had written for her into prints. It was very, very touching. Baldwin also drew his garments on sticky notes, and then cleverly scanned the sticky notes onto the clothes in question. Touches like these were really exciting. We're sure to see much more of his work soon. Photos by Nicholas Needham for Graham Tyler A Stateside Debut French heritage brand Longchamp is getting up there they're celebrating a 70th anniversary. But with a birthday comes new beginnings, and so the label, which is primarily known for accessories and leather goods, went for two big changes: they crossed the Atlantic for a show in New York (the World Trade Center, to be specific), and said show was their first runway presentation ever. California Girls Kendall Jenner, the face of Longchamp's fall campaign, sat front row, wearing the brand's purple suede Western-style dress. Kaia Gerber walked the runway in a look that would do a cowboy proud. Kate Moss and Priyanka Chopra also sat front and center. Hollywood Nights Longchamp creative director Sophie Delafontaine said she wanted to evoke "dreamy desert drives" and Los Angeles parties. The collection was very California. Looks were covered in fringe, fringe, fringe, and a number of outfits brough early Stevie Nicks to mind. You could see the Longchamp girl in the '60s on Sunset Boulevard, hitchhiking with a guitar (and hopefully avoiding the Manson family). Photo via Getty / Runway images via Imaxtree. Fashion films are often, by definition, very lovely. And in Kenzo's case, they tend to actually be highly entertaining the design house's creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim previously attained a viral hit with that amazing fragrance commercial from Spike Jonze, the one where Margaret Qualley maniacally danced like a possessed Willi Ninja in a parody of all other (worse) fragrance commercials. Their most recent offering, The Everything, was sure to be good. But until the screening and premiere party on Friday, it wasn't clear just how good. And it is so! Good! Related | Britney Spears, the One and Only, is the Face of a New Kenzo Campaign The Everything, now available to view in full on Kenzo's website, stars Milla Jovovich as Georgie, the matriarch of an enormous, paranormal blended family in Rosemeade, California (Leon's hometown). Her children played by Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Sasha Frolova have been blessed-slash-cursed with what Leon calls "dumb powers." They can switch people's shoes by snapping their fingers, transform fingernails into keys and weapons, instantly change hairstyles. Frolova awkwardly courts a crush, played by Ekaterina Samsonov; superhero films tend to cloak queer themes in layers of metaphor, and it was nice to see one that included them casually and with grace. An emo hairdo is used to defeat a bully! Ekaterina Samsonov and Sasha Frolova shooting The Everything. Photo courtesy of Kenzo. The touching, funny film, reminiscent of '80s teen classics, also stars Jay Ellis as Jovovich's boyfriend and the great Regina Hall as a close family friend. Spike Jonze and Leon's mother Wendy make cameos. And everyone is of course outfitted spectacularly, though Leon, who wrote the script on an airplane, insisted that he didn't want the clothes to overpower the story. But I did think it was important that Ellis, who became king of the breakup sweater during his run on Insecure, was shot in a luxurious turtleneck. During a Q&A after the premiere (where they provided both popcorn and champagne, thank you Kenzo) I asked if the turt was a callback to Lawrence. It was, uh, not. "I don't think so," Ellis said graciously. "But I guess I like turtlenecks." Photography by Serichai Traipoom Carol Lim, Humberto Leon In the spirit of the film's family vibe and high school setting, the after party was prom-themed. Attendees, including Natasha Lyon, Justin Theroux, Sita Abellan, Moses Sumney, and Hayley Kiyoko, could take photos against a tinsel-strewn background, just like the one featured in the film (and nearly every American adolescence). Wendy Leon made the food. It was by far the warmest party at fashion week. Photography by Serichai Traipoom. Additional imagery courtesy of Kenzo. Brownsville, Brooklyn Today marks the five-year anniversary of Kerby Jean-Raymond's coed ready-to-wear label Pyer Moss. The 2018 CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund finalist decamped to East Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood for his spring 2019 show. His choice of venue was the Weeksville Heritage Center the site of one of America's first free black communities established after the end of slavery in New York that's now an institution dedicated to preserving African American culture. Bold Strokes Paintings from multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams's "Family Portrait" series was translated into prints and applied to fluid tunics, dresses, trousers, and handkerchief hem skirts. Seen grilling outdoors, walking down the wedding aisle, and cradling their children, the figures in Adams's works own their space, conveying a confident, positive depiction of black family life. Fubu & Reebok Jean-Raymond continued his Reebok partnership this season with technical outerwear, shorts, wide-cut active trousers, and sneakers. The designer also teamed up with Daymond Johns's Queens-born sportswear label Fubu on a maxi dress informed by sports jerseys, a tunic version in a children's size finished with a cape, and a pale yellow, logo vest. Outspoken Phrases including "See us now?" and "Stop calling 911 on the culture," were emblazoned on a cummerbund and t-shirt respectively. Touching on the visibility of black talent and police brutality, the sentences reflect Pyer Moss's standing as a medium for social commentary. Photography by Andrew Boyle In 2013 pop artist Nina Nesbitt from Scotland had a hit called "Stay Out" and her YouTube video for that single racked up close to 4 million views. Her big break came when Ed Sheeran invited her onto his 2012 European Tour. While Nesbitt remains a pop artist, she's taken on a new more mature look for her new single "Loyal to Me." While Sheeran helped her get some exposure in 2012, Nesbitt is now being promoted big time by both Apple and Spotify with huge billboard displayed in Times Square in New York City. The first shown below is Apple Music's triple billboard promotion. The Spotify Times Square Billboard promoting Nina Nesbitt below plays up the cheap and boring sexual angle of resting a finger on a bottom lip. Click on the image below to enlarge. Music Business Worldwide (MBW) reports that "Nesbitt has released two new singles this year, Somebody Special and latest track Loyal To Me, in addition to other songs like Best You Had. Loyal To Me was recently re-recorded for an exclusive 'Spotify Singles' release which arrived late last month. It's not the first time Nesbitt has recorded an original for Spotify's service: in March, she issued new track Psychopath, recorded with Sasha Sloan and Charlotte Lawrence, as a Spotify Singles release to celebrate Women's History Month. It was accompanied by a cover version of Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." CRY ME A RIVER LOYAL TO ME my @spotify singles recordings are here, I was v lucky to have the chance to record these with an amazing choir at metropolis studios in london. hope you love them as much as timmy and I.https://t.co/OSF3C149dv pic.twitter.com/EzbBbEDdBP Nina Nesbitt (@ninanesbitt) August 29, 2018 BMW's report added that "In recent months, Spotify has paid for huge New Music Friday banners promoting tracks from the likes of Liam Payne & J Balvin and Ariana Grande. Apple, meanwhile, has backed the likes of Nicki Minaj and Torey Lanez with very similar real estate in the same location." About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Confirm Deadly Missile Strikes On Kurdish Rebels In Iraq 09/09/18 Source: RFE/RL Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it was behind a rocket assault on an Iranian Kurdish rebel group in Iraq that killed at least 11 people. In a September 9 statement carried by Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency, the IRGC said it fired seven missiles in the attack a day earlier on the armed opposition group in northern Iraq. See interactive map of Koysinjaq, Iraq by google "In a successful operation, the Guards' aerospace unit, along with the army's drone unit...targeted a criminal group's meeting and a terrorist training center with seven short-range surface-to-surface missiles," the statement said. The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) told the AFP news agency on September 8 that its organization was holding a meeting at the time of the attack. "Eleven KDPI members were killed and 30 wounded by Katyusha rockets fired on their headquarters in Koysinjaq," Kamran Abbas, director of the city's hospital, told AFP. "Iran used long-range missiles in a coordinated attack on [KDPI] bases and adjacent refugee camps," the group said on Twitter. The KDPI occasionally carries out attacks inside Iran from its bases in Iraq and is listed as a "terrorist" group by Tehran. Several of its leaders have been killed in attacks the group has blamed on Iran. The group is an armed leftist party made up of ethnic Kurds from Iran. It has been based in northern Iraq after it was banned in Iran. It conducted a guerrilla war against Iranian forces from 1979 to 1996, when it declared a cease-fire. In 2016, it announced it would resume armed resistance. The Kurdistan regional government -- the Irbil-based and Western-backed government of the autonomous region in Iraq -- condemned the attack, saying it violated Kurdish law and territorial integrity "We reiterate our rejection of using the Kurdistan region's land to attack neighboring states, which is in no way acceptable and can lead to instability in the Kurdistan region," it said in a statement. Millions of ethnic Kurds live in the mountainous region along the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. Some have links to Turkey's militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has for decades fought for an independent homeland. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa Ralated News: Iran's Revolutionary Guards Shoot Dead Six Kurdish Militants Source: RFE/RL Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has killed six members of a Kurdish militant group that took part in a July attack on an Iranian border post near Iraq. Iranian officials say the six were part of a group from the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), a Kurdish opposition group, who attacked the border post on July 20, killing 10 IRGC members. The outlawed PJAK seeks self-governance for Iran's Kurds and has links to Turkey's militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). It operates in the northern Iraqi border area with other armed Kurdish groups. There is little coordination between Iranian and Iraqi forces over security of the remote mountainous border that has also been used by the Islamic State (IS) group to enter Iran. In June 2017, IS militants carried out coordinated attacks at the parliament building in Tehran and the mausoleum of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, south of the capital. At least 18 people were killed in the incident. Based on reporting by Reuters and IRNA/em> A Turkish filmmaker was convicted on Friday of membership of a terrorist group for a feature film that portrayed President Tayyip Erdogan having a gun pointed at his head as his family lay dead all around him, the state news agency said. Ali Avci was arrested last year after the release of a trailer for his film Awakening, based on a failed military putsch in 2016 in which more than 250 people were killed. The trailer caused public uproar with sequences showing Erdogans family, including his son-in-law, Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, shot dead, and an army officer pointing a gun at the back of the presidents head as he prayed. An Istanbul court sentenced Avci to 6 years and three months in jail for belonging to the network of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey. Gulen denies Turkeys accusation that he masterminded the coup attempt. The court said Avci had been carrying out public perception management in line with the core goals of the terrorist organization through his movie. Avci denied the charges and said Erdogan himself had repeatedly said he was the target of the failed putsch, which included air strikes on the presidential palace in Ankara, although Erdogan was absent at the time. If I was trying to make terrorist propaganda, I would have shown Erdogan making plans to flee, instead of the praying scene, Avci told the court. More than 50,000 people have been jailed pending trial and 150,000 state workers including teachers, judges and soldiers have been suspended or dismissed after the coup attempt. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Iran Resorts To Ill-Defined Packages, Rationing To Tackle Impact of Sanctions 09/09/18 Source: Radio Farda The head of Iran's Planning and Budget Organization, Vice-President Mohammad Baqer Nobakht says his organization will introduce five economic packages to tackle the impact of renewed US sanctions and to control drastic fluctuations of the exchange rate. Satire by Iman Khaksar, Iranian daily Ghanoon Meanwhile, administration-owned daily newspaper Shahrvand on Saturday August 9 has quoted Anoshirvan Mohseni Bandpey, the caretaker of Iran's Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare as saying that the government is considering several plans including the introduction of "electronic coupons" to help the "fair" distribution of essential commodities; euphemism for "rationing." The Iranian government has allocated 13 billion dollars to providing 25 essential commodities to low-income people during the rest of the current Iranian year in till March, Nobakht told the Iranian Students News Agency on Friday. The amount would be spent on purchasing essential commodities from abroad based on a subsidized rate of exchange. However, he did not say whether the government is going to purchase the goods, in which case speaking of a rate of exchange would be meaningless, or private companies are going to get the subsidized foreign currency to import the goods. The latter case, would inevitably give rise to corruption and mishandling of funds in the same way well-connected profiteers benefitted from the foreign currency allocated for imports during May to July 2018, as reported by Iranian media. Rice, sugar, meat, bread and dairy products are the most important items on the list of essential commodities. Iranians have been complaining about the shortage and extremely high prices of everyday household necessities in recent weeks. Although Iran's controlled media say very little about the daunting impact of sanctions, Iranian on social media have been venting their frustration about shortages and high prices in numerous posts that found their way to foreign-based Farsi media, making everyone aware of the seriousness of economic and financial problems in Iran. Radio Farda receives dozens of messages daily from Iranian citizens via social media and telephone about the skyrocketing prices and lack of goods. According to Nobakht, the five packages will help low-income workers, government employees, contractors and producers to cope with the impact of sanctions. However, he did not elaborate on the nature of groups vaguely defined as "contractors" and those working for "institutions," probably meaning the armed forces and the religious bureaucracy. Two more packages are to help producers and government employees cope with fluctuations in the rate of exchange, he said. In the absence of further details this also seems to be a too broad target and can simply mean subsidizing everything while the oil money lasts. Just a week earlier, Iran's central bank chief had announced that the oil income and the bank's foreign reserves should not be spent on subsidizing the national currency. After that announcement, the rial took a further beating on the open market and prices of every-day goods went up. Nobakht added, "There is also going to be another package to help low-income individuals," adding that the details of this package have not been determined yet. What the caretaker labor minister revealed in Shahrvand newspaper, could be what Nobakht was talking about, although it could well be yet another plan that would add more ambiguity to the chaos surrounding the Rouhani administration's ad hoc attempts to counter the impact of US sanctions on the economy. The key to the Labor Ministry's plan is introducing electronic coupons which would enable everyone to buy their ration of essential goods. Last week the parliament ruled out a plan to introduce paper coupons probably fearing the psychological impact of reminding people of the coupons and rationing during Iran's eight-year-long war with Iraq in the 1980s. "It is on our agenda to issue electronic coupons to everyone in society to enable them to provide for their essential needs," the caretaker minister said. Earlier, other Iranian officials had talked about cards with microchips; a smarter way to introduce rationing while looking modern. Read article by Ghanoon daily Following the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran in May, U.S. President Donald Trump re-imposed the sanctions against Iran that were lifted after the deal was signed in 2015. More sanctions are to come into effect after November 4, targeting Iran's oil and gas exports and banking transactions. It is not clear whether and how the sanctions would affect the banking operations that would be part of Tehran's effort to import essential commodities. An unprecedented rise in the rate of exchange of the U.S. dollar against the Iranian currency, the rial, during the past eight months has made life harder for many Iranians and has led to waves of protests that also had political undercurrents. Khamenei tells Putin Iran, Russia can cooperate to contain US 09/09/18 Source: Press TV Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the developments in Syria and the US defeat in the Arab country show that Washington can be contained. The Leader made the remarks in a Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Ayatollah Khamenei (R) with Russian President Vladimir Putin Tehran on September 7, 2018. (Photo by khamenei.ir) Putin had traveled to Tehran to participate in a key trilateral summit on Syria, hosted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and also attended by Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Cooperation between Iran and Russia on the Syrian issue is a prominent example and a very good experience of bilateral cooperation," the Leader said. Ayatollah Khamenei added that the two countries can expand cooperation on global issues, saying, "One of the cases that the two sides can cooperate with each other is to contain the US, because it is a danger to humanity and it is possible to contain it." The Leader stated that the Americans suffered a real defeat in Syria and failed to achieve their goals. Ayatollah Khamenei also said sanctions imposed by the US on Iran, Russia and Turkey are a very strong common ground for strengthening cooperation, and urged Tehran and Moscow to develop political and economic relations and follow up on the agreements of the summit in Tehran. The Leader stressed the importance of pursuing non-dollar transactions in trade. Europeans did not fulfill JCPOA commitments: Ayatollah Khamenei Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran has so far remained committed to a multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015. "But the Europeans did not carry out their duties, and it is not acceptable that we completely fulfill our commitments within the JCPOA while they don't," the Leader pointed out. The Leader praised the Russian president's approach to the nuclear deal, adding that the Islamic Republic would adopt a stance on the JCPOA which would meet its national interests. Although the US now raises Iran's missile program and regional developments, their problem with the Islamic Republic relates to issues beyond them, Ayatollah Khamenei said. The Leader added that the US has been seeking to topple the Islamic Republic over the past 40 years, but Iran has managed to make substantial advancements during this period. "The resistance of the Islamic Republic and its advances are another successful example that the US can be contained," Ayatollah Khamenei said. The Leader also pointed to the deplorable situation of the Yemeni people and their killing at the hands of Saudi Arabia, adding, "The Saudis will definitely fail to achieve a result in Yemen and will not be able to bring the resilient Yemeni people to their knees." During the meeting, which was also attended by Iranian First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri, the Russian president said he held very fruitful and good negotiations with President Rouhani on mutual issues of interest, including the situation in Syria. Iran and Russia discussed the expansion of relations in all fields, particularly in the economic and trade sectors, Putin added. He said the US is putting obstacles, including banking restrictions, in the way of the development of Tehran-Moscow relations, and added that Washington is making a strategic mistake by limiting financial transactions. The Russian president expressed regret that the remaining sides to the JCPOA failed to fulfill their commitments under the deal after the US withdrawal. He said although the Europeans announce that they are seeking ways to keep the nuclear accord alive, they are following the US due to their dependence on Washington. Muslim countries' unity, vital need of Muslim world: Khamenei tells Turkey's Erdogan Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says closer relations and synergy among Muslim countries are the most important needs of the Muslim world. The Leader made the remarks in a Friday meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Khamenei (R) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tehran - September 7, 2018. (Photo by leader.ir) "Unity and cooperation among Muslim countries will definitely prepare the ground for the settlement of regional countries and this is the reason that the Arrogance, led by the US, is concerned about cooperation and closeness among Muslim countries and the formation of an Islamic power," Ayatollah Khamenei said. The Leader added that this concern is the reason behind the US enmity and grudge against powerful Muslim countries. "The Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey are two dignified and powerful regional countries and have common interests in the Muslim world. So, the two countries' cooperation in political and economic fields must be further expanded," Ayatollah Khamenei stated. The Leader pointed to the positive cooperation between Tehran and Ankara and stressed the importance of strengthening common grounds between the two sides. Ayatollah Khamenei hailed Erdogan's stance on the issue of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and added that Palestine is always an "important" topic which should not be overlooked. During the meeting, which was also attended by Iranian First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri, the Turkish president said the Middle East is currently faced with a critical situation. Erdogan said lack of coherence among Muslim countries is among the factors leading to the ongoing issues and expressed hope that regional woes would be solved through cooperation. He added that the situation in the region has greater sensitivity due to the West's approach toward independent Muslim countries and called on Iran and Turkey to further develop cordial relations. Government is transforming the Non-Formal Education Division, under the Ministry of Education, into Alternative Education Agency to address the countrys 21st century literacy concerns. The Agency will be responsible for implementing a national alternative education strategy to handle the educational needs of Ghanaians outside the formal education system to complement the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme. This was in a speech read on behalf of Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, the Minister of Education, to mark the 2018 International Literacy Day in Accra, on the theme: Empowerment Through Literacy and Skills Development. The event was supported by Ecobank and Mondelez International. The Minister said under the Alternative Education Framework, government would roll out a functional basic literacy programme equivalent to primary three, targeting youth and adult non-literates, school drop-outs and neo-literates. The framework will have an occupational skills development programme for jobless adults, where target groups would have the opportunity to acquire a Diploma Certificate in Entrepreneurship, and a complementary basic education focusing on out-of-school children between six and 14 years, he added. Dr Opoku-Prempeh added that the framework would include remedial classes for junior and senior high school graduates unsuccessful in their respective examinations, offering them opportunity to re-sit and continue with their educational aspirations. He said the framework would encapsulate Ghana General Education Diploma for mature entrants of universities, where the Agency would collaborate with the West African Examinations Council and the Universities to conduct a standardized diploma certificate to be accepted for entry to all the universities. He said UNESCO records showed that 260 million children and adolescents world-wide are not in school, 617 million children do not have the minimum skills in literacy and numeracy while 750 million young people and adults cannot read and write. Dr Opoku-Prempeh said it was imperative to revitalise functional literacy and alternative education to deliver the thousands of people around the world who lagged behind due to illiteracy. The Minister said it was prudent to align literacy to the prevailing lifetime needs of non-literates, semi-literates and the functional literate in a particular location to close the literacy gap and increase learners ability to contribute effectively in the globalised world. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mrs Samira Bawumia, Second Lady, on Friday urged officers of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), to add a human touch in handling domestic violence cases so that victims do not relive their stories every day. She said, its not just the technical aspect of what you are doing but also the human touch for victims not to relive the story every day. They should know that we have a unit that cares for them and supports them and wants to see a resolution to their problems. She noted that officers at the unit were the first point of contact for victims and its their attitude that would help encourage the victims to either continue with the process of prosecution or drop a case. Mrs Bawumia made the appeal at the closing of a five-day workshop, organised by the UNFPA, in collaboration with the Coalition of People Against SGVB and Harmful Practices (COPASH) for officers of DOVVSU across the country. She said the training was crucial in ensuring efficient service delivery, and to ensure that knowledge on new trends and best practices in handling domestic violence victims and cases is up to date. It also seeks to ensure that each unit was aware of efficient ways of handling domestic violence cases in general and ensuring that investigations are properly supervised and successfully prosecuted. She said the training would develop a five year strategic plan for DOVVSU, and that, COPASH was fully in support of the plans they have set for themselves in the years to come, to reduce and ultimately end domestic violence in Ghana The second Lady said 34 per cent of all women experience violence of some form, meaning one in every three women is affected, which is unacceptable by all standards. Domestic violence has psychological effect on women, which is also transferred to the children and the society at large. We want to eliminate this unfortunate incidence in the country and for Ghana to be a beacon. Ghana is leading the way in the determination and efforts towards ending domestic violence, she said. She congratulated the participants and urged them to impart the knowledge they had acquired to their juniors or those they supervise. If you have DOVVSU and you cannot be successful in your prosecution then there is no point. All the things you have learnt today are dear to my heart and are important for resolution of all of these problems, she said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Three Muslim groups, the Ghana Muslim Broadcast Journalists Association, the Northerners and Zongos Concerned Youth Association, and the Ghana Hajj Research, are urging government and the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osumanu Nuhu Sharubutu, to continue handling all Hajj organization and its related activities in the country. During an interaction with the media, in the flurry of agitations for and against who should handle Hajj related activities, the groups revealed that there are calls by some groups for government to end its involvement in the hajj operations in Ghana, which according to them amounts to the state interfering in a religious affairs- something they claim is not right. Already, as part of the ploy, the groups alleged that some groups of people will today, September 7, this year, hold a press conference to criticize the current Hajj Board and mount pressure for its dissolution and appealed to the President and the Vice not to heed to such calls. According to the three groups, the same people who were responsible for the past mess and were exposed for sabotaging the 2017 and 2018 Hajj operations are at it again, calling on government to dissolve the present hajj Board for their own selfish interest. The Ghana Muslim Broadcast Journalists Association, the Northerners and Zongos Concerned Youth Association, and the Ghana Hajj Research are, therefore, calling on President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia to be guided by the activities of those groups under former President Kufour and not bow to pressure to hand over hajj operations to private individuals. They however recalled that during the time of the former President John Agyekum Kuffour, some groups mounted pressure on him to handle the hajj operations to them which he did with devastating consequences. As a result, the three groups said there was serious mess due to backbiting and infighting, which resulted in a huge debt for the government to clear, adding that, the organization which handled the hajj left over 700 paid pilgrims stranded and later expressed dissatisfaction by sleeping at the residence of the National Chief Imam before the government was called upon to intervene to resolve the impasse. The groups revealed that no government in the history of hajj Operations in Ghana appoints non- Muslims to head the Hajj Board, hence their call on the government and the office of the National Chief Imam to continue to appoint members to the Hajj Board. The groups added that similar pressure was mounted during the NDC regime by some groups but the then NDC government refused to heed to their calls due to the mess and untold difficulties past experiences visited on innocent pilgrims. Source: New Crusading Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former Deputy Minister for Communications in the John Mahama administration, Felix Ofosu Kwakye wants former President John Mahama encouraged to pursue the path of becoming president again to rescue the country from mismanagement. He said John Mahama possess the needed experience and skill that puts him in a better position to lead the country. Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday in response to an appeal from Mr. Kojo Yankah for John Mahama to reconsider his plans to seek re-election, Kwakye Ofosu said he supports John Mahamas decision. Kojo Yankah in a post on Facebook said, You are a very affable, intelligent and courteous person. Your humility and sense of service contributed to your rise to leadership at various levels, culminating in God putting you in charge at the helm of affairs in this beautiful country. You lost an election, and you accepted the results and thanked God, accordingly. To the best of my knowledge, you performed to the best of your ability with the team, message and strategies you brought on board. Even more inspiring for me, Americas Jimmy Carter, who was in office for only one term, served the world and humanity much better when he was out of office, Kojo Yankah who is the Founder and President of the African University College of Communications (AUCC), wrote. John, my humble request is for you to give a second thought to your decision. If l am too late in coming, or if you have heard my reasoning before, l wish you well. Definitely, you may hear other voices more compelling than mine. May the Good Lord guide your path, the former Daily Graphic editor concluded. But according to Felix Ofosu Kwakye, Kojo Yankahs admission of Mahamas qualities indicate that John Mahama is uniquely qualified to contest again to become president. Mr. Kojo Yankah is a highly respected member of the Ghanaian society, and like all Ghanaians, he is entitled to express an opinion on another prominent Ghanaians position. There are others who have also expressed support and indicated that they are willing to assist the former president to become president of Ghana once again. So I do not believe we should split hairs over this particular matter. Mr. Yankah actually heaped praises on John Mahama and described him in very pleasant terms. I will say that those attributes that he rightly identified as being evident in President John Mahama make him uniquely qualified to lead this country so if the man puts himself up to lead this country, I dont believe that he should be discouraged. Mahama declares intent to contest The former President in announcing his interest to run again for the high office, forwarded a letter of intent to the NDC, to contest the partys primary expected to take place in December 2018. The announcement has been met with mixed reactions, with members of the NDC, in particular, backing him firmly. But critics of the decision are of the view that since Mahama has gone through the structures of the political ladder, his experience will be more beneficial now as a statesman and not a President. Support from Regional Chairmen, MPs The ten Regional Chairmen of the NDC also backed the candidature of Mr. Mahama for election 2020 before he had even made an announcement. The ten regional chairmen, after a meeting at the time, issued a communique in which they urged the former President to consider running for the 2020 polls. Ninety-four NDC MPs out of the Minority Caucus of 106 also endorsed Mr. Mahama as the flagbearer for the 2020 polls before his announcement. Mahama not marketable for 2020 Meanwhile, a former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ken Dzirasah has said the former Krowor Member of Parliament, Prof. Joshua Alabi who is also in the race to lead the NDC into 2020 is the best candidate to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 elections. According to him, it will be potentially difficult for the NDC to market the former President John Mahama who lost the 2016 elections. Source: citinewsroom Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, has said the party should not allow former President John Dramani Mahama to lead the NDC in the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Ricketts-Hagan, a former Central Regional Minister during the Mahama administration and currently the partys MP for Cape Coast South in the Central Region, said the party needs rebranding with a new face and it should not be the former president. Those who came before us, including President Mahama, have done their best and I think it is time that a new face appears on the NDCs scene to take the country forward and that is the reason I am contesting, he said on Accra FM. The NDC flag bearer aspirant stated: The NDC under John Mahamas administration did a lot of infrastructural projects more than his predecessors and Ghanaians appreciated that work, but I always say that we could have done more. There are other areas of governance that we fell short and, so, after introspection, it has become necessary that the NDC rebrands itself and provides new leadership for the new battle ahead. It is for this reason that I believe in our party, the NDC, and in the country, we need to move forward with a new leader. Letter of Intent In his letter of intent to lead the NDC for 2020 submitted recently, Mr. Ricketts-Hagan had said that the NDC needs new vision, direction and start which should be hinged on the partys principles of probity and accountability in order to win the 2020 election. Mr. Ricketts-Hagan, who was also a deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and also a deputy at the Ministry of Finance had said in his letter of intent that I am of the firm belief (sic) that the NDC party, if well strengthened and reinvigorated to reflect the modern aspirations of our people, it will continue to remain relevant to Ghanaians because it is naturally the only political party in Ghana that can genuinely and sustainably develop the resources nature has endowed us with by making use of full mobilization of talents and energies of all our people to get us out of poverty, improve the living conditions of our people and hold a better prospect for our people. There appears to be a consensus among the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that former President John Dramani Mahama will lead the NDC into another electoral debacle if he is elected as the partys flag bearer for 2020. All the NDC stalwarts who have declared their intentions to lead the party in 2020 are saying the former president is damaged goods and cannot be the flag bearer but he is adamant and is determined to call the shots once again. So far, about 10 aspirants have declared their intentions to contest Mr. Mahama who is tipped to carry the day. Other NDC aspirants and gurus in the party have variously cautioned that the NDC would be doomed if Mr. Mahama is elected to lead them in 2020 because according to them, he supervised the worst NDC electoral defeat in the history of the party. However, Mr. Mahama is adamant and appears to have already set up his machinery for 2020 and was only waiting for the partys primaries in December, 2018. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said it is ready to disband all of its affiliated vigilante groups if the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will do same. We wish to emphasise our readiness to order the disbandment of these groups provided and only if, President Akufo-Addo shows signs of readiness to protect the lives and property of our members by disarming and disbanding the NPPs numerous vigilante groups; arresting and prosecuting all NPP members who have been cited for various breaches of the law through vigilantism; including the forcible release of NPP suspects from police custody, the forcible ejection of some Chief Executive Officers of State Owned Organisations from their offices, and providing appropriate operational environment for state security agencies to regain their control and mandate in protecting life and property of the citizenry, a statement signed by the partys General Secretary, Aseidu Nketia said. This comes after the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) condemned the recent endorsement of newly-formed vigilante groups of the NDC: The Hawks, Lions and Dragons by Mr Aseidu Nketia. Mr Nketia endorsed the vigilante groups as a natural response to, what he described as the NPPs refusal to disband its own vigilante groups: The Invisible Forces, Kandahar Boys, Delta Force. The NDC said they formed their vigilante groups to protect its members but will disband them if the NPP does same. Below is the full statement: NDC RESPONDS TO NCCE STATEMENT ON POLITICAL PARTY VIGILANTISM The NDC has taken a rather regrettable notice of the Press Statement issued by the National Commission for Civic Education under the heading NCCE CONDEMNS RE-EMERGENCE OF POLITICAL PARTY VIGILANTE GROUPS. First of all, we welcome the new awakening of organizations like the NCCE to an over-grown menace of Political Party Vigilantism in the country. Indeed, we are more encouraged and motivated by the fact that individual members of our party, have now taken charge of their personal security by organizing themselves into groups so as to provide adequate security for the lives and property of our party members. It is important to reiterate our support for any such group formed for this purpose. As we may all be aware, this has been necessitated by the persistent and loud failure of the Akuffo Addo led NPP government to rein-in their para-military trained vigilante groups, who have since their electoral victory, virtually over-powered the state security and rendered them ineffective in their bid to protect life and property of fellow citizens. We were all witnesses to the loud silence, the helpless response of the state security and the protection of the Judiciary, when the Delta Forces visited terror on the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator and their subsequent invasion of the Kumasi Circuit Court to free their colleagues who were on trial for the brutalisation of the said Security Coordinator. These same NPP vigilante forces unlawfully seized two of our party vehicles under bizarre circumstances, which said vehicles are still in the custody of the flagstaff house security, even after submission of all vehicle documentation to the transport officer at the Flagstaff House. They again brutally invaded the residence of our Member of Parliament for Asunafo South Mr. Eric Opoku and visited mayhem amidst gunshots on the occupants of the house and other NDC faithfuls, we can only remember loud silence of President Akuffo Addo and how helpless the police looked on in this matter. We have all been witnesses to the various episodes of terrorism, intimidation and brutalization of our functionaries by these NPP vigilante groups and not on any single occasion did we see an attempt by the NCCE or any section of moral society to condemn these acts of terrorism from these NPP vigilante groups. So where was the NCCE in 2015, when the then Candidate Akuffo Addo recruited and brought in mercenaries to train and establish the para-military wings of the New Patriotic Party. We didnt hear the NCCE when the South African mercenaries were arrested and deported. Several attempts to get the moral society to speak and condemn this act of forming a terrorist group proved futile; their Rambo styled attacks against NPP persons purported to be against Candidate Akuffo Addo was replete in the daily news reportage. Unfortunately, this NCCE condemnation has come in rather too late in the day. We have allowed the NPP to perpetrate these acts of injustice to our members for far too long. We shall not miss any opportunity to protect the lives and property of our people. Whiles we are guided by the saying that he who seeks peace, must prepare for war, we wish to serve notice of our cautious adoption of all the groups formed by our members to protect the interest of our party. However, we wish to emphasize our readiness to order the disbandment of these groups provided and only if, President Akuffo Addo shows signs of readiness to protect the lives and property of our members by disarming and disbanding the NPPs numerous vigilante groups; arresting and prosecuting all NPP members who have been cited for various breaches of the law through vigilantism; including the forcible release of NPP suspects from police custody, the forcible ejection of some Chief Executive Officers of State Owned Organizations from their offices and providing appropriate operational environment for State Security agencies to regain their control and mandate in protecting life and property of the citizenry. Long Live the NDC!! Long Live our Peace and Security!! Long Live our Democracy!! Long Live Ghana!! Signed: Hon Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah General Secretary Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Leader and head pastor of True Fire Prophetic Ministries, Prophet Nigel Gaisie has disclosed his weakness as a human being a recent interview. In an interview on Zylofon FMs Taxi Driver show with the host Blakk Rasta, the Prophet confessed that his weakness is women. According to the prophet who has made many controversial prophesies before, women have been making advances at him but he tries as much as possible to turn them down. My greatest weakness is women. they make advances at me all the time but, I try to remain focused. He confessed that as a man, he has fallen for these temptations on many occasions even though he is a married man. I am hooked with a child but I have fallen for these temptations several times, he disclosed to Blakk Rasta during the interview zionfelix.net mointored. The spiritual father further divulged that each time he is tempted, he prefers to choose the reputation of his future and his mission as a Prophet even though its hard to. On what helps him to conquer the temptation from women, the Prophet Gaisie mentioned that the anointing of God strengthens him. Source: zionfelix.net Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Since October 2017, more than 1 million women worldwide have shared experiences and solidarity with their sisters under the banner of #MeToo. They are saying that enough is enough. For too long, women have experienced violence in their homes, in public spaces and at work. For too long, this abuse has been normalized, womens voices have been silenced and their stories disbelieved. For too long, perpetrators have not faced consequences. It is estimated that there are 1 billion women worldwide living with the pain caused by gender-based violence. These women do not always go to the authorities to file formal reports, but the data that the World Health Organization helped UN-Women gather from dentists, surgeons, mental health specialists, emergency rooms and morgues illustrates how violence against women is a global health crisis. We cannot allow this to continue for another generation. We are at a tipping point, a moment we must grab with both hands: the #TimeIsNow. To amplify this message of solidarity and strength, Hollywood stars with many millions of social media followers around the world are partnering in their #TimesUp movement with women and girls from rural areas, students, civil society activists and others whose voices have been long ignored. In Africa, activists and survivors are speaking out against female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. They are led by such women as Jaha Dukureh, the UN-Women Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on FGM and Ending Child Marriage. In Latin America, women have taken to the streets to protest the murder of human rights activist Marielle Franco and to stand up against femicide through the Ni una menos, not one less, campaign. In Sweden, an open letter from hundreds of actors sharing their testimonies and demanding zero tolerance of harassment led to thousands of women across all industries1 echoing those appeals. This moment has taught us two vital lessons. First and foremost, it has shown the strength of solidarity and sisterhood. The sheer volume of women adding their voices to the conversation, saying I hear you, I understand you, I believe you, has enabled them to find courage. Providing women with a chance to unburden painful experiences, and ultimately find relief, serves as collective therapy that is free and open to all. Women everywhere can say me too to someone else, whether that means it happened to me or simply I believe you. Secondly, it has created critical momentum for accountability and tackling impunity. Until now, this has been elusive, with powerful people able to commit serial offenses without consequences. We need to see the #MeToo movement as a case study proving that all are equal before the law. The campaign must be scaled up even further, ensuring that those responsible for making laws and holding elected positions in countries across the globe have a way of fighting impunity that works. At UN-Women, we are using our global footprint to support this amplification of the #MeToo movement so that no one is left behind. In this regard, it is important that the #MeToo movement battle discrimination, which affects all kinds of people, by taking into account the diverse experiences of LGBTQI persons, women with disabilities, widows, women of colour, indigenous women and other marginalized groups. Just as the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without gender equality, violence against women and girls cannot be eliminated without an intersectional approach that incorporates research, policymaking, adequate funding and activism. A key avenue for fighting discrimination is addressing violence against women, including sexual harassment in the workplace. Womens economic empowerment is crucial for their full participation in society. The global spread of the #TimesUp, #MeToo and other such movements stems from working women demanding that they be heard and that they be safe in their places of work. Their stories have brought to light cases of sexual violence, harassment and abuse affecting women across all industries, in the private and public sectors, and in formal and informal economies. The burden of ending such harassment should not fall exclusively upon survivors; it must be the responsibility of supervisors, shareholders, human resource personnel and customers alike. Harassment will end only when all of us take responsibility and work together in a joined-up manner. One way to achieve this is through the new European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative, which builds on the strength and experience of diverse partners to direct comprehensive efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean. With an initial contribution of EUR 500 million by the European Union over five years, the initiative will channel resources into action to strengthen legislation, policies, institutions, prevention, services and data to stop violence and advance gender equality. Within the United Nations system, we must also walk the talk. Promoting gender equality in the workplace begins within our own United Nations institutions. The Secretary-General of the United Nations has made clear his commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment, introducing a five-point plan intended to address the issue within the system. At UN-Women, I have just appointed Purna Sen, our Director of Policy Division, to a newly created special post as Executive Coordinator and Spokesperson on Addressing Sexual Harassment and Other Forms of Discrimination. This will ensure survivor-focused approaches, placing womens experiences at the heart of the work on sexual harassment and helping drive decisive actions to stop it. We also strongly support the work of civil society and womens organizations around the world, including through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which for more than 20 years has been the largest fund in the world dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. Wherever we work around the world, we are partnering with civil society, the largest and longest-serving group of allies supporting our agenda. Ending sexual abuse and harassment is also the responsibility of men. While women are taking responsibility for their sisters human rights, men must also take responsibility for the actions of their brothers. The #TimeIsNow for men and boys to listen to women and girls, and to work with them to dismantle negative social norms and stereotypes. We need men to take action at work and at home, to call out violence and harassment, and to change the way they talk about and treat women. UN-Womens HeForShe movement is galvanizing men and boys in the fight for gender equality by asking them to commit to champion womens rights and redefine masculinity. So far, almost 1.3 million men worldwide, including Heads of State, top executives and even the worlds fastest man, Usain Bolt, have made the commitment to play their part. The MeToo era demands that we continue to push forward. We need a rising tide of male feminists to join us in forming a solid, unbreakable resistance movement. In the nineteenth century, people around the world fought and defeated slavery. In the twentieth century, the struggle against racism and colonialism awoke the worlds conscience again. The great challenge of the twenty-first century is embodied in the struggle against sexism, gender-based violence and all forms of oppression of women. When I think of these struggles, and when I feel frustrated by the slow pace of change, I often take comfort in the words of Nelson Mandela: It always seems impossible until it is done. Achieving Planet 50-50 by 2030 will seem impossible until men join women in their fight for equality in every sphere of life. When we all work together in solidaritymen and women, movie stars and farm workers, managers and staff, citizens and political leadersonly then will we accomplish the impossible. *Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. This article was first published in UNChronicle, Search Keywords: Short link: KAMPALA Capping an eventful week, unknown assailants on Saturday night shot and killed former Old Kampala Division and Buyende district Police Commander Mohammed Kirumira and another woman later confirmed to be his sister. In news that gripped the country, Mr. Kirumira was shot dead in his car as he returned home in Bulenga, a city suburb on what police described as an assassination. President Museveni flagged off the investigations of what will be a defining city murder, following several previous others that remain unresolved. In an eventful week, Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine took to the world stage to recount his Arua Municipality ordeal and castigated the heartless soldiers of the Special Forces Command (SFC) for unleashing torture on him and 32 others with impunity. Bobi Wine in a statement also castigated President Museveni and other government officials for giving a different narrative of the events leading up to the chaos in Arua. In a dossier, he denied stoning Musevenis vehicle, as alleged by the State, and that neither was he involved in any violent protest. Bobi Wine who travelled to the US late last week for specialised treatment addressed the World Media in Washington DC alongside his lawyer Robert Amsterdam lashing out at government inconceivable statements and failure to respect the human rights of its citizens. His doctors had told him to rest and recover. But on Thursday, he defied their orders, launching a hectic round of congressional and diplomatic meetings to escalate pressure on Ugandan government, where crackdowns on the opposition have been intensifying under President Museveni. Addressing international media, Bobi Wine and Mr Amsterdam vowed to press for sanctions from the US government against President Musevenis government and top Ugandan officials involved in torture. For the first time, the world is up in arms against the oppression that Ugandans have been facing, Bobi Wine told BBC in an interview. Mr. Amsterdam went much further in his denunciation of U.S. support for the Uganda military. We want the American taxpayer to know that the American taxpayer is funding this, he said at a news conference on Thursday. The military equipment we are supplying to Uganda is being used in a war of terror against Ugandas citizens, he said. Mr. Amsterdam called for the suspension of military aid to Uganda under a law prohibiting the U.S. funding of foreign military forces that violate human rights. He also threatened to invoke other laws to seek U.S. travel restrictions on government officials. And he said he will campaign for oil companies, banks, and other foreign investors to restrict their investment in Uganda. We have made the determination that we are going to investigate the deaths, car accidents and suspicious poisoning of those who dare to speak about the government of Uganda. Bobi Wine and his colleagues can no longer be silent victims of torture and brutality, Mr. Amsterdam said. Govt hits back at Bobi Wine, international lawyer Amsterdam Following the international press conference that exposed Ugandan authorities, government blasted both Bobi Wine and Mr Amsterdam over malicious comments to Uganda regarding the alleged torture of the legislator. Ofwono Opondo, the Uganda Media Centre Executive Director and government spokesperson issued a haste statement also denying that government tortured Bobi Wine. He said the was examined to a team of specialists in the presence of his Ugandan lawyers before he left the country, and no condition was found warranting further medical referrals either in Uganda or abroad. If indeed Bobi Wine was tortured or injected with unknown substances as being claimed, he should quickly return to Uganda to raise those matters before court where the trial will be, and they shall be transparently investigated, and culprits punished, Opondo stated. Govt concedes: It is so unpatriotic of Bobi Wine to call for sanctions against own country. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mr Henry Okello Oryem castigated Kyadondo Bobi Wine and Mr Amsterdam saying that calling for sanctions against the Ugandan government is uncalled for. Minister Oryem said if the country is handed any sanctions, it will be the ordinary Ugandans to suffer, urging politicians to avoid pushing for selfish agendas at the expense of the country. Parliament debates torture Tempers flared in Parliament early this week as legislators debated a report on the alleged torture of several opposition MPs, including Bobi Wine and Francis Zaake, by operatives from the Special Forces Command (SFC) at the tail end of the Arua Municipality by-election campaigns. Debate on the report compiled by the Ad Hoc Committee appointed by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga had been mired in controversy with some ruling party MPs saying discussing would tantamount to offend the sub-judice rule since the MPs case is in court which Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah ruled that debate on the report does not offend the rule. The report accused the Police and the UPDF of torturing and denying medication of choice to MPs and other citizens arrested during the chaotic Arua Municipality by-election. The Committee notes that the deprivation of the suspects in their deplorable state, of access to private specialized medical help of their doctors, predisposed the suspects to grave danger to their health and possible health. Bobi Wine was detained in 2 military barracks in Gulu 4th Division and Bombo. The detention of suspects in those facilities violated Article 23 (2) of the Republic of Uganda, the report reads in part. Museveni responds to speakers letter: Changes Arua narrative, labels human rights defenders idlers President Museveni changed his earlier narrative on the chaos in the Arua Municipality by-election and claimed that Opposition supporters pelted the car he was moving in with stones, resulting in violence that saw several MPs arrested and one person shot dead. In an August 31 letter to Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, the President, who had earlier claimed that the luggage carrier in his convoy was the one that was hit by a stone, said the vehicle that was hit was the one where he was being driven in from a campaign venue to board the helicopter. It was just after passing the grader that I heard two bangs on my vehicle. I was then informed by my ADC that my vehicle had been hit by projectiles thrown by those groups in the opposition procession. I instructed my convoy to ignore those hooligans and proceed to the helicopter which they did without firing a single bullet, Mr Musevenis letter reads in part. Mr Museveni in the same latter attacked international media and human rights defenders saying most of them are being used to achieve imperialists interests by reporting that Uganda is in bad light maintaining such are intended to slow down or even reverse the gains of the country. it is clear that these so-called human rights defenders are enjoying our good roads and staying in nice and brand new hotels in Arua and Gulu built during the NRM government filing malicious stories against Uganda using our first class internet backbone. As for the cacophony of the so-called human rights defenders, in reality agents of imperialists interests and their local lackeys, I would advise them to stop wasting their time in Uganda which has got capable systems and institutions beginning with a competent and professional army that can decisively handle whatever problem or shortcoming that we may encounter, the agree Museveni said. Government also revealed that it is probing a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for allegedly sponsoring political violence, protests led by opposition groups and activities aimed at undermining the government. According to Esther Mbayo, the Minister for the Presidency, government has obtained intelligence information indicating that some NGOs fund opposition projects that the government believes are intended to cause unrest in the country. Minister Lokodo loses to the devil Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo has said the devil had beaten him after his failed attempt to ban this years Nyege Nyege music festival, which he alleged promoted open sex, gay relations and drug abuse. I tried my best to block it, but the devil has a strong hand. I had to backtrack. He had announced on Tuesday that the annual event would be banned but hours later he was overruled by Internal Affairs Minister Jeje Odong. The government later gave the event, which started on Thursday, the go-ahead. Artists from the US, Europe and other parts of Africa have been lined up to perform at the four-day festival. UNRA in turmoil as govt moves to scrap roads authority Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in deep trouble after it emerged that Cabinet has resolved to disband the Roads Authority and return its functions to the Ministry of Works and Transport. Cabinet chaired by President Museveni before he departed for China resolved to disband UNRA, with the Head of State, according to sources, not seeing the impact of their work since they started operations in 2008. Sources in the meeting said the President was not happy that most roads in the rural areas have remained impassable yet UNRA takes a huge share of the budget every financial year. And now it has emerged that the Cabinet decision has rubbed UNRA senior managers the wrong way, with the Executive Director, Ms. Allen Kagina, reportedly feeling betrayed by government given the effort she has put in revamping the authority. The ruling party supporter, dragged NRM and party chairman President Yoweri Museveni to court challenging the legality of the Executive Committee. Mr Hamza Kagimu, a delegate and councillor in his petition filed before the Constitutional Court through his lawyers of Turinawe, Kamba and Company Advocates together with Sanywa Wabwire and Company Advocates says that the appointment of the NRM Party Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer should be declared null and void. Related Trump is Isolating the USA from the Rest of the World Fareed Zakaria has commented on the content of today's external policy of the United States. He claims that President Trump's ambiguous decisions have been pushing the United States away form the rest of the world. He says that both Donald trump himself and those who criticize him call his trip to Europe revolutionary. For starters, President Trump claims that he miraculously made the rest of the NATO increase their defence budgets. At the same time, his critics say that President Trump literally destroyed the NATO and left the USA 's closest allies puzzled. Fareed Zakaria himself think that none of these statements are 100% true. Donald Trump has been urging the USA 's NATO allies to increase their defence financing eve since he became President of the UNited States. Even Barack Obama did the same repeatedly. Last week, Donald Trump accused Germany of being dependent on Russian natural gas. The Germans volunteerily agreed on energy relations with Russia (which can be dangerous) while Donald Trump didn't quite get the essence of the matter. According to the political scientist, it's not about the possibility of blackmailing Berlin with big-scale NG import. The thing is that Russia is equally dependent on the German money paid fo the export. This is dangerous for East-European countries as well since Russia may afford to delay the export or start raising the prices. Still, Germany believes that this is a commercial project. A revolution is taking place within the U.S. political circles. The complaints made by Donald Trump previously were repeatedly made by Obama's administration. That's why there is no reason to complain about Trump's rude and aggressive approach. While some European assume they have to make concessions, the German Minister of External Affairs have reminded Donald Trump that Germany is not a retainer of the United States or Russia. The expert says that the real revolution is currently happening inside the United States. Its essence lies in what President Trump has been doing to the country's foreign policy. Whether accidentally or on purpose, he keeps on changing the Republican party. His foreign policy is likely aimed at creating a new Republican foreign policy, closer to the historical roots of the political power, which is distrust to foreigners, alliances, and treaties. Simply put, this is a policy aimed at isolating the USa from the rest of the world. It's interesting to note that Trump has been good at making some Americans change their mind. At this point, 51% of Americans think that the USA shouldn't defend their NATO allies until they increase their defence budgets. At the same time, he seems to have made changes to the Republic party. Most of them have become more loyal to Russia and Putin and want to cooperate. At the same time, they distrust the FBI like never before. They advocate the prosecution of illegal immigrants. The bottom line is, Zakaria assumes that Trump's genius is in admitting that the Republican party is now ready for an ideological revolution. You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investors There's Nothing Wrong About Crypto-Market Downtrend, Ethereum Co-Founder Lubin Says The ups and downs currently seen in the global market of digital currencies do not reflect the current state of affairs in the market, Joseph Lubin thinks. By the way, he is the founder of ConsenSys and a co-founder of Ethereum, the world's second-biggest cryptocurrency in terms of market cap. In particular, he thinks there's nothing wrong about the continuous ups and downs shown by cryptocurrency exchange rates on a daily basis. Moreover, such fluctuations are even good for the digital currency since they contribute to the improvement of the entire ecosystem. Lubin is a realist. That's why he calls the rally seen in late 2017 a price bubble. Even more, according to his calculations, this is the 6th and biggest bubble in the global cryptocurrency market ever since it came into existence. There is another distinctive feature when it comes to the latest bubble. The thing is, unlike the previous bubbles, the market took the burst of the last one for granted and reacted in a relatively reserved way to this. At this point, the cryptocurrency market is at its initial stage when the fundamental infrastructure is being created while we can see the market retrace amid increasing upward potential. even though the ups and downs are inevitable, Lubin thinks that there is strong correlation between the infrastructure and the value of cryptocurrencies. As for the increased volatility, it's of purely speculative nature driven by traders and investors. That's why the current downtrend doesn't imply any problems with the cryptocurrency infrastructure. His words are backed by the market behavior. On August 14th, Ethereum dropped down to 251 dollars, the lowest price level since SEptember 2017. The next day, the exchange rate increased all the way up to 286 dollars, NordFX reports. You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investors If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Expressing confidence about his party coming back to power in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP chief Amit Shah said that his party will rule the country for the next 50 years. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during the BJP National Executive meeting in New Delhi. Photograph: Kind courtesy @BJP4India/Twitter Setting the tone for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he sees "no challenge" to the Bharatiya Janata Party and described unity efforts among opposition parties "unable to stand each other" as a proof of his government's popularity and his party's big success. Giving the slogan of Ajey Bharat, Atal Bhajapa (Invincible India, firm BJP), he exuded confidence that his party will win in 2019. "We have started our journey with confidence of victory. We enjoy the confidence of 125 crore people of India," he said. In his concluding address at the party's two-day national executive meeting, Modi also heaped scorn on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying his party's leadership is not acceptable to any ally, is seen as a burden by some others and is not acceptable to a few within his own party. The opposition has neither ideology nor a leader and any coordination, with its policies being unclear and intentions corrupt, Modi said, according to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed the media on the speech in the closed-door meeting. "We do not see any challenge," he said, lashing out at the opposition over its allegations based on "falsehoods and lies" against his government. When they were in power they were a failure, and they are a failure even in opposition, he said. Slamming rival parties, he said they cannot see eye to eye and never stand each other but have been forced to embrace one another to challenge the BJP. It shows the government's popularity and acceptance of its programmes and leadership by the people, he said. He said his government has lived up to the slogan of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' by bringing development to all without any consideration of caste, religion or region. IMAGE: Modi with BJP President Amit Shah at the meet. Photograph: Kind courtesy @BJP4India/Twitter Mocking Rahul Gandhi without naming him, Modi said nobody, including small parties, is ready to accept the Congress's leadership. "Some even consider it a burden. There are some within it (Congress) who are not in a position to accept the leadership," he said. The opposition has not challenged the government on issues or its policies and ideology, but manufacture lies everyday and keeps repeating it, he said, apparently in reference to its attack on him over issues of corruption in the Rafale deal and demonetisation among others. If issues are debated, then the question will come as to what "one family" did for 48 years and what his government had done in 48 months, Modi said, targeting the Congress's Gandhi family. He asked the Bharatiya Janata Party workers to "unmask" the Congress with facts and logic. On a day BJP president Amit Shah claimed that his party would rule for 50 years on the basis of its performance once it comes to power in 2019, Modi like Shah also cited the example of Gujarat where it has had an almost uninterrupted reign for 31 years. Modi said unlike other parties, the BJP has neither arrogance of power nor does it see government as a chair to grab by all means but uses it as an instrument to empower people. "We work to fulfil our principles to which we remain firm. Our strategy may change from time to time," he said. Asking his party to bust the opposition's "lies and falsehoods", he said the Congress nationalised banks and mines claiming that it will help the poor and then changed track in the name of reforms. It is important to ask what benefits the poor got during the period, he said. The world, Modi said, is discussing policies of his government based on "sabka saath, sabka vikas" (With all, everybody's development). He spoke of the intensive drive to cover the poor households, especially in villages with high concentration of scheduled castes and tribes, with LPG connections, electricity and insurance cover among other welfare measures. Modi also mentioned the newly-launched health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, that seek to cover over 10 crore poor families. IMAGE: Shah expressing confidence about his party coming back to power in 2019. Photograph: Kind courtesy @AmitShah/Twitter On simultaneous polls, he said his government has already done "one nation, one tax", a reference to the Goods and Services Tax, and "one nation, one power grid", but is not for creating pressure on this issue. He wanted a debate in all sections of society on the issue of simultaneous polls, he said. Asked if issues such as the opposition's allegation on the Rafale deal or the raging issue of rise in oil prices came up for discussion, Prasad answered in the negative. Different government functionaries have been speaking on this matter. Asked about the Ram temple issue, he said the matter is currently being heard in the Supreme Court. Earlier, Former party president and Home Minister Rajnath Singh proposed the resolution which highlighted the government's success in internal security, including complete prevention of terror acts across Indian cities compared to the UPA's rule when, he claimed, "bomb blasts" would frequently happen in cities. "The BJP will return to power in 2019 with more seats and votes. The opposition is daydreaming. It neither has a leader nor policy nor strategy. It only has a negative agenda of stopping Modi and people do not like negative politics," Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters said about the resolution. Javadekar said the resolution praised the leadership of Modi and party president Amit Shah. Modi's charismatic leadership coupled with his vision and passion, combined with Shah's hardwork in building the organisation to extend the BJP's rule to 19 states, he said. Under the jodi (duo) of Modi and Shah, the party has close to 350 MPs and 1500 MLAs, he said. On the 70th anniversary of its founding, North Korea on Sunday staged a grand military procession, but did not showcase its intercontinental ballistic missiles, which was a regular feature in previous marches. The massive procession saw a beeline of military vehicles and soldiers marching past North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Kim Il Sung Square, located in the heart of Pyongyang, amid huge cheers from the crowd. Here are some of the images from the parade. All Photographs: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters Soldiers ride a multiple rocket launcher during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang. Some experts said that North Korea decided not to showcase the advanced ballistic missiles in a bid to not annoy United States President Donald Trump. Self propelled artillery roll pass during the parade. The theme of this year's function was in line with the socio-economic development of the country. A soldier salutes as he rides a tank during the parade. People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, left, and late leader Kim Jong Il during the parade. The soldiers wore uniforms from different periods of North Korea's history, from 1948 till the present day. Kim oversaw the parade from a balcony in Kim Il Sung Square and was accompanied by other senior officials, including the special envoy sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Li Zhanshu. The two leaders raised their arms in jubilation at the end of the event. Interestingly, the North Korean leader did not address after the parade ended, with the country's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam, taking the stage instead, in what was a break from recent tradition. After a truncated parade featuring tanks, fewer than the usual number of missiles and lots of goose-stepping units from all branches of the military, along with some students and others, the focus switched to civilian groups, ranging from nurses to construction workers, many with colourful floats beside them. The staging of the parade also comes in the backdrop of stalled diplomatic deliberations between Pyongyang and Washington over the issue of denuclearisation. In a rare gesture to highlight its military might, the North Korean government had invited foreign journalists and tourists to see the parade, although scribes were not allowed to carry their phones or broadcast the event live, a CNN report said. Have you ever heard of a trial in a criminal case being conducted through instant messaging app WhatsApp? Bizzare but true. This peculiar case has reached the Supreme Court, which was left wondering as to how this kind of a "joke" was allowed to happen in a court of law in India. The case, involving a former minister of Jharkhand and his MLA wife, saw the lower court judge in Hazaribagh putting these accused on trial by pronouncing the order framing charges against them through a 'WhatsApp' call. Former Jharkhand minister Yogendra Sao and his wife Nirmala Devi, who are accused in a rioting case of 2016, were granted bail last year by the top court which had imposed a condition that they shall stay in Bhopal and not enter Jharkhand except for attending the court proceedings. Both the accused have now told the apex court that the trial judge had on April 19 this year framed charges against them through a 'WhatsApp' call despite they raising objections to it. A bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and L N Rao took serious note of the submissions and said, "What is happening in Jharkhand. This process cannot be allowed, and we cannot allow administration of justice to be brought into disrepute". "We are here on the way of trial being conducted through WhatsApp. This can not be done. What kind of a trial is this? Is this a kind of joke?" the bench asked the counsel appearing for Jharkhand. The bench issued notice to Jharkhand on the plea by both the accused, who have sought transfer of their cases from Hazaribagh to New Delhi, and asked the state to respond to it within two weeks. Jharkhand's counsel told the top court that Sao has been violating the bail condition and had been out of Bhopal most of the time due to which proceedings in the case were delayed. To this, the bench observed, "That is a different thing. If you have a problem with violation of bail conditions by the accused, you can file a separate application seeking cancellation of bail. We make it clear that we have no sympathy with those who have violated bail condition." Senior advocate Vivek Tankha, appearing for the couple, said that the accused were granted bail on December 15, 2017 by the apex court in the case and they were directed to stay in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh as a bail condition. "The trial was directed to be conducted through video conferencing from district court in Bhopal and district court in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand," he said. Tankha said that video conferencing connectivity was most of the times "very low" in Bhopal and Hazaribagh district courts and the April 19 order was pronounced by the trial judge through 'WhatsApp' call. The bench asked Tankha as to how many cases were pending against both the accused. Tankha said that 21 cases were pending against Sao, while nine cases were pending against his wife. "They are both politicians and have led various protests against land acquisition done by the National Thermal Power Corporation in Jharkhand and most of these cases relate to those agitations," he said. Tankha said that since both the them were lawmakers at the time of filing of these cases, the trial in these matters should be transferred to the special court in Delhi which is exclusively dealing with cases involving politicians. Both Devi and Sao were accused in the case relating to violent clashes between villagers and police in 2016 in which four persons were killed. Sao had become a minister in the Hemant Soren government in August 2013. According to police, Devi had led an agitation against NTPC authorities for their alleged attempt to forcefully evacuate villagers from Barkagaon without giving them due compensation or rehabilitation. The All India ANna Dravida MUnnetra Kazhagam government in Tamil Nadu on Sunday decided to recommend to the state governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met in Chennai under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The moves comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts. Though the apex court had asked the governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also petitioned seeking premature release, he said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the governor "immediately," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near Chennai by an Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. Back-to-back operations by security forces in the Kashmir valley has reduced the "shelf life" of terrorists and over 360 were killed in less than two years, Central Reserve Polcie Force director general Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has said. He said as figures show an increase in the number of local youths joining terror groups in the valley, security forces are reaching out to young men through all possible ways to stop them from taking up arms. Bhatnagar said keeping in mind the security challenges, the CRPF has "increased the protection level" of its troops operating in Jammu and Kashmir by inducting full-body protectors, bullet-proof vehicles and special armoured 'interception vehicles' to enable personnel to operate in life threatening situations. "The terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir... Some of them are from outside and there are also the misguided (local) youth who join terror groups. It is quite a mix. The numbers go up and down but if you were to look at the length, the time for which terrorists survive in J-K, then the signal is very clear that it (terrorist recruitment) is having no impact. "The shelf life of terrorists, the time frame to survive, is very short. So, even if the numbers (of joining terror ranks) may be large, they may be more, but the consequence is limited," he said when asked if recruitment of local Kashmiri youths by terror groups is rising and a cause of concern. The chief of the country's largest paramilitary force said the youth was being drawn into it (terror ranks) as "there was a little bit of glamourisation", but they have to understand that it will not get them any result. "It is only a matter of time. We have made a lot of efforts (to wean them away) and have also asked them to surrender, and a lot of them have come back. They have to understand that taking up the gun serves no purpose," he said. The CRPF chief, on youths taking up arms, also said, "Obviously this is something that we have to prevent and take appropriate steps so that the youth does not take to militancy and those who have done so, come back." "The official numbers show an increase in recruitment. However, with the increase in the number of neutralisations the overall picture is better," he said. Bhatnagar acknowledged that the forces were taking it as a challenge to ensure that a lot of effort is taken to see that recruitment of youths for terror acts goes down. Good governance, transparency in official dealings and an all-round exercise is on to gain confidence of the public and the youth in Jammu and Kashmir and the valley, he said. The chief of the CRPF, which has over 60 battalions deployed in the Kashmir valley (over 60,000 personnel), said his force, the state police and the army are operating in "very good synergy". The forces now have an edge or to say the upper hand in the terrorism scenario in the valley, Bhatnagar said. "We have worked as one unit. That has given us a lot of success. This year 142 terrorists have been neutralised. If you look at last year's figures, it was more than 220 terrorists who were killed. There is excellent coordination between security forces and they have the upper hand. "Their (terrorists') notable commanders have been neutralised. Fidayeen attacks on camps have been effectively rebuffed. We have denied them any success in terms of camp attacks also," the DG said. He said the law and order situation in the valley is not like any other theatre in the country as there is a "guerrilla hit-and-run like tactic" used here. "We are, hence, working very closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police," Bhatnagar said. "Our drills, our equipment as well as our schemes are working well and we are able to counter efforts to disrupt the operations through stone pelting. "It is in only on very rare occasions that the stone pelters have managed to disrupt the operations that is too when it has been sudden exchange and the preparation has not been there. That has been the only time that the terrorists have managed to get away," the DG said. He also spoke about better equipping his personnel to combat the security challenge in the state, specifically in the valley. "We have gone in for better protection, full body protectors for our people, use of less lethal weaponry so that there is less collateral damage and the number of casualties and serious injuries on our side and the public is less. "The collateral damage has been fairly minimised," the DG underlined. When asked about the use of much-debated pellet guns and the damage rendered by them on locals, Bhatnagar said while these ammunition are not being discarded, its use is part of a well laid out standard operating procedure. "The sequence in which we use force is well laid out. We fire and disperse them (protestors) by using tear smoke and other allied irritant kind of non-lethal gases... "So our first effort is to disperse them by making a proper bandobast. Also, we have a large number of plastic bullets that are used," he said. Pellet guns, the CRPF chief said, is used where we find that it is required to disperse the mob. "We are taking precautions by using deflectors (on pellet guns) so that injuries are on lower part of the body. There is a graded use of force. Even when crowd tries to come very close, our boys have shown restraint. We have done our best to meet the objectives for which we have been deployed in J-K," he said. The pure intent is always to have less and less collateral damage, he said. North Korea did not display any intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at a military parade to mark its 70th anniversary, according to reports. It is also unclear whether leader Kim Jong-un made a speech at the event. The parade is being scrutinised for clues about North Korea's weapons arsenal and professed commitment to denuclearisation. Some analysts had predicted that Mr Kim would tone down the display after his summit with US President Donald Trump. A large display of ICBMs - which can reach the US mainland, potentially carrying a nuclear warhead - would have been seen as provocative. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Sayyed Abdulmalik: US -Saudi-Led coalition prevents arrival of National Yemeni delegation to Geneva talks, failing peace efforts [09/September/2018] SANAA, Sep. 9 (Saba) The leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdulmalik Houthi, revealed the main reason for the failure of the Geneva consultations, which were called for by UN envoy Martin Griffith, whose first meeting was scheduled for last Thursday. Regarding the latest developments, Sayyed Abdelmalik said that the US ambassador threatened to destroy the Yemeni currency. He also affirmed that America has a big role in the aggression, and despite this, disasters and crimes are accounted for the Saudi regime and the UAE while America presents itself as a sponsor of peace." On the Geneva consultations, which were thwarted by the aggression, he said that the Americans are not willing to stop this aggression because they are benefiting from it, in substantial way. It is a source of income for them. Sayyed Houthi also stressed that the UN failed to obtain a license to transfer a number of people stranded and wounded to Oman, according to the mechanism that was obtained in all previous consultations. He also pointed out that the Saudi-led coalition was uncooperative in previous rounds of negotiations, indicating its real intention which is to control Yemeni entirely. The Ansaruallah leader said that the economic war is a major part of the war on Yemen and its people. We are open to and ready for anything that would neutralize the economy, the currency and the functioning of the central bank, in order to achieve a positive result in favorer of all Yemenis. Sayyed al-Houthi called on the Yemeni people to stand firm in the face of the challenges that the coalition leadership seeks to impose at all levels. Sayyed concluded by saying that confronting aggression is an unavoidable choice because it represents the responsible and correct position. He stressed that we have two options: either to surrender or to confront the aggression and the worst price that we may pay is the price of surrender. Mona Zaid Saba Saudi-led air strikes hit citizen car in Saada [09/September/2018] SAADA, Sept. 9 (Saba) The Saudi-led coalition fighter jets on Sunday waged three strikes on Saada province, destroying a citizen car , an official told Yemen Press Agency. The strikes hit al-Dhaher district and provincial capital city, the official added. saba President: Our army destroys modern military weapons in combat fronts [09/September/2018] SANAA, Sept. 9 (Saba) President Mahdi al-Mashat on Sunday said that the Yemeni army destroyed the most modern military weapons nearly four years in the battle fronts. The move came during his inauguration of Army Magazine No. (418) under the title of " Scheme of the enemies and the heroes' steadfastness ". The President affirmed that the Yemeni peoples' steadfastness backed by the army caused the Saudi-led coalition and its militiamen's heavy casualties in all of the combat fronts and thwarted their plots targeting Yemen. Al-Mashat hailed the great triumphs achieved by the army to defend the homeland in all of the fronts. " we put this inauguration of the Army Magazine, which is considered a military institution's achievements and documented the triumphs of the Yemeni army and the popular committees against the enemies in various fronts", president added. Al-Mashat said that projects and plots of the coalition were revealed through its crimes and violations committed in Yemen's south and north. saba Meeting in capital held in capital to deal with mobilization efforts to confront to Saudi-led coalition [09/September/2018] SANAA, Sep. 9 (Saba) - A meeting that was held on Sunday under the presidency of Capital Sanaa Mayor Hamoud Obad discussed several topics related to mobilization efforts in capital for deterring the attack of the US-backed Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The meeting evaluated the local authority and Sheikhs role in supporting the campaign aiming to supporting the fronts with men through return them to their military units. During the meeting Obad affirmed the attention of the local authorities in capital and executive apparatus in supporting these efforts to achieve the National duty. Ahmed Al -Mutawakel Saba Saba Yemen, UN discusses water situation in Yemen discussed [09/September/2018] SANAA, Sep. 9 (Saba) - Minister of Water and Environment Eng. Nabil Al-Wazeer met on Sunday with United Nations Resident Representative Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Lize Grande. He discussed with her a number of topics related to the water situation in Yemen. They discussed and reviewed the water situation on the island of Kamran and the suffering of the citizens as a result of the exposure of water wells to the bombing of the US-backed Saudi-led coalition warplanes doubling burdens on the ministry. The meeting discussed the water and sanitation situation in Hodeidah porvince in general and efforts to expand the service. The Minister called for the humanitarian coordinator to play the necessary role to spare the Kamarn island's water installations from targented by the US-backed Saudi-led colaition waprlanes . He praised highly the efforts of the humanitarian coordinator and its keenness to support the water and environment sector in Yemen. He called upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to fulfill its obligations regarding the development of solutions and treatments for environmental hazards resulting from the medical waste of hospitals and health centers that are dumped directly into the sewage network without initial treatment. He stressed the keenness of the ministry to coordinate efforts and partnership with organizations to move towards harnessing the allocated support in the field of water and environmental sanitation. Grande stressed the need for coordination between WHO and the Ministry of Water and Environment to achieve common goals and promote integrated action. She stressed the UN's keenness to continue to support the water and sanitation sector and refered to the ministry's efforts to curb the cholera epidemic. Ahmed Al-Mutawakel Saba A cloud of sadness has been hovering over Samoa during the past week. Its been hard to shake it to be quite honest. Amidst the celebration of the 2018 Teuila Festival, the Miss Samoa Pageant and a number of events held, its undeniable there was a touch of sadness in the air. For many of us, it came with the news about the passing of a beloved father, former politician and giant of the business community, Hans Joachim Keil. He was a wonderful gentleman, someone who one had such a deep, meaningful and profound involvement in everything celebrated in Samoa during the past few days. You talk about the Teuila Festival; he was one of the pioneers, you speak about the Miss Samoa, he was heavily involved, not just during his life in public office but also a staunch member of the business community, which is the lifeblood of such events. And yet Mr. Keil is no more. He had been in the United States and had only arrived back in the country before he died peacefully at his familys home in Lotopa two weeks ago. Aged 74, he had succumbed to cancer. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Keils passing is an enormously sad time for this country. It is especially a sad occasion for his children, family and many people who knew him well. Many of them had been taking to social media to write tributes and express their condolences in the last fortnight since the news of his passing. Yesterday, hundreds more turned up to pay their last respects during his final service. It was a fitting farewell to such a humble soul who was always unassuming and yet had such a heart of gold. Lotopa has lost its favourite son. Ironically, Lotopa was where it all started for Mr. Keil. The proud son of William and Violet Keil, Joe was raised on a cocoa and coconut plantation there where he learnt a lot of the skills and enjoyed some of the most memorable times of his life. It was also the humble beginnings that would go on to shape the life of a man who grew up and had such an impact on many facets of life in Samoa. From aviation, to business, politics, history and the media, Mr. Keil was a talented and gifted man. He was Gods gift to Samoa in many ways. He wasnt always someone who wanted the limelight. That did not matter much to him. What mattered most to him was his family. Married to Celine Hellesoe, they were parents to Violette, Bella and Katrina and their special boy Nathan. You only had to watch his relationship with Nathan to know that Mr. Keil placed his familys welfare and Nathans happiness above all else. It was such a beautiful relationship, one that should be emulated and remembered. Today, we know this much, there is a time and a season for everything. Mr. Keil was placed on this earth for a purpose and his life was one that was well lived. A man of unquenchable talent and drive to succeed, he was a remarkable soul yet he was humble, unassuming and continued to do things that would make life better not just for himself, but for his family and those around him. Today, this nation is in mourning because a special man, who was raised by God for his purpose and his glory, has completed his mission on earth. Indeed for 74 long years, Mr. Keil served his God-given mission. He did this through people God placed in his path, whether it was his family, business community, church members and of course through the Government. For Joe, it was an illustrious career, one many people can only envy. Fly high Mr. Keil. In the meantime, we extend our deepest condolences to Celine, Violette, Bella, Katrina and the grandkids Tiana, Natalia, Selena, Rex, Nathaneal, Leila, Tama, Tara and Toa. Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless! One chapter closed and a new one opened when the transmission tower of Radio 2AP crumbled towards the sea yesterday. The brief ceremony marked the start of work to replace the radio stations 60-year-old equipment. Last month, former Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop pledged A$4.1 million (T$7.8 m) in funding towards the installation of a brand-new radio tower to service Samoa and her Pacific neighbours. At 9am, a horn sounded and the first cables were cut from the guide wires. In one smooth motion, the mast was felled, crumpling at the joins where years of exposure had caused rust. The top 20 meters fell exactly as planned over the seawall and into the ocean. A team was on site ready to begin the clean-up job, which included a crane to lift the mast and dismantle it. New Zealand Government telecommunications company, Kordia arrived on Monday to prepare the site, which included migrating wires from around the tower to ensure it could be felled with just one action. A large perimeter zone was cordoned off from the public when the mast was cut down, which covered the ground between the Court House and Mulinuu N.U.S. Campus. Towards the 9am mark, a canoe was spotted in the water close to where the mast was due to fall. Police and the rigging team assisted in safely escorting them out of the cordoned perimeter. Assistant C.E.O. of the Ministry Information and Technology, Talatalaga Matau Matafeo said the felling of the tower is going to be a part of Samoan history. The 120-meter mast has been serving our country for almost 30 years now this is one of those days we will always remember. The project to replace the mast was supported by the Ministries of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Environment, Police and the Land Transport Association, and Revenue and Finance. With these operations, we need to bring everybody together, said Talatalaga. Everybody played their role as they were supposed to, and that is why we completed the operation successfully. Next week, Kordia will begin installing a temporary 57-meter mast, which will service Radio 2AP until construction on the 80-meter replacement can begin after the cyclone season. The new mast is scheduled to be fully built by September 2019. Whilst the temporary mast is being built, listeners can tune into 101.1FM for all government broadcasts, and can call to the same phone numbers while 5.40AM is out of service. Speaking on behalf of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Government, Acting High Commissioner Amanda Jewell said transmission facilities ought to be modern, functional and climate resilient. This unique Pacific Media Assistance Scheme initiative, funded with Australian Aid and managed by ABC International Development, will provide essential emergency communications during cyclones and other natural disasters." Maintaining communications and connectivity with rural and isolated communities is vital and lifesaving - during disasters. Radio 2AP transmission tower was built in 1948, and is primarily responsible for informing Samoans when natural or national disasters occur. The station also broadcasts in American Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tokelau. Chiropractic students from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (R.M.I.T.) visited the Australian High Commission on Friday. They met with Australian High Commission Acting Head of Mission, Amanda Jewell, Senior Programme Manager, Kassandra Betham and Programme Manager, Kilistina Best. For the past two weeks the students have been operating out of local business Touch of Samoa and are headed back to Australia to complete their studies. Ms. Jewell spoke with the students on Friday and commended them on choosing Samoa as their overseas placement - rather than in private practices based in Australia. We are pleased to hear of Australian students who have volunteered their time and resources to complete their placement overseas, Ms Jewell said. It takes a lot sacrifice and another level of commitment to do a placement abroad, and we thank the students of R.M.I.T. for their valued service. Samoa is a unique assignment as there would be a broad case mix of patients that students can enhance and develop their skills further. Given the limitation in some capacities we know that the students work is greatly appreciated within the local community. Ms. Jewell was pleased the students made time to visit the Australian High Commission and informed them of the role that embassies have. It is always a pleasure when Australians visit the High Commission, particularly those who are involved in Non-Government Organisations, such as R.M.I.T., she said. Even though travelers are commuting as students from R.M.I.T., you are still travelling as an ambassador of your country. It is of particular use to visit your Australian High Commission as you will be better informed and have a link to services that you may need as a traveling Australian citizen. Australian High Commission is located on Main Beach Road, Mulivai, next to the Catholic Church and opposite the sea wall. Hours of operation are weekdays; Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Thirty-one teachers and trainers have successfully completed a two-week course called the Australian international trainers and assessors course. The course was offered by the Australian Pacific Teaching Coalition in partnership with the Samoa Qualification Authority (S.Q.A.) under the auspices of the S.Q.A. P.S.E.T. (Post School Education and Training) Support Fund. It was held at the Vision Restaurant at Vaivase on Friday afternoon and aims to increase the employability of graduates from T.V.E.T. providers in Samoa with improved training programs and qualified trainers. According to the Chairperson of the S.Q.A. Board, Gatoloaifaana Tilianamua Afamasaga, the initiative was a request from their office to the A.P.T.C. The joy comes from the realization of this event is the achievement of one of the goals of the authoritys corporate plan 2017 2020 which is ensuring that Post School Education and Trainers have the education qualifications as well as the technical qualifications in their specialty areas. The out scheme of achievement trainers is the key activity under the strategy for the implementation of the Samoa Professional Standards for T.V.E.T. trainers to improve the quality of T.V.E.T. in Samoa. In consultation with our providers it was found that while most trainers were experts in their fields and trains they did not have the inquired training in education and training. This was the long standing issues with T.V.E.T. providers and therefore S.Q.A. requested A.P.T.C. to offer this training, said Gatoloai. She said what they are expecting is that after the completion of the training the awardees will demonstrate greater commitment and dedication to their work of equipping Samoas youth for the future. It is our expectation also the greater returns for this investment will be shown through graduates from T.V.E.T. provider programs that are skilled committed and enable to contribute constructively to the environment of Samoa, she said. Vice principal of Vaiola T.V.E.T. Institute, Br. Taleni Tufuga told the gathering that the training was a huge success. As a new registered P.S.E.T. provider in Samoa we are very fortunate to be invited to the training. It was at the right time given the need we had in constructing our courses and program documents. The training included the proper way of formulating the curriculum that is competency based and incorporates the Samoa National Competency Standards (N.C.S.) and the associated Samoa Qualifications from S.Q.A. A five-member medical team from a Chinese university recently performed free eye surgery on 68 patients in Samoa. The health specialists from Guangdong were led by Chen Weirong, who is a Professor and Deputy Director of the Zhongshan Ophthalmology Center at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong Province, China. The September 5-6 trip to Samoa is the fourth for the medical delegation from Guangdong Province of China in four consecutive years and is a part of Guangdongs assistance to Samoa. The visiting health professionals are some of Chinas top eye specialists. The patients who had their sight recovered expressed their gratitude to the visiting medical delegation. Last years medical delegation to Samoa was led by Luo Juan, vice chairlady of the Peoples Congress of Guangdong Province. The group included three ophthalmology (eye) doctors and a nurse, who provided free cataract surgery to patients at the Apia National Hospital in Motootua. The group also presented medical equipment and medicine to the National Health Service. Meet first time visitor to Samoa, Mike Beale. Mike is from New Zealand and has been super excited about his trip to the island. The Sunday Samoan met the lone traveler on his last day in Apia before he departs. Some of the reasons he chose Samoa is to take up the opportunity to snorkel, enjoy the warm weather and have a relaxing time. Its not his first time in the Pacific region. He has been to Tonga and Fiji. Compared to his previous experiences in the region, Mike highlighted the affordable products available in Samoa and the beautiful scenery. Mike stayed at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel and he said this allowed him to have a very good experience and the opportunity to go out and explore Apia by myself. There are always things to do around Apia. I think it isnt hard to get in touch with locals and meet people when you are travelling alone, but you have to do a little bit as well by yourself, he said. Taking the bus was, according to him, one of the ways he met most locals, who are very friendly and interactive. I could see the nice view and didnt have to worry about where to go. Mostly I have been the only non-Samoan, which has been a positive experience, Mike said. For me the Palolo Deep Marine Reserve in town was very good to get out of the hotel and see something different, which I enjoyed. The good thing was as well that I have been right next to the Teuila Festival. He voiced his frustrations of some taxi drivers not knowing where to go or being given wrong information about movie schedules in the cinema, which he experienced arriving 30 minutes late to the movie. You are not stacked or ruled by time here, you are not so much under pressure all the time, which I think is the positive side, when we from New Zealand or Europe arent used to those little issues. Most things are really not a problem when you come in with an acceptance and understanding, Mike said. He plans to revisit Samoa when he has the opportunity to escape his work schedules. The recently concluded 49th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in Nauru would go down in history as one of the most controversial in recent times. There is a lot to like about the outcomes from the September 3-6 conference, which culminated with a Leaders Retreat and the release of a Forum Communique, that highlighted the priority areas for the regions heads of governments and commitment to pursue common goals and interests over the next 12 months until the next summit. The discussions in Nauru revolved around the theme Building a Strong Pacific: Our People, Our Islands, Our Will and strived to, in the words of the leaders: recognise the opportunity that the theme presents to strengthen the regions collective will to drive the regions ambition to overcome the persistent development challenges faced by the Pacific people. As usual regional security, climate change and disaster resilience, fisheries and the oceans were highlighted as regional priorities for the Forum leaders. A total of 14 Heads of State, Government and Territories attended the summit with Australia, Fiji, Palau and Papua New Guinea represented by ministers of foreign affairs, trade and state. We would like to think that every time our bureaucrats and technocrats from throughout the Pacific Islands gather at this premier regional annual summit, they have the collective interest of all Pacific Island communities and their welfare at heart. Close to four years ago, the United Nations Development Programme (U.N.D.P.) released a 144-page report titled The State of Human Development in the Pacific: A Report on Vulnerability and Exclusion in a Time of Rapid Change, which gave an update on the state of human development in the region. The report was based on data collated from household income and expenditure surveys that were conducted in various Pacific Island Countries. Sadly, the report does not make good reading. The report shows that poverty (hardship), vulnerability, inequality and exclusion are on the rise in many PICs, and that the most vulnerable people are likely to be women, youth, the disabled and the elderly, as well as those living in the outer islands and rural areas. Dealing with the challenge of reversing this rising tide of vulnerability and exclusion while also providing safety nets and social protection for those at risk will require Pacific governments to adopt new policy approaches and make some difficult choices. This report also provides policy options and insights for decision-makers, development partners and communities on how to foster more inclusive and sustainable human development in the Pacific during a time of change, wrote Haoliang Xu in the forward of the report. Xu is the UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. The four-year-old report confirms that all is not well in the region and data from another survey if it was to be done today would probably point to worsening social indicators and living conditions of Pacific Island communities. The development challenges facing people in the various Pacific Island nations regardless of the size of their local economies and the estimated gross domestic product growth figures can compel Pacific Islanders to question the relevance of institutions such as the Pacific Islands Forum. To a lot of Pacific Islanders, the annual summit is just another talkfest for the regions political leaders and technocrats, without outcomes that would impact positively on the lives of the people. And the recent turn of events in Nauru during the PIF Leaders Summit, when New Zealand journalist Barbara Dreaver was detained by local authorities for interviewing a refugee, and China and Nauru got into a diplomatic spat that made world headlines, only adds to the concerns about the relevance of this institution. Perhaps it is time for the regions political leaders to start joining the dots between their discussions at such a regional conference, and outcomes such as life-changing positive intervention programs at the community level in their respective countries. The people want to be assured that the leaders would represent their interest wholeheartedly. The absence of the newly elevated Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill from the Nauru summit would not have gone unnoticed. Mr ONeill and Mr Bainimarama represent the regions biggest economies outside Australia and New Zealand, and Mr Morrison is the head of government of the Pacifics largest aid donor in Australia. What impression does the absence of these three leaders from the recent PIF summit give to the region and the world and their concerns for the small and the big issues that affect communities in the Pacific Islands? There is a lot to work on over the next 12 months in the lead-up to the next PIF summit in Tuvalu and we hope our leaders take their jobs seriously and give their best shot in September 2019. Have a top working Samoa and God Bless! The 2018 McDonalds Miss Samoa Pageant crowning on Saturday went according to script but the venue could not fit everyone. The Don Bosco Technical College Hall at Salelologa played host to the final program of the pageant with Miss Susana o Samoa, Sonia Piva, taking out top honors. But some members of the public, who travelled from Upolu to Savaii to witness the historic occasion, were disappointed the venue could not cater for everyone. They had to pay $5 to stand under two tents set up outside. A member of the public, Faatasiga Lutelu, said it was heartbreaking seeing elderly people among those outside trying to get a glimpse of the contestants. In the Samoan culture, we treat our elders with the utmost respect but you see there were no chairs outside so that they can sit down. It was truly sad to see the elders sit on the grass field when they became so tired, she said. Fiti Solomona, 64, told Samoa Observer that the organisers must have underestimated the size of the crowd. The venue is too small to not only host people from Savaii but also those from Upolu, everyone should have the chance to watch but as it turns out not all the people could get the chance to go in. It all comes down to the organizing committee for this years pageant, they did not predict the unexpected, he said, while sitting on the grass outside. Malia Luapitofanua, 68, from Asau village in Savaii said she was excited to attend the event but disappointed no chairs were provided, even after they paid $5. As you can see I am old now, I cannot stand for a long period of time which is why I am sitting on the floor. I admit I am disappointed but I still sit here waiting for who will take the crown. It would have been nice to have some chairs for us that paid to watch from outside. The pageant organisers told Samoa Observer last Thursday those who watched the event from outside would not be charged. It is estimated over 500 people attended the crowning. Thirty-one teachers and trainers have successfully completed a two-week Australian international trainers and assessors course. The course was offered by the Australian Pacific Teaching Coalition in partnership with the Samoa Qualification Authority (S.Q.A.) under the auspices of the S.Q.A. P.S.E.T. (Post School Education and Training) Support Fund. It was held at the Vision Restaurant at Vaivase last Friday and aims to increase the potential of graduates from T.V.E.T. providers in Samoa to find jobs through the provision of training programs and qualified trainers. According to the S.Q.A. Board chair, Gatoloaifaana Tilianamua Afamasaga, the initiative was a request from their office to the A.P.T.C. The joy comes from the realization of this event is the achievement of one of the goals of the authoritys corporate plan 2017 2020 which is ensuring that Post School Education and Trainers have the education qualifications as well as the technical qualifications in their specialty areas. The out scheme of achievement trainers is the key activity under the strategy for the implementation of the Samoa Professional Standards for T.V.E.T. trainers to improve the quality of T.V.E.T. in Samoa. In consultation with our providers it was found that while most trainers were experts in their fields and trains they did not have the inquired training in education and training. This was the long standing issues with T.V.E.T. providers and therefore S.Q.A. requested A.P.T.C. to offer this training, said Gatoloai. She said what they are expecting is that after the completion of the training the awardees will demonstrate greater commitment and dedication to their work of equipping Samoas youth for the future. It is our expectation also the greater returns for this investment will be shown through graduates from T.V.E.T. provider programs that are skilled committed and enable to contribute constructively to the environment of Samoa, she said. Vice principal of Vaiola T.V.E.T. Institute, Br. Taleni Tufuga told the gathering that the training was a huge success. As a new registered P.S.E.T. provider in Samoa we ate very fortunate to be invited to the training. It was at the right time given the need we had in constructing our courses and program documents. The training included the proper way of formulating the curriculum that is competency based and incorporates the Samoa National Competency Standards (N.C.S.) and the associated Samoa Qualifications from S.Q.A. Newly crowned Miss Samoa Sonia Pivas next big engagement is the upcoming Miss Pacific Islands which will be held in Tonga in early December. Crowned over the weekend in Savaii, Sonia did not waste time putting together a schedule in the lead-up to the regional event in December. I am given this week to relax and spend time with my families, who came from overseas for support, also with my two sets of parents Maria and Piva, Reverend Samuelu and Pativaine Areta. Next week we will delve into preparations for the upcoming pageant, she said. The new Miss Samoa will sign her contract with the Samoa Tourism Authority next week and will start her journey as Samoas Ambassador. She spoke about how things came into play when she visited Samoa in March this year. I came to Samoa on holiday as Ive always wanted to visit where my roots are etched and while in Samoa, my plans changed. I got a job and was involved in a program called SPACE, an education program held in rural areas. Miss Samoa said during the preparations for the pageant, many of her families came from abroad to lend their support. I was assigned to my Areta family in Salelologa and the support shown by them was significant and so winning the title was the goal. I felt that all these people invested their time, effort into getting the best of everything for the pageant it was a burden lifted when it was done and it was favorable. I have been super blessed to have been given under the care of my Areta family who has been great hosts, not only for me but my Areta family. Its been amazing, I now have my second set of parents, again I am blessed, she said. Reverend Areta, said the decision by Samoa Events Incorporated to bring the pageant to Savaii was a great idea. The girls were able to learn so much living with a faifeaus family. For us, our whole denomination got involved with the preparations and the women went all out for Sonia. Shes a Salelologa girl and is a part of my family shes one of my girls. I want to thank S.E.I. and S.T.A. for affording the opportunity for the Savaii people to be hosts and also bring revenue for the local business, he added. Outstanding 21-year-old Vaelaa Iloa of Tufulele was the overall winner for the 2018 17th International Siva Afi competition after stunning the crowd with an original and polished performance last week. Owner and organiser of the competition, Leota Lene Leota said Vaelaa has been involved with the competition when he was just six years old. This kid has always had the passion for fire knife, said Leota. He is very creative and he always has different ideas when it comes to performing fire dance which I admire so much. He loves what he does and every time he performs people can see it in his eyes that he is very passionate. His performance last night was just outstanding especially when he performed with three knives; he hooked two of the knives together and used the other arm to circulate the other knife, which was amazing. Leota said Vaelaa started fire knife dancing at the age of 12. He was a street vendor before he joined the team, he said. He came around to sell lays here in town and he saw some kids practicing and so he took interest and joined the team. Vaelaa won five times in the International Siva Afi Competition, three times in the Teuila Competition and also in 2008 he won the competition that was held in American Samoa. He is a very talented kid. Vaelaa said to the Samoa Observer he is very happy. I have always been passionate about fire knife dancing and it helped me not only in providing for my family, but also I am able to secure a job here at the Siva Afi. Before dancing I was a street kid who was selling lays to earn a living to provide for my family. I thought that was all I was going to do for the rest of my life until one night I came to sell my lays here at Matautu and I saw some kids practicing. I immediately took interest in fire knife dancing and from that time until now it has become a passion for me. Speaking about the competition, Vaelaa said it was a tough one. All the competitors were really good and it was a close one too, he said. But I tried my best even though I knew I was up against some really tough competitors. And at the end I came first and it has been while since I took first place. The last time I won was three years ago and so it felt really god to be on the top again. Asked whats next, Vaelaa said he will keep on going and he is aiming to get a contract overseas. Fire knife dancing helps me provide for my family, he said. Its good money too so I am trying my best to get a contract overseas because this is one of the biggest things overseas is fire knife dancing. But I am thankful that Leota Lene Leota is helping us make a career out of this because I know if it wasnt for him I would still be selling lays on the street. First Published: 19 Sunday 2000 A new chapter in the forty one year old history of the countrys lone flag carrier, Polynesian Airlines unfolded yesterday at the Faleolo International Airport. Hundreds of Samoans turned out to await the arrival of the airlines new Boeing 737 800 aircraft, Island of Upolu arriving on its maiden flight from the United States of America. There were sighs of relief and smiles everywhere as the plane flew over Faleolo International Airport, and descended to the recently extended runway. To a standing ovation, the aircraft slowly and smoothly made its way into the airport, much to the delight of the airlines employees, families and friends who had turned out to witness this. Among those who applauded the arrival of the lane were the Chairman of Polynesian Airlines Board and Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who was on hand to deliver the keynote address. The arrival of this state of the art long range new generation 737-800 aircraft will help boost our plans to encourage the sensible development of tourism and growth in foreign exchange earnings, as well as provide increased employment opportunities for Samoa, Tuilaepa said. With recent work to upgrade the airport infrastructure and facilities, Tuilaepa said the arrival of the new plane was an important step in the governments medium to long-term strategy of improving the countrys infrastructure to underpin economic growth that will benefit all citizens. A strategy has been carefully planned so that the Samoan tourism industry will be able to maximise the benefits to be gained from the Australian, USA, North America, Europe and Asian travel market. The overriding basic principle applied has been that capacity must be tailored to meet stimulated demand but NOT to attempt to create demand to chase excess capacity, Tuilaepa said. Tuilaepa conceded that the last time the company attempted to expand, it ran into difficulties. However, he is confident that it will not happen this time. I must add that this fleet expansion, unlike the attempted expansion in 1993/94, has been carefully planned to ensure that we will not be faced with difficulties encountered following those years. Tuilaepa stressed that the government must take careful, measured steps to make sure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Polynesian Airlines Managing Director, Mr Richard Gates, who delivered a brief account on the development within the company, shared these views. Polynesian Airlines has had a difficult time in the past, but the present management is determined to succeed and ensure the airline makes a meaningful contribution to the growth of the countrys economy. He believed that such a goal will be achieved through the new aircrafts scheduled flights to destinations such as the USA and Australia, together with the commercial alliance with Qantas Airways. Mr Gates said: The new aircraft complements some of the latest developments, whereby we are enhancing our corporate image and service to you, the all important customers. He further stated that Polynesian Airlines staff have been well trained to ensure that services are efficiently delivered to customers satisfaction. We at Polynesian recognise that there is much more to be done and hence have dedicated ourselves to ensuring that our part in the economic growth of Samoa does not falter or flag. Poly Air will configure the Next Generation 737-800 in two classes carrying 154 passengers, 28 more that the current Boeing 737-300. The new aircraft has 50 percent more freight capacity, something that the Samoan travelling public must be excited about. The aircraft is being leased through International lease Finance Corporation. Since 1959, Poly Air has become one of the Pacifics leading carriers, linking islanders with families and friends abroad and bringing overseas visitors to experience the diverse and unique cultures of the Pacific Islands. The Airline hopes to maintain such a reputation with the arrival of the new aircraft. Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Council of Churches, Rev Oka Fauolo conducted a brief prayer service and Tolofuaivalelei Leiataua was the Master of Ceremony. Present at yesterdays occasion were Members of the Council of Deputies, American Samoa Lieutenant, Togiola Tulafono, Crown Prince Maatu and Princess Alailelua from the Kingdom of Tonga, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, Diplomatic Corps, representatives of the Boeing Company and members of the local business community. First Published: 20 January 2006 Political rivals yesterday to join praise Cardinal Pio Taofinuu as a church leader who brought honour and pride to Samoa through his achievements and work. Its a big loss to all the Catholics in Samoa, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi said yesterday after news of Cardinal Pios death was announced. He made a great contribution to the development of the church, said Tuilaepa, himself a Catholic. The first Pacific Islander to become a cardinal in the long history of the Catholic Church died peacefully at 12am yesterday, the churchs leader in Samoa, Archibishop Alapati Mataeliga, confirmed. Cardinal Pio, who was 82, had retired and had been battling illness in recent years. Tuilaepa said that Cardinal Pio brought honour to Samoa, no more so when Pope Paul IV visited in 1970. Its well-known within the Catholic Church that Samoa was included especially through his efforts as a then bishop. This was followed by Cardinal Pio Taofinuu being conferred the cardinalship...for Oceania, Tuilaepa said. And I think that great honour that was conferred on him was honour for Samoa as well. WORK The Prime Minister praised Cardinal Pio for his work in establishing centres that serve the church and country today such as Feiloaimauso and Tofamamao. The cardinals farsightedness was shown in the Mapuifagalele Old Peoples Home at Vaitele, he said. Because at the time when it was being built many people thought it wasnt fir for Samoa because we looked after old people. Why should a home like this be built it was asked. It is our habit for the children to care for their elders. But it was a surprise when the home was built and its usefulness became apparent. And the home was open to people from all denominations. Like other church leaders, Cardinal Pio made a great contribution to establishing loving relations between denominations struck out at each other. He said the cardinal has been ill for more than five years. ORDER OF TIAFAU Cardinal Pio was bestowed the Order of Tiafau by Government in 1993 in acknowledgement of his contribution to the country. Samoa Democratic United Party (SDUP) leader Le Mamea Ropati said Cardinal Pio becoming a cardinal caused great pride in our country. Le Mamea spoke of how Cardinal Pio introduced Samoan custom into Roman Catholic church services. If you look at them at these times there is a different feeling to current Catholic worship when Samoa custom and Christianity were merged, he said. What has resulted is very attractive. There was one delegation which the cardinal led to Rome which featured a cultural group, revealing this to the Catholic church and world and that made him proud, he said. Le Mamea expressed his sympathy to the cardinals family, his village of Falealupo and the Catholic church here and in American Samoa. Other MPs and deputy Speaker Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiataua expressed the same sentiment in Parliament yesterday. Safatas Leota Suatele Manusegi, a Catholic too, said that a dark cloud hung over the country as a result of the cardinals death. Falealupo MP Aeau Peniamina said to his constituency: Let us be brave. FALEALUPO Cardinal Pio was born on 9 December 1923 at Falealupo. He commenced his priestly education in Moamoa, according to information on Catholic Church website pages. He continued his studies at the Seminary of Greenmeadows, New Zealand. Cardinal Pio was ordained on 8 December 1954. His first trip to Rome came about when Bishop George Pearce asked him to accompany him to the Second Vatican Council. He remained in Rome for three months and took advantage of his travels to visit the Holy Land. After serving as Vicar to Bishop Pearce from 1964, in 1966 he became Vicar General of the diocese. Should the 2019 Miss Samoa Pageant and Teuila Festival be held in Savaii? Reporter Adel Fruean travelled to Savaii to cover the pageant and also had the chance to speak to locals on what they thought of Samoas two premier events. Faaiuga Tusitala 46 Salelologa I agree that those two significant events should be held in Savaii; reason being is that, it has always been Upolu but for this year we had the chance for the first time to host the Miss Samoa Pageant. It was truly a proud historical moment for us all here in Savaii. We are from the big island of Savaii and we are part of Samoa too. Fiu Uale Esera 55 Salelologa I support the idea of both the Miss Samoa and Teuila Festival to be hosted in Savaii. In my own opinion, there should be more promotion about Savaii to the world and if the location changes people will have the opportunity to visit and explore our big island and its natural beauty. Ever since the pageant was held in Savaii people who have never been to Savaii got the chance to come over and see our island. Asomalia Laulu 28 Neiafu I think that in my own perspective, it should be held here in Savaii next year. Because this very event of hosting the Miss Samoa in Savaii resulted in reuniting the people of this one island, everyone came together to prepare for everything. There should be more important events like this to be held in Savaii, our people in the big island also need to be involved as well in such future events. Amani Simeatu 56 Salelologa The next Teuila Festival and Miss Samoa should be hosted here in Savaii. I believe that what is good for Upolu is also good for Savaii; with that being said those two celebrations should have the chance to be celebrated together in Savaii. The majority of important events like Independence are always held in Upolu, we are one people even though we are from different islands but together we make up the Independent state of Samoa. Siusiusalafai Papalii 24 Sapapalii I feel that it is a great idea if those two major events be held in our home island of Savaii. The reason why is because in Savaii, its more traditional if it is held here, the involvement of the village councils to uphold Samoan traditions is very influential. It is what makes Savaii so unique is that it is embedded within cultures and traditions. It will help showcase a different view and perspective for once if it is given to our big island to host the following years Miss Samoa and Teuila Festival. Unasa Imeleta Vaa 68 Tuasivi I think that Savaii is such a beautiful location for the next Miss Samoa and Teuila Festival to be held. But the only problem for this year was the venue where it was held was too small to cater to so many people who all travelled so far as to come witness the first ever Miss Samoa in Savaii. It was quite disappointing for so many to be standing outside and not even get the chance to have a glimpse of what was happening inside. Savaii has so many beautiful natural sites to offer. Faafetai Selau 58 Salelologa It would be historical to have both events hosted in Savaii. I believe it will serve to make all the people living here in Savaii very happy with so much pride and joy. It is evident with the turnouts in the Miss Samoa Pageant 2018 that many have had to travel from miles around the island just to witness such a historical moment. We also deserve an opportunity to host such events; we are never given the chance to do it. Peniamina Tiatia 28 Gataivai I approve the idea of hosting these two main events in the big island, due to the fact that for us here in the big island we hardly have any major events like these to look forward. For everyone to have the chance to come together and enjoy it, but instead they are all held in Upolu which is quite inconvenient for some to travel all the way there to watch or be a part of. Faatasiga Lutelu 51 Neiafu I fully support the Miss Samoa and Teuila Festival to be hosted alongside within Savaii. I am overjoyed as the pageant was held here this year for the first time. I think that Savaii doesnt always get these opportunities and so it would be quite significant if we would host both for the following year. Siti Mapusua 35 Magiagi In my opinion, for me as I am from the island of Upolu, it is such a joyous occasion for the people of Savaii to have hosted the Miss Samoa for first time. I guess it would be beneficial for them but there should be careful planning if it would be held here next year along with the Teuila Festival. VATICAN CITY (AP) Two weeks after Pope Francis' papacy was thrown into crisis by accusations that he covered up sexual misconduct by ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Francis has refused to respond, his accuser has changed his story and a host of new characters have entered the fray. Cardinals, bishops, priests and ordinary faithful are demanding answers, given that the Vatican knew since at least 2000 about allegations McCarrick had bedded seminarians. Francis is coming under increasing pressure to respond to claims by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano that he rehabilitated McCarrick from sanctions Pope Benedict XVI had imposed. Here is a look at the scandal, which has split the U.S. Catholic hierarchy and further tarnished Francis' record on abuse. WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL ACCUSATION? Vigano said in his Aug. 26 expose that Benedict imposed "canonical sanctions" on McCarrick in 2009 or 2010 that were similar to what Francis imposed this summer after McCarrick was accused of groping a minor. "The cardinal was to leave the seminary where he was living, he was forbidden to celebrate Mass in public, to participate in public meetings, to give lectures, to travel, with the obligation of dedicating himself to a life of prayer and penance," Vigano wrote. Vigano said he told Francis on June 23, 2013, that McCarrick had "corrupted a generation of seminarians and priests" and that Benedict "ordered him to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance." But he said Francis effectively rehabilitated McCarrick and made him a trusted counselor as he sought to remake the U.S. church leadership to be less focused on the culture wars. The public record , however, is rife with evidence that McCarrick lived a life devoid of any sanction from 2009 onwards, traveling widely for the church, attending official functions, including at the Vatican alongside Benedict and Vigano, who as Vatican ambassador in 2012 had the duty of honoring him at an awards ceremony in New York. HOW HAS VIGANO'S STORY CHANGED? Faced with such evidence, Vigano altered his story to say that while Benedict's measures were in place, McCarrick "didn't obey" them and Vigano was unable to enforce them. Vigano told LifeSiteNews, an ultraconservative site, that Benedict had made the sanctions "private" probably because McCarrick was retired and Benedict, seeking to avoid scandal, thought he would obey. Even the conservative National Catholic Register, which originally published Vigano's revelation, acknowledged that the severity of the measures reported by Vigano is now an open question. Citing someone close to Benedict, the Register reported that Benedict couldn't recall how he handled the matter but that there was no formal decree against McCarrick, "just a private request" to keep a low profile. If true, that would undercut Vigano's core accusation that Francis rehabilitated McCarrick from actual canonical sanctions. HOW HAS THE POPE RESPONDED? Hours after Vigano's accusations came to light, Francis told an in-flight news conference: "I will not say a word about this ." He challenged journalists to investigate Vigano's claims and said, "If time passes and you've drawn your conclusions, maybe I'll speak." That said, Francis has referred indirectly to the scandal a few times since. He has said "silence and prayer " are often the best response to people seeking scandal. He has said it is un-Christian to accuse other people, but necessary to accuse oneself to recognize sin. And he has told newly ordained bishops to work in communion not as lone actors bent on settling personal scores. The Vatican press office has refused all comment, declining to say what, if any, sanctions were ever imposed on McCarrick, and what, if anything, Francis did about them. WHAT WAS GOING ON IN 2013? When Francis and Vigano met in June 2013, Francis was three months into a new job where he knew he was going to make enemies with the type of conservative culture warriors Vigano championed. A month after the reported encounter over McCarrick's sexual past, Francis would go on to win praise from the liberal Catholic world for saying of another purportedly gay priest he had named a close adviser: "Who am I to judge?" That suggests that Francis, at least in 2013, didn't consider the past sex lives or homosexual orientation of his counselors to be a firing offense or recognize that those relationships could constitute an abuse of power. But Francis did recognize something was amiss when he sent the Vatican's top sex abuse expert to investigate Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who recused himself from the conclave that elected Francis pope because of allegations he slept with seminarians. O'Brien was a conservative hard-liner on homosexuality whose sexual peccadilloes were aired publicly, which could explain the disparity in treatment. HOW HAS THIS BEEN RECEIVED IN THE US? More than a week before Vigano's disclosure, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, announced he wanted an audience with Francis to present his request for a full-fledged Vatican investigation into the McCarrick affair. At the time, DiNardo's call was seen as a power play by the U.S. bishops, who were under fire for having covered for McCarrick for decades, to shift the blame to the Vatican. McCarrick was made archbishop of Washington and cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II, despite knowledge in the Vatican that he slept with seminarians. DiNardo followed up his request for a Vatican investigation with a statement saying Vigano's accusations deserve answers. More than a dozen U.S. bishops have echoed the call, though others, including a top Francis appointee, Cardinal Blase Cupich, have demurred. Cupich has said Francis shouldn't go down the "rabbit hole" by responding. No date for a DiNardo audience has been set. But he is due in Rome on Sep. 27 to preside over a deacon ordination ceremony for seminarians from the North American College, the U.S seminary just up the hill from the Vatican. Meanwhile, Francis has met with embattled Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who is facing calls to step down over both the McCarrick scandal and for mishandling some abuse cases when he was bishop in Pittsburgh. Those cases were exposed in a recent Pennsylvania grand jury report. In another blow to Wuerl's ability to lead, one of his own deacons said in a letter published Sunday that he could in good conscience no longer assist him at Mass, and called for him to step down. Wuerl actually offered to resign two years ago when he turned 75, so the decision on when he leaves rests with Francis alone. WHO IS NOW SPEAKING OUT? Amid the official silence from the Vatican, some new players have emerged to try to discredit Vigano's version of events and defend Francis. One of them is a familiar face, the Rev. Federico Lombardi , the Jesuit who served as Vatican spokesman for Benedict and Francis until 2016. Last weekend, amid a communications crisis for the Vatican, it was announced that Lombardi would rejoin the Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica, which serves as an unofficial mouthpiece for the papacy. Also last weekend, Lombardi and his English-speaking assistant, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, issued a joint statement contesting Vigano's version of events about the controversial meeting that Vignao orchestrated between the pope and U.S. anti-gay marriage campaigner Kim Davis during Francis' 2015 visit to the U.S. The encounter made headlines because it was viewed as a papal endorsement of Davis' highly politicized campaign something Francis had been keen to avoid. Vigano claimed Francis had only praise for his handling of the visit. But Lombardi and Rosica issued a statement, based on Rosica's handwritten notes from the time, recalling that Vigano himself had reported that Francis scolded him for having "deceived" him about Davis and omitting that she had been married four times. The name may sound clunky, but Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA, is one of the hottest energy topics in California and may upend the long-time relationship between utilities and customers. But while the growth of CCAs has led to heated debates across the state within the energy and political spheres, many local utility customers are either unclear or unaware of the subject even as the City of San Diego slowly deliberates whether to hop on the CCA bandwagon to help it meet its Climate Action Plan that calls for 100 percent of the citys electricity coming from renewable sources by 2035. Its a complicated story but an important one because adopting a CCA affects what consumers pay, what kinds of energy sources a community purchases and who makes those acquisitions. It also tests the relative levels of trust and mistrust ratepayers have in their local power companies and local governments while raising questions about making decisions affecting an energy sector with a history of volatility, in a state where dramatic transformations are already underway. Advertisement Heres an overview. What are they? Community Choice Aggregation allows any city, county or combination thereof to form an entity to take over the responsibility for purchasing power for their community. How are they different? About 75 percent of electricity supply in California comes from three investor-owned utilities Pacific Gas & Electric in Northern California, Southern California Edison in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego Gas & Electric, which covers San Diego County and a small portion of Orange County. As the name suggests, investor-owned utilities are owned by shareholders, and these private electricity and natural gas providers are overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC. RELATED: Why we took a deep look at Community Choice Aggregation They are different from publicly-owned utilities, which are not regulated by the CPUC, such as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the country. Under the traditional model, investor-owned utilities: 1) Purchase sources of electricity (natural gas, solar, wind, etc.) to meet the energy needs of their customers and make sure the electric grid runs smoothly. 2) Maintain the transmission and distribution lines (poles, wires, etc.) needed to deliver the electricity. 3) Handle billing and customer service issues. How do CCAs work? Should a CCA be established, one big thing changes and two big things remain the same. The utility still maintains the transmission and customer service responsibilities, but the purchasing of power is done by municipal governments. Since elected officials often dont have expertise in energy markets, many CCAs hire third-parties with experience in energy markets to perform all sorts of complex scheduling and marketing transactions. They are paid by the CCAs, using rates charged to their customers. CCAs typically offer customers three different energy programs a default program, a program for solar and a more expensive program advertising use of 100 percent renewable sources. Who joins? Once elected officials vote to form a CCA, all the electric customers in their jurisdiction are automatically signed up. Customers can remain with the investor-owned utility if they want to, but its up to them to contact the CCA and go through the opt-out process. Opting out is free, provided it is done within the first few billing cycles (usually within 60 days). After that, a small fee may be charged, although some CCAs dont impose opt-out fees. Who does the billing? The utility still does. A consolidated monthly statement will include a line-item for the CCA so customers would not receive two separate bills. The customer pays the entire bill and the utility then pays the CCA its share. Are the number of CCAs growing? Yes. There were fewer than 10 CCAs in the state last year but there are now 18, with a 19th expected to come online by September. The states first CCA was formed in Marin County in May 2010 with 8,000 customers, many of whom wanted community choice in order to tap more green sources of power. Called MCE (short for Marin Clean Energy), it has grown dramatically and now serves 470,000 customers in four counties. Solana Beach became the first community in San Diego County to establish a CCA, which went online June 1. What kind of effect have CCAs had so far? CCAs across the state have offered electricity from renewable sources ranging from 37 percent to 100 percent, with a statewide average of 52 percent, according to the Luskin Center for Innovation at UCLA. By comparison, SDG&E delivered about 45 percent renewable resources to customers last year, exceeding state mandates. Rapid CCA growth is expected to continue. In 2010, investor-owned utilities had 78 percent of the statewide market share but it dropped to 70 percent last year and the Luskin Center report predicts it falling to 57 percent within two years. PG&E mentioned erosion of its customer base due to CCAs as one of the reasons for shutting down the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. What about San Diego? The City of San Diego is considering whether to create a CCA to reach the goal of the citys Climate Action Plan that mandates 100 percent of the citys electric needs coming from renewable energy sources by 2035. SDG&E is putting together a counter proposal that promises to get the city to 100 percent renewables by 2035. The city council is expected to make a decision by the end of this year. Why do some communities adopt CCAs? Some want more clean sources in their energy portfolios. Others want more local control, working on the premise that community choice can deliver lower rates for customers than utilities. Boosters of CCAs say community choice delivers on both fronts. MCE, for example, said its default program costs 2 to 5 percent less than Pacific Gas & Electric, the investor-owned utility in its area. But slightly lower bills represent only part of their attraction for fans of CCAs. Under the traditional utility model, energy decisions arent made in our backyard, said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign and one of the architects of the citys Climate Action Plan. Theyre made in San Francisco (home of the CPUC) and Sacramento (home of the Legislature). CCAs tend to be much smaller and more nimble than investor-owned utilities and theyre not paying for these exorbitant salaries and they dont have bonuses and shares of stocks to concern themselves with, Capretz said. Who makes the calls? Leaving the final say on energy procurement to elected officials is a concern, said Tony Manolatos, spokesman for the Clear the Air Coalition. A lot of people dont believe the city should be in the energy business its very volatile, Manolatos said. The city would be better off focusing on core services like police, fire, parks, fixing our roads, helping solve the homeless problem ... Not on launching a billion-dollar energy program. The Clear The Air Coalition includes representatives of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, two faith groups, the Downtown San Diego Partnership and lobbyists for Sempra Energy the parent company of San Diego Gas & Electric. Under state law, a utility cannot use ratepayer dollars to lobby about CCAs but utilities can set up marketing divisions for that purpose, provided that shareholders, not ratepayers, fund them. SDG&Es parent company, Sempra, did just that in 2016. City officials making energy decisions is like any other public agency accountability, Capretz said. You want to make sure they hire the right people who are experts in the field ... Yes, ultimately the elected officials make the final decisions, but all the leg work and ground work is done by the professional staff. In Marin County, MCE has a staff of 60 but officials say that represents less than 3 percent of its budget. How big is too big? Another concern centers on the size of a proposed CCA in the City of San Diego about 1.3 million customers. Thats well over twice the size of the largest CCA operating in the state (East Bay Community Energy, based in Alameda County, with 550,000 customer accounts). If a City of San Diego CCA went belly up, critics worry ratepayers would be on the hook for financial liability. But Capretz said a recently formed CCA in Los Angeles County, the Clean Power Alliance, is going to be way bigger than us. The Clean Power Alliance expects to grow its current customer base of 36,000 to just under 1.04 million by the end of May 2019. By then, its CEO said from an energy load perspective, the L.A. County CCA would be the fifth-largest load serving entity in the state, trailing only Southern California Edison, PG&E, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and SDG&E. L.A. County is just starting implementation and like them, we would do the same thing, Capretz said. You do it in phases, you get your sea legs, set up best practices and move on. What about cities outside San Diego but still in the county? Since a City of San Diego CCA at least in its initial iteration would not include other cities and communities in the county, Haney Hong, CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, worries that cities like Imperial Beach or Chula Vista could be exposed to higher costs. SDG&E in recent years signed power purchase agreements with energy providers under long-term contracts for renewables. But the price of renewable energy is lower today. That means a CCA can procure green energy sources at a lower price. Thats good news for customers in a proposed City of San Diego CCA but Hong sees a potential problem for communities in the county not in the CCA. If things are not properly accounted, then you have one taxpayer benefiting over another, Hong said. I remind folks were the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. Were not just looking at San Diego city taxpayers; were also looking at National City taxpayers and Imperial Beach taxpayers. Capretz said such cost-shifting concerns can be addressed by properly accounting for the exit fees CCAs pay utilities each month. What exit fees? Among the acronyms thrown around, theres another inelegant set of initials to keep in mind PCIA, which stands for Power Charge Indifference Adjustment. Once a CCA is created, the states Public Utilities Commission requires the community choice customers pay an exit fee, the PCIA. Why? Because of those long-term power contracts utilities signed to secure energy for their customers. The utilities commission mandates that customers going to a CCA do not burden the remaining utility customers with costs paid to procure those energy purchases and investments. Power companies have also built infrastructure, such as natural gas and solar power plants, all with CPUC approval. The utilities procured many of the clean energy sources in order to meet the states aggressive climate goals via the Renewable Portfolio Standard. The exit fee is applied to each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed by the customer and it shows up as a separate charge on every monthly bill. The size of the fee is critical. Utilities want to make sure it compensates them for the generation they have procured while CCAs want to ensure the exit fee doesnt raise their customers bills too high. The utilities commission determines the fee, which involves a complicated formula. The exit fee is different in each of the service territories of the states three investor-owned utilities because each power company has a different mix of resources. In very general terms, the exit fee runs about 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for SDG&E residential rates. Last month, an administrative law judge for the CPUC proposed a new exit fee the utilities did not like. CPUC commissioner Carla Peterman responded with an alternate proposal that is more favorable to the remaining customers of power companies. As one would expect, the CCAs dont like Petermans proposal. The Clear The Air Coalition liked the alternate decision better but didnt like the fact that both proposals include caps from one year to the next, saying they would create uncertainty, risk and debt. The full five-members of the commission are scheduled to make a decision on a new exit fee on Sept. 13 but CPUC watchers say they would not be surprised if a vote is delayed, given the details and debate. If I were a community considering a CCA, I would want to know the resolution of the PCIA debate before committing to provide service to local residents, said Matthew Freedman, staff attorney at The Utility Reform Network . Are CCAs really cleaner? One of the raps on CCAs centers on what is called resource shuffling that the power being purchased from existing resources really doesnt result in more sources of clean energy but simply moves them around to appear to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this year, Voice of San Diego reported that Marin Countys MCE and another CCA in Sonoma purchased power from a utility in Washington state that operates two hydropower facilities, a clean source of power. But the Washington utility increased its own amount of coal and natural gas, indicating it may have replaced the hydropower it sold off to MCE and Sonoma with dirtier energy sources. Dawn Weisz, MCEs chief executive officer, said her company has no control over decisions a seller makes regarding its own power supply. Any load-serving entity, including SDG&E or PG&E, that buys green power to their load doesnt have control over what the seller chooses to do for their own procurement purposes. Another criticism? That CCAs are just purchasing power from existing sources and not creating new generation, or putting steel in the ground. CCAs push back on that and say as the community choice movement grows, so will the number of their energy projects. MCE, a community choice aggregator based in Marin County, partnered with sPower to build a 10.5-megawatt solar farm in Richmond. (Photo from MCE) Earlier this year, MCE unveiled a 60-acre, 10.5-megawatt solar farm in Richmond. We have under contract more than 900-megawatts of new California based renewables, Weisz said. We ventured into long-term power supply agreements for wind, solar, geothermal, biomass in California, and thats not resource shuffling. Thats building new power supply. Relatively few CCAs have entered into long-term supply commitments for substantial volumes of new clean energy infrastructure but community choice advocates say that will change as CCAs mature. What do regulators think? CCAs are part of a much larger change in the way customers in California receive their energy whether from community choice, rooftop solar panels or private groups called Direct Access providers who re-sell electricity. The changes are coming so fast it makes regulators nervous. CPUC president Michael Picker sees similarities to the bad old days of the California Energy Crisis in 2000 and 2001 when failed deregulatory measures resulted in rolling blackouts across the state. If we dont have a better plan than we currently have, then I worry we could end up in the same pickle, said Picker, who also voiced his concerns in an extensive CPUC report released last month on the evolving electricity market. If youre a smaller provider, you dont always get what you need. CPUC rules have been established making sure entities have purchased sufficient capacity, or resource adequacy. I find that not all CCAs are created equal, Picker said, with some better run than others. Im not trying to judge them; I just know that theres potential for failure there and we have to think that through and take steps. Some critics worry if there are big shifts in the market, CCAs in their development stages wont have amassed the capital needed to withstand a financial shock. CCAs have bristled at any comparisons to the energy crisis. The trade group representing community choice, CalCCA, challenged the CPUC report, saying in comments filed in June that safeguards are in effect to prevent a replay of what happened 18 years ago. The deregulated market was a free-for-all and this is completely different, Capretz said. Community choice programs are part of the long-term resource planning processes. They have to have resource adequacy. They have to prove that they have enough power for everybody Its not like the lights are going out. Going forward All eyes are on the upcoming decision by the CPUC on the exit fee/PCIA. San Diegos city council is not expected to make a decision until thats resolved. A feasibility study released last year predicted a CCA has the potential to deliver cheaper rates over time than SDG&Es current service, while providing as much as 50 percent renewable energy by 2023 and 80 percent by 2027. SDG&Es counter proposal to get to 100 percent renewables by 2035 has so far produced a rough outline for a tariff program that would charge ratepayers the cost of delivering more clean sources of energy over time. Some council members have expressed frustration more specifics have not been sketched out. Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski CITY COUNCILS CARLSBAD The Carlsbad City Council will meet in closed session to discuss litigation at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. In regular session at 6 p.m., the council will hear a report on the McClellan-Palomar Airport and discuss how the city can work with the county to address community concerns about the airport. DEL MAR Advertisement The League of Women Voters will host a City Council Candidate Forum at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Town Hall at the Del Mar Civic Center. The event will be sponsored by the Del Mar Foundation, and will be recorded and broadcast. The forum will give Del Mar residents and voters an opportunity to ask questions and get a better understanding of where the candidates stand. Find information about the November 2018 General Election at https://www.delmar.ca.us/658/November-2018-Election. ENCINITAS The Encinitas City Council has canceled its meeting scheduled for Wednesday. SAN MARCOS The San Marcos City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 1 Civic Center Drive, when it will consider the final map for the Rancho Coronado development. The project has two lots for attached condos with a maximum of 220 units at the southwest corner of South Twin Oaks Valley Road and South Village Drive. A closed session will follow to discuss litigation. SOLANA BEACH The Solana Beach City Council will meet in closed session to discuss litigation at 5 p.m. Tuesday in City Council Chambers, 635 S. Highway 101. In regular session at 6 p.m., the council will discuss proposed Fire Mitigation and Park Development impact fees. VISTA The Vista City Council will meet in closed session to discuss labor negotiations at 5 p.m. Tuesday in City Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Drive. In regular session at 5:30 p.m., the council will consider adding a Sheriffs deputy position rather than the two previously approved Code Enforcement positions; and hold a public hearing to consider changing the zoning and density for the MLC Vista Sycamore Condominiums project, 56 single-family detached condominiums on a 7.82-acre site at the southwest corner of Sycamore Avenue and Watson Way. The council will also discuss the California Values Act and its June 26 decision to file a letter of support for the federal lawsuit against the state of California. SCHOOL DISTRICTS BONSALL The Bonsall Unified School District board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Bonsall Community Center, 31505 Old River Road. CARDIFF The Cardiff School District board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Cardiff Elementary School auditorium, 1888 Montgomery Ave. CARLSBAD The Carlsbad Unified School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the district office, 6225 El Camino Real, and in regular session at 6 p.m. ENCINITAS The Encinitas Union School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the district board room, 101 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, and in regular session at 6 p.m. ESCONDIDO The Escondido Union School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session to discuss litigation, property negotiation and personnel at 6 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 2310 Aldergrove Ave. In regular session at 7 p.m., the board will hold a public hearing before discussing an energy savings contract with Cenergistic. The board will also consider naming the Central School kindergarten playground after longtime kindergarten teacher Connie Blackburn, who recently retired. The Escondido Union High School District board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the district office, 302 N. Midway Drive. FALLBROOK The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District board will meet in closed session to discuss personnel and litigation at 5:30 p.m. Monday in Room 106 of the district office, 321 N. Iowa St. In regular session at 6 p.m., the board will consider applying for the California Energy Commission School Bus Replacement Program, which provides grants to replace old diesel school buses with all-electric, zero-emission vehicles; and will consider adding several new positions, including four part-time special education program assistants. OCEANSIDE The Oceanside Unified School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the district office, 2111 Mission Ave., and in regular session at 6 p.m. POWAY The Poway Unified School District board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego. SAN DIEGUITO The San Dieguito Union High School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 6 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 710 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, and in regular session at 6:30 p.m. SAN PASQUAL The San Pasqual Union School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 5 p.m. and in regular session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Trussell Hall, 15305 Rockwood Road, Escondido. SOLANA BEACH The Solana Beach School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 309 N. Rios Ave., and in regular session at 6:30 p.m. VALLECITOS/RAINBOW The Vallecitos School District board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the district office, 5211 Fifth St., Rainbow. VALLEY CENTER The Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District board will meet in closed session to discuss personnel, litigation, labor negotiations and property negotiations at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Valley Center High School media center, 31322 Cole Grade Road. In regular session at 6 p.m., the board will hear various reports, including one on intruder response systems, presented by the Sheriffs Department, and on visitor monitoring systems, as well as on financial literacy programs and energy efficiency. VISTA The Vista Unified School District board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Morris Vance Community Room, 200 Civic Center Drive, and in open session at 6 p.m. laura.groch@sduniontribune.com Like the wife who returns from the dead in Noel Cowards Blithe Spirit, the 1941 British farce has been enjoying a lively revival over the past decade. Since 2009, the spirit-filled comedy has seen multiple productions and tours in both the U.K. and the United States, and locally it was produced in 2014 at at Vistas Avo Playhouse. Its back again this month in a crisp and well-directed production that opened Saturday at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. While the talky period comedy can be a long sit the production runs nearly three hours with intermission the story and characters still feel lively and fresh. Advertisement Thats thanks in large part to director Rosina Reynolds, a master of British farce who keeps Cowards witty, fast-paced repartee flying and has fielded a strong cast. Coward wrote the play in just six days during a beach escape from London after the Blitz during World War II. As Reynolds writes in her directors note in the program, Coward knew that writing a comedy about death during wartime would be tricky. So, he intentionally created characters who were so selfish, unlikable and unrelatable that nobody would miss them if they kicked off. Her funny, unsympathetic take on the characters is true to Cowards intention. Blithe Spirit is set in the country home of English novelist Charles Condomine, who has invited local clairvoyant Madame Arcati over for a seance with his second wife, Ruth, and friends Dr. George and Violet Bradman. Charles hopes to discover the mediums fakery for his next book, but is instead flabbergasted when she accidentally summons the ghost of his beautiful but difficult first wife Elvira (who only he can see or hear). Elvira tries to sabotage Charles marriage and cause his death so they can be together in the afterworld, but her plan backfires. The shows linchpin is J. Todd Adams, who makes an impressive North Coast Rep debut as Charles. Hes dry, debonair and articulate as the self-satisfied novelist, but hes also wildly physical and frantic as his life spins out of control. The showy role of Madame Arcati which won Angela Lansbury a Tony Award in 2009 is in capable hands here with North Coast Rep veteran Susan Denaker. Without going over the top, shes kooky and eccentric as she shakes, dances, sings and collapses into trances to summon the spirits. As the uptight Ruth, Joanna Strapp walks the razors edge, going from cool to shrill without ever losing her British class. Teagan Rose is luminous and mischievous as Elvira, who arrives with a gust of wind through the glass patio doors. Completing the cast are Gil Berry and Ava Burton as the Bradmans and Michelle Marie Trester as the Condomines maid, Edith. The show looks rich, thanks to Elisa Benzonis lush period costumes, Marty Burnetts elegant and special effects-laden set and Matt Novotnys subtle lighting. Aaron Rumley designed sound, Holly Gillard designed props and Peter Herman designed the excellent period wigs. Blithe Spirit kicks off North Coast Reps 37th season, which will include seven plays and musicals, including the West Coast premiere of two more plays with a British theme. Next up is Holmes and Watson, a new mystery thriller about the disappearance of Sherlock Holmes. Then in February comes English playwright Moira Buffinis 1997 drama set on a Nazi-occupied English Channel island during World War II. Blithe Spirit When: 7 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Sept. 30. Where: North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite D, Solana Beach. Tickets: $46-$53 Phone: (858) 481-1055 Online: northcoastrep.org pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com September 9, 1923 The San Diego Union The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year. Sunday, September 9, 1923 In 1923 seven ships of Destroyer Squadron Eleven were wrecked on the rocks at Point Honda, north of Santa Barbara. Twenty-three sailors died. The ships were on their way from San Francisco to their home port in San Diego. It was the worst peacetime loss of U.S. Navy ships. Here are the first few paragraphs of the story: 25 SAILORS DROWN Seven Destroyers Enroute To San Diego Are Wrecked BULLETIN (Associated Press) SANTA BARBARA, Sept. 9 Seven United States navy destroyers were wrecked late last night, off Arguella Light, 75 miles north of Santa Barbara. Twenty-five sailors lost their lives in the disaster and all destroyers involved were reported total losses. Dense fog was the cause of the disaster. The destroyers Chauncey, Woodbury, S.P. Lee, Nicholas, Young and Delphi were all beached within a few minutes of one another, according to naval officers. The flotilla of which the wrecked craft formed a part was in command of Capt. Edward Watson, commanding officer of the Delphy. The dead were all trapped in their bunks on the Young when that vessel struck and were drowned when the craft capsized within two minutes after she had struck. More than 500 men were rescued from the wrecked destroyers, which tonight were reported to be pounding to pieces on the rocks, all total losses. Of the survivors, 15 of the seriously injured were brought to the Santa Barbara county hospital here. One hundred others were cut and bruised in their swim to safety over the jagged rocks. Hit Rocks While Steaming at 20 Knots The destroyers were traveling in formation at 20 knots an hour in a heavy sea and dense fog when the leading vessel crashed. Carried ahead by a strong tide, the others piled on the beach in succession. Lying in line along the sore at intervals of 250 feet the boats tonight were slowly breaking up. One of them, the Chauncey, was resting high on the rocks. A partial list of the dead, as officially announced, follows: U.S. Skipper Joseph Slimak, Henry T. Kirk, Enrique Torres, Buchan, Harrison, Reddock, Salzer, Martin, Kirby, Gradey, Ben Shank, Taylor, Overshiner, Duncan, Ray H. Morris, John Young, C.F. Rogers and Conroy. The body of Conroy was the only one recovered up to 3 o'clock this afternoon, when all efforts to obtain the others had been fruitless. View anniversary front pages online at sandiegouniontribune.com/150-years. For more from the Union-Tribune digital archives, go to newslibrary.com/sites/sdub. Searching is free, with registration. A fee is required to view full stories. Gun shows at the Del Mar Fairgrounds could end after Dec. 31 under a proposal to be considered Tuesday by the board that runs the state-owned property. Safety must be the top priority at the public facility, said Steven Shewmaker, president of the nine-member 22nd District Agricultural Assn. board of directors, which oversees all activities at the fairgrounds. An incident Sunday sharpened the focus on safety at the seaside venue, when a disgruntled customer unable to get a ticket to a rap concert pulled out a handgun and began shooting. Deputies quickly returned fire, wounding the man before he hit anyone. It just reinforces the need for improved security, Shewmaker said Friday of the incident. Advertisement A dramatic increase in gun violence nationwide in recent years has brought new concerns about the event. The fairgrounds installed metal detectors at the shows entrances for the first time in July. More extensive precautions, including a possible ban on all firearms, will be considered at 10 a.m. Tuesday at a fair board meeting thats been moved from the usual headquarters on the fairgrounds to the nearby Surfside Race Place off-track betting facility to accommodate the expected crowd. Additional security also will be provided, Shewmaker said. This in effect is banning the gun show, said Michael Schwartz, executive director of the San Diego County Gun Owners organization and a leading advocate for the event, on Friday. We are completely and totally opposed. Shewmaker and one other director, Richard Valdez, are on the boards contracts oversight committee, which made the recommendation to the board. They are suggesting the shows cease until the district considers the feasibility of conducting gun shows for only educational and safety training purposes and bans the possession of guns and ammunition on state property. He and Valdez agreed on the recommendation before Sundays shooting at the fairgrounds, Shewmaker said. Crossroads of the West operates the gun shows at Del Mar and at numerous other large venues in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Crossroads owner Bob Templeton and his son, Jeff Templeton, both have felony convictions for federal firearms violations that prevent them from operating the shows. To avoid that, Bob Templeton has ceded control of the show to his daughter, Tracy Olcott, who has no record. The Del Mar fair board has asked the state Department of Justice to investigate the Templeton familys background and whether they are qualified to run the shows. So far, the department has not responded to questions about whether an investigation is underway. An attorney for Olcott, Tiffany D. Cheuvront, said in an Aug. 31 letter to fairgrounds Chief Executive Tim Fennell that efforts to end the gun show are discriminatory. There is a concerted effort being made to push Crossroads out of public venues because a well-organized interest group does not agree with the beliefs of the guests who attend gun shows, Cheuvront states. But these gun show opponents should not be allowed to deem lawful activity bad just because they dont agree with it. Any change in the Del Mar show, which has been held five weekends a year for almost 30 years, faces strident opposition from firearms enthusiasts. Hundreds of members of the San Diego County Gun Owners and the California Rifle and Pistol Assn. are expected to attend Tuesdays meeting and ask for the renewal of the Crossroads contracts. San Diego County Gun Owners has collected thousands of letters from county residents in support of the show. More than a dozen of those letters were submitted by various city council members, many of whom represent areas with high concentrations of firearms enthusiasts. Three city councils near the fairgrounds Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas have passed resolutions opposing the gun shows. The Santee City Council in East County on Wednesday became the first to go on record in support of the show. Diehl writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. phil.diehl@sduniontribune.com The massive Delta fire that forced the shutdown of a stretch of Interstate 5 in Northern California last week continues to grow, and the major north-south artery is expected to remain closed indefinitely, authorities said. As of Sunday morning, the fire had burned 40, 903 acres, increasing by an additional 4,000 acres overnight, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Shasta County Sheriffs Office has issued mandatory evacuations for residents along the Interstate 5 corridor north of Redding. Each day fires resurface along the interstate making it unsafe for vehicular travel which necessitates its continued closure, the agency said in a statement. Advertisement The northbound portion of the highway remains closed at Riverview Drive and the southbound lanes at Flume Creek Road. Only emergency vehicles, utility company staff repairing critical infrastructure, and timber land employees assisting with fire mitigation efforts are allowed through. More than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, according to Cal Fire officials. (Los Angeles Times) Two single-family residences have been destroyed by the fire, as well as two combination residential and commercial buildings, Capt. Brandon Vaccaro, a media spokesman for Cal Fire, said Saturday. Mandatory evacuations were issued in Shasta County and Trinity County, and evacuation warnings have been given to the community of Dunsmuir. Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol and other management organizations have been meeting daily to determine when it will be safe to open the freeway, Vaccaro said. Opening the freeway is our top priority, but it needs to be safe to do so, he said. The Delta fire started Sept. 5 about 1 pm. Investigators are still not certain what sparked it, but they say it was definitely human caused. From the very start, the fires behavior has been extreme. Motorists trapped on the freeway described towering flames up to 300 feet high. So far, there have been no fatalities. Weather conditions appeared to be more favorable to firefighters on Saturday than before, Vaccaro said. Daytime temperatures were lower and the humidity was a bit higher. Vaccaro said the humidity overnight was expected to be high enough to form dew. That could result in less extreme fire behavior and allow fire crews to make more headway, he said. 1 / 23 Wildfires burn Friday on the ridgeline east of I-5 just south of the Gibson Road exit near Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Hung T. Vu / AP) 2 / 23 Crews from Yocha Dehe Fire Department work Friday to put out a grass fire along I-5 at Earl Sholes Memorial Bridge near Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Hung T. Vu / AP) 3 / 23 Firefighter Tyler Benson throws a flare to start a back fire as the the Delta fire burns along Pollard Camp Road north of Redding. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 23 Firefighters monitor the Delta Fire along Interstate 5 north of Redding, Calif. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 23 Firefighters struggle to contain backfire in the Pollard Flat area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 6 / 23 Old vintage trucks burned from the Delta Fire along Salt Creek Road north of Redding, Calif. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 23 Interstate 5 is empty in Lamoine because of the Delta fire, which has burned more than 22,000 acres in Northern California. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 23 A statue remains at a home destroyed by the Delta fire in Lamoine. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 23 A burned bicycle is seen among the ruins of a smoldering home destroyed by the Delta fire in Lamoine. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 23 Embers fly above a firefighter as he hustles to control a backfire as the Delta fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 11 / 23 Flames from a backfire surround a fire truck in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest on Thursday. (Noah Berger / AP) 12 / 23 A firefighter passes a backfire Thursday in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / AP) 13 / 23 Crews monitor a backfire Thursday while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / AP) 14 / 23 A scorched VW Beetle rests in a clearing after the Delta Fire burned through the Lamoine community in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 15 / 23 A home leveled by the Delta Fire rests in a clearing in Pollard Flat area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / AP) 16 / 23 California Highway Patrol Capt. Mark Loveless examines a truck scorched by the Delta fire burning along Interstate 5 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 17 / 23 A crane lifts a truck scorched by the Delta fire on Interstate 5 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 18 / 23 A scorched truck rests on Interstate 5 as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 19 / 23 An abandoned smoldering truck rests along Interstate 5 after the Delta fire tore through the region and jumped the road in Delta. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 20 / 23 A firefighter sprays down a burned big rig that was abandoned along Interstate 5 as the Delta fire tore through the region. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 21 / 23 Firetrucks pass the Delta fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 22 / 23 Fire surrounds an intersection during the Delta fire. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) 23 / 23 Light from a train is seen as it rounds a bend near the Sacramento River as flames from the Delta fire fill a valley in Delta. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images) UPDATES: 10 a.m.: This article was updated with new information from Cal Fire. This article was originally post at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8 It was a moment Jamie Meach thought would never come. When a Cambodian court sentenced her husband, Meach Sovannara, to 20 years in a hellish prison following what human rights observers dismissed as a show trial in 2015, the Long Beach woman feared she had seen him for the last time. On Saturday, she was happily proved wrong. Sovannara, a Long Beach resident and Cambodian political activist, was nearly tackled by his wife and daughters when he appeared at Los Angeles International Airport, returning to the U.S. for the first time in years and marking the end of an international legal saga that many feared would end with his death in a prison cell on the other side of the world. Advertisement I never thought that he would be released, Jamie Meach said as more than a dozen friends and well-wishers surrounded the family and snapped pictures. A former teacher and journalist-turned-political activist, Sovannara was acting as a spokesman for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party when he was arrested for criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen during a speech in 2014. Although no evidence was presented at trial, Sovannara was sentenced to 20 years in Prey Sar prison, an infamous, overcrowded complex in the nations capital where many of those who oppose Hun Sens authoritarian rule have died. Sovannara suffered chronic migraines, high blood pressure, jaundice and diarrhea inside Prey Sar while also receiving poor medical care for a head injury he suffered in a car accident months before his conviction, his family has said. An appeal of his conviction had previously been denied, and with Hun Sens Cambodia Peoples Party continuing to amass power, Sovannaras release seemed unlikely. The Cambodia National Rescue Party, or CNRP, was dissolved by the government earlier this year and Hun Sens party won all 125 seats in the National Assembly during an election process that most observers have dismissed as rigged. But Sovannara was one of 14 CNRP members released from Prey Sar in late August. Experts believe Hun Sen freed Sovannara and the other prisoners in the hopes of gaining relief from financial sanctions imposed by nations that have been long critical of his autocratic government. Cambodia has been the target of U.S. sanctions for years. In recent months, the Trump administration stepped up sanctions and visa restrictions against Cambodian officials who undermine democracy, including Hun Sens chief bodyguard. As he appeared at Tom Bradley International Terminal in a dark suit, Sovannara let loose a wry smile while clasping his hands together and bowing toward supporters and loved ones. His muted reaction was met by shouts and cheers from his three daughters, who raced across the terminal to hug their father. Sovannaras oldest daughter, Samantha, hid her face from photographers as tears streamed down her cheeks. Nearby, someone waved a CNRP flag in the air. I feel very happy. I missed my family, my children. My friends, Sovannara said through an interpreter. Its been almost four years. Sovannara is surrounded by family upon his arrival at LAX on Saturday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Sovannara declined to discuss what, if any, conversations his legal team had with Cambodian officials about his release. He said he plans to continue speaking out against Hun Sens government. We will continue to fight for democracy, justice and fairness in my motherland, he said. Sovannara first gained notoriety for challenging the Cambodian government when he published stories through Radio Free Asia about the misuse of public funds in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jamie Meach told The Times during a 2016 interview. After Sovannara received death threats over a story in 2003, the family fled to Long Beach. They were granted asylum in 2004, and Sovannara holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Cambodia. As he stood at her side, Sovannara praised Jamie for protecting their daughters and encouraging him to continue fighting despite what it nearly cost their family. Shes been struggling to feed the family shes been fighting, he said. At the same time she continued to encourage me to fight for justice, freedom and democracy in Cambodia. She is my everything. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. With midterm elections approaching and Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter staring down fraudulent campaign spending charges, he and his attorney are attacking the criminal prosecution as being politically motivated. Their evidence: two federal prosecutors involved in some way or another in the case attended a Democratic fundraiser for then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2015. Its a defense that Hunters attorney raised before the Aug. 21 indictment, and will likely continue to play a role in the teams legal strategy as the case moves forward. But in the grand scheme of the case, is it a defense that will have any real impact? Advertisement Legal experts say the argument brings up an interesting side issue and at worst raises questions of an appearance of a conflict of interest but is unlikely to derail the case. Officially invited The Aug. 7, 2015, breakfast fundraiser, starting at $1,000 per person, was hosted at the La Jolla home of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs and his wife, Joan. Three prosecutors including Alana Robinson, who was a supervisor in the San Diego office at the time, and Emily Allen were present. The U.S. Attorneys Office said that they attended in an official capacity at the request of the U.S. Secret Service. Both prosecutors are registered Democrats, records show, however they did not make contributions at the fundraiser. The Secret Service explained further that it regularly makes such requests for attendance. The in-person representation provides for, and facilitates, real-time direct communications in the event of a protective security related incident where immediate prosecutorial guidance could be necessary, the agency said in a statement. Both women posed for photos with Clinton, a bonus that other attendees had to buy a $2,700 entrance ticket for. The Secret Service said such photo opportunities are often offered to local law enforcement personnel, including prosecutors, in limited numbers. It wasnt until about six months later, in April 2016, that it was first reported that the Federal Election Commission was looking at suspicious spending in Hunters campaign coffers. That included about $1,300 in video games and $1,650 in private school tuition. Hunter said the expenses were mistakes and vowed to pay them back. By this time, Hunter was helping campaign on behalf of President Donald Trump, after being the first sitting congressman to endorse him. After Trump won the election in November 2016, San Diegos Democratic U.S. Attorney, Laura Duffy, stepped down and Robinson, the second in charge at the office, took over as acting U.S. attorney. Robinson was in that role when she authorized the first batch of search warrants in the FBIs investigation of Hunter in February 2017. Robinson was later replaced by cartel prosecutor Adam Braverman, a pick of the Trump administration, and does not appear to have had any other involvement in the Hunter case. However, Allen is one of three prosecutors now on the case. The other two are Mark Conover and Phillip Halpern, the veteran litigator who is spearheading the case. A review of Halperns biggest cases shows offenders on both sides of the political aisle. Halpern helped prosecute Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, a Mexican tycoon who contributed foreign dollars to San Diego political campaigns of both parties; former Democrat Mayor Maureen OConnor for money laundering; and Republican Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham for bribery. Hunters defense attorney, Greg Vega who happens to be a former U.S. attorney in San Diego appointed by President Bill Clinton argued in a letter to the Department of Justice that Robinson and Allen should be recused: Even if there are benign explanations, it is only logical to conclude that they attended primarily because they wanted to be at an intimate event with candidate Clinton, show their support for her candidacy and have an opportunity to meet her, stated Vega. Their subsequent conduct calls into question the impartiality of the investigation of Congressman Hunter and at a minimum creates the appearance of a conflict of interest, he said. The DOJ has rejected Vegas claims. But the argument continues to live on. If Alana hadnt become acting U.S. attorney for some period of time during which the Hunter investigation was in progress, it would be a non-issue, said Pete Nunez, a former Republican-appointed U.S. attorney in San Diego who works in immigration policy. That gives the defense the arrow theyre trying to shoot. Were taught as lawyers and prosecutors you have to avoid the appearance of impropriety, avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Nunez added. The government handed the defense an issue that is unnecessary. But they did it and now theyre stuck with it. Common defense But will such an argument go anywhere? Legal experts say probably not. That doesnt mean Hunters legal team wont try. Hunter and his wife, Margaret, are accused in a 60-count indictment of spending $250,000 in campaign funds on personal items. Many of the expenditures occurred after the couple had overdrawn their personal bank account, authorities said. The couple has pleaded not guilty. Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, pointed to a oft-repeated legal quote attributed to writer Carl Sandburg: When the facts are against you, argue the law. When the law is against you argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell. I think when it comes to political corruption cases, Levinson said, when you dont have either, argue political motivation. This becomes the thing we say when it comes to political corruption indictments now. Under the Hatch Act, a set of guidelines that controls how federal employees can engage in politics, prosecutors are prohibited from publicly endorsing candidates and organizing political events. But as private citizens, they can vote, contribute to campaigns and attend fundraisers. Unless theres a viable claim of prosecutorial misconduct, that they really engaged in partisan political activity on the job, then I dont think a good argument can be made, said Richard Painter, who served as associate legal counsel in the George W. Bush White House. He said prosecutors have political leanings the same as anyone else. Some voted for Trump, some voted for Clinton, said Painter, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. You cant say that someone who voted for Trump or Clinton is somewhat prejudiced. A congressman can only be prosecuted by a pro-Trump prosecutor? While the Clinton fundraiser might be argued in a pre-trial motion, it is less likely to appear in front of a jury should the case make it to trial, legal experts say. They will use any means available to try to convince a jury this was all political, said Nunez. Its not clear to me how far a judge will let them go in that regard. One issue the defense could raise more easily, without having to call government witnesses, Nunez said, is the timing of the indictment, three months before midterm elections. Transparency needed If the fundraiser is the subject of a pre-trial motion, it would force the government to disclose more details about its practice of inviting prosecutors to Secret Service protection details. Besides brief statements, the Secret Service and U.S. Attorneys Office have declined to provide further information, including examples of other such events prosecutors have attended and whether a written policy exists. Legal experts say the theory behind wanting in-person advice from a prosecutor seems legitimate not only for a potential act of violence or gate-crasher, but for the numerous First Amendment issues that can arise. Painter said he remembers litigation surrounding protesters during the Bush years, usually involving appearances by Vice President Dick Cheney. They thought they could get away with more with Cheney, Painter said. Thered be an altercation and someone would sue the Secret Service. So I could see the need for having somebody there to give some advice. During one campaign season, confetti bombs were a popular choice among protesters. But Painter and other experts said it would help future disputes if there were clear guidelines and procedures in place, and they were made public. It would also help to have prosecutors randomly assigned and perhaps have members of the public corruption unit sit out, experts said. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis U.S. News & World Report will tell you that its annual rankings of the nations colleges and universities are extraordinarily insightful. Aubrey Odom isnt so sure. The San Marcos native was perplexed when she noticed that Brigham Young University, her preferred school, was ranked 61st among national universities. What does that even mean?, Odom recalls thinking when she chose BYU three years ago. U.S. News isnt clear about what it thinks is great about a university, and what isnt. Advertisement Such criticism runs broad and deep, and it doesnt just involve U.S. News, which will release its highly influential annual rankings on Monday. Education experts say prospective students are exposed to a large and growing number of rankings and guides that are as confusing and questionable as they are useful. They believe some of the data is biased, subjective, unverifiable, irrelevant, subject to manipulation and, in some cases, fraudulent. In July, a dean at Temple University was fired for falsifying data given to U.S. News. Theres special concern about the accuracy of the assessments that U.S. News asks college presidents, deans and others to make about peer schools. Most raters in the U.S. News exercise are operating on 20- to 30-year-old assumptions and experiences they had and are therefore biased and outdated, said Ralph Kuncl, president of the University of Redlands. Thus, the subjective reputation measure is a sham collection of half-remembered experiences. Analysts also say the rankings and reviews produced by companies like U.S. News, Princeton Review and the Wall Street Journal cultivate the mistaken belief that a student is doomed if they dont get into an elite school. You can start at San Diego State and end up at Harvard Medical School, says Brian Kim, a college admissions counselor based in Glendale. What matters is how motivated the student is. Companies tweak their rankings, hoping to make them more useful. The ratings U.S. News will release Monday more strongly emphasize social mobility. But analysts say most rankings still do a poor job of addressing a fundamental question: How good is the teaching at each school? UC San Diego and SDSU say theyre unable to quantify how positive rankings affect their ability to attract top students, private donations and partnerships with industry. But both schools promote rankings they like, and sometimes downplay or ignore ones they dont. SDSU recently issued a news release saying that the Princeton Review had made note of the universitys impressive graduation rate in its new guide, The Best 384 Colleges. The release referred to a six-year graduation rate. SDSUs four-year rate (36 percent), which appeared in the same review, is regarded as very poor. The university also didnt mention that it wrote part of the review. The report was followed on Thursday by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education rankings, which placed SDSU in 324th place. Thats fine. Were in good, solid company on this list, said Sandra Cook, SDSUs associate vice president for academic affairs, But theres concern that the rankings are having a corrosive affect on schools, said Gordon Shackelford, a retired SDSU physics lecturer who represents emeritus faculty in the Academic Senate. Its pretty much been a guaranteed thing at Senate meetings that the provost will say how were doing in the rankings, even obscure ones. Management lives by it, Shackelford said. The pursuit of higher ranking numbers from US News has, to some extent, become the de facto provost at universities. A BETTER APPROACH The rankings cause so much stress and confusion the Union-Tribune spoke to 30 educators, parents and students about the best ways to cope with the daunting task of choosing a college. There was broad agreement on one thing: Students should begin their search by thinking about what kind of college they want to attend, and what they can afford. Do they prefer a school thats small (fewer than 2,000 students), medium (up to 15,000) or large (more than 15,000)? Do they want to go to a public institution like SDSU or a private school like the University of San Diego (USD)? Are they looking for a research school like UC San Diego or a liberal arts college like Point Loma Nazarene University? Or a hybrid, like SDSU? Should the campus be located in a busy college town like Berkeley or Boston? Or should it be some place quiet, like Claremont, home to five small liberal arts schools? Should the school be close to home or a significant distance away? Can the student meet tough admission standards? What majors do they find interesting? What is all of this likely to cost? And how much financial aid is available? For many families, those last two questions are the toughest. With the exception of community colleges, higher education isnt cheap. The average net price of attending USD for four years is $135,284. At UC San Diego, its $59,100. At Cal State San Marcos, its $37,804. The figures represent the net price that federal financial aid recipients would pay after school, state or federal aid is factored in, according to the US Department of Education. Affordability can be a confusing subject. US News, Money magazine and the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education each produced rankings based on the theme best bang for your buck. And they each came up with different results. Admissions counselors say its essential that students understand what theyre getting into, even if they attend a comparatively affordable school like UC San Diego. The typical student loan debt for people who earn a bachelors degree there is $18,500 roughly the cost of a new Toyota Corolla. The borrowers typical monthly loan payment is $191, which means it would take at least eight years to retire the debt, says the federal government. HOW RANKINGS WORK More than 24,000 people have taken campus tours at SDSU since last September. Such trips can be invaluable in choosing a school. But they dont guarantee that a student will select a particular campus. Despite what they see on their visits and what they know about their prospects, many of my students and parents create new lists of their college preferences to correlate with the rankings in U.S. News, said Joan Jacobs, an independent college counselor in Del Mar. Many parents are so determined to get their kids into elite schools they hire independent admission counselors. The average cost: $4,000. About 250,000 people a day visit U.S. News ranking and education advice website. Despite such traffic, the rankings arent well understood. Educators say many students believe that U.S. News sends people to campuses to conduct a review. It doesnt. U.S. News says it gathers up to 15 types of data from schools, and it surveys college presidents, provosts, admissions deans and high school counselors. It also uses data from the government, and education groups. The data are assigned a certain value, then used to separately rank national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges. In the most recent rankings, UC San Diego tied for 42nd among national universities. SDSU tied for 140th place. The magazine calls its rankings a starting point for the college search. Others see flaws. Rich kids go to great schools, which, in turn, are ranked higher, said David Morris, a San Diego native who teaches English at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Poor kids go to big commuter schools which arent ranked as high and dont get research funding (or) big donor support because they arent viewed as a good investment for angel donors like (San Diegos) Jacobs family. Thats not universally true. SDSU raised $800 million during a capital campaign and it obtained $135 million in research funding last year. But Morris general view is shared by many. Theres a sense that a lot of schools, including the one Im attending, are high on the list because they are old money and have their endowment coffers filled, said Nishanth Krishnam, a Torrey Pines High School graduate now studying at Yale. Washington Monthly created rankings that it says represents our answer to U.S. News and World Report, which relies on crude and easily manipulated measures of wealth, exclusivity, and prestige to evaluate schools. The rankings focus how well a school does in recruiting and graduating low-income students, research, and encouraging students to serve others. In its latest review, the company ranks UC San Diego 7th and UCLA 9th. But like all rankings, there are drawbacks. The ratings have a political tone; the introduction contains sharp criticism of President Trumps education policies. And Washington Monthly uses an 8-year graduation rate. Most students want to graduate in half that time. THE FINE PRINT Analysts say prospective students should read everything with a critical eye. A lot of data isnt as relevant, timely or comprehensive as it might appear. Theres particular concern about estimating how much money a person is likely to be earning 10 years after they graduate. Such data appears in many rankings, including the one Money released in August. It ranked UC San Diego second nationally. The forecasts may not accurately predict the future. Many jobs are being wiped out by advances in technology, software, and social media. Over the past decade, the number of people working in newspaper newsrooms has dropped by roughly half. No one can predict for 22-year-old graduates what the new jobs will be in the economy when they turn 42, Kuncl said. Students also will find a lot of contradictions, oversights and advertising. Princeton Review which is not associated with Princeton University calls its guide The Best 384 Colleges. But the guides introduction says that it left out some academically outstanding schools because they wouldnt let the company survey their students. This years guide omits such large, respected universities as Cal State Long Beach and San Jose State. Bob Graeff of Escondido managed to navigate his way through the confusion and guide his two children into a good college. He read U.S. News, which he says offers well-organized information about such things as graduation rates and faculty resources. He ignored what he sees as a bias toward research universities. Then he took his family on a tour of more than a dozen schools, from Boston to Palo Alto. At higher-ranked schools, We were often faced with overcrowded and poorly designed visits, the stark reality of forcing three students into dorms designed for two, stories of lecture halls with 200+ students in class, and a focus on highly stressful academic performance with less mention of university focus on character development. Our particular family craved a different experience. They found it in Waco, Texas, the home of Baylor University, one of the countrys oldest faith-based schools. U.S. News calls it the 75th best national university in the country. Princeton Review uses a phrase more likely to appeal to Graeff: From the faculty and staff to each individual student, it seems like everyone just wants everyone to be the best possible version of themselves. Waving signs and chanting, about 2,000 people protested in downtown San Diego Saturday as part of an international call for government leaders to combat climate change more aggressively. This is the most urgent crisis of our time, and it affects all of us, said the Rev. Jeanette Bragunier, a United Methodist minister. We dont want it to get any worse. The Rise for Climate event here was organized by SanDiego350 and more than a dozen partners and held in conjunction with almost 1,000 similar rallies in cities around the world, including one in Oceanside, where about 150 people gathered at the pier. More than 18,000 people marched in Paris and more than 30,000 took to the streets in San Francisco. Advertisement Event organizers said they hope to catch the attention of hundreds of policymakers and business leaders who will be gathering in the Bay Area in a few days for a Global Climate Action Summit convened by Gov. Jerry Brown. We do not like what is happening and our voices need to be heard, said Stan Rodriquez, a tribal leader of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel. Offering blessings in Kumeyaay and English, Rodriguez opened the rally in San Diego, which was held in the Civic Center Plaza and featured music by the St. James Academy Youth Choir and talks by elected officials, faith leaders and educators. After the rally, the crowd marched along downtown streets closed to traffic by a police escort to South Embarcadero Park on the waterfront. They chanted Hey hey, ho ho, fossil fuels have got to go. Bystanders took pictures and videos with their cellphones as the lines of people, stretching almost two blocks, swept past. It was a racially mixed group, young, old and in-between, all united, as many of them said, by a single mother Earth. James Long, 54, of El Cajon carried a tall papier-mache puppet depicting the planet as a garland-wearing woman with tears streaming down her face. Im very concerned about keeping the Earth healthy for future generations, he said. 1 / 18 10-year-old Huxley Smith of La Jolla, center, and his dad, Michael Smith, right, along with others carry a protest banner along the route from San Diego Civic Center Plaza to Embarcadero Marina Park South during the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march organized by San Diego 350. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 2 / 18 Steve Keeley of Clairemont was one of the couple of thousand people who participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at San Diego Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 18 A prayer and meditation vigil sponsored by the Interfaith Coalition for the Earth Justice was held before the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South began. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 18 Moira Fitzpatrick of La Jolla, along with others, participate in a prayer and meditation vigil sponsored by the Interfaith Coalition for the Earth Justice that was held before the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South began. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 11 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 12 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future.. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 13 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 14 / 18 Rebecca Kay of Ocean Beach was one of the couple of thousand people who participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 15 / 18 Roger Davenport of Oceanside was one of the couple of thousand people who participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 16 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 17 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 18 / 18 About a couple of thousand people participated in the San Diego Rise for Climate rally and march that started at Civic Center Plaza and ended at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Organized by San Diego 350, it was one of hundreds of marches around the world to call attention to climate change, climate justice and a fossil free future. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) Others carried signs that read: We trashed it we must fix it; Do the math: 1 planet, 1 people, 1 last chance; We Dont Have Time for Denial; and There is No Planet B. Many of the rally speakers and marchers were critical of President Donald Trump, who has characterized global warming as a hoax. One of the signs had a picture of him below the wording, Science is not a hoax. You are. His administration has been pulling away from regulations and international pacts aimed at curbing climate change because of doubts about the long-term harm as well as concerns that the restrictions will kill jobs and hurt the economy. In her remarks Saturday, Lynne Talley, a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said the federal government is on the wrong side of this and pointed to the ongoing impact of heat-trapping greenhouse gases on the environment. The record warm ocean temperatures along San Diegos coastline this summer are not an accident, she said. Drought is not an accident. The wildfires are not an accident. Glaciers melting are not an accident. Several speakers urged people to push for passage of community choice electricity in San Diego, arguing that it will give customers more say in the development of alternative energy sources. They also called for putting pressure on Brown to sign recently passed Senate Bill 100, which requires the state to get 100 percent of its energy from wind, solar and other clean sources by 2045. Browns three-day Global Climate Action Summit, starting Wednesday in San Francisco, is aimed at showcasing steps various governments and businesses have taken so far, while encouraging them to do more. john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com The U.S. East Coast could be hit with a powerful hurricane next week as Tropical Storm Florence continues to strengthen as it moves toward the mainland, forecasters said Saturday. Florence is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday, the National Hurricane Center said, adding that a rapid intensification is forecast to begin Sunday. The storm is forecast to become a major hurricane Monday, travel between Bermuda and the Bahamas on Tuesday and Wednesday before approaching the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday, the Miami-based weather center said. Officials in the Carolinas warned residents to prepare and to brace for impact. Advertisement Governors in both South Carolina and Virginia declared a state of emergency Saturday to give their states time to prepare for the possible arrival of the storm. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster emphasized that theres no way to know yet when and where the storm will hit land, or when evacuations might be called. On Friday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency and urged residents to use the weekend to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster. We are entering the peak of hurricane season and we know well the unpredictability and power of these storms, Cooper said. The U.S. Navy is making preparations this weekend for its ships in the Hampton Roads area to leave port. The U.S. Fleet Forces Command said in a news release Saturday that the ships will get ready in anticipation of getting under way Monday to avoid storm damage. Adm. Christopher Grady said in a statement that the decision was based on Florences current track, which indicates the area could see strong sustained winds and storm surges. The news release notes that plans could change if forecasts indicate a decrease in the strength or change in the track of the storm. Swells generated by Florence are affecting Bermuda and starting to reach parts of the Eastern Seaboard, the National Weather Service said. At 11 p.m. EDT, the hurricane center said Florences maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 70 mph. The storm was centered about 790 miles southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 6 mph. For any Chicago politician, becoming mayor represents a lofty and rare opportunity, but the complexities of governing the nations third largest city and tending to its many nagging problems can quickly ground the victor in a grim reality. Rahm Emanuels stunning decision Tuesday not to seek a third term as mayor underscored the grueling job that lies ahead for the next person who occupies the suite of offices on City Halls fifth floor. Even Emanuel a hard-charging veteran who is no stranger to playing the role of political bully to force through his agenda realized that for him, holding the job for four more years wasnt worth another fight. I made a number of phone calls to tell people my decision, and everyone was surprised. Nobody ever thought the person who lives, breathes, eats, sleeps politics would ever have the courage to push the table away and say, Im done, Emanuel said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune hours after he made public his decision to step aside. It was baked into the cake, and Im taking the baking powder, baking soda, the flour and the eggs away. Only those of us who sit in these chairs especially the chief executive one only they can fully appreciate the sacrifices. Now, a crop of well-known local players sees an opportunity to seize the moment and join the field for a Feb. 26 election, including Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, state Comptroller Susana Mendoza, former U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley and Democratic U.S. Reps. Luis V. Gutierrez and Mike Quigley. Those potential candidates and others have been furiously dialing big-dollar donors, labor bosses and community leaders in the days since Emanuels departure from a race that already included a dozen other challengers. Advertisement Who ultimately gets to go through the political wringer at City Hall next is up to voters, but for all the hopefuls, there are warnings to heed. The job of mayor has a mythic standing in our politics, and very rarely does the office come open, so its hard when the grail is dangling not to reach for it, said veteran political strategist and Emanuel friend David Axelrod, who also served as a senior advisor to former President Obama. But, he said, being Chicagos mayor is a relentless and monstrously complex job. You have to have the mastery of a lot of different issues, but you also have to have the ability to deal with lots of different people and constituencies. Im sure everyone whos thinking about it has the confidence that they can handle it, but it behooves them to think through really what the demands of the job are. On the horizon for Chicagos next mayor: a rampant violent crime problem that shows little sign of relenting, a police department that will be forced into reforms by a federal judge, more than $700 million in increased pension payments that could warrant substantial tax increases, South Side and West Side neighborhoods that continue to experience population loss and a shortage of economic opportunities, and a declining citywide student population that could lead to more school closings and consolidations. Also on the to-do list is trying to bridge the citys long-standing racial divides at a time when theyve been inflamed by the ongoing murder trial of white Officer Jason Van Dyke for the 2014 police shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald. Add to that a job thats highly visible with around-the-clock demands even in good times, and the next mayor is staring at perhaps the most difficult four-year mayoral term weve seen in recent history, said Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly. The next mayor is going to be the first person to receive phone calls about overnight shootings, homicides, a nearly daily occurrence. Never mind all the other issues, like the pension obligations that have to be met in a very aggressive fashion, and there are no easy solutions there, Reilly said. Whomever wins this office will probably enjoy that victory for all of 12 hours before they have to get knee-deep in it and do some really hard work. Having a towering persona, an influence to command the national political stage and a stamina that matches the strength and grit of Chicagos working class long have been key attributes to winning and keeping the job of mayor. Its a really, really hard job, and theres a reason why the people who are most successful at it tend to be larger-than-life figures, Axelrod said, before invoking Carl Sandburgs epic poem Chicago. You have to have very, very big shoulders to be the mayor of the city with big shoulders. Just take a look at the past when Chicagos mayors often were mentioned on the citys streets by a single name. There was Hizzoner, Janey, Harold, Richie and then Rahm. Mayor Richard J. Daley was the personification of that style of a city leader, running a vaunted political machine based on patronage that forced aspiring politicians to view him as a gatekeeper to careers from governor and senator all the way to president. Jane Byrne brought an outspoken show-business style in her role as the citys first female mayor, unafraid to attack a male-dominated ruling class in the city government of the late 1970s and early 1980s. After enjoying a more sedate schedule in Congress, an effervescent Harold Washington threw himself into being mayor in the 1980s and learned to embrace its high profile along with its symbolic working-for-the-everyman ethic, particularly in the black community. Richard M. Daley brought his iconic family surname back to City Hall, replacing his fathers hard edges with a willingness to build citywide coalitions that made him Chicagos longest serving mayor. And then came Emanuel, a former congressional leader and veteran tactician for two presidents who arrived with a national pedigree that he tapped often to keep Chicago at the center of the national political discourse, particularly in the era of President Trump. Perhaps unique among political posts in Illinois, the job of Chicago mayor is one of constant scrutiny, visibility, criticism and demands. It may be viewed as a political prize, but its far from a plum job. Alderman Ricardo Munoz, who has served 25 years on the City Council, said few in Chicago know or have what it actually takes to be mayor. Its a really tough job, Munoz said. No. 1, its thankless and you have to have really thick skin; and No. 2, youre expected to solve everyones problems. In addition to the huge albatrosses of crime, schools, neighborhood development and city finances, Munoz said the next mayor can expect to hear complaints from all corners and on all issues, from rats to rezoning. Whether its negotiating with Fortune 500 CEOs or getting the latest weekend homicide reports, Munoz said, there is one characteristic every Chicago mayor should have. To be the moral leaders of a city this size with these types of problems, you got to be stoic about it physically, mentally and emotionally, he said. Your every move is going to be watched. South Side Alderman Roderick Sawyer knows what it takes to be mayor his father had the job. Eugene Sawyer was mayor for 16 months in the late 1980s following Washingtons death. When his dad took office, Sawyer was 24 years old and in law school. Up until that time, he and his father were very close, and he spent many hours along his side at City Hall while the elder Sawyer was alderman. His father became mayor after a bitter City Council feud that saw a bloc of majority white aldermen vote him into the position over then-Alderman Timothy Evans, Washingtons protege. He was my best friend. We were together all the time. When people saw him, they saw me, Sawyer said of his father. Once he became mayor, I hardly saw him. It was few and far between, and that was stressful, because we were very tight. My dad loved the position, hated the circumstances that got him there, and he was distraught about it. The noise around it, the names he was called, the things he was accused of being that he was not. It was extremely stressful on all of us. With Emanuel out, the field of mayoral candidates for the February election stands at a dozen. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote a strong likelihood then the top two vote-getters will square off in an April 2 runoff. The main candidates who have declared so far: former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, former Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Paul Vallas, former Police Board President Lori Lightfoot, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, millionaire businessman Willie Wilson, Chicago Principals and Administrators Assn. President Troy LaRaviere, activist JaMal Green, tech entrepreneur Neal Sales-Griffin, attorney Jerry Joyce, policy consultant Amara Enyia, attorney John Kozlar and DePaul student Matthew Roney. A number of politicos are weighing whether to jump into the field, but the biggest names remain Preckwinkle, Mendoza, Gutierrez, Quigley and Bill Daley, the 70-year-old brother and son of two former mayors. Ruthhart and Pearson are Chicago Tribune correspondents. The East Coast could be hit with a powerful hurricane next week as Tropical Storm Florence continues to strengthen as it moves toward the mainland, forecasters said Saturday. Florence is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday, the National Hurricane Center said, adding that a significant phase of intensification is expected late Saturday. The Miami-based weather center said that although the storm could intensify to a Category 4 hurricane by midweek, its path was still unclear. Florence is forecast to be a dangerous major hurricane near the southeast U.S. coast by late next week, and the risk of direct impacts continues to increase, the hurricane center said Saturday. Advertisement Officials in the Carolinas warned residents to prepare and to brace for impact. Governors in both South Carolina and Virginia declared a state of emergency Saturday to give their states time to prepare for the possible arrival of the storm. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster emphasized that theres no way to know yet when and where the storm will hit land, or when evacuations might be called. On Friday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency and urged residents to use the weekend to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster. We are entering the peak of hurricane season, and we know well the unpredictability and power of these storms, Cooper said. The U.S. Navy is making preparations this weekend for its ships in the Hampton Roads area to leave port. The U.S. Fleet Forces Command said in a news release Saturday that the ships will get ready in anticipation of getting under way Monday to avoid storm damage. Adm. Christopher Grady said in a statement that the decision was based on Florences current track, which indicates the area could see strong sustained winds and storm surges. The news release notes that plans could change if forecasts indicate a decrease in the strength or change in the track of the storm. Swells generated by Florence are affecting Bermuda and could cause dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding Saturday in areas including coastal Delaware and New Jersey, the National Weather Service said. The hurricane center said Florences maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 70 mph. The storm was centered about 810 miles southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 5 mph. The family of an Australian Instagram model who died after being found tangled in rope on a billionaires yacht is calling for a deeper probe into her death, thanks to a series of strange circumstances. Sinead McNamara, 20, died last month en route to the hospital after she was found on Mexican mining mogul Alberto Bailleres yacht off the Greek island of Kefalonia. Local reports out of Greece have continued to claim that investigating authorities have found no evidence of foul play after reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing all 23 crew members and that all signs point to suicide. But McNamaras family believes investigators need to dig deeper, as they may be ignoring key details if they assume she committed suicide. Advertisement The Sydney Morning Herald reports that McNamaras family believes the yacht, currently in the main port in Ibiza, Spain, was allowed to leave Kefalonia before a proper investigation was completed. The family has also pointed to strange aspects surrounding her death, like a phone call McNamara made to her mother and brother 48 hours before she died. In the call, she allegedly cried to her family members as she recalled an incident on board involving another crew member, the familys lawyer told the outlet. McNamaras death is under investigation by Greek chief coroner Elias Boyokas. He told CNN he is waiting on autopsy results to determine an official cause of death, but did find rope marks on her neck. McNamara had more than 16,000 followers on Instagram and frequently shared photos of her sun-soaked vacations. She had recently spent time in Bali, Alaska and the Australian Whitsunday Islands before heading to Greece in mid-June. An alleged serial Dine-and-Dash Dater may be eating quite a few meals behind bars. Additional charges were filed Friday against suspected culinary con man Paul Gonzales, who faces more than 16 years in jail. Gonzales, 45, was hit with four more felony counts of extortion, the Los Angeles County DAs office announced. He is now facing 11 felony counts of extortion and two counts of attempted extortion. Prosecutors say during a two-year period he dined with a series of women and then bolted without paying the bill. He met the women on various dating apps, according to the DAs office. Advertisement We just chatted back and forth. He was charming, a victim who identified herself as Jane told CNN. He said, Why not meet somewhere? She said that Gonzales ordered the most expensive item on the restaurants menu. He went to make a phone call, she said, and he never came back. He left after most of his food was gone, she told CNN. Ive never seen anybody eat so fast. She said she had to write a check for $218 for the Pasadena restaurant. It was humiliating, she told CNN. I was frustrated. It just left me in a bad place. Marjorie Moon told the Washington Post that Gonzales ordered two main courses, expensive wine and a souffle for dessert at a Los Angeles restaurant before he split. I couldnt believe it, Moon told newspaper. I just handed [the waiter] my credit card and said, I just want to go home $250 later, I was out the door. Gonzales is also accused of not paying for services at a hair salon. He is facing more than 16 years in jail if convicted. The father of a man injured when a trash truck was struck by a train full of Republican pols has filed a $10 million lawsuit. The suit alleges the crossing signal had not been properly maintained at the time of the fatal collision, which took place on Jan 31 in Virginia. Christopher Foley was killed and Dennis Eddy, another passenger in the truck, suffered serious injuries. Dana Naylor, the driver of the truck, was indicted for involuntary manslaughter and being under the influence. Eddys father names CSX Transportation, which owns the track, and Buckingham Branch Railroad, which operates it, in the lawsuit filed Friday. Advertisement Witnesses said the truck entered the crossing in Crozet, near Charlottesville, after the safety gates had come down. People who live nearby have said the gates were known to malfunction. Despite the long history of crossing signal malfunctions, neither BB nor CSX took the necessary steps to remedy or protect the Lanetown Crossing, read the lawsuit obtained by NBC 29. The lawsuit alleges that the crossing gate came down either on top of the trucks refuse body or behind the body. The defendants ignored the unsafe signal system for two years, according to the lawsuit, which resulted in numerous activation failures, false activations and partial activations at the crossing. The chartered train that collided with the truck was carrying dozens of GOP lawmakers to a Repuplican policy retreat in West Virginia. With News Wire Services A woman and her young daughter reportedly drowned when their vehicle became submerged in a creek during flash flooding in Fort Worth. Police were called to investigate a car that had been swept into high water and they found the woman and a toddler inside the car, KXAS-TV reported. The Fort Worth Fire Department had issued a tweet warning of dangerous flash floods over the weekend. There are currently flooding conditions across the city, avoid high water areas. Turn around dont drown!! the tweet read. Advertisement The fire department encountered the submerged vehicle near Loop 820 South and Wilbarger Street. Another person died in a separate incident after their vehicle became submerged in a body of water, MedStar EMS confirmed. Various agencies urged drivers to steer clear of high water areas. Sadly, it appears we may have a death related to the flooding in our area Please be careful out there and #TurnAroundDontDrown, MedStar EMS tweeted. John Hopkins lowered the curtain on his wasted life on March 11, 2000, in his cell at Great Meadow state prison east of Lake George. He used a razor to carve deep gashes in the back of his legs, mining for a branch of his femoral artery, then slashed both wrists. He was chalk-faced and drained of life by the time officers found him. At age 46, Hopkins had been locked up 21 years for sex murders. Perhaps suicide was an act of contrition. More likely, he did the math. His earliest parole date, 38 years distant, would have been an 85th birthday present. Advertisement Hopkins was a scourge of the Mohawk Valley in the 1970s. He was born in 1953 in Johnstown, where his father was a grease monkey. He was a skinny redhead with big, lopsided ears. He dreamed of joining the state police, but early-arriving psychopathy scotched that idea. Friends said he cruised the Thruway in his Chevy Nova, wearing a felt cowboy hat and military coat, trying to pass as a trooper. He also had a thing for knives, and kin told authorities years later that his father once melted down one of Hopkins favorite blades because his son had done something bad with it. Hopkins had many bad things notched in his knife sheath by the time comeuppance arrived. A 15-year-old girl was abducted at knifepoint on Aug. 15, 1979, from a road in Northville. She was spirited 20 miles to a house in Johnstown, where she was bound between two attic posts and raped. The following day, the attacker drove the victim into the woods in nearby Palatine, intending to kill her. He stuffed a sponge in her mouth to muffle screams, knocked her in the head and stabbed her in the back. But he attracted the attention of Patrick Boucher, a logger who was in the woods marking trees for harvest. The attacker scrammed, the victim survived and led police to her would-be killer: Hopkins. In a midnight confession at the Loudonville state police barracks, Hopkins owned up to the attack on the teen and a series of rape-motivated Mohawk Valley murders. Sherrie Anne Carville (Handout) I have told you this because I know Im ill and require professional help, he said. The pressure builds up in meand I dont want to hurt or kill anyone else. Please help me. He confessed to the unsolved July 1976 rape and murder of Cecelia Genatiempo, 17, abducted north of Johnstown in Gloversville after leaving a Main St. doughnut shop. Hunters found her body punctured ad nauseam by Hopkins blade that fall. Katherine Kolodziej (Handout) He also claimed the rape and knife murder of Sherrie Ann Carville, 17, of Broadalbin, who was kidnapped on Oct. 22, 1978, outside a bar near Johnstown. Her body lay undiscovered on his fathers land for nearly a year. Hopkins was convicted in a series of trials in the early 1980s and sent away for 58 years to life. But some believed he had not emptied his closet of secretsfor example, the unsolved murder of Ronkonkomas Katherine Kolodziej, 17, a Cobleskill college student who vanished outside a bar there in 1974. She was found stabbed to death in a field. Despite years of trying, investigators failed to link Hopkins to that murder. But in 2007, seven years after Hopkins killed himself, a young prosecutor in Oneida County suggested that the Johnstown ripper may have been responsible for an unsolved sex murder in Utica, at the western reach of the Mohawk Valley 60 miles from his hometown. On Jan. 12, 1972, college student Joanne Pecheone, 19, was accosted on a wooded path used as a shortcut to her East Utica neighborhood. A boy passing by on a snowmobile spooked the assailant, who fled from the woods. Joanne Pecheone (Handout) The boy was too late to save Pecheone, who had been gagged, bound with her shoelaces to a tree limb, raped and stabbed to death. The Oneida prosecutor, Todd Carville, happened to be a cousin of Sherrie Ann Carville, Hopkins 1978 victim. He noticed that Pecheones killer followed the modus operandi Hopkins used on his cousin, Genatiempo and the 15-year-old survivor. For one thing, he used his knife to slice open the brassieres of both Pecheone and the survivor at their breastbones. Abduction, rape, stabbing and bondage also linked the cases. DNA evidence was inconclusive, but the DAs investigator, James Helmer, interviewed friends and relatives of Hopkins, as well as the snowmobiler and a second witness who saw the killer flee in a car similar to Hopkins Chevy Nova. Footprints at the Pecheone crime scene matched the distinct B.F. Goodrich soles of Hopkins boots. And a 1970 yearbook photo of Hopkins matched a Utica police sketch from 1972, including the lopsided ears. Thats John, one relative told Helmer. Theres not one smoking gun, Oneida DA Scott McNamara told reporters. You just keep putting the pieces of the puzzle together until its clear what you have. He acknowledged the cases should have been linked decades ago and blamed police territorialism. In February 2011, McNamara met with Pecheones surviving family to deliver overdue closure. It is our opinion that John Hopkins is the perpetrator of this crime, he said. We are therefore closing the case as solved. Four people were stabbed in separate incidents in Escondido over a 24 hour period between Friday and Saturday night, including two who received multiple knife wounds to the legs. The first attack occurred at 9:30 p.m. Friday, when a 12-year-old boy brandished a knife at Regal Theater, police said. A movie-goer intervened to disarm the boy and was cut in the process, Sgt. Mario Sainz said. The boy was arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall, he said. Then, at 3:30 a.m., two teens walking home on Orange Street near 8th Avenue were approached by apparent gang members, who asked them where they were from. One proceeded to stab the victims right arm and they fled, Sainz said. Advertisement The stabbing victim was treated and released for the injury, he said Around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, police received a call of a man bleeding at Hickory Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. We discovered an 18-year-old Escondido resident with stab wounds to his legs, Sainz said. The man was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, but wouldnt give police a statement, Sainz said. Police searched the area for potential witnesses, camera footage or other evidence. In a separate, similar incident, police responded to calls of another male stabbing victim at 8 p.m. Saturday, on Grape Street at Mission Avenue. We got a 911 call of a fight. We arrived on scene and found the young man on the sidewalk, unconscious, with stab wounds to his legs and a nearly severed finger, Sainz said. What the evidence is showing, based on the force dynamics, is that they were punched, struck and down and stabbed in the legs, he said. He had a dissected finger, barely connected by the skin. That was a defensive wound. Police called paramedics, and the 16-year-old victim woke up and began talking, Sainz said, but also refused to disclose how the stabbing occurred. In both cases, the victims suffered knife wounds to the upper thighs, that suggested they were stabbed while on the ground, he said. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan San Diego police officers searched the Rose Canyon area in University City on Saturday morning after a woman reported that a man attacked her while she was hiking with her dog. Police Officer Steve Bourasa said a call came in around 10 a.m. about an attack in Rose Canyon Open Space Park near Regents Road and Governor Drive. Officers searched the area on foot and with a helicopter but were unable to find the man, Bourasa said. The woman described her attacker as Latino or white, in his 30s, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a medium build and wearing a white bandana, black shirt and tan construction boots. Advertisement Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 Police are investigating a report that a man pulled a knife on a pedestrian and stole a backpack near San Diego State University on Saturday morning. San Diego police Officer Steve Bourasa said the robbery reportedly happened about 11 a.m. on 63rd Street south of Montezuma Road. It was unclear whether the victim was male or female, he said. The robber was described as in his early 20s, 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a thin build and wearing a white shirt, Bourasa said. Advertisement Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 For Temecula Olive Oil Company, scaling isnt just about getting bigger. Its also about getting better while maintaining your brand appeal. The little shop that started in downtown Temecula with a focus on pure extra virgin California-grown olive oil has since added tasting room locations in Old Town San Diego, Solana Beach, Seal Beach and Laguna Beach. Its product line has expanded to include exotic blends, more gourmet food items and olive-oil-infused beauty and healthcare products. Yet each new outpost retains the rustic charm and friendly atmosphere of the flagship store. Since the beginning, founders Thom and Nancy Curry and Catherine Demuth-Pepe have maintained control of production from farm to bottle. Olives are grown using sustainable agricultural practices on ranches throughout Southern California, including at Olive View, the companies home ranch in Aguanga, twenty miles east of Temecula. Advertisement Its quality and variety that has customers coming back. Creating olive oil blends from scratch using presses that Thom Curry designed himself, the company has cultivated more than 35 olive varietals, and introduces surprising new flavor blends like Hickory Smoked Olive Oil or Fresh Lime-Fajita Frenzy Reserve Late Harvest each year. We talked with Thom Curry, president of Temecula Olive Oil Company, about the business past, present and future. Q: How did Temecula Olive Oil Company get its start? A: Two families started the company, and its still under the same ownership. My wife, Nancy, and her good friend and neighbor Catherine put the plan together and started the business in 2001. Q: Where did the idea for the business come from? A: Lots of beer and wine. Q: Is Temecula your hometown? A: We call Temecula home. Both families have been in the area for over 25 years. Q: What are some of the challenges and rewards of being a small business owner in Temecula? A: As with any business, the challenges are money, good staff, regulations, quality control. But the rewards are incredible when you see the smile on a customers face or a return customer bringing a friend. Q: And growth, with a new store in Laguna Beach? A: Yes, staffing and keeping up with production. Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the people who work at Temecula Olive Oil Company? A: Our people make our company what it is! We have incredible people that fill a whole range of niches. Q: Where does production happen? A: We make the products at our ranch in Aguanga, and bottle and store at our warehouse in Temecula. Q: Whats the company vision? Where do you see the business in ten years? A: We hope that we will be spreading the word about good, fresh, Southern California-grown olive oil to bigger audiences. Q: What is your favorite Temecula Olive Oil Company product right now? A: Whichever one you are buying. They are all my favorites! TOURS Guided tours of Olive View Ranch are offered on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at 10 a.m. While strolling through the groves, guests can learn about sustainable agriculture, growing olives, harvest techniques and milling and pressing, followed by tastings of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The 90-minute tour costs $20 for adults, and is free for children 12 and under. For store locations or to book a ranch tour, visit temeculaoliveoilcompany.com or call (866) 654-8396. Culinary events set in the scenic olive groves include a family-style brunch on Mothers Day and Fathers Day. (Courtesy photo) temecula@sduniontribune.com Under the glare of neon signs and unforgiving fluorescent office lights, bail agents are spending time processing a new California law signed just days ago by Gov. Jerry Brown that could decimate their industry. The new system, which would virtually eliminate the payment of money as a condition of release, could spell doom for not only bail agents, bounty hunters and surety companies across the state, but also a $2-billion bail industry nationwide. Reform in California, which holds roughly a quarter of the market, could prompt other states to follow suit, bail groups and lobbyists said. Reaction has been swift: Just a day after Brown signed the bill into law, bail associations filed a voter referendum in an attempt to block it, asking for support from the very criminal justice groups and activists theyve long been at odds with. Now agents say they are scrambling to find new careers, closing up shop or weighing whether to move their businesses out of state. In Los Angeles County, home to the largest jail system in the country, Lipstick Bail Bonds co-owner Teresa Golt said she expects to see storefronts shutter up and down bail row. Advertisement We are done. We are 100% done, said Golt, who runs the business with her sister, Lisa Golt. There is no such thing as California bail agents anymore. After 19 years in business together, the sisters plan to write bonds until the law takes effect in October 2019, should the referendum effort fail. Then they would shut down four offices in Southern California, repaint a fleet of 29 vehicles and start a new business in private security. In Sacramento, Kellie Weatherby of Atlantis Bail Bonds considered whether to move on from an industry she has been a part of for 30 years. I dont know. I just dont know, said Weatherby, whose father, Kenneth J. Weatherby, was also a bail agent. Its upsetting. We are concerned as a business, we are concerned as citizens. The landmark new law, brokered between state lawmakers, the governor and Californias top judge, grants greater power to courts and probation departments to decide who should remain incarcerated ahead of trial. Under the new system, many people will be let go solely on a promise to return to court, while others could be placed on monitoring devices or remain incarcerated without any possibility of release under a practice known as preventive detention. The American Bail Coalition, along with bail lobbying and crime victims groups, have roughly three months to submit to the state the estimated 366,000 signatures needed to qualify the referendum for the November 2020 ballot. Organizers say they are confident in their chances to put the measure before voters, stalling implementation of the law until that time. Teresa Golt, left, holding her pink lipstick shotgun, and her sister Lisa Golt say a new law will destroy the bail bond industry. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Ismael Vedoy, bail agent at Bad Boys Bail Bonds, waits to post a bond for a client at the Los Angeles County Jail. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) This is Step 1, said Jeffrey Clayton, a spokesman for the effort and director of the American Bail Coalition. Step 2 is all the various legal challenges that are going to get filed if this is going to become law. Some in the business warned of possible consequences of the new bail system that would be unfavorable to defendants. As bail companies and sureties attempt to stay afloat, they said, some agents could write more bonds and aggressively collect on debts in a final push for profits before industry extinction. Trust and believe [bail agents] are going to attack peoples livelihood and credit, said Miles Soto, a former bail consultant and private investigator in Southern California. Because if bail goes away, the one thing that will still be here a little longer is [debt] recovery, because surety companies will need to clear all of their liabilities. Under the current system, judges must factor in a defendants ability to pay as they set bail according to lists of criminal offenses and their fixed fees. If a defendant is unable to post the amount in advance, a nonrefundable fee typically 10% or less of that amount can be paid to a bail company to front the money. Money bail provides an incentive for people to come back to court, and bail bond companies help ensure they do at no cost to taxpayers, members of the industry argue. Bail agents and bounty hunters remind defendants of court appearances, find offenders who attempt to jump bail and develop relationships with clients who cycle in and out of jail, devoting time and resources that courts and probation offices are unlikely to have, they said. We answer our phones at 3, 4, 5 in the morning, Golt said. What government employee is going to do that? Reality TV personality Duane Dog the Bounty Hunter Chapman urges California lawmakers to reject a measure to change the states bail system during an Assembly hearing in 2017. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Jeff Stanley, who owns Bad Boys Bail Bonds, which has offices in Los Angeles and across the state, said bail agents perform a range of services, including spending time counseling defendants families. We know all the aspects of their lives, he said. Bail bond agents are in the trenches with them. For some, the business is personal. Some minority bail company owners said they set up their businesses because they felt the needs of black and Latino defendants were not being served. Weatherby said she was motivated to open her own business after watching her father take calls from clients at all hours. He wouldnt just bail them out, she said, he would also explain court records, bank accounts and utility bills. He would say, You have to help people out sometimes, she recalled, adding that she does the same for her clients and knows other agents who do as well. There are some quality people in this business. But by the time California lawmakers launched their effort to transform the states bail system in late 2016, the commercial bail bond industry had expanded beyond the small businesses and bargain storefronts near downtown jails and disadvantaged neighborhoods. A 2017 study by the American Civil Liberties Union and Color of Change, a left-leaning civil rights group, found that 10 global insurance companies underwrote nearly all of $14 billion in bail bonds issued nationwide. Another report by the UCLA School of Law analyzed more than 100 bail contracts tied to large sureties and found that the fine print often gave agents broad discretion to return defendants to jail or weigh them down with hidden fees and gave the sureties control over the life savings, homes and vehicles families offered as collateral. In California, the rise in complaints about the bail industry was so significant that some bail and recovery agents favored changing the system, calling for better licensing, training and oversight. Among those who faced complaints are the Golts, who were sued in 2013 by a man who said he was injured when they tried to detain him with pepper spray and a stun gun. The Golts said the claims were false, and a judge dismissed the lawsuit. The man who accused them is now in prison for killing his uncle. I always tell people the bail business is disgusting and wonderful, Soto said. Some bail agents are of the worst caliber. But when used correctly, bail can be used to help people in a wonderful way. Gov. Jerry Brown, right, talks with state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), left, and Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) in Sacramento before he signed their bill to end bail. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) authored the new law as part of an ambitious effort to overhaul a system they said punished the poor. At the time the bill was introduced, the median bail amount in California was $50,000, five times higher than the median amount nationwide. Other states, including New Jersey and Maryland, had also scaled back their use of the practice. Debate over the issue raged in courts, with cities and counties across the country facing lawsuits over policies that some legal experts said turned jails into modern-day debtors prisons. The legislations passage should have been a victory for criminal justice reform advocates who for years sought to eliminate money bail. But some early backers, including the ACLU of Northern California, dropped their support amid concerns that the final version of the bill would allow judges to incarcerate more people for longer periods of time. They said it also did not include enough oversight over risk assessment tools, technological analyses that rely on computer algorithms to predict a persons likelihood to break the law again, which studies have found can exhibit bias against communities of color. Bail agents say they have received calls from defense lawyers and civil rights groups, including at least two groups in Los Angeles, who have shown an interest in joining the effort to oppose the new law. I think eventually it will be a lot more than just the bail industry, Clayton said of the voter referendum. The ACLU on Friday declined to comment on whether it would join the industrys efforts. Civil rights groups are waiting on the state Supreme Court to review a ruling on a judges authority to set bail. John Raphling, a senior researcher with the nonprofit Human Rights Watch, said he thought it was unlikely that activists who helped push the overhaul and are now unhappy with the result would end up working with bail agents. I would have to see what they are putting out there, he said of the bail industry referendum. We would have to see if there is something that would reduce inequities, but also reduce incarceration. If it did those things, then we would have to give it a good, hard look. More stories from Jazmine Ulloa The latest from Washington jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com @jazmineulloa Only half of the brother act was intact Saturday, giving La Costa Canyon Highs cross country team an opportunity to show off its depth. Jacob Stanford outkicked San Pasquals Franky Varela to capture the Bronco Roundup over the short 2-mile course in 9 minutes, 43.5 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in the long-running early-season meet. Varela posted the fifth-best time at 9:44.4 and even LCCs Caleb Niednagel jumped into the top 10 with a third-place finish in 9:46.0 equal to the seventh fastest. On the girls front, with favored Kristin Fahy visiting Georgetown University, Sage Creek junior Skyler Wallace took advantage, pulling away from LCCs Jessica Riedman to win in 11:27.4. Advertisement As Stanfords twin brother, Garrett, cheered him on protecting a slight foot injury, Jacob came off the final hill and inched ahead of the front-running Varela to win by just under a second. I knew that Franky had already won his first two races and was undefeated, said the Mavericks senior. Caleb was right there with us and we actually used each other tactically by having whoever was on the inside at the turn take the lead. I kind of wanted to see what I could do. ... Last year, I was really tired at the finish, but not this year. For Niednagel, a transfer from Dana Hills, it was his first chance to race against San Diego-area competition and he certainly held his own. With the 1-3-4 finish, La Costa Canyon low-scored El Camino 51-96 to capture the team title. Without Fahy (she will visit Stanford later this season), Riedman became the pre-race favorite, but Wallace and her freshman sister, Stormy, had other plans. This is my home course, said Skyler. Over the summer I practiced on a crazy hard mountain in Flagstaff that was six miles straight up. So, I decided to use that experience and attack the hills here. Thats when I passed Jessica. Stormy also sped past before Riedman reacted like the senior she is, getting past the freshman but knowing she didnt have enough time to catch Skyler. Im just not used to leading. I never lead, said Riedman. It was a weird feeling. When the sisters went by me I thought, Wow, that was dumb of me, but it was too late. Stormy was just three seconds back of Riedman as Sage Creek captured the team title over La Costa Canyon 62-72. Grossmont swept the Division II races with Jonathan Rodriguez-Gomez (10:10.4) winning the boys race and Madeline Minutelli (12:30.3) pacing the girls. BRONCO ROUNDUP At Kit Carson Park (2 miles) DIVISION I Boys Team: 1. La Costa Canyon 51, 2. El Camino 96, 3. Torrey Pines 115, 4. San Pasqual 136, 5. Sage Creek 137. Ind.: 1. J. Stanford (LCC) 9:43.5, 2. Varela (SP) 9:44.4, 3. Niednagel (LCC) 9:46.0, 4. Pueschal (LCC) 10:02.0, 5. Wouters (SP) 10:03.6, 6. Rubin (Sage) 10:04.5, 7. Morris (Sage) 10:04.9, 8. Burns (Maranatha) 10:08.4, 9. Salz (TP) 10:09.3, 10. Tellez-Velazquez (SP) 10:17.7. Girls Team: 1. Sage Creek 62, 2. La Costa Canyon 72, 3. El Camino 89, 4. Rancho Bernardo 141, 5. Torrey Pines 148. Ind.: 1. Sk. Wallace (Sage) 11:27.4, 2. Riedman (LCC) 11:34.6, 3. St. Wallace (Sage) 11:37.6, 4. Learn (RB) 11:48.9, 5. Compton (LCC) 11:55.5, 6. Cheung (PacR) 12:07.2, 7. Salz (TP) 12:07.8, 8. Shepherd (UC) 12:08.2, 9. Woolridge (WV) 12:09.1, 10. Weaber (LCC) 12:12.2. DIVISION II Boys Team: 1. Grossmont 76, 2. San Dieguito 79, 3. Carlsbad 92, 4. El Capitan 98, 5. West Hills 104. Ind.: 1. Rodriguez-Gomez (Gross) 10:10.4, 2. McClish (SD) 10:16.5, 3. Sager (ECap) 10:21.2, 4. Prince (OG) 10:22.1, 5. Edwards (SDgto) 10:22.8, 6. Tingey (WH) 10:23.7, 7. Woulfe (Cbad) 10:26.3, 8. Shubert (WH) 10:27.2, 9. Hart (ECap) 10:28.4, 10. Sanchez (Gross) 10:30.8. Girls Team: 1. Carlsbad 85 (best 6th runner), 2. SFC 85, 3. Valley Center 97, 4. El Capitan 100, 5. Grossmont 121. Ind.: 1. Minutelli (Gross) 12:30.3, 2. Favela (VC) 12:41.6, 3. Tanita (Cbad) 12:43.2, 4. Willweber (WH) 12:43.9, 5. Zuniga (SD) 12:48.9, 6. Calvert (ECap) 12:50.6, 7. Wenger (Cbad) 12:51.8, 8. Guardino (SD) 12:52.19, 9. Krome (SFC) 13:03.4, 10. Needham (SFC) 13:04.3. Brand is a freelance writer. The people killed in a wrong-way crash along the westbound 210 Freeway in La Canada Flintridge early Sunday morning have been identified by the Los Angeles County coroner. Bruce Alvarenga, 24, of Panorama City and Kevork Khamisian, 32 of Sun Valley were the two drivers killed in the crash, according to the coroner. No one else was involved in the crash. The two men were initially described by California Highway Patrol officials as men in their 20s. The coroners office released their identities within just a few hours of the deadly crash. Just before 2 a.m., CHP officers got a call about a wrong-way driver traveling eastbound along the westbound 210 Freeway near Wheatland Avenue in Lake View Terrace, CHP Sgt. Manuel Rodriguez said. Two CHP units were responding to that call and trying to catch up with the driver when another call about a crash came in shortly after, Rodriguez said. Its unclear how much time passed between that initial call and the actual crash, which happened about 10 miles away. According to Rodriguez, investigators determined the deadly crash was caused by a wrong-way driver after speaking with witnesses. However, as investigators were still clearing the scene, authorities were unsure which driver was going the wrong way. We dont know for sure yet, Rodriguez said, adding that authorities were still trying to collect that information from 911 callers. Lanes of the westbound 210 Freeway were shut down for hours after the crash and reopened by 6 a.m., according to CHP. No other details were released by authorities. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Press Release September 8, 2018 ANGARA PUSHES FOR BILL DOUBLING SOCIAL PENSION TO BENEFIT POOR SENIOR CITIZENS Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the passage of a bill that seeks to double the amount of social pension from the current P500 to P1,000, and to widen the coverage of beneficiaries to include all poor senior citizens. "Isang napakalungkot na katotohanan na marami pa rin sa ating mga lolo at lola ang hindi nakatatanggap ng social pension mula sa gobyerno. We must ensure that every Filipino senior citizen receives this well-deserved benefit that will help them meet their daily needs," said Angara, the son of the "Father of the Senior Citizens Law", the late Senate President Edgardo Angara. Based on the data from the Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE), only 33% or 2.9 million of the estimated 8.7 million elderly population are covered by contributory pension such as the Social Security System, the Government Social Insurance System, and other pension systems. Of the 5.8 million senior citizens with no contributory pension, only 3.4 million are currently covered by the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). To be eligible for the DSWD's social pension program, which grants P500 every month, the senior must be frail, sickly or with disability; do not receive pension from state-run pension agencies; and do not have a permanent source of income or financial support from family or relatives. This leaves 2.4 million elders with no pension at all. Angara's Senate Bill 1865 removes the "frail, sickly or with disability" requirement. "Under our proposed measure, as long as the senior citizen does not have any contributory pension, he or she will be qualified for the social pension. "Moreover, since the health expenses of seniors are generally more costly, we aim to double the amount of social pension from P500 to P1,000 a month. Dapat ay siguruhin natin na ang lahat sa kanila ay mayroong sapat na ayuda para pambili ng kanilang mga gamot at iba pang pangangailangan. Layunin natin na ang bawat lolo at lola ay makapamuhay nang komportable," the lawmaker said, as the country celebrates Grandparents' Day on Sunday. Republic Act 7432 or the Senior Citizens Act of 1993 authored by the late Angara granted the elderly 20% discount, while RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 authored by the younger Angara provided for the 12% value-added tax (VAT) exemption and the social pension provision. The senator is hoping that Congress will bridge the gap in the social protection system by further expanding the Expanded Senior Citizens Act. Press Release September 8, 2018 De Lima labels amnesty revocation vs Trillanes as 'rape of justice' Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has bewailed Mr. Duterte's unprecedented revocation of the amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who was obviously targeted by the government for his tough stance on the President's wrongdoings. Branding Duterte's order against Trillanes as a "rape of justice," De Lima said the revocation contained in Proclamation No. 572 will remain an illegal act despite government efforts to legitimize the tyrannical act with a bastardized version of the law. "No army of lawyers large enough, and stupid enough, can defend it. No amount of legal verbosity and pedantry can justify it. It is nothing less than an assault on the law and the rape of justice," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 374. "And just like women, who are raped not because they are beautiful but because there are rapists, justice is raped in the case of Senator Trillanes, not because justice deserves to be raped, but because there is a rapist out there. His name is Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and he wants to be first in line in the gang-rape of justice by this government," she added. Last Aug. 31, Mr. Duterte signed Proclamation 572 revoking the amnesty given to Trillanes on the premise that the latter failed to file his application for amnesty and admit his guilt over the Oakwood mutiny and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2003 and 2007, respectively. Trillanes, however, showed pictures and video debunking the President's claim. Duterte likewise ordered the Department of Justice and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "to pursue all criminal and administrative cases" against Trillanes, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the AFP "to employ all lawful means to apprehend" him so that he can be detained anew. While political persecution is something people already expected from Mr. Duterte, De Lima said the swiftness of how the institutions would be coopted and how the laws would be bastardized by an authoritarian President remain surprising. "The effects of amnesty, the principle of double jeopardy, and the judicial nature of arrest warrants have long been established in our legal system. We did not expect that it will take only one strongman to demolish the legal system and all its fundamental principles in one fell swoop," she said. "This is what Duterte has achieved in ordering the arrest of Senator Trillanes without any judicial warrant, despite a case dismissal that has become final and executory, and with the illegal goal of putting him in double jeopardy," she added. During this so-called "age of Duterte," De Lima said the law can be twisted any which way Duterte wants and dead cases can be brought to life. "The criminal case of Sen. Trillanes for the crime of coup d' etat has been closed years ago. It has long been dead and buried and, because of the amnesty granted to him, long forgotten. "Amnesty, like death, extinguishes all criminal liability. There is neither a crime nor a criminal case to speak of. Not even the court that tried Trillanes's case can bring it back from the dead," she explained. For now, Trillanes has stayed at the Senate building in Pasay City where he and his lawyers continue to discuss the legal remedies available to them in order to frustrate Duterte's sinister plot to silence dissenters and harass members of the opposition. Press Release September 9, 2018 4 Filipinos die from cancer every hour ANGARA: MAKE CANCER TREATMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the passage of a bill that seeks to make cancer treatment and care more equitable and affordable for all Filipinos. "Cancer pushes Filipino families deeper into poverty. The costs of screening and treatment are catastrophic. Since social safety nets are limited, patients and their families are forced to use their hard-earned savings and assets for medical expenses. Some discontinue their treatment out of financial incapability," said Angara in his sponsorship speech on Senate Bill 1570 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act. A 2016 Philippine Statistics Authority report showed that neoplasms or tumors--which are commonly associated with cancer--are the second leading cause of death for Filipinos, next only to heart ailments. Every hour, at least four Filipinos die from cancer, according to the University of the Philippines-Institute of Human Genetics. Studies further show that many of the preventable and premature deaths from cancer can be attributed to: low awareness of signs and symptoms; delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis; poor access to health facilities; limited health systems infrastructure for treatment and care; lack of trained health professionals for cancer-related services; among others. The senator lamented the country's ill-preparedness to provide proper cancer care thus he stressed the need for an integrated cancer control and management program. Angara's Senate Bill 1570 provides for a Cancer Assistance Fund to support the medical and treatment assistance program for cancer patients. It further seeks to expand Philhealth's current benefits to include screening, detection, diagnosis, treatment assistance, palliative and supportive care, survivorship follow up care and rehabilitation, for all types and stages of cancer, and for both adults and children. SB 1570 likewise aims to ensure that there's sufficient supply of essential cancer medicines and cancer control related vaccines, which should be made accessible and affordable. Cancer patients and cancer survivors will also be given the same rights and privileges under the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. "We must afford every Filipino cancer patient with the highest possible chance of survival. We should also create a supportive environment for people living with cancer and cancer survivors, especially their families and carers, to reduce distress and ensure their well-being," Angara said. The New Zealand dollar held near a two-and-a-half year low as unexpectedly strong US wage growth spurred demand for the greenback and President Donald Trump's Chinese tariff plans kept investors uneasy. The kiwi traded at 65.30 US cents as at 8am in Wellington from 65.33 cents on Friday in New York and down from 65.71 cents in Asia last week. The trade-weighted index was at 71.21 from 71.23 last week. The US dollar index followed US Treasury yields higher after non-farm payrolls data showed average hourly earnings in August were 2.9 percent higher than a year earlier, more than economists forecast. That heightened expectations the Federal Reserve will raise the federal funds rate this month. Meanwhile, Trump kept investors nervous about his trade plans. He said he could impose tariffs on an additional US$200 billion of Chinese imports "very soon" and that there's a further US$267 billion of imports "ready to go on short notice if I want". The trade war between the US and China has weighed on the Australian and New Zealand dollars, with the antipodean nations reliant on exporting to China. "The NZD is likely to start this week in a similar vein to how it finished the last: on the back foot," ANZ Bank New Zealand economists Liz Kendall and Philip Borkin said in a note. "While the market is still digesting the implications of the strong US wage growth numbers, the main focus is likely to be trade as rhetoric ramps up further." Local data today include June quarter manufacturing figures, which will feed into economists' forecasts for gross domestic product. The kiwi traded at 56.53 euro cents from 56.48 cents last week and 50.48 British pence from 50.45 pence. On Friday the UK parliament released a transcript from European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier saying the regional bloc was open to a different plan for the Northern Ireland border. The local currency was unchanged at 73.42 yen from the New York close and little changed at 4.4678 Chinese yuan from 4.4664 yuan. It edged up to 91.87 Australian cents from 91.71 cents last week. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Briscoe Group Limited (NZX: BGP) 3rd Quarter Sales to 31 October 2021 Property for Industry Limited (NZX: PFI) Portfolio Update and Q3 Dividend Sanford Limited (NZX: SAN) Resignation of Sanford Chief Operating Officer AFT Pharmaceuticals Limited (NZX: AFT) Appoints McPherson's as Singapore Distributor 5th November 2021 Morning Report L&Q Notice: Vulcan Steel Limited Steel & Tube Holdings Limited (NZX: STU) October 2021 YTD Trading Performance Z Energy Limited (NZX: ZEL) 1HFY22 Earnings 4th November 2021 Morning Report Radius Residential Care Limited (NZX: RAD) Settles Acquisition of 23rd Facility An immediate reduction of central excise duty and excessive VAT in the states, as well as bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST are the top three demands made by the Opposition. The Congress party has called for a Bharat Bandh on Monday to protest against the sky rocketing prices of petrol and diesel across the country. The party stated that the steady increase in fuel prices and excise duties on them are the concerns, also, accused the ruling BJP government of fleecing the common man. Political parties pledging their support Bharat bandh has the backing of DMK (Tamil Nadu), NCP, Samajwadi Party, RJD (Karnataka), JD(S), while, NGO's are also invited to participate in the bandh. In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress said that the party accepts the demands made by the Opposition, but was against the shutdown and the government would take all measures to maintain the public utility services on Monday. Time The bandh will be observed on Monday between 9 am and 3 pm. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the timing of the bandh is such that 'the common person is not inconvenienced'. The state government also issued a directive to state government employees that no casual leave will be granted on Monday. The Goa Congress unit has also said that it would not participate in the bandh so as to not cause inconvenience to people ahead of Ganesh Chathurthi. Muslim League in flood-ravaged Kerala has also decided to stay away from bandh. Educational institutions in these places have declared a holiday Schools in Odisha will be shut on Monday, as per the directive issued by the state government. In Karnataka, buses and other transportation services are likely to be hit. For this reason, various educational institutions have declared a holiday tomorrow. Taxi associations, Ola, Uber and other transport associations have also extended their support to protest against the spiraling fuel prices. Bharat bandh at these locations The bharat bandh will be observed in several states like Maharashtra, Bihar Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, where regional opposition parties have pledged their support. Panama asks US to 'respect' Taiwan snub Panama City, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela on Sunday asked the United States to respect his country's sovereignty after the US recalled its envoys from three regional countries for switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. "We respect the sovereign decisions of other countries and we will always ask the same respect for ours," Varela said in a statement. The United States on Friday recalled its envoys from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, as well as its charge d'affaires from Panama, to protest the diplomatic switch. Those countries have said their decision reflected simple economic realities -- big, fast-growing China has been spending billions to build ports, rail lines and other projects across Latin America. Taiwan and China have been engaged for years in a diplomatic tug-of-war in developing countries, with aid and economic support often used as bargaining chips to gain diplomatic recognition. Beijing sees self-ruling, democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it into the fold. But Washington, now engaged in a trade war against Beijing, accuses the Chinese of trying to use aid to drive a wedge between Taipei and its Western Hemisphere partners. Varela said that the United States and Panama would always work together "in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorism" while supporting democracy and freedom. As "a sovereign country, we will always make our decisions" based on Panama's own interests, he said. The United States is Taiwan's most important unofficial ally and chief provider of military equipment, though the relationship has at times been tricky since Washington in 1979 established diplomatic relations with China and formally ended them with Taiwan. Page Content On Saturday morning the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) met at the request of Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin with respect to an approaching weather system currently known as Tropical Depression #9 (TD#9). TD#9 does not currently pose a threat to Sint Maarten according to the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten (MDS). The depression on Saturday morning was located over 1800 miles southeast of Sint Maarten. Residents of Sint Maarten are requested to closely monitor the progress of this depression. MDS expects that this depression will be upgraded to Tropical Storm Isaac later today-Saturday. The EOC request residents to use the time now to review their hurricane season preparations and to re-check their disaster supply kit. The month of September is known for being an active month for storm and hurricane activity. National Disaster Coordinator/Fire Chief Clive Richardson earlier this week reminded the Sint Maarten community about the aforementioned and appealed to all residents to be prepared to take action in the event the country is threated by a storm/hurricane. Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin received an overview from the Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) present with respect to the current state of affairs of hurricane season preparations and an update with respect to TD#9. The MDS along with the EOC is closely monitoring the progress of this system and will keep the community of Sint Maarten informed on a daily basis with respect to the approach of the weather system to the Lesser Antilles. For official local weather and Government related disaster/hurricane information please visit (www.meteosxm.com); the Government of Sint Maarten website (www.sintmaartengov.org) or the Government of Sint Maarten social media Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/SXMGOV), or tune into Government Radio 107.9 FM. The Region is in the peak period of hurricane activity which runs from August 15 to October 15. The remaining storm names for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season by the World Meteorological Organization are: Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie, and William. The 2018 hurricane season officially runs through November 30. PHOTO: Representatives of the 10 Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) during Saturday mornings Emergency Operations Center (EOC) meeting at the Government Administration Building. MDS gives a presentation with respect to projected track of TD#9. DUBAI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States seek to boost defense ties as the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces met the U.S. secretary of defense on Friday, UAE state news agency WAM reported. The meeting between Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis discussed ways of enhancing cooperation and friendship between the two countries, especially in defense and military spheres. The two sides also discussed the current regional developments, and "exchanged views on efforts being made to address and tackle these challenges," the report said. They also reviewed mechanisms of joint cooperation and coordination "to counter extremism and terrorism," it added. Global climate protests peak in US as UN talks falter San Francisco, Sept 8 (AFP) Sep 08, 2018 Tens of thousands of people across the globe took to the streets Saturday to demand that governments step up action on global warming, even as United Nations climate talks tasked with breathing life into the Paris Agreement faltered. Nearly 1,000 events in more than 90 countries delivered a two-pronged message: speed up the shift to a world powered by renewable energy rather than planet-warming gas, oil and coal; and protect the people most vulnerable to rising seas and climate-enhanced extreme weather. The rolling, 24-hour protest peaked in San Francisco, where thousands snaked through the city chanting and carrying handmade signs and banners. Many slogans were barbs from the heart of Blue America pointed at Washington. "Alternative Energy, not Alternative Facts," read one, while another -- more blunt -- said: "More Science, Less Bullshit." "Defend democracy: impeach Putin's poodle," read a third, taking aim squarely at US President Donald Trump, who opted out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty and has moved aggressively to dismantle the climate policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. California -- by some estimates the fifth largest economy in the world -- has committed ambitious goals for slashing carbon dioxide emissions over the next three decades. Governor Jerry Brown leads a coalition of subnational regions and cities also taking aggressive climate action. Many will be represented next week in the port city at the Global Climate Action Summit. But within his own state, Brown has come under attack for allowing the continued extraction of natural gas and oil under his watch. - 'Catastrophic summer' - In France, up to 115,000 people turned out in what may be the country's largest environmental demonstration. Clemence Dubois, the France campaigner for 350.org, an umbrella organization for climate activists worldwide called the march "proof that citizens are ready to demand commitments from our elected officials." A "catastrophic summer" of heatwaves and wildfires across the northern hemisphere made many people realize that climate change is already upon us, she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined in on Twitter. "Extreme weather is threatening our children. The only way to protect our future is ambitious #ClimateAction now," he tweeted. Dozens of Thai fishermen and laborers whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels kicked off the day of protests in Bangkok at the site of the UN climate talks. "I came here today to ask the government to put coastal erosion on the national agenda," 58-year-old fisherwoman Aree Kongklad told AFP. The Paris treaty enjoins nations to cap the rise in global temperatures at "well below" 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two Celsius), and promises $100 billion per year from 2020 in climate finance to the world's most vulnerable nations. But sharp divisions between rich and developing countries -- especially over money -- have deadlocked the technical talks, tasked with hammering out a draft "rule book" that ministers and heads of state can push across the finish line at a UN climate summit in December. More than 10,000 people turned out in Danish capital Copenhagen, police there said, while 1,300 rallied in front of the European Parliament in Brussels. - 'Go fossil free' - "The idea was to challenge the elected officials and governments in the European capital," said teacher Kim Le Quang at the demonstration. "There are a lot of lobbies here and we realize that NGOs do not necessarily have the influence to fight them." As part of protests in Australia, a tall ship moved through Sydney Harbour in front of the Opera House as activists on board held up protest signs. Its billowing sails featured banners that read "Rise for Climate Action with 350," referring to the advocacy group 350.org that spearheaded the global protest. In Manila, more than 800 people -- including one dressed as a T-Rex holding a "Go Fossil Free" sign -- marched through the streets protesting the country's heavy reliance on coal. Along with Bangkok, the Philippine capital is projected to be among the world's urban areas hardest hit by climate change impacts. "We are among the most vulnerable and we are among those still stuck in an energy system that is backwards," campaigner Chuck Baclavon told AFP, adding that the government is out of excuses. Around 10,000 school students and their teachers in northern India tied red ribbons to trees in a call to end deforestation. Subnational governments, cities and businesses will gather in San Francisco on September 12 for the three-day Global Climate Action Summit, an explicit counterweight to actions by Trump. Nations round on US, allies as UN climate talks wrap up Bangkok, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Developing countries rounded on the United States and its allies at emergency climate talks Sunday, accusing the world's richest nations of stalling a deal aimed at preventing runaway global warming. Experts from around the world have been locked in discussions this week in Bangkok, aiming to reach a comprehensive rulebook for countries to implement the landmark Paris Accord on climate change. But talks have foundered over the key issue of how efforts to limit climate change are funded and how contributions are reported. Delegates representing some of Earth's poorest and smallest nations said on the final day of the summit that the US and other Western economies were failing to live up to their green spending commitments. "Developed countries are responsible for the vast majority of historic emissions, and many became remarkably wealthy burning fossil fuels," said Amjad Abdulla, the head of a negotiating bloc of small island states. "Yet, we face devastating climate impacts and some of us could be lost forever to rising seas" without progress on the Paris deal by the end of the year, he added. The Paris deal, struck in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to less than two degrees Celsius and to below 1.5C if possible by the end of the century. To do this, countries agreed to a set of promises, including to establish an annual $100-billion fund to help developing nations react to our heating planet. The US and other developed economies want less oversight on how their funding is gathered and more flexibility over how future funding is structured. But developing nations insist they need predictable and open funding in order to effectively plan their fight against the fallout from climate change. A senior source within the African nations' negotiating bloc told AFP the US and others were reneging on pledges made in Paris by refusing to discuss future climate funding. "It's as if we started from scratch" in Bangkok, the source said. - Paris deal 'on brink' - The Bangkok talks were organised as an emergency negotiating session after little progress was made at previous rounds towards a final rulebook. Under the timeframe set in Paris, the guidelines for nations must be finalised by the COP 24 climate summit in Poland in December. While delegates have made some progress on areas such as new technology and carbon markets, activists said the US -- with Western acquiesence -- had stonewalled any momentum on the key funding issue. Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change for NGO ActionAid, said Sunday the Paris deal was "on the brink". "Developed countries are going back on their word and refusing to agree clear rules governing climate finance," he told reporters. "If they remain stuck in their positions and fail to loosen their purses, this treaty may collapse." The US under President Donald Trump will leave the Paris process in 2020, but multiple delegates in Bangkok told AFP that it was still actively hindering progress in talks. One senior negotiator said the US was "poisoning" the atmosphere of trust that led to the Paris accord. Activists also called out the European Union, Britain and Australia for falling into line with Washington's position. Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the rate of climate change was rapidly outstripping the political effort to curb it. "As this summer's devastating wave of heat waves, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events across the world makes abundantly clear, the Earth's climate system is unimpressed by politicians' rhetoric," he told a press briefing. Delegates are likely Sunday to agree to hand over technical discussions the co-chairs of working groups to continue before the COP 24 kicks off in Poland at the start of December. Nations round on US, allies as UN climate talks wrap up Bangkok, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Developing countries rounded on the United States and its allies at emergency climate talks Sunday, accusing the world's richest nations of stalling on a deal aimed at preventing runaway global warming. Experts from around the world wrapped up discussions in Bangkok geared towards creating a comprehensive rulebook for countries to implement the landmark Paris Accord on climate change. But talks foundered over the key issue of how efforts to limit climate change are funded and how contributions are reported. Delegates representing some of Earth's poorest and smallest nations said on the final day of the summit that the US and other Western economies had failed to live up to their green spending commitments. "Developed countries are responsible for the vast majority of historic emissions, and many became remarkably wealthy burning fossil fuels," said Amjad Abdulla, the head of a negotiating bloc of small island states. "Yet, we face devastating climate impacts and some of us could be lost forever to rising seas" without progress on the Paris deal by the end of the year, he added. The Paris deal, struck in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to less than two degrees Celsius and to below 1.5 degrees if possible by the end of the century. To do this, countries agreed to a set of promises, including to establish an annual $100-billion fund to help developing nations react to our heating planet. But the details of the final rulebook are subject to intense debate. The US and other developed economies want less oversight on how their funding is gathered and more flexibility over how future finance is structured. But developing nations insist they need predictable and open funding in order to effectively plan their fight against the fallout from climate change. A senior climate negotiator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP Sunday that the US and other rich nations were asking poorer ones to trust them to self-regulate climate financing. "We want to do our bit, but how can we trust them? Show us the money," the negotiator said. Delegates ended talks Sunday with an agreement to hand over technical discussions to a panel of experts, who will continue to meet before the COP 24 kicks off in Katowice, Poland, at the start of December. Patricia Espinosa, the UN's climate change secretary, told reporters progress had been made in Bangkok "on most issues" but that "no issues have been fully resolved yet". The issue of climate finance was "very difficult and politically sensitive", she added. "For Katowice to be successful, work needs to speed up and political will needs to be intensified." - Paris deal 'on brink' - The Bangkok talks were organised as an emergency negotiating session after little progress was made at previous rounds towards a final rulebook. Under the timeframe set in Paris, the guidelines must be finalised by the end of 2018. While delegates made some headway on areas such as new technology and carbon markets, activists said the US -- with Western acquiescence -- had stonewalled momentum on the key funding issue. Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change for NGO ActionAid, said Sunday the Paris deal was "on the brink". "Developed countries are going back on their word and refusing to agree clear rules governing climate finance," he told reporters. "If they remain stuck in their positions and fail to loosen their purses, this treaty may collapse." - 'Unimpressed by politicians' - The US under President Donald Trump will leave the Paris process in 2020, but multiple delegates in Bangkok told AFP it was still actively hindering progress in talks. One senior negotiator said the US was "poisoning" the atmosphere of trust that led to the Paris accord. Activists also called out the European Union, Britain and Australia for falling into line with Washington's position. A State Department official told AFP US negotiators would "continue to actively participate in ongoing climate negotiations -- including negotiations to develop guidance for implementation of the Paris Agreement -- to protect and advance US interests". Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the rate of climate change was rapidly outstripping the political effort to curb it. "As this summer's devastating wave of heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events across the world makes abundantly clear, the Earth's climate system is unimpressed by politicians' rhetoric." 'Good people' back Brazil pro-gun stab victim presidential candidate Rio de Janeiro, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Armando Piccinini's father was gunned down outside a bank 16 years ago, but now the 53-year-old is a gun-ownership advocate who says weapons are self-defense necessities in crime-ridden Brazil. "Rio is on the brink of civil war, and it will soon be declared," said businessman Piccinini at the Calibre 12 shooting range in Niteroi, near Rio. He was with his father the day he died. "Good people will arm themselves to defend their families, their property, and this war will be declared if the authorities don't do something." Legalizing gun ownership has been one of front-running presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro's campaign pledges. And it has gained momentum since the right-wing former army captain was stabbed during a rally in the southeast on Thursday. "If it wasn't tragic, it would be ironic," said Rildo Anjos, 52, one of the Calibre 12 instructors. "A pro-gun candidate suffering a kitchen knife attack; it just proves that it is man, not guns, that is guilty of violence." Brazil suffered a record 30.3 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016. That was 62,517 murders, 44,475 of those using guns. - 'Guns increase violence' - "I don't think the way to solve the dramatic problem of a country with more than 60,000 murders a year is to distribute guns," says Marina Silva, the environmentalist presidential candidate currently running second alongside centre-left nominee Ciro Gomes in polls, behind Bolsonaro. "On the contrary, this would increase violence." Silva and Bolsonaro could finish in the first two places in the October 7 election, after which they would go to a run-off three weeks later. Polls predict Silva would win that hands down. But Bolsonaro's campaign seems to have been boosted by his stabbing. He's been all over television and the internet, giving him a huge profile lift. "We're all behind Bolsonaro," said Paulo Alberto, 55, one of 210 Calibre 12 members. "Today, the criminals are more numerous and better armed that security forces," he added, gun in hand and wearing protective glasses. "I live close to a favela and I've been woken up by gunshots. When you leave the house, you don't know if you'll come home. "We good citizens demand the right to defend our families and our possessions." At Calibre 12, where there is a smell of gunpowder and camaraderie, people go to learn sport shooting or to take a competence course that would earn them the right to carry a weapon. A 2003 law in Brazil tightened the regulations over gun ownership, something Bolsonaro wants to revoke. His position has caused a number of scandals, such as in July when he appeared in a viral video seemingly showing a young girl how to imitate a gun with her hands. "Kids in Brazil need to view weapons as something linked to responsibility and the protection of life," he told O Globo newspaper in justifying his actions. Such statements turned Bolsonaro into a target for many of his rival candidates, but those at Calibre 12 agree with him. - 'Family atmosphere' - "My son is here," said Anderson Lessa, a 46-year-old shopkeeper, pointing to a teenager. "I've taught my three children to drive, swim and shoot. For me, that's a basic right." Piccinini says: "There's a family atmosphere here." It's the "only tourist business in Brazil that promotes excursions in which you can have your first contact with a gun." To buy a weapon in Brazil, you must be at least 25, present proof of psychological and technical aptitude, and a "statement of necessity," explaining why you need one. "The statement of necessity is the biggest lie in the world," said Anjos. "Do I need a statement of necessity to buy a car?" As for guns, it's "because I want to protect my biggest asset, which is my life!" Anjos agrees that people need training to learn how to use a gun but claims the 2003 law has done nothing to reduce violent crime. That's not the opinion of the "2018 Atlas of Violence" prepared by the Institute of Economic Investigation and Brazilian Forum of Public Security, though. It claims that but for the 2003 law, the murder figures would be worse. Alberto says the 2003 law prevents "good citizens from the right to legitimate self-defense, as guaranteed in the constitution." "They've taken away our main form of defense. It's ended up favoring criminals," he insists. When asked if anyone has ever needed to use their gun in the streets, the Calibre 12 members laugh uncomfortably. Then one voice answers: "No one likes to talk about that." Iran Guards confirm missile strikes on Kurd rebels in Iraq Tehran, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards confirmed Sunday they had launched deadly missile strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq the previous day. "The terrorists' headquarters... was successfully struck by seven surface-to-surface rockets on Saturday by the missile department of the Guards' aerospace force," it said on its Sepah News website. A medical official in Iraqi Kurdistan said at least 11 members of an Iranian Kurdish rebel group were killed. Iran Guards confirm missile strikes on Kurd rebels in Iraq Tehran, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed Sunday they had launched deadly missile strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq the previous day. "The terrorists' headquarters... was successfully struck by seven surface-to-surface rockets on Saturday by the missile department of the Guards' aerospace force," it said on its Sepah News website. The statement added that their drone division was also involved. At least 11 members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), which is blacklisted as a "terrorist" group by Tehran, were killed in the rare cross-border attack, a medical official told AFP on Saturday. Iranian state television showed images of the missiles being launched and drone footage of the impact. "The punishment of transgressors was planned following the recent months' wicked acts by terrorists from the Kurdistan realm against the Islamic republic's borders," the Guards' statement said. It cited incursions by numerous "terrorist teams" into Iran's West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces bordering Iraq. The KDPI had recently clashed with Revolutionary Guards forces in the towns of Marivan and Kamyaran in Iran's own Kurdistan region, the statement added. The Kurdish group was holding a meeting at the time of the missile strikes, and the party's secretary general and his predecessor were injured, according to one of its officials. The headquarters is in Koysinjaq, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Iraq's foreign ministry denounced the Iranian missile strike. "Iraq protects the security of its neighbours and does not allow its territory to be used to threaten these countries," spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub said in a statement. "But it categorically refuses the violation of its territorial sovereignty by strikes against certain targets on its territory with previous coordination," he added. Eleven KDPI members were killed and 30 wounded, according to Kamran Abbas, director of Koysinjaq's hospital. The KDPI is Iran's oldest Kurdish movement and has seen several of its leaders assassinated by Tehran in the past. Gulf, US commanders to hold talks in Kuwait Kuwait City, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Gulf Arab army chiefs, including Qatar's military commander, will meet with US Central Command officials for talks on defence cooperation this week, a Kuwaiti official said Sunday. Speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to brief the press, an official with Kuwait's defence ministry said army commanders of the Gulf states -- including boycott-hit Qatar -- would hold talks Monday in a scheduled meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council Supreme Military Committee in Kuwait City. In June 2017, powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with Egypt and Bahrain, announced they were cutting ties with Qatar, accusing the emirate of ties to both Sunni Islamist extremists and Shiite Iran. Qatar denies the allegations. The 15-month Qatar boycott is the worst political crisis to hit the oil-rich Gulf. Kuwait has led mediation efforts in the crisis. The Gulf commanders will also meet representatives of the US Central Command and those of the Egyptian and Jordanian armies on Wednesday, the Kuwaiti official said. The meetings will come just over a week after Pentagon chief James Mattis and Centcom head General Joseph Votel held talks in the Gulf. State news agency KUNA has confirmed defence talks this week in Kuwait city. In July, Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid al-Jarallah said his country was considering US proposals for a strategic alliance in the Middle East to counter Iran's influence in the region. 84 dead in fighting in Yemen's Hodeida after talks fail Khokha, Yemen, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Clashes and air strikes have left 84 people dead around Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeida since the collapse of UN-brokered peace talks, hospital sources said Sunday. The sources in Hodeida province, controlled by Huthi rebels, said 11 soldiers and 73 insurgents had been killed since the talks were abandoned on Saturday. Dozens of rebels and at least 17 soldiers had been wounded. The pro-government coalition, which includes Saudi and UAE air forces, has been pushing to close in on Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, since June. The coalition on Sunday was positioned to attempt to seize the main road linking Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, to the port city, a military official told AFP. The road is a key supply route for the Huthis. In July, the coalition announced a temporary ceasefire in Hodeida to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. But UN attempts to hold peace talks between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Huthis, linked to Saudi Arabia's archrival Iran, were abandoned on Saturday, sparking fears of an escalation in the conflict. The rebels refused to leave Yemen for Geneva, saying the UN had not met their demands -- including a plane to transport their wounded to nearby Oman and a guarantee their delegation would be allowed to return to Sanaa. In 2014, the Huthis seized control of a string of Red Sea ports and the capital, driving the government out of Sanaa and the president into exile. In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, recognised by the UN as Yemen's president. They now control Yemen's airspace. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine. Regime, Russia in fresh air raids on Syria's Idlib Beirut, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Regime and Russian aircraft pounded Syria's last major rebel bastion of Idlib with missiles and barrel bombs on Sunday, killing at least two children, a monitor said. It was the second day of bombardment on the jihadist and rebel-held province and adjacent areas, after key powerbrokers in Tehran failed to reach a deal to avert a government assault. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said heavy attacks resumed on the northwestern region near the Turkish border from around midday. "Regime helicopters dropped more than 60 barrel bombs on the village of Hobait in Idlib's southern countryside," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The raids killed at least two children and wounded six other people, he said. In the neighbouring province of Hama, Russian jets carried out more than 10 strikes on rebel positions in the village of Al-Latamneh, he said. The raids wounded five rebels and knocked the village's underground hospital out of action, just a day after strikes damaged a similar health facility in Idlib's southern town of Hass. The strikes eased off later Sunday, the Observatory said. Some of the heaviest bombardment in weeks hit Idlib and nearby areas on Saturday, killing at least nine civilians, according to the Observatory. More than half of Idlib is held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, while most of the rest is held by rival rebels. The regime controls a southeastern chunk. HTS and rebels are also present in adjacent areas of the neighbouring provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia. Hundreds of families have fled Idlib's southeastern areas since Saturday, when Russian and regime strikes on the region were the most violent in a month, the Observatory said. The United Nations has warned that any military campaign in Idlib could push up to 800,000 people to flee their homes. The leaders of regime allies Russia and Iran met with the president of rebel backer Turkey in Tehran on Friday but they failed to reach an agreement to avoid a military assault. The rebel-held region of Idlib and adjacent areas are home to almost three million people, half of whom have been displaced from other areas in the country, according to the UN. Regime troops have for weeks been massing around Idlib, after President Bashar al-Assad's regime retook control of other areas of the country earlier this year. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since Syria's civil war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests. Home Just In Dahal returns from Delhi, says India wants stability and prosperity in Nepal Kathmandu, September 9 Ruling Nepal Communist Party Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal has returned home on Sunday after concluding his four day visit to New Delhi. Upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu this afternoon, Dahal said Indian leaders communicated to him that they wanted a stable government and prosperity in Nepal. He reiterated that the objective of his visit was to remind the Indian leadership of agreements the two countries made earlier so as to ensure their timely and effective implementation. During the trip, Dahal held meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval among others. In another context, Dahal said his party was open to the Cabinet reshuffle if some ministers were required to be recalled. But, he hinted that the reshuffle would not take place anytime soon as the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli clarified yesterday. I agree with what the Prime Minister has said. Trump spooked Pentagon with almost-sent tweet on N.Korea: Woodward Washington, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 US President Donald Trump spooked the Pentagon leadership with a tweet that -- had it been sent -- North Korea would have read as a sign of an imminent US attack, journalist Bob Woodward said in an interview that aired Sunday. Woodward, whose new book "Fear: Trump in the White House" hits book stores on Tuesday, described the incident in the interview with CBS as the most dangerous moment of Trump's nuclear standoff with North Korea. "He drafts a tweet saying 'We are going to pull our dependents from South Korea -- family members of the 28,000 people there,'" Woodward said on "CBS Sunday Morning," referring to families of US troops stationed on the Korean peninsula. The tweet never was sent because of a back-channel message from the North Koreans that they would view it as a sign the US was preparing to attack, according to CBS. "At that moment there was a sense of profound alarm in the Pentagon leadership that, 'My God, one tweet and we have reliable information that the North Koreans are going to read this as 'an attack is imminent.'" US tensions with North Korea have subsided since Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore June 12, 2018. Kim recently expressed his "unwavering faith" in Trump, and the US president on Sunday praised the North Korean for staging a huge military parade in Pyongyang without the customary display of nuclear missiles. But the earlier brinkmanship between the two nuclear-armed states -- including Trump's threat September 19, 2017 to "totally destroy North Korea" -- had sent tensions soaring. In his book, Woodward portrays the US president as uninformed and impulsive to the point of recklessness, with White Houses aides at times removing documents from his desk to keep him from taking rash actions. Woodward's description of that situation as an "administrative coup d'etat" echoes that of an anonymous senior administration official who spoke, in a recent New York Times op-ed, of a "quiet resistance" to Trump. Asked what he had concluded, Woodward told CBS: "That people better wake up to what's going on." Two Turkish soldiers detained on Greek border: official Athens, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Two Turkish soldiers were detained on the Greek border on Sunday after illegally crossing into the country, a defence source said. "The soldiers are in the process of being returned to Turkey. It will probably happen today," the source told AFP, declining to comment further. The incident near the border town of Feres comes just weeks after the release of two Greek soldiers held in Turkey since March after a similar incident. The Greek soldiers told Turkish prosecutors shortly after their arrest that they had mistakenly crossed the border after getting lost in the fog. The prosecution said the pair testified they entered the Turkish side by tracking footsteps in the snow and filmed images on their mobile phones to send to higher ranking officials. The case strained relations between the neighbours and NATO allies, with Turkey demanding that Greece hand over eight Turkish troops wanted over the July 2016 attempted coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Greece returns Turkish soldiers 'lost' on border Athens, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 Greece on Sunday returned to Turkey two soldiers who mistakenly crossed into its territory after getting lost on the border earlier in the day, the two armies said. The incident near the border town of Feres comes just weeks after the release of two Greek soldiers who spent over five months in a Turkish prison after a similar case of mistaken entry in March. "Two of our soldiers were taken by Greek patrolling officers at around 0800 GMT after they crossed into the other side of the border by mistake while carrying out their duty of tracking and preventing illegal immigrants," the Turkish army said in a statement. "Our personnel who were taken in this incident were returned around 1530 GMT as a result of talks with Greek authorities," it said. The Greek army said the Turkish soldiers were located near the village of Feres on the border, around 150 metres into the country. The Greek and Turkish defence ministers also spoke on the issue, the Greek army said. In March, the two Greek soldiers had also told Turkish prosecutors shortly after their arrest that they had mistakenly crossed the border after getting lost in the fog. The Greek pair had testified they entered the Turkish side by tracking footsteps in the snow and filmed images on their mobile phones to send to higher ranking officials. But Turkish judicial authorities ordered their incarceration in a prison in Edirne to face possible attempted espionage charges in addition to entering a forbidden military zone. The Edirne court subsequently refused several requests for their conditional release, before they were unexpectedly freed on August 15. "In Greece, we do things differently," a defence source told AFP, commenting on the decision to release the Turkish soldiers immediately. The long incarceration of the two Greek soldiers strained relations between the neighbours and NATO allies, with Turkey demanding that Greece hand over eight Turkish troops wanted over the July 2016 attempted coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "In the past, we returned Turkish soldiers who crossed a few metres into Greece whilst on patrol. I expect the Turkish president to do the same," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said at the time. Brazil army chief warns against jailed ex-president's candidacy Rio de Janeiro, Sept 9 (AFP) Sep 09, 2018 The head of Brazil's military has issued a warning against the presidential candidacy of the country's imprisoned former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been banned from standing for office. The warning from General Eduardo Villas Boas came as supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro demonstrated in support of the frontrunner and former army officer, who is convalescing after being stabbed while campaigning. In an interview published Sunday in the Estadao de S.Paulo newspaper, Villas Boas said that "the worst scenario" would be for a president to be elected with a pending court ruling, "removing legitimacy... and further dividing Brazilian society." He took aim at the UN Human Rights Committee, which recently said the left-wing icon could not be barred from elections while his legal appeals are ongoing. It is "is an attempt to violate national sovereignty," Villas Boas said of the committee's position. The general caused a stir in April when his criticism of "impunity" for corrupt politicians was seen as a direct appeal for the Supreme Court to authorize prison for Lula. Brazil's military is highly respected but has kept largely clear of politics since the return of democracy in 1985 after two decades of dictatorship. In Rio de Janeiro, some 2,000 supporters demonstrated at Copacabana beach in support of Bolsonaro on Sunday. - Knife attack - "Bolsonaro was stabbed because he is already elected," Flavio, one of the candidate's sons, told the cheering crowd. He wore the same shirt -- yellow with the words "My party is Brazil" -- that his father had on when he was stabbed in the abdomen on Thursday during a rally in Juiz de Fora. The Bolsonaro supporters said a prayer for the candidate's health and then went into a loud rendition of the Brazilian national anthem. "I am totally sure that he is the only one who can repair this country and end corruption," Nilce Ferreira, wearing a Brazilian national team jersey, said at Copacabana. Another gathering of "Bolsonaristas" -- this one in Brasilia -- was attended by almost a thousand people, according to media estimates, and a third was to take place in Sao Paulo during the afternoon. A left-wing activist knifed Bolsonaro in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais on Thursday, claiming to be on a "mission from God." He is hospitalized in the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, which said Sunday that his condition is improving but that he was still receiving nutrients intravenously. The knife attack was the latest in a series of bizarre twists in Brazil's presidential contest, from which Lula -- the most popular candidate -- was disqualified because he is serving a jail sentence for accepting a bribe, leaving Bolsonaro the frontrunner. Russia is again having problems with the Cossacks and it has become a real back-to-the future moment. Despite 70 years of efforts by the communists to destroy the Cossack community, the Cossacks survived, mainly by concentrating on preserving their culture and not trying to fight the new communist run Soviet Union. By the 1990s there were millions of Russians and Ukrainians who could trace their origins to one of the 13 Cossack hosts" (tribes) that were recognized by the czars over the centuries. The Cossacks are also a uniquely Russian paramilitary force that, it turned out, largely opposed becoming part of the post-Soviet secret police. Although the government has, since the 1990s, aggressively recruited Cossacks for para-military units, most Cossacks opposed this new policy. Now the problem is that the majority of Cossacks are openly criticizing the government for misrepresenting them. Most Cossacks are more interested in obtaining official recognition as a distinct national group along with revival of the control Cossack hosts had over large areas of southeast Russia and the Caucasus. The Cossacks were allowed to be the local government in these areas in return for allegiance to the government (then the monarchy) and willingness to stand ready to mobilize quickly to deal with invasion or local disorder. That is not what the new, post-communist government approved Cossacks are all about. But the post-communist government now decides who is eligible to join a Cossack unit and the people in charge of these selections are not even Cossacks. The current government values loyalty over Cossack heritage and the majority of Cossacks see this as a betrayal of what the Cossacks long stood for (self-reliance, self-rule and self-defense). Originating in southern Russia during the 15th century as informal organizations composed of Russians living on the frontiers of the empire, by the early 18th century czar Peter the Great agreed to give them official recognition and a defined role in Russia society. The Cossacks were, and still are, very nationalist, aggressive, persistent, independent minded and really keen on maintaining or expanding the Russian empire. This is what the Cossacks were doing for three hundred years before the monarchy officially recognized Cossacks as a distinct group. The Cossack people are ethnic Russians with a distinct language and culture (not quite Russian) and strong ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (although they tolerated other religions, especially Moslems and Buddhists). There are currently about seven million Cossacks in Russia, Ukraine, and other portions of the former Soviet Union. Their involvement in Russian wars goes back over 500 years. During Tsarist times, Cossacks formed special cavalry units in the Imperial Russian Army, as well serving, by the 19th century, as instruments of state repression. The Russian Empire had a special arrangement with the Cossacks whereby, in exchange for frontier land, greater political autonomy, and special social status, Cossacks contributed military forces, providing their own horses, weapons, and equipment. The Cossacks were mostly reserve units but kept themselves ready so that when an emergency arose they were almost immediately ready to fight. The Czar and Russian military planners found this capability very useful, especially in border areas. Unique, exclusively Cossack military formations have been a staple of Russian history in one way or another for many, many centuries. Cossacks were also notorious for their willingness to do the czars dirty work, especially in the Caucasus and whenever there were popular uprisings against the czar or determined resistance to Russian rule. The Cossack hosts were associations of freemen for mutual defense. They elected military leaders and were eager to acquire military training and combat experience. Opinions on the actual military value of Cossack units is widely divided, as are opinions of the Cossacks themselves. At many points in Russian military history, the Cossacks proved themselves to be determined and fierce, sometimes to the point of recklessness. They considered themselves warriors and there are examples of entire Cossack units fighting to the death against impossible odds. During the Napoleonic Wars and the French invasion of Russia in 1812 Cossack units, mostly as light cavalry, operated extremely effectively as scouts and raiders, harassing the retreating French army mercilessly. Their performance against regular troops in open battle was less than great, but then that wasn't their role anyway. On the other hand, Cossack units, from the days of Peter the Great (czar 1682-1725) until modern time, have a well-deserved reputation for brutality, anti-Semitism, and looting. They have always been notoriously difficult to control, with Russian officers in past wars becoming frustrated and enraged with drunken, seemingly mutinous Cossack soldiers. During the Russian Civil War, Cossacks fought for both sides, but most frequently for the anti-Communist White forces. Whichever side they choose the Cossacks were still often divisive, unreliable, and preoccupied with looting and general mayhem. Also, many Russians regarded them as potential rebels, given their unruly history, large numbers, and independent-minded spirit. Those familiar with pre-Soviet history know that for a two century period, every major rebellion against the Russian Empire was led by Cossack troops. During the Soviet period, Cossacks were among the many ill-treated minorities, having their distinct culture and language suppressed by the Communist authorities. Cossacks were not allowed to serve in the Soviet military until 1936 and proved particularly effective during World War II, but not as separate Cossack units but as individuals in the Red Army. In the 1990s, with the communists out of power, things began to change. Many Cossacks had become career soldiers during the post-World War II period and some rose to high rank. These men did not hide their Cossack origins but were proud of it and made a point of trying to emulate their ancestors when it came to being professional soldiers. By the late 1990s, these Cossack officers agreed with government suggestions that Cossacks be rehabilitated and again allowed to defend the state. Since the 1990s Cossacks were once again involved in Russian conflicts. In an effort to bolster national pride and recover some of the distinct Russian heritage that was suppressed during 70 years of Soviet rule Russia has officially brought back the formation of exclusively Cossack military units, and in a big way. This has accompanied a general explosion of Cossack culture since the late 1990s. Cossack military schools have been established, where student ages 10 to 17 attend classes in army fatigues and learn military tactics alongside regular academic subjects. An entire Kuban Cossack Army, headquartered in Krasnodar, has been established and is incorporated as a unique, but fully integrated, part of the Russian Army. The Russian Minister for Cossack Affairs, General Gennady Troshev (until his death in 2009) was a Cossack himself and had been instrumental in the remilitarization of the Cossack society. Troshev was not alone and career army officers realized there were a lot of Cossacks among them. Irregular Cossack paramilitary units fought on the Russian/separatist side in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, which saw South Ossetia taken from Georgia and made a de facto part of Russia. Cossack volunteers by the hundreds mobilized during the Georgian attack of South Ossetia and crossed the border to engage Georgian forces. Cossacks in nearby North Ossetia apparently organized a relatively efficient and rapid system for clothing, equipping and transporting their paramilitaries into the breakaway province to feed them into combat. Cossack fighters entered South Ossetia by bus, having been issued combat uniforms and gear on the way to the border, and were issued small arms and light weapons once they arrived at the border. Cossack volunteers formed the second major paramilitary force in the war, the first being the South Ossetian militias. According to reports, the Cossack forces fought with dogged determination. Russian army commanders noted the effectiveness of the Cossacks in Georgia which appears to be why the Cossacks showed up in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) six years later. The big difference with Donbas was that Russian forces soon withdrew from most of Georgia while in Donbas the conflict has gone on for years and is still unresolved. Paramilitary forces and semi-standing armies of "volunteers", of various ethnic and political lines, are a major part of the armed conflicts in Russia and the former Soviet Union, particularly among Slavic ethnicities. Such forces exist in disputed territories between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where a majority of ethnic Armenians live in the unrecognized Republic of Nogorno-Karabakh. The Nogorno-Karabakh Defense Army is the formal defense force of the Nogorno-Karabakh Republic. Similar forces exist in both breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Azkaban. Now Cossacks are trying to settle down in eastern Ukraine (parts of which were once Cossack lands) and that is not going well. By 2015 the Russian policy was to encourage, with cash investments and monthly payments to adult Cossacks willing to undergo military training, the establishment of Cossack communities in the Caucasus. These towns and villages would be in touch with the surrounding non-Cossack population and able, if there were problems with the non-Russian natives, to defend themselves until Russian reinforcements show up. Thats a strategy that is centuries old and Russia sees it as succeeding again. The Caucasus natives have a long-standing dislike for the Cossacks, but at the same time fear and respect them, especially when the Cossacks are acting as paramilitary forces. But in Ukraine, where in Tsarist time the Cossacks often led Ukrainian rebellions against the Russian government, the Cossacks were not as effective. That distant memory is now being reexamined in Moscow and the policies of how to use the Cossacks were reconsidered and in early 2018 it was decided to try reviving some of the czarist traditions by forming all Cossack reserve units as part of the new National Guard. This plan involves moving slowly and first forming small units (platoon and company size), noting how well they perform and then deciding how much, and how fast to expand the program. Whatever the case since the 1990s the Cossacks have been returning to their traditional role as defenders of the Russian empire, a role that was merely interrupted for 70 years by the disastrous Soviet experiment, which collapsed in 1991. In early 2018 Russia formally allowed all-Cossack units to be formed for the National Guard. This was but one of many new government policies meant to restore the Cossack community to their pre-communist role of voluntary militia that was always ready to serve the empire and defend Russia from external and internal enemies. This time around the emphasis was on internal enemies. Cossacks in uniform are now encouraged to compile lists of actually or potentially disloyal Russians. Its the old communist era enemies of the people routine all over again and most Cossacks oppose these practices. This particular assignment was very unpopular with traditional Cossacks. The National Guard was created in 2016 as a paramilitary organization of some 400,000 soldiers and police. This National Guard is officially a rapid reaction force for dealing with terrorism or any other threat to Russia that requires quick and decisive action. There was opposition in parliament to proposed new laws that allowed the National Guard to fire on Russian citizens whenever the government wanted to without warning. In addition, National Guard leaders are to be immune to any prosecution for anything they are ordered to do. This reminds too many people of the kind of power the Soviet era KGB had. But it is also similar to the role the pre-communist Cossacks played in defending the czar and his government. When the Czar was replaced by the Soviet Union a KGB army replaced czarist era secret police and Cossacks. In 2016 the National Guard took most of the best trained and most effective units from the Interior Ministry. That was seen as weakening an existing force that could prevent a new KGB from misbehaving. Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, was now the head of state and he also made the National Guard immune to FSB (the post-Soviet KGB) oversight. Another interesting aspect of the National Guard is that the many para-military groups formed by the pro-Putin government of Chechnya are now considered part of the National Guard. A growing number of Russians are calling the National Guard Putins Private Army. The new Putin version of the KGB army already contains the most militarized police units available to the Interior Ministry (the national police and various riot control, SWAT and special operations forces) as well as investigators and intelligence experts. These personnel are assigned to the new National Guard which swears to protect the president of Russia (currently Putin), not the Russian people. This is how czarist era Cossacks operated. What a coincidence. Thus when Russia ran into trouble taking Donbas (eastern Ukraine) away from Ukraine in 2014 Cossacks in the area were prominent among the Russian nationalists who volunteered to serve as irregulars in Donbas in an effort to restore the area to the empire. One reason for sending more Russian troops into Donbas was to try and get the Cossacks to do what Russia, not Cossack leaders, wanted. Thats not the only problems the Russians are having with Cossacks. Historically the Cossacks were a number of things, including righteous. Although poorly treated by the communists, the Cossacks are believers in collectivism and tend to be very hostile to corrupt leaders they come across. This has caused problems in Russia and again in Donbas because some of the local separatist rebel leaders are, for want of a better term, quite corrupt. Cossacks accused these leaders of stealing Russian aid and taking care of themselves and their armed followers rather than sticking with the goal of an independent Donbas or incorporation into Russia. But by 2015 it was feared that the troublesome and righteous Cossacks were triggering a civil war among the rebels. The Cossacks were welcome arrivals when they showed up in 2014 because the original local Donbas rebels quickly lost their enthusiasm when their uprising triggered a nationalistic fervor throughout Ukraine and inspired Ukrainian troops and armed volunteers to fight a lot harder than the rebels expected. Russia, which sponsored and encouraged the rebels from the start soon found that the only way they could take territory was to send in Russian troops and heavy weapons (tanks, artillery, rocket launchers, missiles). The special operations units (Spetsnaz) were the best for this because these guys knew how to pretend (that they were Ukrainian rebels) and were very effective fighters. But there was not enough of them available and the most effective of the local Russian volunteers were the Cossacks, who proved effective in maintaining the peace among the civilians in the half of Donbas that the Russian backed rebels gained control of before a ceasefire halted offensive operations by both sides. There the situation remains, brought to you in part by Cossacks. Elsewhere in Russia, the Cossacks have been less trouble and more useful. The Cossacks are also being used to try and replace all the Russian inhabitants of the Caucasus who have been driven out by nationalist rebels and Islamic terrorists. Russia had, over the last two centuries, encouraged ethnic Russians to settle in the Caucasus in order to help maintain Russian control of an often-hostile native population. With the collapse of the empire (the Soviet Union) in 1991, there was no money left to subsidize the ethnic Russians in the Caucasus. That, as much as the anti-Russian attitudes of the natives, prompted most Russians to leave. Now the Russian government is using an old solution to get more ethnic Russians back into the Caucasus; its sending in the Cossacks. Unlike the old days, most Cossacks are not interested in becoming armed settlers in areas hostile to Russia. This is especially true in the Caucasus, one part of the old empire that was never completely pacified (and still isnt). Apparently, the Cossacks have become troublesome in ways only the czars really understood and learned to deal with. Home Just In Pokhara: Six persons missing since Saturday boat capsize found dead Pokhara, September 9 Six persons who went missing after a boat capsized in Begnas Lake of Pokhara in Kaski district on Saturday have been found dead on Sunday. With the recovery of these bodies, the death toll in the incident has reached eight. Two personsKrishna Kumari Bajgain and Jamuna Gairewho were rescued from the lake were declared dead during treatment yesterday. Rescuers today found the bodies of Prachin Paudel (5), Manisha Bajgain (17), Shiva Khanal (8), Shankar Khanal (7), Ranjit Gaire (4) and Rabi Khanal (32), according to DSP Rabindra Man Gurung, spokesperson of the District Police Office. Two other personsSapana Khanal and Nisha Paudelhave been rescued. Meanwhile, police have commented that the lives could have been saved if they had put on life jackets. They were heading towards local Kamal Nath Kandels house for a celebration while the accident occurred. #spycam Ex-school principal accused of spycam voyeurism handed over to prosecution Police on Friday transferred to the prosecution a former elementary school principal accused of installing a spy camera in a female teachers' restroom. The Anyang Dongan Police ... Take A Mulligan: The Big 7-0 Here is the $64,000 question. Just exactly how old is old? In my teens, I figured it was about 35 but when I was getting close to that age, it ... The adage that time heals all wounds often applies to stocks left for dead in the wake of some calamitous economic event. Such appears to be the case with the much-heralded death of the iron ore mining boom here in Australia. Risk tolerant investors aware the world has yet to produce an alternative to steel saw opportunity in the falling fortunes of major ASX iron ore producers. Chinese demand that fueled the boom, they reasoned, was unlikely to dry up. Our second largest producer of iron ore, Rio Tinto Limited (RIO) hit an all-time high of $118 dollars per share prior to the GFC and recovered to $89 dollars preceding the demise of the mining boom. By June of this year Rio was trading at $86 dollars, falling to the current price of $70 in the wake of weakening in the price of iron ore in the last few months. Contrasting the share price performance of Rio against the third largest iron ore producer, pure play Fortescue Metals (FMG) points to a new opportunity for risk takers. Both stocks saw strong performance as the price of iron ore improved in 2016 but parted company in the second quarter of 2017. In fairness to FMG, Rio is diversified although revenues from iron ore are not quite double the total amount of the companys other operations. >> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter If we are indeed witnessing the nadir of American politicsor at least its accelerating declinewe should listen closely to Augustine. The Augustine Option, meaning a life lived in the final years of Rome, can offer key insights into how we should understand and address these tumultuous times. To the continued debate over whether religious Americans should pursue a Benedict or Dominic option, I propose adding a third historic churchman to the mix: Saint Augustine. This is not because I have some alternative Augustinian vision for shaping the future of Christianity in the West (though perhaps some scholar of Augustine should propose one!). Indeed, Im not the first to suggest an Augustine Optionthat honor goes to the Catholic archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput. Rather, I would offer that the complexities and paradoxes of Augustine and his writings contain much that would benefit our current political and cultural distemper. America would do well to return to his person and wisdom. Augustine speaks effectively to a broad diversity of audiences. He embodies both sophisticated urbanism and provincialism. An ethnic Berber born and raised in Numidia (modern-day Algeria), he spent much of his career in Milan among the elites of the late Roman Empire. He drank deeply from pagan literature and philosophy as a Manichean and Neo-Platonist, yet he became a Catholic. He was self-professedly African yet also thoroughly European. He came into the world in the waning years of the Roman Empire (354 A.D.), was one of the Churchs most respected and outspoken leaders when Rome was sacked by a mercenary Visigoth army (410 A.D.), and died as Vandal barbarians stormed Hippo, the seat of his episcopate (430 A.D.). The diversity of his audience is also evident in the peculiar place he holds in Christian and Western self-identity. He is, of course, beloved by the Catholic Church, which not only annually celebrates his feast day, but routinely cites his theological writings to substantiate its doctrines. Indeed, there is even a Catholic religious order named after him, the Augustinians. Martin Luther, the lightning rod of the Reformation, was himself an Augustinian monk. This is perhaps why Augustine also looms large in Protestantism: Lutherans and Calvinists, among others, carefully study and appreciate his doctrine of grace and reflections on predestination. His artful Confessions, the first spiritual autobiography in Christian history, is beloved by Christians (and non-Christians) of all stripes. Even Jewish columnist David Brooks invokes Augustine. Adherents of both the right and the left call Augustine a spiritual and intellectual mentor. Unsurprisingly, a wide diversity of conservativesfrom Eric Voegelin to Michael Gerson, and even some libertarianspositively cite him. More interesting is the respect hes earned from liberals, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Washington Post columnists E.J. Dionne and Elizabeth Bruenig. Bruenigs connection to the theologian is especially interestingshe cites him as the preeminent influence on her decision to convert to Catholicism. Augustines thought is frequently audible in her editorial musings. What, then, are the lessons that we can learn from Augustine in 2018? As hinted at above, he lived in disastrous times that overlap with our own, as he witnessed the erosion and then collapse of the late Roman Empire. He also encountered strong heretical movements in North Africa that threatened to tear the early Church apart. Augustine met both of these challenges head-on. After the pillaging of Rome, he penned the masterful City of God, which defended Christianity against pagan claims that the new religion was the reason for Romes fall. It also provided a religio-political vision that would prove foundational in the remaking of the West from Romes ashes. His writings and efforts against the Donatist hereticswho taught that clergy must be faultless for the sacraments to be validproved fundamental in reversing their influence. In the face of every challenge, Augustine offered no retreat, and indeed was often on the offensive. This included in his own personal life, where he overcame his sexual demons. From a man who earlier in life asked God to grant him chastity but not yet, he is famous for his latter years of diligent purity, a model quite appropriate for clergy in this time of scandal. Though he was pugnacious, Augustine was ever the gentleman. This is evident in his correspondence with another larger-than-life Christian of the fifth century, Saint Jerome. The two sparred over numerous issuesJeromes plans to translate Scripture into Latin (what became the Vulgate), the contents of the Biblical canon, and Biblical interpretation, to name but a few. The often testy Jerome could be arrogant and aggressive in his responses to Augustine. He called Augustine a youth in the field of scripture, one so bold as to challenge an old man, and seek[ing] a reputation for ones own name by attacking illustrious persons. Augustine never returned Jeromes insults, instead praising his interlocutor and deferring to his authority. Would that we had more pundits who evinced such charity in our own day! Augustines intellectual prowess was matched by his profound, intimate spirituality, which has led many to name him one of the greatest spiritual writers in Church history. His Confessions is perhaps the most personal, emotively charged spiritual reflection yet written in the Christian faith. The recounting of his spiritual journey has stood the test of time, converting (and re-converting) readers to Christianity for almost 1,500 years. Consider one of the more famous excerpts from the classic text: Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours. These are the words of an expert contemplative, pushing theological reflection to the heights of spiritual ecstasy. One of the most memorized extra-biblical sentences in Christian thought is found at the beginning of Confessions, Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee. If we are indeed witnessing the nadir of American politicsor at least its accelerating declinewe should listen closely to Augustine. The Augustine Option, meaning a life lived in the final years of Rome, can offer key insights into how we should understand and address these tumultuous times. Just as Augustine remained deeply invested in the political and religious debates of his dayperceiving himself as both Roman and Christianso should we lean in to the distemper of our day by remaining engaged, even if shouted down or ridiculed. Augustine was also untiring in his commitment to his fellow citizens and Christians, exemplified in great acts of charity while bishop of Hippo. His biographer Possidius describes him as eating sparingly, working tirelessly, despising gossip, shunning temptations of the flesh, and exercising prudence in the financial stewardship of his see. Augustine picked many fights he thought worth the trouble, but he maintained humility and charity. Late in life he even penned a manuscript correcting errors in his earlier writings! The man was brilliantreligious scholar Robert Louis Wilken has argued that Augustine was probably the most intelligent man in the late Roman Empireyet he was also a contemplative and mystic. Strength and poise, charity and humility, contemplation and introspection: these are the traits of Saint Augustine, and these are what we may hope to attain if we thoughtfully consult him. Thus should we take same advice offered to an unconverted Augustine one day while he sat beneath a fig tree: tolle legetake up and read. Republished with gracious permission from the American Conservative (August 2018). The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now. The featured image is The Triumph of Saint Augustine (1664) by Claudio Coello courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. A film that follows two friends through four nightmarish years of the Syrian civil war has lifted some of the top prizes at the Venice film festival, which ends Saturday. "Still Recording", a documentary by Ghiath Ayoub and Saeed Al Batal, records what happened to two idealistic art students after they were swept up in the fervour of the Syrian revolution. It picked up two awards at Venice Critics' Week. Friends Saeed and Milad leave Damascus and go to Douma in 2011, a suburb under rebel control, to set up a radio station and recording studio. There they struggle to keep a flicker of hope and creativity alive as they endure fighting, siege and famine. Ayoub and Al Batal, who shot 500 hours of footage, told AFP that with so little reporting coming out of Syria it was important to bear witness. "We started doing this because there wasn't, and still isn't, an efficient working media in Syria because it's not allowed to enter and if it is, it's under the control of the regime," said Al Batal. "Art is nothing if it is not resistance, even if there isn't revolution... it is resistance against a huge amount of emotions you have got inside you. "Emotions need to come out and expressing them through art can do that," he added. Read also: Zhang Yimou unleashes Shakespearean martial arts epic in Venice The win comes as the Syrian regime and its Russian allies are preparing to launch an assault on Idlib, the northern province that is the last major stronghold of the rebel and jihadist groups which have been trying to overthrow Bashar al-Assad for the past seven years. Al Batal said the situation in Syria "is more dangerous than ever now" because the Russian military are more ruthless than Assad's badly trained soldiers. "They know where to hit, and how to hit hard," said Al Batal, who said the "media army behind them" was the same. No animal fur will be used on the catwalk at London Fashion Week, which starts next Thursday, following a survey of the attitudes of leading designers, the British Fashion Council (BFC) said Friday. The survey results reflected "a cultural change based on ideals and choices made by designer businesses, international brands as well as consumer sentiment," the council said in a statement. In February, the event was hit by demonstrations by animal rights groups chanting slogans such as: "You have blood on your hands" and "Shame on London Fashion Week". Read also: Real fur products marketed as fake in UK: Reports Friday's announcement followed British luxury fashion group Burberry's decision Thursday to stop using real fur and Angora rabbit hair in its clothes. Activists praised the move, with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) tweeting: "Well done to the designers showing at #LFW for ditching fur this season." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 8 2018 About 1,000 businesspeople and government representatives from Asia, Europe and the United States are expected to gather in Bali to attend an international conference on the creative economy in November this year. The World Conference on Creative Economy, which will be themed Inclusively Creative, is slated to take place on Nov. 6 to 8 at the Nusa Dua Convention Center, Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) director for international relations Candra Negara said in Jakarta on Wednesday. The first day of the conference will be an invitation-only assembly attended by high-ranking government officials from around the world, whereas the second and third days will be public events offering talk shows and exhibitions. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dyaning Pangestika & Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura Sun, September 9, 2018 11:04 1153 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877210898 1 National Papua,Poland,Polri,Jokowi,Tito-Karnavian,Yosepha-Alomang Free Human rights activists have demanded the immediate release of Papuan student Simon Carlos Magal and Polish citizen Jakub Fabian Skrzypski, who have been detained by the Wamena Police over illegal arms deal allegations. Skrzypski was arrested in Wamena on Aug. 26, followed by Simon on Sept. 1. According to Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. AM Kamal, police found evidence that showed the two men had been in communication since 2016 to discuss the purchase of firearms for the West Papua Liberation Army. His [Simons] arrest was done accordingly, as stipulated in legal procedures, and everyone is able to monitor the case, he told The Jakarta Post last week. Kamal said police found several videos and pictures on Skrzypskis cell phone that depicted him posing with members of the armed group while holding a firearm. Based on the evidence, police suspected Skrzypski had been secretly training the West Papua Liberation Army on how to use firearms. Both Simon and Skrzypski are subject to treason charges and are awaiting trial. The United Kingdom-based organization TAPOL has demanded the immediate release of Simon and Skrzypski and urge a fair trial. According to a statement published on TAPOLs website, Skrzypski is an avid extreme traveler with a huge passion for learning other cultures, language, as well as humanitarian issues. Prior to his visit to West Papua, Skrzypski previously visited several countries such as Armenia, Myanmar and Iraq to learn about their respective cultures and histories. TAPOL also found that this was not the first time Skrzypski had visited and interacted with an armed independence group. In Spring 2017, the Polish man visited the Kurdish Liberation Army in Iraq. We believe that [Simon] has simply been dragged in by the actions of Mr. Skrzypski. Our findings show that Mr. Skrzypski is merely a tourist who may have been acting recklessly and irresponsibly in a conflict area, TAPOL writes on its website. TAPOL also found that two West Papuans, identified as EW and AW, had been arrested for the alleged possession of ammunition at a location similar to where Skrzypskis arrest had taken place. According to the human rights organization, a local human rights defender identified as GK believes there is confusion surrounding the case. We call on the Indonesian government to stop using highly problematic treason charges that have long been used in excess to both intimidate peaceful dissent and to criminalize rights to the freedom of expression, TAPOL added on its statement. Simons relative, Yosepha Alomang, and the director of Human Rights and Anti-Violence Association (Yahamak), said a warrant had not bee issued prior to his arrest. Papuan human rights lawyer Gustaf Kawer told the Associated Press recently that Skrzypski had insisted he was a tourist and did not know the people police say he was linked to. Kawer visited Skrzypski on behalf of the Association of Human Rights Lawyers in Papua but the foreigner had not received any formal legal representation. Quoting Kawer, AP said the 39-year-old is being held in an inadequately ventilated cell, given poor food and hasnt been able to contact family or change his clothes. The Polish Foreign Ministry has filed a request with the Indonesian government to be allowed to see the detained Polish citizen, AP reported on Aug. 29. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gael Branchereau (Agence France-Presse) Stockholm Sun, September 9, 2018 11:20 1153 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877211861 2 World Sweden,Far-Right,election Free Swedes go to the polls in legislative elections Sunday, with the far-right expected to post a record score as voters unhappy about immigration punish one of the few remaining left-wing governments in Europe. Polling institutes have suggested support for the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD) could tick in anywhere between 16 and 25 percent, giving it significant influence and making it impossible to predict the make-up of the next government. The party with roots in the neo-Nazi movement has called the arrival of almost 400,000 asylum seekers since 2012 a threat to Swedish culture, and claims they are straining Sweden's generous welfare state. The traditionally two biggest parties, the Social Democrats and the conservative Moderates, were together predicted to win around 40 percent of votes, down by 10 percentage points from the last elections in 2014. Candidates from the eight parties campaigned down to the wire on Saturday, targeting in particular the 20 percent of the 7.5 million eligible voters believed to still be undecided, according to pollsters. "I'm still hesitating between the Moderates and SD. SD is quite close to the Moderates but they're a little more clear in what they want. They're more direct," Elias, an 18-year-old voting in his first election, told AFP. Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has repeatedly called the legislative elections a "referendum on the future of the welfare state". But the far-right has presented it as a vote on immigration and integration, after Sweden took in more than 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone, a per capita record in Europe. On the eve of the election, Lofven condemned "the hateful forces" in Sweden. He urged voters to "think about how they wanted to use their time on Earth", calling on them to "stand on the right side of history". Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson meanwhile said that after the election, Sweden would need "a strong cross-bloc cooperation to isolate the forces... pushing for Sweden to withdraw from international cooperation". In southern Sweden, an SD stronghold, party leader Jimmie Akesson campaigned among throngs of supporters as detractors booed him and shouted "No racists on our streets!" "We're now competing against the Social Democrats and Moderates to become the biggest party in the country," he said, dismissing the protesters as "communists". Polling stations open across the country at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and close at 8:00 pm, with first estimates expected soon afterwards. Final results are due before midnight (2200 GMT), but the composition of the next government may not be known for weeks. Neither Lofven's "red-green" bloc nor the opposition centre-right four-party Alliance (Moderates, Centre, Liberals and Christian Democrats) were expected to win a majority in parliament. Lengthy negotiations will be needed to build a majority, or at least a minority that won't be toppled by the opposite side. Lofven, whose minority government made up of the Social Democrats and the Greens with the informal support of the ex-communist Left Party, has managed to hang onto power by sealing deals with the right-wing on energy and migration, among other things. But the opposition is intent on ousting Lofven, with some Moderates willing to go so far as to put an end to SD's pariah status and open negotiations with them. That could prove fatal for the Alliance, with the Liberal and Centre parties repeatedly ruling out a deal with "the devil", as Akesson occasionally calls himself. In an interview with AFP during the campaign, Akesson stressed he would "lay down his terms" after the election, citing immigration policy, crime-fighting and health care as priorities. He sparked an outcry during a televised debate on Friday when he said foreigners had more difficulty finding jobs "because they're not Swedes". "They don't fit in in Sweden and of course then it's hard to find a job." That prompted Centre Party leader Annie Loof to bang her fist on her podium, retorting angrily: "How can you talk that way?!" Akesson's remarks, and the raw tone unusual in Swedish debates, triggered a wave of criticism in media and political spheres. Meanwhile, refugee aid associations said they have noted "anxiety" among asylum seekers over the far-right's surge. "I've lived here for almost three years, I've learned the language. What will happen to me if they enter government or gain influence," asked Mohammad, an 18-year-old Afghan refugee who spoke perfect Swedish when interviewed by AFP. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, September 9, 2018 09:51 1153 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087720c922 4 City land-mafia,land,jakarta Free The Jakarta administration continues to face land disputes, with the city battling a lawsuit over land owned by the forestry agency recently. The lawsuit, filed by Ali Effendy and several others, claims ownership over 7.4 hectares owned by the Jakarta Forestry Agency in Srengseng, Kembangan, West Jakarta. The West Jakarta District Court initially ruled in Alis favor. The ruling was then reportedly sent to the forestry agency instead of the Jakarta legal bureau, which had been handling the dispute, resulting in the late filing of an appeal by the latter. Why did the court send the letter to the forestry agency instead of us? the bureaus legal aid division head, Nur Fadjar, said as reported by Tempo on Friday. The city is facing 22 land dispute cases, according to the bureaus data. Jakarta lost 178,987-square-meters of land from 2008 to 2016 in the courts, including 11,682-sq m on Jl. Bintaro Puspita in South Jakarta that once belonged to the environment agency, 4,500-sq m and a building on Jl. Setu, East Jakarta, as well as 2,236-sq m and a building on Jl. Juanda III, Central Jakarta. (gis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, September 9, 2018 14:01 1153 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877218d89 1 National Nunukan,prison,inmates Free Inmates from Sei Jepun Penitentiary in Nunukan, North Kalimantan, have tied the knot inside the prison after seeing each other during recess. Nunukan warden Raden Nur Wulan Hadi said on Friday that the two fell in love and decided to get married behind bars. They would often send greetings to each other, she said as quoted by kompas.com. Wearing complete wedding attire, M, 25, and AC, 30, married in the nearby Religious Affairs Office (KUA) under the watchful eyes of prison guards. After saying their vows, the happy couple was given a few minutes to take pictures with the Nunukan regency Islamic center in the background. However, the couple must immediately go back to their cells without having the chance to spend the night together as newlyweds. Both M and AC are serving sentences for drug-related cases. M is serving a 10-year sentence, while AC is serving an eight-year sentence. The couple is not the first to wed inside prison walls. In 2016, inmates from Ponorogo State Penitentiary in East Java also wed during their incarceration after meeting each other in the prisons phone room. (ris/ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, September 9, 2018 17:24 1153 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087721d3c0 1 City school,Education,South-Jakarta,students,brawl Free The South Jakarta administration is planning to monitor places frequented by students after school hours following a deadly brawl in which a 16-year-old student was killed in Kebayoran Lama on Sept. 1. South Jakarta Mayor Arifin said mapping the students hang out places was necessary to prevent brawls. Its not that we want to prohibit them from hanging out. We just dont want to fail in [preventing] brawls, Arifin said on Saturday as quoted by tempo.co. A student identified only as AH of SMA Muhammadiyah 15 Slipi senior high school in West Jakarta was killed during a brawl that allegedly involved students from SMA 32, Madrasah Annajah and SMA Moh. Husni Thamrin in South Tangerang. The South Jakarta administration held a meeting with subdistrict and district officials, the education agency, the police and public order officers to talk about brawl prevention measures. All stakeholders agreed to prevent the brawls by mapping out the hangout places, Arifin added. He went on to suggest that parents pay attention to their children's' activities given that the brawl happened on the weekend. Meanwhile, South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Indra Jafar said the police had named 10 suspects who were allegedly involved in the brawl. Nine of them were below 18 years old, he said. (cal/ahw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Crispian Balmer (Reuters) Rome, Italy Sun, September 9, 2018 21:29 1152 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877220f97 2 World #DonaldTrump,#NewYorkTimes,DonaldTrump,NewYorkTimes,editorial,Steve-Bannon Free US President Donald Trump is facing a "coup", former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told Reuters, pointing to an anonymous column in the New York Times detailing resistance within the Trump administration. "What you saw the other day was as serious as it can get. This is a direct attack on the institutions," Bannon said during a flying visit to Italy. "This is a coup, okay". The column was published on Wednesday and was written by an unnamed senior administration official, the New York Times said. The writer slammed Trump's "amorality" and said: "Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations." Bannon said the last time a U.S. president had been challenged in such a fashion was during the American Civil War when General George B. McClellan clashed with the then president, Abraham Lincoln. "This is a crisis. The country has only ever had such a crisis in the summer of 1862 when General McClellan and the senior generals, all Democrats in the Union Army, deemed that Abraham Lincoln was not fit and not competent to be commander in chief," Bannon said. Trump said on Friday the U.S. Justice Department should find out who wrote the piece, adding that it was an issue of national security. Bannon was fired by Trump in August, 2017 after he fell out with the president's more mainstream advisers over his efforts to bend the Republican party to his own economic nationalist agenda. Bannon said he had resigned from his post and told CBS television at the time that the "Republican establishment" was looking to nullify the 2016 election and neuter Trump. "There is a cabal of Republic establishment figures who believe Donald Trump is not fit to be president of the United States. This is a crisis," Bannon said in Rome. "I am not a conspiracy guy ... I have said there is no deep state. It is an in-your-face state." He warned liberal progressives within the Democratic Party, such as Bernie Sanders, not to take any pleasure in the White House turmoil. "Don't think it will be any different if you take power. Because this is the established order dictating that they know better than the people," he said. Paris has claimed the honor of being home to the worlds top museum but its not the Louvre. In TripAdvisors annual Travellers Choice Awards for Museums, the Musee dOrsay took the top spot for 2018, far ahead of the worlds most visited museum, the Louvre, which is ranked seventh. The TripAdvisor results show that popularity doesnt always equal likeability. According to the 2017 Theme Index and Museum report, around 8.1 million people visited the Louvre last year, making it the most visited museum in the world. The report credited the 10% increase in visits over 2016 to the tourism recovery following terrorist attacks and security concerns in Paris. But after applying an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for museums around the world over a 12-month period, Orsay emerged the global winner on TripAdvisors list, with many fans describing it as less overwhelming and crowded than the Louvre. Read also: Jakpost guide to private museums After Orsay, New Yorks National 9/11 Memorial and Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art round out the podium. Overall, the top 10 list is dominated by museums in Europe. Here are TripAdvisors Travellers Choice Awards for top museums: 1. Musee dOrsay Paris, France 2. The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum New York City, New York 3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City, New York 4. The British Museum London 5. Prado National Museum Madrid, Spain 6. Acropolis Museum Athens, Greece 7. Louvre Museum Paris, France 8. The National WWII Museum New Orleans, Louisiana 9. National Museum of Anthropology Mexico City, Mexico 10. War Remnants Museum Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Indonesia has the biggest mangrove ecosystem in Southeast Asia, and it has drawn travelers, non-governmental organizations and researchers to come and observe. It is relatively easy for travelers to enjoy the beauty of these mangrove ecosystems in the coastal areas, considering that Jakarta and other island towns have mangrove forests with various characteristics. Apart from preventing erosion, mangrove forests in Indonesia often serve as destinations for educational programs on nature or eco-tourism. Kompas.com reported that while mangroves can become an ingredient for making soap, creative souvenirs, snacks and even cakes, there havent been many mangrove caretaker groups that make those products and generate economic value. As the country with the biggest mangrove habitat in Southeast Asia, Indonesia should be able to produce internationally acclaimed mangrove products, said Vola, adviser of the Mantehage Mangrove group from Bunaken National Park in North Sulawesi at the commemoration of National Nature Conservation Day (HKAN) in Bitung, North Sulawesi, on Aug. 29. Read also: Bunaken to present mangrove tourism on Mantehage island Vola thinks that research may find that all parts of mangroves are useful, from its fruit and bark to its leaves and roots. Here in Bunaken we have been able to make mangrove liquid bath soap, cookies, nuts and even flour, Vola was quoted as saying by KompasTravel. Vola went on to say that the type of mangrove used to make liquid soap is soneratia alba, which has fewer seeds. The production process includes grating, boiling and extraction of its essence for the soap. Meanwhile, gruguera gymnorisa has equally thick meat as the former, with a more palatable taste. This type of mangrove could, therefore, be ready to eat or used to make snacks and cookies. As for cakes and flour, Vola recommends soneratia alba mangrove as ingredient. This type of mangrove tends to be drier, and it can be processed to make flour for baking cakes. After the cake is baked, we can add mangrove fruits and nuts on top of it as garnishes, said Vola. (mut) The first all-Asian cast in Hollywood since The Joy Luck Club (1993) has been getting a lot of buzz in the media and rightfully so for being a milestone in on-screen representation, but we should be careful to qualify the milestone we are celebrating. Crazy Rich Asians, while a fun rom-com, certainly isnt perfect in its representation, and its important to flag up its shortcomings without detracting from its successes. The issues are succinctly summed up in the title itself, so lets break it down: Crazy Rich The premise of the film is, of course, that Chinese-American Rachel Chu (Constance Wu)s boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) belongs to the wealthiest family in Singapore, and she must win them over on their visit there. The Young familys wealth is their defining characteristic. Rachel, raised in America by a poor single mother, isnt Henrys mother (Michelle Yeoh)s idea of a perfect match for her perfect son. The audience knows that Rachel is perfect for him; its just up to her to convince his mother that shes suitable a pretty standard rom-com trope. However, whats missing from the film is the crazy rich Young family proving themselves to the audience. Michelle Yeohs icy performance is spectacular, and the climactic scene between her and Rachel is emotive indeed, but the happy ending comes when Rachel is accepted into the crazy rich family with their crazy rich lifestyle ... and thats the end of that. Throughout the film, its made clear that theres a difference between classy-rich and tacky-rich. The bachelor and bachelorette parties are tacky and distasteful even Rachels friend Peik Lin (Awkwafina)s house and family are shown to be nouveau-riche, and therefore subject to be laughed at. The Young family, however, though their parties are extravagant to the extreme, are portrayed as the sort of rich its admirable to be. The sort of rich that would be a happy ending. One of Henrys cousins, Astrid (Gemma Chan) undergoes a subplot with the most ludicrous of climaxes. Her extreme wealth is tempered when she is introduced by showing that she is kind to children - just to give the audience something to root for in this woman who seemingly has the perfect life. She hides her many extravagant purchases from her tech start-up husband so as not to make him feel inadequate already, alarm bells should be ringing. Long story short, she finds out hes cheating on her, and makes the decision to leave him. Thats all fair enough, but her moment of empowerment comes when she fishes out some million dollar earrings from where shed hidden them, and defiantly puts them on. Shes rich, goddammit, and she shouldnt have to hide that. Thats the message of this empowered moment. Now, I dont know about you, but that seems pretty crazy to me. Asians The all-Asian cast is something empowering for East-Asian diaspora in the West, but the setting for this particular story is Singapore a multi-racial state, with a significant population of Indian and native Malay people who are racially discriminated against by the Chinese majority. Indian-Singaporean anti-racism activist Sangeeta Thanapal explains the importance of this context here: None of this detracts from the significance of this film in in the context of East-Asian representation in Hollywood the film has still proven that an all Asian cast can smash the box-office, the cast themselves will doubtless get more job opportunities because of it, it will still change minds and hearts about what and who Asians can be, and help diaspora communities feel represented. But global context is important. The only dark skinned faces seen in the film are Astrids maids and the Indian guards, sickeningly dressed in colonial costume. None of these people speak, or have any impact on the story they are accessories, scenery, anything but people. Distasteful comparisons with Black Panther aside, Awkwafinas ridiculous and offensive blaccent has angered people since the trailer dropped. While this film made leaps for East Asian representation, it threw other minorities under the bus along the way. Heres to hoping that by speaking out about it, the confirmed sequel wont make the same mistakes. Crazy Rich Asians arrives in UK cinemas on September 14th. To the Editor: With the publication of the commentary piece, Watchdog role of an independent press is worth defending, The News-Herald joined other news organizations in editorially circling the wagons in response to a perceived threat to press freedom in this country. Exactly, how have President Trumps tweets and verbal push back against a monolithic, agenda driven, biased news media threatened freedom of the press and been dangerous for our democracy? Have the editorial boards of the various newspapers critical of the president been suppressed or silenced? Which of these newspapers have been forced to stop printing? Which news channels have lost their FCC licenses and stopped broadcasting? Are news organizations so arrogant that they truly believe that the First Amendment and concept of a free press necessarily assign them a special status which exempts them from any criticism or rebuttal no matter how inaccurate, prejudicial, unfair, vindictive or personal their reporting may be? Far from being neutral, objective purveyors of facts, newspapers continually seek to influence and shape the opinions of their readers. The ideologically driven agendas and biases of the managerial and editorial staffs trickle down to the journalists and permeate news reporting. This is reflected in what gets reported and, more importantly, how it gets reported; as well as, what doesnt get reported. The New York Times, along with the Washington Post and Associated Press, appear to set the direction and tone for the national news cycle that other newspapers dutifully follow. With the exception of local stories, there are few discernible differences in the reporting style or content of the news articles that appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, Detroit Free Press, or, fill-in-the-blank metropolitan newspaper. With very rare exception, these newspapers also seem to march in lock-step to the loud drumbeat of an anti-Trump bias. Yet, in spite of your editorial assertion of a crusade against a free and independent press by President Trump, the press is somehow still able to continue operation and keep up their relentless, frenzied criticism of the president and his administration without any interference or interruption. If the First Amendment accords news organizations freedom of the press and the ability to publish their news stories, it also accords President Trump freedom of speech and the ability to respond to his critics and the assertions put forth by these news organizations no matter how intense or unprecedented The News-Herald may consider them. Your editorial claimed that journalists are not the Enemy of the People.' The inference would seem to be that in President Trumps eyes, journalists are the so-called enemy. His exact statement, which I heard myself, was that fake news is the enemy of the people. He didnt say anything about journalists. The editorial further stated that hundreds of news organizations united to defend the nations independent free press in editorials and columns. Since absolutely no actions have been undertaken or even attempted to suppress any news outlet, these editorials and columns appear to represent a coordinated effort designed to stir up anti-Trump sentiment by promoting a self-serving and disingenuous narrative that Donald Trump represents a looming threat to press freedom in this country. Philip Husak Southgate It is a good idea for a country to obtain debt in order to build infrastructure and reduce poverty, ignorance, disease, etc. However, obtaining a loan (for example, a $3.4 billion to build roads in Liberia) without the source of repayment is not prudent. This is because our government cannot find money to pay BACK ITS OLD DEBT ($800M) AND REDUCE YEARLY BUDGETARY DEFICITS. Seeking a new debt might compel the country to collect more taxes, sell lucrative at a fire sale (i.e., sale at an unfavorable discount), and or borrow additional debt to pay the old debt. This is the lesson of many countries such as Great British. In the 1900s, the British ended the war with a national debt of 250M, which generated a yearly interest of over 9.5M (3.8 percent). It could not find money. Subsequently, it increased its citizens taxes by twenty percent and begged the US to cancel $20M in debt, which the US did. Nonetheless, it obtained a new loan of $3.75B, an economic arrangement that was onerous to the country. The Pro-Poor Government has yet to provide the revenue and cost analysis of each of the three different loans (i.e., $419M from Eton, $536M from EBOMAF, and $1B from the World Bank and its allies). And now that Mr. Samuel Tweah, the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Development, has admitted that the Pro-Poor Government did not perform due diligence in verifying the source of the of $419M and $536M, should Liberians assume that the Pro-Poor Governments economic approach is good for the country? Predictably, the Pro-Poor Government has not put a reasonable time into determining how our country will pay back the new loan. For example, the Minister of Information, Tourism, and Cultural, Mr. Eugene Nagbes attempt to answer questions about the feasibility of the new loan or the intended combined loan of $3.4B, raised more questions than answer. At the August 1, 2018, Press Conference, he stated that the government had relied on authoritative studies conducted by international institutions during the previous regime and the Weah government will not re-invent the wheels. Is the Weahs adviser implying that factors considered by the World Banks authorities in preparing the feasibility studies for the $500M loan are not different from the factors the Etons technical staff and, or EBOMAFs technical would include in their feasibility studies? Also, is the adviser indicating that economic factors of six months, one year or two years are useful now without any adjustments? More so, is the Pro-Poor Government asking Liberians to have trust and accept the products of the previous government that it (i.e., CDC Party) had accused of being incompetent and corrupt? If yes, why did President George Weah reject former President Ellen Johnson Sirleafs financial report that Liberia was not broke because it had the US $144 million? Better yet, shouldnt the government publish feasibility studies of its road project to the public? If tariff tax revenue is the source of future revenue within the feasibility studies, the tariff chart below based on information from the revised 2018 Tariff Tax Law below indicates that such a prediction might not be possible because of politics. ITEM IMPORT TAX RATE GOODS & SERVICE TAX RATE EXCISE TAX RATE Overage Tax TOTAL TAX RATE MEAT: HAM, PIG POULTRY, SHEEP 5% 10% 15% TUNA, SALMON, CATFISH, SWAORDFISH, ET 5% 10% 15% FISH FILLETS & MEAT 15% 10% 25% HOUSEHOLD SOAPS 15% 10% 25% MEDICATED SOAPS 10% 10% 20% BED LINEN & TABLE LINEN 20% 10% 30% CURTAINS 20% 10% 10% 40% LIQUEDFIED, PROPANE 10% 10% 7% 27% CUFF-LINKS & STUDS 15% 10% 10% 37% Cars: Not more than 10 years 13% 10% 20% Not More than 15 years 13% 10% 10% 37% Not More than 20 years 13% 10% 20% 43% Not more than 25 years 13% 10% 30% 57% https://www.usitc.gov/publications/other/centennial_book/chapter2.pdf Currently, Liberians are paying cost plus a fifteen percent (15%) tariff for meat or fish, twenty-five percent (25%) tariff for household soap, thirty percent (30%) tariff for bed linen, etc., for example. So, will the government increase tariff to pay for the new loans if it has no other options? Tariff revenue can be good for government. In fact, President Donald Trump of the United States of America is now using revenue generated from additional tariff to reduce Americas $20 trillion debt, according to Twitter. Mr. Trump stated that he will use tariffs to pay down large amounts of the $21 Trillion in debt, although the original idea was to create jobs and improve trade. In the case of Liberia, tariff tax rates are not only high, but the government generates about 60% of its revenue from the tariff, excise tax, and other users taxes. Therefore, if an increase in consumers tax rates is not politically possible, should the Pro-Poor government borrow the idea of generating revenue from the 2017 former Presidential candidate, Mr. Alexander Cummings? During the Liberian Presidential debate, Mr. Cummings stated that he would generate $1 billion revenue to $2 billion in revenue. However, he did not explain how his administration will increase government revenue from $500 million to $1 billion or $2 billion. Mathematically, it would be difficult to generate $1 billion revenue based primarily on tariff and excise taxes even if the growth of Liberias economy would increase from 4% (i.e., according to IMF estimate) to 25%. This is because a 50% increase in the gross domestic product of $3 billion (i.e., IMF new estimate as per the June 8, 2018 Report) would be $4.5 billion. For instance, using a steep tax rate of 20% for payroll, real estate, tariff, excise, etc. a government would generate $900 million revenue, short of the $1 billion revenue. Therefore, if the government cannot increase the tariff tax rate nor expand its gross national product from 4% to 50%, is there an alternative? Well, the government could institute an economic policy similar to the economic policy of Botswana or Japan, or Germany, etc. Such an economic policy would allow the government to receive a significant portion of revenue from profit-making activities and, or natural resources, in addition to corporate tax, payroll tax, tariff tax, excise tax, etc. Is such a radical approach possible? I would not bet on it. This is because many Liberian elites, especially those elites who are benefiting from the gold, diamonds, real estate, etc., will be against any policy that reduces their share of the profits. Additionally, expatriates might be against any economic policy (i.e., improving Liberia revenue intake) that reduces their influence in the countrys affairs. Besides my view that none of the policies is feasible, past experiences indicate that a significant portion of the loan might end up in personal bank accounts. Alternatively, the new loan might be redirected to pay old debts, rather than constructing roads. The US former President, Mr. Barack Obama ended up paying old debts with the $831B and did not build roads, etc., as required by the Recovery 2008 Act. How the $800B stimulus failed - New York Post. I surmise that the general public is aware that your government inherited a government a financial Mess. And unfortunately, Liberians are overtaxed as per the chart above. So, instead of rushing to get more loans without a revenue and cost analysis, the government should begin to deal with the get-rich-quick mentality, which has permeated the Liberian society. This is because it might be a challenge for any leader to implement an effective program in Liberia, including, but not limited to, investing in capital-intensive projects such as your vision of Road Connectivity, if honesty, hardworking attitude or patriotism is not restored within our society. Beginning 2004 to the date of the August 26, 2018 article about BRACs $330 loan lent to 27,010 clients, I have come across many petty retailers. I interacted with them at Red-Light in Paynesville, at ELWA Junction in Paynesville; at Caldwell Junction, and on Randall Street in Monrovia, Monsterrado County in 2004, 2013, 2017 and 2018. I bought goods from them in Kakata, Margibi County; Gbarnga, Bong County; and Ganta, Nimba County in 2013 and 2018; I observed them in Zwedru, Grand Geddeh County in 2013, and I talked with a few of them in Zorzor, Lofa County in 2018. They sell a few merchandises, some in wheelbarrows, some in buckets, and others in hands. Some of the inventory is made out of a few pairs of socks, six to ten T-shirts, a wheelbarrow full of assorted goods. Some sellers run behind moving cars to sell one to two sticks of chewing gums, etc. Was it possible for these petty traders to make profits with a small inventory, my colleagues and I have and continue to wonder? If they are not making profits, are the school age-children using the retail-business to escape the duties of teenagers such as school attendance, for example? During the 60s and 70s, adolescents, including me sold cornbread, pop-corn, cool-aid, roasted meat, etc. to augment the meager wages of our parents. Nowadays, many of the school-age children have no parent and have to fetch for themselves, I surmise. In fact, UNICEF 2016 Report says approximately 62%, or nearly two-thirds, of primary-aged children in Liberia, are out of school. However, will our precious jewels (i.e., our children) find it difficult to survive or make a living if society does not allow money hustlers to influence them? Shouldnt our society encourage our traumatized children to enroll in camps and learn skills and moral values? Better yet, why not discuss with profiteers how best to get our school age-children engaged into less-money driven activities? It is a bad idea to expose children to money and, or worse expose them to profit-making, according to Ms. Brennan Jobs. Ms. Jobs, the daughter of the late co-founder and chairman of Apple, Inc. Ms. Jobs stated that her father frowned on the practice to give money to a child. In her book called Small Fry, she narrated that her father withheld money from her even as his wealth balloonedall because he was teaching her that money can corrupt, according to Ms. Nellie Bowles of the NY Times. Also, Mr. Paul Piff, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, stated, based on his research, that having more money leads to more aggressive attitude, selfish and morally reprehensive behavior, and usually steals when he/she cannot make ends meet. Even the Holy Bible advises good-loving citizens not to have the love of money, according to Ecclesiastes. Verse 10 of Chapter 5 of Ecclesiastes says whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income I am not against the advancement of entrepreneurship. Not so. In fact, in 1979, I was employed to serve as one of the extension officers at the Small Business under the Liberian Investment Commission. The Small Business did not recruit borrowers who were undeveloped, nor did it appropriate insufficient capital and, or demand repayment of the loan within one year. In fact, it did not only interact with potential would-be borrowers but also it assisted them to prepare five-year-feasibility studies (profit/ (loss analysis), assisted them to obtain loans from the World Bank, assisted them to organize their bookkeeping and accounting system, etc. Okay, profiteers have coerced government to outsource its lending functions to NGOs. But NGOs, BRAC, for example, do not Prepare profit/(loss) to determine if the US $330 is profitable, nor do they assist clients to keep books and records. I am sure that the microfinance industry is ware that insufficient capital does not only generate a loss but also it is the primary reason why small businesses fail, according to Investopedia ( most common reasons why small businesses fail) . If the industry is aware that insufficient capital is not profitable, why they continue to recruit undeveloped clients? Or better yet, what kind of business practices BRAC and other microfinance are using to get their 27,010 clients to repay the loans since they might not have exchanged collaterals for the loans? Most importantly, BRAC and other lending institutions do not offer adequate loans to Liberians to invest into lucrative businesses such as diamond, gold, real estate, etc., thereby, excluding them from them lucrative businesses. And, unfortunately, not only are the microfinance clients failing to make profits but also they are discouraging school age-children from preparing themselves to become productive citizens. More so, the money-making culture is now encouraging more school age-children to join the retail-business or seek employment with the diamond industry. Learning skills or joining societal organizations, including religious institutions, is no more the way of life. And unfortunately, our government cannot deter and, or ban school age-children from activities such as microfinance, gold digging, etc., all because it is not a stakeholder or a decision maker. When society allows money making entities such as BRAC to put money-making ahead of societal interest and, or relax discipline, etc.; chaos or instability becomes inevitable. America is a test case. Before Opioids permeated American white communities, the rich propagated that blacks, etc. were the problems. Guess what, now that Opioids kills 115 persons a day, corporations want governments involvement to solve the drug epidemic. (https://opioids.thetruth.com/o/home?source=OP_1HFY19_SEARCH_GOOGLEGRANTS_ACQUIRE_SITEACTION_TEXTAD_KNOWMORE). Attitude is contagious; therefore, Liberia should not repeat Americas delay in fighting the drug epidemic or else it will face the penalties in allowing BRAC to train its youths to love money. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Rosie Cooper, Labour MP, West Lancashire, writes: I wonder if you have received complaints such as that experienced by my constituent involving Amazon and whether you would be prepared to highlight this? It is very disturbing to read that fraud can be seen to be happening right under the nose of and technically facilitated via Amazon and no or very little action being taken. Tony replies: It is rare for me to identify any reader in print, but both you and your constituent Len Hunt have told me you are more than happy to be named, which simplifies things. A retired detective wasn't happy when he receievd a bogus delivery via Amzon and he decided to investigate Len has described how he ordered an iPad via Amazon Marketplace, costing 259. The seller gave him a Royal Mail tracking number so he could keep an eye on the delivery. But when the package arrived there was no iPad. Instead, there was a plastic bracket worth perhaps 10p. But the dodgy dealer had chosen the wrong person to cheat. Len is a retired detective. He immediately realised the only reason someone would spend 4 to send a cheap piece of plastic was this provided a bogus proof of delivery. Googling the seller, he found complaints online from other buyers who had paid for expensive items but had received cheap bits of plastic. Fortunately, Len paid with American Express. The card company blocked the payment with Amazon refunding the money a week later. But Len was less happy with the response from Amazon when he did the right thing and alerted it to the rip-off. He rang to try to report the scam, but was put through to an overseas call centre. 'A fraud in progress was entirely beyond their abilities and training,' he said. Warning: MP Rosie Cooper told us about Len Hunt who tried to buy an iPad As the online complaints rose from 50 to 100 and then to more than 150, Len watched as Amazon continued to post bogus delivery updates, keeping buyers on the hook, believing goods were still on their way. Worse, he found that Amazon Marketplace, which provides a platform for sellers that are not part of Amazon itself, is not covered by UK consumer protection laws. But Amazon has told me that although it is an offshore company, it does provide its own guarantee scheme which would have repaid Len if his card company had not done so. Also, it shuts down sellers who break its guidelines. The company that Len bought from is called 'Eagle Pure IT Com'. But its real name was Electro Seeds Limited. Its owner has now put it into liquidation. The liquidators have told me they are still getting together the company's books and records. They said: 'These will be used to produce our report to the Insolvency Service on the conduct of the director.' Baggage handler removed our safety gear Mrs K.R. writes: I flew to Geneva for a ski trip. Back home I found an over-zealous baggage handler had removed gas canisters from my ski bag. My husband and I ski with avalanche bags and canisters are an integral part of the safety kit. We had checked on the Swiss International Air Lines website before we flew and it confirmed this was not a problem. The airline again said we were fine to fly with gas canisters and asked us to contact customer services. But weeks later, it stated we should not have been allowed to fly with the canisters and referred us to a new section of the website that says this needed prior approval. This is pretty underhand and we are out of pocket for 400 worth of ski gear. One reader wasn't happy when they returned home from a ski trip and found that an over-zealous baggage handler had removed gas canisters from their ski bag Tony replies: Sending you off-piste like this is just silly given the amount of business Swiss International Air Lines gets from skiers. Whether or not it wants to change its mind on carrying gas, it has to abide by the rules that applied when you travelled and not small print introduced later. I contacted the airline at Zurich Airport. It did not explain why it altered its rules or indeed whether it had changed them at all. It simply told me: 'Obviously there was false information given to the guest [sic].' The company offers its apologies and has assured me it will pay for the four missing gas canisters with a 'generous' goodwill payment on top. Barclays needs to be Smarter on transfers G.F. writes: You published a letter recently from a reader who was unhappy with the length of time Barclays Smart Investor was taking to complete a stock transfer. My own transfer from Barclays to Interactive Investor started seven months ago and has still not been completed. It appears no one at Barclays knows how the Crest electronic registration and transfer system works. As a result I still have investments worth about 2,500 with them. Tony replies: You have 30 years' experience of working at a high level in the City of London and a good knowledge of how share transfers should be made, with Crest providing a neat seamless service. So you were startled when Barclays told you that moving your investments from its troubled Smart Investor operation to rival Interactive Investor would take eight weeks. You were even more amazed when Barclays corrected this to 12 weeks. I asked Barclays to comment. I ended up feeling sorry for the official who had to answer me. It became clear he was also having trouble with his colleagues at Smart Investor which took over from Barclays Stockbrokers. It still took me seven weeks of pestering Barclays, but all your investments have now been transferred. The bank says it accepts the move to Smart Investor did not go well. So it has waived fees on some deals and introduced a few online changes to improve the information it provides. Given the steady flow of complaints I have received, I hope this works. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Joules Group is known for colourful wellies and outdoorsy clothing Britain's high streets are under pressure, hit by rising costs, stagnant sales, economic uncertainty and the rise of online shopping. Not every retailer is created equal however. Joules Group, known for colourful wellies and outdoorsy clothing, prefers to think of itself as a 'lifestyle brand'. The term may sound off-putting to the more down-to-earth consumer but the company's strategy is working. Midas recommended the stock in July 2016 when the shares were 171p and the company had only been on Aim for a month. Today, the price is 78 per cent ahead at 302p, having been nearly as high as 390p earlier in the summer. The recent fall is overdone, as the company is growing fast on the high street, online and overseas. Sales were up more than 18 per cent to 186 million in the year to end May, profits rose 29 per cent to 13 million and the dividend was 11 per cent ahead at 2p. Joules has continued to do well since then, not least because it is rigorously focused on making high-quality, reasonably priced products with a distinctively British feel. The group, based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, has 125 stores, many of which are in relatively affluent market towns. Chief executive Colin Porter has branched out into new areas, such as sunglasses, watches and even sofas, there is a thriving international business in the US and Germany and a flourishing online division too, responsible for 40 per cent of sales. This blend of products and sales channels should help Joules to withstand the headwinds affecting its peers and brokers are optimistic about prospects, expecting profits of almost 15 million in the current year, rising to over 18 million in 2020 and accompanied by healthy dividend growth. Reassuringly too, founder Tom Joule still owns 32 per cent of the shares and remains on the board, nearly 30 years after setting up the business in his early 20s. Midas verdict: Joules's shares price fall has been driven largely by individual shareholders frightened by high street conditions. Big institutions are sticking with it and long-term investors should follow their example. New investors could also find value now. Traded on: Aim Ticker: JOUL Contact: joulesgroup.com or 01858 Guilty: Michael Nascimento will soon be facing sentencing Fraudsters who ran a crooked investment scheme exposed by The Mail on Sunday have been jailed for a total of more than 17 years after they were convicted of cheating clients out of 2.8 million. The gang were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London last Tuesday after what the Financial Conduct Authority described as its 'second largest ever criminal prosecution'. Between July 2010 and April 2014, the crooks used cold-calls and high pressure sales tactics to sell shares in a company that supposedly planned to build villas on the holiday island of Madeira. They also marketed 'fractional ownership' of rooms in a hotel that had not even been built. In August 2011, I warned that the gang and its ringleader Michael Nascimento were acting illegally. They were not authorised to sell shares or to operate a unit trust-style scheme selling stakes in their non-existent hotel. This offence alone is punishable by up to two years in prison, but they were allowed to continue. In 2012, I warned again that Nascimento was still in business and still breaking the law. But he was allowed to carry on defrauding investors until 2014. The trial judge accurately described the investment sales as 'scams from start to finish', adding that 'some victims have lost everything they had'. The City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority now says it will try to recover whatever money the crooks still have. Charanjit Sandhu, top salesman for the gang, was jailed for five and a half years. Salesmen Hugh Edwards and Stuart Rea were both sentenced to three years and nine months. Jeannine Lewis, who hid and destroyed computers holding evidence, was jailed for two and a half years. Ryan Parker, who laundered some of the money raised in the fraud, was given a two year suspended sentence. Nascimento will be sentenced on Friday. Heads of banks will appear on Tuesday in front of MPs A string of global banks have been called before the Treasury Select Committee to face questions on Britain's planned separation from the European Union in March. James Bardrick, head of the UK division at US investment bank Citi, Mark Garvin, vice chair at JP Morgan, and Barclays Ireland chief executive Kevin Wall will appear on Tuesday in front of MPs led by committee chairwoman Nicky Morgan. Barclays has so far been broadly neutral on the impact of Brexit to financial services. Chairman John McFarlane also chairman of financial services lobby group The City UK in July brushed aside concerns of 'terminal damage' from the split 'in the long run'. But JP Morgan chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon has been highly critical of the plan. He said he believes the break will be 'tough for the British people' and 'will have an impact on global growth, and so Brexit could hurt everybody a bit'. Wall is expected to be quizzed about the impact of a border on Barclays' Irish unit. Theresa May's Chequers plan was described as 'light on detail' for services and financial services by City law firm Macfarlanes. Une bousculade a provoque un drame, ce dimanche, avant la rencontre Madagascar-Senegal. Dapres lAFP, qui cite des sources emanant des hopitaux, la rencontre de CAN 2019 a ete precedee dun veritable drame : une bousculade a cause 1 mort et 37 blesses. Le match a quand meme debute, devant plus de 20 000 spectateurs. Presence of the US as the honoured country marks the large possibilities of Thessaloniki, Macedonia and northern Greece to promote the growth of the Balkans and the Greek economy Greece is leaving behind the recession and austerity and can now look forward to unfolding the strengths of the economy, said Prime Minister Alexis Tripras at the inauguration of the US stand at the Thessaloniki trade fair on Saturday, according to ANA. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross noted that the trade fair is an exceptional opportunity to broaden Greek-US ties in favour of Greece. The US presence at the trade fair is made up of 55 companies and this shows the commitment of America to boost ties between the two nations. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Rennett Stowe License: CC-BY-SA Euromoney is celebrating its 10th annual Kuwait conference on September 25 in Kuwait City with a focus on Kuwaits national development plan New Kuwait, which sets out the governments economic vision to 2035. The conference is officially co-hosted by the Ministry of Finance, who have supported Euromoney Conferences work in Kuwait for the past decade. Euromoney will be joined by a cross section of speakers from government, business, economics and finance, to analyse the financial sectors response to the plan and its impact on the economy. This special anniversary event will begin with a keynote opening address from Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf, Minister of Finance, followed by Sheikh Dr Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, director general of Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA). Shaikha Al-Bahar, deputy group chief executive officer of the National Bank of Kuwait and Adel Abdul Wahab Al-Majed, vice-chairman of the Kuwait Banking Association will also take part in one-on-one interviews in the opening morning. The Kuwait National Development Plan sets out an ambitious vision to transform Kuwait into a leading financial, commercial and cultural hub by 2035, said Victoria Behn, director, Middle East and Africa at Euromoney Conferences. I look forward to discussing the opportunities this plan presents and the role of the financial sector in its delivery. Euromoney are honoured to have worked with the Ministry of Finance for the last 10 years on our annual event and I believe this will be our best yet! In the past decade, the Euromoney Kuwait Conference has attracted thousands of delegates, hundreds of speakers and provided an unrivalled platform for thought leadership, networking, and comprehensive global and local coverage. Since the late 1970s Euromoney has been the worlds leading organiser of high-level financial and investment conferences. The highest profile delegates meet the highest profile speakers at Euromoney events and offer business leaders and decision-makers the opportunity to exchange ideas, develop new contacts and participate in informed, impartial and leading-edge discussions. TradeArabia News Service Prescott Real Estate Development, one of the leading players in the UAEs residential and property business, showcased its Dh165-million ($45 million) Prime Views project located at Meydan Avenue in Dubai at the recently held Dubai Property Show (DPS) in Shanghai, China. Highlighting the features of the mega project development further reaffirmed Prescotts commitment to address the needs of property investors looking for affordable luxury properties in the emirate. The ongoing construction of Prime Views, which is targeted to be turned over in the first quarter of 2020 right before Expo 2020 Dubai, comes at a time when there is an increased focus among developers on affordable luxury property segment, said the UAE developer. The premier but cost-efficient Prime Views is Prescotts response to this growing trend coupled with the companys initiative to offer a post-handover payment plan amid incredible local demand for the scheme, it added. Naveed Faridi, the general manager, said Prime Views located just 200 m from the Meydan hotel was an excellent investment proposition for buyers in the UAE, China, and other nations. "The low-rise G+4 building, which sits on a 60,000-sq-ft area, comprises 151 apartments, with Prescott offering an attractive four-year post-handover payment plan to enable investors to own luxurious yet affordable homes in one of the worlds bustling cosmopolitan cities," stated Faridi. We are one of the few that present such a payment plan in Meydan area. Meydan is considered one of Dubais prime areas due to its proximity to all important destinations such as Meydan Racecourse, Meydan Hotel, Meydan Arena, Dubai International Airport, Dubai International Financial Centre, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, and Sheikh Zayed Road, he added. According to him, China was an attractive market for many Dubai property developers, with some of them even forming strategic tie-ups with Chinese brokerages to entice property buyers in the mainland. The UAE government moved to further attract Chinese nationals by relaxing its visa requirements and improving connectivity through direct flights to Chinese cities. Additionally, like other DPS exhibitors who joined the Shanghai show, Prescott took the opportunity to promote Dubai as one of the world's best investment and tourism destinations. Moving towards 2020, Prescott will continue to focus on affordable luxury segment and initiate development projects in locations that are part of the expanding areas of Dubai to give an upgraded category of living to consumers of newly developed areas. "Through the popular Dubai real estate exhibition, Prescott was able to create awareness about the emirate and why it has become a key global hub. DPS also served as the best opportunity to make our presence known in the exponentially growing Asian market and promote the kind of residential projects we deliver," observed Faridi. "Joining DPS in Shanghai formed part of our tactic to further explore the market in light of the rising interest from Chinese buyers in Dubais key areas, especially in Meydan area. In fact, we are also planning to hold road shows to include the mainland in line with the governments comprehensive economic diversification plan," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Increased international cooperation between policy-makers, governments, and private organisations is needed to build an open and collaborative cyberspace capable of fighting new threats, said a senior Huawei official. Mika Lauhde, vice president of cyber security and privacy - global public affairs at Huawei Technologies, shared his vision of a new frontier for cybersecurity regulations during a talk on the sidelines of SmartSec, a leading cyber security and blockchain conference, which was held on September 4, in Manama, Bahrain. Lauhde began by noting that as our society becomes increasingly dependent on the internet, cyber security has become an issue of common concern. Emerging technologies, while creating fresh opportunities for economic development, are also leading to new cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This is a trend affecting the entire globe: from hackers stealing $81 million from Bangladeshs national bank in a matter of hours, to the Equifax Data Breach that left the sensitive information of 143 million consumers exposed in the US, a statement from Huawei said. Lauhde identified two challenges to effectively combating these threats: the first is a global trend for each country to generate their own set of policies, resulting in a lack of coherence in international laws and practices, an issue further compounded by conflicting national interests hindering cooperation. The second is a lack of understanding about technologies like Artificial Intelligent (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain making it difficult for regulators to formulate cogent and effective laws that protect users while continuing to foster the growth of new technologies. Lauhde then shared a new vision for cyber regulations: to build a trustworthy, transparent, collaborative and open cyberspace, and thereby increase cybersecurity globally. He asked for governments, industries, and users to reach out, work together, and through greater international cooperation enable organisations worldwide to more effectively combat cybersecurity threats. This issue is particularly relevant to the Middle East today, as the region prepares for the rollout of 5G networks. 5G will bring with it a dramatic expansion of a range of emerging technologies, from IoT to autonomous vehicles to AR/VR. As such, it is vital for authorities to set the regulatory scene right from the start. The impact of decisions made today will be felt in the coming years and even decades, according to Lauhde. By increasing collaboration between governments and private organisations and encouraging public-private partnerships, the region can lay down strong foundations to build out 5G while enhancing the security of all. Lauhde said: Developing effective strategies to cope with cybersecurity threats is a core priority for countries in the Middle East, and globally, as digitalisation continues to transform every facet of society. Huawei has always been a collaborative partner with private and public organisations in the Middle East, and we are committed to supporting the region as it pursues its vision of diversified, knowledge-based economies through digital transformation, he said. By increasing international collaboration and fostering trust and transparency globally, we believe we can effectively combat cyber threats and lay down the groundwork for a fully-connected, intelligent - and secure world, he added. SmartSec, a two-day conference on the topics of cybersecurity and blockchain, is held under the patronage of AbdulHussain bin Ali Mirza, the Minister of Electricity and Water Authority. The event aims to bring leading international professionals in the field of cybersecurity and blockchain and provide attendees with a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the latest trends, innovation, and solutions in the industry, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Radisson Hotel Group will be introducing two of its brands in central China, with the signing of two new hotels - Radisson Blu Wuhan ETD Zone and Radisson Wuhan Optics Valley - in the citys high-tech business and development zones. These two hotel properties will provide high-quality accommodation and world-class facilities for the rising number of domestic and international visitors attracted to Wuhans economic zones. The capital of Hubei province, Wuhan is a bustling metropolis that is home to approximately 10 million people. Nicknamed the Detroit of the East, this city has one of Chinas largest automotive industries and a thriving manufacturing sector, which has attracted many major Chinese and international companies. Wuhan is a leading industrial hub in China and developments like ETD Zone and Optics Valley demonstrate how the country is progressing globally in terms of high-tech industry, manufacturing and scientific research, said Katerina Giannouka, president, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group. With their international accommodation and world-class facilities, including flexible Mice venues, Radisson Blu Wuhan ETD Zone and Radisson Wuhan Optics Valley will be perfectly suited to this emerging global city. Radisson Blu Wuhan ETD Zone is an impressive new lakeside property located in Wuhans Economic & Technological Development Zone. Developed by Wuhan Liantou Peninsula Real Estate Co., Ltd, this 355-room upper-upscale hotel will open its doors in the first quarter of 2020. The hotel will rise eight stories from the banks of Hou Guan Lake. Designed in a contemporary style, this property will provide a full range of facilities, including international, Chinese and Italian restaurants, an indoor swimming pool, spa, fitness centre and childrens playground, plus nine meeting rooms and a 1,600-sq-m grand ballroom. Scheduled to open in June 2024, Radisson Wuhan Optics Valley is set to launch in Donghu New Tech Development Zone, an important medical research and science park also known as Optics Valley. Developed by Wuhan Donglian Real Estate Co., Ltd, the property will feature 220 contemporary rooms and suites, and an array of upscale facilities, including an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty Chinese restaurant, lobby lounge and fitness centre. Catering to the needs of corporate guests, the hotel will provide a business centre, function rooms and a ballroom. Both new hotels are easily accessible, with Radisson Blu Wuhan ETD Zone only 45 minutes drive from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, and Radisson Wuhan Optics Valley just over an hours drive via major highways. Central Chinas largest air gateway, Tianhe offers worldwide connections to cities including London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and San Francisco. Radisson Hotel Group has firm plans to expand in Asia Pacific, with 77 Radisson Blu hotels and 58 Radisson hotels in operation and under development. - TradeArabia News Service Du, one of the leading telecommunications company in the UAE, has partnered with Holidays by flydubai to bring incredible value and experiences to residents of the UAE. The new partnership, announced in August, is part of the commitment to deliver added consumer benefits as well as reach wider audiences. To celebrate the partnership, du is giving customers a chance to win all-expenses-paid holidays every day to one of three destinations: Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Georgia. Du customers can enter the draw simply by paying bills or recharging their prepaid line through the du app or at www.du.ae/myaccount. The telco will announce 137 winners in total, with one lucky customer winning the draw each day from August 1 to December 15. The first batch of 31 lucky winners will travel to Tbilisi, Georgia on September 13. Anthony Shiner, chief digital lifestyle and innovation officer at du, said: We are pleased to announce a strategic partnership with flydubais new Holidays division, with a mutually beneficial relationship to provide unique experiences and excellent offers to UAE residents. We recognise that customers today are looking for more than a mobile services provider; they want a partner that would add value to their lives through an interactive relationship. And our goal is to become the partner of choice to our customers. Nelson Dsouza, vice president of Holidays at flydubai, added: We are excited to partner with du on this campaign which will enable the lucky winners to experience our new Holidays by flydubai packages and du roaming services. We are pleased to be collaborating with another homegrown brand like du, and partnerships like this contribute to expanding possibilities and providing extensive benefits for customers. The next three batches of lucky winners will travel to Alexandria, Egypt in October, Tbilisi, Georgia in November and Baku, Azerbaijan in December 2018. The prize includes an all-inclusive trip for two with return tickets, hotel accommodation, breakfast, transportation, a city tour and free roaming. For more information, download the du app or visit the online website. - TradeArabia News Service Dubai Aerospace Enterprises (DAE) engineering division, Joramco, has signed a maintenance deal with Saudi Arabia's low cost carrier flyadeal, said a report. Under the agreement, the MRO consultant recently completed maintenance work on one of flyadeals A320 aircraft, which took place last month for a duration of 20 days, said a report in Aviator. Commenting on this agreement, Jeff Wilkinson, Joramco CEO, said: We are pleased that flyadeal has selected Joramco to perform these maintenance tasks. This collaboration reaffirms Joramcos strength, expertise and know-how on the A320 and we look forward to providing flyadeal with continued long-term value solutions and superior maintenance services. With more than 50 years of experience, Joramco has built a sound track record as a leading commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility serving a wide range of customers in the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Africa, Russia and the CIS countries, offering services on several aircraft models from the Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer fleets. Strategically located at a free zone area in Queen Alia International Airport in Amman-Jordan, Joramcos facility includes five hangars that can accommodate up to 15 aircraft. In addition to the Jordans Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (JCARC), Joramco is certified by a number of international regulatory authorities including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Abu Dhabi Airports and the Department of Abu Dhabi Customs, in collaboration with the National Archive, are hosting a mobile photo exhibition of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The exhibition runs from September 6 to 11 and is taking place in Terminal 1 Landside of the Abu Dhabi International Airport. The photo exhibition falls within the framework of Abu Dhabi Airports ongoing Year of Zayed programme. Abu Dhabi Airports is committed to organising various social initiatives and working together with relevant entities to celebrate Sheikh Zayeds legacy and honour his role as the Founding Father of the UAE. Mohammed Al Katheeri, senior vice president Strategy & Communications at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: Through this mobile exhibition at Abu Dhabi International Airport, we seek to honour the vision and legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed by showcasing his life, the impact he has had on the UAE as a whole, and in the aviation industry in particular. Sheikh Zayed laid the foundations of the seven emirates with a focus on innovation and development. He foresaw Abu Dhabi having the world-class aviation infrastructure that it does today. Fahed Ghareeb Abdulla Hamad Al Shamsi, acting executive director of Administration at the Department of Abu Dhabi Customs, said: The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a visionary and welcoming leader. He encouraged the continuous pursuit of excellence, travelled the world extensively, and established the policy of welcoming international guests to the UAE. It is in celebration of his legacy that we worked to organize this mobile photo exhibition of his life and achievements, and we hope to inspire visitors from around the world to reflect on Sheikh Zayeds values and principals. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi Airports launched several initiatives in celebration of Year of Zayed. These initiatives included the adoption of the Year of Zayed Immigration stamp at Abu Dhabi International Airport, in collaboration with Airport Immigration, and the Meir Al Khair campaign, whereby employees of Abu Dhabi Airports collectively donated funds to purchase needed households goods and distribute it to less fortunate families within the UAE in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan. In addition, Abu Dhabi Airports mounted the Year of Zayed logo on one of the capitals airport Air Traffic Control Towers and organised the Flight of the Children of Zayed initiative in collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent, which saw 31 orphans visit Sir Bani Yas Island last month. - TradeArabia News Service The Central Asian first combined-cycle power plant was put into operation in Mary province. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov attended the launching ceremony. The power station with the capacity of 1547 MW has four gas turbines with the capacity of 263.5 MW each, four heat-recovery boilers and two steam turbines with the capacity of 260 MW each. Speaking at the launching ceremony, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the new power plant would help increase steady supplies of electricity to consumers in Turkmenistan and electricity exports. The new power plant was awarded a number of certificates from international organizations. For example, the President of Turkmenistan was presented with Environmental Safety certificate of the American Environmental Health Foundation, High-Tech Power Facility certificate of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, For Sustainability and Efficiency certificate of the Max Planck Energy Institute. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 Shazia Razi (second from left) and Abdul Razi (right) sit with their four children at a UNHCR voluntary repatriation centre in Peshawar, Pakistan. They are making arrangements to return home to Afghanistan after decades in exile. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has concluded a visit to Pakistan with UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock to shine a light on the Afghan refugee situation, recognize Pakistans generosity and explore solutions that could eventually help millions of Afghan refugees voluntarily return home. Pakistan hosts 1.4 million Afghan refugees, of whom 74 per cent are second or third generation, meaning they were born in Pakistan or are the children of refugees born there. In a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Grandi and Lowcock expressed their gratitude to the people and government of Pakistan for generously hosting one of the worlds largest refugee populations for nearly 40 years. Khan, in turn, affirmed his governments commitment to ensuring that refugee repatriation remains voluntary. Going home after almost 40 years away (Edith Champagne, producer / Alexandre St-Denis, camera-editor) Pakistan has been host to millions of Afghan refugees for almost four decades one of the longest refugee situations in the world, Grandi said, noting that the security situation back home is the main worry of majority of refugees and is preventing their voluntary return. He and Lowcock began their joint mission in Afghanistan and were able to convey to refugees their impression that the new policies of the government there, if implemented, would improve infrastructure, attract investment and development support, and allocate land for returning refugees. In the meantime, Grandi and Lowcock stressed the need for the international community to provide greater support to unstable areas and communities hosting large numbers of refugees in Pakistan. There is a major opportunity now to help the people of the tribal districts to improve their lives, said Lowcock. The international community must do all it can to support the government in this. An honour for @UNReliefChief and me to meet Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI today. We thanked him for Pakistans long standing hospitality to Afghan refugees. We pledged UNs help to support refugees+host communities and find solutions to Afghan displacement. pic.twitter.com/nAVofyfX6r Filippo Grandi (@RefugeesChief) September 7, 2018 The UNHCR chief spent time hearing the concerns of refugees in Islamabad and also at a UNHCR voluntary repatriation centre in Peshawar, where he met refugees who had made the difficult decision to return home. The centre provides them assistance to deregister as refugees and obtain the proper documents that will allow them to repatriate and receive a US$200 cash grant for transport, shelter and food once they arrive in Afghanistan. So far this year, UNHCR has facilitated the voluntary repatriation of almost 10,000 Afghan refugees, including some families who have lived in Pakistan for close to 40 years. Due to the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the number of refugees choosing to go home has declined this year and remains a relatively small number overall in proportion to the 1.4 million refugees who remain in Pakistan. Mulan Birdi, pictured at a UNHCR voluntary repatriation centre in Peshawar, Pakistan. He fled Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded in 1979. He says his eyes and body are sick and he wants to go home. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell Mulan Birdi told the High Commissioner how he fled from Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded in 1979. I am sick, in eyes and body, so I want to go home to Afghanistan, he said. Members of his family have gone ahead, and he is preparing to return to the Afghan province of Faryab with his son, who hopes to find work there as a labourer. Mulan is hopeful that Afghanistan will be rebuilt, and that there will be peace, security and a better future. Abdul and Shazia Razi have decided to return to Afghanistan with their four daughters, who were all born in Pakistan. I am very happy to go back to Afghanistan because we are going home to our own country, Abdul explained. My girls already have their school admission. I am uneducated, so I know the value of education, and I want to give that to my children. Another Afghan elder, 85-year-old Khan Muhammad, is also making plans to return home after many years in Pakistan. Khan said he wants to live with his relatives in Afghanistan and thinks they will have the basics they need to survive. His son, Sorkhord Muhammad, said it was a difficult decision: Its not easy to go home. We will miss Pakistan. We were born here. Abdul Maroof told Grandi that he and his wife had lived in Pakistan for 34 years, and his children were all born there. I fled the war when I was 10 years old, to escape the fighting. Now it is more peaceful in Afghanistan. We are sad to leave Pakistan, but we are also happy to go back. There will be challenges there, but its the sacrifice we want to make to go home. UN Refugee Chief Filippo Grandi and Mahira Khan meet with Afghan refugees who are preparing to return home to Afghanistan, at a UNHCR voluntary repatriation centre near Peshawar, Pakistan. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell Afghan refugees at a UNHCR voluntary repatriation centre in Peshawar, Pakistan. They are making preparations to return home to Afghanistan with assistance from UNHCR. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell Pakistani actor Mahira Khan speaks with Afghan refugees at a UNHCR voluntary repatriation centre in Peshawar, Pakistan. The refugees are preparing to return home to Afghanistan. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell In a joint press conference at the voluntary repatriation centre, Grandi stressed that returns to Afghanistan must be voluntary, adding that Pakistan has never forced people to go back and Im grateful for that. But we need to create the conditions for return. He appealed to the international community to provide more resources, and above all, political attention to help Afghans restore peace in their country. We owe it to young Afghans to support them in going back and rebuilding Afghanistan into a peaceful and prosperous country. We have to resolve the violence. We have to hope for a more stable period and then we have to invest into Afghanistan, Grandi said, reiterating that the solution lies in improving security in Afghanistan. I met young refugees here many of them want to go back, but theyre afraid. They know war brings poverty, lack of jobs, low skills. We need to take these stories out to the world and remind people that there is an opportunity to make progress and solutions, said Lowcock. We need to do more than simply address the symptoms. If were a little patient it is possible to make progress. Joining Grandi and Lowcock at the centre was Pakistani actor Mahira Khan, an advocate for UNHCR and for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. I have learnt a lot, heard heartbreaking stories, those full of hope and bravery, said Khan, who is intent on promoting the needs of youth. I am honoured to be associated with UNHCR to highlight the Afghan refugee situation in Pakistan, more than half of which are children. Muhammad is 18. He is an Afghan refugee in Pakistan. With UNHCR support, he graduated at a vocational training centre, and will start working soon. He says that he will go back to Afghanistan if peace returns to his country. pic.twitter.com/Y0ijozIPH3 Filippo Grandi (@RefugeesChief) September 7, 2018 Youth make up two-thirds of the Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, and Grandi emphasized the importance of providing education and skills training to empower young refugees, so they can contribute to their host communities while in Pakistan and help rebuild their country when they one day return home to Afghanistan. He visited the Construction Technology Training Institute in Islamabad, where UNHCR has enrolled 40 students, including 15 refugees. The breakthrough initiative includes a six-month vocational and technical skills training course in the automobile and heavy machinery trades. During a graduation ceremony for the students, Grandi said, Projects such as these will have a real impact and enable Pakistani and Afghan youth to play a positive role in the future of their countries. A visit to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Peshawar offered an example of international solidarity. The UN Refugee Agency has provided high-tech radiotherapy machines worth Rs.710 million (US$6.2 million) to the hospital to provide free treatment to refugees and the host community alike. Hospitals like this are a symbol of hope for thousands of cancer patients who have little resources, Grandi said. Samira Harnish (centre) with resettled refugees Vestine MnKeshimana (left) and Rosette Kindja during an outing to a park in Salt Lake City, Utah. UNHCR/Mike Call Ghasaq Maibers eyes lit up and a smile crossed her face. Five months earlier, she broke her ankle so badly that it needed surgery. The bill was more than US$27,000 and, having recently arrived from Iraq, she had no insurance to cover it. Its a really big amount. I cant afford it, she said. However, on a sunny morning this June, she was overjoyed. I just heard, three minutes ago, that my balance is zero, she said. Samira fixed it! Samira fixed it! She was talking about Samira Harnish, a tireless supporter of refugees who find themselves in the unfamiliar setting of middle America. Samira, herself an Iraqi immigrant, helps them adjust. She does not take NO for an answer. Ten years ago, she was climbing the corporate ladder as an award-winning electrical engineer and executive, earning a six-figure salary and living the American Dream. Yet something troubled her. Often, when she drove home from work or carried out errands around Salt Lake City, she would encounter refugee women struggling to speak English, unfamiliar with the transportation system or having problems at the supermarket checkout. Samira would offer to help. She spoke Arabic and would frequently meet women from Syria, Somalia, Yemen and her native Iraq. On snowy winter days, she would drive them home in her car so that they would not have to wait for a bus. For her work Samira was chosen as the Americas regional finalist for the 2018 Nansen Refugee Award. Samira Harnish, Americas region finalist for the 2018 Nansen Refugee Award (Kathryn Porteous, producer / Shi Han Liu, editor / Mike Call, videographer) Samira goes with the newcomers to doctors appointments and to their childrens schools to translate. She meets them in coffee shops or the public library to show them how to do banking, pay bills and prepare for job interviews. Always I think, What would I do if I had been in Iraq during the wars? Samira said, imagining herself as a newly resettled refugee in America. Would I be able to learn a new language, a new career? Would I find someone to trust, to tell my story to? From her own experience 30 years earlier as a young immigrant sent to the United States for an arranged marriage, Samira, now 61, knew how difficult it was for women coming from traditional societies to adjust to the customs and practices of modern America. She left her corporate job and started Women of the World (WOW), a non-profit organization for female refugees. Her idea was to create a safe space for women to feel welcome and brave, and empowered to explore, she said. Women of the World focuses on a holistic approach to ensure our ladies reach self-reliance. For the first six years, Samiras car was her office. She was constantly making calls, sending emails and knocking on the doors of government offices in support of my ladies. After your heart is troubled, you come in the office to see Samira, you will return, you are happy. You have solution, said Rosette Kindja, a single mother and refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was resettled in Salt Lake City two years ago. "Samira, she is angel from God to come support us refugees. Samira and WOW helped Rosette to find a job and learn English, one of more than 1,000 women it has helped in the past decade. The prestigious Nansen award is named in honour of Norwegian explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees, who was appointed by the League of Nations in 1921. It is granted annually following an exhaustive global review of nominations. From left to right: Women of the World office manager Heidi Christensen, participant Vestine MnKeshimana, founder and Nansen Award Americas regional finalist Samira Harnish, participant Rosette Kindja and case manager McKensie Cantlon. UNHCR/Mike Call Samira Harnish (fourth from right), the Americas regional finalist for the 2018 Nansen Refugee Award, with some of the participants and staff of Women of the World and their families. UNHCR/Mike Call Four Women of the World participants at an outing to a local park in Salt Lake City. UNHCR/Mike Call The award, bestowed by the Nansen Committee, of which UNHCR is a lead member, celebrates those who have gone to extraordinary lengths to support refugees and asylum-seekers, stateless people and the internally displaced. Four years ago, Samiras WOW organization finally found a permanent home, a storefront in a small shopping area. On a recent afternoon, a group of 17 women gathered in the office for a lunch of fish, goat and vegetables made by Vestine MnKeshimana, a refugee from Rwanda who had witnessed unimaginable horrors before being resettled to Salt Lake City several years ago. Always I say Samira, she is angel from god to come support us refugees, said Vestine, as Samira dashed out of the office with a box full of cookies. She was on her way to visit Elizabeth Ngaba, a refugee from the Central African Republic who suffered a stroke last year and lost her sight. Nansen Award finalist gives girls in Jordan a sporting chance German mayor sets example of how to welcome refugees Campaigner Tuenjai Deetes has devoted her life to improving the lives of stateless hill tribe communities in northern Thailand. UNHCR/Rachapon Riansiri Natee grew up with no nationality, like thousands of hill tribe children in northern Thailand. Statelessness can compound poor living conditions, preventing access to health services and education, leading to discrimination and, often, a lifetime of uncertainty. Natees life was transformed with the help of Tuenjai Deetes, who came to her village as a volunteer in 1973 to teach the Thai language. Tuenjai helped everyone in my village, and other hill tribe communities, Natee says. She helped us to acquire Thai nationality, to have basic rights that everyone is entitled to. Tuenjai has been nominated as the regional finalist for Asia in the 2018 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. The annual award celebrates those who have gone to extraordinary lengths to support refugees and asylum seekers, stateless persons, and the internally displaced. It is named in honour of Norwegian explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees appointed by the League of Nations in 1921. I dreamt of an inclusive society where diversity is embraced. Tuenjai was 20 when she began her work with poor hill tribes in Chiang Rai province. Over the next four decades, she came to understand the severe difficulties they faced because of their lack of nationality, and worked to overcome them. When I first started working, around 40 years ago, there were not many people in Thailand who understood the issue and gave importance to resolving statelessness successfully, Tuenjai, now 66, told UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Tuenjai Deetes, Asia region finalist for the 2018 Nansen Refugee Award (Kathryn Porteous, producer / Shi Han Liu, editor / Rachapon Riansiri, videographer) I dreamt of an inclusive society where diversity is embraced, and all people can fully exercise their rights and develop their potential. She co-founded the Hill Area Development Foundation (HADF), which works to develop self-reliant communities, promoting education, sustainable agricultural practices and leadership. Since then, she has received numerous awards and accolades. She was elected as a senator for Chiang Rai Province in 2000 and then appointed as a member of the National Legislative Assembly in 2006. I had education, health care, and I felt safe when I travelled. As a legislator, she has worked to implement two vital laws concerning nationality and civil registration. This paved the way for hundreds of thousands of stateless people in Thailand to apply for nationality. Formerly stateless women from the Lisu hill tribe chat to Tuenjai Deetes, 2018 Nansen Award finalist for Asia. UNHCR/Rachapon Riansiri Natee, a formerly stateless woman from the Lahu hill tribe, shows a photograph of her university graduation UNHCR/Rachapon Riansiri A formerly stateless man from the Lisu hill tribe shows his ID card in northern Thailand. He was supported by 2018 Nansen Award finalist for Asia, Tuenjai Deetes, in applying for citizenship. UNHCR/Rachapon Riansiri At least 10 million people worldwide are denied a nationality. As a result, they often are not allowed to attend school, visit a doctor, get a job or even marry. However, over the years, statelessness in Thailand has declined considerably and, since 2008, more than 90,000 people have acquired nationality. Thanks to Tuenjai, Natee is one of them. If we dont have Thai nationality, we dont have rights, we are invisible, says Natee, now aged 42. After I acquired nationality, I had rights like others do, I felt confident, I was no longer disadvantaged. I had a better quality of life, I had education, health care, and I felt safe when I travelled. Tuenjai became a National Human Rights Commissioner in 2015 and continues to campaign for the stateless, working to improve conditions for hill tribe communities. See also: Nansen Award finalist gives girls in Jordan a sporting chance German mayor sets example of how to welcome refugees Women of the World helps refugees adjust to life in US Andreas Hollstein, mayor of Altena, has worked tirelessly to welcome refugees to his town of Altena. UNHCR/Gordon Welters Mayor Andreas Hollstein sees refugees as a benefit for his community and when unprecedented numbers arrived in Europe seeking safety, he volunteered to take more than his towns fair share. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to make sure the newcomers are welcome in his town of Altena in western Germany and to create an atmosphere conducive to integration, an achievement for which he has been nominated for the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. The annual prize honours those who have gone to extraordinary lengths to support refugees and displaced people. Its about taking small steps and sending out small signals, says Hollstein, whose town of 17,000 people has accepted 450 asylum-seekers since 2013. We cant solve all the problems of all the millions of refugees in the world, adds Hollstein, 55. But we can do our bit to improve things to the best of our ability. I think weve done that and it didnt overwhelm us. The town has struggled in recent years. Factories have closed and the population has dwindled. Now the mayor has managed to turn things around, promoting a vision of a community thriving once again, essential to the long-term wellbeing of the refugees and the people hosting them. He has highlighted the positive effects of the refugee influx, stressing the potential and skills brought individually by the newcomers. The advantages of improving refugees self-reliance and enabling them to have access to the labour market are recognised by the mayor, volunteers and refugees alike. It boosts the local economy and benefits the host population, while providing long-term opportunities for newcomers. The goal Im fighting for is the right one. The mayor and his community were previously singled out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the German government for their successful approaches to integrating newcomers. They have now been chosen as the regional finalist for Europe by the Nansen Refugee Award. The as-yet-undisclosed winner of the award will be announced on 25 September and it will be presented by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, at a ceremony in Geneva later this year. The award is named in honour of Norwegian explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees, who was appointed by the League of Nations in 1921. It aims to showcase his values of perseverance and commitment in the face of adversity. Andreas Hollstein, Europe region finalist for the 2018 Nansen Refugee Award (Kathryn Porteous, producer / Shi Han Liu, editor / Adam Wakeling, camera) Hollstein has shown perseverance in the face of the hate mail he has received on a regular basis as well as an injury he suffered in a knife attack last year by a resident believed to be opposed to his policy of welcoming refugees. The goal Im fighting for is the right one, he says. I went into politics because I wanted to achieve goals and take stances. Thats not always comfortable, but I still believe its right. With a dedicated community of volunteers and a range of innovative approaches, Hollstein aims to turn Altenas newest arrivals from strangers into neighbours. He says improving communication is at the core of his strategy. We wanted the new arrivals and locals to talk to each other, he says. Even if it has to be using only gestures at first, its still better than if people dont communicate. It means we can turn people from an anonymous number or unknown name and create a relationship with them. To encourage this, Hollstein ensures newcomers are housed in apartments in various parts of the town, rather than in a separate, central shelter. When they move in, they are introduced to their new neighbours by volunteers. The newcomers are a gain for German society. The administration supported the development of an internet portal to match refugees skills with jobs. This approach has enabled many quickly to establish contacts with members of the local population, learn the language and find employment or education opportunities. For Zarifa Brmaja, a mother of two from the Syrian city of Aleppo, the policy has proved a lifeline. Nearly every day, she has a visit from an elderly neighbour who is helping her learn German. Its good here in Altena because people want to help, says Zarifa, 25, who is also enrolled in a volunteer-run language course at Stellwerk, a coordination centre for volunteers. While she studies, volunteers look after her two young children in a room next door. The people here are very welcoming, agrees Zarifas husband, Shahin, 33, an engineer who found work with Altenas municipal utility after also completing German classes. Maybe in other places theres not so much contact between people. But we know that were lucky here. Altenas welcome strategy goes beyond chance friendships with neighbours. Hollstein wanted to make sure that all newcomers had someone to look out for them. Mayor Andreas Hollstein chats to 17-year-old refugees Hani (left) and Mohamad. UNHCR/Gordon Welters The town of Altena has struggled in recent years but Mayor Hollstein has turned things around, promoting a vision of a community thriving once again. UNHCR/Gordon Welters Altena resident Ludger Leweke mentors around 20 young refugees, helping them apply for work and traineeships. UNHCR/Gordon Welters Mayor Hollstein in his office. "With small steps you can do something good for people in need." UNHCR/Gordon Welters Volunteers act as so-called carers to help asylum-seekers deal with officialdom and support them in other aspects of daily life in Germany. The newcomers are a gain for German society, says Ludger Leweke, 68, a life-long Altena resident and volunteer who mentors about 20 young refugees, helping them apply for work and traineeships. Thats why I want to help them into careers. With small steps you can do something good for people in need. One of them is Muhannad Alsaour, 23, from Damascus, who arrived in Altena in 2015. He quickly learned German and has secured a traineeship as an electrician. Ludger explained to me how to have a good life here in Germany, he says. Im very thankful to him. Hes helped me a lot. Stories like Muhannads and Ludgers can be found all over town and, according to Hollstein, are the secret behind Altenas success. Volunteers are the backbone of our work nothing would happen without them, he says. Whats special in Altena is the comprehensive approach. We arent doing anything that isnt happening elsewhere, but were doing things to a high standard in a number of different directions. He hopes Altenas success will send a strong message to other communities that even the smallest contributions can make a difference, whatever their size, in Germany and beyond. With small steps you can do something good for people in need, says Hollstein. Its not the big words of top politicians that are important. Its the people out there showing the humanitarian face of Europe and thats us. Rights campaigner fights for Thailands stateless people Nansen Award finalist gives girls in Jordan a sporting chance Amineh Kakabaveh is an Iranian Kurdish ex-peshmerga fighter who sought asylum in Sweden in the 1990s and has been a member of parliament since 2008. (Photo: AFP/Noella Johansson) Amineh Kakabaveh is an Iranian Kurdish ex-peshmerga fighter who sought asylum herself in Sweden in the 1990s and has been a member of parliament since 2008. She has been a vocal critic of Sweden's handling of the 400,000 asylum seekers taken in since 2012, including 160,000 in 2015 alone, the highest number in Europe per capita. Sweden is "increasingly divided", said the 40-year-old politician, whose views have earned her enemies among her own formerly-communist Left Party who accuse her of stigmatising immigrants. Yet Kakabaveh is ruthless in her criticism of Sweden's shortcomings on integrating immigrants, giving it a failing grade. "We have been naive. We have not been brave. We had no plan," she said, adding that this has enabled a rise in "fundamentalism" in Sweden's suburbs that has fuelled the far-right. "Sweden has been having integration problems for 20 years," Kakabaveh tells AFP in an interview just days before the election. "This is why the Sweden Democrats (SD), a racist party, is now (poised to be) the second biggest party," she says. SD, an anti-immigration party created in 1988 by ex-neo-Nazis, is tipped to win around 20 per cent of votes, according to an average of seven polling institutes in the final weeks of the campaign. That would put SD just behind Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's Social Democrats, and neck-and-neck with the conservative Moderates Party. Kakabaveh is worried about all the asylum seekers who have fled "from war, dictatorships, Islamic dictatorships, and regimes like Daesh (the Islamic State group)." Sweden is "increasingly divided," she says, clad in a red dress, red cardigan and high heels. "All red - I'm a socialist!" she says with a laugh. "This multicultural society has been poorly constructed over the past two decades, and that has led to a separation of communities." The issue is so infected that it's taboo to talk about, she says. "SD has occupied the public debate even though it has ideas that have nothing to do with wanting to help the most vulnerable in society. Now they're heroes because the others don't dare rise to the challenge," she says. KALASHNIKOVS AND SOCIAL WORK Kakabaveh is not a household name in Sweden. But she's been threatened by "racists and fundamentalists" and says she lives under the protection of Sweden's security service Sapo, in charge of intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism. Despite her disillusionment with Sweden, she still thinks the Scandinavian country that prides itself on being a "humanitarian superpower" and model of tolerance is "a land of opportunity." "I arrived here illiterate. Six years later I was at university and now I've been a member of parliament for 10 years," she says. A peshmerga fighter in Iran, she was sentenced to death and fled to Sweden in 1992 where she was granted refugee status. In a picture on the cover of her autobiography published in 2016, a younger Kakabaveh is seen wearing typical peshmerga clothing, a Kalashnikov slung over her shoulder and a firearm on her hip, a leather cartridge belt around her waist. In Sweden, she earned a degree in social work before starting a Swedish branch of the French feminist movement "Neither Whores nor Doormats" in 2005. Women's liberation is her main focus, fighting for bans on minor girls wearing the Islamic headscarf and on religious schools. She is known for her vehement opposition to "religious extremism" and "the oppression of women because of honour codes" in Kurdish and Arab circles. But her outspokenness has come at a price: the Left Party refused to put her on their list of recommended candidates for Sunday's election. She nonetheless made it onto the list in Stockholm when other party members voted for her, though she is so far down she's unlikely to get elected. And what will she do if she's not re-elected? "Something else," she says, not missing a beat. "Maybe some social work for oppressed women in another country, on another continent." US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for companies to move production to, or keep it in the United States, while pushing aggressive trade actions to narrow the US trade deficit, which he equates with theft from Americans. (Photo: AFP/Josh Edelson) Trump has repeatedly called for companies to move production to the United States, or to keep it there, while pushing aggressive trade actions aimed at narrowing the US trade deficit, which he equates with theft from Americans. "Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China - but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive," Trump tweeted. "Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting!" But the higher cost of wages in the United States could offset the benefits Apple might gain by avoiding tariffs affecting its products manufactured in China. The Trump administration has placed punitive tariffs on US$50 billion in Chinese goods and threatened to tax all Chinese imports to the United States. US businesses have become increasingly concerned about the tariffs, which are raising prices for manufacturers and could hurt the economy. But Trump has been unapologetic, insisting that his tough tactics will work. Man Arrested on Suspicion of Murder The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of 25 year old Aaron Michael Buckley, who fell to his death in the early hours of this morning from an upper balcony at Eurotowers, has continued throughout the course of today. Police have confirmed the investigation is now a murder inquiry, and detectives have arrested a 43 year old British man resident in Gibraltar on suspicion of Murder. No other persons are being sought in connection with this investigation. The RGP have said their witness appeal issued this morning continues, and Police are keen to speak to anyone who: may have witnessed the incident resides in the area of Eurotowers who may have seen/heard anything at the time of the incident or just prior to/or after the incident may have been passing by the area of Eurotowers either at the time of the incident or just prior to/or after the incident Members of the public who feel they may have any information that might assist this investigation, should contact Police through the New Mole House switchboard on Tel No: 20072500. Local Band Taxi to Perform at Gibraltar Calling Festival The producers of MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling have confirmed that Taxi will be performing at this years festival. Taxi is a Pop Rock musical group born in 2005 following the split of Melon Diesel, and is formed by Dylan Ferro, Dani Fa and Danny Bugeja. With more than 19 years in the music industry, they have sold more than 350,000 copies of their entire catalogue, obtaining a platinum record and two gold records. A huge success story, they appear frequently on national Spanish and international music press (El Pais, Rolling Stone etc.), television (TVE 1, Telecinco, Antena 3 etc. ...), and radios (40 Principales, Cadena Dial, Cadena 100 etc ...) having several successes and numbers 1s year after year. In 2010 they were nominated for a Latin Grammy. They have had the privilege of sharing stages with international bands such as REM, Manic Street Preachers and Oasis as well as other Spanish superstars such as El Canto Del Loco or Amaral, becoming one of the greatest touring bands in Spain. Minister for Culture, the Media, Youth & Sport, Steven Linares said I am delighted that TAXI will be performing at this years festival. They are one of the most successful bands to come out of Gibraltar and are fantastic live. I look forward to enjoying them perform along with all the other local acts! Lead vocals, Dylan Ferro said "We're really excited to be playing at MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling this year. It's always great to play in our hometown and to perform alongside such iconic acts will be incredible." Dont miss the opportunity to watch Taxi perform alongside international superstars including Stormzy, Rita Ora, RagnBone Man, Two Door Cinema Club, Suzi Quatro, Sister Sledge, Scouting For Girls and so many more at MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd September 2018. Last remaining tickets are available at http://www.gibraltarcalling.com Delegation of Parliamentarians for National Day A total of 32 parliamentarians will be coming to Gibraltar on a working visit to participate in National Day events. That number includes Members of the House of Commons, of the House of Lords, of the Northern Ireland Assembly and of the European Parliament. The group represents Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, UUP, DUP and Crossbench Peers. This wide representation, from across the political spectrum in Westminster, is a reflection of the staunch support that Gibraltar enjoys in the United Kingdom. It also shows the high level of interest that exists in Gibraltar issues as we prepare to leave the European Union in March next year. This year, the DUP Leader, Arlene Foster MLA will be in Gibraltar for National Day for the first time. She was First Minister of Northern Ireland until the power-sharing agreement came to an end, and has always been very supportive. Indeed, she rung the Chief Minister to express support for Gibraltar after the Brexit Referendum and last year met the Deputy Chief Minister in Belfast during the DUP party conference. The parliamentarians will be given detailed briefings on the political situation, including Brexit matters, by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia. Dr Garcias briefing will be at the air terminal and will be followed by a site visit to the air terminal building itself and to the border in order to provide our visitors with first-hand experience of the situation. The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said: The Government is delighted to see the level of interest that continues to exist among parliamentarians on Gibraltar issues. This is all the more important this National Day as we prepare to leave the European Union. It is essential that we keep UK politicians up to date on the progress of different issues throughout the year. National Day provides the invaluable opportunity for us to do this to a number of them at the same time. I must also acknowledge the work that Gibraltar House in London and in Brussels have done in getting together the group of MPs, MLAs and MEPs. Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell in Beautiful Boy. Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios Its going to be a long fall for anyone trying to tell apart Beautiful Boy and Boy Erased, two similarly titled melodramas based on acclaimed memoirs, in which one of the Lady Bird heartthrobs gets weepy while struggling with his parents over a pressing social issue (Timothee Chalamet and drug addiction in the former, Lucas Hedges and conversion therapy in the latter). Both films have been getting steady awards buzz for their young stars, each of whom already has an Oscar nomination under their belts before the age of 23. Can the Boy films cement Chalamet and Hedges as the Academys favorite young leading men? Now that both films have screened at Toronto, lets examine their chances, as well as those of the films themselves. Beautiful Boy Before Beautiful Boy premiered, there was some discussion over which of its two stars Chalamets young drug addict or Steve Carells frustrated father would run in lead. Having seen the film, its pretty clear. Though the movie is officially based on a pair of memoirs from the real-life father-and-son duo David and Nic Sheff, this is Carells movie. David is the one we open on, hes the one whose memories power the films copious flashbacks, and when theyre apart, hes usually the one we follow. Chalamets Nic is mostly there to be an object of his fathers conflicted emotions, and though he has plenty of screen time, the part isnt as full as his breakout role in Call Me by Your Name, or even his short turn in Lady Bird. Despite that, I think Oscars more likely to smile on the younger actor than the elder. As years of Best Supporting Actress races have proven, Oscar doesnt mind an underwritten role as long as the performance is strong enough, and even the movies negative reviews have generally praised Chalamets magnetic acting. Hes got an acute case of what Roger Ebert used to call Ali MacGraws disease here the deeper Nic sinks into the depths of his addiction, the more lithely beautiful he becomes. By the end, when things get grimmest, hes practically a portrait of Rimbaud come to life. Carell doesnt get many modes to play either, with many critics Ive spoken to finding him alternately glum and shrill. The actors also hamstrung by a fundamental issue: Hes playing a character whose emotional arc is all about becoming less active. David spends the entire film learning how to let go of his need to control Nic at one point, a poster showing the Three Cs of Al-Anon gets prominent real-estate behind him and while thats surely good advice in real life, Oscar usually prefers its leading men to be slightly less passive. (In the films most exciting sequence, a brief car chase, David merely looks on in distress.) Recent Best Actor trophies have gone to characters who stood up to Hitler or trekked half-dead across a frozen wilderness, and while I suppose you could compare Carells role to Casey Afflecks in Manchester by the Sea, director Felix Van Groeningen is too polite to match Kenneth Lonergans commitment to scraping the rawest emotional depths. Festival reviews for Beautiful Boy have not been great, and I suspect Amazon may have to really hammer home the message elements if the movie is going to compete outside the acting categories. (Amy Ryan and Maura Tierney made some preliminary Best Supporting Actress lists, but both of their parts are fairly thin.) With Welcome to Marwen and Backseat yet to come, Carell seems likely to be making the rounds heavily this fall, while Ive heard that Chalamet might not have another gargantuan promo tour in him again. That might not matter, thanks to the quality of competition. Best Supporting Actor seems relatively wide open this year, with A Star Is Borns Sam Elliott the only heavyweight to emerge. Chalamets not at the level where he doesnt have to show up to get a nod only Denzel Washington and Daniel Day-Lewis are but I wonder if the positive reception to his performance could make him reconsider. Even in an effort that doesnt quite live up to his best work, I still think this beautiful boys got what it takes to land his second nomination. Theodore Pellerin and Lucas Hedges in Boy Erased. Photo: 2018 Focus Features Boy Erased There can be no category confusion with Boy Erased: As a religious teen struggling with his sexuality, Lucas Hedges is in nearly every scene of Joel Edgertons film. As in Beautiful Boy, where we know Nic Sheff is going to survive to write the book that movies based on, theres not much suspense to Boy Erased. Im guessing there are not a lot of people in the audience at the Toronto International Film Festival still on the fence about whether gay-conversion therapy is a good idea. But Hedges does a fine job selling his characters journey, from genuine openness to the idea that he could be cured, to righteous anger at the abuse he and his fellow campers are suffering, and finally, to a quiet, clear-eyed dignity. The Academy tends to love bold truth-tellers who stand up against oppressive institutions, and Edgerton makes sure to fill the last act of the movie with plenty of telecast-ready speeches for his young star. But Hedges efforts may be hampered by two things out of his control. The first is his age. Though he got a Best Supporting Actor nomination two years ago, competing in Best Actor is a different beast. With the exception of Chalamet last year, the Academy does not go for lead actors under 25. (Or even 30 Daniel Kaluuya and Jesse Eisenberg are the only other actors in their 20s to score Best Actor nods in the past ten years.) The second is in the films focus. Critics have noted that the film seems to be intended more for the parents of queer children than the children themselves, and accordingly, the real transformations in Boy Erased belong to Hedgess mom and dad, played by Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. The Australians both get big, showy, Oscar-y roles Crowes a pastor who cant reconcile his homophobia with his love for his son, while Kidmans essentially doing her Lion character in Dolly Parton cosplay and I could see a future where the two veterans capture the wind of the films awards campaign more than Hedges does. (Edgerton himself is enjoyably prickly as the camps lead therapist, but his most interesting character development happens in a title card at the end of the movie.) Titles and stars aside, its striking how similar both Boy movies are, from the subtle mid-2000s period details, to the frequent use of flashbacks, to the public-service announcements over the credits explaining just how prevalent the issue theyre dealing with is. Each didnt get quite the euphoric festival reception they might have hoped for, and it seems like the acting categories are where theyll hope to make their mark this year. Fittingly, their Oscar ambitions rest on the backs of a couple of Boys. Donald Trump. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images There are many theories as to why Donald Trump ran for president. Some say it was because Seth Meyers and President Obama made fun of him at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, others say it was to further his business, and this week, Michael Moore told The Hollywood Reporter that Trump ran for president because of former No Doubt frontwoman and The Voice judge Gwen Stefani. According to THR, Moore suggested that Trump was inspired to announce his run for president after learning that Stefani was earning higher performance fees from NBC as a judge on The Voice than he was as host of The Apprentice, because he thought staging his elevator-heavy campaign announcement at Trump Tower in June 2015 would show the network just how popular he was. Moore, who is currently promoting his upcoming documentary Fahrenheit 11/9, was reportedly delighted with the audacity of the claim after making it. Hed been talking about running for president since 1988, but he didnt really want to be president, Moore said. Theres no penthouse in the White House. And he doesnt want to live in a black city. He was trying to pit NBC against another network, but it just went off the rails. It is, indeed, a theory. And its not hard to imagine that Trump, upon learning the distressing news that a woman was being fairly compensated for her work, would be prompted to do something drastic. Then again, maybe he just ran so he could spend more time fondling flags. Les Moonves. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images CNN is reporting that CBS chief executive Les Moonves is expected to step down from the company by Monday morning. According to two executives appraised on Moonvess exit, the companys board of directors will likely announce the deal after his global settlement is finalized, an exit package that might be upward of $100 million. This news comes after a New Yorker report from Ronan Farrow was published on Sunday afternoon, which brought forth six more women who claimed Moonves sexually harassed and abused them throughout the course of three decades. In total, 12 women have now publicly lodged allegations of misconduct against Moonves. I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances, he said when the first reports of his misconduct were published. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no. In response to Moonvess exit negotiations from CBS, Times Up released a statement to criticize the network and support the six new women who have come forward with claims. These allegations speak to a culture of toxic complicity at CBS, where the safety of women was continuously ignored to protect the careers of powerful men and the corporation. The CBS Board of Directors has an obligation to move swiftly and decisively to create a safe work environment for all and rid the company of this toxic culture, the statement read, in part. CBS, as you sit in a room debating next steps to rectify the damage done, remember that the world is watching. Update, September 9: The New Yorker now reports Moonves will not, in fact, be receiving that potential $100 million exit package because he likely wont receive any exit package at all. (Or, a significantly clawed back package instead.) This is pending the results of the networks internal investigation, and if they find Moonves indeed committed misconduct. Update: Moonves will no longer receive any of his exit compensation, pending results of the independent investigation; portion of the amount he would have received will be donated to organizations focussed on sexual harassment and assault. https://t.co/QEIaBZAxlJ Michael Luo (@michaelluo) September 9, 2018 Michael Moore with Jared Kushner in 2007. Photo: 1996-98 AccuSoft Inc., All rights reserved/Courtesy of TIFF You could argue that Michael Moores Fahrenheit 11/9 has too many irons in the fire, being variously an acid evocation of the rise of Donald Trump, a peroration against establishment Democrats (among them both Clintons and Barack Obama), an earnest exhortation to grass-roots activism, and an alarmist examination of the current moments parallels to Weimar Germany. But Id say Moore has about the right number of irons, and that he strikes the living hell out of every one. This isnt his smoothest film, but its his fullest and most original. Its also his most urgent, which is really saying something. Its one of the most urgent films ever made. The thrust is that the United States of America is toast, or at least pretty close. Closer than it has been in 250 years not that Moore thinks the country has ever lived up to its branding as a place of liberty and justice for all. (His own brand wouldnt exist if he did.) But the Constitution, imperfect as it is, is only as strong as the democracy that protects it, and the democracy that protects it is only as strong as Thereby hangs his tale. It must be said that Fahrenheit 11/9 is something of a bait-and-switch. It opens funny, if you can forget for a second the broader narrative. 11/9, of course, is the day (it was early a.m.) that Donald Trump became president-elect, and Moores prologue and first section is a greatest hits collection of low points: from the medias certainty hed never win a primary/the nomination/the presidency to the certainty of Hillary Clinton and her followers that no halfway intelligent country would elect a vulgar, boastful, racist, misogynistic grifter. But after making the case that Trumps presidency can be blamed on Gwen Stefani (hint: it was her salary on The Voice), Moore offers a hilariously annotated list of since-dethroned male harassers harassing Clinton about her emails and/or competency to occupy the Oval office, and then demonstrates how the malignant narcissist played the media for suckers. He includes himself. He once had a bit of fun with Trump on Roseanne Barrs short-lived yak show, grinning when Trump said he loved Roger & Me and hoped Moore would never make a film about him. Moore follows with a somewhat amusing but generally icky montage depicting Trumps lechery toward his daughter. Moore is barreling along when he segues to a spiritual cousin of Trump, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a very rich man who joined the government in order to privatize it. And then comes Flint, the laughs stop abruptly, and Fahrenheit 11/9 becomes a story of criminal Republican malfeasance, establishment Democratic uninterest and/or impotence, and the rise of local activism that rattles the pooh-bahs of both parties. We get Flint because it illustrates one kind of malignant governance. Snyder decided to build a second pipeline from Lake Huron (the existing one worked fine), drew water in the meantime from the ghastly Flint River, and ignored evidence that elevated levels of lead were sickening children and permanently damaging their brains. Heres the sort of rhetoric Moore does best: He portrays Snyder as criminally indifferent to the poisoning of poor and black children (Moore calls this a slow-motion ethnic cleansing) while incensed when General Motors complains that Flint water is corroding the steel in the cars still being made there. When the world premiere screening audience heard that Snyder restored the Lake Huron water to GM but not residents of Flint, there were gasps. Moore gets a few cheap laughs when he goes to the state capitol to make a citizens arrest, then deluges the governors lawn with a truckload of Flint water. But it was the efforts of Flint mother LeeAnne Walters; Dr. Mona Hanna-Atisha; and the previously little-known whistleblower April Cook-Hawkins, who refused to follow orders and reduce the levels of lead on a report of childrens blood tests, that Moore is here to celebrate. Theyre ordinary people who stepped up in the absence of politicians among them President Obama, who visited the community but declined to declare a national disaster, offering only words of encouragement, and, in an uncharacteristically tone-deaf move, pretending to drink Flint water while only wetting his lips. Later, Moore notes that disgust with the Democrats kept many Flint voters from the polls in that vital Midwest state. It went narrowly for Trump. Thats a yuuge point in Fahrenheit 11/9. Moore doesnt reiterate his support for Bernie Sanders here. Hes more concerned with accusing newspapers like the New York Times of misrepresenting Sanderss youthful constituency with a front-page story headlined, Sanderss Messages Resonates with One Age Group: His Own. More damagingly, he accuses state parties of outright lying at the Democratic Convention about unanimous county majorities for Hillary Clinton. In a close election, the weeping and, more important, rage of Sanderss voters made a difference. And dont get him started on the Electoral College, a holdover from an era of American aristocracy. After Flint, Trump is on to West Virginia and a teachers strike over wages that put them below the poverty line. While union leaders behaved wimpily and politicians did little, the strike spread to all 55 counties and inspired teachers in other states to challenge legislatures. The next stop is Parkland, Florida. First, Moore meets for a strategy session with former Stoneman Douglas High School student David Hogg and his posse, and then he accompanies them to the state capitol in Tallahassee, where he captures the most cringeworthy evasions of NRA-funded Republican legislators. Finally, Moore arrives at the most provocative chapter of Fahrenheit 11/9: He disputes the idea that comparisons to Nazi Germany are spurious, demonstrating the identical kind of rhetoric in the early 1930s on behalf of despotism and sampling the editorial of a leading German Jewish newspaper that assured its readers that Hitler would be forced to moderate his proposals to conform to the German Constitution. That was before a trumped-up national emergency, the dissolution of much of said constitution, the Reichstag fire, and the appointment of Nazi-affiliated legislators and judges. Non-party journalists became enemies of the people. Where are the Russians in Fahrenheit 11/9? Vladimir Putin shows up two or three times in passing. For Moores thesis, theyre only relevant in demonstrating Trumps affection for despots, and, more important, for the ways in which his asides about postponing the 2020 election and becoming president for life might creep into mainstream of public discourse. What Robert Mueller will or wont do is of no concern to him, either. Moore ridicules hope. After the movies premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, Moore bridled when a questioner dared to use the h word. Fuck hope, he said. The new word is action. After the world premiere screening, April Cook-Hawkins came onstage to a standing ovation. So did David Hogg and several of his peers, to an even longer one. But this is Canada, you say, the northernmost coordinate of this administrations new Axis of Evil. (The other two are that old standby Iran and maybe Germany, Iraq being an unmentionable and Kim Jung-un a great guy whose people love him.) A Michael Moore movie will always have cheap shots, and many liberals and progressives will wince when theyre aimed at the likes of Obama, who only by a miracle managed to pass the watered-down national health care bill that is currently being eviscerated. But can anyone committed to social justice not gag watching crypto-Republican Holy Joe Lieberman complain on Fox News about shrill progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? (Bring a barf bag.) I have a question for you guys, said Moore on the Toronto stage. Whos ready to save America? Yes, hes a bit of a blowhard, but the air is blowing hard in the right direction. You need to see this film. Jayne Mansfield in Promises! Promises! Photo: Noonan-Taylor Prod./Kobal/REX/Shutterstock For a very long time in Hollywood, it was impossible to show nudity onscreen. Although movies in the silent era included fully naked bodies, from 1934 to 1968, censors monitored every studio film closely for explicit content, flagging costumes that were too revealing or shots that were too leering. But by the early 1960s, a few stars were willing to test the nude taboo. One of them was Marilyn Monroe. Monroe filmed two nude scenes one for 1961s The Misfits and one for 1962s Somethings Gotta Give but neither made it into theaters in one piece. The first scene was cut and the second was a mere fragment of an unfinished movie, her last before she died. The Misfits moment was unscripted, a spontaneous impulse that arose during a love scene between Monroe and Clark Gable. The actress was shrouded in bedsheets when she dropped the covers, flashing the cameras in front of her. This scene didnt make it into the final print, but according to a recent Deadline report, the footage was salvaged by producer Frank Taylor, whose son Curtice has kept it in a locked safe since 1999. The Somethings Gotta Give scene was a little more intentional. Monroes character Ellen is supposed to swim nude, as a means to entice her estranged husband Nick from his hotel room. The footage of Monroe skinny-dipping in a pool is now available in multiple YouTube clips, but the movie never screened for era audiences, since Monroe was fired and then died before filming wrapped. Either scene wouldve made Monroe the first American star to go nude in a Hollywood movie in decades. But in Monroes absence, it was Jayne Mansfield who shattered the long-standing tradition. Like Monroe, Mansfield was a buxom blonde with a complicated reputation but unlike Monroe, she craved the industrys constant spotlight, and frequently used her body to get it. While onscreen nudity certainly existed before 1962, it had been outlawed in the U.S. for decades under the Production Code, a set of guidelines that governed Hollywood films from 1934 through 1968. The code forbade nudity along with abortion, queer relationships, and many other topics from all mainstream U.S. movies, which is why the Golden Age of Hollywood still enjoys such a squeaky-clean reputation, despite its many scandals. It was against that backdrop that Mansfield made her topless debut in the 1963 swingers cruise-ship comedy Promises! Promises! The actress was in a bit of a career slump at the time. She hadnt had a hit since 1957s Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and her longtime studio was getting fed up. Fox dropped her contract after yet another dud, the 1962 historical riff It Happened in Athens. It appeared audiences were growing tired of Mansfields ditzy blonde shtick, or maybe they were just sick of her. Mansfield had always been famous for her crass publicity stunts, which often involved her accidentally losing her clothing. At the 1953 premiere for Underwater!, she had posed for endless photos in a tight bikini that eventually popped open in the pool, stealing the spotlight from the films star, Jane Russell. Those blatant headline grabs had launched Mansfields career, landing her a star-making role in the 1956 comedy The Girl Cant Help It, and they also made her distinct from her blonde-bombshell rival Monroe, who generated tabloid fodder without really trying. Mansfield was trying she wanted those stories and, as one Saturday Evening Post headline put it, she would do anything for publicity. But that shameless attention-seeking also earned Mansfield plenty of animosity, particularly in the early 1960s, as she floundered professionally. Shortly after Monroes 1962 death, The New York Times ran an article explaining why each successor to Monroe was an inadequate replacement: Ava Gardner was too reclusive, Kim Novak too serious, Natalie Wood too slight. But the newspaper reserved some of its meanest comments for Mansfield. Jayne Mansfield, whom 20th Century Fox was building as a Love Goddess nominee, suffers from too much publicity and too few roles, The New York Times wrote. She has become rather a caricature like Mae West and alienates the segment which takes sex seriously. If she was already a caricature, it made sense for Mansfield to seek out the absurdity of a sexploitation film. Promises! Promises! was a translation of Edna Sheklows 1960 play The Plant, about two couples on a cruise ship who swap partners in a drunken haze, and then have to figure out who fathered which pregnancy. Actor Tommy Noonan purchased the film rights after nearly starring in the stage show, planning to write, direct, produce, and act in the movie. Noonan wouldve known as well as anyone the risks of including a nude scene, even within the context of this racy plot. The Production Code included specific clauses banning complete nudity, in fact or in silhouette, as well as indecent or undue exposure, and that language had helped keep the screens clean for nearly two decades. Some producers had tried to skirt it particularly Howard Hughes, who marketed both The Outlaw and The French Line on Jane Russells barely concealed chest but actual nudity was still the domain of foreign films like And God Created Woman or the low-budget nudie cuties that played in grindhouses. Hollywood had come a long way since its heady pre-code days, when naked bodies were more commonplace, particularly in silent films like 1915s The Hypocrites. But a code violation didnt carry the weight it once did, because by 1963, the entire system of censorship was running on life support. The administrators who enforced the code had historically relied on distribution to keep wayward producers in check if a movie did not meet their standards, the code arbiters would deny it a seal, the literal stamp of approval that ran in the opening credits. When the major studios adopted the code, they had all pledged not to run films missing seals in their movie theater chains; since those studios owned and controlled the vast majority of theaters, it effectively shut any violators out of mainstream circuits. This integration of production and distribution ended in 1948, after a trust-busting decision from the Supreme Court ordered RKO, Paramount, Fox, MGM, and Warner Brothers to divest from their theaters. Those cinemas were free to book whatever they pleased, eliminating the code censorss key method of enforcement. The 1952 Supreme Court ruling in Burstyn v. Wilson which granted film First Amendment protections as well as the exit of longtime code chief Joseph Breen in 1954, further transformed the system into a shell of its former self. In other words, there had never been a better time to push boundaries. Mansfields nude scene arrives fairly early into Promises! Promises!, soon after the couples have settled into their cabins. Her screen husband Jeff (Noonan) has just been to see the ships medic about his sperm. When he returns in high spirits, after receiving a placebo from the doctor he finds Sandy (Mansfield) stepping out of a bath, where she was just cooing the song Im in Love under a blanket of bubbles. She appears in the doorway, patting down her torso with a towel that does nothing to obscure her chest. The shot lingers for a few seconds before she closes the bathroom door to dress. (According to Raymond Straits gossipy Mansfield book Here They Are, the actress consumed a magnum bottle of champagne before shooting the scene.) As the crew filmed, a photographer for Playboy took extra shots to run in the magazine, pocketing them for the eventual publicity campaign. Despite Mansfields name, Promises! Promises! was a B-film to its core, shepherded by an actor-turned-auteur who was not quite a household name and who harbored no artistic pretensions. The movie entered markets without MPAA approval or studio backing, which meant it had to rely solely on advertising. You can guess what the publicity team focused on. Playboy published its behind-the-scenes images in the June 1963 issue, promising The Nudest Jayne Mansfield on the cover. Enterprising movie exhibitors were only too happy to join in the ogling. According to Boxoffice magazine, a theater manager in Phoenix hatched a stunt with his assistant that involved a pair of donkeys. The two men rode around on the animals with signs reading, Everyones going to see ALL of Jayne Mansfield in PROMISES! PROMISES! at the PORTOFINO except ME and you know what I am! Boxoffice claimed this asinine donkey joke resulted in a 600 percent increase in business. But in many cities, the exploitative advertising and lack of MPAA approval were a liability, with censorship boards in Maryland, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and other markets attempting to keep the film out. When the Playboy issues hit newsstands, Hugh Hefner was arrested and hauled into Chicago court for publishing and distributing an obscene magazine. The city based its complaint on two particularly obscene images showing Mansfield lying naked on a bed with a fully clothed man.The case ended in a mistrial, letting Hefner off the hook. Though Promises! Promises! made money, it was too crass and too indie to recoup Mansfields struggling stardom and her career never bounced back to its 1950s heights. Critics savaged the film, with Variety calling it unsuitable for anyone whose mentality surpasses that of a 5-year-old. But the topless scene did indicate where films were heading in respect to the policy against nudity. The following year in 1964, The Pawnbroker challenged the Production Code with a much more artistic and much more upsetting use of nudity through a Holocaust flashback sequence. The film had a celebrated director in Sidney Lumet and a serious method star in Rod Steiger, and due to this pedigree, it had more of a lasting impact than Promises! Promises! could, setting a precedent that would make it easier for movies to include nude scenes. Mansfield once told a gossip columnist, The real stars are not good actors or actresses. Theyre personalities. Whether you consider Jayne Mansfield more of an actress or, as the New York Timess Larry Glenn dubbed her, a love goddess, she was undoubtedly a personality, and just the right one to breach this Hollywood protocol. Along with so many other rebels and rulebreakers, she helped usher in a new wave of sexually frank films, one topless scene at a time. US mandates vaccines or tests for big companies by Jan. 4 By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 06, 2018 | 03:37 PM | FRANKFORT, KY The 2019 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly has been scheduled.The session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 8 and will last 30 legislative days.As usual during an odd-numbered year, in which sessions are half as long as in even-numbered years, the session will have two parts. The first four days of the session Jan. 8 to Jan. 11 will focus on organizational work, such as electing legislative leaders, adopting rules of procedure and organizing committees. The introduction and consideration of legislation can also begin during this time.The second part of the session begins on Feb. 5, with final adjournment scheduled for March 29.Legislators will not meet on Feb. 18 in observance of Presidents Day. The House and Senate will also not convene on March 8 or 11.The veto recess the period of time when lawmakers commonly return to their home districts while the governor considers the possibility of issuing vetoes begins on March 14. Lawmakers will return to the Capitol on March 28 and 29 for the final two days of the session.The 2019 session calendar is online at: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/calendars/19RS_calendar.pdf On the Net: LOCAL ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES EXHIBIT WINNERS Arts Council of Henderson County announces Awards for15th annual Bring Us Your Best Art Exhibition The Arts Council of Henderson County has announced the winning artists for its current exhibition, Bring Us Your Best XV. Winners were announced at the opening reception for the exhibition on Thursday, August 30. Bring Us Your Best XV is on display in the Blue Ridge Conference Hall of the TEDC Building on the Blue Ridge Community College campus through Friday, September 17. The awards were announced by Arts Council Board Chair, Pat McAfee, and presented by Joan Jackson, who represents the Wax Family Memorial Funds, a sponsor of the awards. The following artists received awards: 1st Place/2-dimensional Hamed Mahmoodi, Veil in Glass 1st Place/3-dimensional Bonnie Joy Bardos, Gaia: Mother Earth 1st Place/Photography Phyllis Peterson, A Drink of Blue 1st Place/Fine Craft Holland Van Gores, Accent 2nd Place/2-dimensional Barb Zimmerman, Enchanted Woods 2nd Place/3-dimensional Janet Hickey, Santos of the Repurposed Book 2nd Place/Photography Walter Arnold, So Little Time 2nd Place/Fine Craft David Adler, Diamond Ball 3rd Place/2-dimensional Jill Hsieh, Woman in a Scarf 3rd Place/3-dimensional Ed Foster, Waiting 3rd Place/Photography Ken Weaver, How to Run a Train 3rd Place/Fine Craft Karen-Eve Bayne, Umbrella Magnolia First place winners received $250, 2nd place winners received $150, and 3rd place winners received $100. In addition to the above awards, Jan Partin, President of the Board of Directors for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville, presented a special award of $250 to Catherine Langsdorf for her painting titled You are not Alone. This One Planet, One World award was selected based on how well the artwork is representative of a world community recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of all beings, the oneness and interdependence of all life. The award is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville. The Starving Artist Fine Art Supplies and Custom Framing Shop awarded ten Honorable Mention awards. $25 gift cards for the Starving Artist Shop were awarded to the following artists: Suzanne Ball, Karen Eve Bayne, Lucy Clark (fine craft), Lucy Clark (photography), Maureen Chapman, Tina Duncan, Two Silversmiths Jerry & Linda Hunter, Al Junek, Claire DeLong Taylor, and Cynthia Wilson. Henderson County photographer, Walter Arnold, and John Patrick McAfee, author, sponsored the Artists Choice award, which was selected and announced during the opening reception. Artists who have artwork in the exhibit voted for their choice to win the Artists Choice award at opening reception. Connie Poulnot won the $300 cash prize for her oil painting titled Memories. The Peoples Choice Award, based on the votes of all gallery visitors, has yet to be awarded. The winner will receive a $250 gift certificate from The Starving Artist Fine Art Supply & Custom Framing Shop, and will be announced after the last day of the exhibition, September 17th. The public is invited to visit the exhibition and cast their ballots for the Peoples Choice Award. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 10:00 am 4:00 pm. All artwork is for sale during this exhibition which is free and open to the public, and accessible for all. For more information contact the Arts Council of Henderson County at 828-693-8504 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Visit our website at www.acofhc.org. NING: This e-mail is a suspected scam. In addition to The Wax Family Memorial Funds, Bring Us Your Best XV is also sponsored by The Starving Artist Fine Art Supplies and Custom Framing Shop, the Dr. Minor F. Watts Fund at the Community Foundation of Henderson County, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville. The Arts Council of Henderson County is a community organization that promotes, advocates for, and nurtures the arts in Henderson County and Western North Carolina. Its office is located at 401 N. Main Street, 3rd floor Hendersonville, NC 28792 (entrance on Fourth Avenue West). The Arts Council is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources; several funds administered by the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Henderson County Government, and Henderson County Travel and Tourism. # # # Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. By: Paige Cline Sometimes I am asked to reprint a column from the past. Here[Read More] LITTLE FALLS, NY Saturday was not a good day to be in Little Falls. If youre a vampire that is. Thousands of people made their way to Canal Place to eat, stink, and be merry at the 17th annual Garlic and Herb Festival. Originally hosted by 8 local farmers, the event has grown to include more than 90 vendors. Besides all the garlic and herbs that were available, there was also live music and horse-drawn carriage rides. Juli Webster, one of the festivals co-chairs says the Mohawk Valleys climate and soil make this an ideal location to grow garlic and herbs. Anybody can grow garlic in their backyard. The fun thing about today is all these farmers are here to answer questions about garlic. They sell seed garlic that you can take home or garlic that you can take home and use, or store until winter time when you cant get it anymore. Portions of the proceeds from the festival will go to the non-profit, Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts. Salisbury, N.Y.- About a month ago we aired a story about Ronald Barnes, a 79-year-old disabled man from Salisbury Center in Herkimer County who collected cans while out on his ATV, then donated the proceeds to St. Jude's Childrens Hospital. Sadly just four days after our story aired, Barnes passed away unexpectedly. On Saturday, in honor of Barnes, the Salisbury Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club decided to hold a can drive in Ronald Barnes name. Barnes was a native to attending the Ridge Runners Race and collecting cans every year. Every year every time we have a race he was here it didn't matter, said Randy Dawlui, of RDs Redemption Center. If it was winter, summer, raining, or snowing he was here. On the cool brisk September day, everyone in attendance was remembering the can man. If the can man was here he would be up there just picking up his cans as people would go through, said Alex Tyoe, from the Ridge Runners. He was smiling and he was just so sweet. This year the organization hosted hundreds of snowmobilers from all over the northeast. Of those who attended, each one brought a bag of cans and collected hundreds of other, to be donated to St. Judes Childrens Hospital in honor of Ronald Barnes. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Purdue Sports) With a sold-out crowd in attendance, the No. 19 Purdue volleyball team secured its eighth consecutive victory with a thrilling five-set match over Louisville on Saturday night. The Boilermakers won the match 25-23, 17-25, 28-26, 13-15, 15-10, marking their first 8-0 start to a season since 2011. Five Boilermakers posted six or more kills and four tallied seven or more digs in the triumph. Senior Sherridan Atkinson had 14 kills and five digs, while also adding two blocks. Sophomore Caitlyn Newton added nine kills and three blocks, while junior Blake Mohler and Grace Cleveland added eight kills each. Redshirt junior Shavona Cuttino rounded out the offense with six kills to go with three blocks. Defending the back the court was senior Brooke Peters with 25 digs to go with five assists. Freshman Marissa Hornung followed with 10 digs while redshirt freshman Hayley Bush and sophomore Jena Otec added seven apiece. Mohler paced the defensive efforts up front with a match-high nine blocks to tie her career performance against Notre Dame in 2016. After Louisville earned a 9-6 lead to open the match, Purdue answered with small runs to come within one at 13-12. A block from Mohler and Bush tied the set at 13, while a kill from Atkinson tied it again at 16. Purdue broke the back-and-fourth with a block from Newton and Cuttino. Three Cardinal errors kept the Boilermakers ahead as a UofL service error and a kill by Mohler tipped the set to Purdue 25-23. The second set saw Louisville even the match, rallying to a 14-8 lead. The Boilermakers put together a 7-0 run to tie at 15, but then were outscored 10-2 down the stretch. Louisville claimed the set, 2517, on a Purdue attacking error. Louisville came out of the gate strong in the third, taking four of the first five points. The Boilermakers were able to claw back to even the set at eight after an ace from Peters. Trading point-for-point, the teams went on to tie the score eight more times. Knotted at 26, a Bush putaway and Cardinal error facilitated a 28-26 set win for Purdue as well as a 2-1 lead in the match. The Cardinals stalled Purdues momentum, jumping out to a 10-2 start in the fourth frame. Louisville kept control with a .375 hitting clip and eventually claimed the set, 25-13, to tie the match at two. Louisville delivered the first point of the final frame, but a kill from Cuttino sparked a 5-0 Boilermaker run pushing Purdue to a 5-1 advantage. Purdues front court fed the lead by forcing a trio of Cardinal attacking errors. Leading 12-9, the home team capitalized on a Louisville service error, claiming the set, 15-10, on back-to-back kills from Cuttino and Cleveland. The No. 19 Boilermakers return to action at 1 p.m. ET Friday against Southern Miss for their first match in Alabamas Crimson-White Tournament. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Internationally acclaimed chef to take on top job at new Llangollen restaurant This article is old - Published: Sunday, Sep 9th, 2018 An internationally acclaimed chef is set to bring his culinary talents to north east Wales after scooping the top job at a new bar and restaurant. Chef Adam Gaunt-Evans has over twenty years of culinary experience, having cooked in some of the worlds most exclusive venues spanning over three continents and seven countries. He will be returning to his hometown of Llangollen for his role at The Three Eagles in Llangollen. The new restaurant, which is located on Bridge Street in the town, has been launched by entrepreneur-couple Matt and Vicky Jones. The Three Eagles owner, Matt Jones believes that the announcement of such a renowned and experienced chef puts a real marker down for the quality of food to be expected when the venue opens later this year. To be able to announce Adam as our executive chef makes me extremely excited, said Matt. His skills coupled with the experience he brings with him from his time in top class kitchens around the world makes him an ideal acquisition for what we are looking to achieve at The Three Eagles. Since finding his love for cooking at the age of fourteen, Adam went on to train at Londons five-star Dorchester Hotel and continued on to the Michelin starred Green House in Mayfair as well as working alongside the acclaimed Chef Bjorn Van der Horst. Adam continued his success operating top restaurant kitchens across a host of exotic countries and in his first international role, worked as a senior chef at the Burj al Arab the iconic Dubai landmark regarded as the worlds first seven-star hotel. Hungry to experience new cultures and cuisine, his skills took him on further to luxury resorts in the Maldives, Thailand and Australia where he worked in a seafood restaurant headed by celebrity Chef Peter Kuruvita. He now joins The Three Eagles following his latest overseas venture which saw him head-hunted for the role of Executive Chef at Sri-Lankas 5-star Galle Face Hotel. Here, he oversaw the successful re-opening of the hotels group of six restaurants following a thirty-million dollar restoration and refurbishment. Returning to Wales, Adam insists that The Three Eagles will be the ideal venue for guests to experience menus that will reflect the rich cultural diversity of Llangollen, home to the worlds first international Eisteddfod. The Three Eagles is going to offer a new dining experience to the town and surrounding areas, said Adam. I am working closely with owners Matt and Vicky and operations director Tracey to create exciting menus ranging from leisurely brunches and the perfect traditional Sunday Lunch, to a full evening a la carte experience. Our sophisticated bar will provide an exciting venue to enjoy perfectly mixed drinks with convivial sharing dishes The Three Eagles is set to include a high-quality cocktail bar with a restaurant featuring signature dishes such as seared native scallop with curried pumpkin, parmesan and vanilla butter, as well as Sticky Welsh beef short rib in stout with champ potatoes, charred leeks & crispy garlic. The venue promises to convey a new and exciting feel to Llangollens social scene whilst offering some fantastic new employment opportunities when it opens later in the year. To find out more about The Three Eagles, Llangollen go to www.thethreeeagles.co.uk VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI)- According to the CDC, nearly 45,000 Americans over the age of ten died by suicide in 2016. It's a number that sadly continues to rise each year. That's why people from all over Vincennes took to the streets Saturday morning. Including Toni Murrell who was running for someone close that she knew. "Im running it for a close family friend. Its for Tucker Lewis. I grew up with him and his family my whole life and ultimately he didn't get the help he needed," said Murrell Murrell and over 140 others took park in the Suicide Prevention 5k at Kimmel Park. Its an event put on by Good Samaritan hospital along with other local sponsors. This was the first year for the 5K but the group has been doing what they can to raise awareness for years. Michelle Kidwell was the coordinator of the race who has been helping lead this cause since the beginning. "About three years ago we decided we wanted to bring awareness to suicide in this community because its rising. So at that point we decided to put a team together," said Kidwell. The 5k raised just over $5,000. Organizers are still figuring out where to donate the money raised. What they are happiest about is seeing so many in the community involved. All of them showing concern for the growing national suicide rates. "Just to break the stigma. I mean we set it last year with our event big time and this year its come out of the darkness. Bring it forward, if you know somebody that needs help, if you know somebody that's struggling, get them help," said Kidwell. If you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide you're urged to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Their number is 1(800) 273-8255. Good Samaritan hospital says they have programs for those seeking help as well. You can see their services here. IUKA, Miss. (WTVA) - A man is free on $30,000 bond after his arrest on an indictment that accuses him of sex crimes against a child. Roy Steven Roberts, originally of Golden, was arrested in Texas last year and brought back to Mississippi to face fondling and sexual battery charges. Sheriff's investigators started looking at the case last May. The grand jury handed up the indictment in September. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - After a briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Hurricane Florence, Governor Rick Scott is urging Floridians to get prepared. Florence strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Sunday morning and is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane by Monday and approach the southeastern U.S. coast later this week. Currently, there is no part of Florida under a hurricane or tropical storm warning. According to the current National Weather Service forecast, the primary impact for Florence to Florida will be extremely dangerous surf conditions including life-threatening rip current along the east coast. In a statement, Gov. Scott said: This morning, I received a full briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Hurricane Florence. With Florence strengthening into a hurricane this morning and continuing to move east, Florida families need to remain alert and remember that storms like this can change course and strengthen at any moment. While our state is not under any current weather advisories, in Florida, we know how quickly a major storm can shift its path and we cannot leave preparedness up to chance. Now is the time to get prepared to make sure your family is safe. FDEM continues to be in contact with local emergency management officials in preparation for any impact Hurricane Florence may have on Florida. I urge every family to visit www.FloridaDisaster.org today to make an emergency preparedness plan and sign-up to receive emergency alerts and public safety notifications for your community. Gov. Scott said he will continue to receive updates on Hurricane Florence as it develops. The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Florence. Floridians should follow @FLSert on Twitter for updates, as well as updates from the National Hurricane Center. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-08 22:05:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- In the 1990s, no child in Xue Fagen's classroom knew about Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes," which for Xue, was disconcerting. 2008 marked the 30th anniversary since Xue started teaching Chinese at Shengze Experimental Primary School, a countryside school in east China's Jiangsu Province. Two decades ago, he became the youngest national senior teacher in Jiangsu. When he taught Aesop's fox story again in 2017, students rushed to reply, and some answers surprised him. The "sour grape therapy" has been applied in hospitals, a student said, having researched on the Internet. Another student said the fox could not eat the grapes but the excuses he gives serve as a type of wisdom. "In the Internet era, our kids' capacity and consciousness of learning are far beyond our imagination," said Xue. "Kids are changing so fast. A qualified teacher must always be curious and engaging." "Many famous schools in urban areas have offered me a much higher salary. But I think rural areas need good teachers, so I decided to stay," he told Xinhua. Several of Xue's students come from migrant worker families who face extreme financial difficulties. Xue said his school paid for their school uniforms and fees for outdoor activities. Xue said that nothing makes him happier than when his former students return to the rural areas to work. "Some have even become respectable teachers in our school." In both urban and rural areas, the belief that education can change lives has been pervasive. It has been two years and five months since Chen Liqun, a former principal from east China, taught at a high school in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Among the first batch of college graduates since the reform and opening-up, Chen started to teach at a countryside school right after completing college. He became the principal in 1985, and before his retirement, Chen headed one of the country's best high schools, Hangzhou Xuejun, in east China's Zhejiang Province. Chen accepted the principal position in Guizhou without receiving any salary in 2016. "I decided to volunteer in one of China's most impoverished areas because I was born in the rural area too," Chen told Xinhua. "Every child has just one life. It's only through studying hard that they can create a better life in the future," said Chen. "I don't want their life journey to be made in vain." Chen noted his students in Guizhou are very smart. "I hope to help them transform intelligence into wisdom." His contract in Guizhou was scheduled to end in 2017. Chen said the eagerness of his students touched him, so he decided to stay. Chen's mother is 91 years old and lives in Zhejiang. He makes numerous trips between Guizhou and Zhejiang each year, sharing his time with his students and his family. A one-way trip takes eight hours. Chen's family has always supported him. "My son studied in the United States and during vacation, he and his wife visit me in Guizhou," Chen said. "My daughter-in-law's have even come here to give lectures to the kids." When Chen arrived in 2016, 60 students dropped out. "This surprised me because, in Zhejiang, such a huge number of school dropouts does not happen. But my colleagues in Guizhou said the typical number was 100." Through Chen's efforts, very few students drop out now. "There are also an increasing number of fathers and mothers who attend parents' meetings nowadays." "My greatest sense of accomplishment is students who study well, before walking out of the mountains to chase after their dreams," Chen told Xinhua. Tao Wenzhao, almost 80 years old, now an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been continually teaching undergraduate students at northwest China's Xi'an Jiaotong University. Between 1980 and 1982, he studied at the Heat Transfer Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Minnesota and chose to return to China after graduating. Since 1983, over 6,000 students have taken Tao's class. Tao still remembers one of his graduate students from the 1990s. Back then, Tao's research team only had one personal computer. "Students used to have to wait in line to use the computer, and one of my students, Wang Liangbi, even slept in my lab so he could use the computer late at night when it was finally free." "I was deeply impressed by this," said Tao. His hard work paid off, and Wang now heads the Key Laboratory of Railway Vehicle Thermal Engineering at the Ministry of Education. For Tao, teachers have a huge influence on their students' lives. "Inspired by the head teacher of my high school, I did well on my graduate entrance exams and then studied overseas." "My family did not have good economic conditions when China was recruiting graduate students in 1962. So I had no plan to register for the exam," he said. Professor Gu Fengshi, who often helped answer his questions after class, convinced Tao to sign up. "Without him, my life would be on a completely different track," Tao said, who is now endeavoring to help his students to accomplish their own goals, just as he was helped decades ago. Tao often works until 2 a.m. He once had cataract surgery but stepped into the classroom the same day to deliver his lecture, until his students intervened, asking him to take more rest. "Being a teacher is very fulfilling, especially when students go on to accomplish something great," Tao told Xinhua. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 00:06:22|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close LHASA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tibet's poverty levels are more than double that of China's average and the region seeks to garner more support from the country's centrally administered state-owned enterprises to alleviate this poverty. Official statistics show that the amount of poverty in Tibet is unlike that found in other Chinese provinces. With all counties within its jurisdiction living in absolute poverty, Tibet is the only provincial region listed among the country's 14 toughest battlefields against poverty. Most of the other battles are being fought in mountainous counties. Five years ago, Tibet had some 860,000 impoverished people and a poverty rate of 35.2 percent. With the impoverished population cut to 330,000, Tibet's poverty rate fell to 7.9 percent, still much higher than the national average of 3.1 percent. With China's goal to eliminate poverty within its borders by 2020, the regional government of Tibet has relied on centrally-administered SOEs' contributions over the past decades, which have significantly boosted the local economy. On Friday, a work conference was held in Lhasa attracting delegates from more than 40 central SOEs, where 15 new cooperation agreements were signed by a dozen SOEs, involving an aggregate capital input of 16.96 billion yuan. When addressing the conference, Wu Yingjie, Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of Tibet Autonomous Region, said having central SOEs provide assistance to Tibet is "a state strategy of China revealing the advantages of the Chinese socialist system," as it will help narrow the regional development gap and make it possible for the country to be a well-off society in all aspects. HEAVYWEIGHT PLAYERS China has 98 SOEs centrally administered by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, whose aggregate profits exceeded 1.4 trillion yuan for the first time last year, up 15.2 percent from a year earlier. In July, 120 Chinese enterprises were listed among the 2018 ranking of the Fortune Global 500, of which 48 are central SOEs, engaging in oil, petrochemical, coal, railway construction, building materials, manufacturing, modern services, and other industries. In Tibet, central SOEs have capitalized on their respective advantages to cultivate new business, provide technical training, offer medical assistance, build schools and facilitate cultural and economic exchanges. During the 13th Five-year period (2016-2020), central SOEs arranged aid packages worth 1.665 billion yuan to Tibet -- 474 million yuan more than their actual input made in the previous five-year period, an increase of 40 percent. In the past two years, 16 SOEs have financed 175 poverty relief programs with more than 600 million yuan, benefiting 21,000 people in 240 villages, according to official local statistics. China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO), the biggest food processor, manufacturer and trader in China, has cultivated a circular agricultural program in Lhozhag County where worm breeding and vegetable cultivation have been developed to produce natural feed for an egg farm, and therefore made the organically produced Tibetan eggs a new hit product. The production value of this project surpassed two million yuan in 2017, benefiting 51 impoverished people, according to Li Guowei, a COFCO manager who has been working in Tibet for nine years dealing with poverty alleviation. Through its controlled company China Mengniu Dairy, COFCO also provided technical assistance to a dairy factory in Chengguan District of Lhasa which went into operation on Friday. With a daily processing capacity of 150 tonnes of milk and an annual output of 50,000 to 100,000 tonnes of dairy products, the factory is expected to generate a production value of 550 million yuan and tax revenue of 50 million yuan annually. It has created 300 jobs and enriched 2,460 dairy cattle breeding households nearby. "Tibet's poverty alleviation is particularly challenging because of its weak economic foundation, adverse natural environment, the lack of skilled workers and high costs. By sharing our experiences in the food industry, we hope to foster new businesses based on local resources for sustainable growth," said Li. By participating in the poverty alleviation work, he said COFCO had shouldered its corporate social responsibilities, as the goal of an SOE is to benefit the public. "We seek no profits here, and we focus more on capacity building and technology transfer rather than charities," he said. BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE Since the central government instructed central SOEs to provide long-term assistance to support the development of Tibet in 2001, more than 300 managers like Li have traveled to Tibet to help alleviate poverty. So far, central SOEs have implemented more than 1,300 poverty relief projects and arranged a poverty relief fund of more than three billion yuan. Central SOEs' contributions have also put huge efforts in improving local infrastructure facilities, making people's life much easier and optimizing the local business environment. China Telecom, for instance, has invested more than 10 billion yuan since 2011 on the construction of communication networks. Currently, optical cables and 3G network are accessible in all townships, and 90 percent of Tibetan counties can use the 4G network now. State Grid Corporation China (SGCC) has invested 36.3 billion yuan from 2013 to 2017 in upgrading the main power grids from 110 kilovolts to 220 kilovolts. It also financed the power grid upgrading in 2,797 villages with 12.7 billion yuan. Sources with SGCC said the company's goal is to enhance the region's power supply capability and bring electricity to remote and impoverished counties. Because of the improvement in these power and communication facilities, mobile internet access has been quite prevalent in the pasturing areas. "In the past, we seldom saw herders sharing videos on Wechat. Now they are very much involved in the use of various mobile APPs. We often see interesting short videos shot by herders on various social media platforms. It's easy to know what it is like living in the pasturing areas," said Wu Haiyan, a local telecom employee. To solicit the support of more central SOEs, the local government has worked out an investment catalog comprising 167 projects in seven key sectors. On Thursday, a job fair tailor-made for local college graduates and Tibetans from poverty-stricken families opened in Lhasa, with more than 10,000 job vacancies from 140 central and local SOEs. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 00:06:23|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close A man takes photos inside a tomb in Giza, near Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 8, 2018. Egypt inaugurated Saturday an Old Kingdom tomb of a man called Mehu who was a minister during the end of the Sixth Dynasty. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Egypt inaugurated Saturday an Old Kingdom tomb of a man called Mehu who was a minister during the end of the Sixth Dynasty. The tomb, located in Giza near Cairo, was opened for the first time since its discovery in 1939 by an Egyptian mission led by Egyptologist Zaki Saad, Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Xinhua. A restoration work was carried out before its inauguration, Waziri added. "The tomb is one of the most beautiful in Saqqara Necropolis because it still keeps its vivid colours and distinguished scenes," Waziri said, "among the most strange scenes is the one depicting the marriage of crocodiles with the existence of a turtle." The walls feature scenes of the tomb's owner while hunting in a jungle or fishing. Others scenes showed harvesting, cooking and acrobatic dance, which was not previously shown in Saqqara before the sixth Dynasty. "The tomb does not belong to Mehu himself, but for members of his family as well," Waziri pointed out. Mehu lived during the reign of King Pepsi I and held 48 titles inscribed on the walls of his burial chamber. Among the titles are the scrub of the royal documents, the vizier and Head of the Juries. The tomb consists of burial chambers for his son Mery Re Ankh and grandson Hetep Ka II. It also has a long narrow corridor with six chambers. Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working hard to preserve its archaeological heritage and discover the secrets of its ancient antiquities in a bid to revive the country's ailing tourism sector. Tourism sector has suffered an acute recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security issues. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 00:21:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- As the Turkish currency continues to depreciate, Turkey saw more foreign travelers flocking into the country with good value holiday deals in the summer. Turkey's tourism sector was hit in 2015 and 2016 by a series of terror attacks in major cities and a failed military coup, while it has now become once again a needed source of foreign currency for the country's economy. Turkey's tourism income rose 30 percent year on year in August and the country could gain 32 billion U.S. dollars in foreign currency by the end of the year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism. The official expectation for 2018 is around 40 million visitors. During the summer and the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday in late August, many hotels on the sunny Mediterranean and Aegean coast have reportedly full occupancy, a relief for a battered sector which managed to recover this year. The lira has lost more than 40 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar since the start of the year, especially in August mainly because of disputes with the United States. The Turkish government has taken measures to fight an "economic war" against its NATO partner, the United States. Metin Tuna, the reception manager of a five star luxury Istanbul hotel located on the Asian side of the historic city, told Xinhua that the plunging Turkish currency has seen tourism interest from the Gulf countries skyrocketing since July, when the turmoil started. "If it was not for our Arab guests, I honestly believe that we would be forced to close because our occupancy rate fell as low as 20 percent after the bomb attacks (claimed by the Islamic State in Istanbul in 2015) and the coup attempt in 2016," said Tuna. Tourism professionals have indicated increased interest of travelers from Britain and the rest of Europe who are finding holiday more affordable than ever. Chinese tourists are also taking advantage of the slip in currency value. China declared 2018 as the Turkey Tourism Year and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Turkey rose dramatically in the first seven months of the year. "This year, the number of Chinese tourists will probably hit a peak point, even go beyond the previous record of 400,000 in 2015, before the terrorist attacks," said Irfan Karsli, CEO of Ligarba Travel in Istanbul. "We have attained a very good momentum and the depreciation of the lira is also a factor which has contributed to the surge of Chinese tourists arrival," said Karsli whose company deals essentially with Chinese and far eastern tourists. The tumbling of the Turkish currency has also created a craze in luxury shopping. As exchange rates could not be reflected in prices each day, long queues of tourists from Asia and Arab countries waited to be served in front of luxury boutiques. "One person who came bought seven Rolex watches in one go," said Karsli with a grin. Turkey, a meeting point between Europe and Asia and a rich cultural heritage, targets to increase the share of tourism revenues in GDP from four to eight percent and boost quality in tourism rather than quantity. For the first time in a decade, visitor numbers declined by nearly five percent in Spain, a busy holiday destination, according to official figures, as tourists headed to cheaper destinations, such as Turkey or Egypt. Russians have also provided an unexpected boost to Turkey's tourism industry amid an increasing political and economic cooperation between the two countries. A recent report predicted that 2018 will be a record year, with six millions Russians expected to visit Turkey. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 00:26:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's container transport for export purposes gained momentum in August, according to data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange. The average China Export Containerized Freight Index stood at 830.22 points in August, up 1.2 percent from a month earlier, as the market was in a "traditional peak season," the exchange said in a statement. Since the beginning of this year, the index averaged 803.45, lower than an average of 820.47 last year. In August, the sub-indices for the United States, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, and Japan all rose to different extents, the data showed. The China Export Containerized Freight Index was first released by the exchange in April 1998 as a barometer of the export shipping market. China's export rose 7.9 percent year on year in August, higher than 6 percent in July. Total export in the first eight months rose 5.4 percent, customs data showed Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 01:26:38|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to enhance exchanges between the two sides' legislative organs and push forward the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). While meeting with Pakistani National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the friendship between the peoples of the two countries is the foundation of the sustainable development of bilateral ties and the driving force of bilateral all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The Chinese top diplomat said that the two sides' legislative institutes should enhance exchanges so as to promote the friendly exchanges between the two peoples and consolidate the public opinion foundation. Wang also hoped that the Pakistani National Assembly could continue to support CPEC, which has already achieved early harvests and is going to extend to industrial cooperation so as to improve local people's livelihood and increase employment. For his part, Qaiser said CPEC is conducive to Pakistan's social economic development, Pakistan-China relations, regional prosperity and stability, adding that the Pakistani National Assembly will fully support the development of CPEC to benefit more Pakistanis. Qaiser also said that the Pakistani side is willing to enhance people-to-people exchanges and legislative organ communication with China and learn the experiences from China in the fields such as state governance, anti-corruption and vocational education. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 02:31:49|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The defining feature of China-Africa cooperation is sincerity and equality. China and Africa are closely bound by their similar historical experience, common aspirations for the future, and shared commitment to make progress together, Zhang Ming, head of the mission of the People's Republic of China to the EU, said Sunday. In a signed article published on local media The European Sting, Zhang recalled the just concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing, China earlier this week. He said China will launch, in close collaboration with African partners, eight major initiatives in the coming three years, and to make sure that these initiatives are well implemented on the ground, China will extend 60 billion U.S. dollars of financing to Africa in the form of government assistance as well as investment and financing by financial institutions and companies. "China sincerely hopes that Africa could achieve greater prosperity and that its people lead a better life. China always bears in mind Africa's concerns and priorities, and works constantly to enhance cooperation with Africa as equals, with a view to contributing to the development of this land of great promise," said the ambassador, who also served as Vice Foreign Minister in charge of African affairs from 2013 to 2017. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently commended China-Africa cooperation for its exemplary role in South-South cooperation "which makes important contributions to world peace and development with demonstrative significance". China-Africa cooperation has produced notable results. For example, in the past four decades since the Tanzania-Zambia Railway was completed, China has helped built, or is building over 6,200 km of railway in Africa through assistance, investment and financing support. The Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Kenya is a stellar example in this regard. Over the past year since its inauguration, trains running along the line have attained an occupancy rate of over 95 percent. Hailed by local people as the "road to prosperity", the project has lowered cargo transportation cost by 80 percent, and pushed up Kenya's GDP by around 1.5 percent. Official figure shows that it has created nearly 50,000 local jobs and helped train nearly 1,000 transport professionals. Commenting on some skeptical and even accusatory voices in Europe against China-Africa cooperation, Zhang said the best way to address such misunderstanding is to listen to what African people say for themselves, or to personally go to the continent to see what China is exactly doing on the ground. "In the values that it promotes, in the manner that it operates and in the impact that it has on African countries, FOCAC refutes the view that a new colonialism is taking hold in Africa, as our detractors would have us believe," said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, while addressing the FOCAC. "The relationship between Africa and China is based on equality, mutual respect and a commitment to a shared well-being. Today the Forum (FOCAC) has grown into a powerful engine of cooperation fully aligned with Africa's Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals," said President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, The Chairperson of the African Union believed that the so-called China "debt trap" is a fabricated concept and an attempt to discourage relations between China and Africa. "We are pleased to see that many countries are revisiting their Africa policy and are increasing their input by leveraging their strength. To African countries, this is indeed a welcome development," said Zhang. "Only when Africa gets better off, can the whole world become a better place. Only when Africa gets stronger, can the whole world become more peaceful, prosperous and stable. This point must resonate well with Europe due to its geographic proximity and traditional links with Africa," he noted in the article. "China has an interest to join forces with the EU to explore more ways of dialogue and cooperation in relation to Africa. Our cooperation with Africa stands to benefit all sides and contribute to Africa's peace and development," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 03:47:05|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close RIGA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- White Night, an overnight art festival, which is taking place in Riga for the 13th straight year, offers a rich program of activities, shows, exhibitions and performances in Riga, Latvia's capital city, this Saturday night, the local authority informed. The 53 events included in this year's White Night program in Riga, are taking place not only in the city center, old town and Riga's creative quarters, but also in the city's more remote neighborhoods like Vecmilgravis and Kliversala. The forum's program features some already familiar and popular projects like the White Night Trams, as well as a video and music program developed by the contemporary art festival Survival Kit 10 and the avant-garde music festival Sound Forest. Riga's international contemporary art biennial RIBOCA in collaboration with the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater is presenting an open-air piano music project "Black and White" in one of the city's parks and Canadian artists have brought an interactive installation, "Wave Field", to Riga. A jazz music program at Ziemelblazma culture palace in Vecmilgravis neighborhood features pieces by Latvian composers inspired by the Riga-born US painter Mark Rothko and Riga Zoo hosts a poetry reading event titled "Poets and Other Animals". The project Baltic Stencil is unveiling a number of street-artworks created by Estonian artists and the film festival 2ANNAS and the Bize movie theater are screening animation and Baltic film programs. White Night in Riga is part of the international project European White Nights which 16 years ago was initiated by five European cities: Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Riga and Rome. The idea of the forum is to bring contemporary art closer to people by involving them in various exciting art-related activities on this particular night in September. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 05:22:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Commander of Libya's eastern-based army, General Khalifa Haftar, on Saturday warned that the army would "act" in case the upcoming elections are unfair. "The commander fully supports the elections, but they must be fair elections," said the army spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari in a statement on his official Facebook page. "If that is not the case, the army will act." Haftar stressed that the army is not alone and that it might align support from other parties, al-Mismari said. The spokesman did not specify whether the "act" means a military operation to control the capital Tripoli. France hosted in May a meeting on Libya with the participation of different Libyan parties to end the political crisis in the country. Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering escalating violence, chaos and political division. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 05:22:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Raul Menchaca HAVANA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Each year Saharan Dust moves westward, causing health problems among Cuba's allergy and asthma sufferers, but also hindering Atlantic hurricanes, according to Cuba's Institute of Meteorology (Insmet). Known to scientists as the Saharan Air Layer, the cloud of sand and dust particles originates over Africa's dry, hot deserts and floats over the Atlantic Ocean inhibiting the formation of cyclones, Insmet research shows. Insmet's Dr. Eugenio Mojena recently explained to reporters that the layer is a very hot air mass with low humidity, creating a hostile environment for tropical cyclones. "That's why today Saharan Dust is increasingly recognized as a strong regulating factor for cyclonic activity in our geographical area," said Mojena. However, the dust cloud is harmful to health because it contains minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, silicon and mercury, and carries viruses, bacteria, fungi, pathogenic mites, staphylococci and other organic contaminants. Starting in spring and peaking in summer, some 90 million tons of dust makes its way across the ocean, usually after a storm in the desert. Experts estimate the amount of dust disseminated in the atmosphere has grown tenfold in the last five decades. The clouds, which can measure up to seven kilometers in height, are blown west by trade winds and spread through the Caribbean, southeast States, Mexico and Central America. This year in Cuba, Saharan Dust concentrations were most notable in the months of June and July, and the first half of August, though the clouds normally arrive here between March and April, with this year's first cloud arriving on March 19. Saharan Dust, which creates a dense haze that limits visibility, has turned the Caribbean into a true corridor of asthma and other respiratory diseases, especially in people over 65 and children under four, in addition to triggering allergies and skin problems, said Mojena. The phenomenon also impacts oceans, he said, harming coral reefs as the clouds favor the migration and propagation of an endemic African mushroom that attacks coral; and exacerbating red tide events associated with large algal blooms, many of them toxic. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 07:07:35|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MAPUTO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Prominent Hip-Hop musicians in Mozambique performed several songs in a music festival on Saturday in Maputo to encourage voters to go to voting stations and exercise their right and duty in the coming municipal elections on October 10th. According to Aquilcia Manjate the representative of the organizer "Votar Mocambique," statistics indicated that 84 percent of potential voters (ages between 18-35 years) had registered but less than 50 percent went to vote, the music festival is aiming to improve the situation. "We use music because it's visible that young people listen to music particularly Hip-Hop style. This style in our country influences behavior and the opinion of Mozambican younger generation," Alquicia Manjate told Xinhua. Despite few weeks away from the municipal elections, another festival will also be held in the city of Quelimane, in representation of the central region and the third festival will be held in the city of Lichinga in representation of the northern region. As a consortium composed of civil society organizations, Votar Mozambique is also promoting the newly approved electoral law. Before the festival, the artists were engaged in a debate around the importance of voting, the reason why the young generation in particular should exercise their duty casting their vote so as to participate actively in the country's governance process. Votar Mozambique said the initiative will expand to next year to promote the same objective for the general election. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 07:25:14|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Wang Zhengxiang (L) hands over a student to her parent after school at Ayiyang Primary School in Sanmeng Village of Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sept. 6, 2018. One teacher, eight students, none was and will be given up thanks to rural teacher Wang Zhengxiang. Wang Zhengxiang of Miao ethnic group, 56, is the only teacher and has been teaching at the remote village primary school of Ayiyang for 38 years. Ayiyang Primary School, lying at an altitude of 2,600 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains, is not within easy reach of outside world. There are just eight students at the school. Yet Wang takes care of his students with love, consideration and strong sense of responsibility. He buys shoes and daily goods for poverty-stricken students with his own money, and he has tried every means to keep those who wanted to drop out due to economic insufficiency. "I am the only teacher in the village. And as long as there is a student, I will teach with might and main. Nothing can stop me," said Wang. "I hope these kids could fly high, to where great breadth of view and illuminating brightness of future await." (Xinhua/Lin Yiguang) The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array is seen on a high desert plateau, surrounded by mountains, in New Mexico, the United States, on Sept. 3. (Xinhua/ Richard Lakin) by Richard Lakin ALBUQUERQUE, the United States, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Laying on a remote desert area in southern United States, a radio astronomers observatory attracts researchers and tourists all over the world. Being one of the busiest telescope on earth, it serves as a facility where many important discoveries were made. The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (the VLA) is a radio astronomy observatory located on an isolated high desert plateau in western New Mexico state of the United States. Situated on a dry lakebed on the plains of San Agustin at 2,124 meters elevation, it is encircled by mountains, making it an ideal spot to avoid the normal wireless interference from cities. It is extremely dry there, and the lack of humidity in the air also makes for a clearer radio signal. The VLA was named to honor Karl Guthe Jansky, who is considered to be the U.S. father of radio astronomy. Jansky was a physicist and radio engineer employed by Bell Laboratories to determine the source of interference to their overseas wireless communications. In 1933 he surprised the world's astronomers by announcing that one of the sources was extraterrestrial -- radio waves emitting from the gaseous center of the Milky Way galaxy. In the decades since, astronomers and engineers have advanced the science of translating these radio waves into observable images. Dr. Chris Carilli, the Chief Scientist for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory explains a telescope image of explosive jets formed by matter being pulled into a black hole, in New Mexico, the United States, on Sept. 3. (Xinhua/Richard Lakin) When the VLA first comes into view on the drive across the desert, the massive size of the array is very awe-inspiring. There are 27 radio dishes, each one 25 meters across and weighing 209 tons. The data from each dish is combined via a supercomputer, creating a singular radio telescope observation. The dishes are arranged in a Y-shaped pattern, and are moved into different configurations on a network of railroad tracks to facilitate specific observation projects. Each of the 3 legs of the configuration contains 9 dishes and can be moved from two-thirds of a mile to 23 miles in length. The configuration changes about every 3 to 4 months to accommodate the research schedule. Featured in the 1997 movie "Contact," where the facility received a radio transmission from an extraterrestrial source, the VLA became a popular tourist destination, with the number of visitors doubling after the movie premiered. Despite its reputation in fictional pop culture, however, the VLA has made many real-world discoveries. More than 200 Ph.D. degrees have been awarded because of research done there. The facility makes observations of many types of astronomical objects; quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, suns and planets, and black holes. The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array is seen on a high desert plateau, surrounded by mountains, in New Mexico, the United States, on Sept. 3.(Xinhua/Richard Lakin) Dr. Chris Carilli, the Chief Scientist for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory told Xinhua: "The Very Large Array is extraordinarily powerful, the most powerful radio telescope in the world, and we perform a tremendously versatile range of science. We study things, everything from the ionosphere, our own earth's ionosphere, right out to the very first galaxies in the universe and everything in between." In 1991, the VLA discovered ice on the planet Mercury. In 2011, astronomers found a black hole a million times bigger than our sun, 30 light years from our planet. The VLA also confirmed Einstein's theory that massive objects could create a gravitational lens that bends light. In 2011, an upgrade project resulted in the VLA expanding its technical capacities by factors of as much as 8,000. "Some of the high-profile work that's come out of the upgraded Very Large Array, include direct imaging of the formation of planets outside of our own solar system. Spectacular work, showing the birth of planetary systems very much like our own solar system," Carilli said. Due to the distance from Earth and the time that radio emissions take to reach our planet, it is possible to study the primordial state of developing galaxies. "If you move to the edge of the universe, the Very Large Array is a major component in telescopes that study the very first galaxies of the universe, galaxies that are forming within a few hundred million years of the Big Bang, meaning 5 percent the age of the universe, so right back to the beginnings of time and the VLA is imaging the cold gas out of which the first stars form," the scientist explained. Modern astronomy techniques use multiple observation facilities to analyze the cosmos with a variety of spectrums and methods, not just a single telescope. Dave Finley, the public information officer for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory said that astronomers want to use every telescope they can to study a particular phenomenon since each telescope gives a difference piece of the overall picture. "We routinely operate by looking at the same thing Hubble is looking at or the Chandra X-Ray Observatory or the Spitzer Infrared Observatory or other ground-based optical observatories and we will be looking at the same thing that these other observatories will be looking at. Each one of us providing a piece of the picture that lets astronomers understand the whole of what is going on," he said. The VLA invites scientists from all over world to submit proposals for radio telescope observation projects. More than 3,000 researchers from around the world have used the VLA for over 11,000 different astronomy projects. It is one of the busiest telescope facility on earth. As Carilli explains: "We are a national laboratory with open access to astronomers from around the world. If you have a good idea and you want to use our large telescopes to perform astronomical research, then you will submit proposals and they will be reviewed and ranked accordingly. If they're good you get observing time." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 07:52:40|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- One in three Californians has a low-wage job with the number of low-paid workers still increasing, the San Francisco Bay Area's KCBS Radio reported Saturday. A study from the University of California (UC) Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, or UC Berkeley Labor Center, found that an estimated 4.9 million people in California are earning low wages for less than 14.35 U.S. dollars an hour. The UC Berkeley Labor Center defines low-wage workers as those earning less than two-thirds of the median full-time wage in California. "The raw number (of low-wage jobs) is increasing, the proportion is remaining fairly flat, but as employment grows and population grows, there is more," said research and policy associate at the Labor Center Ian Perry, quoted by The Daily Californian, an independent UC Berkeley student-run newspaper. Perry said low-wage jobs include such population groups as home care and restaurant employees. He said the phenomenon of low-age jobs goes back to a couple decades, which seems likely to continue unless major changes take place. Policy intervention is necessary to reverse the persistence of the rate of low-wage workers in California, he said. He noted that it is right for California to pass a 15-dollar per hour minimum wage, which will be implemented in the 2020s. "Our population is aging, and so no matter what happens, we're going to need more home care workers," who should get higher wages, Perry said. Of these low-wage workers, Black women face the greatest income disparities within the UC system, according to a study of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Feature: American workers find growth opportunities in Chinese glasswork Xinhua Weibo Facebook Twitter Reddit Diigo Delicious Digg Linkedin MySpace Sina Weibo Kaixin Renren Q-zone Tencent Weibo Sohu Weibo NetEase Weibo Source: Xinhua | 2018-09-09 08:52:46 | Editor: huaxia Photo taken on Aug. 21, 2018 shows part of the workshop building of the Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) by Xinhua writers Xu Jing, Chang Yuan, Wang Ying CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three-year-old Jason Harbut used to work at another factory. Unsatisfied about the long work hours, he quit the job and joined Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, in February 2016. Starting as an hourly worker, Harbut followed Charles, a Chinese training teacher, to learn how to apply rings to auto front glass of different models. More than two years later, Harbut is now a chief in charge of an ARG (aftermarket auto glass) preassembly lamination line. Talking of his advance from an hourly worker to a chief, Harbut told Xinhua: "When we learned it, we all just try to compete against each other. So we worked and I just worked on our speed and that's how I ended up catching against fastened." Harbut (R) and his Chinese training teacher Charles works at an ARG (aftermarket auto glass) preassembly lamination line in Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, the United States, Aug. 21, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) In FGA Moraine facility's Ring Room, whenever an auto front glass of a specific specification came out on the preassembly Lamination line, Harbut would expertly select a matching rubber ring, apply it to the glass edge and then carry the finished piece of glass to another production line. The whole process took only 13 seconds. Harbut is not the only one who earned his promotion in FGA through hard work. 47-year-old Darren Noble joined FGA Moraine facility as an unloader in January of 2016. In about two years, he was promoted to be ARG Assembly Department Manager. Noble still remembered his Chinese supervisor's words: If you are willing to work hard and do the job, if you're ambitious, if you want to go far, Fuyao has almost endless opportunities. "I took him at his word. I decided to do exactly what he said." Noble told Xinhua that he was just one of the many people that have demonstrated a good work ethic, a positive attitude, a willingness to continually learn, never stop learning, never stopped growing at Fuyao. "Those people are succeeding here because that's the culture from the chairman all the way down. There's this constant support for learning and growth and reward of good performance. It's a very, very supportive culture for growth and learning." Employees work at the Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, the United States, Aug. 21, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) In 2014, Fuyao bought a former General Motors (GM) facility that was closed in the 2008 Financial Crisis in Moraine, Dayton, for 15 million dollars, and turned it into a two-million-square-feet glass manufacturing plant. The plant started operation in 2015, and now employs more than 2,100 workers. It is the third largest manufacturer and one of the top employers in the Greater Dayton region. And the plant is still expanding as orders keep pouring in, with the number of employees expected to increase in near future. Being a local resident in Dayton, 48-year-old James Reid used to work in the GM facility. He joined FGA in January 2015. Talking of the differences of his work in GM and in FGA, Reid said: "A lot of skilled trades are involved in this one." "We've given a lot of opportunities. People can move up and learn their skill, improve in a different environment." Reid used to be a production associate on an assembly production line in GM. "I started out same position on the line in FGA, and then moved up to team leader and then I'm a supervisor, assistant manager and manager." Reid is now FGA Moraine facility lamination manager for the Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) windshield line, overseeing about 200 people that make windshields. "(This is) my favorite job I've ever had here. I really, really enjoyed it," Reid said. Reid told Xinhua that he was on FGA Moraine facility's first employment list, and has witnessed the plant's whole evolution from "an open factory that is dark, dirty and had not an equipment in it all the way to what we have now: a state of the art, clean, well-lit factory." Glass production lines are seen at the Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, the United States, Aug. 21, 2018.(Xinhua/Wang Ying) Fuyao is the largest single auto glass manufacturer in the world. It has invested about one billion dollars in the United States, and FGA is a flagship plant in its overseas strategy, FGA President Jeff Liu told Xinhua. "Fuyao's business in U.S. is growing steadily." Liu estimates that the sales revenue of the company will reach 460 million dollars, and the profit 20 million to 26 million dollars this year. "We still have a huge market space," he said. Liu believed that all people in a company form an interactive chain: the management understands and addresses the need of workers; the workers manufacture the best products to meet customers' needs; the customers place orders for the best products; and the company makes profit to take care of the welfare of the workers. "We are a whole team." It is a common practice in FGA for the management to go into the grassroots once a month, informing workers of the company's plan in the next step and addressing workers' problems. FGA is actively merging into the local communities. It has established the FGA Hardship Fund to help workers in need. Meanwhile, with assistance of Heren Charitable Foundation launched by Fuyao Chairman Cao Dewang in 2017, FGA has actively participated in community activities, interacted with local residents, and donated to local hospital, public service, public school and local disaster relief organizations. "We want local residents know what kind of company FGA is," Liu said. "We are not only a Chinese company, but also an international company, which is deeply rooted in local community." "Respect and trust are earned," Liu said. When one is respected and trusted, fosters gratefulness to everything around, and knows how to compromise, he will be successful. Local workers' commitment to FGA echoed Liu's words. Darren Noble, an ARG assembly department manager, inspects his workshop in Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, the United States, Aug. 21, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "I was ready to commit myself for the last 25 years of my working career to FGA," said Noble. "What the satisfaction for me is creating something. So even almost three years into this thing, we're still developing, we're still growing." "It is teamwork that makes my success possible. Without the support and encouragement from the Chinese Team, I would not be in this position. Without the support of the American Team, we would not be growing, as we are," he added. "Seeing how we're growing and knowing that the potential is limitless. That's very satisfying," Noble reiterated. On an assembly line, a veteran worker is showing eight local residents surrounding him how to install accessories to a piece of auto front glass. They are ready to seek growth opportunities here. Enditem (Xinhua staff Miao Zhuang, Yang Shilong and Li Feihu also contributed to the story) Xinhua Weibo Facebook Twitter Reddit Diigo Delicious Digg Linkedin MySpace Sina Weibo Kaixin Renren Q-zone Tencent Weibo Sohu Weibo NetEase Weibo Back to Top Close Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 09:02:47|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close PARANAGUA, Brazil, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Since China Merchants Port (CMP) set up shop in Paranagua, things have picked up in this small southern Brazilian city of 151,000 residents. In February, the company acquired a 30-year concession for 90 percent of the Paranagua Container Terminal (TCP), the country's second largest, and launched operations there, including expansion work to handle Brazil's growing commerce with China. "We have everything to develop China-Brazil ties even more. We are expanding the terminal to raise the annual shipment of 1.5 million containers to 2.4 million," TCP's CEO Luiz Antonio Alves told Xinhua. "We are investing 165 million U.S. dollars to expand the port by 1,100 meters, and that will bring development to the whole region. Underwater drilling machines have been working nonstop to install the pillars needed to expand the dock in Paranagua Bay, located 91 km east of Curitiba, capital of Parana state. The project puts Paranagua on the map of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to promote trade and development along the ancient Silk Road routes and beyond by building a network of infrastructure across continents. The TCP employs about 1,000 people, and generates another 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to Alves. "This has an impact on the whole city of Paranagua and on the state of Parana by improving logistics, rail lines and highways. We are generating wealth among the local population," Alves said. Lu Yongxin, CMP's vice president, explained why the company chose Paranagua as its foothold in Latin America. "In Brazil, the main ports are on the coasts of the states of Sao Paulo, Parana and Santa Catarina. These three states are in the TCP's sphere of operations. (They) account for 45 percent of Brazil's population, and concentrate 48 percent of its gross domestic product. That's why we chose to invest in Paranagua's terminal," Lu said. The TCP's financial chief Luiz Alberto Bressan, who just returned from four weeks of training in China, said he expects closer ties between Brazil and China. "China continued to invest in Brazil ... despite tough times (for) the Brazilian economy. Through the TCP, we are expecting stepped-up exchange, stepped-up shipments and stepped-up importing from China," he said. Bressan said he values Brazil's inclusion in the BRI because it opens up opportunities for more investment and business. In addition to the TCP, Paranagua is home to a public container terminal that handles grain shipments, mainly to China, and auto exports to Mercosur (Southern Common Market) countries. Luiz Teixeira, director of operations of the Paranagua Port Authority, said the port moved 51.5 million tons of goods in 2017 and expects to see a 2-percent increase this year. Over 19 million tons of soy, corn and soy meal were exported in 2017, and the volume is expected to go up to 20 million tons this year. "This is the country's second leading port, after Santos (in Sao Paulo), and of strategic importance to Brazil's economy," Teixeira said. The BRI, launched five years ago, is helping to draw investment and bolster infrastructure, he said. "All of this investment doesn't just generate market confidence, it also generates positive needs, such as infrastructure, and that boosts our activity in Paranagua," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 09:07:49|Editor: mmm Video Player Close SAO PAULO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A second-half goal from former Brazil international striker Diego Souza gave Sao Paulo a 1-0 win over Bahia on Saturday and lifted the six-time champions to the top of the Serie A standings. Souza broke the deadlock with a sweetly struck 60th-minute volley after Nene's cross from the left at Morumbi Stadium. It was the 33-year-old's eighth goal from 20 league matches this season as the Tricolor notched their 14th victory of the campaign to usurp Internacional at the head of the standings. Internacional can reclaim top spot with a victory over their Porto Alegre rivals Gremio on Sunday. Meanwhile Cruzeiro held hosts Sport Recife to a goalless draw in Saturday's other early match. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 10:16:32|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Darren Noble, an assembly department manager of aftermarket auto glass, inspects his workshop at the Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility in Moraine of Dayton in Ohio, the United States, Aug. 21, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Feature: American workers find growth opportunities in Chinese glasswork CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three-year-old Jason Harbut used to work at another factory. Unsatisfied about the long work hours, he quit the job and joined Fuyao Glass America (FGA) facility located in Moraine, Dayton of Ohio, in February 2016. Starting as an hourly worker, Harbut followed Charles, a Chinese training teacher, to learn how to apply rings to auto front glass of different models. More than two years later, Harbut is now a chief in charge of an ARG (aftermarket auto glass) preassembly lamination line. Full story Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 10:27:56|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's construction industry has seen rapid expansion since the country began to implement the reform and opening up policy in 1978, data showed. The value-added output of the industry reached 5.57 trillion yuan (about 816.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, compared with only about 13.9 billion yuan in 1978. The average annual growth rate was 16.6 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said at its website. The value-added output of the industry accounted for 3.8 percent of the country's GDP in 1978, while the proportion rose to 6.7 percent in 2017, the NBS said. The number of construction companies saw fast growth, reaching more than 300,000 last year. The private sector played a more important role, with the number of state-owned construction companies accounting for only 2.5 percent of the total in 2017, compared with more than 20 percent in 1996. The companies contributed significantly to the country's infrastructure expansion. In 1978, China only had 52,000 km of railways in operation, while the length increased to 127,000 km by the end of 2017, including 25,000 km of high-speed railways, NBS data showed. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 10:37:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 6, 2018 shows members of the theater group "Without a Cane" performing in Havana, capital of Cuba. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez) by Raul Menchaca HAVANA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Groundbreaking Cuban theater group, "Without a Cane," woos crowds and critics alike by showing that talent and will can overcome any challenge. All members of the theater troupe are blind, mostly since birth, and are registered members of the National Association for the Blind (ANCI). Though every performance offers its own tests for these actors, there has never been an obstacle they could not overcome. Julio Cisneros, 50, a Cuban actor and playwright who is unable to see with his right eye, founded the group in 1993 with an intention to open the door to blind actors. "The first play we performed was called 'The Blind Man and the Virgin.' It was based on a true story I read in a magazine in which a person pretended to be blind in order to swindle people," said Cisneros. The play's success propelled the trainee director to study theater more keenly, approaching the work of the greats of Cuban theater, including Nicolas Dorr, and propelling him to write more. The second play, a version of "Two By Two" by famous Cuban playwright Freddy Artiles, saw further acclaim and helped "Without a Cane" receive recognition by the ANCI. The ANCI also bestowed its highest honor upon them, giving the group the Crystal Cane Award. "This troupe had incredible results since its founding," said Carlos Ramirez, head of the ANCI's Department of Education, Culture and Public Relations. "The theater company is now an emblem of possibility and social reintegration for the blind in Cuba, helping them to discover their individual potential and offering emotional support," said Ramirez. Maria Isabel Ruiz, a member of "Without a Cane," lost her vision 15 years ago. While she works at the ANCI Cultural Recreation Center in Havana, making a living as a librarian in the Braille section, her greatest passion is performing with the group. "Since I joined the troupe, I've achieved more in my personal life," said the actress, who recently played the leading role in the comedy play "Happy Birthday Aunt." The piece was written by Cisneros, who uses daily Cuban life as inspiration for his work. For the playwright, it can be difficult to find themes to write about that are easily interpreted by the blind actors. "The most challenging part for them is to learn and perform the chains of actions, because most of them have been blind from birth, they do not know what each gesture looks like. So I teach them every stage movement, from shaking their heads to moving around the stage," explained the director. The process of learning these actions and physical clues is important, Cisneros said, because his actors have to represent people who are not blind and therefore need to express themselves with natural gestures, just as those with sight do. "It is very difficult for them, but we study and rehearse a lot," said the director. "Without a Cane" is currently preparing for a performance at the Unicorn Theatre Festival. Last year, it won the festival's Special Prize. "The success of 'Without a Cane' proves that the will of people is limitless," said Cisneros, with pride. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 12:58:12|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Several U.S. media outlets reported Saturday that the Trump administration has talked secretly with rebellious Venezuelan military officers several times to discuss their plans to stage a coup in the South American country. According to a report by The New York Times, the clandestine meetings were held last year and this year in other countries to discuss the military officers' plans to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. They reportedly asked the attending U.S. diplomat to supply them with encrypted radios, so as to "to communicate securely." The report also said that "one of the Venezuelan military commanders involved in the secret talks ...is on the American government's own sanctions list." Washington finally decided not to help the plotters though, and the plans "unraveled after a recent crackdown that led to the arrest of dozens of the plotters," read the report. It added that "it is unclear how many of these details the coup planners shared with the Americans. But there is no indication that Mr. Maduro knew the mutinous officers were talking to the Americans at all." The Washington Post also reported that the meetings happened between the two sides. Quoting U.S. officials, the report said the meetings were "small and closely held." The U.S. side "had very little confidence in the ability of these people to do anything, no idea at all about who they represented, and to what extent they had not exposed themselves already," the report read. In response, National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said in a statement that "the United States government hears daily the concerns of Venezuelans from all walks of life." "U.S. policy preference for a peaceful, orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged," he added. U.S. President Donald Trump said in August of last year that he would not rule out a "military option" in Venezuela "if necessary," despite his aides' opposition. The U.S. side has also announced several rounds of sanctions against Venezuelan government officials ever since. For its part, Venezuela has slammed the "warmongering" declarations of Trump as "threats to peace" and a "violation" of UN and international laws. Maduro has also instructed the military to prepare to "shoulder arms," in case of a U.S. invasion. Latin American countries like Peru, Colombia and Mexico have strongly condemned and rejected the U.S. threat of military intervention against the crisis-stricken Venezuela, and called for dialogues among related parties. The U.S. ambition to help stage a coup in Venezuela is also risky for Washington, U.S. media said. "Establishing a clandestine channel with coup plotters in Venezuela was a big gamble for Washington, given its long history of covert intervention across Latin America," The New York Times noted. "Many in the region still deeply resent the United States for backing previous rebellions, coups and plots in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil and Chile, and for turning a blind eye to the abuses military regimes committed during the Cold War." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 13:28:17|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature will begin making a law on pre-school education to regulate the fast-growing sector that has drawn increasing public concern. The process will be initiated in the five years starting from 2018 within the term of the sitting Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), according to the NPC legislative agenda released this week. "The need to draft such a law has become pressing," said Li Lihua, an NPC deputy familiar with the legislation. "It will address all sorts of problems facing the pre-school education sector at the moment." China has specific laws governing both mandatory and higher education, which cover from elementary schools to universities of higher learning. The calls for a similar law for pre-school education have mounted in recent years as the sector has grown. In 2017, there were nearly 255,000 kindergartens across the country, taking care of 46 million children. The numbers are set to rise as the authorities aim to raise the gross national kindergarten enrolment rate from 75 percent at present to 85 percent by 2020. Education Minister Chen Baosheng admitted in March that pre-school education is facing a myriad of problems -- from a shortage of quality teaching staff to safety loopholes, outdated teaching methods, and high costs. "It is the fastest growing sector but also the one with the weakest link," Chen said. The top legislature of China said it has been laying down the groundwork for the legislation since 2013. Lawmakers completed field studies in various provinces and came back with quality reports. The Ministry of Education has called on local education departments to push for the legislation, which it says will define the duties of government departments and help them enforce stricter measures on kindergarten operators. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 14:08:22|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese private firms have been showing growing interests in expanding their businesses in Africa, multiple entrepreneurs said at a recent Sino-Africa economic summit. China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Summit, held Thursday in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, were attended by more than 300 representatives from governments, private businesses, and research institutions in both China and Africa. Zhejiang is home to many of China's most successful private businesses. They contributed nearly two-thirds of the provincial economy in 2017, according to local statistics. Hangzhou is clustered with the country's internet giants such as Alibaba and Netease. "The cooperation between China and Africa presents an opportunity for entrepreneurs," said Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba Group. "Internet, e-commerce, these are all areas entrepreneurship can play an important role." Statistics from China's Ministry of Commerce shows that the trade volume between China and Africa reached 170 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, up by 14 percent. "Investment from China's private businesses has also increased rapidly and is gradually becoming a new force in China's investment in the continent," said Qian Keming, deputy minister of Commerce at a press conference held in Beijing late August. The number of Chinese-invested companies in Africa has exceeded 10,000, with more than 80 percent of them being private businesses, according to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce and China-Africa Business Council. Wang Jianyi, chairman of Hangzhou-based Futong Group, predicted that around 150,000 km of optical cables will be laid in Africa in the next 15 to 20 years. "That would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, " Wang said. Futong Group is one of China's top 500 private enterprises in 2017 and leading vendor of optical fiber and cables in China. The company has tapped into many markets in Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, Seychelles, and Angola. "Africa is a magical land where we often feel a calling," Wang said. "It is full of opportunities." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 15:43:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close An artist performs during the Second International Confucius Cultural Festival in New York, the United States, Sept. 8, 2018. The Second International Confucius Cultural Festival was held here on Saturday as organizers brought several art groups to bring to life the ancient wisdom of Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher and educator. (Xinhua/Ma Jianguo) NEW YORK, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Second International Confucius Cultural Festival was held here on Saturday as organizers brought several art groups to bring to life the ancient wisdom of Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher and educator. Around 1,000 artists and spectators gathered at a high school here to pay their respect to Confucius with incense and flowers, or by reciting selected sentences from Analects of Confucius, among others. "The Confucius Cultural Festival aims to promote Chinese culture and Confucianism philosophy," said Wang Lizhi, chairman of the Shandong Association of Eastern America (SAEA) and the leading organizer of the festival. "The group reciting of Analects of Confucius is a touching moment of the whole event, and actually, we should give more time and respect to Confucius and ancient Chinese culture," said Shen Yi, chairman of the Anhui Business Society. Poem reciting, dances, some of which are typical of Shangdong, home of Confucius, and Chinese kungfu, were performed at the event. Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, is widely considered as one of the most important and influential individuals that helped shape Chinese culture and one of the greatest Chinese contributors to humanity. The festival is sponsored by the SAEA, East Shandong Chamber of Commerce, America East Confucius Foundation, International Martial Artist Association, the U.S. Federation of Chinese-American Entrepreneurs, and the China Confucius Foundation. The SAEA is a non-profit institution dedicated to promoting Chinese culture and enhancing cultural exchanges. Since its founding, it has been bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to share the beauty of Chinese culture and tradition. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 15:48:39|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- From a cheerful girl, Yin Hongyan became morose and depressed almost overnight after Qingchuan, a county in southwest China where she lived, was caught up in a massive earthquake in 2008. Nearly 70,000 people died and about 18,000 others went missing. Yin's beloved grandmother was among the victims. She thought she would never smile again. Then the invitation arrived. During an official visit to Russia in March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping recounted the heartwarming story at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. After the devastating earthquake, Russia raced against time to extend a helping hand, he said. Then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev invited 1,500 children from the disaster-hit areas to rehabilitate in Russia. A HEALING TOUCH Yin was among the group of shocked survivors who were taken to the Ocean All-Russia Children's Care Center in Vladivostok to help them get over their grief and trauma. She recounted how she was given special attention by the teachers at the center, who took walks with her every day and told her inspiring stories, helping her to get back on an even keel. She was finally able to accept her grandmother's death. "Farewell, grandma, I am smiling again," she wrote in her diary. Like Yin, Xi Junfei spent three life-changing weeks at the center overlooking the violet sea beyond Amur Bay. When he arrived, he was tired and devastated. The welcoming Russian teachers and students, greeting them in Chinese, helped him and other survivors feel at home. The staff prepared spicy noodles, the food the children ate at home, to make them acclimatize. The location also helped. They woke up to the sound of waves, which had a soothing effect, and were encouraged to swim and skate. "Our plan was to help them leave behind the memories of the tragedy," said a teacher working at the center, who gave her name only as Courova. Xue Xue, who was 13 then, said she still has the photo frame she made at a craft class at the center. "It felt good to be loved and taken care of," she said. When it was time for them to return to China, almost every child had gained weight. They hugged their teachers and friends and promised to come back one day. LIFE-CHANGING TRIP Now the promise is going to come true as the center celebrates its 35th anniversary this year and the youngsters have been invited to the celebrations. Only, they are no longer youngsters but young men and women, whose paths in life have been influenced by those three weeks in Russia, where they were taught to face the future and its uncertainties with courage. One of them, Xi Junfei, is studying at the Far Eastern Federal University in Russia. He said his love for Russia and his decision to study there stemmed from the rehabilitation at the center. Xiao Yu, 24, now works with a newspaper in southwest China's Sichuan province. His career decision was influenced by his counselor, a Russian journalist who was volunteering at the center. "I want to become someone like my counselor," Xiao said. "Bringing to light stories of people helping others." Cai Wenqing cannot wait to go back to her "Russian home." "I lived in Room 310," she said. Cai has begun frantically learning Russian since she got the invitation. "I want to thank my teachers in Russian," she said. FRIENDS FOR GENERATIONS Xi visited the center in 2010. "I saw with my own eyes ... the loving care the Russian teachers showed to our children," he said during his speech in Moscow in 2013. "As we Chinese often say, love knows no borders. The Chinese children have learned for themselves the love, friendship and kindness of the Russian people." The center, which has received more Chinese children since 2008, has become a perfect example of the growing cultural and people-to-people bond between China and Russia. Russia and China are like the bamboo and pine trees that grow together, former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov once said, urging the two countries to make sure the friendship passes on from generation to generation. The interactions have continued through tourism, youth exchanges and local-level cooperation. Back at the center, Courova and other teachers were busy decorating the classrooms with Chinese paper cuttings and calligraphy for the upcoming anniversary and reunion with their Chinese students. "Have they changed? Grown taller?" an excited Courova asked, the same way a mother talks about her children who would be finally coming home after years of absence. (Zhou Xiangji, Wu Gang, Li Ao and Luan Hai also contributed to this report) Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 16:38:46|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tens of Syrian refugees returned from Lebanon to their homeland Sunday by bus under strict supervision of Lebanon's general security through Aboudiya crossing point, the National News Agency reported. Over 1 million Syrian refugees are registered with the UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, in Lebanon, while Lebanon's government estimated the actual number of Syrians in the country to be 1.5 million. To facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Russia drafted a strategy for this purpose and presented it to the Lebanese authorities. The strategy, drafted by the Russian Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came after a meeting in Helsinki, Finland between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump earlier this month. The strategy aims at securing the return of 890,000 refugees to Syria from Lebanon. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 17:13:51|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close MUMBAI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A close aide of former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said the late Indian leader helped boost the development of ties between India and China. Sudheendra Kulkarni, a close aide of Vajpayee in the Prime Minister's Office between 1998 and 2004, wrote in an article that Vajpayee's government launched many landmark development initiatives domestically. "These helped in acceleration of India's economy. However, history will especially remember him for his passionate and persistent efforts to make peace and develop cooperative relations with all of India's neighbors, China and Pakistan in particular." Vajpayee passed away on Aug. 16 in New Delhi at the age of 93. Calling Vajpayee "a friend of China," Kulkarni highlighted Vajpayee's sincere efforts to improve India-China relations. The first attempt to break the ice between the two countries took place in 1979 when Vajpayee, who was then India's foreign minister, met with Deng Xiaoping in Beijing, the article said. "The creative solution that Vajpayee and Deng discussed to resolve the vexed border dispute was, in a nutshell, this: Do not let normalization of bilateral relations become a hostage to the resolution of the border dispute," Kulkarni wrote. "Develop bilateral relations in an all-round manner. Simultaneously, try to resolve the boundary dispute through dialogue," he added. "Much work has indeed been done by both sides since then. One of the highpoints of this mutual effort was Vajpayee's visit to China as prime minister in June 2003," Kulkarni wrote. "I had accompanied him on this visit, which became a major milestone in the history of India-China relations," he added. Vajpayee, one of the co-founders and first president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), served as Indian prime minister thrice - first in 1996 for only 13 days, and then for two consecutive terms between March 1998 to May 2004. During his active political life, Vajpayee was always seen as a great orator and had friends cutting across party lines. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 17:38:54|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. embassy in Iraq on Sunday restricted movement of its employees during the major Shiite ritual of Ashura, which will start on Tuesday. A security alert statement on the embassy website said the measure is taken during the month of Muharram, "particularly around the commemoration of Ashura, on Tuesday, Sept. 18 through Friday, Sept. 21 due to expected road closures and unpredictable crowds." Muslims around the world honor the holy month of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar, while Shiite Muslims used to make their own communal rituals during the first ten days of the Muharram ahead of Ashura ritual, or the 10th day of Muharram. Meanwhile, the security alert cautioned the U.S. consulate employees in Iraq's southern city of Basra that "some protests in Basra have turned violent, leading to deaths and injuries to protesters and security forces." However, it said that its U.S. employees "are generally avoiding any area where demonstrations could occur, including the Basra central business district." During the past week, hundreds of angry demonstrators burned the Iranian consulate, provincial government buildings, offices of leading political parties and headquarters of some Shiite militias in protest of wide-spread corruption, poor public services, unemployment and water contamination in the province. Several millions of Shiite Muslims from Iraq and neighboring Iran will rally in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, some 110 km south of Baghdad, to commemorate Ashura, which marks the death of Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammed's grandson, who was killed and buried in the city in A.D. 680. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 17:48:56|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, on Sunday sent a congratulatory message to Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on the 70th founding anniversary of the DPRK. On behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese government and people, as well as in his own name, Xi extends his warm congratulations and sincere wishes to Kim, the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the DPRK government and people. Kim is the chairman of the WPK and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK. In the message, Xi said the people of the DPRK have attained remarkable achievements in the cause of socialist revolution and construction over the past 70 years. "In recent years, comrade chairman has led your party and people into taking proactive measures in social and economic development and achieved important results, and the development of socialism in the DPRK has entered a new historical stage," Xi said, "I'm really pleased to see all this." Xi stressed that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors linked by a mountain and rivers, and the China-DPRK traditional friendship forged and cultivated by the two countries' older generations of leaders is precious treasure shared by both sides. The CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the China-DPRK friendly cooperative relations, unswervingly committed to maintaining, consolidating and developing such ties, Xi added. Mentioning his three meetings with Kim this year, Xi said they have clearly charted the development direction of bilateral relations. "I am willing to work hand in hand with comrade chairman to promote the China-DPRK relations for long-term, healthy and sound development so as to benefit both countries and both peoples and to boost regional peace and security," the Chinese president said. Xi said he sincerely hopes that the DPRK people will attain greater achievements in national development and construction under the leadership of Kim and the WPK. The Chinese president sincerely wished the DPRK prosperous and its people happy and safe. Yemeni protesters take part in a protest over sharp devaluation of Yemen's national currency in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) by Murad Abdu ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN-sponsored talks between the Yemeni warring rivals failed Saturday after two days of delay because of the absence of a delegation representing the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Undermining the first attempt in two years to negotiate an end to the four-year civil war raised fears among the majority of Yemeni people about the fate of their impoverished Arab country. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told a press conference in Geneva that the UN failed to get the Houthi delegation from the capital Sanaa to join the talks with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government team that arrived early in Switzerland. The exhausted Yemeni citizens started their preparations for the worst after their expectations of a permanent peace from Switzerland's Geneva faded away again for the fourth time. "The failure of Geneva talks means that our future will be more difficult," said Amjad Abdullah, a Yemeni citizen, adding that "all the warring factions will engage in fighting instead of peace talks because they don't care about the suffering of ordinary people." "We expected that this year would be the last one with fighting and suffering but unfortunately it turned out that we were wrong because more years of war will come," he said. All the leaders of the warring factions in Yemen are linked to other neighboring powerful countries that provide them with instructions and directions about what to do, according to the observers. "The Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels only keep exchanging accusations and ultimatums because they did not receive instructions from Iran or from Saudi Arabia to engage in peace talks to end the war," Haitham Haidrah, a political activist and observer said. The international community must take necessary measures to bring peace to Yemen by preventing foreign interventions that keep fueling proxy wars in Yemen, said local observers. Fighting heavily erupted hours after the failure of Geneva talks amid expectations that the country will be thrown into more chaos. In the Red Sea coast city of Hodeidah, the pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition continued to make ground advancement during the second day of an offensive launched to capture the city's strategic port from the Iranian-backed Houthis. The country's Foreign Minister Khaled Yamani who leads the government delegation to Geneva accused Houthis of "intending to sabotage the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva by creating obstacles to the UN that was not firm enough with them." The UN envoy to Yemen announced during a press conference he exerted hard efforts and tried by all means to bring the Houthi negotiation team to Geneva but received no response. Griffiths said that that he will fly to Muscat and Sanaa again in the upcoming days in order to meet the Houthi leaders but gave no clue or specific time about next negotiations. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government issued a statement and highly appreciates the efforts of UN envoy, which aimed at implementing the UN Security Council resolutions and restarting the peace talks. The government delegation responded to the UN envoy invitation and showed up on the appointed date and time of the peace consultation in Geneva; whereas the Houthis made up excuses, failed to show up, and created obstacles to the peace process, the statement said. For his part, chief of Yemen's Houthi rebel group, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, on Saturday accused the Saudi-led coalition of hindering Houthi delegation from traveling to UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva. "The reason behind the failure of the UN-hosted round of consultants was because the aggression coalition has blocked our national delegation from travelling to Geneva," al-Houthi said in a speech aired by the group's al-Masirah television. The last UN-backed peace negotiations for Yemen were held in 2016 in Kuwait, which continued for several months in the Gulf country but no constructive results had been reached due to serious differences between the rival parties. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including capital Sanaa, in 2014. The internal military conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government recently entered its fourth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 18:03:59|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Florence is forecast to become a major hurricane by Monday as it continues to approach the U.S. East Coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said late Saturday. The tropical storm is centered about 1,270 km southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 9 km per hour, the NHC said. "Florence is expected to become a hurricane at any time soon and rapid intensification is likely to begin on Sunday," it said. Although Florence's exact path is unclear, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued an emergency alert on Friday to get emergency operations rolling. South Carolina followed suit on Saturday. "Interests along the U.S. East Coast, particularly Florida through North Carolina, should closely monitor the progress of Florence, ensure they have their hurricane plan in place and follow any advice given by local officials," the NHC said. It also warned that swells generated by Florence are affecting Bermuda and are beginning to reach portions of the East Coast. "These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," it added. Florence, the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane Thursday, packing maximum sustained winds of 215 km per hour. Besides Florence, two other storms, Isaac and Helene, are churning in the Atlantic basin. Tropical Storm Isaac formed on Saturday and was located 2,540 km east of the Windward Islands, whose major islands are St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique and Grenada. It had maximum sustained winds of 85 km per hour on Saturday and a westward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next few days. . Helene, which formed Friday night, is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to the Cabo Verde islands, off the coast of Africa, on Sunday. It could cause rain, with up to six inches in isolated spots, through Sunday. Flash floods are possible, the NHC said. Forecasters said the hurricane season will reach its peak on Sept. 10-11. They are expecting nine to 13 named storms with winds of 60 km per hour or higher, of which four to seven will strengthen into hurricanes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 18:04:00|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) offers significant potentials for a development paradigm for China-Africa cooperation, South African experts said. Speaking from the perspectives of both business and academic research, the analysts interviewed by Xinhua noted that the FOCAC Summit presented the "the possibility, if consciously involving the masses of Africans, of most far-reaching opportunity to break with past practice." Professor Jay Jay Williams from the University of the Western Cape School of Government said what Africa needs is real development that "directly and sustainably impacts the lives of the people on the ground", just as indicated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his key-note speech at the forum held on Sept. 3-4. Having worked in many development initiatives throughout the continent, Williams believes that the resources and goodwill of the Chinese people should be properly utilized and not abused by African officials who are not fully committed during implementation. Williams stressed the need for grassroots-driven and bottom-up planning programs in implementing the eight initiatives proposed by the Chinese president. One indicator that many of the considerations raised by those at the coalface of African economic development is the question of ensuring the development through the highly skilled and professionally trained workforce and competent officials who will be responsible for project management and implementation. Williams stated that the strong commitment of the Chinese government should "present a strong opportunity for people at grassroots to really benefit, for their conditions to be changed." "What we have to look for is the substance of how implementation occurs, particularly who directly will benefit," he said. His reaction flows from an assessment of the far-reaching initiatives, reaching across the spectrum which the Chinese leader stated will be focused on industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, professional skills transfer, training and green development, among others. As part of these initiatives, China will carry out 50 agricultural assistance programs and provide emergency humanitarian food aid amounting to 1 billion yuan (147 million U.S. dollars) to African countries affected by natural disasters and that this will be complemented by 500 senior agricultural experts who will be sent to Africa. The sheer depth of the commitment to partnership and solidarity with Africa's development calls for the instrument to break the logjam that has held the continent developmentally hostage, Williams said. "What emerges from FOCAC is a clear and unambiguous declaration from China that it sees its very future as intertwined with that of Africa and that it is prepared to utilize both its vast reservoir of technological expertise and its standing as the second most powerful economy in the world to facilitate growth and development in Africa," stated author and development analyst Ruben Richards. "This act of practical solidarity and partnership, without the conditions or interference in the development trajectory agendas of countries on the continent and China's position, opens the path to breaking the stranglehold of economic relations, which has severely compromised Africa's engagements with the developed world in the past," Richards said. "We are all very cognizant of our history, where unjust relations were the order of the day, effectively holding back our peoples' advancement, so what clearly is different with the messages coming out of the FOCAC Summit is that China wants to break with that past," he added. Dr. Phillip Dexter, Chief Oerating Officer of Nehawu Investment Holdings, said that in the last 20 years China has increasingly invested in and assisted African countries in development. The eight initiatives announced by president Xi will intensify this commitment and assist to promote growth and development in a partnership between Africa and China, Dexter said. This FOCAC has seen the most representative participation by African countries and demonstrates the strength of the partnership between Africa and China, he said. It is up to African countries to take advantage of the initiatives announced by the Chinese president, said Dexter. He further evaluated the summit by saying that Africa has committed to a common market and the Chinese-proposed eight initiatives will add momentum to that. In a world where some developed economies are becoming isolationist and protectionist, there are great opportunities to build a South-South cooperation, Dexter said, adding that "the future looks very bright for us." Dexter said China has observed the "five No's" in the past, namely no interference in African countries' pursuit of development paths that fit their national conditions; no interference in their internal affairs; no imposition of China's will on them; no attachment of political strings to aid; and no seeking of selfish political gains in investment and financing cooperation. The "five No's" have been a feature of China's policies for some time, Dexter said, adding "it is only unfortunate that other global powers do not practice such." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 18:19:02|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sadyk Bolat is a pioneering entrepreneur in Kazakhstan who started doing business with the Chinese decades ago. In the 1990s, he opened a market in Kazakhstan for Chinese goods and invited some 200 Chinese businessmen to bring over their products. The quality yet affordable goods soon became popular. Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was put forward in 2013 by China, Bolat has expanded his business to construction, industry and agro-processing. A KAZAKH PIONEER'S WISH LIST He has also opened dozens of new trading markets and malls in Kazakhstan, including the Big Shanghai market in Astana, which can accommodate over 10,000 stalls and brings him millions of dollars in rent every month. The market sells fruits and vegetables, construction materials and other goods from China. In 2016, one of Bolat's companies signed a cooperation agreement with a Chinese enterprise to set up a wheat processing plant in Kazakhstan's northern city of Kostanay and produce mainly flour and starch. This year, a company under Bolat's banner and a Chinese enterprise jointly won the bid to build 100 km of a highway leading to Russia. The construction will start next year. Now Bolat is negotiating with a Chinese tractor factory to establish an agricultural park and manufacture agro-machinery in Astana. The BRI has brought the entrepreneur not only merchandise trade, but also the models, ways and plans for future development. Today his wish list includes building solar power plants and opening car accessory and car wash centers. With the BRI resurrecting the ancient Silk Road, the Eurasian trading artery for silk, tea, porcelain and precious metals more than 2,000 years ago, trains have replaced camel caravans, paved expressways have taken the place of desert and mountain trails, and project cooperation and exchange of development modes and strategies have enriched the renewed trade along the route. A BELARUSIAN DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY Almost every morning, Kirill Koroteev, first deputy director general of the China-Belarus Industrial Park Development Company, drives from his home in Minsk, capital of Belarus, to the China-Belarus Industrial Park in the eastern suburbs, picking up two colleagues on the way. In May 2015, China and Belarus decided to build the industrial park as a key project on the Silk Road Economic Belt, the overland component of the BRI, and make it a model of their mutually beneficial cooperation. The Belarusian government has declared the park a pivotal project to promote the development of Belarus's related industries, Koroteev said. The first phase of infrastructure construction of the 8.5-square-km park has been largely completed and 37 companies from China, Russia, Germany, Austria, the United States and Israel as well as Belarus, have started operating from there. Koroteev, former director of the investment bureau of Belarus's Economy Ministry, was involved in drafting the state documents supporting the BRI. "Belarus is one of the first countries to support the BRI and I am proud of it," he said. The new job means heavier responsibilities and pressure. But Koroteev still prefers it because here he can directly take part in projects and see the outcome of the joint construction of the Belt and Road by the two countries. THE KYRGYZ DREAM In another part of Central Asia, buses bearing banners saying "China-Kyrgyzstan Friendship" are a common sight in the streets of Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. With more and more Chinese enterprises and projects arriving and creating local jobs, learning the Chinese language has become a goal for many locals. Liu Vladimir, who was born in Vladivostok, Russia, is a well-known sinologist in Kyrgyzstan today. The 65-year-old studied Chinese at the Russian Far Eastern National University and became a Chinese language translator after graduation. In the early 1990s, he began teaching Chinese at the Bishkek Humanities University and this summer, retired as director of the Confucius Institute at the university. "I have done just two things in my life. One is learning Chinese, the other is teaching Chinese," he said, laughing. For more than 20 years, Liu and his colleagues have taught nearly 3,000 students pursuing Chinese language studies. Now some of them work for Chinese enterprises, some serve at Kyrgyz government organs, and some have become Chinese language teachers, just like Liu. The Chinese language has shaped his whole life and his aspiration today is to bring up more Chinese language talents. I hope China realizes the "Chinese Dream", he said. Then my students can utilize what they have learned to realize their "Kyrgyz Dream." Chinese consumer products which were not common in the Ethiopia market are now widely introduced and found in Ethiopian market for Chinese community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. (Xinhua / Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Huang Baodong, a Chinese expat in Ethiopia, had worried how he would adjust to a new lifestyle far from his native land when he first arrived in the East African country. But, since he arrived in Ethiopia earlier this year, Huang, one of the estimated 50,000 Chinese people living in Ethiopia, has had little difficulty adjusting to life in the east African country, helped by the fact that he's found his favorite food ingredients in traditional markets in Addis Ababa. Speaking to Xinhua, Huang, a regular customer at a traditional market place in the Bole district of Addis Ababa, said he buys food ingredients from Ethiopian shopkeepers in order to use it to make his own food. "We come to this market to buy some food and materials we need, we can cook Chinese food by ourselves, so there is no problem," he said. With Ethiopian New Year "Enkutatsh" just three days away from being celebrated, Huang is preparing to invite his Ethiopian friends to taste Chinese foods, while his Ethiopian friends have also invited him to their homes to taste a variety of Ethiopian foods. The Ethiopian New Year, or Enkutatash in Amharic language, falls on September 11 (or September 12 during a leap year). The East African nation uses a unique calendar, which counts its year seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. Presently, the country is preparing to celebrate the arrival of 2011 which this year will fall on Tuesday. Chinese consumer products which were not common in the Ethiopia market are now widely introduced and found in Ethiopian market for Chinese community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. (Xinhua / Michael Tewelde) "Ethiopia people have made us very welcome here, they have invited us to spend the Ethiopian New Year with them, in their spare time they also invite us to weddings, and we feel very good," he said. While Huang and fellow Chinese expats are delighted to find they have food ingredients in Ethiopia needed to cook their native cuisines helping ease their homesickness, for Genet Beyene, an Ethiopian shopkeeper in Bole district of Addis Ababa, the presence of Chinese customers has made her business more profitable. "Our vegetable products are bought by both Ethiopians and Chinese, but most of the time our customers are Chinese," Beyene told Xinhua, emphasizing the importance of Chinese customers to her business. However, Beyene's interaction with her Chinese customers hasn't been limited to commercial transaction, with her and other Ethiopian shopkeepers in the area now able to speak basic Chinese for daily communication. "I speak basic Chinese to interact with my Chinese customers, but I also have witnessed many Chinese customers are now able to speak our native language Amharic while some others communicate in English," she said. With the number of Chinese customers and their needs fast expanding, Beyene is already looking to diversify her vegetable products to expand her customer base. "There are various vegetable types that I have seen with Chinese in Ethiopia, if I can get hold of these vegetables my business will become even more vibrant," she told Xinhua. Another Ethiopian shopkeeper whose business has boomed with the influx of Chinese expats is Hewan Abebe, a meat seller. "I sell chicken fingers, chicken legs, chicken wings as well as whole chickens, I also sell pork meat and various fish types," explained Abebe. Abebe also said the increasing number of Chinese customers she's seeing for her meat business has given her the confidence to plan for the expansion of both the size and variety of meat products she currently sells. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 18:54:12|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close By Xinhua writers Wang Wen and Zhang Mocheng NEW YORK, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- When Chinese designer Wang Tao debuted her new collection Saturday at the ongoing New York Fashion Week, front-row celebrities cheered the designs showcasing her signature note of sophisticated minimalism. Tiffany Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump's younger daughter, was among the celebrities. The way Wang incorporates sophistication and a feminine edge into her clothes "is absolutely amazing," said the 24-year-old first daughter, who was wearing a Taoray Wang baby-blue dress with ruffles at the waist. Taoray Wang is Wang's professional name. "I have realized that this new generation's women leaders are not afraid of standing out in a crowd," Wang told Xinhua on the sidelines of the Taoray Wang runway show. "And they can mix femininity with their serious career-oriented lifestyle." In her fall collection, titled "Bloom", Wang, known for her flair in using basic colors such as grey, white and black to create elegant and confident looks for career women, changed her tack, using a bold palette of pinks and blues, reportedly after being asked by her clients to design more colorful clothes. Another inspiration came from the BBC mystery drama "Picnic at Hanging Rock". The Victorian style and the delicate touch in the clothes in this remake of an iconic Australian novel are a feast for the eye, she said. Amy Zhang, senior vice president of Fred Alger Management, a private investment company, called the combination of pink and navy or pink and black both powerful and elegant. "I feel every piece can be worn to the office," she said. Zhang, a long-time client of Wang, was wearing a Taoray Wang suit from last season. She said she especially loved the detailing in the sleeves, where a touch of red Chinese silk had been added to create fluidity. "She's truly an artist who bridges the East and the West," Zhang said. Wang, a graduate of East China Normal University in Shanghai, has grown from an aspiring designer to one of Asia's most successful female entrepreneurs. Since her brand made its debut in the fall of 2014, she has become a regular at the New York Fashion Week. Held in February and September, the semi-annual event is one of the four major fashion weeks in the world, collectively known as the "Big Four," along with the Paris, London and Milan fashion weeks. (Xinhua correspondent Chang Yuan contributed to this report.) Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:04:16|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Port of Colombo was ranked the world's top port with the highest container growth in the first half of 2018, Sri Lanka's Ports and Shipping Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. According to international rating agency Alphaliner, the Port of Colombo has recorded a 15.6-percent growth in container handling for the first half of this year, out of the top 30 global ports. "It is a very significant achievement as it is the first time in history the Port of Colombo has reached the top of a global maritime ranking. With this growth, Port of Colombo has leaped ahead many other Asian ports," the statement said. The Port of Colombo consists of the Jaya Container Terminal of the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority, South Asia Gateway Terminal of the John Keells Holdings and Colombo International Container Terminal of China's CM Ports. Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said recently that the three terminals had inked a deal to jointly promote the port. Under this deal, waiting time for all container vessels arriving at the Port of Colombo will be minimized by allowing vessels to be accommodated at the earliest available terminal. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:04:16|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Contingency plans to deal with any widespread disorder after Britain leaves the European Union (EU) are being drawn up by senior police chiefs, it was reported Sunday in London. The Sunday Times (ST) newspaper says a bombshell document, prepared by the National Police Co-ordination Center, outlines plans to deal with widespread civil disorder at British borders and ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit. It adds the document warns that the necessity to call on military assistance is "a real possibility" in the weeks around Britain's departure from the EU next March. The report says disruption and civil unrest could last for three months either side of the March 29 departure date, rather than the six weeks being planned for by the government. The ST adds that the report is due to be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), saying some police forces, such as Kent, are expected unilaterally to cancel rest days and leave immediately after March 29, the date Britain will leave the EU. The area covered by Kent Police includes Britain's busiest sea port, Dover, the main link with mainland Europe. The document warns that Operation Stack, the queuing system for heavy goods vehicles waiting to cross the English Channel when traffic is disrupted at the Port of Dover will have to be "enacted in every British seaport" requiring a heavy police commitment. It adds, according to the ST, "If Stack is introduced across the country, the disruption to the national road network will be unprecedented and overwhelming." The ST also claims the document also warns that a no-deal Brexit could lead to a rise in crime, particularly theft and robbery, as Britain suffers food and drug shortages with the expectation that more people will become ill. It warns that the predominant concern for the police is that food and goods shortages, including National Health Service (NHS) supplies, will result in civil disorder leading to widespread unrest. The NPCC lead for operations, Chief Constable Charlie Hall, told the ST: "The police are planning for all scenarios that may require a police response in the event of a no-deal Brexit. At this stage, we have no intelligence to suggest there will be an increase in crime or disorder. However, we remain vigilant and will continue to assess any threats and develop plans accordingly." Louise Haigh, policing minister spokesperson for the main opposition Labour Party, said: "This is the nightmare scenario long feared. According to the UK's most senior police officers, a no-deal Brexit could leave Britain on the brink." This week Prime Minister Theresa May's government will publish the final batch of the more than 80 reports on the possible consequences, and preparations for a no-deal Brexit. In another Brexit development Sunday, Frances O'Grady, leader of Britain's biggest trades union body, the TUC, said that unless May's government struck a deal that working people need with the EU, she would demand a popular vote. O'Grady made her comment in a television interview as trade unionists from around the country gathered in Manchester for their annual congress. O'Grady called on May's government to extend Britain's EU membership to allow longer for negotiations, adding: "Time is running out and a crash out of the EU would be an absolute disaster for the people we represent." One of the country's biggest unions, the GMB, has already announced support for the People's Vote campaign which is demanding a referendum on a final deal brokered between Britain and the EU. More than 300,000 people have so-far signed the petition calling for a so-called People's Vote. Prime Minister May has ruled out a second referendum, saying the government is determined to deliver on the 2016 referendum, in which, by a 52-48 margin, the people of Britain chose to leave the EU. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:09:18|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LUSAKA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian Government on Saturday refuted a media report that it was in talks with Chinese companies for the latter to take over public institutions due to debt. Chief government spokesperson Dora Siliya tweeted a denial of the report that said the government was seeking to sell some public assets, pointing out that some of the China-funded projects had not even been completed. "Govt's position is that all stories relating to sale or takeover of public assets such (as) ZNBC (state broadcaster), Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, and ZESCO (power utility) by China are false," she said on Twitter. "ZNBC digital migration and KK AIRPORT projects not even complete yet. How then can one refer to loan default in view of grace periods?" she asked. Last week, the African Confidential fortnightly reported that talks were underway for a Chinese firm to take over Zambia's power utility due to debt. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:09:19|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close QALA-E-NAW, Afghanistan, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Up to 12 militants including a key commander of Taliban outfit have been killed in Afghanistan's western Badghis province, provincial police spokesman Naqibullah Amini said on Sunday. "The notorious Taliban commander Mawlawi Nazir nickname Mutamen who had served as the commander of the Taliban special force the Red Unit was killed along with 11 others in clashes with security forces in Abkamari district early today," Amini told Xinhua from provincial capital Qala-e-Naw city. Without providing more details, the official added that 16 more militants and two security personnel were injured in the fighting. Taliban militants have not commented on the report. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:14:20|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close XIAMEN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's cross-border e-commerce is forecast to see turnover top 9 trillion yuan (1.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018, according to a report released by the China E-Commerce Association. The report, released on Sunday at the ongoing 20th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), held in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, said that the top 10 import sources of China's cross-border e-commerce trade in 2017 were Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, the Netherlands, France, Britain, and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Cross-border e-commerce is most active in south China's Guangdong Province, followed by Beijing, east China's Zhejiang and Shandong provinces and central China's Henan Province for exports via e-commerce. Tong Xiaomin, chief engineer at the Information Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that the Chinese government supports cross-border e-commerce with policies and infrastructure building. Globally, however, trade protectionism in forms of tariff barriers and anti-monopoly investigations has posed negative influence on the development of cross-border e-commerce, Tong said. He suggested that Chinese e-commerce firms and importers should heed turbulence in the international trade environment and improve their global competitiveness. Meanwhile, the e-commerce platforms should explore new market and adopt new technologies and applications to ensure the high-quality development. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:24:23|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines is encouraging families to consider organ donation of deceased relatives, including those who have been declared medically brain dead, to help others in need of transplantation. "Through organ donation, one deceased human being can potentially save and dramatically improve the quality of life of eight or more individuals," Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a statement on Saturday night. The DOH also discourages incentivized organ donations, where living organ donors not related to the recipient are motivated by financial rewards. This system creates a risk for both the donor and the recipient, exposing them to further injury. World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2017 show that deaths caused by various end-stage organ diseases involved up to 230,000 Filipinos. "This may have been prevented by organ transplantation. Unfortunately, organ donation from brain dead patients remains dismally low in the Philippines," Duque said. To heighten Filipino awareness on the benefits of organ donation, Duque said a presidential proclamation is being proposed to be issued designating the month of September of every year as "National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month." The program underscores the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, or spirit of cooperation and community where those extending help do not expect anything in return. Duque said the DOH recognizes the noble and altruistic act of saving a life through committing one's organs or tissues upon one's death. "This can be done by signing up as organ donor cardholders and providing consent to organ donation. Indeed, organ donors are heroes of our times," Duque added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:24:24|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry rejected Sunday the bombardment of positions of two Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan that killed 14 and wounded 39 others. "Iraq is keen on (maintaining) the security of neighboring countries and refuses any use of its territory to threaten the security of those countries, hence the ministry categorically rejects the violation of Iraqi sovereignty by bombing any target inside Iraq without prior coordination with the Iraqi authorities," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub said in a brief statement. The statement came a day after Iranian drone and rockets shelled camps of anti-Iran Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran (KDP-I) and Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) near the town of Kwisanjaq, some 30 km west of the borderline with neighboring Iran. The Iranian attack killed a total of 14 people and wounded 39 others, ten of them were in critical conditions, according to a medical source from the town's hospital. On Saturday, Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) condemned in a statement the bombardment which targeted headquarters of the Iranian Kurdish opposition parties and reiterated the region's policy to reject the use of Iraq's Kurdistan territory to launch attacks on neighboring countries. "Therefore, we demand that such (Iranian) action not to be repeated and to respect the laws of the Kurdistan region," the Kurdish statement said. Iranian and Turkish forces frequently attack the military bases of their Kurdish opposition parties in the mountainous area in Kurdistan in north and northeastern Iraq as they accuse the Kurdish opposition of carrying out attacks back in their homes from the Iraqi Kurdish region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:24:25|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JUBA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed and three others including a pilot survived in a plane crash in South Sudan on Sunday. Taban Abel Aguek, Information Minister in Eastern Lakes State, confirmed that the commercial aircraft crashed into Lake Yirol on Sunday morning. "I went to the site of the incident and we have received 17 bodies, but the number will increase because we suspect more bodies are still in the water," the official told Xinhua by phone in Juba. The local official said the number of the passengers on board remains unclear. The plane had taken off from Juba airport and was headed to Eastern Lakes State when it crashed. Three people survived, including a child of about 6 years, an Italian doctor who is in serious critical condition, but currently receiving treatment in Yirol Civil Hospital, and a middle aged man, according to the official. Aviation experts have launched investigations into the cause of the crash, noting that bodies are being retrieved from the Yirol River. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 19:34:28|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Soldiers march during a parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Pyongyang, DPRK, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Pyongyang, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A massive parade was held in Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang on Sunday morning to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un and other senior officials attended the celebration, together with hundreds of foreign guests, ambassadors and representatives of DPRK nationals living abroad. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, said under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the DPRK has made great achievements in economic construction. He urged citizens to carry out the strategic line of economic construction put forward at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and to contribute to world peace and the unification of the Korean Peninsula. The two-hour parade saw thousands of people from all walks of life, including soldiers, workers, peasants and students, march through the square, waving flowers and shouting slogans such as "Long live supreme leader Kim." Some vehicles rolled through with banners, paying homage to the massive statues of the leaders and showcasing the achievements of the past 70 years. Some military weapons, including rockets and tanks, were also demonstrated in the parade. But the scale was not as big as expected and long-range missiles were not displayed. The parade was the first of its kind after the DPRK-South Korea and the DPRK-U.S. summits were held successively and the situation on the Korean Peninsula entered a state of dialogue. The celebrations began Saturday evening with a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:19:39|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military imposed a total closure on the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, while police beefed up security in Jerusalem early on Sunday, ahead of the Jewish new year. The military closed all crossings and checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza overnight Saturday, banning Palestinians from entering Israel during the upcoming Jewish new year. A military spokesperson said in a statement released last week that the closure will last until Wednesday. The reopening is subjected to "security assessment," the spokesperson said, adding that exceptions would be made for humanitarian and emergency medical cases. Israel considers the main Jewish holiday a possible occasion for attacks by Palestinian militants, therefore regularly close off the occupied territories during these times. During the three-day holiday, "police units, border police, special patrol units will carry out security measures in cities, around synagogues and public places," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement. The closure also coincides with the Muslim new year on Tuesday, with prayers expected in east Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site to Islam. At the same time, thousands of Jewish pilgrims are expected to arrive at the Western Wall, just below the hilltop Muslim compound, as part of the Jewish new year rituals, raising fears of possible clashes. "In Jerusalem, units will carry out security measures in and around the old city and patrol all areas," Rosenfeld said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:24:41|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon has witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of Gulf tourists this summer season, said the Lebanese Investment Business Committee (LIBC) on Sunday. "The number of Gulf tourists in Lebanon surpassed 50,000 this summer," said Rabih El-Amine, secretary of LIBC, quoted by the National News Agency. Amine said that Gulf tourists praised the high quality of services offered in Lebanon in addition to the feeling of security and stability. "However, this only constitutes 10 percent of the figures registered in 2013," he added. Saudi Arabia is planning to lift its travel ban on Lebanon following the government formation, as previously stated by Saudi charge d'affaires to Lebanon Walid Al-Bukhari, Amine said. Last November, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait warned their citizens against traveling to Lebanon due to the crisis after Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's controversial resignation in Riyadh which he rescinded soon after. Pierre Ashkar, president of the Syndicate of Hotel Owners in Lebanon, previously told Xinhua that tourism activity in Lebanon will improve only when tourists from the Gulf return to country. Ashkar noted that Gulf tourists are the ones who spend the most in Lebanon. "They also stay for long periods," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:29:43|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TIRANA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Albanian children from about 190,000 families in need will benefit free text books studying from the first to fourth grade at school, Albanian Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ogerta Manastirliu, declared on Sunday. Manastirliu made this declaration during a visit to a family in the city of Vlora, south Albania, who benefits from the economic aid program. "This decision to give free books to children of families, points out the Albanian government's attention to the education of children that are the future of a European Albania," underlined Manastirliu. According to Manastirliu, all families in Albania benefiting from economic aid will receive a special allowance for each child who does not abandon school and for any child who is vaccinated. Moreover, the minister declared that the Albanian government reforms have created opportunities for more investment for the younger generation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:29:44|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Lofven (front R) and his wife Ulla Lofven walk out a polling station after casting their votes in Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 9, 2018. Polling stations opened in Sweden on Sunday morning as the country headed for an election that looks set to turn the nationalist Sweden Democrat Party into political kingmakers. (Xinhua/Shi Tiansheng) STOCKHOLM, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) --- Polling stations opened in Sweden on Sunday morning as the country headed for an election that looks set to turn the nationalist Sweden Democrat Party into political kingmakers. The final opinion polls published before Election Day predicted a neck-to-neck race between the center-left and center-right blocs, with the current government coalition partners -- the Social Democrats and the Greens -- along with the Left Party polling at 39.9 percent in a survey conducted by Novus on behalf of Swedish Television. The four-party center-right Alliance was just behind, at 38.5 percent. In the same Novus poll, the Sweden Democrats came out second in terms of single party's support, with 19.1 percent of respondents opting for the party, which is often labeled as populist and far right. They have vowed to be tougher on immigration than any other political party in Sweden and want the Scandinavian nation to leave the European Union. In other recent polls, the Sweden Democrats have scored between around 16 and 25 percent, which would signify a significant boost compared to their 2014 election result, when they gained nearly 13 percent of the vote. Immigration and integration have been central themes in Sweden's shorter-than-usual election campaign, with Election Day now scheduled on the second rather than the third Sunday of September. Another Novus poll, published on Sept. 6, showed that immigration/integration is the second most important issue for Swedish voters, behind healthcare and ahead of schools/education. Issues like crime and law and order have also dominated debates, especially after a series of car arson attacks in western Sweden last month and with gun violence on the rise, particularly in so-called "vulnerable areas" that are marred by social exclusion and relatively high crime rates. However, climate change also shot to prominence following this summer's unusually high temperatures and dramatic wildfires. The Sweden Democrats, who want Sweden, at least temporarily, to stop taking in quota refugees as well as asylum seekers from countries outside of the Nordic region, have dominated the national conversation as the other seven parliamentary parties have positioned themselves against them, vowing not to form a government, or negotiate, with the party that is led by Jimmie Akesson. With neither political bloc set to gain a majority of the vote and neither willing to secure a majority by collaborating with the Sweden Democrats, the government formation question is still up in the air, with widespread talk of tactical voting among Swedes. Analysts and commentators speculate that there will be political bargaining across the left-right divide after the votes are counted. Sweden faced a similar deadlock situation in 2014, when a snap election was avoided because the center-right Alliance (made up of the Moderates, the Center Party, the Liberals and the Christian Democrats) decided to abstain from blocking the Social Democrat-Green Party budget in a deal known as the December Agreement. This time around, neither bloc has said they are willing to repeat such a deal, which proved controversial among the electorate and, some analysts say, helped boost support for the Sweden Democrats, cementing their self-appointed status as Sweden's "only opposition party". The Sweden Democrats, on their part, could end up with a key role in shaping the next government, even if they are unlikely to be part of one, as they may have the power to bring down any minority government that they oppose. Under Sweden's negative parliamentarian system, a government does not need to have a majority in favor of it, as long as there is no majority against it. If the current Prime Minister Stefan Lofven is asked by the Speaker of Parliament to form a government following the election and the Sweden Democrats vote against it, the Speaker may then turn to Ulf Kristersson, the leader of the opposition, instead. The Sweden Democrats could support Kristersson's government or simply abstain from voting, thereby offering it passive support. The potential post-election scenarios and what role the Sweden Democrats will play have also dominated debates and party-leader interviews during the campaign. Akesson and his party again dominated the news over the weekend after the national broadcaster SVT, in an unprecedented move, made a statement against what they called a "great generalization" on Akesson's behalf. That was after he sparred with other party leaders in a televised debate on Friday evening over unemployment rates among immigrants, suggesting it is hard for newcomers to get jobs because they "do not fit in" and "are not Swedish". Akesson added that immigrants must get opportunities to become Swedish and to integrate into the labor market and wider society. After SVT refused to retract their statement, the Sweden Democrats decided to boycott the state broadcaster for the remainder of the campaign, canceling TV appearances on Election Day. The Sweden Democrat Party first entered parliament in 2010 and was founded 30 years ago by individuals with links to neo-Nazi movements. The party now operates a "zero-tolerance policy" on racism but has also ousted several representatives recently who were found to have made racist remarks online. The party gained growing support following the 2015 refugee crisis, when over 160,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden, a country with a population of 10 million. Since then, the government has tightened immigration controls and laws, but the latest prognosis from the Swedish Migration Agency shows that 122,000 people are expected to apply for asylum in Sweden between 2018 and 2021. A further 181,000 look set to arrive under family reunification rules, though that figure includes relatives of people born in Sweden. The total number of people who are expected to be granted asylum or to receive residence permits under family reunification rules between 2018 and 2021 is 150,000. While the Social Democrats on Sunday may get the lowest share of the vote in more than a century and the main opposition, the conservative Moderates, look set to lose their position as Sweden's second biggest party, smaller parties are doing comparatively well. Polls suggest that support for the ex-Communist Left Party could double compared to the 2014 election, and the Center Party -- an agrarian party that has shifted its focus towards free-market economics and in this election has staked its claims as the most liberal on immigration out of all the four opposition Alliance parties -- is now the fifth most popular party. That is according to the Sept. 6 Novus poll. Exit polls are expected shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday, when polling closes across the country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:34:46|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MAIDAN SHAHR, Afghanistan, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Scores of militants have been killed after a Taliban attack was foiled in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province, provincial government spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal said on Sunday. "Hundreds of Taliban rebels launched a coordinated offensive early this morning to overrun Deh Mirdad district but their attempts have been foiled and the militants after suffering huge casualties retreated," Mangal told Xinhua. According to the official, more than 50 insurgents have been killed and more than 60 others injured. He also confirmed that 10 police personnel including district police chief Sayed Yunus had been killed in fighting against the militants. The security forces, according to the official, were chasing the militants to ensure security in the restive district. Taliban militants who are active in parts of Wardak province have not commented on the clashes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:34:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tariffs on imports from China will disrupt the global supply chain in the fashion industry and damage the entire sector, the head of a U.S. fashion industry association said. "From feathers to textiles to furniture, we see disruption and uncertainty in the industry," Julie Hughes, president of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), told Xinhua during a recent interview. "In most cases, there are no alternative sources of supply for U.S. companies." Calling the tariffs "the top uncertainty and risk of volatility" that USFIA members see in the economy, Hughes said, "Honestly, I'm hoping that these tariffs never go into effect, then we don't go to the worst scenario of penalty tariffs on everything." Founded in 1989, the USFIA represents brands, retailers, importers and wholesalers based in the United States. China is the largest supplier of textiles and apparel to the U.S. market, accounting for about 40 percent of American imports in the sector, according to USFIA statistics. "We have long relationships and partnerships with our Chinese suppliers. We know each other well, and we want to keep it that way," Hughes said. The USFIA chief emphasized that the industry relies on sourcing from China to provide American consumers affordable and varied choices. A recent survey by the association, the USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study for 2018, showed the "protectionist trade policy agenda in the United States" was regarded as the top challenge to the nation's fashion industry. More than 60 percent of the respondents ranked it among their top five business challenges, with more than one third regarding it as either the first or second biggest challenge. The ability of fashion brands and retailers to respond to the tariffs is complicated since apparel and textile supply chains are complex, involving inputs from multiple countries, according to industrial analysts. "It takes at least two to five years to identify and approve a new vendor, because we are a long way from the days when apparel could be made any place (where) there were workers and a sewing machine," Hughes said. After announcing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and on 50 billion dollars of Chinese products, Washington threatened in July to slap extra tariffs of 10 percent on 200 billion dollars of Chinese goods, later upping the rate to 25 percent. The Chinese imports are widely recognized as being crucial for U.S. businesses, employment and consumers. Imposing a hefty tax on the basic household items needed by all Americans is likely to have broader impact on the U.S. economy, Hughes said. The U.S. Trade Representative called a public hearing on the proposed additional tariffs on Chinese imports recently, where the majority of participants opposed the move. "We continue to believe that the best action is to work with our trading partners, and the Chinese government to negotiate solutions," Hughes said. File photo: Muslim worshipers shout slogans against U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital during Friday prayers in front of the Dome of the Rock at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, on Dec. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Muammar Awad) JERUSALEM, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military imposed a total closure on the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, while police beefed up security in Jerusalem early on Sunday, ahead of the Jewish new year. The military closed all crossings and checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza overnight Saturday, banning Palestinians from entering Israel during the upcoming Jewish new year. A military spokesperson said in a statement released last week that the closure will last until Wednesday. The reopening is subjected to "security assessment," the spokesperson said, adding that exceptions would be made for humanitarian and emergency medical cases. Israel considers the main Jewish holiday a possible occasion for attacks by Palestinian militants, therefore regularly close off the occupied territories during these times. During the three-day holiday, "police units, border police, special patrol units will carry out security measures in cities, around synagogues and public places," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement. The closure also coincides with the Muslim new year on Tuesday, with prayers expected in east Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site to Islam. At the same time, thousands of Jewish pilgrims are expected to arrive at the Western Wall, just below the hilltop Muslim compound, as part of the Jewish new year rituals, raising fears of possible clashes. "In Jerusalem, units will carry out security measures in and around the old city and patrol all areas," Rosenfeld said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:49:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official Adnan Husseini said Sunday that Israel "is giving an official cover to its plans to control" Al-Aqsa Mosque. Husseini, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, made the remarks in response to the participation of an Israeli minister in a tour by a group of settlers into the holy site. The tour was considered by Palestinians "an incursion." Husseini told Xinhua that "Israel's plans to take over Al-Aqsa Mosque are now taking a more official trend, which means it is entering a new dangerous phase that we must deal with more seriously." "The Israeli government used to justify the incursions saying they are held by extremist settlers, but now what is happening is incursions by officials, ministers and Knesset (parliament) members are taking part," he said. Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel joined dozens of settlers Sunday morning in a tour inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem under the protection of Israeli police, according to Islamic Wakf Department. The department said in a press statement that Israeli police "imposed restrictions on Muslim worshippers, limiting their access into the mosque during the incursion, and it banned the mosque guards and recluses from using the path taken by Ariel." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided last June to allow Knesset, or parliament members and ministers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque once every three months after a two-year ban. Tensions have been mounting in east Jerusalem since the Israeli high court ruled in favor of a decision requiring Netanyahu to justify the ban on Jewish prayers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque. A 1967 deal between Israel and the custodian of Islamic Wakf in Jerusalem, Jordan, stipulates that non-Muslims are allowed to visit the Al-Aqsa mosque but not to pray inside it. Palestinians consider this as a step towards allowing settlers to hold their prayers at the Islamic site. Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Jewish people refer to it as the Temple Mount, while it is considered the third holiest site for Muslims. The mosque is located in a spacious compound besides the infamous golden Dome of the Rock, together known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, inside the Old City of Jerusalem described by UNESCO as an Islamic site. The site has been administered by Jordanian Islamic Wakf Ministry since 1948, but after Israel took over the city in 1967, it was obliged to respect the status quo and not make any changes to the status, laws and institutions in occupied east Jerusalem. The Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital of their future Palestinian state, while Israel insists that the unified Jerusalem be its eternal capital. The Israeli occupation of the eastern part of the holy city in 1967 is a move that was never recognized by the international community. Jerusalem is one of the final status issues for Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, which had been stalled since 2014 after nine months of U.S.-sponsored talks ended without achieving any breakthrough. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:49:53|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Rescuers set up tents at Niuku Village of Tongguan Township of Mojiang Hani Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sept. 9, 2018. A total of 28 people were injured and nearly 5,000 residents have been relocated after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit Mojiang Hani Autonomous County Saturday morning. More than 1,500 people have taken part in the relief work. Tents, quilts, blankets, folding beds, food, and water have been distributed to affected residents. (Xinhua/Zhou Lei) KUNMING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 28 people have been confirmed injured and nearly 5,000 residents were relocated after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit southwest China's Yunnan Province Saturday morning. The earthquake hit Mojiang Hani Autonomous County at 10:31 a.m. Saturday, according to the local quake-relief headquarters. The headquarters said Sunday that around 25,000 residents have been affected by the quake, more than 29,000 houses and 34 schools located in 10 townships were damaged. Infrastructure including roads, bridges, sewage treatment plants and pipe networks in the affected areas have also been damaged. Three reservoirs in the county were severely damaged. More than 1,500 people have taken part in the relief work. Tents, quilts, blankets, folding beds, food, and water have been distributed to affected residents by local quake relief agencies. Moreover, the Ministry of Emergency Management said it sent disaster-relief supplies on Sunday to quake-hit areas including 2,000 tents and 8,000 foldaway beds, as well as quilts and clothes. An emergency workgroup from the ministry is currently in the county to assist with local disaster-relief efforts. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 20:54:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 451 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the first half of this year, up 14.4 percent compared to the 394 listed in the same period of last year, a Philippine lawmaker said on Sunday. Aniceto Bertiz of the House of Representatives urged returning migrant workers who engaged in high-risk sexual behavior while working abroad to get themselves voluntarily tested for HIV. "All told, OFWs with HIV now account for 10 percent of all cases in the National HIV and AIDS Registry," Bertiz said, citing Department of Health (DOH) data. Of the 56,275 cases listed in the registry from January 1984 to June 2018, Bertiz said 5,889 are OFWs. Early detection and anti-retroviral treatment (ART) have been known to slow down the advance of HIV, which causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), according to the DOH. AIDS destroys the human body's natural ability to fight off all kinds of infections, and the condition still does not have any known cure. "The DOH has 60 HIV treatment hubs across the country plus 33 primary care facilities that provide outpatient care services to returning OFWs and other citizens living with the virus," Bertiz said. A total of 28,045 Filipinos living with HIV were on record as undergoing ART as of June, the DOH said. Of the 5,889 OFWs in the National HIV and AIDS Registry, Bertiz said 5,063, or 86 percent, were male with the median age of 32 years. Bertiz urged the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to devote more resources toward HIV/AIDS prevention and education among OFWs and their families. There are 10 million Filipinos working overseas, according to data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Due to lack of well-paying jobs in the Philippines, more and more Filipinos opt to work abroad to fend for their families back home. The first case of HIV infection in the Philippines was reported in 1984. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:15:06|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close URUMQI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- "My one-year-old daughter was once scared by one of my paintings portraying an eagle," a 40-year-old entrepreneur from Xinjiang said. It took Arzugul Gupur years of testing before she successfully created a painting on a piece of cowhide. She was invited to the China-Eurasia Expo in late August to display her works. Arzugul was eager to start a business in the hometown after she sold her thriving catering business in Beijing and returned home to look after her seriously ill mother in 2014. Moreover, she wanted to revive the fading art and eyed the growing opportunities in Xinjiang. Painting on the fur of cowhide is not easy. Since 2016, Arzugul has worked through problems including how to preserve and deodorize the animal hide. "Unlike paintings on the paper, the fur can make the painted animals or characters more vivid," Arzugul said. She decides what to paint based on the patterns of the fur, given the fact that the lines and flecks on every piece of hide are different. Arzugul experienced hundreds of failures, and due to the high costs of cowhide, she even experimented with her own hair to test the effect of pigments. Finally, her hard work paid off. "I have never expected to see such a magnificent painting made on animal hide. That's unbelievable!" Wu Yu, deputy director of Urumqi Hong Gallery said when she saw the piece for the first time. The rich culture in Xinjiang is the inspiration for Arzugul's paintings. In the context of local culture, horses are the symbol of the pioneering spirit of the people. "So they are one of my favorite themes," said Arzugul. After her painting techniques became more sophisticated, Arzugul also designed items for everyday use with the techniques to diversify the product lines of her company. New products include notebooks, laptop cases, and backpacks. Orders began to pour in from home and abroad. "Arzugul broadens the public understanding of artworks. Her paintings also display the landscape, humanity and the abundant animal species of the region," said Ghazi Emet, a famous painter from Xinjiang. Arzugul has an ambition of making her paintings a drawcard for Xinjiang. So since early 2018, she began to travel with her artworks to various exhibitions around the world. "Wow, how can someone paint like this!" Was one comment Arzugul received during an exhibition this year. Arzugul named her brand Return Trace based on her own experience. "I left my hometown a decade ago, and now I want to follow the ancient silk road to vitalize my hometown through my works," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:15:07|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JUBA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua)-- Elizabeth, 16, had hoped to study to become a doctor or a teacher, but her dreams were shattered in 2015 after she got abducted by a rebel group in Yambio, southwestern South Sudan, while on her way to school. Just at 14, she was married to a rebel commander and also served as cook for the insurgents for nearly two years. "Life was so bad in the bush. Girls were sometimes raped and others were given to the commanders as wives," Elizabeth said. Andrew, another ex-child soldier, was 17 when he was captured by another rebel group from their family farm last year. For two months in the hands of rebels, Andrew said he saw several children die during combat or due to lack of food. "Life was not good in the bush because we were seeing many bad things. I saw many being killed during fighting," Andrew said. "People were dying every day. People were dying due to lack of food. Sometimes you just see someone dying of hunger in front of you." Elizabeth and Andrew were lucky to be part of 745 child soldiers who were freed from the ranks of armed groups in Yambio this year. But the situation still remains dire for children in the war-torn East African nation as some 19,000 children are thought to be in the hands of armed groups, according to statistics from the UN children's agency, UNICEF. Despite the interruption to their education and the ordeal they suffered at the hands of captors, Elizabeth and Andrew are hopeful of rebuilding their lives once again- through learning life skills at a vocational training program supported by UNICEF. The two are part of more than 100 former child soldiers who have enrolled to pursue a career in tailoring, carpentry, masonry, metal work, electrical installations and auto mechanics, among others. "I was hopeless when I came back, but I hope to complete my tailoring course so that I get something to do for myself and build a good family in future," Elizabeth told Xinhua in a recent interview at her school. Andrew, now 18, is pursuing a six-month course in masonry and said he hopes to attain skills to enable him rebuild his life and get a job to support his mother. "I hope my life is going to change with this training as now I can see that I'm becoming a grown up adult," Andrew said. "I'm begging those who are supporting this project to go and bring back our friends. They are dying of hunger and they are being killed like nothing," he added. Vedasto Nsanzugwanko, UNICEF's chief of Child Protection in South Sudan, said though they have secured the release of several children previously associated with armed groups, the use of child soldiers in the country's war remains a huge burden that must be addressed urgently. "We need to work together. We need cooperation of the government; we need cooperation of the community and other stake holders to ensure that children get out of the ranks of armed groups," Nsanzugwanko said. He said with the prospects of peace returning to South Sudan, warring parties need to commit to their pledge of protecting children's rights and stop using children as soldiers. "I urge parties to conflict to stop recruitment of children. Leave children to be with their families. Release children to go to school. Children are the future of South Sudan," he added. South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world. The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally. Virginia Gamba, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, on Friday said grave violations of children's rights continue unabated in South Sudan. Speaking at the end of four-day mission to the country, the UN envoy called on all armed actors in the conflict to end the recruitment of children, release all children in the ranks and ensure efforts to stop further recruitment. "My discussions with the authorities lead me to believe that the time is ripe to work with the government and revise the existing Action Plans so as to develop a comprehensive plan addressing all six grave violations endured by the children of South Sudan," Gamba said. "In Yambio, I met children recently released and was moved by their stories, which unfortunately are not unique. It is crucial that each and every boy and girl released benefit from reintegration programs and the international community must take a strong step and support these children and their communities in a sustainable and comprehensive manner," she added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:20:08|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi temporary speaker of the newly-elected parliament on Sunday said that he was attacked by unknown people in Baghdad. Mohammed Ali Zayni, the temporary leader of the assembly, wrote on his Facebook page that he was "subjected to an attack by suspects" before being transferred by Baghdad police to Rasheed Hotel in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the main offices of the Iraqi government and many foreign embassies. Zayni did not reveal details about the kind of the attack, like when or where the attack took place. So far, the Iraqi police have no immediate comment about the incident. Zayni chaired the first session of the new Iraqi parliament, but the political blocs failed to elect a new speaker and two deputies, which is an essential step in the first parliament session according to the Iraqi constitution. He decided to resume the parliament session on Sept. 15 to elect the speaker of the parliament, in order to give time for further negotiation by the parliamentary blocs to overcome their deep division. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:30:11|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close NANCHANG, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The circular or square Hakka enclosure houses in east China's Jiangxi Province have a history of over 400 years. However, today, only Li Minghua, 56, masters the knowledge and skills to build and fix the traditional houses. Nestled in mountains, the Hakka round houses, a variation on which is more widely known in adjacent Fujian Province as tulou, date back to the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when a group of people from north China migrated to the south and settled down. Called the Hakka, literally meaning "guest families", they adapted to the local environment and developed their own language, customs, and the unique architecture. According to Li, people live in small rooms in the enclosures, which have the function of the defense fortress. The walls are made with lime, clay, and sand mixed with brown sugar, egg white, and sticky rice. After fermenting for 15 days, the materials are mixed with cobblestones and tung oil before they are rammed into thick, solid walls of the enclosures as a kind of protection against invaders while providing accomodation. "For generations, apprentices started young to learn the building techniques, which are much more complicated than today's home building," said Li, who learned carpentry and craftsmanship at age of 14. Built on a base of stone, the thick walls of these unique buildings are fortified with cobblestones and wood, and their layout incorporates the tradition of feng shui. According to a latest survey on cultural relics, Jiangxi has over 500 such historical Hakka round houses -- 376 of them in Longnan County. Some architects have called them "Oriental Roman Castles." The architectural style was added to the tentative list of China's world heritage by National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2012, according to Zhang Xianzhong, director of Cultural Heritage Bureau of Longnan County. Zhang said many houses have decayed facades and some are even facing the threat of destruction. And most of the original inhabitants have moved out. The county government is setting aside funds to repair them. But despite the efforts to preserve the round houses, the biggest challenge is a shortage of skilled craftsmen. As the province's only recognized cultural heritage inheritor of the Hakka architecture, Li has worked on round houses all over the province, repairing them in their original style. Li is currently undertaking maintenance on a Yanyuanwei round house built in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters. "It takes three months to complete the maintenance. My team works from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day," he said. "The youngest in our construction team is already 41 years old. Craftsmen able to maintain this architecture are in short supply," said Li. He said he used to have six apprentices, but all of them have left, some moving to cities to develop their own home decoration businesses. "Traditional craftsmanship does not make money. Not even my own son is willing to take on my business to fix the traditional houses," said Li. Modern lifestyles have made the traditional architecture lose its appeal to younger generation. Li said rooms in the round houses are small and dark. Nowadays, people want to live in spacious and bright houses. However, the round houses are important to the Hakka as a means of narrating and witnessing the Hakka history and culture, Li said. He has called on young people to safeguard their historical roots and the spiritual home of Hakka people. "I grew up living in round houses. They are just like a mother to me," Li said. "The Hakka pay attention to filial piety. I take it as my life-long mission to protect, repair and restore these houses." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:40:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's total foreign debt rose by 17.2 percent to 92.64 billion U.S. dollars by the end of June from 79.02 billion dollars at the same time last year, said Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Sunday. The country's external debt marked an over 10-billion-dollar rise in three months, from 88.2 billion dollars at the end of March, the Prime Minister told Al-Watan, an independent daily newspaper. "The country's expansion in foreign borrowing over the past period was meant to bridge the funding gap and solve the foreign exchange shortage crisis in the market," Madbouly was quoted as saying. Some Egyptian economic experts believe that the country's external debt balance is normal and will decrease over time. Egypt is currently going through an economic reform program that started in late 2016 with full liberalization of the exchange rate of the Egyptian pounds to contain dollar shortage. The move urged the International Monetary Fund to support Egypt's reform plan with a 12-billion-dollar loan, two thirds of which have already been delivered to the most populous Arab country. Egypt's foreign reserves stood at 44.42 billion dollars at the end of August, according to the Central Bank of Egypt, which repeatedly reassured that the country's foreign debt is still "within the safe limits according to international standards." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:45:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUCHAREST, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Moldova's President Igor Dodon went home after being examined in a hospital where he was sent for possible injuries from a car accident near Moldovan capital Chisinau on Sunday. The president left the hospital with his son, who was also in the car, with their state of health being satisfactory, according to local reports reaching here from Chisinau. Dodon wrote in his social media account that he felt good and did not need the intervention of doctors. According to him, while traveling properly, cars in the presidential motorcade have been buffered by another car that violated road traffic regulations. The official motorcade was involved in the road accident on the Straseni-Calarasi route, northwestern of Chisinau, local media reported citing the police on the scene. The car of president was buffered with a truck of a meat factory. The president's wounds are scratches and bruises, according to local reports from Chisinau. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 22:50:17|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KABUL, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Scores of people including militants and government security personnel have been killed over the past two days as the Taliban outfit stepped up attacks in conflict-torn Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday. In the latest waves of violent attacks the Taliban group launched massive offensives in Deh Mirdad district of the eastern Wardak province early Sunday, leaving scores of people dead and injured. "Hundreds of Taliban rebels launched a coordinated offensive early this morning to overrun Deh Mirdad district but their attempts have been foiled and the militants after suffering huge casualties retreated," Abdul Rahman Mangal, spokesman for the Wardak provincial government, told Xinhua. According to the spokesman, 52 militants have been killed and 65 others injured in the ongoing fighting. He also confirmed that 10 police personnel including the police chief of Deh Mirdad district, Sayed Yunus, have died in fighting against the advancing Taliban fighters. Similarly, Taliban militants stormed security forces base in Mangal area of the northern Baghlan province on Saturday, killing 20 soldiers and injuring over a dozen others, head of the provincial council Safdar Mohsini said Sunday. Over a dozen more militants and security forces personnel, according to officials, have also been killed over the past 24 hours elsewhere in the conflict-hit country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:00:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday confirmed that it had launched a missile attack on an opposition base in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The attack targeted the base used for training anti-Iran "terrorist" group and hosted a meeting of its leaders on Sept. 8, an IRGC statement carried by Tasnim news agency said. "Over the past months, terrorist groups have taken hostile moves from inside the Iraqi Kurdistan against Iran's border areas," the statement said, adding "several terrorist teams have been dispatched to Iran to carry out acts of sabotage and upset security in Iran's western provinces." Up to 14 people were killed and 39 others were wounded Saturday in the IRGC shelling on two headquarters of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan near the town of Kwisanjaq in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, an Iraqi Kurdish source told Xinhua. The Iraqi Kurdish regional government condemned the airstrike and artillery bombardment and called it "unacceptable." Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:05:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close ON BOARD TIAN EN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cargo ship Tian En docked in the Dutch port of Eemshaven Sunday on its maiden voyage across the Arctic region to deliver wind power equipment to France, the Netherlands and Sweden. "The Netherlands is famous for, among other things, the use of clean energy, especially wind power," Captain Chen Xiangwu said. "We are more than pleased to deliver wind power equipment to this beautiful country via the 'Polar Silk Road'." Three major shipping routes link Asia and Europe through the Arctic Ocean. Currently, only one route, the Arctic's Northeast Passage, is open for commercial voyages. "The route passing the Arctic is much shorter than the traditional one passing through the Suez Canal," Chen said. Besides, the crew doesn't have to worry about pirates in the Arctic, he added. In a white paper on its Arctic policy early this year, China said it would intensify cooperation with other countries to jointly build the Polar Silk Road. The Polar Silk Road via the Arctic is regarded as the third arch of the Belt and Road Initiative, adding another sea route in addition to the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, the South Pacific and Oceania. The Tian En, which is owned by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co., crossed the Bering Strait on Aug. 17 and arrived in the French city of Rouen, about 140 km northwest of Paris, Wednesday to a warm welcome from the local authorities. It is expected to arrive in Sweden on Sept. 15. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:15:24|Editor: ZX Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) launched its new regional headquarters in Dhaka on Sunday to cover three regional member states -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the regional hub office that is also to cover a number of non-member countries like India and Myanmar in the region. The Jeddah-based multilateral development bank currently operates a field representative office in Bangladesh. IDB President Bandar MH Hajjar, who is in Bangladesh on a five-day visit, attended the opening ceremony. Hailing the IDB's decision to open the regional office in Dhaka, Hasina said the new IDB hub will surely bolster its entire activities in the region. Founded by the finance ministers at the first Organization of the Islamic Conference (now called the Organization of Islamic Cooperation) with the support of the king of Saudi Arabia in 1973, the bank began its operation in October 1975. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:15:25|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Pakistani President Arif Alvi meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) ISLAMABAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan pledged on Sunday to jointly promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and push forward the development of bilateral ties. The pledges were made as visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad separately. Alvi, who was sworn in as the Pakistani president Sunday, received Wang as his first foreign guest. He said friendship with China is Pakistan's national policy and over the past more than five decades Pakistan has always cherished the friendship with China, which is based on mutual benefit and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. The president hailed the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative as visionary, saying that CPEC, an important part of the Belt and Road construction, has brought and will continue to bring tangible benefits to the Pakistani people. The new Pakistani government is committed to strengthening the construction of CPEC, and is willing to learn from China in such areas as poverty alleviation, anti-corruption and job creation. Wang said the bilateral relations and friendship between China and Pakistan remain unchanged despite the changing domestic and international situation, adding that his visit was aimed at getting in touch with the new Pakistani government so as to continue and facilitate the bilateral cooperation in all fields. During the meeting, Wang also briefed Alvi on Chinese experiences on poverty alleviation and anti-corruption. He reiterated China's willingness to join hands with Pakistan to constantly enrich and extend the construction of CPEC, and closely coordinate with Pakistan on international and regional issues, so as to safeguard the two countries' core interests and the international fairness and justice. During his meeting with Wang, also on Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Khan said that his government is firmly committed to further promoting the development of Pakistan-China relations. Noting that CPEC is an iconic project of bilateral economic cooperation and an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Khan said Pakistan stands ready to work with China on CPEC. The Pakistani prime minister expressed his hope to learn from China's experiences in poverty alleviation and anti-corruption, adding that he is looking forward to paying a visit to China in November and attending the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai. For his part, Wang appreciated Khan's remarks after winning the general elections in July that Pakistan will continue taking the relations with China as the cornerstone of its diplomacy and that Pakistan will firmly facilitate the development of CPEC. Wang said China is willing to join hands with Pakistan to make the bilateral relations a model of good neighborliness and friendship, a pillar of regional peace and stability and an example of joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. He said CPEC has generated driving forces to the social and economic development of Pakistan, and will be extended to industrial cooperation according to Pakistan's needs, so as to increase employment, expand trade, and improve people's livelihood to make more Pakistanis benefit from CPEC. During his visit to Pakistan, Wang also held talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:20:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women give up alcohol completely, but only a third do so. Women tend to drink much less during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a survey by the non-governmental group Addiction Switzerland for the health office. Yet one in six women drink alcohol at least once a week, Addiction Switzerland spokesman Markus Meury told Swiss public television SRF earlier this week. "There is around 6 percent of pregnant or breastfeeding women in Switzerland who are drinking four or more glasses of alcohol on one occasion at least once a month," Meury said. "This means really drinking too much. And this is probably the highest risk to the child," he observed. Only one in three did not drink alcohol at all, which is what the Federal public health office recommends. The latest addiction monitoring report was based on interviews that took place from 2011-2016. Until recently, moderate drinking such as the occasional glass of wine or beer was not considered harmful to an unborn or newborn child. "The latest studies have put this in doubt," Meury said. "Nowadays we reckon that around 2 percent of newborns in Switzerland are born with alcohol use disorders." As Sunday is International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Day, Addiction Switzerland is using it to raise awareness of the risks linked to drinking during pregnancy, the Swiss News Agency, SDA-ATS reported. FAS can cause brain damage and growth problems it says. Meury said that moving in social circles that don't encourage drinking is vital for expectant mothers and that doctors should better explain the risks linked to alcohol to their patients. Thomas Eggimann, a board member of the Swiss Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics, told SRF that Swiss gynecologists are currently revising their strategy on the issue. He said more consideration should be given to prevention work relating to the alcohol consumption by mothers-to-be. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:20:27|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed General Purna Chandra Thapa as the country's new army chief on Sunday. President Bhandari administered oath of office to the newly appointed army chief at a special function held at the presidential palace, according to a statement issued by the president's office. The president appointed him as the 43rd chief of the Nepali Army, who joined the military service in 1979 as an officer cadet, according to the Army Headquarters. The new army chief has succeeded General Rajendra Chhetri, who is retiring on Sunday. The new army chief had served in various capacities including company commander and battalion commander during his 39 years of service in the Nepali military. General Thapa was born to a military family in 1960 in Lamjung, a hilly district in Western Nepal. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:45:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close By Natasha Pavlopoulou ATHENS, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Greece's exit from the harsh bailout programs which kept the country afloat since 2010 is a reality and not a communication trick, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Sunday. Tsipras made the statements at a press conference during the 83rd Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) in northern Greece. Responding to critics of his government's post-bailout economic policy and protesters who rallied on Saturday evening as he was delivering a keynote speech at the opening of the annual trade fair, Tsipras assured that the era of painful austerity was over. From now on, the focus is on necessary, feasible, and balanced measures which will strengthen the growth path of the economy, he stressed. "This is the return of independence to the Greek governments," he said at the press conference that was broadcast live on Greece's national broadcaster ERT. On Aug. 20, Greece exited the third of the painful bailout programs under which remarkable fiscal adjustment was achieved and structural reforms to support growth were introduced in exchange of multi-billion financial aid by international lenders. The Greek leader also responded to demonstrators who clashed with police forces on Saturday chanting slogans against the name deal reached in June between Athens and Skopje for the renaming of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to Republic of North Macedonia. The agreement which needs to be approved in an upcoming referendum at Skopje and by the Greek parliament in coming months will put an end to a long-standing dispute between the two neighboring countries over the use of the name "Macedonia". Many Greeks, according to opinion polls, still fear that the use of the name "Macedonia" which is also the name of a northern Greek province, may lead to territorial claims. "No one should play with citizens' sensitivities on national issues. We have an important agreement that will give a significant impetus to Thessaloniki, fully assures the historic heritage, opens the road to Thessaloniki and northern Greece to become the growth engine of development and paves the way for Greece to become a leading force in the Balkans region," Tsipras noted. Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, the junior coalition partner in current Greek government, had said that he will not accept any use of the name Macedonia by Skopje and will not vote for the agreement when it comes to the parliament. "I think Panos Kammenos will not jeopardize the recovery of the economy and political stability in the country on the name of Skopje," Tsipras said, adding he respects his attitude, but disagrees with him. The government's four-year term in office expires in September 2019, but a coalition collapse may trigger snap polls. "My basic strategic choice is to hold elections at the end of the government term. This is what I will seek and is most likely to happen. Political stability is a prerequisite for the economy to go well," Tsipras said, when asked about the possibility of early elections. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 23:45:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close HANOI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese Finance Ministry is proposing a sweeping ban on the export of raw minerals, while the government pays more attention to environment protection, and supports export of highly processed minerals that carry high added value, Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. Local experts on mining said the proposal is not new, but the ban has not made it into actual policies because there have not been technical standards for what constitutes "unprocessed," "processed" or "highly processed" minerals. Previously, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered limiting small-scale and low-tech mining projects of minerals such as gold, copper, nickel and molybdenum, which causes pollution and losses to the country's natural resources. The prime minister urged the formation of large-scale mining enterprises that make use of advanced technologies, especially new processing and environmental protection techniques. According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, between Jan. 1 and July 15, Vietnam exported more than 2 million tons of ore worth 101 million U.S. dollars. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 00:05:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close GAZA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza warned on Sunday that hospitals in the coastal enclave may close within days due to power shortage resulting from depletion of fuel to run alternative generators during power outage. "Power generators of major hospitals in Gaza will stop in the coming few days because of the growing fuel shortage," Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the ministry, said in a statement. Director of Beit Hanoun hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, Jamil Suleiman, said that the crisis threatens the work at his hospital, pointing out that a possible halt will deprive 350,000 people of service and health care. "Austerity measures, like rescheduling fuel use and switching to smaller generators, were taken to avoid the crisis," Sulaiman said during a press conference held at the hospital headquarters. He pointed out that the crisis has postponed surgeries and hindering laboratory tests, blood tests, radiology and support services such as laundry and sterilization services. Suleiman urged all health workers and donors to take actions to provide sufficient energy to avoid the disruption of hospital services. The United Nations called on Wednesday for urgent funding to provide essential services in the Gaza Strip as supplies have exhausted. Gaza's hospitals usually need 450,000 liters of fuel a day to cover the eight to 12 hours of power outage. But the demand for fuel could double as the power outage can last as long as 20 hours in some areas. The chronic energy crisis in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip has forced local authorities to adopt a rotation system, in which power is cut in some parts of the enclave to ensure supplies to other areas. Currently, Israel provides Gaza with 120 megawatts of electricity while Egypt provides 32 megawatts. On the other hand, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority accuses Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, of "fabricating and aggravating the crises" due to its inability to fully manage the area. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 00:50:47|Editor: ZX Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Offensives and counter-offensives between Yemeni warring rivals gained momentum, just hours after the announcement of the failure of the UN-sponsored negotiations in Geneva, leaving scores of casualties. According to military officials, scores were killed and many others injured in different parts of Yemen over the past 24 hours, as both the government forces and Houthi rebels resumed armed operations amid intensified airstrikes. The Yemeni government forces, backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, launched multi-pronged and well-coordinated offensives against Houthis in various areas of the country. In the Red Sea coastal city of Hodeidah, medical sources confirmed to Xinhua that high casualties were recorded in the non-stop ground fighting and airstrikes. Initial reports from hospitals controlled by the Shiite Houthi group showed more than 52 Houthi rebels were killed and many others sustained injuries during the ongoing fighting in Hodeidah. Meanwhile, similar reports revealed by government-run medical centers indicated that 20 soldiers were killed and nearly 15 others injured in battles with Iran-backed Houthis in the city. Casualties are likely to increase in the next few hours as fighting expanded to more areas there, said local sources. A commander of the pro-government Giant Brigades told Xinhua by phone that Houthi fighters were being besieged in Hodeidah amid ground attacks and Saudi-led air bombardment on their sites. "A number of areas were recaptured by the government forces, with more than 13 Houthi fighters captured during the fighting," the commander said on condition of anonymity. Supply lines linking the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa and Hodeidah were all cut by government forces, the military source added. However, sources close to the Houthi group dismissed the pro-government claim as inaccurate, saying warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition launched more than 40 airstrikes and randomly destroyed infrastructure in Hodeidah. The Houthi rebels confronted the government offensives by firing a barrage of mortar shells against their military sites in Hodeidah, causing an unknown number of casualties, the Houthi sources noted. The UN-sponsored talks between the Yemeni warring sides failed on Saturday after two days of delay because of the absence of a delegation representing Houthi rebels. The fizzled first attempt in two years to negotiate an end to the four-year-long civil war raised increased fears among the Yemeni people about the fate of their impoverished Arab country. In recent days, the Yemeni government seeks to expel the Houthi rebels out of the strategic port city of Hodeidah militarily despite warnings issued by international humanitarian agencies. On the other side, the Houthis built many underground trenches and vowed to defend Hodeidah to remain their control of its key port along the Red Sea. Yemen has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The United Nations has listed Yemen as the country suffering the world's most serious humanitarian crisis, where 7 million Yemenis are on the brink of famine, and more than 2,000 died of cholera. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:00:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The leadership of Finnish populist Finns Party this summer has taken the role of a catalyst to enhance the right wing cooperation at the Nordic and European level. As an indication of the new convergences, Jussi Halla-aho, the chairman of the Finns Party, is to attend the election party of the Sweden Democrats in Stockholm on Sunday night. The wider vista is to create an all-European right-wing nationalist grouping in the European Parliament after the May 2019 elections. "We have talked with various right wing parties about what kind of ideas they have about the new European parliament," Halla-aho told national broadcaster Yle recently. After the 2014 European parliament election, the nationalist parties ended up splitting among four European Parliament groupings. The relations between these parties were tense. Halla-aho elaborated that in 2014 all the parties were concerned about their image. They were all "in the margin" in their home country and they had the need to emphasize "not being" like nationalist parties in other countries that perhaps had a bad reputation. "But since that time nationalist thinking has become mainstream and there is no need to emphasize those differences," Hallo-aho said. The main grouping comprising the populists in the European Parliament has been European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). It has included also the British conservatives that will be out of the European Parliament in March 2019. The second largest populist grouping has been Europe for Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD). From there the UK Independence Party will disappear with the exit of Britain. Tuukka Yla-Anttila, Researcher of Tampere University, told Yle of late that some ten years ago the populist parties were so variable that cohesion was not possible, but now immigration has become a joint theme and the parties share common views, for example, on strengthening the borders of the EU. Halla-aho said the appreciation of the concept "nation state" will be a common denominator. "A nation state is a good societal form," Halla-aho summed. At the Nordic level, the Finnish Finns Party has established ties with the Sweden Democrats that are expected to improve their popularity in the election this weekend. While the Finns Party has cooperated with the Danish People's Party and that party has had good contacts with the Sweden Democrats, the relationship between the Finnish and Swedish populists was icy until this year. The previous Finnish populist leader Timo Soini was concerned with the anti-immigration reputation of the Sweden Democrats, but since Halla-aho took over the chairmanship of the Finns Party in 2017, that is no longer a problem as immigration issue has become a core issue. The historical background of Nordic populists varies greatly. Yla-Anttila pointed out that the Sweden Democrats have roots dating back to fascist ideas of the 1940s while the Finnish Finns Party have a rural populist background with earlier emphasis on the less affluent rural population. The Norwegian Progress Party meanwhile stems from a market liberal taxation revolt. "Even though the parties will be forming a populist family of parties, the Swedish democrats cannot be disassociated from their legacy," Yla-Anttila said. In July the Sweden Democrats were admitted into the ECR group. Now the Finnish, Danish and Swedish nationalists are in the same grouping in the European Parliament. Halla-aho was unwilling to speculate what would happen next, but said the Finns Party has been "in contact with many parties". Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:10:51|Editor: ZD Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A man was killed and four others were wounded early Sunday during a shooting at a McDonald's near Auburn University in U.S. state of Alabama, police said. Auburn Police said in press release that they received a call at approximately 2:24 a.m. local time that of shots fired in the 200 block of West Magnolia Avenue. Officers found a 20-year-old man dead from gunshot wounds and four others who were injured from the gunfire. Three victims were transported to East Alabama Medical Center by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. A 16 year-old male was also flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center by air ambulance with serious injuries. The incident is being investigated and is not believed to be a random shooting, according to police. The incident remains under investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:20:52|Editor: ZX Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Chinese-built Eastern Industry Zone on Sunday marked the arrival of Ethiopia's New Year with livelihood support to vulnerable local community members. The donations, provided by the 85 companies operating in the Eastern Industry Zone, most of which are Chinese manufacturers, comprised of school supplies for local students and various household utensils. The industry zone, located on the outskirt of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, was inaugurated in 2010 as Ethiopia's first. Ethiopia has since established more industry parks across the country, which strives to become the manufacturing hub of the African continent. According to Eastern Industry Zone Vice Director Jiao Yongshun, called for efforts to provide more jobs for locals. "That is very important. It's the best way, because if we want to change their lives, we should let them work," he said. The Ethiopian New Year, or Enkutatash in Amharic language, falls on Sept. 11 (or Sept. 12 during a leap year), as the East African nation uses a unique calendar that counts its year seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:25:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that the United States will take swift and decisive action against any use of chemical weapons in the Syrian province of Idlib. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Pence said that "what's different with President Trump from President Obama is this president drew a redline and enforced it on chemical weapons." "The United States of America and our allies will take swift and decisive action against any use of chemical weapons in Idlib province," he said. "Beyond that, I will tell you that we are watching very carefully as resources are being marshaled along the border of the Idlib province ...I'm confident that we will be monitoring that very, very carefully to ensure that we don't see another humanitarian catastrophe like we did before." However, the U.S. senior official refused to tell whether the United States will intervene militarily if the Syrian government forces use conventional weapons in its battle. Since earlier this year, the Syrian rebels were driven out of key areas in the capital Damascus, the central province of Homs and the southern region. The government's army has been amassing forces and military gear around Idlib in recent weeks, as a major battle against the rebels in Syria looms. The White House said on Tuesday that it would "respond swiftly and appropriately" if Syria uses chemical weapons in Idlib province. For his part, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Wednesday that a change in the U.S. role toward achieving peace instead of continuing to inflame wars would be more beneficial for the United States and its people. The West has recently said the Syrian government forces were possibly planning a chemical attack in Idlib, a claim that has been completely slammed by Syria, Russia and Iran. The officials in Syria and its allies said the provocations of the chemical weapons use are being planned by the rebels to justify a U.S. strike on Syria, accusing the Western countries of plotting to strike Syria under false claims. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:30:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tropical Storm Florence has turned into a hurricane and is expected to rapidly intensifying into a major hurricane by Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Sunday. The center of the hurricane is located about 1,210 kilometers southeast of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 121 kilometers per hour (kph), moving west at 9 kph, the hurricane center said. On the forecast track, the center of Florence will travel between Bermuda and the Bahamas on Tuesday and Wednesday before approaching the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday. The Miami-based center said Florence is forecast to rapidly strengthen to a major hurricane by Monday, and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday. A Category 4 storm packs winds of 209 kph or more and has the potential for catastrophic damage. The governors of North and South Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency to give them time to prepare. The U.S. Navy said ships in Virginia's Hampton Roads area would leave port for their own safety. Dangerous swells generated by Florence affected Bermuda and have begun to reach parts of the U.S. East Coast, added the NHC. Florence, the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, was once a Category 4 hurricane last week, packing maximum sustained winds of 215 km per hour. Besides Florence, the Atlantic Ocean' s sixth named storm of the year, two other storms, Isaac and Helene, are churning in the basin. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:40:56|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 4, 2018 shows the interior of a house damaged by a rocket in the area of Ein Zara, southern Tripoli, Libya. Southern Tripoli has been witnessing violent clashes since Aug. 27 between government forces and armed militias, killing 41 people and injuring 123 others. (Xinhua) TRIPOLI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of the clashes between government forces and armed militias in Libya's capital Tripoli has increased to 78, the Ministry of Health said Sunday. The ministry's Department of Wounded said in a statement that the clashes in Tripoli had left 78 dead and 210 injured until Saturday. The statement also said 103 injured people had left hospitals after treatment, adding that 16 people remain missing. Tripoli recently witnessed violent clashes between government forces and militants of the "7th Brigade" militia from the nearby city of Tarhuna, some 80 km southeast of Tripoli. On Thursday, the UN Support Mission in Libya announced that the warring parties signed a UN-sponsored cease-fire agreement to end the clashes, which had displaced more than 1,800 households. Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering escalating violence, chaos and political division. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:55:59|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday announced that the warring parties have agreed to freeze all military actions in the capital Tripoli, after more than two weeks of deadly clashes. A monitoring and verification mechanism will be established to consolidate the cease-fire, with a plan to be developed to withdraw armed groups from Tripoli, the UN mission said on its Twitter account. Tripoli recently witnessed violent clashes between government forces and militants of the "7th Brigade" militia from the nearby city of Tarhuna, some 80 km southeast of Tripoli. According to Libya's Ministry of Health, the fighting in Tripoli had killed 78 and injured 210 others until Saturday, with 16 still missing. On Thursday, the UNSMIL announced that the warring parties signed a UN-sponsored cease-fire agreement to end the clashes, which had displaced more than 1,800 households. Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering escalating violence, chaos and political division. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 01:55:59|Editor: ZX Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Ethiopian opposition leader Birhanu Nega returned home on Sunday after 11 years in exile, to the cheers of thousands of supporters in the capital city, Addis Ababa. Nega, 60, leader of the armed political movement Patriotic Ginbot 7 (PG7), came home after calls by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for all opposition groups to be part of the country's ongoing reform process. Since Ahmed assumed office in April, thousands of political activists have been released and several rebel groups, including PG7, delisted from an official terrorist list. Speaking at a ceremony, Nega said he had been forced by the current government to opt for armed struggle to fight for Ethiopians' democratic and human rights, but with recent political changes he has opted to return to conduct peaceful political struggle. "We have returned to Ethiopia to take advantage of a democratic opening in recent months and we hope to play a constructive role in the country's reform process," he said. Nega's words were well received by supporters welcoming his return. One supporter, Simegn Berihun, said he believes Nega can be a critical player in Ethiopia's political changes. "The young population wants to see change," he said. "Now Nega has returned to Ethiopia, (we) can continue from what was interrupted from 2005 and help reform Ethiopia's political culture," Berihun said. Nega was elected Addis Ababa mayor in a contentious May 2005 election, but was imprisoned before assuming office over accusations of leading violent protests with intent to overthrow the ruling party, Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). He had accused the EPRDF of rigging the results. His party called for street protests that resulted in bloody clashes, leaving nearly 200 people dead. In the aftermath of the bloody protests, Nega and other opposition leaders were jailed for 21 months before being released as part of a pardon agreement in July 2007. After being released, Nega has based his party in neighbouring Eritrea, a former bitter rival of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has undertaken rapid diplomatic rapprochement with Eritrea in July, and the two countries have since re-opened their respective diplomatic missions and restored air and trade links. The return of Nega caps three months of dramatic political changes that have seen other prominent Ethiopian government critics return home to pursue peaceful political struggle. Kassa Kebede, foreign policy chief of Ethiopia's former ruling party, is among the many Ethiopians who have returned home after decades in exile. Some notable activists and journalists that have also returned. Over the past couple of months, rebel groups such as Oromo Leberation Front and the Ogaden National Liberation Front have declared ceasefire as the country's reform process gains momentum. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 02:21:03|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Li Zhanshu (L), special representative of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, presents a signed letter from Xi to Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Pyongyang, the DPRK, Sept. 9, 2018.(Xinhua/Li Tao) PYONGYANG, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator on Sunday presented a signed letter from General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, is on a visit to the DPRK starting from Saturday as Xi's special representative to attend the activities marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK. Xi said in the letter that the DPRK, under the successive leadership of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, has made extraordinary achievements on the course of the socialist construction in the past 70 years. At present, DPRK's socialist construction has taken on a new look in various fields as the country concentrates on the economic development and improvement of people's livelihood under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, Xi said. It is an unswerving policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to safeguard, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations, Xi said in the letter. Xi said that he and Kim had reached important consensus during their three meetings this year, opening a new chapter in the development of China-DPRK relations. Xi said he is willing to work with Kim to strengthen the guidance of China-DPRK relations, implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders and push for greater progress in bilateral ties. Noting that the 70th founding anniversary is a big event for the DPRK, Li said President Xi attaches great importance to the event and dispatched a delegation to Pyongyang to send China's warm congratulations. This year is of special historic significance for China-DPRK relations, said Li, adding that the three meetings between Xi and Kim had ushered in a new historic stage of the bilateral ties. No matter how the international and regional situation changes, China's firm commitment to the consolidation and development of bilateral ties will not change, nor will Chinese people's friendship towards their DPRK peers or China's support to DPRK's socialist course, Li said. Li said his visit aims to implement the important consensus between Xi and Kim, enhance high-level strategic communication, carry out friendly exchanges in various fields and have in-depth exchanges of views on further development of the traditional friendship so as to create a better future for the China-DPRK ties. On the Korean Peninsula issue, Li said that achieving lasting peace and denuclearization of the Peninsula accords with the trend of the times and the aspiration of the people. China commits to the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability of the region and solving problems through dialogue and consultation, said Li. "We have high regards of the efforts the DPRK has made towards regional peace and stability," said Li, adding that he hopes the DPRK and the United Sates could implement the outcomes of their summit, work jointly to preserve the general trend of peaceful talks. Li said China is willing to work with relevant parties and play a constructive role toward a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue. Kim expressed his appreciation for Xi's letter and asked Li to convey greetings and best wishes to Xi. Kim said Li's visit symbolized the deep friendship from the Chinese side and touched the WPK, the DPRK government and its people. The traditional friendship created and nurtured by the the older generations of leaders of both countries has been the most valuable treasure, Kim said. Recalling his three meetings with Xi, Kim said he felt in person the valuable and warm DPRK-China friendship, adding that the DPRK will firmly carry on and do its best to develop the friendship no matter how the international situation changes. The DPRK is carrying out the new strategic line and focusing on the development of economy, said Kim, adding that his country expects to learn from China and further expand exchanges and cooperation in different fields so as to jointly promote the socialist course in both countries. Kim said the DPRK adheres to the consensus reached during the DPRK-U.S. summit and has taken measures in this regard while the U.S. side should take corresponding actions to jointly promote the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue. File photo of U.S. President Donald Trump taken on September 05, 2018. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP) WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Several U.S. media outlets reported Saturday that the Trump administration has talked secretly with rebellious Venezuelan military officers several times to discuss their plans to stage a coup in the South American country. According to a report by The New York Times, the clandestine meetings were held last year and this year in other countries to discuss the military officers' plans to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. They reportedly asked the attending U.S. diplomat to supply them with encrypted radios, so as to "to communicate securely." The report also said that "one of the Venezuelan military commanders involved in the secret talks ...is on the American government's own sanctions list." Washington finally decided not to help the plotters though, and the plans "unraveled after a recent crackdown that led to the arrest of dozens of the plotters," read the report. It added that "it is unclear how many of these details the coup planners shared with the Americans. But there is no indication that Mr. Maduro knew the mutinous officers were talking to the Americans at all." The Washington Post also reported that the meetings happened between the two sides. Quoting U.S. officials, the report said the meetings were "small and closely held." The U.S. side "had very little confidence in the ability of these people to do anything, no idea at all about who they represented, and to what extent they had not exposed themselves already," the report read. In response, National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said in a statement that "the United States government hears daily the concerns of Venezuelans from all walks of life." "U.S. policy preference for a peaceful, orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged," he added. U.S. President Donald Trump said in August of last year that he would not rule out a "military option" in Venezuela "if necessary," despite his aides' opposition. The U.S. side has also announced several rounds of sanctions against Venezuelan government officials ever since. For its part, Venezuela has slammed the "warmongering" declarations of Trump as "threats to peace" and a "violation" of UN and international laws. Maduro has also instructed the military to prepare to "shoulder arms," in case of a U.S. invasion. Latin American countries like Peru, Colombia and Mexico have strongly condemned and rejected the U.S. threat of military intervention against the crisis-stricken Venezuela, and called for dialogues among related parties. The U.S. ambition to help stage a coup in Venezuela is also risky for Washington, U.S. media said. "Establishing a clandestine channel with coup plotters in Venezuela was a big gamble for Washington, given its long history of covert intervention across Latin America," The New York Times noted. "Many in the region still deeply resent the United States for backing previous rebellions, coups and plots in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil and Chile, and for turning a blind eye to the abuses military regimes committed during the Cold War." . "" 0:2 . " , . , - , , . , , ... Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 03:36:13|Editor: ZX Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities in Northwest, one of the two crisis-hit English-speaking regions of Cameroon, on Sunday declared an indefinite curfew in the entire region. "Movement of persons and property is hereby restricted as from the date of signature of this present order from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. within the Northwest region till further notice," the region's governor, Adolph Lele Lafrique, said in a statement. "During the said period all off-licenses, snack bars and nightclubs shall remain closed. Motor parks shall remain closed and night travel suspended," the statement said. The decision was taken after a driver was killed on Saturday during an attack on transport buses as gunmen attempted to cut the Northwest region from the rest of the country. "They (gunmen) asked all the passengers to lay in the mud face-down and brought a bulldozer which they used to cut the road into two," a witness told Xinhua. "Five buses were burnt in our presence." Fighting is intensifying in the two English-speaking regions of Southwest and Northwest ahead of the Oct. 7 presidential elections. Armed separatist forces who want to secede from French-majority Cameroon to form a new nation called "Ambazionia" have vowed to stop the election from taking place in the two Anglophone regions. According to the government, over 100 security personnel and an unknown number of separatist have died in the clashes; some military officers estimate that more than 200 armed separatists have been killed. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 03:36:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close ATHENS, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Two Turkish military servicemen were arrested after crossing into northeastern Greece on Sunday and were returned to Turkey, Greece's Defense Ministry announced. The first soldier was apprehended shortly before noon near Feres village, some 150 meters from the land border separating Greece and Turkey, according to an e-mailed press statement from the ministry. The second one was found approximately three hours later. In written testimonies to Greek authorities, the first Turkish serviceman said that he crossed the border by mistake and the second one stated that he was looking for his colleague, according to the press announcement. The two men were returned to Turkish authorities by sunset. In a similar incident in March, two Greek soldiers had mistakenly crossed into Turkey and were arrested by Turkish authorities and detained for several weeks on suspicions of espionage. The case had caused tension between the two neighboring countries, but eventually they were released and returned to Greece on August 14 with both sides expressing hope for improved cooperation in the future to boost stability in the region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 03:36:15|Editor: yan Video Player Close BELGRADE, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Serbia will guarantee future for Serb population in its province of Kosovo and Metohija by boosting business and building infrastructure as well as protecting their security, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic promised in a speech at a square in the city of Mitrovica on Sunday. The speech in front of several tens of thousands of Serbs in Mitrovica gathering from across Kosovo, marked the end of Vucic's two-day visit to Serbia's southern province. Kosovo is a southern province of Serbia, which unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province. During the visit that was broadcasted live by the national broadcaster RTS, Vucic met local Serb officials, families and businessmen looking to define ways to improve economic outlooks for Serbian communities in the province. "My idea for tomorrow and for the future of Serbia and Serbs is to preserve our people, our land as well as the peace and to try to establish bridges of thrust with Albanians and to strive towards comprise even when we know it is impossible," he said. He refuted the possibility of Serbian government recognizing the independence of Kosovo, and stressed the importance of continuing the EU-mediated Brussels dialogue aimed to implement the 2013 Brussels agreement and eventually seal normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina with a legally binding document. Reminding that this year Serbia is the fastest growing economy in the Balkans, he promised that it will soon start allocating money and invest "not tens, but hundreds of millions of euros" to build hospitals, schools and the water supply system, as well as help locals to establish private businesses in ten municipalities where Serbs are majority in the province. Vucic said that although Serbia strives for peace, it will not allow for the rights of Serb people in the province to be undermined. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 04:11:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Sunday urged the Iranian government to respect Iraq's sovereignty. In a tweet on its official page, UNAMI took note of statements issued by the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional government over the rocket attack near Iraq's northern town of Kwisanjaq in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. UNAMI "supports their (Iraqi and Kurdistan) positions, and urges respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq," it said. The tweet came a day after Iran launched a drone and rocket attack on camps of anti-Iran Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran and Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan near Kwisanjaq, some 30 km west of the borderline with Iran. The attack killed 14 people and wounded 39 others, 10 of whom were in critical condition, according to a medical source from the town's hospital. Earlier in the day, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry rejected the Iranian bombardment on positions of two Iranian Kurdish opposition parties. "The ministry categorically rejects the violation of Iraqi sovereignty by bombing any target inside Iraq without prior coordination with the Iraqi authorities," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub said in a brief statement. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 04:26:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Roads Authority on Sunday revealed its plan to renovate the disused roadway that connects Ethiopia with its long-time foe Eritrea and reopen the long-abandoned lane to travelers. The announcement came amid recent positive developments that are considered a new beginning in bilateral ties. The two countries fought a bloody border war in 1998-2000, which killed an estimated 70,000 people from both sides. The war ended following a December 2000 Algiers peace agreement, but had left the two countries in a state of bitter armed standoff. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who on Wednesday paid Eritrea his second visit since he assumed office in April, promised to further improve ties between the two neighboring countries that were once a single nation. Eritrea declared independence from Ethiopia in 1991. Ahmed, accompanied by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, visited Eritrean ports as land-locked Ethiopia eyes Eritrea's Assab and Metswa ports for its import-export needs, in which conducive road connectivity was said to be vital. The previously constructed road networks connecting the two countries need renovation, having been kept vacant for more than two decades following the armed standoff. According to the head of the Ethiopian Roads Authority, Habtamu Tilahun, efforts are underway to build roads to leverage Ethiopia's ambitions to utilize Eritrea's ports. "In addition to the planned new projects, we are working to finalize the renovation activity within the coming three months period and embark on service provision," Tilahun was quoted by Ethiopia's state news agency as saying on Sunday. Ethiopia on Thursday reopened its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara; Eritrea's embassy in Addis Ababa was reopened on July 16. Telecom services between Ethiopia and Eritrea have also resumed, and the two countries' flag carriers -- Ethiopian Airlines and Eritrean Airlines -- have also started flights to Asmara and Addis Ababa respectively. A decision to construct a pipeline linking Addis Ababa and Eritrea's Assab port has been also unveiled by Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. The pipeline would allow landlocked Ethiopia to export crude oil via the Eritrean port. Ethiopia started test extraction from its Somali Regional State in June. On Wednesday, Ethiopia's Ahmed, Eritrea's Afwerki and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed signed an agreement strengthening trilateral ties. In addition to political and economic relations, Ethiopia and Eritrea are also taking steps to strengthen cultural and people-to-people links. A cultural symposium last month in Addis Ababa brought together 500 participants from both countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 04:36:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni said on Sunday the government will recruit over 24,000 guards to curb a spate of murders in the east African country. In an address telecast live from Entebbe State House, Museveni said the security agencies will mobilize and recruit 24,000 local defense guards to help beef up security in the capital Kampala and the central district of Wakiso for a year. "We are going to call the reserves and we shall arm them. We shall use mainly crime preventers and these crime preventers shall be vetted by the local council," said Museveni. "Kampala has got 1,000 villages. We shall flood all them. Our guns will come out. We must make sure that there is total peace," he said. The government will also deploy more technical means in detecting and deterring possible crimes, Museveni said. "We mean cameras, drones and other means. All those areas are being strengthened in the towns as they are in the countryside," he said. The new security measures came after the murder of assistant superintendent of police Muhammad Kirumira and another person on Saturday night in Wakiso. The two, according police, were killed by gunmen on motorcycles. Uganda has faced a spate of murders in the recent past. Last year another senior police officer, Andrew Kaweesi, was killed by unidentified gunmen. A senior state attorney was also killed by assailants riding on a motorcycle. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 04:46:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Russian airstrikes and Syrian air bombardment continued to target rebel-held areas in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria on Sunday, a monitor group reported. The Russian warplanes and Syrian helicopters carried out dozens of airstrikes on rebel-held towns in the northern countryside of Hama Province in central Syria and the nearby southern countryside of Idlib. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels of the Turkey-backed al-Jabha al-Wataniya lil-Tahrir, or the National Front for Liberation, also attacked a position of the Syrian army in the northern countryside of Hama. The London-based watchdog said 1,060 airstrikes and ground shelling have targeted rebel-held areas in Idlib and the nearby countryside of Hama over the past 72 hours. Meanwhile, state news agency SANA said the Syrian army carried out "intensive shelling" on positions of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front in the northern countryside of Hama. The army also destroyed mortar shells' launchers used by the rebels to target government-held areas in Hama, where at least 10 were killed a day earlier in the town of Mahardah by the rebels' shelling, SANA said. The escalation is seen as a prelude to the anticipated government military campaign on Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. The Syrian army has recently sent reinforcements to the frontline in a triangle of areas that combine the northern countryside of Hama, the southern countryside of Idlib and a mountainous area in Latakia Province in northwestern Syria. The Syrian army, backed by Russia and Iran, has been pushing for an assault on Idlib to eliminate the rebels in the province, which would mean a practical end to the seven-year-long insurgency in the country. On Friday, the leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia met in Iran to discuss the situation in Idlib, yet without achieving tangible results amid differences. Iran and Russia supported the Syrian operation in Idlib, while Turkey, a backer of an array of rebels in Idlib, desired a cease-fire. Earlier in the day, the pro-rebel watchdog said the Turkish forces sent reinforcements to the Turkey-run observation posts in Idlib after the tripartite summit in Iran. The 12 Turkish observation posts were established in Idlib as part of a three-way agreement with Russia and Iran under the Astana peace process in October 2017. Idlib has emerged as the main destination and stronghold for the rebels fleeing other parts of Syria through deals or surrender. Several Turkey-backed rebel groups are located in the province near the Turkish border, but the most powerful group there is the Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham, or the Levant Liberation Committee (LLC), with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front as its backbone. For the Syrian army, securing Idlib would almost deal a definite defeat to the over seven-year-long insurgency against the administration of President Bashar al-Assad. Idlib is also strategically important as it shares a border area with Turkey to the north. It's also close to the coastal province of Latakia, the hometown of Assad which contains a Russia-run air base repeatedly targeted by rebel drones launched from Idlib. The capital city of Idlib also lies close to the international road linking the capital Damascus with Aleppo Province in northern Syria. Around 3 million people are living in Idlib, including those evacuated from many other areas during the surrenders of the rebels. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 05:01:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Greece returned on Sunday two Turkish soldiers who were detained after crossing the border, the Turkish Chief of General Staff said in a statement. The soldiers, who crossed into the Greek side of the border by mistake while trying to stop migrants, were held by Greek troops on Sunday morning, the statement said. The Turkish and Greek authorities held talks soon after the incident. The two soldiers were returned to Turkey in the afternoon, according to the statement. In March, two Greek soldiers were arrested and charged with espionage by Turkey after they entered the Turkish side of the border. The two soldiers were released in August and flew back on a Greek government plane. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 05:21:45|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday decided to dissolve his government and cut federal ministries, official SUNA news agency reported. "The move is meant to reduce public expenditure and provide efficiency for government performance ... to meet requirements of national tasks," SUNA quoted al-Bashir as saying. The federal ministries are expected to be slashed from 31 to 21. The move is also designed to form an effective government to respond to the aspirations of the Sudanese people, al-Bashir added. The decision is expected to come into effect after approval by the Leadership Office of the ruling National Congress Party during a meeting on Sunday evening. Sudan has been suffering from an economic crisis caused by the scarcity in liquidity and the decline in the exchange rate of its national currency. Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-10 05:51:49|Editor: ZX Video Player Close DUBLIN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of British nationals becoming Irish citizens stood at 529 persons in 2017, more than five times higher than the figure of 98 recorded in the previous year, reported local media on Sunday. The Irish Times, a local daily newspaper, quoted Senator Neale Richmon of the Irish parliament as saying that the 2016 number of British nationals giving up their citizenship for Irish passports was almost doubled than the 2015 figure which stood at 54. "Such a spike is clearly tied to the Brexit referendum and the uncertainty that has prevailed since the vote," said Richmon, who is the chairman of the Senate's special committee on Brexit. Britain held a referendum on Brexit in June 2016 which voted in favour of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (EU). Richmon said that many British who had applied for Irish citizenship had done so because they were "very worried that they would find themselves high and dry" after Britain leaves the EU next March. According to Richmon, there are over 300,000 British nationals living in Ireland and many of them have showed strong and growing interest in applying for the Irish citizenship even though the cost of such an application is around 1,100 euros (1,270 U.S. dollars), the second highest of its kind in the EU after Austria. Top five contributors AGAINST No on 1631 sponsored by Western States Petroleum Association $11.1 million in contributions 1. Phillips 66, a Texas-based energy company, $3.7 million 2. Andeavor, formerly known as Tesoro, a petroleum refining company, $3.2 million 3. BP, a London-based oil and gas company, $3 million 4. Chevron U.S.A. Inc., $500,000 5. BP America, $396,000 I-1631 sponsored by the Association of Washington Business $16,500 in contributions 1. American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, $6,000 2. Western States Petroleum Association, $4,000 3. Cascade Natural Gas, $2,000 4. Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities, $2,000 5. Association of Washington Business, $500 FOR Clean Air Clean Energy WA (Yes on 1631) Yes on I-1631 is a coalition of more than 250 organizations representing scientists, environmental and clean energy advocates, working families, communities of color, health professionals, businesses, faith leaders, and tribal nations. $4.3 million in contributions 1. The Nature Conservancy, $1 million cash and $176,700 in-kind contribution 2. Sarah Merner of Seattle, $500,000 cash 3. Craig McKibben of Seattle, $500,000 cash 4. Chris Stolte of Seattle, $250,000 cash 5. Washington Environmental Council, $175,000 cash, $27,380 in-kind contribution Source: Washington Public Disclosure Commission You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Fish swim in a flooded stairwell to the waterlogged basement of a building in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Read more How did a school of decorative carp come to live in the waterlogged cellar of a blighted former shipbuilding storehouse in the Philadelphia Navy Yard? As with any good fish story, it depends on whom you ask. The white and orange-red fish most just a few inches from mouth to tail, but some said to reach a foot reveal themselves to fans and passersby when they swim through the rust-corroded metal door to the basement of Building No. 624 into a sunken outdoor stairwell. Some speculate that their forebears were introduced to the eight-story building on Kitty Hawk Avenue at 12th Street as a form of insect control, as occurred a few years ago at an abandoned shopping mall-turned-accidental-hatchery in Thailand. Others wonder whether the creatures are somehow related to the koi who swim in a pool under the gaze of a watchful Buddha in one of the restored factory buildings that make up the clothing chain Urban Outfitters Inc.'s headquarters in another section of the former South Philadelphia military complex. Another guess is that someone noticed the 77-year-old structure's perpetually flooded cellar and decided it would be a good place to empty an unwanted aquarium. Freed from the confines of a fishbowl, the thinking goes, those creatures' offspring fattened into the large specimens that swim there today. "There's the question of 'How did they get there?' "said Sarah Novak, 32, of South Philadelphia, who has been checking on the fish since she started work about three years ago as a logistics specialist with a Navy division that remains on the former base, now owned by the city. "Everyone who knows they're there stops and looks at them." Seeing colorful carp swim through the bowels of a blighted building could be seen as epitomizing the incongruous vibe that has settled on the Navy Yard about 13 years after the first new offices opened at the decommissioned military station. It's a place where high-end lab and office buildings designed by international architects stand beside long-vacant colonial-era barracks and aged former manufacturing plants. "What I love about the Navy Yard are the eccentric juxtapositions that don't exist anywhere else," said Prema Gupta, senior vice president for Navy Yard planning and development at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., which manages the property for the city. The former base's Corporate Center section is home to such companies as the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC, the Chinese biotech firm WuXi AppTec Inc., and the homegrown investment bank FS Investment Solutions LLC. In its industrial zones, Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. continues to build seafaring vessels (for now), Tasty Baking Co. turns out Krimpets and sweet rolls, and RevZilla.com readies motorcycle gear for online sales. Yet large swaths of the Navy Yard's 1,200 acres are still made up of abandoned buildings dotting empty lots. Building No. 624 the one with the fish was once used to store shipbuilding components for later assembly a few blocks away in the former manufacturing buildings that Urban Outfitters now partly occupies, Gupta said. It and another nearby industrial building No. 83, at 13th Street and Kitty Hawk Avenue were highlighted in Philadelphia's bid to host Amazon.com Inc.'s planned second headquarters as properties that could be quickly developed into offices for the e-commerce giant if it selects the city and wants its new campus in the Navy Yard. Before Amazon's search for a second headquarters, PIDC officials contemplated turning the structures into apartment or condo buildings, based on an engineering study that determined both are sturdy enough to support additional floors. The fish live in an 800-square-foot portion of Building No. 624's basement that has remained waterlogged because of a malfunctioning plumbing system, according to the study. "The fish are a bit of a spectacle but in no way indicate the building is compromised in any way," Gupta said. Gupta said the fish were already in the building's cellar when she began working at the Navy Yard about three years ago. She's never heard any dependable explanation of where they came from and didn't know how many there were. As for what kind of fish they are, real estate developer and parking magnate Joseph Zuritsky who also happens to be the city's resident expert on decorative fish species has a guess. Zuritsky is chairman and chief executive of Philadelphia's Parkway Corp. but also until recently owned and operated one of the nation's leading koi farms, Quality Koi Co. in Carneys Point, N.J. After looking at a photo of the Navy Yard fish, he said that they appear to be goldfish, rather than koi, due to their body shape and lack of patterning on their scales. Both are members of the carp family, but goldfish are better suited for surviving winters in a frigid basement with a spotty food supply than koi, which Zuritsky said was another clue to the basement dwellers' breed. Goldfish "are much hardier than koi," he said. "You can freeze them alive in an ice cube and then thaw them out and they'll still be living." The fish likely subsist on algae that can grow in parts of the stairwell that get sunlight. None of the fish's fans at the Navy Yard seemed all that concerned about their breed on a recent afternoon around lunchtime, when clusters of onlookers sporadically convened to peer over the fence surrounding the flooded basement stairwell. "I just thought it was interesting," Chichester resident Kyle Tyson, 24, said as he spent a few moments tossing bits of bread to the fish. He learned about them from a Navy Yard coworker. "I like fish anywhere." Architecture writer and futurist Geoff Manaugh, author of the online BLDGBLOG, characterized the basement fish as an artifact of "the cycle of ruin and redevelopment that goes through cities." Manaugh, based in Los Angeles, said the Navy Yard fish site's allure is similar to that of other enticing urban ruins, such as the rail tracks up the west side of Manhattan before they were developed into the High Line and the grand vacant buildings that stand in Detroit. Local examples would be the undeveloped portions of the tracks north of Center City that backers hope will someday be part of the city's own Rail Park and the former coal-loading pier on the Delaware River in Port Richmond known as Graffiti Pier. "It's almost like a feeling that someone is pulling away a curtain and showing a part of the city you didn't realize was there," Manaugh said. "It has a feeling like a stage set or a dream or a kind of surrealism." We've written about vacation rentals particularly Airbnb in this column before, and about how their availability makes our global wanderings possible. Yet this topic still generates the majority of questions from our readers. Recently, we passed more than one thousand nights at Airbnb properties, so in our book the company must be doing something right. Our tales may not be as beguiling as those of Scheherazade, but we hope some of these tips will be useful during your travels. Book the Entire Place. People mostly think Airbnb is just renting a room in someone's house. Though that is one of three lodging options on the site, if we are stopping for longer than two nights, we select "Entire Place," which means we have it to ourselves. Among the places we've stayed are an apartment in Rome that was decorated by a professional opera set designer, a cottage in the Mojave Desert in California, and a "tiny house" on an Oregon farm. The choices are varied and plentiful. Airbnb is not a chain. Each property is unique, with a more personal feel than a chain hotel room. Some have nice little touches, like fresh flowers or snacks in the fridge. But there is no set of standards for furnishings, so be sure to view the photos of the listing carefully. One cottage may have leather sofas and a 72" TV, while a nearby basement flat has a couch that should have stayed at the frat house. The prices should be reflective of the accommodations, but be sure to look before you book. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The Airbnb site makes it easy to send questions to the property owners, most of whom respond within a few hours. If you're concerned about internet speed (a big one for us) or want to be clear about whether the kitchen has a full stove or only a microwave, ask. Airbnb hosts want you to be happy with your choice; an unhappy guest is no fun for anyone. If they can't meet your needs, they'll generally tell you, so you can look elsewhere. Read the reviews. Much like Yelp and TripAdvisor, each rental listing on Airbnb provides reviews from previous guests. Ill-maintained properties are easy to spot, but some nuances are a bit trickier. Guests will leave a review of a negative experience at a chain hotel, whereas with Airbnb they've developed a relationship with their host, so it's more difficult to say something that reflects poorly. Thus, you need to read reviews more closely. Comments about one California rental we stayed in described the quiet neighborhood, yet no one mentioned that the home backed onto a noisy expressway. We were diplomatic yet honest in our review by stating "light sleepers might be bothered by the nearby freeway." As mentioned earlier, if you have any concerns, don't be afraid to ask the host. Be conscious of payment and cancellation options. Airbnb is easy to use; all payments are handled through the site. However, payment is typically taken upon reservation (sometimes broken into two payments for longer bookings), and cancellation terms can vary from host to host. Usually, you will not have the same cancellation flexibility as a hotel. Again, look before you book. We highly recommend Airbnb but recognize that, compared to staying at a chain hotel, it takes a bit more work to find just the right place. That extra effort yields the reward of lodging in places like Paris, London, and Rome that are well off the crowded tourist path while providing rewarding friendships and an enriched travel experience. Philadelphia natives Larissa and Michael Milne have been full-time global nomads since 2011. Check their travel blog at ChangesInLongitude.com for more travel tips. A 42-year-old Bucks County man was charged Saturday with the murder of his girlfriend, whose body was found Friday night in the back of his SUV, according to authorities. Jason K. Lutey of New Britain Borough is charged with killing Colleen Patterson, 46, with whom he lived, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said in a news release. Lutey's sister called 911 around 8:30 p.m. Friday to say her brother had killed his girlfriend, according to the probable-cause affidavit. An officer from Central Bucks Regional Police Department went to the home in the 100 block of Keeley Avenue and spoke to Lutey, who said Patterson's body was in his car. The officer found the body, wrapped in a white cloth with red stains that appeared to be blood, in the back of Lutey's 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV, parked in the driveway. Lutey was arraigned by video before a district judge and is being held without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 18. Police and county detectives are investigating. Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs 07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0) Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na... New Delhi: Ahead of the 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday called by the Congress and the Left separately in protest against the rising fuel (petrol and diesel) prices and depreciation of the rupee in the country, the states took its own path and geared up to tackle the nationwide shutdown. Congress has appealed party workers to maintain peace and not to associate with any violent protests. It said 21 opposition parties are supporting the bandh, besides a number of chambers of commerce and traders' associations. The party demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under GST, by which oil prices could drop by about Rs 15 to Rs 18. Most of the opposition parties announced their support. Parties like the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), DMK, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) backed the shutdown, the Left has also declared a nationwide hartal. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a non-NDA party, said although it is against the fuel price hike, it will not support the Bandh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a similar stand in Delhi. Here is how the different states are gearing up for the strike: West Bengal: In West Bengal, the state government courted controversy when it contradicted its own statement. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) said that it backed the issues that led to the call for the shutdown but ruled out its participation. The state government had issued a circular asking its employees not to abstain from duty on Monday. Speaking on the issue, State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "While they want to ensure the Congress-sponsored Bharat Bandh does not meet with success in West Bengal, they are organising protests against fuel prices hike on that date since they have to publicly protest against the draconian policies of the BJP government at Centre." Along with the TMC, the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a constituent of the Left Front too decided to stay away accusing major partner CPI(M)'s central leadership of not consulting it before taking the call. The WBPCC chief appealed to the people of West Bengal to make the six-hour (from 9 am to 3 pm) shutdown called by the party successful and register their protests. The Congress' state unit President said his party will not follow any disruptive politics on the day of the bandh and will take out small rallies in different areas. Maharashtra: In this western state, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, has extended its support but the Shiv Sena spurned Congress' request to participate in the bandh. MNS chief Thackeray said that the common man is in anguish as the prices of petrol and diesel have skyrocketed. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extends its full support to the bandh and will actively participate in it, said Thackeray. Thackeray further said that though the fuel prices are linked to the global markets, the central and state governments have imposed heavy taxes on this. "I am appealing to all the citizens of Maharashtra, to put aside their political and ideological differences and support this bandh. In the same spirit, I appeal to my Maharashtra sainiks, in its full force, to be a part of this bandh as well, said Thackeray. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said Sena won't participate in the bandh. "The opposition should show their unity. The Sena is looking at the bandh neutrally," he said. Delhi: The capital's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made it clear that it will not join the strike. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Although the issue is right, the Congress has no moral authority over the issue of fuel price rise and record fall of the rupee. It is little difficult to digest that the Congress is calling for a Bharat Bandh." Odisha: The ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha said it is neither opposing nor supporting the 'Bharat Bandh'. BJD spokesman Samir Ranjan Das said, "We are not supporting nor opposing the Bharat Bandh." He, however, said the state government has already announced holiday of schools on Monday keeping in view the safety of children. School and Mass Education Department Secretary P K Mohapatra, in a letter to district collectors, had said that all schools, both government and private, should remain shut on Monday. The state government had also directed all district collectors to take preventive measures to maintain law and order and ensure maintenance of essential services in the districts during the planned strike. The Congress Sunday requested the ruling BJD to suspend proceedings of the state Assembly till 3 pm in view of the strike. Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik called upon the BJD to suspend the proceeding of the Odisha Assembly till 3 pm if it "sincerely oppose" the price hike of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. Meanwhile, all the Left parties comprising CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), Forward Block, SUCI and others have announced to organise a "hartal" on Monday which coincides with the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress. Karnataka: Normal life is likely to be affected in JDS-Congress-ruled Karnataka as JDS has extended its support to the bandh. The state government declared a public holiday for schools and colleges in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure. Functioning of the public transport system, cinema theatres, multiplexes among others is expected to be hit in the state during the bandh with the ruling Congress claiming the support of various trade unions. "The Congress party has called for a bandh Monday. Several other political parties and trade unions also are supporting our bandh call. Public transport systems also have extended support to our protest," Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters. The objective to observe bandh was not to trouble people, but to fight for their cause as "they are living in the most trying times," Rao said. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation staff and workers' federation have extended their support to the bandh. The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, however, is only giving moral support. A host of organisations such as Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, BMTC, Ola and Uber Drivers and Owners Association, Private Taxi Owners Association, Tours and Travels Taxi Association, Auto Drivers' Association. Tamil Nadu: The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) extended its support. Apart from MDMK, other opposition parties including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has extended support to the nationwide shutdown. Conveying his party's "whole-hearted support," party president M K Stalin said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) would "enthusiastically take part and cooperate to make the shutdown a complete success". The DMK chief urged all sections of people, including government employees, teachers, traders and state transport corporation workers, to voluntarily support the bandh to "teach the BJP government a fitting lesson". Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) ruling in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively, are not supporting the strike. Bihar: The opposition leaders from Congress, RJD, HAM(S), Samajwadi Party, NCP held a joint press conference at Sadaquat Ashram here and appealed to the various trade and industry bodies to make the bandh a grand success. Prominent leaders said that medicine shops, medical services, ambulances and school buses will be kept out of the bandh. In reply to a query whether or not Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri would appeal to JD(U), which seemed annoyed with the BJP on fuel price issue, to come along with opposition parties, Qadri said that "Why would I appeal to JD(U) as they are very much part of the ruling alliance. I would ask them (JDU) to exert pressure to cut excise duty to give relief to common men." RJD Bihar unit chief Ram Chandra Purbey said that the party has already asked its workers and leaders right from block to district levels to participate in the bandh to make it a grand success. Senior Bihar Congress leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said he would appeal to people not to send their children to school as a precautionary measure. The bandh will be observed between 9 am to 3 pm during which leaders and workers from opposition parties would hit the streets requesting people to cooperate and support the bandh. Madhya Pradesh: In the state, an association of fuel pump owners has said that their establishments would remain open. Jharkhand: A senior police officer said adequate security measures have been taken by East Singhbhum District Police to maintain law and order during Monday's 'bandh'. Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop Birtharay said stringent action would be taken against people who forcibly try to close shops or damage properties during the bandh. The SSP said adequate security measures have been taken to maintain law and order during the bandh. In a Whatsapp message, the district police chief has appealed the people to take snaps of bandh supporters indulging in ransacking, rioting or damaging property and forward it to district police WhatsApp number 7091091825 and assured to initiate action against the culprits. Goa: The Goa unit of the Congress has said it will not take part in the nation-wide Bandh to avoid inconvenience to local people ahead of the Ganesh festival. State Congress spokesperson Vijay Bhike said, "We support the call given by our party at the national level but we won't have a Bandh in Goa as people are busy shopping for the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities," he said. The party will carry out a peaceful awareness campaign at petrol pumps on the issue of price rise, Bhike said. The Trinamool Congress has refused to extend its support to Bharat Bandh, called by the Congress party on Monday, September 10, over continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices. Targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, the grand old party termed the formers stand as contradictory. Talking to mediapersons about the call for Bharat Bandh, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said that the taxes levied by the Centre on petrol and diesel was nothing short of an economic disaster. He added that the Trinamool Congress had worsened the situation by imposing VAT on fuel. While the Trinamool Congress said that it did support the issues on which the bandh has been called, it was against a strike and would take all measures to ensure that public services remained functional in West Bengal during the Bharat Bandh. Trinamool Congress general secretary Parth Chatterjee said that the government was against causing any inconvenience to people because of the strike. It, however, added that the though the party would not be a part of the bandh, it would hold protests on the issues across the state. Several opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have extended their support to the Congress-led bandh. The NCP had appealed to other opposition parties to join the strike. Besides the Congress-led bandh, the Left parties have given a separate call for Bharat Bandh for Monday over hike in fuel prices, farmers issues and unemployment. Talking about the bandh call, veteran Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot had told the media that the consensus to protest against the rising fuel prices and the rupee slump was reached after a meeting of all party general secretaries and the state leaders. New Delhi: The Congress Sunday urged the Election Commission to issue advisories to the chief ministers of poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to stop all public expenditure in 'yatras' undertaken by them. Chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Legal and Human Rights department Vivek Tankha also urged the EC to issue "peremptory" orders to the Telengana chief secretary to ensure no public money is utilised by caretaker government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and no unfair publicity is given to the ruling party. This should also include taking off all hoardings, banners and advertisements etc, he said in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat. Tankha, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, urged the EC that the chief secretaries of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh should be sent advisory to "stop all public expenditure on the 'yatras' of the chief minister" by whatever name they are conducted. He alleged that these states have indulged in rampant "extravagant publicity" by way of Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Guarav Yatra and Vikas Yatra respectively at the state's expense. These are party-motivated 'yatras' and have no element of public interest involved, he said. "I am sure such directions will go a long way to enhance the credibility of the Election Commission of India and our electoral system, which in the past has received international acclaim," he said in his letter. He said off-late the people are witnessing an increased "propensity" by the state governments and the chief ministers to put in large advertisements in newspapers at public expenses. "It is an abhorrent practice and blatant misuse of public funds," he added. Kochi: Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala, Lokanath Behera, said that the Inspector General (IG) of Police has been directed to complete enquiry initiated against rape accused Jalandhar Bishop, Franco Mulackal, as early as possible, adding that no decision has been taken to hand over the case to crime branch. Talking to media, Behera said, "I have directed IG police to complete enquiry against Jalandhar Bishop as early as possible and he has reported that it is underway. No decision has been taken to hand over the case to the crime branch." On Saturday, a group of nuns staged a sit-in protest at the High Court Junction bus station in Kochi demanding the arrest of Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of allegedly raping a nun. The protest was called by the Joint Christian Council. In June, a case was registered against four priests of Malankara Orthodox Church for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Kottayam. The accused had allegedly threatened to disclose the victim's confessions made in church. The incident came to light when the victim's husband recovered an audio clip related to the case, following which an investigation was initiated by the church. The church later suspended all the priests after a complaint was filed. Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday expressed his confidence of throwing out the BJP. Sharma said that the Congress is confident about defeating the BJP as the foundations of this government are based on lies. According to ANI, Singh said that BJP ministers have mastered the art of lying, speaking half-truth and misleading people. Criticising BJP over remarks about former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sharma said that PM Modi is arrogant and has no respect for democracy. During the BJP`s National Executive meeting here, party president Amit Shah attacked Singh saying "Manmohan Singh follows his party, while Modi leads". Sharma said Singh was a far better prime minister than Modi is. "We take strong objection to the kind of language that has been used by BJP against Singh," Sharma said. "He (Singh) was a far better prime minister than Modi. The difference is that Manmohan Singh had humility, decency and grace, he upheld the dignity of his office. It is the reverse in case of Modi. "He is arrogant and doesn`t behave as a prime minister who respects parliamentary democracy. He is not leading, he is dictating. He doesn`t have the capacity to listen or even respond to bona fide questions," said Sharma. "The Modi government has been a failure on all fronts. Today what is happening the country is a matter of shame, things like mob-lynchings, rapes, an environment of fear and violence. "All these should have been reflected in the national executive. The responsibility is theirs about the non- performance and bad performance of the government. They cannot escape the responsibility by just criticising the Congress," said Sharma. (With Agency Inputs) New Delhi: On the second day BJP's executive meet on Sunday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launched an attack on Congress and said that the party has no agenda or policy or strategy. The Union Education Minister further alleged that the Rahul Gandhi-led grand old party believes only in 'Modi roko abhiyan'. Speaking in the lines of party president Amit Shah, Javadekar said BJP will win with an even bigger majority in 2019. "The opposition has no agenda or policy, or strategy. They only believe in 'Modi roko abhiyan'. The people of the country know them well. We will win with an even bigger majority in 2019," Javadekar said while addressing the executive meet. On the first day, party president Amit Shah hogged the headlines after he said that BJP is working for 'Making India' while Congress for 'Breaking India'. Expressing confidence, Shah asserted that his party will return to power in 2019 with a majority bigger than what it got in 2014. The second day of BJP's executive meeting will see a valedictory speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two-day national executive meeting kick-started on Saturday. The meeting, attended by senior party leaders from across the country, is being held at Delhi's Ambedkar International Center. It assumes significance due to the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh later this year, all of where the BJP is in power. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, described by the Gujarat government as the world's tallest, on the birth anniversary of India's first home minister on October 31, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Sunday. The statue is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the US. CM Rupani further said this statue is a medium through which PM Modi will pay tribute to Sardar Patel. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the BJP's national executive meeting, he said the statue with a height of 182 metres will be a symbol of the country's unity and integrity. It has been called as the statue of unity by the Gujarat government. Rupani said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had collected iron, soil and water from across the country to use them to build the statue in the state, a decision announced by Modi in 2013 when he was its chief minister. In an apparent reference to the issue of Naxalism following the arrest of some activists for allegedly collaborating with Left ultras, Rupani said the statue will highlight Patel's works for the country's unity at a time when a few people are working to break it. When Modi had made an announcement that his government would build the world's tallest statue to commemorate Patel, opposition parties had termed it as "empty talk" but it has now been raised with world-class facilities, he said. While the Congress had sidelined Patel, Modi has brought him and his works in front of the world, he said. Patel, a Congress leader, has become a revered figure for the BJP which has sought to project an ideological connect between its espousal of nationalism and his efforts to integrate hundreds of states and regions into India following its independence. HYDERABAD: Election strategist Prashant Kishor on Sunday confirmed the news of not getting involved with any political party for the 2019 elections. Kishor said that he has worked enough with the leaders and wants to go back to the grassroots. He confirmed that he won't be joining politics. Interacting with students of Indian School of Business (ISB) here, he said for last two years he wanted to leave this domain but wanted to leave his organization I-PAC in safe hands before taking the decision. "I will not be part of the 2019 election campaign in the manner and form seen for last 4-5 years," he said. The 41-year-old said he wants to go back to grassroots either in Gujarat or Bihar. Rumors had earlier surfaced that Prashant will be joining BJP for the upcoming elections but I-PAC had denied any such report. Prashant had formulated election strategy for Prime Minister Modi in the 2014 elections. He said he never met Modi after he left Prime Minister`s Office in March 2015 till last year when the PM called him when his mother was on deathbed. Since then he had been meeting and talking to Modi. He, however, ruled out working with him or drafting political strategy for BJP in the next elections. Prashant, who also worked with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Congress party, said he took up the assignment with YSR Congress party`s Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy as he had made a commitment earlier. He claimed that Modi, Nitish and Amarinder Singh did not hire him and that money was the last criteria. He denied reports that he or his organization received huge money for working with different parties. Kishor and I-PAC have been associated with a host of political parties over the last four years. Their journey into the Indian political strategy space started with BJPs 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign. Later he joined hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Janata Dal-United in Bihar in 2015. Both the elections were as massive success for Kishor and I-PAC as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance swept to power at the Centre with a brute majority and then Nitish Kumar led Mahagathbandhan, which included the JDU, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress, won by a handsome margin in the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections. His team also teamed up with the Congress in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections that saw Captain (retd) Amarinder Singh decimating the rival parties to give his party something to cheer following a string of electoral losses over the last few years. But Kishors decision to go with the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh ended in a humiliating rout as the BJP won more than three-fourths seats in the state. At present I-PAC is working with the YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh where the party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy is hoping to win power in the next Assembly election. (With Agency Inputs) The Tamil Nadu cabinet on Sunday recommended to the state Governor Banwarilal Purohit for the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The recommendation will be sent to the governor immediately said D Jayakumar, Tamil Nadu minister after a cabinet meeting took place in Chennai. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met here under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The cabinet also extended its recommendations asking for the re-naming of Chennai central railway station as MG Ramachandran Central railway station. It also urged the union government to accord 'Bharat Ratna' to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. This comes a few days after the Supreme Court on September 6 had asked the Tamil Nadu government to seek redressal and direction from the State Governor for its demand to release the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, disposed of the petition filed by the Centre on Tamil Nadu government`s proposal seeking an early release of the convicts. On August 10, the Centre stated that the President had rejected the proposal to release seven convicts. The affidavit from the central government came after the apex court asked the Centre to explain its take on Tamil Nadu`s 2016 decision to acquit all seven convicts of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. Earlier on Saturday, Nalini Sriharan, one of the life convicts, had forwarded a petition to the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary urging the government to consider her plea for early release. A life convict at the Special Prison for Women here, Nalini in her petition recalled that she had made a representation on February 22, 2014 to the government seeking her release under Article 161 of the Constitution. Article 161 deals with the judicial powers of the governor of a state. Her plea for release was in accordance with the state government's 1994 Scheme of Premature Release of Life Convicts, she said. In May 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber, during an election rally in Sriperumbudur.All seven - Nalini, Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran - were convicted in the case. All seven convicts are serving life terms and had been in jail for the last 27 years. New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Sunday said that Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit would reject the state government`s recommendation to release all seven convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi`s assassination case. Speaking to ANI, Swamy said, "It's a recommendation only, not binding on Tamil Nadu Governor. He has the sole discretion. I am sure he`ll go through the record. Given his scholarly habit, he`ll reject the recommendation." Earlier, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader, D Jayakumar, said that the decision for the recommendation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit was made in a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The decision comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu government to seek redressal and direction from the Governor for its demand to release the convicts in the case. All the seven convicts - Nalini, Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran are serving life terms and had been in jail for the last 27 years. LUCKNOW: A 30-year old IPS officer, who had reportedly consumed some poisonous substance, died on Sunday at a nursing home in Kanpur after battling for life for four days. Surendra Kumar Das, an officer of the 2014 batch, was posted as Superintendent of Police (East) in the city. A "suicide" note recovered from the scene of the incident mentioned "family issues" as the reason behind the extreme step. Dr Rajesh Agarwal, a senior doctor, at the nursing home where Das was undergoing treatment, had on Saturday said that many organs of the officer's body had stopped functioning. He was on life support in the intensive care unit. "He died during treatment Sunday", said an official spokesman, adding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolence to the family members of the young IPS officer. Das had spoken to circle officers on Tuesday night about patrolling. A police official said: "The (suicide) letter stated that he was doing so (taking his life) because of family issues. The letter was addressed to his wife and further stated that he loved her a lot. At the end of the letter, it stated that no one else was responsible for it." At 4 am on Wednesday, his wife, who is a doctor, noticed that his health had suddenly deteriorated. He was rushed to a government hospital from where he was shifted to a private nursing home in a serious condition. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh had visited the hospital on Saturday. The body has been sent for post-mortem which will be carried out by a panel of doctors, additional DGP (Kanpur zone) Avinash Chandra said in Kanpur. Preliminary investigations indicated that the officer was in acute depression for the past few days and had searched a website looking for ways to commit suicide in an easy way, Chandra said. He said Das consumed a powder that he had asked his domestic help to fetch him from the market for killing rats. "He had worked till late in the night on Tuesday. His behaviour was very good. Now, for what reason he had consumed a poisonous substance will be probed," the ADG said, adding the police department had nothing to do with the matter. Senior police officers including DGP, ADG (Law and Order) and others expressed grief over the demise of the IPS officer. New Delhi: Actress Deepika Padukone has urged women to indulge in self-care and to take some time off their various roles for themselves without feeling guilty about doing so. "Women have a tendency of feeling a lot of guilt. We are always trying to be perfect in playing different roles, so I feel it is important to take time for yourself and do it without guilt. Even if women go for a spa session, most women are thinking 'Oh, I have to go pick my kids from school' or 'My husband must be coming home'. "Women are constantly worrying about someone else... But it's okay to take time for yourself and do it without guilt," Deepika said at an event on 'Finding Beauty in Imperfection', organised by Ficci Ladies Organisation (FLO). In a pristine white ensemble and with her hair neatly tied, Deepika gave a motivational talk on how she dealt with depression, and the work being done by her NGO The Live Love Laugh Foundation, which was founded in 2015 and deals with mental health issues. What Deepika was not ready to talk about was the speculation around her November wedding to actor Ranveer Singh. "I am certainly not answering this question... It's an extremely insensitive question to ask at an event like this," Deepika told a scribe who questioned about it. However, the actress was at peace while she spoke how sharing her own experience of dealing with depression was life-changing for her. "Sharing my experience with depression made me feel lighter. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, I felt transparent with no fear of being judged," Deepika said, adding that it left her happier, more sensitive, aware, and with an understanding of how fragile life is. One of the highest paid actresses of India, Deepika, who started her career with "Om Shanti Om" over a decade ago, says when she had come out to tell the world of her battle with depression, she didn't think of it as being "brave or revolutionary." "I just felt that it was important for me to share something that was very personal to me, something that had changed my life, and something that I felt had a lot of stigma when I was experiencing it. "I remember telling myself and all the people around me during my journey of recovery, and saying that if by sharing my story, I can even save one life... The purpose is that... Having this conversation is itself a huge step in that direction of change that our country really needs to see, and we are definitely headed in the right direction. But we have a long way to go," Deepika said. She outlined the "big difference" between sadness and depression and said while people suffering from depression must be willing to seek help, those around them need to treat them with love and understanding. Arif Alvi, a close ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of the founding members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was sworn in as Pakistan's new president Sunday. The 69-year-old dentist was administered the oath of office as Pakistan's 13th President by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar at a simple ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by top civil-military brass including Prime Minister Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Saudi Information Minister Awwad Bin Saleh Al Awwad were also present at the event. Dr Alvi had defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Aitzaz Ahsan and the Pakistan Muslim League-N nominee Maulana Fazlur Rehman in a three-way presidential contest. In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the recommendations of the prime minister. Alvi belongs to Karachi and comes from a family that migrated to Pakistan after partition. His predecessors Mamnoon Hussain's family came from Agra and Pervez Musharraf's parents migrated from New Delhi. He shares an interesting connection with India as his father Dr Habib ur Rehman Elahi Alvi was a dentist to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, according to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Alvi started his political career about five decades ago when he was a student of de'Montmonrency College of Dentistry, an affiliate of University of Punjab in Lahore. He was part of the students' wing of Jamaat-i-Islami (JIH) and protested against military ruler Ayub Khan. "During one of the protests on the Mall Road in Lahore, he was shot at and wounded, and still proudly carries a bullet embedded in his right arm as a mark of his struggle for democracy in Pakistan," according to the PTI website. He participated in elections from the JIH in 1979 but lost. Later he became disillusioned with the politics of the JIH and joined the PTI as one of its founding members in 1996. He also helped in writing the Constitution of the new party. Alvi contested his first election for the PTI in 1997 but lost. His affiliation with the party continued and he steadily rose in its ranks. He was the Secretary-General of the party from 2006 till 2013. In 2013 he was elected as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Constituency NA-250 Karachi and was re-elected in July 2018. Apart from his political struggle, Alvi is also a professional dentist. He acquired his dental degree BDS (Dentistry) from de'Montmonrency College of Dentistry and Master of Science degree in Prosthodontics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1975 and Master of Science in Orthodontics in 1984 from University of the Pacific, San Francisco. In 1997, Alvi was declared a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He was the primary author of the constitution of the Pakistan Dental Association and has been elected the President of the Pakistan Dental Association. The new President is married with Samina Alvi and the couple have four children. With his close ally Alvi as President, Prime Minister Khan can smoothly implement his agenda, according to observers. Former US President Barack Obama assailed President Donald Trump and Republicans on Friday, urging Democrats to deliver a check on the administration`s "abuses of power" and restore a sense of sanity to politics by voting in November`s elections. In an unusually blistering attack on his successor, Obama said Americans were living in dangerous times and accused Republicans of threatening democracy, dividing the country, undermining global alliances and cozying up to Russia. "In two months we have the chance, not the certainty, but the chance to restore some semblance of sanity to our politics," he said in a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "There is actually only one check on bad policy and abuses of power, and that`s you and your vote." Both parties are urging their core supporters to get to the polls for the Nov. 6 midterm elections, when Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House of Representatives and two seats in the Senate to gain majorities in Congress and slam the brakes on Trump`s agenda. Obama, who had frustrated some Democrats by keeping a relatively low profile since leaving office in January 2017, accused Republicans of being unwilling to safeguard democracy or offer a check on Trump`s policies or worst instincts. He said voters would have to do it instead. "In the end, the threat to our democracy doesn`t just come from Donald Trump or the current batch of Republicans in Congress," he said. "The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference. The biggest threat to our democracy is cynicism." Trump was dismissive of Obama`s speech. "I`m sorry, I watched it but I fell asleep," he said during a fundraiser in North Dakota. "I found that he`s very, very good for sleeping." The Dems have tried every trick in the playbook-call me everything under the sun. But if Im all of those terrible things, how come I beat them so badly, 306-223? Maybe theyre just not very good! The fact is they are going CRAZY only because they know they cant beat me in 2020! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2018 The November elections have been seen as a referendum on Trump, who has fulfilled campaign promises to cut taxes and regulations but who faces a widening special counsel probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and growing questions about his fitness for office, even by some within his administration. Obama ridiculed Trump for taking credit for economic gains that began under Obama`s administration, and said Trump was exploiting cultural fears and economic anger that have grown in recent years amid societal upheavals. "It did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause," Obama said. "He`s just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years." 'RESENTMENT AND PARANOIA' Until now, Obama had been reluctant to criticise his successor publicly, although last week he appeared to chide Trump, without naming him, in a eulogy for the late Republican Senator John McCain. But he dropped that political reticence in Illinois, the state where he launched his own political career, saying a vote against Republicans could restore "honesty and decency and lawfulness" to government. "If you thought that elections don`t matter, I hope these last two years have corrected that impression," he said. "The politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party." Republicans shrugged off Obama`s criticism. "In 2016, voters rejected President Obama`s policies and his dismissiveness towards half the country. Doubling down on that strategy won`t work in 2018 either," said Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens. If Democrats win control of one or both chambers in Congress in November, they would be able not just to stymie Trump`s agenda but to launch investigations of the Trump administration. Trump told supporters in Montana on Thursday that Republicans needed to maintain control of Congress to stave off possible impeachment proceedings against him, although Democrats have played down any discussion of that approach. "If it (impeachment) does happen, it`s your fault, because you didn`t go out to vote. OK? You didn`t go out to vote. You didn`t go out to vote. That`s the only way it could happen," Trump told the rally. Obama will hit the campaign trail on Saturday, appearing at a campaign event in southern California before heading to Ohio next week and to Illinois and Pennsylvania later in the month. In August, Obama endorsed 81 Democratic contenders in 14 states, emphasizing young, diverse candidates running for state-level offices in an attempt to help new party leaders establish themselves. A damning report published by the New York Times has pointed the accusatory finger at the US government and said that Americans are being misled regarding the ground reality and situation in Afghanistan. The United States invaded Afghanistan in October of 2001 in a bid to wipe out Taliban from the country. The report in NYT claims that despite the US government's tall claims of successes, Taliban now controls or contests in 61 per cent of the country's area as against 44 per cent claimed by Washington. This figure is believed to be bigger than ever since the US invasion. Then the claim of the US military that the Afghan government is in control or has influence in 56 per cent of the country is debunked as a result of 'statistical sleight of hand.' The report counters saying that the Afghan government is only controlling district headquarters and military barracks and that everything else has fallen to Taliban. One of the objectives of the US in Afghanistan was to help the country build a solid millitary and police force. The NYT says that the claim that there are 10 Afghan security personnel for every Taliban insurgent is shoddy because Afghan officials themselves believe a third of the security personnel have either left service or deserted. Afghan officials are also attributed to saying that 13,600 insurgents were killed in the country in 2017 which is half the number claimed by the US government. It is estimated that the US has spent $840 billion fighting Taliban in Afghanistan since 2001 and has lost 2,200 of its own soldiers. There was a move to pull out a large number of American troops towards the end of Barack Obama's term as US President but it never happened. Meanwhile, to counter a growing resentment against Americans against the campaign in Afghanistan, some suspect that false numbers and claims are being made to justify staying in the country. The Hollywood movie Fury - although fictional - took a hilarious dig at what is otherwise a grim situation for the Americans in Afghanistan. The latest victim of rising street crimes in Pakistan is the Mayor of Karachi, whose official car was on Saturday snatched by unidentified miscreants at gunpoint. According to a report in Pakistan-based Dawn News, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtars car was snatched in the defence area of Karachi. The car, a Toyota Corolla, was being used by the family of the Mayor when the incident took place. As per the report, there are three suspects behind the car snatching incident. They arrived in a Suzuki Cultus car and apprehended the Mayors vehicle. Pakistan media reports say that a number of government vehicles have been snatched by unidentified miscreants in recent past from upscale areas of Karachi. Authorities suspect that government vehicles are snatched as they do not have vehicle trackers. A senior police official had recently announced a reward of Rs 5,00,000 for any information leading to the perpetrators of the crime. Dawn News report said that while at least 26 such vehicles have been snatched, the police have managed to recover just two. According to a report in The Express Tribune, area SHO Haji Sanaullah was put under suspension immediately after. Reports say that there were orders in place to demote him as well on charges of not being able to curb crime in his area. The order has, however, been revoked because of the intervention of a member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The police official has reportedly been given three days time to track and recover the stolen car. According to the reconnaissance, two of the militants were eliminated, and five were injured Over the last day, on September 8, the militants in Donbas opened fire at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 25 times. As a result of the shelling, one Ukrainian serviceman was injured, two deceased in a car accident. The press office of the Joint Forces reported this on Facebook. It is noted that the enemy conducted aimed fire from ICV, grenade launchers of different systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms. The weapons prohibited by the Minsk Agreements were not used. 'Russian-occupation forces were implementing shelling the positions of the Joint Forces in the areas of the settlements Krymske, Zolote, Luhanske, Svitlodarsk, Maiorske, Pivdenne, Verkhnyotoretske, Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Pavlopil, Hruntove, Vodiane, and Lebedynske. As a result of the shelling one serviceman of the Joint Forces was injured,' reads the message. Furthermore, at about 6 p.m., two servicemen of the Joint Forces died in the car accident. According to the reconnaissance, two militants were eliminated, and five were wounded. From the beginning of the following day, the militants were shooting from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms near Vodiane, no casualties among the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. Open source In the area of the Joint Forces operation in Donbas, during the current day, from 7:00 to 18:00, the Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire 6 times. At the same time, the weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements were not used. This is reported on the page of the JFO Press Center in Facebook. "During the day, the enemy opened fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms at the positions of the Joint forces in the vicinity of the settlements Krymske, Zolotoe, Marinka, Hnutove and Lebedynske," the report said. As a result of hostilities during the day, no losses in the ranks of Ukrainian armed forces reported. The situation in the conflict area remains under the control of the Joint forces. As reported, over the past day, September 7, the militants opened fire on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 32 times, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and two were wounded. Earlier President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko met with US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker. This is stated on the official website of the head of state. "The interlocutors discussed the security situation in the East of Ukraine and coordinated further steps for de-occupation of Donbas," the report said. In addition, Petro Poroshenko and Kurt Volker talked about sanctions against the Russian Federation and the strengthening of the defense capacity of the Ukrainian army. "The sides discussed issues of strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the United States to prevent Russia from interfering in the Ukrainian elections," the press service said. US is ready to increase arms supplies in Ukraine to strengthen the Navy and Air Defense. This was reported by the US special representative for Donbas Kurt Volker, reports The Guardian. They are losing soldiers every week defending their own country, said Volker, a former US ambassador to Nato. And so in that context its natural for Ukraine to build up its military, engage in self-defense, and its natural to seek assistance and is natural that other countries should help them. And of course they need lethal assistance because theyre being shot at. Kurt Volker added that to this day between the United States and Russia there is a "gap" in the issue of the UN peacekeeping mission for the cessation of hostilities. He also predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would expect presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine before reconsidering his negotiating position. He added: We can have a conversation with Ukraine like we would with any other country about what do they need. I think that theres going to be some discussion about naval capability because as you know their navy was basically taken by Russia. And so they need to rebuild a navy and they have very limited air capability as well. I think well have to look at air defence. Related: Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint to resume its operation today Open source The announcement of "elections" in the territory of the DNR and LNR contradicts the Minsk agreements. This is reported in the statement of the EU Speaker Maya Kosjanchich, published on the official website of the European Union. "The European Union fully supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," the statement said. The EU stressed that the implementation of the Minsk agreements "is the key to achieving a lasting peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east of Ukraine." "In this context, the announcement that the so-called "elections" to be held in the so-called Lugansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic on November 11, 2018, contradict the spirit and letter of the Minsk agreements that have specific provisions on the organization of local elections in this region, "the EU stressed. In this regard, the European Union said that they expect Russia to "make full use of its influence on the separatists." Earlier, militants announced the holding of "elections" on the territory of "DNR" and "LNR" on November 11, 2018. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called the international partners to increase pressure on Moscow in connection with the intention of the occupational administration of the Russian Federation to hold so-called special elections on the territory of the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The press office of the ministry reported. In connection with the emergence in the Russian mass-media of messages about the intention of the occupational administration of the Russian Federation to hold so-called special elections of the leaders of militants and their illegitimate representative bodies on the territory of the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine notes that such actions of the Kremlin are flagrantly violating the obligations of the Russian Federation, as a side of the Minsk Agreements, reads the claim of the MFA. The message stresses that these provocative actions of Russia are purposefully undermining the Minsk Agreements and are able to wipe out all international efforts for the resolution of the situation, emerged, as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and its occupied territory. In case of holding fake special elections, their results will be void, will not create any legal consequences and will not be recognized either by Ukraine or the world community, Ukrainian MFA reported. Also, the Ministry says that all responsibility for the constant blocking and torpedoing of the process of the peaceful resolution is on the Russian Federation. Calling the international partners to provide a clear estimate for the Kremlins actions and to increase political-diplomatic pressure on Russia, including the introduction of additional sanctions to make them back to the fulfillment of its obligations, reads the message. The MFA claims that Ukraine from its side will remain loyal to the world resolution of the situation in Donbas based on the Minsk Agreements. Related: 24 hours in JFO: One Ukrainian serviceman died, two injured North Korean leader Kim Jong-un confirmed his readiness to arrive to the Russian Federation on an official visit. This was reported by Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko to journalists, reports DW According to her, the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea reacted to the letter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Matviyenko said that Kim Jong-un "does not want to postpone this issue," therefore, in the near future, the timing of the visit will begin. The head of the DPRK intends to discuss with Putin the strategy and prospects for cooperation between the two countries. A military parade on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the North Korea foundation took place in Pyongyang on September 9, as Reuters report. Ten thousand of servicemen and dozens of civilians were involved in the celebration. The samples of heavy military equipment of DPRK were demonstrated in the parade, although, intercontinental and short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles were not involved. Doctors and engineers constituted almost the half of the participants of the parade. The leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un was present at the parade but went without a speech to the nation. Head of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK Kim Yong-nam gave a speech instead of him. It is noted that the absence of the accent on the missile and nuclear power in the parade in Pyongyang is connected with the betterment of the relations between DPRK and the USA. Yet the tickets for the parade in Pyongyang ranged from $100 to $800. As we reported, the leaders of the US Donald Trump and DPRK Kim Jong-un have signed the joint document on the results of the talks on June 12 in Singapore. Among the four main points of the signed document are the establishment of the new relations between the U.S. and DPRK, and the agreement on continuing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Related: Lawyers of Manafort negotiating on pleading guilty by defendant, - Bloomberg It's about what kind of guilt recognizes Manafort and what term of imprisonment will prosecutors recommend Open source Paul Manafort, former head of the campaign headquarters of the US President Donald Trump may plead guilty to avoid the second judicial proceeding. Bloomberg reports this. According to the information, the lawyers of Manafort are negotiating on pleading guilty. It's about what kind of guilt recognizes Manafort and what term of imprisonment will prosecutors from the team of Robert Mueller recommend. Related: Collusion between Trump and Russia not to be discussed in Manafort's case, - judge Manafort is charged with financial offenses, including the conspiracy to launder money. He is also accused of the obstruction of justice and refusal to register a foreign agent. Thus, having pleaded guilty, Manafort may avoid the risk of a prolonged prison sentence, and also the threat of confiscation of several real estate objects and financial accounts. As it was reported earlier, Manafort received more than 12 million dollars from the Party of Regions from 2007 through 2009. Also, it was reported that the US will investigate his possible participation in the corruption schemes in Ukraine. Related: Court to consider Manafort's actions as political consultant in Ukraine The investigation team of Robert Mueller, Special Attorney of FBI revealed more than 300 documents in the case of Paul Manafort. In particular, the documents describe Manafort's cooperation with former president Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian Party of Regions and Oppositional Bloc. Paul Manafort and his partner Rick Gates were charged with offenses under 12 counts, including the money laundry and conspiracy. Later, they were taken under house detention. The court promised that Manafort would face 305 years in prison. According to him, it has become possible owing to the specialists in the IT area Open source President Petro Poroshenko claimed that Ukrainian specialists learned to intercept the data of Russian military satellites. The Head of the State reported this during his working visit to Vinnytsia, as RBK-Ukraine advises. 'Before the Independence Day, they have traditionally tried to spoil the holiday. Troop on the site of Zholobok settlement in the zone of attack tried to burst open the line having concentrated artillery, rocket launchers, mortars. Satellite imagery, work of the intelligence etc provided a timely opportunity to bring up reserves and meet the enemy...,' Poroshenko claimed. Related: Poroshenko instructed intelligence to minimize Russia's influence during elections According to him, this was made possible by the specialists in the relevant realm. 'This was made possible by the specialists of communicational occupations, satellite technologies, specialists in satellite technologies. We have been intercepting Russian satellites and this means that a very strong school has already been set up in Ukraine,' he added. alliance/dpa About 20,000 Hasidic pilgrims from 12 countries have already arrived in Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. This was reported by the press service of the Cherkassy region police. "As of the morning of September 7, more than 18,000 pilgrims from 12 countries arrived in Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, and 22 police officers of the State of Israel arrived also, together with the police of the combined detachment. They will implement measures to maintain public order and the safety of citizens in places of compact stay and residence of pilgrims-Hasids, "the report said. Earlier, the Israeli ambassador said that up to 80 thousand Hasidim pilgrims should come to Uman. On September 5 about 3 thousand pilgrims arrived in Uman for the celebration of the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) by the Jewish calendar came. Therefore, the city began to strengthen security measures. Each year in Uman, pilgrimage of Jews takes place, which are followers of Bratslav Hasidism (one of the currents in Hasidic Judaism). They visit the grave of their spiritual leader - tsadik Nachman. Traditionally they come to this city in September, because for them Uman is the place of one of the most revered shrines, the place of annual mass pilgrimage. This year's celebrations will begin on Sunday 9th September and continue until Tuesday 11th September. Related: Lawyers of Manafort negotiating on pleading guilty by defendant, - Bloomberg Open source The planned command military exercises will be held in the territory controlled by the "DNR" grouping in Donbas. This was stated by "deputy commander of DNR operational command" Eduard Bazurin, reports the websites of the separatists. According to him, the beginning of the exercises is scheduled for September 11. Bazurin argues that all exercises will take place at some distances from the line of contact", corresponding to the Minsk agreements." "In total, more than 4,000 personnel and more than 300 units of military equipment will take part in the exercise," said Basurin. The announcement of "elections" in the territory of the DNR and LNR contradicts the Minsk agreements. This is reported in the statement of the EU Speaker Maya Kosjanchich, published on the official website of the European Union. "The European Union fully supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," the statement said. The EU stressed that the implementation of the Minsk agreements "is the key to achieving a lasting peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east of Ukraine." "In this context, the announcement that the so-called "elections" to be held in the so-called Lugansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic on November 11, 2018, contradict the spirit and letter of the Minsk agreements that have specific provisions on the organization of local elections in this region, "the EU stressed. In this regard, the European Union said that they expect Russia to "make full use of its influence on the separatists." Earlier, militants announced the holding of "elections" on the territory of "DNR" and "LNR" on November 11, 2018. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called the international partners to increase pressure on Moscow in connection with the intention of the occupational administration of the Russian Federation to hold so-called special elections on the territory of the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The press office of the ministry reported. Related: Day in Donbas: Six attacks of pro-Russian militants during the day, Ukrainian soldier injured wizarden.livejournal.com The National Armed Forces of Latvia registered the flight of two Russian military transport aircraft near the Latvian borders. This was reported by the Latvian military on Twitter. The incident occurred on Saturday, September 8, close to the territorial waters of Latvia. According to them, there were An-12 and An-26 military aircraft. Where exactly they were spotted by the Latvian military, press service did not specify. 08.09. patrullidmasinas virs Baltijas juras neitr. udeniem pie LV teritorialas juras robezas identificeja Krievijas BS lidmasinas An-26 un An-12 NBS (@Latvijas_armija) September 8, 2018 Let's remind, earlier it was informed, that Russia carries out rocket tests over territory of Latvia in Baltic sea. 'After Russia announced the missile tests, Latvian defense ministry asked the Russian side to give as much information about the tests as possible, including which kinds of missiles will be used and which measures will be taken to provide security', the message reads. Russia claimed the missile tests are a part of military drills, and all the necessary security measures will be taken; however, no more questions were answered. Previously, Russian Centre for Management of Air Traffic informed the Latvian government that the Russian Navy would hold missile tests over Latvia's exclusive economic area in the Baltic Sea. Related: First military parade with no ballistic missiles take place in Pyongyang "Yes, we see the smoke, and visually we confirm that it works," chairman said Open source Chairman of the Kherson Regional State Administration Andriy Gordeev denied information that the plant "Tytan", located in the occupied Crimea, had ceased its work today. Gordeev said this in a commentary to 112 Ukraine TV channel. "Yes, we see the smoke, and visually we confirm that it works," Gordeev said. Let us note that today the deputy of the Russian State Duma from the annexed Crimea Mikhail Sheremet stated that the plant completely stopped production; a statement was published in a number of Russian media. Earlier after a chemical emission in Armyansk, in the north of the occupied Crimea, 61 Ukrainian border guards asked the doctors for help. This was confirmed by the assistant to the chairman of the State Border Service of Ukraine Oleg Slobodyan. "Now 61 border guards need medical help, five of them have been hospitalized and a detailed medical examination is taking place here in Odesa," he said. Slobodyan stressed that all but the aforementioned five hospitalized patients received the necessary medical assistance and they returned to their official duties. The assistant to the head of the State Border Service also said that the situation on the border with Crimea remains without significant changes. In particular, the checkpoints "Kalanchak" and "Chaplinka" are temporarily closed for those citizens who plan to travel to the occupied peninsula. The winds continue to blow towards the occupied Crimea, therefore, according to Slobodyan, "the main risks remain in this territory." The State Border Guard Service and Emergency Service held the analysis for the presence of the toxic substances in Kherson region after the chemical emission from the Crimean plant Tytan. Vadym Chernysh, the Minister of of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs claimed this as 112 Ukraine reported. The State Border Guard Service along with the Emergency Service held the quick analysis; the gas analyzers show the presence of the pollutants, including one of the hazardous sulfur dioxide that can make the sulfuric acid when it contacts with water. One of these factors we relatively easily monitor at the controlled territory. And this gap in the information field allowed by the occupation authorities during the week shows that they tried to hide the real situation as the wind was coming from the territory controlled by Ukraine to the uncontrolled territory, he said. Chernysh noted that the toxic substances did not get to Kherson region at the greatest concentration. As we reported an unknown substance was discharged in the air in Armyansk, North Crimea. A greasy mud with a yellow shade appeared on metallic objects, roofs and leaves on the trees. Later, Sergey Aksyonov, head of the annexed Crimea claimed that the situation with the discharge of the unknown substance in the air goes beyond the norms. Moreover, toxic chemicals were detected in the air in the Kherson region, southern Ukraine. Refat Chubarov, the Chairman of the Crimean Tatars Mejlis claimed that the evacuation of the children due to the emission of the unknown substance has begun in Armyansk. Related: Latvian military reported flight of two Russian aircraft near their borders The holiday is marked on the second Sunday in September Open source Ukraine is marking the Day of Tankman today, on September 9. The Day of Tankman was established by the decree of the Ukrainian President from August 29, 1997. The establishment was made in the support of the initiative of the tank forces veterans and tank builders of Ukraine, considering the war honors of the tankmen during the World War II, and for the purpose of training the soldiers-tankers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the best traditions of previous generations. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Minister of Defence Stepan Poltorak and Head of the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko have already congratulated the tankmen on the holiday. 'Congratulations on the Day of Tankman! Today, the Ukrainian tank warriors are honorably holding the positions in the east, demonstrating fantastic professionalism and battlecraft against the aggressor. Glory to our defenders and an imperishable memory of heroes-tankman who gave their life for peaceful Ukraine,' reads the message of the President on Twitter. Stepan Poltorak claimed on his page on Facebook: 'Work of tankman is a hard and a dangerous mission, since, precisely, the tankers have to be at the flashpoint where the fate of the battle for Ukraine is being decided. The condition of Ukrainian filmmaker and political prisoner Oleg Sentsov is stable, the colony is concerned about his condition though. Sentsov's lawyer Dmytro Dinze claimed this in a commentary to Hromadske. 'Most of all, the colony is concerned about Sentsov's condition, since they believe that he approaches irreversible changes. They try to break him, so he stops the hunger strike. They bet that allegedly political arguments are yet exhausted and nobody cares about his hunger strike, so it seems to be pointless,' he said. Dinze stressed that the colony does it in the view of persuasion, not pressure. As it was reported, Kolchenko declared a hunger strike on May 31, requiring the release of Oleg Sentsov. He had to suspend the strike, as he got very weak. Kolchenko and Sentsov were detained by Russian intelligence services in Crimea in May 2014. They were accused of the organization of a terrorist act on the peninsula. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years of the colony, Sentsov to 20 years. Both are denying their guilt. Recently, Sentsovs lawyer stated on the deterioration of his condition. He has a very low hemoglobin, which led to anemia, as well as a very low pulse. Oleg has a bad heart, he was asked twice to be taken to a hospital. However, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Yamalo-Nenets County claimed that the medical staff examines Sentsov on daily basis, and his condition is satisfactory. Furthermore, according to the lawyer of the political prisoner, the Chief Doctor of the Hospital in Labytnangi city was threatening Oleg Sentsov by tying up and drugging him with medicine and artificial nutrition. Reportedly, earlier, Russian Ombudsman Tetiana Moskalkova claimed that Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov who is in Russian Labytnangi colony rejected the hospitalization due to the absence of illness and satisfactory conditions. MOSCOW, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan says he has not discussed Russias cancelling of the arrest warrant for former defense minister Michael Harutyunyan during his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. We did not discuss [individual] issues. Therefore, I believe that this is a matter of further cooperation of law enforcement agencies of Armenia and Russia, Nikol Pashinyan told a press briefing in the Russian capital, ARMENPRESS correspondent reported. Michael Harutyunyan is wanted by Armenian law enforcement agencies on charges of breaching constitutional order during the March 1 events in 2008. Armenia issued an international arrest warrant for the former defense minister, but earlier Russia cancelled the warrant on its territory. The March 1 case is an ongoing investigation into the deadly post-election clashes in 2008, when 10 people died. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is ready to bring its contribution in terms of raising the level of security of CSTO partner countries, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview to Zinuzh TV program. Pashinyan said that the work should be aimed at increasing the level of security of Armenia. In the past, as an opposition politician I was saying that in terms of the CSTO we must very clearly clarify mutual obligations with our allies and before one another, in order for each of us to know what obligations and rights each of us has within the framework of the CSTO. Many were interpreting these statements as anti-CSTO, but during the very first contacts with leaders of countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization it became clear for me that they too have this very same question, the PM said. Asked how he treats the rumors on Azerbaijans possible membership to the CSTO, Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia has all tools not to allow it to happen. At least as long as a comprehensive and complete, long-lasting and proven by life settlement of the Karabakh issue hasnt taken place, I believe that no citizen of Armenia, no government can express any other opinion, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed a congratulatory message to the Jewish community of Armenia on Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year, the governments press service said. Dear representatives of the Jewish community of Armenia, I warmly congratulate you on the occasion of the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah. The Armenian and Jewish peoples are tied with centuries-old relations, cooperation, friendship, as well as the similarity of historic destinies. The Armenian democracy, which received new breath by the velvet revolution, equally belongs and will serve to all citizens of our county, regardless of national or religious affiliation. Once again congratulating you on this beautiful holiday, I wish for the coming year to be a year of peaceful work, fair earning and joy for you, the PM said in the address. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will carry out a humanitarian mission in Syria in support of the Armenian community of Aleppo, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters after an investment forum in the province of Tavush. The group of experts of the defense ministry will operate in Syria under the flag of the Republic of Armenia. The operation will be humanitarian. This is about doctors and humanitarian de-mining experts, who will carry out a humanitarian mission in support for the Armenian community, Pashinyan said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Around 2,500 people marched in a far-right demonstration in eastern Germany Sunday after a German man died following a fight with two Afghans, as officials pleaded for calm to avoid the anti-foreigner unrest that has shaken Chemnitz. Local police and prosecutors said the 22-year-old deceased had suffered acute heart failure after coming to blows with the suspects during a dispute on a playground in the town of Koethen late Saturday. The German man's death was "not directly" linked to the injuries suffered in the brawl, authorities said in a statement. Local media reported that he died in hospital and that he had a pre-existing heart condition. Prosecutors said one of the Afghan suspects, aged 18, stands accused of causing grievous bodily harm. The other, aged 20, faces charges of causing bodily harm with fatal consequences. The incident was expected to inflame anti-migrant tensions, coming just two weeks after the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German man in the city of Chemnitz, allegedly by two asylum seekers. "With emotions running high, we have to resist any attempt to turn Koethen into a second Chemnitz," the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, told DPA news agency. Chemnitz, also located in Germany's former Communist east, has been rocked by a series of far-right demonstrations that saw participants assault foreign-looking people and shout anti-immigration slurs while some flashed the illegal Nazi salute. Immediately after news of the latest incident broke, right-wing groups called for an evening "mourning march" in Koethen. Police estimated the turnout at some 2,500 demonstrators, who dispersed peacefully around 9:00 pm (1900 GMT). Many of the demonstrators waved the German flag, occasionally shouting "Resistance!" and "We are the people". "Today is a day of grief but we will turn that grief into anger," one of the speakers told the crowd, according to DPA. A counter-demo by far-left protesters at Koethen's rail station drew around 200 people. - 'Keep calm' - Mayor Bernd Hauschild, in a Facebook message, urged locals to shun the right-wing demo because he had "information that people prepared to use violence were planning to travel to Koethen in large numbers". Bild newspaper said around 100 federal police officers had been sent to Koethen to help keep the peace, after police were criticised for underestimating the scale of the Chemnitz demonstrations. According to local media the latest incident started when three Afghan men were arguing with a pregnant woman over who was the father of her unborn child. Two German men then approached the group and the row escalated into a brawl on the playground. The third Afghan was not arrested as he was not believed to have been involved in the fighting. Local residents and politicians on Sunday placed flowers and candles at the scene. State interior minister Holger Stahlknecht said on Twitter that he deeply regretted "the tragic death" and understood citizens' concerns. But he urged residents to "keep calm" and let justice run its course. - 'Reprehensible' - The recent unrest in Chemnitz in neighbouring Saxony has reignited debate in Germany about Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to open the country's borders at the height of Europe's migrant crisis. More than a million asylum seekers have arrived since then, deeply dividing Germans and fuelling the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Merkel has strongly condemned the angry mobs in Chemnitz, saying there was no place for "hate in the streets". But interior minister Horst Seehofer of her CSU sister party, and one of Merkel's fiercest critics, responded by blasting immigration as "the mother of all political problems". It also emerged at the weekend that a Jewish restaurant was attacked on the sidelines of the Chemnitz protests on August 27. The owner told AFP that around a dozen masked neo-Nazis shouted: "Jewish pig, get out of Germany!" and hurled rocks, bottles and a metal pipe at the Schalom restaurant. The head of the New York-based World Jewish Congress slammed the "reprehensible" attack. "It is inconceivable and outrageous that neo-Nazi elements or Nazi-inspired individuals in Germany continue to feel empowered to engage in violent acts against Jews and other minorities," Ronald Lauder said. Seehofer told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday that Germany faced three big challenges: growing right-wing radicalism, "worrying" anti-Semitism and violent crimes committed by foreigners. "We aren't blind to any of this," said Seehofer. People left candles and flowers at a playground in eastern Germany where a 22-year-old man died after a fight there. Two Afghan suspects were taken into custody The market for insurance against cyber threats will double by 2020 to over 8 billion dollars, German reinsurance giant Munich Re told a conference in Monaco on Sunday. "Cyber risks are one of the biggest threats to the networked economy," Munich Re board member Torsten Jeworrek said in a statement on the first day of an annual meeting of reinsurers in the Mediterranean principality. Munich Re estimated that companies could more than double their spending on cyber insurance from $3.4-$4 billion (3-3.4 billion euros) in 2017 to $8-$9 billion by 2020. While the digital economy had increased productivity, "increased networking of machines, and equipment in particular, can also give rise to very complex risks such as data theft, disruptions in the interaction between networked machines, and even the failure of entire production lines and supply chains," Munich Re said, estimating the number of connected devices worldwide will rise from 27 billion to 125 billion by 2030. "The economic costs of large-scale cyber attacks already exceeds losses caused by natural disasters. Where small and medium-sized enterprises are affected, such attacks can soon threaten their very existence," Munich Re warned. The most damaging attacks to date, in economic terms, have been caused by malware such as WannaCry and NotPetya, which infected hundreds of thousands of computers around the world in 2017. The malware encrypted data on hard drives, demanding that users pay ransoms to regain access to the system. "This trend will continue as more and more machines and devices are connected," Munich Re warned. The most damaging cyber attacks to date, in economic terms, have been caused by malware such as WannaCry and NotPetya, which infected hundreds of thousands of computers around the world in 2017 The collapse of UN efforts to organise peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels is likely to lead to an escalation in the country's war, analysts say. Long-awaited talks between the Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels linked to Iran were set to start Thursday but failed to take place. The Huthis, armed tribesmen from northern Yemen, refused to leave Sanaa to attend the talks, saying the UN had failed to guarantee the return of their delegation from Geneva to the Yemeni capital and to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. With hopes of political conciliation dashed, experts fear both the rebels and Saudi-backed troops will turn to more violence. "We will almost certainly see a military escalation, as the initial failure of Geneva will deepen the Saudi-led coalition's conviction that only further losses on the battlefield will cause the Huthis to compromise," said Graham Griffith, senior analyst at the UAE-based consultancy Control Risks. "However, the military campaign is likely to be hampered by the additional scrutiny the coalition is facing over its conduct in the war," he added. The Saudi-led coalition has drawn heavy international criticism for the high civilian death toll from its more than three-year-old bombing campaign in Yemen. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes but accuse the rebels of routinely using civilians as human shields. The head of the Huthi rebels, for his part, on Saturday issued a message of defiance. "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression," said Abdulmalik al-Huthi. "We must move on all fronts to recruit for our defence." - 'Mistrust' - The Geneva talks were abandoned on Saturday as fresh fighting broke out on the ground. Analysts say the failure to bring Yemeni representatives to the summit, which would have been the first since lengthy talks in Kuwait collapsed in 2016, will only raise mistrust between the government and rebels. "The peace talks did not begin, and because there is no peace process to be considered that means there are fewer constraints in place for the behaviour of both sides on the ground," said security and defence analyst Aleksandar Mitreski. "While there is mistrust between the actors, as much as there is in any conflict of this kind, I believe the failure of the peace process is due to the imbalance of power between the two sides," said Mitreski, researcher at the University of Sydney. Yemen's government on Saturday accused UN envoy Martin Griffiths of defending the rebels. Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani criticised Griffiths for "appeasing" the Huthis by refusing to lay blame for the failure of the talks squarely on their shoulders. "The UN, unfortunately, does not have the capability to be the equaliser," said Mitreski. - Hodeida - Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Griffiths is UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. All previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. The envoy said Saturday he would travel to Muscat and Sanaa in the coming days to lay the groundwork for future talks, but hinted he might initially engage in separate discussions with the two sides. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place". Complicating things further, fighting has flared again around the vital rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, after a temporary ceasefire was declared by the Saudi-led coalition in June. Government forces on Friday launched another attempt to close in on Hodeida, which had been expected to be one of the main topics of discussion in Geneva. "The next month or two may be critical for fighting over the control of Hodeida. The military operation... could continue since nothing in the political process has changed," said Mitreski. "The only concern for the Saudi-led coalition remains to manage the reaction of the international community." A Yemeni man walks through the rubble of a building that was reportedly destroyed in Saudi-led coalition air strike in the capital Sanaa on September 5, 2018 A Yemeni child recites a prayer by the graves of schoolboys who were killed when an August 9 Saudi-led coalition air strike hit their bus in a Huthi rebel stronghold, killing 51 people Yemen's foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani speaks to journalists on September 7, 2018 in Geneva ahead of the collapse of UN attempts to host warring parties in Yemen for talks on reviving floundering peace process UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths arrives at a press conference on September 5, 2018, ahead of the collapse of planned peace talks between Yemen rebels and the government The family who lived where five bodies were found in a home in Perth had not been seen for a week, neighbours claim. Desrie Cambos, who lives beside the family in Bedford, said the family appeared happy. We greet each other every day and the mum-in-law usually comes over to help out with the three kids, Ms Cambos said. In our minds they were on holiday. WA Police say the five people, including women and children, were discovered in Bedford late this morning. The couple who lived at the Coode Street home had a three-year-old girl and twins, 18-months-old. No one had seen them for the past week at least. Police could not confirm who was dead, or their ages as they are still trying to notify family. Police attended the scene at Coode Street in Bedford, Perth. Source: 7News The discovery of the bodies came after a man in his 20s visited a regional WA police station on Sunday morning. Police subsequently attended the home on Coode Street about midday. The man is being questioned by police, but they are yet to confirm his relationship to the victims. It is also unclear how long their bodies had been inside the home before the grim discovery. I have no details as to why hes presented there and the timelines as to what has led to this particular incident will form part of the investigation by the homicide squad, Assistant Commissioner for the metropolitan region Paul Steel said. How long the bodies have been there will also form part of that timeline inquiry. Forensic officers were at the scene in Bedford, Perth. Source: 7News Mr Steel said investigations were still in the early stages and the scene has not yet been fully examined. The man in custody is the person who attended the regional West Australian police location, Mr Steel said. No charges have been laid, but police say there are no suspects at large. This is a tragic event and it will no doubt have an impact not only on the family and friends of the deceased, but for the whole of the community, those first responders who are faced with attending a scene with multiple deceased people. The police chaplain was at the scene providing support for police officers today. Sweden's anti-immigrant far-right made gains in legislative elections Sunday and vowed to exert "real influence" as kingmaker, after both the left-wing and centre-right blocs failed to obtain a majority and the make-up of the next government remained up in the air. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven invited the centre-right opposition Alliance to talks aimed at a "cross-bloc cooperation", after his Social Democrats remained the biggest party with 28.4 percent of votes, its weakest election score in a century. He said the election result marked "the death of bloc politics" in Sweden. At the head of one of the few left-wing governments in Europe, Lofven's bloc appeared to hold 144 of 349 seats in parliament, one seat more than the Alliance, with votes in 99.8 percent of districts counted. That is well short of the 175 needed for a majority. Just 30,000 votes separated the two blocs. But some 200,000 votes from Swedes who live abroad, which could tip the balance, were only to be counted Wednesday. The four-party Alliance -- made up of the conservative Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals and Centre -- rejected Lofven's invite, urging him to resign as it reiterated its determination to form its own government. In Sweden, the speaker of parliament typically consults all party leaders after an election before tasking the one most likely to succeed at forming a government. Meanwhile, the far-right Sweden Democrats, who have capitalised on voters' frustration over immigration after the country welcomed almost 400,000 asylum seekers since 2012, were seen making steady gains, rising from 12.9 percent in 2014 to 17.6 percent. - 'Real influence' - "We have strengthened our role as kingmaker... We are going to gain real influence over Swedish politics," Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson told cheering supporters at an election night party. The Sweden Democrats remain the third-biggest party -- failing to overtake the Moderates -- and were credited with 17.6 percent of the vote, below the 20 to 30 percent Akesson had hoped to win. Marine Le Pen of France's far-right National Rally -- formerly known as the National Front -- hailed the Swedish party's rise, tweeting: "Yet another bad night ahead for the European Union. The democratic revolution in Europe is moving forward!" Lofven had called the election a "referendum on the future of the welfare state", but the far right presented it as a vote on immigrants and their integration. The Sweden Democrats, with roots in the neo-Nazi movement, have said the large number of asylum-seekers presents a threat to Swedish culture and claim they put a strain on the country's generous welfare state. Around 18.5 percent of Sweden's population of 10 million was born abroad, according to Statistics Sweden. Lofven had urged Swedes not to vote for what he called a "racist party" as he cast his ballot Sunday. "It's... about decency, about a decent democracy. And the Social Democrats and a Social Democratic-led government is a guarantee for not letting the Sweden Democrats extremist party, racist party, get any influence." The Social Democrats have led a minority government with the Greens since 2014, with the informal support of the ex-communist Left Party to pass legislation. Mattias, a Stockholm resident at an election night party in the city, said he was "extremely concerned" about the far right's steady climb since it entered parliament in 2006 with 5.7 percent. "The election is between potential democracy and potential facism," he told AFP. - 'Time to talk to Sweden Democrats' - The composition of the next government may not be known for weeks. Lengthy negotiations will be needed to build a majority, or at least a minority that won't be toppled by the opposite side. Speaking to supporters late Sunday Kristersson said he planned to build a government that would "unite our country and take responsibility". But in order to secure a centre-right majority in parliament, Kristersson would have to put an end to the Sweden Democrats' pariah status and open negotiations with them. That could prove fatal for the Alliance, with the Liberal and Centre parties repeatedly ruling out a deal with the far-right. Akesson has said he would demand a curbing of immigration policy in exchange for his support, or key positions on parliamentary committees that draft legislation. "When the same party time and again increases, and the other parties stand still, then you have to listen to that part of the population that is voting for this party. "It's time to take responsibility and talk to the Sweden Democrats," Sweden Democrats parliamentary group leader Mattias Karlsson told public broadcaster SVT. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven says the legislative elections are a 'referendum on the future of the welfare state' Jimmie Akesson of the Sweden Democrats at the election party in central Stockholm vowed "to gain real influence over Swedish politics". A seven-year-old boy who went missing in Melbournes north while riding his scooter has been found safe. Melbourne police appealed for help to locate Xavier Jones who was last seen at an address on Isla Street, Glenroy about 6pm on Saturday night. He was discovered at 7.45am on Sunday morning at a nearby skate park police believed he was heading to when he disappeared. Concerns were held due to his age and his health after recently undergoing surgery. Tens of thousands of people across the globe took to the streets Saturday to demand that governments step up action on global warming, even as United Nations climate talks tasked with breathing life into the Paris Agreement faltered. Nearly 1,000 events in more than 90 countries delivered a two-pronged message: speed up the shift to a world powered by renewable energy rather than planet-warming gas, oil and coal; and protect the people most vulnerable to rising seas and climate-enhanced extreme weather. The rolling, 24-hour protest peaked in San Francisco, where thousands snaked through the city chanting and carrying handmade signs and banners. Many slogans were barbs from the heart of Blue America pointed at Washington. "Alternative Energy, not Alternative Facts," read one, while another -- more blunt -- said: "More Science, Less Bullshit." "Defend democracy: impeach Putin's poodle," read a third, taking aim squarely at US President Donald Trump, who opted out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty and has moved aggressively to dismantle the climate policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. California -- by some estimates the fifth largest economy in the world -- has committed ambitious goals for slashing carbon dioxide emissions over the next three decades. Governor Jerry Brown leads a coalition of subnational regions and cities also taking aggressive climate action. Many will be represented next week in the port city at the Global Climate Action Summit. But within his own state, Brown has come under attack for allowing the continued extraction of natural gas and oil under his watch. - 'Catastrophic summer' - In France, up to 115,000 people turned out in what may be the country's largest environmental demonstration. Clemence Dubois, the France campaigner for 350.org, an umbrella organization for climate activists worldwide called the march "proof that citizens are ready to demand commitments from our elected officials." A "catastrophic summer" of heatwaves and wildfires across the northern hemisphere made many people realize that climate change is already upon us, she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined in on Twitter. "Extreme weather is threatening our children. The only way to protect our future is ambitious #ClimateAction now," he tweeted. Dozens of Thai fishermen and laborers whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels kicked off the day of protests in Bangkok at the site of the UN climate talks. "I came here today to ask the government to put coastal erosion on the national agenda," 58-year-old fisherwoman Aree Kongklad told AFP. The Paris treaty enjoins nations to cap the rise in global temperatures at "well below" 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two Celsius), and promises $100 billion per year from 2020 in climate finance to the world's most vulnerable nations. But sharp divisions between rich and developing countries -- especially over money -- have deadlocked the technical talks, tasked with hammering out a draft "rule book" that ministers and heads of state can push across the finish line at a UN climate summit in December. More than 10,000 people turned out in Danish capital Copenhagen, police there said, while 1,300 rallied in front of the European Parliament in Brussels. - 'Go fossil free' - "The idea was to challenge the elected officials and governments in the European capital," said teacher Kim Le Quang at the demonstration. "There are a lot of lobbies here and we realize that NGOs do not necessarily have the influence to fight them." As part of protests in Australia, a tall ship moved through Sydney Harbour in front of the Opera House as activists on board held up protest signs. Its billowing sails featured banners that read "Rise for Climate Action with 350," referring to the advocacy group 350.org that spearheaded the global protest. In Manila, more than 800 people -- including one dressed as a T-Rex holding a "Go Fossil Free" sign -- marched through the streets protesting the country's heavy reliance on coal. Along with Bangkok, the Philippine capital is projected to be among the world's urban areas hardest hit by climate change impacts. "We are among the most vulnerable and we are among those still stuck in an energy system that is backwards," campaigner Chuck Baclavon told AFP, adding that the government is out of excuses. Around 10,000 school students and their teachers in northern India tied red ribbons to trees in a call to end deforestation. Subnational governments, cities and businesses will gather in San Francisco on September 12 for the three-day Global Climate Action Summit, an explicit counterweight to actions by Trump. Marchers in the French city of Nantes stand in front of the words "Ready to save the house?" as part of a international day of climate protest on September 8, 2018 Crowds march in San Francisco during the "Rise For Climate" global action Some 200 protesters gathered in front of UN regional headquarters in Bangkok, where climate talks are under way The tall ship Southern Swan sails on Sydney Harbour as part of an environmental protest An environmental activist wearing a face mask depicting US President Donald Trump takes part in a Bangkok demonstration Alibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma will unveil a succession plan on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday, with a company spokesman denying a New York Times report that he would retire that day. The SCMP, which is owned by Alibaba, said China's most famous tech billionaire will "unveil a succession strategy" on Monday -- his 54th birthday -- but remain the company's executive chairman for the foreseeable future. The New York Times ran an article on Friday, based on an interview with Ma, saying the former teacher turned billionaire planned to use his birthday to announce his retirement as chairman of Alibaba to focus on philanthropy. The paper quoted Ma as saying the decision was "the beginning of an era". But an Alibaba spokesman told the SCMP that the New York Times' story "was taken out of context, and factually wrong". "An Alibaba spokesman said Ma remains the company's executive chairman and will provide transition plans over a significant period of time," the SCMP wrote. The paper added that the Monday succession strategy was part of a plan "for grooming a generation of younger executives to take over the reins" of the company. Eileen Murphy, a spokesperson for the New York Times, said the newspaper stood by its story. Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus, becoming one of the world's richest men and a revered figure in his homeland. His own worth has soared along with that of the company, which has added cloud computing, films and e-payments to its growing portfolio and was valued at $420.8 billion when the stock market closed on Friday. The New York Times' report surprised many in the global business community because of Ma's comparative youth, especially in China where it is not unusual for tycoons to remain in place into their eighties. Alibaba did not return requests for comment on Saturday after the story ran. Ma gave up the title of Alibaba CEO in 2013 but remains a pivotal figure within the company as well as its most recognisable face. In an interview with Bloomberg TV released on Friday, Ma hinted at his retirement plans, saying he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the world's most prolific philanthropists. "There's a lot of things I can learn from Bill Gates. I can never be as rich, but one thing I can do better is to retire earlier," he said. The SCMP report ran quotes from Ma himself, but they did not address when exactly he would retire. Ma said he met with company executives 10 years ago to work out "what Alibaba would do without me". "Anybody who knows me knows I embrace the future. This is not about retiring, stepping away, or backing off. This is a systematic plan," the paper quoted Ma as saying. The SCMP said Ma would be in Russia next week for Alibaba business meetings as well as an upcoming trip to South Africa and a planned speech at the company's investor day in mid-September. Alibaba has denied reports that co-founder and chairman Jack Ma is to retire Monday Jack Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus, becoming one of the world's richest men and a revered figure in his homeland The SCMP reports that Ma plans to unveil his succession strategy on Monday, not his imminent retirement Japan is suffering its first outbreak of pig cholera in more than 25 years, authorities said Sunday after culling more than 600 animals and suspending pork exports. A farm in central Japan saw 80 pigs die last week after catching the highly-contagious disease, an agricultural ministry official told AFP. Early tests showed negative results for classical swine fever, as the illness is officially known. But follow-up tests came out positive Sunday, prompting the cull of all 610 pigs at the farm, he added. "We are now processing the livestock there and disinfecting the farm," he said, adding that officials had set up sterilisation points on access roads to the affected farm. The government has set up a team of specialists to analyse possible infection routes, the agricultural ministry said in a statement. Tokyo halted pork exports after the outbreak was confirmed. The nation sold roughly $9 million in raw pork meat to foreign markets last year. Japan saw its last case of classic swine fever, which does not affect humans, in 1992. The disease continues to rage in many parts of Asia, Europe and Latin America. Tokyo halted pork exports after the outbreak was confirmed A suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up near a convoy of gunmen commemorating the death anniversary of a famed resistance leader in Kabul on Sunday, killing at least seven people, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest deadly attack in the Afghan capital that comes days after a double bombing at a wrestling club killed at least 26 people. At least seven people were killed and 24 wounded in the explosion, the interior ministry said in a statement. All the casualties were civilians. The force of the blast shattered windows and shook nearby buildings. Among the dead was the driver of a car taking part in the commemorations. He veered off the road and into the front of a shop when the blast happened, witnesses told AFP. Two of his passengers were wounded, they said. Afghan security forces said earlier they had shot dead a man who had been planning to blow himself up near supporters of Ahmad Shah Massoud. The Tajik commander led resistance to the Soviet occupation in the 1980s and to the 1996-2001 Taliban regime. The attack came as convoys of gun-wielding men terrorised Kabul as they commemorated the 17th anniversary of Massoud's death. Massoud was killed two days before the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington that precipitated the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Dozens of cars and pickups carrying men armed with heavy weapons and waving flags drove around the city, blaring loud sirens. AFP journalists heard frequent bursts of gunfire. At least 13 people were wounded by falling bullets and taken to hospital, health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told journalists. Police arrested 110 people and seized 20 cars and 10 weapons, the interior ministry said, as part of a crackdown on the violent commemorations. Elsewhere, nearly 20 members of the Afghan security forces were killed in fighting overnight, adding to the hundreds of people killed in recent weeks. Ten police officers were killed and eight wounded during an hours-long gunbattle with Taliban fighters in Wardak province, near Kabul, provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal told AFP. "Air strikes were called in and over 50 Taliban fighters were killed" in the fighting in Daimirdad district, Mangal added. On the other side of the country, Taliban fighters attacked a checkpoint in Obe district in Herat province, killing nine members of the security forces, provincial governor spokesman Jailani Farhad told AFP. Five others were wounded in the attack that ended when government-backed reinforcements were sent to the scene, Farhad said, adding that 15 insurgents were killed. - 'Rule of law' - The bloodshed comes amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts to convince the Taliban, Afghanistan's largest militant group, to agree to negotiate an end to the war. The smaller but potent Islamic State (IS) group is not part of the process, with the United States vowing to annihilate its fighters in Afghanistan. But Sunday's blatant lawlessness in the capital and the limited response from security forces further undermined confidence in authorities. In a firestorm of angry posts on social media, war-weary Afghans expressed their frustration with the constant violence and the government's inability to protect civilians. "Why do people have to endure this every year on Sept 9th? Why is the #Afghan govt allowing this?" one social media user posted on Twitter. "Where is rule of law?" tweeted another. A double bombing at a wrestling club in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood on Wednesday killed at least 26 people, including two journalists, and wounded 91. IS claimed responsibility for the attack. The extremist group considers Shiite Muslims apostates and has ramped up attacks against the minority community in recent years. The last major IS-claimed attack on Shiites in Kabul was on August 15 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in an education centre, killing dozens of students. strs-mam-emh-amj/rma There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest deadly attack in the Afghan capital Map locating suicide bombing in Kabul where a motorcyclist exploded himself near a group commemorating the death of resistance fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud. Sunday's blatant lawlessness in the capital and the limited response from security forces has further undermined confidence in authorities Nuclear-armed North Korea will be in the spotlight as Russia's Vladimir Putin begins meetings with Asian leaders Monday, aiming to drive regional diplomacy as a push backed by Donald Trump appears to stall. A week before the third summit between the two Koreas in five months begins in Pyongyang, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korea's Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon converge on Vladivostok for an economic forum held September 11-13. The event in the far eastern Russian city is symbolic of Moscow's push for closer diplomatic and economic ties with Asia as its relations with the West are in crisis. It will also allow the Kremlin to discuss the dramatic rapprochement between Trump and Kim Jong Un with key regional players. Kim was also invited to the Vladivostok forum but will not attend, a Russian lawmaker said at the weekend. Japan's Abe is set to meet Putin on Monday evening to discuss "boosting economic cooperation and commercial exchanges" but also to "exchange views on the situation on the Korean peninsula," said Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov. Talks with China's Xi -- the third meeting this year -- are planned for Tuesday, and a meeting with Lee Nak-yeon Wednesday. Russia and China both have land borders with North Korea and were its allies in the Korean conflict in the early 1950s. They support North Korea's denuclearisation and abide by international sanctions against Pyongyang, but have rejected Trump's threats of military action made last year. A week after the leaders meet Putin, a summit of the two Koreas will take place in Pyongyang on September 18-20. Seoul is currently looking to give second wind to diplomatic momentum that culminated in the historic summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump on June 12 in Singapore. The two reached the vague compromise in favour of "complete de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", but no timeline and details were agreed. - Moscow's second fiddle - Since the summit, diplomatic negotiations between the two countries have seemed to stall, and Trump in August cancelled a planned visit to Pyongyang by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. If South Korea opts to normalise ties with Pyongyang despite the cooling of Washington's enthusiasm, it will need diplomatic support in the region, said political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov. Though Moscow has never played a leading role on the issue, "this is where Russia's role would become centre stage," he said. And the issue of nuclear-armed North Korea will most likely not be the main topic in Vladivostok, said Andrei Lankov, a historian at Seoul's Kookmin University. Unlike China, Russia "has not given any financial aid to Pyongyang for over 30 years," its support to North Korea is "purely symbolic," so it does not have any real leverage for influence in the country. Since the beginning of the year, Kim Jong Un has made three visits to China, met once with Trump and twice with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, "and he did not meet Putin once," Lankov noted. Unlike his predecessor Kim Jong-il, the current North Korean leader has never been to Russia. Sooner or later, Kim will end up coming to Russia, Lankov said, but "like Trump, he likes dramatic effects, and he will monitor to see when his visit would make the biggest impact possible". Russia's President Vladimir Putin will hold his third meeting with with China's Xi Jinping on Tuesday Regional powers have scrambled to take the diplomatic initiative this year in efforts to curb North Korea's military ambitions Since the summit between Trump and Kim, diplomatic negotiations between North Korea and the US have seemed to stall Developing countries rounded on the United States and its allies at emergency climate talks Sunday, accusing the world's richest nations of stalling on a deal aimed at preventing runaway global warming. Experts from around the world wrapped up discussions in Bangkok geared towards creating a comprehensive rulebook for countries to implement the landmark Paris Accord on climate change. But talks foundered over the key issue of how efforts to limit climate change are funded and how contributions are reported. Delegates representing some of Earth's poorest and smallest nations said on the final day of the summit that the US and other Western economies had failed to live up to their green spending commitments. "Developed countries are responsible for the vast majority of historic emissions, and many became remarkably wealthy burning fossil fuels," said Amjad Abdulla, the head of a negotiating bloc of small island states. "Yet, we face devastating climate impacts and some of us could be lost forever to rising seas" without progress on the Paris deal by the end of the year, he added. The Paris deal, struck in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to less than two degrees Celsius and to below 1.5 degrees if possible by the end of the century. To do this, countries agreed to a set of promises, including to establish an annual $100-billion fund to help developing nations react to our heating planet. But the details of the final rulebook are subject to intense debate. The US and other developed economies want less oversight on how their funding is gathered and more flexibility over how future finance is structured. But developing nations insist they need predictable and open funding in order to effectively plan their fight against the fallout from climate change. A senior climate negotiator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP Sunday that the US and other rich nations were asking poorer ones to trust them to self-regulate climate financing. "We want to do our bit, but how can we trust them? Show us the money," the negotiator said. Delegates ended talks Sunday with an agreement to hand over technical discussions to a panel of experts, who will continue to meet before the COP 24 kicks off in Katowice, Poland, at the start of December. Patricia Espinosa, the UN's climate change secretary, told reporters progress had been made in Bangkok "on most issues" but that "no issues have been fully resolved yet". The issue of climate finance was "very difficult and politically sensitive", she added. "For Katowice to be successful, work needs to speed up and political will needs to be intensified." - Paris deal 'on brink' - The Bangkok talks were organised as an emergency negotiating session after little progress was made at previous rounds towards a final rulebook. Under the timeframe set in Paris, the guidelines must be finalised by the end of 2018. While delegates made some headway on areas such as new technology and carbon markets, activists said the US -- with Western acquiescence -- had stonewalled momentum on the key funding issue. Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change for NGO ActionAid, said Sunday the Paris deal was "on the brink". "Developed countries are going back on their word and refusing to agree clear rules governing climate finance," he told reporters. "If they remain stuck in their positions and fail to loosen their purses, this treaty may collapse." - 'Unimpressed by politicians' - The US under President Donald Trump will leave the Paris process in 2020, but multiple delegates in Bangkok told AFP it was still actively hindering progress in talks. One senior negotiator said the US was "poisoning" the atmosphere of trust that led to the Paris accord. Activists also called out the European Union, Britain and Australia for falling into line with Washington's position. A State Department official told AFP US negotiators would "continue to actively participate in ongoing climate ?negotiations -- including negotiations to develop guidance for implementation of the Paris Agreement -- to protect and advance US interests". Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the rate of climate change was rapidly outstripping the political effort to curb it. "As this summer's devastating wave of heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events across the world makes abundantly clear, the Earth's climate system is unimpressed by politicians' rhetoric." Talks in Bangkok have foundered over the key issue of how efforts to limit climate change are funded and how contributions are reported Nigeria's military on Sunday said it had restored order after Boko Haram fighters took control of a town in the country's remote northeast, sparking fears about the group's resurgence. Scores of jihadists believed to be loyal to a faction backed by the Islamic State group overran troops in Gudumbali on Friday, according to local officials and security sources. At least eight civilians were thought to have been killed and thousands more forced to flee, in what was the Islamist extremists' first major seizure of a town in two years. It also followed a series of deadly attacks on troops, which have called into question repeated government and military claims that Boko Haram is weakened to the point of defeat. Nigerian Army spokesman Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, who on Saturday said he was "not aware" of the attack, on Sunday confirmed the incident. "The encounter took place when the insurgents attacked the community, set some buildings ablaze and quickly withdrew from the community," he said in a statement. "However, no human casualty was recorded in the encounter. The troops have regrouped and normalcy has been restored. The troops have also been reinforced with additional troops to dominate the general area." Nigeria's military regularly trumpets its apparent successes against Boko Haram and has strongly denied previous reports of army casualties in attacks. There was no independent verification of Chukwu's claim, as access to areas outside the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, is tightly controlled by the military. Nine years of conflict, which has claimed at least 20,000 lives in northeast Nigeria, has also destroyed telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas. Gudumbali is the Guzamala area of Borno and one of a number of places where people displaced by the long-running conflict have been encouraged to return. Aid agencies dealing with the humanitarian effects of the insurgency believe the returns are being dictated by politics, with elections scheduled for February next year. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, is hoping to secure a second, four-year term. He first said Boko Haram was "technically defeated" in late 2015 and recently said Borno was in a "post-conflict stabilisation phase", despite the continued attacks. The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction broke away in 2016 because of long-time Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau's indiscriminate targeting of civilians. ISWAP is believed to be trying to get the support of local people in the Muslim-majority region by only hitting government and military targets. Chukwu called for people to "remain calm and resilient" but also to be aware of "strange faces to prevent fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from infiltrating and hibernating in their communities". Nigeria's military on Sunday said it had restored order after Boko Haram fighters took control of a town in the country's remote northeast, sparking fears about the group's resurgence. Nigeria's military on Sunday said it had restored order after Boko Haram fighters took control of a town in the country's remote northeast, sparking fears about the group's resurgence. Scores of jihadists believed to be loyal to a faction backed by the Islamic State group overran troops in Gudumbali on Friday. The toll from what was the Islamist extremists' first major seizure of a town in two years was put at at least eight by civilian militia sources, although the Nigerian army denied there were casualties. It also followed a series of recent deadly attacks on troops, which have called into question repeated government and military claims that Boko Haram is weakened to the point of defeat. Nigerian Army spokesman Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, said: "The encounter took place when the insurgents attacked the community, set some buildings ablaze and quickly withdrew from the community. "However, no human casualty was recorded in the encounter. The troops have regrouped and normalcy has been restored. The troops have also been reinforced with additional troops to dominate the general area." A military source in Maiduguri said troops returned to a deserted town on Sunday morning, indicating that Boko Haram had withdrawn voluntarily at some point on Saturday. "Residents are yet to return to the town having fled to other places to escape the attack. The fighters looted the (military) base before leaving," he told AFP. - Naval base - Nigeria's military regularly trumpets its apparent successes against Boko Haram but has strongly denied previous reports of army casualties in attacks. Access to areas outside Maiduguri, where much of the fighting has taken place, is strictly controlled by the military, making verification difficult or impossible. Raids on military bases were a regular occurrence in 2013 and 2014, when the group seized territory across northeast Nigeria and briefly proclaimed a caliphate. The military source in Maiduguri said Boko Haram also attacked a naval base in Fishdam, near Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad at about 10:20 pm (2120 GMT) on Saturday. Fighting lasted into the early hours of Sunday and involved soldiers from the regional security force set up to stop cross-border Boko Haram attacks. "The navy radioed the Multi-National Joint Task Force for reinforcements and the MNJTF responded by firing mortars on the BH position outside the base," the source said. "Subsequently the soldiers were able to repel the attack. It is still not clear the level of casualties inflicted on Boko Haram." The Nigerian Navy has been conducting operations against Boko Haram fighters based on islands on Lake Chad, where the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon meet. - Questions - The Gudumbali attack will raise fears that Boko Haram is again strong and confident enough to take on the Nigerian military and has boosted its arsenal. It will likely also prompt questions about the policy of returning displaced people to the Guzumala area, of which Gudumbali is the district headquarters -- and elsewhere. In recent months, the authorities have encouraged thousands of people made homeless by the long-running conflict to return home, insisting it is safe to do so. But aid agencies dealing with the humanitarian effects of the insurgency disagree, and believe politics are dictating the returns, as elections approach in February next year. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, is hoping to secure a second, four-year term. The former army general first said Boko Haram was "technically defeated" in late 2015 and recently claimed that Borno was in a "post-conflict stabilisation phase". The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction split from long-time leader Abubakar Shekau because of his indiscriminate targeting of civilians. ISWAP is believed to be trying to get the support of local people in the Muslim-majority region by only hitting government and military targets. Nigeria's military on Sunday said it had restored order after Boko Haram fighters took control of a town in the country's remote northeast, sparking fears about the group's resurgence. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Sunday said his government would complete its four-year term despite disagreement with his coalition partner over a disputed name deal with Macedonia. Tsipras said his coalition partner Panos Kammenos, head of the nationalist Independent Greeks party, "will not endanger the country's recovery and political stability". "The country needs political stability," he told a news conference in Thessaloniki. Elections are not scheduled for another year but Kammenos has vowed to do everything in his power to block the deal, including leaving the government. The preliminary agreement with Macedonia in June, to be confirmed by a referendum by Skopje later this month and a Greek parliamentary vote early in 2019, will see the Balkan state renamed North Macedonia. Tsipras on Sunday acknowledged that full implementation of the agreement "will not be easy" as it requires a constitutional revision that the Macedonian government currently lacks the necessary parliamentary majority to undertake. The tiny landlocked country had joined the United Nations in 1993 as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece also has a northern province named Macedonia, the heart of Alexander the Great's ancient kingdom, and many Greeks fear the deal will officially enable Skopje to lay claim to their cultural heritage. There is also concern that most of the world will simply continue to call the neighbouring country Macedonia. But Tsipras insisted Sunday that the deal "fully safeguards the history of ancient Macedonia, which is Greek and is part of our national identity." A June opinion poll showed most Greeks oppose the deal. Some 7,000 people demonstrated on Saturday in Thessaloniki in a protest organised by local citizens and church groups. A small group of protesters threw flares and stones at police, who responded with tear gas into crowds that included children. Eight people were arrested, two of them minors. Several shops and cars were vandalised by suspected far-right hardliners, including one with Turkish license plates. The main opposition New Democracy party also rejects the deal, but Tsipras, who controls 145 seats in the 300-seat parliament, could still get it approved by simple majority with the help of lawmakers from smaller parties or independents who have voiced support. Many Greeks fear the Macedonia name deal will officially enable Skopje to lay claim to their cultural heritage, leading some Greeks to protest -- including on Friday Protesters clashed with police on Friday during a demonstration against the agreement reached by Greece and Macedonia to resolve a dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela on Sunday asked the United States to respect his country's sovereignty after the US recalled its envoys from three regional countries for switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. "We respect the sovereign decisions of other countries and we will always ask the same respect for ours," Varela said in a statement. The United States on Friday recalled its envoys from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, as well as its charge d'affaires from Panama, to protest the diplomatic switch. Those countries have said their decision reflected simple economic realities -- big, fast-growing China has been spending billions to build ports, rail lines and other projects across Latin America. Taiwan and China have been engaged for years in a diplomatic tug-of-war in developing countries, with aid and economic support often used as bargaining chips to gain diplomatic recognition. Beijing sees self-ruling, democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it into the fold. But Washington, now engaged in a trade war against Beijing, accuses the Chinese of trying to use aid to drive a wedge between Taipei and its Western Hemisphere partners. Varela said that the United States and Panama would always work together "in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorism" while supporting democracy and freedom. As "a sovereign country, we will always make our decisions" based on Panama's own interests, he said. The United States is Taiwan's most important unofficial ally and chief provider of military equipment, though the relationship has at times been tricky since Washington in 1979 established diplomatic relations with China and formally ended them with Taiwan. Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela is asking the United States to respect his country's decision to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China Nineteen people were killed on Sunday when a small plane crashed into a lake in the centre of South Sudan, while four people including two children survived, a regional official told AFP. Regional information minister for the Eastern Lakes state Taban Abel Aguek said the plane, carrying 23 people, had crashed in the central town of Yirol as it came in to land. "The number of people we have confirmed dead is 19 people and four people survived," said Abel, adding that two children were among the survivors, as was an Italian citizen. Abel said the Anglican Bishop of Yirol, Simon Adut, was confirmed among the dead. The Italian non-governmental organisation Medici con Africa Cuamm wrote on its website that an Italian doctor named Damiano Cantone, who had been on his way to work at a children's hospital in Yirol, was among the survivors. The UN broadcaster Radio Miraya had earlier reported him dead. The pilot and co-pilot, a staff member with the International Committee of the Red Cross, a Ugandan who runs a private clinic in Yirol, a government official and two army officers were also confirmed dead. "The whole town is in shock, the shops are closed, some people have taken their relatives for burial. It is a commercial plane that crashed," Abel told AFP. "When the plane was landing the weather was foggy and this was not a good situation for plane landing." Radio Miraya posted a picture on its Twitter account of the twisted wreckage of the plane submerged in water. Abel described the plane as a 19-seater, however it was not clear whether this included crew seats. A passenger manifesto seen by AFP shows 20 passengers, while Abel said a child on the flight had not been recorded on the manifesto. Overloading of planes is common in South Sudan, and this was believed to have contributed to the 2015 crash of a Soviet-era Antonov plane upon takeoff in Juba which left 36 people dead. In 2017, 37 people had a miraculous escape after their plane hit a fire truck on a runway in northwestern Wau before bursting into flames. South Sudan was plunged into civil war in December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of planning a coup, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. Map locating the South Sudan town of Yirol where 19 people were killed in a light plane crash Pro- and anti-whaling nations are set for a showdown when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meets in Brazil from Monday as Japan leads an assault on a three-decade old moratorium on commercial whale hunting. Tokyo heads into the biennial meeting as chair of the 88-nation body determined to shake-up what it says is a dysfunctional organization mired in dispute and unable to make key decisions. But Japan's package of proposals, entitled "The Way Forward," has left conservationists seething even before delegates have taken their seats at the 67th IWC meeting in the Brazilian surfing resort of Florianapolis. They say it's a blatant attempt to overturn the 1986 moratorium and restore commercial whaling. "This meeting is critical," said Patrick Ramage of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "Member countries must stand together and push progress towards whale protection, not let this commission be pulled back into the bygone era of commercial whaling." Brazil as host country is instead trying to rally anti-whaling nations behind a "Florianopolis Declaration," which insists that commercial whaling is no longer a necessary economic activity and would allow the recovery of all whale populations to pre-industrial whaling levels. Other key issues being discussed in the week-long meeting are risks to whales of human-made underwater noise pollution, ship strikes, climate change and "ghost-gear" entanglement -- where whales are increasingly snared by abandoned fishing gear. Nations opposed to whaling plan to renew a long-standing proposal for the creation of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, after previous proposals were knocked by the pro-whaling lobby. - 'Scientific research' - Japan formally observes the moratorium but exploits a "scientific research" loophole to kill hundreds of the animals every year, despite international criticism. It has regularly sought an easing of the IWC's prohibition on commercial whaling, and incoming chairman Joji Morishita says there must be major changes at the Florianapolis meeting in order to break the deadlock between pro- and anti-whaling countries. Japan argues that stocks of Minke whales and other species have recovered and proposes setting new catch quotas "for species whose stocks are recognized as healthy by the IWC's scientific committee." Among Japan's proposed reforms is a rule change that would allow decisions to be made by simple majority vote, doing away with the current practice of a three-quarters majority being needed. Japan says the commission's decision making ability is hampered by this rule, because of the rift between supporters and opponents of whaling. It also wants to set up a "Sustainable Whaling Committee" which would create catch-quotas for nations wishing to allow their nationals to hunt healthy whale populations for commercial purposes. Ahead of the IWC meeting, Australia said it would "vehemently oppose" any attempts to undermine the moratorium. - Moratorium still in place- The moratorium -- agreed in 1986 amid fears that some species were becoming extinct -- is still in place, with some exceptions. Iceland and Norway are the only countries that allow commercial whaling and are likely to come under renewed pressure at the IWC meeting, which runs until Friday. Iceland has come under direct pressure to end whaling from the European Union, which led an international protests in 2014. The government in Reykjavik has defied criticism and gave the country's whale hunters permission to take 238 fin whales this year. Fin whales are considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Also, aboriginal subsistence hunting is allowed in several countries including the United States, Russia, Greenland, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. Conservation groups are opposed to a proposal before the IWC to increase annual whale kill quotas for these countries, and automatic renewal of quotas every six years, without consulting the IWC's scientific committee. Pro- and anti-whaling nations are set for a showdown when the International Whaling Commission meets in Brazil Monday Factfile on minke whales, main target of Japanese hunters. Iceland and Norway are the only countries that allow commercial whaling while Japan exploits a "scientific research" loophole to kill hundreds of the animals every year The crew of a Japanese whaling ship check a harpoon gun before departure at Ayukawa port in Ishinomaki City Hundreds of Kosovar Albanians blocked access to a village due to be visited by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Sunday, an AFP journalist said, as a festering row over Kosovo independence clouds hopes that the war foes can normalise relations. Demonstrators used vehicles and tree trunks to create a barricade on the main road between Mitrovica, in the north of Kosovo, and the village of Banje, a Serbian enclave some 60 kilometres (40 miles) away. "Vucic does not pass" and "Those who committed genocide against innocent civilians cannot pass" read messages on placards at the blockade, which according to Serbian state television RTS was one of five set up by protesters to cut off all road access to Banje. Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo, an Albanian-majority former southern province that broke away from the then Yugoslav republic in a bloody war in 1998-1999 and declared independence a decade later. According to RTS, Vucic's route was blocked by former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the pro-independence guerrilla movement that fought Serb armed forces in the conflict. The Serbian president is making a two-day visit to Kosovo, just days after planned talks with Kosovo president Hashim Thaci in Brussels under EU auspices fell apart at the last minute. The talks have been stalled for months but started generating attention in recent months after Thaci and Vucic signalled an openness to the idea of border changes to resolve their longstanding differences over Kosovo's independence. The presidents have not laid out any detailed plans but the talk has alarmed critics, who say redrawing the map of the Balkans could wreak havoc in a fragile region scarred by war. Vucic is due to speak at a public event later Sunday in Serb-majority Mitrovica. Serbia needs a deal with Pristina to move forward in EU accession talks, while Kosovo is hoping that recognition from Belgrade that would unlock its path into the United Nations. Kosovo is recognised by more than 110 countries, but outliers include Russia, China and five EU countries, including Spain, which does not want to set an independence precedent for its own regions. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic is making a two-day visit to Kosovo, just days after planned talks on independence with Kosovo president Hashim Thaci in Brussels fell apart at the last minute Former Marine Technician Petty Officer Dave Finney enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy when he was 18-years-old. He has earned many medals for his service, but says they are reminders of the sacrifice he made leaving a young daughter and wife at home while sailing around the world. Former Marine Technician Petty Officer Dave Finney enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy when he was just 18 years old. Source: Dave Finney The next 20 years was spent deployed all over the world, rescuing refugees and witnessing the devastations of communities ravaged by war. But the conflict that left the biggest impact on Mr Finney was the one he was battling internally. The 38-year-old had spent his whole adult life up until now, in the Navy. Last year he realised the mental toll was too much and he could no longer be at sea, doing the job he loved. Its a sustained danger or grief that sticks around, is how he described his PTSD to Yahoo7. It just defeats you. Wears you down over time. At times he said the disorder takes him back to a dark room surrounded by fuel; other times he is haunted by the grief of losing his newborn son to SIDS in 2007 and realising the CPR he is administering is not going to save him. Its hard to put your hand up before its too late. Theres a loss of status, threat of being thrown off the ship when thats what you love, he said. In 2009 Mr Finneys life came crashing down. It was two years after his baby son Kayne died in his arms; his marriage was falling apart; and he became involved with the harrowing mission of rescuing refugees. I was living in a state of exhaustion He was then admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he spent some time building the foundations of recovery, but went straight back to work after he was released. It took six to 12 months to realise I am not OK I couldnt defeat it, I was living in a state of exhaustion, he told Yahoo7. Dave Finney earned many medals for his service, but says they are reminders of the sacrifice of leaving a young family. Source: Dave Finney Deployed mostly to offer humanitarian aid, Mr Finney admitted he kept telling himself he was never in the thick of the conflict and never the victim. Despite admitting he was involved in some form of serious incident every year for 12 years, he still felt he shouldnt be mentally impacted by what he faced. Story continues Mr Finney said what hit home was coming face to face with the full circle of war: rescuing children whose parents had been shot dead, the soldiers who had been in the line of duty, and the refugees desperate to flee their war-ravaged homes. You see the whole ugliness of humanity It really hits you. Dave Finney found it tough to balance life at sea with being a dad to Kate, as well as a husband. Source: Dave Finney A soldier I met in Bougainville [Papua New Guinea] said arms on both sides were all calling out for their mother [as they are dying], he said. The realisation they were all the same in their dying moments really struck a chord. At breaking point, ready to seek help My moral compass was knocked when I met kids whose families had been killed. I met soldiers, and refugees I saw the bullet holes, blood, barbed wire. The sheer scale of the human tragedy was the refugees on the Australian shoreline. Some of them hadnt eaten for days. If we hadnt found them, they would have died. It makes you think which ones didnt we find? Hearing their stories, seeing sick kids only a couple years after I lost my son as well all those things intertwined in my head and I couldnt feel safe for anyone around me. Holding a machine gun one day, then a newborn the next, the constant internal conflict that tells me to be a family man, but also ready to sail to the other side of the world at a moments notice, he recalled. That internal conflict was the breaking point where Mr Finney realised he needed help. I drifted into a [mental] area where I was looking for ways to take my own life, all while going to work the next day. For the last three to four years if I did an hours work I had to sleep I was so mentally drained. Dave Finney on a road trip with his daughter Kate, who turns 10 in two week. Source: Dave Finney At the time he didnt recognise the red flags in the routine of being immersed in his job, and neither did those around him. I present well, that why everyone thinks youre fine. I had a world of services and options available to me, but I was so overwhelmed I didnt know how to ask for help. Over a 12 month period, Mr Finney was admitted to a PTSD ward full of people who were battling the same demons as him mostly other military personnel and first responders like police officers, ambulance officers, fire fighters and nurses. Im just trying to find my place The former Navy officer is now adjusting to civilian life in Canberra where says he has built a solid support network, while working to reconnect with those hes drifted apart from over the years. Dave Finney pictured with other Camp Quality volunteers. Source: Dave Finney Mr Finney has also been volunteering with camp quality for the past four years and acted as a Big Brother with Menslink where he mentored a young man for two years. These things have both restored some of my faith in humanity and given me back a good portion of my strength, he said. While the road to finding his place is an ongoing one, he is working on a book about his military life and the struggles that came along with it. He hopes sharing his story about PTSD will help break down the taboos around mental health for military personnel and others struggling with inner demons and encourage them to ask for help. Support services If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling: The head of Brazil's military has issued a warning against the presidential candidacy of the country's imprisoned former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been banned from standing for office. The warning from General Eduardo Villas Boas came as supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro demonstrated in support of the frontrunner and former army officer, who is convalescing after being stabbed while campaigning. In an interview published Sunday in the Estadao de S.Paulo newspaper, Villas Boas said that "the worst scenario" would be for a president to be elected with a pending court ruling, "removing legitimacy... and further dividing Brazilian society." He took aim at the UN Human Rights Committee, which recently said the left-wing icon could not be barred from elections while his legal appeals are ongoing. It is "is an attempt to violate national sovereignty," Villas Boas said of the committee's position. The general caused a stir in April when his criticism of "impunity" for corrupt politicians was seen as a direct appeal for the Supreme Court to authorize prison for Lula. Brazil's military is highly respected but has kept largely clear of politics since the return of democracy in 1985 after two decades of dictatorship. In Rio de Janeiro, some 2,000 supporters demonstrated at Copacabana beach in support of Bolsonaro on Sunday. - Knife attack - "Bolsonaro was stabbed because he is already elected," Flavio, one of the candidate's sons, told the cheering crowd. He wore the same shirt -- yellow with the words "My party is Brazil" -- that his father had on when he was stabbed in the abdomen on Thursday during a rally in Juiz de Fora. The Bolsonaro supporters said a prayer for the candidate's health and then went into a loud rendition of the Brazilian national anthem. "I am totally sure that he is the only one who can repair this country and end corruption," Nilce Ferreira, wearing a Brazilian national team jersey, said at Copacabana. Another gathering of "Bolsonaristas" -- this one in Brasilia -- was attended by almost a thousand people, according to media estimates, and a third was to take place in Sao Paulo during the afternoon. A left-wing activist knifed Bolsonaro in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais on Thursday, claiming to be on a "mission from God." He is hospitalized in the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, which said Sunday that his condition is improving but that he was still receiving nutrients intravenously. The knife attack was the latest in a series of bizarre twists in Brazil's presidential contest, from which Lula -- the most popular candidate -- was disqualified because he is serving a jail sentence for accepting a bribe, leaving Bolsonaro the frontrunner. The commander of the Brazilian army, General Eduardo Villas Boas, caused a stir when his criticism of "impunity" for corrupt politicians was seen as a direct appeal for the Supreme Court to authorize prison for ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva An Adelaide pizza bar had an extra special delivery when a teenage girl in labour walked in and gave birth just minutes later. It was the usual Saturday night dinner trade for Cocos Pizza at Penfield, in Adelaides north, with customers picking up their takeaway orders. That was until there was a delivery of a different kind. The 17-year-old mother could never have imagined her daughters arrival would be this dramatic. The pizza shop became a makeshift delivery room when she walked in, grabbing her stomach and asking for help. Many are wondering if the baby will be named Coco. Source: 7 News She laid on the floor in labour as quick-thinking staff put screens up for privacy. Staff and customers helped the new mum until paramedics arrived. I was talking mum through it and holding her hand and rubbing her head and giving her water when she needed, a woman who helped the teen said. Those in the shop cheered when the little girl was born. Staff and customers help the teen deliver her baby. Source: 7 News After the baby was delivered I was still holding her hand until she left on the bed with the ambos, the woman who helped said. The new mum and her baby are recovering at the Lyell McEwin Hospital. The young mum walked into the pizza shop, grabbing her stomach. Source: 7 News The special delivery sparked much talk on social media and Cocos praised its staff while admitting the ordeal was a little frightening. Its now business as usual for the pizza bar, but many are left wondering if the little girl will be named Coco. The five people found dead inside a Perth home on Sunday have been identified by police as three young siblings, their mother and grandmother. WA Police informed media on Monday morning that the three children killed were twin two-year-old girls and their three-year-old sister. The identities of the five have yet to be released by police. It is a tragic thing when incidents like this occur. It does send a ripple through the community of Western Australia, Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan Region Paul Steel said. The family was discovered at a Bedford property on Sunday morning after a man in his 20s visited a regional WA police station. Police have confirmed three young children were among the five people found dead at a Bedford home on Sunday. Source: AAP Police subsequently attended the home on Coode Street about midday. The man is being questioned by police, but they are yet to confirm his relationship to the victims. Family hadnt been seen for a week, neighbours say It is also unclear how long their bodies had been inside the home before the grim discovery. I have no details as to why hes presented there and the timelines as to what has led to this particular incident will form part of the investigation by the homicide squad, Assistant Commissioner Steel said. Investigations are ongoing and while a man remains in police custody over the incident, no charge have been laid. Source: AAP How long the bodies have been there will also form part of that timeline inquiry. Neighbours claim the family who lived at the home had not been seen for a week. The man currently assisting police remains in custody, no charges have been laid at this time. Its believed the man was known to the victims, although police have not confirmed this. This is a tragic event and it will no doubt have an impact not only on the family and friends of the deceased, but for the whole of the community, those first responders who are faced with attending a scene with multiple deceased people, Assistant Commissioner Steel said. The police chaplain was at the scene providing support for police officers on Sunday. Two friends travelling in Bali were saved by a single Facebook post after they crashed their scooter in the dead of night. Friends Michael Lythcott, 36, and Stacey Eno, were travelling in Ubud, Bali, on August 22 when the horror crash occurred. The American pair met while travelling in Thailand in February and arranged to meet up in Bali. Mr Lythcott is an American expat living in Lisbon, Portugal, while Ms Eno teaches English in Gwangju, South Korea. They were riding on one scooter when their brakes failed, propelling them over an embankment and into a ravine at about 2.30am in the morning. Me and Stacey were riding on my scooter back to the hotel about 2.30 to 3 in the morning, Mr Lythcott said in a video from his hospital bed, which was posted on Facebook. Michael Lythcott (left) and Stacey Eno (right) are recovering from the horror crash. Source: GoFundMe He said that a vehicle approached them and when he tried to brake, he realised the scooter wouldnt slow down and they went over the embankment. We kept moving forward, and went over the edge, he said. I dont remember anything after that, obviously except waking up in some kind of woods or jungle on an incline, slowly slipping down in the darkness with no glasses. After Mr Lythcott regained consciousness, he realised he was injured and couldnt use his left wrist. He called out to Ms Eno, who told him that she was also injured and could not move. Quick-thinking Mr Lythcott realised that he still had his American phone in his jacket, even though his local phone went flying. Using one hand, he turned on international roaming and typed an SOS Facebook status that said: Help. In danger. Call police. Thankfully had my cell phone in my pocket. Thats when I was able to put the Facebook SOS and it saved our lives, Mr Lythcott said. This Facebook status saved the pairs lives. Source: Facebook/Michael Lythcott After posting the status, Mr Lythcotts Facebook friend Aimee Sparks asked him to drop a pin to share his location. Following this, a friend in Vancouver called people in Indonesia while a Los Angeles-based friend used digital maps to discover the pair were situated near a waterfall. Story continues Mr Lythcott received a call from the authorities. Stacey Eno (left) and Michael Lythcott (right) previously met in Thailand. Source: GoFundMe/Staceys Bali Accident I got a call from a guy named Joe from the [consulate] who said help was coming but to help him find me, Mr Lythcott told CNN. I told him there was a hotel near my GPS pin, that Id be just before that hotel, then my battery died. Eventually a rescue party found the pair and took them to the hospital in the back of a flatbed truck. Stacey had a broken arm, cheekbones, and nose, Zuri Lythcott Taylor, Mr Lycotts sister posted on a GoFundMe page to raise money for his medical costs. Mr Lythcott (pictured) was badly hurt in the Bali crash. Source: GoFundMe Michael was badly hurt, a skull fracture, broken wrist, internal damage, cracked ribs/spine, and perforated bowels. Mr Lythcott is due to travel to Atlanta to be with his family on Tuesday, his sister wrote on the GoFundMe page. Ms Eno is still recovering in Bali. A GoFundMe page to cover Mr Lythcotts medical expenses has raised over $50,000, while a page for Ms Eno has raised over $18,000. Democrats will go to the polls Thursday to decide who will be the party's nominee for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. But there are races throughout the state where incumbent Democratic state senators are facing primary fights of their own. One of those races is in the 53rd Senate District, where state Sen. David Valesky is being challenged by Rachel May, a first-time candidate who works as a sustainability education coordinator at Syracuse University. Valesky, D-Oneida, has served in the state Senate since 2005. In television commercials and digital ads his campaign released ahead of the Sept. 13 primary, he tells voters that he is running on his record. He touts his support of marriage equality, the establishment of a statewide paid family leave program and raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour. "Now more than ever, it's about passion, common sense and standing up for what's right," he says in the 30-second commercial airing on Syracuse-area TV stations. But it's a decision Valesky made in 2011 that inspired May to challenge him for the Democratic nomination this year. Seven years ago, Valesky and three other state senators banded together to form the Independent Democratic Conference. The breakaway group of Democratic senators continued to run on the party's line in elections, but formed their own caucus in the state Senate. The new conference gained influence in the chamber through a power-sharing agreement with Senate Republicans. This allowed the IDC members to receive leadership posts and committee chair assignments. This year, the IDC folded. The decision to reunite with the mainline Senate Democrats came as May and other challengers emerged to take on incumbent senators who are now former members of the IDC. May said in an interview that she was first motivated to run because of the IDC and Valesky's role in the now-defunct conference. She felt that Democratic priorities weren't being advanced because of the IDC's power-sharing relationship with Senate Republicans. But she says now that her campaign is about more than just an anti-IDC message. "I'm running because I feel like this is a moment in our democracy when people are demanding something better of our government," she said. "I felt like this is a moment when we can really reach for a government in New York that we can be proud of." If elected to the state Senate, May said she would push for passage of the New York Health Act, a bill that would establish a statewide single-payer health insurance program, and the Climate and Community Protection Act to transition the state to 100 percent renewable energy production by 2050. She would also advocate for governmental reforms, such as updated campaign finance and election laws. She would support the Reproductive Health Act, a proposal to codify the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision into state law. To boost the central New York economy, she would push for broadband expansion, improved transportation infrastructure and better water infrastructure. Tackling public corruption in Albany would be a priority, too. She said campaign finance reform, such as closing the so-called "LLC loophole," would help combat corruption. May feels optimistic about her chances against Valesky. She collected approximately 2,500 signatures to force a primary and she received the Oneida County Democratic Committee's endorsement. (The other two county Democratic committees in the district, Madison and Onondaga, backed Valesky.) She also picked up the Working Families Party's support. "They want to see people with a commitment to the grassroots," she said. The 53rd Senate District includes most of Syracuse and six towns in Onondaga County, the entirety of Madison County and a portion of Oneida County. The primary election is Thursday. Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Two candidates will compete this week in a primary election for the Cayuga County Legislature's 10th District in Auburn, as incumbent Joe Bennett and newcomer Mike Zank seek the Democratic Party line. Party leaders may typically back their incumbent candidates in a primary, but that's not been the case for Bennett. The seat is up for grabs in the general election in November after Bennett temporarily resigned from the Legislature last spring in order to retire and collect his pension from his career as a maintenance mechanic at Cayuga Community College. Although he was reappointed to the Legislature after few days, elections law requires a special election to determine who will finish out the final year of Bennett's second term. The primary election set for Thursday, Sept. 13, will determine which of the two men will appear under the Democratic Party line on ballots come November. However, both are also running on other party lines and are likely to face each other again no matter who wins Thursday. Zank, who moved from Michigan in 2010 to work at the Owens-Illinois bottle plant in Sennett, is taking his first run at public office and said he wants to provide a voice for the working class, pointing to a variety of union leadership positions as qualifications for the Legislature. Bennett, a lifelong District 10 resident who previously served as the Legislature's vice chairman, among other leadership roles, said he's running based on an obligation to the voters who elected him previously and a belief that he can continue to serve the county well. Bennett also noted that he previously survived a 14-month legal challenge from Republicans to his eligibility to serve when first elected. To better inform voters, The Citizen asked both candidates a series of questions on some of the biggest issues and topics facing the Legislature. Countywide shared services In regard to a state-required plan to increase cooperation between county governments and their municipalities, both Zank and Bennett expressed optimism that the plan would realize savings for Cayuga County taxpayers. If elected, Zank said he'd particularly like to foster more cooperation between the county and the city of Auburn, in addition to the other municipalities in the area. Avoiding and eliminating any duplication of services to ultimately save constituents money would be a worthwhile effort, Bennett said. Water quality Both men agreed here, as well, saying that protecting drinking water, particularly from harmful algal blooms, is a critically important issue for both Auburn residents and the county as a whole. Protecting water quality will require good investments, such as in new filtration systems, Zank said, adding that the state needed to have a role in funding such projects, not just local governments. Much of the process of receiving help from the state can get slowed down by government paperwork, according to Bennett, who said he'd like to see those processes sped up. County administrator The position of county administrator has been a tumultuous one in Cayuga County, with a number of different changes to the position's authority and duties in recent years as well as several resignations. Discussions of how much county priorities and decisions should come from the administrator or the legislators are frequent in the Legislature. Bennett said he feels current administrator J. Justin Woods, who took the job toward the start of this year, has been adjusting well and is doing a good job. The administrator should basically have his own, in essence, identity, where he's a top man but also as to answer to the Legislature that the people voted for, Bennett said, adding that many of the resolutions Woods proposes come from a consultant's report commissioned by the Legislature, meaning in a roundabout way they had welcomed the priorities. Zank said he couldn't provide an opinion on the administrator issue since he's not served on the Legislature. Redistricting/reapportionment As a requirement with the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census, the Legislature will examine and possibly change the apportionment for its weighted voting system, and proposals have been made to consider changing the amount of seats on the body at the same time. The weighted voting system, in which legislators are assigned points based on the population of the district they represent, can result resolutions passed with a minority of legislators, but a majority of points, in support. Again, Zank and Bennett largely agreed, saying that even though their district, one of the smallest, could face elimination, it's most important to do what's best for constituents. "I think for the size of Cayuga County we have too many legislators," Zank said, later adding. "I think it's going to be better for the county." Unions' role Throughout his campaign, Zank has consistently said he seeks to represent the "working man" of Auburn in the Legislature by focusing on bringing back high-paying jobs and tax relief. While his union experience, including serving as vice president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and treasurer of the Cayuga County Labor Council, give him perspective on the needs of working families, they also give him experience in negotiations and other skills valuable to a legislator. Bennett, however, noted that county legislators are only rarely involved directly in negotiations. Additionally, he said his own record working with unions, including as former President AFSCME Local 932-C at Cayuga Community College and former President of United Steelworkers Union Local 3482, speaks for itself. "I've been a union member since I was 18 years old," Bennett said. Political party While both candidates are hoping to run on the Democratic line in November, they've each already ensured they'll appear on at least one other line on the ballot. Zank secured enough independent petition signatures to run on an independent line under the Auburn First heading, which is traditionally used by Democratic candidates in the city. Dia Carabajal, an Auburn city councilor who is acting as Zank's campaign manager, said they secured that line in order to provide voters with options in the general election. Bennett, a longtime Democrat, is also running on the Republican and Conservative lines, which he said he sought after it became clear he would not receive an endorsement from the Cayuga County Democratic Committee. According to both Carabajal and Committee Chairman Ian Phillips, the committee made no endorsement in the race as it was not apparent Bennett would face a challenge until after it had already met to decide endorsements for this year's elections. Cayuga County Republican Committee Chairwoman Cherl Heary said Bennett approached her and several Republican legislators about running under their party's line. Heary said the committee agreed to let Bennett run because they liked that he often votes conservatively. "We've never really had a problem with his voting record, so we at least agreed to look into that," Heary said. "And I'm a believer that you can't be in total alignment with any candidate anyway." Polling locations for the District 10 primary have not changed since last year's general election. For any questions, call the Cayuga County Board of Elections at (315) 253-1285. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The constitutional right to hunt and fish An expansion of the constitutional rights of victims and their families A requirement of state-approved photo identification to vote in elections A change in how judicial vacancies are filled A change in how members of the state elections and ethics board are appointed and a reduction of the board's size from nine members to eight. A reduction in the state's income tax rate cap from 10 percent to 7 percent A handful of lawsuits which threatened to upend North Carolina's November elections resolved quietly over the past few days. With the situation settling, several N.C. political experts offered insights into the winners and losers.In 2016, North Carolina's congressional districts were redrawn after federal judges scrapped two of the 13 districts citing racial gerrymandering.The new maps led Common Cause N.C., the League of Women Voters, and the Democratic Party to file a new lawsuit claiming the new districts weren't only racial but also partisan gerrymanders. They claimed the maps unconstitutionally favored Republicans over Democratic candidates.A three-judge panel agreed with the plaintiffs, but in June the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case and returned it to the lower court.On Aug. 27, the three-judge panel issued a lengthy decision tossing out all 13 districts as illegal gerrymanders. The judges ordered new districts before this year's election. Parties had until Aug. 31 to submit their arguments in the case.On Sept. 4, the three-judge panel ruled the 2018 election will be held using the current district maps. This gives the U.S. Supreme Court the opportunity to hear the case and decide on whether to throw out the 2016 maps. Any new maps wouldn't be used until 2020.The U.S. Supreme Court will decide who wins in the lawsuit over the 2016 congressional district plans, but not before the 2018 election. For now, the winners are the voters.Chris Cooper, professor and head of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, said.Patrick Gannon, spokesman for the State Board of Elections, said the election board has been authorized to start ballot production to make them available by the Sept. 22 deadline so they can be sent to military voters and other U.S. citizens living overseas.Cooper said.The long-term victor depends on whether the U.S. Supreme Court will affirm the lower court's ruling and require new maps. The current maps stay in effect for November 2018, but by 2020 there could be new congressional districts.Cooper said there's no way the new maps wouldn't benefit the Democratic Party, at least on the margins.Andy Taylor, professor of political science at the School of International and Public Affairs at N.C. State University, said Republicans won in the short term.Taylor said.Before the federal court agreed to let the maps stand, the possibility existed of an alternative election schedule with new maps. This would have been worse, Taylor said, for Republicans when compared to drawing new maps for the 2020 election.Taylor said.The Supreme Court has never stated how far a political party could draw districts to its advantage to give its candidates an illegitimate edge.said Jonathan Kappler, executive director of the N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation.During the July special session, the General Assembly approved six constitutional amendments for voters to consider in November ballot.While the first two amendments weren't challenged in court, the other four were. The N.C. NAACP and Clean Air Carolina filed lawsuits challenging the four other amendments, claiming they were misleading. Gov. Roy Cooper cited legislative overreach to challenge the constitutionality of the elections board and judicial vacancy amendments. Cooper also claimed they were misleading.A state Superior Court panel didn't find the voter ID and tax cap amendments misleading and left them on the ballot, but it ruled the elections board and judicial vacancy amendments were problematic. The court struck those two amendments from the ballot.Instead of appealing the ruling, the General Assembly convened another special session in August. Lawmakers rewrote the elections board and judicial vacancy amendments. Cooper challenged the reworked amendments, but this time the Superior Court panel rejected the governor's argument.Cooper appealed the decision, but the state Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling. All six constitutional amendments will appear on the ballot.With voters set to decide all the constitutional amendments, it looks as if the Republican-led General Assembly can claim victory in this arena. Cooper said it's not a complete win for Republicans.Cooper said.Kappler said the governor can claim at least a partial victory.Kappler said.Although all six constitutional amendments will appear on the ballot, they give something for the Democratic Party to rally over. This could affect voter turnout.Chris Cooper said.While the constant fighting raised the profile of each case and increased voter awareness, Kappler said the back-and-forth made things tough to follow.Kappler said.Kappler said the national political environment and Democratic enthusiasm could mean a slightly greater number of Democratic voters turn out for the election.Kappler said.During a July special session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 3, which prevented judicial candidates from changing party affiliation less than 90 days before filing. North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Chris Anglin, who switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican a few weeks before filing, sued the General Assembly.In August, the N.C. Court of Appeals sided with Anglin and the other challengers. The General Assembly didn't appeal the ruling. Anglin will appear as a Republican on the November ballot to challenge the Republican incumbent Justice Barbara Jackson and Democratic challenger Anita Earls.Anglin is the clear winner, since he will be on the ballot with the partisan affiliation of his choice. More generally, political experts pointed to the Democratic Party as the victor.Cooper said.Donald Bryson, president of the conservative Civitas Institute, said Anglin will likely split the Republican ticket and, thus, benefit the Democratic Party.Bryson said.Perry Woods, Anglin's campaign manager, didn't respond to a request for comment.Bryson said the long-term impact of this ruling could be a liberal 5-2 majority on the N.C. Supreme Court if Earls wins.The Anglin case probably won't have a huge impact on voter turnout as people tend not to pay much attention to judicial elections.Taylor said. The 2017-18 school performance grades are in, and it's mixed bag of good news and bad. Meanwhile, education leaders continue to promise improvements in academic performance.All 2,537 of the state's public schools are graded on an A-F scale and are based on testing scores and growth. The state adopted the accountability model in 2013.Changes were made to the state's accountability measurements in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires compliance in exchange for federal dollars. The changes mean school performance grades, growth results, and graduation rates for 2017-18 aren't comparable to previous years.Calculating individual student performance on the End-of-Grade and End-of-Course exams hasn't changed, so grade level proficiency and college and career readiness can be compared with past results.More than a third of N.C. public schools scored an A or a B, while about 22 percent received a D or an F. Charter schools held a slightly greater percentage of As and Bs than their district counterparts, but they also had a higher share of F schools.The two state virtual charter schools received Ds and failed to meet growth.The number of low-performing schools dropped from 505 in 2016-17 to 476, as did the number of recurring low-performing schools - from 468 to 435. Eight districts are considered low-performing, compared to 11 in 2016-17.State Superintendent Mark Johnson said.Terry Stoops, vice president of research and education studies at the John Locke Foundation, said school performance grades are somewhat inflated.Stoops said.For example, Stoops said, the number of A schools drops from 185 to 91 and the number of F schools increases from 92 to 860 if recalculated using the standard 10-point scale.School grades continued to track with poverty levels. Of schools in which more than 80 percent of students came from a low-income household, 69 percent got a D or F. School performance improved in schools with less than 20 percent of its students from low-income families. Only 1.7 percent of those schools earned a D or F.Graduation rates also dropped for the first time in years. The rate for 2017-18 was 86.3 percent, down from 86.5 percent the previous year.Student test results show improvements in some areas, but declines in others. The EOC high school biology test scores improved, but the percent scoring proficient in English II and N.C. Math I dropped from the previous year.There was a slight decrease in grades three through eight for reading for the 2016-17 year, but the percentage reaching College and Career Readiness rose from 45.5 to 46 in 2017-18. The mathematics performance increased from 47.6 percent to 48.1 percent college- and career-ready.The percentage of students in grades three through eight reaching grade-level proficiency in mathematics increased from the previous year, but also decreased for reading.The performance of third-grade students on their end-of-grade reading exams has continually decreased since 2013. In 2012, lawmakers established the Read to Achieve program to help students become proficient in reading by the end of third grade. For the 2013-14 school year, 60.2 percent of third graders were scoring proficient on their reading exams. By 2017-18, that dropped to 55.9 percent.In March, Johnson announced every K-3 reading teacher would receive $200 to buy literary supplies. More recently, Johnson directed $6 million to buy iPads for K-3 literacy teachers.Johnson said.One way the state has looked to transform the system is through the Innovative School District. Southside Ashpole Elementary in Robeson county became the first school to take part in the program to turn around chronic low performance.Two to four low-performing schools will join Southside Ashpole next year. The list of qualifying schools has been narrowed to six - four rural and two urban.They are: Carver Heights Elementary in Wayne County Public Schools, Gaston Middle in Northampton County Schools, Hillcrest Elementary in Alamance Burlington Schools, Williford Elementary in Nash-Rocky Mount Schools, Fairview Elementary in Guilford County Schools, and Hall-Woodward Elementary in Forsyth County Schools. Confederate Memorial in Washington, NC: Is it safe from the lawless Mob? photo by Stan Deatherage Click image to enlarge. The War of 1861: Education is the Best Way to Counter the Insanity of the Progressive Movement's Goal of Tearing Down Confederate MonumentsLet's be honest. The toppling of the Confederate monuments, the demonization of the Confederate battle flag, the vilification of the names and memories of our treasured white Founding Fathers (and especially anyone of them who happened to own a slave), and the erasing of our history because it happens to be offensive is a POLITICAL movement. It is a contrived political initiative to counter the conservative movement that has been embraced with the election of Donald Trump and which clearly resonated in everyday America.The movement evidences a serious lack of respect for the plight our country has taken, including the Civil War which ultimately resulted in the abolition of our greatest sin (slavery). Had the South not seceded, the timeline for abolition would have been quite different, as well as a fundamental lack of understanding of what the First Amendment is all about and the overall good and honest progress that honest and respectful civil discourse allows. What I'm trying to say is that the progressive movement's goal to tear down confederate monuments is a political movement that once again employs America's un-educated and makes them into useful idiots for their cause. The cause is to foment dissent and division, that hallmarks of the progressive movement (thanks to Saul Alinsky and his "Rules for Radicals").When it comes to the Confederacy, the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln, the general public is in desperate need of education. And I've put the following comments and resources together for the purpose to help further education and counter the progressive left with knowledge, understanding, facts, and sound arguments. Remember, there are always two sides to every issue. The side that wins the day is the one that has the facts on its side.I have been asked by many people where I get my information from about the history of Lincoln's War (aka, the War to Prevent Southern Independence, aka, the War of Northern Aggression) and the history of North Carolina concerning her secession from the Union.First of all, I'm the daughter of a Civil War buff. My father studied the war, the generals, the battles, the battle strategies, the cemeteries, the destruction of the South, and the history of the country at the time. I've heard him talk about all this stuff all my life. Even though I was taught in school, as most of us were, that Lincoln was the greatest president ever, that he fought the Civil War (which the South started) to abolish slavery and to save the Union, my father always knew differently. It's because he was always reading, always asking questions of the locals whenever he visited a battle site. He always talked to me about the war and about the generals, and about the savagery of the battles. I remember him constantly saying:OR,My parents divorced when I was 10 years old. and one summer shortly thereafter, he wanted to spend some quality time with my sister and I so my Mom let him take us on a long summer trip out west, to Oklahoma, to visit his best friend. My father turned that trip into a complete tour of all the Civil War battle sites. My sister and I were young. I'm sure my sister was too young to appreciate learning about the war, but I remember a lot from that trip.I've been reading about the war for many years now, certainly a lot more now that I'm living in North Carolina and have more time on my hands; it fascinates me. I had rejected the "Lincoln is Great" history lesson a long time ago, while I was still living in New Jersey.I wanted to share some books that have recently come out for people to read, if they are interested in learning about the causes of the war (1861-1865) that tore our country apart, about the war itself, and about its lasting consequences. I call it Lincoln's War, because that's the rightful name. I think if everyone does that reading and the research, they will agree with me on this.Before I list the books and resources, I want to straighten a few misnomers out. The war can neither be termed a "Civil War" or "the War Between the States":- A "Civil War" refers to a war between two groups in the same country who are fighting for control of the same government. The Southern states had seceded and had successfully established themselves legally as a separate and independent country. (1) So, they were two groups from two separate countries, and mot two groups from the same country; (2) The south seceded from the federal government; they clearly stated that they wanted to break political bonds with it and wanted NOTHING whatsoever to do with it anymore. And so, the two groups were not fighting for control of the same government. (3) The war only came when Abraham Lincoln tricked South Carolina into firing shots at Fort Sumter to start the war he needed to force the southern states back into the Union. With those shots at Fort Sumter, Lincoln claimed the South wasand called up troops to invade the south. It was a war for subjugation of the South and not a war over which party would take control of the federal government.- "War Between the States" - As Mike Armstrong, who writes "Southern Reflections," so aptly put i:With that, here is a list of some resources and a list of some of the books that have come out in the last 2-3 years or so that give an accurate and historical account of the causes of the conflict:1. The Abbeville Institute - http://www.abbevilleinstitute.org Check out their articles and their seminar programs. I follow them and attend their seminars when I can. I'm attending one in November in Texas on Nullification & Interposition). The organization is comprised of some of the top historians of the South; their credentials and research are impeccable. They formed the Institute several years ago when protesters started desecrating and destroying confederate monuments, demonizing the Confederate battle flag, and demanding that the names and statues of any Confederate general or leader, any southern leader tied to the confederate cause (like John Calhoun who helped initiate the Nullification Crisis and who defended slavery or Jefferson Davis, president of the CSA), or any person of historical significance who happened to own a slave be taken off college campus buildings and off campus, and then off street signs and public buildings. Those historians, like Donald Livingston and Clyde Wilson and Brion McClanahan new that Americans were sorely mis-educated or un-educated about our American (southern) history.2. My Blogsite - http://www.forloveofgodandcountry.com (I have written many articles over the years on this topic of the war, on Lincoln, on the right of secession, etc)3. BOOK: The Un-Civil War: Shattering the Historical Myths, by Leonard "Mike" Scruggs. (Mr. Scruggs lives in North Carolina. He is a Vietnam vet who writes and speaks about both the Civil War and the Vietnam War)4. BOOK: Slavery Was Not the Cause of the War Between the States, by Gene Kizer, Jr. (I couldn't put this book down; I read it in one day)5. BOOK: Union At All Costs: From Confederation to Consolidation, by John M. Taylor6. BOOK: Is Davis a Traitor? Or Was Secession a Constitutional Right Previous to the War of 1861? By Albert Taylor Bledsoe (written around 1865, so it's most contemporaneous. His goal was to make sure the world understood the South's reasons for secession and wanting to separate from the federal government before the victors of the war, the North, had its opportunity to commandeer the official story)7. BOOK: The Real Lincoln, A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda and Unnecessary War, by Thomas DiLorenzo8. BOOK: Lincoln Unmasked: What You're Not Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe, by Thomas DiLorenzo On Wednesday, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) attempted to grab the 2020 Democratic presidential limelight by launching into an attack on Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's latest pick for the Supreme Court. She essentially accused Kavanaugh of stonewalling on whether he had spoken with President Trump's law firm about the Robert Mueller investigation. Kavanaugh correctly said he didn't know what she was talking about, and also said he didn't know every lawyer at Kasowitz Benson Torres - a law firm with nearly 300 attorneys. That didn't stop Harris, who grandstanded for nearly 10 minutes, to the wild applause of the media. The video has been viewed tens of millions of times on Twitter.There's only one problem: Harris had no evidence whatsoever that Kavanaugh had spoken with anyone at Kasowitz. And, in fact, Kasowitz stated today that Kavanaugh had not spoken with anyone at his law firm about Mueller.So, what was Harris' response to all of this?So no, she has no evidence. But that didn't stop her from leveling the accusation, to the celebration of the press. This makes Harris one of two major liars in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing - the other being Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) who claimed he had released classified documents at peril of life and limb (he didn't) and that those documents contained bombshells (they didn't).But when you're angling for the 2020 nomination, clownish behavior is the baseline expectation, apparently. On Friday, former President Barack Obama gave a speech at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The central conceit of the speech was that President Donald Trump had broken American politics. And the central lie of the speech is that time began on November 8, 2016 - that the collapse of America's social fabric and civic institutions had nothing to do with Barack Obama. The reality of the situation, of course, is that Trump is a symptom of the slow-rolling collapse of those institutions, brought about in large part by the disingenuous gaslighting in which Obama engaged for a decade: promoting a better discourse while engaging identity politics, championing supposed honesty in politics while simultaneously presiding over an administration rife with malfeasance, and demonizing opponents while claiming to fly above the fray.Now, Obama is back - just in time to run in front of the presumed Democratic 2018 victory parade. Obama watched his party crash and burn during his two terms, losing the House, the Senate, and finally the White House - but now he's back to offer moral guidance to the country he castigated throughout his tenure in office.As President Trump put it, Obama is indeedOr at least, for rallying the Republican base driven mad by Obama's preening scorn for Americans who don't agree with him.Obama began by laying out the idea that America exists without a ruling class:The point Washington made, the point that is essential to American democracy, is that in a government of and by and for the people, there should be no permanent ruling class. There are only citizens, who through their elected and temporary representatives, determine our course and determine our character.This, coming from Obama, is rich. This is the president who declared he would rule with pen and phone, whose 2012 DNC proclaimed that government is the only thing we all share, who expanded executive authority to draconian new heights. But according to Obama, Trump is the big problem.This is a common theme from Obama: everything was great until Trump. Obama explained that America has "operated under some common assumptions about who we are and what we stand for." He simply suggested that big government liberalism was the founding ideology, and that we all agreed on it (we didn't). He said that we all agreed on foreign policy (we didn't). He suggested we all agree on the "collective responsibility" for health care and the need for heavy environmental regulation and government hiring programs (we don't).But Obama ignored all the real disunity to suggest that Trump is to blame for everything wrong with the country:Obama declared 2016 the most important election of our lifetimes, too. But this one is different. Why?The status quo pushes back. Sometimes the backlash comes from people who are genuinely, if wrongly, fearful of change. More often it's manufactured by the powerful and the privileged who want to keep us divided and keep us angry and keep us cynical because it helps them maintain the status quo and keep their power and keep their privilege. And you happen to be coming of age during one of those moments. It did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause. He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years, a fear and anger that's rooted in our past but it's also born out of the enormous upheavals that have taken place in your brief lifetimes.Again, the gaslighting runs strong in Obama. Obama suggests he's for a better politics, but everyone who disagrees with him is "fearful of change." Politicians who oppose him are corrupt - but not Obama, who would never want to keep us "divided" or "angry." Not Obama, who called his opponents "bitter clingers" and whose hand-chosen successor labeled her opponents "deplorables."Obama was a big part of the problem. But Obama can't recognize that. Over and over in this speech, Obama avoided blame for problems he gravely exacerbated.So we pulled the economy out of crisis, but to this day, too many people who once felt solidly middle class still feel very real and very personal economic insecurity.Whose fault is that? The Republicans, of course. But the economic growth statistics with a Republican Congress? He gets the credit.Even though we took out bin Laden and wound down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, got Iran to halt its nuclear program, the world's still full of threats and disorder that come streaming through people's televisions every single day.Well, actually, Obama's policies increased those threats and radically contributed to that disorder. But whose fault is it really? Republicans, of course.And even though your generation is the most diverse in history with a greater acceptance and celebration of our differences than ever before, those are the kinds of conditions that are ripe for exploitation by politicians who have no compunction and no shame about tapping into America's dark history of racial and ethnic and religious division. Appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren't for those who don't look like us or don't sound like us or don't pray like we do, that's an old playbook. It's as old as time.This from the president who tut-tutted actual riots, who suggested without evidence that police departments across America were systemically racist, who declared that a slain black teenager could have been his son, who deployed his vice president to say that Mitt Romney wanted to put black people "back in chains." But the problem, as ever, is Republicans.A politics of fear and resentment and retrenchment takes hold and demagogues promise simple fixes to complex problems. No promise to fight for the little guy, even as they cater to the wealthiest and most powerful. No promise to clean up corruption and then plunder away. They start undermining norms that ensure accountability and try to change the rules to entrench their power further.This from the president who used executive privilege to shield his "wingman" attorney general from the consequences of gunrunning to Mexican drug cartels, whose IRS was weaponized against conservatives, whose EPA and HHS and DOJ were rife with corruption, who promised dozens of times not to rewrite immigration law unilaterally but did so anyway, who lied about the Iran deal and Obamacare at whim. But the problem, of course, is Trump.But over the past few decades, the politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican party. This Congress has championed the unwinding of campaign finance laws to give billionaires outside influence over our politics. Systematically attacked voting rights to make it harder for young people and minorities and the poor to vote. Handed out tax cuts without regard to deficits. Slashed the safety net wherever it could, cast dozens of votes to take away health insurance from ordinary Americans, embraced wild conspiracy theories like those surrounding Benghazi or my birth certificate, rejected science, rejected facts on things like climate change, embraced a rising absolutism from a willingness to default on America's debt by not paying our bills to a refusal to even meet much less consider a qualified nominee for the supreme court because he happened to be nominated by a Democratic president.Yes, division and resentment and paranoia are the fault of those conservatives, who are behind every problem! That's not divisive or resentful or paranoid in the slightest, apparently. It's not divisive to link together those who questioned why the Obama administration lied about the causes of Benghazi with idiots who questioned where Obama was born. It's not divisive to lump together First Amendment advocates with corporate cronies. It's not divisive to blame America's debt on Republicans while ignoring your own spending habits. It's not resentful to blame the wealthy for the problems of the country, to threaten bank CEO's with "pitchforks." It's not paranoid to blame Republicans for every failure of your own programs.What nonsense.But according to Obama, the problem is everyone Obama dislikes. All we have to do is agree with Obama, and voila! Problem solved. According to Obama, conservatism should be ackshually agreeing with him.Unfortunately, Obama explained, conservatism has been corrupted, says the most powerful Leftist leader of this generation. Conservatism now means "allowing dishonest lenders to take advantage" of people, says the man who presided over the creation of a legal regime that endorses "too big to fail." Conservatism now means failing to pay for programs, says the man who blew out the deficit. Conservatism now means "undermining our alliances, cozying up to Russia," says the president who destroyed an alliance with Israel on behalf of kowtowing to Iran, who handed over Syria to Putin, who insulted Mitt Romney's anti-Russian foreign policy as the policy of the 1980s, who pledged Putin's agents "flexibility" in return for kind treatment for the 2012 election, who undercut the defense capabilities of Eastern European nations so as to ensure a "reset" with Putin. Conservatism means ensuring people have health insurance, says the president who lied about keeping your doctor and your insurance program.No, said Obama, conservatism is the problem.And then Obama got to his own new program - a supposed unity program that could provide for a better America. What was this program? Higher minimum wage; Medicare for all (no, he wasn't lying in the slightest when he stated that Obamacare wasn't a first step toward nationalized health care); forcing corporate boards to include workers; reversing tax cuts; cap and trade; opposition to walls ("Walls don't keep out threats like terrorism," Obama states, ignoring that Israel's wall has done just that).His unity program, it turns out, is just Leftism.But he's unifying, don't you understand. Because, in the end, if you disagree with his policies, you should vote Democrat anyway. Why? Because "you should still be concerned with our current course and should still want to see a restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government."Except that Obama wasn't honest, decent, or lawful. Obama states in this speech that we should be nonpartisan in our support for freedom of the press, and says that he never threatened to shut down opposing outlets; but Obama targeted James Rosen of Fox News and bugged the Associated Press. Obama states in this speech that we should not "pressure the attorney general"; but Eric Holder called himself Obama's "wingman." Obama says we're supposed to stand up against discrimination; but he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for decades, took photos with Louis Farrakhan, and had Al Sharpton as a regular White House guest.So, what makes Obama unifying? That he doesn't want to fightExcept he's done that for his entire political career. Obama says,but can't name a single major bipartisan initiative he promoted. Obama says we- after doing just that for much of his career, including in this speech. Obama says we don't need a messiah after playing one on television (remember his infamous remarks after the Iowa 2008 primary in which he predicted that history would see that as the moment the oceans began to recede?).Obama's demagoguery predated Trump's demagoguery, and contributed to Trump's rise. To say otherwise is to promote full-scale ignorance of history and politics. Obama drove the Right mad. Now Trump has driven the Left mad.No wonder, in the words of Charlton Heston in Planet of Apes, it's a madhouse. Election billboards in the Czech Republic: "Even rat poison is not enough for this vermin!" 9. 9. 2018 / Jan Culik cas cteni 6 minut Photo: "Even rat poison is not enough for this vermin!" - an election billboard by the Most local authority, produced by a Czech Social Democrat No holds barred: The election campaign for the Czech local authority elections uses open racism Although commentators normally point out that of the four Visegrad countries, the Czech Republic has to date remained the most democratic, the current election campaign for the forthcoming local authority elections, which will take place in the Czech Republic on 5th and 6th October, has, unprecedentedly, resorted to open and brazen racism. Although commentators normally point out that of the four Visegrad countries, the Czech Republic has to date remained the most democratic, the current election campaign for the forthcoming local authority elections, which will take place in the Czech Republic on 5th and 6th October, has, unprecedentedly, resorted to open and brazen racism. Just as in many other European countries, in the Czech Republic, too, racism and hate speech has been normalised and made part of the mainstream since the 2015 European refugee crisis. The Czech Republic has efficient laws criminalising hatred against minorities and religious organisations, but these are normally ignored. Whenever you point out that it is a criminal offence to disseminate hate speech directed against minorities and religious organisations, you are attacked as a "bloody communist who wants to ban everything". As a result, fake news and hate speech have become totally normalised in the Czech Republic. Many Czech media have become "experts" in what they see as muslim and immigrant crimes. The Czech media meticulously record all crimes committed by immigrants and refugees throughout Europe, never forgetting to mention the offenders' nationality, ethnicity and religious affiliation, thus successfully constructing collective guilt and instilling in the majority of the Czech population the conviction that refugees, muslims and non-whites in general are a primitive and a violent race. They of course do not record the numerous attacks by the extreme right wing activists against immigrants and refugees. But the problem is that ALL the mainstream Czech political parties have now openly and unashamedly started using anti-refugee rhetoric and racism in their political campaigning. In this, they are greatly supported by the Czech media. For instance, the Czech glossy newsmagazine Reflex regularly attacks the German Chancellor Angela Merkel for "not managing the refugee crisis" and the German media for "suppressing the problems with immigrants and refugees": "ANGELA, YOU ARE NOT MANAGING!!" Parlamentni listy, a Breitbart-like hate speech website, stands in the forefront of creating the atmosphere of intolerance. Remarkably, it publishes interviews with Czech top politicians like this: "THE HAG HAS GONE MAD IF SHE DOES NOT KNOW THIS! Jaroslav Foldyna, the Deputy Chair of the Czech Social Democratic Party, is extremely angry. He hates how the media and some politicians see the events in the German town of Chemnitz. In his view, ordinary citizens have demonstrated there. They have lost their patience and Angela Merkel refuses to deal with their problems. 'I suspect that the hag has gone mad,' says Foldyna, criticising Merkel's statements in which the German chancellor has accused citizens of being extremist and neo-Nazi." This atmosphere of hysteria and intolerance has now led to incredible excesses. Regional authorities in many parts of the Czech Republic are now using openly xenophobic and racist billboards. "HAVIROV WITHOUT MIGRANTS!" A Facebook commentator has made a caustic comment, with regard to the above photograph, that Havirov could use some migrants to complete the building of the pavement. Paradoxically, Havirov is a city of migrants who came to work there from many other parts of former Czechoslovakia to work in the coal mines and steel works there. The Czech Social Democratic Party, which has lost most of its electoral support over the past two or three years, has lost its status of a main Czech political party and is directing its steps into oblivion, uses the anti-refugee hysteria quite systematically: "CZECH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS: A SAFE BORDER, A SAFE COUNTRY!" Suffice it to say that almost no refugees come to the Czech Republic and no refugees or immigrants are threatening its borders. This Czech commentator points out that Facebook has removed this racist billboard from its pages. Regrettably, the billboard exists in its physical form in the streets of Most. The billboards are, again, implicitly directed against the Roma. It is very interesting how the hatred against the Roma, which over the past three years shifted towards the non-existent muslim refugees, has now, in an enhanced form, returned and is again directed against the Roma. 0 11901 Historically, there has been a large amount of racism in the Czech Republic, normally directed against the Roma minority. Since the 2015 refugee crisis, the hatred of the Roma seemed to have shifted from the Roma towards muslims and refugees. Now, before the Czech local authority elections, we discover that racism against the Roma has not diminished and is now expressed quite openly on uprecedentedly racist billboards.The Czech Republic has a small extreme right wing political party, the SPD, which is paradoxically run by a Czech citizen of Japanese origin. SPD is openly eurosceptic and racist, demanding that the Czech Republic leaves the European Union. SPD billboards are now plastered everywhere in the Czech Republic. When you alight from a train at the Prague main railway station, you see this:A predominant majority of Czech citizens have now succumbed to the anti-refugee hysteria. Most Czechs genuinely believe that their country is in danger of being invaded by violent foreigners who will destroy their language, culture and country.What is particularly depressing is the fact that no Czech politician has been brave enough to stand up in public and tell their people to wake up - that their hysterical fear is absolute nonsense.On the contrary, ALL Czech politicians have started using the racist anti-minority hysteria for their political purposes. It is extremely convenient for them: If you talk only about the dangers from refugees and migrants, all the intractable political, social and economic problems which the politicians do not know how to solve, will disappear from public discourse.The attitude of the current Czech Prime Minister, oligarch Andrej Babis, a former communist secret police agent who is under investigation for financial fraud, is particularly shameful:The Czech Social Democratic Party in the depressed, north Moravian, formerly industrial city of Havirov, uses the following billboard:But what takes the biscuit is perhaps the billboard which adorns the streets of the North Bohemian, depressed city of Most, published by the former Social Democratic Deputy Minister for Industry Novotny:Racist hate speech billboards not being used only by the Social Democrats. This is a billboard used by the right of centre Civic Democratic Party (ODS), which has also lost most of its electoral support recently and like the Social Democrats, has lost its status of a Czech mainstream party, which in the past used to be able to form a government - no more: APL matrix product operator I very recently suggested a mathematical operation that does this: $$\begin{align} \left((\sqrt\bullet) \cdot x + \left(\frac1\bullet\right) \cdot 1 \right) (9x+4) & = \sqrt9 x^2 + \sqrt4 x + \frac19 x + \frac14 \\ & = 3x^2 + \frac{19}{9} x + \frac 14 \end{align}$$ Here the left-hand argument is like a polynomial, except that the coefficients are functions. The right-hand argument is an ordinary polynomial. It occurs to me that the APL progamming lanaguage (invented around 1966) actually has something almost like this, in its generalized matrix product. In APL, if ? and ! are any binary operators, you can write ?.! to combine them into a matrix operator. Like ordinary matrix multiplication, the new operator combines an !!mn!! and an !!nr!! matrix into an !!mr!! matrix. Ordinary matrix multiplication is defined like this: $$c_{ij} = a_{i1} \cdot b_{1j} + a_{i2} \cdot b_{2j} + \ldots + a_{in} \cdot b_{nj} $$ The APL ?.! operator replaces the addition with ? and the multiplication with ! , so that +. is exactly the standard matrix multiplication. Several other combined operations of this type are, if not common, at least idiomatic. For example, I have seen, and perhaps used, . , +. , and . . ( and are APL's two-argument minimum and maximum operators.) With this feature, the operator I proposed above would be something like +. , where means function composition. To make it work you need to interpret the coefficients of an ordinary polynomial as constant functions, but that is not much of a stretch. APL doesn't actually have a function composition operator. APL does have a symbol, but it doesn't mean function composition, and also the !.? notation is special cased, in typically APL style, so that .? does something sort of related but rather different. Observe also that if !!a!! and !!b!! are !!1n!! and !!n1!! matrices, respectively, then !!a +. b!! ought to be dot product of !!a!! and !!b!!: it is a !!11!! matrix whose sole entry is: $$c_{11} = a_{11} \cdot b_{11} + a_{12} \cdot b_{21} + \ldots + a_{1n} \cdot b_{n1} $$ and similarly if !!a!! is !!n1!! and !!b!! is !!1m!! then !!a +. b!! is the outer product, the !!nm!! matrix whose !!c_{ij} = a_i b_j!!. But I think APL doesn't distinguish between a !!1n!! matrix and a vector, though, and always considers them to be vectors, so that in such cases !!a +. b!! always gets you the dot product, if !!a!! and !!b!! are the same length, and an error otherwise. If you want the outer product of two vectors you use a . b instead. a .+ b would be the outer product matrix with !!c_{ij} = a_i + b_j!!. APL is really strange. I applied for an APL job once; I went to a job fair (late 1980s maybe?) and some Delaware bank was looking for APL programmers to help maintain their legacy APL software. I was quite excited at the idea of programming APL professionally, but I had no professional APL experience so they passed me over. I think they made a mistake, because there are not that many people with professional APL experience anyway, and how many twenty-year-olds are there who know APL and come knocking on your door looking for a job? But whatever, it's probably better that I didn't take that route. The +. thing exemplifies my biggest complaint about APL semantics: it was groping toward the idea of functional programming without quite getting there, never quite general enough. You could use !/ , where ! was any built-in binary operator, and this was quite like a fold. But you couldn't fold a user-defined function of two arguments! And you couldn't write a higher-order fold function either. I was pleased to find out that Iverson had designed a successor language, J, and then quickly disappointed when I saw how little it added. For example, it has an implicit hook construction, which is a special case in the language for handling one special case of function composition. In Haskell it would be: hook f g x = x `f` (g x) but in J the hook itself is implicit. If you would rather use (g x) `f` x instead, you are out of luck because that is not built-in. I don't know why Iverson thought the hook was the thing to embed in the language. (J also has an implicit fork which is fork f g h x = (f x) `g` (h x) .) [ Addendum 20180910: The explanation. ] Meanwhile the awful APL notation has gotten much more awful in J, and you get little in return. You even lose all the fun of the little squiggles. Haskell is a much better J than J ever was. Haskell's notation can be pretty awful too ( (.) . (.) ?), but at least you are are getting your money's worth. I thought I'd see about implementing APL's !.? thing in Haskell to see what it would look like. I decided to do it by implementing a regular matrix product and then generalizing. Let's do the simplest thing that could possibly work and represent a matrix as a list of rows, each of which is a list of entries. For a regular matrix product, !!C = AB!! means that !!c_{ij}!! is the dot product of the !!i!!th row of !!A!! and the !!j!!th column of !!B!!, so I implemented a dot product function: dot_product :: Num b => [b] -> [b] -> b dot_product a b = foldr (+) 0 $ zipWith (*) a b OK, that was straightforward. The rows of !!A!! are right there, but we also need the columns from !!B!!, so here's a function to get those: transpose ([]:_) = [] transpose x = (map head x) : transpose (map tail x) Also straightforward. After that I toiled for a very long time over the matrix product itself. My first idea was to turn !!A!! into a list of functions, each of which would dot-product one of the rows of !!A!! by a given vector. Then I would map each of these functions over the columns of !!B!!. Turning !!A!! into a list of functions was easy: map dot_product a :: [ [x] -> x ] and getting the columns of !!B!! I had already done: transpose b :: [[x]] and now I just need to apply each row of functions in the first part to each column in the second part and collect the results: ??? (map dot_product a) (transpose b) I don't know why this turned out to be so damn hard. This is the sort of thing that ought to be really, really easy in Haskell. But I had many difficulties. First I wasted a bunch of time trying to get <*> to work, because it does do something like that. But the thing I wanted has signature ??? :: [a -> b] -> [a] -> [[b]] whereas <*> flattens the result: <*> :: [a -> b] -> [a] -> [b] and I needed to keep that extra structure. I tried all sorts of tinkering with <*> and <$> but never found what I wanted. Another part of the problem was I didn't know any primitive for map a list of functions over a single argument. Although it's not hard to write, I had some trouble thinking about it after I wrote it: pamf fs b = fmap ($ b) fs Then the map each function over each list of arguments is map . pamf , so I got (map . pamf) (map dot_product a) (transpose b) and this almost works, except it produces the columns of the results instead of the rows. There is an easy fix and a better fix. The easy fix is to just transpose the final result. I never did find the better fix. I thought I'd be able to replace map . pamf with pamf . map but the latter doesn't even type check. Anyway this did work: matrix_product a b = transpose $ (map . pamf) (map dot_product a) (transpose b) but that transpose on the front kept bothering me and I couldn't leave it alone. So then I went down a rabbit hole and wrote nine more versions of ??? : fs `op` as = do f <- fs return $ fmap f as fs `op2` as = fs >>= (\f -> return $ fmap f as) fs `op3` as = fs >>= (return . flip fmap as ) fs `op4` as = fmap ( flip fmap as ) fs op5 as = fmap ( flip fmap as ) op6 :: [a -> b] -> [a] -> [[b]] op6 = flip $ fmap . (flip fmap) fs `op7` as = map (\f -> [ f a | a <- as ]) fs fs `op8` as = map (\f -> (map f as)) fs fs `op9` as = map (flip map as) fs I finally settled on op6 , except it takes the arguments in the wrong order, with the list of functions second and their arguments first. But I used it anyway: matrix_product a b = (map . flip map) (transpose b) (map dot_product a) The result was okay, but it took me so long to get there. Now I have matrix_product and I can generalize it to uses two arbitrary operations instead of addition and multiplication. And hey, I don't have to touch matrix_product ! I only need to change dot_product because that's where the arithmetic is. Instead of dot_product a b = foldr (+) 0 $ zipWith (*) a b just use: inner_product u v = foldr add 0 $ zipWith mul u v Except uh oh, that 0 is wrong. It might not be the identity for whatever weird operation add is; it might be min and then we need the 0 to be minus infinity. I tinkered a bit with requiring a Monoid instance for the matrix entries, which seemed interesting at least, but to do that I would need to switch monoids in the middle of the computation and I didn't want to think about how to do that. So instead I wrote a version of foldr that doesn't need an identity element: foldr' f (a:as) = foldr f a as This fails on empty lists, which is just fine, since I wasn't planning on multiplying any empty matrices. Then I have the final answer: general_matrix_product add mul a b = (map . flip map) (transpose b) (map inner_product a) where inner_product u v = foldr' add $ zipWith mul u v It's nice and short, but on the other hand it has that mysterious map . flip map in there. If I hadn't written that myself I would see it and ask what on earth it was doing. In fact I did write it myself and I although I do know what it is doing I don't really understand why. As for the shortness, let's see what it looks like in a more conventional language: def transpose(m): return list(zip(*m)) Wow, that was amazingly easy. def matrix_product(a, b): def dot_product(u, v): total = 0 for pair in zip(u, v): total += pair[0] * pair[1] return total bT = transpose(b) c = [] for i in range(len(a)): c.append([]) for j in range(len(bT)): c[-1].append(None) c[i][j] = dot_product(a[i], bT[j]) return c Okay, that was kind of a mess. The dot_product should be shorter because Python has a nice built-in sum function but how do I build the list of products I want to sum? It doesn't have map because it doesn't have lambdas. I know, I know, someone is going to insist that Python has lambdas. It does, sort of, but they suck. I think the standard Python answer to this is that you don't need map because you're supposed to use list comprehension instead: def dot_product(u, v): return sum([ x*y for (x, y) in zip(u, v) ]) I don't know how I feel about that argument in general but in this case the result was lovely. I have no complaints. While I was writing the Python program I got a weird bug that turned out to be related to mutability: I had initialized c with c = [[None] * len(bT)] * len(a) But this makes the rows of c the same mutable object, and then installing values in each row overwrites the entries we stored in the previous rows. So definitely score one point for Haskell there. A lot of the mess in the code is because Python is so obstinate about extending lists when you need them extended, you have to say pretty please every time. Maybe I can get rid of that by using more list comprehensions? def matrix_product2(a, b): def dot_product(u, v): return sum([ x*y for (x, y) in zip(u, v) ]) return [ [ dot_product(u, v) for v in transpose(b) ] for u in a ] Python's list comprehensions usually make me long for Haskell's, which are so much nicer, but this time they were fine. Python totally wins here. No wait, that's not fair: maybe I should have been using list comprehensions in Haskell also? matrix_product = [ [ dot_product row col | col <- transpose b ] | row <- a ] Yeah, okay. All that map . flip map stuff was for the birds. Guido thinks that map is a bad idea, and I thought he was being silly, but maybe he has a point. If I did want the ??? thing that applies a list of functions to a list of arguments, the list comprehension solves that too: [ f x | f <- fs, x <- xs ] Well, lesson learned. I really wish I could write Haskell faster. In the mid-1990s I wrote thousands of lines of SML code and despite (or perhaps because of) SML's limitations I was usually able to get my programs to do what I wanted. But when I try to write programs in Haskell it takes me a really long time to get anywhere. Apropos of nothing, today is the 77th birthday of Dennis M. Ritchie. [ Addendum: It took me until now to realize that, after all that, the operation I wanted for polynomials is not matrix multiplication. Not at all! It is actually a convolution: $$ c_k = \sum_{i+j=k} a_ib_j $$ or, for my weird functional version, replace the multiplication !!a_ib_j!! with function composition !!a_i b_j!!. I may implement this later, for practice. And it's also tempting to try to do it in APL, even though that would most likely be a terrible waste of time ] [ Addendum 20180909: Vaibhav Sagar points out that my foldr' is the standard Prelude function foldr1 . But as I said in the previous article, one of the problems I have is that faced with a need for something like foldr1 , instead of taking one minute to write it, I will waste fifteen minutes looking for it in Hoogle. This time I opted to not do that. In hindsight it was a mistake, perhaps, but I don't regret the choice. It is not easy to predict what is worth looking for. To see the downside risk, consider pamf . A Hoogle search for pamf produces nothing like what I want, and, indeed, it doesn't seem to exist. ] [Other articles in category /prog] permanent link Cynthia Nixon's upstart challenge to fellow Democrat and incumbent governor Andrew Cuomo has hit a snag: her own party hasn't just picked sides in next week's primary election, it's mailed out flyers insinuating that she's an anti-semite. Just a few days ago, the New York Times ran an editorial detailing Cuomo's prolific and systemic corruptionits own words!only to endorse him anyway. He has done little to combat the corruption in the Legislature and his own administration, and he has allowed the subway system, the foundation of the New York City economy, to rot. The case for change, at a time when so many New Yorkers yearn for change, is not hard to make. But Ms. Nixon's lack of experience in government or management of any sort do not inspire confidence that she could overcome the old guard in Albany to fulfill her promises and run the state. Her campaign has, at times, boiled down to a largely negative message that she is not Andrew Cuomo and while that can indeed seem an appealing truth, it is not, in the end, enough. Even if she beats Cuomo, she will spend every moment of her political life being treated like a disease by her own party. But that hardly seems likely given how much effort it's putting into making sure that doesn't happen. Cuomo it is, and another four years of a sleazy, well-oiled centrism of the kind so ably criticized by the editors of the New York Times, even as they beg their readers to support it. Individuals willing to lay down their livesor at least risk them for the promise of steady employmentshouldn't have to put up with phony websites designed to snag and sell their personal information. It's an opinion that's apparently shared by the FTC. From Gizmodo: The FTC filed a complaint in federal court today charging that two Alabama-based companies, Sun Key Publishing and Fanmail.com, made roughly $11 million selling data to private schools. The companies would contact the potential recruits and encourage them to enroll at specific for-profit schools under the false impression that the U.S. military endorsed the organizations. If the mark sounded interested, Sun Key would sell that recruit's information for anywhere between $15 and $40. Tens of thousands of people visited the websites every month. The defendants were charged with violating the FTC Act as well as the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule and reached a settlement with the government. But they won't have to give back that $11 million because of their "inability to pay." The evil geniuses behind the scam used websites with the web addresses Army.com and Air-Force.com (apparently Army.com has been privately owned since 1995,) to lure in hopeful candidates looking to work a job that never makes you think about what you should wear to work. According to Gizmodo, for the time being, the FTC is staying quiet on which schools were benefiting from the ill-gotten personal information. Chances are, as the FTC develops their case against the digital imposters and their clients, we'll learn more about the who-did-whats. Image via DoDlive - The Special Investigating Unit accuses the National Prosecuting Authority of being slow to act on fraud and corruption allegations - Advocate Andy Mothibi, head of the SIU, says there has been almost no feedback on the 686 cases they handed over - Mothibi is concerned about the lack of action and feels the SIU's work isn't making any impact because of it PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see Briefly news on your News Feed! The head of South Africa's Special Investigating Unit, Advocate Andy Mothibi, said most of the cases his unit handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority are being ignored. These cases were given to the NPA between 2013 and 2018 and have reached a number of 686. Most of these cases are corruption- and fraud-related and implicate businesspeople and officials. In most cases, contracts have been awarded illegally. News24 reported Mothibi said on Thursday that since 2014, the SIU has received no feedback from the NPA. Mothibi tried to address the NPA's lack of action and an agreement was signed in 2016 which stipulates the SUI and NPA would have monthly meetings but that proved fruitless. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app Former National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams signed the understanding but the SIU is still unhappy about what's happening. Mothibi said he doesn't know what's the reason the NPA is taking so long to respond. The NPA however, said it had to refer the SIU's cases to the Hawks as only they and the SAPS can handle criminal investigations. Luvuyo Mfaku, spokesperson for the NPA, said they are giving the cases all the necessary attention. READ ALSO: Nedbank's warning to SA: Expropriation could cause banking crisis Briefly.co.za gathered that Mothibi is also concerned about the lack of action taken against officials whose cases were sent to the SIU. He feels the impact of their work isn't showing if there is no actions taken. Mothibi added it is difficult to cancel corruptly awarded contracts and get the money back. Mothibi hinted that the SIU is in the process of trying to establish a special tribunal to make their work more effective. Do you have news that might interest us? Message us on our Facebook page and we could feature your story. To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today. Watch the Pastors Joke: What Are Pastors Talking About? head over to Briefly South Africa's YouTube channel for more awesome videos. Source: Briefly.co.za News / National by Staff reporter The future is bright after the 2018 elections renewed the confidence of global powerhouses like China and the European Union in Zimbabwe, with the international community ready to assist the socio-economic transformation agenda, President Mnangagwa has said.President Mnangagwa said this yesterday to hundreds of people gathered at his Mapanzure rural home to celebrate his Presidential election victory.He said the endorsement of the elections by democratic institutions such as Sadc, the African Union and the EU was a milestone in Zimbabwe's quest to engage and re-engage the international community, and opened avenues for economic co-operation.President Mnangagwa said, "We had our elections where we invited observers from Sadc, the AU, the EU and other countries. The observers have commended the manner we conducted our elections."France and Germany have sent ministers to congratulate us and they indicated that they want to work with us. This shows that where we are going, we will have a bright future as our country develops."The Head of State and Government also said: "After the inauguration we went to China with other African leaders for the Focac (Forum on China-Africa Co-operation) meeting."The Chinese gave Africa $60 billion meant for infrastructure development and we hope to benefit from that fund. I also had a meeting with Chinese President Xi Xinping and we agreed on a number of issues, but they are not for public consumption."President Mnangagwa said the elections showed how much his administration had nurtured democratic space."Our elections were peaceful, everyone got the opportunity to campaign," he said. "In the past we used to have four or five parties contesting, but because of the open democratic space, there were over 133 registered parties and 55 contested the elections, with 23 of those also contesting the Presidential election. And you elected me to be President for the next five years and I thank you for that."The President reiterated his call for the country to remain peaceful and united, emphasising that this was necessary for development.He said agricultural mechanisation and irrigation were key to food security; and that his Government was targeting gold production to rise from the anticipated record of 30 tonnes in 2018 to a new high of 100 tonnes in three years."What we are saying is that Zimbabwe should leapfrog and catch up with other developing countries but in doing so we don't want corruption," he said. "We will fight corruption without fear and favour; we will fight corruption wherever it rears its ugly head."President Mnangagwa said following his announcement of his Cabinet line-up, he would next reassign some former ministers to the ruling Zanu-PF's party headquarters."Some of you are asking what happened to the usual faces that you have been used to seeing in Cabinet," said the President. "We are going to explain this coming week how we are going to deploy those who did not make it Cabinet. We want some of them to work full-time for the party."He also said the Herbert Chitepo Ideological College, headed by Munyaradzi Machacha, would be enhanced by the appointment of a board."We want to strengthen the party so that it remains supreme and gives direction to Government," he explained.President Mnangagwa scoffed at private media reports of bad blood between him and Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga."Those who say hatiwirirane misoro yavo. Ndozvavanoshuvira asi hakuna zvakadaro," he said.Meanwhile the President Mnangagwa donated an ambulance to Dambudzo Clinic. Trump Administration Discussed Coup Plans With Rebel Venezuelan Officers By Ernesto Londono and Nicholas Casey A military ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, this month. The White House declined to answer detailed questions about talks with rebellious officers.CreditCreditJuan Barreto/Agence France-Presse Getty Images The Trump administration held secret meetings with rebellious military officers from Venezuela over the last year to discuss their plans to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, according to American officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who participated in the talks. Establishing a clandestine channel with coup plotters in Venezuela was a big gamble for Washington, given its long history of covert intervention across Latin America. Many in the region still deeply resent the United States for backing previous rebellions, coups and plots in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil and Chile, and for turning a blind eye to the abuses military regimes committed during the Cold War. The White House, which declined to answer detailed questions about the talks, said in a statement that it was important to engage in dialogue with all Venezuelans who demonstrate a desire for democracy in order to bring positive change to a country that has suffered so much under Maduro. But one of the Venezuelan military commanders involved in the secret talks was hardly an ideal figure to help restore democracy: He is on the American governments own sanctions list of corrupt officials in Venezuela. He and other members of the Venezuelan security apparatus have been accused by Washington of a wide range of serious crimes, including torturing critics, jailing hundreds of political prisoners, wounding thousands of civilians, trafficking drugs and collaborating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. American officials eventually decided not to help the plotters, and the coup plans stalled. But the Trump administrations willingness to meet several times with mutinous officers intent on toppling a president in the hemisphere could backfire politically. Most Latin American leaders agree that Venezuelas president, Mr. Maduro, is an increasingly authoritarian ruler who has effectively ruined his countrys economy, leading to extreme shortages of food and medicine. The collapse has set off an exodus of desperate Venezuelans who are spilling over borders, overwhelming their neighbors. Even so, Mr. Maduro has long justified his grip on Venezuela by claiming that Washington imperialists are actively trying to depose him, and the secret talks could provide him with ammunition to chip away at the regions nearly united stance against him. This is going to land like a bomb in the region, said Mari Carmen Aponte, who served as the top diplomat overseeing Latin American affairs in the final months of the Obama administration. Mr. Maduro at a meeting with ministers in Caracas this month. Most Latin American leaders agree that he is an increasingly authoritarian ruler who has effectively ruined his countrys economy.CreditMiraflores Palace Beyond the coup plot, Mr. Maduros government has already fended off several small-scale attacks, including salvos from a helicopter last year and exploding drones as he gave a speech in August. The attacks have added to the sense that the president is vulnerable. Venezuelan military officials sought direct access to the American government during Barack Obamas presidency, only to be rebuffed, officials said. Then in August of last year, President Trump declared that the United States had a military option for Venezuela a declaration that drew condemnation from American allies in the region but encouraged rebellious Venezuelan military officers to reach out to Washington once again. It was the commander in chief saying this now, the former Venezuelan commander on the sanctions list said in an interview, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals by the Venezuelan government. Im not going to doubt it when this was the messenger. In a series of covert meetings abroad, which began last fall and continued this year, the military officers told the American government that they represented a few hundred members of the armed forces who had soured on Mr. Maduros authoritarianism. The officers asked the United States to supply them with encrypted radios, citing the need to communicate securely, as they developed a plan to install a transitional government to run the country until elections could be held. American officials did not provide material support, and the plans unraveled after a recent crackdown that led to the arrest of dozens of the plotters. Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained for years. The two have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010. After Mr. Trump took office, his administration increased sanctions against top Venezuelan officials, including Mr. Maduro himself, his vice president and other top officials in the government. The account of the clandestine meetings and the policy debates preceding them is drawn from interviews with 11 current and former American officials, as well as the former Venezuelan commander. He said at least three distinct groups within the Venezuelan military had been plotting against the Maduro government. One established contact with the American government by approaching the United States Embassy in a European capital. When this was reported back to Washington, officials at the White House were intrigued but apprehensive. They worried that the meeting request could be a ploy to surreptitiously record an American official appearing to conspire against the Venezuelan government, officials said. Venezuelans waiting to buy government-subsidized food in Caracas in May. The country is experiencing extreme shortages of food and medicine.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times But as the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela worsened last year, American officials felt that having a clearer picture of the plans and the men who aspired to oust Mr. Maduro was worth the risk. After a lot of discussion, we agreed we should listen to what they had to say, said a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak about the secret talks. The administration initially considered dispatching Juan Cruz, a veteran Central Intelligence Agency official who recently stepped down as the White Houses top Latin America policymaker. But White House lawyers said it would be more prudent to send a career diplomat instead. The American envoy was instructed to attend the meetings purely on listening mode, and was not authorized to negotiate anything of substance on the spot, according to the senior administration official. After the first meeting, which took place in the fall of 2017, the diplomat reported that the Venezuelans didnt appear to have a detailed plan and had showed up at the encounter hoping the Americans would offer guidance or ideas, officials said. The former Venezuelan commander said that the rebellious officers never asked for an American military intervention. I never agreed, nor did they propose, to do a joint operation, he said. He claimed that he and his comrades considered striking last summer, when the government suspended the powers of the legislature and installed a new national assembly loyal to Mr. Maduro. But he said they aborted the plan, fearing it would lead to bloodshed. They later planned to take power in March, the former officer said, but that plan leaked. Finally, the dissidents looked to the May 20 election, during which Mr. Maduro was re-elected, as a new target date. But again, word got out and the plotters held their fire. It is unclear how many of these details the coup planners shared with the Americans. But there is no indication that Mr. Maduro knew the mutinous officers were talking to the Americans at all. For any of the plots to have worked, the former commander said, he and his comrades believed they needed to detain Mr. Maduro and other top government figures simultaneously. To do that, he added, the rebel officers needed a way to communicate securely. They made their request during their second meeting with the American diplomat, which took place last year. Lawmakers in Caracas last month. The plotters considered striking last summer, when the government suspended the powers of the legislature and installed a new assembly loyal to Mr. Maduro.CreditCristian Hernandez/EPA, via Shutterstock The American diplomat relayed the request to Washington, where senior officials turned it down, American officials said. We were frustrated, said the former Venezuelan commander. There was a lack of follow-through. They left me waiting. The American diplomat then met the coup plotters a third time early this year, but the discussions did not result in a promise of material aid or even a clear signal that Washington endorsed the rebels plans, according to the Venezuelan commander and several American officials. Still, the Venezuelan plotters could view the meetings as tacit approval of their plans, argued Peter Kornbluh, a historian at the National Security Archive at George Washington University. The United States always has an interest in gathering intelligence on potential changes of leadership in governments, Mr. Kornbluh said. But the mere presence of a U.S. official at such a meeting would likely be perceived as encouragement. In its statement, the White House called the situation in Venezuela a threat to regional security and democracy and said that the Trump administration would continue to strengthen a coalition of like-minded, and right-minded, partners from Europe to Asia to the Americas to pressure the Maduro regime to restore democracy in Venezuela. American officials have openly discussed the possibility that Venezuelas military could take action. On Feb. 1, Rex W. Tillerson, who was secretary of state at the time, delivered a speech in which he said the United States had not advocated for regime change or removal of President Maduro. Yet, responding to a question afterward, Mr. Tillerson raised the potential for a military coup. When things are so bad that the military leadership realizes that it just cant serve the citizens anymore, they will manage a peaceful transition, he said. Days later, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has sought to shape the Trump administrations approach toward Latin America, wrote a series of Twitter posts that encouraged dissident members of the Venezuelan armed forces to topple their commander in chief. Venezuelans waiting to register with the Brazilian immigration authorities in April. The economic collapse has set off an exodus of desperate Venezuelans.CreditMeridith Kohut for The New York Times Soldiers eat out of garbage cans & their families go hungry in Venezuela while Maduro & friends live like kings & block humanitarian aid, Mr. Rubio wrote. He then added: The world would support the Armed Forces in #Venezuela if they decide to protect the people & restore democracy by removing a dictator. In a speech in April, when he was still White House policy chief for Latin America, Mr. Cruz issued a message to the Venezuelan military. Referring to Mr. Maduro as a madman, Mr. Cruz said all Venezuelans should urge the military to respect the oath they took to perform their functions. Honor your oath. As the crisis in Venezuela worsened in recent years, American officials debated the pros and cons of opening lines of dialogue with rebellious factions of the military. There were differences of opinion, said Ms. Aponte, the former top Latin America diplomat under Mr. Obama. There were people who had a lot of faith in the idea that they could bring about stability, help distribute food, work on practical stuff. But others including Ms. Aponte saw considerable risk in building bridges with leaders of a military that, in Washingtons assessment, has become a pillar of the cocaine trade and human rights abuses. Roberta Jacobson, a former ambassador to Mexico who preceded Ms. Aponte as the top State Department official for Latin America policy, said that while Washington has long regarded the Venezuelan military as widely corrupt, deeply involved in narcotics trafficking and very unsavory, she saw merit in establishing a back channel with some of them. Given the broader breakdown in institutions in Venezuela, there was a feeling that while they were not necessarily the answer any kind of democratic resolution would have had to have the military on board, said Ms. Jacobson, who retired from the State Department this year. The idea of hearing from actors in those places, no matter how unsavory they may be, is integral to diplomacy. But whatever the rationale, holding discussions with coup plotters could set off alarms in a region with a list of infamous interventions: the Central Intelligence Agencys failed Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow Fidel Castro as leader of Cuba in 1961; the American-supported coup in Chile in 1973, which led to the long military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet; and the Reagan administrations covert support of right-wing rebels known as the contras in Nicaragua in the 1980s. In Venezuela, a coup in 2002 briefly deposed Mr. Maduros predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The United States knew a plot was being hatched but warned against it, according to a classified document that was later made public. The coup took place anyway and the George W. Bush administration opened a channel to the new leader. Officials then backed away from the new government after popular anger rose against the coup and countries in the region loudly denounced it. Mr. Chavez was reinstated as president. In the latest coup plot, the number of military figures connected to the plan dwindled from a high of about 300 to 400 last year to about half that after a crackdown this year by Mr. Maduros government. The former Venezuelan military officer worries that the 150 or so comrades who have been detained are probably being tortured. He lamented that the United States did not supply the mutineers with radios, which he believes could have changed the countrys history. Im disappointed, he said. But Im the least affected. Im not a prisoner. News / National by Staff reporter THE developer of the much anticipated Egodini Bus Terminus, Terracotta Private Limited, has revealed that the first phase of the project will be open for trading by November 2019 as they work towards launching the site's contact centre.The contact centre will act as a job centre, where people will be able to leave their curriculum vitaes, which the contractors will then consider when they require people to work for them. It will also have a business centre, where sub-contractors will leave their company profiles also for consideration by the contractors.Responding to question from Sunday News from his South Africa base, Terracotta director, Mr Thulani Moyo revealed that contrary to claims that there was no activity taking place at the site since it was condoned off in March, workers were busy doing a number of pre-construction work inclusive of carrying out a final topographical survey of the site to confirm the preliminary civil engineering design of the development.He said what has prolonged the studies was the fact that they could not carry them out while the facility was being used but had to wait for it to be totally vacant."The project has already commenced and that is why you see certain activities on site. In terms of the development timelines, the first phase of the development will be open for trading in November 2019, while the second and third phases will be open for trading in October 2020 and November 2021 respectively."It is not correct that there is little progress on the project. The site was not a vacant site and had a large number of informal traders, taxi operators, businesses and commuters utilising the facility. On handing the site over to the developer, we encountered a slight delay in relocating certain occupants to their new trading facilities," said Mr Moyo.He revealed that there were also adhering to a strict demotion protocol that will see most of the material they removed being able to be used by the Bulawayo City Council in other projects."A key component of the demolition plan and approvals from the Environmental Management Agency is that as much recyclable material should be reclaimed by the developer and handed over to BCC for re-use in other public facilities prior to any demolition works being undertaken on site."As a result of this task being done in a manner that ensures salvaged material is re-usable, these works are delicate and time consuming. Once this construction activity has been completed and BCC auditors verify that recyclable material that was identified has been received by the City then full scale demolition and civil works will commence," said Mr Moyo.He said the establishment of the contact centre had been necessitated after various stakeholder engagements with residents, informal traders and public transport associations had emphasised that employment for the project must be done in a transparent manner that will ensure the project benefits unemployed residents of Bulawayo.He further dispelled fears that the developer could run out of funding revealing that one of its shareholders had recently listed in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange."The developer is a special purpose vehicle that has been established by shareholders with an impeccable track record of having jointly developed over 70 shopping centres in South Africa and other Southern African countries. These credentials are evidenced by one of its shareholders successfully listing a portion of its private property portfolio for more than R5,5 billion on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in June 2018," said Mr Moyo.The project which experienced a number of false starts since Terracotta won the tender in September 2012, is expected to gobble close to $60 million, with the company also awarded with a 99-year lease to the terminus. News / Press Release by NANGO The genesis of the Economic Participation Agreements (EPA) can be traced back to the historic economic and trade relation between European countries and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states.This relationship has developed over years with the signature of the two Yaounde Conventions in 1963 and 1969, four Lome Conventions and since the year 2000, the Cotonou agreement which will expire in 2020.The Lome and its successor Cotonou provided one-way, non-reciprocal, preferential access to EU markets for most ACP exports as well as aid to finance development projects in ACP countries.ACP countries benefited from duty-free access on the EU market for most products. Some agricultural products such as sugar, rum and bananas were covered by specific commodity protocols.To comply with international trade rules, the ACP and the EU agreed to conclude WTO compatible trading arrangements, removing progressively barriers to trade and enhancing cooperation in all areas relevant to trade through the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs).The EPA also seeks to promote regional integration, economic cooperation and good economic governance. It encourages an improvement in the supply capacity and competitiveness. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity with regards to trade policy and the rules relating to trade.For the purpose of EPAs, Africa was divided into five regions; Central Africa, East African Community (EAC), ECOWAS, Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). Zimbabwe negotiated EPAs under the ESA-EU EPA regional configuration.Six states in the ESA region (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe) concluded an interim EPA with the EU at the end of 2007. Zambia and Comoros initialed. The agreement was signed by four countries (Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe) in August 2009 in Mauritius.Implementation started in May 2012 after ratification by the respective Parliaments of the four countries. The ESA countries were not able to provide a common regional market access offer and each country presented an individual offer based on its specificities.It requires strengthening of capacities. The level of preparedness is very low and Zimbabwe is lagging behind. Between 2011-2014 Zimbabwe lost about 4000 companies. From 2007 to 2017 more or high import than exports and Zimbabwe is having a negative balance.If it is duty free, why are our exports not increasing. We are not benefiting from the process if our house is not in order. The major question was therefore on our signature as we are not in the Top 10 imports and Top 10 exporters By Aref Mohammed and Raya Jalabi BASRA/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Civil unrest fueled by anger against perceived corruption and misrule by Iraq's political elite intensified across the south of the country on Friday, as protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in Basra while others briefly took workers hostage at a nearby oilfield. After five days of deadly demonstrations in Basra in which government buildings have been ransacked and set alight, protesters broke in and damaged the consulate's offices, shouting condemnation of what many perceive as Iran's sway over Iraq's political affairs. Security sources said the consulate was empty when the crowd burst in. Iraq's Foreign Ministry said the storming of the consulate, which it deeply regretted, had nothing to do with protesters' demands. "The targeting of diplomatic missions is unacceptable and detrimental to the interests of Iraq," said ministry spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub. Iran, however, blamed Iraq for failing to protect its embassy and said it expected Baghdad to "identify and punish the attackers quickly," Bahram Qassemi, the spokesman for the ministry, told journalists, according to state media. The Iraqi ambassador to Tehran was later summoned to the foreign ministry over the complaints. Several foreign governments have consulates in the city, including the United States and Russia. In a statement, the U.S. State Department condemned the violence against diplomats and called on "all parties, including security forces and protesters, to uphold the right of peaceful protest and to protect diplomats and their facilities." Late in the day some 65 kilometers north-west of Iraq's second biggest city, another group of protesters entered a water treatment facility linked to the West Qurna 2 oilfield, managed by Russia's Lukoil. Oil prices were steady on Friday, with U.S. crude slipping on weak global equity markets while Brent inched up on geopolitical factors, including violent protests in Iraq. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled down 2 cents at $67.75 per barrel. Brent crude futures settled up 33 cents at $76.83 a barrel. [O/R] The protesters held two Iraqi employees hostage for about an hour before leaving the facility peacefully, according to a Lukoil source and a source with Basra's energy police. Production was not disrupted, a manager at the oilfield said. The unrest in Basra could have deeper implications for a country that imports most of its food. Since Thursday, protesters have shut Iraq's only major sea port at Umm Qasr, 60 km (40 miles) south of Basra. It remained shut on Friday, local officials and security sources said, although oil exports, carried out from offshore platforms, have not been affected. SWEEP CLEAN Residents say they have been driven to the streets by corruption that allowed infrastructure to collapse, leaving no power or safe drinking water in the heat of summer, with protests intensifying on Monday. Since then at least 12 demonstrators have died in the city of 2 million, mostly in clashes with security forces, as demonstrators torched government buildings and the offices of political parties, whose leaders are all vying to form Iraq's ruling coalition. On Friday, two protesters died from gunshot wounds and 39 were wounded, local health and security sources said. A curfew was imposed shortly before 9 p.m. local time, but residents still targeted a building belonging to Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, the grouping of mostly Iran-backed Shi'ite militias. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's national security council met on Friday and said it was investigating casualties at the protests. The storming of the consulate came hours after Iraq's most revered Shi'ite cleric called for a political shakeup in Baghdad and a halt to violence against the protesters. Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the ultimate authority for devout members of Iraq's Shi'ite majority who normally holds himself above day-to-day politics, placed blame for the unrest with political leaders and said a new government should be formed, "different from its predecessors". Smaller protests also took place on Friday in other cities including Karbala and Baghdad. NEW CRISIS The unrest has thrust Iraq into a major new crisis at a time when politicians have yet to agree a new government after an inconclusive election in May. The new parliament finally met on Monday for the first time, but broke up after a day having failed to elect a speaker, much less name the next prime minister. Parliament's interim leader summoned lawmakers to an emergency session on Saturday to discuss the unrest. Leading political figures, embroiled in government formation negotiations in Baghdad, have scrambled to respond to the crisis, condemning rivals for inaction. Iraq's political factions mainly came together in the past four years during a war against Islamic State. Baghdad's two most influential allies, Washington and Tehran, also backed the government despite their deep hostility to each other. But since Islamic State was largely defeated last year, divisions have resurfaced. Shi'ites in the south, where most of Iraq's oil wealth is produced, say Baghdad politicians have squandered state funds while leaving them desperate. Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist Shi'ite cleric whose electoral bloc came first in May's election, said on Twitter that Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi must release more funds for Basra. Sadr, the former leader of an anti-American Shi'ite sectarian militia who has reinvented himself as an anti-corruption campaigner, has allied himself with Abadi. Their alliance is competing to form a government against a rival bloc backed by Abadi's predecessor Nuri al-Maliki and the leader of an Iran-backed Shi'ite armed group, Hadi al-Amiri. Amiri called on Abadi to resign over the crisis on Friday. (Reporting by Aref Mohammed in Basra and Raya Jalabi in Erbil; additional reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva; Writing by Raya Jalabi; Editing by John Stonestreet, James Dalgleish and Diane Craft) BOGOTA (Reuters) - The leader of Colombia's United Guerrillas of the Pacific (GUP), a group of former Marxist rebels who refused to demobilize under a peace deal, was killed in combat with the armed forces President Ivan Duque said on Saturday. Victor David Segura, alias David, was killed near the city of Tumaco, in southwestern Narino province, a hub of coca plantations and fighting among armed groups for control of drug trafficking routes on the Pacific Ocean. "Early this morning the most dangerous kingpin in the Pacific, known by the alias David, was neutralized. He was considered the head of the so-called United Guerrillas of the Pacific," Duque said during a community event in Amaga, in Antioquia province in northcentral Colombia. The government had offered a reward of close to $50,000 for information leading to the capture of Segura, whose sister was also killed in the shoot-out with the Navy and police. He led about 120 former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fighters who remained in the jungle and continued murders, kidnappings, drug trafficking and other crimes rather than give up arms and participate in reintegration programs agreed in a 2016 peace deal to end more than five decades of war. Some 12,000 FARC members, including 6,000 combatants, demobilized under the accord and the group is now a political party. However, more than 1,200 former FARC fighters did not demobilize - founding new groups dedicated largely to drug trafficking and illegal mining. Other dissident former FARC fighters include the Oliver Sinisterra Front, which is accused of kidnapping and then killing two Ecuadorean journalists and their driver in April. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Julia Symmes Cobb; editing by Diane Craft) SKOPJE (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Macedonians to embrace a deal with Greece over the country's name at a referendum later this month, in order to secure membership of NATO and European Union. Macedonia has set Sept. 30 for the referendum on both the membership bids and its agreement with Greece to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. After meeting with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in Skopje on Saturday, Merkel said the issues were "very closely linked". "Without a solution to this (name) question, the other two things can't happen," she told journalists. In June, NATO invited Macedonia to begin accession talks with the alliance, but said it would have to change its constitution and adopt the new name first. The EU has also said it would set a date for Macedonian accession talks pending implementation of the name deal. Greece, a member of both NATO and the EU, has refused to accept the Balkan country's name, saying it implies territorial claims on the Greek province of Macedonia and amounts to an appropriation of its ancient civilization. It has blocked the country's membership bids. Zaev's government, elected in 2017, pushed for an agreement with Greece and the two sides agreed on the new name in June. Macedonian nationalists, including President Gjorge Ivanov, oppose the deal however, saying it is against the constitution. Zaev said Merkel's visit sent "a strong message and encouragement" to citizens ahead of the referendum "to decide their future." "The future could be, with a successful outcome of the referendum, that you are both member of NATO as well as belonging to the family of EU states," Merkel said. Her visit comes 27 years to the day after Macedonia declared independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991. It was the only former Yugoslav republic to break away peacefully. Zaev's government needs a two-third majority in parliament to implement the constitutional changes. If the deal with Greece is rejected in the referendum, it would be more difficult for the government to win this majority. According to recent opinion polls, more than 50 percent of people are likely to vote, with the majority supporting the membership bids and the name deal. (Reporting by Kole Casule and Paul Carrel in Berlin; Writing by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Clelia Oziel) Nearly seven months ago when we had our first scan after finding out Haley was pregnant. It revealed we were having twin boys, we were shocked and absolutely in awe of what the Lord had given us. To set the scene, it took us 18 months to fall pregnant with our daughter Chelsea. All the research we had done said 4 months was the norm. After 12 months we decided to seek help from the specialists. All our tests came back normal. There was nothing suggesting we shouldnt be falling pregnant. Doctors had no answer for us. Just around the 18 month mark we were thinking of looking into IVF. We didnt have the money at the time and we knew this could also be an expensive and emotional journey. We wanted kids and we were trusting the Lord for it. Rewind almost 2 years ago to the day, Chelsea was born. She was born premature, 35 weeks and 4 days and healthy. Weighing 2.786kgs. She only needed a little bit of breathing and feeding support and 10 days later we took her home. Unfortunately for Haley the pregnancy was fairly traumatic for her. She was sick every single day, all day and she found herself bed ridden for the majority of that pregnancy. Again After about a year we were keen to try for another. This time it only took 3 months, we were feeling very blessed. For Haley it was another terrible time, she was so sick she stopped work at 24 weeks and was bed ridden for the remainder of the pregnancy. The boys were born premature, early August at 35 weeks and 1 day. We were not concerned as this seemed like it was going to be exactly the same as Chelseas birth. We were confident that all would be well and we would be out of hospital with the boys in just over a week. As I write this article both my boys are still in the hospital 25 days later. August 7 and the days that followed will be remembered not only for the joy of becoming a parent to 3 children, but a roller coaster of emotion that threatened to break my faith. Both boys were born over a 45-minute period and their lungs were not developed enough for them to sufficiently breath on their own. I walked into the neonatal ward and watched in horror as doctors frantically tried so save my boys lives. They were both intubated with artificial ventilation helping them breath. They were tiny weighting 2.2kgs each. Nathan my eldest twin recovered quite quickly, 24 hours later he would be off breathing support and continued to improve from that day onwards. My youngest Ryan had a rocky road ahead of him. It took 40 minutes for my boy to be born, he got stuck coming down the birth canal. Doctors used a suction cap device to help pull him out. This would cause a subgaleal haematoma, where 10% of his bodys blood volume leaked into the space between his skull and lower level of flesh. His haemoglobin levels were so low doctors were making plans to give him a blood transfusion. He would be on breathing support for the rest of the first week. In his second week his digestive system shut up shop and would not work. He would vomit up every feed as none of it was being passed on from the stomach to the intestines. Doctors reduced his feeds to see whether his digestive system would start working again, it did not. New direction Doctors then made the decision to put a central line into him, as my boy needed hydration, he needed nutrition, he needed calories. This is how he would be the entire 2nd week of his life, doctors feeding him a small amount of breast milk, 1ml every 12 hours to try and get his digestive system going again. Toward the end of that second week, we started to see some improvements and were feeling positive about his recovery. At the beginning of the third week, my little guy would develop septic meningitis and for the first time in two weeks, doctors said to us that they were really worried about him. His breathing was starting to fail again, he would stop breathing twice every minute for around 10 to 15 seconds. Doctors were making plans to intubate him again and send him to the Royal Brisbane Hospital. This moment broke me. You see from the moment we found out we were pregnant, I prayed every night for my boys. I especially prayed for them to be strong, robust and resilient. These boys were going to be history makers, planets shakers and culture changers and here was my boy hanging on by a thread. I walked a line of great faith and uncontrollable anger with God. I know Haley had a similar journey. We were shattered, we were so weary. The emotional toll on us was heavy. I questioned God, why is this happening? Was I not faithful with my prayers for my boys? Did I not cry out to you daily for these boys to be warriors for our Faith? While one twin was growing well, the other was drifting away. Gods family God and the Christian community was all we could turn to and in the midst of arguably mine and Haleys most challenging trial. This is where we saw miracles happen, this is where we saw God work, this is where God used the Christian community to wrap his arms around us and carry us through this turmoil. A prayer request was sent out and from what I can gather, hundreds of people from across my work place, my current church, my old church from across the world even were praying and fasting for my boys. The very next morning, we walked into the hospital to see how Ryan had faired overnight. We were expecting the grey, gaunt and lethargic little body we wept over the day before. We saw a pink, vibrant and alert baby! Nurses and doctors were stunned with the progress he had made in such a short time. For the remainder of that week, we would pray, we would fast, we would seek the Lord for full healing of Ryan. We claimed Gods promises over him particularly 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 10 May the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 25 days after he was born, not only is he slightly heavier than his older brother. He is up to full feeds, his central line is finally out and just yesterday had his first bath and dressed in his first baby clothes. You see, it is out of pain that we learn our biggest lesson, it is out of pain where we grow stronger, it is out of pain where our foundations in Christ grow deeper and more stable. Life is full of tragedy and bad things will happen to good people, these are the realities of living in a broken world. I took courage however; in those who have come before, those who stories are far more tragic and dont have a happy ending. Some of the giants of faith in my own life have never been able to have children, some of those who I look up to and admire suffered miscarriages and some of those who inspire me have actually lost a child. All these people have shown me what true faith is, regardless of their situation. Even when it hurt the most in their life, even though they never understood what was going on, they continued to praise Gods name and this has made all the difference. Jarred is an HPE and Mathematics teacher on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, he is married to Haley and has three beautiful children Chelsea, Nathan and Ryan. Pexels People who feel lonely but have a religion feel a greater sense of purpose in life than atheists, according to a new study. University of Michigan researcher Todd Chan looked at three separate studies that asked over 19,000 people about their friendships, religious beliefs, feelings of loneliness and sense of purpose, the Daily Mail reports. He concluded that among those who described themselves as lonely, those with a religion fared better than atheists because they were able to see God as a friend. 'For the socially disconnected, God may serve as a substitutive relationship that compensates for some of the purpose that human relationships would normally provide,' Chan said. He said that those who fewer social connections could benefit from 'leveraging religion and turning to God as a friend.' Co-author of the study, Nicholas Michalak, said the research suggests that those who lack friends but feel more connected to God 'will have a better sense of purpose in life.' Another member of the research team, psychology professor Oscar Ybarra, cautioned however that people should not rely solely on God for social fulfillment. 'These results certainly do not suggest that people can or should rely on God over people for purpose,' he said. 'Quality human connections still remain a primary and enduring source of purpose in life.' This article was originally published in Christian Today and is re-published here with permission. Photo - Christchurch Anglican Bishop Brian Carrell and Nelsons Tim Newman at the young writers conference. The Kiwi young writers have determined to go alone after being part of Australias Press Service International for 7 years at the 2018 young writer conference on Saturday held at the Christchurch Salvation Army Centre. Young writers came together in Christchurch from Australia, New Zealand, and around the world for the annual awards conference with the Kiwi young writers becoming part of the program in 2012. Press Service International in conjunction with Christian Today established the young writer ministry in 2009 whereby each young writer is published in their own column 10 times a year, once every 5 weeks. Photo - 2018 young writer conference plenary speakers Tim Newman (Nelson) and Daniel Jang (Auckland) with Russell Modlin (centre) Kiwi young writers met Saturday afternoon The afternoon session of Saturdays conference the Kiwi young writers met together to discuss and work through what it might mean to develop their own ministry separate from Australia. Tim Newman a plenary speaker and a former young writer, the chair of the Kiwi young writer gathering explained that this required ownership by the New Zealanders for the New Zealanders. Previous attempts fell over as there was no one available to run and develop it and Dr Mark Tronson explained, later this year he will be 67 and he would need to let go of the Kiwi component at the end of the year. The outcome of the discussion was that Wellington young writer Esther Koh an English tertiary lecturer was willing to be the editor, Jessica McPherson the one to send out the reminders, and Tim was willing to oversee at the beginning until they got on their feet. Others were prepared to help and use their communications skills with a weekly note and such like. David Chang of Christian Today had indicated he was willing to work with the Kiwi young writers in developing a banner on the Christian Today site linking NZ Christian Today. Photo - Wellingtons Esther Koh being presented the 2018 New Zealand Theology Award by Russell Modlin Bishop Brian Carrell In Bishop Carrells address to the young writers conference including the Australians and the Internationals, a founding panellist for the Basil Sellers Awards, he explained a number of salient points first hed noticed a change over these past 8 years in the young writers pieces - from personalised stories to that of more mature reflections. Bishop Carrell also made the point that in his many years of ministry, with a keen interest with CMS Church Missionary Society this young writer engagement was one of the best understandings as it pointed to the future young people today are the leaders of tomorrow. Bishop Carrell came into the Kiwi young writers meeting for the final 30 minutes of discussion and greatly encouraged them towards 2019 as a new fresh encounter in ministry and the Lord Jesus Christ. Young people 18-30 years interested in writing for Christian Today with your own column please connect with Dr Mark Tronson timeout@bushorchestra.com 0419 917 713 Photo - Aucklands Sunny Kang being presented her Best Article award for 2018 by Russell Modlin Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html Just prior to the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, Dion Giolito brought back a brand known as OneOff. OneOff is a brand that was created by Andrea Molinari back in 2001. It was a brand that achieved a cult status in the marketplace. Eventually, the brand fell dormant and pretty much disappeared from retail shelves. It was a brand that had always intrigued Giolito. In addition being a brand that would qualify as a predicate brand, it became that much more of an attractive property to acquire. After successfully acquiring the brand, Giolito would work n fine-tuning the cigar and this past June it would start to appear on retail shelves. It would also be the showcased release by Illusione at the 2018 IPCPR. Today we take a look at Giolitos interpretation of the OneOff in the Canonzo (Toro) size. When Molinari created OneOff, he was a tobacconist who ran a La Casa del Habano in Milan, Italy. After failing to get his own brand made in Cuba, he turned to the Plasencia family, who would create the cigars at Segovia Cigars S.A. A year later, Molinari turned to Felipe Gregorio (owned by Philip Wynne) to handle his U.S. distribution. By 2004, distribution would move to Paul Giacalone of Massachusetts. Eventually, Plasencia stopped making the cigars and Molinari would sell the brand to Cuban Crafters. Now in Giolitos hands, OneOff is not branded with the Illusione name, but its a cigar under the company umbrella of Illusione Cigars. Its positioned as the most premium brand in Illusione, with pricing ranging from $11.95 to $17.95 for seven sizes. There is also a special Super Robusto size known as the +53 which will be in the ultra-premium range of $30.00. Not much is known about the +53 other than its different than the other seven sizes. This is relatively consistent with Molinaris brand, which was also in the ultra-premium price range. Without further ado, lets break down the OneOff in the Canonazo size and see what this cigar brings to the table. SPECIFICATIONS Blend and Origin The original blend released by Molinari that was produced by Plasencia consisted of a Honduran wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. As for the current blend, Giolito isnt disclosing details other than its being made at Aganorsa Leafs TABSA factory. Wrapper: Not Disclosed Binder: Not Disclosed Filler: Not Disclosed Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacos de Valle Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) Vitolas Offered There are seven offerings for the base blend of the OneOff. All of these cigars are offered in ten-count boxes. Cartuchos: 3 7/8 x 52 Corona: 5 1/2 x 42 Corona Gorda: 5 3/8 x 46 Robusto: 4 7/8 x 50 Canonazo: 6 1/8 x 52 Pyramides: 6 1/8 x 52 Julieta: 7 x 47 As I mentioned above, there is an eighth marca under the OneOff brand known as the +53 Super Robusto, a 5 3/4 x 48 vitola that is also offered in ten-count boxes. The blend for this cigar is said to differ from the other seven. Appearance The wrapper of the OneOff Canonazo features a medium brown color with a strong cinnamon color tint to it. The surface of the wrapper had some oil on it. While there were some visible veins as well as some visible wrapper seams, I found this to be a cigar with a relatively smooth surface. The OneOff line had one simple, yet unique and eye-catching band. It was a white peace symbol on an orange background. Giolito didnt mess with the design and it carries over to his interpretation of the band. PERFORMANCE Pre-Light Draw A straight cut into the cap commenced the cigar experience of the OneOff Canonazo. From that point, it was on to the pre-light draw phase. The dry draw delivered a mix of classic wood, cedar, natural tobacco, along with a slight graham cracker and a creamy undertone. I found this to be a very good pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to light up the OneOff Canonazo and see what the smoking phase would have in store. Tasting Notes Out of the gate, the OneOff Canonazo picked up where the pre-light draw left off. Notes of classic wood and cedar surfaced in the forefront and would be a staple there for a good part of the smoking experience. In the background, there were notes of black pepper, natural tobacco, graham cracker and cream. As the cigar moved through the early phase, the cream notes joined the cedar and wood in the forefront. The retro-hale delivered a mix of black pepper, cedar, and classic wood. The black pepper had the edge here and at times it was on the sharp side. As the OneOff Canonazo moved through the first third, the cedar seemed to have the edge. From the background the natural tobacco and graham cracker notes. Going into the second third, the pepper notes started to increase in intensity on the tongue. By the midway point, the black pepper and natural tobacco notes closed in on the cedar and wood notes. By this point, the cream notes were diminishing and to a lesser extent the graham cracker notes. This continued into the last third where the difference was that there was a kick of black pepper toward the end. This is the way the smoking experience of the OneOff Canonazo came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and slightly soft to the touch. Burn For the most part, the OneOff Canonazo maintained a straight burn path and had a straight burn line. Early on, this cigar did need some extra attention in terms of touch-ups to get going. Once it did, the frequency of these touch-ups greatly reduced. The resulting ash was skewed toward the firmer side. This was an ash with a light gray color to it. Meanwhile, the burn temperature was ideal. I did find this cigar to be a slower burner as each sample was a 2+ hour smoke. Other than an extended smoking time, there were no adverse effects of the slower burn. Draw The draw to the OenOff Canonazo performed excellently. There was a slight but pleasant resistance to the burn. I didnt find it was a chore to derive flavor from this cigar. At the same time, despite the slight resistance, the OneOff Canonazo produced ample amounnts of smoke. Strength and Body Overall, I found the OneOff Canonazo delivered a medium-strength, medium-bodied cigar from start to finish. The cigar started on the lower end of medium for both attributes. There was a slight uptick in the intensity levels of the strength and body, but by the end, I found both attributes still were in the medium range of the spectrum. In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other. OVERALL ASSESSMENT Final Thoughts Its been quite a long time since I smoked an original OneOff, so doing a comparison to the Illusione one is unfair. In fact, a side by side comparison would be equally unfair because of an original one would have significantly more age on it. The best thing to do is to evaluate how this cigar stands on its own. When it comes to the Illusione OneOff, I found the blend worked excellently with the Toro format. While notes of cedar, pepper, and wood arent the most exciting, it was the secondary notes that clicked with this blend. In the end, I found an enjoyable cigar. This is a cigar Id recommend to either a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, its a cigar Id smoke again, and its worthy of picking up multiples to keep in the humidor. Summary Key Flavors: Earth, Cedar, Classic Wood, Black Pepper, Natural Tobacco, Graham Cracker, Cream Burn: Excellent Draw: Excellent Complexity: Medium Strength: Medium to Full (1st 2/3), Full (Remainder) Body: Medium to Full (1st 2/3), Full (Remainder) Finish: Very Good Rating Value: Buy Multiples Score: 91 References News: Illusione OneOff Officially Launches Price: $16.30 Source: Purchased Brand Reference: Illusione Photo Credits: Cigar Coop Welcome to THIS ISLAND EARTH, CKCU's ''world music'' program, broadcast every Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. EST. Stay with us this afternoon (Sunday 1-4pm) at CKCU 93.1 FM in the greater Ottawa area or at ckcufm.com from anywhere around the world. This afternoon expect to hear from many great new releases and some older ones as well. Stay tuned to loads of music from the Middle East and South Asia as well as visits to Europe, Latin America and Africa. Keep it locked here at CKCU, the Mighty 93.1 FM. An Egyptian court handed a five-year jail sentence to award-winning photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid on Saturday and confirmed death sentences against 75 people in one of the largest mass trials since the 2011 uprising. Abu Zeid, widely known as Shawkan, who earlier this year received UNESCO's World Freedom Prize, is however expected to walk free soon, his lawyer said. Shawkan was arrested in August 2013 as he covered deadly clashes in Cairo between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. He was accused of "murder and membership of a terrorist organisation" - charges that can carry the death penalty - but has already spent five years in jail. Shawkan should therefore be able to leave prison "within a few days", his lawyer Karim Abdelrady said as he welcomed the verdict. Smiling in the dock, the photojournalist made a "V" for victory sign to journalists. But Abdelrady added that the sentence was still "unfair because he (Shawkan) was only doing his job", covering the events unfolding in the Egyptian capital five years ago. The lawyer said he would launch a new legal bid to recognise the innocence of his client. Shawkan was one of 739 defendants on trial in the same case, most of them facing charges of killing police and vandalising property during the clashes. His detention sparked outrage among human rights groups and NGOs who lobbied continuously for his release. On Thursday, Amnesty International and press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) held a joint rally outside the Egyptian embassy in Paris to demand that he be set free. At the time, Amnesty put out a statement warning Egyptian judicial authorities: "The world is watching you." A photo of Shawkan - behind bars with his hands in front of his face mimicking holding a camera - has long circulated widely on social media. Egypt sentences 75 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death Mass trial of 739 over Rabaa massacre branded grotesque parody of justice by Amnesty An Egyptian court has sentenced 75 prominent members and affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood to death, as part of a mass trial that included 739 people charged after the violent dispersal of a protest camp in support of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Most of the protesters who died in the dispersal at Rabaa al-Adawiya square in Cairo were pro-Morsi protesters and Brotherhood members and affiliates. They had staged a sit-in days before Morsi was ousted by Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in a military coup on 3 July 2013 and continued the protest until it was violently dispersed on 14 August 2013. The 75 were given the death penalty for offences ranging from murder to incitement to break the law, membership of a banned group, or being part of an illegal gathering. The verdict, by judge Hassan Farid el-Shami, was announced on Saturday in Cairos heavily fortified Tora prison courthouse, after a trial Amnesty International has condemned as a grotesque parody of justice. Among those who received death sentences were senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian, politician Mohamed el-Beltagy, Salafi preacher Safwat Hegazy, former youth minister Osama Yassin and cleric Abdel-Rahman el-Barr. The court also sentenced the Muslim Brotherhoods supreme leader, Mohammed Badie, in addition to 46 others, to life in prison. Five defendants died during the legal process. A total of 374 defendants, mainly Morsi supporters, were given 15 years in detention. Osama Morsi, the son of the detained former president, as well as 22 others, was sentenced to 10 years. All the verdicts can be appealed. The judge also sentenced 215 defendants, including photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, to five years, causing dozens of defendants in the soundproof cage to rejoice. He [Shawkan] already spent five years, which means he will get out, lawyer Karim Abdel Rady wrote on Twitter, adding that despite his impending release, Shawkan would be on probation for another five years. Assuming that they [Shawkan and the other 214 defendants] have not been sentenced in other cases or that they are not held in pre-trial detention in other cases, they should be released, Amnesty Internationals Egypt campaigner, Hussein Baoumi, told the Guardian. This raises an important point, which is the practice of prolonged pre-trial detention, which is so commonplace in the Egyptian legal system and effectively [renders] defendants in Egypt guilty until proven otherwise, Baoumi added. Several of the defendants, including Shawkan, have already spent five years in detention, two years were spent during the prosecutions investigations. Shawkan, who was arrested in 2013, went to cover the raid on the protest camp at Rabaa for the UK-based photo agency Demotix. He was frequently pictured during the trial posing as though holding a camera in the defendants cage, an attempt to demonstrate to the world that Egypt had incarcerated a journalist for doing his job. Egypt is ranked 161 out of 180 countries for journalistic safety and freedom of the press by Reporters Without Borders. The final verdict ended a prolonged period of pre-trial detention, long past the two-year legal limit in Egypt, amid a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood group as well as all political opposition to the rule of Sisi. The trial from the start lacked any standards of a fair trial. This is a classic example of why Egypt needs to abolish the death penalty, said Baoumi. Saturdays case is one of dozens that were brought after the Rabaa massacre, with thousands of Brotherhood members and affiliates accused of committing acts of terrorism and violence. Outside the courthouse, a female relative of Yassin, who was sentenced to death, said the verdicts were absurd and unfair They were the ones getting killed in Rabaa, yet they are the ones now being trialled and given death sentences. Baoumi said that the court had not approved all the requested witnesses. The defence wanted to summon around 230-240 witnesses, but the court only approved 50-60 witnesses. He added that the judge refused to admit into evidence several CDs that were were favourable to the defence. Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 817 people were killed on 14 August 2013, when Egyptian security forces attacked the camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya square in Cairo, in an act the watchdog labelled likely crimes against humanity. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Agence France-Presse, September 8, 2018 The Guardian , Adham Youssef (in Cairo) and Ruth Michaelson, Sept. 8, 2018 In response to the news that three Iranian Kurdish men, Zaniar Moradi, Loghman Moradi, and Ramin Hossein Panahi, were executed this morning in Rajai Shahr prison, Karaj, Philip Luther, Amnesty Internationals Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: We are horrified by the news that the Iranian authorities have executed these men, despite widespread condemnation of their death sentences and calls from UN human rights experts and other bodies to halt their executions. The trials of all three men were grossly unfair. All were denied access to their lawyers and families after their arrest, and all said they were tortured into making confessions. In sentencing them to death despite these massive failings in due process, the Iranian authorities have once again demonstrated their brazen disregard for the right to life. We call on the international community to strongly condemn these executions and urge the Iranian authorities to respect their obligations under international law. The Iranian authorities must take steps to ensure that everyone has a fair trial, that torture and other ill-treatment are absolutely prohibited, and that the practice of forced confessions is stopped once and for all. They must also immediately impose an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde JOHANNESBURG - Amnesty International says use of the death penalty is on the decline and by the end of last year, 142 countries had abolished it. However, there were still 993 executions recorded in 2017, in 23 countries which practise capital punishment, with China still believed to be the world's biggest executioner. In South Africa, the IFP wants a discussion on the death penalty. India recently passed a bill allowing for the death sentence for anyone convicted of raping a child. The move comes after nationwide protests over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl. Countries carrying out the penalty last year used methods ranging from decapitation to hanging, and lethal injection. The United States has been divided on the issue of the death penalty for decades. According to the latest poll, today 54-percent are in favour of sending convicted murderers to Death Row, while 39 percent oppose this. In Uganda, human rights groups want to scrap the death penalty but President Yoweri Museveni is rejecting the move, saying crime will rise. A recent report by rights group Amnesty International applauded some Sub-Saharan African countries for abolishing the death penalty. But with reports of Botswana and Sudan resuming executions this year, Amnesty says there are fears the death sentence may gain popularity across Africa. Back home, the IFP is calling for renewed debate on the death penalty, saying crime is out of control but is it a solution? The Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders doesn't think so. "Nicro is very clear that this is a knee-jerk reaction, said Soraya Solomon from NICRO. It's been shown, especially in America where some states have the death penalty - others don't and research was done by very renowned criminologists and they found over a 10-year period those states that had the death penalty the crime rate actually spiked, compared to those states that did not have the death penalty. The South African Institute for Violence Prevention says there is no scientific evidence that capital punishment deters violence. In a tweet, it says the IFP should rather focus on poverty alleviation and reducing inequality because the latter breeds violence. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde The civil administration and police conducted the raid Friday after some children complained that they were being "harassed and tortured" at the facility run by a pastor from Kerala. (Photo: Twitter | @ANI) Jammu: Nineteen children, including eight girls, have been rescued from an unregistered orphanage in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district during a raid, officials said Saturday. The civil administration and police conducted the raid Friday after some children complained that they were being "harassed and tortured" at the facility run by a pastor from Kerala. Antony Thomas has been arrested and booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in this connection, they said. Thomas, however, has denied all charges of any wrongdoing at the centre. "A total of 21 children are staying at the asylum. Two of them have gone to their native place -- Pathankot (Punjab) -- to attend a marriage, he told reporters before being whisked away by police. The children, aged 5 to 16, have been shifted to government-run Bal Ashram and Nari Neketan, the officials said, adding they belong to different parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Shridhar Patil said, The rescue operation was conducted based on a complaint and further investigation is on. He said the orphanage was operating for several years. It was linked to an NGO which, however, de-linked it a few days ago. Officials seized some items from the orphanage. The rescued children are being given medical treatment and counselling, he said. He said the pastor's wife has gone to Kerala in view of the floods there and will return in a few days. Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Kathua, Jitender Mishra, who led the joint raid, said the raid was conducted on the directions of the Kathua deputy commissioner after he received several complaints alleging the children were being "harassed and tortured" at the orphanage. Family members of the children are being contacted, he said. Thomas failed to produce any document for running the centre during the raid, Mishra said, adding the motive behind operating the facility is under investigation. Meanwhile, a group of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists Saturday protested outside the Press Club in Jammu, seeking severe punishment to the accused. They also set ablaze an effigy of the pastor. The magnitude 6.7 quake on Hokkaidos southern coast knocked out power to nearly all 3 million households on the island. (Representational image) Japans ultramodern conveniences, its zippy bullet trains, automated ticketing systems and smart homes work just fine, until the power goes out. The blackout across entire northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful earthquake struck on September 6 showed the weak link in all that technology. Its a problem shared by most affluent, and increasingly many other countries, but seems more apparent in this seismically overactive nation, where earthquakes and tsunamis are a constant threat and even the high-tech toilets have electronic flushes. The magnitude 6.7 quake on Hokkaidos southern coast knocked out power to nearly all 3 million households on the island, forcing essential services such as hospitals and traffic lights to use generators or other backups. Damage to some generators was likely to delay the full restoration of power for more than a week, officials said. On September 7, with power restored to about half of all Hokkaido households, Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko urged residents to conserve electricity. Unplug appliances. Families should try to all stay in one room, he said. That can help us more quickly restore power in more places. The vulnerability of the electric grid was driven home most painfully in 2011 by a massive earthquake and tsunami on the northeastern coast of the main island of Honshu, and subsequent meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. Shutdowns of reactors for safety checks put a chunk of Japans power generating capacity out of commission straining supplies in this resource scarce nation. Some 3 million households on Hokkaido, whose power supplies generally are only based on the island, were without electricity for nearly a whole day after the quake. After a long, dark night a large share of the lights were back on early Friday in the prefectural capital of Sapporo, a city of 1.9 million. Without power, most tap water systems didnt work. Traffic and street lights were dark and cellphones ran out of power. Some landlines were also silenced, though public phones were working for free, carrier NTT said. Hokkaido Electric Power, or HEPCO, said the large-capacity Tomato Atsuma power plant source of most power to the region and located relatively close to the quakes epicenter will take about a week to restart. As a stopgap, the company restarted three other plants with less generating capacity and switched on dozens of small hydroelectric plants. Officials at METI, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which is in charge, told reporters the utility lacked a contingency plan for the failure of all three of Tomato Atsumas generators echoing the lack of emergency planning that caused massive problems at the Fukushima plant. HEPCO had only anticipated the possible loss of up to a third of peak power demand, or up to 1.3 million kilowatts, they said. Likely mindful of complaints over the handling of the aftermath of the 2011 disaster by Tokyo Electric Power, operator of the Fukushima plant, the industry minister, Hiroshige Seko, ordered HEPCO to be sure to provide quick and thorough updates. Japans nuclear regulator said that external power was restored at Tomari, Hokkaidos only nuclear power plant, after it temporarily switched September 6 to backup generators to power cooling systems for spent fuel from its three reactors. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said there was no abnormality at the plant, which has been idled since 2012 for routine safety checks, its reactors emptied of fuel. Hokkaido Electric says the islands average peak demand is about 3.8 million kilowatts. By drawing on secondary generators and possibly importing power from elsewhere in Japan, the utility said it could provide about 2.9 million kilowatts of power even if Tomato Atsuma remained offline. Like many tough residents used to Hokkaidos long, harsh winters, Norio Oikawa was looking on the bright side. His home in Sapporo had no power by early Friday, and he was rationing the water he managed to store in his bathtub before his taps went dry. Thankfully, basic public facilities were at hand no fancy electronics involved. There is a park nearby, with a toilet and running water. So, thats a great help, he said. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Vietnamese are online seven hours a day and spend a daily average of 2.5 hours on social networks. Photo by Cuong Tran Vietnam needs its own networks to force Facebook, Google to comply with Vietnamese laws, a meeting heard Saturday. Nguyen Manh Hung, acting Minister of Information and Communications, noted that Vietnam aims to become a software giant and boost fields like communications, information technology and security. To do so, Vietnam needs to create its own networks to compete with other tech giants like Google and Facebook, Hung said at a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. While the total ad revenues generated on social networks in Vietnam is $370 million, $135 million is taken by Google with 35 million users, and $235 million by Facebook with 60 million users, Hung said. However, these social networks do not comply with Vietnamese laws on taxation, transaction processes or security, he added. As such, the information ministry is proposing that new policies are developed to facilitate the creation and growth of homegrown social networks, aiming to garner at least 60 million accounts and 60-70 percent of the social network markets pie in Vietnam by 2022. The Saturday meeting was the first time Hung, former CEO of military-run telecom giant Viettel, shared his vision about Vietnam's telecom development since he took his role as the information ministry leader in July, replacing his predecessor Truong Minh Tuan who was caught in a TV acquisition scandal. Vietnam's acting Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung. Photo courtesy of the ministry Hung also proposed economic, technical solutions to manage foreign social networks. The information ministry wants to spearhead the development of Vietnams very own digital ecosystem, with particular focus on social networks and search engines, Hung said, adding that resources needed to realize that vision must come from Vietnamese businesses. Without our own digital ecosystems or social networks, we simply cannot negotiate with Facebook or Google. They will continue to disobey our laws, while we are unable to cut business ties, Hung said. The number of Facebook users in Vietnam is the seventh highest in the world with over 58 million people this year, an increase of 16 percent from the same period last year, said an April report by social media marketing and advertising agency We Are Social. Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 6th among the list of cities with the highest number of Facebook users, the report said. It also said that Vietnamese are online seven hours a day and spend a daily average of 2.5 hours on social networks. Facebook and Google's YouTube are the most accessed sites with user ratios of 61 percent and 59 percent, respectively. A four-day Vietnam visit by a South Korean naval destroyer will see activities aimed at boosting bilateral defense ties. ROKS Moon Mu the Great (DDH-976), a South Korean Navy's destroyer, will dock in the central city of Da Nang next week, beginning a four-day visit to Vietnam. The citys information department said the warship, which will dock at the Tien Sa Port from September 11-14, will be carrying a crew of 302 officers and sailors headed by Captain Doh Jin Woo. Following a welcoming ceremony, South Korean ambassador to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun and members of the South Korean community in Da Nang would be given a tour of the ship. A press conference will also be held on board the destroyer. During their stay in Da Nang, the ship's officers will meet with the city's leaders and commanders of the High Command of Vietnam's Naval Region 3. Joint exercises and other activites will be held. The ships crew will also travel and explore Da Nang. On September 14, the destroyer will leave the Tien Sa Port and participate in a joint team formation and communication exercise with the Vietnamese Navy. The joint exercise aims to promote defense cooperation between the two countries and help strengthen regional unity in the maintenance of security, safety and freedom of navigation, the information department said. This will be the second visit by a South Korean naval ship to Da Nang, following the visit by destroyer ROKS Kang Gam Chan (DDH-979) and combat support ship ROKS Hwacheon (AOE-59) in September 2017. South Korean naval ships dock at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang in September 2017. Photo by Nguyen Dong ROKS Moon Mu the Great is a Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer commissioned in 2004. The ship is 150 meters (492 feet) long with a beam of 17.4 meters, draft of 9.5 meters, displacement of 4,400 tons and a maximum speed of 30 knots (35 miles per hour) with a range of 10,200 kilometers. The destroyer is equipped with an advanced naval radar system and armed with a wide range of armament including torpedoes, cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles. An exhibition titled "Dragon and Phoenix in Nguyen dynasty artifacts is now open in the central city of Hue. It features 80 artifacts of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal monarchy that ruled Vietnam. Most of them are made of gold, silver and gems. These artifacts, including royal seals and costumes, were used everyday by the royal family and high-ranking officials. The details of all the exhibited objects carry images of the dragon and phoenix, either engraved or embroidered, symbolizing the ultimate power of the feudal rulers. The exhibition is organized by Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts in collaboration with National Museum of Vietnamese History in celebration of the 25th anniversary of UNESCO recognizing the complex of Hue monuments as a World Heritage. At least 21 killed in Indonesia bus crash Indonesian authorities blamed faulty brakes for the fatal crash in West Java. Photo by AFP At least 21 people died and several others were injured when a bus plunged into a ravine on the Indonesian island of Java, police said Saturday. The crash happened when the bus with 37 people on board was heading to a holiday spot in Sukabumi region, West Java. The vehicle was seen speeding downhill and lost control before plunging into a 10-meter-deep ravine. "There were 37 people on the bus, 21 of them died while the rest were injured," Galih Bayu Raditya, head of the traffic unit at the local police precinct, told AFP. Victims who were injured had been taken to several local hospitals. "We believe the accident happened because the brake failed to function," Raditya said, adding that the vehicle's road-worthy certificate had expired in 2016 The bus was part of a four-bus tour for domestic tourists from Jakarta heading to a rafting spot in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi. Passengers from other buses who arrived safely at the destination told the police they had seen smoke coming from the engine of the bus before it embarked on the journey. Authorities have issued repeated warnings that the route where the accident occurred was not suitable for buses due to the narrowness of the road and multiple tight corners. On Friday, another bus carrying 21 people also crashed in the same region, killing one and injuring the rest. Transport accidents are common in Indonesia, where buses and trains are often old and badly maintained. In February at least 27 people died when a bus with 40 domestic tourists on board hit a motorbike and crashed in Subang region, also in West Java. Alibaba has denied reports that co-founder and chairman Jack Ma is to retire Monday. Photo by AFP Alibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma will unveil a succession plan on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday. The report cited a company spokesman denying a New York Times report that he would retire that day. The SCMP, which is owned by Alibaba, said China's most famous tech billionaire will "unveil a succession strategy" on Monday -- his 54th birthday -- but remain the company's executive chairman for the foreseeable future. The New York Times ran an article on Friday, based on an interview with Ma, saying the former teacher turned billionaire planned to use his birthday to announce his retirement as chairman of Alibaba to focus on philanthropy. The paper quoted Ma as saying the decision was "the beginning of an era." But an Alibaba spokesman told the SCMP that the New York Times' story "was taken out of context, and factually wrong." "An Alibaba spokesman said Ma remains the company's executive chairman and will provide transition plans over a significant period of time," the SCMP wrote. The paper added that the Monday succession strategy was part of a plan "for grooming a generation of younger executives to take over the reins" of the company. Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus, becoming one of the world's richest men and a revered figure in his homeland. His own worth has soared along with that of the company, which has added cloud computing, films and e-payments to its growing portfolio and was valued at $420.8 billion when the stock market closed on Friday. The New York Times' report surprised many in the global business community because of Ma's comparative youth, especially in China where it is not unusual for tycoons to remain in place into their eightees. Alibaba did not return requests for comment on Saturday after the story ran. Ma gave up the title of Alibaba CEO in 2013 but remains a pivotal figure within the company as well as its most recognisable face. In an interview with Bloomberg TV released on Friday, Ma hinted at his retirement plans, saying he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the world's most prolific philanthropists. "There's a lot of things I can learn from Bill Gates. I can never be as rich, but one thing I can do better is to retire earlier," he said. The SCMP report ran quotes from Ma himself, but they did not address when exactly he would retire. Ma said he met with company executives 10 years ago to work out "what Alibaba would do without me". "Anybody who knows me knows I embrace the future. This is not about retiring, stepping away, or backing off. This is a systematic plan," the paper quoted Ma as saying. The SCMP said Ma would be in Russia next week for Alibaba business meetings as well as an upcoming trip to South Africa and a planned speech at the company's investor day in mid-September. People wave plastic flowers during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 9, 2018. Photo by Reuters/ Danish Siddiqui With no long-range missiles on display, North Korea staged a military parade on Sunday focused on peace and economic development. The parade was filled with colored balloons and flowers to mark the 70th anniversary of the countrys founding. A sea of spectators watched the parade as tens of thousands goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks drove past a review stand where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took the salute. Unlike in previous years, there were no inter-continental missiles on display. And there were no nuclear tests to mark the day, as has happened in each of the last two years. North Korea routinely uses major holidays to showcase its military capabilities and the latest developments in missile technology. But that has been dropped this year, underlining Kims stated aim for denuclearizing the Korean peninsula and his recent meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China's Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), wave to people while attending a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 9, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Danish Siddiqui The theme for the celebrations this year was unifying the Korean peninsula, divided since the 1950-53 Korean War. Floats on unification passed by a throng of North Koreans waving unified Korea flags. All Koreans should join forces to accomplish unification in our generation. Unification is the only way Koreans can survive, said an editorial in North Koreas party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Kim and Moon will meet in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20 for the third time this year and discuss practical measures towards denuclearization, officials in Seoul have said. Kim was seen laughing and holding hands up with a Chinese special envoy as he oversaw the festivities at Pyongyangs main Kim Il Sung square on a clear autumn day. Kim waved to the crowd before leaving but did not make any public remarks. North Korea has invited a large group of foreign journalists to cover a military parade and other events to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding. That includes iconic mass games that Pyongyang is organizing for the first time in five years, a huge, nationalist pageant performed by up to 100,000 people in one of the worlds largest stadiums. Earlier on Sunday, Kim visited the mausoleum where his grandfather, the countrys founder, and his father lie in state, according to state media. A concert on Saturday night attended by the titular head of state, Kim Yong Nam, and foreign delegations featured little in the way of martial messaging or images, with only a few shadowy American bombers shown briefly in footage of the 1950-1953 Korean War. After a long summer vacation, legislators returned to work and adopted a number of important laws; representatives of the IMF, the country's key creditor, flew to Kyiv to negotiate a new bailout tranche; while the State Fiscal Service saw its chief being replaced these are the main economic news of the outgoing week. The outgoing week revived the economic life after a long summer lull - parliamentarians returned from their summer holidays and started their fall session. At the opening meeting, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman urged the people's deputies, despite the upcoming elections, to demonstrate their ability to make responsible decisions. He also said that Ukraine should, in the medium term, get rid of the burden of external debts, which significantly limit the development of the domestic economy and hinder the rise of living standards. Cheered up by the PM, the deputies showed some good results in their first working week. One of the most important decisions was the voting for the legislative introduction of the "single window" mechanism at the customs, taking into account the proposals of President Petro Poroshenko. The adoption of the law was positively evaluated in business circles. The European Business Association believes that the innovations will make customs clearance formalities faster as well as decrease the number of controlling agencies. According to the EBA Executive Director, Anna Derevyanko, the law will also help overcome corruption schemes at customs. Incidentally, in early July, the Rada has already passed this law, but the head of state later vetoed it, having submitted his own proposals. Introducing amendments to the law, the president's envoy in the Rada, Iryna Lutsenko, noted that it is proposed to remove the norm on reimbursing to agricultural producers 30% of the cost of special railcars for grain transportation. Poroshenko's main claim is that this does not ensure the achievement of social goals of supporting agricultural producers, since only large enterprises will be able to claim support. "The majority of agricultural producers are farmers that is, 75% of the total number of agricultural enterprises. The volume of crop production is 11%. Therefore, the volume of crop production does not require the purchase by most Ukrainian farms of special rail cars for the transportation of grain," Lutsenko explained. Another important decision was the exclusion of the export of chopped wood from the moratorium on the export of timber. The deputies supported the president's proposal to introduce protective measures with regard to roundwood exports for the sake of forest conservation. Thus, moving unprocessed timber across the border beyond customs control will entail imprisonment of three to five years. At the same time, illegal logging will put violators in jail for up to three years. The new legislation has increased chances for further cooperation with the IMF. After all, one of the requirements of Ukraine's creditor was to abolish the moratorium on chopped wood exports. Also, the Rada abolished the state regulation of the sugar industry. According to the deputy head of the Committee on Agrarian Policy, Hryhoriy Zabolotny, the existing regulation created absurd situations. "The established minimum price for the sale of sugar beet before September 1 amounted to UAH 11.2, while today the selling price on the market is UAH 10.5, i.e. producers cannot sell products because there is a Cabinet of Ministers resolution that prohibits selling at a lower price. This is nonsense," he said. A positive news for the "green" energy sector was the decision of the Verkhovna Rada to simplify the procedures necessary for investors in the construction of renewable energy facilities. This should increase the investment attractiveness of the construction of facilities in the field of wind power and solar generation. The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on cross-border cooperation, which is designed to improve the effectiveness of joint projects with the European Union member states to improve border infrastructure. In addition, the Rada ratified a number of significant agreements on economic cooperation with Thailand and Turkey. The documents foresee the development of contacts between businesses, setting up joint ventures and representative offices of companies in the territories of the two countries, as well as the work of the Joint Commissions on Trade. "Bunch of problems" In the first week of autumn, the Cabinet was also active. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Groysman announced the start in October of an active fight against shadow employment. According to him, it is planned within a month to inform employers of penalties envisaged for hiring employees without officially registering them. "In a month, in October, we will begin to implement all the norms that are provided to us by law in order to protect the rights of workers and restore social justice. Nobody has given anyone the right to leave people without pension through their irresponsibility," the prime minister said. Groysman said that both unregistered employees and employers who abide by law report to the government about the existing problem. This week, the government also took up the implementation of new state construction codes. "We have done a tremendous job with associations, with architects, to create normal quality conditions and construction norms in the state. We want to create a comfortable environment in cities, towns, communities, so that those who design buildings and structures do it the way it is done in civilized countries," Groysman said. At the same time, he said about resistance to reforms combating shadow schemes: "We're facing a bunch of problems. Now it's about this construction business that simply destroys Ukrainian cities and communities, and doesn't allow people living a normal life within their territories of influence. This is another fight with the clans. When we started to fight smuggling, a contraband machine rose against us. I just don't get it When we started to fight with the roundwood [smuggling], there rose the 'loggers.' When we started publishing textbooks, we saw the blocking, too," the head of government said. Meanwhile, the government has not forgotten about the issues of the road industry. By its decision, the Cabinet redistributed funds for the construction and reconstruction of highways of national importance. This step is due to the lack of design documentation for road repairs in some areas. The decrease in expenditures is envisaged in Volyn, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Mykolayiv, and Chernivtsi regions. Cost increase will be in Vinnitsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Poltava, Khmelnytsky, and Cherkasy regions. IMF mission arrives in Kyiv The long-awaited news came last week as the mission of Ukraine's key creditor, the International Monetary Fund, started its work in Kyiv. According to the statement by the IMF permanent representative in Ukraine, Gosta Ljungman, the mission will work in Kyiv until September 19 to discuss the next steps of cooperation, including financial assistance. The importance of this news is difficult to overestimate. After all, the situation in the economy remains troubled: the hryvnia continues to tremble, the state budget deficit is growing (according to the State Treasury it reached UAH 13.4 billion), and international reserves in August fell to $17 billion. And this is not to mention the forthcoming external debt payments that will cost billions. In addition, the current program of cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF worth $17.5 billion, of which Ukraine received $8.7 billion, ends in the spring of 2019. Therefore, the stability of the country's economy depends on the successful completion of the current IMF mission's visit. Receipt of the Fund's bailout tranche and related financing from other partners will contribute to strengthening financial stability in Ukraine, and will also send a positive signal to market players. The National Bank believes that there are no threats to negotiations, and that Ukraine will receive the next tranche before year-end. "We expect that the negotiations will be successful and that we will reach a consensus on receiving the next tranche this year," NBU Governor Yakiv Smolii said. He also said that the forecast for the growth of Ukraine's international reserves by the end of the year could be revised upward. "Today, we retain the forecast, published two months ago. Our reserves will amount to $20.7 bln at the end of this year. The next forecast will be published in late October. Perhaps, we will correct it, taking into account the interventions held and the possible receipt of financing," Smolii said. Meanwhile, there are some grounds for fears of IMF cooperation freeze. According to some economists, further receipt of tranches from the Fund is possible only after an increase in the price of gas for the population. But the government is constantly postponing this historic decision. However, in the outgoing week Groysman called such price rise "inevitable," and promised to conclude the discussion on the issue before the end of September. "My task, with the inevitability of price changes, is to work out all mechanisms for additional social aid to protect people," the prime minister said. "The forecast has not changed: we expect growth in gas tariffs by about 25% this year and 15% next year," deputy head of the NBU, Dmytro Solohub, told reporters. Fiscal service at cross-roads In the outgoing week, acting head of the State Fiscal Service, Myroslav Prodan, resigned. As Acting Finance Minister Oksana Markarova said, the decision was made in connection with the start of preparations for a competition to fill the vacant position of the SFS head. "In order to avoid a conflict of interest, acting head Myroslav Prodan decided to resign. The government backed this decision, and for the period before the contest, Oleksandr Vlasov, who headed the "Phantom" unit of the State Fiscal Service, will be in charge," she said. However, there are real doubts on whether Prodan will be able to win a competition for the position of head of the SFS. The fact is that earlier, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko accused the official of law vioaltions. "Somewhere at the beginning of this year we received a report about possible violations by Mr. Prodan, that are not related to his former position in Vinnytsia region. They are related to his current activities," Lutsenko said. According to him, the PGO has sufficient materials, but the investigation must provide the evidence base. "If the investigation provides the necessary evidence, the case will be forwarded to the body, which must implement it. At the moment, an investigation is under way, I'm not hiding this," said the Prosecutor General. Prodan tried to respond the the Prosecutor General's accusations. He suspended the head of the Odesa Customs Oleksandr Vlasov pending the official investigation of the theft of 37 containers with cloth and other goods. At the same time, Prodan said that he has grounds to assert complicity in this crime of the PGO operatives. Prodan noted that the information announced by Yuriy Lutsenko at the end of August on the detection in warehouses of 37 containers of unaccounted goods requires further clarification. He asked the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office to provide information on offenses. "I appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request. You have been blackmailing me, my relatives, my contacts for two months already, claiming that you have something on me. If you've got anything, put it forward," Prodan said. The next week promises to be no less interesting. The government should complete its work on the draft budget for 2019 and submit it to the Parliament for consideration; time inexorably pushes the Groysman Cabinet to cross the Rubicon in the long-delayed issue of gas tariffs for the population; while the State Statistics Service will publish data on foreign trade for eight months of 2018. Oleksandr Kunytsky If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Irans Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) has rejected a bill proposed by President Hassan Rouhanis Administration to amend a law concerning money laundering. The proposal, which is a part of four bills known as Palermo bills in Iran, was aimed to pave the way for Tehran to get out of Financial Action Task Forces (FATF) list of suspect countries. Rouhanis administration on November 8, 2017 tabled four bills for the parliaments approval -- the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crimes (UNTOC), Combatting Financing Terrorism (CFT), and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) -- in the hope of reducing international pressure on Irans deteriorating economy. The bills are proposed to mitigate increasing pressure on Tehran, while the 2016 Basel Anti-Money laundering (AML) Index has identified Iran as the highest money-laundering risk out of 149 countries surveyed. Iran has until October to adopt the financial reforms proposed by FATF as part of efforts to improve Irans ability to interact with the international banking and trade system. Nevertheless, EDC says joining FATF is against Irans high policy of resistance economy, food security, economic security and encouraging investment. Ten days after parliament initially approved the bill concerning UNTOC, Khamenei personally stepped in on June 20 and called the bill unacceptable. Taking its cue from the Supreme Leader, Iran's Guardian Council (GC) rejected the bills on August 17. The GC is constitutionally tasked to review legislation passed by parliament and give its seal of approval. According to Khamenei, UNTOC had been cooked up by foreign powers and the parliament should shelve it. It is not necessary to join conventions the depths of which we are unaware of, he said, proposing instead that the parliament create its own laws to combat money laundering and terrorism funding rather than join an international convention. Conservative allies of Khamenei believe that approval of the Palermo Bills might jeopardize Irans financial assistance to what they describe as the resistance front," including Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah. EDCs opposition to FATF was relayed to the Guardians Council in a letter written by its chairman, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Fars, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reported on Sunday, September 9. Meanwhile, those who support the bills, including the speaker of Majles (parliament), Ali Larijani, President Rouhani and his moderate-reformist allies have accused the opponents of being afraid of economic transparency and combatting financial corruption. Implementing guidelines proposed by FATF in entities such as the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Central Bank of Iran (CBI)and Central Insurance Organization could be hazardous for Iran in coming situations, Ayatollah Shahroudi has argued in his letter to the GCs chairman, 91-year old Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati. However, President Rouhanis deputy for legal and judicial affairs, Hossein Ali Amiri, has argued that according to the Islamic Republics Constitution, EDC has no legal authority to make decision on issues related to national security. When it comes to weighing national security affairs, they should be referred to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Amiri has reiterated. Based on Iranian law, SNSC is always chaired by the incumbent President. The EDC normally does not interfere in legislative affairs. But in cases where parliament and the Guardian Council reach a deadlock, EDC occasionally acts to find determine what is "expedient" for the regime. Though the bills are not directly tied to talks between the EU and Tehran to keep the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal with world powers, alive, an MP, Alireza Beigi has cited the deputy foreign minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, as admitting that their approval would help the Iranian side in its negotiations with Europe. While FATF does not have the authority to impose sanctions, a country blacklisted by the worlds financial watchdog will face severe pressure in its economic ties with the rest of the world. Iran has been on the blacklist of FATF since 2009, but the international organization has suspended Tehran from the list during the past two years, giving the country the chance to lay the groundwork for joining international conventions against money laundering and financial assistance to terrorism. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Iran's armed forces to strengthen themselves in order to "scare the enemy." "The enemy" is the term Khamenei uses to describe mainly the United States and occasionally Israel. Speaking at a military ceremony at the Marine Academy in Nowshahr in northern Iran on Sunday September 9, Khamenei claimed that "the situation in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon are examples of where the United States' conspiracies have been defeated in the region." He did not mention Yemen, a county where he runs a proxy war against Saudi Arabia and where his supporters, the Houthi rebels threaten navigation in the Red Sea. He added that in those three countries "God's promises have come true and his power has been proven. Citing a verse from the Koran, Khamenei told Iranian forces, "Increase your power in order to scare the enemy and force it to retreat." U.S. president Donald Trump has cited Iran's aggressive behavior in the region as one main reason why he does not believe in reducing sanctions on Tehran, as the Obama administration did after the signing the 2015 nuclear agreement. Khamenei on Friday had called the situation in Syria "a successful example of restraining the United States" during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran. Iranian officials have often described Syria as Irans strategic depth, while Russia, Irans ally in Syria, had recently called on Iran to withdraw its forces from Syria. Putin had said during a meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in May that all foreign forces should leave Syria at once. Other Russian officials said that this includes Iran's IRGC and Lebanon's Hezballah. Iran has reportedly limited its military presence in Syria, but Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Radio Farda in a September 4 exclusive interview that he was not sure Iranians have decreased their military presence in Syria. Instead, he said, Iran has "changed its approach." Liberman however made it clear that Israel is determined to put an end to Iran's military presence in Israels neighboring country. In another development, a senior Israeli commander told reporters that Israel has recently launched more than 200 attacks on Iranian targets in Syria. Meanwhile, the outcome of recent parliamentary elections in Iraq signalled a decline in Iran's influence in that country. During the weekend, Iraqi demonstrators in Basra set fire to the Iranian consulate in that city and burned Iranian flags and pictures of Khamenei and his war-lord in the region, Qasem Suleymani. Khamenei had said in another speech last week that from a political point of view, there is no possibility for Iran being involved in a war. Nevertheless, he stressed the need for further empowerment of the Iranian armed forces. He said, "Recently, the Americans have been talking about us in shameless ways. Apart from sanctions, they talk about war and negotiation at the same time in order to scare cowards." Khamenei further characterized US officials' call for negotiation with Iran as "a banal game." Responding to the United States' renewed sanctions against Iran, President Hassan Rouhani and some Iranian military commanders have threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Most of Middle Easts oil shipments pass through the straits on their way to world markets. The United States' Operational commander in the Persian Gulf region, Admiral John Richardson has said that the United States is determined to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to international navigation even if it has to use force. Thousands of anti-Kremlin demonstrators have taken to the streets in Russia to protest the government's plan to raise the retirement age in rallies coinciding with regional and local elections nationwide, triggering tense confrontations with police and resulting in hundreds of detentions, according to a rights-monitoring group. The Russian news portal OVD-Info, which tracks the arrest of protesters, said more than 830 demonstrators were detained on September 9 at protests in 33 towns and cities across Russia. The largest number was in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, where 354 demonstrators were held, OVD-Info reported. The rallies were announced last month by opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence for what authorities call violations of the law on public gatherings related to street rallies in January. The elections, which included a vote on executive-branch heads in 21 of Russia's 85 administrative areas, was the first major test for the government of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev since it proposed raising the retirement age. The original plan would have increased the retirement age for men from the current 60 to 65, and from 55 to 63 for women. Later Putin modified the proposal so women would retire at age 60. According to various polls, about 90 percent of Russians oppose the plan to raise the retirement age, and a recent poll by the Levada Center polling agency found that more than 50 percent of Russians say they would participate in protests against it. PHOTO GALLERY: Beatings, Arrests As Russians Protest Pension Reforms (click to view) Police on September 9 detained 839 people at the election-day protests, which were held in dozens of cities and towns across Russia, according to OVD-Info. It said 129 were held in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, 60 in the southwestern city of Krasnodar, and 48 in Perm in the Ural Mountains. Moscow and the Siberian city of Omsk saw 36 and 32 detentions, respectively, the group said. Footage of the rallies showed police officers sometimes using force to disperse gatherings, hitting demonstrators with batons and dragging them away. A demonstration in Moscow's Pushkin Square attracted around 2,000 people, who chanted slogans such as "Russia without Putin" and held signs reading, "Putin, when will you go on pension?" Riot police ordered the crowd to disperse or face prosecution. But some of the protesters started marching toward the Kremlin before riot police halted them with metal barriers and sometimes rough detentions. In St. Petersburg, a crowd of around 1,000 people shouted "shame" and held signs calling for Putin's resignation. The protests started in Russias Far East, where Navalny's team said that more than 400 protesters took to the streets in the city of Vladivostok chanting "No to pension reform" and calling on Putin to resign. Regional authorities put the number of protesters in Vladivostok at 120. Organizers reported that police detained the head of Navalny's headquarters in the Far East city of Khabarovsk. Video footage from the demonstration in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk showed a tense standoff between riot police and protesters, who chanted "shame, shame." Police in the video are seen trying to carry away a person by force. Reports said protests also took place in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. Authorities detained several prominent Navalny associates on the eve of the protests as well. Georgy Alburov, the investigations chief for Navalny's anticorruption foundation, said on Twitter that he was detained in Moscow on September 8 and was being accused of violating laws on public events in connection with the election-day protests. Alburov said his detention caused him to miss his train to St. Petersburg, where he had planned to take part in a protest against the pension-reform plan. Navalny's group said its St. Petersburg coordinator and another of its activists were detained in St. Petersburg as well. In addition to the federal administrative areas -- including the city of Moscow -- that were electing regional heads in the September 9 polls, 16 regions were electing legislatures, while other areas were holding mayoral and other local ballots. Approval ratings for Putin, Medvedev, and the ruling United Russia party have fallen noticeably since the proposed pension-age hike was passed in its first reading in the lower house of parliament in July. "In this situation, the authorities are interested in suppressing turnout a bit and making sure only 'their' electorate shows up and votes the way they are supposed to," Stanislav Andreichuk, an elections analyst with the independent Golos election-monitoring group, told RFE/RL. "They will do what they can to get protest voters to stay home." In Moscow, however, authorities have implemented an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign, including promises of free concert tickets to voters and setting up polling stations outside of the city to enable voters spending the summer at their dachas to participate. But two hours before the polls closed, just 28 percent of voters had turned up, according to the election commission. Sergei Sobyanin, the Kremlin-backed incumbent mayor who has run the capital since 2010, was expected to receive about 70 percent of the vote in the Moscow mayoral election. Two independent liberal candidates were not allowed to run against him, while his four registered opponents are virtual unknowns. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, TASS, Current Time TV, and Dozhd TV Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 96 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 9. Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns, 60 millimeter mortars (2 shells). The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 Trend: Nikol Pashinyans statement is utter disrespect to the norms and principles of international law, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and undermines the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's press service, Hikmat Hajiyev said in response to Armenian prime minister's statement in Moscow on Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Armenian prime minister's statement in Moscow that he imagines Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as part of Armenia is utter disrespect to the norms and principles of international law, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and undermines the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Thus, Armenia at the level of Prime Minister demonstrates that its real intentions are not the resolution of conflict through negotiations, but continuation of illegal occupation of Azerbaijans territories. The Armenian leadership makes this incendiary statement intentionally or unintentionally in the capital of one of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries on the eve of upcoming ministerial-level meeting in New York with the mediation of co-chairs. Furthermore, this statement coincides with the forthcoming visit of the OSCE Secretary General to Azerbaijan next week, Hajiyev said. The head of press service stressed that sooner it will be clear whether Armenian leadership is really interested in settlement of conflict through substantive negotiations, ensuring of lasting peace and stability in the region or continuation of two decades long war policy of previous Armenian authorities which consisted of warlords. We would like to reiterate that Armenia and its leadership bear all responsibility for escalation of situation with such incendiary statements, he added. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 By Samir Ali Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs visit to Croatia will have a positive impact on the development of both countries, Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend. This visit demonstrated that the relations between Azerbaijan and Croatia are of a strategic nature, he said. "The presidents of the two countries stressed that today we have a common position in cooperation in the political, economic, energy and security spheres and there is a wide potential for the growth of cooperation," Nasirov said. The MP added that the visit will also have a positive impact on Azerbaijan's cooperation with the EU and NATO. "Cooperation within the EU and NATO is also very important for Azerbaijan, he said. We are also developing ties with these organizations. Taking into account that Croatia is a NATO member since 2009 and an EU member since 2013, Zagreb may contribute to the expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan through these structures." "Croatia has been directly involved in four meetings held in Azerbaijan in connection with the Southern Gas Corridor, he said. "Croatia has always supported Azerbaijan in our relations with the EU and has contributed to this issue. In general, there is great potential for the growth of cooperation between the two countries. This visit creates broad opportunities for the development of this cooperation." Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 By Samir Ali Trend: Azerbaijan is currently pursuing successful foreign policy in the region and on a global scale, member of the Political Council of the New Azerbaijan Party, editor-in-chief of the Iki sahil newspaper Vugar Rahimzade told Trend. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs recent visits to foreign countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkels visit to Azerbaijan, the mutual agreements and documents signed during these meetings testify to this reality, he said. This factor once again shows that Azerbaijan has become an authoritative country in the region, Europe and, on the whole, on a global scale, he added. Rahimzade stressed that the successful foreign policy being pursued by the Azerbaijani president serves the national interests of the country and people. "The EU, as well as the EU member-states, are eager to cooperate with Azerbaijan today, he added. This interest is shown in the political, economic, social, cultural and other spheres." Today the European countries show great interest in the world-scale Southern Gas Corridor project which is being implemented upon the initiative and with the participation of our country," Rahimzade added. Azerbaijan and Croatia have international partnership relations today, which are expanding and developing each day. "It is especially worth emphasizing that the documents signed during the visit will give impetus to the growth of trade turnover between our countries, even broader implementation of investment projects," Rahimzade said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 9 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: The Azerbaijan-Iran joint car plant Khazar plans to start exporting cars to Russia and other CIS countries next year, AzerMash, one of the plants owners, told Trend Aug. 27. The company noted that there are active negotiations on car supply to the markets of these countries. In general, there are plans to supply about 20 percent of the cars produced at the plant to foreign markets. Presently, the plant produces Khazar LD and Khazar SD models. In the near future, it is planned to set up production of cars under the Renault and Peugeot brands, which will cost 18,000-21,000 manats. The cost of cars presently produced at the plant is 14,000-16,000 manats. The Khazar car plant is located in southeast Azerbaijan in the Neftchala Industrial District. All cars produced there comply with Euro 5 standards. On Aug. 6, 2016, a major Iranian automaker Iran Khodro and Azerbaijani company Azeurocar (a subsidiary of AzerMash) signed an agreement to establish a joint automobile factory in Neftchala. The total cost of the project is estimated at 24 million manats. The Azerbaijani side invested 75 percent in the factory, and the Iranian side invested 25 percent. (1.7 AZN = 1 USD on Aug. 27) Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: Azerbaijan has very favorable conditions for the production of all products included in the country's food basket, former Minister of Agriculture of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Rajab Orujov told Trend. "First of all, we have a task to meet the need for strategic products. This mainly refers to wheat and soy. For example, Azerbaijan imports soybeans worth $60-70 million a year, which in turn means a serious waste of foreign exchange reserves," Orujov said. The ex-minister believes there are all the necessary soil and climatic conditions for growing wheat and soy in the country. "The effective temperature in the country, especially in the Kura-Araz lowland is quite high, which gives us the opportunity to reap a harvest twice a year. This method is already actively used in new agricultural parks and large farms. In such case the fodder (silage) corn, fodder soy, and other fodder plants can be sown as the second crops. Moreover, the Kura-Araz lowland accounts for 70-75 percent of the total area of the irrigated lands. There are optimal conditions for implementation of all these goals," Orujov said. The ex-minister noted that Azerbaijan needs to switch over to intensive development of agriculture with the use of new technologies in the near future. "I believe that the country needs to move from extensive to intensive development of agriculture, by using the innovative technologies and increasing the yields. Otherwise, given the increase in the population of Azerbaijan, in a few years, the area of land will no longer allow us to meet the needs of the population, which can create certain problems. As early as from now on, we need to increase yields by introducing the innovations," Orujov said. The ex-minister believes it is also necessary to improve soil quality in Azerbaijan. "We currently have a large areas of soils undergoing re-salinization. It is necessary to change holistically the approach to soil management, land reclamation and other issues in order to achieve production growth. All of the above measures must be taken together so that we can achieve sustainable agricultural production and food security. I believe that the policy of the government of the country aimed at the development of the agricultural complex will help to achieve good results," Orujov added. In January-July 2018, the volume of production of agricultural products in Azerbaijan in effective prices has amounted to 4.1 billion manats, which is 6.5 percent more than in the same period last year. During this period, the volume of production in the livestock breeding sector has grown by 2.5 percent (to 2.09 billion manats), and the volume of production in the sphere of crop farming has grown by 11 percent (to 2.01 billion manats). As of the beginning of August, almost three million tons of grain and leguminous crops (except for corn) have been harvested from the fields. Some 2920 kilograms of products have been harvested from every hectare of the cropped lands. In addition, during the reporting period, 14,000 tons of corn were harvested from the lands with an area of 3,100 hectares. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 By Ilkin Shafiyev Trend: Integration of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling station and bitumen unit into the general infrastructure of the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery has been completed, Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, which owns the refinery, told Trend. SOCAR noted that the modernization and reconstruction of the oil refinery are at the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) stage. "The project for the transfer of the primary oil processing unit together with atmospheric and vacuum distillation units (ELOU-AVT) from the former Azneftyag oil refinery is at the stage of selecting the contractor for the units dismantling, transfer, installation at a new site and commissioning," SOCAR said. "The construction of a new bitumen unit is underway in accordance with the plan." Presently, modernization of the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery is underway and will be completed in 2021. After modernization, the operational period of the refinery will be extended to 2040. The cost of Baku Refinerys modernization is nearly $2.2 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 9 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: According to the results of first eight months of 2018, the growth of the Turkmen gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to 6.2 percent. Turkmenistan, according to British Petroleum's (BP) report, is the fourth largest country in terms of natural gas reserves and at this stage exports it to China and Iran. Turkmenistan is in the process of diversifying its local economy. The country's textile, oil products, chemical and construction materials industries are actively developing. Turkmenistan is carrying out industrialization aimed at increasing the production volume import-substituting products and developing exports. The World Bank predicted GDP growth in Turkmenistan in 2018 by 6.3 percent, while the United Nations' (UN) prediction for 2018 was 4.8 percent. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 9 Trend: The Iranian ambassador to Islamabad said Tehran was ready to implement a long-awaited gas pipeline project between Iran and Pakistan and help meet Pakistans energy needs. Tehran is ready to meet Pakistans energy needs, Mehdi Honardoost said, according to IRNA on September 9. He added that the implementation of Iran-Pakistan gas project could help stimulate the countrys economy. The envoy said the project would fall under the category of the new US sanctions against Tehran. Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, which stretches for 900 kilometers only in Iran, has been designed to help populous Pakistan overcome its growing energy needs. Pakistan has fallen short of constructing the 700-kilometer part of the pipeline on its territory. I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission. A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it. Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 9 Trend: An Iranian delegation is slated to hold talks with UAE officials on Sunday to determine the fate of the countrys fishermen killed and captured by Emirati coast guards, a lawmaker said. Iranian officials will travel to the southern port of Bushehr to meet Emirati officials and learn more about a recent attack by the Persian Gulf countrys coast guards on an Iranian fishing vessel. Yesterday, Emirati maritime police attacked an Iranian vessel and arrested 8 fishermen out of 9, Abdolhamid Khedri told the Iranian parliaments ICANA news agency on September 9. One of the fishermen lost his life during the assault, he added. Recently, we held a meeting with members of the foreign ministry and the ministry vowed to look into the issue seriously, the MP said. Khedri said, Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Emiratis are committing such act. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 9 Trend: Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Tehran, Moscow and Minsk have explored different ways to remove the obstacles to their trade and economic ties. Larijani arrived in Minsk on Friday heading a delegation that comprised several parliamentarians. He met the Belarusian top legislators and attended an inter-parliamentary meeting between the two countries later in the day. The Iranian delegation attended a meeting with senior Russian lawmakers in the southwestern Russian city of Volgograd on Thursday. During the tour, ways to facilitate trade ties between Iran and Belarus were explored and the two countries officials and businessmen proposed new mechanisms to boost ties, Larijani said on September 9 upon his arrival from Minsk, ICANA reported. We had good talks with Russian and Belarusian officials about the development of political and economic ties, he added. The senior official once again referred to Belarus as a friendly country, describing relations of Minsk with Iran as close. Larijani was accompanied by several parliamentarians during the tour. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 Trend: Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that has fired missiles against the bases of armed opposition groups in northern Iraqi city of Koya. In a statement on Sept. 9, the IRGC said that has targeted bases of a filthy and criminal group, when the party leaders sat for a meeting and a terrorist training center with seven short range surface-to-surface missiles. Yesterday, some local media outlets reported that at least 11 killed and dozens more were wounded in missile attack on headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in Koya, 60 kilometres east of Erbil city. The IRGC said that has destroyed the center of conspiracy against Irans national security in the operation. Tens of leaders and major operational elements of the group were also killed and wounded in the operation, according to the IRGC. The operation was carried out by Missile Unit of IRGC Aerospace Force with participation of the drone unit of IRGC Ground Forces, the statement said. Yesterday IRGC also announced that its forces have killed six members of a terror team in the western province of Kurdistan on Sept. 7. An IRGC statement read that the killed were members of PJAK terrorist group, an offshoot of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). According to the statement, the terrorist team attacked a border post in Irans western province of Kurdistan back in July. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9 Trend: Three Iranian police members were killed in an attack on a police station in Irans southern province of Hormozgan last night. Last night, unknown gunmen inside a car opened fire at a local police station in Tukahur district, Minab county, killing two police officers, Irans media outlets reported Sept. 9. Two soldiers also were wounded in the attack and shifted to hospital, were one of them was died from injuries. Following the assault, Iranian security forces launched an operation in the region to arrest the attackers. In recent years, various armed attacks were carried out on the local police offices by extremist groups, in particular in south eastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 9 Trend: An Iranian man who set himself on fire last week outside Tehrans city hall, died early on Sunday after succumbing to the burns which covered over 40 percent of his body. On September 4, the 45-year-old man was taken to hospital after immolating himself, using fossil fuel. Disregarding the screams of onlookers and warnings by police officers, the man tried to commit suicide by self-immolation, with his two children and a colleague present at the scene. The man was apparently protesting a fine of 5 billion rials (roughly $118,000 at official rate) that he received after his shop was sealed off by municipality staff. The man succumbed to his burns at Motahhari hospital in Tehran early on Sunday at 4:30 a.m. (local time), Tasnim news agency reported. The report added he had died after a cardiac arrest. Self-immolation to protest hardship in Iran is not unprecedented. On January 7, during nationwide anti-ruling establishment protests, an Iranian man set himself on fire to protest his business being closed by municipal agents. Shocked bystanders put out the flames and took the victim to the nearest hospital. Iraqi officials in Basra lifted a curfew on Saturday night that had been in place since 4 p.m. (1300 GMT), the military said, Reuters reported. The streets of Basra were calm on Saturday, after days of violent protests rocked Iraqs southern oil hub. Organizers of the demonstrations said they would pause on Saturday, but there was still a heavy security force presence in the city of more than 2 million people. One of the heads of the al-Qaeda terrorist group was killed on Sunday by an airstrike in Yemen, Sputnik reported citing the Sky News Arabia broadcaster. US Central Command earlier claimed that since May 16 their forces had carried out six airstrikes against the al-Qaeda militants in the Shabwah, Hadramawt and Bayda governorates of the country. Russias military said on Sunday that two U.S. F-15 fighter jets had dropped phosphorus bombs over Syrias Deir al-Zor province on Saturday, Reuters reported citing TASS and RIA news agencies. The air strikes targeted the village of Hadjin and resulted in fires, but there was no information about casualties, the Russian military said. Italy has never considered leaving the European Union or the single currency, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday, Reuters reported. I can assure you that we have never evaluated an exit from the euro ... or the prospect of splitting from Europe, Conte told the Ambrosetti business forum in Cernobbio. He added that he had never discussed such a possibility with deputy prime ministers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio who head, respectively, the far right League party and the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement. The anti-austerity and anti-European rhetoric of Italys new government had rekindled euro breakdown fears in recent months. The parliamentary election in Greece will be held in fall 2019, when the government's four-year-long term of office expires, not in May 2019, along with the election of the Greek representatives to the European Parliament, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has confirmed, Sputnik reported. In spite of media reports that the Greek government could hold both the European Parliament and the Hellenic Parliament elections in May 2019, Tsipras said on August 28 that the elections to the country's legislative body would be held after the European Parliament election, not along with it. "My major strategic choice is to hold the election at the end of the term of office. I think that this is exactly what will most likely happen," Tsipras said at a press conference held within the framework of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. The minister went on to say that it was his own success, as well as the success of the government, that the current cabinet would be the first one to remain in power for the whole term that the country's constitution envisages, as six pre-term elections had been held in Greece from 2007 to 2015. Tsipras added that the European Parliament election would give an opportunity to see the real power landscape in the country. "Syriza [radical left party, led by Tsipras] will win the October 2019 election. As this is the political force that achieved success, while three previous governments had failed," Tsipras said, emphasizing that his government had managed to successfully conclude the three-year-long financial assistance program. Tsipras voiced his hope that Panos Kammenos, the head of the Independent Greeks party, which is included in the ruling parliamentary coalition along with Syriza, would not jeopardize the recovery of the country's economy over their disunity on the Macedonia name deal. While Tsipras favors the renaming of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kammenos has repeatedly said that he would not vote for the ratification of the deal. "I appreciate Kammenos' firm stance, although I disagree with it," Tsipras said. The minister refused to answer if he would support Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Greece's incumbent president, at the presidential election. "We have a perfect president. I see no reason to discuss the presidential election," Tsipras stated. The presidential election in Greece is set to be held in March 2020. Under the country's legislation, the Greek leader is elected by the parliament. News Asian maid gets 6 months in jail on theft charges An Asian maid stole $2,900 from her employers wardrobe and was sentenced by the Dubai Criminal Court to six months in jail to be followed by deportation and fined her the same amount she stole. The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Quickly earning rebukes and accusations for the growing subjugation of women in the southeast Asian nation following the ascendancy of a new king, a top Thai police academy has now banned women from enrolling, Reuters reports. The Royal Police Cadet Academy (RPCA), a prominent police training facility in Thailand, has unexpectedly banned the enrollment of women, raising alarms from human rights groups that female rape victims in the nation who according to Thai law must be interviewed by female officers would be placed at risk. Human rights groups in Thailand have noted that a male-only police force will endanger women, particularly in instances of rape and abuse. The western-Bangkok RPCA refused requests by local press to detail reasons for the move, merely offering that the new ban was policy,' cited by the Independent. The RPCA normally accepts some 300 applicants annually, and has declared that, beginning in 2019, it will no longer accept female applicants. The century-old police school has graduated some 700 female officers since 2009. "It's policy. We're not allowed to give any more information than that," RPCA spokesperson Captain Worawut Sripakhon said, cited by Newsweek. With the October 2016 ascendancy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Thailand, following the death of his long-reigning father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, many have noted a swing toward conservative policies at home, particularly with regard to the poor and the role of women in the country. Women in Thailand could be in danger, say human rights activists, if the policy spreads from the top-placed RPCA to other accredited police schools in the country, although according to the UN Women's Organization an astonishing 90 percent of rapes currently go unreported in the country. "This is a very backward move for women's rights and women's safety in Thailand," said the director of the Thai rights group Women and Men Progressive Movement, Jadet Chaowilai, cited by Reuters. "Victims may be embarrassed or reluctant to speak to male officers," Chaowilai noted. The Foundation for Women organization director, Usa Lerdsrisuntad, observed that the RPCA ban is in marked contradiction with existing Thai gender discrimination laws. "It is gender discrimination," Lerdsrisuntad stated, adding, "There are already too few female police officers, and now this rule will further reduce those numbers." "It is a big setback for sexual assault and domestic violence cases, which are hugely under-reported in the country," she added, cited by the Independent. Women make up an estimated 45 percent of the Thai labor force, one of the highest segments in Asia, according to recent World Bank data. Previously only permitted to work in administrative roles in Thai police forces, in 2009 women for the first time were allowed to train as officers. An estimated eight percent of Thailand's 230,000 police officers are women. In an earlier 2018 move seen now by some as a harbinger of increasingly restrictive gender roles in the country, the Royal Thai Police stopped women from being involved in what is termed inquiry official' roles, decreeing that women are responsible for domestic duties. Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkish coast guard has detained 37 illegal migrants in the Turkish province of Mugla, the Coast Guard Command said in a message. The detainees were planning to move to Europe illegally, reads the message. "There are Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi citizens among the detainees," the Coast Guard Command said. All detainees will be deported from Turkey, according to the message. Last time the Turkish coast guard detained 183 illegal migrants in the Turkish province of Izmir. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu KYODO NEWS - Sep 9, 2018 - 17:03 | World, All North Korea did not display intercontinental ballistic missiles that can target the United States at a military parade on Sunday, signaling leader Kim Jong Un's desire to refrain from provoking U.S. President Donald Trump for the sake of resuming denuclearization talks. At the parade staged on the 70th anniversary of the country's founding, North Korea also emphasized its friendship with China, with many political analysts saying Kim is keen to ensure support from Beijing to promote negotiations with Washington. Kim, clad in a black Mao-style suit, reviewed the military parade from a balcony overlooking Kim Il Sung Square, the central Pyongyang area named after his grandfather and North Korea's founder. However, he did not use the occasion to deliver a public speech. At the end of the parade, Kim and Li Zhanshu, the third-highest ranking official in the ruling Communist Party of China, raised hands together and waved to the audience from the balcony. (From right to left, Kim Jong Un, Li Zhanshu and North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam) Kim was seen frequently smiling and chatting with Li, while a stream of goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks passed through the square in the capital. Tens of thousands of soldiers and citizens participated in the parade. Sunday's military parade was the first since Kim and Trump held their historic summit meeting in June in Singapore. All eyes were on whether ICBMs would be rolled out for the event. Although Kim promised Trump in June to achieve "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in return for security guarantees from Washington, skepticism has been lingering about North Korea's intention to implement concrete measures toward it. But in talks with special envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae In on Wednesday in Pyongyang, Kim reiterated his commitment to attaining denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul said. Trump has welcomed Kim's latest commitment, fanning expectations that U.S.-North Korea negotiations will move forward. In a speech at the beginning of the military parade, North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam said, "Our country has become a military power with the strongest national defense capability," without mentioning the nation's nuclear force. North Korea, meanwhile, has deepened relations with China. Since March, Kim has visited China three times for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beijing and Pyongyang have agreed to boost their economic ties. China and North Korea fought together in the 1950-1953 Korean War against the U.S.-led United Nations Command. The two countries have been described as "blood brothers." Beijing has sought to play a pivotal role in any discussions on replacing the Korean War armistice with a peace treaty. Kim has recently pledged to bolster the nation's economy instead of developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Along Pyongyang's main roads, banners or placards with slogans lambasting the United States are nowhere to be seen. North Korea has also agreed to hold the third summit meeting between Moon and Kim in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20, the South Korean government said. (Airplanes fly in formation over Kim Il Sung Square) At Sunday's parade, floats with the words "The Unification of the Fatherland" and "4.27 declaration," moved through the square amid thousands of citizens waving pom-poms and national flags. At their first summit on April 27, Kim and Moon issued the Panmunjeom Declaration calling for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and efforts to declare a formal end to the Korean War. Around 140 foreign journalists have been granted access to cover events related to the founding anniversary, including the military parade in the heart of the capital and planned mass games in the city's May Day Stadium. The military parade was North Korea's first since Feb. 8 this year, when the country celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army. At the February parade, Pyongyang displayed what appeared to be intercontinental ballistic missiles like the Hwasong-15 missile, capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to any city on the U.S. mainland, in a thinly veiled threat to Washington. KYODO NEWS - Sep 9, 2018 - 17:25 | Urgent, All, Japan A male passenger on a bullet train in western Japan was taken into police custody Sunday after he was found to be carrying a knife, West Japan Railway Co. said. An attendant aboard the Nozomi superexpress train from Tokyo to Hakata found the man carrying the knife around 2 p.m., but he did not commit violent act with it. (File photo) He was taken off the train by the police at Kokura Station in Fukuoka Prefecture. Bullet train services were delayed by up to 11 minutes in the area, affecting about 500 people, the train company said. Durai Murugan, Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources, told media persons on Friday that three trees were causing hindrance to their readiness to reinforce the auxilliary structure. The ex-wife of Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith has slammed the Pakistan government on removing nomination of famous economist Atif Milan. She accused that government withdrew him for a newly constituted because of his minority faith. Jemima Goldsmith took to Twitter and wrote indefensible & v disappointing. New Pak gov asks renowned & respected Prof of economics to stand down because of his Ahmadi faith. NB: The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-I-Azam appointed an Ahmadi as his Foreign Minister. Pakistan: Imran Khan led cabinet bans first-class air travel for top officials UK based Goldsmith do not stop here and posted one more tweet. In another tweet, she wrote You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state," Jinnah's quote reads. Pakistan ready for any help needed in Kerala: Imran Khan Economist Atif Mian, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-educated Pakistani-American economics professor at Princeton University, was earlier nominated as one of the members of the 18-member EAC to advise the government on economic policy but many extremist groups and TLP objected it and led to withdrew his nomination. will launch the Mahindra All New 7-Seater Premium SUV in the Indian market before Diwali this year. The name of the production model of this vehicle, whose codename is Y 400, can be named Mahindra XUV 700. This will be the brand's flagship SUV and its sales will start on October 9, 2018. Mahindra Y400 was first showcased at Auto Expo. The company had brought it to the public in the Annual Group meeting held in Mumbai. This is actually SsangYong's Global SUV Rexton which will be re-badged for India. In India, this car will give competition to Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavor, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the upcoming new Honda CR-V. The Volkswagen T-Cross by Hyundai can be launched in 2019, these SUVs will be the same overlap profile of this new SUV, similar to that of Global Rexton, but Mahindra has made some changes in its front design so that it can be given a family look. Vertical slated grill and lightly-modified bumpers will be seen in it. Suspension setup has also been prepared in terms of Indian roads. Mahindra can keep prudent pricing for this SUV. Hopefully, this can be cheaper than the Toyota Fortune and Ford Endeavor. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (http://www.ucr.edu) -- The race is on to find manufacturing techniques capable of arranging molecular and nanoscale objects with precision. Engineers at the University of California, Riverside, have altered a virus to arrange gold atoms into spheroids measuring a few nanometers in diameter. The finding could make production of some electronic components cheaper, easier, and faster. "Nature has been assembling complex, highly organized nanostructures for millennia with precision and specificity far superior to the most advanced technological approaches," said Elaine Haberer, a professor of electrical and computer engineering in UCR's Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering and senior author of the paper describing the breakthrough. "By understanding and harnessing these capabilities, this extraordinary nanoscale precision can be used to tailor and build highly advanced materials with previously unattainable performance." Viruses exist in a multitude of shapes and contain a wide range of receptors that bind to molecules. Genetically modifying the receptors to bind to ions of metals used in electronics causes these ions to "stick" to the virus, creating an object of the same size and shape. This procedure has been used to produce nanostructures used in battery electrodes, supercapacitors, sensors, biomedical tools, photocatalytic materials, and photovoltaics. The virus' natural shape has limited the range of possible metal shapes. Most viruses can change volume under different scenarios, but resist the dramatic alterations to their basic architecture that would permit other forms. The M13 bacteriophage, however, is more flexible. Bacteriophages are a type of virus that infects bacteria, in this case, gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, which is ubiquitous in the digestive tracts of humans and animals. M13 bacteriophages genetically modified to bind with gold are usually used to form long, golden nanowires. Studies of the infection process of the M13 bacteriophage have shown the virus can be converted to a spheroid upon interaction with water and chloroform. Yet, until now, the M13 spheroid has been completely unexplored as a nanomaterial template. Haberer's group added a gold ion solution to M13 spheroids, creating gold nanobeads that are spiky and hollow. "The novelty of our work lies in the optimization and demonstration of a viral template, which overcomes the geometric constraints associated with most other viruses," Haberer said. "We used a simple conversion process to make the M13 virus synthesize inorganic spherical nanoshells tens of nanometers in diameter, as well as nanowires nearly 1 micron in length." The researchers are using the gold nanobeads to remove pollutants from wastewater through enhanced photocatalytic behavior. The work enhances the utility of the M13 bacteriophage as a scaffold for nanomaterial synthesis. The researchers believe the M13 bacteriophage template transformation scheme described in the paper can be extended to related bacteriophages. ### The paper, "M13 bacteriophage spheroids as scaffolds for directed synthesis of spiky gold nanostructures," was published in the July 21 issue of Nanoscale. Other authors, all based at UCR, include Tam-Triet Ngo-Duc, a doctoral student in materials science and engineering; Joshua M. Plank, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering; Gongde Chen, a doctoral student in chemical and environmental engineering; Reed E. S. Harrison, a doctoral student in bioengineering; Dimitrios Morikis, a professor of bioengineering; and Haizhou Liu, a professor of chemical and environmental engineering. The project is supported by award number N00014-14-1-0799 from the U.S. Office of Naval Research. AURORA, Colo. (September 7, 2018) - Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that disease-fighting T cells, elicited from vaccines, do not require glucose for their rapid reproduction, a finding with major implications for the development of immunotherapies for cancer patients. In the study, published today in the journal Science Immunology, researchers from CU Anschutz, along with colleagues from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Pennsylvania, examined T cells that arose in the body's immune system after they received a subunit vaccination - a vaccine that uses just part of a disease-causing virus. They found that these critical white blood cells, which attack and kill infection, did not rely on glucose to fuel their rapid division which occurs every two to four hours. Instead, they used another cellular engine, the mitochondria, to support their expansion. "The knowledge that this magnitude of cell division can be supported by mitochondrial function has a number of potential practical implications for the development of future vaccines," said the study's senior author Ross Kedl, PhD, professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Kedl said T cells responding to infection usually depend on glucose for fuel. So do cancerous tumors. When T cells come up against tumors, they end up competing for glucose and the T cells often lose. But when a T cell doesn't need glucose, he noted, it has a better chance of defeating tumor cells. "T cells generated by subunit vaccination are ideally suited for use against cancer in conjunction with drugs that block aerobic glycolysis, a metabolic pathway to which the cancer is addicted," Kedl said. "Tumor growth can be inhibited while the T cells are free to attack the tumor instead of competing against it for access to glucose." Lead author Jared Klarquist, PhD, explained that scientists have historically studied T cell responses to infection with the idea that if they could understand how the cells respond, they could create better vaccines. Kedl and colleagues had already discovered a non-infectious vaccine method that could induce the same level of T cell immunity as those using infection. Since then, researchers in Kedl's lab have found that the rules governing T cell responses to an infectious agent are very different from the cell's response to a subunit vaccine. And the fact that T cells derived from subunit vaccines don't require glucose to reproduce is a major finding. "Prior to these findings, it was generally thought that whereas the mitochondria are good at making energy, T cells need glucose to produce the raw materials like proteins, fats and nucleic acids (like DNA) required to turn one cell into two," said Klarquist. "Knowing how the immune response is fueled after vaccination provides potential opportunities for metabolic or nutritional interventions for boosting a vaccine-elicited immune response." Kedl agreed. "Perhaps most intriguing, however, is the application of this knowledge to cancer immunotherapy," he said. The lab is currently exploring how these strategies might positively influence the outcomes of immune-based cancer treatments that are already in the clinic. ### The study's other co-authors include Alisha Chitrakar, Nathan Pennock, Augustus Kilgore, Trevor Blain, Connie Zheng, Thomas Danhorn, Kendra Walton, Li Jiang, Jie Sun, Christopher Hunter and Angelo D'Alessandro. Elon Musk The Joe Rogan Experience/YouTube Tesla CEO Elon Musk railed against fossil fuel during a talk-show appearance on Thursday. Musk called human use of fossil fuels "the dumbest experiment in human history." Musk's various ventures electric cars, solar energy, and energy storage are a testament to his personal investment in sustainable energy sources. Tesla CEO Elon Musk this week gave an impassioned speech arguing against the further use of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, his plea to stop burning carbon in its various forms was lost in a cloud of smoke. In an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast on Thursday, Musk called the ongoing use of fossil fuels "an insane experiment" and called for humanity to speed up the adoption of sustainable energy sources to replace them. "We're really playing a crazy game here with the atmosphere and the oceans," Musk said. "We're taking vast amounts of carbon from deep underground and putting this in the atmosphere this is crazy. We should not do this. It's very dangerous." However earnest Musk's plea might have been, it was largely ignored afterward. His interview with Joe Rogan has become notorious because during it he smoked pot on camera a single puff, taken in California where recreational cannabis use is legal under state law. Following Musk's appearance and the departure of two executives at Tesla on Friday Tesla's stock plunged 7%. Musk's marijuana moment overshadowed other important discussions in the interview also. He and Rogan spoke about everything from artificial intelligence to electric planes to the damaging effects of social media. Instead of the interview sparking larger conversations about those topics, Musk's pot smoking during it quickly turned into a meme. Elon Musk (smoking pot) The Joe Rogan Experience/YouTube Musk explained why he focuses on cars not airplanes Story continues But the biggest loss in all the focus on Musk's marijuana use was the ignoring of his talk about fossil fuels. During the conversation, he gave an important explanation of why he's concentrated on electric cars, solar energy, and battery technology instead of other things, such as electric planes. "The electric airplane isn't necessary right now," Musk said. "Electric cars are important. Solar energy is important. Stationary storage of energy is important. These things are much more important than creating electric supersonic [airplanes]. It's important that we accelerate the transition to sustainable energy." Though Musk clearly stands to profit from the move to electric vehicles with Tesla and solar energy with Solar City, it was clear from his emotional response that the move to sustainable energy is more than just business to him. You could see it in his mannerisms. In the video, Musk shakes his fist back and forth, repeatedly looking away from Rogan to maintain his composure. He takes long pauses while speaking and looks visibly shaken. His face gets flush. Notably, all of this took place more than an hour before he smoked any weed. Elon Musk The Joe Rogan Podcast/YouTube Burning fossil fuels is an "insane experiment" It was only when he dug into the logical underpinnings of fossil-fuel use or the lack thereof that he seemed to shake his emotions. "The bizarre thing is that obviously we're going to run out of oil in the long-term. There's only so much oil we can mine and burn," Musk said. "It's tautological. We must have a sustainable energy transport and infrastructure in the long term, so why run this crazy experiment where we take trillions of tons of carbon from underground and put it in the atmosphere and the oceans? This is an insane experiment. It's the dumbest experiment in human history." Musk isn't solely focused on sustainable energy. He also runs SpaceX, a rocket company that aims to make space travel far less expensive; The Boring Company, a tunnel digging company that's attempting to dig tunnels underneath Los Angeles for high-speed travel; and Neuralink, a technology company that's trying to create an interface between brains and computers. "I have a lot on my plate," is how he put it to Rogan. But it's clear from Musk's emotional response to the issue of human energy consumption that he takes the threat of carbon-induced climate change personally. Unfortunately, that side didn't come across in all the headlines about pot smoking and stock-price fluctuations. See the exchange in full here (starting at 1:18:13): Youtube Embed: //www.youtube.com/embed/ycPr5-27vSI?start=4693 Width: 800px Height: 450px NOW WATCH: What's going on with Elon Musk See Also: SEE ALSO: Tesla is getting crushed after 2 executives jump ship and CEO Elon Musk smokes weed Nearly every cross-current of the 2018 campaign for Congress collides in California's 45th House district. In a year of surging political activism by women, voters will choose between two female candidates: Republican incumbent Mimi Walters, a former investment executive, and Democratic challenger Katie Porter, a law professor and protege of liberal firebrand Elizabeth Warren. Each has raised more than $2-million for a fight the Cook Political Report rates a tossup. IRVINE, CA - Nearly every cross-current of the 2018 campaign for Congress collides in California's 45th House district. The district sits in historically-conservative Orange County, ancestral bedrock of Reagan-esque conservatism. But growing Asian and Latino communities have swelled the non-white share of the population to nearly half. In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate in 80 years to lose Orange County. The district brims with the sorts of highly educated suburban voters who have been repelled by Trump's conduct across the country. Its median income of more than $90,000 ranks among the nation's highest. The economy is booming. Orange County retains its traditional aversion to tax increases. The Trump tax cuts offered a mixed blessing, reducing rates but also curbing valuable deductions for state and local taxes. In a year of surging political activism by women, voters will choose between two female candidates: Republican incumbent Mimi Walters, a former investment executive, and Democratic challenger Katie Porter, a law professor and protege of liberal firebrand Elizabeth Warren. Each has raised more than $2-million for a fight the Cook Political Report rates a tossup. It's among ten California contests critical to the Democrats' hopes of gaining the 23 seats they need for control of the House. Former President Barack Obama will stump in Orange County on Saturday to rally support for Porter and several other Southern California Democratic hopefuls. Story continues I sat down this week with both candidates - Walters in Washington, Porter in Irvine - to discuss major themes of the races. What follows are condensed excerpts of the conversations. ON THEIR CONTRAST IN PHILOSOPHIES WALTERS : I come from a conservative district and my opponent identifies herself with many of the liberal policies of Elizabeth Warren. She is an Elizabeth Warren protege. She was a law student of hers at Harvard. She is on the same page with Elizabeth Warren as far as wanting universal healthcare. She identifies with Elizabeth Warren as wanting to abolish ICE, open borders. And these are just policies that will not sit well in the district. Universal healthcare is not popular in the district at all. PORTER : I spent my whole career fighting for families to have a fair shot in the economy, and standing up for them when they when they were cheated by big banks or by predatory lenders. So I think it's really important to be a champion for a fair economy, an economy that works for all, that gives small business a level playing field against the largest corporations, and an economy that creates opportunity for every American. What we've seen under Mimi Walters is just the opposite. Raising taxes on middle class Orange County families, right here in her own district, not doing anything to address the rising cost of college, the pressures of paying for childcare, and voting to destabilize our health care system by voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act with no plan to protect those with preexisting conditions. ON EFFECTS OF TRUMP'S ECONOMIC POLICIES WALTERS : Well I think you have to look at the times that I'm in the district. I just came back. I was there for five weeks. And talking to my constituents about the tax reform package. It's very popular. I have people coming up to me and thanking me for supporting the tax reform package. We see growth over the last four quarters. People have their 401(k)s more valuable than they were. We have the stock market at all-time highs. I was talking with some business owners, small business owners, and they were telling me that the biggest challenge they have right now is finding labor. And so now we have a labor shortage. These are good problems to have. But I think the tax reform package overall has had a very, very positive effect on my district. We may have a few (paying more). But 90 percent of Americans are going to see a benefit. And remember, many people who are in the, let's say $200,000-$500,000 range, they had the alternative minimum tax. We've done away with it. You're looking at a $2000 tax credit for children now, You're doubling the first $12,000 of a person's income, it's now going to be tax-free. So I believe that the low income people will definitely see a positive effectiveness. Middle class as well. PORTER : There are three other Republicans in Orange County in Congress, and they all voted "No" on Trump's tax plan because they knew it punished California families and was going to create a financial shock at people's pocketbooks in April 2019. Families here are worried about that. They don't have the resources to pay $8,000 or $9,000 or 10,000 more in taxes. This is a really powerful contrast between Mimi Walters and me. She's concerning herself with people at the very top of the income bracket, people making half a million dollars a year, people making a million dollars a year, people who are living off the stock market. I'm concerning myself with working, middle class families here in Orange County who go to work every day, who are trying to put money into their 401k, but it's hard to find that money when they're trying to pay for child care, living in a high cost of living area, trying to save up to buy a house in an area where housing affordability is a crisis. WHAT A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS WOULD BRING WALTERS : Well I think you're going to see this country move more toward socialism under Nancy Pelosi. Now Nancy Pelosi does a very good job of representing her people in San Francisco. But they simply are not on the same page as the constituents of my district in the 45th district. It's a much more conservative district. Universal healthcare, single-payer, opening the borders, not protecting the people who come into this country, (not) making sure that we don't have terrorists come into this country to hurt our citizens. You know government's number one job is to make sure that we protect people who are here. We have to have border enforcement and strong borders. PORTER : When the Democrats take control in 2019, the American people are going to be looking to us to be a check on some of Trump's reckless impulses, to provide stability and calm, and to go to work in a serious way on the most pressing issues facing Americans. We have the student loan crisis facing a generation of students and their parents in this country. We have concerns about globalism and competing in the world economy and having fair trade deals. We have to do something about climate change. I teach business law. We need to have rules of the road that make capitalism functional, that make it work. This is about making sure that we're creating opportunity for families, that we're balancing what businesses want to do for a profit motive with making sure that we have opportunity. Every country needs to have border control. But what we've seen under Trump is ripping parents apart from children, and Mimi Walters has failed to speak up forcefully against that. We need to be strengthening our health care system, not weakening it for the benefit of big pharmaceutical companies and powerful health insurance companies. I support Medicare for all because I think it's going to deliver the best quality and affordable care that we can get in this country. WHETHER TRUMP IS DANGEROUS AND HOW CONGRESS SHOULD REACT WALTERS : No I do not believe that. I think he has a very good team around him. I believe he's doing what he thinks is right. I think the Mueller investigation is important and it needs to play out. Hopefully it will get wrapped up soon. And I think that's why we have special prosecutors, to look into these kind of things to make sure that nobody meddles in our elections. Putin is not our friend. So we need to be mindful and let it play out. I can't be held responsible for his actions. I can only be held responsible for my own actions. The one thing about this president, he certainly communicates with the people of this country and lets them know what he thinks. There's processes in place to make sure that if there is corruption, then it will play itself out. But what I'm focused on making sure that I deliver my promises to my constituents. I made a commitment to help move this country in the right direction and I'm focused on those policies that will make sure that we will do just that. I don't always agree with our president. For instance, I don't agree with the tariffs. And when I don't agree with them I speak up. So I am more interested in delivering the promises that I made to my constituents when I ran for Congress. I think at the end of the day my constituents are going to look at the results and see that the economy is doing better. That they have jobs, that they have more money in their pocket. PORTER : I think that some of Trump's actions represent a real threat to our democracy. We need to support the special investigation and his independence and allow him to find facts. The American people deserve the truth. They need to know what happened, and whether Trump or others around him have committed crimes. Part of Congress's job is to be a check on the presidency. If you're not asking the right questions, if you're not looking at the evidence of the corruption, you won't see it even when its there. That's where we have a real danger in what Mimi Walters is doing. She is refusing to stand up for the people of Orange County and refusing to see the corruption that's right in front of her. ON RISING TRUMP-ERA ACTIVISM AMONG WOMEN WALTERS : I'm focused on legislation that serves my constituents. And I'll give you an example. Last year the city of Irvine, there was a sex trafficking ring that was uncovered. And when we learned that prosecutors didn't have the tools to go after the perpetrators, we have signed into law - and I was very instrumental in writing the legislation - that has comprehensive human sex trafficking reform. We also give those survivors of human sex trafficking recourse, which they never had before. At the end of the day the voters will see what I've done, and what I delivered, and that's going to outweigh any of that noise you hear out there. We are doing what we promised the American people we would do. We're putting policies forward, and people feel better about themselves, and they feel better about their future and their children's future. PORTER : Women here in Orange County, like women across America, have a whole host of concerns. They are not just concerned about issues designated to be women's issues. They are going to be sitting down with their partners to try to figure out how to pay the thousands of additional taxes that Trump put on to them. Women have pre-existing conditions. Women breathe the air here and see our beaches here. Women are concerned about safety and our schools. I don't think it's going to be enough to attract women voters to simply point to a single bill and say that makes you a champion for women and for working families. More From CNBC By Elias Glenn and Lusha Zhang BEIJING (Reuters) - China's trade surplus with the United States widened to a record in August even as the country's export growth slowed slightly, an outcome that could push President Donald Trump to turn up the heat on Beijing in their cantankerous trade dispute. The politically sensitive surplus hit $31.05 billion in August, up from $28.09 billion in July, customs data showed on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in June. Over the first eight months of the year, China's surplus with its largest export market has risen nearly 15 percent, adding to tensions in the trade relationship between the world's two largest economies. China's annual export growth in August moderated slightly to 9.8 percent, the data showed, the weakest rate since March but only slightly below recent trends. The number missed analysts' forecasts that shipments from the world's largest exporter would rise 10.1 percent, slowing only slightly from 12.2 percent in July. Even with U.S. tariffs targeting $50 billion of Chinese exports in effect for their first full month in August, China's exports to the United States still accelerated, growing 13.2 percent from a year earlier from 11.2 percent in July. "There is still an impact from front-loading of exports, but the main reason (for still-solid export growth) is strong growth in the U.S. economy," said Zhang Yi, an economist at Zhonghai Shengrong Capital Management. Zhang said the impact from U.S. tariffs on China's exports would likely be limited over the next few months. China's imports from the United States grew only 2.7 percent in August, a slowdown from 11.1 percent in July. Story continues The world's largest trading nation got off to a strong start this year, but its economic outlook is being clouded by the rapidly escalating U.S. trade dispute and cooling domestic demand. Trump upped the ante on Friday, warning he was ready to slap tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports to the United States, threatening duties on another $267 billion of goods on top of $200 billion in imports primed for levies in coming days. Washington has long criticised China's huge trade surplus with the United States and has demanded Beijing reduce it. Still, disagreements between the two major economic powers run deeper than just the trade balance and tensions remain over limits on U.S. firms' access to Chinese markets, intellectual property protection, technology transfers and investment. Imports, a key gauge of the strength of China's domestic demand, grew 20 percent, beating forecasts. Analysts had expected growth of 18.7 percent, slowing from July's surprisingly high 27.3 percent. That resulted in China posting a smaller overall trade surplus of $27.91 billion for the month. Analysts had expected the surplus would rise to $31.79 billion from $28.05 billion in July. The surplus with the United States was larger than China's net surplus for the month, indicating China would be running a deficit if trade with the world's largest economy was excluded. EXPORTS HOLDING UP While no one predicted a sudden, sharp blow from U.S. tariffs, China's official export data has been surprisingly resilient so far, with growth exceeding analysts' expectations for five months in a row. Chinese officials acknowledged Chinese exporters have been rushing out shipments to beat new U.S. tariffs, buoying the headline growth readings, while some companies such as steel mills are diversifying and selling more products to other countries. Economists have noted that disruptions in supply chains are likely to be more company specific, and will take time to be reflected in broad economic data and corporate earnings reports. However, anecdotal evidence of mounting trade damage on both sides of the Pacific is on the rise. Official and private manufacturing surveys for China show global demand for Chinese goods is clearly on the wane, with export orders shrinking for months in a row. "Risks have increased due to the negative impacts of China-U.S. trade friction. The impact on exports may gradually start to show up, with future export growth possible declining," said Liu Xuezhi, an analyst with Bank of Communications. Policymakers have shifted their focus in recent months to improving credit conditions and shoring up business confidence. Beijing is ramping up spending on infrastructure projects to spur domestic demand and the central bank is tamping down borrowing costs and leaning on commercial banks to continue lending to struggling firms hit by trade troubles. But such steps will take time to arrest the economy's slide, and analysts expect the government to unveil more stimulus measures if business conditions continue to deteriorate. (Additional reporting by Xu Jing; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Have you been keeping an eye on Altria Group Incs (NYSE:MO) upcoming dividend of US$0.80 per share payable on the 10 October 2018? Then you only have 4 days left before the stock starts trading ex-dividend on the 13 September 2018. What does this mean for current shareholders and potential investors? Below, I will explain how holding Altria Group can impact your portfolio income stream, by analysing the stocks most recent financial data and dividend attributes. View our latest analysis for Altria Group What Is A Dividend Rock Star? It is a stock that pays a stable and consistent dividend, having done so reliably for the past decade with the expectation of this continuing into the future. More specifically: Its annual yield is among the top 25% of dividend payers It has paid dividend every year without dramatically reducing payout in the past Its has increased its dividend per share amount over the past It is able to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings It is able to continue to payout at the current rate in the future High Yield And Dependable Altria Groups yield sits at 5.3%, which is high for Tobacco stocks. But the real reason Altria Group stands out is because it has a high chance of being able to continue to pay dividend at this level for years to come, something that is quite desirable if you are looking to create a portfolio that generates a steady stream of income. NYSE:MO Historical Dividend Yield September 8th 18 If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, its dividend stocks and their constant income stream. MO has increased its DPS from $1.28 to $3.2 in the past 10 years. It has also been paying out dividend consistently during this time, as youd expect for a company increasing its dividend levels. This is an impressive feat, which makes MO a true dividend rockstar. Altria Group has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 48.9%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a higher payout ratio of 75.2%, leading to a dividend yield of around 5.3%. However, EPS is forecasted to fall to $4.05 in the upcoming year. Therefore, although payout is expected to increase, the fall in earnings may not equate to higher dividend income. Story continues When assessing the forecast sustainability of a dividend it is also worth considering the cash flow of the business. A company with strong cash flow, relative to earnings, can sometimes sustain a high pay out ratio. Next Steps: Investors of Altria Group can continue to expect strong dividends from the stock. With its favorable dividend characteristics, if high income generation is still the goal for your portfolio, then Altria Group is one worth keeping around. However, given this is purely a dividend analysis, I urge potential investors to try and get a good understanding of the underlying business and its fundamentals before deciding on an investment. Below, Ive compiled three important aspects you should further examine: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for MOs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for MOs outlook. Valuation: What is MO worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, its not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether MO is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there strong dividend payers with better fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Michael Cohen, formerly President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, has offered to rescind the 2016 agreement with Stormy Daniels in return for the $130,000 he paid her, according to Friday filings from his shell company, Essential Consultants. Today, Essential Consultants LLC and Michael Cohen have effectively put an end to the lawsuits filed against them by Stephanie Clifford aka Stormy Daniels, said Brent Blakely, Cohens lawyer, according to CNN. The rescission of the Confidential Settlement Agreement will result in Ms. Clifford returning to Essential Consultants the $130,000 she received in consideration, as required by California law. Cohen pleaded guilty last month to violating campaign finance laws, admitting he paid off women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election, securing their silence. The payments, technically campaign donations, vastly exceeded the maximum donations permitted by federal law, CNN reports. One of these women, Daniels, has made headlines for taking her story public. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, argues the nondisclosure agreement is void due to the campaign finance violations and the fact that Trump himself never signed it. Trump, meanwhile, denies the affairs, but has said he reimbursed Cohen for Daniels payment, The New York Times reports. With a guilty plea and Daniels story known, Cohen no longer benefits from the nondisclosure agreement. Avenatti, however, vehemently rejected Cohens offer, telling the Times the deal was dead on arrival. Michael Cohen is back to playing games and trying to protect Donald Trump, Avenatti tweeted on Friday. He is now pulling a legal stunt to try and fix it so that we cant depose Trump and present evidence to the American people about what happened. Michael Cohen is back to playing games and trying to protect Donald Trump. He is now pulling a legal stunt to try and fix it so that we cant depose Trump and present evidence to the American people about what happened. He is not a hero nor a patriot. He deserves what he gets. Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 8, 2018 According to the Times, Avenatti said he would only accept the deal if both Cohen and Trump acknowledge that the nondisclosure agreement with Daniels was illegal, since it was founded in violations of campaign finance law. Cohen has admitted this; Trump has not. Photo credit: Patrick AVENTURIER/Gamma-Rapho - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics It's an idea with Jurassic Park-level ambitions: cloning a mummified 40,000-year-old horse to bring the extinct species back to life. Many experts are highly skeptical, to put it lightly. And at the center of the controversy is Woo-suk Hwang, a research who was part of a major scientific fraud scandal about cloning a decade ago. The story begins back in the Ice Age, when a baby horse died at the the approximate age of two months in what scientists suspect was an accident, likely a drowning. About 40,000 years late, in August 2018, scientists at Yakutian North-Eastern Federal University studying the horse's mummified remains found that the region's permafrost had kept the foal in amazing condition. "Even its hair preserved, which is incredibly rare for such ancient finds," said Yakutia Mammoth museum curator Semyon Grigoryev, speaking to The Siberian Times. The horse belonged to a species known as Equus lenensis, or "Lena Horse." It shares more in common with the ancient wild Yukon horses of North America than it does with the current horses that occupy this bitterly cold region, which are known as Yakutian horses and have been domesticated since the 13th century. Now things have gotten truly odd. A group of Russian and South Korean scientists think that can clone it. If we find only one live cell, we can clone this ancient horse, says Woo-suk Hwang, one of the South Korean scientists involved, to The Siberian Times. We can multiply it and get as many embryos as we need. If Hwang's name sounds familiar, it's because he has a curious history with cloning claims. A veterinarian by trade who first gained acclaim for cloning pets in the 90s, Hwang rose to scientific stardom in 2004 when he and his colleagues claimed to have created the worlds first cloned human embryos, and furthermore, that they had extracted stem cells from them. Hwang continued to bombastic claims about his embryos until 2006, when his collaborators and online researchers both presented incontrovertible evidence that he committed extreme ethical lapses in obtaining the cells and had falsified data. The president of Seoul National University, where Hwang had been doing his work, called the episode an unwashable blemish on the whole scientific community as well as our country. Story continues Hwang has been trying for a comeback ever since. He has never claimed responsibility for nine of 11 scientific papers related to human embryos that were shown to be fraudulent, but remains an expert on the animal cloning process. For years he has run the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, which has successfully cloned dogs, cows, pigs and coyotes. But some experts wonder if Hwang's claims about the ancient wild horse were simply a new attention grab. Cloning a modern day creature-say, a coyote-is possible because the coyote's DNA is fully intact. That's simply not the case with Ice Age DNA. It's typically been degraded "into tens of millions of pieces," Love Dalen, a professor of evolutionary genetics at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, tells LiveScience. Similar challenges would exist with trying to clone a woolly mammoth or other extinct species. Hwang says he is undeterred. Speaking to The Siberian Times, he says, "if we manage to clone the horse, it will be the first step to cloning the mammoth." The odds are long, but not impossible. Scientists concede that if Hwang and his team were able to find enough workable DNA from the ancient foal, then cloning it stands a chance at being scientifically feasible. Considering Hwang's history with bold claims, though, they're not holding their breath. Source: LiveScience ('You Might Also Like',) Central Banking, a global central banking forum, has bestowed its FinTech & RegTech Award for Best Distributed Ledger Initiative to South Africas central bank for its successful Project Khokha, which successfully used an Ethereum blockchain platform to process interbank payments and settlements. The test demonstrated that distributed ledger technology (DLT) can enable digital as opposed to analog transaction processing, offering significant improvements for global transactions. Central Banking noted on its website that the tests success demonstrates the need for regulators to address banks security and privacy concerns to improve global transaction processing. Test Simulated Realistic Conditions The South African Reserve Bank designed and executed Project Khokha in under three months to test the proficiency, resilience, confidentiality, finality and scalability of a DLT solution for processing transactions under realistic conditions on a wholesale payment system. The bank used JP Morgan Chases Quorum network with Istanbul Byzantine fault tolerance and Pedersen commitments and range proofs. The participating banks created their own nodes and were able to pledge, track and redeem the tokenized rand on the distributed ledger. The projects main goal was to successfully process the transactions while abiding by the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures. The project also established measurable goals for performance, transaction time, security and privacy. One goal was to scale from 70,000 to 200,000 daily transactions, based on real-time gross settlement needs for South African banks. Another was to process one days trading in two hours while coping with a one-day loss of processing. Test Used Established Benchmarks The central bank established a goal of 95% of transactions validated in less than one second, and 99% of transactions validated under two seconds. While the central bank retained visibility of all transactions, the participating banks could not view one anothers transactions. Story continues The network managed the daily volume under two hours and provided settlement finality and complete transactional privacy. The central bank maintained regulatory oversight of transactions processed under two seconds across a network of nodes that were geographically distributed. Central Banking noted that regulators need to work together to protect the financial system in ways that will not stifle innovation. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post South Africas Central Bank Wins Award for its Ethereum Payments Blockchain appeared first on CCN. MILAN (Reuters) - Around two hundred people queued outside the first Starbucks cafe in Italy on Friday, as the world's biggest coffee chain faces one of its toughest tests yet with an upmarket roastery in the centre of Milan. Coffee-obsessed Italy has more than 57,000 cafes and Starbucks, at its lavish roastery decorated with brass and marble, is charging almost twice what Italians are used to paying for their daily espresso drunk standing at a bar. Yet people who stood in line in the central Cordusio square seemed undeterred by the prices which have drawn complaints from an Italian consumer association. The opening enticed curious Italians and tourists alike. "I hope the coffee here tastes better than it does in America," said Milan resident Sonia Vesti. The cafe features a green industrial-scale roaster and serves coffee made only with premium-quality Arabica beans, while most Italian cafes use a cheaper blend. Cocktails, pastry and ice creams are also on sale at the store that marks the realisation of a lifetime dream for Howard Schultz, the man who turned Starbucks into the world's biggest coffee chain. Schultz has said he was inspired to develop Starbucks, which now spans almost 29,000 stores worldwide, during a 1983 visit to Italy where he was struck by the rapport between baristas and their clients. The Milan shop is Starbucks' first roastery in Europe. There are two others, in Seattle and Shanghai. The coffee market is one of the few fast-growing areas of the drinks market and global food groups like Nestle are signing deals to get a share of the action. Coca-Cola agreed to buy Costa, the world's second-biggest coffee chain, last week, while Nestle bought from Starbucks the exclusive rights to sell the U.S. chain's packaged coffees and teas around the world. Starbucks' arrival in Italy could shake up the local cafe industry, analysts said. "Our research shows younger Italians, 16-34 year olds, are much more open to American coffee-style concepts such as flavoured Frappuccino's, cold brew and more lightly roasted coffee," said Jonny Forsyth, global drinks analyst at market research group Mintel. Starbucks plans to open four traditional cafeterias in Milan with local partner Antonio Percassi by the end of this year, the group's Global President of Retail, John Culver, told Reuters. (Reporting by Francesca Landini, Stefano Rellandini and Lisa Di Giuseppe; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) In a story Aug. 28 about Tesla's rivals trying to compete with electric cars, The Associated Press reported the Tesla Model X's range using the EPA standard was up to 295 miles. Using the NEDC standard, which was used to describe the range of a competitor, Tesla's range is 351 miles. A corrected version of the story is below: Electric car makers moving into Tesla's turf with new models While Tesla grapples with internal issues like production delays, a sometimes-erratic CEO and a proposal to go private, its rivals are moving aggressively into the luxury electric vehicle space By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) While Tesla grapples with internal issues like production delays, a sometimes-erratic CEO and a recent about-face on whether to go private, its rivals are moving aggressively into the luxury electric vehicle space. In the next few days, German competitors Mercedes-Benz and Audi, the luxury arm of Volkswagen, are both showing off production-ready electric sport-utility vehicles aimed at Tesla's Model X. Meanwhile Jaguar Land Rover offers the I-Pace electric SUV while further out, Porsche is taking on Tesla's Model S high performance luxury car with the Taycan, expected to reach the market in late 2019. Story continues The established carmakers have multiple motives. They need zero driving emissions vehicles to meet tougher greenhouse gas limits coming into effect in Europe in 2021. Diesel is in the doghouse. And China, a major market, is pushing hard for more electrics. But the new models will also aim to win back some of the luxury customers drawn away by Tesla's electric vehicles at a time when the company is consumed by multiple distractions. Its CEO, Elon Musk, took to Twitter on Aug. 7 to abruptly announce he had secured funding to take his company private, only to turn around 17 days later to say that Tesla would remain public. The electric carmaker is also facing financial pressure, with a $230 million debt payment that's due in November on top of the $920 million that must be paid off three months later. And it has only recently hit production targets for its Model 3 mass-market vehicle. In the meantime, its rivals who had emphasized diesel and hybrids are finally rolling out the leading edge of what they say will be a slew of all-electric models. Their latest offerings are "the vanguard" of more to come, said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen. "By 2020, Tesla must stabilize itself or be overtaken," he said. The new entrants challenge what has been one of Tesla's key selling points: range. The EQC sport utility crossover from Daimler AG's luxury brand Mercedes, for instance, should go up to 500 kilometers (300 miles) on a single charge. Tesla's SUV, the Model X, has a range of up to 351 miles. The EQC, to be unveiled outside of Stockholm on Sept. 4, is the first in the Mercedes EQ sub-brand that bundles the company's efforts in electric, connected and autonomous driving. Media representatives didn't provide a price ahead of the unveiling. Volkswagen's Audi will show off its e-tron in San Francisco on Sept. 17. It offers more than 400 kilometers (248 miles) on a single charge. The company says the e-tron should be able to use high-speed charger facilities if they're available to charge in less than 30 minutes. The German price will be around 80,000 euros ($93,000) and it should go on sale near the end of the year in Europe, and next year in the U.S. The Porsche Taycan will also pose a stiff challenge to Tesla's Model S in terms of range: Porsche claims it can load enough power for 400 kilometers (248 miles) in just 15 or 20 minutes. The company hasn't announced a price. The I-Pace, whose price starts at $69,500 before local and federal incentives, offers 292 miles (470 kilometers) under the tougher European Union standard. The Model S, meanwhile, has an EPA range of up to 335 miles. The starting price for Tesla's Model X is around $80,700 while the Model S is around $74,500. Not that Tesla is standing still while the competition laps it. Musk has said the company intends to develop a Model Y, a small SUV to be unveiled in the first half of next year a growing sales category that other carmakers have been piling into as fast as they can. But Tesla's ambitions go way beyond the luxury electric vehicle market. That's the whole point of the Model 3, which is aimed at the mass market with a starting price of $35,000 and an EPA range of 310 miles. But there, too, the company must go head to head with rivals. They include the BMW i3 with a starting price of $44,500 and an EPA range of 114 miles; the Nissan Leaf with a starting price of $30,000 and an EPA range of 151 miles; and the Chevrolet Bolt with a starting price of $37,495 and an EPA range of 238 miles. Nissan promises a longer range version of the Leaf for 2019 and in 2020, Volkswagen plans to launch a compact version of its all-electric ID lineup. Tesla's Supercharger network has a big advantage over competitors. The company's website says it has 1,332 fast-charging stations with 10,901 charging units worldwide. Electric cars made by other manufacturers can't use Tesla stations and public and private charging stations are sporadic. European carmakers are rolling out their own fast-charging highway network through a joint venture, but only a few stations are up and running. Chris Hopson, manager of North American light vehicle forecasting for IHS Markit, said that established manufacturers are going electric not just in response to Tesla, "but because of a whole host of other things, with Tesla in mind." New electrics serve "not just to alleviate some of sales going to Tesla but to also to grab hold of the ongoing trend globally toward electric vehicles." The electric push also comes in the wake of Volkswagen's 2015 diesel scandal. The company's illegal rigging of vehicles to cheat on emissions testing helped turn consumers off diesels. Falling diesel sales numbers make it harder for European car makers to meet lower fleet emissions requirements coming into force in the EU in 2021. China is also pushing for more electric vehicles through regulation, requiring carmakers to ensure 10 percent of their fleets are electrics in 2019. Regulations limit foreign brands to about 4 percent of the market, with Tesla owning half that. Other carmakers such as BMW, Ford and GM work with local partners. Analysts James J. Albertine and Derek J. Glynn said they do not see competition as a threat to Tesla, "but a validation of electric vehicle technology that will grow the global electric vehicle demand pie, of which Tesla is likely to maintain a significant share." Tesla keeps losing senior leadership here are some of the key departures this year In total 41 executives have left Tesla in 2018, according to a list compiled by short-seller Jim Chanos 58 in the last 12 months. The company laid off at least 9 percent of its workforce in June the same month 13 executives left the company. On Friday, Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton resigned, citing intense public attention on the company. Shares of Tesla TSLA tanked as much as 10 percent Friday after CEO Elon Musk smoked marijuana on video and two C-suite executives left the company. Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton resigned after about a month on the job, while Chief People Officer Gaby Toledano said she would not return after an extended leave . Morton and Toledano are just the latest top Tesla employees to depart amid a tumultuous year for the automaker. Tesla has battled through production delays, swinging stock prices and the wild antics of its CEO. In total 41 executives have left Tesla in 2018, according to a tracker maintained by Tesla short-seller Jim Chanos, including 58 in the last 12 months. The company laid off at least 9 percent of its workforce in June the same month 13 executives left the company, according to Chanos' list. On Friday, the company announced it was promoting several new executives, some of whom fill the shoes of people who left this year. Here are some of the key departures this year: Jon McNeill , president of global sales and service, left in February after 2 years. McNeill moved to ride-hailing company Lyft where he's served as chief operating officer since February. Eric Branderiz , chief accounting officer, left in March after a year and a half, citing only "personal reasons." He is now the chief financial officer at Enphase Energy, a solar energy firm, according to his LinkedIn profile. On Friday, Tesla revealed that Branderiz' replacement as chief accounting officer, Dave Morton , had resigned as of Tuesday, citing intense public attention. He had been at the company for only one month. Story continues "Since I joined Tesla on August 6, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations," Morton said in a statement. "As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future." CNBC reported Morton left after feeling that Musk ignored his advice about taking the company private . Also in March, Susan Repo stepped down as treasurer and vice president of finance to join enterprise software company Topia as chief financial officer. Repo had been at Tesla for 5 years. Jim Keller , vice president of autopilot, left Tesla in April after 2 years to join Intel . He leads Intel's silicon engineering efforts. "I had a great experience working at Tesla, learned a lot, and look forward to all the great technology coming from Tesla in the future," Keller said in a statement announcing his new role. Matthew Schwall , director of field performance engineering, left Tesla in May. He was the company's main point of contact with the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tesla has been increasingly working with the agencies as it continues to test its autopilot and semi-autonomous vehicles. Also in May, Cal Lankton left his role as vice president of energy sales and operations. He'd been at Tesla for nearly 5 years, and departed at a time when the company's solar business is in decline . In June, Tesla lost Karim Bousta as vice president of worldwide service, Yannick Roux as director of manufacturing and Paul Lomangino as director of engineering. Roux and Lomangino had both been at Tesla for over 11 years. Bousta followed his former colleague to Lyft and now serves as vice president for driver experience operations. Roux joined EtaGen, a maker of clean energy generators. Lomangino quietly joined Chinese automaker Byton as a senior manager of engineering tools. In July, former Tesla engineering lead Doug Field left after what the company had characterized as a leave of absence to rejoin Apple's autonomous driving project. His role will be taken in part by new Tesla President Jerome Guillen . Jeff Risher , deputy general counsel and chief IP litigation counsel, left Tesla in July after 2 years at the company. He now holds a similar role at Faraday Future. Chief People Officer (Tesla's version of a head of HR) Gaby Toledano is extending her leave of absence from the company, Tesla said on Friday . Her role will be taken in part by new VP of People and Places Kevin Kassekert Friday was also the last day at the company for Sarah O'Brien , vice president of communications, per a planned departure . O'Brien had been at the company for 2 years. Dave Arnold is being promoted to senior director of communications, the company said. CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this report. More From CNBC A recent report indicated that Secretary of Defense James Mattis urged President Trump to focus on the threat from China's artificial intelligence ambitions. Trump has been relentlessly attacking Silicon Valley's leading tech companies, including Amazon, Google and Twitter. The divide between Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley threatens a partnership that will be critical to maintaining the U.S. lead in AI as China invests heavily. On Friday, the military's research arm, DARPA, announced its first major AI investment plan, $2 billion over five years. There is little doubt that the Department of Defense needs help from Silicon Valley in order to compete with China in the race for artificial intelligence. The question is whether Silicon Valley is willing to cooperate and whether President Donald Trump's combative nature risks damaging the vital partnership. Last week reports surfaced that Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis had warned Trump that the United States is not keeping pace with the ambitious plans of China in artificial intelligence. Instead, Trump attacked Google, Facebook and Twitter on Twitter last week, accusing the tech giants of intentionally suppressing conservative news outlets supportive of his administration. More than that, he aggravated the rift between the government and tech industry. "Just when we need to have the government and the tech industry working together, they're fighting one another. Our enemies couldn't have asked for a better scenario," said Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow and adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering, who researches growing technologies. The president's outburst comes at a time when the tech industry has proved hesitant to support national security efforts. An article in the New York Times this week quoted the CEO of Palantir the secretive Silicon Valley big data firm that has key government contracts exhorting his fellow tech leaders to show their patriotism. Story continues When called to testify in front of Congress this week concerning election meddling and online content, executives from Google declined the invitation . The company offered its top lawyer, Kent Walker, to testify, but at the last minute lawmakers said they would not accept any official but Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Facebook and Twitter executives made face but were criticized for their delay to cooperate when the election scandals emerged back in 2016. "If you look at the history, tech companies which were engineering companies often had close collaboration with the U.S. government and military. I think we see less of that in the information technology world," said Bart Selman, president-elect of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Tech employees have turned increasingly political Complicating matters more so, tech employees throughout the left-leaning Silicon Valley have moved from apathy to activism in the past few years. In recent months thousands of tech workers from top companies, including Google GOOGL , Salesforce CRM , Amazon AMZN and Microsoft MSFT , have led large-scale internal rebellions against their employers over contracts with the government. Employee outrage has largely stemmed from the sale of technology, particularly AI, for military application. The response from the top has been mixed. In June, Google announced that it would not renew one of its contracts, known as Project Maven, with the Pentagon. The project utilized Google's AI technology to improve drone strikes in the battlefield. However, executives from Salesforce, Microsoft and Amazon refused to cede to employee demands and did not terminate their contracts. Elsa Kania, an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank that explores policy related to national security and defense, said she believes that regardless of whether executives take employee demands seriously, the reluctance from employees is "concerning." In order for the United States to hold its lead over China, she said it is "vital for the military to learn from and take advantage of the expertise and perspective" from Silicon Valley. "It appears that China's leading companies and leading universities may be more willing to work with the military, whereas their U.S. counterparts are seemingly less willing," said Kania. While the press was focused on Elon Musk smoking weed during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast this week, the tech billionaire and outspoken thinker on the dangers of AI also noted in the interview that an advantage China holds over the U.S. is high-level politicians who are knowledgeable on science . In 2017, China laid out aggressive groundwork to become the world leader in AI by 2030 , aiming to top rivals technologically and create a domestic industry worth $150 billion. The world's second-largest economy has all of the ingredients to do so: strong ties with private tech firms, a government strongbox, a large population and a thriving research community. It is estimated that the Chinese government already has invested $300 billion in AI, chips and electric cars. On Friday, the Defense Department's research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (also known as DARPA), announced a $2 billion investment to be made in AI over the next five years , which military publication Stars and Stripes described as setting up a "technological arms race with China and an ideological clash with Silicon Valley over the future of powerful machines." The Trump administration has made strides to further the country's AI development but has been criticized for scaring off talent. Trump's immigration clampdown is making it increasingly more difficult for the United States to attract and retain international experts. Conversely, the Chinese government has been aggressively recruiting top engineers from around the world. "The Chinese government recruits talent from all over the world. And the tech industry in return gives the government everything it wants. It's really a joint partnership. One couldn't exist without the other," Carnegie Mellon's Wadhwa said. More From CNBC STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE Gas-rich Turkmenistan has inaugurated a refurbished and expanded Soviet-era power plant that it hopes will help it boost exports to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov on September 8 attended ceremonies for the opening of the $1.2 billion electricity plant near the Central Asian country's southeastern region of Mary. Berdymukhammedov said capacities at the rebuilt plant will allow the country to export an additional 3 billion kilowatt-hours per year to neighboring countries. The expansion work was conducted by Turkish firm Calik Holding and General Electric of the United States. The plant is part of efforts by Turkmenistan to diversify its economy, which overwhelmingly depends on natural-gas exports for revenue. The Central Asian country, which sits on the fourth-largest reserves of natural gas, halted gas shipments to Iran at the beginning of this year, claiming Tehran owed it $1.8 billion for product for which it never paid. The head of Turkmenistan's state-controlled Turkmengas company, Myrat Archayev, has said negotiations with Tehran over the dispute have been unsuccessful, and the case is set to go to arbitration. In addition, Russia in 2016 stopped buying gas from Turkmenistan. With the cutoff of supplies to Iran, Ashbagat is now left with China as its sole customer. In further efforts to diversify its economy, Turkmenistan also opened a vast new seaport on the Caspian Sea that the country hopes will improve its export prospects and establish it as a regional hub connecting Europe and Asia. The elaborate new port in the city of Turkmenbashi will more than triple Turkmenistan's cargo handling capacity to about 26 million tons a year, the government said. Although it has no outlets to the world's oceans, the 1,000-kilometer long Caspian Sea is an important thoroughfare for trade and passengers in the region. Efforts to develop gas pipelines to Europe and India have yet to materialize after years of negotiations. With reporting by AP and AFP Honduran immigrant Iris Eufragio, 40, is shown after she was reunited with her 6-year-old son Ederson Eufragio at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland in July. The two were separated by U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico in mid-June. A federal class-action lawsuit is seeking money for damages and to fund mental health treatment for more than 2,000 children who were taken from the parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. On a budget safari in Africa, the luxury is in the wildlife City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. Jenna Stapleton has a vantage point on the Colorado Republican nominee for governor, the presidential Bush family and state politics from her New Englanders point of view that no one else in Colorado shares. Colorado Politics recently interviewed the wife of Walker Stapleton to get an inside look at the candidate. Colorado Springs police are investigating a fatal crash reported near N. Academy Boulevard and Constitution Avenue Saturday night. Police reported the crash at 9:30 p.m. on Twitter. Academy Boulevard at La Salle Street was expected to be closed until 2 or 3 a.m. Sunday, according to police. Drivers have been asked to avoid the area. This is a developing story. Stay with Gazette.com for updates. RELATED: Chloe Welton gives an aerial art performance at the What IF Festival on Saturday in Colorado Springs . Welton, who owns Shangri-La Aerial Arts, got involved in aerial arts to stay fit in a fun way. I dont like working out at the gym or lifting iron. This is a combination of fitness and dance. Many different local businesses brought artistic and imaginative ways to have the attendees interact with their booths. Food trucks and vendors lined the streets, while kids played with bubbles and hoola hoops. (Photo by Kelsey Brunner/The Gazette) Luis Reyes drove up to Durango from Taos, N.M., on a sunny April day in 2017 to tell folks how the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, which he h Bishop Michael Sheridan, head of the Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, will appear in a first-ever interactive Facebook live session at 7 A Syrian students play last month in the courtyard of a school whose walls are still charred and pockmarked with bullets from recent fighting in the town of Douma, in the eastern Ghouta region, near the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. Despite dire U.S. warnings and fears of a humanitarian disaster, the Trump administration has little leverage to stop Russia, Iran and Syria pressing ahead with a massive military assault against Syrias northwest Idlib province. LUXEMBOURG, Sept. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) Manager Olymp Capital today announced the launch of the first European investment fund to cover the entire blockchain and crypto asset ecosystem. The fund managed by Olymp Capital will include blockchain-related Private Equity, Initial Coin Offering (ICO) activity and a fund-of-fund activity centered on crypto hedge funds. The fund accepts investment both in fiat and crypto currencies (bitcoin, ether). The Olymp Capital leadership team is led by experts in both traditional finance and in the blockchain ecosystem who have drawn on the best features of traditional venture capital, updated for the world of crypto investment. Christophe de Courson, a serial technology entrepreneur, serves as CEO and Paul Bougnoux, co-founder of leading French corporate finance advisory firm Largilliere Finance, serves as chairman. In 2017 the ICO market raised $5.9bn1 whereas $13.7bn2 has already been raised by in 2018 so far. But while the ICO market is booming, it is difficult for investors to access the best deals; investors typically hear about an ICO via social or other media when it is already too late to invest. Tellingly in the first quarter of 2018 average returns for ICOs stood at -55%3, but the 5 best ICOs had a +1,100%4 return. Olymp Capitals role is to provide the link between investors and the ICO market to aid discovery of those premium ICO investment propositions. The Olymp network enables the fund managers to identify and screen the best entrepreneurs and companies which are about to launch ICOs in a way that individual crypto investors are unable to match. Olymp Capital has established strategic privileged partnerships with Fundstrat Global Advisors , the first crypto assets analysis company, based in New York and founded by Thomas Lee, ex-Chief Equity Strategist of J.P. Morgan and with John Bai, ex-Head of Equity Sales Asia & US at Mizuho Securities, and technological research institute SystemX , a French government-backed accelerator focused on digital transformation. These partnerships are supplemented by a worldwide network which Olymp Capital has established, including associates in Luxembourg, Paris, New York, San Francisco, and Singapore, which will enable the fund managers to identify the best opportunities in order to create an international ecosystem by investing in selected ones. Unlike other funds which launch an ICO in order to collect crypto-currencies, Olymps corporate wallet account allows it to collect payments in cryptocurrencies. This offers a significant advantage in ICO investments and removes the need to convert fiat currency to bitcoin or ether for their investments. We have built an international group of advisors, composed of recognized experts in complementary sectors finance and investment, blockchain and crypto assets, and compliance and regulation to assist our management team based in Luxembourg, said Paul Bougnoux, chairman of Olymp Capital. We believe we have the strongest network within the blockchain space in the EU. Christophe de Courson, CEO and co-founder of Olymp Capital commented: This new fund is the only one in Europe that is able to invest directly in tokens. Investors benefit from a unique deal flow, managed by Olymp Capital and offering a fully diversified portfolio in blockchain and crypto asset accessed via a more cost effective single investment vehicle. With first mover advantage, Olymp Capital is set to be the European leader in investments in the new digital asset class. ABOUT OLYMP CAPITAL Olymp Capital is the first asset management firm in Europe to cover all the blockchain and crypto asset classes ecosystem. The firm is headquartered in Luxembourg and is comprised of experts in traditional finance and the blockchain ecosystem. For more information, visit the web site at www.olymp.capital. EDITORS NOTE: If you would like a color photograph of Christophe de Courson, CEO and co-founder of Olymp Capital, or Paul Bougnoux, chairman of Olymp Capital, please contact Chris Pfaff on chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com or +1-201-218-0262 1 http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-much-raised-icos-2017-tokendata-2017-2018-1 2 https://www.newsbtc.com/2018/06/29/icos-have-generated-13-7-billion-in-2018-so-far-nearly-doubling-2017-numbers/ 3 https://www.tokendata.io/ and Olymp Capital calculations Shrinking faster than any other nations, the projected decline of Jap [ #permalink 1 Kudos Did the wife of a Benghazi survivor just file a wrongful death lawsuit against Hillary Clinton? No, that's not true: a story with that headline appeared on a liberal satire website that tries to trick republicans and Trump supporters into sharing wildly over the top fake news so fans of the site can mock them for their limited intellect and it seems to have worked again. The entire thing was made up and only the headline made any sense. The story originated from an article published by America's Last Line of Defense on September 9, 2018 titled "Benghazi Wife Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Clinton" (archived here) which opened: Blair County, South Carolina : Sharon Orralplay is angry. She's not going to take it anymore. Don't even get me started on how angry she is about that defenseless textbook. In January of 2011, her husband, Gavin Orralplay, was re-assigned with his company, Build-A-Bear LLC, to Benghazi, Libya, in order to open and operate a satellite store in the Al'Haffa'Queef Mall. In 2012, when the infamous terrorist attacks on the embassy occurred, Gavin was evacuated, along with his underlings, and routed through the city to a safe zone for pickup. However, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton activated a stand-down order on the transport truck, and simply wired him Uber money instead. Twenty-seven minutes later, Gavin was dead, having choked on an olive in a Martini at the bar of the hotel the Uber had delivered him to. Users on social media only saw this title, description and thumbnail so only those who didn't even look at the full thing might have possibly thought it was real: Benghazi Wife Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Clinton Here comes Justice - O.J. style. The story is just too ridiculous to fact check. Suffice to say the the site that published it comes with a clear satire disclaimer at the bottom of each article: satire ~sati()r noun the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, OR ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. If you disagree with the definition of satire or have decided it is synonymous with "comedy," you should really just move along. The owner and main writer of the site is self-professed liberal troll Christopher Blair, a man from Maine who has made it his full time job to troll gullible conservatives and Trump supporters into liking and sharing his articles. He runs several other websites, including potatriotpost.us, dailyworldupdate.us and nofakenewsonline.us. Sometimes he is also known under his nickname "Busta Troll". A second man working on the sites is John Prager as revealed in this earlier story we wrote. Articles from Blair's sites frequently get copied by "real" fake news sites who often omit the satire disclaimer and any other hints the stories are fake. Blair has tried to get these sites shut down in the past but new ones keep cropping up and he keeps knocking them down. If you see one of his stories on a site that does not contain a satire disclaimer, assume it is fake news. If you do see the satire disclaimer it is of course also fake news. NewsGuard, a company that uses trained journalist to rank the reliability of websites, describes trumpbetrayed.us as: A website claiming to be satirical that publishes fabricated stories, run by Christopher Blair, a known purveyor of disinformation, that published fake stories about Senator John McCain after he passed away. According to NewsGuard the site does not maintain basic standards of accuracy and accountability. Read their full assessment here. We wrote about trumpbetrayed.us before, here are our most recent articles that mention the site: As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ - Vice Ganda continues to make name as he was hailed a record-breaker by Guinness World Record - He initiated a gathering of thousands of people to apply lipstick - Vice thanked those who participated in the historic event PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Kapamilya comedian Vice Ganda brought honor and pride to the country as he became a new Guinness World Record holder. KAMI learned that the Its Showtime host initiated a gathering of thousands of people to apply lipstick at the same time. The gathering was part of the promotion of his cosmetic company called Vice Co. at the Araneta Coliseum. The comedian successfully assembled a total of 6,900 people who participated in the attempt to break the previous world record. Held by an international cosmetic company in China, the past record only gathered 5,840 participating individuals in 2015. Vice, with the help of other participants, led by more than 1,000 to finally break the record and be hailed as a Guinness World Record holder. "Sa lahat sa inyo girl, boy, bakla, tomboy na naki-participate, give yourselves a big round of applause," the actor expressed. The Praybeyt Bejamin star initially organized a music fest to realize his plans which he first announced a month ago. He invited several artists to perform such as Moira dela Torre, Darren Espanto, and Yeng Constantino just before the historic and record-breaking moment commenced. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! The number could have gone higher if not a Guinness World Record official announced that they have to disqualify 108 individuals. The event is open to all customers of Vice Cosmetics. Lipsticks bought from the said brand served as the ticket to the affair. Here is a video of the official announcement: In a previous article by , the Kapamilya celebrity bravely threw questions about Senator Antonio Trillanes latest issue. Born on March 31, 1976, Vice is a multi-awarded television personality who hails from Tondo, manila. He already starred in several highest-grossing films including Sisterakas, Beauty and the Bestie, and The Revenger Squad. POPULAR: Read more news about Vice Ganda! Imagine that youre walking down streets of the Philippines, thinking of your work, friends, and family. Suddenly a man walking in front of you drops his wallet. He continues walking, without realizing that he has just lost all his money. What would you do in this situation? Social Experiment: How Honest Are People Around You? on HumanMeter! Source: Kami.com.ph - Actor Daniel Matsunaga successfully glued another big achievement to his name - He was given doctorate degree in Humanity through Honoris Causa - Daniel expressed how thankful he is for the award PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Philippine-based model and actor Daniel Matsunaga bagged another life-rewarding achievement as he was conferred with a doctorate degree via Honoris Causa. KAMI learned that it was the Brethren Evangelical School of Theology that gave the promising actor a doctorate degree in Humanity major in Social Work. He received the award through Honoris Causa, an award given to someone even without prior connection with the academe or without previous post-secondary education. The award also aims to honor distinguished individuals who have outstanding contributions to a specific field or to the society. Daniel is known for being the ambassador of Philippine Animal Welfare Association (PAWS) which combats animal cruelty and maltreatment. In his Instagram post, the actor expressed how grateful he is for being the recipient of the award. He also gave thanks to the people who supported and trusted him in achieving the remarkable milestone despite the challenges he faced and fought. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! I am very honored to be the recipient of such an amazing award. I just want to thank God for everything He has done in my life... Also to the executives for believing and trusting me with such a big award, he wrote. To my family who has always been there for me, no matter what the situation, or how big my problems were, they never left me alone, he added. In a previous article by , the celebrity heartthrob finally met the family of Polish girlfriend Karolina Pisarek. Born on November 28, 1988, Daniel is a Japanese-Brazilian model who became more popular after joining and being hailed as the Grand Winner of the TV reality competition, Pinoy Big Brother All In in 2014. POPULAR: Read more news about Daniel Matsunaga! Imagine that youre walking down streets of the Philippines, thinking of your work, friends, and family. Suddenly a man walking in front of you drops his wallet. He continues walking, without realizing that he has just lost all his money. What would you do in this situation? Social Experiment: How Honest Are People Around You? on HumanMeter! Source: Kami.com.ph The events of September 11, 2001, in the United States are simply called 9/11. On that bright, clear morning 17 years ago, Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four large passenger airplanes to use as missiles of war. All four planes were flying across the country to California with a full tank of fuel. None of them made it. Flight 11 was the first to take off. It did so in Boston, Massachusetts, at 7:59 in the morning. Forty-seven minutes later, it crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Flight 175 also took off from Boston and crashed into the South Tower minutes after Flight 11. In Washington D.C., Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon after takeoff. Twenty-six minutes later, Flight 93 crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. By 10:03 that morning, the Al-Qaeda planes operation had caused severe destruction. All airline traffic had stopped in the United States. By the end of the day, 2,996 people lost their lives. The crash sites are memorialized in New York and Washington, D.C. The Flight 93 Memorial in the rural hills near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, is a national park. It was used to mine surface coal until 1995. The Flight 93 Memorial Visitor Center tells the story of the events on Flight 93. The plane took off with 37 passengers -- including the four hijackers -- as well as seven crew members. As it flew west toward Cleveland, Ohio, the hijackers broke into the cockpit and injured the pilot and first officer. An air traffic controller in Cleveland heard the shouts. The hijackers had gained control of the plane. They tried to announce to the passengers that there was a bomb on the plane and that they were returning to the airport. But they mistakenly made that announcement to the air traffic control center instead. The plane then turned around in the skies over Cleveland. Investigators later found evidence that the plane was going toward Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The passengers and crew members were forced to the back of the plane by the hijackers. With in-flight and mobile phones, passengers began calling officials and family members. In all, 37 calls were made. Through those calls, the passengers and crew learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They understood that their plane was also on a suicide mission. Crew member CeeCee Lyles called her husband with a message. Hi, baby. Im, baby, you have to listen to me carefully. Im on a plane thats been hijacked. I just want to tell you I love you. Please tell my children that I love them very much. Theres three guys, theyve hijacked the plane. Im trying to be calm, were turned around and I heard that theres planes thats been flown into the World Trade Center. I hope to be able to see your face again, baby. I love you, bye. In the back of the plane, the passengers and crew members discussed the situation. They took a vote and decided to act. They decided to fight back. They ran into the cockpit to stop the hijackers. The plane went off its path over rural Pennsylvania. It rocked back and forth and rolled over. Moments later, at 906 kilometers an hour, it crashed into an open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The force of the crash created a huge crater about 4 and a half meters deep and nine meters across. If the plane had kept its speed and flight path, it would have arrived in Washington, D.C. in less than 20 minutes. Next to the Visitor Center, the memorial has a walking path. The path is built to look like Flight 93s own unplanned flight path. The path lets visitors look down into the crash site. It is a quiet and reflective place. Here, visitors learn that about 1,000 people from more than 70 agencies worked day and night to collect and examine evidence and personal belongings. After the evidence was gathered, the soil was returned to the land. Grass and wildflowers were planted in what is now sacred ground. Visitors walk through tree groves on the way to the Memorial Plaza. There are 40 groves of 40 hemlock trees. The number 40 is meaningful. It represents the number of passengers and crew members on Flight 93. On the far end of the plaza is the Wall of Names. It is a simple white wall that contains 40 pieces of marble. Each marble has the name of a passenger or crew member. The memorial was finally completed on Sunday with the opening of the Tower of Voices. It is a 28-meter-tall musical instrument that will hold 40 wind chimes. Each chime produces an individual sound. The music it creates is a reminder of the struggle and bravery of the 40 people who brought down Flight 93 in an empty, rural field. Their actions helped save many lives. Im Dorothy Gundy. Dorothy Gundy reported on this story and produced the video for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bright - adj. filled with light surface n. the upper layer of an area of land or water cockpit n. the area in an airplane where the pilot sits rocked v. to move something back and forth or from side to side crater n. a large round hole in the ground made by something falling from the sky reflective adj. thinking carefully about something sacred adj. highly valued and important: deserving great respect grove - n. a small group of trees marble n. a stone that is often polished and used in buildings and statues wind chimes n. a collection of objects made from metal, glass, etc. that hang together from strings and touch each other to make a musical sound when they are blown by the wind Habitat for Humanity builds houses for people who would not have the chance to own one any other way. Erika Santiestepan is a single mother of two young children. She helped a group of volunteers build her new home in Mishawaka, Indiana recently. I feel like I won the lotto. It means everything. I dont have to worry about where am I going to go next. Among the volunteers working with her was former United States President Jimmy Carter. Many Americans think of Carter and his wife Rosalynn when they hear the name Habitat for Humanity. Jonathan Reckford is Habitats chief executive officer. He notes that the group was started by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976. The Fullers asked Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter to help with one of Habitats building projects in 1984. That was about three years after the Carters left the White House. Since that time, they continue to lend their name and muscle to this international aid group. Habitats headquarters is in Americus, Georgia, not far from Plains, the home of the Carters. During his recent visit to Indiana, the former president described his interest in the group this way: Every human being probably would like some excitement in their life, some challenge in their lifesomething of which they could be proud. He added that Habitat answered all those needs for him. Reckford said that, when Jimmy and Roslyn Carter got involved, the group had already helped 758 families build homes. Since then, it has partnered with 13.2 million people to build or repair homes. There is really no one that has had more to do with that than President and Mrs. Carter, Reckford said. The Carters were not the only well-known Americans to work on the recent home-building project. Ericka Santiestepan noted that two country music stars also volunteered. Im in a house, and I have these amazing people to help me Garth Brooks and Tricia (Yearwood) are working on my house. I want them to sign the inside of my walls! Santiestepan is not getting the house for free. She will have to make payments on a home loan, just like other homeowners across the country. But the loan will be affordable. Because she helped build the house, she will pay no interestsomething the group calls sweat equity. But the Habitat for Humanity project in Indiana is larger than one home. Joining the Carters, Brooks and Yearwood were hundreds of volunteers. They were planning to set up over 20 homes near Santiestapans. Habitat has built more than 4,000 homes since 1984. Jimmy Carter said the thankfulness of homeowners like Santiespan is a big motivation keeping him returning to build homes year after year. It just means a lot, Santiespan said. They have no idea what they are doing for everyone. I mean, they know, but I dont know if they can feel exactly how it feels like. Its a dream come true. Im Mario Ritter. Kane Farabaugh reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story lotto n. a game of chance in which people buy a ticket for a chance to win a large amount of money challenge n. a difficult task or problem: something that is hard to do affordable adj. something that can be paid for without too much difficulty equity n. a share in the value of some form of property sweat n. fluid released naturally by the skin We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. In the American state of Minnesota, Hmong farmers are working together to grow their farming businesses. The Hmong are an ethnic group from East Asia. They have never had a country of their own. They moved to Vietnam and Laos from China in the 18th century. After the Vietnam War ended, many Hmong settled in the United States. This has given the U.S. the largest Hmong population outside of Asia. The northern state of Minnesota is home to more than 60,000 members of the community. The Hmong have worked in agriculture for hundreds of years. So when they reached Minnesota, they began farming there. By the late 1980s, they were helping to re-energize local farmers markets, especially in the city of Saint Paul. But the Hmong found that, as immigrant farmers, they faced barriers to buying land, getting financing, getting access to markets and building family businesses. They were struggling. Then, in 2011, a group of Hmong farmers launched the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), a non-profit group. Pakou Hang is one of the groups founders. She said, One of the reasons why HAFA was created was because the Hmong farmers were experiencing so much uncertainty. They didn't always have access to land. She said that lacking guarantees on land use makes it difficult to invest in things that bring higher profits, such as organic fruits and vegetables. At the center of the HAFA is a 63-hectare farm outside of St. Paul. There, member farmers can use two to four hectares of land for long periods to grow vegetables and flowers. How HAFA helps On a recent Friday, Mao Moua and her husband were harvesting vegetables on their plot of land for a farmers market. The Mouas were among the large number of Hmong people who fled Laos for Thailand and eventually the U.S. in the 1970s. Since their arrival, they have been farming in Minnesota and, in recent years, on the HAFA membership farm. Mao Moua says she enjoys working with the other farmers. I like farming on the HAFA farm because this is a Hmong association, she said. There are Hmong workers who help us. They are like our hands, eyes and ears. I like there is also water, electricity and the Food Hub." The Food Hub is the name for HAFAs alternative markets program. It gives local businesses the chance to buy produce directly from HAFA farmers. Kou Yang is the Food Hubs operations manager. He said the hub sells fruits and vegetables to schools, restaurants and other businesses. They also have a community supported agriculture program with around 350 members. Each member receives a weekly supply of produce. And if the farmers need small loans to buy farming equipment, HAFAs business development programs are there to help. Pakou Hang said they are interested in creating wealth for the current Hmong community and for future generations. Community wealth Today, Hmong American farmers make up more than 50 percent of all produce growers selling at farmers markets in the St. Paul area. David Kotsonas is a director with the Minnesota Farmers Market Association. He said the Hmong have brought a lot of life to local farmers markets. The Hmong are also at the center of a local foods economy that has changed the way Minnesotans eat. Hang said Hmong farmers are a major part not just of the local food economy, but the states overall economy. Studies have shown that they produced over $250 million in sales, she said. Hang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and came to the U.S. with her parents in 1976. But when the Vietnam War ended and the communists took power in Laos, they began targeting Hmong soldiers, she said. Hang has big dreams for the HAFA farm. In addition to helping farmers, the association does agricultural research and builds ties with the local community. Im Dorothy Gundy. June Soh wrote this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story migrate v. to move from one place to another, often for work or other economic reasons access n. permission or ability to enter something or communicate with someone uncertainty n. something that is unknown organic adj. relating to the production of food or plants without the use of chemically based fertilizers, antibiotic drugs or pesticide products. plot n. a small piece of land or planted ground hub n. center produce n. fruits and vegetables We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. The United States has long been considered to be among the best places in the world for higher education. For several years now, the number of international students attending U.S. colleges and universities has reached over one million. But the appeal of such schools and life in the U.S. does not end with earning a college degree. In fact, research shows the number of foreigners choosing to stay and work after they complete their studies has risen sharply since 2008. That increase slowed considerably in 2017, a new report found. But experts say it shows no signs of stopping. The report on foreign college graduates comes from the Pew Research Center, an independent research group. The center released its findings in late July. OPT program The United States lets foreigners study full-time in the country through the governments F-1 visa program. Most F-1 visa holders are only permitted to work up to 20 hours per week. However, some foreign college and university students are able to hold full-time jobs through what is known as Optional Practical Training, or OPT. OPT is temporary employment, and work that is directly related to an F-1 students area of study. International students accepted in OPT are permitted to work full-time for a period of up to 12 months. They can do so either while attending school or immediately after they complete it, but they must find work that relates to their college major. Pew researchers found that a record 276,500 foreign graduates received work permits through OPT in 2017. That is in addition to the nearly 1.5 million foreign graduates who received OPT work permits between 2004 and 2016. Extended stay for STEM graduates Neil Ruiz is a Pew researcher and the lead author of the report. He says international students desire to work in the United States is nothing new. But their ability to find jobs greatly increased when the federal government changed the rules for OPT in 2008. At that time, the government decided to let science, technology, engineering and mathematics degree holders extend their stay. Instead of the 12-month OPT requirement, graduates in these fields were permitted to remain in the country for up to 29 months. This ability to work for a longer period made these international graduates more desirable to employers, Ruiz notes. And it also made STEM degree programs more desirable to international students. STEM is short for science, technology, engineering and math. Those are the majors of foreign graduates who are staying in the U.S. that have seen the biggest growth, Ruiz told VOA. The U.S. government made employment through OPT even more appealing to international graduates in STEM-related fields two years ago. It increased the time limit for such graduates from 29 to 36 months. The two policy changes increased the number of STEM degree-holders taking part in OPT by about 400 percent. But Ruiz noted that as of last year, the rate of growth of foreign graduates staying in the U.S. to work has faced its largest decrease in 13 years. In 2016, the number of foreigners taking part in OPT grew by 34 percent. In 2017, that number grew by just eight percent. Ruiz notes that in January of 2017, President Donald Trumps administration changed the rules governing the program. The change made it more difficult for graduates by limiting them to working directly for their employer. Before the new rule, those registered for OPT could do work for businesses which had relationships with the employer. Yet Rajika Bhandari argues that this will do little to stop international students from seeking jobs in the U.S. Bhandari is a senior advisor for the Institute of International Education, which studies and supports international student exchanges. She notes that this is not the first time American policies have increased restrictions on foreigners. For example, the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 led the government to take a much stronger position on immigration. This led to one of the biggest decreases in international students at U.S. colleges and universities in the countrys history. But Bhandari adds that it only took a few years for foreigners to start returning. That is because the American higher education system is so widely respected. The same goes for the ways in which the country supports its industries in seeking to explore new ideas and find solutions to the worlds biggest problems. Just like native students, foreign graduates want the chance to take part in this by using the knowledge and skills they gain through their education, she says. The U.S. really provides this perfect environment for people who want to stay on and be innovators and really contribute in a meaningful way to a knowledge economy, noted Bhandari. Brain drain Still, people leaving their home countries for either an education or employment purposes is not always a good thing, says Brian Callahan. He works with the Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty around the world. Callahan worries about the effects of what has been called brain drain. This is when the most educated and skilled people in an area leave to find employment or continue their education elsewhere. A good proportion of the people who leave dont end up going back for 10, 20, 30 years, he said. So I think its more a problem of them leaving for education, getting a sense of what their economic prospects could be in a more developed country, and then, for understandable reasons, not really wanting to go back. He argues that by leaving, these people are actually harming their home countries. They damage the local economies by not spending money on local businesses and by not providing tax money. They are also using their skills and knowledge to help companies in other countries instead of setting up businesses that could create jobs at home. Callahan notes it is often the wealthiest people who are able to move overseas. So instead those people should consider investing in their own education systems, from schools for young children all the way to the university level, he says. That way those who cannot leave do not miss out on the same chances to succeed. Also, Callahan suggests that people in developing nations should fight against corruption and work to make their countries friendlier to international businesses. That way those American companies they respect so much might come to them instead of the other way around. Im Pete Musto. And Im Dorothy Gundy. Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. What do you think it would be like to both study and work in the United States? If you studied at a U.S. university, would you immediately return home after graduating? Or would you seek temporary employment? Why? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Quiz - More International College Students Staying to Work in US Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story appeal n. a quality that causes people to like someone or something degree n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university major n. the main subject studied by a college or university student author n. a person who has written something senior adj. higher in standing or rank than another person in the same position innovator(s) n. someone who does something in a new way contribute v. to give something, such as money, goods, or time, to help a person, group, cause, or organization proportion n. an amount that is a part of a whole prospect(s) n. a chance for something to happen Mooresville, NC - Authorities are investigating after a woman carried a baby that was reportedly abducted in Charlotte onto Interstate 77 in Mooresville earlier this week, according to police. On Monday around 1 p.m., Iredell County deputies were called to I-77 near exit 36 in Mooresville after receiving reports that a woman was walking in and out of traffic, carrying an infant. When deputies arrived, they found the woman, identified as Winifred Mirambeau, standing on the side of the interstate holding the child. Deputies said they also found a black Jeep nearby. The driver of the Jeep told deputies he was getting into his vehicle on Plaza Drive in Charlotte earlier that morning when Mirambeau jumped into the passenger seat of his vehicle and told him to drive off. He told deputies that as they were traveling north on I-77, he and Mirambeau switched seats because she wanted to drive. He then said that as they approached exit 36, Mirambeau pulled off on to the emergency lane and jumped out of the vehicle carrying the infant. Paramedics were called to the scene and took the infant to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center because the baby had been exposed to the sun for a long time. As deputies investigated the situation, they discovered that the child was reportedly abducted from the Charlotte area. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it has charged Mirambeau with first-degree kidnapping and child abduction. Police said they responded to Shamrock Drive for a report of a missing person around 1 p.m. The victim told officers she left her infant with family members while she was running errands. Mirambeau, the girlfriend of one of the family members, reportedly took the baby and left the home. They said they were notified about Mirambeau's whereabouts around 1 p.m. after her run-in with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office. Police said the baby was not hurt and was reunited with her mother. Mirambeau was transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office. There is a war between senior National Treasury executives over a R3-billion contract to roll out broadband across the Eastern Cape. The City Press reported that Treasurys acting accountant-general, Zanele Mxunyelwa, approved the R3-billion Eastern Cape broadband tender. According to the report, the Eastern Cape piggybacked on a contract that SITA signed with Liquid Telecom to roll out broadband in the Western Cape. Treasury allows piggybacking to save time and money, but two senior Treasury procurement executives argued that proper tender processes should be followed for this tender. The City Press quoted a senior IT executive, who said piggybacking does not make sense in this case as the two contracts are very different. The Eastern Cape is paying R1 billion more than the Western Cape for what are essentially far poorer services, he said. He added that the Western Cape contract includes telephony, while the one in the Eastern cape does not. Their (Western Cape) Internet will be quite fast. It starts at 100Mbps, increasing to [1Gbps]. This will start at 10Mbps per second, increasing to 100Mbps, he said. Eastern Cape explains This report follows a battle between SITA and the Eastern Cape government over the broadband project. The Eastern Cape reportedly went against SITAs wishes and appointed Liquid Telecom to roll out broadband services to over 7,000 sites across the province. The Eastern Capes director-general, Marion Mbina-Mthembu, said they were empowered to appoint Liquid Telecom by invoking Treasury Regulation 16A6.6. The regulation states an accounting officer may appoint a service provider who has been appointed by an organ of state, through a competitive bidding process, provided that both the service provider and the organ of state consent, Mbina-Mthembu told MyBroadband. After knocking on SITAs door for a year for assistance with the rollout of broadband, we embarked on seeking ways to implement it ourselves, said Mbina-Mthembu. It should be noted that it was SITA who informed us that the best practice for implementation [of a provincial broadband network] was the Western Cape. SITA wanted to use Telkom Mbina-Mthembu said she met with Liquid Telecom on 10 May 2017 to get its approval to use the Western Cape tender. On the same day, the head of the Eastern Capes provincial broadband unit, Dayalan Padayachy, met with SITA to follow up on the projects. All indications were that the project would proceed by existing lines being upgraded under SITAs Master Service Agreement with Telkom. On 26 June 2017, SITA delivered a proposal based on its existing agreement with Telkom that would see it pay R5 million per month over 60 months to upgrade 160 provincial government sites that were already connected. The Eastern Cape rejected the proposal, stating it was 10-times the market-related cost and reaffirmed it wanted to piggyback on the Western Capes tender. SITA responds SITA disputed suggestions it was in any way responsible for the Eastern Capes decision making on its broadband project. It said it put options on the table for consideration, as was appropriate given the magnitude of the project. Throughout this process, SITAs insistence has been that the Eastern Cape broadband project complies with the SITA Act, the PFMA, and National Treasury Regulations, SITA told MyBroadband. While SITA did not directly respond to questions on how long the process took, its feedback suggested that timeframes were not its primary concern. It is worth noting that the Western Cape broadband contract took four years to put together, according to a report from BMIT. The project also had to contend with several missteps from SITA, including failing to extend the deadline for the tender. Now read: SITA wanted us to use Telkom for broadband upgrades at R5 million per month Former president Jacob Zuma and several top ANC figures are plotting to remove President Cyril Ramaphosa, according to a report in the Sunday Times. The Sunday Times stated that Zuma held a meeting with ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, ANC Womens League secretary-general Meokgo Matuba, and ANC Youth League KwaZulu-Natal secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo at the Maharani hotel in Durban on Thursday. So secret was the Maharani meeting that those who were present denied having met Zuma, even though the Sunday Times is in possession of pictures of them together inside the hotel, and outside when they left, stated the report. The meeting was said to be about a strategy to challenge the outcome of last years ANC national conference. This conference is where Ramaphosa was elected ANC leader. The move comes at a time when Ramaphosa is attempting to crack down on corruption and state capture and the officials involved in South Africa. The Sunday Times stated that Magashules attendance is a reason for concern, as he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the ANC. Following Zumas time as president, the politician has faced multiple battles of which legal ones are at the fore. According to a report from April, Zuma may have his Nkandla home taken away as part of the corruption case he faces. Zumas spending on upgrades to Nkandla and his relationship with the Gupta family accused of plundering the states wallet are two of the many controversies he faced during his time as president, and which still affect him today. Faced with a number of vacant storefronts, the city of St. Helena recently released a Downtown Economic Strategy with 20 recommendations on how to help downtown merchants. The strategy, based on recommendations from the economic consulting firm Kosmont Companies, calls for improving physical infrastructure to make the downtown more attractive, simplifying the citys development review and permitting process, and using various methods to attract more potential shoppers downtown. The strategy was posted on the citys website on Friday. City Manager Mark Prestwich will present it to the City Council on Tues., Sept. 11, and seek direction on prioritizing the recommendations as immediate (within six months), near-term (six to 12 months) or longer-term (12-plus months). Some of the recommendations are already in the works, including new sidewalks scheduled to be installed in spring 2021 and a public restroom on Money Way scheduled to break ground this fall. The city and the Chamber of Commerce are already working on more community events like the upcoming St. Helena Jingle All The Way and a potential Hometown Harvest Potluck modeled on the impromptu community potluck that followed last years fires. The report also recommends expanding the types of businesses that can open without a use permit, which the Planning Commission was set to discuss on Tuesday night. Other recommendations could be enacted quickly, like helping merchants improve their facades and make interior tenant improvements. Weve taken a number of ideas that have been independently floating around and organized them into a single strategy, Prestwich said. Many of the recommendations boil down to investing love in downtown, he said. To address St. Helenas many vacant storefronts, the report advises the city to fund an online marketing portal to promote available spaces to a wider audience of real estate professionals, investors and businesses. The report also proposes allowing Napa Valley Wine Train passengers to shop downtown, as part of a two-year pilot project. The train is already disembarking passengers in St. Helena, but they are immediately loaded onto buses and taken out of town. The more expensive, long-term recommendations involve building infill housing on underutilized properties, rebuilding City Hall on its current parcel to establish a northern anchor for downtown, and asking the City Council to consider Kosmonts suggestion of a high-end hotel within walking distance of downtown. The strategy mentions the Adams Street property and the citys Railroad Avenue property as possible hotel sites. As with in-fill housing opportunities, a walkable hotel site presents the opportunity to help sustain downtown businesses that today already rely on a mix of local and visitor shoppers, the report states. Aside from whether the city approves a new hotel, the city could help existing hotels pay for capital improvements to help them attract more guests, Prestwich said. The reports recommendations are grouped in the categories Place, Process and People. Place Invest in public infrastructure improvements to enhance the pedestrian experience. Complete downtown sidewalk and streetscape improvement project (scheduled for spring 2021) Pursue pedestrian alley beautification Launch downtown facade and tenant improvement program Complete downtown restroom project Develop wayfinding sign program with local history Complete parking study to identify possible improvements Evaluate potential streetscape improvements to Money Way, Railroad Avenue and Oak Avenue Rebuild City Hall on current parcel Process Create a responsive and predictable development review process for business investment. Improve business certainty by identifying community-supported uses permitted by right in the Central Business and Service Commercial zoning districts Streamline the permit process by discontinuing discretionary review for certain permit types Allow for temporary pop-up retail uses People Cultivate and reinforce historic downtowns reputation as a distinctive destination. Reimagine under-utilized properties/promote infill housing Enhance community event programming in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Refresh branding and reputation of downtown Fund online marketing portal for vacant commercial space and priority investment opportunities Provide technical assistance to businesses/landlords on experiential, destination and omni-channel retail strategies Explore possible Wine Train pilot project Consider a hotel within walking distance of downtown, and help existing downtown hotels grow or improve their businesses Develop a city parklets program policy and permit process Maintain a safe, clean and comfortable downtown environment. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Do you know of someone interested in becoming a U.S. citizen? UpValley Family Centers and our Citizenship Legal Services partners are hosting a free citizenship workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at St. Helena Catholic School Gym. Appointments are available at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The application fee for U.S. citizenship is $725. The UpValley Family Centers personnel can assist with a fee waiver, based on household income. To register for the workshop call 965-5010. This work is generously supported by the California Department of Social Services, the City of Calistoga, the Napa Valley Community Foundation and individual donors. 19432018 Gwendolyn Gwen Ann (Leedy) Hannagan went to be with her heavenly Father on August 26, 2018, after a several year struggle with Alzheimers. Her family and friends are at peace knowing she loved Jesus, her Savior, and will spend eternity with Him. Gwen was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, on July 12, 1943, the second child of David and LaVaughn Leedy. Shortly thereafter the family moved to Long Beach, California, and later to the Sacramento area. Here she finished her junior and senior years, graduating at San Juan High School. She married Ken Alameda shortly after graduating, and the couple was blessed with a daughter while Ken was serving in the Army. Unfortunately, Kens life of 22 years was tragically ended. Gwen met and married Dudley Kirkpatrick in 1968, and the family of 3 grew to 4, with the birth of another daughter. The family eventually moved to Napa in 1980. While in Napa, Gwen worked for the City of Napa as Receptionist at City Hall for several years, was the Volunteer Coordinator for the Volunteer Center, and enjoyed volunteering for the Napa Valley Symphony League. But her life always centered around her faith in the Lord and her love for her family. She attended Grace Church and was an active member since first attending in 1990. Here she met and married Harold (Hal) Hannagan in June of 1995, and became the stepmother to 5 more daughters. Gwen found fulfillment in hosting and attending Bible studies, helping with baptisms, and serving as a greeter. She was an encourager and known for her frequent sending of notes, which always included Bible verses. She loved spending time with her family and was always eager to attend sporting events, birthday celebrations, and special programs of her grandchildren. She was gifted in decorating, and found pleasure in helping others create lovely rooms in their homes. She also was a wonderful cook, and enjoyed opening up her home in hospitality. Gwen had quite a green thumb,always spending time making her yard look lovely with plants and flowers, especially roses. Throughout her life she was fortunate to travel many places, her favorites being Kauai, the East Coast, France and Italy. She is survived by her husband Harold Hannagan, her daughters Debra Fuca (daughter of Ken Alameda) and Donna Gunning (daughter of Dudley Kirkpatrick), her stepdaughters Katherine Ambrose, Melissa Winkelman, Dr. Jennifer Kim, Sharon Kenyon, and Rebecca Reyes, her 27 grandchildren, her 3 great-grandchildren, her sisters Lenore Wellings and Sue Hubbard, and her brother Dan Leedy. Gwen will be buried at Tulocay Cemetary in Napa. The family would like to invite those who knew and loved her to a celebration of her life on September 15 at 12:30pm at Grace Church of Napa Valley. Well, we did it. We dropped off the Youngest Huffman at her new college in Portland, Oregon. And Ive never been so sad. My heartbreak caught me off guard. Shes our third kid, after all. Weve lived with Colorado College Girl being 1,200 miles and three states away for years now. Middle Daughter still lives at home but is Miss Independent. We hardly see her. Its just another college drop-off, I figured. I can handle this. I had no idea of the ton of emotional bricks that was about to hit me. Its like the anvil that Road Runner drops on Wile E. Coyote. He never sees it coming. The college drop-off started out happy enough. We found her dorm room. We met her roommate. Shes also left-handed, which our lefty daughter took as a good omen. After three trips to Bed Bath & Beyond and Target, College Girls dorm room was complete. Talk about a sweet set-up. Everything in that room was new, new, new. New bedding, new mattress cover, new bulletin boards, new mini fridge WITH mini freezer, new microwave, new storage bins, new hangers, new pens, notebooks and desk lamp. Even their dorm room had been remodeled over the summer with new floors and new furniture. You girls dont know how good you have it, I wanted to tell them. I could barely restrain myself from the When I was your age and at my first college dorm speech. The next morning, reality started to sink in. This was itwe were about to do the official hand-off. As of 6 p.m. on Aug. 25, we were going from full-time parents to part-time see you at Thanksgiving parents. We were being cut loose. Voted off the island. We were not getting a final rose. I dont know if I made myself sick or actually had a stomach bug, but I woke up that day feeling queasy. The nausea was rising along with my sadness. Just a few blocks from campus, I told my husband to pull over. I opened the car door and promptly barfed everything I had eaten for breakfast onto the street. Yep. I tossed my cookies in a cute little residential neighborhood right next to my daughters new college. My husband rubbed my back sympathetically. Well, thats a college move-in youll never forget, I told our girl. By the time we got to parent orientation, my stomach had settled a bit just in time for the tears to start. Youre not letting them go, youre letting them grow, said one of the college deans. Cue waterworks. Dabbing my eyes, I looked around the gym full of the other new college parents. No one else appeared to be crying. Damn it! Am I the only one whos having an emotional meltdown? Moms back me up here! Tell me Im not alone! I pulled myself together for long enough to say goodbye to our girl. I knew I shouldnt cry in front of her. College Girl doesnt need to worry about whether mom can survive without her. Its her job to launch. And our job to make it happen. But did it have to hurt this much? With a quick hug and a kiss off she went. To start her college life. Without her mother. I watched her walk away and as soon as she was out of sight, I started crying again. You know that scene from Somethings Gotta Give when Diane Keaton starts writing about her breakup with Jack Nicholson and cant stop sobbing? Yeah, that was me. I cried as we walked through the campus. In the bookstore. In the dorm bathroom. In the car on the way to the airport. In the TSA line. (The TSA must see plenty of crying college moms this time of year because no one asked me what my problem was.) I cried in the airport cafe. On the plane. In the car on the way home. By the next day Id managed to stop the uncontrollable crying. As of today, the tears have stopped. Mostly. Surrendering to Motherhood appears every other Monday. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @NVRHuffman. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ASHLAND, Ore.The young golden eagle on the operating table showed no outward signs of trauma. An X-ray had revealed no fractures. But this bird, a protected species, was deadand thats why it was here, beak-up in a laboratory. It had been shipped to this picturesque college town by federal agents somewhere in the West who suspected it had been electrocuted by power lines. Now its carcass was evidence in an investigation that could lead to criminal charges against a utility company. A veterinary pathologist was about to cut open the bird in the hope of determining its cause of death. This unusual federal facility, the worlds only full-service forensics lab for wildlife crimes, analyzes thousands of creatures that each year cross its threshold in the form of carcasses, parts and products. Its mission is to use science to find how the animal diedand often, to figure out what kind of animal it was. In police work, you know what your victim isits Homo sapiens, said Ken Goddard, a former crime scene investigator who now directs this place, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory. Our first job is to figure out what a victim is. n n n Crime against wildlife is a multibillion-dollar global enterprise that experts say is only increasing as poaching and trafficking networks grow more sophisticated and move into dark corners of the internet. When authorities interrupt that enterprise, this lab is often a critical stop in their investigations. Its scientists run DNA tests, examine bullets, identify poisons and compare remains to some 35,000 specimens in the labs reference collectiona ghoulish panoply of pelts, bones, feathers and claws. When 13 bald eagles turned up dead on a Maryland field two years ago, chemists here found they had been killed by a banned pesticide. When a mysterious werewolf-like canine was shot in Montana this summer, geneticists concluded it was merely an odd-looking wolf. When one member of an infamous Irish gang pleaded guilty last fall to illegally exporting a rhino horn cup, he did so after the lab determined the vessel was fashioned from an endangered great Indian rhinoceros. Not that Goddard or his colleagues will tell you that. We never call to see how the case went in court, he said. The gold star on the wall is a successful presentation, not a successful prosecution. -- The one-story, 40,000-square-foot lab is a federal building, but it feels almost quaint, compared with the fortresses in Washington. Visitors dont pass through metal detectors, though evidence is sometimes X-rayed upon arrival. A new parking lot barrier gate was installed this summer to deter truck bombers, not because of a specific threat, Goddard said, but because its protocol at government facilities. Goddard half-jokes that some officials at headquarters do not even know the 34-employee lab exists. But the lab is at the forefront of this kind of science. Its genetics refrigerators store tens of thousands of animal DNA samples. Its deputy director, Ed Espinoza, has made several breakthroughs, including a method for identifying types of ivory and the use of a mass spectrometer to determine the species, and sometimes origin, of wooda growing target of traffickers. Biologist Johnnie French travels to African countries to train rangers there on crime scene investigation (CSI) techniques to use when they find poached rhinos and elephants. But Frenchs primary job is as a sort of curator and manager of a macabre collection that reflects humans long-held fascination with gathering animals alive and dead. Room after room at the lab hold metal lockers and drawers bursting with specimens that have been seized by authorities or donated: a cabinet of silky big cat pelts, a tray of rainbow-hued birds-of-paradise, a freakish purse made from a monkey, the tanned and suede-like skin of an elephants face. The collection is so vast that the lab is soon breaking ground on a new 14,000-square-foot warehouse to house it. One storage closet, labeled BACULADRIED ORGANS, holds real animal penis bones and impostors. (One foot-long item sold for sham medicinal purposes as a tiger penis was actually from a bull, the lab found.) French gives what he calls his sights and smells tour, which begins with a small room where the larvae of flesh-eating beetles in transparent bins strip the meat from animal bones so that they can be analyzed for injury or stored for reference. Across the hall is Frenchs prep room, where he skins and tans or taxidermies newly acquired samples. This guys one of my favorites, said French, a former Army paratrooper, as he pulled a dead but very alive-looking Gaboon viper out of a walk-in freezer, one of several snakes seized in a federal investigation in Nevada. This high-school kid had 43 of the most venomous snakes in his room. And his mom had no idea. An hour later, a FedEx delivery came: Two bins of frozen carcasses from the Santa Ana Zoo in California, which, like other zoos, donates to the labs collection. This one held a rhea, several primates and a giant anteater that, French discovered as he ripped open several layers of plastic bags, was missing its head for reasons he did not know. Ill process each of its digits individually. That way we can always go back in five years or 10 years and say, You know, this necklace looks like it has giant anteater claws, he explained. Knowing what each claw looks like would help the scientists determine whether such a necklace was made from one individual or three. -- The lab handles mostly federal cases, but it is also the official lab for the 182 nations party to CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Goddard was hired to help launch it in 1979, after what he describes as several years working as a police crime lab director in Southern California digging up bodies out in the desert. The facility ended up in Ashland, a town flanked by two mountain ranges just north of the California border, in part because a local chiropractor pushed Oregon senators to support the project. The lab began working cases a decade later, and Goddard, a garrulous 72-year-old with the bass voice of a radio announcer, has been there since. He says the work has given him confidence that hell look back on his professional life as meaningful; its also provided fodder for his side-gig as a crime novelist. A sense of humor is important, Goddard said as he stood among various animal products displayed in the morphology lab, which, he emphasized with a smirk, has never come across a sasquatch sample. You cant take yourself too seriously in this work. That afternoon, veterinary pathologist Rebecca Kagan carried the dead golden eagle into a backroom and turned off the lights. Wearing red goggles, she held an alternate light source, the kind often used in forensics to detect fingerprints. But, as she and colleagues had discovered years before, it also can reveal electrical injuries on hair or feathers. Kagan was surprised to find none on the bird, so she carried it back to the elevated metal table. Soon, she found another surprise. Blood was pooled in spots inside the golden eagle, which she had begun to carve open. Its not really consistent with electrocution. Interesting, Kagan said. It could have been caused by the ingestion of rodent poison, she said, which chemists would have to determine. A chart on the labs wall showed various rifle pellets. Another explained how to tell the difference between golden and bald eagles based on skeletal remains. The labs findings have often been used in prosecutions under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. But the Trump administration said this spring that it would no longer apply the treaty, 100 years old this year, to unintentional bird killings. Golden and bald eagles remain broadly protected under another federal law, however, so the birds continue to show up in Ashland. Across the room, Tabitha Viner, also a veterinary pathologist, wore purple surgical gloves and listened to Simon and Garfunkel while examining a bald eagle that may have been struck by a wind turbine. In a human autopsy, people dont hide their bruises, but animals do, Viner said. The question from special agents always is: Did a human kill it? Viner, who previously worked at Smithsonians National Zoo, had X-rayed her bird, and now she was sitting in front of a computer inspecting the results. Both wings are fractured. This humerus is half-gone. This leg is fractured, she said, adding that all were signs of a high-speed, blunt-force impact more damaging than, say, a car collision. Our nations icon, she said quietly as she continued her exam of the carcass. Kinda broken. An air quality advisory for potential smoke in parts of the region has been issued through Tuesday, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said. The northern and eastern counties of the Bay Area may experience hazy air quality conditions starting Sunday because of smoke from wildfires in Northern California and southern Oregon, the air district said. While smoke may be visible in the sky for the next few days, it is not forecast to affect air quality at ground level or mountain elevations, and the air district is not issuing a Spare the Air alert. If Bay Area residents smell smoke, they are encouraged to stay inside with windows and doors closed until the smoke level subsides. The air district also advises setting air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside. Real-time air quality readings can be accessed at go.usa.gov/xUwyz Wearing goggles and a bright green vest, Brenda Burke approached the 3-foot-tall flame in a crouched position, holding a fire extinguisher at the ready. The flame radiated heat in the cool morning air, its reflection dancing across Burkes goggles. She got within a few feet of the flame and pressed the lever on the extinguisher, sweeping the hose back and forth until the retardant snuffed out the fire. Clear coming out! Burke yelled, and began inching away from the pluming smoke. The fire wasnt real at least, it wasnt a true emergency. It was started in the parking lot of Napa Valley College as part of a final test for the countys most recent class of volunteer emergency responders, who are themselves part of a growing movement across the United States. As climate change brings ever more costly and deadly natural disasters, emergency response experts say deploying thousands of trained civilians will ease the pressure on the professionals during the chaos of an earthquake, a wildfire, a flood or a blizzard. Later in the training days final assessment, the Napa volunteers would practice first aid and medical triage, as well as conduct a mock search and rescue effort in a darkened, cluttered storage facility. Napa County is part of the federal CERT program, begun 25 years ago by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and administered in 2,800 localities across the country. CERT, which stands for Community Emergency Response Teams, has trained some 600,000 volunteers nationwide. It launched in response to the threat of earthquakes in cities like Los Angeles, but it soon found wider application. And in California, the teams continue to play a prominent role in responding to the wildfires that have swept through the state in recent years. CERT volunteers are expected to supplement, not supplant, professional emergency responders. That said, a number of CERT programs around the country have specialized civilian response teams such as animal rescuers and snowmobile drivers who provide services typically not offered by local, state or federal responders. Kenneth Arnold, the lead instructor with the Napa Valley CERT program and the police chief for Napa Valley College, said the program is the first opportunity many volunteers have to practice basic emergency response skills, such as using a fire extinguisher or assessing basic injuries. That was the case for Burke, who took two turns during the fire extinguisher exercise during her first attempt, feeling a bit apprehensive, she didnt step close enough to extinguish the flame. The exercise carried a reminder of why Burke was taking the class. Last year, her home stood in the path of the raging Atlas Fire. Weeks after the fire burned out, she returned to her neighborhood, hoping to find her home intact. I only found some coins from one of my fathers collections, Burke said. That was it everything else was ashes. On Sept. 19, 1985, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Mexico City, collapsing more than 400 buildings and killing thousands of people. Immediately following the quake, people poured into the streets, trying to extricate trapped civilians and attend to wounded victims. Volunteers saved an estimated 700 lives following the natural disaster, said Natalie Enclade, director of the individual and community preparedness division at FEMA. But their lack of training also led them into dangerous situations. An estimated 100 volunteers died trying to save others, Enclade said. Heeding the lessons of the Mexico City earthquake, the city of Los Angeles another earthquake-prone metropolis developed an emergency response training program for civilians. They recognized that citizens would likely be on their own during an emergency disaster at least at first, Enclade said. Disasters throughout California in the following years encouraged other agencies to adopt similar programs. In 1989, for example, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake ripped through the Santa Cruz mountains about 60 miles south of the Bay Area, causing significant damage in San Francisco, including in the heavily populated and tourist-filled Marina District. As in Mexico City years earlier, volunteers many untrained surged outside to help. In 1993 after other states began developing their own local programs FEMA took notice and created the federal CERT program and a common curriculum. Over the past 25 years, CERT programs have grown from a handful to about 2,800 nationwide. CERT programs hinge on states good Samaritan laws, which guarantee basic legal protections for individuals assisting a person or animal with an injury or in danger. FEMA trains CERT program leaders, covering some of the costs for travel to Emmitsburg, Maryland, where the Emergency Management Institute is located. Although local agencies can allocate federal grant dollars to CERT programs, FEMA doesnt directly fund them. That means programs often operate on a shoestring budget. Napa County, for example, allocates about $6,700 for the Napa Valley CERT program barely enough to cover supplies, volunteer kits and the couple hundred dollars that several administrators receive for teaching the course. My personal wish would be that lawmakers realize they have a gold mine here and throw some more dollars behind it, said Arnold with Napa Valley CERT. A full-time or even part-time county employee devoted to CERT and volunteer emergency response, Arnold said, would be a substantial boost to the program. Despite the limited funding, CERT volunteers have proven to be a valuable resource in recent disasters. After Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, leaving more than a million residents without power, for example, CERT volunteers the majority of whom lived on the island were on the ground providing aid and clearing streets. During Hurricane Harvey last year, the Harris County, Texas, CERT program was involved in more than a hundred water rescues and staffed shelters for displaced survivors in the Houston area. Harris County has one of the largest CERT programs in the country, with more than 34,000 trained volunteers, according to county emergency management coordinator Mark Sloan. Some (volunteers) were using the boats in their driveway to rescue people, Sloan said. Thats what we do when our first responder community is overwhelmed ... help our neighborhood and our community survive the event. Were trying to institutionalize preparedness, Sloan said. We average a declared disaster every nine months. So people in this area understand the ongoing threat of emergencies. And in California, where the CERT program first started, volunteers have played a key role in responding to wildfires in recent years, staffing shelters and setting up donation centers. During last years Atlas Fire in Napa County, CERT volunteers set up a ham radio communication bridge to coordinate among shelters and with emergency professionals at the incident command center. The fire had knocked out several cell towers, making communication by phone and internet impossible. Powell Helems, an American Canyon CERT volunteer with a background in ham radio technology, received a call from Kenneth Arnold, asking whether he and several other volunteers with radio experience could set up a communication bridge between three shelters. They used us to get body counts and injury counts, and we would radio in the supplies we needed, Helems recalled. We would radio that to the main shelter at (Napa Valley) College and they would communicate it to the incident command center in Calistoga. CERT volunteers are intended to serve as multipliers in emergency response not substitutes for the services delivered by professional responders, Enclade said. That means they receive basic training on disaster preparedness, first aid, medical triage and light search and rescue. Basic first aid includes treating burns, sprains, broken bones, wounds and other common injuries during emergencies. Medical triage requires volunteers to quickly assess the injuries of victims and determine who has the most urgent need for care. The medical triage portion of the curriculum, for example, teaches volunteers to employ a universal system used by emergency professionals that involves tagging victims with different levels of injuries using green, yellow, red and black tags. Volunteers are taught how to mark buildings during search and rescue operations, communicating information about the search, such as the time, date, areas searched and locations of victims. The basic CERT curriculum is meant to ensure volunteer teams from different geographic areas can work cohesively and the handoff to professional emergency responders goes smoothly. But some CERT programs offer specialized training geared toward a regions needs. Burleigh County, N.D., for example, created a snowmobile team in 2012 that traverses the 1,650-square-mile county during snow storms, searching for stranded vehicles. The team also helps transport doctors and medical professionals to hospitals. Some CERT programs offer training for handling and rescuing animals. Burke, the Napa resident who lost her home in the Atlas fire, joined the Napa Valley animal rescue program dubbed Community Animal Response Team, or CART in addition to the regular CERT program. Participating in CART was a logical choice for Burke. Her day job is manager of strategic partnerships and community outreach for the Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch in Napa County, an animal rescue, sanctuary and advocacy organization. Shes learning how to handle animals from domestic pets to livestock during emergencies. There are specific types of strappings, for example, for large animals, Burke said. So we could get a 400-pound pig or a 1,000-pound horse out of harms way. With close to 20 wildfires currently burning hundreds of thousands of acres across California this year, Burke may need to put the skills shes learned to use sooner rather than later. When you have large disasters, you cant always rely on the government to do everything sometimes, we get spread thin, said Napa County Fire Chief Barry Biermann. People have to be prepared to help themselves (and) their community. Melania Trump came to her husband's defense on Thursday, gamely letting meanies inside the White House and over at The New York Times know it was improper to write and publish an anonymous op-ed describing the commander-in-chief as a self-absorbed and bonkers delinquent who might steer the ship of state into the abyss. "To the writer of the op-ed you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions," she said in a statement released to CNN. "People with no names are writing our nation's history. Words are important, and accusations can lead to severe consequences," she also noted. "If a person is bold enough to accuse people of negative actions, they have a responsibility to publicly stand by their words and people have the right to be able to defend themselves." These are fair-minded and honorable thoughts. As my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Francis Wilkinson noted, "anyone who thinks they escape the moral and political taint of this administration by murmuring anonymous misgivings about Trump is a fool as well as a coward." And writers, as the first lady highlights, should have the courage and character to stand by their words (though anonymity is a valuable necessity for reporters' sources if used judiciously). The problem with Melania Trump's counterpunches is that President Donald Trump is a 72-year-old man who has spent the better part of five decades anonymously and gregariously leaking malicious and damaging rumors and information about friends, enemies, business associates and his own family members to gossip pages and reporters. So let's take the first lady's distaste under advisement. Trump used to whisper in my ear, for example, about how a prominent CEO often broke down crying in conversations with him. He wanted me to publish the information, but attribute it to a confidential source. (I didn't.) He slagged his two ex-wives, both on-the-record and while requesting anonymity. (I didn't publish the anonymously sourced information.) He went harshly on the record and on background about the casino mogul, Steve Wynn. (I didn't write the anonymous stuff.) He also had bad things to say while requesting anonymity about a host of politicians, celebrities and competitors in the real estate business. He learned some of this at his father's knee. Fred Trump used a fake name "Mr. Green" to scout properties to buy and his son invented a troika of aliases "John Baron," "John Barron" and "John Miller" to plant favorable stories about himself in the press. As reported by my fellow Trump biographer, the late Wayne Barrett, Trump used a false identity back in 1980 to contact and mislead reporters about how he destroyed significant art work meant to be preserved from the facade of a Fifth Avenue department store he was razing. (I was a research assistant on Barrett's Trump book.) Trump kept at it. "Pete Hamill didn't want to run Trump stories at the (New York Daily News) in the 1990s because he said they were too often Trump trying to serve as an anonymous source about himself," New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman recently tweeted. "And, to be clear, often trying to make claims on background about himself with tenuous factual basis." Trump maintains this tradition today, as a Washington Post journalist, Josh Dawsey, has observed: "The president was a longtime anonymous source for the New York Post, has called reporters not on-the-record as pres..." Trump routinely relies on anonymous and possibly nonexistent sources while publicly criticizing people on Twitter. And the president and his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, concocted a false identity for Trump David Dennison to help mask hush money payments Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels. (Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump, which the president has denied.) Leaking anonymously is just one part of Trump's longstanding playbook for manipulating the media and controlling the narrative. He's now so incensed that someone else and someone in his own government has written anonymously about him that he's turned to yet another chapter in his media playbook: battling back by launching a mole hunt. The White House is presently trying to ferret out the unknown Times columnist. Trump's chief of staff, John Kelly has, according to the Times, winnowed the list of possible op-ed writers to about 13 people. The White House has considered forcing members of its team to take polygraph tests or sign sworn affidavits as proof that they didn't do it. (I won't call that a "witch hunt," though.) Trump also tried to find the writer by demanding on Twitter that "the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!" He continued to press the matter on Thursday night: "Are the investigative "journalists" of the New York Times going to investigate themselves -- who is the anonymous letter writer?" Trump is likely to stay on the prowl. He sued me for libel in 2006 for a biography I wrote, "TrumpNation," alleging that the book damaged his reputation by reporting that three anonymous sources all of whom were familiar with his finances believed he was worth hundreds of millions and not billions of dollars. (He lost the case in 2011.) Trump's lawyers deposed me for two days during the litigation and at one point began reading from a list of Trump acquaintances and insiders, asking me if I had interviewed or conversed with each of them. Once I realized that they were after the identity of my anonymous sources, I refused to continue answering that line of questioning. Trump's lawyers reminded me I was under oath and required to answer them. I still declined to respond, my lawyers intervened, and we never tested that issue again. Anonymous sourcing in his critics' hands clearly roils the president. White House staffers and government officials can expect Trump's mole hunt to continue. But that doesn't make it any more credible for Melania Trump to invoke principles that her spouse has never embraced, and that he has spent decades gleefully trashing. Timothy L. O'Brien is the executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. He has been an editor and writer for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, HuffPost and Talk magazine. His books include "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald." In 1971 the Commodore Hotel, a derelict commuter property, sat mostly empty and decaying in a seedy section of Manhattan, New York City. Prime retail space in the hotel was occupied by a wink-nod, massage parlor. The hotel was in default on its debts. The underlying real estate was owned by the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad, going through receivership. Nearby, Grand Central Station stood as a busy but dilapidated transportation terminal and the once-glamourous Art-Deco Chrysler Building also lay in default, soon to be foreclosed. Tax revenues to the city were non-existent. It was not a pretty picture. Into this quagmire walked a confident 26-year-old Ivy-League graduate who had recently relocated from Long Island. This mere kid had little money and zero experience in the cutthroat Manhattan real estate market. Consider the time frame: The Summer of Love had recently ended, Neil Armstrong had walked on the moon, the Vietnam War was grinding to a close and Richard Nixon was battling George McGovern for the presidency. The majority of this young mans Baby Boomer peers were crawling out of their drug-induced fog of the sixties and just starting to discover themselves. What happened next was remarkable. The kid could have stayed with the family business, developed a few residential properties on Long Island and partied in the Hamptons along with his friends but he had loftier goals. Foregoing all drugs and alcohol, unlike his older brother who would soon die from alcoholism, he decided to attempt the impossible. He decided to rescue both the Commodore and its surrounding neighborhood. The project was amazingly complex. It required guts, vision, strategy, organization, legal, analytical and communication skills. First, since he didnt have the money to buy anything, he convinced the Commodore to sell him the rights (an option) to purchase the hotel provided he could meet certain price and terms and secure financing. Next, he convinced both the Penn Central Railroad and its Bankruptcy Court to agree to sell the underlying property contingent upon multiple conditions. He still had a long way to go. He developed a comprehensive business plan to completely renovate the building and turn it into a desirable property. To that end he also negotiated air rights and other terms with adjacent properties such as the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station. He simultaneously approached a growing major hotel group, Hyatt, which had no existing footprint in New York, convincing them to purchase the entire project provided that all underlying conditions were met. Finally, this young man opened negotiations with the city of New York itself and demonstrated that by offering certain tax relief on the project the city could actually increase its overall tax revenues and solve a major urban blight problem. A successful working relationship was nurtured with then-mayor Abe Beame, followed by his successor, Ed Koch. Every real estate expert in New York City said it couldnt be done but it was. Today the New York Grand Hyatt stands next to a renovated Grand Central Station and fully restored Chrysler Building in an extremely desirable Manhattan neighborhood which generates massive revenues to the City. Every group involved in the project gained bigly through this amazing transaction. More remarkably still, this project was merely the first of thousands that this young man transacted to become a self-made billionaire and eventually President of the United States. It is a small wonder that envious, simple-minded people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome refuse to acknowledge actual results and merely revert to calling this young man an idiot. I am amazed at how many people I speak with who know nothing about the Grand Hyatt project yet profess to be experts about our president. This is no protected secret. It is, literally, an open book. There are two excellent books available to anyone which not only describe the Grand Hyatt and other Trump projects, but also explain his style and negotiation techniques the same techniques we see employed every day from the White House. His style is certainly New York tough which some deem crass, but it has remained consistent through the years. So rather than reacting hysterically to every utterance and tweet coming from our president, perhaps an understanding of the man and his style will provide significant peace of mind to anyone who might irrationally fear that our country is not in good, capable hands. The Art of the Deal, co-written by Trump, mostly ghost-written by Tony Schwartz, came out in 1987. Trump Style Negotiations, written by Trump personal attorney George Ross, was published in 2006. While both books significantly precede Trumps political career, anyone who wishes to be well-informed as to both style and substance would do well to read them. Or one could opt to keep his head buried in the sand. David Forstadt Napa Four months after the killing of Bhaskar Kalita, the officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station in Tinsukia district by ULFA (I) militants, two rebels involved in the incident was arrested on Sunday. Police officials said the ULFA (I) rebels were nabbed from Pengeri-Bordumsa area near the Assam-Arunachal border after four days of sustained police operation in Tinsukia district led by Additional SP Prakash Sonowal. The ultras identified as Dipankar Bora and Mamon Dihingia are being interrogated by senior cops at Tinsukia police station. On May 4, 35-year-old Kalita was gunned down by ULFA (I) cadres when he was leading a joint operation against the militants in Kujupathar village in Tinsukia district along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. Acting on specific intelligence inputs that a 5-member heavily-armed ULFA (I) group was taking shelter in the house of one Ranjan Bora, a joint team of Assam police and CRPFs Cobra battalion led by Kalita raided the place. No sooner did they step out from their vehicles, the militants attacked them with hand grenades and heavy gunfire. Kalita who was at the front was reportedly hit by a hail bullets fired from AK-47 and Israel-made IWI Tavor X95 assault rifles by the militants. He was hit in the chest and abdomen despite wearing a bulletproof vest. Two youths, suspected to be members of the United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA), have been nabbed by police around 12:30 am from Desoi Terang village in Jaipong under Dokmoka Police Station in Karbi Anglong district on Sunday. The youths have been identified as 20-year-old Raja Hanse and 19-year-old Bison Terang. A .22 pistol, 5 demand notes and a mobile handset have been recovered from the nabbed youths. On the other hand, the UPLA in a press release issued to media houses on Sunday through the social media platforms said that the news as spread by a particular electronic media that two of its cadres Raja Hanse (20) and Bison Terang (19) as being caught in a joint operation by police and army is false. The UPLA disowned the youths who were nabbed along with a pistol and demand notes. UPLA clarified that the two arrested persons were neither and never members of UPLA as we does (sic) not give rise to such activities during the ceasefire process with the state & central government. It also claimed: The arrested persons who identified themselves as UPLA cadres are anti-social elements trying to malign image of our organisation. The UPLA warned of imposing strict action to those involved in making efforts to distort the ceasefire process between the UPLA and state & central government, said the release. On the occasion of Dr Bhupen Hazarikas 92nd birth anniversary, Indian High Commissioner to UK, Y K Sinha visited the Nehru Centre at Mayfair in London and paid a candle light tribute at the portrait of the music maestro. He was accompanied by Lord Sheikh, Brij Kumar Guhare, Deputy Director of Nehru Centre, Rini Kakati, Assam coordinator for UK of the organization Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS), Apurba Baruah, Krishna Baruah and Suravi Lahon, a press communique received said. Also read: Sonowal seeks peoples support to keep Bhupen Hazarikas ideals alive The Indian High Commissioner to UK, Y K Sinha thanked Rini Kakati and Deputy Director of Nehru Centre for this great initiative shown to their beloved Bhupen da. The portrait of Bhupen Hazarika had been unveiled at the Nehru Centre, Mayfair in London on June 26, 2012 by Dr Jaimini Bhagwati, who was the first Assamese High Commissioner to join Indian Embassy in London with Gowri Shankar, Deputy Director, the Nehru Centre, cultural wing of Indian High Commission. The dignitaries present on the occasion were M Sayeedur Rahman Khan, High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Lord Swraj Paul, prominent industrialist. Prabin Hazarika (Bhupen Hazarkas brother) with his wife Trisha Hazarika from Leicester were also present. This event had been initiated by Rini Kakati. It has been six years now. Visitors from Northeast, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangladesh visit Nehru Centre, the heritage cultural building, of the Indian Government in London to pay their tributes to the portrait of Dr Bhupen Hazarika. It is now a part of tourist attraction. Assam has been fortunate to have given birth to a great musical genius in Dr Bhupen Hazarika. He was an ardent supporter of Assamese nationalism and wrote many soul stirring compositions about the cultural heritage of his native State, but his work transcended regional boundaries and the values he espoused were universal. Now that mighty voice has fallen silent. Assam is poorer for it. The world is poorer for it, Kakati said. She further said that from the post-colonial period of undivided Assam, from pre-independent India till today where Assam has been divided into major north-eastern states, no individual had matched Dr Bhupen Hazarikas contribution which has motivated, represented, dominated, progressed, enlightened and awakened all the people of this region. It also does not reflect the views of the Firm of which the Author is working for. Since the inception of this blog, the Author has avoided writing views and opinions of his clients or views and opinions which third parties has paid him to write. The Author has maintained editorial independence since Day One. Any individual or group affected by the opinions and views of the Author can write the author thru mangubat.patricio@gmail.com. Opinions and views expressed in this blog are personal views of the Author and does not involve organisations and companies being serviced by the Author as part of his profession as a Strategic Communications professional. 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ex-internal affairs minister Arsen Avakov states reasons for resignation Armenia FM highlights need for repatriation of Armenian POWs during meeting with PACE co-rapporteurs Armenia opposition 'With Honor' faction members meet with PACE co-rapporteurs Armenia minister: Yerevan and Moscow considering export of Sputnik Light vaccine and its use in Armenian market US Senators introduce several amendments on holding Azerbaijan and Turkey liable Armenia government decides to grant trespassers the right to apply for shelter within 24 hours Powers of CSTO Secretary General may be terminated early, Armenia has no objections Armenia justice minister presents facts about Armenian captives' tortures in Azerbaijan to PACE co-rapporteurs Azerbaijani FM explains why Iranian drivers were 'punished' Azerbaijan FM says he is 'open' for meeting with Armenian side Armenia Parliament Speaker discusses with PACE co-rapporteurs the work of journalists in parliament Hikmet Cetin: Nikol Pashinyan needs to move forward with his statements in the general sense Armenian MFA: Representatives of Iran and Eurasian Economic Union to discuss new agreement in Armenia Armenia economy minister: Yerevan and Tehran are considering liberalization of bilateral transit and transportation Armenia economy minister: There are still problems with export to Iran Armenia PM attends Requiem Service for father of ruling party MP Davit Danielyan in Kapan Turkish FM: Turkey doesn't and won't recognize 'unlawful annexation' of Crimea Armenian Deputy FM: Armenia-Russia relations strictly intensified in 2021, in spite of coronavirus restrictions Ukrainian MP shows Zelenskyy the middle finger NEWS.am daily digest: 04.11.21 Armenia opposition: Nationwide resistance is beginning Jeyhun Bayramov admits that Azerbaijan committed act of aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Japan, Germany launch joint military exercises in Pacific Ocean Saakashvili says he doesn't want high-ranking position in Georgia Turkey, U.S. to set up task force to discuss their disagreements Davutoglu says when Osman Kavala will be released Opposition 'Armenia' faction leader meets with German MP of European Parliament Artur Vanetsyan: Opposition 'With Honor' Alliance will participate in Nov. 8 rally Deputies to PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia: Criminal cases against opposition MPs are inadmissible Armenia finance minister: 11 programs planned to be implemented in 2022 within framework of EU collaboration Ruling faction MPs meet with PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia Armenia Deputy FM: This year EU has taken concrete steps to intensify dialogue with countries of the region Turkey ex-PM speaks about Zangezur corridor House burns in community of Karabakh's Martuni region, landlord dies ECHR: Baku violated right of Armenian captives to life OSCE Minsk Group has new French Co-Chair Deputy FM: Armenian Genocide recognition is matter of security of Armenia, Armenians Armenia and Georgia Constitutional Courts' presidents hold personal talks Baku says it is discussing '3+3' regional cooperation platform through diplomatic channels Premier: Investors are amazed by knowledge of engineers in Armenia Vardges Samsonyan officially assumes office of Gyumri mayor PM on coronavirus situation in Armenia: No space in hospitals, people are dying State minister, US Congress members discuss Artsakh international engagement 2 more persons die of coronavirus in Karabakh Biden announces Covid-19 vaccination for children aged 5-11 Azerbaijan president complains about absence of Armenia response to border delimitation matter Armenia official: Armenian, Azerbaijani FMs may meet in near future MFA official: Armenia will be consistent in restoring, protecting rights of people of Artsakh The Need for a War Inquiry Committee: Post-War Recovery panel discussion being held in Yerevan Provincial governor of Armenias Shirak is dismissed Armenia has new representative at Georgia border section precinct 'Armenian Genocide Recognition Bill' to be debated in UK Parliament on November 9 2,330 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia MFA to be allocated around $35M from 2022 state budget 9 on board cargo plane that crashed in Russia US man kills teenage daughters boyfriend who sold her to sex traffickers Newspaper: Armenia Judicial Department officials make deal with State Supervision Service, law enforcement Newspaper: Who did CoE co-rapporteurs on Armenia meet with? Russian government gives consent to signing of interregional cooperation plan with Armenian government China records new outbreak of COVID-19 Prominent physicist Yuri Hovhannisyan becomes recipient of UNESCO-Russia International Prize 30 probed in Turkey for Twitter posts suggesting Erdogan died Armenia FM states how likely it is to cooperate with Russia in terms of military and 'open itself towards Europe' Case of sale of child forwarded to Armenian court, an advocate is among the culprits Afghan man sells 9-month-old daughter for $2,000 to maintain his family International Committee of the Red Cross reps visit Armenian captives and hostages in Azerbaijan Russia MFA on '3+3' regional advisory mechanism Armenian political scientist: '3+3' format is only Turkey's attempt to enter region in field of diplomacy Armenia FM: Ankara's rhetoric is having a negative impact on stability in the region Armenian FM: Over 100 captives have been returned to Armenia after cessation of fire Armenia PM discusses Karabakh conflict and regional issues with US Deputy Assistant Secretary Relatives of missing soldiers and captives to meet with Armenia PM on Saturday Armenia State Revenue Committee chairman meets with Head of EU Delegation Dear Newsie Readers, Newsie has now permanently ceased it's services as of Friday 20th December 2019. Newsie has been an owner-funded operation since day one. Coming up to three years old, while we still firmly believe Newsie has a place in the New Zealand media landscape, the cost in both time and money has become too burdensome for the owners to continue alongside other ventures. With the current government looking to restructure public broadcasting, and seemingly supporting NZME buying a ring-fenced Stuff, the time seems right to call it a day. Should it happen, the combination of NZME and Stuff will ensure New Zealands national media will die a death by a thousand opinion-based articles. Newsie has always tried to stick to balanced news, to inform readers of the facts of a situation, amid being largely ignored by government. Hopefully, one day someone else will take up the challenge to fight the good fight. The good news, however, is that there were no job losses as a result of Newsie closing. Thanks to careful structuring, everyone involved in Newsie will retain their current positions. We hope you all have a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe, and stay out of the news. The team at Newsie Attention dividend hunters! The New Zealand Refining Company Limited (NZSE:NZR) will be distributing its dividend of NZ$0.035 per share on the 20 September 2018, and will start trading ex-dividend in 4 days time on the 12 September 2018. Is this future income a persuasive enough catalyst for investors to think about New Zealand Refining as an investment today? Below, Im going to look at the latest data and analyze the stock and its dividend property in further detail. See our latest analysis for New Zealand Refining 5 questions to ask before buying a dividend stock If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics: Does it pay an annual yield higher than 75% of dividend payers? Has its dividend been stable over the past (i.e. no missed payments or significant payout cuts)? Has the amount of dividend per share grown over the past? Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings? Will the company be able to keep paying dividend based on the future earnings growth? NZSE:NZR Historical Dividend Yield September 7th 18 Does New Zealand Refining pass our checks? New Zealand Refining has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 116%, meaning the dividend is not sufficiently covered by its earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a payout ratio of 114%, leading to a dividend yield of 7.7%. Moreover, EPS should increase to NZ$0.16. When assessing the forecast sustainability of a dividend it is also worth considering the cash flow of the business. A business with strong cash flow can sustain a higher divided payout ratio than a company with weak cash flow. If dividend is a key criteria in your investment consideration, then you need to make sure the dividend stock youre eyeing out is reliable in its payments. Not only have dividend payouts from New Zealand Refining fallen over the past 10 years, it has also been highly volatile during this time, with drops of over 25% in some years. These characteristics do not bode well for income investors seeking reliable stream of dividends. Story continues Relative to peers, New Zealand Refining generates a yield of 7.0%, which is high for Oil and Gas stocks. Next Steps: Now you know to keep in mind the reason why investors should be careful investing in New Zealand Refining for the dividend. But if you are not exclusively a dividend investor, the stock could still be an interesting investment opportunity. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, I urge potential investors to try and get a good understanding of the underlying business and its fundamentals before deciding on an investment. Ive put together three fundamental aspects you should look at: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for NZRs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for NZRs outlook. Valuation: What is NZR worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, its not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether NZR is currently mispriced by the market. Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Bitcoin Over the past few years, Bitcoin has experienced a huge number of attacks and external criticism, getting a reputation of Antifragile. This term was coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and describes the phenomenon when something becomes popular under unfavorable conditions. Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile.- says Taleb. From this point of view, probably, in order to kill Bitcoin, you just have to stop criticizing it. However, in the world of constantly competing currencies and precious metals, this is very unlikely to happen. Attacks on Bitcoin: Past, Present, and Future Several months ago, the user of the Reddit network, under the nickname themetalfriend, compiled a list of all attacks that can be aimed at killing Bitcoin. In his opinion: there are three most common types of attacks on Bitcoin: Attacks to slowdown the Bitcoin development Attacks to slowdown the Bitcoin adoption Attacks to reduce the efficiency of the Bitcoin infrastructure From all the above it follows that all three types of attacks are interrelated. At the very least, they lead to the same result. Lets consider each of them in more detail. To Kill Bitcoin Legal attacks By imposing bans on using Bitcoin, governments can cause some inconvenience to the owners of the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin was banned in many countries, particularly in Ecuador, Afghanistan, Morocco, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Bolivia, but these bans did not bring any results. At the same time, such countries like the United States and the European Union countries, do not even plan to prohibit cryptocurrencies. In China and South Korea, even banal rumors about the possible prohibition of Bitcoin were immediately reflected on its exchange rate. But even at the times of general public fear, Bitcoin continued and continues to exist. Story continues Despite the fact that many countries are trying in every possible way to prohibit the use of this cryptocurrency, they simply cannot stop the interaction of this citizens with the network. Today, services like Blockstream Satellite broadcast real-time blockchain data from satellites to almost all countries including Africa. Satellites enable everyone on the planet to connect to the Bitcoin blockchain even without access to the Internet. As for transactions, there are several anonymous ways to send Bitcoins, including Tor browser, top VPN services, SMS messages, encrypted messages or even stenography and ordinary postal services. It is useless to prohibit Bitcoin or any specific cryptocurrency since its code may change very quickly, much faster than the next legislative ban is ready. Even a well-coordinated legal attack from the UN and the WTO is likely to lead only to the fact that Bitcoin will go underground. There is a high probability that Bitcoin can become a subject of contraband, as it happened with drugs. If we talk about the persecution of those who are engaged in mining and owns big sums in crypto, then this has already happened. For example, Charlie Shrem was sentenced for aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Despite such cases, underground black markets continue to gain momentum, so we can conclude that even the most severe punishments and bans do not stop users, but only fuel their interest in the cryptocurrency. Because of the fight against money laundering, various governments constantly increase their pressure on cryptocurrencies. Authorities dictate their own rules and require that exchanges and wallets share their users personal data under the guise of KYC and AML rules. It is possible that tax authorities will soon become interested in data of Bitcoin traders, as it already happened with Coinbase. It is necessary to take into account the fact that, one way or another, anonymous trade takes place anyway. Cyber warfare Cyberwarfare includes hacking and various kinds of illegal manipulations in social networks. Bitcoin, in spite of multiple hacking attempts, demonstrated its excellent resistance to such attacks. Bitcoin owes its high level of protection to its Proof-of-Work system. If even cyber crooks manage to change the Bitcoin code or alter transaction records, the network will immediately reject such actions. The more decentralized are the nodes in the network, the less likely such attacks succeed. At the moment, more than 12,000 such attacks have been recorded. It should be noted that Bitcoin owners and various services related to it (like exchanges and wallets) are exposed to attacks much more often than the cryptocurrency itself. Companies serving the cryptocurrency industry often get compromised, and data leakage occur. For example, large Bitcoin exchanges, such as Mt.Gox and Bitfinex, have been repeatedly attacked, resulting in more than 1,000,000 Bitcoins being stolen. Such hacking certainly prevents the adoption of Bitcoin, and the owners who suffered from these attacks and lost their money often stop using it. PR attacks For many people Bitcoin in associated with crime. Popular media and even politicians often say about it. But few people understand that gold is much more likely to appear in criminal cases. The media often exaggerate the extent of damage from data breaches. Journalists create more doubts and fear without taking into account the fact that breaching companies that serve Bitcoin and hacking Bitcoin itself are two different things. As a result, such reports of hacking give rise to unjustified doubts about the safety of Bitcoin. National Cryptocurrencies When Venezuela introduced its cryptocurrency Petro, it did not become so popular. All because the state did not have the resources to develop it. If a more developed and powerful country follows the same path, creates its own cryptocurrency, and in every possible way engages in its promotion, then, most likely, the result will be different. It is possible that such a coin will exceed the share of the Bitcoin market. Using similar names As for similar names, this is done in order to confuse users. Striking examples include Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Diamond, Bitcoin Private. Attempts to rise at the expense of a well-known brand can be called an attack too. As a rule, such an attack is characterized by good funding and includes the following components: Buying huge amounts of cryptocurrency that is a competitor. Increased mining activities. Spreading rumors about Bitcoin. There are a lot of articles against original Bitcoin. Many of them are ordered by competitors. The creation of an opposition insisting that for example, Bitcoin Cash is real Bitcoin, although this is certainly not the case. Separation of bigger communities. For example, r/btc on Reddit separated from the r/bitcoin. Despite the fact that many newcomers were deceived by the bitter counterparts of Bitcoin, I would like to hope that the technical and economic merits of Bitcoin will become so obvious that in the near future, it would be impossible to cheat even those people who have never heard anything about cryptocurrencies. Attacks aimed at the cryptocurrency infrastructure Intentionally creating a big flow of transactions to slow their processing helps other cryptocurrencies to get popular. In this case, the increase of commissions for Bitcoin transactions helped alternative coins to justify their existence. The very well-known 51% attack is very unlikely to happen with Bitcoin but still many people fear such an attack carried out by state-sponsored player like China and its biggest market player Bitmain that produce ASICs. It can also happen that the dominance of the US dollar will soon come to an end. Some financiers suggest that in the near future Bitcoin will be able to outshine the US dollar. By the way, this turn of events would be of interest to the Chinese authorities. In this situation, they could force their miners to work towards Chinese political goals, scarifying immediate monetary gains. However, now the National Bank of China, on the contrary, reduces the energy supply of mining farms forcing miners to seek safe havens in other countries. High-level cyberattacks The so-called zero-day bug is an attack associated with unknown vulnerability for the correction of which the developers have 0 days. Because of such an attack in 2010, 184 billion Bitcoins were created. The problem was resolved within 5 hours, and the blockchain got forked. The incident did not cause serious troubles, because at that time Bitcoin was not used by so many people. But if this happens today, then it will cause real chaos, many users will suffer heavy losses and Bitcoin would get very bad PR. Network attacks can also be carried out by intelligence agencies, such as NSA. They can force operating system and CPU vendors to introduce special exploits in their products. It has long been known that most of the major companies in Silicon Valley cooperate closely with intelligence agencies. These include all major IT-giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. Some security experts say that in 10 years quantum computing will be able to decipher Bitcoin crypto system. But even if this becomes possible, Bitcoin will most likely immediately switch to an attack-resistant algorithm. Conclusion it should be noted that if you take into account the total number of Bitcoin users, then really killer attack would require a lot of effort. Only a well-funded agency can inflict significant damage to the Bitcoin system. Ultimately it is possible to kill anything, even Bitcoin. Fortunately, Bitcoin already experienced many unpleasant moments and still remains very reliable. Probably, the next test Bitcoin will have to go through will happen during the next financial crisis. In the meantime, I do not worry much about its future. About the author: The author, David Balaban, is a computer security researcher with over 15 years of experience in malware analysis and antivirus software evaluation. Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are solely that of the author and do not represent those of, nor should they be attributed to CCN. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Guest Spot: Who or What Can Put an End to Bitcoin? appeared first on CCN. Man Best Actress has just exploded past couple of weeks! Can't wait to see the nominees Reply Thread Link Hmmm I wonder if two drug addict movies in the mix might hurt both their chances. I also wonder if all four of the actors from the two films will get nods. So Lucas is going for lead for this one? Edited at 2018-09-09 07:25 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link yeah the reviews are saying he's going lead, and that they're wondering if he won't cancel himself out as a result Reply Parent Thread Link Ok. If Best Actor was a more competitive year then I would be more worried about him cancelling him out but it could just end up being a good year for him? I guess it all depends on how long this buzz for him lasts. January is pretty far. Reply Parent Thread Link he can't be nominated twice in the same acting category, there are rules against that. he'd have to be nominated for one, so they're gonna have to work out which. i'm sure the buzz will really kick off for this movie since it's releasing closer to january and lucas is gonna be mostly MIA as he'll be on broadway all fall. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah I know the rule.I talking more about the extra attention from both films could possibly keep him in the conversation longer. Yeah the later release date will definitely help. Reply Parent Thread Link very true. i think ben is back might end up having the edge though. lucas hedges also needs to take a fucking break because damn, he's got a THIRD movie premiering at tiff tonight Reply Parent Thread Link So, is he best actor or best supporting? Because it's gonna be hilarious if he goes against TimTam SwissChalet and wins. Reply Thread Link i think he's co-lead with julia Reply Parent Thread Link He's the Ladybird guy as well, right? Reply Thread Link Just realized that 60% of the young cast from lady bird are competing in award season again and .... 0% from Moonlight are....hm Reply Parent Thread Link Now how could this be. Reply Parent Thread Link How very odd... Reply Parent Thread Link Ugly nepotism troll. Reply Thread Link Nepotism through whom? Reply Parent Thread Link His dad. Reply Parent Thread Link Lucas's dad literally wrote this screenplay for him Reply Parent Thread Link My dad is slacking on my career. Reply Parent Thread Link I picked Boy Erased over this one and I think I may have made the wrong decision, haha. I really wasn't expecting this to be a thriller. Reply Thread Link Julia Roberts treated her addict sister like shit. I'd have a hard time viewing this performance without prejudice tbh Reply Thread Link Maybe her sister was an asshole? We don't know their personal dynamics. Reply Thread Link This was clearly supposed to be a reply to the person above me. Reply Parent Thread Link ot I'm like a thousand years late but I finally watched Notting Hill for the first time which I found delightful Reply Thread Link saw a really short teaser trailer for this, and i am excited. is there a uk release date yet? Reply Thread Link A thriller? Interesting, that's not what I was expecting from the plot description. I want a trailer. Reply Thread Link Also Im starting to be increasingly concerned Lucas Hedges isnt the actor we thought or hoped he was #Tiff Gregory Ellwood (@TheGregoryE) 9 de setembro de 2018 but what does this means? Reply Thread Link that's weird. i wonder what they mean. are they saying he's overhyped or something? Reply Parent Thread Link An international team of scientists has made a major breakthrough for the future of sustainable fuel. They achieved this major milestone by copying the methods of some of the cleanest energy producers on the planetplants. Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Ruhr University Bochum have discovered a new technique that mimics the natural process of photosynthesis in plants, which could be used to produce hydrogen fuel, an extremely clean (zero carbon dioxide emissions) and essentially unlimited energy source. In a paper published in the Nature Energy scientific journal, the team of scientists explained their proof-of-principle method for splitting water molecules into the individual hydrogen and oxygen atoms of which they are composed using sunlight. The technique mirrors photosynthesis, the natural process wherein plants split water molecules when they convert sunlight to energy to feed themselves. This achievement has far-reaching implicationsErwin Reisner, lead author of the study, told Newsweek that solar energy conversion to produce renewable fuels and chemicalsi.e., solar fuel synthesisis an important strategy for powering our society in a post-fossil era. Artificial photosynthesis is not revolutionary in and of itselftechniques to achieve this effect have existed for decades. What makes this recent discovery so important is its partly artificial, partly natural approach. This is the first time a man-made photosynthesis method has been modeled specifically to produce renewable energy. Completely artificial photosynthesis is a complex process which requires the use of problematic catalyst materials that are tricky to work with and create significant challenges. Many of these catalysts are either too expensive, toxic, or just inefficient, so while they may work in a lab setting, they are unrealistic for any wide-scale use or commercial applications. By comparison, naturally occurring enzymes are abundant and efficient, making them the perfect solution for sustainable solar fuel synthesis. The University of Cambridge and the Ruhr University Bochum team is primarily using hydrogenase, an enzyme which has remained dormant in algae for millions of years. Hydrogenase combined with synthetic pigments to provoke sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen unassisted. As Reisner explained, this team is trying to establish a new line of research by combining the best of the natural and artificial worlds and take highly efficient and abundant biological catalysts, such as enzymes, and combine them with synthetic materials in solar devices for efficient solar fuel synthesis. Related: Oil Prices Inch Lower After API Reports Minor Crude Draw Natural photosynthesis, while extremely effective, leaves room for a lot of improvement. Plants only produce the minimum amount of electricity necessary to survive, taking the path of least resistance. In fact, they only produce about 1 or 2 percent of the energy that theyre potentially capable of converting and storing. With this in mind, the Cambridge-Ruht team looked to higher energy-yield processes that plants have phased out over billions of years of evolution. This is what led scientists to pursue the long-dormant hydrogenase enzyme. Their semi-artificial prototype, the first and certainly not the last of its kind, is already able to utilize much more of the solar spectrum. This groundbreaking research is just the beginning of a much longer process toward commercialization. The new process is just a prototype that opens the door for a new era of hydrogen fuel and photosynthesis research that will lead to even more massive breakthroughs for clean, sustainable fuel. This line of research is just one of the many pathways being explored by the many scientists around the globe who are dedicated to finding solutions to the impending end of fossil fuels and a pressing need for cleaner energies. Just a month ago a team of Chinese scientists made a similarly exciting advancement in the production of solar energy by discovering a way to increase the scale of synthesizing liquid solar fuel. At the same time Attis Industries is partnering with Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology to develop efficient conversion of carbon dioxide and water into hydrocarbon fuels designed to be compatible with current infrastructure, and the University of Amsterdam has found that solar fuels could become competitive with traditional fossil fuels by the 2030s. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: We are now a little over 15 months away from a major set of international regulations over maritime fuels, which have raised concerns about the havoc and price spikes that may occur over a lack of fuel supply. But a new report says that meeting the new standards will be challenging, but solvable. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has binding regulations on the global shipping fleet that take effect on January 1, 2020. The rules require a reduction in the sulfur concentration in the fuel used in ships to 0.5 percent, down from 3.5 percent. The result will be a dramatic reduction in pollution. However, because the global shipping fleet will shift away from high-sulfur fuels all at once, the regulations pose challenges for shippers, refiners as wells for the markets for crude oil and refined fuels. Because of the uncertainty, as well as questions around the enforcement mechanism, many shippers have refrained from taking action to date. But they are running out of time. The fear is that there wont be enough low-sulfur fuel available, which could open up massive price differentials between different types of fuel, and ultimately, causing crude oil prices to rise sharply and abruptly. But a new report from Goldman Sachs says that the issue is solvable. The shipping industry has several options at its disposal: Scrubbers, low-sulfur fuels and LNG. First, shippers can install scrubbers that will essentially cleanse high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) of some of the sulfur. There are downsides to this option, including the high cost of installing the technology. But Goldman says new providers will enter the fold and that the economics of installing scrubbers makes sense. Related: Is This The Worlds Most Beautiful Electric Car? Moreover, the economics are even better for larger ships, who, not coincidentally, are larger consumers of fuel. As such, many analysts underestimate the amount of fuel that will be scrubbed, Goldman says. Between 2020 and 2025, the investment bank estimates that about 1 to 1.4 million barrels per day of HSFO will be scrubbed. That reduces the rush on low-sulfur fuels. Still, switching to low-sulfur fuels will be the default option for many shippers since the upfront cost is minor by comparison. The downside is that fuel prices are higher relative to current options (installing a scrubber is expensive, but at least the shipper can still burn relatively cheaper HSFO). Demand for low-sulfur fuels will rise, pushing up their prices even more, which in turn will incentivize refiners to switch their fuel blends to favor low-sulfur options. Fuels able to comply with the IMO regulations consist of low-sulfur fuel oil or marine gasoil (a distillate similar to diesel). The third option is running ships on LNG instead of dirty fuel oil. LNG has almost no sulfur, burns fewer air pollutants than distillates, and the fuel cost is relatively low. However, the capital investment of converting a ship to LNG is huge. Plus the ship would need to be traveling along routes where it can refuel, which is only possible at certain ports. Thus, the opportunity for LNG created by the new IMO regulations is rather limited. Goldman Sachs estimates new LNG-equipped ships to displace around 250,000 bpd of fuel oil by 2025. These three options for shippers will go a long way towards getting the shipping fleet off of dirty fuels. But a few other dynamics will help as well. There might be some leakage of high-sulfur fuels, diverted to onshore power plants while low-sulfur fuels move to shipping. This fuel switching will ease the crunch (although some of the environmental benefit of the regulations will be offset if high-sulfur fuels are simply burned in onshore facilities). Another reason why the fuel supply crunch might not be as bad as many think, Goldman argues, is that the shipping industry wont achieve full compliance with the IMO regulations right out of the gate. The investment bank estimates the initial compliance rate will be about 80 percent for the first year, rising gradually to 95 percent by 2024. Putting it all together, scrubbing and non-compliance preserves 1.05 and 0.65 mb/d of HSFO demand, respectively, but that will be down by at least half from the total 3.3 mb/d of HSFO demand in 2017. Related: Why Oil And Natural Gas Prices Are Diverging On the supply side, refiners could begin stepping up their efforts to produce low-sulfur fuels, which could add 1.35 mb/d of capacity by the time the regulations take effect. The upshot is that refiners will need to come up with another 0.8 mb/d of low-sulfur fuels. Goldman Sachs says that gap will be bridged by wider price differentials between distillates and HSFO, a spread of about $40 per barrel. That may seem large, but it is only a little bit above the forward prices in 2020 and also at the lower end of many analysts forecasts, Goldman argues. In short, the whole effort is challenging, but solvable, the investment bank says. There is plenty of uncertainty, including GDP and a possible recession, the ability of refiners to pivot towards distillates, the compliance rate with the IMO regulations, among others. Any number of these factors could complicate the implementation and the compliance with the sulfur regulations that are set to take effect in a little over a year. For now, however, we think the answer to the IMO 2020 question is closer than most think, Goldman concluded. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As oil markets come to the end of a surprisingly bearish week, we take a look at all the key stories and figures in the markets. Shaky emerging market developments have been bearish for oil prices lately, with WTI falling to $68 per barrel by the end of the trading week after a $70 per barrel mid-week peak and Brent decreasing to $76.7 from a $79.5 per barrel peak on September 4. (Click to enlarge) Source: Bloomberg Despite Argentina clinching a new IMF deal, the Argentine Peso is still in shambles, while the Turkish lira is yet to reverse the 25 percent crash that it suffered in August against the U.S. dollar. With analysts fearing that energy demand in emerging markets might fall as imports become increasingly expensive for them, sentiment turned bearish. The volume of oil traded on NYMEX was 9 percent below the hundred-day average, butressed by an increase in U.S. gasoline and distillate fuel stocks. 1. Global Oil Demand Rising Faster than Anticipated (Click to enlarge) - Mohammad Barkindo, OPECs Secretary General stated that world oil demand is expected to reach 100 mbpd in Q4 this year, much sooner than previously anticipated. - OPEC is looking into ways of institutionalizing the OPEC/OPEC+ cooperation platform to keep production levels balanced across all leading oil producers. - All this takes place against the background of a U.S. Congress that is poised to target OPEC with the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC), amending the antitrust Sherman Act. - NOPEC is an extremely politicized bill in its current form, placing all enforcement powers in the hands of the U.S. Attorney General, regular citizens cannot make use of the legislation under discussion. - NOPEC currently seems unlikely. The Trump Administration may be eager to take on OPEC/OPEC+ members through diplomatic channels, but it is likely to steer clear of jeopardizing U.S. investments in these countries. 2. Start of the Saudi Arabia Power Play (Click to enlarge) - Saudi Arabias oil company, Saudi Aramco, has significantly raised its October 2018 OSP prices for Europe. - The Saudis want to capitalize on European refiners cutting Iranian crude supplies and opting for alternative grades. Urals, which is a 30-31 API with a 1.5-1.6% Sulphur content is close to its 5-year highs, Saudi Aramco is poised to react. - Interestingly enough, OSP prices for the United States have barely changed month-per-month for October 2018. - Saudi Arabia has almost doubled its oil exports to the United States y-o-y, to a little more than 1 mbpd. - Last October it hit a 21st century lowpoint of 506 kbpd, however, thanks to a manifestly more aggressive pricing policy and some successful diplomatic overtures in reaction to President Trumps twitter diplomacy it regained ground in the U.S. - Iraq and Kuwait lost out significantly as Saudi Arabia effectively outbid them. 3. Iran Loopholing Its Way to China (Click to enlarge) - Iran is ramping up supply to Petrochinas Yunnan Refinery via the Myanmar-China pipeline, with two Iranian-flagged VLCCs discharging there in August. - The first-ever vessel to discharge Iranian crude in Kyaukpyu was Panama-flagged (which could be considered unwise as Panama could be penalized), the ones to follow were NIOC-operated and owned. - Petrochinas 260 kbpd Yunnan refinery was built to process specifically Iranian crude, as opposed to the companys other major refining assets which cannot process crudes with a high (corrosive) metallic content. - The Myanmar military regime is less susceptible to U.S. foreign policy hand-wringing being much more dependent on China, it also has a powerful bargaining chip in the form of a potential settling of the plight of the Rohingya people. - India, on the other hand, has cut Iranian supplies by a third to about 523 kbpd, despite Irans NIOC putting forward the largest OSP discount in the last 15 years this month. Keen to maintain the strategic partnership with the United States, Japan will bring its Iran imports to zero in October. 4. Qatar Pushes to Build First-Ever German LNG Terminal (Click to enlarge) - The geopolitically embattled Qatari regime is trying to outfoot Americas LNG plans in Europe by initiating talks with German gas giants Uniper and RWE on the construction of Germanys first-ever LNG terminal. - Qatar is suggesting it could either partially finance the construction of an LNG terminal or do it all by itself, provided it can secure a long-term supply contract. Related: Why Oil And Natural Gas Prices Are Diverging - Brunsbuttel on the North Sea coast is seen as the most likely location, with an estimated throughput capacity of 5 BCm per year. - Germanys business community is actively promoting Nord Stream-2 (the aggregate throughput capacity of the two trunk pipelines would exceed Germanys annual demand by 20 BCm per year), it remains to be seen whether Germany actually needs LNG. - Average EU LNG terminal utilization rate stands at 25%, so more likely just a political posturing to let potential LNG rivals know Qatar can outbid them if need be. - Qatars LNG production expected to increase by more than 30% by 2024, as the South Pars/North Dome supergiant field is further developed. (Click to enlarge) Source: BP, Qatar Petroleum, OilPrice Estimate. 5. Defying Expectations, Mexico Proceeds with New Licensing Auction - Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), Mexicos newly elected President who is scheduled to take office December 1 this year, seemingly backtracked on his previous promises to reconsider the results of previous auctions and reverse the 2014 hydrocarbon law changes. - AMLO stated on September 6 that the Mexican government is betting big on the reversal of falling oil output numbers, allegedly preparing tenders to be launched in early December. - Interestingly, AMLO pointed out that Mexico would need companies with a lot of experience, most of them national companies. - Still pushing for higher local content requirements in future contracts, Lopez Obrador will have to walk a very fine line as PEMEXs production has been falling for almost 15 consecutive years, since 2004. (Click to enlarge) - The holding of a February 14, 2019 super-round, comprising of onshore bid rounds 3.2. (onshore Burgos Basin and the Tampico-Misantla-Veracruz Basin) and 3.3. (Mexicos first-ever shale tender) seems increasingly realistic. 6. Ingolstadt Explosion Rocks Germanys Product Market - A powerful blast distorted the work of the 120 kbpd Vohburg plant in Bavaria, Germany, causing chaos for Germanys oil product supply. - Leaving behind more than ten injured, the plant will be out for several weeks just as other Western European refineries go down this September-October for maintenance. Related: Is This The Worlds Most Beautiful Electric Car? - The Vohburg refinery is jointly owned by Varo Energy (45%), Rosneft (25%), ENI (20%) and BP (10%), supplying together with the adjacent Neustadt refinery (which was not impacted by the explosion) Munich and other Bavarian economic powerhouses. - Germany is especially tight when it comes to Diesel supplies following a very hot summer. Very low Rhine water levels further complicate inland products supplies. (Click to enlarge) - 10ppm ULSD FOB Rotterdam prices jumped up to 697 USD/ton in the first days of September. 7. Rosneft Quits LNG Project - Rosneft has sold 49.1% of its stake in Pechora LNG (it previously held a controlling stake of 50.1%), citing a lack of prospects for LNG development. - The Pechora LNG project presupposed the construction of an LNG plant in the ice-free Indiga estuary in the Northern Nenets Autonomous Area. - Although it had the required resource base (Korovinskoye and Kumzhinskoye fields with total reserves of 104.5 BCm), Rosneft failed to attain an amendment to the Law on Gas Exports. - Rosnefts other long-flaunted LNG initiative, the Far East LNG project, had stalled because U.S. sanctions have made cooperation difficult for its venture partner, ExxonMobil. - This leaves Rosneft with no viable LNG project whatsoever. Against the background of ever-increasing gas production volumes (by 2020 it intends to produce 100 BCm per annum), it will now most certainly turn to the chemical utilization of natural gas. (Click to enlarge) Thats it for this week, we will see you next week with another weekly break down. By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: India is increasingly finding itself caught between competing alliances. On one hand, ties between Washington and New Delhi have improved in recent years in large part to what both sides perceive as increased threats from China both militarily and economically in the South China Sea and overall Indo-Pacific region. On the other, New Delhi has also experienced improved bilateral relations with Tehran. This improvement in relations, in large part, comes from the two countries own oil related interests. Iran, since earlier sanctions against its energy sector were removed in 2016, has been eager to recapture lost market share both in India and the overall Asia-Pacific region as it quickly ramped up oil production post sanctions. India, as the worlds third largest oil importer after China and the U.S., needs Iranian oil for its expanding refinery sector and also the diversity of supply extra Iranian oil imports would provide. Iran has also been offering India generous discounts on its oil imports this year. As recently as late July, with the first phase of new U.S. sanctions impending, Iran upped the ante ever more by offering to ensure oil cargoes to India after some local insurers stopped providing the service. Currently, India is Irans second largest buyer of crude oil after China. Now, recent data shows that India has been trimming its purchases of Iranian crude due to increased pressure from Washington. Earlier this week, preliminary tanker arrival data indicated that India had imported 532,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil in August, a 32 percent plunge from just one month earlier. Despite the marked decrease, the August figure is still 56 percent higher than the same period last year as Indian refiners continue to take advantage of Iranian discounts. Related: Can We Expect An Oil Price Spike In November? Another problem for India is the fact that annual import plans from its refiners were already in place before President Trumps decision in May to reimpose sanctions against Iran over its nuclear development plans. In April, industry sources told media outlets that Indian refiners had planned to double its import of Iranian crude in 2018/19, mostly due to advantageous pricing and discounts offered by Iran. The development at the time marked a pivot in Indian-Iranian bilateral relations and a win-win scenario for the energy sectors in both countries. Though India trimmed its Iranian oil procurement last month, the question going forward is whether or not this trend will last. New Delhi, for its part, has been waffling over that very question. At times, the country appears to offer a conciliatory tone to Washington to trim Iranian oil imports, while at other times it seems poised to push back against that pressure. Examining Indias oil imports just from the last three months may help provide a possible future trajectory. India cut its Iranian oil imports in June (just a month after Washington stated it would reimpose sanctions against Iran) by 16 percent from the previous month. In July, however, Indias state refiners actually increased its oil imports from Iran by 30 percent over the previous month, a record high bump to 768,999 bpd. Indias oil imports from Iran in July represented an 85 percent spike from the 415,000 bpd shipped in July 2017. Notably, the marked increase in Julys figures came as Indian state-owned refiners increased Iranian oil procurement in anticipation of uncertainty over upcoming sanctions. Given the mixed signals over compliance with Washingtons desire for India to cut Iranian oil and with Iran offering even more advantageous procurement incentives to Indian refiners, it appears that India will continue to buy Iranian oil above 2017 levels. India also bring its own pressure to bear on the U.S. since Washington is becoming increasingly reliant on New Delhi as a deterrent to Chinese hegemony in the region. This week high level Indian and U.S. officials are meeting in New Delhi over several key issues. Related: Saudi Oil Income Could Reach $161B This Year Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are holding the first high-level talks with their U.S. counterparts, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Part of the agenda includes the goal of boosting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and finalizing a pact on encrypted defense technologies. Though not officially on the agenda, India could also pressure Pompeo for a waiver over its Iranian oil procurement. In July, lower level Indian officials, including those with the ministries of external affairs, home and finance, met with a U.S. delegation led by Marshall Billingslea, the American assistant secretary for Terrorist Financing in the Department of the Treasury to discuss Iranian sanctions, marking what Indian media outlet the Hindustan Times called at the time, a strong pitch to the US for leniency in complying with sanctions on Iran, citing their likely impact on its oil imports and investment in the Chabahar port. However, nothing concrete materialized from the meeting. Pompeo said on Tuesday that the issues of Russian arms sales to India and Iranian oil "will certainly come up [during this weeks meeting in New Delhi], but I don't think they will be the primary focus of what it is we are trying to accomplish here." By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Major changes are never going without instability, conflict and possible crisis. Saudi Arabias dramatic change to diversify its economy away from an oil-based rentier state status is not going as smooth as expected. The continuing delay of the Aramco IPO, the struggling gigaprojects commissioned by the sovereign wealth fund PIF, and changes to the social fabric, could be undermining the position of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Conservatives and religious extremists could be heading for a showdown, if the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030 is showing weaknesses. Internal royal opposition still exists, but until now MBS has been partly saved by the full-support of his father, King Salman. Looking at the situation on the ground, a showdown is looming is another Ritz Carlton in the making? International criticism on the ongoing dramatic changes inside of the Kingdom has been growing. Western media sources seem to have picked MBS as one of their main targets, as negative articles about the impact of Saudi Vision and the ongoing discussion on human rights or religious freedoms are following each other up on a regular basis. This criticism is for a large part unfounded, as changes to Saudi Arabias social fabric and the position of the Wahhabi conservative clerics should not be underestimated, especially when looking from a Western perspective. Bringing the Kingdom into the 21st Century will not go without internal instability, setbacks and possible hiccups. Changing a patriarchal royal conservative social fabric, mainly supported by a rentier state with a redistribution based economic system, is hard and painful. MBS will have to cope with external and internal opposition, while dealing with economic and financial challenges. To change a society from within is a major challenge for any leader, but looking at the Saudi situation, this is only possible by making (short-term) enemies on all sides. The last couple of days, several major newspapers have reported about another perceived struggle inside of the Royal Family. Reports from media-outlets, such as Al Jazeera, Al Khaleej or others, are stating that a power struggle is going on inside of the top-echelons of the House of Saud, or even inside of the Salman branch. A rift is being reported between King Salman and his brother Prince Ahmad, the latter is reported to have criticized the way the kingdom is approaching the Yemen war. Media sources said that Prince Ahmad had directed his criticism at the King and the Crown Prince, which have been the main proponents of the Saudi-UAE military involvement in the Yemen War. Saudi media outlets have refuted these statements, claiming that the princes quotes were inaccurate. This situation is not life-threatening for the King Salman and MBS, but measures have been taken already to quell potential opposition from within. Related: The Worlds No.1 Offshore Boom Is Facing Uncertainty These developments are not new. Internal opposition or dissatisfaction with the role and power of MBS, who is seen by several royals as too young, too inexperienced or too aggressive and emotional, still exists. As long as King Salman is the heir and ruler, no changes will be made, but the real question is what happens when the King dies or abdicates in the future. Even that MBS has been given a carte blanche to consolidate his powers, partly via appointing trusted supporters or direct family members, other branches of the House of Saud are still waiting to grab any opportunity to get back in the limelight. A night of the long knives is still not looming, but nothing can be ruled out yet. At the same time, MBS will need to counter stiff opposition from within the religious establishment, of which a part is still aligned with some of the more conservative royals. MBS, and the King, continue to walk a very fine line, in their strategy to slowly remove religious conservatives or outright extremists from power, without forcing the latter to take to the streets. The fall-out of the RitzCarlton approach at the end of 2017, when tens of leading Saudi businessmen and princes were arrested on fraud charges is still being felt. The Western criticism on the ongoing perceived anti-liberal approach to human rights or women rights also has become an issue, as conservatives are just waiting to hit MBS if he folds for international pressure. For the Crown Prince the current strategy of arresting high-profile liberal forces, especially women, should be largely seen as a fig-leaf to the conservatives, showing that their views are still taken into account by MBS. In the meantime, the Crown Prince continues to wrest political power from the Wahhabi Ulama. In case it comes to a direct confrontation, MBS will not be able to strengthen his own position, leaving him vulnerable to direct and possibly violent reactions. The perceived anti-democratic moves of MBS should be assessed within the conservative context of the Kingdom. MBS is struggling to keep all balls in the air. Some have already hit the ground but bounced up again, such as the Aramco IPO or some of the Giga Projects. The very short time-schedules set by MBS and his advisors have shown to be too optimistic. The current regime will need to readdress some of them, while stating to the young Saudi supporters that results should not be expected within the next year(s). Optimism is still there, but could easily be turned into a full reactionary opposition if the pain felt at present is much higher than future gains. Related: Platts Survey: OPEC Production Jumps To 10-Month High The West also should realize that in the new kingdom it always will mean that liberalization of the economy, inclusion of females, or openness to the global market, will never mean an end to the position of the House of Saud. All members, including MBS or his father, will take all measures needed to prevent an implosion of the royal family. Changes will be made, changes that for Saudi Arabia are enormous ones, but would never erode the position of the House of Saud. Stabilizing or undermining the power of some of the conservative elite and clerics is more important than the freedom of individuals, in the eye of MBS and his royal supporters. The next couple of months will be crucial. Opposition within several House of Saud branches still exists. Conservatives and clerics are unhappy about the loss of power and influence. MBS will have another chance to change the Kingdom through successes at the Future Investment Initiative 2018 or progress in the Aramco IPO or gigaprojects. If no success stories are published soon, the positive attention span of the young Saudis could be waning, or even changing to a longing for the past. A potential coup is never far away, as shown before in the Kingdom. High profile events could be a precursor for such a move, if the opportunity exists. It is clear for MBS, and his backers, that a free-lunch at present is not available for anybody. A capability to juggle a large set of balls is needed, keeping extremists and conservatives at bay, while changing the economy and social fabric forever. Internal stability at present is prevalent over global support for MBSs future. Changes are painful, but needed. MBSs future will be depending on it. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Around 2,500 people marched in a far-right demonstration in eastern Germany Sunday after a German man died following a fight with two Afghans, as officials pleaded for calm to avoid the anti-foreigner unrest that has shaken Chemnitz. Local police and prosecutors said the 22-year-old deceased had suffered acute heart failure after coming to blows with the suspects during a dispute on a playground in the town of Koethen late Saturday. The German man's death was "not directly" linked to the injuries suffered in the brawl, authorities said in a statement. Local media reported that he died in hospital and that he had a pre-existing heart condition. Prosecutors said one of the Afghan suspects, aged 18, stands accused of causing grievous bodily harm. The other, aged 20, faces charges of causing bodily harm with fatal consequences. The incident was expected to inflame anti-migrant tensions, coming just two weeks after the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German man in the city of Chemnitz, allegedly by two asylum seekers. "With emotions running high, we have to resist any attempt to turn Koethen into a second Chemnitz," the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, told DPA news agency. Chemnitz, also located in Germany's former Communist east, has been rocked by a series of far-right demonstrations that saw participants assault foreign-looking people and shout anti-immigration slurs while some flashed the illegal Nazi salute. Immediately after news of the latest incident broke, right-wing groups called for an evening "mourning march" in Koethen. Police estimated the turnout at some 2,500 demonstrators, who dispersed peacefully around 9:00 pm (1900 GMT). Many of the demonstrators waved the German flag, occasionally shouting "Resistance!" and "We are the people". "Today is a day of grief but we will turn that grief into anger," one of the speakers told the crowd, according to DPA. A counter-demo by far-left protesters at Koethen's rail station drew around 200 people. - 'Keep calm' - Mayor Bernd Hauschild, in a Facebook message, urged locals to shun the right-wing demo because he had "information that people prepared to use violence were planning to travel to Koethen in large numbers". Bild newspaper said around 100 federal police officers had been sent to Koethen to help keep the peace, after police were criticised for underestimating the scale of the Chemnitz demonstrations. According to local media the latest incident started when three Afghan men were arguing with a pregnant woman over who was the father of her unborn child. Two German men then approached the group and the row escalated into a brawl on the playground. The third Afghan was not arrested as he was not believed to have been involved in the fighting. Local residents and politicians on Sunday placed flowers and candles at the scene. State interior minister Holger Stahlknecht said on Twitter that he deeply regretted "the tragic death" and understood citizens' concerns. But he urged residents to "keep calm" and let justice run its course. - 'Reprehensible' - The recent unrest in Chemnitz in neighbouring Saxony has reignited debate in Germany about Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to open the country's borders at the height of Europe's migrant crisis. More than a million asylum seekers have arrived since then, deeply dividing Germans and fuelling the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Merkel has strongly condemned the angry mobs in Chemnitz, saying there was no place for "hate in the streets". But interior minister Horst Seehofer of her CSU sister party, and one of Merkel's fiercest critics, responded by blasting immigration as "the mother of all political problems". It also emerged at the weekend that a Jewish restaurant was attacked on the sidelines of the Chemnitz protests on August 27. The owner told AFP that around a dozen masked neo-Nazis shouted: "Jewish pig, get out of Germany!" and hurled rocks, bottles and a metal pipe at the Schalom restaurant. The head of the New York-based World Jewish Congress slammed the "reprehensible" attack. "It is inconceivable and outrageous that neo-Nazi elements or Nazi-inspired individuals in Germany continue to feel empowered to engage in violent acts against Jews and other minorities," Ronald Lauder said. Seehofer told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday that Germany faced three big challenges: growing right-wing radicalism, "worrying" anti-Semitism and violent crimes committed by foreigners. "We aren't blind to any of this," said Seehofer. President Rodrigo Dutertes order to arrest Philippine opposition senator Antonio Trillanes and try him in a military court for crimes he has already been pardoned for could split the military, a defence and security analyst warned. The military will split if Duterte pushes the Armed Forces of the Philippines to court martial Trillanes for taking over the upscale Oakwood hotel in 2003 and the Manila Peninsula hotel in 2007, said military historian Jose Antonio Custodio. Custodio, who once worked in the militarys planning office, said if Duterte forces the issue, there would be factions which would agree with him and factions which would not agree with him, as well as a faction that is not necessarily pro-Trillanes but pro-institution. He noted there is some hostility toward Trillanes among his seniors because they feel he disrespected his former superior, Armed Forces chief Angelo Reyes, during a Senate hearing. However, Trillanes still has support from his Philippine Military Academy batch and younger soldiers. The government should actually back off, but it seems to want to proceed. If it proceeds, Custodio said, [It] will have to deal with military instability. He described Dutertes hold on the military as tenuous, despite cash dole outs, salary increases and promises of new buildings. Custodio noted, in particular, that the spike in basic goods prices has eroded the livelihoods of the ordinary soldier. Since Dutertes order to arrest and court martial Trillanes was published in a newspaper on Tuesday, the 47-year-old senator has taken refuge in his office at the Senate building by Manila Bay. Revealed: the secret meaning behind the tiny tattoo on Philippine president Dutertes hand Even though Duterte said on Saturday he would wait for the court to issue an arrest warrant, Trillanes is taking no chances. Members of the police intelligence unit staked out the Senate on the morning Dutertes proclamation revoking the senators amnesty was printed. They left, but two mornings later, two truckloads of soldiers parked outside the building. Duterte justified this saying Trillanes amnesty was void since no documents could be found to show he had applied for it and he had admitted he was guilty. Story continues Asked whether he was scared of being arrested again, Trillanes told South China Morning Post he was not: It may sound unnatural but Im the kind of person to submit to Gods will or basically Im a fatalist. I deal with situations as they come and face it as part of my lifes journey. He described his daily routine: I start with a press conference and to make the daily updates and if there are issues that arose the previous night I address them. After that I continue my meeting with different support groups, political leaders, family and friends and my lawyer. Normally, then before the day ends, we assess the day that just passed and plan for the next day and succeeding days. Say hello to my little friend: is there a Hollywood ending to Dutertes drug war? Besides his staff, the senator is supported by his group the Magdalo a band of ex-military officers who joined him in the two failed mutinies against former president Gloria Arroyo. They may have left the service years ago, but they still sport crew cuts. One has a faded tattoo which he etched with a knife inside his arm when he joined the Magdalo. Trillanes employs many people and his office is crammed like a ships quarters. He has been sleeping on a black leather couch, while others sleep on the floor in cubicles. The office does not look like those of his fellow senators, but more like a bachelors pad, crammed with the sofa, a long conference table, a modest desk and cushioned stools and chairs. It is a room built for meetings, or, as the government has accused him, plotting conspiracies. We need it like we need a hole in our head: Chinese friendship bridge in Manila not so popular with the locals Senate President Vicente Sotto III has promised to protect Trillanes from a warrantless arrest but told him to behave himself by limiting the number visitors and not having any religious meetings or mass actions. Four supporters who held up signs calling Duterte a coward were evicted. X-ray scanners in the Senate lobby have had to deal with a steady stream of relatives, visitors pledging support, reporters and food deliveries. The sergeant-at-arms of the Senate is providing the security. It is more than adequate, Trillanes said. Duterte was in Israel when his orders against Trillanes were published. When he returned on Saturday, the president accused Trillanes of conspiring with the yellows, liberals (a reference to supporters of former president Benigno Aquino) and also the [communist] politburo [and] a foreign power he did not name. Duterte said he was confident Trillanes no longer had support in the Armed Forces because he had done nothing for the military. Only he benefited and he forgot his companions when he became senator, the president said. Trillanes called it one of the lies of President Duterte. He pointed out that he was the principal author of the amended Armed Forces Modernisation Law and a law raising the soldiers subsistence allowance. He also used state funds to build barracks in various army camps. Custodio agreed the Magdalo, which includes Trillanes, Congressman Gary Alejano and former congressman Ashley Acedillo, has done a lot for the military. Philippine president sons secret tattoo fuels suspicion over US$125 million Chinese drug haul Custodio also said the military blinked. Now, instead of arresting Trillanes outright, Armed Forces spokesman Edgard Arevalo said it would wait for a warrant. Until then, it would not issue any more statements about Trillanes. By the mere fact that they blinked means a considerable number were not happy [with Dutertes move], Custodio said. The defence department also said it may have just misplaced Trillanes amnesty application. Duterte now appears to be distancing himself from the issue, saying: The truth is, it was [Solicitor General Jose] Calida who did the research on Trillanes case. When the SolGen says theres something wrong, it has to be corrected. I cannot refuse. How Cambridge Analyticas parent company helped man of action Rodrigo Duterte win the 2016 Philippines election Trillanes also blamed Calida who is facing corruption allegations accusing him of trying to derail a Senate inquiry that was supposed to happen the day news of Dutertes proclamation broke. [On Tuesday] I was supposed to conduct a hearing for Calidas corrupt activities, Tillanes said. So, its probably a pre-emptive move to prevent me from conducting the hearing. [NOTE: The author of this report had been summoned to the Calida hearing because of stories she wrote about the solicitor generals private security agency winning lucrative government contracts.] This article Dutertes plan for retrial of senator over failed coups could split Philippine military first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. 59 minutes ago What Should You Do with Your Year-End Salary Increase? Raise Your Retirement Contribution. Here's Why When you get a salary increase, what's the first thing you do (besides a little happy dance)? Celebrate your newfound wealth by going out to eat? Splurging at happy hour? Buy the new car you've had your eye on? Not so fast. Read Article Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Cannabis fees Although cannabis businesses have yet to pay Santa Barbara County taxes on their operations, they have put money into county coffers to cover costs of associated with one conditional use permit and nine land use permit applications as well as 36 consultations to prepare for filing an application. Fees paid to date: 36 consults @ $1,000* = $36,000 9 LUPs @ $1,000* = $9,000 1 CUP @ $8,000* = $8,000 Total = $53,000 * Deposit Mark James Miller is an associate instructor in English at Allan Hancock College, and president of the Part-Time Faculty Association. He can be reached at mark@pfaofahc.com. More than two dozen all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were on display Saturday in a S CheckPoint uncovered an extensive surveillance operation conducted by Iranian APT actor and tracked as Domestic Kitten aimed at specific groups of individuals. Researchers at security firm CheckPoint uncovered an extensive surveillance operation conducted by Iranian APT actor and tracked as Domestic Kitten aimed at specific groups of individuals. Cyber spies used malicious mobile apps that collect sensitive information on the target device and implements specific features to spy on the victims, such as recording the surrounding voices. The attackers are spying on Iranian individuals that are Kurdish and Turkish natives, and ISIS supporters. Through the use of mobile applications, those behind the attack use fake decoy content to entice their victims to download such applications, which are in fact loaded with spyware, to then collect sensitive information about them. reads the analysis published by CheckPoint. Interestingly, these targets include Kurdish and Turkish natives and ISIS supporters. Most interesting of all, though, is that all these targets are actually Iranians citizens. The list of information collected from the compromised devices is long and includes: contact lists call records text and multimedia messages browser history and bookmarks geographical location photos recordings of nearby conversations list of installed apps clipboard content data on external storage The threat actor uses decoy applications which are believed to be of interest to the targets. The researchers discovered ISIS branded wallpaper changer, updates from the ANF Kurdistan news agency and a fake version of the Vidogram messaging app. All the applications used in the campaign have the same certificate that was issued in 2016, the researchers confirmed that the extensive and targeted attacks are going on since 2016 and, until now, have remained under the radar due to the artful deception of the attackers towards their targets The wallpaper changer aimed at the ISIS supported is designed to lure them by offering ISIS-related pictures to set as the screen background. Data exfiltrated from the victims device are transferred to the C&C server via HTTP POST requests, it is encrypted with the AES algorithm and can be decrypted with a device ID that is unique for each victim. One of the applications connects firmwaresystemupdate[.]com that is a newly registered website that was seen initially to resolve to an Iranian IP address but that later switched to a Russian address. CheckPoint published the victim distribution, the cyberspies infected devices of at least 240 users most of them are Iranians (97%), the remaining are from in Afghanistan, Iraq and Great Britain. While the number of victims and their characteristics are detailed above, the number of people affected by this operation is actually much higher. This is due to the fact that the full contact list stored in each victims mobile device, including full names and at least one of their phone numbers, was also harvested by the attackers. continues the analysis.In addition, due to phone calls, SMS details, as well as the actual SMS messages, also recorded by the attackers, the private information of thousands of totally unrelated users has also been compromised. This means that the Domestic Kitten surveillance operation had collateral victims whose details were leaked from contact lists or conversations with the targets. The researchers attributed the surveillance activity to the Iranian regime based on the political conditions in the region and the nature of the targets that pose a threat to the stability of the Government. Indeed, these surveillance programs are used against individuals and groups that could pose a threat to the stability of the Iranian regime. These could include internal dissidents and opposition forces, as well as ISIS advocates and the Kurdish minority settled mainly in Western Iran, CheckPoint concludes. Pierluigi Paganini ( Security Affairs Domestic Kitten, surveillance) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was recently detained over his participation in an anti-government protest in January 2018, walks out of a court building after a hearing in Moscow, Russia August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Google removed a YouTube advert by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny after authorities complained that the videos would violate an election silence law before Sunday's vote for regional governors, an aide to Navalny said on Saturday. The series of YouTube videos featured Navalny inviting Russians to join demonstrations on Sunday, when polls suggest President Vladimir Putin's former chief-of-staff Sergei Sobyanin will be comfortably re-elected as the capital's mayor. Navalny's aide, Leonid Volkov, said in a social media post that Google deleted the videos after the Central Election Commission had sent a letter of complaint to Google about the advertisement -- a demand Volkov called illegal. Google's Russian office said in an emailed comment: "We consider all justified appeals from state bodies. We also require advertisers to act in accordance with the local law and our advertising policies." Navalny, who ran against Sobyanin in 2013 and had planned to lead a protest against proposed pension changes on Sunday, will spend election day behind bars after being convicted of violating protest laws. His supporters plan to demonstrate across Russia. While Sobyanin appears on track for an easy win, public anger over the planned increases to the nationwide pension age means many voters may stay away, which would tarnish his victory, some political analysts have said. Elections will also be held for the governorships of another 25 of Russia's 85 regions. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Helen Popper) Japan is suffering its first outbreak of pig cholera in more than 25 years, authorities said Sunday after culling more than 600 animals and suspending pork exports. A farm in central Japan saw 80 pigs die last week after catching the highly-contagious disease, an agricultural ministry official told AFP. Early tests showed negative results for classical swine fever, as the illness is officially known. But follow-up tests came out positive Sunday, prompting the cull of all 610 pigs at the farm, he added. "We are now processing the livestock there and disinfecting the farm," he said, adding that officials had set up sterilisation points on access roads to the affected farm. The government has set up a team of specialists to analyse possible infection routes, the agricultural ministry said in a statement. Tokyo halted pork exports after the outbreak was confirmed. The nation sold roughly $9 million in raw pork meat to foreign markets last year. Japan saw its last case of classic swine fever, which does not affect humans, in 1992. The disease continues to rage in many parts of Asia, Europe and Latin America. UN-backed talks between Yemen's warring parties ended Saturday before properly getting off the ground, with the UN envoy acknowledging it had not been possible to convince the rebels to come to Geneva. "We didn't manage to get... the delegation from Sanaa to come here... We just didn't make it," Martin Griffiths told reporters in Geneva. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place." His comments came after the Huthis, powerful armed tribes locked in a war with Yemen's Saudi-backed government, have refused to take off from the rebel-held capital of Sanaa unless the United Nations meets a list of conditions, which includes securing a safe return from Geneva to Sanaa for their delegation. The talks had been scheduled to formally open Thursday but were put on hold, leaving Griffiths scrambling to save them. Griffiths hosted a number of meetings with the government delegation, which arrived in Geneva on Wednesday, and diplomats from countries with influence in Yemen's bloody conflict. Griffiths said the meetings were "fruitful consultations", insisting that "we made some good progress... (on) confidence-building measures". A day earlier, the Huthis' Supreme Revolutionary Council said they were becoming "increasingly suspicious that the coalition intended to insult" the rebels. It accused the Saudi-led alliance of planning to strand the rebel delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. The Huthis hinted they feared a repeat of 2016, when 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a rebel delegation was stranded in Oman for three months due to an air blockade, the council said in a statement on Telegram. The Saudi-led military coalition controls the country's airspace and Sanaa international airport has been largely disused for years. The Iran-backed Huthis also demand the evacuation of their wounded fighters from Sanaa to Oman. Saudi Arabia and its allies have meanwhile said they have already granted the Huthis clearance to fly, accusing the rebels of intransigence. Griffiths, who said earlier this week he believed the Geneva talks would offer a "flickering signal of hope" to the Yemeni people, has been up against difficult odds from the start. He is the UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. All previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. REUTERS/Caren Firouz//Files DUBAI (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iran's armed forces on Sunday to increase their power to "scare off" the enemy, as the country faces increased tension with the United States. His statement came just before Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said it fired seven missiles in an attack on Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish dissidents that killed at least 11 people on Saturday. "Increase your power as much as you can, because your power scares off the enemy and forces it to retreat," Khamenei's official website quoted him as saying at a graduation ceremony for cadets of Iran's regular armed forces. U.S. President Donald Trump in May withdrew from Irans nuclear agreement with world powers -- a deal aimed at stalling Tehrans nuclear capabilities in return for lifting some sanctions -- and ordered the reimposition of U.S. sanctions that had been suspended under the deal. "Iran and the Iranian nation have resisted America and proven that, if a nation is not afraid of threats by bullies and relies on its own capabilities, it can force the superpowers to retreat and defeat them," Khamenei said during a visit to Iran's Caspian port city of Nowshahr. State television also showed Khamenei praising Iranian naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, while speaking to their commander via videolink. Shi'ite power Iran rejects accusations from Saudi Arabia that it is giving financial and military support to Yemen's Houthis, who are fighting a government backed by a Saudi-led military coalition of Sunni Arab countries. Meanwhile, a senior military official said Iran had capability to export the know-how to produce solid rocket fuel, the state news agency IRNA reported. Solid fuel rockets can be fired on short notice. "In the scientific field, today we have reached a stage where we can export the technology to produce solid rocket fuel," said Brigadier General Majid Bokaei, director-general of Iran's main defence university, quoted by IRNA. Story continues Iran said earlier this month it planned to boost its ballistic and cruise missile capacity and acquire modern fighter planes and submarines to boost its defence capabilities. On Saturday Iran dismissed a French call for negotiations on Tehrans future nuclear plans, its ballistic missile arsenal and its role in wars in Syria and Yemen, following the U.S. pullout from Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by David Goodman and Raissa Kasolowsky) Pro- and anti-whaling nations are set for a showdown when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meets in Brazil from Monday as Japan leads an assault on a three-decade old moratorium on commercial whale hunting. Tokyo heads into the biennial meeting as chair of the 88-nation body determined to shake-up what it says is a dysfunctional organization mired in dispute and unable to make key decisions. But Japan's package of proposals, entitled "The Way Forward," has left conservationists seething even before delegates have taken their seats at the 67th IWC meeting in the Brazilian surfing resort of Florianapolis. They say it's a blatant attempt to overturn the 1986 moratorium and restore commercial whaling. "This meeting is critical," said Patrick Ramage of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "Member countries must stand together and push progress towards whale protection, not let this commission be pulled back into the bygone era of commercial whaling." Brazil as host country is instead trying to rally anti-whaling nations behind a "Florianopolis Declaration," which insists that commercial whaling is no longer a necessary economic activity and would allow the recovery of all whale populations to pre-industrial whaling levels. Other key issues being discussed in the week-long meeting are risks to whales of human-made underwater noise pollution, ship strikes, climate change and "ghost-gear" entanglement -- where whales are increasingly snared by abandoned fishing gear. Nations opposed to whaling plan to renew a long-standing proposal for the creation of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, after previous proposals were knocked by the pro-whaling lobby. - 'Scientific research' - Japan formally observes the moratorium but exploits a "scientific research" loophole to kill hundreds of the animals every year, despite international criticism. It has regularly sought an easing of the IWC's prohibition on commercial whaling, and incoming chairman Joji Morishita says there must be major changes at the Florianapolis meeting in order to break the deadlock between pro- and anti-whaling countries. Japan argues that stocks of Minke whales and other species have recovered and proposes setting new catch quotas "for species whose stocks are recognized as healthy by the IWC's scientific committee." Among Japan's proposed reforms is a rule change that would allow decisions to be made by simple majority vote, doing away with the current practice of a three-quarters majority being needed. Japan says the commission's decision making ability is hampered by this rule, because of the rift between supporters and opponents of whaling. It also wants to set up a "Sustainable Whaling Committee" which would create catch-quotas for nations wishing to allow their nationals to hunt healthy whale populations for commercial purposes. Ahead of the IWC meeting, Australia said it would "vehemently oppose" any attempts to undermine the moratorium. - Moratorium still in place- The moratorium -- agreed in 1986 amid fears that some species were becoming extinct -- is still in place, with some exceptions. Iceland and Norway are the only countries that allow commercial whaling and are likely to come under renewed pressure at the IWC meeting, which runs until Friday. Iceland has come under direct pressure to end whaling from the European Union, which led an international protests in 2014. The government in Reykjavik has defied criticism and gave the country's whale hunters permission to take 238 fin whales this year. Fin whales are considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Also, aboriginal subsistence hunting is allowed in several countries including the United States, Russia, Greenland, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. Conservation groups are opposed to a proposal before the IWC to increase annual whale kill quotas for these countries, and automatic renewal of quotas every six years, without consulting the IWC's scientific committee. A helicopter crashed into a hillside in central Nepal on Saturday, killing six on board including a Japanese tourist, officials said. One woman survived the crash with injuries and has been airlifted to the capital. District police chief Basanta Bahadur Kunwar told AFP authorities were working to retrieve the bodies, but that reaching the crash site, located in thick forest and with no road access, had been "challenging". He added that the cause of the accident remained unknown. The single-pilot Kathmandu-bound Altitude Air helicopter was carrying six passengers, including a Japanese trekker, when it lost contact with air traffic control after taking off from the central district of Gorkha. Nepal has a booming private helicopter industry, flying tourists and goods to remote corners of the Himalayan nation where road access is limited or non-existent. But the impoverished country has a poor air safety record due to poorly trained staff and lacklustre maintenance. In 2016, seven people were killed in a helicopter crash 22 kilometres (14 miles) north of the capital. There were multiple helicopter accidents, claiming over a dozen lives, in the wake of a powerful 2015 earthquake when choppers were used to rescue the injured and deliver aid to communities cut off by the disaster. The European Union banned all Nepalese airlines following international alarm over the country's air safety record. Big Brother is everywhere. And Taiwan, which claims to be a staunch advocate of personal privacy in stark contrast to the mainland, is no exception. According to a recent report by the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), the self-ruled island has violated digital human rights by quietly conducting communications surveillance over the past few years to obtain social networking content and metadata, ostensibly to help investigate crimes. In the 2015-16 period covered by the report, government authorities mostly security and police units made close to 70,000 demands for social networking and digital service providers to reveal the content and parties involved in the communications, as well as the location tracking and personal information of their clients all without the clients knowledge. In addition to criminal investigations, the authorities said the surveillance was needed to counter the growing threat from mainland China, which has been staging military drills and flipping several of the islands diplomatic allies. Even so, critics remain concerned about the infringement on citizens privacy. In the islands first hearing last week to address digital human rights in the face of growing communications surveillance by the government, legislator Yu Mei-nu, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, expressed concern about the authorities prying into the secrets and private communications of online users. There is no law specifically regulating this kind of surveillance and protecting the privacy of the internet users in Taiwan, Yu told the hearing, citing the TAHR report. Recent years have offered brief glimpses of Taiwans growing surveillance state. In No Place to Hide, his 2014 book about surveillance and the reach of the US National Security Agency, former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden said Taiwan had accepted US$200,000 from Washington in 2012 to buy and develop advanced surveillance technologies that could tap private communications of residents. Story continues Snowden also wrote that Taiwan had cooperated with the Five Eyes intelligence partners the five English-speaking countries of the US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada for intelligence exchanges with Washington. Late last year, news agencies reported that the police were pursuing a NT$500 million programme (US$16.2 million) to develop a special app to increase its digital communications surveillance power. Seeing the trend grow unchecked, some critics even said this could lead to the return of the thought police a reference to the now defunct Taiwan Garrison command during the islands period of martial law, between 1949 and 1987, which silenced dissenting voices and censored any writings and speeches against the government. Currently, the Communications Protection and Surveillance Act protects the Taiwanese peoples freedom of confidential communications from unlawful infringement, as well as to ensure national security and maintain social order. But such protection extends only to wire and wireless telecommunications that send, store, transport or receive symbols, text, images, sounds or other messages through the use of telecommunications facilities. The act also extends protection to mail and written correspondence as well as speech and oral communication. But according to digital rights advocates, there is no mention of any such communications through digital devices. Referring to Taiwans growing digital surveillance programme, and the 70,000 requests for information about account users in the two years covered by the TAHR report, Ho Ming-syuan, the reports lead author, told the hearing that a great number of device users had not been informed about the surveillance demands and were left in the dark. Most authorities simply skipped the legal procedures by writing to the operators, asking for the information they wanted, he said. Ho added that there was no indication that the government had made excessive demands of social networking operators including Facebook or the Japanese messaging app Line to remove certain posts by their users. But, he said, there was a need for the authorities to remain transparent as they obtained digital content and metadata from operators. All local operators cooperated with the authorities, turning over the contents of its users accounts when asked, he said; businesses like Facebook and Line whose parent companies are based outside Taiwan did not entirely comply. Also at the hearing, Chiu Ee-ling, the associations secretary general, said that though the government must maintain security and order in Taiwan, it was equally necessary to maintain a balance between the law and personal rights. Yu said she hoped the authorities could either revise the law or protect digital privacy. She also called on the authorities to stay as transparent as possible about their demands on service providers and the purpose of using that information. Such revisions, she said, should include periodically releasing transparency reports on government requests for personal data; the principles for information collection units to notify or not notify the party concerned; and the formation of an independent supervisory mechanism to verify that such surveillance was conducted in line with legal procedures. But Ma Hao, section chief of the fifth department at the National Security Bureau, told the hearing that it would be impossible for the bureau to make public how the data was used, because of national security concerns. Revelation would create more obstacles for us, especially in the face of the threat from [mainland China], Ma said, adding that the bureau would brief members of parliament about what it had done, but would never go public. A government investigator who spoke on condition of anonymity told the South China Morning Post that the security authorities did not need to entirely depend on the operators of social networks or communications devices to get the information they sought. They have other ways too, including planting spyware, to hack into the phone and computer networks of an individual who is under investigation, he said. This is one of the methods they use to determine if a person is allegedly spying for China or has any illicit dealings that would damage the national interest. With such aid, he claimed, the security authorities had uncovered some espionage rings that involved Taiwanese spying for the mainland. This article Is Taiwan becoming a surveillance state? Privacy advocates sound alarm first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: Ten-man Kenya stunned Ghana 1-0 in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group F qualifier on Saturday to put their campaign back on track after losing the opening match. Ghana, who started as favourites to extend their lead in the group, played a defensive-minded game and succumbed to an own goal by Udinese centre-back Nicholas Opoku on 40 minutes. Kenya were undeterred by Ghana's approach and Ovella Ochieng, captain in place of the injured Victor Wanyama, twice went close to giving the hosts an early lead. Ghana then threatened from a free-kick after Nantes striker Majeed Waris was upended on the edge of the area, but Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey blasted his attempt wide. Michael Olunga had a big hand in Kenya's goal just before half-time, with Opoku putting the ball into his own net as he tried to stop the imposing Kashiwa Reysol forward. Kenya played the final half-hour a man down after defender Joash Onyango was shown a straight red card for a foul on Waris. Victory for Kenya moved them alongside Sierra Leone, who beat them 2-1 in the first round of matches in June 2017. Ghana remain on three points in third place with Ethiopia, who host Sierra Leone on Sunday, yet to pick up a point. The head of Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels called Saturday for "resistance" as UN-brokered peace talks with the government collapsed after the insurgents stayed away. "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression on all fronts," rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi said in a defiant speech. "I appeal to the free and honourable people of Yemen today to go to the fronts ... We must move on all fronts to recruit for our defence." Huthi's representatives failed to show up at the talks in Geneva this week, prompting UN envoy Martin Griffiths to call off the attempted negotiations. In his first reaction to the collapse of the talks, Huthi said he did not negotiate with "mercenaries" and "traitors", referring to the government. "The delegation of mercenaries ... in Geneva does not even make its own decisions," he said in a speech broadcast on the rebels' Al-Masirah TV. "If the delegation ... does not have the decision even in its personal affairs, how can it go to Geneva and lead negotiations on key issues, including finding a solution to their aggression?" The peace talks, initially scheduled to open Thursday, would have been the first official negotiation effort between the government and rebels since 2014. But the Iran-backed Huthis refused to take off from the rebel-held capital for Geneva unless the UN met a list of conditions, which included securing a safe return to Sanaa for their delegation. They accused the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government of planning to strand their delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. While the rebels control Sanaa, the coalition controls Yemen's airspace. The Huthis had hinted they feared a repeat of 2016, when 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a rebel delegation was stranded in Oman for three months due to an air blockade. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government's fight against the Huthis -- triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #36 Posted on 9 September 2018 by John Hartz Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... John Cook Sighting... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Rise for Climate: thousands march across US to protest environment crisis Protests spearheaded by march in San Francisco ahead of climate change summit in the city next week Several thousand people took part in a climate march in New York City on Thursday. Ten activists were arrested after blocking the street in front of Andrew Cuomos Manhattan office. Photograph: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock Tens of thousands of people took part in marches and other events across the US on Saturday, calling for a swift transition to renewable energy in order to stave off the various perils of climate change. The Rise for Climate protests was spearheaded by what organizers called the largest ever climate march on the US west coast. The march, which snaked through the heart of San Francisco, came ahead of a climate change summit in the city next week that will gather mayors and business leaders from around the world. The San Francisco march, which called for California governor Jerry Brown to end fossil fuel extraction in the state, attracted around 30,000 people, organizers said. An array of activities, including rallies, voter registration drives and vigils, were scheduled to take place across the US, in cities such as Boston, Miami and Portland, Oregon. Events were also planned in Puerto Rico. In New Orleans, protesters planned to agitate for the halt of the Bayou Bridge pipeline, an extension of the controversial Dakota Access project that last year spurred a lengthy standoff at the Standing Rock reservation. Rise for Climate: thousands march across US to protest environment crisis by Oliver Milman, Environment, Guardian, Sep 8, 2018 Editorial of the Week... Trumps dirty environmental policies will echo for ages The Big Rivers Electric Corporation power plant in Robards, Ky., May 27. The Trump administration on Aug. 21 made public the details of its new pollution rules governing coal-burning power plants, and the fine print includes an acknowledgment that the plan would increase carbon emissions and lead to up to 1,400 premature deaths annually. Photo: LUKE SHARRETT /NYT As the world watches the legal twists and turns of the Trump administration, something far more consequential is happening. Long after Trump, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort and the rest are forgotten, the inhabitants of Earth will still be dealing with climate change. And policies the president recently announced are going to make the problem worse for us and put future generations on track for disaster. A couple of weeks ago, Trump began relaxing automotive fuel efficiency standards that require automakers to improve fuel efficiency of cars over the next decade. Now, Trump is replacing former President Barack Obamas Clean Power Plan, a policy that reduces emissions from electric power plants. By the EPAs own analysis, these actions by Trump reverse policies that were addressing climate change. To understand how climate is affecting you today, consider the miserable summer weve experienced. Climate change is one of the reasons its so hot. So, it follows that its driving up your air-conditioning bill, as well as the bill for businesses you rely on. Like higher oil prices, this increased expense ripples through the economy and takes money out of your pocket. Trumps dirty environmental policies will echo for ages, Opinion by Andrew Dessler*, San Antonio Express-News, Sep 3, 2018 *Andrew Dessler is a professor of atmospheric sciences and the Reta A. Haynes Chair in Geosciences at Texas A&M University. Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Negotiations, however still needed to "achieve full clarity in climate finance," Espinosa said, referring to a $100 billion fund to help developing countries tackle climate change, describing funding as a "politically sensitive" issue. Critics say that developed countries remained uncommitted over finance. "The U.S. is a major culprit in taking finance off the table," Lidy Nacpil, coordinator at non-governmental organisation the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, told reporters. U.S. President Donald Trump, who in the past has described climate change as a hoax, pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement in 2017, saying it favoured other countries and was disadvantageous to the United States. Good progress" at Bangkok climate talks on draft Paris accord rules - UN official by Chayut Setboonsarng, Reuters, Sep 9, 2018 Coming Soon on SkS... Kavanaughs views on EPAs climate authority are dangerous and wrong (Dana) (Dana) Getting involved with Climate Science via crowdfunding or -sourcing (Baerbel) (Baerbel) How Arctic lakes accelerate permafrost carbon losses (Carbon Brief) (Carbon Brief) Guest Post (John Abraham) (John Abraham) New research this week (Ari) (Ari) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #37 (John Hartz) (John Hartz) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming weekly Digest #37 (John Hartz) John Cook Sighting... John Cook was one of three panelists on the Aug 30 NPR/Climate Cast radio broadcast, How Houston's recovering from a hurricane boosted by climate change hosted by Paul Hunter. Cook's topic: Australia on the front lines of climate change. And the politics of climate change in Australia is even more intense than here in the U.S. Aussie native John Cook, a research assistant professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, explains. SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Florence intensified into a hurricane Sunday morning and is expected to keep on strengthening until it becomes an extremely dangerous storm that is likely to hit land later in the week. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast are under threat from the hurricane that forecasters now say is unlikely to turn out to sea and is likely to hit the coast on Thursday. All indications are that Florence will be an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane while it moves over the western Atlantic toward the southeastern United States, the National Hurricane Center said. It is still too early to predict the hurricanes exact path, but the NHC said that a huge swath of coastal area from South Carolina to the mid-Atlantic region are under threat. This is looking more and more like a life threatening situation, National Weather Service meteorologist Nick Petro said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governors of North and South Carolina and Virginia all declared states of emergency as they prepare for possible landfall. A hurricane is coming our way, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said at a news conference Sunday. Pretend, assume, presume that a major hurricane is going to hit South Carolina. Be prepared. Be ready. HAPPENING NOW: GOVERNOR @HENRYMCMASTER DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY. #FLORENCE EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN INTO A HURRICANE. SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS SHOULD BEGIN PREPARING HOMES AND PROPERTY NOW. #SCTWEETS #alert pic.twitter.com/k9r4pUYC3v SCEMD (@SCEMD) September 8, 2018 Advertisement Forecasters are particularly concerned about possible flooding. This is very scary rain event potentially setting up this week, AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Rossi said. Florence could dump a foot of rain in places that cannot handle it, making for a very scary flooding situation in some areas. Meteorologists arent mincing words when it comes to the potential devastation of Florence. Eric Holthaus warned on Twitter that Florence could spark a multi-day heavy rainfall event which could produce catastrophic inland flooding. For now, all signs are that #Florence could be one of the worst storms in U.S. history, he added. Not only are we dealing with a landfalling Category 4 hurricane -- the same strength as Hugo in 1989 --but maybe also a multi-day heavy rainfall event which could produce catastrophic inland flooding. All signs are that #Florence could be one of the worst storms in U.S. history. Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) September 9, 2018 If it hits the Carolinas as some forecasts predict, it would mark the first time the region has been hit by a Category 4 hurricane since Hugo in 1989. It would also mark the first time a Category 3 hurricane or higher has hit the East Coast since Jeanne in 2004. Prosecutors acknowledged that they misunderstood a series of text messages and are backing off their explosive claim that a Russian woman accused of working as a spy offered to trade sex for access. Maria Butinas lawyers had long contested the way prosecutors had been portraying their client as a character straight out of a spy novel. On at least one occasion, Butina offered an individual other than U.S. Person 1 sex in exchange for a position within a special interest organization, prosecutors said in a July court filing. Advertisement Late Friday though, prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing they were mistaken in how they interpreted a series of conversations. Regardless, government attorneys insist there are still plenty of reasons to question Butinas commitment to her boyfriend, Paul Erickson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even granting that the governments understanding of this particular text conversation was mistaken, other communications and materials in the governments possession (and produced to the defense) call into doubt the defendants claim that her relationship with U.S. Person 1 is a sufficiently strong tie to ensure her appearance in court to face the charges against her if she is released, notes the governments filing. The 29-year-old Butina has pleaded not guilty to charges she was acting as an agent for the Russian government. And while the change in tune about the sex-for-access claim may not actually alter the fundamentals of the case, it does provide a big victory for the defense considering the claim is one of the main reasons why the case received so much national attention in the first place. The impact of this inflammatory allegation, which painted Ms. Butina as some type of Kremlin-trained seductress, or spy-novel honeypot character, trading sex for access and power, cannot be overstated, Butinas lawyer, Robert Driscoll, said. Vice President Mike Pence insists he had nothing to do with the anonymous New York Times op-ed and says hed agree to take a lie detector test in a heartbeat to prove he isnt the author. I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do, Pence said on Fox News Sunday. When asked whether the White House should really carry out lie-detector tests as some have suggested, Pence refused to answer, saying it would be a decision or the president. Advertisement The vice president said he doesnt know who wrote the op-ed but is 100 percent confident it wasnt anyone on his staff. I dont have to ask them because I know them. I know their character. I know their dedication, and I am absolutely confident that no one on the vice presidents staff had anything to do with this, Pence said on CBS Face the Nation. The vice president added that whoever did write the op-ed should do the honorable thing and resign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foxs Chris Wallace brought up the use of the word lodestar in the op-ed, which is a word that Pence has used several times in the past and asked the vice president whether he thought the word was inserted to try to set you up. Pence didnt seem too eager to entertain the possibility. I wouldnt know, he said. Pence also vehemently denied he has been involved in discussions about invoking the 25th amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office. No, never. And why would we be Margaret? the vice president told CBS Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan. Advertisement Pence denied involvement in the op-ed as he and others in the administration warned there was a potential national security risk related to the op-ed. Well find out if there was criminal activity involved, Pence said. I think the presidents concern is that this individual may have responsibilities in the area of national security. Kellyanne Conway also echoed those sentiments on CNN. There could be a national security risk at hand, she said. It depends on what else has been divulged by this individual Anybody who would do this, you dont know what else theyre saying. Afraid of maths? A Czech student shows there is nothing to fear Marek Liska has written textbooks in a language close to students. He now plans to introduce them to Slovak schools. Is the term goniometric function too vague for you? Well, they are important for life since for each construction it is important to define the angles. This and other similar explanations can be found in the maths books written by the Czech student Marek Liska, who decided to show his peers and other secondary school students that they do not have to be afraid of this subject. His textbooks, based on the detailed explanation of solutions to problems in a language close to students, are currently used by 122 schools in the Czech Republic. Most recently, Liska and his team translated the textbook into Slovak and are ready to offer them to Slovak schools. The Slovak Spectator (TSS): What was the biggest problem of textbooks you used at school? 9. Sep 2018 at 19:30 | Radka Minarechova Mountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacation Police said they were taking precautions to protect communities that may be more visible during religious holidays: PA Armed officers are being deployed to protect Jewish people during religious holidays, as part of an operation led by counterterror police. Scotland Yard said it had no intelligence about a specific threat but was taking precautions as worshippers marked the Jewish new year, Yom Kippur and other festivals over coming weeks. Security is being heightened around synagogues and other key sites amid reassurance patrols that will run up until 2 October. Chief Inspector Ronnie Morrell said Londons communities should feel safe to continue their daily lives, despite the four terror attacks that struck the capital last year. For the Jewish community, this means marking the high holidays as normal, so officers across London are working with partners and the Jewish community to ensure events are secure, he added. As a result, communities in some areas may see a greater level of police officers both armed and unarmed, uniformed and in plain clothes than normal. Their presence is not based on intelligence about a specific threat but is a precautionary measure at a time when communities may be more visible, as larger numbers go to worship during this time. I urge the public to remain vigilant and contact the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline if they notice any suspicious or unusual activity. The operation, coordinated by the Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism Protective Security Operations team, is being conducted with partners including the Community Security Trust (CST), Shomrin and Kehilah Security and Protection Association. Neighbourhood police across London have also been briefed on the potential for an increase in hate crime incidents during the period, and antisemitic social media activity is being monitored. This is a time for people to come together with family and friends and we want to them do so safely and securely, said Chief Superintendent Dave Stringer, the lead for community engagement. Sadly, we are also aware that some people may use this occasion to display offensive or hateful views. Therefore we also want to make sure the community know we are here to support them if they are a victim of hate crime and we will deal with any hate incidents speedily and robustly. Story continues Police recorded spikes in hate crime following last years terror attacks and the EU referendum, while monitors have warned that antisemites are becoming more confident to express their views. Children as young as 11 have been physically attacked, while graffiti has been daubed on homes and synagogues and MPs have been targeted with antisemitic abuse after speaking out on the issue. CST counted the second highest number of incidents on record between January and June this year, averaging at more than 100 a month. The most common target was visibly Jewish people in public spaces, followed by Jewish organisations, events and commercial premises, homes and synagogues. Researchers have cited issues including violence on the Gaza border and debate around the Labour Party as drivers. By Mark Hosenball and Nathan Layne (Reuters) - An author and conspiracy theorist who communicated with a longtime adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump has been subpoenaed as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the author's lawyer said on Wednesday. Jerome Corsi, a contributor to conspiracy theory websites, is the latest among associates of Republican political adviser Roger Stone called to testify to a grand jury or be questioned by Mueller's prosecutors. In recent months, Stone has been the subject of scrutiny by Mueller's office. Investigators appear focused on Stone's contacts with WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, according to sources familiar with the interviews of the associates. Before the election, WikiLeaks published emails hacked from the Democratic Party and the personal email account of John Podesta, candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. Mueller's office is looking into whether Stone had advance knowledge of material detrimental to Clinton that U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was obtained by Russia through hacking, the sources familiar said. Moscow has denied allegations it meddled in the election campaign. "We intend to cooperate with the subpoena," said Corsi's lawyer David Gray. He said Corsi plans to appear on Friday before the grand jury convened by Mueller's prosecutors. "We are assuming this is about Roger Stone," Gray said. Gray said Corsi and Stone communicated between 2016 and 2018 and they planned to provide the computer and phone records to investigators. Stone did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. The subpoena was first reported by the New York Times. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment. Corsi helped promote the "birther" movement questioning President Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship. In 2017 he was named the Washington bureau chief for Infowars, a website run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Corsi no longer works there. Story continues Stone has said that he has neither been interviewed by Mueller's team nor summoned before a grand jury. Stone has also told reporters that he expects to be indicted but without making clear why. Stone, who first earned a reputation as a young pro-Nixon operative during the Watergate scandal, has said he knows of eight associates who so far have been approached by Mueller's investigators. Four people familiar with recent contacts by Mueller's team to associates of Stone told Reuters that prosecutors have shown them emails and phone messages to or from Stone and questioned them about their meaning. "Roger must have told you stuff," one associate who testified in front of the grand jury said prosecutors insisted to him. Prosecutors pressed him on whether Stone had spoken with Assange, something the associate said he could not confirm. The U.S. Senate intelligence panel, which is among several congressional committees investigating the Russia issue, is also looking into the role of Wikileaks, which publishes secret information. WikiLeaks founder Assange, an Australian, is in self-exile with diplomatic immunity at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. He took refuge there six years ago while being pursued by British authorities for possible extradition to Sweden in a since-dropped sexual molestation case. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball in London and Nathan Layne in New York; editing by Grant McCool) See Also: Mauritania's ruling party has drawn well into the lead in legislative, regional and local elections held earlier this month, the electoral commission said Sunday, in the west African country's last vote ahead of key presidential polls. "The Union for the Republic is the leading political party according to provisional results" of the first-round September 1 vote, commission spokesman Mustafa Sidel Moktar told AFP. The party has so far won 67 of the 157 national assembly seats, compared to 14 for the second-place Islamist party Tewassoul, as well as four of the 13 regional councils and 108 of 219 municipalities, he said. The turnout was 73.4 percent, Mohamed Vall Ould Bella of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said on Saturday, in a country with a registered electorate of some 1.4 million. A second round vote will be held on September 15 to decide 22 national assembly seats, nine regional councils and 115 municipalities. The elections in Mauritania, a frontline state in the fight against Islamist extremists, were seen as a test for head of state Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz seven months before a presidential vote. The opposition boycotted the last polls in 2013 but a record 98 parties took part this time. Aziz, 61, who came to power in a coup in 2008, won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. He has been frequently accused by opposition figures and NGOs of rights abuses, and though he says he will not seek a third mandate -- which would be against the constitution -- statements by ministers and supporters have led some to suggest he might. (AFP) North Korea is expected to hold a huge military parade on Sunday - the first since negotiations with the US over denuclearisation began - as the country celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding. Previous parades have featured missile launchers, but including them on this occasion could be diplomatically provocative. "This is an internal event for North Korea: it's their anniversary, they want to celebrate that," Tong Zhao, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy, told Sky News. "But by having a major military parade, it could be seen by outsiders as a provocation. "So North Korea needs to strike a balance between (that and) enhancing their domestic morale. "They also want to send a big signal - that they want to now focus on economic development." :: Kim Jong Un pledges to denuclearise N Korea by end of Trump's first term The streets of Pyongyang have been swept, and walls and buildings painted ahead of the anniversary. High-level delegations from China and Russia have arrived in the capital. The celebrations are expected to include a revival of the mass games - a large scale performance involving tens of thousands of North Korean people, last held in 2013. We were told they have been practising for months after school and work. The events generally follow themes of history and revolution. This year's performance is called "glorious country". Tourists from China and Europe have been buying tickets that start at about 90, and rise to more than 700 for VIP seating. :: North Koreans on their economy: 'We're not afraid of sanctions' The anniversary comes at a crucial time during talks over denuclearisation. For a long time, the US and North Korea were at an apparent impasse, with the US asking for a comprehensive list of North Korea's nuclear facilities, and Pyongyang demanding a formal end to the Korean War. A proper peace treaty was never signed - neither side has seemed willing to give way. Story continues But over the last few days there has been a flurry of diplomatic activity from Pyongyang. A third summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in has been confirmed for later this month. Mr Kim also sent a message to Donald Trump, who tweeted his thanks in return. Dozens of people were reportedly detained by police in Russia on Sunday, September 9, as protests against proposed reforms to pension legislation continued across the country. Radio Free Europe (RFE) reported detentions in Moscow and St Petersburg. More than 50 people were detained in St Petersburg, according to some reports. These videos show events in the central city of Yekaterinburg, where police can be seen detaining a number of people. The proposals would see the retirement age rise from 55 to 60 for women and from 60 to 65 for men, with the changes expected to be rolled out gradually and in place by 2028. Radio Free Europe reported this was watered down from earlier plans passed in parliament to increase the retirement age for women to 63. Credit: Ismail Alekperov via Storyful Police and activists clashed in the central Russian city of Novosibirsk on Sunday, September 9, as protests against proposed reforms to pension legislation continued across the country. Radio Free Europe (RFE) reported detentions in Moscow and St Petersburg. More than 50 people were detained in St Petersburg, according to some reports. These videos show events in Novosibirsk, where police can be seen tusseling with and forcing back a number of people. Demonstrators can be heard chanting the word fascists in Russian. The proposals would see the retirement age rise from 55 to 60 for women and from 60 to 65 for men, with the changes expected to be rolled out gradually and in place by 2028. Radio Free Europe reported this was watered down from earlier plans passed in parliament to increase the retirement age for women to 63. Credit: Andrey Ksenchuk via Storyful Displaced Syrians take part in a protest against the regime and its ally Russia at a camp near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey in Syrias Idlib province on 7 September. Photograph: Aaref Watad/AFP/Getty Images From massacre to exile to racism to subversion and back again, Vladimir Putin has caught Europe in a rolling trap. The war crimes that Russia encourages the sectarian Assad regime to commit force Syrians to run. When a small proportion of them reach Europe (for never forget the rich world takes only a tiny minority of the worlds refugees) their presence drives Putin-supporting nationalists into power on anti-Muslim tickets. The iron wheel is about to turn again and grind up the lives of hundreds of thousands. Diplomatic attempts to prevent a battle look as if they have failed, as they have failed so monotonously in Syria. In all likelihood, Bashar al-Assads forces and their Russian and Iranian backers will soon begin their assault on Idlib province. Russian planes are already trying to take out defences, and there is every reason to expect a catastrophe. Doubtless, Assads forces will use chemical weapons again and Russias proxies on the alt-left will invent conspiracy theories to deny their existence. Our filthy decade has taught criminals that they can break the taboo on the use of chemical weapons one of the few limits on mans inhumanity to man and not only be rewarded for it but acquitted of guilt. The Islamists in Idlibwill presumably fight to the death, and I cannot pretend to care for them one way or another. The democratic fighters and the civilians are another matter. These are the people who out of fear of Assads torture chambers have nowhere left to run to except over the border and Turkey, which says it cannot take any more refugees. The UN warns of a humanitarian crisis on a scale not previously seen in Syria which is quite a claim. To talk of Europes problems in these grim circumstances seems glib. Yet the most dynamic force in European politics is the fear of uncontrolled borders and radical Islam. It helped drive the Brexit vote and the election of backlash nationalists across the continent, whose peculiarities deserve more attention than they receive. They are nationalists of a rare type: supposed patriots who collaborate with their countries enemies. Nigel Farages Leave.EU held multiple meetings at the Russian embassy. Alexander Yakovenko, Russias ambassador in London, offered Arron Banks, Farages loudmouthed bagman, a piece of a Siberian goldmine business. Now that Russia is committingsmall-scale small-scale chemical attacks on British soil, the flattery appears to have paid off. Nowhere on the radical British right do you hear challenges to Russian aggression. Story continues If the contradiction between love of country and loyalty to Putin is wide here, it yawns in the Czech Republic. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the crushing of the Prague spring. Alexander Dubcek, the leader of the then Czechoslovakian communist party, thought he could allow freedom of speech, democratisation all the forbidden fruits while remaining a part of the Soviet empire. The Soviet Union put him right by sending in 250,000 troops and 6,000 tanks. The civil resistance and the the men and women who died are in the Russian attack were honoured with due solemnity in Prague this summer. But the Czech president, Milos Zeman, could not bring himself to appear at the official commemoration because he is a Putin apologist. The Czech Republic feels like a post-colonial country where the former imperial overlord still holds sway. There ought to be a revolt against the countrys compromised leaders. But when I talked to Czech intellectuals in Prague they were close to despair. The Czech opposition is factionalised and unable to mount a coherent challenge to the ruling order. Civil society is degraded. You may not think much of the British media, but there is nothing like travelling in eastern Europe to make you see its slender virtues. Press freedom is dying in the Czech Republic and there are few journalists able to hold the pro-Russian elite to account. More frighteningly, the new right in the Czech Republic and across Europe is replacing with anti-Muslim bigotry a patriotism that defends the nation against hostile foreign powers. The fact that he is now the willing tool of an aggressive Russia in no way makes him a collaborator, Zeman implies. The real enemy is Islam. No one has invited the refugees, he thundered recently. Islamists are coming to subjugate Europe. We are always being told to understand the fears of what the new elite calls in its most condescending voice ordinary people. But if Nigel Farage, Viktor Orban, Marine Le Pen, Donald Trump and the way he is going Boris Johnson were serious about limiting migration they would support the creation of safe havens in Syria so that refugees had somewhere to hide a demand the original and democratic Syrian revolutionaries of 2011 made as soon as Assad set his troops on them. They do nothing of the sort. Instead, they support a Russia whose crimes against humanity produce the very refugees they affect to deplore. As a way of generating votes, I suppose the hypocrisy has a logic to it; a logic they can follow without fear of challenge from a modern left that has abandoned any claim to internationalism or basic moral fitness. There is no need for Farage or indeed Johnson to worry about attacks from the degraded British Labour party, whose ethical collapse is becoming daily more evident to all with eyes to see. Jeremy Corbyn was the willing and paid servant of Press TV, the state propaganda network of an Iran whose proxies now threaten Idlib. Nothing, not Irans record in Syria, nor its treatment of women, ethnic minorities and gays, could shake his dog-like devotion. His spokesman Seumas Milne flew to Russia in 2014 to abase himself before Putin and tried to spread conspiracy theories about the Salisbury chemical attack. Russia is now the most important outside power in the Middle East; feared and respected. The refugees its policies spread bolster its far-right clients in Europe, while the dominant voices on a left that claims to oppose the far right excuse rather than condemn Putin. Syrians were the first but they are not the only casualties of Russias Middle Eastern wars. Nick Cohen is an Observer columnist FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference with President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia following their meeting in Tehran, Iran September 7, 2018. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS GENEVA (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that the United States continually sends messages to Iran asking it to begin negotiations. Tensions between Iran and the United States soared after President Donald Trump pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May, and then reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic last month. Trump has said he would meet Iran's leaders. "From one side they try to pressure the people of Iran, on another side they send us messages every day through various methods that we should come and negotiate together," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast on Iranian state television. "(They say) we should negotiate here, we should negotiate there. We want to resolve the issues ... Should we see your message? ... Or should we see your brutish actions?" Washington aims to force Tehran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups in Syria and Iraq. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took aim at U.S. criticism of Iran's regional policy in a Twitter post on Saturday. "Trump regime flip-flops are truly comical," he wrote. "One week, its talking point is that we are 'squandering' our resources abroad, the next week its that weve not financially supported the Palestinians enough." U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector are scheduled to be reimposed in November. Iran is facing an "economic, psychological and propaganda war", Rouhani said Saturday, pointing to the United States and Israel as the Islamic Republic's main enemies. (Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Robert Birsel and Kevin Liffey) The Tory party was plunged into a bitter civil war over dirty tricks last night after it was revealed that Theresa Mays aides drew up a dossier on Boris Johnsons sex life in an apparent effort to prevent him from becoming prime minister. - The Sunday Times Donald Trump nearly started a conflict with North Korea in early 2018, when he proposed a tweet that "scared the daylights" out of his defence secretary James Mattis, a new book claims. - Sunday Telegraph Senior Tories have heavily criticised Boris Johnson for describing the governments Brexit strategy as putting the UK constitution in a suicide vest. - Observer Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox is preparing a last-ditch push to seize control of media giant Sky as a final deadline for the 26 billion takeover battle looms. - Mail on Sunday Police chiefs are drawing up contingency plans to deal with widespread civil disorder at the countrys borders and ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a leaked report. - The Sunday Times Customers could spend 2,000 on the new iPhone as they kit out their device with the latest Apple-branded smartwatch, headphones and accessories. - Sunday Telegraph Polling stations have opened in Sweden in elections likely to force a historic realignment in the nations politics, as support for the established centre-right and centre-left blocs slumps in the face of a surge by the populist, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. - Observer The John Lewis Partnership may be forced to take a 50 million hit to profits after enduring an epidemic of price cuts over the summer. - Mail on Sunday The European Central Bank has ordered financial institutions to reveal details of their plans to shift staff to the Continent after Brexit, ramping up pressure on banks and brokers to explain how they will operate once Britain leaves the bloc. - The Sunday Times Debenhams has parachuted in a team of top company doctors to draw up emergency turnaround plans as a full-blown crisis threatens to engulf the troubled department store chain. - Sunday Telegraph The chief executive of British Airways has promised to compensate customers who have had their data stolen in what he described as a sophisticated breach of the companys security systems. - Observer Monkeypox has been discovered in the UK for the first time ever, Public Health England have said. - Mail on Sunday A leading member of the family that founded the Japanese pharmaceuticals giant Takeda has spoken out for the first time in opposition to its $62bn (48bn) takeover of Shire, the London-listed rare disease specialist. - The Sunday Times A coalition of retailers, landlords, councils and pubs has called for planning laws to be torn up so that abandoned shops can be turned into cafes, galleries, gyms and other businesses that could help rejuvenate Britains decimated high streets. - Sunday Telegraph Senior managers at a university that recently hit the headlines after staff spent thousands of pounds at a lapdancing club have received more than 600,000 in bonuses over the past four years. Bonus payments to Northumbria Universitys senior leadership averaged more than 9,000 each last year. - Observer A wealthy British couple have created a 'designer grandson' using sperm from their dead son. - Mail on Sunday For the Inside the City column in the Sunday Times, Sabah Meddings wrote a cautionary tale about former biotech darling Immupharma , which last year saw its shares rise 227% over a year. That status as one of Europes top biotech plays was short-lived, however, with the shares having a tumultuous few months, closing down another 11.7% on Friday to a record low of 17.9p - a far cry from their all-time high of 190p. Meddings asked what went wrong with the firm, which had promised to supply products to help the five million people suffering from the autoimmune disease lupus. The only new drug approved for lupus treatment in the last four decades - a GlaxoSmithKline product - has some seriously unpleasant side effects, and AstraZenecas proposed new treatment failed phase 3 trials in August. But Immupharmas rockstar treatment hit a rather serious road block, in that it did not appear to work. The AIM-traded firm said it had missed its primary end points on 17 April - in other words, patients on the Lupuzor treatment did not show any significant improvement compared with placebo. Meddings said it was a disaster for Immupharma, which had little else in its pipeline, and saw its shares crash 77% in a single day. Volatility does come with the territory in biotechnology, to be fair, with firms such as Shield, Summit and Faron also failing to deliver on early promises. However, what made the Immupharma saga different was that, just weeks before the failed trial results, the firm raises 10m from investors in a cash call at 144p per share. Raising funds ahead of trial results is normal for drugmakers, to ensure there is cash in the bank for other projects should the star treatment fail - but Immupharma didnt have any other projects. Meddings asked why Immupharma didnt wait for positive results before the fundraise? A positive outcome would have seen the shares surge, leading it to be able to raise a higher amount of cash, and on better terms. Now, with the future of Lupuzor all but written off, the company has between 11m and 13m with which to plod along for several more years. The company did post a corporate update on Friday, though Panmure Gordon - which has set a price target of 8.2p on the stock - said the announcement did nothing to progress Immupharmas investment case. It did reveal that it had poured 2m into cancer drug company Incanthera, which is also chaired by Immupharma chairman Tim McCarthy, and said trial patients already on Lupuzor could continue to take it. Despite McCarthys assertions that Lupuzor still has blockbuster potential, investors who ploughed 10m into the company just before it lost momentum might well ask exactly what potential Immupharma has left, Meddings concluded. Over in the Mail on Sundays Midas piece, Joanne Hart looked at challenger banks, and specifically PCF Group - a company that has been in business for almost 25 years, but has only been a bank for the last year or so. The firm was established in 1994 by Australian Scott Maybury, who remains in charge, and began life as an asset finance house, lending money to small businesses to pay for vehicles and tools. Over time, it expanded into the consumer market, financing second hand cars. Those loans were funded by borrowing from banks - a solid model until the financial crisis hit, at which point the lenders shut up shop and Maybury was forced to downsize PCF Group. By 2012, the firm was reportedly intent on becoming its own bank, applying for its banking licence which was approved last year. PCF has now been taking deposits since August 2017. According to Hart, that move was widely approved by both savers and borrowers, with 140m in deposits already being received by the now-bank. It was also targeting the kinds of customers other technology-based challenger banks were not, offering postal accounts, which appeal to certain older demographics. That success in savings has led to a more flexible approach to lending, as the cost of paying depositors is significantly less than how much PCF used to pay banks for borrowing. Total lending to both businesses and consumers has now reached 200m, up from 146m in the year to September 2017, with new lending almost doubling. In lending, as in saving, Maybury has established a certain niche for the company, specialising in loans for owners of classic cars, motorhomes and horseboxes. But the firm still remains cautious in its niche lending, with default rates said to be relatively low. Looking ahead, PCF has set itself a lending target of 350m by 2020, and 750m by 2022, while focussing on higher quality borrowers, and targeting 600m in savings deposits over the next four years. And City brokers are on board as well, according to Hart, with analysts expecting profits of 5.2m in the year to 30 September, rising to 8m in 2019 and 10m in 2020. The company does pay a small dividend, with 0.3p per share expected this year and 0.4p next year - but Hart said Maybury prefers to pour surplus cash back into the business. PCF has had a promising first year as a bank but there is plenty more growth to come, Hart wrote. The group is attracting thousands of new savers and borrowers and Maybury is experienced enough to keep bringing in the business while keeping a weather eye on the economic climate. At 37p, the shares are a buy. Disney has announced that they have started work on their Marvel inspired expansion in Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, California. ComicBook has said that the park has been slowly building up its planned area with the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride, built inside the original Tower of Terror ride. It became the first Marvel-inspired ride to be built on the west coast since Disney bought Marvel in 2009. The area is currently under construction and is surrounded by a Stark Industries gate. The project was originally announced earlier this year and is scheduled to be opened in 2020. The new land will bring the Avengers and Spider-Man to Disneyland's neighboring park. im so excited for marvel land tony stark is doing THAT pic.twitter.com/vnnoZq5tPR nikkodisney !! (@deviltriggers) September 9, 2018 Disney unsure what to name the Marvel-inspired area Disney Imagineers are unsure about what attractions will fill the area. Currently, there is no name for the land. At the moment, Disney refers to the land as a "Super Hero-themed land" because of a 1994 deal the company made with Universal Studios, that prohibits Disney from using the name "Marvel" in its name. Disney and NBC Universal reached a deal keeping Disney from using Marvel in its title, forcing them to not allow them to call their new land "Marvel Land" or any similar titles. Part of the deal also forces Disney to not be allowed to use certain Marvel characters east of the Mississippi. According to Cinemablend the '94 deal gave Universal the rights to many of the popular Marvel characters like Wolverine, the Hulk, and Spider-Man in their theme parks all over the world, but only if they exercised those rights. Discuss this news on Eunomia This deal kept Walt Disney World from using characters like Spider-Man who has already made a home at Universal Studios. California Adventure is not the only park to have a Marvel fixture. Both Marvel and Disney have multiple projects planned in their international theme parks, featuring Iron Man and superhero pair Ant-Man and the Wasp. Disney is set to debut a Marvel-based roller coaster at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2021 for its 50th-anniversary celebration. Marvel-inspired land not the only project for Disney parks While Disney has started work on their Marvel inspired land, Disneyland has begun constructing on their Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, with the intention of opening sometime next summer. This new land will also feature a cantina that will offer alcohol inside Disneyland, for the first time. While Disney usually completes one major project before starting the next, Disney needs both locations open quickly. When Galaxy's Edge opens in Disneyland, they will soon be more crowded. Having their Marvel land open, will help ease crowds in Disneyland, allowing guests to have something else worth doing in the other park. Since the murder of Tristan Beaudette happened at Malibu Creek State Park in June, area residents are asking whether there is a serial killer. Beaudettes killer has not been identified. With the unresolved homicide and additional crimes committed in the area throughout the past couple of years, locals question if the individual crimes add up to a bigger picture such as a serial killer terrorizing the affluent community, which In Touch Weekly reported on September 7. String of shootings in the Malibu area raise concerns Beaudette, who was from Irvine, California, was on a camping trip in the states park with his two small daughters. He had taken the trip to allow his wife quiet time needed to study for an important, upcoming exam. *Information Wanted* regarding the #LASD Homicide Shooting Death Investigation on the 1900 blk of Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas - Malibu Creek State Park https://t.co/4ZgwWyV0Ej pic.twitter.com/lF2XsVLDD8 LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) June 26, 2018 Beaudette, a research scientist, was 35 when he was shot in the chest and mortally wounded while he was inside his tent. His little girls were also there but not harmed. Detectives do not have leads in the investigation, according to In Touch. Law enforcement has also not established or announced a motive. Shooting incidents evoke actors social media post Comedian and actor Rob Scheider took his thoughts to social media on September 6. He posted on Twitter, asking why no one is talking about the crimes committed in the area near Malibu Canyon. We have a serial killer in Malibu. Why isnt anyone talking about it? Hes killed 7 people in the last 19 months. Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) September 6, 2018 There have been additional shootings in the park area, which have not gone unnoticed by locals or by law enforcement. Discuss this news on Eunomia News media has also recognized the reports of earlier incidents, such as the November 2016 shooting of James Rogers, which The Guardian (US Edition) reported on August 22. Rogers, who is a wildlife biologist, was above Malibu, staying the night in a hammock. He woke up feeling a burning sensation, The Guardian noted. His arm was peppered with buckshot. He was not very far away from a main road, only an estimated 200 yards. Rogers was also staying in an area that is often used by hikers, tourists, and people on day visits. Six days after Rogers was hit with buckshot, another person camping in the area was shot at but was not hit. The next shooting incident happened two months later. A couples vehicle, targeted by a shooter, was struck with gunfire. Seven shootings in area where murder happened Officials acknowledge that at least seven shootings have happened in the area near the rustic campsite where Beaudettes body was discovered after people hear the shot that fatally wounded him, KTLA reported. The summer months were anxiety-ridden for many locals and park visitors aware of the shooting incidents. Serial Killer in Malibu California https://t.co/vZqLXvH6vp Clay Anderson (@AndersonClay86) September 6, 2018 Officers with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department have not been lax. They have combed the area in search of clues on more than one occasion. In addition, investigators have fielded calls about shots fired without being sure of how many of the calls may have been accurate. The campsite, as well, was closed for a stretch of time as officials searched and as a measure of caution. Task force established in response to incidents In August, law enforcement established a task force as a result of shootings and the murder of Beaudette. According to California Senator Henry Stern, there have been a total of eight confirmed shootings that have happened since November 3, 2016. Authorities have assured people that there is no reason to fear a serial killer right now, In Touch reported. Investigators are not asleep at the wheel. Be sure to follow Blasting News for updates and for the latest information. The $300 million art collection of Barney Ebsworth, founder of luxury travel lines nearly three dozen paintings by household names like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Edward Hopper - are set for auction on October 3 at Christie's NY. Marc Porter, chairman of Christie's Americas, told Bloomberg News, This is the greatest collection of American modernism ever to come to market. An art story that doesn't make the headlines While all three painters' names are art world stars, it's Hopper who should get extra attention because, while great wealth drives this auction, (Ebsworth founded luxury travel like the Royal Cruise Line and the Clipper Cruise Line), Hopper pointedly shunned affluence both in his life and work. (More about his life in a moment). His paintings were usually portraits of alienation and loneliness in modern life. You probably know his 1942 Nighthawks, which pictures people sitting at a diner counter without relating to one another. It sold the year it was painted for a paltry $3,000 to the Chicago Art Institute. It took 29 years afterward for a painting of his to reach a record sale: East Wind over Weekhawken painted in 1934, which shows a humble residential street in New Jersey with a modest house marked for sale in the years when economic woes forced people to lose their homes. It reaped $40.5 million; but he never knew it, having died in 1967. And while the sale price was his highest, it doesn't come close to the sale prices for De Kooning - $300 million in 2015 and $200 million for Pollock in the same year. A scene of disquieting silence On the auction block this time, is Hopper's 1929 painting Chop Suey, with an asking price of $70 million. The image shows diners in a banal-looking Chinese restaurant two women at their table and a man and woman at a nearby table without a focus on any of them. Despite the presence of people, there's a blankness to their faces and little sense of interaction. Discuss this news on Eunomia A garish neon sign outside the eatery window lends a harsh and joyless air to the scene. Shades of the starving artist syndrome That sense of joylessness also marked the painter's life as revealed in the 1981 biography by art historian Gail Levin titled Edward Hopper: The Art and the Artist. In her account, he lived a hermetic life in rudimentary comfort, and his wife Josephine Nivison, also a painter, encouraged his thrift, shopping for most of their clothes at Woolworth's and at Sears. She also hooked rugs from rags that she collected and cooked their dinners out of cans. They both knew years of financial struggle as painters and apparently never forgot it. Never yielding to the whims of of fashion, Levin said the Hoppers always bought used cars and drove each until it would run no more. They also wore their clothes down to the threads. So, with all the ballyhooing about this $300 million auction, I can't help thinking of Hopper's disquieting work and wonder if it's the stark realism of his work rather than the abstract self-expressions of Pollock's and De Kooning's that speak most of life in modern America. . Education is key to progress. Virginia Techs founders knew it. And 146 years later, the Hokie Nation continues this momentum to meet the needs of todays and tomorrows workforce, said President Tim Sands during his third State of the University Address on Friday afternoon in the Moss Arts Center. The universitys strong, discovery-driven research underscores this mission. Many of the best things happening at Virginia Tech start with research, said Sands to the crowd gathered in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre. It is the fuel that powers our aspiration to become a top global university, and it is the catalyst for economic prosperity in the communities we serve. During the address, Sands outlined Virginia Techs key research progress, its growing influence in the state, its efforts to be an inclusive and diverse campus, and its vision to be known as a top global land-grant research institution. By live video, Sands also highlighted Virginia Techs work in Blacksburg, Roanoke, and Arlington. Few universities have a research portfolio like Virginia Techs, which partners with companies and many federal government sectors, Sands said. Its research expenditures surpass $500 million. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said Israeli military aircraft targeted two observation post belonging to Hamas, ruler of the Gaza Strip. The first air raid, which took place in northern Gaza, came after a grenade was thrown at IDF soldiers and the border security fence from the area. Another Hamas observation post in southern Gaza was targeted in response to the damage to security infrastructure in the area, the IDF said in a statement on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported. During the clashes between thousands of Palestinian protesters and IDF soldiers on Friday near the security fence, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead, according to the Gaza health ministry. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The beginning of August brought the end to the hot dry weather of the previous two months; however, for myself I was away in Bulgaria viewing the wildlife of this interesting eastern country, along with the continuing warm weather. With beautiful scenery and fantastic wildlife, it was such a contrast to the quiet period of July, which is the post breeding season and waiting the on set of the migration. After a successful tern-breeding season, it was great to relax with a different collection of creatures. Here is a flavour of Bulgarian wildlife. Woodchat Shrike -- Bulgaria Spotted Fritillary -- bulgaria Queen of Spain Fritillary -- Bulgaria So the tern once again were the highlight of the summer with the final figures being confirmed as Little Tern 20 prs (13 fledged), Sandwich tern 29 prs (18 fledged), Common Tern 15prs (5 fledged), Black-Headed Gull 459prs (584 fledged) and Mediterranean Gull 6prs (8 fledged) and another record set for Tern Island and the benefits of the new fence were all to seen. Even another American visitor in the shape of a Royal Tern graced the site for a short time. These rare terns continue to enjoy the site after 2017 Elegant Tern. Juv Little Tern class of 2018 After returning from Bulgaria, the migration was in full flow with the first early returning birds in the bushes and shingle whitethroat, pied and spotted flycatchers, whinchat and wheatears were the first to excite the local birdwatcher. On the pools Little Stint, curlew sandpiper and ruff, followed an early wood sandpiper. Then by the end of August Ospreys were being seen daily, then the discovery of two wryneck on the last week was a highlight despite being very elusive. Long legged wading birds then became the main feature with a spoonbill visiting Whites creek that continues to be there at time of writing and an unprecedented 12 Cattle Egret appeared as part of a countrywide invasion of this southern species. Cattle Egret -- North Fields Wood Sandpiper -- Ferry Pool The cool evenings in September mean that the mothing was slow however, two micro moths new to the reserve were caught in the first week Elachista alpinella -- Second for Sussex Acleris emargana by Maarten Boudry Maarten Boudry I want to argue in favor of the motion that religion constitutes a stumbling block to integration. By this I mean: integration in our modern, secular, liberal, democratic order. I will distinguish two types of reasons: one concerns some fundamental features of religion as a cultural phenomenon. The other reason has to do with the vagaries of history and sheer coincidence. But first religion itself. Let me start with the most general characterization of religion. Religions are belief systems, bound up with certain practices and rituals, which proclaim some supernatural truths. In the case of revealed religions these truths are described in a number of holy books, which are infallible and should not be questioned. In my book Illusions for the Advanced I described the evolution of religious belief systems and wondered whether religions can play a useful role in our society. In the end I arrive at the conclusion that religions are byproducts of our brains, which serve no useful function for humans or for society. If they have a purpose at all, it is mainly to spread and to sustain themselves. Based on this evolutionary perspective, I think I can develop an argument for why religions are, almost by definition, opposed to integration or assimilation. In the course of history, people have worshipped countless gods, which now lie in the graveyard, as H.L. Mencken once put it, because no one is afraid of them any longer, and no one is left to pray to them. You can see this process as a form of natural selection, but in a cultural sense. Gods survive as long as the human imagination keeps them alive. Some are exiled, rejected or forgotten. Others perish along with their faithful, when the latter are conquered by other groups. Still others wither away in contact with other gods and other cultures. And that brings me to the main point. The religions that were too malleable, too easily accommodating to changing circumstances, too prone to compromise, have disappeared in the folds of history. Numerous gods have failed, precisely because their supporters too easily blended in with other cultures. The religions that have endured long enough to still be around, are the religions that managed to forge close-knit groups that actively resisted assimilation, and didn't tolerate any questioning or doubt. Religious doctrines, at least culturally successful ones, are not open to critical scrutiny, but must be accepted on blind faith. By its very nature, religion creates a dichotomy between those who live in the Truth', and the outsiders who are deprived of it. In other words, religion is the mother lode of Us-vs-Them thinking. Blind faith is divisive, whereas doubt and critical thinking unites and bridges our differences. Take the remarkably long life span of the Jewish religion, which managed to survive and preserve its identity for almost three millennia, even in strange and often hostile environments (although it has fractionated internally). By founding a close-knit community, including initiation rituals and shared myths and traditions, it has fostered strong social bonds. By cultivating the idea of being the chosen people', it has created a sense of superiority and specialness with regard to the rest of the world. One savvy trick to promote and enforce group cohesion, described in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, is to mandate the death penalty for apostasy, for worshipping other gods besides God, and for failing to obey the commandments of the one true God. Is that not a great trick to ensure that no one defects the group, nor blends in or integrates with other groups, and thus to protect the belief system? The two illegitimate children spawned by Judaism Christianity and Islam have adopted and refined some of those mechanisms for promoting group cohesion and fostering Us-vs-Them thinking. The main innovation, to make a shortcut, is that they began to assimilate other groups into their faith: proselytism became a sacred duty. Not only did the members of the group initiate all children into the faith as soon as possible, but they also started spreading their beliefs far and wide. Sometimes using gentle persuasion, sometimes brute force. Proselytizing religions (Islam and Christianity) are an obstacle to integration in our modern world, precisely because it is part of the religious duty to actively oppose it, and turn the tables on the other party. This, of course, precisely explains their overwhelming success in world history. But that was back then. Through globalization and modern communication technology, there is a lot more contact nowadays between religions and culturesa lot more mutual influence. Ever since the advent of the Enlightenment, with its values of free and critical inquiry, religions have been exposed to threats that they did not encounter before in their history. Myths clash with scientific knowledge, traditional practices are being questioned. In more and more countries people enjoy the freedom, enshrined in laws and constitutional rights, to change their religion, to learn about other religious traditions and cultures, and to criticize, or even, ridicule religious beliefs. The beliefs and practices of old are being threatened. Now there are basically two things that can happen: religion may lose its hold over our human minds, group cohesion may weaken, rituals and traditions become less strictly observed, and belief in doctrines slowly withers away. Rough edges may be smoothed, despicable practices abolished or no longer carried out, and bizarre doctrines discreetly abandoned. Religions may also become more modest. Believers may accept the separation of church and state and make divine laws subordinate to human laws. They will no longer try to impose their faith on the rest of the world, and they engage in more contact with people of other persuasions. In Western countries many religions in recent centuries have been modified and sculpted by the values of Humanism and Enlightenment. Sociological research shows that this process continues unabated. After a few generations, the power of God has eroded so much that he is only a shadow of what he used to be. Some people end up losing their faith altogether, some still keep the rituals and symbols, devoid of any doctrinal content. Many turn their backs on religious institutions and develop a form of private spirituality. But there is a different, opposite possibility. In confronting the threats of modern culture, some religions may retreat in their dogmas. Time-worn tricks for promoting group cohesion may be deployed to resist the temptations of the modern world: consumerism, freedom, earthly pleasures. The gods who are still alive today, are struggling like devils in a holy water font. The resurgence of religion, of which we hear sometimes, concerns especially these persistent, aggressive and radical forms, which are not easily tamed by Enlightenment. Those gods have lost none of their power, or have even grown stronger facing the challenges of modern life. Precisely these religions tend to achieve cultural success, and form a stumbling block for integration. Now I would like to give some examples of how religion hinders integration. I will talk mostly about Islam, since this is the faith that is of greatest concern in our modern life. To some extent, however, my remarks also apply to fundamentalist strands of Christianity and Judaism. Homophobia and gay bashing. All three Abrahamic religions have traditionally been obsessed with what we are up to in our bedrooms. The sexual norm professed by Islam, Christianity and Judaism is explicitly heterosexual. In Holy Writ, homosexuality is condemned in the strongest terms, as a heinous sin, often punishable by death. Most forms of Christianity are now assimilated into modernity, and have somewhat toned down their invective against homosexuality. They still find it horrible, but no longer think it should be punished. Or they find the act sinful, but have compassion for the sinner. In Islamic circles, this accommodation to enlightened values is still far away. Research by sociologist Mark Elchardus shows that a quarter of young Muslims in Ghent and Antwerp find violence against gay people legitimate, three times as many as among Flemish students. A survey of 500 Muslim youth from the United Kingdom points out that no one (!) deems homosexuality 'morally acceptable', and 61% wants it to ban it. Among Western-European Muslims, 55% do not want a gay person as a friend. Those who deny that Islam provides fertile ground for homophobia and a stumbling block to integration, are willfully blind. Interreligious marriage. There is a taboo in Islam on marriage between a Muslim woman and someone outside the faith community. This is a very concrete obstacle to integration. Marriages between a Muslim male and someone outside the community of faith occur quite frequently, but the reverse is much less common. Again, this provision has a religious motivation. According to the Qur'an, men are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women, but Muslim women can never marry a non-Muslim man (Sura 60:10). If communities continue to live apart, then there is no question of genuine integration. Outgroup hostility. Both in Christianity and Islam we see that religious groups see themselves as a beleaguered and oppressed minority, even if they have gained power. Christians in the U.S. imagine that there is a War on Christmas going on. Muslims imagine that European civilization is out to destroy Islam, that Muslims are regarded as inferior, that they are discriminated against and excluded. That sense of frustration and paranoia is of course exploited by Jihadist groups as a recruitment tool. But the persecution complex and the Us-vs-Them thinking is not limited to ISIS and Al Qaeda. The Qur'an constantly warns against the enemies of Islam, against the hypocrites who undermine the faith from within, and the book exhorts Muslims not to befriend Jews and Christians. Unbelievers, it goes without saying, are pure evil. More than 50% of Muslims living in Europe, according to research by Ruud Koopmans, think the West wants to destroy Islam. Policy measures such as a ban on religious symbols, in official functions or in the classroom, are seen by many Muslims as a deliberate strategy to oppress and eradicate Islam. Those who imagine that such views do not stand in the way of integration, are willfully blind. Ideological affinity with radicalism (Jihadism). Islam today suffers from a serious reputation problem, because of the relentless stream of Islamist terrorist attacks worldwide, and also because of the sympathy some Muslims in Europe still feel for Jihadism. The majority of Muslims are not to blame for this, but both moderates and radicals invoke the very same sacred texts and use similar symbols. That this would muddy multicultural waters was written in the stars. Explicit denunciations of IS by religious leaders are still urgently needed (and happen thankfully) but moderate Muslims must also come to terms with the deep religious roots of Islamic terrorism, and stop repeating the mantra that this has nothing to do with Islam. I could continue this list, but I promised to also say something about the historically contingent circumstances that make religion today a barrier to integration. The main problem is the accidental but unfortunate association between religious faith and ethnic background, which results from the vagaries of history and the geographical distribution of religions. Religious fundamentalism can be found in all religions, but at this moment in history Islam wreaks most havoc. A significant proportion of immigrants in European society are Muslim, and most Muslims simply happen to have a darker complexion. That unfortunate association distorts the debate on integration. On the one hand, critics of Islam are branded as racists or xenophobes because they inadvertently target an ethnic or cultural minority. Inspired by a misguided notion of respect, especially for foreign religions of people with a different skin color, all kinds of abuses are condoned. Islamists exploit our fear of racism as a protective shield to propagate their noxious ideology with impunity. On the other hand, we must also recognize that genuine racists are hiding behind the cloak of Enlightenment values to appear more respectable. This happens in Flanders, especially by the right-wing Vlaams Belang' party. Because criticism of Islam was for a long time a taboo from which other political parties have shied away, Vlaams Belang has been allowed to claim and appropriate the issue. Progressive voices, with some brave exceptions, were afraid of tackling Islam the way they used to tackle Christianity, for fear of being accused of racism. That dynamic is self-fulfilling: eventually the criticism of foreign cultures and religions is left to those who have no such misgivings and use religion critique as a cover for racism. And there are other complications. Because of this perceived association between fundamentalist Islam and ethnic background, some will indeed develop (or strengthen) racist ideas. But that is misguided. Religions are not races and have no color. Anyone can endorse despicable ideas, regardless of ethnic background. If we should be grateful for anything to the white converts who have joined the ranks of the caliphate, it is that they have inadvertently showed that radical Islam has nothing to do with skin color. Islamic Jihadism is a toxic ideology, regardless of who adheres it. Nevertheless, the race association lingers in the minds of many. Not only are moderate Muslims today, especially after the horrific attacks in Paris, regarded with suspicion, but non-Muslims people with dark skin face the same prejudices, because they are associated with a religion that is not even theirs. In this way religious fundamentalism can breed and foster racism. Religion is not the root of all evil, but it is divisive and polarizing, it breeds mutual distrust and Us-vs-Them thinking. The most successful gods, on the cultural level, are precisely the gods that don't make any compromises, that close ranks and close minds, that demonize the outgroup and resist outside influences. Increasingly, these are the gods that we must reckon with today. The others languish or rot in their graves. And that is why religion indeed forms a stumbling block to integration. * * * (Adapted from a speech at Utrecht University on 11.20.2015. Translation by Rik Delaet. Thanks to Bill Flavell for proofreading.) * * * Maarten Boudry (1984) is a postdoctoral fellow of the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) at Ghent University. In 2011, he defended his dissertation on pseudoscience, Here Be Dragons. Exploring the Hinterland of Science, consisting of a collection of papers that have been published in Philosophy of Science, Philosophia, Quarterly Review of Biology, Science & Education and Philosophical Psychology. He is co-editor of Philosophy of Pseudoscience. Reconsidering the Demarcation Problem (2013), together with Massimo Pigliucci. His current research deals with evolutionary epistemology, in particular the problem of human irrationality. Other research interests include naturalism, skepticism, and the conflict between science and religion. He just published Illusions for the Advanced. Why Truth is Always Better (Illusies voor gevorderden, in Dutch) and is co-author of The Doubting Thomas Might Be Right, (with Johan Braeckman, 2011). William Davies in The Guardian: On a late Friday afternoon in November last year, police were called to Londons Oxford Circus for reasons described as terror-related. Oxford Circus underground station was evacuated, producing a crush of people as they made for the exits. Reports circulated of shots being fired, and photos and video appeared online of crowds fleeing the area, with heavily armed police officers heading in the opposite direction. Amid the panic, it was unclear where exactly the threat was emanating from, or whether there might be a number of attacks going on simultaneously, as had occurred in Paris two years earlier. Armed police stormed Selfridges department store, while shoppers were instructed to evacuate the building. Inside the shop at the time was the pop star Olly Murs, who tweeted to nearly 8 million followers: Fuck everyone get out of Selfridge now gun shots!! As shoppers in the store made for the exits, others were rushing in at the same time, producing a stampede. Smartphones and social media meant that this whole event was recorded, shared and discussed in real time. The police attempted to quell the panic using their own Twitter feed, but this was more than offset by the sense of alarm that was engulfing other observers. Far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson tweeted that this looks like another jihad attack in London. The Daily Mail unearthed an innocent tweet from 10 days earlier, which had described a lorry stopped on a pavement in Oxford Street, and used this as a basis on which to tweet Gunshots fired as armed police officers surrounded Oxford Circus station after lorry ploughs into pedestrians. The media were not so much reporting facts, as serving to synchronise attention and emotion across a watching public. For Subscribers Northern State hosts Bemidji State Saturday in game with playoff implications For the first time in the 2000s-era, the Northern State Wolves received rankings in the NCAA Super Region Four. Elias Stover, the University of New Mexicos first president, was a battle-tested Union artillery officer during the Civil War, served Kansas as a state legislator and lieutenant governor, and, after moving to New Mexico in 1876, was a Bernalillo County commissioner, a member of the Territorial Legislature in 1891 and a founder of the First National Bank of Albuquerque. Pretty impressive. Unfortunately, he may be best remembered during his time as UNM president, 1891-1897, as the father of Roderick Stover, a student so unruly that faculty members asked President Stover to pull his son out of the university. Elias Stover, who was a (UNM) regent as well as president, was a businessman but he did not have any academic experience, said Portia Vescio, UNMs archivist. She said Stover did not leave a UNM legacy worth boasting about. Vescio will talk about Stover and six other early UNM presidents during an Albuquerque Historical Society presentation titled For Better and For Worse at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain NW. Vescio said that due to Stovers inexperience in academia, the university hired Hiram Hadley, president of the faculty at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now New Mexico State, as UNM vice president in charge of academics. One problem Hadley had to deal with was Roderick Stover. Roderick Stover did not seem to want to follow the rules of the university, Vescio said. He had a lot of clashes with his father and with Hadley. She said the younger Stover was even suspected of a reckless and dangerous incident involving explosives in a university bell. No one was hurt. Hadley expelled him, but his father refused to enforce the expulsion, Vescio said. She said Roderick graduated from UNM in 1909, a dozen years after his father completed his presidency. Vescio will also talk about UNM presidents Clarence L. Herrick (1897-1901), William G. Tight (1902-1909), Edward D. M. Gray (1909-1912), David R. Boyd (1912-1919), David S. Hill (1919-1927) and James F. Zimmerman (1927-1944). As UNM archivist since May 2016, Vescio is responsible for processing and promoting the universitys historical documents and photographs. She works with classes doing historical research, creates exhibits and hosts events related to UNM history. Vescio, 45, is from Rome, N.Y. She did not set out to be an archivist. She got a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I thought I wanted to work in a chemistry lab, she said during a phone interview from her university office. But I had a student job working at MITs archives. I liked the fact that it was sort of like solving puzzles, solving mysteries. People researchers from other institutions, genealogists, students would come in with questions and you have to go to different sources. It wasnt like you found that one document that had everything you wanted. Deciding she was happier in a library environment than in a laboratory setting, Vescio changed course and earned a masters of library science degree from Indiana University. Before coming to UNM, she worked as the manuscripts librarian for the Rio Grande Historical Collections at New Mexico State in 2001-2002 and assistant director of the university archives and historical collections at Michigan State University from 2002-2016. Her presentation at the Albuquerque Museum grew out of a program she did for the UNM faculty. Vescio said William G. Tight, UNMs third president, may have been the most colorful of UNMs leaders. He definitely was a character, she said. He was the one who started the pueblo-style architecture at UNM. He would do manual labor. Theres a story about him doing work outside his house when a woman drives up and says, Excuse me, is this President Tights house? He says, Yes, just a moment and I will get him. He goes inside, changes into his formal attire and comes out to greet her. Vescio said she believes Tight did a lot of good for UNM. He built the first dormitories on campus, she said. UNMs first two Rhodes scholars (postgraduates selected for study at Englands University of Oxford) were from Tights administration. However, Tights term was derailed after seven years by scandals attached to his name and by political infighting on campus. He deserted a wife and child to take the UNM job and was sued for abandonment. An Albuquerque newspaper reported he had taken an unchaperoned buggy ride with a woman drawing instructor. And, in 1908, he got married but not to the drawing instructor in a quickie ceremony that raised some eyebrows. These indiscretions became part of the discussion among UNMs regents when two professors Tight tried to fire appealed their terminations. The regents upheld the firing of the professors, but they dismissed Tight as well. UNMs early years were often tumultuous. The university was pitted in a never-ending battle to secure funding from the state Legislature. My feeling is Zimmerman was the first (president) to bring long-term stability to UNM, Vescio said. He spent a lot of time, especially in his early years, working with the Legislature, fighting for money. Zimmerman was one of the more successful at that because he was able to present things in such a way that the Legislature couldnt argue with it. Zimmerman was still serving as UNM president when he died as a result of a heart attack in 1944. He was 57. The majority of art is contained and displayed within walls. The Paseo 2018 in Taos breaks down those walls and gives artists the ability to showcase work in an open space with no boundaries. The event is put on by the nonprofit group The Paseo Project. For two days Friday, Sept. 14, and Saturday, Sept. 15 artists from around the world will roll into the Taos Historic District and Kit Carson Park to showcase the art installations. Admission is free. Its a unique and very specific event, says J Matthew Thomas, director of The Paseo Project. This is art you cant hang on the wall. Its site-based and participatory. The Paseo 2018 now in its fifth year is a series of immersive and participatory art installations that harness art, science and technology as tools for the contemplation of Space, which is this years theme. The event offers a view of society in sync with nature and the universe. There will be 14 installations and about 33 artists from around the world participating in the event. When I started this whole idea, I wanted to help us see our town in a different way, says Thomas. My background is in urban design and architecture and what we do is take the main street and shake it up. We want to stop people in their tracks. The nexus for The Paseo 2018 the Space Cloud an inflated pavilion designed by Spanish architectural team Espacio La Nube will serve as a gigantic illuminated nerve center for the weekend events. Within the Space Cloud, a sci-artist will project enlarged animated plankton while a New Mexico-based artist asks the Taos community to come together to explore its world from outer space. You are invited to interact with what is installed, he says. Its an interactive experience. Weve often been told not to touch art, but with this experience, we want it to be immersive. Thomas says another dozen artists and art collectives will add thought-provoking and playful art for public sharing. Thomas and his crew are constantly checking out other festivals across the world to see the latest in art. I love it when a piece is conceptually really powerful, he says. What catches my eye is something that Ive never seen before. Then I start to think of what it would look like placed in the center of the Historic District of Taos. Theres a huge contrast of old and new. It gives new perspective and I think that is what intrigues people who are coming. One of six installations happening inside the Space Cloud, Cosmic Systems by VISIOPHONE of Portugal, will invite visitors to interact with sound and visuals in a dance with swarming particles. Each hour, Ballet Taos will perform an Inertia and Motion dance intervention responding to this interactive projection. We are All Space in Time, guest curated by Erin Elder, is a collection of four site-responsive interactions, installations and experiments that acknowledge the complexities of co-existence. Merging poetry, film, performance and surveillance, the group of artworks explores the human experience of living together in space and time. The four artworks are: No Grounds by Santa Fean Sarah Ashkin is a lightly scripted, participatory performance about peoples relationship to private property. Private Party by Anais Duplan, from Haiti, is a live film shoot that explores the friction between technology and intimacy. Performers are from Las Pistoleras Instituto Cultural de Arte. Live Stream by Christine Howard Sandoval from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a live-streamed performance using surveillance technology to channel disappearing waterways in and around Taos. CauseLines: Coherence/Interference is by Winter Count which includes Ginger Dunnill, Cannupa Hanska Luger and Dylan McLaughlin. The installation is an audience-generated sound and video performance created in response to the nearby Chevron Questa Mine Superfund site. Thomas says the event is still defining what it is. Were at a really sweet spot with just more than 30 artists, he says. The community continues to support bringing pieces of art that need big spaces to be displayed. Otherwise, these wouldnt be seen at all. TUCSON, Ariz. About $3 million worth of cattle was stolen from an Arizona family by a man they once considered a friend, prosecutors said in court documents. The fraud has pushed both families to the brink of financial ruin, the Arizona Daily Star reported . Longtime cattleman and rodeo cowboy Clay Parsons discovered last August that $1.3 million was missing from the accounts of the Marana Stockyards and Livestock Market, which his family has run since the early 1990s. It is one of the busiest stockyards in all of Arizona. The stockyards line of credit also was drawn down by nearly $2 million, according to court records. A trail of fraudulent documents led to Seth Nichols, the stockyards 29-year-old office manager, who pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud in February and faces up to five years in prison. Nichols is the son of Donald Hugh Nichols, a cattle broker who had been friends with Parsons for decades, court records show. Donald was indicted last month as a co-conspirator in $1.6 million of fraudulent cattle sales at the stockyards auctions. A federal prosecutor said the stockyard is operating week to week as it recovers from the fraud and Parsons has already spent $100,000 on audits and rebuilding the stockyards accounting system. Donald Hugh Nichols, who goes by Hugh, and his wife, Jane Nichols, filed for bankruptcy in federal court Aug. 10. The scheme began after Parsons hired Seth Nichols in June 2013 to run the stockyards day-to-day business. At the auctions, cows are brought to the stockyards each week to be sold to the highest bidder. Some recent auctions have seen more than 2,000 head of cattle sold, according to the stockyards market reports. The stockyard uses a line of credit to allow sellers to be paid quickly while the buyers payments are processed, according to court records. Seth Nichols admitted to manipulating the line of credit to buy cattle at the auctions on behalf of the Nichols Cattle Co., which then sold the cattle elsewhere without reimbursing the stockyard. He also admitted to sending the stockyards money directly to the cattle company. Seth Nichols agreed to pay restitution to the Parsons, which was capped at $3 million in his plea agreement. But those funds wont be available until after he is sentenced Sept. 24. Clay Parsons declined to comment. The attorneys involved in the case did not respond to requests for comment. Donald Hugh Nichols arraignment is scheduled for Friday. ___ Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.tucson.com WASHINGTON Some call it the resistance; others label it the herbal tea party. Whatever the name, liberal insurgents demanding a more confrontational approach to President Donald Trump and his Republican allies upended the Democratic establishment last week. From Bostons Charles River to the Senate committee rooms at the Capitol, from Chicagos City Hall to Delawares beaches, veteran Democrats found themselves under fire from political newcomers or upstaged by junior colleagues. The moments suggested that Democrats are now in the throes of something resembling what Republicans went through eight years ago. Thats when the so-called tea party began to seize control of the GOP in a manner that still wreaks havoc within the House and Senate caucuses. For Democrats, the first blow came Tuesday night when Boston City Council member Ayanna Pressley, 44, routed one of the partys most reliably liberal incumbents, Rep. Michael Capuano, in a primary. In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who once aspired to build a Daley-style reign in that city, bowed out of his re-election bid in the face of a crowded field of liberal challengers and continued protests against the police department. Two days later, in Delaware, Sen. Thomas Carper fought off an insurgent liberal who had almost no money and no political history but gave him his toughest race since winning his seat 18 years ago. The political establishment has gotten us Donald Trump, its gotten us the worst political position for the Democratic Party since the 1920s. We need change, and change is coming, said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a thorn in his leaderships side who himself first won office by defeating an 18-year incumbent four years ago. This new dynamic crystallized in the Senate Judiciary Committees confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. They began Tuesday with the most junior member of the panel, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., challenging the 84-year-old chairman, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, over his handling of the voluminous documents from Kavanaughs tenure at the George W. Bush White House. The hearings concluded Friday amid debate about whether Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., the second-most junior member, should face an ethics investigation into his unauthorized release of some documents that had been labeled confidential. Off Capitol Hill, liberal activists, led by a onetime acolyte of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., hectored the committees ranking Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, for not being aggressive enough in her clashes with Grassley. Protesters interrupted four days of hearings, leading to 227 arrests by U.S. Capitol Police. None of these actions has likely hurt Democrats ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, in which they continue to be in a strong position to fight for the House majority and have an outside chance at the Senate majority. Indeed, some of these moves might have further energized the already motivated liberal base of voters to turn out in November. But, taken together, these actions demonstrate that a mentality might be building in opposition to Trump that is similar to what took firm hold among Republicans during the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections. Back then, ideology was no longer defined by traditional conservative policies like free trade and strong national security. Those positions got trumped by emotional conservatism whoever espoused the loudest, most confrontational approach toward opposing Barack Obamas administration got the most attention, even if their idea had no chance at success. Yes, the pun was intended, as Trump and his sometimes nonconservative positions came to redefine the Republican Party. The response to Trump could create a mirror image where emotional confrontation, regardless of the likelihood of success, becomes the coin of the liberal realm. Take the Kavanaugh hearings. Some leaders of the coalition opposing the judge sharply criticized Feinstein and other Democrats for even participating in the hearings. A walkout of the hearings might have created a temporary good feeling a triumph for emotional liberalism but it would not have slowed Kavanaughs confirmation. In fact, Republicans, then in the minority, made the exact same threat in June 2010 ahead of Justice Elena Kagans confirmation hearings. Schumer has been quietly trying to protect the interests of a handful of Democrats in states that voted heavily for Trump in 2016, several of whom may vote to confirm Kavanaugh. Liberal activists have made it clear they will blame Schumer for any defections on the vote, and thats prompted some allies to defend him. Charles E. Schumer has a hard job, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a favorite of the base, told reporters Thursday. But he held us together in health-care debates. He held us together in tax debates. And made clear the difference between Republicans, who are willing to make this government work only for the rich and powerful. Across the Capitol, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., finds herself in a weakened position as dozens of House candidates have vowed to oppose her bid for speaker if Democrats win the majority. Some of those challengers are in Trump-leaning districts and are making calculated moves to appeal to conservative voters. But upstarts like Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 28, who stunned Democrats by defeating 20-year congressman Joseph Crowley in a New York Democratic primary, are also withholding support from Pelosi. These Young Turks have created a slow boil among senior Democrats who question whether the newcomers have the capacity to run Congress at such a momentous time. Young men are called because they are strong, old men because they know the way. Our leadership has to have a healthy mix of both, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., No. 3 in the House leadership, said in a recent interview. Republican leaders know well that the most dangerous intraparty rivals are not in competitive swing districts but in the safest GOP-leaning districts. Tea party groups intentionally focused on trying to elect the most confrontational lawmakers in solid Republican districts, and from that effort came the House Freedom Caucus. Those far-right lawmakers drove the federal government into a shutdown in October 2013 and helped oust Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, from the speakers office two years later. They are threatening to support another government shutdown this fall. Moulton believes that, if they win the majority, Democrats will avoid those pitfalls but only because Democrats tend to support the federal government. The tea party tries to destroy government, he said. We need to restore faith in government. Sometimes that means being willing to go against the establishment, but that doesnt mean tearing apart the institutions. LAS CRUCES A Veterans Administration clinic in Las Cruces is helping disabled military veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder through a program that uses the therapeutic benefits of fly fishing. Project Healing Waters is free for disabled veterans such as Ray Kirby, who is haunted by experiences he went through during his service, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. The local group has about 10 veterans who participate regularly and gets one or two new members each year. Kirbys life was on a downhill spiral after he returned from a tour in Iraq where he saw mankind at its absolute worst. He was diagnosed with PTSD in 2006. Hes gone through two failed marriages and was kicked out of his mothers Las Cruces home after a few months of living there. I was angry at the military, he said. I was angry at myself. I was angry at the world. I drank and drank. I was in denial. The Army veteran happened to see a brochure on the program in 2012 at the Las Cruces VA clinic. He was connected to fellow veteran Ron Bellerose, who leads the program and taught Kirby the basics of fly fishing. Project Healing Waters provides members with rods, reels, flies and supplies for making them and covers travel and all related costs for overnight fishing trips. The program takes members on two to three trips per year. Most excursions are overnight trips because of the lack of fishable streams in southern New Mexico. Kirby remembers one November day when he joined the group for a fly-fishing trip to Rio Penasco in southern New Mexico. He didnt catch any trout that day, but he loved it nonetheless. It felt so good listening to the wind, hearing the birds chirping, he said. It was a cold, rainy day, but I will never forget it. Kirby still struggles with mental health issues and is trying hard to stay away from alcohol for good, but he said fly fishing has helped him cope and he is in better shape today because of it. Compared to where I was, (Im) a billion times better, he said. I dont have nightmares as often. Im still working on managing my emotions. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal New Mexicans have a strong connection to the Bataan Death March, and for good reason: Hundreds of the states men died during the battle and subsequent death march of Bataan. But tens of thousands of Filipinos also fought alongside New Mexicos Battling Bastards. One of them was Atilano Al David, who died at age 97 on Aug. 23 in Albuquerque. After the surrender of the American and Filipino troops to the Japanese on April 9, 1942, on the Bataan peninsula, more than 75,000 prisoners of war were forced to walk 65 miles in unbearable conditions to camps. According to the New Mexico Military Museum, 1,000 Americans and 9,000 Filipinos were killed or died along the way. And David, who served with the United States Army of the Far East, was almost one of them. Suffering from malaria, dysentery and shrapnel wounds, and denied food, water, or medicine, the young man was being carried between a Filipino and American during the infamous event. Always a devout Catholic, David said that he witnessed a miracle during his hellish time on the march. A priest, whom he identified as the now-canonized St. Pio of Pietrelcina, appeared to him during a particularly dark moment. He told him to keep going, because hope was just over the horizon, eulogized Brig. Gen. Andrew Salas, former adjutant general of the New Mexico National Guard, at a Saturday Mass honoring David at the Shrine of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Albuquerque. But, soon, his brothers in arms could carry him no longer, and they discreetly hid him in a nearby hibiscus bush. Children who lived nearby quickly covered him with banana leaves, and he waited silently for hours for the march to pass him by. After regaining his health, David became a member of the Filipino resistance, joining guerillas and spying on the Japanese. While his wartime exploits were notable, David didnt let them define him. After immigrating to the United States in 1955, he went on to become a picture of the American dream. He enjoyed life and he told me he was lucky to live in a country that allowed him to be whatever he wanted, his close friend, Richard Luena, said. He worked as an advertising copywriter at Macys and eventually became Edward R. Murrows telecopy editor at CBS. He and his late wife, Rosa Cunanan David, retired to Albuquerque in 2001, where they became popular members of the citys vibrant Filipino community. David published his first book, End of the Trail: A Novel of the Philippines in World War II, just last year. Luena said that, at the time of his death, work was already underway on a second. He also painted, sculpted and acted. He is a true Filipino American hero, said Pearl King, president of the New Mexico chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society. He is one example of a Filipino professional, soldier and veteran worthy of emulation by the youth, and we are so proud to have somebody like him. David is survived by his brother, Alfredo David of Albuquerque. The fashion industry has shown great interest in innovative technologies in the last ten years or so that have resulted in garments and accessories incorporating specific technologies or made with new materials and, more recently, in a fascination with virtual models and digital influencers. The latest institution to join the tech trend is the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain, with a dedicated course that will start next month (from 13th October - you can get further information about it here). The course will include 6 sessions divided between the Kutxa Kultur Moda workshop space in Tabakalera, San Sebastian, and the Balenciaga Museum. Taught by artist, educator and creative technologist, Paola Guimerans, who studied Design and Technology at the Parsons School of Design, New York, the course will focus on the methodologies and techniques and the digital tools required to create wearable projects. The main concept behind the course is to teach the participants how to use specific techniques, but also how to incorporate them into a fashion design without risking of making the latter look unwearable or simply outlandish. The first class will look at basic techniques and digital manufacturing applied to textiles and wearable technology with the introduction to the construction of flexible circuits and to the LilyPad Arduino platform for the creation of interactive clothing accessories. The second lecture will focus on wearable textile sensors (for example potentiometers, pressure and tilt sensors) and the way they allow us to gather data via clothes. People who are into new materials shouldn't miss the third stage of the course since it will offer a focus on nitinol and thermochromatic dyes and how they can be incorporated into a design. The discourse on materials will continue with a lecture on prototyping with a 3D printing collaboration with Material ConneXion Bilbao. The latter was founded in 2015 and it is part of a more important network specialising in the search for and consultancy on innovative and sustainable materials, and on transformation processes. Founded in 1997 in New York, with its first library of physical materials, Material ConneXion quickly spread to seven locations in the United States, Asia and Europe. Today it manages the biggest materials library in the world, with more than 7,000 references (Material ConneXion Bilbao currently has a selection of more than 1,000 materials which continues to grow and update). The course at the Balenciaga Museum will close with two last phases in which the participants will turn into makers and will design and produce a garment or accessory with the techniques they have learnt. Who knows, maybe the late couturier may have like the idea of linking his craftsmanship to technology: Balenciaga was indeed well-know for his architectural constructions that hid some great technical skills, as revealed also in an exhibition that took place at London's V&A earlier this year in which his designs were analysed via X-rays to show the hidden structural and technical details behind his creations. Longtime Albuquerque resident Bill Daily, the comic sidekick to leading men on the sitcoms I Dream of Jeannie and The Bob Newhart Show, has died, a family spokesman said Saturday. Daily, 91, died of natural causes in Santa Fe, on Tuesday, where he had been living with his son, J. Patrick Daily. He acted and directed plays in Albuquerque beginning in the 1970s and moved to the Duke City in the 1980s. Albuquerque Little Theatre hosted many of his productions. He also had a stint as director of the New Mexico Film Commission. Daily was not a household name but he was a household face, familiar to many millions of baby-boomer viewers in the 1960s and 70s from two of the eras biggest shows. He played Major Roger Healy in all five seasons of I Dream of Jeannie from 1965 to 1970. Healy was the astronaut partner to Larry Hagmans Major Anthony Nelson as both men tried to contain the antics of Jeannie, the childlike blond bombshell played by Barbara Eden who lived in a bottle. Eden said on Twitter Friday night that Daily was Our favorite zany astronaut. Billy was wonderful to work with, Eden said. He was a funny, sweet man that kept us all on our toes. Im so thankful to have known and worked with that rascal. Just two years later he landed a very similar role and had an even longer run on The Bob Newhart Show, playing aviator Howard Borden behind Newharts psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley for 140 episodes between 1972 and 1978. Newhart, now 89, said in a statement Saturday that he and Daily had been friends since both were trying to break into comedy in Chicago in the 1950s, and Daily was a clutch comedian that could make anything work on the sitcom. I called him our bullpen man. Whenever we were having trouble with a script on the show, wed have Bill make an appearance, Newhart said. He was one of the most positive people I ever knew, and well dearly miss him. Daily specialized in support, upping the comic moments of his co-stars his Newhart character was, fittingly, a co-pilot with a goofy warmth. At Bill Dailys request no funeral is planned. He just wanted his loved ones to have a party, which is tentatively planned for next year, the family said. Actor James Urbaniak called him the king of affable vulnerability on Twitter Friday. Daily was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but raised in Chicago, which he always considered his hometown. He said he was always a class clown despite losing his father while still a child. Before acting, he tried to make it in show business as a jazz bass player, playing in a combo called Jack and the Beanstalks. Appearing in variety shows drew him into standup comedy and then acting. He landed one-off roles on the oddball shows of the early 1960s like My Mother the Car and Bewitched, which brought him to the attention of the creators of I Dream of Jeannie. He said his work at first was derivative and not very good. I was doing Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, Daily said in a 2003 interview with the Archive of American Television. I was terrible. I think I was funny, but I didnt know what I was doing. After Jeannie he returned to guest-starring roles, including one on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, before his old friend Newhart came seeking a sidekick. On The Bob Newhart Show, Dailys Howard Borden was the neighbor across the hall who always popped in looking to borrow or mooch something, like Kramer on Seinfeld two decades later. He said the writers and his co-stars made the part a breeze. I just think the scripts were just written so beautifully, Daily said in the TV archive interview. And Bob was a brilliant straight man, hed just give you everything. Daily later appeared on game shows and in reunion specials for his two shows, and in later years hung out with his co-stars on the nostalgia convention circuit. In his last well-known role, he played a psychiatrist on the cult hit alien-puppet sitcom Alf from 1987 to 1989. Daily was married three times. His third wife, Becky Daily, died in 2010 after 17 years of marriage. He adopted two children, daughter Kimberly and son J. Patrick Daily. Someone told me recently that I was the least-political politician they had ever met, and I took that as a great compliment mostly because I dont consider myself to be a politician, even though I have served the public for years. As you know, I rarely weigh in on the opinion pages about issues. But Im putting aside some of my nonpolitician ways to say something that I believe is extremely important for the people of New Mexico: The move by Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to allow straight-ticket voting is not right and violates the sacred nature of the Secretary of States Office. Toulouse Oliver was elected to protect the integrity of elections and to serve candidates and elected officials of all parties as well as those who dont want to identify with a party. She works for all of the states county clerks and all of us who vote. I admit that operating in fairness, and not politicizing the office or any office that oversees the political process has been difficult to achieve for many who serve the public today. But that does not mean we should quietly accept a single elected officers decision to affect the outcome of this election. I can speak from experience on this, having served as secretary of state in 2016 and knowing how challenging it can be to make sure that our elections are honest and that every vote is counted. Only nine states allow straight-ticket voting because it is so controversial. Since 1994, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas (ban starts in 2020), Wisconsin, Virginia and yes, New Mexico as well, all abolished straight-ticket voting. With this reversal, New Mexico now joins Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Utah. Why would we do that? Straight-ticket voting promotes the election of a party, not the election of a candidate. Straight-ticket voting makes it more difficult for independents or minor-party candidates to compete against the two major political parties. At a time when voter registration is showing a solid shift toward independent identification, this move by the secretary of state seems to be nothing more than a cold ear or even a slap in the face for New Mexicans who are looking for independent voices and individual qualities in the people they elect. By further empowering the major parties, Toulouse Oliver is weakening the people who choose to run for office and serve. She is using her power administratively and against the will of the state Legislature. New Mexico has long been characterized as unique, thoughtful and free, electing Republicans, Democrats and Independents to various offices, showing the country that our voice is indeed unique and thoughtful. I am afraid we will lose that distinction with this move to straight-ticket voting. Lawsuits have been filed, and the fight over this issue will go on, but I encourage everyone, regardless of what happens from the Secretary of States Office, to pick up your ballot and consider each and every race, and each and every candidate, separately and upon their own merits. You may find that someone who is registered in a different party than you may be the best choice after all. Winter is an Albuquerque city councilor, candidate for N.M. House District 15, and was New Mexico Secretary of State from December 2015 to November 2016. SAN DIEGO Before we rush off to work, lets pause for a moment and think about how much some Americans earn per hour. In a recent Labor Day column about the declining American work ethic, I wrote, Today, in the agricultural hub of Central California, farmers tell me theyre paying $30 per hour to pick tomatoes and $40 per hour to pick melons. On the coast, theyre paying $60 per hour to pick avocados. They still cant find enough workers. Who knew this could be so controversial? You wouldnt believe the pushback Ive gotten in the last few days. There were many skeptics who doubted that wages were that high in agriculture. They are. Ive interviewed farmers and farmworkers, and both groups confirm it. Also, there have been articles about how tough it is for farmers and ranchers to find laborers, and how theyve had to increase wages to avoid losing the ones they already have. Still, labor advocates had such a low opinion of growers that they doubted farm workers were so well-paid. Others had such a low opinion of immigrants, who make up the vast majority of the work force in agriculture, that they doubted the laborers deserved such wages. So how much is someones time worth? The short answer: Whatever someone else is willing to pay for it. Fine. But that rule suddenly doesnt apply to farm workers? Why not? What ugly vein of elitism did we just tap into? Lets start in the basement. The federal minimum wage is a mere $7.25 per hour. But 29 states and the District of Columbia have higher minimum wages. In California, the state minimum wage will on Jan. 1, 2019 go up to $12 per hour. Individual cities can set higher amounts; on July 1, 2018, the minimum wage will go up to $14.25 per hour in Los Angeles and $15 per hour in San Francisco. Yet the market makes its own rules. Fast-food restaurants in this state cant find workers. Apparently, not a lot of young people want to flip burgers anymore. Employers are now offering $13-$16 per hour. Its our own fault. We could have seen this coming. Americans have devalued work over the years to the point where many young people now consider it a waste of time. At construction firms, dairy farms and landscape companies, the workforce is getting older. And when those elderly workers retire, not many young people are lining up to take their place. What intrigues me most are those Americans who demand a pretty penny for their time. Not experience or expertise. Just time. Do you have any idea what babysitters charge these days? A few years ago, my wife and I would get quoted $12 to $15 per hour or more if the babysitter had to watch more than one child. Not long ago, we bought meals from a woman who did a brisk business cooking food for working families. A salmon dinner for four might cost $60. She charged not just for the food and cooking skill but for her time as well. Thats key. Americans value their time immensely, and they expect you to value it, too. About 10 years ago, here in Southern California, I needed a fence stained. A handyman, who happened to be a naturalized U.S. citizen from Europe, offered to do it for $75 per hour. Need your car repaired? Take it to the dealer, and youll pay at least $95 per hour in labor costs. The other day, I called a plumber to unclog a drain. It took him about 25 minutes to get his equipment in place, and five minutes to pop the drain. Those 30 minutes cost me $125. Of course, I have lawyer friends who charge their clients as much as $400 or $500 per hour for their time. And as someone who has been speaking professionally for 25 years, what do you think some people earn on the lecture circuit for an hour at a podium? It can often be in the tens of thousands of dollars. All good. We believe that pro athletes, Hollywood stars and tech company CEOs should be able to earn as much as possible, because we think their time and talents are worth what the market allows. But not farmworkers. There, the rules are different? Why? Because we think this isnt skilled work, that anyone can do it? That is a quaint perspective most often found in people whose only exposure to fruits and vegetables is at a farmers market. Prove me wrong. Every farmer Ive ever interviewed has the same message for American workers: Step right up. Were hiring. Not everybody at once. Take your time. Email ruben@rubennavarrette.com. Navarrette Nation daily podcast is available through every podcast app. (c) 2018, The Washington Post Writers Group. The theme Together We Advance highlights the fourth annual NAACP Albuquerque Civil Rights and Diversity Conference on Friday at the Sheraton Uptown. There is a misconception that the NAACP is a black organization and its not, at least strictly speaking, said NAACP Albuquerque President Harold Bailey. When it was founded in 1909, there were white people at the table, and historically white people have always played a role in civil rights, starting with white abolitionists who helped slaves get freedom. What the local NAACP branch wants to do is let people know that if we are to advance we have to do it together, collectively, he said. The daylong events will include panel discussions on immigration and human rights, women and social change, and the clergy and the civil rights movement. Keynote lunch speakers will be 1st Congressional District candidates Republican Janice Arnold Jones and Democrat Debra Haaland. A 6 p.m. candidate forum will feature gubernatorial candidates Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham and Republican Steve Pearce. On immigration and human rights, Bailey said, the Trump policy that separated families and removed children from parents is a human rights issue that requires us to come up with a strategy to prevent it from happening again. Issues that will be discussed in the women and social change panel include gender pay equity, domestic violence directed against women, sexual harassment in the work place, and women in politics. The panel on clergy and civil rights will examine the leadership role that ministers traditionally played in the civil rights movement and question if they are still filling that role today, Bailey said. More than 130 people attended the conference last year. Bailey said he expected this years conference to attract more than 200, and the gubernatorial candidate forum to draw upwards of 400. The cost to attend is $40 per person and includes lunch. Registration and ticket purchases can be made through the NAACP website at naacpabq.org or by calling 505-797-2750. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the conference starts at 9 a.m. Mayor Tim Keller has announced a team of employees he says will be tasked with increasing transparency and implementing processes to make city government more responsive. Government only works when it is accountable to the people it serves, but historically there have been several gaps in this area at the city, Keller said in a statement. Were working to make our city more open and transparent across all departments by building a team to improve the processes that protect taxpayer dollars and increase transparency to the public. New members of Kellers administration are: Ethan Watson, deputy city clerk for open government; Haley Kadish, city performance and innovation officer; Erin Engelbrecht, community liaison for the Environmental Health Department; and Myra Segal, Family and Community Services senior adviser for outcomes and accountability. GO LOCAL: Officials are attempting to make it easier for local companies to do business with the city. Information about upcoming purchasing opportunities is now available on computers in the citys 22 community centers, eight multi-generational centers and every library. Staff at each center will also be trained to help local businesses sign up as city vendors. Business owners and other members of the public can see what the city buys at www.cabq.gov/webuy or sign up to receive notices of upcoming bids on opportunities to provide supplies and services at www.cabq.gov/getbids. In July, the administration updated an instruction to require all city departments to get a bid from at least one local company for all purchases under $10,000. TO THE SKIES: Albuquerque city councilors approved a couple of aviation-related measures during their meeting last week. Councilors approved a hanger lease agreement with Honeywell International Inc. at Double Eagle II Airport. The agreement includes a two-year initial term and allows for two renewal periods of two years each following the initial term at a cost to Honeywell at $54,217 annually. Councilors also gave approval to a scheduled airline operating agreement and terminal building lease with Alaska Airlines. The agreement will generate about $1.7 million in revenue to the city annually until 2021. Steve Knight: sknight@abqjournal.com Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Yes, Simon's Cat is between the covers again The new book is called Simon's Cat vs the World and you can win your own copy, acco... MOSCOW A new round of escalations over Idlib made the summit in Tehran all the more important. In the run-up to the event, expectations in Iran, Russia and Turkey were modest but optimistic. The third meeting between the three leaders was seen as a critical step in ending the war in Syria. I think the situation from a military point of view will become clearer after, among other things, the leaders of the three guarantor states hold talks, Sergei Ryabkov, Russias deputy foreign minister, told a news conference ahead of the summit. The summit is a great opportunity for a solution in Syria, Russias Ambassador to Turkey Aleksei Erkhov added. We will take the situation to a positive point at this summit. ... God willing, we will be able to hinder the Syrian governments extremism in the region. In a situation like this, where will the fleeing people go to? A large proportion of them will come to Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters days before he left for Iran. The issue is indeed of immense importance to Turkey, and both Russia and Tehran had to take into account the distinct assets and higher stakes Ankara has this time compared with other instances when Assad moved to swipe opposition-held territories. The parties in Tehran didnt reach the full deal they initially hoped for another summit will now take place in Russia but all three have a reason to feel their bottom-line security interests can be duly addressed. Turkey maintained credibility with the opposition by emerging as a good cop to Russias bad cop in the exchange between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ankara also received time to settle the major task of sorting out moderate militants from radical ones. Putin got his own promise from Erdogan to deal with those attacking Russias Hmeimim base. Irans low-profile wait-and-see stance will benefit Tehran, as it has in the past. While such a state of play provides hope than an Aleppo-style offensive can be averted for now, the Russian and Syrian air forces will continue to pound opposition and terrorist positions on the margins of Idlib to keep Erdogan on his toes and will be a nagging reminder that the time he received isnt infinite. As far as the relations between Russia, Turkey and Iran are concerned, three takeaways from the summit are particularly important. First, the live-streamed summit discussions between the three presidents showed that disagreements within the Astana trio persist. This is barely news since they have long been admitted and voiced at different levels and the televised dispute is just a tip of the iceberg in this sense. Still, the language and posture of the three leaders help provide an understanding of the complexity of the personal chemistry between the three, their leadership styles and the lengths to which each has to come to promote his countrys interests within this alliance. Second, despite the differences, Moscow, Ankara and Tehran continue to value the Astana format as a setting that, in the absence of a better mechanism, helps them promote their own agenda and coordinate efforts in moving the course of action in Syria. The Zionist regime cannot be seen as an aspiring fighter against terrorism. The occupant regime of Israel should immediately leave occupied Syrian territories, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. Up until now weve come a long way in the Syrian settlement. Our region can live in peace, but without threats, without occupation, without militarism or ethnic and religious discrimination. Cooperation of [our] three countries on the Syrian issue can be a reliable ground for peace in Syria and long-term interaction in regional and global levels, he added. Putin, stressing the importance of the Astana engagement, said, Previous decisions within the Astana format are being successfully implemented. The pest-hole of international terrorism has been almost liquidated. Ninety-five percent of the Syrian territory and 141 towns have been freed. Conditions have been prepared for Syrians to decide the future of their country for themselves. Thanks to the meticulous work by Russia, Iran and Turkey, some impressive results have been achieved in Syria. Erdogan said, We know that within the Astana meetings our interests have converged on major directions. With this in mind and with lives and blood of our soldiers in Jarablus, al-Bab and Afrin we cleaned the territory of terrorists. Syrian lands have been provided with peace and calm and by this we sought to create conditions for return of refugees. Even as Erdogan alluded to Ankaras potential derailment of the Astana format over Turkish disappointment that its partners have been unable to deliver on Turkeys interests in Idlib, Russia and Iran showed no signs of backing down on their strategic intent for Damascus to ultimately retake control of the entire province. We have to solve this [Idlib] issue with the understanding that the legitimate Syrian government has the right and will eventually have to ensure control over its full territory, Putin said. In this context, the Russian and Iranian resolve to counter opposition groups is as strong as before, with both seeing it in line with multilateral agreements aimed at stamping out violent militant groups. A small but significant difference appears to be that Moscow would still give those willing to reconcile a chance. But while concessions dont come easy for Russia, Iran and Turkey, the logic that continues to glue together the three ambitious presidents is one based on pragmatic some would argue cynical calculations that each need the other two at this very moment. While the alliance is ad hoc, the principles of its functioning have remained intact despite major crises. The Idlib challenge doesnt erode the relationship by itself, but is yet another stress test the three need to pass to continue bearing the fruit of the trilateral cooperation. Third, the US presence remains a problem for all three actors. In Syria, America has come to be seen as the threat to Iran, the spoiler for Russia and an irritant for Turkey. No positive role on the Syrian issue can be expected [from the United States]. Their barbarian and illegal interference in Syria contradicts every international rule, their presence only deteriorates and complicates peacemaking efforts in Syria, Rouhani said. Ironically, while opposing any role for the United States in the conflict, Iranians fear Moscow will eventually bargain the little leverage it has over Tehran for a deal with Washington, while Russians are more preoccupied with Ankaras own continued overtures to its NATO partner. In Tehran, however, Erdogan was sharp in his criticism of the United States. As the world keeps its eyes on Idlib under a pretext of fighting Daesh [the Islamic State], some foreign forces have directed their troops into a different direction. We are incredibly concerned with the US continuing to support a terrorist organization. Although Daesh is no longer posing a threat, America sent several thousand of planes with arms. This is illustrative of how they 'support' the region, Erdogan said. Putin steered clear of mentioning the American factor in any way during his opening remarks, only speaking of possible provocations by militants involving use of chemicals, which the Russian Defense Ministry has propagated as inspired by some Western states. Yet it is between Russia and the United States that the situation is creeping to new confrontational levels. In the last week, Russian military has twice warned the United States of an intent to attack the al-Tanf area where Moscow has long claimed American troops are protecting militants. In response, the United States ordered snap military exercise in southern Syria near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. Earlier, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis dismissed Russian assertions over a coming provocation involving the use of chemicals, saying Washington has zero intelligence that shows the opposition has any chemical capability. The United States has warned Syria against the use of chemical weapons in Idlib. On Sep. 8, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that there had been a meeting between leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Hizb ut-Tahrir (Turkistan Islamic Party) and the White Helmets. According to the ministry, Scenarios for staging and filming of incidents with the alleged use of chemical agents by the Syrian government forces against civilians were discussed. A special team of some "foreign friends of the Syrian revolution" will give a signal for the start of the provocation in Idlib province, the ministry warned on Twitter. So even if Moscow and Washington have yet again opted for the tactics of what is often called escalation for the sake of de-escalation, neither party seems to be deterred by respective moves of the other, which is a worrying trend amid rising tensions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed last week to get his Russian and Iranian counterparts to support his desperate bid for a cease-fire in Idlib, the stronghold of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as well as other radical Salafi and armed gangs based in the northwestern Syrian province. The UN estimates that there are nearly 3 million civilians in Idlib, about half of them displaced from other parts of Syria, and that 900,000 civilians will be affected by a government assault. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said Friday, The Security Council cannot accept that the civilians of Idlib must face this type of fate. Efforts to combat terrorism do not supersede obligations under international law in the moral conscience of humanity. We must put the sanctity of human civilian life above everything else. If its a slaughter, the world is going to get very, very angry, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday. And the United States is going to get very angry, too. Turkey, which already hosts some 3.5 million Syrian refugees, seeks to avoid another massive inflow of Syrians displaced by conflict, but has been unable to convince non-terrorist armed groups to withdraw and distance themselves from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. On paper, the leaders reiterated pledges to seek a negotiated solution to Syrias seven-year conflict, to preserve the countrys territorial unity, to eliminate al-Qaeda-linked terrorists and to assure the safe return of millions of displaced Syrians, reports Amberin Zaman. But a regime attack on Idlib will likely move ahead despite Turkeys appeals for more time to use carrot-and-stick diplomacy with the jihadis. That Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is digging in, rather than getting out, should come as no surprise. The UN-designated terrorist group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, which controls about 60% of Idlib province, is unlikely to throw in the towel even while the international community seems to be throwing it a lifeline. De Mistura estimates there are 10,000 Jabhat al-Nusra fighters in Idlib alone, which are embedded with tens of thousands of fighters from other armed groups, including radical Salafis such as Ahrar al-Sham, as well remnants of the US- and Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army. In comparison, a report by the Lead Inspector General of the Department of Defense estimated that approximately 14,000 Islamic State fighters remain in Syria and control 5% of Syrian territory. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its jihadi brothers-in-arms do not share the international communitys concern about the consequences of an attack by the Syrian regime and its backers. The bloodier the better, in their score, as it increases pressure on Syria and Russia to end the fighting and allow the jihadis to keep their enclave. If the Syrian government uses chemical weapons, the United States has signaled that it will likely respond again with military force. Those in Idlib who would be inclined to take up the Turkish offer to prevent the slaughter dont stand a chance. The Washington Post reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its Salafi partners have erected gallows around Idlib province for public execution of traitors that is, those who want to negotiate an exit, as well as opponents of their brutal style of Islamic law. Several groups monitoring the situation confirmed the existence of detention facilities across a network of basements and caves, the Post reports. The paper said the group JAN Violations, which records allegations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham abuses, reported that the "group had at least five prisons in the province, several of them notorious for torture. JAN stands for Jabhat al-Nusra. The atrocities committed by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists and other jihadi groups in Idlib has been well covered by Al-Monitor, which was one of the few media outlets to highlight the 2016 Amnesty International publication "Torture was my punishment: Abductions, torture and summary killings under armed groups in Aleppo and Idleb, Syria." Conditions for civilians under the rule of these terrorists and armed gangs has only gotten worse the past two years. US officials understand the bind they are in, as the goal is obviously not to give such a high concentration of terrorists a reprieve or exit ramp. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday, The Russians have the narrative that there are terrorists in Idlib. That is a true statement. We share their concern about terrorism emanating from northern, northwest Syria. We absolutely agree with them there are terrorists in those locations and they need to be taken care of such that they dont export terror around the world. It is not the way to do that to put the lives of all these innocent civilians at risk and create a humanitarian crisis." He said that what Trump said Monday night "was were happy to work on the terrorism issue in this place, you made an agreement to handle this in a way that is different from what it appears youre thinking, please take that seriously. The showdown in Idlib comes as the Trump administration has reportedly embarked on a new strategy to keep 2,200 US troops in Syria indefinitely both to keep up the fight against the Islamic State and to maintain pressure on Iran to exit Syria, according to the Washington Post. In addition to the troop presence, the United States will launch a major diplomatic initiative, including more sanctions on Russia and Iran. James Jeffrey, the US representative for Syria engagement, told the Post, I am confident the president is on board with this more active approach to Syria policy. Our take is that the president should trust his instincts about the prospects for the art of the deal with Putin over Syria, as was discussed in Helsinki, and the need to avoid open-ended military commitments. Trump said Thursday, One of my best meetings was with President Putin of Russia. Trump, and all who deal with Russia and the Middle East, understand there are no perfect outcomes. While rightly keeping the pressure on Moscow to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties in Idlib, there are other high stakes for US-Russian collaboration in Syria: preventing a conflict between Iran and Israel; defeating both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State; addressing the need for both a political transition that at a minimum reduces Assads power, or even leads to his eventual departure; planning for post-conflict stability as the war winds down; and assuring a responsible exit for American forces from an otherwise likely quagmire. We wrote here last month, Putin is not someone who works for free. If he believes he is helping Trump to achieve a responsible exit from Syria, while assuring Israels security, this is big stuff, and the Russian president also needs a win from the art of the deal. For Putin, that means relief from at least some of the US sanctions on Russia. Trumps speech following the US missile attacks on Syria in April seems to us closer to the mark than the more activist approach reported during the past week: The approach he outlined in the spring was to hold Syria, Russia and Iran accountable, especially for the use of chemical weapons, while keeping in mind the many lessons learned about seemingly endless American military commitments in the Middle East. America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria, under no circumstances, Trump said April 13. As other nations step up their contributions, we look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home. ... Looking around our very troubled world, Americans have no illusions. We cannot purge the world of evil or act everywhere where there is tyranny. No amount of American blood or treasure can produce lasting peace and security in the Middle East. Its a troubled place. We will try to make it better, but it's a troubled place. When President Donald Trump added Iraq to his travel ban list targeting several Muslim-majority countries last year, Gen. Talib Kinani, the head of Iraqs counterterrorism service, made a cold call to the office of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Within minutes, the senator agreed to see us, surprising even our seasoned lobbyist, said Fareed Yasseen, Iraqs ambassador to the United States. Then ensued one of the most heartwarming and genuine meetings I have attended in my almost two years as Iraqs ambassador to Washington. Trump, frequently at loggerheads with the senator, who died of brain cancer last month, eventually removed Iraq from the list. Many interpreted McCains Sept. 1 funeral as a bipartisan rebuke of Trump. But this meant pitting McCains ardor for the long US history of foreign military intervention against Trumps America First agenda. It seems to me when we look at the enormous outpouring of sorrow and regret that his passing triggered, in some sense it was a posthumous celebration of American exceptionalism, Andrew Bacevich, an international relations historian at Boston University, told Al-Monitor. McCain was an ideologue and the essence of his ideology in that regard was his belief in American exceptionalism. Former President George W. Bush made the same connection in his eulogy Sept. 1. Its this combination of courage and decency that makes the American military something new in history, an unrivaled power for good, Bush said. Ironically, McCain, who had fervently championed Bushs 2003 invasion of Iraq on the false evidence that Saddam Hussein had an active program for weapons of mass destruction, eventually called the war a very serious mistake in a memoir published earlier this year. In the book, McCain wrote, I have to accept my share of the blame. Nevertheless, McCain still remains beloved by many Iraqis precisely because he advocated Saddam's removal from power. Zuhair Humadi, an Iraqi-American and former secretary-general of Iraqs Council of Ministers, even went so far as to set up a McCain for President committee in Baghdad during the senators failed 2008 presidential campaign. The Iraqi Kurds are also mourning a longtime champion. He stood by us when the Peshmerga needed weapons [against the Islamic State] and he spoke out against the escalation of tensions between Kurdistan and the federal government of Iraq after [the] Kurdistan independence referendum in 2017, the Kurdistan Regional Governments representative to Washington, Sami Abdul Rahman, said in a statement. But 17 years of prolonged US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have deprived the American public of its appetite for extensive US military adventures overseas. While a Pew Research Center survey said 72% Americans supported Bushs invasion of Iraq in 2003, a Real Clear Politics poll last year found that 50% of Americans are weary of US military intervention. To the extent that today there appears to be not much of a popular appetite for further intervention abroad, I think that what we really see is a tradition that is almost certain to manifest when the circumstances are a little bit different than they are today and when the memories of Iraq and Afghanistan begin to fade, said Bacevich. Indeed, many of McCains interventionist colleagues are clamoring for the United States to do more in Syria as President Bashar al-Assad, bolstered by his Iranian and Russian patrons, threatens a bloody offensive to retake the last rebel stronghold in the province of Idlib. Trump should not repeat the mistakes of [President Barack Obama] by leaving Syria, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., McCains closest friend in Congress, told Al-Monitor. The Middle East has been turned upside down. The Iranian regime was enriched badly by the nuclear deal. When we left Iraq, we paid a price. [McCain] told Bush you dont have enough troops, he was right. He told Obama if you withdraw the troops at the same time you introduce them into Afghanistan, it wont work. He was telling Trump you should engage Iran in Syria, or youll regret it. Trump argued for less military intervention in the 2016 campaign as part of his America First approach, frequently lambasting his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for her vote in favor of the Iraq war when she represented New York in the Senate. But Trumps America First impulse is often at odds with his policy of advancing a tougher US posture on Iran, a posture McCain fiercely believed in. McCain infamously chanted bomb, bomb, bomb" Iran in 2007 during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination; this reiterated a parody that emerged during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis of a song the Beach Boys had made famous. He also maintained that Iran was the real problem in the region, pointing to its support for Shiite proxies throughout the Middle East, including Assad. In 2013 McCain crossed into Syria and took a photo with a group of Sunni rebels as part of a bid to convince the Obama administration to provide weapons and support to the Syrian opposition, which it eventually did. But the trip caused an international uproar when family members of kidnapped Lebanese Shiite pilgrims accused two of the rebels of being involved in their abduction. Prior to that, McCain visited Libyan forces fighting dictator Col. Moammar Gadhafi, urging the United States to do more to support the rebels after the United States and its NATO allies instated a no-fly zone over the war-torn country. I would say [McCain] has a great responsibility for the adverse results in Libya and Syria even more than he does Iraq, Ted Carpenter, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, told Al-Monitor. He had consistently been one of the most enthusiastic lobbyists about US support for rebel forces in Syria despite growing evidence about the extremist nature of many of the rebels. Even now, as Assad moves to crush the last of Syrias Islamist and non-Islamist opposition alike, Graham said its not too late for Trump to act in Syria. However, he added that right now Trump has no plan other than we shouldnt go into Idlib. And yet Graham and McCain, posthumously may get their wish. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump has agreed to keep some 2,000 troops in Syria indefinitely to counter Iran despite previously pushing for their withdrawal by the end of the year a withdrawal vociferously opposed by McCain. At the same time, Russia has threatened to attack al-Tanf, a strategic base with US troops situated near the Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian borders. In turn, US forces stationed at the garrison began military drills Friday. SANAA, Yemen After dropping out of school, 13-year-old Mohammad went to work at a repair shop in al-Hasaba district in the central Yemen city of Sanaa for 12,000 Yemeni riyals ($24) per month. Mohammad, who told Al-Monitor he dreams of becoming a police officer, said his father forced him to drop out of school and work long hours at the shop, and that he agreed to the job to help provide for his parents and three sisters due to the family's tough economic conditions. Mohammad, like many others in Yemen, was forced to drop out of school due to the war and its ripple effects. According to a UNICEF report on education in Yemen published in March, about 500,000 Yemeni children were forced to halt their education when the conflict escalated in March 2015 the number of children who did not enroll in school reached 2 million. Children continue to pay the price of war, whether through deprivation or killing. Following wide public anger and international pressure, the Saudi-led coalition admitted Sept. 1 to committing mistakes in its air raids on Saada on Aug. 9 that killed 51 civilians, including dozens of children who were on a bus in a crowded market. Nadia Mujahed, 45, is a teacher who works as a consultant in the educational area in as-Safiyah directorate in Sanaa. She believes that the war deeply harmed the educational process and the damage is only getting worse. Of note, Sanaa is made up of nine directorates, each of which has its own educational area. Each area has several government schools. Mujahed told Al-Monitor, The educational process mainly felt the repercussions when several schools were destroyed or shut down and teachers salaries were unavailable. Operational financial allocations were missing, as were textbooks. The disputing parties were also exploiting the educational process, and health and psychological factors affected many students, teachers and all social classes in general. The Houthi rebels and local Yemeni forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition have both been accused of using schools as platforms to impose their own ideas on children outside the spectrum of educational curricula. Meanwhile, children were also recruited to fight on the battlefronts, while schools were used for military training. The March UNICEF report reveals that more than 2,500 schools are out of use, with two-thirds damaged by attacks, 27% closed and 7% used for military purposes or as shelters for displaced people. At least 2,419 children have been recruited in the fighting since March 2015. Abdul Jabbar al-Ammari, a teacher who works at al-Nahda public school in Sanaa, explained the reason he stopped teaching and became an accountant in a small cement shop. He said that teachers salaries were not being paid and his family needed the money. Since Yemens internationally recognized government moved the Central Bank of Yemen from Sanaa to Aden in 2016, it refuses to pay the salaries of public employees in Houthi-controlled areas until Houthis commit to sending revenues to the bank in Aden, which Houthis refuse to do. Ammari told Al-Monitor, Many teachers quit teaching due to the salary cuts and took on professions that they were overqualified for. They were replaced by volunteers who were not competent, thus having dire consequences on the educational process which will be felt for years to come. Geert Cappelaere, UNICEFs regional director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said in a statement in October 2017 that three quarters of teachers [in Yemen] have not received their salaries in nearly a year, and the violence has forced one in 10 schools across the country to close. Regarding the future repercussions and solutions, Jamil Bunyan, assistant professor of social theory at Sanaa University, told Al-Monitor, The educational process is targeted by the disputing parties, and the impact is dire on society now and in the future. The UN has to play the role of mediator, and international organizations should pressure parties to distance the educational process from the conflict and cater to it to avoid a catastrophe. Sociology researcher at the Ministry of Higher Education Khaled Qassem believes that it is important to evaluate the short-sighted vision of key international organizations in Yemen regarding the educational process and the need to move it urgently. He told Al-Monitor, The future of coexistence between generations on the cultural and national levels is largely threatened amid the current polarization of students and their brainwash by the disputing parties. This requires instantaneous ways to deal with the situation to avoid exacerbating it and to rebuild the bridges of trust and coexistence among generations. The Yemen war that has been raging since 2015 has been catastrophic on several levels the harm caused to the educational process remains among the worst. The local Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protection released a statement in February describing the Yemen educational situation as catastrophic and saying that if the danger is not avoided, the security and developmental impact on Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula will be beyond catastrophic. The statement added that hundreds of schools were completely or partially destroyed due to air and land shelling, and the lucky children who still go to school barely have two classes per day. After a four-day visit to Aden and Sanaa in July, UNICEF CEO Henrietta Fore said in a press statement that 11 million children in Yemen need help to get food, treatment, education and water. She added that a child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen, and that conflict is weighing down an already teetering country. The repercussions of the four-year-old Yemen war are being felt in various fields, while Yemenis feel the international community is ignoring their plight and local parties are not being held responsible for their actions. The warring parties have failed so far to provide alternatives or concessions to protect what remains of the devastated nation in the fourth year of the war. More than 22 million people need protection and humanitarian assistance, while 8.4 million are suffering from malnutrition and the looming danger of famine. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 children have been killed since March 2015, with the UN blaming the Saudi-led coalition for killing more than 61% of these victims by targeting densely populated areas. One man was killed and four others wounded in a shooting early Sunday in Auburn. Auburn police officers responded to a call at 2:24 a.m. Sunday to a report of shots fired in the 200 block of West Magnolia Avenue, according to an Auburn Police statement. According to the Opelika-Auburn News police had cordoned off an area in front of the McDonald's restaurant, which is just down the block from Toomer's Corner. Officers were already in the immediate vicinity of the call dispersing a large crowd and confirmed shots were being fired and located several victims, according to the statement. Evan Mikale Wilson, 20, of Tuskegee, was identified by the Lee County coroner as the man killed in the shooting. Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene. "Additionally, four other individuals were found to be injured from the gunfire. Three victims were transported to East Alabama Medical Center by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries," according to the statement. Those injured are a 17 year-old male and 19 year-old female, both from Opelika, a 21 year-old male Auburn University student from Hilton Head, SC. One 16 year-old male from Opelika was also flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center by air ambulance with serious injuries, police stated. "Preliminarily, information has been obtained that an altercation occurred just prior to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the injuries," according to the police statement. According to the statement the incident is not believed to be a random shooting. The shooting occurred down the block from Toomer's Corner, a frequent gathering place for Auburn University fans to gather after football games. Auburn defeated Alabama State University 63-9 Saturday night. The shooting remains under investigation and no further details are being released at this time, police stated. Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Auburn Police Division at (334) 501-3140 or at the tip line, (334) 246-1391. Al.com reporter Howard Koplowitz contributed to this report Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said the party is working to recruit more African-American candidates and says the GOP's conservative message lines up with many of the values prevalent in black communities. Fifteen African-American candidates qualified with the state party to run in this year's Republican primary. That's an uptick from four years ago, when the party said there were 11 black candidates, a number then-Chairman Bill Armistead said was a record high. Lathan, who said the party is also reaching out to Hispanic voters, acknowledged that the party can do more to engage black communities. "Our numbers have bumped up some," Lathan said. "What we continue to do and actually need to do deeper in the minority community is have good conversations with them. "In doing so, I believe, as many believe, that we need to talk about the things that we have in common. That we are brothers and sisters and Alabamians and American citizens. When we do that, we find that there are a lot of minorities that absolutely agree with conservative policy and agendas." One of the 15 black Republican candidates is Darrell "D.J." Johnson of Montgomery, who is running for a state Senate seat long held by Democrats. Johnson founded and operates a nonprofit program to help youth in the west Montgomery neighborhood where he grew up. Johnson said the city and the state need a fresh approach that emphasizes people's shared goals and needs. "We put the same people in the same positions," Johnson said. "They haven't done anything for the last 20 years. It's the same old, same old, same old. Maybe I can be a change. Maybe I can get people together, Republicans and Democrats together." Some outside the GOP question how meaningful the recruitment efforts have been for a party with a slate of elected officials that is overwhelmingly Caucasian. White Republicans hold every statewide office except for Sen. Doug Jones seat. All 98 Republican members of the Legislature are white, as well as the 19 Republican judges who fill all the seats on the state Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and Court of Civil Appeals. Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University, said the turning point will come when an African-American becomes a serious challenger for the Republican nomination for governor, attorney general, U.S. senator or some other top-level office. That hasn't happened in Alabama. "I think the real litmus test becomes not can the Republican Party go out and recruit a candidate to run for Place 2 on the county school board," Brown said. "That's not much of a test. "The real test for the Republican Party in southern states is, will Republican Party voters in a Republican Party primary nominate an African-American for a high-profile office. That's your litmus test." Brown said there is substantial common ground for many African-Americans and Republicans on what he calls "lifestyle issues," such as opposition to abortion and gay marriage, positions generally held by many with fundamentalist views on religion. But he said there is far less agreement on economic issues. "I think the mainstream opinion in the African-American community, while having some conservative leanings on social issues, on the role of government in the economy, the African American opinion is basically Democrat, it's not Republican," Brown said. Joe Reed, longtime chairman of the Alabama Democratic Conference, the minority caucus in the state Democratic Party, said he is not concerned about a large scale defection of blacks to the Republican Party. He doesn't think it's a serious effort. "With the kind of president we have and the kind of programs they're advocating and all that stuff, I don't see where any blacks are going to even identify with the Republican Party," Reed said. "On the other hand, if they were serious about it and had some programs that dealt with it, if they were positive on civil rights and positive on not only civil rights, but positive on other issues, it would be different. But right now I don't see it as a threat." Lathan said President Donald Trump's approval rating among African-Americans is on the rise, partly because of the wide benefits of the growing economy. Lathan said that gets less attention than what she called the divisive tactics used by Democrats. "The national media is not going to talk about these things because it does not fit their narrative," Lathan said. "But the fact of the matter is, those approval numbers are going up because they like what he's doing that's affecting their homes and their businesses. "This is not hard. It's a direct correlation to action and outcome. And the president, because he's cut so many federal regulations, and the Republican Congress has been sitting there pushing behind him, we're seeing an economy roar. And it affects all Americans regardless of your skin color." Reed said Trump is taking credit for economic growth that started under President Obama and said Alabama Republicans stand in the way of policies that African-Americans generally support, including minimum wage increases and Medicaid expansion. Senate candidate Johnson said he believes the Trump presidency has made it harder to build black support for Republicans, although he agrees African-Americans are doing better economically. Johnson said he hopes to overcome and change what he believes is conventional political thinking. "Blacks think every black should think one way and I think whites think whites should think one way," Johnson said. "So there's just a big divide. "But when you sit down and get to know everybody, we're all the same. We all bleed. We all love Alabama and love America. We got more in common that we have not in common." One of the most racially divisive bills in the Alabama Legislature in the last few years was a proposal to protect Confederate monuments. It passed along party lines last year, with overwhelming support from Republicans and opposition from black Democrats. Lathan was asked if that hurt Republican efforts to bring African-Americans into the party. "I'm not saying there are not a lot of people in the minority community that are concerned about it," Lathan said. "But I have to tell you, when I speak with minority conservatives or people who are interested in the party, that's not a question they bring up. It's not a topic they talk about. "It normally turns back to the basics of the economy. How legislation affects their family and their businesses. And how they think the world should be." Brown said he believes the Republican Party can continue its dominance in Alabama even if it fails to make a significant dent in black support for Democrats. He said the general rule is that Democrats need at least 38 percent of the white vote in Alabama, where the electorate is roughly three-fourths white. If Democrats can't reach that level, Republicans can ignore the black vote and still win, Brown said. "Because they're getting such a high percentage of the white vote, the African-American vote, even if it goes 90 percent for Democrats, it can't overcome the huge percentage of the white vote that Republican nominees are getting," Brown said. "If Democrats start to show with the right kind of candidate and the right set of messaging that they can get more than 38 percent of the Caucasian vote in a general election, then Republicans can no longer afford in Alabama to ignore African-Americans and simply have them bloc voting. They've got to make some efforts to shave off some of that roughly 90 percent that's almost always going to the Democrat side of the ledger in a general election." Lathan said the Republican Party has to resist what she says is a tendency to concede the black vote to Democrats and make the effort to change the status quo. "Some people could say, 'Why waste your time and money? You don't need to because you have all this supermajority in ruby red Alabama,'" Lathan said. "But that does not mean that minorities are any less important in our state because they're our fellow Alabamians. And they have families, and they have children and they want good schools. They want a good income. They want opportunities just like everybody does." Black candidates who qualified to run in the Republican primary: Houses of Representatives: Charles Talbert, District 99, Mobile County J. Ron Wilson, District 85, Henry and Houston counties Senate: D.J. Johnson, District 26, Montgomery County Circuit Clerk: Phillip Brown, Jefferson County Sharica S. Long, Colbert County Circuit Judge: Bill Lewis, 19th Judicial Circuit, Autauga, Chilton and Elmore counties District Judge: Derrick Williams, Mobile School Superintendent: Lewis Brooks, Shelby County schools Sheriff: John H. Moore, Sr., Morgan County County commissions: Randy Turner, Morgan County Allen Hendrickson, Houston County William Smith, Colbert County County boards of education: Coleman W. Wallace, Sr., Escambia County Jayla McElrath, Cherokee County Nathan Curry, Madison County Florence is a hurricane again and is getting stronger as it takes aim on the U.S. Florence's winds increased from 75 mph to 90 mph as of Sunday night, making it a Category 1 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center's intensity forecast suggests Florence could become a Category 3 or major hurricane by Monday could be a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds as high as 140 mph when it nears the East Coast on Thursday. However, exactly where Florence will hit, and how strong it will be, were still rather uncertain as of Sunday. The hurricane center stressed that there was still disagreement among the models on where Florence could impact the East Coast. Forecasters urged those along the coast from north Florida to North Carolina to get their supplies and plans in place now. And the models are also hinting at another piece of bad news for the coast: Some show Florence slowing down or stalling at the end of the forecast period, which could mean flooding rains for some areas. That new wrinkle "is concerning because Florence could stop moving pretty quickly around day 5, potentially leading to a serious heavy rain episode and inland flood hazard," the hurricane center said Sunday. In addition to potential life-threatening storm surge at the coast, indications are that Florence may slow down by the end of the week, resulting in prolonged heavy rainfall & dangerous freshwater flooding inland. Rainfall forecast is very preliminary, please continue to monitor. pic.twitter.com/jtF6QY2MSZ NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) September 9, 2018 As of 10 p.m. CDT Sunday Hurricane Florence was located about 685 miles southeast of Bermuda and was moving west at 7 mph. Florence is expected to continue on a westward path tonight, then turn more to the west-northwest and pick up speed on Monday. On that forecast track, Florence will move between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday, the hurricane center said. Some points from the hurricane center's forecast discussion on Sunday night: * Models are coming into better agreement on the track: "The new NHC model guidance is even more tightly packed about the previous forecast track, with less than a 90 n mi cross-track spread at 72 h and less than 120 n mi spread at 96 h, just prior to expected landfall," the hurricane center said. * "Florence is still forecast to be near category-4 strength when the dangerous hurricane makes landfall." * "It is also worth noting that the model guidance is also significantly increasing the size of Florence's wind field over the next few days, and the official forecast reflects this trend." As if that weren't enough there were two -- two -- other hurricanes in the Atlantic as of Sunday night. Helene and Isaac. Helene is in the far eastern Atlantic and was upgraded to a hurricane on Sunday afternoon. It's winds increased to 85 mph on Sunday as the storm moved southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Then there's newly upgraded Hurricane Isaac, which the Caribbean will be watching closely this week. As of Sunday night Isaac was located about 1,305 miles east of the Windward Islands and was moving west at 14 mph. Isaac's winds climbed to 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane center's forecast path shows the storm moving over parts of the Lesser Antilles by late Wednesday or Thursday. Where Isaac goes after that is still uncertain. More than 300,000 Alabamians fought in World War II, distinguishing themselves in myriad ways on the battlefields, on the sea and in the air. But did you know that a crew of Alabamians was the first in the Eighth Air Force to shoot down a German plane? According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama, Lt. Tom Borders piloted his B-17, the "Birmingham Blitzkrieg," in the Eighth Air Force's first sortie against enemy fighters. Borders and his all-Alabama crew are credited with being the first in the Eighth Air Force -- which operated most of the U.S.'s B-17s -- to bring down a German plane. With 1,500 World War II veterans dying each day, an organization called The Liberty Foundation is doing its best to keep their legacy and memories alive by touring the country in Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" aircraft like the one Borders made history flying. The B-17 "Madras Maiden" is making stops around Alabama including Birmingham on Saturday, Sept. 15, and Huntsville on Sunday, Sept. 16. "With each death, another story of courage, honor and sacrifice is lost forever," the Liberty Foundation's news release says. "This aircraft represents that legacy of courage and valor." The Liberty Foundation is providing flights on the "Madras Maiden," at a cost of $410 for Liberty Foundation members and $450 for non-members. While that might sound expensive, consider that it costs the Liberty Foundation more than $5,000 per flight hour to operate a B-17. The Liberty Foundation spends about $1.5 million annually to keep the B-17 -- dubbed the "Flying Fortress" because of its defensive firepower -- airworthy and out on tour. "Only the public's interest and other generous donations keep this historic aircraft flying and from being silenced permanently in a museum for years to come," the Liberty Foundation states. If you can't afford to fly, spectators will be allowed in a designated, secured area to watch the aircraft flights at no charge. About the Madras Maiden The Madras Maiden was built toward the end of the war, and is one of only 12 B-17s still flying today, according to the Liberty Foundation. The majority of all World War II B-17s were operated by the Eighth Air Force and participated in countless missions from bases in England deep into enemy territory. The Liberty Foundation's 'Madras Maiden' B-17 will tour Alabama this week. The Madras Maiden, painted in the colors of the 381st Bomb Group, flew 297 operational missions during the war, dropping 22,000 tons of bombs. The Madras Maiden spent its entire military career (1944-1959) as a research and development aircraft, and was modified as a "Pathfinder" B-17 and equipped with the H2X "Mickey" radar system. She is the only "Pathfinder" aircraft left in existence, according to the Liberty Foundation. She was sold as surplus in 1959 to American Compressed Steel of Ohio for $5,025, then sold to Albany Building of Florida and used as a cargo transport, hauling fresh produce between Florida and the Caribbean. In 1963, she was sold again and converted into a fire ant sprayer under contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 1979 through 2014, the Madras Maiden was bought by three different aviation museums and continues to be restored to her original combat configuration. The Liberty Foundation began to operate the Madras Maiden in 2016. Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProud Want to go? Call 678-589-7433 to schedule a flight on the Madras Maiden B-17 Flying Fortress, or come out and take a tour and watch the flights. Flights are $410 for Liberty Foundation members or $450 for non-members. Visit www.libertyfoundation.org for more information. Saturday Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Atlantic Aviation, 4725 65th Place North, Birmingham, AL., 35206 Sunday Huntsville International Airport, Signature Flight Support, 2000 Houston Goodson Way, Huntsville, AL, 35824 2 die, 6 missing as boat capsizes in Begnas Two persons died and six others including four children went missing when an overcrowded boat capsized in Begnas Lake in Kaski district on Saturday. Originally Posted by Judy Originally Posted by They aren't new troops, they're troops from another section of Syria sent by helicopter to the outpost near this particular area where the new attacks are going on. Basra has been rocked by protests with demonstrators setting ablaze government buildings, the Iranian consulate, and the offices of pro-Tehran militias and political parties. Anger flared after the hospitalisation of 30,000 people who drank polluted water. Residents in the oil-rich region have for weeks complained of water and electricity shortages, corruption among officials and unemployment. Since the wave of protests first broke out in Basra in July, with demonstrators condemning corruption and demanding jobs, at least 27 people have been killed. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he had instructed security forces to act decisively against the acts of vandalism that accompanied the demonstrations. Blast comes hours after Kabul police shoot another suspected suicide bomber targeting supporters of anti-Soviet fighter. A suicide bomber has detonated his explosives close to a procession commemorating the death of a former anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban commander, killing at least seven people, officials said. The attacker targeted a convoy marking the 17th anniversary of Ahmed Shah Massouds death in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, according to police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai. At least 24 were wounded in the explosion, the interior ministry said in a statement. All the casualties were civilians. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has claimed the attack. The force of the blast shattered windows and shook nearby buildings. Among the dead was the driver of a car taking part in the commemorations. He veered off the road and into the front of a shop when the blast happened, witnesses told AFP news agency. Two of his passengers were wounded, they said. The blast came hours after another suspected suicide bomber was shot by police in Kabul before he could detonate his device. Police said he was planning to detonate explosives near supporters of Massoud, dubbed the Lion of Panjshir, a Tajik fighter who led resistance to the Soviet occupation in the 1980s and to the 1996-2001 Taliban government. The commemorations for Massoud involved dozens of cars and pickups carrying men armed with heavy weapons. At least 13 people were wounded by falling bullets and taken to hospital, health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told journalists. Police arrested 110 people and seized 20 cars and 10 weapons, the interior ministry said, as part of a crackdown on the violent commemorations. Massoud was killed two days before the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, DC, that precipitated the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The attacks on Sunday follow a spate of deadly attacks in the city, including a double bombing at a wrestling club on Wednesday that killed at least 26 people, including two journalists, and wounded 91 people. Greece PM unveils plan to climb out of economic crisis Two weeks following the end of the bailout, Alexis Tsipras has unveiled measures he says will stimulate the economy and create jobs after many years of austerity. 350 people taken ill after Dar feast in Panchkhal Over 350 people were taken ill after consuming Dara feast that Hindu women enjoy on Teej festivalat a programme in Panchkhal Municipality-12, Kavre, on Saturday. The Dar programme was organised by the Swabalamban Multi Purpose Cooperatives. At least 11 people were killed and dozens wounded in Saturdays cross-border attack on Kurdish rebels in Iraq. Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed on Sunday that it had launched deadly missile attacks against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq a day earlier. Rockets struck the headquarters of two Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdish region with reports saying at least 11 people were killed and 50 others wounded. The missiles hit the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in the town of Koya, 300km north of Iraqs capital, Baghdad. It was the first such attack since 1996. The terrorists headquarters was successfully struck by seven surface-to-surface rockets on Saturday by the missile department of the Guards aerospace force, the IRGC said on its Sepah News website on Sunday. The statement added its drone division was also involved in the attack. According to Soran Louri, spokesman for the KDPI, which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Tehran, the death toll in the rare cross-border attack was 15, he told AFP news agency. About 30 others were wounded, according to local medical sources. Terrorist teams Iranian state television showed images of the missiles being launched and drone footage of the impact. The punishment of transgressors was planned following the recent months wicked acts by terrorists from the Kurdistan realm against the Islamic Republics borders, the IRGC statement said. It cited incursions by numerous terrorist teams into Irans West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces bordering Iraq. KDPI recently clashed with Revolutionary Guards forces in the towns of Marivan and Kamyaran in Irans own Kurdistan region. The Kurdish group was holding a meeting at the time of the missile attacks, and the partys secretary-general and his predecessor were among the wounded, according to one of its officials. The headquarters is in Koysinjaq, 60km east of Erbil, capital of Iraqs autonomous Kurdish region. Bilal Wahab from The Washington Institute told Al Jazeera the attack was retaliation for the groups increased activism and militancy inside Iranian territory. Some of these Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have been trying to approach Washington, DC, and find a foothold in the increased American effort in curbing Iranian influence in the region. So this is very specific to Irans enemies, Wahab said. Territorial violation Iraqs foreign ministry denounced the Iranian missile strike. Iraq protects the security of its neighbours and does not allow its territory to be used to threaten these countries, spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub said in a statement. But it categorically rejects the violation of its territorial sovereignty by strikes against certain targets on its territory with previous coordination. KDPI is Irans oldest Kurdish movement and has seen several of its leaders assassinated by Tehran in the past. Commenting on the events from the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Al Jazeeras Rob Matheson said the timing of the attack was significant as it comes a couple of days after the Iranian consulate in Basra was torched during violent protests over lack of public services and jobs. There is nothing to link these two events but there is a lot of speculation in Iraq that the latest missile attack in Kurdistan is Iran showing that it can strike back and that it can strike back powerfully. Security reinforcements sent from Baghdad have stabilised the city after weeks-long protests turned violent last week. Calm and order have been restored in Iraqs southern Basra province after a week of violent protests over Iranian interference, unemployment, and poor public services left at least 15 people dead. Troops sent from Baghdad have reinforced security personnels presence on Sunday, with government offices and marketplaces reopening after a quieter night. Municipality workers were also out in force cleaning up the streets and carting away debris from the clashes. Basra has been rocked by protests since Tuesday, with demonstrators setting ablaze government buildings, the Iranian consulate and the offices of pro-Tehran militias and political parties. Anger flared after the hospitalisation of 30,000 people who had drunk polluted water. Residents in the oil-rich region have for weeks complained of water and electricity shortages, corruption among officials and unemployment. Hours before parliament met at an emergency session on Saturday, four rockets fired by unidentified assailants struck inside the perimeter of Basra airport, security sources said. Staff at the airport, which is located near the US consulate in Basra, said flights were not affected. The two leading groups in Iraq s parliament have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis government over its inability to resolve the wave of unrest. Defending his government, al-Abadi described the weeks-long protests in Basra over poor services and lack of jobs as political sabotage and charged that the crisis was being exploited for political ends. His government has announced the allocation of an unspecified amount of extra funds for Basra, although demonstrators say that billions of dollars in emergency funding pledged in July has failed to materialise. Death threats On Saturday, a spokesman for an alliance of powerful Shia militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed to respond against those who are carrying out acts of arson and sabotage. The local commander, known as Abu Yasser al-Jaafari, said the lack of response thus far should not be taken as a sign of weakness. Hours later, masked government troops in combat fatigues deployed in the city, setting up checkpoints and riding through the city centre in black pick-up trucks with heavy weapons mounted in the back. Security forces in Humvees deployed at intersections. Naqeeb al-Luaibi, a local activist, said protest organizers had decided to suspend the demonstrations after receiving death threats from Iran-backed militias. The militias accuse them of colluding with the US, which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq, allegations denied by the activists. Well suspend protests now to spare blood and well return with a new approach, he said. We will not give up until our demands are met. Iraq is still without a government nearly four months after national elections in which no party won a majority. Rival parliamentary blocs one seen as friendlier to the US and the other closely allied with Iran each claim to have assembled a governing coalition. {articleGUID} Iraqs government has scrambled to meet the growing demand for public services and jobs but has been hindered by years of endemic corruption and a financial crisis fueled by diminished oil revenues and the costly war against ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS) group. Basra is Iraqs second-largest province and home to about 70 percent of the country s proven oil reserves of 153.1 billion barrels. It is located on the Gulf, bordering Kuwait and Iran and is Iraq s only hub for oil exports. Fears of escalation after UN-sponsored peace talks between Yemens government and Houthi rebels are abandoned in Geneva. Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in clashes and air raids around the Yemeni city of Hodeidah following the collapse of UN-sponsored peace talks between the internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels. A Saudi-UAE coalition backing government forces launched an offensive in June to retake the strategic port city the main gateway for imports of relief supplies and commercial goods from rebel fighters who have held it since 2014. Multiple sources have reported that dozens, if not scores, of people have been killed in the past 24 hours after Saudi-UAE-led coalition attacks, said Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti. In fact, one source said that there had been 60 attacks, he added, noting that the situation is definitely escalating in a fairly big way. He added that reports suggest the likelihood of civilian deaths is high. We have heard reports from the Saudi side that civilians trying to escape Hodeidah ran into minefields laid by the Houthis. The Houthis say they [the civilians] were bombed by a series of strikes, said Simmons. Separately, hospital sources in Hodeidah province told AFP news agency that 84 people 73 rebel fighters and 11 government soldiers had been killed since the attempted peace talks in Switzerland were abandoned on Saturday after Houthi representatives failed to show up. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the casualty figures. The rebels refused to leave Yemen for Geneva, saying the UN had not met their demands including a plane to transport their wounded to nearby Oman and a guarantee their delegation would be allowed to return to the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. Humanitarian crisis Hodeidahs seaport was responsible for delivering 70 percent of Yemens imports mostly humanitarian aid, food and fuel before 2015. Yet, Saudi Arabia says that the Houthis, who reportedly generate $30m to $40m a month in revenue from the port, are using it to smuggle in weapons from Iran. In July, the Saudi-UAE coalition announced a temporary ceasefire to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. The war in Yemen, the regions poorest country, started in 2014 after Houthi rebels seized control of Sanaa and began pushing south towards Aden, the countrys third-biggest city. Concerned by the rise of the Houthi rebels, the coalition launched a military offensive in 2015 in the form of a massive air campaign aimed at reinstalling the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. According to the UN, at least 10,000 people have been killed in the war a death toll that has not been updated in years and is certain to be far higher. The UN says Yemen, which stands at the brink of famine, is the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. The coalition launched a major offensive to retake Hodeidah in June. Improved relations between the two countries are required for their EU ascension but its a long road full of thorns. Kosovos leader urged calm as the Serbian president spoke to thousands of people in a majority-Serb area in Kosovos north. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received a warm welcome from ethnic Serbs at a rally in Mitrovica on Sunday, a day after he arrived in Kosovo. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci called for calm as roadblocks and burning tyres stopped Vucic from travelling to other majority-Serb areas. The rally comes after Vucic abruptly cancelled a meeting with Thaci on Friday in Brussels. It was assumed they would discuss a proposed land swap that would improve relations between the two countries and pave the way for their membership in the European Union. The population of north Mitrovica, where Vucic held his rally, would likely be ceded to Serbia in a land swap. Ethnic lines Reporting from Mitrovica, Al Jazeeras Sonia Gallego said while a land swap could help improve relations between Serbia and Kosovo, analysts and officials have warned further ethnic division could spell unrest for the Balkans. The issue, of course, being that if these territories here, these countries were to be divided across ethnic lines then it would really stoke up further tensions within the region, Gallego said. The dispute between Serbia and Kosovo dates back to 1998-99 when Slobodan Milosevic, a former Serbian president, ordered a crackdown on Kosovo Albanian separatists. More than 10,000 people died in the conflict before NATO bombing forced Serbia to pull out of the territory. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and its sovereignty is recognised by 117 other nations. Serbia has never recognised its independence, however. EU pressure The EU has been pressuring the two leaders to resolve their dispute. Thaci and Vucic spoke with EU officials in Brussels last week, during which the possible land exchange was discussed. Its not known what caused Vucic to cancel the meeting on Friday. Speaking at the Gazivoda Lake Dam near Mitrovica, Vucic told reporters: I will do my best but it is a long road full of thorns and problems ahead. Thaci said while deepening differences complicate negotiations, the two leaders made an agreement to overcome these differences in the days and weeks to come with the understanding of the delegations and with the facilitation of the [EU], news site Balkan Insight quoted him as saying. Further high-level talks between Serbia and Kosovo are scheduled in Brussels later this month. Vice president condemns anti-Trump opinion piece in the New York Times by an unnamed official, calling it a disgrace. US Vice President Mike Pence has denied discussions to remove President Donald Trump from office took place, rejecting claims made in a New York Times opinion piece authored by an unidentified White House official. The article published by the news outlet last week claimed members of Trumps cabinet had discussed invoking a clause under the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, which allows for a president to be removed if they are deemed unable to carry out their duties. As second in command, Trumps removal from office for any reason besides defeat in an election would result in Pence becoming president. The vice president flatly denied he was part of the alleged conversations when asked by Face the Nation on CBS News in an interview broadcast on Saturday. Why would we be? He responded, adding: The truth of the matter is over the last eight years, despite what we heard from President Obama on Friday, this country was struggling, it was the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression. It seems to be just an obvious attempt to distract attention from this booming economy and President Trumps record of success. Since the bombshell editorial was published by the New York Times, a raft of White House officials have come out to deny they wrote it. Trump responded angrily on his Twitter account, calling the author gutless and demanding that the news outlet turn him/her over to the government for National Security purposes. Pence echoed the sentiment in his interview with CBS, branding both the author and publisher a disgrace. I think the author of the anonymous editorial, and frankly The New York Times, should be ashamed. What is the 25th Amendment? The 25th Amendment is a clause in the US Constitution, which was brought in after the assassination of former President John F Kennedy and deals primarily with the issue of presidential succession. It was introduced by Kennedys successor and vice president, Lyndon B Johnson, and ensured that a constitutional mechanism was in place to allow the vice president to take the office of president should an incumbent president die, resign, or be removed from office, for example through impeachment. Until that point, there was no formal mechanism to determine who succeeds a president whose office becomes vacant during an electoral term. The amendment also contains a section that allows the vice president, with the consent of the majority of the cabinet, to remove a president from office, if they are determined to be unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Trumps mental health is often cited by critics as a possible pretext for why he would be considered unable to carry out the duties of his role. The New York Time editorial, authored by the anonymous Trump official, said discussions about the 25th Amendment had taken place within the cabinet given the instability many witnessed. North Korea has staged a huge military parade that focussed on peace and development to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation but refrained from displaying its most advanced missiles. A sea of spectators watched the parade on Sunday as tens of thousands goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks drove past a rostrum where leader Kim Jong-un took the salute. Li Zhanshu, one of the seven members of the Chinese Communist partys Politburo Standing Committee, the countrys most powerful body, sat next to Kim in Pyongyangs Kim II-sung Square. The parade featured armoured personnel carriers, multiple rocket launchers and tanks, and biplanes that flew overhead in a 70 formation. Thousands of goose-stepping soldiers paraded past a review stand where Kim Jong-un took the salute [Ed Jones/AFP] At one point, jets trailing red, white and blue smoke the colours of the North Korean flag roared above Juche Tower, the stone monument to the countrys founder Kim Il Sungs political philosophy. Finally came the missiles, the traditional climax of the parades. But the only ones on show were the blue Kumsong-3, an anti-ship cruise missile, and the Pongae-5 surface-to-air weapon. There was no sign of the Hwasong-14 and -15 missiles that can reach the mainland United States and changed the strategic balance when they were first tested last year. And there were no nuclear tests to mark the day, as has happened in each of the last two years. The parade featured armoured personnel carriers, multiple rocket launchers and tanks [Ed Jones/AFP] North Korea routinely uses major holidays to showcase its military capabilities and the latest developments in missile technology. Se-Woong Koo, managing editor of Korea Expose magazine, said Pyongyang was sending a message about its commitment to denuclearisation made during summits with South Koreas President Moon Jae-in, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. North Korea has said it wants to denuclearise by the end of Trumps first term. So given all this optimism, given all the clear signs, it was unlikely that North Korea would jeopardise the process with a display of its missiles, he told Al Jazeera. The North also refrained from immediately televising the event, though North Korean media were out in force to film it, deploying booms and drones with cameras. Thousands of civilians walked through the square waving bouquets [Ed Jones/AFP] The theme for the celebrations this year was unifying the Korean Peninsula, divided since the 1950-53 Korean War. Immediately after the parade, thousands of citizens walked through the square, escorting floats displaying economic themes and calls for Korean reunification. Under the warm sunshine, the marchers waved bouquets and flags and chanted Long live to the leader. Afterwards, Kim and Li saluted the crowd, the North Korean raising his guests hand in the air. Beijing is its neighbours key diplomatic protector and trade partner, and after years of deep freeze over North Koreas missile and nuclear tests, their ties have warmed rapidly this year, with Kim visiting China three times to meet Xi. Speculation that Xi might reciprocate for the anniversary did not come to pass, a move analysts say could indicate Beijing still has reservations about Kims initiatives. This years celebrations also mark the revival of North Koreas iconic mass games after a five-year hiatus. The Arirang Mass Games is a huge, nationalist pageant performed by up to 100,000 people in one of the worlds largest stadiums. Soon after the Sunday celebrations end, Kim will once again meet Moon in Pyongyang to discuss practical measures towards denuclearisation, according to officials in Seoul. On March 30, 2016, members of Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) sailed into Tripoli in an effort to unite rival factions and bring stability to the war-torn country. In order to establish its authority, the GNA sought the support of a handful of militias already active in the city. The gradual rise of these Tripoli-based armed groups, which kept their autonomy as they began dominating the formal security institutions, including the interior ministry, angered powerful militias outside the capital who felt marginalised and at risk of losing access to state funds. Last week, fierce clashes broke out between groups from outside the capital and Tripoli-based militias, killing dozens of people and wounding many more. The renewed fighting not only laid bare Tripolis fragile security situation and GNAs powerlessness but also pushed major international powers already at odds over how to resolve the long-running conflict to change their tone. In a speech at the Security Council on Wednesday, Ghassane Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, warned of the threat predatory armed groups pose to the countrys transition process. {articleGUID} Indeed, members of some armed groups nominally acting under the Ministry of Interior have kidnapped, tortured and murdered employees of sovereign institutions, including the National Oil Corporation and the Libyan Investment Authority, said Salame. Our public criticism of the predatory behaviour of armed groups in the capital was warmly welcomed by Libyans, who are fed up with living on the poverty line whilst their national resources are looted by gunmen-turned-millionaires. Salame also cautioned against opportunistic politicians in the countrys two rival administrations the Tripoli-based GNA and the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk who seek to prolong the countrys chaotic status quo for their own personal gain. The violence also cast doubt at the prospect of holding nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections by December, agreed by rival Libyan leaders who met in May in Paris at the behest of French President Emmanuel Macron. Italy has called for the launch of peace talks between rival groups, which it hopes can take place in November as a prelude to the planned December polls. But Giuseppe Conte, Italys prime minister, acknowledged last month that Rome was in no rush to see elections happen. Italys primary interest is to stabilise Libya and to hold the presidential and political elections with appropriate guarantees, Conte told reporters last month. Meanwhile, renegade General Khalifa Haftar, whose self-declared Libyan National Army controls much of eastern Libya, denounced Italys approach as counterproductive. Al Jazeera spoke to Jalel Harchaoui, a political analyst and scholar, to get a sense of where Libya stands and what it needs to do to bridge political differences and move the legislative process forward. Al Jazeera: Do recent clashes in Tripoli present the international community with a new reality of the situation in Libya? Jalel Harchaoui: I think its more about the optics rather than a reality that would have been completely novel. A lot of what happened had been almost predicted by several political scientists. What the international community was engaged in was a very strong and tenacious desire to believe that the equilibrium in Tripoli was tenable, viable and stable that wasnt the reality. People detached from governments and the UN had enough information to conclude that, yes, there was an equilibrium in Tripoli but that it wasnt tenable. {articleGUID} Foreign states are now forced to see what they were not willing to see: the fact that downtown Tripoli, the centre of the capital where all the embassies are, as well as other vital institutions, cannot be separated from the rest of Libya. What we have seen over the last 10 days was that armed groups outside Tripoli, in the periphery, were not going to stand by idly while those in the capital take advantage of the opportunities for embezzlement. Al Jazeera: Can militia violence and their disproportionate influence over civilian authorities be reined in? Harchaoui: No one neither the Libyans in the Tripolitania region nor the foreign states nor the UN has undertaken any real effort to build a state. On the contrary, what we have seen is a temptation, or even an interest, in working with militias. These militias were smart enough to know that in order to receive support and please some of the actors, they were expected to conduct a political war against groups like the Islamist figures and groups whom they expelled from the capital city. It is difficult to see how these convenient groups can be dismantled. They are useful to some outside parties with foreign agenda. At the same time, one must keep in mind that accepting a militia is not a good start to state-building efforts. A militia will continue torturing people, being opaque and corrupt, regardless of what it says. In sum, we dont know whether they can be reined in until we actually try. If you dont question a militia, you cannot diffuse its power and incorporate it into state structures effectively. {articleGUID} Foreign states are not the only culprits but it is important to highlight their role. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and France, in particular, were all too happy to court the militias. These three countries happily accepted the militias as legitimate actors to work with. They were deeply interested in co-opting them because they thought these militias did not belong to the Muslim Brotherhood. The militias in Tripoli did improve the security situation but they were also expected to wage a different kind of war, a political battle against Islamists and revolutionary militias in the capital. The reason why I single out those three is because nobody seems to mention them. They were not denounced by the UN, civil society groups or NGOs. Al Jazeera: Do the latest developments give reason to Italys approach, as opposed to Frances, to the Libyan crisis which has emphasised national reconciliation before nationwide polls can be held? Harchaoui: In terms of Italy and France, no single approach is best. Italy has a lot to do with the collapse that just happened and engaged in a strategy that it thought would be very productive but which in the end proved futile. Rome tried to cultivate the status quo by talking to as many actors as possible, both inside and outside Tripoli. They adopted a horizontal approach and they genuinely thought that theyd be able to control the whole thing and stitch everything [militias] together into a functioning state. France doesnt know Libya nearly as well as Italy. They have no contacts in the cities of Sabratha or Misrata. They were not even able to invite Misratans to the May 29 summit in Paris. But the French governments approach is quite similar to Italys in Tripoli, where both celebrated the capitals newfound stability and the four big militias that upheld it. The difference has to do with the periphery but the Italians by virtue of historical circumstances have a much wider reach. The French looked at the developments in eastern Libya, where Haftar restored a semblance of normality, and at how central Tripoli also seemed to have been stabilised and thought why not organise elections overlooking the simmering tensions in the capitals outskirts. Stability for Italy, on the other hand, is far more important. It imports some 300,000 barrels of oil per day from Libya and the impact of instability, especially in terms of refugee flows, would be unbearable. They didnt want anybody to rock the boat, as it were, and elections were a risky endeavour. Al Jazeera: What can the international community do to move the legislative process forward? Harchaoui: France doesnt just want elections. It is interested in creating the role of a president, knowing fully well that Libya has a parliamentary system at the moment. France is therefore extraordinarily ambitious and its asking for a lot. This stands in contrast with the Italian, British and the United States approach, which is a lot more prudent and pragmatic: there is talk of parliamentary elections but not before June 2019. To move the legislative process forward, one step that the UN can take, and the international community more broadly, is to break the taboo about the Emiratis and Saudis bypassing international efforts and interfering by supporting the militias that most suit their agenda. The international community should be able to ask these two states to back off. Many people talk about the run-ins and war of words between France and Italy but this isnt that major of an issue. Its good to criticise Qatar and Turkey but the other two are never mentioned simply because they happen to be anti-Muslim Brotherhood which in my view is problematic. Of course, there are other issues in Libya that have nothing to do with Islamism. They have to do with state construction and can be addressed once foreign meddling stops. This interview was edited for clarity and brevity. Second round of voting will be held on September 15 with a record 98 parties taking part in the elections. Mauritanias ruling party has taken the lead in legislative, regional and local elections held earlier this month, the electoral commission said Sunday. The Union for the Republic is the leading political party according to provisional results of the first round September 1 vote, commission spokesman Mustafa Sidel Moktar told AFP news agency. The party has so far won 67 of the 157 national assembly seats, compared with 14 for the second place Islamist party Tewassoul, as well as four of the 13 regional councils and 108 of 219 municipalities, he said. Turnout was 73.4 percent, Mohamed Vall Ould Bella of the Independent National Electoral Commission said on Saturday. A second-round vote will be held on September 15 to decide 22 national assembly seats, nine regional councils, and 115 municipalities in the vast and arid West African state with a registered electorate of some 1.4 million. Another term? The vote is the last test for President Mohamed Ould Abdel Azizs record before next years presidential election. The opposition boycotted the last polls in 2013, but a record 98 parties are taking part this time, with close to 5,000 people running for the National Assembly alone. Aziz, 61, who came to power in a coup in 2008, won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. He has been frequently accused by opposition figures and NGOs of rights abuses. Though Aziz said he will not seek a third mandate, which would be against the constitution, statements by ministers and supporters have led some to suggest he might. Mauritania last year voted on a controversial constitutional reform initiated by the president that seeks to abolish the Senate and alter the countrys flag, among other changes. Russia-backed Syrian regime pummels Idlib Moscow takes part in intensive air attacks in last opposition-held stronghold after rejection Turkish call for halt in hostilities. Senior royal Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz said King Salman and his crown prince were responsible for the war in Yemen. A senior Saudi prince is considering exile after blaming King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the war in Yemen, according to a report by the Middle East Eye (MEE). The UK-based website, quoting an unnamed source close to Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, said on Friday the Saudi kings brother may not return to Saudi Arabia after a video of his comments was posted online last week. In the video, Prince Ahmed, one of the few remaining sons of the kingdoms founder, can be heard telling anti-war protesters gathered outside his London residence that the entire family should not be blamed for the war in Yemen. There are specific people who are responsible. Dont blame the entire family, the prince said. Asked who the individuals were, the prince said it was the king and his heir apparent. In Yemen and elsewhere, our hope is that the war ends today before tomorrow, he added. The brother of Saudi Arabia's King Salman was heckled outside his residence in London. So he confronted protesters telling them to blame King Salman and the Saudi Crown Prince instead pic.twitter.com/IzSY3tMs1Q Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 4, 2018 The video was widely circulated online and sparked furious speculation about possible discord within the Saudi royal family. The official Saudi Press Agency issued a statement attributed to Prince Ahmed shortly after the video was published, which said that the interpretation of his comments was inaccurate. I have made it clear that the king and crown prince are responsible for the state and its decisions, the prince said in the statement. This is true for the security and stability of the country and the people. Therefore, it is not possible to interpret what I said in any other way. However, the MEE said its source claimed Prince Ahmed stood by his original remarks. He said the report by state controlled SPA was fake and that the words quoted by the agency were not his, MEE reported. Wave of arrests Public displays of dissent are rare in the kingdom, where critics of the Saudi monarch face lengthy jail sentences, corporal punishment and hefty fines. Dozens of royal family members, ministers and top businessmen were arrested in November 2017 during an anti-corruption purge launched by Mohammed bin Salman. Allegations against those detained included money laundering, bribery, and extorting officials. The crackdown, which came via royal decree, was said to be in response to exploitation by some of the weak souls who have put their own interests above the public interest, in order to illicitly accrue money. Most were freed after reaching settlement deals with the government, including Saudi businessman and billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Analysts say the arrests were a way for the crown prince to consolidate economic and political power in Saudi Arabia. Prince Ahmed previously served as interior minister in 2012 under the late King Abdullah before he was replaced by Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Accused Bista brought back after medical tests Dilip Singh Bista, the man that Kanchanpur police claim to have raped and murdered 13-year-old Nirmala Panta, was flown back to Mahendranagar on Friday evening, following his medical examinations in Kathmandu. At least 19 killed after passenger plane travelling from the capital Juba to the city of Yirol crashes into river. At least 19 people died in South Sudan when a small aircraft carrying passengers from Juba International Airport to the city of Yirol crashed on Sunday. State Information Minister Taban Abel Aguek told Anadolu news agency that three people, including one child and a co-pilot, were rescued from the crash. Aguek said 22 people were on board the 19-seat plane. He said authorities were investigating the cause of Sundays crash. We have not yet established full details, Aguek told AFP news agency. When it arrived the weather was so foggy and when it tried to land it crashed. One of the survivors, an Italian doctor working with a charity, was in stable condition and flown to Juba having undergone surgery in Yirol. Anglican Bishop of Yirol, Simon Adut, was confirmed among the dead, according to Aguek. The United Nations radio station Radio Miraya also reported there were only three survivors and posted a picture on its Twitter account of the twisted wreckage of the plane submerged in water. Several crashes have occurred in war-torn South Sudan in recent years. In 2015, 36 people were killed when a Soviet-era Antonov plane crashed just after take-off from Juba. In 2017, 37 people had a miraculous escape after their plane hit a fire truck on a runway in northwestern Wau before bursting into flames. Sweden: How will far rights rise impact election? The Scandinavian country has long had a reputation for welcoming refugees and asylum seekers, But now the anti-immigrant parties rise is shifting the political landscape. Syria and its Russian ally pound opposition-held Idlib, and Hama provinces in second day of escalation. Antakya, Turkey Syrian government forces have pounded rebel-held areas in northwest Syria, killing at least five people in a second day of heavy bombardment, according to rescuers, as Turkey sent more troops to the region. The intensified strikes on Sunday, including air attacks, shelling and helicopter-dropped barrel bombs, targeted villages in southern Idlib and northern Hama provinces. The escalation comes amid growing fears over a seemingly imminent all-out offensive against the densely populated Idlib province, the last rebel bastion in Syria. A baby and a young child were killed in the village of Habeit in southern Idlib in a barrel bomb attack, according to the White Helmets, a civil defence group operating in rebel-held areas. {articleGUID} Three others, including a rebel officer, were killed in air raids and shelling that struck the northern Hama province. Abd al-Karim al-Rahmoun, a member of the White Helmets in northern Hama, said that about half of the local population had left the sparsely populated region to escape the bombardment. Activists told Al Jazeera that while hundreds of people have been fleeing the attacks in northern Hama and southern Idlib provinces, there has not been a significant wave of civilians moving towards the north. In some cases, the activists said, people would leave their villages early in the morning and return after sunset once the bombardment stopped. The strikes on Sunday targeted villages in southern Idlib and northern Hama provinces [AP] According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), over the past 72 hours, forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally, Russia, have hit rebel-held areas 1,060 times with air attacks, shelling and barrel bombs. In response, al-Jabha al-Wataniya lil-Tahrir (NLF), a major armed opposition group, on Sunday shelled government forces positions in northern Hama, SOHR reported. {articleGUID} Meanwhile, another convoy of Turkish military vehicles crossed into Idlib province on Sunday. Over the past 10 days, a number of similar convoys carrying weapons and armoured cars have entered northern Syria to reinforce 12 observation points manned by Turkish soldiers. These outposts, which are located in rebel-held areas in western Aleppo, northern Hama and Idlib provinces, were established under the de-escalation agreements reached by Turkey, Iran and Russia. [These reinforcements are] a sign that Turkey treats the issue of Idlib very seriously and it is not going to easily turn a blind eye on any Russian, regime or Iranian military design for it, said Galip Dalay, director of research at the Istanbul-based Sharq Forum. Dalay said Turkey would not withdraw its troops from the observation posts any time soon, unless it reached an agreement with Russia, Iran and the Syrian government. At this stage, I dont see a deal that exists, he said. During this period, targeted attacks will continue but will not produce any big waves of refugees. Already hosting more than three million Syrian refugees, Turkey is eager to avoid a full-fledged government offensive. Its call for a ceasefire, however, was rejected on Friday by Russia at a summit in Irans capital, Tehran. Speaking to reporters earlier on Sunday, Suleyman Soyli, Turkeys interior minister, warned of the possibility of mass displacement in the event of a large-scale military offensive on Idlib. We care about humanity and we wont give up. We will not be responsible for a migration wave in case of possible attacks [on Idlib], Soyli said. The northwest province bordering Turkey is home to an estimated three million people, half of whom are internally displaced. Soyli added that 255,300 Syrians have returned to their homes over the past two years, including 160,000 who went to the Euphrates Shield region in northern Aleppo province, which rebel groups and the Turkish army took over from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in 2016. Syrians flee Idlib offensive People are fleeing their homes to get away from the second day of an escalated air campaign on Idlib by the Syrian government and Russia. YouGov poll shows 68 percent of members of three biggest unions want rerun of referendum on UKs membership of the EU. A survey of Britains three largest trade unions has found overwhelming backing for a second referendum on the UKs continued membership of the European Union. The YouGov poll of Unite, Unison, and GMB members also found a clear majority backed remaining in the 28-member bloc. A margin of 68 percent of respondents said they wanted another vote compared with 32 percent who said there should not be another referendum. One of the main reasons cited for opposing Brexit included worsening economic prospects such as fewer job opportunities. The poll was commissioned by the Peoples Vote campaign, which is calling for a referendum on whether to choose the governments final deal to leave the EU or to reject the idea of Brexit outright. As the unions are affiliates of the opposition Labour Party, the results will add to calls for its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to back the Peoples Vote campaign. Corbyn has been criticised for his stance on Brexit, which many within his own party see as too closely aligned to the governments Hard Brexit stance. The UK has until March 2019 to conclude an agreement on the terms of its exit from the EU, with lack of preparation and internal divisions over the issue within the government slowing the pace of negotiations. British Prime Minister Theresa May was only able to agree on a common negotiating platform with her cabinet in July and even that led to the resignation of Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Her Conservative Party is bitterly split between those who wish to have a clean break with the EU on the partys hard right and those that want to maintain some arrangements with the EU, such as a common trade and customs area. In an editorial for the Mail on Sunday, Johnson compared Conservative leaders plan to putting a suicide vest around the British constitution and handing the detonator to the EU. Concerns for those opposed to a hard Brexit include the ease of maintaining manufacturer supply chains, which for many industries are spread across the EU, and fears that multinational companies will relocate to the continent due to its larger markets. Putin is Here to Stay, and the Russian State Will Die with Him Vladimir Putin arose to power in Russia when he was 47 years old. He is now 66. Putin's first two terms in office were generally successful: he presided over an expansion of the Russian economy; the military was modernized; and he even more controversially had successes in Russia's longstanding conflict with Chechen rebels and with NATO observing member Georgia. All of these actions, taken together, made Putin a popular leader among the Russian electorate. He was, to play on a popular phrase, making Russia great again after the chaotic decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, in the immortal words of The Dark Knight's Harvey Dent, "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This is precisely what has transpired in Russia today (though, in this case, the term "hero" when describing Vladimir Putin is entirely subjective). Putin could have left office in 2008 as a generally good leader (according to Russian standards, at least). Yet, he transmogrified himself into a steely autocrat. Putin temporarily removed himself from the presidency to become prime minister. But this was less out of a Washingtonian sense of fidelity to the constitution and more of a Machiavellian move to trick foreign observers, and to allow for him to rewrite the constitution. What Constitution? Putin once again returned to the Kremlin in 2012 after a terribly contentious election, in which large swathes of Russians (backed by Western non-government organizations, in many cases) protested Putin's return. Since that time, Putin has been on the warpath. He has aggregated increasing levels of power toward himself and his allies in Moscow; he has engaged in an overtly antagonistic military campaign against the West (again, the West is not entirely innocent in the creation of these circumstances); and he has systematically crushed all domestic opposition. In 2018, Putin was elected again to the presidency. Under the current Russian constitution, President Putin must leave office by 2024. By that point in time, Putin will be 72. Despite the fact that the average lifespan for a Russian male today is 66, Mr. Putin appears to be in perfect health a notion reinforced by Putin's incessant need to ride bareback in the Russian Far East and to display his judo skills at the drop of an ushanka. In other words, Vladimir Putin will likely be alive and well in 2024 and quite possibly ready to stay on for another term as the president of Russia. Besides, even if Putin did not want to stay, it is unlikely that any potential successor could keep Russia together. Even today, as Putin increases his grasp on power, the country continues fraying along its periphery. It is only the silnaya ruka the iron fist of centralized power that keeps the vast expanse known as the Russian Federation together. Increasingly, that centralized power is Vladimir Putin's. Putin's reign has long emulated the reign of fellow post-Soviet leaders, such as those of neighboring Belarus and Kazakhstan. Following the autocratic ethos of one-man rule, Putin has purged Russia of any potential successors to his reign. The one time he attempted to choose a successor Dmitri Medvedev he was deeply disappointed. Viewing the young Russian attorney as far too friendly toward the West, by the middle of Medvedev's single term as president, Putin had hollowed out Medvedev's power. Not a Deep Bench Looking forward, Russia is in a difficult position in terms of presidential successors. The younger generation of leaders are all Putin lackeys. Like Medvedev, they are unimaginative, and, aside from holding power in Russia, these folks are unexceptional. The same was said by many of Vladimir Putin when Boris Yeltsin chose Putin to be his successor. However, the difference is that Yeltsin was a weak and somewhat benign leader, whereas Putin is an autocrat who jealously guards his power. Whatever might be said about the system under Yeltsin, it allowed for some leaders to rise. Putin's autocracy has neutered Russia of any competent leadership for after he leaves office. The closer we get to 2024, I expect Putin to alter the Russian constitution as he did before the 2012 election, allowing for him to remain in office indefinitely. Once that occurs, you can start timing how long it will take for Russia to move toward collapse. After all, whatever comes after Putin will not be a democracy as we understand it (any more than post-Saddam Hussein Iraq became a democracy). Given the weakness of potential autocratic successors to Putin, Russia will likely break up along its constituent parts. It will become a chaos state, armed with stores of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Not only are the younger Russian leaders likely incapable of keeping all of Russia's constituent parts together in a post-Putin political system, but the older generation is as well. They are either too brutal or will simply be too old when Putin leaves office. Dear Pentagon: Prepare for Russian Collapse and Loose Nukes Therefore, I propose that the Pentagon and America's allies begin planning for the point when Putin is no longer in power. How would Western officials secure potential loose Russian WMD? After Putin, it is unlikely that Moscow will be able to maintain central control over its military. The Pentagon needs to start working out loose nuke scenarios today how to contain them, whom in Russia to secretly buy off to stop WMD proliferation, etc. Washington's priority must be to prevent widespread proliferation of WMD from Russia. From there, European leaders will have to contemplate how best to respond to the inevitable refugee flows that will emanate from a completely collapsing Russia. Meanwhile, Asia will have to brace for the time when China takes the lion's share of natural resources and land from Russia's Far East. At that point, China will not only be an economic juggernaut, but will overnight become a natural resources superpower, thereby making it a true challenger to the United States. World leaders should begin courting the leaders of the various Russian oblasts, so as to have direct linkages with those who would likely arise to rule whatever new states grow out of the ashes of a disintegrating Russia. The United States cannot hope for the best in Russia. Policymakers must assume that Putin will retain his grip on power and continue atomizing Russian society. If that's the case, then the Russian state will die with Putin. The Scallops War: Food for Thought Music may be the food of love, but the quest for food has often been the cause of friction and political insecurity. That friction has been evident throughout history. Ancient Rome was troubled by the increase in the price of bread. In the 15th century, 1482-84, the Salt War took place among papal forces, their Venetian allies, and the Duke of Tuscany over the salt that had been reserved to Venice, the only port allowed to trade in salt. The famine in Ireland in the 1840s still has political overtones in British-Irish relations. The 900-day Nazi blockage of supplies to Leningrad, September 1941 to January 1944, caused the deaths of 1.5 million Russian soldiers and civilians and the evacuation of another 1.4 million. The Cod War, really a number of interstate disputes in 1950, 1958, and 1972 between Britain and Iceland over fishing rights in the North Atlantic, was concluded in 1976 with the U.K. conceding a 200-nautical-mile fishing zone to Iceland. The Turbot War between Canada and Spain for the large saltwater turbot (halibut) took place in 1995 off the coast of Newfoundland. Now we have an outbreak of a new food war: a Scallop War between Britain and France. Differences and rivalries between the two countries are not new in history. If one side proclaims there's always something fishy about the French, the other can respond that you can't trust people who cook as badly as the English. In the present-day context of Brexit negotiations, political and cultural animosity between the two countries is to be expected. The Scallops War is a reminder of the 1748 painting "The Roast Beef of Old England (The Gate of Calais)" by William Hogarth, which reflects both the tension between a French soldier looking at a large side of British beef and the meat as a symbol of British wealth and power. The night was bitter, the stars had lost their glitter, and all because of the interaction between the two countries that took a dramatic turn on August 29, 2018 and for a few days in September 2018. The scene resembled Dover Beach, and "we are here as on darkling plain swept with confused alarms of struggle and fight," a bitterly internecine conflict of two allied countries, displaying lack of civility and acerbic tone. The event on August 29 took on the appearance of ignorant armies clashing by night, even if so far no one's life has been endangered by threatened warlike conduct. The physical clash is in the area of the English Channel. There, the Scallop War is being fought between British and French fishermen over the delightful Coquille Saint Jacques, one of the few species whose catch is regulated by national rather than E.U. regulations. The battlefield is the area of international waters known as the Baie de Seine (Bay of the Seine), about 15 miles from the French coast. The context of the issue is that U.K. fishermen can dredge for scallops all year round in the international waters in the English Channel, while France is barred from doing so during the summer months, May to September, evidently to allow the species to reproduce. Therefore, one irony in the situation is that the U.K. claims the right to fish in French waters, which are closed to French trawlers. The issue is complicated by the charge by the pro-Brexit group Fishing for Leave that France has caught 60% of the fish in U.K. waters over the past 40 years. In previous years, there has been a French-U.K. agreement that the British could enter French waters for a limited number of days. Since 2012, the U.K. agreed to limit shellfish dredging during the summer months in return for some French permits. However, in 2018, there is no agreement. The French complain that larger U.K. boats are being used, which can capture larger amounts of scallops and which, according to the French, leaves the seabed like a plowed field because their techniques damage the sea floor. By present law, U.K. ships are not allowed within 12 miles of the French coast, but smaller boats can dredge for scallops in the 40-mile stretch of international waters in the Baie de Seine. There has for many years been a problem over getting the lucrative scallops. It has rarely led to the use of violence. But the tension almost became war on August 29, 2018 when 35 French vessels confronted five British boats more than 12 miles off the Normandy coast, a confrontation in which stones and smoke bombs were thrown, and boats were rammed leaving holes in three vessels. Somewhat ominously, French agricultural minister Stephane Travert warned the U.K. that the French Navy was ready to intervene to prevent further clashes if the Scallop War continues. He also commented that the U.K. cannot expect a separate deal with France if the U.K. leaves the E.U. as a result of Brexit negotiations. The Scallop War is not directly linked to Brexit, but the issue of reciprocal access to fishing waters is one of the items in the negotiations. On the other hand, U.K. fishermen want the Royal Navy to help protect their dredging the Baie from Cherbourg to Dunkirk. One reason for this is the fishing of bluefin, a protected fish. Bluefin is usually found only in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean, but warmer waters have sent the species into U.K. waters. Recently, French trawlers took a haul of 44 bluefin tuna off the coast of the island of Jersey, worth 100,000. U.K. fishermen are not allowed to catch tuna, but there is no ban on France. The threat of war continues. French fishermen have warned the U.K. that they may use "heavy artillery," slingshots and ball bearings, if there is more violence. For her part, Prime Minister Theresa May, who narrowly, 307-301, avoided defeat in the House of Commons on Brexit, has called for calm and an amicable solution to the "row" in the Channel. Is it a fight for love or glory? The demonstration was part of the so-called, "Arab Spring" that was supposed to throw off the yoke of oppression by Arab governments. The regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had been under seige for months by protesters demanding free elections and other democratic reforms. An Egyptian court sentenced 75 people to death for their part in a violent demonstration in 2013 that resulted in dozens of deaths. The western press heralded the violent demonstrations as a sign that the Arab people were tired of the same corrupt, brutal dictatorships most were living under and that the dawn of secular democracy was right around the corner. President Obama refused to support Mubarak - a steadfast friend of the US and a wary ally of Israel. When the terrorist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, took power, Obama was effusive in his praise of the new government. Of course, secular democracy was not around the corner. It was never going to turn out that way except in the delusions of western liberals who had no idea of the forces that were unleashed by the demonstrations. Mubarak was deposed and in his place, the Egyptians elected an Islamist government that turned out to be even more repressive than Mubarak. Headed by Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, he, in turn, was overthrown in a military coup following the largest demonstrations in Egypt's history. It was during one of those demonstrations in support of Morsi that Islamist violence resulted in dozens of deaths. New York Times: These sentences were handed down in a disgraceful mass trial of more than 700 people, and we condemn todays verdict in the strongest terms, Amnesty International said on Saturday, after the courts decision. That not a single police officer has been brought to account for the killing of at least 900 people in the Rabaa and Nahda protests shows what a mockery of justice this trial was, it added, referring to Rabaa al-Adawiya and another Cairo square. Mr. Abou Zeid was arrested with two other journalists, one from France and one from the United States, when he was covering the clashes. The foreign reporters were quickly freed, but Mr. Abou Zeid was charged with weapons possession, illegal assembly, murder and attempted murder. An independent international jury selected him this year as the laureate of the Unesco/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize, which honors a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to press freedom. The Egyptian government criticized the decision, with the Foreign Ministry noting that the photojournalist had been accused of terrorism and criminal offenses. The Arab Spring in Egypt died that day, but the legend that democracy was the goal of the protests persisted. In fact, the people behind the demonstrations that overthrew Mubarak were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who when given the chance to govern, tried to turn Egypt not into a secular democracy but into an Islamist hell. When Morsi was deposed by the military, his supporters rioted. The Arab Spring also touched Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, and Syria. Only Tunisia escaped the chaos and death that resulted in civil war that's raging across the region. It is significant that in Yemen, Syria, and Libya, al-Qaeda linked terrorists are playing a large role in the violence. This is the legacy of the delusion that was the "Arab Spring." We will be paying for that delusion in human blood for decades. Former President Obama is back on the political hustings again, this time sounding less combative in his warnings to voters to vote for his chosen Democrats -- and a bit more scared. Obama said the November midterm elections would give Americans a chance to restore sanity in our politics during his 20-minute speech to a crowd of around 900 Democratic faithful at the Anaheim Convention Center, while warning voters of the risks of keeping Republicans in power. If we dont step up, things can get worse, Obama said. We have a chance to flip the House of Representatives; to say Enough is enough. Ah, yes, the restore sanity "narrative" as if the sanity problem he decries weren't the result of his own Deep State holdouts creating leaks and chaos. Nice try, pal. But what's really vivid is the nervous, wary, warning tone of his, suggesting that he really really wants Democrats to vote for his minions ... because he himself feels endangered. Starting with his own tired "narrative" about himself and his progressive values as the fount of all unity and progress, he gives us this: Its always tempting for politicians for their own gain and for people in power to try to see if they can divide people, scapegoat folks, turn them on each other, because when that happens you get gridlock and government doesnt work and people get cynical and decide to not participate," he said. "That, unfortunately, has been a spiral weve been on for the last couple of years, Obama continued. If we dont step up, things can get worse. As if those values weren't at the heart of why Obamacare got passed with strongarm tactics and zero Republican votes. Unifier indeed. As for things getting 'worse,' don't make us gag. Is he trying to tell us that more economic growth is a disaster? More jobs are worse? A 2% unemployment rate instead of a 3% one? A rampaging North Korea instead of a docile one? When he says 'worse,' it's pretty obvious that, this being Obama and all, he's talking about himself. Two things are likely driving this. One, the U.S. economy is soaring precisely because the Obama record of regulation, bureaucrat-hiring, taxes, crony capitalism, and central planning diktats against unfavored industries is being dismantled. That's Obama's legacy, and as President Trump throws it out with the garbage, that's the end of Obama's miserable memory of wrongs against the voters. His foreign policy record is another area of bad legacy going down the dispose-all. Weakness with Russia, North Korea, China, Cuba and Venezuela is being replaced by strength. And terrorists and religious lunatics from the Middle East are not only being called what they are, they're being checkmated as the U.S. finally stands up for its utterly reliable ally in Israel. More Obama legacy dismantled. That has got to cheese him off, given the size of his ego. And with his own record of attempting to defend Obamacare, we know he's got a willingness to plot and connive to try to save it. - by any means necessary, as the Alinskyites say. His campaigning for a leftist congress, against all precedent for ex-presidents, is his bid to get Trump impeached, now that he can no longer do it from the inside. But there's a second thing that has got to be scaring him: The unraveling of his Deep State plots against President Trump, the coup from within, going on as leftists in government continuously attempt to unseat and overthrow President Trump, the better to keep investigations against Deep State from reaching him. The unmaskings abuse, the slovenly issuance of FISA court warrants for surveillance against Americans, the IRS targeting of dissidents, Hillary Clinton's private illegal server, and quickie visas to Russian agents such as Natalia Veselnitskaya, to trap Trump, are all likely probes that can reach him from congressional investigators, such as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes .... unless he is stopped. Which is why, again, Obama is campaigning for a Democratic Congress - to switch the committee chairs and take the heat off himself. That would match his ominious tocsin tone as he campaigns for Congress in California. Out on Facebook, the estimable writer and political observer Lisa Schiffren notes the obvious about this Obama campaign: The Democrats have a problem. They need a 'face of the party.' It can't be the crazy lady who lost the last election. It can't be the clowns in the Senate from whom we heard this week. It can't be their still ambitious gerontocracy: Biden, Kerry, Warren, & Co. And little, unelected Octavio-Cortez is just too dumb. So it has to be Barry. And Barry still sounds reasonable, cool, and as if there is a modicum of probity behind his words. Still, we are all paying a lot, per month, for Obamacare, which was a drug on the economy, the Iran deal, the gutting of the US military, and the international weak posture that were his hallmark accomplishments. And no, we're not haters just because we think 1/3 of the population of Guatemala, and 1/5th of the population of Mexico are quite enough to import...We don't want to be a failed shithole nation. And that nationalism -- no, it isn't dark and hateful. It's about loving our culture and the principles behind it, which remain open to everyone, and not wanting to import more third world culture. So--Dems need someone to rally their troops, and get their millennials off the couch to vote. And we benefit by having it be a man who cannot speak without lecturing and condescending...which is off-putting...who is, after all, the proximate cause of the Trump presidency. For which, many thanks. Sounds like Democrats have a lot of problems, none more than Obama. No wonder he sounds so scared. Barekot suffers food shortage Residents of Barekot Rural Municipality in Jajarkot district have been suffering from a food shortage for the last three months. Bill Johnson and Kraig Wiedenfeld have been a couple for 18 years and married [sic] for four. Everyone embraces warmly. In what could be a storyline from a bad 1960s science fiction movie, women are volunteering to be impregnated by homosexuals so they can reproduce, something never intended by the laws of nature. They're an unlikely foursome: two gay men from the Upper East Side of New York and a small-town husband and wife who met when they both were 20 at a Dunkin' Donuts. By lunchtime, if all goes as planned, Christina Fenn will be pregnant with Johnson and Wiedenfeld's son. What kind of woman would agree to do this? Christina is a woman who says she likes getting pregnant but not having kids, and she agrees to be impregnated only by homosexuals. Fenn, who had loved being pregnant, yearned to have that feeling again. The problem: "I wanted to have a pregnancy, but I didn't want to have the baby," she says. How irresponsible is that? Fenn has agreed to be a surrogate only for gay male couples. She's wary of heterosexual couples struggling with infertility. Fenn and her husband are not biologically related to the embryo growing within her[;] they have agreed to appear in a Connecticut court 27 weeks into the pregnancy to renounce their parental rights. Her husband, Brian, seems to be really excited about being cuckolded. The article had a photo of him smiling broadly with the gay man who impregnated his wife. Of course, one of the (many) problems for homosexual men is that only one of them can participate in the baby-making. For Johnson and Wiedenfeld, choosing which of them would be the biological father was fairly simple. Of the two, Wiedenfeld is far more attached to the notion of his child being biologically related to him, while Johnson is simply excited by the prospect of becoming a father[.] ... If you're a sci-fi fan, this may sound familiar, because it is very much like the plot from Mars Needs Women, about a race of beings who cannot reproduce on their own, so they come to Earth to hypnotize human women into cooperating, much as the liberal media and education system hypnotize people into endorsing such insanity. Martians have developed a genetic deficiency that now produces only male children. A mission to Earth is launched, consisting of five Martian males, led by Dop (Tommy Kirk). Once here, their team intends to recruit Earth women to come to Mars to mate and produce female offspring, saving their civilization from extinction. It's life imitating art! Ed Straker is the senior editor of the Newsmachete Twitter Feed. NYT's 'Anonymous': Putting lipstick on a pig, English-style "Putting lipstick on a pig" means trying to make something really ugly look prettier. In politics, it is an attempt to rhetorically embellish an otherwise bad policy or weak story. It was one of Obama's favorite phrases to describe Republican policies. As with so many things verbal, the English say it better. Former mayor of London Boris Johnson recently referred to Prime Minister Theresa May's description of her Brexit strategy as "polishing a turd." What a wonderful phrase marvelously succinct, and it cuts a lot deeper than "putting lipstick on a pig." In an American Thinker article on September 7, contributor William L. Gensert analyzed the language used by the "anonymous senior administration official" in the scathing letter about the Trump administration that he sent to the New York Times. Gensert paid particular attention to the author's use of pronouns, and he concluded that "anonymous" isn't senior at all. Gensert thinks he was, at best, a low-level appointee who may not even have worked in the White house. In other words, Gensert accuses the New York Times of applying lipstick to "anonymous" by elevating his position and thereby enhancing his opinions. This may not be the first time the Times used this trick. Thomas Lifson reminds us that back in 2011, the Times variously labeled its single source for an anti- fracking article as "a senior industry expert," "an energy analyst," and "a federal analyst." It turned out that he was none of those. He was an intern at the Energy Information Agency. In other words, the New York Times put lipstick on an intern to increase the credibility of his anti-fracking opinions. When a witness in a trial is shown to have lied, the jury may properly disregard that witness's entire testimony. The Times is now witness to the reliability of the anonymous op-ed author. If the New York Times has lied about the status of that author, we may properly disregard everything else the paper has to say about him. We may disregard not only his supposed credentials, but also the Times' description of his employment. "Anonymous" may be none other than an employee of the New York Times itself. And if this be true, then the Times is guilty not of "putting lipstick on a pig," but of "polishing a turd." Recall that Cardinal Wuerl was the former Archbishop of Pittsburgh named in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report for failing to adequately stop his priests from homosexual molestation. Neumayr notes: Wuerl met with the pope on Thursday [August 30] and Francis wants him to determine his future by consulting with his priests, a source close to the chancery informed me earlier this month. I broke that story on Twitter, then waited for the scandal-besieged Wuerl, who has emerged as the Cardinal Law of 2018, to return from Rome. I had heard that he was planning to meet with his priests on Labor Day at Little Flower parish in Bethesda, Maryland for a 5 P.M. meeting, with a cookout to follow. Cardinal Wuerl in 2015 (photo: Wikimedia Commons) With his career fate in the hands of his priests, the now-Cardinal Wuerl of the Washington, DC archdiocese apparently wants to make sure they are not reached by outsiders like Neumayr, who has been attempting to monitor Wuerls movements, lest he flee US jurisdiction, where he may face criminal liability. Neumayr continues: For Wuerl, this priestly confab was an exceedingly important event and he wasnt about to let a gadfly journalist like me spoil it. As I saw Wuerls aides and what looked like to me some sort of crisis management team (serious-looking gentlemen, crisply but casually dressed) congregate in Little Flowers parking lot, I walked toward them. They glanced at me nervously. One man finally walked toward me and said that the event was closed to the public. I said that I was a Catholic who wanted to pray in the church and that I had a canonical right to do so. He told me that he would need to check on the matter and we exchanged our names. His name: Mark Sullivan, he said. Do you, I asked him, work for the archdiocese of Washington, D.C.? He passed himself off merely as a Little Flower parishioner. He returned momentarily, reiterating that the church was closed and that I needed to leave church property. His manner was polite and smooth and he looked a bit crestfallen when I told him that I found his answer unsatisfactory. Within minutes of our chat, six Maryland police cars arrived. The cops who arrived were friendly enough and permitted me to stand on grass belonging to an adjoining school not far from the parking lot. Mark Sullivan turned out to be someone Neumayr recognized, after a moment: Who, I wondered as I killed time until the priests arrived, was this Mark Sullivan? He looked awfully familiar. Fortunately, I had sent out a Tweet about our chat moments after it, which jogged my memory later and led one of my astute sources to say excitedly, Is that the Mark Sullivan who was Obamas disgraced Secret Service head? My source had heard that he attended Little Flower parish. I googled Obamas Mark Sullivan and compared him to the man with whom I spoke. Yep, they were one and the same. I nearly dropped my phone as a chill went up my spine and the dawning realization hit: Obamas Secret Service honcho had become Cardinal Wuerls. What made the discovery even more alarming was the subsequent harassment I received from security goons clearly working for Cardinal Wuerl, with whom I have had multiple encounters in August and September. Are all these goons working for Sullivan and the private security firm GSIS, of which he is a principal and co-founder? It looks like a real possibility. Sullivan was cashiered as head of the Secret Service following a scandal that revealed Secret Service agents had engaged prostitutes in Colombia at the 6th Summit of the Americas, bringing them into hotel rooms that had classified documents relating to the itinerary of the president. Prior to that scandal, he had taken heat but somehow was not fired after using his Secret Service agents to guard a personal friend. The nexus of a cardinal disgraced over a sex scandal and a former Secret Service head, also disgraced over a sex scandal may be a harmonic convergence of some sort, or it may be merely a commercial transaction. Neumayr recounts some other disturbing aspects of his visit to the gathering. It is well worth a read. My impression is that tectonic plates are moving within the Roman Catholic Church, which is, after all, the oldest organization in the world, and also, by most metrics, the largest. A panel advising the Texas State Board of Education is recommending the removal of the word "heroic" from a description of the defenders of the Alamo because "heroic" is a "value-charged word." "Don't mess with Texas" and if you do, be prepared for war. Politicians and ordinary Texans exploded in anger at the proposed change, with Governor Greg Abbott leading the way. Stop political correctness in our schools. Of course Texas schoolchildren should be taught that Alamo defenders were Heroic! I fully expect the State Board of Education to agree. Contact your SBOE Member to complain. @TXSBOE #txlege #tcot https://t.co/Ph9oBoBzKF Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 6, 2018 Land Commissioner George P. Bush, whose office oversees the Alamo historical site, also voiced his opposition. This politically correct nonsense is why Ill always fight to honor the Alamo defenders sacrifice. His letter & the defenders actions must remain at the very core of TX history teaching. This is not debatable to me. https://t.co/4QADkAIZIt George P. Bush (@georgepbush) September 6, 2018 The proposed change is just one of several dozen alterations recommended by the panel in order to "streamline" instruction. I think the panel just got steamrolled. Dallas Morning News: The recommendation, made in a report issued last month, was one of several hundred tweaks, additions and deletions offered up by the advisory group reviewing state curriculum standards for social studies. The panel said "heroic" was a "value-charged word." But Barbara Stevens, president general of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, said the word is critical to giving Texas history its proper context. "Words like 'heroic' to describe such men are indeed 'value charged,' and it is because anything less would be a disservice to their memories," Stevens said. "To minimize the study of the Republic of Texas is to fail to teach a pivotal portion of the state's history." Current seventh-grade social studies curriculum standards include the "siege of the Alamo and all of the heroic defenders who gave their lives there." The advisory committee recommended cutting the phrase "and all of the heroic defenders who gave their lives there." Is "heroic" an accurate description of the Alamo defenders and is it, indeed, a "value charged word"? Well, yes and yes. It all depends what you think those men gave their lives for? The revisionist liberal take is that Anglos were stealing land from peasants and were surriptitiously plotting with the US government to add Texas as a state. Nothing very much "heroic" about that, right? It should be noted that the John Wayne movie version of what happened at the Alamo was equally idiotic. Even the 2003 film version of events contained more drama than necessary, although it was closer to reality. That reality was that a brutal, bloodthirsty Mexican dictator named Santa Ana was leading an army of at least 5,000 men across Texas to San Antonio in an attempt to pacify a rebellious province. He wasn't being very nice about it. Homesteads were burned and residents were executed summarily. The town of San Antonio had been wrested from the Mexican army a few months previously and Santa Ana wanted to teach the rebels a lesson. The 200 or so defenders of San Antonio were completely unaware of Santa Ana's approach. They took refuge in the Alamo where the commander decided to try and hold it. What made the defenders heroic was that they had the opportunity to abandon the Alamo prior to Santa Ana arriving with most of his force. They didn't. They stood and fought for Texas independence - not to make Texas a state of the union. Many Mexicans fought with the Anglos, seeing Texas independence from an oppressive dictator as their fight as well. Of course, "heroic" is a values charged word. And the values being fought for at the Alamo were the universal values of freedom and liberty. Those values don't belong to one race or one country. But they were defended "heroically" by the men at the Alamo. I would suggest that panel advising the state school board carefully reconsider changing the curriculum to remove a vital bit of information that gives substance and context to the deaths of more than 200 men. The uncomfortable truth: Haj pilgrims to Mecca and the spread of illnesses Simply raising this topic is almost certain to be denounced as Islamophobia, but disease vectors dont care about theology. In the past week, there were two health scares at major US airports with passengers quarantined on airliners that landed from overseas with very sick passengers on board. On Wednesday, an Emirates Airline 380 super jumbo jet from Dubai was quarantined at JFK Airport, with 100 passengers initially reported as ill. Eventually, nineteen passengers were confirmed as ill, and ten passengers were hospitalized with respiratory illnesses. The following day, two American Airlines flights from Europe were quarantined upon landing at Philadelphia, and eventually 12 passengers were identified as ill and quarantined, while the rest of the passengers were allowed to proceed on their way. What could possibly explain these incidents appearing right now? Reuters bravely issued an article explaining, Two health scares at US airports tied to Mecca pilgrims. A Google search for key words reveals no US media outlets picking up the report, however. Reuters explains: Two major health scares at US airports involving inbound flights are related to pilgrims returning from the Haj, the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which ended in late August, US health officials said on Friday. Actually, It was obvious from the first incident that the annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca a requirement for all Muslims financially able to do so was a likely source of the widespread illnesses among air passengers. Commenting on the Emirates quarantine, a Muslim poster on discussion thread at Airliners.net wrote: As someone who's done hajj and been to makkah many times, the potential to spread disease there is about as bad as it gets. millions of people from all voer the world in close proximity sharing food, water, toilets, etc. i totally buy the flu story, as it's a running joke among muslims that hajis (people who do hajj) always come back sick Pilgrims at the Al-Masjid al-Haram on Hajj in 2008 (photo credit: Flickr) And another poster replied: I myself just came back from Mecca doing hajj a few days ago. Many members of our group had cough on the last few days of our trip. Indeed: gathering huge crowds of people from all over the world and placing them in close proximity. sharing toilets, food and water under inherently stressful conditions is anideal breeding ground for the spread of disease. There is a huge downside to globalism in terms of the spread of disease. People arrive from places where illnesses unfamiliar to our own terrain thrive, and a certain number of arrivals bring disease with them. The Plagues of the Middle Ages came to Europe by ship, on fleas that lived on rats that lived in ships. Today, we have the cost of international travel so low that ordinary people from many countries have the means to go across the globe for various reasons, including emigration, business, family, and religion. Its too bad that political correctness prevents us from noting the disease vector that accompanies the haj. Begnas boat capsize: Bodies of all six missing recovered Bodies of all six persons, who went missing after a boat capsized in Begnas Lake in Pokhara, Kaski district, were found near the incident site on Sunday, police said. Do it yourself if you can We accept in principle that private equity can deliver (somewhat) excess returns over most other asset classes. But there are a lot of qualifications attached to that, and most of them are very relevant to whether and how pension funds should invest in private equity. About 3 years ago I had tourist visit to Australia and on the local market I`d seen some local exotic goods (like kunguru balls, skin, uggs etc) that no possible found in another countries. I`d like to try select some goods for develop new campaign targeted to countries where no possible to buy just australian goods. Please share any idea SUV Penned by the Kia design studio in Irvine and revealed at the New York Fashion Show, this fellow is the largest and most refined SUV ever made by Kia will arrive in showrooms in early 2019. Several inches longer than the Sorento, the Telluride will be available with a V6-powered option.It remains to be seen what engine Kia is talking about. The 3.3- and 3.8-liter V6 powerplants from the Lambda II family are the main culprits, though it remains to be seen if natural aspiration or turbocharged technology is in the cards. A vehicle of this size and weight could surely use forced induction.The prototype in the photo gallery is far off the production model, sporting 265/50R 20-inch off-road tires and saddle-inspired leather. The snorkel and custom-designed bumpers are also out of the question, though were sure the aluminum roof rack will be included in the options list.As for the rear-mounted spare wheel and leather strap on the roof rack, Kia is not so convincing. At the end of the day, the South Korean automaker wants a piece of the market where the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX are selling by the bucketload. To this effect, forget the off-road paraphernalia and imagine the Telluride with family-oriented features.Drawing influence from the Texas-inspired runway collection by fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, the Telluride protoype also features leather straps for the hood and rally-inspired lights mounted up front. The saddle leather theme continues on the mirror caps, which is a questionable statement in regard to automotive design.Will it be available in Europe? Considering that Kia didnt slip a word about the Telluride on its European websites, thats a no. Alas, the Sorento will remain the largestin the lineup over in the Old Continent. Bodies of Mailung helicopter crash victims brought to Kathmandu The bodies of victims who died in a chopper crash in Nuwakot district on Saturday, have been brought to Kathmandu on Sunday. SUV Expected to arrive at dealers no later than 2020, the newcomer slots right above the EcoSport in the lineup. It remains to be seen, however, if the Baby Bronco will tread onto compact territory as an indirect replacement for the Focus (and stillborn Focus Active) in the United States.Spied in Spain during hot-weather testing, the Baby Bronco looks similar to the test mule caught cold-weather testing in March 2018 . There are differences, however, at the C-pillars (no black trim) and wheels (four lug nuts instead of five). Even in terms of size, the older prototype is longer than the vehicle were talking about today.What if Ford is still testing the Fiesta Active ? Considering that the faux crossover is already on sale in Europe, this argument doesnt hold water. The Fiesta RS Active something or other? Not possible either, and its easy to understand with a glance at the exhaust system.We understand the Baby Bronco will share the C2 platform with the Focus, though this doesnt explain the short wheelbase and four wheel nuts of the test mule. As the Escape (a.k.a. Kuga in Europe) prepares to grow longer for the next generation, it does make sense for the Baby Bronco to be an idea more compact.Ford has filed the Maverick trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in December 2016, along with Timberline. While it remains to be seen if Maverick will be used for this application, Timberline is more likely to designate a trim level.Last, but certainly not least, Ford will offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and even electric options across thelineup. In the case of the Baby Bronco, the hybrid setup appears to be the most likely scenario. Under President Trump, the CIA is set to broaden its drone operations in Africa to fight al-Qaeda and ISIS insurgents, reports the New York Times. Why it matters: The Obama administration had attempted to hand over the use of lethal drone flights to the U.S. military in order to increase transparency amid backlash from foreign diplomats and military officials over the accidental killings of civilians. The details: The CIA has had limited missions in eastern Afghanistan for strikes in Pakistan and in southern Saudi Arabia for attacks in Yemen, per the Times. Then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo changed the agency's drone policy last year, citing a need for more counterterrorism efforts. Under the expansion, a new air base has been carved out at a small commercial airport in Niger to target Islamist militants in southern Libya. North Korea staged a huge military parade Sunday in commemoration of its 70th anniversary, but did not display the country's most advanced missiles as it had in the past, AP reports. The big picture: Amid stalled nuclear talks with the U.S., dictator Kim Jong-un appeared to use the annual parade to celebrate North Korea's economic development, rather than its nuclear capabilities. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are expected to meet later this month in Pyongyang to discuss "complete denuclearization." Voters in Sweden are heading to the polls today to vote in an election that could lead to a hard right turn for one of the most progressive nations in the world. Expand chart Data: SVT poll of 1,847 adult Swedish citizens conducted Sept. 46, 2018; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios Why it matters: The election has featured many of the same themes that have defined political campaigns all over the world for the past two years: anti-establishment politics fueled by frustration with the status quo, a massive influx of immigrants and disinformation spread through social media. And a far-right party could be the big winner. The major players The far-right Sweden Democrats has painted a gloomy picture of Swedish society, linking a rise in crime to the country's liberal migration policies. With origins in neo-Nazi fringe movements of the 1980s, SD has outwardly rejected its racist past, but continues to traffic in nationalist rhetoric and has benefitted from a surge of online disinformation about immigration and Islam. has painted a gloomy picture of Swedish society, linking a rise in crime to the country's liberal migration policies. With origins in neo-Nazi fringe movements of the 1980s, SD has outwardly rejected its racist past, but continues to traffic in nationalist rhetoric and has benefitted from a surge of online disinformation about immigration and Islam. The party is on track for its best election performance ever, polling between 20% and 25%, but will need to form a coalition to win a legislative majority. for its best election performance ever, polling between 20% and 25%, but will need to form a coalition to win a legislative majority. The center-left Social Democrats and center-right Moderates have been criticized for being too reactive to far-right politics at the expense of strengthening their own message, political scientist Ann-Catrin Kristianssen tells Axios. Both have promised to curb migration and crack down on crime, but are still expected to lose seats in parliament. Key issues Migration: In 2015, Sweden's center-left government welcomed 163,000 asylum seekers most of whom came from Muslim-majority countries. In 2015, Sweden's center-left government welcomed 163,000 asylum seekers most of whom came from Muslim-majority countries. Praise for the country's generosity turned to criticism when it became clear the government did not have a coherent mechanism for integrating migrants into Swedish society. Urban pockets where immigrants are concentrated have been plagued by crime and unemployment. turned to criticism when it became clear the government did not have a coherent mechanism for integrating migrants into Swedish society. Urban pockets where immigrants are concentrated have been plagued by crime and unemployment. Climate change: The summer of 2018 saw the worst wildfires in Swedish history, fueled by a scorching heatwave that broke temperature records across Europe. The summer of 2018 saw the worst wildfires in Swedish history, fueled by a scorching heatwave that broke temperature records across Europe. Sweden hopes to have a society free of net carbon emissions by 2050, but the far-right has criticized the government for overreacting to one summer of heat. free of net carbon emissions by 2050, but the far-right has criticized the government for overreacting to one summer of heat. NATO: Russia's territorial aggression and military exercises on its Western border have prompted calls for Sweden to boost its defense capabilities possibly by becoming a member of NATO, an alliance it has cooperated with on international peacekeeping but never formally joined. The big picture: 73% of Swedes believe the country is moving in the wrong direction, according to an Ipsos study. Kristianssen says this election is about whether Sweden wants to remain an open or closed society and whether social democracy a movement struggling all over Europe can survive the populist wave. The bottom line: No matter what the results are today, the influence of the far right will depend on the willingness of establishment parties to tolerate their values in order to form a government. The U.S. military has been warned twice in the last week by Russia that its forces and Syrian regime units are ready to strike an area populated by "dozens of U.S. troops," CNN's Barbara Starr reports citing several U.S. defense officials. Why it matters: Russia, Iraq and the U.S. are fighting for dominance in the area. Russia alleges that U.S. troops are protecting militants in a strategic location along the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq. According to CNN, "Moscow's declaration has sharply raised U.S. commanders' concerns that American forces would be at risk if a Russian attack goes forward." Armenia and Russia will soon implement a joint humanitarian program in Syria, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 8. Talking to RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am), the head of the Armenian government stressed that the program will be a completely humanitarian one and will not contain any military component. Pashinian gave no details of the program. The Armenian prime minister also said that during his talks with the Russian leader they did not address Azerbaijans possible accession to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an issue that became a topic for discussions in Armenia in the wake of a relevant statement by a pro-government Azerbaijani lawmaker. Ali Huseynli said in late August that Baku should seriously consider applying for membership in the CSTO, saying that would increase chances of a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement favorable to his country. He also said that the CSTO gives its member states major military and economic benefits. If official Baku wishes to do so, it will be clear what Armenias position will be, said Pashinian. Late last month acting Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalian said that if Azerbaijan moves to become a member of the CSTO Armenia will use its veto power [to block its entry]. As for military-technical cooperation with Russia, the Armenian prime minister said that relevant departments will talk about concrete programs. Pashinian described the state of Armenian-Russian relations as brilliant after his meeting with Putin. There are no problems in our relations in any direction, he said in a Facebook post shortly after the end of the talks. The Armenian prime minister repeated that statement at a meeting with dozens of ethnic Armenian businessmen in Moscow during which he urged them to make investments in Armenia. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 96 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 9. Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns, 60 millimeter mortars (2 shells). The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijan has very favorable conditions for the production of all products included in the country's food basket, former Minister of Agriculture of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Rajab Orujov told Trend. "First of all, we have a task to meet the need for strategic products. This mainly refers to wheat and soy. For example, Azerbaijan imports soybeans worth $60-70 million a year, which in turn means a serious waste of foreign exchange reserves," Orujov said. The ex-minister believes there are all the necessary soil and climatic conditions for growing wheat and soy in the country. "The effective temperature in the country, especially in the Kura-Araz lowland is quite high, which gives us the opportunity to reap a harvest twice a year. This method is already actively used in new agricultural parks and large farms. In such case the fodder (silage) corn, fodder soy, and other fodder plants can be sown as the second crops. Moreover, the Kura-Araz lowland accounts for 70-75 percent of the total area of the irrigated lands. There are optimal conditions for implementation of all these goals," Orujov said. The ex-minister noted that Azerbaijan needs to switch over to intensive development of agriculture with the use of new technologies in the near future. "I believe that the country needs to move from extensive to intensive development of agriculture, by using the innovative technologies and increasing the yields. Otherwise, given the increase in the population of Azerbaijan, in a few years, the area of land will no longer allow us to meet the needs of the population, which can create certain problems. As early as from now on, we need to increase yields by introducing the innovations," Orujov said. The ex-minister believes it is also necessary to improve soil quality in Azerbaijan. "We currently have a large areas of soils undergoing re-salinization. It is necessary to change holistically the approach to soil management, land reclamation and other issues in order to achieve production growth. All of the above measures must be taken together so that we can achieve sustainable agricultural production and food security. I believe that the policy of the government of the country aimed at the development of the agricultural complex will help to achieve good results," Orujov added. In January-July 2018, the volume of production of agricultural products in Azerbaijan in effective prices has amounted to 4.1 billion manats, which is 6.5 percent more than in the same period last year. During this period, the volume of production in the livestock breeding sector has grown by 2.5 percent (to 2.09 billion manats), and the volume of production in the sphere of crop farming has grown by 11 percent (to 2.01 billion manats). As of the beginning of August, almost three million tons of grain and leguminous crops (except for corn) have been harvested from the fields. Some 2920 kilograms of products have been harvested from every hectare of the cropped lands. In addition, during the reporting period, 14,000 tons of corn were harvested from the lands with an area of 3,100 hectares. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Nikol Pashinyans statement is utter disrespect to the norms and principles of international law, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and undermines the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's press service, Hikmat Hajiyev said in response to Armenian prime minister's statement in Moscow on Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Armenian prime minister's statement in Moscow that he imagines Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as part of Armenia is utter disrespect to the norms and principles of international law, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and undermines the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Thus, Armenia at the level of Prime Minister demonstrates that its real intentions are not the resolution of conflict through negotiations, but continuation of illegal occupation of Azerbaijans territories. The Armenian leadership makes this incendiary statement intentionally or unintentionally in the capital of one of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries on the eve of upcoming ministerial-level meeting in New York with the mediation of co-chairs. Furthermore, this statement coincides with the forthcoming visit of the OSCE Secretary General to Azerbaijan next week, Hajiyev said. The head of press service stressed that sooner it will be clear whether Armenian leadership is really interested in settlement of conflict through substantive negotiations, ensuring of lasting peace and stability in the region or continuation of two decades long war policy of previous Armenian authorities which consisted of warlords. We would like to reiterate that Armenia and its leadership bear all responsibility for escalation of situation with such incendiary statements, he added. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has congratulated Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon. `On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my sincerest congratulations to you and through you to all the people of your country on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Tajikistan,` President Aliyev said. `Tajikistan is today moving forward on the path of public and political stability, sustainable socio-economic development. Your countrys international influence, its role in regional issues is increasing day by day. Azerbaijan-Tajikistan relations have rich traditions. Your official visit to Azerbaijan last month is a clear manifestation of these traditions. I believe that our interstate relations and cooperation of mutual interest will further develop and expand,` he added. `On this remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Tajikistan everlasting peace and prosperity,` Ilham Aliyev said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Carriers cutting corners Aviation regulators must monitor the financial health of airlines to ensure air safety By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs visit to Croatia will have a positive impact on the development of both countries, Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend. This visit demonstrated that the relations between Azerbaijan and Croatia are of a strategic nature, he said. "The presidents of the two countries stressed that today we have a common position in cooperation in the political, economic, energy and security spheres and there is a wide potential for the growth of cooperation," Nasirov said. The MP added that the visit will also have a positive impact on Azerbaijan's cooperation with the EU and NATO. "Cooperation within the EU and NATO is also very important for Azerbaijan, he said. We are also developing ties with these organizations. Taking into account that Croatia is a NATO member since 2009 and an EU member since 2013, Zagreb may contribute to the expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan through these structures." "Croatia has been directly involved in four meetings held in Azerbaijan in connection with the Southern Gas Corridor, he said. "Croatia has always supported Azerbaijan in our relations with the EU and has contributed to this issue. In general, there is great potential for the growth of cooperation between the two countries. This visit creates broad opportunities for the development of this cooperation." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijan is currently pursuing successful foreign policy in the region and on a global scale, member of the Political Council of the New Azerbaijan Party, editor-in-chief of the Iki sahil newspaper Vugar Rahimzade told Trend. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs recent visits to foreign countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkels visit to Azerbaijan, the mutual agreements and documents signed during these meetings testify to this reality, he said. This factor once again shows that Azerbaijan has become an authoritative country in the region, Europe and, on the whole, on a global scale, he added. Rahimzade stressed that the successful foreign policy being pursued by the Azerbaijani president serves the national interests of the country and people. "The EU, as well as the EU member-states, are eager to cooperate with Azerbaijan today, he added. This interest is shown in the political, economic, social, cultural and other spheres." Today the European countries show great interest in the world-scale Southern Gas Corridor project which is being implemented upon the initiative and with the participation of our country," Rahimzade added. Azerbaijan and Croatia have international partnership relations today, which are expanding and developing each day. "It is especially worth emphasizing that the documents signed during the visit will give impetus to the growth of trade turnover between our countries, even broader implementation of investment projects," Rahimzade said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The Central Bank of Iran has given permission to licensed exchange offices across the country to start importing foreign currency banknotes in a bid to stop a rising dollar. Iran's currency has lost about two-thirds of its value this year, hitting a record low earlier this week of 150,000 rial to the US dollar. It recovered to trade at 130,000 per dollar Saturday in unofficial trade, according to reports coming out of Iran. The rial has been hit by the returning US sanctions, financial difficulties at local banks and strong demand for safe-haven dollars among Iranians. A set of US sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry is due to take effect in November. "Currency exchange offices have been given permission to import currency into the country and they can import currency in the form of bills," central bank governor Abdonaser Hemmati said, according to IRNA on September 8. Currency exchange offices will also be allowed to import gold, the head of the Iranian parliament's economic committee, Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi, said Saturday, ISNA reported. Imports of both gold and foreign currency by exchange offices were previously forbidden, Pour-Ebrahimi said. "In the past, this issue was forbidden and any kind of import would be considered contraband," he said. Hemmati, who was appointed central bank governor in July in an ongoing shakeup of senior economic officials, made no mention of the decision on gold imports during his comments. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend According to the results of first eight months of 2018, the growth of the Turkmen gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to 6.2 percent. Turkmenistan, according to British Petroleum's (BP) report, is the fourth largest country in terms of natural gas reserves and at this stage exports it to China and Iran. Turkmenistan is in the process of diversifying its local economy. The country's textile, oil products, chemical and construction materials industries are actively developing. Turkmenistan is carrying out industrialization aimed at increasing the production volume import-substituting products and developing exports. The World Bank predicted GDP growth in Turkmenistan in 2018 by 6.3 percent, while the United Nations' (UN) prediction for 2018 was 4.8 percent. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that has fired missiles against the bases of armed opposition groups in northern Iraqi city of Koya. In a statement on Sept. 9, the IRGC said that has targeted bases of a filthy and criminal group, when the party leaders sat for a meeting and a terrorist training center with seven short range surface-to-surface missiles. Yesterday, some local media outlets reported that at least 11 killed and dozens more were wounded in missile attack on headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in Koya, 60 kilometres east of Erbil city. The IRGC said that has destroyed the center of conspiracy against Irans national security in the operation. Tens of leaders and major operational elements of the group were also killed and wounded in the operation, according to the IRGC. The operation was carried out by Missile Unit of IRGC Aerospace Force with participation of the drone unit of IRGC Ground Forces, the statement said. Yesterday IRGC also announced that its forces have killed six members of a terror team in the western province of Kurdistan on Sept. 7. An IRGC statement read that the killed were members of PJAK terrorist group, an offshoot of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). According to the statement, the terrorist team attacked a border post in Irans western province of Kurdistan back in July. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High around 70F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 51F. Winds light and variable. Q: What's going on up by Thacher Park? There's been roadwork going on for a while, but it looks like they're gearing up to close the road past the new visitor center. Is this the case? Jim Conklin, Berne A: That's the word on the street, Jim. The New York State Department of Transportation announced that Thacher Park Road (Route 157) near the Thacher Park Visitors Center and the Paint Mine Picnic Area will be closed through Nov. 27 to replace two culverts. Access to John Boyd Thacher State Park and the visitors center atop the Helderberg Escarpment will remain open. During the closure, drivers are advised to seek alternate routes. The posted detour, which was selected to accommodate large trucks, includes routes 157, 85 and 85A through Voorheesville, Route 156 through Altamont and then back to Route 157. As always, motorists are urged to slow down and drive safely through the work zone. More Information Hot spots What to watch for this week: The Northway (I-87), between Malta and Saratoga Springs: The Crescent Avenue and East High street bridges are now open, but be on alert for off-peak lane closures underneath the bridges between Exit 12 (Malta) and Exit 14 (Saratoga Springs) as final bridge construction work continues. Hamburg Street, Rotterdam: Traffic open in both directions. Watch for flaggers and alternating traffic during continuing roadwork eastbound (Route 146). Michigan Avenue bridge, Schenectady: Left turns prohibited onto I-890. Detour by turning right onto eastbound or westbound I-890, then loop around at next exit. Columbia Street (routes 9 and 20) over South Street and railroad tracks, Rensselaer and East Greenbush: Reduced to two lanes through the fall for a rehabilitation project. Watch for lane shifts. Detour for semi tractor-trailers arriving from Route 9J over the Dunn Memorial Bridge to I-787 northbound, then I-90 eastbound to Exit 9, south on Route 4, and back to routes 9 and 20. Route 7, Brunswick: Watch for lane shifts, flaggers and workers between Leonard Avenue in Sycaway and Route 278 in Brunswick Center for work on ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps. Hoosick Road (Route 7): Pavement repair between Brick Church Road (Route 278) and Grange Road (Route 142) in Brunswick. Final paving from Route 278 to Leonard Avenue will take place weeknights through Sept. 14. County Route 9, West Berne: Bridge construction and rehabilitation will close the intersection of Dutch Settlement Road and County Route 9 through Thanksgiving. While repairs are made to the approach of the bridge over Fox Creek, a detour will run 16 miles along Rickard Hill Road and state routes 30 and 443. See More Collapse The DOT and Governor's Traffic Safety Committee recently unveiled a new public service announcement and social media campaign, "Flaggers Have Families Too," to remind drivers that road work crews are not there to disrupt traffic they're just doing their jobs. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone and in accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations can result in the suspension of a driver's license. Do you have a question about transportation? Email gettingthere@timesunion.com. Please include your name, town and telephone number. CPN spokesperson Bishwakarma remanded in eight-day custody The Dang District Court on Sunday granted eight-day judicial remand of Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, spokesperson of Netra Bikarm Chand-le Communist Party of Nepal (CPN). Dr. David E. Stone of Bloomingrove Veterinary Hospital was honored recently by the Rensselaer County Legislature with a Certificate of Recognition for his dedication and years of service to the community. Steve Caporizzo from News10 and "Steve Caporizzo's Pet Connection" presented the award to Stone at his office in Rensselaer. Clients gathered to celebrate Stone and his staff for the dedication, compassion, support and care they have provided to their patients over the many years Dr. Stone has been in practice. HARTFORD When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left the Riverbend area in 1804 on their journey of discovery, they took some traveling tunes with them. There was at least one fiddler on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and maybe another, and there was a possibility that a third guy played, said Lindell Blackford of Godfrey, one of the musicians who performed Saturday at the annual Lewis and Clark Music Festival. Pierre Cruzat was a very good fiddle player and they used him extensively, said Blackford, who is also a fiddle player. He played for the Indians under certain circumstances when they met up with friendly tribes. Blackford and other area acoustic musicians played early 19th century tunes for visitors at the Lewis and Clark State Historic site in Hartford. From the music to the instruments, they tried to offer as authentic an audio experience as possible, including a tune called Jefferson and Liberty that originally came from an Irish jig. We dont know the exact tunes that they played on the expedition but we know what music existed then, Blackford said. So we know something similar was played back in 1803 because of the music that was available at the time, and we are carrying on that tradition. And speaking of tradition, how about a musical instrument played for the Pharaohs? Scott Miller of St. Louis played the bones during Saturdays event. Bones go back at least 6,000 years, they are the first musical instrument in the Egyptian historical record, Miller said. A lot of traditions have them throughout the world. Miller played bones made from genuine cow rib bones as well as a mid-1800s set made from ebony. The heyday for musical bones was during the American Minstrel Era and the peak was around 1864, they were really popular during the Civil War, Miller said. You had Mr. Bones on one side of the stage and Mr. Tambo on the tambourine on the other, they were basically comedians but also serious musicians. A number of the minstrel troupe owners were bones players themselves. Miller also played the spoons at Lewis and Clark, and although you shouldnt play with your food, making music with utensils goes way back as well. Shakespeare mentions spoons in A Midsummer Nights Dream, but he didnt mention them in a really positive light, they were considered an instrument you just played in the kitchen, Miller said. Nancy Lippincott of Godfrey, who tapped the hammer dulcimer and strummed the guitar, said their loose-knit, no-name group have been coming to the Music Festival since 2004. This is kind of a pick-up band, we see each other once a year here, Lippincott said. Most of us learn these tunes through oral tradition. Its worth preserving. The Alton Area Dulcimer Players joined in to fill the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center with the sounds of the early 1800s, and that was truly music to the ears of many visitors, including Alissa Klein from Florissant, Missouri. This type of music is one of my favorites, for me its more alive than other kinds of music, Klein said. I associate it with folk dancing, which I have been doing since I was in eighth grade. A lot of modern music is more percussion, and fiddles and flutes just bring out melody and harmony in a way that I dont always hear with other kinds of music, Klein said. This is it, this is the music that the members of the Expedition would have danced to and played, so it fits very well here. The toxic algae bloom that has carved a trail of dead animals and triggered a putrid stench along western Florida's coastline has drifted further north, killing hundreds of thousands of fish in the Tampa Bay region. The legions of dead fish were reported in a 20-mile stretch of coastline from Clearwater to St. Petersburg, environmental officials with Pinellas County told the Tampa Bay Times on Saturday. County workers roamed beaches and trawled offshore to collect the fish carcasses to head off decomposition as some beachgoers turned back. Rotting fish and the strong odor of the algae has previously repelled locals and imperiled Florida's vital tourism sector for much of the summer. The toxic algae has claimed countless fish, hundreds of sea turtles, dozens of bottlenose dolphins and even a 26-foot whale shark in the last few months. The toxic algae stretches in varied density for about 120 miles of coastline, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. In August, Gov. Rick Scott, R, declared a state of emergency and released funds to help with the massive cleanup effort and help businesses recover from lost profits. The algae has affected the coast in some way for 10 months - and has become a key political issue in the midterms for Scott, a U.S. Senate hopeful. A red tide is a natural phenomenon that develops miles offshore before making its way to the coast, where it feeds on a variety of pollutants, including phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizer, along with other runoff and wastewater. The toxins can aerosolize in the wind that drifts ashore, triggering respiratory problems or worsening conditions such as asthma. What is not clear is whether climate change and pollution from humans near the shore has made this outbreak severe and prolonged. Scientists have found that the algae thrive in warmer waters and increased carbon dioxide levels. Until this past week, the red tide lurked south of Tampa Bay, the Times reported. But samples of high concentration of the algae have been found in waters near Clearwater Beach in the past few days. The sudden approach of the algae bloom and dead fish washing ashore surprised beachgoers on Saturday. Andres and Veronica Bernal told the Times that they had checked county websites for alerts before leaving Tampa in the afternoon. Their two children were horrified to see dead fish littered on the beach. They opted to play in the sand instead as the smell of rotting fish lingered. Scientists are trying to figure out why, exactly, the current red tide along the Gulf Coast has been so protracted and deadly to wildlife. State officials and scientists point out that, at base, this is a natural phenomenon. Fish die-offs were noted by Spanish explorers in the 1500s and have been well documented since the 1840s. The crisis has become a political issue in the upcoming midterms as Scott challenges Sen. Bill Nelson, D, for his seat. Both men have blamed the prolonged crisis and delayed responses on each other. They have also attacked each other over the severity of a different type of algae that is choking rivers and plaguing Lake Okeechobee, the state's largest freshwater lake. --- The Washington Post's Darryl Fears, Lori Rozsa, Joel Achenbach and Kate Furby contributed to this report. Dahal says meeting with Indian PM Modi successful Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is in Delhi on a three-day visit, held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. DUP MP Gregory Campbell has called for the removal of sectarian graffiti in Co Londonderry. Writing has appeared on the A2 Clooney road between Greysteel and Eglinton. The markings read 'Prods Out', 'FIRA', and 'GAA'. East Londonderry MP Mr Campbell said the graffiti was "not only sinister but blatantly sectarian" and said he had requested to have it "removed by the Department for Infrastructure as quickly as possible". "Its location is only a short distance from the Rising Sun bar in Greysteel where next month the 25th anniversary of the murder of eight people will occur," he said. "Such graffiti is totally inappropriate at any location or time, but given the sensitivities of the location it should be removed as a matter of urgency. The Greysteel massacre was a mass shooting which took place on October 30, 1993 in Greysteel, Co Derry in which eight people were killed and 19 were injured. It was carried out by the UDA in retaliation for the bombing of a chip shop on Belfast's Shankill Road. Mr Campbell went on to urge representative from Sinn Fein and the SDLP to condemn the graffiti. It is unclear what FIRA could refer to, but could possibly be a misspelling of 'SF/IRA' or 'PIRA'. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's mother Cassie her husband David and children Chloe, Courtney and Cheryl. The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's father Hammy (right) The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's father Hammy (right) The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's father Hammy (right) The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Members of Downshire Guiding Star Flute Band. The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's father Hammy (right) The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's step father David and Cameron's father Hammy. The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's Mother Cassie The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's father Hammy (right) The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Mandatory Credit - Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Sunday 9 September 2018 Cameron's step father David and Cameron's father Hammy. The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale .after the bravest battle with cancer. Cameron Alan Thomas, precious and loving son of Hammy and Cassie, biggest and best brother of Chloe, Courtney and Caitlin, beloved step son of David and Cheryl and a much loved grandson, great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend. Cameron's step father David and Cameron's father Hammy / The funeral of Cameron Alan Thomas Truesdale after the bravest battle with cancer - Credit: Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye The funeral of Cameron Truesdale has taken place in Donaghcloney. The 13-year-old from Waringstown, Co Down died on Wednesday surrounded by his family after a long battle with a brain tumour. He had been battling the brain tumour since January 2017 and doctors had told his family it was inoperable. Cameron's family posted a tribute on their 'Cure4cam' Facebook page. "Wednesday evening a piece of our heart was taken and carried to heaven," they wrote. "Cameron passed away surrounded by his family. He fought with all his might for 20 months after we where given 9 months. He did this with more courage and strength than we will ever know. "To the best son, stepson, brother, grandchild and friend. "We will miss you more than anything but now you are free from cancer and you can rest. We will carry you in our hearts forever. "We would appreciate everyones prayers while we try to cope with the searing pains in our hearts." On Sunday a service of thanksgiving took place at Donaghcloney Elim Church at 2.30pm, followed by internment in Lurgan Cemetery. The area of Lough Erne near to where the search is believed to have taken place. Credit: Google Maps Police and other emergency services are carrying out searches on Lough Erne after an incident involving a jet ski. On Sunday evening police said one man had been rescued from the water while searches continued for a second man. A helicopter from the Irish Coastguard, ordinarily stationed at Sligo, has been deployed to the scene. Police and other emergency services are currently conducting searches on Lough Erne this evening following reports of an incident involving a JetSki earlier. One man has been rescued from the water and searches are continuing for a second man. Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) September 9, 2018 The BBC reports the search is being centred on Muckross near Kesh in Co Fermanagh. Chief Constable of the PSNI George Hamilton has said some politicians in Westminster do not understand the potential danger of terrorism in a post-Brexit Northern Ireland. (Brian Lawless/PA) Chief Constable of the PSNI George Hamilton has said some politicians in Westminster do not understand the potential danger posed by terrorism in a post-Brexit Northern Ireland. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Hamilton outlined his frustrations with a feeling towards the Troubles and Northern Ireland that it "is sorted and we don't need to worry about it". "Actually we're working flat out 24/7 to keep a lid on it," he said. Mr Hamilton said any post-Brexit border infrastructure could become a target for dissident republicans. Asked if the thought the Government's understood the potential impact of a future border, Mr Hamilton said: "I'm not sure all of them do. I have a concern some may see issues to do with the Irish border as literally peripheral, not just geographically but in terms of impact." One issue he called on to be addressed was a need for more investment and resources for the PSNI, at a time when Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Force have been given thousands of extra officers. The PSNI is requesting over 400 extra officers, extra vehicles and equipment, and the sale of three unused police stations in the border regions to be suspended. The chief constable's comments echo remarks he made in June before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in which he warned of the threat from organised crime and terrorism, in which he said the PSNI was "in the dark" about future border arrangements. Northern Irelands top police officer has accused the British government of failing to understand the impact of Brexit and the dangers of terrorism in the region. George Hamilton, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, warned that government officials have failed to prepare for the impact of Britain leaving the European Union on issues surrounding peace and security. He said that he has made a number of urgent pleas for resources, but he is not getting the information or clarity from Westminster. Expand Close (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Brian Lawless/PA) Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Hamilton said that some politicians believed that terrorism in Northern Ireland was over and that it viewed the region as peripheral. Theres a feeling that as regards the Troubles and the conflict, Northern Ireland is sorted and we dont need to worry about it, when actually were working flat out 24/7 to keep a lid on it, he said in a newspaper interview. He also criticised the lack of political stability in Northern Ireland after the Executive collapsed 20 months ago. Thats not a good thing. We would much prefer the government to be up and running, delivering on a programme and making people feel the benefits of peace and normality instead of this tension and nervousness, he added. Government officials in Britain and the EU are expected to produce an agreement in October before the UK leaves next year. Both the Irish and British governments want to avoid a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Expand Close Anti Brexit billboards on the northern side of the border between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anti Brexit billboards on the northern side of the border between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Hamilton said that any physical infrastructure would become a target for dissident republicans. He added: The purpose for which those checking points and border controls would be put in place would become less and less relevant because they would move away from issues of trade or movement of people to old-fashioned security on a national frontier. That was done during the period of the Troubles rather unsuccessfully, and was sadly the subject of attacks and many lives lost. He said that the PSNI has been pressing the British government for more resources to prepare for Brexit. According to The Sunday Times, the PSNI has asked for 400 extra officers, as well as extra vehicles and equipment. When asked if the British government understood the full consequences on Northern Ireland, he said: Im not sure all of them do. I have a concern some may see issues to do with the Irish border as literally peripheral, not just geographically but in terms of impact. Theresa Mays Brexit strategy has put the UK constitution in a suicide vest and handed the detonator to Brussels chief negotiator Michel Barnier, Boris Johnson has claimed. The former foreign secretarys extraordinary comments provoked an immediate backlash from Tory critics in the latest sign of the bitter Conservative divide over Brexit and the future leadership of the party. Mr Johnson launched the attack amid further focus on his private life following the announcement that he has separated from his wife Marina Wheeler and the couple are divorcing. A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died In horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt funny. https://t.co/IeRWhmhgS9 Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) September 8, 2018 The prominent Brexiteers latest assault on Mrs Mays handling of negotiations with Brussels will fuel speculation about his own leadership ambitions. Mr Johnson quit the Cabinet in opposition to Mrs Mays Chequers plan which would see the UK remain closely aligned with EU rules on goods. Writing in the Mail On Sunday, he said: At every stage in the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants. We have agreed to the EUs timetable; we have agreed to hand over 39 billion, for nothing in return. Under the Chequers proposal we are set to agree to accept their rules forever with no say on the making of those rules. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to Michel BarnierBoris Johnson It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla. He also lashed out at the Northern Ireland backstop the measure aimed at making sure there is no hard border with Ireland. Under the EUs version of the plan, if no trade deal with the UK resolved the issue, Northern Ireland would effectively remain part of the single market. Mr Johnson said: We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier. We have given him a jemmy with which Brussels can choose at any time to crack apart the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The UKs alternative backstop and the Chequers plan would both mean agreeing to take EU rules, with no say on those rules, leaving the country a vassal state. He said: We have managed to reduce the great British Brexit to two appalling options: either we must divide the Union, or the whole country must accept EU law forever. Mr Johnson said there are far better technical solutions to the Irish border issue. The former Cabinet ministers comments drew a furious response from Tory MP and ex-army officer Tom Tugendhat who has been viewed as a possible rival in a leadership contest. A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand, he said. Comparing the PM to that isnt funny. While Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said: For Boris to say that the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. But in a further indication of the toxic nature of relations within the Tory party, Brexit-backer Zac Goldsmith responded to Sir Alan by saying: There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. https://t.co/hlGKGattBx Zac Goldsmith (@ZacGoldsmith) September 9, 2018 Mr Johnsons own leadership ambitions may have suffered a blow by the revelation that his marriage has broken down, although some Westminster commentators suggest having the break-up made public now clears away a potential obstacle on the way to Number 10. Expand Close Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged people not to rush to judgment on the Brexit negotiations (Peter Byrne/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged people not to rush to judgment on the Brexit negotiations (Peter Byrne/PA) In a sign of the febrile atmosphere within the Conservative Party, the Sunday Times reported that Mrs Mays aides had drawn up a dossier on Mr Johnson at the time the 2016 leadership contest. It was not used after his campaign failed to get off the launch pad, but the newspaper reported the 4,000-word war book was circulating in Westminster last week amid claims black ops attacks were being planned against the prominent critic of the Chequers plan. Officials at Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) denied circulating the document. With Monday marking just 200 days until the UKs exit from the EU, Mr Johnsons successor as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt pleaded for Tories to get behind Mrs May and the Chequers plan. Ahead of a potentially difficult Conservative Party conference, Mr Hunt said the Prime Ministers efforts to achieve the best outcome for Britain will be greatly strengthened if we are united behind her. In a Mail On Sunday article, he said: We should not rush to judgment on a deal that is still under negotiation. Nor should we assume that unacceptable further concessions will inevitably be made on the Chequers proposals. I know this Prime Minister and she would never recommend a deal inconsistent with what the country voted for. In a pointed remark apparently aimed at Brexiteers, he added: Nobody else has a detailed plan that both delivers on the instruction of the British people and has a chance of succeeding in the negotiations. Police have had a limited response to appeals over Gary Mores murder so far (Lucinda Cameron/PA) A car believed to have been used in the murder of a man outside his home was stolen in Glasgow just over a month before the shooting, police have said. Gary More, 32, suffered significant injuries after a number of shots were fired at him in Gartness Drive, Airdrie, at around 8.10pm on Thursday. Police and ambulance crews rushed to the busy residential area in North Lanarkshire, but Mr More died at the scene. Detectives believe some witnesses may be reluctant to come forward with just a limited response to appeals so far. The suspect is believed to have got into a white Skoda Fabia which sped off with a number of people inside. The same model and colour of car was later found burnt out near Craigmaddie Road in Balmore, Milngavie, and is being examined by forensic teams. Police Scotland said enquiries have established the car was stolen on August 2 this year from the Pollokshields area of Glasgow. Its original registration was SH13 UMG but it may have had other plates fitted. Expand Close Flowers left as a tribute to Gary More (Lucinda Cameron/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Flowers left as a tribute to Gary More (Lucinda Cameron/PA) Detectives are now appealing for any information on the whereabouts of the car between August 2 and September 6. Drivers are also being asked for any sightings between 7pm and 11pm on Thursday. Detective Superintendent Jim Smith said: Our priority is to trace whoever is responsible for this murder. Although we believe Gary was the intended target, the shooting was carried out in a busy residential area with absolutely no regard for public safety. The response received from the public has been limited. This is despite the fact that children and members of the public were there at the time and could so easily have been injured. I am urging anyone with information to please pass it on to police. A team of highly experienced detectives continue to work on this enquiry. We are doing everything we can to trace whoever is responsible and we would appreciate any assistance the public can provide, as even the smallest piece of information could be vital to this murder investigation. It may be that people are reluctant to come forward, however, I would like to reassure people that information can be given in confidence and you can also contact Crimestoppers where you can remain anonymous. Additional officers continue to patrol the area to provide public reassurance to the local community and anyone with concerns should speak to officers. Support for Scottish independence is in great health according to Keith Brown (Jane Barlow/PA) The independence movement is in great health, according to SNP depute leader Keith Brown after the partys biggest ever national assembly meeting. Around 500 SNP members met in Edinburgh on Sunday at a policy development forum to debate a new economic blueprint for independence. The party is holding a series of events to gather views on the findings of the Growth Commission, published in May. National assemblies have already been held in Ayr and Aviemore ahead of the SNPs autumn conference in October. The Growth Commission, set up by Nicola Sturgeon and chaired by former SNP MSP Andrew Wilson, set out a series of recommendations for the economy in an independent Scotland. Its proposals include keeping Sterling without a formal currency union after Scotland leaves the UK. The First Minister has insisted the report sets out an alternative to Westminsters austerity, but the document has been criticised by some Yes supporters. Expand Close First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Andrew Wilson with the Growth Commission report in May (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Andrew Wilson with the Growth Commission report in May (PA) Mr Brown said the recent meetings have successfully tapped into the enthusiasm for and possibilities of an independent Scotland.The Edinburgh event was the biggest National Assembly weve ever held and there was a real buzz about the venue, the SNP depute said. Member led group debates on the Growth Commission reports findings and a whole lot more gave us really valuable feedback. And this is just the start of the conversation. New online resources will allow SNP branches across the country the opportunity to have their say on the Growth Commission and wider discussions, both with the Yes family and civic Scotland, will take place in the coming months too. While the Westminster parties are deeply divided and on the brink of implosion over Brexit, our party and the independence movement are in great health and positive about Scotlands future as an independent country. A recent poll showed a majority would vote for Scottish independence after the UK leaves the European Union. The latest Social Attitudes Survey showing that the number of people view independence as a positive for Scotlands economy now outnumber those who believe otherwise. These indications are greatly encouraging as we continue to build the fresh case for an independent Scotland. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: The SNP party faithful can get together for coffee and a blether as often as they wish but it doesnt alter the fact that the people of Scotland voted decisively to remain part of the United Kingdom in 2014. Keith Browns comments only illustrate the one deep and substantive division between the SNP and the democratic will of Scotland. Ms OGrady said it was more than disappointing the Prime Minister had not consulted union leaders (Andrew Matthews/PA) The trade union movement is preparing to throw its weight behind a public vote on the final Brexit deal amid warnings the UK is going to crash out of the EU. The head of the TUC said the country was at crisis point with no confidence in the governments ability to protect jobs, workers rights or peace in Northern Ireland. General secretary Frances OGrady accused the Prime Minister of holding the country to ransom over her approach to a Brexit agreement. She told a press conference ahead of the TUC Congress in Manchester: I want to give the Prime Minister fair warning. I am serving notice that if her deal doesnt deliver justice for working people, if it doesnt protect jobs, rights at work and peace in Northern Ireland then the TUC will throw our weight behind the call for a vote on the terms of Brexit. Ms OGrady said unions went back to their members to approve deals, adding: Whether its through a general election or a popular vote, Mrs May should take her deal on the terms of Brexit and put it back to the people. Whether its through a general election or a popular vote, Mrs May should take her deal on the terms of Brexit and put it back to the peopleFrances O'Grady Ms OGrady said it was more than disappointing the Prime Minister had not consulted union leaders including herself on the impact on workers on any Brexit deal. The only advice for workers is how to stock up their freezers. Ms OGrady accused the Prime Minister of letting Conservative party politics take priority over the interests of workers. The TUC wants the Brexit timetable to be extended as an insurance policy against the risk if crashing out of the EU, she added. Mick Cash, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, spoke out against another vote. Trade unionists voted in droves to leave the EU because they are sick of austerity, the race to the bottom on jobs and pay and the privatisation of services like the railways which is all wrapped up in EU diktat. The problem we have now is that the terms of Britains withdrawal are being negotiated by a useless and divided Tory government that is a global laughing stock. The only vote now that matters is a general election and the sooner the better. The talk of a second vote on the withdrawal terms is a de facto second referendum whichever way you try to dress it up and risks becoming a trojan horse for civil unrest on our streets. Brexit will be debated at the TUC conference on Monday when the general council will issue a statement demanding a general election if the withdrawal agreement is bad for jobs and workers rights. Jon Skewes of the Royal College of Midwives, who will be speaking in Mondays debate, said: We firmly believe that the British public have been misled over what Brexit means for the country and are deeply concerned about the impact of Brexit on the NHS, and the staff from other EU countries working in it. We are calling for a public vote on any Brexit deal so that the people of this nation can make a choice about leaving the EU armed with real information, not the propaganda of those campaigning to leave. I have real fears that if the UK ends up with a disastrous no-deal Brexit it will not only damage the UK but workers will be the ones who are hit hardest. India increases air marshals on Kathmandu-bound flights; Nepali officials oblivious The Indian government has significantly increased the number of air marshals on Kathmandu-bound flights, particularly from Delhi, after security forces and aviation agencies received clue of a possible hijack attempt, Hindustan Times reported. VandA Dundee will open its doors to the public on September 15 (Andrew Milligan/PA) The director of the new V&A Dundee has spoken of the challenges and the thrill of setting up the design museum as it prepares to welcome the public. The Kengo Kuma-designed building will open its doors on September 15, the striking centrepiece of the ongoing 1 billion regeneration of Dundees waterfront. More than a decade after the idea of establishing a V&A in Scotlands fourth city was first discussed, director Philip Long said everything is in place to make it a must-see destination for visitors from all over the world. Expand Close Philip Long took up the role of VandA director in 2011 (Robert Perry/VandA Dundee) Robert Perry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Philip Long took up the role of VandA director in 2011 (Robert Perry/VandA Dundee) Mr Long told the Press Association: There have been lots of challenges along the way, and Im very pleased and proud that weve seen our way through those. The biggest challenge has been the magnitude of the project overall. V&A Dundee is not an outstation of the V&A in London. As one of the founding partners V&A is a core part, but we here in Dundee are a new team that has come together to develop this project and lead it long into future. Museum bosses anticipate high volumes of visitors, and entry over the opening weekend is reserved for those who have pre-booked tickets. Access is otherwise free and non-ticketed, with the exception of major touring exhibitions. The first, Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, looks at the design and cultural impact of cruise ships and travel. Expand Close Poster for Canadian Pacific Railways, JR Tooby, London, 1920 31 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Poster for Canadian Pacific Railways, JR Tooby, London, 1920 31 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) The museums Scottish Design Galleries, meanwhile, celebrate the influence of Scottish design at home and abroad, from Beano artwork to Hunter wellies and the Fair Isle jumper. The jewel in the crown is Charles Rennie Mackintoshs Oak Room the conserved and painstakingly reconstructed interior of Miss Cranstons Ingram Street tearoom which has been unseen for 50 years. Mr Long, who came to V&A Dundee from National Galleries of Scotland, admits that laying his eyes on the exhibit for the first time was quite an emotional moment. He said: Its one of his great, but lost to view, interiors that is now compete and in the museum. It brings back to public view after nearly 50 years in fact its 70 years since it was used as a tearoom one of this great architect and designers works. I can tell you, it is a thrilling, quite emotional thing to walk in and see after all of these years. The interior is on long-term loan following discussions with Glasgow Museums several years ago. Expand Close Joanna Norman, VandA Dundee curator, and Alison Brown from Glasgow Museums with a model of the interior (Robert Perry/VandA Dundee) Robert Perry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joanna Norman, VandA Dundee curator, and Alison Brown from Glasgow Museums with a model of the interior (Robert Perry/VandA Dundee) Mr Long said: The thing Im especially proud of is the conservation and restoration of this original Mackintosh room. Mackintosh is, after all, one of the worlds greatest architects and designers and happens to be part of Scotlands design heritage. When we set about developing the Scottish Design Galleries, one of the things we needed to ensure was to represent Mackintosh as part of the work we were doing. The question has been asked why V&A chose Dundee to set up home, but Mr Long suggests it was the city that chose V&A. Representatives from the University of Dundee got the ball rolling back in 2007, suggesting to the institution it might like to be part of the waterfront regeneration. Mr Long said: Dundee really gets the importance of cultural facilities and activities as part of the life of its citizens thats been clear over the last 20 years through the investment in new organisations like Dundee Contemporary Arts, or whether its the ongoing success of places like Dundee Rep Theatre or the Science Centre or the redevelopment of the McManus. All of these things demonstrated to the leadership here that investment in culture is the right thing to do. All of that helped set the scene and the understanding that a discussion about the V&A might be a very exciting thing to think about as a new presence on the waterfront. Flowers and candles sit at the scene of the altercation in Koethen (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP) Two Afghans have been arrested after a 22-year-old man died in an eastern German city, police said. A fight between the Afghans, aged 18 and 20, the German victim and another German man allegedly took place in the city of Koethen after a dispute over who had impregnated a woman, news agency dpa reported. Police said an autopsy revealed the man died of heart failure that was not in direct causal relationship with his injuries. Local media reported he had a previous heart problem. Given the autopsy results, police said the 18-year-old was being investigated on suspicion of bodily harm and the 20-year-old on a charge of bodily harm with death resulting. Expand Close People gather in Koethen after police arrested two Afghan men (Jens Meyer/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People gather in Koethen after police arrested two Afghan men (Jens Meyer/AP) Despite unanswered questions about what led to the mans death, Alice Weidel, a leader of the anti-migrant Alternative For Germany party, wrote on Facebook: How many more need to die? Germany needs a migration turnaround. Organised services for the German who died were held at the scene and later at a city church. In the evening, about 500 far-right supporters marched in the city. A few dozen were on hand for a counter-protest. Large numbers of police, including from surrounding states, were deployed to keep watch and no major incidents were reported. The death comes after hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the city of Chemnitz over the killing of a German man who was stabbed and killed on August 26 after authorities say a verbal argument with migrant men escalated. An Iraqi and a Syrian have been arrested on manslaughter charges. That day several foreigners were injured after authorities said they were attacked in the streets. The next night, around 6,000 far-right protesters including neo-Nazis, members of Alternative For Germany and others clashed with counter-demonstrators. Expand Close Protesters hold photos of people they claim have been killed by migrants, during a demonstration in Chemnitz (Jens Meyer/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters hold photos of people they claim have been killed by migrants, during a demonstration in Chemnitz (Jens Meyer/AP) On the sidelines, masked protesters attacked the kosher Shalom restaurant with rocks and bottles, injuring the owner while shouting Jewish pig, get out of Germany. The unrest following the killing has focused new attention on Chancellor Angela Merkels decision three years ago to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country, straining its resources and hospitality beyond what some Germans considered acceptable. Anti-migrant sentiment has been particularly strong in Saxony, the state where Chemnitz is located. The nearby state capital of Dresden is home to the group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, or Pegida, and Alternative For Germany received almost a quarter of the vote in Saxony last year. The protests have also exposed a rift between Ms Merkel and top security officials. Her domestic spy chief last week openly questioned her spokesmans statement that foreigners were hunted in the streets by the angry mob, saying he had seen no credible evidence of it, and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday expressed sympathy for the protesters. If I were not a minister, Id have gone to the streets as a citizen, Mr Seehofer said, quickly adding: Naturally, not together with the radicals. Saxony state Interior Minister Roland Woeller met the owner of the Jewish restaurant on Saturday and assured him police were working intensively to solve this abhorrent crime, the dpa news agency reported. Police last week said they had already identified six far-right protesters who gave the stiff-armed Hitler salute or committed other violations of Germanys statute banning the display of Nazi symbols during the protests. They said they were reviewing video evidence in dozens of other cases. North Korea is celebrating its 70th anniversary as a nation (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Korea marched its troops through Kim Il Sung Square during a parade to mark the countrys 70th anniversary. Expand Close North Koreas troops were out in full force (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Koreas troops were out in full force (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Tanks also paraded around the streets in Pyongyang. Expand Close Some of its latest tanks were rolled out (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some of its latest tanks were rolled out (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) But the countrys nuclear arsenal took more of a back seat than usual with nearly half of the event dedicated to civilian efforts to build the domestic economy. Expand Close Civilians took up a large chunk of the parade (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Civilians took up a large chunk of the parade (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Tens of thousands of North Koreans waving brightly coloured plastic bouquets filled the square. Expand Close Pyongyang residents had been training for months for the anniversary (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pyongyang residents had been training for months for the anniversary (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) The combining of military and civilian sections is a familiar North Korean parade format. Expand Close Aeroplane formed the number 70 in the sky (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aeroplane formed the number 70 in the sky (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un attended the morning parade but did not address the crowd. Expand Close Kim Jong Un was in attendance (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Un was in attendance (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) At the end of the two-hour event he strolled to the edge of the balcony with the Chinese special envoy, Li Zhanshu, who is also the third-ranking member in Chinas ruling Communist Party. Expand Close Mr Kim was joined by Chinas third highest ranking official Li Zhanshu (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kim was joined by Chinas third highest ranking official Li Zhanshu (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) The two held up their joined hands to symbolise the countries traditionally close ties. Expand Close Kim Jong Un and Li Zhanshu raised hands together (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Un and Li Zhanshu raised hands together (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The civilians taking part in the parade ranged from nurses to students to construction workers. Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of Democrats in Anaheim, California (Ringo HW Chiu/AP) Barack Obama has said the upcoming US midterm elections give Americans a chance to restore some sanity in our politics, taking another swipe at his successor Donald Trump. The former US president has been back on the campaign trail as he bids to help fellow Democrats regain control of the House in November. He did not mention Mr Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County, but the allusions were clear. Were in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, theres always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear, he said. His appearance one day after a strongly worded critique of Mr Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education. If we dont step up, things can get worse, the former president told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Centre. In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Representatives and make sure there are real checks and balances in Washington. Expand Close Former president Barack Obama greets supporters in Anaheim, California (Ringo HW Chiu/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former president Barack Obama greets supporters in Anaheim, California (Ringo HW Chiu/AP) Speaking about the Democrat campaign, Mr Obama said to loud cheers: Were going to put on our marching shoes, were going to start knocking on some doors, were going to start making some calls. But California Republicans said Mr Obamas appearance would have little impact, and may even help their party. I wish he would come more often because he reminds Republicans of eight years of misery, said Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel. It reminds the Republicans why these midterms are important. Mr Obama is expected to deliver a similar message in another campaign speech in Cleveland on Thursday. Kanchanpur rape-murder: Court extends judicial remand of Bista by 4 days The Kanchanpur District Court has extended the judicial remand of Dilip Singh Bista, a mentally challenged person who police deem as the prime suspect in the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta, by four days. Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION No changes in Cabinet anytime soon, says PM Four days after Nepal Communist Party (NCP) C0-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal hinted at the possibility of Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday clarified that there will not be any changes in his government anytime soon. Prez administers oath, confers insignia to CoAS Thapa (In photos) Newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Purna Chandra Thapa took the oath of office and secrecy amid a programme organised at the Office of the President on Sunday. Revive the dam plan A long-awaited dream was dashed when China Three Gorges pulled out of West Seti Environmentalists are backing plans to introduce parcel hubs that would reduce delivery vans in Dublin. The move comes as UPS delivery company tested a scheme with Dublin City Council last year, which saw a decrease of around 200 van deliveries throughout the city. The council has now drafted bylaws to extend the 'Last Mile Delivery' plan, which would see parcel hubs set up on the outskirts of the capital. Couriers on bicycle or foot would finish the route. It aims to ease traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions. Chair of Dublin City Council Transport committee Ciaran Cuffe says an expansion of the previous pilot scheme is much needed. "Dublin City Council initiated a pilot study in the north inner city, on Jervis St, where we worked with UPS to bring in a big truck every morning," he explained. "Then, the last-mile delivery is done by e-bike or bicycle. It's worked out really well. It's taken a lot of big trucks off the streets and it's a real win for sustainable deliveries. "It's a real improvement. If traffic is grinding to a halt, what can really get through is a bicycle or an e-bike. "The examples from around the world are showing us that this is the way forward. I think it'll be a safer way of getting deliveries around town. "The carbon emission will be less, it'll unclog very busy city-centre streets and it should be a safer way of delivery, so I think it's win-win-win all the way." Digital Desk The Taoiseach has been accused of being 'out of touch' with the housing crisis, after he claimed Sinn Fein-led councils were responsible for the slow pace of new social and affordable housing. Sinn Fein's Eoin O Broin has hit back at the claims, saying they're 'completely false'. A Cork Councillor says homeless people who have resorted to living in tents at the River Lee Quays are being hounded away - to detract attention from the homeless crisis. Solidarity's Fiona Ryan has visited the area and spoken to the local residents. She says they have been let down by both the Government's housing policies and Cork City Council. Cllr Fiona Ryan "The reality is that a lot of long-term homeless people, they do not feel safe in the shelters and actually feel safer on the street," said Ms Ryan. "I believe that Fine Gael are trying to divert attention. "What they are really objecting to is the visibility of the housing crisis. "They want it swept away and they want it to continue to be hidden but this is the reality and consequences of Fine Gael's housing policy over the last two governments." No one wants to see tent camps in the city but equally many see through the hypocrisy of FG laying responsibility at the feet of victims of the crisis. FG would prefer the housing crisis to be hidden & inoffensive. This is the reality of FGs policies #RaisetheRoof #HousingCrisis https://t.co/A29bFzDsSk Fiona Ryan (@CllrFionaRyan) September 8, 2018 There are a group of some 10 people living in tents on St Patricks Quay on the northern channel of the River Lee, in the heart of Cork city centre. The encampment, which has been dubbed Freedom Wharf or TentsVille, gives those who call it home a sense of community, a sense of security, they say. But Cork City Council plans to clear the quay. Its understood the plans are at an advanced stage. The city council and Cork Simon both say their homeless outreach teams have engaged with the tent dwellers but that their offers of help have been declined. We know there is bed capacity in the citys homeless hostels and therefore tent dwellers are visited by the Simon outreach team and Cork City Councils outreach worker very regularly and invited to avail of the options available, the council said in a statement. The consistent response is one of non-engagement and a wish not to interact with any services. "Staff are told that this form of accommodation (tents) is a personal choice the people concerned have made. Furthermore, they are not asking to be housed. Meanwhile, homeless activists have started occupying a new building in Dublin to highlight homelessness. They have marched to the property on Belvedere Place after around 100 people took part in a rally yesterday outside the GPO on O'Connell Street. 'Take Back The City' organised the protest and is also refusing to leave a building on North Frederick Street, despite a High Court injunction. Eoin from 'Take Back The City' is slamming the Government for it's record on the housing crisis across the country. File photo of 'Take Back The City' activists occupying a vacant house in Dublin. Pic: RollingNews.ie "Our message to the govenrment, our message to Eoghan Murphy is: your inaction, your indifference is completely unacceptable and people are starting to resist. "This movement will only continue to grow and what we're trying to do with Take Back the City here in Dublin is expand that and encourage people to get organised and occupy around the country so it's not just in Dublin. "This is a crisis that is affecting people all over the country and we want to encourage other people in other communities to do what we're doing." Digital Desk There's been a sharp rise in the number of British nationals looking to become naturalised Irish citizens. 529 British nationals became naturalised Irish citizens last year. New figures, obtained by Fine Gael from the Department of Justice, show the number has jumped from just 51 people in 2014. Fine Gael Senator Neale Richmond believes such a spike is tied to the Brexit vote. "It's absolutely massive. We've seen in the last four years the annual numbers applying for Irish citizenship going from 51 to 54 to 98 and just last year 529," he said. "That's over five times as many people in 2017 who sought citizenship here compared to the previous year. "With the two years following the Brexit referendum and the ongoing talks, it's a huge spike." Mr Richmond added that many British people living in Ireland don't qualify for an Irish passport through any family links. "There's about 300,000 UK citizens living in Ireland. However, about a third of those don't qualify for passports through lineage, either a grandparent or a parent. "So we're seeing more UK citizens who live in Ireland, have lived in Ireland a long time and want to stay in Ireland take the leap and paying a considerable amount of money to take out full citizenship." Nayak Paudel is a crime reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2018, he has also written on health issues. Latest: The US labs contracted to carry out the cervical check screening have threatened to quit Ireland - placing the CervicalCheck scheme into doubt. The issue centres on a row with the state over compensation for medical negligence according to the Sunday Business Post. The current contract expires in October, and under its terms the labs accept liability for any medical negligence costs incurred under the scheme. They now want the Irish tax-payer to underwrite those costs - a move which has given rise to fears within the HSE that the service could collapse. The paper says the health service is working on a contingency plan, however the ongoing controversy over the cervical programme here has made it difficult to bring other overseas labs on board. Earlier: Harris: Women and families affected will hear Scally report before publication The women and families affected by the Cervical Check crisis will be formally briefed on the Scally report, before it is published. That is the promise from Health Minister Simon Harris, who has confirmed he is meeting the report's author tomorrow, before bringing it to cabinet on Wednesday. Speaking at the Kennedy Summer School in Wexford, Minister Harris said he is confident lessons can be learned. "I look forward to having an opportunity to meet Dr Scally, for him to brief me on his report, for him to talk me through his report and most importantly his recommendations, said Minister Harris. "I'm very clear that the people who should hear about this report before it is published are the women who have been impacted and their families and I know Dr Scally is eager for that to happen." Digital Desk So much to do Tourism and Nepal are synonymous yet we fail to capitalise it fully Unlockd, the tech start-up that claims its business was crushed by Google, is expected to lodge a statement of claim against the tech giant this week in what could be the only chance of a return for investors such as media scion Lachlan Murdoch and former Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo. According to documents lodged by Unlockds administrators, led by McGrathNicols Chris Hodge, the companys ceased business operations in July as there was no interest from parties in a going-concern operation. Most of the companys staff, including founder Matt Berriman, were let go at that time. In a post to online site Medium, Mr Berriman blamed a fear of Google and its potential imposition on acquirers and the short time frame for a sale for creating a situation where the true value of the technology assets has been substantially eroded. Cancer June 22-July 22 It's easy to romanticise your relationships today, and overlook certain, very real problems within those relationships. It's natural to want to avoid conflict, but sometimes, that's not possible. In fact, intimacy relies on the ability to openly disagree with a partner. Your connection is strengthened by working through these obstacles. If you stay quiet when you should speak up, you're doing yourself a disservice, and you aren't being honest with the other person. Leo July 23-August 22 It's easy to romanticise your relationships today, and overlook certain, very real problems within those relationships. It's natural to want to avoid conflict, but sometimes, that's not possible. In fact, intimacy relies on the ability to openly disagree with a partner. Your connection is strengthened by working through these obstacles. If you stay quiet when you should speak up, you're doing yourself a disservice, and you aren't being honest with the other person. Virgo August 23-September 22 It's a good day to iron out any wrinkles in your close relationships. You're in a gracious mood, because you genuinely want to get along. If you and your spouse or business partner have had a disagreement, you can talk it out now. Focus on finding common ground. You'll find this to be easier than you expected, since you're both willing to do what it takes to make things work. Libra September 23-October 22 You may be called on today to mediate a disagreement between friends or colleagues. You're perfectly equipped to handle this kind of responsibility now, because your sense of justice is firmly in place, but you're also tactful and kind. You have a great way of letting someone know they're in the wrong without making them feel bad. This is a real skill, Libra. Diplomacy is important. So is getting along. Scorpio October 23 November 22 If you push for anything today, push for harmony. Of course, you may not need that advice. You're already in a pleasant mood, and the idea of conflict doesn't sit well. You aren't one to make concessions that you shouldn't make, so there's little risk now that you'll let someone take advantage of you. Instead, you'll send them the important message that you'll do what it takes to get along. Sagittarius November 23-December 20 Your agreeable nature opens lots of doors for you today. Everyone wants to be near someone as fun, interesting and easygoing as you. Your creativity appeals to people, and it's easy to make new friends now. You can be clever about this, too. Your wide-eyed curiosity in others masks any agenda you may have, such as gaining support for a project or movement you're trying to get off the ground. Capricorn December 21-January 19 If there's an imbalance of power in one of your close relationships, it's a good day to address the issue. But try to be forgiving instead of combative or rigid. The other person needs to know you're willing to work with them. They may feel as if you've been too bossy or controlling. Even small attempts to seek common ground will go a long way toward finding a resolution. Aquarius January 20-February 18 Use your diplomacy today when you're involved with a group of people. There's a feeling in the air that everyone wants to get along, but group accord is more easily wished for than achieved. You can step in with a level head if any disagreement arises. You possess both creativity and charisma, and people want to follow your lead. You're able to make them feel as if it's an equal team effort. Pisces Its not been a great couple of years for the Business Council of Australia. Even conservatives are using the big end of town as a political punching bag, having dumped corporate tax cuts in favour of talk about a royal commission into the energy sector. So it is not surprising that some on the BCAs board, which includes Woodside boss Peter Coleman and Energy Australia chief Catherine Tanna, are agitating for change. GWS chairman Tony Shepherd, pictured here at a Senate hearing in 2014, has been approached by some worried Business Council of Australia members and urged to consider a return to the organisation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Those familiar with the matter suggest Qantas boss Alan Joyce was approached to replace BCA president Grant King, who took the job in November 2016 and has struggled to hold back the tide of anti-business sentiment. An eastern suburbs conman who pretended to be a barrister, investment fund manager and Harvard graduate fleeced more than $7 million from victims including fashion designer Lisa Ho by claiming he had access to lucrative investment opportunities, including insider knowledge of a gold mine. Hamish Earle McLaren, 48, took $7.66 million from 15 victims in a trail of deception that lasted from May 2011 until his arrest in July 2017. Hamish Earle McLaren pleaded guilty to 18 charges on Wednesday. McLaren variously urged victims to cash in their superannuation, redraw from their mortgages, sell their shares, and apply for home loans to give him money for non-existent investment schemes that promised a high return. On Wednesday, McLaren wore prison greens as he pleaded guilty at Central Local Court in Sydney to 17 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one count of knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime. A further 58 charges were withdrawn. "I think some of it might be about where I come from," she said. "You would never expect to be in a situation where you might become a parliamentarian, it's just that far out of the realms of what as a Safety Bay kid you might do. "That shouldn't be the case, but I just feel it might be and it was for me. "And people who go to different schools and come from different places with different sets of privilege naturally feel like that's a path open to them and they're encouraged to, and that's great for them. "But different people from different places would think that's not my world and it'll never be my world." Shoalwater is about an hour's drive south of Perth, close to HMAS Stirling, WA's largest naval installation. Ms King's family ran the drapery shop where mums would come in to buy material to make the pinafores for their kids' school uniforms. She said her Dad was a swinging voter who loved Malcolm Fraser, was a staunch monarchist she is not but, like many blokes of his generation, took "quite a shine" to Bob Hawke. Not all of us have an attraction to the media limelight, some of them really dig that stuff, but I'm not so much a fan of it. Madeleine King Before she started a law degree and spent a decade as a commercial lawyer working on research contracts for the University of Western Australia, Ms King had more than one crack at tertiary study. "I started arts because I didn't know what I was going to do, then I started an aerospace engineering degree at RMIT because I was really into that, I wanted to be an astronaut and loved planes," she said. "I did it for a year, I was living in Melbourne, but I think I enjoyed going to the footy a bit too much to be frank. "After that, I took a bit of time off, I worked out in the Wheatbelt for a bit. I worked in a bar out at Corrigin, which was hilarious and then managed to get into the law degree." Ms King said she didn't at first think of running for parliament, but had involved herself in policy development. "I worked for [former Brand MP] Gary Gray for a year when he was a minister, I took a bit of time out from the uni job," she said. "After a few years you think, well what might I do next. "I'd been working on different policies with Labor, then in opposition, in my spare time, and I was more interested in how I could do that in a federal sphere. "To be frank I started sounding people out about going back to work with a federal parliamentarian, if I could, because that was something I was interested in doing, not thinking I might get the chance to run." She spoke to Mr Gray early in 2016, soon after he announced he wouldn't recontest his seat. "He said if ever there's a time to put your hand up it's right now," Ms King said. "I was born in Kwinana, grew up in Shoalwater Bay, went to school down here, my home and my family is here, I just went for it, because you have to." Then from out of nowhere, Ms King was in parliament, then Shadow Consumer Affairs Minister and assisting Chris Bowen on small business and Jason Clare in the crucial resources portfolio. When she spoke to Fairfax Media, she had been dealing with the nation's fake honey scandal. Loading "Jamie [her husband] and I have a beehive so we just give honey away to family and friends, we don't produce a great deal, it's just a hobby," Ms King said. "When things like that story come out, you have to have the right policy settings so it can't happen again, because it's not fair on the consumer. "And you think, well, it's not earth shattering and no one's going to be hurt, but then if you have an Australian honey industry that might fail because it's competing against cheap imports of something that's not honey, well then you don't have as many bees and that's two-thirds of the pollination process in this country gone." After a couple of years in the nation's capital, Ms King said she was still surprised by some things she saw in Canberra. The Brand MP said she was affronted when the Coalition shut down parliament as its government was imploding. "Speaking to my colleagues there on that last parliamentary week, people who've been around for a while have seen nothing like what we saw," she said. "I mean, that's your government's legacy, that you shut down parliament because you lost all your ministers and walked out on a Prime Minister." But on reflection Ms King agreed Australians are still a peaceful people, even though their politics has much in common with blood sports at times. "There's few comments made about how we're becoming the Italy of the Indo-Pacific," she said. "Well, we've had a change of Prime Ministers, but nonetheless the economy is still pretty stable and that says a lot about the nature of people here; they're peaceful and there's not revolution in the air, and the systems of government still do go on, even though there would be frustration." Overall, Ms King said despite appearances, politicians were mostly normal people under unusual amounts of pressure. "I know what it looks like from the outside and it does look like madness, and I think Malcolm Turnbull was right to say a form of madness took over his party last week," she said. "But Labor's been there, we can't say it enough, we've made mistakes, but generally the people I deal with, my colleagues, I really enjoy their company. "If you're a minister in the government, that's an extraordinary responsibility you have, Labor or Liberal, that's always something that has to be respected." Ms King at Safety Bay High School with a photo of herself attending the school. While Ms King is spending time getting across her new portfolios, she is also finishing off a job she started before her elevation to the front bench, helping to write Labor's international development policy to take to the next election. How the federal government handles its development relationships with near neighbours will impact Australia's relations with strategic competitors like China. "It's in our best interests to help our neighbours and make them strong as well, so we can be strong together," she said. "For us over here in the west, we have our friends in Indonesia. "Now, their prosperity is increasing all the time and they don't require the assistance they once did, but we're ready to help when things go wrong." That says much about Madeleine King's style; a politician not driven by ego or a sense of destiny, but perhaps a readiness to help when things go wrong. Washington: The vice-president of the United States said on Sunday that he was willing to take a lie-detector test to prove he did not write the damning New York Times anonymous article that rocked the White House last week. Mike Pence is one of several senior administration officials who have publicly denied that they wrote the article. The piece, headlined I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration, claimed there had been discussions to invoke the 25th amendment, which allows for removal of a president if he or she is deemed unfit to carry out the duties of their office. Donald Trump has demanded an investigation to identify the rogue staff member. Pence told Fox News Sunday it would be for the president to decide if lie detectors should be used to find the culprit. But he said: "I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do. The honourable thing to do here is for this individual to recognise that they are literally violating an oath," he said. Latest News REA Group posts big Q1 numbers Stock price jumps to all-time high on back of strong results 50pt fixed rate rise at CBA as RBA fallout kicks in 'Steep increase' in funding costs sees another Big Four bank rates The Australian Banking Association (ABA) is urging for the new code of practice to be adopted across the entire industry. Recently approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the new Banking Code of Practice standards are currently only a requirement of ABA members. The code aims to lift standards in banking with a commitment to ethical behaviour, responsible lending, greater financial protection and increased transparency. It will be fully implemented by July 1, 2019. But the association has now recommended to the Royal Commission and the rest of the industry that non-members such as credit unions, building societies and other lenders adopt the standards to ensure there are no gaps in protections for customers. CEO of the ABA, Anna Bligh, said while the new code was tailored specifically for the types of banks it represents it was important that customers were protected regardless of who they choose to bank with. She added, Members of the Australian Banking Association have lifted the standard in banking with this new Code, with customers the big winners. Initiatives such as reminders when introductory credit card offers are ending, proactive contact with customers who might be at risk of financial difficulty and simple, easy to understand contracts should be adopted across the entire industry. Particularly for small business, every lender, including building societies, credit unions and others, should give sufficient notice when loan conditions might change to help with future planning. Saying the ABA member banks were proud of the new code being implemented, Bligh said, Other lenders are offering similar products however the standards are not the same, which creates both confusion for customers and a loophole in protections. These common standards for customers could be achieved by making membership of an ASIC approved code, such as the ABA code, a requirement of a licence. While we fully expect further changes to be made to banking following the final report of the Royal Commission, its important that all lenders, such as credit unions, building societies and others adopt the same rigorous standards to ensure there is consistency across the industry. Initiatives in the new Code include: Customer reminders when an introductory credit card offer is about to end New measures to assess a customers ability to repay their entire credit card limit within five years Proactive contact with customers deemed at risk of financial difficulty & have measures to help them Give customers lists of direct debits and recurring payments making it easier to switch Simplified loan contracts that are written in plain English and easier to understand Given more notice to small business when loan conditions change helps with business planning Better protections for guarantors to ensure they understand their obligations, including a cooling off period and advocating that they seek independent legal advice to ensure they understand what theyre signing A new independent body which will investigate breaches and apply sanctions as needed. Stop interfering with free press Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for an immediate stop to interference with independent journalism and press freedom. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor That he speaks impeccable English despite being a Chinese comes from the fact that Jack Yun Ma, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, graduated from Hangzhou Teacher's Institute with a major in English and later became a teacher, imparting lessons in the same language. Strange are the ways in which tech honchos function: about a change of guard came via his interview on Friday with The New York Times -- at a time when US-China trade war is at its zenith -- and not from Alibaba itself. As Ma turns 54 on Monday -- the day when he will reportedly make his retirement official which also happens to be Teachers' Day in China -- he is leaving behind a legacy which will not be easy for his successor to carry forward. When it came to India, Ma, who also serves on the board of Japanese corporation SoftBank Group, always had big plans. Although not directly present in the online marketplace, Alibaba's diversified portfolio in India include top-of-the-line investments in digital payments platform Paytm, in Cloud computing via Alibaba Cloud, in the digital media space via UCWeb and several innovation initiatives that makes the country an attractive destination for the $420 billion conglomerate. As the Indian e-commerce space flourishes -- with Walmart's acquisition of Flipkart and Amazon pouring in millions of dollars -- recent media reports indicated that Ma has plans to invest into Reliance Retail Ltd which, if true, will see Alibaba have physical presence and a bigger retail clout in India. The opportunities are immense for the current $35 billion Indian e-commerce sector which would be worth over $100 billion by 2022 -- with a growth of around 25 per cent from the current level -- a joint PwC-Nasscom report said on Friday. In collaboration with Alibaba, Paytm has also launched its AI Cloud computing platform for developers, start-ups and enterprises in India. Alibaba Cloud, the Cloud-computing arm of Alibaba Group, provides computing services to businesses of all sizes globally. According to the company, Paytm AI Cloud processes and stores their consumers' data locally in servers located in India -- a demand from the government that has resulted in its rival WhatsApp and Apple deferring their digital payments services in the country. Not just the private sector, Alibaba is also increasing its footprint in the government sector. On September 3, the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alibaba Cloud to adopt cloud computing frameworks within the government model. The MoU envisages leveraging Alibaba's Cloud and Smart City technologies for sustainable farming, integrated traffic management, smart city management, small and medium enterprises and skill development programmes. India is a "very important" market for Alibaba in its global strategy, its Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang told IANS last year. "Globalisation is one of our key strategies for Alibaba. As part of this strategy, India is a very important topic. India is a very important market for us to look at," Zhang said. Ma -- who will remain on Alibaba's board of directors and continue to mentor the company's management after retirement -- met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 and discussed ways to empower small businesses in the country. They never met again and Ma too didn't reveal much about his India plans, but his company has been making inroads into a country that provides massive opportunity owing to a growing Internet and smartphone user base amid an increasing digital drive across enterprises. With a net worth of more than $40 billion, Ma is the founder of Zhejiang-based Foundation which will help realise his new dream of philanthropy in education. A devotee of Chinese martial art form Tai Chi, Ma started Alibaba in 1999 from his modest apartment in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, with 17 other people (remember that Jeff Bezos started Amazon from a garage in Seattle). Like Bill and Melinda Gates, who are often seen in India on various charity tours, we may also see Ma more in the country to fulfill his philanthropy goals, but his days at the helm have already helped Alibaba realise the potential the India market has beyond China. His instructions must be clear to his successor -- focus on India that is not yet saturated like China and growing by leaps and bounds across the technology domains in which Alibaba has expertise. Batting for free flow of data across borders, CEO Sundar Pichai has written to IT Minister saying such a step will encourage global to contribute to India's digital economy as well as benefit Indian startups that are looking at expanding globally. In a letter dated September 5, Pichai said shares the vision of creating a truly 'Digital India' and that the company remains firmly committed to being part of India's growth story. He also thanked Prasad for his visit to Google's Mountain View campus last month. "Free flow of data across borders - with a focus on user privacy and security - will encourage startups to innovate and expand globally and encourage global to contribute to India's digital economy," he said. He further said the company's team in India will be in touch with his office to follow up on some of the specific topics that were discussed during their meeting. did not respond to e-mailed queries on the matter. The development comes at a time when the government is working on a data protection framework for the country. In July, a high-level panel headed by had submitted its recommendations and the draft bill on data protection to Prasad. It had suggested steps for safeguarding personal information, defining obligations of data processors as also rights of individuals, and mooting penalties for violation. The government has sought public feedback on the contours of the draft Bill by September 30. ALSO READ: Google not close to launching search engine in China: Sundar Pichai The areas covered by the recommendations include consent, what comprises personal data including sensitive personal data, exceptions which can be granted, grounds for processing data, storage restrictions for personal data, individual rights and right to be forgotten. It also imposes conditions on the cross-border transfer of personal data. The draft suggests that every data fiduciary in India shall ensure the storage of at least one serving copy of personal data on a server or data centre located in India. The government can notify certain categories of personal data as critical personal data that would have to be stored in a data centre located within India. The recommendations, which will have an impact across sectors especially healthcare and financial services, have met with criticism from various quarters. Recently, industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) had expressed concern around the bill, saying certain clauses around data localisation and information processing are "restrictive" and will hurt Indian startups. It had also warned that other countries, where Indian startups are expanding to, may retaliate by demanding reciprocal data localisation. Besides, data localisation also forces Indian startups to look for more expensive and inefficient local solutions, IAMAI had said. Traders: Access to Chinas ports not a magic bullet On Friday, trade experts and freight forwarders welcomed news of the finalisation of the protocol to implement the Nepal-China Transit and Transportation Agreement, but with a little caution. A subsidiary caught in a controversy over faulty hip replacement systems has opposed RTI disclosure of crucial documents it submitted to the country's drug regulator for seeking import clearance for these devices, the CIC has said. The commission, however, said it has found no impediment in directing disclosure of these compliance documents. Among the records whose disclosure the DePuy Medical Private Limited, the Johnson and Johnson subsidiary, has opposed was an indemnity clause, said Mukesh Jain, the RTI applicant who had sought the information from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The indemnity clause makes liable for compensation to patients globally in case equipment are found faulty. The CDSCO, the drug regulator, did not apply the RTI clause of "larger public interest" to provide the documents, Jain told PTI. Instead, he said, it sought the consent of DePuy Medical Private Limited applying the "third party" clause of the Act and the company rejected the request. The company claimed that the information sought attracts exemption clauses of the RTI Act related to commercial confidence. Even exempted information can be furnished by a public authority if it finds that the disclosure is in larger public interest, according to the RTI Act. When the matter came before the Central Information Commission, the top appellate authority on RTI matters in the country, the objections raised by DePuy were rejected by Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad, who heard the matter. Through his RTI application, Jain had sought documents submitted by DePuy Medical Private Limited Ltd, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, for import and marketing clearance of "ASR XL Acetabular System" and "DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing system" manufactured by DePuy International Ltd. These replacements were marketed by Johnson and Johnson. When the matter was challenged by Jain, a pharmacist himself, before the CIC, the CDSCO tried to justify its stand, saying these medical implants manufactured by foreign firms are imported and marketed by Johnson and Johnson Ltd. Accordingly, the manufacturer and marketing company Johnson and Johnson sign various agreements including the Power of Attorney by which the onus and responsibility of marketing the product and consequences thereof accrue on the marketing company, the CDSCO officials argued. Jain challenged the contention of the CDSCO, saying the matter pertains to a large number of patients who had to suffer because of faulty products which were recalled by the United States. On being tested and found defective these implants have been banned from usage worldwide. But patients, mostly senior citizens in India, are being freely recommended and implanted with these allegedly cancer-causing devices with far-reaching complications, Information Commissioner noted in the order, citing Jain's submissions. Azad said none of the documents submitted by the CDSCO contains information of commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property of the Drug manufacturer -- DePuy International. "Neither the company nor the respondent has made out a case as to which portion of these documents contain such information disclosure whereof is likely to adversely affect the competitive position of the company- the third party in question," he said. Azad said Jain has successfully made out his case that he needs this information in larger public interest on behalf of thousands of patients suffering in India waiting to get relief in the form of monetary compensation against the parent company. Jain has said the imports have been detrimentally affecting the senior citizens who have been administered such implants, he noted. The documents are required for proving the liability and onus of the in the case of artificial hip implants imported by DePuy, Azad said. "The exemption under Section 8(1)(d) (related to exemption of information pertaining to commercial confidence) of the RTI Act 2005 does not extend a blanket cover nor are such bald assertions legally tenable, unless tested on the touchstone of facts," he said. Azad said the commission found no impediment in directing disclosure of these compliance documents as submitted before the commission and sought by Jain. He, however, added a caveat that in case the CDSCO feels that any particular document attracts clause of commercial confidence that can be withheld by it. Recently, the CDSCO, which works under the Health Ministry, put out a report on its website stating the Johnson and Johnson "suppressed" facts on the harm caused by surgeries which were conducted on patients in India using "faulty" hip replacement systems. A group of patients, who suffered due to alleged faulty hip replacement surgeries by a multinational firm, have written to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, saying it is surprising that the media has been able to get the report yet the persons directly affected have been kept in the dark. The group said that in the last eight years, since the recall of this product, they have endured pain and become disabled while some of them have lost family members who died awaiting redressal. Reports quoting the expert committee findings say that over 3,600 patients with faulty implants remain untraceable, and that at least four deaths have been reported among these patients. The high-speed rail project executing authority has decided to construct a service road along the 508-km corridor, which could prove to be a lifeline for people in remote areas of and The four-metre service road will run throughout the alignment between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, excepting a few stretches with difficult terrain. The project is being executed at an approximate cost of Rs 1.08 trillion with active financial and technical support from Japan. "The road would aid in supply of raw materials and provide logistical support to engineers and workers for construction of the corridor, the alignment of which passes through remote and inaccessible areas. Eventually, it will be transformed into an all-weather motorable road," said an official of High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). Once the project is over, the service road will not only be used by engineers to carry out periodic inspection of the alignment but could also be used by the general public, he said. Spokesperson of the corporation Dhananjay Kumar said the road could also act as a green corridor, transporting villagers in ambulances to big cities like Mumbai in no time, which was unthinkable till now. The corridor will have 12 stations, running 156 km in Maharashtra, 4.3 km in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and 348 km in The Palghar district in Maharashtra, which has been witness to sporadic agitation over land acquisition, could stand to benefit majorly from the project as well as the service road. The authorities have identified 73 villages which would be affected by the project -- 109 km of the project runs through this district. But officials believe, it would prove a lifeline for them. The villages are tucked away in remote locales and getting access to basic amenities still remains a challenge for them. The alignment of the high speed corridor would run right through the villages and the service road could bring about a big difference to their lives, they said. In Vadodara, the corporation is also coming up with a satellite station on the city outskirts, an offshoot of the project. The station will come up as the corporation will dismantle platform seven of the main Vadodara station to enable construction of the high speed corridor. NHSRCL chief project manager (Vadodara) Pradeep Ahirkar said the new Chhayapuri station will handle those trains which use platform seven for reversal. Most of these trains originate from Ahmedabad and are bound for northern states including Delhi. A day ahead of the called for by the Congress Party, have been hiked yet again on Sunday. In New Delhi, the price of petrol has been hiked to Rs. 80.50 per litre, and diesel to Rs.72. 61 per litre, following an increase of 12 paise and 10 paise, respectively. The surge in has affected people in Mumbai the most, with petrol retailing at Rs. 87.89 per litre and diesel at 77.09 per litre, after a 12 paise and 11 paise hike, respectively. The constant rise in is strengthening citizens' demand for government intervention in the matter. "There is an increase in the fuel price with each passing day, and the common man is suffering the most. The government should do something about it," a citizen from New Delhi to ANI. A local from Mumbai, while narrating the plight of commoners, said rising fuel prices have triggered a surge in the prices of other commodities as well. "We are tired of this government. Instead of the 'Achhe Din' promised by the government, the days are becoming worse. It has become difficult for us to run our house. The fuel prices are increasing with each passing day. It is affecting everything, everything is becoming expensive due to it," he added. As a mark of protest against the exorbitant fuel prices, the Shiv Sena put up hoardings on Saturday night across Mumbai, displaying figures of petrol, diesel, and gas from 2015 and 2018 to highlight the surge in prices. While the government has maintained that depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the US dollar and a hike in global crude oil prices is causing a surge in domestic oil prices, citizens and the Opposition alike feel the Narendra Modi government is not doing enough to curb rising oil prices. A nationwide shutdown will be observed on September 10 (Monday) by the Congress, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), while left parties have given a separate call for bandh on the same day over the hike in fuel prices, the problem of farmers and unemployment issues. Amidst the relief and rapture over the Supreme Courts historic judgement decriminalising gay sex on Thursday, brands lit up with their own diversity messaging, flooding social media with witty one-liners, tongue-in-cheek humour and hashtags in support of the verdict. It was obviously a great way to get the eyeballs and ensure likes and clicks on your brand although for some, the communication did spring from a genuine commitment to the cause of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The Army will not participate in the first-ever joint military exercise of nations in next week, an aide of Prime Minister K P Oli said on Saturday, amid reports that the political parties in the country have expressed concern over the drill. The proposal for the joint military drill was first forwarded by the Indian Army in June, followed by an initial meeting of senior army officials in New Delhi. Kundan Aryal, press advisor to Oli, told PTI that will not to join the week-long joint military drill to be held in Pune from September 10. " will not take part in the joint military exercise. This is the official decision of the government," he said. Aryal, however, did not give any details but indicated that the concerned ministry may issue a formal statement soon. The government's decision came after strong criticism from different quarters, including influential leaders from the ruling Nepal Communist Party, The Kathmandu Post reported. ALSO READ: Bureaucracy and BIMSTEC The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The military drill was dragged into controversy as no diplomatic or political level agreement was made before deciding to take part in the exercise. Experts are also objecting to the drill saying there is no advantage to Nepal. The Tamil Nadu government has rejected a Central government-sponsored report on the groundwater contamination in Tuticorin, saying it "prejudices" the state government cases in various courts against the Sterlite copper smelter plant of Ltd. Tamil Nadu had ordered the closure of the Tuticorin plant, around 650 km from Chennai, following protests and the death of 13 persons in police firing on May 22. The locals alleged the plant caused pollution and affected their health. On a petition by Ltd, the Green Tribunal permitted access to the administrative office of the plant while barring access to the factory. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan in a letter on Friday, made available on Saturday, to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources said the state government was extremely perturbed that the Ministry chose to commission a study and obtain a report from Central Ground Water Board in Tuticorin without any intimation to the state government or to any statutory body including the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). "The state strongly feels that the report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the government and TNPCB cases in various courts," Vaidyanathan said. Citing the report, she said it appeared to support Sterlite and "is absolutely vague and without any support of empirical data." "It does not appear to be made on any scientific basis and it is not known how the two scientists who have submitted the report have made such a vague and an unsubstantiated statement in the report," Vaidyanathan said. The concluding paragraph of the report as quoted by her read: "It is to mention that the investigation team couldn't enter the premises of Sterlite Copper Industry for collection of representative samples from inside and outside of industry; because district authorities sealed the Sterlite Copper Plant following the government order to close down the plant permanently. Therefore, it can't be stated that Sterilte Industry is the only cause of pollution." Vaidyanathan said on the basis of scientific studies, TNPCB has concluded that the level of pollution caused by the Sterlite Copper Smelting Plant has gravely affected the health and safety of residents in the locality, warranting closure of the industry. "To safeguard the environment, a fundamental duty is imposed on the state by virtue of Article 48-A of the Constitution of India. Hence the government of Tamil Nadu ordered permanent closure of the industry," Vaidyanathan said. She said the TNPCB has conducted detailed studies before ordering the closure of Sterlite copper smelter plant. The matter is sub judice before the Green Tribunal, Madras High Court and the Supreme Court. 1. Yes. If a city of 150,000 cant provide safe drinking water for 10 days, a probe is needed. 2. Yes. Not only should there be a state investigation, but customers should get a rebate. 3. No. The city will be working with TCEQ to develop an after-action plan. That will suffice. 4. No. The whole episode was just an annoyance. An outside investigaton is unnecessary. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing more details about the issue. Vote View Results In the midst of a political firestorm over the jet deal, the Indian Air Force is quietly making preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft, official sources said. They said the IAF is sending a batch of pilots by the end of this year to France for training on jets. A number of IAF teams have already visited France to help Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, incorporate India-specific enhancements on-board the fighter aircraft. India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September, 2016, for procurement of 36 fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 580 billion. The delivery of the jets -- capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles -- is scheduled to begin from September next year. Sources said Dassault Aviation has already started test flight of Rafale jets to be supplied to India and the company has been told to strictly adhere to the timeline for delivery of the aircraft. The Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others. A team of IAF pilots have already trained on Rafale jets in France and they will again go there by end of the year, sources said. The Congress has raised several questions about the deal, including rates of the aircraft, while the government has rejected the charges. Sources said the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed in Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. Officials said the government has already sanctioned around Rs 4 billion to develop required infrastructure like shelters, hangers and maintenance facilities at the two bases. The sources said France has been regularly briefing India about progress in the project to supply the jets. In July last year, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, during his visit to France, flew a Rafale jet at the Saint-Dizier airbase to gain a first-hand experience of the aircraft. According to the deal, the delivery of the jets will start in 36 months and will be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was inked. Senior Congress leader Sunday dared the BJP to contradict an official data on growth which has said the economy clocked a 10.08-per cent growth in 2006-07 under the UPA rule, the highest since liberalisation in 1991. The former finance minister reacted after BJP president Amit Shah asked his party leaders to challenge Chidambaram and others from the opposition for an open debate on the government's economic policies based on facts and figures. Chidambaram said the Congress has already started a data-based debate and has put out the data, including Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) data on growth during NDA-1, UPA-1, UPA-2 and NDA-2. "Does BJP accept CSO data or not? Let BJP put out data contradicting CSO data," he told PTI here. According to the back series data on GDP, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) last month, Indian economy clocked a 10.08- per cent growth rate in 2006-07 under the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the highest since liberalisation of the economy in 1991. The highest ever growth rate since Independence was recorded at 10.2 per cent in 1988-89 when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister, the data said. The back series data on GDP has been prepared by the Committee on Real Sector Statistics, constituted by the National Statistical Commission. The report has been released on the website of the MOSPI. After the data was released, Chidambaram had said the Congress-led UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments delivered the highest decadal growth since the Independence. The average growth rate under the UPA-1 government was 8.87 per cent, during which it also registered double digit growth rate of 10.08 per cent in 2006-07 and under the UPA-2 dispensation, it was 7.39 per cent, he had said, citing data on gross domestic product (GDP) released by the Statistics Ministry. The BJP, however, had said the data was not official and that it had not been accepted by the government yet. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Shah said Saturday the Narendra Modi government had performed far better on the economic front than the UPA, and asked party leaders to challenge Chidambaram and other opposition leaders for an open debate on the government's economic policies, based on facts and figures. "Party leaders should challenge Chidambaram & Co with facts and ask them to come for a debate on the economic policies of the government," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, quoting Shah's presidential address on the inaugural day of the BJP national executive meet here Saturday. India may impose anti-dumping duty of up to $ 185.51 per tonne for five years on certain varieties of with a view to guard domestic players from cheap imports of the commodity from the neighbouring country. JSW Steel Ltd, Sunflag Iron & Steel Co, Usha Martin, Gerdau Steel India, Vardhman Special Steels and Jayaswal Neco Industries Ltd had jointly filed an application for initiation of the investigations and levying of anti-dumping duties on the steel. In its anti-dumping investigations, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has stated that dumped imports of 'straight length bars and rods of alloy steel' from China have increased in absolute terms during the period of probe (2016-17). It said that the dumped imports are undercutting the prices of the domestic industry and due to this the domestic industry's profits, return on capital employed and cash profits have declined during 2016-17. "The authority recommends imposition of anti-dumping duty" on the imports from China "for period of five years," the DGTR has said in a notification. It has recommended duty in the range of $ 44.89 per tonne and $ 185.51 per tonne. However, it added that no anti-dumping duty shall be payable on imports of forged bars and tool and die steel if their landed value is above $ 659.91 per tonne. If the landed value is lower than $ 659.91 per tonne, then the difference between that value and $ 659.91 per tonne shall be payable as anti-dumping duty, it added. While the DGTR, under the commerce ministry, recommends the duty, the final call is being taken by the finance ministry. Imports of straight length bars and rods of alloy steel from China have increased to 1,80,959 tonnes in 2016-17 from 56,690 tonnes in 2013-14. India's total imports rose to 2,56,004 tonnes in 2016-17 from 1,32,933 tonnes in 2013-14. The demand of this steel in India too increased to 16,69,653 tonnes in 2016-17 from 15,14,795 tonnes in 2013-14. Domestic steel manufacturers always flag concerns over the imports from the neighbouring country, with which India has a huge trade deficit. The trade gap with China has increased to $ 63.12 billion in 2017-18 from $ 51.11 billion in the previous financial year. The DGTR has also stated it recognises that the imposition of anti-dumping duties might affect the price levels of the product in India. However, fair competition in the market will not be impacted by the imposition of these trade remedy measures. On the contrary, imposition of anti-dumping measures would remove the unfair advantages gained by dumping practices, prevent the decline of the domestic industry and help maintain availability of wider choice to the consumers of these goods, it added. In general, the purpose of these duties is to eliminate injury caused to the domestic industry by the unfair trade practices of dumping so as to re-establish a situation of open and fair competition in the Indian market, which is in interest of the country. "Imposition of anti-dumping duties, therefore, would not affect the availability of the product to the consumers," it said. State-run power major NTPC's trading arm NVVN will begin power supply of 300 MW to Bangladesh from midnight Sunday. "The 300 MW power supply to Bangladesh by the NVVN will commence from 00:00 hrs of 10th September 2018," said in a statement. Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Limited. According to the statement, NVVN signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) on September 6, 2018 at Dhaka for supply of 300 MW power from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and back to back agreement has also been signed with the DVC. The company said the testing of additional 500 MW Baharampur (India) Bheramara (Bangladesh) High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link has been completed. This will be used to supply power to Bangladesh. ALSO READ: NTPC approves Rs 97.85 bn investment for expansion of Talcher power plant BPDB had invited bids for buying 500 MW power from Indian firms under short-term (June, 1 2018 - December 31, 2019) and long-term (January 1, 2020 - May, 31, 2033) timeframes. NVVN had emerged as the successful bidder (L1) for both short-term and long-term segments for supply of 300 MW power. Jack Ma, Alibaba co-founder and chairman, is not retiring and will unveil transition plans on Monday, the company-owned media outlet said Sunday as it rejected a news report that he is stepping down from the Chinese giant. The New York Times report said Ma planned to use his 54h birthday to announce his retirement to devote his time to philanthropy focused on education. According to the report, Ma in an interview said that his retirement is not the end of an era but "the beginning of an era". Ma also said he would be spending more of his time and fortune focused on education. The report said Ma was retiring as China's business environment had soured, with the government and state-owned enterprises increasingly playing more interventionist roles with However, the report is contradicted by an Alibaba spokesman who was quoted by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post as saying that Ma remains the company's executive chairman and will provide transition plans over a significant period of time. The South China Morning Post is owned by Alibaba. "The Times story was taken out of context and factually wrong," the daily quoted the spokesman as saying. Ma, the public face of the technology juggernaut, will unveil the power transition plans on Monday, the Post reported. The succession plan to be unveiled by him would make Alibaba one of the very few Asian that consciously detaches its corporate structure and daily operations from the founder, the report said. "I sat down with our senior executives 10 years ago, and asked what Alibaba would do without me," Ma said in an interview with the Post. "I'm very proud that Alibaba now has the structure, corporate culture, governance and system for grooming talent that allows me to step away without causing disruption," he said. Known as Ma Yun in mainland China, Ma is one of China's wealthiest men, with his net worth estimated at $40 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Hangzhou-based Alibaba, which began as an marketplace founded with USD 60,000, has taken less than two decades to expand into a USD 420 billion juggernaut in online shopping, cashless payments, cloud computing, and even Hollywood movies. Alibaba employs more than 86,000 people. A former English teacher before establishing Alibaba with 17 partners, Ma is known by colleagues as 'Teacher Ma'. He has mostly detached himself from operational matters and the daily management of his sprawling business empire since stepping down as Chief Executive Officer in 2013, dedicating more of his time and wealth to philanthropy through the Jack Ma Foundation, following in the footsteps of Microsoft Corp's founder Bill Gates, the Post report said. He is scheduled to be in next week to formalise Alibaba's venture with Mail.ru, the company owned by Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov and sovereign wealth fund Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). He is also due to visit Cape Town, where he has promised to fulfil his pledge to help South African to set up a digital training centre to nurture entrepreneurship among the youth. Creating a storm by smoking marijuana during a live podcast that led to Tesla stocks crashing 10 per cent to hit the lowest level since 2016, Chairman and CEO on Saturday announced a major shake-up in the top echelons of the electric car-making company. Tesla's shares tanked on Friday after its two top executives --including chief accounting officer Dave Morton -- announced they would quit after Musk was filmed smoking marijuana during a podcast hosted by comedian Joe Rogan. In a new blog post, Musk announced a number of top management changes after discussing with the Tesla board of directors and executive staff. "Jerome Guillen has been promoted to President, Automotive, reporting directly to me. In his new role, Jerome will oversee all automotive operations and programme management, as well as coordinate our extensive automotive supply chain," said Musk. Kevin Kassekert has been promoted as Vice of People and Places, with responsibility for human resources, facilities, construction and infrastructure development. ALSO READ: Elon Musk making hasty promotions to rebuild Tesla as top execs leave "As many of you know, Tesla's Chief People Officer Gaby Toledano has been on leave for a few months to spend more time with her family and has decided to continue doing so for personal reasons," Musk added. Chris Lister who joined Tesla last year and was key to solving production problems at the Gigafactory in Nevada and ramping Model 3 production has been promoted to Vice President, Gigafactory Operations. "In this role, he leads our production and manufacturing engineering at Giga. Before Tesla, Chris ran several ultra-high volume factories at PepsiCo," Musk informed, adding that Laurie Shelby, Tesla's VP, Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) will also report directly to him. "We are about to have the most amazing quarter in our history, building and delivering more than twice as many cars as we did last quarter. "For a while, there will be a lot of fuss and noise in the media. Just ignore them. Results are what matter and we are creating the most mind-blowing growth in the history of the automotive industry," Musk wrote. Dave Arnold has been promoted to Senior Director, Global Communications, overseeing Tesla's communications team. Musk also announced a new product lineup. "There is the Model Y, the Tesla (pickup) Truck, the Semi and the new Roadster. Then there is the Solar Roof, which is spooling up in production, and continued advancements in Powerwall and Powerpack. And that's just what people know about," he said. On Friday, Tesla shares dropped to nearly $252 -- their biggest single-day drop in two years after Musk was seen smoking weed on the show. ALSO READ: Why Elon Musk reversed course on taking Tesla private Scores of leaders belonging to 21 political parties will take part in 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress party on September 10 against the fuel price hike, and decline in rupee value against the United States dollar. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), among others, have extended support to the nationwide shutdown. "Congress party has called for a nationwide 'Bharat bandh' against the continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices and the drop in rupee's value against US dollar. The 'bandh' will be violence-free. We request all the businessmen to support us in this," Congress leader Ajay Maken said at a press conference on Sunday. "In last four years, excise duty has increased by 211.7 percent on petrol and 443 percent on diesel. In May 2014, excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.2, while now it is Rs 19.48. Similarly, on diesel excise duty was Rs 3.46 in May 2014, however, it is now Rs 15.33," he added. The Congress leader also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the decline in the rupee value and said, "The value of rupee is below 72 now. Earlier when rupee value used to cross 60, then Prime Minister Modi used to say that rupee is in ICU. What will he say now?" Maken said that the Congress party's demand is to "bring petrol and diesel under GST." Further demanding the government to bring petrol and diesel under Good and Services Tax (GST) ambit and said, "If this happens, then there will be a drop of Rs 15-18 in the prices of petrol and diesel. Not just that, there will be a decline in price of other things also." Petrol and diesel prices have been witnessing a hike in several states across the country over the past few weeks. The Indian rupee is also facing a decline in its value against the US dollar. Earlier, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan blamed international factors for the hike in fuel price and said that one major reason for the rise in petrol and diesel prices is the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 20 Afghan security personnel were killed in an attack by the Taliban in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province, local officials said on Sunday. The attack occurred in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of the province on Saturday after a group of Taliban militants stormed the army and police check posts and inflicted casualties, TOLOnews reported. A security source said that the Taliban has captured five army and eight police check posts. Meanwhile, the group confirmed the attack on the check posts and said that it killed dozens of security personnel. Clashes between the group and the security forces are common in the war-torn country. On September 5, the Taliban had set ablaze the bodies of at least eight policemen who were killed in an attack in the northeastern province of Takhar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Sunday snubbed the Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Thoothukudi district, where the Sterlite copper smelter plant is located and said that the analysis was pro-Sterlite. Accusing the Centre of betraying Tamil Nadu, he said, "The Sterlite issue case goes on in Supreme Court, High Court and Green Tribunal. Without considering those factors, the government betrayed Tamil Nadu and gives positive results for Sterlite to re-open." He even alleged that the state government was aware that the Centre was conducting a study and said, "The state government has enacted a drama as if they were not aware of the conducting analysis, in spite of Intelligence Bureau report." Commenting on the letter written by Tamil Nadu government to the Centre over the report, Stalin said, "Instead of writing a letter, the state government should file a case in Supreme Court." The Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, Girija Vaidyanathan has written the letter to the Ministry of Water Resources rejecting its report on groundwater contamination. In the letter, addressed to Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources Upendra Prasad Singh, Vaidyanathan said, "The report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) cases in various judicial fora. Such an unscientific report will be likely to aggravate the law and order situation. We reject the report and request you to immediately withdraw the entire report." On September 5, the Ministry of Water Resources had directed the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to conduct a study on groundwater contamination in Thoothukudi. The Centre, in the report, said: "It is to mention that the investigation team couldn't enter into the premises of M/s. Sterlite Copper Industry for collection of representative samples from inside and outside of industry; because district authorities sealed the Sterlite Copper Plant following the Governments order to close down the plant permanently. Therefore, it can't be stated that M/s. Sterilte Industry is the only cause of pollution indicated above." On May 28, the Tamil Nadu government ordered the closure of Sterlite plant following the death of 13 people in police firing during the anti-Sterlite agitations in the district on May 22. The people were protesting against the construction of the Sterlite copper plant, claiming that it was polluting groundwater, and was hazardous for the environment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just a few days after the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment by decriminalising homosexuality, Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dipak Misra said that each individual has the right to life as well as the right to live with dignity, but cases involving conflicting interest have to be dealt with in a balanced manner. Delivering the Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Public Lecture Series at Pune's Bharti Vidyapeeth, the CJI, while referring to the Aruna Shanbaug case, touched upon the issue of conflict between two fundamental rights, and said that the verdict in such cases should be given after thoroughly studying the facts of the case and the fundamental structure of the Constitution. The Aruna Shanbaug case, which led to a change in euthanasia laws of the country. The bench handling this case in 2017, recognised a living will by a terminally-ill patient for passive euthanasia and drafted new guidelines clarifying the way to execute the will and the role of the medical board in giving assent to the will. "Everyone has a right to life but at the same time, he or she has a right to life with dignity. If he/she is unable to live with dignity because of prolonged illness, from which he/she will not overcome then in such cases he/she has the right to die with dignity. This is what balancing of rights mean. Adjustment, acceptance, compromise, and settlement comes in the balancing of rights and for the coexistence of rights. We have to balance them for the well being of mankind," Misra added. Citing the Mazdur Krishna Shakti Sangathan case, the Chief Justice said that in situations where conflict arises between two fundamental rights or intra-fundamental rights in respect of some person, it becomes slightly difficult for a bench to give out the verdict. "No particular parameter can be fixed but yet the court's try and endeavour to fix certain parameters, it has to be judged on facts of each case, taking care of certain constitutional concepts," he noted. Furthermore, Misra noted that it is important for an individual to exercise rights granted by the constitution in order to develop the society and strengthen the democracy. "We have a constitutional democracy and it is conceded with a singular and a sole mission and purpose of securing its citizen's rights and liberties which foster and strengthen the spirit and growth of development in a society. Rights protected and guaranteed under a constitution are the fulcrum of any free society. We ought to live in a democratic and free society. As far as that concept is concerned there is no compromise. We have the rights and must exercise them within the constitutional parameters. These rights are interest recognised and protected by a rule of justice. If the rule of justice collapses, rule of law will automatically collapse. I must respect your freedom, you must respect mine and this is how we can build up a societal fraternity in a true sense." Speaking further on the importance of individual's right in a democratic country, CJI Misra said, "In a democratic setup, every right matters and no right is absolute. There is no hierarchical order in rights. A particular fundamental right cannot exist in isolation." The CJI also cited an example of the 1975 Narendra Prasad case and said that in this case, the judicature observed that "A particular fundamental right cannot exist in isolation in a watertight compartment and one fundamental right of a person may have to coexist in harmony with the exercise of another fundamental right by others. "So, we have to co-exist, therefore the rights have to balanced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala, Lokanath Behera, said that the Inspector General (IG) of Police has been directed to complete enquiry initiated against rape accused Jalandhar Bishop, Franco Mulackal, as early as possible, adding that no decision has been taken to hand over the case to crime branch. Talking to media, Behera said, "I have directed IG police to complete enquiry against Jalandhar Bishop as early as possible and he has reported that it is underway. No decision has been taken to hand over the case to the crime branch." On Saturday, a group of nuns staged a sit-in protest at the High Court Junction bus station in Kochi demanding the arrest of Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of allegedly raping a nun. The protest was called by the Joint Christian Council. In June, a case was registered against four priests of Malankara Orthodox Church for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Kottayam. The accused had allegedly threatened to disclose the victim's confessions made in church. The incident came to light when the victim's husband recovered an audio clip related to the case, following which an investigation was initiated by the church. The church later suspended all the priests after a complaint was filed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suicide bombing in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday claimed lives of at least three people and injured 14. According to Aljazeera, attacker targeted a convoy marking the 17th anniversary of anti-Soviet fighter, Ahmed Shah Massoud's death. The convoy of the supporters was travelling in cars and bikes in Kabul's Taimar area. According to TOLO News, the bike-borne bomber detonated his explosives when in close proximity to the supporters, Kabul police chief spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai confirmed. The National Directorate of Security (NDS), earlier in the day, shot down a bomber near the US Embassy in Kabul. The bomber was killed before he detonated his explosives near another group of Massoud supporters. On September 9, 2001, Massoud was assassinated by two insurgents who posed as journalists in Takhar province. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener did not name the party or the constituency from which the former finance minister should contest the polls. After asking people whether Yashwant Sinha should contest in elections or not, the Delhi Chief Minister said, "Recently you (Yashwant Sinha) announced that you won't contest elections, but if good people like you won't do it then who would? Sir, it's the public demand that Yashwant Sinha should contest elections." The Chief Minister was addressing a 'Jan Adhikar' rally, organised to mark the end of a 'padayatra' under the leadership of AAP leader and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Sanjay Singh. The 10-day padayatra by Singh was started from Saharanpur to raise issues of farmers and governance. Recalling measures taken by his party in education and healthcare sectors, and regulation of power tariffs, Kejriwal asked, "If we can transform the government schools in Delhi, create hundreds of mohalla clinics and provide power at the lowest tariff in the country, why can't Modi Ji do it across the country?" Taking a jibe at the country's top leadership, Sinha, who was also present at the event along with Kejriwal, said "Nowadays those participating in debates on TV channels are considering themselves as leaders. Some think the citizens of this country are fools and the media is under their control. But the people will no longer accept this. They will punish those guilty in the upcoming elections." Meanwhile, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, who was also present at the event, heaped praises on the Delhi Chief Minister for the Mohalla Clinics system. "Good work should be appreciated, while bad deeds should be condemned. Demonetisation, fall in the value of rupee and rising fuel prices have impacted common man. I am not against the party I represent, but if this is seen as opposing party views, then yes, I am opposing," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) party on Sunday accused the Prime Minister Modi-led government of running a profiteering company and not a government. Addressing a rally in Panipat's Samalkha, the senior leader of the party, Randeep Singh Surjewala, launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and said, It is time to remove the BJP from both and There is a need of change because Prime Minister is not running a government but a profiteering company. This is a government of profiteering, by profiteering and for profiteering, and hence it is time to change such profiteering company government from and " Drawing a comparison between fuel prices between the present government and the rule, Surjewala accused the of robbing people through increased tax. On 26 May 2014 when Congress relinquished government, the rate of diesel was 55.49 Rupees, today the rate has increased to 74.17 Rupees. In 52 weeks the government has increased the rate of diesel by 18.70 Rupees. Petrol price has increased by 10.75 Rupees in the same period. Modi-led BJP government has imposed 212% tax on petrol and 443% tax on diesel in form of excise duty. government also increased Value-Added Tax (VAT) from 9.25% to 17.25% on diesel and from 21% to 26.25% on Petrol and through this they made a profit of 18 thousand crore rupees," said the Congress leader. Terming increased cost of the cooking cylinder as a loot, Surjewala said, A 14 kg non-subsidy cylinder was 414 Rupees in May 2014 and today it has increased to Rs. 754 by the government and thereafter with tax from the cost is now 850 Rupees. This is a loot of 12 lakh crore through an increased tax on the gas cylinder. Surjewala also termed the BJP rule as the first government in the history of independent to impose a tax on farming. He said, Haryana is a land of farmers and farming is our traditional occupation. and Khattar governments are anti- This is the first government in 70 years which has imposed a tax on farming. There was never a tax on fertilizer but government imposed 18% GST on fertilizer. has waived loans of 7 industrialists amounting to 2, 83,000 crore but rejects to waive off loans. He also asserted that groundwater has receded by hundreds of feet in different parts of Haryana and demanded that water recharge body be created to replenish these dark zones. Surjewala told ANI, Through tax on petrol and diesel 11 Lakhs crore rupees have been looted by the in last 52 weeks. The way, in which gas, diesel, petrol prices are increasing every day, it has caused great distress for farmers. We demand that petrol, diesel are brought under the GST. High prices of petrol, diesel found no mention in the executive meeting because they are not able to realise the pain of public. A change will be brought by the public to reply to it". Congress has called for 'Bharat bandh' against the Modi-led government over the constant rise in fuel and gas prices, and depreciation of Indian Rupee against the US Dollar. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic as successful, adding that agreements were signed in the fields of energy, defence, and trade, among others. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West) in the MEA, said, "President Kovind's visit to the three countries were very successful. After the visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, relations with these countries have become stronger with India. During the visit, there have been various discussions on mutual matters and agreements reached related to energy, environment, tourism, trade and investment, financial services and defence production." On Saturday, the President and his wife Savita Kovind visited the Strahov Monastery in Prague, a library which has over 3,000 manuscripts and 200 thousand volumes of old books. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "#PresidentKovind visited Strahov Monastery of Prague and it's (a) library which holds over 3000 manuscripts and incunabula and 200 thousands volumes of old books including 9th century Book of Gospels printed on parchment." President Kovind also paid a visit to the Czech Academy of Sciences, a public research institution in the city. Before addressing a gathering of teachers, students, Indologists and faculty members at the Charles University, President Kovind was welcomed in four Indian languages - Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Sanskrit by the students of the institution. The President is scheduled to return to India later today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kerala Mahila Federation, on Sunday hit out at state Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) PC George for calling a nun, who accused a Bishop of rape, a "prostitute" and demanded action against him. George, an independent MLA of the Poonjar constituency in the Kottayam district stoked a controversy earlier today after he termed the rape victim nun a "prostitute". "No one has doubt that the nun is a prostitute. 12 times she enjoyed it and the 13th time it is rape? Why didn't she complain the first time?" George had said. Speaking to ANI, Kerala Mahila Federation vice president Indira Raveendran criticised George and said: "We all know that this MLA is a controversial figure. Of course, he sometimes tells truth and we also agree that, but for this disparaging comment, immediately a case should be registered against him for abusing the womanhood." Besides Raveendran, Communist Party of India leader D Raja and, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Subhashini Ali also condemned George's remark. "I strongly condemn this statement. I hope all democratic forces in the state of Kerala will condemn this statement in all possible strongest terms. This is not the way to speak. The nuns are agitating. Instead of addressing the issues, he is calling the nun like this. It's atrocious. The law must take its course in Kerala," Raja said. Ali termed the MLA's statement "unfortunate," while saying that the nun has shown "great courage in making these allegations". "To make allegations within your own organisation against somebody, who is the head of it (Bishop) is not an easy job. It's not just one nun, there are many of them. After this, now more and more are speaking up and they have come out with facts and figures and all kinds of proof to backup the allegations that they are making," he told ANI. "They have been the victims of not just one-day abuse, but over months and years. That suffering has finally forced them to speak out against the church to which they are committed and to which they belong. For an MLA to come out in public and accuse a person in this language is horrible. We really condemn this. This is a very terrible thing that he has said," she added. On Saturday, a group of nuns staged a sit-in protest at the High Court Junction bus station in Kochi demanding the arrest of the Bishop. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind paid floral tributes to India's first Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, at the Thakurova Park here on Sunday. The President and his wife, Savita Kovind, bowed in front of Tagore's bust and stood for a minute to pay their respects. The Thakurova Park was named in honour of Tagore, who is well-revered by many people in the Czech Republic. The Nobel laureate had visited Prague twice in the 1920s to deliver public speeches, where he had shown solidarity towards the people of erstwhile Czechoslovakia in the pre- War II era. Following the visit, President Kovind departed for India after completing a three-nation visit to the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "Floral tributes paid to the bust of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore by #PresidentKovind in #Prague #Czech Republic before the conclusion of his three-country visit to Europe." While addressing a gathering of students, Indologists and faculty members of Charles University in Prague on Saturday, President Kovind recalled Tagore's "thought-provoking speech" at the institution. "As I speak here, I feel proud to be at such a great seat of knowledge. It delights me that Rabindranath Tagore, our national poet and one of the greatest sons of India, once came to this very campus and delivered a thought-provoking speech, captivating many. He is the one who called Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 'Mahatma' or 'the Great Soul', first. I have just had the honour to illuminate the life and legacy of our Father of the Nation and pay my respects," he continued. Reminiscing Tagore's visit to erstwhile Czechoslovakia in the 1920s, President Kovind further said, "Professor Lesny was one of the founding fathers of the Czech school of Indology and a friend of Rabindranath Tagore. He was the first European Indologist who translated Tagore's poetry directly from Bengali instead of using English translations. On the invitation of Professor Lesny, Tagore visited erst-while Czechoslovakia in 1921 and 1926. Tagore's interaction with the scholars in Czechoslovakia left a deep impact on them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 'Muslim Muk Morcha' carried out a protest in Pune on Sunday with a demand of reservation in education and jobs. The protesters also demanded punishment for those behind lynching of Muslims in the name of 'gau raksha', and also asked for land annexed from the Waqf Board to be returned. "Five per cent reservation has been allocated to us but is not being granted in any field. We need reservations in education and jobs. We also want the lands which were taken away from the Waqf board illegally to be given back," a protestor told ANI. Another protestor said that owing to a rise in deaths in the name of cow vigilantism, the atrocities law should be amended in such a way that security of Muslims is taken care of. The protesters started off from Goli Baug area in the city and marched up to the council hall. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hours after the Tamil Nadu cabinet recommended the release of all the seven convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, mother of one of the convicts thanked the state government and said, "my struggle is now bearing fruit". Mother of convict A G Perarivalan, Arputhammal, who met with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami today, said, "My 28 years of struggle is now bearing fruit. Today I met Chief Minister he assured me that all the convicts would be released after the governor accepts our recommendation. I strongly believe this will happen and the governor will accept the decision. I thank Tamil Nadu government which despite being a holiday today met me and recommended the resolution to the Governor." She further requested everyone to not give any political angle to the development and said, "I request, please don't politicise this matter. It is a fact that even Rahul Gandhi himself has made clear his point on the release of convicts. The Congress had offered us legal assistance in doing so." Earlier in the day, the Tamil Nadu cabinet recommended Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of all the seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The decision for the recommendation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit was made in a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Palaniswami. This comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu government to approach the Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan. All the seven convicts - Nalini, Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran are serving life terms and had been in jail for the last 27 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) From being the leading lady in his directorial debut 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' to playing the Pakistani spy for his action-thriller 'Tiger Zinda Hai', the actor-director duo of Katrina Kaif and Ali Abbas Zafar has delivered massive hits. Reminiscing his directorial debut, Zafar went down the memory lane sharing the poster of 2011 hit 'Mere brother ki Dulhan', writing how the first film is always special. The romantic-comedy starred Imran Khan and Ali Zafar alongside Katrina. The story revolved around Luv (Ali Zafar) who asks his brother, Kush (Imran) to find him a bride. He chooses Dimple (Katrina) who he feels is perfect for Luv. However, a few days before the wedding, Kush and Dimple realise that they love each other. The actor-director duo will next be seen in Zafar's 'Bharat' starring Salman Khan in the lead role. After Priyanka Chopra walked out of the film, Katrina was roped in to play the lead opposite the 'Dabangg' star. The flick which also stars Tabu and Disha Patani in pivotal roles is slated to hit theatres on June 5, next year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development and implementation of special programmes, SP Velumani, said that all allegations of corruption levelled against him were false and baseless. The clarification came after a leading news channel accused the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader of granting government contracts to firms owned by individuals known to him. In response to the same, Velumani said "In one or two days, we will take the matter to the court as we need to find out who is behind this. All the allegations levelled against me are baseless. The details and figures showcased by the English news channel are factually incorrect." The minister has been accused of unlawfully awarding government contracts related to various municipalities and corporations to firms run by his relatives and close aides by flouting the rules and regulations, as part of what the media outlet called a multi-crore scam. However, Velumani reiterated that he had not violated any rules and regulations while awarding the government contracts to the companies, adding that such news was broadcasted to malign the image of the Jayalalithaa government. "I am astonished that the leading English news channel has done such a story. We have a transparent system under which tenders are placed in and everything is done in accordance with the rule book. They have put these allegations on me to defame Amma's (Jayalalithaa's) government," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu Government has rejected Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Thoothukudi district, where the Sterlite copper smelter plant is located. Rebuffing the Union Ministry of Water Resources' groundwater analysis, the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, Girija Vaidyanathan termed the report "vague and unscientific". In a letter, addressed to Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources Upendra Prasad Singh, Vaidyanathan said, "The report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) cases in various judicial fora. Such an unscientific report will be likely to aggravate the law and order situation. We reject the report and request you to immediately withdraw the entire report." On September 5, the Ministry of Water Resources had directed the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to conduct a study on groundwater contamination in Thoothukudi. Hitting out at the Centre for directing the CGWB to conduct the study without informing the Tamil Nadu government, Vaidyanathan said, "Extremely perturbed that ministry chose to commission a study and obtain report from Central Ground Water Board(Tuticorin without any intimation to Tamil Nadu government." "Circumstances under which ministry has asked CGWB to carry out assessment of quality of water when the matter is sub-judice to say the least, is lacking in bonafide," the letter added. On May 28, the Tamil Nadu government ordered the closure of Sterlite plant following the death of 13 people in police firing during the anti-Sterlite agitations in the district on May 22. The people were protesting against the construction of the Sterlite copper plant, claiming that it was polluting groundwater, and was hazardous for the environment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Iraqi Ministry of Health has said 15 people have been killed and 190 others wounded since violent protests against worsening living conditions broke out in Basra several days ago. "The casualties come from both demonstrators and security forces," the Health Ministry Spokesman Sayf Bader said in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. Bader said that most of the wounded have received treatment and left the hospitals of Basra province. During the week, hundreds of angry demonstrators burned the provincial government buildings, the offices of leading political parties and the headquarters of some Shiite militias in protest of wide-spread corruption, poor public services, unemployment and water contamination in the province. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for restraint over the deterioration of the security situation in Basra. "The deaths of civilians and the growing number of casualties at the ongoing demonstrations is particularly worrying, as is the use of firearms for restoring public order," ICRC statement said. Basra, the province's capital city which bears the same name, has long witnessed complaints among its over 2 million residents about the collapsing infrastructure, power cuts and corruption. Water supply in the province is also widely criticised for high salinity, with thousands of residents having been hospitalised. The protesters also accused the influential political parties of being behind the wide-spread corruption, which led to high unemployment and failure in rehabilitation of the country's electricity, water and other basic services. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least seven people were killed and 25 wounded on Sunday in the Afghan capital Kabul, when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated explosives near a rally marking the 17th death anniversary of a prominent anti-Taliban leader, official told the media. The attack took place at 3 p.m. in Taimani square in northeast Kabul and targeted a procession of mourners honouring Ahmad Shah Massoud, a guerrilla commander who spent years fighting the Soviet Union and the Taliban but was assassinated two days before the September 11 attacks, Efe news agency reported. Afghan interior ministry spokesperson Najib Danish said that the attacker set off the explosive device "near the convoy of supporters for the national hero Massoud." On September 9, 2001, Massoud was killed by two suicide bombers of Arab origin posing as journalists, who detonated explosives hidden in a camera during a fake interview at the guerrilla leader's headquarters in the Panjshir Valley in north-central Afghanistan. The assassination of the "Lion of Panjshir", as he was known to his supporters, was linked to the Al Qaeda, although there was no definitive proof of that link. While still revered by some Afghanis for fighting the Soviets and later leading the Northern Alliance against the Taliban, Massoud is despised by others for his actions during the Afghan civil war and while in government during the 1990s. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday made it clear that it will not join the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress against rising fuel prices and falling value of the Indian rupee vis-a-vis the US dollar. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told IANS: "Although the issue is right, the Congress has no moral authority over the issue of fuel price rise and record fall of Indian rupee. It is little difficult to digest that the Congress is calling for a Bharat Bandh." At the same time, he accused the Modi government of pursuing Congress policies. "The Modi government is heaping miseries on the citizens by its continued failure to check the unprecedented hike in the prices of petrol and diesel and the record fall in the value of the Indian rupee," Bharadwaj said. He said the Modi government had been a "complete failure" on the issue of controlling prices. "Either this government lacks the understanding of the economic situation of the country or it is deliberately filling up its own coffers at the cost of the common man," Bharadwaj said. --IANS sd/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron took home the Golden Lion for "Roma" at the 75th Venice Film Festival. The prize was given to him by jury president and friend Guillermo del Toro here on Saturday. "Roma" is a semi-autobiographical black-and-white film on Cuaron's early upbringing in 1970s Mexico City, seen through the eyes of his housekeeper Cleo. While Netflix has not yet committed to a theatrical release before it hits the streamer, this prize will certainly put weight behind an Oscar campaign for the film, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Yorgos Lanthimos' "The Favourite", a period drama about the politic and romantic inner workings of a royal court, won the Grand Jury Prize, while Olivia Colman won the Volpi Cup for best actress for her role as Queen Anne in the film. Willem Dafoe won the Volpi Cup for best actor for taking on the role of tormented artist Vincent van Gogh in Julien Schnabel's non-traditional biopic "At Eternity's Gate". Joel and Ethan Coen won best screenplay for "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs". Jennifer Kent's "The Nightingale", the only female-directed film in competition, took home the Special Jury Prize. It stars Aisling Franciosi as a young Irish convict who hunts the man who wronged her with the help of an aboriginal tracker played by Baykali Ganambarr. "I would also like to say to all those women out there wanting to make films, please go and do it. We need you. The feminine force is the most powerful and healing force on the planet. I'm confident next year and the year after we'll see more and more women inhabiting this space," Kent said. The world's oldest film fest concluded its 75th anniversary edition not without controversy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After Cannes had shut out Netflix this year, Venice debuted a record six titles from the streamer, with three in the main competition and one in Horizons. Italian exhibitors were less than thrilled with the move, and the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE) issued a strongly worded letter to the festival to reserve competition slots for films that will be exhibited in cinemas internationally, rather than simultaneously released in 190 countries. But the larger controversy was once again festival chief Alberto Barbera choosing only one film directed by a woman. Barbera maintained that quality was his only factor in choosing films, but the topic came up throughout the festival. Venice film gala chiefs also signed a festival charter for gender parity, but did so only after making a big show of saying that it was barely necessary as they already hire a majority of women and are open about their submissions and selection panels. --IANS rb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Arif Alvi took oath as the country's 13th President on Sunday, a day after outgoing President Mamnoon Hussain's five-year term ended. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar administered the oath to Alvi, who was elected to the National Assembly from Karachi's NA-247 constituency in July, reports Dawn news. Apart from Chief Justice Nisar and Prime Minister Imran Khan, civilian and military officials attended the ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr (President's House) here. Visiting Saudi Arabian Information Minister Awwad Bin Saleh Al Awwad was also present. As per the 1973 Constitution, Alvi's election to the National Assembly seat will stand null and void once he takes oath as President since an elected member of Parliament cannot hold the office of head of state. Alvi, who was up against Pakistan People's Party's Aitzaz Ahsan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam's Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the post of President last week won the election with 352 electoral votes - 44 more than his two rivals could collectively obtain. On Saturday, Mamnoon Hussain received a farewell guard of honour by a contingent of the armed forces on completion of his tenure. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Boris Johnson, the former UK Foreign Secretary, attacked Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan, saying she had "wrapped a suicide vest" around the British constitution and "handed the detonator" to Brussels. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Johnson said the plan had opened the UK to "perpetual political blackmail", reports the BBC. Johnson resigned from his post in July after the plan was agreed by the cabinet. In his article, Johnson accused the European Union (EU) of "bullying" the UK. He said that rather than getting a "generous free trade deal", Britain is saying, "yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir", to Brussels. "At every stage of the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants... It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb (pounds) gorilla." This is Johnson's second attack on the May's Brexit strategy inside a week. Last week, he used his Daily Telegraph column to say the deal "means disaster" for Britain. Johnson's Sunday attack has been criticised by two senior Conservative MPs, said the BBC. Former Army officer and member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat graphically described the aftermath of a suicide bomb that had gone off near his office in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He said comparing such an attack to the May's plans "isn't funny", adding: "Some need to grow up". Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan said the article was "one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics". --IANS ksk/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Sunday urged the Election Commission of India to stop the state governments of Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from splurging huge amounts of public money on self-promotion. In a written submission to the poll panel, Congress's legal cell head and MP Vivek Tankha has demanded that the EC should ensure the Chief Ministers of these poll bound states do not spend public money on self-promotion or yatras. "Of late, the people of India are witnessing excessive propensity on the part of the state governments and the Chief Ministers to put in large advertisements in national newspapers at public expense. It is an abhorrent practice and blatant misuse of public funds," the Congress said in the letter. It asked the EC to issue "peremptory orders" to the Chief Secretary of Telangana to ensure no public money is utilised by the caretaker government on advertisements with pictures of the caretaker Chief Minister till the conclusion of the elections. The Telanaga government decided to prematurely dissolve the assembly on Friday. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekara Rao is running a caretaker government in the state now. Elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh (all ruled by BJP) and Mizoram are due by the end of this year. --IANS mak/ahm/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Ritah Kemigisa. President Yoweri Museveni has attributed the assassination of the Former Buyende DPC Muhammed Kirumira to the gaps in the police force and the old methods of curtailing crime. In his eulogy to the fallen police commander, the president says criminals are taking advantage of these gaps to commit crime. He further reveals that a sub security committee chaired by himself sat this morning at 10AM and come up with a number of strategies to fight such crime. He says they are re-activating the Luweero methods to deal with the cowardly criminals he has branded pigs in his statement. Museveni has promised to give the details of the new security strategy in his state of the nation address at state house Entebbe. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has written to IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad advocating free flow of data across borders as such a step will encourage global companies to contribute to Indias digital economy. In a letter earlier this week, which was made available to the media here, Pichai said that the free flow of data across borders would also benefit Indian start-ups looking to expand globally. The Google CEO also said the company remains firmly committed to being part of the Indian growth story. "Free flow of data across borders - with a focus on user privacy and security - will encourage start-ups to innovate and expand globally and encourage global companies to contribute to India's digital economy," Pichai said. "The Google team in India will be in touch with your office to follow up on some of the specific topics we discussed during our meeting." He also thanked Prasad for his visit last month to Google's Mountain View campus in the US. In July, the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India submitted its report to the government suggesting amendments to various laws, including the Aadhaar Act, to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries for violations of the data protection law. "The citizens' rights have to be protected, the responsibilities of the states have to be defined, but the data protection can't be at the cost of trade and industry," the report had said. Earlier this week, the government reiterated its firm stand on data privacy and against online platforms abusing data to impact free choice in India. The Minister had emphasised the need for a balance among data availability, and its utility, innovation, anonymity and privacy. --IANS bc/tsb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Egyptian military will hold its first defence exhibition on December 3-5, the armed forces announced on Sunday. The Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX) at the Cairo International Convention Centre will be organised by the defence and military production ministries in cooperation with British Clarion Events, one of the world's leading defence and security events organiser, Xinhua reported. The three-day defence expo is expected to attract more than 300 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors, Egypt's military spokesman Tamer al-Refai said in a statement. The event will be the first of its kind in Egypt and any other African country, with high-tech defence systems from around the world, as well as Egypt-made military hardware expected to be on display. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mrs India World 2016 Mohini Sharma Mane, now license holder of the pageant Mrs India, said on Sunday that every woman needs a platform to showcase her talent and in the 2019 Mrs India Inc beauty pageant, she is trying to create a space for women empowerment. Mohini said: "Every woman needs a platform to showcase her beauty, intelligence and talent. Mrs India Inc will empower women, serve as a platform to showcase and recognize the talent possessed by married women. We encourage women to live life on their own terms, make their own decisions and start a new journey because it is never too late!" According to her, she faced multiple obstacles in her journey at Mrs World. That made her to create a platform to support women to represent India on the global stage. "I had made a decision back in 2016 that I will form a platform that acts like a backbone or support woman representing our country during their international journey. "I'm striving very hard to ensure that Mrs India Inc provides the best facilities, grooms all the women and bring out the best in them. Even though I didn't get such an opportunity, I'm trying my best to give India another Mrs World winner who is just like Mrs Aditi Gowitrikar," she shared. The platform Mrs India Inc was launched in June 2018. Mohini along with her husband Anand Mane created the platform and acquired the license to conduct the Mrs India pageant. The audition for the pageant has started and the West zone audition took place on Sunday in Mumbai. Around 200 applicants from states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra participated in the audition. The judge's panel was graced by model VJ Alesia Raut, renowned Marathi actor Chirag Patil and grooming expert Avni Gandhi Varma. The North zone audition will be held next month in New Delhi. --IANS aru/ahm/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jazz -- a genre with the ability to embrace varied cultures -- has evolved exponentially in the past century-and-a-half and is today a major form of musical expression. But what is it that exactly gives a "jazzy characteristic" to a musical note? Some of its foremost practitioners, who assembled at this scenic beach town recently, have different ways of defining it. if it's "dance music" for one, "broad in its scope" for another, and a "vehicle to make people happy" for yet another, the search for what the musical form means to its practitioners remains elusive -- and yet it is so dear to them all. At the "Koktebel Jazz Party", organised here last month, jazzy instruments such as the saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and piano were played to the beats of different music styles to create different kinds of fusions as musicians from over 20 countries participated in the annual extravaganza. Jean-Paul Maunick, 61, a founding member of British acid jazz band "Incognito", quipped that jazz originated from the blues. "Blues is the music that people played to express their sadness, to tell stories about dire lives. Then jazz came along, which was more instrumental, more free, the music created for dancing. "Jazz is like the first dance music for me. Free dancing, where you show free expression. You throw your body but nobody is doing the same two steps. There is choreography if you want it, but most jazz music is about free dancing. The music, dancing and conversation between musicians is like that," he shared. For Maunick, jazz is not just "an intellectual thing" -- while it may be true that jazz is a "thinking man's thing", it is also a way "to just express yourselves". But is jazz all about dancing? It certainly is not, or at least that is how Rajeev Raja, the founder of Indo-Jazz music band from Mumbai, "Rajeev Raja Combine", perceives it. "It is not necessarily about moving. I wish to go back to the era when we used to listen to an entire album and keep listening to it. Jazz is very broad in its scope and execution. There certainly are elements like swing, but there is much more to it," he told IANS. At the festival, there were a group of American musicians who came together for the second time after performing first in Moscow. They performed under the label, New York All Stars. The drummer of New York All Stars, Carl Allen, grew up playing all kinds of styles but settled at jazz. "That's the kind of music that excites me. That's the kind of music that makes me happy. I try to use it as a vehicle to make other people happy. Everything is cyclical. A lot of things we hear now, people call it new but it is not really new It has been done before. It's just a process. It's always a cyclical process where people are putting together R&B, soul and jazz. That happened in the 1960s, 70s too," he told IANS. Music, as they say, cannot be contained within walls. It's definition too is broad and different for different people, or so it seemed at the three-day festival that aimed to celebrate all things jazzy. (Mudita Girotra was in Crimea at the invitation of the organisers of Koktebel Jazz Party. She can be contacted at mudita.g@ians.in) --IANS mg/ss/vm/tb/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The week gone by marked the first death anniversary of braveheart Gauri Lankesh, whose murder shook the nation and thrust her in the limelight -- but all too late. The ringmasters of the well-planned murder as well as the actual offenders of the horrendous act remain at large, or yet-to-be-proven-guilty, but her passing has left a void in the lives of those who knew her closely, and those who discovered her thereafter in the pages she penned. The brutal act continues to face widespread and vociferous condemnation. Notably, it is not an anti-establishment protest, far from anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too -- instead, it is the people's appeal to the regime to serve them what the constitution guarantees. If anything, it is a protest against the forces attempting to curb free speech, and therefore the government -- tasked as it is to uphold constitutional rights and beliefs -- should, ideally, dedicate itself willfully to the cause. While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has shown no concrete inclination to express its slightest displeasure, if at all, for such gruesome attacks, the pages of future history are forever maligned by other similar attacks that continue to surface even after Lankesh's untimely passing. The government may hide behind the veil of doing actual work than talking, but the fact remains that silence can sometimes be misinterpreted as indirect approval, further inciting violence and threats. Or so the events of recent past suggest. The government's track record of upholding free speech is not sound either. One vociferous statement, like the Prime Minister's historic speech on the eve of November 8, 2016, announcing the demonetisation of high-value currency notes, would perhaps have given much more strength to the advocates of free speech than the sum total of all protests they attend. The condemnation that followed the killings of three rational thinkers -- M.M. Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar -- which snowballed into the award wapsi protest in 2015, was met with constant blows along the way. In one instance, actor and BJP parliamentarian Paresh Rawal directly provoked violence against writer-activist Arundhati Roy by saying that the Booker-winning novelist should be tied to the jeep instead of stone- pelters in the Kashmir Valley. While, on the one hand, criticism of the army was opposed as threats to India's sovereignty, on the other hand, there was not even a word of condemnation from the government. Rawal stuck to his stance even in interviews thereafter, a shock to many fans of his excellent work in cinema. Since when did such provocative statements directly inciting violence become the accepted norm? And, by the way, since when did it become wrong to utter a word of criticism against the army? And then the fateful day of September 5, 2017, arrived when Lankesh was murdered. Her former husband Chidanand Rajghatta penned a book in her memory "Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh and the Age of Unreason", bringing to fore the rather obscured life of the veteran journalist-cum-activist. Adding a personal touch that only Rajghatta, who lived with Lankesh as a couple for five years, could, the book provides an insight into the firebrand personality that Lankesh was. The running theme throughout its pages, however, remains -- the void that has been created since she was slain. But if she had not been the target of her assassins, she might well have lived an eventful life fighting for the causes that she did and, like many social activists do, die in oblivion. Her untimely death sparked public outrage. However, those who lamented her death and called upon the government to punish the offenders became the target of vitriol and online trolls. The saga of making the unaccepted accepted that Rawal began, returned to mock Lankesh's sacrifice as voices of dissent were, and are, publicly made fun of, ridiculed, called names and trolled. Since when did it become wrong to condemn a killing? Since when did non-violent sermons become the norm in the country for whose freedom Gandhi dedicated his life to? And with that potent tool -- ahimsa? Lankesh may have died, but the cycle of events post her death points to the fact that, if anything, her murder has only immortalised her in the pages to be read, discussed and studied by generations to come. And the journey has already begun. Spanning the length and breadth of the country, numerous seminars, literary forums and events of similar kind were, and are being held. Lankesh's writings have been reproduced, translated and compiled in several anthologies by mainstream publishers in English as well as Indian Languages. All of this suggest that Gauri Lankesh will have a legendary presence in the life of perhaps everybody growing up today. Books will, of course, be the primary medium. (Saket Suman is a Principal Correspondent at IANS. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) --IANS ss/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Patidar leader Hardik Patel, whose indefinite fast continued on the 16th day on Sunday, was discharged from a private hospital and taken home from where he intends to continue with his indefinite hunger strike. A key community organisation pledged support to the agitating leader while processions were taken out in north Gujarat to back him. After the state government refused permission for any venue for his agitation, the 25-year-old Patidar leader on August 25 launched an indefinite fast from his home to press for his demands for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for his community, debt waiver for farmers and release of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Alpesh Kathiria, who has been jailed on sedition charge. As his health deteriorated, Patel was first shifted to the Sola Civil Hospital on Friday and later moved to a private trust-run SGVP Holistic Hospital. He was discharged on Sunday but he continued his fast from the hospital bed. Before his discharge, Patel told his supporters through a Facebook Live message that he would continue his hunger strike from his residence. He, meanwhile, also alleged in a tweet that a police officer had threatened to kill him when he was brought out of the hospital. Leading Patidar organisation, Shri Umiya Mataji Sansthan, Unjha, on Sunday held a meeting and resolved to support Hardik Patel in his agitation till the state agreed to his demands. "We pledged support to Hardik on his demand for debt waiver and release of Alpesh Kathiria," Sansthan's Chairman Dilip Patel told reporters. As a mark of solidarity, a large number of people from the Patidar community took out a march from Patan to Unjha, a distance of 30 km, in the Patidar-dominated Mehsana district in north Gujarat in support of Hardik Patel. Congress MLAs Lalit Vasoya and Asha Patel joined the "padyatra". People walked from Patan to offer prayers to their family deity, goddess Umiya, at the temple in Unjha. A posse of police was deployed at the entrance to Greenwoods housing colony where Hardik Patel resides, and prevented mediapersons from following him. Some reporters were even pushed around and baton-charged by the police. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner A.K. Singh later ordered an inquiry into police action against journalists after their protest while Joint Commissioner of Police J.K. Bhatt spoke to them to cool the tempers. In his Twitter message, Hardik Patel condemned the "attack" on the media. He said the deployment of police reminded him of "angrez hukumat" (British rule). --IANS desai/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As an ally, Karnataka's ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) will support the day-long all-India shutdown (Bharat Bandh) call of the Congress for Monday in the state, it was announced on Sunday. "Our party has decided to support the Congress call in protest against the steep hike in fuel prices and other anti-people policies of the NDA-led government," a JD-S official told IANS here. As the JD-S-Congress coalition government cannot officially associate with the shutdown, the party has agreed to join the Congress in protests and participate in rallies to be staged in cities and towns across the state. "Party leaders and cadres will assemble on Monday at the Town Hall in the city centre and in all the district headquarters against the fuel price hike and weakening of the rupee against the US dollar," said the official. The alliance partners will also protest against the misuse of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax office against opposition leaders. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda will join other opposition leaders at a protest rally and meeting in New Delhi. In view of the dawn-to-dusk shutdown call, the police have tightened security across the state, especially in Bengaluru, deployed additional forces in sensitive areas and stepped up vigil at vital installations. "Peaceful protests, demonstrations and rallies will be allowed but action will be taken against those indulging in violence," a senior police officer told IANS. Thanking the JD-S for support, Congress state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the shutdown would be complete as other parties, trade unions and many associations and organisations had agreed to join the protest. "Besides pro-Kannada organisations, trade unions and associations of buses, taxis and autos, worst-affected by the fuel price hike, are supporting our call," Rao told reporters here. The party has exempted essential services like milk and water supply, medical shops, hospitals, metro and small vendors from shutdown. --IANS fb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An all-party delegation from Karnataka will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday to seek central aid for the flood-hit districts in the state, an official said on Sunday. "Led by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, the all-party delegation will meet Modi at his office and seek relief fund," the official said in a statement here. Heavy rains and strong winds in mid-August caused flash floods and landslides in Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi districts in the state's south interior and coastal areas, leaving behind a trail of destruction and loss of life and property. Kumaraswamy wrote to the Prime Minister on August 24, seeking Rs 2,000 crore interim relief and rehabilitation of the flood survivors and asked the Prime Minister to send a central team to assess the damage. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, BJP's Lok Sabha members K. Nalin Kumar (Mangaluru), Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi-Chikkamagaluru) and Pratap Simha (Mysuru), Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge will be part of the delegation. BJP's state unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa and opposition leader in the Legislative Council K.S. Poojari will also meet Modi on the situation in the affected districts. As per initial estimates, the loss is feared to be Rs 3,000 crore in Kodagu alone. The natural disaster from August 14-22 claimed 17 lives and damaged about 2,200 houses in Kodagu district. --IANS bha-fb/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of Catholic nuns on Sunday opposed a Crime Branch probe into a case where a bishop allegedly sexually abused a nun. "We have heard that a Crime Branch probe is being planned. This is only meant to delay the proceedings. We are happy with the present police probe. The higher officials do not want us to get justice," a group member told the media. On Saturday, the nuns attached to a Catholic convent near Kottayam to which the alleged victim also belonged, started an indefinite fast programme organised by the Joint Christian Council here to pressurise the state government to act against the accused, Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar. The protest was called due to the fact that since the case was registered 75 days ago, the police have taken 12 statements from the victim while only one from the accused bishop. Meanwhile, Kerala Police Chief Loknath Behra has dismissed claims of a Crime Branch probe. "I am yet to review the case as it is being handled by the Inspector General (IG) of Police. The IG is happy with the progress in the investigation," Behra told the media on Sunday. Sources closed to the victim said that a press conference which she was slated to address has been cancelled and will now directly approach the Kerala High Court seeking justice. In June, the victim alleged that Mulakkal sexually abused her several times between 2014 to 2016. An FIR was registered against the bishop and a 114-page detailed statement was taken from the nun and other inmates of the convent. However, Mulakkal has denied any wrongdoing. --IANS sg/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Ritah Kemigisa. Ugandas Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje has called for justice to be availed not just to Muhammad Kirumira but the Muslim community in Uganda as a whole. Speaking during Special prayers held for the deceased at the Old Kampala Mosque, Mubajje termed Kirumira as friendly person who loved peace, and above all was a true Muslim. Muabajje further tasked President Yoweri Museveni with answers explaining why the criminals seem to only target Muslims. Sheikh Mubajje also used the prayers to ask the army to le the Boda Boda 2010 Patron Abdallah Kittata be tried in the civil court and not the general court-martial where he is battling charges of unlawful possession of firearms. Meanwhile The Second Deputy Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa has also called for Muslims to take decisive action, noting that Muslims around the country continue to live in fear. Waiswa said Muslims need protection because many are in fear because they do not know who is next. Earlier The Uganda Muslim supreme council spokesperson Nsereko Mutumba tasked the president to come out and allay the fears of Ugandans who are currently living in fear. Mutumba also poked holes in the police investigations which he says never come up with reports. Speaking during the same prayers at the Old Kampala mosque, the former FDC party President Dr Kizza Besigye said Kirumira left behind a big ask but called on Ugandans to continue fighting for what he believed in. Besigye says even if they kill a person, they cannot kill his good intent. CBS chief Les Moonves has been accused of sex crimes and violence by more women, and the board of the CBS Corp is currently negotiating his departure from the company. In an article published by The New Yorker on Sunday, six more women claim Moonves forced them into unwanted sexual situations and allegedly retaliated when they refused, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The women said Moonves allegedly did an array of unwanted actions, including forcing them to perform oral sex on him and allegedly exposed himself to them. The board of the CBS Corp has selected outside counsel to lead an investigation into the claims against Moonves, who was previously accused of similar unwanted behaviour by a number of women. Moonves responded to the new allegations in the same article with a statement to The New Yorker. He said three of the women who were accusing him of assault were, according to him, participating in consensual situations, reported the Hollywood Reporter. "The appalling accusations in this article are untrue. What is true is that I had consensual relations with three of the women some 25 years ago before I came to CBS. And I have never used my position to hinder the advancement or careers of women," Moonves said. He did not specify which of his accusers he refered to in his statement. "In my 40 years of work, I have never before heard of such disturbing accusations. I can only surmise they are surfacing now for the first time, decades later, as part of a concerted effort by others to destroy my name, my reputation, and my career. "Anyone who knows me knows that the person described in this article is not me." --IANS rb/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police has arrested a Manipuri militant here and seized arms and ammunition from him, a police officer said on Sunday. Amon Nelson Singh alias Chingkhei Kuman (28) is the self proclaimed Chairperson of the Manipur-based Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP). He was arrested from Kolkata on Saturday and a 9mm pistol, two 7mm pistols and three rounds live ammunition were seized from him, the officer said. Police said the accused had confessed he was involved in a number of extortion cases in Manipur while his group was allegedly involved in a case of robbery at a city jewellery shop. --IANS mgr/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea on Sunday held a massive military parade on Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding, an intelligence source said. "The North held the military parade in the morning, and it has been completed," the source told Seoul's Yonhap News Agency. It is not yet clear whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un joined the event and if intercontinental ballistic missiles were put on display. The North's media has stayed silent on the event, which is the first since Kim held a historic summit with US President Donald Trump in June. Meanwhile, international journalists have been invited to watch the military parade, a torch-lit rally and the Arirang Mass Games, a highly choreographed event expected to involved hundreds of thousands of people, CNN reported. The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang - or Arirang Games - last took place in 2013. This year's games, which tells a symbolic story of North Korea's history, are titled "The Glorious Country", according to the BBC. Analysis of satellite images from the past two weeks suggest this year's games, which will continue throughout September, are going to be very big. With tickets for foreigners costing more than $930, the country could rake in foreign currency at a time it is still under sanctions from many Western nations. National carrier Air Koryo has scheduled additional flights from Beijing to bring in more tourists to watch the performances. Sunday's parade will be North Korea's second such event of the year. The first came in February a day before South Korea held the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympics. Those games helped kick start the current stage of rapprochement between the Koreas. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) High-profile celebrities from the film world, including Indian actress-director Nandita Das, called for gender equality in showbiz at a rally at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Director Geena Davis and Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman were among the several others who on Saturday spoke about the need for gender parity. It was the first TIFF since movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was toppled by sexual assault allegations. Before the 'Share Her Journey' rally, artistic director Cameron Bailey pledged TIFF's support for a broader industry gender parity movement called 50/50 by 2020. The Directors Guild of Canada also used TIFF to launch a national campaign called "So Not Cool," which encourages bystanders, actors and film crews to build safe, respectful environments on and off movie sets. On her part, Nandita, whose forthcoming drama "Manto" had its North American premiere here, said she was now proud to be called as a woman director and wanted to see more women stepping into filmmaking. "I used to get upset about with how people called me a 'woman director'. But for the past few years I have begun owning it. I would like to be just called a director but for the last few years I love to be called a woman director." The 48-year-old Nandita also raised concerns over the skewed man-woman sex ratio in South Asia. "We are still struggling with sex ratio. There are little girls who are not being allowed to born. There are many missing girls. It is a land of paradoxes. "We all should have a collective will to see the world as more equal and more peaceful place. It is up to us on how to change this world and make a better place to live in," she added. Earlier this year, Nandita attended the Cannes Film Festival where she, along with a host of other women celebrities, protested against the gender gap. --IANS sim/rb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed General Purna Chandra Thapa as the country's new army chief on Sunday. President Bhandari administered oath of office to the newly appointed army chief at a special function held at the presidential palace, according to a statement issued by the president's office, Xinhua news agency reported. The President appointed him as the 43rd chief of the Nepali Army, who joined the military service in 1979 as an officer cadet, according to the Army Headquarters. The new army chief has succeeded General Rajendra Chhetri, who is retiring on Sunday. The new army chief had served in various capacities including company commander and battalion commander during his 39 years of service. General Thapa was born in a military family in 1960 in Lamjung, a hilly district in Western Nepal. --IANS ahm/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China and Pakistan pledged on Sunday to jointly promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and push forward the development of bilateral ties. The pledges were made as visiting Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad separately. Alvi, who was sworn in as the President on Sunday, received Wang as his first foreign guest, Xinhua news agency reported. He said friendship with China is Pakistan's national policy and over the past more than five decades Pakistan has always cherished the friendship with China, which is based on mutual benefit and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. The President hailed the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative as visionary, saying that CPEC, an important part of the Belt and Road construction, has brought and will continue to bring tangible benefits to the Pakistani people. The new Pakistani government is committed to strengthening the construction of CPEC, and is willing to learn from China in such areas as poverty alleviation, anti-corruption and job creation. Wang said the bilateral relations and friendship between China and Pakistan remain unchanged despite the changing domestic and international situation, adding that his visit was aimed at getting in touch with the new Pakistani government so as to continue and facilitate the bilateral cooperation in all fields. During the meeting, Wang also briefed Alvi on Chinese experiences on poverty alleviation and anti-corruption. He reiterated China's willingness to join hands with Pakistan to constantly enrich and extend the construction of CPEC, and closely coordinate with Pakistan on international and regional issues, so as to safeguard the two countries' core interests and international fairness and justice. During his meeting with Wang, also on Sunday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his government is firmly committed to further promoting the development of Pakistan-China relations. Noting that CPEC is an iconic project of bilateral economic cooperation and an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Khan said Pakistan stands ready to work with China on CPEC. For his part, Wang appreciated Khan's remarks after winning the general elections in July that Pakistan will continue taking the relations with China as the cornerstone of its diplomacy and that Pakistan will firmly facilitate the development of CPEC. He said CPEC has generated driving forces to the social and economic development of Pakistan, and will be extended to industrial cooperation according to Pakistan's needs, so as to increase employment, expand trade, and improve people's livelihood to make more Pakistanis benefit from CPEC. During his visit to Pakistan, Wang also held talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. --IANS ahm/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Election strategist Prashant Kishore on Sunday said that he would not be involved in the 2019 elections as he wants to go back to the grassroots. He said he had worked enough with leaders. He also denied media reports that he is joining Interacting with students of Indian School of Business (ISB) here, he said for last two years he wanted to leave this domain but wanted to leave his organisation IPAC in safe hands before taking the decision. "I will not be part of the 2019 election campaign in the manner and form seen for last 4-5 years," he said. The 41-year-old said he want to go back to grassroots either in Gujarat or Bihar. He, however, did not elaborate. Prashant, who formulated election strategy for Prime Minister Modi in the 2014 elections, said he never met Modi after he left Prime Minister's Office in March 2015 till last year when the PM called him when his mother was on death bed. Since then he had been meeting and talking to Modi. He, however, ruled out working with him or drafting political strategy for BJP in the next elections. Prashant, who also worked with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Congress party, said he took up the assignment with YSR Congress party's Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy as he had made a commitment earlier. He claimed that Modi, Nitish and Amarinder Singh did not hire him and that money was the last criteria. He denied reports that he or his organization received huge money for working with different parties. --IANS ms/ahm/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to fight back against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers are now developing germ-eating microbes that will attack all sorts of nasties, including bacterial lung infections, plague and deadly germs that have developed resistance to antibiotics. It might seem strange to think of microbe-eating microbes, but "actually they're found in almost every ecosystem on Earth", Brad Ringeisen, deputy director of the Biological Technologies Office at the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), was quoted as saying by the npr.org. In the study, the team focused on an organism called Bdellovibrio -- a bacterium that swims around with the aid of a corkscrew tail and attacks common germs six times its size. Bdellovibrio actually bores into larger bacteria and eats them from the inside out. First, it uses its flagellum, which is stiff and rotates, to swim up to prey. Then it latches on, using tiny appendages "which are little grappling hooks on the surface", explained Liz Sockett, professor at the Nottingham University in the UK. It's a bit like a climber attaching to a rock, she noted. "Bdellovibrio ended up preying upon 145 of the 168 human pathogens we tested, which is pretty remarkable," Ringeisen said. Further, the team fished out few survivors, let them multiply, and then let the Bdellovibrio attack them again. If resistance were to develop, this is exactly the scenario where it would appear. The team "did this 50 times over a long period", Sockett said, adding "and never got any direct mutants that were resistant". While, the predators do not entirely wipe out the disease-causing bacteria, as antibiotics might, the unnaturally large doses of Bdellovibrio can reduce bacterial populations by a lot, the researchers said, adding that studies have suggested it is safe on humans. However, these predatory bacteria cannot replace antibiotics, Sockett said, adding that if doctors gave a big dose of this bacteria to people, the patients would develop an immune response to it that would hobble future treatment attempts. Still, the approach could be useful if given as a one-off preventive in advance of an anticipated germ warfare attack, or it could also work in a patient who has an infection that simply doesn't respond to antibiotics, the researchers said. --IANS rt/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Modi government over the BJP resolution adopted at a party meet here, saying "shifting goalposts is ingrained in the DNA" of the ruling party and was testament of "unpardonable failures" of the NDA. In a statement here, Congress Communications Incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to deliver a 'New India' in 60 months after coming to power in 2014. "Having run a jumla government for 52 months, Modi-Shah duo is weaving another set of lies to befool the people. Their conspiracy will be exposed in 2019," he said. "These 52 months have been a sordid saga of betrayals and backstabbing. The term 'jumla' has been embedded in the consciousness of people and it represents the character of the BJP leadership, which has mastered the art of deception, doublespeak, duplicity. A scheming BJP only knows to implement one scheme -- headlines management," he said. Surjewala said that the resolution adopted at the BJP National Executive meeting does not talk of many of the key promises made by it in the run-up to the 2014 elections. Referring to urban housing, he said the Modi government has built 3.93 lakh houses in urban areas in four years. "The BJP is now promising five crore houses by 2022. By this speed it will take almost 125 years to build those five crore houses," he said. Surjewala said only 1.8 per cent of the funds released for Smart Cities endeavour have been utilised since launch in 2015. He said that agriculture needs to grow at 12 per cent for the next few years to double farmers income in four years but it is presently growing at 4-5 per cent. The Congress leader said that crude price was $107.09 per barrel days before the then UPA government demitted office in May 2014 but petrol was sold at Rs 71.41 per litre and diesel at Rs 55.49 per litre. He said crude price was $73 per barrel on Friday but petrol was sold at Rs 79.99 per litre and diesel at Rs 72.07. He claimed that excise duty on petrol had gone up by 211.7 per cent during the Modi government's rule and that on diesel by 443.06 per cent. Surjewala said that rupee is at all-time low and had crossed Rs 72 to a dollar while the government had failed to keep its promises on creation of jobs. --IANS ps/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday decided to recommend to Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of seven convicts serving life term for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami. Jayakumar told reporters that the decision was taken after the Supreme Court asked Purohit to consider the mercy petition of A.G. Perarivalan, serving life term for the 1991 assassination of Gandhi, for release under Article 161 of the Constitution. Jayakumar said though the apex court had given its order in the petition filed by Perarivalan, the state government had decided to recommend to the Governor his release as well as six other convicts as they had also sent their mercy petitions. The other six are V. Sriharan alais Murugan, T. Suthendraraja alais Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini Sriharan, wife of Sriharan alias Murugan. They include both Indians and Sri Lankans. All seven have been in prison since 1991, the year a woman Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew up Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally near Chennai. Jayakumar said the Supreme Court was the highest court and the cabinet decision was taken based on the basis of its decision. He said the Governor had to agree with the cabinet decision. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was blamed for the assassination of Gandhi. The Sri Lankan military crushed the Tamil Tigers in 2009. --IANS vj/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the visit by foreign ministers of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia to Djibouti, hailing it as "another important step" in the rapprochement among the countries in the Horn of Africa region. In a statement through his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Guterres said the agreement reached among the four ministers to work together to restore peace and stability in the region is a positive example for the region and beyond, Xinhua reported. He reiterated the readiness of the UN to support countries in the region in consolidating the recent "remarkable" gains. As a result of the visit on Thursday, Eritrea and Djibouti agreed to normalize relations after a decade of diplomatic stalemate. The two countries have a border dispute extending back to 2008. The Horn of Africa region has seen a number of diplomatic thaws since Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in June decided to fully accept a 2002 border deal that followed a 1998-2000 war with Eritrea. Restored diplomatic ties quickly followed. Eritrea and Somalia in late July also agreed to restore diplomatic ties. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With slogans of "Ajeya Bharat" and "Atal Bhajapa" the two-day BJP National Executive concluded here on Sunday not only pledging to return to power in 2019 but also to remain there for the next 50 years on the basis of performance and its organisational strength. On the last day of the meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call of "Ajeya Bharat" and "Atal Bhajapa" while BJP President Amit Shah claimed that if the BJP succeeds in 2019, there would be no one to remove it from power for the next 50 years. The executive meet also formed a strategy to reach out to every household involving its workers from booth level to national level and called upon party activists to work tirelessly to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands to turn the country into new India. "The Prime Minister gave a clarion call of Ajeya Bharat (A country which remains victorious and cannot to be subjuguated by anyone) and Atal Bhajapa (A BJP which remains firm to its principles)," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi made his remarks to charge up party workers before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in his concluding speech. The PM said that the BJP does not see power as an instrument to occupy high position but as an instrument to go among the masses and work for them with dedication. "We work with dedication for our principles. The principles remain firm but the strategy keeps changing from time to time," the Prime Minister said, according to Prasad. He said that the Prime Minister also highlighted that how his government has worked for the development of all the segments of the society without discriminating on the basis of the caste, region or religion. "The focus of this government is on 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. About five crore got benefits under the Ujjawala scheme and the gas connections were given to the people without discriminting anyone," Modi said. "About 18,000 villages were electrified in the last four-and-half-years. Around 5,000 of them were from northeast region. They do not vote us but despite that we worked for them," he said. Addressing the party workers, BJP President Amit Shah said the hard work of the Prime Minister and his dedication for the country has made him unbeatable till date. "Modiji has not taken rest after the 2014 election. He has covered almost 300 Lok Sabha constituencies after becoming Prime Minister and he will cover the rest of the parliamentary constituencies before the 2019 elections," he said. "Our Prime Minister works tirelessly for the country. I am sure we will win in 2019 and will remain in power for next 50 years," Prasad quoted Shah as saying. "The Congress came to power in 1947 and remained undefeated till 1967," he said adding that he was not saying in arrogance but on the basis of government's performance. "The people of the country are getting more oriented on performance and works of the government," he said. "Modiji has not lost a single election since 2001 because of the kind of the work he has done in the state," he said. To win the 2019 elections, Shah asked nine crore dedicated party workers to visit about 22 crore families to highlight the work of the government in the last four-and-half-years. "By contacting them we can reach out to every household before 2019," Shah said. --IANS aks-bns/ahm/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party is moving fast in trying to put the Delhi unit of the Congress under pressure to agree to a seat adjustment for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On Saturday, the AAP leadership requested former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha to contest from the New Delhi constituency. Sinha currently leads the 'National Forum'. There are leaders, both in the AAP as well as the Congress, who believe the two parties will lose all the seven seats in Delhi in a three-cornered fight against the BJP. The AAP is keen to field credible faces to force the Congress to agree on a ... Vinoba Bhave is one person to whom I would give singular credit for my being what I am today an international lawyer and a globalisation expert. When I was growing up in the 1960s, I heard him extolling the Indian politicians: 15 years ago the slogan was hail India, todays slogan is hail the world. He always described himself as a global citizen. That sowed the seeds of a global mindset in me. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor It is a well-known fact that the diminishing or negative returns that banks are manifesting are due to the slow resolution of the stressed and bad assets, and it is affecting the banking sector and the whole economy. The topmost priority for the banks should be a swift resolution and recovery of the bad assets and improving the quality of the loans and advances. Remission in the capital ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Prime Minister on Sunday scoffed at opposition efforts to forge a Mahagathbandhan for the 2019 elections, saying it was nothing but their compulsion and a vindication of the BJP-led government's success. The Prime Minister said the proposed grand alliance of the opposition was leaderless, had no clear policy and its intentions were corrupt. The does not see a challenge anywhere. The opposition parties had failed to deliver when they were in power and now in their present role, he claimed. Modi also had a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, saying that various opposition parties were not prepared to give the any leadership role, with some even regarding it a burden. Addressing the concluding session of the BJP Executive here, Modi said that there was also a situation of non-acceptance of the leadership within the which he said spoke "lies." Law Minister later briefed the media about Modi's remarks. "Today, there is a discussion about Mahagathbandhan. People who do not see eye to eye, who cannot walk together, who have no political or ideological understanding, who can't even tolerate each other are thinking of forging a Mahagathbandhan and embracing each other. It is the biggest vindication of our success," Prasad quoted Modi as saying. "Mahagathbandhan -- its leader is not known, the policy is unclear and intention is corrupt. These are so powerful words of the Prime Minister...," Prasad said. Referring to the Congress, Modi said that "nobody is prepared to accept its leadership. Even small parties are not willing to accept its leadership. Some treat it as a burden." The Prime Minister said that there should be an effective opposition in a democracy for accountability. "Our is that those who were a failure in the government are also failures in the opposition. They have till date not raised relevant issues." He said the BJP was willing to answer questions on its ideological commitment, its work but will also pose questions about "48 years of a family" and the 48-month rule of the BJP-led government. "Surely, we will ask what that family worked for, for what consideration, with what objective and purpose. Our difficulty is that they do not fight on issues, nor on our performance," Prasad quoted Modi as saying at the party meet. "They fight on lies. They speak a lie every day. Manufacturing lies and then repeating these has become a habit." "But as part of our strategy, we have to expose their lies. The lie, the misrepresentation of opposition in general and the Congress in particular, must be defeated strongly with reference to the great work we have done," Modi said. At least two persons were killed and 42 injured when a Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus fell into a gorge near Chintpurni on Sunday, police said. The bus was going to Punjab's Hoshiarpur from Himachal Pradesh's Chintpurni, Una SP Diwakar Sharma said. A man and a woman who died on the spot are yet to be identified, he said, adding eight passengers of the bus have suffered grievous injuries. All the 42 injured were admitted to Regional Hospital Una. Those with minor injuries were discharged after the first aid, the police officer said. The SP, who reached the spot soon after getting information about the incident, said the accident occurred around 3 pm and the rescue operation was completed by 6.30 pm. The deceased and most of the injured were reported to be pilgrims who were returning home after paying obeisance at Chintpurni temple, the police said. The Himachal Pradesh government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident, state transport minister Govind Thakur said. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed grief over the death of two people in the bus accident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two villages of Ratua I block of Malda district are facing the threat of erosion after the water level of the Ganga reached the danger level Sunday morning, Block Development Officer Arjun Pal said. Around half of the 1000 odd population of the two villages - Janjalitola and Naya Bilaimari - have taken shelter in neighbouring Bihar, the BDO said. The two villages may be lost in the erosion of the river any moment and the villagers were provided with disaster management kits, he said. Erosion has been taking place at a stretch of around 3 km in that area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topical issues of interaction in the format of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as joint measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the consequences of the pandemic for the economies of the two countries were considered. Insurgents killed at least 29 Afghan security forces in separate attacks as many marked the 17th anniversary of the killing of a prominent anti-Taliban leader, officials said Sunday. Hakmat Durani, spokesman for the police chief of Maidan Wardak province, said the Taliban attacked a district headquarters west of Kabul late Saturday, killing 10 police officers, including a district chief, and setting off a gunbattle. He added that dozens of insurgents were killed in retaliatory airstrikes by the air force, and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. In a separate attack late Saturday, militants targeted a checkpoint in the western Herat province, killing nine security forces and wounding six others, said Gelani Farhad, the provincial governor's spokesman. He blamed the attack on the Taliban, saying around 10 insurgents were killed and five wounded during the ensuing gunbattle. Meanwhile in northern Baghlan province, Taliban fighters attacked security check points, killing 5 army soldiers, according to Ghafor Ahmad Jawed, spokesman for the Defense Ministry. He added that a gunbattle is still underway there and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. Zabihullah Shuja, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Baghlan, said four police officers were killed in that attack. No one claimed responsibility for either attack. The attacks came on the eve of the anniversary of the killing of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who led the resistance against the Taliban in the late 1990s and was killed by suicide bombers two days before the September 11 attacks in the United States. The US responded to the attacks by invading Afghanistan to topple the Taliban, which had harbored al-Qaida operatives. On Sunday, a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of mourners marking the anniversary, killing at least two people, according to Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh. He said another 10 people were hospitalised, some in critical condition. A police official who was not authorised to speak with the media said that at least seven people were killed and more than 25 others were wounded in the suicide attack that targeted the mourners in Kabul. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said that earlier Sunday another suicide attacker was shot dead by police in Kabul before he could detonate his explosives. Afghan government officials commemorated Masoud's death on Sunday by laying flowers at his monument in Kabul. Supporters of Masoud, including young people who came of age long after his death, fired guns in the air in an expression of mourning. At least 13 people were wounded by the stray bullets, Majroh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the run-up to the 2019 parliamentary election, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has planned a mega two-phase campaign involving nearly three lakh party volunteers to reach out to the electorate. There is a plan to conduct door-to-door campaigns, first in November/December and again in March/April, before the election to reach out to voters in seven parliamentary constituencies in the national capital, AAP's Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai said. If the election is preponed, the second round of door-to-door campaign will be held in January/February, he told reporters. The AAP drew a blank in Delhi in the last Lok Sabha election in 2014. The party has already announced the names of its in-charges for five out of seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi, who have started working although their official candidature is yet to be declared. "We will highlight the achievements of the party-led government in Delhi, besides focussing on failures and misrule of the BJP government at the Centre during the campaign," Rai said. The party organisation is being revamped in Delhi and committees at ward and booth levels are expected to be formed before the door-to-door campaign, he said. The party plans to appoint 2.5 lakh volunteers as block pramukh (head) to ensure direct and effective contact with voters in around 25,000 polling booths in all parliamentary seats. "Each block pramukh will be responsible for at least 25 households in a booth. They will be appointed by November," Rai said. Monitoring of work done by the block pramukh will be done through 272 ward observers. The top leadership of the AAP will ensure smooth functioning of ward- and booth-level workers, he said. The AAP leadership is expected to announce names of its in-charges for New Delhi and West Delhi Lok Sabha seats soon. Names of rebel BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha are being speculated due their closeness with the AAP in recent months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir BJP said Sunday that National Conference president Farooq Abdullah tried to "outsmart" the PDP by appearing to side with separatists with his threat to boycott assembly and parliamentary polls. It claimed Abdullah was trying "all tricks" to fill the political void created by the PDP in the Valley after it had formed a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. The coalition collapsed in June, resulting in imposition of Governor's rule in the state. The comments from BJP state spokesperson Anil Gupta came in response to Abdullah's threat yesterday that the NC may boycott the assembly and Lok Sabha polls if the Centre does not take effective steps to protect Article 35A. Incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, Article 35A accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and bars people from outside the state from acquiring any immovable property in the state. It is facing legal challenge in the Supreme Court. "Farooq has been trying to fill the gap created by PDP after it formed the coalition government by taking on New Delhi and obliquely associating the NC with the Hurriyat. "But now that the PDP is also trying to regain the lost turf, Farooq has tried to outsmart the PDP by a firm handshake with the separatists," Gupta said in a statement. He claimed that ever since Abdullah's return from London the NC president has been trying to emerge as a "kingmaker" on Kashmir's political scene using "all tricks at his disposal including of black mailing and browbeating the central government". In doing so, the BJP leader alleged, he has not hesitated to play the "communal" and "separatist" cards. Gupta said a search by the NC for candidates for urban local bodies polls has failed to arouse enthusiasm among the party cadre. The NC has announced that it will not participate in the panchayat and urban local bodies (ULB) elections too. Referring to Abdullah's previous controversial statement that the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was "not its (New Delhi's) father's property", Gupta said Abdullah has joined hands with separatists when he announced he will not confine the boycott to local bodies' elections but will extend it to parliamentary and state elections. "This statement of Farooq merges firmly with the separatist ideology of boycott (The founder of NC) Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah must be ruing in his grave at the type of being played by his son and heir Farooq," he said. He said the NC leader was mistaken if he believed his boycott of the polls would help him revive his party. "People have understood their game plan. They are asking difficult questions like the source of huge wealth amassed by the Abdullah's," Gupta said. "The party is struggling to form the government in Kargil (where it emerged as the single largest party in the recently held Ladakh autonomous hill development council polls). NC is finding it difficult to answer these pointed questions," Gupta said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior police officer Sunday said adequate security measures have been taken by East Singhbhum District Police to maintain law and order during Monday's 'Bharat bandh' called by opposition parties. Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop Birtharay said stringent action would be taken against people who forcibly try to close shops or damage properties during the bandh. The SSP said adequate security measures have been taken to maintain law and order during the bandh. In a Whatsapp message, the district police chief has appealed the people to take snaps of bandh supporters indulging in ransacking, rioting or damaging property and forward it to district police whatsapp number 7091091825 and assured to initiate action against the culprits. The opposition parties have called for the 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday to protest skyrocketing of fuel prices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Army is seriously considering recalibrating its counter-insurgency strategy in the militancy-hit North East in the wake of an "over cautious" approach being adopted by its field units in the region following the Supreme Court's strict orders to the CBI to ensure thorough probe into the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur, military sources said. They said the Army headquarters was "deeply worried" over the rising casualty figures on the part of the Army in Manipur as well as a marked slowdown in the intensity of its operations against militants in the state, where over 10 major militant groups are active. The top brass of the Army held a detailed deliberation last month to look at recalibration of operations since there appears to be a "manifested caution" being exercised because of the directives of the court on AFSPA-related cases, the sources said. The Supreme Court has passed a number of orders to the CBI in the last few months directing the central probe agency to thoroughly investigate the alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters by the Army, Assam Rifles and police in Manipur, saying violation of human rights cannot be tolerated. In July last year, the court, following a PIL seeking a probe into as many as 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur, constituted a special investigation team of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation). CBI director Alok Kumar Verma was summoned by the apex court in July over the "unduly long time" taken by the agency in probing the cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in the state. The sources said there has been perceptible disquiet among some of the soldiers and officers deployed in Manipur following the court orders and subsequent CBI action and that they are adopting an "over-cautious approach" in carrying out the operations against militants. In 2017, they said, a total of eight army men were killed and 26 injured in anti-insurgency operations while the number of militants gunned down was three. Till August this year, only three insurgents have been eliminated where as five soldiers were killed and 17 injured in military-led operations, they said. According to official figures, a total of 1,889 soldiers were killed and 3,168 have suffered serious injuries in action in the North East since 1997 while the number of insurgents killed during the period was 4,974. An official said the overall figure of the Army and Assam Rifles personnel killed and injured, along with those gunned down by security forces, was around 10,000 in the last 20 years. "The Kargil conflict had left 527 army men dead and 1363 wounded. But look at the casualty figures in the North East," he said. Without elaborating, the sources said the Army was considering various option to address its concerns over rising ratio of casualties of its personnel in the region, particularly in Manipur. Earlier during a hearing on AFSPA related cases in Manipur, the Supreme Court had rejected the government's contention that the disturbed area is akin to a war like situation. Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and a number of states in the North East were brought under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which gives the security forces special rights and immunity in carrying out various operations. There has been a long-standing demand from various quarters in J-K and the Northeast to withdraw it. In a major move, around 700 Army officers and soldiers have approached the Supreme Court against reported move to dilute some provisions of the AFSPA. The act protects the security forces from prosecution without the Centre's approval. Interestingly, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat disapproved of the move by the serving officers and soldiers to approach the top court in their personal capacity. At the same time, he said the armed forces and the defence ministry are steadfastly behind all officers who have conducted operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the north east. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TDP President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Saturday asked the party's Telangana unit to collectively decide it's course of action for the ensuing assembly polls in the state. "You collectively decide. You think and decide what is in the interests of Telangana and the party and let me know and I will cooperate. This is what I told them (TDP Telangana leaders)," he said, addressing the general body meeting of TDP's Telangana unit here. TDP leaders in Telanganashould get used to moving ahead collectively and effectively (as he is now based in Vijayawada), he said. TDPs presence in Telangana is a 'historical necessity', he said. Naidus comments assume significance as speculation is on whether TDP, a party born on the anti-Congress plank, would ally with Congress in the soon-to-be-held assembly elections in Telangana. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy Friday had appealed to all parties, including TDP, and civil society organizations to join forces with his party to defeat the 'corrupt' TRS. In his speech, Naidu recalled his contributions to the development of Hyderabad as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. He said it was at his initiative that a green-field international airport, IT hub and several other projects took shape in the city. Naidu alleged that the NDA government had not delivered on the promises made to Telangana in the Andhra Prradesh Re-organisation Act. He attacked the BJP government at the Centre, not only for the allegedly raw deal meted out to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but also for its 'poor performance' on the economic front. He flayed the NDA government on various issues, including demonetization, allegedly poor state of banking system, the declining value of the Rupee and rising fuel prices. Naidu recalled that TDP came out of the NDA and moved a no-confidence motion in Parliament as the Modi government 'failed' to do justice to Andhra Pradesh. "While speaking on the no-confidence motion, you heard the Prime Minister say that I dont have maturity and Chandrasekhar Rao here (Telangana's Caretaker Chief Minister) has maturity. If he has tried to create differences between both of us, is this politics, I am asking. I am asking the Prime Minister, is this justified?" Hailing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Naidu recalled that when Vajpayee was Prime Minister, he had shown wisdom and not behaved with any ill feeling even when he (as an ally) differed with him. Claiming that BJP was trying to weaken opposition parties through investigation agencies like CBI and ED, he said: "I am warning NDA as a senior political leader not to bring problems for the country by starting useless traditions or by doing this and that unnecessarily". Congress also did the same thing, he said, adding that power is not permanent for anybody. He also criticised the BJP on issues like Triple Talaq and on and eating habits of people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Normal life is likely to be affected in JDS-Congress ruled Karnataka Monday by the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress over rising fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee. Functioning of public transport system, cinema theatres, multiplexes among others were expected to be hit in the state during the nation-wide bandh with the ruling Congress claiming the suport of various trade unions. "The Congress party has called for a bandh Monday. Several other political parties and trade unions also are supporting our bandh call. Public transport systems also have extended support to our protest," Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters here Sunday. The objective to observe bandh was not to trouble people, but to fight for their cause as "they are living in the most trying times," Rao said. The bandh would also mirror people's anger and hardship against Narendra Modi government's policies, he said. State JDS President A H Vishwanath accused the Modi government of being 'crony-capitalist' working for the corporates and not the poor. The state education department has not declared any holiday for schools and colleges. Karntaka State Road Transport Corporation staff and workers' federation have extended their support to the bandh. The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, however, is only giving moral support. "Ours is an apolitical organisation. Yes, we have been affected by the fuel price hike. We will extend moral support to the bandh," South India Motor Transport Association President G R Shanmugappa said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal government has taken a slew of measures to maintain normal life and foil an opposition Congress and Left parties-called 'Bharat bandh' on Monday to protest high fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee. While the Congress has called the bandh for six hours from 9.00 am, the CPI(M)-led Left Front has called a 12-hour bandh starting from 6.00 am. Additional police personnel would be deployed throughout the state to ensure that there was no disruption or violence in connection with the bandh call. "Additional arrangements will be made to ensure normal life," a Kolkata police officer said on Sunday. The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has expressed support on the issues on which the shut down has been called, but said it was against any kind of strike in the state as per the stated policy of party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Senior state minister Partha Chatterjee has said that the government would take all measures to maintain public utility services on Monday. State transport undertakings will run more buses than usual to ensure that commuters are not inconvenienced, Chatterjee said. A senior transport department officer said that arrangement has been made with a nationalised insurance company to extend insurance benefits of up to Rs 75,000 to the owner of any vehicle, damaged by miscreants on September 10. The owner of the vehicle would have to file a complaint within 12 hours of the incident and will be reimbursed within 72 hours, the officer said. Traders have also been asked to keep their establishments open on Monday and assured of all possible protective measures, Chatterjee said. Chatterjee also promised all administrative measures to ensure that life remained normal in the state. The state government has issued a circular asking all government employees to attend office on Monday. All the state government offices will remain open on Monday and show-cause notices will be issued to the absent employees. Leave will be granted only on the grounds of hospitalisation and family bereavement, the government circular said. West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Adhir Chowdhury has said that his party will observe the bandh in the state for six hours from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. The Left Front has called the bandh for 12 hours from 6.00 am to 4.00 pm, a CPI(M) leader said. The Left Front will hold two rallies - one from Entally and another from Hazra crossing, on Monday morning in support of the bandh, CPI(M) Central Committee member Rabin Deb said, while calling on the people to make the strike a success. The TMC will also hold a rally in the afternoon from Moulali in central Kolkata to protest the rising fuel prices and the falling Rupee, Chatterjee said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh Congress Sunday urged people to make the Bharat Bandh a successful one even as an association of fuel pump owners in the state said that their establishments would remain open. The opposition Congress has called for a nationwide shutdown Monday to protest against rising prices of petrol and diesel as well as the fall in the value of the Rupee in comparison to the US Dollar. Congress leaders here said that 21 opposition parties as well as several chambers of commerce and traders' bodies were backing its shutdown call. "People have been suffering due to rising prices of petrol and diesel. Everybody from chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi are keeping mum on this issue," MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said Sunday. Appealing to people to make the shutdown successful, Nath said that these leaders (from the BJP) used to vehemently protest during the Congress-led UPA government when petrol prices rose to Rs 55 per litre. Price under the current BJP dispensation had now touched Rs 86 per litre of petrol, Nath pointed out. Speaking to PTI, Madhya Pradesh Petrol Pump Owners Association president Ajay Singh said that fuel pumps would remain open Monday. "Petrol pumps across Madhya Pradesh will remain open and work normally on Monday," Ajay Singh said Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha Sunday said it is neither opposing nor supporting the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress on Monday to protest the hike in fuel prices. BJD spokesman Samir Ranjan Das "We are not supporting nor opposing the Bharat Bandh." He, however, said the state government has already announced holiday of schools on Monday keeping in view the safety of children. School and Mass Education Department Secretary P K Mohapatra, in a letter to district collectors, had said that all schools, both government and private, should remain shut on Monday. The state government had also directed all district collectors to take preventive measures to maintain law and order and ensure maintenance of essential services in the districts during the planned strike. The Congress Sunday requested the ruling BJD to suspend proceedings of the state Assembly till 3 pm in view of the strike. Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik called upon the BJD to suspend the proceeding of the Odisha Assembly till 3 pm if it "sincerely oppose" the price hike of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. Patnaik said the party has instructed the party rank and file to maintain peace during the bandh and keep students appearing examinations, ambulance, medicine stores and other essential services out of the ambit of the bandh. "Our activists will conduct bandh between 6 am till 3 pm in Odisha. The party seeks cooperation of the people of the state," Patnaik told reporters here. Patnaik said the party MLAs would not attend the Assembly on Monday as they would participate in the Bharat Bandh. Meanwhile, all the Left parties comprising CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), Forward Block, SUCI and others have announced to organise a "hartal" on Monday which coincides with the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sunday, September 9, 2018 From HuffPost Canada: Some Canadians don't seem to have a firm grasp on how abortion regulationsfunction in our country. Given that a vote on whether or not to reopen the abortion debate was only narrowly defeated at the Conservative convention in Halifax this weekend, and that anti-abortion groups are celebrating, it seems like a topic we should all be more informed about. Enter Dr. Jen Gunter, a practicing gynecologist and professional thorn in Gwyneth Paltrow's side, who took to Twitter to let us all know how abortion actually happens in our country. As Gunter explained in her Twitter thread, late-term abortions which anti-abortion activists sometimes refer to as "partial birth abortions" are extremely rare. The most recent statistics available from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, from 2016, state that only 616 of the nearly 23,000 abortions performed in Canada that year took place after 20 weeks approximately 2.7 per cent. As Gunter points out, this generally occurs only because of a direct threat to the mother's life or a very serious birth defect detected in the infant. Gunter says risk factors include anencephaly, where a baby is missing parts of the brain and skull and usually dies shortly after birth; and Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder that often involves heart defects and severe intellectual disability, which kills nearly 90 per cent of infants before their first birthday. Read more here. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/family_law/2018/09/how-canadas-abortion-policies-work.html The Congress's women's wing chief on Sunday hit out at the BJP over the Women's Reservation Bill issue, alleging that the ruling party's "lack of conviction" was holding back the biggest social and political reform that India awaits. All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev also claimed that women in the BJP had no voice with not a single woman BJP MP or MLA speaking out against the recent incidents of rape. The (Women's Reservation) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP and other parties. Now, the BJP has the numbers in the Lok Sabha, which we did not in 2009 to 2014, she told PTI in an interview. The BJP manifesto also expressly commits to it, but the ruling party has done nothing to revive the bill, the MP from Assam's Silchar said. "The Congress president (Rahul Gandhi) has agreed to support reservation, so has the TMC (Trinamool Congress), DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) and many other parties. "It is only the lack of conviction of the BJP that is holding back the biggest social and political reform that India awaits," Dev alleged. Referring to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) that had expressed its opposition to the bill, the BJP has slammed the opposition party of adopting "double standards" on the matter by being in alliance with those opposed to the bill, The Women's Reservation Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010, but is stalled in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lower House and state legislative assemblies. Ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to demonstrate his commitment to the cause of women, and ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during the session. Dev also attacked the government over the Triple Talaq Bill, saying the Congress was for any law that empowers women, but it was worried over the BJP's handling of triple talaq. "The bill criminalised a civil wrong without any discussion whatsoever with stakeholders. "Contrary to popular belief, this law is anti-woman. It pushes her into an adversarial position with her husband, so (it) closes the door for reconciliation," she said. Noting that the Supreme Court banned instant triple talaq because it gave no opportunity for reconciliation and was against Islam, Dev said the BJP has "no interest" in helping Muslim women as there is no provision for maintenance in the bill. The contentious Triple Talaq Bill, which criminalises the practice of instant "talaq", could not be taken up for passage in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session, owing to lack of consensus among political parties on the issue. Dev asserted that Gandhi was aggressively working on the agenda of women empowerment and said the Congress chief consistently writes to her to raise issues impacting women. For Rahul ji, women are not just symbolic, but they actually exert power within the party. Many other parties have women in place, but with no voice. Recently, not a single woman BJP MP or MLA has spoken against the recent incidents of rape, especially in Unnao, where a BJP MLA is accused. So they have no voice. They are silent on price rise too, Dev said. The Congress president is committed to political empowerment of women. The party's last plenary saw many more women enter the organisation, and the Congress Working Committee also has many prominent women, she noted. Asked about why very few women were part of the Congress leadership, Dev said things were changing and cited examples of Selja Kumari, Asha Kumari, Ranjeet Ranjan holding key positions in the party. The work culture is changing in the Mahila Congress. We are working more scientifically in the field. We are better coordinated with the AICC office bearers. We will give a pool of trained women leaders, she said. Asked what were the key women's issues the Congress would give priority in its manifesto for the 2019 polls, Dev, who was recently named in the manifesto committee set up by Gandhi, said, It will be a people's manifesto." "We will talk to women across different castes, communities, and then decide what to insert. As a party, we listen to people, we do not impose anything without consultation, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP Sunday held a demonstration on Howrah Bridge, demanding immediate upkeep and repair of flyovers and bridges in the city, police said. The protest comes days after a portion of a flyover collapsed in Majerhat, in the southern part of the city, killing three and injuring 25 people. "The demonstration was held for a few minutes around 11.30 am and did not affect traffic movement much, with Sunday being a holiday," a senior police officer said. The protesters raised slogans alleging inefficiency of the state government in maintaining roads and bridges of Kolkata, he added. Sources said another group of BJP supporters demonstrated on Iswar Gupta Setu at Bansberia around 57km from Kolkata in the morning to highlight the poor condition of the bridge over Hooghly river. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A BJP legislator sat on a dharna in front of a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district on Sunday to protest against the alleged corruption at the station. Baldev constituency MLA Pooran Prakash started the sit-in at the Mahaban police station with several villagers from 4.00 pm. "The entire police station is in the grip of rampant corruption. Unless SHO Arvind Pal, Sub-Inspectors Arvind Chauhan and Ajai Havana are not suspended, and entire staff of the police station not transferred, the dharna would continue," Prakash said. The BJP MLA alleged that no work was done without a bribe in the police station and misbehavior with the people had become a character of the SHO and both the sub inspectors. Prakash was joined by Baldeo nagar panchayat chairman Kamal Kumar Pandey, division president of the BJP, Sumit Dixit, and general secretary Chintaharan Chaturvedi, along their supporters. The dharna was continuing when the last reports came in. Senior Superintendent of Police Babloo Kumar has rushed for Mahaban to sort out the problem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of an Assam Rifles jawan who was killed in an encounter with militants in Manipur's Chandel district was on Sunday sent to his native village in Odisha from here, AR sources said. The jawan Champeswar Mahakud was killed on Friday when militants belonging to proscribed Manipur-based outfit People's Liberation Army and Manipur Naga People's Front attacked ab Assam Rifles team in Chandel district. A wreath laying ceremony was held at premises of Imphal Airport where Major General KP Singh, Head of Assam Rifles in Manipur laid a wreath at the coffin of Mahakud. Mahakud is a native of Dhaurakhaman village in Sambalpur district of Odisha and is survived by wife and a seven-year-old daughter, said an AR officer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's former foreign secretary Boris Johnson Sunday came under fire from different sides of his Conservative party in the wake of a controversial dossier on his personal life and his fresh attack on British Prime Minister Theresa May by comparing her Brexit plans with a "suicide vest". The Tories were rocked by revelations that May's aides drew up a dossier on the former Cabinet minister's flambouyant sex life in an apparent effort to prevent him from becoming Prime Minister. The document, leaked to the 'The Sunday Times by a Conservative party source, contains a catalogue of explosive allegations about Johnson's sexual liaisons and damning assessments of his character. The 4,000-word so-called "war book" emerged as Johnson and his Indian-origin wife Marina Wheeler announced earlier this week that they were to divorce and was allegedly prepared during the post-Brexit referendum Conservative party leadership election in 2016 but shelved as Johnson withdrew from the race to make way for Theresa May as party leader. The dossier accuses Johnson of "lying" about his affair with the socialite Petronella Wyatt, who had to abort his child, and claims he had an affair with the journalist Anna Fazackerley "on one occasion visiting both her and Petronella Wyatt on the same night". A senior Conservtive party member who received the paper last week told the newspaper, "This was put together by May's team to smear Boris. It's their 'war book' on him". Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) categorically denied circulating the document or ordering any updating of the dossier. "It is genuinely offensive and categorically untrue that we have done anything to update this document. The suggestion that this was circulated, updated or briefed in any way by CCHQ or No 10 is a lie," a senior aide to Prime Mimister May said. The latest controversy, which comes days before the Conservative party conference where May is expected to go head to head with Johnson, came as the former Cabinet minister fired a new round in his war over Brexit with the British Prime Minister when he claimed that her Brexit strategy had strapped a "suicide vest" around the UK Constitution and handed the detonator to Brussels in a newspaper column. "I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences," UK home secretary Sajid Javid said in reference to the remark. "It's a reminder for all of us in public policy, whichever party we represent, to use measured language because I think that's what the public want to see," he said. Hardline Brexiteer Johnson, who quit as foreign secretary in July in protest at May's Chequers proposals for Britain's future relationship with the European Union (EU), was also rebuked by housing minister James Brokenshire for his latest attack. "I think he is wrong on this, I think the tone that he has used isn't right. I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan," Brokenshire said. Other senior Tories were more vocal, with Alan Duncan, a junior Foreign Office minister, tweeting: "For Boris to say that the PM's view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics". "I'm sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isn't now, I will make sure it is later," Duncan tweeted. Another foreign office minister Alistair Burt said that the analogy was "outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BSF Sunday handed over a Pakistani intruder, who had inadvertently crossed over to the Indian territory, back to the Pakistani Rangers, officials said. The BSF had apprehended Hanif, son of Allahadin, a resident of Village Rattanwala in Kasur district on Saturday. BSF officials said Hanif was found roaming near the border out post (BOP), Maboke, around 5 pm. During the search of the Pakistani national, a necklace and soap was recovered but nothing incriminating was found, they said. Later, a flag meeting was held on request of Pakistani Rangers at BOP Maboke following which Hanif was handed over back to them after the completion of necessary formalities, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cinema legend Burt Reynolds will not appear in Quentin Tarantino's next film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Reynolds, who passed away on Thursday following reports of a heart attack, was set to star in the film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Al Pacino. "My uncle was looking forward to working with Quentin Tarantino, and the amazing cast that was assembled," Reynolds' niece Nancy Lee told People magazine. Production on the film began earlier this summer, but Reynolds, according to Variety, was not meant to start filming until the end of September. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is set during the time of the Manson murders in 1969 and follows a television actor and his stunt double who to try to make it in the industry. Reynolds was set to play George Spahn, the nearly-blind ranch owner whose property was invaded by Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) and his notorious 'family' in the months leading up to the crime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan and China on Sunday pledged to complete the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and expressed desire to further enhance the bilateral strategic partnership. Wang, who arrived here on a three-day visit on Friday, met Khan in Islamabad with a high-level delegation. "Foreign Minister underscored the significance of the CPEC for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Wang also conveyed the desire of Chinese leadership to work with the new government for further enhancing the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China. He underscored the significance of China-Pakistan relationship which served as a model of friendship in interstate relations. Wang also conveyed the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang for an official visit to Khan. Khan reiterated that Pakistan's friendship with China is a cornerstone of Pakistan's Foreign Policy. "The Prime Minister reiterated that the Government is committed to the implementation of the CPEC," according to the statement. During the meeting, regional situation and global issues were also discussed. Earlier, he met his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. He also attended the swearing in ceremony of new president, Arif Alvi. Wang's visit came amidst reports of unease in Beijing over how the new PTI government would approach over USD 50 billion Chinese investments in various projects under the CPEC connecting China's Muslim-majority Xinjiang province with Gwadar port in Pakistan. Khan in the past had criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for the lack of transparency and corruption in the CPEC projects. Newly-appointed Finance Minister Asad Umar has promised to bring about transparency to the CPEC projects whose details remained closely guarded secrets. India has protested to China over the CPEC, which is being built through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's foreign exchange reserves, the highest in the world, fell by USD 8.23 billion in August as a result of an appreciating US dollar and now stand at the lowest since October last year, experts said Sunday. fell by 0.26 per cent in August after a two-month gaining streak in June and July, China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in statement. "The fall in reserves is due to a 0.6 per cent appreciation of the US dollar," Guan Tao, a former senior SAFE official, told state-run Global Times on Sunday, adding that the numbers fell within a normal volatility range. "Exchange rates naturally rise and fall - the figures don't warrant any need for central bank intervention," said Guan. The total reserves now stand at USD 3.10972 trillion, the lowest level since October 2017. The value of China's 59.24 million ounces of gold bullion reserves also fell to USD 71.228 billion, due to the yellow metal's depreciation. Xu Hongcai, deputy chief economist at the Centre for Economic Exchanges, agrees with the diagnosis, pointing out that the strength of China's external trade in August backs up stable "Around one-third of China's are kept in euros, but the official figures are given in the equivalent in US dollars. As the euro has depreciated against the US dollar, the total foreign exchange reserves have gone down in value," Xu said. "In nominal terms, China's reserves must have actually increased at the end of August. Exports were strong and we had a current account surplus," said Xu, adding that also recorded a surplus in its August capital account, without any large-scale capital outflows. Another SAFE official told state-run Xinhua News Agency on Saturday that political and economic risks have been increasing around the world this year, with many emerging markets suffering economic damage amid increased market volatility. However, China's foreign exchange reserves have remained stable due to the nation's continued stable growth and the increased flexibility of the yuan's exchange rate. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra Sunday urged the people not to remain obsessed with litigations and make effort to see if they can be solved otherwise. "You are welcome to litigate. But do not romance with litigation," Misra, who is due to retire next month, said. He, however, added that courts welcome people to litigate if they have genuine grievances. "I do not suggest for a moment that you should not fight for a cause. But when the cause is small and can be solved otherwise, then solve it. Because that also serves the purpose of access to justice," Misra said. Misra was speaking after laying the foundation stone of the permanent building of Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) and inaugurating the legal assistance establishment Nyaya Sanjog in all the 30 districts of the state. Misra also inaugurated the computerisation of 150 School Legal Literacy Clubs spread across the state. Pursuant to the guidelines received from the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the OSLSA is running legal literacy clubs in at least 746 high schools of the state. Of them, five schools each from all 30 districts have now been equipped with one computer and internet facility and other necessary legal kits to spread legal literacy among the young minds. Sometimes, school and college students can be extremely helpful in solving litigations, Misra said. "We involve students to mediate, to talk to the litigants and even talk to the under-trial prisoners in getting benefits of Plea Bargaining as postulated in CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure)," Misra said, urging the students to become "legally literate". Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Justice KS Jhaveri, Executive Chairman of OSLSA Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Sanju Panda, chairperson of High Court Legal Services Committee also spoke on the occasion, which was attended among others by several sitting and former judges of the High Court and the Member Secretary of the OSLSA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 6 Vote(s) - 3 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 06:30 AM Posts: 67,593 Post: #1 Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen Advertisement But Judge Dolly Maizie Gee denied their request to seal the records quickly without pleadings, and today Qatars lawyers released a plan to seal much of the plaintiffs filings that allege factually that the plaintiff is a secret agent of their government who pretended to be a private citizen to entice their American plaintiffs into a contract, which was really a front for a spy ring. There are three reasons Qatar is probably so desperate to suppress this information about their government agent. Firstly, the Qataris are probably worried that SDNY prosecutors may implicate Al-Rumaihi in one of Michael Cohens crimes now that hes a cooperating witness. Second, Qatars initial false claims in open court the deposition is not a fully open proceeding were tailored to protect their spy, Al-Rumaihi, from being deposed in court. Lastly, Al-Rumaihis secret spying operation potentially exposes him to federal criminal charges for spying, unregistered foreign agency, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Also, the Qatari government probably wants to maintain plausible deniability of the entire spying operation, though that ship has sailed one story at a time this year. However, four months into the federal libel trial, things arent looking good for Ahmed Al-Rumaihi and Qatar, now that their lawyers at DLA Piper have admitted that he wasnt a private citizen, but rather a government official. Qatars lawyers wrote: In March 2017, Mr. Al-Rumaihi was appointed member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investments (SCEAI), to which QIA reports, and he maintains that position today. The SCEIA is the highest decision making body concerning energy, investment and economic affairs in Qatar. more: https://thesternfacts.com/qatar-begs-fed...8f87a1b605 A federal judge in Los Angeles is being asked to seal the libel lawsuit that exposed the Qatari governments national spy ring in America with direct connections to the Al Thani royal family.But Judge Dolly Maizie Gee denied their request to seal the records quickly without pleadings, and today Qatars lawyers released a plan to seal much of the plaintiffs filings that allege factually that the plaintiff is a secret agent of their government who pretended to be a private citizen to entice their American plaintiffs into a contract, which was really a front for a spy ring.There are three reasons Qatar is probably so desperate to suppress this information about their government agent.Firstly, the Qataris are probably worried that SDNY prosecutors may implicate Al-Rumaihi in one of Michael Cohens crimes now that hes a cooperating witness. Second, Qatars initial false claims in open court the deposition is not a fully open proceeding were tailored to protect their spy, Al-Rumaihi, from being deposed in court. Lastly, Al-Rumaihis secret spying operation potentially exposes him to federal criminal charges for spying, unregistered foreign agency, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.Also, the Qatari government probably wants to maintain plausible deniability of the entire spying operation, though that ship has sailed one story at a time this year.However, four months into the federal libel trial, things arent looking good for Ahmed Al-Rumaihi and Qatar, now that their lawyers at DLA Piper have admitted that he wasnt a private citizen, but rather a government official. Qatars lawyers wrote:In March 2017, Mr. Al-Rumaihi was appointed member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investments (SCEAI), to which QIA reports, and he maintains that position today.The SCEIA is the highest decision making body concerning energy, investment and economic affairs in Qatar.more: spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 08:49 AM Posts: 67,593 Post: #2 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 460982 09-09-2018 11:55 AM Post: #3 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen we're colludin' they're hatin' spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 01:48 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #4 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen Eustace Muffins Banned User ID: 442047 09-09-2018 03:34 PM Posts: 11,088 Post: #5 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen NormalIsSubjective User ID: 460774 09-09-2018 03:50 PM Posts: 21,601 Post: #6 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen spo snouou Wrote: (09-09-2018 06:30 AM) A federal judge in Los Angeles is being asked to seal the libel lawsuit that exposed the Qatari governments national spy ring in America with direct connections to the Al Thani royal family. But Judge Dolly Maizie Gee denied their request to seal the records quickly without pleadings, and today Qatars lawyers released a plan to seal much of the plaintiffs filings that allege factually that the plaintiff is a secret agent of their government who pretended to be a private citizen to entice their American plaintiffs into a contract, which was really a front for a spy ring. There are three reasons Qatar is probably so desperate to suppress this information about their government agent. Firstly, the Qataris are probably worried that SDNY prosecutors may implicate Al-Rumaihi in one of Michael Cohens crimes now that hes a cooperating witness. Second, Qatars initial false claims in open court the deposition is not a fully open proceeding were tailored to protect their spy, Al-Rumaihi, from being deposed in court. Lastly, Al-Rumaihis secret spying operation potentially exposes him to federal criminal charges for spying, unregistered foreign agency, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Also, the Qatari government probably wants to maintain plausible deniability of the entire spying operation, though that ship has sailed one story at a time this year. However, four months into the federal libel trial, things arent looking good for Ahmed Al-Rumaihi and Qatar, now that their lawyers at DLA Piper have admitted that he wasnt a private citizen, but rather a government official. Qatars lawyers wrote: In March 2017, Mr. Al-Rumaihi was appointed member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investments (SCEAI), to which QIA reports, and he maintains that position today. The SCEIA is the highest decision making body concerning energy, investment and economic affairs in Qatar. more: https://thesternfacts.com/qatar-begs-fed...8f87a1b605 Is there a Kushner angle lurking in that mess somewhere? The son-in-law has some interesting Qatari connections. Is there a Kushner angle lurking in that mess somewhere?The son-in-law has some interesting Qatari connections. spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 05:47 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #7 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen NormalIsSubjective Wrote: (09-09-2018 03:50 PM) Is there a Kushner angle lurking in that mess somewhere? The son-in-law has some interesting Qatari connections. yes well ..quite possibly Quote: accepting Kushners new spin about his security clearance forms shows he failed to surround himself with assistants capable of handling communications or lawyers who could read a government form and make sure their client couldnt be accused of a felony. Thats not the sort of team you want handling foreign policy, which requires careful communication. Less than a month after I first asked why anyone was defending him, Kushner made his most egregious foreign policy error, helping convince President Trump to get fully behind the Saudi-led effort to isolate Qatar. That went against the advice of the departments of Defense and State, risked undermining the U.S. air campaign against ISIS, and ended up pushing Qatar closer to Iran. https://rantt.com/seriously-why-is-anyon...d-kushner/ Its Hard To Overstate How Badly Trump Botched The Qatar Crisis The presidents avoidable errors made things worse https://rantt.com/its-hard-to-overstate-how-badly-trump-botched-the-qatar-crisis/ yes well ..quite possiblyhttps://rantt.com/its-hard-to-overstate-how-badly-trump-botched-the-qatar-crisis/ LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 451917 09-09-2018 06:05 PM Post: #8 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen "Imran Awan, the former long-time staffer of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and other congressional Democrats pled guilty Tuesday to one count of making a false statement on a home equity loan. Which is ridiculous. He was caught leaking confidential information from the servers of Congress to foreign agents. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia issued a press release about Awans plea agreement that excluded any mention of his IT work for Congressional Democrats, including Wasserman Schultz. The headline: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement on Application for Home Equity Loan, indicates the DOJ is covering up one of the worst scandals in American history. Frank Miniter, whose new book, Spies in Congress,details the alleged spy ring believed to be led by Awan that may have been operating in the offices of more than 40 Democratic members of Congress." https://thehayride.com/2018/07/bombshell...zs-office/ This sounds almost as bad as the awan (pakastani) spy operation that was enabled by democrat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz"Imran Awan, the former long-time staffer of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and other congressional Democrats pled guilty Tuesday to one count of making a false statement on a home equity loan. Which is ridiculous.He was caught leaking confidential information from the servers of Congress to foreign agents.The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia issued a press release about Awans plea agreement that excluded any mention of his IT work for Congressional Democrats, including Wasserman Schultz. The headline: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement on Application for Home Equity Loan, indicates the DOJ is covering up one of the worst scandals in American history.Frank Miniter, whose new book, Spies in Congress,details the alleged spy ring believed to be led by Awan that may have been operating in the offices of more than 40 Democratic members of Congress." spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 11:55 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #9 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen He Man Subscriber User ID: 426524 09-09-2018 11:58 PM Posts: 39,619 Post: #10 RE: Qatar begs federal judge to hide lawsuit exposing spy ring links to Michael Cohen NormalIsSubjective Wrote: (09-09-2018 03:50 PM) spo snouou Wrote: (09-09-2018 06:30 AM) A federal judge in Los Angeles is being asked to seal the libel lawsuit that exposed the Qatari governments national spy ring in America with direct connections to the Al Thani royal family. But Judge Dolly Maizie Gee denied their request to seal the records quickly without pleadings, and today Qatars lawyers released a plan to seal much of the plaintiffs filings that allege factually that the plaintiff is a secret agent of their government who pretended to be a private citizen to entice their American plaintiffs into a contract, which was really a front for a spy ring. There are three reasons Qatar is probably so desperate to suppress this information about their government agent. Firstly, the Qataris are probably worried that SDNY prosecutors may implicate Al-Rumaihi in one of Michael Cohens crimes now that hes a cooperating witness. Second, Qatars initial false claims in open court the deposition is not a fully open proceeding were tailored to protect their spy, Al-Rumaihi, from being deposed in court. Lastly, Al-Rumaihis secret spying operation potentially exposes him to federal criminal charges for spying, unregistered foreign agency, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Also, the Qatari government probably wants to maintain plausible deniability of the entire spying operation, though that ship has sailed one story at a time this year. However, four months into the federal libel trial, things arent looking good for Ahmed Al-Rumaihi and Qatar, now that their lawyers at DLA Piper have admitted that he wasnt a private citizen, but rather a government official. Qatars lawyers wrote: In March 2017, Mr. Al-Rumaihi was appointed member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investments (SCEAI), to which QIA reports, and he maintains that position today. The SCEIA is the highest decision making body concerning energy, investment and economic affairs in Qatar. more: https://thesternfacts.com/qatar-begs-fed...8f87a1b605 Is there a Kushner angle lurking in that mess somewhere? The son-in-law has some interesting Qatari connections. That is what I was thinking also. Interesting thread. 5* That is what I was thinking also. Interesting thread. 5* Making LOP Great again since 06-07-2013! Robert Reich @RBReich "News flash: If you ban mask mandates, outlaw abortions, dictate what educators can teach in schools, and stop people from voting, you're not the party of "limited government."" Claiming the Centre was not doing enough to bring down the prices of petrol or diesal, a senior Congress leader Sunday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to support the nation-wide strike call given by his party over rising fuel prices in the country. "We appeal to all concerned citizens and organisations to observe a voluntary bandh (strike) from 9 am to 3 pm tomorrow to protest against the unprecedented hike on petrol, diesel, domestic gas and other essential commodities, AICC secretary co-incharge Jammu and Kashmir affairs Shakeel Ahmad Khan told reporters here. He said a nationwide call for 'Bharat bandh' was given by the Congress and other like-minded parties to draw the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government towards the plight of the common man. Khan claimed the Modi government had already collected over Rs 11 lakh crore as tax on petrol, diesel and gas, which he alleged was an "open loot" of the budget of common people. He claimed the excise duty on petrol since May 2014 was increased by 211.7 per cent and on diesel by 443.06 per cent. The excise duty was hiked during BJP government's tenure 12 times, the cost of gas cylinder (non-subsidised) has gone up from Rs 414 to 754 per cylinder and that of subsidised cylinder from Rs 412 to Rs 496 during the period, he said. He said the Congress, time and again, demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under the GST ambit which would reduce the price but the Modi Government and BJP had remained unmoved. So we have no option but to call for a Bharat Bandh to move the Modi government, he said. He said Congress cadres along with other like-minded people would organise peaceful protest demonstrations in different parts of the state tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Many working families are leaving the national capital due to "illegal" sealing of non-polluting household industries, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken alleged at the party's 'Halla Bol' rally at Trinagar on Monday. Maken demanded the government change the definition of household industries and declaring areas having 70 per cent such units as industrial area. "People are leaving Delhi due to illegal sealing. If illegal sealing is not stopped, the condition of Delhi will deteriorate further," Maken said in the rally, organised as part of the party's 'Nyay Yudh' (Struggle for Justice) campaign. Congress leader and convener of 'Nyay Yudh' Mukesh Sharma said a delegation of the party led by Ajay Maken will meet the Lt Governor for preventing "illegal" sealing of non-polluting household industries. A resolution was passed in the rally demanding that non-polluting household industries in Group A residential areas and Group A1 Village Abadi areas in Master Plan are kept out of the sealing drive. It also demanded that civic body and the Delhi government immediately withdraw the fine and penalty clause in the conversion charges and parking fees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Sunday urged the Election Commission to issue advisories to the chief ministers of poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to stop all public expenditure in 'yatras' undertaken by them. Chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Legal and Human Rights department Vivek Tankha also urged the EC to issue "peremptory" orders to the Telengana chief secretary to ensure no public money is utilised by caretaker government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and no unfair publicity is given to the ruling party. This should also include taking off all hoardings, banners and advertisements etc, he said in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat. Tankha, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, urged the EC that the chief secretaries of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh should be sent advisory to "stop all public expenditure on the 'yatras' of the chief minister" by whatever name they are conducted. He alleged that these states have indulged in rampant "extravagant publicity" by way of Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Guarav Yatra and Vikas Yatra respectively at the state's expense. These are party-motivated 'yatras' and have no element of public interest involved, he said. "I am sure such directions will go a long way to enhance the credibility of the Election Commission of India and our electoral system, which in the past has received international acclaim," he said in his letter. He said off-late the people are witnessing an increased "propensity" by the state governments and the chief ministers to put in large advertisements in newspapers at public expenses. "It is an abhorrent practice and blatant misuse of public funds," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A policeman was found dead in a guard room of a bank in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said Sunday. Selection grade constable Mohammad Hussain was posted at Jammu and Kashmir Bank Chest guard complex in north Kashmir, a police official said. He said the cause of the constable's death was not known and the body has been taken for legal formalities. A case has been registered, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan allegedly committed suicide in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district in the wee hours Sunday, an official of the paramilitary force said. Head Constable Karan Singh, belonging to the CRPF's 65th battalion, shot himself with his service rifle at around 1 am inside his camp located in the Bindranawagarh police station area, around 150km from state capital Raipur, the official posted here told PTI. When the 47-year-old jawan's colleagues heard the gunshot from his barrack, they rushed to the place, where they found him lying in a pool of blood. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital where he wasdeclared brought dead, he said. Singh, a native of Saidpur village in Mahendragarh district of Haryana, wason leave since August 16 and had joined duty in the Naxal-hit district on September 6, the official said. No suicide note was found, but as per preliminary information, the CRPF jawan took the extreme step due to family-related issues, he said. However, the exact reason will be known only after a probe, he said, adding a case has been registered. His family members have been informed about the incident, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Denise Richards has tied the knot with boyfriend Aaron Phypers. The 47-year-old actor and Phypers exchanged vows during an open-air beachside ceremony in Malibu, California, reported EOnline. Close family members of Phypers and Richards, including her daughters Sam, 14, Lola, 13, and Eloise, seven, were present at the occasion. The wedding ceremony was filmed for the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills", which Richards just joined as the show's newest cast member. Guests at the nuptials included Richard's new co-stars including Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd along with Camille Grammer and fiance David Meyer. Her close friends Rebecca Romjin and Jerry O'Connell also attended the ceremony. The wedding comes just two days after it was announced that the couple got engaged. Richards was previously married to Charlie Sheen from 2002 to 2006. The former couple share daughters Sam and Lola. Richards is also a mother to daughter Eloise, whom she adopted in 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has directed liquor vends to deploy adequate number of guards to curb open drinking near the outlets. In written directions, the excise department has asked liquor vends that if any person is found consuming liquor around the vend, they should immediately contact local police station. The department has also directed these establishments to install CCTV cameras that can capture footage within 50 metres. The directions were issued by Assistant Commissioner (Excise) J P Singh after a review. According to the department's directions, liquor vends will exhibit prominently that consumption of liquor in a public place is punishable with fine and/or imprisonment as provided under Rule 65 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010. "If any person is found consuming liquor around the vicinity of vend then they should immediately contact the concerned police station or inform to Control Room of Excise Department. "Wherever required, adequate number of guards must be deployed at the vend," Singh said in its direction. "Proper lighting arrangement should be maintained in and around the vend," Singh also said. In November 2016, the Delhi government launched a drive against open drinking. While announcing a similar drive last month, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said consumption of alcohol in the open, particularly near liquor vends and in vehicles, is not merely a safety hazard but a major problem for women safety in the national capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ford won't be moving production of a hatchback wagon to the United States from China despite President Donald Trump's claim Sunday that his taxes on Chinese imports mean the Focus Active can be built in America. Citing Trump's new tariffs, Ford on August 31 said it was dropping plans to ship the Focus Active from China to America. Trump took to Twitter Sunday to declare victory and write: "This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE U.S.A. and Ford will pay no tariffs!" But in a statement Sunday, Ford said "it would not be profitable to build the Focus Active in the US" given forecast yearly sales below 50,000. For now, that means Ford simply won't sell the vehicle in the United States. Kristin Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research said that Ford can make Focuses "in many other plants around the world, so if they decided to continue to sell a Focus variant in the U.S. market, there are several options other than building it in the United States." In April, Ford announced plans to stop making cars in the United States except for the iconic Mustang and to focus on more profitable SUVs. It stopped making Focus sedans at a Wayne, Michigan, plant in May. The plan, said industry analyst Ed Kim of AutoPacific, was to pare down the Focus lineup to Active wagons and import them from China. "Without the tariffs, the business case was pretty solid for that model in the U.S. market," Kim said. The tariffs changed everything. The United States on July 6 began imposing a 25 per cent tax on USD 34 billion in Chinese imports, including motor vehicles. Last month, it added tariffs to another USD 16 billion in Chinese goods and is readying taxes on another USD 200 billion worth. China is retaliating with its own tariffs on US products. The world's two biggest economies are clashing over US allegations that China deploys predatory tactics including outright cybertheft to acquire technology from US companies and challenge American technological dominance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The DMK welcomed the Tamil Nadu government's recommendation to the Governor Sunday for release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, but its ally Congress differed, saying it will set a "wrong precedent." "The Tamil Nadu Governor should immediately implement (the cabinet decision) to bring joy to the people," DMK president M K Stalin told reporters here. Besides DMK, the PMK and AMMK were among those who hailed the move. Stalin recalled his party's earlier demand that the state cabinet adopt a resolution for release of the convicts in the wake of the Supreme Court asking Governor Banwarilal Purohit to consider the mercy petition of one of them, AG Perarivalan, seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution. The K Palaniswami-led state cabinet met here Sunday where a decision was taken to recommend to the Governor, the release of V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthanthiraraja alias Santhan, AG Perarivalan alias Arivu, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and Nalini, all serving life imprisonment. However, TNCC President Su Thirunavukkarasar wanted the Governor to toe the Centre's earlier line, where it had opposed Tamil Nadu government's previous proposal for the release of the convicts. "It is true that they have been in prison for a long time. But their release will set a wrong precedent. Law is common for all. If you take decisions based on (factors like) mercy, it will set wrong precedent in the future," he said. PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss welcomed the move, saying the decision was not merely that of the cabinet but reflected that of the state. He urged the Governor to "implement" the cabinet recommendation without any delay. "The Governor should not make a controversy out of the Cabinet's recommendation and accept it and order for the release of all seven Tamils," he said in a statement. AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran also urged the Governor to approve the state cabinet's decision. Mother of Perarivalan, Arputhammal, welcomed the government's decision and said there should be no over it. She met Palaniswami here and thanked him for the cabinet decision. Later, she told reporters she was "relieved" her son would 'reach' her after a long time. "This is historic. We were not aware how the years of struggle would end. He (Perarivalan) was 19 when he went to jail (in 1991)," she said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director Edward Berger is set to helm thriller "Rio" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jake Gyllenhaal. The actors are also producing the project, reported Variety. "Call Me by Your Name" helmer Luca Guadagnino had been attached last year to direct "Rio" but fell out due to scheduling commitments. The story, written by Steven Knight, revolves around two old friends who meet again in Rio de Janeiro one, a journalist played by Gyllenhaal, and the other, a hugely successful financier, portrayed by Cumberbatch. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 6 Vote(s) - 5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: 439014 09-09-2018 05:43 PM Posts: 19,814 Post: #1 Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well Advertisement Cindy Juarez said she was driving to work in East Los Angeles when she heard the kitten crying for help from somewhere outside her car. "I was turning on the street, and I heard a meow," she told KABC-TV. "I thought, 'Oh my god, please don't tell me there's a cat under my car." Juarez and coworker Irma Gonzalez inspected the vehicle and caught a glimpse of fur deep in the vehicle's passenger side wheel well. "We called the fire department, and they told me there's nothing they could do," Gonzalez said. "I called animal control, and they said there's nothing they could do. They said they wouldn't get animals out from inside the engine of the car." https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/09/07/...9071/?sl=5 purrr Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A California woman who heard a meow while driving said a tiny kitten was rescued from deep inside the wheel well of her car.Cindy Juarez said she was driving to work in East Los Angeles when she heard the kitten crying for help from somewhere outside her car."I was turning on the street, and I heard a meow," she told KABC-TV. "I thought, 'Oh my god, please don't tell me there's a cat under my car."Juarez and coworker Irma Gonzalez inspected the vehicle and caught a glimpse of fur deep in the vehicle's passenger side wheel well."We called the fire department, and they told me there's nothing they could do," Gonzalez said. "I called animal control, and they said there's nothing they could do. They said they wouldn't get animals out from inside the engine of the car."purrr PuddyCat I Want Tuna User ID: 348173 09-09-2018 08:14 PM Posts: 23,112 Post: #2 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well LopDude Wrote: (09-09-2018 05:43 PM) Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A California woman who heard a meow while driving said a tiny kitten was rescued from deep inside the wheel well of her car. Cindy Juarez said she was driving to work in East Los Angeles when she heard the kitten crying for help from somewhere outside her car. "I was turning on the street, and I heard a meow," she told KABC-TV. "I thought, 'Oh my god, please don't tell me there's a cat under my car." Juarez and coworker Irma Gonzalez inspected the vehicle and caught a glimpse of fur deep in the vehicle's passenger side wheel well. "We called the fire department, and they told me there's nothing they could do," Gonzalez said. "I called animal control, and they said there's nothing they could do. They said they wouldn't get animals out from inside the engine of the car." https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/09/07/...9071/?sl=5 purrr Politics only interests me because it transforms people into dribbling nincompoops (The World Is Mad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsjRpcgfmk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oFzHx29PDo PuddyCat I Want Tuna User ID: 348173 09-09-2018 08:16 PM Posts: 23,112 Post: #3 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well That's one lucky awesomely cute kitten Politics only interests me because it transforms people into dribbling nincompoops (The World Is Mad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsjRpcgfmk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oFzHx29PDo Felix Jumpin Fractals User ID: 390915 09-09-2018 08:24 PM Posts: 5,515 Post: #4 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well Wheel well, undercarriage, even the engine bay itself once. Of course that last instance was before they drove off. Happens here all the time.Wheel well, undercarriage, even the engine bay itself once. Of course that last instance was before they drove off. Ism this, ist that. Screw all the ismists! LIBRARIES of KNOWLEDGE http://lunaticoutpost.com/thread-11057.html (Not my thread. I just like it that much) Sarah Registered User User ID: 257528 09-09-2018 08:35 PM Posts: 3,992 Post: #5 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well It happened to me once too. I had just driven the 2 hour drive to my mother's house, mostly on 55 mph roads. Pulled in her driveway, turned the car off, and heard a "thunk" and out walks one of the kittens from home. None the worse for wear, amazingly. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 457396 09-09-2018 08:38 PM Post: #6 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well LopDude Wrote: (09-09-2018 05:43 PM) Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A California woman who heard a meow while driving said a tiny kitten was rescued from deep inside the wheel well of her car. Cindy Juarez said she was driving to work in East Los Angeles when she heard the kitten crying for help from somewhere outside her car. "I was turning on the street, and I heard a meow," she told KABC-TV. "I thought, 'Oh my god, please don't tell me there's a cat under my car." Juarez and coworker Irma Gonzalez inspected the vehicle and caught a glimpse of fur deep in the vehicle's passenger side wheel well. "We called the fire department, and they told me there's nothing they could do," Gonzalez said. "I called animal control, and they said there's nothing they could do. They said they wouldn't get animals out from inside the engine of the car." https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/09/07/...9071/?sl=5 purrr All's well that ends well. All's well that ends well. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 404077 09-09-2018 08:50 PM Post: #7 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well Easiest safest way to get a cat out from under the hood is to spray water under till they run out. Saves a doc bill to get your forearms & face unscratched. Had a friend call all panic stricken, her mom started the car heard a big bump and a cat screaming. Drove over, opened the hood and there was the cat sitting on the engine looking all pi ssed off at the world. a trip to the vet & it was all scratches and about an inch of his tail missing. That cat out lasted the other three cats & a dog, only way you could see any difference was his short tail.Easiest safest way to get a cat out from under the hood is to spray water under till they run out. Saves a doc bill to get your forearms & face unscratched. Vlad lop guest User ID: 456505 09-09-2018 09:05 PM Post: #8 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well [email protected] Wrote: (09-09-2018 08:16 PM) That's one lucky awesomely cute kitten Sure is and all cred to the Guy that tried His best. Sure is and all cred to the Guy that tried His best. Vlad lop guest User ID: 456505 09-09-2018 09:08 PM Post: #9 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well LoP Guest Wrote: (09-09-2018 08:50 PM) Had a friend call all panic stricken, her mom started the car heard a big bump and a cat screaming. Drove over, opened the hood and there was the cat sitting on the engine looking all pi ssed off at the world. a trip to the vet & it was all scratches and about an inch of his tail missing. That cat out lasted the other three cats & a dog, only way you could see any difference was his short tail. Easiest safest way to get a cat out from under the hood is to spray water under till they run out. Saves a doc bill to get your forearms & face unscratched. I has 2 babysit a Miauw for weeks our sailin Love Hate em big time, the purr in the ear when in the Friendly moodus is worth it though. I has 2 babysit a Miauw for weeks our sailinLove Hate em big time, the purr in the ear when in the Friendly moodus is worth it though. Vlad lop guest User ID: 456505 09-09-2018 09:10 PM Post: #10 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well Solution's is easy though!, 2 more Miuaus so they occupied, and if Honest Cats not that demanding if have a nice pillow and food waiting. PuddyCat I Want Tuna User ID: 348173 09-09-2018 10:02 PM Posts: 23,112 Post: #11 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well Vlad Wrote: (09-09-2018 09:05 PM) [email protected] Wrote: (09-09-2018 08:16 PM) That's one lucky awesomely cute kitten Sure is and all cred to the Guy that tried His best. Vlad Wrote: (09-09-2018 09:10 PM) Solution's is easy though!, 2 more Miuaus so they occupied, and if Honest Cats not that demanding if have a nice pillow and food waiting. Absolutely and a pillow and food keeps them happy for 5 minutes if your lucky. Then you must please them other ways. Absolutely and a pillow and food keeps them happy for 5 minutes if your lucky.Then you must please them other ways. Politics only interests me because it transforms people into dribbling nincompoops (The World Is Mad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsjRpcgfmk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oFzHx29PDo LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461272 09-09-2018 10:07 PM Post: #12 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well [email protected] Wrote: (09-09-2018 08:14 PM) LopDude Wrote: (09-09-2018 05:43 PM) Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A California woman who heard a meow while driving said a tiny kitten was rescued from deep inside the wheel well of her car. Cindy Juarez said she was driving to work in East Los Angeles when she heard the kitten crying for help from somewhere outside her car. "I was turning on the street, and I heard a meow," she told KABC-TV. "I thought, 'Oh my god, please don't tell me there's a cat under my car." Juarez and coworker Irma Gonzalez inspected the vehicle and caught a glimpse of fur deep in the vehicle's passenger side wheel well. "We called the fire department, and they told me there's nothing they could do," Gonzalez said. "I called animal control, and they said there's nothing they could do. They said they wouldn't get animals out from inside the engine of the car." https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/09/07/...9071/?sl=5 purrr seems scared i hope it finds a home seems scaredi hope it finds a home Re' kunoc nli lop guest User ID: 461086 09-09-2018 10:45 PM Post: #13 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well Vlad lop guest User ID: 456505 09-09-2018 10:48 PM Post: #14 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well [email protected] Wrote: (09-09-2018 10:02 PM) Vlad Wrote: (09-09-2018 09:05 PM) Sure is and all cred to the Guy that tried His best. Vlad Wrote: (09-09-2018 09:10 PM) Solution's is easy though!, 2 more Miuaus so they occupied, and if Honest Cats not that demanding if have a nice pillow and food waiting. Absolutely and a pillow and food keeps them happy for 5 minutes if your lucky. Then you must please them other ways. link to image: http://lunaticoutpost.com/images/icons/kickass.gif Ha ha that is so true, if nice weather. I only tested 1 Miauw sailing but it not like windy stuff or rain so downstairs in a hurry Ha ha that is so true, if nice weather.I only tested 1 Miauw sailing but it not like windy stuff or rain so downstairs in a hurry Vlad lop guest User ID: 456505 09-09-2018 10:51 PM Post: #15 RE: Kitten rescued from California woman's wheel well I love big Dogs and tiny ones 2, but Miaus do give something hard to explain in words. Pure Thrill perhaps! Advertisement Canadian writer-director Ken Scott's latest directorial venture "The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir" features Indian, French and American artistes, and the filmmaker says it was an enriching experience to have a blend of different cultures in one movie. The film was shot across India, France, Belgium and Italy with a diverse star cast and Scott says his attempt was to make the movie look authentic. "It was great to discover India, Mumbai and to discover Indian culture and how Indians tell stories, how they work with actors, etc. The film brought a lot of cultures together in one place. So for me it was a great learning experience. It was an enriching experience," Scott told PTI. On set, Scott was influenced by different cultures as he had Indian actor Dhanush, Argentinean-French actor Berenice Bejo, American actor Erin Moriarty, Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi and French actor-director Gerard Jugnot all in the movie. For the director, it was a pleasure to be working with actors from several countries and what amazed him was their different approach to the craft. "I had to make sure everything was blended in the right way. I needed strong actors. We have worked hard to get this great cast like Berenice Bejo, with whom I have been wanting to work for a long time. Then to be working with Ben Miller, Gerard Jugnot and others was a very nice experience." The film marks the international acting debut of Tamil-Hindi actor Dhanush. It was through the production company that the director was introduced to the actor. The film follows a manplayed by Dhanushwho sets off on a journey to find his estranged father and the team needed an actor who could be good at comedy and be warm at the same time. "Dhanush is a great actor and he is very good with comedy. He has all the qualities that we needed for this part," Scott adds. It was during the filming of the movie that Scott learnt about Dhanush's father-in-law, a hugely popular Indian star Rajinikanth. "I discovered about him (Rajinikanth) after working with Dhanush on the film. And we did talk about him, we had some conversation. It is an absolute pleasure to work with him, he is a very professional actor. It was great to know where Dhanush came from. I was surprised to see how much people love him." The film is based on Romain Puertolas's 2013 French bestseller "The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe". What attracted Scott to the story was the journey of the protagonist and how it blended well with light as well as some deep moments. The novel is about a confidence trickster from Rajasthan who aims to go to Paris but instead ends up touring the farthest corners of Europe and Africa. Though "small changes" have been made to the story, Scott insists the book's soul is not lost in the the process of adapting it for the big screen. "For me what is important is that we have to be true to the spirit of the book and we have accomplished that. Even if the film is somewhat different from the book, it is close to the spirit," Scott, who has previously made French films "Sticky Fingers" and "Starbuck", adds. The film premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the poster of its first poster was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival. "We have made the best film possible. While we were working on this film, I felt we were making something special. When we saw the audience reaction at the festival it was very touching to see that kind of response. We had put in efforts to make a film that would connect with the audience and I am glad that it has connected with the people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has made tremendous progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last four years and the entire world is now looking towards the country, Vice President Venkiah Naidu told a gathering of Telugu Americans here. "The entire world's economy is slowing down. The only economy which is growing faster is India," Naidu said. Addressing a gathering of several hundred Telugu Americans in this windy city Saturday, Naidu referred to the latest growth figures and projections by various international financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "The entire world is looking towards India now," Naidu said in his speech in Telugu. "I was Minister for Urban Development till recently. Thirty-five to 40 Ambassadors met me. They all wanted to invest in India," the vice president said, adding that he is very happy that there is a broader consensus on reforms. Naidu arrived in Chicago on an unofficial visit to address a meeting of Telugu Diaspora and deliver the keynote address to the ongoing World Hindu Congress. He is also scheduled to interact with the foreign dignitaries attending the World Hindu Congress. He urged the Telugu community to be partner in India's development story. Naidu said he is proud of the success of the Telugu American community. The event was organised in Chicago by several Telugu groups. Prominent among them being Telugu Association of North America, America Telugu Association, North America Telugu Society, North America Telugu Association, American Telangana Association, Telugu Association of Greater Chicago, Tri State Telugu Association, Chicago Telugu Association, Chicago Andhra Association, Chicago Telangana Association, Indian Association of Greater Chicago, and American Progressive Telugu Association. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 2,500 people marched in a far-right demonstration in eastern Germany Sunday after a German man died following a fight with two Afghans, as officials pleaded for calm to avoid the anti-foreigner unrest that has shaken Chemnitz. Local police and prosecutors said the 22-year-old deceased had suffered acute heart failure after coming to blows with the suspects during a dispute on a playground in the town of Koethen late Saturday. The German man's death was "not directly" linked to the injuries suffered in the brawl, authorities said in a statement. Local media reported that he died in hospital and that he had a pre-existing heart condition. Prosecutors said one of the Afghan suspects, aged 18, stands accused of causing grievous bodily harm. The other, aged 20, faces charges of causing bodily harm with fatal consequences. The incident was expected to inflame anti-migrant tensions, coming just two weeks after the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German man in the city of Chemnitz, allegedly by two asylum seekers. "With emotions running high, we have to resist any attempt to turn Koethen into a second Chemnitz," the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, told DPA agency. Chemnitz, also located in Germany's former Communist east, has been rocked by a series of far-right demonstrations that saw participants assault foreign-looking people and shout anti-immigration slurs while some flashed the illegal Nazi salute. Immediately after of the latest incident broke, right-wing groups called for an evening "mourning march" in Koethen. Police estimated the turnout at some 2,500 demonstrators, who dispersed peacefully around 9:00 pm (1900 GMT). Many of the demonstrators waved the German flag, occasionally shouting "Resistance!" and "We are the people". "Today is a day of grief but we will turn that grief into anger," one of the speakers told the crowd, according to DPA. A counter-demo by far-left protesters at Koethen's rail station drew around 200 people. Mayor Bernd Hauschild, in a Facebook message, urged locals to shun the right-wing demo because he had "information that people prepared to use violence were planning to travel to Koethen in large numbers". Bild newspaper said around 100 federal police officers had been sent to Koethen to help keep the peace, after police were criticised for underestimating the scale of the Chemnitz demonstrations. According to local media the latest incident started when three Afghan men were arguing with a pregnant woman over who was the father of her unborn child. Two German men then approached the group and the row escalated into a brawl on the playground. The third Afghan was not arrested as he was not believed to have been involved in the fighting. Local residents and politicians on Sunday placed flowers and candles at the scene. State interior minister Holger Stahlknecht said on Twitter that he deeply regretted "the tragic death" and understood citizens' concerns. But he urged residents to "keep calm" and let justice run its course. The recent unrest in Chemnitz in neighbouring Saxony has reignited debate in Germany about Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to open the country's borders at the height of Europe's migrant crisis. More than a million asylum seekers have arrived since then, deeply dividing Germans and fuelling the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Merkel has strongly condemned the angry mobs in Chemnitz, saying there was no place for "hate in the streets". But interior minister Horst Seehofer of her CSU sister party, and one of Merkel's fiercest critics, responded by blasting immigration as "the mother of all political problems". It also emerged at the weekend that a Jewish restaurant was attacked on the sidelines of the Chemnitz protests on August 27. The owner told AFP that around a dozen masked neo-Nazis shouted: "Jewish pig, get out of Germany!" and hurled rocks, bottles and a metal pipe at the Schalom restaurant. The head of the New York-based World Jewish Congress slammed the "reprehensible" attack. "It is inconceivable and outrageous that neo-Nazi elements or Nazi-inspired individuals in Germany continue to feel empowered to engage in violent acts against Jews and other minorities," Ronald Lauder said. Seehofer told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday that Germany faced three big challenges: growing right-wing radicalism, "worrying" anti-Semitism and violent crimes committed by foreigners. "We aren't blind to any of this," said Seehofer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart may negatively impact the net income of the latter this fiscal and also the next, said Walmart in its recent regulatory filing. The US retail giant had last month said it completed the acquisition of 77 per cent stake in Flipkart Group, an Indian-based eCommerce marketplace, for approximately USD 16 Billion. "We also expect the ongoing operations of Flipkart to negatively impact fiscal 2019 and 2020 net income, including additional interest expense due to the long-term debt issuance in the second quarter of of fiscal 2019," Walmart said. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, Walmart will consolidate the financial statements of Flipkart using a one-month lag, it added. Speaking in an investors meet in U.S recently, Douglas McMillon President, CEO and Director Walmart Inc said they are learning about retail ecosystems and how they work around the world. We're learning a lot from China. We'll be learning even more from India.And we basically want to be in places that have a tremendous opportunity, which is what led us to Flipkart in India," he said in response to a query. According to him, Flipkart, which has a strong management team, was built out an ecosystem. In the case of India, it's worth it. If it had been a smaller market, we may have passed. But this is a unique opportunity. And when you look out 5, 10, 20 years from now, time will tell," McMillo had said. As Flipkart is expected to generate meaningful losses for at least the next few years, this is clearly an investment for Walmart for the future," Moody's Vice President Charlie O'Shea had earlier said in a report commenting on the acquisition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two men on a motorbike snatched a chain from the neck of Asian Games gold medallist heptathlete Swapna Barman's mother who was pillion riding a two-wheeler in Jalpaiguri district, police said Sunday. The gold chain was gifted to her mother Basana Barman by Swapna around seven months ago. The incident occurred Saturday evening at Noapara locality in Sadar block of the district when she was going to visit an ailing relative, police said. Two men came in a motorbike from behind and one of them snatched the chain when her two-wheeler was slowing down at the side of the road. After Basana Barman lodged a complaint, Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Amitabha Maiti visited her house. No one was arrested yet, police said. Swapna is the first Indian heptathlete to win a gold in Asian Games when she secured the top position in Jakarta on last month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Gujarat BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya was Sunday arrested from Amalner in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district in the bitcoins extortion case, three months after a court proclaimed him as an absconder, the police said. The case pertains to alleged extortion of bitcoins--a digital currency--worth over Rs 9 crore from a Surat-based builder by some officials of police. "Nalin Kotadiya who is wanted in the bitcoins extortion case was arrested from Amalner near Dhule (in Maharashtra) Sunday," said Deepan Bhadran, DCP, Crime Branch (Ahmedabad). A local court in Gujarat had issued an arrest warrant against Kotadiya in May this year. The court proclaimed him an absconder on June 18, after the CID (Crime) told the court that the BJP leader was evading arrest. Over a dozen police officials, including former Amreli district superintendent of police Jagdish Patel, have been arrested in the case so far. Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt, who is the complainant in the case, had alleged that police personnel from Amreli had kidnapped him and his business partner Kirit Paladia from Gandhinagar on February 9 this year and extorted bitcoins worth Rs 9 crore owned by Paladia. Bhatt had claimed that he and Paladia were forced to transfer bitcoins in the name of one of the accused. Bhatt had alleged that Kotadiya was a part of the entire conspiracy. The CID investigating the case had filed an FIR against Kotadiya for kidnapping and extortion. The CID had filed a charge sheet against Jagdish Patel, a key accused in the case, in July this year. Patel was suspended from the service after his arrest in the case in April this year. Kotadiya, who had extended his support to Patidar leader Hardik Patel, had represented Dhari seat in Amreli district before 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana police on Sunday arrested three gangsters wanted in several cases including murder. They have been identified as Parveen alias Sonu, Sunny and Pankaj. All of them are residents of Sonipat district, a police spokesperson said. The STF team got a tip-off that the trio was roaming near IMT Chowk in Rohtak with an intention to loot a vehicle, he said. Acting swiftly, the STF nabbed all of them from Kheri Sadh bypass near IMT Chowk, he added. "The three gangsters were absconding for the past 1-2 years. Parveen alias Sonu carried a reward of Rs 50,000 (on his head) and a bounty of Rs 5,000 had been announced for Sunny," the spokesperson said. "They, along with Pankaj, were allegedly involved in the murder of a sarpanch's son in 2016, looting Rs 1.5 crore from a jeweller near Chokhi Dani in Ganaur and opening fire at a liquor contractor," he added. "The accused will be taken into police remand after producing them before a court so that their involvement in other cases can be unearthed," the spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has directed the police to file a status report on a plea by the principal and two teachers of a private school here seeking the quashing of FIR against them for allegedly treating a 3-year-old student cruelly. Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to the Delhi Police, father of the victim and the school-based in Dwarka on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on December 6. The police has initially lodged an FIR in October last year under the POCSO Act for the alleged offence of sexual assault on the complaint of the child's father that the minor was abused by a male attendant of the school. However, the police officials could not apprehend or identify the alleged offender till June this year, the plea claimed. The police officials then issued notices to the principal, child's class teacher and another teacher of the school alleging that an offence of cruelty to the minor under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act was made out against them. As per section 75 of the JJ Act, 'Whoever, having the actual charge of, or control over, a child, assaults, abandons, abuses, exposes or wilfully neglects the child or causes or procures the child to be assaulted, abandoned, abused, exposed or neglected in a manner likely to cause such child unnecessary mental or physical suffering, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine of one lakh rupees or with both.' Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, representing the principal and teachers, contended that even under the provision the person who is entrusted with the care and protection can only be punished, which would be the concerned teacher responsible at the relevant time, and it cannot be extended to the head mistress or the class teacher who were not personally present when the alleged incident took place. The plea said the notices were issued against them by the police to make them scape goats which amounts to gross abuse of process of law. It claimed that even if the allegations in the FIR are considered to be true, none of the ingredients of any cognisable offence under section 75 of the JJ Act is made out against them. The plea said there was no allegation against them in the FIR and the child was still studying in the same school which indicates the safety measures provided there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A meeting between senior officials of the Union Health Ministry and executives of Johnson and Johnson, embroiled in a controversy over its "faulty" hip implants, to discuss the modalities of paying compensation to affected patients in India is likely to take place this week. While sources in the Union Health Ministry said that the pharma giant has sought an appointment, the company when contacted indicated that it has "reached out to the ministry". The move came after the company in a statement recently said it was seeking to work with the Indian government to develop an appropriate process for providing further support and compensation for patients in need. An expert panel, constituted earlier by the ministry to probe complaints about "faulty" ASR hip implant devices, in its report, has said the pharma giant "suppressed" facts on the harm of surgeries which was conducted on patients in India using "faulty" hip replacement systems. It had also suggested that the firm pay compensation of around Rs 20 lakh to the affected patients. Some of the patients who had suffered due to faulty implants had questioned the panel's recommendation of the paltry amount, saying it was like "rubbing salt on the wounds". A source in the ministry told PTI, "They (firm) have sought an appointment with us. Although the date is not fixed, we will call a meeting this week. We will discuss the process of compensation. We will also hear suggestions given by them (firm)." The ministry has already directed Johnson and Johnson to comply with all the recommendations of the expert panel while asserting that it is the responsibility of the firm to compensate all the patients. In a recent order communicated to the pharma giant, the ministry has said the company be made "liable" to pay adequate compensation commensurate with severity of pain, the resultant disability sufferings (both mental and physical) and with the loss of wages of each of the patients who had received articular surface replacement (ASR). The ministry has also asked Johnson and Johnson to trace the remaining patients who received ASR but have not registered with the helpline, while also directing it to extend the ASR reimbursement programme which was being run by the firm till 2025. Meanwhile, the company maintained that a voluntary recall doesn't imply that the product is "faulty" nor does it imply that every patient who has received an ASR hip implant will necessarily have to undergo revision surgery. "ASR continues to function well for many patients in India and around the world," it said in a e-mail statement. The company in a statement to PTI also said since the voluntary recall decision was made, DePuy (the subsidiary of the firm) has worked to provide patients and surgeons with the information and support they need, including an "unprecedented reimbursement programme" to address recall-related costs that was the first-of-its kind worldwide. "Our goal has always been to make sure as many ASR patients in India as possible were aware of the voluntary recall and understood the support available to them. "DePuy does not, however, have access to data on patients who have received an ASR hip implant due to patient confidentiality regulations," it said in the statement. It said DePuy has been "actively" requesting that surgeons and hospitals reach out to their ASR patients to ensure awareness. "Efforts to support ASR patients and their surgeons have been a top priority for us, and we have sent several communications to surgeons who implanted ASR hips, informing them of the recall, available support, clinical and scientific support information and the reimbursement process," it said. It said the efforts include an urgent filed safety notice dated August 24, 2010 was to surgeons informing them about the higher than expected revision rates involving ASR and directions to them to stop implanting the ASR devices and giving them full details about the reimbursement process and ASR Helpline. Other efforts also include establishment of an ASR Helpline, ASR website specific for India which provided detailed information regarding the recall for both patients and surgeons, newspapers advertisements among others. The statement said as a result of the outreach efforts, to date the company has through surgeons, hospitals and independent service providers, demonstrated outreach to more than 2,300 patients who underwent ASR surgery in India. "It is important to note that not all ASR patients will require revision surgery and a number of patients continue to do well with ASR implants. In India, 1,080 patients have registered with the ASR Helpline. "We have reimbursed the cost of revision surgery and related medical costs pertaining to it to each of the 275 eligible patients who were known to us through the registry who underwent revision surgery. We also have reimbursed cost for testing and monitoring to all 1080 ASR patients registered on the helpline," it said in a statement. The ASR recall was voluntarily initiated by DePuy worldwide on August 24, 2010. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 6 Vote(s) - 2.33 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 07:32 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #1 Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA Advertisement With all signs indicating that the Assad regime, backed by Russia, is readying an imminent massacre, the ongoing smear campaign against the White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) is ramping back up. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10358...10112.html GL everybody ! GLeverybody ! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461104 09-09-2018 07:33 PM Post: #2 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA spo snouou Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:32 PM) With all signs indicating that the Assad regime, backed by Russia, is readying an imminent massacre, the ongoing smear campaign against the White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) is ramping back up. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10358...10112.html GL everybody ! GL indeed GL indeed FurriesRock lop guest User ID: 439413 09-09-2018 07:40 PM Post: #3 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA spo snouou Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:32 PM) With all signs indicating that the Assad regime, backed by Russia, is readying an imminent massacre, the ongoing smear campaign against the White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) is ramping back up. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10358...10112.html GL everybody ! Its the opposite, Mainstream media hasn't broken this story yet, as they're waiting to be told how to spin it. Its the opposite, Mainstream media hasn't broken this story yet, as they're waiting to be told how to spin it. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 455845 09-09-2018 07:44 PM Post: #4 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA This can happen if the old forskin snood is whipped off... LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 446450 09-09-2018 07:46 PM Post: #5 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA spo snouou Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:32 PM) With all signs indicating that the Assad regime, backed by Russia, is readying an imminent massacre, the ongoing smear campaign against the White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) is ramping back up. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10358...10112.html GL everybody ! Good. The CIA and its friends need to get thefuck out of Syria. Good.The CIA and its friends need to get thefuck out of Syria. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 460982 09-09-2018 07:48 PM Post: #6 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA FurriesRock Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:40 PM) spo snouou Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:32 PM) With all signs indicating that the Assad regime, backed by Russia, is readying an imminent massacre, the ongoing smear campaign against the White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) is ramping back up. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10358...10112.html GL everybody ! Its the opposite, Mainstream media hasn't broken this story yet, as they're waiting to be told how to spin it. Isn't it amazing how those who b!tch about the mainstream media, are used to cite Russian state owned rags like RT and Sputnik? Not even to mention Zero Hedge, a site registered in Bulgaria and owned by a "former" KGB asset Isn't it amazing how those who b!tch about the mainstream media, are used to cite Russian state owned rags like RT and Sputnik?Not even to mention Zero Hedge, a site registered in Bulgaria and owned by a "former" KGB asset spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 07:54 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #7 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA How One Doctors False Claim Was Used To Erase Atrocities In Syria The Cycle of Misinformation To fully grasp the reach of misinformation, multiple channels and mechanisms of communication need to be considered and analyzed. While retweets provide an initial indicator, there are other channels through which misinformation travels on Twitter and spills over onto other platforms. In this specific example, Binders initial tweet was spread through retweets and amplified by quote-tweets, screengrabs of the original tweet, and tweets that translated Binders claim into other languages. Many of the tweets that spread through these secondary channels garnered hundreds or thousands of unique retweets. The tweet was further amplified when it spread to other platforms, including Facebook, Reddit, several news websites, and numerous personal forums, message boards, and blogs. The misinformation in Binders tweet spread through multiple channels and across multiple platforms (L), ultimately reaching far beyond the initial 12,569 retweets. To get a better idea of why this particular false claim went viral, how and where it spread, and what role it played in the ongoing disinformation campaign surrounding the chemical attack in Syria, I explored the lifecycle of Binders tweet, starting with the origin and moving on to the channels and platforms through which it spread. I also tracked the spread of the correction and other attempts to fact-check the original tweet. Finally, I looked at the Twitter accounts that actively spread and engaged with Binders tweet, focusing on how users evaluated the misinformation, assigned legitimacy to it, and used it to bolster existing narratives. more: https://arcdigital.media/how-one-doctors...6459ffa4e2 Russian/Syrian regime propaganda targets the White Helmets because: -They want to discredit them so you won't believe their video/photographic evidence documenting Assad's war crimes. -They want to dehumanize them so you won't care when they become victims of those war crimes. Here, you can see the Kremlin using its official Twitter accounts to set the narrative, which accuses the White Helmets of: -Preparing to stage a "false flag" chemical attack -Kidnapping children -Being terrorists & working with terrorists -Then, those same narratives (accusing the White Helmets of staging "false flag" chemical attacks, kidnapping children, working w/ terrorists, etc.) are picked up & amplified by Russian propaganda outlets like Sputnik & RT. -Next, the smear campaign against the White Helmets gets disseminated to a wider audience via a combination of paid propagandists, Assad/Putin apologists, useful idiots, Islamophobes, a few randos, & a fair share of automated accounts (bots). To fully grasp the reach of misinformation, multiple channels and mechanisms of communication need to be considered and analyzed. While retweets provide an initial indicator, there are other channels through which misinformation travels on Twitter and spills over onto other platforms.In this specific example, Binders initial tweet was spread through retweets and amplified by quote-tweets, screengrabs of the original tweet, and tweets that translated Binders claim into other languages. Many of the tweets that spread through these secondary channels garnered hundreds or thousands of unique retweets.The tweet was further amplified when it spread to other platforms, including Facebook, Reddit, several news websites, and numerous personal forums, message boards, and blogs.To get a better idea of why this particular false claim went viral, how and where it spread, and what role it played in the ongoing disinformation campaign surrounding the chemical attack in Syria, I explored the lifecycle of Binders tweet, starting with the origin and moving on to the channels and platforms through which it spread. I also tracked the spread of the correction and other attempts to fact-check the original tweet. Finally, I looked at the Twitter accounts that actively spread and engaged with Binders tweet, focusing on how users evaluated the misinformation, assigned legitimacy to it, and used it to bolster existing narratives.more: spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 07:56 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #8 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA LoP Guest Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:48 PM) Not even to mention Zero Hedge, a site registered in Bulgaria and owned by a "former" KGB asset that isn't the first time I have heard that said about that place. makes a lot of sense.... now that I think about it that isn't the first time I have heard that said about that place.makes a lot of sense.... now that I think about it FurriesRock lop guest User ID: 439413 09-09-2018 07:57 PM Post: #9 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA LoP Guest Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:48 PM) FurriesRock Wrote: (09-09-2018 07:40 PM) Its the opposite, Mainstream media hasn't broken this story yet, as they're waiting to be told how to spin it. Isn't it amazing how those who b!tch about the mainstream media, are used to cite Russian state owned rags like RT and Sputnik? Not even to mention Zero Hedge, a site registered in Bulgaria and owned by a "former" KGB asset 1. The fact that a news source is state owned, does not lessen its credibility. 2. American media has been caught lying in the past; only a complete moronic fool would trust them now. 3. Zero Hedge, okay, whatever. 4. Go take in a donkey show, it'll calm your nerves. 1. The fact that a news source is state owned, does not lessen its credibility.2. American media has been caught lying in the past; only a complete moronic fool would trust them now.3. Zero Hedge, okay, whatever.4. Go take in a donkey show, it'll calm your nerves. Hrd2Stbd Registered User User ID: 460812 09-09-2018 08:18 PM Posts: 3,807 Post: #10 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA Asshat is starting to reach Goebbels levels of propaganda spewing. "The First Amendment is first for a reason. The Second Amendment is just in case the first one doesn't work out." -Dave Chappelle Be August Landmesser spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 09-09-2018 08:47 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #11 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA Hrd2Stbd Wrote: (09-09-2018 08:18 PM) Asshat is starting to reach Goebbels levels of propaganda spewing. wipe that warm Russian semen off your chin Mr Trumpflake maggot you have seen absolutely nothing yet.. wipe that warm Russian semen off your chin Mr Trumpflake maggotyou have seen absolutely nothing yet.. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 442897 09-09-2018 08:48 PM Post: #12 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA What about the poppy fields, they are still safe right? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461074 09-09-2018 08:55 PM Post: #13 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA The white helmets ARE the bad guys you f*cking LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 461281 09-09-2018 08:56 PM Post: #14 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA Natura Naturans Registered User User ID: 441875 09-09-2018 09:07 PM Posts: 13,155 Post: #15 RE: Get ready for a WAVE OF INCOMING 'WHITE HELMET' PROPGANDA Amazing how the AC is always on the US globalist side. Here is now supporting Trump and the US illegal invasion of Syria. Who would have thought the AC would be cheering on Trump. And of course the lying US. Guess the AC never saw a lying US dictatorial policy he didn't like. The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. --Baruch Spinoza Advertisement said Sunday it has crossed 1.5 million cumulative sales milestone in the country since launching its first product in India in January 1998. The company, which currently sells eight models in the country including popular sedans City and Amaze, crossed the first five lakh sales milestone in the country in March 2012, taking 14 years and 3 months. Honda took another three years and seven months to sell another five lakh units to breach 1 million cumulative sales mark in October, 2015. The latest five lakh units for the company, taking its total sales past 1.5 million mark, came in just 34 months. "The success in the Indian market is strongly associated with Honda's advanced design and technology, reliability, durability and fuel-efficiency that characterises our DNA," Ltd (HCIL) Senior Vice President & Director Rajesh Goel said in a statement. The company would like to reiterate its commitment to all customers in India offering them the best of technology, product and services, he added. Honda had entered the Indian car market with its premium sedan in year 1998 and the model has been the largest contributor to the company's cumulative sales followed by the compact family sedan Amaze and premium hatchback as the next two contributing models. The company currently sells its products from a network of 341 facilities in 231 cities across the country. In the current fiscal, April-August period, HCIL has sold 79,599 units, up 9 per cent from 73,012 units in the corresponding period of previous fiscal. A woman head constable with Haryana Police has accused a man and his brother, who too is a head constable, of raping and blackmailing her, an official said on Sunday. Following the rape case being filed at women police station, Palwal on Saturday, a probe was launched, Palwal SP, Waseem Akram said. However, he denied the rumours that the victim was raped inside a police station as reported by a section of the media. "The woman head constable has complained that she came in contact with the main accused Joginder alias Mintu of Alawalpur, Palwal in 2014. She had first met him in Mahendergarh," Akram said quoting the complaint by the woman. "She stated that they were in touch since then and Joginder had allegedly repeatedly raped her during her posting in Faridabad, Jind and Palwal," he added. The complainant further alleged that in June 2017, Joginder introduced her to his brother-- a head constable with Faridabad Police-- who too allegedly raped her, Akram said. She alleged that Joginder has been blackmailing her for money and sexual favours as he possesses objectionable photographs of her and threatens to post them on social media. "During the investigation, it has been found that the accused Joginder is married and has two children. The complainant is also married," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Gali Guleiyan" has been well-received by critics for its unique approach to an issue as sensitive as child violence. Director of the film Dipesh Jain says he was originally planning to make a documentary on the subject, but decided to develop it into a feature as he did not want to be preachy in his treatment. The director said the initial idea of the film was to explore the theme of entrapment but the story needed more to go beyond the "surface level". "Dramatics is either by exaggeration or by contrast. What is interesting is that you have a place which is bustling with people and the contrast is that there is a person who is all alone and trapped. "The film is very claustrophobic and it explores that feeling. But physical entrapment is on a very surface level. We needed more to tell the story and to make it layered. I wasn't able to crack that. But then I did some research on child abuse and child violence wanting to make a documentary about it," Jain told PTI in an interview. But the director soon junked the idea of making a documentary and instead opted for the feature film route, hoping that the key takeaway from it would be about "good parenting". "I am someone who does not like preachy films and that kind of storytelling. I thought if I develop this subject into a documentary, then it will be preachy and conventional. Documentaries tend to talk about social topics. "I wanted to tell a story of entrapment with a parallel story of a boy getting beaten up. I thought that if the stories do well and people are engaged till the end, then they will also get a message about good parenting," Jain said. He cited the works of Hollywood legends Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick and Michael Haneke, saying that they let the audience interpret the message from their films. "If you look at the works of all these directors, you will notice that they are not saying the message. It is there for the audience. If it's a good piece of art, everybody will take a different message out of it and it will start a conversation," Jain said. The director said he wanted Manoj Bajpayee, Ranvir Shorey, Neeraj Kabi and Shahana Goswami, to be his core cast, and believes it was the script that made them say yes to the film. "When I spoke with my casting director, he asked me about my A choice of cast. I said Manoj, Ranvir, Neeraj and Shahana. When he asked me about choice B, I said I haven't thought about it because I have written the script for them only. "He told me that for debutante director, it is big cast and they have never starred together. I told him to send the script to the actors and then see," Jain said. As an indie film, "Gali Guleiyan" also had its fair share of struggles and the director said that most difficult phase was the distribution. "All of us were working to get it released and it was not an individual struggle. We got support from the press and the social media as there was lot of buzz around it. "The biggest struggle in distribution is how many screens you get. They don't give good showtime to our films. It is either 9 am in the morning or 12 am in the night. Our audience work in the day and then they would decide to go watch the film. There are people who want to see the film because the trailer alone got more than 4 millions views online," Jain said. The film released Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A section of Air India pilot has asked the airline's management to roll back its recent order to recover over-time flying allowance, paid to pilots of its Airbus fleet in the past two-and-half-years, and warned of "industrial action" if the demand was not accepted. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) has made the demand in a letter written to Air India (AI) chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola Saturday. Stating that the decision was taken without any prior consultation with the pilots body, the ICPA said the allowance is being paid as per a proposal cleared by the aviation ministry in January 2016. "The flying allowance was credited on September 7 for the month of July. Under instructions from the director (finance), we have been allegedly slapped with over-time recoveries paid to us for the period between January 2016 and June 2018 without ICPA consultation," the pilots body, which represents narrow-body fleet in the airline, said. "Any such decision will be illegal and we strongly object to this unlawful act of Air India," it said in the letter. The ICPA also said that after the ministry cleared the proposal, which had the consent of the association as well, all parties concerned, including the government, later got it recorded before the Supreme Court. "With regards to staff on duty (SOD) payment, it was explicitly understood to continue the current practice of narrow body (pilots)." Reminding the AI management of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement that the erstwhile UPA's decision to tax Vodafone group retrospectively was "erroneous", the ICPA said "This order (recovery with retrospective effect) is against the stand taken by the government." "We request you to direct director finance to immediately withdraw the order...return the recovered amount and refrain from any further illegal recoveries failing which the ICPA reserves the right to explore any action that is deemed fit, including industrial action," the letter said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indiabulls Real Estate expects to garner a sales revenue of over Rs 30,000 crore from its 14 ongoing projects, being developed mainly in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai, the company said. In his message to shareholders in the annual report, Indiabulls Real Estate Chairman Sameer Gehlaut said the company has well-diversified presence in both commercial and housing segments. "With the recovery in the real estate deals in the country, the company has been expanding its base in its key markets such as Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), National Capital Region (NCR) etc. The company's ongoing projects have 28.5 million sq ft saleable area with a gross development value of around Rs 30,130 crore," he said. Gehlaut said the company has projects across the price spectrum, from mid-income, premium to super luxury. According to the report, the company has a saleable area of 28.5 million sq ft in these 14 projects and execution of these projects will generate a net surplus of Rs 17,191 crore after meeting the pending construction costs. Separately, Indiabulls has equal joint venture with global private equity firm Blackstone. The JV has 3.3 million sq ft completed asset with annuity income of Rs 670 crore, while 0.8 million sq ft is under construction with expected rental income of Rs 172 crore. "Your company has entered into a joint venture with Blackstone Group and monetized 50 per cent stake in our two marquee commercial assets in Mumbai, namely Indiabulls Property Pvt Ltd (One Indiabulls Centre, Sky Forest' and Sky') and Indiabulls Real Estate Company Pvt Ltd (Indiabulls Finance Centre) at an enterprise value of Rs 9,500 crores," Gehlaut said. In addition, the JV has an ongoing residential project with total saleable area of 1.6 million sq ft and gross development value of Rs 3,839 crore, the report said. Moreover, the company in July executed definitive transaction documents with the entities controlled by Blackstone Group by which the company will divest 100 per cent stake in the non-core commercial assets in Chennai. It earns a rental income of Rs 85 crore from 1.9 million sq ft leased area in 'One Indiabulls Park' project at Chennai. "Possibilities are being explored to make the most of the opportunities offered by the commercial real estate," Gehlaut said. On its own, Indiabulls is constructing another 3.3 million sq ft of commercial area. On the growth strategy, Indiabulls said the company will focus on its core markets of Mumbai Metropolitan Region & National Capital Region. The company will have an asset light model in development (housing) side of business. It will form JV with land owners and developers, without incurring significant upfront land acquisition costs. On rental business, the company would continue to sell its owned and completed office properties to investors as it has done with Blackstone. The funds raised will be used to acquire assets. Indiabulls Real Estate has fully paid land bank of 1,046 acres in key cities across India, of which more than 95 per cent is in high value super-metro cities Mumbai (MMR), National Capital Region (NCR) and Chennai. In addition, the company also possesses 2,588 acres of SEZ land in Nashik, Maharashtra. The company posted a net profit of Rs 117.5 crore over a revenue of Rs 835 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of Indian-origin writers and professionals in the UK have come together to organise an event to raise funds for the victims of the devastating floods in Kerala. Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor will make a special address on his home state at the fundraiser, to be held at the famous Malayali restaurant 'Rasa' in central London on Wednesday. "I felt very, very lucky that none of my family or my 200-year-old ancestral home in Palakkad were affected. I knew many others were not as fortuitous as us," said Smita Tharoor, a London-based training consultant and one of the organisers along with her son Avinash. "Coincidentally, once we agreed that we would have a fundraiser, I realised my brother Shashi was in town for two days, so we decided to involve him. He was more than happy to support our event," she said. The massive floods in the state have claimed over 400 lives, with thousands stranded in the wake of the devastation caused. Das Sreedharan, an award-winning Indian chef and founder of the Rasa chain of restaurants in the UK, got the of his riverside retreat Rasa Gurukul on the banks of Chalakudy river near Cochin also being hit in the worst floods in the state in nearly a century. "I felt very relieved on behalf of my own immediate family who were not affected by the floods and sent a donation to the chief minister's fund. However, this did not feel like enough when I heard a few days later that Das' riverside resort had incurred terrible damage," said Jaishree Misra, London-based author of 'Ancient Promises' and 'Secrets & Lies'. "I knew he was doing a lot to uplift the local community in Chalakudy and, given that he has always offered a friendly welcome to London Malayalis at his restaurants, I felt they would want to show their support to him too. Hence the fundraiser," she explained. Among the raffle prize draws for the event will include three nights' stay at Rasa Gurukul in Kerala and signed copies of books by Misra and co-organiser Shrabani Basu, the author of 'Spy Princess' and 'Victoria and Abdul'. The funds raised from the special dinner event next week will be shared between the Kerala Chief Minister's Relief Fund, the NGO 'Goonj', and help uplift the community in and around Rasa Gurukul. The event has also found the backing of Indian-origin peer Lord Karan Bilimoria's Cobra Beer brand as well as Amira Rice in its efforts to raise thousands of pounds for the three chosen charities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An inter-state gang of thugs was busted with the arrest of one member who impersonated senior government officials of different states and extorted money from contractors and businessmen, police said Sunday. Acting on a tip-off that a Bihar-based criminal was living in Gadabasa area of Bagbera police station with fake identity and impersonating senior officials of different states and extorting businessmen a police team was constituted to conduct raid and apprehend the culprits, Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop Birtharay said. Addressing a press conference here, Birtharay, who was accompanied by the Superintendent of Police (City) Prabhat Kumar, said the police team conducted raid in Gadabasa on Saturday and arrested one Ranjan Kumar Mishra, a native of Sindhia Ghat of Gaya in Bihar. Birtharay said Ranjan had collected Rs 25 lakh from two Bhopal-based contractors recently. Birtharay said the gang members used to supply mobile numbers and other personal details of big businessmen, contractors and engineers to Ranjan. Ranjan would then call them up, identifying himself as senior government officials and extract huge sums from them. The gang members duped the businessmen by asking them to transfer money online to different accounts, he said adding that police has identified some gang members involved in the racket including one Rakesh Rai of Sitamarhi, Bihar. Police has begun investigation and a team was being sent to different locations to apprehend the culprits, he said. Cases against Ranjan and his accomplices were registered in various states including Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, while cases were pending against them in Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Shahjanhapur in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Police recovered Rs 7.16 lakh cash, land document worth Rs 11.50 lakh, car, two-wheeler, four fake identity cards, 11 mobile phones, five SIM cards, two ATM cards and two bank passbooks from Ranjan, Birtharay added. Ranjan also confessed to have extracted Rs 2 crore during the past 18 months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year old IPS officer, who had reportedly consumed some poisonous substance, died Sunday at a nursing home in Kanpur after battling for life for four days. Surendra Kumar Das, an officer of the 2014 batch, was posted as Superintendent of Police (East) in the city. A "suicide" note recovered from the scene of the incident mentioned "family issues" as the reason behind the extreme step. Dr Rajesh Agarwal, a senior doctor, at the nursing home where Das was undergoing treatment, had on Saturday said that many organs of the officer's body had stopped functioning. He was on life support in the intensive care unit. "He died during treatment Sunday", said an official spokesman, adding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolence to the family members of the young IPS officer. Das had spoken to circle officers on Tuesday night about patrolling. A police official said: "The (suicide) letter stated that he was doing so (taking his life) because of family issues. The letter was addressed to his wife and further stated that he loved her a lot. At the end of the letter, it stated that no one else was responsible for it." At 4 am on Wednesday, his wife, who is a doctor, noticed that his health had suddenly deteriorated. He was rushed to a government hospital from where he was shifted to a private nursing home in a serious condition. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh had visited the hospital on Saturday. The body has been sent for post mortem which will be carried out by a panel of doctors, additional DGP (Kanpur zone) Avinash Chandra said in Kanpur. Preliminary investigations indicated that the officer was in acute depression for the past few days and had searched a website looking for ways to commit suicide in an easy way, Chandra said. He said Das consumed a powder that he had asked his domestic help to fetch him from the market for killing rats. "He had worked till late in the night on Tuesday. His behaviour was very good. Now, for what reason he had consumed a poisonous substance will be probed," the ADG said, adding the police department had nothing to do with the matter. Senior police officers including DGP, ADG (Law and Order) and others expressed grief over the demise of the IPS officer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Poetry is seldom associated with the toughness the job of a police officer entails. But it is precisely because of his love for verses loaded with messages in lofty human ideals and conduct that Deputy Commissioner of Police,Chennai, R Thirunavukkarasu, has been made brand ambassador for the works of legendary Tamil poet and humanist Tiruvalluvar, who had sounded on subjects as varied as ethidcs, politics, economics and delicate matters of love centuries ago. The officer said he has had more than the usual exposure to Tamil literature, in particular the reatise of Thirukkural, from an early age, since his parents were teachers. Thirunavukkarasu said he had been reading out a couplet from the Kural each day for many years as he thought it would help and motivate him. "Life has become stressful for most of us and I thought reading out one couplet from the Kural every day would help and motivate me. I have been doing it for years." The 44-year old officer hit upon the idea of introducing the practice of reading or reciting a couplet from the Kural to police personnel working under him to benefit them also. "So with the permission of my superior officers, I started the practice of reciting one couplet from the Kural before the start of the roll call every day for police personnel about seven years ago." It worked and very well as it became a kind of a stress buster for them, he said. "I choose an appropriate couplet everyday to sync with the specific task assigned for the personnel and it helps, guides and motivates them," he says. Even as he was doing it, he found school going children to be "many times more burdened than we were." So he hit upon the idea of making short animated videos on Kural for them. In the videos, he gives the voice-over; illustrates the concepts of Kural by interspersing the lives of great men and women, ranging from kings of the yore to modern day scientists so that the children can connect to the idea. To explain a couplet on a positive frame of mind and enthusiasm, he chronicles Isaac Newton's great discoveries and then amplifies the Kural's idea. The officer said he found that the videos he made and shared were liked not only by children, but adults as well. "It is shared on Whatsapp by many people and I even got calls from the Tamil diaspora, appreciating the time spent for taking the Kural to more people through such short videos," he said. "Life becomes easy, purposeful and rewarding for both the individual and the society at large by reading and following the Kural." On Sept 1, he released his book "Thirukkuralodu Naam," (We with Thirukkural) and launched www.thirukkuralodunaam.com portal as well which hosts short animated videos on Kural. The officer has also given lectures on Kural, self-motivation and self-confidence. Showering praise on the Tamil classic, he said "it is a gift of our sage poet Thiruvalluvar not only to the Tamil people, but to the whole human race.. it is a practical guide of do's and dont's... please follow it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thirteen years after her first Hindi film released, Minissha Lamba has made her theatre debut but the actor says performing on stage is a "daunting proposition" for her. Lamba's first show, "Mirror Mirror", premiered in Delhi Saturday. The solo performance, that stretched around 75 minutes, saw her segueing into 13 different characters for the psychological thriller. The English-language play, interspersed with a few Hindi phrases, is written and directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, who has previously helmed critically and commercially acclaimed "Ek Mulaqat", "Gardish Mein Taare" and "Mr and Mrs Murarilal". In an interview to PTI, Lamba, known for her roles in films such as "Yahaan", "Bachna Ae Haseeno" and "Well Done Abba", said she was equally nervous and excited for her theatre debut. "It's difficult because I don't have any other actor to play off as kind of support right out there on the stage. Most of the times you are looking at the audience and it is just you talking to your audience. It is very scary for me. And for someone coming with no (theatre) experience, it is a very daunting proposition currently for me," she told PTI. Lamba explained how she has attempted bringing in different personalities for the range of characters in the play, an original story about the relationship of two identical siblings. "There's one character which I am playing as a complete caricature, there's another for which I have taken inspiration from somebody I know. I play my younger self also which I felt was very generic. For children of a certain age their behaviour is very generic. So you can observe any child and catch their behaviour and just add body to that. "But honestly I don't know how I prepared for this. I had a great guide and mentor in Saif sir. It is something that flowed very organically. He gave me a lot of room and leeway to first see what I am bringing to the table. Then he honed it and took it in the direction, as a visionary of the story, which he thought is the best for the story to be told," she said. On how did she land up the role, the actor, who made her Hindi film debut with Shoojit Sircar's "Yahaan" in 2005, said, "theatre is something that I always wanted to do but it is also something that has been in the back of my mind like yeah... I'll do it someday." Hasan, the play's director, said Lamba's casting was "instinctive". He describes her evolution in theatre as "brilliant and very seamless". "When the process began, I told her that at the end of the day, you're an actor. Whether you ride a bicycle or a scooter, at the end of the day, you know how to ride a two wheeler. In both the mediums, you have to act. And had she not been an actor, I wouldn't have cast her," Hasan, 45, said. "Casting an actor is like selecting your life partner and it goes by instinct. There are times when your instinct goes wrong, in marriages as well as in casting, but at times it works also and I hope it works with this show," said the playwright, who has helmed the theatre debuts of actors Deepti Naval and Arif Zakaria. "Mirror Mirror" is produced by Ashwin Gidwani's theatre company AGP World. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) San Miguel Corp. said it tapped Standard Chartered Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. as co-financial advisors for the planned P735-billion New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan province. SMC has appointed SCB and SMBC as co-financial advisors as we continue to progress through the next stages of approvals and process, San Miguel said in a statement over the weekend. They are both leading advisors in the infrastructure and airports sector and will be able to bring their expertise and experience to assist SMC throughout the process, with the ultimate goal of the successful delivery and closing of this landmark project for the Philippines, the conglomerate said. It said the partnership with major financial institutions would be a key step forward to making the New Manila International Airport a reality. The project, which was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte in April, involves the construction of a world-class, major international gateway with four to six parallel runways, modern terminals, a sea port and an industrial zone. Its a great privilege and honor to partner with San Miguel Corp. on such a historic and game-changing project for the Philippines. We believe our experience in projects of this scale will be of great value to San Miguel, and, together with SMBC, we are ready and able to provide all the support they will need, said Standard Chartered Bank. This project is of great importance to the Philippines and the Filipino people, and we are honored by the trust given to us by San Miguel Corporation, said SMBC.SMBCs task, together with SCB is to make sure that San Miguel has all the support required to get a project of this magnitude and scale, done. We look forward to providing our expertise to deliver on this goal, it said. San Miguel proposed to build the massive airport complex on a 2,500-hectare property in Bulakan, Bulacanjust 27 kilometers away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, or 45 minutes from any point in Metro Manila via multiple expressways. It said the new airport was expected to create one million jobs during the construction phase. The company said in a statement it would hire the best Filipino talents from here and abroadespecially from among the ranks of overseas Filipino workers. Once the airport project is given the green light to proceed with construction, we will tap our best workers from here and overseas, San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said. Its a massive undertaking. We will need Filipino talents in engineering, construction, hospitality and airport-related services. Hopefully, this will give many of our OFWs countrymen a reason to come home, be with their families, and at the same time help in building a better future for our nation, he said. International Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines founding chairman Francis Chua said that after carefully studying all airport proposals, the group believed that San Miguels proposal was the best for the Philippines. Jammu and Kashmir's Advocate General D C Raina Sunday called on Governor Satya Pal Malik and briefed him about the status of cases pending in the high courts and the Supreme Court which relate to the state, an official spokesperson said. Raina met the governor at the Raj Bhavan here, he said. The spokesperson said Raina discussed with the governor the to-date status of all the important cases pending in the high courts and Supreme Court which relate to Jammu and Kashmir. Pertinently, cases challenging Article 35-A and Article 370 of the Constitution which grant special status to Jammu and Kashmir are in progress in the Supreme Court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajasthan government has introduced the 'Joyful Saturday' initiative under which various recreational and learning activities would be held for government school students on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. Students will not have to carry their bags for 'Joyful Saturday', which would be held after recess on the second and fourth Saturdays. Activities to improve communication skills, creativity, critical and logical thinking would be held for the students from classes 1 to 12. Rajasthan School Council had recently issued a circular to all the district officers and district coordinators of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, informing them that the 'Joyful Saturday' programme had been approved. Activities like debate, poetry recitation, storytelling, puzzle solving, display of scientific magic tricks, toy making, arts and crafts, communicating with police, doctors, nurses, bank staffers, plantation works, road safety, child rights' club activities, display of motivational videos, gender-based videos (good touch, bad touch), games, etc., will be held under six segments of expression or communication skills -- creativity, critical thinking and logic skills, community skills, social sensitivity skill and physical skills. Students will be divided into three batches from class 1 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12. A provision of Rs 1,000 per school has also been made for the purchase of items needed to organise the fun activities, the circular issued by Shivangi Swarnkar, state project director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan said. Sandeep Joshi, lecturer of a government senior secondary school, Revat in Jalore district, said the initiative will help in overall development of students in government schools. We were already doing activities like classroom debate, speech and physical activities, but we will get more time now because the government has issued orders. Students are excited about 'Joyful Saturday' which will start very soon, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 55-year-old nun was found dead Sunday inside the well of Mount Tabor Dayara Convent at Pathanapuram, more than 75 km from the state capital, police said. The body of Sister Susan, a teacher at St Stephens School attached to the convent, was found floating in the well at the sprawling compound this morning. A senior police officer told PTI that the body had "self-inflicted" injuries on both hands. "There were self-inflicted injuries on her wrists. The left cut was more severe and deep. The injury on the right wrist was comparatively small," the officer said. He said more details would be available after the post mortem report comes. The nun belonged to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox church. Other inmates of the convent first came across blood stains near the well and then found her body floating by 9 am. Blood stains were also found insider her room, nearly 50 metres away from the well. Police and fire department personnel rushed to the spot, pulled the body out and carried out an inquest at the scene. A case of unnatural death was registered and the body was sent for post-mortem to Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram, the officer said. Police earlier examined the nun's room and other premises of the convent and recorded statements of the members. Local TV channels quoted inmates of the convent as saying that the deceased nun was under depression for some time, but police did not confirm the claims. Kollam District Congress Committee president Bindhu Krishna termed the incident shocking and demanded an impartial inquiry. The death of another Catholic nun, Sister Abhaya, under similar circumstances, had triggered a controversy in the state two decades ago. Abhaya's body was found in the well of St Pius Convent in Kottayam on March 27, 1992. She was an inmate of the convent. Initially, the case was investigated by local police and state crime branch, which concluded that Abhaya had committed suicide. However, the case was taken over by CBI on March 29, 1993. In 2008, the agency arrested two priests - Fr Thomas Kottoor, Fr Jose Poothrikkayiland - and nun Sister Sephy on the charge of murder. According to prosecution, Kottoor and Poothrikkayil allegedly had an illicit relationship with Sephy, also an inmate of the convent. On the night of March 27, 1992, Abhaya allegedly saw Kottoor and Sephy in a compromising position, following which the three accused hacked her to death with an axe and threw her body into the well, CBI had said in its chargesheet. The accused were arrested in 2008 and released on bail by the Kerala High Court a year later. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh-based Krishnapatnam Port is looking to invest Rs 500 crore over the next 18 months for setting up a liquid cargo terminal and expanding container handling capacity, a top official has said. The port is witnessing an increase in capacity utilisations across the bulk and container segment, which is leading to firming up of new plans. "We will invest Rs 500 crore over the next 12-18 months for creating a liquid cargo terminal and also expand container capacity," its chief executive Anil Yendluri told PTI over the weekend. He said the liquid cargo container terminal will handle a host of commodities and it is already in touch with prospective clients. It is aiming to increase the container capacity by 8 lakh standard 20-feet units to 20 lakh TEUs as part of the expansion, he said. The container terminal expansion entails putting up a few equipment and readying the yards to handle more, he said. The port is targeting to close FY19 with 6 lakh TEUs being handled as against 4.80 lakh TEUs in the year-ago period. "The port is targeting to up the overall cargo handling to 60 million tonnes in FY19 from the 45 million tonnes in FY18," he said. When asked if there are difficulties in getting cargo for east coast ports, Yendluri said its performance for the last two years, where there has been a 114 per cent and 88 per cent growth in cargo handled respectively, proves otherwise. The port which was established in 2008 has utilised only 3 kms of an overall 13 kms sea frontage length for building berths and also has a land bank of over 7,000 acres, he said. It is in talks with auto manufacturers to set up a RO-RO terminal, which can handle movement of finished cars on sea. He said newer manufacturers like Kia and Isuzu are setting base in Andhra Pradesh and in close proximity of the port. He claimed that a terminal can be set up in 6-9 months. It is also in talks with gas companies for an LNG terminal, but he declined to quantify the investments or timelines. He said the port would like to invest small in LNG, see how it pans out before ramping up capacity. "It is very bullish in the transshipment segment and is already working with a few liners, who make scheduled stops at the port," he said. Yendluri said a scheme like Udaan in aviation to promote regional connectivity is required for promoting liners to make more calls on Indian ports. He added the money paid to liners to compensate for loss of business will help reduce reliance on ports like Colombo for transshipment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year old local functionary of Congress attempted self-immolation after being arrested by police on the charge of harassing girls at a Scheduled Tribe hostel in Rajanna Sircilla district Sunday, police said. Bandari Bala Kumar, Sircilla unit Youth Congress president, was taken into custody after he entered the hostel in the town and harassed the girls allegedly under inebriated condition, they said. When he was taken to a hospital for examination, he doused himself with kerosene and attempted to set himself afire. However, police managed to foil his attempt. He was later produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday said the state government was working on various proposals to give relief to the people from the rising fuel prices. Talking to PTI, Fadnavis also said bringing petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST) was one of the ways of reducing the prices. "The state government is working on various proposals to reduce the prices of fuel in the state," he said without elaborating on the measures. "The best way to control fuel price is to bring it under GST. If the GST Council moves this proposal, then Maharashtra will support it," Fadnavis added. Taking a dig at the opposition, Fadnavis said the NDA government reduced the petrol prices 13 times in the first three years. "They know that oil prices are dependent on the international markets. This government reduced the price of petrol 13 times in the first three years. Now, international prices of crude oil have skyrocketed," he said. He added that if the opposition is so concerned about the high fuel prices, it should announce in the states ruled by the Congress or their alliance partners that there would be no tax on petrol and diesel. "But they will not do so, because this is all politically motivated," Fadnavis said. The chief minister also slammed the opposition over its call for 'Bharat Bandh' Monday over on the issue. The BJP-led government has under fire over the fuel price hike. The Congress has given a call for a nation-wide shut-down on Monday to protest the increasing petroleum prices. Uday Lodh, president of Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers Association (FAMPEDA) said the government charges 65 per cent taxes of the basic prices of fuel. In Maharashtra, apart from 25 per cent and 21 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel respectively, the government has also introduced Rs 9 and Rs 1 as various cess on petrol and diesel respectively. "Since the basic price of fuel is increasing due to international crude prices, the income of the government increases as the taxes being levied on basic price is stagnant. This means the government is making money at a time when the common man is harried," he said. Lodh said the government should either cut down on VAT or the cess to give relief to the common man. Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said in 2014, the state government had imposed a drought cess of Rs 2 per litre on petrol to support drought-prone Marathwada region. "It was the need then and hence the cess was introduced across the state. But, later we removed it and gave exemption of Rs 3,067 crore to the people," he said. The minister said the fuel prices depend on the international rates of crude oil and added that the rates had reached Rs 83.56 during the UPA rule in 2013. The petrol and diesel prices in Mumbai on Sunday are Rs 87.89 per litre and Rs 77.09 per litre respectively. Since mid-August, petrol price has been marked up by Rs 3.24 a litre and diesel by Rs 3.74 per litre as the rupee hit a record low against the US dollar, making petroleum imports costlier. The Union government had raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 11.77 a litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in nine instalments between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Members of the Muslim community Sunday took out a silent march here demanding five per cent reservations in government jobs and education. The "Muslim mook morcha" (silent march) started from Golibar Maidan here and culminated at the Pune district collectorate building four kilometres away where they submitted a memorandum to Collector Naval Kishore Ram. "In 2014, the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra had issued an ordinance providing five per cent reservation to 50 Muslim communities. But the ordinance could not become an Act despite the Bombay High Court allowing quota for Muslims in education," claimed Anjum Inamdar, one of the organisers of the protest march. Inamdar said that this ordinance should be converted into an Act and the state's Muslim community should be provided reservations in jobs as well as educational institutions. Removal of encroachments from properties owned by the Wakf Board was also one of the demands of the community, he said. Apart from the demand for reservations, the community's memorandum also sought the death penalty for "gau rakshaks" (members of cow protection outfits) who are allegedly involved in the lynching of Muslims, one of the organisers said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and two others injured seriously when the car they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district Sunday, the police said. The incident occurred near Ekal ghat on Nashik-Pune highway at around 7 AM. The car was headed to Pune from Sangamner in Ahmednagar district, a Ghargaon police station official said. The accident occurred after the driver lost his control over the vehicle in the ghat section, following which the car broke the protective railings and rolled down into the gorge. Police pulled out two persons trapped inside the car with the help of locals, he said. The deceased is identified as Sanjay Salve (43), a resident of Pimpari-Chinchvad in Pune district, and the injured as Sayaji Walunj and Sachin Mote. They are admitted in a private hospital in Alephata town, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CPI (Maoist) is looking for urban and intellectual youths to deal with its leadership crisis and ground-level cadres, including tribals and Dalits, to join its movement, a politburo member of the banned outfit has said. The party has failed to build its second-rung of leaders due to the lack of educated youths in its ranks, politburo member Prashanta Bose alias Kishanda said recently in the party's mouthpiece Lal Chingari Prakhashan. The Maoist's search for intellectual youths comes amid a raging debate on the term 'urban naxal' following reports of growing influence of extremist ideology in urban areas. The outfit's proscribed eastern regional bureau secretary admitted that with regard to building the next generation leadership, the CPI (Maoist) had failed to achieve much success. "Right now creating the second-rung leadership is one of the biggest challenge," Bose said in an interview to the outfit's internal publication, a copy of which is with PTI. Bose's admission comes a year after the CPI (Maoist) launched a retirement scheme for its aged and physically unfit leaders to relieve them of underground activities and revamp the organisation. "Except West Bengal, in areas of Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand we have created base among Dalits, tribals and the poor. So, in such a situation where the level of education is low, making them understand the real meaning of principles of Marxism is a tough job," the 72-year-old leader said. Therefore, to train and educate tribals, Dalits and poor, the outfit needs several revolutionary, educated and intellectual comrades, he said. "It needs lot of determination to train and educate Dalit and poor cadres of our party. The number of educated cadres in war zones is very less," Bose said. These are the big challenges the organisation is facing in preparing its cadres politically, he said. The CPI (Maoist) has asked all its committees to send "educated students and its intellectual comrades, who are true to the principles of revolution, to Left-wing conflict zones" as early as possible, Bose said. "We are confident that we will be able to get such educated, young and dynamic comrades very soon, who will enable us to start building a good third and second generation leadership in the party," Bose said. He said though the outfit had prepared an organisational and political document along with a training manual for next generation leaders, it has not been able to implement it at the ground level. The party has expanded its base mostly in tribal and backward areas of states such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam, but cadres lack of proper education, and this is a problem, Bose said. In a three-page resolution and circular adopted by the CPI (Maoist) central committee last year, the outfit said leaders unable fulfil their responsibilities should be relieved by their respective committees and given work according to their capacity. But, according to sources, this particular decision has created a vacuum in the mid and senior level leadership. Most of the top brass of the CPI (Maoist) are above 60 years. General secretary Ganapathy (Mupalla Laxman Rao) is 67 years old, Bose 72 and central military commission chief Vasavaraj is 62. Sonu, in-charge of the Maoist headquarters of Dandakaranya, and Anand, who heads the central regional bureau, are 60 years old. The crisis in the banned outfit might be true as as most of its top leaders have been either killed or arrested, a senior West Bengal Police officer, who had closely monitored the Maoist insurgency in the state from 2008 till the death of politburo member Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji in November 2011. "This is true that they are facing a leadership crisis. But the fact is their call to the educated youth will not bear any result as the current generation might not be interested in leading a life of a guerrilla fighter in jungles," the officer told PTI. He said it takes at least 15-20 years for a ground-level cadre to become a Maoist leader through experience in jungle warfare, and political and ideological grooming. "Most of the ground-level cadres of the Maoist are either uneducated or have very less education so it is not possible for them to take the baton of leadership," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Meghalaya government is planning to appeal to the Centre to facilitate the increase of trading points along the India-Bangladesh border for the benefit of the people living at the eastern edge of the country, an official said. Currently, there are 10 land custom stations in the state for import and export of commodities with the neighbouring country. "The state's Commerce and Industries Department is preparing a draft proposal addressed to the central government, seeking parleys between the officials of the two countries for increase of trade channels along the border," a senior official of the industries department told PTI. The proposal will be in line with the state's 'Look South' policy, which is aimed at boosting Meghalaya's economy through trade with Bangladesh, he said. "Last week, Meghalaya Commerce and Industries Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar met a group of traders to solicit their opinions and inform them about the proposal, which is still under consideration of the state," the official stated. Dhar said the plan, if realized, will adequately improve the livelihood of people living in the border areas. "We are keen to open more import-export points along the India-Bangladesh border," he said. The state had earlier proposed setting up of 22 border haats during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17). "The slow progress of paper works on both sides is a reason why the border haat plan was never executed," the commerce and industries department official said. The state, endowed with natural resources, also offers excellent potential for export for agro-horticulture products, handloom and handicrafts, he said. "As the state faces location disadvantages and infrastructure at many levels is not up to the mark, bilateral trade has always suffered a setback," he maintained. Echoing similar sentiments, M Lyngdoh, a limestone exporter, said all 10 land custom stations in the state are in bad shape. "If measures are not taken to improve the infrastructure at these custom stations, international trade will suffer in the days to come," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Conglomerate Ayala Corp., through recently formed logistics unit Entrego Logistics Solutions, has committed to spend P700 million to further expand the operations. Ayala Infrastructure Holdings Corp. president and chief executive Rene Almendras said in a chance interview over the weekend his group was always looking at logistics to address the growing need to move goods. It is about the new economy and new realities and consumer preference. So we are putting up a soft infrastructure to move goods. It is a start-up company. We have budgeted P700 million but that is scalable, Almendras said. He said Entrego, which offers technology based end-to-end logistics fulfillment solutions, was doing well with 10,000 deliveries daily and a 99.6-percent on-time delivery in Metro Manila and 98.4 percent in areas outside the capital region. Almendras said the company was keen on more acquisitions and investments in the logistics sector. We have been studying the ecosystem and we noted the ecosystems that are merging and the evolution of some... it is creating an evolution which is not new because it is happening in United States, Europe and in Asia, he said. We believe the Philippine version is beginning to happen and we are making sure that it works well and it will happens that way it should be, he added.Ayala in August said it firmed up plans to create an investment holding company for the logistics business in partnership with Brillant 1257 GmbH & Co. Vierte Verwaltungs Kg of Germany, an affiliate of e-commerce platform Zalora. Under the joint venture, AC Infra will hold up to 60 percent of the outstanding common shares of the new company, with Brillant owning the balance of 40 percent. The Ayala Group last year acquired a 49-percent stake in Zalora Philippines, a leading e-commerce platform Ayala Lands unit Prime Orion Philippines Inc., meanwhile, is being positioned as a developer of logistics facilities and industrial parks. Conglomerates like SM Investments Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. since 2017 have also been investing in the logistics industry in anticipation of the boom in e-commerce. Bhupendra Singh, a life term convict for murder from Madhya Pradesh, regrets the crime he had committed 22 years ago and wanted to start his life afresh by opening a tea stall in Indore. However, Singh, who has some more years to go before he completes his prescribed sentence, feels like a free man now itself, thanks to the open jail experiment being implemented in Madhya Pradesh. Singh is one of the ten prisoners who were given flats to live in with their families in the Devi Ahilyabai Khuli Colony, the first open jail in Indore. The open jails at Indore and Sagar were inaugurated on September 3. Singh, a resident of Shajapur town, was handed life imprisonment in 1996. He had sepent time in different jails in the state since then, before he was selected for the open jail. "I have some more time left to complete my sentence of life imprisonment. But after coming to the open jail, I am feeling that I am released now itself. I regret for the crime (Singh had killed a youth over a family dispute). Now, I wanted to lead a normal life," he told PTI Sunday. Singh said he now has freedom to work outside in the open jail. He is now planning to open a tea shop in the city. Singh lives with his 35-year old wife Seema in the Khuli Colony. Their two sons are studying outside Indore. Seema said they would get their sons admitted in a local school from the next academic session. "I brought up my sons on my own as I lived away from my husband for years. Now we are happy to live together," she said. District and Sessions Judge Rajiv Kumar Shrivastav has appreciated the open jail experiment. "Many times, people commit serious crimes on spur of the moment. When such people are kept in normal prisons for a long time, they start rebelling against the social system and also develop negative feelings. The open jail is the best option for social restoration of such people which keeps them away from negative feelings," he said. Justice Srivastava said, "When the prisoners are released after completing their sentences in open jail the society can easily accept them". District Jail Superintendent Aditi Chaturvedi said the open jail experiment started in Madhya Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court. "Life-term convicts who display good behavior are kept in these jails. Those selected for open jails are the prisoners who are going to complete their sentence in the next one to two years," she said. Chaturvedi said the prisoners living in the open jails could work outside the premises from 6 am to 6 pm, but they are not allowed to go outside the city limits. The jail administration has done its best to keep the atmosphere of open prison in accordance with its name. "But we have deployed three guards to protect the prisoners and their families living in the open jail, besides for keeping other records," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A married woman tutor from Mumbai allegedly tried to abduct a 21-year-old woman student of engineering from Indore by claiming that the latter was her "life partner from previous birth", the police said Sunday. The woman, identified as Veronica Borode alias Kiran (35) was arrested Saturday night along with Mumbai Police constable Anand Mudhe (35) for helping her, a police official said. Tilak Nagar police station in-charge Swaraj Dabi said Borode and Mudhe reached the residence of the student in Piplaya Hana area of the city Saturday. "Borode reportedly told the girl that the latter was her life partner in their previous birth. Borode and Mudhe then tried to forcibly take away the woman with them. However, she raised an alarm, following which her neighbours rushed to her aid," Dabi said. On receipt of information, police reached the spot and detained the duo. They were formally arrested late last night. "We have informed Mumbai Police about the arrests. The motive behind the abduction bid will be known after investigation," he said. Mudhe and Borode were produced in a local court on Sunday which remanded them in police custody till September 11, said public prosecutor Akram Shaikh. In her FIR, the student stated that she had visited Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital in February this year for treatment of her mother who is suffering from cancer. During her visit, the student met Borode and they exchanged mobile numbers. One day, Borode called up the student and told her that they were husband and wife of the previous birth and should live together in this birth as well, as per the FIR. The student told the police that she was being "emotionally pressurised" by Borode to live in Mumbai, which she had refused, the FIR stated. In the past, Borode had allegedly called the woman from 15 different numbers. She had even visited the engineering college where the woman is a student, but failed to meet the latter, as per the FIR. A case is registered against Borode and Mudhe under sections 452 (House-trespass and wrongful confinement) and 366 (Kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage) of the IPC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chairman of ruling Communist Party of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" who returned home on Sunday wrapping up his four-day trip to India, termed his visit as "successful and productive". "It is rare to have long discussions with top leaders during bilateral meetings but this time it was a good opportunity for me. I had discussion with PM Narendra Modi and other Indian leaders on various issues related to the two countries," he said, adding "This has given a very positive message to both countries". Upon his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport here, former Nepal premier Prachanda said his visit was a "successful and productive one". "We had discussion on different issues including bilateral relations mutual cooperation, trade promotion, Nepal's trade deficit, issues surfacing on Nepal-India borders and post-earthquake reconstruction mainly figured among others," said Prachanda. He said the objective of his visit was to raise with the Indian leadership agreements the two countries reached earlier so as to ensure their timely and effective implementation. Prachanda during his visit called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Developing countries rounded on the United States and its allies at emergency climate talks Sunday, accusing the world's richest nations of stalling on a deal aimed at preventing runaway global warming. Experts from around the world wrapped up discussions in Bangkok geared towards creating a comprehensive rulebook for countries to implement the landmark Paris Accord on climate change. But talks foundered over the key issue of how efforts to limit climate change are funded and how contributions are reported. Delegates representing some of Earth's poorest and smallest nations said on the final day of the summit that the US and other Western economies had failed to live up to their green spending commitments. "Developed countries are responsible for the vast majority of historic emissions, and many became remarkably wealthy burning fossil fuels," said Amjad Abdulla, the head of a negotiating bloc of small island states. "Yet, we face devastating climate impacts and some of us could be lost forever to rising seas" without progress on the Paris deal by the end of the year, he added. The Paris deal, struck in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to less than two degrees Celsius and to below 1.5 degrees if possible by the end of the century. To do this, countries agreed to a set of promises, including to establish an annual USD 100-billion fund to help developing nations react to our heating planet. But the details of the final rulebook are subject to intense debate. The US and other developed economies want less oversight on how their funding is gathered and more flexibility over how future finance is structured. But developing nations insist they need predictable and open funding in order to effectively plan their fight against the fallout from climate change. A senior climate negotiator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP Sunday that the US and other rich nations were asking poorer ones to trust them to self-regulate climate financing. "We want to do our bit, but how can we trust them? Show us the money," the negotiator said. Delegates ended talks Sunday with an agreement to hand over technical discussions to a panel of experts, who will continue to meet before the COP 24 kicks off in Katowice, Poland, at the start of December. Patricia Espinosa, the UN's climate change secretary, told reporters progress had been made in Bangkok "on most issues" but that "no issues have been fully resolved yet". The issue of climate finance was "very difficult and politically sensitive", she added. The Bangkok talks were organised as an emergency negotiating session after little progress was made at previous rounds towards a final rulebook. Under the timeframe set in Paris, the guidelines must be finalised by the end of 2018. While delegates made some headway on areas such as new technology and carbon markets, activists said the US -- with Western acquiescence -- had stonewalled momentum on the key funding issue. Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change for NGO ActionAid, said Sunday the Paris deal was "on the brink". "Developed countries are going back on their word and refusing to agree clear rules governing climate finance," he told reporters. "If they remain stuck in their positions and fail to loosen their purses, this treaty may collapse." The US under President Donald Trump will leave the Paris process in 2020, but multiple delegates in Bangkok told AFP it was still actively hindering progress in talks. One senior negotiator said the US was "poisoning" the atmosphere of trust that led to the Paris accord. Activists also called out the European Union, Britain and Australia for falling into line with Washington's position. A State Department official told AFP US negotiators would "continue to actively participate in ongoing climate negotiations -- including negotiations to develop guidance for implementation of the Paris Agreement -- to protect and advance US interests". Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the rate of climate change was rapidly outstripping the political effort to curb it. "As this summer's devastating wave of heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events across the world makes abundantly clear, the Earth's climate system is unimpressed by politicians' rhetoric. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 60-year-old Nepali man was found dead Sunday in the Akhnoor area here, police said. Police claimed to have solved the "blind murder" case by arresting the accused. Lal Bahadur, a resident of Garam Bashi village of Lamjum (Nepal), was found dead by his employer at his poultry form at Bharda Kalan this morning, Superintendent of Police, rural Jammu, Dushyant Sharma said. Acting on the information, the officer said a murder case was registered and am investigation was underway. A local suspect, Shiv Kumar, was picked up and during questioning he confessed to have committed the killing, Sharma said, adding that the weapon of offence, a wooden log, was recovered at the disclosure of the accused. Quoting preliminary investigation, he said Kumar had an argument with the deceased over some issue and in a fit of rage hit his head with the wooden log, causing his death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stepping up scouting activities for strategic minerals, state-owned NMDC Limited has approached the Western Australian Government, seeking a license to explore Tungsten, a metal much in need for the Indian defence and aerospace sectors. "Three new exploration tenement applications were made in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. All three tenements have some known tungsten occurrences and prospective geology to host polymetallic mineralisation, which includes Tungsten, Copper, Zinc, Gold and rare earth elements. Native Title agreements have been signed with the relevant parties," company sources told PTI. Legacy iron , a subsidiary of NMDC in Australia, carries out exploration work for Iron ore, gold and other minerals in that country. "Legacy is carrying out exploration in its 19 exploration tenements in Western Australia in Iron Ore, Gold and base metals. Presently, Legacy is concentrating in exploration of Gold in Mount Celia where good occurrence of Gold is observed. , they said. NMDC is also in discussions with Vietnam-based Masan Resources to acquire considerable stake in it Nui Phao polymetallic mine with rich Tungsten mineral, located in Thai Nguyen province in Northern Vietnam. Tungsten metal is of strategic importance due to its essential requirement in defence and aerospace sector. India currently meets its entire requirement through imports. NMDC had earlier entered into MoUs with both MIDHANI and DMRL to explore tungsten investment opportunities in India and abroad. Presently the PSU is scouting for acquisition of tungsten assets in India and abroad as per the requirement of the Defence and Aerospace sectors. It has also signed an MoU with Indian Rare Earths Limited for scouting of rare earth minerals in India and abroad. The miner has submitted the proposal for reservation of Khobna Tungsten Block, Nagpur District, Maharashtra, the sources added. NMDC is in the process of setting up of a pilot-scale processing plant for gold in its mining lease in Tanzania. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Sunday said his government would complete its four-year term despite disagreement with his coalition partner over a disputed name deal with Macedonia. Tsipras said his coalition partner Panos Kammenos, head of the nationalist Independent Greeks party, "will not endanger the country's recovery and political stability". "The country needs political stability," he told a conference in Thessaloniki. Elections are not scheduled for another year but Kammenos has vowed to do everything in his power to block the deal, including leaving the government. The preliminary agreement with Macedonia in June, to be confirmed by a referendum by Skopje later this month and a Greek parliamentary vote early in 2019, will see the Balkan state renamed North Macedonia. Tsipras on Sunday acknowledged that full implementation of the agreement "will not be easy" as it requires a constitutional revision that the Macedonian government currently lacks the necessary parliamentary majority to undertake. The tiny landlocked country had joined the United Nations in 1993 as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece also has a northern province named Macedonia, the heart of Alexander the Great's ancient kingdom, and many Greeks fear the deal will officially enable Skopje to lay claim to their cultural heritage. There is also concern that most of the world will simply continue to call the neighbouring country Macedonia. But Tsipras insisted Sunday that the deal "fully safeguards the history of ancient Macedonia, which is Greek and is part of our national identity." A June opinion poll showed most Greeks oppose the deal. Some 7,000 people demonstrated on Saturday in Thessaloniki in a protest organised by local citizens and church groups. A small group of protesters threw flares and stones at police, who responded with tear gas into crowds that included children. Eight people were arrested, two of them minors. Several shops and cars were vandalised by suspected far-right hardliners, including one with Turkish license plates. The main opposition New Democracy party also rejects the deal, but Tsipras, who controls 145 seats in the 300-seat parliament, could still get it approved by simple majority with the help of lawmakers from smaller parties or independents who have voiced support. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of trucks carrying thousands of troops lined a Pyongyang riverbank in the predawn darkness early Sunday, as nuclear-armed North Korea prepared to celebrate its birthday with a huge show of military strength. Sunday is the 70th anniversary of the 1948 foundation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the North is officially known, three years after Moscow and Washington divided the peninsula between them in the closing days of the Second World War. Such set-piece dates are a mainstay of the North's political calendar, particularly when round numbers are involved, and have traditionally been occasions for showing off its latest hardware. "Anniversaries are important in the DPRK, and this one is particularly so," said Evans Revere of the Brookings Institution think-tank in Washington. "These celebrations are also occasions for the leader to demonstrate accomplishments and national power, and to take credit for them." The displays -- overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, the third member of his family to rule the country -- are crucial to Korea-watchers, who observe them closely for clues about its latest advances. First, companies of soldiers goose-step through Kim Il Sung Square, then the material becomes steadily more intimidating, with tanks rolling past and aircraft flying overhead, until the programme culminates with intercontinental ballistic missiles. But the rockets may not be on show this time, analysts say. Too militaristic a display could risk upsetting the diplomatic dalliance on the peninsula, after Kim's Singapore meeting with US President Donald Trump in June and his third summit with the South's President Moon Jae-in due in Pyongyang later this month. "If they show off ICBMs it will be a massive provocation and it will be a slap in the face for the United States," said Andrei Lankov of Korea Risk Group. He did not expect the North to do so, particularly as it would put the visiting Chinese delegation in the difficult position of appearing to endorse the weapons programmes that have seen Pyongyang subjected to multiple international sanctions. Beijing is its neighbour's key diplomatic protector and trade partner, and after years in the deep freeze over the North's missile and nuclear tests their ties have warmed rapidly this year, with Kim visiting China three times to meet President Xi Jinping. There was speculation that Xi might reciprocate for the anniversary -- Hu Jintao was the last Chinese president to visit in 2005, and the then premier Wen Jiabao followed suit in 2009. But instead Xi will be represented by Li Zhanshu, the head of China's parliament and a member of the Communist Party's politburo standing committee, the most powerful body in the country. Xi's decision not to go, but still send a senior envoy, may be calculated to show backing for Pyongyang while not antagonising Trump as China and the US are embroiled in a trade dispute. At the same time it could indicate that Beijing wants to see Kim do more to reduce tensions before a presidential visit. Diplomatic invitations for the anniversary have gone out around the world, but the only head of state known to be attending is Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. And French actor Gerard Depardieu is also in Pyongyang. At a concert on Saturday evening that kicked off the celebrations, the imagery on display focused heavily on the economy, with only a few short military segments, none of them showing missiles. The content of the parade would be key, John Delury of Yonsei University in Seoul told AFP. In April Kim declared that the North's development of nuclear weapons had been completed and "socialist economic construction" would be the new strategic priority. "It'll be interesting to see if Kim Jong Un does try to change the symbolism, change the message to essentially diminish the militaristic message and enhance the economic message," Delury said. "That's what I'm watching for anyway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after hitting the streets, seek seeking justice for a nun allegedly raped by a Roman Catholic Bishop, five nuns Sunday accused top police officials of trying to sabotage the probe into the case. The nuns from a convent in Kottayam, to which the victim belonged, slammed the reported move to hand over the probe against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese to the crime branch wing. They alleged that the police officers were trying to delay the probe into the case to save Bishop Franco. "We have full faith in the investigation being carried out by the Deputy Superintendent of Police. But the top police officials are not permitting him to carry out a free and fair investigation. They are delaying the probe and trying to sabotage the case", one of the nuns told reporters at Kuravilangadu in Kottayam district. DGP Loknath Behera, however, said there was no move at present to hand over the investigation to the crime branch. "At present there is no move to hand over the probe to to the crime branch," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. Behera said he has directed Ernakulam Range IG Vijay Sakhare to complete the investigation into the case as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, members of various Catholic reformation organisations continued their protest Sunday against alleged laxity in the probe into the rape complaint filed by the nun. The five nuns from the convent in Kuravilangadu in Kottayam had taken part in the demonstration Saturday and said they were fighting for the victim, who was denied justice by the church, government and the police. "We are ready to go to any extent for ensuring justice to our sister," a nun had told protesters who held placards here demanding the arrest of bishop Franco. She had sought to know why bishop Franco had not been arrested despite "sufficient evidence" against him and also questioned the church's stand on the matter. The nun pointed out that 74 days had passed since the complaint was filed against bishop Franco. Police had recorded her statements several times, but the Bishop was interrogated only once, she had alleged. Catholic reformation organisations, including the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement, are taking part in the indefinite protest seeking justice to the nun, KCRM office-bearer George Joseph said Sunday. Meanwhile, the nuns said they have decided to initiate legal action against an Independent MLA who had allegedly attacked the victimised nun, allegedly using abusive language against her, for lodging a complaint against the bishop. Addressing a press conference in Kottayam Saturday, Poonjar MLA PC George had sought to know why she had not complained in the initial stage of sexual misbehaviour by the bishop. The nun has accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco of raping and having unnatural sex with her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. A special team probing the case has said that according to preliminary investigation, Bishop Franco abused his position and repeatedly raped the nun. Responding to a petition seeking a speedy probe, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vaikom, K Subhash had informed the Kerala High Court on August 13 that the probe was proceeding effectively and impartially. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former US president Barack Obama on Saturday urged voters to mobilize and return control of Congress to Democrats as he denounced what he said was the " of fear" dividing the country. Obama told a large and enthusiastic crowd in Anaheim, California -- in the traditionally Republican stronghold of Orange County -- that the nation was "in a challenging moment." Casting aside the traditional low profile of a former president, Obama returned to the campaign trail on Friday in Illinois in an effort to help Democrats running in the upcoming midterm elections. In Anaheim on Saturday, he said voters needed to send a clear signal in November that they want to "reverse that cycle of anger and division" and "restore some sanity in our " Although Obama did not refer to the president by name, his intent was clear. He said stakes were high not just for Democrats but for all Americans, as "people feel scared" about a litany of issues: a troubled health care system, the high costs of education, a warming climate and more. "If we don't step up, things can get worse," he said. "Other voices (will) fill the void." Obama, who is 57, said the greatest threat to US democracy comes not from any single individual, or even from any group of billionaires seeking to dominate the nation's "It is apathy, it is indifference. It is us not doing what we're supposed to do," he said. Obama's speech was notably shorter and more restrained than the previous day's often fiery remarks in Illinois, when he attacked Trump more frontally, breaking with the long American tradition of restraint by former presidents toward their successors. Trump, asked about that speech during a trip to North Dakota, quipped that he had watched it but fallen asleep. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DAVAO CITYThe Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and disaster teams of Davao Oriental on Sunday pooled their resources to clear roads of rocks and stones caused by a landslide in Tarragona town and other minor damages on structures, after a 6.4 quake jolted Davao on Saturday afternoon. Provincial Information Officer Karen Lou Deloso said there was no reported casualty. Based on the initial damage assessment report of the Davao Oriental Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council released Sunday, a landslide took place in Purok Cambitan, Barangay Hovellar, Tarragona, causing rocks and stones to cover part of the road in the village. Deloso said while the road going to the area remains passable to vehicles, one lane of the road in Barangay Tomoang was damaged by fallen boulders. In Purok Buhangin and Barangay Maganda, roads were partially damaged due to tension cracks and moderate landslide. Meanwhile, a landslide was also reported in Tagubon, Barangay Lucatan, also in Tarragona town. She said the DPWH and municipal disaster teams are already clearing the road to avoid delayed activities in the area. On structures, Deloso said 10 houses were damaged in the Kamuning area of Tarragona, while one house was damaged in NASA 2. In Manay town where the earthquakes epicenter was reported, she said there were reports of minor damage at the Manay District Hospital, the Regional Evacuation Center, and the parish church. Mati City also reported that the earthquake caused minor cracks on the walls of the Davao Provincial Hospital. The facility, however, was declared safe.One house was totally damaged, and four others were partially damaged in the Islamic area of Magsaysay, Mati. Deloso said the Provincial Disaster Office has initially assessed that Tarragona was badly hit because there were more damages caused by the tremor. She said further damage assessment is being conducted by the local government units and the disaster teams. As this developed, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang has called on residents to keep calm and take the necessary precautions against all hazards. In Davao City, meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported no damage to the Davao airport runway and the seaport. A DOTr situation report shared by Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) Deputy Project Manager, Patmei Bello Ruivivar, said the Davao airport was back to normal operations after the earthquake. The 6.4 quake of tectonic origin shook Manay town in Davao Oriental at 3.16 p.m. on Saturday. It was located about 14 k. northeast of Manay at a depth of 28 km. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that the quake was also felt in Tarragona, the adjacent town of Manay at iIntensity 6; Davao City, Mati City, Davao Oriental; Rosario, Agusan del Sur; and Maco, Compostela Valley province at Intensity 5; Koronadal City; Bislig City; Caraga, Davao Oriental; and Tagum City at Intensity 4; Tupi, South Cotabato; Alabel, Glan, and Malapatan, Sarangani at Intensity 3; Cotabato City; Gen. Santos City; Valencia City, Kalilangan, San Fernando, and Maramag, Bukidnon; Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; Butuan City at Intensity 2; and Cagayan de Oro City and Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon at Intensity 1. Actor Olivia Munn has alleged that her co-stars from Shane Black-directed "The Predator" have shunned her and refused to give interviews with her. Munn, who shared a scene with registered sex offender Steven Wilder Striegel in a since-deleted scene in the film, had outed the actor and had alerted studio 20th Century Fox of his history. The 38-year-old actor said she was left confused after her co-stars -- Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes, and Boyd Holbrook -- gave a standing ovation for the director after the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. "I looked back and I see the guys standing up, and I was just confused, because I hadn't heard from them during the day. Everybody else was sitting downit wasn't like this massive standing ovation for him," Munn told Vanity Fair. "I felt it was still appropriate to clap and cheer, but to actually make that gesture to stand up, especially in this moment... and privately I knew that no one reached out to me to say, 'Are you OK?' It did feel bad," she added. The "X-Men: Apocalypse" actor told the outlet that one of her co-stars walked out of an interview with her and others backed out of scheduled press interactions. The actor said she privately encouraged them to talk about the issue but none of them responded. "I wanted them to not be blindsided the way I was blindsided, and I encouraged them to put out a statement once the LA Times reached out to us. I was surprised that none of them did. Again that's their prerogative. "Right now the reality is that there will be people who wear Time's Up pins and say they support Time's Up, (but) there will be people in Time's Up who aren't really down with the cause," Munn said. On ?Thursday, The Times published a report that 20th Century Fox had deleted a scene from the upcoming sci-fi thriller that featured Striegel, Black's friend of 14 years. In 2010, Striegel pleaded guilty to allegations that he tried to lure a 14-year-old girl into a sexual relationship online. Black originally defended casting Striegel, who has previously appeared in the filmmaker's "Iron Man 3" and "The Nice Guys", saying "I personally chose to help a friend". But after the Times story, Black said, "It has sadly become clear to me that I was misled by a friend I really wanted to believe was telling me the truth when he described the circumstances of his conviction. I believe strongly in giving people second chances but sometimes you discover that chance is not as warranted as you may have hoped. "After learning more about the affidavit, transcripts, and additional details surrounding Steve Striegel's sentence, I am deeply disappointed in myself. I apologise to all of those, past and present, I've let down by having Steve around them without giving them a voice in the decision." "The Predator" is set to be released in the US on September 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition parties in Bihar on Sunday resolved to make tomorrow's 'Bharat Bandh', called by the Congress in protest against spiralling fuel prices, a "grand success". Opposition leaders from Congress, RJD, HAM(S), Samajwadi Party, NCP held a joint press conference at Sadaquat Ashram here - the Congress' state headquarter - and appealed to the various trade and industry bodies to make the bandh a grand success. Prominent leaders who addressed the joint press conference included Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri, senior Congress leaders Sadanand Singh, M M Jha, RJD Bihar chief Ram Chandra Purbey, HAM(S) state chief Vrishin Patel, Samajwadi Party Bihar unit chief and former union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav. They said that medicine shops, medical services, ambulances and school buses will be kept out of tomorrow's bandh. Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri said the price of petrol and diesel were Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre respectively, when the crude oil price was USD 107 per barrel during the UPA regime on May 16, 2014 whereas the price of petrol and diesel is currently Rs 86 and Rs 78 per litre when the crude oil price is USD 73 a barrel. Qadri said the price of LPG cylinder has gone up by Rs 340 in the past 52 months of Modi regime, and the railway fare which was Rs 6 per km has now gone up to Rs 9 per km. "The BJP government has nothing to do with the burning issues like fuel price hike or general price hike that concern every common man. We, along with other opposition parties including Left parties, will hit the streets tomorrow to protest against the steepest-ever fuel price hike. We will also appeal to transport association, various trade and industry bodies and people to make the bandh a grand success," Qadri said. In reply to a query whether or not he would appeal to JD(U), which seemed annoyed with the BJP on fuel price issue, to come along with opposition parties, Qadri said that "Why would I appeal to JD(U) as they are very much part of the ruling alliance. I would ask them (JDU) to exert pressure to cut excise duty to give relief to common men." RJD Bihar unit chief Ram Chandra Purbey said that the party has already asked its workers and leaders right from block to district levels to participate in the bandh to make it a grand success. HAM(S) state unit chief Vrishin Patel asserted that "tomorrow's bandh will send a message to the Modi govenrment that we will emerge as 'aandhi' (storm) which will make the government bite the dust." Bihar SP chief Devendra Prasad Yadav said that bandh will prove to be a "milestone". "The situaton has worsened because of the central government's poor and anti-farmer and anti-poor policies," Yadav said. Senior Bihar Congress leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said he would appeal to people not to send their children to school tomorrow as a precautionary measure. The bandh will be observed between 9 am to 3 pm during which leaders and workers from opposition parties would hit the streets requesting people to cooperate and support the bandh. The opposition parties will be holding torch light march at 6.30 pm at various places in the state capital in order to make people aware about tomorrow's bandh, Mishra said. Meanwhile, left parties- which had already given separate call for Bharat Bandh for tomorrow on the issue of fuel price hike, also held a joint meeting in this regard in the state capital on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP, at its national executive meeting Sunday, passed a political resolution reaffirming the party's commitment to build a "New India" by 2022, and said the opposition has neither a leader nor a policy while Prime Minister Narendra Modi's has very high approval even after four years in power. The political resolution was presented by senior party leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The BJP said the opposition's hope to defeat the saffron party was a "daydream". Briefing the media, Union minister Prakash Javdekar said a lot of development work has been done in the past four years, and a "New India" will by formed by 2022. "This government has vision, passion and imagination, and the works of this government can be seen. By 2022, India will be free of terrorism, casteism, communalism and nobody will be homeless," Javadekar said. Taking on the opposition, the party in its resolution said it has no agenda or policy, or strategy. "The opposition is frustrated and it has neither leader nor policy and its sole agenda is to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Javadekar said. He said Modi is still a very popular leader in the country and even after four years in power, Modi's approval rating is more than 70 per cent. The minister said the BJP will win the 2019 parliamentary election with a majority even bigger than what it achieved in 2014. The BJP had won 282 seats out of 543 in the 2014 parliamentary election. Talking about terrorism, Javadekar said the terror strikes which happened frequently, have stopped now. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a statue of Sardar Patel, described by the Gujarat government as the world's tallest, on the birth anniversary of India's first home minister on October 31, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said Sunday. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the BJP's national executive meeting, he said the statue with a height of 182 metres will be a symbol of the country's unity and integrity. It has been called as statue of unity by the Gujarat government. Rupani said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had collected iron, soil and water from across the country to use them to build the statue in the state, a decision announced by Modi in 2013 when he was its chief minister. In an apparent reference to the issue of Naxalism following the arrest of some activists for allegedly collaborating with Left ultras, Rupani said the statue will highlight Patel's works for the country's unity at a time when a few people are working to break it. When Modi had made an announcement that his government would build the world's tallest statue to commemorate Patel, opposition parties had termed it as "empty talk" but it has now been raised with world class facilities, he said. While the Congress had sidelined Patel, Modi has brought him and his works in front of the world, he said. Patel, a Congress leader, has become a revered figure for the BJP which has sought to project an ideological connect between its espousal of nationalism and his efforts to integrate hundreds of states and regions into India following its independence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An inquiry was ordered Sunday into the death of a 42-year-old tribal woman farmer, who allegedly committed suicide due to debt burden in Nabarangpur district, an official said. The woman, Padma, of Aaunliguma village under Tentulikhuti block of the district allegedly consumed pesticide on Friday and died at hospital the next day. District Collector Ajit Mishra said, "The district administration has taken the incident very seriously and ordered an inquiry by the tahasildar and the BDO of Tentulikhunti block." He said the administration has paid Rs 12,000 from two funds to the family of Padma. Her husband Madhab Muduli said Padma had taken Rs 30,000 loan from a private finance company through a local self help group for cultivation of paddy and maize in the family's land by the side of Indravati river. However, the crops were damaged as the Indravati dam project authorities opened the sluice gates during the recent heavy rain, said Madhab. It was being alleged that finance company had threatened Padma that her house would be locked if she failed to repay the next instalment scheduled for September 10. Asked about private finance companies mushrooming in the district, the collector said the administration would take necessary steps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Power trading solutions provider PTC India would ink medium-term power purchase pacts for 1,900 MW coal-based power capacities in the next one month under a pilot scheme launched earlier this year, an official said. The power purchase agreements (PPA) would help revive stressed commissioned power plants that do not have such pacts. PPAs are required for getting fuel supplies. "PTC India has finalised bids of 1,900 MW capacities at a tariff of Rs 4.24 per unit including the nominal fixed cost of one paise per unit for supply of power for the medium term of three years. The power purchase agreement for these capacities would be inked in a month's time ahead of festival season," a power ministry official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. The official said, "There would be no escalation of tariff during the three-year period on any account. The discoms can reduce load up to 55 per cent of agreed capacity." Elaborating further he said, "If the supply capacity goes down beyond 55 per cent then the differential power would sold in open market and any under-recovery would be charged to discom. But if that power is sold at a premium, the profit would be divided equally between discom and generating firm." Under this auction, 2,500 MW capacities were put on the block but later imported coal-based capacities of 600 MW backed out. The imported coal-based generators expressed their inability to match the Rs 4.24 per unit tariff as it was not viable for them in view of higher coal prices in the international market. The government has been targeting around 17GW coal-based thermal power generation capacity including 5 GW based on imported coal under this initiative. The official said, "In view of rising coal prices in the international market, the imported coal-based commissioned power plants may face some issues during another round of bidding. The government has planned to auction 5,000 MW under this scheme to revive stressed commissioned power plants without having power purchase agreements (PPAs) this fiscal. Thus there would another round of bidding for around 2,500 MW capacities by March this year." The PPAs are required for getting fuel supplies. Some power plants have coal linkages but their fuel supply agreements are not effective in the absence of PPAs. The other which do not have coal linkage can get fuel supplies under SHAKTI scheme after getting PPAs. The PTC India is in talks with states including Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab and Haryana. The government had launched a pilot scheme to procure 2,500 MW electricity for three years under medium-term arrangement from commissioned power plants without power purchase agreements earlier this year in April. The PFC arm PFC Consulting Ltd was appointed as the Nodal Agency and PTC India Limited as the Aggregator. The PTC India will sign three-year (mid-term) agreement for power procurement with successful bidders and Power Supply agreement with the discoms (distribution companies). The bidding was conducted on the DEEP e-Bidding Portal and with L1 matching for bucket filling without reverse auction. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Public panic buttons and all-women police patrol teams will soon be launched in eight major cities, including Delhi, under a special women safety programme for which the Home Ministry has approved nearly Rs 3,000 crore. Transit dormitories for women and children, smart LED streetlights, one-stop crisis centres, and forensic and cyber crime cells will be part of the Women Safe City Project. It will implemented in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow from 2018-19 to 2020-21, a senior Home Ministry official said Sunday. Safe city proposals amounting to Rs 2,919.55 crore were approved under the 'Nirbhaya Fund' recently, the official said. The 'Nirbhaya Fund' was set up in 2013 for implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing safety and security for women in the country. The non-lapsable corpus fund was instituted following the gangrape of a girl in Delhi in 2012 which triggered nationwide outrage and protests. Rs 663.67 crore has been earmarked for Delhi, Rs 252 crore for Mumbai, Rs 425.06 crore for Chennai, Rs 253 crore for Ahmedabad, Rs 181.32 crore for Kolkata, Rs 667 crore for Bengaluru, Rs 282.50 crore for Hyderabad and Rs 195 crore for Lucknow, the official said. The project takes a comprehensive view of women safety, with the states adopting a mix of solutions based on their requirements. It envisages deployment of all-women patrol teams such as SHE-teams and well-equipped emergency response vehicles called 'Abhayam' vans to ensure quick and effective response system. The proposed infrastructure includes development of safe zone clusters in hot crime zones, smart LED street lighting, CCTV cameras connected to modern command and control centres, security enablers in public transport, installation of public panic buttons, provision of toilets for women within safe eco-systems and transit dormitories for women and children. Police stations are planned to be equipped with women help desks and other services such as counsellors. This will make police stations more accessible to women for lodging complaints and getting other assistance. One-stop crisis centres are also planned along with forensic and cyber crime cells. An integrated approach has been followed while designing the physical infrastructure to be added to enhance safety of women and children in public places and to instil a sense of security in them, another official said. The safe city proposals have been prepared jointly by the respective police and municipal commissioners of each city. The proposals involve GIS-based crime mapping for identifying crime hot spots, conducting crime scene analysis and filling in gaps in the existing eco-system for ensuring safety of women in public places. These have been designed to have synergy with smart city elements wherever applicable and have been customised to the local needs of police and municipalities and the aspirations of city dwellers, the official said. The project is being implemented in consultations with the ministries of women and child development, urban development and electronics and information technology and respective municipal and police commissioners. The cost of the project would be shared between the central government (from Nirbhaya fund) and respective states in the ratio of 60:40. In case of Delhi, the home ministry will allocate an additional amount of Rs 240.11 crore. Incidents of crime against women rose from 3,29,243 in 2015 to 3,38,954 in 2016. In 2015, as many as 34,651 cases of rape were registered in the country. The figure increased to 38,947 in 2016, according to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau. The data for 2017 is yet to be published. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister announced a four-per cent reduction in value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel on Sunday, which will reduce their prices by Rs 2.5 per litre in the state. VAT on petrol will be reduced from 30 to 26 per cent and on diesel from 22 to 18 per cent, Raje announced at a public meeting organised in Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district as part of her ' Gaurav Yatra'. The decision will cost the exchequer Rs 20 billion and will provide the people with a relief of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and diesel. "We have decided to reduce VAT on diesel and petrol by 4 per cent, which will provide much-needed relief to the people of the state, be it farmers or women or others," Raje told reporters in Rawatsar after making the announcement. Petrol and diesel prices set new records Sunday as they continued their upward march on fall in rupee and surge in global crude oil rates. The opposition Congress has called for a nationwide shutdown on Monday over rising and depreciation of the rupee. Targeting the Congress, the chief minister said that the party had failed to play the role of an effective opposition and came out of its shell just before the election. Assembly election in is scheduled for later this year. Companies from Russia, China and Japan have evinced interest in investing Rs 1,250 crore in setting up their facilities at Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) in Maharashtra, a top government official said Sunday. AURIC, located around 335 km from here in Central Maharashtra, is a planned and greenfield smart industrial city being developed across 10,000 acres as part of the Delhi- Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Russia's Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), manufacturer of high-quality steel products, is keen on investing Rs 1,000 crore for setting up a unit at AURIC-Shendra, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) General Manager Gajanan Patil told PTI. Patil is also the Joint Managing Director of Aurangabad Industrial Township Ltd (AITL), a special purpose vehicle between MIDC and DMIC, which is overseeing AURIC development. NLMK is among Russia's largest steel companies. "Representatives of NLMK Group from Russia recently met us and have shown willingness to invest Rs 1,000 crore at AURIC-Shendra. They have sought permission to carry out feasibility testing for setting up their plant," Patil said. "Their plan is to set up the facility on 75 acres," the bureaucrat said. "We have assured them of all support." Guangdong Baihe Medical Technology Co Ltd of China is mulling setting up a dialysis machine plant on 10 acres at AURIC-Shendra, Patil said. Baihe Medical is among the leading medical device manufacturers in China and specialises in medical disposables for use in anesthesia, blood purification, infusion and wound care. "Baihe plans to invest Rs 100 crore in AURIC-Shendra," Patil said. "Fuji Silvertech, Japans leading precast concrete manufacturing company with an installed capacity of 4,90,000 tonnes per annum, has also approached us for setting up precast infrastructure set up in AURIC-Shendra with an investment of Rs 150 crore," the official said. The Japanese company is looking at setting shop on a 20-acre plot under the government's 'Make-in-India' initiative. It already has a plant at Ahmedabad and is looking to meet the growing requirement of high-quality precast concrete products across India, he said. AITL, tasked with development and management of the new integrated industrial township, has its own set of DCR (development control) rules, with single point contact for building permission, water supply and all related infrastructure, Patil said. The DMIC is India's ambitious infrastructure programme and aims at developing new industrial cities as "smart cities", and converge next generation technologies across infrastructure sectors. In the first phase, eight such new cities are being created. With an estimated investment of USD 100 billion, a high-tech industrial zone is planned, spread across six states. It will leverage the connectivity backbone provided by the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filipino and other foreign culinary students with Chef Paolo Meneguz, of Ristorante FRE di Monforte dAlba. SHRIM student Jenssen Ferrer cooks agnolotti (left) and showcases her Bonet, Piedmont pudding (right). Denmark Ching serves his appetizer dish. Loella Ralleta slides the pizza inside the oven. Ten culinary students recently came back to the Philippines after a successful three-month hands-on training at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in dAsti Italy.Accompanied by faculty chef Jester Arellano, selected culinary students from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management, had a chance to demonstrate commitment, curiosity, adaptability, flexibility, and the ability to work with a team of experts in a professional kitchen. The ICIF is an Italian cuisine school founded in 1991 to enhance the image of the countrys cuisine and products among professionals who work in restaurants abroad.The Filipino students opted for the Short Course in Italian Cuisine and Oenology composed of lectures, laboratory discussions, and theoretical and practical lessons on the excellence of fresh ingredients, filled, dried pasta and its sauces, plus the different types of pizzas. It included training on the traditional and modern menu preparation of freshwater and saltwater fish. They also had demonstration lessons including preparation of basic breads, pastry, and confectionary art, as well as Italian style creams, cake design, and manual chocolate tempering methods.To supplement the trip, the students visited the Grana Padano Cheese Factory in the commune of Piacenza in the Emilia-Romagna Region, where they saw the whole process of cheese-making.The apprentices likewise spent some time at the Banfi Winery in the province of Strevi, within the Piedmont region, where they studied the different types of wine.During the following months, they served as interns at the Da O Vittorio, a hotel with a restaurant that offers Ligurian cuisine, popular for the flavors of fresh produce, pasta, and their signature selection of dishes. Jenssen Ferrer, a culinary student from SHRIM, shared what he learned during the internship: It was a sharp learning curve and you should be mentally prepared for plenty of hard work and challenging tasks. Long hours and the toughest jobs tested not just my skills but my resilience, too. Meanwhile, fellow SHRIM undergrad Ruzha Go said, Ive noticed during my practicum that the chefs Ive worked with did not taste their food. When I was doing my in-house practicum at Vatel Restaurant, Chef Pierre Cornelis reminded us to always taste the dishes so we can adjust accordingly. Maybe its because theyve worked there long enough and theyre relying on their visual and muscle memory to season the dishes. Its quite amazing, to be honest. Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi Sunday said sanitation cannot be limited to smart cities only and involvement of people in villages was needed to keep them clean. The former IPS officer who was on her weekend bicycle visit to five villages in the union territory, said in her WhatsApp message to reporters and officials that villages have to be clean too. "There should be involvement of communities and their contributions should also be ensured," she added. She said sanitation could not be limited to smart cities only and "villages should be clean as well." This was Bedi's 188th weekend visit since she assumed office in May 2016. After visiting five villages today, the Lt Governor said, "these villages have been found to be wanting in sanitation, good roads and the community toilets available in the villages remained unused." The infrastructure constructed for the benefit of the fishermen remained unutilised, she added. Bedi, who was accompanied by officials of Raj Nivas and the commune panchayat also said there was open defecation and no community participation in executing rural sanitation works. The Lt Governor announced her office would focus more on rural areas and commune panchayats to ensure a water-rich Puducherry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security forces arrested a terrorist and a recruiter of a militant organisation in two separate operations in Manipur, an Assam Rifles statement said Sunday. A team of Assam Rifles and state police commandos on Saturday arrested an active cadre of proscribed outfit PREPAK, from Palace Compound in Imphal East district, said the statement, it said. The recruiter belonging to the proscribed Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL) was apprehended from Tentha Khunau on Friday by a joint team of Assam Rifles personnel and state police commandos. Both the arrested persons have been handed over to the police to initiate legal actions, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Setting the tone for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday he sees "no challenge" to the BJP and described unity efforts among opposition parties "unable to stand each other" as a proof of his government's popularity and his party's big success. Giving the slogan of 'Ajey Bharat, Atal Bhajapa' (Invincible India, firm BJP), he exuded confidence that his party will win in 2019. "We have started our journey with confidence of victory. We enjoy the confidence of 125 crore people of India." In his concluding address at the party's two-day national executive meeting, Modi also heaped scorn on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying his party's leadership is not acceptable to any ally, is seen as a burden by some others and is not acceptable to a few within his own party. The opposition has neither ideology nor a leader and any coordination, with its policies being unclear and intentions corrupt, Modi said, according to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed the media on the speech in the closed-door meeting. "We do not see any challenge," he said, lashing out at the opposition over its allegations based on "falsehoods and lies" against his government. When they were in power they were a failure, and they are a failure even in opposition, he said. Slamming rival parties, he said they cannot see eye to eye and never stand each other but have been forced to embrace one another to challenge the BJP. It shows the government's popularity and acceptance of its programmes and leadership by the people, he said. He said his government has lived up to the slogan of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' by bringing development to all without any consideration of caste, religion or region. Mocking Rahul Gandhi without naming him, Modi said nobody, including small parties, is ready to accept the Congress's leadership. "Some even consider it a burden. There are some within it (Congress) who are not in a position to accept the leadership," he said. The opposition has not challenged the government on issues or its policies and ideology, but manufacture lies everyday and keeps repeating it, he said, apparently in reference to its attack on him over issues of corruption in the Rafale deal and demonetisation among others. If issues are debated, then the question will come as to what "one family" did for 48 years and what his government had done in 48 months, Modi said, targeting the Congress's Gandhi family. He asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to "unmask" the Congress with facts and logic. On a day BJP president Amit Shah claimed that his party would rule for 50 years on the basis of its performance once it comes to power in 2019, Modi like Shah also cited the example of Gujarat where it has had an almost uninterrupted reign for 31 years. Modi said unlike other parties, the BJP has neither arrogance of power nor does it see government as a chair to grab by all means but uses it as an instrument to empower people. "We work to fulfil our principles to which we remain firm. Our strategy may change from time to time," he said. Asking his party to bust the opposition's "lies and falsehoods", he said the Congress nationalised banks and mines claiming that it will help the poor and then changed track in the name of reforms. It is important to ask what benefits the poor got during the period, he said. The world, Modi said, is discussing policies of his government based on "sabka saath, sabka vikas" (With all, everybody's development). He spoke of the intensive drive to cover the poor households, especially in villages with high concentration of scheduled castes and tribes, with LPG connections, electricity and insurance cover among other welfare measures. Modi also mentioned the newly-launched health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, that seek to cover over 10 crore poor families. On simultaneous polls, he said his government has already done "one nation, one tax", a reference to the Goods and Services Tax, and "one nation, one power grid", but is not for creating pressure on this issue. He wanted a debate in all sections of society on the issue of simultaneous polls, he said. Asked if issues such as the opposition's allegation on the Rafale deal or the raging issue of rise in oil prices came up for discussion, Prasad answered in the negative. Different government functionaries have been speaking on this matter. Asked about the Ram temple issue, he said the matter is currently being heard in the Supreme Court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The protest by Catholic reformation organisations against alleged laxity in the probe into the rape complaint by a nun against a Roman Catholic Bishop entered the second day here Sunday with a group of five nuns accusing top police officials of trying to sabotage it. The nuns from a convent in Kottayam, to which the 'rape' survivor belonged, slammed the reported move to hand over the probe against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese to the crime branch wing. Taking part in the protest seeking justice for "their sister" allegedly raped by a Roman Catholic Bishop for the second day, they reposed confidence in the ongoing probe by Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash. The nuns claimed the police officers were trying to delay the probe into the case to save the Bishop. "We have full faith in the investigation being carried out by the Deputy Superintendent of Police. But the top police officials are not giving him permission to take the Bishop into custody and do his custodial interrogation. "They are not allowing him to carry out a free and fair investigation.They are delaying the probe and trying to sabotage the case," one of the nuns told reporters at Kuravilangadu in Kottayam district. They also alleged that the police action in the case help the culprits eliminate the victimised nun and the nuns stand by her. The nuns said they have decided to initiate legal action against an Independent MLA who had allegedly attacked the complainant using abusive language. Addressing a press conference in Kottayam Saturday, Poonjar MLA PC George had sought to know why she had not complained in the initial stage of sexual misbehaviour by the bishop. Meanwhile, the family members of the affected nun also said they have full faith in the probe by the DSP and were planning to approach the Kerala High Court seeking a court-monitored investigation. "We have full faith in the investigation officer," one of the family members told reporters. Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behera, however, said there was no move at present to hand over the investigation to the crime branch. Talking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, the DGP said he has directed Ernakulam Range IG Vijay Sakhare to complete the investigation into the case as quickly as possible. He also expanded the Special Investigation Team headed by Subhash to expedite the probe. The protest seeking justice to the 'rape' survivor and demanding the arrest of the Bishop Sunday received support from various sections of society. Catholic reformation organisations, including the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement, are taking part in the indefinite protest seeking justice to the nun, KCRM office-bearer George Joseph said Sunday. Addressing the protesters, retired high court judge B Kemal Pasha hit out at the police, accusing them of not acting as per the code laid down by law while probing a rape case. If there was prima facie evidence against the Bishop in the case, he should have been subjected to a potency test, which is an important procedure in the investigation in a rape case. However, the police probing the case had not initiated it so far and the delay will in a way help the accused escape during the course of trial, he said. Congress MLA P T Thomas said he was surprised by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government's stand on the issue. "The investigation is crawling in the case. Why this government is scared of arresting the Jalandhar Bishop? I am surprised, he said at the protest venue. Fr Paul Thelakkatt, former spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, said the Church, society, the nation and the police should stand with the nun. On Saturday, one of the five nuns had said: "We are ready to go to any extent for ensuring justice to our sister." She had sought to know why the bishop had not been arrested despite "sufficient evidence" against him and also questioned the church's stand on the matter. The Bishop has been accused of rape and unnatural sex with the complainant multiple times between 2014 and 2016. A special team probing the case has said that according to preliminary investigations, Bishop Franco abused his position and repeatedly raped the nun. Responding to a petition seeking a speedy probe, DSP Subhash had informed the high court on August 13 that the probe was proceeding effectively and impartially. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vehicular movement in southwest Kolkata, which had gone haywire for the last few days owing to closure of a section of the arterial Diamond Harbour Road following the collapse of the Majerhat bridge, was normal on Sunday with the day being a holiday, a traffic police officer said. People travelling to and from the south-western parts of the city and South 24 Parganas district were having an average delay of one hour to two-and-a-half hours in reaching their destinations ever since the 50-year-old bridge collapsed on Tuesday. To mitigate the travel woes, police has banned entry of 20 or more-wheeled trailer trucks in the city and has given a window till 6 am on Monday for such vehicles, which are still in the city, to leave. The restrictions on large vehicles was announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a precaution following the collapse of the bridge. Four old bridges have also been declared closed for loaded trucks and other vehicles carrying goods to avoid any further disaster. These are Belgachhia bridge, Aurobindo Setu, Bijan Setu and Tollygunge Circular Bridge. Several hundred trucks are waiting at Kolaghat, Asansol, Dankuni and Krishnanagar for permission to enter the city, West Bengal Truck Operators Association general secretary Subhas Chandra Bose said. "The main problem is overloading of trucks and the police and Motor Vehicles department must act to stop this menace as this leads to damage of roads and bridges," Bose said. Kolkata Police authorities said they are coordinating with the neighbouring districts to ease traffic congestion on highways leading to the city, as curbs on goods vehicle movement after the bridge collapse had led to hundreds of trucks being left waiting to enter the city for unloading and loading goods. Wholesale market operators in Kolkata have expressed concern over the long waiting period of vehicles carrying perishable goods like fish, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables for entering the city. The city police said Saturday it is working hard to ease traffic congestion and has assured people of cutting down their travel time by next week. Announcing this after a high-level meeting with senior officers at the state secretariat, Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said that steps were being taken to mitigate travel woes of commuters. Kumar said that construction of alternative roads are being thought of at the Majerhat area with the help of the Railways and a meeting with the city police and Railway officials has been scheduled on Monday. The city police top brass held a meeting at the Lalbazar headquarter to chalk out traffic movement in the affected areas so that people can reach their destination faster. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Switzerland authorities are planning to install a statue of veteran Indian actor Sridevi, whose superhit movie "Chandni" was shot at the country's picturesque locations. The statue of the renowned Indian filmmaker, Yash Chopra, was unveiled in Interlaken in 2016. "Many of Chopra's films featured Switzerland as a backdrop and he is credited with boosting the popularity of the Alpine nation among Indian tourists. Now, considering Sridevi's role in promoting tourism here, there is a proposal to honour the actor by having her statue here," a senior official familiar with the development said. "The 1989 blockbuster 'Chandni' had also put Switzerland on centre stage as almost half the song and dance sequences in the film had a Swiss backdrop. Raj Kapoor's 1964 film "Sangam" was the first Indian film shot in Switzerland, which was followed by "An Evening in Paris" in 1967. Since then Bollywood made Switzerland their favourite shooting location paving way to cement the image of the country's alpine scenery as a romantic paradise for Indians. "However, for many Indian tourists visiting the country today, it is Chopra's 1995 production 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' that is their Swiss point of reference. Interestingly, for the tourists who happen to be cinema fanatics, there is also a provision to arrange Bollywood packaged trips here," the official said. The government of Interlaken had also awarded the honorary title of Ambassador of Interlaken to Yash Chopra in 2011 and a train is named after him "Chopra's last movie as a director- 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' also had Switzerland in its original screenplay however it had to be cancelled due to his sudden demise. There is also a lake which is known as Yash Chopra lake here as he shot many of his scenes at the lake in Lauenensee," the official said. Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, died at the age of 55 due to accidental drowning in Dubai earlier this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after dissolution of the Telangana Assembly, the Congress on Sunday ruled out joining hands with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM for early elections in the state. The Congress also said its chief ministerial candidate will be decided upon after the elections and in consultation with the MLAs. Telangana Congress in-charge Ramachandra Khuntia alleged that TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao had dissolved the legislative assembly before the completion of its term to get the minority votes. Then Rao can join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls, he added. "The Congress is ready to contest and win the Telangana Assembly elections," Khuntia told PTI Bhasha. He said the Congress will hold talks for a tie-up with the Telangana Jan Samiti, CPI and other smaller parties in the state. "A (pre-poll) arrangement with the AIMIM is out of question," he said. Speaking about the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) releasing its list of candidates for the elections, Khunti said, "The TRS is a party of one person and family. The Congress is a national party and candidates are decided after deliberations at all levels of the organisation". "The names of candidates will be announced at the right time," he added. Khunti said only Congress president Rahul Gandhi could announce the name of the party's chief ministerial candidate. "Rahul Gandhi has the right to announce the party's chief ministerial candidate. But the party normally does not do it," he said. "The elections will be fought under the leadership of state Congress chief (N) Uttam (Kumar) Reddy. He will decide on the chief ministerial candidate after the elections, based on the opinion of the MLAs," he added. He claimed that Muslims, Dalits and other weaker sections of society have no faith in Owaisi or KCR, as Rao is popularly known, because the two leaders are focused only on the prosperity of their families. The Congress in-charge also accused Rao of not fulfilling his promises. "Reservation was not granted to minorities in Telangana. The poor did not get houses. The area of influence of the land and sand mafias has grown. They (Rao's government) have made the state 'Telangana of KCR family'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Back-to-back operations by security forces in the Kashmir valley has reduced the "shelf life" of terrorists and over 360 were killed in less than two years, CRPF Director General (DG) Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has said. In an interview to PTI, he said as figures show an increase in the number of local youths joining terror groups in the valley, security forces are reaching out to young men through all possible ways to stop them from taking up arms. Bhatnagar said keeping in mind the security challenges, the CRPF has "increased the protection level" of its troops operating in Jammu and Kashmir by inducting full-body protectors, bullet proof vehicles and special armoured 'interception vehicles' to enable personnel to operate in life threatening situations. "The terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir... Some of them are from outside and there are also the misguided youth (locals) who join terror groups. It is quite a mix. The numbers go up and down but if you were to look at the length, the time for which terrorists survive in J-K, then the signal is very clear that it (terrorist recruitment) is having no impact. "The shelf life of terrorists, the time frame to survive, is very short. So, even if the numbers (of joining terror ranks) may be large, they may be more, but the consequence is limited," he said when asked if recruitment of local Kashmiri youths by terror groups is rising and a cause of concern. The chief of the country's largest paramilitary force said the youth was being drawn into it (terror ranks) as "there was a little bit of glamourisation", but they have to understand that it will not get them any result. "It is only a matter of time. We have made a lot of efforts (to wean them away) and have also asked them to surrender, and a lot of them have come back. They have to understand that taking up the gun serves no purpose," he said. The CRPF chief, on youths taking up arms, also said, "Obviously this is something that we have to prevent and take appropriate steps so that the youth does not take to militancy and those who have done so, come back." "The official numbers show an increase in recruitment. However, with the increase in the number of neutralisations the overall picture is better," he said. Bhatnagar acknowledged that the forces were taking it as a challenge to ensure that a lot of effort is taken to see that recruitment of youths for terror acts goes down. Good governance, transparency in official dealings and an all-round exercise is on to gain confidence of the public and the youth in Jammu and Kashmir and the valley, he said. The chief of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which has over 60 battalions deployed in the Kashmir valley (over 60,000 personnel), said his force, the state police and the Army are operating in "very good synergy". The forces now have an edge or to say the upper hand in the terrorism scenario in the valley, Bhatnagar said. "We have worked as one unit. That has given us a lot of success. This year 142 terrorists have been neutralised. If you look at last year's figures, it was more than 220 terrorists who were killed. There is excellent coordination between security forces and they have the upper hand. "Their (terrorists') notable commanders have been neutralised. Fidayeen attacks on camps have been effectively rebuffed. We have denied them any success in terms of camp attacks also," the DG said. He said the law and order situation in the valley is not like any other theatre in the country as there is a "guerrilla hit-and-run like tactic" used here. "We are, hence, working very closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police," Bhatnagar said. "Our drills, our equipment as well as our schemes are working well and we are able to counter efforts to disrupt the operations through stone pelting. "It is in only on very rare occasions that the stone pelters have managed to disrupt the operations that is too when it has been sudden exchange and the preparation has not been there. That has been the only time that the terrorists have managed to get away," the DG said. He also spoke about better equipping his personnel to combat the security challenge in the state, specifically in the valley. "We have gone in for better protection, full body protectors for our people, use of less lethal weaponry so that there is less collateral damage and the number of casualties and serious injuries on our side and the public is less. "The collateral damage has been fairly minimised," the DG underlined. When asked about the use of much-debated pellet guns and the damage rendered by them on locals, Bhatnagar said while these ammunition are not being discarded, its use is part of a well laid out standard operating procedure. "The sequence in which we use force is well laid out. We fire and disperse them (protestors) by using tear smoke and other allied irritant kind of non-lethal gases... "So our first effort is to disperse them by making a proper bandobast. Also, we have a large number of plastic bullets that are used," he said. Pellet guns, the CRPF chief said, is used where we find that it is required to disperse the mob. "We are taking precautions by using deflectors (on pellet guns) so that injuries are on lower part of the body. There is a graded use of force. Even when crowd tries to come very close, our boys have shown restraint. We have done our best to meet the objectives for which we have been deployed in J-K," he said. The pure intent is always to have less and less collateral damage, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three persons were detained under suspicious circumstances near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here Sunday. They said the trio was detained Saturday. "Three suspects have been detained near the LoC in Karnah sector in north Kashmir's Kupwara district under suspicious circumstances," the sources said. They refused to give further details. Police and the Army officials, however, refused to confirm or deny the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu Sunday recommended to Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a move hailed by most political parties in the state barring the Congress. A resolution to this effect was adopted by the state cabinet which met here under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters, adding the Governor has to accept the decision by virtue of being the executive head of the state. The cabinet decided to release the convicts V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthanthiraraja alias Santhan, A G Perarivalan alias Arivu, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and Nalini, under Article 161 of the Constitution, which relates to the power of the Governor to grant pardons and to suspend, remit and commute sentences in certain cases. The seven are serving life sentence for their role in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber on May 21, 1991 in nearby Sriperumpudur. When pointed to the Centre's opposition to their release and whether Purohit can take a decision without consulting it, Jayakumar shot back saying there was no need for the Governor to take the opinion of the union government. "He has to accept and will accept," the cabinet decision since it came under Article 161 of the Constitution, he said replying to a question. Opposition parties barring the Congress welcomed the move and urged the Governor to ensure the immediate release of the convicts, who have been in prison for over 25 years. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President Su Thirunavukarasar said their release will set "a wrong precedent". The government's move comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing the state's 2014 decision for the convicts' release. Though the apex court had asked the Governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they too had petitioned his (Governor's) office as well the government seeking premature release, Jayakumar said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the Governor "immediately, today itself" he said, adding the further course of action will be taken without any delay. The fact that the cabinet met on a Sunday, just days after the apex court directive, shows the importance of the matter, the senior minister said. This is the second time the state cabinet has decided to set free all the seven convicts. Earlier, the then Jayalalithaa cabinet had in February, 2014 took the decision to release them, but it was stayed by the apex court on a petition by the Centre. Asked if the Governor will respond favourably to the Cabinet's decision, Jayakumar said "definitely." "The Governor has to accept the recommendation of the Ministers. There is nothing to decline. He represents the state. Even a government order is issued under the Governor's name. He is the Executive of the state. The decision taken by the state government will be implemented, executed... by the Governor," he said. When asked about the role of the seven convicts in the assassination of Gandhi, Jayakumar said it was a past, adding the focus should be on the present and claimed the people of the state wanted them to be released. He recalled the earlier cabinet resolution under then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2014 on the release of the seven convicts, saying "it was reflective of the people's sentiments." The Centre should have heeded that and aided in the release of them then itself, he said and added the latest apex court directive on Perarivalan "strengthened" Jayalalithaa's decision. Orginally, the trial court here had sentenced 26 accused to death in 1998 and a year later, the apex court had upheld the death sentence of four -- Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan and Nalini, commuted the death sentence of three others to life and set free the others. In April 2000, the then Tamil Nadu Governor had commuted the death sentence of Nalini on the basis of state government's recommendation and an appeal by then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi. The death sentence of remaining three convicts was commuted in February 2014 by the apex court on the ground of inordinate delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy pleas. The cabinet meet among other decisions resolved to recommend to the Centre conferring Bharat Ratna on Dravidian stalwart, late Chief Minister C N Annadurai. It also decided to insist Centre on its December 2016 demand for the highest civilian honour to Jayalalithaa, who died on December 5, 2016, the Minister said. The cabinet resolved to recommend to the Centre that the Central Railway Station here be renamed as Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Central Railway Station after the late AIADMK founder and Chief Minister, coinciding with his birth centenary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One deceased human being can save and improve the quality of life of eight or more individuals, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said as he pressed for organ donation and not the sale of human organs. The DoH recognizes the noble and altruistic act of saving a life through committing ones organs or tissues upon ones death, stressed Duque. This can be done by signing up as organ donor cardholders and providing consent to organ donation. Indeed, organ donors are heroes of our times, Duque said. With the passage of Republic Act No. 7170, otherwise known as the Organ Donation Act of 1991, as amended by Republic Act No. 7885, Duque said organ and tissue donations from donors who have been declared brain dead has been allowed. Human transplantable organs include the kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, intestines, and pancreas, in addition to human tissues such as eye tissues (corneas, sclera, etc.), bones, skin, and blood vessels.Duque said the Department of Health is encouraging families to consider organ donation of deceased relatives, including those who have been declared legally and medically brain dead, to help others in need of transplantation. But they are also discouraging the incentivized organ donations, where living organ donors not related to the recipient are motivated by financial rewards. He warned that this system would create a risk for both the donor and the recipient, exposing them to further injury. World Health Organization data from 2017 show that deaths caused by various end-stage organ diseases involved up to 230,000 Filipinos. This may have been prevented by organ transplantation. Unfortunately, organ donation from brain dead patients remains dismally low in the Philippines. The Tamil Nadu government has rejected the Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Tuticorin in the backdrop of the Sterlite controversy, saying it was "absolutely vague" and seemed to support the Vedanta Ltd unit which was "totally unwarranted". The main opposition DMK also lashed out at the report, saying it "angered' the people of the state. Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan wrote to the Secretary, Minstry of Water Resources, RD and GR (Ground Water), saying Tamil Nadu was "perturbed" that the report had been commissioned without intimating the state government or the statutory authorities, including the TNPCB. Referring to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's (TNPCB) refusal to renew consent for the operation of Sterlite Copper Smelting plant in Tuticorin in April, she said this was done after detailed investigation and analysis of all the relevant factors. "On the basis of scientific studies, the TNPCB has concluded that the level of pollution caused by the Sterlite Copper Smelting Plant has gravely affected the health and safety of residents in the locality, warranting closure of the industry," she said in the letter, dated September 7. To safeguard the environment, a fundamental duty was imposed on the state by virtue of Article 48-A of the Constitution of India and the Tamil Nadu government had ordered permanent closure of the unit, she said. The circumstances under which the Ministry of Water Resources had asked the Central Ground Water Board to carry out a water quality assessment in that area was "lacking in bonafides" as the TNPCB has not only conducted detailed studies but the matter was also sub-judice, she said. The matter was pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Delhi, besides the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, she added. Quoting from the report, she said it concludes that the investigation team could not enter into the premises of Sterlite Copper Industry to collect representative samples from inside and outside of the unit since district authorities had sealed it following a government order for its permanent closure. She said the report had stated that "Therefore, it cant be stated that M/s Sterilte Industry is only cause of pollution indicated above" and described this conclusion as "totally unwarranted". "This conclusion, which appears to support Sterlite Industry, is totally unwarranted, besides being absolutely vague and is not supported by any empirical data whatsoever," she said. Further, it does not appear to be made on any scientific basis and it was not known how the two scientists who have submitted the report have made such a vague and an unsubstantiated statement in the report, she added. She said the state government "strongly feels that the report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the Tamil Nadu government and the TNPCB cases in various judicial fora." The law and order situation in and around Tuticorin has returned to normalcy and such an "unscientific report" will likely aggravate it, Vaidyanathan said. "In view of the above, we reject the report and request you to immediately withdraw the entire report since the competent statutory authority of the State has already conducted a detailed analysis on which a decision has already been taken by the Tamil Nadu government and since the matter is sub-judice before various fora," she added. Thirteen people were killed in a police firing after violence broke out on May 22 during an anti-Sterlite protest at Tuticorin. Meanwhile, DMK president M K Stalin lashed out at the report, saying it was an attempt to help Sterlite re-open the plant even as the matter was sub-judice and that it was against the people of Tamil Nadu. "It is shocking to see the BJP government throw away the welfare of crores of Tamil people for the sake of a private corporate company," he claimed in a statement. Calling for withdrawal of the report, he also urged the state government to move the court for a stay against it. The report should be rejected at a meeting of the state Cabinet, Stalin added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bhitarkanika National Park here has registered a rise in number of visitors last month and authorities at the sanctuary are hopeful of a steady footfall in the coming days. After remaining out of bounds for three months in view of the nesting season of crocodiles, the park reopened on August 1, much to the delight of the tourists, said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, the divisional forest officer of Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division. "More than 1,900 tourists had made their way to the park in August, which is considered an off-season. In 2017, around the same time, the footfall did not exceed 1000. We are quite delighted to see this impressive inflow of tourists, despite inclement weather," he said. The annual tourist footfall to the three protected zones in the district - Bhitarkanika National Park, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary - is usually around one lakh. "The sanctuary authorities are expecting a rise in numbers over the next four months - considered peak season for Bhitarakanika. The improved infrastructure at the park could be one of the reasons behind the increase in visitors' inflow," Acharya observed The accommodation facilities at the park have improved with the opening of eight new and well-furnished suites at Dangmal forest bungalow, inside the core area of the national park, an official at the park said. "Tourists can visit the forest department's website and book rooms online. The jetty at Gupti, inside the sanctuary, has also been refurbished for ease and comfort of tourists, who wish to go on boat rides," he said. The national park is home to leopard, wild boar, jungle cat, hyena, sambar, gangetic dolphins among other animal species. The wetland also houses 70 per cent of India's estuarine crocodile or saltwater crocodiles, the conservation of which was started way back in 1975. The Gahirmatha Island is one of the preferred nesting locations for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles "We strive to ensure safe and comfortable sojourn of visitors who throng the park every year in large numbers. As part of the precautionary measures, the tourists are told to furnish identity proofs to seek entry into the national park," the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up near a convoy of gunmen commemorating the death anniversary of a famed resistance leader in Kabul on Sunday, killing at least two people, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest deadly attack in the Afghan capital that comes days after a double bombing at a wrestling club killed at least 26 people. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said two people were killed and nine wounded in the explosion that happened near the centre of the Afghan capital. Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said one person had been killed and two wounded in the blast. Afghan officials often give conflicting figures for the number of casualties in the immediate aftermath of an attack. Afghan security forces said earlier they had shot dead a man who had been planning to blow himself up near supporters of Ahmad Shah Massoud. The Tajik commander led resistance to the Soviet occupation in the 1980s and to the 1996-2001 Taliban regime. The attack came as convoys of gun-wielding men terrorised Kabul as they commemorated the 17th anniversary of Massoud's death. Massoud was killed two days before the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington that precipitated the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Dozens of cars and pickups carrying men armed with heavy weapons and waving flags drove around the city, blaring loud sirens. AFP journalists could hear frequent bursts of gunfire. At least 13 people were wounded by falling bullets, Majroh told journalists. Sunday's blatant lawlessness and the apparent lack of response from security forces ignited a firestorm of angry posts on social media from Kabul residents fed up with the constant violence and the government's inability to protect civilians. "Why do people have to endure this every year on Sept 9th? Why is the #Afghan govt allowing this?" one Afghan social media user posted on Twitter. "Where is rule of law?" tweeted another. A double bombing at a wrestling club in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood on Wednesday killed at least 26 people, including two journalists, and wounded 91. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility. IS considers Shiite Muslims apostates and has ramped up attacks against the minority group in recent years. The last major attack on Shiites in Kabul was on August 15 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in an education centre, killing dozens of students. The group said it was behind that attack, which drew international condemnation and came amid a wave of deadly violence across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British police have drawn up anti-riot plans as a contingency in case there is violence on the country's borders on and around Brexit day on March 29, 2019. The document, prepared by the National Police Coordination Centre, warns that the "necessity to call on military assistance is a real possibility" in the weeks around Britain's formal departure from the European Union (EU), the Sunday Times reported. The report, which is due to be discussed at a meeting of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) next week, claims that "widespread leave embargoes" will be required. Some forces, such as Kent, are expected unilaterally to cancel rest days and leaves immediately after March 29 next year. The document also warns that a no-deal Brexit, or the lack of an arrangement with the EU on a future relationship once Britain is a non-member of the economic bloc, could lead to a rise in crime, particularly theft and robbery, as Britain suffers food and drug shortages with the "expectation that more people will become ill". The leaked document, marked 'Confidential', warns that the ability of forces to plan for a no-deal Brexit is being "undermined by a perceived lack of communication between the policing unit of the Home Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union". It warns that the "predominant" concern for the police is that food and goods shortages, including NHS supplies, will result in "civil disorder leading to widespread unrest," the newspaper said. The report adds: "There is an expectation that crime not directly connected to Brexit will rise, as acquisitive crime will habitually rise in the event of restricted availability of goods". The document also warns that Operation Stack the queuing system for lorries waiting to cross the Channel when traffic is disrupted will have to be "enacted in every UK port" requiring a "heavy police commitment". It added, "If Stack is introduced across the country, the disruption to the national road network will be unprecedented and overwhelming". The revelation comes as the government prepares this week to publish the final set of reports on the possible consequences of a no-deal Brexit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A key bill that will pave the way for the re-introduction of the provision of anticipatory bail, which was revoked in the state during the Emergency in 1976, has been referred for presidential assent. Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has referred the Code of Criminal Procedure (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2018, to the President, a Raj Bhawan communique said Sunday. The UP Assembly had on August 30 approved the bill that aims at restoring the provision of anticipatory bail in the state. The bill will have to be sent to the Union government for final approval as it proposes amendments for Uttar Pradesh in section 438 (anticipatory bail) of CrPC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A crucial bill that will pave the way for the re-introduction of the provision of anticipatory bail, which was revoked over 40 years ago in the state during the Emergency, has been referred for presidential assent. Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has referred the Code of Criminal Procedure (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2018, to the President, a Raj Bhawan communique said Sunday. The state Assembly had on August 30 approved the bill that aims at restoring the provision of anticipatory bail in the state. The proposed legislation will have to be sent to the Union government for final approval, as it proposes amendments for the state in Section 438 (anticipatory bail) of CrPC. "Under the section 438 of the CrPC, imposing conditions or riders before such bail, has been left to the discretion of the court. However, in the UP amendment, we have made certain riders mandatory like the accused would have to be present for interrogation whenever required by police, the accused will not threaten anyone directly or indirectly involved with the case and that the accused will not leave the country without the permission of the court," a home department official said. One of the proposed amendments is that it will not be necessary for the accused to be present during the hearing for the anticipatory bail. Apart from UP and Uttarakhand, all other states have the provision of anticipatory bail, an official said. "There will be no anticipatory bail in cases where the punishment is death sentence and also cases under the Gangster's Act." Another amendment is that the court would have to decide on the application for anticipatory bail within 30 days of filling of such an application. "West Bengal has this provision," the official pointed out. The provision was repealed in UP by then chief minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna in 1976 during the Emergency, to rein in protests against the Congress. In 2009, the state law commission had also made a recommendation for re-introduction of a modified bill. The next year, a bill in this regard was cleared by the Assembly and sent for the Centre's approval, but it was put on hold. The then Mayawati government had passed a bill that year and sent it to the President, but it was sent back a with suggestions for some modifications. In an application pending before the Supreme Court, the state government had given an assurance in July this year that the provision would be re-introduced. A committee, headed by the principal secretary (home), which included the director general (prosecution) and officials of the law department had studied the shortcomings of the past and utilisation of the provision in other states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry is planning to make next year's Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad plastic-free in line with the country's commitment to eliminate single-use plastic, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said. India was the global host of 2018 World Day. The theme of this year's edition was "Beat Plastic Pollution". "We are intending to have a plastic-free (Ardh) Kumbh next January. We are starting preparations (for it)," Vardhan said. He acknowledged that making the Ardh Kumbh plastic-free will be an uphill task. "We are working on making this (Ardh) Kumbh plastic-free as it is a very tall order but it is a part of our (government's) dream. We are already working towards beating plastic pollution all over the country but imagine a plastic-free Kumbh. It is something we are planning to do next," Vardhan told PTI. Ardh Kumbh Mela, one of the world's largest religious gatherings, is held every six years. It will be held in January next year. Millions of Hindu pilgrims stream to Allahabad to bathe in the holy river Ganga to wash away their sins during the festival. The government's idea of a plastic-free Ardh Kumbh was welcomed by environmentalists. It is a "fantastic decision" but the success of a policy depends on its implementation. So if it can be implemented properly, then nothing like it, environmentalist Padmavati Dwivedi said. activist, Jagannath Poddar, pointed out that the move will have to be implemented strictly. "The use of plastic has increased because public has become lazy. Having a plastic-free Kumbh would require strict implementation," he said, stressing that people need to use plastics sensibly. He recommended finding alternatives to plastic. Newspaper bags would be an effective alternative for plastic bags, banana leaves can be used instead of plastic plates and earthen pots can be used for storing liquids, Poddar said. Another activist, Shilpa Lamba, said a plastic-free Ardh Kumbh could be a "game changer". It could also pave the way for making many such events plastic-free, she added. According to industry body FICCI, 43 per cent of India's plastics are used in packaging and are single-use plastic. India recycles much more plastic than the global north through a robust system of waste collectors and segregators. India produced 15,722 tonnes of plastic per day in 2017, according to The Energy and Resources Institute. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trump administration said Saturday that it is cutting USD 25 million meant for East Jerusalem hospitals and putting the money toward "high-priority projects elsewhere." The move follows the State Department's late August announcement that the administration is slashing more than USD 200 million in bilateral aid to the Palestinians following a review that President Donald Trump ordered to ensure the spending was aligned with US national interests. The Palestinians had held out hope that the hospital money would be spared because it was not included in the previously announced cut. On Saturday, the Palestinian Authority denounced the administration's move as "an act of political blackmail." The State Department said the review was intended to make sure the American aid was "being spent in accordance with US national interests and were providing value to the US taxpayer."The administration "will be redirecting approximately USD 25 million originally planned for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. Those funds will go to high-priority projects elsewhere," the department added. It did not identify the projects. In response, Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi accused the administration of threatening to cause "serious instability and grave harm" to thousands of patients and their families across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of workers in the Palestinian health care sector. "Such an act of political blackmail goes against the norms of human decency and morality," Ashrawi said in a statement. " should not trump humanity or harm a vulnerable people in need of support and protection." The administration announced the original cut in US aid to Palestinians as Trump and his Middle East advisers prepared to release the US peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians. But Trump angered the Palestinians earlier this year by moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which led the Palestinians to break off contact with the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ongoing depreciation in rupee and high oil prices will help in the rebuilding efforts in flood-hit Kerala as by the diaspora are going up, South-based lender said. The bank feels reverses in its asset quality may reflect in the December quarter numbers once the exact impact of the damage and short-term forbearances wear-off. "The only saving grace is the rupee weakening and the oil being strong. This will lead to the NRIs in the remitting more and will help the rebuilding efforts," managing director and chief executive officer Shyam Srinivasan told PTI. He said the depreciation in rupee, which is touching record lows in each of the trading sessions recently and has slipped to 72 against the US dollar, and the diaspora "soften the blow" of the floods. Srinivasan said there are signs of a spurt in already, with the banks remittance handling go up to Rs 10 billion per week last fortnight, as against the usual average of Rs 7-8 billion. He was, however, quick to add that while remittances are not the solution to fight impact of disasters like the floods that have claimed over 400 lives, the current trend will help. "It will also help the bank garner much-needed deposits, which can ploughed into supporting credit for rebuilding," he said. When asked about the impact on asset quality, Srinivasan reaffirmed comments made during an investor call right in the aftermath of the floods last month and said that it will take three to four months before it plays into its loan book, if it were to. He said exposures to retail and small business segments will get an advantage of regulatory dispensations that allow for non-recognition as a non-performing asset (NPA) in case of a calamity. Then afterward, it will be a case of how the cash flows restart, he said, adding that people are getting back to normal lives with a greater confidence. "The immediate impact of the floods on the asset quality will be on recovery efforts on assets already classified as non-performing," he said, pointing out that people would like to focus on rebuilding rather than paying old bad debts. He said loan demand will also go up, especially in the retail segment, as the rebuilding efforts gather steam. The bank is already seeing a spurt in consumer loans and construction loans, he said, adding that tourism activities related loans will also go up so that facilities are ready to cater to the inflows which start in the year-end. The bank is also one among two lenders which have been chosen by the state government to extend mortgage loans to government employees, Srinivasan said, adding this alone will get it business of Rs 5 billion. Over a third of the banks over Rs 940 billion book is concentrated in Kerala, he said, adding that he expects the retail boom growth in the state to be much faster than the usual rate of up to 18 per cent. When asked about analysts view of gold loans going up in the wake of floods, Srinivasan said has not seen a spurt in demand in the last two weeks, but added that the bank is also very open to grow the book. Srinivasan said the rebuilding efforts will take up to two years. Senior Delhi Police officers feel the number of cases transferred from district police to special units such as Crime Branch and Special Cell has been on a rise due to several reasons, including the district police being in a hurry to wash their hands off sensitive cases. The officers claim the special units receive cases local officials want to put into "cold storage". An officer posted at the district level however disagreed, and said, "The investigating officers in the special units usually write things, send it to their seniors for approval, who then make their remarks, which takes time. "But in districts, the communication is faster and there is not much movement of files which sometimes creates the impression that the special units are dumping grounds," he added. A senior officer posted in one of the special units said the DCPs are in a hurry to transfer sensitive cases from districts to special units and sometimes move a plea for transfer within hours. The officer felt there is a lack of a sense of accountability. "Earlier the deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) would fight if the senior officers asked them to seek transfer of even sensitive cases to Special Cell or Crime Branch, but now the DCPs themselves move files requesting transfer of the cases. For instance, the Umar Khalid attack case was transferred to the Special Cell the next day itself," he said. JNU student leader Khalid was attacked on August 13, when he was on his way to participate in an event at Constitution Club in New Delhi. He escaped unhurt. Another officer, posted in a district, however, said the local police is overburdened. "The primary job of local police is to maintain law and order and keep a track of the incidents happening in the area. "Also, the lower-ranked officials are burdened with several cases at a time and if senior officers feel a case requires in-depth investigation, they move the file for transfer of the case," he said. Citing the Burari case, in which 11 people were found dead under mysterious circumstances at their home on July 1 in the north Delhi neighbourhood, he explained that the case required an in-depth probe as to what drove the members of a prosperous family to embrace death in such a way. Sometimes cases are transferred to special units even after the local police has made arrests since the complainants are not satisfied with the probe or if the case is very sensitive. The case in which a female flight attendant allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the terrace of her house in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park, was transferred to the Crime Branch after her husband was arrested by the local police because her family was not satisfied with the probe, said a senior officer with the Crime Branch. "Any case which has implications on the law and order of the district or where there are allegations on the local police being partial towards one party is transferred. "The districts have special units called the District Investigations Units. Sometimes, the cases are also transferred to them but if the complainant is not satisfied, the next logical step is to send the case to the special units, since they are considered 'independent units'," said an officer. An officer, who had been posted with the Special Cell, the Crime Branch and also at the district level, said, sometimes if there are cross cases and both the parties are accusing the police of being partial towards the other, the best way to pacify the situation is to transfer the case. He concurred with his fellow officer about the district police being overburdened and said, "Mostly, during daytime, the sub-inspectors are in the court for the hearing of their cases and after spending the day in the court, they are sent for patrolling duty or some other work. There is not much time for carrying out quality investigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court said Sunday the criminal cases in the trial courts were being resolved much faster compared to the previous years, and following the implementation of its Revised Guidelines of Continuous Trial in Criminal Cases since September last year. Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro said the trials in many drug cases were being resolved within two to two-and-a-half months from the time they were filed as required by the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, while the trials in other criminal cases were being finished within six months pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act. The pertinent provisions of both laws were incorporated in the guidelines released by the high court. The Court said 47.82 of cases had complied with the 180-day period for trial provided by law and the Rules of Court compared to the 2.36-percent before the revised guidelines took effect. The Court said cases were also being decided faster, with 68.5 percent of the judgments having been promulgated within the 90-day period required under the Constitution compared with only 37.75 percent in previous cases. We are still at the early stages of implementation and I expect the results to be better in the months ahead, said Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta who drafted the Revised Guidelines. Peralta said the innovations and simplification introduced in the Guidelines were intended to remove the redundancies in criminal procedure. The guidelines try to address the bottlenecks we saw in criminal cases, he said. Among others things, the revised guidelines provide a list of prohibited pleadings that cause delays in criminal cases and require judges to pre-schedule all hearing dates.The trial dates for both the prosecution and defense are set during arraignment. This is binding on the parties and cannot be rescheduled, said Peralta, adding that the postponements of hearings had been considered a major cause of delay. He said the 15-day period required under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to decide drugs cases reached an all-time high of 57.37 percent compared to the pre-Guidelines rate of 12.58 percent. The high court 2017 saw a rise in the number of drug cases, with 289,295 filed with the trial courts but only 34,673 or 12 percent disposed. Although we are failing in drug cases insofar as the 60-day period to finish trial from the filing of the Information is concerned, these cases were nevertheless decided within the 10-month period since the implementation of the Guidelines, Peralta said. Out of the 94,209 drug cases filed from September 2017 to June this year, 7.89 percent complied with the 60-day trial period compared to the 0.02 percent before implementation. Our judges are trying their best, and we have seen improvements in drug the cases because of continuous trials, Peralta said. The Revised Guidelines on Continuous Trial in Criminal Cases took effect on Sept. 1, 2017 after it was piloted in 54 trial courts in Metro Manila. The program was implemented with support from The Asia Foundation and the American Bar Association, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development. The Modi government will not allow India to be a "safe destination" for infiltrators, BJP president Amit Shah said Sunday, asserting that it has started efforts to identify the Rohingya people living illegally in the country and will make arrangements for their deportation. The party's national executive passed Shah's statement, which speaks of illegal immigrants in Assam and other states, on the issue of the National Register of Citizens exercise in the northeastern state. He said the NRC process in Assam is necessary for India's safety and for preserving the state's economic, cultural and political rights. Lashing out at opposition parties for their criticism of the BJP on the issue, he said when in power they had accepted that crores of illegal immigrants have been living in Assam and other states and that they understand the seriousness of this problem. No country in the world allows infiltrators to live on its land but opposition parties did not show courage to stand to protect the rights of the people of Assam and the country due to their "vote bank politics", he said. "They are seen today to be standing with illegal infiltrators," he said. Bharatiya Janata Party has made it clear that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not allow India to be a safe destination for illegal infiltrators, his statement said. "Every infiltrator will be identified and they will be deported after being stripped of their citizenship. The government has started a process to identify Rohingyas in many cities of the country. Appropriate arrangements will be made for their deportation," Shah said. He also reiterated his party's support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saying minorities such as Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians living in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan should be given shelter in India if they are persecuted. Infiltration into Assam had begun before Independence and continued afterwards, the BJP chief said, adding that it continued because various governments did not have the will to tackle the challenge. A historic agitation went on between 1979-85 against it and the BJP had supported their demands since its inception in 1980, he said. The Modi government is committed to preserve the interests of the people of Assam and will ensure that no Indian citizen loses his or her citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 40-year-old woman has been shot dead by an unidentified man at Titagarh area in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, a police officer said Sunday. Sajeda Khatoon, a resident of Titagarh, was waiting for her turn outside a doctor's chamber Saturday evening, when a man barged into the clinic and fired a shot at her. "As the first bullet did not hit her, the man fired another shot. This time, it hit Sajeda in the face and she fell down," the officer said, attributing the account to eyewitnesses. Local people took Khatoon to a nearby hospital, where she was declared "brought dead". "Sajeda and her husband run a clothing business in the locality. It could be fallout of a dispute. We are probing the case from all angles," the officer said, adding that her body has been sent for post-mortem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The work on the additional spillway at the left dyke of the Hirakud dam is likely to begin by the end of October this year, an official said Sunday. Tata Projects limited and AGE Group of Turkey will jointly execute the work, Executive Engineer of the project Basant Rout said. "The forest and clearance for the project has already been availed. However, the work on the project could be started after the monsoon only. We are hopeful that the initial work of the project will begin by October-end," Rout said. The additional spillway, which is a World Bank funded project, has been proposed to enhance the flood water discharge capacity of the Hirakud Dam. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has recommended enhancing the flood water discharge capacity of the dam, he said. The length of the proposed spillway dam would be 91 metre with five sluice gates. Similarly, the width of the spillway channel will be 300 metre. The proposed spillway channel will originate from near the Gandhi Minar on the left dyke of Hirakud Dam reservoir and meet the river Mahanadi near the Jawahar Uddyan. "The estimated budget of the project is Rs 369.53 crore," said Rout. Currently, there are 98 gates to release the flood water from the Hirakud dam. Of them, 64 are sluice gates and 34 are crest gates. Around 15 lakh cusec water is released through the 98 gates at a time now. However, with the construction of the proposed additional spillway, the water discharge capacity of the Hirakud Dam will increase to 18 lakh cusec, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delegates at the World Hindu Congress being held here received a sweet box in their welcome packet containing two ladoos -- one hard and one soft. The surprise sweet packets were distributed to convey the common perception that Hindu society is not united, according to the organisers of the event. "The soft ladoo represented the status of Hindus today that they may be easily broken and swallowed while the future vision for the Hindu society should be like a hard ladoo -- strongly bonded," Guna Magesan, coordinator Hindu Organisational conference of the WHC, said Saturday at a panel discussion on Collective Efforts for Hindu Emergence. Swami Poornatmananda of Bharat Seva Ashram said all Hindus should unite to achieve resurgence. Emphasising that Hindu religious teachings are for humanity, he said, schools and colleges in India should be opened to impart Hindu teachings. On the resurgence of Hinduism, the spiritual head of the Chinmaya Mission, said, "Everything begins at home. When family breaks down, culture breaks down, and life of disharmony follows. We have to convert Hindus to Hinduism." He further said, "The spirit of unity does not mean all should be the same. In the midst of diversity, we must have a common goal of dedication." "We have to reform the education system that inculcates Hindu culture and religion. We have to re-discover the way the 'Rishis' taught the disciples in the ancient gurukul system."Swami Paramatmananda, secretary general of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, said Hindus should think collectively not only for its own resurgence, but for the resurgence of the whole world. "Society has a relationship problem, where one person is unable to relate to the life of another person," he said. Calling Hindus to address the ecological problems of the world, he said, "God did not create the world for man's consumption. The responsibility lies on Hindus to protect the ecology." Sadhguru Dalip Singh of Namdari Panth told the Congress that Hindus and Sikhs can never be separated. The Guru Granth Saheb says that Sikhs should remain Hindus, he added. He urged Hindus to stop using English to describe India and instead call it "Bharath", and that Hindus who know Hindi should always speak in Hindi. Decrying those who habitually blamed their motherland, he said one should instead find what is good in India and espouse it. Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairperson of Akshaya Patra Foundation, ISKCON, said the different denominations of Hinduism are a strength rather than a weakness. "There are common grounding principles in these denominations," he said. He drew attention to the declining birth rate among Hindus and said, "take pride in having more children". The second World Hindu Congress is being held here to mark the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delegates at the World Hindu Congress being held here received a surprise box in their welcome kit containing two ladoos -- one hard and one soft -- to give them a message of unity. The boxes were distributed to convey the common perception that Hindu society is not united, according to the organisers of the event. "The soft ladoo represented the status of Hindus today that they may be easily broken and swallowed while the future vision for the Hindu society should be like a hard ladoo -- strongly bonded," Guna Magesan, coordinator Hindu Organisational conference of the WHC, said Saturday at a panel discussion on Collective Efforts for Hindu Emergence. Swami Poornatmananda of Bharat Seva Ashram said all Hindus should unite to achieve resurgence. Emphasising that Hindu religious teachings are for humanity, he said, schools and colleges in India should be opened to impart Hindu teachings. On the resurgence of Hinduism, the spiritual head of the Chinmaya Mission, said, "Everything begins at home. When family breaks down, culture breaks down, and life of disharmony follows. We have to convert Hindus to Hinduism." He further said, "The spirit of unity does not mean all should be the same. In the midst of diversity, we must have a common goal of dedication." "We have to reform the education system that inculcates Hindu culture and religion. We have to re-discover the way the 'Rishis' taught the disciples in the ancient gurukul system."Swami Paramatmananda, secretary general of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, said Hindus should think collectively not only for its own resurgence, but for the resurgence of the whole world. "Society has a relationship problem, where one person is unable to relate to the life of another person," he said. Calling Hindus to address the ecological problems of the world, he said, "God did not create the world for man's consumption. The responsibility lies on Hindus to protect the ecology." Sadhguru Dalip Singh of Namdari Panth told the Congress that Hindus and Sikhs can never be separated. The Guru Granth Saheb says that Sikhs should remain Hindus, he added. He urged Hindus to stop using English to describe India and instead call it "Bharath", and that Hindus who know Hindi should always speak in Hindi. Decrying those who habitually blamed their motherland, he said one should instead find what is good in India and espouse it. Renowned classical dancer Sonal Mansingh said that there was a threat to the Indian culture and said the secular, liberal intellectuals should be shown the door. "The very secular liberal intellectuals in India themselves, they need to be shown the door," Mansingh told the gathering. Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairperson of Akshaya Patra Foundation, ISKCON, said the different denominations of Hinduism are a strength rather than a weakness. "There are common grounding principles in these denominations," he said. He drew attention to the declining birth rate among Hindus and said, "take pride in having more children". The second World Hindu Congress is being held here to mark the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Focussing aggressively on the retail segment, aims to grow its retail loan book by 75 per cent to around Rs 560 billion in the next two years, a top company official said. "For the last three to four years we have given our complete focus on the retail segment. We see a huge opportunity in retail. Currently our retail asset book size is close to around Rs 320 billion. We would be looking to grow it to anything between Rs 550-560 billion by 2019-20," Rajan Pental, Group President and Group Head- Branch and Retail Banking, Yes Bank, told PTI in an interview. Prior to turning the focus on the retail segment, built a strong customer franchise and when the equation was right, with a large retail customer base, the bank decided to offer retail services across products, Pental said. "We entered this segment of business considering the fact that you need to have the entire range of products for all our valued customers," he said. Asked if the focus on retail base was driven by sluggish credit growth in the corporate loans segment, he said it is a "life-cycle development" for "Unlike other banks, it is more like life-cycle development for us. We are completing our customer franchise. In our life-cycle, our objective is to get aggressive on retail. It is not because we thought something else is not doing well so we should get into it," he said. He said the bank has taken a differentiated approach of segregating branches geography-wise and offering tailor-made products as per the needs of customers. "We have different products for different markets. On a few products, there will be focus on rural only, like small lending, tractor financing or farmer loans, while the urban and semi-urban markets have the entire range of products. "Our footprint of branches is across country and we have now created rural and urban branches segregation," he explained on being asked how it plans to reach a wider base. As of end-June 2018, the bank had 1,100 branches, of which 400 are in rural and semi-urban areas. Yes Bank has a good number of branches in the rural areas to cater to the specific financing needs of the customers residing in those areas, Rajan said. Besides, the auto loans is a new product line which seems to have good potential for the bank, he added. In residential loans, the bank is seeing good opportunity. "In mortgages space we are an active player in affordable housing finance, besides our existing customers who need a luxury loan. We are seeing an upswing in affordable housing. We are seeing that the projects are delivered on time and the money rotation is good both for the builder as well as the financier," he said. Timely delivery of projects and government subsidy is also helping the affordable housing segment, which is boosting opportunities, he added. The bank is currently involved only in those affordable housing projects that are in the periphery of metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, among others. Rajan also said there is good traction in the affordable housing segment from the unorganised sector but the bank will be exercise caution before reaching out to those customers. Petrol and diesel prices went up by more than 10 paise in the national capital and the business capital of the country. The petrol price in Mumbai continues to inch closer to Rs 90. It crossed the Rs 80-mark for the first time in New Delhi yesterday. The primary transportation fuel saw a hike of 12 paise, whereas diesel went up by 11 paise across major cities in India. Petrol price reached Rs 80.50 per litre in New Delhi, whereas in Mumbai, buyers have to pay Rs 87.89 for every litre of petrol. Diesel price in New Delhi was at Rs 72.61 per litre on Sunday, whereas in Mumbai, it rose to Rs 77.09. These are once again the highest ever fuel prices for the two cities. The prices continued to rise in other metro cities of India too. In Chennai, each litre of petrol now costs Rs 83.66, whereas diesel prices are at Rs 76.75 per litre. Petrol prices in Kolkata today were at Rs 83.39 per litre and diesel prices at Rs 75.46 per litre. Meanwhile, Opposition parties continue to gear up for their nationwide strike on September 10 in protest against the continuously rising petrol prices. Now, Shiv Sena has joined the mix too, criticising the government for its inability to put a check on the fuel prices. Posters by Shiv Sena have appeared across Mumbai against the hike in fuel prices, mocking it as the 'acche din' promised by the BJP government. The main opposition party Congress has asked the Centre to cut down excise duty on fuel, as was done by previous governments to keep prices in check each time oil prices surged globally. The government however has shown no interest in taking a step in this direction. To this end, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has argued that the global oil prices are volatile and have shown no linear movement. Edited by Vivek Punj The country's third largest private sector lender Axis Bank Saturday appointed Amitabh Chaudhry as Managing Director and CEO from January 1, after incumbent Shikha Sharma steps down at the end of this year. Chaudhry, who resigned from the post of MD and CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company on Saturday, has been appointed as MD and CEO for a period of 3 years, with effect from January 1, 2019 up to December 31, 2021. "The Board of Directors of the bank at its meeting held today has taken on record the approval granted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the appointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as the Managing Director and CEO of the Bank, for a period of 3 years, with effect from 1st January 2019 up to 31st December 2021 (both days inclusive)," Axis Bank said in a regulatory filing. Chaudhry will take over from Shikha Sharma after she demits office on December 31, 2018. The bank had selected three candidates to succeed Sharma at its board meeting held in July and had recommended their names for the approval of RBI. "I would like to thank the RBI and the Axis Bank Board for the privilege and honour given to me to lead this great institution. Axis Bank is amongst the leading private sector banks in the country. Together, with the support of the Board and the Axis team, I am confident of continuing the bank's remarkable journey these past 25 years and to contribute to its future growth," Chaudhry said. Chaudhry, 54 years, has been associated with HDFC Life since January 2010. He has been associated with HDFC Life since January 2010. Chaudhry started his career in the Corporate Banking with Bank of America in 1987, where he worked in diverse roles. Chaudhry is a B. Tech in (Electronic and Electricals) from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and is an alumnus of lndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In July 2017, the board of Axis Bank had approved re-appointment of Sharma, to be her fourth term as MD and CEO begun from June 2018. However in April this year, Sharma had wanted her new term to be reduced to seven months from a three-year tenure without citing reasons, which was accepted by the board of Axis Bank subsequently. It was learnt that the RBI had asked Axis Bank's board to reconsider the decision to re-appoint Sharma as its CEO for the fourth term amid concerns over rising bad loans on the bank's books. She had completed her third term as the bank's head on May 31. "I have spent over nine years with the bank and I shall always look back at my journey with a deep sense of satisfaction and pride. I have particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work with the Axis team in leveraging the myriad opportunities in the financial sector over the last decade. I am sure that under the leadership of Amitabh the bank would soar to greater heights," Sharma said on Chaudhry's appointment. Axis Bank Chairman Sanjiv Misra said, "After an extensive search, my fellow directors and I are pleased to welcome Amitabh as the Bank's MD and CEO. Amitabh has a proven track record and is well-equipped to lead Axis Bank in pursuing its growth ambitions balanced with a strong management." Meanwhile, HDFC Standard Life informed bourses that Chaudhry has tendered his resignation. Its board will meet on September 12 to consider appointment of new MD and CEO, the insurer said. Axis Bank reported a 46 per cent drop in net profit to Rs 701.09 crore for the April-June quarter of the current fiscal due to increase in provisioning for bad loans. The bank had registered a net profit of Rs 1,306 crore in the June quarter of 2017-18. The bank's asset quality worsened as gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 6.52 per cent as on June 30 this year, from 5.03 per cent on June 30, 2017. In absolute terms, gross NPAs rose at Rs 32,662.40 crore as on June 30, 2018 compared to Rs 22,030.87 crore a year earlier. Fuxing Group investors display banners calling for the conviction of the wealth management group's leaders, outside Shanghai police offices on Aug. 31. Photo: Fuxing investors A group of unhappy investors arrived at the headquarters of Shanghais economic crimes police on the morning of Aug. 31 to deliver embroidered banners. They were protesting in a distinctly Chinese way. The banner embroidery said, Support the Arrest and Conviction of Fuxings Swindling Cronies and We Expect What Was Stolen to Be Returned to the People ASAP. The banners were intended for the team investigating the case of the Shanghai-based wealth management company Fuxing Group, whose chairman Zhu Yidong fled the country in June amid a cash crunch at the three private equity funds owned by his company. Zhu was eventually deported back to China Aug. 29 and is under investigation. The three Fuxing Group funds issued more than 150 wealth-management products and are estimated to be short nearly 24 billion yuan ($3.5 billion) for repaying liabilities. The investors delivering the pennants were some of the companys many victims. The Fuxing Group case is emblematic of an industry that could soon implode the way Chinas peer-to-peer lending industry has done, thanks to a combination of shady practices and external economic pressures. The countrys private equity industry operates under a set of rules unique to China that inherently increase risk for investors and the financial system, legal and industry experts told Caixin. Increasing numbers of private equity funds have exploited legal loopholes and have begun to act like investment banks and other types of traditional financial institutions, exposing their clients to magnified risk a situation regulators are hoping to change. But while authorities are focusing on raising the bar for entering the private equity business, some industry insiders argue for more stringent supervision and for greater sophistication among investors. Funds with Chinese characteristics Private equity firms have experienced explosive growth in China after the first products were offered in 2003. As of June 2018, there were 23,903 registered private equity fund managers in the country, according to the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC). Private equity firms in China usually set up one or more funds for each project, while the opposite is true in the U.S., where a single fund usually invests in multiple projects. This is because some investors want fund managers to set up funds not only with a certain investment strategy, but also with specific investment projects or objectives in mind, Guo Lizheng, a partner at the Chinese law firm Grandall, told Caixin. Additionally, fund managers are often asked to provide additional details when filing applications with Chinese regulators if their list of investment targets isnt specific enough, Guo said. So, in practice, private equity firms often issue at least one product for each project. This practice creates greater risk for investors and the financial system. These businesses claim to be wealth managers but are actually intermediary businesses conducting financing for a single project, putting all of a funds eggs in a single basket and increasing the concentration of risk and the ease of contagion, Hong Lei, chairman of the AMAC, said at an industry forum in July. Chinese private equity funds also tend to have shorter partnership terms usually one to two years compared with the 10 or more years that are the norm abroad. Short-term private equity funds are often examples of debt disguised as equity, Guo told Caixin. In the way they operate, these funds are essentially taking out short-term loans, he said. Another unusual characteristic of Chinese private equity funds is how many products a single company might issue frequently more than 100. China Science & Merchants Investment Management Group Co. Ltd., for instance, has registered 140 products with industry association AMAC, while Kunwu Jiuding Investment Holdings Co. Ltd. has 213 registered products. Private equity firms offering such a large number of products are rare in mature capital markets. Chinese private equity firms issue multiple products over a period of time focused on the same project or the same strategy, a practice that is banned in the U.S. to prevent conflicts of interests and Ponzi schemes. Firms behaving in this way are setting traps for themselves, Qin Maoxian, a partner in the Chinese law firm Jingtian & Gongcheng, told Caixin. If there is a good project, should fund A or fund B (from the same company) be allowed to invest in it? When you simultaneously launch multiple funds of the same category, a conflict of interest is inevitable, Qin said. But Chinese regulations limit the number of participants in each private equity fund to 200, making it difficult for firms to avoid opening new funds in the same category once one fund has reached the 200-participant limit, the president of a Beijing-based private equity firm told Caixin. In China most private equity fund investors are individuals, unlike the institutions that make up the bulk of investors in more mature markets, meaning companies frequently find that demand for their products exceeds the official quota. Regulatory options In mature capital markets, private equity funds are highly regarded, not only because of their high investment thresholds and reputations for professionalism, but also for their low correlation with other asset classes, meaning they can effectively withstand fluctuations in the economic cycle, benefiting investors in the long term. In China, however, many private equity funds actually behave like banks and other traditional financial institutions, but without the supervision to which these institutions are usually subject, thanks to a combination of regulatory oversight and restrictive regulation in other areas, an industry insider told Caixin. In addition to short-term funds that essentially operate as project financing vehicles, some private equity firms have even openly sold products to customers as investment banking-style capital management, including industry leaders like Kunwu Jiuding and Blue Stone Investment. Many companies are limited by Chinas strict licensing requirements for securities companies and turn into private equity funds, which are more loosely regulated, the industry source said. As a result, China has no more than 100 securities companies but more than 23,000 registered private equity fund management firms. As a result of crises like the Fuxing scandal, Chinese regulators have become increasingly worried about supervision of private equity funds. Local governments from Guangzhou in Chinas south to its capital Beijing have hit the brakes on the private equity sector in recent years. Guangzhou recently suspended the registration of all such funds, a lawyer specializing in private equity told Caixin. Meanwhile, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen have years-old rules against the registration of finance-related businesses with keywords like project investment and equity investment in their applications, the lawyer said. Chinas central securities authority, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), sets the national policies governing private equity funds, while regional CSRC branches assist local governments in implementing policies. Supervisory authorities are considering raising the entry criteria and rethinking the registration system for the industry, a person close to Chinas financial regulators told Caixin. Not everyone who wants to open a private equity fund should be able to do so, the person said. But many in the industry are wary of an overhaul of the registration system, which simply requires new private equity funds to submit filings describing their operations instead of going through a more stringent approval process. The China Securities Regulatory Commission has pushed forward reform of the issuing system for many years with the aim of promoting the registration system and relaxing the administrative approval system directly at the source of the issue, a staffer from a financial institution told Caixin, saying that authorities should let the market judge the value of an enterprise and grasp the key points in managing private equity firms, rather than simply raising barriers to entry. One key point, the staffer said, was to implement function-based supervision as the U.S. does. As long as a company is engaged in the private equity business and raises funds from U.S. investors, it must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a private fund manager, regardless of whether it is a securities company or another type of company by name. There is no distinction in regulatory standards, eliminating regulatory arbitrage, the staffer said. Immature investors In addition to risky behavior by fund managers and regulatory shortcomings, Chinas private equity fund industry also suffers from poor investor education, experts said. Many private investors in China lack a clear understanding of laws and regulations and dont have the means to protect their rights and interests, Guo told Caixin. Instead, they rely on petitioning regulatory authorities to take action, he said. Investment should be done cautiously, Qin of Jingtian & Gongcheng said. Mature investors would hire professional institutions to conduct due diligence on fund managers before investing and set up provisions in contracts to protect their interests, Qin told Caixin. The problem is that many investors in China currently lack professional awareness, he said. Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com) Malacanang said Sunday it was studying the possibility of procuring armaments and military equipment from Israel and Jordan to strengthen the Philippines defenses. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Defense and Interior departments might start the initiative. But he said there is no commitment yet even as President Rodrigo Duterte instructed the military to only weapons only from Israel, particularly in intelligence gathering. In his speech upon his arrival Saturday afternoon, Duterte was reticent about whether the country would procure armaments from the two countries. Well, in other areas except the military and police equipment, I can only answer that, Duterte said.But he expressed appreciation for the two countries, calling them beautiful, safe and unproblematic with strong military branches. During his week-long trip, Duterte visited an Israeli facility to view its defense equipment. He also witnessed Israels demonstration of a response to a possible terrorist attack. In Jordan, Duterte toured a military facility at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman as he and several Jordan officials witnessed an urban guerrilla demonstration during the visit. According to Israeli ministry data, the Holy City is one of the worlds top arms dealers, with nearly 60 percent of its defense exports going to the Asia-Pacific region. news, latest-news Disability advocates have called for plastic straws to still be available in Canberra cafes and restaurants for people who have difficulty swallowing or with limited hand movement However, ACT business owners who have banned plastic straws as part of a government initiative said they haven't experienced backlash from customers since the move. Since June, more than 20 ACT businesses signed up for the Straws Suck campaign, either removing or reducing the number of plastic straws. Among them is Woden's No. 10 Restaurant and Bar, which is phasing out the product. The restaurant's group food and beverage manager Joseph Wagland said he expected some criticism from patrons but the response was overwhelmingly positive. "When people knew why we were doing what we were doing, they were more than happy to participate," Mr Wagland said. "Putting a straw into a drink is more a habit of tradition, and it's been easy to break. There wasn't a lot of kickback from guests." Customers may be on board with getting rid of plastic straws, but disability groups have said the option needs to be available to people who rely on them on a daily basis, such as some with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. While straws made of paper, metal or bamboo are touted as replacements to plastic straws, the alternatives aren't able to be used in hot drinks or bend. Mr Wagland said the only instance where plastic straws have been provided since the campaign started has been to people with disabilities. "We do still keep plastic straws on hand for people who need them," he said. "It's important to include all members of the community, and the straws are reserved for them." It's estimated 10 million straws are used and thrown away in Australia every day. Before the campaign, Mr Wagland said the restaurant was using a box of straws every month. It's now expected to use less than a box over a year. "I think it's a nice customer sentiment, and it's great to participate in an environmentally-friendly initiative," Mr Wagland said. People With Disabilities ACT executive officer Robert Altmore said plastic straws should always be offered at cafes or restaurants to cater for people with disabilities. "The ban on plastic straws has a significant impact for a small group of people with disabilities, in particular people who have difficulties swallowing and people with mobility or hand movements," Mr Altmore said. "For these people, plastic straws are better because they are more rigid and more durable." Sue Salthouse, Women With Disabilities ACT chair, said options should always be available for people who need straws. "The needs of people with disabilities are too often completely overlooked, and that can lead to some individuals to jump to the conclusion that is is going to happen again in the matter of straws," Ms Salthouse said. "Straw users will be reassured that the mainstream community is aware that there are some individuals who rely on using straws for drinking, and their needs taken into account." A Community Services Directorate spokesman said the Straws Suck campaign took into account people with disabilities, and encouraged the use of bamboo or paper straws. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c96435a1-e751-4846-81ed-128641233202/r0_161_3790_2302_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The owner of a Mr Fluffy home who still lives in it and refuses to have an asbestos management plan says she is sick of paying for a problem she didn't create. Lorraine Carvalho and her husband Leo own Mr Fluffy founder Dirk Jansen's former Lyons home - one of 21 houses that WorkSafe ACT says is non-compliant with legislation requiring an asbestos management plan. The plans, designed to minimise the risk of further exposure to residents and visitors, last two years and require an assessment from a licensed asbestos assessor. The inspections can cost homeowners more than $1000, and they are also required to pay for any recommended remediation works and have them completed within six months of the assessment. Mrs Carvalho said there were "a whole myriad of reasons" she and Mr Carvalho refused to have a management plan. She believed they had already been through enough, and the home's living areas had been cleared of contamination on several occasions. "It wasn't our mistake, so why should we have to pay?" Mrs Carvalho said. "The people who have been the victims are the ones who have to pay. "To pay [for a management plan] is just paying dead money and making someone rich off your misfortune." The Carvalhos bought their home in 2003, long after the loose-fill asbestos was installed, and spent $500,000 on renovating and extending it. The place had already been cleaned in the 1990s and living areas were cleared of asbestos during renovations in 2004. In July 2014, the couple received a letter from the ACT government telling them their home was a Mr Fluffy house, and another assessment revealed living areas were clear of contamination. The Carvalhos, who have previously described the ACT government's buyback scheme as a rip-off, are so determined to stay in the house that they even plan to paint it during the spring despite the government's plan to demolish all Mr Fluffy houses by 2020. "Our biggest angst is that we didn't put the Fluffy there, so I don't think we should have to pay," Mrs Carvalho said. "It's very comfortable [in the house]. I can live my days out here." Residents who chose to continue living in Mr Fluffy homes and to not participate in the buyback scheme were required to have an asbestos management plan in place by February 2016. Seventy-seven homes remain on the ACT Asbestos Response Taskforce's affected residential premises register, and 48 of those are required to have a management plan. That register is not a public document, and a public list of 1023 properties contaminated by Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos does not distinguish between the 77 still affected and the 954 that have been removed from the affected residential premises register after demolition and soil testing. WorkSafe ACT says it takes compliance with asbestos management plans "very seriously" and continues to work with the owners of the 21 non-compliant and four partially compliant properties to encourage them to co-operate. A spokesperson for the regulator has said it will consider taking further action against non-compliant homeowners on a case-by-case basis. "While privacy requirements prevent the publication of non-compliant households, visitors including trade persons can check the public register for loose-fill asbestos properties and at the property can check for relevant signage or ask for a copy of the [asbestos management plan]," the spokesperson said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/0d056ad3-0333-4762-a451-16ca084627f5/r0_136_3398_2056_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Are you a certified medical practitioner? Then, here are lucrative government jobs awaiting you. The recruiters for the doctor jobs 2018 are: EMPLOYER JOB LOCATION Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force India Indian Oil Corporation Limited Haldi (West Bengal) Medical Services Recruitment Board Chennai Bharat Electronics Limited Bangalore, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh National Health Mission Andhra Pradesh ITBP Recruitment 2018 The selection process is through a walk-in interview. It will include a test and medical examination. Name Of The Posts: Specialist and General Duty Medical Officer Organisation: Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Educational Qualification: Recognised medical qualification Maximum Age Limit: 67 years Salary: INR 85000 for Specialist and INR 75000 for General Duty Medical Officer Deadline To Apply: 29, 2018 Click here to apply for the job. MRB Recruitment 2018 MRB has announced 1889 vacancies for this post. The selection process of suitable candidates will be through a written test held in Chennai. Name Of The Posts: Assistant Surgeon Organisation: Medical Services Recruitment Board Educational Qualification: MBBS Salary: INR 56,100 to INR 1,77,500 Deadline To Apply: Oct 15, 2018 Click here to apply for the job. BEL Recruitment 2018 Aspirants must crack a written exam comprising objective type questions. Candidates should apply before the stipulated deadline. Name Of The Posts: Medical Officer, Staff Nurse and Engineering Assistant Trainee Organisation: Bharat Electronics Limited Educational Qualification: MBBS for Medical Officer, diploma in general nursing for Staff Nurse and engineering diploma for Engineering Assistant Trainee Maximum Age Limit: 35 years Salary: INR 10,050 to INR 1,60,000 Deadline To Apply: Oct 15, 2018 Click here to apply for the job. NHM Recruitment 2018 This job opportunity is for candidates who can work full-time on a regular basis for the government hospitals in AP. Name Of The Post: Civil Assistant Surgeon Organisation: Directorate of Public Health and Family Welfare, National Health Mission Educational Qualification: MBBS Maximum Age Limit: 42 years Salary: INR 40,270 to INR 93,780 Deadline To Apply: Oct 25, 2018 Click here to apply for the job. IOCL Recruitment 2018 Candidates may attend the walk-in interview at IOCL, Haldia Refinery Guest House, Cluster-10, PO: Haldia Township, Dist: Purba Midnapore, West Bengal-721 607. Name Of The Posts: Psychiatrist, Psychological Counselor and Pediatrician Organisation: Indian Oil Corporation Limited Educational Qualification: MD or PhD in relevant field Salary: INR 12500 to INR 40000 Deadline To Apply: Oct 10, 2018 Click here to apply for the job. Photo: The Canadian Press President Donald Trump is vowing to root out the leakers who contributed to the White House insider accounts that contend some on his team question his judgment, competence and even rationality. A book by presidential author Bob Woodward and an anonymous New York Times op-ed article, Trump has said, are fiction and lies. But the president nonetheless finds them compelling enough to seek out the leakers of behind-the-scenes stories and quotes. On Friday, Trump said the U.S. Justice Department should investigate the identity of the op-ed writer. "Eventually, the name of this sick person will come out," he told reporters on Air Force One. Some things to know about leak investigations: THE NATURE OF A LEAK Telling embarrassing stories about a president's behaviour is not the same thing as revealing classified information. The first could be a political risk, which is why administration members from Vice-President Mike Pence on down denied being the op-ed writer this week. Still, writing unflattering things about the president isn't a crime. But the Espionage Act and other federal laws do criminalize unauthorized disclosures about certain national security information, such as surveillance methods. Any leak investigations of classified information tend to go through a complex process at the Justice Department that includes determining whether the information was sensitive and known to few people. NATIONAL SECURITY Trump told reporters Friday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should pursue the identity of the New York Times essay writer. "Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," the president said. If the person has a high-level security clearance, Trump said, "I don't want him in those meetings." The FBI and Justice Department are responsible for investigating federal crimes, but there is no indication of anything illegal having been done in the publication of a newspaper opinion piece critical of the president. It is also extraordinary for a president to demand an investigation by the Justice Department, which is supposed to make investigative and charging decisions without White House interference. THE FALLOUT Trump was asked if, in light of the book and column, he trust the people around him. "I do, I do," he said. "But what I do is, now I look around the room and I say 'Hey I don't know somebody.'" Meanwhile, Trump is said to be examining the language of the denials issued this week by the highest members of his administration or their spokespeople. "Everybody very high up has already said it wasn't me. It would be very hard if it was, if they got caught," Trump said. "You'd be shunned for the rest of your life." Photo: The Canadian Press An orange shirt saying "inmate" is thrown by a protester at former Donald Trump presidential campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, right, who triggered the Russia investigation, and who pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI, as he holds hands with his wife Simona Mangiante on arrival at federal court for sentencing, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Washington. WASHINGTON - George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation, was sentenced to 14 days in prison Friday after he told a judge he was "deeply embarrassed and ashamed" for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries. Papadopoulos, the first campaign aide sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation, acknowledged that his actions hindered an investigation of national importance, a move that the judge in his case said resulted in the 31-year-old putting his own self-interest above that of his country. "I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption," Papadopoulos said. The punishment was far less than the maximum six-month sentence sought by the government but more than the probation that Papadopoulos and his lawyers had asked for. Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign, has been a central figure in the Russia investigation dating back before Mueller's May 2017 appointment. He was the first to plead guilty in Mueller's probe and is now the first Trump campaign adviser to be sentenced. His case was also the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said Papadopoulos' deception was "not a noble lie" and said he had lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and didn't want to jeopardize that possibility by being tied to the Russia investigation. "In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self-interest over the national interest," the judge said. Moss noted that many similar cases resulted in probation but said he imposed a sentence of incarceration partly to send a message to the public that they can't lie to the FBI. The sentence drew a quick response from Trump on Twitter, as he scoffed at the two weeks of prison time by comparing it to an unverified cost figure for the Mueller probe. "14 days for $28 MILLION - $2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!" the president tweeted. Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats , now declassified, show that information about Papadopoulos' contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI's counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential co-ordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mueller. According to a sweeping indictment handed up this summer, Russian intelligence had stolen emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign and other Democratic groups by April 2016, the same month Papadopoulos was told by a professor that Russian officials had told him they had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." Papadopoulos later used his connections with the Maltese professor, Joseph Mifsud, and other Russian nationals in an attempt to broker a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He admitted last year to lying to the FBI about those contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries, false statements that prosecutors say caused irreparable harm to the investigation during its early months. Prosecutors say those false statements, made during a January 2017 interview with federal investigators, led the FBI to miss an opportunity to interview Mifsud while he was in the United States in early 2017. In court Friday, prosecutor Andrew Goldstein said Papadopoulos' co-operation "didn't come close to the standard of substantial assistance." "It was at best begrudging efforts to co-operate and we don't think they were substantial or significant in any regard," he said. He said Papadopoulos' deception required investigators to scour more than 100,000 emails and gigabytes of data to reconstruct the timeline of his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries. Unemployment still high, but job fair set to help a return to work As Puebloans continue to return to work and help the decline of unemployment figures, a job fair is set to help those still searching for jobs. SANTA ROSA BEACH Gov. Rick Scott kicks off a 10-day statewide bus tour Sunday as he begins the critical stretch run of his U.S. Senate campaign. Where's the first stop? Scott's campaign sent out a press advisory Saturday saying the "Make Washington Work Bus Tour" would open at Captain Anderson's, a seafood restaurant in Panama City Beach owned by the family of Jimmy Patronis, Scott's appointee to the Cabinet post of chief financial officer. Not exactly. Multiple reports said Scott planned a visit at 11 a.m. Central time Sunday at one of his favorite campaign haunts, The Donut Hole at 6745 U.S. Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach. A woman who answered the phone at the business Saturday and who checked with a co-worker said Scott would be there "at about 11" Sunday. Scott's a doughnut maker from way back. He got his start in business by buying two small doughnut shops in Missouri, and it was a staple of his profile in both races for governor. But Santa Rosa Beach is in Walton County, which is ground zero for a very intense fight over public access to beaches. Scott is drawing fire from some residents for signing HB 631, which places new restrictions on cities and counties that want to pass local laws ensuring public beach access and is highly controversial in Walton, a reliably Republican county. "No trespassing" and "private beach" signs have been popping up on the area's famous beaches. More than 800 people attended a meeting on Saturday called by the county to begin the process of adopting a new ordinance allowing public access. Scott's opponent, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, criticized the law and urged Scott to call a special legislative session to repeal it immediately. As the controversy over the law raged in July, Scott took the unusual step of issuing an executive order, directing state agencies to not enforce the very law he signed. READ MORE: New law Scott signed makes beach access harder to establish If enough Walton County residents know that Scott is appearing at a local business, some may show up to protest or to urge repeal of HB 631 not the photo-op the governor's campaign necessarily wants in a battle that polls show is extremely close with Nelson. Scott's campaign confirmed his visit to the doughnut shop, after initially not saying so. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Many in our society seem to do everything they can to squelch Christianity, as the following examples illustrate: A retired Lutheran minister might get expelled from his retirement home. Why? For having Bible studies there. A chaplain was facing punishment for not facilitating a lesbian couple's "marriage" retreat, because it violates his conscience. A Christian baker fought all the way up to the Supreme Court to defend against being forced to bake a same-sex wedding cake, lest it violate his conscience. The high court sided with him. Now Colorado is persecuting him again for not being willing to bake a cake to celebrate a transgender's transition. It's as if in this country, founded by Christians for religious freedom, which we've then extended to everybody else, Christians are not free to practice their own religion. Ah, but here is what is interesting about all this anti-Christian fervor in our time. Happiness often eludes the anti-Christian bigots. Who was happier? Saul of Tarsus (who persecuted the Christians) or Paul the Apostle (Saul of Tarsus, transformed by the risen Christ)? Paul learned that all are welcome to believe in Jesus and experience the positive things that flow thereafter. I don't follow Jesus to be happy here on earth. He's the one who said, "Blessed are those who mourn." Essentially: "Happy are the sad." Wait, if they're sad, how can they be happy? The first step to a blessed life is to mourn over one's sin. This points to our need for a Savior. Paul even said, if only for this life we are Christians, we are to be pitied more than all. What got me thinking about all this---the personal, quiet happiness of the run-of-the-mill active Christian---was a recent story from the BBC (8/27/18) about happiness and the Scandinavian countries, "Why Nordic countries might not be as happy as you think." Despite the headline, however, Scandinavian countries consistently score among the highest on the happiness scale. The article concludes: "So the picture in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden does remain relatively rosy---just not as perfect as some may have painted." What I found most interesting in the article is this statement: "Very religious people were more likely to be happier." So the happiest people in the happiest countries are the religious ones (and that's in a Christian context). The Mayo Clinic has been studying happiness for quite some time. They posted the summary of their findingson happy people on 4/20/18: "...their lives are built on the following pillars: "Devoting time to family and friends "Appreciating what they have "Maintaining an optimistic outlook "Feeling a sense of purpose "Living in the moment." An active, practicing faith in Christ cultivates this type of lifestyle. For example, under the notion of appreciating what you have (as opposed to coveting what you don't have), Mayo talks about the importance of giving-thanks: "Make a commitment to practice gratitude. Each day identify at least one thing that enriches your life. When you find yourself thinking an ungrateful thought, try substituting a grateful one." The Christian faith beat them by 2000 years in their findings. Paul said to give thanks, even in all circumstances. In his case, he underwent many difficult circumstances. In 2 Corinthians 11, he goes through a litany of what he had suffered as an apostle for the Gospel's sake. He was shipwrecked, robbed by thieves, stoned and left for dead, flogged, imprisoned, and endured other hardships. Yet, this very same man could declare: Give thanks in all circumstances. Actively living as Christians means applying Christ's Golden Rule, treating others as we would like to be treated. It means forgiving others (letting go of bitterness), and being forgiven by Christ who died for us. It means valuing relationships over things. "For it is in giving that we receive," to quote the Prayer of St. Francis. It means being a part of the largest family in the whole world, the Body of Christ. Recently, I experienced the loss of some important worldly goods. But through it all, I kept remembering this statement of Jesus: A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. So what is the Christians' vindication in a society that continues to marginalize us? Personal happiness and a sense of well-being, because our lives are based on a higher purposenot to mention what we look forward to in the next life. Indeed, one of my favorite sayings is: "All this and heaven too!" Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 28 books, e.g., The Unstoppable Jesus Christ, Doubting Thomas (w/ Mark Beliles, on Jefferson), and What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (w/ D. James Kennedy) & the bestseller, George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback) djkm.org @newcombejerry www.jerrynewcombe.com Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The nearest and dearest thing to my heart is to see people become "born again." However one of the saddest things for me to see is quick prayers prayed over people, who have heard a quick salvation message, and then to see them politely told "Today's church service is over." Perhaps it's in time to hit our favorite Sunday Buffet spot before the crowd gets too thick? Perhaps it's because we truly believe we are really able to "lead them to the Lord" inside that three minutes, and then "He will take it from there?" Or perhaps we have seen others do it that way so much for so long that we just assume it is the way that it should be done? Shallow doctrine produces shallow converts, however throughout history the Christians that changed the world were those who were truly "converted" to Christ. Being "born again" to them required a self-death in order to be reborn and their baptismal service was more than just getting "dunked" by their pastor in a pool of water! Recently, The Christian Post celebrated by looking back on one hundred years of Christianity. The not so well known but highly effective evangelist they referred to was named Charles Finney. Charles Finney was a lawyer from Sackets Harbor New York who had his practice in nearby Adams. He had always mocked a group of ladies in Adams who regularly gathered for prayer. However after a considerable amount of time had passed one day Charles was following his daily routine and the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit came over him. It was so strong he followed a familiar trail out into the woods and by a fallen tree wept for hours under the conviction of his sin. The intense prayer continued for weeks to come and became part of his daily schedule. One night, according to his words, the Holy Spirit fell upon him and he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Shortly thereafter he was called into full time ministry and this converted lawyer became a circuit-riding preacher. As he rode horseback from town to town in the Northeastern United States in the 1800's he led hundreds of thousands of people to Christ. Many of the writings and sermons Charles Finney preached, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, have been preserved for our edification. Of the over half a million souls, by some estimates that he led to Christ, many already attended church regularly. Some reports say the numbers were closer to eight hundred thousand people saved under his strong preaching. A very large percentage of them believed they were ready for heaven. Many were outstanding members of their churches. However, after hearing the biblical arguments of the lawyer sent from heaven, people realized just how unconverted they really were in the past. It was said that Finney was the lawyer in the courtroom, the congregation were the jury and that God sat as the judge, as Finney used God's Word as the measuring stick of His righteousness. I often think of a precious friend in the faith, my pastor back then, and a father of four precious children. He went to be with the Lord in October of 2001. It was said later that he had a birth defect in his heart that no one knew about. He collapsed following leading worship in our church that Wednesday night, and died at 38 years young on the way to the hospital. I will leave him nameless but over 1300 people attended his funeral. He was known as a "pastor's pastor" and in his short 38 years, touched hundreds of people for Christ in a way that only Jesus could do in and through any man. He exuded joy, was always full of love and smiling, and his preaching and worship was like no one I had ever known. This dear pastor attended the Pensacola Florida revivals with a group from our church in the late 90's. When he returned, he told everyone, and preached from the pulpit, that he felt he was a changed man. He went on to say, by everyone's amazement, that he felt under the preaching and anointing of Evangelist Steve Hill that he was truly "born again" for the first time in his life. God had truly met him there and yet how is this possible that a Spirit filled pastor could testify that he felt "born gain?" To answer I recently coined a descriptive phrase called "pew fillers"! Pew fillers are pastors who knowingly and with great care and preparation endeavor to fill every pew in their church by preaching or teaching a out of balance version of the Bible. This is no great new revelation, and I am one of many, for years, who have addressed this issue. These under zealots are trying to boost either their attendance record, or the report of converts that goes into their national office each year. Perhaps they're trying to fill offering plates by soft-pedaling the gospel. In most cases the people who say yes to their sermons and pray a microwave prayer of salvation are not truly born again! They may think they are. They may even feel they are. Salvations that do not lead people to a state of contrition over their sins, seeking the Biblical Jesus to forgive them and to deliver them from the lifestyle they recognize they must leave behind are not truly "born again!" So whether an individual may have listened to the preaching of Charles Finney in the 1800's, Steve Hill in Pensacola Florida in the 1990's, or a pastor who has started preaching the whole counsel of God, when conviction hits them then they will become for, perhaps the first time, "truly born again!" Paul said in Romans 7:9 (KJV) " For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came sin revived and I died." Do you know you are truly born again? Have YOU died first? Rev Nolan J Harkness is the President and CEO of Nolan Harkness Evangelistic Ministries Inc. since 1985. He spent most of his adult life working in youth ministry. He also felt the calling of Evangelist/Revivalist and traveled as the door was open holding evangelistic meetings in churches throughout the Northeast. His website is www.verticalsound.org. 10-year-old orphan threatened with eviction gets a home A 10-year-old orphan being supported by a Church of Scotland minister has been guaranteed a home after being threatened with eviction. Giorgi Kakava and his grandmother were told to leave their apartment along with 300 other asylum seekers being housed in the Glasgow area. According to the Church of Scotland, the family was given just 10 days' notice to vacate their flat in Springburn. But after an intervention by Glasgow North East MP Paul Sweeney, the 10-year-old has now been offered a permanent tenancy with North Glasgow Housing Association, also called ng Homes. 'We have already seen the eviction scandal play out over the last few weeks in Glasgow, and sadly Giorgi and his grandmother were liable to be evicted from their property,' said Mr Sweeney, according to the Evening Times. "So after intervention by my office, we have been successful in ensuring the housing association is going to offer them a permanent tenancy.' Earlier this year, Giorgi and his grandmother successfully fought off deportation to their native Georgia after Mr Sweeney spoke on their behalf in the House of Commons. They have also been closely supported by Church of Scotland minister Brian Casey, whose petition to keep Giorgi in Scotland has drawn over 80,000 signatures in support. Rev Casey said: 'Giorgi and his gran were very confused, upset and anxious when they were told they had to leave their home. 'There are no guarantees that they would find somewhere else to live close by and moving to another part of Glasgow would disrupt Giorgi's education and home life. 'So I am absolutely over the moon that ng homes have joined us to try and give him a childhood by allowing him to stay in his home, surrounded by things that remind him of his mum.' Giorgi was facing deportation after his mother, Sopio, died in February following a long period of illness. Sopio fled from Georgia with her son seven years ago after finding out that her husband allegedly owed money to gangsters. She was waiting for a decision on her appeal for asylum in the UK at the time of her death. Her mother, Ket Baikhadze, is now the legal guardian of Giorgi and has been given leave to remain in Scotland for the next two-and-a-half years. Giorgi's leave to remain has been extended until February 2020, and Rev. Casey is continuing his campaign to allow Giorgi to remain in Scotland permanently. His petition states: 'Giorgi is, to all intents and purposes, Scottish and is doing well at his primary school. If he was returned to Georgia against his will, he would be under threat. 'Please help us to keep Giorgi in Glasgow. This is the only home he has ever known and he is proud to be from Springburn and Glasgow. His schooling would be disrupted and his life would be at risk in Georgia.' RE should be changed to include non-religious beliefs and worldviews, says new report Religious Education in England's schools should be rebranded as 'Religion and Worldviews,' according to a major new report. Under recommendations from the Commission on Religious Education, the traditional RE class should be adapted to include non-religious views like atheism, agnosticism, humanism and secularism alongside lessons on the major faiths. The report's authors warn that unless RE adapts, the subject could disappear from schools altogether. 'RE needs rejuvenating if it is to continue to make its important contribution, indeed if it is not to wither on the vine,' writes Commission Chairman, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster and former chief education officer for the Church of England, in his foreword to the report. Dr Hall said that at present, the quality of RE in many schools was 'inadequate in enabling pupils to engage deeply with the worldviews they will encounter'. Other recommendations include providing better training for RE teachers and making the subject statutory across publicly funded schools. Dr Hall argued that RE needs to be adapted to help young people understand the 'diverse society' they are growing up in. 'Young people today are growing up in a wonderfully diverse society,' he said. 'Day by day they can encounter different cultures and worldviews, if not personally at least through the media. 'So it has never been more important for people to understand the main traditions of faith and belief and the wide variety of worldviews.' The Church of England's Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders called the report 'timely' and said the changes were 'vital' in the face of declining numbers of schoolchildren taking RE at GCSE and A-level. 'Today, most people's experience of religion and belief is national and global, so we support the move away from a local determination of the subject,' he said. 'We believe this will help pupils make sense of religion and belief as it is lived today and this proposed change is educationally valid and would bring RE into line with all other curriculum subjects.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, also welcomed the findings. He said: 'A change of name to 'Religion and Worldviews' shows that this is a broader subject than the study of religion; it is about the different ways that people see and make sense of the world.' The Catholic Education Service disagreed, however, warning that the subject was at risk of being watered down. 'This report is not so much an attempt to improve RE as to fundamentally change its character,' a spokesman said, according to The Telegraph. 'The proposed name change to include 'worldviews' means that the scope of the subject is now so wide and nondescript that it would potentially lose all academic value and integrity. 'As we have always maintained, the quality of Religious Education is not improved by teaching less religion.' Research has found a decline in the number of schools offering Religious Education, with recent research suggesting that over a quarter of England's secondary schools do not provide any RE lessons despite the law requiring it. Top 3 incidences when you can be denied bail * Partner Post The current judicial system is tasked with the duty of deciding whether one can be granted bail or not. As such, bail isn't automatically granted; it depends on the case. The reality is that the bail is sometimes way too much for some people. According to prisonpolicy.org, many people are detained not because they are criminals, but because they can't afford to raise the bail. Bail is set with regard to a number of factors, like your criminal record. Most people who have been arrested get so excited when they get a bail hearing without realizing that bail can still be denied at the hearing. Therefore, before going for your hearing, here are a couple of reasons why your bail may be denied: 1. Offences Sometimes when you have a long criminal record, the court might deny you bail. This is a way to control you so that you do not find yourself in more trouble. If you have been arraigned in court for a certain crime where you had accomplices, it might be hard to get bail because the crime might still be under investigation. The court and the police will argue that if you are released, you might find a way to warn your fellow criminals. To avoid your interference you might be denied bail until the rest of your accomplices are caught and all evidence is collected. 2. Threat Sometimes you might be denied bail on grounds that you are a threat to another person. This can be proved if you made statements insinuating that you intend to harm them. Therefore, it will be very hard for the judge to grant you bail because your freedom will endanger another person's life. The court will take a precautionary measure and deny you bail. Furthermore, you can be denied bail if you are a terror threat. If you are a suspected terrorist, your chances of obtaining bail are almost zero. In fact, you are likely to be kept under high security. In this case, you are not only a threat to a few people, but to the whole world. However, if you provide vital information to the government, they may grant you bail. If so, you can ask for the services of https://bailbonds4u.com/to help pay your bail. 3. Appearance and Breach bail Any criminal record is stored and can be pulled out when the court wants to make a decision on whether it should grant you bail or not. If there are reports which indicate that you have previously failed to appear in court, then the court will deny you bail for that. If you have a history of flying in and out of the country, the court might deny you bail on grounds that you may disappear and never come back. Furthermore, if you have a history of not following conditions given during previous bail hearings, then the court will deny you bail on those grounds. Therefore, your lawyer should evaluate your case and advice you accordingly. Amber Venz Box leads a company that drives more than $1 billion in sales. She and her RewardStyle co-founder, husband Baxter Box, have a global reach, with seven offices on four continents, more than 250 employees and partnerships with more than 4,000 retailers and 1 million brands. But its the 30,000 content producers that have launched their own businesses that shes most proud of, for helping them take their passion for fashion, interiors, fitness, beauty which they were already sharing online and make a living. Box is but one of the tens of thousands of women who are supporting themselves and their families through RewardStyle, she says. We found something and helped create entrepreneurs around the world. Box and other editors of LiketoKnow.it, the shopping discovery app from RewardStyle that allows users to shop through their screenshots, are sharing the behind-the-screen stories of more than 100 bloggers, Instagrammers, YouTubers, Pinterest usersand content creators in a new coffee table book, Stories From the Influencer Next Door. Before there were influencers, there was Box. Yes, there have always been stylemakersand trendsetters who others tried to emulate and mimic. But Box and her husband harnessed the power of online inspiration and shopping to create an industry. When they set out in 2011, Box was struggling to turn her blog into a money-making venture. She and her then-boyfriend, now husband, developed a platform and network that allowed people like her to get paid when their social media posts inspire others to make a purchase. When a customer makes a purchase, RewardStyle and the influencer who posted the item get a cut of the retailers profit. That can add up. Last year, about 83 percent more of RewardStyles influencers made more than $100,000 a year from retail commissions than in the previous year. And there are plenty of RewardStyle millionaires, too, Box says. Before they were professional bloggers they were stay-at-home moms, teachers, stylists, students, Olympic athletes or reality TV stars. We want you to get to know who these women were before they started sharing their lives online, Box says. Their stories are empowering to any kind of entrepreneur looking to start their own business. Box was raised in the Park Cities, launched her business in Dallas and has firmly planted its global headquarters in North Texas, so its not surprising that the area is well-represented in the RewardStyle network and the new book. Dallas and Texas have a legacy of leading women everyone from Mary Kay Ash to Kendra Scott, Box says. The book profiles more than a dozen Texas influencers. Among them: fashion darling Jane Aldridge, one of the earliest personal style bloggers who got her start more than a decade ago as a high-schooler; Courtney Kerr, the Bravo TV personality who has been with Box from nearly the beginning; Olympic golden girl Nastia Liukin, who now calls California home; Texas transplant and Disco Daydream blogger Lauren Johnson; identical twins Samantha and Alexis Belbel, who escaped from corporate America to start an influencer business; McKinney mom and former speech pathologist Sheaffer Sims. In addition to her post with RewardStyle, Box publishes to her site, Venzedits, regularly. She and her husband also have two young children and are expecting their third this month, about the same time the book publishes on Sept. 18. Box was intentional about including in the book a mosaic of women and some men to represent all types of regions, lifestyles, cultures, bodies and personalities. Whoever you are, you should be able to find yourself here, she said. For many influencers, it was a lack of representation that spurred them to carve out a space online. When they didnt see themselves represented, they created their own sites, Box said. The Q-and-A format of the book lets the influencers speak in a voice familiar to their followers about how they got their starts, what inspires them and what they wish they had known before starting out. Today, Boxs roster of influencers is 30,000 strong, but look for that number to grow. Influencers have entered the industry at all stages of life, says Box. Its never too late to start. Aldine resident Juan Cazares lived with his aunt and two dog in a house on Halls Bayous that took on a foot-and-a-half of water during Hurricane Harvey. The family remains displaced, living in a small garage nearby. The house is still a mess, he said. Nothing has been repaired. He admits it can be frustrating, mostly for his aunt who loves cooking. She gets depressed, he said. She loves cooking for people. Cazares is one of the many people visited Saturday by staff and volunteers from Harris County Public Health, follow-up visits from those workers made in Aldine and Seabrook following Harvey. Teams went door-to-door conducting Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, a survey designed to provide quick and at low-cost information about a community. What were really interested in doing is to connect with the community, said Dr. Umair A. Shah, the HCPH executive director. We believe strongly that health happens in the community where you live, learn, work, worship and play. Shah said it is important to recognize that the recovery process can take a toll on mental health. Dozens of volunteers go through a mental-health briefing and de-briefing before and after visiting the community. What we wanted to do was remind ourselves that we also have to be ready for what the questions and the response from the community is going to be, he said. The Aldine area, where more than 60 percent of homes were damaged by Harvey, should serve as a good signpost for the rest of the region, experts said. This is one of the hardest hit areas in the county, said Mac McClendon, the departments Director of Public Health Preparedness and Response. So, if we can collect data in what were doing here, then we can somewhat assume that the other areas are experiencing the same type of thing. McClendon said this is the health departments seventh CASPER survey. They performed the survey once a year, mainly for experience, until the Tax Day floods hit in 2016. They visited a community in Cypress. When we were in Cypress, we discovered a neighborhood that had been isolated and did not know all the government services or other social services out there, Shah said. It was tough, but we were the first agency touching them, and it wasnt a pleasant scene. People were crying and emotional. When the team left Cazaress home, they provided him as well as the others phone numbers and other resources in case of a future emergency and to address housing concerns, such as mold and rodents/ The department is also providing a Mobile Health Village event on Sept. 22 for the community, where they will provide free immunizations, wellness screenings and more. Things are not the way theyre supposed to be, but you cant do anything about it, Cazares said, Were getting a little help one at a time. Having extensive wealth when running for office generally is seen as an advantage, but both of Illinois candidates for governor recently have been subject to criticism from actions by companies touched by their vast holdings. Both incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner, a near-billionaire, and his Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker, a multi-billionaire, leaned on their stores of cash to outrun primary challengers in March. Both were criticized for it. Now each campaign is taking heat for actions by companies they dont actively manage. Rauner has seen negative publicity for his connection to companies assisting in the detention of migrant families. More recently, his former capital firm was found to own a company in the Chicago suburbs that has been flagged for emitting a chemical now thought by the Environmental Protection Agency to cause cancer. State Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, filed legislation Wednesday that would shut down any company that is leaking emissions beyond the levels deemed acceptable by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, a bill aimed squarely at the company Rauners former firm holds. Meanwhile, Pritzker has been questioned by employees of a company he co-owns with his brother about the organizations campaign against unionization. And the candidates connection to Hyatt Hotels, the chain founded by Pritzkers family and the source of his wealth, soon could create more headlines. Saqib Bhatti, co-executive director of the Action Center for Race and the Economy, led a protest against Hyatt for hosting a convention held by ACT for America, a group he and others say is anti-Islam. His cousin is the chairman of the board of directors, literally the boss of the CEO and yet he holds his hands up and says he has no control over this, Bhatti said. Hows he going to convince folks in Springfield to pass his policies if he cant convince his family members not to take money from white supremacists and neo-Nazis? The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled ACT for America an anti-Muslim hate group; ACT for America has denied the claim. In Chicago, hotels under the Hyatt umbrella could see workers walk off the job any day, after members of UNITE HERE Local 1 authorized a strike and let their contract run out last week. A strike would put more than 3,000 hotel workers on the streets picketing. Brian J. Gaines, professor at the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs, said its not new to have political figures with business interests. Herbert Hoover already was very wealthy from his time as a mining engineer, for instance. And, of course, real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed billionaire, is U.S. president. Its todays technology and social network platforms, Gaines said, that allow the politically motivated to make a bigger deal out of these connections. Once upon a time, it would have been hard to figure out that, if youre an activist, you could tie your campaign against a candidate, he said. The connections being made between Rauner, Pritzker and their respective business interests are a bit of a stretch in most cases, Gaines said. Its more than arms-length, you would think, but I guess all is fair in love, war and politics, he said. WASHINGTON - A highly visible member of Washington's Catholic clergy has made a dramatic declaration calling on Cardinal Donald Wuerl to resign, the latest blow to Washington's embattled archbishop. Deacon James Garcia, in his role as a master of ceremony at St. Matthew's Cathedral in the District of Columbia, has assisted Wuerl during major liturgies of the year. But Garcia wrote in a letter to Wuerl, which the deacon published online Saturday, that he refuses to assist in any Mass led by Wuerl. Because deacons vow obedience to their bishop, it is a bold gesture. "The time for cowardice and self-preservation is long past. Victims cry out for justice and the faithful deserve shepherds who are not compromised. Apology and accompaniment are critical. But no amount of apology will suffice unless and until bishops and other complicit clergy are removed or resign," Garcia wrote in his letter. And he addressed Wuerl directly: "I cannot, in good conscience, continue to assist you personally, whether as an assisting deacon or a master of ceremony." Since a Pennsylvania grand jury in August released a major investigative report cataloging alleged child abuse committed in the state by more than 300 priests, Wuerl - who oversaw some of those priests during his 18 years as bishop of Pittsburgh before he became archbishop of Washington - has faced calls to resign from numerous corners. A few dozen protesters picketed with signs outside St. Matthew's and outside the cardinal's residence. More than 40 Catholic schoolteachers skipped the back-to-school Mass, standing outside instead and demanding that Wuerl step down. Garcia's letter, published on a blog run by Garcia's friend Joelle Casteix, an advocate for clergy sex abuse victims, adds the voice of a member of the clergy who works closely with Wuerl. And it comes as Wuerl is publicly grappling with the fallout from the grand jury report: He traveled to the Vatican, where Pope Francis advised him to consult his priests about whether he should ask the pope to accept his resignation, then came home and declared a six-week "season of healing." The week before that season starts, Garcia published his letter online. Deacons are ordained clergy in the Catholic church, like priests, but they have different duties and can marry. Permanent deacons who are not bound for the priesthood are allowed to marry before ordination, but generally not after. They can baptize children and prepare couples for marriage. Garcia has helped teach classes for adult converts to Catholicism, and as master of ceremony, he makes sure that the cathedral's most elaborate liturgies, with many priests and deacons participating, run smoothly and solemnly. He isn't in a leadership or advisory role in the archdiocese, but his ritual position at the archdiocesan cathedral puts him in a visible spot. Garcia, a married Arlington lawyer, began pursuing ordination in 2009 and became a deacon in 2013. He was assigned to the parish at St. Matthew's, the cathedral in the archdiocese of Washington. In the vows of ordination, deacons pledge obedience to their bishop. Five years ago, following the rite of ordination, Garcia knelt down before Wuerl, and Wuerl asked the traditional question: "Do you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors?" Garcia replied: "I do." But Garcia said in an interview on Saturday night that he does not believe he is breaking his vow by refusing to participate again in a Mass that Wuerl celebrates. He has discussed his decision with the rector of the cathedral, he said, and he will still read the Gospel aloud and perform his other duties during Masses that Wuerl is not leading. And because Wuerl has not ordered him to assist him in Mass, he isn't disobeying him by declaring he won't do it, Garcia reasons. "I won't any longer be attending personally to the archbishop, but in terms of the other work I do assigned to the cathedral parish, I hope and expect that work will continue," he said. "I don't believe I've done anything disobedient or disrespectful." Ed McFadden, a spokesman for the archdiocese of Washington, declined to comment on Saturday night on Garcia's letter. Garcia said he knows that some in the church will disagree with his decision and may even challenge whether he is breaking his vows. But he said he thinks that bishops must resign for the church to regain its moral authority, after a season of heartbreak for Catholics nationwide grappling again with the history of widespread child abuse by clergy. "There is a need for the leaders of the church to take a greater degree of responsibility than they have up til now," he said. "Genuine healing, both for the victims and for the church more broadly - many of whose members, fair to say, are greatly dismayed, are frustrated, are horrified, are disgusted and, frankly, angry ... genuine healing requires accountability. And in my mind, accountability means recognizing when one is no longer in the best position to lead." In Pittsburgh, according to the grand jury's findings, Wuerl sometimes went to great lengths to make sure that priests who had been accused of abusing children did not return to churches. But in other cases, Wuerl relied on psychiatrists who said the priests were safe to return to ministry, and put the priests back to work. And after Wuerl's predecessor as archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick, resigned from the College of Cardinals in disgrace this summer because of reports that surfaced that he had sexually harassed minors as well as priests and seminarians, further attention focused on Wuerl. McCarrick's inappropriate relations with seminarians were widely rumored in certain corners of the church for years, prompting speculation that Wuerl must have known. But Wuerl has said that he never heard about the allegations. --- The Washington Post's Michelle Boorstein contributed to this report. Portland, Maine The end of contentious confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has shifted the focus back to potential swing votes like Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. If Collins votes yes, then he is likely confirmed. She and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska probably would have to both vote "no" for Kavanaugh to be blocked. In keeping with her deliberative approach, Collins has kept mum about how she'll vote. Still, she's sent signals that Kavanaugh cleared a hurdle by telling her that Roe v. Wade establishing abortion rights is settled law. A spokeswoman for Collins said Saturday that a recently released email from Kavanaugh in which he disputed that all legal scholars see Roe as settled didn't contradict what he told the senator because he wasn't expressing his personal views. The pressure is intense. Democrats argue that President Donald Trump picked Kavanaugh because he will vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Liberal groups are running TV ads encouraging the senator to reject the nomination. People from across the country have mailed 3,000 coat hangers to her office, symbolizing back-alley abortions that took place before they became legal. And activists have pledged to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund an opponent to Collins if she votes in favor of the president's nomination. She is up for re-election in 2020. Collins, a centrist who fought the GOP effort to junk the Affordable Care Act, is used to being in the hot seat. "I always wait until after the hearings are complete before making a decision, and I'll do so in this case as well," she told The Associated Press in an interview. It's a similar story in Alaska. Murkowski, who also supports abortion rights, is reviewing Kavanaugh and won't announce her vote before his nomination goes to the Senate floor. "Basically, she's still vetting the new information that's coming out," said her spokeswoman, Hannah Ray. Collins, for her part, is following the same process she used with GOP nominees John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, and Democratic nominees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. "I have voted for Justice Sotomayor, and I've also voted for Justice Alito," she said, referring to justices at the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. "I respect the fact that one of my jobs is to determine whether or not the candidate is qualified for the court, has the requisite experience, and has the judicial temperament, as well as respect for precedence," she added. While she's never voted against a Supreme Court nominee, Collins has vowed to reject a candidate who's hostile to the Roe v. Wade ruling. She said Kavanaugh told her during their face-to-face meeting that he views the 1973 decision as established legal precedent. But Kavanaugh said in a 2003 email while working for the administration of President George W. Bush some legal scholars may view the idea of precedent differently and that the Supreme Court "can always overrule its precedent." Kavanaugh said that the comment did not reflect his personal views, but "what legal scholars might say." In Durham, Mindy Woerter said she traveled to Washington to meet with Collins and tell her about an abortion she had because the fetus she was carrying had a fatal anomaly. "We need to make sure that we preserve that right in the future," she said. "A lot of people in Maine would be disappointed if she decided to vote for Kavanaugh." Collins insists she's still deciding. She said she was surprised when many groups reacted reflexively against Kavanaugh's nomination, without due consideration. WASHINGTON - Vice President Mike Pence said he was never part of discussions to remove President Donald Trump from office and would take a lie-detector test "in a heartbeat" to prove that he was not the author of last week's anonymous New York Times op-ed, who claimed to be part of a resistance movement within the Trump administration. In interviews with "Fox News Sunday" and CBS' "Face the Nation" that aired Sunday, Pence also said that he is "100 percent certain" that no one from his staff authored the op-ed and that he would be "more than willing" to sit down for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller III as part of his ongoing Russia probe. The appearances by Pence come as Trump has stepped up his calls for the Justice Department to investigate the author of the piece, which described a "two-track presidency" in which some senior aides are actively working to thwart Trump's "misguided impulses" and have even discussed removing the president from office via the 25th Amendment. They also come as former President Barack Obama has stepped forward to harshly criticize Trump and Republican politics, comparing Trump in a speech Friday to demagogues around the world who exploit "a politics of fear and resentment and retrenchment." Asked by "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan whether he had participated in any discussions with other Cabinet members about removing Trump from office, Pence replied, "No. Never. And why would we be, Margaret?" He argued that the op-ed was "just an obvious attempt to distract attention from this booming economy and President Trump's record of success." In the interview with Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace, Pence denied that he was the author of the op-ed and said he would gladly submit to a lie-detector test to prove it. "I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do," he told Wallace. But he declined to say whether he believes all top officials should be made to do the same, saying it was a decision for Trump to make. In recent days, Trump has repeatedly said that he believes Attorney General Jeff Sessions should launch an investigation to find out who the author of the piece was, citing national security grounds. Pence declined to say what, if any, law the author of the piece might have broken but maintained in his interview on "Fox News Sunday" that Trump's "concern is that this individual may have responsibilities in the area of national security." Several other administration officials and congressional Republicans also spoke out on the Sunday morning news shows against the writer of the anonymous op-ed. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., argued in a Fox News appearance that the piece served as proof of a "deep state" seeking to create a constitutional crises. "We have a Constitution. We have a responsibility to uphold. This individual thinks they are smarter than the voters of America, and they are going to change to course," he said on "Sunday Morning Futures." "This person is a coward. If this person really believed in their convictions, put their name on it, stand up and resign." Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said in an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" that she believes the author of the piece "is going to suss himself or herself out." "I think cowards are like criminals. Eventually, they confess to the wrong person: 'Shh. It was me, but don't tell anyone.' And, of course, the person will tell someone," Conway said. Journalist Bob Woodward also discussed the op-ed during an interview with CBS News' David Martin. He said he wouldn't have used the op-ed writer's piece in his own book "Fear," which depicts an administration in chaos. The op-ed "does not meet the standards of trying to describe specific incidents. Specific incidents are the building blocks of journalism, as you well know," Woodward said. Some Democrats, meanwhile, argued that the op-ed and Trump's response to it are proof that the president is not fit to serve. "Does this president not understand that the Justice Department is not a tool of his own personal power?" Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., said on CNN in response to Trump's recent statements calling on Sessions to investigate the op-ed author's identity. "That is one of the reasons why I think you're seeing not only Republican members, but what appears to be a lot of folks in the White House, have real concerns about this president's stability," Warner added. In the "Fox News Sunday" interview, Pence also disputed the veracity of one of the episodes reported by Bob Woodward in his new book, "Fear," in which the veteran journalist writes that Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn removed a document from the president's desk in September 2017 to stop him from signing it. "I have every doubt that that happened," Pence said. He continued to suggest that the incident never occurred, even after Wallace held up for Pence a copy of the document, which would have terminated the free-trade deal with South Korea. The vice president declined to speculate on whether someone had purposely inserted the word "lodestar" into the New York Times op-ed to set him up, telling Wallace simply, "I wouldn't know." Pence has frequently used the word in his speeches, and its inclusion in the piece prompted some to wonder whether the vice president was behind it. In the "Face the Nation" interview, Pence said he has not been asked to sit down for an interview with Mueller amid the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election but that he would be open to doing so. "I would. I would be more than willing to continue to provide any and all support in that," Pence said. --- The Washington Post's Michael Scherer contributed to this report. Miami The East Coast could be hit with a hurricane next week as Tropical Storm Florence continues to strengthen as it moves toward the mainland, forecasters said Saturday. Florence is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday, the National Hurricane Center said, adding that "a significant phase of intensification" is expected late Saturday. The Miami-based weather center said although the storm could intensify to a Category 4 hurricane by midweek, its path was still unclear. "Florence is forecast to be a dangerous major hurricane near the southeast U.S. coast by late next week, and the risk of direct impacts continues to increase," the hurricane center said Saturday. Officials in the Carolinas warned residents to prepare and to brace for impact. Governors in both South Carolina and Virginia declared a state of emergency Saturday to give their states time to prepare for the possible arrival of the storm. A man was found shot to death early Sunday outside his north Houston home, according to police. The man was already dead by the time police arrived just after 2 a.m. to Prosper and Lawn. He'd been shot repeatedly by an unidentified gunman. A much-publicized case involving an unarmed black man killed by a Houston police officer can proceed to trial after a ruling in a federal civil rights lawsuit that accuses police of granting impunity to officers who shoot civilians. Jordan Baker, 26, a father wearing a hoodie, was fatally shot in 2014 by an off-duty officer who was working an extra job at a strip mall that was the frequent target of armed robbers. His familys plight became a focal point at Black Lives Matter rallies and vigils about police abuse of unarmed black men. Less than a year after the shooting, a Harris County grand jury declined to indict Juventino Castro, the veteran officer who pulled the trigger. At the time, District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a news release that the grand jurys finding does not constitute an endorsement of the officers actions. In the meantime, Janet Baker, the victims mother and administrator of his estate, filed a wrongful death case against Castro and the city that included a litany of constitutional violations. U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson in Houston ruled more than a week ago that Bakers mother has a viable case on charges that Castro used excessive deadly force and failed to administer medical aid to Baker, who bleed to death after he shot him. The judge also held that the Baker estate could proceed on allegations that the city failed to discipline the veteran officer for his conduct. The judge noted that Bakers expert provided evidence that from 2009 to 2014, Houston police intentionally shot 194 civilians, including more than 80 who were unarmed. HPDs internal affairs investigations determined that every one of those shootings was justified. The court also noted the less adversarial treatment of officers during HPDs investigations, versus how police conduct investigations of civilians who are arrested in shootings. Officers do not undergo a live interview, are given 48 hours to answer questions in writing with help from their attorney, their complaint history is not considered and the chief of police has the final say over discipline. At the scene of a civilian shooting, HPD allows an officer to participate in a walk through with his or her attorney to demonstrate how the shooting occurred that is not recorded, the judge wrote. A jury could reasonably find that defendant City (of Houston) has an unofficial policy and custom of turning a blind eye to its officers excessive use of force, Johnson wrote. However, the judge denied moving forward on allegations that the Houston Police Department failed to train Castro, that Castro was racially profiling Baker when he detained him and that the stop was unlawful. Both sides could appeal portions of the ruling that didnt go their way. The city will continue to defend itself against the charges, said spokesman Alan Bernstein. Former Chief of Police Charles McClelland declined to comment while the case is pending. David B. Owens, an attorney for Janet Baker, also declined comment and explained he had advised his client not to speak about the case. To those in uniform, the outcome of the federal case is straightforward, according to Joe Gamaldi, president of the Houston Police Officers Union. This officer has been cleared at every level of this investigation hes been cleared by the department; hes been cleared by the grand jury, Gamaldi said. Our officer followed policyThis was a justified shooting, he said. We believe if this goes forward civilly, he will be cleared there as well. Those fighting police abuse maintain that Baker did nothing wrong and his death is senseless, said Deric Muhammad, a community activist who served as the familys spokesperson in 2014 when Castro was no-billed in the criminal case. Muhammad is not a spokesperson for the family in the civil case. Muhammad called the shooting one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice in recent memory. It is cases like Jordan Bakers that prompted Colin Kaepernick to take a knee, he said. Castros exoneration in the face of such overwhelming evidence was yet more proof that an unarmed Black mans life doesnt carry enough value in America to prosecute the police officer who took his life. The shooting occurred the evening of January 16, 2014, in the 5700 block of West Little York near Antoine in northwest Houston. There had been dozens of armed robberies in the area and one in the neighborhood during Castros shift. The 10-year police veteran, wearing his uniform, was sitting in his car at his extra job guarding the strip mall when Baker cruised past on a bicycle. Baker had a part time job in manufacturing and was hoping to re-enroll at Houston Community College. He lived in the neighborhood and had a 7-year-old son named after him. He routinely drove his grandparents to dialysis, his mother has said. Defense lawyers, in court papers, allege Castro pursued Baker because he thought he matched the general description of the suspects involved in the recent robberies. He was a black man in a hoodie. Only it turned out he was unarmed. The officer told investigators Baker was biking through the parking lot slowly, peering in the store windows. Castro thought Baker might be casing the shops. When Baker saw Castro in uniform, the officer said, he pedaled off quickly in the opposite direction. The lawyer for Bakers mother alleged in pleadings that Castro used his car to pin Baker against some hedges in order to stop him. The defense contends Castro tried to talk with him and Baker stopped. Bakers family and city lawyers also present different accounts of what happened next. The city says that Baker became belligerent and reached for his waistband as he charged the officer, making Castro think his life was in danger. The defense has said Baker was trying to flee. Castro shot Bakers body at an angle, making both stories theoretically plausible. Houston police have shot more than 80 unarmed civilians in a five- year span, said Natalia Cornelio, an attorney who directs a criminal justice reform project at the Texas Civil Rights Project. She said the deeper problem is how police handle officers who shoot unarmed civilians. It is absolutely vital for public safety that communities have trust in the police who are there to serve them, Cornelio said. But time and time again, unarmed Houstonians have fallen victim to excessive force and violence at the hands of our police officers, she said. Even more troubling, there is almost no accountability for these instances of violence. gabrielle.banks@chron.com twitter.com/gabmobanks The residents who chose to rebuild their lives on Faust Lane after Hurricane Harvey noticed mounting paranoia and forgetfulness in their elderly neighbor as he patched up his flooded east Houston home. Richard Engelbrink, 80, handled most of the repairs to the ranch home he and his wife shared for over two decades, often waving off help, neighbor Matthew Salo said. But the baffling behavior was caused by a brain tumor that may have led to the brutal slaying of his 71-year-old wife Thursday morning, Engelbrinks family said Saturday. Our family is grieving the loss of our mother. Our father is mentally incapacitated due to a brain tumor, read a statement from relatives. Our family knows that he loved his wife dearly, and we view this as a horrific tragedy. Please respect our familys wishes for privacy during this time of grief. Engelbrink was arrested trying to wash his hands of blood at a nearby Chase Bank on Memorial Drive after allegedly striking his wife repeatedly in the head with an unknown weapon. Witnesses there said he reported that a family member had tried to kill him. He has been charged with murder in her death, and jailed on a $50,000 bond. A trail of Alice Engelbrinks blood still stained the cul-de-sac Saturday afternoon, starting with a stone path leading out of the idyllic home and bloodied hand prints smearing the doors of an SUV left in the driveway. Patches of blood could also be found on the wooden fence where she collapsed and died. A security camera on Salos door caught the tragic moments before her death. Footage reviewed by the Houston Chronicle shows Richard Engelbrink dressed in a blue collared shirt, slacks and clutching a brown briefcase ringing the doorbell around 10:47 a.m. and trying to open the neighbors locked door as Alice stood nearby, apparently questioning his choice of attire. No one was home. I dont understand what youre doing. Why are you acting like this? Alice can be heard crying out on the video. In a series of clips, Salos wife, Gabriela Salo, can be seen coming home at 11:21 a.m. and then stepping outside 20 minutes later to investigate the sound of a screaming woman. Next, the camera captured Richard walking toward West Sam Houston Parkway and his wife staggering out of the home covered in blood. I couldnt tell it was her, Gabriela Salo said. I never thought that he would do that to his wife. In a desperate attempt to find help, Alice approached a construction crew inside Andy Jethwas home. The workers shut the door after catching sight of the bloodied woman swaying on the front lawn and clutching a massive head wound. My builders closed the door on her because they didnt want to get involved, Jethwa told the Chronicle. They told me they didnt want her to come in here and get blood all over the house. She tried to seek help from more construction workers hammering away at the frame of the home next door but she collapsed. She must have banged her head, Jethwa said, pointing to the blood on his fence. Even if the workers had rushed to help her, both Jethwa and Salo believe it would have been too late. She walked, slowly but deliberately, down the street, Salo said. I mean it was eight minutes between her walking across the street and the ambulance to pick her up. That wasnt fast enough to save her life. A handful of neighbors learned of the tumor in June after Richard Engelbrink failed to recognize a family of four who had been away due to Harvey repairs. When I saw him, he couldnt remember me, said one neighbor, who asked not to be identified. While the couple was relocated for Harvey repairs, the 80-year-old slipped out of the home where he was staying around 4 a.m. and went missing for about 10 hours, Salo said. Salo learned of the disappearance when a knock at his door brought him face-to-face with a police officer looking for Engelbrink. When he called Engelbrinks wife about the search, she revealed that he had been in-and-out of the hospital due to a benign, but inoperable tumor. He was getting paranoid about the doctors, kind of thought the doctors were out to get him. He finally came home and wandered off, Salo said. With knowledge of the brain tumor, Salo believes that Richard was not of a right mind and did not recognize his wife the morning she died. She was worried about him, he said. Its so tragic, with everything that happened, but frankly, he needs to be in a hospital. You want justice for Alice, but at the same, what is justice? nicole.hensley@chron.com twitter.com/nkhensley About a dozen protesters called on the Catholic Church to address abuse by clergy as they handed out flyers Sunday morning outside the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown. Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests members and supporters held signs that said Protect our Children! and Speak Up, Speak to Police, Speak Out! as parishioners left 9.a.m. mass. What were asking for is transparency, said Michael Norris, leader of the Houston chapter of SNAP and member of the national board of directors. SCANDAL: Sanctions, sex abuse and silence: A primer on the pope saga Norris, who is a survivor of sexual assault by a priest in Louisville, Kentucky, is also asking for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and for the removal of two diocesan priests who have been accused of abuse. You will find the same filth that we found in Pennsylvania right here in Houston, Texas, he said. Julie Rhoades, an attorney with Matthews and Associates, has represented survivors of sexual abuse by priests for 10 years. She said her boss encouraged her and other lawyers at the firm to attend and advocate to raise awareness. Its heartbreaking, she said. I had my first cases back in the late 2000s. It doesn't seem like things have changed much since then. I thought they would. I thought things were better. And then you hear one more scandal breaks after another. Some parishioners, as they headed into the cathedral for 11 a.m. mass, took the flyers, titled Please help us protect kids! A woman skimmed the paper, folded it and placed it in her purse. Another man crumpled it into a ball and put it in his pocket. 'NOT GOING TO SHUT UP': Sugar Land Mormon faces excommunication for criticism of church in HoustonChronicle.com report Daniel Cabrera, who has been a member of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for about two years, said the recent reports of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania shocked him, but he believes the accused priests will be held accountable. Theyre human too, and theyre going to be facing the same consequences that anyone of us would, he said. In an upcoming column in the Texas Catholic Herald, dated Sept. 11, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston Daniel Cardinal DiNardo wrote that he shares the anger and rage felt by survivors and asks for prayers to bring accountability to the church. I realize in spite of the progress made in 2002 that we, the bishops of the United States, have failed you, he said. We can and must do better. AKRON, Ohio - Hazel Tree Design Studio principal Karen Starr is applying a city-centric approach to the design of the first floor of Akron's Bounce Innovation Hub, aptly named "The Generator." The 30,000-square-foot space in the former B.F. Goodrich plant will showcase artifacts that speak of Akron's essence without a museum feel and will point to the city's future, she said. And much of what visitors will find when the space opens next year will have been created or repurposed by Akron artists. "It's of, by and for Akron," Starr said in an interview with cleveland.com. Bounce, which officially opened in April, is slowly filling the nine floors of the old tire plant with entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators, from individuals to startups. It's designed to attract investors, businesses and other partners to help support and develop the companies. The facility also will offer workshops, training and other services for anyone interested in applying innovation to strengthen the region and create jobs. But the most public area of Bounce will be the vast first floor, which will include an event area and a cafe. For the first-floor design, Bounce CEO Doug Weintraub wanted a firm that understood innovation and creativity, he said, but also had the fortitude to get the work done within budget. Weintraub wants people walking through the door to immediately know they had arrived in Akron. Having grown up in Akron, Weintraub wants to include elements of iconic businesses, people and events that make up the essence of the city. "All arrows pointed to Karen," he said. "This is a great place to show it all off. I don't think she's ever had a chance like what we're doing on the first floor. It's a blank slate." Over the past couple months, Starr and her team have toured the Goodrich smokestack building adjacent to Bounce, tagging artifacts she wants to repurpose. She's working with Akron artists on furnishings and decor. She's chosen rubber flooring for the events area so it's versatile enough for whatever is planned there. She also is designing a "bounce room," which will involve exercise balls and trampolines. Starr also just set up a work space at Bounce, for Hazel Tree's work with the first floor and to serve as gathering place for Akron artists. With construction set to begin, Bounce will host a grand opening for the first floor, in the first quarter of next year, Weintraub said. Hazel Tree served many residential and commercial clients over the past decade. The company just completed work on several outdoor spaces at the University of Akron and was chosen in 2017 to design Akron's Lock 2 Park for the Akron Civic Commons project. "To be asked to do what I do for a living for the community at large was like a dream come true," Starr said. "It's a different way of thinking about design, because everyone is your client." Hazel Tree designed the giant holiday tree at Lock 3 Park in 2017, and is already at work on this year's tree. "That was important for the artistic community as a whole," she said. "To have an artist be contracted by the city to bring something to life for the city." Hazel Tree also was asked to design a shop in Curated Storefront, a 2016 Knight Arts Challenge winner that aims to showcase buildings that are abandoned through ongoing, curated exhibitions. Hazel Tree is housed in an historic building at 143 West Market St. near downtown Akron. Starr continues a line of interior designers who have worked from that site -- the late interior designer John Mazzola, whose friend, sculptor Don Drumm, left design elements all around the building and Kevin Royer, who owned NORKA Futon for decades there. Hazel Tree came about nearly a decade before Starr had planned to set up her own shop. In 2010, she and Jon Haidet, an art framer, were celebrating an especially good week when her interior design business was only weeks old. The pair ran into Royer, Haidet's friend, who offered to lease them the building. The pair jumped at the opportunity. Since then, in addition to the couple's work space, the building has been used to showcase the art of local artists. "We became a space for people who didn't really have a place to sell their work, to sell their work, which was lovely," she said. Now, with more places available locally for artists to sell, and the art economy growing stronger in Akron, Hazel Tree is evolving back to a design showroom. "We are getting back to our roots," she said. "We'll always be artists' representatives and the showroom will always sell the work of furniture makers and lighting makers, because that's not really what you see elsewhere, and that's really our specialty." Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This past week, Senator Cory Booker declared he's a Spartacus and 2020 Democratic Presidential nominee wannabe. Vice President Mike Pence became one of the first to be suspected of, and deny, writing the New York Times' Anonymous op-ed. And Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail saying President Trump is a "symptom" not the cause of what ails the nation. Cory Spartacus for President in 2020. During the contentious Brett Kavanaugh hearing, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker declared he was about to release what he believed were classified, and incriminating Kavanaugh documents, and that doing so would be a Spartacus moment because releasing the document risked his removal from the Senate. Booker's Spartacus sword turned out to be a butter knife when it turned out the documents in question had already been declassified and released. Instead of making a grand stand, Booker just ended up falling under the Democrat's Kavanaugh hearing grandstands. Booker is one of the hundred Democrats said to be eyeing a 2020 presidential run. Sen. Marco Rubio, one potential future opponent of Booker, was quick to troll him in a clever tweet, in between drinks of water. "On this day in 71B.C. the Thracian gladiator Spartacus was put to death by Marcus Licinius Crassus for disclosing confidential scrolls. When informed days later that in fact the Roman Senate had already publicly released the scrolls, Crassus replied "Oh, ok, my bad." Will Trump call on real Spartacus to catch Anonymous op-ed writer? Self-described "Stable Genius" Donald Trump believed Frederick Douglass was still alive, so with Spartacus back in the news, don't be surprised if he calls on the storied gladiator to hunt down the Anonymous NYT op-ed writer. First there were reports that Trump had compiled a list of 12 top suspects and had put Chief of Staff John Kelly in charge of outing the "gutless coward" guilty of "treason." Next, Trump called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to launch a full-scale investigation, using his southern accent as little as possible, to identify and prosecute Anonymous. Saturday, Kellyanne Conway told CNN she didn't believe the writer was a White House official. "I really hope they find the person. I believe the person will suss himself or herself out...because that's usually what happens. People brag to the wrong person. They brag that they did this or that." W. Mark Felt didn't "suss himself out" for three decades after being Bob Woodard and Carl Bernstein's source "Deep Throat" on their Watergate reporting. Felt was 91 at the time he went public. When I was in college, Nixon's former White House lawyer John Dean came to speak. Dean methodically made the case for why, at the time, he thought "Deap Throat" was Alexander Haig. As Dean did with Haig, people are making good cases for why Anonymous could be Dan Coats, Mike Pompeo, Jon Huntsman or others. While Trump is calling on Sessions and Kelly to ferret out Anonymous, and Conway is saying the writer should and will out themselves, Sessions, Kelly and Conway are all suspected being the author themselves. After reading the op-ed ,I agree with those who believe it is indeed a high ranking official who is an old-school Republican, has special interest in foreign affairs, respects John McCain and is a good writer. My first thought was that it was someone like Mike Pompeo, John Bolton,Dan Coats, Kelly or Mattis. The op-ed cited McCain's final statement and Kelly and Mattis were at the funeral, as was Ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman. And I believe it's been reported that Pompeo, Bolton and Coats were present also at McCain's services. The first thought of many in The White House was apparently that it was Mike Pence or someone in his office, mainly because of his use of "lodestar" in past public remarks. Pence was one of the first, if not the first, administration member to deny being the writer. Who Anonymous isn't. I'd be more comfortable betting on who Anonymous isn't. It's highly unlikely it's a low ranking or deputy staffer the public has never heard of. Knowing how major newspaper editorial and opinion pages operate, I don't know that any, especially the New York Times would publish such an impactful anonymous op-ed unless it was a high-ranking official at the cabinet or senior adviser or ambassador level. The stakes are too high to publish something like that from some lower ranking official. Obama Trolls Anonymous, Trump, Congress and Non-Voters. President Trump and former president Barack Obama do have something in common besides the presidency, they both called out the anonymous op-ed author. In his Friday speech, Obama scoffed at the hidden "resistance" in Trump's administration, written about in the anonymous op-ed and Woodward's book. "The claim that everything will turn out okay because there are people inside the White House who secretly aren't following the President's orders, that is not a check. I'm being serious here. That's not how our democracy's supposed to work. These people aren't elected. They're not accountable." "They're not doing us a service by actively promoting 90 percent of the crazy stuff that's coming out of this white house, and then saying, 'Don't worry, we're preventing the other 10 percent'.' That's not how things are supposed to work. This is not normal," extolled Obama. It's also not usually normal for a former president to troll a sitting president by name, as Obama did. But Obama's main target Friday was the Republican Congress' failure to act as a check and balance against Trump. And Obama's main focus of both his speech Friday and Saturday, was to drive home the importance of voting, challenging those who want change to walk their talk to the voting booth in the midterm elections and beyond. Obama will likely be effective in getting out the Democrat and independent vote. But he and the anonymous op-ed may also energize the Trump vote. "This isn't the work of the so-called deep state. It's the work of the steady state," Pence, Pompeo, Conway, Coats, Kelly, Mattis, Spicer, Sanders or fill in a name here_________ wrote in the anonymous op-ed. That was a good point and good line. But Trump and his supporters will look at the Woodward book, Anonymous op-ed and Obama's return, as evidence of the fictitious deep state deep at work. AKRON, Ohio - Damber Subba spent his childhood in a refugee camp in Nepal where he survived on a one-pound daily food ration, lost his sister and grandmother to illness, and joined his Bhutanese family in desperately holding down their thatched hut in storms. That's part of the reason he became an Akron police officer. He's known hardship. Now, he's repaying his good fortune by serving his new community. "America has done so much to me, to my family, to this whole immigrant community," he said. "They brought us here, they had no obligation to bring us here, but still they brought us here, and they gave us new life, opportunity, freedom, everything. So in return, we have to do something for the country." Another reason why Subba, 30, joined the force is to serve as a "cultural broker" between the police and local Bhutanese community. Subba said that many Bhutanese refugees are "not able to communicate with police and law enforcement, not able to call 911, not able to explain what is going on. So I help with those kind of frustrations." He noted that his role can also ease the concerns of some Bhutanese who are fearful of police because of bad experiences with law enforcement in Bhutan. And his presence can help his fellow officers understand the Bhutanese, according to Subba. He sees a person in that capacity as "a bridge between the immigrant community and law enforcement departments. So he can explain how this community works." That can be as simple as explaining why Bhutanese prefer to not look someone in the eye when they talk - which can be misinterpreted by Americans as a sign of evasion or deceit. Actually, it's a form of respect, Subba said. Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball said Subba has already been a help as an interpreter since joining the force more than three months ago, but the former refugee (now an American citizen) was not hired because he was Bhutanese. "He is genuine, he is caring, he's smart and kind, and that really is the kind of police officer we want to hire," Ball said. Nor will Subba be solely assigned to the local Bhutanese community, though "there are certainly times when this is going to pay off on both sides," Ball said. Subba, who previously worked as an interpreter for Akron Children's Hospital - he was the first nationally certified medical interpreter for Nepali language in Ohio -believes he is also serving as a role model for not only the Bhutanese community, but all local immigrants. He said young immigrants and refugees have been asking him how they can become police officers, too. When asked how he would describe the Bhutanese community, Subba said, "They came from nothing so they know how to work hard. They don't take for granted. So many things they appreciate a lot when comes to education, health care. "They're sincere people, generally trying to live their life and raise their kids happily," he added. "That's how see myself, too." Subba, who has a wife and daughter, said one of his priorities will be to pass along the Bhutanese culture and traditions. As he noted, "That's the whole our goal from the community right now how to preserve our culture at same time like to learn mainstream culture too." CLEVELAND, Ohio - By now, I'd like to be able to tell you that I'd gotten some clear answers from the city about whether it followed through on a much ballyhooed set of reforms to make Cleveland a safer place for women. Instead, I've gotten mired in the La Brea Tar Pit that passes for the city's public information system. That's not just a problem for me and my editors. It's a problem for all of us. In August, I wrote about how I'd been trying to get a copy of a study conducted by the FBI of the Anthony Sowell case, and any recommendations agents made to Cleveland police, for some three months. The FBI "study" was referenced in a list of more than two dozen reforms proposed by a mayoral commission in March of 2010 to improve the investigations of missing persons and sex crimes cases. And there was much room for improvement. On October 29 2009, the bodies of two women were discovered in Sowell's house on Imperial Avenue. The next day, three more victims were unearthed. In a twist Stephen King couldn't get away with in fiction, Sowell was arrested on Halloween night. The grisly body count continued - 11 women in all - and it wasn't long before we learned how badly Cleveland cops had bungled the case. Police ignored desperate pleas from the families of vanished women. They dismissed reports from living victims who said Sowell, a registered sex offender, had attacked them. Here's what I wanted to know: The reforms weren't just paperwork - at least they weren't supposed to be. They were promises made by Mayor Frank Jackson to ensure a predator like Sowell would never again use Cleveland as his killing ground. Had Jackson delivered on those promises? If so, had they gone far enough? Nearly nine years after the hard lessons of the Sowell murders, were reports of rapes taken more seriously? It didn't feel like it in March, when Jackson fielded questions from reporters about why 60 rape cases were shelved by a former sex crimes detective. The stunning dereliction of duty resulted in at least one suspect in an uninvestigated case raping another woman. Colleagues had been chasing No. 26, the last of the commission's suggested reforms, for years so I started there: "Implement recommendations from the study of the Sowell case conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Behavioral Analysis Unit." What were they, I wondered? I haven't gotten any deeper into the list of reforms, not yet anyway, because the city hasn't offered a straight answer to that question: No such records exist, I was told. And, those records might have been destroyed. And, ask the FBI. So far, my requests for a sit down with the Mayor or Safety Director Michael McGrath have been ignored. It was up to the FBI to explain things. "There was no need to do a study," the FBI's Vicki Anderson told me. "You had an offender that was identified. You had all the victims." What agents did do, she said, was make seven recommendations. Most were executed soon after Sowell's arrest and focused on gathering what was known about Sowell - a former Marine - and his victims and putting that information into the FBI's Violent Crime Apprehension Program data base to see if there were any similar unsolved crimes in the U.S. or around the globe. Agents also produced a time line of everywhere Sowell had lived, including those places he was stationed when in the military, and queried cops in those areas for any similar open cases. The FBI suggested its Evidence Response Team go through Sowell's house and the vacant lots next door with imaging tools searching for more bodies. No additional victims linked to Sowell were found. The final FBI recommendation was completed two years later, in October 2011, when agents conducted a two-day seminar on serial sexual assault and murder for Cleveland homicide and sex crimes detectives, as well other cops in the area. Some 230 law enforcement personnel from Northeast, Ohio showed up. "It was really good training. The room was packed," Anderson said. Charitably, Anderson chalks up the city's profusion of confused responses to a misunderstanding of terminology - in other words, what constitutes a study. But that doesn't explain the multiple choice answers the city has dished out over the last three months. What's the cause of that? a. Incompetence? b. A deliberate attempt to dissemble? c. All of the above? My guess is d. - none of the above - because the answer that has emerged is more troubling: a city government that doesn't seem to care enough about questions regarding women and their safety to bother to get it right. I don't need an FBI profiler to help me figure that one out. PIRAN, Slovenia -- Some people say traveling with a toddler is "no vacation" at all. I say it's the best vacation, so long as you know what you're getting into. Some of my best memories are from our family travels. I suspect that in the distant future when I'm thinking back on the life, my highlights reel will be compiled largely of family vacation snippets, like my son tasting all the chocolate ice cream Europe has to offer, swimming in the Adriatic and exploring a castle in Hungary. Sure, some people will tell you that a toddler won't even remember the trip, making it a waste of time and money. Experts say most adults don't remember trips they took before age five. But just because my son may not remember playing in the sand on the Adriatic coast in Slovenia doesn't mean the trip was worthless. "Travel is a great foundation for learning life skills that you can't get at home," Dr. Erica Reischer, a clinical psychologist based in Oakland, California, and author of What Great Parents Do: 75 simple strategies for raising fantastic kids told The Telegraph. "For example: how to maneuver in an unfamiliar environment; how to ask for help (politely); how to be strategic in getting what you need; how to navigate a new place; how to be comfortable in an unfamiliar environment; how to collaborate with people unfamiliar to you." Even if my son doesn't remember this trip, he'll surely think about it for years to come, not to mention that since most of our family lives in Hungary, our trips are as much about exploring new places as they are about reconnecting with loved ones. Now I'm not saying that traveling internationally with a baby or a toddler is a stress-free endeavor, nor should you expect it to be akin to traveling pre-baby. Traveling with a small child is different than traveling with just adults, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. So how do you make sure your trip with your toddler is a happy memory? Slow down, manage your expectations, and remember why you're there. Slow down: The first lesson we learned about traveling with a small child was to do less. Fewer cities, fewer sites, fewer checkmarks on our bucket list. My husband in particular likes to travel at a frantic place, squeezing as many historic sites, museums, and cities into as little time as possible. He prefers to backpack, travel by train, and stay in hotel rooms in the center of the city. He doesn't like beach vacations. We had to cut out the entire second half of our first international trip in large part because we were still planning pre-baby. The trip involved lots of time on the train and three cities in a week. Instead, we stayed put in one city, Vienna. We didn't make it to Prague or Cesky Krumlov but we spent a great afternoon playing in the grass in front of the Hofburg Palace. Since then, our vacations itineraries are looser. We like to spend at least three nights in a city, avoid spending too much time on a train, and stay in hotels that are a little quieter. The only thing we make sure we have time set aside for is naps, because every parent of a toddler knows that naps are sacrosanct. Manage your expectations: The Telegraph calls lowering your expectations the "first rule of family holidays," and they aren't wrong. You aren't going to enjoy a trip with a small child if you spend the months leading up to the trip visualizing yourself on the beach, cocktail in one hand and a good book in the other. Kids are still kids, no matter what country you take them to. Instead, try visualizing your child not sleeping the first few days of the trip due to jet lag, getting sick three times, and throwing a tantrum for more ice cream. That way, when all of that does happen you'll take it in stride. You'll be all the more grateful for the beautiful moments in between, when you're building sand castles on the Adriatic or playing on the steps of a quaint medieval town. Remember why you travel: We travel to reconnect with family, but also to show our son that the world is much bigger than our little corner of it. We love Cleveland, but we also love leaving Cleveland. We love exposing him to all the different languages people speak, all the different foods they eat, and all the different ways they live. Traveling has expanded his culinary tastes, it's improved his social skills, and it's made him incredibly adaptable. When things don't go perfectly, I remember how much he loved eating mussels, playing with new friends or hugging his great-grandmother and I know it was all worth it. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Northeast Ohio will continue to be well-represented in new and returning network, cable and streaming shows airing throughout the 2018-19 television season. Here are just 10 of the people from the area playing major roles in shows you'll be seeing this season. Martin Mull, who grew up in North Ridgeville, co-stars with Vicki Lawrence, David Alan Grier and Leslie Jordan in "The Cool Kids," the new Fox comedy set in a retirement community and premiering at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, on WJW Channel 8. Mull's many previous series credits include "Roseanne," "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch" and the short-lived Fox comedy "Dads." He also had the recurring role of pharmacist Russell on "Two and a Half Men" and appeared in episodes of "Community" and "Arrested Development." TV viewers first got to know Mull as twins Garth and Barth Gimble on the syndicated shows "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (1976-77), "Fernwood 2 Night" (1977) and "America 2-Night"' (1978). Terrence Howard, the Oscar nominee (for "Hustle & Flow") who grew up in Cleveland, returns as Lucious Lyon, the scheming hip-hop mogul on "Empire," the Fox drama co-created by executive producer Lee Daniels (director of "The Butler" and "Precious"). It begins its fifth season at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, on Channel 8. Spoiler alert: After years of fighting and feuding, cheating and double-dealing, Lucious and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) reconciled with a romantic ceremony that ended the fourth season. James Pickens Jr., the Cleveland native who played deputy FBI director Alvin Kersh on "The X-Files," returns for a 15th season as Richard Webber on the incredibly durable ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." No actor from Northeast Ohio has had a longer run on a scripted prime-time series, and Pickens is one of only four actors who has been on "Grey's Anatomy" since its March 2005 premiere (the others are Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and Justin Chambers from Springfield, Ohio). The series returns at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, on WEWS Channel 5. Nick Gehlfuss, who grew up in Chesterland, begins operating on his fourth season as chief ER resident Will Halstead on the NBC medical drama "Chicago Med." Set in the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, executive producer Dick Wolf's series returns at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, on WKYC Channel 3. Ed O'Neill, the Youngstown native who played Al Bundy on "Married . . . With Children," begins his 10th and final season as patriarch Jay Pritchett on ABC's "Modern Family" at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, on Channel 5. Fred Willard, who grew up in Shaker Heights, makes regular appearances as ever-upbeat Frank, the father of Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). Kathryn Hahn, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, is in the cast of "The Romanoffs," the anthology series from writer-producer Matthew Weiner. It premieres Friday, Oct. 12, on Amazon. Hahn, who started performing at the Cleveland Play House when she was 9, played grief counselor Lily Lebowski for the 2001-07 run of NBC's "Crossing Jordan." She also co-starred with Hank Azaria ("The Simpsons") in NBC's short-lived 2011 comedy "Free Agents." Her other series include Showtime's "Happyish" and Amazon's "I Love Dick." She also has had recurring roles on NBC's "Parks and Recreation" (as campaign manager Jennifer Barkley), HBO's "Girls" and the Amazon series "Transparent." Vanessa Bell Calloway, a Toledo native who grew up in Cleveland, has top billing in "Saints & Sinners," Bounce TV's steamy mix of deceit, greed, corruption and murder. Set in a small Georgia town near Atlanta, the drama has not been officially renewed, but a fourth season is expected to begin in the spring because, well, this is Bounce TV's best-performing show. Carol Kane, the Cleveland native who won two Emmys for playing Simka on "Taxi," is a regular on Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," which is expected to begin its fourth and final season in January. Drew Carey, who grew up in Old Brooklyn and attended James Ford Rhodes High School, returns as the host of the long-running CBS daytime game show "The Price is Right" (airing at 11 a.m. on WOIO Channel 19). The comedian from Cleveland began his "Price is Right" stint in October 2007, succeeding longtime host Bob Barker. Steve Harvey, who grew up in Cleveland, will return at midseason with his NBC reality show "Little Big Shots." A class of 1974 Glenville High School graduate, Harvey also will continue as host of the daytime game show "Family Feud." And his daytime talk show, the Los Angeles-based "Steve," has jumped from Channel 5 to WUAB Channel 43, where it is airing at 4 p.m. weekdays. The behind-the-camera Northeast Ohio connections include: Canton McKinley High School graduate and prolific "Star Trek" writer Brannon Braga ("Salem") is an executive producer on both Fox's "The Orville," a comedy-drama sci-fi series returning at midseason, and "Cosmos: Possible Worlds," starting at midseason. Executive producer LeBron James' competition reality show, "The Wall," returns with a third edition at midseason (he also has the unscripted HBO series "The Shop"); and the CW drama "Black Lightning," an action series based on the DC superhero created by Cleveland native Tony Isabella, returns for a second season at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9. John O'Rourke (right) former CEO of Riot Blockchain after a shareholders meeting in Oklahoma City on May 9, 2018. John O'Rourke who had been the company's CEO since Nov. 3, has been replaced by Chris Ensey and the new chairman of the board is Remo Mancini, the company said in a news release issued Saturday. The CEO and chairman of Riot BlockChain has resigned in the wake of unrelated charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against him for alleged fraud in connection with other companies . The release did not specify a reason for the resignation, but Riot was not part of the SEC complaint. O'Rourke did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Barry Honig, a Florida investor who was once Riot's largest shareholder, was also named in the SEC complaint. The commission announced charges on Friday against a group of 10 individuals and their associated entities for long-running fraudulent schemes that brought in more than $27 million. The SEC called those charged "microcap fraudsters" in a press release. "Honig was the primary strategist, calling upon other Defendants to buy or sell stock, arrange for the issuance of shares, negotiate transactions, or engage in promotional activity," according to the SEC complaint. "In each scheme, Honig orchestrated his and his associates' acquisition of a large quantity of the issuer's stock at steep discounts, either by acquiring a shell and executing a reverse merger or by participating in financings on terms highly unfavorable to the company," it added. The SEC brought the action for "three highly profitable 'pump-and-dump' schemes perpetrated by Honig, [John] Stetson, [Michael] Brauser, O'Rourke, [Mark] Groussman, and [Phillip] Frost, and their entities," the complaint alleged. Frost is a well-known biotech investor and founded Opko Health. CNBC has reached out to all those named in the complaint. Groussman declined to comment while the other defendants were not immediately available. The SEC also alleges the defendants arranged and paid for stock promotion. "Honig then directed O'Rourke to write a promotional article, which O'Rourke published under the pseudonym 'Wall Street Advisors' on Seeking Alpha," the complaint said. "[O'Rourke] also knowingly and falsely claimed 'not receiving compensation'" for writing the article. In another instance cited by the SEC, John Ford, also a defendant, allegedly failed to disclose in an article promoting a stock that he had been compensated by Honig for writing the article, with Honig selling him below-market shares. Riot Blockchain is a cryptocurrency company whose stock price skyrocketed after it changed its name. Riot's stock was down more than 24 percent in after-market trading on the news. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the National Guard in Caracas on August 4, 2018. Maduro was unharmed after an exploding drone 'attack', the minister of communication Jorge Rodriguez said following an incident that saw uniformed military members break ranks and scatter after a loud bang interrupted the leader's remarks and caused him to look to the sky, according to images broadcast on state television. The Trump administration has held clandestine talks with rebellious military officers from Venezuela, The New York Times reported on Saturday, suggesting the U.S. is seeking to foment an overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro's government, or support elements within the country that will. Administration officials who participated in the discussions told The Times that the endeavor was a foreign policy gamble for Washington. The U.S.'s checkered history of foreign interventions, and its embrace of anti-Communist governments in Latin America that ultimately resulted in the rise of dictatorships, are said to be playing a role in the administration's reluctance to get involved deeply with anti-Maduro forces. However, as Venezuela's condition has grown increasingly dire with spillover effects within the region the calculus in Washington may be shifting. The Trump administration has been open to speaking to mutinous Venezuelan officials who might be able to pressure or even topple Maduro, the publication reported. Since 2017, rebel officers have been meeting with at least one U.S. diplomat to discuss taking action against Caracas, but were "frustrated" by the lack of follow through, The Times added. Last year, President Donald Trump hinted at the potential for military intervention, a course of action that's been hinted at by a few GOP foreign policy hawks. Most notably, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio has become increasingly vocal about Venezuela's deterioration, and the Maduro government's squelching of dissent in the country. "The circumstances have changed," Rubio told a Univision affiliate in Miami during a recent Spanish-language interview. "For months and years, I wanted the solution in Venezuela to be a non-military and peaceful solution, simply to restore democracy," Rubio said, basing his shift toward a military option on national security grounds. "There is a national assembly elected by the people that has been annulled by a dictatorship." The White House declined to respond to The Times' questions about the talks, but said in a statement that it was important to engage in "dialogue with all Venezuelans who demonstrate a desire for democracy" in order to "bring positive change to a country that has suffered so much under Maduro." With his country roiled by hunger, disease and a full-fledged societal breakdown, Maduro has become increasingly isolated in Latin America. Last month, the embattled leader survived what appeared to be an assassination attempt that he blamed on a plot by dissidents in Colombia and the United States. At the time, Maduro declared that "everything points" to its Andean neighbor and the U.S. state of Florida, where many Venezuelan exiles live. Several perpetrators were caught, he said, without elaborating. The White House and Rubio's office did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. The full New York Times article can be found on its website. --Reuters contributed to this article. Workers transport bags of soybean meal in a dockyard in Nantong in east China's Jiangsu province on Aug. 06, 2018. China's trade surplus with the United States widened to a record in August even as the country's export growth slowed slightly, an outcome that could push President Donald Trump to turn up the heat on Beijing in their cantankerous trade dispute. The politically sensitive surplus hit $31.05 billion in August, up from $28.09 billion in July, customs data showed on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in June. Over the first eight months of the year, China's surplus with its largest export market has risen nearly 15 percent, adding to tensions in the trade relationship between the world's two largest economies. China's annual export growth in August moderated slightly to 9.8 percent, the data showed, the weakest rate since March but only slightly below recent trends. The number missed analysts' forecasts that shipments from the world's largest exporter would rise 10.1 percent, slowing only slightly from 12.2 percent in July. Even with U.S. tariffs targeting $50 billion of Chinese exports in effect for their first full month in August, China's exports to the United States still accelerated, growing 13.2 percent from a year earlier from 11.2 percent in July. "There is still an impact from front-loading of exports, but the main reason (for still-solid export growth) is strong growth in the U.S. economy," said Zhang Yi, an economist at Zhonghai Shengrong Capital Management. Zhang said the impact from U.S. tariffs on China's exports would likely be limited over the next few months. China's imports from the United States grew only 2.7 percent in August, a slowdown from 11.1 percent in July. The world's largest trading nation got off to a strong start this year, but its economic outlook is being clouded by the rapidly escalating U.S. trade dispute and cooling domestic demand. Trump upped the ante on Friday, warning he was ready to slap tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports to the United States, threatening duties on another $267 billion of goods on top of $200 billion in imports primed for levies in coming days. Washington has long criticized China's huge trade surplus with the United States and has demanded Beijing reduce it. Still, disagreements between the two major economic powers run deeper than just the trade balance and tensions remain over limits on U.S. firms' access to Chinese markets, intellectual property protection, technology transfers and investment. Imports, a key gauge of the strength of China's domestic demand, grew 20 percent, beating forecasts. Analysts had expected growth of 18.7 percent, slowing from July's surprisingly high 27.3 percent. That resulted in China posting a smaller overall trade surplus of $27.91 billion for the month. Analysts had expected the surplus would rise to $31.79 billion from $28.05 billion in July. The surplus with the United States was larger than China's net surplus for the month, indicating China would be running a deficit if trade with the world's largest economy was excluded. Since the firing of James Gunn on July 20, the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" cast which includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Dave Bautista issued a letter in support of rehiring Gunn to direct. Bautista even claimed that he would ask Marvel to release him from his contract if Disney refused to allow Gunn's script to be used for the third installment of the franchise. "It's a bitter, bitter conversation because I'm not really happy with what they've done with James Gunn. ... I don't know if I want to work for Disney," he said in an interview on British television. The cast (left to right) Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Chris Pratt, James Gunn, Kurt Russell, Karen Gillan and Michael Rooker attending the European Premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in April 2017. Ian West - PA Images | PA Images | Getty Images In 2014, "Guardians Of The Galaxy" grossed $773 million at the box office globally ($333 million domestically), while its sequel grossed $863 million globally in 2017 ($389 million domestically), according to Box Office Mojo. One of the biggest stakes in losing Gunn (just as it is with keeping him) is the potential financial success or failure that a "Guardians Three" would result in now. The new Guardians film, which had an expected release date of 2020, has been put on hold. The hiatus is due to Marvel and Disney trying to find a new director, but as history has shown, finding a new director to take over a popular franchise can be a daunting task. Disney's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" was the latest victim of a directorial change, resulting in a disappointing $392 million worldwide gross at the box office though Disney argued that there was no one answer why that movie struggled. They are wagering that the Gunn firing will not undermine the franchise. That is a huge gamble. Kia Afra Chapman University professor and author of The Hollywood Trust: Trade Associations and the Rise of the Studio System. The issue with Gunn's departure, though, is clear and unique: "This has been one of the few blockbuster franchises in recent years to rely heavily on a single writer/director's voice, and that's a challenging-but-significant element for the studio to consider if they decide to move forward without him", said Shawn Robbins, a chief analyst for BoxOffice.com. "Gunn's creative imprint on the first two films is indelible, and that's one reason there has been so much support for him to finish what he started," Robbins said, though he added, "That doesn't preclude the possibility of someone else executing a great movie with their own vision." With it now official that Disney is pursuing other directors, there has been concern about how Disney will keep "Guardians Three"on track. "It makes absolutely no business sense to fire such a crucial person for an obscure series of twitter posts that few people were aware of in the first place and that the individual has apologized for numerous times", said film and media arts professor Kia Afra of Chapman University, as well as the author of The Hollywood Trust: Trade Associations and the Rise of the Studio System. "The problem is to find a director who can work with the existing script and bring Gunn's vision to life without altering the franchise fundamentally. Since they delayed the project, the same cast and crew might not be available, in turn further undermining the franchise," Afra said. If Disney makes the wrong move in regards to Guardians, it could not only damage the acclaimed reputation that Marvel Studios has built, but it can also result in insignificant box office results and an overall financial hit on Disney's other assets. There are reports that Marvel is worried. "We have heard (unsubstantiated) rumors that Marvel itself was opposed to Disney's actions and tried to have Gunn rehired," Afra said, pointing to an article from August that alleged secret talks between the two companies. Marvel Studios declined to comment. Disney did not respond to a request for comment by press time. "The financial ramifications for Disney extend past them losing revenue for the particular movie or franchise, to damaging their multi-million dollar brand, extending into theme parks, merchandise and more", said Carol Roth, Founder of Future File and former investment banker. Marvel's billion-dollar DNA at risk "What we say about Russia we are sure that U.S.A is our biggest ally, but Russia is a trade partner," the minister said. "We should have a double track with Russia. Double track with Russia means we have to be very tough with them But we have to have a dialogue with them a political dialogue, never to stop the dialogue. It is dangerous to stop the dialogue." "I think cyber is the most important and the worst threat that we have to face. And this means we have to make a lot of investment in cyber security," Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick. But in response to the calls from NATO allies including the U.K. and Baltic states to take a tougher stance against Russia, Trenta stressed her country's need for a nuanced approach. But while cyber threats from Russia in particular loom large for many European allies, the country remains a major trading partner necessitating dialogue rather than conflict, she said. Europe's primary threats emanate from cyberspace, Italy's defense minister said while speaking at the Ambrosetti forum in Cernobbio, Italy on Sunday, corroborating the assessments of numerous Western defense leaders. Italy is the EU's second biggest exporter to Russia, selling $7.46 billion worth of goods to Moscow in 2016, or 1.7 percent of all its exports, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. Meanwhile, it imported $11.2 billion in goods from Russia in the same year, or 2.8 percent of all Russian exports. "We want relations with a commercial partner," Trenta said. "I am not saying partner like ally, but a partner, a stakeholder, an actor, that is important also for our economy . "We cannot say that Russia is not an economic partner." At the same forum, CNBC spoke with former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, who testified to the increasing Russian-Italian trade links. "Even despite the sanctions, we're increasing our trade with Europe Italy trade increased, trade turnover went up 20 percent last year, 11 percent in first six months of this year," he said on Friday. European and American defense officials have repeatedly called Russia's hybrid measures and "malicious activities" including cyberattacks and the spreading of misinformation to disrupt foreign elections one of their greatest security threats. The leading parties of Italy's new government, the populist and anti-establishment Lega and Five Star Movement (M5S), have long advocated an end to Western sanctions on Russia and supported fostering closer relations with the Kremlin. In response to a NATO warning to leave sanctions on Russia as they are, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said in early June that his government planned to continue building ties with Russia and would not take orders from others. He later stated that his administration would "not be spineless and yielding to the will of other states." NATO partners pledged in July to spend 2 percent of their respective gross domestic product on defense. So far, only five NATO members do so, and Italy is not one of them. CBS' board of directors is near completion of a settlement that would both end its litigation with its controlling shareholder National Amusements and sever ties with long time CEO Leslie Moonves, according to people familiar with the situation. The talks are described as fluid, but the parties hope to complete a settlement prior to the start of trading on Monday morning. The settlement talks are reaching their conclusion as new charges of sexual harassment against Moonves were detailed in a New Yorker article released Sunday morning. Last week CNBC reported that Moonves had been negotiating an exit from CBS that would entitle him to roughly $100 million in severance. Sources now indicate that Moonves would exit the company without any additional compensation, pending the results of an investigation into charges of sexual misconduct detailed in two separate New Yorker articles, as well as any other findings of the investigators employed by CBS's board. In a statement released to CNBC, CBS said it took the allegations against Moonves "very seriously. Our Board of Directors is conducting a thorough investigation of these matters, which is ongoing." Jeff Bezos speaking at the new New York Economic Club luncheon in New York on Oct. 27, 2016. Microsoft views Amazon's entry into new business areas as a great opportunity to steal cloud customers. During an appearance at Citi's Global Technology Conference in New York on Thursday, Judson Althoff, the executive vice president heading up Microsoft's worldwide commercial business group, pointed to trust as one reason that Microsoft's public cloud is growing faster than Amazon's. "Amazon is frankly attacking a lot of industries right now, and they're pretty bold and open about it," Althoff said. "I mean, Jeff will say, 'Look, your margin is my opportunity,' and there's evidence of that, huge evidence of that, huge evidence of that in retail, of course, but also financial services and health care." Amazon's interest in retail is well understood following its acquisition of Whole Foods and the introduction of Amazon Go convenience stores. That expansion is already started to help Microsoft. In July Microsoft announced a five-year deal involving cloud with Walmart. Other Microsoft cloud customers include Costco and Kroger. To be sure, AWS does have its own retail customers, including Brooks Brothers and Under Armour. The company's interest in financial services is a lot less pronounced. Amazon has introduced some financial services products in the past, including Amazon Cash, Amazon Lending and Amazon Pay. But it looks like the company will not establish a full-blown banking service, Goldman Sachs analysts said earlier this year. If Amazon did move further into the finance business, Microsoft could peel some big cloud customers there as well. JPMorgan Chase is an AWS customer, as are financial services organizations like the Carlyle Group, Coinbase, Ellie Mae and Robinhood. The customer list for Microsoft's Azure cloud includes the likes of Bank of America, HSBC, MetLife and UBS. TD Bank uses cloud resources from both Amazon and Microsoft. Within health care, Amazon's plans are not as well known, although CNBC has reported on a number of areas being explored, including building its own health clinics for employees and making Alexa suitable for use in health care facilities. The company bought online pharmacy PillPack in June, and is working with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase on a health care initiative. AWS customers in the health sector include health systems like the Cleveland Clinic and pharmaceutical companies like Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene and Merck. Retail, financial services, and health care are three of the six industries Microsoft's salespeople are particularly going after following a major reorganization that was instituted in mid-2017. "I think our enterprise customers come to us, going, 'Hey, look, we want to go to the cloud. We're not interested in going to the cloud with somebody who's interested in taking our business. Microsoft, you've known our business for decades.' So there's that enterprise trust factor," Althoff said. After this article was published, an AWS spokesman provided a statement. "It's always hard to comment on Azure growth since they've been unwilling to break out their revenue numbers, but if you look at absolute dollar growth, AWS is growing much faster than anybody," the spokesman said. "It's typical to see comments like these from chasing competitors when they don't have the functionality and customer base to compete on their own merits." Marty Schwartz says he has "one lazy student" to thank for his online music career. Schwartz, who teaches guitar in San Diego, said that in 2005 that student came in for a lesson and for a third straight week couldn't play the tune he was supposed to be learning. "I flipped open the camera on my laptop, and I filmed the Jimi Hendrix riff we were working on," Schwartz, 43, said in an interview. He uploaded the video to a fledgling website called YouTube. Schwartz soon realized how useful it was to have a site for large video files. When he was laid off from his job as an elementary school music teacher in 2008, YouTube became a place for Schwartz to post custom lessons for students and a way for people to discover him as a teacher. Ten years later, Schwartz's main channel Marty Music has about 948,000 subscribers. He says his videos average 7 million views a month, earning him hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in advertising revenue, thanks to popular songs from bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Nirvana and Radiohead. "While much of YouTube's most successful content capitalizes on timeliness, Marty's videos are timeless," said Kevin Grosch, CEO of Made In Network, which helps manage the Marty Music channel. "People come to Marty to learn how to play their favorite songs, many of which are decades old. They also come to develop their skills as a musician, which is a need that will be around as long as people want to play guitar." Entrepreneurs like Schwartz have helped turn YouTube into a multibillion-dollar business, though only Alphabet knows the exact size because the company doesn't disclose the site's metrics. Analysts at Nomura Instinet estimated in July that YouTube generated $12.8 billion of revenue in 2017, and the firm expects that number to reach $22 billion by 2020. Schwartz started playing guitar during his senior year of high school because his friends were getting into it and "obviously girls liked it," he said. He joined a band that played songs inspired by jam bands like Blues Traveler and Phish. Maldives Authorities have decided to take legal action against Air India after its investigation of the wrong landing of an Air India flight on the unfinished runway, said a report by Avas. On Friday, an Air India flight with 106 passengers on board landed mistakenly on an under construction runway at Male Airport, Maldives. Maldives Civil Aviation issued an accident statement saying that the wheels of the flight were deflated after they got caught on the pieces of cloth. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended both the pilots of the A320 neo aircraft as the lives of crew and passengers were put in danger due to the mishap in Male. Indian states make power pitches at Invest North Summit in Singapore Another chapter was written in the growing economic relationship between India and Singapore this week as official delegations from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand descended on the island nation for the Invest North Summit 2018. The investors' conference, held for the first time outside India, saw pitches made by Trivendra Singh Rawat, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Satish Mahana, Minister for Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Manpreet Singh Badal, Minister for Finance, Planning and Employment Generation, Government of Punjab. Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries and facilitated by the Indian High Commission in Singapore, the event also served as a launchpad for the upcoming Destination Uttarakhand: Investors Summit scheduled for October 7-8, 2018. Here are the excerpts from the high power opening session of the day. Charlotte Salomon is Deputy Chairman Membership for Saffron Walden Conservatives. The early 1990s saw the department store living out its heyday staunchly built on prime locations, and engulfing large chunks of the high street with rows of fashion and home retailers tucked in either side. Impervious to the economic climate and mail-order competition, these goliath chains built a trust with the British public. Some retailers had been trading for over a century, but it was the economic growth during the 1970s and 80s that brought luxury goods into every home. The high street was a British institution designed for our convenience the ultimate home of retail stacked wall to wall with everything we could and couldnt imagine. Christmas adverts didnt show products; instead, they featured smiling families skipping in and out of high street stores with fistfuls of luxury shopping bags. Shopping was social: it was a place to meet and browse the cases of diamond-encrusted watches and gold identity jewellery, and admire window galleries as well as run everyday household errands. It was a retail love affair, and the public handed over more and more of their disposable incomes. I remember what it was like to be a child in Bollingbrokes and Wenleys on Chelmsford high street, looking at fine hand-painted figurines in glass cabinets labelled look dont touch, and running my fingers over weighty, embroidered couture draped over unsettling headless mannequins. Pathways stretched out in every direction, pulling one in with selective signage than never led you to an exit. And before conglomerate coffee chains conquered the world, there was the department store cafe, where wed sit with teacakes and Id remind my parents about the toy department on the top floor. The rise of big retail wasnt without casualties. Small local was no longer price competitive, nor was it conveniently stocked and, as the years moved forward, small businesses vanished from the high street without audible protest. We didnt care, we had our stuff and besides, thats business for you, right? The shoppers had spoken and voted with footfall but heres where big retail made its first mistake. Consumers gave them power; they could take it away. The second mistake was thinking that small retail had gone away permanently. Like the dinosaurs, it was the smaller, nimbler breeds that survived the asteroid and by asteroid, I mean the internet. The first secure retail transaction over the internet happened in 1994. Soon after, Amazon.com launched its online shopping site in America. Initially an online bookstore, it quickly expanded into, well, everything as it established separate websites in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and China. With the rise of Amazon and Ebay eating away at our own market, British brick-and-mortar retailers were forced to expand their online operations. Large supermarket retailers such as Tesco and Asda used their warehouse model and adapted it online. But it was a slow, incremental process, whereas small businesses or individual sellers could operate more freely across the online marketplace. E-commerce changed the rules, and it had the added capability to adapt in real-time to changing trend and progress. Towards the end of the last century, high streets were marketed towards housewives, but this profile is becoming obsolete; more women are working today than ever before, and parents now have the stress-saving option of buying their childrens toys, high-chairs and furniture online, without the perils of walking them though the winding aisles of a toy store. You wouldnt walk around John Lewis asking other customers which washing machine theyd recommend but, online, you can do exactly that. Today, Britain has the biggest percentage of online shopping of any major developed economy: we the British have spoken, and we want convenience. Colossal retailers began to fall, starting with Woolworths in 2009 and, since then, things have only become bleaker, as stores across the UK open their doors on borrowed time and borrowed money. By the end of this year, 71,602 stores will have closed and an additional 31,000 stores are predicted to close by the end of 2022. Ten years ago, online retail held less than eight per cent of the retail market. Today, its claimed that this figure has risen to 18 per cent, with a net-worth almost 67 billion. In a recent interview, Archie Norman, now the chairman of M&S, said that the business was on a burning platform and that unless the company changes in decades to come there will be no M&S. But what if we cant save our high street? What if we shouldnt? Large chains still have the option to sell assets, close scores of stores and some retailers might even consider mergers. But on their current business models they will eventually meet their expiry date. Like a David Attenborough film crew observing some poor feral creatures last moments, maybe we should just watch, and let our high streets die. The age of the impulse buy has gone. The high streets and councils took advantage of customers and, in cases like BHS, they betrayed their employees during its controversial collapse. Eleven thousand jobs were lost, leaving a pension deficit assessed at 571 million. Small business has returned in local areas, offering niche, fresh unique products and organic produce, and customers are supporting their local shops and eateries once again. New business is small business, and shouldnt that make us happy? Extortionate business rates have left our high street a skeleton of what they once were, soullessly housing temporary pop-up shops, charities and coffee chains: the consumer is running out of reasons to drive into town. Councils charge anywhere between 1- 4.50 an hour for parking, pushing the costs of visiting a high street into double figures. They have also introduced reg-plate parking systems, forcing customers to type in their cars registration to prevent that age-old tradition of ticket-sharing. And large fines hang over car park users, reinforced by attendants ready to slap a fine on your windscreen if you stay a moment past your estimated time. The alternative? More choice and free delivery. The same big-retail firms that once seized business from small-local ones are now crying out for a fairer system, and the Conservatives are toying with the idea that they could deliver it; Philip Hammond has said he will consider tax changes, taxing online businesses to ensure that there is a more level playing field. We want to make sure that the high street remains resilient and that we also make sure that taxation is fair between businesses doing business the traditional way and those doing business online, he has said. Whatever post-Brexit tax we manage to enforce on online retail giants, it will not save our high streets. The Government needs to get in front of the high street crisis and acknowledge that Britains shopping habits are always evolving. To extend our high streets life expectancy, it should reduce business rates and councils should abolish extortionate parking charges. Big-retail will need a new model to survive online something it hasnt achieved in over 20 years of e-commerce: so they may never adapt. Long-term, we need to mull over the future for many high street properties and, amdist a housing shortage, grant planning consents for change of use. 60% Website dermacorpore.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of . This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-29, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website edudatos.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery, Boostrap and Asp. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 17560 bytes (17.15 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-31, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 66% Website mariepierreartjewelry.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: Boostrap. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 672404 bytes (656.64 kb uncompressed) and 117075 bytes (114.33 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-19, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website sundreamyachts.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of . This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-15, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The Rafale was chosen after a grueling process to pick a fighter out of six contenders for original 126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) requirement. That has now been truncated to just 36 completely built up units. There is no question raised about the quality and capability of the Rafale. But as far as the procurement procedure is concerned, I doubt if the Air Marshal himself understands it, for strange are the ways of governments. But it nevertheless was a well-crafted statement and he kept within the folds of the envelope persons in uniforms are required to be within. But his junior, the Deputy Chief Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, speaking to reporters at the 8th Heli- Power seminar said: Those who are claiming such numbers, I think they are misinformed and probably not aware of the facts that are known to us in the Indian Air Force. As we are the ones who were very much part of the negotiations with the French government. And we have the facts with us. And, I dont think what is being alleged matches up with facts at all. I can tell you that the Rafale that we have gone for is substantially lower than the price that was on the table in 2008. He is talking rubbish. The decision to buy 36 Rafales was made without consulting the IAF. Even the then Foreign Secretary, travelling with PM Modi didnt know. Perhaps only Modi, Doval and Anil Ambani knew. But more important than that is that Nambiar was thus imputing, wittingly or unwittingly, that the previous price fixed was substantially inflated. Nambiar even ventured the figure now as being 40% cheaper. What made him put himself squarely in the centre of a political fracas is probably best known to him? Now here are the facts as known to lesser mortals. The IAF was hoping for a minimum of four squadrons of Rafale fighters, but the Narendra Modi government has kept the initial order down to 36 fighters in a flyaway condition for 7.8 billion euros or $9.13 billion (@1 euro=$1.17). Commenting on this, the officer who headed the intensive selection process that led to the choice of the Rafale, Air Marshal (retd) M Matheswaran pointedly observed: "The original MRCA tender was cleared for $10.5 billion for 126 aircraft. The Vice Chief of the IAF, Air Marshal SB Deo, an accomplished officer who designs and builds smart weapons in his front yard for a hobby, speaking to the media on the sidelines of a recent Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) and Confederation of India Industries (CII) seminar said: Those criticizing the deal must understand the procurement procedure. It is a beautiful aircraft. It is a very capable aircraft and we are waiting to fly it.The Rafale was chosen after a grueling process to pick a fighter out of six contenders for original 126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) requirement. That has now been truncated to just 36 completely built up units. There is no question raised about the quality and capability of the Rafale. But as far as the procurement procedure is concerned, I doubt if the Air Marshal himself understands it, for strange are the ways of governments. But it nevertheless was a well-crafted statement and he kept within the folds of the envelope persons in uniforms are required to be within.But his junior, the Deputy Chief Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, speaking to reporters at the 8th Heli- Power seminar said: Those who are claiming such numbers, I think they are misinformed and probably not aware of the facts that are known to us in the Indian Air Force. As we are the ones who were very much part of the negotiations with the French government. And we have the facts with us. And, I dont think what is being alleged matches up with facts at all. I can tell you that the Rafale that we have gone for is substantially lower than the price that was on the table in 2008.He is talking rubbish. The decision to buy 36 Rafales was made without consulting the IAF. Even the then Foreign Secretary, travelling with PM Modi didnt know. Perhaps only Modi, Doval and Anil Ambani knew. But more important than that is that Nambiar was thus imputing, wittingly or unwittingly, that the previous price fixed was substantially inflated. Nambiar even ventured the figure now as being 40% cheaper. What made him put himself squarely in the centre of a political fracas is probably best known to him?Now here are the facts as known to lesser mortals. The IAF was hoping for a minimum of four squadrons of Rafale fighters, but the Narendra Modi government has kept the initial order down to 36 fighters in a flyaway condition for 7.8 billion euros or $9.13 billion (@1 euro=$1.17). Commenting on this, the officer who headed the intensive selection process that led to the choice of the Rafale, Air Marshal (retd) M Matheswaran pointedly observed: "The original MRCA tender was cleared for $10.5 billion for 126 aircraft. In the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQR) provided by the Indian Air Force there were 13 India Specific Enhancements demanded by India during the 126 aircrafts MMRCA contract. These included AESA radar and radar enhancements, helmet mounted display, towed decoy system, low band jammer and the ability to operate from high altitude airfields. That these were the same for the 36 Rafales ordered by PM Modi is made clear by the Joint Statement dated 10th April, 2015 issued by French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi which reads, that the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as has been tested and approved by Indian Air Force There is much noise about the huge costs at which the 36 Rafales have been contracted for. The comparable costs of the 126 and 36 deals can only be read when all the costs are factored in. The cost of the new deal for 36 Rafale fighters is 3.42 billion euros as the cost of the bare planes; 1.8 billion euros for associated supplies for infrastructure and support; 1.7 billion euros for India-specific changes to the plane; and 353 million euros for performance-based logistics support; with the weapons package of 700 million euros being the extra. So take out 1053 million euros out and you have the comparable cost, which means it is it is 7.1 billion euros. It appears that the fiddle is in the India specific costs, additional infrastructure, and support and performance logistics support. Mohan Guruswamy IAF deployed "spokesmen" have even been justifying the Rafale purchase because the package includes the Meteor air-to-air missile. The Meteor is the new game changer in the air. It increases the "no-escape" zone for a hostile aircraft by about three times. The Meteor is an active radar guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by MBDA. But the Meteor missile is not exclusive to the Rafale. The fact is that the Swedish Gripfen has now been integrated with the Meteor and open sources indicate that the IAF too is contemplating integrating the SU-30MKI and Meteor. Even the Tejas can be fitted out with Meteors. So we are not buying the Rafale for the Meteor. Besides missile purchase can never be part of the capital cost of a fighter. Since they are expendable, and presumably mean to be expendable, they should be part of revenue expenditure. A few months after Narendra Modi and Francois Hollande, then French President, signed the deal, our old friend Anil Ambani signed a deal with Julie Gayet, Hollandes actress girlfriend on January 24, 2016 to jointly produce a film. Talk about sweetheart deals and sweetening a deal. The French have a long and well honed tradition of dealing with African and Arab tin pot dictators and their leaders, a long line from Giscard DEstaing to Nicholas Sarkozy, have been known to help themselves a bit on the side too. We know ours do. This should lend further credence to that. According to Ministry of Company Affairs, Reliance Defence Limited was registered on March 28, 2015. On April 11, 2015 Reliance Defence Limited becomes the main partner in to ensure the 50 percent offset clause under which Dassault and other related French parties will invest half the contract value back in the country. Government officials insist that 74 percent of the offsets will be exported earning 3 billion euros for the country in the next seven years. The experience with all offsets suggests this is far fetched. It has not happened so far. Incidentally Anil Ambanis flagship company , Reliance Communications Ltd (stylized as RCom), just defaulted on a major foreign loan and its future ability to fulfill its Rafale offsets commitment should now be in doubt. Recently the IDBI Bank filed an insolvency application to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking debt resolution of Reliance Naval and Engineering, the shipbuilding Anil Ambani company, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Yet Reliance Defence is gung ho about fulfilling its Rafale related obligations. Its not without reason that Anil Ambani is believed to be close to Prime Minister Modi and to some in his close circle. Make no mistake. The Rafale is a top class 4+Gen fighter. Probably even the best there is. The political dogfight is over the costs. The IAF should be happy that it will soon operate the Rafale and should seek to persuade the politicians that it needs more. The Air Marshals are best advised to stay away from dogfights they are not trained and qualified for. --- *Well-known public policy expert. Source: Mohan Guruswamys Facebook timeline It will offer a multi-shot capability against long range maneuvering targets in a heavy electronic countermeasures (ECM) environment with range in excess of 100 kilometers (62 mi). According to the manufacturer, in a head-on engagement the Meteor provides a no-escape zone three times greater than that of a conventionally powered missile.But the Meteor missile is not exclusive to the Rafale. The fact is that the Swedish Gripfen has now been integrated with the Meteor and open sources indicate that the IAF too is contemplating integrating the SU-30MKI and Meteor. Even the Tejas can be fitted out with Meteors. So we are not buying the Rafale for the Meteor. Besides missile purchase can never be part of the capital cost of a fighter. Since they are expendable, and presumably mean to be expendable, they should be part of revenue expenditure.A few months after Narendra Modi and Francois Hollande, then French President, signed the deal, our old friend Anil Ambani signed a deal with Julie Gayet, Hollandes actress girlfriend on January 24, 2016 to jointly produce a film. Talk about sweetheart deals and sweetening a deal. The French have a long and well honed tradition of dealing with African and Arab tin pot dictators and their leaders, a long line from Giscard DEstaing to Nicholas Sarkozy, have been known to help themselves a bit on the side too. We know ours do.This should lend further credence to that. According to Ministry of Company Affairs, Reliance Defence Limited was registered on March 28, 2015. On April 11, 2015 Reliance Defence Limited becomes the main partner in to ensure the 50 percent offset clause under which Dassault and other related French parties will invest half the contract value back in the country. Government officials insist that 74 percent of the offsets will be exported earning 3 billion euros for the country in the next seven years. The experience with all offsets suggests this is far fetched. It has not happened so far.Incidentally Anil Ambanis flagship company , Reliance Communications Ltd (stylized as RCom), just defaulted on a major foreign loan and its future ability to fulfill its Rafale offsets commitment should now be in doubt. Recently the IDBI Bank filed an insolvency application to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking debt resolution of Reliance Naval and Engineering, the shipbuilding Anil Ambani company, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Yet Reliance Defence is gung ho about fulfilling its Rafale related obligations. Its not without reason that Anil Ambani is believed to be close to Prime Minister Modi and to some in his close circle.Make no mistake. The Rafale is a top class 4+Gen fighter. Probably even the best there is. The political dogfight is over the costs. The IAF should be happy that it will soon operate the Rafale and should seek to persuade the politicians that it needs more. The Air Marshals are best advised to stay away from dogfights they are not trained and qualified for.--- We have a tradition in India, actually a discipline, that officers in uniform dont take part even in political discussions let alone debates, which are mostly about scoring points. But we recently saw that tradition breached when two senior Indian Air Force officers spoke to television about the ongoing contretemps over the purchase of 36 Rafale fighters from Frances Dassault Aviation. The quick restoration of the historic Bethel buildings that burned in a fire last July has given rise to a unique retail story. Gone are the days when a retailer can open the doors to a shop and expect customers to come flocking. With consumers habits changing due to online shopping, brick-and-mortar shop owners need to be creative in attracting people to their store. Such is the case in downtown Bethel where the owners of Byrds Books and The Toy Room have formed a unique collaboration. We work well together, and books and toys are a perfect marriage, Kimberly Ramsey, owner of The Toy Room. The businesses complement each other, added Alice Hutchinson, owner of Byrds Books. The owners had worked collaboratively for years from their respective downtown storefronts, but challenges such as getting groups of children across busy Greenwood Avenue limited their partnership. Byrds Books had been located at 126 Greenwod Ave. and The Toy Room was at 153 Greenwood Ave. So when Jeff Bruno, the new owner and builder who reconstructed 178 and 180 Greenwood Ave., put For Rent signs in the storefront windows, Ramsey and Hutchinson quickly approached him. We assumed the spaces would be filled already, but we asked anyway, Ramsey said. The storefronts were available and now The Toy Room and Byrds Books are side by side in downtown Bethel. Bruno added an interior door to connect the two businesses, allowing customers to browse freely between the specialty shops. Its really good news for Bethel, the businesses and the developer, Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said. People are amazed the building is open and has been reconstructed already. Its a good move for the bookstore and toy store so they can collaborate. Its hard to be a specialty retailer these days, so you have to work together. Im thrilled we have so many vibrant retailers in town. The first event Hutchinson and Ramsey will hold together as neighbors is a Harry Potter Party to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday. The event will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launch of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. We like doing events, Hutchinson said. It connects people to the literary world. Ramsey added: For retail, experience shopping has become the trend. A block party is set for Saturday, and will include grand-opening, ribbon-cutting celebrations for The Toy Room, Byrds Books, Doherty Petri School of Dance, Patricias Presents, and DiLillo Real Estate. Bradley Koltz, executive director of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce, said he would like to see collaborations similar to Hutchinsons and Ramseys become a trend in retail. Ive seen bookstores collaborate with a cafe or coffee shop, but doing it with a toy store is brilliant, he said. Ive been in there and seen customers go back and forth. Its very smart. Downtown bonds Hutchinson and Ramsey said their move is an obvious example of businesses working together, but several downtown Bethel shop owners meet informally on a regular basis to discuss how they can work collaboratively. For instance, Hutchinson said the owners talk about the brands and products they are carrying so there is little duplication in the shops offerings. Weve always been very chummy that way, Hutchinson said. Chummy could also describe the relationship Byrds Books customers have with the store. Moving an independent bookstore is no small feat and Hutchinson said she fully expected to hire movers. She first put out a call for volunteers to help with the transition and within days the entire stock was moved from 126 to 178 Greenwood Ave. Im touched and humbled that people like our store so much. This is a wonderful community, said Hutchinson, whose middle name is Byrd. The way independent bookstores survive is through the community. There is still a large population of people who buys books at a brick-and-mortar store. A lot of people feel strongly about saving a culture, she added. Preserving history Hutchinson and Ramsey recall well the July 13, 2017, blaze that burned two historic buildings and displaced eight families and several businesses. It was definitely scary, especially hitting so close to home, Ramsey said. I grew up in Bethel and this building has always been here. It was like a tooth was missing. Hutchinson had a family friend living in one of the apartments and worried that the family including four children and a dog would have a hard time getting out safely. You also worried about the history, she said. Its one of the iconic buildings in Bethel and you really wanted to see it restored well. We are very happy with the rebuild. Bruno, for his part, had to basically start from scratch after purchasing the building from the Staib family, which had owned the property for more than 150 years. The adjacent building, which had sustained heavy smoke and water damage, was restored by JP Maguire. Residents have also started to move back into the upstairs apartments. They did a great job of keeping the integrity of the building. It brought new life into this strip. Its nice to have it re-energized, Ramsey said last week at her store with Josie, her new Chihuahua, sitting calmly on the check-out counter. The downtown vision and revitalization is working. New businesses are coming in and I hope more retailers take up the storefronts along the street. The more retailers the better. Getting the right mix of retailers, service businesses, restaurants and housing all near the Bethel train stop is part of Bethel Forward, a plan to create a future vision for downtown Bethel. Ramsey and Hutchinson, although they already had businesses in downtown Bethel, are part of that movement. Change is always a good thing, Ramsey said. Anna Quinn contributed to this article. The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338 SEYMOUR Some big changes may be coming to town government in 2019. One may already be in the books: There may be a new first selectman elected that November. Not long into his fourth two-year term, W. Kurt Miller announced he would seek a state office. So come this Nov. 6, Miller is on the ballot as the Republican candidate for comptroller. Should he win, he obviously would not run for re-election. And last week Miller crossed the aisle and sided with two Democratic selectmen (Karen Stanek and Stephan Behuniak) in approving a referendum question that would increase future first selectman terms from two to four years, but limit the office holder to three consecutive terms. If passed by voters on Nov. 6 it would take effect with the November, 2019 election of a first selectman. The approval was one of several given by the Board of Selectman to referendum questions the towns nearly 10,000 registered voters will be asked during the gubernatorial election. From my personal perspective, three four-year terms 12 years is more than enough to accomplish what you set out to do, Miller said. A term limit would bring fresh faces and new perspectives into city government, he said. Besides, Miller explained, the provision allows an individual to run for the first selectman again after sitting out four years. Still this is somewhat unexpected coming from Miller, a popular first selectman who would be the favorite if he runs again in 2019. And if that happens, he would be able to serve three four-year terms. Long-serving mayors Another argument for limits posed during the Charter Revision Commission meetings involved the difficulty of challenging a long-term official within ones party, for fear of offending town committee members. The Charter Revision commission, which met last month in a joint session with the Selectmen, believes this would increase participation. Connecticut has three municipalities with mayors who have spent decades in office. They are Prospect, where Bob Chatfield has been the mayor for 38 years; Wallingford, where Mayor William Dickinson has presided for 35 years; and Shelton, where Mark Lauretti has been mayor for 28 years. Miller said these three fellow Republicans have done great jobs in their communities, but he supports change for Seymour. The Selectmen rejected a question that would have limited themselves to three consecutive two-year terms. We have a problem in this town getting people to serve, said Stanek, a Democratic selectman in a town thats been controlled by Republicans in recent years. If you are going to put term limits on those of us willing to serve, you may end up with no one willing to serve. Putting term limits on ... selectmen, doesnt mean you couldnt serve on other boards, Miller said. But Deputy First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis countered that people may want to continue in their area of expertise, as opposed to sitting on a new board . Term-limit debate Political experts like Gary Rose, chairman of Sacred Heart Universitys government department, oppose term limits because he said they weaken an elected officials ability to govern in the final years. Once you put a term limit in place, the elected official becomes a lame duck in the last years, Rose said. You see that with our presidents. While they are trying to govern, campaigns are underway to replace them, he said. In seeking the increase in the first selectmans term from two to four years, Miller said the first two years are essentially learning years. By the time you figure out whats going,what you want to accomplish and how youre going to do it, youre running for re-election, he said. Still Miller conceded that if a term expansion for first selectman is approved by the voters, it might cause some confusion in that in-between year where the first selectman is not running and the rest of the board is. But he said during that off-year election itll be other people knocking on doors talking to residents. I think thats good in building the parties. While the increase years and the limit in terms for first selectman will go on the ballot, the selectman decided not to give the voters a say on their terms at least for now. Thats because there will be an advisory question that asks: Shall term limits be set for participation on all town boards? And if that passes, there will be another Charter Revision Commission appointed to develop questions based on that for the 2020 ballot. Another ballot question this year asks if the Board of Selectman should study converting Seymour to a town manager form of government. Voters previously smacked down a similar question by nearly 2-1 vote. And there are several other questions that could change Seymours. These concern: reducing the number of members on elected and appointed boards and commissions to a maximum five; increasing the appropriation ceiling from $50,000 to $100,000 before a town meeting (with 50 voters present) needs to be called; requiring legal notices to be posted on the towns website; eliminating the captain and lieutenant positions from the police department; appointing rather than electing future Planning and Zoning commissioners. Rose isnt sure that last one is a good proposal for such an important board. Youd be opening the door to favoritism and patronage, he said, particularly if an elected official is close to certain developers. Pat Lombardi, who heads the Charter Revision Commission, said the town needs professional people with an understanding of zoning laws on the board. Its too important a board to have people learning on the job, he said. Another question proposes eliminating the town meeting which hasnt met its 50-voter requirement in years, to approve the municipal and education budgets before sending them to referendum vote. A related question asks if the two budgets should be combined into one. Im not in favor of that, said Rose. Blending budgets could impact certain services and programs sports, special education can fall victim to that. BRIDGEPORT St. Vincents Farmers Market will feature a healthy cooking demonstration by a local chef from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11. Bringing Good Food for All is the philosophy of Chef Raquel Rivera-Pablo, of A Pinch of Salt, who will prepare a dish based on availability of fresh produce that day. Free samples will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and recipes will be provided to all. Chef Raquel will give cooking tips as she prepares the dish and will take questions. A Bridgeport Bucks coupon worth $5 will be given to all who attend Chef Raquel Rivera-Pablos cooking demo at St. Vincents Farmers Market while supplies last. The cooking demo, hosted by the Bridgeport Farmers Market Collaborative , of which St. Vincents is one of seven members, will take place at the site of the farmers market located immediately in front of St. Vincents main entrance. The event is free and open to the public and one of four cooking demos to be held at St. Vincents Famers Market. A cooking demo will also be featured on Oct. 9. No registration is necessary. The market is open every Tuesday from noon to 4 p.m. until Oct. 30. For more information, contact Lucinda I. Ames at 475-210-5550 or lames@stvincents.org With little money to challenge the popular incumbent Sen. Chris Murphy, long-shot Republican Matthew Corey is appealing to national conservative media in the hopes of attracting out-of-state contributions and support. We have to nationalize this race to get attention, said Corey in an interview Tuesday. Corey traveled to Washington D.C. last month to speak to conservative pundit Ann Coulter at her book signing. A few days later, Coulter, who was raised in New Canaan, tweeted her support for Corey urging Nutmeggers to vote for him because Its so embarrassing having someone as dumb as Sen. Murphy represent a big state like CT. Hes more like a tiny states US Sen [sic], after a one-off election. The event was sponsored by Breitbart News, a far-right website that published a glowing profile of Corey on Aug. 21. The story portrayed him as an avid second amendment supporter challenging Murphy, an incumbent who is known nationwide for his strong stance on gun control. Corey plans to return to Washington again soon, he said, this time for an appearance on the conservative cable network One America News. We made a lot of media connections, Corey said of his earlier trip to the nations capital. I dont believe local media will help us out much. Coreys national media strategy that could increase his name recognition and help boost his fundraising with out-of-state contributors, political experts said. This is a media strategy that we are seeing in Texas, said Hilary Fussell Sisco, a Quinnipiac University professor of Strategic Communications. Thats what Beto (ORourke) has basically done and we will now see if that is successful or not. ORourke, a Texas Democratic Congressman who is challenging Republican U.S Sen. Ted Cruz for his seat, has produced viral videos and earned dozens of national media stories and television appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher. ORourke is the fourth strongest fundraiser of all Senate candidates this year, including incumbents. But experts said a national media strategy should be used to bolster and if successful, fund local campaign work like door knocking. I would caution a candidate against spending too much time doing what (Coreys) doing and forgetting that winning an election is not about how much money you raise, but its about the ground game: Can you turn out voters on election day? said Gayle Alberda, a Fairfield University political science professor and former Republican operative. Corey knows his race is an uphill battle, he said. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Murphys seat as solidly Democratic. An August Quinnipiac poll found Murphy would beat Corey by a 28 point margin if the election were held that day. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not provided Corey any resources to challenge Murphy, Corey said. In late July, Corey had less than $8,000 in campaign cash, according to latest campaign finance filings. Although Corey may have garnered more contributions after winning his primary in August, Murphy has over $8.5 million in his campaign war chest, filings show. Murphy started running two television commercials last week, while Corey is still trying to put together a social media advertising campaign. Appearances in conservative media outlets are unlikely to persuade the unaffiliated voters Corey would need to win, Alberda said. The type of voters he appears to be targeting is the base, she said. In the general election, the strategy is to move away from your base, because you secured that base in the primary process, and target the independent and unaffiliated voter. Duo brings an understanding of dog behavior, training skills Rebecca Lindemans experience training dogs began more than four decades ago when she excelled as the neighborhood dog walker. The defendant appeared the perfect person to keep out of jail. He had no previous criminal record. He had confessed his crimes to police as soon as they confronted him with evidence of his involvement, helped investigators track down and uncover the means with which he committed his offenses, and then immediately went through the procedure of taking responsibility for his behavior waiving his preliminary hearing, avoiding any push back at the prosecution, and ultimately pleading guilty to charges that were levied against him. And he had other things going for him a college diploma, a solid work history, a supportive family, a home where he could begin life again, and a commitment to the sort of counseling that would help keep him from re-offending. His own tragic life a childhood victim of sexual abuse and later descent into alcohol and drug abuse, coupled with failed suicide attempts, also presented a compelling case for judicial sympathy in fashioning an appropriate sentence. Why then, was he taken from a courtroom in the Chester County Justice Center last week in handcuffs, on his way to beginning a months-long stretch behind the walls of a state prison? The answer, it seems, is the nature of the crime he confessed to: possession, and dissemination, of child pornography. In sentencing the 25-year-old Kennett man to one to two years in state prison plus an additional 12 years of supervised probation, sex offenders counseling, and Megans law requirements, Judge Jeffrey Sommer spoke at length about how the particulars of the crime of child pornography demand a forceful response fro the community to fight its victimization. You need to understand that part of the reason (for the sentence he imposed) is that there are energetic efforts being made to stamp out child pornography, Sommer told the defendant as he stood before his bench in court last Friday during an emotional sentencing hearing. And you are the enabler of these sexual crimes. There are people out there getting rich because of people like you. Sommer agreed with Assistant District Attorney Emily Provencher, of the DAs Child Abuse Unit, that possessing and disseminating photos of children in suggestive poses or sexual situations are not victimless crimes, even though the defendant himself had not physically encountered the children involved. Just because there are not several young boys in court today does not mean they are not victims, Provencher told Sommer in requesting that he stick with the state sentencing guidelines of a one to two year prison sentence for the defendant. Their childhood was taken from them when they were forced into (performing) sex acts. And even though he had not become a perpetrator, still the child porn industry is funded by people like him who seek out this sexual gratification. (The Daily Local News is withholding the name of the defendant because his claims of being the victim of sexual abuse could not be disproven. Both Provencher and the mans attorney, Brian J. Zeiger of Philadelphia, said they did not know whether the abuse, which occurred when he lived in Kennett, had ever been reported to police.) The man, who was arrested by Chester County Detectives in September 2016, had expressed his remorse and embarrassment in a short address before he was sentenced. I am really working hard in therapy to get past this and be a productive member of society, he said, standing before Sommer, dressed in a blue blazer, blue shirt, and khaki pants. I just ask you to give me the best chance to do that. Zeiger told Sommer that he believed his client would make a good candidate for a sentence that was light on punishment and strong on supervision and therapy. He noted that he had accepted responsibility from the outset of the criminal case, and gone into counseling to try to understand his obsession with child pornography and combat it. When someone comes in and does all these things, there is no greater acceptance of responsibility, Zeiger said. But Sommer noted that the essence of the case against the defendant included repeated viewings and sharing of the illegal images of young boys examples of which he was shown by a forensic investigator in the case, Chester County Detective Zachary Moyer. The dozens and dozens of images that were captured on his telephone and laptop was evidence that it was not a once-in-a-lifetime mistake, but a series of offenses, Sommer said. Can you stop this? You can. But it seems clear that the treatment you require is intensive and long term. The case against the man began with a tip to the Chester County Detectives from the center for Missing and Exploited Children in February 2016 that someone had been tracked electronically uploading an illegal image to social media. Detective Joseph Walton of the DAs Child Abuse Unit was able to identify the computer used to upload the image and tie it to an address in Kennett. When Walton and Detective Oscar Rosado went to the home, they confronted the man who was staying there with his father. He admitted to uploading the material, and took the detectives to a trash bin near his then-home in Philadelphia when he had thrown away the laptop and cellphone he had used to upload the material. He was charged in September 2016, and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual abuse of children the technical offenses for child porn and criminal use of a communications facility. Earlier this year, in a fashionable basement nightclub in central Moscow, I spotted the man accused of murdering the Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. He may be the chief suspect in the poisoning of Litvinenko in London but former KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi was hardly keeping a low profile. He wore a blue patterned silk shirt and expensive-looking linen trousers. In one hand he held a cocktail, on the other was a pretty, blonde young woman. Indeed, far from hiding away, Lugovoi has become a well-known figure in Moscow high society. He has been a member of the Russian parliament since 2007, and on his frequent television appearances he is treated as a national hero for his role in eliminating a traitor to the Motherland. Earlier this year, in a fashionable basement nightclub in central Moscow, I spotted the man accused of murdering the Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 (pictured) If someone has caused the Russian state serious damage, they should be exterminated, Lugovoi has told journalists. I would give the order myself. In the aftermath of Litvinenkos gruesome death, the British government promised retaliation. Diplomats were expelled, the Russian ambassador to London was ticked off. But despite all this, despite the professed outrage of our politicians at the time, Lugovoi and his alleged accomplice Dmitry Kovtun, got off scot-free. He may be the chief suspect in the poisoning of Litvinenko in London but former KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi was hardly keeping a low profile And given their celebrity status following Litvinenkos death, is it any wonder that more Russian spooks felt free to try to murder yet another traitor on British soil this time former military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, along with his daughter. Just as with the Litvinenko hit, Skripals alleged assailants came to the UK armed with sophisticated, deadly assassins poisons. And just like Lugovoi and Kovtun, they left a tragicomically inept trail behind them. The Crown Prosecution Services detailed case against two Russians calling themselves Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov is painstaking in its detail, reconstructing their movements from Gatwick to London to Salisbury and back to Moscow in minute-by-minute detail. And just like the last lot of Russian hit-men, theres zero chance of them ever facing a British court. Because the sorry fact is that we have miserably failed to learn the lessons of the Litvinenko murder. In the face of a ruthless Putin, the British government has been utterly pusillanimous. During the decade since Litvinenkos murder, we have allowed Russias corrupt elite to continue to pour money into luxury British property, list their companies on the London Stock Exchange, sue each other for billions of pounds in British courts, and send their children to top British schools. All with complete impunity. With the exception of a handful of named individuals implicated in various Russian-sponsored outrages from the annexation of the Crimea and the shooting down of a civilian airliner over Ukraine in 2014, to the hacking of US elections in 2016 the Russian state, its leaders and their cronies remain fully integrated into the Western economy. If we are to prevent Putin henchmen from murdering at will in this country, we have to get serious. Russias gangsterism has to be stopped . In the face of a ruthless Putin, the British government has been utterly pusillanimous The United States has already shown the way to do it. On August 22 the U. State and Treasury Departments invoked a little-known law that requires the President to act against any country that has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law. The latest round of US sanctions invoked specifically as punishment for the Skripal operation bans the export of high technology to Russia, hitting its vital oil and military sectors hard. Internet providers that facilitate Russian hacking tools and botnets that relentlessly promulgate malicious anti-Western propaganda across cyberspace are also being targeted. The US has given the Kremlin 90 days to allow international inspectors into top-secret chemical weapons installations before harsher sanctions kick in. These could include a ban on Russian airlines flying to the US, or banks doing business with the Russian state. Effectively, the US is now on course to brand Russia a state sponsor of chemical weapons terrorism alongside North Korea and Iran. And this, ironically, for a murder committed not on US soil but here in Britain. What is so depressing is that, despite all the tough talk in Britain in recent days, we have shown none of this kind of mettle and determination. For too long our government along with an army of well-paid facilitators, from London estate agents to bankers to luxury goods retailers have turned a blind eye to the origins of the billions stolen from the Russian people that have poured into London. The lesson to be drawn from all this could not be more clear. While Russias top politicians declare themselves patriots and denounce the West, they keep their money abroad. Some 27.3billion left Russia in 2017 alone, according to Russias Central Bank a 160 per cent increase from the previous year. And thats just the official figure. Last April the Panama Papers the leaked records of Mossack Fonseca, the worlds fourth biggest offshore law firm revealed a bewilderingly complex network of offshore companies used by Russian oligarchs and Putin cronies, among others, to hide their money. Not only is this a striking demonstration of the Russian elites greed and venality, it also demonstrates how vulnerable the countrys economy really is. And it offers the British Government a serious opportunity to hit Putins circle where it hurts. Far tougher measures are needed to crack down on the tens of billions of pounds of Russian investments in Britain. Assets should be seized, bank accounts ruthlessly frozen. In addition the Russian economy has to be squeezed relentlessly. To date, the rounds of EU and US measures have been hopelessly ineffective. They have neither dented Putins popularity which remains a steady 80 per cent nor changed his contempt for international law in Ukraine, Syria, or Salisbury. Yet between them, the US, Britain and the EU have the power to devastate Russias economy. Without access to international financial markets or bank clearing systems like the Brussels-based SWIFT, its banking system would collapse. State-owned energy giants such as Rosneft and Gazprom are dependent on foreign capital and expertise. Major infrastructure projects like the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany depend on European financing and engineers. The original rounds of sanctions drawn up in 2014 in the wake of the annexation of Crimea were designed to remind [Putin] how dependent Russias economy is on the West, says one of the key Obama-era US officials who drew them up. But the brazen attempt to murder the Skripals a British citizen targeted on British soil shows that this warning shot has not been heeded. Its time to take sanctions to a level that Putin and his circle will actually notice. Putin could retaliate, of course, with the only truly effective weapon still available to him cyber warfare. Already Russian hackers have shown their terrifying ability to shut down electricity grids in whole regions of the Western Ukraine. The devastating NotPetya computer virus designed by state-sponsored Russian cyber criminals was launched in 2017 as an attack on Ukrainian banks and businesses, but ended up spreading across the world, shutting down the entire global logistics operations of shipping giant Maersk and dozens of other Western companies. It caused an estimated 10billion worth of damage. Clearly, the West has to defend against this kind of international cyber-terrorism just as aggressively as it has responded to more traditional terrorist threats. For years, Russian television has been telling its viewers that the country is at war with the West battling a multi-faceted global plot to destroy Russia as Franz Klintsevich, a member of the defence committee of Russias upper house of parliament, said last week. Given the irrefutable evidence of Putins involvement in the Skripal attack, it is time to take such comments seriously. We must take the war to the Kremlin. One consolation of growing older and more forgetful (as I may have mentioned in the past!) is that I can re-read books with absolutely no memory of having read them before. Every page is as fresh as the first time, every twist of the plot as unexpected and I find I can work my way through to the end, baffled and eager to discover whodunit. But on our summer holiday this year, I plumbed new depths of forgetfulness that have left me seriously worried about the state of my marbles. Ever since my childhood Id been wanting to visit Quimper, the historic capital of Cornouaille in the south-west corner of Brittany. This was because my late aunt, Deirdre, used to go there summer after summer, returning in raptures over its medieval delights. Ever since my childhood Id been wanting to visit Quimper, the historic capital of Cornouaille in the south-west corner of Brittany (chateau in Quimper pictured) I remember fondly how every year she would come back with gifts of the local pottery for her nephews and nieces those colourful cups and bowls for which the region is famous, decorated with Breton characters and emblazoned with our names. Familiar Anyway, this summer my wife and I decided we should finally get around to paying a visit. So we booked a gite in nearby Fouesnant and the two of us set off on the car ferry from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo, with the wonderfully traffic-free roads of Brittany opening up before us for the three-hour drive. The following morning, after wed settled in, I drove the short distance to Quimper, full of curiosity as to whether it would live up to the high expectations raised by my aunt. It was just after wed found a space in the car park by the river that my wife said: Are you sure we havent been here before? I told her not to be silly. True, there was something a little familiar about the place. But as I mansplained to her, many old French cities are laid out on the same pattern, with the cathedral and its surrounding half-timbered buildings close to the river and modern shops and offices spreading out from there. As we walked towards the centre, however, I had to admit that Quimper did remind me quite strongly of somewhere wed been before. I just couldnt quite put my finger on where. Maybe it was Dinan or Vannes Brittany towns where wed stayed in the early years after our wedding in 1980? Or was it Ploudalmezeau, also in Finistere, near where wed rented a gite not so long ago? No, they were all very different. So perhaps it was somewhere else, not even in France? We found a nice-looking cafe by the cathedral a bit of a tourist trap, to be sure, but thats never really bothered me and as we waited for our moules marinieres, I scanned a mental map of Europe to try to identify the city of which Quimper reminded me. No good. I could think of nowhere in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Hungary or Greece locations of past holidays that came even close to fitting the bill. Then, as I racked my brains for the answer, a mini-funfair sprang to life in the large paved area between the cafe and the church. Oh, Lord, that was familiar, too. Suddenly, everything came back to me. As so irritatingly often, Mrs U was right. We had been here before! In that moment, I knew that if we walked down the alley a few yards to the right from where we were sitting, we would find the restaurant where wed had a superb dinner during our previous visit. It dawned on me, too, that if we entered the cathedral in front of us, wed see the east end by the altar set at an angle to the nave, in a way unlike any other church Id seen. Furthermore, I knew exactly where Id find the shop, down by the river, in which we had bought T-shirts for our boys, and the jeweller where Id had a new battery fitted in my watch. Horror Worst of all, I remembered that the last time we were here, we had sat at this very same table, in this very same cafe, eating the very same dish for our lunch. This was deja vu in the most literal meaning of the words. On that last occasion, we decided that a single day and night were probably enough to see everything Quimper had to offer, and we headed off to the seaside in the north the following day. To discover when we were last there, I looked at my iPhones photo album. To my horror, there I found a picture Id taken of the cathedral, with the caption: Quimper, July 2016. Only two years ago! How could I have forgotten so soon? You will well understand, therefore, why I was more than a little interested in this weeks report by researchers at the University of Toronto, who believe they may have found the most promising way yet of detecting the early onset of Alzheimers, raising hopes of more effective treatment. Based on a study of more than 3,000 elderly people in the U.S., France and Canada, the study finds that indications of this devastating condition tend to be more evident in the coldest winter months, while brains appear 4.8 years younger in the summer. The best time to screen patients for dementia, therefore, is at the very end or beginning of the year. All I can say is that if my memory was so unreliable in late August and the weather in Brittany was deliciously warm while we were there heaven knows what it will be like when the temperature starts to drop. But though Mrs U earned the right to say I told you so in Quimper, I have to report (at the risk of instant divorce) that she, too, is capable of moments of forgetfulness. Take last Friday evening, when we were back at home in London. Weeks earlier, as part of her duties as a secretary, she had booked a table for her boss at a small fish restaurant, where he was to host a dinner for his fellow senior executives in honour of a long-serving staff member who was leaving. She happened to mention to me that the menu looked jolly appetising and I decided that, as end-of-holiday treat, I would take her there to try the place out for ourselves. Hiding Though it was fully booked for lunch, she made a reservation for the one remaining table available that evening. When we walked into the restaurant, it was her turn to look horrified. For there at the back were her boss and his senior executives. She had clean forgotten that this was the very evening she had booked for the leaving party. What would her employer think of us? My poor wife was all for bowling up to him and explaining everything. But I had a terrible fear that he might think we were creepy stalkers, trying to gatecrash his party. Worse, with his great kindness of heart, he might have felt obliged to ask us to join him. In the end, we decided that cowardice was the best policy, and we spent the duration of our meal hiding our faces if ever it looked as though one of the party might spot us. I have seldom endured a more embarrassing hour and a half. Back at work since Monday, she tells me she seems to have survived the ordeal unnoticed, with her secret intact. Not now it isnt, with her blabbermouth husband spilling the beans in the national Press. So it is that Mrs U and I (assuming she doesnt dump me the moment she opens this paper) seem destined to spend our declining years stumbling together from one senior moment to the next. Bring on that cure for senility! Such sad news that, after 25 years, Boris Johnson and his wife Marina are divorcing. She has suffered his infidelity throughout their marriage and her patience has finally snapped. But Marina surely knew what she was getting herself into when she married Boris. After all, she was pregnant with his child when he was still married to his first wife, Allegra. And it couldnt have taken long for her to realise he was serially unfaithful. Boris Johnson seen leaving his Oxfordshire home this morning Which is why I find it so inexplicable the couple have decided to give up on marriage now, after a lifetime of being together. I have always divided men into three categories: Serial-Cheaters, Whoops-I-Made-A-Mistake Men and Loyalists. Serial cheaters are those such as Boris whose affairs, as one friend of his said, are written into his price or his DNA. Any woman who thinks shes the one who will change him is woefully deluded. If he betrayed his wife, hell do the same to you. It was billionaire Jimmy Goldsmith who said that when a man marries his mistress, he creates a vacancy. And Boris proves his point. The Whoops-I-Made-A-Mistake Men are worn weary by a long stretch with one woman. Boris Johnson and Allegra Mostyn-Owen celebrate in 1987 after his final Oxford exams They stray, repent . . . then devote themselves to making their broken marriage work. Loyalists are men, like the late Hollywood star Paul Newman, whose view on adultery was: Why have a takeaway hamburger when you can have steak at home? Like Marina, we all knew Boris falls into the first category. But hes still popular because hes highly intelligent, funny, irreverent and in many peoples minds including my own a fitting candidate for the highest office in the land. No one can condone his appallingly selfish behaviour or his adultery. But over 25 years, Marina and he have gone through so much together not just the hard times but companionship, humour, children and all the joys of family life that I feel they could yet deeply regret throwing it all away. What makes it all the more tragic is that, at the very moment Boris has gone from a ten to zero in Marinas eyes, he has a genuine prospect of achieving his lifetime goal and getting into No 10. Bodyguard hunk Richard Madden doesnt want his sex scenes to overshadow his acting and hates being objectified. Diddums. Too late. The image of his toned bare buttocks would come to every red-blooded womans mind even if he was cast as the Pope. Kylie Minogue attends the GQ Men of the Year Awards held at Tate Modern, Southwark After so many heartbreaks, it was great to see Kylie Minogue all loved up with her new partner Paul Solomons, a bloke who works on GQ, at the mags Men of the Year Awards. But that shimmering gold Stella McCartney frock she was wearing? Poor Kylie looked, as we would say back in Oz, like the last frizzled prawn on the barbie. Cant quite get my head around the story of transgender woman Karen White, who as a man is a convicted rapist. She was sent to an all-female jail, where she allegedly sexually assaulted four women. She admitted two charges. Before sentencing, Judge Batty (I didnt make that up) said: Im going to have you assessed to see if you are a danger. Surely the real danger here is from batty PC judges. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hold hands as they arrive at Central Hall Westminster The slender and normally immaculately dressed Duchess of Sussex appeared at a charity event in a billowing blue dress that made her look as though she had a tummy. Was it just an unflattering fashion choice, or a trial run on a maternity frock? What happy news that would be for the nation. Victoria Beckham says she sobbed with despair after checking into a body and mind detox clinic, but soldiered on and stayed four days just being kind and looking after me. Could this be the same Posh who, days earlier, waxed lyrical about her perfect marriage and children? Westminster wars No surprise that Jeremy Corbyn stood alone in his failure to condemn the Kremlin for its complicity in the Salisbury poisonings. He has a history of siding with state-sponsored murderers just look at his support for Hamas. The Green Party has elected two new joint leaders, Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley. Nope, never heard of them either, but I love the irony that the Greens have twice as many leaders as they have MPs. Tony Blair says that under Corbyn, the Labour Party is lost. Does this warmonger not realise that every time he speaks out against comrade Corbyn, the former Prime Minister simply swells the ranks of the horrible, anti-Semitic Momentum mob who worship him. Advertisement With a failed pop career behind her, Lily Allen writes in her autobiography that she cheated on her husband Sam Cooper with female prostitutes several months after the birth of their second child Marnie, now five. She did it, Lily says, as she was broke and broken. What self-indulgent dross, without a thought about how hurt her beautiful young daughters will be when news of Mums sordid past hits the school playground. BBC One Television Programme Wanderlust Starring Toni Collette Wanderlust star Toni Collette boasted she was the first woman to have an orgasm on the BBC. As if it was going to be the sexiest thing on television. One pitiful try at sex with her on-screen husband followed by a solo attempt, then with some bloke she met in the swimming pool. There was plenty of it going on but none was sexy. Halfway through, I lay back and thought of England and fell asleep on the sofa. Jade Cotton, 30, with cerebral palsy and in a wheelchair, said on her wedding day that she had never dared hope she would meet the love of her life, let alone marry. They danced to I Will Always Love You. Heartwarming moment of the week. Im shedding no tears for Sacha Baron Cohen being sued for 73 million by U.S. politician Roy Moore, after a TV prank in which the comedian waved a paedophile detector at him that began bleeping. Cohens humour peaked when he appeared in his mankini and hes been unfunny ever since. Watching this weeks episode of The Great British Bake Off and the gallons of sugar and butter the contestants poured into their showstoppers, I thought it should be renamed The Great British Heart Attack. As for Terry Hartills chocolate Eiffel Tower, it wilted in the hot weather faster than judge Paul Hollywoods apparent ardour for his 23-year-old barmaid girlfriend, aptly named Summer. Over before you know it. After a bitter divorce which included claims of three-in-a-bed sex and abusive behaviour on both parts, Americas Got Talent judge Mel B says she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. With all due respect to the former Spice Girl, her victimhood demeans those who have really suffered PTSD. She didnt lose a limb fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq or have to watch her friends and comrades being blown to bits. British Army veterans of Northern Ireland, accused over the deaths of suspected terrorists, have been offered the same deal as IRA murderers. Accept a two-year jail sentence and admit guilt or risk facing life if convicted. This hounding of our loyal soldiers is a stain upon our nations conscience. Treachery. Betrayal. Sabotage. Nothing less than the destruction of a Prime Minister. Theres been an explosion of feverish speculation over the past 48 hours about the collapse of Theresa Mays much-vaunted Chequers deal, and whether that would spell the end of her premiership. Add to the mix the frenzied gossip about the fall-out from Boris Johnsons divorce and the mood in Westminster could not be more inflamed. Time, therefore, for an attempt at a calm appraisal of the raw facts about Brexit. Above all, the most fundamental thing to remember is that just over six months 203 days to be exact remain until Britain must leave the EU under the provisions of Article 50. This is the European law invoked by Mrs May to trigger the process for us to leave after 46 years as a member. There has been speculation that the collapse of May's Chequers deal could signal end for her The Government is adamant that an exit deal is struck with Brussels before the leaving date of March 29 next year. There is, however, no obligation that we exit with a deal. If ministers fail to strike an accord with the remaining 27 EU countries, Britain would trade with other countries in agriculture, textiles, banking, telecommunications etc on the basis of principles set out by the World Trade Organisation. This is the outcome recommended by Brexiteer Tories such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson. Mrs May, by contrast, agrees with leading business organisations and others who want Britain to trade with EU countries after Brexit based on mutually agreed terms. Understandably, she has freftul nights over the possible consequences for British jobs and the countrys exports if there is no deal. Hence her Chequers solution which would allow Brussels a big say over British laws in return for British access to European markets which was agreed with her Cabinet in July. Whereas she sees her Chequers deal as common-sense, an increasingly large number see it as a betrayal. Much to Mrs Mays chagrin, her blueprint came under attack this week from Brexiteers and Remainers. This is why there has been such a tumult about whether her days in No 10 are numbered. Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions at Parliament I believe that the facts point to one conclusion: that she is secure at least for the immediate future. Most significantly, the timetable for Brexit works against a change of prime minister. Let me explain. First, there will be a Cabinet meeting next Thursday to discuss Brexit strategy. Mrs May will demand ironclad loyalty from her ministers. I predict she will get it. For ministers realise what is at stake particularly as the PM is due to meet fellow European leaders in Salzburg on September 20. This Austrian summit offers her a vital opportunity to appeal over the heads of Brussels chief Brexit negotiator, the intransigent Michel Barnier and his recalcitrant colleagues. I have been told that Mrs May calculates her proposals will meet with a far warmer reception from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other national leaders. I believe she will be proved right. Next, the Brexit countdown will focus on British domestic politics and the much-ballyhooed challenge to Mrs Mays leadership of the Tory Party by Boris Johnson. It has been widely reported that his supporters will use the Tory conference in Birmingham next month to try to engineer a revolt against the Chequers deal. However, Tory grassroots members realise the stakes are so high that I predict they will rebuff the challenge. Whats more, I believe Mrs May will triumph and her Chequers deal with survive, albeit a little scuffed. The fact is, she is respected by those at the heart of the Tory Party in the shires in a way that no other leader has been since Margaret Thatcher. Party activists have genuine affection for her and see potential rivals as flash, egotistical opportunists. Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson seen leaving his Oxfordshire home this morning After the drama of the party conference season, attention will then concentrate on the summit of European leaders on October 18. According to the official Brexit timetable, this is when Mrs May must agree a deal which will take this country out of the EU. However, those familiar with the protracted negotiations say that a deal is unlikely to be struck and that an emergency summit will be scheduled for November. This would be the last possible date that a deal can be struck because of the time-consuming ratification process which requires all 27 member states to sign up before Britain formally quits next March. Of course, the last scene of the last act of the Brexit drama when Mrs May takes any deal back to Westminster will be her moment of greatest danger. Inevitably, it will mean a confrontation not only with those still sore about Brexit, die-hard Remainers, those demanding a second referendum and a Labour Party eager to exploit her weakness, but it also risks a confrontation with Johnson, Rees-Mogg and their cabal of Tory Brexiteers. The latter Brutuses may think this offers the chance to wield the knife. But a close study of the leadership rules of the Conservative Party shows that they would be harbouring false hopes. The rules state that at least 48 Tory MPs representing 15 per cent of the total number must write letters to activate a confidence motion in Mrs May. If those 48 letters are mustered and my soundings certainly suggest that such a target could be achieved party rules stipulate that there would then be a confidence vote in Mrs May via a secret ballot of Tory MPs. Only if Mrs May failed to gain a majority would she have to resign. Yet my crystal ball tells me that if there was a confidence vote, Mrs May would survive by a large margin. Again, my reasoning is based on the strictures of the political timetable. If Mrs May lost a confidence motion, Tory Party rules state that a leadership contest must ensue beginning with a series of ballots in which Conservative MPs would vote for their preferred candidate. The two candidates with most votes would then fight it out among the party rank and file on a one member one vote basis. Whereas a confidence vote among MPs would take a few days, this party-wide leadership contest would last up to two months. For it would require public hustings and ballots to be posted and returned. If Theresa May was forced to resign as PM the Queen would ask Jeremy Corbyn to be PM That is far too long a period of uncertainty at a time of what would undoubtedly be a national crisis. During this period, a broken Mrs May would possibly remain as a stop-gap and lame duck Prime Minister or worse, there would be a stand-in with zero authority. Whats more, if Tory MPs ditched Mrs May, they would rightly be held in contempt by the public for dereliction of duty at the most pivotal moment in our national fortunes since World War II. This is why I believe Mrs May will hang on until at least next spring. Indeed, much more likely than her defenestration, she will bring her Chequers deal back to Westminster for approval. Of course, in this scenario, rebel Brexiteers could join with Labour and the SNP in voting down her deal. If that happened, Mrs May would be obliged to resign. Then the Queen would have no choice but to ask Jeremy Corbyn, as leader of the Opposition, to try to form a government. If he failed to command a Commons majority the most likely outcome a general election would have to be held. No Tory, however much they may loathe the Chequers deal, would want either a Corbyn government or a third general election in three years. Be in no doubt: we are facing a possible constitutional crisis of the kind that takes place in Britain at most once a century. To avoid this, I expect good sense to prevail. I expect Theresa May will strike a deal with Brussels and, if she rides her luck, should remain PM until the next general election, which is scheduled for 2022. You would never find a scene like this during a British general election. Outside a railway station in the Stockholm suburbs, all the main parties have little cabins neatly lined up like exhibitors at a trade show. Each offers coffee, literature and a chair for those who might want a longer chat. Superficially, it is all very polite, very democratic very Swedish, in fact. Today, though, all the attention is focused on one stand. And there is a tense atmosphere. A young crowd, mainly students, have surrounded the stall of the nationalist Sweden Democrats. Police push back protesters during a far-right 'Alternative For Sweden' campaign meeting in Stockholm yesterday Will you deport all people like me who dont look white? asks Joel Svensson, 26, pointing his finger at a middle-aged man. Half-Colombian, half-Gambian, Joel has lived in Sweden for 15 years, works at Foot Locker, speaks Swedish, pays his (hefty) taxes and is increasingly agitated. Will you deport all Muslims? he shouts. Only those who dont have citizenship and dont obey the law, says the party worker. Two policemen turn up in case things escalate but they do not. Eventually, Joel and his group walk off but he is still angry. Sweden, he tells me, has become much more racist in recent years. Things are changing here and they want to blame someone. People just dont understand that they need immigrants like me, he says. However, there is a similar sense of frustration back at the Sweden Democrats hut. People tear up our leaflets and tell us to **** off, says retired accountant Dan Strom, 69, a member of the party for three years. I get used to it. But what really upsets people these days is all the crime. Crime and immigration are dominating an election which has become so un-Swedish that many people talk openly about a national identity crisis. Gangland shootings are so commonplace they barely make the news. A new fad for synchronised car-burnings has been making the headlines instead. All of it is blamed however unfairly on immigrants in a country where 20 per cent of the population were born elsewhere. Now comes fresh data (unearthed last month by state TV) that rape is on the increase, that nearly 60 per cent of all convicted rapists since 2015 have been foreign-born and that 40 per cent had been in Sweden for less than a year. It helps explain why the Sweden Democrats have gone so swiftly from the fringes to the political mainstream. Just three years ago, they were social outcasts. Now, they could be the largest single party when Sweden goes to the polls on Sunday while the centre-left Social Democrats, who lead the current coalition government, are on track for their worst result since before ABBA were born. Though the Sweden Democrats roots are in neo-Nazi yobbery during the Eighties, they have succeeded in reinventing themselves as an authentic family-friendly voice of Nordic conservatism. The old fascistic torch logo has been replaced with a cute hippy-style flower, giving their campaign a surreal soap powder feel. Firemen extinguish burning cars in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby after youths rioted in May 2013 At the last election, they doubled their vote and won 49 of the 349 seats in parliament. In tomorrows election, they are expected to win 20 to 25 per cent and could well hold the balance of power in a fractious parliament where no one party will have control. Dull, worthy, Swedish politics have suddenly got both alarming and interesting. For they are following the same pattern which we have seen across Europe recently as anti-immigration parties wreak political havoc in Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Poland and elsewhere. Now it is happening in ultra-liberal Sweden, too, which has accepted more migrants per head of population than any EU nation 250,000 since 2015. L ast years terrorist attack in Stockholm, when a failed asylum-seeker drove a truck through a crowded pedestrian precinct, killing four, still resonates . For many Swedes, though, this is just part of a wider issue. As with Trump supporters in America, there are large numbers who feel rejected by a complacent political establishment no longer on their wavelength. In the Stockholm suburb of Solna, I meet Julia Kronild, the Sweden Democrat MP who would be foreign secretary if they ever formed a government. Her CV is not what one might expect. A social worker before entering parliament in 2010, her political journey began while she spent a year and half working for a charity in Papua New Guinea. I was an assistant nurse and teacher there. For me, it was important to learn their language and their ways, she says. Demonstrators against Sweden Democrats and its party leader Jimmie Akesson as he attends an election rally in Norrkoping yesterday I came back to Sweden and I could see things were changing. We had immigrants coming here and everyone said that we had to change our ways. As a former aid worker, Julia says that she is all in favour of foreign aid but that asylum must be sought in the nearest safe nation. I have been to refugee camps and we need to spend more money in those areas, not here, she says. We need to take away the pull factors that bring people here. Why is it cheaper for asylum-seekers to get dental care than for the elderly? Many dispute these statistics, along with so many other incendiary claims by the Sweden Democrats, but it is a narrative that has taken root. For decades, Swedish elections were all the same. The Social Democrats would win by a mile and carry on building the Swedish dream: thumping taxes in exchange for cradle-to-grave welfare and just enough money for a modest holiday shack on the coast. Its the sort of utopian vision Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had in mind this week when he talked of pushing up taxes to make Britain less unjust. The difference is that Sweden grew up accepting the idea that if you give most of your money to the state, the state will spend it wisely. In Britain, we beg to differ. And now the Swedes are having their doubts, too. People used to have a very clear idea of what it meant to be Swedish, says Johan Hakelius, editor of the leading news magazine, Fokus. But we now have a political class who dont realise quite how elitist they are. People turn to the Sweden Democrats, not because they are racist, its because they see it as the only party that thinks like they do. The other parties accuse the Sweden Democrats of scare tactics. They are painting a very dark picture of Sweden but we need to have faith in the future, says Annie Loof, the leader of the (centre-Right) Centre Party. The protests come just days before the general election in Sweden, which will take place on September 9 I meet her at the studios of TV4, Swedens equivalent of ITV, where four of the eight main party leaders have come for a live, on-air grilling. Here, too, is Jonas Sjostedt, leader of the Left Party, who called themselves The Communists until 1990, another extremist party enjoying a surge in the polls. A former Volvo shop steward and Jeremy Corbyn fan, Jonas tells me that he has Momentum activists on his campaign team and will be speaking at the Labour Party conference. Perhaps Labour will adopt Jonass latest vote-winner: a plan to cut the working day from eight to six hours (that should do wonders for Swedens public sector bill). Yet the main media focus at this debate is on the leader of Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Akesson. Just 39, he joined the party as a teenager, wears a trim beard and Harry Potter glasses and is both wary and weary of journalists. Each day brings fresh scandals about his party today its an MP fiddling his expenses to which he retorts that no other party is subjected to the same scrutiny. I ask him how it feels to be the man who has made this the most unSwedish election in history. Its not my ambition to be that guy. They have given me that role, he says but his message is uncompromising: If youre an immigrant, you should become Swedish and be Swedish. He rejects comparisons with other extreme European parties I think we have more of a Nordic society. I dont think I have that much in common with Le Pen [leader of the French National Front] or AfD [Germanys hard Right] and tries to present his party as a Swedish UKIP. Ive met Nigel Farage, he says, adding that he likes a pint of British beer and favours a referendum on EU membership, though Swexit is not a burning issue now. Swedes are not sure whether to be flattered or dismayed that the world is taking such an interest in their election. Today, it remains a delightful place to visit, astonishingly expensive 9 for a ham sandwich but also obsessively house-proud. Even walking around a council estate in Rinkeby, the notorious immigrants-only Stockholm district routinely described as a no-go zone, I fail to spot any graffiti. Whats more, someone has mown neat stripes across the communal lawn. Just days before there was a shooting on the same spot. The ruling Social Democrats should be way out in front in this election - instead, they face a crushing defeat What makes this election stranger still is that the economy is in rude health. Unemployment is at a historic low. The ruling Social Democrats should be way out in front. Instead, they face their worst result since World War I. Young people have just forgotten how hard life used to be and how much we have achieved, says retired therapist, Inger Hettman, a despairing Social Democrat supporter whom I meet in the town of Nykvarn. I talk to a number of voters on both the Left and Right who say they are considering a vote for the Sweden Democrats. Few wish to be named, of course. But Leif, an engineer from Lulea, sums up a common view. He says: I think they are asking the right questions. Im just not sure whether they would provide the right answers. Back in Rinkeby, I ask the local MP why Sweden is so divided. Amir Adan, 33, is half-Somali, half-Swedish and belongs to the Moderates, Swedens Tories. Four years ago, we didnt talk about immigration at all while the only party that did was the Sweden Democrats, he says. We should all have talked about it more. They are certainly talking about it now. In a chilly, high-ceilinged room in a Sussex preparatory school in the winter of 1959, I work intently on my model of the destroyer HMS Cossack. Such models come in lurid cardboard boxes illustrated with pictures of aircraft, tanks and warships, amid scenes of fiery melodrama, guns emitting orange streaks of flame, and the smoke of battle. With these and our imaginations, we seek to recreate the thrill of the war we have just missed, in which our fathers fought and our mothers endured privations. This is a war just over the horizon of time in which we wish we had taken part, and which dominates our boyish minds above all things. Courage in pursuit of goodness, in the face of a terrible enemy, was what we most believed in. Even the Crucifixion grew pale and faint in the lurid light of air raids and great columns of burning oil at Dunkirk. But the Second World War, like all events that have become myths, has become a dangerous subject. As a nation, we are enthralled by the belief that it was an unequivocally Good War, a belief that has grown with extraordinary speed. Yet I did not have to look far to see a rather different picture. My parents were brought together by the tempest of that war and were marked by it for the rest of their lives. Celebration: British troops cheer the news on May 8, 1945, that war in Europe is over My father, Commander Eric Hitchens, who served in the Royal Navy for 30 years, was never wholly sure who had won. He neither felt he was living in a victorious country nor felt it had rewarded him justly. I remember well how, sometimes, late in the evening, he would look thoughtfully into the middle distance and say: Ah, well, we won the war or did we? My mother, too, who had served in the Womens Royal Naval Service and endured the Blitz, experienced the peacetime of victory as a disappointment, into which the ghosts of a more inspiring past sometimes intruded quite a lot. Enough time has surely passed for us to admit that the military and political conduct of the war by our leaders was not always as good as it should have been, that the Good War was often incompetently fought, with outdated equipment, by a country in decline. Events of the war, often minimised or avoided in popular or school histories, reveal a country seeking to be more important, rich and powerful than it was, and failing in all cases. The myth that it was all glorious, and that it saved the world, is a comforting old muffler keeping out the clammy draughts of economic failure and political weakness. Even today, the self-flattering fantasy that we won it, and the nonsensical but common belief that we did so more or less alone, still leads to foolish economic and diplomatic policies based on a huge overestimate of our real significance as a country. One day, this dangerous fable of the glorious anti-fascist war against evil may destroy us simply because we have a government too vain and inexperienced to restrain itself. That is why it is so important to dispel it. Their hero: Peter and his brother Christopher in 1955 and their father Eric, a Royal Navy officer, in 1950 The myths go right back to the start of the war. The uncomfortable truth is that from the very beginning, it was Britain which sought a conflict with Germany, not Germany with Britain. Hitlers real targets lay elsewhere, in Ukraine and Russia, and he was much less interested in us than we like to think. Nor did we go to war, as many like to believe, to save or even help the endangered Jews of Europe. The veteran Labour MP Frank Fields claim in his recent resignation letter that Britain fought the Second World War to banish these [anti-Semitic] views from our politics is the most recent example of this common but mistaken belief. Britain simply did not declare war in 1939 to save Europes Jews indeed, our government was indifferent to their plight and blocked one of their main escape routes, to what was then British-ruled Palestine. We also did nothing to help Poland, for whose sake we supposedly declared war. Forget, too, the special relationship with the US: America was a jealous and resentful rival to whom we ceded our global status and naval supremacy. And Washingtons grudging backing came at a huge price we were made to hand over the life savings of the Empire to stave off bankruptcy and surrender. Even the threat of a German invasion was never a reality, more a convenient idea which suited the propaganda purposes of Hitler and Churchill. What began as a phoney war led in the end to a phoney victory, in which the real winners were Washington and Moscow, not us and an unsatisfactory, uncomfortable and unhappy peace. It led to a permanent decline in our status, and a much accelerated, violent and badly managed collapse of our Empire. I recently obtained, long after his death, the medal my father should have received for his service on the Russian convoys while he was still alive. It came in a cheap plastic case, like a tourist trinket, emphasising our decline in the long years since. Beyond doubt there were many acts of noble courage by our people, civilians and servicemen and women during that war. It is absolutely not my purpose to diminish these acts, or to show disrespect to those who fought and endured. Eric Hitchens features in the front row, second left, as a naval officer in Malta in about 1950 But the sad truth is that this country deliberately sought a war in the vain hope of preserving a Great Power status our rulers knew in their hearts it had already lost. The resulting war turned us into a second-rate power. MYTH 1: WE WERE FORCED INTO WAR BY THE GERMANS Britain actively sought a war with Germany from the moment Hitler invaded Prague in March 1939. Even before then, there were powerful voices in the Foreign Office urging the need to assert ourselves as a Great Power. Poland was a pretext for that war, not a reason as was demonstrated by the fact that we did nothing to help Poland when Hitler invaded. It was an excuse for an essentially irrational, idealistic, nostalgic impulse, built largely on a need to assert Britains standing as a Great Power. This goes against everything weve been taught to believe. But the behaviour of the Foreign Office between March 1939 when Britain pledged to guarantee Polish independence in the Anglo-Polish alliance and the declaration of war in September 1939 strongly backs this up. Lord Halifaxs Foreign Office, contrary to the myth that it was a nest of appeasement, had for some time been keen on a showdown with Germany, despite our grave military weakness. During this period, British officialdom descended into childish frenzies over baseless frights about non-existent German invasions of several countries in Europe. One such scare may have actually given Hitler the idea for threatening Czechoslovakia, until then not one of his major objectives. He then began, for the first time, to consider such a policy seriously. As for Poland, Warsaws military government had, since 1934, had surprisingly good relations with Hitler. And many in Britain feared there was a real possibility Poland might make a deal with Germany, leaving Britain with no immediate reason to go to war in Europe. At the end of March 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was reported to be uneasy that our Ambassador in Warsaw could obtain no information as to the progress of negotiations during this time between Germany and Poland. Simon Newman, in his book March 1939: The British Guarantee To Poland, records Chamberlain telling the Cabinet on March 30, 1939, of his fears Polish negotiators were giving way to Germany. The British government, so often portrayed as anxious for a way out of war, was worried it would be cheated out of a confrontation it wanted to have. The British people, who had mostly supported the Munich climbdown in September 1938, and turned out in their thousands to cheer it, were now persuaded war was at least a tolerable policy. This was achieved by the dubious claim we must stand firm over Poland or lose all honour. How strange, in retrospect, that the USA managed to remain aloof from all this and came out of the war stronger and richer rather than (as we did) weaker and poorer, and seldom, if ever, has it had its honour impugned for waiting till it was ready to fight. Might we, too, have done better to wait? The Polish guarantee transformed Britain from a nervous spectator of central European diplomatic manoeuvres into an active participant, reluctantly but resolutely accepting the need for war. MYTH 2: POLAND WAS A BASTION OF DEMOCRACY From the outbreak of war to the surrender of Warsaw in 1939 and the disappearance soon afterwards of the entire Polish nation, we did nothing to help the Poles. Cabinet minutes ahead of the declaration of war reveal a refusal to discuss the fact that British forces were quite incapable of coming to Polands aid if it were attacked. Why? Because, although we wanted war, we never intended to fight. Poland mattered hardly at all to the government. Britain had no major interests in Poland, which was not a particularly democratic or free country. Since a violent military putsch in May 1926, Poland had been an authoritarian state without true free elections. In 1939, it was not the martyred hero nation, champion of freedom, justice and democracy, of propaganda myth. It was deeply anti-Semitic in practice. Far from being Plucky Little Poland, Warsaws military junta selfishly joined in with the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia after Munich. The truth is our over-confident and poorly informed government believed blockade and the economic and numerical superiority of France and Britain would teach Germany a lesson about the limits of power and force Hitler to negotiate. Yet our supposedly moral position involved knowingly giving a false promise to a country we did not much like or trust. MYTH 3: WE FOUGHT TO PROTECT THE JEWS The industrial mass murder of European Jews did not begin until after the war had started. It may even have been made easier by the night and fog of secrecy which war makes possible. For years before the war, the persecution of Jews in German territory was obvious to the world and nobody doubted that the Nazi state was directly responsible. Yet we did not go to war or even break off diplomatic relations. Even the complete unmasking of the Nazis murderous intentions towards Europes Jews during the Kristallnacht pogroms of November 9-10, 1938, does not feature anywhere in explanations of British, French or American changes of foreign policy towards Germany. Britain and other free countries took in very few fleeing Jews, even in the much celebrated Kindertransport programme. It had, in fact, severely restricted Jewish migration to Palestine following Arab and Muslim pressure, just when they most needed such a refuge. Nobody could have known this would end in the extermination camps. Yet, when confronted with undoubted evidence of the Holocaust, later in the war, Britain and the US took no direct action to prevent it. The official view remained throughout that the best response to this horror would be to win the war, which was what the various governments involved were already seeking to do anyway. MYTH 4: CHAMBERLAIN WAS NOTHING BUT AN APPEASER The Left still like to think that it was their outrage at Hitler which finally drove the appeasers, including Chamberlain, into action. But it was Chamberlains Tories who rearmed the country and manoeuvred Britain into its first Peoples War. Despite the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Chamberlain returned to London to rapturous crowds following a negotiated peace with Hitler, he had already begun an ambitious programme of rearmament, including the development of radar capabilities. By the summer of 1939, he was quietly certain of war because, heavily influenced by the other supposed pacific appeaser, Lord Halifax, he had decided to bring it about. To reassert Britains status as a Great Power, there must be war, or at least a declaration. No doubt he hoped and expected that it would be either brief, or static, confined to the high seas. Crucially, the rearming was not intended for a continental land war but for imperial and national defence. But without it, we would have been sunk. Expenditure on the Navy increased from 56,626,000 in 1934-5 to 149,339,000 in 1939-40. The naval building programme from 1936 to 1939 included six capital ships, six aircraft carriers, 25 cruisers, 49 destroyers and 22 submarines. Army spending rose from 39,604,000 in 1934-5 to 227,261,000 in 1939-40. RAF spending went up from 17,617,000 to 248,561,000 in the same period. All these figures are equivalent to many billions now. Labour opposed almost all this rearmament at the time, only later claiming the moral high ground. MYTH 5: WE STOOD ALONE AGAINST THE NAZI MENACE The whole edifice of modern British patriotism and pride is based upon the belief that Britain stood alone against the Nazi menace after the fall of France. But it is a romantic myth. Not only did French and Belgian troops (often wholly selflessly) help British troops to escape through Dunkirk, but Britain also had a large and loyal Empire behind it throughout the war. And the part we played after 1940 is far less than we would have liked. Just nine months after it had begun, Britain had lost the war it declared. It had been driven from continental Europe, penniless and stripped of most of its military hardware. British troops would not be in contact with the main body of the principal enemy again for four whole years in a six-year war. Our role on land, between 1940 and 1944 in colonial or sideshow wars on the fringes of the conflict and even after D-Day, was as an increasingly junior partner to the USA and the USSR. The prospect of peace with Germany on humiliating terms would linger like a nasty smell until the Battle of Stalingrad and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor made eventual German defeat certain. In the end we were rescued by others, and remain rescued perhaps more rescued than many of us would like. MYTH 6: THE LOOMING SHADOW OF INVASION The threat of German invasion was never a reality, but served as propaganda which suited both Hitler and Churchill at the time. For Hitler it was a way of persuading a battered, unhappy British populace to press their leaders to give in. For Churchill, more successfully, it was a way to raise morale, production and military effectiveness by creating an atmosphere of tension and danger. Despite their might on land, the Germans in 1940 did not possess a single landing craft, as we understand the term. Their small navy had been devastated by the Norwegian campaign, losing ten destroyers in two battles at Narvik. There had never been sufficient concentrations of German troops in France for such a huge operation. Hitlers famous directive of July 16, 1940, sounds menacing because of its use of the deeply shocking phrase to occupy [England] completely. But it is subtly cautious, plainly intended to persuade Britain to come to terms. Hitler was cool towards an invasion, and serious plans for a cross-Channel attack were sketchy. Major forces were never assembled or trained for such an enormous and risky operation. But appearances had to be maintained. In the post-Dunkirk months, Germany attacked coastal convoys, military industries and eventually centres of population. British pilots, and allies of many nations, fought with extreme bravery in the air in 1940. But the belief it was an all-or-nothing struggle in which every sinew was strained is undermined by the fact that in September 1940, 30 Hurricanes, with their pilots, were ordered to Khartoum in the Sudan. Tellingly, too, Churchills private secretary, Jock Colville, heard the premier refer to the great invasion scare in conversation with Generals Paget and Auchinleck in July 1940, and imply that it was serving a useful purpose. Later actions we took, especially the bombing of German civilians from 1942 to 1945, are often justified by the plea that our very existence was in peril, when by then it was not. Hitlers real aim, especially after 1941, was the conquest of Ukraine and Russia. MYTH 7: WE CAN THANK THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP Hitler had well-founded suspicions that the USA, far from being a friend to this country, was hostile to and jealous of the British Empire. Indeed, the Anglo-American alliance refused to solidify as long as Britain still appeared to Americans as a selfish, mean and bullying Great Power quite capable of looking after itself. Attitudes began to change only when Britain, admitting it was running out of money, came to Americas doorstep as a penniless supplicant, offering America the chance to save the world. The extraordinary (and all but unknown) transfer of Britains gold to the USA throughout 1939 and 1940 was the lasting proof that a deliberate, harsh British humiliation had to precede any real alliance. The stripping of Britains life savings was an enormous event. Secret convoys of warships were hurrying across the Atlantic loaded down with Britains gold reserves and packed with stacks of negotiable paper securities, first to Canada and then to Fort Knox in Kentucky, where much of it still remains. It was not for safekeeping, but to pay for the war. Before Britain could become the USAs pensioner, we had to prove we had nothing left to sell. The Lend-Lease system, which provided limited American material aid to Britain, was far from the act of selfless generosity Churchill proclaimed it to be. Even the Americans Bill had a gloating, anti-British tinge, given the number H.R. 1776 in reference to the year of the US Declaration of Independence. The Destroyers for Bases Agreement, too, was quite grudging. It led to 50 decrepit American First World War destroyers being handed over in return for the USA obtaining bases in several British territories on the Western side of the Atlantic. This shocking surrender of sovereignty indicates Britain was, piece by piece, handing naval and imperial supremacy to its former colony. It symbolises the true relationship between the USA and Britain in the post-Dunkirk months, as opposed to the sentimental fable still believed. MYTH 8: BRITISH BOMBING OF GERMANY WAS JUSTIFIED MANY believe British bombing in the Second World War killed German civilians only by accident, in what would now be called collateral damage. But documents and recorded remarks reveal this was not so. The policy of bombing German civilians, mostly working-class opponents of Hitler in dense, poor housing, was adopted after a confidential report showed the RAF simply could not bomb accurately by night. Bombing was not confined to such moments as the Hamburg and Dresden firestorms, but sustained and directed at almost every major German city. None of the justifications for this policy stands up. It did surprisingly little damage to German war production. It was incredibly wasteful of the brave young aircrews, who had no choice in the matter, who died in appalling numbers night after night. It did not save us from invasion. Systematic large-scale bombing did not really begin until March 1943, by which time Hitler was in retreat in the East and in no position to invade Britain. While it did draw guns and planes from the Eastern Front, the same effect would have been achieved by attacks on military and industrial sites, which were highly effective when tried, and would have ended the war much more quickly. It also removed vital aircraft from the Battle of the Atlantic, in which the Royal Navy grappled with German U-boats and came dangerously close to defeat. This is not hindsight. Powerful voices were raised against it at the time, some on moral grounds, some pointing out that it was militarily unjustified. But they were over-ruled and mocked. MYTH 9: HEROIC BRITAIN WON THE WAR Britain played a surprisingly small part in the overthrow of Hitler. It was not British troops who stormed Hitlers bunker or planted their flag on the ruins of the Reichstag. Chamberlain and Daladier, the French Prime Minister, started a war which Stalin and Roosevelt would later take over and finish. It destroyed the Third Reich and created a new order in Europe in which Britain and France would be second-rate powers. It may be the only case in history of a second-hand war being taken over by other belligerents and used for their own purposes. Certainly Britain and France did not achieve their aim in declaring war. Both sought to stay in the club of Great Powers and found themselves being asked to leave. The devastating cultural revolution of the past 50 years would not have happened in a country where the victorious governing classes were confident and assured. And our absorption into the EU which is the continuation of Germany by other means is not the fate of a dominant victor nation. MYTH 10: WE WERE GLORIOUS IN VICTORY The general impression is that the end of hostilities brought a new sunlit era of optimism in a ravaged continent. Yet victory led swiftly to an appeasement of Stalin at least as bad as our appeasement of Hitler in 1938, with nations handed over bound and gagged to the Kremlins secret police regime. And the following months and years brought death on a colossal scale, of which we nowadays know almost nothing. Under the Potsdam Agreement, between 12 and 14 million ethnic Germans were driven from Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. We shall never know how many died estimates vary from 500,000 to 1.5 million. Most were women and children, defenceless civilians. In one incident, 265 Germans, including 120 women and 74 children, were killed by Czech troops. They were removed from a train, shot in the back of the neck and buried in a mass grave they had been forced to dig. These disgusting slaughters were not the result of enraged citizens taking their revenge on former oppressors, but state-sponsored and centrally controlled. There are many more examples, but most of them, recorded in Professor R. M. Douglass harrowing and distressing book Orderly And Humane (the phrase comes from the Potsdam Agreement itself) are known, in this country at least, only to professional historians. A whole page of horror in European history, from which we have much to learn, has been erased. And, as so often in these matters, those who raise these matters can expect to be falsely accused of minimising the crimes of the Nazis, as some in Germany have sought to do. But this is a stupid lie. As Prof Douglas says: Whatever occurred after the war cannot possibly be equated to the atrocities perpetrated by the Germans during it, and suggestions to the contrary are deeply offensive and historically illiterate. But the fact that a respectable academic has to make this point illustrates how very difficult it still is, nearly 80 years later, to look objectively at the Second World War. Later still, as our diminished power and influence became clear in so many ways, the ghost of our 1940 defeat and the necessary but reluctant compromises we had to make in order to survive it still haunts our lives. The most popular film in British cinemas of summer 2017 was Dunkirk. But it made no attempt to explain to a new generation why the entire British Army was standing up to its armpits in salt water, being strafed by the German air force, having wrecked, burned or dumped arms and equipment worth billions in todays money. Nobody wants to know. Perhaps it is time they did. A high-flying transgender lawyer has revealed how she has undergone a gender re-assignment operation for the third time - after going back to being a man in a bid to reconnect with her children. Samantha Kane, from west London, explained how she felt she 'had no choice' but to transition back to a woman again, following two previous sex changes, and now feels like her 'true self' again. The lawyer and author, who was born Sam Hashimi in Baghdad, Iraq, first underwent gender reassignment surgery back in 1997, becoming Samantha. But in 2004, she decided she wanted to go back to being a man, undergoing another operation to become Charles, having become estranged from her son and daughter following her first sex change. Earlier this year, Samantha, 58, underwent surgery to become a woman again, spending a total of over 150,000 on gender re-assignment operations over the years. High-flying lawyer Samantha Kane (above, as she is today) has revealed why she underwent gender re-assignment surgery for the third time to transition to a woman Speaking to FEMAIL, Samantha admitted that her decision to transition back to a man had been largely influenced by a desire to see her children, who she became estranged from after divorcing first wife Trudi in the early 1990s. 'I couldn't see my children for around 10 years, I started missing them so much,' she explained. 'My children grew up not really knowing me. It was so difficult. 'Eventually, I thought, maybe I could get back what I love if I changed back, and became a man again. That's really the reason [I did it].' However, Samantha said that within a year of living as a Charles, she began to realise that she had made a mistake in transitioning back to a man - particularly as the gender reassignment surgery hadn't gone as expected. Samantha had been living as Charles Kane (above, pictured at home in London in 2008) since 2004. She explained how she had decided to go back to being a man in a bid to re-connect with her children, who she became estranged from after becoming Samantha for the first time 'In the first year, I had regrets - what they claimed the operation would achieve, they never achieved anyway,' she said. 'Turning a man who was born a man into a woman, and then approximating back to what it was like being a male will never work - that was really part of it.' At the time, Charles was engaged to a woman named Victoria, but the relationship quickly broke down. 'I was feeling uncomfortable. I was in a relationship with a woman and it was expected of me to be all male really,' Samantha explained. 'As Charles, I wasn't 100 per cent accepted. I was having these regrets of changing back.' Samantha underwent her first sex change in 1997, when she went from being Sam to Samantha. She is pictured here in Monaco in 2001 A timeline of Samantha's journey 1960 - Born a man, Sam Hashimi, in Baghdad, Iraq 1997 - Transitioned to a woman, living as Samantha Kane 2004 - Underwent second gender re-assignment surgery to go back to being a man, and began living as Charles Kane 2017 - Began living as Samantha again 2018 - Underwent third gender re-assignment surgery to complete transition Advertisement However, Samantha explained how she didn't want to transition back to a woman straight away - in part, due to her high-flying career as a barrister. 'I went through all this trouble to be Charles, and one had to make the best out of it I suppose,' she said. 'I'm a lawyer, and thought people wouldn't understand me changing back. At the Bar, people have to adopt more tradition roles. Chopping and changing is frowned on.' But Samantha explained how re-connecting with her adult son eventually helped her decide to transition back to a woman. 'I saw him shortly before his wedding, and he told me he was getting married, and he invited to me to his wedding. That was really nice,' she said. Samantha was born Sam Hashimi in Baghdad, Iraq. He explained how he married first wife Trudi (pictured together in 1990) in a bid to 'conform', with the pair having two children together 'He said, "I don't mind who you are. I love you whether you are a male or a female. If it makes you be happier to be a female, then so be it." 'That's what encouraged me to change back basically. He's very supportive.' Samantha began dressing as a woman in March last year, and airier this year had gender re-assignment surgery and breast implants fitted. The lawyer says that since the operation in January she now finally feels like herself again, after all these years. 'I feel a lot better in myself now. I came to the conclusion that you have no choice,' Samantha said. 'I am so much happier to be my true self as a woman. Samantha (pictured at home in her study as she is today) underwent gender re-assignment surgery for the third time earlier this year to become a woman 'I always knew I was in the wrong body, even when I was really, really young, five or six-years-old. 'But I grew up in Baghdad in the '60s and the '70s, so who would hear of anything about being transgender or having surgery? 'So I buried it, and I thought I have to be conventional. I met a woman who I got on well with, and I got married and had children.' Samantha says she feels that being a women is easier nowadays, compared to when she first transitioned back in the 1990s. 'When I transitioned to a woman in 1997, things were really difficult for women generally,' she said. Samantha (left in 2001) underwent her first gender reassignment surgery in 1997, in order to become Samantha for the first time. However, she decided to transition to a man in 2004 (right), as she thought it would help her re-connect with her children 'Now, it's not as bad for women. You get more equal opportunities at work. I haven't noticed as much discrimination against women as there used to be.' However, she explained how she has found the recent conversations around transgender women troubling. 'Before my surgery it was quite difficult, because there was all this debate about what is the difference between transgender females and real females, and whether transgender women are accepted as real women,' she explained. 'But I felt I had no choice [but go ahead with the operation], because I knew it was what would make me happy and make me complete as a woman. 'I had to go ahead with it at all costs, essentially.' Samantha (pictured in 1998 following her first gender reassignment operation) explained how she became estranged from her two children after divorcing his wife Trudi, following his decision to transition to a woman Following her gender reassignment surgery, Samantha says she has been getting a lot of interest in the romance department - although she wants to enjoy being single for now. 'I want to enjoy being single for a while, and not to rush. Rushing into relationships is quite difficult for someone who doesn't even have my history. 'I'm probably one of a handful of people in the whole world who has had a sex transition three times. 'You need someone with a pHD to understand what I've gone through,' she explained. 'But one should always be open to love. I could love a man, I could love a woman, as long as there feels like there's a connection - that's what I'm looking for.' Samantha Kane's new book Mohammed and Susan (Diversity Books, 8.99) is out on September 6. An acid attack survivor was hailed a 'true inspiration' by Loose Women viewers after she shared her harrowing story on live TV. Katie Gee, of north London, was just 18 years old and volunteering at a school in Zanzibar when she and her friend Kirstie Trup were doused in acid in an unprovoked attack by two men on a moped. The right side of Katie's face and body were completely burnt while her right ear was left shrivelled. In the five years since Katie has undergone 70 operations many of them gruelling 12-hour skin grafts and last month she was given a new right year. Today Katie, now 23, appeared on Loose Women to recall the terrifying minutes after the attack and the ordeal that ensued to bring her back to the UK. Katie Gee, of north London, was just 18 years old and volunteering at a school in Zanzibar when she and her friend Kirstie Trup were doused in acid in an unprovoked attack by two men on a moped. Miss Gee, now 23, appeared on Loose Women today (pictured) to share her story The right side of Katie's face and body were completely burnt while her right ear was left shrivelled after the attack. Pictured, Katie's injuries on August 8, 2013, when she was admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after being airlifted back from Zanzibar Miss Gee, who graduated from Nottingham Trent University last year, was praised by Loose Women viewers who hailed her a 'true inspiration'. She was also compared to fellow acid attack survivor Katie Piper, who has also gone on to promote inclusive view of beauty The graduate, who is launching a social media campaign celebrating beauty diversity, was praised by viewers who hailed her 'gorgeous' and a 'true inspiration'. One compared her to fellow acid attack survivor Katie Piper, who has gone on to work as a body positive activist promoting an inclusive view of beauty. 'Katie gee like @KatiePiper_ is a true inspiration to all out there,' one tweeted. 'Going through the what they did and the strength and courage they show now, is an example to all. Two positive role models, for all young ladies/women/girls out there.' Another posted: 'So much respect for #katiegee on @loosewomen absolutely gorgeous girl! If you havent watched this interview already, watch it NOW!' Loose Women panelists Anne Diamond and Linda Robson, pictured, praised Miss Gee's attitude towards her attack and her wish to help others following her ordeal Loose Women viewers commented on how 'beautiful' and 'amazing' Miss Gee is online A third added: 'Watching Katie Gee bless her heart why she went through ,glad in way she come through it but hope noone has to ever go through that, amazing young lady ,well done you.' Speaking on Loose Women today, Katie recalled the day of the attack in Stone Town, the island's capital, in August 2013. She said: ' We were on our way out for dinner, it was so quiet as everyone was inside praying, it was the last night of Ramadan. 'We were on a 15 minute walk to the restaurant. Within five minutes two guys on a moped came to my right hand side, threw acid and drove off straight away. Within seconds. Dozens showed their support for Miss Gee after she appeared on the ITV programme today 'One of the guys on the back gave a smile, but that was it, a bit sadistic, but that was it.' Katie described how her 'survival instinct' prompted her to run across the road to a cafe where she showered before she was taken to a hospital. Remarkably she had the wherewithal to check the quality of the equipment and, realising that the needles were not properly sterilised, opted against any intravenous treatment. Katie is pictured with a child in Zanzibar on August 7, 2013. The teenager had been volunteering at a school when she and her friend Kirstie Trup were doused in acid She said: 'The pain was obscene but in the first hospital it was so run down, all the needles were open, so I didn't want to have a needle.' After being briefly taken to a second hospital, Katie was eventually airlifted back to the UK, with the aircraft making four stops to refuel en route. She was admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital where she began the long road of treatment and recovery, helped by a dedicated team of medical staff. Miss Gee heavily bandaged in her bed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital August 18, 2013 During the first three years after the attack, she had to wear a plastic face mask and full body compression suit for 23 hours a day. Speaking earlier this month, Katie said: 'In the first few years I barely went out,' Katie says. 'I had no confidence. People would stare and it makes you feel ugly and different, like a spectacle. I've come such a long way in five years.' Last month Katie became the proud owner of a new right ear, masterfully sculpted from tissue from one of her ribs. Two expert ghost hunters had a fright when they received a terrifying message from the dead during a visit to Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset, which first opened in the 1600s. The spooky grounds, which even housed the Kray twins, played host to Paranormal Lockdown TV hosts Katrina Weidman and Nick Groff for 72 hours, paying their first visit to the UK from the US for the third series of the show. There are countless stories from those who have dared visit England's most haunted prison - which is now a tourist attraction after closing in 2013 - with sightings of a lady in white, disembodied voices and even child spirits. In the first episode of the new series, which airs on Quest Red, Katrina and Nick are shocked when they hear a female voice whisper 'I don't want to die' in the middle of the night - in the spot where prisoners were executed. Paranormal Lockdown presenters Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman make their first visit to the UK for the series staying for 72 hours inside HMP Shepton Mallet to seek out messages from beyond the grave They were stunned to hear from an apparent spirit from the other side, claiming to have been imprisoned for stealing and that they didn't want to die The duo said that the female spirit had hijacked the Geoport voice box to share the message with them which was the clearest they'd ever heard Over four centuries of operating as a prison there have been paranormal encounters within the prison - with many believing that the spirits of the thousands who died and were buried on the ground are still there. The pair spend three days holed up in the Somerset prison, sleeping in the crumbling cells and in the exact spot where inmates were executed. This is one of the scariest places Ive had to investigate,' Katrina confessed. After spending hours scanning the grounds to try and make contact with the spirit world, it's wasn't until well into the third day that they began a 'conversation' with an apparent ghost. They set up a communication system and began to get knocks and bangs in response to their 'yes' or 'no' questions. Im blown away by this experience. We now know that theres something here with us and responding directly to our questions. We have a telephone to the dead and something is communicating with us,' Nick said. Katrina gushed: Im in a state of shock at this point because this is such clear contact and as an investigator, this is the sort of stuff your dreams are made of.' The pair are spooked when they hear what they believe to be the voice of a woman named Cassondra who tells them she didn't want to die, which leaves the pair thoroughly shocked Things only got spookier when through their Geoport box, a piece of technology which is used for spirit communication, they claimed to hear a voice confessing to being a thief. Stood directly above the trapdoor where inmates were hanged, Katrina and Nick were stunned to then clearly hear a female voice who called herself Cassondra say: 'I dont want to die.' The pair both gasped in shock as they admitted: 'Weve never experienced that before. 'This spirit clearly bypassed the sound banks on the device and we heard a clear tonal voice coming through.' Katrina added: 'I have never heard a voice this clear come through on Geoport. It sounds like you are talking to somebody over the telephone, its unbelievable. It just said "I dont want to die", when you hear a voice like that your heart just drops.' Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset is thought to be the most haunted prison in England, with the spirits of thousands of prisoners who died and were buried on the grounds still roaming The pair were given a tour by their guide Paul who revealed his own shocking encounter. He claims to have been haunted by a prisoner called Private Lee Davies, who had shot dead one woman and raped another, he had been sentenced to death at Shepton Mallet. Paul recounted the prisoner's last words 'oh my god I am going to die' to a group of tourists and at that moment he felt a pain on his left hand - he had what appeared to be a cigarette burn which left a scar. 'When I started working here, I didn't even believe anything like that. And that's why I don't tell people straight away because they are going to think I am completely mad,' he told Katrina and Nick. Throughout their 72-hour stay the duo also appear to see the shadow figure of the woman in white and hear hissing noises as bricks crumble down in one jail cell. New series of Paranormal Lockdown UK starts at 9pm on Thursday 6th September on Quest Red She is known for bold wardrobe choices, and tonight was no exception for Brigitte Macron as she attended a state dinner in Copenhagen tonight. The French First Lady, 65, dazzled in a white gown with glittering silver detailing as she joined her husband President Macron, 40, at the banquet hosted by the Danish Royal Family at Christiansborg Palace. The couple, who arrived in Denmark today for a two-day visit, were escorted into the reception room by Queen Margrethe, 78, who looked elegant in a dark purple gown. Mr Macron is carrying out the visit as he seeks to strengthen the relationships he needs to push France's agenda of a more closely united European Union. Scroll down for video Cheers! French First Lady Brigitte Macron, 65, joined her husband President Macron, 40, at a state dinner hosted by the Danish Royal Family at Copenhagen's Christiansborg Palace. Above, President Macron toasts Queen Margrethe at the start of the lavish state dinner Queen Margrethe (pictured centre) beamed in a lace gown paired with pearls as she stood with President Macron and his wife French First Lady Brigitte Macron also toasted Queen Margrethe at the banquet hosted by the Danish Royal family The Danish Queen gave a speech during the dinner at Christiansborg Palace to mark the official visit of the French President Dazzling: The French First lady donned a white gown with glittering silver detailing and a daring leg slit as she arrived for the dinner with her husband and the Danish queen, pictured Guests of honour: The couple, who arrived in Denmark today for a two-day visit, were escorted into the reception room by Queen Margrethe, 78, who looked elegant in a dark purple gown Black and white delight: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who has drawn comparisons to the Duchess of Cambridge, opted for a white satin gown with a full skirt and a black watercolour floral print as she arrived for the formal dinner with husband Crown Prince Frederik Inspired by Meghan? Princess Marie donned a bold red gown with an off-shoulder neckline - a favourite of the Duchess of Sussex - as she joined husband Prince Joachim for a photo Royal welcome: Pictured right to left: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark and Princess Benedikte of Denmark greet guests arriving for the state dinner in Copenhagen Lavish: The royals and their guests dined in the beautiful Christiansborg Palace, pictured Crown Prince Frederik, 50, and Prince Joachim, 49, attended with their respective wives, Crown Princess Mary, 46, and Princess Marie, 42. Australian-born Mary, who has drawn comparisons to the Duchess of Cambridge, opted for a white satin gown with a full skirt and a black watercolour floral print. Meanwhile her sister-in-law Princess Marie took a leaf out of the Duchess of Sussex's style books with an off-shoulder red gown. Also in attendance was Princess Benedikte of Denmark, the sister of Queen Margrethe, who donned a soft purple dress with a cape. Whirlwind tour: President Macron, pictured with his wife (left) and Queen Margrethe, is visiting Denmark in the hope of strengthening the relationships he needs to push France's agenda of a more closely united European Union. The Danish royals marked the occasion with a dinner Attention to detail: The French First Lady matched the glittering silver of her dress with a pair of metallic pointed heeled pumps, just seen, and a neat metallic silver clutch Guard of honour: President Macron inspected the guards as he made his way into the banquet Elegant: Queen Margrethe, whose husband Henrik died in February, accompanied President Macron as he made his way through Christiansborg Palace to the dining room Handsome couple: Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark with his wife Crown Princess Mary Family affair: Also in attendance was Princess Benedikte of Denmark, the sister of Queen Margrethe, who donned a soft purple dress with a cape Earlier today President and Mrs Macron were greeted by the Danish royals as they arrived in the Danish capital. Matched in vibrant shades of red, Crown Princess Mary and Mrs Macron appeared to brush over the very similar wardrobe choices they'd made as they prepared to lay wreaths to fallen soldiers at the Citadel in Copenhagen. Brigitte opted for a warm woollen peacoat over a matching above-the-knee dress and handbag in the same shade. She finished the striking look with a simple pair of black heels. Building relationships: President Macron, seen shaking hands, appeared in good spirits as he joined his wife and the Danish Royal Family in welcoming guests to the palace. Pictured right-left: Queen Margrethe, Mr and Mrs Macron, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie (not seen) and Princess Benedikte Dazzling: Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark leans towards French First Lady Brigitte Macron as they share a quiet word ahead of the dinner. Pictured right to left: Queen Margrethe, Mr and Mrs Macron, Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie Sumptuous: Queen Margrethe took a seat as she welcomed guests to the state dinner alongside Mr and Mrs Macron, her children Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, their respective wives Princess Mary and Princess Marie, and her sister Princess Benedikte Meanwhile, the glamorous Danish Crown Princess wore a dress by Brazilian designer Raquel Diniz. The high-necked red Armonia silk georgette dress floated beyond the knee, with billowing sleeves. The Australian-born mother-of-four carried a clutch purse in a deeper shade of red and wore snakeskin heels, with a botanical brooch complementing her dress. Her husband, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, 50, was also in attendance, looking dapper in a sharp blue suit. French First Lady Brigitte Macron and Crown Princess Mary cut a striking duo in their perfectly co-ordinated red outfits. The 65-year-old president's wife is in Copenhagen as her husband prepares to forge closer ties with the Danish government While Mrs Macron opted for a warm red peacoat over a stylish, knee-length dress, Crown Princess Mary wore a high-necked red Armonia silk georgette dress by designer Raquel Dini Red is the colour! Brigitte Macron, centre left, and Crown Princess Mary, centre right, walk towards their respective husbands, far left, President Macron, and, far right, Crown Prince Frederik President Macron, arriving in Copenhagen to lay wreaths to fallen soldiers at the city's Citadel, shakes hand with Crown Princess Mary as his wife Brigitte and Crown Prince Frederik (far right) look on Bonjour! Brigitte looks delighted to shake the hand of the Australian-born Danish royal, while Crown Prince Frederik offers a broad smile to his guests On Wednesday, the Macrons make a two-day visit to Helsinki, where the premier will meet Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Juha Sipila. The couple have enjoyed a summer break though, surprising villagers in the Bormes-les-Mimosas area of south-eastern France. The politician and his wife spent time relaxing at Fort de Bregancon - the French presidents official summer retreat - in early August. The French premier is hoping to forge better relationships with the Danes on the two-day visit...before he heads to Helsinki in Finland to do the same A dapper-looking Crown Prince Frederik, wearing a navy blue suit with red spotted tie, moves in to chat with his guests, while his Australian-born wife looks on This way! Crown Prince Frederik guides his presidential guests through the Copenhagen citadel The clinic where a British mother-of-three underwent a 3,000 'bottom lift' before dying boasts a long list of celebrity clients including Zahida Allen and Amber Turner, MailOnline can reveal. Leah Cambridge, 29, from Leeds, is believed to have died on the operating table at the Elite Aftercare Clinic in Izmir, favoured by the cast of The Only Way Is Essex and Geordie Shore. Leah's long-term partner Scott Franks has claimed that Leah's operation went wrong after fat was deposited into her blood stream and her oxygen levels dropped, leading to three heart attacks. TOWIE star Georgia Kousoulou, 27, underwent a widely-panned rhinoplasty at the clinic in January this year, with staff forced to leap to her defence- claiming she was still swollen and healing would take up to 12 weeks. BEFORE AND AFTER: Zahida Allen, who shot to fame on Ex On The Beach and Geordie Shore, has undergone a number of procedures at the clinic, including body liposuction after struggling with her weight (pictured before, in November 2017 and right, earlier this year) Taking to Instagram in March, they wrote: 'You didnt like something and you changed it and know one can judge you for that... You look amazing and you deserve to.' Fellow cast member Amber Turner also visited the popular clinic for a breast augmentation, proudly showing off the results on Instagram in January this year. Zahida Allen, who shot to fame on Ex On The Beach and Geordie Shore, has undergone a number of procedures at the clinic, including body liposuction and contouring. She frequently credits the surgery for her 'bikini body' in revealing Instagram snaps. Zahida's friend and EOTB co-star Kayleigh Morris also recently had a nose job which has been heavily documented by the celebrity on social media. BEFORE AND AFTER: TOWIE star Amber Turner also visited the popular clinic for a breast augmentation, proudly showing off the results on Instagram in January this year (pictured left, before and right, after) BEFORE AND AFTER: Big Brother contestant Chanelle McCleary also made an appearance on the Turkish clinic's Instagram page where they announced she had undergone a list of treatments including BBL and several rounds of liposuction (pictured in May 2017, left, and earlier this year, right) BEFORE AND AFTER: The Valleys Lateysha Grace (pictured in June 2017, left) underwent a 'BBL' (Brazilian butt lift) at the Turkish clinic (pictured after the procedure, right) BEFORE AND AFTER: Ex on the Beach star Jemma Lucy is believed to have had rhinoplasty as well as a butt lift at the clinic (pictured before, left and after, right) with her figure looking dramatically different BEFORE AND AFTER: EOTB star Kayleigh Morris also recently had a nose job which has been heavily documented by the celebrity on social media (left before and right, after) BEFORE AND AFTER: Controversy: TOWIE star Georgia Kousoulou, 27, underwent a widely-panned rhinoplasty at the clinic in January this year (pictured left, in July 2017 and right, earlier this year) The star, who was famously attacked for her 'wonky nose' by her co-star Jemma Lucy, proudly flaunted the rhinoplasty results as she praised the surgery for making her 'finally feel normal'. She captioned the image: 'The weird feeling of being able to post a pic in 14 years without editing the Nose!!! 2 weeks after surgery @elitecosmeticsurgery Work of the miracle worker @dr.aliuckan'. What is a Brazilian butt lift? A Brazilian butt lift uses fat transferred from other areas of the body, such as the love handles, hips or stomach, to provide patients with a fuller derriere. Clinics report the procedure, which can cost up to 10,000, has seen more than a 50 per cent increase compared to five years ago. The procedure's nickname was coined in 1996 after Dr Leonard Grossman was filmed performing fat transfer surgery on a patient from Brazil. The surgery takes anywhere from one to two hours to perform. The amount of downtime ranges from one to three weeks, plastic surgeons claim. Advertisement She shared another snap as she gushed: 'Finally can feel normal again'. Meanwhile, The Valleys and Million Dollar Baby star Lateysha Grace has had a host of surgeries attributed to the Turkish clinic and has been appointed the role of 'ambassador'. And Marnie Simpson, of Geordie Shore and CBB fame, joins the long list of stars who have had a nose job at the clinic. Chanelle McCleary also made an appearance on the clinic's Instagram page where they announced she had undergone a list of treatments including BBL and several rounds of liposuction. Ex On The Beach and Celebrity Big Brother star Jemma Lucy also appears to have had various procedures at the clinic and thanked them gushingly on social media. In June, she wrote: 'Thank you sooooo much to @elitecosmeticsurgery !! The only place in the world where I would get surgery and enhance myself.. '@dr.aliuckan is the best surgeon for all procedures especially BBL which is what I have had done! Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions about my experience with @elitecosmeticsurgery.' The clinic has been contacted for comment. A wellness guru who counts Meghan Markle among her fans has revealed how she's set up her own self-care centre in London that's predicted to have a 1million turnover in the next 12 months. Sasha Sabapathy, 29, who is based in London, launched Glow Bar after quitting her high-flying job in New York due to being 'over-worked and over-partied'. The entrepreneur described how she began struggling with 'really bad anxiety' and was depressed, with doctors quick to suggest medication. However, Sasha decided to take a different approach after a friend suggested she try a herb called ashwagandha - which she found 'really helped' with her mental health. From there, she began mixing her own herbal supplements in her kitchen, launching her first products in February this year - and the Duchess of Sussex has previously been reported to be a fan of Glow Bar's Ashwagandha elixir. Now, Sasha has opened London's first 'self-care centre', complete with a cafe area serving moon milk drinks and smoothies, as well as infrared sauna sessions on offer. Sasha Sabapathy, 29 (pictured at Glow Bar) has revealed how she's launched her own wellness brand, which is set to make a turnover of 1million in the next 12 months Speaking to FEMAIL, Sasha explained how she first became interested in herbal remedies while working as a digital marketing strategist in New York. 'I worked hard, played hard, and I crashed,' she said. 'I was exhausted, I'd got really bad anxiety and I was depressed. I was having these panic attacks on the street. 'American doctors are very quick to prescribe anti-depressants but a friend of mine had told me about ashwagandha, which is now one of the herbs we sell. 'I found it actually really helped. Within two to three weeks, a lot of anxieties were subsiding. Sasha has just opened London's first 360 degree wellness space aimed at millennial women (above). Pictured is the relaxation area The new Glow Bar space includes a cafe area (pictured above), where a variety of healthy drinks and snacks are on offer 'I was feeling much calmer, and like the clouds had lifted. I was getting out of bed a lot easier.' Sasha became interested in ayurvedic herbs, which are used in traditional Indian medicine, and began blending various powders in her kitchen and mixing the supplements into her smoothies. 'At first, I was taking eight different pills a day, and it just felt so medicinal. So I started blending them in a mason jar,' she explained. 'It was so I could get them all in a smoothie in one go. But it was super messy, and I didn't want all these paper bags in my kitchen. 'I kind of realised there was a huge gap in the market for something that could speak to consumers in the UK in a way that was accessible about how you can use ancient healing methods in modern times.' Sasha counts Meghan Markle (above) among her fans, with the Duchess previously reported to take Glow Bar's Ashwagandha supplement Sasha began taking the ashwagandha herb after feeling anxious and depressed while working in New York. It is now one of the supplements that Glow Bar sells (above) At this point, Sasha decided to conduct a survey of millennial women, and discovered many of her peers were feeling stressed, struggling with a lack of energy and sex drive, and also bad skin. She began blending various herbs in order to create remedies for these issues, ending up with her first three Glow Bar products - Super Happy, Super Sexy, and Super Glowy - which are mixed into hot drinks. 'I started blending them; I was testing them in the kitchen. I was like a witch in my kitchen, brewing my powders,' she said. 'I had a spreadsheet with every herb known to man on them to see what worked.' The Glow Bar range quickly expanded to also include an Ashwagandha elixir, to help with stress, and He Shou Wu, to help with skin. Sasha (pictured at the Glow Bar space) explained how she saw a gap in the market for a brand that made traditional remedies accessible to modern consumers Sasha also wanted to create a place where women could relax, and try holistic treatments. The Glow Bar wellness space opened this week (left), and features infrared sauna pods (right) But Sasha felt there needed to be somewhere for people to try out these products - coming up with the idea of creating London's first wellness space. 'What women really need is a place where they feel relaxed and safe, and can experiment with their products, and holistic treatments,' she said. 'We started thinking about creating London's first self-care centre. I wanted it to feel very feminine, a safe haven for women to escape to.' The beautifully-decorated Glow Bar, located Fitzrovia - painted in a very on-brand millennial pink - opened to the public this week, offering a place for women to 'sip, sweat and shop'. It includes a cafe area serving up plenty of healthy drinks and snacks, as well as infrared sauna pods on offer. Sasha explained she wanted to create somewhere for people to try out her products. Pictured is the retail space at Glow Bar The Glow Bar supplements include Super Glowy (left), designed to help your skin, and Super Happy (right), designed to improve your mood. Both are priced at 32.50 The new wellness space, located in Fitzrovia, includes a cafe area (above), where healthy drinks and snacks are on offer As well as stocking her own herbal supplements, Sasha has curated a selection of other beauty and wellness products, many of which have been created by young female entrepreneurs. 'I'm big on women. I'm all about girl power,' she explained. 'A lot of people told me if I was all about women I would lose a lot of customers. 'But I created this brand because I wanted a brand that related to my friends.' Sasha's desire to support other women appears to fit in with the feminist outlook of one of her most famous fans, the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan, 37, has previously been reported to be a fan of Glow Bar's Ashwagandha elixir, and has spoken about how she takes the herb in a past interview. Sasha said: 'It was cool to hear that [Meghan] shares the same philosophy as us. Sasha (pictured in one of the infrared sauna pods) explained how she wanted to create a wellness brand that was 'non-preachy' The wellness space also includes infrared sauna pods (above), which can be booked for 45-minute long sessions 'She's the epitome of health, she's got beautiful glowing skin, her eyes are shining all the time. She's such a babe, I love her.' Famous clients aside, Sasha clearly has big plans for Glow Bar - which is on track to make a turnover of nearly a 1million over the next 12 months. 'We definitely want it to grow big; we feel like it's something that's so important in today's climate,' she said. 'I believe there is a place in the market for a more relaxed wellness brand. I've already had so many customers who email me and say you've changed my life. 'Wellness can be a bit preachy; it can make you feel bad if you don't do a certain thing. We're about self-love, and looking after yourself, and loving yourself for who you are.' Fascinating sketches of outfits for Princess Diana's Gulf tour are set to fetch thousands at auction - and they include a drawing of a burka for her visit to Saudi Arabia. Diana, who was 25 at the time, enlisted designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel to make dresses that 'conformed to local customs', ahead of her 1986 tour of the Gulf states in 1986. The husband and wife duo, who famously designed Diana's wedding dress, submitted sketches of four demure outfits, including a black and white silk evening dress. The sketches include a drawing of a burka, which is described as a 'reserve outfit' for Saudi Arabia. Diana never wore the burka during her 1986 tour of the Gulf states Diana wore the evening gown in Saudi Arabia in November 1986 (above), when she attended a lavish banquet hosted by King Fahd Fascinating sketches of outfits for Princess Diana's Gulf tour are set to fetch thousands at auction. The drawings by David and Elizabeth Emanuel include a black and white evening gown made out of silk duchess satin, decorated with a striped bow They designers also sketched a 'reserve outfit', which was a burka that would have covered Diana from head to toe with only a gap for her eyes. The Princess of Wales did not wear a burka during the trip, but the fact she was willing to consider it shows her sensitivity to other cultures. The sketches, along with fabric samples for the outfits, are being sold by US-based auction house RR Auctions and are tipped to sell for $30,000 (24,000). The drawings include a navy and white stripe coat over a white dress, a purple evening dress and a white silk evening dress. The Emanuels also designed a white silk evening gown encrusted with crystals and diamante detailing around the bodice Diana wore the elegant white evening gown for a banquet in Bahrain in November 1986, which she attended with Prince Charles (left) The collection also includes a letter, dated June 2, 1986, sent to the Emanuels by Diana's lady-in-waiting, Anne Beckwith-Smith, outlining the strict requirements for her garments during the tour. She wrote: 'Certain special requirements concerning dress need to be observed and I am writing to ask if it would be possible to submit to The Princess of Wales a few sketches for day and evening wear from which Her Royal Highness could select items for this tour. 'Their Royal highnesses will be visiting Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. In all cases modesty is the order of the day.' Invoices for the dresses also features in the sale revealing they cost between 275 and 450 each. Diana was photographed looking through the sketches with David and Elizabeth Emanuel at her Kensington Palace home in September 1986 (above) The sketches by the Emanuels, which are going up for auction, include a navy and white striped coat with a demure white dress underneath Diana wore the striped belted coat and white dress, along with a matching hat, in Bahrain in November 1986 The collection has been put up for sale by a private collector and it is believed that this is the first time it has emerged on the market. Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auctions, said: 'Princess Diana tried to conform to local customs by wearing concealing clothes, but still exposed her neck and left her head uncovered. 'At evening banquets, she appeared in the long sleeved demure dresses made especially for the tour. She did not have to wear the "reserve outfit" burka depicted in this archive. 'It's a remarkable, comprehensive archive from the famously stylish royal.' The drawings also come with fabric swatches. Pictured is a printed red and white day dress designed by the Emanuels The Princess of Wales wore the dress, featuring longer sleeves and a higher neckline than in the sketch, as she joined Prince Charles in Qatar in November 1986 The sketches, which are set to fetch thousands at auction, also include a drawing of a purple evening gown, featuring diamante buttons. Diana did not appear to wear this particular dress during her Gulf tour Diana and Charles made a whistle stop six day tour of Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in November 1986. In Saudi Arabia, she was invited to King Fahd's palace - a rare honour for a woman - although she was not allowed to dine with the men. The Emanuels designed more than 100 outfits for Diana for special occasions and for when she travelled abroad. The sketches and accompanying letters will auction is set to take place on September 25. The collection also includes a letter, dated June 2, 1986, sent to the Emanuels by Diana's lady-in-waiting, Anne Beckwith-Smith, outlining the strict requirements for her garments during the tour (above) A woman who describes herself as a 'sexual surrogate' for the elderly and disabled has lifted the lid on her unusual profession. Posting on Reddit, the young woman, who was born in Russia but has lived in Germany since she was three, explained how she gives 'pleasure and sexuality' to paying customers up to three times a week - and 'tries' her best to enjoy it. Sexual 'surrogates' or 'assistants' (sexualbegleitung) are practitioners who are paid to help people with intimacy and sexuality, a profession which is legal in many European countries including Germany. She opened the discussion under the 'Ask Me Anything' subsection and was soon inundated with almost 400 questions from curious Reddit users. A Russian woman living in Germany has taken to Reddit to talk about her unusual job as a 'sexual assistant' or 'surrogate' giving pleasure to the elderly and disabled (file photo) Writing under a pseudonym, the sex worker explained that her family have no idea about her secret career and she tells people who asks what she does that she's a student. She claimed to see two to three clients a week, and admitted that while she tries to make the most of it, she only 'really enjoys' her work between 10 and 15 per cent of the time. And when asked what she 'does' for paraplegic people, she replied: 'Sometimes it's just kissing and letting them watch'. She also revealed she had applied for the job after seeing a television advert, but had undergone 'no official training' before entering her chosen career. One person asked about her attitude towards sleeping with older and mentally disabled adults, to which she replied: 'I don't work with clients who are not capable of consenting.' She endures sex with unhygienic clients with the help of 'chewing gum and a locked nose', she added. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, invited fellow Reddit users to ask her questions A serial dater has earned over $53,000 (40,000) by going on lavish dates with complete strangers despite having a boyfriend. Sheen Hunter, 29, from Seattle, Washington, charges over $300 (230) to have luxury meals with people she has met online when she was single two years ago. She has attended over 100 dates and states that her time is so valuable that each person is only given a two hour slot. Sheen, who is also an actress, claims the dates - which she has with both men and women - do not involve sex and that she makes this clear before the dates are arranged. Sheen Hunter, 29, has been professionally dating people for two years and charges $300 (230) for a date. Pictured: Sheen with one of her many dates After coming across the dating site What's Your Price - Sheen aims to go on around one date per week. Sheen has been taken on lavish dates all over the US as well as Mexico and Costa Rica and has received around $26,000 (20,000) in gifts. She added: 'I have earned around $53,000 (40,000) in total as I have enjoyed over 100 dates and have been given expensive gifts such as fur coats, gold jewellery, clothes as well as all my travel expenses.' Sheen claims that her work has not had an impact on her relationship, and her boyfriend has no issue with her work. Sheen says that she never has sex with any of her clients and that her current boyfriend is happy with her choice in work After coming across the dating site What's Your Price - Sheen (pictured on one of her dates) aims to go on around one date per week She claims to have earned around $53,000 (40,000) in just two years and says that she has also received $26,000 (20,000) in gifts. Pictured on a date with a stranger She continued: 'My current boyfriend, Michael Macdonald, 28, doesn't mind that I go on dates with strangers as he knows I'm not looking for a new relationship. 'I love dating people for money, it's so sociable and it pays the bills. 'I discovered the website What's Your Price two years ago and have since enjoyed over 100 dates. 'I don't tend to spend more than two hours with each man or woman and will charge up to $300 (230) per date. Sheen (pictured on a date) has enjoyed dates all over the US but has also been taken away to Mexico and Costa Rica Sheen (pictured on dates with strangers) was single when she first began professionally dating and says that now she is with her boyfriend she goes on less dates 'I have been to some amazing places, including New York, LA, San Francisco, Florida, Minnesota, Costa Rica, Mexico and Canada. 'It's really fun and love enjoying new experiences, I have dated people from Saudi Arabia, England, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Russia. 'I tend to go on less dates now I'm in a relationship with Michael but I still try and squeeze a few dates in each month.' Before using What's Your Price Sheen says she'd never used a dating website. She added: 'I'd never used one before but when I realised I could earn money while dating I was using it all the time. 'I would definitely recommend others trying it if they want to earn some extra cash for enjoying lavish dinner dates. 'I've had a great two years using the dating site and will continue to organise dates in the future. 'My current boyfriend says, "I know your process. I'm alright with it as it's basically just a job and way to make new friends. As long as you're safe and keep it the way you have, I'll support you."' The heartbroken parents of a baby with terminal cancer have decided to bring their wedding forward so he can be there on their big day. David Hosie, 38 and Lisa Moore, 35, from Renfrew, were recently told by specialists that 18-month-old Aaron's treatment had been unsuccessful and he is now terminal. The devastating news came after the family spent over a year in and out of hospital with their son for treatment of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissue sarcoma cancer), which he has been suffering from since he was just eight weeks old. The family's focus now is on making the best possible memories with Aaron, so that they can cherish them now and into the future when he is no longer with them. Aaron has two older brothers, aged seven and 10, and the family plan to do as many activities and experiences as they can in the coming months. Making memories: David Hosie and Lisa Moore, from Glasgow, recently learned that their 18-month-old son Aaron (pictured) was terminal as his cancer treatment had not succeeded Since finishing his chemotherapy, little Aaron Hosie has started walking (pictured), as the intense treatment had previously prevented him from being able to do so Lisa plans to have both her father Dennis, 61, and Aaron, who has only just started walking, give her away at the altar. She said: 'David and I had talked about marriage, but it was something that was a way off, on the back-burner. 'Now doctors have told us Aaron is terminal, we want to bring it forward and create as many special memories as we can with him. 'The plan is to be married in the next couple of months, so he can be there. I'd like him and my dad to walk me down the aisle.' As well as chemotherapy, Aaron was put forward for a course of proton beam therapy, spanning 28 sessions, in Jacksonville, Florida. His application was accepted and, funded by the NHS, the family flew over in October 2017. Little Aaron has two older brothers, aged seven and 10, and therefore the parents want to do as many family activities and experiences as they can in the coming months, they said A heartfelt JustGiving page has been set up for Aaron's parents, who are desperate to make the final months of their time with their poorly son happy and memorable Rather than using X Rays, as with more common types of radiotherapy, the treatment uses a high energy beam of protons, directing it into cancerous cells and killing them while causing minimal damage to surrounding tissue. Arriving back in Glasgow on 15 December 2017, the family were delighted when, a couple of weeks later, a scan showed he was in remission. But their elation was short-lived as, in May 2018, another scan detected a spot on another of the nerves in his head. Soon after, his face began to swell and, in June 2018, it was confirmed that he had relapsed and, tragically, was now terminal. A heartfelt JustGiving page has now been set up for the couple, who are desperate to make the final months of their time with their poorly son happy and memorable. Aaron's family spent over a year in and out of hospital with their son for treatment of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissue sarcoma cancer), which he has been suffering from since he was just eight weeks old (pictured with his parents and two brothers) Aaron's aunt, Claire Speirs, who set up the JustGiving page, said: 'As Aaron became ill at such a young age, he has never led a normal life, and has missed out on a number of special moments as a result of spending a lot of time in hospital undergoing treatment. 'Since finishing chemotherapy treatment, he has now started walking, as the intense treatment had previously prevented him from being able to do so. 'David and Lisa have decided that they would like to create a special memory while the whole family is together, by getting married while Aaron is still able to be there. 'We think it will be a lovely way for family and close friends to all get together and spend precious time with Aaron while they can.' Claire hopes that the crowdfunding page will help to raise money for both experiences for the family in the coming months, and toward getting the wedding arranged as soon as possible. For further information or to donate, visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/claire-speirs-1 When people make fun of your name it can be amusing, but it can also be a little annoying and embarrassing, not to mention frustrating, when you've heard the jokes countless times before. That very problem prompted a British Twitter user called Annie to ask people to shared their stories, explaining that she's constantly asked 'are you OK?' - in a nod to Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal Lyrics. Her question struck a chord as she received more than 8,500 replies from people who have been teased about their names. Thor Benson wrote how he is constantly asked about where his hammer is, a joke that references the Nordic god, while Patrick Swayne, has heard 'every possible Dirty Dancing comment' because his name is similar to actor Patrick Swayze's. Another source of discontent for many people was the popular Amazon assistant Alexa. One woman said that she is now jokingly asked about things such as how big Mount Everest is, while another woman revealed how she's always asked to 'play Despacito'. Several Twitter users from all over the world responded to a Twitter thread that asked them to share the worst thing about their name The thread was started by Annie, who said that she is constantly asked if she is ok - a reference to Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson Alexa Poletti jokingly wrote: 'All was peaches until Amazon came along and ruined my life.' One woman, named Ariana, said that she works at Starbucks and is always asked if her surname is Grande. Another woman called April shared how people always ask her if that was the month she was born in, and jokingly blame her for April showers when it's raining Similarly, one woman revealed how her name Summer triggers a string of seasonal humour, and she's commonly asked question is whether her sister is named Winter. The thread attracted hundreds of replies with people more than eager to share the ways that others had teased them about their name Several people talked about how others make jokes about their names and compare them to famous people or phrases One user, named Oliver Willis, said both his first name and surname had been mocked dozens of times over 40 years. For his first name, people would reference the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist and say: 'Please sir, can I have some more?' Meanwhile, his surname attracted comments quoting the Gary Coleman catchphrase 'Whachu talkin' 'bout Willis?' Several people named Alexa responded to the thread and talked about the impact the Amazon device has had on their lives Some people also shared how difficult it was to get people to say their names properly at all. One woman, named Niamh, revealed how someone had once prounounced her name as Gnome, but she decided just to 'go along with it'. Another Irish woman, named Emer, spoke about living in the UK and how people 'refused to believe that she wasn't called Emma'. Could Balenciaga's new $9,000 coat be any more ridiculous? Social media users don't seem to think so. As part of its Fall 2018 collection, the designer is selling an 'oversized layered parka coat' composed of seven different layers and made to look like the wearer is dressed in layers upon layers of shirts and coats at the same time. While the design has struck some as outrageous, many are pointing out that it's not even original: Joey Tribiani on Friends did it first. Well that looks familiar! Balenciaga is selling this layered coat for $9,000 Iconic: Shoppers have noticed that it looks a lot like an outfit Joey Tribiani wore on Friends during a Season 3 episode The coat made it's runway debut in Paris in March, but it didn't cause quite as much of a hubbub likely because anyone who spotted it assumed the model was actually wearing several layers at once. Better not do any lunges! In the episode, Joey and Chandler are arguing, so Joey puts on 'everything Chandler owns' But as the coat has popped up for sale online, shoppers have realized differently. Matches Fashion is currently offering the coat for pre-order for a staggering $9,000, and explains quite clearly that all of the layers are in fact part of one coat. 'Debuted on Balenciaga's ski-themed AW18 runway, this navy parka coat is formed of seven separate layers, with the intention to be worn in cold-weather climes,' reades the description. 'It's comprised of combination of plaid shirts, jersey hoodies, and technical fleeces, featuring cuffed sleeves, two front patch pockets, a drawstring hood and a coordinating hem typically function-focused details reworked in under the exacting eye of Demna Gvasalia.' But Gvasalia's idea was hardly original. As Twitter users have pointed out, the coat bares an uncanny resemblance to one Joey wore during Season 3 of Friends. Flashback: Balenicaga sent the oversized coat down the runway in March as part of its Fall 2018 collection Layers: It's made of plaid shirts, jersey hoodies, and technical fleeces, featuring cuffed sleeves, two front patch pockets, and a drawstring hood Look at me I'm Chandler! Social media users have been mocking the coat and posting memes and GIFS 'Imagine spending 8000 on this Balenciaga coat just to look like Joey from Friends in the episode where he puts all Chandlers clothes on,' wrote one fan. 'Joey Tribiani was frickin ahead of his time,' wrote another. In the episode, The One Where No One's Ready, Ross is trying to hurry everyone up to get dressed to attend an event with him. But naturally, there's drama and Joey and Chandler spend the night squabbling over stealing each other's things. When Chandler briefly gets up from a chair in Monica's living room, Joey sits, and Chandler insists he needs to stand up and given him back the chair. When Joey refuses, Chandler retaliates by hiding Joey's underwear. So Joey, inspired, decides to get his revenge. He leaves Monica's apartment, goes across the hall, and comes back dressed in layers and layers of Chandler's shirts and pants. 'Okay, buddy-boy. Here it is: You hide my clothes, I'm wearing everything you own,' he tells Chandler. 'Look at me I'm Chandler! Could I *be* wearing any more clothes? Maybe if I wasn't going commando!' Sincerest form of flattery... Many are convinced that the designer looked to Friends for inspiration So expensive! Many also mocked the outrageous price In agreement: Friends costume designer Debra McGuire told TMZ she noticed the similarities too Just no: Some suggested there were much cheaper ways to get the look Already thoroughly grossing Chandler out, he adds: 'Phew! I tell you, it's hot with all this stuff on. I better not do any you know lunges!' The iconic moment has shown up in quite a few memes and GIFs, as fans compared Balenciaga's new jacket to Joey's look. Meanwhile, Friends costume designer Debra McGuire who worked on that particular look in that episode told TMZ she noticed the similarities too. 'The coat is wondrously similar. I am flattered,' she said. Bravo then to the Friends- inspired coat!" She also reflected on putting it together back in the '90s. 'I remember laying out all the pieces in the [Warner Bros.] workroom and contemplating the best way to construct while making it an easy garment to get in and out of. It would open from the back and Joey would enter that way,' she said. An abandoned cat that was 'imprisoned' by his own matted fur underwent an incredible transformation after rescuers shaved the animal's coat. One day in August, a gray cat was abandoned in a carrier at the front door of Douglas County Animal Care & Services shelter in Gardnerville, Nevada. The hair was so matted that the workers at the rescue center couldn't tell what type of animal was in the carrier. 'All we saw was a matted mess,' shelter supervisor Liz Begovich told The Dodo. Horrible: A cat was dropped off at the Douglas County Animal Care & Services shelter in Garnerville, Nevada, earlier this month Crazy: The cat's fur was so matted that the rescuers couldn't tell what animal he was at first Mystery: CCTV footage captured a man dropping the cat off at the front doorstep of the center When peaking inside the carrier, the group first thought it was a dog who was shoved in there. 'We couldn't turn him around because of the way he was shoved in the carrier,' she said. 'So we took the top off and thought, 'Oh my gosh, it's a cat!' I've never seen a cat in that sort of condition.' Not only was the cat covered in a layer of matted fur, but he was also overweight and unable to move with his heavy coat. The rescuers took the cat to a veterinarian where he was sedated before getting 4.5 pounds of fur shaved off. Once the cat, who the rescuers hilariously named Bob Marley, was free of his matted fur, he strutted around with confidence while showing off his gray coat. But Bob Marley still weighed 22.6 pounds, which is overweight for a cat his size. 'I saw him looking up at the counter thinking, "I can jump up there." I thought, "No you can't,"' Liz said. Awful: The cat, who was named Bob Marley, had 4.5 pounds of excess fur on him Transformation: Workers at the rescue center took the cat to a veterinarian so he could be checked and shaved Stunning: Bob Marley, who is estimated to be 10 years old, has since been adopted into a loving home Since Bob Marley's astounding transformation, he has been adopted into a home where the rescuers are confident he will get the attention and treatment he deserves. 'This boy has such a loving personality and he is enjoying his ability to move freely again,' the rescue center wrote online when announcing the adoption. 'He will make a wonderful addition to a new home.' The authorities are currently using the CCTV footage of Bob Marley's dropoff to identify the male. While he could be a Good Samaritan who found the abused cat, some believe he might be the old owner. 'Normally, when someone leaves an animal after hours, there's usually more to the story,' she said. 'It's typically not a Good Samaritan who found an animal on the side of the road. 'We would really like to know the backstory.' But the animal shelter is happy that Bob Marley, who is estimated to be about 10 years old, will be able to live out the rest of his years in a loving home. They are four of Australia's most successful women and their lives are built on making the most of each and every moment. Which means for Roxy Jacenko, Jessica Sepel, and beauty moguls Carly Pountney and Cassie Sanghiv weekend routines are just as important for boosting their success as their workday habits. Here, FEMAIL asks the four just what they do during their precious 48 hours off, including whether they prioritise planning and how much rest they need to be fully re-charged come a busy Monday. We also take a sneak peek into just what each woman's ultimate weekend looks like. Public relations maven Roxy Jacenko (pictured) is one of the hardest working women in her industry Roxy Jacenko, public relations maven and director, Sweaty Betty PR and The Ministry of Talent Sydney-based Roxy Jacenko is one of the hardest working women in public relations. Not only does she head up her own company Sweaty Betty PR alongside running a talent agency, the 38-year-old also manages Pixie's Bows - a business selling hair accessories fronted by her young daughter Pixie. So when the weekend hits, you'd expect the pint-sized powerhouse to factor in some downtime in order to regroup after a busy and hectic week. But as she tells FEMAIL, this couldn't be further from the truth. The 38-year-old heads up Sweaty Betty PR alongside running a talent agency and managing Pixie Bows - a business selling hair accessories fronted by her young daughter Pixie 'Gone are the days of sleeping in, what a luxury that would be. Between being up for the kids and the dog (who likes to eat anything and everything) I'm generally up by 6.20am Monday through Sunday!,' she said. And while a typical workday might see her scheduled to within an inch of her life, this isn't something she carries over during her two days off. Instead, Roxy revealed she prefers to 'wing it' - an approach she takes regardless of the situation. 'I have always been a wing it type of person, no matter what I am doing. Be it a seminar, an event an appearance or a new business meeting,' she said. While a typical workday might see Roxy scheduled to within an inch of her life, however, this isn't something she carries over during her two days off Roxy (pictured with her husband Oliver) takes a relaxed approach to weekends but she revealed she doesn't ever really switch off Although Roxy maintains exercise is important, this isn't something she prioritises during her weekend. Roxy Jacenko's ideal weekend Roxy revealed her dream weekend would see her jet to New Zealand to take an Aston Martin Vantage for a test drive among snow-lined mountains Open to current Aston owners, along with prospective customers or simply car nuts, the package is available for $7,000 including catering and costs on the ground Advertisement Rather because she has limited time she will fit this in on a weekday before she hits the office. The mother-of-two (her daughter Pixie is six and her son Hunter is three) said, for the most part, her weekends are dedicated to spending time with her kids and husband Oliver. 'We spend a stack of time in and around Bondi with Pixie and Hunter enjoying the local parks and the beach,' she said. 'And when the weather is miserable we can spend hours playing with Reading Eggs together or building Lego and making slime!'. The mum-of-two (Pixie, aged six, pictured left) and Hunter, aged three, pictured right) said weekends were dedicated to her family 'When the weather is miserable we can spend hours playing with Reading Eggs together or building Lego and making slime!' She said While she takes a loose approach to structuring her time, Roxy revealed she never takes her hands off the wheel and will use her Sundays to ensure she is organised for the week. 'I have a bag which I call my homework bag which I fill with tasks for the week for my team,' she said. She said as an entrepreneur she's never really able to switch off but the key is to remain flexible while having fun. 'I have never worked well with too much planning, I am all about thinking on my feet and doing.' Jessica Sepel (pictured) is one of Australia's most popular wellness bloggers Jessica Sepel, founder of JS Health, nutritionist, author, blogger, and wellness coach If there's one thing 28-year-old Jessica Sepel understands it's the value to prioritising downtime in order to reset after a busy week. The Sydney-based nutritionist is one of Australia's most popular wellness bloggers and the author of The Healthy Life and Living the Healthy Life. Life for Jessica couldn't be more hectic which means her weekends need to be as restorative as possible. 'As JS Health has grown and evolved I say no to social arrangements if I've had a busy week,' she told FEMAIL. Life for Jessica couldn't be more hectic which means her weekends need to be as restorative as possible 'Instead, I choose to spend time with family or in solitude to allow my body to rest.' Her Saturdays are dedicated to rest which means she will generally wake up at 8am and indulge in a lazy morning. This means lying in bed with coffee and a book and following this with a gentle at-home yoga practice. 'I choose to spend time with family or in solitude to allow my body to rest,' the 28-year-old told FEMAIL 'I don't really make plans as I prefer to go with the flow. Plans often become pressuring for me after a busy week of work,' Jess said. If the mood strikes, the wellness advocate said she may head out for lunch with friends or family, however, a massage or a walk in nature is a must. A perfect Saturday night will see the nutritionist venturing out into the city to sample the cuisine of a hot new restaurant. Jessica said as business has flourished in the last year this means work is something that needs some attention on weekends, however, she revealed this is limited to checking emails only once on both days. A perfect Saturday night sees the nutritionist venturing out into the city to sample the cuisine of a hot new restaurant If the mood strikes, the wellness advocate said she may head out for lunch with friends or family, however, a massage or a walk in nature is a must 'I also try to check my Instagram once and then delete the app. I try to leave Sunday to be totally social media free (unless I do a quick post for @JSHealth). 'That said, we just launched the JSHealth App, which has a world-first online nutrition clinic, so I've been checking the chat room to assist our JSHealth nutritionists.' Jessica Sepel's ideal weekend: 'I would head straight to a health retreat!! I recently went to Gaia health retreat for the weekend and just felt so restored and pampered. 'If I could, I would go to a health retreat every weekend I would to practice yoga, eat real food and chill in nature.' Advertisement Sundays are also built on a similarly relaxed routine but Sunday evenings are dedicated to making sure she's prepared for the coming week. 'I ensure my emails are up to date. This is my time to catch up on the week's schedule and brainstorm new ideas. 'I have a big notepad where I jot down creative ideas and recipes as they pop up.' Jess takes the view that no matter how busy a person is, prioritising rest is vital to living a healthy life. 'I see weekends as a time to slow down and prioritise taking care of myself so I can work hard during the week. I think women need to rest more to live a healthy life, but without the guilt. We need to be okay with doing less and taking care of ourselves.' The Base Collective is a luxe beauty brand headed up Melbourne mothers Carly Pountney (left) and Cassie Sanghvi (right) Carly Pountney and Cassie Sanghvi, founders of cult beauty brand, The Base Collective Motherhood and 'me time' are often at odds with each other, but as these two Melbourne-based entrepreneurs reveal - with a little planning - it's possible to attend to both. When I say sleep in it is till about 8am but it still feels like a little slice of heaven Meet Carly Pountney and Cassie Sanghvi, founders of the multi-million dollar organic beauty brand, The Base Collective. It's a business the pair launched in 2016, and since then they've turned over millions selling their magnesium-based products to hordes of fans. The two women, aged mid-thirties, have five children between them so weekends are structured primarily around family, as they revealed to FEMAIL. Their organic beauty brand with an ethos of 'being good for you and looking good' is now stocked in top retail outlets including Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie 'Saturday plans always start with their [her children's] activities and any parties they have on as well,' said Carly. Carly Pountney's ideal weekend: Assuming a weekend visit to New York isn't on the cards then I'd keep it pretty simple. A nice walk first thing, brunch with friends, a lazy afternoon wandering around town or visiting an exhibition and then dinner with friends and a child free night in a luxe hotel! If I could squeeze in a visit to the hairdresser or a massage too I would be in heaven. Advertisement 'I am guilty of squeezing in some extra work if Zoe happens to be sleeping and if Amelie is at dance.' 'We seem to find ourselves 'booked up' for months in advance, so I am conscious of trying to schedule an activity free and "just the five of us" weekend once a month if possible, said Cassie. While enjoying a sleep in is something those without kids take for granted, this isn't something that's a reality for either of these busy mums. Carly said she doesn't struggle too much with an early morning wake up but she revealed she'd 'love it' if her toddler would sleep past 6.30am on a weekend 'just every now and then'. The pair shared the above photo on their Instagram page which sums up just how fast weekend tends to go Cassie and her husband take turns at getting up early for the kids so each gets a chance to enjoy a few extra precious hours of rest. 'I usually get Saturday and he takes the Sunday. When I say sleep in it is till about 8am, but it still feels like a little slice of heaven and I always feel so refreshed just to get up and go at my own pace. Mum-of-two Carly Pountney (pictured) said weekends tend to be structured around her family Juggling the demands of family along with business means the duo don't have much time left for exercise, however, some form of movement is a must. 'In the last couple of months, I have been making sure I always fit in a decent walk on a Sunday with a couple of friends who live close by. We keep each other motivated,' Carly shared. Cassie, a fan of running, said she's unable to hit the road due to a knee injury so while she is recovering she needs to take it easy. A regular swim helps keep her fit. Both women said their days are a combination of planned events but there's free time factored in to enable them to go with the flow. The pair launched in 2016, and since then they've turned over millions selling their magnesium-based products to hordes of fans 'At a minimum, I usually have a list of must-do,' said Carly, 'I tend to move into full-blown planning when we have a few social events or I'm travelling.' Cassie Sanghvi's ideal weekend: 'I would say a sneaky trip to Singapore with my husband, staying at Marina Bay Sands, sipping cocktails by that amazing pool followed by some express shopping and a beautiful meal together. 'In reality it would be a lazy weekend swimming in the pool with the boys, my husband firing up the pizza oven to make home made pizzas followed by a movie on the couch at night.' Advertisement 'We are a team, and it's very much a family diary that we have and we all work around what commitments we all have,' said Cassie. 'Being so busy through the week means we try to all be together as much as possible on the weekends.' Switching off isn't always easy, the pair admitted, but its something each makes an effort to do for the sake of their sanity. Carly said she will try to earmark her Saturdays as work-free time but will catch up on email on a Sunday afternoon, while Cassie said she does all she can to keep her 'phone and laptop off limits' in order to give her a chance to recharge. Their business has been a runaway success but this hasn't come without plenty of sacrifice including precious time spent on weekends on email 'It hasn't always been this way but now we have systems in place and people to help us so I figure there really isn't anything that can't wait until Monday morning.' Cassie Sanghvi (pictured) believes in the benefits of making a few extra dishes on a Sunday Getting prepared for the week ahead usually sees the duo take some time on a Sunday evening to check diary appointments, make some extra meals or factor in a little wardrobe planning. 'I always make a couple of dishes in advance such as a Bolognese, lasagna or veggie soup so that when we get home late we have a nutritious meal ready to go,' Cassie said. While Carly added: 'I plan my wardrobe a little more in that I make sure over the weekend everything I know I want to wear for the next week is clean and ready.' The Rwandan genocide that took place 24 years ago was one of the worst in modern history. Its estimated that 800,000 people were killed over 100 days, as Tutsi rebels were slaughtered by supporters of the Hutu government, who claimed to be weeding out the cockroaches. Men, women and children were felled by machetes, grenades and bullets in their homes and on the streets, even as they sought sanctuary in churches and schools. Mass graves are still being found to this day. Michaela Coel plays fictional character Kate Ashby (pictured) in a new eight-part drama portraying the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide which take place in 1994 Kate becomes an investigator under international lawyer Michael Ennis, played by John Goodman (pictured left) which inspires her to explore the truth about her past and seek justice New eight-part drama Black Earth Rising, written, directed and produced by Emmy-winner Hugo Blick the creator of hit show The Honourable Woman imagines how the aftermath haunts survivors today. British actress Michaela Coel, who won a BAFTA for sitcom Chewing Gum, plays fictional Kate Ashby, who was rescued from Rwanda as a child. She was adopted by British international human rights lawyer Eve Ashby, a role taken by Dame Harriet Walter of Downton Abbey fame. Now in her twenties, Kate is an investigator under international lawyer Michael Ennis, played by John Goodman. When they take on a case at the International Criminal Court, prosecuting an African militia leader who fought to stop the genocide but is now accused of crimes against humanity in the Congo, Kate begins to question whether she knows the truth about her past, wondering how much her mother hasnt told her and she wants to seek justice. London-born Michaela, 30, whose parents are Ghanaian, knew nothing of the genocide previously. I was embarrassed by my lack of knowledge, she says. But Ive really tried to understand Kate. Her mum is her rock yet she needs to get answers from her. Harriet Walter, 67, is a convincing lawyer. Eve plays by the book, but shes personalised her work by adopting a child from the Rwandan conflict. The Rwanda genocide began after Hutu extremists began 'weeding out the coakroaches' (Michael Ennis pictured as John Goodman) 'She tried to armour Kate against the evil of her past with privilege and education. But all of this comes crashing down when Kate tries to kill herself. The bloodbath in Rwanda began after Hutu President Habyarimana died when his plane was shot down on 6 April, 1994. Hutu extremists blamed the Tutsi rebels of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and began a campaign of slaughter. The nightmare ended when the RPF took control on 4 July. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has sentenced more than 60 people for their involvement, while nearly two million have stood before Rwandan community courts. Were familiar with 1994 but not what happened after, says Harriet Walter. Youll learn a hell of a lot with this show. Itll really challenge you. Black Earth Rising, Monday, 9pm, BBC2. For John Simm it wasnt much of a stretch to appear dazed and confused for his latest role as a British professor who discovers his wife has been living a double life in Hong Kong. The Life On Mars and Doctor Who actor admits the whole experience of filming stylish new ITV conspiracy thriller Strangers in the densely-populated former British colony was a heady mix of the unknown, the intoxicating and the exhausting. It was pretty discombobulating; its a very crowded place, he grins. I was fighting jet lag and having to learn lines, and the whole place was like an assault on the senses. 'The noise, the smell, the heat everything was different to what Im used to. 'You had this real fish-out-of-water sense of not belonging, but it was great for the part because Jonah feels that too. John Simm (pictured right), 48, stars as Jonah Mulray alongside Emilia Fox (pictured left) as Sally Porter in new thriller Strangers, he revealed how the script for the series hooked him John, 48, plays Jonah Mulray, whose life is turned upside down when his wife Megan is killed in what, at first, appears to be a car accident in Hong Kong. Megan, who appears in flashback scenes acted by Dervla Kirwan, spent half her time in the Far East, working, but despite her entreaties, Jonah had never visited because of his fear of flying. Arriving heart-broken and shocked in the strange city, he is supported by British consulate official Sally Porter, a role taken by Silent Witness star Emilia Fox. Shes the closest thing he has to a friend, says John. He becomes quite dependent on her because shes the first person he meets and she wants to help. But it turns out shes completely not what he thought she was either. He soon becomes suspicious about the way hes treated by Hong Kong police, and after spotting a man in custody with a picture of his wife, he learns there was much more to Megan than he ever suspected. She had a whole other life she never told him about, and lived in very different circumstances to those he had imagined. On top of that, when he picks up a phone message which she left for him on the day of her death, he learns that the car crash which killed her may not have been accidental. I was completely hooked from the moment I read the first scripts because it was such an intriguing premise this guy finds out his wife was living a double life for their whole marriage, says John, who has had a busy year with starring roles in ITV hospital thriller Trauma and BBC crime drama Collateral. John (pictured second from right alongside Strangers cast Katie Leung, Anthony Wong, Dervla Kirwan and Emilia Fox) claims it was interesting to consider how he would react in a situation similar to his character Jonah admitting it made him think about the people in his own life Everything she told him was a lie and every moment they spent together was a sham, so he becomes determined to find out what happened. It was interesting to think about how you would react in a situation like that, where all the elements come caving in on top of you. 'It makes you think about how well you know the people in your own life. Its pretty scary. How could she do that to him? Why did she do it? For him, there was no sign at all that anything was amiss in their marriage, and he tortures himself about what he could have missed. No one believes my character. He worries hes going insane My character isnt like Indiana Jones. Hes a normal guy who lives in a small world and whos never been on a plane. 'Then his wife is murdered and he finds himself involved in this massive conspiracy involving Hong Kong corruption. 'Lots of people dont believe him, so its no surprise that he begins to worry about whether hes going insane. The slick eight-part series has been created by screenwriting newcomers Mark Denton and Jonny Stockwood. But it comes from the production company set up by award-winning brothers Jack and Harry Williams, who wrote The Missing, Liar and Rellik. The story began with the idea of a guy whose wife was killed in a seeming accident but then he unfolds this growing conspiracy where nothing makes sense and he realises his shared past with her was an illusion, says Mark. As the grief-stricken Jonah tries to find out about who his wife really was, he meets David Chen, a former policeman who knew her well, and they form an uneasy partnership. John (pictured centre as Jonah) said his character begins to worry that he's going insane as lot's of people don't believe the corruption surrounding his wife's death Katie Leung (pictured centre as Lau Chen) whose family comes from Hong Kong says it was a thrill for her to return to the city Chen is played by Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong, who gives added authenticity to the drama having been the star of 2002 Hong Kong-set film Infernal Affairs, about a triad gang member and a police officer both leading double lives, which was an inspiration for the series. David Chens daughter, Lau, is played by Katie Leung, who as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films gave Harry his first kiss. Katies family come from Hong Kong and it was a thrill for her to return to the city, and to be able to speak both English and Cantonese for the show. Lau is an activist determined to do what she can to draw attention to corruption in a major Hong Kong company. Despite both being among the best-known actors on TV over here, John Simm and Emilia Fox soon found that they were completely out-starred by Anthony Wong during the three months of filming in Hong Kong. We quickly realised what a big star he is there, says John. He got recognised all the time and there would always be a crowd. Hes such a lovely man and a brilliant actor. 'What was funny was that Hong Kong people seem to be on their mobile phones so much more than even we are. 'If they saw him, theyd get their phones out and clamour for a picture, and it didnt matter if we were filming or not. The bustle and strangeness of the place certainly add to the shows intensity. The humanity of Jonahs emotions is at the heart of this drama, says writer Mark Denton. But Hong Kong was this really awesome backdrop that allowed avenues of storytelling you just couldnt get in other countries. Strangers, Monday, 9pm, ITV. Prince Haakon and Princess Mette Marit of Norway appeared in excellent spirits as they arrived in Svelvik on Tuesday. The couple enjoyed a whirlwind visit of the town as they kicked off a three-day visit to the south-eastern country of Vestfold. The royals were snapped taking a cycle tour and sampling apples as they took in the sights of the coastal town. Away they go! Prince Haakon and Princess Mette Marit of Norway appeared in excellent spirits as they arrived in Svelvik to kick-off a three-day visit to the south-eastern country of Vestfold Time for a bite: The royals stopped to sample fresh apples as they took in the sights of the town Ahoy there! Prince Haakon donned a sailor's hat as they arrived in the coastal town by boat Prince Haakon, 45, heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, donned a sailor's hat as the couple arrived in the town by boat. They were greeted by local officials and school children, who presented the couple with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Mette Marit, 45, who has two children with Haakon and a son from a previous relationship, looked elegant in a soft powder pink coat for the appearance. Warm welcome: The couple were greeted by schoolchildren and local officials on arrival Floral gift: A smartly dressed boy presented Princess Mette Marit with a bouquet of flowers Festive spirit: Schoolchildren turned out with Norwegian flags as the royals arrived in town She wore the stylish piece over a navy and pink knee-length dress and brought a touch of colour with a berry-coloured bag and suede pumps. The princess finished the look with a pair of oversized black sunglasses which she wore to keep out the glare. Mette Marit held onto her husband's arm affectionately as they set off on a cycle tour of the city, sitting in a front trailer as a man pedaled behind. Affectionate: Mette Marit put her hand on her husband's arm as they went out on a cycle tour Playful: Haakon leaned into whisper something in his wife's ear ahead of the Svelvik tour Radiant: Princess Mette Marit beamed as she waved to Svelvik residents at the start of the tour On a roll! The Norwegian royals took in the sights of Svelvik on these front-trailer cycles Haakon appeared to be in an equally tactile mood, leaning in at one point to whisper tenderly in his wife's ear. The couple were joined on the light-hearted tour by local officials, who followed behind on their own cycle trailers. Haakon and Mette Marti also stopped for a bite to eat and were snapped nibbling at a display display of freshly chopped apples and preserves. The couple were recently joined by their children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 14, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 12, in celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of Haakon's parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja. Seeing the sights: The Norwegian royals waved as they made their way through the streets The setting is Sutton Place, the sprawling Tudor manor in Surrey, where oil tycoon John Paul Getty, the richest man in the world, lives surrounded by glamorous women and a pet lion. Into this scene in 1973 strolls his grandson John Paul Getty III, a wild-haired 16-year-old newly arrived from Rome where hes studying art. Once hes come to terms with his grandsons unkempt appearance, the older Getty welcomes him. But John Paul III has an agenda: a request for cash to cover drug and gambling debts hes run up in the Italian capital. The old man refuses. Disappointed, the teenager returns to Rome. When a message arrives almost immediately at Sutton Place saying that John Paul III has been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of $17 million (equivalent to 65.6 million today), a drop in the ocean that is the immense Getty fortune, the billionaire whos so tight-fisted that guests at his home must use a payphone to make calls refuses to pay it. Donald Sutherland stars as billionaire John Paul Snr alongside Hilary Swank as Gail (pictured together) in new BBC series Trust which portrays the kidnapping of John Paul III which took place in 1973 Until, that is, a grisly package containing the teenagers severed ear and threats of further mutilation turn up and he is shamed into parting with his money. This is Trust, a new ten-part BBC2 series starring Donald Sutherland and Hilary Swank the second time this bizarre tale has been committed to film recently. Earlier this year Ridley Scotts film All The Money In The World, with Christopher Plummer as Getty and Michelle Williams as John Paul IIIs mother Gail Harris, won respectful reviews that were overshadowed by original star, Kevin Spacey, being replaced by Plummer at the last minute after he was accused of sexually assaulting young men. Trust comes with no such baggage, and features a sharply differing story from the movie. In the series, the kidnapping is presented as a stunt set up by the young John Paul to wring money from his grandfather, one that went horrifically wrong. But the series, which aired in the US in March, has caused controversy. John Paul III is no longer around to speak for himself he died in 2011, aged just 54, after spending years in a wheelchair following a near-fatal drug overdose in 1981. His mother Gail Harris Getty, now 83, has remained discreetly silent. However, John Paul IIIs sister, Ariadne Getty, released a statement through her lawyer threatening legal action, describing the series as a wildly sensationalised false portrayal of her family, and suggesting it should be called Mistrust instead. But director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy are standing their ground. It was clear, reading between the lines, that John Paul III kidnapped himself, said Beaufoy of his research. John Paul III played by Harris Dickinson (pictured) ran up a large debt that he couldn't repay. He attempted to fool his grandfather into paying a kidnapping ransom to get the money however the hoax went wrong and he was sold to the mafia It was a hoax gone wrong. He ran up a large debt he couldnt repay. Whatever the truth, says Donald Sutherland, who plays the older Getty, the tale is gripping. Its about power, money, and a family. The struggle in families is fascinating we all know it on some level, its fascinating and desperate. 'Why do people stop when they see an accident on the side of the road? I dont know, but they do. The Getty family was an accident on the side of the road. John Paul Getty III (played here by Harris Dickinson) was brought up in Rome where his father John Paul Getty Jnr was running the familys oil business. His parents separated when he was eight and his father moved to England, but John Paul remained in Rome with his mother. John Paul III had run up a large debt he couldnt pay Before going missing, John Paul had apparently joked about faking his own kidnapping when he needed money, so members of his family initially took the ransom note to be a scam sent by him. According to this story, thats true John Paul III had agreed with his drug dealer to organise a fake kidnapping. But he was then sold to the Mafia and the kidnapping became real. He is said to have spent five months in captivity, mainly in a cave, and when his ear was severed the wound became infected and he caught pneumonia as winter set in. He was found at a petrol station after the ransom or $2.2 million (8.5 million today) of it was finally paid, and two members of a Calabrian Mafia organisation were later jailed for the crime. Having spent much of his time in the early 1970s working in Europe, Donald Sutherland was aware of the story. The real John Paul Getty III (pictured) had previously joked about faking a kidnapping to get money to his family which caused them to at first believe it was a scam The real John Paul Getty (pictured) was the richest man in the world and had 14 grandchildren I didnt go to Sutton Place, but a lot of my friends did and they all talked about the payphone! I remember the kidnapping but it was mixed up with everything else happening in Rome. 'There was a lot of kidnapping going on then. When I was making Fellinis Casanova, which came out in 1976, there was so much of it that the producer, Alberto Grimaldi, had to buy insurance for me. 'I only found out later because in order to buy kidnapping insurance, you couldnt tell the person who might be kidnapped that they were being insured. 'I do remember when I was driven to and from the studio I had to wear a white bag over my head so people couldnt see who I was. 'Kidnapping was a problem people took very seriously. He says that through his research on John Paul Getty Snr, he acquired a surprising respect for the man. Hes a wonderful character, just wonderful. He was incredibly complex. 'He was a brilliant man who spoke six languages and he could do extraordinary sums off the top of his head. 'He was very well-organised and very specific about what he wanted there was nothing of the playboy about him at all. Donald Sutherland (pictured right with Harris Dickinson as John Paul Getty Jnr) who plays John Paul Getty Snr claims his research into the character made him respect the oil tycoon His money gave him power, but he didnt use it aggressively some people are bullies with power but he wasnt, just very pragmatic. 'I dont think he was sinister either or certainly he didnt see himself that way. He had an inability to allow himself to love another person hed have loved to be able to love, but something somehow always came up that prevented it from happening. Gettys fundamental emotional problem, he says, came from a family tragedy that happened before he was even born. He was burdened all his life by the fact hed had an older sister who died as an infant, before he came along. 'Forever afterwards, he could never make up to his mother for the loss of that child. However hard he tried, she always let him know he was small recompense for his sister. Getty Snr couldnt let himself love anyone 'So the title of this show, Trust, refers to Gettys mothers trust. It was something he longed for all his life. Donald believes Gettys refusal to hand over the ransom money was the only logical response. You must remember he did end up negotiating with the Mafia and handing over money to free his grandson. 'But look Im John Paul Getty and Ive got 14 grandchildren. What am I supposed to do? He initially refused to pay the ransom for the same reason the US Government doesnt pay ransoms if they did, everybody would be taken hostage. 'Its an easy way to make a million dollars or two grab somebody and then wait to be paid. Playing his daughter-in-law, John Paul IIIs mother Gail, is Hilary Swank whos won two Best Actress Oscars, for Boys Dont Cry in 1999 and 2004s Million Dollar Baby. Hilary Swank (pictured) stars as John Paul IIIs mother Gail Harris who stepped in after her son was kidnapped When Danny Boyle called me to offer the part he said, Shes the emotional anchor of the story, and as the series went on, I understood that, says Hilary. Gail wasnt interested in money. She knew what she was marrying into with John Paul Getty Jnr, but the money was not what was captivating to her. 'In their divorce, she didnt ask him for anything she wanted to take care of herself. But she relied on the men in that family to take care of things to an extent, and when her son was kidnapped and she realised the men were taking care of it in a way that maybe wouldnt bring him back to her, she stepped into her full power and said, Theres nothing I wont do to get him back. Her only concern was her son. They say that when you have a child its like a part of your heart is outside and walking around, and I certainly think that for parents there should be nothing more important than their childrens wellbeing. 'I dont think there can be a worse nightmare than having your child captured. Not knowing whether theyre still alive or being tortured or who knows what might be happening. It must be hell on earth. Born in 1974, a year after the infamous event, Hilary says that before she took the role of Gail shed known little about the Getty family. Id heard of them we all have but I didnt know much about them. 'It was interesting to find out how infatuated John Paul Senior was with money. He was a billionaire who didnt even know how much he was making every day in interest. This idea of having money is a double-edged sword. People have always been obsessed with it getting it, having it, and then everything falls apart because of it. 'People who dont have it want it, but when they get it, it can bring so much stress that in some ways its not worth having. 'What people are concerned with on their deathbed is family and love. No one dies thinking, I wish Id made more money! Ironically in view of the dysfunctional on-screen family shes part of, Hilary has just taken three years out of Hollywood to care for her father Stephen as he recovered from a lung transplant. They gave him three years to live if he didnt get a transplant. 'A lung transplant is one of the hardest operations you can undergo, and it takes a year to see if the new lung will take, so it was a harrowing decision. But I was blessed to be able to take the time off work and be OK. I hadnt anticipated being off as long as I was but it was touch and go for a while even after a year there were complications. 'But I wouldnt have done it any other way. Dads doing great now hes still living with me but hes alive and healthy and its been over three years, so he made it past both marks. She admits that when she decided to return to her career, she was nervous she might have lost her flair. Youd think that after all these years itd be like riding a bike. But I did think, Oh my gosh, its been so long! Yet if anything, being away only gave me a deeper appreciation for that creative collaboration of telling a story. I love it! This series of Trust is only the start the plan is for it to stretch over more seasons and span the 20th century. Hilarys part is done after this series, and Donald says hes not sure hell be reprising his role. I think the second season goes back to when everyone is younger: Id love to revisit that time but at my age I think its technically impossible. 'And in season three, I think John Paul dies. I might be able to do that, but Im 83 now, so theyd have to hurry! Trust, Wednesday, 9pm, BBC2. Celebrities share the stories behind their favourite photographs this week its Hollywood legend Dame Joan Collins Dame Joan Collins (pictured) shares the stories behind some of her favourite snaps 1937: Here I am topless aged four with my darling mother Elsa on holiday in Bognor Regis. Shes wearing her Lana Turner style turban. My father Joe, who was a theatre agent in London, was a stern disciplinarian, but with a great sense of humour. Mummy was beautiful, adored dressing up and going out, but at heart she was a homebody whose world revolved around her family. 1952: This is my younger sister Jackie [right] and me as teenagers, having fun as we always did. Its also one of the earliest photos of bikinis. Were in the South of France, which Ive loved from the moment I first went there as a girl its magical. I miss Jackie since she died in 2015 we were so close. She was such a remarkable woman. 1968: I always read bedtime stories to my children Tara and Sacha, even before going out for the evening. I was a single mother something people never saw. I left my second husband Tony Newley when Tara was five and Sacha was three [both pictured] and cared for them myself. It was the same with Katy, my daughter from my next marriage, to Ron Kass. 1955: The Virgin Queen with Bette Davis was my very first Hollywood movie. I was just 22 when I arrived from Britain and I was scared to bits. She was utterly terrifying. She didnt only scare me, but also the four other girls who played her ladies-in-waiting. She used to stalk around smoking heavily and wore tight corseted gowns. At one point she kicked me clear from her skirts across the set as I tried to tie her shoes. 1954: David Chim Seymour, the famous photographer who founded the Magnum photo agency with Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and Robert Capa, loved to make me cross when he shot me. He nicknamed me the pouting panther. I adore this glamorous picture he took of me its one of my favourites, especially as it was taken at the beginning of my career. 1983: As Alexis Carrington in Dynasty I had some great fight scenes with Linda Evans, who played Krystle, the wife of my ex-husband Blake. Before we shot them Linda would assure me she wouldnt hurt me, but how the feathers flew! It was great fun. There was a wonderful line in Dynasty, Dont mess with Alexis!, which I repeat to myself if trouble rears its ugly head. 2001: Here I am alongside three fabulous broads Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor. The film we were shooting here, These Old Broads, was Elizabeths last, and she was in pain but always adorable. She overdid it she drank too much, married too much and had too many jewels. But therell never be another actress like her. Theyre all too scared now to be that over-the-top. A French fashion editor and It-girl has tied the knot with her businessman beau in front of a host of glamorous guests near Bordeaux. Blogger turned designer Anne-Laure Moreau, known to her 460,000 Instagram followers as Adenorah, wed Edouard Moreau over the weekend in a predictably stylish affair in which she underwent not one but two outfit changes. The bride, whose maiden name is Mais and lives in Paris, wore a breathtaking boho dress custom made by Wednesday Atelier featuring a sweeping skirt, breezy v-neck bodice and delicate lace detail. The pair said their vows in front of an impeccably dressed congregation at the Chapelle de l'Herbe, Sainte Marie, Cap Ferret. Tres chic! Anne-Laure Moreau wed business manager Edouard Moreau over the weekend in an ultra-stylish ceremony in which she underwent not one but two outfit changes (pictured in her second dress after the ceremony at the Chapelle de l'Herbe, Sainte Marie, Cap Ferret) The stunning seaside town provided the perfect backdrop for the stylish nuptials, with snaps from inside the reception showing tables festooned with Diptyque scented candles and elaborate floral centrepieces. The bride teamed her gown with Miu Miu shoes, vintage Cartier jewels and a wedding ring from Stone Paris, according to Vogue - while the groom wore a De Fursac suit and Tod's shoes. While her bridesmaids wore frocks from Jacquemus and The Loeil, with shoes from Anne-Laure's own newly-launched label Musier, the fashion bible reports. The bride, who was born on La Reunion and grew up in Biarritz, carried a colourful bunch of wildflowers arranged by French florists Mar de chez Gaztelur. Bride and groom Anne-Laure and Edouard Moreau following their wedding ceremony this weekend. The stunning seaside town of Sainte-Marie provided the perfect backdrop for the decadent nuptials, with snaps from inside the reception showing the ultra-stylish set-up Stylish guests assemble outside before the wedding reception. After the ceremony, guests feasted on a cheese bouquet before dancing the night away at the Chateau de l'Isle near Bordeaux - with the bride changing into a ruched mini number from Magda Butrym Guests pose for a snap outside the reception venue. London photography duo Morgane Lay and Jonny Cochrane - who recently shot Vincent Cassel and new wife Tina Kunakey for Vanity Fair Italia - were tasked with capturing the day, but guests shared unofficial snaps on Instagram Anne-Laure and Edouard Moreau said their wedding vows in front of an achingly cool congregation at the Chapelle de l'Herbe, Sainte Marie, Cap Ferret over the weekend (pictured) A detail from the wedding of Anne-Laure and Edouard Moreau. Posting a series of snaps of their big day on Instagram, the bride wrote: 'It's not wedding spam, it's just love' Guests shared snaps from inside the couple's reception showing tables festooned with Diptyque scented candles and elaborate floral centrepieces (pictured) Guests enjoyed a cheese buffet (pictured) at the wedding reception of Anne-Laure and Edouard Moreau over the weekend, with tables festooned with figs and wildflowers After the ceremony, guests feasted on a cheese bouquet before dancing the night away at the Chateau de l'Isle near Bordeaux - with the bride changing into a ruched mini number from Magda Butrym. London photography duo Morgane Lay and Jonny Cochrane - who recently shot Vincent Cassel and new wife Tina Kunakey for Vanity Fair Italia - were tasked with capturing the day. The couple officially tied the knot last month in a civil ceremony with Anne-Laure wearing a customised frock from Pronovias. And posting a series of snaps of their big day on Instagram, the bride wrote: 'It's not wedding spam, it's just love. 'Thank you all for being there, for your love and support, this weekend was a dream.' As the King and Queen of Spain, Felipe and Letizia are well-versed in shaking hands and posing for photos wherever they go. But today's meet and greet saw them come face to face with a rather unusual guest. The royal couple were introduced to a large white bull as they attended the opening of the agriculture and fish fair in Salamanca, Spain. Scroll down for video King Felipe and Queen Letizia were introduced to a large white bull as they attended the opening of the agriculture and fish fair in Salamanca, Spain, pictured Letizia struck the perfect balance between smart and casual in a shirt dress at the fair. The frock fell to just below the sleeves and she turned up the cuffs to add a touch of sartorial flair Letizia wore her hair in an elegant low bun, adding a touch of colour to her make-up with blusher and eyeshadow as she joined King Felipe at the fair in Salamanca on Wednesday There was a handler standing between the VIP visitors and the impressive beast, but that didn't stop Letizia and Felipe from looking a little dubious. Letizia struck the perfect balance between smart and casual in a button-down shirt dress for the occasion. The chic frock fell to just below the sleeves and Letizia turned up the cuffs to add a touch of sartorial flair. Brave Felipe extended a hand towards the bull as they were introduced to the impressive animal at the fair. Despite wearing leather shoes, the king was still willing to stand on the sand However King Felipe appeared rather nervous as he came face-to-face with an inquisitive bull at the popular event on Wednesday The king appeared somewhat apprehensive as he posed near the grand bulls on show, at one point sheepishly waving his hand and appearing to wave at one unsuspecting creature She finished the look with a trendy striped belt which cinched in her waist. Injecting a splash of colour, she coordinated her belt with a bold red envelope clutch and adding height to her stature in delicate black slingbacks. Letizia wore her hair in an elegant low bun, adding a touch of colour to her make-up with blusher and eyeshadow. Meanwhile Felipe cut an imposing figure in a grey suit, crisp blue shirt and flower-embellished tie. Showing off her fashion credentials, Letizia opted for a button-up denim shirt dress, cinched in at the waist by a striped belt at the fair Injecting a splash of colour, Letizia coordinated her belt with a bold red envelope clutch and adding height to her stature in delicate black slingbacks The king appeared somewhat apprehensive as he posed near the grand bulls on show, at one point sheepishly waving his hand and appearing to wave at one unsuspecting creature. Letizia was seen looking on and smiling as she kept a safe distant from the handsome beasts. The event aims to promote business and commercial activities in Spain's province of Castile and Leon. This year, the event is focusing on industrial baking and patisserie necessities in Salamanca, as well as publicising its new facilities in the city. The couple married ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. Relieved couple Letizia and Felipe were then seen exploring the rest of the 2018 Salamanca September Fair The event aims to promote business and commercial activities in Spain's province of Castile and Leon Letizia wore her hair in an elegant low bun, adding a touch of colour to her make-up with blusher and eyeshadow As term time begins this week, social media has been flooded with snaps of youngsters embarking on the new school year but a security expert has warned that proud parents could be putting their youngsters at risk. Raj Samani, chief scientist at Cyber security company McAfee, argues that predators can easily piece together information from a back to school photo posted online. Speaking to Femail, the British security expert said: 'Before proud parents share their childrens first day photos on social media, they must consider the potential consequences of what they post. 'These sorts of images can be used to gather personal information such as school, location, a childs full name, or even birth dates to paint a picture of who they are. 'Parents must think twice about what they share on social media, their privacy settings and who they allow in their social network - before it is too late.' Revealing his top tips to staying safe online for parents, Raj highlighted the importance of disabling location-tagging and setting ground rules with friends. Security expert Raj Samani has warned parents against posting pictures of their children's first day at school, arguing that they could fall into the wrong hands (stock images used) How parents can keep their children safe online 1. Think and then post Before posting a picture on social media, ensure that there is nothing in the photo that could be used as an identifier like birth dates, visible home addresses, school uniforms, financial details or passwords in the photo. Parents should ask themselves if this is a photo that they would be okay with a stranger seeing 2. Disable geo-tagging Many social networks will tag a users location when a photo is uploaded. Parents should ensure this feature is turned off so as not to give away their current location. This is especially important when posting photos away from home. Raj Samani, chief scientist at Cyber security company McAfee, shared the stark warning to parents 3. Maximise privacy settings on social media Parents should only share photos and other social media posts with their intended audience. Everything posted on a social network should be treated as if its public. Deleted never means disappeared forever. 4. Set ground rules with friends, family and children Be clear with friends and family about guidelines when posting about your children. These rules can help avoid unwanted situations where a family member has shared photos without explicit permission. 5. Ask for consent Requesting a childs consent before you post pics is essential but be prepared for them to say no. We should always consider their digital reputation and bright futures before sharing. A BBC journalist was threatened with abduction and even having his genitals chopped off as he confronted a violent gang leader while filming a documentary in Venezuela. In Ben Zand's BBC iPlayer series The World's Most Dangerous Cities, he travelled to Caracas where he met the leader of a feared 'Colectivo' gang set up by the late president Hugo Chavez to protect socialism. The Iranian-British journalist and filmmaker from Liverpool asked the commander Robert a question about Chavez, and he fumed at the journalist before miming a knife-cutting action. Ben told the cameras: 'He's going to cut my penis off.' In another encounter with a kidnap gang who boasted of killing 14-year-old girls, members also warned Ben that he was worth taking hostage for a ransom, leaving him in fear that he wouldn't make it out of the country. 'I was nervous, kidnapping was a common theme and I wasn't sure I was going to be making it back,' he said, admitting it was one of the scariest interviews of his life. Scroll down for video The journalist from Liverpool met with a commander of a community who got agitated over Ben's line of questioning and mimed something to Ben that he inferred was about cutting off his genitals Ben had a chilling visit with one kidnap gang where they revealed exactly how they go about kidnapping people with one member saying that as a journalist he would be a potential victim Ben Zand visited Caracas - one of the most dangerous cities in the world - where he met with killer kidnap gangs who explained exactly how they carry out their crimes The country is in economic and political turmoil with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already having fled the country, where food and medicine are in very short supply and crime is out of control. It's become nearly impossible to enter Venezuela as a journalist so Ben, 27, sneaked in on a tourist visa to interview the leader of one of the Colectivos, the powerful 'January 23rd' community in Caracas, where he was confronted with bodies lying on the streets. Meeting the leader Robert, who claimed he was just a builder and spokesman, he asked whether Chavez's leadership was responsible for the country's current plight. But the question didn't go down well and the leader, who became agitated: 'Of course Chavez has had a negative impact on capitalist society. 'Caracas will be dangerous for as long as wild capitalism is allowed off its leash. It is possible you are here to try and antagonise us.' 'We regard the BBC to be an antagonist of the interests of the commune because they are constantly seeking to present a line that is all about crimes,' Robert continued before knocking the camera signalling the end of the interview. Ben also went to interview a killer kidnap gang, but the crew had their phones, watches and cameras taken away from them to keep the gang's location secret. 'We were taken to a house on the back of motorbikes. Searched at gunpoint for tracking devices and told we had ten minutes to film,' Ben said. Iranian-British journalist and filmmaker from Liverpool sneaked in on a tourist Visa in order to interview the chief of the community group that had assumed a lot of power in the country The men, who had their faces covered in bandannas during their meeting with the documentary maker, waved their guns around and threatened the cameras for getting too close. Worried that he looked 'devious' like a police officer, Ben had to reassure them that he was just a reporter. The masked man then sneeringly said: 'A journalist, that's better for us to kidnap you.' They explained to Ben exactly how they would carry out a kidnap saying that businessmen can fetch them between $1,000 to $2,000 ransom money depending on how rich they are. During his meeting with Robert, who claimed he was a builder and spokesman for the community, Ben commented: 'He is quite a scary guy I'm not going to lie to you, I don't want to get on the wrong side of him' The kidnap gang didn't want their location revealed and took extreme measure to protect themselves before explaining to the reporter how using guns and killing people is the only way to bring home food for their family Ben was shocked at the state the country was in and how willing people go about committing crimes, afterwards he said: 'I was pretty shaken after the trip, the interview with the gang was one of the scariest I've done' Ben travelled to Caracas where he was confronted with dead bodies discarded on the side of the roads, seemingly a regular occurrence for the locals who seemed unfazed by the sight of murder victims 'First we study them for two or three weeks, then we get a car and snatch them up. 'Then we tie them up and ask for the ransom, it depends how rich the businessman is, $1,000 or $2,000.' One of the gang members said of the reasons he carries out the crime: 'In order to survive you have do it using this [holds up gun], this is our way. 'This is how we get food for our families. By dealing drugs and kidnapping. I've killed fourteen-year-old girls, fifteen-year-olds. Whoever messes with us, we will kill them.' Ben asked them what it feels like to kill somebody and they said: 'At the start you are gonna get upset, you'll be scared but eventually it becomes routine. 'This is our life, there is nothing else you can turn to.' Afterwards Ben said: 'I was pretty shaken after the trip, the interview with the gang was one of the scariest I've done.' Ben visits Caracas in the first episode of World's Most Dangerous Cities with Ben Zand, available on BBC iPlayer now A 16-year-old show jumper with spina bifida who impressed Harry and Meghan and last night's Wellchild awards has opened up about her meeting with the 'fantastic' royals. Evie Toombes from Lincolnshire spent time with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ahead of the ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London where she received the Inspirational Young Person award. Appearing on ITV's lunchtime news programme, she told presenter Alastair Stewart: 'I think it's fantastic that they're the younger royals and they're involved, and of course it gets a lot more press involved and a lot more attention around it. 'But it was also wonderful because we got to meet them and they had so much time for everyone. They went and spoke to every single one of the award winners, so it was fantastic to do that.' The young athlete added that the pair had taken an interest in the children's book she's written about disability. 'Meghan had a really good flick through because she sat really close to me and they seemed really interested by it, and they did take it with them, so that's always a good sign,' she explained. Scroll down for video Evie Toombes, 16, from Lincolnshire the winner of the Inspirational Child award, and her brother Rocco met with Harry and Meghan at last night's WellChild awards in London and the teenager praised the royals for making everyone feel special Evie on her horse Daisy. The youngster is determined to pursue her passion for showjumping even though she struggles with tiredness and numbness in her legs due to spina bifida 'It was incredible, the atmosphere in the room was so fantastic and all the award winners felt really special.' Evie, whose motto is 'find a way, not an excuse', spends her time mentoring other children with disabilities and healthy issues and takes her children's book into schools to give talks about hidden disabilities. Even though she struggles with tiredness and loses feeling in her legs, she regularly competes in competitions on her horse Daisy, taking on three foot jumps. 'Daisy is wonderful. She looks after me, when I'm weak she kind of senses that and she's very good with me,' she explained. Evie, 16, appeared on ITV news today to speak about her experience of meeting the royals at last night's WellChild awards 'Especially when I can't feel my legs. I struggle, so Daisy is my legs.' As well as affecting Evie's legs, she also has bladder and bowel issues due to spina bifida and uses a nasal gastric tube as her stomach struggles to process food. At last night's emotional ceremony, Prince Harry praised the 'can-do' attitude of youngsters who have been 'dealt the toughest cards imaginable' in a heartfelt speech . Evie and her brother Rocco with Harry and Meghan at the WellChild awards. The teenager praised the royals for making a huge effort to speak to everyone The Duke paid tribute to the children, carers and nurses telling them: 'Every one of you is truly amazing.' Saying their stories were 'without doubt incredibly moving and motivating', he hailed the young people who have been 'dealt the toughest cards imaginable' and are a 'constant reminder that we must look to the positive and never give up'. Gesturing to the Duchess, watching him from her seat around a table, he said he was 'especially grateful to be able to share the scope and magnitude of this work with my wife who joins me here this evening'. The phone on Jess Robinsons desk flashes incessantly as a queue of ten stressed staff wait impatiently for her advice. As an IT analyst at a 1,000-strong company, Jess spends her working days rushing from one complex problem to another. And yet she manages her workload seamlessly, moving calmly from one crisis to the next while keeping a smile on her face. Shes impressively competent but thats not solely down to her commitment and skill. Jess, 30, admits she owes much of her unflappable attitude to something rather unexpected: an innocuous white pill. She swallows it before reaching her London office, and it enables her to stay on top of the days issues. The tablet Jess takes is called modafinil a medication licensed for patients with the sleep disorder narcolepsy, but which is increasingly being bought online, without a doctors prescription, to improve focus and concentration. Modafinil is the most popular of a new breed of smart drugs said to aid brain function. Studies reveal around one in 12 adults have taken smart drugs. Jess Robinson (pictured), 30, began taking modafinil two years into working as an IT analyst at a 1,000-strong company to help her stay on top of each day's issues Taken by students desperate to boost their exam results, these prescription pills have now attracted the attention of growing numbers of high-flying professionals hoping to gain a competitive edge and apparently careless of the risks of taking a drug they dont need without medical supervision. You may never have heard of modafinil or other similar brain-boosting pills but their use is now so widespread that a recent study found one in 12 adults has taken smart drugs, with most experimenting in the workplace. Many are middle-aged, fearful of decreasing memory or energy levels or simply trying to keep up with younger colleagues. However, experts say users are putting their health at risk in search of a quick promotion and that theyre opening an ethical Pandoras box: if your colleague is using a drug to improve their performance, will you feel compelled to do the same to keep up? And is it really fair to your colleagues to illicitly dope yourself to get ahead? Then, theres the question of what we mean by smarter. Experts worry that enhancing one kind of thinking could exact a toll in other areas. However, users say its vital for them to give themselves an edge. On modafinil I feel alert, on a wave of productivity, says Jess, from London. I can work faster, for longer. My boss thinks Im naturally high-functioning. He doesnt have a clue its chemically assisted. I feel more motivated, she adds. My shifts are up to 12 hours a day and my job is high-pressured. Modafinil not only helps me to focus, it also suppresses my appetite, so that I dont need to stop to eat. In this digital age, with employees expected to work ever longer hours and be permanently on call, its obvious why Jess might succumb to temptation. Modafinil has been shown to improve decision-making, problem-solving and creativity, while recent research by experts at Harvard and Oxford universities described it as the first safe smart drug, with no side-effects in the short term. The long-term impact of modafinil are still unknown, but Dr Owen Bowden-Jones sights heart-palpitations and raised blood pressure among known side-effects However, other research suggests it could be habit forming, as it is believed to stimulate production of the happy-hormone dopamine in the brain. So can using a drug to stay on top at work ever really be described as safe? After all, the long-term impact of taking modafinil is, as yet, unknown. Over the past decade, psychoactive medications such as modafinil have become much more available due to the internet, says Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. But while we know a lot about the benefits of modafinil for a medical condition, we know relatively little about the potential harms when it is misused. He adds that known side-effects include raised blood pressure, gastrointestinal upset, headaches, heart palpitations and worsening of existing mental health problems. Then there are the dangers of ordering any drug online, not to mention the fact that despite all the fanfare surrounding modafinil, experts still arent sure exactly how it works. I try to only take it twice a week, when I think work will be particularly stressful. If I took it every day, Id have a breakdown Online pharmacies and illegal vendors have opened up routes for those seeking cognitive enhancement, adds Dr Bowden-Jones. Despite having no health warnings, quality control or medical supervision, some people seem happy to take the risk for what they perceive as a short-term boost in brain function. Indeed, millions of driven professionals seem undeterred. Jess, a computer science graduate, who admits that her twice-weekly habit has left her jittery and unable to sleep on the days she takes it, is a case in point. A yoga devotee who would never dream of taking recreational drugs or binge-drinking, modafinil is her only vice. For her, its not about fun but, as she puts it, self-improvement and control. It is, she insists, an effective tool to improve my work performance. She experimented with the drug to meet deadlines at university, but started taking it on a regular basis only two years ago, two years into her current job at a well-known British company. Jess (pictured) says taking modafinil has caused her to become jittery and unable to sleep on the days she takes it. She first heard about the drug from a friend who orders them from the dark web It was my first career job, and I didnt want my mind to wander, she says. As our team is given pay rises based on group performance, there was pressure to achieve for my colleagues. Id relied on coffee to keep going, but it worked only up to a point. I needed something more. Jess heard about modafinil from a friend who works in the tech industry and who orders packets of 20 tablets for 35 via the dark web a part of the internet that allows users to remain anonymous. She describes it as an unregulated version of eBay, and the drug is sold by name alone with no description of what it does. Her suppliers never disclose their whereabouts, but she suspects, from the five days her supply usually takes to arrive, that most are based in Europe rather than further afield. The medication is dispatched with no questions asked, and arrives in a Jiffy bag containing a plain plastic bag of white pills. How many students use smart drugs? In 2015, a quarter of students were reported to be using smart drugs to boost their academic performance Advertisement Although it is not illegal to buy these drugs online for personal use, it is illegal to supply them without a prescription. It seems extraordinary that Jess is willing to take tablets about whose origins she knows nothing. Yet she says: Friends had bought them from the same sites. I feel I know what I am getting, and as a prescription drug it is low risk. But experts claim she is missing the point. Studies show counterfeit medicine is common online, meaning she may not actually be taking modafinil. These pills may look convincing, but can contain widely varying doses, harmful impurities, or substitute chemicals to mimic the original drug but with greater risks, warns Dr Bowden-Jones. Using counterfeit medications purchased online can send the risks through the roof you really dont know what you are buying. Modafinil prescribed in the UK under the brand name Provigil and licensed to treat narcolepsy in 2002 has been shown to affect the neurotransmitters GABA, glutamate and histamine, which send chemical messages through the brain. But, says Dr Bowden-Jones, exactly how it works on these systems is not clear. Jess (pictured) doesn't know who the suppliers of her modafinil are but says she feels the risks are low as they are a prescription drug One theory is that it increases blood flow to brain areas responsible for attention and learning; another that it enhances activity in areas that manage memory and problem-solving. Jess takes the drug just before she goes to work and notices the effects within an hour. The external effects are subtle, says Jess, who has lost half a stone since she started taking modafinil. Youd never know Id taken anything from looking at me. Critics of smart drugs say taking them gives users an unfair advantage an allegation Jess denies. Im not the only one doing it, she says. If others want to do it, too, theres nothing to stop them. And there is a flip side to contend with. Four hours after taking it, I start feeling irritable and jittery, she admits. I worry and overthink problems. It takes longer to solve simple queries. On a day when she has taken modafinil, she is unable to sleep: Sometimes I lie awake until 4.30am. I feel rotten the next morning and know modafinil would offer an easy fix. But I dont want to feel I have a problem, so I dont. I try to take it only twice a week, when I think work will be particularly stressful. If I took it every day, Id have a breakdown or end up in hospital. I know its not sustainable long term. Youd never know Id taken anything from looking at me Nor is modafinil even proven to be effective over long periods. Most of my patients experience improved concentration when they take it as a one-off, says Dr Bowden-Jones. But they often say the benefit wears off if they use modafinil regularly. Not that this would deter Gemma Williams, 34, who says she takes modafinil to excel in her job as a researcher for a technology company. I was easily distracted, and missing deadlines and promotions. My mind was always on a thousand different things, and when I had to fill in time sheets I couldnt account for my time, says Gemma. The tech industry is constantly evolving, and I felt that I was under- performing. Her smartphone, with its enticing apps, further depleted her concentration, so after reading about modafinil online three years ago, Gemma visited her GP to discuss her concentration issues and request a prescription. He said I was just scatty and refused, she says. She made the decision to self-medicate, researching the many outlets where the drug can be bought online on one of the countless forums dedicated to the merits of various smart drugs or nootropics as they are otherwise known. Jess (pictured) who has lost half a stone since she started taking modafinil says she notices the drug's effects within an hour of taking them Gemma settled for a website recommended as a tried and tested supplier, openly touting the drug as one that would improve alertness and concentration. It appeared to be British, with a co.uk domain name, and she bought a 30 box of 30 pills named modafinil generic (the cheapest, unbranded version of the drug). An anxious person who doesnt touch recreational drugs and barely drinks alcohol, Gemma admits she was terrified shed get into trouble and scared of the potential side-effects. But she says: I reminded myself this was a prescription drug. Other people I know take cocaine to give them the energy to work the long hours were expected to in my industry. Everyone wants to be a star. Were expected to be available all hours and sometimes work 12-hour days. At least this was pseudo-legal. Three days later, her drugs arrived in a package that had a Spanish postmark. They looked entirely legitimate and within an hour I felt my brain was functioning better than it had done for years, she says. I was thrilled. She started taking modafinil around once a fortnight, whenever she had a big presentation or important deadline looming. My work output quadrupled whenever I took it My work output quadrupled whenever I took it, says Gemma, from London. My boss was delighted, and I was offered more challenging jobs as a result. It has definitely helped my career. She keeps her habit secret from her friends, for fear of being responsible for introducing them to a substance to which they might they react badly, and admits her boyfriend of two years, a media manager, is not at all happy about her using modafinil. He thinks buying drugs online sounds dodgy and says if I put my mind to it I could be just as productive without them. But Ive tried and Im not. After four hours Gemma, like Jess, gets jittery as the drug wears off. I talk constantly, and although no one has mentioned Im acting strangely, I have told people Ive had too much coffee if I think I am coming across oddly, she says. The jitters last only around half an hour but other effects linger. Charlotte Owen, 33, gets through at least one box of 30 capsules each month. She says the drugs give her confidence and help her to shed inhibitions subtly (file image) For a week I cant sleep properly, which undoes a lot of the benefit of taking it, and I fall into a cycle of swallowing sleeping tablets to counteract the effects. Sometimes my GP gives them to me, but if they refuse, I make do with over-the-counter tablets. But, she insists, the benefits outweigh the withdrawal symptoms in her competitive, adrenalin-fuelled work environment. When a deadline approaches, all you care about is getting your work done, she says. Although modafinil doesnt leave the telltale signs of other drugs users dont slur their words or stumble, for example it still alters mood. Charlotte Owen, 33, says taking modafinil has helped to ensure her party-planning business is booming, despite the parallel demands of bringing up two children, aged 12 and ten. As a working mother, life is stressful and modafinil gives me energy to deal with it, says Charlotte, 33, who is from Newcastle and is married to a gym instructor. A clean-eating teetotaller, she heard about modafinil through a friend four years ago. In my circle, use is endemic, she says. Most of my friends have stressful jobs and young children. Many of us are using modafinil to help our careers. Charlotte gets through at least one 30 box of 30 capsules bought online every month. Although she says they have the brand name Provigil written on the box, that is no guarantee they are genuine. They had the effect I was expecting, so I am sure they are, she says, adding that modafinil helps her present a confident facade. If Im hosting an event after looking after the children all day, Im expected to be the life and soul of the party. The other night I had to get up and sing Happy Birthday to the hostess of a party I threw. Im naturally reserved, and without taking modafinil I couldnt dream of doing that. It gives me confidence and helps me shed my inhibitions subtly its like being drunk, but without the loss of control. Since I started taking it, word-of-mouth recommendations about my business have spread and my company has grown. Increased success, of course, brought with it the temptation to take more modafinil, and within a year Charlotte was swallowing one before starting work each day, and often taking more as the effects started to wear off. Her increased consumption has led to occasional heart palpitations. Its scary it feels like my heart is going to burst out of my chest. I have to take deep breaths and sit down until they subside, says Charlotte, who also suffers from crippling insomnia. Last week, I was up all night cleaning the floors because I couldnt switch off, she says. I felt lonely, anxious and depressed, and the only way I could feel happy was to take another pill the following morning. Her husband has told her the pills are dangerous and tries to persuade her to stop taking them. So I hide them in my make-up bag and pretend I dont take as many as I do, she says. It sounds crazy, given the downsides, but I am addicted to the feeling of confidence they give me, and, without a doubt, they make me better at my job. Some names have been changed. In today's world, many of us spend our days glued to our computer screens, only to head home where we spend our evenings on our iPhones. This is exactly why one woman, Virginia Tapp, decided to ditch her iPhone - for good. After getting rid of the smart device and replacing it with a basic model, the 27-year-old mother-of-two from New South Wales said she has never had better energy levels or such good concentration. Here, Virginia reveals why quitting her iPhone helped 'part of my brain to grow back', and how it could help you too. Mother-of-two Virginia Tapp (pictured with her family) said she was addicted to her iPhone until she gave up using it on a daily basis and switched to a basic model According to the 27-year-old (pictured with one of her children), she wasn't always addicted to her iPhone, but it developed because she was working and breastfeeding According to the 27-year-old, who blogs at Bush Bambinos, while she wasn't always 'addicted' to her iPhone, it 'developed due to a combination of things'. 'I work in freelance writing and PR which is a job that requires heavy social media, email and general phone use,' she explained on her blog. 'I've also breastfed two babies and it's hard not to reach for your phone when you're sitting down to feed 8 to 12 times a day.' Virginia said her overuse of her phone struck her first three years ago when she was breastfeeding, as 'something didn't feel quite right' about how the phone use might be affecting her child. The second reason was the mum-of-two's own mental health. She said she would compulsively check her phone in the lead up to quitting and 'it was exhausting'. 'At the height of my addiction, I was constantly forgetting things, I was very touchy and I found it extremely difficult to maintain focus on stories I was writing,' Virginia said. Taking matters into her own hands two months ago, Virginia went into a post office and bought a $50 basic phone - she said she wasn't 'capable of a healthy relationship' with her iPhone Taking matters into her own hands two months ago, Virginia said she went into her local post office and bought a $50 basic phone. She said she realised she was 'not capable of a healthy relationship' with her technology: 'I was like an alcoholic working behind a bar. My iPhone had to go,' she said. And before she knew it, she felt better about herself. 'As the day wore on I noticed my actions flowing more easily it wasn't disjointed, haphazard and constantly interrupted by a lit up screen or phone vibrating. I got more done but I felt less busy,' she wrote. Virginia was also in a better mood and had more energy. While the busy working mum (pictured with one of her kids) said that the majority of the changes have been positive, she has also felt 'uncomfortable technology withdrawals' at times While the busy working mum said that the majority of the changes have been positive, she has also felt 'uncomfortable technology withdrawals' at times. She used to check her social media accounts first thing in the morning, and then at repeated times during the day. But now, Virginia said she'll only check them on a desktop after lunch when her kids are napping and occasionally after they go to bed. 'The good news is that the brain is malleable and by limiting my phone use I am effectively growing back parts of my prefrontal cortex, lowering my stress levels and improving my concentration,' she explained. She also said she has been able to engage with her family, read books and just sit and think rather than idly fill time. 'I've come to realise that there is nothing I do, or nothing anyone else can want from me, that is so important it can't wait till 1 or 8pm,' she said. 'And if it is really that important, call me.' To read more from Virginia Tapp, you can visit her blog here. A 43-year-old mother believes hugging her father when he came from work during her childhood may have led to her devastating cancer diagnosis. Kate Richmond, from Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma - a rare cancer, caused by exposure to asbestos. Doctors said her cancer was linked to asbestos fibres - meaning she unwittingly ingested the dangerous substance as a child. Kate Richmond (pictured with her husband Brett and their children Lauren, aged six and Finn, nine) has been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos Earlier this year, the mother started experiencing a sore tummy Stunned by the diagnosis, Kate told Mamamia she initially had no idea how she was exposed to asbestos, which occurs at least 10 years before the disease develops. But the only explanation she could think of was hugging her father every day after he'd return home from working at a manufacturing company, where he worked for nearly 18 years. Dr Richmond, originally from the UK, claimed she ingested the asbestos fibres from his clothing - however, she will never know the cause of her condition. Before her diagnosis, the mother-of-two said she started experiencing soreness in the gut earlier this year along with shortness of breath. After getting a CT scan, doctors found she had excess fluid in her abdomen. Following a full hysterectomy to remove cancerous tumours, the family were given the heartbreaking news she had a life expectancy of two to three years. 'I cried and said, "but I'm only in my 40s and I have young kids and I need to be around for them",' Dr Richmond told Mamamia. Working as a GP herself, Dr Richmond said the news of her cancer was 'completely terrifying'. 'I'm used to being the doctor who sees a scan and plans to work out the best way to give horrible news. Now I am completely on the other end of it,' she said. Following a full hysterectomy to remove cancerous tumours, the family were given the heartbreaking news she had a life expectancy of two to three years What is peritoneal mesothelioma? Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer found in the peritoneum, a thin membrane surrounding the abdomen. Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma. Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world, with 732 Australians diagnosed in 2014. Men are over three times more likely than women to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, probably because many cases have been caused by exposure to asbestos at work. It can take many years for mesothelioma to develop after a person is exposed to asbestos. This is called the latency period or interval it is usually between 20 and 60 years (most commonly around 40 years) after exposure. Source: Cancer Council Advertisement Family and friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her medical expenses, with more than $64,000 already donated. 'Kate's pretty darn awesome. She's a mum to two beautiful children Lauren, aged six and Finn, nine,' her friend Emma Johnstone said. 'She's been a doctor since 2001 in both the UK and in Victoria. Helping and healing people is what drives her. She's positive, selfless and has a wicked sense of humour loved by both her friends and patients. 'She wants more than anything to get back to working with and helping patients in her community, watch Lauren and Finn grow into adults and one day retire and travel with her adoring husband Brett. 'But for now, Kate's concentrating on the immediate challenge in front of her - healing her body of cancer. 'We're asking for any donations to help support Kate's treatment and in turn lift the financial burden for Kate and her family that unfortunately accompanies a cancer diagnosis.' The mother has since finished her chemotherapy and now she's getting ongoing immunotherapy treatment. To make a donation, please visit the GoFundMe page. A 26-year-old woman thought she was experiencing awful period pain, when she was actually battling a tumour. Courtney Reynolds, now 27, from Wellington, noticed nothing until she had severe stomach pains one morning while driving into work. 'As I was driving, it was getting worse and worse and eventually I was throwing up inside a rubbish bin. I was in so much pain,' she told FEMAIL. As the pain worsened and resulted in her not being able to walk Courtney was rushed to the hospital by her manager to figure out what was wrong. Courtney Reynolds, now 27, was planning to move from Wellington to Melbourne when she had severe stomach pains one morning, which ended up being cancer When she got to the hospital, Courtney was given a high dose of morphine. The legal recruiter was later told that what she had thought was cramps was actually ovarian cancer. Doctors think that the tumour, which was 10 centimetres by 10 centimetres and had its own blood supply, had twisted in on itself, causing the pain. An ultrasound confirmed that the tumour was the 'size of a softball', and it was positioned where her right ovary should have been. 'It took me a while to actually understand what they were saying. It wasn't until they put me in my own room with a view that I started to clue in,' she said. She was then given a dose of morphine so high, it would have killed someone not in that much pain This is how the legal recruiter found out that what she thought were cramps, was actually ovarian cancer (pictured at the hospital) The doctors later had a general surgeon assigned to remove the tumour and do a 'frozen section' - which means it was tested while Courtney was still under anaesthetic. 'The results came back as cancerous so the oncologist stepped in and took over. When I woke up from the surgery they confirmed it was malignant and I was in a bit of shock,' Courtney said. 'It wasn't what I was expecting. The tumour was a dysgerminoma - of which two per cent are malignant, so it was definitely surprising that mine fell into that two per cent.' The ultrasound revealed that the tumour was the 'size of a softball' where her right ovary should have been Courtney said this diagnosis was a particular shock because the typical patient for ovarian cancer is generally over 50 and often has a family history of the disease, which she didn't. It wasn't until I was unable to walk that alarm bells started ringing 'I am not very good at tracking my cycle generally so just assumed [it was period pain],' she said. 'My periods and the symptoms are quite different from month to month so it wasn't until I was unable to walk that alarm bells started ringing.' Courtney said this diagnosis was a particular shock because the typical patient for ovarian cancer is generally over 50 and often has a family history of the disease, which she didn't When she was in the hospital and given an ultrasound, the 27-year-old was asked whether she had had children yet. 'The rest is a bit of a haze because of the drugs they gave me but I remember the ambulance officers saying "potential ectopic pregnancy",' she said. That is when I realised it was probably more serious than what I thought and started calling my family At this stage the worst case scenario for the 27-year-old was an ectopic pregnancy. 'Around midnight a doctor came in and said they had found a mass on my right ovary but they weren't sure what it was and there was a chance they might have to remove the ovary,' she said. 'That is when I realised it was probably more serious than what I thought and started calling my family.' 'Around midnight a doctor came in and said they had found a mass on my right ovary but they weren't sure what it was and there was a chance they might have to remove the ovary,' she said What are the symptoms for ovarian cancer? The symptoms can be vague but there is a range of possible symptoms, which may include: - Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic area - Bloating and a full feeling in the tummy (abdomen) - Having the feeling of needing to pass urine more urgently and more frequently - Loss of appetite Source: Ovarian Cancer Australia Advertisement After going into hospital on a Tuesday Courtney's operation happened on the following Friday. Her surgeon told her that once the tumour was removed she would also remove the surrounding tissue and do a saline wash to check for any loose cells. 'She explained they would do everything they could to preserve my fertility, given I haven't had any children yet,' Courtney said. They sent the tumour away for further testing to determine which stage it was at and held off on chemotherapy until they knew how much it had progressed. A week later they confirmed it was stage 1A. As it was such a rare cancer they didn't have a standard procedure to follow, so they gave Courtney the option to have chemotherapy or not. 'I chose not to because it's a brutal process and I also know it has an impact on fertility,' she said. Instead, she was put on a five year surveillance plan, and while she is now out of the 'high risk zone' she will remain under observation for another three years. Her surgeon told her that once the tumour was removed she would also remove the surrounding tissue and do a saline wash to check for any loose cells The legal recruiter said the diagnosis has changed her life and changed the way she treats her body. She has now started taking more notice of how different foods make her feel or what her menstrual cycle is doing. 'The emotional toll didn't really set in until I was back at work and living my normal life,' Courtney said. 'I definitely suffered from anxiety. I was overly aware of my body and if I'm honest, became a bit of a hypochondriac. Every twinge or pain suddenly felt like cancer.' Eventually this feeling wore off as she realised how lucky she is that she was in so much pain that day as it is the sole reason the tumour was detected. 'I've also started living life a bit more - you never know how much time you have. No one does,' Courtney said. Ovarian cancer is dubbed the 'silent killer' because the symptoms are so hard to detect. For that reason, it is usually detected at such a late stage that survival rates are particularly low. 'Pap smears don't screen for ovarian cancer. Girls need to find a GP they trust and if they're really worried, ask for a blood test or an ultrasound,' she warned. 'No one cares more about your health than you do. Not even a doctor.' Plus-size model Tess Holliday has hit back at suggestions her appearance on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine in a swimsuit 'celebrated morbid obesity' - and said it promotes body positivity. The October issue of the magazine, which starred Tess, a UK size 26, wearing a green satin bodysuit, sparked a furious debate on Good Morning Britain, with host Piers Morgan ripping into the publication during a heated on-air discussion with the editor, Farrah Storr. Appearing on This Morning on Thursday via a live video link from New York, Tess, 33, responded to the outcry, telling Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that any suggestion that she is promoting a 'dangerous' lifestyle is wrong. I cant even entertain that respectfully, only because I am not putting myself on the cover and saying hey guys lets all gain 300 pounds and be fat. I am literally just existing in my body. I dont have to prove to anybody that I am healthy.' Tess Holliday appeared via live video link from New York to defend the message behind her Cosmopolitan cover in which the size 26 plus-size model wore a swimsuit Presenter Phillip Schofield pushed the question that promoting an image of a larger person is encouraging obesity which costs the NHS billions every year after people become ill due to their weight She continued: I am so incredibly grateful to exist in this space that other people havent been able to before and you know my health is no ones business. 'We could be talking about models who smoke two packs a day that no one sees, I could just go into a list of stuff but, at the end of the day, that isnt what we should be discussing. Piers, 53, had called the cover 'dangerous' as Britain grapples with an ongoing obesity crisis, with an epidemic of overweight people costing the NHS billions each year. He slammed the magazine in a tweet last week, causing Ms Holliday, who weighs over 21st (300lbs), to hit back and call him 'small minded'. Today Phillip Schofield also put forward a similar line of questioning. She of Piers' comments on the ITV daytime show: 'When someone goes around building a reputation like this you just have to brush it off. 'At the end of the day I am not doing this for people like Piers, I am doing this for women around the world that need to see someone that looks like me and that they are not alone and that every look is beautiful. 'A lot of my followers are diverse and at the end of the day everyone has issues with their bodies and I'm sure Piers does as well. 'We could go a long way with a little bit of respect and kindness and unfortunately that didn't happen in this case.' Good Morning Britain co-hosts Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid debated the front cover with Cosmopolitan editor Farrah Storr and actress Tina Malone (far right) Piers Morgan ripped into Cosmopolitan magazine for 'celebrating morbid obesity' after it featured plus-size model Tess Holliday on its front cover (pictured) Speaking about the issue on Good Morning Britain on Monday 3 September, Piers said: 'My view, as with the size zero issue, is that it is dangerous. 'We should not be aspiring to be an unhealthy weight, be it far too skinny or far too fat, and the same goes for both women and men. 'For Cosmo to put this on their cover as something to aspire to is dangerous, wrong, and frankly misguided.' Mrs Storr hit back, pointing out that Mr Morgan posted a photo of a pasty on social media during a holiday last week, causing him to reply: 'But I'm not 300 pounds'. She replied: 'Thats such black and white thinking Piers. I dont ask my cover stars to do a blood analysis. 'What else is dangerous is we have a crisis about mental health and body image. It is one cover in a world that has venerated thinness. Piers Morgan was involved in a fiery debate with the glossy mag's editor Farrah Storr (pictured), who defended the cover for promoting a positive body image. Mr Morgan claimed the magazine was 'doing it for click baits and get Cosmo talked about', before adding: 'You are celebrating morbid obesity' 'Ive see her run around with her children, she works 14 to 15 hours a day.' Mr Morgan claimed the magazine was 'doing it for click bait and [to] get Cosmo talked about', before adding: 'You are celebrating morbid obesity'. Mrs Storr replied: 'Am I saying that this is OK to look like? Yes I am. The reason she is on my cover is to show that there is a different way to look. 'We live in a culture that venerates being thin. Someone will see and think "Im going to feel good about looking like this."' Mr Morgan pointed out that throughout the interview that appears in the magazine, conducted by Mrs Storr, she did not mention at any point the health issues surrounding obesity. During the debate, Shameless and Brookside star Tina Malone (right), who lost 12 stone and 4 pounds, revealed she started missing out on work due to her weight loss When Mrs Storr responded by saying 'we don't pass judgement', Mr Morgan said: 'You do pass judgement, Cosmo do that literally on every page. 'Shes making tons of money out of being this weight. That doesnt mean publishers should be encouraging this image, it means she is likely to die quite early. 'You wont find a doctor in the world that agrees that this is healthy.' Good Morning Britain co-host Susannah Reid later sided with the magazine, adding: 'Its not just about physical health, its about mental health. 'If Tess Holliday feels comfortable with herself, thats an important thing to promote.' Mr Morgan (pictured) pointed out that throughout the interview, conducted by Mrs Stoor, she did not mention at any point the health issues surrounding obesity Mr Morgan first made his opinion known in a tweet last week, writing: 'As we battle an ever-worsening obesity crisis, this is the new cover of Cosmo. 'Apparently were supposed to view it as a "huge step forward for body positivity". What a load of old baloney. 'This cover is just as dangerous and misguided as celebrating size zero models.' Soon after, Mrs Holliday herself replied, responding: 'To everyone saying Im a burden to the British health care system, Im American so you dont have to worry about my fat a**. 'Worry about what horrible people you are by whining about how me being on the cover of a glossy magazine impacts your small-minded life.' ITV's Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am and This Morning from 10.30am Princess Margaret was given a lower level of education than the Queen to ensure she would not become a threat to her sister, a new documentary claims. Lady Anne Glenconner, a maid-of-honour at the Queen's coronation, says Princess Margaret felt she was deliberately kept at an intellectual disadvantage growing up. 'She [Princess Margaret] always said, "I was never educated as well as my sister in order not to be a sort of threat to her", that's what she felt,' Lady Anne reveals in the BBC's Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal. Princess Margaret's former lady-in-waiting Lady Anne Glenconner said the royal, pictured at a 1951 film premiere, felt she was deliberately kept at an intellectual disadvantage growing up as she shared her memories in BBC documentary Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal Lady Anne was a childhood friend of Princess Margaret and went onto become a lady-in-waiting. Pictured, Lady Anne in 1956 ahead of her wedding to one of Margaret's friends Lady Anne recalled how the then Princess Elizabeth (left in 1940) had tutors from Eton and Oxford while her younger sister Margaret (right) received lessons in French and piano playing Lady Anne was a childhood friend of Princess Margaret and went onto become one of her ladies-in-waiting. She spent much time with the young princesses as a child as her father, the 5th Earl of Leicester, was a close friend of the future King George VI and their family home, Holkham Hall, was just a stone's throw from the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Lady Anne recalls how the different approaches to the princesses' education was apparent. 'The Queen had people from Oxford and Eton who came and taught her and Princess Margaret had a French governess and someone who taught her how to play piano,' she says. Lady Anne was a close friend of the royal family and served as one of the Queen's maids of honour at the coronation in 1953. Lady Anne is pictured far left in this balcony photograph As future Queen Princess Elizabeth was also given lessons in constitutional history, while her younger sister was not. Fellow lady-in-waiting Jane Stevens says that the difference in education was the first indication to Princess Margaret that their lives were on different paths. She recalls: 'She said to me, "that was the first time I sort of thought or realised that my sister was going to be Queen and I wouldn't really be part of what she was going to do. It hit her quite hard that their lives were going to be completely different.' Another close friend, Lady Jane Rayne, adds how this lack of education would impact Princess Margaret for years to come. The two-part documentary also explores the princess's relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, to whom she was engaged, and her first husband Anthony Armstrong-Jones. Pictured, the princess with Mr Armstrong-Jones on announcing their engagement in 1960 'I think she was afraid of being belittled, but what role can you have next to the Queen? I don't know,' she says. 'She was intelligent but it was never put to any sort of good use. I think that's all that was expected of her. Do good work, marry somebody and have lots of little princesses.' The two-part documentary, which starts next week, also explores the princess's relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, to whom she was engaged, and her first husband Antony Armstrong-Jones. Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal airs on BBC Two at 9pm, 11 September. Ivanka Trump has come under fire on social media after airing her support of women's rights in Afghanistan. The first daughter, 36, shared a video of herself on Twitter and Instagram on Thursday after addressing a conference about women's empowerment in Afghanistan, which was held on Wednesday in Astana, Kazakhstan. 'Supporting women is fundamental to the future direction of Afghanistan,' Ivanka wrote on social media. 'Together, we have the opportunity to help Afghan women as they strive to realize their dreams of a peaceful and prosperous future in their country and beyond!' Scroll down for video Backlash: Ivanka Trump has come under fire on social media after airing her support of women's rights in Afghanistan Clip: The first daughter tweeted a video of herself after addressing a conference about women's empowerment in Afghanistan, which was held on Wednesday in Astana, Kazakhstan In the video, Ivanka faces the camera and gives a short address regarding women's rights and their significance, smiling in direction of the lens. 'We know that countries do better when women are able to participate fully in our societies. Afghan women leaders long fought for basic health, economic and political rights, against the obstacles of poverty, injustice, and violence,' she says. 'Supporting women's empowerment is therefore fundamental to the future direction of Afghanistan. The status and disposition of women will determine whether or not Afghanistan will be a civilized member of the community of nations or dissolve back into a repressive and brutal society like that which we saw during the Taliban rule. 'Our cooperation with Afghanistan aims to raise the voices of Afghan women as they seek a full role in the life of their nation. 'Afghan women possess the skills and boundless potential to establish a foundation for peace.' While Ivanka has billed herself as a champion of women's rights, many thought her promotion of women's empowerment in Afghanistan was 'tone-deaf' in light of some of the moves made by Donald Trump's administration, of which Ivanka, as a senior White House adviser, is a member. Reacting: While Ivanka has billed herself as a champion of women's rights, many thought her promotion of women's empowerment in Afghanistan was 'tone-deaf' Comment: 'Girl. You should just go into hiding now and save yourself the embarrassment,' one person wrote. 'You're the last person anyone wants to hear from right now' 'How did they even find the tone deaf person who writes your tweets for you?' one person asked in reply to Ivanka's tweet. Someone else wrote: 'Girl. You should just go into hiding now and save yourself the embarrassment. You're the last person anyone wants to hear from right now.' One person brought up the ongoing confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's Supreme Court pick. 'How about supporting American women's rights over their own bodies by objecting to the appointment of Bert Kavanaugh? [sic]' that Twitter user wrote. During his decade as a judge, Kavanaugh, now 53, has not ruled directly on abortion but has signaled sympathy for legal arguments made by anti-abortion advocates. Judge: One person brought up the ongoing confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's Supreme Court pick Context: Another person referred to the Trump administration's policy of splitting families at the border between the US and Mexico Last October, he was on a panel of judges that issued an order preventing a 17-year-old illegal immigrant detained in Texas by U.S. authorities from immediately obtaining an abortion. That decision was overturned by the full appeals court and she had the abortion. In a 2017 speech, Kavanaugh praised several opinions written by former Chief Justice William Rehnquist, including his dissent in Roe v. Wade. Another person referred to the Trump administration's policy of splitting families at the border between the US and Mexico, which resulted in more than 2,600 children being separated from their parents or caretakers earlier this year. 'Why don't you put your energy and voice in putting the families back together that daddy tore apart?' someone wrote on Twitter, adding: 'You are such a hypocrite and your days are numbered... start packing and looking for another job, hopefully in another country.' As of last week, 497 children remained separated from their families and 2,157 had been reunited with them or released, according to the Washington Post. #MeToo: Someone brought up the at least 16 women who have accused President Trump of sexual harassment Sketch: One person referenced an SNL skit in which Scarlett Johansson accused Ivanka of being 'complicit' of her father's actions 'Sad': Someone told Ivanka that she seems to be 'all about panels and discussions' Title: Several people mocked Ivanka by tweeting the word 'staffer' at her after it was reported that Ivanka had gotten into a fight with Steve Bannon after he called her that Reference: The 'staffer' tweets came in reference to a report made by Bob Woodward in his new book on Trump's White House, titled Fear: Trump in the White House Someone brought up the at least 16 women who have accused President Trump of sexual harassment. 'How about you empower your dad's accusers? #metoo right?' that person wrote. One person referenced an SNL skit dating back to March 2017, in which Scarlett Johansson accused Ivanka of being 'complicit' of her father's actions. That Twitter user shared a screenshot of Scarlett in the sketch, which was a spoof of a fragrance commercial, along with the words: 'Bye Ivanka.' Several people mocked Ivanka by tweeting the word 'staffer' at her. This was in reference to a report made by Bob Woodward in his new book on Trump's White House, titled Fear: Trump in the White House. Brand: Another person brought up Ivanka's clothing company, which she closed in July According to Woodward, Ivanka once got into a screaming match with then-adviser Steve Bannon, 64, after he told her: 'You're a goddamn staffer!' Ivanka, per Woodward's book, responded: 'I'm not a staffer! ... I'll never be a staffer. I'm the first daughter and I'm never going to be a staffer.' Another person brought up Ivanka's clothing company, which she closed in July this year. Her company had been criticized for making its products in Chinese factories, for the conditions in those factories, and for being granted trademarks by foreign governments such as China that would want to curry favor with the president. 'Good afternoon Ivanka, senior adviser of whatever & I'm not staff I'm 1st daughter,' the Twitter user wrote. 'You had women making clothes and shoes for peanuts in China, You seem to support separating kids form [sic] their parents. by your silence on the issue. Have you learned the definition of complicit?' She is known for strutting her stuff down the catwalk at the Victoria's Secret fashion show. But now Portuguese model Sara Sampaio, 27, stars in Joe's Jeans' latest campaign for the fall collection where she flaunts her toned figure in fitted jeans and cropped tops. 'I am so honored to be a part of the Joe's Jeans family' Sara said. 'Working with their team and shooting their iconic denim has been a dream.' Stunning: Sara Sampaio, 27, is the recent face of Joe's Jeans 2018 fall campaign Gorgeous: The Portuguese beauty joins a prestigious list of models who have campaigned for the brand, including Bella Hadid and Taylor Hill On trend: The brand stuck with the trend this year of high-waisted jeans and cropped tops She continued: '(I'm) proud to join the ranks of the prestigious line-up before me as their newest face.' Previously, the brand has used iconic figures such as Bella Hadid, 21, and Taylor Hill, 22, for its 2016 and 2017 campaigns. But Bella has since moved on to star as the face of True Religion, one of Joe's Jeans competitors. True to the current fashion trends, the popular jean brand this year stuck with high-waisted jeans and cropped detailing at the ankles for the fall collection. In a shoot based in Los Angeles, California, by photographer Mike Rosenthal, Sara is pictured wearing The Stretch Leather Cropped Boot, The Hi Honey Curvy Bootcut and the Icon Ankle, with side detailing. She lets her luxurious brown locks fall loosely past her shoulders while standing in a variety of poses to show off the jeans and how well they fit to the body. On the go: Sara has been traveling a lot lately as she recently signed on as the newest face for Giorgio Armani Beauty. Pictured right is her in Venice, Italy, last week and left in New York Sultry: '(I'm) proud to join the ranks of the prestigious line-up before me as their newest face,' Sara said about her new role for Joe's Jeans Fit: Sara is most known for her strut down the Victoria's Secret runaway as an angel When asked about what Sara brought to the new campaign, Karen Castellano, Fashion Division President at Sequential Brands Group and owner of the Joe's brand said: 'Sara is a wonderful addition to the legacy of campaign faces for the collection in recent years.' She continued: 'An ultimate Joes girl Sara exudes true confidence and femininity. We are excited about the partnership and where she will take the brand.' Whether Sara was lounging on the floor in jeans and a white tank or posing in front of the mirror, the Portuguese beauty showed off the clothing from Joe's Jeans on her stunning frame. The model has been busy traveling the world as she just appeared in Venice, Italy, last week for the Venice Film Festival after she was announced as the newest face for Giorgio Armani Beauty. Last night, Sara took a break from photo shoots and premieres to attend the U.S. Open in New York where she wore a powder blue sleeveless dress. It's the workout that boasts glamorous celebrity devotees the world over, from Kim Kardashian to the Beckhams and numerous Victoria's Secret models. And with Barry's Bootcamp set to launch for the first time in Australia this month, those who prioritise fitness and health can hardly wait to get into the 'red room' for a workout. As the first 'luxury' fitness offering in the country throws open its doors, FEMAIL caught up with the Aussie super trainers set to hone our bodies from September 15. Barry's will open studios in Sydney's Surry Hills, Martin Place and one more Sydney location in mid September, with Melbourne set to roll out in early 2019. Scroll down for video As Barry's Bootcamp launches for the first time in Australia this month, FEMAIL caught up with the super trainers (pictured) set to whip people's bodies into shape Barry's will open studios in Sydney's Surry Hills, Martin Place and one more Sydney location in mid September, with Melbourne set to roll out in early 2019 (pictured: the trainers) The famously hardcore classes claim to burn up to 1000 calories (or 4000 kilojoules) in 55 minutes and spike the metabolism for around 48 hours afterwards (pictured: Sydney trainers) So what can you expect from the workout, which is set to rival homegrown popular fitness approaches F45 and Crossfit? The famously hardcore classes claim to burn up to 1000 calories (or 4000 kilojoules) in 55 minutes and spike the metabolism for around 48 hours afterwards. Classes are comprised of 25-minutes interval-based cardio and treadmill routines, and 25 minutes of strength and conditioning before a five minute cool down. Trainers from all over Australia and further afield have been hand-plucked by the worldwide fitness cult to lead the classes, which take place in Barry's signature 'Red Room' - an immersive and high-energy environment featuring mood lighting and nightclub-style music. The trainers shared with FEMAIL the biggest fitness mistakes people make, and their advice for how you can get a body like theirs. Classes are comprised of 25-minutes interval-based cardio and treadmill routines, and 25 minutes of strength and conditioning before a five minute cool down (pictured: trainers) According to the trainers (some pictured), one of the biggest fitness mistakes you can make is not continuing with a regime as you feel embarrassed about it - and not being good enough 'If you're new to the workout game, it may feel like everyone is staring at you and judging, but I promise the last thing they're thinking about is you,' Molly (left) told FEMAIL - Alicia (right) also said you need 'variety' in order to get fit According to one of the trainers, Molly, from Sydney, the biggest mistake people make in their fitness mission is not continuing with a new regime because they feel embarrassed about it. 'If you're new to the workout game, it may feel like everyone is staring at you and judging, but I promise the last thing they're thinking about is you,' Molly told Daily Mail Australia. This is something that chimes with 34-year-old Alicia, from Bondi, who said you need 'variety' in order to get that honed physique so often spotted on fitness trainers. 'If you keep doing the same exercises, or the same thing your body will adapt to it and your fitness can plateau,' she told FEMAIL. 'You also may only be working certain muscle groups and unconsciously not developing others.' How is Barry's Bootcamp different to other cult workouts? Barry's Bootcamp already exists in the UK and the US, boasting reams of celebrity clients * The famously hardcore classes claim to burn up to 1000 calories (or 4000 kilojoules) in 55 minutes and spike the metabolism for around 48 hours afterwards. * F45 classes in comparison go for 45 minutes and focus on both strength and cardio. * Classes are comprised of 25-minutes interval-based cardio and treadmill routines, and 25 minutes of strength and conditioning before a five minute cool down. * Barry's Bootcamp already exists in the UK and the US, boasting reams of celebrity clients including Kim Kardashian, Victoria's Secret models and the Beckhams. Advertisement The trainers - both male and female - say it's a total fitness myth that the longer the workout, the better it is for you - you also don't need to cut calories to lose weight (pictured: Cory and Beth) Barry's also boasts a FUEL cafe, which will offer bespoke smoothies (pictured) and healthy snacks for after your workout The trainers - both male and female - say it's a total fitness myth that the longer the workout, the better it is for you. 'It's about the quality of training not the duration of training. Barry's format is smart, combining effective HIIT training with split resistance programming in a fun packed 55-minute class,' Cory, from the Mid North Coast explained. Some of the female PTs also said that it's not true that you need to eat less in order to get ripped: 'The main fitness mistake I see is people not eating enough to grow them muscles!,' Beth, who is originally from the UK, but is based in Sydney, said. 'Especially women struggling with the concept of eating more to "tone" and "strengthen" a lot of women fear eating more as they fear "bulking" and "getting fat", but when done correctly this in fact will not happen.' Monique, from the Central Coast, added that women should never give up carbs or fear the weights room. Such has been the success of the program that the 'Barry's body' has become something to covet - the term is used to describe the lean, toned physique you get from training 'The Barry's brand and workout have become an iconic part of the fitness industry in the United States and London,' Barry's Australia Head of Operation, Heston Russell, said Such has been the success of the program abroad that the 'Barry's body' has become something to covet. It is used to describe the lean and muscle-defined physique of fanatics. 'The Barry's brand and workout have become an iconic part of the fitness industry in the United States and London,' Barry's Australia Head of Operation, Heston Russell, said. 'The Barry's model is based on delivering an unrivalled fitness product paired with a concierge-style client experience. 'From the time the client arrives in Studio to when they're ready to leave, we've accounted for every step of their visit to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience.' 'The Barry's model is based on delivering an unrivalled fitness product paired with a concierge-style client experience - it is being billed as Australia's first 'luxury' fitness model Speaking about her love of Barry's Bootcamp, Kim Kardashian has said in the past it's the one workout she swears by to stay in shape. 'It's a treadmill workout but it's really insane, like, heavy, heavy working-out non-stop, for an hour, half weights, half treadmill,' she said. Kim isn't the only celebrity to love the classes either. Victoria's Secret models including Adriana Lima adore the classes, while the Beckhams, Ellie Goulding and Jessica Alba have been known to attend the bootcamp regularly. As in the UK and US, Barry's Bootcamp studios will also offer athleisure and performance sportswear for sale, as well as changing rooms with luxury grooming products and a Fuel Bar to rehydrate customers with smoothies and protein shakes. Barry's Bootcamp has 42 locations worldwide in 18 cities including Los Angeles, New York, London, Milan, Dubai and Toronto, with 65,000 members globally. For more information, please click here. A bride married the love of her life after having 253 flower girls walk down the aisle. Charlene Watts and her groom Leon decided to have a blooming bridal party when they tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in Hita, Japan. Appearing on The Morning Show, the Australian couple - who were living in Japan at the time - revealed they wanted to celebrate their love with the town following the devastating Kumamoto earthquakes in 2016. Scroll down for video Charlene Watts married Leon after having 253 flower girls walk down the aisle in Japan 2017 The Australian couple - who were living in Japan at the time - revealed they wanted to celebrate their love with the town following the devastating Kumamoto earthquakes in 2016 The devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes More than 44,000 people fled their homes in the hardest-hit town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture after a series of earthquakes struck in April 2016. At least 40 people were killed, and more than 1,500 were injured. The 7.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed buildings and roads, causing massive mudslides that washed away entire bridges and dumped hundreds of tonnes of soil on buildings and roads. Advertisement 'The big reason for us was that we wanted to give back to Hita. We had a lot of friends and people who helped us during the earthquakes,' Leon said. 'And as a result, we really wanted to give back to them and make Hita a little bit more well known.' The couple made a call out for flower girls by hanging posters all around town. With more than 250 flower girls at their wedding in April 2017, Charlene said she remarkably knows each and every one of them. 'I taught at nine schools [in Japan] so I knew a lot of girls,' she said, laughing. Astonishingly, the community rallied behind the bride and groom to bring their wedding forward - even sewing all 253 dresses for the flower girls. After sharing the beautiful day with the community, the couple had another reason to celebrate after breaking a Guinness World Record for having the most flower girls at a wedding With more than 250 flower girls at their wedding in April 2017, Charlene said she remarkably knows each and every one of them 'We had a wedding team and our friends were in charge. They did a lot of calculations and planning - and we ordered in some materials, we also went to Daiso to get the little hair pieces from there. 'We did this as a big community project so everyone was helping us out. It would've been impossible without everyone doing their little bit. It involved so much planning but it worked out in the end. 'A lot of people volunteered to help out with the dresses, even some schoolgirls were there, cutting out ribbons. Everyone did an amazing job to put this together.' Charlene said the community rallied behind the pair to bring their wedding forward in 2017 The couple broke the Guinness World Record for having 253 flower girls at their wedding And after sharing the beautiful day with the community, the couple had another reason to celebrate after breaking a Guinness World Record for having the most flower girls at a wedding. 'I'm just hoping no one breaks our record because I really don't want to do this again, Leon said, laughing. 'I think a lot of people were really uplifted. We had a big after party and everyone was extremely appreciative.' Charlene added: 'The Guinness Book of World Records was the biggest achievement and the big present everyone got.' Guinness World Records 2019 available for sale now. A childcare expert and a mother-of-four went head-to-head in a heated debate over whether parents should be banned from smacking their children. Liat Hughes Joshi and Shona Sibary clashed on Good Morning Britain when asked whether UK-wide legislation should be introduced to stop the practice. It comes as Scotland is set to pass legislation that will criminalise parents who discipline their children with physical punishment. Asked whether the rest of the UK should follow suit, journalist Shona, 46, said smacked her children growing up but said it has had 'no effect' on them in the long-term. Mother-of-four Shona Sibary, left, and parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi, right, clashed on Good Morning Britain (pictured) when asked whether UK-wide legislation should be introduced to ban parents smacking their children The issue divided viewers on Twitter but a poll conducted by GMB revealed overwhelming opposition to the ban, with nearly 75 per cent of respondents claiming it will simply 'criminalise parents' She added: 'They understand there is absolutely no connection between having a smack in the family home, from a loving parent, and violent abuse.' However Liat, a parenting expert, argued the behaviour was teaching Shona's children that it is 'okay' to be violent as part of a violent relationship. The issue divided viewers on Twitter but a poll conducted by GMB revealed overwhelming opposition to the ban, with nearly 75 per cent of respondents claiming it will simply 'criminalise parents'. The debate comes after legislation aimed at banning the smacking of children in Scotland was published at Holyrood. Liat and Shona appeared on Good Morning Britain to debate the issue of a smacking ban today Parents in favour of a ban argued it will help protect children against abuse. Others said using physical punishment teaches children the wrong lesson when it comes to violence Green MSP John Finnie introduced the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill after gaining the backing of the Scottish Government and MSPs from across all the political parties. If passed, the legislation would remove the defence of 'justifiable assault' in Scots law, which allows parents to use physical punishment to admonish a child. Mr Finnie's Member's Bill is also supported by a range of organisations including the Scottish Police Federation, Barnardo's Scotland, the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland and the NSPCC. But the move is opposed by campaign group Be Reasonable Scotland backed by The Christian Institute and The Family Education Trust which argues a ban will 'criminalise parents'. Others, including those who were smacked as children, defended the technique and claimed it can be an effective form of discipline Speaking on GMB today, Shona said: 'My children are not affected by this [smacking in childhood]. They are very robust. 'They understand there is absolutely no conmnection between having a smack in the family home, from a loving parent, and violent abuse and to suggest there is completely and utterly absurd.' But Liat hit back: 'Shona, you're saying it's okay. It's part of a loving relationship. If I came and slapped you, that would be a criminal offence. So why is it not okay for me to smack you, but okay for me to smack my child?' She later added on Twitter: 'We need to ban smacking in England too. It's ineffective, sets a bad example and shows lack of control. Better ways to manage a child's behaviour.' Twitter users came down on both sides of the debate. A number argued a ban was a logical step at preventing abuse towards children. One tweeted: 'Smacking should be banned. Like everything there's always someone who takes it too far and causes injuries to the child. It's cruel.' Others, including those who were smacked as children, defended the technique and claimed it can be an effective form of discipline. 'Smacking children has its rightful place,' one mother tweeted. Another agreed: 'As long as you are not smacking in anger or to be a bully there is nothing wrong with it.' A loved-up couple has told how a seating mix-up on board an easyJet flight brought them together. Adaya Cohen, 24, a graduate from Israel, was on a flight from London to Tel Aviv when she approached Michael Hoffman, 27, who grew up in the UK but was studying in Israel, mistakenly thinking he had taken her window seat in their assigned row. After asking him to move they got talking and sparks flew, with the stranger in the middle seat of their row even moving to let the duo sit next to each other. After saying goodbye five hours later Michael could not get Adaya out of his mind, finally tracking her down on Facebook and inviting her out for sushi a few days later. Now living together in London, three years after falling in love in September 2015, the couple are happier than ever and still try to book seats in row 12 - the same row they met in - whenever they fly. Adaya Cohen, 24, a graduate from Israel, was on a flight from London to Tel Aviv when she approached Michael Hoffman, 27, (left) mistakenly thinking he had taken her window seat in their assigned row Recalling their first flight together, Adaya confessed: 'I felt like we really hit it off and was a bit disappointed when he didn't ask for my number before we landed. 'I thought he just wasn't interested, or maybe he had a girlfriend. When I got the message a few days later, I said yes straight away. 'It's so strange to have such a connection with someone you've known for just a few hours.' When they met, Adaya and Michael were both studying in Israel - her in Tel Aviv, where they were flying back to ahead of the new term, and him about an hour away at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Adaya and Michael got talking after she asked him to move and sparks flew, with the stranger in the middle seat of their row even moving to let the duo sit next to each other Now living together in London, the couple are happier than ever and still try to book seats in row 12- the same row they met in, whenever they fly (seen abroad together) But, while she grew up in Israel, Adaya - who was flying with her brother but sitting separately - had family in the UK . Michael, on the other hand - who was travelling alone - had grown up in the UK but moved to Israel in 2010. Adaya explained: 'My brother was in the same row on the plane, but on the opposite side. He was sat by the window and I thought I had a window seat, too, but there was a guy already sat there. 'I said, 'Excuse me, that's my seat,' but he explained that I'd got a bit confused. There was a girl in between us and when I sat down, we all continued the conversation.' Immediately, they hit it off so well, that the girl in the middle assumed Adaya and Michael knew each other and offered to swap seats, so they could be together. The couple celebrate three years together this month after falling in love at first flight back in September 2015 (seen enjoying dinner) Adaya and Michael still love travelling together and book their lucky row together whenever they travel (seen on holiday together) Michael laughed: 'She asked Adaya if she wanted to swap seats, but she said no. The conversation kept going as the flight was a bit delayed, but when we started to get ready to move, the girl in the middle was drifting off, so she offered again to swap.' After that, they chatted non-stop for the entire five-hour flight even discovering they had some mutual friends. 'It felt like we had a lot in common,' Adaya said. 'It was like I'd known him for a lot longer than five hours. The conversation just flowed. We talked about our friends, family and our studies.' Hoping, as they came in to land, that Michael would ask for her number, when he failed to, Adaya assumed she would never see him again. Michael explained: 'I really wanted to ask her, but I was worried she would feel a bit trapped. When you're on a plane there's nowhere you can really go if you feel uncomfortable. I didn't want to put her in that awkward position. 'As soon as I got off, I regretted it. I looked on Facebook, as she has an unusual name and I knew we had some mutual friends. I thought I might as well send her a message and just explain why I hadn't asked on the plane.' While Adaya grew up in Israel, Michael, had grown up in the UK but moved to Israel in 2010, when they first met The couple started dating after he tracked her down on Facebook before commuting between their respective universities Quick to accept, despite enjoying his company even more, Adaya was worried that, once the new term began, the hour-long train journey between their universities would put him off. 'I thought when I said goodbye at the train station, I might not see him again,' she confessed. 'But he was back that weekend and, after that, we made the trip back and forth each weekend to see each other.' After two years of living in separate cities, Adaya and Michael decided to take the leap and move to London together to study for their respective master's degrees. 'It's funny because before I met Michael, I knew I wanted to study in either the UK or the US,' said Adaya. 'I had thought about it for my BA degree, but that hadn't worked out and, at the time, I said I would do it for my postgraduate studies. 'When we met, that plan worked for Michael, as his family are back in the UK and it meant he could spend more time with them.' Adaya and Michael now live together in London's West Hampstead after moving in together six months ago (seen enjoying a night out) The couple are an example of the two in every 100 people flying every day who meet and fall in love in the air (Seen on holiday together) In September 2017, Adaya started her master's in post-production at the Met Film School, while Michael started his studies in genetics of human disease at University College London. Initially, Adaya moved into shared accommodation, while Michael lived with his family, but six months ago they finally started living together in West Hampstead, north west London. 'It's fantastic living together,' Michael said. 'To go from seeing each other at weekends to spending so much time together is great. It's just the little things like cooking together and even cleaning together.' And the couple - an example of the two in every 100 people flying every day who meet and fall in love in the air, according to new research from HSBC - have enjoyed many trips back and forward to the UK since they met. fter two years of living in separate cities, Adaya and Michael decided to take the leap and move to London together to study for their respective master's degrees this year (seen abroad) Now having finished their studies, Adaya is working as a junior video editor and Michael is applying for jobs in London Now having finished their studies, Adaya is working as a junior video editor and Michael is applying for jobs in London. Adaya said: 'We love living in London and we are very happy here. We have no plans to move any time soon but we think we would eventually like to go back to Israel.' If they do, they will be sure to book their lucky seats. Michael laughed: 'We always try to book the same seats, in row 12, that we were in when we met. It's not always possible, but it's a nice thing to do.' Meanwhile, Adaya is still dining out on their love story, three years later. She added: 'It's such a nice story to tell people. When they ask where we met and I say 'On a plane,' the conversation never ends there.' HSBC's research involved 11.9 million people around the world, who are flying on any given day, and found that two in every 100 have met someone and fallen in love on a plane. Head of Personal Banking, Becky Moffat, said: 'It turns out air travel brings an incredible sense of possibility and people are making life-changing connections in the sky.' The Duchess of Sussex is well-known for her public displays of affection towards her new husband, but it was Prince Harry who put his love on show when the pair stepped out together this week. The Duke of Sussex, 33, was filmed tenderly rubbing his wife's back as they attended the WellChild Awards in London on Tuesday night. Footage of the touching moment, which emerged online yesterday, shows Harry stroking Meghan reassuringly as they spoke to one of the inspirational young winners at the charity event. Royal fans gushed over the display after a clip was shared on Instagram fan account Meghan Harry News, with many praising the 'special' couple. The Duke of Sussex, 33, was seen stroking his wife Meghan's back as they spoke to 10-year-old Scarlett Mathison, from Liverpool, at the WellChild Awards in London on Tuesday night Harry appeared to be absent-mindedly moving his hand in circles on Meghan's back as they spent time with Scarlett, who was recognised for being a young carer for her sister, 13 One posted: 'Love it....love it! I have noticed that lately Harry has been even more tender and attentive to her.' Another agreed: 'Royal couple of not, I feel if they're in love... show it! You want to comfort your wife, show affection to your wife and let her know you care and you'll be there for her... do it!' A third added: 'Lovely couple, it's to see they care with passion about they do as well as being good listeners.' The couple were on hand to meet the inspirational young people being recognised by WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children and their families. Harry, who has been patron of the charity since 2007, looked in excellent spirits as he high-fived the youngsters on his way into the event at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. He and Meghan later spent time speaking to the children individually. The newlyweds, who are known for their PDA, looked utterly in love as they attended the charity event together in London on Tuesday night. Pictured, speaking to winner Scarlett While hearing Scarlett's story, Harry reached out his left hand and offered Meghan a reassuring touch. The wedding band on his finger added an extra level of symbolism Their affectionate moment came as they spoke to 10-year-old Scarlett Mathison, of Liverpool, who was awarded for the work she does as a young carer for her sister Freya, 13, who has complex conditions and is severely disabled. From an early age, Scarlett has shown a keen interest in being involved in the care of her older sister and now helps with everything from using her feed pump and operating her bed and hoist to helping her parents give medicines. While hearing Scarlett's story, Harry reached out his left hand and stroked circles around 37-year-old Meghan's back. At one point he extended his thumb to add another level of reassurance. Royal fans gushed over the display after a clip was shared on Instagram fan account Meghan Harry News, pictured. The footage was originally shot by a TV crew attending the event Royal fans said they 'loved' how Harry and Meghan were willing to show their love through these moments together. Others praised the 'sweet' and 'considerate' prince Later in the night Harry praised the work of the charity and the young people it helps in a moving speech. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have drawn attention for their public displays of affection, with royal watchers noting on a number of occasions how it differs to the reserved nature of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's relationship. Meghan can often be seen holding her husband's arm at public events and the couple are frequently seen strolling hand-in-hand. Body language experts have previously commented on how the behaviour indicates an adoring, strong bond between the couple. From an early age, Scarlett has shown a keen interest in being involved in the care of her older sister and now helps with everything from using her feed pump and operating her bed and hoist to helping her parents give medicines. Pictured, she presents the royals with a gift Meghan looked sleek in a black suit by Altuzarra and a blouse by Deitas as she joined her husband at the charity event on Tuesday. She wore her hair in a signature relaxed up do A receptionist who suffers with Crohn's disease has revealed how she was so devastated by a fat-shaming text message she stopped taking her medication - prompting her weight to plummet to just five stone. Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester, weighed nine st when she received a text message demanding that she 'stop uploading bikini photos of her fat body'. Jane, who was diagnosed with the debilitating illness at 11, said she was already self-conscious over the weight gain caused by steroids she takes to help manage the condition, and the anonymous text prompted her to start skipping her medication. As her weight began to dwindle Jane's bowel suffered so much damage doctors told her it would have to be removed, and she would need to be fitted with a colostomy bag. Jane, who recalls being shocked by how 'skeletal' she looked in the weeks following the life saving surgery, has rebuilt her life following the procedure, after which she was pain free and able to stop taking steroids altogether. After the text, which was sent from an anonymous number, Jane Beaumont, 24, began skipping her Crohn's medication to lose weight, suffering dangerous consequences (seen in a Manchester hospital in 2014 when she was forced to have her bowel removed and a colostomy bag fitted The receptionist was a healthy nine stone when she says she was fat shamed by an anonymous text message that told her to 'stop uploading bikini photos of her fat body' (seen before her 2014 weight loss in the bikini picture targeted by trolls) She is now sharing her story - and shocking images of her at her lowest weight - to help others to realise the dangers of not taking medication properly. Recalling her gruelling battle, Jane said: 'I was already self conscious of my weight before I received the spiteful text message. 'I had been on holiday the week before with my friends and after feeling good about myself I had uploaded a few bikini photos. 'The message told me that I was fat and that I need to stop uploading bikini photos. Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester, dropped to five stone when she was 'fat-shamed' and has been forced to wear a colostomy bag after suffering irreparable bowel damage (seen looking healthy now) After the surgery Jane's weight plummeted to just five stone as her frail body struggled to cope (seen in a Manchester hospital) 'I tried to brush it off as we had no idea who had sent it was sent from the web anonymously.' Admitting it affected her more than she realised, she continued: 'But it did make me more aware of my appearance so I began skipping the medication that I knew caused me to gain weight. 'I didn't realise that by doing this my body was creating more anti-bodies so any medication I did then start taking would be ineffective. Pictured: Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester, in hospital as she recovered from surgery to remove her damaged bowel Her bowel had became so badly damaged that after building an immunity to all drugs, she was told she needed a ileostomy bag to remove her bowel in a bid to save her life Revealing that things started going downhill after the message, she continued: 'I had battled Crohns since I was 11 but as I turned 20 things took a turn for the worse. 'I had lost a lot of weight and was just over 7st before doctors warned that my bowels could rupture they were that badly damaged. 'No medication was working and my only option was to have a colostomy bag to save my life.' Remembering how her weight continued to plummet after the operation, she said: 'After my surgery my body was so weak and wasn't absorbing any nutrients from food so I dropped down to five stone and I even lost almost half of my hair. Jane is now sharing her story - and shocking images of her at her lowest weight - to help others to realise the dangers of not taking medication properly Pictured: Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester, with a feeding tube, seen in 2014 'When I looked at myself in the mirror I was so shocked by how skeletal I looked. 'I was so unwell at this point and I genuinely thought I was going to die. 'But after being tube fed for eight weeks I was finally allowed home in June 2014, two months after my first surgery on April 14th. 'I have spent the last few years rebuilding my life and getting to grips with my bag.' Jane now feels she is a different person since her surgery and doesn't care what others think. After the surgery Jane's weight plummeted to just five stone as her frail body struggled to cope (her back is seen as she stayed in a Manchester hospital) Jane admitted: 'No medication was working and my only option was to have a colostomy bag to save my life' Pictured: Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester, in hospital. Jane was told she needed a ileostomy bag to remove her bowel in a bid to save her life. Jane- seen looking healthy in 2018- now feels she is a different person since her surgery and doesn't care what others think She added: 'I am so much more positive about my Crohn's since having my colostomy bag. 'I am pain free, I no longer take steroids and I'm now back to a healthy weight. 'I was never big before and although we don't know for sure who sent the message we know it's someone we knew as they'd seen my photos on my private Facebook. 'I still have my up and down days but that's like any other girl my age anyway. 'I would tell anyone who is conscious of their appearance to ignore any negative comments as your health is far more important. 'I am now living my life to the full and have just completed my degree to become a dance teacher.' But despite fearing she was going to die, Jane began gaining weight and is now healthy and pain free- seen this year Pictured: Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester looking healthy now after her recovery Pictured: Jane Beaumont, 24, from Manchester, looking healthy at her graduation in 2018 Bodyguard viewers have refused to believe tonight's shock twist as one of the main characters - Home Secretary Julia Montague - was seemingly killed off. During last week's episode, Ms Montague was giving a speech on her controversial RIPA-18 bill at St Matthews' College when a bomb went off, sending her flying through the air. In the middle of tonight's episode, Ms Montague's ex-husband was told at the hospital that she had died of her injuries - but fans of the show don't quite believe it. One Twitter user said: 'Julia isn't dead until they show me a body. End of discussion. #bodyguard.' In tonight's episode of Bodyguard, it was revealed that Home Secretary Julia Montague was killed in a blast at St Matthew's College The shocking twist was revealed as PS David Budd waited at the hospital, but viewers are refusing to believe she is dead until they see a body Twitter users have refused to believe Keeley Hawes's character has been killed off from the show Jenna Farmer tweeted: 'How can she be dead! I thought there was 2 more episodes! #Bodyguard.' Another individual added: 'I did not expect that, what a shocker! #Bodyguard.' Juliet Buchanan said: 'im in denial about #Bodyguard julia please please let her death be fake.' Others expressed their shock at yet another twist, with PS David Budd placing a gun against his head and pulling the trigger. Luckily for Richard Madden fans, the gun the Principal Protection Officer used was a blank - seemingly having been tampered with by someone with access to his flat. The gun had been moved by Budd into a ceiling light from a hidden compartment in the skirting board before suspicious detectives had a chance to find it. In another shocking moment, Budd put a gun to his head before pulling the trigger Somehow the bullets had been switched to blanks - and Budd's estranged wife Vicky was able to patch him up Others rejoiced as it was revealed Richard Madden's character had survived tonight's episode - unlike his character in Game of Thrones who died at the Red Wedding Speaking with his estranged wife Vicky, the paranoid officer then revealed that he believes a mystery person is behind the switch - someone with an agenda. Throughout the episode fans took to Twitter to express their shock - and disbelief - at the various curveballs featuring throughout the hour-long episode. One wrote: '#Bodyguard is far too exciting for a Sunday night, how am I meant to calm down after that?!' Eddie Robson added: 'Never fully believe a character's dead unless we saw the body. #Bodyguard.' Alex Goldsmith wrote: 'This is just a nuance of Romeo and Juliet isnt it. Shes not really dead. He (tried to) kill himself. Last name Montague.. cracked it #bodyguard.' The terror thriller has already become the biggest new drama on British television in more than a decade, the BBC has said. The BBC One series - starring Keeley Hawes as the Home Secretary and Richard Madden as the officer assigned to protect her - has achieved consolidated viewing figures of 10.4 million for its first episode. This is the highest launch figure for any new drama across all UK channels since 2006, the corporation said. The series, written and created by Line Of Duty's Jed Mercurio, kicked off on August 26, when it scored the highest overnight audience for a drama launch this year by more than one million viewers. The mother of a nine-week-old baby boy whose hair is 'bigger than he is' says that she wants to avoid cutting it for as long as possible. Renzo Henderson's hair is now so long that his mother, Shannon Kaitell, 24, jokes that it is longer than her own natural hair. Shannon, from Gravesend, Kent, said the doctor delivering Renzo was so startled by the sight of his dark locks that instead of informing her her baby's head was visible, he said 'wow - he has a lot of hair'. Shannon and her fiance Chris Henderson, 33, love their baby's thick locks, which his mum said has already made him 'super popular', and revealed they have no plans to give him a trim. Renzo Henderson (pictured) is just nine-weeks-old but already has a full head of thick, black hair - to the delight of his parents Shannon Kaitell and Chris Henderson. Mother Shannon, from Gravesend, Kent, said that she had never seen a newborn with so much hair Renzo's hair even surprised doctors who commented during labour: 'wow, he has a lot of hair'. At just 20 days old, Renzo's hair was already inches long, his mother said. Now, at nine weeks old, Shannon jokes that Renzo's locks have almost outgrown her own hair when she's not wearing extensions. Mother-of-two Shannon said she bathes and washes his hair every day to keep it soft and clean, but admits that it 'does what it wants' when she tries to style it. Shannon said that her older son, Rome Henderson, four, also had long hair when he was born, but she's never seen hair as long as Renzo's on a newborn baby. She said: 'I haven't actually ever known a baby to have hair like it. I do think he's definitely up there as one of the hairiest - his hair is bigger than he is. Mother-of-two Shannon said that doctors were stunned at the amount of hair her son has. She says that she washes his hair every day to keep it soft and clean, but admits that it 'does what it wants' when she tries to style it. Pictured are mother and son 'When Renzo was born it was really long, especially at the back. When I was in labour they didn't even say if they could see the head, it was just ''wow, he's got a lot of hair''. 'There were quite a few people in the room and quite a few shocked faces. 'The first thing they said to his dad when they took him to see him was ''look how much hair he's got''. It's been long since birth, but since then it just keeps growing. 'It's not until I look back over the pictures that I realise how fast it's grown. Even at just 20 days old, Renzo's hair had begun to extend a few inches down his back. Now, at nine weeks old, Shannon jokes that Renzo's locks have almost outgrown her own hair when she's not wearing extensions. Pictured is Renzo at nine weeks 'I've never actually measured it, but it's inches long, especially at the back. It's really long. His hair is almost longer than mine without my extensions in. 'The only thing I can think of to describe it is like a long haired cat once they've been brushed and it's like fluff. It's so, so soft. I've never felt hair like it. 'He gets compliments constantly. Four days after I had him I went out and there's constantly people stopping and asking to touch his hair. He's super popular. 'I didn't really realise that babies with hair is such a big thing but then it's not until you look that you realise that most people's aren't actually born with hair or that much hair, and then a lot people say their baby's falls out. 'I'm hoping that Renzo's doesn't. My first son's didn't, so I'm hoping it will be the same with Renzo.' Shannon revealed that the first thing the doctors told father Chris (pictured) was that his son had a lot of hair. Chris is said to be delighted at his son's thick locks and cannot stop laughing. In the picture, you can see Chris with his son His mother also said that people seem to be unsure if Renzo is a boy or a girl. Shannon, a stay-at-home mum, said: 'I quite enjoy him having long hair. I don't plan to cut it. I will definitely save it as long as possible. 'People haven't mistaken him for being a girl but they do ask first, ''boy or girl''? 'Whereas with my Rome I never had anyone mistake him for a girl because he just looked like a little boy. People do ask about Renzo. 'Chris just laughs at Renzo all the time. He finds it hilarious. Shannon also said that her eldest son Rome, four, also had thick hair when he was a baby, although she admitted that it doesn't compare to Renzo's locks. She also revealed that some people have to ask her whether Renzon, pictured, is a boy or girl 'Renzo will be down for a nap and he'll go in and just see this big black circle and it is Renzo's hair. Every time he walks in there he's just like 'he's just like a big ball of fluff'. 'The hair pretty much does what it wants. I do bathe him and wash his hair daily and then after his bath I always comb his hair and use the baby brush on it as well. 'But then the top and sides will stay down, but the top back of his head will just be sticking up within 20 minutes. And if he has a nap it's game over.' Even though both her sons have been blessed with thick hair, Shannon admits that she doesn't know where they get it from. Shannon said that Renzo's hair 'pretty much does what it wants'. After daily baths she always combs his hair but even though the top and sides usually stay down for a little while, they are quick to stand back up soon after She said: 'I don't think I have particularly nice hair myself. I'm half African and I don't actually have afro hair but with my ethnicity our hair doesn't grow that well. 'Mine is naturally curly but I straighten it so much and use so many heat treatments it doesn't ever grow that much. 'I think men's hair always grows quicker, but I never expected for my newborn to have that much hair. 'Rome's hair was long at birth but nowhere near as long as Renzo's. It was quite shocking.' Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden looked delighted as they were reunited with their dog Siri after she apparently ran away from her royal home. The couple, who live with their two sons at Villa Solbacken, Stockholm, beamed as they thanked the police officers who found their beloved border terrier. A photo shared by Stockholm's Norrmalm Police force show Carl Philip, 39, and Sofia, 33, standing alongside the officer who carried Siri home. Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden looked delighted as they were reunited with their dog Siri after she apparently ran away from her royal home. Stockholm's Norrmalm Police force shared this image of the couple with the officer who brought their beloved pet home A second image shows an exhausted Siri, who is thought to be around four years old, curled up on the ground after a long day outside. She was adopted by the royals as a puppy in May 2014 Sofia is dressed down in a white smock top, lightwash blue jeans and a black padded gillet, while her husband is wearing a button-down white shirt, jeans and a casual black jacket. A second image shows an exhausted Siri, who is thought to be around four years old, curled up on the ground after a long day outside. The caption, which was shared in Swedish, reveals the dog was 'drowsy' and 'tired' when she was found and fell asleep in the officer's arms on her way back to the palace. It added royal staff and housekeepers had been 'very worried' about the dog's whereabouts but that this was replaced with 'joy' on her return. Carl Philip and his wife Sofia are so fond of Siri they even ensured she was included in the family portraits taken to mark the birth of their eldest son, Prince Alexander, in May 2016 It is not known when Siri was reported missing or how she managed to escape. Carl Philip and Sofia adopted Siri in May 2014, the year before they tied the knot. The couple are deeply fond of their pet and are often spotted taking her on walks with the family. The proud parents even ensured Siri was included in the family portraits taken to mark the birth of their eldest son, Prince Alexander, in May 2016. Siri was given pride of place next to new mother Sofia as the couple announced the arrival of their first son, Alexander, in May 2016. The dog is believed to have been missing for a day The scruffy dog sits patiently by her owners' side as they cradle their newborn. The couple recently returned to the Swedish capital from a summer break at Solliden Palace in Oland. The family released sweet official portraits to mark the visit. Ladies, its time to go back to school. Not just for your children, but for you too. Youre going to be viewed and judged by the other parents - theres no point pretending otherwise. Time to revise your school gate politesse and poise. The playground aside, thank heavens we have positive role models like Their Royal Highnesses The Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex for women everywhere to take inspiration. Whether they had married into royalty or not, its a good time to revisit the age-old rules that any lady of poise must follow. Crude, crass and coarse behaviour just wont get you very far in life and sets a terrible example for children. Here is my guide on how to be more lady than tramp during, and after, the school run. With the summer holidays at ab end, parents have returned to the school run. Etiquette expert William Hanson reveals how you can look classy in front of the other mothers (file photo) Avoid wet hair A lady is never seen in public with wet hair. The damp dog look for your crazed coiffure is not something that should be inflicted on anyone else. It can show a lack of personal standards, so build in an extra five minutes to your morning routine before leaving for the school run so it at least looks presentable. No one is asking for complete Cambridge-level perfection: were just asking for dry. Be on time A lady is never late. Regularly racing through the playground, clutching your child, sets a bad example for the child in later life - as does arriving late to collect the child at the end of the day. Then when at work, there should be no silly tactics, often favoured by insecure men, about arriving late in order to control the rooms attention, a lady is on time and plays by the rules. If school starts at 8.30am then the children should be frolicking in the playground by 8.20am at the latest But what does on time mean? Socially, at a party or dinner, on time means arriving 10 - 15 minutes after the stated arrival time. (Those who dont understand why this is important are invariably people who dont host.) For business appointments, on time means that you are there a few moments before the stated start time ready to begin on the dot of the appointed hour. And if school starts at 8.30am then the children should be frolicking in the playground by 8.20am at the latest. No swearing Theres no point pretending that people shouldnt swear. Obviously, it would be great if we all didnt, but life is not like that. What can be tempered is swearing at people, in front of children, clients and when in public. Keep the curse words for your private life and only when youve dropped something or stubbed a manicured toe - but of course, when delicate, ingenue ears are out of range. Ditch the grab and go coffee William Hanson says that women should be grateful that they have ladies like the Duchess of Cambridge as inspiration for how to dress and behave on the school run. Pictured is the Duchess of Cambridge with Princess Charlotte Tottering into the playground, or your office job afterwards, with your takeaway coffee (even if its in your own reusable cup) is not a good look for anyone. Teas and coffee are there to be savoured and enjoyed and if youve bothered to look half-decent that morning and are dressed in slick attire, nothing ruins it more than an ungainly cling to a takeaway vessel. Perhaps the coffee at your work is terrible, so you have to get something from elsewhere? Ask for a little bag, pop a coffee stirrer/plug in the lids hole, and carry this to the office. Then find a proper cup and saucer and decant the contents. Far more elegant. Tights are still an essential Its an etiquette rule that Meghan is having to get used to, but even in super-casual 2018 Britain, a woman must wear tights in formal situations. Fair enough, the school run is not a formal situation, so its fine to ditch them then or for a kitchen supper or picnic, but for the office, weddings, gala dinners and smart school events then tights add some extra sophistication to your pins. (If your legs are getting too hot whilst wearing them then perhaps time to invest in some finer, better quality hosiery.) Become well heeled Firstly, dont even leave the house unless you can walk in heels. Its difficult, Ive tried it, so dont worry, I do speak from experience. But the knack can be mastered with practice. But when dropping the children off is not the time to practice - youll just embarrass both them and you Tip: body-con dresses and miniskirts rarely help ladies get the leg extension you need to walk masterfully in heels, so pick a dress that allows for more flexibility of movement. A real lady knows that for daytime, footwear should not have a heel above three inches and for evenings, four inches is really the limit. Even with skirts, a good pair of flats can look as elegant and stylish as any heel. You can still look good without heels. Keeping it under wraps Those with true grace and style do not need to flaunt any part of their body that conventionally remains covered. The old rule was if youve got it, flaunt it. But today that seems to have been warped into if you havent got it, flaunt it. Less is not more. One hands width of decolletage is enough, and skirt lengths for semi-formal and formal events should never be above the knee. Similarly, and this applies to all genders and ages, underwear is not outwear. If we can see a bra strap or two, somethings gone wrong. Your outfit and wardrobe choices are two of the many things that will be judged by the parents and teachers Style over substance As lovely as Diana, Princess of Wales was, many noticed her wardrobe before they noticed her. The Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex get this the right way round and it is most usually the face of the lady you notice before the outfit. Clothes should complement a ladys persona but not overshadow it. Spencer Matthews and his wife Vogue Williams welcomed a healthy baby boy two days ago - and their bundle of joy has already had a visit from his proud auntie and uncle. Spencer's brother James Matthews and sister-in-law Pippa Middleton were seen arriving at the former Made in Chelsea star's London home on Friday. The Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister, who is expecting her first child with husband James, was seen arriving at the flat in her Land Rover this morning. Pippa, who is in her third trimester, arrived separately from her hedge fund manager husband James who showed up moments later equipped with his backpack - possibly containing a gift for his new nephew. Pregnant Pippa Middleton was seen arriving at her brother-in-law Spencer Matthews' home on Friday in order to meet his newborn son and her nephew for the first time Pippa's husband and Spencer's brother James was seen arriving separately at his apartment in London Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews were pictured together for the first time on Friday morning since welcoming their 'beautiful and healthy' son earlier this week An unexpected visitor was Pippa's younger brother James Middleton (pictured) who was seen arriving shortly after his sister Following behind was the new Matthews baby's grandmothers in the form of Vogue's mother Sandra Wilson and Spencer's mother Jane Matthews. The two new grandmothers appeared to come armed with breakfast for the couple carrying coffee, pastries and smoked salmon. Spencer's father, David Matthews, who is currently facing two accusations of rape, was not present today. An unexpected visitor came in the form of Pippa's younger brother James Middleton, who stopped by the flat to meet his sister's nephew. New father Spencer could be seen on the balcony of his home in Chelsea speaking on the phone ahead of his family's arrival. New father Spencer could be seen taking a phone call on the balcony of his flat as he awaited the arrival of family members The new parents appeared happier than ever as they strolled their bundle of joy along in a buggy during a cosy walk with Vogue's mother Sandra Wilson TV personality Vogue, 32, and her husband Spencer, 30, announced that they welcomed a 'beautiful and healthy' baby boy in the early hours of Wednesday morning The excited couple were accompanied by their adorable pooch and Vogue's mother Sandra, who primarily lives in Marbella Shortly after their visitors arrived the new parents were pictured together for the first time since welcoming their son. The new parents appeared happier than ever as they strolled their bundle of joy along in a buggy during a cosy walk with Vogue's mother Sandra who lives in Marbella. Vogue and Spencer proved to be learning the ropes around parenthood as they took turns to stroll their baby boy along in the pram. Spencer and Vogue - who tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in the Scottish Highlands in June - welcomed a 'beautiful and healthy' baby boy in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Spencer chose to announce the news with an arty black and white image of his hand clasping his newborn's, reposting the same message as his wife Vogue and Spencer (pictured at the Derby Festival in June) tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in June Taking to Instagram, the 32-year-old Irish presenter posted: 'This morning at 3:55am, we welcomed our son into a quiet London hospital... He is beautiful and healthy. We feel truly blessed.' Vogue shared a heartwarming snap of the tiny tot in a striped baby gro, resting her hand gently on the infant's feet. Meanwhile, former Made In Chelsea star Spencer, 30, chose to announce the news with an arty black and white image of his hand clasping his newborn's, reposting the same message as his wife. Vogue also took to her Instagram stories to write 'I'm so in love'. Pippa, who is in her third trimester, ditched her bike today and drove to her brother-in-law's home in order to meet her new nephew Kate's younger sister is yet to reveal her due date however, it is believed she will be welcoming her first child in October Following behind was the new Matthews baby's grandmothers in the form of Vogue's mother Sandra Wilson (left) and Spencer's mother Jane Matthews (right) The two new grandmothers appeared to come armed with breakfast for the couple carrying coffee, pastries and smoked salmon Vogue also shared a snap of their newborn son on Instagram (pictured) but the couple is yet to reveal the baby's name The pair, who have yet to reveal the baby's name, were inundated with well wishes from their delighted followers and celebrity friends. Frankie Bridge posted: Congratulations guys @spencermatthews soak up all the newborn you can. Just the best. Hope your all doing well xxxx Denise Van Outen enthused: Massive congrats to you both. Spencer's former MIC co-star Rosie Fortescue wrote: CONGRATULATIONS you guys are going to make the best parents. Later this morning the new parents received a flower delivery to congratulate them on their new baby boy who was born on Wednesday The likes of Ashley James, Lydia Bright and Zoe Hardman have also send their well-wishes, while Spencer's ex Vicky Pattison also sent her congratulations. Vogue's due date was September 1 and the star had been sharing a number of posts in recent days as she lamented being overdue. Vogue had been praising supportive partner Spencer for taking care of her in the days running up to the birth. 'This boy has been amazing overdue means a slightly grumpy wife who tends to fall asleep quite a few times a day! Hes keeping me happy and being a great supportyoure the best @spencermatthews', she shared on social media. An Australian label made a bold feminist statement during its New York Fashion Week debut. Discount Universe, which was founded in Melbourne in 2010 by designers Cami James and Nadia Napreychikov, hosted its first New York Fashion Week show on Wednesday night. The brand, which prides itself in its mastery of 'humor and irony, cliche and imitation', sent models strutting down the runway in eccentric, colorful garments, many of which were emblazoned with statements such as 'not your baby' and 'not for sale'. First: Discount Universe, an Australian brand founded in 2010, made its New York Fashion Week debut on Wednesday 'Not your baby': The brand, which prides itself in its mastery of 'humor and irony, cliche and imitation', sent models strutting down the runway in eccentric, colorful garments Reading material: Many of the outfits were emblazoned with various statements, such as this slip-style white dress featuring the words 'crazy', 'emotional', 'irrational', and 'mindf**k' Words: 'Not for sale' was a popular statement for the label, which featured it on this sparkly dress adorned with the statement 'I am sorry I am not for sale' Design: 'Hysteria' was featured on several garments, including a jumpsuit that also featured the image of a woman brandishing a sword, with the words 'goddess of war' surrounding her Shoes: The brand used footwear as a way to feature additional messages, such as the words 'bimbo' and 'not for sale' across these red slippers Many of the statements put forward by the brand reflect words that have been used to discredit women and discount their claims and opinion. For example, one model strutted down the catwalk in a slip-style white dress with spaghetti straps featuring the words 'crazy', 'emotional', 'irrational', and 'mindf**k'. Another model wore a see-through red dress with crystals and balloon sleeves, with the words 'not your baby' written several times from the shoulders to the bottom of the garment. 'Not for sale' was also a popular statement for the label. It appeared on a model's white strapless top, written across her chest in bold black letters. The same words were featured on the model's flat, red slippers, and on the belt around her waist. Eye-catching: This model's outfits featured the words 'not for sale' and 'mother' Style: One model strutted down the runway in this dress with the words 'hysteria', 'crazy', and 'emotional', 'irrational' on it, with a 'not for sale' belt Statement: This leopard-print jumpsuit was emblazoned with the sentence: 'It was his view that women would pass through a set of "passionate attitudes"' Bold: One outfit featured the words 'forever', 'emotional', crazy', and 'irrational', above a different belt with 'whore' printed several times on it They also appeared on a model's sparkly dress, which was adorned with the statement 'I am sorry I am not for sale.' Several models wore the 'not for sale' belt, and one of them even took to the runway in a strapless dress that looked like it was made mainly out of the same belt material, with a tulle attachment at the bottom. One outfit featured the words 'forever', 'emotional', crazy', and 'irrational', above a different belt with 'whore' printed several times on it. 'Hysteria' appeared on several garments, including a jumpsuit that also featured the image of a woman brandishing a sword, with the words 'goddess of war' surrounding her. Footwear was a way for Discount Universe to include various additional messages. Models walked the runway in red slippers emblazoned with different words, such as 'bimbo', 'whore', and 'feisty'. Accessory: Several models wore the 'not for sale' belt, which was used to cinch some of the garments at the waist Look: One of them even took to the runway in a strapless dress that looked like it was made mainly out of the same belt material, with a tulle attachment at the bottom Prom: The 'not for sale' belt was also used with this sparkly gray dress featuring balloon sleeves Inclusive: The label chose to feature a diverse cast of models and to celebrate their individual beauties A senator who grilles Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing has gone viral. Kamala Harris, a Democratic senator from California, asked Kavanaugh, 53, several questions on Thursday during his confirmation hearing. Harris, 53, brought up several topics, from Donald Trump's reaction to the Charlottesville car attack to marriage equality. One of her questions about how the government regulates male and female bodies differently which appeared to be a clear reference to abortion earned the attention of thousands of viewers who cheered on her on social media. Scroll down for video Kamala Harris, a Democratic senator from California, asked Kavanaugh, 53, several questions on Thursday during his confirmation hearing 'Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body?' Harris asked Kavanaugh, Trump's pick to fill in the Supreme Court seat left vacant by Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh hesitated and eventually responded: 'Um... I'm happy to answer a, um... more specific question.' 'Male versus female,' Harris added. 'There are medical procedures...' Kavanaugh said, prompting Harris to continue: 'That the gov has the power to make a decision about a man's body?' 'I thought you were asking about medical procedures that are unique to men,' Kavanaugh replied. At that point, Harris smiled and said: 'I'll repeat the question. Can you think of any laws that give the gov the power to make decisions about the male body?' 'I'm not I'm not thinking of any right now, Senator,' Kavanaugh replied. Harris then continued grilling Kavanaugh about his thoughts on precedent and whether the court can overrule it, leading him to acknowledge that it can and sometimes does. Support: Twitter users praised Harris after she asked Kavanaugh a question that appeared to be a clear reference to abortion rights Cheering her on: Several people suggested Harris should run for president in the future Democratic lawmakers have frequently returned to questions about Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion, during Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing. Kavanaugh called it an 'important precedent' that has 'been reaffirmed many times.' He singled out the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey case reaffirming the decision and called it 'precedent on precedent'. But in a 2003 email that became public Thursday as part of the confirmation process, Kavanaugh noted Roe v. Wade could be overruled. Exchange: Kavanaugh (pictured during his confirmation hearing) hesitated before providing an answer to Harris' question Kavanaugh was working for George W. Bush's White House when he wrote in reviewing a proposed op-ed: 'I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent, and three current Justices on the Court would do so.' Asked about that email, Kavanaugh said that he was noting 'what legal scholars might say' and that he chimed in because he's 'always concerned with accuracy'. In the context of Kavanaugh's contentious confirmation hearing, the video of Harris' asking him 'Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body?' promptly went viral. The clip, which Harris shared on Twitter, has now been liked more than 71,000 likes and retweeted more than 25,000 times. It has also generated thousands of comments, many of which have praised the senator for her hard line of questioning. One person deemed the question 'perfect', while another marveled at its phrasing. Someone else told the senator 'you rule' next to a gif of Rihanna placing a crown on her own head. 'I love you, Senator. Seriously,' another person wrote. Several people suggested Harris should run for president, including someone who tweeted: 'Harris for President 2020' above a gif of President Barack Obama telling the crowd 'Don't boo, vote' during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. 'Thank you for being my voice today!' someone else told Harris, while one Twitter user deemed her a 'shero'. 'If men could get pregnant there would be an abortion clinic at every Starbucks,' one person chimed in. Someone else wrote below the clip of Harris grilling Kavanaugh: 'SAY IT AGAIN LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK.' Advertisement Late designer Kate Spade may have parted ways with her eponymous fashion label more than a decade before she died, but that didn't stop the brand from paying tribute to its founder as it hosted its first New York Fashion Week show since her tragic suicide in June. The brand honored Spade, who died in June at the age of 55 after hanging herself with a scarf, by leaving 'In Loving Memory' cards on the seats of each guest at its spring/summer 2019 show, which took place on Friday at the New York Public Library. Each card bore the years of Spade's birth (1962) and death (2018) on one side, while the other featured the quote: 'She left a little sparkle everywhere she went.' Bright and bold: Kate Spade held its first New York Fashion Week show since its founder died in June after committing suicide in her Manhattan apartment Tribute: The brand paid tribute to the late designer, placing 'In Loving Memory' cards on each guest's seat, all of which featured a touching quote about Spade, as well as the years of her birth and death Creative director Nicola Glass also highlighted the significance of the brand's roots, explaining that Kate Spade's new collection was inspired by the 'original codes of the house', which have been 'refined and evolved in unique ways', describing the design process as a 'journey that starts at the beginning to form new paths'. Tragedy: Spade passed away at the age of 55 after a battle with depression 'This collection has been given a lot of care, attention and love,' she signed off her message to the brand's guests. This season, the brand chose to move away from its traditional presentation-style format, choosing instead to share its new collection with fashion fans on the runway. Several stars turned out for the event, including actresses Priyanka Chopra, Kate Bosworth, and Elizabeth Olsen, as well as model Suki Waterhouse, all of whom had a perfect view of the show from their perch on the front row. Bright, colorful spring designs were showcased on the catwalk, with with pared-down florals and funky geometric patterns dominating the collection, which was punctuated with fun accessories, including laser-cut beach bags, large sunglasses, and colorful headcsarves. Bold yellow dresses stood out among a palette of muted pastels, with materials ranging from flowing silks to more rigid cotton. In another nod to Spade's lasting heritage, the show also featured updated versions of the designer's 'Sam' bag - one of the first designs she released when the label first launched. Spade officially parted ways with her eponymous brand in 2007, when she and her husband Andy sold off their remaining shares in the company - 44 per cent - in order to focus on raising their daughter. Star-studded: Several A-listers turned out to support the show, which took place at the New York Public Library on Friday, including model Suki Waterhouse (left), and actresses Kate Bosworth (center) and Priyanka Chopra (right) Glam: The brand's spring/summer 19 collection was inspired by the 'original codes of the house', according to creative director Nicola Glass's show notes Special: 'This collection has been given a lot of care, attention and love,' Glass signed off her message to the brand's guests But the designer remained forever connected with the label that she founded, which continued to use her name even after she moved on to new ventures. When Spade was found dead at her Manhattan apartment on June 5, the brand released a heart-breaking statement in honor of its 'visionary founder'. 'Our thoughts are with her family at this incredibly heartbreaking time,' the statement - which was shared on Twitter - continued. 'We honor all the beauty she brought into this world.' The brand's latest show comes just one day after Frances Valentine, the handbag brand that Spade co-founded in 2016, released its own tribute to the designer - the 'Kate' tote, which is inspired by the first bag Spade released when he founded her namesake label in 1993. Spade's business partner Elyce Arons appeared on Good Morning America on Thursday to share her grief over her friend's tragic death, revealing that she remains devastated by the loss - but determined to continue on with the brand that Spade left behind. Summer ready: The collection featured a muted pastel palette that was punctuated by funky geometric patterns and pops of bold color, be it in the form of a shoe, or an accessory Iconic: Several models carried updated version's of the 'Sam' bag (right) - which was one of the first designs Spade released when she founded her label in 1993 Strut your stuff: In recent years, the brand has stuck to a more low-key presentation-style format at Fashion Week, but chose to return to the runway for this season She added that, although she knew about Spade's ongoing battle with depression, she could not have ever predicted that the designer would even consider taking her own life. 'It was tough because she didn't always say it,' she said of Spade's mental health battle. 'She'd be sad and then one minute later, she'd make a joke. 'We talked every day and most of the time she was very happy but I don't know if anyone can understand the depths of depression of another person. 'I have thought and thought and thought about [why she did it]... but I think it was probably one moment of despair and of deep sadness that she felt when she was alone.' Vowing to carry on with Frances Valentine, the label they launched in 2016, Arons said she had been given a push in encouragement by the outpouring of love Spade's family received after her death. 'We miss her every day. Her spirit's here. We've had a lot of people, a lot of people, write in and talk about how she changed their lives and [saying] "please keep going and keep her designs alive." 'That's what we're going to do,' she said. Barack Obama is still heartbroken over his daughter Malia leaving home for college. The former president, 57, spoke on Friday spoke on Friday at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was receiving an award for ethics in government - and in the midst of a blistering attack on Trump and the Republicans, he took the opportunity to make some intimate remarks about his role as a dad. Drawing on his own experience as the father of a college student, referring to 20-year-old daughter Malia, Obama made it very clear just how much he misses having his eldest daughter around, while urging the crowd of students to pick up their phones every now and then to chat with their 'crying... suffering' parents or send them a message. Speech: Barack Obama, 57, spoke on Friday spoke on Friday at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was receiving an award for ethics in government Milestone: Both Barack and Michelle Obama looked emotional when they dropped off Malia for her first year at Harvard University last year 'Now that I have a daughter in college, I can tell all the students here: your parents suffer,' he said. 'They cry privately. It is brutal. So please call. Send a text.' His comments drew chuckles and applause from the crowd. Obama continued: 'We need to hear from you. Just a little something.' Malia is currently beginning her sophomore year at Harvard University, while Barack and Michelle have remained in Washington, D.C. as their youngest daughter, 17-year-old Sasha, finishes high school. Both Barack and Michelle Obama looked emotional when they dropped off Malia for her first year at Harvard last year. The parents kept their sunglasses on as they left her dorm and kept their faces down while making a swift exit in their SUV. Obama had previously acknowledged that he cried during Malia's high school graduation, and that he was wearing dark sunglasses at the time. During her first year of college, Malia has been spotted a few times with her boyfriend Rory Farquharson, a British student who also goes to Harvard. Studies: Malia (pictured last year on the day after she moved into her dorm) is now beginning her sophomore year at Harvard They were seen in July walking hand in hand in London's neighborhood of Mayfair, going out for dinner. In his speech on Friday, Obama also shared more serious remarks with the students in attendance, urging them to not just vote in the midterm elections, but to lead the fight against President Donald Trump and his allies. Address: Obama smiled as he prepared to speak to students on Friday He told them that 'you cannot sit back and wait for a savior', and that the biggest threat to democracy isn't Trump but 'indifference'. The speech was a preview of the arguments Obama is expected to make as he starts campaigning for Democrats on the ballot this fall. He said people have asked him what he's going to do for the November election. Obama told the students: 'The question is: 'What are you going to do?'' 'If you thought elections don't matter, I hope these past two years have corrected that impression,' he added. Obama called Trump 'a symptom, not a cause' of what's dividing the country. He said that Trump is capitalizing on the same resentments, fear and anger that politicians have fanned for years, which he views as the result of a rapidly changing world and growing inequality. Family: 'Now that I have a daughter in college, I can tell all the students here: your parents suffer,' Obama said on Friday. He is pictured with Malia in 2016 Away: Malia (pictured last year in Cambridge, Massachusetts) is hundreds of miles away from her parents, who have remained in Washington, D.C. Politicians who appeal to that fear are using 'an old playbook', according to Obama. The former president said the US needs to restore 'honesty and decency' in government. 'It should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents, or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from prosecution because an election happens to be coming up,' he told the crowd. He remarked: 'I'm not making that up. That's not hypothetical.' Trump this week criticized the attorney general for prosecuting two Republican congressmen, saying it will hurt the party in the November elections. In his speech, Obama also said that Americans and politicians of both parties should stand up against discrimination and 'stand up clearly and unequivocally to Nazi sympathizers.' 'How hard can that be?' he added. 'Saying that Nazis are bad?' Although she started out on The Block, Elyse Knowles has reached new ranks as the face of Myer and Seafolly. But this doesn't mean she's no longer a fan of using drugstore makeup. The 26-year-old Australian beauty told Newscorp that her makeup arsenal includes a $12 tube of mascara. The product is L'Oreal's Paradise Mascara, which can be considered a dupe as it has a similar brush head to Too Faced's iconic Better Than Sex mascara. Although she started out on The Block, Elyse Knowle's has reached new ranks as the face of Myer and Seafolly The 26-year-old Australian beauty has recently revealed to Newscorp that her beauty arsenal includes a $12 tube of mascara Elyse also revealed the other go-to products that make up her beauty routine. When it comes to foundation she will apply a coat of Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk Foundation, which retails for $99. For a peachy tone on her cheeks she reaches for Benefit's $51 California Blush paired with their $51 Hoola Bronzer. Her favourite eyeshadow is Bloom Clay from Tarte which she wears with a $35 Mac eyeliner. The product is LOreal's Paradise Mascara, which can be considered a dupe as it has a similar brush head to Too Faceds famous Better Than Sex mascara For a peachy tone on her cheeks she reaches for Benefit's $51 California Blush (left) paired with their $51 Hoola Bronzer (right) When it comes to foundation she will apply a coat of Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk Foundation, which retails for $99 Elyse's favourite skincare products - Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist - Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 - Aesop Lucent Facial Concentrate Serum - Medik8 Hydr8 Night Advanced Antioxidant Cream Advertisement When she wants a hint of colour she will apply a shade of Clinique's Lip Chubby Sticks, which cost $37. Because Elyse often has to wear a full face of makeup for work she tries to have as many makeup-free days as possible. 'My skin is highly reactive. I have to take special care of it otherwise it can easily react to all the makeup that I wear for work. It needs to breath as much as possible otherwise I can get blemishes,' she told the publication. 'If I don't have a big day at work with heavy makeup, I like to let my skin breath so I simply apply a tinted moisturiser and Im fairly good to go.' The 26-year-old has nabbed coveted modelling jobs with Seafolly Australia, become an ambassador for department store Myer and secured a number of investment properties with her boyfriend, Josh Barker Previously, the successful blonde has revealed how hard she works behind the scenes to keep her body and mind in peak physical condition. She starts the day at 6am by driving straight to the gym and 'smashing out a session', the down-to-earth model told Go Healthy magazine. The night before she will always lock in an exercise class to ensure she doesn't 'disappoint' her trainer - this, she argues, is how she maintains a consistent size. 'If I have made a commitment than I don't want to let anyone down by not turning up,' she told the publication. But in order to be that prosperous the beautiful blonde has to work extremely hard behind the scenes - training her body and mind to be in peak physical condition The night before she will always lock in an exercise class to ensure she doesn't 'disappoint' her trainer - this, she argues, is how she maintains a consistent size Planning out her weekly meals ahead of time and having the fridge stocked with nutritious choices also curbs any desire to reach for junk food. After the gym Elyse arrives home to cook a breakfast of scrambled eggs with spinach, goats cheese and pesto. She enjoys this alongside an almond chai latte and honey. Elyse doesn't skimp on the water either, ensuring she's having at least two to three litres of H2O a day - and a lot of this is heated. 'I drink a lot of plain hot water. I absolutely love it and tend to have a thermos drink bottle with me everywhere I go,' she explained 'I drink a lot of plain hot water. I absolutely love it and tend to have a thermos drink bottle with me everywhere I go,' she explained. Warm water increases your body temperature, which by default increases the metabolic rate. An increase in metabolic rate allows the body to burn more calories throughout the day. At lunchtime the 26-year-old opts for 'something very simple like a salad with protein, and dinner is usually fish and veggies,' she told Body and Soul previously. Australia's largest family have taken their fans on a behind-the-scenes look of their grocery shopping trip. Jeni and Ray Bonell have 16 children so the Toowoomba-based tribe have to carefully plan how they're going to spend their money each week in the supermarket aisles. In a YouTube video titled The Groceries Cost What?! the down-to-earth family explain how a 'stock up' shop cost them $875.85. Australia's largest family have taken their fans on a behind-the-scenes look of their grocery shopping trip (The Bonell's pictured) 'Sabrina and I have been to the store this morning and we have filled three trolley loads worth of groceries,' Jeni explained in the video. 'Our freezer is practically empty and we are stocking up.' The ten minute show-and-tell of goods detailed some of the many lunchbox snacks and dinner essentials the family of 18 need to survive. There were eight packs of sausages with 22 in a pack, eight packs of chicken breast for $9 a kilo and three portions of chops which would 'only do for one evening'. The three kilos of mince would allow the family to create two different meals and chicken nuggets, frankfurts, sliced ham and steamed vegetables would work for other nights. Jeni and Ray Bonell (pictured) have 16 children so the Toowoomba-based tribe have to carefully plan how they're going to spend their money each week in the supermarket aisles In a YouTube video titled The Groceries Cost What?! the down-to-earth family explain how a 'stock up' shop cost them $875.85 When it came to the sweeter items on the list, Jeni said they bought eight litres of ice cream, doughnuts and lamington fingers for afternoon tea and some cheesecakes for Sunday night dessert. Six three-litre bottles of milk and five loaves of bread 'wouldn't last them the entire week' but were purchased to keep up with high demand in the family home. Choc-chip cookies, Arnott's Shapes and snack packs were the ideal choices for school lunches, as well as cheese sticks, muesli bars and rice cakes. But that doesn't mean they won't be devouring their fair share of fruits and vegetables; with ten punnets of strawberries, a bag of sweet potatoes, mushrooms, a whole pumpkin, oranges, tomatoes, carrots and bananas also on the menu. Choc-chip cookies, Arnott's Shapes and snack packs were the ideal choices for school lunches, as well as cheese sticks, muesli bars and rice cakes Jeni admits that whenever she sees something they use on special she will buy that product in bulk Jeni admits that whenever she sees something they use on special she will buy that product in bulk. In this instance she saw baked beans, spaghetti and cleansing wipes were in the clearance section - so she snapped them up. 'We eat chocolate and drink soft drink one night of the week so I keep a small amount of lemonade and Cadbury's,' she explained. 'We eat chocolate and drink soft drink one night of the week so I keep a small amount of lemonade and Cadbury's,' she explained Five boxes of cereal, pretzels, decaf coffee and even barbecue sauce were among the extra staples she picked up on her trip. Jeni finished the video by thanking 'Sam' at the Coles checkout for helping her with the incredible haul. 'Thanks for being so patient and helpful,' she said. Media personnel have been allowed to visit an underground astrophysics observatory for the first time in 12 years. Super-Kamiokande is located at a depth of 1,000 meters in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. Measuring 40 meters in diameter and height, the observatory detects the elementary particles called neutrinos coming from space. It's usually filled with 50,000 tons of water, but has been drained for refurbishment. The wall is equipped with more than 10,000 round-shaped sensors that capture the extremely weak light that neutrinos emit when they collide with water. University of Tokyo Professor Takaaki Kajita has conducted research on neutrinos at Super-Kamiokande. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015 for proving that neutrinos have mass. The university says the observatory will be filled with water next month and researchers will resume their observations next year. University of Tokyo Professor Masayuki Nakahata says scientists allowed the media to visit the site because it's a rare opportunity. Nakahata expressed hope that Super-Kamiokande will remain the world leader in neutrino research and will help scientists to make further discoveries about the history of the universe. - NHK She shot to fame playing 'the other woman' in hit BBC drama Doctor Foster. And now Jodie Comer has revealed that fans feel so strongly about her marriage-wrecking character Kate Parks, she has even been heckled in public. Three years on from her breakthrough role, the Liverpool-born starlet told Stella magazine: 'The response to Kate was usually that people hated her. A woman called me a b**** on the train once.' Comer, 25, played the young university graduate who stole Gemma Foster's husband Simon in the acclaimed drama series, which ran over two series from 2015 to 2017. Reflecting on her role, she added: 'I think it's always more interesting when you rile people up and make them feel something. That's when you've done a good job.' Jodie Comer (pictured in BBC One's Doctor Foster series two alongside Bertie Carvel) has revealed that fans felt so strongly about her marriage-wrecking character Kate Parks, she has even been heckled in public and called a 'b****' on the train The Liverpool-born starlet (pictured in London in May) said of her Doctor Foster role: 'The response to Kate was usually that people hated her. A woman called me a b**** on the train' Following the second series cliffhanger in October, Doctor Foster fans begged the BBC to bring the show back for another season. Comer's co-star, leading lady Suranne Jones, recently left fans disappointed when she revealed the show would not be returning to screens any time in the near future due to work commitments. And while BBC has remained tight-lipped on the show's future, its creator Mike Bartlett has already revealed that he has a story mapped out for another run, which will focus on the doctor's missing son Tom Foster (Tom Taylor). But with Suranne's upcoming role in the Sally Wainwright drama Gentleman Jack, as well as a second run of the Sky Atlantic drama Save Me, it appears fans could be in for a long wait. Comer as Kate Parks in Doctor Foster. Following the second series cliffhanger in October, Doctor Foster fans begged the BBC to bring the show back for another season Jodie Comer as Kate Parks in Doctor Foster series two, 2017. While BBC has remained tight-lipped on the show's future, its creator Mike Bartlett has already revealed that he has a story mapped out for another run, which will focus on the doctor's missing son Tom Foster Comer with co-star, leading lady Suranne Jones, in series one of Doctor Foster in 2015. The protagonist recently left fans disappointed when she revealed the show would not be returning to screens any time in the near future due to work commitments Comer, who has also starred in Rillington Place and Thirteen, is set to return to our screens this autumn as a psychopath assassin in eight-part thriller Killing Eve. The young actress still lives with her parents and younger brother in Liverpool, where she has her childhood bedroom. She previously told Weekend magazine: 'This careers about longevity more than anything else, and it could take another ten years before anything really big happens to me. 'A lot of things in my career have happened by chance. Im a big believer in fate, and its working out well so far. Advertisement Zara Tindall's family were out in force as the final day of the Gatcombe Horse Trials got underway. The Queen's granddaughter is competing in the equestrian event, held on her mother's Gloucestershire estate, while her husband Mike and two daughters soak up the atmosphere for the third day in a row. Just three months after welcoming their second child, a little girl called Lena, rugby ace Mike looked to be in excellent spirits. And he certainly had his hands full, looking after not only Mia and Lena but also his niece, Isla Phillips, who is the daughter of Peter and Autumn. The two girls were full of beans as they charged around the grounds of the estate, with four-year-old Mia seemingly taking cues from her father as she pulled her cousin to the ground in a playful rugby tackle. Rugby ace Mike Tindall pushes newborn daughter Lena, left, while daughter Mia and her mischievous cousin Isla were spotted playfighting at the Gatcombe Horse Trials in Gloucestershire on Sunday, right Zara, far right, have birth just three months ago and looked glowing as she accompanied her young family to the Whately Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park - as Mia put a protective hand on her little sister's pram Mike and his young family were at the Gloucestershire Horse Trials to watch Zara compete, pictured Mia was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt underneath an adorable rain mac, while cousin Isla, whose parents are holidaying with the Queen in Balmoral, wore head-to-toe pink. Dressage, show jumping and cross country all feature in the action-packed three-day event, which runs over from Friday September 7 and comes to an end today. Former Olympian medalist Zara is an accomplished rider, winning a silver medal at London 2012 which was presented to her by her mother, Princess Anne. Yesterday, Mia was spotted entertaining her cousins - by pulling funny faces and joking around on the grass - during a day out with her extended royal family. The Queen's great-granddaughters were also seen tucking into ice creams on Saturday as they giggled through their play-date at the horse trials. Savannah, seven, and Isla, six were all smiles on their family day out as their younger cousin Mia rolled her tongue and provided plenty of laughs. Zara arrived at the racecourse pushing her newborn daughter Lena, who was born on June 28. Did she learn that from Dad? The two cousins got into a playful scrum at the Whately Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire on Sunday Mia looked to be having too much fun to watch her mother compete. Former Olympian medalist Zara is an accomplished rider, winning a silver medal at London 2012 which was presented to her by her mother, Princess Anne Monkeying around: Dressage, show jumping and cross country all feature in the action-packed three-day event, which runs over from Friday September 7 and comes to an end today (pictured: Mia Tindall and Isla Phillips) Catch me if you can! Four-year-old Mia and Isla, six were all smiles on their family day out as Mia rolled her tongue and provided plenty of laughs. She recently became a big sister when her parents welcomed Lena on June 28 Three cheers for Mummy! Mia and cousin Isla applauded enthusiastically as they watched the day's events unfold at the Whately Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park on Sunday The two cousins were in high spirits as they enjoyed the great outdoors at the Whatley Manor Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. Six-year-old Isla wore head-to-toe pink, while Mia was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt Thick as thieves: Mia, four and Isla, six, giggled in delight as they raced around the grounds of Gatcombe Park on Sunday The two cousins looked to be enjoying every minute of their day out as they larked around at the Gatcombe Horse Trials on Sunday as Mia's father Mike looked on. Meanwhile her mum, Zara, was competing While Mike kept a watchful eye on baby Lena, Mia and Isla were free to play around the grounds at Gatcombe Park. Mia's mother Zara, a keen equestrian, is believed to be competing - just three months after giving birth Helping hand: The female friend was only too happy to muck in and help, at one point lifting up a delighted Mia (right) Mike Tindall, centre, was joined by two female friends as he kept a watchful eye on daughter Mia (far right), niece Isla (second right) and baby Lena, who he welcomed with Zara just three months ago But it was four-year-old Mia who stole the show, pulling funny faces as she played in the grass and held hands with her two cousins. All three of the youngsters were pictured tucking into an ice cream, with young Mia given a helping hand by one of the adults looking after her. Mia, the youngest of the trio, could not help but get the ice-cold treat around her face, much to the amusement of her cousins. Last week, Zara spoke of the heartbreak of suffering two miscarriages with her husband Mike, in an emotional and revealing interview. As one of the nation's favourite royals, Zara discussed the impact both deaths had on the couple - in her first televised interview about their double loss. Four-year-old Mia Grace, who is the Queen's great-granddaughter, was full of beans as she ran around the Whately Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park on Sunday Mia was spotted playing with a Jack Russell. Dressage, show jumping and cross country all feature in the action-packed three-day event, which runs over from Friday September 7 and comes to an end today The Queen's great-great-granddaughter was seen crawling around on the grass at the Gatcombe Horse Trials on Sunday Little Mia looked delighted when she was given a chance to stroke the pooch, while her six-year-old cousin looked content to sit and chat. Isla's cousins, Peter and Autumn, are believed to be holidaying with the Queen at Balmoral this weekend Mike with his daughter and niece at the horse trials on Sunday. Last week, his wife Zara spoke of the heartbreak of suffering two miscarriages before welcoming daughter Lena in an emotional and revealing interview Speaking about the miscarriages, she told BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent: 'I think that's the hardest thing in our situation, is that everyone knew. 'And very much when things like that happen, normally it's just your family and friends, but unfortunately everyone knew about it. 'Actually I had so many letters saying 'I'm so sorry, we've been through the same thing', which was incredible - and thank you to all those people. 'But it just showed how often it does happen and I have a very supportive family, Mike's incredible and it's hard for the guys too. She continued: 'It's very different for us because we're carrying the child, but for guys I guess it's kind of that helpless feeling, which must be incredibly high and horrible for them. At the end of the day they've still lost a child too.' Zara added: 'Being helpless is horrible isn't it... for anyone. So... you know, he's... it's been a horrible road but, you know, actually now we've come out the end of it, hopefully it makes you a stronger family.' She carried out the interview with the BBC to also tell of her joy at riding horses again just three months after the birth of her second child, Lena, earlier this year. A student who went to the doctor feeling a 'bit run down' was shocked to learn she was pregnant - and weeks away from giving birth. Laura Molloy, now 25, from Dublin, said she didn't have any obvious symptoms of pregnancy - such as a bump, morning sickness, or missed periods - and had even done two tests which both came back as negative. During a visit to her GP Laura was stunned to be told she was 37 weeks along, and didn't have terminal cancer as she had feared. Less than a month later Laura's waters broke and she endured an 18-hour labour, giving birth to her son Finn, now three. Speaking on RTE Radio 1 documentary 'The Announcement', Laura said: 'My initial thought was [the doctor is looking for] a tumour, I've got terminal cancer. I actually am dying. Then she said, "I think you're pregnant".' Laura Mulloy, pictured with partner Luke, was feeling a 'bit run down' while she was studying at Dublin Institute of Technology and on a visit to confirm what was wrong she was stunned to learn she was 37 weeks pregnant Three years later and Laura lives at home with her parents and her son Finn, now three. She and his father Luke, who she has been with for five years, are planning to move in together soon Laura wasn't convinced at first because she'd just done a pregnancy test in front of her doctor that had come back negative. But the GP explained to the baffled student that because she was past 28 weeks there was a chance the hormone that gives you a positive pregnancy test has already left your body giving a negative result. Laura was sent from the surgery straight to the Coombe Hospital for a full check-up, recalling: 'I did the maths that's more than seven months pregnant. 'I've no bump, no morning sickness, no feeling of any movement. I thought "this has to be a mix-up". She is clearly not a very good doctor.' She had an ultrasound scan and the news finally sunk in when she heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time: 'I thought s*** I can't believe I am pregnant. 'I was in complete shock. I couldn't believe this was happening to me.' Laura, who had been with her partner Luke for two years by April 2015 is still with him now, it was after Christmas that she first started noticing she wasn't feeling well. She was feeling bloated with her hands and feet swelling and her energy was waning. The film student didn't have any traditional signs of pregnancy - no bump, no morning sickness, missed periods - and thought her lack of energy and swollen limbs was down to terminal cancer 'I started not to feel right, in college instead of studying I started to Google my symptoms. I feel heavy, but I don't have the balls to stand on the scales so I ask Luke if I've put on weight.' Luke, who works in a bank, says in the radio documentary: 'Maybe I thought you had put on a little bit of weight, but it just looked like Christmas turkey weight.' By March 2015 Laura thought she was pregnant: 'But I was still having my period and not having any morning sickness.' Laura, who was studying film and broadcasting at Dublin Institute of Technology at the time, was told that her bump measured at 17 weeks but the baby's femur length was measuring 37 weeks. Her parents were speechless when Laura broke the news to them and Luke was equally stunned. 'I felt the myself collapsing and the world was spinning, and I asked how far along she was and much time we had, I couldn't get over the shock of it,' Luke said. Laura had to break the shocking news to her parents after she learned that she was 37 weeks pregnant and set to welcome her first child within a matter of weeks Doctors later explained that the reason the bump was so small was because the fetus grew behind her placenta which was also why she could not feel the baby kicking inside her womb. Laura was back at Coombe hospital when waters broke and her contractions began less than a month later. She was in labour for 18 hours and gave birth to her son Finn. 'Three weeks earlier I was thinking about a holiday me and Luke were planning, now we're not having a holiday, but a baby. 'I'm going to meet this little person who's been hiding from me for all these months.' Three years later, the mother-of-one, who still lives with her parents, is planning on going back to college to study teaching. Laura says she couldn't imagine life without him: 'Five years ago I would never have imagined my life like this. 'But all I can say is I can't remember a world without Finn, and I certainly don't ever want to live in one without him.' Laura Molloy's full RTE Radio One documentary 'The Announcement' is available to listen now She is nearing the end of her annual summer break in Balmoral. And the Queen was joined by a very special guest in the form of her grandson's wife Autumn Phillips as she attended a service at Crathie Kirk Church, Aberdeenshire, on Sunday. Her Majesty, 92, and Princess Anne's daughter-in-law were also joined by Charles, Camilla and Prime Minister Theresa May. The monarch looked resplendent in an electric blue coat teamed with a wide-brimmed hat as she sped through the Highland countryside. Leading the convoy, she was closely followed by Theresa May and her husband Philip - although the Duke of Edinburgh, who last year retired from public duties, was nowhere to be seen. Scroll down for video The Queen and Princess Anne's daughter Autumn, right, were also joined by Charles, Camilla and Prime Minister Theresa May at Crathie Kirk on Sunday Charles and Camilla, who are believed to have travelled up from London this weekend, followed closely behind (pictured) The Queen was closely followed by Theresa May and her husband Philip, pictured - although the Duke of Edinburgh, who last year retired from public duties, was nowhere to be seen The Queen appeared to be in good spirits as she smiled at onlookers during the rare public outing. Crathie Kirk lies next door to Balmoral Castle, just on the edge of the royal estate, and the Queen is a regular presence at services during her annual holiday. Charles and Camilla also have a home, Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate and have been spending time with the monarch over the past few weeks. Last week, the Prince of Wales attended a glitzy black tie do in London where he was presented with GQ's Lifetime Achievement Award For Services To Philanthropy at the magazine's Men Of The Year Awards. Autumn, right, was smartly dressed in a maroon coat and smart black hat as she joined the Queen for a service at Crathie Kirk, Aberdeenshire on Sunday. The Queen is expected to return to London from her annual break in Balmoral in the coming weeks Queen of fashion! The monarch looked resplendent in an electric blue coat teamed with a wide-brimmed hat which was adorned with black flowers as she sped through the Aberdeenshire countryside, joined by her grandson's wife Autumn and eldest son Charles Family tradition: Queen Victoria began worshipping at the church in 1848 and every British monarch since has worshipped there while staying at nearby Balmoral Castle While the Queen wore an eye-catching blue ensemble, Autumn (right) was dressed in maroon. Since Queen Victoria, every British monarch since has worshipped at Crathie Kirk while staying at nearby Balmoral Castle Last year the Queen departed for Balmoral in mid July and did not end her annual Highland summer holiday until the first week in October. Her Majesty's last official public engagements were on 13th and 14th July, when she welcomed overseas visitors - most notably President Donald Trump - to Windsor castle. Queen Victoria began worshipping at the Aberdeenshire church in 1848 and every British monarch since has worshipped there while staying at nearby Balmoral Castle. An ambitious acro yoga loving couple have propelled themselves to Instagram-stardom by inspiring more than 626,000 followers with their sensational moves. Spectacular images and video clips show the flexible pair carefully executing a series of high-flying moves including the flag, mermaid and scorpion poses under the watchful eye of their golden retriever. Other stunning clips show the pair practicing on the beach under a beautiful rainbow. The incredible pictures show Hannah GypsyOn, 29, and her partner Pablo Frost, 29, from Austin, Texas. The couple have been practicing together ever since they first met at an acro yoga festival in March last year. In love: Hannah GypsyOn and Pablo Frost have amassed a huge Instagram following thanks to their phenomenal yoga poses Famous! The 29-year-olds first met at a yoga festival in March last year and have been together ever since Beautiful: Hannah posts the majority of their yoga pictures on her Instagram account, which currently has just over 626,000 followers Picturesque: The duo work together in perfect harmony in order to complete different balancing poses 'Pablo and I both have similar philosophies on the benefits of acro yoga other than the more obvious physical strength and body awareness you are building,' said Hannah. Alike: Hannah says that she and Pablo have similar philosophies about the benefits of acro yoga and this helped them to connect 'Especially in the western world where men don't hug and touch and can seem an uninvited guest, we both found solace in connecting with utter strangers so quickly and in a form of safe touch. 'Well, it's still summer here in Austin and Texas heat is like no other so we've been practicing a lot more indoors. 'We like to practice outdoors though, at parks, or just if we see a cool mural in the city to snap a photo. 'The other day we did a hand to hand on the whole foods escalator. That was pretty challenging. 'In my images, you can see a connection. Pablo and I are very similar and come from the same place on most big issues. Family: The couple also regularly features their dog in pictures Closeness: Hannah believes that their special connection translates in their images and videos, which has helped to boost their popularity Hard work: The couple practices together for four hours a day Playtime: Hannah explained that the couple tries to make their yoga practice fun Shock: The couple says that people will often turn around and look at them in shock when they are out in public doing yoga together 'If we don't, then he's been one of the few people to make me think, "Wow, that's also true," therefore, shifting my perspective. I think our connection translates to video and film.' The couple practice together for at least an hour a day but Hannah says that she has no idea how many poses they have perfected and insists that communication is the key to their success. 'You not only have to be able to communicate what you need but also listen to what your partner needs and you must to do so in a way that no one feels put down or belittled,' she added. 'We all are too hard on ourselves and take things too seriously, myself included. Acro yoga is about playtime. Don't think about if you are doing something "right" at first, as long as it doesn't hurt, play with your partner and see what you can come up with. 'People love acro, I remember being in the park in Medellin with my training partner at the time and although I was practicing fairly advanced arm balances, he did one acro move with someone and it seemed like the whole park turned in awe.' Gisela Getty has broken her silence on her late husband John Paul Getty III for the first time - claiming that her own kidnapping played a key role in him being taken hostage by the Roman mafia in 1973. The 69-year-old German-born filmmaker said she was held captive along with her twin sister Jutta Winkelmann by mafia boss Ciambellone, after a 16-year-old John Paul tried unsuccessfully to stage his own capture. In an interview with the Sunday Times, ahead of the release of the BBC drama Trust based on the scandal, Gisela, said that she was held captive for two days by mafia members who threatened her with rape and death. Just a few weeks after she and her sister escaped the terrifying ordeal, the teenager who she would later marry was taken himself and disappeared for five months. He returned minus an ear after his family had initially refused to pay the $17 million (13 million) ransom demanded by his mafia captors. John Paul Getty III's wife Gisela Getty, pictured with him and her children in 1975, has spoken for the first time about her life with the infamous kidnapping victim and what really happened in the scandal Gisela, pictured left in 2003, has broken her silence about the Getty family and how Paul Getty's kidnapping affected the rest of his life. John Paul Getty III was kidnapped in 1973 and held captive for five months, tortured by having his ear removed (right, in 2003) Gisela believes that Paul had become embroiled drug hustling with the mafia, along with his close friend Marcello Crisi, which meant he was unable to get out of the kidnapping plan. 'I think Paul abandoned the idea, but he was already so involved that he could not get out,' she said. 'They probably said to Paul, "You cannot leave the mafia, you have to keep your word". I think he was taken against his will, against his wishes. Gisela and twin Jutta ran in the same circles as Paul after she moved to Rome to pursue a film making career alongside her sister. Their lives became entangled when they moved into Paul's home in Italy, where he stayed after being kicked out of school, and began discussing ways in which they could make a 'better world'. Jean Paul Getty III with his wife Gisela (nee Gisela Zacher) and their two children, Balthazar Getty as a baby and Anna Getty, her daughter from a previous marriage They wanted to use the Getty family billions to set up a think-tank paradise using his father John Paul Getty II's pleasure palace in Morocco as their base, 'put LSD in the water supply' and 'push change forward'. To build their new world, Gisela, who is mother to actor Balthazar Getty and daughter Anna from a previous marriage, explained to the Sunday supplement that Paul's idea was to fake his kidnap. She admitted they were very naive, telling The Times: 'We wanted to do something better with the money than they did - to make a better world, but it got us into very deep waters. When the mafia became involved, however, it was Gisela and her sister whose lives came under threat. They had been told by mafia boss Ciambellone he wanted to invest in a film they were making but he lured them into a trap. After two days Paul tried to rescue them and they ultimately managed to break free from themselves, leaving the teenager paranoid that they were being followed. Gisela believes that Paul was never able to get over the trauma of the kidnapping and turned to drugs and alcohol, a dangerous cocktail which he consumed in 1981 leading to a massive stroke which left him quadriplegic and in a wheelchair. He later died in 2011 in Buckinghamshire Sir John Paul Getty Jr (right) - who had been cut off from his family fortune - asked his father for the money. The boy's grandfather J Paul Getty (right) was worth close to $2 billion thanks to his oil fortune at the time, but refused to pay any ransom Weeks later Paul disappeared when members of the Italian mafia grabbed him off the street on July 10, 1973 as he returned home from a night out with friends. He was thrown in the back of the van and taken 300 miles south to the mountains of Calabria, with his captors soon informing the teenager's family that the boy would be safely returned after they paid a $17 million (13 million) ransom. The boy's mother, Gail Harris, and father, J. Paul Getty Jr, had been cut off from the family fortune, and so they asked J. P Getty if he would be willing to cover the amount of money demanded by the kidnappers. At the time, J. Paul Getty was worth a little less than $2 billion (1.5 million), making him not only the richest man in the world but also the wealthiest man in history. That is when the shocking incident took the most bizarre twist of all, with J Paul Getty refusing the pay the ransom money. Paul and Gisela's marriage eventually broke down, she believes he never was able to get over the trauma of the kidnapping and the fallout with his family. Gisela pictured in 2003 at the wedding of her daughter Anna Getty John Paul Getty III was brought up in Rome where his father John Paul Getty Jnr was running the familys oil business. His parents separated when he was eight and his father moved to England, but John Paul remained in Rome with his mother. Before going missing, John Paul had apparently joked about faking his own kidnapping when he needed money, so members of his family initially took the ransom note to be a scam sent by him. He is said to have spent five months in captivity, mainly in a cave, and when his ear was severed the wound became infected and he caught pneumonia as winter set in. He was found at a petrol station after the ransom or $2.2 million (around 8.5 million in today's money) was finally paid, and two members of a Calabrian Mafia organisation were later jailed for the crime. Paul and Gisela's marriage eventually broke down, and she believes he never was able to move on from the trauma of the kidnapping and the fallout with his family. It was some years later that a cocktail of drugs and alcohol led to a stroke in 1981 that left him quadriplegic, partially blind and unable to speak. He died in 2011, in Buckinghamshire. Spain's royal family continued their tour of Covadonga this weekend with a bracing trek up a mountain. King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their two daughters were dressed in their country casuals as they soaked up the the stunning scenery in the Picos de Europa mountains on Saturday. Princess Leonor, 12, and Princess Sofia, 11, looked to be enjoying the last of the summer sun as they joined their parents on a trek up to the Lagos de Covadonga viewpoint. The glamorous queen consort, 45, looked effortlessly chic in brown slacks and an oversized white shirt, teamed with a pair of sneakers. Queen Letizia of Spain is joined by her youngest daughter, Princess Sofia of Spain, part of the centenary celebrations for the creation of the National Park of Covadonga's Mountain The royal family pose for a photo with children wearing traditional Asturian dress. Princess Leonor, 12, and Princess Sofia, 11, looked to be enjoying the last of the summer sun While her daughters were dressed in matching pleated shirts, Sofia in pink and her older sister in cream. The family were there to celebrate the 13th centenary of the Kingdom of Asturias, a stunning region in the northwest of Spain known for its dramatic coastal landscape and medieval architecture. Fresh from their annual summer break in Palma, Mallorca, they looked to be in excellent spirits, smiling and waving at onlookers as they explored the National Park of the Mountain of Covadonga. Earlier on Saturday, they visited nearby Santa Cueva where they were greeted by the President of the Principality of Asturias, Javier Fernandez, as well as a group of other dignitaries. Letizia and Felipe VI pose for a snap with their two adorable daughters. The family were there to celebrate the 13th centenary of the Kingdom of Asturias, a stunning region in the northwest of Spain known for its dramatic coastal landscape and medieval architecture All the gear: The family, who are not thought to be frequent hikers, were equipped with hiking poles as they explored the stunning mountainous region of Covadonga on Saturday Letizia is joined by daughters Leonor, left and Sofia, right. Earlier on Saturday, they visited nearby Santa Cueva where they were greeted by the President of the Principality of Asturias, Javier Fernandez, as well as a group of other dignitaries Letizia enjoys a trek with her daughters. Fresh from their annual summer break in Palma, Mallorca, the family of four looked to be in excellent spirits Breath of fresh air: Clearly enjoying their time in the countryside, the family smiled and waved at onlookers as they explored the National Park of the Mountain of Covadonga Daddy duties: One photographer captured this sweet moment between Felipe and daughter Leonor, as the pair fist-bumped (left), before sharing a cuddle (right) Royal cuddles: King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princess Leonor of Spain carry a baby during 13th centenary celebrations for the the creation of the National Park of Covadonga's Mountain In demand: The royal family were greeted by huge crowds wherever they went, with the two young princesses stopping to speak to onlookers (left); Letizia and Sofia (right) The family were smartly dressed for their tour of the Covadonga region, with Letizia stunning in a crimson dress while her two young daughters wore tweed (pictured with Leonor) They then explored the mountainous tunnels and visited the Don Pelayo burial ground before moving onto the stunning Basilica of Santa Maria la Real de Covandonga for a Eucharist mass. The royals then moved onto the Basilica suqare to watch a performance by the Banda de Gaitas de Cangas de Onis. They were presented with a floral offering by two children dressed in traditional Asturian costumes. Later they visited Capitular House where the president of the Principality of Asturias presented them with gifts. A Cornish seafood restaurant with a 'refreshing lack of pomp' and a Michelin star eatery in Wales serving 19 course meals are among the UK's top ten restaurants, according to The Good Food Guide 2018. The Waitrose & Partners annual guide has awarded the top spot to Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall for the second year running, praising the eatery for its 'ingenious' yet simple seafood menu. Additionally, Chef Nathan has achieved a perfect cooking score of 10 for the third year in a row, thanks to dishes such as raw scallops with peas and mint and John Dory, with hazelnuts and red wine dressing. Cumbria's L'Enclume, came in second place and also retained its perfect ten with Clare Smyth's restaurant Core in Notting Hill in third place, the guide's highest ever new entry with a third score of 10. The prestigious list recognises the very best talent in the country and restaurants are ranked by a cooking score, editor appraisal and feedback from readers. Read on to discover the UK's top five restaurants of 2018. The restaurant awarded the top spot in The Good Food Guide for the second year running is Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall The Good Food Guide's top British restaurants of 2018 1. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall The Port Isaac seafood restaurant has been crowned number one thanks to Nathan's 'confident cooking' and 'knack for deploying first-rate seafood to its ultimate advantage', scoring a perfect ten for the third year running. The restaurant is noted for having 'a refreshing lack of pomp' with a tasting menu that is 'ingenious in its simplicity, yet continues to surprise'. Waitrose & Partners Good Food Guide Editor, Elizabeth Carter noted: 'This is the perfect Good Food Guide restaurant, embodying everything we champion. Expect cooking that is consistently of the highest quality combining the freshest ingredients, from shellfish and fish from sea and estuary, to locally grown fruits and vegetables.' Commenting on being crowned the GFG's No.1 restaurant yet again, Nathan Outlaw said: 'Learning that we had been placed in the top spot last year and retained a cooking score of 10/10 from the previous year was amazing, but this is just mind-blowing. 'My aim has always been to offer customers food cooked simply but with subtle layers of flavour and to make a visit an experience to remember, for not only the food, but also for the professional and welcoming hospitality our Front of House team provide' Scallops with creamed corn at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw which has been named the UK's best dining establishment for the second year running 2. Restaurant L'Enclume in Cumbria The restaurant which prides itself on providing seasonal food sourced locally has retained last year's score of ten. The guide comments that 'L'Enclume delivers a complete package, with unobtrusive but attentive service that underscores the impressive food and drink', noting that chef Simon Rogan 'has achieved something of a miracle. His farm-to-table operation has influenced chefs right across the country and the guide writes that it's 'beyond dispute that British food owes him a lot'. Diners can expect dishes such as aged veal in coal oil; native lobster with broad beans and elderflower, and Goosnargh duck with cherries and smoked beetroot. Restaurant L'Enclume in Cumbria has come runner-up in the list of the top 50, retaining its perfect 10 score for the second year running thanks to dishes such as spiced poached rhubarb, apple & marigold leaves and rhubarb mousse The farm-to-table operation has influenced chefs right across the country and the guide writes that it's 'beyond dispute that British food owes chef Simon Rogan a lot' The guide comments that 'L'Enclume delivers a complete package, with unobtrusive but attentive service that underscores the impressive food and drink', noting that chef Simon Rogan 'has achieved something of a miracle 3. Restaurant Core in Notting Hill, London Clare Smyth's restaurant Core - her first solo venture- is the Guide's highest ever new entry. She appears in the top 10 at No.3 and receives a perfect cooking score of 10, joining Restaurant Nathan Outlaw and Simon Rogan's L'Enclume. Absent from the Guide for two years, Smyth, who previously headed the kitchens at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, is back with a smash hit. Diners will be treated to a 13-course tasting menu, featuring dishes such as jellied eel, toasted seaweed and malt vinegar and Skate with Morecambe bay shrimps, Swiss chard and brown butter. Pan roasted wild halibut is served with charcoal grilled and pickled kohlrabis, clams and clam sabayon at Clare Smyth's restaurant Core - her first solo venture Clare Smyth's restaurant Core in London's upscale Notting Hill- her first solo venture- is the Guide's highest ever new entry Absent from the Guide for two years, Smyth, who previously headed the kitchens at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, is back with a smash hit 4. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham The eponymous restaurant of Satwant Singh 'Sat' Bains boasts two Michelin stars. He opened Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms in 2002 and a year later it became Nottingham's first Michelin star restaurant. In 2006 it won the AA's Restaurant of the Year for England and in 2009 the restaurant received the AA's highest accolade of five rosettes. It offers a seven-course tasting menu for 95, with dishes such as smoked eel with apple, turnip, seaweed and Manjimup truffle and glazed veal sweetbread with celeriac, remoulade and thyme. Hay roasted Veal sweetbread with Celeriac, remoulade, pickled truffle puree and chicken jus at Sat Bains in Nottingham Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham boasts two Michelin stars and has been named the fourth best restaurant in the UK Chef Satwant Singh 'Sat' Bains opened Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms in 2002 and a year later it was Nottingham's first Michelin star dining establishment 5. Restaurant Ynyshir in Powys, Wales (with Chef Of The Year Gareth Ward) Another new entry to the top 10 is Ynyshir in Powys, whose chef Gareth Ward has been given the Editors' Award for Chef of the Year. The restaurant has climbed seven places in the Top 50 since last year, from twelfth place to fifth. Gareth is commended in the Guide, with Elizabeth Carter saying: 'I was as impressed by the sheer enthusiasm and skill as by the fiercely seasonal Welsh produce which Gareth Ward's industrious kitchen bakes, pickles, ferments, cures and bottles. 'He delivers flavour in small punchy bites. Eighteen courses later, I predict you'll be in complete agreement that this is one of our most brilliant, innovative chefs'. Restaurant Ynyshir in Powys, Wales, comes in at four with the Chef Of The Year award going to Gareth Ward Gareth Ward's 200 day aged Welsh wagyu with BBQ-wasabi and beer dressing A man needed to be fitted with a pacemaker because of his dangerous habit of drinking 15 pints of beer each day. The unidentified patient, 68, was told he had 'irreversible' damage to his heart that was caused by low levels of sodium. Doctors in Malta gave him a pacemaker after attempts to correct his sodium levels did little to correct his atrioventricular block - which leads to a low heart rate. The tale, one of the first to show beer potomania can cause 'irreversible' problems, was published in the prestigious BMJ Case Reports. The unidentified patient, from Malta, was told he had 'irreversible' damage to his heart and dangerously low levels of sodium The life-threatening condition is often triggered when patients drink large amounts of beer and eat little food - slashing their sodium intake. This then means they get insufficient amounts of solutes and are unable to urinate out the beer. The excess fluid can damage cells. Patients then can develop hyponatremia, abnormally low levels of sodium. Beer is known to be low in the mineral, which plays a crucial role in the body. The man, who was treated at the Mater Dei Hospital - near the capital Valletta, had been skipping meals and had bouts of vomiting, doctors said. WHAT IS BEER POTOMANIA? Beer potomania, which is caused by drinking too much beer and having low levels of sodium, was identified in 1971. Free water clearance requires an adequate daily intake of solutes, doctors at Malta's Mater Dei Hospital wrote in the BMJ Case Reports. 'Beer is very poor in solute content,' they added. 'Hence, in patients with excessive beer intake and poor solute intake, there is a low solute load presented to the kidneys and thus free water excretion is impaired leading to the dilutional hyponatraemia.' Advertisement The patient was in an 'obtunded state' and his relatives declared he had consumed 15 pints of beer everyday for months. He had already been admitted to hospital intoxicated a month before, where medics discovered no problems with his heart rate. A CT scan during his latest visit revealed a low heart rate, which was being caused by an atrioventricular block that had never appeared previously. Doctors made the decision to give him a temporary pacemaker and he was admitted to intensive care for sodium correction. The AV block persisted - despite the fact the sodium levels improved to 130mmol/L, doctors wrote in the journal. Patients should have sodium levels between 135 and 145mmol/L. Before hospital treatment, his sodium levels sat at 98mmol/L. The patient then underwent a permanent pacemaker insertion because of his AV block. Doctors, led by Dr Simon Mifsud, wrote in the journal: 'This case is noteworthy as the AV block persisted, despite correction of serum sodium concentration.' Julie Ward, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation said: '15 pints of beer a day is certainly classed as excessive drinking, but as well as the amount we drink, its important to consider our drinking patterns. 'Even if you havent drunk alcohol Monday to Friday, that doesnt mean you can have a weeks worth on Saturday! 'Excess alcohol intake can damage your heart health so we recommend you stick to the national guidelines of no more than 14 units per week, this applies to both men and women.' A type of blue clay found only in the ground in the US state of Oregon could be used to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria. Scientists say the unusual soil can kill bacteria which are difficult to destroy using drugs, and could help fight infections in humans. Diarrhoea bug E.coli and hospital superbug MRSA could both be in the firing line as scientists managed to kill them with the clay in a lab. Clay is already commonly used in skin treatments like face masks, and for their study the scientists mixed it with liquid to test its antibacterial properties. The researchers say their findings are an 'important advance' in exploring new ways to fight infections as increasing numbers become resistant to medicine. The blue clay, which is found only in the US state of Oregon could have antibacterial properties that could kill bacteria resistant to drugs, scientists say (pictured: a researchers digging up the clay) Experts from Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic say Oregon blue clay could help medics to fight disease-causing bacteria in wounds. In lab studies they found applying the clay to samples of infectious bacteria killed them off. These included E.coli, Staphylococcus infections and MRSA, which is immune to most common antibiotics including penicillin and amoxicillin. The use of clay could provide a new way forward for scientists who are searching for ways to overcome spreading antibiotic resistance. Experts have warned even simple infections could become deadly if traditional medicines stop working. Blue clay can kill hard-to-get sticky bacteria 'This study is an important advance in understanding how clays, specifically blue clay from Oregon, have shown medicinal properties by attaching to bacteria,' said Enriqueta Barrera, from the National Science Foundation which funded the research. As well as killing individual bacteria the clay could also destroy bacteria which become biofilms, which are created when bacteria stick together such as in dental plaque. These can be especially difficult to get rid of because they create a protective coating, according to the researchers, but are found in two thirds of infections. 'These results support efforts to design new drugs' Arizona State University's Lynda Williams said: 'We showed that these clays diminish populations of bacterial biofilms as well as bacteria common in wounds that are more resistant to drugs. 'The results support our efforts to design new antibacterial drugs using natural clays.' The scientists say it is early days for the research and more studies need to be done, but the results are promising. Robin Patel from Mayo Clinic added: 'We showed that this reduced iron-bearing clay can kill some strains of bacteria under the laboratory conditions used, including bacteria grown as biofilms, which can be particularly challenging to treat.' The team's findings appear in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. Why BJP will win 2019 Elections? New Delhi, Sun, 09 Sep 2018 Deepak Kumar Today we are going to dig the 10 reasons which will help BJP in winning 2019 elections with majority. During 2014 elections BJP elected Amit Shah as BJP party president and party won 2014 general elections in Amit Shash guidance. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to extend the tenure of party president Amit Shah until 2019 general elections in national executive meeting in New Delhi. Now BJP will fight 2019 elections under the leadership of party president Amit Shah. We are exploring the main factor which will give and edge to BJP in 2019 elections. These factors will play a major role in 2019 Elections and help BJP in wining 2019 elections with majority. Let's see 'Why BJP will win 2019 Elections?' 1. BJP Social Media Team BJP has a big team of social meida experts who will use the power of social media tools to spread the BJP voice among Internet user around the world. BJP will use these powerful medium to spread the work of BJP and make people aware of BJP work done by its party in recent years for the development of people. This will affect the election result in a big way in 2019. Social media and Social media tools will help BJP in winning 2019 general elections. 2. Hindutva Hindutva is way of life in India; its influencing the society of world and its roots lies in harmony. BJP is the only party which thinks about the Hindu society. Large number of Hindu voters are supporting BJP and casting their votes for BJP. BJP will be benefitted with these voters and this will help in wining 2019 elections. 3. Party Spoke persons and top politicians Official spokes person and the top leaders of any party play important role in spreading the voice of party among people of society. Almost all the leaders of BJP are best speakers in the politics and they can properly convince people in the society.The main role of these leaders is to properly communicate their work on various platform including debates, elections campaigns, people to people meeting and in large election rally. BJP will be benefited with these leaders to communicate information with the general public in a better way. PM Narendra Modi, Sushma Swaraj, Sambit Patra, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath are among the top leaders in BJP. All these factors will help BJP in getting majority in 2019 elections. 4. BJP President Amit Shah BJP won 2014 election with high majority and formed Government. For these elections Amit Shah was elected as president of BJP for directing the party in the election. In the year 2019 Amit Shah will be president of BJP. Party will fight for election under the guidance of BJP President Amit Shah. The major challenge for Amit Shah is to win 2019 election for BJP, Amit Shah will handle the elections campaigns for BJP. Amit Shah factor is also very important for BJP and this will help BJP in winning 2019 election with majority. 5. Unorganized Opposition All the opposition political parties are united against BJP and their one goal is to stop Modi from becoming PM in 2019. Opposition political should work towards the development of country but they are work towards stopping BJP. They still have not selected any face for PM, and just fighting against modi. This shows the weakness of opposition. Weak opposition is also a good sign for BJP and there are high chances of winning 2019 elections by BJP. 6. Weak Opposition leader There is no powerful leader in opposition and this is good for BJP. This gives an edge to BJP and chances of winning of 2019 election for BJP are very high. 7. BJP as organized powerful party BJP is well organized and largest party in the country with more than 8 crore members. Large number of BJP workers and its members are the strength of the party. The huge workforce will help in election campaign in 2019 to make BJP successful in 2019 elections. 8. BJP work In past 4 years BJP worked hard to make India better and powerful country. BJP won 2019 election on the development agenda. Modi led BJP Government worked towards development of the country and many development programs were started by this Government. Top development programs are Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala Yojana, and Construction of roads in villages. These works of BJP will speak in the election and help PM Modi to win 2019 elections for BJP. 9. News Channels News Channels will also play an important role in 2019 elections. These channels are organizing debates in prime time and invites political parties to debate on various topics. BJP will take advantage of these debates and promote their work among the people. So, chances of winning 2019 elections by BJP are very high and Narendra Modi will be again elected for second term if BJP wins 2019 elections. --Deepak Kumar Patient simulators are used to give healthcare workers realistic training models They can imitate seizures, coughing fits and fainting, as well as be made to bleed The dolls are the size of a six-foot man who weighs 70kg and is 40 to 50 years old A factory in Russia is making eerie lifelike robot dolls for medical students to practise on. The patient simulation dolls are designed to look like and mimic humans so doctors and nurses can train for various situations. Made in the city of Kazan, the devices can imitate real ill people by coughing, screaming, bleeding, urinating, and having seizures. The company building them says the sophisticated healthcare simulators are the 'highest standard of realism'. And they will be used to educate the next generation of medics about how to treat people suffering anything from a heart attack to a cut on their arm. A factory in Kazan, Russia, makes the patient simulators so training medics can practise on life-like models which are the same size as real people A company named Eidos Medicine is building the simulators as part of a project by the Skolkovo Innovation Centre. Their main purpose is to give a lifelike model on which to practise resuscitation and intensive care, which would be difficult to replicate in real patients. The robot patients are built to resemble a man 40 to 50 years of age, who weighs 70kg and is 183cm (six feet) tall. They can blink and leak fluids to simulate sweating, crying or bleeding, and have life-like joint movements. The manikins plug into advanced computers and technology so people can measure the simulated effects of the treatment they're giving Called the ENSIM RAN, the simulators are made by a company called Eidos Medicine (Pictured: spare parts for the hands, which can move and flex like real joints) Factory workers assemble the simulators in the Eidos Medicine factory in Kazan, Russia, a city approximately 1,000km to the east of Moscow The simulators can be used to practise intubation of breathing or feeding tubes, and can wheeze to imitate real symptoms Student doctors can also use the simulators to learn how to do things which could be unpleasant if they got them wrong on human models, such as putting in urinary catheters and giving injections. Realistic simulators like these are used in healthcare training around the world because they give students a lifelike training experience The eerie dolls can be modified to have serious injuries on the head or limbs and to bleed, so medics can be taught how to treat trauma wounds The ENSIM RAN robots can scream, cough and have seizures, as well as being able to leak fluids out of the eyes, nose, mouth and genitals The robot patients are built to resemble a man 40 to 50 years of age, who weighs 70kg and is 183cm (six feet) tall And particularly detailed features include a heartbeat pulse in 12 different places on the body, the ability for the lips and fingers to turn blue, and the imitation of different types of seizures. CPR, defibrillator training and intubation can all be practised on the dolls, which are named the ENSIM RAN. Student doctors can also use the simulators to learn how to do things which could be unpleasant if they got them wrong on human models, such as putting in urinary catheters and giving injections. When the ENSIM RAN simulates lung problems it can wheeze, cough and faint. Dolls similar to these are used routinely in healthcare training because they give students a lifelike training experience. Baffled doctors were forced to invent a lasso-like tool to remove a 23-inch (60cm) dildo firmly lodged inside a man. The concerned 31-year-old, from Italy, went to hospital after he couldn't remove the massive sex toy, which had been stuck for 24 hours. Medics in Milan were unable to get the rubber dildo out using standard methods, complaining it was too big and smooth. After scratching their heads, the team crafted a new tool that worked like a lasso to catch the end of the dildo and drag it out, which proved successful. The concerned 31-year-old, from Italy, went to hospital after he couldn't remove the massive sex toy (pictured, the long object running up the right of the scan) The patient visited the emergency unit of the ASST Great Metropolitan Hospital in Niguarda, a district of Milan. He told medics he had placed the dildo into his rectum the day before, and said it was 'not removable by hand'. Upon questioning, he admitted he was suffering mild abdominal pain - but had no other worrying symptoms. An X-ray revealed a 23 inch (60cm) object in his colon, according to the bizarre tale published in BMJ Case Reports. Consultants then referred him to the hospital's endoscopy unit, to allow surgeons the chance of removing the dildo. Writing in the journal, medics led by Dr Lorenzo Dioscoridi said: 'Several standard attempts with different extraction devices were made.' After scratching their heads, the team in Milan crafted a new tool that worked like a lasso to catch the end of the dildo and drag it out SEX TOYS FOR THE ANUS: ARE THEY SAFE? There are a range of sexual toys designed specifically for the anus of men and women available on the market. This is because the anus is much more sensitive and requires smoother objects to enter it for stimulation. All objects designed for anal sex also have a flared base which prevents it from ever getting sucked inside by the anus' very strong muscles. But people have long experimented with different objects in their anus, which risk their health. In an online forum, doctors warn that anal masturbation with appropriate toys or fingers is fine, but other objects can tear tissue and even lead to a perforated colon. Other doctors warn of an anal sphincter injury leading to incontinence. Dr Michael Brady, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, previously said: 'Sex toys and other objects can be a safe and enjoyable part of a healthy sex life but its important to use common sense when choosing an object. 'Anything with sharp edges or made of glass can shatter and tear the internal lining, which can cause injury and infections, as well as giving viruses an easier route into the body. 'Anything that is inserted into the body should be smooth, non-fragile and easily retrievable.' Advertisement A 50mm polypectomy's snare - a wire loop device used to chop off abnormal tissue growths called polyps - was also ineffective. Dr Dioscoridi and colleagues said the technique didn't work because of the 'rigidity, the smoothness and the large size of the foreign body'. Forceps and a wire-guided dilation balloon - another common method - failed because of the 'hard consistence' of the dildo. Usually, surgery is the only remaining option to remove foreign bodies that are stuck. But the new technique may change that. After all their attempts, the medics built a 'home-made' snare, designed to hook onto the dildo and drag it back out of the man's rectum. In the journal they wrote: 'We finally succeeded in the endoscopic extraction of the device, catching the distal edge of the dildo with this guidewire lasso. 'This device showed a technical advantage as compared with ordinary polypectomy snares, due to its much higher stiffness.' Dr Dioscoridi said this made it possible to detach the colonic wall from the dildo and 'effectively pull the object'. The medics said the new technique may be a 'valid option' to remove large foreign bodies from the colon and rectum when standard methods for extraction fail. The patient was allowed home on the same day of the procedure. He reported no lasting symptoms a month later. He wrote a thank you note for the consultants for solving his 'embarrassing problem' without having to resort to surgery. The new case comes after a drunk British man last year perforated his bowel after inserting an 'unusually large' 30-inch (77cm) dildo in his anus. The patient, whose name is unknown, used the bendy object for sexual gratification when he was drunk, according to the BMJ Case Report. Doctors at the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust revealed he 'lost control' of the toy because he was intoxicated. Thousands of children born each year by IVF could be at risk of serious heart problems in later life, a study suggests. Scientists found signs of 'premature vascular aging' in children as young as 11 who had been conceived as a result of fertility treatment. And by the age of 16 IVF children were six times more likely to have high blood pressure - a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. The scientists believe how embryos are fertilised and manipulated before they are implanted into a woman's uterus may cause small genetic changes that affect a baby's heart and circulatory system. They warn that the soaring use of IVF 'may have come at a price' for many children, who could suffer cardiovascular disease as a result. Thousands of children born each year by IVF may be at risk of heart problems later on (stock) Children conceived via IVF have higher blood pressure readings Researchers from University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland, tracked 54 seemingly healthy children who had been born via IVF, and compared them to 43 children born naturally. They found at age 11 and 12 the IVF children had a 25 per cent narrower brachial artery - the major blood vessel in the arm - and their arteries had thicker walls. The team then tracked the children for five years. At the age of 16 and 17 the IVF children were far more likely to have developed high blood pressure. They had an average blood pressure of 120/71, compared to 116/69 for the teenagers who had been conceived naturally. Crucially, eight of those conceived via IVF had developed 'hypertension' - the medical term for high blood pressure, involving a reading of more than 130/80. Only one of the teenagers conceived naturally had hypertension. Scientists warn the soaring use of IVF 'may have come at a price' for many children (stock) IVF may 'come at a price' The study bolsters the results of previous research which found mice born to IVF had heart problems. The scientists, writing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said: 'Assisted reproductive technology has allowed millions of infertile couples to have children. 'However, this success may have come at a price.' They said they had taken into account the health of the mother during pregnancy, and therefore believe 'the cardiovascular alterations are related to the procedure [of IVF] itself'. More than 8million children have been born via IVF since the technology was pioneered in Britain 40 years ago. In the UK alone 20,000 children are born each year using IVF. The scientists said doctors should heed the new 'mechanistic insight' in order to prevent 'cardiovascular risk in the millions of future children expected to be conceived using these methods'. This could involve making sure IVF children do more exercise and eat healthily or giving them statins and other heart drugs from an early age. HOW DOES IVF WORK? In-vitro fertilisation, known as IVF, is a medical procedure in which a woman has an already-fertilised egg inserted into her womb to become pregnant. It is used when couples are unable to conceive naturally, and a sperm and egg are removed from their bodies and combined in a laboratory before the embryo is inserted into the woman. Once the embryo is in the womb, the pregnancy should continue as normal. The procedure can be done using eggs and sperm from a couple or those from donors. Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that IVF should be offered on the NHS to women under 43 who have been trying to conceive through regular unprotected sex for two years. People can also pay for IVF privately, which costs an average of 3,348 for a single cycle, according to figures published in January 2018, and there is no guarantee of success. The NHS says success rates for women under 35 are about 29 per cent, with the chance of a successful cycle reducing as they age. Around eight million babies are thought to have been born due to IVF since the first ever case, British woman Louise Brown, was born in 1978. Chances of success The success rate of IVF depends on the age of the woman undergoing treatment, as well as the cause of the infertility (if it's known). Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy. IVF isn't usually recommended for women over the age of 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are thought to be too low. Between 2014 and 2016 the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was: 29 per cent for women under 35 23 per cent for women aged 35 to 37 15 per cent for women aged 38 to 39 9 per cent for women aged 40 to 42 3 per cent for women aged 43 to 44 2 per cent for women aged over 44 Advertisement IVF raises a child's risk of high blood pressure by six times Study leader Dr Emrush Rexhaj said: 'The increased prevalence of arterial hypertension in assisted reproductive technology participants is what is most concerning. 'There is growing evidence that [IVF] alters the blood vessels in children, but the long-term consequences were not known. 'We now know that this places [these] children at a six times higher rate of hypertension than children conceived naturally.' She added: 'It only took five years for differences in arterial blood pressure to show. 'This is a rapidly growing population and apparently healthy children are showing serious signs of concern for early cardiovascular risk, especially when it comes to arterial hypertension.' Experts last night welcomed the findings. Global heart expert Dr Yutang Wang, of Federation University Australia, said: 'Assisted reproductive technology involve the manipulation of early embryos at a time when they may be particularly vulnerable to external disturbances. 'Therefore, it is not surprising that this could increase individual's susceptibility to some diseases. 'Future research will tell us whether [IVF] increases long-term cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack in humans, and research into methods to minimise such risks are urgently needed.' The pain, swelling and stiffness caused by rheumatoid arthritis could one day be reduced thanks to an injection of 'nanosponges,' a study found. While the breakthrough will not cure the autoimmune disease, it helps manage the condition that affects 1.3 million Americans and 400,000 Britons. The neutrophil 'nanosponges' safely soak up and neutralize a variety of proteins that cause inflammation in the joints, usually of the hands, feet and wrists. In mice, experimental injections of these nanosponges effectively brought severe rheumatoid arthritis under control - and also prevented the disease from developing in those that received shots early enough. Professor Liangfang Zhang at the University of California San Diego cautions that the nanosponge treatment does not eliminate the disease, and we are far from a cure. We are still far away from a cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but the closest relief we've found yet could come in the form of minuscule sponges of biodegradable polymer coated with the cell membranes of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell (illustration pictured) Dr Zhang, of the department of nanoengineering, said: 'We are basically able to manage the disease. It's not completely gone. But swelling is greatly reduced and cartilage damage is minimized.' The team hopes to one day see their work in human clinical trials. The senior author at the university's Jacobs School of Engineering explained: 'Rheumatoid arthritis is a widespread and devastating autoimmune disease characterized by systemic inflammation that causes progressive joint damage and disability. 'The precise cause of rheumatoid arthritis remains elusive, and current treatment primarily targets the inflammatory response. 'Nanosponges are a new paradigm of treatment to block pathological molecules from triggering disease in the body. 'Rather than creating treatments to block a few specific types of pathological molecules, we are developing a platform that can block a broad spectrum of them and this way we can treat and prevent disease more effectively and efficiently.' The new nanosponges are nanoparticles of biodegradable polymer coated with the cell membranes of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. Neutrophils are among the immune system's first responders against invading pathogens. They are also known to play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. When rheumatoid arthritis develops, cells in the joints produce inflammatory proteins called cytokines. Release of cytokines signals neutrophils to enter the joints and once there, cytokines bind to receptors on the neutrophil surfaces, activating them to release more cytokines, which in turn draws more neutrophils to the joints and so on. The nanosponges essentially nip this inflammatory cascade in the bud. By acting as tiny neutrophil decoys, they intercept cytokines and stop them from signalling even more neutrophils to the joints, reducing inflammation and joint damage. And they promise an alternative to current treatments such as some monoclonal antibody drugs which have helped patients manage symptoms of the disease. But they work by neutralizing only specific types of cytokines which is not sufficient to treat the disease because there are so many different types of cytokines and pathological molecules involved. 'Neutralizing just one or two types might not be as effective,' Dr Zhang said. 'So our approach is to take neutrophil cell membranes, which naturally have receptors to bind all these different types of cytokines and use them to manage an entire population of inflammatory molecules.' First author PhD student Qiangzhe Zhang explained: 'This strategy removes the need to identify specific cytokines or inflammatory signals in the process. 'Using entire neutrophil cell membranes, we're cutting off all these inflammatory signals at once.' In mouse models of severe rheumatoid arthritis, injecting nanosponges in inflamed joints led to reduced swelling and protected cartilage from further damage. The nanosponges performed just as well as treatments in which mice were administered a high dose of monoclonal antibodies. The nanosponges also worked as a preventive treatment when administered prior to inducing the disease in another group of mice. The study was published in Nature Nanotechnology. A 38-year-old woman was left with a 'broken heart' after taking part in a Zumba class to raise money for charity. Cardiologists diagnosed the unnamed social worker with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome. The ailment, usually triggered by a horrible shock, such as the death of a loved one, is similar to that of a heart attack and can prove deadly. Doctors in Michigan claimed the only possible cause of her broken heart was Zumba, a class that combines dance moves with Latin music. The unnamed social worker, from Michigan, was left with a broken heart from the outdoor workout, doctors have revealed Writing in the case report, the doctors said: 'Zumba is considered an activity with excessive sympathetic stimulation. 'Our patient did not have one clear trigger for her overt takotsubo cardiomyopathy other than the Zumba activity.' The woman visited Wayne State University School of Medicines emergency department complaining of throbbing chest pain, after taking part in the Zumba workout. Writing in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, a team of medics led by Dr Sana Chams revealed the class was part of a fundraising event. The womans discomfort, which began around two hours after the workout, was typical of exercise-induced chest pain, they said. She also admitted enduring episodes of a fluttery feeling and at times feeling lightheaded - two potential symptoms of a serious heart problem. Dr Chams and colleagues were able to relieve her pain with a drug usually given to patients with angina, chest pain caused by reduced blood flow. The team then thoroughly quizzed the woman about her medical history, in order to determine the root cause of her chest pain. Her notes revealed she had been taking 125mg of spironolactone a drug with pain as a known side effect - each day to combat her excess bodily hair. WHAT IS BROKEN HEART SYNDROME? Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is also known among the medical community as broken heart syndrome and stress-induced cardiomyopathy. The condition usually triggered by a horrible shock, such as the death of a loved one is similar to a heart attack. It occurs when extreme stress causes the heart to become stunned, resulting in one of its main chambers the left ventricle changing shape. It was first identified in Japan the 1990s and the term takotsubo means octopus pot, which describes the deformed shape of the heart. Scientists are still trying to understand exactly how it occurs and why some people are affected and not others. Last year a major project by Swiss researchers found the condition was commonly triggered by happy events as well as sorrow. Advertisement The patient denied any family history of heart disease or illegal drug use, which may have explained her worrying symptoms. Upon further questioning, she admitted to being a former occasional smoker and having drank alcohol socially. The woman also denied having endured any hugely stressful periods in her life and had not been on the receiving end of any major news. But she did state that she never did any kind of exercise except for the activities of daily living, according to the doctors. Dr Chams and colleagues decided to conduct a series of tests on the woman, to see if there was a physical cause of her pain. A echocardiogram showed signs of apical ballooning syndrome, another medical name for takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The condition, which has no known cause, makes the heart weaken, leading it work poorly and triggering symptoms such as chest pain. The patient was eventually diagnosed with the syndrome, first reported in the 1990s, after fulfilling all four of the diagnostic criteria. The woman was given a beta blocker and told to wear a LifeVest, a defibrillator that monitors a patients heart rate externally. A follow-up appointment a month later revealed the woman had no definitive signs of any lasting damage from her broken heart. The British Heart Foundation says up to 15 per cent of people who have experienced takotsubo cardiomyopathy before will have another episode. For Michael Danielson, of San Diego, California, the only thing that gave him relief when he was diagnosed was knowing that he could end it all before he reached the final phase. In May, that was overturned. For now it is temporarily in effect, but being debated Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a brutal disease that kills sufferers by gradually shutting down control of every bodily function. Infecting the nervous system, the incurable disease sets in motion a series of unstoppable events, sometimes swiftly but often slowly over the course of years. Sufferers lose the ability to control muscles needed to talk, walk, chew, hold things, and moves their faces. In the later stages, the disease stops their bowel movements, and their ability to swallow. As anyone with ALS will tell you, it is terrifying, painful, and void of dignity. With no effective treatments there is barely anything to cushion the blow of a doctor delivering the diagnosis. For Michael Danielson, of San Diego, California, the only thing that gave him a glimmer of relief when he discovered that his muscle twitches were a symptom of this terminal disease was knowing that he could end it all before he reached the final phase, since the End of Life Option Act was passed in October 2015. He doesn't want to die, but he would rather go quietly on his own terms. But this year, he says, he has been forced to step onto the soap box to protest for that right, after lawmakers agreed to overturn the ruling in May because it was passed during a loosely connected but, ultimately, unrelated legislative session - something pro-life campaigners say makes the bill unlawful. After some back-and-forth it's been agreed that, for now, it can stay in effect while the bill is reconsidered. It is unclear, though, what lies ahead. Today, the American College of Physicians' medical journal Annals has published a heartwrenching personal essay from Danielson, imploring lawmakers not to keep patients in limbo. '[O]ne of the most comforting aspects was that I was going to be in control of my end. I was relieved to know that I did not have to suffer needlessly and indeterminately,' he writes. 'The End of Life Option Act afforded me and other terminally ill people the optionand that is a very important wordto have dignity and compassion at the end of our lives. That gave me a great deal of comfort in the past year.' He adds: 'Without this law in place, I have to let nature take its course. This is painful... stressful. It's unnecessary, and it could go on senselessly for a very long time. If anyone wants to contest the law, let them do that. Let us take it to the court system, but keep the law in place while it's being adjudicated. Playing ping-pong with people's lives is inhumane.' The letter, released this afternoon, was written earlier this year, during the weeks of to-ing and fro-ing between Californian judges. But according Dr David Grube, a retired family physician who is now a leading figure in the movement to legalize assisted dying, the shadow of uncertainty means people like Danielson still live with the fear that their life will end painfully. 'It's problematic for patients, their anxiety about whether or not they will be able to have control at the end of their lives or not,' Dr Grube, National Medical Director of Compassion & Choices in Oregon, told DailyMail.com. 'I'm very familiar with the fear and the passion and anxiety and pain and suffering you see at the bedside of dying patients. A third of patients don't use the drugs, but just having them gives them a sense of control. Even more patients just want to be able to talk about it; to know that they have options.' Beyond California, assisted dying is legal in six states and the District of Columbia. In the other 43 states of America, a doctor who administers lethal medicine to a terminally ill patient risks losing their license. California passed the End of Life Option Act in October 2015, during a legislative session by Gov. Jerry Brown addressing broader healthcare funding. It came into effect in June 2016. It wasn't the sole focus of the legislative session but it was certainly the headline bill. Scores of demonstrators gathered on the Capitol in Sacramento in support of assisted dying, led by Dan Diaz, widower of Brittany Maynard, the young Californian woman who moved to Oregon to end her life at just 29 before it would be claimed by terminal brain cancer. She shared her journey with millions of people via YouTube, explaining that her face and body had painfully swelled, and she was suffering multiple seizures a day. Shortly before she died, she called on California to pass legislation allowing citizens the same right. However, from the moment the bill passed and beyond, pro-life activists were campaigning to overturn it. The classic complaint from a pro-life perspective is that it runs against the doctor's Hippocratic oath to 'first, do no harm' (something pro-choicers like Danielson say is the reason to legalize assisted dying - 'I believe that doctors are doing more harm by keeping terminally ill patients alive needlessly than by allowing them to take control and have a dignified passing of their choice'). In this case, though, the focus has been on one loophole: that the bill was not directly related to the legislative session at hand. In May this year, they found an ally in Riverside County Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ottolia, who overturned it on the grounds that it had not been adequately debated. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra appealed for the law to remain in effect while it was being debated. Ottolia rejected that appeal, and another three appeals that came from terminally ill Californians. Eventually on June 15, California's 4th District Court of Appeals granted Becerra's motion to keep the law until further notice. Just over two months later, Dr Grube says California's doctors and patients are 'acting like it's here to stay'. His focus is on the other side of the country, on New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, where patients currently have two legal options: cease eating and drinking, or get themselves into a hospital where, if they seem in enough pain, doctors have the right to sedate them until the disease takes hold. The first runs against human survival instinct ('except,' Dr Grube says, 'for the very elderly'). The second is logistically complicated. But as Dr Grube looks east, Danielson remains cautious back in California. Though he is not short of support - with a strong network of siblings a niece and nephew, close friends and a trusted medical team - he says he cannot be sure how his life will end, since he does not plan to imminently exercise his right to die, and the bill may well ping back to the other side of the table. '[T]his decision was the one last element of control I had over my life. For that to be taken away fills me with great anxiety, because now I do not know how this is going to play out.' Patients could be better involved with their care if they received letters directly Doctors are notorious for having hard-to-read handwriting, and now experts warn they're using too many long words as well. Medics working in hospitals have been told to write to their patients in plain English which is easy to understand. The Academy of Royal Medical Colleges yesterday released guidance telling them to stop using Latin and medical jargon. And instead of writing to a patient's GP and sending the patient a copy of the letter, consultants should write directly to their patient and address it to them. This will involve patients more in their own care and help them to remember what was discussed in the meeting, health experts say. Doctors have been told to write to their patients directly instead of via the GP who referred them, and to avoid using complicated jargon or Latin words and instead write in plain English Five million letters a month are sent between doctors or to patients after outpatient appointments, and doctors have been told to change the way they're written. The Academy of Royal Medical Colleges (AoRMC) says writing directly to patients and putting advice in plain English is better for both doctors and patients. The Academy, which sets the standards for Britain's 250,000 doctors, advised that doctors avoid the use of Latin, technical jargon and acronyms. GPs would spend less time trying to understand other doctors' advice, and patients would feel more in control of their own care and able to communicate, the AoRMC said. Currently, hospital consultants often write back to the GP who referred the patient and send the patient a copy of the letter. But these can be full of overcomplicated language, and can cause offence by using labels or writing insensitively. For example, the AoRMC has warned doctors not to label people diabetics and instead to say 'you have diabetes'. 'The change may seem small but it has a big effect' And instead of medical phrases such as 'your presenting complaint was', doctors should instead say 'you went to your GP because'. 'The change may seem small but it has a big effect,' said Dr Hugh Rayner, a kidney specialist, told the BBC. Dr Rayner is leading the AoRMC's Please Write To Me initiative, and began writing directly to his patients in 2005. He insisted the new steps were not 'dumbing down,' but represented an effort to 'cut through the jargon' that might confuse patients, The Times reported. He said: 'Writing to patients rather than about them changes the relationship between doctor and patient. DOCTORS TOLD TO WRITE SIMPLER LETTERS TO THEIR PATIENTS The Academy of Royal Medical Colleges has issued advice telling hospital doctors how to make their letters simpler for patients to understand. Here are some common scientific terms with simple explanations which could pop up in doctors' notes: Renal = kidney Pulmonary = lungs Lesion = growth, wound or damage Cardiac or coronary = heart Cutaneous = affecting the skin Respiratory = breathing Oedema = swelling or fluid buildup Dyspnoea = breathlessness Chronic = long-term Acute = short-term Cerebral = brain Syncope = fainting Myocardial infarction = heart attack Musculoskeletal = bones and muscle Hepatic = liver Paediatric = children Advertisement 'It involves them more in their care and leads to all sorts of benefits. 'Millions of clinic letters are written every month in the NHS so this change could have a big impact.' Avoid Latin and phone if it's bad news, docs told And the academy says Latin should also be cut out of doctors' letters for example instead of the abbreviation 'bd' medics should just say 'twice a day'. Doctors should consider phoning their patients if they have more serious news, the advice adds, to avoid causing upset by writing casually about bad conditions. Patients should ask their hospital to change the way they write if they want to hear directly from their doctor, the AoRMC recommends. Chairman of the academy's patient committee, Peter Rees, said the change would help people 'take ownership of their care.' He added: 'It helps patients remember what was discussed in the outpatient clinic and gives them confidence that the doctor sees them as a person rather than a case.' These changes to doctors' letters would be in keeping with the General Medical Council's guidance on good medical practice. 'Patients find simpler letters more supportive and useful' The GMC tells medics: 'You must give patients the information they want or need to know in a way they can understand.' In its report the AoRMC said: 'Doctors who have adopted the practice say their communication style has become more patient-centred. 'GPs find the letters easier to understand and spend less time interpreting the contents for the patient. Most importantly, patients find such letters more informative, supportive and useful.' A mother-of-five says Slimming World saved her life after her weight loss led doctors to discover a cancerous lump which may have otherwise taken years to find. In a stroke of luck, Elaine Atkinson found the tiny lump after dropping two dress sizes it could have been missed until her first mammogram when she turned 50. Doctors diagnosed the 43-year-old with aggressive breast cancer just two weeks after the lump's discovery and immediately started lifesaving treatment. Ms Atkinson, from Preston in Lancashire, lost two stone and six pounds in total and said her surgeon's exact words to her were: 'Slimming World has saved your life'. She was told the lump a sign of her aggressive stage three tumour was hidden by fatty tissue and would have gone unnoticed for years if she hadn't lost weight. Currently having chemotherapy for the deadly disease, the single mother still goes to the weight-loss meetings and credits the club and her friend who first dragged her along with saving her life. Elaine Atkinson lost a stone in five weeks at Slimming World, after originally only going to support a friend, which led to her discovering an aggressive cancerous tumour in her breast (pictured left, before starting her weight loss, and right, during her cancer therapy) Ms Atkinson never had any intention of joining a slimming club and only went along to support a friend until she stepped on the scales and was mortified. So she kept going to the meetings and managed to lose two dress sizes in five weeks dropping from a size 14 to a 10. Then once her weight had dropped she noticed a pea-sized lump on her breast in March this year. She visited a doctor as soon as possible and various tests and exams confirmed she had aggressive breast cancer which needed treatment immediately. Ms Atkinson is now mid-way through a course of chemotherapy, which has caused her to lose her hair. The single mother said: 'Fat club saved my life.' 'I couldn't believe it when I was diagnosed. I have no family history of breast cancer and I'd always associated it with older women. Ms Atkinson was a size 14 before going to Slimming World and, unknown to her, a small cancerous tumour was growing in her breast and being covered up by fatty tissue Ms Atkinson, 43, (pictured wearing a wig after losing her hair to chemotherapy) found a pea-sized lump on her breast after losing weight, and has so far lost two stone and six pounds 'I have to survive this for my kids' 'As a single mum, all I could think was I have to survive this for my kids. 'I wanted to see all their milestones from starting high school to getting married, so I just knew I had to be strong and positive.' After joining Slimming World in January this year, Ms Atkinson has lost a total of nearly two-and-a-half stone in what has turned out to be a life-changing situation. 'I have always been up and down with my weight and in clothes sizes,' she said. 'I fluctuated from a size eight to a size 14. 'But I became comfortable in my own skin and it did not really bother me. I think I was in denial.' Ms Atkinson, pictured with her children Millie, 11, Tom, 17 and Kaitlynne, six, said 'I have to survive this for my kids', explaining she wants to be around to see different milestones in their lives Ms Atkinson (pictured wearing a wig as she undergoes chemotherapy, with daughters Millie and Kaitlynne) said even her surgeon struggled to find the pea-sized lump in her breast When she felt the fateful lump, Ms Atkinson said she immediately knew she needed to see a doctor. She went to see her GP the following morning and, at first, the doctor struggled to find the lump because it was so small. 'I found a tiny lump about the size of a pea' However, within two weeks Ms Atkinson had undergone mammograms and scans and had a consultation with a surgeon. He told her he was 99 per cent sure it was breast cancer. 'I ran my hand down my breast and felt this tiny little lump about the size of a pea,' Ms Atkinson said. 'The surgeon said the lump was so tiny, he was amazed I'd found it. 'Slimming World has saved your life' 'I told him all about Slimming World and his exact words were "Slimming World has saved your life". Ms Atkinson, pictured with her daughter Millie, said she told her surgeon about Slimming World and he told her 'Slimming World has saved your life' Results showed Ms Atkinson's cancer was a grade three aggressive breast cancer and doctors decided to treat it aggressively with chemo to try and stop it coming back Ms Atkinson, pictured with Thomas, Mille and Kaitlynne, said her friend now jokes by saying she saved her life by dragging her along to Slimming World just once 'He explained that the lump had been hiding behind my fat tissues and it would have only become noticeable after I lost the weight. 'He told me that as I was 42 at the time, I would not have been called for my first mammogram screening for another eight years. If the lump had been missed it could have turned terminal 'By that stage, it would have been a case of prolonging my life rather than saving it.' Results showed it was a grade three aggressive breast cancer and doctors decided to treat it aggressively. Ms Atkinson is currently four cycles into six cycles of chemotherapy which will be followed by a month of radiotherapy. Ms Atkinson is a mother to Lauren, 25, Jamie, 23, Thomas, 17, Millie, 11 and Kaitlynne, six. 'My friend jokes she saved my life by dragging me along' She still goes to her Slimming World meetings every Tuesday evening and even went on the day of her breast cancer diagnosis. Ms Atkinson added: 'My friend jokes that she saved my life by dragging me along to Slimming World and I suppose she did. 'I love the world. I only lost a stone and a half and it saved my life.' Macie Greening has undergone four rounds of chemo to treat her rare mesothelioma A 14-year-old girl has reportedly become one of the youngest people in the world to be diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer. Macie Greening has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy to tackle her rare form of mesothelioma - but to no avail. Her parents say she is one of only nine cases of her type of peritoneal mesothelioma - most often caused by exposure to asbestos - in children in the UK and 20 in the world. Asbestos.com claims roughly 300 cases of the aggressive cancer have been recorded in young adults, children and even infants. Doctors reportedly have 'no idea' what caused her cancer, as mesothelioma usually takes decades to appear. However, it can occur in children, in rare cases. Macie's loved ones are now pinning all their hopes on getting her on a clinical drug trial, to boost her chances of survival. Close friends and family are hoping to raise 15,000 to allow Macie, who loves being a 'princess', to go on her dream trip to Disney World. This includes her parents Tracey and Nellie, twin sister Madison and sister, Saskia, 17, who are all from Cullompton in Devon. Writing on her fundraising page, her family said: 'We are not sure what will happen from here but Macie is such a strong, beautiful young lady. 'She is continuing to make everyone laugh and smile like she usually would. 'She has already been through enough and is taking the whole situation in her stride, a true inspiration to all.' Figures show around 2,500 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the UK. Only 10 per cent start in the peritoneum. It is usually caused through exposure to asbestos, a group of minerals made of tiny fibres that used to be widely used in construction. Her parents say she is one of only nine cases of her type of peritoneal mesothelioma - caused by exposure to asbestos - in children anywhere in the world (pictured with her mother Tracey) Macie's loved ones are now pinning all their hopes on getting her on a clinical drug trial, to boost her chances of survival (pictured in hospital) The microscopic fibres can easily get in the lungs, where they get stuck, damaging them over time. As a result, mesothelioma often starts in the lungs. Asbestos use was completely banned in 1999 in the UK. But materials containing asbestos can still be found in many older buildings. It is unsure how many children get diagnosed with mesothelioma, but figures show none were given the devastating news in the UK between 2013 and 2015. But Sonia Hurst, Macie's aunt, claims doctors told the family Macie is one of just nine children with peritoneal mesothelioma in the UK and 20 in the world. Ms Hurst said: 'Shes been through four rounds of chemotherapy and it was hoped she could have surgery but weve since learnt that is not an option. 'Were now waiting for new trials to become available. 'Macie loves being a princess and is obsessed with unicorns so she would love to go to Disney World. 'Shes such an amazing girl and an inspiration to us all. Macie has been so strong through all of this and we so incredibly proud of her.' Medics describe peritoneal mesothelioma as a cancer that forms in the tissue lining of the abdomen that is caused by inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibres. Despite suffering from the asbestos-related cancer, Macie's family don't believe she was exposed to the fibres herself and say doctors are reportedly dumbfounded about how she has caught it. Her mother Tracey, 43, said: 'There's only nine in the UK and only about 20 in the whole world, we found it out by googling about her condition looking for treatment. 'They have no idea how she got it, her biopsy is travelling around the world. 'The doctors told us it takes 30 years for asbestos to get into your system so they knew it couldn't be that, she's not old enough. It's a bit of a tricky one. 'There's a new trial drug that she's been approved to start, we're going to see our consultant in Bristol on Thursday to see what it entails.' Close friends and family are hoping to raise 15,000 to allow Macie, who loves being a 'princess', to go on her dream trip to Disney World (pictured in hospital eating a KFC) Writing on her fundraising page, her family said: 'We are not sure what will happen from here but Macie is such a strong, beautiful young lady' (Macie is pictured in hospital) Macie was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer, which the NHS admits is 'rarely possible to cure', in March earlier this year Macie was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer, which the NHS admits is 'rarely possible to cure', in March earlier this year. A JustGiving page has now been raised in order to send Macie on her dream holiday to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Wristbands with the words Macies Army are also being sold to help raise money for the teenager, who is 'obsessed with unicorns'. On the fundraising page, it was revealed that Macie's consultant decided to stop her chemotherapy because it wasn't working. Her family wrote: 'Macies consultant was exploring other options that are available to her, surgery being the main one.' But their hopes were dashed in August when Macie had a laparoscopy to find out that surgery was not an option. Anyone willing to donate to Macie's cause can do so here. The NHS is hiding the true number of people who are dying from antibiotic-resistant superbugs, the government's health chief has warned. Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England, are not properly recording patients' cause of death when they are killed by the infections. She said families are 'rarely told' if their relative has died of a drug-resistant bacteria because it would 'look as if the NHS is failing'. Infections which do not respond to normal medications a phenomenon called antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are on the rise and expected to kill up to 10 million people a year by 2050. And research has shown at least 700,000 patients are already dying each year from untreatable infections around the world, Dame Sally told the government. She pointed the finger at the health service for not properly recording causes of death, pharmaceutical companies for not investing in new antibiotics, and the government for cutting health budgets. Growing numbers of people are dying because of infections which have evolved to become resistant to antibiotics, but England's Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, says the NHS is not recording the deaths properly out of fear the figures will make the health service look bad Speaking to the UK Government's Health Select Committee, Dame Sally said that without antibiotics, modern medicine will be 'lost'. She called for a rule change to make sure it is routinely recorded on people's death certificates if they died of an antibiotic-resistant infection. She said: 'That would really wake people up to the deaths as they happen,' The Telegraph reported. 'One of the problems at the moment is families often dont know that their bereavement was due to infection,' Dame Sally added. 'And theyre rarely told that the infection was resistant to treatment because it looks as if the NHS is failing.' Dame Sally claimed the NHS avoids admitting people have died because of AMR because it would make the health service look bad. Infections which have become resistant to medicines are mostly ones which used to be easy to treat. WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fuelling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs. Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world. Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years. In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years. Advertisement But overprescribing antibiotics and giving too many to farm animals has allowed some bacteria to learn how to survive routine treatments like penicillin. Dame Sally made the comments alongside the economist Lord Jim O'Neill, who produced a report on AMR in 2016. She said: 'Jim's work showed that at least 700,000 people a year are dying from infections that are untreatable. 'There are horror stories like the woman in the US with gonorrhoea who was resistant to 22 or 23 drugs. 'And in this country, we have people who are dying of resistant infections or those who don't die but double their time in hospital and they have that morbidity and suffering and it costs the NHS at this time at least 180 million every year.' Lord O'Neill's 2016 review concluded that AMB could one day be a bigger threat to mankind than cancer. He criticised the government for not prioritising action on antibiotic resistance, and pointed the finger at pharmaceutical companies for not developing new drugs. Dame Sally added that companies were being 'short-sighted' by not creating new therapies to be used in future. And she raised concerns about cuts to sexual health funding, warning that the common sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly difficult to treat. 'I am very worried about our sexual health services,' she said. 'The information I am receiving suggests that savings are too great and we are seeing a degradation of many of those sexual health services.' He has a diffuse intrinsic potine glioma where the brain joins the spinal cord A boy whose parents thought he was just clumsy when he began struggling to balance and falling off his bike has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. Blaize and Emily Feduchin-Pate thought their son, Atticus, was just being a bumbling child when he started struggling to walk and developed a bump on his head. But when his unusual symptoms got worse and were dismissed by a doctor, they called a paramedic who took him to hospital where he was given an MRI scan. Doctors found an incurable brain tumour in Atticus's brain stem and told his parents, from Whitchurch in Hampshire, the boy has just nine months to live. The rare cancer, called a diffuse intrinsic potine glioma, cannot be removed with surgery because it is in such a sensitive part of the brain. Atticus's parents have now enrolled their son in an experimental drug trial which won't cure him but could help thousands of children in the future. Atticus Feduchin-Pate was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour just weeks ago after his parents took him to the doctor when they noticed he was becoming increasingly clumsy and developed a small lump on his head Mr and Mrs Feduchin-Pate, aged 42 and 37, were told just weeks ago their four-year-old was dying from a rare high grade brain tumour. The cancer, known as a diffuse intrinsic potine glioma (DIPG), is growing on Atticus's brain stem where the brain joins the spinal cord so surgery is too dangerous. DIPGs are thought to affect between 20 and 30 children each year in the UK, and 300 in the US, but just 10 per cent of patients will survive another two years after being diagnosed. A week before his diagnosis, Atticus's parents noticed he was increasingly clumsy, struggling to balance and falling from his bike. And when they also found a lump the size of a 10p piece on his head, they took their son to see a doctor. The doctor dismissed the case and told them to keep an eye on it, but when he got worse they phoned a paramedic who took Atticus to hospital. Mr Feduchin-Pate said: 'On the week leading up to his diagnosis we noticed that Atticus was being really clumsy, but we just thought he was being a four-year-old. 'He would fall off of his bike and not pay attention when people spoke to him, and even when we saw the bump on his head we initially thought he'd just banged it. Atticus (pictured with his sister Hemploe, one, father Blaize, 42, and mother Emily, 37) has been given just nine months to live because the rare tumour is growing on his brain stem and cannot be operated on or cured Four-year-old Atticus has good and bad days, his father said: 'One day he can walk and the next he can't, but he just thinks that's how everyone's life is' Atticus's family are now focusing on making his remaining months as happy as possible and making memories for his little sister, Hemploe (pictured) before the cancer eventually kills him 'We took him to see his GP, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him and just told us to keep an eye on him. 'But when he continued to decline, we decided to call a paramedic and then Atticus was taken to the hospital to have further checks and he was given an MRI. 'The MRI showed the tumour in his head, and that's when we realised what the bump we had seen days before really was. 'The tumour resides in his brain stem, so cannot be removed safely by surgery. 'We have been told he has up to two years to live, but that is likely to be the maximum, and obviously that destroyed us. 'He is such a happy, well-spoken little boy and still doesn't know the extent of what he's going through one day he can walk and the next he can't, but he just thinks that's how everyone's life is.' DIPG is a type of high grade brain tumour which is aggressive and fast-growing. DIPGs start in a part of the brain stem where the brain and spinal cord are joined which is responsible for vital bodily functions such as breathing, sleeping and blood pressure. Because of this it is not safe to operate on Atticus's tumour and his parents have been told it is terminal. But despite their son only having a limited life-span, the couple are hoping to raise as much awareness as possible about their son's rare condition and hopefully prevent it from killing others in the future. Atticus is having radiotherapy to reduce the tumour and improve his symptoms, but the treatment will not cure him his parents have enrolled him in a new drug trial in the hope it will help others avoid the same devastating fate in the future Mr Feduchin-Pate says Atticus does not fully understand what is happening. He said: 'He is such a happy, well-spoken little boy and still doesn't know the extent of what he's going through' They have enrolled Atticus in a trial of a new drug which could one day help treat other children with the same cancer even though they know it won't save him. WHAT IS A DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA? A diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is the second most common type of high-grade brain tumour to affect children. The cancers begin in a part of the brain stem called the pons, which is responsible for vital functions such as breathing, sleeping and blood pressure. Because the tumours grow in such a sensitive and important area of the brain it is too dangerous to operate on them, so they are considered incurable. Most diagnoses occur in children between the ages of five and 10. The cause of the tumour remains unknown, but more than 90 per cent of patients are thought to die within 18 months of diagnosis. Each year, there are around 100 to 150 new diagnoses in the US and between 20 and 30 in the UK. Symptoms include lack of facial control, double vision, headaches, vomiting, weakness, seizures and balance problems. One of the early indicators of the cancer is a child falling, tripping or losing balance. Source: The Brain Tumour Charity Advertisement 'We know the experimental drug won't save him,' Mr Feduchin-Pate said. 'But by him taking it they can monitor his progress for the future. 'We knew we had to do whatever we could to save other kids and if giving Atticus a trial drug is the way to do that, then that's what we're going to do. 'Now our only hope is to give him the best of the life he has remaining, and to hopefully save other children in the future. 'We are dreading the day that he passes, but we'll find solace knowing that he has helped others in the future.' Atticus is taking a drug called Everolimus, which is used to treat breast cancer already, and scientists hope it could treat DIPGs, too. He has regular blood tests, MRI scans and monthly neurological assessments to track how the drug is affecting him. The BIOMEDE clinical trial of which he is part looks at using drugs alongside radiotherapy to see whether the tumour can be suppressed for longer and extend the childs life. The family are also focusing on making Atticus's remaining months enjoyable and creating memories for his one-year-old sister, Hemploe. Mr Feduchin-Pate added: 'We also hope to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity and to give Atticus the best life he can have, however long that continues for. 'He has a little sister, Hemploe, who he adores, and we want to give her the best memories with her big brother before he passes.' Atticus's parents say their only hope now is to give their son the best of the life he has left, and try to help other children suffering from the same fate by joining a clinical trial of a new drug which could treat the rare type of brain tumour. Pictured: Atticus as a baby Atticus's family are now raising money for the Brain Tumour Charity, which funds research into the deadly cancers Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: 'Our thoughts are with Atticus, Blaize, Emily and Hemploe during this incredibly difficult time. 'Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under 40 in the UK and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years. This must change. 'We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations and gifts in wills to fund world-class research which will help to drive forward our understanding of DIPG. 'Research of this kind is the only way we can offer hope to families like Atticus's and end the devastation caused by brain tumours. 'We wish Atticus all the best with his treatment and we hope that he and his family are able to enjoy many more wonderful times together as they work though his bucket list.' To donate to a fund to help make Atticus's remaining time enjoyable and to donate to the Brain Tumour Charity, visit the family's GoFundMe page. Even though we're still technically in summer, experts say it's time to start thinking about getting your flu shot. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its flu vaccine recommendations for the 2018-19 season saying all children under six months old should be vaccinated before the end of October. It comes after a particularly fatal flu season for children last year that saw almost 180 die of the virus. Dr Jean Moorjani, a pediatrician at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida, reveals why it's important to get your vaccine no later than Halloween, why the nasal spray is a good alternative and how the myth that you can get the flu from the vaccine got started. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its flu vaccine recommendations for the 2018-19 season saying all children under six months old be vaccinated before the end of October (file image) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2017-18 season was one of the most severe on record. During the last full week of January, the agency reported that one of every 14 visits to doctors and clinics nationwide that week was for symptoms of the flu. That made it the highest level since the deadly swine flu pandemic in 2009. Across the US, 179 children died and thousands were hospitalized. The CDC said 80 percent of the children who died were not vaccinated. During a good year, the effectiveness of the shot can range between 50 and 70 percent. However, when the strain known as the H3N2 virus spreads, it falls to as low as 30 percent. In response, the AAP published a statement on Tuesday stating that parents should make sure all children six months or older get a flu shot by the end of October. WHAT SHOTS CAN I GET? The CDC recommends getting the vaccine either in the form of a shot or a nasal spray. For those who choose to go with the injectable, there are two options. The first is a trivalent vaccine, which protects against two influenza A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, and one influenza B strain. The second option, the quadrivalent flu vaccine, protects against the same strains as the trivalent vaccine, as well as an extra influenza B virus. 'It takes two weeks for your body to build up the antibodies, so I use Halloween as a marker of when to get it for my patients,' Dr Moorjani said. 'If you get it by then, then you'll be protected when the flu season is full swing.' SHOULD I GET THE NASAL SPRAY? The AAP recommends getting an injection over the nasal mist option because the shot has provided more consistent protection against strains of the virus. 'Long ago we used to say just get the vaccine whether it's the shot or the spray,' said Dr Moorjani. 'We actually found that the shot was a lot better ar protecting against thevirus.' For the first time in two years, the CDC updated its recommendations to include the nasal spray, known as FluMist. The nasal spray uses live, weakened viruses which are meant to teach the body to recognize and ward off flu strains if you become infected. The shot works similarly but uses dead strains of the virus. First introduced in 2003, it was presented as an alternative to children who are fearful of needles or if a doctor runs out of shots. However, data showed that between 2013 and 2016, the spray was not as effective as the flu shot, particularly against the H1N1 virus. WHAT IS IN THIS YEAR'S FLU SHOT? Strains of the flu virus are constantly changing, so a new vaccine is made each year. Scientists make the vaccine before the flu season starts by predicting which strains are likely to be the most common during the upcoming season. For the 2018-2019 season, flu shots protect against three or four strains of the flu virus. Trivalent vaccines protect against two influenza A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, and one influenza B strain. The quadrivalent flu vaccines protect against the same strains as the trivalent vaccine, as well as an extra influenza B virus. This season will be the first time in two yeas that the flu nasal spray is available. Advertisement This is the influenza A strain that was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. The maker of the spray, AstraZeneca, says it has developed a new formula to better target H1N1. After the CDC reviewed a study that showed US children were producing a better immune response, the agency decided it could be added to its list of recommendation options. 'While it's better than nothing, especially if your doctor runs out of shots, there are kids out there who can't get the nasal spray because it's a live virus,' said Dr Moorjani. 'For kids who have conditions like asthma or are immunocompromised, we would not recommend for you to get the nasal spray.' CAN THE FLU VACCINE MAKE ME SICK? Dr Moorjani says that it's 'a complete, 100 percent myth' that you can get sick from the vaccine. 'If I get the flu vaccine and a kid sneezes in my face that same day, I'm going to get sick because the kid sneezed in my face, not from the shot,' she said. She did note, however, that it it is still possible to get the virus even if you get the flu vaccine. 'Getting the vaccine doesn't mean you won't get flu that year - it does lower your chances - but if you get it, it helps your body fight it off sooner,' she said. 'So instead of being sick for five to six days, you'll be sick for two to three days. Or if you have a fever, it could be 101F as opposed to 104F.' WHO SHOULD NOT GET THE VACCINE? Dr Moorjani says the only group of people who are ineligible for the vaccine are babies under six months old. 'Babies under six months old are too young to get the vaccine so they rely on the cocoon effect,' she said. 'So when you get the vaccine you're not only protecting yourself, you're protecting babies who don't have strong immune systems.' Contrary to popular belief, she says you can get the vaccine if you have a headache or mild cold. It is only if you are seriously ill that she recommends you avoid the vaccine. IS IT SAFE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN? The CDC says that pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy can receive the shot. Dr Moorjani says there are several reasons for pregnant women to get vaccinated. 'Pregnant women who get sick with the flu can get many more complications, especially with respiratory issues,' she explained, which makes pregnant women more likely to require hospitalization. She added that the shot's protectiveness gets passed on to the unborn baby and help can protect him or her during the first six months of life when they can't receive the vaccine. 'The antibodies are not only protecting the mothers but also protecting the baby, which is vital especially if they're born at the height of the flu season,' said Dr Moorjani. US health officials are urging doctors to screen pregnant women for syphilis early and often in order to stop the disease's sudden upsurge. Despite previous declines in infants born with syphilis due to exposure from their mothers, rates of this congenital form of the sexually transmitted disease (STD) actually increased from 2012 to 2016. When passed from a pregnant woman to her infant, syphilis can cause birth defects, brain damage and even death. The suggestion to screen all pregnant women for the STD is not a new one, but the USPSTF is reasserting its recommendation to head off these dangerous increases. US health officials are urging doctors to screen pregnant women for syphilis as soon as they find out they are pregnant amid a 40 percent surge in babies infected with the STD The invention and introduction of penicillin - which is still the first-line treatment for syphilis - to American health care more than 80 years ago drastically reduced the number of syphilis cases in the US. Perhaps most importantly, the drug's unprecedented effectiveness at treating syphilis meant that pregnant women could get treated, protecting their babies from inheriting the infection and perhaps saving their lives. Yet in 2016, there were still over 88,000 new cases of syphilis in the US, and about 630 of those were in infants who had gotten the disease from their mothers. Syphilis is unpleasant and, after lying dormant for many years, can do serious harm to the health of people of all ages. But the disease is especially dangerous to developing babies. Two out of every five babies born to women who have untreated syphilis will die as a result of the infection. The bacteria that causes syphilis, preponema pallidum, can cross through a mother's placenta into her baby's blood stream during pregnancy, or infect the baby through vaginal contact during delivery. Infection badly impairs the baby's delicate process of development, as well as interfering with the changes the mother's body has to go through to support a growing fetus. Women with untreated syphilis may develop an overly large placenta, they may lose the baby during pregnancy, deliver early or have underdeveloped babies. The infection can also lead to a whole host of birth defects, including anemia, blindness, deafness, abnormal teeth and noses and an enlarged liver or spleen. At the very least, these babies are often born with rashes and develop fevers that are more dangerous to them than to adult syphilis-sufferers. If a mother's syphilis is treated early in pregnancy, however, all of this may be avoidable. Since 2009, the USPSTF has recommended that women should get screened early on in their pregnancies. That isn't changing, but with a sharp, nearly 40 percent rise in cases of syphilis in babies, the agency is restating its advice with new urgency. It recommends that women get screened for the infection - via a pelvic exam and blood test - during their first visit to the doctor after they know they are pregnant. Echoing the sentiments of other health associations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the USPSTF also suggests that women that fall into the 'high-risk' category get tested again when they are 28 weeks pregnant. This group includes women in communities where the infection is common, those who have HIV or have been in jail. Previous studies have shown women who get diagnosed and treated are less likely to have infected babies, but that those reductions are far more dramatic when treatment is administered early. In an accompanying editorial, Dr Kenneth Katz, a dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, said that the USPSTF's warning needs to be heeded by public health officials, OBGYNs, dermatologists and general practitioners alike. On the whole, Dr Katz hints that women need better access to health care in general: 'Clearly, then, gaps in public health and clinical practice remain, as reported in a study of 458 mothers of infants with congenital syphilis in 2014.6 Of those mothers, approximately 20% received no prenatal care.' Of those women, '43% received no treatment because (1) they were not tested during pregnancy; (2) they tested negative early in pregnancy but acquired syphilis later; or (3) they tested positive but were not treated,' he writes. 'Early in the 21st century, syphilisincluding congenital syphilisstill casts a shadow on the land.' Carlos Heras-Palou has worked as an orthopaedic surgeon for 20 years A leading British surgeon whose hands were going to be rendered useless claims a pioneering gene-silencing drug has saved his career. Carlos Heras-Palou has knitted together delicate bones, tendons and nerves during a glittering 20-year career as an orthopaedic surgeon. But a rare hereditary condition that was destroying nerves in his hands threatened to end his career within the next six months. In a desperate attempt to salvage his job, the 53-year-old who works at a specialist unit at the Royal Derby Hospital signed up to an 18 month trial. And now, not only has the relentless march of the often fatal condition been halted by patisiran, it also appears to have gone into reverse. And he claims his peripheral nerves have started to recover and heal. Mr Heras-Palou, considered one of the leaders in his highly niche field after 20 years as a consultant, has praised the drug, branded a 'silver bullet'. Speaking for the first time about his recovery, he said: 'The treatment has saved my career, and my life. 'I'm left with some numbness in my feet and weakness, and I still can't run, but I can walk. I'm functioning very well. 'I haven't got the pain and can eat normally so I'm not losing weight. I can sleep at night. I've been given hope and I'm seeing life in a different way. 'It is a ground-breaking advance, and it's so selective there are practically no side-effects. It's like the proverbial silver bullet.' Mr Heras-Palou added: 'My whole career depends on my hands and having a good hand function. 'Without this treatment the disease would have progressed and that would have been the end of my career. He suffers from a rare hereditary condition that was destroying nerves in his hands that threatened to end his career within the next six months In a desperate attempt to salvage his job, the 53-year-old signed up to an 18 month trial. And now, not only has the relentless march of the often fatal condition been halted by patisiran (pictured), it also appears to have gone into reverse 'Typically your legs get very weak and you lose the ability to walk. Your hands stop working - you can't grip or pinch or control what you're doing. 'I'm very well known in my field and have been practising a long time so my patients were perfectly safe. But in another six months my career would have been finished.' Patisiran, made by the US company Alnylam, is the first treatment of its type in the world to be approved for use in patients with hATTR amyloidosis. It has now been licensed by European and UK regulators after being given the green light by the Food and Drugs Administration in the US. The cutting-edge drug, branded as Onpattro, employs a principle known as RNA interference to block activity of a rogue gene. It targets a gene in the liver responsible that is for hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis, which strikes 100 people in the UK. The rare disease, which can be inherited from either parent, causes sticky amyloid protein to build up in organs and around nerves. This affects vital functions such as limb movement, swallowing, vision and heartbeat. It also triggers chronic burning neuropathic pain. In a handful of patients, hATTR amyloidosis can shorten life expectancy to no more than five to seven years. Mr Heras-Palou was one of only two UK patients taking part in the Apollo Phase III trial, which recruited 225 sufferers from 19 countries. Mr Heras-Palou was one of only two UK patients taking part in the Apollo Phase III trial, which recruited 225 sufferers from 19 countries After a few months of therapy, the Spanish-born surgeon noticed that he felt better. Gradually the almost constant pain disappeared, and the prickly sensations in his hands began to fade. He could once again walk without difficulty WHAT IS PATISIRAN? Patisiran, made by the US company Alnylam, is the first treatment of its type in the world to be approved for use in patients with hATTR amyloidosis. It has now been licensed by European and UK regulators after being given the green light by the Food and Drugs Administration in the US. The cutting-edge drug, branded as Onpattro, employs a principle known as RNA interference to block activity of a rogue gene. It targets a gene in the liver responsible that is for hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis, which strikes 100 people in the UK. The rare disease, which can be inherited from either parent, causes sticky amyloid protein to build up in organs and around nerves. This affects vital functions such as limb movement, swallowing, vision and heartbeat. It also triggers chronic burning neuropathic pain. In a handful of patients, hATTR amyloidosis can shorten life expectancy to no more than five to seven years. Advertisement During the trial he had patisiran infused into his bloodstream every three weeks at the National Amyloidosis Centre, based at London's Royal Free Hospital. After a few months of therapy, the Spanish-born surgeon noticed that he felt better. Gradually the almost constant pain disappeared, and the prickly sensations in his hands began to fade. He could once again walk without difficulty. Over the course of the trial 148 patients were treated with patisiran and 77 with a dummy placebo. A report on the research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said disease progression was 'halted or reversed' in patients who received the drug. As a trial participant, Mr Heras-Palou has been allowed to continue the very costly treatment, currently priced at around $400,000 (308,618) per patient per year. His sister, Isabel, who also suffers from the disease, was put on the drug as part of an earlier trial and is still improving. Their mother, Catalina, another victim of hATTR amyloidosis, died four years ago from complications related to the disease. Professor Philip Hawkins, director of the National Amyloidosis Centre, who was one of the trial scientists, praised the drug. He said: 'I was surprised that there was improvement in nerve function over the course of this 18-month study. 'It was wonderfully encouraging. I think this is a really important drug.' Patisiran is now under review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the body that approves or rejects new treatments on the NHS in England. Final Nice guidance on the drug is expected next year. An off-duty Georgia nurse is being hailed as a hero after she saved the life of a woman who was choking. Valencia Jones was eating lunch with her friend at a LongHorn Steakhouse in Warner Robins on Sunday when she heard a waitress crying out for help after a customer began choking on a piece of steak. Jones, who works at Navient Health in Macon, quickly sprang into action and performed the Heimlich maneuver. Now, the mother-of-one is calling on others to become certified in CPR in case of a medical emergency when there isn't a health professional around to save someone's life. Valencia Jones (left and right), a nurse at Navient Health in Macon, Georgia, was eating lunch with a friend at a LongHorn Steakhouse on Sunday. She heard a waitress crying out for help after a woman began choking on a piece of steak Jones sprang into action and began performing the Heimlich maneuver and managed to dislodge the piece of steak. Pictured: Jones with her husband and daughter Choking occurs when food or an object becomes stuck in the throat or windpipe and blocks airflow. Oxygen is cut off to the brain, which can cause damage and death to brain cells in as little as 10 minutes. According to the National Safety Council, choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death - with a death occurring every two hours. In 2015, the most recent year for which figures are available, more than 5,000 people died of choking. The Heimlich maneuver was developed in the 1970s by thoracic surgeon Dr Henry Heimlich. He was looking for a more effective method to respond to choking because, at the time, most people would just slap the victim's back, causing the object to move further down the airway. During this period, choking was the sixth most common cause of death in the US, according to CPR Certified. It is currently not even in the top 10. HOW TO PERFORM THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER 1) Stand behind the person if they are an adult or kneel behind them if they are a child 2) Tip the choking victim slightly forward and wrap your arms around their waist 3) Make a fist with one hand and place it just above the belly button, then grab your fist with the other hand 4) Push hard on the abdomen in a quick, upward motion 5) Perform the thrusts until the object becomes dislodged Advertisement By performing experiments, first on dogs, Dr Heimlich learned that by putting pressure on the diaphragm, the chest cavity becomes compressed. This creates a sudden force of air out of the lungs, which dislodges the object that has become stuck. To perform the Heimlich maneuver, stand behind the person if the victim is an adult or kneel behind if it is a child. Tilt the person forward and wrap your arms around them, making a fist with one hand and positioning it right above the belly button. With the other hand, grab the fist. Then give a hard press, thrusting upward and quickly as if trying to pick up the person. Repeat the motion as many times as needed until the object becomes dislodged. According to a report from the American Heart Association, between 70 and 86 percent of choking victims recover after receiving the Heimlich maneuver. Waitress Brooke Shugart said she was waiting on customers when she saw a woman choking on a piece of steak. 'I was like: "Oh my goodness, what am I going to do?"' Shugart told 13 WMAZ. Shugart said she was unsure how to aid the choking woman so she called out for help. The mother-of-one (left) said she believes she was just in the right place at the right time but her frien,. Jentre Reed (right), who was there when the event occurred, said Jones is a hero Jones is now calling on more people to become CPR-certified in case of a medical emergency. Pictured: the LongHorn Steakhouse where the choking incident occurred Jones, a registered nurse, quickly ran over to the woman and began performing the Heimlich, and managed to successfully expel the piece of steak from the woman's throat. '[My friend and I] ended up in that booth at that moment for that purpose. I feel like it was all God,' she told 13 WMAZ. Her friend, Jentre Reed, who was with Jones at the restaurant when the event occurred, said Jones is a hero. 'I don't think she realized how amazing her actions were. She moved so quickly, so professional she didn't think twice,' Reed told the station. Jones says she believes more people should become CPR-certified in case of a medical emergency. 'Just go through that training. It doesn't have to be a hard course,' she said. According to a survey published by the Cleveland Clinic in February, only about half of Americans - 54 percent - know how to perform CPR. Desperate mothers are putting the health of themselves and their babies at risk because of IVF rationing, fertility experts have warned. Couples are increasingly being limited to one round of fertility treatment or forced to fund it themselves amid cutbacks by NHS chiefs. The rationing is leading many couples to 'taking risks' by asking for multiple embryos to be implanted to improve their chances of conception either in the UK or abroad, where treatment is less regulated. Officials say the cuts are having 'unwitting consequences' on both mothers and their children, as twin pregnancies have far higher complication rates. A joint report led by regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority warned rationing treatment was costing the NHS money in the long term due to increased care costs. Couples are increasingly being limited to one round of fertility treatment or forced to fund it themselves amid cutbacks by NHS chiefs It has led to calls from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to follow the example of Sweden by slashing the proportion of multiple IVF births from 11 per cent to less than five per cent. Twin pregnancies were seven times more likely to result in stillbirth with babies born 10 times more likely to need neonatal care than babies born in single pregnancies, the report found. Mothers are 2.5 times more likely to die during labour, with babies from multiple pregnancies far more likely to be born by emergency caesarean. There is also a greater risk of miscarriage, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes compared with single pregnancies. Sally Cheshire, chairman of the HFEA, told the HSJ: 'These decisions are about life and death the commissioner [must] understand the cost of making those [funding] decisions. 'This report is intended to inform commissioning decisions so that the risks to patients and costs to the NHS are minimised. 'There isn't enough funding going into IVF and what is spent we don't believe is being spent effectively. 'We understand CCGs are cash-strapped but funds that aren't directly spent by them may come back to their local area through increased costs on local trusts because of multiple births, or through mental wellbeing in people who are denied a family.' The report by the British Fertility Society, the Multiple Births Foundation, and Fertility Network UK and compiled by the National Guideline Alliance, part of RCOG, analyses the costs associated with multiple pregnancies. WHEN IS IVF OFFERED? IVF is only offered on the NHS if certain criteria are met. If you don't meet these criteria, you may need to pay for private treatment. In 2013, the NICE published new fertility guidelines that made recommendations about who should have access to the treatment on the NHS in England and Wales. However, individual NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups make the final decision about who can access it in their local area, and their criteria may be stricter. According to NICE, women aged under 40 should be offered three cycles of IVF treatment on the NHS if: they've been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years or they've not been able to get pregnant after 12 cycles of artificial insemination If you turn 40 during treatment, the current cycle will be completed, but further cycles should not be offered. If tests show that IVF is the only treatment likely to help you get pregnant, you should be referred for IVF straight away. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement It found twin pregnancies are almost three times as expensive as single pregnancies, rising from 4,892 to 13,959 because of the costs incurred during procedures such as emergency c-sections and neo-natal care. At present, multiple births occur in 1-2 per cent of natural pregnancies and 11 per cent of assisted conceptions. It suggests a 10 per cent reduction in the twin pregnancy rate from its current level would lead to a saving of 15 million to the NHS. It said the aim of all IVF treatment should be the birth of a single healthy child and that local health bodies should encourage this by ensuring that eligible couples with fertility problems are given access to the recommended three cycles of IVF treatment, in line with NICE guidelines. Professor Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: 'Transfer of multiple embryos is often performed during IVF due to a perception that this will increase the chances of success. 'However, developments in IVF technology and practice have improved the live birth rate for single embryo transfer, allowing success rates to increase while lowering the multiple birth rate and associated complications. 'The multiple birth rate in the UK in 2016 had fallen to 11 per cent; however, further action is needed to lower the rate even more to be in line with other countries such as Sweden, which achieved a multiple birth rate of 4.9% in 2011. 'The RCOG has been calling for government funding of three full IVF cycles - as recommended by national guidelines - since it is regarded to be the most important factor in maintaining low rates of multiple pregnancies following treatment and reduce associated complications for mothers and their babies. 'This would provide a greater incentive for IVF centres and their patients to adopt single embryo transfer more regularly. 'Reducing multiple pregnancies would significantly improve the health of mothers, their babies and families, take pressure off NHS services and contribute to national financial savings.' Aileen Feeney, chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said: 'We are concerned that further progress will be limited if the lack of access to NHS fertility services in England continues to drive patients overseas for fertility treatment - where different regulations around the number of embryos that can be transferred means the risk of multiple pregnancies is much higher. 'We urge the Government to commit to funding the recommended treatment of three full IVF cycles for clinically eligible women under 40.' The organisation said in England 88.5 per cent of local health bodies do not provide the recommended three full cycles of IVF. Dr Jane Stewart, chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: 'There remains a drive for patients to consider 'taking a risk' when they are self-funding complex treatment to complete their much-wanted family.' Men with aggressive drug-resistant prostate cancer could see their tumours eradicated by a new treatment. The 'ultra-mutant' tumours that lead to terminal prognoses could be killed off by a drug that unleashes the body's immune system, research suggests. Usually, men with this form of the disease called mismatch DNA repair live half as long as other men with advanced prostate cancer. Their tumours cannot correct mistakes in DNA and rapidly mutate to resist most treatments. But now a study offers them hope, after it found that mismatch repair tumours could respond exceptionally well to a breakthrough drug. Usually, men with this form of the disease called mismatch DNA repair live half as long as other men with advanced prostate cancer Some 47,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year but the severity of the disease varies hugely. The Daily Mail is campaigning to end needless prostate deaths through better diagnosis and improved treatments. Around eight per cent of men with advanced prostate cancer one in 12 have mismatched DNA repair. They can expect to live only 3.8 years after they start treatment, compared to seven years for others with advanced prostate cancer. But the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, suggests these men will respond well to an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab. The drug is already used by the NHS for lung cancer. Study leader Professor Johann de Bono of the Institute of Cancer Research said: 'We made an exciting step forward in working out how to treat men with such aggressive, unstable tumours.' He said that these tumours have higher levels of a protein that hides tumour cells from the immune system. Pembrolizumab works by making cancer cells visible to the immune system, telling our body's attack cells where to target their assaults. In a previous trial of 258 men with advanced prostate cancer, pembrolizumab stopped tumours growing in 11 per cent of patients, and some saw their cancer disappear. But the latest study suggests a far higher success rate will be seen in men with mismatch repair tumours thanks to the protein. The researchers found that half of men with these tumours had high levels of the PD-L1 protein on their tumours, compared to 10 per cent of most advanced prostate cancers. They are now working on clinical trial to test the theory. Professor Paul Workman, of The Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: 'This new study is exciting in providing a way to pick out those men with prostate cancer who have the most aggressive, unstable disease and the worst survival. 'But who conversely might be the best responders to immunotherapy. It will be fascinating to see whether we can translate the theory into practice.' Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK said: 'This research brings together two of the most important emerging areas in prostate cancer research: immunotherapy and precision medicine. 'Immunotherapy, which uses the body's own immune system to help fight disease, has been shown to be effective in other cancers and in small numbers of men with advanced prostate cancer. 'This important study has identified a group of men with aggressive prostate cancer who are most likely to benefit from this treatment approach. 'Although it's still early days, the results provide another piece of the jigsaw which will eventually help doctors decide on the best treatment for each individual man.' Over the course of 48 hours, Ellen Spencer, the farmer's daughter from Indianapolis went from sounding like the Midwestern girl she is to speaking with an international blend of accents. Some words the 56-year-old says sound French, others German. Ellen has foreign accent syndrome, and the disorder's name says just about everything we know about it. A decade ago, Ellen woke up from a nap with her new 'accent,' utterly confused and devastated that she no longer sounded like herself. But singing is the exception. Whether Ellen sings hymns at church or blues jams with her band, she sounds like herself again. Ellen Spencer says that the French accent she suddenly developed 10 years ago due to the rare neurological condition, foreign accent syndrome, even catches her dog's attention. The condition likely involves damage to parts of the brain's language circuits In May 2009, Ellen was doing her graphic design work on her computer when her chin suddenly went numb. The feeling or lack thereof spread upward on one side of her face. Soon, Ellen couldnt feel her lips, chin or nostrils, as if she'd gotten a lidocaine shot. At 47, she knew the signs of a stroke, and recognized that she might be having one. But when she went to the mirror her face looked fine - no drooping eye or lip - it just felt very wrong. That night, she was doing the dishes and still feeling a little numb when 'I got driven to my knees,' Ellen told Daily Mail Online. 'It was as if someone had taken a dull ax and driven it through my skull down to the base. 'I tried to get up, and, boom, down again.' The next day, she went to the hospital where she got no answers. After her long and fruitless day at the hospital, Ellen was exhausted. It was late afternoon, but she went straight to sleep and didn't wake until the next morning. Her husband, Steve, had left for work, her daughter for school; it was just Ellen and her beloved dog. 'I said something to her and when I said it this different voice come out,' says Ellen. 'So that was May 12, my first day with a different voice than I was born with.' Ellen's numbness continued to shift to different areas of her body, and she developed a migraine, and, at the hospital, the staff was as confused as she was. 'They couldn't believe that I was from here originally,' Ellen says, Whether it's with her church choir or her blues band, when Ellen sings, she gets the voice she was born with back, and her 'French' accent disappears 'They would ask, "No, where are you from originally? what about your parents?" If I say "yah" so they assume I'm German but I don't have any relatives in Germany or Belgium and I don't have any cravings for sauerkraut,' she jokes. After hours and a whole battery of tests, Ellen had her diagnosis: 'You've got a bad headache and speech pathology of unknown origin,' she says. Her 'speech pathology' was all over the place. 'If I say, "I tell the truth," I'm French,' Ellen says. She pronounces 'truth' with a double 'o' sound and a throaty 'r'. If I say, "the dog is over there," I'm Swedish,' Ellen says, with an 'ur' sound in her 'there.' 'But I don't know anyone from those countries. It just shows you how language comes from our head, our brain.' She's right, because her new way of speaking 'is a pseudo-accent, not a full accent,' says Dr William Katz, a professor of behavioral and brain sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. Ellen was self-conscious about how her new accent would sound to her husband, Steve, or to the children she teaches about horses (right) and dogs at 4-H But whatever has happened to her brain has changed the way she says her vowels and consonant and the rhythm with which she speaks, or prosity. Ellen - who was going to school to be a nurse before a car crash permanently damaged her legs - did her own research, found information on foreign accent syndrome (FAS) and brought it to neurologists, but they had never heard of the condition. 'It's not surprising that a lot of medical doctors don't know about it,' says Dr Katz. 'FAS is not in the DSM-5 and it's an umbrella term of disorders that can cause this, defined by its perception.' It isn't that new, but it isn't well understood and cases are only just coming to light. The first documented case involved a Norwegian woman who was thrown in jail there in 1941 because she had suddenly developed a thick German accent in the midst of World War II. Her countrymen assumed she was a spy, until a doctor identified that it was her brain not her allegiance that was a problem. Now, nearly 80 years later, FAS is 'still something of a mystery to us, if I have to sum it up in a one-liner' says Dr Katz. When she told her story to a friend in radio - which Ellen pronounces 'rahdio' - she was asked to speak about her fascinating condition and chronicle what she has discovered about FAS Dr Katz is one of the few people in the world who has studied the brains and behavior of FAS patients. One of the challenges of researching the these people - of whom there are just over 100 diagnosed - is that the potential causes are so diverse. He's seen patients that have lesions, or damaged tissues, in certain regions of their brains that are involved in speech, and that tells him 'which points of blockage in brain systems could contribute to this disorder,' Dr Katz says. 'But that's like saying you pull a spark plug from a car and it stops running...that's a sort of false analogy,' he says. The mechanics of FAS - and indeed of speech - are much more complicated in reality. 'There are cases reported of having right hemisphere damage, migraines, allergic reactions to reagents for diagnostic tests ... there are really diffuse causes that fly in the face of those very localization-based explanations,' he says. 'We're trying to map out what regions of the brain could be implicated, but on the other hand, [the wide array of cases] are confounding. It's difficult to pin down.' Ellen, for example, has had a lot of brain trauma over the course of her life, starting with the car crash in 1987, followed by a series of minor concussions and, most recently, took a falling tree branch to the head. Dr Katz has seen people like Ellen with 'thick binders of past history' of injuries with 'several issues like this that may have comorbid effects, like a traumatic brain injury, which can cause the brain to shake back and forth in the skull, causing distal damage and fracturing the white matter, which we may not see immediately.' Though he's worked on developing pronunciation re-training for FAS patients, Dr Katz doesn't have a good 'fix' for their accented speech. The neurologist she saw at Cleveland Clinic referred her to a psychiatrist, and she suspects her doctors thought she had a conversion disorder, in which emotional trauma manifests as physiological symptoms. 'I do believe that there is such a thing as a conversion disorder,' Ellen says, but in her case 'you just get junk-drawered if they can't give you a reason.' Dr Katz has gotten a good number of case studies who have true FAS, but says that most who write to him about being part of his research turn out to have a conversion disorder. Always an active woman, Ellen thinks that the cumulative effects of a 1987 car crash and a tree branch that fell on her head while she was doing yard work may have contributed to her FAS 'It's prickly to talk about with people because it's when symptoms actually present, but they are serving an emotional need. But they are actual symptoms, so you have to treat it as real, because it is,' he says. But Ellen's case has persisted for a decade. And she has found one surprising way around her accent: singing. Shortly after the onset of her FAS, Ellen was due to perform at her church. 'I was terrified, I think I know what I sound like, but I don't know what I sound like,' she says. But as soon as she opened her mouth, her old voice came out, melodically carrying the notes of Shout to the Lord. She suspects that it may be because she memorized the song. Neurologists have long seen this happen. Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) was developed in 1973, and is still used to help Parkinson's patients recover speech. Ellen also did two months of speech therapy - all her insurance would cover - but mostly, she sings, keeps practicing her speech, and recently discovered that CBD oil seems to help. It has been 10 years since the onset of her FAS, and with the help of her daughter, Michelle (center), husband, Steve (right), singing and CBD oil, Ellen has relearned some of the words that were impossible for her when she her journey with FAS began She believes it encourages neuroplasticity, helping her to retrain her brain. The first time Ellen took some, she managed to say 'what am I doing'; until then the phrase had always come out, 'what I am doing.' She burst into tears. Ellen still confronts awkward moments, however. A French woman at the polling place where Ellen was working once heard her accent and spoke French to her. Ellen, of course, didn't understand a word. Ellen tried to explain her predicament, but the stranger was offended and infuriated. She, too is frustrated: 'Hell yes, I'm stressed,' she says. 'I sound like a foreigner and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. It is, in a sense, a death, because my speech is no longer the same.' But she adjusts - and laughs. She has become an advocate for FAS, and befriend many others with the disorder. Recently, she went to lunch with one of these friends. 'We tried to order, and all the words came out so funny - we couldn't say "hamburger"' - she has to stop on every syllable to pronounce it over the phone - 'we kept saying "ahmburger," and giggling about it was actually a relief,' Ellen says. She says bed linens instead of sheets, because the latter comes out 's**t,' and forms instead of paper ('pah-pair'). 'Do you live with this the rest of your life? Depends on how bad the damage is,' she says. 'At the very least, it's an inconvenience and you have to go through grieving for your voice.' But she sees the positive too: 'Everyone is riveted to me though even my own dog never listened to me so well, because I don't sound like anyone else.' Researchers of the new study say it should only be available for prescription globally Diclofenac was banned over-the-counter in the UK over heart concerns People who took this drug also had a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding An over-the-counter and prescribed painkiller is associated with 50% increased risk of heart attack and stroke An over-the-counter painkiller may increase your risk of heart attack or stroke by 50 percent, a new study has found. The large-scale study of more than 6.3 million adults found that diclofenac, sold in America as Voltaren and Solaraze among others, also put patients at higher risks of gastrointestinal bleeding than those on other painkillers. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), used to relieve fever or toothache in adults, or severe joint pain in children. Heart concerns led to British regulators banning the drug over-the-counter in 2015, but the authors of the new study, published today in the British Medical Journal, are now calling for global action to protect patients. Heart concerns led to British regulators banning the drug over-the-counter in 2015, but authors of the study, published today in the British Medical Journal, are calling for global action 'It is time to acknowledge the potential health risk of diclofenac and reduce its use,' the research team from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark said. 'Dicofenac should not be available over the counter, and when prescribed should be accompanied by an appropriate front package warning about its potential risks.' For the study, the team, led by Morten Schmidt, PhD, analyzed national registry data for over 6.3 million Danish adults. All of these patients had been taking prescription medications for at least a year before the study began in January 1996. The average age of participants taking NSAIDs ranged from 46 years old to 49, and the average age of patients starting paracetamol, another painkiller, was 56. To analyze the data, the researchers divided the patients into groups depending on their risk of suffering heart woes - low, moderate, and high. They found that diclofenac was overwhelmingly associated with an increased rate of major heart problems and complications such as irregular heart beat, ischemic stroke, heart failure, and heart attack within 30 days of starting treatment, compared with ibuprofen, naproxen or paracetamol. With each year they stayed on diclofenac, their risk increased - markedly compared to those on other drugs, and those on no drugs at all. Patients who started the study with a low risk, then took diclofenac, had on average one more heart attack or stroke compared to those who took ibufrofen. It was the same compared to those taking naproxen. Compared to those taking paracetamol, diclofenac takers had three more heart attacks or strokes. Those who took no drugs at all fared the best: they had four fewer heart attacks or strokes, on average, compared to those on diclofenac. This increased risk affected men and women of all ages alike. Even patients on a low doses of had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Although some patients may need NSAIDs to improve their quality of life, 'despite potential side effects,' diclofenac may not be the best option. In fact, researchers said the health concerns associated with this drug must be addressed now. A Florida mother is suing three bars, alleging that they served her daughter a tea made from an herbal opioid substitute that left her with brain damage. Mary Tabar says her 19-year-old daughter, Brette, was a regular at three bars that served tea made from the kratom leaf, marketed to treat anxiety and pain, for more than four years. However, in March, Brette began suffering 'psychotic episodes and hallucinations so severe that she was confined pursuant' to the Florida Mental Health Act, according to the lawsuit. Doctors soon discovered that Brette had damage to the frontal lobe of her brain, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Now, Mary is suing Bula on the Beach, Bula Kafe and Mad Hatter's Ethnobotanical Tea Bar, all in Pinellas County, for negligence with claims they failed to warn her daughter of the dangerous side effects. The mother of Brette Tabar, 19 (left and right), is suing three bars in Pinellas County, Florida, claiming that the kratom tea they served her over four years left her with brain damage. In March, Brette allegedly began suffering from 'psychotic episodes and hallucinations' The bars - Bula on the Beach, Bula Kafe and Mad Hatter's Ethnobotanical Tea Bar (pictured) - are being sued for negligence, with claims they failed to warn Brette of the dangerous side effects Kratom is a type of tree that is found in Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. The leaves contain compounds that can have psychotropic, or mind-altering, effects, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The leaves can be crushed or powdered and taken in capsule or tablet form, as well as brewed into teas. It's often used to treat anxiety and chronic pain as well as opioid dependency. However, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, mitragynine - which is the main, active ingredient in kratom - interacts with the brain's opioid receptors, and carries a potential risk for dependence. The US Drug Enforcement Administration announced in August 2016 that it would be classifying kratom as a Schedule I drug, the same category ecstasy, heroin and LSD fall into - but was met with pushback. However, the drug has been banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Supporters, such as the American Kratom Agency, say the plant is harmless and that any harmful effects only occur when abused or mixed with other drugs. But the FDA has linked kratom to 44 deaths between 2011 and 2017. 'Our complaint lays out our allegations pretty clearly. The complaint stems from the sale of this dangerous product, kratom,' Mary Tabar's attorney, Chase Carpenter, told the Times. 'It is a dangerous product that has certainly caused injury to people, and it has certainly caused injury to our client.' Carpenter told the newspaper that a physician treating Brette was the one who made the connection between kratom and her brain damage, but he said he was not able to explain how to due to the lawsuit. However, Carpenter's complaint states that the bars failed to warn customers of the potentially dangerous side effects. Family lawyer Chase Carpenter told the newspaper that a physician treated Brette (left and right) was the one who made the connection between kratom and her brain damage. The lawsuit also states that the tea aggravated a pre-existing condition, but it is unclear what the condition was Kratom is a type of tree that is found in Southeast Asian countries whose leaves contain compounds that can have psychotropic effects (file image of kratom tablets) The bars are being held liable for 'bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, aggravation of a pre-existing condition, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, past and future medical and nursing care expenses and treatment'. Carpenter would not tell the newspaper what pre-existing condition Brette had or if she took any medications for it. '[T]his has been a traumatic experience for our entire family. We feel that Kratom should be labeled for dosage and possible side effects especially in young brains that aren't completely developed yet,' Mary Tabar wrote to DailyMail.com. 'I also am disappointed at the many in the Kratom community who are insensitive to the stories of those who have not only suffered serious side effects, but also the family members of the lives that have been taken due to either defective Kratom products or little to no labeling.' Levi Love, who owns Mad Hatter's, told the Times he's never hear of someone suing a tea bar for brain damage before. He says his bartenders explain to every customer what the tea is made from and even warns them not to drink it if they're taking medication. 'I think it's completely unfounded. Being around people who drink kratom and use it regularly, I've never seen these symptoms or heard of them,' Love said. 'Never a psychotic episode and certainly not hallucinating or brain damage.' Love says he doesn't know Brette, despite the lawsuit's claim that she was a regular customer. Additionally, he says that if she was a regular over four years, she would have started drinking the tea when she was 15 - but he says his bar has a strict 18-and-over policy. He adds that most people who use kratom are responsible users and says it is likely Brette abused it. 'That would be terrible for all of the people that are using it responsibly,' he said. 'It's gonna take away our freedom to do what we want with our bodies. Whatever you're gonna do, just do it responsibility.' Attorney Rohom Khonsari, who is representing Bula on the Beach, Bula Kafe and Mad Hatter's Ethnobotanical Tea Bar, released a statement to DailyMail.com. 'It's unfortunate that the attorneys for Ms Tabar have chosen to go to the media to litigate and publicize this case,' the statement read. 'Without knowing anything more about the connection Ms Tabar's doctor made between her injuries and kratom, we cannot comment further about this case. 'However, regarding the 44 death cases the FDA cited, many, if not all of them, deal with people who had ingested other controlled substances and/or drugs along with kratom. We will be aggressively defending this case.' Over the past six years, several US chain pharmacies have been caught numerous times by the Food and Drug Administration selling tobacco products to minors, a new study finds. The biggest offender: Walgreens, according to the report published in JAMA Pediatrics. Between 2012 and 2017, Walgreens was caught selling tobacco products to minors 1,296 times, representing about once in every 10 inspections. During inspections, an adult undercover inspector goes into the store with a minor, who then tries to purchase tobacco products, explained the study's lead author, Joseph Lee, an assistant professor of health education and promotion at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. 'If the product is sold to the minor, then nothing happens right away,' Lee said. 'If tobacco products are sold, then a warning letter is sent by the FDA.' Things can escalate after that if the company continues to break the law, Lee said. There can be big fines and eventually the company can be banned from selling tobacco altogether. Lee suspects that the numbers provided by the FDA inspection records underestimate how many times chain pharmacies have actually made tobacco sales to minors. Arnold Levinson of the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora, who wasn't involved in the research, agrees that the problem is probably bigger than the FDA numbers suggest. 'The FDA data are the best we have available, but they only measure how often the pharmacies got caught selling tobacco to minors during undercover enforcement tests,' Levinson said in an email. 'The problem is much bigger than these results suggest. If pharmacies are serious about being in the health business, they need to stop selling this deadly product - and not just to kids.' While Walgreens was racking up a total of 1,296 violations during 12,587 inspections (a rate of 10.3 percent), Rite Aid was caught 314 times during 7,483 inspections (a rate of 4.2 percent), and other chains were caught 51 out of 667 inspections (a rate of 7.6 percent). CVS, which stopped selling tobacco products altogether in September 2014, was caught 172 times in 3,126 inspections (a rate of 5.5 percent). A Walgreens spokesman told Reuters Health in an emailed statement: 'The health and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority and core mission. We take this matter very seriously and have taken a number of steps over the past several years to help address the important issue of tobacco sales to minors. 'To further strengthen our practices, going forward, we will be requiring identification for anyone purchasing tobacco products regardless of age in all of our stores nationwide by early October. As part of this measure, we also will be training all our store team members on the new requirements and install signs in our stores to help explain the change to our customers.' While the numbers from the FDA may be an underestimate, the comparison between companies is probably accurate, Lee noted. Why the focus on pharmacies? 'What concerns me about pharmacies selling tobacco in the first place is the horrible irony of their selling these products to minors,' Lee said. 'Secondly, pharmacies tend to have slightly cheaper prices, which is worrisome because youth are particularly sensitive to prices and are always looking for places that are more affordable.' Things may be changing, Lee said. 'There's a big move nationally to stop pharmacies from selling tobacco products. You shouldn't be able to buy cigarettes at the same time as you're buying drugs to treat tobacco-related disease.' 'The study strengthens the case even further for banning sales in pharmacies,' said Daniel Giovenco of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, who wasn't involved in the study. 'It shows that chain pharmacies often violate the law against selling tobacco to minors.' Giovenco has studied the impact of New York City's law banning tobacco sales in pharmacies and found that the legislation helped reduce the 'density' of retail stores where tobacco could be purchased. It makes sense to start with pharmacies, Giovenco added. 'They are centers of health and wellness,' he explained. 'So they shouldn't be selling the most dangerous consumer product on the market.' Thirty more people have contracted Salmonella from eating Kellogg Co's Honey Smacks cereal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed. That brings the total number to 130 cases in 36 states - 34 of whom have been hospitalized. Health officials had thought the outbreak, which started in March, was brought under control in June when they recalled 1.3 million cases of the cereal in affected states. But now they are warning Americans, again, to avoid the product nationwide. Salmonella bacteria can survive for a long time in dry heat, such as in toasted cereals 'Do not eat any Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal, regardless of package size or best-by date. Check your home for it and throw it away or return it to the place of purchase for a refund,' the CDC said on Tuesday. Following the latest reports, three more states - Delaware, Maine and Minnesota - have been added to the list of places that will issue recalls. However, an FDA investigation has found the contaminated cereal is still being sold in some locations that were meant to recall it. Illnesses in this outbreak started on dates ranging from March 3 to August 7, CDC said, adding the investigation is still ongoing. Kellogg had not yet shipped any new cereal to retailers and that people who bought the potentially affected product can contact it for a full refund, the company said in a statement The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is not clear how such vast quantities of Honey Smacks got infected, but it is not surprising to food safety specialists. While Salmonella is typically associated with under-cooked chicken and eggs, it is known to thrive and survive in dry heat. Toasted cereals, therefore, are a welcome home for the bacteria. Honey Smacks' ingredients are listed as: Sugar, Wheat, Dextrose, Honey, Contains 2% or Less of Vegetable, Salt, Caramel Color, Soy Lecithin, BHT for Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), Niacinamide, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Hydrochloride), Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12. Britain's main supplier of insulin is stockpiling the medicine in case Brexit disrupts the supply chain. Around 4.6 million people in the country are thought to have diabetes and many of them rely on insulin to stay healthy. Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk supplies more than half of the UK's insulin and has revealed it's importing enough of the vital medication to last four months. The move comes just weeks after medical experts warned millions of diabetics' health would be at risk if there was an insulin shortage after Brexit. Novo Nordisk is stockpiling amid fears Britain will leave the European Union without new trade deals in March, which could make it difficult to import drugs. The company said it is committed to making sure its patients' health is not affected by Brexit. Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has said it will stash 16 weeks' worth of insulin almost triple the government's six-week recommendation to make sure people with diabetes are not hit by drug shortages after Brexit Novo Nordisk will build up a 16-week reserve of insulin in the UK before January next year. The medication is vital for hundreds of thousands of Brits who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, in which the body cannot use its own insulin. Britain plans to exit the European Union on March 29 2019 and, in the event of no international trade agreements being made before then, importing and exporting goods could become slower and more expensive. Without insulin, diabetics risk having dangerously high blood sugar which could send them into a coma. The government led by Prime Minister Theresa May, who herself has type 1 diabetes advised companies to build a six week supply of meds for the country. And the leading insulin supplier has gone a step further, The Independent reported. 'Our first commitment is to ensure that patients treated with our medicines remain unaffected in the event of a no-deal Brexit,' said Pinder Sahota, Novo Nordisk UK's corporate vice president. 'Our decision to increase stock is in line with the technical notices and guidance published by the government to industry.' WHY DO DIABETICS INJECT INSULIN? Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas, an organ in your body that helps with digestion. Insulin helps your body use glucose which comes from sugar in the food and drink you consume for muscle energy. Glucose is initially absorbed by the gut from food and passed into the blood, where the body decides what to do with it. Insulin makes this decision by regulating how much sugar moves from the blood into the blood cells, muscles or fat cells, where it can be used up or stored. But diabetes can mean the pancreas does not make any insulin, it doesn't make enough, or the insulin it does make doesn't work properly. This can lead to the levels of sugar in the blood becoming dangerously high or low which can cause fatigue, feeling hungry or thirsty, or in extreme cases life-threatening coma. To avoid this and stop blood sugar getting too high, diabetics can inject insulin into their body as a medication to bring their blood sugar down. Source: Diabetes.org Advertisement And the Danish company's move comes just weeks after Sir Michael Rawlins, chairman of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said millions of diabetics could be put in danger by drug shortages after Brexit. Sir Michael told the Pharmaceutical Journal in July: 'We make no insulin in the UK. We import every drop of it. 'You can't transport insulin around ordinarily because it must be temperature-controlled. 'And there are 3.5 million people who rely on insulin, not least the prime minister. 'We can't suddenly start manufacturing insulin it's got to be sorted, no question.' Novo Nordisk's stockpiling will double its current seven-week reserves over the next few months. Dan Howarth, head of care at Diabetes UK, told The Independent: 'This further commitment from Novo Nordisk will no doubt reassure those people with diabetes who rely on the insulin this company produces. 'Insulin and other diabetes medication aren't optional extras for the millions of people in the UK who rely on them. 'It's incredibly important that the companies involved in their production and distribution, and those involved in guaranteeing their entry into the UK, work together so that supply continues uninterrupted.' French insulin supplier Sanofi has also said it will increase its reserves by nearly a third to build a 14-week stockpile. It can still be bought from pharmacies in its gel form, such as Voltaren Diclofenac was banned over-the-counter in the UK due to heart concerns Taking the drug diclofenac also raises the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding A common painkiller that is prescribed to millions in the UK may increase a person's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke by 50 per cent, research suggests. A study of more than 6.3 million adults found that diclofenac, which is prescribed under the brand names Motifene and Diclomax among others, also puts patients at a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding compared to other painkillers. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is approved for the relief of gout, severe allergic conjunctivitis, pain post surgery and arthritis in the UK. Heart concerns caused British regulators to ban tablet forms of the drug from being sold over-the-counter in 2015. It can still be bought from pharmacies in its gel form, such as Voltaren, to relieve pain and inflammation. The common painkiller diclofenac, which is prescribed to millions in the UK, may increase a person's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke by 50 per cent (stock) On the back of the study's findings, published in the British Medical Journal, the Danish researchers are calling from the drug's UK ban to be expanded worldwide. The scientists, from Aarhus University Hospital, said: 'It is time to acknowledge the potential health risk of diclofenac and reduce its use. 'Dicofenac should not be available over the counter and when prescribed should be accompanied by an appropriate front package warning about its potential risks.' The scientists analysed national registry data for millions of Danish adults. All of the study's participants had been taking prescription medications for at least a year before the trial began in January 1996. The average age of the participants taking NSAIDs ranged from 46 to 49, while the patients starting paracetamol, another painkiller, were around 56. The researchers divided the participants into groups depending on their risk of suffering a heart-related event, which was ranked low, moderate or high. Results show diclofenac is overwhelmingly associated with an increased risk of major heart problems, such as an irregular heart beat, ischemic stroke, heart failure or a heart attack within 30 days of starting the treatment, compared with other painkillers (stock) WHAT IS DICLOFENAC? Diclofenac is a painkiller that is used to treat aches and pain in the joints, muscles and bones. In the UK, the drug can only be issued in its tablet form on prescription and is approved for: Gout and other forms of arthritis Post-surgery pain Severe allergic conjunctivitis Brands of the tablet form of the drug include Motifene and Diclomax. Diclofenac was made prescription only in the UK in 2015 after studies suggested it increases a person's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke even if taken at a low dose for a short time. The drug can still be bought in a gel form over-the-counter, with brands including Voltaren. Injection or eye drop forms of the drug are available but are usually only given in hospital. In the US, diclofenac is available on prescription. Brands include Solaraze, Cambia and Zipsor. Advertisement Results show diclofenac is overwhelmingly associated with an increased risk of major heart problems, such as an irregular heart beat, ischemic stroke, heart failure or a heart attack within 30 days of starting the treatment, compared with taking ibuprofen, naproxen or paracetamol. With each year a patient stays on diclofenac, this risk increases. Participants who started the study with a low risk and then took diclofenac had on average one more heart attack or stroke compared to those who took ibufrofen. The same results occurred when diclofenac was the same compared against naproxen. In comparison to those taking paracetamol, diclofenac users have three more heart attacks or strokes. Those who take no drugs at all fare best, with four fewer heart attacks or strokes, on average, compared to those on diclofenac. This increased risk affects men and women of all ages, including those with an initially low risk of a heart attack or stroke. Although some patients may need NSAIDs to improve their quality of life, 'despite potential side effects,' diclofenac may not be the best option, according to the researchers, who add the drug's risks need assessing immediately. In 2013, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announced diclofenac tablets have a small but significant effect on a user's risk of suffering a heart-related event. Although the drug's product information was updated to reflect this risk, it was not until 2015 that a review by the Commission on Human Medicines concluded that these complications cannot be ruled out even if diclofenac is taken for a short time at a low dose. In the interest of patient safety, diclofenac was made prescription only in the UK on the back of this review. A woman who is covered from head to toe in tiny tumours reveals how she has been refused entry into public swimming pools and even asked to move on flights by heartless strangers. Gail Appelgren, 57, from Edmonton in Alberta,Canada, has battled with neurofibromatosis (NF) her whole life, which she believes makes her 'special' and 'unique'. Her condition has left her with 180 growths on one hand alone, as well as tumours twice the size of her fist on her back. Despite the cruel comments she receives from strangers, Mrs Appelgren, a retired social worker, said: 'I don't cover up, I wear sleeveless shirts and tops. I'm a regular person, I laugh and cry, like you or anybody else. 'When I look in the mirror, I don't see neurofibromatosis, I see Gail looking back at me. I see my smile and my bright eyes, that's the way I've always been.' Gail Appelgren, who is covered in thousands of tumours all over her body, refuses to hide her condition, known as neurofibromatosis, despite many assuming she has a contagious disease Pictured at 14, the age she was diagnosed with NF, Mrs Appelgren always had a large tumour on her chest, as well as lots of flat birthmarks. It was not until she developed a growth on her breast that hung down and grew under her armpit that her condition was realised Despite enduring cruel comments from strangers, Mrs Appelgren (pictured with her husband Tim Golumbia, 55, who also has NF) refuses to let her appearance affect her Speaking of her condition, Mrs Appelgren said: 'I cannot even guess how many bumps I have, they are in the thousands and thousands. 'My entire torso has wall-to-wall bumps. There are so many they are growing on each other or out of each other. 'When I look at my one hand I count 180 from the wrist up but the other has double that number. 'The biggest is on my stomach and others range from the size of my fist of my stomach and one on my back and tail bone that was twice my fist size, to smaller than that.' Although others gawk at her appearance, Mrs Appelgren refuses to let it impact her confidence. She said: 'I think I'm unique and special because I have a condition a lot of people don't understand, even some doctors don't know about it. 'I live every day to the fullest, as I get older the more complications I have with NF but I'm a happy and active person.' WHAT IS NEUROFIBROMATOSIS? Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common genetic condition that affects one in 3,000 people in the UK to some extent. It's caused by a genetic mutation that affects nerve tissue growth. Around half of cases are inherited from a parent and the other half occur spontaneously. Early symptoms include flat brown birthmarks, and lumps and bumps in unusual places. It is also associated with mild learning difficulties, although most people with NF1 are otherwise healthy and live to a normal life expectancy. There is no cure, however, surgery can be performed to remove the benign growths. Source: The Neuro Foundation Advertisement Despite being content with her growths, Mrs Appelgren still requires up two surgeries a year to help manage the pain of her disorder. She is pictured after her first operation this year Mrs Appelgren describes her torso as being 'wall-to-wall bumps'. On one hand alone, she counted 180 growths, with some on her back and tailbone being twice the size of her fist Mrs Appelgren previously said she was too busy for love until she met Tim in 2010. Pictured on their wedding day in 2014, the couple are celebrating their four-year anniversary The pair refuse to let their NF hold them back, despite one woman asking Mr Golumbia if he caught NF from his wife due to him having fewer growths than her Although Mrs Appelgren has always had a large tumour on her chest and numerous flat birthmarks, it was not until she turned 12 that the growths on her body began to multiply at a rapid rate. At 14 years old, she was finally diagnosed with NF after developing a large mass on her breast that hung down and grew under her armpit. Despite numerous surgeries to remove the large mass, which was 22cm (nine inches) across and hung 30cm (12 inches) down, it continued to grow back, with Mrs Appelgren risking her life during every operation. She said: 'When I had part of the large one removed from my chest, they almost lost me because I lost so much blood, but I was determined and lived on. 'It was so big that they couldn't get to the root of it, so had to go in for a second time. They removed more of the tissue from my chest and some of my ribs, then rebuilt it.' Mrs Appelgren still undergoes up to two surgeries a year to help manage the pain of her disorder, with small tumours continuing to grow back regardless. Mrs Appelgren believes her appearance makes her 'unique' and 'special'. Although her condition is painful, she insists she 'lives life to the fullest' and is a 'happy, active person' Mrs Appelgren is pictured at 23 after having surgery to remove a tumour from her foot Despite her confidence, Mrs Appelgren admits the stigma around NF often lands her and her husband Tim Golumbia, 55, who also suffers from NF, into difficult situations. She said: 'We were on a flight to our vacation destination when the flight attendant came and told me that someone was on the airplane and thought I was contagious. 'They added that my husband must have caught it from me as he did not have as many bumps. We were already in the air and the flight attendant said she didn't know how to deal with this issue. 'So, I gave her a piece of paper with the spelling of condition and recommended she Google and research the condition. I assured her I was not contagious. 'When we were leaving the country, on our way home we were detained at the airport but no explanation was provided. Mrs Appelgren, who said she was too busy for love until she met Mr Golumbia in 2010, added: 'Once, when Tim came with me to a medical appointment, a man moved and said, "You are contagious", as Tim had some bumps but not as many as I had. 'A doctor I saw earlier this year, not my regular doctor, told me to just get a skin transplant.' As she grew older, Mrs Appelgren's tumours began to multiply at a rapid rate. Despite having surgery to remove them, the growths came back bigger, causing her more discomfort Pictured at 25 on holiday in Cuba, Mrs Appelgren has always refused to cover up, describing herself as just a normal person who does not even see her bumps when she looks in the mirror As a very young child, pictured at three, she did not suffer from NF but it soon developed Although she has endured cruel comments all her life, Mrs Appelgren relishes educating others on NF. She said: 'I love people asking about it, I want to tell them. Seeing me it's very obvious that I don't look like a lot of other people. I tell them that I have a condition that makes me look different. 'It's something I've dealt with all my life, but I would like to say I'm not contagious. 'I have been asked not to swim in the pool, not to touch fruit at the supermarket and more. 'When a little boy asked me about my condition, I explained that it makes me special and unique. He said, "Isn't there anything they can do for you?" I shook my head and he replied, "You are fine the way you are".' Ebola has now killed 82 people in an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Four more people have died since Monday and 11 new cases have been reported since August 28, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. In a desperate attempt to contain the outbreak, aid workers have educated nearly 2.5 million people about how to reduce the risk of spreading the lethal virus. But officials admitted it is becoming hard to track where the infection is being transmitted because the outbreak is near a dangerous conflict zone. Saturday, September 1, marked a month since the beginning of the outbreak and 122 cases of Ebola have been reported 91 of those confirmed. Nearly 70 per cent of people thought to have been infected have died of the disease, but DRC health officials are rolling out experimental drugs to treat patients, and at least two people have recovered following treatment. The WHO's latest situation report on the outbreak, released yesterday, said 'recent trends suggest control measures are working'. At least 122 people have been infected with Ebola in the outbreak around the North Kivu region in the north-east of Democratic Republic of the Congo since it was first declared on August 1 the city of Beni has been the centre of the current outbreak An Ebola patient is led to be treated by medical workers in Beni: Since the outbreak began some 4,296 people are thought to have come into contact with people who had the virus and 16 medical workers have been infected The Ebola virus is spreading near the city of Beni in the North Kivu region in the DRC's north-east, near the border with Uganda. Some 16 health workers have caught the virus and one has died from it. Since the outbreak began, officials have identified 4,296 people who have been in contact with those who caught the virus. More than half of those people are still being monitored. And the country's efforts to keep the outbreak from spiralling out of control have been praised as a 'global first and a ray of hope' by the WHO. UNICEF this week said it has now reached 2,454,000 people with its Ebola prevention messages in the past month. 'An increasing number of communities are now aware about Ebola and how to prevent its transmission,' said Dr Gianfranco Rotigliano, a UNICEF representative. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO'S CURRENT EBOLA OUTBREAK IN NUMBERS 122 cases of Ebola have been reported 91 of those cases are confirmed 31 are 'probable' Ebola cases 82 people have died of the virus 62 of cases have been in women 16 health workers have caught Ebola One health worker as died 4,296 people have been in contact with Ebola patients 2,454,000 people have been reached by UNICEF's Ebola prevention messages 11 million people live in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces of DRC, where the outbreak is taking place Source: World Health Organization Advertisement 'The active involvement of concerned communities is key to stopping the spread of the disease. 'We are working closely with them to promote hand-washing and good hygiene practices, and to identify and assist people that might be infected with the virus.' At-risk populations are being reached through community engagement, radio, door-to-door activities, church meetings and adolescent groups, and prevention messages are shared in four different languages. Last Friday, the WHO said there are still 'substantial risks' in trying to beat the Ebola outbreak in the east of DRC. The UN agency said that although efforts to stop the virus spreading are working, it is proving hard to keep track of where the virus is active. Four of 13 recent cases in the city of Beni were not previously identified as contacts of other patients, meaning officials don't know how they were exposed to Ebola. An important part of preventing the spread of the virus is monitoring people who have been in contact with others infected with the fever, to make sure they don't develop symptoms and spread the infection. If people develop the infection without coming into contact with previous patients it could mean the virus is coming from elsewhere. This makes it harder for health workers to track down and contain all the sources of the fast-spreading disease. The WHO also reports 'sporadic instances' of high-risk behaviors like unsafe burials, which could worsen the outbreak because Ebola can still be caught from corpses. Some 82 people have died in the most recent Ebola outbreak taking place in the North Kivu province in the north-east of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pictured: Health workers carry the body of a suspected victim last Wednesday, August 22, in Mangina, a town near Beni But there are rays of hope for the troubled African country two infected patients have recovered after being given an experimental therapeutic drug. The UN health agency in a statement said most patients recently admitted to Ebola clinics were given experimental treatments and that many contacts of cases have been immunized with a novel vaccine. More than 3,400 people have been given medicines and experts say the DRC's medical assault on the infection is a 'global first'. Two of the first 10 people to have been given an experimental cure known as mAb114 made a recovery from the deadly infection. In a statement the DRC's health ministry confirmed: 'These two people are among the first 10 patients to have received the therapeutic molecule mAb114.' Developed in the US, mAb114 was the first of five experimental treatments the DRC has begun using in the outbreak. The health ministry has confirmed four other experimental drugs have been approved for use in the country ZMapp, Remdesivir, Favipiravir and Regn3450-3471-347. The World Health Organization said the country's attempts to stop the virus were 'a global first, and a ray of hope for people with the disease.' The mayor in the city of Beni, Jean Edmond Nyonyi Masumbuko Bwanakawa, has announced treatment for Ebola will be free in the region for three months. He hopes the move will encourage people to seek immediate medical help and not be put off by a fear of having to pay for healthcare. An Ebola patient is checked by two medical workers after being admitted into a Biosecure Emergency Care Unit (CUBE) in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo The current Ebola outbreak is the 10th to strike the Congo since 1976, when the virus was first identified and named after the Ebola River in the north of the country. The outbreak was announced just days after another was declared over in the north-west of the Congo at the start of August. Yet the new outbreak has already dwarfed the one earlier this summer and has stoked more fears among the medical community. Virologists feared it would be 'reminiscent' of the 2014 Ebola pandemic, which decimated West Africa and killed 11,000 people. There are also concerns that conflict in the region might make the outbreak hard to control, as the infected could be displaced to refugee camps where the virus can thrive. Aid workers have been told they will have to navigate their response among more than 100 armed groups. A WHO spokesperson said: 'This is an active conflict zone. The major barrier will be safely accessing the affected population.' An Ebola death in a major city in the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised fears the ongoing outbreak could spread even further. Health officials in the African nation yesterday confirmed the virus was responsible for the death of a woman in Butembo, a city of around 1.4 million. In response, the World Health Organization's emergency response chief has said 'no-one should be sleeping well tonight around the world'. Local reports claim the unnamed woman was the mother of a known Ebola patient, who travelled from the town at the centre of the outbreak. It comes as the death toll from Ebola - responsible for a brutal pandemic in 2014 - in the country has reached 87 people since it began at the start of August. At least 122 people have been infected with Ebola in the outbreak around the North Kivu region in the north-east of Democratic Republic of the Congo since it was first declared on August 1 the city of Beni has been the centre of the current outbreak Experimental drugs have been shipped into the area to control the virus, considered to be one of the most lethal pathogens in existence. But virologists have repeatedly warned the situation is 'hard to control' because cases are in a conflict zone, roamed by armed militias. And the World Health Organization admitted the latest death makes ending the outbreak in the east of the country significantly harder. Butembo's mayor revealed the victim was a woman, who was likely infected as a result of participating in an unsafe burial. She died in a university clinic. But the DRC's Ministry of Health claims it was a man from a nearby town at the centre of the outbreak, who refused to cooperate with health authorities. 'Ebola case from Beni has died in Butembo DRC,' Peter Salama, the World Health Organization's head of emergency operations, wrote on Twitter. 'Good news is case detected quickly, response already in place and expanding. Bad new(s) is increases risk of further spread.' He told the HuffPost: 'When you have an Ebola case confirmed in a city with one million people, no one should be sleeping well tonight around the world.' However, he added that having Ebola in urban centres, such as Butembo, makes ending the ongoing outbreak much harder. An Ebola patient is led to be treated by medical workers in Beni: Since the outbreak began some 4,296 people are thought to have come into contact with people who had the virus and 16 medical workers have been infected Most of the Ebola 127 cases recorded so far have been in Beni, a city of 230,000 people with close links to bordering Uganda. Butembo, about 35 miles (55km) away, is around triple the size of Beni and is a major trading route for consumer goods entering the DRC. There are two other suspected cases of the Ebola in the city but these have not yet been confirmed, according to local reports. Only 96 of the cases in North Kivu province have been confirmed. The rest remain probable due to the Ebola-like symptoms. But it has since spread to Oicha, an area almost entirely surrounded by militants, which stoked the fears of Dr Tedros Adhanom, chief of the WHO. Dr Tedros Adhanom told Reuters last week: 'If one case is hidden in the red zone or an inaccessible area, it's dangerous. It can just spark a fire, just one case.' An agency that responds to humanitarian crises last week feared the outbreak would trump the pandemic four years ago, which killed 11,000 and decimated West Africa. The International Rescue Committee said: 'Without a swift, concerted and efficient response, this outbreak has the potential to be the worst ever seen.' Ebola virus disease, caused by the virus with its namesake, kills around 50 per cent of people it strikes but there is no proven treatment available. Some 82 people have died in the most recent Ebola outbreak taking place in the North Kivu province in the north-east of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pictured: Health workers carry the body of a suspected victim last Wednesday, August 22, in Mangina, a town near Beni The unsafe burial of a 65-year-old Ebola sufferer triggered the latest outbreak in the DRC, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). After she was buried members of her family began to display symptoms of the virus 'and seven of them died'. Genetic analysis has confirmed the virus is the Zaire strain, the same as the one behind an outbreak in the west of the DRC earlier this summer. However, Peter Salama, WHO deputy director for emergency preparedness and response, last month revealed it is genetically different. The 2014 international response to the Ebola pandemic, which decimated West Africa, drew criticism for moving too slowly and prompted an apology from the WHO. But international aid teams have moved much quicker in response this time - with vaccination campaigns already underway in several regions. A womans tongue turned black and hairy because of a drug she took after both her legs were crushed in a car crash. The unidentified 55-year-old was diagnosed with black hairy tongue a harmless condition often caused by poor oral hygiene. Doctors in St Louis have revealed it was caused by minocycline, an antibiotic that was given to her to combat a wound infection. The unidentified 55-year-old was diagnosed with black hairy tongue a harmless condition often caused by poor oral hygiene The drugs bizarre side effect, a known cause of black hairy tongue, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The woman was rushed immediately to Washington University Hospital in St Louis following her motor vehicle accident. Dr Yasir Hamad and Dr David Warren, who wrote the report, revealed that she sustained a severe crush injury to both legs. They gave her IV drips of meropenem, another antibiotic, and oral minocycline tablets to combat a wound infection. Within a month, her tongue returned to its normal colour, doctors in St Louis wrote in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine WHAT IS BLACK HAIRY TONGUE? Black hairy tongue is a temporary and harmless condition that makes the tongue turn dark and furry, the Mayo Clinic states. It is usually caused by a build-up of dead skin cells on the on the papilla finger-like projections on the surface of the tongue that contain taste buds. But it can also be associated with poor oral hygiene, tobacco, irritating mouthwashes and certain antibiotics, doctors say. According to Mayo Clinic, antibiotics can change the normal bacteria or yeast content of the mouth, causing the bizarre discolouring. Advertisement After just one week of the treatment, the patient noticed her tongue was slowly turning black. She also reported nausea and a bad taste in her mouth. Writing in the prestigious journal, the medics said: Black hairy tongue, resulting from treatment with minocycline, was suspected. Black hairy tongue is a temporary and harmless condition that makes the tongue turn dark and furry, the Mayo Clinic states. It is usually caused by a build-up of dead skin cells on the on the papilla finger-like projections on the surface of the tongue that contain taste buds. But it can also be associated with poor oral hygiene, tobacco, irritating mouthwashes and certain antibiotics, the doctors wrote. Doctors decided to stop giving the patient minocycline and they urged her to ensure she was brushing her teeth as often as she should. Within a month, her tongue returned to its normal colour, Dr Hamad and Dr Warren explained in the NEJMs Images in Clinical Medicine. Thousands of nurses are forced to rely on food banks because they cannot afford to eat, shocking new research suggests. Out of a survey of more than 1,000 nurses, nine per cent admitted to having collected free food in the past year, while 38 per cent said they struggle to buy food. Over half claim to have less than 500 to fall back on if a personal crisis were to strike, such as ill health or a relationship breakdown. The English and Scottish government recently agreed a deal that should see basic pay for nurses rise by around 6.5 per cent over three years. Salary increases were previously capped at one per cent. Yet, Janet Davies, the former chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, stepped down from the position after she failed to deliver the immediate three per cent pay rise she promised last July. Thousands of nurses are forced to rely on food banks because they cannot afford to eat (stock) The online survey, which was carried out by the Cavell Nurses Trust, had 1,149 respondents. Of which, 77 per cent said they were not financially prepared for a personal crisis, while 78 per cent claimed to have no more than 3,000 across their current and saving accounts. When asked if their money woes ever led them to 'consider leaving nursing or midwifery', 55 per cent said yes. Financial worries have also left many nurses struggling to heat their homes, pay for their commutes and care for their loved ones. In 57 per cent of cases, nurses are the primary earners in their homes, which has increased from 48 per cent in 2007. Due to them struggling to make ends meet, almost 60 per cent said they could not fund hobbies or social activities. Despite their money woes, only 12 per cent would feel comfortable talking to their employers. Cavell Nurses Trust chair Simon Knighton told Nursing Times: 'Messages in this report like "77 per cent of nursing professionals are unprepared for a sudden financial crisis" or "half of all nurses say they have 500 or less to survive on in a crisis" are not just statistics. 'Each number is made up of real issues personally experienced by real people, in their everyday lives. 'At any time, there are some who face personal crisis and many thousands more who are more dangerously close to personal crisis than it is reasonable to expect in a modern compassionate society.' Cavell Nurses Trust, which supports nurses through personal and financial hardship, hopes the results of its survey will encourage employers to join its 'working with' programme, which aims to create a 'safety net' for staff during tough times. The survey's findings will be included in the report 'Getting to work: Financial crisis and our nations nursing professionals', which is due to be released later this month. Out of more than the 1,000 nurses surveyed, nine per cent are so hard done by they have been forced to use food banks this past year, while 38 per cent struggle to buy food (stock) Under the new deal, nurses and other NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract in England will reportedly receive an average 6.5 per cent rise in basic pay. All but the highest paid staff should have received three per cent in April, as well as a 2.8 per cent lump sum next April and a further 1.7 per cent in April 2020. Despite these promises, many question whether they will come through after the NHS pay rise blunder last summer. Only half of nurses in England are thought to have received a pay rise straight away, with the rest being told they had to wait nearly a year until their appraisal. Ms Davies offered a 'sincere personal apology' to the 435,000-strong union and said the pay deal was 'not as straightforward as we said'. Many nurses were furious over the misleading deal and hundreds signed a vote of no confidence petition, calling for her and other bosses to step down. The supposed agreement, reached after months of negotiation between unions, employers and ministers, was made possible due to an extra 4.2 billion of government funding. Unions said the decision to accept the deal meant a significant wage boost for the lowest paid workers in the NHS. Yet due to the complex system of how pay bands work for nurses in England, scores claimed to receive only very small increases. Several nurses took to Twitter to complain at how their salary increased by a few pennies with one saying it had risen by 20p. When campaigning for the one per cent pay cap to be scrapped, unions referred to nurses' increasing reliance on food banks. Deals in Scotland promise that the many workers who earn up to 80,000 will reportedly receive a minimum rise of nine per cent across 2018-to-2019 and 2020-to-2021. If the proposals offered in Wales are agreed upon, staff should receive 6.5 per cent. Number of would-be nurses plunges: Numbers applying for degrees down a third in two years Plans to increase numbers of trainee nurses amid an NHS staffing crisis have failed, nursing leaders claim. The number of those applying to nursing degrees has fallen a third in two years, from 43,730 in 2016 to 29,360 today, a Royal College of Nursing report has revealed. The college blames a Government decision to scrap grants worth 20,000 for future nurses and midwives and replace them with loans. The move was announced in 2015 and ministers claimed the money saved would pay for extra nurse training places. But the NHS is currently severely short of nurses, with approximately one in nine of all full-time posts being vacant. Janet Davies, chief executive of the RCN, said the Government had squandered the chance to address the crisis, adding: The Government knows that when there arent enough nurses, patients can pay the very highest price. She called on ministers to redouble efforts to attract students with fair pay and other incentives. Advertisement Stephen Fry's prostate cancer diagnosis led to a surge in referrals to NHS services and may partly be to blame for missed waiting time targets. Matthew Swindells, national director for operations and information at NHS England, revealed there had been an 'extraordinary spike in demand' in recent months. This was 'largely driven' by the announcement that the TV presenter and comic had undergone surgery to have his prostate removed early this year, he said. Fry, 61, urged 'men of a certain age' to get themselves tested after revealing his diagnosis back in February in a heartfelt video. Stephen Fry, 61, celebrated his 61st birthday last month and admitted on Twitter that he was 'happy to still be here' He discovered he had the disease in the run-up to Christmas and underwent an operation to have his prostate removed shortly after. The TV legend celebrated his 61st birthday last month and admitted on Twitter that he was 'happy to still be here'. Figures from April to June show 80.8 per cent of patients with suspected cancer started treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred by a GP. This is below the Government target of 85 per cent for the 18th consecutive quarter, and the worst quarterly performance against this target since records began. Mr Swindells said the drop in performance against cancer targets was a 'complex story'. Speaking at the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, he said: 'When we look at the data, there's been an extraordinary spike in demand. Stephen Fry uploaded a 12 minute video to his blog revealing: 'For the last two months I've been in the throes of a rather unwelcome and unexpected adventure' 'I'm told [it's] largely driven by Stephen Fry getting prostate cancer and the media coverage of that. 'We have seen increases in referrals into a number of the cancer specialties, particularly urology, in the sort of 15 per cent level jump this year, which is unprecedented.' Mr Swindells admitted to the audience that the numbers look 'terrible'. But he added the health service 'treated more patients in the first quarter of this year within 62 days than it ever has before'. Mr Swindells said: 'The NHS managed to respond to a 15 per cent jump in demand with about a 12 per cent jump in supply.' He added it was encouraging to see more people get tested for cancer. Mr Swindells said: 'We now have as an NHS to be able to work out how we manage our demand and our capacity and get smarter.' The 14-day wait target from GP referral for suspected cancer to the outpatient appointment was also missed for a whole quarter. In the clip, the 60-year-old said: 'My family and my darling husband were just marvelous.' Pictured: The QI star with husband Elliot Spencer in February last year Fry (left) presented the BAFTAs for a number of years before his final award ceremony last year. He was replaced by Joanna Lumley this year Fry is pictured with his long-time colleague Hugh Laurie (left at a London after party in June 1990 and right on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in 2016) said he was lucky to have the support of his friends This was the first time since records began in 2008/09, the figures released last month show. Between April and June, 91.4 per cent of patients with suspected cancer urgently referred by a GP were seen within 14 days, below the target of 93 per cent. Fry paid tribute to his husband, Elliot Spencer, for his support in the time since his operation, in the video posted in February. He said: 'Here's hoping I get another few years left on this planet because I enjoy life at the moment and that's marvellous thing to be able to say and I'd rather it didn't go away.' 'You think you are going to recover pretty well but it's all pretty undignified and unfortunate, but my family and my darling husband were just marvellous.' Fry, who pulled out of presenting the Bafta Film awards for the first time in years before making the video, described the cancer as an 'aggressive little bugger'. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. There are over 47,000 patients in the UK diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Taking a long-haul flight most certainly means combating the effects of jet lag. Symptoms can range from fatigue to stress to difficulty concentrating - which can hinder both a business trip and a vacation. While we are all looking for a quick fix so we can get about our day, it turns out there is no such thing. There is no cure for your biological clock and your time zone being out of sync, but there are tips you can follow to minimize this consequence of faraway travel. Dr Joseph Ojile, founder of the Clayton Sleep Institute in Missouri, reveals why it can take days for us to adjust, why 'traveling west is best', and how having a glass of wine on the plane can worsen jet lag's effects. Taking a long-haul flight most certainly means combating the effects of jet lag from fatigue to stress to difficulty concentrating (file image) WHAT IS JET LAG? Jet lag, also known as time zone change syndrome, occurs when your body quickly travels across time zones. You have traveled faster than the ability of your body to reset its inner clock, what is known as your circadian rhythm. This is particularly rough if you travel from west to east, such as from San Francisco to New York. When it's 11pm Eastern Time in New York, and you know you should be going to sleep, your body is telling you it's actually 8pm Pacific Time. 'The general rule of thumb is "East is least and West is best" when it comes to traveling and jet lag,' Dr Ojile told Daily Mail Online. 'It's a lot nicer to go West because you land and effectively are just staying up before you go to bed. 'But when you go East, it's your night but their morning so you've got to get up and get moving.' WHY LIGHT EXPOSURE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR Our biological clocks are synchronized to light-dark changes and regulate multiple physiological processes including patterns of body temperature, brain activity and hormone production. There are two internal body clocks that regulate your sleep-wake cycle. The first is called the homeostatic sleep drive, which balances sleep and wakefulness. A chemical by-product called adenosine builds up in the brain the longer you are awake and, while you sleep, adenosine breaks down. Not getting enough sleep can leave you with high adensoine levels and make you feel dazed and groggy. 'The way I like to teach homeostatic sleep drive to people is to think about it like a pitcher of water,' said Dr Ojile. 'You and I, our wakefulness early in the morning is like a full pitcher. But over the course of the day, you pour out that wakefulness so by the end of the day you're tired again.' The other clock is our daily, or circadian, rhythm, which is located behind the optic nerves in our eyes, in a region of the brain. Light is the main cue that influences circadian rhythms. When the sun rises, the brain sends signals to the pineal gland to suppress production of melatonin, the hormone that controls when you are awake and when you go to sleep. But when the sun sets, the pineal gland receives signals to secrete melatonin to make you drowsy If your body doesn't receive these signals, however, your circadian rhythm can be completely thrown off. Normally these clocks are aligned. But, because they work in very different ways, they can be out of sync when you travel. Your adenosine levels can be very high because you've gotten very little sleep, but your circadian rhythm is telling you that it's day due to sunlight. This make it difficult to go to sleep. 'Your wakefulness peak comes when you're trying to go to sleep,' said Dr Ojile. 'Those two clocks are out of whack with each other and they need a little bit of time to get back in sync. 'At 4.30am or 5.00am, you're usually snoozing in the States. But if you're in Paris, you'd be walking around because it's daytime so you're doing activities at the worst possible biological time.' JET LAG MAY INCREASE DIABETES RISK, NEW STUDY FINDS We all know common symptoms of jet lag including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and even mood changes. But it can also result in physical changes to our bodies. A 2010 study conducted by the University of California Berkeley discovered that chronic jet lag left changes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memories and learning ability. HOW EYE DROPS AND SLEEP MASKS COULD MAKE IT EASIER TO BATTLE JET LAG There have been attempts to help those experiencing jet lag adjust faster to their new locations. A study conducted last year by the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that a group of cells in the eye directly communicate with the brain. By altering their signaling - via eye drops - this could help you adjust to a new time zone, the researchers said. And, this year, a high-tech sleep mask was put on the market using light-flash technology, developed by researchers at Stanford University Medical School in California. The mask sends pulses of light - similar to a camera flash - that stimulate light sensitive nerves in the brain that send signals to suppress or produce melatonin. 'There's honesty in saying you can't make [jet lag] go away but there are things that you have control over that can make it less problematic for travel and enjoyment,' Dr Ojile said. 'Sometimes it's nice to know if we have a certain degree to change the outcome, to be able to say: "Hey I can participate in this and make this better".' Advertisement And a study just released today from Toho University in Japan found jet lag could trigger diabetes. Losing a single night's sleep affects the liver's ability to produce insulin, which helps control blood glucose levels. This increases the risk of developing diseases linked to metabolism - such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO ADJUST: YOUR BODY CLOCK CAN ONLY SHIFT ONE HOUR A DAY We've all been told that when we're adjusting to a new time zone, we should stay awake until it's time to go to sleep in our new time zone and wake up when it's morning to 'reset' our circadian rhythm. This, however, does not work. If you drive or travel by bus or train, your body has the ability to gradually adjust to time zone changes. However, our bodies haven't adapted to the point that we can quickly change those rhythms. In fact, our bodies are only capable of adjusting to one to two time zone changes per day. So if you travel across three time zones, you could need up to three days to fully recover. But why does it take so long? A 2013 study from Oxford University conducted on mice found that around 100 genes are activated in response to light and work to 'retune' your internal clock. However, there is one molecule, known as SIK1, that works to limit the effects of light on the clock - essentially preventing the body clock from readjusting. When scientists blocked SIK1 activity, the mice were able to more quickly adjust to light cycle changes. REVEALED: HOW A JET LAG EXPERT DEALS WITH LONG FLIGHTS 'You can do lots of things to ease jet lag, lots of things to minimize your effects, but there's no easy "cure" for it,' Dr Ojile said. One recommendation he makes is to start resetting your internal; body clock before your trip. 'Start going to bed earlier, two or three days before your trip, and then get up at 5am or 6am,' Dr Ojile said. 'You start to move your time clock and then by the time you travel, if you travel West to East, you're only three time zones behind instead of six.' Dr Ojile says there are also melatonin supplements you can take, which can help you go to sleep. Another adjustment you can make comes while you're on the plane. 'I would recommend avoiding alcohol and avoiding heavy, fatty foods,' Dr Ojile said. 'Get on the plane and have something light to eat, something healthy. These heavy foods can exacerbate jet lag because all of a sudden it's 3am in your brain and daytime where you land. 'Not only does it contribute to you feeling sluggish but also to you not getting enough sleep on the plane.' The day before her 21st birthday in February, Kaitlin Holton was getting ready to go out to dinner with her friends when suddenly her left arm went numb. Soon afterwards, her face started to droop and her speech began to slur. Holton, a student at the University of Indianapolis, in Indiana, knew these were the signs of a stroke, but she brushed them off. However, after she filled in her mother - who is a nurse - on her symptoms the following day, she was rushed to the emergency room despite insisting that she was fine. But doctors confirmed that Holton had indeed suffered a stroke and, if she had waited any longer to seek medical treatment, she could have died. Kaitlin Holton, 21 (left and right), of Indianapolis, Indiana, was prepared to celebrate her 21st birthday in February when she felt her left arm go numb, her face droop and her speech slur. She ignored her symptoms until she told her mother, who rushed her to the emergency room Doctors at Franciscan Health confirmed Holton had suffered a stroke due to a heart defect known as a patent foramen ovale, which occurs when a hole in the heart doesn't close after birth. Pictured: Holton in the hospital Strokes occur when an artery or blood vessel that carries oxygen or nutrients to the brain bursts or becomes blocked. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says strokes occur in 795,000 Americans each year and kill around 140,000. According to analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology, around 75 percent of strokes occur in people aged 65 or older. But the same analysis found that there was a 32 percent increase in strokes among 18- to 34- year-old women and a 15 percent increase among men in the same age range between 2003 and 2012. However, when the symptoms hit Kaitlin on the night of February 16, she didn't believe she could be suffering from a stroke. 'Never in a million years did I think that was the case. I was too young for that,' she told the Daily Journal. The next day, Holton was getting ready for a birthday dinner when she casually mentioned to her mother, Kimberly, the symptoms she had experienced. Kimberly, a former nurse with Franciscan Health in Indianapolis, knew the signs of a stroke and rushed her daughter to the emergency room. HOW CAN F.A.S.T. SAVE YOU DURING A STROKE? The main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word F.A.S.T. This will help you more quickly identify someone having a stroke. Face: Ask the person to smile and see if their mouth or eye droops Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. They may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase and see if their speech is slurred or garbled Time: If you observe any of these signs or symptoms, it's time to call 911 immediately Source: National Stroke Association Advertisement 'I was in complete denial, even though I knew the symptoms, because I had relatives who had strokes,' Holton told the newspaper. 'On your 21st birthday, the last thing you want to do is go to the ER. But I thought, in two or three hours I'd be done and then we could go to dinner or whatever.' Holton spent her 21st birthday - and the next five days - in the emergency room at Franciscan Health. Both an MRI and a CT scan confirmed that Holton had suffered a stroke. But she learned that it stemmed from a heart condition she wasn't aware she had. Doctors told her she had a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a defect where there is a hole in the heart that didn't close after birth. When a fetus is developing, there is a small opening - a foramen ovale - that is present in the wall between the heart's upper chambers, which allows oxygen to flow from mother to baby. However, within the first few days after birth, this hole is supposed to close. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 25 percent of the healthy population has a PFO -but most people don't know they have it or ever need treatment for it. The Mayo Clinic also states that a PFO is most common in people with disorders such as unexplained strokes and migraines with aura. 'People with PFO, they are prone more than the general population, to have a stroke, not because PFO by itself causes a stroke, but it puts them risk,' Dr Abdelkader Almanfi, an interventional cardiologist at Franciscan who treated Holton, told WISH-TV. He also discovered that Holton had a blood clot in a vein in the right side of her heart and, without the PFO, the clot could have traveled to her lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. The hole had allowed a clot in Holton's heart to travel from the right side of her body to the left side and into the brain. Doctors used a piece of mesh to patch the hole. Pictured, left and right: Holton Holton now takes baby aspirin every day and hopes that sharing her story will help spread awareness of the condition. Pictured: Holton and her brothers But because of her condition, her clot traveled from the right side of the body to the left side and to her brain, which led to her stroke. Holton told the Indianapolis Star that she was given two treatment options: a daily blood thinner she could take for the rest of her life or surgery to close the hole. The 21-year-old, who was worried that the medication would interfere with the outdoor activities she likes to do, chose the minimally-invasive procedure. Known as a transcatheterization, the procedure involves inserting a catheter into the groin with a small mesh piece inside, which seals the hole in the heart on both sides. Over time, heart tissue will grow over the mesh and fix the defect. Despite needing to take baby asprin every day, Holton said her life has mostly returned to normal. She told the Daily Journal that she even managed to make honor roll despite missing two weeks of school. Holton hopes that by sharing her story, more people will be made aware of the heart condition that caused her stroke. 'The heart condition that I had is so common, I want people to understand the surgery that helped me and if they go through it, feel comfortable with it,' she said. 'This surgery is a life changer, and you can go back to living a normal life.' With the US lurching toward a severe shortage of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners may be poised to fill the void - but only if more can be convinced to live in underserved areas and laws in some states loosen up, a new study suggests. Researchers found that in California, where shortages of primary care physicians are starting to be felt, nurse practitioners more often reside in counties where there are already plenty of doctors, according to the report in Health Affairs. 'California is often the laboratory for the rest of the country,' said lead author Joanne Spetz, a professor of economics at the University of California, San Francisco. 'But in this context, it's behind where some other states are with respect to the nurse practitioner workforce.' Many states already allow nurses to practice without physician supervision. But more counties may need to adopt this approach amid a shortage of doctors The state has two major barriers to nurse practitioners shouldering some of the primary care burden, Spetz said. First, there are not many training programs in underserved areas. And second, Spetz added, 'California is the only Western state that requires written standardized procedures for nurse practitioners to practice and prescribe. When you have that, nurse practitioners are able to do less in practice even if they are side by side with a physician. And they're less likely to relocate to rural areas.' California isn't the most restrictive state when it comes to oversight of nurse practitioners, Spetz said. 'In some states you have to be within a certain number of miles from the doctor,' she added. 'In some, a doctor has to review 10 percent of the charts.' But nearly half of states already allow nurse practitioners to go without such oversight. 'Currently 22 states allow nurse practitioners to practice and prescribe without any physician oversight,' Spetz said. 'Some require temporary oversight, for the first two years for example, and then they can practice without it.' Nurse practitioners, formally known as Advanced Practice Nurses, hold advanced degrees - either a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctorate in Nursing Practice according to Nurse Journal. They are licensed by the state and able to provide many of the clinical services that doctors offer. In the US, the population of nurse practitioners has nearly doubled, from 120,000 in 2007 to 234,000 in 2017, Spetz and her coauthor note. In California, their numbers grew from 14,636 in 2010 to 19,768 in 2017. The researchers examined data from California's 2017 Survey of Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives. The survey had been sent to 2,250 certified nurse practitioners, or roughly 11 percent of those in the state, with 1,271 returning completed questionnaires. There was some good news. Younger nurse practitioners were more likely to live in underserved counties. Despite the barriers, nurse practitioners could still be in a position to fill the primary care void if only because there are so many more of them than there are physicians, Spetz said. She suggested that some of the demographic problems could be solved by locating training sites in underserved areas and by targeting training programs to more black and Hispanic candidates. People are more likely to settle down where they trained or where they grew up, Spetz noted. Lora Johnstone, interim associate director of Advanced Nursing Practice at UCLA Health, hopes the report will spur some change. 'It's daunting to think we could have a shortage of primary care physicians in California within the next seven years,' she said. 'It's a great opportunity for nurse practitioners to fill that gap, especially in rural areas and places with underserved populations.' The impending shortage may prompt nursing schools to offer distance learning programs, said Johnstone, who wasn't involved in the new research. It's a way to allow nurses from those areas to get advanced degrees and perhaps continue to practice there. Johnstone hopes changes aren't long in coming. 'We have a potential to act upon these results and make a difference before the gap is too wide and we can't overcome it,' she said. Children who don't get enough sleep perform worse in school, health officials have warned, as California considers delaying its school start times. According to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), students who sleep at least eight hours every night get better grades and have better attendance. But more than 60 percent of middle schoolers and 70 percent of high schools don't get enough sleep every night, affecting their performance in school and leading to other physical and mental health issues - including depression and substance abuse. Experts say that most teens are night owls and don't produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you drowsy, until much later at night but are forced to begin school around 8am each day. California Governor Jerry Brown has until the end of the month to decide if he will sign a bill into law that would ban the state's public middle and high schools from starting before 8.30am. Children who don't get enough sleep perform worse in school and have poor attendance, health officials at the CDC have warned (file image) Health experts says the solution is not as simple as making sure children go to bed earlier. They explain that kids' brains function differently from those of adults. 'We have some evidence that most teenagers are night owls,' Dr Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral fellow and sleep researcher at the NYU Langone School of Medicine, told Daily Mail Online. She explains this has to do with production of the hormone melatonin. Light is the main cue that influences our daily (circadian) rhythms. When the sun rises, the brain sends signals to the pineal gland to suppress melatonin production. When the sun sets, the pineal gland receives signals to secrete melatonin to make you drowsy. 'There is this phase shift where melatonin is not secreted in the brain until much later,' Dr Robbins said. 'Lots of teens find it hard to get to sleep until midnight or 1am. Unfortunately, because we live in a society that values being a morning person, we then make them get up really early for school.' The CDC recommends a few tips to improve children's sleep, including making sure they go to bed at the same time each night, keeping their bedrooms cool and dimming the lights. However, there is a growing body of research that suggests delaying school start times can also help. A 2016 review of 38 studies examined the association between school start times and sleep. It found that delaying the start time by half an hour resulted in better attendance, less tardiness, fewer students falling asleep in class and improved grades. The CDC found that fewer than one in five US public middle schools and high schools began at the recommended start time of 8.30am during the 2011-12 school year. The average start time was found to be 8.03am. 'Schools that have a start time of 8.30am or later allow adolescent students the opportunity to get the recommended amount of sleep on school nights: about 8.5 to 9.5 hours,' researchers wrote. 'Insufficient sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs - as well as poor academic performance.' A 2016 study from Brown University School of Public Health in Rhode Island confirmed this, finding that poor sleep health among middle schoolers was an indicator of alcohol and marijuana use later in adolescence. Last week, California lawmakers passed a bill in both chambers, known as SB328, that would ban middle schools and high schools in the state from starting before 8.30am. According to CDC data, almost 79 percent of public middle and high schools in the Golden State start before this time. Governor Jerry Brown has until the end of the month to decide if he will sign the bill into law. If he does, schools will have three years to comply with the law. 'This is the single most cost-effective thing we can do to improve high school graduation rates,' Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, told the Associated Press. Opponents of the bill say it should be up to the local school boards, not the state, to put start times in place. 'When it comes to education, the farther away the decisions are made from the classroom, the worse those decisions are,' Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, told the AP. While many use it to help them nod off, the background buzz of white noise from television static and hairdryers could be ageing you. Although it helps to mask background sounds, white noise may reduce a brain's ability to adapt to incoming information, new research suggests. Scientists found hearing white noise, even if it is not loud, speeds up the ageing process of a person's brain by breaking down certain chemical messengers. Study author Mouna Attarha, from the University of Iowa, said: 'Increasing evidence shows that the brain rewires in a negative manner when it is fed random information, such as white noise.' While many use it to help them nod off, the background buzz of white noise from hairdryers could harm a person's brain by breaking down some of its chemical messengers (stock) White noise is often recommended to tinnitus patients to cover up the incessant ringing they hear. Tinnitus is thought to occur due to a person's brain being unable to filter the different sounds being picked up by their ears. The condition, which causes sufferers to hear high-pitched whines, may also occur due to patients' brains taking longer to interpret the different stimuli being picked up by their ears, with their brains also misinterpreting these signals. All the above is thought to occur due to a break down of certain chemical messengers in a tinnitus patient's brain. After reviewing animals studies, the scientists believe these same affects may occur when a human is exposed to white noise, even if the noise level is considered safe by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They therefore conclude, in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, that both white noise and tinnitus speed up the ageing process of the brain, and the former should not be recommended as a treatment for the hearing condition. Although the results may appear concerning, the effects of white noise have not yet been investigated in humans. Two of the scientists behind the study also hold positions at Posit Science Corporation, which develops a technology that may benefit tinnitus sufferers and could give the researchers a conflict of interest. White noise may damage a person's brain as much as the hearing condition tinnitus (stock) HOW DOES ACTIVE NOISE CONTROL SOUND-CANCELLING TECHNOLOGY WORK? Active noise control is found in high-end noise cancelling headphones and promises to reduce the amount of ambient sound entering a wearer's ears. Each headphone speaker is equipped with a microphone, which enables the system to detect the waveforms of sounds entering them. It then generates an exact match for these sound waves, which is then inverted. When these two opposite signals meet, it cancels out the offending outside sounds. Some systems claim to be capable of reducing noise by up to 90 per cent, although this may be as low as 50 per cent in some models. The technology has existed for several decades, but has relatively recently been used in commercial headphones. Even more recently, it has begun to be applied in industrial and other public situations. Full size speakers equipped with the technology is used to cancel out the disruptive noises of transformers, compressors and other low frequency machinery. A number of institutions are also working on ways to incorporate it into residential and commercial buildings, like homes, shops and offices. Advertisement This comes after an ear specialist warned last June that an entire generation is at risk of going deaf due to the under 30s listening to too much music on their phones. According to Rosbin Syed, lead paediatric audiologist at Central Middlesex Hospital, the loud music pumped into a person's ears can be the same decibel level as a jumbo jet taking off. He pointed to figures that show the number of people under 30 with permanent hearing damage has been on the rise across the UK over the past decade. The maximum safe noise level for long periods of time is generally considered to be 85 decibels. Jumbo jets taking off can be in the region of 110 decibels. Mr Syed said: 'It's not hard to imagine what prolonged exposure to that sort of noise is going to do.' A university student had to have her thumb amputated after developing a rare form of skin cancer from biting her nails. Courtney Whithorn, 20, developed the nervous habit after being bullied at school and even bit her thumb nail clean off in 2014. Despite 'freaking out' when her thumb started to turn black, the embarrassed teen kept it hidden from her friends and family for four years. After eventually seeing a doctor, the psychology student discovered she had caused such trauma to her nail bed that it developed into a rare cancer, known as acral lentiginous subungual melanoma, and was diagnosed last July. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries to remove the cancer, and try and save her thumb, Miss Whithorn, who lives in Brisbane, was forced to have the digit removed last week. Although Miss Whithorn's doctor claimed her cancer was caused by her nail-biting habit, other medics disagree. Dr Nis Sheth, consultant dermatologist & British Skin Foundation spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Whilst physical trauma has been associated with appearance of some skin cancers its highly unlikely that just biting nails would have led to this cancer.' University student Courtney Whithorn had to have her thumb amputated after developing a rare form of skin cancer caused by biting her nails, which was triggered by being bullied The stress and anxiety of being bullied caused Miss Whithorn to bite her nail bed clean off in 2014, which caused it to bleed profusely and turn black. Ashamed of her digit's appearance, Miss Whithorn hid her thumb (pictured before her diagnosis) for four years After eventually going to a doctor, Miss Whithorn endured four surgeries to remove her tumour. Her thumb was eventually amputated due to the 'protocol' of treating her cancer Miss Whithorn, who moved to Australia from Durham nine years ago, said: 'When I found out that biting my nail off was the cause of the cancer it shattered me. 'In my head I thought "I've done this to myself" but obviously I knew I shouldn't have that mentality. I couldn't believe it. 'When you think about how many kids bite their nails it's crazy it came to that.' Although Miss Whithorn's nail appeared unhealthy for years, she kept its troubling appearance to herself. She said: 'I bit the nail off and was obviously very self-conscious of how black it was. 'My hand was just constantly in a fist because I didn't want anyone to see it - not even my parents. 'I got a bit freaked out when my skin started to go black so I showed them for the first time this year. 'I can't even explain how self-conscious I was. I always had fake nails to hide it because it was so black. It was like paper whenever it grew back.' When Miss Whithorn heard her cancer had been caused by her incessant nail biting, she initially blamed herself but has since realised she was not to blame for what happened She eventually showed her thumb (pictured left after her first surgery) to her parents when the surrounding skin began to turn black. It never occurred to her the problem may be cancer Although the thought of having her thumb amputated initially caused Miss Whithorn to 'freak out', she accepted it after learning her cancer was spreading (pictured after the amputation) Miss Whithorn says that without the support of her boyfriend Tyson Donnelly (pictured) she is unsure how she would have made it through. The pair have been dating for four years and met after Mr Donnelly stood up for her at school when she was being bullied by her classmates Miss Whithorn, who has deferred her studies while she recovers, finally visited a GP when her skin started to turn black and was referred to a plastic surgeon. She said: 'I saw two plastic surgeons, and they were thinking to remove my nail bed to get rid of the black and then put a skin graft over it so at least it would be skin colour - I was happy with that. 'But before my first surgery to remove the nail bed, the doctors could tell something was wrong and decided to do a biopsy. 'I had to wait six week for the results. They were sent down to Sydney because they couldn't tell if the biopsy was malignant or benign. 'The result came back uncertain so the surgeons wanted to be safe and remove the whole nail bed and any blackness. She added: 'They did more tests and when those results came back, I was told that it was a malignant melanoma which was very rare to have there, especially for someone my age and at that size. 'I was obviously very shocked I couldn't believe it at all. My mum just burst into tears.' Despite the amputation being a success, Miss Whithorn (pictured after the surgery) has still not been given the all clear. Due to her cancer being rare, doctors are unable to tell the student what her prognosis is, which reduces her to tears every time it is mentioned Miss Whithorn claims she was more afraid of the needles being used than the amputation itself Although happy with how everything has turned out, Miss Whithorn is aware her cancer may return, which would force surgeons to 'keep cutting away until we get a clear result' WHAT IS ACRAL LENTIGINOUS SUBUNGUAL? Acral lentiginous subungual melanoma is a form of skin cancer that develops on the palms of a person's hand, the soles of their feet or beneath their nail. It usually starts as a flat patch of discoloured skin, which can look like a stain, that slowly enlarges over months or years. Acral lentiginous subungual is a rare form of skin cancer and makes up less than one per cent of melanoma cases in fair-skinned people, who are more at risk. Its cause is unclear and not related to sun exposure. It is thought to be triggered by genetic mutations and usually affects people over 40. As the cancer grows, affected lesions can become several centimetres wide, and contain a variety of brown, black, blue-grey and red colours. Although smooth at first, the affected skin often becomes thick with an irregular surface, like a wart, and may bleed or ulcerate. Initial treatment usually involves cutting the lesion out. If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, these are often also removed. Source: DermNet NZ Advertisement Miss Whithorn, who worked as a part-time receptionist, underwent two surgeries to remove her nail bed. A scan of her thumb's inner cells then suggested she was in the clear. Yet, just one week later, specialists in Sydney told Miss Whithorn's surgeon the protocol for her form of cancer is amputation. Miss Whithorn said: 'The plastic surgeon texted me saying that protocol for this melanoma, because it's so rare, is amputation. 'I had a panic attack at work, I read the word "amputation" and ran outside - I couldn't breathe. I freaked out - we'd never even spoken about amputation. 'We went and saw a melanoma specialist who also agreed that amputation was protocol because this was such a rare cancer.' In an attempt to avoid amputating, her surgeon performed a third operation to remove any remaining malignant cells, however, that operation only confirmed the need to amputate. Miss Whithorn said: 'I went to sleep not knowing whether or not I was going to wake up with my thumb.' As well as operating on the digit, Miss Whithorn also had two lymph nodes removed to determine whether her cancer had spread. She said: 'Because it had started to travel, the only option left was amputation. 'I wasn't scared going in for the amputation surgery - I was more nervous as I'm not a big fan of needles and stuff.' Although happy now, Miss Whithorn describes her nail-biting habit as being a 'coping mechanism' while she was being bullied, with her often being unaware she was even doing it Despite the amputation being a success, Miss Whithorn has still not been given the all clear. She said: 'I'm still waiting for that set of results from the surgery last week and if it's clear then the surgeon watches me for the next five years, and I get regular scans and bloods. 'There's not enough research to say what the survival rate is or what the likelihood of it coming back is because we just don't know much about it. I've just cried every time it's been brought up. 'The location of the cancer in my thumb is unknown so if it still shows up then they're just going to have to keep cutting away until we get a clear result.' Mr Donnelly told Miss Whithorn's bullies to 'shut up and leave her alone', which led to the pair sitting down for a chat. The couple have been together ever since As well as her boyfriend's support, she thanks her family, who have been hit hard by the ordeal At 16 years old, Miss Whithorn was the victim of school bulling, with the stress and anxiety of it triggering her intense nail biting. She said: 'I've been a nail biter my whole life but in 2014 I was in year 11 in high school and I was chronically bullied. 'Rumours were started about me and if I sat with people at lunch they would completely ignore me like I didn't exist. Nail biting became a coping mechanism for me. 'I didn't even know I was biting my nails sometimes, it just happened. I sort of lost the feeling because I was doing it that often. 'I didn't even realise I'd bitten my whole thumb nail off until I saw how much blood was on my hand. She added: 'It never really grew back the same. It only grew on one side of my thumb and I kept biting it off then eventually the bottom of my nail turned black. 'I just thought it was dead like when people bang their nails.' Miss Whithorn, who thought her black nail was due to it being 'dead', such as when someone bangs their hand, worries about how many children are at risk due to their nail-biting habits The now-confident student wishes she had stuck up for herself more at school and believes that could have prevented her whole ordeal. She encourages others to be more outspoken After her classmate Tyson Donnelly, 20, stuck up for her during the intense bullying, he and Miss Whithorn became more than just friends and have been dating for four years. Miss Whithorn said: 'Me and Tyson went to the same school. I wasn't really friends with him but he literally walked over to these girls who were talking about me and told them to shut up and leave me alone. 'He took me to sit with him and that's sort of how we met. We've been together since then so that's one good thing to come out of it. 'Without my boyfriend or family I honestly don't know how I would have got through all this.' Miss Whithorn is speaking out to encourage people who are being bullied to tell someone, as well as for bullies to rethink their actions. She said: 'I just wish I was as confident and as outspoken as I am now back then. 'If I could say anything it would be just stand up for yourself - absolutely no matter what it takes just stand up for yourself. 'Some people have asked me who my biggest hero is or biggest influencer is and now I say "me". Be your own person and be who you need to be.' A baby girl amazed doctors when she was born looking like a 'ready-to-eat counter chicken' with her legs flung forward and feet beside her shoulders. Willow Flather-Paziuk, now one month old, stunned an entire team of doctors, who branded her a 'little gymnast' because of her flexible pose. And her mother Lily Paziuk, 20, affectionately dubbed her daughter 'little chicken', saying her strange position has a hilarious likeness to cooked poultry. Doctors say Willow's unusual position is not down to any condition - and is instead likely to be from her being trapped in the womb with her feet behind her shoulders. Willow, who bent her knees the day after she was born, still prefers to sleep with her legs by her sides. She hasn't been harmed by her position. Willow Flather-Paziuk, now one month old, stunned an entire team of doctors, who branded her a 'little gymnast' because of her flexible pose (pictured in the position after birth) Willow still prefers to sleep with her legs by her sides. She hasn't been harmed by her position (pictured last week with a toy chicken at home) Miss Paziuk, from Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire, admitted her daughter's position was a 'big surprise'. She said: 'I've never heard of it before. 'I had no idea babies could be born like that. I thought her feet were back to front at first and wondered what was going on. 'We call her little chicken because she still puts her legs out to the side all the time, even in the position she sleeps in. She does just look like a little chicken.' Midwives had told Miss Paziuk, who worked as a barista before having Willow, at every scan that her daughter had her 'hands' over her face. But she has since realised it was never her hands - and it was instead her daughter's feet covering her face. Miss Paziuk said: 'I've got a scan photo at 15 weeks where she's got her legs down. 'But then the scan photos after that they always said to me "we can't see her face, we can't see her face, she's got her hands all over her face". 'They knew her legs were up but they thought her feet were going behind her head - but they were over her face. Doctors say Willow's unusual position is not down to any condition - and is instead likely to be from her being trapped in the womb with her feet behind her shoulders (pictured in the strange position shortly after birth) Her mother Lily Paziuk underwent a caesarean so wasn't able to immediately see Willow, born weighing 7lbs 8oz, after she was delivered (pictured in the strange position shortly after birth) WHAT WAS HER POSITION IN THE WOMB? Doctors say Willow's unusual position is not down to any condition - and is instead likely to be from her being trapped in the womb with her feet behind her shoulders. In medical terms, this is often because the baby is a 'frank breech', where the foetus' legs are straight up in front of their body, and the feet are near the head. A breech baby is one that is positioned feet first - as opposed to head first. However, it is unclear if Willow was feet first or not. Breech babies carry higher risks of trauma during delivery, and can cause a loop in the umbilical cord if they are born vaginally. Most pregnant women found to be carrying a breech baby are offered a medical procedure to turn them around in the womb. Failing that, they are usually booked in for a caesarean. Advertisement 'It makes a lot more sense now that she's out and they saw that her legs were in that position as well.' Miss Paziuk underwent a caesarean so wasn't able to immediately see Willow, born weighing 7lbs 8oz, after she was delivered. She admitted she was 'quite out of it' but could remember the doctors at Pinderfields Hospital being 'shocked'. Miss Paziuk said: 'I could hear them all talking about it but I didn't know what they were on about. They were all calling her a little gymnast.' When she was taken back to the ward, midwives were laughing that they couldn't get Willow's feet into her baby grow. Miss Paziuk added: 'It was definitely a big surprise for me to see her. 'I went to change her nappy for the first time and they just sprung out. I was like "oh my god". 'It was like the elephant in the room because I had loads of visitors come and see us and her legs would spill out and no one dared ask about it. Her mother Lily Paziuk, 20, affectionately dubbed her daughter 'little chicken', saying her strange position has a hilarious likeness to cooked poultry Willow, who bent her knees the day after she was born, still prefers to sleep with her legs by her sides (pictured in her cot at home) 'It'll definitely be a joke as she grows older. I'll never let her forget it. I think she'll be very flexible. She can still get back into that position even now. 'When I go to change her nappy sometimes she flings her legs back into that position. She remembers it very well.' Willow bent her knees the day after she was born - but still prefers to lie her legs in a 'frog's legs' position to the sides of her body. Miss Paziuk believes her daughter may have become trapped in the strange position after she ran out of room in the womb to move her legs down. The position is often seen in a 'frank breech' in the womb, where the foetus' legs are straight up in front of their body, and the feet are near the head. Women carrying their babies this way are often booked in for a C-section to ensure a safe delivery. It is unsure if this is why Miss Paziuk had a caesarean, and it is unknown if she was carrying a breech baby - where they sit in the womb feet first. Miss Paziuk was scared that moving Willow's legs may hurt her and was disappointed she couldn't dress her up in any new baby grows. She added: 'I felt bad because I spent a fortune on all these little baby clothes and she couldn't wear any of them. Miss Paziuk, from Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire, admitted her daughter's position was a 'big surprise'. She said: 'I've never heard of it before' 'She could only wear vests because her legs wouldn't go in anything. She bent her knees the day after, but they were up at her side for about three weeks. 'I struggled to hold her and couldn't change her nappy. I didn't even know where to begin. 'It was really funny, but I was scared of hurting her as well. I was trying to work out if I could put her legs together. 'The midwife checked her over and said it's not unheard of, but it is quite uncommon to see something like that.' Miss Paziuk added: 'Willow is all good now. Shes had an ultrasound on her hips and theyre all fine. Her legs are back to a normal position and are fully straight now. 'She still sleeps in the same position though with her legs at the side. It must be a comforting position for her, bless her.' Gracie Foster, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, died of meningococcal septicaemia A four-year-old girl has died of blood poisoning and meningitis after being sent home from hospital before a routine tonsil operation. Gracie Foster, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was booked into hospitals to have her tonsils removed on the day of her death in October 2015. But the schoolgirl deteriorated before the surgery and was too poorly to go under the knife. Doctors sent her home, and allegedly said she did not need antibiotics. Gracie was taken home by her family, who thought she had a virus, but the four-year-old died of meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning) later the same day. Her mother is now raising questions over her daughter's sudden death ahead of her inquest, which is set to begin at Chesterfield Coroner's Court on Monday. Michelle Foster, her mother said: 'Gracie's death has completely changed our lives. It's something we have to re-live over and over every single day. 'We were so lucky to have been in the hospital at the time Gracie developed symptoms of meningococcal septicaemia. 'She had a hospital bed and nurses saying she was really poorly - but unfortunately, she was sent home, even though at the time, she was dying. 'We are hoping her inquest will help to bring us closure and give us answers.' Gracie, a pupil at Lenthall Nursery and Infant School, was booked into Chesterfield Royal Hospital at around 7am on October 21, 2015. She was supposed to have her chronically enlarged tonsils taken out, due to them causing difficulties with swallowing and speech. Upon admission, Gracie was fine and chatting with the nurses as normal. However, while waiting for the surgery, her family claim she deteriorated suddenly, becoming very agitated, floppy and sleepy. They allege a hospital nurse noticed Gracie felt hot and recorded her temperature at 40.1 (104.2F). Gracie was taken back to the ward and was reviewed by the anaesthetist, who then cancelled her operation. Her family claim a staff nurse requested a paediatrician review Gracie and a locum consultant attended and confirmed she did not need antibiotics and could go home. Ms Foster carried Gracie off the ward and the youngster spent the afternoon with her grandmother while Ms Foster, believing her daughter had a viral infection from which she would fully recover, returned to work. But Gracie continued to vomit throughout the afternoon with a raised temperature and was unable to communicate with her father on the phone when he rang at about 6.45pm. At 7pm, two non-blanching spots were found on Gracie's body and her worried grandmother rushed her to Sheffield Children's Hospital, where she was floppy, unresponsive and found to be covered in more spots. Gracie was also struggling to breathe and was immediately put into intensive care. But doctors were unable to save her and she died a few hours later at 10.36pm, after suffering two cardiac arrests. WHAT IS MENINGITIS? Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Anyone can be affected but at-risk people include those aged under five, 15-to-24 and over 45. People exposed to passive smoking or with suppressed immune systems, such as patients undergoing chemotherapy, are also more at risk. The most common forms of meningitis are bacterial and viral. Symptoms for both include: Pale, blotchy skin with a rash that does not fade when compressed with a glass Stiff neck Dislike of bright lights Fever, and cold hands and feet Vomiting Drowsiness Severe headache Headache is one of the main symptoms Bacterial meningitis Bacterial meningitis requires urgent treatment at hospital with antibiotics. Some 10 per cent of bacterial cases are fatal. Of those who survive, one in three suffer complications, including brain damage and hearing loss. Limb amputation is a potential side effect if septicaemia (blood poisoning) occurs. Vaccines are available against certain strains of bacteria that cause meningitis, such as tuberculosis. Viral meningitis Viral is rarely life-threatening but can cause long-lasting effects, such as headaches, fatigue and memory problems. Thousands of people suffer from viral meningitis every year in the UK. Treatment focuses on hydration, painkillers and rest. Although ineffective, antibiotics may be given when patients arrive at hospital just in case they are suffering from the bacterial form of the disease. Source: Meningitis Now Advertisement Gracie, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was booked into hospitals to have her tonsils removed on the day of her death in October 2015 Ms Foster said she hopes the four day inquest will find the answers her family are desperate for for their daughter, described as 'an adventurous and Frozen-loving princess'. She added: 'Gracie was full of life and a really happy little girl who made everyone smile. She was such an entertainer. 'There wasn't anything she wouldn't try, she was so adventurous. 'She loved Frozen - it was something we all had to love because we'd always be singing along to it in the car. 'She also loved netball, it's something I play and she couldn't wait to join me on the court, and would enjoy climbing trees or dressing up as a princess.' Carolle White, associate who specialises in medical negligence and inquests at Nelsons, is representing Gracie's family. She said: 'This is a truly tragic case which has broken the hearts of young Gracie's family - losing a child changes your whole perspective on life. 'Meningococcal septicaemia is a type of illness that is poorly understand in terms of the symptoms to look out for both by the public and medical profession. 'The symptoms can be similar to those you may experience with a viral illness. 'However, there are important red flag symptoms to look out for that indicate the illness is sepsis as opposed to a viral infection. 'I hope the inquest into Gracie's death raises awareness of meningococcal septicaemia and allows people to understand the devastating illness better, in turn lessening the changes of this from happening to others.' Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, refused to comment until the inquest finishes next week. Zapping the ankles of women could give them a much-needed boost to their libido in middle age, a promising study suggests. Up to half of women are struck down with female sexual dysfunction (FSD) as they grow older, figures show. The common condition leaves women with a diminished sex drive and can even rob them of their ability to orgasm. But the new breakthrough, tested on nine women with FSD, offers hope of a cure and brings scientists closer to the Holy Grail of a female Viagra. Up to half of women are struck down with female sexual dysfunction (FSD) as they grow older, according to figures The University of Michigan team already proved their technique worked on mice, and decided to ramp up their scientific efforts. Each woman received 12 half-hour sessions once a week of the electrode stimulation for the study, published in Neuromodulation. They either received the zap near the tibial nerve on one of their ankles - the same as what was given to the mice - or in their genital area. One of the women involved in the study, an unnamed 53-year-old, described the experience as a bizarre, pressure vibration sensation. But she admitted that you get used to it. She added that she eventually brought a book to read during her 30-minute sessions. Eight of the women revealed they found it easier to get aroused, had more natural lubrication and had more intense orgasms after the zapping. WHAT IS FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION? Up to half of women are struck down with female sexual dysfunction (FSD) as they grow older, figures show. The common condition leaves women with a diminished sex drive and can even rob them of their ability to orgasm. It can also cause millions to have problems getting aroused, or even cause pain during stimulation. Sexual problems often develop when your hormones are in flux, such as after having a baby or during menopause, Mayo Clinic states. Because symptoms can vary greatly, there are several forms of treatment that aim to tackle the root cause. Doctors often recommend patients to adopt a healthier lifestyle, to use a lubricant or device or to seek counselling. But sometimes they recommend a range of hormonal treatments if they think it may have a hormonal causes. Advertisement Dr Tim Bruns, who led the experiment on the women and was behind the previous trial conducted on rats, branded it a success. He said: Across a variety of clinical studies, if you get a 50 percent improvement in symptoms, you can consider that a successful response. We had four participants meet or exceed that threshold. One participant even admitted the treatment worked for her in an interview. She told the research team: Im not 100 per cent back to the way I was, but I can have orgasms again and they are pretty good ones. It is thought stimulation of the ankle works because nerves that travel down to the foot overlap near the spinal cord with those that head to the pelvic organs. Dr Bruns revealed the overall improvement in FSD was similar to other promising drugs currently under further investigation. However, he and his team have called for bigger trials of their form of electrode stimulation to make sure the results stack up. Dr Priyanka Gupta, involved in the study, said: This study presents an alternative method for treating FSD that is non-pharmacologic and non-invasive. Through studies like this, we can further understand female sexual arousal and offer treatments for a disorder that has very few options. This year marks 20 years since the little blue pill Viagra provided an instant fix for men who struggled to achieve an erection. However, despite their efforts, scientists have so far been unable to produce as successful a pill to help women feel more in the mood. An Australian father-of-three is fighting for his life after being struck down with sudden paralysis following a vacation to Bali. When Craig Hardy returned to his home in Perth in June, he thought he was suffering from 'Bali belly', traveler's diarrhea and stomach pain suffered by tourists in Bali, Indonesia. The 52-year-old managed to drive himself to the hospital as he felt his condition worsening and his right side started feeling numb. By the time he reached Royal Perth Hospital, Hardy was completely paralyzed, unable to walk, speak, or breathe on his own. That's when doctors diagnosed him with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder in which the immune system attacks your peripheral nervous system, paralyzing parts of or - in some cases - your whole body. Currently, Hardy can only move his head and neck a bit and physicians say it could take years before he makes a full recovery. Father-of-three Craig Hardy, 52 (pictured), from Perth, Australia, was left paralyzed one day after he returned home from a vacation in Bali, Indonesia Hardy (pictured) thought he had come down with a stomachache but then felt his right side go numb. He drove himself to the hospital and, by the time he arrived, he was completely paralyzed Guillain-Barre syndrome is often preceded by an infectious illness such as a respiratory infection or the stomach flu. It's a rare syndrome, affecting about one in 100,000 people and fewer than 20,000 cases per year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. After the first symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome, sufferers' conditions usually worsen for about two weeks before plateauing around the four-week mark. However, this has not been the case for Hardy, who has been hospitalized for the last three months. At the beginning of his stay, doctors told his wife Megan and his teenage children Aimee, Hayden and Tayla, that Hardy - whose nickname is 'Rock' - was in a coma. 'Rock's organs were shutting down, he was on a breathing machine and then they had to do a tracheotomy,' his sister-in-law Deborah Hardy told news.com.aus. 'Finally they confirmed it was GBS and everyone was researching what it was. Not one of us had heard of it.' Although Hardy emerged from his coma, he still can't speak - but his family says he can move his head and neck a bit. He communicates by using a letter board and blinking to form sentences. 'He is completely cognizant and awake lying there but he's not able to move,' said Deborah, who is married to Hardy's brother Darren. 'His mind is 100 percent perfect but he's trapped; it's like being buried alive.' Deborah also revealed that another symptom of GBS is that Hardy's lungs have begun collapsing, inducing the feeling as if he is drowning. According to a GoFundMe page, a chest tube has been inserted to drain the fluid from his lungs and he also undergoes exercises that include holding his breath in hopes it can help his lungs start to breathe on their own. Doctors diagnosed Hardy (pictured, in the hospital) with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition that sees the body's immune system attack its peripheral nervous system Currently, Hardy is unable to walk, talk or breathe on his own. He can slightly move his head and neck and communicates with a letter board and by blinking. Pictured: Hardy in the hospital with doctors and his three children While Hardy's doctors are hopeful he will make a recovery, it could take as long as two years and he will have to undergo intense physical therapy and rehabilitation. Pictured: Hardy in the hospital The recovery period can last as little as a few weeks and as long as a few years, but about 30 percent of those diagnosed have a residual weakness after three years. While there is no cure for GBS, there are treatments that can reduce the disease's severity and speed recovery such as Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy (IVIG). When you have GBS, the immune system produces harmful antibodies that attack the nerves. IVIG is a treatment made from donated blood that contains healthy antibodies to block the harmful ones from continuing their damage. Most who have Guillain-Barre syndrome make full recoveries, but some are left with tingling sensations in the arms and legs. While Hardy's doctors are hopeful he will make a recovery, it could take as long as two years and he will have to undergo intense physical therapy and rehabilitation. 'He's a hard-working, dedicated family man,' said Deborah. 'He'd do anything for anyone, he's very funny, a strong man, hence his nickname "Rock", but a heart of gold.' A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the family's living expenses and the cost of modifications to the home and in-house care once Hardy returns home So far, more than $10,000 has been raised out of a $100,000 goal. A boom in rhinoplasties could be a key factor in the opioid epidemic, a new study suggests. Nose jobs are often regarded as the most painful plastic surgery post-operative recovery. Because of this, researchers say doctors over-prescribe the highly-addictive drugs to patients in anticipation of pain rather than determining whether or not they actually need it. Past studies have shown that patients are often given prescriptions even if they didn't take any prior to hospital discharge and that those who are given 30 or more tablets are more likely to fill additional prescriptions. The team, from Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, are now calling for a reduction of prescriptions in hopes that it will prevent patients from being exposed to prescription opioids and potentially starting a cycle of addiction. A boom in rhinoplasties could be driving up the opioid epidemic by surgeons overprescribing the high addictive drugs, a new study suggests (file image) For the study, the team looked at 173 rhinoplasties performed at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, a Harvard teaching hospital in Boston, between April 2017 and April 2018. They found that the majority of patients, 168 of them, were prescribed opioids such as hydrocodone and oxycodone as well as acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol. Among the 168 patients that were prescribed opioids, around 87 percent of them received oxycodone, the prescription drug Demi Lovato is believed to have overdosed on in July. The researchers found that just two patients refilled their opioid prescriptions and 11 percent did not fill their initial prescriptions. 'We found that we would give prescriptions based on fear that people would experience pain,' co-author Dr Linda Lee, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Mass Eye and Ear, told Daily Mail Online. 'This tells us there's potential we're overprescribing medications when it comes to rhinoplasties.' She said since seeing the findings, she and her co-author Dr David Shay, also a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Mass Eye and Ear, have cut down on the number of tablets in a prescription by 50 percent. According to figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 223,018 rhinoplasties performed in 2016, a slight two percent increase from the year before and 4.8 percent of all rhinoplasties performed worldwide. The board says that the average cost for a nose job is about $5,125. Rhinoplasties are the third most popular plastic surgery procedure performed in the US, behind breast augmentations and liposuction. Dr Stuart Linder, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California, who focuses on body work, told Daily Mail Online that it's vital to make sure the type of surgery is being weighed against the medication prescribed. 'With what I do, breast cases, tummy tucks and breast reconstructions, that's going to leave the patients in great amounts of pain post-operative,' he said. 'Tylenol is not going to be enough but I am extremely meticulous about giving a second prescription to a patient that hasn't had a large surgery.' Dr Linder says when it comes refilling a prescription for Norco - which combines the opioid hydrocodone and acetaminophen - he needs to see the patient in person first. 'You have to make sure the pain is equivalent to the medication youre giving,' he said. 'As surgeons, we're trained in psychotherapy to determine if it's drug-seeking as opposed to truly pain.' He noted that there are other ways to treat pain including muscle relaxants and ice compression, which he recommends for the first seven days following a surgery. 'Sometimes the pain is due to muscles and sometimes due to swelling so trying those avenues is also very valuable,' Dr Linder said. Dr Lee said she and her colleagues are doing research looking for other ways to treat pain including local anesthetics and over-the-counter medication. 'One day, the hope is there won't be a need to prescribe opioids anymore,' she said. In the US, opioid-related deaths were found to have increased by 200 percent since 1999. According to an analysis released in February, the growing opioid epidemic has cost the US more than $1trillion from 2001 through 2017. Around the same time, the US Senate announced it has allotted $6 billion for the opioid epidemic over a two-year period. Last October, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and the federal government is expected to spend a record $4.6 billion this year to fight the opioid crisis. Disneyland has been fined $33,000 for failing to protect people from Legionnaire's disease. Three employees at the park in Anaheim, California, contracted the life-threatening condition in the last year, with two requiring hospital treatment. Their cases were part of a county-wide outbreak that sickened more than a dozen, and killed one. Now, the Los Angeles Times has reported that, in an effort to control the outbreaks, California health officials slapped a hefty fine on Disneyland after finding that its cooling systems were poorly maintained. Three employees at the park in Anaheim, California, contracted the life-threatening condition in the last year, with two requiring hospital treatment (file image) Legionnaire's is spread via water droplets and air particles. It is caused by bacteria that can grow in man-made water systems. Most infections are in people exposed to dirty or poorly maintained air conditioning units. People can develop pneumonia after breathing in contaminated vapor. In sunny California, cooling systems abound, and ride-filled Disneyland is full of them. Disneyland has appealed and objected to the allegation that the park's cooling equipment caused the illness. The park says the source of the outbreak was not scientifically determined. But officials are keen to show action is being taken. There has been a 450 percent increase of cases in the past two decades, according to a 2017 CDC report. Flu-like symptoms including fever, fatigue and muscle ache typically appear between two and 10 days of inhaling the legionella bacteria. In most cases, the lung infection can be cured with a course of antibiotics. However, in vulnerable populations such as the elderly or people with compromised immune systems, it can cause life-threatening complications including organ failure and septic shock. One in seven NHS operations are cancelled on the day of surgery, new research suggests. Both emergency and planned procedures for everything from heart and cancer surgeries to abdominal operations and joint replacements are being cancelled or postponed on the day they are scheduled to be carried out, a study found. In half of cases, no reason is given for the cancellation, while in others a lack of beds, staff and hospital equipment are to blame, the research adds. Study author Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, from University College London, claims last-minute cancellations are affecting the 'health and welfare of tens of thousands of patients every year'. This comes after figures released in May showed 24,475 NHS operations were cancelled last minute between January and March this year in England - the highest level since records began in 1994. One in seven NHS operations are cancelled on the day of surgery, research suggests (stock) The researchers analysed more than 26,000 cases in 245 hospitals over a week in March 2017. These procedures were made up of both emergency and planned surgeries that required the patient to stay in hospital. In up to a third of cases, the procedure was cancelled due to the patient not being healthy enough to go under the knife. Of the 15,000 cases scheduled for planned operations, 10 per cent had previously had the same surgery postponed, according to the results, which were published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia. Professor Cliff Shearman, from the Royal College of Surgeons, said: 'It is important to underline that cancelling and rescheduling an operation is not only stressful for patients, but a complete waste of hospital resources. 'It is awful for a patient to have their operation cancelled twice.' JUST HOW STRETCHED IS THE NHS? Waiting times at over-stretched A&E units are at their worst level since records began, according to official figures in April 2018. Experts said the NHS was in the grip of an 'eternal winter' and many hospitals are still struggling to cope with the unprecedented pressure. Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt was forced to admit it was the 'worst winter ever' amid a severe outbreak of flu and cold weather. Chiefs cancelled thousands of operations in a controversial move to ease pressure. And experts have suggested this may be the only option to stop a crisis next year. The latest monthly data from NHS England also shows that waiting times for routine operations, such as knee and hip replacements, are at their highest since 2004. And violent assaults on staff have risen by 10 per cent in a year partly driven by frustration with waiting times. Advertisement The researchers acknowledge cancellation rates may be lower in quieter periods of the year, with Professor Moonesinghe adding planned procedures should be carried out during the less busy summer months. According to NHS bosses, minor treatments and operations where the patient goes home on the same day have significantly lower cancellation rates. An NHS England spokesperson said: 'This report provides only a selective, limited snapshot of surgery in England, where the NHS is funding more routine operations and more people are undergoing treatment than the year before.' A spokesperson from the Welsh government noted that when a operation is postponed, another procedure is usually carried out in its place rather than the surgery slot being lost. Speaking of the cancellation figures released last May, the Royal College of Surgeons branded such statistics 'unacceptable', adding that scrapped operations have left thousands in agony. Unprecedented winter pressures in overcrowded A&E units, which were described as being like war zones, had a knock-on effect on spiraling waiting times. As of May, nearly 3,000 patients endured waits for health service treatment of more than 12 months - the highest in six years, according to NHS England data. Health chiefs argued the NHS was in 'recovery mode', after being crippled by an 'eternal winter'. Tens of thousands of us down a probiotic drink every day in the belief that it helps digestion Tens of thousands of us down a probiotic drink every day in the belief that it helps digestion. But a new study suggests they may be ineffective for more than half of those who drink them. Probiotics are said to contain 'friendly' bacteria which help restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut. It is claimed they can reduce hayfever symptoms, prevent stomach bugs in those travelling abroad and even stop colds from lasting too long. As well as drinks, they are often found in yoghurts. But when 19 people in the study conducted in Israel took probiotics containing 11 of the most common strains of bacteria, only eight had any 'notable colonisation' of their gut by the bacteria in the probiotics. Professor Eran Segal, from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Tel Aviv, said: 'People have thrown a lot of support to probiotics, even though the literature underlying our understanding of them is very controversial. Surprisingly, we saw that many healthy volunteers were resistant. The probiotics couldn't colonise their tracts.' To test the probiotics, volunteers were given endoscopies (a tube from the mouth to the stomach) and colonoscopies (a tube along the large intestine) to remove and analyse the bacteria in their guts. It seems many were 'resisters' to probiotic drinks, and the probiotic bacteria were 'pushed out' by their existing gut bacteria. Probiotics are said to contain 'friendly' bacteria which help restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut The authors say the number of people in the study who rejected probiotics are likely to be reflected in the wider population. They said: 'This suggests that probiotics should not be universally given as a 'one-size-fits-all' supplement. 'Instead, they could be tailored to the needs of each individual.' The results are published in the journal Cell. A newborn baby boy nearly died after catching herpes from a so-called 'kiss of death' from someone with a cold sore. Oliver Miller's mother Lucy Kendall, 23, rushed her 11-day-old son to hospital when he started to refuse milk and arch his back in pain. The infant, from Hull, was immediately transferred to the high dependency unit where he was given oxygen, and a feeding line and numerous cannulas were inserted into him. After undergoing multiple tests, doctors diagnosed Oliver with neonatal herpes eight days later, which they suspect he caught after being kissed or touched by someone with a cold sore. Baby boy Oliver Miller nearly died after catching herpes from a so-called 'kiss of death'. Oliver is pictured in hospital receiving treatment after being infected with the herpes virus After his mother, Lucy Kendall (pictured), noticed Oliver was refusing milk and arching his back in pain, the youngster was rushed to hospital where he was immediately put in the high dependency unit While in hospital, Oliver was given oxygen, as well as having a feeding tube and cannulas put in, and doctors diagnosed him with neonatal herpes WHAT IS NEONATAL HERPES? Neonatal herpes occurs when a newborn baby catches the virus. The herpes simplex virus is highly contagious and spreads via cold sores or genital ulcers in adults. Herpes can be very serious in newborns due to their immune systems not being strong enough to fight off the infection. It affects just 1.65 babies per 100,000 born in the UK compared to 33 per 100,000 in the US. If the virus spreads to a baby's organs, nearly a third die even if they have been treated. A baby can be at risk if its mother catches genital herpes for the first time during the first six weeks of her pregnancy. Such women can pass the infection to their babies if they have a vaginal delivery. After birth, a baby is at risk of a person has a cold sore and then kisses it or if its mother breastfeeds and has herpes sores on her breasts. This can occur if she touches her cold sore and then her breasts. Cold sores are at their most contagious when they burst but remain contagious until they have completely healed. A baby may be infected if it: Is lethargic or irritable Refuses food Has a fever Has rashes or sores on its skin, eyes or inner mouth If a baby becomes lifeless, will not wake, has breathing difficulties, or has a blue tongue or skin, call 999 immediately. Treatment usually involves antiviral drugs given intravenously. To reduce the risk of a baby being infected, people should not kiss infants if they have a cold sore and should wash their hands before touching them. Source: NHS Advertisement Although it was touch and go, Oliver pulled through and was allowed home 21 days later. His mother has now warned others to protect their babies from people with the common ailment. Miss Kendall said: 'My message is to please respect newborn babies and stay away if you have a cold sore. Keep your babies safe.' Speaking of her son's diagnosis, Miss Kendall said: 'As you can imagine we were just shocked and couldn't comprehend what had just been said. 'The doctor began to explain the herpes simplex virus-1 can be passed onto a newborn baby if a person has a cold sore and kisses or touches the baby after touching the cold sore. 'Cold sores are at their most contagious when they burst, but they remain contagious until completely healed. 'It was just absolutely dreadful. The condition is known as the kiss of death and it was just devastating for us all.' It is unclear who Oliver caught the virus from. Neither Miss Kendall or her partner Jaz Miller were suffering from a coldsore at the time. After undergoing tests, doctors confirmed Oliver's diagnosis and told his mother babies can catch herpes if they are kissed or touched by someone who previously touched a cold sore After 21 days in hospital he was well enough to go home but requires antibiotics for six months Oliver, who was born on August 3, spent 21 days in hospital before he was allowed to go home. He will be on antibiotics for the next six months and will require regular tests. Miss Kendall said: 'It has been the most traumatic time of my life, especially with me being a new parent as well. 'Having your first baby is scary enough, never mind having to go through all this.' Neonatal herpes is extremely dangerous for young babies due to their immune systems not being strong enough to fight the virus. Leo Aldcroft from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, tragically died last month at just 10 days old after catching the virus from his mother. Miss Kendall said: 'One in three babies can die if they contract the virus, it is so dangerous and people need to be aware of it more. 'We are the lucky ones. A few hours later this could have been so different.' Oliver's family wish to thank all the staff who cared for him at the Hull Women and Children's Hospital. Miss Kendall said: 'Everyone at the hospital was absolutely amazing. All the staff got really attached to Oliver. They were sad to see him leave but glad he is recovering well.' All smokers in England should have quit before 2030, a leading health expert has warned. The chief executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, is calling for the country to go smoke-free within the next 12 years. Speaking at the NHS England Expo conference last night, he said cutting out cigarettes could save the NHS 900 million a year and prevent thousands of early deaths. More than six million people smoke and the habit is the leading cause of cancer it's responsible for 15 per cent of all cases of the deadly disease. Mr Selbie says everybody should be given help to stop smoking, saying it is an 'addiction that warrants medical treatment', not a lifestyle choice. The comments came just a day after the NHS revealed one in 10 British women still smoke while they're pregnant, and a study found last month that the number of teenagers taking up smoking is on the rise. The chief executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, has said he wants all smokers to quit within the next 12 years in order to save thousands of lives and free up NHS money which is spent on diseases caused by the habit Mr Selbie, the boss of Public Health England, the government's national health watchdog, spoke at the annual NHS England Expo in Manchester yesterday. He declared war on smoking, saying removing it from society would be the single best way to improve people's health, The Sun reported. And he said all smokers should be offered help to quit the life-shortening habit. Mr Selbie said: 'Smoking should no longer be seen as a lifestyle choice. It is an addiction that warrants medical treatment. 'Everyone who smokes must be offered the support they need to quit. 'With the right long-term plan in place, we can remove smoking from England. This is the single biggest thing we can do to improve the nations health.' Figures released in July this year showed 14.9 per cent of adults around 6.3 million people were smokers in 2017, down 200,000 from the previous year. MEN WHO SMOKED AS TEENS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ASTHMATIC CHILDREN Children whose fathers smoked before they were even conceived are more than three times more likely to develop asthma, according to research from 2016. The effect of a mother's lifestyle on child health is well documented, but this suggests the link is also be true for fathers-to-be. It is believed sperm cells are damaged by nicotine, affecting a child's genes. The study of 24,000 children by the University of Bergen found boys having their first cigarette before the age of 15 put offspring at particular risk. Both the age at which a father first smoke and the time his habit had lasted before starting a family affected the risk, according to the study in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The findings added to a growing body of evidence showing men's behaviour before conception may be vital to a baby's health. Advertisement But Mr Selbie says he wants that figure to fall below five per cent or, in an ideal world, down to zero. He has called for a 'ruthless' plan from the NHS to tackle the deadly habit, as well as action on heart disease and obesity, both of which are killing people worldwide. But smoking campaigners say Mr Selbie's comments amount to 'bullying', and smokers have the right to do it if they want to. 'It's laughable to think England will be smoke-free within 12 years,' said Simon Clark, spokesman for smokers' rights group, Forest. 'Some people will always want to smoke. Its their choice and if youre an adult you have every right to do so. 'Some smokers would like to quit but many smoke because they enjoy it and no amount of state-sponsored bullying will force them to stop.' Mr Selbie's comments came just a day after the NHS released quarterly figures showing 10.4 per cent of expectant mothers across England smoke while they're pregnant. Despite scientific evidence that smoking while pregnant increases the chance of stillbirth or an unhealthy baby, women are failing to heed expert advice. And a study by the University of Bergen in Norway last month revealed the rates of 11 to 15-year-old children taking up smoking is on the rise in Europe. Starting smoking is falling across all other age groups, but twice as many 11 to 15-year-old girls in Western Europe took up smoking in 2009 as in 1970. People who drink their own urine claim it gives them better skin, helps them lose weight and keeps them feeling young. Those committed to the bizarre lifestyle have lifted the lid on why they drink their urine instead of flushing it, and say it is a natural way to boost your health. Drinking urine, rubbing it into the skin and even washing your eyes with it is apparently a centuries-old practice, and is believed by some to cure diseases, boost energy and even reverse ageing. And thanks to health bloggers promoting the seemingly grotesque idea online, more people are turning to the toilet for their health benefits. Christo Dabraccio, a meteorologist from Idaho, says drinking his urine helped him lose 30lbs (13.6kg) and leaves him feeling 'like Superman'. And after he recommended it to painter Julia Sillaman, from Maryland, she claims it has worked wonders for her acne and she's shed 25lbs (11.3kg) in the process. But scientists say there is no evidence the practice has any benefits and one said people drinking their urine 'do nothing more than make a mockery of themselves'. Julia Sillaman, 26, and Christo Dabraccio, 49, say drinking their own urine has helped them to lose weight and makes them feel more energised, healthier and connected to nature The fringe following of people drinking their own urine has picked up steam recently in the US, thanks to people recommending it on the internet. The logic is that urine contains compounds which can be reabsorbed to improve the body's ability to fight disease and provide other detoxifying effects. But the claims have left a bitter taste in the mouth of experts, who argue there is no scientific evidence to support drinking urine and that it may in fact be harmful. Christo Dabraccio, 49, claims what is called 'urine therapy' left him feeling like Superman and saw him lose 30lbs after he got over initially being 'grossed out'. He said: 'I heard about it online and to be honest I was immediately grossed out. But the more I researched and read testimonials, the more trust I gained. 'Your pee is just a highly filtered derivative of your blood, and blood is your lifeforce, so it makes sense. 'As soon as I tried it, I started feeling like Superman. 'I was loaded with energy, my head was clearer, I felt younger and my skin was glowing. It's like a fountain of youth.' Mr Dabraccio bottles his urine and drinks approximately three cups every day, as well as using it to wipe his face and wash his eyes. Christo Dabraccio (pictured before he started what he calls urine therapy) said the more he read about the practice online, the more intrigued he became about doing it now he says it is 'like a fountain of youth' Mr Dabraccio says he has lost 30lbs from drinking his own urine and fasting, and claims the grotesque habit leaves him feeling 'loaded with energy' Mr Dabraccio bottles his urine and drinks approximately three cups every day, as well as using it to wipe his face and wash his eyes He claims similar practices have been quietly adopted by high-profile figures in Hollywood but would not name names. Mr Dabraccio admitted many have turned their nose up at the online community, but said it is worth it to raise awareness for people who want the health benefits. He has lost 30lbs since starting the treatment alongside dry fasting, in which people avoid consuming water for short periods of time. He said: 'I understand why people can be skeptical, I felt the same way when I first saw it. 'But at the end of the day, I'm not trying to sell anything. We can't sell you your own pee I'm just promoting freedom. 'I like to open people's eyes to something that can help them.' Julia Sillaman, 26, claims to have improved her acne after Christo recommended she start massaging urine onto her face. As well as curing her complexion, she says she has lost 25lbs and improved her digestion since taking up urine therapy. Painter Ms Sillaman, from Maryland, said: 'I was breaking out badly in acne, but I was hesitant to see a dermatologist. Julia Sillaman, 26, said she was 'hesitant' to visit a dermatologist after developing severe acne, and instead tried drinking her own urine and rubbing it on her face Ms Sillaman said the idea of drinking her own urine did not gross her out when she found out about it, and now says it has cleared up her skin problem as well as helping her lose 25lbs in the process Ms Sillaman, a painter, said she has more energy and that drinking her urine has 'changed my life' and, she claims, after fasting her urine began to taste like coconut water 'That's when I met Christo I remember seeing how healthy he looked and how clear his eyes were. He told me to try urine therapy for my skin. 'It didn't gross me out, I was intrigued. The day after I started massaging it into my skin, the inflammation went down and my skin smoothed out. 'After I started fasting, the pee stopped smelling and started tasting like coconut water. 'I have more energy and feel more in touch with nature. This has changed my life I feel like a different person. 'I think I will do it for the rest of my life, but maybe not as strictly as I am now. 'I expected my family to be weirded out, but after seeing my results some of them are trying it for themselves. Ms Sillaman bottles her urine and uses it to drink or rub on her face in order to reduce inflammation caused by acne, and she says some members of her family have tried the practice after she told them about it 'I get why people might think it's weird, because it's not accepted. Most people's pee smells bad, so we think it's' gross. 'But with more success stories I think it could change.' Some followers of urine therapy believe it dates back to Biblical times. However, no independent research has been done on the practice, and kidney specialists have warned consuming too much can lead to a build-up of toxic waste similar to the effects of kidney failure. Professor Henry Woo, a urological surgeon at the University of Sydney, said: 'There is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that urine therapy has any therapeutic value. 'Those who drink their own urine do nothing more than make a mockery of themselves.' A hospital in the West Midlands is being investigated after 54 people died within the first six months of this year. The Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley is under scrutiny after concerns were raised about the A&E department's ability to spot the deadly infection, sepsis. Inspectors rated the hospital's emergency care 'inadequate' in a report yesterday and have ordered an inquiry to investigate the 54 deaths between January and June. The inquiry will be carried out by Mike Bewick, the former deputy chief executive of NHS England, to establish why the patients died in the emergency department. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) the watchdog for health and care across the UK said investigating deaths is outside of its remit but it is taking enforcement action against the hospital for its failings. During the CQC's June inspection, staff revealed they would not want relatives treated at the hospital out of fear they would die there. And inspectors saw three 'very unwell' looking patients in reception, one of whom was bleeding heavily until the inspectors stepped in and called for help. Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, West Midlands, is under investigation because 54 patients died in its emergency department between January and June this year and the A&E has been rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission The health watchdog said it raised a 'number of concerns' about urgent and emergency care the hospital, which was overall rated 'requires improvement'. In particular, inspectors were worried about whether staff were correctly identifying patients with suspected sepsis, the BBC reported. Sepsis is a serious, life-threatening complication which can arise from unrelated infections, and it kills almost one in five people in the UK who get it. A CQC spokesperson said: 'The CQC has raised concerns about deaths at Russells Hall Hospital and, following our June inspection and discussion with partner agencies, an independent review has been commissioned to look into a number of deaths. 'The review of deaths falls outside CQC's remit. However, we continue to monitor the trust very closely and have taken enforcement action.' The trust which runs the hospital, the Dudley Group NHS Trust, claims it has the lowest mortality rate in the region. And its chief executive, Diane Wake, said an early report suggested many of the 54 patients were already dead by the time they entered the hospital. One patient who died was 33-year-old Natalie Billingham, a mother of six children, who reportedly had necrotising fasciitis a rare but deadly form of sepsis. Ms Billingham, from Tipton, died in March, 72 hours after visiting the hospital while suffering with foot pain and flu-like symptoms. Natalie Billingham, a mother of six, died in Russells Hall Hospital in March this year after being admitted with foot pain and flu-like symptoms which turned out to be deadly necrotising fasciitis Marina Tranter, Ms Billingham's mother, told the BBC the hospital has 'destroyed me, they've destroyed my family'. 'Natalie left six children and one only nine months old who's never, ever going to know their mum.' In the CQC's report, published on Thursday, September 6, inspectors also said that care records were not always written and managed in a way that kept patients safe. And some staff raised concerns regarding the leadership style of some of the executive team, speaking of a poor culture and working environment. Inspectors raised issue with the fact that death reviews in the emergency department could be carried out by the same staff who cared for the patient. In a number of cases, robust reviews had not been done, the report said. In one example, a patient died after being sent back to the waiting room despite staff knowing they needed to be treated immediately, but this was not made clear in their mortality review. Heidi Smoult, deputy chief inspector of hospitals in England's Central region, said: 'We have had ongoing concerns about the emergency department at Russells Hall Hospital and were extremely concerned at what we found during our inspection. 'Patients were not being consistently assessed in a safe way, in particular, whether staff were identifying patients with suspected sepsis effectively. The Care Quality Commission revealed on patient died in A&E at Russells Hall Hospital after being sent back to a waiting room despite staff knowing they needed immediate treatment 'As a result of this we have varied conditions on the trust's registration, meaning it must provide regular updates to CQC surrounding staffing, triage of patients and its management of sepsis. 'Inspectors returned to the department in August to carry out a further inspection and a full report of this inspection will be published in due course. 'Meanwhile, we continue to monitor the trust extremely closely. 'The trust knows what it must do to ensure people receive the care they should be able to expect and we will return to check on whether sufficient improvements have been made.' In response to the report the hospital's chief executive, Ms Wake, said the trust had recently appointed a new clinical lead for urgent and emergency care. And she said the trust planned to receive best practice advice from a nearby hospital which has an A&E rated 'good' by the CQC. In April it emerged that inspectors were forced to intervene at Russells Hall to help a patient with suspected sepsis after staff failed to properly monitor and treat them. The CQC also said it was concerned by a lack of safety and leadership in the emergency unit and rated its services 'inadequate'. Senior clinicians deliberately left blood oxygen saturation readings off a national scoring system used to quickly identify acutely ill patients, inspectors were told. When these findings were highlighted to the trust, one consultant said 'it would trigger too many medical emergency calls' if they were included, the CQC report said. Ms Wake, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Trust said: 'We recognise the life changing impact every death has on that patients loved ones and that is why we investigate every death in hospital to make sure we learn wherever possible. 'We see less than one death a day in our Emergency Department. 'We routinely review all deaths across the hospital and they are subject to further internal review as part of our routine mortality review process and we have the lowest mortality rate in the Black Country. 'Any death we are concerned about is reported to the coroner. 'Following concerns raised by the CQC an independent review of all deaths in our emergency department over a six month period has been commissioned. 'We will receive the report by the end of September and we will be working with our system partners to ensure any learning is embedded.' There are just three people in America with a rare form of the terminal rapid-aging disease progeria. Two of them are brothers Nathan and Bennett Falcone, a dynamic pair who dab, play and joke just like any other kids their age. Nathan, 13, and Bennett, soon to turn 10, both have mandibuloacral dysplasia type B, the rarest form of a genetic condition that accelerates the aging of their cells to such an extent that sufferers have an approximate life expectancy of 13. But these two, who live in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, with their parents and sister, refuse to sit back: they have just completed a clinical trial of a drug that has been shown to dramatically slow the progression of the disease. What's more, their captivating personalities have galvanized their entire community to push for research to find better treatments - and even a cure. Fun kids: Nathan and Bennett Falcone are the playful brothers bringing their community in Pennsylvania together to fight for research into progeria, their rare rapid-aging disease The boys (Nathan, 13, and Bennett, nine) are remarkably resilient thanks to clinical trials They play, joke and dab like all other kids their age, touching the hearts of people around them Progeria is a progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly, beginning in the first two years of their life. Children with progeria do not have any differing features at birth or during their first year, but as they reach two signs and symptoms such as slow growth and hair loss begin to appear. Over time, their physical distinctions become more obvious: they remain much smaller than their peers, bald and frail. Progeria does not affect intellectual development. The specific type that Nathan and Bennett have (MADB) affects the development of the lower jaw, ends of the fingers, and the skin. It is caused by a recessive gene that affects zinc levels. Typically, progeria sufferers die of a heart attack or stroke, the most common age-related cause of death. As with elderly people, their cholesterol levels rise, their arteries harden, and their hearts struggle to pump blood in the same way as before - only that this all happens in their teens, rather than their 80s. Nathan, though, is doing remarkably well at the age previously believed to be his ceiling. Their family (parents Phyllis and Mark and their sister) say progress is always bitter-sweet but they will never give up pushing for more research and funding Despite some spikes in cholesterol, the boys are doing well and don't have to return to their Boston doctors for four years Both he and Bennett have been taking experimental FTI lonafarnib most of their lives, which has helped with weight gain and controlling their blood pressure, and two years ago they started a clinical trial for a new one, everolimus. Despite seeing some spikes in cholesterol, both are expected to be going strong for at least another four years. Even more heartening, their family has touched the hearts of their community, who rally around regularly to hold fundraisers for more research. Researchers struggle to get funding, since progeria only affects one in six million children. Investors prefer to fund something with marketable 'results'. Leukemia, for example, (one of the most treatable cancers) receives the vast majority of cancer research funds, while DIPG (the least treatable) receives barely any. Speaking at a recent fundraiser in their town, though, their mother Phyllis explained to Chesnut Hill Local why progeria research should matter to everyone. It's a rapid aging disease, she explained. The general population is aging. Heart disease (which typically kills progeria sufferers) is the biggest killer in the world. Research is the only way to save their boys' lives. It may also help others, even without progeria. 'It's a race against time to find a cure,' Phyllis told Chesnut Hill. Everyone who knows them is moved by their hilarious personalities and drive She added: 'One of Nathans arteries to his heart is mildly dilated, so we have to have him followed by cardiology to make sure it doesnt get worse.' But based on their latest assessments, the doctors running their clinical trial in Boston said they don't need to return for four years while they keep taking their current drug. Phyllis put that in perspective in an emphatic email to Chesnut Hill: 'FOUR YEARS!! In a race against time that seems like a long time!' Ultimately, though, such progress is, at least for now, always bitter-sweet. '[S]ome good news and some bad news,' she told the paper, 'but it's always emotional to focus on progeria, hear words like 'mortality,' see our kids go through all the testing and hearing all of what is 'wrong' with our boys when there are so many things RIGHT!' It appears Dracula may have been onto something when he drank the blood of young maidens. Scores of start-ups have been tinkering with transfusions of blood from younger adults to treat age-related diseases. But a leading geneticist at University College London insists those experiments are no joke, and are seriously considered by leading physicians to be one of the most promising ventures in modern medicine. Publishing an analysis of data in the journal Nature, Dame Linda Partridge, a geneticist, says research shows young blood could allow humans to live a life free of diseases like cancer, dementia and heart disease, right up until their deaths. Her work forms part of a wave of studies and trials, including a set of human trials backed by Peter Thiel at a San Francisco start-up called Ambrosia, injecting older adults with young blood - something that would cost $8,000 if it were rolled out to the public. Older people given transfusions of blood from younger adults are at a lower risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease, new research shows Professor Partridge's study showed older mice given young blood did not develop age-related diseases and maintained sharp cognitive function, while younger ones given older blood saw the opposite effect. It's proof, she says, that blood needs to be more closely studied in animals to identify the molecules that conserve physical health. 'Identification of these is a high priority for research,' the study says. 'The practical accessibility of both the human microbiome and blood system makes therapeutic manipulation a particularly attractive approach, but research in animals is needed to establish the long-term consequences and possible side effects.' Professor Partridge and her co-authors Joris Deelen and P. Eline Slagboom add: '[B]lood is the most practically accessible and therefore the most com-monly investigated tissue, but it is much less commonly used in animal studies. 'It will be important to develop blood-based biomarkers of risk, ageing hallmarks and responses to candidate interventions in animals.' Theirs is hardly the first study to show such an effect. The Ambrosia trials involved 70 participants. All of those involved were at least 35 and had paid $8,000 (6,200) to be part of the experiment out of their own pocket. They were given plasma - the main component of blood - from volunteers aged between 16 and 25. WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUNG BLOOD? Various studies have shown the benefits of receiving transfusions of young blood. University of California at Berkeley scientists in November found 'vampire therapy' can repair muscle tissue. They also showed it had benefits for both the liver and brain after only 24 hours. In the same month, Alkahest, a company based in, reported similar findings during trials of young human blood on older mice. They found it improved the rodents' cognition, allowing them to frolic about like their younger counterparts. Stanford University experts had already shown the same findings in identical studies three years earlier, but using younger mice blood instead. Advertisement Researchers noted improvements in biomarkers of various major diseases, also known of indicators for certain conditions. This included a 10 percent reduction in blood cholesterol, of which high levels are known to lead to heart disease. Other effects noted by the scientists were a 20 percent reduction in proteins called carcinoembryonic antigens. These can be seen in high quantities in people who have various forms of cancer, the website reports, but it remains to be seen whether. The younger blood also helped to slash amyloid protein levels, which forms toxic clumps in the brains of dementia patients, by a fifth. In particular, one 55-year-old patient with early onset Alzheimer's began to show improvements in his condition after just one transfusion. Another, slightly older woman with more severe Alzheimer's pathology is showing similar improvements, the start-up reported. The scientists at Ambrosia envision a world in which elderly people receive two injections a year. However, he hinted it's possible some of the effects of could have been imagined by those who were desperate to see results after paying so much. Scientists have long studied the effects of young blood on animals, but have come across a mixed bag of results. Previous US research has suggested that the blood from human umbilical cords could be the key ingredient for a fountain of youth drug. The Stanford University team discovered a protein found with the plasma can reverse the effects of age-related mental decline. However, experts at The Ottawa Hospital made a much different finding last July. They noted how blood donations from young women may be linked to poorer survival rates in recipients. We all know how important it is to do exercise and remain active. Yet a World Health Organisation study published on Wednesday suggested that a third of Britons arent getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. I suspect the reality is much worse than that. This study, like most others, is based on self-reporting, which is notoriously unreliable because they rely on people being both completely honest and having a meticulously accurate memory. When the British Heart Foundation fitted people with devices that measured how much activity they did, it found less than six per cent hit the recommended levels. Whatever the truth, it is obvious most of us are not doing enough. With Exercise Snacking, instead of doing the whole 30 minutes in one go, you do the same amount of exercise, but break it into smaller chunks, such as five minutes One excuse is lack of time. And its certainly true that it can be tricky to fit in a 30-minute exercise session five times a week. Fortunately theres a new approach that might help. Its called Exercise Snacking. Instead of doing the whole 30 minutes in one go, you do the same amount of exercise, but break it into smaller chunks, such as five minutes. But can doing five minute bursts of moderate exercise really help? For this weeks BBC health show, Trust Me Im A Doctor, we decided to find out. Making a choice We recruited a group of volunteers who usually do very little exercise. People like Kath, who told me: My activity levels are almost zero. I spend most of the day sitting at a desk in front of a computer. And theres Debbie, who is worried about her health. The last time I saw my doctor, she said, he told me Im borderline diabetic. Becoming more active is great for all sorts of reasons, from helping you sleep better to improving your mood. But what we decided to measure was the impact of exercise snacking on our volunteers blood fats and blood sugar levels. High levels of either put you at much greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Helping us set up and run this experiment were Dr Ian Lahart, an exercise physiologist from the University of Wolverhampton, and Dr James Brown, a specialist in obesity and diabetes from Aston University. Take care of your heart One muscle that really benefits from a good workout is your heart. A couple of months ago I wrote about the best ways to age-proof your heart and suggested trying the NHSs heart-age test. A report out last week from Public Health England said that of the 1.9 million people who had so far taken that test, most had heart ages that were higher than their actual age. One in six men and one in ten women had a heart age ten years older than their actual age. So why not do the test, then see what you can do to take care of your heart by reading my article online at mymail.co.uk. One way to improve things would be to start doing some snacking - of the exercise type of course. Advertisement Our volunteers came into the lab on three separate days. Each time they had the same lovely high-calorie breakfast, full of fat and carbs. Soon after breakfast they had blood tested and were then given a brief rest, before being put on a treadmill. On one day they had to do a single block of 30 minutes walking at a brisk pace. Then more bloods tested before lunch, more bloods after lunch, then home. On another day they did six lots of five minutes on the treadmill, spread throughout a seven-hour day, with the same number of bloods taken. On the third day it was the same breakfast, lunch and bloods, but they were asked to hang around all day without doing any exercise. After 30 minutes of continuous walking, their blood sugar and blood fats levels were, across the whole day, 40 per cent lower on average than on the day when they did no exercise at all. But astonishingly, very similar results were seen in the exercise snacking group - proof, it would seem, that you can get the same benefits from the little-and- often approach as you can from longer sessions. But, mosre importantly, which was more enjoyable? Kath said she liked getting it all over in one go. Debbie, who was worried about developing diabetes, said she preferred the five-minute approach. The great thing is they now have a choice. Muscle matters The muscles can benefit from exercise snacking, too. And thats good news. From the age of 50, we lose about one per cent of our muscle mass every year, and our strength deteriorates at more than double that rate. If we dont do something about it, this decline accelerates. The best way to keep your muscles in good shape is resistance- or weight-training. But not everyone wants or is able to go to the gym. So the University of Bath have been testing the idea of muscle snacking. They recently recruited 20 people between the ages of 65 and 80 which is when muscle loss really kicks in and divided them into two groups. One was a muscle snacking group, who did short bursts of muscle-building exercises for a few minutes a day, the other was a control group, who did none. The subjects were given some very simple resistance exercises to do. Do you have a question for Dr Mosley? Email drmosley@mailonsunday. co.uk or write to him at The Mail on Sunday, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT. Dr Mosley can only answer in a general context and cannot give personal replies. Advertisement Each exercise had to be done as many times as they could in a minute, with a one-minute break before moving on to the next. They did each exercise twice. The exercises were straightforward and only involved working against bodyweight. They were the sit to stand, which, as the name implies, involves going from sitting on a chair to standing up, rising up on to the toes, marching briskly on the spot, extending the legs to straight while seated, and bending the leg back from the knee while standing. Each session took about nine minutes, and they were asked to do this once in the morning and once in the evening for four weeks. It wasnt arduous and many did it while watching the television. The researchers measured the subjects power, strength and muscle size before and after doing their month of muscle snacking. Despite the modest amount of exercise, the subjects saw a five per cent improvement in leg muscle strength and a two per cent increase in thigh muscle size. So all in all, surprisingly significant changes. Trust Me Im A Doctor is on BBC2 on Wednesday at 8pm. Mr Jones, assistant controller at the Westminster Bank, put down the phone in a puzzled mood. The conversation hed just finished, with a mysterious man from the military, was most perplexing could the bank release one of its clerks for special war work? In Jones view, the man in question would be no great loss. Eric Roberts had been at the bank for 15 years since 1925, and had yet to distinguish himself. It wasnt just Robertss career that was unremarkable. He had married a fellow clerk and they lived with their two sons in a semi-detached house in Epsom. Oswald Mosley leads a British Union of Fascists march in London in 1936 But the military man had been clear that it was Roberts they wanted. Jones began to dictate a letter, confirming that Roberts would be made available. To a better-informed man, the mysterious address to which he had to send the letter Box 500, Parliament Street would have been the clue. Box 500 was the address of MI5. And the man he had spoken to was none other than its acting director general, Brigadier Jasper Harker. Only in 2014 did the extraordinary truth about Eric Roberts emerge, with the release of many of MI5s top secret files. What these files reveal is a story like something out of the pages of a John le Carre novel. For while he lived an outwardly normal life, Roberts actually spent the best part of over two decades spying on some of Britains most dangerous fascists. At one point he was responsible for running some 500 agents and contacts, all of whom thought that Roberts was himself a committed fascist. But despite his bravery and loyal service to the countrys security, Roberts, a grammar-school boy from Cornwall, was always regarded as socially inferior by his colleagues, who were mainly educated at private schools. Roberts was born in June 1907 and raised in Penzance. He left Cornwall when he was 17 and went to London where he became a clerk at the Westminster Bank. The work was hardly exciting, but there were diversions: Robertss supervisor, Audrey Sprague, soon took a shine to her new trainee. Excitement came in the form of spymaster Maxwell Knight, who had penetrated an organisation called British Fascisti (BF). Roberts had joined the BF soon after arriving in London. In later life, he concealed this from his family, so his motives are unclear. But a desire to resist communism must have been part of the appeal. Soon Knight asked him to penetrate the Communist Party and by 1926 he was doing surveillance work. What Roberts may not have known was that Knights employer was passing all the information he had gathered to MI5 and MI6. On June 8, 1934, Roberts married Audrey. Two months later, Maxwell Knight now working formally for MI5 offered him another job: to penetrate Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists (BUF). Knights instructions were clear: Nothing is too small to report; Do whatever task is allotted to you as well as you can, and allow yourself to drift along with the tide. Within five years, Roberts had risen to the BUF rank of inspector. He would leave the bank after work and find somewhere to change into his uniform before reporting for duty. I rather liked myself in my blackshirt, knee boots and breeches, he recalled. But found it awfully embarrassing after leaving the bank to change in some public toilet. At home, his first son was born in 1936, named Maxwell, after Knight. Another boy, Peter, arrived the next year. And when the war came, Roberts, then 32, was recruited by MI5, much to the bewilderment of his boss. For the next five years Roberts would lead the most extraordinary life, ultimately posing as a Gestapo officer called Jack King, complete with seemingly authentic Nazi paperwork that identified him as a member of the Einsatzgruppe London. Only in 2014 did the extraordinary truth about Eric Roberts emerge, with the release of many of MI5s top secret files His job was to travel all over Britain, befriending and then supposedly recruiting fascists and pro-Germans to the Nazi cause. To avoid being accused of being an agent provocateur, Roberts did his best to stop his recruits from committing any crimes, but instead told them to lie in wait to act as a fifth column to support a future Nazi invasion of Britain. At one point, when working in Leeds, Roberts had to participate in the attempted firebombing of a warehouse with two local fascists, Reg Windsor and Michael Gannon. Roberts alerted the police, who would be lying in wait to arrest the two saboteurs. They approached the warehouse door and found it locked. Gannon set to work sawing the padlocks. This was the moment for the police to pounce. But no policemen came. Despairing of his saw, Gannon pulled his firebomb from his pocket, lit the fuse and shoved it through the letterbox. He and Windsor walked away as calmly as they could manage and Roberts made off in the other direction. But there were no running footsteps, no shouts. Frustrated, Roberts walked round the warehouse only to find the police watching a different door. The trap had failed but thankfully, so did the firebomb. Robertss efforts saw him promoted to becoming an MI5 desk officer. Very much a field man, Roberts hated being behind a desk, and besides, at MI5s HQ at Blenheim Palace, Roberts found that he did not fit in with the very public school ethos. Ironically, it took a nobleman to help Roberts, in the form of Victor Rothschild, who was now running MI5s counter-sabotage section. Rothschild was convinced that the British arm of the German firm Siemens was riddled with potential traitors, and he tasked Roberts with contacting suspect members of its workforce disguised as Jack King. Shortly after he started his new assignment, Roberts encountered Marita Perigoe, a convinced fascist who was eager to damage Britain as much as she could. In order to run his nest of spies, MI5 provided Roberts with a flat in London. It was bugged and the recordings soon revealed Perigoe was never entirely sure about Jack King and thought about killing him. Roberts used humour to try to allay her suspicions. He teased Perigoe about her threats to bump me off, suggesting that she would stab him with a penknife, or poison him. Despite his talents, Roberts found that he did not have a place in the secret world after the war. He worked briefly for MI6, and was sent to Vienna to pose as a fake traitor in order to get himself recruited by the Soviet bloc, but the plan failed, and he returned to MI5, where he was given another desk job. In 1956, unhappy, diabetic and drinking more than he should, he was pushed out of MI5. He emigrated to Canada and died in 1972, aged just 65. The local newspaper noted his work as a local historian, his three children and three grandchildren. It didnt mention his membership of 17 subversive organisations, the countless aliases and codenames, his 15 years as an agent of Maxwell Knight, his 16 years as an MI5 officer and his five years masquerading as Jack King. Like all good spies, Eric Roberts took his secrets to his grave. Agent Jack: The True Story Of MI5s Secret Nazi Hunter, by Robert Hutton, is published by W&N, priced 20. Offer price 16 (20 per cent discount, with free p&p) until September 23. Order at mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640 The Miseducation Of Cameron Post Cert: 15, 1hr 31mins Rating: Last year, one of the most talked-about films of the summer was the gorgeous-looking art-house hit Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino. Northern Italy looked fabulous, Armie Hammer brought very short shorts back into fashion and the closing music Sufjan Stevenss haunting Visions Of Gideon sent entire audiences out into the street dabbing gently at their eyes. Against all the odds or certainly against mainstream Hollywood thinking a film about a teenage boys first gay relationship made quite an impact. Moretz (far right) is a revelation as Cameron, and gets suitably downplayed support from American Honey star Sasha Lane (centre), as well as Forrest Goodluck (far left) Which probably goes some way to explaining both the fuss and the marketing push behind The Miseducation Of Cameron Post. A top prize-winner at the independently spirited Sundance Film Festival and directed by a woman, Desiree Akhavan, it also chronicles a first gay-teenager rite of passage but from a much darker angle. Because when 17-year-old Cameron Post (Kick-Ass star Chloe Grace Moretz) is found having sex in the back of a car with her sexy first girlfriend, no one sits her down, as they did in Call Me By Your Name, for a cosy chat about wishing they had done something similar when they were young. Instead, an embarrassed, confused and even somewhat penitent Cameron is packed off by her evangelical aunt and uncle to Gods Promise, a religious re-education centre specialising in so-called gay conversion therapy. A few months of hard work here, promise the people who run it, and Cameron will be as straight as straight can be. Her miseducation has begun. This is a film that's funny and mildly sexy thanks to flashback and the unsurprising discovery that therapy doesnt always work. Above: Melanie Ehrlich with Moretz What they want to rid her of, explains the nice, smiley but hideously moustachioed Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr) is the sin of so-called SSA Same Sex Attraction. They like to picture it, he goes on, as an iceberg with most of the reasons for succumbing to SSA lurking unseen below the surface. Drawing and personalising your own iceberg is very much part of the therapeutic process at the fiercely religious centre, and disciples are encouraged to fill them with their own reasons for apparently being gay. But while some inmates cheerily fill theirs with did too much sport with Dad and didnt get enough physical affection from Mom Cameron cant think of anything to write. Particularly as her parents are dead. Great! exclaim her new friends, write that down, theyll love that. Actually, they put it a little more bluntly than that but you get the idea. IT'S A FACT Sixth-century BC poet Sappho of Lesbos, from whom 'lesbian' is derived, was caricatured by contemporary Greeks as rampantly heterosexual. Advertisement Akhavan, who co-adapts from Emily M Danforths novel as well as directs, gets the tone pretty much spot on. Watching the deeply unsettling narrative unfold, its easy to take comfort in the mistaken belief that this is an American phenomenon that couldnt happen here. But it has and still does, although the Government is currently considering legislation to make such courses illegal. In other hands this sort of story could have been hard work, but thats certainly not true here. This is a film that does have a serious point to make but its also funny, mildly sexy thanks to flashback and the unsurprising discovery that therapy doesnt always work and very nicely acted indeed. Moretz is a revelation, in a totally convincing and beautifully understated way, as Cameron, and gets suitably downplayed support from American Honey star Sasha Lane, as well as Forrest Goodluck, the latter playing a young Native American coming to terms with the idea that he might be what he calls two-spirit. And keep a look out for the reliably good Jennifer Ehle, playing the centres super-creepy head, Dr Marsh, who, according to canteen gossip, gained her professional reputation by de-gaying her own brother. No, its not her most sympathetic role. But for all its strengths, The Miseducation Of Cameron Post does have one glaring weakness theres only about two-thirds of a really good film here. As a result, just when were expecting it to move up a gear or a two for a dramatic last lap, it suddenly comes to a weak, minor-key close. Which, after so much impressive work, is a little disappointing but after a deep breath and a moment or twos reflection, still far from offputting. SECOND SCREEN Puzzle (15) Rating: American Animals (15) Rating: The Seagull (12A) Rating: Hurricane (15) Rating: Puzzle begins with a woman organising a modest suburban home for a party. She vacuums, rearranges the furniture and puts up a Happy Birthday banner. Only later, after guests have eaten the cake shes made, drunk the drink and broken a favourite plate, do we discover, poignantly, that it is her own birthday party. Agnes, it seems, is a woman who is used to being taken for granted particularly by her huge husband and grown-up sons but not for much longer. An unexpected gift of a 1,000-piece jigsaw sets the drama rolling. Agnes beautifully played by an American-accented Kelly Macdonald discovers she has a real talent for jigsaws. Agnes beautifully played by an American-accented Kelly Macdonald (above) discovers she has a real talent for jigsaws after being gifted a 1,000-piece set Travelling to New York to buy some more, she finds an ad for a puzzle partner, an ad that will introduce her to the sophisticated Robert (Irrfan Khan) and the world of competitive jigsaw puzzling. Yes, were in Shirley Valentine territory with this remake of a 2009 Argentinian film, but the execution by director Marc Turtletaub is exquisite and Macdonald, despite being a little too young and pretty to totally convince, gives her best performance in years. American Animals gains an early laugh when it begins with the caption, This is not based on a true story, and another when the words not based on slide off the screen. So, is it fact or fiction, or a blend of both? Were never quite sure as we watch a certainly credibility-straining story unfold about a group of young Kentucky misfits who plan to steal a rare book of original prints by the American wildlife artist John Audubon, apparently worth millions of dollars. Every so often the action is intercut with direct-to-camera contributions from the real people involved. But are they really the real characters or just more actors? The structure is initially intriguing, then becomes confusing, but what really does damage is watching what, in truth, is a very slight story being spun out for almost two hours. A top-notch cast led by Annette Bening (above with Jon Tenney) deliver a fine screen version of Anton Chekhovs The Seagull A top-notch cast led by Annette Bening as Irina and Saoirse Ronan as Nina deliver a fine screen version of Anton Chekhovs The Seagull. The key relationship between the writer Trigorin (Corey Stoll) and infatuated wannabe actress Nina seems more obviously abusive than usual but it all never quite shakes off its theatrical origins. Hurricane is the story of 303 Squadron, made up mainly of exiled Polish pilots who destroyed more Luftwaffe aircraft than any other Hurricane unit in the Battle of Britain. With much of it in subtitled Polish, theres an enjoyably old-fashioned feel to what ensues, with director David Blair blending Polish courage and British reserve, plus convincing flying sequences. VENICE FILM FESTIVAL Matthew Bond's pick of the best - and worst - from Venice 2018 The 75th Venice Film Festival drew to a close last night, and while I wasnt there long enough to see everything, my week on the Lido was certainly enough to see the Italian festival throw down a clear challenge to its ever more arty French rival at Cannes. It got off to a cracking start with First Man , the story of how Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the Moon. Its directed by Damien Chazelle, whose last two films Whiplash and La La Land garlanded nine Oscars between them: First Man, due out next month, will surely add to the collection. Ryan Gosling is a model of right stuff restraint as Armstrong, while Claire Foy is a joy as his spirited wife. Ryan Gosling is a model of right stuff restraint in First Man, the story of how Neil Armstrong became the first man on the Moon, while Claire Foy is a joy as his spirited wife A Star Is Born , which sees Bradley Cooper making his directorial debut, may be the fourth time in 80 years that William A Wellman and Robert Carsons rags-to-riches showbiz story has been reworked, but Lady Gaga is a nomination-grabbing revelation in the role made successively famous by Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, while Cooper despite the occasional moment of self-indulgence impresses as much behind the camera as he does in front. Out next month too. Westerns have been big at the festival this year, and The Sisters Brothers is in the classic tradition, with Joaquin Phoenix and John C Reilly on top form as Charlie and Eli Sisters, hired guns for sale, and Jake Gyllenhaal as an early private detective. Despite the subject matter, in 22 July Paul Greengrass just about gets away with retelling the story of the 2011 massacre committed by Anders Breivik, but its a close-run thing. Be warned, Breiviks racist far-Right views do get almost as much screen time as the trauma of his victims. As for Mike Leighs Peterloo , about the 1819 massacre of 15 demonstrators in Manchester Well, the overwritten screenplay is like the worst history lesson youve ever sat through, some very good actors give very poor performances, and the whole thing laced as it is with the ersatz flavour of northern heritage park seems to go on for ever. Its out in November: no rush. Prince Piano And A Microphone 1983 Out Sep 21 Rating: Its taken two years for the first of what will become a stream of posthumous releases to emerge from Princes vast archival vault, but the wait has been worthwhile. Taped in January 1983 at his Kiowa Trail home studio in Minnesota, Piano And A Microphone delivers exactly what its title promises, and much more. Offering remarkable insights into Princes creative process, it features nine songs performed alone at the piano. Some are classics-in-waiting (we get 90 delicious seconds of Purple Rain), some are tenderly exploratory covers (Joni Mitchells A Case Of You), some are in the first flood of composition (a fun, mumbo-jumbo bash at Strange Relationship, which appeared later on Sign O The Times), and some have remained unheard until now. Its taken two years for the first of what will become a stream of posthumous releases to emerge from Princes vast archival vault, but the wait has been worthwhile They come all at once, stitched together in a single sweeping take, by turns embryonic, truncated and extemporised, a scattered trail of breadcrumbs to be picked up or not at some later point. Ultimately, the songs are incidental, a mere pretext for Prince to flex his performative muscles. IT'S A FACT Purple Rain's director said he needed an emotional song. The next day Prince gave him When Doves Cry, written, recorded and produced overnight. Advertisement Piano And A Microphone shows us the artist at play in his creative dressing-up box, throwing on styles and persona, pleasing himself, running on instinct. We hear him road-testing arrangements on the fly, scatting rhythmic ideas and guitar parts, playing dazzling piano and flipping through his repertoire of vocal styles with unfiltered joy. Of the two new songs, the staccato pimp roll of Cold Coffee & Cocaine casts Prince in the role of lisping jive-talker, Tom Waits meets James Brown. Its funky and very funny. Why The Butterflies prowls jazzily, going nowhere but doing so elegantly. Its easy to see why neither idea was developed beyond these sketches. We already knew Prince was a genius. Piano And A Microphone performs the admirable service of deepening our understanding of why. GIG OF THE WEEK The The Barrowland, Glasgow Rating: There is no better time for Matt Johnson to revivify The The after 20 years. The themes of his Eighties and early Nineties material feel so current, he could pass for a post-punk Nostradamus. Brooding songs about Islamic-Christian conflict, raging lust, US imperialism and a country divided to fall sounded remarkably apposite, even if their tightly wound musical settings terse pop, taut funk, whispering shadow-music grew claustrophobic over two hours. In black shirt and trousers, Johnson looked like a radicalised Match Of The Day pundit, but sang with a preachers fervour. A set that moved through varying shades of darkness finally found release in a rousing version of Hank Williamss I Saw The Light and the sharp, bright piano notes of a wonderful Uncertain Smile. THIS WEEK'S CD RELEASES By Adam Woods Eminem Kamikaze Out now Rating: While not the parent-terrifying peroxide megastar he once was, Eminem appears to have been reinvigorated lately, and the best moments of Kamikaze, his surprise new album, find him aiming his rage at an astonishing range of targets, from Trump and Pence to the new wave of young rappers. It might be middle-aged chuntering, if Eminems delivery on songs like The Ringer and Lucky You werent so ingenious and intricate. He cant sustain the early assault, and his furious songs about women leave a nasty taste, but this holds reminders of what made him great Paul Weller True Meanings Out Fri Rating: Paul Bunyan Wilton's Music Hall, London Rating: Paul Bunyan, described by Benjamin Britten as a choral operetta (though he also saw it as a possible Broadway show), had a disastrous New York premiere in May 1941. The ever-sensitive Britten stuffed it into his bottom drawer, from which it only emerged for a rewrite a few months before his death, by which time it was really too late. So this fascinatingly exuberant and tuneful piece concerning the giant folkloric American lumberjack Bunyan (voiced by Simon Russell Beale) and the team he recruits to develop the US remains largely lost to us, though it truly is the missing link between Brittens juvenilia and his mature output. This fascinatingly exuberant and tuneful piece concerns the giant folkloric American lumberjack Bunyan and the team he recruits to develop the US Wiltons is a small, compact venue which, thanks to the flair and imagination of director Jamie Manton and his team, worked brilliantly here in this updated English National Opera production, with the large cast moving around the stalls and the balcony, as well as the stage, making us all feel part of the show. It was an exhilarating experience. The cast had huge enthusiasm. Its invidious to pick out just a few, but the Welsh tenor Elgan Llyr Thomas as Inkslinger is plainly one for the future. Then there are two exceptional sopranos, Rowan Pierce and Fflur Wyn. But perhaps the biggest potential star of all is the conductor Matthew Kofi Waldren. The cast had huge enthusiasm. What a shame the short run has already finished. Above: Susanna Tudor-Thomas, Claire Mitcher and Rebecca Stockland I have been impressed with him at Opera Holland Park, and even more so here. What a shame the short run has already finished. They should bring it back. Its not as though ENO have so many hits not to revive an undoubted one here. Proms 67 and 68 Royal Albert Hall, London The Proms are a bit like the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead. When they are good they are very very good, but when they are bad they are horrid. Last Sunday at the Royal Albert Hall it was wonderful to experience two of the worlds top ten orchestras the Boston Symphony Orchestra playing Mahler and the Berlin Philharmonic with Strauss and Beethoven plus two of the worlds finest young conductors, Andris Nelsons and Kirill Petrenko. Nelsons won hands down. He exudes authority, and thats what we got throughout Mahlers Symphony No 3. The orchestra played magnificently, with solo work from the principal trombone and principal trumpet, to name but two, that I have rarely heard equalled. As for the nine horns, they swept us all away. Only the mezzo soloist Susan Graham disappointed, with her head in the score rather than the score in her head. Doubly shameful, because its not a long part, and the two Birmingham choruses behind her sang brilliantly entirely from memory. The Berlin Philharmonic's (above) final section of Strausss rarely heard Death And Transfiguration was truly memorable but their Don Juan was often jerky and unsettled The orchestral response from the Berliners was on the same elevated level, but Kirill Petrenko was the joker to Nelsons ace. His final section of Strausss rarely heard Death And Transfiguration was truly memorable but his Don Juan was often jerky and unsettled. Its quite something that Petrenko, after a career almost entirely in opera, has now landed his first permanent orchestral post in Berlin arguably the most prestigious conducting job of the lot. And hes a bit like a kid with a new car, showing off, employing a range of bizarre physical jerks. Hes plainly got serious talent, but Beethovens Seventh seemed much more about him than the German master. Does Petrenko really want to be the Lang Lang of the podium? I hope not. Churchill: The Statesman As Artist David Cannadine Bloomsbury 25 Rating: Until the age of 40, Sir Winston Churchill took no interest in art. Then, in 1915, after he had been forced to resign as First Lord of the Admiralty, he fell into such a deep depression that his wife, Clemmie, thought he might die of grief. At this point, his sister-in-law bought him an easel and paint brushes, and persuaded him to try his hand at painting. This present in many ways transformed his life. Thirty years later, he recalled the moment he first put oil on canvas. The empty brush hung poised, heavy with destiny, irresolute in the air. My hand seemed arrested by silent veto. But after all the sky on this occasion was unquestionably blue, and a pale blue at that. There could be no doubt that blue paint mixed with white should be put on the top part of the canvas. One really does not need to have had an artists training to see that. It is a starting point open to all. So very gingerly I mixed a little blue paint on the palette with a very small brush, and then with infinite precaution made a mark about as big as a bean upon the affronted snow-white shield. Winston Churchill painting a view of the Sorgue river in south-eastern France, 1948. Churchill once said when I get to heaven, I mean to spend a considerable portion of my first million years in painting As he remembered it, a painter friend then turned up, splashed some blue on the canvas and told him to stop being so sheepish. The canvas grinned in helplessness before me. The spell was broken. The sickly inhibitions rolled away. I seized the largest brush and fell upon my victim with berserk fury. I have never felt in awe of a canvas since. Yet he remained in awe of great painters for the rest of his life, taking regular lessons from Sickert, Lavery and Sir William Nicholson, and visiting galleries to study the masters. When Winston took up painting in 1915, he had never up to that moment been in a picture gallery, Clemmie told Churchills doctor, Lord Moran. But it all changed after he had been given those paints. He went with me to the National Gallery and, pausing before the first picture, a very ordinary affair, he appeared absorbed in it. For half an hour, he studied its technique minutely. Next day, he again visited the Gallery, but I took him in this time by the left entrance instead of the right, so that I might at least be sure that he would not return to the same picture. Before long, he began to associate painting with happiness. If it werent for painting, I couldnt live. I couldnt bear the strain of things, he confided to the then director of the Tate Gallery, John Rothenstein. He reached for his brushes whenever he felt the approach of what he called the black dog of depression. For instance, when he lost the first post-war General Election in 1945, he took his brushes and paints to Lake Como and produced 15 paintings within a month. I paint all day and have banished care and disillusionment to the shades, he said. The distinguished historian David Cannadine has now produced a modest little book, immodestly priced, on Churchill and art. It consists of a substantial, workmanlike introduction by Cannadine, followed by a section devoted to Churchills own musings on art, and a further section on what others wrote about him as an artist. Most interesting and informative of all are, of course, the paintings themselves. Thirty-two of them (out of a lifetimes work of 500 or so) are reproduced in colour, though each is reduced in size to something smaller than a postcard. Most are landscapes and seascapes, with one or two still lives. Churchills technique is, as even the outspoken Francis Bacon once acknowledged, not to be scorned: most people would be happy to have these richly coloured, well-executed pictures on their walls, regardless of who painted them. As it happens, in 1947 Churchill put their value to the test by submitting two of them pseudonymously under the name of David Winter for possible inclusion in the Royal Academy Summer exhibition. Both paintings were given the thumbs-up by the judges, and only then was the artists identity revealed. Blue Grass, La Capponcina. Churchill recognised both his strengths and his limitations. In his regular addresses to the Royal Academy, he was always careful to draw a line between himself, a humble amateur, and the professionals Winter Sunshine, Chartwell. If it werent for painting, I couldnt live. I couldnt bear the strain of things, Churchill once said As a painter he was self-confident but never arrogant. He recognised both his strengths and his limitations. In his regular addresses to the Royal Academy, he was always careful to draw a line between himself, a humble amateur, and the professionals. In his book Painting As A Pastime (1948) he gave this advice to his fellow amateurs: Leave to the masters of art trained by a lifetime of devotion the wonderful process of picture-making and picture-creation. Go out into the sunlight and be happy with what you see. Sometimes, he was almost over-eager to accept advice from those he respected. When John Rothenstein paid a visit to his studio at Chartwell, Churchill told him he would be grateful for any criticism: Speak, I pray, with absolute frankness. After a champagne-fuelled lunch, Rothenstein took him at his word, and voiced various objections to a landscape, painted 20 years before. Oh, said Churchill, I can put that right at once; it would take less than quarter of an hour. With that, he immediately began searching for the right brushes and paints for the job. It was only when Rothenstein protested that he wouldnt be able to recapture the mood of 20 years ago that he reluctantly agreed to leave things be. Yet he took painting seriously, and had interesting things to say about it. I remember the great art historian Ernst Gombrich in his book Art And Illusion quoting with approval Churchill on the role of memory in painting, and it is clear that he remained endlessly fascinated by the effects of light and colour. He once recalled studying a picture by Cezanne of a blank wall of a house: Now I often amuse myself when I am looking at a wall or a flat surface of any kind by trying to distinguish all the different colours and tints which can be discerned upon it You would be astonished the first time you tried this to see how many and what beautiful colours there are even in the most commonplace objects, and the more carefully and frequently you look the more variations do you perceive. Its worth mentioning here that the standard view falsely propagated by the fuddy-duddy Sir Alfred Munnings that Churchill scorned all modern art is simply not true. He wrote approvingly of Monet, Manet and Matisse, copied paintings by Cezanne, and studied books on Van Gogh. Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse, he once said. IT'S A FACT In 2014, Churchills 1932 The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell, which depicts the pond at his Kent home, sold at auction for almost 1.8 million. Advertisement David Cannadine is so taken with this particular statement that within the course of this slim volume he allows it to be repeated, word for word, three times over. There is, it must be said, a lot of repetition and stringing-out in these pages. For instance, do we really need to read all Churchills dutiful back-slappings of long-forgotten painters Mr Arnseby Brown is, as always, a standby and a mainstay of the show from his various speeches to the Royal Academy? Cannadine is strangely reticent about Churchills hatred of Graham Sutherlands brutal portrait of him in old age, a gift from Parliament on his 80th birthday, which Clemmie famously, or infamously, destroyed. He mentions the episode only in passing, which is strange in a book devoted to Churchill and art. Similarly, he whitewashes Augustus Johns caustic memories of Churchills vanity as a sitter: How else to explain those fits and starts, these visits to the mirror, this preoccupation with the window curtains, and the nervous fidgeting with the jowl? Nevertheless, its good to be reminded of the joy Churchill found in painting. He called it bottled sunshine, and said that when I get to heaven, I mean to spend a considerable portion of my first million years in painting. With him at his deathbed, his daughter Sarah saw his hand move, as if already grasping for the heavenly paintbrush that might yet await him. Its not just our eye colour thats in our genes, our fashion choices are too, says Laura Craik THE BERKSHIRE BELLES Carole Middleton and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge LED BY Carole Middleton and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge HOW TO SPOT THEM You dont have to be born in Berks to be a Berkshire Belle, but it helps. As does having coltish legs, modest breasts, incredibly dewy English-rose skin and preternaturally glossy, bouncy brown hair that can withstand a level of blow-drying and tonging that would render most womens tresses as frazzled as Einsteins. Always smart, always occasion-appropriate and never knowingly overdressed, the Berkshire Belle is a breed for whom fashion is a keen interest, but not an obsession. She wears clothes, but clothes never wear her. Some trends broderie anglaise, pastels, tailoring she will add to her repertoire with quiet aplomb. Other trends sideboob, gothic, any era that isnt the late 80s she will judiciously ignore. 'You can never have too many nude heels' WHERE TO FIND THEM Manning a stall at the village fete, cheering at the touchline on Saturday mornings at their sons/grandsons prep school, taking afternoon tea at Claridges on a Monday. SHOPS Bicester Village (sssh!), LK Bennett for shoes, Hobbs for coats, Boden for breton tops, Mulberry for handbags, Joules for casual weekend attire and Alexander McQueen for black-tie occasions. MOST LIKELY TO SAY You can never have too many nude heels. LEAST LIKELY TO SAY Im so thrilled that ugly trainers are back again this season. AUTUMN BUYS THE 'WE'RE TOO SEXY FOR OUR SHIRTS' Ex-French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld and model Julia Restoin Roitfeld LED BY Ex-French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld and model Julia Restoin Roitfeld 'Does it come in black?' HOW TO SPOT THEM Via their shirts. Which they always wear too sexily. Though not in a Right Said Fred way. The WTSFOS clan prefers a silky shirt, ideally worn tucked into a pencil skirt and undone by one button too many, enabling just a flash of bra to be glimpsed. Their jewellery is discreet a crucifix, a gossamer-thin bracelet, diamond studs and so, too, is their make-up, bar their eyes, which are always underlined in kohl, even at 9am. Paris is their stomping ground: the city spawns WTSFOSs at an indecent rate, each one possessed of an innately languorous confidence that makes all those in close proximity feel overdressed/ underdressed/just generally rubbish. How do they pull off unbrushed hair? How can they walk that far in three-inch stilettos? Why isnt there even a smattering of dandruff on the shoulders of their black velvet Saint Laurent jackets? Cest un mystere. WHERE TO FIND THEM Drinking espresso at pavement cafes, studiously avoiding carbs. SHOPS Saint Laurent for leather, Tom Ford for evening, The Kooples for blazers, Uniqlo (for whom Carine Roitfeld designed a collection) for trousers, Equipment for shirts, Muji for T-shirts, Wolford for fishnets, Topshop for jeans. MOST LIKELY TO SAY Does it come in black? LEAST LIKELY TO SAY Ill have a venti mocha frappuccino with extra cream. AUTUMN BUYS THE SECOND-HAND ROSES Designer Pearl Lowe and model Daisy Lowe LED BY Designer Pearl Lowe and model Daisy Lowe The sweat patches are part of the story' HOW TO SPOT THEM Beehive hair, red lips, stack heels and wearing the maxi dress of your dreams, Second-Hand Rose doesnt do status handbags, preferring a 1950s beaded velvet clutch. Nor does she do designer clothes, unless theyre vintage Mary Quant, Biba or Ossie Clark. Coat trends are anathema to her as shes spent every winter since 1972 in a faux-fur Afghan that rumour has it once belonged to Marianne Faithfull. WHERE TO FIND THEM Trawling charity shops, walking their rescue dog, watching an obscure indie band your kids will tell you about in six months time. SHOPS The RealReal, Marys Living And Giving, Ghost (only because all the dresses look vintage). MOST LIKELY TO SAY The sweat patches dont bother me theyre all part of the story. LEAST LIKELY TO SAY Just nipping to Primark for some socks. AUTUMN BUYS THE LOTUS FLOWERS Actresses Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson LED BY Actresses Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson 'Donald Trump has got all my chakras out of whack' HOW TO SPOT THEM Named in honour of Goldie Hawns seminal 2006 book A Lotus Grows in the Mud, a Lotus Flower is characterised by her sunkissed skin, beachy hair (arrived at without recourse to salt spray because shes just swum in the real-life sea), discreet piercings and enduring love of boho. The definition of understated, she rarely wears heels, preferring thong sandals or flip-flops. Her daywear is diaphanous: a cotton shirt, a chiffon dress, a bejewelled kaftan. But where most of us might look frumpy in shapeless chiffon, the Lotus Flower always looks sexy. Maybe its the cleavage, on display 24/7 because breasts are natural. The Lotus Flower is always smiling. As a clean-living, healthy-eating, sun-loving zen worshipper, she has a lot to smile about. WHERE TO FIND THEM Surfing, at poetry workshops, shopping for nuts, pulses and tequila in Whole Foods Market, marching at feminist rallies. SHOPS Monsoon for kaftans, Anthropologie for prairie dresses, Bodas for bras (never underwired), Toast for linen, Chloe for party dresses. MOST LIKELY TO SAY Donald Trump has got all my chakras out of whack. LEAST LIKELY TO SAY You can never have too many pairs of black trousers. AUTUMN BUYS THE PEPPY PREPPIES Actresses Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow LED BY Actresses Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow 'You wake up and think "Hey, isn't it great just being?"' HOW TO SPOT THEM By their beatific vibes. Thanks more to good genes than good surgery, the Peppy Preppies are ageless, their style barely having changed from their 20s. Aged 14, they decided what suited them and stuck to it, eschewing faddy trends for timeless style. Blazers are their god. Also: blue shirts, cable-knit cashmere, white plimsolls and well-cut jeans. They manage to wear a shirt tucked into jeans on one side with its tails deftly overhanging on the other, without looking lumpen and wrong. Other dubious things the PP can get away with: frosted pink lipstick, knotting a jumper over their shoulders a la Princess Di, doing nautical chic without looking like a deckhand. WHERE TO FIND THEM On a yoga mat, at a pilates class, in the vegan aisle, watching arthouse films, at the hairdresser having discreet blonde, organic dye highlights. SHOPS Goop, obvs (Gwyneths website is their virtual spiritual home), Gap for denim, Calvin Klein for underwear, Stella McCartney for tailoring, The White Company for night attire, Churchs for loafers. MOST LIKELY TO SAY I love being. Theres so much wisdom in it. You wake up and think, Hey, isnt it great just being? LEAST LIKELY TO SAY Ill have a pint and a whisky chaser. AUTUMN BUYS THE RICH TEAS Love Island winner Dani Dyer and mum Joanne Mas LED BY Love Island winner Dani Dyer and mum Joanne Mas HOW TO SPOT THEM Easy: theyre the colour of a rich tea biscuit whatever the weather. They also have a penchant for wearing plaits well into middle age, numerous piercings, love of slogan T-shirts/ripped jeans/raffia wedges/novelty iPhone cases/anything rose gold, excessive use of bling, handbags festooned with pompom keyrings and lucky charms, push-up bras, blue-white teeth, contoured cheekbones. Rich Teas always travel with a gaggle of BFFs who dress just like them, laughing like drains and gesticulating excessively because thats just what Rich Teas do restraint is for other people, and they wear their hearts on their sleeves. WHERE TO FIND THEM Down The Owl, having a spray tan and eyelash extensions at Curl Up & Dye, volunteering at their local care home, on a flight to Florida. SHOPS Missguided, PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal. MOST LIKELY TO SAY Can I borrow your glitter? LEAST LIKELY TO SAY Just a small glass I have to be home at nine. AUTUMN BUYS Whatever happens come 2019, we wont have to worry about looking and feeling fabulous. YOUs Beauty Director Edwina Ings-Chambers salutes the homegrown heroes behind the UKs booming grooming industry Edwina Ings-Chambers salutes the UKs booming beauty industry If you should happen to find yourself driving through the Woodstock vicinity of the Oxfordshire countryside you might want to stop off at the Ila headquarters, housed in five barns on an idyllic farm. For its here that the cult organic beauty brand specialising in body, bath and spa products (the bath salts for inner peace need to be tried to be believed) bases everything from dispatch to training. It is also the site of all its manufacturing, which takes place in its own dedicated barn. Admittedly, its approach to manufacturing is unorthodox. The all-women team listens to Indian chanting music (a CD recorded by Ila founder Denise Leicester herself) while working. The girls love it, laughs Denise. The premises have also been feng shui-ed and laid out according to sacred geometry. Manufacturing is such an important part of our brand, says Denise. When Ila first started that was going to be one of the things that differentiated us. I didnt want to have someone else making our products. Ila is one of a growing number of British beauty brands choosing to manufacture their products right here in the UK and emphasising the fact that theyre doing so. After years of focus on South Korean beauty innovation, and despite Italy being the centre of colour cosmetics and the expertise of French skincare lying just across the Channel, this home-front movement is like a form of Brexit beauty, a refocusing on the skills available on our own shores. And it isnt just about one (wo)man bands making artisanal soap in their kitchens either. Ila, for instance, is sold in 40 countries and has a turnover of just over 2 million. Organic beauty brand Neals Yard invested 5 million in the expansion of its eco factory in Dorset and has a turnover of 38 million. The idea that our products are homegrown is very important to us, and by keeping production in-house it enables us to have complete control and transparency over the production process, says operations manager Vickie Best. Other big hitters are making it here too: Penhaligons, Jo Malone London and Elemis. Still, just how many brands are producing here and the exact value they provide for the British economy is something that neither gets much focus nor appears to be surveyed in detail. Current figures suggest that the British beauty industry is worth 17 billion and employs more than one million people, but how much of that is manufacturing isnt clear which seems a shame given that the South Korean government recognised beautys earning potential and supports it as an industry; as a result the region has become a leader in the global beauty market. No such support has come from the British government though it has long since woken up to the power of fashion and the Brit beauty business gets no glamorous industry photo ops at Number 10. Make-up artist Millie Kendal, together with Anna-Marie Solowij, her co-founder at beauty retailer BeautyMart, is hoping to change this and has launched the British Beauty Council. Its aim is to help raise awareness of the beauty industry in all areas including trade and industry, product registration and production, its contribution to the economy and even school-leavers being shown career opportunities in beauty. Theyve also commissioned Oxford Economics to produce a state of the industry report. What we do know, however, is that, according to Mintel, 24 per cent of UK consumers say they prefer buying British beauty and personal care products, and much of what were producing leads the way in the natural, organic and spa-based product arena with a focus on skincare. For those brands that do decide to create as well as make their products here, as with Neals Yard, control has a lot to do with the decision. According to Mintel, 24 per cent of UK consumers say they prefer buying British beauty and personal care products Im a control freak, admits Sue Harmsworth, who founded natural spa brand Espa (now owned by the Hut Group). When we started we used contract or third-party chemists and manufacturers but when we took outside investment in 2008 we decided to build our own factory because we wanted more control over quality. Now Elemis does all of its manufacturing in Somerset [at its own plant] and has its own chemists, biochemists and product development team. Its from here that we export to 60 countries. Its also easy to make your production line work here, says Charlotte Semler of Votary, where both she and co-founder Arabella Preston have fashion backgrounds. Whats interesting is that with fashion, even if youre trying to make in the UK, you have to supply the fabric, trimming, zips, everything yourself; all the manufacturer provides is the thread. Because there is no UK supply chain for fashion it disappeared 50 years ago. But the British beauty supply chain is complete at every stage from oils to bottles to people who will print labels. Its wonderful! It isnt just about practicalities; patriotism also plays its part. Being British is really key for us so we always wanted to manufacture here and its a huge part of our USP, says Rebecca Hopkins, co-founder of natural beauty brand Balance Me. It isnt because the quality is necessarily better here, but we feel we can get the best of what we need here and certainly dont feel were lacking anything. Out in the global marketplace, agrees Denise Leicester, the Made in Britain brand means a lot; it carries integrity and trustworthiness and we have a reputation for bringing very good things. For Marks & Spencer, its about finding the right place to make the right product where the relevant experts are; were dedicated to making the best possible products in each category, says Karen Day, merchandising lead at M&S Beauty. A large proportion about 50 per cent of our skincare, bath and body and fragrance is made in the UK, she explains, much of it at its Plan A eco factory. I want the best, thats always what Im aiming for, so I manufacture a lot of products in the UK, but not everything, says the pragmatic Jo Malone, MBE and founder of Jo Loves. So fragrance, for instance, is created elsewhere but I do work with some of the fragrance houses here and I love them. British companies are always willing and want to try to fulfil whatever is in my head. Remember, manufacturers dont just produce things, they also ensure that they are compliant for every territory that youre going to, and our manufacturing plants are amazing for that, she says. I think the quality of what we do here and the passion we put into it really shows. Made in Britain: The inside story Some of our brands dont like us to discuss that we make things for them, but Id say we fall into two camps and we have to keep those two sides of the business balanced, says Kirstie Wykes, head of sales at Hampshire Cosmetics. We have a lot of well-established brands that go across all sorts of beauty areas haircare, skincare and mens skincare. Some of the brands have been bought by big global players but were lucky that they still want that made-in-Britain feel so weve been able to keep the manufacturing. The other camp is start-ups. We take a punt on a new brand and decide which ones we think will be successful. Its a lot of work to develop and make a range, so we must back the right ones, says Kirstie. But the job is more than that, she adds. The company constantly looks at new ingredients and we think about cutting-edge technology that we can offer our customers to keep ranges updated and trendsetting. They must also keep on top of any legislation on ingredients so that they can reformulate where necessary. For example, Kirstie says, we havent used microbeads [in any of the brands we manufacture] for years as we knew this issue was coming. Leading the way in the UK Bamford Restore Elixir (75, bamford.com) Bamford THE STORY Owned by the Bamford family (of JCB fame), the organic spa-based product line was extended last year to include skincare. It uses a contract manufacturer that it was introduced to by the Soil Association, which certifies factories as organic. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? With the familys JCB heritage, made in Britain is always of importance to them, but they are also very aware of their green footprint and making and selling locally. LOVED BY They simply couldnt break confidences, but think of that glittering Cotswolds crew and you get the idea. BESTSELLER Restore Elixir, 75, bamford.com Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin (from 47 for 30ml, jomalone.co.uk) Jo Malone London THE STORY Founded in 1994 by Jo Malone and her husband Gary, the label is now owned by Estee Lauder Companies and has become a global luxury brand. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? The UK is in the brands DNA: To ensure the best quality most of our products are made in England, says Celine Roux, vice president of global product development. The candles are fully British, made entirely by hand in the English countryside using a traditional approach where as many as 16 people will play a role in each creation, using both age-old skills and the latest techniques. LOVED BY Absolutely anyone who has a bathroom. BESTSELLER Lime Basil & Mandarin cologne is still a classic, but try the new Honeysuckle & Davana collection inspired by the English countryside. From 47 for 30ml, jomalone.co.uk Frances Prescott Skin Frances Prescott Skin Tri-Balm (46, cultbeauty.co.uk) THE STORY Facialist and make-up artist Francess clients would bring her their multi-product skincare routine to ask her advice and usually shed say they only needed about two of them. Which got her thinking about making her own multitasking products that you could take anywhere and which require only a splash of water. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? I think theres a lot of talent here but we can be bad about singing our own praises, says Frances. Plus she was impressed that the small manufacturing firm she uses employs nearly everybody in the local district, and I love that community spirit. LOVED BY Women and men for its practicality plus make-up artist and social media celebrity Lisa Eldridge is a fan. BESTSELLER Theres currently only one product: the Tri-Balm. It cleanses, exfoliates and moisturises all in one. 46, cultbeauty.co.uk JOGB Living SloJo Relaxing Candle (65, jogbliving.com) JOGB Living THE STORY Founded by a former beauty director, Jo Glanville-Blackburn, these 100 per cent plant-extract artisanal candles centre on mood creation: MoJo, GoJo and SloJo. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? For anything to have my initials GB written on it, it had to start in the UK, right? says Jo. It isnt easier or cheaper, but when it comes to creating something unique and exclusive its all about communication and trust. We work face to face with our suppliers and we know they care about the quality of every aspect as much as we do. LOVED BY All the beauty editors and anyone who has a nose. BESTSELLER SloJo Relaxing Candle, 65, jogbliving.com Lixirskin Universal Emulsion (29 for 50ml, lixirskin.co.uk) Lixirskin THE STORY The brainchild of dermo-pharmacy doctor Colette Haydon, who has formulated many a top product for other brands. Now shes going it alone with a concise range of products that work together for the best results for all ages and skin types. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? Throughout my career I have worked to support British industry as it has supported me, and I continue to see the innovation and care it puts into the manufacturing of skincare formulas, says Colette. LOVED BY The entire beauty press and influencers theyre swarming over it. BESTSELLER Universal Emulsion, which acts as a day moisturiser, night cream and serum base. 29 for 50ml, lixirskin.co.uk Roques ONeil Himalayan Detox Salts (40 for 400g, roquesoneil.com) Roques ONeil THE STORY Founded by Michelle Roques-ONeil, this natural beauty brand harnesses all her experience as a treatment therapist to create a line of products inspired by the brands message: stress less, live more. It uses ingredients such as crystal tincturesand Michelle performs reiki on the essential oils. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? Im really proud of it being a British company, she says. And I think were very innovative here. LOVED BY Yasmin Le Bon and Kate Moss. BESTSELLER Himalayan Detox Salts, 40 for 400g, roquesoneil.com Ormonde Jayne Ta'if eau de parfum (selfridges.com) Ormonde Jayne THE STORY Founded in 1998 by Jayne Pilkington with a focus on room spray and candles, the company now has a cult following for its fine fragrances and a line of efficacious as well as wondrous-smelling body creams. The focus is on handcrafted products but the body lotions and soap are outsourced to contract manufacturers. WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? The standard of workmanship here is very high and I completely trust them, says Jayne. LOVED BY Emma Thompson, Goldie Hawn, Bryan Ferry who else do you need? BESTSELLER For women: Taif fragrances, 90 for 30ml. For men: Montabaco Intensivo, 195 for 50ml; selfridges.com Alexandra Soveral THE STORY Top facialist Alexandra launched her natural vitamin-and-fatty-acid-packed skincare line in 2005. Alexandra Soveral Angel Balm Deep Pore Cleanser/Regenerative Mask (19, alexandrasoveral.co.uk) WHY SMITTEN WITH MADE IN BRITAIN? Its largely necessity as the products are all hand-blended in its own lab in Londons Queens Park, and even for large retailers such as Net-a-Porter orders will be given with a two-week lead time to ensure products are all freshly blended. LOVED BY Aristocratic circles and movers and shakers, but Alexandra will never name names. BESTSELLER Angel Balm Deep Pore Cleanser/Regenerative Mask, 19 for 15ml, alexandrasoveral.co.uk Jo and Sarah answer real questions from readers: to put your query, go to beautybible.com Q What are micellar cleansers and do they work? A Micellar water, aka micellar cleansing water (or variations on that theme), consists of micelles, tiny balls of cleansing molecules usually oils - suspended in purified soft water. For more information follow Beauty Bible online here or on Facebook and Twitter These micelles are attracted to oil, the key component of make-up, sebum, grease and grime. So - when you drench a cotton wool pad in micellar water and swipe it over your face, it draws out the days grime and removes make-up. The key advantage is that the products cleanse without drying. In fact, some micellar waters claim to moisturise and hydrate skin as well as cleansing and refreshing. Although its a fairly new concept in the UK, micellar water has been a beauty staple in France for many years (some say centuries), apparently because French women disliked washing their faces in the native hard water. Do they work? is a tricky question. Some people love them, including a bunch of beauty editors. Others just don't get what the fuss is about and much prefer to use a regular cleanser, whether thats a lotion or wash-off product. On balance, we would say micellar waters are great for a quick fix; for instance, if youre out camping, at a festival, or travelling or after a late night when you might otherwise use a cleansing wipe or, shock horror!, not cleanse at all. Micellar water is also handy for an end-of-day office cleanse if you want to refresh your make-up before going out. Beware, however, that if you wear a lot of make-up, it may take several goes to get it off not always totally successfully, according to reviews, particularly with eye make-up. By its chemical nature, micellar water really doesnt cope with waterproof make-up, were told. (Plus the fact that some weve tried made our touchy eyes sting.) Some women we talked to use micellar water with other cleansers, which, to us, kind of defeats the purpose. Also, the idea is that you don't need to rinse after using micellar water but some users said their skin felt tight if they didnt which again seems to defeat the whole idea. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, 10.80 for 200ml, was the first to launch in the UK in 2013 in London pharmacy John Bell & Croydon, and is still a firm favourite, especially for combination or oily skins. For a beauty steal, we think you would do very well with Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for Sensitive Skin, 4.99 for 400 ml, which is really gentle. For normal and dry skin, Lancome Eau Micellaire Douceur, 38 for 400 ml, has garnered devotees. We are fans of the US natural brand Derma E, which offers Vitamin C Micellar Cleansing Water at a reasonable 14 for 175 ml. Just one last thing, we prefer to use organic cotton wool pads for environmental reasons, eg Soil Association-certified Simply Gentle Organic Cotton Wool Pads. Do keep an eye on the next round of Beauty Bible Awards, as our diligent tester panels are trialling lots of micellar waters at the moment and the winners will be published then. Beauty Bible loves Organic Savanna, from $10. A wee while ago, Beauty Bible met up with a dynamic and impressive young man Luke Kincaid whos doing some incredible things to change the world, in Africa. Organic Savanna an exciting, all-natural skincare line powered by East African botanicals is how hes doing it. Organic Savanna is quirkily packaged in a good way. The Aloe Vera & Avocado Soap ($10) is incredibly painstakingly wrapped in brown paper On their community farm in Kenya, Organic Savanna produce aloe vera-based products which create jobs for women and fund education at the Karibu Centre, and in the surrounding community. So far, over 75 jobs have been created, 1,000 children are being educated (at daycare, pre-school, coding and tech clubs and drama club), while life skills are being shared with parents, preparing them for employment, training them to keep tidy finances, or get ready for other jobs. But its not enough to have a good heart, in the beauty business. Weve seen many a well-intentioned brand flounder on those business rocks. So we can report: aloe vera and other native African ingredients like baobab oil and shea butter are transformed into truly beautiful products. Organic Savanna is quirkily packaged in a good way. The Aloe Vera & Avocado Soap ($10) is incredibly painstakingly wrapped in brown paper (see above), while the sets of Lip Balms, for instance (which are among the nicest lip balms weve ever slicked our lips with, and went STRAIGHT into the handbag when we met up), are wrapped in African fabrics and hand-tied. Theres a Soy & Eucalyptus Candle and a Hand Wash and Lotion set, coming soon. It smells fab. It looks good. It DOES good. And it makes us really excited about the future of beauty. NB Although prices are currently in dollars, Organic Savanna do ship to the UK. Ritual Flower Shower Foam (7.50, rituals.com ) Behold the continuing rise of the teen shopper. So much so that Mintel recently announced that they have been given an acronym: AVID (Approaching Adulthood, Video Driven, Influencer Aware and Digital Natives). Theyre spending, too: 80 per cent of UK consumers aged 16 to 20 have bought beauty products in the past year; 64 per cent of them are excited by those that are fun to use. No wonder Rituals sat down with a round table of teenagers to discover what would appeal to them. The result: The Ritual of Holi collection, which includes Holi Crackle Crackling Body Mousse (like popping candy for the body) and Flower Shower Foam, which has a floral stencil on the nozzle so it oozes out in the shape of a 3D flower (both 7.50, rituals.com). Im far off teenagedom and I still love this fun for all the family. Meanwhile, former beauty director Charlotte-Anne Fidler has launched Spots and Stripes, a largely natural skin and haircare range aimed at tweens (no doubt theyll have their own acronym soon) and young teens. Charlotte has always been careful about the products she used on her children, even going out of her way to buy Earth Friendly Baby at Peter Jones when they were younger. But as they outgrew that, she struggled to find an alternative so she made it herself. The boys range, Stripes, reminds you of how little boys should smell (like grass and clean T-shirts), and the girls, Spots, is a mix of vanilla and coconut. The range includes Skin Goals Gentle Cleansing Lotion (13), Clean Team Shampoo & Body Wash For Boys (13) and Wax Wonder Re-Styleable Pomade For Boys (17, all available from spots-and-stripes.com). The packaging is recyclable and she plans to extend the range. Need a really good nights sleep? The key is to get away from any screens at least two hours before bed (easier said, I know). But scents can help you to relax and theres many a sleep-well pillow spray on the market. Now The White Company has entered the wind-down arena with its new Sleep Collection that blends lavender, camomile and clary sage. Try the Sleep Diffuser (35), Bath Soak (25) or Sleep Nourishing Body Cream (30). All available from www.thewhitecompany.com Meanwhile... This Works is championing the restorative power of the nap. A daytime nap in a sleep pod has long been a part of the Silicon Valley work routine, helping to improve mood and alertness at work. Its Sleep Power Nap Spray (from 12, thisworks.com) uses the most concentrated version yet of its much-loved deep sleep fragrance (the usual suspects of lavender and camomile with vetiver) to help you to nod off for a quick sleep reboot. Win a dreamy treat This Works is offering YOU readers the chance to win one of 300 Sleep Power Nap Spray Duos (2 x 10ml). To enter and for more details, visit thisworks.com/you-magazine. You can also get 20 per cent off products at thisworks.com until 30 September when you use the code YOU55. Terms and conditions Open to UK (excluding Northern Ireland) residents aged 18 and over. The competition closes at 11.59pm on 16 September 2018; winners will be picked at random and notified by email. For full terms and conditions, go to thisworks.com/you-magazine. The discount is valid on thisworks.com only. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. One use per customer. Valid on full-price products only. Based in the heart of London's financial district, Matt sits at his office desk watching line upon line of numbers and letters flash up on the two computer screens in front of him. To the uneducated eye, it looks like the sort of scrambled code you might see in the film The Matrix. But in fact, the blinking screens contain reams of information about hundreds of thousands of online banking customers. Welcome to the front line in the fight against Britain's fraud epidemic that is costing victims around 1 billion a year. Threat: As fraudsters are becoming ever-more adept at bypassing their security measures, the banking industry has been forced to invest millions in new technology Matt is part of a 2,500-strong fraud team at Lloyds Banking Group. As a fraud investigator, it is his job to monitor customers' every move and spot the criminals operating among the bank's 22 million current accounts. The volume of data he scrutinises each day is staggering. He is looking for anything out of the ordinary, be it a customer logging in from an unusual location or even just typing more slowly than usual. But with around 7,000 customers from across the group's three banks Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland logging into their online and mobile accounts every minute, it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, Matt admits. Here, Money Mail reveals for the first time exactly what the banks are doing behind the scenes to tackle fraud and how you can join the fight. They are watching your every move As fraudsters are becoming ever-more adept at bypassing their security measures, the banking industry has been forced to invest millions in new technology that will help stop the criminals in their tracks. To help protect customers, Lloyds has built a sophisticated fraud monitoring system that records your every move when using your online account. The system can detect how you behave physically how quickly you type your password or move the cursor around the computer screen. It records how often you typically log in to your account and at what time of day. And it can track which mobile phone or computer you use to access your account and where in the country you are when you do so. The bank also knows your income, where you shop and how much you normally spend at a time. All of this information is used to compile a secret profile of each customer detailing their typical behaviour. It sounds scarily like Big Brother, but building a picture of the normal behaviour of each customer means it is much easier for banks to spot that 'needle in a haystack' fraudster who might be accessing your account without your knowledge. To help protect customers, Lloyds has built a sophisticated fraud monitoring system that records your every move when using your online account Boffins in T-shirts and jeans At the bank's digital headquarters in Central London a short walk from where Matt is watching his screens online fraud expert Nihal explains exactly how it all works. The digital office seems more suited to the likes of Google or Facebook than one of Britain's oldest banks. It is full of brightly coloured, coffee-stained sofas, garish green wallpaper and groups of young men clad in T-shirts and jeans talking excitedly in huddled groups over computer screens. If a fraudster is able to trick you into disclosing your log-in details by sending an email pretending to be from your bank or installing software on your computer that tracks your keystrokes, for example they can access your account easily, Nihal tells me. But once they log in, the bank's computer system called the Risk Engine will be waiting to catch them out. It is looking for any suspicious activity that seems out of character for that customer. So if, for example, someone logs into your account from a computer in Manchester when you live in London, or types the password far more slowly than usual, the system will put an alert on the account. If nothing suspicious happens next, the alert could be downgraded after all, it might just be that you're trying to check your balance from a friend's house and are struggling to remember your password. In this case you probably wouldn't even know anything had happened. But if a more risky act is carried out such as setting up a new payee or transferring money out of your savings account the alert will be upgraded. In this instance your account may be frozen until the bank carries out further investigations. This may involve texting the customer to find out if they had meant to make a transaction. 'The trick for us is finding the balance between supporting customers to make genuine transactions, without the annoyance of their account being frozen, and stopping the bad guys,' Nihal says. The need for this balance means the system will not always automatically block a payment just because it is slightly out-of-character. For example, it is programmed to expect a spike in unusual purchases in the run-up to Christmas and on Black Friday. And it will even take into account major product launches such as a new iPhone. Last year, British banks and card companies stopped more than 1.4 billion of attempted fraud. But cyber criminals still get away with 1 in every 3 they target Searching out the money mules Back at Lloyds' fraud headquarters, Matt also relies on technology to root out accounts he suspects are being used fraudulently. He uses a custom-built anti-fraud system that gathers data on every customer logging in, such as their name, age and address, transaction history and whether they are linked to any other customers. It also records which internet service provider they use and their computer's IP address which can pinpoint where a computer is located to within a 25-mile radius. The system then uses all of this information to spot combinations of activity most commonly associated with fraudsters. The exact details of how the fraud-fighting system works are top secret but Matt is happy to show it off in action. He points to a log-in ID number on the screen that has been suddenly highlighted in red. 'When criminals get hold of genuine customers' account details, they often try to use their own smartphones to log in. This log-in has been flagged because it comes from a phone which has been used for fraud before,' he says. 'When anyone uses a suspicious phone to log into to any of our accounts, we get an alert and the account is frozen while one of our investigators looks into it,' he adds. He clicks on the ID number which opens up a record showing that the same phone has logged into accounts owned by three different customers in the past three months. This is a classic sign of a fraudster and Matt immediately freezes the account. All the details of this account including information on how, when and where the fraudster accessed it will be fed into the system, which uses artificial intelligence to 'learn' and recognise similar activity in future. Matt explains that some banks have started sharing this data to help them stop fraud before it happens. He pulls up details of an account which has just been blocked for receiving money paid by an unwitting scam victim. The owner of the now-blocked account is a French national living in Britain who had banked with Lloyds for five years with no problems. He seemed to be a genuine customer who paid a weekly wage into the account and had no history of fraud. But in June, NatWest sent out a warning to banks about a man with similar details who had been caught handling money for scammers. This generated a warning flag in the Lloyds system, triggering a higher level of monitoring for suspicious activity on his account. So when he suddenly received a 90,000 payment from an American bank account two months later, the fraud team was immediately alerted and could freeze the account before he had a chance to move the money again. Matt and the team believe the Frenchman was acting as a money mule someone who agrees to let their account be used by criminals in return for a fee. Fraudsters use mules to quickly move money through the banking system so it is difficult to trace. How to protect young adults from becoming money mules Fraud experts have warned of a rise in money mules allowing cash to be moved through their account. The problem is so great that Lloyds has formed a 'money mule hunting squad' and is planning to share its secrets with rivals. Those caught acting as money mules have their bank accounts closed and will struggle to open one for years to come - and get products such as mortgages and credit cards. Find out more and how to protect young people from being tricked in the This is Money podcast. Press play to listen to the show above, or listen (and please subscribe if you like the podcast) at Apple Podcasts, Acast and Audioboom or visit our This is Money Podcast page. At the start of this year, Lloyds launched a new team of 20 people to detect and stop money mules. Since then, it has uncovered 13,000 mule accounts and stopped 3.3 million from falling into the hands of fraudsters. Matt's boss, head of fraud investigations Simon Jobson, tells me it has become an increasing problem in recent months, with criminals targeting students and young people on Facebook with promises of making quick, easy cash. Many do not realise it is illegal or that it can leave them barred from opening any bank account in the UK. 'Mules are now one of the main issues we deal with,' he says. 'A lot of the people involved were perfectly good customers who had not been in trouble before, but they meet someone at a party or see a post on Facebook or Instagram promising easy money which draws them in.' If someone logs into your account from Manchester when you live in London, Lloyds's system will put an alert on the account Always think before you click Last year, British banks and card companies stopped more than 1.4 billion of attempted fraud. But cyber criminals still get away with 1 in every 3 they target. While advanced technology might be able to spot a suspicious payment or a fraudster logging into your account, it is much harder for it to tell if you have been tricked into sending funds at a scammer's request. This type of scam is known as 'social engineering'. A common scheme sees fraudsters posing as police or bank staff calling customers to tell them their account has been compromised and they need to transfer their money into a 'safe' account. These scams can be incredibly convincing so Lloyds has launched a Fraud Checkpoint system that asks customers two security questions before they can make certain payments, such as sending money to a new account. The aim is to force people to stop and think for a second about what they are doing. First customers are asked if they have been told to make the transaction by the police or bank staff, with a warning stating that they would never do this. The next question varies, but one example is: 'Did you receive a phone call or email telling you to make this payment?' Customers are again reminded that no bank would contact customers in this way to suggest they move money. If there is ever a real problem with your account, your bank would most likely text or call and ask you to get in touch. Never ring the number given in case it is a scam. Instead, call back using the phone number on the back of your debit card or go straight into a branch and speak to a staff member. The most devastating blow when falling victim to this type of scam is that you are unlikely to get your money back. Under existing banking rules, if a fraudster steals someone's card details and takes money from their account without their permission, their bank must refund the customer unless they have been negligent with their personal details by telling someone else their password or PIN, for example. However, there is currently no such protection for people who have been duped into handing over their cash known as authorised fraud. In this instance, you will typically only get your money back if you can prove the bank made a mistake. Paul Davis, retail fraud director at Lloyds Banking Group, says: 'Fraudsters can be incredibly convincing and even the most educated people can feel panicked when they are told their money is under threat and it needs to be moved. 'The important thing is to stop and ask yourself who is getting in touch with you and what they are asking you to do?' Report any cases of fraud even if you weren't left out of pocket to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. Some names have been changed to protect identities. money.mail@dailymail.co.uk Landlords who rent properties to multiple tenants face tough new licensing rules designed to protect tenants from next month. HMO licensing - which stands for houses in multiple occupation - already applies to landlords who rent their properties to five or more tenants from two or more different households where the property is three or more storeys. But from 1 October, any property let to five or more tenants from two or more households will be caught by the rules - regardless of the number of floors. It means that 177,000 landlords across the UK will have to meet new minimum standards on room size and safety or face fines up to 30,000 and even criminal prosecution. Any house with five or more people from two or more households will be considered a HMO The move is part of a wider Government effort to crack down on poor living conditions, overcrowding and tackle slum landlords who get away with cramming tenants into tiny flats. But it also means that thousands of landlords who do a good job and offer high quality accommodation to their tenants will also have to comply with the rules, which could mean costly refits. What is an HMO? An HMO stands for a house in multiple occupation. It is any property let to five or more tenants who come from two or more different households and at the moment, licensing only applies where the property is three or more storeys. Think typical student housing and properties let to young professionals in city centres. HMOs are increasingly common as a buy-to-let investment for a few reasons. Because the property is let to a number of different tenants, if one tenant falls behind on their rent, the landlord is usually still able to cover their mortgage payments from the rental income from the other tenants. Letting to multiple tenants on different tenancy agreements also means that landlords can generate higher rental incomes. For example, letting a three-bed house to a family might generate 2,500 rent a month. Letting the same property to three separate tenants might allow you to charge each one 1,000 a month, stepping up overall income to 3,000. Following several changes to mortgage rules and tax treatment over the past few years, buy-to-let has become less profitable. Because this type of property offers higher returns, many landlords have sold out of lower profit properties and reinvested in HMOs. Why is HMO licensing being extended? The Government argues that people living in properties not built, but used, for multiple occupation run the risk of overcrowding and fire. It argues that some housing has been used by opportunistic rogue landlords who exploit vulnerable tenants, and rent 'sub-standard, overcrowded and dangerous accommodation'. As with breaching the licence, failure to obtain one can result in fines and a criminal record Will you need an HMO licence after 1 October? While the existing HMO rules apply to around 60,000 landlords in the UK, the scope of licensing is being extended to capture 177,000 landlords from next month. Any property let to five or more tenants from two or more different households will require a licence after 1 October. Depending on the local authority, some licences may require vetting for both landlords and tenants - particularly in areas where anti-social behaviour is more common. Minimum bedroom sizes will also be introduced for all tenants after this date in a bid to clamp down on overcrowding. And landlords will have to provide an adequate number of bins for each HMO, or could face fines. If a landlord already has a selective or additional licence, as many will in certain boroughs, they may also come under the scope of mandatory HMO licencing from 1 October. Having an existing licence does not mean the new rules won't apply however, and you may have to apply for a different type of licence when yours expires. Check with your local council to see what's expected of you. What happens if a landlord doesn't comply? Your local authority may decide to request details of room sizes that are used for sleeping accommodation as part of the application process - and they may also choose to inspect properties at their discretion. If a landlord breaks these rules and is convicted, they are liable to an unlimited fine, or the local housing authority may impose a financial penalty of up to 30,000 as an alternative to prosecution. The local housing authority must allow a 'reasonable period' of up to 18 months for any overcrowding problems to be solved once identified. How do you apply for an HMO licence? If it turns out you need a mandatory HMO licence, youll need to apply to your local council. Theyll most likely want to see a floor plan, and youll need to pay an application fee. These fees vary by council but are usually around 500 and last for five years. Once youve submitted your application you will have to be vetted by the council before you receive your licence. Check with your local council to see what their specific rules are. As with breaching the licence, failure to obtain one can result in prosecution, fines, and a criminal record - and you must apply by 1 October. Thousands of shoppers, restaurant and pub-goers were charged twice last week when they used their credit and debit cards. Cardnet, which processes card payments in shops and restaurants, has admitted that some card terminals took duplicate payments due to a computer glitch on Wednesday, August 29. Lloyds Bank, which jointly owns the payment provider, says the issue affected less than 5 per cent of transactions. Glitch: Cardnet has admitted that some card terminals took duplicate payments What has happened? A glitch with Cardnet's payment processing system meant thousands of customers using their credit or debit cards on 29 August were charged twice. As the problem was caused by the card processing system, it hit customers from all banks. The majority of transactions affected involved Visa debit cards. What can affected customers do if they've been charged twice? Refunds are supposed to be being applied automatically and many should have already been processed. But, all customers who used their credit or debit cards on 29 August with any bank are advised to check their statements. Contact your bank if you spot an error and your refund has not been processed. What has Cardnet got to say about the glitch? On its website, Cardnet said: 'Cardnet sincerely apologises for the issue and the inconvenience caused, we continue to work closely with all parties to resolve this issue swiftly.' A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: 'A small number of transactions processed last Thursday by Cardnet were duplicated. 'Action has been taken to rectify this situation as quickly as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.' Charged twice? Lloyds Bank, which jointly owns the payment provider, says the issue affected less than 5 per cent of transactions Will I be hearing from my bank about this? Given the scale of the glitch, banks should be dishing out advice to their customers explaining what has happened and what they should do if you are concerned about a double payment. If yours hasn't, get in touch with them and ask them how best to proceed. Mobile-only bank Monzo sent a message to its customers explaining how the glitch happened: 'When you make a payment, we set the money aside from your account. 'Then, usually, a few days later, the merchant's bank comes along to collect the money. This is when the payment "settles". 'Unfortunately, in this case, a processing problem meant that some payments were collected twice.' How badly have consumers been affected by the problem? Consumers and businesses affected by the payment glitch have taken to social media to warn others about the problem. One Twitter user who goes by the name of Sir Dean Hurrell said he'd been charged nearly 550 twice because of the error. Everyone. Check your banking transactions made on your debit cards on 29th Aug. CardNet are taking them twice in error. Theyve taken 549.99 from me twice and banks are not refunding till Monday. RT for awareness and good luck if u need the cash this weekend. Sir Dean Hurrell (@Dean_Hurrell) September 1, 2018 Norwich-based hairdressing firm Flint also exchanged a string of messages on Twitter with Lloyds Bank claiming all their customers on a certain day had been charged twice. Flint claimed it had found the customer service from Llloyds after the incident 'very disappointing.' We are having the same issue. All our clients who paid by card on Wednesday found on Friday /Saturday that they had been charged twice. Called @AskLloydsBank Cardnet team on Saturday am and after waiting 24 minutes and 20 minutes calls were not answered. Very disappointing! Conor O'brien (@flintnorwich) September 2, 2018 The glitch is also causing a degree of confusion among some consumers, with one Twitter user wondering whether a double charge from Tesco for groceries over the weekend was part of the Cardnet debacle. Hi @AskHalifaxBank, I seem to have been charged twice on my recent visit to @Tesco, I assume this is something that's happened due to #Cardnet, will I get this refunded soon? Stu (@DisgruntledTurk) September 5, 2018 UK owners of VW cars affected by the diesel emissions scandal are still awaiting some form of compensation from Volkswagen three years after dieselgate first broke. And before a penny has been handed to those drivers who were sold vehicles that claimed to emit less harmful nitrogen oxides than they did, Volkswagen has pocketed compensation following a High Court judgement this week. The ruling in favour of VW sees the car maker receive costs totalling close to half-a-million pounds after the court ruled that the manufacturer had been forced into 'various unnecessary and ineffective hearings' throughout 2017 by legal firms acting on behalf of owners. A judgement in favour of VW will see the car maker receive costs of around 468,000 after the High Court ruled that the manufacturer had been forced into unnecessary and ineffective hearings last year by legal firms acting on behalf of owners The judgment on Tuesday awarded the Volkswagen Group reimbursement of 'very substantial costs' incurred due to the premature application for a Group Litigation Order made by certain claimants represented by Slater & Gordon and Harcus Sinclair. This led to a number of hearings throughout 2017 that the High Court of England and Wales deemed needless. The Volkswagen Group said it welcomed the decision. As a result, the institutional funders will pay an initial sum of 168,000 to the Volkswagen Defendants and two other defendants before the end of September. Further costs, arising from this conduct, will be due from the claimants funders at the end of the litigation. Those costs will be subject to detailed assessment, but it's expected that these are likely to be in excess of 300,000. According to VW, the court felt compelled to criticise certain claimants lawyers for their unreasonable conduct in bringing the GLO application prematurely. We have been concerned about the conduct of some claimant firms in relation to this action, which has been disorganised and hindered the efficient progression of the litigation. Nicolai Laude, Volkswagen AG As such, the court took the unusual step of awarding Volkswagen its costs on the higher indemnity - as opposed to standard - basis. The judgment follows an earlier decision made in favour of Volkswagen against claimants represented by Your Lawyers. In that judgment, Your Lawyers evidence was also rejected by the High Court as 'incompetent', 'not credible' and 'disingenuous'. Nicolai Laude, spokesperson for Volkswagen AG, said: 'We have been concerned about the conduct of some claimant firms in relation to this action, which has been disorganised and hindered the efficient progression of the litigation. 'This judgment clearly supports our view.' In a statement released on behalf of the under-fire manufacturer, it said: 'The Volkswagen Group has always said that it will rigorously defend itself and is confident in its case. That remains the position.' Volkswagen has been forced to pay $14 billion in fines in the United States but has yet to see the manufacturer compensate owners of impacted vehicles in the UK The dieselgate scandal has already seen VW payout $14 billion in fines in the United States, where the German car giant was found to have mis-sold vehicles to owners. That hasn't been the case in the UK, though. Affected drivers have yet to see a penny in compensation, though they have been offered to have emissions 'defeat devices' in their cars fixed free of charge. However, the process of rectifying vehicles has led many drivers to report worse performance after their cars were altered. Slater and Gordon today (Thursday) warned owners of impacted VWs, Skodas, Seats and Porsches that they have just 50 days to register for compensation worth up to 200 million. The law firm urged drivers to register their claim before the October 26 deadline. Gareth Pope, head of group litigation for Slater and Gordon said: 'VW have shown astonishing contempt for UK customers by refusing to admit fault in this country, over the same issue they have paid compensation for elsewhere. 'They are banking on current and former owners not signing up to a group action like our own. 'We want to make sure every driver gets the compensation they deserve and that the car giants are made to pay for their dishonest practices. 'Thats why we would encourage any affected drivers to join our group action, regardless of whether or not your car has had the fix applied or whether you still own it or have since sold it.' With his reassuring faint east London accent and ability to make even the more technical points of investing sound simple, it's easy to understand why Terry Smith has become one of the UK's favourite fund managers. The 65-year-old Fundsmith founder, who grew up in Stratford as the son of a lorry driver, has just launched his latest offering Smithson, an investment trust designed to be the 'son of' his renowned original Fundsmith fund which invests 17 billion of savers' money. But as with any star stock picker bringing out a new product, the Smithson fund has been surrounded by hype as investors look for a reliably safe place to stick their cash. 'We really like Fundsmith as a fund, and I'm sure we're not alone there,' says Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management's Patrick Thomas. 'If you look at most client portfolios, you'll probably find some money in it.' The original Fundsmith fund has grown rapidly since its launch in 2010 as investors have piled more money in, and Smith has stuck to his guns by resolutely targeting companies around the world that are high quality and resilient to change. So far, the strategy has paid off. Any investor who put 1,000 in at launch would have more than 4,000, while the same amount placed with its average competitor in the same time would have turned into just over 2,000. But Thomas warns that just because Fundsmith's strategy works in terms of global developed large companies, it 'doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be a roaring success in other areas'. Aiming to raise a comparatively small 250m when it floats on the London Stock Exchange, the Smithson investment trust will focus on small to medium-sized listed firms around the world. The reason for the launch, Smith explains, is there are simply too many strong smaller companies with promising prospects for him to resist. He says: 'We monitor a lot of things at Fundsmith, and one is companies which have performed better than our fund. There's quite a few of them, but there's a smaller group which have outperformed the fund and are in sectors that we like consumer, healthcare, IT.' The companies aren't attractive because they have better cash flow or margins, Smith adds. It's their speedy growth rate that makes them deliver. But the problem with the stalwart fund is that it is getting too big for Smith to use for investing in these smaller firms. To keep the pool of companies it owns to a manageable size, it must buy stakes of around 600m in every one not advisable when this would mean buying a third or even half of a smaller business. Added to that, the outspoken Smith couldn't resist using the fund launch to have another jibe at his peers. He has promised to pay the costs of setting up Smithson a charge usually lumped on investors out of his own pocket, which will be around 5m. Smithson will also charge an annual management fee of 0.9 per cent of the fund's overall market value, decided by its share price, not the underlying value of its investments which is the metric most managers rely on. Some might see this as a gamble since Smithson's shares are likely to trade at a premium to the underlying value given the investor demand for the fund, but Smith is adamant that it is fairer. Smith, who lives in Mauritius, has future-proofed the fund for when he does eventually retire. Simon Barnard and Will Morgan, both formerly of Goldman Sachs, will head Smithson. Barnard formerly had 'every penny of my available net worth invested with Terry', while Morgan admits he was 'quite addicted to watching Terry's annual shareholder meeting on the Fundsmith website'. Though both have a history in investment research, Barnard and Morgan will be copying Smith's investment style but they are different people who may produce different results. Overall though, Thomas concedes that Smithson is likely to be a success. With names such as tonic group Fever-Tree, chicken shop Wingstop and technology business Sabre Airline Solutions on its potential buy list, it will certainly be one to watch. Banknote maker De La Rue, which lost the contract to create Britain's post-Brexit blue passports this year, is still in the crosshairs of activist investor Crystal Amber. Shares in De La Rue climbed 4.5 per cent, or 21.5p, to 494.5p amid rumours that Crystal Amber was upping its stake, as it continues to pressure the firm for change. Crystal Amber, headed by City veteran Richard Bernstein, is currently the third-largest shareholder in De La Rue. It has said it is prepared to increase its stake until it gets to the top spot. In an ominous sign for De La Rue boss Martin Sutherland, earlier this week Bernstein told the Mail: 'We see change as inevitable.' De La Rue threatened to lodge a legal claim against the government in April after it awarded the passport contract to Franco-Dutch rival Gemalto, which significantly undercut De La Rue. But it later dropped this challenge, saying the 'risk-reward does not stack up'. Since then, its shares have languished at between 470.5p and 557p down as much as 56.4 per cent from the ten-year high of 1080p in October 2012. De La Rue implemented a turnaround plan in 2015 to make the business more technology-led, and points to the sale of its banknote paper business earlier this year as a sign of its progress, but investors remain unconvinced. They have questioned whether De La Rue's passport and identification branch now has enough business to survive. The company is due to give further details on its plans for the division in its November half-year results. On the FTSE 250, engineering firm Weir Group warned it had spotted a weakness in its business as it met with investors. The firm, which specialises in servicing oil and gas rigs and mining infrastructure, said that there had been a 'considerable softening in demand' for its equipment towards the end of the summer. Earlier this week, Weir's US competitors Halliburton and Schlumberger set alarm bells ringing when they noted that a surge in oil and gas production in Texas meant barrels were being pumped faster than they could be moved. This backlog has caused the price of oil to slide, which poses a threat to drilling activity. Brent crude was trading yesterday evening at around $76.5 per barrel, down for the second day in a row from $78.2 on Tuesday. A sustained drop in oil prices could be bad news for Weir, which has said some orders had been 'deferred'. Its shares ended the day down 8.6 per cent, or 154p, at 1632p. The FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.9 per cent at 7319 points, a near-five-month low, as gains from British Gas owner Centrica failed to pull the index up. It climbed 5 per cent, or 7.2p, to 150.6p after the Government's price cap on energy bills proved less fiery than anticipated. But miners still weighed heavily on the index amid trade war fears. On London's junior market, Brave Bison which produces video adverts for social media shot up as it made a major breakthrough in China. It sealed a deal with Tencent, one of the world's largest internet companies, allowing it to post videos on WeChat, the major messaging, payments and social media app in China. Brave Bison said this would give it access to more than 1.5 billion viewers, cracking open a market currently inaccessible for most Western advertisers. Its shares shot up 60 per cent, or 0.9p, to 2.4p. But biofuel company Velocys, which makes jet fuel from forestry by-products, took a nosedive. It is a major lender and shareholder to Envia, a US biofuel plant which is under threat of being closed if it does not become profitable. Velocys's shares ended the day down 13.9 per cent, or 1.2p, at 6.71p. Investors will be asked within days to decide whether Unilever should shift its legal base abroad ending its decades-long status as a stalwart of London's blue-chip index. Shareholders will receive documents on Tuesday setting out the fine detail of a plan to axe the dual Rotterdam and London headquarters that have existed since the consumer goods group was formed by an Anglo-Dutch merger 89 years ago. Instead chief executive Paul Polman wants the firm which makes everything from Magnum ice creams to Dove deodorant to have to have a single legal headquarters in Rotterdam. The move is aimed at simplifying the company, which is listed on both the British and Dutch stock exchanges. But it will mean Unilever will not feature in the FTSE 100 list of the UK's biggest public companies for the first time since the index launched in 1984. Many major British investment companies are only allowed to buy Footsie stocks, including pension funds looking after millions of pounds of savers' cash, meaning they will have to shed their Unilever stakes. The move has infuriated many top shareholders who want to hold onto their investment. It has set the stage for a bitter public battle over 62-year-old Dutchman Polman's plan. Half of investors who hold stakes through the Dutch stock market must give their approval and are widely expected to do so. But Polman also needs support from 75 per cent of shareholders who own their shares through the London Stock Exchange in a vote next month. It is thought more than 25 per cent of the those investors could be forced to sell Unilever stakes if the rules were introduced potentially enough to defeat the proposal if they all vote against it. And at least one major shareholder is considering just that. Another, Columbia Threadneedle, has raised concerns. In March its head of responsible investment Iain Richards said: 'They (Unilever) need to do more to convince UK shareholders of the merits of the move.' Signing off?: Shareholders will receive documents setting out the plan to axe the dual Rotterdam and London headquarters Father-of-three Polman claims the decision will improve corporate governance and accountability. But critics argue Polman wants to move to the Netherlands to make it harder for predators to take over the consumer goods giant. Unilever fought off a hostile bid by US food firm Kraft last year in a bruising battle that executives do not want to repeat. If shareholders foil the plan it will be a crushing blow for Polman, who was paid 10.4m last year. Shares rose 0.5 per cent, or 21.5p, to 4245p. Buying a house in one of Britain's sunniest locations often costs less than the national average house price, new findings reveal. Around a third of locations enjoying the best annual sunshine levels have houses typically priced less than the national average of 252,983, Halifax's figures suggest. For those looking for a bargain and keen to bask in sunshine for hours on end each week, Weymouth and Portland offers the best option, with the area enjoying over 35 hours of sun a week and homes typically costing just over 200,000. Where to buy: There are property bargains available in the sunniest - and least sunny - parts of Britain Torbay in the South West of England is second place in the sunshine and house price value stakes, basking in 33 hours of sunshine a week, with homes costing around 207,662. All of the 20 sunniest areas to live are in the South East, the South West or the East of England. At the other end of the scale, a string of locations in Scotland have the least amount of sunshine every week, but house prices in these areas often come in well below the national average. Not every sunshine hotspot is a bargain when it comes to house prices, and certain areas command hefty premiums. In Brighton and Hove, which typically has over 34 hours of sunshine a week, the average cost of a home is 367,213, which is over 114,000 more than the national average. In Rother, located in the South East, and Rochford, located in the East, there are over 33 hours of sunshine a week and homes cost around 350,936 and 352,251 respectively. What a view: Weymouth and Portland offers the best option for sun-seekers looking for a bargain Still beautiful: The Scottish Highlands may not always get the sun, but homes typically cost just 180,000 But, in Dover, famed for its commanding clifftops, house typically cost around 248,465, which is just below the national average. Andy Bickers, mortgages director at Halifax, said: 'As a nation with a long-standing obsession with the weather, we usually associate sunshine with the South as well as scorching house prices. 'The good news is that house hunters after a place in the sun can max out the rays for less than the average UK house price in many of the hottest locations.' TOP 20 SUNNIEST PLACES TO LIVE IN THE UK RANKED BY PRICE Local Authority Region Weekly hours of sunshine Weekly hours of sunshine Rank Average House Price 2018 Weymouth and Portland South West 35.8 4 204,447 Torbay South West 33.9 15 207,662 Gosport South East 33.6 19 217,518 Isle of Wight South East 36.9 1 223,608 Hastings South East 36.1 2 236,100 Eastbourne South East 36 3 248,291 Dover South East 35 11 248,465 Arun South East 35.1 9 267,651 Thanet South East 35.1 8 268,825 Bournemouth South West 34.9 12 273,015 Shepway South East 35.3 6 275,961 Southend-on-Sea East of England 33.7 16 309,426 Adur South East 34.3 14 322,139 Christchurch South West 35.2 7 323,956 Worthing South East 35.5 5 327,908 Canterbury South East 33.7 18 328,756 Maldon East of England 33.7 17 350,367 Rother South East 35 10 350,936 Rochford East of England 33.6 20 352,251 Brighton and Hove South East 34.3 13 367,213 UK 29.7 252,983 Source: Halifax 12 months May 2018, Met Office 2009-2013 As most Britons will be all too aware, not everywhere in the country is a suntrap. Some locations, particularly those in Scotland, are lucky to get over 20 hours of sunshine a week, at best. But, homes in these areas came be very attractive to prospective buyers looking for a bargain, with many properties on the market for less than the national average. Hardy souls willing to put up with just over 21 hours of sunshine a week, if they are lucky, should head to the Highlands in Scotland, where the average cost of a home is 180,249, Halifax said. Stirling in Scotland typically as just over 22 hours of sun a week according to Met Office data used by Halifax, and a home in the areas costs around 208,000, which is well below the national average. In South Lanarkshire, which has around 24.3 hours of sunshine a week, a home typically costs 152,761, Halifax said. House prices across Britain grew at their slowest pace since March 2013 in the year to June, separate figures published by Halifax earlier this week revealed. Average prices grew by 1.8 per cent over the period, but in the last three months the cost of an average home fell by 0.7 per cent, marking the biggest quarterly decline since February 2012. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.3 per cent in June. Russell Galley, managing director, Halifax, said: 'Activity levels, like house price growth, have softened compared with the final months of last year.' Mortgage costs could rise over the next few months after strong data from the construction and service sectors indicating a hike could be on the cards as early as August. A gang of fraudsters conned 170 savers out of 2.8million by selling fake development land on the Portuguese island of Madeira. The six scammers used fictional companies with false brochures to tempt investors, and even adopted disguises to convince them the scheme was genuine. Five of the group have been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison between them after one of the biggest investigations in City history and a 51-day trial at Southwark Crown Court. The judge described the gang as repellent for targeting the vulnerable and elderly. Sunshine scam: Six criminals used fictional companies with false brochures to con savers into buying fake development land on Madeira (pictured) The sixth gang member, and its ringleader, former bouncer Michael Nascimento, will be sentenced next week. Those jailed yesterday were sales chief Charanjit Sandhu, 28, Hugh Edwards, 36, and Stuart Rea, 50, who both served as senior lieutenants in the gang, and Nascimentos 50-year-old assistant Jeannine Lewis. Ryan Parker, 25, a junior member, was given a two-year suspended sentence. It is the second biggest prosecution ever undertaken by the Financial Conduct Authority watchdog, with key evidence seized following a raid on the gangs offices near Canary Wharf. Mark Steward, FCA enforcement director, said: These fraudsters callously targeted investors who were often elderly and vulnerable, lying to them to get them to part with significant sums of money. Nascimento, 41, is originally from Portugal and had bought 4.3 acres of land on Madeira, previously used for growing potatoes. Although the plot could never legally be built on, he claimed it was a prime development site. Investors were sold shares in the land and wrongly told it would generate returns of as much as 228 per cent on their nest eggs, with salesmen pointing out that big banks have offered only tiny savings rates for years. Clockwise from to left: Hugh Edwards, Charanjit Sandhu, Jeannine Lewis, Stuart Rea, Ryan Parker and Michael Nascimento Nascimento operated through a network of different companies and produced glossy brochures claiming his business was one of the worlds top wealth managers. He even invented a fictional chairman called David Gregory, using a stolen picture from an innocent businessmans Linkedin profile. The fraudster blew 76,000 on fees for his daughters private primary school, 23,000 on VIP season tickets for Arsenal where he was pictured meeting manager Arsene Wenger and 43,000 on a years rent for a house in Chislehurst, Kent. The FCA is seeking to recoup money lost by the victims, but their investments are not covered by any compensation scheme and they are likely to get little back. Investigators repeatedly shut down companies set up by Nascimento but he kept opening new ones. They eventually cracked the case through a raid on the companys offices. A separate raid at Nascimentos house uncovered 1,850 in cash stashed among his DVD collection. The gang was arrested and released on bail, but Nascimento, Edwards and Sandhu were later remanded in custody after setting up further scams. Sentencing the five, Judge Hehir said: Some victims have lost everything they had. These were scams from start to finish. The FCA is investigating 29 similar scams and urged savers to be careful if offered an investment that seems too good to be true. Emma Maslin: 'Do the right thing and add the credits to the missing years of all these thousands of families who have missed out' A new Government drive urging parents to claim child benefit to avoid losing state pension has prompted a call to fix the current 'administrative mess'. An official alert telling parents they 'may inadvertently be missing out on retirement income' is missing the point, according to one mum who has already lost four years of credits towards her state pension. Emma Maslin, 37, (pictured right) who could be nearly 20,000 out of pocket if she lives for 20 years after retirement, is among thousands of parents potentially facing a poorer old age in a scandal recently highlighted by This is Money. Parents who do not register for child benefit, because one of them earns more than the 60,000 annual threshold above which it is clawed back, are at risk of losing valuable state pension credits for looking after children rather than working. Instead the Government expects them to register but not take the child benefit payments. Maslin claims the Government should 'do the right thing' and give parents their missing state pension credits back, while also overhauling the current system to prevent more people falling into the same trap. Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb has also renewed his plea to the Government to fully relax the backdating rules so that parents who belatedly claim child benefit can get back all their lost credits towards a state pension. At present, you can only get three months' worth of credits backdated. The new Government warning, issued by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey, urges parents with children under 12 to ensure they receive valuable National Insurance credits by submitting a child benefit claim, even if they don't qualify for these payments. 'Dont miss out on potentially increased pay-outs from your future state pension. The state pension is a foundation for retirement,' says McVey. Read more on the Government's alert to parents below. Have you lost state pension by not signing up for child benefits or filling form in wrong? If this has happened to you, contact tanya.jefferies@thisismoney.co.uk and tell us your story. Maslin says: 'I feel the Department for Work and Pensions are missing a crucial point here - WHY are people missing out? 'Credits are available to all who have a child under 12 and yet there is a need to actively opt in to receive them. 'There are surely far easier ways to ensure parents are registered than the current system which is seeing thousands of eligible parents missing out. 'Why not link registration for state pension credits to the registration of a childs birth which everyone has to do? Or re-format the form which is required to be filled in - make it an application for state pension credits (available to all) with an opt-in for child benefit (not available to everyone).' Maslin, who has tried to warn other parents on her Money Whisperer blog, also called for full backdating of state pension credits for those who try to correct the record at a later stage, the way she did. 'I think it is extremely poor that those who do sign up but only when their children are older still only receive three months of backdated credits. 'If the budget was there for these credits all along, do the right thing and add the credits to the missing years of all these thousands of families who have missed out because of a poorly managed administrative mess.' Why is it so important to claim child benefit? Those who sign up get valuable credits towards their eventual state pension, providing they are not working and building up their National Insurance record that way. Each credit missed could cost you 1/35 of the value of the state pension around 244 per year or 4,880 over the course of a typical 20 year retirement. Four years lost works out at 19,520. It's crucial a parent who is not working is the one named on the form to get the child benefit, as these credits are worthless to someone employed and already paying enough NI. You can apply to transfer it later, but couples report being refused this option for reasons they don't understand and HMRC has so far failed to explain. Meanwhile, new parents - predominantly women - who fail to sign up because they don't qualify for the payments can end up losing many years' worth of credits they can't get back. This is because if they discover their mistake and belatedly sign up, HMRC will only backdate their records for three months. Steve Webb, now policy director at Royal London, says it is good that the Government is highlighting the value of National Insurance credits towards the state pension, but instead of one-off initiatives it should proactively target people using its lists of those who might be affected. 'In some cases the Government knows with some precision the exact people who are missing out on these NI credits and it should be contacting them personally and directly. 'For example, the new mothers who have not claimed child benefit will have registered the birth of their child. 'The Government could easily compare the birth register with the child benefit register and contact the families who are missing out. This would have a much bigger impact than generalised publicity, however well-intentioned. 'They also need to relax the backdating rules so that those who find out about NI credits late in the day are able to put in a claim covering the years they have missed.' Nicky Morgan MP, chair of the House of Commons' Treasury Committee, has also expressed worries and pushed the Government and HMRC to look into the issue of parents losing state pension following changes made in 2013. The controversial overhaul reduced the entitlement for those earning 50,000-plus a year or wiped it out entirely for those earning 60,000-plus. But parents who earn too much to qualify for child benefit still have to apply for it so that they receive state pension credits. Those who failed to sign up when the new rules began could have lost six years of state pension credits by now. In response to the new Government awareness initiative, Morgan said: 'Treasury Committees, both past and present, have expressed concern about the impact of the High Income Child Benefit Charge on National Insurance credits, and people potentially forgoing part of their future state pension. 'Todays announcement from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is therefore welcome. The Treasury Committee will continue to challenge the Government to ensure that no-one misses out on these National Insurance credits.' A recent investigation by This is Money found that even parents who do manage to fill in child benefit forms may still miss out because they are so complicated it can be easy to make a mistake and there is little forbearance for anyone who does. Child benefit form: 'Although the guide and the claim form talk about "protecting" your state pension, it could certainly say more clearly that the person who does not claim could end up with a smaller pension,' says Steve Webb Couples tell us they are struggling to sort out old child benefit claims dating back 10 and even 20 years, but getting bogged down trying to convince the taxman to set things straight. They are being blocked from transferring state pension rights between them when the 'wrong' partner signs up for child benefit, and are in the dark about why HMRC has refused them. HMRC is accused of creating a 'shambles' by giving out incorrect information to parents and failing to explain its refusal of appeals to sort things out. Couples have come forward after reading This is Money columns by Steve Webb about people getting ensnared in 'nightmare' child benefit red tape. This year, he has highlighted problems faced by one woman who lost credits by mistakenly putting her husband's name first on the child benefit form, and another who like Emma Maslin failed to register because she wasn't eligible for the payments. Child benefit errors: Thousands of parents are facing a poorer retirement for failing to fill in a form within three months of having a baby Meanwhile, it is feared many grandparents taking on childcare duties could also be unwittingly losing credits towards a state pension. But unlike with parents applying late for child benefit, who only get credits backdated by three months, the Government lets grandparents claim transfers for years all the way back to 6 April 2011. The recipient must still be of working age, but otherwise the process involves the parent filling in and submitting a form. HMRC has changed child benefit forms to say claiming 'can help to protect your state pension' - but not that you risk losing thousands of pounds in old age if the wrong parent fills in the application, or you omit to claim because you don't qualify for payouts. Forms are handed out in 'Bounty Packs' in hospitals after births, but parents say these come filled with money-off flyers and promotions and it's not clear they also contain important documents. HMRC stresses the importance of parents making a claim for child benefit to protect their state pension, whether or not they are eligible receive the payments. Customers can find specific information on the child benefit claim form, through the HMRC helpline, online at gov.uk, through partners such as Citizens Advice, and in the Bounty packs that go to new parents, it says. HMRC adds that it continuously reviews its communications to ensure that the right information is available. A French village has been told to stop charging its residents council and property tax - because it is already 'too rich'. Le Perthus, a village of just 586 in the Pyrenees straddling the French-Spanish border, was found to have a surplus of more than 1million in its council coffers. It earns a massive 700,000 a year from parking alone with French bargain hunters leaving their cars on one side of the village and walking across the border to buy cheaper goods in the Spanish part. The sum, amounting to nearly 1,200 a year per resident, is so great and council outlays so little that state auditors have urged village officials to abandon local taxes. A French village has been told to stop charging its residents council and property tax - because it is already 'too rich' having swelled its coffers through parking charges. Le Perthus straddles the France-Spain border with bargain hunters flocking to the area to buy cheaper goods on the Spanish side (right) The Spanish part of the village is packed with discount shops selling alcohol, tobacco and other goods sold at a considerably cheaper prices than in France. Bargain hunters park up on the French side before crossing over the border on foot to shop for cheaper goods Village mayor, Marie-Helene Ruart-Lucquin (pictured), said opposition councillors had blocked plans to invest in the likes of a medical centre and children's play park Le Perthus, a village of just 586 in the Pyrenees straddling the French-Spanish border, was found to have a surplus of more than 1million in its council coffers This is because the council has 'an abundance of resources that are not being used'. Part of the main road in Le Perthus, Avenue de France, is in both France and Spain. Discount stores have shot up on the Spanish side of the road selling the likes of alcohol, tobacco and perfume at considerably cheaper prices due to differences in taxes. Why shoppers flock to Le Perthus Shoppers descend on Le Perthus in large numbers to take advantage of cheaper prices on the Spanish side of the village. Here are some examples of products where savings can be made: Tobacco: Pack of 20 Malboro Lights Cost in France: Up to 8 Cost in Spain: 5 Alcohol: Litre bottle of Smirnoff vodka Cost in France: 18 Cost in Spain: 10 Perfume: J'adore Dior Cost in France: 60 Cost in Spain: 40 Spain Groceries: Standard loaf of Bread Cost in France: Up to 3 Cost in Spain:0.20 Advertisement A pack of cigarettes costs on average up to eight euros on the French side and about five euros on the Spanish side. A litre bottle of Smirnoff vodka is 18 euros in France compared to 10 euros just yards away over the border. According to the Office for National Statistics, France has higher prices for tobacco, alcohol and clothing than in Spain where all of those products cost less compared to EU averages. It means Le Perthus, by virtue of its location, has become a magnet for shoppers from France who pay to park up while they browse discount stores. According to the Daily Telegraph, Andre Pezziardi, head of the Occitanie Audit Office, said: 'We concluded that local taxation should be reduced to zero for council and property taxes because the contributions of citizens must have a quid pro quo, and that of course is expenditure.' Disagreements at council level over the budget mean the local authority spent less than 5,000 of 240,000 it had available for public facilities last year. The village mayor, Marie-Helene Ruart-Lucquin, said opposition councillors had blocked plans to invest in the likes of a medical centre and children's play park. The French village of Le Perthus has 'an abundance of resources that are not being used', officials say Andre Pezziardi (pictured), head of the Occitanie Audit Office, said the organisation had 'concluded that local taxation should be reduced to zero for council and property taxes' Border town: The area has become a magnet for bargain hunters from France, who pay for parking in one side of the village before walking across the road to shop at cheaper supermarkets and budget stores She said she 'understood' the audit office findings but was 'disgusted' by the prospect that future investments might be affected and could not accept the recommendations. It is now up to the local Prefect to determine whether the recommendation should be upheld. The decision is due before the end of the month. While some locals are overjoyed by the proposal, others said divisions in the local council were holding up progress in the village. One, called Marie, is quoted as saying that the 'entire council is against the mayor' meaning all her proposals are being blocked. The resident added: 'Theyre messing up the whole village. There's no more money for the school. Last year the teacher struggled to pay for the school trip. It's wrong.' Advertisement Living with her mother in a dark and dingy second-floor apartment at the back of a nondescript street in the heart of Los Angeles, no one imagined Meghan Markle would become royalty in the House of Windsor almost three decades later. These are the modest childhood homes of the Duchess of Sussex as she was pushed from pillar to post by her mother Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle before and after their divorce. The modest housing is in stark contrast to her grand abode now in Kensington Palace, where she and Prince Harry live in a two-bedroom cottage. Her humble beginnings started on Providencia Street, in Woodland Hills, where she lived with her parents and half-siblings Thomas Jr and Samantha. Both her brother and sister have recently spoken out vehemently against 'Princess Pushy' for allegedly turning her back on the dysfunctional family. Humble beginnings: Meghan Markle lived in a modest two-bedroom home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles with both her parents and half-siblings Thomas Jr and Samantha until 1983, when she was two years old This is the house pictured in 2018. Opposite a country club, it was the biggest and 'flashiest' home that Meghan lived in during her youth. However, the inside was fraught with problems and was where Thomas Jr allegedly smoked weed all day, while dad Thomas Sr worked night and day The Duchess of Sussex, here on her birthday August 4, lived in multiple modest homes before finding fame with her role in Suits and marrying Prince Harry Meghan lived on the property until she was two years old and it was the biggest and 'flashiest' home she lived in during her youth. It was located opposite a country club - but the inside was fraught with problems, according to acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton, who wrote the book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. Thomas Jr smoked weed all day and even her mother would share a joint with a neighbor, while TV lighting director Thomas worked night and day, and wild teen Samantha would be out clubbing. Doria and Thomas had married at the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple on Sunset Blvd, in a 'hippie wedding' in December 1979. They divorced four years later and Meghan went to live with her mother in a top-floor apartment on S. Cloverdale Ave, Mid-Wilshire. It was once the garage and loft space for the main front property. This was recently renovated and is currently for rent at $3,950 a month, ten times what her mother would have been paying over 30 years previously. Although Meghan lived in modest homes, she attended a prestigious private nursery and kindergarten called Little Red Schoolhouse which starts at $18,800 a year for kindergarten and $22,600 year for sixth-grade. After her parents divorced in 1983, Meghan and her mother Doria moved into a top-floor apartment (pictured) in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood of LA. The apartment previously served as the garage and loft space of the main front property. The Duchess of Sussex split her time here and at her father's home until she graduated high school in 1999 Meghan and Doria lived behind this two-bedroom, one bathroom house (pictured) on South Cloverdale Avenue. Their home was a short walk from Sunset Gower Studios where her father worked and where she spent time after school The school was a short walk from Sunset Gower Studios where her Emmy-winning father worked on the set of Married With Children and where she would spend her days after school. Her mother Doria, 62, had a less glamorous location for her line of business, which was still only a stone's throw away from the school - now called the Hollywood Schoolhouse. She owned a gift shop called Distant Treasures and a clothing store called A Change of a Dress - both at the same location on N. La Brea St in Hancock Park for 14 years - until she went bankrupt in 2009. As can be seen in our photos, the run-down shopping precinct is now home to a liquor store, kosher market, and an aquarium, which is where Doria's shop was situated. When Meghan moved on to the $15,900-a-year Immaculate Heart High School, which she attended from 1991 to 1999, she lived with her dad on Vista Del Mar Avenue, a shabby street behind the Hollywood strip, only a few hundred yards from one of Scientology's most important buildings, founder L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition. This is where Thomas recently said in an interview that he'd warned his daughter off the controversial religion after catching her lingering outside the building. Her father's apartment was on the ground floor and had two tiny bedrooms with bars across the windows. She lived there until she was 17. Now the place has been renovated, as photos show the kitchen, living room and two bedrooms that she shared with her dad throughout her teenage years. Meghan's mother Doria, 62, previously owned a gift shop called Distant Treasures and a clothing store called A Change of a Dress - both at the same location on N. La Brea Ave in Hancock Park - just a few blocks away from Meghan's elementary school for 14 years - until she went bankrupt in 2009. The run-down shopping precinct is now home to a liquor store, kosher market, and an aquarium (pictured) which is where Doria's shop was situated Meghan began splitting her time between her mom's house and her dad's Hollywood apartment (pictured) when she was 11 until she left for college in 1999. Thomas Sr was living in a two-bedroom ground floor flat on Vista Del Mar Avenue, a shabby street behind the Hollywood strip, only a few hundred yards from one of Scientology's most important buildings, founder L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition Thomas Sr's apartment, pictured above with bars across the window, was a short distance to Meghan's high school. According to a biography on the duchess, 'it made sense for her to live with her father during the week,' however, as she got older, there was friction between the two since she felt she was the one who was mothering her father Not so shabby: The home has since been renovated, as photos show the kitchen, living room and two bedrooms that she shared with her dad throughout her teenage years. Pictured above is the large living space of the Hollywood home The two-bedroom, two-bath home located in the heart of Hollywood is now listed for rent. Pictured left is a renovated kitchen, while the right shows an upgraded living space with hardwood floors According to Morton's book, 'it made sense for her to live with her father during the week.' 'It was a decision that would have far-reaching implications for the way she was seen by her new teachers and classmatesThe older she became, the more she felt she was the one who was mothering her father. It was a source of friction, especially when she started dating,' the book states. Meghan also had various part-time jobs and volunteer work including bussing tables and serving food at the Hippie Kitchen in Downtown Los Angeles, a Catholic set up to help the homeless living in the notorious Skid Row. She was an assistant at the Paper Store in Beverly Hills, where she also taught calligraphy, and served frozen yogurt at Humphrey Yogart, in Sherman Oaks. When she left high school to attend Northwestern University in Illinois she met film producer Trevor Engelson in a bar on one of her visits back home in LA. 'When Meghan first met him on that night out in West Hollywood, she liked what she saw and was attracted to his passion, drive, and ambition. He was a guy with an aphorism for every occasion. 'Hope is the greatest currency we have in this business,' he told the wide-eyed wannabe.' True or not, it's a great pick-up line,' Morton wrote. The pair lived behind Whisky A Go-Go, a notorious club on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, where Engelson still lives today and Meghan resided there until getting her big break in Suits and relocating to Toronto for filming in 2011, divorcing the 41-year-old two years later. Meghan lived in different humble abodes growing up, but received a private education from kindergarten until high school. She attended Immaculate Heart High School (pictured) on Franklin Ave in Los Angeles from the age of 11 up to 18. Tuition is now $15,900 a year She attended a prestigious private nursery and kindergarten school called Little Red Schoolhouse, pictured, which cost $18,800 a year for kindergarten. It is now called Hollywood Schoolhouse This is where Meghan and her first husband Trevor Engleson lived - behind Whisky A Go-Go, a notorious club on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood on Hilldale Ave during their marriage until they split in 2013. Engelson reportedly still lives there today Yet it was her childhood that defined Meghan, the aspiring actress and now adored royal. 'While her childhood experiences were the crucible that set her on the path to activism,' says Morton. 'Her mother believes that she was hardwired from birth to try to make the world a better and more equal place. In short, she had a moral compass.' Despite wanting to be a Hollywood star, it was her faith that was equally important and the central pillar for Meghan and Doria. So much so, that we can disclose she was once a youth minister for the Agape International Spiritual Center, which her mum is still a member today, along with TV host Oprah Winfrey. Sharon Fox, now an executive producer at California Motion Picture Company, was also a member and told her Facebook followers about bumping into the duchess and her husband Prince Harry in Dublin earlier this month. 'It was such a nice surprise to bump into them when I went to Dublin to view the Book of Kells. Meghan was very sweet and I had a short chat with her during her stop on the walk about regarding our church, the Agape International Spiritual Center, and our mutual minister, Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith... Meghan was a youth minister at my church, Agape, in LA years ago when I used to volunteer with the babies and toddlers on Church Sunday at Agape I can not recall if I ever met her back then but it is clear she radiates that Agape spirit where ever she goes.' Her new digs: Meghan's childhood homes are a far cry from her new home in Kensington Palace (pictured) Advertisement Could this two-floor maisonette shipped from the US then constructed in the UK be the solution to Britains housing crisis? Incredible images of The Goose, a two-bed home built on top of a gooseneck transporter trailer, reveals the houses surprisingly spacious interior within an 8ft by 13ft space. The teeny home can sleep up to six people and comes with all of the amenities of a conventional home - just in a compact size. The process of buying one of these new custom-built homes begins with a questionnaire, asking buyers about the style of home they want, when they want it, how much theyre willing to spend, and whether they have a spot to park it already. MailOnline has contacted Tiny Heirloom, the Oregon-based firm behind the house, about the breakdown of the costs, and whether the starting price of 65,000 covers everything from shipping to construction. The latest take on the tiny-home movement shows a two-floor maisonette style home available from just 65K - a first-time buyer's dream in the UK The incredibly two-bed home built on top of a gooseneck transporter trailer, reveals the houses surprisingly spacious interior within an 8ft by 13ft space (Pictured a gooseneck trailer) Britain's housing crisis: 460,000 homes planned on London greenbelt as government 'hits target' on home-building The government is considering building on green belt areas to ease the housing crisis despite achieving their new homes target last year. A report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, published yesterday, showed plans for almost 460,000 homes have been penciled in for green belt land since 2013 as councils lift planning protections, opening the way for developers. The CPRE's report showed there are plans for almost 460,000 homes on green belt land. Green belt areas can be built on if councils grant planning permission directly or remove the land's official status. Both methods have been used. Only 70 houses or flats were built in the green belt in 2009/10 compared with 8,143 in 2017/18. In 2016/2017 217,350 new homes were completed, the first time the Government's self-imposed threshold has been met since before the financial crisis. This is is the second highest annual rate since the Government began recording net additions in 1992, and has only been beaten in 2007/8 when 223,530 were built. Source: DCLG Advertisement The Goose, which is made by construction firm Tiny Heirloom, is eight-foot wide and a variety of lengths, starting at 13ft, and stretching to 27, 30 and 34ft. It is available to ship to the UK, while the company also offer the option to build it in Europe to reduce the costs. 'The Goose is the culmination of purposeful architecture and a keen eye for design,' said Tiny Heirloom. 'Built on a gooseneck trailer it increases mobility and interior floor plan space. A fresh aesthetic flows seamlessly from room to room with windows and skylight options throughout bringing natural light into the home. 'A master bedroom located at the front of the home creates a separate space for privacy. Options to add a closet or two additional lofts makes this home ideal for larger families or lifestyles. 'A full-size bathroom with modern amenities and the spacious living room are designed for function and style creating a relaxing and visually appealing space. The modern farmhouse exterior is simplistic yet undeniably attractive.' The Goose can also be customised in various ways, or as the designers put it, you can 'build your goose'. Although the home is installed with LED lighting, the interior is well-lit during the day with an abundance of natural light. An all-white interior with multiple windows and optional skylights emits a fresh, healthy aesthetic. Incredible images of The Goose, built on a gooseneck trailer, offers a surprisingly spacious interior with a lot of windows to flood the home with natural light The teeny home can sleep up to six people and comes with all of the amenities of a conventional home - just in a compact size The work of Tiny Heirloom, The Goose is eight-foot wide and more than 13-foot tall while it comes in three lengths - 27, 30 or 34 feet It is available to ship to the UK, while the company also offer the option to build it in Europe to reduce the costs as well as custom-build the property to your own needs The design allows for a beautifully open space that is enhanced by exposed wooden beams crossing the vaulted ceiling. The tiny home's layout puts the living room on one side and a separate master bedroom on the opposite side, elevated by a set of stairs. A large cook's kitchen is equipped with modern appliances and has a fold-out table for dining. The Goose's full-size bathroom puts the closet-like bathrooms typically found in tiny houses to shame. Four-storey Victorian home is converted into FOURTEEN tiny apartments with cabin beds and mini bathroom The Government standard for new homes states one-bed flats must be a minimum of 37 square metres but sneaky planners can get round these rules by converting older properties. This four-storey Victorian terrace in London's upmarket suburb of West Hampstead is the latest to receive the micro-apartment treatment. Its rooms - previously used as a rental property - have been converted into 14 separate studio apartments which measure up at 18sq metres each, smaller than the size of a Travelodge hotel room. It costs developers 600,000 to convert this house but the property owner could rake in as much as 15,000 a month in rental income. Serviced studio apartments in the area can go for as much as 1,300 a month. They will still be out of reach for most millennials. The average 20-something in the UK is said to have less than 2,500 in savings, according to a Nationwide poll. While the average studio flat in Hampstead is on the market for 371,000, designer Laura Encinas said the properties were created to be let out rather than sold. She said: These apartments are not for sale. They have been built to rent as part of a build to rent scheme. The whole property functions as one and no room can be sold individually. Slide me The space has been broken down into wood veneered panels which separate the sleeping area from the bathroom and kitchen area High specification: The porcelain-tiled bathrooms come complete with a walk-in shower, square sink and stainless steel finishing One of the six contractors given a portion of $65million fro NASA to build a habitat prototype for deep space trekking, showed their massive cylindrical living quarters model on Thursday. Lockheed Martin gave a first look at their prototype at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, off the Florida coast, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The contractor's design uses the refurbished Donatello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module - created during the space shuttle era to transfer cargo to the International Space Station - as their prototype. Donatello never went to space. The capsule is approximately 15 feet wide and 22 feet long, and roughly the size of a small bus. Lockheed Martin gave a first look at their living quarters prototype at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Thursday It's a tight fit for four people but will store science racks, life support systems, sleep stations, exercise machines and robotic work stations, according to manager Bill Pratt. 'You think of it as an RV in deep space,' he said. 'When you're in an RV, your table becomes your bed and things are always moving around, so you have to be really efficient with the space. That's a lot of what we are testing here.' The Besthesda, Maryland, based contractors were able to save time and energy by using augmented reality headsets to visualize the capsule's layout. The reuse of Donatello also saved Lockheed money as well in the developing. The contractor's design uses the refurbished Donatello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module - created during the space shuttle era to transfer cargo to the International Space Station - as their prototype. Donatello never went to space 'We want to get to the moon and to Mars as quickly as possible, and we feel like we actually have a lot of stuff that we can use to do that,' Pratt added. The habitat will serve as an addition to the much larger mission to get crews to the moon and Mars. Lockheed - along with Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Space Systems, Orbital ATK, NanoRacks and Bigelow Aerospace - were all tapped by NASA to come up with a prototype by the end of the year. The capsule is approximately 15 feet wide and 22 feet long and will store science racks, life support systems, sleep stations, exercise machines and robotic work stations Lockheed - along with Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Space Systems, Orbital ATK, NanoRacks and Bigelow Aerospace - were all tapped by NASA to come up with a prototype by the end of the year From there, NASA will look over the proposals and devide which should be attached to the Deep Space Gateway. The Gateway is a space port that will orbit the moon and work as a jump off for other deep space missions. The crew members would launch on the Orion spacecraft, which NASA as deemed the 'most powerful rocket' it's ever built. The Gateway space port is just 75 tons, which is considerably smaller than the 450-ton International Space Sation, and will house the habitat, an airlock, a propulsion module, a docking port and a power bus. From there, NASA will look over the proposals and devide which should be attached to the Deep Space Gateway space port Lockheed hopes to deliver their European Service Module that will sit below the crew module in September, according to Mike Hawes, vice president and program manager for Orion at Lockheed Martin Orion is expected to make an uncrewed mission to orbit the moon in 2020, when it is done with production. Mission-2 will take a crew into lunar orbit by mid-2022. Orion has been in development since 2004 and is not allowed to have any weld defects, whereas the Apollo mission allowed for a number of defects per inch. The zero defects rule exist sense the spacecraft will have to make the grueling 1,000-day trip to Mars. 'This is the infrastructure for sustained human space exploration and so you have to account for every scenario that could come up, that's why the requirements are so stringent,' said Lisa Callahan, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's commercial civil space division. Lockheed hopes to deliver their European Service Module that will sit below the crew module in September, according to Mike Hawes, vice president and program manager for Orion at Lockheed Martin. Jesus Christ looms over Rio de Janeiro, a quartet of American presidents gazes from the face of Mount Rushmore and Lenin keeps watch over St. Petersburg. But if there were a global contest to honour larger-than-life men on a colossal scale, Mongolia might just vanquish them all - again. The 130-foot (40 metres) steel statue of the fearsome Mongol warrior, Genghis Khan, was visited by hundreds of tourists on the anniversary of his death, 800 years ago on August 18. Hundreds of tourists visited the 130-foot (40-metre) steel statue of Mongolian warrior, Genghis Khan, on the anniversary of his death 800 years ago on August 18 The 250-tonne statue in he Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Museum is on the bank of the Tuul River symbolically points east towards his birthplace The base of the structure includes a museum where visitors can see a replica of Genghis Khans legendary golden whip, sample traditional cuisine The statue of the warrior, who built the second-biggest empire in history, is wrapped in 250 tonnes of gleaming stainless steel and symbolically pointed east towards his birthplace. Inside the two-story base of the statue, visitors can see a replica of Genghis Khans legendary golden whip, sample traditional cuisine of horse meat and potatoes, or play billiards. Visitors can go up the statue using the elevator or the stairs to the head of the horse where they can have a panoramic view of the beautiful landscape. The Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Museum is on the bank of the Tuul River at Tsonjin Boldog, east of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. Khan is known for conquering half the known world in the 13th century and is remembered for his brutalities and destruction resulting in the death of 40million people But to Mongolians, he is a national hero, a larger-than-life figure and the symbol of Mongolian culture, for building the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history Visitors can go up the statue using the elevator or the stairs to the head of the horse where they can have a panoramic view of the beautiful landscape He is known as the warrior who conquered half the known world in the 13th century and is remembered for his brutalities and destruction that he brought upon the conquered regions resulting in the death of 40million people. But to Mongolians, he is a national hero, a larger-than-life figure and the symbol of Mongolian culture, for good reasons. Khan founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history, revived the Silk Road, uniting warring tribes and was responsible for cementing the position of Mongols in the worlds map. There are 16million male relatives of Genghis Khan alive today, according to an international team of geneticists. One in every 200 men in central Asia have the same male Y chromosome as the great Mongol leader Khan revived the Silk Road and united warring tribes as well as cementing the position of Mongols in the world's map Yesterdays BBC news bulletins carried the wonderfully uplifting story of how after eight years of political upheaval, riots on the streets and extraordinary economic privation, the dark clouds over Greece are finally lifting. After several years in which the country was kept afloat by the munificence of the eurozone countries, they trumpeted, Athens is at last free from an EU bailout programme of 61.9 billion (55billion) in emergency loans. That was part on an eight-year rescue package worth 258billion. All that was missing was a chorus from the feel-good summer movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, set on an idyllic Greek holiday isle. Well, I am sorry to spoil the party, but on my recent visit to Athens for a seminar, everything I witnessed showed nothing could be further from the truth than this so-called fairy-tale recovery. Athens is at last free from an EU bailout programme of 55billion in emergency loans (pictured, police face petrol bombs in 2015's anti-austerity riots) Far from saving Greece from pecuniary disaster, the harsh economic medicine forced on the country by the EU and Germany in particular as a condition of the bailout has resulted in death by a thousand cuts. The countrys once elegant capital has become one of the most depressing and untidiest cities in Western Europe, a city in terrible decay. Shops on once booming boulevards are shuttered, while cranes stand idle over the shells of unfinished buildings and much of Athens is covered in ugly graffiti. Even the awnings around Greeces most revered ancient site the Parthenon, home of the Athenian Acropolis, is covered in unsightly painted scribbles and drawings. The hardships and deprivations I encountered during my recent visit were everywhere and all the more heart-breaking in that they had been caused by European leaders who were masquerading as people bearing gifts. Take Maria, a cheerful, close friend of my family who spent years studying fine art and the science of paper conservation including a period at the prestigious Smithsonian museums in Washington. Today, she struggles to make ends meet. To help pay her way she spends almost every waking hour using scrap paper to hand-make table decorations for Greek weddings. The burden of work means that she is only able to visit her ageing parents, some four hours travel time from Athens, two or three times a year. A hospital doctor among our acquaintances has seen his monthly pay cut to 1,200 (1,071). It is only his social conscience and love of his country that has kept him in Athens. The countrys once elegant capital has become one of the most depressing and untidiest cities in Western Europe Some 70,000 highly skilled professionals including doctors, dentists and pharmacists have left the country as part of a broader Grexodus of 500,000 people. The best way for any country to emerge from financial crisis is to increase its national income so that tax revenues rise and global debts can be paid off. But during the last eight years, Greece has moved in precisely the opposite direction. National output has slumped by an astonishing 25 per cent. The result is adult unemployment of 20 per cent. Even more shocking and socially disruptive, some 40 per cent of 18 to 25-year olds are out of work. Without any income for the young, it is now commonplace for three generations of the same family to be forced to live cheek by jowl in the same crowded apartment. The fact is that the austerity imposed by the eurocrats has ruined Greece and done nothing to relieve it of its monstrous level of debt. It has snuffed out entrepreneurship, as well as created a poisonous political legacy where a far-Left Marxist party headed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras rules with the support of fanatical politicians on the populist Right. The end of the EUs bailout programme may technically mean that Greece can return to the international markets to borrow again, but any notion that the worlds commercial bankers and financiers will be queuing at Athens overcrowded and dilapidated airport to lend and pour good money after bad is a fantasy. Shops on boulevards are shuttered and cranes stand idle over the shells of unfinished buildings (pictured, Greek riot police dodge a petrol bomb thrown by protesters during clash over tax reforms in 2016) After all, the country is still sitting on a debt pile of 289billion (258billion) which the International Monetary Fund puts at 191 per cent, or almost twice the nations total annual output. To place that in context, it is more than two times the ratio of Britains national debt to output, which after a decade of UK cuts to public services and surging tax incomes as the economy has grown is now, thankfully, on a downward path. Not only that, Greeces stricken financial system is currently being kept afloat by short-term cash assistance of some 40billion (35.6billion) per month from the Frankfurt-based European Central Bank. Without this help, which is akin to that provided by the Bank of England to the British banks at the height of the financial crisis a decade ago, the four biggest Greek lenders would be effectively bankrupt. Together the bad loans on the books of these banks Piraeus, Alpha, Euro Bank and National Bank of Greece amount to 101billion (90billion) or 50 per cent of the total, the highest level of any country in the European Union. Indeed the banks, the lifeblood of any Western economy, are so indebted they cannot lend any more. Which means the small and medium-sized enterprises that are the countrys business bedrock cannot get the finance they need to carry on and invest. Nor do ordinary consumers find it possible to obtain credit. This desolate financial scenario is a direct result of the austerity conditions demanded by Brussels eurocrats and German central bankers. Over the last eight years successive Greek governments have been forced to attend no fewer than 95 meetings at which the most stringent measures have been imposed on them. The results for the Greek people have been nothing short of catastrophic. Yet in their determination to preserve the greater political project of the eurozone and the EU, and to keep Greece as their client state, Brussels and German politicians have been utterly ruthless. In spite of personal appeals from the International Monetary Funds euro-supporting managing director Christine Lagarde to forgive Greece its debt burden and allow the country to be given a fresh start, the eurofanatics have been unrelenting in their determination to keep the debt anvil hanging around its neck. Greece is in an armlock it cannot escape because of a combination of its debt burden and the fact that its membership of the eurozone means it can no longer devalue its currency. And the EU and Germans are determined to keep it that way to save their precious euro. So despite the joyous news bulletins about the bailout yesterday morning, be in no doubt that this Greek tragedy is very far from over. This is the incredible moment a humpback whale breaches the water next to a shocked group of tourists on a boat. Footage captured the breath-taking scene on a whale-watching trip in Pleasant Island, Gustavus, Alaska. The video shows the peaceful ocean in Glacier Bay, off the Gulf of Alaska, as a whale can be seen spurting water in the distance. A humpback whale breaches the water next to a shocked group of tourists on a boat in Gustavus, Alaska Shocked tourists screamed with delight as the whale leaped right next to their whale-watching tour boat But suddenly a different hump back whale leaps out of the water right next to the boat causing people to gasp in shock. The whale breaches, lifts it's whole body into the air and twirls round before crashing back into the water. A huge wave of ocean water sprays the surprised tourists as the whale submerges itself after the incredible leap. Shocked tourists in the boat can be seen soaking wet as the camera turns back on them after the incredible sight. A huge wave of ocean water sprays the surprised tourists and leaves them soaking wet Alaska is home to hundreds of humpback whales who can be spotted in their natural feeding ground The boat can be seen rocking as people scream with delight over the once-in-a-lifetime experience they have just witnessed. The TAZ boat trip in Alaska offers tourists the chance to see humpback whales in their natural feeding grounds. Humpback whale is known for is acrobatic displays of groups of males around a female to attract a mate The humpback whale is known for it's eerie song that can last for up to 20 minutes long, is repeated for hours at a time and changes gradually over the years. This unique song as well as acrobatic displays of groups of males around a female, which include breaching and tail slapping, it thought to play an important role in mating. Alaska is home to many marine animals including Minke whales, Orcas, Stellar sea lions, Sea otters, Dall porpoises, and Harbor porpoises. A mother-of-nine has spoken out about why she refuses to send her disabled daughter to a mainstream high school. Carol Thomas' daughter Angelina has been denied entry to a special needs school because her IQ is eight points higher than the cut-off of 70. But the Queensland mum said Angelina is autistic, selectively mute, needs constant attention and shouldn't be attending the local high school. Carol Thomas (pictured) hopes to give her daughter the best life. Angelina has been denied entry to a special needs school because her IQ is eight points higher than the 70 cut-off The 11-year-old struggles to read, write and has only spoken to a handful of people outside of her immediate family. Ms Thomas said her daughter only recently learnt how to take herself to the bathroom and has the mentality of a six-year-old. She often forgets to drink water and can't communicate when she is feeling unwell. Angelina, 11, (pictured) struggles to read and write, and has only spoken to a handful of people outside of her immediate family 'She once sat on a bag rack, which was five metres in the air, because she liked the breeze in her hair,' Ms Thomas told Daily Mail Australia. The single mother has limited options for her daughter's education - to either front the magistrates' court or send her daughter to Redcliffe State High School. But the paramedic and registered nurse wants to give Angelina the best shot at life and she believes that can only happen at a special education school. The concerned mother said: 'While the rest of the class is learning, Angelina could be sitting there doing a dot-to-dot or colouring-in, how is that helping her? 'Putting her in a mainstream school would be like dumping her in to a foreign country and asking her to speak the language.' Ms Thomas said if there was someone who focused on special education for the school they could cater their high-school courses to their ability, rather then go in to the same classes as her peers. She explained at a special school they teach their students how to cook, clean and function in everyday life. The single mother has limited options for her daughter's education - to either front the magistrates' court or send Angelina to Redcliffe State High School 'Shell make real friendships which she will take in to her adult life, and she won't be alone. 'My other children have friendships, how is my daughter meant to make friendships when she can barely make contact with other people?' The mother has seen her other daughter Stephanie - who also has autism - 'soar' after being placed in a special education school. 'She (Stephanie) will never be academic, the special school is helping her realise that dream is to be a hairdresser...I know that when I leave this world she will be OK.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the office of the Education Minister in Queensland for comment. Crossing the road can be nerve-wracking enough when you know theres a driver behind the wheel. But if you see a car thats driving itself, youd be forgiven for keeping to the kerb for fear it wont stop in time. Now, however, manufacturers are developing self-driving cars that make eye contact with pedestrians to reassure them that theyve been seen. Jaguar Land Rover have fitted virtual eyes to self-driving car pods to see how far people will trust them to stop at zebra crossings Jaguar Land Rover have fitted virtual eyes to self-driving car pods to see how far people will trust them to stop at zebra crossings. The large, cartoon-like eyes complete with digital eyelids and pupils sit roughly where headlights might be, making the cars resemble the childrens TV character Brum, the little yellow car who took himself off on adventures. The eyes are programmed to interact with people by looking at pedestrians spotted by the cars radar sensors and cameras. The large, cartoon-like eyes sit roughly where headlights might be, making the cars resemble the childrens TV character Brum (pictured) The pupils follow walkers as they cross and will also look at drivers coming out of side roads, or approaching them. The aim of the Government-backed trials is to replicate human interactions and see what features will be needed in the future to ensure we trust driverless cars not to mow us down. Ministers says driverless cars will be on Britains roads by 2021. Jaguar Land Rover has enlisted the help of cognitive psychologists to better understand human trust in self-driving vehicles. It comes after research showed 63 per cent of pedestrians and cyclists were worried about how safe it will be to share the road with a self-driving vehicle. Earlier this year the first person was killed by a driverless car in a collision in Arizona. The trials form part of Jaguar Land Rovers 20million UK Autodrive project, which has seen a fleet of self-driving cars tested in and around Coventry. Advertisement Locals are angry that an historic tower which was restored using public money could now be sold off for a huge profit by a banker who looks set to quadruple his money on the site just 12 months after he bought it. Campaigners fought a long-running battle to keep the stunning Hadlow Tower near Tonbridge in Kent open to visitors after 3million in grants from Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund were pumped into its restoration. But after the trust which owned it went into liquidation, it was snapped up for 425,000 a year ago by accountant Christian Tym, who has now put it on the market for 2million. Musician Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber is among the critics of the latest sale and has said he fears the public money invested in the site could now end up in private hands. Locals meanwhile are upset that the site, which attracted hundreds of visitors to the picturesque village, could now become closed to the public. A banker is expected to quadruple his money on Hadlow Tower in Kent, despite public money having been used to restore it The gothic tower was built in 1838 in the grounds of Hadlow Castle in Kent by Walter Barton May but it was damaged in the Great Storm of 1987 and, following a public campaign to restore it, has now ended up in private hands Banker Christian Tym is trying to sell the tower for 2million. Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber has criticised the proposed sale The tower was turned into a home after a long-running battle by campaigners in the local area in Kent Lord Lloyd-Webber told the Daily Telegraph: 'A huge amount of public money was spent on this project... if it's going to be sold, it should be returned to Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. It can't go into the pocket of a private person. I don't think the public purse should be used to speculate this seems to have slipped through the net.' John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: 'With so much taxpayers' money being spent on the restoration of this historical site, you'd think that the owner would agree to allow members of the public to visit on occasion.' Hadlow Tower cost 3million to restore, and that money was granted on the condition that it be accessible to the public for 28 days every year. But is understood no visitors have entered the Grade I listed building since it was bought by its current owner last summer. There are now fears among villagers that the rules keeping the eight-storey tower accessible to the public could be bypassed by any new purchaser. Historic England, who funded part of the tower's make-over, say the covenants which ensure public access 28 to the building 28 years a year are still in place and the current owner or any future owner could be forced to repay public investment if the rules are not upheld. A spokesman for the body said: 'Hadlow Tower is a stunning Grade I listed building which was once on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register. 'It was restored in large part thanks to public money and it is only right that the public should be able to enjoy the Tower inside and out. 'Otherwise, they would be in breach of contract and could be required to repay a proportion of the public money given as grant-aid by Historic England and other partners. Any new owner would be subject to the same conditions of the deed of covenant as part of the sale of the Tower.' At the foot of a large, spiral staircase which leads up the tower, the owner will be able to sit at this attractive writing desk The property was bought after the owners went into liquidation and has since been renovated by its current owner Among the many unique features of the property is this huge fire place in a octagonal sitting room The one-of-a-kind, 175 ft gothic tower was built in 1830, but fell derelict before being rescued by the artist Bernard Hailstone in the 1950s. After it changed hands, a community action group fought to get the tower restored after it was severely damaged in the Great Storm of 1987. Locals formed the The Save Hadlow Tower Action Group, and poured 50,000 of their own cash into the building, raised through fundraising projects, which topped up cash from Heritage England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Hadlow Tower was then bought by The Vivat Trust for 1 after a compulsory purchase order was made by the borough council in 2011. Campaigners financed and staffed a visitor centre on the ground floor, and from 2013 it was open to the public weekly in summer. Restoration on the castle was completed in February 2013 and it was shortlisted for the 2014 Kent Design Awards. Known locally as 'May's Folly', the tower then received a multi-million-pound restoration and later rented out as a holiday home for 1,954 a week. It was rumoured the motive of man who originally built the tower was to create a vantage point to spy on his estranged wife It is now on the market for 2million, provoking criticism of how its owner seems to cashed in on the public money invested The tower has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, a drawing room and a media room The tower has a large spiral staircase running up to the top, where beautiful views are offered of the Kent countryside In 2016, the the tower owners went into liquidation and Hadlow Tower was put on the market for offers over 1million. It was sold to Christian in 2017, who is married with four sons, who said he was attracted by 'the novelty factor.' Campaigners reported that 700 people visited the castle in 2017 - with the numbers dwindling in 2018 to zero. The Heritage Lottery Fund said it expected Christian to report to it in August with evidence of his compliance. Mr Tym was unavailable for comment. The estate agent organising the sale however previously said that he did not intend to sell the building so quickly, but found it unsuitable for his family. The castle is listed as containing a media room, castle drawing room and four bedrooms. It also comes with almost three-and-a-half acres of grounds and a lift to all floors. The completely unique property includes a number of stained glass windows and quirky features Many of the rooms are near-circular, with this king-size bed looking out over the surrounding countryside from one floor Critics say the public money invested in the project should go back into the public purse rather than into private hands Building began in the late 1780s and was commissioned by Walter May whose son Walt added a 170ft octagonal tower in 1838. After the son died the tower was owned by the High Sheriff of Kent and later by Harley Street specialist Dr MacGeagh. During the Second World War the castle was used as a watchtower by the Home Guard and Royal Observer Corps. Restoration on the 130ft Grade-I listed castle was completed in February 2013 and it was shortlisted for the 2014 Kent Design Awards. The tower was previously advertised on swingers website Club Aphrodite - inviting '25 couples or 50 singles' for some 'Gothic castle folly'. It said: 'Enjoy threesomes, foursomes and moresomes in the intriguing candlelit rooms created for the fulfilment of the eccentric, original owner's medieval, baronic fantasies.' A mysterious flash of light which lit up Western Australia's dark skies has sparked a fiery debate online about the cause of the illuminating object. Hundreds of people took to social media to share footage of the flash, which was seen from Mindarie in Perth's north to Meckering in the city's east. Some witnesses claimed the flash of light was likely a meteorite, although others believed the blue burst looked more like falling debris. Scroll down for video Dash cam footage shared on Twitter shows the bright blue light descending through the night skies in Perth The Perth Observatory had multiple reports of a meteor . Ralph Gonzalvo was driving on Marangaroo Road headed east when he saw 'a big flash, kind of like lightening.' He told the Daily Mail Australia the light was so bright at first he thought he had been flashed by a speed camera. 'When I went to look up the light dimmed and I saw some sort of large object burning in the sky. It was on fire.' He said it lasted about three seconds before it went out. One Twitter user claimed that the light came through blue and went bright white before hitting the ground and exploding. Another said she caught a glimpse of it and that it seemed much brighter and 'red/orange-er than any meteor I've ever seen.' 'The Mrs just saw it. Said it looked like bright falling debris rather than a meteor,' added another Twitter user. Other locals reported hearing a loud bang, shaking windows and a bright light. Facebook engineer Brian Amerige has called out the site's political 'intolerance', claiming staff attack colleagues who do not conform to liberal opinions A senior Facebook engineer has revealed the firm's aggressive 'left-leaning' culture in a damning memo that levels a series of damaging claims against the firm. Brian Amerige alleges that colleagues 'attack often in mobs' anyone who is not left-leaning, tear down Trump posters and demand HR investigates anyone who criticizes Islam's human rights record. Amerige issued his rallying cry in an internal memo that has sparked a group called FB'ers for Political Diversity which has already attracted hundreds of members, and complaints from other members of staff for being offensive to minorities. It comes after President Trump lambasted social media for 'discriminating against conservatives' and Mark Zuckerberg denied claims of bias while testifying in front of the Senate. The existence of the memo, and a group called FB'ers for Political Diversity which is acting as a forum for people to air their views, was revealed by the New York Times. In his missive, Amerige - who has been at Facebook for more than six years - reveals that Facebook staff have torn down posters welcoming Trump supporters, reported those who criticized Islam's human rights record to HR, and 'have made All Lives Matter a fireable offence.' Amerige said staff are afraid of challenging the liberal culture because they will be personally attacked for it and have their careers ruined (pictured, Mark Zuckerberg testifies to the Senate, when he also faced down questions over conservative bias) Amerige gives the examples of Palmer Luckey, former Oculus VR boss who was forced out after it emerged he donated money to a group that makes anti-Hillary memes, and Peter Thiel, a member of Facebook's board who regularly faces calls to resign over his support for Trump 'We claim to welcome all perspectives,' he writes, 'but are quick to attack - often in mobs - anyone who presents a view that appears to be in opposition to left-leaning ideology.' He says employees live in fear of challenging the norm, and claims that HR hears the same complaint often from other members of staff. 'I've personally gotten over a hundred messages to that effect,' he adds. Amerige then gives the examples of Peter Thiel, an outspoken member of Facebook's board and avid Trump supporter who regularly faces calls to resign. While Zuckerberg held up Thiel as an example of the company's inclusive nature to concerned Senators, that has not stopped staff targeting him, Amerige says. Donald Trump has brought the issue of social media bias to the fore in recent weeks, accusing networks of 'discriminating' against conservatives Trump has repeatedly pledged to tackle the issue, raising the prospect of legal action, but has not laid out his battle-plans yet Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, a firm which makes virtual-reality goggles that was bought by Facebook, is given as another example. Luckey was pressured into leaving his job last year after it emerged that he donated money to an organization that spreads anti-Hillary Clinton memes. All of which, Amerige argues, is damaging to Facebook as it faces attacks from Washington over bias and its effective silencing of conservative voices. 'While the problem isn't unique to us, we are entrusted by a great part of the world to be impartial and transparent carriers of people's stories, ideas, and commentary,' he writes. 'Congress doesn't think we can do this. The President doesn't think we can do this. And like them or not, we deserve that criticism. 'We are blind to and dismissive of what people beyond our walls (let alone even within our walls) think about complex issues that matter. On Tuesday the President launched a blistering attack on Google for 'rigging' its search results to show only bad news about him, a claim which the tech firm later denied While the algorithm Google uses to compile its search results is a closely guarded secret, the firm denied that political ideology plays any part in that 'I've been here for nearly 6.5 years and this has gotten exponentially worse in the last 2.' In order to help solve the problem, Amerige created a group to help share views and promote more political diversity. The page has already caused staff to lodge complaints with their managers, according to The Times, which added that employees were told the page had not broken any company rules. Amerige's memo emerged as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg prepares to testify about social media's influence over elections to the Senate. When Zuckerberg testified at a similar hearing earlier this year, he faced down multiple questions - largely from Republicans - about anti-conservative bias, meaning Sandberg will likely face the same queries. Certainly the question is high on Trump's agenda, as he has spent the last month attacking tech companies and social media specifically for censorship and bias. President Trump has made conservative censorship online one of his top priorities in the last month, suggesting that it could be even worse than his old foe - 'fake news' The memo emerged as Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's COO, prepares to testify to the Senate about social media's influence over the election process On Tuesday he launched a blistering early-morning attack on Google, accusing the search engine of rigging its results to show only bad news about him. Later in the day he expanded his attack to include Facebook and Twitter, saying: 'We have thousands and thousands of complaints coming in. And you just can't do that.' Earlier this month Alex Jones, the controversial host of Infowars, urged Trump to tackle the issue of censorship after he was booted off most social media platforms for 'hate speech'. At a rally in West Virginia last week, the President said the issue may even be a bigger problem than his old foe, 'fake news'. He said that 'social media censorship' is 'the new thing' but he'd rather have 'fake news' over people being 'stopped and censored.' 'So we'll live with fake news. I mean, I hate to say it,' he said, 'Because that's by far the better alternative.' Advertisement Victims of General Francisco Franco's regime have been exhumed from mass graves in Paterna where they were buried after the dictator executed his rivals after seizing power in Spain. The attempt to exhume the buried has been legally active for the last decade, with the descendant's of the victims seeking funding to have them unearthed, with a goal of delivering closure to them. It is believed that military and civil guard firing squads shot dead at least 2,238 prisoners according to historian's research and the cemetery's records. The remains are believed to have been thrown into 70 different mass graves and covered in the quicklime, scientifically known as calcium oxide, to seal off the site. Victims of General Francisco Franco's regime have been exhumed from mass graves in Paterna where they were buried after the dictator executed his rivals after seizing power in Spain (pictured Anthtopologist volunteers work on the mass grave) Headstone of victims executed by Franco's regime are seen at the cementary of Paterna as experts exhume the bodies which buried there in mass graves eight decades ago Yesterday, graveyard number 112, where two batches of 50 prisoners were inhumed months after the war ended in April 1939 - was the latest to be opened in Paterna. After days of careful digging underneath a layer of ordinary, casket-burials, piles of skeletons emerged. Alex Calpe, one of the independent archaeologists working at the site on behalf of relatives those killed, says the experts' work must be 'thorough' because its goal is 'to deliver closure to the victims' families.' The attempt to exhume the buried has been legally active for the last decade, with the descendant's of the victims seeking funding to have them unearthed, with a goal of delivering closure to them It is believed that military and civil guard firing squads shot dead at least 2,238 prisoners according to historian's research and the cemetery's records The remains are believed to have been thrown into 70 different mass graves and covered in the quicklime, scientifically known as calcium oxide, to seal off the site Yesterday, graveyard number 112, where two batches of 50 prisoners were inhumed months after the war ended in April 1939 - was the latest to be opened in Paterna Remedios Ferrer, granddaughter of anarchist Mariano Brines, whose parents led her to French exile as a 2-year-old and died before discovering Brines' burial site, said the changes sought by Spain's new Socialist government are coming too late. She said: 'It makes me sad and angry, because it was heart-breaking for my mom, and before her for my grandmother, to know that grandpa was buried here like an animal,' said Ferrer, now 66. 'They should be the ones standing here.' Brines was summarily executed by a firing squad months after Gen. Francisco Franco proclaimed his victory in the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. Alex Calpe, one of the independent archaeologists working at the site on behalf of relatives those killed, says the experts' work must be 'thorough' because its goal is 'to deliver closure to the victims' families.' Remedios Ferrer, granddaughter of anarchist Mariano Brines, whose parents led her to French exile as a 2-year-old and died before discovering Brines' burial site, said the changes sought by Spain's new Socialist government are coming too late Brines was summarily executed by a firing squad months after Gen. Francisco Franco proclaimed his victory in the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War Josefa Peiro, 80 holds a portrait of her father, Jose Peiro. Jose Peiro was executed in Paterna on November 30, 1939 after the finish of Spain's Civil war under Franco's regime According to the family's account, Brines was buried along with 99 other sympathizers of the fallen republican regime just as the dictatorship cemented its authoritarian grip According to the family's account, Brines was buried along with 99 other sympathizers of the fallen republican regime just as the dictatorship cemented its authoritarian grip. Paterna is a town in the outskirts of coastal Valencia that has prospered in the shadow of an infamous execution wall still standing near the cemetery, holes of bullets still visible among flower bouquets and memorials that locals place to remember the atrocities committed at the site. Countrywide, the task ahead remains daunting. Mass graves are believed to hold at least 114,000 victims of the Spanish Civil War - in which half a million people are believed to have died on all sides - and the four decades of Francoism that followed. Paterna is a town in the outskirts of coastal Valencia that has prospered in the shadow of an infamous execution wall still standing near the cemetery, holes of bullets still visible among flower bouquets and memorials that locals place to remember the atrocities committed at the site Countrywide, the task ahead remains daunting. Mass graves are believed to hold at least 114,000 victims of the Spanish Civil War - in which half a million people are believed to have died on all sides - and the four decades of Francoism that followed Exhumation efforts began in earnest in 2007 with a new Historic Memory Law that condemned atrocities committed during Franco's regime, which lasted until 1975 Desamparats Bayona, 88 holds a portrait of her father, Vicente Bayona, as she poses for a portrait at her house on August 29, 2018 in Cullera, Spain. Vicente Bayona was executed in Paterna on November 30, 1939 after the finish of Spain's Civil war But the law fell short, leaving it up to local and regional governments to fund exhumations and DNA tests - which were often paid for by relatives through crowd-funding. The previous conservative administration declined to allocate any budget Exhumation efforts began in earnest in 2007 with a new Historic Memory Law that condemned atrocities committed during Franco's regime, which lasted until 1975. But the law fell short, leaving it up to local and regional governments to fund exhumations and DNA tests - which were often paid for by relatives through crowd-funding. The previous conservative administration declined to allocate any budget. 'This is not a matter of politics, whether left or right-wing this is something that should be done,' said Carmen Gomez, who leads the association of 42 relatives who pushed for the opening of graveyard number 112, ultimately paid for by a grant last year from the provincial government of Valencia. Carme Solanes, 82 holds a portrait of her father, Bautista Solanes, as she poses for a portrait on August 29, 2018 in Tavernes, Spain. Bautista Solanes was executed in Paterna on November 30, 1939 after the finish of Spain's Civil war 'This is not a matter of politics, whether left or right-wing this is something that should be done,' said Carmen Gomez, who leads the association of 42 relatives who pushed for the opening of graveyard number 112, ultimately paid for by a grant last year from the provincial government of Valencia Yesterday, armed with the evidence of remains showing cracked bones suggesting torture or violent deaths, Gomez and Calpe's team of archaeologists showed up in Paterna's local courthouse to request authorities to open a criminal investigation Yesterday, armed with the evidence of remains showing cracked bones suggesting torture or violent deaths, Gomez and Calpe's team of archaeologists showed up in Paterna's local courthouse to request authorities to open a criminal investigation. The group explained that judges tend to dismiss the cases because crimes over 20 years old fall under a 1977 amnesty law that was key in ensuring the country's peaceful transition to democracy, by protecting officials and members of Franco's security forces from future prosecution. Gomez says the amnesty law should be changed, or scrapped altogether, because it deprives their deceased relatives from justice. But the government has not shown any signs of wanting to revisit Franco-era judicial decisions in its efforts to amend the 2007 Historic Memory Law. 'I'm not looking for punishment for anybody, but we don't want our relatives to remain criminals in the eyes of history,' Gomez said. The group explained that judges tend to dismiss the cases because crimes over 20 years old fall under a 1977 amnesty law that was key in ensuring the country's peaceful transition to democracy, by protecting officials and members of Franco's security forces from future prosecution Gomez says the amnesty law should be changed, or scrapped altogether, because it deprives their deceased relatives from justice. But the government has not shown any signs of wanting to revisit Franco-era judicial decisions in its efforts to amend the 2007 Historic Memory Law Mystery has surrounded the site of Jesus' 'first miracle' for centuries, but an answer may finally be at hand. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus changed water into wine during the Wedding at Cana. For hundreds of years, pilgrims have believed the site of the miracle to be Kafr Kanna, a town in northern Israel, where they visit the 20th-century 'Wedding Church'. But the true location has long been debated and now archaeologists believe the Cana of biblical times may be a dusty hillside five miles further north. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus changed water into wine during the Wedding at Cana. It was once thought this took place in Kafr Kanna, a town in northern Israel, but archaeologists now believe the Cana of biblical times may be a dusty hillside five miles further north Excavations there have revealed a network of tunnels used for Christian worship, marked with crosses and references to Kyrie Iesou, a Greek phrase meaning Lord Jesus The Wedding Feast at Cana, by the Italian artist Paolo Veronese, 1562, depicts the biblical story of the Marriage at Cana, at which Jesus is said to have converted water to wine For hundreds of years, pilgrims have believed the site of the miracle to be Kafr Kanna, a town in northern Israel , where they visit the 20th-century 'Wedding Church' (pictured) It's the former site of Khirbet Qana, a Jewish village between the years of 323 BC and AD 324, where archaeologists have discovered a number of compelling clues. Excavations there have revealed a network of tunnels used for Christian worship, marked with crosses and references to Kyrie Iesou, a Greek phrase meaning Lord Jesus. There was also an altar and a shelf with the remains of a stone vessel, plus room for five more. Six stone jars like this held the wine in the biblical account of the miracle. Dr Tom McCollough, who directs excavations at the site, said there were three other sites with a credible claim to being the Cana of scripture. 'But none has the ensemble of evidence that makes such a persuasive case for Khirbet Qana,' he said. Archaeologists have discovered a number of compelling clues at the former site of Khirbet Qana, a Jewish village between the years of 323 BC and AD 324. The outline of a synagogue is pictured at the site The Wedding Church in the town of Kafr Kanna, in northern Israel, is five miles north of Khirbet Qana - the place archaeologists now believe the Cana of biblical times was Dr Tom McCollough, who directs excavations at the site, said there were three other sites with a credible claim to being the Cana of scripture 'but none has the ensemble of evidence that makes such a persuasive case for Khirbet Qana'. Pictured: The view over Galilee from Khirbet Qana Greek inscriptions have been found in the tunnels, including a crucifix and a blessing Among the artefacts uncovered in the tunnel was this griffin with gold leaf found near an altar 'We have uncovered a large Christian veneration cave complex that was used by Christian pilgrims who came to venerate the water-to-wine miracle. 'This complex was used beginning in the late fifth or early sixth century and continued to be used by pilgrims into the 12th-century Crusader period. 'The pilgrim texts we have from this period that describe what pilgrims did and saw when they came to Cana of Galilee match very closely what we have exposed as the veneration complex.' As part of his evidence, Dr McCollough points to the work of first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. There was also an altar and a shelf with the remains of a stone vessel, plus room for five more. Six stone jars like this held the wine in the biblical account of the miracle. Pictured: A piece of pottery from the site marked with Hebrew script Dr McCollough said excavations at the site (pictured) have shown that 'this was in fact a thriving Jewish village located in the heart of much of Jesus' life and ministry' Water into wine: The first miracle of Jesus The transformation of water into wine at the Wedding of Cana is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John. According to the Gospel account, Jesus, his mother and his disciples are invited to a wedding, and the wine runs out. Jesus ordered servants to fill containers with water and soon there was plenty of wine again. John adds that: 'Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and it revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him'. Christian tradition based on John 2:11 holds that this is the first public miracle of Jesus. The exact location of Cana has been subject to debate among scholars, with possible locations including the town of Kafr Kanna, in Galilee, about five miles northeast of Nazareth. Recent interest has focused on the ruined village of Khirbet Qana five miles further north while others have claimed it might be Ain Qana, in Southern Lebanon, which is closer to Nazareth. Advertisement He said: 'His references to Cana align geographically with the location of Khirbet Qana and align logically with his movements. 'The reference to Cana in Josephus, the New Testament and in the rabbinic texts would argue the village was a Jewish village, near the Sea of Galilee and in the region of lower Galilee. 'Khirbet Qana fulfills all of these criteria.' As for the better-known site at Kafr Kanna, Dr McCollough is sceptical. 'When tourists visiting Israel today are taken to Cana, they are taken to Kafr Kanna,' he said. 'However, this site was not recognized as a pilgrimage site for those seeking Cana until the 1700s. 'At this point the Franciscans were managing Christian pilgrimage and facilitating easy passage rather than historical accuracy.' Dr McCollough believes the discoveries at Khirbet Qana could even bolster the case for the historicity of the Gospel of John. He said: 'Our excavations have shown that this was in fact a thriving Jewish village located in the heart of much of Jesus' life and ministry. 'For the Gospel of John, Cana is in some ways, Jesus' safe place or operational centre. It is a place he and his disciples return to when they encounter resistance in Judea. 'I would argue our excavations warrant at least a reconsideration of the historical value of John's references to Cana and Jesus.' Two holdout homeowners could wreck an ambitious plan by 26 neighbours who hope to sell their homes to developers as one huge 'super site'. The entire 1,9823 square-metre neighbourhood in Baulkham Hills, in Sydney's northwest, is on the market for high-rise development at $60 million. The asking price for the almost two-hectare 'Hillsviews Central' site would net the residents $2.3 million each - double the area's $1.15 million median value. Scroll down for video Two holdout homeowners could wreck an ambitious plan by 26 neighbours in Baulkham Hills, Sydney, who hope to sell their homes to developers as one huge 'super site' for $60 million However, the prospect of doubling their money wasn't enough to entice two owners on the site's busy main road to sign up to the ambitious plan. The 82-year-old owner and her daughter have lived at 389 Windsor Road for almost 50 years and refused to be forced out. 'We're not interested in being part of it right now and they can't make us,' the daughter told Daily Mail Australia from the balcony of her red brick hillside walk-up. 'This is our home, we've been here since before the shopping centre was built, when it was all just land and you could see sheep and goats grazing in the fields.' The defiant resident, who has lived in the house since she was a child, hit out at her 26 neighbours for repeatedly trying to get her involved. 'We've had lots of people harass us when we've been clear we're not ready to sell and want to be left alone,' she said. The 82-year-old owner and her daughter have lived at 389 Windsor Road for almost 50 years and refused to be forced out The 'Amalgamated Super Site' is the result of a year long deal among the neighbours, who are hoping to get more than $60 million for the deal 'It's our right not to sell and we won't be pressured into it. My mother is very sick and we don't need this.' She said she and her elderly mother weren't satisfied with the conditions they were presented with and didn't want to take the first offer. 'It's like if you went into a car yard and were told to buy the first car you looked at. You want to shop around for the best deal,' she said. 'We haven't said "no, never", just that it's not the right time for us.' The other holdout is 411 Windsor Road, whose neighbours said the owner wanted to sell as soon as possible and not wait for the super site to find a buyer The asking price for the almost two-hectare 'Hillsviews Central' site would net the residents $2.3 million each - double the area's $1.15 million median value She said they might revisit the idea if the area was rezoned from medium to high density development, as the syndicate hoped, and faced the prospect of multi-storey towers surrounding her home. The elderly owner was similarly resolute about staying in the home she had lived in for almost all her adult life. 'I don't want to be pushed around. We never said no, but we want to wait,' she said. No one was home at 411 Windsor Road, a small one-storey house with no cars in the driveway and building debris and paint tins strewn around the front yard. Neighbours said the owner was renovating the house, which was recently painted blue, and hoped to sell it sooner rather than later. They said the owner, who used the house as an investment property, was unwilling to wait until the big deal went through - which could take years. Garrick Small, 65, happily joined forces with his neighbours in the hope of a comfortable retirement Once the deal went through and his home (pictured) on Dobson Crescent was sold, he was considering joining his children in Wagga Wagga in country NSW The land under both holdout homes was last valued at less than $90,000 in 1996, but with the new rail line coming in they were set to skyrocket. However, some owners feared the holdouts could scare off developers unwilling to deal with the headache of building around them. There were even concerns planning regulations would scuttle the deal by preventing flats from being built next to them. Hills Shire did not comment when asked about these potential issues, saying any development application would be assessed 'on its merits'. The council's planning documents state apartment blocks must be no more than four storeys high, be 12m from other buildings, and assess the impact of shadows. On the other side of the neighbourhood, Garrick Small happily joined forces with his neighbours in the hope of a comfortable retirement. The 65-year-old bought the house on Hobson Crescent in 2004 for less than $600,000 and stood to make a generous nest egg from the sale. 'I accept change has to happen in a growing city like Sydney and resisting that is stupid,' he told Daily Mail Australia as he sat in the sun on his balcony. 'Even if I wasn't looking at selling, I'd want to get out before the apartment buildings went up around me.' Some owners feared the holdouts could scare off developers unwilling to deal with the headache of building around them This gorgeous old home, currently housing a hearing clinic, is slated for demolition along with the other 25 homes if the big sale goes through Mr Small said he was 'old enough to have heard big promises before' and was happy to stay in his house while his neighbours brokered the best deal. He was concerned the two holdouts might scuttle the deal, but was prepared to outlast them to maximise the payout. 'I could get sour about it, but as long as the deal gets done eventually it will be fine,' he said. Once the deal went through he was considering joining his children in Wagga Wagga in country NSW for a quiet retirement. The residents believed combining the properties into one larger block will increase the chances of it being rezoned for high density living. Real estate agent Colliers said the residents were looking to make 'at least double' of what they'd make if the properties were sold individually The sales process was expected to take between 12 and 24 months, and residents were aware they would likely have to wait longer than that to sell The neighbours are also hoping to get more money for the group deal than they would for individual sales. Ann Papa, the ringleader of the 26 residents, spent the past year drumming up support among her neighbours for the ambitious plan. 'I don't think we're greedy, we just believe it will probably give us the best opportunity,' she told Domain. The long-term resident of Baulkham Hills witnessed first-hand the change that new development caused. The area would have to be rezoned from R3 medium density to R4 high density for the site to be an attractive prospect for developers building apartment blocks Baulkham Hills is a hive of proposed new development with a new rail line coming through the area in the next few years Many owners feel change is inevitable as Sydney grows and cashing in on the demand for new development around train stations made sense She decided to join forces with her daughter and son-in-law who lived next door and sell the properties together. After thinking it was a good idea, they began to ask around to see if other neighbours were interested - and they were. Ms Papas said that they got a consensus from the residents that they were interested, and the year-long negotiations kicked off from there. Colliers investment services manager Tom Appleby said the residents were looking to make 'at least double' of what they'd make if the properties were sold individually. Signs advertising the big sale went up this week amid a media and advertising blitz to drum up interest from developers The average median house price for the area is $1.15 million, but residents are hoping to get approximately $2.3 million per property if the new deal goes through The sales process is expected to take between 12 and 24 months, and residents are likely to have to wait longer than that to sell He said the sales process was expected to take between 12 and 24 months, and residents were aware they would likely have to wait longer than that to sell. 'Collective sales generally take a considerable amount of time to formalise,' Mr Appleby told Daily Mail Australia. 'We're expecting to field interest from developers seeking to build medium-density housing under the current R3 zoning, and also from oppotunistic developers who will look to attain uplift beyond the current planning controls.' This isn't the first project of its kind, with eight homeowners selling their homes for $40 million last year in Castle Hill. Jack the Rippers identity may have finally been proven by a recently-uncovered Victorian painting, claims a new book. Author of The Inevitable Jack the Ripper, Paul Christian, says the 130-year-old piece contains hidden clues to suggest the artist himself was the notorious East London serial killer, brutally murdering five prostitutes in 1888. Victorian artist Walter Sickerts painting, sent to Mr Christian in 2013, shows a scene on the streets of London featuring three figures - one is believed to be the Ripper and two are thought to be his victims, Mary Kelly and Martha Tabram. Victorian artist Walter Sickerts painting, sent to Mr Christian in 2013, shows a scene on the streets of London featuring three figures - one is believed to be the Ripper and two are thought to be his victims, Mary Kelly and Martha Tabram In the artwork, a person believed to be the Ripper walks towards a woman resembling Mary Kelly, the last of the Ripper's five victims. A second woman wears a shawl decorated with many red spots, possibly referring to the 39 times Martha Tabram was stabbed. She is thought to be the killers unofficial sixth victim, many historians claim. A set of railings in the artwork also appear to show the numbers 1888 - the year of the Rippers gruesome campaign. On the back of Sickerts painting is a sketch which Mr Christian claims is supposed to be the police chief in charge of the investigation to find the Ripper, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren. Mr Christian (left), 36, said: The evidence I have unearthed can allow us to now confidently point the finger at Walter Sickert (right)' In the back of the artwork (pictured right), the man circled on the left is Sir Charles Warren (left) and on the right is Jack the Ripper Mr Christian, 36, said: The evidence I have unearthed can allow us to now confidently point the finger at Walter Sickert and a conspiracy of arty types behind the Jack the Ripper case. WHO WERE JACK THE RIPPER'S VICTIMS? Jack the Rippers victims were Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Nichols was discovered at around 3.40am on August 31, 1888 in Buck's Row (now Durward Street), Whitechapel. Her throat was cut twice and her lower abdomen had some incisions. Chapman's body was discovered at about 6am on September 8 near a doorway in the back yard of 29 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields. Her throat was also cut twice, her abdomen was slashed open and her uterus was removed. The corpse of Elizabeth Stride, pictured The corpse of Annie Chapman, pictured Stride and Eddowes' murders were referred to as a 'double event' as they were both found within an hour of each other on September 30. Kelly's mutilated and disembowelled body was discovered at 13 Miller's Court, off Dorset Street, Spitalfields, November 9. Her throat had been severed down to the spine, the abdomen almost emptied of its organs and her heart was missing. Advertisement 'Sickert was certainly a major suspect before this, but there are details in the painting that only the killer could have known.' The author is not the only one to suggest such a theory. Writer Patricia Cornwell has published two books claiming Sickert to be the real Jack the Ripper: Jack the RipperCase Closed and Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert. Yet the idea is not believed by many, despite Sickert claiming he lived in Jack the Ripper's old home and painting a scene called Jack the Ripper's Bedroom, which included his own figure. Stewart Evans, an expert on Jack the Ripper disregarded the findings as having a lack of genuine evidence to suggest that Sickert was a murderer, reported the Sun. Other suggestions include Monatgue John Druitt, a schoolmaster who was fired in 1888 and died of suspected suicide a month later. Crime historian Dr Jan Bondeson named Dutch sailor Hendrik de Jong as a prime suspect for the most notorious set of unsolved murders in history. At the time of the Whitechapel murders, de Jong is believed to have worked as a steward on board a ship which made frequent trips from Rotterdam to London. This provided him with the perfect means of getting out of the country after his heinous crimes. He later murdered two of his ex-wives in his native Netherlands in 1893 and bludgeoned to death two women above a pub before attempting to set their bodies on fire in Belgium in 1898. To this day, Jack's identity remains a mystery. At the time, police suspected the Ripper must have been a butcher, due to the way his victims were killed and the fact they were discovered near dockyards, where meat was brought into the city. The victims were Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Each one was found in the early hours of the morning around Whitechapel. They were all associated with the Ripper as they were all cut at the throat and heavily mutilated. Jeremy Corbyn was at the centre of fresh controversy last night after it was revealed that he backed a strong-armed Haitian leader accused of supporting the necklacing of political opponents. Mr Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell proposed a series of Commons motions in support of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who has been condemned by human rights activists for allegedly endorsing the threat of vigilante violence as a legitimate political tool. In 2011, Mr Corbyn tabled a motion calling for the return from exile of Aristide to help lead social justice and democracy for the people. Jeremy Corbyn proposed a series of Commons motions in support of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, pictured, who has been condemned by human rights activists for allegedly endorsing the threat of vigilante violence as a legitimate political tool Two years later, he signed a motion tabled by Mr McDonnell demanding protection for Aristide by then back in Haiti on the grounds that he is respected and held dear. The Labour leader has also hailed Aristide, who became Haitis first democratically elected president in 1990, as a proponent of social justice and democracy. But human rights groups have detailed a litany of allegations against the Aristide regime, with Amnesty International stating: Repression of government opponents was harsh, carried out by police and armed gangs. However, it is Aristides alleged support for necklacing a gruesome method of execution where petrol-soaked tyres are thrown over a persons neck and set ablaze which has proven to be the most controversial. It is Aristides alleged support for necklacing a gruesome method of execution where petrol-soaked tyres are thrown over a persons neck and set ablaze which has proven to be the most controversial. Pictured: a 'necklacing' victim awaits his fate According to the Associated Press, in September 1991, shortly before he was toppled in a coup, Aristide called on supporters to use it against opponents, calling it a beautiful tool... It smells good. His supporters claimed his words were misinterpreted but a 1996 report by Human Rights Watch report said: Aristide seemed to endorse the threat of vigilante violence as a legitimate political tool. In response, his defenders say incidences of torture and repression increased dramatically after he was toppled. Aristide returned as president in 2001, serving for three years before being overthrown in a second coup. After a period of exile in South Africa, he returned to Haiti as a private citizen in 2011. The Labour leader has also hailed Aristide, who became Haitis first democratically elected president in 1990, as a proponent of social justice and democracy A source close to Mr Corbyn said: The alleged implicit reference is hotly disputed, with Aristide always having claimed that it referred to the constitution. 'And it came shortly after an attempted coup and assassination attempt against him, the democratically elected leader of Haiti, just months after a landslide victory in the first elections in Haitis history that international observers said was free and fair. A Labour spokesman added: Jeremy has always sided with the forces of democracy and people-power over those of dictators and imperial intervention. 'Of course he welcomed the return to Haiti of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, whose democratic rule had been cut short by a bloody military coup. Scottish voters could back independence after Brexit, new polling reveals today in a new blow for the future of the Union. The study also suggests quitting the EU will drive up support for a united Ireland. The findings - by the pro EU Best for Britain campaign - will fuel claims that pursuing a hard Brexit risks breaking up the United Kingdom. Campaigners said the findings show Brexit 'ominously threaten the union as we know it' - but Brexiteers will dismiss it as a renewed Project Fear campaign. When asked how they would vote if a referendum on Scotland's future was held after the UK leaves the EU, 47 per cent said they would support independence, with 43 per cent saying they would opt to stay part of the Union When asked how they would vote if a referendum on Scotland's future was held after the UK leaves the EU, 47 per cent said they would support independence, with 43 per cent saying they would opt to stay part of the Union. But if the UK stayed part of the EU, those figures would be reversed, with 43 per cent saying they would vote for independence while 47 per cent said they would back remaining part of Britain. In both scenarios, 10 per cent of the 1,022 people who were questioned did not know how they would vote. Meanwhile, 52 per cent of voters in Northern Ireland said they would vote for a united Ireland outside of the UK after Britain leaves the EU, with 39 per cent favouring the province staying part of the UK while 7 per cent did not know and the remainder said they would not vote. Support for a united Ireland would increase if there ended up being a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, according to the poll. Of the 1,199 people questioned in Northern Ireland, 56 per cent said the return to these arrangements would lead them to vote for a united Ireland which was outside of the UK. However, if Brexit does not go ahead, only 35 per cent said they would support a united Ireland outside of the UK while 52 per cent would vote for Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK, with 11 per cent unsure how they would vote and the rest would not take part in the ballot. 52 per cent of voters in Northern Ireland said they would vote for a united Ireland outside of the UK after Britain leaves the EU, with 39 per cent favouring the province staying part of the UK while 7 per cent did not know and the remainder said they would not vote Best for Britain chief executive Eloise Todd said the research was 'compelling evidence as to why we need to stop and think again' on Brexit. She said: 'This is compelling evidence as to why we need to stop and think again. The public deserve a say on the final deal, with the knowledge that if Brexit happens we could shatter the union altogether.' Brexiteer Colin Clark said there was little sign of a change in view since the 2014 independence referendum and the focus should be on securing a deal for the whole Union Phillip Lee, Conservative MP for Bracknell, called for a second European referendum, saying: 'Brexiteers have to be given a chance to recant now it's becoming so obvious what's at risk. 'No government, especially a Conservative one, can legitimately pursue this course which will likely lead - perhaps not tomorrow or next year or over the next decade but nonetheless inexorably - to breaking our Home Union.' But Brexiteer Colin Clark, the Scottish Conservative MP who ousted Alex Salmond in Gordon in 2017, said there was little sign of a change in view since the 2014 independence referendum. He said: 'The people of Scotland voted by a significant margin to remain part of the United Kingdom in 2014. 'It is time to focus on securing the best deal as we leave the EU - one that works for all parts of the UK.' Stephen Gethins MP, SNP Europe spokesman at Westminster, said: 'As the deeply damaging consequences of a 'no deal' Brexit become clearer, as Scotland's economy continues to outperform the UK and as people grow increasingly concerned about the future under Westminster rule, support for Scotland's ability to take its own decisions in an independent country will only grow further.' Voters in both Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain part of the EU in the 2016 referendum despite the UK as a whole voting to leave. Advertisement Fascinating underwater images which show perfectly preserved shipwrecks in sea beds including ones sunk off the coast of the UK in both world wars have been released in a new book. The incredible pictures show the remains of HMS Pathfinder which lies off the Scottish east coast and HMS Audacious, which now lies upside down in almost 220-feet of water, far out from Malin Head, off the Donegal coast. Audacious was the first British battleship to be sunk by an enemy attack during World War One on October 27, 1914, just two months into the war. UB 116 was a German submarine sunk in British waters in World War One. About 25 metres off the forward side of its remains lies the top of the conning tower with its hatch and periscope A diver examines the rudder, prop and sternpost of this shipwreck which sit in isolation at a depth of 45 metres A diver examines the site of the Helmet Wreck, an unidentified Japanese coaster which was sunk during World War Two. It was given its name due to the stack of helmets found in the hold Another breathtaking picture shows passenger liner, Rio de Janeiro Maru which was sunk during the Pacific War of World War Two in in Truk Lagoon, One diver is pictured carefully holding a katana samurai sword found inside the Rio de Janeiro Maru wreck and swimming alongside the bronze lettering on the ship's stern. The type 95 HA-GO light battle tank is pictured near the wreck of Japanese passenger ship San Francisco Maru, which was sunk in Truk Lagoon in the west Pacific in 1944 The images have been released as part of a new book by internationally renowned Scotish diver, Rod Macdonald called Deeper into the Darkness: The Diving Trilogy 3. 'At the time of writing this book we were in the midst of a number of important 100th anniversaries of the momentous events of World War I. The great land battles were being remembered at a number of ceremonies as the dates occurred,' writes Macdonald. 'The great clash of steel titans at sea, the Battle of Jutland, was poignantly remembered, as were the individual sinkings of some famous ships such as HMS Hampshire and HMS Vanguard. 'But for many ships and their crews, sent to the bottom by mine, torpedo or collision, there was no such act of remembrance. Now, therefore, as these great 100th anniversaries passed, it seemed an appropriate time to write about some of the famous World War I naval shipwrecks that lie around our British coastline, in my own act of remembrance to those who perished.' The Rio de Janeiro Maru was requisitioned by the Japanese Navy and was active until September 1943 when she was reconverted into a transport ship, however, in February 1944, she was bombed during Operation Hailstone by the USA. Crockery found in the Helmet Wreck bears generic markings of an eagle on top of a globe A diver swimming alongside the bronze lettering which still rings around the Rio de Janeiro Maru's stern Paul Haynes carefully holds a katana samurai sword found inside the Rio de Janeiro Maru in Truk Lagoon Rod Macdonald and Paul Haynes with the bell of British Steam Ship SS Creemuir which was sunk as it made its way north along the East Coast of Scotland by German aircraft Rod left, and Paul, right, fly the flag of the Explorers Club, a group which promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space The stern of Audacious, the first British battleship to be sunk by an enemy attack during World War One The images have been released as part of a new book by Rod who is an internationally renowned Scotish diver, called Deeper into the Darkness: The Diving Trilogy 3 Macdonald has previously written about some of the greatest shipwrecks around the UK and his latest book also charts his own journey from novice to technical diver as well as highlighting the history of some of the world's greatest wrecks. 'I decided to write a follow-on to Into the Abyss and The Darkness Below - a third volume in the story of my diving career, which by complete chance, mirrors and charts the development of our sport of technical diving from its origins in the dangerous deep air days of the late 1980s, through concepts such as extended range diving, the use of decompression gases such as nitrox, the use of deep diving trimix gases using helium, through open-circuit trimix diving and on to the present day, when we use amazingly complicated closed-circuit rebreathers that greatly extend the time you can spend on the bottom and the depth you can go to with ease, whilst minimising as far as possible the length of time it takes to ascend safely and decompress,' continues Macdonald. 'Of necessity, reading about diving, and particularly technical diving, means grappling with a number of specialist concepts and pieces of kit that can seem confusing and daunting to the non-diver to begin with. 'Rather than providing a dull glossary, each time something specialist comes up for the first time I've tried to explain it in simple terms so that as you progress through the book, these concepts and pieces of kit will become more familiar. 'Don't worry if you don't understand something at a first reading; you will by the end of the book. So here is my humble effort - an originally unintended trilogy is now formed. I hope you enjoy it.' Norwegian police are investigating the 'strange' disappearance of a cyber security expert who is friends with Julian Assange. Arjen Kamphuis, 47, has been missing since August 20 when he left his hotel in the northern Norwegian town of Bodo. He was due to fly home to Amsterdam two days later but never made his flight. Assange's organisation WikiLeaks tweeted on Saturday about the Dutchman's disappearance, sparking numerous conspiracy theories online. Arjen Kamphuis, 47, has been missing since August 20 when he left his hotel in the northern Norwegian town of Bodo Assange's organisation WikiLeaks tweeted on Saturday about the disappearance, sparking numerous conspiracy theories. Pictured: A missing poster Many speculated that his disappearance has something to do with his ties to Wikileaks, an international non-profit organisation that publishes secret information. But others noted he was a keen hiker and said he could simply be lost in the woods. Wikileaks said that Kamphuis had a ticket for a flight departing on August 22 from Trondheim, a city located more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) south of Bodo. 'The train between the two takes (approximately) 10 hours, suggesting he disappeared either in Bodo, Trondheim or on the train,' the organisation tweeted. Kamphuis is best known for his book titled Information Security for Journalists, which gives writers tips on how to keep their work safe from spying. A website set up to gather information says: 'He is 47 years old, 1.78 meters tall and has a normal posture. He was usually dressed in black and carrying his black backpack. He is an avid hiker.' Many speculated that his disappearance has something to do with his ties to Wikileaks, an international non-profit organisation that publishes secret information. Pictured: Arjen Kamphuis 'We have started an investigation,' said police spokesman Tommy Bech, adding that so far they had no clue about the Dutchman's whereabouts. The police 'would not speculate about what may have happened to him,' Bech said. Assange has been holed up at Ecuador's embassy in London since 2012 when he was granted political asylum as he feared extradition to the United States to face trial over WikiLeaks' publication of secret US military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010. Three people have been arrested and charged with murder in the death of a Missouri woman who retired to the coast of Belize. Sherris Stringham, 68, a native of Blue Springs, Missouri, was found dead late Friday near a river in Pomona, Belize, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from where she lived in the Caribbean village of Hopkins, police spokeswoman Hortence Hernandez said in a statement Monday. Police said that Stringham was reported missing August 27, and her vehicle was found abandoned on August 30, hundreds of miles away in the Orange Walk district in the northern part of Belize. Sherris Stringham, 68, a native of Blue Springs, Missouri, was found dead late Friday near a river in Pomona, Belize. She had retired and moved to Hopkins, Belize, in 2017 Police said that Stringham was reported missing August 27, and her vehicle was found abandoned on August 30, hundreds of miles away from her Hopkins home Authorities said that it appeared that her car had been taken for a joyride and that the people who stole her car attempted to set it on fire, 5News reported. After locating the SUV, authorities said that the three suspects two 18-year-old men and a 16-year-old minor, all from Hopkins took police to Stann Creek Valley Road on Friday night, where Stringham's body was said to have been found beneath a bridge, according to Channel 5 Belize. Authorities arrested and charged the teenagers in connection with Stringham's death. The suspects were arraigned on Monday and remanded to prison. No motive has been confirmed, but robbery was suspected. Stringham's friends in Belize said that when Stringham failed to show up for a planned outing on August 26, they went to her rental home and saw that it appeared to have been ransacked, her wallet was empty and her car was missing. The Belize locations where Stringham disappeared and where her body and car were found After locating her car, authorities said that three suspects took police to a road and a bride that Stringham's body was said to have been found beneath Authorities arrested and charged Anthony Nunez (left) and Wilhem Nunez, both 18, in connection with Stringham's death. A 16-year-old has also been arrested and charged Local news reported that the three suspects allegedly went to Stringham's home to rob it The suspects allegedly found Stringham at home, took what they wanted and then killed her because she could identify them. They then allegedly took her car for a joy ride Channel 5 Belize reported that the three suspects allegedly went to Stringham's home to rob it and discovered that she was inside. They then allegedly stole what they wanted and killed her because she could identify them. The Kansas City Star reported that Stringham was a native of Blue Springs, Missouri, which is on the eastern outskirts of Kansas City. Stringham's children said that she had moved to Hopkins, Belize, in 2017, following her retirement after two decades of driving a school bus and working at a grocery store. In a GoFundMe page, set up to fundraise for a private investigator prior to the discovery of her death, Stringham's daughter, Jacey Boggs Faulkner, wrote that Stringham had not been seen or heard from since August 25, unusual since Stringham texted her two children daily. Breaking Belize News reported that a post-mortem exam revealed Stringham's cause of death to be 'tramatic asphixia,' with multiple ribs and sterna punctures to the chest. Authorities named two of the suspects as Anthony Nunez and Wilhem Clayton Nunez, both 18 years old. The 16-year-old suspect has not been named. Water gun enthusiasts have officially made it possible for a company to offer the first major water gun technology innovation since the Super Soaker was invented in 1989. In the month that its Kickstarter campaign has been active, the Sprya One water pistol received more than eight times the backing it originally set out to obtain, turning a German-based company's dream into a reality. The Sprya One water pistol, which charges via USB-C and shoots 30ml water 'bullets,' received more than $532,000 in funding from more than 2,770 backers well before the campaign was set to end Tuesday afternoon. Kickstarter backers have made it possible for German company Sprya to put its Spyra One water gun into production with an expected delivery date of August 2019 The Sprya One, which fires 'water bullets,' represents the first major water gun technology innovation since the Super Soaker was created by a NASA engineer in 1989 The Munich-based team initially set out to raise a modest $59,164 by offering a Sprya One to those pledging between $99 to $133. Unlike its closest relative, the Super Soaker, the Sprya One claims that it will do away with the need to prime the water gun's pump before unleashing a steady stream of water. Instead, Sprya One inventors claim to have reinvented the water gun, offering up a device that delivers 'harmless' shot glass-sized, 'water bullets' with precision at targets up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) away, which its makers claim is as far 'as the laws of physics allow!' Innovating the water bullet technology, Spyra co-founder Rike Brand said, was 'really tricky' to develop. 'Technology-wise, shooting water bullets across long distances without letting the water break up is really, really tricky and requires a specifically designed nozzle-valve combination,' Brand told Slate. Because the Sprya One's water reservoir is seamlessly integrated into the water gun's design, users will have to rely on a digital ammo counter to determine how many of its 25 water bullets are left before needing to refill the gun, which inventors postulate will add an extra layer of strategy to water fights. Refilling the water gun when necessary, however, was made quick and easy. The pump-action Super Soaker's last notable update was said to have occurred in 1996, with the development of a constant pressure system, allowing users to fire it from any angle The Sprya One features a host of water gun technology upgrades, including USB-C charging, a digital 'bullet' display, an integrated pump and the ability to refill its tank in just 14 seconds Sprya One makers said that the shot glass-sized, harmless 'water bullets' can hit precise targets of up to 7.5 meters away, which is as far 'as the laws of physics allow!' All users will need to do is dunk the front end of the barrel into a clean water source and press a button. The reservoir tank then refills in 14 seconds, thanks to its integrated pump and rechargeable battery, which can provide at least 45 refills and 1125 shots on a single charge. The Sprya One makers have set August 2019 as its ship date and already have an 11-person team working on it. Among the people involved are engineers and a rocket scientist. Spyra founder, Sebastian Walter himself quit his day job as a product designer at a German car company to turn his water gun dream into reality. The Sprya One's ancestor, the Super Soaker, was invented by a NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson in 1989 and is now owned by toymakers Hasbro. The last big update to the water gun's design is believed to have occurred in 1996, when the Super Soaker evolved from its original air pressure system into one that uses a constant pressure system, allowing users to fire a stream of water while holding it at any angle. Advertisement Eleven people have been killed, a million are without power and thousands have been left stranded after a fierce typhoon lashed Japan. Hundreds more were injured when homes and infrastructure along the west coast were devastated by Typhoon Jebi - Japan's most powerful storm in a quarter of a century. Kansai International Airport - one of the country's busiest - was cut off when a 2,500-ton tanker smashed into the terminal's sole access road meaning thousands had to spend the night in the partially flooded facility. This morning, boats were ferrying stranded passengers to the mainland while footage showed a caravan of buses making a perilous trip across the damaged bridge - yards from the spot where the ship had crashed into the carriageway amid 135mph winds yesterday. Runways were flooded as high waves washed into the facility on Tuesday, knocking out electricity and inundating buildings. Elsewhere, a large commercial ship was washed onto a breakwater, and shipping containers were left floating in the sea. In Kyoto, the former imperial capital and a popular tourist destination, wooden shrine buildings and tall orange-red entrance gates were knocked down. Soaring trees fell at a shrine in Nara, another historic city. Jebi, or 'swallow' in Korean, has since slammed into Russia territory - causing flash floods on Sakhalin Island to Japan's north. Kansai International Airport - one of the country's busiest - was cut off when a 2,500-ton tanker smashed into the terminal's sole access road (pictured today) meaning thousands had to spend the night in the partially flooded facility Kansai International Airport is built on artificial islands in Osaka Bay, and the high seas flooded one of its two runways (pictured), cargo storage and other facilities, said the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. One passenger was slightly injured by shards from a window shattered by the storm Passengers stranded at Kansai International Airport queue outside the terminal today as they wait for the arrival of a special bus service to transport them out of the area, in Izumisato, western Japan More than 1.2 million people had been advised to leave their homes as Jebi approached the Kansai area - Japan's industrial heartland. Around 16,000 people spent the night in shelters, local media said. This was the scene today in Kobe, western Japan after cars were left piled up in a heap More than 100 used cars at a storage site caught fire after the area was submerged due to a high tide as Typhoon Jebi smashed into Nishinomiya Dozens of cars exploded into flames after their electrical systems were shorted out by sea water in a car park in Nishinomiya Aftermath: The winds were so powerful that they drove this ship up and over a breakwater in Nishinomiya, western Japan (pictured today) Jebi, or 'swallow' in Korean, has since slammed into Russia - causing flash floods (pictured) on Sakhalin Island to Japan's north By Wednesday lunchtime several hundred people had been ferried to Kobe on a specially chartered boat, but more than two thousand were still awaiting rescue. There was no indication yet when the airport, which runs over 400 flights a day, might reopen. 'We had a blackout so there was no air conditioning. It was hot,' a woman told public broadcaster NHK after being ferried to Kobe. 'I'd never expected this amount of damage from a typhoon.' Appearing relieved but exhausted, passengers said they had to spend the night feeling uneasy in the dark. Hideko Senoo, 51, who was planning a family trip to India, said she could not even buy drinks at vending machines after food at convenience stores were all sold out. 'We could not use vending machines or access to wireless local network to get information, and we didn't even know about this boat service,' she told Kyodo News. Another passenger, Miki Yamada, said she spent the night at an airport cafeteria, Kyodo said. 'It was a rather scary night, as we were so isolated.' Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the death toll in the storm stood at 10, with 300 people injured. Air passengers (pictured today) were forced to spend the night in Kansai International Airport after it was cut off in the fierce storm Scaffolding crumpled into the streets below when the typhoon lashed the city of Osaka in western Japan yesterday. A crane was brought in today to start the clean-up operation (pictured) The morning after: Trees were ripped out of the ground by the force of the 135mph typhoon as it ripped across Nishi-ku, Osaka city Road block: A major clean-up operation is getting underway in Japan today in the aftermath of 135mph Typhoon Jebi Japan woke up to scenes of devastation this morning with buildings torn to pieces and major infrastructure damaged. Wind damage is pictured at an industrial unit in Osaka today Dozens of large shipping containers stacked up at a port in the city of Osaka were tossed around in winds topping 135mph The powerful winds destroyed many buildings and structures, including a wall of the South Noh stage at Nishi Honganji temple in Kyoto (pictured today) A ship was driven up on to a sea wall (pictured today), such was the force of the wind when Typhoon Jebi struck in Nishinomiya, western Japan Giant cranes at a port in Nishinomiya, western Japan, came crashing down (pictured today) after being battered by high winds during the Typhoo A huge tanker came adrift (pictured) and smashed sideways into a bridge linking the mainland with Kansai International Airport Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, tweeting on his official account, said the government was working to get the airport back online. 'We will do our best to get the airport functioning again,' he said. He said 2.4 million households had lost power in the storm, with service restored to only half by Wednesday morning. 'We continue to make utmost efforts to respond to disaster damage and restore infrastructure,' he added. The deaths included a man in his 70s who was blown to the ground from his apartment in Osaka prefecture. Police said five others died elsewhere in the prefecture after being hit by flying objects or falling from their apartments. In nearby Shiga prefecture, a 71-year-old man died when a storage building collapsed on him, and a man in his 70s died after falling from a roof in Mie, officials said. Debris is pictured at an industrial storage unit in the city of Osaka this morning - hours after Typhoon Jebi swept through the area Wind damage: Cladding was ripped off the outside of a number of buildings in the city of Osaka (pictured today) A 2,591-tonne tanker was sent crashing into a bridge connecting Kansai airport, built on a man-made island in a bay, to the mainland. The bridge was damaged but the tanker was empty and none of its crew was injured, the coast guard said Electricity pylons lie in twisted ruins after being brought down by the ferocity of gusts when the typhoon hit Tadaoka, Osaka A man stands next to the overturned car blown by strong wind as Typhoon Jebi, the strongest storm in 25 years, hit Osaka A car is squashed by fallen ad board in Wakayama, Japan. Eleven people were confirmed dead and a further 221 people injured Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across Japan after the typhoon struck. This was the scene at Kansai International Airport yesterday A truck sits at an angle on a bridge after being blown over by strong winds caused by Typhoon Jebi in Sakade, Japan Typhoon Jebi smashed the country's west coast as it made landfall yesterday with violent winds sparking evacuations in the area. This was the scene as boats and debris drifted along in the storm in Nishinomiya City Daihatsu Motor Co stopped production at its Kyoto and Osaka factories, while Panasonic halted work at its air conditioning and refrigerator factory in Shiga. Major beverage maker Kirin Co suspended production at its brewery in Kobe, according to Kyodo News agency. In nearby Nishinomiya in Hyogo prefecture, about 100 cars at a seaside dealership burned after their electrical systems were shorted out by sea water, fire officials and news reports said. In Osaka, the Universal Studios Japan theme park remained closed for a second straight day. A news release said it would open again on Thursday. More than 1.2 million people had been advised to leave their homes as Jebi approached the Kansai area - Japan's industrial heartland. Around 16,000 people spent the night in shelters, local media said. Japan is regularly hit by powerful typhoons in the summer and autumn, many of which cause flooding and landslides in rural areas. This was the view from a window at Kansai International airport in Japan after it was flooded during the typhoon Pile up: Cars were left in a crumpled heap after being blown over during the typhoon when it hit the city of Osaka Fierce winds toppled heavy containers stacked up near a port in the Japanese city of Osaka as the typhoon struck land Emergency response: Rescue teams walk past the remains of traffic lights which collapsed when the typhoon struck Osaka Tides in some areas were the highest since a typhoon in 1961 with flooding covering the runways at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The strong winds sent a 2,591-tonne tanker crashing into a bridge (pictured) connecting the airport, built on a man-made island in a bay, to the mainland Jebi was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan since 1993. The storm headed north across Japan's main island of Honshu towards the Sea of Japan Jebi appears to have caused damage to the region's infrastructure on an unusual scale. In the tourist magnet of Kyoto - home to ancient temples and shrines - it brought down part of the ceiling of the main railway station, while in nearby Osaka, the high winds peeled scaffolding from a multi-story building. Footage on NHK showed a 328ft tall ferris wheel in Osaka spinning furiously in the strong wind despite being switched off. 'I've never seen such a thing,' a 19-year-old man at the scene told NHK. Businesses, factories and schools in the affected area shut down while the storm barrelled across the country, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights, ferry services and some bullet trains. Despite its strength, the storm was far from the deadliest Japan has seen in recent years. In 2011, Typhoon Talas killed at least 82 people in the area, while in 2013, a storm that hit south of Tokyo left 40 people dead. Earlier this year torrential rains lashed the west of the country, sparking flooding that killed more than 200 people as it laid waste to villages and caused hillsides to collapse. Japan's weather agency has issued warnings about possible landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and tornadoes across of western Japan including the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto. Water crashes over a sea wall in Kochi Prefecture, western Japan Dash cam footage shows how lorries were blown over by the powerful winds as Japan suffered its worst storm in 25 years Powerful winds caused havoc in western parts of the country. Footage has emerged showing roofing panels being torn off buildings (left) and a ferris wheel being blown around by the force of the wind With winds of up to 100 mph at its centre, Jebi is classed as a 'very strong' typhoon, the weather agency's chief forecaster Ryuta Kurora said The novichok used in the March Salisbury attack came in this bottle disguised as perfume from Paris fashion house Nina Ricci The discovery of a lethal chemical weapon disguised as a perfume bottle sealed the case against Russia. Experts were stunned to discover the very sophisticated way its manufacturers had created the James Bond-style device, which looked like a scent from Paris fashion house Nina Ricci. They believe a laboratory made the bottle and applicator nozzle so it was impossible for novichok to leak out in transit. These were then disguised as a 5.5ml sample bottle of the Nina Ricci Premier Jour perfume. The counterfeit bottle was packaged in a glossy custom-designed cardboard box, based almost entirely on authentic branded goods. Investigators suggested the nozzle could only be fitted at the point of the attack on the Skripals home. It would have then delivered a tiny amount of the deadly chemical, which had the consistency of a gel, via a long tube to keep it away from the hands of the user. Scotland Yard do not know what happened to the bottle between the attack on March 4 and its discovery on June 27. Charlie Rowley, 48, found the package in a charity bin in the city centre. Three days later, as he tried to reassemble it, his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, 44, made the fatal decision to smear its contents on her wrist. One source close to the inquiry said: The bottle was very sophisticated and had been adapted for this exact task. It was specifically manufactured to ensure it did not leak. The Met Police released photographs of the elaborate ruse used by the Russian agents Experts discovered a great deal of time, effort and expense went into making this object and executing this specific task. When they analysed the contents they found it was 100 per cent strength novichok, not the weakened samples they had recovered previously. Yesterday, police confirmed that despite extensive searches items contaminated with novichok may remain in Salisbury. They also cannot be certain that the bottle and applicator is the only one used in the attack on the Skripal home. Counter terrorism Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said the manner in which the bottle and packaging was counterfeited made it a perfect cover. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an expert in chemical weapons, said: All the evidence points towards a state actor. This could only happen in the most sophisticated laboratories. The fact that the bottle was so carefully and expertly made clearly points directly towards the Russians. The mother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer is outraged a young couple has named their baby after her slain daughter. A furious Cyndi Uluave unleashed on a Queensland couple, both in their teens, whose baby was born last Friday, and named Tiahleigh. It has been almost three years since Tiahleigh, 12, was murdered and dumped naked in a river by her foster father Rick Thorburn. Cyndi Uluave is outraged a young couple has named their baby after her slain 12-year-old daughter Tiahleigh Palmer Tiahleigh, 12, was murdered and dumped naked in a river by her foster father almost three years ago in September 2015 'How f**king dare they, I'm beyond wild,' she wrote on a Facebook page originally set up to demand justice for her daughter. 'Where are the f**king parents in this... there would be no way I would let my child name a baby after someone who has passed, especially under such horrific circumstances.' Ms Uluave told Daily Mail Australia this brought back painful memories of Tiahleigh's brutal murder, which was committed to cover up sexual abuse. 'Who names their baby after a dead girl? This wasn't their name to use,' she said. 'I'm suffering severe depression still and struggling to live life as it is without things like this popping up.' Ms Uluave unleashed on a Queensland couple, both in their teens, whose baby was born last Friday, and named Tiahleigh A photo of the baby bearing Tiahleigh's name taken soon after her birth last week Facebook posts announcing the birth revealed the teenage couple kept the name The distraught mother claimed she spoke to the new baby's father, a friend of her eldest son, weeks before the birth, and he promised to change the name. 'I will just change the whole fist (sic) name,' the father wrote in a message to a friend of Ms Uluave. 'I am so sorry I didn't realise that, please tell Cindy (sic) and everyone that we are sorry.' Ms Uluave claimed after promising to change the name, the baby's father blocked her. But Facebook posts announcing the birth revealed they kept the name. 'How f**king dare they, I'm beyond wild,' she wrote on a Facebook page originally set up to demand justice for her daughter The distraught mother claimed the new baby's father, a friend of her eldest son, promised to change the name weeks before the birth - but then used it anyway The baby's aunt was unapologetic, saying it was 'just a name' and Ms Uluave should 'get over it'. 'They've already named the baby, they're not going to change the name,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'This family doesn't need any more drama and that's it. It's a name so everyone can just get over [it]. It's all just stupid. All this over a name, there's probably millions called Tiahleigh.' However, Ms Uluave said she made up her daughter's name from components of different names so it was unique. Ms Uluave said the couple naming their daughter after Tiahleigh brought back painful memories of her brutal murder, which was committed to cover up sexual abuse Ms Uluave said she made up her daughter's name from components of different names so it was unique 'Tiahleigh was going to be Tiarna, however I already knew 3 people with that name so I decided because my middle name is Lee and my son's middle name is Lee I decided Tiahleigh was a good name,' she explained last year. 'However, I didn't like the way it looked, that is when it was suggested to me to swap the r for a h and that was how I got Tiahleigh.' Ms Uluave said her murdered daughter had three siblings who might like to use her name as a tribute for their own children, but it shouldn't be used by an outsider. 'I'm not stupid I know I don't own rights to the name but I did the right thing, I approached them about it said at least just change the spelling and he assured me they would and then blocked me and kept it,' she said. Tiahleigh's foster father Rick Thorburn was jailed for life in May after pleading guilty to murdering her in September 2015 He killed her to cover up sexual abuse by his son Trent, then 18, (pictured) who feared he had got Tiahleigh pregnant. Trent was jailed for four years 'They came out saying they were best friends with Tiahleigh for years but truthfully Tiahleigh had hardly any friends and after she passed there were so many people that came out of the woodwork claiming to be best friends with her. 'It just boils my blood.' The baby's grandmother later apologised for the furore and insisted naming the child Tiahleigh was 'not meant to be disrespectful'. 'I'm sorry that anyone has gotten upset about this, it was meant to be a sign of respect not to be hurtful,' she said. Tiahleigh's body was discovered on November 2015, six days after she disappeared from Thorburn's care on the Gold Coast. Thorburn pleaded guilty to murdering her to cover up sexual abuse by his 18-year-old son Trent, who feared he had got her pregnant. In May this year, Thorburn was jailed for life. Trent was jailed for four years and his mother Julene Thorburn for 18 months, suspended after six months, for perjury. Billboards slamming Gretchen Carlson, the chairwoman of the Miss America Organization, as a liar, a bully and 'so fake' cast an uncomfortable shadow on the second night of the pageant. The Daily Caller revealed the signs cropped up around Atlantic City, where the pageant is being held, on Thursday morning, referencing claims from the most recent Miss America winner Cara Mund, who has accused Carlson and organization CEO Regina Hopper of having bullied and silenced her during her reign. As of Thursday evening no one has taken responsibility for the signs, which were hung from traffic lights, posted at bus stops and glued to utility boxes. Scroll down for video The signs appeared across Atlantic City on Thursday morning Billboards blasting Miss America chairwoman Gretchen Carlson (left) as a liar, a bully and 'so fake' were posted around Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Thursday morning, referencing claims from reigning Miss America Cara Mund (right), who has accused Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper of having bullied and silenced her When asked about the billboards, Carlson, a former Fox News host and former Miss America herself, said she had no comment. Both she and Hopper have repeatedly denied bullying Mund. The signs appear to parody Carlson's book 'Be Fierce.' They include the same photo of her that appears on her book cover, but with the words 'So Fake' and 'private bully, public liar'. In addition, someone hung a pageant sash on the Miss America statue just outside Boardwalk Hall, where the competition takes place, that reads 'Gretchen Sucks'. This year's pageant is taking place amid a revolt by state organizations, most of which want Carlson and Hopper to resign. Forty-six of the 51 groups (the District of Columbia is included) have signed letters seeking their resignation. They are unhappy with the way the decision to eliminate the swimsuit competition from the pageant was reached, among other issues. Both Carlson and Hopper (pictured on August 30) have repeatedly denied bullying Mund Cara Mund of North Dakota was crowned Miss America 2018 last year (pictured above) This year's pageant is taking place amid a revolt by state organizations, most of which want Carlson and Hopper to resign The protest threatened to overshadow the second night of preliminaries Thursday night. The first night, on Wednesday, was free of any reference to the controversy as Mund and Carlson took the stage together to introduce this year's 51 hopefuls. The reigning Miss America did not reference the leadership controversy in her opening remarks, but she did pay tribute to local and state officials without mentioning national ones. 'This only exists because of our volunteers,' she said. 'We wouldn't have any organization if it weren't for them.' She said she was confident whoever wins this year's competition 'will be 100 percent ready and supported throughout her entire year'. Mund spent a majority of her speaking time deflecting questions about her August 17 letter criticizing the pageant's leadership, saying: 'It's all about the women competing and we're here to celebrate their accomplishments.' Asked about the letter, Mund said: 'I think my letter's telling. At the same time, I'm a product of this organization and I'm very grateful for that. I'll be able to go to law school because of the scholarship money I earned from this organization.' Carlson and Hopper separately declined to answer questions after the ceremony. On Thursday, an attorney representing Mund said the Miss America Organization had told him it was conducting an internal investigation into Mund's allegations that included, in his words, 'bullying and a corrosive work environment.' In a letter to the organization's attorneys, attorney Roger Haber urged that the results be made public. Contestants take the stage during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America pageant on Thursday in Atlantic City Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, left, conducts an onstage interview with Miss Florida Taylor Tyson during the second night of preliminary competition on Thursday Miss Florida Taylor Tyson, left, and Miss Wisconsin Tianna Vanderhei, right, speak to media after their respective wins in the talent and onstage interview competitions on Wednesday All 51 contestants are pictured ahead of this year's competition, which ends on Sunday night The winners from Thursday night's competition were Miss Virginia Emili McPhail, who won the onstage interview portion, and Miss Louisiana Holli' Conway, who won the talent portion for a vocal performance. Contestants from Florida and Wisconsin picked up wins Wednesday in the first night of preliminary competition. Miss Florida Taylor Tyson won the talent competition for a piano rendition of 'Mephisto's Waltz' by Lizst. Miss Wisconsin Tianna Vanderhei won the onstage interview competition for her comments on how higher education should be more affordable and more widely accessible. Scholarships totaling nearly $506,000 will be awarded, including $50,000 for the new Miss America; $25,000 for the first runner-up; $20,000 for the second runner-up; $15,000 for the third runner-up, and $10,000 for the fourth runner up. The third and final night of preliminaries will be held Friday. The next Miss America will be crowned Sunday night in Atlantic City. Washington's newest parlor game, played out over cocktails, coffees and cigars, is the molehunt sorrounding a biting anonymous anti-Trump essay The New York Times published online Wednesday. Scattered bread crumbs, from the use of the obscure word 'lodestar' to the Times' errant use of a male pronoun, immediately transfixed D.C.'s chattering class. And what has emerged from a scandal-obsessed town's collective mystery is a smattering of household names and speculation about unsung but powerful people behind the scenes. As usual in the town that brought the world Watergate, Linda Tripp and the initially nameless author of the campaign book 'Primary Colors,' everyone from K Street to Constitution Avenue has a theory. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's office gave reporters a three-word answer about his potential authorship while traveling in India: 'It's not mine.' But at least one source at the State Department believes another of Foggy Bottom's star players Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman could have risked his career by covertly trashing the president in print. 'I could see it being Huntsman,' a State Department lawyer told DailyMail.com on Thursday. 'Some of it fits, and he's the kind of guy who would see it as his duty to undermine the boss for a greater good.' President Donald Trump has launched a massive molehunt inside his administration to ferret out the anonymous author of a New York Times op-ed that trashed him mercilessly Wednesday A State Department official said Thursday that Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman could be the culprit; like the essay's author who praised the late moderate GOP senator John McCain (left), Huntsman worshiped the ground he walked on Initial speculation focused on VP Mike Pence (left) because of a single word in the op-ed Lodestar that Pence has used over and over in his political career, but that turned out to be a red herring The attorney emphasized that there's no hard evidence to point to the diplomat. But, like the op-ed's writer, Huntsman 'worshiped at [John] McCain's feet' and considered him 'the best example of an honorable guy in the Senate.' 'We may no longer have Senator McCain. But we will always have his example a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue,' the essay's author wrote, using the magic word that may turn out to be planted to sow confusion. 'Mr. Trump may fear such honorable men, but we should revere them.' A Senate aide who works for a moderate Republican pointed a finger on Thursday at Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, telling DailyMail.com that Trump 'is ultimately going to get eaten by one of his own from his campaign days, one of the people who know him better than the rest of us.' 'Haha nope,' a spokesperson for Carson said, putting out that fire. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's spokesman Tony Sayegh said that his boss 'is honored to serve @POTUS & the American people. He feels it was irresponsible for @nytimes to print this anonymous piece. Now, dignified public servants are forced to deny being the source. It is laughable to think this could come from the Secretary.' Similarly the Homeland Security Department issued a stern denial. 'Secretary Nielsen is focused on leading the men and women of DHS and protecting the homeland - not writing anonymous and false opinion pieces for the New York Times. These types of political attacks are beneath the Secretary and the Department's mission,' press secretary Tyler Q. Houlton said. Spokespersons for Defense Secretary James Mattis (left) and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) have issued flat denials Pentagon spokesperson Dana White denied Secretary James Mattis had engaged in the fingerprint-free assault, saying: 'It was not his op-ed.' The very public guessing games have frazzled White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, according to a White House official who said her Wednesday afternoon and evening consisted of putting out one strategic fire after another. By Thursday morning, she had had enough. 'The media's wild obsession with the identity of the anonymous coward is recklessly tarnishing the reputation of thousands of great Americans who proudly serve our country and work for President Trump. Stop,' Sanders tweeted. 'If you want to know who this gutless loser is, call the opinion desk of the failing NYT at 212-556-1234, and ask them. They are the only ones complicit in this deceitful act. We stand united together and fully support our President Donald J. Trump.' The essay sparked instant speculation, wild guesses and a hunt for the truth The first crush of guesswork focused on a line in the essay that called the late Sen. McCain 's life 'a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue.' Vice President Mike Pence, armchair linguists on Twitter quickly determined, used that word over and over again in his speeches and television appearances. And no one else in a senior administration role seems to have it in their vocabulary. (The late U.S. presidents Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson did.) Pence's office, inundated with reporters' calls, has said flatly that the VP wasn't responsible. 'The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds,' tweeted Jarrod Agen, Pence's communications director. 'The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts.' Some on Capitol Hill tore up their betting slips in dismay. 'That's too bad, really,' an official who works for a conservative member of Congress said Thursday. 'Pence is what we call a 'squish.' I kinda wish he tried to do this and made a simple miscalculation like that.' The next round of speculation fell on Pence's speechwriter, Stephen Ford. But examples of 'lodestar' in the vice presidential vocabulary date back to 2001 when Ford was in the third grade. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders blasted D.C.'s journalists who have been peppering her with speculative questions, saying the rush to solve the mystery has caused innocent public servants to unfairly have their names dragged through the mud Who wrote the New York Times' Trump 'resistance' op-ed? Pence speaks on a mobile phone before attending the Republican policy luncheon in DC on September 5 Mike Pence - DENIES IT Sleuths honed in on the word 'lodestar,' a favorite of the vice president. The op-ed's author described the late Sen. John McCain as 'a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue.' Others suggested the word, which means the guiding star of a ship, could have been deliberately included to throw journalists off the scent. This was the verdict of a senior White House official who spoke to Dailymail.com. He said suspicion is not focused on him or anyone in his office following a frank discussion among the VP's senior staff. Pence has never criticized Trump in public. Writing the op-ed would almost certainly scuttle any future bid for high office. And his communications director has publicly denied it, saying Pence would always sign his own work. Stephen Ford If 'lodestar' was not an intentional red herring, others speculated, suspicion could fall on Pence's speechwriter. But the VP's use of the word dates back to at least 2001. Ford, a youngish rising star in Washington's conservative circles, was in the third grade that year. Mattis gestures during a press briefing at the Pentagon on May 19, 2017 James Mattis - DENIES IT The Secretary of Defense, despite being a Trump favorite, has repeatedly sounded at odds with the commander-in-chief while discussing NATO, Russia and military strategy. During one episode in Bob Woodward's recent book, 'Fear,' Trump questioned the ability of U.S. early warning systems in Alaska to identify a nuclear attack from North Korea. Mattis is said to have schooled him. 'We're doing this in order to prevent World War III,' he reportedly said. The Pentagon chief reportedly told colleagues after the incident that Trump had the mental ability of 'a fifth- or sixth-grader.' Mattis has denied the account, saying in a statement: 'The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence.' A Pentagon spokesperson denied he wrote the Times piece. 'It was not his op-ed,' spokesperson Dana White said. Kelly at the White House on August 20 John Kelly The White House chief of staff was also quoted in Woodward's book as having called Trump an 'idiot.' 'It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails,' he allegedly said. 'We're in Crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had.' Kelly denied making the claims, in a statement put out by the White House. 'The idea that I ever called the President is not true, in fact it's exactly the opposite,' he said. 'This is both a pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from his many successes.' Sessions speaks about immigration and law enforcement at Lackawanna College on June 15, 2018 Jeff Sessions - DENIES IT The attorney general has a motive to shiv his boss after Trump repeatedly chastized him in public for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. And he has let loose on Sessions over charges the Department of Justice brought against two sitting Republican members of Congress, complaining the indictments handicapped the incumbents and jeopardized the GOP's ability to retain its majority in the House. The president also compared Sessions unfavorably to the FBI director he fired, 'Lyin' James Comey,' saying they had become martyrs to the same lawmakers who despised them after resisting orders from the president. Woodward writes that Sessions called Trump 'mentally retarded,' something that also met a stern denial. A Justice Department spokesperson denies Sessions wrote the NYT op-ed. Coats addresses the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on July 19 Dan Coats - DENIES IT The director of national intelligence has also veered from Trump loyal line. Told of the president's plan to invite Vladimir Putin to the White House, Coats enraged the president by snarking: 'That is going to be special.' He later 'clarified' his comments, made during an interview at the Aspen Institute security forum in Colorado, by saying his response 'was in no way meant to be disrespectful or criticize the actions of the president.' Trump drew heavy criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over his summit with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, where he seemed reluctant to blame Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Coats put out a statement denying either he or his deputy wrote the piece. McGahn is interviewed at a conference in Gaylord, Maryland, on February 22 Don McGahn The White House counsel is planning to leave the White House in the fall, so he may not fear the consequences of exposure as a secret anti-Trumper. He has also clashed with the president in the past. This includes declining an order to fire Robert Mueller, who is overseeing the Russia investigation that Trump describes as a 'witch hunt.' McGahn risked the president's anger by spending 30 hours in interviews with Mueller's team, over three separate occasions. Melania and Ivanka watch on ahead of the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in Hempstead, New York Melania or Ivanka? - MELANIA DENIED The first lady is an unlikely candidate for authorship of the Times essay. Twitter commenters noted she had already been accused of telegraphing coded messages publicly hinting at opposition to her husband's policies. This included wearing a jacket saying 'I really don't care, do u?' when visiting shelters for illegal immigrant children. Melania Trump denied authorship Thursday, saying in a statement: 'To the writer of the oped you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions.' Ivanka Trump has previously said she would work to ensure her voice is heard via her father's policies but has seemingly failed to do so particularly in the case of family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border, which she 'vehemently' opposed. Her husband Jared is a senior adviser and also could be involved, but it's a long shot that anyone in Trump's family would sell him out. Advertisement Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats issued his own categorical denial on Thursday. 'Speculation that The New York Times op-ed was written by me or my Principal Deputy is patently false. We did not,' he said in a statement. 'From the beginning of our tenure, we have insisted that the entire IC [intelligence community] remain focused on our mission to provide the President and policymakers with the best intelligence possible.' The Times op-ed's emphasis on Trump's alleged foreign-policy failings and flailings has driven some in Washington to suspect Fiona Hill, the senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council staff. Trump 'shows a preference for autocrats and dictators, such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, and displays little genuine appreciation for the ties that bind us to allied, like-minded nations,' the mystery author wrote. The only clue the Times offered Wednesday, other than the vague concession that a 'senior official' in the Trump administration had written the 957-word hammer-blow to President Trump's ego, was a tweet using the male pronoun 'he.' But a Times spokeswoman later said the word was a mistake that shouldn't be read as a tip-off. 'Senior opinion editors know the identity of the official, as we pointed out in our editor's note,' Danielle Ha told reporters. 'The tweet was drafted by someone who is not aware of the author's identity, including the gender, so the use of 'he' was an error.' The president fumed at the White House on Wednesday, demanding to know who had sold him out to the hated Times The Times has very rarely published anonymous essays, and never before from someone with a domestic political exe to grind Trump raged about the piece in the White House, calling around to confidants to vent about the disloyalty of the author and fuming that the so-called Deep State within the federal government had conspired against him, according to a person familiar with the president's views but not authorized to discuss them publicly. The text of the op-ed was pulled apart for clues: The writer is identified as an 'administration official'; does that mean a person who works outside the White House? The references to Russia and the late Sen. John McCain - do they suggest someone working in national security? Does the writing style sound like someone who worked at a think tank? The Beltway guessing game seeped into the White House, as current and former staffers alike traded calls and texts trying to figure out who could have written the piece, some turning to reporters and asking them for clues. For many in Trump's orbit, it was stunning to realize just how many people could have been the op-ed's author. And some of the most senior members of the Trump administration were forced to deny they were the author of the attack on their boss. Trump, appearing at an unrelated event Wednesday at the White House, lashed out at the Times for publishing the op-ed. 'They don't like Donald Trump and I don't like them,' he said of the newspaper. The op-ed pages of the newspaper are managed separately from its news department. The writer of the Times op-ed said Trump aides are aware of the president's faults and 'many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them.' The writer also alleged 'there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment' because of the 'instability' witnessed in the president. The 25th Amendment allows the vice president to take over if the commander in chief is 'unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.' It requires that the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet back relieving the president. A newlywed bride was devastated to find her husband dead in their honeymoon suite just hours after they got married. Danny Emsley, 37, could not stop smiling as he posed for wedding photographs with his new wife Clare, 35, on August 17. They got married at an upmarket spa hotel in Linton, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire where they celebrated with 80 relatives and close friends. The couple (pictured) got married at a hotel in Linton, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire where they celebrated with 80 relatives and close friends Mr Emsley, a window cleaner from Leeds, went to bed at 11.30pm, while his wife stayed downstairs to enjoy the party. She went to check on him an hour later and saw he was fine - so she stayed for another hour. But when she finally went to bed at 1.30am she was devastated to find him dead. She wrote on Facebook in a heart-wrenching post: 'Friday was the best day of my life, where I got to marry the best, most bluntly honest, funniest, kindest and most loving man I've ever met. Danny and Clare Emsley are pictured together before his death on their wedding day on August 17 Clare Emsley (pictured with Danny) was devastated to find her new husband dead in their honeymoon suite just hours after they got married Friends have told the newspaper Mr Emsley was in good health with no reported health conditions Danny Emsley (pictured) went to bed at 11.30pm on his wedding night. When his new wife Clare joined him at 1.30am, she found him unconscious Mr Emsley is pictured in fancy dress in a swimming pool on holiday before his death in August 'We had a perfect day full of family, friends, love and laughter - we couldn't have asked for a better day. 'The magic ran out at the end of the night and my beautiful Danny was cruelly ripped from my life. 'There is a hole in my heart that can never be filled. I just don't know how I'll ever cope without you my fabulous husband.' Friends say Mr Emsley was in good health with no reported health conditions. His death at the Woodhall Spa hotel in West Yorkshire is not being treated as suspicious. Emergency services were scrambled to the hotel in a bid to save the groom, but it was too late. The happy couple are pictured kissing at another wedding Tragic: Danny's death is not being treated as suspicious and his funeral will take place on September 14 A friend of the couple told The Sun: 'She screamed and ran out of the room calling for help. The door closed behind her leaving her locked out. 'Friends and relatives came to her aid. They had to smash the door of the room down. They called 999 and tried CPR but it was too late.' Mr Emsley's aunt Gail posted online soon after the tragedy: 'Our nephew passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning a few hours after his wedding.' Mr Emsley's funeral will take place on September 14. Pictured together: Danny and Clare Emsley got married on August 17. Danny died the same day Danny and Clare Emsley tied the knot at the Woodhall Spa hotel in Wetherby, West Yorkshire A Chinese naval ship and two helicopters intercepted a British Royal Navy warship as it sailed near islands Beijing claims it owns. The HMS Albion, a 22,000-tonne amphibious warship carrying a contingent of Royal Marines, was challenged as it passed near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea last Friday. Chinese government officials denounced the manoeuvre as a 'provocation' and said it had lodged a strong complaint with the British authorities. Britain claims the vessel was exercising its 'freedom of navigation' rights as it passed near the disputed islands on its way to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, before docking following deployment in Japan on Monday. The HMS Albion, the British Royal Navy's flagship amphibious assault ship, as it arrives at Harumi Pier in Tokyo, Japan, last month for its recent deployment Colonel Tim Neild (left), captain of Britain's Royal Navy's warship HMS Albion, shakes hands with representatives of the Vietnam People's Navy, during the ship's visit in Ho Chi Minh on Monday The HMS Albion passed near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on its way to Ho Chi Minh City Beijing dispatched a frigate and two helicopters to challenge the British vessel, but both sides remained calm during the encounter, a source who was familiar with the incident but asked not to be identified said. The Paracels are occupied entirely by China but also claimed by Vietnam, Phillipines and Taiwan. China's Foreign Ministry, in a faxed statement sent to Reuters, said the ship had entered Chinese territorial waters around the Paracel Islands on August 31 without permission, and the Chinese navy warned it to leave. The Albion did not enter the territorial seas around the hotly disputed region by going within 12 nautical miles of the islands, which is internationally recognised as the territorial limit. But the move demonstrated Britain does not recognise excessive maritime claims around the Paracel Islands, a source said. The Chinese ministry added: 'The relevant actions by the British ship violated Chinese law and relevant international law, and infringed on China's sovereignty. HMS Albion docked at a port in Ho Chi Minh on Monday at the start of a four-day visit in Vietnam as part of a celebration to mark the 45th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties Military vehicles in the loading dock of the HMS Albion. When the Albion was launched in 2001 its command and combat systems were the most advanced in the Royal Navy 'China strongly opposes this and has lodged stern representations with the British side to express strong dissatisfaction. 'China strongly urges the British side to immediately stop such provocative actions, to avoid harming the broader picture of bilateral relations and regional peace and stability. 'China will continue to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty and security.' The encounter comes at a delicate time in London-Beijing relations as Britain has been courting China for a post-Brexit free trade deal, and both countries like to describe how they have a 'golden era' in ties. A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: 'HMS Albion exercised her rights for freedom of navigation in full compliance with international law and norms.' When asked if the row endangered the golden era of relations between the UK and China, Theresa Mays official spokesman told MailOnline the two countries still have a strong relationship. He added: We have a strong relationship with China. The point in relation to this is that HMS Albion was in complete compliance with international law. HMS Albion exercised her right of freedom of navigation in full compliance with international law and norms. The British Navy has previously sailed close to the disputed Spratly Islands, further south in the South China Sea, several times in recent years but not within the 12 nautical mile limit, regional diplomatic sources have said. China's claims in the South China Sea, through which some $3 trillion of shipborne trade passes each year, are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, but Britain does not have any territorial claims in the area. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague criticised Chinese actions in the South China Sea and found no basis for its sweeping historic claims in a landmark judgement in 2016. HMS Albion in Vietnam. The amphibious assault ship was launched by Princess Anne, at BAE Systems Marine shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in March 2001 HMS Albion in Ho Chi Minh City this week. It was the first of a class of two large and powerful assault ships that replaced the existing Royal Navy vessels, HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid Beijing has repeatedly rejected the ruling and earlier refused to participate in the case brought by the Philippines. China's activities in the area have included extensive reclaiming of reefs and islands as well as the construction of runways, hangars and missile systems. The Beijing government says it is entitled to build on its territories routinely challenge ships and monitoring stations on the fortified islands. The HMS Albion was challenged by a Chinese frigate and two helicopters as it passed near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea last week While the US Navy has conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in the same area in the past, this British challenge to China's growing control of the strategic waterway comes after the United States has said it would like to see more international participation in such actions. Both Britain and the US say they conduct FONOP operations throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies. In April, warships from Australia - which like Britain is a close US ally - had what Canberra described as a close 'encounter' with Chinese naval vessels in the contested sea. Beijing says it is entitled to build on its territories and says the freedom of navigation facilities are for civilian use, blaming Washington for militarising the region with its freedom of navigation patrols. The Albion is one of three Royal Navy ships deployed to Asia this year, along with HMS Argyll and HMS Sutherland. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said in June that deployment of the three ships was intended to send the 'strongest of signals' of the importance of freedom of navigation. Dominic Raab has met Michel Barnier today for a fresh round of Brexit talks after the EU chief negotiator ramped up tensions by branding the PM's Chequers plan 'dead'. The Brexit Secretary travelled to Brussels today amid an increasingly desperate scramble to find a way through the standoff in talks. Mr Barnier is said to have made clear his implacable opposition to Theresa May's blueprint for future trade relations during discussions with MPs earlier this week. Meanwhile, the proposals have come under heavy fire from both Tory Brexiteers and Remainers. The Pound surged yesterday on rumours that Britain and German are ready to fudge a Brexit deal to avoid chaos next March. Dominic Raab met Michel Barnier today (pictured) for a fresh round of Brexit talks after the EU chief negotiator ramped up tensions by branding the PM's Chequers plan 'dead' Theresa May (pictured today at PMQs) challenged Jeremy Corbyn to rule out support for a second referendum on Brexit in an angry first PMQs of a stormy autumn There is speculation that ambitions for including fine detail in the 'political declaration' on trade that will accompany the divorce could be downgraded. That could pave the way for the two year transition period to happen - effectively easing the time pressure on thrashing details of a future relationship. However, the idea - which has been tagged 'blind Brexit' - assumes that Tory Brexiteers would be willing to sign off the 39billion divorce bill without knowing exactly what the UK will receive in return. Mr Barnier met MPs from across-parties in the Belgian capital on Monday. According to Labour's Stephen Kinnock, he made it 'crystal clear' the Chequers plan was unacceptable. During exchanges with Mr Raab as he gave evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee yesterday,Mr Kinnock said: 'I can tell you absolutely, unequivocally, without a shadow of a doubt that Chequers is dead in the water. What is in Theresa May's Brexit blueprint? These are some of the key features of the Chequers plan being pushed by the UK government: A new free trade area in goods, based on a 'common rulebook' of EU regulations necessary. This will require the UK to commit by treaty to match EU rules 'Mobility' rules which will end automatic freedom of movement, but still allow UK and EU citizens to travel without visas for tourism and temporary work. It will also enable businesses to move staff between countries. Continued UK participation in and funding of European agencies covering areas like chemicals, aviation safety and medicines A 'facilitated customs arrangement', removing the need for customs checks at UK-EU ports. It would allow differing UK and EU tariffs on goods from elsewhere in the world to be paid at the border, removing the need for rebates in the vast majority of cases. This is designed to avoid the need for a hard Irish border. But in theory it still allows Britain to sign trade deals. Keeping services - such as banking or legal support - outside of the common rule book, meaning the UK is completely free to set its own regulations. It accepts it will mean less trade in services between the UK and EU. Continued co-operation on energy and transport, a 'common rulebook' on state aid and commitments to maintain high standards of environmental and workplace protections. A security deal allowing continued UK participation in Europol and Eurojust, 'co-ordination' of UK and EU policies on foreign affairs, defence and development. Continued use of the EHIC health insurance card. Advertisement 'Mr Barnier made it crystal clear that Chequers is completely unacceptable to the European Union.' Tory former minister David Jones challenged Mr Raab on why he was 'flogging this dead horse'. 'You admitted that your focus is on trying to deliver an agreement along the lines of Chequers,' Mr Jones said. 'We know from Mr Kinnock that Mr Barnier thinks that Chequers is 'mort dans l'eau'. 'We know that several members of the Conservative Party, the Parliamentary Conservative Party - from both Remain and Leave tendencies - think that Chequers is dead in the water. 'Why are you flogging this dead horse?' Mr Raab replied: 'This is a negotiation with the EU so you are going to hear noises from various sides that are critical. 'That is an inherent part of a sensitive, contentious negotiation like this, but you should be in no doubt that we are making good progress.' During the hearing, Mrs May's chief EU adviser Olly Robbins rejected suggestions that the Chequers plan should be put 'out of its misery'. He insisted it was a 'credible, sensible' offer on future relations with the bloc. Mr Barnier said the meeting today will be another chance to find 'common ground' between the European Council's guidelines and the Chequers plan. As the Brexit battle comes towards a crunch point, Mrs May yesterday directly challenged Jeremy Corbyn to rule out a second referendum on Britain's withdrawal from the EU. The pair clashed at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons shortly after the UK's Brexit preparations were branded 'incompetent' by former Bank of England governor Mervyn King. In a damning assessment, Lord King told the BBC the Government had been left without a credible bargaining position. He said it 'beggars belief' that Britain, one of the world's leading economies, had found itself in a situation where the country was being told to take a course of action or face catastrophe. He suggested blame should be shared by the Government, Parliament as a whole and those in Whitehall who were tasked with making key decisions. Labour has so far declined to take off the table the option of a vote on the final Brexit deal, and Mr Corbyn is coming under intense pressure from People's Vote campaigners to commit to a second referendum. Dominic Raab pictured yesterday in Parliament, left, alongside the PM's chief Brexit adviser Olly Robbins A gang of lionesses have been filmed launching a vicious attack on a male after deciding they wanted to kill off the leader of the pride. Terrifying footage showed the females sinking their teeth into his flesh and tearing at his fur after pouncing on him at West Midlands Safari Park. Safari workers had to step in and spray fire extinguishers at the beasts to break up the ferocious attack after the male was left bloodied and battered. A gang of lionesses launched a ferocious attack on a male at West Midlands Safari Park. The male is seen letting out a painful roar About nine females sink their teeth into his skull and tear at his fur after pouncing on him Lionesses - the real rulers of the pride Lionesses sometimes kill of their male leader when when he's no longer in his prime years so they can bring in a younger male to breed with. Lions live in a pride made up of related females who remain members of a pride long-term, whereas the male leader is interchangeable. Male lions become a member of the pride only if the females accept him. As a result, the life of a male lion is much more socially precarious than that of the females. The lion has to win the grace of the females to become their pride male and usually will only be able to remain the pride male for three to five years. The natural instinct for lionesses is to take out the male leader when he's no longer in his prime years - five to ten years old. The females have a natural instinct to kill the leader so they can bring in a younger lion to increase their chances of producing offspring. Advertisement It's possible the female lions were trying to kill the male because he was too old to run the pride. In the wild lionesses will often kill their leader if they think he's past his prime and can no longer rule them properly. However, Mya Beverstock, who caught the attack on film, said the females may have pounced on him after a dispute over food. She said: 'It pretty much happened out of the blue. It was feeding time and then suddenly we heard growling a raoring. 'Two other males stepped back and didn't get involved while the females attacked the leader. He may have ate before his turn. 'Safari workers dealt with it very quickly. Three jeeps ended up in the enclosure honking there horns and driving towards the lions to break them up. 'One of the jeeps spraying them with a fire extinguisher which ended up mostly breaking up the fight. 'We did go around the park again afterwards and all the female lions had been removed from the enclosure and it was only the three males in there.' In February this year a pride of lions charged towards a car at the same safari park. Safari workers pulled up in three Landrovers while spraying fire extinguishers out of the window to break up the attack The male lion has a look of panic on his face as he tries to escape the grasp of the ferocious females Several lionesses sink their teeth into the male's mane as he lies exhausted on the rocks after struggling to escape The fire extinguisher startles the female lions who become confused and back away from the male Abi Tudge, 23, and her friend Jaz Reynolds, who had arranged the trip as a treat for two children they were caring for, watched in shock as the big cats bounded towards their Hyundai. The women claim they were trapped in the enclosure for nearly an hour after rangers closed the gates to deal with the 'agitated' and 'aggravated' animals. Heart-stopping footage shot by Miss Reynolds, 28, showed them leap on top of the bonnet and roof leaving behind a huge paw print-shaped dent. Miss Tudge, from Hereford, said they were left feeling shaken and feared the car's windows could have been smashed by the animals during their visit on Wednesday to the popular attraction in Bewdley, Worcestershire. West Midlands Safari Park confirmed the exit of its drive-through lion enclosure had been kept closed 'temporarily' because of the animals' proximity to the gate but stressed no-one had been in any danger. A spokesman added: 'The male lions have been in the process of being mixed with the females for a few months now. Abi, of Hereford, said they were left feeling shaken and feared the car's windows could have been smashed by the animals, which can weigh up to 30 stone 'This has been going well and there was no reason to believe that there would be any issues yesterday as a result of mixing. As with all wild animals, normally harmonious groups can on occasion become particularly active. 'This is constantly monitored closely by trained staff who are always in the enclosure when guests are too and will intervene if necessary. 'There was an experienced member of staff within the enclosure and at no time were guests in any danger.' Britain and Russia faced off at a UN meeting today as the two country's ambassadors traded ill-tempered accusations of 'anti-Russian hysteria' and 'playing dice with lives'. Britain accused Russia of 'working in a parallel universe where normal rules of international law are inverted' in an excoriating statement, while Russia said the West was operating in a 'post-truth world', calling the affair a 'theatre of the absurd'. The UK's representative to the UN Karen Pierce blasted the Russians over the novichok attack on Sergei Skripal, which hospitalised him and four others and killed mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess. Scroll down for video The UK's representative to the UN Karen Pierce hit out at Russia's actions in Salisbury during a meeting of the UN's Security Council today Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya branded Britain's case 'unfounded and mendacious' Ms Pierce said of Russia: 'They tried to murder the Skripals, they played dice with the lives of the people of Salisbury, they live in a parallel universe where the normal rules of international affairs are inverted.' She said Britain's quarrel was not with the people of Russia but with the country's government. She added: 'We have fought alongside Russian troops in the second world war - but we will respond robustly when our security is threatened.' Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya branded Britain's case 'unfounded and mendacious'. The ambassador to the UN said there are 'inconsistencies' which are 'off the charts' in evidence relating to the Salisbury novichok poisoning. Mr Nebenzya questioned why Russia would want to carry out the attack in such a 'strange, sophisticated way', and accused Downing Street of 'Russophobia'. 'The only one who has won, who has gained from this is the Nina Ricci company, which has received a lot of advertising,' he said. Adding: 'London needs this story for just one purpose - to unleash a disgusting anti-Russian hysteria and to involve other countries in this hysteria.' The United States Ambassador Nikki Haley reiterated her 'solidarity' with the UK and Prime Minister Theresa May. Speaking immediately after Russia's representative, she said people should be 'chilled to the bone with the findings of this investigation' The United States Ambassador Nikki Haley reiterated her 'solidarity' with the UK and Prime Minister Theresa May. Speaking immediately after Russia's representative, she said people should be 'chilled to the bone with the findings of this investigation'. Ms Pierce spoke after US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau issued a joint statement with Mrs May agreeing with the British assessment that the operation was 'almost certainly approved at a senior government level' in Moscow. Police and prosecutors announced yesterday that they had enough evidence to charge the men, named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, over the poisoning in March. The Prime Minister then told MPs it was carried out by two Russian spies and sanctioned at a 'senior level' by Vladimir Putin's regime. She told the Commons investigations have concluded that the two suspects are members of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, and it was not a 'rogue operation'. A special meeting of the UN security council was held today following a day of revelations about the novichok poisoning in Salisbury yesterday It comes the day after accused two Russian agents, travelling under the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, of carrying out the attack on double agent Sergei Skripal Mrs May did not explicitly blame the Kremlin for authorising the attempted assassination, although senior Conservatives directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of approving the operation. Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said there was 'no doubt it was state ordered and President Putin bears responsibility for a war-like act'. The charge d'affaires at Russia's London embassy was summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing-down by an official following Mrs May's statement. The PM told MPs the UK would push for new sanctions against Russians responsible for cyber attacks, additional listings under the existing regime and promised to work with intelligence allies to 'counter the threat posed by the GRU'. Former GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left critically ill after being exposed to the military grade nerve agent novichok in March. The alleged perpetrators were identified in a dramatic joint police and Crown Prosecution Service press conference. Theresa May say the chemical weapons attack would have been ordered Detectives believe it is likely the pair, thought to be aged around 40, travelled under aliases and that Petrov and Boshirov are not their real names. Prosecutors deem it futile to apply to Russia for the extradition of the two men, but a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained and the authorities are also seeking the assistance of Interpol. Detectives believe the front door of Mr Skripal's Salisbury home was contaminated with novichok on Sunday March 4. Mr Skripal, 67, and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury city centre the same day and spent weeks critically ill in hospital. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu also confirmed officers have now linked the attack on the Skripals to events in nearby Amesbury four months later. Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in attack which the UK has blamed on Russia's GRU intelligence agency Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died and her partner Charlie Rowley fell ill after they came into contact with novichok. It is thought they found a bottle used to store the chemical In the second incident, Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, were exposed to the same nerve agent used in Salisbury. Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July, just over a week after the pair fell ill. In a statement, the Russian Embassy in the UK accused the British authorities of being unwilling to engage with them and called on the Government to 'give up politicised public accusations'. These are the two Russian spies being sought over the novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March. Police say it is unlikely Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov are their real names, as they are thought to have many aliases Advertisement The Salisbury assassins spent two years jetting around Europe using their 'perfect' fake IDs and one even flew into London 12 months before the novichok attack, security sources in Russia revealed today. The suspects were handed genuine Russian passports and then secured visas from the British embassy in Moscow under bogus aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov to avoid detection during their murder mission in March. Their passports were repeatedly used on trips from Moscow to Amsterdam, Geneva, Milan and Paris between September 2016 and March 2018 with British investigators now scrambling to work out exactly what the Russian spies were doing in Europe. Petrov's passport was also used in London on February 28 2017 - a year before their botched mission to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a nerve agent smeared on his front door in suburban Salisbury. The travel details have been published by Fontanka, an independent Russian media outlet with a strong track record of investigative reporting into Putin's regime. Hamish de Bretton Gordon, one of Britain's top chemical weapons experts, told MailOnline today that UK security sources have briefed him that the men, who were GRU military agents, had watertight backstories that helped them avoid being stopped at the UK border. He said: 'The passports were perfect in every detail including all the electrics and circuitry. It fooled the British border electronic security which is considered to be among the best around. We also gave them visas they must have had a plausible back story'. Mr de Bretton Gordon suggested that Russia may even have hacked the UK's border security system to make doubly sure they were not flagged as 'people of interest' and interviewed. The Home Office today denied this. Today Security Minister Ben Wallace said Vladimir Putin is 'ultimately responsible' for the novichok attack because of his tight grip on the GRU spy network which sent two 'calamitous' state assassins on a 'pathetic' mission to kill Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. These are the two Russian spies being sought over the novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March. Police say it is unlikely Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov are their real names, as they are thought to have many aliases Petrov (right) was seen grinning in Salisbury on the day police believe the men smeared novichok on Mr Skripal's front door This map shows the European cities visited by the two alleged assassins in the two years before the Salisbury attack Fake Nina Ricci perfume bottle used by Salisbury assassins was 'made by top scientists from the Q-ski branch of Russia's military intelligence Police have released images of the perfume bottle they say was adapted to help the two Russian suspects carry out their lethal attack The Russians spent a fortune on the tiny James Bond-inspired perfume bottle used to carry novichok including developing new technology to ensure it wasn't a suicide mission for their agents, experts revealed today. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, one of Britain's top chemical weapons experts, says the fake sample vial of Nina Ricci Premier Jour could only have been produced by Putin's top scientists in their most sophisticated and top secret lab. He told MailOnline: 'They needed to ensure that the men carrying out the attack did not kill themselves while doing it. It would be deeply embarrassing if their agents died on foreign soil'. The two assassins, using the aliases Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, carried the bottle of Novichok into the UK unhindered before spraying it on Sergei Skripal's front door in suburban Salisbury in March. Experts believe the botched hit came after up to three months of development and testing probably sanctioned at the highest levels of the Russian state. The lab, branded 'Q-ski' after the research and development division of the British Secret Service in James Bond, made the bottle and 'one-way' applicator nozzle so it was impossible for novichok to leak out in transit. It was also made of special toughened glass, plastic or ceramic sure not to smash, crack or degrade while carrying one of the world deadliest weapons. Advertisement He said: 'The state had clearly decided to sit behind this action and lend its logistics. The men were given genuine passports, provided with aliases that survived a certain level of test and visas used by many law-abiding Russians to visit Britain for holidays or business. 'The Russian state, which we know had invented novichok, must have made sure it was put in a package that was there to disguise it. If you let them into your system, airside in Russia, it becomes a harder thing to detect'. Mr Wallace said he is '100 per cent sure' the men named carried out the attack and claimed that Vladimir Putin has ultimate responsibility for the actions of his spies - but added: 'This was more Johnny English than James Bond'. He said: 'Ultimately he does, insofar as he is president of the Russian Federation and it is his government that controls, funds and directs the military intelligence - that's the GRU - via his minister of defence. I don't think that anyone can ever say that Mr Putin isn't in control of his state'. When asked how the UK would respond he refused to say, adding: 'We retaliate in our way. We are not the Russians, we dont adopt the sort of thuggish, destructive and aggressive behaviour that we have seen. We choose to challenge the Russians in both the overt and the covert space, within the rule of law and in a sophisticated way'. Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Theresa May's accusations are "unacceptable" and that "no-one in the Russian leadership" has anything to do with the poisoning. He also said Russia "has no reasons" to investigate Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. As Britain pointed the finger directly at Putin's Russia, it emerged today: Poisoning suspects were handed watertight fake aliases backed up by genuine documents that helped them get into Britain without suspicion; Russian and UK come face-to-face at the UN Security Council in New York; Ministers blame Vladimir Putin and say he is responsible for the Salisbury attack and says 'full weight' of state was behind it; MailOnline uncovers exclusive CCTV of the two assassins casually strolling through Wiltshire town and window shopping after the attack; Britain blasts 'thuggish' behaviour of Putin's spies as MI5 and MI6 launch their own secret war with Russian rivals; Russian oligarchs linked to Mr Putin also face a clampdown in London, including searches of private flights and investigation of unexplained wealth by the National Crime Agency; Theresa May will wreak revenge on Russia with cyber warfare, espionage, financial sanctions and travel bans all likely to be used, sources said. Interpol has been put on red alert to detain the two agents, who use the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. Mrs May has warned they would be brought to Britain for trial if they ever left Russia - but experts have said that Vladimir Putin will personally ensure the assassins never leave the country and reward them with lucrative promotions despite botching their assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Historian Yuri Felshtinsky, author of The Putin Corporation whose friend Alexander Litvinenko was murdered after the co-authored a book together, told MailOnline: 'Even though they botched their covert attack, President Putin will praise the two members of the GRU and reward them in ways that will advance their career, promoting them as heroes now that their cover is blown'. Theresa May yesterday blamed the Kremlin for the novichok attack and hinted the assassination order may have come directly from Mr Putin because only he has the power in Russian law to order killings abroad. Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, went further by saying: 'President Putin bears responsibility for a war-like act' while Bob Seely, a Tory MP and Russia expert, said the order could 'only have come from the Russian head of state'. This diplomatic row will heat up further today when British and Russian officials come face-to-face at the UN Security Council. As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia will be represented at Thursday's meeting - called by Britain to update members on progress in the Salisbury investigation - alongside UK allies such as the US and France. Poisoning victim Charlie Rowley has urged police to bring the two suspects to justice. Mr Rowley, 48, and his partner Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell ill in Amesbury after coming into contact with the substance months after the same nerve agent was used against former double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July and a still frail Mr Rowley made an impassioned call to see the suspects, said by police to be Russian military intelligence officers, 'brought to justice'. There are fears his calls could prove futile because Russia's president Vladimir Putin would protect his 'heroes' and prevent them ever leaving the country, which has no extradition treaty with Britain. It echoes the case of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, was murdered using radioactive polonium in London. Andrei Lugovoy, widely suspected of the killing, remained in Russia where he claimed it was'more likely that the moon will become part of the Earth' than that he would face justice in Britain. In a day of extraordinary revelations, it emerged that the two suspects had 'near-identical passport numbers' suggesting the travel documents were issued at the same time ahead of their journey to the UK. While an apartment in a 25-story building registered to one of the suspects in Moscow proved to be bogus as it was revealed to be the home of an elderly female cleaner - with residents telling Russian media they had never seen a man coming or going on that floor. Services announced Petrov and Boshirov as the two men responsible for the attack on Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in March. Astonishing CCTV images show Petrov and Boshirov grinning as they walk around the Wiltshire city on the day Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with the military-grade chemical weapon. Map shows Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov's movement on the day of the poisoning Alexander Litvinenko Former KGB agent Litvinenko was poisoned after radioactive polonium 210 was slipped into his tea pot in 2006, a killing which a judge said was probably approved by President Vladimir Putin. An inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel, leading to an agonising death. Litvinenko in hospital before his death It said the use of the radioactive substance - which could only have come from a nuclear reactor - was a 'strong indicator' of state involvement and that the two men had probably been acting under the direction of the FSB. Possible motives included Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB, and his association with other Russian dissidents, while it said there was also a 'personal dimension' to the antagonism between him and Putin. International arrest warrants issued for Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun remain in force although Russia continues to refuse their extradition. Mr Lugovoi became a Russian MP in 2007 soon after the interest in him over Litvinenko's death. This meant he now has political immunity and cannot be prosecuted. An inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi (pictured) and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko Advertisement Prime Minister Theresa May today revealed the two men are thought to be officers in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, according to British agencies. The novichok attack left a trail of the deadly nerve agent around Salisbury, with mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess dying after she came into contact with the chemical. Mrs Sturgess's partner Charlie Rowley and county police officer Nick Bailey were also hospitalised. In response, Mr Rowley said from his hospital bed that he while he did not recognise the pair, he wants to see the men 'brought to justice'. He told ITV News: 'I don't recognise the two suspects, but I want to see them brought to justice. 'I am glad that Police are making progress with their investigation but at the same time, it's upsetting to see Dawn's face everywhere, because it brings all the hurt and pain at losing her back to reality. 'It is progress to see the suspects identified in the Skripal case. But we need to make sure that these people are also held accountable for Dawn's murder. She was a beautiful woman whose life was unjustly taken away because of them.' Despite Mr Rowley's calls, Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert for the Institute of International Relations, said the pair will never be brought to justice, even if Putin loses his grip on power. He told Sky News: 'Even if the government changes in Moscow, the Russian constitution explicitly bars the extradition of Russian citizens and given that we assume these two, whatever their real names are, it's not what's on their passport, given that they are Russian citizens, they are not going to be extradited. 'The only chance is if they are stupid enough to try to travel abroad but to be perfectly honest, their holiday plans are going to be Crimea rather than anywhere else.' Crystal clear CCTV images released today show the two Russian agents entering Britain at Gatwick, strolling around Salisbury on the day of the attack, and leaving the UK at Heathrow Airport just hours after the Skripals were found collapsed in a park. Prosecutors will not be applying to Russia for the extradition of the two men, as no agreement exists between the countries, but a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained in case either of the pair are ever spotted outside of Russia. Theresa May told MPs that British secret services believe the two suspects are officers of the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU. She said it's unlikely the agency would have been allowed to carry out such a brazen attack on its own and the hit was 'almost certainly approved at a senior level of the Russian state'. Mrs May added: 'The GRU is a highly-disciplined organisation with a well-established chain of command. So this was not a rogue operation. 'The actions of the GRU are a threat to all our allies and all our citizens. On the basis of what we have learnt in the Salisbury investigation and what we know about this organisation more broadly, we must now step up our collective efforts specifically against the GRU.' The pair were caught on CCTV at Salisbury train station on March 3, the day before Mr Skripal was poisoned. Scotland Yard believe they came to the town to carry out a reconnaissance mission Police released an image of the perfume bottle believed to have contained the novichok and the box it was hidden in. This was picked up by Salisbury resident Dawn Sturgess weeks after the attack. She sprayed it on her wrists before she died It has been possible to reconstruct their journey from Moscow to London, on to the Wiltshire cathedral city and back on a plane to Russia Mr Skripal was a colonel in the GRU before he was jailed for selling secrets to the West and brought to Britain in a spy swap. The Prime Minister's announcement therefore suggests the hit may have been organised by his former colleagues. Police said it is likely the suspects, who are aged around 40, were travelling under aliases and Petrov and Boshirov are not their real names. They are appealing to anyone around the world who knows their real identities to contact them. In a busy morning of announcements and statements, prosecutors revealed Petrov and Boshirov are wanted for conspiracy to murder Mr Skripal and the attempted murder of his daughter. If caught, the Russians will also be charged with the attempted murder of DS Bailey and the use of novichok contrary to the Chemical Weapons Act. But Russian authorities denied all knowledge of the two men, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova telling reporters: 'The names published by the media, like their photographs, mean nothing to us.' Novichok 'assassins' movements revealed: Spies flew into Britain from Russia before getting train to Salisbury Scotland Yard today released detailed information about the movements of the prime suspects in the novichok nerve agent attack. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov arrived in the UK on a Friday afternoon in March and checked into a budget hotel in east London. On the Saturday, the day before the attack, they carried out a reconnaissance trip to Salisbury before returning to London. On the Sunday, they took another train to Salisbury and are thought to have smeared the novichok on Mr Skripal's front door. That afternoon they returned to London and flew from Heathrow hours after the Skripals were found collapsed in a park. Friday, 2 March: 3pm: The suspects arrive at Gatwick airport, having flown from Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2588. CCTV images from 3pm on Friday, March 2 show Petrov (left) and Boshirov (right) arriving at Gatwick airport on a flight from Moscow Friday, March 2 5.40pm: After travelling into London by train, the pair arrive at Victoria station. 6pm: They travelled to Waterloo station, where they were seen between 6pm and 7pm. 7pm: The pair then travelled to the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, East London, where they stayed on the night of the Friday, 2 March. Saturday, 3 March: 11am: They left the hotel and took the underground to Waterloo station, arriving at approximately 11.45am. The two spies were pictured in Salisbury the day before the attack, when they carried out a reconnaissance trip 2.25pm: Having caught a train to Salisbury from Waterloo, they arrive in the cathedral city, the day before the attack. 4.10pm: After carrying out what police believe was reconnaissance of the Salisbury area, they leave the city and return to London. 8.05pm: They return to their hotel in Bow and stay there for the night. Sunday, 4 March: 8am: They made the same journey from the hotel, again using the underground from Bow to Waterloo station before continuing their journey by train to Salisbury. CCTV later showed them in the vicinity of Mr Skripal's house and police believe that they contaminated the front door with novichok. The pair are pictured at Salisbury train station on the morning of the day the Skripals were poisoned The pair are pictured in Wilton Road, Salisbury shortly before midday on March, 4, the day the Skripals were poisoned with novichok The pair were then seen on Salisbury's Fisherton Road on March 4 shortly after 1pm, around the time the nerve agent is thought to have been smeared on their target's front door As they walk around Salisbury on the day of the attack, they are seen on CCTV in Fisherton Road shortly after 1pm The pair were seen at Salisbury train station shortly before 2pm on March 4. This is thought to be after they left the novichok on the door 4.45pm: The arrived at back Waterloo Station after the hour and half journey from Salisbury. 6.30pm: They boarded the London Underground to London Heathrow Airport. 10:30pm: They fly out of London, returning to Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2585. The two men were then seen going through security at Heathrow on their way back to Russia at 7.30pm, just hours after the Skripals were found collapsed in the park in Salisbury Advertisement Biometric data is required from Russians seeking British visas, meaning anti-terror police could hold their genuine fingerprints and iris data. But there are fears the pair could avoid justice but simply staying in Russia for the rest of their lives, like the alleged killers of Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in 2006. The charge d'affaires at Russia's London embassy was today summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing-down by an official as Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko is not currently in the country. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'He was informed of the charges we have brought against two Russian citizens, the fact that they were GRU officers and of our determination that they should be brought to justice. 'We also made clear that the UK expects the Russian state to account for the reckless and outrageous actions of the GRU and that the UK expects that Russia provides a full account of its chemical weapons programme to the OPCW.' Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in attack which the UK has blamed on Russia Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died and her partner Charlie Rowley fell ill after they came into contact with novichok. It is thought they found a bottle used to store the chemical Why won't Russia extradite the suspects? British authorities today said they would not apply to extradite the suspects as any request would be rejected by Putin's regime. The Russian constitution forbids the extradition of Russian citizens to another state. A European Arrest Warrant (EAW) has been obtained, which means that if either man travels to a country covered by the scheme they will be arrested. Police investigating the Salisbury poisoning are also seeking to circulate Interpol 'red notices'. The potential for a deadlock carries echoes of the aftermath of the murder of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. In that case, two men were identified as suspects but were never handed over to Britain. Advertisement Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the military-grade chemical weapon in Salisbury in March. Police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey was also poisoned when he attended the retired spy's suburban home. Like the Skripals, he recovered after receiving life-saving treatment at the city's hospital. But in June, mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died and her partner Charlie Rowley were hospitalised after they fell ill at his home in nearby Amesbury. Police have now released an image of the perfume bottle used by the would-be assassins to transport the novichok. Mrs Sturgess found the bottle and put the substance on her wrists. Today's announcement relates to the initial attack, but Mr Basu confirmed that officers have now linked the attack on the Skripals to events in Amesbury less than four months later, in which Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charlie Rowley, 48, were exposed to the same nerve agent. Scotland Yard's counter terror Commissioner Neil Basu said: 'Today marks the most significant moment so far in what has been one of the most complex and intensive investigations we have undertaken in Counter Terrorism policing; the charging of two suspects both Russian nationals - in relation to the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal.' Mr Basu added: 'We do not believe Dawn and Charlie were deliberately targeted, but became victims as a result of the recklessness in which such a toxic nerve agent was disposed of. 'We know that novichok was applied to the Skripals' front door in an area that is accessible to the public, which also endangered the lives of members of the public and emergency service responders.' The Skripals were found collapsed on a park bench in Salisbury in March, sparking a huge investigation which involved anti-terror police, the military and chemical weapons experts Britain's most senior police officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick added: 'We remain absolutely determined to identify and bring about a prosecution in the UK courts of those persons responsible for these attacks and we will do all we can to get justice for the victims and their families.' The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed yesterday the toxic chemical that killed Dawn Sturgess was the same nerve agent as that which poisoned the Skripals three months earlier. The OPCW said it was not possible to conclude whether the nerve agent used in the two incidents was from the same batch. The Russian state has previously denied involvement. Its embassy in London yesterday demanded access to the Skripals. A statement released by the Russian Embassy on Tuesday claimed the circumstances of the March attack as 'obscure' and accused British authorities of keeping the Skripals in isolation ever since their release from hospital. It said: 'They remain out of the public eye at an unknown location, unable to communicate freely with their relatives, friends, journalists or Russian officials, deprived of the freedom of movement.' Mrs Sturgess's former home in Salisbury was closed off by police in July as her death meant the investigation became a murder probe It is thought Novichok was smeared on the front door handle of Mr Skripal's Salisbury home 'We're open for business as usual': 48-a-night east London hotel where Salisbury 'assassins' left traces of novichok six months ago issues safety reassurance to customers after police urge former guests to get in touch The Metropolitan Police confirmed today that 'low' levels of novichok were found in the two-star 48 a night hotel in May during part of their investigations A budget hotel used by the two Salisbury poison suspects today insisted they are 'open for business' after it emerged traces of nerve agent novichok were discovered in a room. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov stayed in the City Stay Hotel in Bow, East London, before carrying out the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The Metropolitan Police confirmed today that 'low' levels of novichok were found in the two-star 48 a night hotel in May during part of their investigations. In a statement released by the Metropolitan Police today, it said 'we are fully supporting the police investigation' and said they are 'open for business as usual.' Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu insisted there was no threat to public health, but has asked anyone who stayed there between March 4 and May 4 to contact police. It added: 'We are reassured that the police and Public Health England have confirmed very clearly that there is no health risk whatsoever to our guests or our staff. 'We are receiving a lot of media attention, and we would kindly ask that you allow our staff and guests to go about their business unhindered.' In a timeline released by police today Petrov and Boshirov travelled to London on March 2 after landing at Gatwick, making their way to the hotel in Bow. They stayed there for two nights and then went to Salisbury for reconnaissance before returning to the City Stay Hotel for the night. The hotel, on Bow Road in East London, is situated next to a train station. It is where the two Russian suspects stayed during their time in the UK The next day, the suspects travelled to Salisbury again, which is when they smeared novichok on the Skripal's door. Mr Basu said today: 'Two swabs showed contamination of novichok at levels below that which would cause concern for public health. 'A decision was made to take further samples from the room as a precautionary measure, including in the same areas originally tested, and all results came back negative. 'We believe the first process of taking swabs removed the contamination, so low were the traces of novichok in the room. Following these tests, experts deemed the room was safe and that it posed no risk to the public.' One of the rooms at the 48-a-night City Stay Hotel in Bow, East London where the novichok hitmen stayed while in UK The lobby of the hotel, with table and chairs and a television on the wall Mr Basu said there has been no reports of anyone falling ill who stayed in the hotel between March 4 and May 4. Mr Basu added: 'It is likely, given what we have learnt from this investigation, that anyone exposed to novichock will have experienced symptoms within 12 hours of exposure. 'The levels of novichok we found in the room at the time of police sampling in May were such that they were not enough to cause short or long-term health effects to anyone exposed to it, at that point or thereafter. 'We will continue to work closely with Public Health England as new information comes to light. 'We are asking anyone who stayed at the hotel between 4 March and 4 May to call 0800 789 321 or email Salisbury2018@met.police.uk. Staff from PHE will be on hand to give advice and reassurance.' One of the twin rooms inside the hotel. It looks over a railway line, has discarded cigarette butts on its doorstep and graffiti drawn onto the front Today, police officers guarded the entrance and staff declined to comment. The hotel, which over looks a railway line, has discarded cigarette butts on its doorstep and graffiti drawn onto the front. Black metal bars are positioned over windows and grass has overgrown on the side of the hotel. Although there is no exterior CCTV, there is a camera in the front lobby. One hotel guest, retired Army Major Khalid from Bangladesh, said he was paying 258 for five nights. He said: 'The police are inside. I'm in room 6 and they are near my room outside rooms 7,8 and 9. 'I didn't know what happened until now but I am sure the police have made the hotel safe again for guests to stay.' Revealed: How 'assassins' faked a Nina Ricci perfume bottle full of toxic nerve agent then 'recklessly threw it away', leading to the death of British woman Russian agents suspected of carrying out the novichok attack used a glass container made to look like a perfume bottle. Charlie Rowley, 48, told police he found a box he thought contained perfume in a charity bin on Wednesday June 27. The box and bottle were labelled as Premier Jour by Nina Ricci - but Scotland Yard has confirmed that they were counterfeits and had been specially adapted. Inside the box was a bottle and applicator, and police said Mr Rowley tried to put the two parts together at his home address in Amesbury on Saturday June 30. In doing so, he got some of the contents on himself. He said his partner, Dawn Sturgess, 44, had applied some of the substance to her wrists before feeling unwell. After he told police where he found the box, cordons were put in place and two bins behind shops in Catherine Street, Salisbury, were removed. Previously, during a search of Mr Rowley's home in Muggleton Road, Amesbury, on July 10, a small box labelled as Nina Ricci Premier Jour was recovered from a rubbish bag in the kitchen. The deadly chemical weapon is thought to have been smuggled around Britain disguised as perfume in this box On July 11, a small glass bottle with a modified nozzle was found on a kitchen worktop. Tests undertaken at the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory established that the bottle contained a 'significant amount of novichok', Scotland Yard said. The novichok container was designed to look like a bottle of Premier Jour by Nina Ricci. File photo Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July, just over a week after she and Mr Rowley fell ill. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said the manner in which the bottle and packaging was adapted made it a 'perfect cover' for smuggling the weapon into the country. He added: 'We have carried out numerous inquiries in relation to the bottle and are now able to release an image of it with the nozzle attached. 'We are also releasing an image of the box that the bottle and nozzle were in. 'We have spoken to Nina Ricci and undertaken further inquiries. Nina Ricci and our inquiries have confirmed that it is not a genuine Nina Ricci perfume bottle, box or nozzle. 'It is in fact a counterfeit box, bottle and nozzle that have been especially adapted. 'I'd like to reassure anyone who has bought Nina Ricci perfume from a legitimate source that they should not be concerned. It is safe. 'We cannot account for the whereabouts of the bottle, nozzle or box between the attack on the Skripals on March 4 and when Charlie Rowley said he found it on Wednesday June 27.' Advertisement Who are the GRU and how was double agent Sergei Skripal involved with them? The GRU - an acronym for Glavnoye razvedyvatel'noye upravleniye or Main Intelligence Directorate - was founded in 1918 after Lenin's Bolshevik Revolution. Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services and the GRU was seen as a rival by other Soviet secret services, such as the KGB. According to Yuri Shvets, a former KGB agent, GRU officers were referred to as 'boots' - tough but unsophisticated. 'The GRU took its officers from the trenches,' he said, whereas KGB picked its agents from the USSR's best universities. The GRU headquarters in Moscow. The agency's operatives were originally seen as rougher and less sophisticated than their KGB counterparts, according to former agents The GRU would train agents and then send them to represent the Soviet Union abroad as military attaches in foreign embassies, according to historian John Barron. But once a member of the GRU, it is believed to be exceptionally difficult to leave. And those who do so to joined foreign agencies were punished savagely. A younger Sergei Skripal. He went on to unmask dozens of secret agents and feed information to MI6 Viktor Suvorov, a GRU officer who defected to Britain in 1978, said new recruits were shown a video of a traitor from the agency being burned alive in a furnace as a warning. Unlike the KGB, the GRU was not split up when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. It has a special status and answers directly to the chief of the general staff, one of the three people who control Russia's portable nuclear control system. GRU chiefs are reportedly picked by Putin himself. The GRU is now considered Russia's largest foreign intelligence service, according to Reuters, dwarfing Moscow's better-known Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which is the successor to the KGB's First Chief Directorate. Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in GRU , was considered by the Kremlin to be one of the most damaging spies of his generation. He was responsible for unmasking dozens of secret agents threatening Western interests by operating undercover in Europe. Col Skripal, 66, allegedly received 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6. In 2006, he was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp after being convicted of passing invaluable Russian secrets to the UK. A senior source in Moscow said at the time: 'This man is a big hero for MI6.' He was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp when he was convicted of passing secrets to Britain After being convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' by Moscow's military court, Col Skripal was stripped of his rank, medals and state awards. He was alleged by Russia's security service, the FSB, to have begun working for the British secret services while serving in the army in the 1990s. GRU, one of whose divisions has an emblem featuring a bat, was founded after the Russian Revolution He passed information classified as state secrets and was paid for the work by MI6, the FSB claimed. Col Skripal pleaded guilty at the trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time. He admitted his activities and gave a full account of his spying, which led to a reduced sentence. In July 2010, he was pardoned by then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and was one of four spies exchanged for ten Russian agents deported from the US in an historic swap involving red-headed 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman. After the swap at Vienna airport, Col Skripal was one of two spies who came to Britain and he has kept a low profile for the past eight years. The former spy was living at an address in Salisbury, Wiltshire, when the suspected poisoning took place in the city centre. Terrified Syrians are making improvised gas masks out of paper cups amid fears dictator Bashar al-Assad will launch chemical attacks during a push to seize the country's remaining rebel stronghold. Pictures show colourful party cups filled with cotton and charcoal being fitted to a child's face with a tightened plastic bag around his head in a village in Syria's Idlib province. The desperate tactic comes as the UN warned that a regime attack on the region of nearly three million could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Syria's seven-year war, displace up to 800,000 people and result in a 'bloodbath'. Assad has massed his army and allied forces on the frontlines in the northwest, and Russian planes have joined his bombardment of rebels there, in a prelude to a possible assault. A US official has warned there is 'lots of evidence' chemical weapons are being prepared by Syrian government forces in the region. Terrified Syrians are making improvised gas masks out of paper cups amid fears dictator Bashar al-Assad will launch chemical attacks during a push to seize the country's remaining rebel stronghold Pictures show colourful party cups filled with cotton and charcoal being fitted to a child's face with a tightened plastic bag around his head in a village in Syria's Idlib province The desperate tactic comes as the UN warned that a regime attack on the region of nearly three million could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Syria's seven-year war, displace up to 800,000 people and result in a 'bloodbath' Civilians in Syria's last major stronghold of active opposition to Assad's rule are preparing food and digging shelters ahead of an expected army offensive. They are also putting their faith in neighbouring Turkey's diplomacy to spare them from military action. 'We are preparing what little we can: small primitive masks we can place on our children's mouths in case we are hit with chemicals,' 20-year-old Shahad told Reuters from his village south of Idlib city, where he shares a house with his pregnant wife, three children and around 15 other people. His brother, 35-year-old construction worker Ahmed Abdulkarim al-Shahad, shows off the cavernous space under a cool, vine-covered courtyard the family has been digging and sheltering in from bombardment since 2012. 'Military preparations as we have seen are in full swing ... We as civilians have started preparing the caves,' he said, showing glass bottles of pickled vegetables shelved on the damp cave walls. Around three million people live in the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria, which comprises most of Idlib province and adjacent small parts of Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces. Hudhayfa al-Shahad fills a paper cup with cotton and charcoal in Idlib, Syria as he makes a make-shift gas mask Pickled vegetables are shelved in an underground cave in Idlib, Syria as civilians brace themselves for an assault by Assad's forces Civilians in Syria's last major stronghold of active opposition to Assad's rule are preparing food and digging shelters ahead of an expected army offensive Hudhayfa al-Shahad walks in a makeshift shelter in an underground cave in Idlib, Syria. There are fears of a looming humanitarian disaster in Syria About half of them fled fighting or were transferred there by the government under surrender deals from other parts of Syria as Assad has steadily taken back territory from rebels. The new U.S. adviser for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, said on Thursday there was 'evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared' 'I am very sure that we have very, very good grounds to be making these warnings,' he said. 'Any offensive is to us objectionable as a reckless escalation. There is lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared.' Syria summit in Iran may decide Idlib military offensive The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. The summit between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action. But each nation has its own interests in the yearslong war in Syria. Iran wants to keep its foothold in the Mediterranean nation neighboring Israel and Lebanon. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a flood of refugees fleeing a military offensive and destabilizing areas it now holds in Syria. And Russia wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by America's long uncertainty about what it wants in the conflict. 'The Tehran summit can produce peace and reconciliation in Syria or it can deepen the mess created by endless bouts of violence mainly instigated by the Assad regime,' Ilnur Cevik, a senior adviser to Erdogan, wrote in the Daily Sabah newspaper. Northwestern Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. For Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete what they see as a military victory in Syria's civil war after Syrian troops recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities, largely defeating the rebellion against Assad. A bloody offensive that creates a massive wave of death and displacement, however, runs counter to their narrative that the situation in Syria is normalizing, and could hurt Russia's longer-term efforts to encourage the return of refugees and get Western countries to invest in Syria's postwar reconstruction. The streets of Tehran were quiet on Friday, the second day of the Iranian weekend. The country's state-run IRNA news agency described the summit as potentially offering an 'agreement on peace and security' in Syria. A former Iranian diplomat, Ali Akbar Farazi, told IRNA the summit shows that solving regional issues 'in a fair way that agrees with the interests of all sides' remains important for the three nations. For Turkey, the stakes couldn't be higher. Turkey already hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and has sealed its borders to newcomers. It has also created zones of control in northern Syria and has several hundred troops deployed at 12 observation posts in Idlib. A government assault creates a nightmare scenario of potentially hundreds of thousands of people, including militants, fleeing toward its border and destabilizing towns and cities in northern Syria under its control. Turkey also doesn't want to see another Kurdish-controlled area rise along its border, as it already faces in northern Iraq. Cevik, a senior adviser to Erdogan, also didn't pull any punches in his piece in the Daily Sabah, saying: 'Assad bolstered by Iran's land assets and Russian air power and his use of chemical weapons has punched his way into opposition strongholds and hence massive gains for the Damascus regime. 'You still need moderate opposition groups who represent the Sunni suffering masses in Syria to achieve a viable political solution and durable peace in this country,' he wrote. 'Iran and Russia are the fighting forces in Syria and have brought blood and tears.' All three nations face sanctions from the U.S. under the administration of President Donald Trump. Although America has some 2,000 troops and outposts in Syria, Trump has said he wants to pull those forces out after the war against the Islamic State group dislodged the extremists from vast territories it once held there and in Iraq. America's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has warned any military offensive in Idlib 'would be a reckless escalation.' The U.S. will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday about the possible offensive. 'There is no military solution to the Syrian conflict,' Haley said in a statement Wednesday. 'Assad's brutal regime - backed by Russia and Iran - cannot continue to attack and terrorize Syria's citizens.' By AP reporters Advertisement The White House has warned that the United States and its allies would respond 'swiftly and vigorously' if government forces used chemical weapons in the widely expected offensive. Jeffrey said an attack by Russian and Syrian forces, and the use of chemical weapons, would force huge refugee flows into southeastern Turkey or areas in Syria under Turkish control. In April last year, a Syrian government warplane dropped sarin on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib, killing more than 80 civilians, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry has said. It also said Syrian forces have used chemical weapons, including chlorine, more than two dozen times during the war. Damascus and its ally Russia both deny these charges and say they do not engage in chemical warfare. Idlib residents are fearful and Washington has warned Assad against using chemical weapons in any offensive, promising a response if he does so. Russia, Assad's ally, resumed air strikes against insurgents in Idlib on Tuesday following weeks of bombardment and shelling by pro-Syrian government forces in an apparent prelude to a full-scale offensive against the last major rebel enclave. But Turkey has said it hopes a summit with Iranian and Russian leaders in Tehran on Friday will avert an offensive. And some people Reuters spoke to in Idlib suspected an offensive may be avoided. A displaced Syrian child wounded by shelling lies in a tent in Kafr Lusin near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey in the northern part of Syria's rebel-held Idlib province Assad has massed his army and allied forces on the frontlines in the northwest, and Russian planes have joined his bombardment (pictured) of rebels there, in a prelude to a possible assault 'I do not believe there will be an attack on Idlib. It's all a media war,' said 50-year-old former construction worker Jaafar Abu Ahmad from a rural area near Ma'arat al-Nuaman town. 'The great world powers have pre-agreed on us and divided the land.' Nevertheless, seven years of grinding war have taught Ahmad to be prepared. His family is currently expanding a damp dugout they have been digging and sheltering in from strikes for the past five years, stocking it with food. 'We have been digging in the earth for two months non-stop, me, my wife and children,' he said. 'This cave is now our protection. We cleaned it recently after it had been neglected for a long time.' With shelling, air strikes and rhetoric about an impending offensive increasing, a number of local councils across Idlib have come together and asked Turkey for protection. 'For us in the liberated areas our only guarantor in negotiations is our Turkish brothers,' said Ahmad Shtaam al-Rashu, the 48-year-old head of Ma'shureen village's local council. Turkey has erected observation posts along the frontlines between rebels and government forces, and Rashu said Turkey had told them this was a sign of its commitment to protect the people of Idlib. Idlib is often described as the 'last refuge' for rebels and internally displaced civilians, and any offensive threatens new displacement and human misery. 'As for escaping towards the (Turkish) border, I don't believe we will move from our houses. The bombardment will get us. There is no place left after Idlib,' said Ahmed al-Shahad. 'We will fight to the last man, we no longer have any option.' A father whose meth-addicted son is behind bars after knocking out his mother in a drug-fuelled rage has revealed the devastating impact ice has had on his family. Murray Kinnane, 57, has spent the past five years trying to help his son Jaxon, 20, overcome drug addiction but nothing has worked. The Perth-based father-of-three says his two daughters and wife have become prisoners in their own home, forced to lock their bedroom doors in fear of Jaxon. While Jaxon awaits a potential jail sentence after pleading guilty to the assault, Mr Kinnane has called for the government to work on better drug rehabilitation laws. Jaxon Kinnane (pictured as a child), 20, is facing a jail sentence after admitting to knocking out his mother. His father has revealed how an addiction to ice turned him from a 'cheeky, popular' boy into a monster As a result of taking too many 'Benzos' Jaxon (pictured) was placed on life support twice last year after overdosing on the drug The Perth-based father-of-three says his two daughters and wife (pictured together in better times) have become prisoners in their own home Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Mr Kinnane said his son began taking drugs when he was 14, but there weren't any obvious signs to suggest he was 'using'. Looking back, however, he believes his only son turned to drugs after falling in with the wrong crowd at a local skate park as an impressionable teenager. 'He started going down to the skate park, and trying not to be a helicopter parent, I said okay. Well, at least he's being social,' Mr Kinnane said. The father of three has since found out that at the time there were 'cool' people befriending kids and enticing them to take drugs with the intent to get them to sell. 'It starts with someone offering kids cigarettes ... and then what would happen is eventually they might offer them marijuana,' he explained. He claimed that some of those dealers allegedly laced marijuana joints with ice so that the kids became addicted to the substance from an early age. Mr Kinnane said he believed many of the kids went on to sell ice to feed their addictions after getting a taste of the powerful drug. Mr Kinnane believes his only son, Jaxon, (pictured) turned to drugs after he fell in with the wrong crowd at a local skate park Mr Kinnane, 57, (left) has spent the past five years trying to help his son Jaxon, 20, (right) overcome drug addiction but nothing has worked - and now he's reached his limit As Jaxon continued to use drugs through his teenage years, the Kinnane family watched their 'popular, cheeky' boy turn into someone they didn't recognise. It wasn't until a seemingly innocuous conversation at the family home turned ugly last month that Mr Kinnane realised his son needed 'urgent' help. 'We've been trying to get him (Jaxon) into a rehabilitation centre, and then get him to stay there - to get himself sorted out,' Mr Kinnane told Daily Mail Australia. But when the subject of rehab and future treatments was brought up, Mr Kinnane said Jaxon became physically and verbally aggressive and 'just went off'. Mr Kinnane believes his son was going through withdrawals, worsened by the fact that his mobile had been confiscated to prevent drug-seeking behaviours. 'He told me I could go and get f***ed - that I was the worst f***ing father in the world,' Mr Kinnane said. The situation really became violent, however, after Jaxon's mum broke the news that he wouldn't be able to get into rehabilitation as soon as he'd hoped. Angered by the news, Jaxon lashed out at his parents and began slamming things around the house, breaking a leadlight door before walking outside. Seeing red, Mr Kinnane told Jaxon to get out of the family home and not come back - at which point the 20-year-old started throwing punches. Fearful for her husband's safety, Jaxon's mother tried to pepper spray the 20-year-old to stop him, but he lashed out, taking 'an almighty swing' and knocking her out. Police officers arrived a short time afterwards and arrested Jaxon. Mr Kinnane said he found out 'cool' people were befriending kids such as Jaxon (pictured) and enticing them to take drugs with the intent to get them to sell Mr Kinnane and his wife haven't had any contact with their son since the assault. 'The police have probably been to my house anywhere up to 10 to 15 times just because of his (Jaxon's) aggression,' the father of three said. 'We've had him kicked out three times and had a 72-hour VRO (Violence Restraining Order) put on him... but because he's got nowhere to go he comes back.' Jaxon is facing a jail sentence because of the assault - and although he's not happy his son is in custody, Mr Kinnane believes it's the right place for him for the moment. He said he's not prepared to have his son back at home until he's been properly rehabilitated, adding: 'My son needs detox'. He continued to say his son needs a compulsory rehabilitation, but currently there isn't legislation that enforces treatment of people with severe drug addictions. Mr Kinnane said, growing up, Jaxon (pictured) was always a happy-go-lucky type of kid Jaxon has presented numerous times at his local hospital for help, only to be released within hours. Another problem is meth addicts are often prescribed Benzodiazapines - a type of tranquilizer - to calm their mood, but they often end up addicted to those as well. As a result of taking too many 'Benzos', Jaxon was placed on life support twice last year after overdosing on the drug. Mr Kinnane said he's hopeful his son will get better, but is fearful that his son has no hope of escaping the brutal cycle of drug addiction with the current system. 'I feel really let down by the system, which kept releasing my son,' he said. 'I understand about people having their rights... but this is a health situation for people who don't have the cognitive ability to make decisions for themselves.' A woman in her 50s was hospitalised after being mowed down by a moped thug fleeing police. The driver, 28, was being pursued by a marked vehicle after failing to stop for officers. He was eventually caught and arrested after ploughing into the woman at 11.45am yesterday in Sydenham, south east London. A moped driver, 28, was arrested after ploughing into a woman in her 50s following a police chase. Pictured: A man thought to be the driver is detained by police Another man was put in handcuffs at the scene following the collision in Sydenham, London Police said the victim's condition is not life-threatening or life-changing. The moped driver was also injured in the crash and taken to hospital for minor injuries. He was handcuffed in the middle of the street and arrested on suspicion of failing to stop for police. Two men, aged 18 and 24, were also arrested on suspicion of obstructing police and are in custody in a south London police station. In video footage from the scene, two men and a woman are seen being held down by officers in the middle of the busy street. One policeman tells bystanders that the moped driver crashed into a female pedestrian and tried to drive off. A policeman stands over the alleged moped driver on Sydenham road after the collision Two men, aged 18 and 24, were also arrested on suspicion of obstructing police. Pictured: The moped which fled police and crashed into a pedestrian When asked why the girl is being detained the officer replies: 'Because she's taken a load of money from his pocket'. The officer seems to suggest she took money from one of the moped rider's pockets but it's not entirely clear. As the crash happened during a police chase, the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards was informed and has made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for review. A Catholic priest has been arrested over claims he raped a mentally handicapped victim of human trafficking in Latvia. The priest, identified as Pavels Zeila, 73, served in the Aglona-Rezekne diocese in eastern Latvia, which is to host Pope Francis during a four-day tour of the three Baltic states later this month. A second man was also arrested on suspicion of trafficking in the case, which has shocked the Baltic state as it prepares to receive the Pope from September 22. A Catholic priest has been arrested over claims he raped a mentally handicapped victim of human trafficking in Latvia, police in Riga (pictured) have revealed 'One of the suspects "delivered" the defenceless victim for a fee, the church representative, who was the end buyer, paid the fee and then committed violent sexual crimes against the victim,' said Armands Lubarts, chief of a police task force on human trafficking and pimping. Zeila's lawyer flatly denied the allegations and the Catholic diocese of Rezekne said Zeila must be presumed innocent. The allegations are the latest to hit the Catholic Church, which was rocked last month by a devastating US report into child sex abuse accusing more than 300 'predator' priests of abusing more than 1,000 children over seven decades in the state of Pennsylvania. The pope has sharpened his criticism on the explosive issue - but he remains under pressure to make far-reaching changes. Zeila faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of sex abuse, while the other suspect could be sentenced to 12 years if convicted of human trafficking. A blundering Treasury minister today let slip the dramatic codename of the government's no-deal plan - Operation Yellowhammer. The striking title was revealed on a document accidentally exposed by Salisbury MP John Glen as he walked into the Cabinet Office. The paper, spotted by eagle-eyed photographers, is for a meeting to 'consider progress on the government's plans for mitigating the immediate impacts of a no-deal Brexit'. It says departments should be managing the pressures from a collapse in negotiations by 'reprioritising' existing funding. The briefing also suggests that officials should be looking at the situation of commercial firms that play a part in their contingency planning. The Treasury paper (pictured) was spotted by eagle-eyed photographers, and is a briefing for a meeting to 'consider progress on the government's plans for mitigating the immediate impacts of a no-deal Brexit' Treasury minister John Glen (pictured left) accidentally exposed the document as he left a meeting at the Cabinet Office The codename quickly triggered speculation about the significance of the word Yellowhammer. But it is understood the title was generated at random in Whitehall. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that no departments would have to make budget cuts to pay for the immediate planning for a no deal Brexit because 1.5billion has been set aside for contingency planning. What does yellowhammer mean and how did civil servants come up with the name? Yellowhammer is the code name for the work for planning a no deal Brexit carried out by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS). It takes its name from a small yellow bird which lives across the UK. They forage for seeds to eat, breed in May and enjoy singing. Male yellowhammers learn their songs from their fathers, and over the course of time regional dialects have developed. In ancient legend the birds were linked to the devil - the intricate patterns on their eggs were said to conceal an evil message. The Yellowhammer operation works across all Whitehall departments to ensure the UK is able to weather the shock of crashing out of the Brussels bloc. The word itself is randomly generated by a computer. The CCS was established in 2011 and works on projects to ensure the UK can handle potentially disruptive change. Projects similar to Yellowhammer have been carried out to prepare for the 2012 Olympics and the Champions League final. Advertisement He said: 'We have been clear - the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union - that we are making preparations for a no deal scenario. 'We don't expect that to happen, but we are being very clear that we are ready and that is part of that work.' Quizzed about the document while on a visit to Glasgow's University of Strathclyde's Technology and Innovation Centre, Philip Hammond said longer term departments would have to look at their contingency plans. The Chancellor told the BBC: 'Departments have the funding for no-deal planning. What we're beginning to discuss is now part of long term contingency planning.' He added: 'In no deal circumstances we would have to refocus Government priorities so that Government was concentrated on the circumstances that we found ourselves in. 'Let me reiterate again that is not the outcome we are expecting and it's not the outcome we're seeking.' The document emerged as Health Secretary Matthew Hancock admitted taxpayers face extra costs to stockpile drugs for a no deal Brexit. Mr Hancock said the Government was in talks with pharmaceutical companies about footing the bill for services such as refrigeration. He confirmed ministers had asked companies to build up stocks in case a no deal Brexit stops a supply of drugs flowing into Britain over land. And Mr Hancock said there were further contingencies to switch supplies of medicine to the NHS to be flown in. Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured in Downing Street yesterday) and the Treasury have been under fire over stark warnings about the consequences of no deal Asked if the plans would mean higher costs, Mr Hancock told the Today programme: 'We won't pay for the drugs themselves, because they will be sold on into the NHS, so we are not going to pay for them twice. 'But we are talking to the pharmaceutical industry about the extra cost that they might have to incur in that eventuality. Of course, I hope it doesn't come to that.' Fears of a no deal Brexit are rising amid little agreement on Theresa May's Chequers plan for a deal and a rapidly closing window to strike a divorce. Hopes of getting a deal in place by a crucial summit in October are fading fast. Mr Hancock insisted today he was 'increasingly confident' that a deal with Brussels would be agreed. The taxpayers faces extra costs to stockpile drugs for a no deal Brexit, Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured in Downing Street yesterday admitted today But he added: 'It is important, as a responsible government, to make sure we prepare for all eventualities and therefore we have got to be ready for exiting without a deal. 'Therefore we have proposed that there is stockpiling of medicines by the pharmaceutical companies, not by the NHS.' He said the response had been 'very good' and 'I am confident that if everybody does what they need to do then we can have an unhindered flow of medicines even in the event of a no-deal Brexit'. He added that the existing contracts to supply drugs to hospitals need to be fulfilled. 'The task is for the pharmaceutical companies to ensure that enough supplies are available to ensure that can happen,' he said. A woman charged with manufacturing the deadly toxin ricin in her Vermont retirement community and testing it on residents was sentenced Thursday. Betty Miller, 71, has been sentenced to time served and five years of probation and must undergo mental health treatment and must pay a $10,000 fine. Miller, who has an extensive mental health history, is expected to be released Monday when her lawyer said she will undergo at least nine weeks of intensive outpatient mental health therapy at a Bangor, Maine, hospital, where she had been treated before, followed by aftercare. Miller was arrested last November after telling investigators she made ricin at her home at the Wake Robin community in Shelburne from castor bean plants because she wanted to injure herself. Betty Miller, 71, was charged Thursday to five years probation and a $10,000 fine as well as time served for poisoning residents in her community home in November Betty Miller admitted to testing self-made ricin on residents of the Wake Robin senior living facility in Shelburne, Vermont A federal complaint said she tested the ricin's effectiveness by putting it in residents' food or drinks. No one became seriously ill. She pleaded guilty in May to possessing the deadly toxin. U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss on Thursday rejected a plea agreement that called for three years of supervised release, and instead imposed five years of probation to extend her supervision and a fine, saying it was the best way to protect the public and send a message to Miller that there were many, many costs associated with the offense, including to law enforcement. Miller told the court Thursday that she learned a lot about herself in prison, including 'to be kind and compassionate' and that 'friendships are valuable.' Judge Reiss said she was pleased to hear that considering the 'callousness' with which she said Miller had taken other people's lives into her own hands by exposing them to ricin. If inhaled, ricin causes difficulty breathing and other symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and hallucinating 'That was a very uncaring and dangerous thing to do,' she said. Ricin is so serious 'that it's considered a weapon of mass destruction,' Reiss said. Miller, who has an extensive mental health history, is alleged to have made the ricin from castor beans, pictured, stock photo She also said Miller was smart and knew what she was doing, even having to spend a week in the hospital for breathing the deadly agent. The judge and Miller's lawyer also noted Miller's conduct after the offense, telling a psychologist and later investigators what she had done, and her willingness and desire to get help. 'She's made it very clear that she wishes to resume' serious and lengthy interventions at a facility she was previously at in Maine, Miller's lawyer Paul Volk said. She also paid about $90,000 to in restitution to the Wake Robbin retirement community, he said. As part of her conditions of release, she must undergo mental health treatment or return to prison, Reiss said, as well as drug testing and must not have any contact with the victims. A gang who charged migrants up to 5,000 euros (4,500) to be smuggled across the Mediterranean have been dismantled, the National Crime Agency has said. The group trafficked migrants across the sea from Egypt to Crete, before beginning journeys across Europe and sometimes into the UK. Six suspected gang members aged between 23 and 49 were arrested during a series of raids on the Greek island on Monday, the NCA said. Members of a linked group were arrested in March last year when more than 100 migrants were found being held in caves and abandoned farm buildings, the NCA said The smuggling gang was jailed for a total of 1,400 years after forcing migrants to live in the filthy caves in Greece before charging 3,500 each to get them into Europe The network is said to have given little regard to the safety of the migrants and is suspected of being responsible for 60 being rescued off the coast of Crete in an unseaworthy vessel. The NCA, which leads people-smuggling task force Invigor, said the men face prosecution in Greece for allegedly arranging accommodation and transportation of migrants, while providing them with false travel documents. Invigor head Chris Hogben said: 'The kind of people-smuggling networks we see operating in the Mediterranean represent a huge risk to the lives of those they transport. 'These criminal gangs treat migrants as a commodity to be profited out of - they don't care about keeping them in horrendous conditions or using completely unsuitable or unseaworthy vessels to move them hundreds of miles across the sea.' From the caves, the migrants were packed into crowded boats for an 'incredibly dangerous journey' to mainland Europe The smugglers were finally caught with a boat full of 112 migrants after a joint operation by European agencies, including the UK's National Crime Agency Members of a linked group were arrested in March last year when more than 100 migrants were found being held in caves and abandoned farm buildings, the NCA said. The smuggling gang was jailed for a total of 1,400 years after forcing migrants to live in the filthy caves in Greece before charging 3,500 each to get them into Europe. From the caves, the migrants were packed into crowded boats for an 'incredibly dangerous journey' to mainland Europe. The smugglers were finally caught with a boat full of 112 migrants after a joint operation by European agencies, including the UK's National Crime Agency. Speaking at the time, Chris Hogben, head of the taskforce at the NCA said: 'The utter disregard for human life shown by those groups was clearly demonstrated in this case, with migrants forced to live in squalor and then attempt an incredibly dangerous journey by sea.' Egypt has delivered verdicts for more than 700 people over a pro-Muslim Brotherhood sit-in after President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in 2013. The mass trial relates to a Muslim Brotherhood protest in Cairo's Rabaa Square that was broken up by the security forces. He was accused of "murder and membership of a terrorist organisation" - charges that can carry the death penalty - but has already spent five years in jail. Among those sentenced to death are Safwat Hegazy, Mohamed El Baltagy, Essam El Erian, Assem Abdel Maged and Amr Zaki. A total of 374 were sentenced to 15 years and 215 to five years. One of Mr Morsi's sons, Osama, was among 22 defendants who received 10-year jail terms. Mahmoud Abu Zaid, a photojournalist also known as Shawkan whose case was embraced by rights groups, received five years imprisonment, meaning he will walk free for time served. Rights group Amnesty International has called the trial "grossly unfair" and a violation of Egypt's constitution. On 14 August 2013, one of the bloodiest days in Egypt's modern history, police moved to disperse the sprawling protest camp at Rabaa a month after the army deposed the democratically elected Morsi from office. Former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi in a makeshift courtroom at the national police academy, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Najia Bounaim, North Africa campaigns director at Amnesty International, said at least 900 protesters were killed by security forces in the crackdown, yet "not a single police officer has been brought to account for the killing". "The death penalty should never be an option under any circumstances". Mahmoud Abu Zaid, a photojournalist known as "Shawkan" whose detention has been decried by rights groups at home and overseas, received five years in prison. Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Mohamed Badie and dozens more were given life sentences, judicial sources said. RSF ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index and says that at least 31 journalists are now detained in the Arab world's most populous nation. Egypt's courts have sentenced hundreds of people, including Morsi and several leaders of his Brotherhood movement, to death or lengthy jail terms after speedy mass trials. Brutal clashes between the Egyptian security forces and the protests against Mohamed Morsi's removal lead to the killing of hundreds and thousands were injured. Private details of the mother of two of Hollywood's most revered actors have been released to the public. Leonie Hemsworth, mother to Liam and Chris Hemsworth, was one of several people whose medical, personal and legal information was dumped online by the Victorian State Government on Monday. From Phillip Island in Melbourne's far south-east, Mrs Hemsworth says she is contemplating legal action as Premier Daniel Andrews tries to contain fallout from the fiasco. Leonie Hemsworth (pictured with sons Chris and Liam) has had her personal information released in what is being dubbed a 'disgusting debacle' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews authorised the release of more than 80,000 documents On Monday, more than 80,000 documents containing the private information of several Victorians was released to the public under Mr Andrews' authority, the Herald Sun reported. Their release was authorised by Mr Andrews in an effort to attack opposition leader Matthew Guy over a botched rezoning of the suburb of Ventnor at Phillip Island, when he was planning minister in 2011. The feud comes as Victoria heads towards a state election in November. On Wednesday evening, the release of the information was declared an 'error' and removed from Parliament's website, but not before they had been public for more than 48 hours. Even still, one psychologist's report was still available online on Thursday evening. The mother of Hollywood actors Chris (pictured with Miley Cyrus) and Liam Hemsworth refuted claims that she had received an apology from the State Government on Thursday On Thursday afternoon, Mr Andrews announced they had reached out to Mrs Hemsworth and apologised. She refuted this, and told the Herald Sun they hadn't. In public statements, Premier Daniel Andrews said: 'That's inadvertent, that's unfortunate. While Deputy Premier James Merlino said: 'This is unfortunate and I am sorry... As soon as we became aware, we removed those details from the documents.' The documents were released in an attack against opposition leader Matthew Guy (pictured) Mr Andrews (pictured) will contend for re-election as Victoria's Premier this November During a fiery question time in State Parliament on Thursday, Mr Andrews and Mr Merlino exchanged blows with opposition leader Matthew Guy. Mr Merlino said Mr Guy was at fault for the leak, saying he 'stole money from the public as a payout when it went wrong.' Mr Guy hit back, saying the 'disgusting debacle is a snapshot into the Premier's soul'. Mrs Hemsworth says she is considering legal action, with others suggesting she has a sustainable case. Law Institute of Victoria president Belinda Wilson said there was a 'serious breach of privacy', while ex-privacy commissioner David Watts said there was potential for a class action suit. A baby elephant has been spotted wandering around the plains of South Africa with a missing trunk. Fears for the calf's safety have grown after footage showed the baby animal walking among a herd of elephants in Kruger National Park without its critical body part. Safari workers said they didn't know exactly how it had lost its iconic appendage but it was likely ripped off by a predator. A young elephant has been spotted in Kruger National Park, South Africa, without a trunk It's trunk was probably bitten off by a crocodile or a lion - or damaged in a snare, according to safari workers Can an elephant survive in the wild without its trunk? The chances of an adult elephant surviving in the wild without its trunk are slim. An adult needs to eat between 200-600 pounds of food a day and drink up to 50 gallons of water a day. Without a trunk it would be near-impossible for the animal to consume that much food or water. The trunk is also important for social interactions. Elephants use their trunks to hug, caress and comfort other elephants. Without the tools to form bonds with fellow elephants, it may be ousted from its herd and vulnerable to predators. Advertisement They said there had been several cases of crocodiles grabbing baby elephants by their trunks as they sipped water from lakes. Lions are also known to cling to the trunk when they attack the large animals. Another explanation was that it could've been caught in a snare. The body part is a fusion of an elephant's upper lip and nose. Filled with more than 100,000 muscles, this huge appendage is both powerful and dexterous. The animals use their trunks to pick plants and fruit from trees and eat grass from the ground. They use the trunk to suck up as much as two gallons of water at a time for either drinking or cleaning itself. Elephants also use their trunks to defend themselves against predators. Losing it is one of the most potentially life-threatening things that can happen to the animal. Filled with more than 100,000 muscles, an elephant trunk is both powerful and dexterous It's essential in the animal's survival. It's used for eating, drinking and even breathing properly The chances of an adult elephant surviving in the wild without its trunk are slim. An adult needs to eat between 200-600 pounds of food a day and drink up to 50 gallons of water a day. Without a trunk it would be near-impossible for the animal to consume that much food or water. The trunk is also important for social interactions. Elephants use their trunks to hug, caress and comfort other elephants. Without the tools to form bonds with fellow elephants, it may be ousted from its herd and vulnerable to predators. President Donald Trump's obsessions with hunting down leakers long predated the release of the bombshell Bob Woodward book and anonymous New York Times op-ed with the president reportedly toting a list of suspected leakers last year. The president carried the hand-written list of leakers for some time last year, Axios reported. 'He would basically be like, 'We've gotta get rid of them. The snakes are everywhere. But we're getting rid of them,'' a source close to Trump told the publication. President Donald Trump carried hand-written list of leakers last year, following a non-stop flow of internal information about his White House The president in effect conducted his own leak investigation, quizzing aides about whom they believed was trustworthy. He also regularly asks his aides for their views on their colleagues, leading to uncomfortable conversations, according to the report, not to mention back stabbing of rivals. A source said Trump would examine the back seats of the Roosevelt Room during a meeting and look at the aides gathered there. 'One day, after one of those meetings, he said, "Everything that just happened is going to leak. I don't know any of those people in the room." ... He was very paranoid about this,' according to the account. A Trump friend told the Washington Post trump believes he can only trust his children. The president fumed about an anonymous New York Times op-ed during a meeting with sheriffs from across the country at the White House in Washington President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media during a meeting with sheriffs from across the country at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 The president's longtime obsessions with leaks went into overdrive this week after early reports from journalist Bob Woodward's new book 'Fear' and a scandalous, anonymous op-ed on his administration appearing in the New York Times. The president is asking loyal aides to discover who leaked private White House conversations to The Washington Post reporter, CNN reported, but it it likely that will be expanded to attempt to uncover what 'senior official in the Trump administration' wrote in The Times about the efforts from within to thwart the president's 'worst inclinations.' 'Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them,' the official wrote in The Times. President Trump is demanding to know who in his administration is leaking Journalist Bob Woodward in the lobby of Trump Tower on Jan. 3, 2017 'We believe our first duty is to this country, and the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic,' the official added. Trump wants to know who's talking. 'He wants to know who talked to Woodward,' an administration official told CNN. He is said to suspect former national security adviser H.R. McMaster and former chief economic adviser Gary Cohn as among those who talked to The Washington Post reporter for his tome 'Fear,' which comes out Tuesday. Several names are being thrown around as the possible anonymous writer in the New York Times piece. Online chatter Wednesday quickly focused on Vice President Mike Pence as armchair language analysts focused on one line describing the late Sen. John McCain as 'a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue.' That word lodestar is a favorite of the vice president. But a senior White House official told DailyMail.com that suspicion is not focused on him or anyone in his office following a frank discussion among the VP's senior staff. The official suspects 'lodestar' was purposely included in the op-ed to throw journalists off the scent. When it comes to negative stories involving the West Wing, the president looks at how forcefully aides respond them. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson never denied calling Trump a 'moron' and a former senior White House official told CNN that Trump 'never forgave him for it.' Tillerson was fired in March. The president also has noticed the silence from several other former administration officials when it comes to making denials about Woodward's book, which has reached the number one spot on Amazon.com. Trump has personally slammed both Woodward's book and the 'gutless' writer of The Times' opinion piece. The White House issued a strong response to The Times piece. 'Nearly 62 million people voted for President Donald J. Trump in 2016, earning him 306 Electoral College votes versus 232 for his opponent. None of them voted for a gutless, anonymous source to the failing New York Times. We are disappointed, but not surprised, that the paper chose to publish this pathetic, reckless, and selfish op-ed. This is a new low for the so-called 'paper of record,' and it should issue an apology,' White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. 'This is just another example of the liberal media's concerted effort to discredit the President,' she added. She also called on the writer to resign. 'The individual behind this piece has chosen to deceive, rather than support, the duly elected President of the United States. He is not putting country first, but putting himself and his ego ahead of the will of the American people. This coward should do the right thing and resign.' Several observers noted The Times referred to the author as 'he' in a tweet about the piece, prompting many to assume the op-ed was written by a man. But Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for the paper, told Business Insider this was a mistake. Woodward's book 'Fear' comes out September 11 Trump and White House officials have pushed back hard on Bob Woodward's book 'Senior opinion editors know the identity of the official, as we pointed out in our editor's note,' Ha said. 'The tweet was drafted by someone who is not aware of the author's identity, including the gender, so the use of 'he' was an error.' Trump expressed publicly his pleasure that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued forceful denials on quotes attributed to them by Woodward. 'Gen. Mattis has come out very, very strongly...He was insulted by the remarks that were attributed to him,' Trump said. 'John Kelly, same thing. He was insulted by what they said. He couldn't believe what they said.' Woodward quoted Kelly slamming Trump after he blew a fuse during a meeting. 'He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails,' Kelly said, in Woodward's telling. 'We're in Crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had.' Kelly fired back at the claims, saying in a statement: 'The idea that I ever called the President is not true, in fact it's exactly the opposite. ... This is both a pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from his many successes.' In another episode described in 'Fear,' Trump questioned the utility of U.S. early warning systems in Alaska to identify a nuclear attack from North Korea. When Trump asked about it, Mattis schooled him: 'We're doing this in order to prevent World War III.' Mattis later told colleagues Trump had the mental ability of 'a fifth- or sixth-grader,' acording to Woodward's sources. On Tuesday he denied the account, saying: 'The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence. While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility.' Sanders said on 'Good Morning America' that Woodward's book is based on the claims of anonymous sources and disgruntled former staffers. 'This is just another repeat of pure fiction,' she said. Woodward said he stands by his reporting. Named: Police on Thursday identified the Cincinnati bank shooter as Omar Enrique Santa Perez, 29 (pictured) Police in Cincinnati this afternoon identified the gunman who carried out the attack on a downtown bank that left three people dead and two others wounded as 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez, of North Bend, Ohio. Officials said the outcome of the attack could have been even more tragic if it were not for the actions of responding police officers, given that Perez was armed with multiple magazines and 200 rounds of ammunition. At a press conference late Thursday afternoon, Police Chief Eliot Isaac said Perez carried out the shooting at Fifth Third Bank at 511 Walnut Street with a legally purchased 9mm semi-automatic pistol. WLWT revealed that Perez was wearing a business suit when he somehow made his way into the bank's loading dock, after visiting several nearby stores, including the Potbelly Sandwich Shop housed in the same building as the bank. Isaac said Perez never worked at Fifth Third Bank and had no other obvious tie to the office building. According to the chief, investigators so far have found no indication that it was an act of terror, but Isaac raised the possibility that Perez had mental health problems. Scroll down for video Bullet holes are seen in a glass door at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati after the shooting Yellow evidence markers are seen dotting the floor of the bank headquarters lobby A woman is comforted by authorities stationed outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center's Emergency room following a shooting in downtown Cincinnati that left four dead Police in Cincinnati are on the scene of an active shooter situation with four fatalities, including the gunman, and two injured victims at Fifth Third Bank The shooting occurred at 9.10am in the lobby and loading dock at Fifth Third Bank An area is cordoned off with police tape near Cincinnati's busy Fountain Square Thursday morning Streets around the building at the citys Fountain Square were closed as were sidewalks Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, center, held a press conference Thursday morning offering an update on the shooting The incident began unfolding at 9.10am when a 911 call came in reporting shots fired at the bank. Isaac said Perez entered the loading dock at the building and opened fire, then proceeded to the lobby of Fifth Third Bank, where four police officers confronted him three minutes later and shot him multiple times, killing him. Just before 1pm, police executed a search warrant at an apartment building in Northbend, Ohio, believed to be connected to the bank shooter. A neighbor told the station WLWT the person in question had moved into the building just a day or two ago. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was 'actively shooting innocent victims' and that it was a 'horrific' scene. He noted the building on the citys Fountain Square houses popular ice cream, sandwich and pastry shops. He said it 'could have been much, much worse' if not for the immediate police response to end the threat. 'This is not normal, and it shouldn't be viewed as normal,' the mayor told reporters, adding that the United States is the only industrialized nation with frequent active shooting incidents. 'We as a country have to deal with it,' Cranley added. Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Deters told WHIO that the gunman had enough ammunition on him to kill 30-40 people, but police who responded to the scene within three minutes of getting the first 911 call were able to neutralize him by shooting him through the glass window of the lobby. A witness told the paper he saw a woman walking into Fifth Third Bank with her headphones on and getting shot by the gunman. Other bystanders later reported seeing a woman being carried out of the building drenched in blood and laid down on a slab of concrete by police officers. City Councilman Chris Seelbach revealed in a tweet that the female survivor of the attack is from Louisville, Kentucky, and that she sustained a dozen gunshot wounds all over her body. Pedestrians are allowed to exit police cordons as emergency personnel and police work the scene of shooting near Fountain Square Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley speaks to the media late Thursday morning This photo obtained on September 6, 2018 courtesy of Jeremy Monahan via Twitter shows a view from a window overlooking the scene of the shooting criss-crossed with police tape Emergency personnel and police respond to the shooting near Fountain Square Thursday Erick Kearney, president of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, shared a grisly photo on Twitter showing first responders wheeling a bloodied, nearly naked man on a gurney towards an ambulance. The photo suggests that man suffered a gunshot wound to the head. At least two ambulances were seen leaving the scene. Both injured victims were taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, reported WLWT. The male survivor's condition has been upgraded from serious to fair. No police officers were injured in Thursday's deadly incident. Federal agents were on the scene. Streets around the building at the citys Fountain Square were closed as were sidewalks. Police completed their search of the crime scene at around 11am, reported Fox 19. Two people were taken in critical condition to UC Medical Center Thursday morning Governor John Kasich, a Republican, also addressed the shooting in a tweet this morning Pedestrians stand behind a police line near Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati Thursday Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, tweeted that he and his staff are following the situation out of Cincinnati. 'If you're downtown, please follow first responder instructions for the safety of everyone involved. Jane and I hope for a peaceful resolution soon,' the tweet read. Governor John Kasich, a Republican, also addressed the shooting in a tweet this morning, describing the incident as a 'senseless act of gun violence on the streets of Cincinnati.' Germaine Greer has argued that rapists should have their jail sentences reduced providing more of them are convicted for the crime. Speaking in a fiery interview with The Project, Greer argued there could be more rape convictions if courts were to rely less on 'the burden of proof' - proving beyond reasonable doubt that rape defendants are guilty. Greer then went on to say that the only way courts would accept such a change was if rape sentences were reduced. 'Lots of women are saying we should reduce the burden of proof. If you do that you have to reduce the sentence,' she said. Germaine Greer said in the interview that she believed rape sentences should be reduced if the 'burden of proof' is reduced She argued that reducing the burden of proof would lead to more convictions but that sentences would need to be changed 'If you lower the burden of proof you will probably have to lower the tariff and there will be an outcry.' The controversial feminist has landed herself in hot water in the past over her rape comments. She previously wrote in an article for The Australian that rape causes less psychological harm than male partners who have disinterested sex. Greer caused outcry with the comments after saying the emotional and psychical abandonment from a loved one or sexual partner is far more damaging than a sexual attack. In a chastening exchange with interviewer Hamish Macdonald on Wednesday, Greer was once again grilled on her controversial opinions on non-consensual sex. 'The current view of rape is that non-consentual sex is rape,' she continued, 'Once you actually make that bargain with yourself: "I'm going to have sex I don't really want" all of this is constrained. None of that is free consent.' Greer has caused outcry in the past over an article in which she wrote that rape causes less harm than male partners who have disinterested sex Asked whether she accepts that non-consensual sex is a violent act she replied: '"Violent" is a funny word. You can have sex with a woman without waking her up.' Greer was slammed on social media over the exchange - with Twitter users calling her out for being 'extremely triggering'. 'Well that segment was extremely triggering and brought on a full PTSD flashback of something Id blocked out,' one user said, 'OBVIOUSLY she has never been raped in a non traditional sense. She needs to understand and learn. Talk to survivors.' Another commented: 'Germaine Greer is a massive oxygen thief - why is The Project wasting time on this bitter & twisted old never-was!!' And one person said: 'That interview made me so angry. Germaine Greer needs to stop talking on behalf of women for the rest of her life. 'She's a disgrace and certainly has no right to tell women the definition of when they've been raped.' But some social media commentators defended the embattled feminist saying: 'Germaine was spot on, maybe she should toss her hat in the ring and shake the place up.' A transgender prisoner charged with raping a woman was remanded to a female prison where she indecently assaulted four inmates, a court heard. Karen White, 52, was sent to the jail despite the fact that she was a convicted sex offender and paedophile. All her previous offences had been committed when she was a man and White had not had gender reassignment surgery when she went to women-only New Hall Prison near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where the sex assaults took place. Karen White (pictured), 51, confessed to two counts of sexual touching during her time in jail The case could lead to a review of the rules for dealing with transgender inmates in the prison system. Yesterday White pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to the historic rape of a woman in August 2003, when she was then called Stephen Wood. Last month she also pleaded guilty at the same court to two counts of raping another woman between February and December 2016. It was for these rape offences that White was remanded in custody to New Hall Prison. And while locked up there she took advantage of living alongside women inmates to carry out further sex attacks. White had not had gender reassignment surgery when she went to women-only New Hall Prison (pictured) near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where the sex assaults took place White admitted sex assaults on two inmates and denied sexually assaulting two others. All the incidents took place between September and November last year. How many transgender prisoners are there in England and Wales? The latest figures showed there were 125 transgender prisoners in England and Wales up to the end of March 2017, an increase from 70 a year earlier. About 25 are thought to be in women's jails. At least 34 male-born inmates are living as women in four specialist sex offender jails for men, according to Freedom of Information Act requests. But prison governors say many have sought to be transferred to women's jails. Advertisement She was transferred to HM Prison Leeds, a category B men's prison, after the jail attacks. The sex assault offences she denied have been left to lie on file, as have a further rape allegation against the 2016 victim and a charge of controlling behaviour against her. White had been living as a man called David Thompson before she began to identify as a woman. She became Karen White and lived near Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire. She was in transition when she committed the latest rape. White is also awaiting sentence for stabbing a neighbour. Yesterday she appeared in the dock with her auburn hair in a ponytail, wearing glasses and walking with a stick. Judge Christopher Batty adjourned sentencing until October 11 for the preparation of reports and to obtain victim personal statements. While locked up at New Hall Prison, she took advantage of living alongside women inmates to carry out further sex attacks 'I'm going to have you assessed to see whether you are a danger,' he told her. When White appeared before a district judge at Leeds Magistrates' Court in July, she claimed she had not sexually assaulted the female inmates because she is not attracted to women and suffers from erectile dysfunction. Prosecutor Charlotte Dangerfield told the court the first assault in September happened when White stood close to another inmate, touched her arm and exposed herself. For the second assault she made 'inappropriate comments about oral sex' and put the woman's hand on the 'defendant's left breast' so she could feel her padded bra. Miss Dangerfield said the third alleged assault involved White pushing herself indecently against another prisoner, and on the fourth incident she allegedly kissed an inmate on the neck. White pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court (pictured) to the historic rape of a woman in 2003 The court heard White was convicted in 2001 for two offences of indecent assault and gross indecency with a child and was jailed for 18 months. She began identifying as a woman in 2014, but friends told the Sun she was not diagnosed with gender dysphoria - and was a drag artist, rather than transgender. It was also claimed she has an ex-wife and son, and was helped by a transgender group in Manchester before being referred to a gender identity clinic in Sheffield. A spokesman for the Prison Service said: 'We apologise sincerely for the mistakes which were made in this case. 'While we work to manage all prisoners, including those who are transgender, sensitively and in line with the law, we are clear that the safety of all prisoners must be our absolute priority.' The confronting life of a superyacht stewardess has been exposed in the wake of Sinead McNamara's death. Ms McNamara, a 20-year-old Australian Instagram model, is believed to have taken her own life while working as a crew member on board the $190million Mayan Queen IV, docked at a port in the Greek islands. In the months leading up to her death, the young model appeared to be living the dream - hopping from island to island while working on a luxury boat for one of the world's richest men - Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres. But behind the glamorous social media posts lies a darker reality where drug use is rampant, secret prostitutes are smuggled on board and sleep-deprived hostesses work around the clock. Former employees have lifted the lid on another side of the industry, where the only consistency is exhaustion. Australian hostess Sarah Begbie (pictured, left, right) said she was unprepared for the gruelling work on board the superyacht she worked on Australian women have revealed that it's common to work on as little as four hours sleep a night, months on end. Australian hostess Sarah Begbie set sail for a superyachting lifestyle back in 2014, when her boyfriend, who worked on board luxury yacht, said his company was looking for staff. She couldn't have known the gruelling work she was in for, previously telling Daily Mail Australia she would work absurd hours and sleep in a 'jail cell'. The longest break she would take in a 16-hour work day was two minutes, expected to slave over customers late into the night. The report comes after the tragic and untimely death of Australian Instagram model and yacht stewardess Sinead McNamara (pictured) on a superyacht in a Greek port Sarah Begbie (pictured) said her 'jail cell' living quarters were so small there was only enough floor-space for one person to change clothes at a time CONFESSIONS OF SUPERYACHT HOSTESS SARAH BEGBIE - Sarah Begbie started working on a superyacht at age 23 - She spent a year and a half living on a 164ft Trinity yacht with her boyfriend - The job took her to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Burma - A private chef cooked five-star food for guests and crew members - But staff worked a gruelling schedule of 16-hour work days - In some shifts the longest break she would take was two minutes long - The couple lived in a tiny cabin she described as a 'jail cell' - After midnight she made desserts and snacks for guests before waking up early to prepare breakfast Advertisement As a hostess, Ms Begbie's duties involved keeping living quarters pristine, as well as serving up to 16 often demanding guests food and drinks. 'I could have never predicted the type of hard work I was in for,' Ms Begbie said. 'I usually started at 6am, and we would normally do 16-18 hour days - and I mean not sitting down for more than two minutes at a time, literally working the whole time.' The rooms lived in by crew members were so small there was only enough floor-space for one person to change clothes at a time, she said. As a hostess, Ms Begbie's (pictured) duties involved keeping living quarters pristine, as well as serving up to 16 often demanding guests food and drinks 'I usually started at 6am, and we would normally do 16-18 hour days,' Ms Begbie (pictured) said Other hostesses, said they would be serving guests drinks until 3am, then get up only hours later to make them breakfast, reported The Daily Telegraph. In the few hours they do get to sleep, their living quarters are packed tight. Staff share cabins that are so small there isn't enough room for two people to stand at once. In a handbook promoted by recruiters, it encourages potential stewardesses to understand their life needs to 'revolve around the boat, the owners, and the guests', and that anyone taking up the job has to put aside their own aspirations. Sydney-born Tracey Zarowski also worked on superyachts, travelling through Europe for seven years. She said while the work gave her the opportunity to see the world, the industry was grim. Another employee, Dana Brown (pictured), said while the work was tough, she had a good trip 'The expectations are high I knew one girl who was a little bit overweight and the owner didn't like that so she was fired,' Ms Zarowski said. Other stewardesses agreed, saying they were instructed to 'turn a blind eye' to sexually inappropriate guests and ignore when prostitutes were brought on board. Another said while prostitutes were a constant on the ships, rampant drug use was more eye-opening, on one occasion walking in on the billionaire owner with what she said was a needle in his arm. The hostess said she was forced to work even when sick with bronchitis, and had a Russian guest throw tea in her face when the way she made it was not to his liking. One worker, Dana Brown from Moonee Beach in New South Wales, said while customers expected everything to be 'beyond perfect', she enjoyed her year on the luxury ship. 'It's easy to glamorise but it's not just you travelling the world taking amazing photos,' she said. Ms Brown says the worst part of her experience was getting swept up in a lavish lifestyle, earning thousands but also spending it. Competition for jobs on yachts has increased in recent years, with some blaming Instagram accounts for glorifying what can be a grueling and confronting job. There is no suggestion from Daily Mail Australia that drug use, inappropriate behaviour, prostitution or worker exploitation occurred on the Mayan Queen IV. No touching or flirting, don't ask overly personal questions or comment on someone's appearance - and definitely don't try to have sex. These are the community guidelines for all Uber drivers that have been in place since the ride-sharing giant opened in Australia six years ago. The guidelines explain what behaviour is expected from both riders and driver-partners when using Uber. Uber has strict new ground rules that drivers and riders must adhere to under its new community guidelines, which come into effect later this month These guidelines have been updated for the first time in Australia and New Zealand to allow Uber riders who fall below a minimum average rating to will lose access to the Uber app. They come into effect on September 19. 'This is a vital step in maintaining an enjoyable experience for both riders and driver-partners on the app, and fostering an environment of mutual respect,' the Uber website states. 'This is important because when driver-partners use Uber they do more than simply drive: they're sharing their own car, their space, their time and a slice of who they are with passengers.' The new guidelines follow a number of sexual assault allegations against drivers (stock image) Uber's driver-passenger guidelines are designed to ensure Uber is enjoyable and safe for everyone. 'It's OK to chat with other people in the car. But please don't comment on someone's appearance or ask whether they are single,' the guidelines state. 'And don't touch or flirt with other people in the car. As a reminder, Uber has a no sex rule. That's no sexual conduct between drivers and riders, no matter what.' Reasons why riders could lose access to Uber include damage drivers or other passengers property, physical or unwanted contact with the driver or fellow riders and use of inappropriate and abusive language or gestures Overly personal questions, and making comments or gestures that are 'aggressive, sexual, discriminatory, or disrespectful' are also off limits. Uber driver Muhammad Naveed (pictured) is behind bars after he was found guilty of guilty of raping a woman in her 20s outside a Kings Cross nightclub in 2015 Uber may put a hold on riders' accounts while investigating complaints against them. 'If the issues raised are serious or a repeat offence, or you refuse to cooperate, you may lose access to Uber,' the guidelines state. 'Any behaviour involving violence, sexual misconduct, harassment, discrimination, or illegal activity while using Uber can result in the immediate loss of access to your account.' Last week, an Uber driver was charged after he allegedly raped a teenager in North Bondi after dropping off her two friends. Police said the girl, 17, was sleeping at the time of the alleged assault. The driver, 37, is not allowed to operate as a ride-share service driver and was bailed to appear in Liverpool Local Court on October 25. Uber riders who fall below a minimum average rating will lose access to the Uber app (pictured) Last year, a jury found Sydney Uber driver Muhammad Naveed, 41, guilty of raping a woman in her 20s outside a Kings Cross nightclub in 2015. Naveed pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming the sex was consensual. Facing up to 14 years behind bars, he was sentenced to a minimum of six years and four months and will be eligible for parole in June 2023. You cannot touch or flirt with other people in the car under Uber's new community guidlelines (pictured) Uber drivers have welcomed the updated guidelines. Britain's conclusion that two hitmen from Russia's GRU intelligence agency tried to kill a former spy with novichok has been backed by the US, France, Germany and Canada. London's Met Police yesterday detailed how two men travelling under the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, came to the UK, went to Sergei Skripal's house in Salisbury and quickly flew back to Russia. Theresa May then outed the pair as GRU agents sent to kill the former double agent in an 'appalling' attack. Today, she was backed by Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump, who said the attempted assassination was 'almost certainly' approved at a senior level of the Moscow government. US, France, Germany and Canada have backed Britain's assessment that Russian intelligence services were behind the attempted nerve agent assassinations in Salisbury Mrs May has spoken to all four of her fellow leaders in recent days to update them about the investigation. The joint statement came as the war of words with Vladimir Putin's government escalated following the explosive claim of GRU involvement. Security minister Ben Wallace said Mr Putin bore ultimate responsibility for the action of his intelligence agents. He said Mr Putin had a strong grip over his state, which 'controls, funds and directs' the GRU. Mr Wallace told the BBC: 'The GRU is, without doubt, not rogue, it is led, linked to both the senior members of the Russian general staff and the defence minister and, through that, into the Kremlin and the president's office.' He said the UK would 'use whatever means we have within the law and our capabilities' to 'push back the Russian malign activity'. But Mr Wallace added: 'We are not the Russians, we don't adopt the sort of thuggish, destructive and aggressive behaviour that we have seen. 'We choose to challenge the Russians in both the overt and the covert space, within the rule of law and in a sophisticated way.' Donald Trump and Angela Merkel are among the allies who have backed Britain's conclusion that Russia's GRU was behind the novichok attack French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also signed a statement saying the hit was 'almost certainly approved at a senior government level' The joint statement by leaders of 'the quint' nations came as the UN Security Council - of which Russia is a permanent member - considered the Salisbury revelations. Mrs May's official spokesman said that the Prime Minister was pleased to receive such a rapid and united response from allies. 'We got a swift response in March and we have done so again and we are thankful for that support,' he said. The statement of the US, France, Germany and Canada in full The four leaders' joint statement says: 'We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reiterate our outrage at the use of a chemical nerve agent, known as Novichok, in Salisbury on March 4.' 'We welcome the progress made in the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and take note of the attempted murder charges brought yesterday against two suspects. 'We commend the work of the UK police and all those involved in this investigation. 'We also note the UK's analysis, independently verified by the OPCW, that the exact same chemical nerve agent was used in the poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charles Rowley as was used in the poisoning of the Skripals. 'We urge Russia to provide full disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW. 'And we encourage those with information about the attack in Salisbury on March 4, as well as the further poisoning in Amesbury, to come forward to the UK authorities. The statement continued: 'We have full confidence in the British assessment that the two suspects were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU, and that this operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level. 'We have already taken action together to disrupt the activities of the GRU through the largest ever collective expulsion of undeclared intelligence officers. 'Yesterday's announcement further strengthens our intent to continue to disrupt together the hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks on our territories, uphold the prohibition of chemical weapons, protect our citizens and defend ourselves from all forms of malign state activity directed against us and our societies.' Advertisement The Senate Judiciary Committee erupted into angry clashes on the final day of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation with Sen. Cory Booker saying he will face possible expulsion by releasing a document deemed confidential. 'This is about the closest I will probably have to an "I am Spartacus moment," said Booker, referencing the Hollywood classic about a slave rebellion in ancient Rome. The New Jersey Democrat identified a Kavanaugh document related to racial profiling among the tens of thousands deemed 'committee confidential' meaning senators can view them but they have not been released to the public in advance of the hearing. 'I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate,' Booker told his colleagues. 'This is about the closest I will probably have to an "I am Spartacus moment," said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who said he will on his own release a 'committee confidential' document about racial profiling Republican Sen. John Cornyn tangled with Booker, saying he 'knowingly violated the rules.' 'I understand the consequences,' shot back Booker. 'I knowingly violated the rules that were put forth. I'm told the committee confidential rules have no consequences. So, sir, I come from a long line as all of us do as Americans of understanding what that kind of civil disobedience is and I understand the consequences. I am before your process is finished, I am going to release the e-mail about racial profiling,' said Booker, a possible presidential candidate. 'I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate. If Senator Cornyn believes I have violated senate rules, I openly invite and accept the consequences of my team releasing that e-mail right now.' Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn read from the standing rules of the Senate and called Booker's actions 'unbecoming' Booker continued: 'I'm releasing it to expose that,number one, e-mails are being withheld from the public, have nothing to do with national security. Nothing to jeopardize the sanctity of those ideals that I hold dear. Instead, what I'm releasing this document right now to show, sir, is that we have a process here for a person, the highest office in the land, for a lifetime appointment, we're rushing through this before me and my colleagues can even read and digest the information. Panel chairman Sen. Charles Grassley jumped in and implied Booker was grandstanding. ' Can I ask you how long you are going to say the same thing three or four times?' Cornyn took a shot at Booker's motives. 'Running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate,' he said at one point. Cornyn, a Texas Republican, blasted Booker's move as 'outrageous.' Brett Kavanaugh listens to Senators on day three of his confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Democrats complained that tens of thousands of his Bush era documents are being kept confidential 'This is about the closest I will probably have to an "I am Spartacus" moment,' said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker 'This is no different from the senator deciding to release classified information that is deemed classified by the executive branch because you happen to disagree with the classification decision. That is irresponsible and outrageous. And I hope that the senator will reconsider his decision, because no senator deserves to sit on this committee or serve in theSenate in my view if they decide to be a law unto themselves and willingly flout the rules of the Senate and the determination of confidentiality and classification,' said Cornyn, the number two GOP Senate leader. 'That is irresponsible and conduct unbecoming a senator.' At another point, Booker taunted Cornyn: 'If what he said was sincere, there actually are Senate rules governing the behavior of senators. If he feels that I, and now my fellow colleagues who are with me, have violated those rules, if he is not a tempest in a tea pot but believes that, then bring the charges.' 'Go through the Senate process to take on somebody that you said is unbecoming to be a senator. Let's go through that process. 'Because I think the public should understand that at a moment that somebody is up for a lifetime appointment, that this issue does the public have a right to know,' he said. The Senate can only expel a senator with a vote of two-thirds of its members, a hurdle Republicans could not hope to muster in the 51-49 body they control. 'All of us are ready to face that rule on the bogus designation of committee confidential, ' joined in Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut 'If somebody's going to land those charges, I hope that they will follow through,' Booker said, running through a list of fellow Democrats on the committee. 'I hope that they will bring charges against us,' he said. 'And I am ready to accept the full responsibility for what I have done.' Cornyn read from Senate rules in response: 'Any senator, officer or employee of the Senate who shall disclose the secret or confidential business or proceedings of the Senate, including the business and proceedings of the committees, subcommittees and offices of the senate, shall be liable if a senator to suffer expulsion from the body and if an officer or employee to dismissal from the service of the Senate and to punishment or contempt.' 'Bring it. Bring it. Bring it,' Booker responded. 'Bring the charges. Bring it.' 'All of us are ready to face that rule on the bogus designation of committee confidential, ' joined in Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. 'Even the threat raised by one of my colleagues to say is unfortunate, and that is a kind way of putting it,' he said. Booker has questioned Kavanaugh Wednesday evening about his time as counsel to President George W. Bush. Republicans griped that Booker had referenced a 'committee confidential email.' A magnitude 7.8 natural disaster hit 105 km east-southeast of Suva, Fiji, at a depth of 608 km, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Thursday. It has been downgraded from an initial reading of 8.1 by the US Geological Survey. The quake hit 94 km south of the city of Ambato at a depth of 112 km, the USGS said. Only messages issued by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management represent the official warning status for New Zealand. The quake struck at a depth of about 640 km. The USGS said only "light" shaking would have been felt across the Pacific Ocean archipelago ocean. Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre messages do not represent the official warning status for New Zealand. Fiji sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', a 25,000 mile-long area in which some 90 percent of the world's earthquakes occur. A Colorado woman accidentally ran over her two-year-old daughter early Wednesday morning as she prepared to take her older children to school. The mother, who has not been identified, had just loaded her other two kids into her red pickup truck when she backed over the little girl. Police responded to the High View mobile home park in Westminster shortly after 7am. The mother, who has not been identified, had just loaded her other two kids into her red pickup truck when she backed over her two-year-old daughter Police responded to the High View mobile home park in Westminster shortly after 7am. Photos of the scene show several family members and friends gathered near the home where the accident happened The woman's neighbor, Jenny Gee, told The Denver Post that she jumped out of bed after she heard 'blood curdling screams'. Gee, who spent 10 years in the Army Guard, said she rushed over to the help the family and checked the toddler's pulse. But it was too late. When first responders arrived at the scene, the girl was pronounced dead. Cheri Spottke, spokeswoman for the Westminster Police Department, said: 'It's tragic and sad.' Photos of the scene show several family members and friends gathered near the home where the accident happened. Several were seen crying and hugging one another. Spottke said: 'We don't believe that it is anything but an accident, but we're going to look into it and make sure there was nothing criminal.' Police say it doesn't appear the woman had been using drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. The woman's neighbor, Jenny Gee, said she jumped out of bed and rushed over to the help the family after she heard screaming. She said she checked the toddler's pulse, but it was too late Russians living in London could face arrest in a crackdown on 'dirty money', it was claimed today, after Britain pointed the finger at Vladimir Putin over the Salisbury poisonings. Some 140 'denial of assets' inquiries are underway, according to a Whitehall source, as the government faces calls to hit back at the Kremlin over the attacks on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Theresa May claimed yesterday that the two men alleged to have carried out the assassination attempt in March were members of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. The ongoing inquiries into dirty money include a 'significant' number of Russian citizens, the Evening Standard reported. Wealthy Russians living in London could face arrest in a crackdown on 'dirty money' after Britain pointed the finger at Vladimir Putin (pictured) over the Salisbury poisonings The crackdown on 'dirty money' could lead to the arrest of some individuals, security minister Ben Wallace said. It came as Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat called for a fresh response against Putin, saying: 'We have to hit Putin where it hurts and that is in his wallet'. Mr Tugendhat, the chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, told talkRADIO: 'This is absolutely threatening not just to us in the direct sense, in the murder of an innocent British woman. 'This is a threat to the world order that has kept the peace the since the end of the Second World War.' More than 150 Russian intelligence officers were expelled from embassies around the world in a wave of diplomatic reprisals after the Novichok attack in Salisbury. Then-home secretary Amber Rudd indicated that 'Unexplained Wealth Orders' could be used against Mr Putin's cronies with property in the UK. Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich faced problems renewing his UK visa and was forced to take up Israeli citizenship amid the diplomatic crackdown. In January, the US Treasury published a list of Mr Putin's cronies as part of a sanctions law designed to punish Russia for interfering in the US election. Conservative MP and chair of the foreign affairs committee Tom Tugendhat (pictured) called for a fresh response, saying: 'We have to hit Putin where it hurts and that is in his wallet' They included Mr Abramovich as well as Arsenal investor Alisher Usmanov, Mr Putin's former judo partner Arkady Rotenberg and energy tycoon Oleg Deripaska. Security minister Ben Wallace said Mr Putin bore ultimate responsibility for the action of his intelligence agents. Mr Wallace told the BBC: 'The GRU is, without doubt, not rogue, it is led, linked to both the senior members of the Russian general staff and the defence minister and, through that, into the Kremlin and the president's office.' In the latest statement from world leaders Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump joined Mrs May in condemning Russia's involvement. 'We have full confidence in the British assessment that the two suspects were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU, and that this operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level,' the statement said. Mr Skripal, 67, and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury city centre the same day and spent weeks critically ill in hospital. Officers have formally linked the attack on the Skripals to events in nearby Amesbury when Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, were exposed to the same nerve agent. Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July, just over a week after the pair fell ill. An Oregon romance writer has been arrested for allegedly shooting her husband dead at the culinary school where he was lead instructor. Nancy L. Crampton-Brophy, 68, was arrested on Wednesday at her Beaverton home accused of killing her husband Daniel Brophy, 63, on June 2 at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Crampton-Brophy - who has published novels entitled 'The Wrong Husband' and 'The Wrong Lover' - was booked into Multnomah County Detention Center accused of murder and unlawful use of a firearm, according to Oregon Live. Nancy L. Crampton-Brophy, 68, (right) was arrested on Wednesday suspicion of killing her husband Daniel Brophy, 63, (left) who was fatally shot on June 2 at the Oregon Culinary Institute where he was lead instructor The day after his murder she posted on Facebook announcing his death saying 'please save phone calls for a few days' and 'I'm struggling to make sense of everything right now' On June 2, 2018 Brophy was found shot in the kitchen area of the school by his horrified students. His wife had penned the book 'The Wrong Husband' On June 2, 2018 Brophy was found shot in the kitchen area of the school by his horrified students. He worked at the school since 2006 and was a marine biology and mushroom expert, according to the institute's website. Crampton-Brophy is an author and she lived together with her husband in Beaverton. A day after his death she took to Facebook to share an eerie post announcing his death and urging friends to refrain from calling her. 'For my facebook friends and family, I have sad news to relate. My husband and best friend, Chef Dan Brophy was killed yesterday morning. For those of you who are close to me and feel this deserved a phone call, you are right, but I'm struggling to make sense of everything right now,' she wrote. Crampton-Brophy - who has published novels entitled 'The Wrong Hero' and 'Hell On The Heart' - was booked into Multnomah County Detention Center accused of murder and unlawful use of a firearm He was found dead at the Oregon Culinary Institute where he was lead instructor by students, pictured left with a friend Crampton-Brophy pictured right selling her novels which she describes as 'romance suspense' with titles like 'The Wrong Husband' and 'The Wrong Lover'. She was booked into jail on charges of murder and unlawful use of a weapon Brophy was fatally shot here at the Oregon Culinary Institute where he taught 'While I appreciate all of your loving responses, I am overwhelmed. Please save phone calls for a few days until I can function,' she added. On her website she writes that she's married to a chef 'whose mantra is: life is a science project'. 'Like all marriages, weve had our ups and downs, more good times than bad,' she adds. She says her romance suspense stories are about 'pretty men and strong women, about families that dont always work and about the joy of finding love and the difficulty of making it stay'. She penned 'The Wrong Series' with books entitled 'The Wrong Cop', 'The Wrong Husband', 'The Wrong Seal', 'The Wrong Lover', 'The Wrong Hero'. She is scheduled for her first court appearance in Multnomah County Thursday afternoon. It is not immediately clear if Crampton-Brophy has an attorney. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has ordered the city to stop holding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees in prison. The executive order signed Thursday cut city ties with ICE, declaring Atlanta will no longer hold anyone for the federal agency and transferred most remaining detainees out of prisons where they were being held. 'We will no longer be complicit with a policy that intentionally inflicts misery on a vulnerable population without giving any thought to the fallout,' Lance Bottoms said. 'As the birthplace of the civil rights movement, we are called to be better than this,' she added. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has ordered the city to stop holding ICE detainees in an executive order signed on Thursday She tweeted Thursday saying: 'We will no longer be complicit with a policy that intentionally inflicts misery on a vulnerable population' As of Thursday evening several ICE detainees had been removed and five people remained in Atlanta City Detention Center, a major drop from 205 held there in June, according to 11Alive. Over the summer the number of detainees has dropped as ICE has released several of them, deported others, or transported migrants to other detention centers. The decision to cut ties with ICE was recommended by a task force that reviewed the city's immigration policies following Trump's zero-tolerance- policy that detained and divided hundreds of immigrant families entering via the Mexican border. In June the Democratic Mayor also signed a separate executive order that blocked the jail from taking in any new ICE detainees, according to MyAJC. Lance Bottoms has condemned the separation of immigrant families, resulting in her refusal to accept detainees into city jails. However holding ICE detainee's has been profitable for the city as Atlanta has been paid $78 a day for each detainee held in the jail through a contract with the US Marshals service. The city raked in $7.5million through the deal for this fiscal year as of June - more than a fifth of the jail's annual $33milllion budget. As of Thursday evening on five ICE detainees remained in Atlanta's city jail, detained migrants at another jail pictured above Lance Bottoms is an outspoken critic against Trump's zero-tolerance policy. In June 205 ICE detainees were held in Atlanta's city jail, pictured above Secretary of State Brian Kemp - who is also Georgia's Republican nominee for governor - said the decision to not hold detainees would add crime to the city. 'The City of Atlanta should focus on cleaning up corruption and stopping crime - not creating more of it,' he said in a Thursday statement. A spokesperson for Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor, applauded the Mayor's 'efforts to combat the impact of the administration's cruel and inhumane family separation policy. Anyone who stands against keeping families together lacks any kind of moral compass.' Lance Bottoms added that the city has a partnership with Uber and Catholic and Lutheran charities that will provide free transportation and meals for immigrant families separated at the Mexico border who will be reunited with family members in Atlanta. The Mayor is exploring eventually selling the city jail that has a declining number of inmates and increasing maintenance costs. Also on Thursday the Trump administration moved to withdraw a 1997 decree that limits the government's ability to detain immigrant children. If the decree dubbed the 'Flores settlement' is removed, the government can detain immigrant chiildren with their parents for longer than 20 days. But federal officials said children would be 'treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability as minors'. 'Today, legal loopholes significantly hinder the departments ability to appropriately detain and promptly remove family units that have no legal basis to remain in the country. This rule addresses one of the primary pull factors for illegal immigration and allows the federal government to enforce immigration laws as passed by Congress,' US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement. New York prosecutors are subpoenaing each Catholic diocese in the state as part of investigations into clerical abuse after at least 1,000 victims were recently identified in neighboring Pennsylvania. All eight Catholic dioceses have either been or are in the process of being subpoenaed by New York's state attorney general, confirmed Dennis Poust, spokesman for the New York State Catholic Conference. There are an estimated seven million Catholics across New York, which is the fourth most populous state in the country. Prosecutors are investigating whether and how Catholic dioceses and other church entities potentially covered up allegations of sexual abuse of children. All eight Catholic dioceses in New York are being subpoenaed by prosecutors. Pictured is St Patrick's Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York New York has also set up a clerical abuse hotline and online complaints form, and on Thursday urged victims, witnesses and anyone else with any information on abusive clergy to come forward. All allegations will be reviewed, and victims' and witnesses' identities will be protected, officials said. Acting New York state Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood (pictured in May) is leading the investigation The announcement comes just over three weeks after a grand jury revealed that more than 300 priests abused at least 1,000 children across seven decades in Pennsylvania and that the Catholic Church engaged in a systematic cover-up. 'The Pennsylvania grand jury report shined a light on incredibly disturbing and depraved acts by Catholic clergy, assisted by a culture of secrecy and cover ups,' said New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. 'Victims in New York deserve to be heard as well - and we are going to do everything in our power to bring them the justice they deserve,' she added, urging 'all victims and anyone else with information to contact our hotline.' Underwood wants New York to tighten the law, allowing victims to file civil suits until the age 50 and to seek criminal charges until the age of 28. Currently, victims can only file civil cases or seek criminal charges for most types of child sexual abuse until the age of 23. There is no time limit on bringing criminal charges for the most serious child sex crimes in New York, but only if those crimes occurred in 2001 or later. The Pennsylvania report was the most comprehensive to date in the United States since The Boston Globe exposed church abuse in 2002 in Massachusetts. It increased calls to tighten laws across US states, giving victims more time to come forward to seek redress, and for bishops to be held accountable. A disgusting Grenfell Tower fraudster has been jailed after lying that he battled for survival and escaped the inferno which killed at least 71 people - so he could rack up a 43,710 hotel bill. Antonio Gouveia, 33, cried as he was sentenced to three years in prison. The fraudster claimed to be the flatmate of 80-year-old Hermine Harris who was living in the block of flats on the night of the tragedy which left 72 people dead in June 2017. Gouveia stayed at the luxury 155 per night Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch for 289 nights. The Portuguese cleaner conned the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea by stealing the womans letters from a postal depot. Antonio Gouveia previously pleaded guilty to having fraudulently obtained money, a laptop and accommodation after the Grenfell tragedy The divorcee also took a laptop which should have gone to the pensioners daughter as he swindled a total of 53,456.76. Mrs Harris was with her daughter in the seventh-floor flat on the night of the fire but both escaped. While being interviewed an officer for the Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea he said Mrs Harris had a partner and lived with two other males. He claimed to have been living at Grenfell Tower for four to five months and said he managed to escape the inferno at 4am and slept in a park. Mrs Harris, who had lived in her flat for 42 years, said in a statement read to the court: The actions of this man really pours salt into the wounds of an already difficult situation. Its extremely upsetting that the tragedy of Grenfell Tower is being exploited by people for financial gain.' She said being linked to the fraud reflected badly on her and other survivors of the blaze on June 14 last year. Father of two Gouveia wiped away tears as Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh said: The fire at Grenfell tower in June 2017 was a tragedy in which 72 innocent lives were lost, families were ripped apart, and communities devastated. It was a disaster which shocked the nation. Most people reacted with horror and dismay, and feelings of deep sympathy and profound concern for the survivors, and those others most directly affected. 14 charged, 11 jailed: The full extent of Grenfell Tower fraud claims Hospital worker Koffi Kouakou has become the 11th person jailed after Grenfell. He swindled 24,572 worth of handouts when he was put up in a hotel for three months. He told the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea that he had been living in flat 115 with Zainab Deen, which officers soon discovered was a lie. Bangladeshi Mohammed Syed Rinku claimed he was in a gay relationship with a resident of the 20th floor of the west London block and his boyfriend had died in the blaze. But when he was asked about his affair by the police, it became clear he had researched who had died in the fire. Officers then found heterosexual porn and dating apps on his phone. The 46-year-old was jailed for 18 months for the fraud. Anh Nhu Nguyen pretended his wife and 12-year-old son were killed in the blaze so he could claim charity handouts. He pocketed 11,270 as he was put up in hotels and given clothing, laptops and cash. But police discovered the 53-year-old had 28 convictions for 56 offences spanning more than 30 years, including theft, dishonesty offences, arson and grievous bodily harm. Nguyen, who was born in Vietnam, even tried to apply for a passport by claiming his had been incinerated. He was jailed for 21 months in February. Another fraudster, Anh Nhu Nguyen, met Prince Charles during his time posing as a victim Elaine Douglas and Tommy Brooks falsely claimed they lived in Grenfell Tower to claim more than 120,000. The illegal immigrants spent eight months living in a four-star hotel, with taxpayers footing the 400-a-night bill. They also spent more than 20,000 on meals and clothing on pre-paid credit cards which were given to them by Kensington and Chelsea council. The pair entered Britain illegally from Jamaica 16 years ago on separate flights and were ordered to leave by immigration officials only to vanish reappearing in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy last year. Douglas, 51, was jailed for a total of three years while Brooks, 52, received a sentence of three years and three months. Joyce Msokeri falsely claimed to have lost her husband in the blaze so that she could claim thousands of pounds. The conwoman travelled 14 miles from her own flat to the tower block and convinced charity workers she had survived the inferno. She feigned trauma to obtain handouts of 19,000 in cash, food, clothing, three mobile phones and free stays at a Hilton hotel. The 47-year-old would have received 203,000 in handouts if she had not been caught. When Msokeri, from Zimbabwe, kept giving them different numbers for her flat in the tower block, her apparent forgetfulness was put down to trauma. She was jailed for four-and-a-half years in April. Mohammad Gamoota is pictured Mohammad Gamoota trawled a list of the dead then told officials his father was Abdeslam Sebbar, who had died after becoming trapped in his flat. The 31-year-old said he had survived only because he was attending midnight prayers at his mosque when the inferno took hold. In reality, he was not related to Mr Sebbar, 77, and did not live in Grenfell Tower, but took the details from a newspaper. Two days later, Gamoota presented himself as a bereaved relative. He was given 500 and booked into a Holiday Inn hotel where he racked up a 374 room service bill. He tried to claim a further 5,000 but a technical issue with his bank account prevented the money being paid in. He was jailed for 18 months. Yonatan Eyob falsely claimed 81,000 in cash and free hotel stays, as well as 11,000 towards a new permanent home. Eyob claimed he had lived alone in a flat that actually contained a family of five who perished in Britain's worst fire for a generation. Neighbours said he didn't and CCTV proved he had never been there. He was later charged with dishonestly making a false representation for accommodation and subsistence between June 2017 and June 2018. The 26-year-old pleaded guilty and was jailed for more than six years. Council worker Jenny McDonagh blew money for victims on holidays and meals out Jenny McDonagh stole pre-paid cash cards while working as manager of the Grenfell Fire fund at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. In total she took about 62,000 from pre-paid cash cards meant for several survivors, including Fadumo Ahmed, Sacha Salaabi and Christos Fairbairn, the court heard. The money was spent on online gambling and foreign holidays. She was jailed for five-and-a-half years. Antonio Gouveia, 33, lied about escaping the inferno. The fraudster claimed to be the flatmate of 80-year-old Hermine Harris who was living in the block of flats on the night of the tragedy which left 72 people dead in June 2017. He has been jailed for three years. Abdelkarim Rekaya, 28, took advantage of the governments policy of providing amnesty for illegal immigrants living in the gutted tower block in June last year. He had been in the country since 2009 and by 2010 he had been cautioned by police for trying to steal bicycle. Rekaya first claimed he was living in flat four when the inferno claimed the lives of 72 residents. He later changed his story to say he was homeless and sleeping in the stairwell of the 11th and 12th floor. Shortly after the blaze he was put up in a luxury Chelsea hotel at a cost of 60,000 for just under a year. Judge Robin Jonathan warned him he faced a substantial custodial sentence. Advertisement Many did what they could to help in a spontaneous outpouring of generosity and compassion. Your response was different; you decided to use the situation to your personal advantage, to enrich yourself dishonestly by plundering the public funds put aside to assist the genuine victims of that disaster in their hour of need. Isleworth Crown Court heard the collapse of Gouveias marriage was a backdrop to him finding himself in his mess. In the week after the fire he spent at the hotel was free of charge and he managed to rack up 9,746.76 in a food and drinks bill. Fire destroyed the 27-storey block of flats in Ladbroke Grove, killing at least 72 people Benjamin Holt, prosecuting, said: He attended a support centre on 20th June; less than a week after the fire. As a result of these lies, Mr Gouveia was given an emergency payment of 260 in cash. He was placed on that night accommodation at the Cumberland Hotel (Marble Arch) from June 20th 2017. In addition, he attended the Portobello Rugby Trust in the week after the fire. This is a Registered Charity that was handing out laptops, computer tablets and mobile telephones to victims of the fire. Mr Gouveia again made representations that he had been living at Flat 42 of Grenfell Tower. As a result, he was given a Google Chromebook Laptop a penny shy of 250.00. As fraudulent claims came to light, an audit was carried out. Mr Gouveia was interviewed by a representative from the RBKC on 4th April 2018. He maintained his earlier claims; that he had been living in Flat 42 for 4-5 months with Hermine Harris, her partner and two other males. He said that he had entered the Tower on the night of the disaster at about 10.23pm and managed to escape at about 4 oclock the following morning. He claimed to have stayed in a park in the immediate aftermath. The Portuguese fraudster went to a postal depo to learn the identity of Ms Harris to try and lodge another claim of 500 which failed. He was arrested on 2 August and was taken to Charing Cross police station where he told officers he was having a homosexual affair with a man called Carlton. The Grenfell tragedy shocked Britain while emergency services did everything they could to get victims out alive after a fridge caught fire When he arrived in the United Kingdom ten years ago he married an English woman who bore him two children while he worked as a cleaner. They divorced several years ago and became homeless. He was ashamed of his state of affairs and met his children at Holland Park to disguise he had no home, the court heard. Gouveia, of no fixed address, admitted two counts of fraud, one relating to claiming money and accommodation from 20 June last year to 5 April this year and one of claiming a laptop on 14 June this year. He was jailed for a total of three years. There was no order for costs or compensation. A senior police officer has been sacked after more than 300 indecent images of children were found on his phone and iPad. The disturbing material downloaded by Inspector Lee Bartram, of West Midlands Police, included a film of a six-year-old boy, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told in August. The court heard how between August 2013 and the same month of this year, the officer accessed 328 images. Bartram, 44, of Bustleholme Lane, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of distributing similar images, in a court hearing last month. At the force misconduct hearing Bartram, who chose not to attend, was represented by his Police Federation representative. Police inspector Lee Bartram, 44, admitted accessing more than 300 indecent images of children Inspector Lee Bartram, of West Midlands Police, has been struck off from the force after he accessed images of children Bartram is circled in the picture above at a community event. The two youngsters are not in any way linked to the case The inspector had a high profile role in policing Birmingham city centre, attending events like Birmingham Pride, and the St Patrick's Day Parade in March this year. After finding a case against Bartram for gross misconduct proven, Mr Thompson gave his findings in a hearing lasting only 10 minutes. The inspector was thrown out of the force at a fast-track gross misconduct hearing held at its headquarters on Thursday. Chief Constable David Thompson told the special case hearing Bartram's actions had brought 'a huge amount of discredit and disapproval' on the force, and had risked 'undermining broader public confidence in policing'. He said: 'In this particular case, Inspector Bartram held a very senior and high profile position in the force, and would have been seen as a well-regarded officer. 'The shock caused is therefore high. The disappointment, horror, and disgust is even higher. 'The public rely on the police to carry out their role with diligence. 'The most vulnerable in society should always feel they can rely on the police. 'His actions are a serious breach of that trust and confidence. 'They carry a far higher risk of undermining broader confidence in policing.' Describing Bartram's crimes as 'totally incompatible with the police', Mr Thompson said: 'He is dismissed without notice, having brought a huge amount of discredit and disapproval on the force.' The force has voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in connection with Bartram's offending. Bartram (pictured) appeared at Walsall Magistrates Court after he was arrested at home Following the hearing, West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson signalled he would be looking at removing a portion of Bartram's police pension - that segment made up of the contributions made by the force - once criminal proceedings have concluded. Bartram was remanded bailed to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on September 13 for sentencing. A previous order to ban the reporting of his address was also overturned after a judge ruled his life was not at risk. A spokesman for the commissioner's office said: 'We are looking at this very closely. 'We now have to wait for all the criminal justice procedures to conclude.' Two Thai students have been found dead in a Seattle apartment this week after they touched down in the US just two weeks ago. Kornkamol Leenavarat, 25, and her friend Thiti-orn Chotchuangsap were discovered dead in their University District apartment on Tuesday morning. The girls were both post-graduate students at Washington University, where Leenavarat was studying law, according to the Bangkok Post. It's not clear how the women girls died. Two Thai students Kornkamol Leenavarat, 25, (above) and her friend Thiti-orn Chotchuangsap were found dead in their University of Washington apartment in Seattle on Tuesday morning They were discovered by the apartment's building manager on Tuesday at 9.30am as they were conducting a welfare check on the girls after their family raised alarm, Leenavarat pictured center with family days before she was found dead They were found dead on Tuesday at 9.30am by the building's manager conducting a welfare check, at the request of Leenavarat's concerned family. Detectives say at least one was stabbed but deputy immigration police commissioner Itthipon Itthisarnronnachai says the bodies of both girls bore multiple stab wounds, according to The Nation. A local medical examiner has not officially released their identities or cause of death. The girls were identified by friends and family and the Thailand Foreign Ministry. Some news reports speculate that their death may be a murder-suicide as the apartment was locked from the inside. Leenavarat's family said they had been out of touch with her for several days. When they didn't hear from her by Sunday, they asked a relative to go to Seattle to find her but they were unable to trace her. University administration officers said she had been absent from class for many days. Seattle detectives said there are no suspects at large. Leenavarat was the youngest child and only daughter in her family. Her father Pawawin Leenavarat was the former deputy mayor of Thanyaburi municipality in Pathum Thani Province in Thailand. She's also the niece of the current mayor of that municipality. The women were found inside the locked apartment bearing stab wounds at the above apartment complex on the University of Washington's campus There is little information on Chotchuangsap. Leenavarat, pictured left and right with her brother, was studying a master's degree in law. Both were post-grad students at the university. Leevnavarat left Thailand for Seattle on August 21. Chotchuangsap left Thailand on August 27 Her family say her ultimate goal was to become a judge one day. She has a bachelor's degree from Thammasat University and attained a master's degree from Thammasat University then a master's in law from a school in Boston, Massachusetts. There is little information on her friend Chotchuangsap who is from Samut Sakhon. Online she's listed as a director of Pornsiri Power Limitess Partnership, a company that deals with food products based in her hometown. Leenavarat left Thailand for Seattle on August 21, after returning there to spend time with her family for Mother's Day. Chotchuangsap left Thailand on August 27. Leenavarat's brother mourned her loss on Facebook saying 'our little sister who was always lively, friendly, and brave' with pictures of their family sending her off at Savarnabhumi Airport. The family is making preparations to bring her body back to Thailand. The bank card details of almost 400,000 British Airways customers have been stolen in one of the most serious cyber attacks to hit a UK history. Shockingly, the breach began 16 days ago, but was not detected by the airline until Wednesday night. It affects all 380,000 customers who booked flights online or via the BA app during that time using a debit or credit card. BA has insisted it had told customers about the security breach as soon as it could and it had now called in the police. But the cyber failure is a blow to the airlines once-renowned reputation for customer service with some victims vowing never to use them again. BA chief executive Alex Cruz said: We are deeply sorry for the disruption that this criminal activity has caused. We take the protection of our customers data very seriously. The stolen data did not include passport details but did include 'personal information, the airline said. British Airways passengers may have had their personal and financial information compromised- if they booked between August 21 and September 5 British Airways customers have vented their fury at BA, especially about how long it took them to notice The company said: 'The breach has been resolved and our website is working normally. 'British Airways is communicating with affected customers and we advise any customers who believe they may have been affected by this incident to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their recommended advice. 'We have notified the police and relevant authorities.' Advice is currently being given to those who may have been affected, including resetting passwords on the BA website. The airline said it will contact people who it believes may have had their data collected by the criminals. Compensation claims will be discussed on a 'individual basis' the firm said. British Airways has admitted hackers spent more than two weeks accessing data online resulting in a risk to passengers Alex Cruz, British Airways' chairman and chief executive, said in a statement: 'We are deeply sorry for the disruption that this criminal activity has caused. 'We take the protection of our customers' data very seriously.' The airline said it was investigating the breach as a matter of urgency and had reported it to the police and other relevant authorities. The National Crime Agency has been brought in. Just last month, British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group said profits had hit 989 million for the first half of the year. BA raked in 780 million of that sum. The breach was revealed at 6.27pm yesterday, after the stockmarkets had closed. A spokesman confirmed that the airline had discovered the breach on Wednesday evening, but needed time to investigate the matter and assess which customers were affected. The data breach affects all customers who booked flights online or used the BA.com app from 10.58pm on August 21 to 9.45pm on September 5. BA said it had received no reports from customers who had had money fraudulently taken out of their account. It added that the breach had been resolved and the website was working normally. The airline has taken out full-page advertisements in todays newspapers, including the Daily Mail, apologising to customers. What to do if you have been affected by the British Airways data theft If you believe you have been affected by this incident, then please contact your bank or credit card provider and follow their recommended advice. Please check back here for further updates, we will be updating this page. How do I know if I have been affected? This relates to customer bookings made from 22:58 BST August 21 2018 to 21:45 September 5 2018 inclusive. We will be contacting affected customers directly to advise them of what has happened and are advising them to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their recommended advice. Will there be any compensation? We take the protection of our customers data seriously, and are very sorry for the concern that this criminal activity has caused. We will continue to keep our customers updated with the very latest information. We will be contacting customers and will manage any claims on an individual basis. What data has been lost? The personal and financial details of customers making bookings on ba.com and the airlines mobile app were compromised. No passport or travel details were stolen. Should I call my bank or cancel my credit cards? We recommend you contact your bank and follow their recommended advice. What shall I do if I am due to travel today? The incident has been resolved and all systems are working normally so customers due to travel can check-in online as normal. Will I still be able to check in? Yes, all customers booked on our flights will be able to check in as normal. Will this affect any future bookings? The incident has been resolved and ba.com is working normally so future bookings will not be affected. Source: britishairways.com Advertisement Everyone affected by the breach was urged to contact their bank or credit card company as soon as possible. The leak is significant because the scale of the payment information accessed by the hackers is almost without precedent in the UK. Telecoms firm TalkTalk was handed a record 400,000 fine by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) in 2016 when data from 156,959 customers was leaked the previous year, but financial information from just 15,656 was accessed. The airline has taken out full-page advertisements in todays newspapers (pictured), including the Daily Mail, apologising to customers for the breach Banks are legally obliged to refund customers who have had money fraudulently taken from their account, but the hack raises fears that BA customers details will be sold on the dark web to fraudsters intent on hacking their accounts. Britains flagship carrier has suffered a series of knocks to its reputation for customer service. An IT shutdown last summer grounded flights and resulted in tens of thousands of passengers being stranded across the world. In July this year BA apologised after computer issues caused dozens of flights in and out of Heathrow to be cancelled. The month before, more than 2,000 BA passengers had their tickets cancelled because the prices were too cheap. Customers took to social media to criticise the airline last night with many hitting out at BA for failing to contact them directly about the data breach. One customer said on Twitter: Idiots. So as an executive club member they have my card details, my passport, tel, email etc. All because you outsource IT to joke places to save money. Alex Neill of Which? said: It is now vital that the company moves quickly to ensure those affected get clear information about what has happened and what steps they should take. Anyone concerned they could be at risk of fraud should consider changing their online passwords, monitor bank and other online accounts and be wary of emails regarding the breach. The BA Twitter account has been bombarded with complaints about the way they have handled the crisis British Airways joined a growing list of companies whose customers had had their details stolen. In July, Dixons Carphone admitted a huge data theft. Initially, the company said 5.9 million customer bank card details and 1.2 million personal data records had been hacked in 2017 and went unnoticed. Later, the company backtracked on its original figures and amended the total of customer records that had been accessed to a staggering 10 million. Access was also gained to non-financial personal data, such as addresses, names and email information. The major data breach involved shoppers at Currys PC World and Dixons Travel but bosses insist there is no sign of any related fraud. ** Have you been affected? Please email: mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk ** Shoppers had already faced frustration this week after Tesco doubled the price of a single banana to 25p at some stores. The supermarket chain blamed high rents in inner city areas for the 10-15p increase, with it previously charging by weight rather than per fruit. But it has now emerged that Tesco, plus Sainsbury's and Waitrose, charge inner-city shoppers up to five times the price for fruit and veg compared to out-of-town stores. MailOnline visited the retailers in Liverpool, Plymouth, London and Guildford to find shoppers in city centre stores can expect to pay more in general for most items. SAINSBURY'S The overall cost of a basket of 12 items showed you pay an extra 92p at a Sainsbury's Local store in Liverpool city centre compared to a bigger store on the Wirral. And the same Braeburn apple costs a staggering five times more in the local city store at 35p as opposed to 7p at the outlet nine miles outside of the centre. HOW A BASKET AT SAINSBURY'S LOCAL IS 92p PRICIER THAN OUT-OF-TOWN SAINSBURY'S LOCAL (Liverpool city centre) SAINSBURY'S SUPERMARKET (Wirral) Loose banana - 25p Apple - 35p 3x Large onion - 90p 2x Avocado - 1.90 Aubergine - 80p Single lemon - 40p Single orange - 35p Pain au chocolat - 75p Loose banana - 11p Apple - 7p 3x Large onion - 85p 2x Avocado - 1.80 Aubergine - 70p Single lemon - 30p Single orange - 35p Pain au chocolat - 70p Avocados in smaller Sainsbury's Local stores come in packs of two and cost 1.90 while outside the city centre the same 'Ripe and Ready' product costs 10p less. A pack of New York Plain Bagels costs 30p more in a Sainsbury's Local store in the city - and the total cost was 7.68 outside the city as opposed to 8.60 outside. The receipt on the left from a city centre Sainsbury's came to 92p more than the Wirral store The receipt from Sainsbury's Local in Liverpool city centre where bananas cost 14p more The cost of loose Braeburn apple was five times as much in cost in the city centre Sainsbury's WAITROSE At Waitrose, a similar basket of seven items costs 1.33 more at a store in Wimbledon, South West London, compared to a bigger store in Guildford, Surrey. Fairtrade bananas topped the chart costing 35p in Waitrose's smaller store which is more than double the 15p shoppers pay for the same fruit from a supermarket. HOW A BASKET AT WAITROSE COSTS 1.33 MORE AT A LOCAL STORE LITTLE WAITROSE (Wimbledon, South West London) WAITROSE SUPERMARKET (Guildford, Surrey) Loose banana - 35p Apple - 65p Onion - 1.29 Avocados - 1.90 Single lemon - 41p Single orange - 62p Pain au chocolat - 95p Loose banana - 15p Apple - 29p Onions - 67p Avocados - 1.80 Single lemon - 39p Single orange - 59p Pain au chocolat - 95p People looking to buy fresh vegetables individually do not have much choice at Little Waitrose and pay more even when forced to buy in bulk. And a packet of four onions from a smaller store costs almost twice as much as four loose onions available at a larger supermarket. The receipts from the normal Waitrose in Guildford (left), and a local in Wimbledon (right) A Waitrose spokesman told MailOnline: 'Small shops cost more to run, for example higher rent and increased rates for longer opening hours. 'Because of this some products cost a few percent more, an honest reflection of higher running costs. We also offer promotions in our convenience shops, including meal deals.' TESCO As for Tesco, it now charges by fruit rather than weight, with customers previously paying 76p per kilogram at Tesco Metro stores equating to 10-15p per banana. The change in pricing took effect at Tesco's 176 Metro stores last week. It has been selling bananas for 25p each at its 1,700 Express outlets for some time. TESCO EXPRESS BASKET COSTS 70p MORE COMPARED TO A SUPERMARKET Tesco Express (city centre) Tesco Extra Loose banana - 25p Apple - 45p Large onion - 25p Avocado - 1.05 Carrot - 39p (only did packs) Loose banana - 14p Apple - 37p Large onion - 11p Avocado - 1.00 Carrot - 7p The Metro stores are smaller than its traditional supermarkets which it calls Superstores and the Express outlets are smaller still. MailOnline found the chain also charges 37p for an apple from its larger Tesco Extra store ten miles outside Plymouth, while charging 45p in a city centre store. A Tesco spokesperson blamed the price hikes on 'more expensive' leases in city centres Tesco also fixed the price of other every day foods like onions and avocados - costing substantially more in their smaller stores. A single onion in its city centre store cost 25p while it was 11p ten miles away less than half the price. The same basket in two Tesco stores had a price difference of seven pence for the same items A spokesman for Tesco said: 'Due to the higher costs involved in operating our Express and Metro stores, there is a small premium on a number of products. 'Our convenience stores are in prime, central locations where leases are more expensive in comparison to out-of-town Extras and Superstores.' He said it had no plans to roll out the price change to larger sites. The chain has almost 3,500 shops across Britain of which around 2,700 are convenience stores. Sainsbury's and Waitrose have been contacted for comment about the findings. Recent figures showed the price of some supermarket fruit and vegetables has gone up due to effects of the heatwave, combined with the cold spring. The UK had its driest first half of summer since 1961 and farmers warned that the prolonged arid conditions had damaged crops. The average supermarket price of broccoli is up 25.8 per cent per kilo year on year to 1.54, according to figures in The Grocer from analysts Brandview. Senator Bernie Sanders took another swing at billionaire Jeff Bezos on Thursday when he introduced a bill that would crackdown on big companies such as Amazon if they fail to pay their employees a living wage. The former Democratic presidential candidate partnered with prominent House progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) to introduce the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (Stop BEZOS) Act. The act proposes a tax on large corporations, such as Amazon, Walmart, and American Airlines, which would force them to pay the same in taxes that their low-wage employees receive in federal benefits to make ends meet. Senator Bernie Sanders took another swing at billionaire Jeff Bezos on Thursday when he introduced a bill that would crackdown on big companies such as Amazon if they fail to pay their employees a living wage 'The Stop Bezos Act gives large employers a choice: pay workers a living wage or pay for the public assistance programs low wage workers are forced to rely upon,' the legislation reads. The idea is to crack down on 'corporate welfare' - where the government is left to pick up the slack for poor paying, big businesses. Sanders argues it could save taxpayers $150 billion a year on the government assistance programs such as food stamps, Medicaid and public housing, Fox reports. 'We do not believe that taxpayers should have to expend huge sums of money subsidizing profitable corporations owned by some of the wealthiest people in this country. That's what a rigged economy is about,' he said. But he made it personal with the not so subtle dig by naming the bill acronym after Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. During a speech over the weekend, Sanders attacked Bezos for growing his own wealth at the expense of the poorest, Sanders made the bill personal with the not so subtle dig by naming the bill acronym after Amazon boss Jeff Bezos 'We have one person whose wealth is increasing by $250 million every single day, while he pays thousands of his workers' wages that are so low that they are forced to go on food stamps, Medicaid, and subsidized housing,' Sanders said. He argued that Amazon's average pay, at $28,446, is 9 percent less than the industry standard and well below a livable wage. He pointed to reports, by the New Food Economy, showing that up to a third of Amazon's employees in Arizona receive food stamps, and a tenth of employees in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In a rare move, Amazon hit back in a blog post, slamming Sanders' comments as 'inaccurate and misleading' and arguing that it pays a fair wage and that the employees on food stamps were either part-time or only worked for them for a short time. Sanders has been vocal about his attack on large corporations and in July, he launched a petition to demand Amazon boss Jeff Bezos implement better working conditions and pay. In August, the senator set up a website for employees to anonymously share their experiences. Two Russian assassins who fled home after the Salisbury novichok attack have gone to ground, authorities believe, as neighbours at a Moscow property linked to the GRU deny ever seeing them. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were yesterday charged as the men behind the chemical attack that left four people critically ill and one person dead. Britain made clear that the names of the suspected GRU military intelligence agents are likely to be aliases yet Russian media sources pointed to the two men - one aged 39, the other 40 - who seem to fit the identities. Both were issued passports at the same time and have travelled together to various European destinations, with Petrov making a trip last year to London. Two Russian assassins who fled home after the Salisbury novichok attack have gone to ground, authorities believe, as neighbours at a Moscow property linked to the GRU deny ever seeing them Alexander Petrov (left image) and Ruslan Boshirov (right image) are wanted by British authorities after the chemical attack in March this year Attention today focused on an Alexander Yuryevich Petrov whose grandfather and grandmother both worked for Stalin's notorious counterintelligence SMERCH killing machine - which had the motto 'death to spies'. He is listed as being registered at block 37 on Marshala Tukhachevskogo Street - named after a top Stalin military commander, Mikhail Tukhachevsky who was shot during Stalin purges in 1938 but later rehabilitated. But this high security edifice is not all it seems to be. The original Soviet-era low rise block number 37 was razed 11 years ago and replaced with a vast 20-storey new development. There was no sign of Petrov in the flat listed for him - which can also be linked to his grandparents and probably his mother Tamara, born in 1950. A woman in the apartment 'couldn't remember' who she bought it from but insisted Petrov did not live here now. Attention today focused on an Alexander Yuryevich Petrov whose grandfather and grandmother both worked for Stalin's notorious counterintelligence SMERCH killing machine - which had the motto 'death to spies' Yet the concierge insisted that it is not only the British media who had been seeking Petrov here. The woman, aged 68, who refused to give her name, said: 'There was a court bailiff physically coming here to find a person called Alexander Petrov who seemed to have a debt. 'They assumed he lived here. But he is not on the current list of people who live in the block. 'I saw his face on TV and recognise the picture you are showing me as the person linked to this poisoning story. I don't think I have ever seen him.' He is listed as being registered at block 37 on Marshala Tukhachevskogo Street - named after a top Stalin military commander, Mikhail Tukhachevsky who was shot during Stalin purges in 1938 but later rehabilitated She suggested he may have lived in the old smaller block, built by Khrushchev and demolished 11 years ago. If so there was no way of knowing where he lives now, she said. 'We still get post for that block. But we don't know how to find people who lived there.' Petrov - and not Boshirov as previously reported - supposedly works for Microgen, a national manufacturer of immune and biological medication with close ties to the Russian government. To make matters more confusing on official databases he is a 'spy' with three different dates of birth in 1979 - 13 June, 13 July and 31 July. Meanwhile a man called Ruslan Boshirov is listed as living in a 25 storey block on Bolshaya Naberezhnaya. There was no sign of Petrov in the flat listed for him - which can also be linked to his grandparents and probably his mother Tamara, born in 1950. A woman in the apartment 'couldn't remember' who she bought it from but insisted Petrov did not live here now Yet residents insist that he does not reside here, although as one said: 'Even if he did, we would not tell the foreign media.' They even put up a sign one one door of the block reading: 'Dear journalists! The information that Boshirov lives in this house is false. Please do not disturb the residents.' One said: 'Only an old woman is living at that apartment. 'We give her money that she uses to pay the [building] cleaner. We have never seen a man there.' Nadezhda, an irate woman who works for the management company at Boshirov's block of flats, said: 'We have been besieged by media. 'Journalists have been all over us all for the second day in a row. There are three blocks of flats at this address. They even put up a sign one one door of the block reading: 'Dear journalists! The information that Boshirov lives in this house is false. Please do not distrurb the residents.' 'We put announcements asking the media to stop pursuing him at the wrong address. 'I have lists of every person who has registration in these blocks, and Boshirov is not on the list. I am going to get our district policeman to stop these questions.' The British authorities suspect the names are aliases. But journalist Sergey Kanev - who pointed to this Petrov's family links to counterintelligence - believes these are real names. He found records of Petrov's motoring offences and his debts. He said on Facebook: 'Legends that are created by the intelligence services are done in a different way. Here we have real individuals, documents, addresses, cars. 'Most likely the (person) who contracted the attempt on the Skripals was strongly hoping that everything would go well' - and that the suspects would not be identified by the British. A letter stolen from Donald Trump's Oval Office desk by his top economic adviser to stop him from ending a trade deal with South Korea is published in full in Bob Woodward's bombshell book on the president. Woodward also obtained a copy of the astonishing note that President Trump wrote in the margins of a speech he was poised to deliver: 'TRADE IS BAD.' The president never uttered the words, but Woodward says the phrase is the 'truest expression' of Trump's 'protectionism, isolationism and fervent American nationalism.' Bob Woodward obtained a copy of the astonishing note that President Trump wrote in the margins of a speech he was poised to deliver: 'TRADE IS BAD' Trump planned to make the assertion during a speech that Woodward says he was working on en route to the United States from the G20 summit in 2017. It's not clear from the book why he never did, unlike the formal notification to South Korea that Trump was unilaterally ending its trade deal, which Cohn and ex-staff secretary Rob Porter are said to have kept away from the president. The unsigned letter to South Korea and the note Trump made about trade, in what appears to be his handwriting, are included in Woodward's book in an astonishing breach of White House security. Woodward uses the documents to bolster the narrative that aides were engaged in an elaborate campaign that is outlined in the book to sometimes shield information from Trump and at other times keep the president from doing things his aides thought would be disastrous. Cohn has been silent since Bob Woodward named him in an except of his new book as someone who tried to thwart the president from within. The White House ignored a request for comment on Thursday on the newest revelations. Woodward's book, which officially hits shelves on Tuesday, Sept. 11, includes a draft copy of a memo withdrawing the United States from its trade agreement with South Korea that the president never signed. That's because Cohn 'stole it' off the president's desk, Woodward writes. Cohn is said to have boasted to a colleague, 'I stole it off his desk....I wouldn't let him see it. He's never going to see that document. Got to protect the country.' Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn is described in Woodward's book as swiping a letter from Trump's desk that would start a pullout of a trade deal Trump told a news outlet this week just after the release of the except that no one removed anything from his desk. 'Thats false,' Trump said of the document removal excerpt. 'Its just made up.' He told The Daily Caller flatly: 'There was nobody taking anything from me.' A copy of the book obtained by DailyMail.com includes a scan of the letter, however. And the White House did not immediately slap it down as a faked document. The documents stated that the current trade deal was 'not in the overall best interest of the United States economy.' The letter provides notice of the president's desire to 'terminate the agreement' in 180 days, the required amount of notice. He committed in the letter to negotiating a new trade deal with the close, security ally of the United States. It contained lines for salutations by Trump and trade representative Robert Lighthizer but was left unsigned. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did not respond to a request for comment via email on the document that was dated Sept. 5, 2017. The date of the letter indicates that it was drafted just before Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for bilateral talks at the United Nations. At the summit the president also called North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un 'Little Rocket Man,' escalating tension between South Korea and its autocratic neighbor. Porter told an associate, according to Woodward's book, that there were multiple iterations of the letter, because Trump kept coming back to the topic. 'I'm tired of these arguments!' Trump said in one meeting. 'I don't want to hear about it anymore. We're getting out of KORUS.' Trump made his distaste for the trade deal with Korea, a key U.S. ally, in a White House meeting. Trump ordered son-in-law Jared Kushner to draft the order. The book describes a scene where Kushner took dictation. Porter heard about what Kushner was up to, and later told him: 'Send me the draft. If we're going to do this, we cannot do it on the back of a napkin. We have to write it up in a way that isn't going to embarrass us." They prepared a draft, but it was described as part of a 'subterfuge' tactic. After a formal meeting on the topic, and following a debate, Trump asked for changes. 'Well, let's keep working on the letter," Trump said. 'l want to see the next draft.' Cohn and Porter didn't produce a follow-up. The issue disappeared for a while. Woodward included an image of the draft letter in his book Porter and Cohn are depicted as ignoring Trump's orders to submit additional drafts, with the president's former economic adviser roping in Pentagon head James Mattis. 'We're teetering on the edge,' Cohn told Mattis. 'We may need some backup this time.' Mattis, for his part, told Trump: 'Kim Jong Un poses the most immediate threat to our national security. We need South Korea as an ally. It may not seem like trade is related to all this, but it's central.' Trump ultimately saw things his aides' way and did not shred the trade agreement. Woodward calls it part of a widespread 'administrative coup d'etat,' with Cohen recalling, 'A third of my job was trying to react to some of the really dangerous ideas that he had and try to give him reasons to believe that maybe they weren't such good ideas.' Cohn, the former Goldman Sachs boss, is also quoted in the book stating privately: 'It's not what we did for the country. lt's what we saved him from doing.' Porter, who stepped down amid allegations of spousal abuse that he denied, is cast as part of the effort to head off catastrophes in the making. Once compared by Trump the likes of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, the book claims that Porter lost respect for the president after he castigated his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, as a 'rat' in his presence. Porter, whose pedigree includes Harvard Law and being a Rhodes Scholar, described efforts to manage Trump by working the tempo beyond swiping of documents. 'But slow-walking things or not taking things up to him, or telling him-right away, not just as an excuse but this needs to be vetted, or we need to do more process on this, or we don't have legal counsel clearance-that happened 10 times more frequently than taking papers from his desk. It felt like we were walking along the edge of the cliff perpetually,' he said. In another passage, Cohn tells Porter that he doesn't know how much longer he could remain at the White House, 'because things are just crazy here. They're so chaotic. He's never going to change. 'It's pointless to prepare a meaningful, substantive briefing for the president that's organized, where you have a bunch of slides. Because you know he's never going to listen. We're never going to get through it,' Cohn says, underlying claims that come up elsewhere in the book that Trump has the mental capacity of a fifth or sixth grader. Cohn had not commented on anecdotes of quotes that included him in the book as of Thursday afternoon, unlike other current and former Trump administration officials, suggesting the letter and the story about him snatching it off Trump's desk were authentic. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did not respond to a request for comment about the letter The globalist whose worldview clashed with the president's left the White House earlier this year. Despite his run-ins with Trump, the president maintained that they had a good relationship until the end. He even suggested that Cohn could return one day in a higher-level position such as Cabinet secretary or chief of staff. All of that was in question this week as Woodward's book went drip, drip, drip. Trump raged on Twitter, and in remarks, about the journalist and the disgruntled current and former employees who provided him with the juicy material. Trump's spokeswoman had said that the Woodward book, which included damaging characterizations of the White House as 'crazytown' and the president as 'unhinged,' couldn't possibly be true when asked it about it at the White House on Wednesday. 'I don't think you can have the type of success that we've had in this White House under this president if that book was an accurate reflection of what is taking place,' she told reporters after blasting the book on two morning shows. Sanders denied that current aides to Donald Trump believe he is an imbecile, as the president is portrayed in excerpts from the book that emerged as the White House was focused on another fight the one to get Brett Kavanaugh on the high court. She said a series of matching accounts across bombshell books that have humiliated the White House are works of 'fiction' from anonymous sources with axes to grind against the president. Sarah Sanders said in a new rebuttal of Bob Woodward book on Wednesday that a damaging characterization of the White House as 'crazytown' and the president as 'unhinged' can't possibly be true Sanders avoided calling Woodward himself a liar, avoiding a trap laid by the president in an interview when he suggested the respected journalist 'made up' anecdotes in his book that is based on hundreds of hours of recorded interviews. The president in a Wednesday tweet encouraged Congress to take a fresh look at libel laws as he desperately searched for ways to retaliate. Sanders wouldn't take the bait, telling a reporter who asked if the book was met the current standards, 'I think we have to see the rest of the book. 'We've seen a few excerpts that have been pretty widely pushed back on by some of the most-respected people in our country,' Sanders said. 'We'll see what happens.' Sanders on 'GMA' said the book is based on the claims of anonymous sources and disgruntled former staffers. 'This is just another repeat of pure fiction.' 'I don't think there are that many current staffers that are painting that picture,' she asserted to assembled journalists later. She told reporters after the interview that Woodward's sources were sharing the same rehearsed stories they'd shared with other authors writing shock-and-awe books about the sitting president. 'Certainly, just because they keep getting told doesn't make them more true,' she said of the pattern of degrading comments. 'I think that's a ridiculous accusation.' She said the fact that the 'same people keep writing the same type of books' about Trump proves nothing. Trump slammed Woodward's book as a 'fraud' and labeled him a 'Dem operative' after the famed Watergate journalist wrote that John Kelly called the president 'an idiot' and James Mattis compared him to a 'fifth grader'. The president said in a tweet on Tuesday night: 'The Woodward book has already been refuted and discredited by General (Secretary of Defense) James Mattis and General (Chief of Staff) John Kelly. Their quotes were made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes. Woodward is a Dem operative? Notice timing?' Mattis and Kelly both dismissed claims they had questioned Trump's intellect. Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday to accuse famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward of fabricating quotes and information in his new book, Fear: Trump in the White House Trump (left) dismissed as 'made up frauds' quotes from James Mattis and John Kelly which were deeply critical of Trump. Woodward is pictured on the right Woodward asaid that Kelly castigated Trump as 'an idiot,' saying, 'It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails.' The White House chief of staff allegedly said, 'We're in Crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had.' Kelly denied making the claims in a statement put out by the White House. 'The idea that I ever called the President is not true, in fact it's exactly the opposite,' he said. 'This is both a pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from his many successes.' In another episode, Trump is said to have questioned the utility of U.S. early warning systems in Alaska to identify a nuclear attack from North Korea. Mattis is said to have schooled him. 'We're doing this in order to prevent World War III,' he reportedly said. The Pentagon chief is said to have told colleagues after the incident that Trump had the mental ability of 'a fifth- or sixth-grader.' On Tuesday he denied the account, saying in a statement of his own: 'The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence. 'While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility.' A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, said Mattis was never interviewed by Woodward. 'Mr. Woodward never discussed or verified the alleged quotes included in his book with Secretary Mattis' or anyone within the Defense Department, Manning said. Previous accounts during Trump's first year had former secretary of state Rex Tillerson calling Trump a 'moron,' and Tillerson did not explicitly deny it. This would mean three of Trump's most senior advisors have ridiculed his mental capacity. Woodward also reported that after Syria's Bashar Assad launched a chemical weapons attack on civilians in April 2017, Trump called Mattis and said he wanted the Syrian leader taken out, saying: 'Kill him! Let's go in.' Mattis assured Trump he would get right on it but then told a senior aide they'd do nothing of the kind, Woodward wrote. National security advisers instead developed options for the airstrike that Trump ultimately ordered. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley denied Tuesday that Trump had ever planned to assassinate Assad. She told reporters at U.N. headquarters that she had been privy to conversations about the Syrian chemical weapons attacks, 'and I have not once ever heard the president talk about assassinating Assad.' She said people should take what is written in books about the president with 'a grain of salt.' Defense Secretary Mattis (left, at the Pentagon on August 28) and Kelly, White House chief of staff, (right, in the White House on August 27) both questioned quotes attributed to them Trump also tweeted official statements from Kelly and Mattis as part of a barrage of posts on Tuesday evening Highlights: The most searing quotes in Bob Woodward's book WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT TRUMP: JOHN KELLY, CHIEF OF STAFF: 'He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. We're in Crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had.' JAMES MATTIS, DEFENSE SECRETARY: 'Fifth- or sixth-grader' REX TILLERSON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: 'He's a f***ing moron.' JOHN DOWN, FORMER PERSONAL ATTORNEY: 'F***ing liar.' JOHN DOWD ON HOW TRANSCRIPT OF A MUELLER INTERVIEW WOULD BE DESCRIBED BY FOREIGN LEADERS: 'I told you he was an idiot. I told you he was a goddamn dumbbell. What are we dealing with this idiot for?' GARY COHN, FORMER CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER: 'A professional liar' ROB PORTER, FORMER STAFF SECRETARY WHO QUIT WHEN BOTH EX-WIVES ACCUSED HIM OF ABUSE: 'A third of my job was trying to react to some of the really dangerous ideas that he had and try to give him reasons to believe that maybe they weren't such good ideas.' WHAT THEY SAID TO EACH OTHER: STEVE BANNON TO IVANKA TRUMP: 'You're nothing but a f***ing staffer! You walk around this place and act like you're on charge, and you're not. You're on staff!' IVANKA TRUMP TO STEVE BANNON: 'I'm not a staffer! I'll never be a staffer. I'm the first daughter and I'm never going to be a staffer!' JOHN KELLY TO GARY COHN: 'If that was me, I would have taken that resignation letter and shoved it up his a** six different times.' DOWD TO ROBERT MUELLER: 'He just made something up. That's his nature.' WHAT TRUMP SAID ABOUT THEM: BARACK OBAMA: 'Weak d**k' RUDY GIULIANI, PERSONAL ATTORNEY: 'Rudy, you're a baby. I've never seen a worse defense of me in my life. They took your diaper off right there. You're like a little baby that needed to be changed. When are you going to be a man?' WILBUR ROSS, COMMERCE SECRETARY: 'I don't trust you. I don't want you doing any more negotiations. You're past your prime.' H.R McMASTER, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: 'Dresses like a beer salesman.' REINCE PRIEBUS, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF: 'Like a little rat. He just scurries around.' AFTER EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT FATAH AL-SISSI ASKED IF HE WAS GOING TO BE AROUND: 'Like a kick in the nuts.' BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIAN DICTATOR: 'Let's f***ing kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the f***ing lot of them.' Advertisement Trump was once a fan of Bob Woodward - but now the president says he might be a liar White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders dismissed the work of the famed journalist as 'nothing more than fabricated stories' Trump suggested to the Daily Caller that 'disgruntled employees' may have made the embarrassing claims in the book or that they could have been falsified Woodward in their entirety. Extracts from veteran Watergate reporter Bob Woodard's new book set off explosions across the political world 'It could just be made up by the author,' Trump said of the journalist he once defended on Twitter against slights levied against him by the Obama administration. The damaging statement about the widely respected journalist had former President George W. Bush's White House Press Secretary Ari Fleisher shaking his head. 'I've been on the receiving end of a Bob Woodward book. There were quotes in it I didn't like. But never once - never - did I think Woodward made it up,' Fleisher said. 'Anonymous sources have looser lips and may take liberties. But Woodward always plays is straight. Someone told it to him.' Trump's press secretary piled on with a statement that said: 'This book is nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the President look bad.' In the response to Woodward's book, Sanders argued that 'sometimes' Trump's approach to the office is 'unconventional' but it 'always gets results.' 'Democrats and their allies in the media understand the President's policies are working and with success like this, no one can beat him in 2020 not even close.' Former director of the U.S. National Economic Council Gary Cohn snatched a letter off Trump's desk to keep him from precipitously moving to pull out of a trade deal. Cohn is seen on the right next to Jared Kushner on March 8 The book follows the January release of author Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury,' which led to a rift between Trump and Bannon, his former chief strategist, who spoke with Wolff in terms that were highly critical of the president and his family. Wolff's book attracted attention with its vivid anecdotes but suffered from numerous factual inaccuracies. Woodward's work also comes weeks after former White House aide and 'Apprentice' contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman published an expose on her time in the West Wing, including audio recordings of her firing by Kelly and a follow-up conversation with the president in which he claimed to have been unaware of Kelly's decision. While White House aides have become increasingly numb to fresh scandals, the latest book still increased tensions in the West Wing, especially given the intimate details shared and the number of people Woodward appeared to have interviewed. Some White House officials expressed surprise at the number of erstwhile Trump loyalists willing to offer embarrassing stories of the president and his inner circle. White House aides on Tuesday coordinated with other officials quoted in the book to dispute troublesome passages. But insiders speculated the fallout could be worse than that from 'Fire and Fury,' given Woodward's storied reputation. Woodward's book was already ranked the top-selling book on Amazon on this week. Lawyers for Sayfullo Saipov, the man accused of killing eight people by driving a truck into a New York City bike path in October, have asked a federal judge to bar prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, saying President Donald Trumps statements on Twitter have made a fair legal process impossible The man accused of killing eight people by driving a truck into a New York City bike path last fall is seeking to avoid the death penalty because of incendiary tweets by Donald Trump. Lawyers for Sayfullo Saipov on Thursday asked a federal judge to bar prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, arguing the president's statements on Twitter have made a fair legal process impossible. In a motion filed in Manhattan federal court, Saipov's lawyers said that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who must decide whether to pursue the death penalty, cannot be objective because Trump has pressured him to make decisions based on 'nakedly political considerations' and has called for Saipov to be executed. The lawyers pointed to a Monday tweet in which the president criticized the 'Jeff Sessions Justice Department' for indicting two Republican congressmen 'just ahead' of the upcoming congressional elections. They also cited two tweets following Saipov's arrest calling for him to face the death penalty. The defense argued that Attorney General Jeff Sessions (left), who would decide whether to pursue the death penalty, cannot be objective because of pressure from Trump (right) Days after the 30-year-old Uzbek national was arrested for the attack on Manhattan's West Side, Trump called for him to be executed in two separate tweets (shown above) Together, they said, Trump's tweets make it impossible for Sessions to 'exercise independent discretion' on the matter. They asked that if the judge declines to bar the death penalty altogether, an independent prosecutor be appointed to make the decision in place of Sessions. A spokesman for US Attorney Geoffrey Berman, whose office is prosecuting Saipov, declined to comment. The US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Saipov, a 30-year-old Uzbek national, was arrested in October immediately after police said he plowed a truck down a bike lane on Manhattan's West Side. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest assault on New York City since September 11, 2001. He was charged in an indictment with eight counts of murder and other crimes including attempted murder and providing material support to Islamic State. He has pleaded not guilty. Following the attack, Saipov told investigators he was inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning the attack a year earlier, according to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors the day after the attack. Saipov made a public statement at a pre-trial hearing in June, speaking of a 'war' led by Islamic State to establish sharia, or Islamic law, on earth, and dismissing the court's judgment as 'not important'. The boat captain who alleges Robert Wagner killed Natalie Wood after fighting on board a yacht in the 1980s has claimed Wagner held him captive under the watch of bodyguards for a year after the actress's mysterious death. In the latest installment of the podcast Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death Of Natalie Wood?, boat captain Dennis Davern makes his most recent accusation against Wagner, now 88, who he says took him into a room the minute he got to his home. 'The morning I got to Robert Wagner's house from being picked up at the Long Beach Harbor there were a lot of people at the house and I was taken right up to Robert Wagner's bedroom where his lawyer Paul Ziffren was. 'They told me directly face to face, this is going to be our story, this is what we're going to say 'The story was that when Natalie went missing that she must have gone outside her state room because the dinghy was banging against the hull of the boat and she couldn't sleep so she tried to retie the dinghy, and she must have slipped and fell in the water,' Davern said. Ziffren died in 1991. Dennis Davern (left) said Robert Wagner (right) held him in his home and didn't let him out of the sight of bodyguards for a year after Natalie Wood's death. Wood and Wagner are pictured, right, in 1970. She drowned in 1981 The couple and Davern were on board the Splendour yacht off Catalina when Wood vanished after an argument. She and Wagner had been drinking wine along with Chrisotpher Walken when she suddenly disappeared. Wagner claimed she went off in a dinghy because she was upset about an argument they had but others believe he hit her and threw her in the water He said was forced to stay in Wagner's home in a locked bedroom. He did not specify how long he was kept in the room but he that it came to a stop with Wagner presenting him a check for $6,000 to 'buy an apartment'. 'I believe I only got out of that house a few times. I mean I was starting to really feel claustrophobic. Wagner, now 88, has not responded to the new accusations. His lawyers say he does not want to rely on his memory at this age 'At night time, when I would go to my room, if I felt like I wanted to go downstairs or maybe just move around, I really couldn't because the first time I put my hand on the doorknob of the bedroom that I was in, it was like a magnetic, like a magnetic lock. 'It wouldn't allow me to open the door,' he said. Wood, who hated water and could not swim, drowned mysteriously on November 28, 1981, after arguing with Wagner on board. They had been boating near the island of Catalina with Christopher Walken, Wood's co-star who was one of Wagner's friends. Her family have long suspected that Wagner hit her and either pushed her into the water in a rage or caused her death in another way. The 88-year-old has always maintained that she went off in a dinghy on her own accord and never returned. He has not responded to DailyMail.com's repeated requests for responses to the allegations made by Davern and Wood's sister over the last several months. Lana Wood, Natalie's sister, has claimed in the past that he does not want to be interviewed because he says he cannot rely on his memory. He also did not respond when he was named a person of interest by the LAPD last year. Davern claims Wagner's lawyer Paul Ziffren (pictured) told him to follow a 'story'. Ziffren went on to become a politician and leader of the California Democrats. He died in 1991 In addition to the new remarks, Davern previously told how Wagner 'stopped' him from going looking for Wood when she vanished from the boat. 'I saw the dinghy was missing and fired up the engines to start searching,' he told the podcast. 'But RJ [Wagner] said "no, no, let's not do that. Let's just stay, let's have another bottle of wine,"' he said. When Wood was pulled from the water in her night dress the next day, she also had a an injury to her head. In other episodes of the podcast, a witness called Marilyn Wayne claimed to have heard a woman crying for 20 minutes near where Wood died on the night she drowned. Well, my son had a digital watch that we had just given him. so thats how we kept the time, minute by minute, she recalled. And I was up on the deck and heard a woman yelling, Help me, somebody please help me, Im drowning! Wood's co-star on Brainstorm, Christopher Walken, was also on the boat. Witnesses say Wagner was angry because he and Wood had been flirting all night Wayne said she told her boyfriend, John, to try to reach Harbor Patrol, which he was not able to do. All the while, she said she continued asking her son for the time. So we had a minute-by-minute history of the time frame and the yelling went on from 5 after 11 until 11.25 and then it stopped, Wayne recalled. Wood's sister Lana also said in a recent episode: 'I think that things got out of hand. I know Natalie can verbally push, and Natalie was a very by-the-rule person She did not put up with a great deal that she felt was harmful to her. 'I think it escalated to a point where she was either struck or pushed. I dont believe that it was planned. 'I dont believe in any of those bizarre stories, but I do know she would not have ended up somewhere where she would completely never ever go in a million years or certainly not go out not dressed. 'Theres just too much that doesnt add up to who Natalie is.' The broken wine bottle she was referring to was discovered on the boat the day after Natalie vanished. The medical examiner's report showed that Wood suffered multiple lacerations and a head injury According to Davern's version of events, Wagner smashed it in a jealous rage because he had been watching Walken and his wife flirt and get along. The group had earlier gone for dinner on the island of Catalina where Davern claimed Wagner became angry at the sight of his wife and Walken getting along at the bar. Back on the Splendour, the rage grew and eventually resulted in an angry fight between Wagner and Wood in their room, Davern said. Walken was in his own room at the time, he claimed. Wood and Wagner remarried in 1972 after divorcing ten years earlier. Their first marriage lasted from 1958 to 1962. They are shown in 1972 Lana believes the argument was down to her sister's desire to return to work after having the couple's children. She thinks Natalie was 'done' with their marriage and ready to ask for a divorce. 'The continual fights; the sudden push that she wanted towards her career; her feeling that the kids were old enough and had been given enough of a basis where she could go off to work. 'Theres jealousy involved. Its particularly difficult for a man who has a wife whos doing better,' she said. Dismissing her former brother-in-law's claims that Natalie ventured off into the water by herself, she explained that she would not have dreamed of it because she could not swim and was terrified of drowning. 'She was terrified of water going all the way back to when I was a kid and Natalie was a teen and my mother would continually tell the story of the gypsy who told my mothers fortune in China who said that she would have a world-famous daughter and that somebody would die by drowning. 'It further terrified Natalie, who wasnt exactly fond of the water as it was. My mother never learned to swim either. 'Natalie never learned to swim,' she said. Police investigating claims of sexual abuse have raided a Catholic-run school for deaf children in Pope Francis's homeland of Argentina. Argentine authorities visited the school for youths with hearing disabilities in Buenos Aires province yesterday. A police official said officers seized documents from the archives of the Antonio Provolo Institute in the city of La Plata dating back more than 30 years. These documents cover the period from 1987 to 2018. A prosecutor investigating 'possible crimes against sexual integrity' ordered the search of the school building, the source said. Children walk past the Antonio Provolo Institute in La Plata, yesterday, where authorities in Argentina carried out raids at a Catholic-run school as part of an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of vulnerable children The school for deaf children was raided by police yesterday in Buenos Aires, the home province of Pope Francis The police official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the case, agreed to give details of the operation only on condition of anonymity. Provolo Institute officials could not be reached despite repeated attempts for comment. The clerical abuse scandal has also marred other Provolo institutes. At one of its schools in northwestern Mendoza province, around 600 miles west of Buenos Aires, as many as 24 children say they were abused by priest Nicola Corradi, priest Horacio Corbacho and three other men, who were arrested in 2016. The pair are being held at a jail in Mendoza and have not spoken publicly since their arrest. In May last year Catholic nun from Japan, Kosaka Kumiko, was arrested and charged on suspicion of helping priests sexually abuse children at the school in Lujan de Cuyo. Horacio Corbacho (left) and fellow priest Nicola Corradi (pictured in wheelchair) after their arrest in 2016 Nun Kosaka Kumiko when she appeared in court last year over allegations she helped five priests 'sexually abuse' dozens of deaf children in Mendoza province Allegations against Kumiko began after a former student accused her of making her wear a nappy in class to cover up injuries after she was allegedly raped by priest, Corbacho. The nun, who also has Argentine citizenship, denied any wrongdoing and said she was innocent. Three school employees, Jorge Bordon, Jose Luis Ojeda and Armando Gomez, were also arrested. Dozens of students of the institute in Verona, Italy, say they were similarly abused for decades, some allegedly by Corradi. Horacio Corbacho was arrested as part of an investigation into abuse at a Provolo Institute school for deaf children. He is pictured with a cross on a wall behind him The Vatican knew about Corradi since at least 2009, when the Italian Provolo students went public with tales of abuse and named names. The Vatican ordered an investigation and sanctioned four accused priests, but Corradi apparently never was punished for his alleged crimes in Italy. In 2012 the Verona diocese apologised to the Italian students. After the students again named Corradi as an abuser living in Pope Francis' native Argentina in a 2014 letter to the pontiff and the Verona bishop, the Vatican still took no action. Then in 2016, a Vatican official said Francis wanted to assure the victims that the church was taking measures to protect children and prevent sexual abuse. The Antonio Provolo Institute for deaf children in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza province, where at least 20 children say they were abused by priest Nicola Corradi, priest Horacio Corbacho and three other men, who were arrested in 2016 Unlike the Verona case, the statute of limitations has not expired for the alleged crimes in Mendoza, which could lead to prison sentences of up to 50 years for a conviction. While celebrating a Mass at Dublin's Phoenix Park last Friday, the Pope Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires, asked forgiveness for the 'abuses in Ireland, abuses of power, conscience and sexual abuses' perpetrated by Church leaders after meeting with victims. Retired Vatican ambassador to the US, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, said Francis should resign for his complicity in the Cardinal Theodore McCarrick scandal, which has implicated US and Vatican church leaders over a period of two decades. A flight to Hawaii quickly took an uncomfortable turn for 187 passengers who were told they would have to pee in plastic bags and bottles. One passenger on the American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Kona filmed her conversation with a flight attendant who told her the toilets were overflowing. 'What do you mean I have to pee in a bag?' the woman, who would not reveal her name, can be heard asking in the video - which was filmed on Friday. Scroll down for video One passenger on the American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Hawaii filmed the moment a flight attendant said she had to pee in a bag because the toilets were overflowing American Airlines said all bathrooms were working when the plane took off but problems began after someone flushed a diaper down one of the toilets 'They're overflowing,' the attendant responds. 'This one has like this much left,' she adds, gesturing with her fingers. 'I know, it's horrible. And guys are going in bottles.' The woman can then be heard asking the attendant how such a thing could happen on the six-hour flight. 'We overflowed,' the attendant says again. 'Whoever was on the ground, they overflowed. 'So when people started using the bathroom, it was so full anyways that it just shut up. And the water - everything goes in the same tank.' 'That's outrageous,' the passenger replies. 'I'm in pain, I think I'm gonna have a UTI and it's not sanitary right now for me to use the bags.' 'There's a little space,' the attendant replies. 'Why is it not sanitary to go in a bag? I know it's gross, but...' The attendant said that women were be giving bags and guys were 'going' in water bottles The passenger claimed that only one restroom in the front of the plane had been open and that it began to overflow The woman said attendants made an announcement during the flight that there was an issue with the bathrooms. 'You could see the passengers looking at each other in disbelief,' she told KPNX. 'And they also locked two of the lavatories, as far as I can remember, so there was no access to those whatsoever.' The woman claimed that only one restroom at the front of the plane was open, and it was overflowing. 'There was one lady who, unfortunately, she had a toddler that needed to use the restroom, and the same thing. She was told she had to use a bag,' she said. 'She opened the door to the toilet, and the grimace on her face...you could tell she was going to get sick to her stomach because of the sight and the smell.' American Airlines said all bathrooms were working when the plane took off but problems began after someone flushed a diaper down one of the toilets. The airline said in a statement that all lavatories 'must be working properly prior to departure'. The flight attendant told her that someone 'on the ground' must have overflowed the toilet She said that the problem only became exacerbated after more people began using it There was ultimately only a 'little space' left, so attendants tried to have passengers use bags or bottles instead 'If an American flight is in the air, and all lavatories become inoperative, the flight will divert to the nearest suitable airport in order for maintenance to rectify the situation,' it continued. 'Due to the location of the aircraft, the flight continued to its intended destination.' The airline said the issue was fixed in Kona and the plane returned to Phoenix as scheduled. 'We are very sorry for the trouble this caused the 187 passengers on flight 663,' it added. 'Our customer relations team will be reaching out to all of the passengers on this flight to extend our apologies.' The woman who filmed the video was offered $240 in vouchers and 17,500 miles. But the passenger refused, saying it wasn't enough to compensate for the horrific experience. 'I grew up in a communist country,' she said. 'And I've never experienced anything like this.' A father was told to kiss his little boy goodbye as doctors believed he had ten minutes to live after developing sepsis. John Drummond, and his wife, Sarah, were told that their son Ted, who was 18-months-old at the time, had developed the disease after being struck down with e-coli during a family holiday. The family were told that Ted, who was battling leukaemia at the time, was unlikely to be strong enough to fight off the life threatening combinations. The little boy began to deteriorate rapidly and a team of doctors and nurses began to put needles into his legs, his arms and his neck. John Drummond, and his wife, Sarah, were told that their son Ted, who was 18-months-old at the time, had developed the disease after being struck down with e-coli during a family holiday John, from Basildon in Essex, recalled: 'It was two o'clock in the morning and the doctor told us: "You've got to leave the room, we're going to put him into a medically induced coma. Kiss him on the head, he's got 10 minutes left".' After making it through the night Ted defied the odds and pulled through, however spent two years in and out of hospital battling leukaemia. Ted was eventually given the all-clear after spending more than 600 days in isolation as well as four blocks of intensive chemotherapy. Ted Drummond, now ten, (pictured) was given ten minutes to live after e-coli developed into sepsis. The young boy, who was also battling leukaemia, tells his story through beads The family were told that Ted, who was battling leukaemia at the time, was unlikely to be strong enough to fight off the life threatening combinations His family have since set up Beads of Courage which will be funded by Children with Cancer from next year. The programme gives children beads specifically coloured for the different stages of treatment, including tablets they have been given and different procedures. Ted, now 10, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), when he was six-months-old, after several trips to the doctor's. Prior to his diagnosis his parents were told that he may have an ear infection, or a bug, virus, growing pains or even that he was simply attention seeking. However seeking a second opinion they were told two to three months later that he had ALL, after they noticed his development regressing. ALL has around a 50 per cent morality rant in infants. The family were holidaying in Cumbria when Ted was hit by e-coli, which worsened his condition. Two days after he began to develop symptoms, including a rash, his mother and father took him to the hospital where they were told he had e-coli. The little boy began to deteriorate rapidly and a team of doctors and nurses began to put needles into his legs, his arms and his neck Ted was later taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London where he managed to pull through the night. After being given the all clear from ALL, he continued to have treatments throughout his childhood, before being downgraded to annual check-ups. Ted said that he can't remember any of his treatment, which included 500 needles and 67 transfusions, and just because he had cancer it won't stop him being a normal kid. His father John said that the beads are how Ted explains the story of his childhood oncology, through the colours of the beds. For every blood transfusion you get a red bead, and for every white bead Ted has undergone chemotherapy. The youngster has 600 beads for every time he has been in isolation as well as hundreds of black beads, for every needle he has ever had stuck in him. The programme is seen as 'positive reinforcement' that gives children hope and support, and as well as looking pretty serve a worthwhile purpose. Dhivya O'Connor, Chief Executive Officer at Children with Cancer UK, said: 'We are delighted to partner with Beads of Courage UK on their Oncology Programme. 'The Beads help children take ownership of their cancer journey and make sense of the experience they are going through in a very visible and tangible way. The partnership will ensure that the beads will be available to 4,500 young cancer patients being treated in 110 units across the UK, in a bid to provide hope and happiness. Prosecutors in Florida have decided not to file any criminal charges against a mother who was seen in a viral Facebook video shoving her three-year-old son's head into the toilet. The Leesburg Police Department said in a press release on Wednesday that the agency had launched an investigation into Kaitlyn Wolf on Saturday, after receiving complaints about a video posted on Facebook showing the mother-of-two holding her youngest son upside down and dunking his head into the toilet as her 10-year-old son recorded the punishment. In the course of the investigation, police learned that the Department of Children and Families had looked into this incident last Thursday and determined that it did not rise to the level of child abuse. Scroll down for video Screenshots from a cellphone video shows Kaitlyn Wolf dunking her three-year-old son's head into the toilet in their Florida home. Prosecutors have opted not to pursue charges The mom says she has been getting death threats on Facebook over this video Police proceeded with their own independent criminal investigation and forwarded the Facebook video to the State Attorney's Office with a request of a warrant for Wolfs arrest. The prosecutors office asked for additional information, so the police department worked tirelessly through the weekend gathering more evidence, before making another request for the arrest warrant on Tuesday. A child forensic interviewer spoke to Wolfs two sons in the presence of a police sergeant, a prosecutor and a DCF official, and it was determined, according to the statement from the law enforcement agency, that there was 'threatened harm of mental injury' to the two boys due to their mother's disciplinary measures. However, the forensic interview failed to show there was physical abuse or neglect, leading the State Attorney's Office to decide not pursue criminal charges. 'While we respect the decision from the State Attorney and the Forensic Team, this incident calls for continued intervention for the welfare of the children involved,' according to the press release. 'We asked the Department of Children and Families to assure the children remain safe and have a safety plan.' Wolf (pictured with her young son) says the boy was laughing and was never in any danger The statement concluded by thanking all the concerned citizens for raising the alarm about the disturbing Facebook video. Wolf previously talked to a local news outlet, lamenting that she has been bombarded with death threats and insisting that the video recording did not tell the whole story. It was a joke between the three of us,' Wolf told the station WFTV, referring to herself and her two sons. My sons and I horseplay rough. We stuck his head in the toilet and flushed it, and my older son was recording it.' The mom-of-two explained that her three-year-old blurted out a profanity, so she initially decided to punish him by washing out his mouth with soap and water. But then she watched a film that included a scene depicting a child's head being shoved into a toilet. Wolf said she grabbed the toddler, held him above the toilet and dipped his head into the water, while her older son filmed it on video. The recording shows the mom holding the crying boy by his arms and dunking his head into the porcelain bowl. Afterwards, Wolf said she sent the video to a friend, bragging in jest about her novel way to discipline her children. Wolf (left and right) says people have been bombarding her with threats, to the point that police have posted officers outside her home for protection But the friend forwarded the video to the ex-girlfriend of Wolf's current boyfriend, who promptly shared it on social media. Most Facebook users who watched the clip failed to find the humor in the toddler's watery punishment and contacted the Leesburg Police Department, urging it to intervene. Wolf said that since the video has gone viral, she has been getting death threats online, with strangers writing to her that she should be shot and buried alive. She said the harassment has gone so far that police posted officers outside her house for her protection. According to the mother, who works as a medical assistant, her young son was never in any real danger. His head was never under the water, his face never got wet,' she insisted. 'Its scary to think I might lose my children over this - over a joke that we played. She continued: 'It was just a game. I didn't inflict harm on him... he was laughing during the video. In an interview with WKMG, Wolf claimed that what the video does not show is that when she pulled the three-year old out of the toilet, he said,' Let's do it again.' Wolf has since deleted her Facebook account. This is the shocking moment Brazil's right wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is stabbed while campaigning for next month's election. The controversial far right-wing candidate, who is leading the polls, was attacked while being carried shoulder high in the midst of a crowd in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, south east Brazil. The horrifying moment was caught on several cameras as the assailant struck Bolsonaro in the stomach. The politician is seen collapsing and clutching his stomach in agony and is then rushed to hospital. Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is taken on the shoulders of a supporter moments before being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil Jair Bolsonaro reacts after being stabbed during the rally. Police spokesman Flavio Santiago confirmed that his attacker had been arrested Bolsonaro is reported to have underwent laparoscopic surgery after being stabbed at a campaign rally according to his advisers This photo released by the Military Police, shows the knife supposedly used by Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, suspected of stabbing Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is being carried by the crowd while campaigning in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, south east Brazil He can suddenly be seen grasping his stomach and wincing in pain and the crowd carries him on The crowd react and carry the wounded politician to safety. He is currently undergoing critical surgery A group of people try to detain Adelio Bispo de Oliveira (pictured centre), who allegedly stabbed the right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro Although his son Flavio said in a Twitter message the wound was superficial, it now appears to be far more serious as his father was rushed into surgery. At the time of the confusion, Bolsonaro was being carried on his shoulders by a supporter of his campaign, doing hand-to-hand with voters. As he acknowledged to his supporters, one person approached him and allegedly stabbed him. Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro campaigns in the district of Ceilandia in Brasilia, yesterday According to reports, Bolsonaro would normally be wearing a bullet proof vest provided by the federal police for his safety. However, on this occasion he was without the protection. Bolsonaro was taken to the Santa Casa de Misericordia de Juiz de Fora. The hospital reported that he was admitted to the emergency room at about 3:40 pm with 'a sharps injury in the abdomen.' Initially his son Flavio Bolsonaro said the injury had been superficial, however, an hour later he posted another tweet saying the wound was 'worse than we thought.' Flavio said the puncture had hit parts of his father's liver, lung and intestines and he lost a lot of blood. He arrived at the hospital 'almost dead,' Flavio wrote. 'His condition now seems stabilized. Please pray.' Around 5:50 pm local time, TV Globo reported that the politician had suffered an injury to the intestinal loop. Surgeons confirmed it had already sewn up. Police spokesman Flavio Santiago confirmed that his attacker had been arrested. Santiago said the attacker was identified as Adelio Bispo de Oliveira. He said the suspect was beaten badly by Bolsonaro supporters after the attack. Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is a polarizing figure and has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements towards women and black people The man was arrested in 2013 for another assault, police said. Luis Boudens, president of the National Federation of Federal Police, told the Associated Press that the assailant appeared to be mentally disturbed. 'Our agents there said the attacker said he was `on a mission from God,'' Boudens reported. 'Their impression is that they were not dealing with a mentally stable person. He didn't expect to be arrested so quickly; agents reacted in seconds.' Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is second in the polls to jailed ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been barred from running but continues to appeal. Despite being a congressman since 1991, Bolsonaro is running as an outsider ready to upend the establishment by cracking down on corruption in politics and reducing crime, in part by giving police a more free hand to shoot and kill while on duty. Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (pictured left) gestures at the crowd during a campaign rally in the district of Ceilandia in Brasilia, on September 5, 2018 While Bolsonaro has a strong following, he is also a deeply polarizing figure. He has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements towards women and black people He speaks nostalgically about the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship and has promised to fill his government with current and former military leaders. His vice presidential running mate is a retired general. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro said during a campaign event that he would like to shoot corrupt members of the leftist Workers' Party, which made da Silva its candidate. The comment prompted an immediate rebuke from the attorney general, who asked Bolsonaro to explain that comment. In a sign of how polarized Brazilian politics has become, people took to Twitter Thursday night to either to decry the stabbing and ask for prayers for Bolsonaro or to say that the candidate had brought it upon himself and even may have staged it. The top five trending topics in Brazil were related to the stabbing, and someone even created an account for the knife, whose tweets had been retweeted thousands of times just hours after the attack. The attack Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, pictured at a campaign rally, comes at a time of increasingly heated rhetoric related to campaigns Other presidential candidates quickly denounced the stabbing. 'Politics is done through dialogue and by convincing, never with hate,' tweeted Gerado Alckmin, former governor of Sao Paulo who has focused negative ads on Bolsonaro. Fernando Haddad, who is expected to take da Silva's place on the Workers' Party ticket, called the attack 'absurd and regrettable.' The attack comes at a time of increasingly heated rhetoric, and sometimes violence, related to campaigns and candidates. In March, while da Silva was on a campaign tour in southern Brazil before his imprisonment, gunshots hit buses in his caravan. No one was hurt, and da Silva, who is in jail on a corruption conviction, was not in the vehicles that were hit. Also in March, Marielle Franco, a black councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, was shot to death along with her driver after attending an event on empowering black women. It wasn't immediately clear how the attack on Bolsonaro might reshape a presidential race very much up in the air with the front-runner, da Silva, in jail. In many ways, the incident feeds Bolsonaro's narrative that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand to steady it. 'It's likely that Bolsonaro will use the attack to argue his opponents are desperate, that they had no other way to stop him,' said Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at Rio de Janeiro's state university. Leigh Ford (pictured), 45, sparked a police operation costing 30,000 after he made frantic calls to partner A man who faked his own kidnapping and demanded ransom from his pregnant girlfriend so he could go drinking was jailed after he admitted wasting police time. Leigh Ford, 45, sparked a police operation costing 30,000 after he made frantic calls to partner Zoe Doyle claiming he would be mutilated and have his genitals cut off. She sent him 80 but his story unravelled when police found CCTV of him leaving a shop after buying drinks with friends. His 16-week prison sentence meant Ford, from Blackpool, missed the birth of their child, The Sun reported. Ms Doyle, 35, said: 'I could hear men shouting in the background, threatening to break Leigh's legs and throw boiling water over him. 'They were threatening to mutilate him, cut off his genitals, and I was panic-stricken. 'I was absolutely furious. I felt like strangling him. He had caused so much stress and worry and it was all for nothing.' However Ms Doyle said she had forgiven her partner, saying it was a 'one-off' and that he deserved a 'second chance'. Zoe Doyle (left) sent him 80 but his story unravelled when police found CCTV of him leaving a shop after buying drinks with friends Police deployed a helicopter and trained negotiator after Ford screamed at his girlfriend and begged her to pay the ransom before he had his legs broken and boiling water thrown over him. But when he came home the following day he was arrested and charged with wasting police time. He reportedly collapsed in the dock when he was jailed after he admitted the offence at Blackpool Magistrates' Court. Ford's defence lawyer said he had 'no idea what the police reaction was going to be' after he launched the prank in January this year. A couple who survived the 2017 Las Vegas shooting have been left devastated after their neighbor gunned down the dog they got to deal with PTSD from the attack. Lona and Joseph Johnson, from Washington, were at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in October when a gunman killed 58 people and injured hundreds of others. The couple bought labradoodle Jax following the attack to help with their anxiety and stress. Lona and Joseph Johnson with pet dog Jax, who helped comfort them after the Vegas shooting Early Sunday morning the couple reported hearing gunshots in their rural northwest Washington community. Neighbor Odin Maxwell, 49, has been charged with recklessly discharging a firearm. Maxwell said the dog had been chasing his chickens but investigators found no evidence that any chickens had been hurt. The Johnsons used the pet to comfort them and their two children, who weren't at the concert but saw the news and knew their parents had been shot at. Mr Johnson said: 'He was such a blessing. He gave us something to look forward to. I really believe Jax was a big part of our healing.' The Johnsons say the labradoodle was shot and killed by their neighbor Odin Maxwell, 49 Maxwell, a workers compensation lawyer in Bellingham, declined to comment. The Johnsons said they had not had any previous dealings with Maxwell. Mr Johnson said a nephew returned one of Maxwell's chickens unharmed after it came onto their property only days before the dog was shot. He said the couple is considering suing Maxwell. They also plan to host a 5K run for people with their dogs to raise awareness about animal cruelty. 'We're pretty upset and hurt right now,' Lona Johnson said. 'It triggered a lot of PTSD for our family. We're still trying to deal with what happened in Las Vegas, and then this happened. Everybody who knows us knows how important Jax was to us.' Mrs Johnson's cousin, Melinda Brockie, was injured in the festival shooting. Bristol Palin allegedly slammed her ex Dakota Meyer and suggested he was not deserving of his Medal of Honor in texts posted by the marine. In the exchange Palin writes that Meyer is a 'coward' and a 'b****' before suggesting he was not deserving of his Medal of Honor. 'He's no hero. He didn't do that s***. He's a b****,' wrote Palin according to Meyer, who said the exchange was with a man that his ex-wife had never event met in person. The final text from the person Meyer identifies as Palin reads: 'I can't believe I'm having his baby.' Scroll down for video The way they were: Bristol Palin and her ex Dakota Meyer attacked one another in a series of Instagram posts on Thursday (pair above in 2016) Harsh words: Meyer shared texts he claimed were sent by Palin to a man she had not met in which she questions his receiving the Medal of Honor (above) Biblical battle: The first blow was dealt by Palin, who said she had just received baby photos from her old house that Meyer had been holding 'hostage' Meyer posted the texts after Palin compared him to biblical giant Goliath and accused him of holding family photos hostage. 'After nearly a month, and thousands of dollars on attorney fees, I was finally able to get my pictures back from my old house/ex-husband,' wrote Palin. 'If you're facing a Goliath in your life, don't back down.' Palin then added the hashtag '#worthit.' Meyer, who served in the Marines for four years, was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama in 2011. He was given the top award after repeatedly charging into a kill zone during a 2009 ambush in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in search of four of his missing comrades. He was able to rescue 36 troops and kill eight Taliban attackers despite being shot in the arms. He was not able to save his four fellow Marines, but went back and carried their bodies out. Meyer met Palin while filming an episode of Palin's outdoor-based show Amazing America last May, and he and Bristol announced their engagement the following March. He popped the question while the two were in Las Vegas at a Rascal Flatts concert and the second time around the two revealed they were engaged before many knew they were event back together. The couple, who have two children, then announced they were splitting back in February. United front: 'He's no hero. He didn't do that s***. He's a b****,' wrote Palin according to Meyer (pair above with Palin's son Tripp) Palin, 27, revealed that she and Dakota Meyer were finally divorced in August, five months after DailyMail.com first broke the news that Meyer had filed papers to terminate their marriage in Travis County District Court. 'Are you dating,' asked a fan, to which Palin replied: 'freshly divorced & single forever lezzbereal (I am not ready to date).' The oldest of Sarah Palin's three daughters later said that she does not see herself walking down the aisle again at this time, while noting that the number one question people ask her is whether or not she is married. That frank and candid question-and-answer session took place while Palin was busy filming the new season of Teen Mom. Producers announced in July that Palin had joined the case of the popular reality series, and that she will earn a reported $250,000 for her first season on the program. Palin will be appearing on the show with her three children, but not Meyer. Surveillance footage of the moment a teenage girl who returned home after being suddenly freed by a man who held her captive for nine months has been revealed for the first time. Abigail Hernandez was taken captive by Nathaniel Kibby in October 2013 as she walked home from school in Conway, New Hampshire. She was held against her will in a trailer on his property 30 miles away for nine months, during which time Kibby, now 39, sexually assaulted her and forced her to wear a dog collar. In July 2014, he suddenly decided to let her go because he had 'terrorized' her enough. He drove her out in to a rural road then let her go free. Speaking for the first time about the horror she endured in five years, Abigail told ABC's 20/20 of the moment Kibby suddenly let her go. Scroll down for video Abigail Hernandez is pictured walking back into her family home in Conway, New Hampshire, after nine months in captivity. She was suddenly freed by her abductor in July 2014 after enduring months of sexual assault and abuse 'There were no cars coming either way and he said 'get out'. So I got out and then he yelled "wait, give me my hat back! Give me my hat back!" 'So I took it off, threw it in the car, slammed the door and he drove off. Just like that. That was it,' she said. At the time, she was 15. Now 19, she recalls looking up and 'laughing' afterwards. 'Just being so happy like, "Oh my God. This actually happened. I'm a free person. I never thought it would happen to me but I'm free." And I just walked home,' she said. The family had surveillance cameras on their front doorstep. They caught the moment Abigail walked through the door after while her mother was inside. 'I remember when I came up to my doorstep, I could hear my mum talking on the phone. I could hear her voice. I opened the door and said, "Mom?" and she said, "Abby?" And then she ran out,' she recalled. Abigail Hernandez (left) said it was a 'beautiful moment' reuniting with her mother Zenyah (right) when she walked through the front door The girl's mother, Zenyah, said she 'shuddered' when she was first saw her. 't was almost like, it was a shock. Like, I had a shudder. I couldn't believe what I was seeing,' she said. Abigail said she remembered registering the change in her mother's appearance and realizing that her vanishing had taken such a severe toll on her. 'That was such a beautiful moment. I remember just the look on her face. Nathaniel Kibby, 39, is serving between 45 and 90 years imprisonment for kidnapping the teen 'She looked different she really did. I could see months of stress in her face and it kinda killed me a little bit but I was so relieved to see her,' she said. Kibby is serving between 45 and 90 years in prison on sexual assault and kidnapping charges. Earlier in the interview, which will air in full on Friday, she revealed that Kibby would not tell her his name and instead instructed her to all him 'master'. The young woman also explained how he started using the dog collar on her. 'He said, "You know, I'm thinking of finding something a little more humane for you to keep you quiet." 'He said, "I'm thinking of a shock collar. You know, that like dogs wear." 'I remember he put it on me. And he told me, "Okay, try and scream." 'I just slowly started to raise my voice. And then, it shocked me. So, he's like, "Okay, now you know what it feels like,"' she said. It took her Abigail a week after returning home before she revealed to her family and law enforcement agencies who he was because she was so afraid of him. In July 2014, Hernandez bravely faced her kidnapper in court and thanked him for letting her go (they are pictured during the court hearing above) Kibby held the girl hostage in a storage container on his property in rural New Hampshire (picture) for nine months without suspicion She knew his name because she had seen it written on a cook book inside the home. Kibby was arrested at his home which was 30 miles north of where he took Abigail. Abigail went missing in October 2013 days before her 15th birthday. It sparked a large manhunt which lasted nine months In the nine months she spent in his captivity, she was only ever allowed to write one letter to her family under his instruction. After his arrest, she bravely confronted him in court and thanked him for letting her go. 'I want you to know that I appreciate my freedom because of you and I enjoy my life because of you. 'I just want to thank you for giving me my freedom back,' she said. Kibby was sentenced to a minimum of 45 years behind bars and was charged with a litany of crimes including kidnapping and sexual assault. Neighbors testified at his sentencing hearings that he was a gun-obsessed loner who was convinced there would be a zombie apocalypse. They said they half expected him to unravel and do something violent but that kidnapping a child was one of the last things they predicted he would do. At least 166 skulls have been found in a mass grave in Mexico where drug cartels are known to dump their victims' bodies. State prosecutor Jorge Winckler said the skulls and other human remains had lay there for at least two years. The bodies were discovered in the eastern state of Veracruz, but the exact location is not being disclosed for security reasons. At least 166 victims were buried in this mass grave in the eastern state of Veracruz, Mexico Mexican drug cartels frequently use clandestine pits to dispose of their victims. In March last year, 250 skulls were found in a mass grave in the area. Winckler said investigators had also found about 200 items of clothing, 114 identity cards and other body parts in the same pit. But investigators are using the number of skulls to predict the amount of victims buried there. Investigators are using the number of skulls to predict the amount of victims buried there Veracruz has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Zetas and Jalisco drug cartels. The state has also suffered waves of kidnappings and extortions. Winckler said prosecutors found the mass grave after a witness tipped them off. Investigators used drones, probes and ground-penetrating radar to locate the pits and began digging about a month ago. Relatives of people who have disappeared in Mexico have formed campaign groups and are funding their own searches. But they weren't allowed to participate in this dig for 'secrecy' reasons, Winckler revealed. He said they would be shown photos of items found at the site in a bid to help identify the remains. Activist Lucia Diaz, whose Colectivo Solecito group has led police to other burial grounds in the past, said she doesn't trust the announcement. She said: 'We don't trust the work they do, we have a lot of reasons. In this case they took out 166 bodies in one month? It cannot have been done properly. It's impossible, too quickly.' But as well as skulls, more than 200 items of clothing, 114 ID cards and other body parts were discovered in the pit Diaz joined the effort after her own son, Guillermo Lagunes Diaz, was kidnapped from his home in 2013. No trace of him was ever found. She said prosecutors illegally excluded families of the disappeared from the latest effort. 'He (Winckler) went against the law, because the law says the families have a right to participate now.' Maria de Lourdes Rosales Calvo, who has been searching for her son Jonatten Celma Rosales since he was abducted with his girlfriend in July 2013, said the news of the newly discovered grave 'gives hope.' 'They await us in forensics next week to look at the belongings and IDs that were found,' she said. She said authorities have invited families searching for missing loved ones to come to the state capital of Xalapa and identify the bodies. Her son was 25 years old and working in foreign trade when four armed men abducted him and his girlfriend from their home six blocks from the mother's home. In a speech in Washington, Jeremy Fleming (pictured) called on the international community to reject the Kremlin's 'brazen determination to undermine the international rules-based order' The head of GCHQ has said the agency will use the 'full range of tools' against the Kremlin after two Russian intelligence officers were accused of carrying out the Salisbury nerve agent attack. In a speech in Washington, Jeremy Fleming called on the international community to reject Moscow's 'brazen determination to undermine the international rules-based order'. On Wednesday, two Russian nationals, said to be members of Russia's military intelligence service the GRU, were identified as suspects by police investigating the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in March. Mr Fleming said the intelligence community had supported police in a 'painstaking' and 'highly complex' investigation into what happened. He said: 'We have ascertained exactly who was responsible and the methods they used. 'As you would expect, teams from across GCHQ have worked tirelessly with partners at home and abroad to ensure that our world-class intelligence has informed that investigation. 'Yesterday two GRU operatives were named and arrest warrants issued. The threat from Russia is real. It's active. 'And it will be countered by a strong international partnership of allies. Able to deploy the full range of tools from across our national security apparatus. And ready to reject the Kremlin's brazen determination to undermine the international rules-based order.' It is the latest rebuke aimed at Moscow by a British spy chief since the Salisbury attack. In May, Andrew Parker, the Director General of MI5, described the Russian Government as 'chief protagonist' among 'hostile actors'. Alexander Petrov (left image) and Ruslan Boshirov (right image) are wanted by British authorities after the chemical attack in March this year In other remarks, Mr Fleming, the Director of GCHQ, said encryption 'enables us all to live safer online lives'. But he warned: 'Its ubiquity brings anonymity to terrorists, paedophiles and cybercrime gangs who law enforcement and intelligence agencies are trying to stop. And it's getting worse.' It goes without saying that there has to be close co-operation with technology companies, he said. 'We are confident solutions exist,' Mr Fleming continued. 'And where they do, proportionality, as in everything else we do, is key. 'They should be limited in scope and scalability, supported by modern legislation and with strong oversight to maintain public confidence.' He also said the signals intelligence partnership between the UK and America was 'one of the jewels in the crown of the 'Special Relationship'. Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in the poisoning. Mr Fleming said GCHQ (pictured) would use the 'full range of tools' against Russia's spy agency after two intelligence officers were accused of carrying out the Salisbury attack Yesterday Russia claimed the UK had been 'mendacious' and was trying to unleash 'disgusting anti-Russian hysteria' during talks at the United Nations. Diplomat Vasily Nebenzya told the UN security council: 'I'm not going to go through the list of this whole unfounded and mendacious cocktail of facts. 'London needs this story for just one purpose - to unleash a disgusting anti-Russian hysteria and to involve other countries in this hysteria.' Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left critically ill after being exposed to the military grade nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March. Detectives believe it is likely the two suspects, thought to be aged around 40, travelled under aliases and that Petrov and Boshirov are not their real names. Officers have formally linked the attack on the Skripals to events in nearby Amesbury when Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, were exposed to the same nerve agent. Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July, just over a week after the pair fell ill. The bride and groom stand before a small gathering of guests in the backyard of a home once owned by Frank Sinatra, the San Fernando Valley stretching out below them as their wedding celebrant invites the couple to kiss. Jeff Baleja leans down to embrace his new wife, Serena, as their gathered friends and family applaud, then reaches into his left pocket to retrieve a small container. You may now smoke with the bride, the celebrant says, as the groom pulls out two enormous joints. Jeff and Serena light them from the same flame provided by the celebrant and inhale deeply, the California sun beginning to set behind them. Their shared marital marijuana is not the only time the plant surfaces during the wedding; cannabis is, in fact, a central theme of the day. The groom is a marijuana chef whos starting a company to produce cannabis-infused vegan popsicles, and the wedding is peppered with weed, from the decorations to the food to the recreational offerings on hand. Serenas bouquet and Jeffs boutonniere feature marijuana leaves, and guests are invited to try an assortment of weed-infused treats; tables manned by budtenders display rolled joints, edibles, cartridges and other options. Even the chocolate fountain is infused with cannabis, and many of the nearly 40 guests partake. Jeff, 29, and Serena, 27, say that cannabis consumption has been central to their relationship, and they couldnt imagine their big day without it. And theyre not alone; as more and more states legalize marijuana, the demand for weed at weddings is growing. Scroll down for video London native Serena Bhatia, 27, married Californian Jeff Baleja, 29, at the former home of Frank Sinatra overlooking the San Fernando Valley outside of Los Angeles on Wednesday The couple - who are regular cannabis consumers - decided that they wanted to incorporate marijuana into their special day, offering guests a variety of ways to partake and setting up stations around the property manned by 'budtenders' Jeff tells DailyMail.com: Its very important that we share cannabis together and our guests ... Its just a bonding moment; its very important The groom is a marijuana chef who is starting a business that sells weed-infused vegan popsicles; guests at the wedding also had the choice to enjoy marijuana-infused meals Its very important that we share cannabis together and our guests, Jeff tells DailyMail.com at the reception. Its just a bonding moment; its very important. He adds: Everyones having a wonderful time. I think cannabis spreads a lot of happiness, and you can see it when you look around the wedding, his new bride says, with a tranquil smile. Jeffs native California is one of nine states that has legalized both medical and recreational use of marijuana; its legal for medical purposes in 21 others. The demand for cannabis celebrations first surfaced in the trailblazing state of Colorado a few years ago, prompting one entrepreneur, Bec Koop, to not only tailor her floral business to the demand but also to begin a cannabis wedding expo which has now spread from Colorado to California and Nevada. She came up with the idea for the event, she says, because of the fact that I was turned down from a traditional expo. She tells DailyMail.com: I had a traditional expo tell me: Absolutely, hell no. I had another one tell me: Sure, but were going to charge you double, even from the price that was listed on the website. And then there was another that told me we could only bring photos of what we do; we could not even bring a bouquet that had cannabis in it or anything along those lines even if it was fake cannabis [if] it looked too much like the real deal. She says she joked around with another cannabis entrepreneur, Philip Wolf, that they should start their own expo. The joke turned into reality, and the expo debuted in Denver in 2016 with about 25 vendors; by the second year, that number had tripled. The event expanded to Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, and next year the fourth year of the expo will include Las Vegas. One of the vendors earlier this year in Los Angeles was Ohio native Jamie Lee McCormick, who grew up around flowers in his mothers shop in Ohio. He started his own California business, The Flower Daddy, and specializes in cannabis weddings and he was hired by Serena and Jeff to plan a whirlwind wedding after their engagement just over six weeks ago. We always smoked together and have been involved in this growing industry over here, and it kind of is like, why wouldnt you want to smoke at your wedding? says Serena, a London native who works in social media marketing. We didnt really ever envision a wedding without this because of how involved it is in our lives and how often we partake. So it just felt really natural its now legal; why wouldnt we have a marijuana bar next to our usual bar? And as soon as I found out that this is a plausible thing that can happen, I wanted to run with it. She sought out a wedding planner that would have experience in finding a venue and all of the ins and outs and legalities of such an event, settling on The Flower Daddy. Ive always been a huge cannabis advocate and plus a user, and Ive always been a huge connoisseur of cannabis and Ive always wanted to keep it legal, McCormick tells Dailymail.com, adding: Its part of my life; I use it for anxiety, I use it for energy. Im a pretty motivational stoner. The couple met three years ago at a music festival and have been 'inseparable' ever since; Jeff proposed at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles just over six weeks ago Jeff and Serena were married by a friend; following their kiss, the celebrant said: 'You may now smoke with the bride - and the groom pulled two joints out of his pocket which the couple lit from the same flame from a lighter held by the officiant Professionals within the marijuana community say they've seen an increase in demand for cannabis-themed weddings such as the celebration thrown by Jeff and Serena, pictured above; Colorado-based Bec Koop, who began a cannabis wedding expo in 2016, says vendors tripled in number by the second year of the event Jeff and Serena hired wedding planner Jamie McCormick, who has a business called The Flower Daddy, to organize their event; he says he wants to combat the stigma surrounding marijuana use and wants 'a joint to be just like a bottle of Bud Light at a bar' He worked in the restaurant and event industry before starting his business. I always wanted to bring the two together, and there was this stigma so I wanted to break that stigma down you know, the social part of it, what comes with cannabis and with weed. And so i wanted to break those barriers; I wanted to break those walls. I want to change it. I want a joint to be just like a bottle of Bud Light at a bar. He sourced the venue for Jeff and Serenas wedding; despite the legality of marijuana, many locations are unwilling to host events that include cannabis consumption. In Colorado, however, Koop has already seen that change fast. In the beginning, it was about one in 10 venues would be open-minded about cannabis weddings in the state, says Koop, who co-runs Irie Weddings & Events, tells DailyMail.com. Its a completely different thing. We went from four years ago, literally having, I would say, eight venues that we could work with; now were up to 60 venues in Colorado alone that are cannabis friendly. Half the time, its just having the right conversations with the venue owners to convince them, hey if you turn away this business, then somebody else is getting their money. Number two, its not your right to choose how they want to consume or enjoy their night; its theirs. And number three, half the time, if theyre consuming, chances are theyre not going to be as rowdy and drunk as they might be if it was an alcohol only wedding so it actually decreases the cost of your total alcohol cost, as well as keeping people a little more sane, if you believe it or not. She explains: What we do is we regulate the way that cannabis is served and to what potency it is. We suggest our clients are purchasing very specific strains to set on specific onsets and feelings. We can literally orchestrate an entire evening based on cannabis strains. We can have you chatty and giggly in the beginning; we can have your mouth salivating as the food comes out; and then we can have you ready for the dance party. And then we can get you ready for that night cap to go home and relax. McCormicks Flower Daddy offers different packages from which couples can pick and choose; for an upcoming wedding, he says, hell simply set up an edible table. With Serena and Jeff, they got the full package, because were doing everything, he says. Everything is going to be cannabis. Koop tells DailyMail.com that her business has quadrupled she swears its increased by 420 percent, a synchronous nod to the stoner weed day of April 20 and shes noticed the plant becoming more and more socially accepted. I think its past a trend; I think its turned into a tradition, she says. Theres a lot of ways that people are incorporating it into their ceremonies part of like their sacrament and their unity. I would say one of the biggest proving pinnacle moments was when we got booked by some clients last year who dont personally consume but they wanted their guests to have the Colorado experience. So they booked us. The fact that they were open-minded enough, that they were like, Well, well spend extra money on this because everybody wants to know, everybody has questions, we cant answer every question they have about weed just because we live in Colorado that was a really big turning point that made it seem like it was past the trend. The thing that were seeing is [at] every single wedding, we have first time consumers. Weve not worked one wedding where we havent had one person whos trying it for the first time Two weeks ago, we had I think nine first time consumers at one wedding, which was one of our highest numbers, actually, for first time consumers. Serena, who works in social media marketing, tells DailyMail.com: Its a nice feeling to have, being buzzed and being in love Serena says that the cannabis industry 'is huge' and 'even this moment is huge; its like the lifting of the prohibition of alcohol I can see where peoples fears are coming from, but its literally the exact same way that peoples fears were with legalizing alcohol: Oh, were going to have more drunks. And its like, no, youre not going to have more stoners. The people who like to stone are always going to stone, and the people who like to drink are always going to drink' At her wedding reception, Serena says: I think cannabis spreads a lot of happiness, and you can see it when you look around the wedding' Bec Koop, who runs Colorado-based business Irie Weddings & Events, says she believes the rise in cannabis-themed weddings is 'past a trend; I think its turned into a tradition. Theres a lot of ways that people are incorporating it into their ceremonies part of like their sacrament and their unity' Koop tells DailyMail.com: I would say one of the biggest proving pinnacle moments was when we got booked by some clients last year who dont personally consume that was a really big turning point that made it seem like it was past the trend' For Jeff and Serenas wedding, they made it explicit on their invitations that the celebration would be heavily focused on marijuana without any negative reaction, even from older relatives. Her mother, she says, was very open to it. She said I can celebrate in whichever way that I want, Serena tells DailyMail.com. She asked me: Is it safe? And I think thats everyones biggest concern is it safe? And I always say, of course it is. Theres always going to be people who are going to be at the wedding to guide people through and talk about dosages and things like that. Again, even with the alcohol comparison, alcohol can also be very unsafe in so many situations and I think it should be looked at the same. Its things that you wouldnt do while drinking, dont do them while youre high. The new bride says: I think the whole industry, as it is, its huge. I think even this moment is huge; its like the lifting of the prohibition of alcohol I can see where peoples fears are coming from, but its literally the exact same way that peoples fears were with legalizing alcohol: Oh, were going to have more drunks. And its like, no, youre not going to have more stoners. The people who like to stone are always going to stone, and the people who like to drink are always going to drink. I would love to walk into a bar in Los Angeles and it be a smoke lounge where you can just order from the bar like you normally would a drink and just select what kind of a strain you want and just sit with friends and socialize and have a good time. That was certainly the atmosphere at her own wedding, and both Serena and Jeff beamed throughout the night, more often than not with a joint in hand as they partied and danced with their family and friends. The bride sums it up: Its a nice feeling to have, being buzzed and being in love. Immigration enforcement agents have swarmed the Iowa dairy farm that employed and housed the Mexican man charged with killing college student Mollie Tibbetts. A team of ICE agents and local law enforcement spent two hours at Yarrabee Farms in Brooklyn on Thursday morning as they looked around the property and spoke to workers. The owners of the dairy farm are cooperating with federal authorities who had asked to visit the business following Cristhian Bahena Rivera's arrest in Tibbetts' death. Yarrabee Farms confirmed in a statement that investigators met with employees and owners, but it said it could provide no additional details due to an ongoing investigation. A team of ICE agents and local law enforcement spent two hours at Yarrabee Farms in Brooklyn, Iowa on Thursday morning as they looked around the property and spoke to workers The Department of Homeland Security and ICE were leading the investigation at the farm, according to Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt. Mortvedt said that means the activity was focused on federal law and not the homicide case, which his agency is leading. The search comes just one day after it emerged that Rivera, 24, had been employed at the farm for years under a false name: John Budd. Rivera was arrested and charged with first-degree murder last month in the stabbing death of Tibbetts who vanished while out for a run in Brooklyn on July 18. Investigators say Rivera, a 24-year-old native of Mexico who came to the US during his teenage years, was in the country illegally and is subject to deportation proceedings. The farm has said that at least a couple of its roughly dozen employees left the area following Rivera's arrest, which sent fear through the immigrant community. Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, worked at the farm for four years under a fake name: John Budd. The owners of the dairy farm are cooperating with federal authorities who had asked to visit the business following his arrest in Tibbetts' death Police say Rivera followed and confronted Tibbetts while she was out for a run on July 18 in Brooklyn, Iowa and later stabbed her to death The dairy, which has about 800 cows and is owned by a prominent family with Republican Party ties, says it received dozens of angry phone calls and some death threats. Rivera worked there for roughly four years and lived in one of its trailers for free. The farm has said that about half of its workers live in provided housing. Farm managers have said Rivera presented an out-of-state identification and a Social Security number when he was hired in 2014, and that they were unaware of his true identity until his August 21 arrest. The company did not use the government's voluntary E-Verify system to check his identity and eligibility to work, although it's unclear whether that would have made a difference. Farm manager Dane Lang, did apologize earlier this month for a mistake in falsely claiming to have used E-Verify in an initial statement on the day of Rivera's arrest, hours after he allegedly led police to Tibbetts' body in a nearby cornfield. Lori Chesser, an immigration employment lawyer advising the farm, said that companies cannot discriminate against workers based on how they look or how their names sound. The farm followed legal requirements to examine the documents and determined 'that they appeared genuine on their face and related to the person presenting them,' Chesser said. Farm manager Dane Lang said Rivera presented an out-of-state identification and a Social Security number when he was hired in 2014, and that they were unaware of his true identity until his August 21 arrest The dairy, which has about 800 cows and is owned by a prominent family with Republican Party ties, says it received dozens of angry phone calls and some death threats 'Questioning a name or other characteristic would violate the anti-discrimination provisions of the law.' During his four years at the farm near Brooklyn, Iowa, Rivera 'was called and responded to the name he used in the hiring process,' Chesser said. He lived in a trailer owned by the farm as a benefit of his employment, as do about half of its 10 workers. Employers typically do not face legal consequences for hiring a worker under false documents as long as they were not involved in obtaining them and had no other obvious reason to suspect they are fraudulent, said Bob Teig, a retired federal prosecutor in Iowa. 'Absent unusual circumstances, it would be difficult to show they knew any more than what they were told,' Teig said, adding that it would be 'pretty racist' to assume a John Budd could not be Hispanic. Rivera has been jailed on $5 million bond while awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge, which carries a sentence of life in prison. It comes as Tibbetts' father, Rob Tibbetts, urged the public not to bring his daughter's death into the divisive racial debate over immigration. 'The person who is accused of taking Mollie's life is no more a reflection of the Hispanic community as white supremacists are of all white people,' he wrote in an opinion piece for the Des Moines Register. Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer, an Australian academic currently working in the UK, took to Twitter on Friday to complain after she was called Miss instead of Doctor on a Qantas flight A British academic who slammed Qantas after a flight attendant mistakenly called her Miss instead of Doctor has hit back at trolls who have mocked her for having 'first world problems.' Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer, who has a PhD in Philosophy and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter medical school, said the incident would never have happened if she was a man. In the original post Dr O'Dwyer said 'Hey @Qantas my name is Dr O'Dwyer. My ticket says Dr O'Dwyer. 'Do not look at my ticket, look at me, look back at my ticket decide it's a typo and call me Miss O'Dwyer. 'I did not spend 8 years at university of be called Miss.' The posts went viral last week and Dr O'Dwyer said the public response from her string of tweets had been 'pretty hateful', with some tweeting offensive gifs and others accusing the Dr O'Dwyer of having an 'ego'. Some even said the issue was typical of 'first world problems' and insinuated that in the wider context of things it was not that important. Dr O'Dwyer said to her followers: 'The vitriol in my feed at the moment is staggering,' She defended her post, saying it was not about ego, but rather 'highlighting one of a thousand instances of sexism that women encounter every day'. After the original complaint to Qantas a number of people showed their support for the Dr. Dr Saunders said: 'Wow, responses to this are a nasty blend of anti-intellectualism and sexism. :(' Another user Lisa Lindley, highlighted the heavy administrative burden of a simple name change to Dr. But, Dr O'Dwyer was also targeted by trolls for speaking up. Dr O'Dwyer is also targeted by some trolls for her post. In one a man posts a gif of the Scottish character from hit Hollywood film Austin Powers saying 'Boohoo'. After Dr O'Dwyer is defended by a fellow poster he then accuses her of having '1st world problems'. Another person, critical of her post, says she should 'tone down on the ego, ok?' Dr O'Dwyer responded to the comments she has received online and said: 'Copping so much flack for this tweet. This was not about my ego. 'It was about highlighting one of a thousand instances of sexism that woman encounter every day. 'It's not about the title, it's about the fact that this wouldn't have happened if I was a man.' Her original post received nearly 8000 likes and sparked debate about whether Dr O'Dwyer - who works as a lecturer on Ageing and Family Care in the UK - or the flight attendant was in the wrong. Following waves of both criticism and support online, Dr O'Dwyer said she wished the tweet didn't go viral after receiving a 'staggering' amount of hate. She refused requests for comment from media on the basis it could 'provide further opportunities for attack'. 'I did not spend 8 years at university to be called Miss,' Dr O'Dwyer (left) reasoned. In July, she shared a boarding pass labelled Mr, claiming she had been mistaken as a man because of her title Social media users were divided over whether Dr O'Dwyer's apparent snub on the flight was a sign of disrespect or a simple mistake. Fellow academic Dr Mel Thomson tweeted her support, writing: 'You have all of the solidarity on this issue.' Fellow academic Dr Mel Thomson tweeted her support, but was slammed for calling flight attendants 'trolley dolly' 'I'm first gen to finish high school (let alone get several degrees) in my family I'll be damned if some trolley dolly gets to decide what honorific I get called, FFS.' Many people took offence with Dr Thomson's use of the term 'trolley dolly', saying it was disrespectful to women and the profession. 'Please don't refer to us as trolley dollies. We may not have completed a PhD however we are required by law 2 maintain quals (sic) that enable us to evacuate an aircraft in 90 secs, keep u alive in-flight, prevent hijacking, put out fires etc,' an airline steward using the Twitter handle Belleo tweeted. 'I have always used the correct honorific. And I have always been especially careful to ensure I used it when I saw it on a woman's boarding pass as I was proud to be able to support the woman and her achievements in a male-centric world,' she continued. 'You've just gone and sh*t on that with your condescending comment about us.' Dr O'Dwyer (pictured) hit back at the 'vitriol' in her Twitter feed after she slammed airline Qantas for misrepresenting her as 'Miss' instead of 'Doctor' Tim Almond said he had two friends with doctorates who refused to use their correct title outside of professional conferences. 'You're asking for trouble on an aircraft. A passenger gets stuck and they'll ask you for help,' he tweeted. Qantas said they stood by the professionalism of their cabin crew. 'We are extremely proud of our cabin crew who respectfully serve our customers day in and day out and play a vital safety role,' a Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'Please don't refer to us as trolley dollies' an airline steward using the Twitter handle Belleo tweeted Twitter users were divided over Dr O'Dwyer's reasoning, with some accusing her of making a big deal out of nothing and others agreeing it was a case of sexism. 'Your tweet is exactly about ego. How many male doctors write tweets to Qantas complaining they get called Mr & not Dr ? If they did, they would cop exactly same the responses as you,' one man wrote. 'Why dont the trolls understand that its about equality?,' argued another. Dr O'Dwyer took to social media to say she had been 'copping so much flak' for the post President Donald Trump used crude language to describe gender reassignment surgery while considering the status of transgender troops, according to Bob Woodward's new book. Trump made the comment early in his term, shortly before he stunned his genderals by announcing a plan to end an Obama-era policy that would have allowed transgender troops to join the military. He made the comment to former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon, according to Woodward's new bombshell, titled: 'Fear.' Bannon was sympathetic to conservative complaints that the government would be forced to pay for costly gender reassignment surgery, according to the account. 'What the f***? They're coming in here, they're getting clipped,' Trump told Bannon, in what Woodward described as a crude reference to the procedure. Trump was of the view that surgery would cost $250,000. 'What the f***? They're coming in here, they're getting clipped,' Trump reportedly said, in a crude reference to gender reassignment surgery, according to Bob Woodward's new book "Not going to happen," the president said, according to a copy of the book obtained by DailyMail.com. The military went through a complex multi-agency process to develop options on the issue but Trump promptly short-circuited it. They ranged from keeping the status quo to an outright ban on transgender service. Trump ended up weighing in about an hour before a planned meeting with Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus, and lawyer on the topic to weigh the options. The president reportedly made the comment to former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who complained the government should not have to bear the costs Trump's order short-circuited normal channels, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis followed by ordering a review He ended up firing off a series of tweets: 'After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow...Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you." The move caught his secretary of Defense James Mattis off guard. Mattis would ultimately undermine the directive through delay and study. 'What'd you think of my tweet?" the president asked Priebus after the fact. 'I think it would've been better if we had a decision memo, looped Mattis in,' Priebus told him, according to Woodward. The author noted that during the campaign, Trump expressed support for LGBT issues. He also invoked the term on the campaign trail. Bannon later called Mattis to try to enlist support. 'These guys are coming over to get full surgery," Bannon reportedly said. 'We're supposed to pay for that?' The policy lead to a formal memorandum, which itself was followed by lawsuits and court injunctions. The European Commission has once again stressed the importance of cooperation with Morocco in the areas of migration and security. The European Union and Morocco are in regular contact to strengthen their cooperation on migration and security, said EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos, in response to a question on Europes border security European posed by a member of the European Parliament The European Commissioner also highlighted the quality of cooperation between Morocco and Spain in these areas. Spain and Morocco are cooperating continuously and closely in the area of border control with the aim of reducing the number of illegal crossings and the risk of potential terrorist infiltration, said the EU commissioner. As part of Moroccos fight against all forms of organized crime, Moroccan security services thwarted in 2018 more than 54,000 illegal migration attempts, dismantled 74 human trafficking networks, seized 1,900 boats and brought before justice 260 traffickers, spokesman for the Moroccan Government Mustapha Khalfi disclosed in a recent briefing in Rabat. Morocco and Spain are also cooperating closely in the struggle against terrorism and have jointly dismantled several terror cells operating in the two countries. Dimitris Avramopoulos said the European Border and Coast Guard Agency is also coordinating the joint Indalo operation, which conducts constant surveillance and patrols in the Mediterranean and thus helps to prevent irregular emigration and cross-border crime. Passengers traveling on two separate American Airlines planes were quarantined in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon after becoming sick with flu-like symptoms, airport officials said. A dozen travelers on Flight 755 and Flight 717 complained of feeling ill after departing from their planes at Philadelphia International Airport. The passengers are believed to have been returning from Saudi Arabia after completing Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca which all Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lifetimes. As a precaution, all passengers and crews from both flights were held for medical review, according to an airport spokeswoman. A total of 250 people were evaluated, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified. CDC officials said people who are healthy are being released. They also said neither plane was quarantined because passengers reported feeling sick after disembarking. A dozen people on two separate American Airlines planes were quarantined in Philadelphia after falling ill Flight 755 originated in Paris and landed in Philadelphia in the afternoon. Flight 717 originated in Munich, Germany and landed in Philadelphia around the same time. NBC Philadelphia reports that numerous travelers were returning from pilgrimages in Mecca, Saudi Arabia before boarding in Paris and Munich. Customs and Border Protection officials said most of the passengers on the Philadelphia-bound flights have been released. Several are still being evaluated by the CDC of local doctors. Health officials said after the scare in New York on Wednesday, they are taking 'an abundance of caution' in Philadelphia. There has been reports of a flu outbreak in Mecca, where more than one million religious observers have traveled to for Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage . It's unclear how many may have become ill during their travels. On Wednesday, an Emirates fight from Dubai to John F Kennedy Airport in Queens was quarantined after 19 people became ill with what was described as flu-like symptoms. One passenger on the Emirates flight in New York on Wednesday was seen being transported on a stretcher by paramedics to an ambulance A passenger shared photos of passengers (left and right) getting their temperatures taken as they got off the plane in New York on Wednesday Many of the healthy passengers described hearing fellow travelers violently coughing during the flight. Ten people - seven crew members and three passengers - were hospitalized, while nine others refused medical treatment. In a series of tweets on Wednesday, City Hall spokesman Eric Phillips said early reports indicated that passengers had been become sick with the flu. 'All of the passengers are off and have been evaluated. 19 sick. 10 to hospital and 9 refused medical attention,' he posted. 'Health officials are processing tests now to determine the cause. Symptoms still pointing to the flu.' The double-decker Emirates flight, which rapper Vanilla Ice was on, originated in Dubai. According to reports, several of the passengers had traveled to Mecca for the religious pilgrimage. Police have revealed that the gunman who carried out a deadly shooting spree at a Cincinnati bank had a long rap sheet peppered with low-level offenses in several cities across the US, while his shocked neighbors describe him as reclusive and bitter. Omar Enrique Santa Perez was identified by police as the man who opened fire at Fifth Third Bank in downtown Cincinnati at around 9.10am Thursday, killing three and injuring two others before being gunned down by responding officers. Relatives say the 29-year-old had been living in Cincinnati since at least 2015, and was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Cincinnati.com described how the alleged gunman's aunt Yudy Martinez Perez 'broke down crying on the kitchen floor of her Forest Park home Thursday afternoon when she learned that her nephew was the shooter who took three lives at the Fifth Third Center'. 'I do not know why. I do not know why,' Martinez, who speaks only limited English, said of the attack. Police, too, have been struggling to pinpoint the mysterious gunman's motive. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Omar Enrique Santa Perez has been identified by police as the man who opened fire at Fifth Third Bank in downtown Cincinnati Thursday morning, killing three and injuring two others before being gunned down by responding officers. Police revealed that Perez had a long rap sheet peppered with low-level offenses in several cities across the US Santa Perez opened fire on the lobby and loading dock at Fifth Third Bank in downtown Cincinnati around 9.10am, according to police. Bullet holes are seen in the lobby's glass door Martinez described her sister's son as 'very quiet', adding that he had held various jobs and was currently working in the Ohio city, but the family did not know where. At one point Santa Perez had been living in her basement. Police have said there are records of Santa Perez having lived all over the country, including in South Carolina, Florida and Ohio. He most recently lived in the North Bend suburb of Cincinnati. Social media indicates he may have attended Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, but the school has not confirmed his enrollment. Cincinatti.com reports that Santa Perez has a criminal record consisting of mainly low-level offenses such as entering or refusing to leave the premises in Greenville, South Carolina; marijuana possession in Palm Beach, Florida; traffic offenses in Lake Worth, Florida; traffic offenses in Deerfield Beach, Florida; and disorderly conduct in Coconut Creek, Florida. He also received a citation for driving with an expired license plate in Cincinnati in 2015. Several residents of the North Bend apartment complex Santa Perez was said to have been living in described the 29-year-old as 'reclusive and bitter', expressing shock at the shooting Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, center, said the gun Santa Perez used to carry out the attack was purchased legally at a press conference Thursday morning A woman is comforted by authorities stationed outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center's Emergency room following a shooting in downtown Cincinnati that left four dead Police searched the North Bend apartment complex where Santa Perez had reportedly been living. Another resident of the complex, Karen Rose, was shocked to hear that one of her neighbors was responsible for the deadly shooting spree. 'It's disturbing to think someone like that lived here,' Rose told Cincinnati.com behind the three-story brick building. 'He obviously wasn't who I thought he was. Something went wrong in his head.' Other residents described Santa Perez, who moved in six months ago, as an 'increasingly bitter and reclusive man', according to the news site. Neighbor Steve Conner said he often saw Perez 'walking down the street, looking pissed off at everybody'. Another resident Christina Fischer said: '[Perez] kind of would hide when you'd come up the stairs. He didn't want anybody near him.' Fischer claimed that a woman had been living with the 29-year-old up until a few weeks ago. Several residents noted that Perez's green Subaru had broken down months ago, and that he'd occasionally make a three-mile trek on foot into the nearby city of Addyston, where there's a bus stop into Cincinnati. All of the residents Cincinnati.com talking to agreed that the spree was highly unexpected. 'I can't believe he would go do something like that, or anybody would do something like that,' Fischer said. Yellow evidence markers are seen dotting the floor of the bank headquarters lobby Police in Cincinnati are on the scene of an active shooter situation with four fatalities, including the gunman, and two injured victims at Fifth Third Bank Police Chief Eliot Isaac has said officials will study footage from the officers' body cameras and security from the 30-story building that headquarters Fifth Third Bancorp. Police say the suspect had never worked at Fifth Third and don't have any information linking him to other businesses in the building. The 9mm semi-automatic pistol Perez used to carry out the attack before being shot dead by responding officers 'appears to have been legally purchased, Isaac said. Officials said the outcome of the attack could have been even more tragic if it were not for the actions of responding police officers, given that Perez was armed with multiple magazines and 200 rounds of ammunition. WLWT revealed that Perez was wearing a business suit when he somehow made his way into the bank's loading dock, after visiting several nearby stores, including the Potbelly Sandwich Shop housed in the same building as the bank. Isaac said Perez never worked at Fifth Third Bank and had no other obvious tie to the office building. According to the chief, investigators so far have found no indication that it was an act of terror, but Isaac raised the possibility that Perez had mental health problems. An area is cordoned off with police tape near Cincinnati's busy Fountain Square Thursday morning Two people were taken in critical condition to UC Medical Center Thursday morning The incident began unfolding at 9.10am when a 911 call came in reporting shots fired at the bank. Isaac said Perez entered the loading dock at the building and opened fire, then proceeded to the lobby of Fifth Third Bank, where four police officers confronted him three minutes later and shot him multiple times, killing him. Just before 1pm, police executed a search warrant at an apartment building in Northbend, Ohio, believed to be connected to the bank shooter. A neighbor told the station WLWT the person in question had moved into the building just a day or two ago. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was 'actively shooting innocent victims' and that it was a 'horrific' scene. He noted the building on the city's Fountain Square houses popular ice cream, sandwich and pastry shops. He said it 'could have been much, much worse' if not for the immediate police response to end the threat. 'This is not normal, and it shouldn't be viewed as normal,' the mayor told reporters, adding that the United States is the only industrialized nation with frequent active shooting incidents. 'We as a country have to deal with it,' Cranley added. Pedestrians are allowed to exit police cordons as emergency personnel and police work the scene of shooting near Fountain Square Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley speaks to the media late Thursday morning Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Deters told WHIO that the gunman had enough ammunition on him to kill 30-40 people, but police who responded to the scene within three minutes of getting the first 911 call were able to neutralize him by shooting him through the glass window of the lobby. A witness told the paper he saw a woman walking into Fifth Third Bank with her headphones on and getting shot by the gunman. Other bystanders later reported seeing a woman being carried out of the building drenched in blood and laid down on a slab of concrete by police officers. City Councilman Chris Seelbach revealed in a tweet that the female survivor of the attack is from Louisville, Kentucky, and that she sustained a dozen gunshot wounds all over her body. This photo obtained on September 6, 2018 courtesy of Jeremy Monahan via Twitter shows a view from a window overlooking the scene of the shooting criss-crossed with police tape Emergency personnel and police respond to the shooting near Fountain Square Thursday Governor John Kasich, a Republican, also addressed the shooting in a tweet this morning Erick Kearney, president of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, shared a grisly photo on Twitter showing first responders wheeling a bloodied, nearly naked man on a gurney towards an ambulance. The photo suggests that man suffered a gunshot wound to the head. At least two ambulances were seen leaving the scene. Both injured victims were taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, reported WLWT. The male survivor's condition has been upgraded from serious to fair. No police officers were injured in Thursday's deadly incident. Federal agents were on the scene. Streets around the building at the city's Fountain Square were closed as were sidewalks. Police completed their search of the crime scene at around 11am, reported Fox 19. Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, tweeted that he and his staff are following the situation out of Cincinnati. 'If you're downtown, please follow first responder instructions for the safety of everyone involved. Jane and I hope for a peaceful resolution soon,' the tweet read. Governor John Kasich, a Republican, also addressed the shooting in a tweet this morning, describing the incident as a 'senseless act of gun violence on the streets of Cincinnati.' Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has hit back at the former Australian Border Force Commissioner after he lodged a submission to a senate inquiry about Dutton's actions in office Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has hit back at the former Australian Border Force Commissioner after he lodged a submission to a senate inquiry into Dutton's actions in office. Former commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg claimed the ministers chief-of-staff, Craig Maclachlan, contacted him in June 2015 to secure a visa for an Italian au pair. However Mr Dutton has claimed the alleged conversation between his staffer and Mr Quaedvlieg could never have happened because Mr Maclachlan did not work for him until October 2015. 'Mr Quaedvlieg is bitter about the loss of his job, but the fabrication of evidence to a Senate committee takes his behaviour to a disturbing level,' he told The Australian. 'As a matter of public record, Mr Quaedvlieg remains under criminal investigation by ACLEI and another person related to this matter is subject to charges.' Mr Dutton alleged the enormous 'error in judgement' of Mr Quaedvlieg was the result of 'the pressure and personal toll of these investigations'. He said as a result he has personally contacted ABF Commissioner Mr Michael Outram and asked him to offer any support available to Mr Quaedvlieg. Mr Quaedvlieg was quick to respond to Mr Dutton's scathing rebuke and said he is certain his own recollection of events was correct. 'I am however adamant that they occurred. I completely reject his assertion that I have fabricated evidence. I stand very firmly by the description of the events as I have recollected and outlined in my submission,' he told The Australian. Mr Dutton claimed the submission by Mr Quaedvlieg was 'entirely false and indeed fabricated'. Mr Quaedvlieg claims that during the 2015 exchange Mr Maclachlan said he was calling 'on behalf of the Minister' wanting to confirm whether the au pair had been detained on arrival at Brisbane Airport, reports the ABC. Former Australian Border Force Commissioner has lodged a submission to a senate inquiry claiming that Peter Dutton's office contacted him for an Italian au pair (pictured in 2016) It is understood the au pair, Michela Marchisio (pictured) was detained for planning to work on a tourist visa Mr Quaedvlieg claims that Chief of Staff said he was calling 'on behalf of the Minister' He says he then established she had been detained because she was intending to work on a tourist visa. When he conveyed this information back to Mr Maclachlan it is alleged he asked 'what needed to happen for the Minister to overrule' the decision? It is understood the au pair, Michela Marchisio, was planning to work for Queensland Police Officer Russell Keag and his wife, Nicole. The au pair was planning to work for Queensland Police Officer Russell Keag and his wife, Nicole (pictured) Mr Keag was a former colleague of Mr Dutton's when he worked as a police officer in Queensland. Mr Dutton has strenuously denied he has spoken to the Keags about the au pair. He has also previously said that someone in the Border Force has routinely leaks information regarding au pair and his office. 'There's a disaffected former senior Australian Border Force official who leaks this information out,' Mr Dutton told Sydney radio 2GB. This comes after Mr Dutton was also accused of using his discretionary powers to overturn the deportation of a French au pair and grant a new visa. 'I looked at it and thought it was a bit rough, theres no criminal history, shes agreed that she wouldnt work. I thought it was an application of common sense,' he told 2GB radio. Emails now allegedly show that Mr Dutton intervened after being contacted by the AFL, 9 News reported, the French au pair had previously worked for Callum Maclachlan, a relative of AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan. The hospital trust at the centre of a maternity scandal buried a damning report warning that mothers and babies were at risk, the Mail can reveal today. The document was presented to bosses at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust by a top medical college last October but they refused to publish it or tell watchdogs. Instead, they sent a team of managers to the London HQ of report authors, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, to persuade them to write up a glowing update. Only when this second document was produced nine months later in July, did the trust publish the first 53-page damning report on its website. Rhiannon Davies with her daughter Kate who died six hours after being born in 2009 Even then, it was tucked away behind the 11-page progress report which suggested all was well. Yesterday the Care Quality Commission announced it had taken urgent enforcement action against the entire trust following an inspection last week. The watchdog takes this action if it is very worried about the safety at a trust and it is an order for managers to make immediate improvements. A major investigation is currently underway at the trust into a cluster of deaths spanning two decades. At least 60 incidents have been referred to officials although this number is continuing to rise as more families are coming forward. Amy Butler (pictured with baby Bradley), 25, said a consultant used forceps to yank her son during her delivery in August 2016 The original critical report exposed a catalogue of failings, including how the death rates of babies delivered at the trust was higher than at similar-sized hospitals. It also warned of dangerous shortages of midwives, a reluctance to investigate mistakes and a 'constant fear of being blamed when things went wrong'. A team from the Royal College had carried out a three-day inspection. They also examined managers' inquiries into three cases, two baby deaths and the severe injury of another infant. In the nine months between their critical report and the trust finally publishing the results, two babies and one mother died within the maternity department. Families have accused the trust of a cover-up and questioned how they managed to persuade a top medical college to whitewash its own report. Rhiannon Davies' daughter Kate died at the maternity department in 2009, six hours after her birth. She said: 'I am no longer shocked by their behaviour, but I am sickened and ground down by their deceit because it compounds the pain of Kate's loss.' Cathy Smith, who was the trust's head of midwifery at the time, was criticised in a damning review into Kate's death. Peter Walsh, chief executive of the charity Action against Medical Accidents, said: 'It is very disappointing if the trust kept the worrying initial report by the Royal College from regulators and commissioners for as long as they appear to have done.' Ministers have been promising to make the NHS more open ever since the high-profile inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire hospitals disaster in 2013, when hundreds of patients died from neglect. WHAT THE FIRST CRITICAL REPORT SAID The number of babies dying during pregnancy, labour or shortly after the birth was ten per cent higher compared with similar-sized hospitals. For one measure babies dying within 28 days of the birth the death rate was 46 per cent higher. There was a constant fear of being blamed when things went wrong. The report highlighted dangerous shortages of midwives and doctors. The maternity department needed to fill the posts of ten midwives, three consultants, six junior doctors and 16 maternity support workers. There were on average five midwives off sick daily. There were not enough resources to safely staff the maternity unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and five midwife-led units. Cliques were identified among midwives and there was a rift between those who worked at the main maternity unit in Telford and smaller midwife-led units. Managers were routinely having to deal with 'crises' brought about by staffing shortages. They were constantly firefighting. The culture was defensive and not focused on the learning process. The midwives had overwhelming feelings of worry, being under constant scrutiny and being terrified of things going wrong at work. The trust hadn't appointed a designated 'whistleblowing champion' contrary to national guidelines. The department also relied on overseas doctors who had not been trained up to the necessary standard. Advertisement Julie Bailey, who helped expose the scandal after her mother died, now runs the Patient Advocacy Service. She said: 'This is clear evidence this hospital board is more interested in putting a positive spin on its failings instead of learning from its mistakes.' The review by the watchdog NHS Improvement into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals maternity services was ordered in April 2017. It was initially examining 23 cases from 2002 to 2017 but up to 40 other cases have emerged. Since the Mail reported this figure last week, another 13 families have come forward. The RCOG has confirmed that it was the first time it had been asked to provide a progress report after inspecting a trust. Deirdre Fowler, director of nursing, midwifery and quality at the trust, said the first report was only 'finalised' in January even though it is was signed off last October. 'By then, we had already addressed many of the issues identified,' she added. 'These changes and others were reflected in the full RCOG report, which gave a more up-to-date and accurate picture.' Air hand dryers should be banned from hospital toilets because they blow bacteria around the room, scientists say. Using paper towels significantly reduces the risk of germs being spread between sick patients, warn University of Leeds researchers. They found high levels of dangerous bacteria that cause blood poisoning, pneumonia and gastroenteritis when dryers were used. Air hand dryers should be banned from hospital toilets because they blow bacteria around the room, researchers from the University of Leeds say (stock image) Writing in the Journal of Hospital Infection, they called for the dryers which can leave up to five times as much bacteria on the floor as paper towels to be taken out of hospitals. Study leader Professor Mark Wilcox, an expert in medical microbiology at Leeds, said: 'The problem starts because some people do not wash their hands properly. 'When people use a jet-air dryer, the microbes get blown off and spread around the toilet room. In effect, the dryer creates an aerosol that contaminates the toilet room, including the dryer itself and potentially the sinks, floor and other surfaces, depending on the dryer design and where it is sited. 'If people touch those surfaces, they risk becoming contaminated by bacteria or viruses. 'Jet-air dryers often rely on no-touch technology to initiate hand drying. However, paper towels absorb the water and microbes left on the hands and if they are disposed of properly, there is less potential for cross-contamination.' Using paper towels significantly reduces the risk of germs being spread between sick patients, warn researchers. Dryers can leave up to five times as much bacteria on the floor as paper towels (stock image) The Department of Health already restricts air dryers in toilets in hospital wards and other clinical areas but this is because of noise rather than safety. So they are still allowed in hospital public areas, putting patients and visitors at risk. The research team looked at two toilets in each of three hospitals in the UK, France and Italy. Each of the toilets had paper towel dispensers and air dryers, but only one of these was in use on any given day. The Department of Health already restricts air dryers in toilets in hospital wards and other clinical areas but this is because of noise rather than safety (stock image) On each day, over 12 weeks, levels of bacterial contamination in the toilets were measured, allowing comparisons to be made between the effects of paper towels and air dryers. The scientists found five times more bacteria on the floor when air dryers were in use compared to paper towels, and significantly more in the air, dust and surfaces of the room. The bugs included E. coli, which causes gastroenteritis and pneumonia; staphylococcus aureus, which is responsible for wound infections and blood poisoning; and enterococci, which cause difficult-to-treat infections, particularly in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Professor Wilcox said: 'We found multiple examples of greater bacterial contamination on surfaces, including by faecal and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, when jet-air dryers rather than paper towels were in use. Choice of hand-drying method affects how likely microbes can spread, and so possibly the risk of infection.' The study was funded by the European Tissue Symposium, a trade organisation representing companies that manufacture paper towels. However, the researchers insisted the findings were independently conceived, designed, conducted and interpreted, and peer-reviewed by experts. A 2016 University of Westminster study found one extra-powerful modern hand dryer model was capable of circulating viruses up to 9ft across a bathroom and spread 60 times more bugs than an old-fashioned warm-air model. President Trump requested that his inauguration photos be edited to make the crowd appear larger after he came across the viral side-by-side image of his sparse audience in comparison to his predecessor Barack Obama's, a new report revealed Thursday. The Guardian, under the admission of the Freedom of Information Act, obtained documents that confirm Trump and former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, made phone calls in which they requested a government photographer make the crowd appear more outstanding in his favor. On January 21, 2017, the day after he was sworn into presidency, Trump spoke with the director of the National Park Service, Michael Reynolds, about the matter. The Guardian said Spicer also spoke to an unnamed NPS official, who was informed the president 'wanted to see pictures that appeared to depict more spectators in the crowd' and argued that the raw images showed off 'a lot of empty areas.' Another park official, who spoke with Spicer, said he asked that the photographer edit the photos, but to 'accurately represent the inauguration crowd size.' The government photographer who reportedly edited the photos said he 'assumed' their requests were to have the photos cropped in, although that is not what he said was formally asked of him. People gather on the National Mall in Washington, DC, to watch the inauguration of Donald Trump's in 2017, left, compared to Barack Obama's in 2009, right The photo from the National Park Service shows a crowd from Trump's inauguration from afar Another photo here shows a zoomed-in version of the crowd during Trump's swearing-in ceremony in January 2017 Later in the day, the photographer said he was asked again to 'edit a few more' of the images - despite altering as many as 25 already. In summary, the photographer confirmed he 'edited the inauguration photographs to make them look more symmetrical by cropping out the sky and cropping out the bottom where the crowd ended.' The special request by the president came shortly after he saw the viral side-by-side image of his sparse audience in comparison to Obama's back in January 2009. It has not been confirmed whether the edited photos were actually released to the public. Just two months ago, former press secretary Spicer continued to maintain that Trump's inauguration crowd was the biggest in history - while adding that doesn't want to work for the administration ever again. The political aide conceded that his original statement should have been clearer but given all the alternative viewing platforms available his assertion stands. 'If you look at the statement that I actually made - and I will admit that we should have made it clearer. President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC President Barack Obama (R) and First Lady Michelle Obama (L) welcome President-elect Trump (2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House in Washington, DC January 20, 2017 'We should have focused on total audience size and not let people believe that we were talking about the Mall itself, I will concede that,' he said in a statement to The Washington Post. 'But where has any evidence been that suggests that I'm wrong about the total population that watched it? This isn't a partisan thing. The bottom line is that there are platforms available today that weren't available for Obama.' Spicer, who was the Republican National Committee's communications director from 2011 to 2017, announced his plan to resign as the White House press secretary on July 21, 2017. The announcement came after Trump appointed financier Anthony Scaramucci as the White House communications director - which Spicer disapproved of. Scaramucci, however, lasted just 10 days on the job, and left the administration before Spicer. The fiery yet trivial dispute over inauguration crowd sizes came shortly after Spicer took on the role. It was his first interaction with the media - which set off a combative tone between news outlets and the Trump administration. Spicer said at the time Trump had the 'largest audience to ever to witness an inauguration, period - both in person and around the globe.' A 12-year-old girl who mysteriously vanished four years ago has been spotted 100km away from where she disappeared. Layla Leisha's family are desperate to find their 12-year-old daughter after she disappeared from Calliope, Queensland, in December 2014. In a stunning breakthrough, a relative now believes they spotted Layla at Woorabinda, an Aboriginal community in Central Queensland. Layla Leisha's family are desperate to find their 12-year-old daughter after she disappeared from Calliope, Queensland, in December 2014 Australian Federal Police believe the girl is with her father Shahrainer Eric Shem Leisha, a man who also goes by the name of Kooradaman Darngee. Police believe Mr Leisha lives in Rockhampton but are unable to locate him as he refuses to cooperate with the authorities, the Morning Bulletin reported. Child recovery expert Col Chapman is working with Layla's family to help recover the girl. Despite Mr Leisha claiming his daughter was healthy and enrolled at a top school, Mr Chapman said his research suggested the girl was not going to school at all and could 'barely read or write'. Mr Champman also said Layla did not have a Medicare card which meant she was not going to a doctor. 'Kooradaman has lied too many times already,' he said. Police believe Mr Leisha lives with his daughter in Rockhampton but are unable to locate him as he refuses to cooperate with the authorities Mr Chapman said the girl's father claimed he was in regular communication with the police, but he was not. 'And he claims that Commonwealth officials are aware of his location and protecting him but that's another lie,' he said. With Mr Chapman's help, Layla's family has launched a desperate appeal for help to find the 12-year-old. An Arizona rancher has set up surveillance cameras on his property to film the number of immigrants, drug mules and human smugglers who he claims regularly use his property as a gateway to the United States. John Chilton, 79, managed to capture hours of footage of illegal immigrants crossing over the US-Mexico border onto his 50,000-acre property in Arivaca. In a 25-minute video obtained by the Daily Caller, Chilton's cameras show a steady stream of people, including some dressed in camouflage and brandishing guns, trespassing on his ranch. Arizona rancher John Chilton, 79, managed to capture hours of footage of illegal immigrants crossing over the US-Mexico border onto his 50,000-acre property in Arivaca The rancher said most of the surveillance videos were filmed this year, but some date back to 2016. Chilton, who is a fifth-generation Arizona cattleman, is an outspoken Arizona backer of President Donald Trump's efforts to secure the US-Mexico border. He said he has long pushed the government to have more than a barbed-wire fence along the border. Chilton said he set up the surveillance cameras to prove his point about the dangers of trespassers crossing over onto his property. Some of the people captured trespassing on the property were carrying large backpacks and supplies, while others carried guns and guided horses. Chilton's cameras show a steady stream of people, including some dressed in camouflage and brandishing guns, trespassing on his ranch The rancher, who is an outspoken backer of President Donald Trump's efforts to secure the US-Mexico border, said most of the surveillance videos were filmed this year The remote area is known for drug and migrant smuggling. A US Border Patrol agent was wounded on Chilton's property back in June when he was shot while canvassing the area. Chilton said at the time the agent was struck in the leg and the hand, but several bullets also struck his protective vest. 'Without it, he probably would not be with us today,' Chilton told the Associated Press. The rancher said his property is separated from Mexico by a four-strand wire fence. 'We have drug runners coming through our ranch and this has become a very dangerous situation,' Chilton said. Some of the people captured trespassing on the property were carrying large backpacks and supplies, while others carried guns and guided horses A first-time mother has spoken of her 'inconsolable' agony after her baby boy was decapitated in a botched birth. Laura Gallazzi, 34, was rushed into hospital after her waters broke at 25 weeks of being pregnant- but had no way of knowing that her the doctor trying to deliver her new born baby Steven would accidentally decapitate him. When she arrived at hospital The British Red Cross worker was told she had suffered a prolapsed umbilical cord and she was 'petrified', but was soon expecting a C-section. Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 43, attempted to carry out the delivery naturally at Dundee's Ninewells hospital and urged the patient to push whilst herself applying traction to the baby's legs. Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 43, attempted to carry out the delivery naturally at Dundee's Ninewells hospital and urged the patient to push whilst herself applying traction to the baby's legs A memory bear in a case along with some clothes and another bear with a label saying grandson, all paying tribute to young Steven Steven's father, Steve McCusker, with a tattoo tribute to his young son Steven who sadly passed away It caused the infant's legs, arms and torso to become detached, leaving the head still in his mother's womb. Two other doctors subsequently carried out a C-section on the woman to remove the infant's head. The baby's head was 're-attached' to his body so his mother could hold him before she said goodbye. It is believed the child was already dead before he was decapitated during the bungled 15 minute delivery. Recalling her nightmare when she first learnt Steven had died, Laura Gallazzi told The Sun: 'Dr Laxman sat to the edge of my bed. 'She told me Steven hadn't made it. 'I told her, 'Don't worry, these things happen.' I thought it was because I was only 25 weeks. 'I didn't know something untoward had happened. I even held her hand. I told her I forgave her.' Laura and her husband Steve McCusker had spent a year trying to get pregnant and could not wait to be new parents. She added: 'My son was dead and then they told me he had been decapitated. I was screaming, My poor baby. A block emblazoned with blue lettering with Steven's name, foot and hand prints and the date he died 'Why didn't they give me the C-section in the first place? Instead of having to carry it out to retrieve my son's head? 'If I didn't have tubes and needles in me, attaching me to a machine, I don't know what I would've done. 'I was inconsolable. I thought they were going to just bring in a body. 'I didnt want to be left with that memory.' Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 43, was found culpable of medical failures after a tribunal revealed she should have given the 30-year old patient an emergency Caesarean section as the premature infant was in a breech position at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, consultant Laxman - who qualified in Chennai, India - denied wrongdoing. The service said there was no impairment of Dr Laxman's fitness to practise and cleared her to return to work at another hospital. The tribunal cleared Dr Laxman of misconduct and said her fitness to practise was not impaired. Laura said she did not forgive Dr Laxman and the incident has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. The tribunal ruled the decision to proceed with a natural birth was 'negligent and fell below the standards ordinarily to be expected' but did not amount to serious misconduct. The panel's written decision said: 'The failing which the tribunal has found proved was not sustained, persistent or repeated, but rather a single error of judgement made in very difficult circumstances. 'The tribunal was satisfied that throughout the attempted delivery of baby B, Dr Vilvanathan Laxman believed that she was acting in both patient A's and baby B's best interests, and that she genuinely believed that proceeding with a vaginal delivery was the optimum course to take in the circumstances which existed at the time.' Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 43, attempted to carry out the delivery naturally at Dundee's Ninewells hospital Dr Laxman said she believed the baby would have died had a Caesarean section been carried out. But at a finding of facts hearing, panel chairman Tim Bradbury said: 'It was Dr Laxman's decision in this regard that was to dictate her subsequent actions and the course of events which ultimately led to Baby B being decapitated. 'The Tribunal was in no doubt that throughout her involvement in the attempted delivery of Baby B, she was endeavouring to achieve the best outcome for Patient A and Baby B. 'However the central issue in this case is whether Dr Laxman's decision to attempt a vaginal delivery of Baby B rather than an immediate caesarean section under general anaesthetic was clinically indicated or whether the only proper course in the circumstances would have been to proceed to an immediate Caesarean section. 'Dr Laxman had not sufficiently addressed in her mind the risk to Baby B by proceeding with a vaginal delivery - namely the risk of head entrapment and the delay this complication would inevitably cause. 'Further, the Tribunal found that she embarked upon a vaginal delivery without a proper basis for concluding that a delivery was imminent or that there were any characteristics present that might be regarded as favourable to a vaginal delivery. 'The Tribunal did not accept that in these circumstances a caesarean section was the appropriate mode of delivery for foetal wellbeing. The Tribunal did not accept that the circumstances were such that Dr Laxman should have assumed that a caesarean section would have no prospect of success. 'The Tribunal determined that at this time Dr Laxman's priority was a live delivery and there was also a reasonable prospect that Baby B could have survived following an immediate caesarean section under general anaesthetic. 'The decision to proceed with vaginal delivery represented a failure in her clinical decision-making on the evidence available to her at the time.' Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that it is time to invoke a constitutional amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office if top officials believe he can no longer fulfill his duties. The prominent Democrat's comments follow a stunning newspaper op-ed by an anonymous senior administration official expressing grave concerns about Trump's morals and behavior. The New York Times article described an insider resistance movement that prevents him making 'reckless' decisions. 'If senior administration officials think the president of the United States is not able to do his job, then they should invoke the 25th Amendment,' Warren told CNN. Scroll down for video Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for Constitutional measures to remove President Donald Trump from the Oval Office following the publication of an op-ed by an anonymous senior administration official expressing grave concerns about his behavior The Trump administration was dealt a series of brutal blows this week when famed journalist Bob Woodward published a book painting the White House as a 'crazy town' and The New York Times twisted the knife with an op-ed by a senior Trump official Section 4 of the 25th Amendment of the Constitution allows the vice president and cabinet officials to write to Congress if they believe the president cannot do his job. In that event, the vice president would assume presidential duties - permanently if Congress agrees in a subsequent vote that the president cannot discharge his duties. The amendment, ratified in 1967, allows for a temporary transfer of power if the president is incapacitated by something like surgery, as in 2002 when George W. Bush underwent a colonoscopy. The far more consequential Section 4 has never been used, however, and experts say the process is particularly fraught. The op-ed was published on the same day as explosive excerpts of veteran investigative journalist Bob Woodward's upcoming book which described how officials would remove important documents from Trump's desk to stop him signing off on bad policy. Warren, a potential 2020 presidential candidate, expressed alarm that senior officials were offering anonymous but searing critiques of a troubling presidency but not taking constitutional action. 'What kind of a crisis do we have if senior officials believe that the president can't do his job and then refuse to follow the rules that have been laid down in the Constitution?' Warren said. 'They can't have it both ways.' Trump addressed impeachment concerns during a 'Make America Great Again' rally in Billings, Montana, on Thursday night, telling his supporters the blame is on them if he gets ousted Meanwhile during a 'Make America Great Again' rally in Billings, Montana, on Thursday night, Trump told his supporters the blame is on them if he gets impeached and claims it could lead to the US one day becoming a third world country. Trump raised the specter of impeachment if Democrats win control of Congress during his rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday night. He warned that a Democratic-controlled Congress would pursue impeachment despite the strong economy and set a precedent that would hurt future presidents. 'Let's say a Democrat gets elected and let's say we have a Republican House. We will impeach that Democrat, right?' Trump said. 'You're going to have a country that's going to turn into a third-world country because if the opposite party becomes president, every time before it even starts, before you even found out whether or not he or she is going to do a great job, they'll say: 'We want to impeach him!'' 'If it does happen, it's your fault because you didn't go out to vote.' Trump continued on the topic of impeachment, saying: 'How do you impeach somebody that's doing a great job, that hasn't done anything wrong? 'Our economy is good. How do you do it? How do you do it? How do you do it?' He warned his supporters: 'You are not just voting for a candidate, you are voting for which party controls Congress. Very important thing. Very important thing.' Trump's senior aides have all scrambled to disown the op-ed that appeared in the Times on Wednesday that slammed the President's leadership style as impetuous, petty and ineffective Practically Trump's entire cabinet including these famous faces and the first lady have all declared they're not responsible for the mysterious op-ed Also at the rally Trump blasted the author of the Times op-ed, calling it an act of treason. 'The Times should never have done that because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason. You could call it a lot of things,' the president said during an interview with Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth in one corner of the Rimrock Auto Arena, with a live audience of more than 10,000 people. In his speech he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation. 'Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she,' he finally declared. The Times should never have done that because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason. Trump repeated a challenge he had already issued to the Times on Twitter, demanding the paper's nameless author's head on a platter. 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said. 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup. 'And it's really bad and it's really dangerous,' he said. 'And it's really sad for the media.' The president had suggested a half-hour earlier that he would put muscle behind efforts to identify the official who broke ranks to claim in the Times that a 'resistance' of aides is trying to subvert the president's worst instincts for the good of the country. DailyMail.com asked him on the tarmac in Billings how he planned to uncover the disloyal official's identity. 'We're going to try!' he yelled, over the noise of an idling Air Force One. Woodward's book features current and former aides calling the president an 'idiot' and a 'liar' and depicting him as prone to rash policy decisions that aides worked furiously to derail or stall. He is pictured above leaving Trump Tower in January 2017 Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday to accuse famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward of fabricating quotes and information in his new book, Fear: Trump in the White House Trump needed the rally to publicly shake his Etch-a-Sketch following a week of revelations that hit his team like a series of kidney punches. First came excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book 'Fear,' which paints the president as an ill-prepared and crude leader whose lack of impulse control drove senior aides to protect him from himself. In one vignette, Woodward describes then-chief economic adviser Gary Cohn literally swiping a draft memo from the Resolute Desk to derail Trump's goal of ending a crucial Korean trade agreement. Scuttling the longstanding deal would have introduced uncertainty into Washington's relationship with Seoul and could have jeopardized America's use of South Korean real estate for an ambitious missile-detection program. Internal fallout from the Cohn affair inside the West Wing had barely softened from panic to mere shock when The New York Times twisted the knife. The publication of Wednesday's unsigned op-ed, which the Times claims was penned by a 'senior' administration official, struck a variation on the same theme. Its central claim is that a winking, nudging cabal of aides considers its primary mission to save the republic from Trump's ham-fisted ways. 'Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations,' according to the still-unidentified writer. Its rarely a lovefest with these two. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images As everyone who has paid a modicum of attention to New York politics in recent years knows, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo really, really dont like each other. The two have feuded over everything from matters large, like New York Citys moribund subway system (Cuomo has tried to fob off blame for the deteriorating system onto de Blasio) to matters less large (the two once disagreed about whether to euthanize a deer). And yet, de Blasio said on Saturday that he would not endorse a candidate in the Democratic gubernatorial primary race between Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon. New Yorkers go to the polls on Thursday. I believe endorsing a candidate in these races is, at this moment, counterproductive, de Blasio said in a statement. My vote Thursday will be between me and my ballot. The mayor offered hedged praise for both candidates, writing that Nixons presence in this primary has created real momentum for reform and that Cuomo deserves credit for raising New Yorks minimum wage and pushing forward marriage equality and paid family leave. My philosophical differences with Governor Cuomo are no secret, de Blasio said. But at the end of the day, it is without question that there is more that unites us than divides us. Nixon was an early supporter of de Blasios mayoral campaign in 2013, and the two are personal friends. Politically speaking, de Blasio, who has attempted to position himself as a national figure in the progressive movement, takes a dim view of Cuomos abiding centrism. But its true that endorsing Nixon would constitute a sharp blow to Cuomo that would further deteriorate the already fraught working relationship between mayor and governor. Openly endorsing a primary opponent who Cuomo is fixated on in his disdain would make the current BDB-Cuomo relationship look positively cozy. https://t.co/Lpt1TSeRKZ Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 9, 2018 The real reason for his non-endorsement, though, may simply be that Nixon is very unlikely to win. The last recent polls in the race show her more than 30 points behind Cuomo, though Nixon can point to two recent upset congressional primaries Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York and Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts where public surveys failed to capture an insurgent challengers momentum. Nixon said last week that she did not expect, nor was she seeking, the mayors stamp of approval, and in doing so scored a point against her opponent. I think frankly it would be a difficult thing for the mayor to do, because we know how famously vindictive the governor is, she said. If de Blasio endorsed, I would worry about the repercussions for New York City residents. The US-Somali cop who fatally shot an Australian yoga teacher in Minneapolis after she called 911 pointed a gun at a motorist's head just two months earlier, it has been revealed. New records have shed light on whether Mohamed Noor was fit for duty with a series of red-flag events revealed long before he fatally shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond on July 15, 2017. Lawyers have sought to have murder and manslaughter charges dismissed against Noor, but a court heard on Wednesday that Noor had pointed a gun at a driver's head after he saw him give the finger to a cyclist and then pass a vehicle without signalling. Scroll down for Video New records have shed light on whether Mohamed Noor was fit for duty with a series of red-flag events revealed long before he fatally shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond (pictured) in 2017 A court heard on Wednesday that Noor (pictured) had pointed a gun at a driver's head after he saw him give the finger to a bicyclist Hennepin County prosecutors put forward the findings and said two psychiatrists flagged the cop in early 2015 during the pre-hiring evaluation because he showed signs of inability to handle the stresses of regular police work and had a striking unwillingness to deal with people. The report itself revealed Noor was assumed to have less patience than other police candidates for minor infractions but he was deemed fit for duty anyway as he lacked major mental illness, personality disorder or chemical dependence. It was also revealed that the year after Noor was accepted into the Minneapolis Police Department, he refused to answer radio calls asking for assistance. He was also reported for having tunnel vision whilst driving with the squad car's lights and siren on. Two psychiatrists flagged Noor in early 2015 during the pre-hiring evaluation because he showed signs of inability to handle the stresses of regular police work Michael Quinn, a former Minneapolis detective who frequently testifies in court as an expert on police conduct, told the Star Tribune any of those findings should have raised red flags during the hiring process. 'You've got to have a sense of what's right and what's wrong,' said Quinn. 'You've also got to communicate with people and have some confidence and be able to deal with stress situations.' The prosecutors claimed Noor showed a reckless disregard for human life and the evidence of his recklessness more than met the standard for probable cause for the case. The prosecutors overall claimed Noor showed a reckless disregard for human life and the evidence of his recklessness more than meets the standard for probable cause for the case Damond was fatally shot by Noor in July 2017 after she called police to a Minneapolis property out of fear a woman was being raped nearby. Noor shot Damond from the passenger seat of the police car being driven by his partner at the time, Officer Matthew Harrity, while she stood outside of the car in a nightgown. Both officers failed to record the incident on their body cameras. On July 15, 2017, the day of the shooting, Noor had gone from his off-duty job working seven hours of security at a Wells Fargo branch to his shift from 4.15pm to 2.15am. Justine Ruszczyk Damond was fatally shot by Mohamed Noor after she called police to a Minneapolis property out of fear a woman was being raped nearby in July 2017 (memorial service pictured) Before he received the sexual assault call, Noor and his partner responded to calls in the same area about a woman possibly suffering from dementia but four minutes after arriving to the scene, the two officers cleared the call to get dinner. There was no connection made by officer Harrity on the possible relation between the call about a woman in distress and the sexual assault call in the same area. Prosecutors said: 'This lack of investigative curiosity and indifference to the woman or women who were the subject of these calls shows a disregard for humans and public safety.' Noor became the first Minnesota police officer to be charged with murder in an on-duty killing and is now in court for a $50million wrongful death lawsuit. Terrifying video footage has captured the moment a senior Nomads bikie charged at two victims outside a tattoo parlour over a $5,000 debt. Michael Wayne Clark, 32, arrived at a tattoo parlour in Tuggeranong, Canberra, to discuss a disputed business transaction debt in February, the Canberra Times reported. Clark became hostile when the victim refused to speak and decided to launch at the man, striking him in the face. 'I'm not going to hit ya. If you don't come here I'm going to bash you there,' he said. Senior Nomads bikie, Michael Wayne Clark, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault at the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday after a physical altercation at a tattoo parlour in February (pictured) Clark pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault at the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday. Court documents said Clark and one of the victims worked together at Tattoo Culture which was permanently closed after a fire. The CCTV footage, which was played in court, shows a group of people hanging out in front of a tattoo parlour. Clark arrives at the scene and greets the group, saying: 'How are you going fellas?' The group respond with pleasantries but Clark becomes quickly frustrated with his victim. Clark begins to threaten the victim and the group, claiming he would bash all of them. CCTV footage shows the moment Clark launches at two victims over a $5,000 debt dispute (pictured) 'I'm more than happy to bash all of youse right now if you want, come on,' he said. He lunges towards the victim who retreats and assaults a second person as he pushes through. Clark walks to his car to leave the scene but can be heard calling his victim a 'coward.' Defence barrister Jack Pappas argued the incident was not premeditated and Clark's judgement became altered when the victim refused to speak. 'This was a business dispute about monies outstanding that simply boiled over for a minute on that afternoon,' he said. Mr Clark became hostile when the victim refused to speak and decided to launch at the man, striking him in the face Prosecutor Anthony Williamson said the assault featured levels of aggravating behaviour, including threats. Magistrate Karen Fryar understood that not all monetary business disputes are handled in court but said it did not entitle Clark to take the law into his own hands. Magistrate Fryar determined the offence was low-to-mid range and sentenced Clark to a one-year good behaviour order and a $1000 fine. Clark was also placed on a non-association order which prohibits him from going near the victim or the tattoo parlour. Russia is conducting a worrying and alarming build-up of military power in regions across the world, it was revealed last night. As defence sources warned that manoeuvres by Moscow should be regarded as a threat to western democracy, it has been increasing its submarine activity off British shores in a bid to gather intelligence. And in recent weeks it has sent numerous warships and supply ships through the English Channel en route to the eastern Mediterranean. It is feared they are amassing ahead of an air assault on the rebel-held area of Idlib in Syria, which could risk the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. Russia is conducting a worrying and alarming build-up of military power in regions across the world, it was revealed last night Despite the focus often put on Russias cyber-warfare capabilities, next week it will conduct its largest military exercises in 37 years, involving almost 300,000 troops, in a huge demonstration of force that is causing alarm in Whitehall. Moscow has boasted that the war games which serve as a reminder to other nations that Russia maintains a huge conventional military arsenal will involve 1,000 planes, helicopters and drones, up to 80 combat and logistics ships and 36,000 tanks, armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. The exercises, called Vostok-2018, will be held in central and eastern Russia and will also include participants from the Mongolian and Chinese militaries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the drills were justified given the aggressive and unfriendly attitudes towards his country, while Russias Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said they will include massive mock air strikes and tests of defences against cruise missiles. Despite the focus often put on Russias cyber-warfare capabilities, next week it will conduct its largest military exercises in 37 years, involving almost 300,000 troops, in a huge demonstration of force that is causing alarm in Whitehall A defence source said last night: We are seeing an alarming amount of military power being brought to bear around the globe by Russia. We consider it a worrying build-up of conventional forces and arms. It can clearly be regarded as a threat to Western democracy. A miscalculation could very easily lead to an escalation. While Nato has beefed up defences in Eastern Europe, the Russians have been accused of undermining international efforts for an Afghan-led peace process by inviting the Taliban to Moscow for peace talks. And they have also been accused of indirectly arming the Taliban something they have repeatedly denied. Moscow has boasted that the war games which serve as a reminder to other nations that Russia maintains a huge conventional military arsenal will involve 1,000 planes, helicopters and drones Last week, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson warned of the disruptive influence that the Russians were having on the peace process in Afghanistan. Asked if there was evidence of Moscow meddling, he replied: Yes. Were seeing a much greater interest from Russia in Afghanistan and Afghan affairs. I would describe it as them wanting the Nato mission to fail. They do not want there to be seen to be the success of both the Afghan government and Nato. What it is very much designed to do is be a disruptor to other western nations which are trying to build stability in Afghanistan. The scale of the upcoming Vostok-2018 war games is equivalent to the forces deployed in one of the big Second World War battles. The exercises have been compared to Soviet manoeuvres in 1981, called Zapad-81, which involved a pretend attack on Nato. It will also include up to 80 combat and logistics ships and 36,000 tanks, armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said: In some ways they will repeat aspects of Zapad-81, but in other ways the scale will be bigger. President Vladimir Putin has made military modernisation, including new nuclear missiles, a priority. The giant drill is an important show of strength by Putin, as a demonstration that despite Western sanctions, including ones targeting his defence sector his country remains defiant. President Donald Trump will not answer federal investigators' questions, in writing or in person, about whether he tried to block the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, one of the president's attorneys told The Associated Press on Thursday. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said questions about obstruction of justice were a 'no-go.' Giuliani's statement was the most definitive rejection yet of special counsel Robert Mueller's efforts to interview the president about any efforts to obstruct the investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Russians. It signals the Trump's lawyers are committed to protecting the president from answering questions about actions the president took in office. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said questions about obstruction of justice were a 'no-go.' The former New York City mayor is seen last month in New Hampshire It's unclear if Giuliani's public position has been endorsed by Trump, who has said he wants to answer questions under oath. Negotiations about the scope and format of an interview are still ongoing. If the legal team holds its stance, it could force Mueller to try to subpoena the president, likely triggering a standoff that would lead to the Supreme Court. Mueller's office has previously sought to interview the president about the obstruction issue, including his firing last year of former FBI Director James Comey and his public attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump's legal team has argued that the president has the power to hire and fire appointees and the special counsel does not have the authority to ask him to explain those decisions. Giuliani said Thursday the team was steadfast in that position. It's unclear if Giuliani's public position has been endorsed by President Donald Trump (seen above in Montana on Thursday), who has said he wants to answer questions under oath 'That's a no-go. That is not going to happen,' Giuliani said. 'There will be no questions at all on obstruction.' In a letter last week, Mueller's team said it would accept written responses from Trump on questions related to Russian election interference. Giuliani suggested Thursday that Trump's lawyers had agreed to those terms but wanted to prohibit investigators from asking follow-up questions. 'It would be in written form and if you want to follow up on our answers, justify it. Show us why you didn't get there the first time,' Giuliani said. He said he was not categorically ruling out answering a second round of questions but the entire matter of whether there would be follow-up inquiries should be settled before the president answers anything at all. 'We aren't going to let them spring it on us,' said Giuliani, who has served as lawyer-spokesman for the president's personal legal team, using television interviews and public comments as a tactic in the negotiations. In the latest letter to the legal team, Mueller's office didn't address obstruction questions, indicating investigators would later assess what additional information it needs from the president after receiving a response about the written submissions, according to a person familiar with the document. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's (above) team raised the prospect in March that it could subpoena the president, though this would unquestionably prompt a court fight The person familiar with the letter spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the negotiations. Though the president has publicly said he was eager to face questions from Mueller, his lawyers have been far more reluctant to make him available for an interview and have questioned whether Mueller has the right to ask him about actions that he is authorized, under the Constitution, to take as president. Mueller's team raised the prospect in March that it could subpoena the president, though this would unquestionably prompt a court fight. The Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on the question of whether a president can be forced to testify, though the justices did rule in 1974 that Richard Nixon had to produce recordings and documents that had been subpoenaed. In addition to questions about Comey and Sessions, Mueller has expressed interest in Trump's role in drafting a statement to The New York Times about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower attended by his son, Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr. took the meeting, emails show, after it was described as part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign by providing derogatory information about Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump has said he knew nothing about the meeting before it happened. Trump and Giuliani have led an onslaught of attacks on Mueller's credibility, claiming that the special counsel was biased and that the entire probe was a 'witch hunt.' Giuliani has also demanded that the probe suspend its activities with the midterm elections approaching, but the former mayor said Thursday he was not certain of Mueller's intentions. Nathan Board, 33, has been accused of beating his soon-to-be ex-wife's parents to death in their bedroom in Kent County, Michigan earlier this week A Michigan man has been accused of beating his estranged wife's parents to death in their bedroom, police say. Patty and Theodore Syrek, 62 and 66 respectively, were found dead in their Kent County home on Tuesday, and their daughter's soon-to-be ex-husband Nathan Board was arrested the following night. Board was formally charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer on Thursday afternoon in connection with the Syrek case, but the 33-year-old suspect is not yet facing homicide charges. 'At this point, we believe the case is going to be resolved with this arrest,' Undersheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young told WoodTV Thursday. 'But certainly, if you know anything more about this incident or any facts that might pertain to it, we're still interested in hearing those.' Board's bond has been set at $1million and he is being held in the Kent County Correctional Facility. Patty and Theodore Syrek, 62 and 66 respectively, were found dead in their home on Tuesday. An autopsy determined the cause of death was 'blunt cranial cerebral trauma' An autopsy determined that Patty and Theodore had been killed by 'blunt cranial cerebral trauma' - meaning they had been struck in the head - inflicted by another person. The instrument used in the killings has not yet been determined. It is unclear how long the couple had been dead before their bodies were discovered in their home on the 9000 block of Jordan River Drive SE in Bowne Township, east of Caledonia. Anyone with more information is urged to contact the sheriff's office at 616-632-6100 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. A mother has been left baffled after an orange she cut up for her son turned purple overnight. Brisbane woman Neti Moffitt cut up an orange she purchased from a local fruit and vegetable shop for her son to snack on. He did not eat the entire orange and the leftover pieces were left on their kitchen counter overnight. When Mrs Moffitt awoke the next morning she found the slices had turned purple. A mother has awoken to a strange sight when the orange she had cut up for her son had turned purple overnight Mrs Moffitt told Daily Mail Australia of the five oranges she bought, this was the only one that had changed colour. 'My two-year-old ate half and the other half sat on the bench in a bowl with a cut homegrown lemon,' she said. 'When I discovered the orange had turned purple the next morning I immediately checked my son, who I'm happy to report is healthy and unaffected. Brisbane woman Neti Moffitt (pictured) had cut up an orange she purchased from a local fruit and vegetable shop for her son to snack on 'I then rifled through the rubbish and pulled out the three segments my son had eaten, which were even more so purple a really fantastic indigo colour.' She was eager to discover the cause of the purple hew. 'I then went looking for answers online but all I could find was the only other reported case from three years ago, absolutely no other information exists,' she said. Her next step was to contact Queensland Health who sent out an investigator to retrieve the purple orange. 'I called QLD Health who were very excited to hear of another case ad they were unable to find anything with the first case,' she said. 'They came to collect the orange, another orange from the same store, the homegrown lemon, the knife used to cut the orange and a steel used recently to sharpen the knife.' Right away Mrs Moffitt was scared that whatever had caused the oranges to change colour may have also caused her son to be sick but thankfully he was fine and their was 'no drama at all' with his health 'They've promised full disclosure with the results which I don't anticipate hearing for a few months.' Despite the incident Mrs Moffitt said she will still happily enjoy oranges in the future. 'Still happily eating oranges and definitely not boycotting oranges or the local fruit and vegetable shop,' she said. She said when he arrived he was visibly excited with the new find, he took both the orange and the knife used to cut it. They also asked her about what other fruit trees she had around the home but at this stage had no idea what might have caused the colour change. Her next step was to contact Queensland Health who sent out an investigator to retrieve the purple orange with no theories as to what caused the discolouration 'But they're baffled, they're absolutely stumped. No-one knows what caused it,' she told ABC News. An almost identical incident occurred in 2015 with another orange inexplicably turning purple after being cut open and left out. Scientists carried out tests on that orange and a spokesman for the Queensland Environmental Health Branch told 9 News that there was no indication of artificial colours. 'Testing was also undertaken to determine the presence of iodine. No evidence of iodine was found,' the spokesman said. At the time experts viewed the fruit and none of them could come up with an explanation and its hoped this new find could uncover the mystery behind the strange discolouration. A Townsville teacher accused of taking secret photos of children at his school wept in court yesterday as he was sentenced. Bevan Allan Stephens had allegedly used a mobile phone app called Spy Photo to take indecent images of children during a swim carnival at Pimlico State High School. Crown Prosecutor Chris Moore told Townsville District Court that the 42-year-old had taken 122 photos of students in swimwear during the event, including 38 close-up shots of their backsides and pubic regions. The Townsville teacher (Bevan Stephens, pictured) accused of taking secret photos of children at his school, wept in court yesterday as he was sentenced 'Further images were also captured by the defendant using the same application of other students on other dates,' Moore said. 'Although they do not fit within the classification of child-pornography materialthe presence of them on the mobile phone indicates the defendant had been taking covert photographs of his students on multiple occasions.' Moore said that taking the photographs was a gross breach of trust of his position, The Townsville Bulletin reports. Stephens had allegedly used a mobile phone app called Spy Photo to take indecent images of children during a swim carnival at Pimlico State High School (pictured) Police said that they discovered 130,000 photos and 600 videos of child pornography when they searched Stephens property in 2016 Stephens yesterday pleaded guilty to accessing child-exploitation material, making child-exploitation material and eight counts of possessing child-exploitation material, the court heard. Police said that they discovered 130,000 photos and 600 videos of child pornography when they searched Stephens' property in 2016. 'He was in the process of downloading further material when the search warrant was executed,' Moore said. A psychological report was presented to the court that revealed Stephens' 'long-standing interest in adult pornography'. A psychological report was presented to the court that revealed Stephens' 'long-standing interest in adult pornography' Defence barrister Claire Grant noted that Stephens' search for child-exploitation material started after his marriage broke down. She told the court that Stephens had only been charged with making child-exploitation material earlier this year after police advised they had been able to identify the photographs. Defence barrister Claire Grant said that Stephens had hit 'rock bottom' Grant said that Stephens had hit 'rock bottom', having lost his career, his relationship with his children and his home. 'It's a tragic circumstance where a person of otherwise good conduct comes before the court,' she said. She said that Stephens would have to completely reinvent his life and that 'the only person that really supports him is his mother.' Stephens was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for making child-exploitation material, four years for using a service to access child-exploitation material and 2 and a half years for each count of possessing child-exploitation material. He will be able to apply for parole after serving 20 months. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Townsville District Court for further information. An alleged Islamic State commander who is accused of planning to blow up a plane last year is being held by American forces at a secret military base in Iraq. As the alleged ringleader of the plot, Tarek Khayat, is accused of conspiring with his three Lebanese-Australian brothers to blow up an Etihad Airways flight as it left Sydney on July 15 last year. News Corp has investigated into the whereabouts of Khayat, whose family gave him up following their arrests in Australia. Alleged Islamic State commander Tarek Khayat, who is accused of conspiring with his Sydney-based brothers to blow up a plane last year, and his Australian relative Ahmed Merhi (pictured), have been arrested in Iraq The bomb allegedly meant to murder 500 people by bringing down an airline flying from Sydney to Abu Dhabi was to be hidden inside a Barbie doll (stock image) The investigation found that the alleged ringleader has been secretly held in isolation by American military forces at an unnamed base. Since being there, they have interrogated him in regards to his role as a commander of an Islamic State unit that plotted attacks in the west. News Corp claim that Khayat has been intensely interrogated by the soldiers, and has since lost a leg, is suffering from lung cancer, and has given up names of foreign fighters and Islamic State members. He was captured by Kurdish fighters in the Syrian city of Al-Hasakah in March this year for his alleged plan to blow up Etihad flight EY451. Lebanese intelligence officers confirmed with News Corp that Khayat had been captured, and said that he was an 'Australian Lebanese jihadi', but is unsure if he holds citizenship in Australia. He was in a group of 13 Islamic State jihadis who attempted to flee Syrian Democratic Forces soldiers, but ultimately failed. It was confirmed by two separate Lebanese intelligence sources that he was taken into custody by Kurdish-backed SDF and then taken into Iraq. Khaled and Mahmoud were arrested in Sydney on July 29 last year and have been charged with two counts of planning a terrorist act The alleged ringleader's brothers, Khaled Khayat and Mahmoud Khayat, were both charged with two counts of acting in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act. The trio of brothers allegedly planned to sneak the bomb on to the plane by placing it in the carry-on luggage of an unwitting fourth brother who was travelling to Abu Dhabi to visit family, but the plot was foiled when he was told his bag was too heavy. The men were allegedly relying on insider information at Sydney Airport to successfully bring the bombs past security check points. Court documents prepared by a Lebanese military prosecutor claim Mr Khayat helped plan the attack in Raqqa, Syria, as revenge for the death of his two teen sons, who died in the war earlier last year. Members of Ahmed Merhi's family were also arrested during the raids (pictured) but were later released without charge Khaled and Mahmoud were arrested in Sydney on July 29, 2017 and have been charged with two counts of planning a terrorist act. The pair were seized during police raids at four properties just days after Australian authorities were alerted to the foiled plan by Israel's military intelligence. They have both pleaded not guilty to their charges and are set to face trial next year. Members of Ahmed Merhi's family were also arrested during the raids but were later released without charge. It's believed they're related to the Khayat family through marriage. Ahmed, who is in his 20s, moved to Syria from Sydney in 2014 and is allegedly connected to those responsible for the murder of police accountant Curtis Cheng in 2015, according to ABC. Advertisement President Donald Trump said Thursday that an anonymous op-ed slamming him in The New York Times was an act of treason, asserting something he has only written with a question mark to date. 'The Times should never have done that because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason. You could call it a lot of things,' the president said in Billings, Montana. Trump was being interviewed by Fox News Channel co-host Pete Hegseth in one corner of the Rimrock Auto Arena, with a live audience of more than 10,000 people. In his speech he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation. 'Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she,' he finally declared. Trump repeated a challenge he had already issued to the Times on Twitter, demanding the paper's nameless author's head on a platter. 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said. 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup. 'And it's really bad and it's really dangerous,' he said. 'And it's really sad for the media.' Scroll down for video In President Donald Trump's speech he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup Trump extends his hand to Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale during his 'Make America Great Again' rally in Billings, Montana Trump's stemwinder was met with unanimous cheers. No protesters raised their voices. During his pre-show interview with Fox, he speculated about who might have written the piece, focusing on people working 'at a fairly low level' who may want to give the public a false picture of what's going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 'I don't mind when they write a book and they make lies, because it gets discredited,' he said. 'We just discredited the last one.' But he admitted that he 'can't discredit' the Times turncoat 'because you don't know who they are.' The culprit could be a non-Republican lurking in his administration, he suggested, or 'it may be a deep-state person that's been there a long time.' The president had suggested ahalf-hour earlier that he would put muscle behind efforts to identify the official who broke ranks to claim in the Times that a 'resistance' of aides is trying to subvert the president's worst instincts for the good of the country. DailyMail.com asked him on the tarmac in Billings how he planned to uncover the disloyal official's identity. 'We're going to try!' he yelled, over the noise of an idling Air Force One. As Air Force One was on approach for landing, Trump flexed his Twitter muscle in the Times' direction, while one of the paper's star photographers was sitting on the plane. 'Are the investigative 'journalists' of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?' he wrote. President Trump flew to Billings, Montana on Thursday for a rally but found time beforehand to tell a TV interviewer that an anonymous, disloyal aide had committed an act of treason by trashing him in a New York Times essay Trump greets the crowd as he arrives for a 'Make America Great Again' rally in Billings, Montana Trump's assertion about 'treason' marks the first time he's used that word about the Times op-ed without a question mark A supporter of the US president wears a t-shirt reading 'CNN sucks' during the rally in Billings, Montana Trump supporters wave placards at the rally in Montana. Trump suggested the culprit behind the op-ed could be a non-Republican lurking in his administration, he suggested, or 'it may be a deep-state person that's been there a long time' More than 10,000 people crowded into an arena in a Montana city of 110,000 Trump mocked the New York Times in a tweet as he was landing in Billings (pictured above) ahead of a rally Trump seemed content for most of the day while watching the drama of a Washington-wide molehunt play out on television and Twitter, and appreciatively consuming reports of Cabinet members denying any involvement in the journalistic bombshell. A White House official said in the afternoon that the president would 'probably go there in Montana' anticipating a stem-winder about the op-ed. But the official wouldn't predict Trump's willingness to field direct questions from the press about who was and wasn't under suspicion. Trump boarded Marine One on the South Lawn without approaching a waiting gaggle of reporters. At Joint Base Andrews, he strode methodically up the Air Force One stairway, never coming near a traveling press corps that shouted questions about how he would unmask his deep-state Judas. And despite a nearly four-hour flight to the upper plains, he didn't stray to the aft press cabin to talk: He was saving his rhetorical bullets for Fox News. Trump's aides had televisions in the press cabin of Air Force One tuned to Fox News during the four-hour flight, while the network was totaling the senior officials who denied being behind the op-ed Practically Trump's entire cabinet including these famous faces and the first lady have all declared they're not responsible for the mysterious op-ed Non-Fox reporters were treated to a nonstop Fox feed on TV screens while the network was reporting on an ever-lengthening list of Cabinet officials and other Trump A-listers who denied having anything to do with the Times essay. At one point Fox filled its screen with a grid of 32 faces including Vice President Mike Pence, Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis. First lady Melania Trump said in a statement: 'To the writer of the oped - you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions.' Another White House official said Thursday that West Wing aides couldn't wait for the president to leave town, knowing it would 'lower the building's blood pressure and give him a reboot' in an atmosphere where he excels. Trump held his Montana rally in support of U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Jon Tester. He blames Tester for scuttling his White House physician's nomination to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary. Dr. Ronny Jackson, a respected Navy admiral, was forced to withdraw following Tester's accusations that he oversaw a 'toxic' work environment, drank on the job and overprescribed medication. The president, who insisted none of it was true, pledged that Tester would ultimately have a 'big price to pay in Montana.' Tester, he said Thursday, 'will never 'drain the swamp' because he happens to live in the swamp.' 'Jon Tester talks like he's from Montana, but he votes like he's Nancy Pelosi,' he said, lumping the Democrat in with one of the nation's most liberal lamakers. Trump needed the rally to publicly shake his Etch-a-Sketch following a week of revelations that hit his team like a series of kidney punches. Trump's senior aides have all scrambled to disown the op-ed that appeared in the Times on Wednesday that slammed the President's leadership style as impetuous, petty and ineffective First came excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book 'Fear,' which paints the president as an ill-prepared and crude leader whose lack of impulse control drove senior aides to protect him from himself. In one vignette, Woodward describes then-chief economic adviser Gary Cohn literally swiping a draft memo from the Resolute Desk to derail Trump's goal of ending a crucial Korean trade agreement. Scuttling the longstanding deal would have introduced uncertainty into Washington's relationship with Seoul and could have jeopardized America's use of South Korean real estate for an ambitious missile-detection program. Internal fallout from the Cohn affair inside the West Wing had barely softened from panic to mere shock when The New York Times twisted the knife. The publication of Wednesday's unsigned op-ed, which the Times claims was penned by a 'senior' administration official, struck a variation on the same theme. Its central claim is that a winking, nudging cabal of aides considers its primary mission to save the republic from Trump's ham-fisted ways. 'Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations,' according to the still-unidentified writer. A five-bedroom, two-bathroom home could be sold for as little as $1 in a rare opportunity for property buyers. In a genuine-no reserve auction, 47 Chermside Road, Mango Hill, north of Brisbane, will go under the hammer and sell for the highest bid on September 15. The homeowners have instructed the agents that the property must sell for the highest bid despite the suburb having a median house price of more than $500,000. In a genuine-no reserve auction, 47 Chermside Road, Mango Hill (pictured) in Queensland's north will go under the hammer and sell for whatever it can get on September 15 A former school teacher, 64, who owns the home has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and must transition into full-time care. The costs of her care are proving too much for the family so her sister, Sandra Joyce, has demanded a quick sale of the home to help pay for it. Ms Joyce told Domain: 'It's very sad because she has always been that person giving so much to everyone else; as a teacher, with her volunteer work. We just want to see this over and have her settled.' The unfortunate events have opened up an opportunity for not only the Brisbane property market but investors and home buyers across Australia. A former school teacher, 64, who owns the home has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and must transition into full-time care Remax Connected marketing agent, Mark White, welcomes the opportunity and stresses the genuine, no-gimmick nature of potentially Brisbane's best buy for 2018 Remax Connected marketing agent, Mark White, said the property was potentially Brisbane's best buy for 2018. 'The opportunity here is huge. Whether you live in this as is, renovate or knock the house down and subdivide into two blocks with two new houses, opportunities like this do not come along very often,' Mr White said. The property is situated on two lots under one title on a large 810m2 block. The property up for grabs is a five-bedroom, two-bathroom home situated on two lots under one title on a large 810m2 block Investors could split the title and develop two new properties, capitalising on the Mango Hill's median rental price of $445. Mango Hill is the suburb next door to North Lakes with its own Westfield shopping centre and is located 30km from the Brisbane CBD. The last sale on the street was a three-bedroom home in November 2016 which sold for $371,000, according to Corelogic Data. The median house price for the suburb is $514,900. Mango Hill is the suburb next door to North Lakes with it's own Westfields and only 30km from the Brisbane CBD in an established and well-serviced area According to a recent land valuation, the 810m2 land itself was valued at $250,000 in June 2017. In comparison to another Mango Hill property on an 810m2 block, which sold for $559,000 on August 9, 2018 the no-reserve auction style is a risky strategy. Mr White explained: 'There are a lot of new two-level homes in Mango Hill, so something like this is considered entry level.' For the opening weekend of September, Brisbane had an auction clearance rate of 45.95% and 37 properties were passed in. This property will sell at auction on site at 4.30pm next Saturday. Cynthia Nixon was handed a couple of political gifts over the weekend. Photo: Craig Ruttle/Getty Images On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, just days before New Yorks gubernatorial primary on Thursday, a mailer sent by the New York Democratic Party misrepresenting Cynthia Nixons views on Israel and accusing her of ignoring anti-Semitism has inspired widespread condemnation, forcing Governor Cuomo to assert that he did not approve it. I didnt know about the mailer, I heard about the mailer, I havent seen the mailer, he said at a press conference on Sunday. The way I ran this campaign, its been on the issues, its been positive. I think the mailer was a mistake. I think it was inappropriate. The mailer charged Nixon with supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, which seeks to stigmatize Israel for its treatment of Palestinians within its borders. Why is the New York State Democratic Party paying for a mailer that falsely accuses Cynthia Nixon of supporting BDS? This is a shameful smear, @nydems. pic.twitter.com/mvOpIg4cNI Abe Silberstein (@abesilbe) September 8, 2018 The mailer also condemned Nixon, among other things, for being silent on the rise of anti-Semitism. Nixon said on Sunday that she does not support BDS tactics, and never has. The mailer was clearly meant to appeal to Jewish voters, likely conservative-leaning Hasidic and Orthodox Jews in particular. Its not clear how many voters actually received it. One reporters source put the number at only 7,000. But once it gained widespread attention, condemnations came fast and furious. Nixon said on Twitter that the mailer constituted not only an attack on my family, but on all New Yorkers. The mailers that Governor Cuomo and the NY State Democratic Party have sent out are not only an attack on my family, but on all New Yorkers. At a time when anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and other hate crimes are on the rise, its sickening to exploit peoples real fears like this. Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) September 9, 2018 State Senator Liz Krueger called it shameful. Prominent labor leader Randi Weingarten, who supports Cuomo, and her wife, a rabbi whose synagogue Nixon attends, issued a statement calling any accusations of anti-Semitism against Nixon a baseless lie. (Nixon is not Jewish herself, but is raising two sons from a previous marriage Jewish.) Mayor Bill de Blasio, who announced on Saturday that he would refrain from endorsing either candidate despite his acrimonious relationship with Cuomo, used his personal Twitter account to voice outrage: The mailer sent by the NY Democratic Party in the 11th hour falsely attacking Cynthia Nixon is beyond unacceptable its downright Trumpian. A tweeted apology calling it a mistake is laughable. The state party must compensate the Nixon campaign immediately. Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) September 9, 2018 As the indignation spread on Saturday night and continued into Sunday, Cuomo allies tried to contain the political fallout. Lis Smith, a strategist who works for both Cuomo and the New York Democratic Party, said on Twitter that Governor Cuomo didnt approve of or have any knowledge of the mailer in question. He disagrees with the language in it, believes it is inappropriate, and urges voters to focus on the real issues in this race. But New York Times reporter Shane Goldmacher noted that Cuomo frequently gets his message out through the states Democratic Party. Cuomo can say he didn't approve of this particular party mailer. But broader context is his Cuomo sent every piece of mail that I have seen (~10) thru the state party. Among the reasons is that "paid for" stamp adds gravitas when voters see the mail. Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) September 9, 2018 Geoff Berman, the executive director of the New York State Democratic Party called the mailer a mistake sidestepping the question of whether Cuomo approved it. Later, Berman issued a statement saying, The State Party sent out a wrong and inappropriate mailer we will work with the Nixon campaign to send out a mailer of her choosing to the same universe of people. On Sunday, Nixon dismissed the idea that Cuomo could have been ignorant of the mailer. I categorically dont believe it, she said. He is the head of the party. He controls the Democratic state committee. The idea that he had no idea that this was happening is patently absurd. Though not as extreme a case, the incident was reminiscent of another notorious campaign-mailer episode in the run-up to a different Cuomo campaign: The mailer from @nydems accusing @CynthiaNixon of anti-semitism is reminiscent of this mailer below used against Ed Koch in the 1977 Democratic Primary. Many blamed @andrewcuomo for that, although he has denied it. We shall see today if Cuomo calls for @geoffberman resignation pic.twitter.com/rwtFXULNMB Zack Fink (@ZackFinkNews) September 9, 2018 According to polls taken last month, Cuomo enjoys a 30-plus-point lead in the contentious contest against Nixon. But in the closing days of the race, he has stumbled more than once. On Saturday, he was forced to delay the opening of a second span of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge named after his father because of potentially dangerous structural problems with the Tappan Zee Bridge, the structure it is replacing. Just one day earlier, Cuomo had attended a grand opening for the new section of bridge, and its high-profile delay provided easy fodder for his opponent. A ribbon-cutting ceremony should not have been held if the bridge span was not yet safe, Nixon said. Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised by Salisbury council for failing to make an official visit to the town after the novichok poisonings. The leader of Salisburys city council, Matthew Dean, said he had not even realised the Labour leader had visited at all until Mr Corbyn mentioned the trip in the Commons on Wednesday. Labour said Mr Corbyn made a private visit to the city on July 21, staying overnight on the way to another event. The city council has welcomed visitors including the Prime Minister, two home secretaries, numerous ministers and Prince Charles since the events in March. Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised by Salisbury council for failing to make an official visit to the town after the novichok poisonings Mr Dean, the towns Conservative council leader, said: Jeremy Corbyns office has made no contact at all with the city council. If he did visit, Im sad that we didnt have the opportunity to explain what weve been doing to recover from this terrible incident. We would have liked the opportunity for our officers to have briefed him and possibly to have arranged for him to meet residents, businesses and agencies involved. As the leader of the Opposition I would like him to come. The criticism comes a day after Boris Johnson accused Mr Corbyn of using weaselly language after he stopped short of linking the Salisbury attack to Vladimir Putin. Yesterday Labour MP Mike Gapes suggested Mr Corbyns spin doctor should quit for dissembling over Russia. Mr Gapes, a former chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said his leaders spokesman Seumas Milne had attempted to divert attention from the real culprits Putins regime. Hundreds of thousands of recorded crimes are never solved by police because they cannot identify a culprit, figures reveal. It means huge numbers of criminals including rapists, thugs, burglars and thieves have escaped justice and are free on the streets. In 57 per cent of robberies and around 14 per cent of both violent offences and sexual attacks, a perpetrator was never identified. Four out of five burglaries, three-quarters of vehicle thefts and half of shoplifting cases were closed without a suspect ever being established. For some offences such as criminal damage, arson and theft, as many as seven out of ten investigations were shut without anyone being caught, according to Home Office data. Hundreds of thousands of recorded crimes are never solved by police because they cannot identify a culprit, figures reveal In total, of 4.6million crimes assigned an outcome in England and Wales in the year to March, an alarming 47.5 per cent were written off as no suspect identified allowing 2.3million offenders to escape scot-free. Police charged a suspect in just one in every ten reported crimes half the level of five years ago. Critics said the statistics, which come amid spiralling violent crime in Wild West Britain as highlighted by the Daily Mail, gave criminals a green light to offend. The revelations will further harm faith in the police at a time when officers are under fire for failing to attend the scene of many crimes. In some instances, victims can expect little or no investigation or a visit from an officer unless they can supply evidence or name a suspect meaning thousands of criminals can act with impunity. It means huge numbers of criminals including rapists, thugs, burglars and thieves have escaped justice and are free on the streets Police chiefs have warned forces are struggling to cope following deep cuts to funding. Since 2009, the number of police and PCSOs has plunged from 160,000 to 132,000. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: Too many investigations are closing without suspects being identified and we are hearing increasing reports of the police being too overstretched to investigate. Police forces are under immense pressure with rising serious and violent crime alongside cuts in the numbers of officers and PCSOs. Failing to identify suspects gives criminals a green light to reoffend. Former Home Office adviser David Green, of the Civitas think-tank, said: The Government claims that it has increased funding of police forces so that they can perform their duties. But if we compare the number of police officers with the number of recorded crimes they had to deal with, their claim collapses. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: Too many investigations are closing without suspects being identified' In 2010 there were 29 crimes for every police officer. Because the number of officers has fallen dramatically, each officer now has 39 crimes to deal with. Its no wonder the criminals are winning. The Home Office published the outcomes of criminal investigations carried out by all 43 of England and Waless forces and the British Transport Police. The figures show that 81,788 of the 106,334 car thefts recorded by police 75 per cent ended up being logged as investigation complete, no suspect identified Around 81 per cent of the 249,235 house break-ins recorded during 2017-18 were closed without a culprit being established. And about 50 per cent of the 382,100 shoplifting offences were unsolved. In July, the Office for National Statistics revealed that police recorded 5.5million offences in the year to March, a rise of 45 per cent compared with 2015. Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, of the National Police Chiefs Council, said increased demand and fewer officer numbers had led to forces prioritising cases with a realistic prospect of prosecution. Police focus on targeting prolific offenders, organised crime networks and ensuring prevention measures by homeowners and businesses are in place, she said. A Home Office spokesman said: We expect the police to take all reports of crime seriously, to investigate and to bring the offenders to court. We have provided a strong and comprehensive 13billion funding settlement to ensure the police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work. British jihadists who travel to Syria and Iraq to fight with Islamic State will face ten years in prison on their return home. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is introducing measures to make it illegal to travel to terror hotspots without good excuse. Mr Javid acted after the Mail revealed that only 40 out of 400 British jihadis who fought with so-called Islamic State have been prosecuted. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is introducing measures to make it illegal to travel to terror hotspots without good excuse At least 360 fanatics have been allowed to go free as there was too little evidence to convict them. Now the Home Secretary is set to follow Australia's example and make it an offence for UK citizens to travel to a 'designated area' overseas. It would mean the only evidence needed to prosecute so-called 'foreign fighters' would be that they had entered a place listed by the Government as off-limits. Mr Javid said: 'Those who travel abroad to fight in terrorist conflicts pose a threat to us all and need to be stopped. This offence will help make our streets a safer place.' Only 40 out of 400 British jihadis who fought with so-called Islamic State have been prosecuted. Pictured, Mohammed Emwazi, the ISIS executioner known as Jihadi John He has tabled an amendment to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill which was unveiled in June and is going through Parliament. Independent MP John Woodcock, a member of the Commons home affairs committee, said: 'It is great news that ministers have listened and will bring in a tough new approach for people who are returning from terror warzones but who cannot currently be prosecuted. Ban was convicted of murder and Wan of being an accessory after the fact Yiting Wan, 27, and her father Ah Ping Ban, 65, stood trial on Thursday A chilling picture of a man convicted of murdering his ex-wife shows him and his daughter smiling wide at her graduation as his victim's unidentified body lay in the morgue. Ah Ping Ban, 65, was found guilty of his ex-wife's murder - while the victim's daughter, Tiffany Yiting Wan, 27, was convicted for being an accessory after the fact. Artist Annabelle Chen, 58, was bashed to death in her Mosman Park home near Perth between June 30 and July 2 in 2016 before her body was stuffed into a suitcase and dumped in the Swan River. Picture of Ping Ban, 65 (right), convicted for murdering his ex-wife, shows him and his daughter, Tiffany Yiting Wan, 27, (left) who was found guilty as an accessory, smiling wide at her graduation as his ex-wife's unidentified body lay in the morgue The photo was taken at the University of Melbourne during Wan's graduation and shows both of them smiling, despite fisherman having pulled Chen's body from the Swan River The photo was taken at the University of Melbourne during Wan's graduation and shows both of them smiling, despite fishermen having earlier pulled Chen's body from the Swan River, The West Australian reported. Ban is facing life behind bars and Wan a maximum 14 year jail term. The identity of the body was a mystery to police for almost two months until they achieved a breakthrough when Ms Chen's daughter Tiffany Wan, reported her missing to police. Tiffany Wan (pictured) and her father Ah Ping Ban have been charged with Ms Chen's murder Following a short investigation, Wan and her father Ban were charged with Ms Chen's murder. The pair stood trial in Western Australia's Supreme Court over the past three weeks before the jury passed on their verdict today. They pair blamed each other for Ms Chen's murder, with Wan maintaining her father hit his ex-wife during a disagreement over finances. Wan testified she heard Ms Chen scream and a 'loud metallic thud' sound, and then her father confessed to accidentally killing his former wife. Ban alleged his daughter confided in him she murdered her mother during a fight about Wan's upcoming university graduation ceremony. Annabelle Chen's body was dumped in a suitcase and eventually found in Perth's Swan River After almost a week of deliberations, the jury found Ban guilty of murder, while Wan beat a murder charge and manslaughter - but was convicted of being an accessory to the crime. Ban appeared emotionless as the verdict was read to the court, while Wan sobbed openly. Wan and Ban will face a sentencing hearing on November 22. Some of the world's biggest bottled water companies have thrown their weight behind a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles across the UK. Danone, which owns Evian and Volvic, plus Nestle, whose brands include Vittel, Pure Life and Perrier, have backed research which calls for radical policies to tackle plastic waste. Danone, which owns Evian and Volvic, plus Nestle, whose brands include Vittel, Pure Life and Perrier, have backed research which calls for radical policies to tackle plastic waste In the short term, they are calling for a comprehensive deposit and return scheme, or DRS, for England, Wales and Scotland under which people pay a fee on bottles that is refunded when they are returned. The research, compiled by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership suggests that even more radical solutions are necessary in the long-run, including, scrapping plastic bottles in favour of green alternatives. A DRS has the support of 80 per cent of Britons, who have been alerted to the threat to the environment by the Mail's Turn the tide on plastic campaign. The number of people pledging allegiance to the Church of England has halved in just 15 years, researchers said yesterday. Fewer than one in seven now say they belong to the CofE after its following dropped from 31 per cent to 14 per cent between 2002 and 2017. Allegiance has slipped from 16 per cent since the current Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, took up his post in 2013. The British Social Attitudes survey said the loss of support has been worst among young people, with only one in 50 in the 18 to 24 age group identifying with the CofE. Church leaders said the figures gave only part of the picture. They added that many, especially the younger generation, were less aware of denominations but more willing to engage in faith. Church of England congregations are dwindling as the number of followers halves in fifteen years, it has been claimed The survey carried out annually with the help of Whitehall departments said ever-larger numbers of people are declaring themselves as without religion. But the CofEs decline has been faster than other Christian denominations, which have remained fairly stable, it said. The figure for those seeing themselves as Roman Catholic was 8 per cent while 10 per cent said they belong to other Christian groups and 8 per cent aligned with non-Christian faiths. Catholics are twice as likely to attend a service compared to Anglicans, with 42 per cent going once a month against 21 per cent of Anglicans. Roger Harding, of the NatCen research group which carried out the survey, said: Our figures show an unrelenting decline in Church of England numbers. While the figures are starkest among younger people, in every age group the biggest group are those identifying with no religion. We know that views are becoming more socially liberal. With growing numbers belonging to no religion, faith leaders will no doubt be considering how to better connect to a changing society. The steepest fall in those saying they were part of the CofE was among people aged 45 to 54, with the level dropping from 35 per cent to 11 per cent from 2002 to last year. In the same period, those aged 18 to 24 saying they had no religion rose from 56 to 70 per cent. In response to the report, Dave Male, CofE director of evangelism and discipleship, said: The headline figure here only gives us part of the picture. It has been clear for some time that we have moved from an era of people automatically classifying themselves as Church of England or Anglican to one in which identifying with a faith is an active choice. The number of people who are faithful is higher than figures suggest, according to the church, whose leaders said younger people to not select a denomination People are less aware of denominations. Yet research shows an increase in willingness to engage in faith. People of all ages have not stopped searching for meaning and answers in their life. Church officials said 1.1million people go to a CofE church to pray during a typical month. There are also 1.2million followers each month who pray online. The attitudes survey found the numbers holding allegiance to non-Christian religions has risen from 2 per cent in 1983 to 8 per cent in 2017. The report does not break this down but the 2011 census gave the total for Muslims in England and Wales as 2.71million and 817,000 for Hindus. The other main faiths were Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism. Some 60 Eurosceptic Tories will this weekend publish their blueprint for a Brussels deal as they urge the Prime Minister to chuck Chequers. The European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees-Mogg, will bring out a series of reports setting out how a clean Brexit would work. The plans will argue for a Canada-style free trade agreement, and present solutions to the Northern Ireland question and complex issues like farming and fisheries. It came as Boris Johnson stormed ahead as the Tories preferred choice to be the next leader putting Theresa May under further pressure on Brexit. The ERGs 140-page manifesto will include a foreword by David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary. Various chapters will be released over four days, starting on Sunday. The deal drawn up at Chequers should be torn up as far as Eurosceptic MPs are concerned The group wants to neutralise the EUs criticism that ensuring there is no hard border with Northern Ireland means Britain must stay closely tied to Brussels. It is understood the papers will address money and migration on Monday, followed by a key paper on Northern Ireland on Wednesday. Sources said the plans were intended to set out alternatives to those presented by the Government and so force Mrs May to drop her Chequers deal. Downing Street insisted the Chequers proposals were the only credible and negotiable plan which has been put forward. Government sources said it was clear a simple trade deal could not resolve the problems around the Irish border. The basic premise of the Brexiteers is that there is a free trade deal on the table we can just pick up, a source said. Theresa May's plan to negotiate the Chequers deal with the European Union could fall apart There is, but it is a Great Britain-only deal we would be walking off the pitch in Northern Ireland. Mr Johnson was photographed outside a Westminster restaurant yesterday following talks with chief whip Julian Smith as a poll revealed 35 per cent of grassroots members want him as the next party leader. The figure up from 29 per cent last month is more than double the figure notched up by his closest rival, Home Secretary Sajid Javid. The only other MP to achieve support from 10 per cent or more in the poll by ConservativeHome was Mr Rees-Mogg. The arch-Eurosceptic said on Wednesday he believed Mr Johnson should be the next Prime Minister calling the former foreign secretary absolutely first class but added there was no vacancy at No.10. Just over two years ago, I was delighted when the Tories elected their second woman prime minister. Fast forward to today and for similar reasons I feel equally regretful to say that I believe Theresa May, if she doesnt choose to resign, must be replaced and quickly. The writing was on the wall when, entirely unnecessarily, she committed one of the biggest blunders in modern British political history. What was quickly called the dementia tax a controversial plan to shake up the way elderly care is funded wasnt just a shock to millions of voters, but appalled nearly every Tory minister, too. Mrs May thought she was just dropping another policy into the partys 2017 election manifesto, but she was actually dropping a political bomb on to her partys parliamentary majority and the careers and lifetime ambitions of many Tory candidates. She didnt even ask her own health and local government ministers if they thought it was a good idea. It wasnt, of course. It was a titanically awful idea. It blew up in Mrs Mays face, has prolonged Jeremy Corbyns leadership of the Labour Party because he wasnt crushed at the election, and ended the Tories control both of Parliament and the Brexit process. Nadine Dorries: 'I was delighted when the Tories elected their second woman prime minister. Fast forward to today and for similar reasons I feel equally regretful to say that I believe Theresa May, if she doesnt choose to resign, must be replaced and quickly.' Theresa May has been criticsed by her own party for failing to get a grip on the Brexit row between Britain and Brussels To her credit, Mrs May took personal responsibility for the fiasco and told a post-election gathering of my fellow Conservative MPs that shed caused the mess and she would dig the Government out of it. I was content to give her the benefit of the doubt at that time, but no longer. Ive changed my mind because, while Mrs May overhauled her Downing Street inner circle, she hasnt changed her ways. In fact, she has just gone and repeated the mistake of the dementia tax debacle. Her Chequers plan for Brexit was put together secretly, without the knowledge or input of her key ministers. And its deja vu all over again. Leavers and Remainers throughout the country oppose what emerged from her Downing Street bunker. Brussels isnt happy either rejecting the plan last week. She has lost support in the polls. Shes lost experienced ministers after they resigned in despair; she has lost MPs, both Leave and Remain supporters, and the nation has lost vital time in the negotiating window. The PM seems completely blind to the consequences of playing the team game of politics in such a presidential way. She announced that shed be taking personal charge of the final stages of the Brexit process. Given the explosive nature of what she generates in her Downing Street bunker, I fear Brussels will bounce her into another big mistake in the final stages of negotiations. I wish I hadnt reached this conclusion about her, and I dont for a moment pretend that Mrs May doesnt have major qualities. I admire her doggedness, as most of the nation does. It stems from the ethos of public service she learned from her father, a clergyman. And she has done many good things in No.10. Her response to the poisoning scandal in Salisbury was a lesson in statesmanship, for example. An Iron Lady moment. Overall, however, in a country that is as complex as ours, during times that are so challenging and given Brexit negotiations that matter so much, its vital we have a Government of all the talents and not just one. She really does exhibit a worrying disdain for the ideas of too many others. While I was not a great fan of George Osborne, his Northern Powerhouse project was truly of one-nation potential, but shes downgraded it. She has rejected, or shown no interest in, the many good ideas that Vote Leave campaigners deployed to help win the referendum such as cutting VAT on fuel. And she hardly uses Twitter, which is odd given that David Cameron exploited it so well, and he was the master communicator. If we are to prevent a disastrous Jeremy Corbyn premiership, we have no time to lose.Voters wont believe us if we wait until the eve of the next election to make promises of change and trot out the tired line that we have lessons to learn. We need a PM who will trust their Chancellor to deliver tax reform; a PM wholl back a housing minister to end the crisis in affordable homes. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks as she chairs a cabinet meeting next to Boris Johnson What we need is a premier who isnt afraid of bold change, because if Tories dont deliver change, the nation will turn to Jeremy Corbyn or some other populist figure to find it. My own choice for leader is Boris Johnson. Yes, many MPs nurturing their own political ambitions dont want him, because like Churchill, he will run and run. But he was the man who delivered Brexit. (Sorry, Nigel Farage, it really wasnt you). And it matters to Boris that the promises made in that campaign especially on NHS spending and immigration control are met as quickly and fully as possible. His loud critics who say theyll leave the party if he succeeds Mrs May remind me of celebrities who insist theyll leave the country if a general election result isnt to their liking. Most end up staying. Boris would need to put big figures from all wings of the party in top jobs, and preferably put Sajid Javid into No.11 he is a man with vision and unparalleled fiscal ability. Boris won the Labour city of London twice, and delivered. During his time at City Hall, knife crime did not explode. Infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and the Olympics did not veer off course. Millions rallied to his call to back Brexit. Ive walked down many streets with politicians but Boris is the only one who has rock star status, and the only time Ive been mobbed was with him. Hes the man to seize the opportunities of Brexit and not drown in its short-term complexities. I know he wants to give practical help for people who cant afford a home and lack any job security and put those policies at the heart of Government. Tory MPs and other seemingly implacable opponents of the former foreign secretary need to dwell on that. We have almost run out of time. We have weeks to save the country and Brexit. Theresa May has to go, and MPs have to put personal ambition aside, do the right thing and put Boris to the membership to vote. Yesterday, he extended his lead as the preferred next party leader among Tory members, according to a poll for the website ConservativeHome. If we dont act, the winner will be Corbyn and the extremist groups that, throughout his political lifetime, he has befriended. No Tory should allow themselves to be an accomplice to that for the sake of their own personal ambition. Two Chinese women have been charged with running an illegal brothel after police raided three venues strewn with rubbish, sheets and women's shoes. ACT Police arrested six people at an apartment in the suburb of Reid in Canberra on Tuesday. The other four were Thai nationals who were illegally working in Australia. Photos of the raid show plastic bags scattered across the floor of one brothel's bedroom, with bed linen scattered across the furniture and mould covering the bathroom ceiling. Police raided three brothels (pictured) in Reid, Canberra, which were strewn with litter and bed linen, on Tuesday leading to two Chinese women being charged with operating a brothel in a non-prescribed location Police made the arrests after a member of the public tipped them off about the brothels, which were allegedly all staffed by non-registered sex workers ACT acting superintendent Kari Ellis said police (pictured during raid) would continue to disrupt businesses illegally employing foreign workers The women, aged 45 and 50, have been bailed and will appear in court on October 12 - having been charged with operating a brothel in a non-prescribed location. Police made the arrests after a member of the public tipped them off about the brothels, which were allegedly staffed by non-registered sex workers. Detective station sergeant Adrian Craft said the illegal brothels were disruptive to residents and police. He said: 'To have illegal brothels operating in apartment complexes can be terribly disruptive to residents. 'Police will continue to target illegal brothels in the Canberra CBD to improve the environment for those living in the complexes.' ACT acting superintendent Kari Ellis said: 'We are focused on disrupting businesses employing and potentially exploiting illegal foreign workers.' Outraged child protection advocates have criticised the sentence of an ice addict stepfather who bashed a toddler who eventually died from his severe injuries. William Andrew O'Sullivan was sentenced to nine-years imprisonment for the death of 22-month-old Mason Jet Lee but will be eligible for parole in less than four years. The toddler was found with extensive injuries at O'Sullivan's home in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, in June 2016. William Andrew O'Sullivan (pictured) was sentenced to nine-years imprisonment for the death of 22-month-old Mason Jet Lee and will be eligible for parole in less than four years The inadequate sentenced has been criticised by outraged child protection advocates (pictured: Mason Lee) The toddler (pictured) was found with extensive injuries at O'Sullivan's home in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, in June 2016 The sentence was kept a secret for a week out of concern for co-accused, Mason's mother Annemarree Lee, the Courier Mail reported. The young boy was so severely beaten he suffered anal injuries, a broken leg and a ruptured intestine, spending the last of his days vomiting, feverish and dehydrated. O'Sullivan failed to assist the toddler in his last days, instead yelling at him to 'shut up' when he cried as well as hitting and kicking him. Founder of Bravehearts, a leading child protection organisation in Australia, Hetty Johnson said the inadequate sentence proves the system is failing children. 'How can you kill a child and walk away after four years? It just defies any kind of logic, it doesn't set any example,' Ms Johnston said. 'I think they need to throw the whole sentencing regime out the window and start again.' O'Sullivan (pictured) failed to assist the toddler in his last days, instead yelling at him to 'shut up' when he cried as well as hitting and kicking him The Queensland Opposition's child safety spokeswoman Ros Bates said the system needs an overhaul. 'I'm sure that the public don't think that a sentence that lenient is sufficient for what that little boy went through,' she said. The state's attorney-general has a 28-day window to lodge an appeal into the judgement. 'As with all cases, DPP are looking at the judgement and will advise the attorney-general whether there are any prospects for appeal,' a spokesperson said in a statement. The Attorney-General has been left with a small window to fight for a longer sentence as seven days are already gone. O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to four separate charges before the Queensland Supreme Court, including manslaughter and cruelty to a child under 16-years-old. Mason, who was subjected to neglect and mistreatment in his short life, spent his final hours with blue lips, wrapped in a towel and making grunting noises. Mason was so severely beaten he suffered anal injuries, a broken leg and a ruptured intestine, spending the last of his days vomiting, feverish and dehydrated 'How can you kill a child and walk away after four years? It just defies any kind of logic, it doesn't set any example,' founder of Bravehearts Hetty Johnston said In addition to the injuries, traces of methamphetamine were found in his blood. In the months before his death, Mason was treated for multiple injuries and was admitted to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital for three weeks in February 2016, a court was previously told. O'Sullivan tried to blame Mason's death on paramedics for responding slowly, despite arriving at the property six minutes after they were called by a friend. He also lied to police saying he found Mason with blue lips and mouth clamped on a bottle before calling an ambulance. O'Sullivan, who has long battled drug addiction, also claimed his 12-year-old 'serial killer' daughter could have beaten the toddler. Defence barrister Ruth OGorman said OSullivan has been bashed unconscious by another inmate, since being in custody. She said he was forced to spend 13 days in hospital with a fractured skull after prisoners bashed, kicked and stomped him severely. Mason's mother will face a judge-only trial as her lawyer argued jurors would potentially be influenced by media coverage. The 75 sentenced to death face several charges, from murder and "incitement to break the law" to "membership of a banned group" and "being part of an illegal gathering", The Guardian reported. Those convicted sentenced to death include prominent Brotherhood members Essam El-Erian, Mohamed Beltagy and Wagdy Ghoneim. The court also sentenced the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme leader, Mohammed Badie, and 46 others to life imprisonment. A total of 374 were sentenced to 15 years and 215 to five years. One of Morsi's sons, Osama, was among 22 defendants who received 10-year jail terms. Also indicted was award-winning photo-journalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, better known as Shawkan, who received a five-year prison sentence. The trails and death sentences have consistently drawn scathing criticism from rights groups at home and overseas, which have branded the process as a mockery of justice. Hundreds of people were arrested when the Egyptian army and police dispersed the pro-Morsi protest, which took place a month after the democratically-elected former president was ousted by the then military chief and current president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. Amnesty International said the sentences, linked to clashes in 2013 between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, amounted to "a mockery of justice". Shawkan should therefore be able to leave prison "within a few days", his lawyer Karim Abdelrady said as he welcomed the verdict. Carlsberg becomes first global brewer to replace plastic ring can holders The brewing company just vowed to stop using plastic six-pack rings to hold its cans together, instead opting for glue. The Snap Pack is one of the sustainable packaging innovations announced by Carlsberg this morning. "The Egyptian authorities should be ashamed". "The death penalty should never be an option under any circumstances". Najia Bounaim, North Africa campaigns director at Amnesty International, said at least 900 protesters were killed by security forces in the crackdown, yet "not a single police officer has been brought to account for the killing". About 700 people were killed within hours at that site and Nahda Square where another sit-in was being held. The rights watchdog called for a retrial in front of an "impartial court". Amnesty and Human Rights Watch say at least 40,000 people were arrested in the first year after Morsi's ouster on July 3, 2013. The dispersal left hundreds dead including dozens of police officers. Brutal clashes between the Egyptian security forces and the protests against Mohamed Morsi's removal lead to the killing of hundreds and thousands were injured. Christmas parties and private functions are now in the firing line of draconian liquor laws that make it illegal for people to get drunk in pubs. The Canterbury Bulldogs' Mad Monday celebrations saw the 63-year-old licensee of the Harbour View Hotel in the heart of Sydney slugged with five penalty notices. Police issued three of the notices for allegedly breaching the New South Wales Liquor Act by permitting intoxication on the premises during the club's private event. As a result, the pub could be slapped with heavy fines, face trading hour restrictions or even be shut down - which would have a chilling effect on Sydney pubs ahead of the festive season. Christmas parties and private functions are now in the firing line of draconian liquor laws that make it illegal for people to get drunk in pubs (stock image) The Canterbury Bulldogs' Mad Monday celebrations saw the 63-year-old licensee of the Harbour View Hotel in the heart of Sydney slugged with five penalty notices The Harbour View Hotel told Daily Mail Australia said they were unable to comment on the police action, other than saying the Liquor Act was clear. The Australian Hotels Association said customers at licensed establishments should be able to able to enjoy office Christmas parties. 'Patrons attending end of season events or similar functions should be entitled to let their hair down,' AHA NSW Director of Liquor and Policing John Green said. 'But [they] must remember there are both behavioural and legislative responsibilities that govern what they can and can't do.' 'Venues work closely with police and the regulator throughout the year, and particularly during larger events, to ensure people have a good time, without going overboard and risking safety, or sanctions.' Former Labor leader Mark Latham slammed the penalties, describing them as a 'joke' and questioning whether there should have been any legal consequences at all. Police issued three of the notices for allegedly breaching the New South Wales Liquor Act by permitting intoxication on the premises during the club's private event (stock image) 'Has any member of the public complained or have the police been stampeded into action by media outrage?' he asked. Poll Do you think pubs should be punished for having drunk customers? Yes No Unsure Do you think pubs should be punished for having drunk customers? Yes 21 votes No 39 votes Unsure 4 votes Now share your opinion 'If it's the latter, it's a complete and utter waste of police resources. As are the charges laid against the Bulldog players. 'If no member of the public has been harmed, why the need for any action? 'What a joke.' The New South Wales Liquor Act 2007 makes it illegal for licensees to permit intoxication or sell or supply liquor to an intoxicated person. If enforced as zealously as against the host of the Mad Monday celebration, these laws would spell the end of the office Christmas party, a traditionally boozy affair. Satya Marar, Director of Policy at the Australian Taxpayers' Alliance, said punishing licensed establishments for the actions of their customers was unfair. The pub could be slapped with heavy fines, face trading hour restrictions or even be shut down - which would have a chilling effect on Sydney pubs ahead of the festive season (stock image) 'Our laws should promote a thriving nightlife by making sure that individuals are held responsible for their own actions,' Mr Marar said. 'Hitting pubs with penalty notices every time someone gets caught misbehaving is a surefire recipe for fewer pubs, more expensive drinks and functions, and restrictions on businesses and party-goers who don't deserve it. WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY? According to the New South Wales Liquor Act 2007, Section 73, licensees cannot permit intoxication on their premises, or sell or supply liquor to an intoxicated person. They are taken to have permitted intoxication unless they can prove they asked the intoxicated person to leave, called the police, or refused to serve them more alcohol. Violations of the Liquor Act can result in licensees being given strikes, and three strikes can result in closure. Source: Liquor Act 2007 Advertisement 'Nanny state restrictions have already turned one-time hotspots like Sydney into a ghost town with a nightlife that is an international embarrassment.' In March a new Kings Cross jazz club, Prohibition, was forced to close its doors just a day after it started trading after just one customer was not scanned on entry. Owner Ian Chandler told Daily Mail Australia at the time undercover licensing officers entered the premises on the first day. After noticing a patron was not scanned, the officer told Mr Chandler he faced fines of tens of thousands of dollars in fines, leaving him no choice but to shut down. 'It's death by a thousand cuts,' he said, saying the labyrinth of legal restrictions and regulations was killing Sydney's nightlife. Prohibition is one of dozens of licensed venues to be punished in recent years, and ten closure orders have been issued since 2015. Daily Mail Australia contacted the Harbour View Hotel and Liquor and Gaming New South Wales for comment. Megyn Kelly says the Trump administration official behind the anonymous New York Times op-ed is a 'coward' for not putting their face out their publicly. Speaking to TMZ in New York on Thursday, Kelly said the anonymous White House official should 'grow up' and 'take a stand'. 'I have no idea who it is but I feel like if you've got a problem with him, come out and say it publicly,' Kelly said. 'You don't just subvert the people's will by stealing things from the President. You aren't an elected person. President Trump was fairly elected, whether you like him or you don't like him - you have to deal with it. Megyn Kelly says the Trump administration official behind the anonymous New York Times op-ed is a 'coward' for not putting their face out their publicly 'Go to the house, got to the senate, try to get lawmakers to do something about it. 'Don't be a coward.' Kelly concluded by saying she didn't think the person should be penalized but urged them to just 'grow up'. Her comments came as Trump's top lieutenants scrambled on Thursday to deny authorship of the explosive op-ed that has plunged his presidency into its worst crisis yet by proclaiming a secret insider resistance to his 'reckless' and 'amoral' leadership. The White House has been convulsed since Wednesday by a fevered hunt for the senior official who declared, in an unsigned article for The New York Times, that 'unsung heroes' were quietly working within the administration to frustrate the president's 'worst inclinations'. Trump responded with a furious volley of tweets that asked if the author had committed treason while First Lady Melania Trump condemned the decision to publish. 'To the writer of the op-ed -- you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions,' she said. On the internet and in Washington, meanwhile, a guessing game has raged over who the author might be, prompting nearly every cabinet-ranked member of the government to deny it was them. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats were among those who issued denials. Republican Sen. Rand Paul suggested that president Donald Trump use a lie-detector test to find out which White House official penned an anonymous New York Times' op-ed piece. Paul made the suggestion as at least 32 staffers deny they were the 'senior official' in the Trump administration who wrote a piece for the Times claiming there is resistance within the White House and officials were working 'from within' to thwart Trump's most dangerous impulses. 'It's not unprecedented for people with security clearances to be asked whether or not they're revealing things against the law under oath and also by lie detector,' Paul said. 'We use the lie-detector test routinely for CIA agents and FBI agents,' he added. 'If you have a security clearance in the White House, I think it would be acceptable to use a lie detector test and ask people whether or not they're taking to the media against the policy of the White House.' Republican Sen. Rand Paul says Trump should use lie-detector tests to find the senior official who penned the New York Times op-ed Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday urged the anonymous writer to stop hiding and have Trump removed if they think he's an unfit president The New York Times op-ed drew a furious response from President Donald Trump on Thursday Paul also expressed concern on whether the leaker could reveal national security secrets to the media, but said he does not think Congress should get involved and investigate. 'We need to get to the bottom of it,' he said. While Paul thinks lie-detector tests are the best route to finding the leaker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday urged the anonymous writer to stop hiding and have Trump removed if they think he's an unfit president. In a fundraising email on Thursday, the Massachusetts Democrat wrote: 'They should stop hiding behind anonymous op-eds and leaking information to Bob Woodward' and 'do what the Constitution demands they do: invoke the 25th Amendment and remove this president from office.' A flood of denials have been pouring in after dozens and dozens of senior staffers publicly deny their involvement in the op-ed. According to CNN, statements from his administration are being printed off and given to Trump. An official said that Trump is reading each statement carefully. The denials have been fast and definitive given that the president measures the strength of such responses as part of his loyalty tests. Earlier Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump joined the list of those denying they wrote the op-ed piece as the inflammatory essay becomes an all-hands on deck crisis for the Trump Administration. Deny, deny, deny: From left to right, Wilbur Ross, Alexander Acosta and Alex Azar say they were not the anonymous writer Didn't do it: From left to right, Andrew Wheeler, Ben Carson and Betsy DeVos released statements distancing themselves from the Times op-ed Dan Coats (left) released a statement denying that he or his aide wrote the piece. Elaine Chao (center) and Gina Haspel (right) also said they are not involved 'Freedom of speech is an important pillar of our nation's founding principles and a free press is important to our democracy. The press should be fair, unbiased and responsible,' the first lady said in a statement. 'Unidentified sources have become the majority of the voices people hear about in today's news. People with no names are writing our nation's history. Words are important, and accusations can lead to severe consequences. If a person is bold enough to accuse people of negative actions, they have a responsibility to publicly stand by their words and people have the right to be able to defend themselves,' she added. She concluded: 'To the writer of the oped you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions.' She joined Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a string of senior figures in flatly denying they wrote the 'resistance' op-ed whose publication drew a furious response from Trump. Additionally every Cabinet secretary, along with other senior aides, have denied authorship as Trump has launched a massive mole hunt for the author behind the scandalous piece. Melania Trump denies authorship of New York Times op-ed and condemns anonymous author From left the right, Don McGahn, James Mattis and Jeff Sessions also said they are not the leaker From left the right, Jon Huntsman, KellyAnne Conway and Kirstjen Nielsen said they are not the anonymous writer who penned an op-ed for the Times Mick Mulvaney (left) also denied being involved, along with Mike Pompeo (center) and Mike Pence 'The Vice President puts his name on his op-eds,' Pence's office said in a tweet denying he was the writer Reports indicate the president is becoming more and more paranoid about who he can trust in the wake of the bombshell essay and a book by Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. TRUMP OFFICIALS WHO HAVE DENIED AUTHORSHIP OF NYT OP-ED First Lady Melania Trump Vice President Mike Pence Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Defense Secretary James Mattis Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Attorney General Jeff Sessions White House Counsel Don McGahn Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Health and Human Services Services Secretary Alex Azar Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Energy Secretary Rick Perry Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao Labor Department Secretary Alexander Acosta Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue UN Ambassador Nikki Haley U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman CIA Director Gina Haspel Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler White House Counsel Kellyanne Conway US Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer Small business administration administrator Linda McMahon Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt Advertisement Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Health and Human Services Services Secretary Alex Azar, Labor Department Secretary Alexander Acosta, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and First Lady spokesperson Stephanie Grisham are all denying authorship of The Times piece. Also denying authorship are White House Counsels Don McGahn and Kellyanne Conway, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph Simons, and Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders is slamming the who-wrote-it game going on in Washington D.C., advising the media to 'Stop.' 'The media's wild obsession with the identity of the anonymous coward is recklessly tarnishing the reputation of thousands of great Americans who proudly serve our country and work for President Trump. Stop. If you want to know who this gutless loser is, call the opinion Paidesk of the failing NYT at 212-556-1234, and ask them. They are the only ones complicit in this deceitful act. We stand united together and fully support our President Donald J. Trump,' she said in a statement posted to her twitter account. Pence's denial was especially noteworthy after online speculation about who penned the piece narrowed in on the vice president, making him the odds on favorite as being the author. Jarrod Agen, Pence's deputy chief of staff and communications director, tweeted that the vice president 'puts his name on his op-eds.' 'The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts,' Agen wrote Thursday morning. Pompeo told reporters during a visit to India that it wasn't him either. 'It's not mine,' he said, according to the Associated Press. Nikki Haley (left) said she wasn't behind the op-ed either. Rick Perry (center) and Robert Lighthizer (right) also issued statements denying their involvement Robert Wilkie (left) said he did not write it, as well as Ryan Zinke (center). Sarah Sanders slammed the media's attention in finding out who wrote it Sonny Perdue (left), Steven Mnuchin (center) and Ajit Pai (right) also said they were not involved A spokesperson for Linda McMahon (left) said she was not the author. Joseph Simons (center) and David Bernhardt (right) also said they did not write the op-ed Trump claims a 'deep state' is working against him 'I come from a place where if you're not in a position to execute the commander's intent, you have a singular option, that is to leave,' Pompeo added. Coats put out a statement denying either he or his deputy wrote the piece. 'Speculation that The New York Times op-ed was written by me or my Principal Deputy is patently false. We did not. From the beginning of our tenure, we have insisted that the entire IC remain focused on our mission to provide the President and policymakers with the best intelligence possible,' he said. US Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer told CNN in a statement he didn't write it and it does not reflect his views. In total 32 senior officials have denied authoring the Times op-ed 'I did not write it. It does not reflect my views at all, and it does not reflect the views of anyone I know in the Administration. It is a complete and total fabrication,' Lighthizer said. '.@stevenmnuchin1 is honored to serve @POTUS & the American people. He feels it was irresponsible for @nytimes to print this anonymous piece. Now, dignified public servants are forced to deny being the source. It is laughable to think this could come from the Secretary,' tweeted Treasury Department spokesperson Tony Sayegh for Steven Mnuchin. 'Secretary Nielsen is focused on leading the men and women of DHS and protecting the homeland - not writing anonymous and false opinion pieces for the New York Times. These types of political attacks are beneath the Secretary and the Department's mission,' press secretary Tyler Q. Houlton said. A spokesperson for Carson simply stated 'haha nope' about whether the secretary of housing and urban development was the writer. Trump is trying to learn the name of the author of the anonymous piece and has a printed list of everyone's statement on the matter A Pentagon spokesperson denied it was Mattis. 'It was not his op-ed,' spokesperson Dana White said. A Justice Department spokesperson told CNN Sessions was not the author either. Energy Secretary Rick Perry tweeted he didn't write the piece. 'I am not the author of the New York Times OpEd, nor do I agree with its characterizations. Hiding behind anonymity and smearing the President of the United States does not make you an 'unsung hero', it makes you a coward, unworthy of serving this Nation,' he wrote. PLACE YOUR BETS ON WHO WROTE THE OP-ED Online bookmakers rushed to cash in on the Washington D.C. frenzy over who the anonymous 'senior official' behind the New York Times's 'resistance' op-ed could be. The runners from www.actionnetwork.com are : Mike Pence 60.0% (-150) Betsy DeVos 33.3% (+200) Mike Pompeo 20.0% (+400) Steven Mnuchin 20.0% (+400) John Kelly 20.0% (+400) Jim Mattis 16.7% (+500) Jeff Sessions 16.7% (+500) Ryan Zinke 14.3% (+600) Sonny Perdue 14.3% (+600) Wilbur Ross 12.5% (+700) Alex Acosta 12.5% (+700) Alex Azar 11.1% (+800) Ben Carson 11.1% (+800) Robert Wilkie 11.1% (+800) Kirstjen Nielsen 9.1% (+1000) Ivanka Trump 7.7% (+1200) Jared Kushner 7.7% (+1200) Stephen Miller 6.3% (+1500) Advertisement DeVos's press department tweeted the education secretary doesn't 'play Washington insider games.' '.@BetsyDeVosED is not a Washington insider and does not play Washington insider games. She has the courage of her convictions and signs her opinions. She is not the author of the anonymous @nytimes op-ed,' they wrote. Small business administration administrator Linda McMahon also said she did not write the op-ed, saying on Thursday via a spokesperson that it wasn't her. Who wrote the piece has become Washington's new guessing game and even the president is playing. Inside the West Wing on Wednesday, senior officials canceled afternoon meetings to start the search process, the Wall Street Journal reported. Some staff were even calling reporters to ask if they knew who wrote the piece. When it comes to negative stories involving the West Wing, the president looks at how forcefully aides respond them. A Trump friend told the Washington Post the president believes he can only trust his children. The president reacted to The Times piece with 'volcanic' anger and was 'absolutely livid,' The Post reported. Trump suspects the author works on national security issues or in the Justice Department. One senior administration official told Politico the White House is in 'total meltdown' over the op-ed. And the president is publicly expressing frustration that his own administration is working against him, claiming again he is a victim of 'the deep state.' 'The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy - & they don't know what to do,' he wrote on Twitter Thursday morning. The New York Times opinion piece describes the president as 'impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective' and says the author is part of an organized 'resistance' whose goal is 'to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting [President] Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office.' Within hours of its publication, online chatter Wednesday quickly focused on Pence as observers focused on one line describing the late Sen. John McCain as 'a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue.' That word lodestar is a favorite of the vice president. But a senior White House official told DailyMail.com that suspicion is not focused on him or anyone in his office following a frank discussion among the VP's senior staff. The official suspects 'lodestar' was purposely included in the op-ed to throw journalists off the scent. The term means 'a star that leads or guides' or 'serves as an inspiration, model, or guide.' Trump himself has called the writer 'gutless' and called on the newspaper to release the identity in the name of national security. In an online introduction, the Times says the author's 'identity is known to us' and the person's 'job would be jeopardized by its disclosure. We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers.' 'Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source?' Trump tweeted hours after the newspaper published a brutal opinion essay that the newspaper said was written by one of his senior-level appointees. 'If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!' A father who was changing his son in a shopping centre parents' room says he was abused by two mothers who told him to get out of the room. Mathew Ferguson was trying to console his emotional toddler in the room at Wanneroo Central Shopping Centre, in Perth's northern suburbs, when he was approached by the two mothers. He described the moment as 'hell on earth' in a Facebook post that has since been taken down, WA Today reported. A father who was changing his son in a shopping centre parent room was abused by two mothers who told him to get out of the room (stock image) Mr Ferguson was attempting to console his screaming son after a haircut left him with ticklish hair clippings down his T-shirt. The women approached the father, called him disgusting and demanded he leave the parents' room. 'I don't know if it was a cultural thing, or they were not used to having men in that environment, but it definitely put them off and they were really disturbed about me being in there when it's clearly a parent room,' he said. A female bystander who witnessed the incident happened to step in to tell the women to settle down. Mr Ferguson said that this isn't the first time he's been abused while taking care of his children - and male friends had witnessed the same behaviour. When he spoke of encountering women in parents' rooms, he said that he could feel critical eyes on him and women weren't comfortable about him being there. Mathew Ferguson was trying to console his emotional toddler in the parent when he was approached by the two mothers (stock image) Mr Ferguson insists that changing a child in the men's room is a nightmare and has a message for mothers with poor attitude. 'You do not have sole rights to this space! Keep your disrespectful comments to yourself and understand if a child needs to be changed this is the place to do it,' he said. Mr Ferguson said he was frustrated and believes that while society wants men to step up and be hands-on parents, parts of the community don't appreciate what they do. 'They want us to step up but they still think we're useless. I'm just a parent,' he said. Curtin University Faculty of Health Sciences lecturer, Dr Gary Kendall, told the publication that although the mothers' behaviour was wrong, it is understandable. Dr Kendall said that the role of men and women in society was changing, but the women's behaviour wasn't appropriate. When he spoke of encountering women in parent rooms, he said that he could feel critical eyes on him and women weren't comfortable about him being there (stock image) In June, Daily Mail Australia reported that Troy Tinson, a new father from Mandurah in Western Australia was forced out of the parent room by a group of mothers. He was forced to change his baby's nappy in the men's toilets. He claims he walked into the parents' change room in a local shopping centre to change his daughter's nappy when three women stood in front of the change tables and told him he wasn't welcome. 'They said there were women breastfeeding in the room and that he wasn't welcome, that he was a male and that there were male toilets that he could access,' Troy's wife Terina told ABC. Troy did change their daughter on the sink in the men's toilets and Terina said that he felt insulted by the experience. Richard Simmons touted a new line of merchandise on an internet shopping channel Thursday, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen as a former student fronted the sales. 'Richard Simmons Sweatin' Shop' channel went live on talkshop.live on Thursday evening. A presenter, who said he was one of Simmons' former students, wore a T-shirt with the slogan 'I sweat with Richard Simmons' on it and touted a $17.50 Simmons calendar which offered daily quotes from the fitness guru. Viewers were posting questions about why the reclusive fitness guru was not appearing in person but they were ignored. Moderators appeared to delete some of the questions about Simmons, who has been in hiding for nearly five years. T-shirts with slogans like 'I sweat with Richard Simmons' were on offer, but viewers posting questions about why the reclusive fitness guru was not appearing in person were ignored Moderators appeared to delete some of the questions about Simmons, although several remained live Anthony W said: 'Is Richard turning in soon? Is Richard going to appear?' James B wrote: 'Literally the only appeal of Richard's products is Richard and you're selling his products without him? You can't just throw some semi-enigmatic queen on camera and expect us to buy stuff. Sad.' Some of the posts appeared to have been deleted by moderators. The Richard Simmons 2019 Day-to-Day Calendar is described on the site as 'a celebration of the wit and wisdom of beloved pop icon Richard Simmons. 'By helping people adopt sensible, balanced eating programs and exercise regimes that are energetic, fun, and motivating, as well as reframe their self-image and self-worth, Richard Simmons has inspired generations to achieve their full potential.' On offer were these fitness programs offering viewers '365 days of inspiration' for 2019 The last time Simmons spoke in public was in April 2017, when he reached out to fans to assure them he was still around - and thank them for their support. 'Aren't you sick of hearing and reading about me?!' he wrote in a Facebook post, alongside a picture of himself from 2014. 'Well by now you know that I'm not 'missing', just a little under the weather. I'm sure I will be feeling good and back home in a couple of days.' Simmons attends the 2010 World Fitness Day at the Georgia Dome on May 1, 2010 in Atlanta Simmons, who was in hospital at the time, also added his thanks to the many fans who had reached out to express their concern and good wishes. 'You will never know how much it means to me,' he wrote. 'This has reminded me that when you need help you can't be afraid to reach out and ask for it. 'We all think we should always be able to solve our problems all by ourselves and sometimes it's just bigger than we are. 'I reached out and I hope you will too. I'm sure there are people in your life who love and care for you and would do anything to help you with the challenges you face. 'Just knowing you care has already made me feel better. Hope to see you again soon!' Simmons' manager Michael Catalano said the fitness guru had been hospitalized 'at an undisclosed location in California.' 'After a few days of battling severe indigestion and discomfort while eating, we agreed it was best for him to seek treatment,' he said. Catalono added: 'He's already feeling better and is expected to make a full recovery.' Among Simmons last onscreen appearances were guest judging a 2014 episode of ABC's Sing Your Face Off and playing a dramatized version of himself on ABC soap General Hospital in 2013. A woman has been found guilty of aggravated dangerous driving causing death after she was found to be texting whilst driving moments before a crash which caused the death of her friend. Aine McGrath, 26, was charged after the accident in August 15, 2016, in which her friend, who was travelling in the passenger seat, died. McGrath was texting her boyfriend when the crash happened on Mitchell Freeway near Leederville in Western Australia. McGrath's friend Sarah Kelly (pictured) was sitting in the passenger seat and died at the scene Aine Marie McGrath, 25, was behind the wheel of her Mitsubishi Lancer on the Mitchell Freeway in Perth in August 2016 when her car swerved across four lanes of traffic and was T-boned by another car (crash scene pictured) Her Mitsubishi Lancer veered across four lanes of the freeway. The passenger side was hit by a Holden Colorado, killing her friend Sarah Kelly, who died at the scene. McGrath maintained that she had not read the last text from her boyfriend when the crash happened and the crash was instead the fault of a car pulling in front of her when she was trying to change lanes. She claims she then lost control of her vehicle after swerving to avoid hitting the car. McGrath's first trial in February was discharged when the jury could not reach a verdict. McGrath this week faced trial for a second time at District Court. McGrath admitted to the phone use back in February, and admitted she was distracted leading up to the crash, but denied she was driving dangerously. She maintained the crash was 'just an accident' when she appeared in court. A jury rejected her account of the incident and found her guilty of aggravated dangerous driving, District Court confirmed to Daily Mail Australia. A text exchange between McGrath and her boyfriend shown to the jury showed that she had sent the last text about 12 seconds before the first emergency call was made. McGrath's (pictured) first trial in February was discharged when the jury could not reach a verdict. McGrath this week faced trial for a second time at District Court Kate Matthews, driver of the Holden, described how she was forced to slam on the brakes and hold onto the steering wheel. 'There was nothing much I could do,' she said. 'We just crashed into the car straight into the passenger door.' District Court confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that McGrath is to be sentenced later this month. She remains on bail until then. In true Australian style, hilarious footage has emerged of a cockatoo on the Gold Coast knocking back the remains of three beer cans one after the other in quick succession. The 15 second clip, uploaded to You Tube, shows a cockatoo nicknamed 'Claude' picking up the beer summer cans by its beak before quickly polishing off the remains. The cheeky poster added the following caption: 'Claude the cocky having a sneaky few bevs after a long day. Don't worry the cans are empty. Always drink responsibly!' However, it seems cockatoos enjoying a refreshing ale isn't just limited to Australia. In 2016, a six-year-old cockatoo called Leo was banned from the Old Chapel Wetherspoon pub in Darwen, Lancashire, after staff told his owner, David Wilson, they operated under a strict no pets policy - with the exception of guide dogs. A defiant Mr Wilson then began drinking at the neighbouring Victoria pub in Darwen. The publican said 'he would be happy to accomodate' Wilson's feathered friend. 'We were welcomed with open arms at The Victoria,' Mr Wilson told the Lancashire Telegraph at the time. Claude the cockatoo seen chugging a can of summer beer on the Gold Coast this week The inquisitive Claude the cockatoo spotted some discarded beer cans and got to work 'Leo is an extremely intelligent and tame bird, he is very well behaved and never flies away too far. When we go to the pub he is very well behaved. 'Leo will sit on other customer's shoulders quietly, see what they are drinking and then find someone else to sit on. 'He's part of the furniture at the pub where the staff are really great with him.' The disgraced ice addict who bashed his 22-month-old stepson within an inch of his life received a taste of his own medicine in a prison attack. William Andrew O'Sullivan was sentenced to nine-years imprisonment for the death of Mason Jet Lee in the Queensland Supreme Court, last week. O'Sullivan's lawyer told the court that he fell victim to aggressive threats while in jail awaiting the outcome of his trial. Ice addict, William Andrew O'Sullivan (pictured), who bashed his 22-month-old stepson within an inch of his life has received a taste of his own medicine in a prison attack The self-described 'junkie' (pictured) was bashed by two inmates in vicious attack where his head was stomped and kicked in. He spent 13 days in hospital for fractured skull O'Sullivan was sentenced to nine-years imprisonment for the 2016 death of Mason Jet Lee (pictured) in the Brisbane Supreme Court, last week The self-described 'junkie' was bashed by two inmates in vicious attack where his head was stomped and kicked in. He suffered a severely fractured skull and spent 13 days in hospital recovering. O'Sullivan failed to assist the dying toddler in his last days, instead yelling at him to 'shut up' when he cried as well as hitting and kicking him, The Courier Mail reported. Mason was found with extensive injuries at O'Sullivan's home in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, in June 2016. The young boy was so severely beaten he suffered anal injuries, a broken leg and a ruptured intestine, spending the last of his days vomiting, feverish and dehydrated. Mason, who was subjected to neglect and mistreatment in his short life, spent his final hours with blue lips, wrapped in a towel and making grunting noises. In addition to the injuries, traces of methamphetamine were found in his blood. In the months before his death, Mason was treated for multiple injuries and was admitted to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital for three weeks in February 2016, a court was previously told. O'Sullivan (pictured) frequently wiped away tears during his court appearance last week O'Sullivan failed to assist the dying toddler (pictured) in his last days, instead yelling at him to 'shut up' when he cried as well as hitting and kicking him O'Sullivan tried to blame Mason's death on paramedics for responding slowly, despite arriving at the property six minutes after they were called by a friend. He also claimed his 12-year-old 'serial killer' daughter could have beaten the toddler. O'Sullivan frequently wiped away tears during his court appearance and took plenty of deep breaths. O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to four separate charges before the Queensland Supreme Court, including manslaughter and cruelty to a child under 16-years-old. He sentenced to nine years imprisonment and will be eligible for parole in less than four years. The sentence has been slammed by child protection advocates for being inadequate and too lenient. There are calls for the judgement to be reviewed by the Attorney-General. Mason was so severely beaten he suffered anal injuries, a broken leg and a ruptured intestine, spending the last of his days vomiting, feverish and dehydrated GoFundMe has promised to pay the full balance of the original $400,000 that was raised for a homeless veteran who was allegedly defrauded by a New Jersey couple. The crowdfunding site said it would make sure Johnny Bobbitt receives what is left of the sum he was promised after he helped a motorist stranded in Philadelphia by giving him his last remaining $20 for gas so she could get home. The inspirational story led thousands of people to donate to a crowdfunding campaign run by the motorist and her boyfriend. But the couple is now accused of paying Bobbitt only a portion of the funds while using the rest on gambling and vacations. 'Johnny will be made whole, and we're committing that he'll get the balance of the funds that he has not yet received or benefited from,' GoFundMe said in a statement. Under investigation: Cops are now investigating Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure after they failed to hand over money raised via GoFundMe to a homeless veteran. They raised $400,000 for Johnny Bobbitt after he spent his last $20 on gas for them to get home. 'GoFundMe's goal has always been to ensure Johnny gets [the] support he deserves. "We'll continue to assist with the ongoing law enforcement investigation.' GoFundMe made the announcement in a joint statement with a Philadelphia law firm representing Bobbitt, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The company is also taking steps to allow donors who contributed to the campaign to get their money back. Company policy states that donors have until 30 days of making their contribution to submit claims asking for a refund. But since the campaign took place 10 months ago, GoFundMe is waiving this aspect of its policy so as to allow donors to Bobbitt to submit claims. 'This is an extremely rare situation, and we are working with law enforcement officials to get Johnny the money raised on his behalf, which means the 30-day policy does not apply in this case,' a company spokesperson told the Inquirer. Earlier on Thursday, Mark D'Amico and Kately McClure, the couple accused of defrauding Bobbitt, had their home raided by police who have opened a criminal investigation. D'Amico and McClure raised $400,000 for Johnny Bobbitt after he spent his last $20 on gas for them to get home. Bobbitt is now suing the couple, claiming they kept the money for themselves and have spent it on vacations and gambling. Police today announced they are investigating the couple and executed a search warrant at their home in Florence, New Jersey. Footage from 6abc shows officers removing a used black BMW the couple had bought earlier this year on a flatbed tow truck. Footage shows officers removing a black BMW with a tow truck during a raid on D'Amico and McClure's home An officer is seen inspecting the used BMW, which the couple bought earlier this year, at the home of D'Amico and McClure Thursday The vehicle was taken away with a flatbed tow truck during the raid D'Amico smiled and played with his dog (pictured) as officers took the car away D'Amico smiled and played with his dog as officers took the car away. McClure was not home. Investigators later left the couple's home with bags and boxes of material. Burlington County Prosecutor Scott A Coffina said in a statement: 'Due to the enormous public interest in this matter, I am confirming that a search warrant was executed early this morning by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and the Florence Township Police Department at the residence of Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure in connection with a criminal investigation into the Johnny Bobbitt matter. 'As of this time, there have been no charges filed. Further updates will be provided as circumstances warrant.' It comes less than a week after the couple went on national television to claim there was still 'well over' $150,000 of the raised money left. They insisted that they have not spent the money on themselves and that they spent $200,000 on care for Bobbitt. Whatever cash they did give him, they said he spent it on drugs. After Bobbitt shared his story earlier this month, GoFundMe launched an investigation into the couple's handling of the fund. It seemed Bobbitt had triumphed when a judge earlier this week ordered the couple to give him control of the account. Now, Bobbitt and his lawyers have asked for a forensic accountant to examine the couple's records and determine if they misspent any of the money. They met in November 2017 when McClure, a receptionist for the state Department of Transportation, ran out of gas in Philadelphia on her way home. Nearly 15,000 people donated $402,000 to get Bobbitt off the street after he used his last $20 to buy McClure gas in Philadelphia Bobbitt was sleeping in the street and he used his last $20 to buy her gas and get her home safely. She shared his good deed on social media and launched a GoFundMe page in the hope that strangers would return his kindness. Within a month, McClure and D'Amico had raised $400,000 for Bobbitt and he was excitedly planning a new life. There were promises of trusts and retirement accounts, a financial adviser and lawyers, but Bobbitt now says none of what the pair told him he would receive panned out as planned. Instead of turning over the money to him, they maintained control of it and only once gave him a lump sum of cash. Rather than buy him a house, they bought him a trailer, which was then kept on land owned by McClure's family. He did not get the pickup truck of his dreams, and instead was given a used SUV, which they have since sold. McClure and D'Amico insist that he wanted the trailer and car, and that when he blew through $25,000, allegedly on drugs, in just 13 days, they decided he could not be trusted with the rest of the money. They say that an additional $30,000-$40,000 was eaten up by GoFundMe's fees and that another $135,000 were spent on lawyers, the trailer, an SUV, TVs, a laptop, a cell phone and a hotel where Bobbitt stayed when he first got off the street. It is not clear what legal services were given before they fell into dispute. During an interview with Megyn Kelly last week, the couple said they spent $200,000 on him in total and that $150,000 was still left. In that interview, D'Amico said GoFundMe took $50,000. They insisted that they had done nothing wrong and had not spent a single dollar on themselves. When asked for an exact figure of how much was left, they said they could not give one because the money was still being held in the account they used for themselves. McClure became emotional as she described receiving death threats from people claiming they had misspent the money on trips and shopping sprees. Since they met Bobbitt, they went on luxurious trips to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. They also got a new car but say they paid for it with their salaries. Bobbitt is back living on the streets. He is taking drugs again. His attorneys agreed to work for him for free. In his response to Bobbitt's claims earlier this month, D'Amico told The Philadelphia Inquirer: 'Giving him all that money, it's never going to happen. I'll burn it in front of him.' In April, they took Bobbitt to New York City from New Jersey. They were pictured there together smiling happily for photographs. D'Amico has been arrested on traffic violations and he has also frequented casinos, once dipping into the GoFundMe money to take $500 which he claims he replaced afterwards. In April, they took Bobbitt to New York City for the first time. It is 80 miles from their home in New Jersey In her final upload to the page, McClure said: 'Hopefully this will answer them while keeping his privacy and the privacy of the people he is helping also. 'The first thing on the list is a NEW Home which Johnny will own!! He will never have to worry about a roof over his head again!! Second will be the dream truck he's always wanted... a 1999 ford ranger (yes I'm serious). 'There will also be 2 trusts set up in his name, one essentially giving him the ability to collect a small 'salary' each year and another retirement trust which will be wisely invested by a financial planner which he will have access to in a time frame he feels comfortable with so when the time comes he can live his retirement dream of owning a piece of land and a cabin in the country. 'A bank account will be set up for him with funds for every day needs that will get him through until he finds a job. And lastly, he will be donating to a few organizations and people who over the last couple of years have helped him get through this rough patch in his life. '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.' Bobbitt said he was never given a lawyer and met once with a financial adviser. A man in his 60s is fighting for life after he was pulled from the surf in Sydney's south. Emergency services were called to a beach in Cronulla on Friday after 10am, a spokesman for NSW Ambulance told AAP. Rescue crews, life guards and paramedics performed CPR on the man for more than 40 minutes before taking him to hospital. He began to breathe again but did not regain consciousness at the scene. The man's official condition is unknown but authorities say there are serious concerns for his welfare. North Korea's U.N. Mission said ambassadors of the two countries sent a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak requesting that they circulate the "Panmunjom Declaration on Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula" as an official U.N. document. Presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters at a regular press briefing Seoul hopes the United States will take corresponding measures to the latest inter-Korea developments, Yonhap reported. 'Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims 'unwavering faith in President Trump.' Thank you to Chairman Kim. After their June summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim issued a vague statement about a nuclear-free peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. Chung made the announcement Thursday in Seoul. Visiting media representatives in recent days have been invited to tour cutting-edge facilities and historical sites, as Kim has pledged to boost the country's economy instead of developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. "Chairman Kim Jong-un reiterated his firm commitment to the complete denuclearization of the peninsula, and expressed his intent to maintain close inter-Korean cooperation, and with the US", Chung said. The official wasn't authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive diplomacy between the USA and North Korea and spoke on condition of anonymity. The South Korean envoy's visit to Pyongyang came amid a deadlock on the North's atomic weapons, with USA efforts to dismantle the arsenal stalled for weeks. "There's been some rhetoric, let's see what happens", Trump said. Kim said such a declaration would not imply a withdrawal of American forces or a weakening of the US-South Korean military alliance, Chung said. Airport security trays are even nastier than toilets The research team monitored germ levels across a variety of surfaces inside the airport during the winter of 2016. Those plastic airport security trays-so convenient, so light.so filled with germs and bacteria. The announcement of the September 18-20 summit - the third between the North's leader Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in this year - comes as U.S. efforts to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal have stalled. On the one-day trip, the five-member delegation, which also included National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, met with Kim and top North Korean officials including Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. And, speaking earlier Thursday in India, Pompeo said an "enormous amount of work" remains. Chung, whose official title is presidential national security director, spoke with his US counterpart, John Bolton, on the phone on Thursday about his trip to North Korea. "We haven't had any nuclear tests, we haven't had any missile tests, which we consider a good thing". A convoy of buses carrying participants of an inter-Korean family reunion makes its way past a South Korean guard post through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) towards North Korea, in Goseong on August 20, 2018. Seoul and Pyongyang both want a declaration to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice. Rorry Daniels, an Asia security specialist, says "the fact that the Chinese are sending a high-level pretty powerful official says that China has received some kind of assurances that North Korea will not be debuting any new technology at this parade". US officials involved in negotiations have said North Korea has refused to even start discussions about defining "denuclearization" or other key terms such as "verifiable" and "irreversible", and have insisted the United States must first agree to take simultaneous steps to reduce economic pressure. A former South Carolina middle school teacher is accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend before turning the gun on herself in what police say was an attempted murder-suicide. Jennifer Rudemyer, 39, was found dead outside her ex's Spanish Wells Plantation home around 6.15pm on Tuesday, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said. She died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Near Rudemyer's body was wounded Dr. Gaston 'Gus' Perez suffering from four to five gunshots to the upper body. The 60-year-old was taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and is said to be in stable condition. Perez's son Alex told the Island Packet on Thursday that his father was shot in the chest, near his face and in his hands as he tried to block the bullets' path. The surgeon who operated on Perez said he was lucky to be alive. Jennifer Rudemyer is accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Gaston 'Gus' Perez, multiple times before committing suicide The shooting happened outside of Perez's Spanish Wells Plantation in South Carolina 'I just feel so, so, so lucky he survived,' Alex said. 'I know a lot of families don't get breaks like this when tragedy falls.' Perez's daughter, Mel, wrote on Facebook that he was resting in the ICU. 'Dad is in the ICU and resting, won't be able to see him for another few hours but so happy to know he pulled through. He's the strongest man I know. Thanks for all the sweet messages and support and will try and keep you all updated,' she posted. Authorities said based on witnesses accounts, the crime scene and information they gathered it appears that Rudemyer shot Perez in an attempt to kill him. She then turned the gun on herself. According to a police report, the couple had dated on and off for roughly eight years. Reports indicate that they had recently broken up. Hours before the shooting, Perez was granted a restraining order against Rudemyer, who he claimed would follow him, show up to his job and threaten him. A friend of Rudemyer told the Island Packet that Rudemyer had allegedly admitted to wanting to kill her ex-boyfriend a week before the shooting. Rudemyer, 39, allegedly had threatened to buy a gun and shoot her ex-boyfriend a week before the attempted murder-suicide Lauren Church, who said she had been friends with Rudemyer for a decade, told the outlet that on August 28 Rudemyer contacted her and told her that she was trying to buy a gun. Rudemyer allegedly told her friend that she was going to kill Perez and then kill herself 'I didn't really know what to say,' Church said. 'I encouraged her many, many, many times to seek help.' Church said she sent an anonymous tip to authorities alerting them to what Rudemyer said also told Perez about his ex-girlfriend's threats. Another friend, who's name has not been revealed, said they received a similar disturbing phone call from Rudemyer on August 28. The friend contacted authorities who went to Rudemyer's home to perform a health and wellness check. Police said they found the 39-year-old in bed intoxicated. 'Ms. Rudemyer said she was fine and that everything was okay,' the police report stated. 'After talking to her for several minutes Ms. Rudemyer did admit that she was having a rough time and she agreed that she wanted to be voluntarily transported to the hospital.' The report said she was taken to Hilton Head Medical Center, but provided no further details. Perez was granted a restraining order against Rudemyer hours before she allegedly tried to kill him outside his home Capt. Joe Babkiewicz confirmed to the Island Packet that the department received tips about Rudemyer but did not say if any action was taken. He told the outlet that the tips are 'still being pursued at this point'. Perez is a licensed family practice physician and owns Global Family Medicine in Bluffton. According to a LinkedIn page, he's also the medical director of Hospice Care of South Carolina and the home health care company Amedisys. Rudemyer taught at Hilton Head Middle School in 2003 and 2004, and at H.E. McCracken Middle School from 2008 to 2017. She was also the owner of a home and business organization company called Coastal Cluster Queens. Farmers in Australia are being forced to slaughter their livestock in large numbers as feed prices soar due to the crippling drought. The widespread drought has meant that the cost of feed has risen dramatically this year. July marked the seventh consecutive month of below average rainfall for NSW and daytime temperatures were 2.2 degrees warmer than average, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Farmers in Australia are being forced to slaughter their livestock in large numbers as feed prices soar due to crippling droughts Farmers in Australia are being forced to slaughter their livestock in large numbers as feed prices soar due to the crippling drought This has reduced the availability of both pasture and water, resulting in the huge increase of feed prices. Meat and Livestock Australia, a market research company for Australia's livestock industry, told Daily Mail Australia that the cost of buying the feed has risen 'dramatically' due to the weather conditions and farmers are faced with the tough decision of holding or selling livestock. 'The drought that is occurring across NSW and parts of Queensland has meant many producers do not have enough feed on the ground for their cattle and the cost of buying the feed has risen dramatically,' an MLA spokesperson said. 'This has forced many producers to turn-off stock so far in 2018 and led to an increase in production in 2018 vs 2017. On a national level, year-to-June adult cattle slaughter is up nine per cent year-on-year.' Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released in July show that the slaughter of livestock is currently at record levels. 'As a result of continuing dry conditions in the eastern states the numbers of sheep, lambs and cattle being slaughtered has steadily increased as producers in affected regions reduce stock numbers. 'Lamb slaughterings continues to set records with July being the sixth consecutive month of increased slaughtering,' the ABS report concludes. An actor in the Broadway musical Frozen was caught on video ripping a 'Trump 2020' banner away from an audience member. Timothy R Hughes - who portrays the character Pabbie in the Disney production - has refused to apologize for the outburst during the curtain call following Wednesday's show. Hughes shared a clip that shows him grabbing the sign away and throwing it off the stage, calling the audience member a 'disrespectful man trying to interrupt this moment with a pathetic political platform'. Timothy R Hughes, an actor in the Broadway musical Frozen, has said he will not apologize for ripping a 'Trump 2020' banner away from an audience member after a show on Wednesday In the caption Hughes wrote: 'What does it say about our country and politics when a man at the show tonight felt the need to protest Disneys Frozen on Broadway with a pro Trump flag?? 'How frightening is it that our shows messages of love, acceptance, and diversity have become the opposition to supporting Trump? 'The curtain call is a thank you between actors and audience, a final connection to end a shared experience. 'I will not apologize for how I responded to the disrespectful man trying to interrupt this moment with a pathetic political platform. Not at our show! Not in front of my beautiful, diverse, talented cast at @frozenbroadway. I appreciate everyones support.' Hughes shared a clip of the outburst on Twitter, which shows the cast doing curtain call when the actor notices the heckler with a sign in the front row, grabbing it and tossing it away Several audience members captured the incident on video, showing the cast bowing hand-in-hand before Hughes noticed the heckler wearing a 'Make America Great Again' visor. The Greatest Showman actor's behavior has been met with a range of reactions from criticism to praise on social media. The man holding the banner has not been identified. President Donald Trump says journalist Bob Woodward's new book is all lies and has mocked it for not being a 'bestseller'. Speaking at a rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday night, Trump took aim at the explosive new book by the Pulitzer-winning journalist and its vivid depictions of White House dysfunction. He joked that he was getting used to being subjected to lies and smears, but said said Democrats and liberals had been getting tougher and lying about him more in recent months. 'They got tougher and tougher and they lied more. They write more books. I have books this high now,' Trump said. Speaking at a rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday night, Trump took aim at the explosive new book by Bob Woodward and its vivid depictions of White House dysfunction 'Actually the ones that are really good are numbers one, two and three on the best sellers list. 'The media doesn't talk about those books, they only talk about the bad ones of which there are plenty. 'They are lies... they are bloody.' The 'good books' Trump referred to include Fox News host judge Jeanine Pirro's book 'Liars, Leakers and Liberals, the Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy' and 'The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump' by Gregg Jarrett. It isn't clear which bestseller list he was referring to. When excerpts of Woodward's book were published this week, Trump was quick to slam the tell-all memoir as 'a work of fiction'. Woodward's book features current and former aides calling the president an 'idiot' and a 'liar' and depicting him as prone to rash policy decisions that aides worked furiously to derail or stall. He is pictured above leaving Trump Tower in January 2017 Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday to accuse famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward of fabricating quotes and information in his new book, Fear: Trump in the White House 'The book means nothing,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Venting for a second day, Trump tweeted that 'Fear: Trump in the White House' was the 'exact opposite of the fact'. He also revisited a call to change libel laws, though he has no authority to do so. The book features current and former aides calling the president an 'idiot' and a 'liar' and depicting him as prone to rash policy decisions that aides worked furiously to derail or stall. It includes interviews with numerous aides and copies of internal memos. Key allies have pushed back against the book, which quotes Trump aides disparaging the president's judgment and claiming they plucked papers off his desk to prevent him from withdrawing from a pair of trade agreements. In a statement to the Post, Woodward said: 'I stand by my reporting'. Details of the book emerged just one day before a bombshell New York Times opinion piece, penned by an unnamed senior administration official. Trump labeled that op-ed as 'treason' and urged the Times to publish the name of the author 'for the sake of our national security'. Longtime Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware easily fended off a Democratic primary challenge Thursday from a political newcomer who was part of an antiestablishment wave that hoped to move the party farther to the left. Carper, 71, bested challenger Kerri Evelyn Harris, who had hoped to ride a growing anti-establishment wave within the party to victory, only to see it ebb against one of the most successful politicians in modern Delaware history. 'We need to reunite as a party,' Carper said after a primary win that kept his four-decade unbeaten campaign record intact. 'We need to keep in mind that we are not one another's enemies.' Longtime Sen. Tom Carper (left) of Delaware easily fended off a Democratic primary challenge Thursday from a political newcomer who was part of an antiestablishment wave that hoped to move the party farther to the left Carper and his wife Martha walk into Bluewinkle's Diamond Club at Frawley Stadium on Thursday in Wilmington to celebrate after his victory Carper's victory set up a November race against Rob Arlett, President Donald Trump's former state campaign chair. Arlett, a Sussex County Councilman, defeated former PayPal executive Gene Truono in the Republican Senate primary. Carper, who is vying for a fourth term in the Senate, touted his experience and his ability to work with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, despite being a vocal Trump critic. He served five terms in the U.S. House and two terms as governor before being elected to the Senate in 2000. Harris had hoped for a victory like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat a 10-term incumbent in a New York congressional primary in June; Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who won Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary; and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who beat an incumbent in a Massachusetts primary this week. 'We're going to just keep pushing against the machine,' Harris said. 'Our voices are louder than ever, and we are not going to sit silent whenever we see any injustices.' Carper, 71, bested challenger Kerri Evelyn Harris (seen in this August 31 file photo in Newark, Delaware). She had hoped to ride a growing anti-establishment wave within the party to victory, only to see it ebb against one of Delaware's most successful politicians Carper, 71, won by nearly 30 percent over Harris, who was part of a wave of young activists emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Harris, a black, gay Air Force veteran, ran on a platform including government-paid health care for all, a $15 an hour minimum wage and abolition of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. She tried to paint Carper as an out-of-touch, career politician beholden to corporations and their political action committees. But Carper had a huge advantage over Harris, both in name recognition and fundraising. He raised more than $1.3million this year, compared to a little more than $120,000 reported by Harris as of mid-August. He outspent her by a similar margin. Arlett, the 51-year-old owner of a real estate business in southern Delaware, also likely faces an uphill battle against Carper in this heavily Democratic state. In 2012, Carper beat his general election opponent by 37 points. During the Senate campaign, Arlett touted his support of Trump's 'America First' agenda and his socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He also reminded GOP voters that Truono is openly gay and in a same-sex marriage. Arlett has said he would work in Washington to remove burdensome regulations on businesses, improve border security and fight for free and fair trade. He also has called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the defunding of so-called 'sanctuary cities.' Republican voters on Thursday also chose businessman Scott Walker as their nominee for Delaware's lone U.S. House seat. He will challenge first-term Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester. A bikini model accused of a string of offences including allegedly stealing a car has been accused of breaching her bail in bizarre fashion. New Zealand woman Patrice Ruby Poutu, 31, who has been refused bail on car theft charges, was allegedly found sleeping in a stranger's house on July 25, a court has heard. It's alleged Ms Poutu was found sleeping in a young boy's bed inside a stranger's house at Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast. Bikini model Patrice Poutu (pictured) is at risk of deportation if she is found guilty and convicted of a string of charges including stealing a car was caught out in a strange way after breaching her bail In a scene reminiscent of the Goldilocks story, the boy entered his room to allegedly find a blonde woman sleeping in his bed. The homeowner told police she had no idea 'why she was asleep at her house' and that she did not know the woman, The Courier Mail reported. Ms Poutu was allegedly still asleep in the bed when police arrived, she attempted to give them a fake name but police were able to discover her identity from the contents of her hand bag. After being arrested she was charged with breaching her bail conditions because she had failed to report to Southport Magistrates Court. It's alleged Ms Poutu (pictured) was found sleeping in a young boy's bed inside a stranger's house at Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast Since then her bail applications have been denied and the Australian Federal Police told The Courier Mail if she is found guilty of car theft she will be at risk of deportation back to New Zealand. On Monday Ms Poutu clashed with a Supreme Court judge after she was told to 'sit down' during a debate about bail after she was charged with the string of offences. She represented herself after her bail was revoked at Southport Magistrates Court in Queensland, the Courier-Mail reported. Charged with stealing a car, wilful damage, trespass, drug possession and breach of bail, Poutu was told by Justice Martin Burns that she was not a good candidate for bail, to which she asked: 'How can I change it so that I am a good candidate?' 'You can't, sit down,' Justice Burns replied. Patrice Ruby Poutu, 31, represented herself after her bail was revoked at Southport Magistrates Court in Queensland Poutu was told to not interrupt as she was refused bail, with Justice Burns saying he was not confident that she would comply with her conditions Poutu was told to not interrupt as she was refused bail, with Justice Burns saying he was not confident that she would comply with her conditions. 'You are not a good candidate for bail, Ms Poutu, you need to get that into your head,' Justice Burns said. Poutu has spent 41 days in jail after her bail was revoked on July 26. As her request was refused, Justice Burns said he suspected Poutu had an 'underlying drug problem'. 'She has not shown cause why her continued detention in custody is not justified,' he said. Poutu is expected to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on September 17. The grandmother of a new baby named after murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer insists the name was meant as a tribute to the dead girl. Tiahleigh's furious mother Cyndi Uluave unleashed on a young couple whose baby was born last Friday, and named Tiahleigh, claiming it was disrespectful to use the name of her daughter who was killed in 2015. She singled out the young couples' parents, claiming they should have stepped in to make them change the name to be different to her dead 12-year-old girl. The mother of a teenage couple accused of 'stealing' murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer's name for their own baby (pictured with her grandmother) insists it was meant as a tribute Tiahleigh, 12, was murdered and dumped naked in a river by her foster father almost three years ago in September 2015 'How f**king dare they, I'm beyond wild,' she wrote on a Facebook page originally set up to demand justice for her daughter. 'Where are the f**king parents in this... there would be no way I would let my child name a baby after someone who has passed, especially under such horrific circumstances.' But the baby's grandmother has apologised for the furore and insisted naming the child Tiahleigh was 'not meant to be disrespectful'. 'I'm sorry that anyone has gotten upset about this, it was meant to be a sign of respect not to be hurtful,' she said. Cyndi Uluave is outraged a young couple has named their baby after her slain 12-year-old daughter Tiahleigh Palmer Ms Uluave unleashed on a Queensland couple, both in their teens, whose baby was born last Friday, and named Tiahleigh Ms Uluave told Daily Mail Australia this brought back painful memories of Tiahleigh's brutal murder, which was committed to cover up sexual abuse. 'Who names their baby after a dead girl? This wasn't their name to use,' she said. 'I'm suffering severe depression still and struggling to live life as it is without things like this popping up.' The distraught mother claimed she spoke to the new baby's father, a friend of her eldest son, weeks before the birth, and he promised to change the name. 'I will just change the whole fist (sic) name,' the father wrote in a message to a friend of Ms Uluave. The baby's grandmother (pictured with her granddaughter soon after the birth) apologised for the furore and insisted naming the child Tiahleigh was 'not meant to be disrespectful' A photo of the baby bearing Tiahleigh's name taken soon after her birth last week Facebook posts announcing the birth revealed the teenage couple kept the name 'I am so sorry I didn't realise that, please tell Cindy (sic) and everyone that we are sorry.' Ms Uluave claimed after promising to change the name, the baby's father blocked her. But Facebook posts announcing the birth revealed they kept the name. The baby's grandmother's apology was in stark contrast to her aunt, who said Tiahleigh was 'just a name' and Ms Uluave should 'get over it'. 'They've already named the baby, they're not going to change the name,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'How f**king dare they, I'm beyond wild,' she wrote on a Facebook page originally set up to demand justice for her daughter The distraught mother claimed the new baby's father, a friend of her eldest son, promised to change the name weeks before the birth - but then used it anyway 'This family doesn't need any more drama and that's it. It's a name so everyone can just get over [it]. It's all just stupid. All this over a name, there's probably millions called Tiahleigh.' However, Ms Uluave said she made up her daughter's name from components of different names so it was unique. 'Tiahleigh was going to be Tiarna, however I already knew 3 people with that name so I decided because my middle name is Lee and my son's middle name is Lee I decided Tiahleigh was a good name,' she explained last year. 'However, I didn't like the way it looked, that is when it was suggested to me to swap the r for a h and that was how I got Tiahleigh.' Ms Uluave said the couple naming their daughter after Tiahleigh brought back painful memories of her brutal murder, which was committed to cover up sexual abuse Ms Uluave said she made up her daughter's name from components of different names so it was unique Ms Uluave said her murdered daughter had three siblings who might like to use her name as a tribute for their own children, but it shouldn't be used by an outsider. 'I'm not stupid I know I don't own rights to the name but I did the right thing, I approached them about it said at least just change the spelling and he assured me they would and then blocked me and kept it,' she said. 'They came out saying they were best friends with Tiahleigh for years but truthfully Tiahleigh had hardly any friends and after she passed there were so many people that came out of the woodwork claiming to be best friends with her. 'It just boils my blood.' Tiahleigh's foster father Rick Thorburn was jailed for life in May after pleading guilty to murdering her in September 2015 He killed her to cover up sexual abuse by his son Trent, then 18, (pictured) who feared he had got Tiahleigh pregnant. Trent was jailed for four years Tiahleigh's body was discovered on November 2015, six days after she disappeared from her foster father Rick Thorburn's care on the Gold Coast. Thorburn pleaded guilty to murdering her to cover up sexual abuse by his 18-year-old son Trent, who feared he had got her pregnant. In May this year, Thorburn was jailed for life. Trent was jailed for four years and his mother Julene Thorburn for 18 months, suspended after six months, for perjury. Former Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle paid $45,000 to bury his mother in a gold casket, but didn't attend the funeral. Senior members of the Comanchero gang stepped out in their trademark garb at Botany cemetery in south-eastern Sydney, showing respect for the former national president. Buddle's mother passed away on a visit to Dubai, where he is believed to have spent time while on the run with a number of other bikie members. He is said to be living between Dubai and Turkey, according to The Daily Telegraph. Members of the gang shared pictures at the funeral (pictured) to Instagram, where they were dressed in full colours Former Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle paid $45,000 to bury his mother in a gold casket, but didn't attend the funeral (pictured is a similar gold casket for Comanchero Liam Scorsese's funeral) Strike Force Raptor invaded the funeral, where they forced bikie members to take off their shoes so they could search for drugs or weapons. Members of the gang shared pictures at the funeral to to Instagram, where they were dressed in full colours. One of the captions read: 'Brothers through the good times and the bad #loyalty #respect #support #comos'. Former Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle (pictured) paid $45,000 to bury his mother in a gold casket, but didn't attend the funeral 'Our respects to our loyal brother Mark Buddle on his loss #respect #love #loyalty,' another capton read. Buddle appointed himself president of the outlaw motorcycle gang after Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi was arrested for murder in 2009. The self-exiled boss left Australia in 2010 after a security guard was fatally shot. He is still wanted for questioning over the shooting. After he fled the country, feuds were caused between members of the gang that wanted to stay loyal, and those that wanted a new leader in Australia. Violence reportedly heightened when Buddle's right-hand man, Ali Bazzi, returned to Australian soil. Infighting which broke out while Buddle was in Europe which prompted the national president to text Comanchero members in September. 'I'm the f***ing commander of the world ... no one is to touch another member or set up another chapter without my permission,' he said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The text followed a series of violent incidents that police feared could lead to an all-out civil war within the Comanchero. Earlier this year, former Comanchero bikie boss Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi, was gunned down outside a gym in Rockdale and was believed to be at war with Buddle. Buddle appointed himself president of the outlaw motorcycle gang after Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi (pictured, right0 was arrested for murder in 2009. Buddle clashed with Hawi six weeks before the death, leaving tensions high between the two bikie powerbrokers. The violent execution of Hawi raised fears of a bikie war, with police confirming he has many enemies, including Buddle. Hawi was succeeded as the Comanchero national president after being arrested for his role in a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport in 2009. The former Punchbowl High School student and married father-of-two was found guilty of murder over the killing but conviction was later overturned. President Donald Trump has told his supporters the blame is on them if he gets impeached and claims it could lead to the US one day becoming a third world country. Trump raised the specter of impeachment if Democrats win control of Congress during his rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday night. He warned that a Democratic-controlled Congress would pursue impeachment despite the strong economy and set a precedent that would hurt future presidents. A few Democratic lawmakers have called for Trump to be removed from office. Scroll down for video Trump raised the specter of impeachment if Democrats win control of Congress during his rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday night 'Let's say a Democrat gets elected and let's say we have a Republican House. We will impeach that Democrat, right?' Trump said. 'You're going to have a country that's going to turn into a third-world country because if the opposite party becomes president, every time before it even starts, before you even found out whether or not he or she is going to do a great job, they'll say, 'We want to impeach him!'' 'If it does happen, it's your fault because you didn't go out to vote.' Trump continued on the topic of impeachment, saying: 'How do you impeach somebody that's doing a great job, that hasn't done anything wrong? 'Our economy is good. How do you do it? How do you do it? How do you do it?' He warned his supporters: 'You are not just voting for a candidate, you are voting for which party controls Congress. Very important thing. Very important thing.' Trump was in Montana to support Senate candidate Matt Rosendale who is challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Tester - a top GOP target in the mid-term elections. Trump was in Montana to support Senate candidate Matt Rosendale (above) who is challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Tester - a top GOP target in the mid-term elections As he stood alongside Rosendale, Trump said Tester 'will never drain the swamp because he happens to live in the swamp.' Seeking to portray the Montana farmer as a tool of liberal Democrats, Trump said: 'Jon Tester talks like he's from Montana, but he votes like he's Nancy Pelosi' - a reference to the House minority leader, a frequent Trump target. Trump also lit into Tester for his role in torpedoing Trump's nomination of Ronny Jackson to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earlier this year, Tester released unsubstantiated, anonymous allegations against Jackson that accused him of on-the-job drunkenness, overprescribing medication and fostering a hostile work environment. Jackson, a Navy rear admiral who was Trump's personal physician, denied the claims and eventually withdrew his nomination. 'What Tester did to Admiral Jackson should never, ever be allowed,' Trump said, calling the allegations 'lies.' A little boy has been run over and seriously injured after being hit by a Volvo reversing out of a driveway. The toddler became trapped under the sedan on Palomar Parade, Freshwater on Sydney's Northern Beaches at about 11am on Friday. The 18-month-old suffered injuries to his right leg and pelvis and was air-lifted to Westmead's Children Hospital shortly after the incident. A toddler became trapped under the sedan (pictured) on Palomar Parade, Freshwater on Sydney's Northern Beaches at around 11am on Friday morning A car-jack was used by a family member and a neighbor to relieve the toddler from underneath the Volvo C70 sedan whilst he was crying but conscious. Paramedics were quick to the scene and arrived just four-minutes after the call to triple zero was made. It is believed the driver of the Volvo told police he heard a 'thump' noise when he was reversing down his driveway after the toddler wandered onto the driveway from a nearby property. Ambulance drivers transported the boy to North Manly where a helicopter was waiting on Nolan Reserve. It is believed the driver of the Volvo (pictured) told police he heard a 'thump' noise when he was reversing down his driveway after the toddler wandered onto the driveway from a nearby property. Before being flown to Westmead Children's Hospital, the boy was stablised with general anaesthetic. Some of the boys family remained on the scene. Drivers are urged to always check for children before driving off, supervise children around vehicles and separate play-areas from driveways. Ambulance drivers transported the boy to North Manly where an ambulance helicopter was waiting on Nolan Reserve to airlift the boy to Westmead Children's Hospital Statistics show 483 children aged 0-14 were seriously injured due to being hit by a four-wheel-motor vehicle while moving around the home between 2003 and 2009. Between 2001 and 2009, 66 children aged between 0 and 14 were fatally injured in 'driveway deaths' with 60 of the deceased aged between 0-4. In NSW alone, six children have been killed and 15 seriously injured in driveways since January 2013. It is sadly common for two thirds of driveway accidents to be by vehicles driven by the parent or close relative of the child. Driveway accidents are most common in summer when children are likely to be playing outside between 4pm and 7pm and 10am to 12pm. Democratic state Sen. Joseph Vitale, who last week called for such an investigation, said the attorney general was taking the "right action". According to the news outlet, the NY attorney general, Barbara Underwood, issued subpoenas against eight Roman Catholic dioceses as New Jersey AG Gurbir Grewal announced a new task force to investigate sexual abuse of minors by the clergy. The New York attorney general's office has issued subpoenas to every Catholic diocese in the state, becoming the latest USA state to embark on a major investigation of sex crimes committed and covered up by Catholic priests. Similarly, the dioceses of Syracuse and Brooklyn, said they, too, will cooperate and said they have collaborated with law enforcement and respective agencies over the years investigating sex abuse cases. After the Pennsylvania report, The Washington Post reached out to the attorneys general of the 49 other states as well as the District of Columbia to see if they had plans to launch similar inquiries or had investigations already underway. In the wake of that report, the attorney general of IL announced that she was launching an investigation in her state. Brannigan also emphasized that "New Jersey is not Pennsylvania". Petrol in Delhi Crosses Rs 80 Mark, Oppn Unites for Bharat Bandh Seeking the government's immediate intervention, the body said its units have made a decision to stage protests across districts. However, in October 2017, the Centre had reduced basic excise duty on petrol and diesel by just '2 per litre. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood said Thursday that she has established a hotline and online complaint form to collect allegations. The Swiss Bishops Conference, the first of its kind in the world, has pledged to help hunt down perpetrators of abuse in the church by making it obligatory for members to report suspicions even if a victim does not want to pursue charges, reported AFP News. A source close to the investigation said Underwood has issued subpoenas to the eight Catholic dioceses in the state, requiring church officials to turn over documents related to sexual abuse and church responses. Add New York as an interest to stay up to date on the latest New York news, video, and analysis from ABC News. The Child Victims Act is now in the New York Senate Rules Committee and would "eliminate the statutes of limitation for prosecuting child sexual abuse crimes and filing civil lawsuits for damages against individuals, public institutions, and private institutions related to child sexual abuse". As Catholics looked to their own leaders to follow Pennsylvania's and now New York's example - D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, for one, has said that his phone has been ringing off the hook since the Pennsylvania report - some states have noted they have different laws than Pennsylvania. "Victims in NY deserve to be heard as well - and we are going to do everything in our power to bring them the justice they deserve". New Jersey officials also announced on September 6 the creation of a task force with subpoena power through a grand jury to investigate allegations at the state's Catholic dioceses. We owe it to the people of New Jersey to find out whether the same thing happened here. "If it did, we will take action against those responsible", Grewal vowed. Grewel said he "has authorized the task force to present evidence to a state grand jury, including through the use of subpoenas to compel testimony and the production of documents, in addition to other investigative tools". Hero dog walkers have saved a drowning man man's life by pulling him to safety and giving him CPR. The man, who is in his 60s and had been missing, is now fighting for his life after almost drowning in the surf in Sydney's south at a Cronulla beach before being pulled from the water fully clothed. Anthony Gentile, a Cronulla business owner, was walking his dog with his mother at Greenhills Beach when they spotted the man floating in the surf at about 10.20am on Friday. A man in his 60s is fighting for life after he was pulled from the surf in Sydney's south by passers-by who performed CPR on him until emergency crews arrived 'At first we thought it was a turtle but when we saw the waves come through we realised it was a person, I ran out and dragged him in, he wasnt breathing, he wasnt responding and we couldnt find a pulse,' he told The Daily Telegraph. Mr Gentile along with is mother and other bystanders acted quickly to save the man's life. Once they got him onto the beach they rolled him over onto his side started giving him chest compressions until he spat up water. 'After a while he spat out some water and we kept looking after him until the ambulance arrived.' Emergency services were called to the beach after 10am, a spokesman for NSW Ambulance told AAP. Anthony Gentile, a Cronulla business owner, was walking his dog with his mother at Greenhills Beach (pictured) when they spotted the man floating in the surf at about 10.20am on Friday Rescue crews, life guards and paramedics performed CPR on the man for more than 40 minutes before taking him to hospital. He began to breathe again but did not regain consciousness at the scene. The man was rushed to the St George Hospital in a serious condition. Police told The Daily Telegraph the man had been reported missing on Friday morning. An idyllic block of land stretching over 6.3 hectares is available to buy for just $150,000 - but there's a catch. The original listing for the land on First National Whangeri in Towai, New Zealand promises 'outstanding valley views, native trees to cool off in summer, or take a dip in the stream that runs through the property.' However potential buyers would struggle to check it out for themselves. The block has no legal access meaning that it's not possible to view on foot. The potential owner would have to buy the property unseen or try to view it by helicopter or drone. An idyllic block of land stretching over 6.3 hectares is available to buy for just $150,000 - but there's a catch The plot of land is located in Towai, in the Northland Region of the North Island, New Zealand The current owner, Paul Crewther, told Stuff he understands that the Maori family that owns the surrounding land subdivided it back in the 1920s, but failed to give access to this block. The potential buyer would have to try and negotiate with neighbours about obtaining access to the land. Alternatively they would have to seek relief under section 327/328 of the Property Law Act. Crewther's solicitor estimated the cost of going to the High Court to obtain legal access as being between $20,000 and $40,000. Crewther told Stuff: 'There are two streams running through the property for water and power generation. Use the wireless broadband rural network for internet, satellite TV and a septic tank and you have the complete off-grid getaway.' Crewther said it was possible for the new owner to rebuild the derelict house and the plot of land has the potential to be the cheapest lifestyle block around. Hurricane Florence, the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, weakened late Thursday afternoon to a Category 1 storm. The hurricane is currently traveling toward Bermuda at an estimated 80mph as forecasters warn it will still likely strengthen again and pose a threat to the US East Coast. The hurricane was marked a Category 4 storm Wednesday with maximum sustained winds at 130mph. Forecasters predict it will strengthen to a Category 3 by the weekend or into early next week. AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said: 'An area of high pressure over the central Atlantic will bridge westward and join with an existing high pressure near the U.S. East coast over the next several days. 'This setup will guide Florence on a west to northwesterly course into next week.' Hurricane Florence weakened late Thursday afternoon to a Category 1 storm The hurricane is currently traveling toward Bermuda at an estimated 80mph. Earlier Thursday, is was said to be moving at 105mph. Forecasters warn it could soon strengthen and pose a threat to the US East Coast Florence was centered about 1,295 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving northwest at 13 mph as of Wednesday afternoon. The first major hurricane of the Atlantic season is expected to cause 'life-threatening' surf and rip current conditions in Bermuda by Friday but forecasters said it was too early to say whether it would hit land. The National Hurricane Center said swells from Florence could also reach the East Coast by early next week. Weather Channel hurricane expert Greg Postel warned people to keep monitoring all the latest on the major hurricane. 'A close encounter with the United States is not unrealistic later next week,' he tweeted. If Florence does keep tracking towards the US, the hurricane could possible make landfall anywhere from the Carolinas to New England as early as Wednesday, according to Accuweather. Florence (abvove) was centered about 1,295 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving northwest at 13mph on Wednesday afternoon The National Hurricane Center said swells from Florence could also reach the East Coast by early next week Florence is expected to cause 'life-threatening' surf and rip current conditions in Bermuda by Friday but forecasters said it was too early to say whether it would hit land The National Hurricane Center said despite the weakening in the next couple of days, Florence is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through early next week. As Hurricane Florence strengthened on Wednesday, Tropical Storm Gordon weakened into a depression as it dumped heavy rains that threatened to cause floods across several southern US states. Gordon made landfall on Tuesday night near the Alabama-Mississippi border with near hurricane-force winds. A 2-year-old girl died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Pensacola, Florida as the storm resulted in heavy rains and flooding in western Florida and coastal Alabama. The deaths of two female postgraduate students from Thailand have been ruled a murder-suicide, according to authorities in Seattle. Kornkamol Leenavarat, 25, and her close friend Thiti-orn Chotchuangsap, 32, were found dead in their University of Washington apartment on Tuesday morning. Leenavarat died from multiple stab wounds in a homicide carried out by the older woman, who died of a self-inflicted stab wound to the chest. Both died on Saturday. Two Thai students Kornkamol Leenavarat, 25, (above) and her friend Thiti-orn Chotchuangsap were found dead in their University of Washington apartment in Seattle on Tuesday morning They were discovered by the apartment's building manager on Tuesday at 9.30am as they were conducting a welfare check on the girls after their family raised alarm, Leenavarat pictured center with family weeks before she was found dead The younger woman had flown to the US just two weeks ago to study law, The Bangkok Post reported. Police found their bodies in an apartment in Seattle's University District after responding to a call from a building manager at 9.30am, who had been asked to check by Leenavarat's family. Officials said there are no outstanding suspects. Leenavarat was a member of a political family in Thanyaburi, in Pathum Thani Province northeast of Bangkok. She was the daughter of the former deputy mayor and niece of the current mayor. University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce said in a statement posted online Thursday that both women were studying for a master's degree in law. 'This is a heartbreaking loss for their families, friends and our entire community. I offer condolences on behalf of our University to everyone who is grieving as a result of this tragedy,' she said. Leenavarat's family said her ultimate goal was to become a judge one day. There is little information on Chotchuangsap. Leenavarat, pictured left and right with her brother, was studying a master's degree in law. Both were post-grad students at the university. Leevnavarat left Thailand for Seattle on August 21. Chotchuangsap left Thailand on August 27 She has a bachelor's degree from Thammasat University and attained a master's degree from Thammasat University then a master's in law from a school in Boston, Massachusetts. There is little information on her friend Chotchuangsap who is from Samut Sakhon. Online she's listed as a director of Pornsiri Power Limitess Partnership, a company that deals with food products based in her hometown. Leenavarat left Thailand for Seattle on August 21, after returning there to spend time with her family for Mother's Day. Chotchuangsap left Thailand on August 27. Leenavarat's brother mourned her loss on Facebook saying 'our little sister who was always lively, friendly, and brave' with pictures of their family sending her off at Savarnabhumi Airport. The family is making preparations to bring her body back to Thailand. A stray sheep has been strapped in for the ride of her life after a generous farmer offered her a lift - at the expense of his children. Mark Modra, from Port Lincoln, South Australia, shared the unlikely image on Twitter after he found the sheep several kilometres away from its paddock. 'What you do when one finds a stray sheep and all you have is the family car... just don't tell my wife! #safetyfirst,' he wrote on Twitter. Mark Modra, from Port Lincoln, South Australia, shared an image of a sheep strapped into his car after he found the stray sheep several kilometres from its paddock The picture shows the sheep crammed into the vehicle with a seat belt strapped across her wool. Mr Modra claimed the passenger enjoyed her journey and likened it to the Wiggles tunes that were chosen on 'popular demand' by his children. 'I couldn't stick him in the boot because I've got child seats in there, the only place was the front,' Mr Modra told Yahoo7. 'We stuck her in there, I thought she might kick but she was fine.' Mr Modra said the sheep was surprisingly well-behaved during the five minute journey back to the paddock. Twitter users responded to Mr Modra's picture and some recalled their own memories strapping stray sheep into their vehicles 'It would've been interesting if a policeman pulled me over but at least she was strapped in,' he said. Twitter users responded to Mr Modra's picture and some recalled their own memories strapping stray sheep into their vehicles. 'Yep been there a few times myself,' one user shared with their own picture. 'Animal welfare is alive and well within the farming community. Mark Modra is living proof,' tweeted another person. One Twitter user said 'animal welfare is alive and well' after seeing Mr Modra's tweet (pictured) A driver who died in a car crash was due to have his 'killer' Takata airbag replaced just two days before his death, a court has heard. The NSW Coroners Court heard on Friday, Huy Neng Ngo, 58, died minutes after a 'relatively minor collision' in Cabramatta on July 13, 2017 due to a faulty airbag in his Honda CRV included in the largest ever automotive recall. The fatality became Australia's first death linked to Takata Corp's faulty part as the airbag activated and flung a piece of metal at the victims neck during the collision. Scroll down for Video The NSW Coroners Court heard on Friday, Huy Neng Ngo, 58, died minutes after a 'relatively minor collision' in Cabramatta on July 13, 2017 due to a faulty airbag in his Honda CRV A NSW inquest will examine why the airbag was originally scheduled to be replaced on July 11 but the booking was pushed back to a date in October, for unknown reasons. Counsel assisting Tamara Phillips, said the Ngo family had deep concerns they weren't made fully aware of the dangers associated with the Takata airbag and how faults may materialise before the fatal crash. Neither Mr Ngo nor his wife, to whom the car was registered, used English as their first language, Ms Phillips said. 'They have expressed interest in why it was they had to wait as long as they did to wait for replacement,' she said. 'Rather than provide protection ... this airbag malfunctioned.' A NSW inquest will examine why the airbag was originally scheduled to be replaced on July 11 but the booking was pushed back to a date in October, for unknown reasons His death was one month after the Japanese airbag manufacturer filed for bankruptcy amid the largest ever automotive recall on April 28, 2017. Ms Phillips told the court the inquest will determine the 'real risks posed by Takata airbags' and how the recall has been managed. Takata airbags have been reported as linked to 24 deaths and 266 injuries worldwide, according to the Australian website ismyairbagsafe.com.au. His death was one month after the Japanese airbag manufacturer (Takata CEO pictured) filed for bankruptcy amid the largest ever automotive recall on April 28, 2017. DOES YOUR VEHICLE HAVE A TAKATA ALPHA AIRBAG? If your car has an Takata 'alpha' airbag installed it is at serious risk of rupturing - immediately replace it. The higher risk alpha airbags were installed in certain Honda, Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Mazda and Lexus cars, with models sold between 2001 and 2004 Check if your car is on the list here Advertisement The site allows Australians to check the status of their car by typing in the registration and checking it against the database of affected vehicle. 'It is very important that that website gets out,' Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame said. Lawyers for Honda Australia and Warwick Farm mechanic Peter Warren Automotive attended Friday's directions hearing. A second hearing will be held on November 23 ahead of a scheduled inquest beginning in 2019. Car owners are urged to check if there car has a Takarta airbag. A woman who threw her drink at a man who commented on her breasts in a bar has had her conviction overturned after she claimed she was pressured into pleading guilty by a judge. Canadian tourist Heather Gleason-Beard was convicted of injuring with reckless disregard for safety after she hit the man in the face with a glass in Queenstown, New Zealand and cut his top lip on July 9, 2017. Gleason-Beard was told by Invercargill District Court judge Mark Callaghan on the morning of her trial he doubted she had a defence and would likely go to jail without a guilty plea. Heather Gleason-Beard was convicted of injuring with reckless disregard for safety after she hit a man in the face with her glass at a Queenstown bar (pictured) after he made a comment about her breasts The Canadian, who was working on farms and doing odd jobs in New Zealand, was sentenced to 100 hours community work and ordered to pay $5000 to the victim. But her lawyer Nathan Bourke argued at an appeal hearing in July that she was bullied into pleading guilty, according to Stuff. He said his client had never faced a criminal charge before and was pressured into admitting the offence. The woman, who had been working on farms and doing odd jobs in New Zealand, was sentenced to 100 hours community work and ordered to pay $5000 to her victim - after a judge allegedly pressured her into making a guilty plea Appeals court justice Joe Williams said in 40 years he had never been involved with proceedings where a judge had repeatedly persisted in giving legal advice Mr Bourke said she felt dehumanised by the experience and felt like things were 'spiralling out of control'. The Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday the judge overstepped his role and should not have persisted in giving advice to the woman - especially given how Mr Bourke resisted the judge's interference. One of the three judges presiding over the appeal, Justice Joe Williams, added that he had never seen a case where a lawyer asked a judge repeatedly to stop making such suggestions. Following the overturning of her conviction, the Canadian said that despite her ordeal being over she still wanted Judge Callaghan investigated. According to Stuff, she said: 'He definitely abused his position of power and is not serving justice.' Her lawyer said he intended to write to the Justice Ministry to argue that Gleason-Beard was entitled to be reimbursed to the $5000 she paid to the main who she injured. The woman returned to Canada in May, and now intends to study nursing. A man fell to his death from a 63-storey tower just as police arrested three others at the troubled Melbourne CBD apartment block. The trio were hauled away from the EQ Tower on A'Beckett Street moments before witnesses heard a loud thud as he hit the ground about 6.45am on Friday. EQ is the same building as where Sudanese teenager Laa Chol, 19, was stabbed to death during a party in July. A man fell to his death from a 63-storey tower just as police arrested three others at the troubled Melbourne CBD apartment block EQ is the same building as where Sudanese teenager Laa Chol, 19, was stabbed to death during a party in July Police were called to the tower about 6.25am by reports of suspicious behaviour and discovered two cars parked outside were reported stolen. They chased after five people who were allegedly linked to the stolen cars, arresting a 25-year-old from Bulleen, 33-year-old from Epping and 40-year-old from Chadstone. Another man and a woman made it back inside the apartment block, just before the man fell in front of shocked witnesses. Police commenced a search of the building for the pair when a resident approached them saying a man had entered his apartment and refused to leave. However, when they went inside the apartment was empty and the man was lying dead on the ground below the balcony. The woman is still at large. Haas Lee, who runs a business over the road from EQ, said he saw one of the men arrested just moments before. 'I stood there for a couple of minutes having a dart and that's when I heard this loud bang,' he told the Herald Sun. Police believed the man fell but will investigate his death and prepare a report for the coroner with oversight from Professional Standards Command Detectives were seen outside the building and on a balcony during the day as forensics poured over the scene and took photos 'We looked up and that's when we saw all the tenants on the side of the building looking out and taking photos.' Police believed the man fell but will investigate his death and prepare a report for the coroner with oversight from Professional Standards Command. Detectives were seen outside the building and on a balcony during the day as forensics poured over the scene and took photos. Weeks later an 18-year-old man who was a person of interest in Ms Chol's stabbing was attacked in a street brawl The teenager was badly injured after he was crushed between to cars during the mayhem involving 200 African youths Ms Chol died after she was stabbed at a party on the 56th floor of EQ as friends said she protected the birthday girl from aggressive gatecrashers. Two youths aged 17 and 19 were arrested and weeks later an 18-year-old man who was a person of interest was attacked in a street brawl. The teenager was badly injured after he was crushed between to cars during the mayhem involving 200 African youths. It is unclear if the brawl was a revenge attack for the alleged murder, or if the injured man was deliberately targeted. Jeremy Corbyn today hit back at Tony Blair for describing him as an 'existential' threat to the Labour Party. The ex PM savaged Mr Corbyn - saying the anti-Semitism crisis would never have happened under a different leader and it could be 'game over' for Labour if he stays at the helm. But quizzed about the criticisms while on a visit this morning, Mr Corbyn shrugged off the attack and boasted that party membership has surged under his tenure. Speaking on a visit to a museum in Leicestershire, he said: 'I think Tony needs to recognise that party membership is now much bigger than it has ever been - it's the biggest it has been in my lifetime, well over half a million members. 'And in the General Election last year we set out what our aspirations are for this country.' Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today with pump station volunteers as he is shown around Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester's Museum of Science and Technology) hit back at Mr Blair's comments - saying party membership has surged under his leadership Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the Leicestershire museum today) also urged people who want to see political change enacted to back hi Labour Party Mr Corbyn (pictured at the visit to the Leicestershire museum this morning) has been dogged by criticisms he has failed to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis He said this included building more council homes and investing more in education and tackling homelessness. He added: 'Sadly we didn't win it but we got the highest vote for Labour since 2001. 'So I just think we need to recognise that people are not prepared any longer to live in a society that is so unequal.' Asked whether he should heed the former Prime Minister's words as he has won three elections with Mr Corbyn winning none, the Labour leader said: 'I've fought one election as leader of the party and we had the biggest swing to Labour during that campaign since 1945. 'I simply say this to all Labour party members and all Labour party supporters - if you want to get rid of this Tory government, if you want to live in a society that is fairer, that is more equal, that is more just, then vote Labour and support Labour.' Two Labour moderates lose confidence votes amid warnings of hard-left party purge Joan Ryan (pictured outside the meeting in Enfield last night) a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London A leading Labour moderate is battling to hold on to her political career after she lost a crucial party vote as the hard-left try to oust her as an MP. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London. Ms Ryan, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, blamed the bid to deselect her on 'Trots, Stalinists, Communists and assorted hard left'. But she vowed to stay on as the local MP, telling her Twitter followers 'I am Labour through and through' and she will not be quitting. And Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, also lost a no confidence vote last night. Jewish leaders and Labour MPs immediately rallied to their colleagues' defence - and slammed moves to oust them. In an extraordinary scenes at a Labour party meeting last night, activists packed into the hall to hear the outcome of Ms Ryan's vote. And some erupted into loud cheers, jumped up and down and hugged one another when news that Ms Ryan had lost the vote 94 to 92 came through. The moment was captured on video by Press TV - the Iranian state propaganda channel which Mr Corbyn has been criticised for appearing on - which jubilantly tweeted the result. Ms Ryan, who was first elected to the seat when Tony Blair swept to power in his 1997 landslide, hit back at the moves to deselect her. In a series of Twitter messages, she wrote: 'So lost 92 to 94 votes hardly decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would have confidence in me. I have none in them.' She added: 'I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield. 'Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values.' Advertisement Mr Blair launched into his most outspoken attack on the Labour leader in an interview with the BBC's Political Thinking podcast,released this morning. The ex PM said the party has been through a 'profound change' since the veteran leftwinger seized control and it may now be too later for moderates to get it back And he suggested a new centrist party could emerge unless Labour radically changes as voters will not 'tolerate' a contest between Mr Corbyn and Boris Johnson. He said: 'There are lots of people associated with me who feel that the Labour Party is lost, that it could be game over. 'I am hoping they are not right.' Meanwhile Lord Blunkett, former Home Secretary under Mr Blair, warned the party is facing 'irrelevance' unless there is a rethink of the 'Corbyn project'. Labour has been plunged into a bitter civil war over the anti-Semitism crisis, which sparked the resignation of Frank Field - one of the party's longest serving MPs. And Labour moderates across the UK are facing moves to deselect them as the hard-left floods local party branches. Last night Joan Ryan, a Labour MP and chair of Labour Friends of Israel, lost a confidence vote of her local branch in Enfield North in London. Asked if other Labour MPs should join Mr Field and quit the party, Mr Blair said this is a tough choice looming over moderates. He said: 'It's a very difficult conversation. I have been a member of the Labour party for over 40 years you do feel a strong sense of attachment. 'The question is can it be taken back? And that's a very open question.' Asked if young people should join Labour he added: 'I say join but I'm not sure it is possible to take it back.' But he said that if Labour continues its veer to the hard-left then moderates will find a new home in another party. He said: 'I don't think the British people will tolerate a situation where, for example, the choice at the next election is Boris Johnson versus Jeremy Corbyn. 'I don't know what will happen and I don't know how it will happen. 'But I just don't believe people will find that, in the country as a whole, an acceptable choice. Something will fill that vacuum.' And he said that the row over anti-Semitism which has reached a new height this summer has been hugely damaging. He said it is as 'bad because it has been, in the end, something that I just can't imagine ever having happened in the Labour Party that I joined'. 'I can't imagine that we have had three to four months debating over something where we have profoundly insulted the Jewish community in our country.' Lord Blunkett, one of the leading figures of the New Labour era, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme he was not sure if he would back the party even if he knew his vote would make the difference between Mr Corbyn becoming prime minister or not. Asked what he would do in these circumstances, the Labour peer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It would entirely depend on whether my good friends in the Parliamentary Labour Party and the Commons hadn't been deselected and were there to ensure that the sane, rational policies of a Labour Party for the future were going to be implemented.' A former government adviser has said MPs should be breathlysed before being allowing to vote. David Nutt, an Imperial College professor and former government adviser on drugs, claimed there is a risk of 'intoxication clouding their (MPs) judgments'. Professor Nutt wrote in the Drug Science, Policy and Law journal that it was bewildering that workers in other professions were sacked for drinking on the job, but that MPs were held to different standards. David Nutt, an Imperial College professor and former government adviser on drugs, has claimed there is a risk of 'intoxication clouding their (MPs) judgments' His warnings come just as Parliament reopened the closed The Woolpack bar. Professor Nutt said: 'It seems there's one rule for the rule-makers and one for the rest of us. 'If there is another vote on a Brexit referendum, the decision could go down to one or two votes. Would you want that decision to be made by someone who was drunk? 'Would you want them to make the decision to go to war? They may even walk through the wrong part of the chamber.' In 2010, MPs were told by the speaker to stop their 'wellrefreshed ejaculations' after a heavy night in the House of Commons bar. Former Conservative MP Mark Reckless later apologised for his behaviour, saying: 'I normally have just one or two and know when to stop. I don't know what happened. I don't remember falling over.' Professor Nutt said his calls for breathlyser tests come after one of his colleagues, Ashwin Venkataraman, went around the house of Commons. Professor Nutt wrote in the Drug Science, Policy and Law journal that it was bewildering that workers in other professions were sacked while drinking on the job (stock image) Speaking of Venkataraman, who is a co-author of the paper which looks into the effect of alcohol on the brain, Nutt said: 'He was horrified by what he saw. He was amazed by the amount of alcohol consumed at free parties.' Professor Nutt was dismissed as a government adviser due to his controversial claims some illegal drugs were less harmful than alcohol. But he is now hoping to convince politicians to sponsor a bill calling for an endt to subsidied drinking and breath tests before votes. He said: 'Alcohol affects the way you think even a small amount of it. 'Seeing people with the most responsible positions in the country behaving this way is shocking.' Amazon set their Australian website live in December, promising Australians affordable products and thousands of local jobs. Yet, at the company's two 'fulfillment centres' in Melbourne's outer south-east and Moorebank in Sydney, there are claims that workers are being subjected to pressures to meet daily targets, and are afraid to use the bathroom outside of specified times according to a Fairfax investigation. The investigation found that the casual employees aren't hired by Amazon, but rather a third-party labour hire firm known as Adecco. The working day begins with a group stretching session where they're forced to share an 'Amazon success story' before senior staff then lead a team chant, with words such as 'Quality!', 'Success!', 'Amazon!', or 'Prime!' shouted - often while jumping in the air, according to Fairfax. At Amazon's two 'fulfilment centres' workers are under lots of stress to meet daily targets (Pictured: an Amazon warehouse in Germany) Workers have anonymously told Fairfax Media that their every move is being monitored and analysed each day. They expressed that they feel like they're under copious amounts of pressure to meet their daily targets, otherwise their jobs are in jeopardy. One worker told Fairfax that employees are scared to drink water while on the job so they did not have to go to the bathroom outside 'designated break times'. Another employee described the warehouse as a 'hellscape'. Although it is normal for warehouses to outsource employees from a third-party, but the National Union of Workers (NUW) national secretary, Tim Kennedy, said it was odd for it to make up all workers in an establishment. The NUW said that casual workers employed at Amazon have a starting rate of $25.36 per hour, whereas other warehouses have casual rates between $30 and $37. Amazon labels their workers 'associates', and employees told Fairfax they had a 'cult-like' experience in the warehouse. In both the Melbourne and Sydney facilities, only a handful of senior staff are employed with the company (Pictured: An Amazon warehouse in New Jersey) 'You end up not being able to function because you're so nervous and stressed out,' a worker said. Workers also said that if they did not meet performance targets, they would be told to leave and get a text saying their next shift is cancelled, and were also scared of reporting injuries as they were under the impression they wouldn't get shifts. It was common for shifts to be cancelled last minute, with many workers who were expected to work five shifts, being left with two. A spokesperson for Amazon explained that the company 'set productivity targets objectively' and they were based on previous work by the employees, and that workers were encouraged to use the bathroom whenever they needed. There are about 200 workers engaged at the Melbourne warehouse, with the majority of them being migrants. Amazon assured Fairfax that their staff were a mixture of 'permanent and agency staff' at their facilities. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Amazon, the National Workers Union and the Adecco group for comment. Tesla shares have plunged this morning after Elon Musk smoked marijuana and drank whiskey while discussing everything from drugs to the possibility we're all living in a simulation, in a rambling two-and-a-half hour podcast appearance which was live-streamed on YouTube. The 47-year-old billionaire went on the Joe Rogan Experience late on Thursday night and accepted a joint from the host - after a rambling conversation that also took in the dangers of AI and the possibility China is spying on US citizens through their phones. Hours later, the company's chief accounting officer Dave Morton resigned citing 'public attention' on the company. Meanwhile, shares plummeted to nine per cent this morning, wiping $4.3 billion off the company's value. By close of trading they had slightly recovered to a 6.3 per cent drop, reducing the company's value by $3.1bn. It follows weeks of serious turbulence for both Musk and Tesla, after he falsely announced he was taking the company private in a deal with Saudi Arabia and accused a British hero diver of being a paedophile. The full experience: Tesla founder Elon Musk was seen smoking a joint in Joe Rogan's podcast recording studio, hours before the share price dropped by nine per cent Friday is also the last day for VP of Communications Sarah O'Brien and HR head Gabrielle Toledano, both of whom have been off work, on leave. Toledano's departure was announced on Friday, while O'Brien announced her departure two weeks ago. Tesla shares, down just one percent after Musk's appearance on the Rogan podcast, fell another seven percent in the half hour after the resignation of Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton, and then to nine per cent, before recovering slightly to down close to seven per cent. Morton gave notice on Tuesday that he was resigning, according to a filing on Friday. Dave Morton gave notice on Tuesday that he was resigning, according to a filing on Friday Today is also the last day for VP of Communications Sarah O'Brien (left) and HR head Gabrielle Toledano (right), both of whom have been off on leave 'Since I joined Tesla on August 6, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations,' Morton said in the securities filing. 'As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future. I want to be clear that I believe strongly in Tesla, its mission, and its future prospects, and I have no disagreements with Tesla's leadership or its financial reporting.' Before the news broke of his executives departures, Musk, who has openly admitted to relying on sleeping pill Ambien, told Rogan on Thursday night that Tesla keeps him up at night, adding 'it's very difficult to keep a car company alive.' Towards the end of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the host lit a 'cigar' rolled with both tobacco and marijuana - a drug which is legal in the state of California - and offered it to Musk. 'You probably can't do this because of stockholders, right?,' Rogan asks Musk. Musk, who earlier joked that mushrooms - both a harmless fungi and an psychedelic drug - are 'delicious', clarified that the drug is legal, and was seen taking a puff on the joint before handing it back. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never,' he told Rogan. 'I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however I don't find it's very good for productivity.' Puffing away: Musk clarified that the drug is legal, and took a puff before handing it back During the podcast, the pair discussed everything from kindness to artificial intelligence but also Musk's electric car company Tesla The 2.5 hour long podcast began with Musk and Rogan discussing his dream of solving traffic problems in Los Angeles by building a tunnel underneath the city - a project which he has already embarked on - and artificial intelligence. Rogan asked Musk if he is 'honestly and legitimately' concerned about AI and the future of robotics, to which Musk replied 'yes, but it's less of a worry than it used to be.' 'It's not necessarily bad, but it's definitely going to be outside of human control,' before speaking of the danger of using AI being used as a weapon and a future where humans will be able to become part-robots: cyborgs. 'You're already a cyborg, and most people don't even realise. That phone [in your hand] is an extension of yourself.' Upon pouring themselves a generous whiskey, Musk said he had met former President Obama 'for one reason' and that was to warn him about the danger of artificial intelligence. He also spoke to the host about growing up and realizing at the age of five that he was different. 'I thought I was insane,' Musk said, explaining that he had kept his 'never-ending explosion of ideas' a secret for fear of being 'taken away' by authorities. The billionaire also joked with Rogen that the reason why he is able to come up with inventions such as Tesla and roof-tiles with built-in solar cells is because he is 'an alien'. He was also asked if he believes in the possibility of alternate realities and multiverses, to which he replied that 'we are most likely in a simulation, because we exist.' I think most likely there are many, many simulations. You might as well call them reality, or you could call them multiverse.' Musk also passed comment on the recent ban on phones from Chinese company Huawei, which applies to anyone working for the US government or a government contractor over fears of spying. MUSK'S MUSINGS: BILLIONAIRE'S BEST QUOTES FROM THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE PODCAST On why he comes up with innovations and runs his companies: Musk: 'I'm an alien! - Discussing the possibility we are living in an alternate reality and a 'multiverse'. Musk: 'If you assume any rate of improvement at all, then games will be indistinguishable from reality, or civilization will end. One of those two things will occur. 'Therefore, we are most likely in a simulation, because we exist. 'I think most likely, this is just about probability, there are many, many simulations. 'You might as well call them reality, or you could call them multiverse. - On social media: Musk: 'Be nicer to each other. Don't assume someone is mean. It's easy to demonize people.' Musk: 'It's way easier to be mean on social media than it is to be mean in person.' Musk: 'On balance [my Twitter interactions are] more good than bad, but there is definitely some bad'. Musk: 'The vast number of negative comments, the vast majority of them I just ignore them. Every now and again I get drawn in, it's not good. I make some mistakes.' - Rogan: 'What could potentially be holding the company [Tesla] back? Anything you'd change Musk: 'I wish politicians were better at science. That would help a lot. They [politicians] are pretty good at science in China, I have to say.' - On stopping use of Huawei phones because of risk of China spying on US citizens: Musk: 'If you have, like, top secret stuff, you wanna be careful with what hardware you use, but most people don't have top secret stuff. Nobody really cares what porn you watch! Nobody really cares. National spy agencies do not give a rats a** what porn you watch, they do not care. ' - Rogan: 'You know what could help, mushrooms.' Musk: 'They're delicious.' - Rogan: 'What keeps you up at night?' Musk: 'Its quite hard to run companies. Especially car companies. It's quite challenging. Space X is no walk in the park but a car company, it's very difficult to keep a car company alive. 'You know, there is only two car companies in the history of American car companies that haven't gone bankrupt and that's Ford and Tesla. That's it. We barely survived. ' Rogan: 'How close did you get to folding?' Musk: 'Very close. 2008 is not a good time to be a car company, especially an electric car company, that was like stupidity squared. ' - After puffing on the joint given to him by Rogan: Musk: 'I'm getting text messages from friends asking me 'what the hell are you doing smoking weed?'. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never. I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however, I don't find it's very good for productivity.' 'It's like a cup of coffee in reverse. I like to get things done. I like to be useful.' - Musk: 'You're already a cyborg, and most people don't even realise. That phone [in your hand] is an extension of yourself.' - Rogan: 'I don't know how you manage your time, it doesn't seem humanly possible?' Musk: I think people don't totally understand what I do with my time, they think I'm like, a business guy, I think even my Wikipedia page says business magnate.' Rogan: What would you call yourself? Musk: 'A business magnet.' - On sustainable energy and the environment Musk: 'We're really playing a crazy game here with the atmosphere and the oceans. We're taking vast amounts of carbon from deep underground and putting this, putting this in the atmosphere, this is crazy. 'We should not do this. It's very dangerous. We should accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. 'I mean the bizarre thing is that obviously we're going to run out of oil in the long term. There's only so much oil we can mine and burn. That's totally logical, we must have a sustainable energy transport and energy infrastructure in the long term. 'So we know that's the end point, we know that. So why run this crazy experiment where we take trillions of tons of carbon from underground and put it in the atmosphere and oceans. This is an insane experiment. It's the dumbest experiment in human history. Why are we doing this, it's crazy.' - On why he isn't building electrical sustainable energy airplanes: Musk: 'Electric cars are important, solar energy is important, stationary storage of energy is important. 'These things are much more important than creating electric supersonic VTOL[vertical take-off and landing planes].' Musk: The trick [with VTOL] is that you have to transition to level flight. The thing you'd use for vertical takeoff and landing is not suitable for high speed flight. 'The interesting thing about an electric plane is that you want to go as high as possible, but you need a certain energy density in the battery pack, because you have to overcome gravitational potential energy. ' Once you've overcome gravitational potential energy and you're at a high altitude, the energy you use in cruise is very low, and then you can recapture a large part of your gravitational potential energy on the way down. So you really don't need any kind of reserve fuel.' - On fossil fuels: Musk: 'It is the dumbest experiment in history' - Musk: 'I really think people should give other people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they are good until proven otherwise and most people are actually pretty good people. Nobody is perfect.' - On flying cars Musk: 'If you get one of those toy drones and imagine it's 1,000 times heavier - that's not going to make your neighbors happy. 'If you want a flying car, just put wheels on a helicopter.' - On his plans to eliminate traffic jams in Los Angeles Musk: 'I have this, it's sort of a hobby company, called the Boring Company, which started out as a joke. 'And we decided to make it real, and dig a tunnel under LA. And then other people asked us to build tunnels so we said yes in a few cases.' Musk: 'I'm not saying it's going to be successful. It's not, like, asserting it's going to be successful. But so far I've lived in LA for 16 years and the traffic has always been terrible. And so I don't see any other ideas for improving the traffic. 'So in desperation, we are going to build a tunnel, and maybe that tunnel will be successful. And maybe it won't. 'I'm not trying to convince you it's going to work. Or anyone.' - On his new company 'Neuralink' trying to connect human brains straight to a computer. Musk: 'I think we'll have something interesting to announce in a few months.. that's better than anyone thinks is possible.' Musk: 'Best case scenario, we [humans] effectively merge with AI.' Musk: 'How much smarter are you with a phone or computer or without? You're vastly smarter, actually. You can answer any question pretty much instantly. You can remember flawlessly. Your phone can remember videos [and] pictures perfectly. Your phone is already an extension of you. 'You're already a cyborg. Most people don't realize you're already a cyborg. It's just that the data rate.. it's slow, very slow. It's like a tiny straw of information flow between your biological self and your digital self. 'We need to make that tiny straw like a giant river, a huge, high-bandwidth interface.' Advertisement While he acknowledged that anyone working with 'top secret stuff' ought to be careful with their choice of hardware, he said it was not something 'most people' should worry about. 'Nobody really cares what porn you watch! National spy agencies do not give a rats a** what porn you watch - they do not care. ' Later on, Musk, who recently who recently accused a British diver who helped rescue the 12 Thai boys stuck in a cave of being a paedophile, spoke about kindness. 'Be nicer to each other. Don't assume someone is mean. It's easy to demonize people.' Earlier this week, Mr Musk suggested in emails to a BuzzFeed journalist that diver Vernon Unsworth was a 'child rapist'. Musk also claimed, without providing any evidence, that Mr Unsworth had moved to northern Thailand to take 'a child bride who was about 12 years old at the time.' The Tesla CEO's attacks on Mr Unsworth, whose efforts were considered crucial to the Thai operation, came after the British diver criticized a well-publicized effort by Musk to lend a custom-built mini-submarine to the cave rescue effort. Mr Musk responded on Twitter with comments strongly implying that the Briton was a pedophile. He then apologised for this, before repeating the claims this week. During the podcast, Musk was asked what percentage of his interactions with other people on Twitter was a good idea, with Rogan suggesting 'ten per cent'. Shocking: Musk called Vernon Unsworth a paedophile after the British diver criticized the Tesla CEOs submarine Musk replied that 'it's on balance more good than bad, but there is definitely some bad'. He later added: 'It's way easier to be mean on social media than it is to be mean in person.' Mr Unsworth, from St Albans in Hertfordshire has, through his lawyer, made it clear that he will be suing Musk over his comments. 'Elon Musks ongoing campaign of publishing vile and false accusations against Mr. Unsworth is outrageous,' Unsworth's lawyer, L. Lin Wood, said in an email to Reuters. 'Musk has publicly and clearly stated that he `hopes to be sued. Let me be equally clear in response - Musk will be sued - not because of his hopes, but because he deserves to be sued,' Wood said. Musk's renewed attack on Mr Unsworth, his appearance on the show and his top accountant resigning on Friday saw Tesla's stock and bond prices drop even further today. During the podcast, Musk revealed that the one thing that keeps him up at night is his electrical car company. 'Its quite hard to run companies. Especially car companies. It's quite challenging. Space X is no walk in the park, but it's very difficult to keep a car company alive. 'There is only two car companies in the history of American car companies that haven't gone bankrupt and that's Ford and Tesla. That's it. We barely survived. Rogan asked him how close Tesla had gotten to 'folding', to which Musk admitted it had been 'very close'. The $1.8 billion high-yield bond Tesla issued a year ago hit a record low price on Wednesday. It also became more expensive to insure Tesla's bonds against default. Tesla's stock has lost more than a quarter of its value since August 7, when Musk tweeted that he had secured funding for a previously undisclosed plan to take Tesla private. Musk on abandoned that plan on August 24, but he faces lawsuits and a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the factual accuracy of his tweet that funding for the deal was 'secured.' The incident is weighing on investor confidence and has hurt the credibility of Musk, long viewed by Tesla supporters as its most valuable asset. A lawsuit was filed on Thursday accusing Musk of trying to 'burn' short-sellers through his false tweet that funding had been secured to take Tesla private. 'This appears to be a textbook case of fraud,' Michael Canty of law firm Labaton Sucharow said in a press release. 'We believe Musk attempted to manipulate the price of Tesla securities with false and misleading tweets, in a directed effort to harm short-sellers.' Labaton Sucharow is asking for class action status to represent anyone who bought or sold Tesla shares between August 7 and August 17. Musk has described the infamous privatization tweet - including his assurance that funding for going private was secured - as an attempt to be transparent. Footage of an AFL player allegedly scoring a goal at the same time lightning strikes has emerged - but not everyone is convinced the video is genuine. Adelaide Crows star Eddie Betts posted a video of himself kicking a goal in a heavy storm to social media just after midday on Friday afternoon. In the video, the footy star can be heard saying: 'OK, I'll have one crack. Let me have a crack before we go.' Footage of AFL player Eddie Betts (pictured) allegedly scoring at goal at the same time lightning strikes has emerged - but not everyone is convinced Adelaide Crows star Eddie Betts (pictured with wife Anna Scullie) posted the questionable video of himself allegedly kicking the lightning bolt goal on social media on Friday Betts is then shown kicking the ball, which curves around towards the side-on goal and just as it approaches the poles lightning appears to strike. At the same time, thunder is heard, and both Betts and another man nearby, who is holding an umbrella, hit the deck with the brolly being flung in the air. Betts is then shown jumping up and running towards a third man, who laughs and congratulates him. The Crows star then shared the video on his social media accounts, along with a caption that stated: 'So this happened' Since he posted footage of goal, the video has garnered plenty of comments, with some people suggesting it was 'edited'. 'Good goal don't know about the lightning,' one person wrote. Another person said: 'Thunder & lightning at the same time. Seems legit.' 'Thats some whacked as special effects or Eddie is just that good lol (sic),' a third person wrote. Since he posted the alleged lightning bolt goal, the video has garnered plenty of comments, with some people suggesting the video was 'edited' While it's unclear whether or not the video is fake, one man who might know the answer is the third bloke captured in the video. Despite his slightly disheveled look, it appears the man may have special skills that enable him to produce Hollywood-style special effects such as lightning bolt strikes. According to the website Sporting News, the mystery man allegedly has an Instagram account that labels him as a director based in the US and Australia. Brazil's far-right presidential candidate has survived life-saving surgery after being stabbed by a 'socialist' attacker who said he was acting on 'a mission from God' during a rally. Shocking footage showed the moment election hopeful Jair Bolsonaro was knifed in the stomach in the midst of a crowd in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, south east Brazil. The 63-year-old has since been transferred to intensive care after undergoing a procedure for serious internal injuries and is now stable and out of 'acute and immediate danger'. A 40-year-old suspect, identified by police as Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, has been arrested over the attack with police saying he appeared to be mentally disturbed and had claimed he was 'on a mission from God'. Oliveira was said to be a member of the left-leaning PSOL party from 2007 to 2014. On his Facebook page, the attacker recently posted messages criticizing Bolsonaro and supporting the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is taken on the shoulders of a supporter moments before being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil Jair Bolsonaro reacts after being stabbed during the rally. Police spokesman Flavio Santiago confirmed that his attacker had been arrested Bolsonaro is reported to have underwent laparoscopic surgery after being stabbed at a campaign rally according to his advisers Adelio Bispo de Oliveira (pictured) is suspected of stabbing Jair Boslanaro while he was campaigning in Brazil This photo released by the Military Police, shows the knife supposedly used by Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, suspected of stabbing Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing Brazilian presidential candidate The split-second assault happened as the politcian was being carried shoulder high by supporters in the midst of a crowd during the afternoon event. Horrifying footage from several mobile phones caught the moment a man plunged a knife into his belly. He was seen clutching his stomach and grimacing in agony before collapsing backwards. He was rushed through the crowds and whisked by car to Santa Casa de Misericordia de Juiz de Fora hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery. Bolsonaro's son, Flavio Bolsonaro, initially posted on Twitter that the injury was superficial and his father was fine. However, an hour later he posted another tweet saying the wound was 'worse than we thought.' He arrived at the hospital 'almost dead,' Flavio wrote. 'His condition now seems stabilised. Please pray.' The attack on Bolsonaro, is a twist in what was already Brazil's most unpredictable election since the country's return to democracy three decades ago. Corruption investigations have jailed scores of businessmen and politicians in recent years, and alienated voters. There was fear of violence flaring across Brazil on Friday, as the nation celebrates Independence Day with political groups likely to march in hundreds of cities. Bolsonaro's rival candidates called off campaign activities for Friday. Under Brazil's campaign laws, Bolsonaro's tiny coalition has almost no campaign time on government-regulated candidate ad blocs on TV and radio. That means Bolsonaro relies on social media and rallies around the country to drum up support. As such, not being able to go out in the streets could impact his campaign. Jair Bolsonaro is being carried by the crowd while campaigning in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, south east Brazil He can suddenly be seen grasping his stomach and wincing in pain and the crowd carries him on The crowd react and carry the wounded politician to safety. He is currently undergoing critical surgery Flavio Bolsonaro said early Friday outside the hospital where his father was treated that he was conscious and the attack was a political boost. 'I just want to send a message to the thugs who tried to ruin the life of a family man, a guy who is the hope for millions of Brazilians: You just elected him president. He will win in the first round,' said Flavio Bolsonaro. In a statement Federal Police said: '[Bolsonaro] was (being) escorted by federal police when he was struck by a knife during a public act in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. A suspect was arrested in the act and taken to the police station. A police investigation was established to ascertain the circumstances of the incident.' Speaking to local media, Pedro Augusto Lima Possa, the suspect's lawyer said: 'Adelio confessed and claimed responsibility for the attack. But he said he had not intended to kill (Bolsonaro).' Stabbing could reshape election contest The stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. Far-right congressman Bolsonaro, a former army captain who has promised to crack down on crime, has long argued that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand to be steadied. After a knife-wielding man stabbed the candidate in the abdomen during a campaign event Thursday, Brazilians surged on to social media to argue over whether the attack supports Bolsonaro's assertions that the country is off the rails or whether his heated rhetoric contributed to inciting the attack. Far-right congressman Bolsonaro (centre, at a rally earlier this week), a former army captain who has promised to crack down on crime, has long argued that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand to be steadied After more than four years of revelations of widespread corruption within Brazil's political class, anger is running high in the country, and analysts initially predicted this would be a change election. But no true outsider has emerged. Instead, Bolsonaro, despite being a congressman since 1991, has harnessed much of the anger and presented himself as a maverick who will clean up a corrupt system. He also promises to confront a surge in crime, in part by giving police a freer hand to shoot and kill while on duty. The public's anger is partially responsible for making this year's campaign the most unpredictable in years for Brazil, and the attack could lead to another seismic shift. The man leading polls, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been barred from running by electoral authorities because he was convicted of corruption and is in jail. That puts Bolsonaro in the lead position, though it is unclear how the attack might affect the campaign for the October 7 presidential ballot. The stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. His son Flavio is pictured today outside the hospital treating the firebrand politician In the hours following the attack in Juiz de Fora, about 125 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro supporters predicted it would carry him to the presidency. 'They made Bolsonaro a martyr,' said Jonatan Valente, a student who joined a small vigil for Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo. 'I think the left shot itself in the foot because with this attack they will end up electing Bolsonaro.' But it is unknown when he can get out again on the campaign trail and if his injuries will impede his ability to campaign. There were signs of the deep divide in Brazil at the vigil, when Bolsonaro's supporters briefly exchanged insults with some detractors who showed up. Meanwhile, on Twitter many decried the stabbing and asked for prayers for Bolsonaro, but others suggested the candidate might have brought the attack upon himself or even staged it. Brazilian medical doctor Eunice Dantas, director of the Santa Casa Hospital, speaks to the press about Brazil's right-wing presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro's health today This is not the first time in recent months that violence has touched politicians. In March, while da Silva was on a campaign tour in southern Brazil before his imprisonment, gunshots hit buses in his caravan. No one was hurt. Also that month, Marielle Franco, a black councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, was shot to death in March along with her driver after attending an event. While Bolsonaro has a strong following, he is a deeply divisive figure. He has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements toward women, blacks and gays. He speaks nostalgically about the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship and has promised to fill his government with current and former military leaders. His vice presidential running mate is a retired general. 'It's likely that Bolsonaro will use the attack to argue his opponents are desperate, that they had no other way to stop him,' said Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at Rio de Janeiro's state university Advertisement The unmarried man, who has a teacher's degree, is believed to be currently unemployed but has been working as a waiter and is apparently estranged from his family. According to Possa, the attacked was motivated by religious and political reasons. 'He told me that there were religious and political motivations and that he hated the prejudice that the Bolsonaro openly spoke about and held against different races, religion and women,' the suspect's lawyer said. Dr Luiz Henrique Borsato, a member of the hospital's general surgery team who performed the critical operation on the victim said Bolsonaro suffered a 'blunt abdominal trauma and was admitted to the hospital with signs of shock.' 'Surgery was performed as a matter of urgency and a massive internal haemorrhage was diagnosed and controlled,' said Dr Borsato at a press briefing last night. He explained that the former army captain had suffered injuries to several organs and had lost between 2 to 2.5 litres of blood. 'The damage was very serious. (He suffered) three perforations to the small intestine and a severe lesion in the large intestine. There was faecal contamination inside the abdominal cavity,' the surgeon revealed. 'During surgery the small intestine was connected to a temporary colostomy pouch which was placed on the inner wall of the intestine. It will stop waste matter from passing through the large intestine and prevent the site from being infected,' he continued. Michelle Bolsonaro, the wife of the National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, arrives at the Santa Casa hospital where her husband is hospitalised Jair Bolsonaro's son Flavio Bolsonaro is pictured outside Santa Casa hospital today People light candles in support of presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, of the National Social Liberal Party A man covers his face with his hands as he stands outside the hospital where Bolsonaro is being treated Initially the politician's son, Flavio, said the injury was superficial, but ultrasound and CT scans showed trauma in the organs and bleeding from the superior mesenteric artery, a major blood vessel in the digestive system. Borsato dismissed earlier reports of injuries to the candidate's liver. 'There was bleeding from an abdominal artery and perforations in the large and small intestines. The injured part of the large intestine was removed, and the small intestine was sewn up,' said Borsato. 'The internal injuries were serious, and the patient's life was at risk. At the start of the surgery his condition was unstable, but we were able to bring it under control and stabilise him.' The team confirmed that Bolsonaro arrived at the unit wearing a 'yellow shirt' and was not wearing a protective vest. According to reports, Bolsonaro would normally wear body protection provided by federal police for his safety. However, on this occasion he was without the vest. The politician is expected to be hospitalised for at least l0 days and will undergo another operation in a couple months' time to remove the internal colostomy bag. 'It's too early to say if he will have long term problems,' Borsato said. A group of people try to detain Adelio Bispo de Oliveira (pictured centre), who allegedly stabbed the right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro campaigns in the district of Ceilandia in Brasilia, yesterday Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is running on a tough law and order platform advocating looser gun controls He is a polarising figure in an unpredictable election campaign but rising violent crime, anger over repeated corruption scandals and an effective social media campaign have helped him gain support. He was second in the polls to former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who was the front-runner in the country's elections until he was struck from the ballot. At the end of last month, electoral court ruled that the Brazil's embattled ex-president, who is in prison on corruption charges and who served two terms between 2003 to 2011, would not be able to stand for election again. Bolsonaro is known for insulting women, openly expressing racist and homophobic views, championing dictatorship, calling for political opponents to be shot and for holding derogatory views of indigenous people and foreigners. This has earned him the title of 'the most misogynistic, hateful elected official in the democratic world'. The ex-military office, who has been called the 'tropical Trump' of South America, has been a serving politician in the Chamber of Deputies since 1991. Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is a polarizing figure and has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements towards women and black people Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (pictured left) gestures at the crowd during a campaign rally in the district of Ceilandia in Brasilia, on September 5, 2018 Keira Ball, 9, died on August 1 2017 after being involved in a serious car accident Her parents, Joe and Loanna Ball, have since pulled her from the school Katelyn Ball, 12, cut her hair for Little Princess Trust and InspiredbyKeira charity The family of a Devon schoolgirl who cut her hair off for two charities have pulled their daughters out of school after the headmaster 'shouted at' them and said the new style did not conform to uniform policy. Katelyn Ball, 12, had her long blonde hair cut short at the North Devon Show in August in aid of both the Little Princess Trust and a charity set up in honour of her sister Keira Ball, InspiredbyKeira. Nine-year-old Keira was in a car accident in West Buckland, Devon, on July 30 last year and tragically died days later on August 1. Now parents Joe and Loanna Ball have temporarily pulled Katelyn and other daughter, Keely, 13, from the South Molton school. They say the headteacher's 'negative reaction' has made Katelyn feel 'insecure and self-conscious' about her charity work. Scroll down for video Brave Katelyn Ball, 12, decided to cut her hair off in aid of the Little Princess Trust and InspiredbyKeira, a charity set up in her sister's honour after she died in a car crash last year 'If that was a pupil of my school I would say we're going to hold an assembly for this amazing thing you've done, after everything you've been through this last year losing your sister,' care coordinator Mrs Ball, who described Katlyn's haircut as 'personal and emotional for everybody', told the Mail Online. 'She has decided to do something by herself to support someone who is less fortunate than herself and raised money for a charity close to her own heart. 'But there was none of that.' Instead the school told Mrs Ball that Katelyn would have to grow her hair back immediately due to the uniform policy, and stated they 'didn't want children to stand out'. Katelyn's mother Loanna Ball described the chopping of her long locks on August 1, the anniversary of Keira's death, as 'personal and emotional for everybody' Mrs Ball claimed the head teacher 'raised his voice and talked over' her and her husband and even said that if the family had asked for permission to cut Katelyn's hair, they would have said 'no.' 'Because the school have had such a negative reaction to Katelyn's hair yesterday she was then bullied, (children) said she looked like a boy and asked if she was a t*****,' she said. 'I picked my daughters up at lunch time and they haven't gone back today. 'This has been a massive thing for my daughter's mental health. I'm actually thinking, forget school, if it's going to have such a massive impact on them. 'I'm considering returning to be a stay at home mum and looking into homeschooling.' Brave Katelyn decided to have her hair cut after watching a video on Facebook that showed a girl receive a Little Princess Trust wig and become 'really really happy'. Max Johnson, the boy whose life was saved by a transplant of Keira's heart, came down from Manchester especially to cut Katelyn's hair on August 1, marking the first anniversary of her sister's death and raising 1,500 for the charity in her honour. But after attending school on September 5, Katelyn has been left feeling 'insecure and worried she had caused a lot of hassle' due to her teachers' reactions. The schoolgirl was told off by teachers for her cropped hair and has since been pulled out of the school temporarily by Mrs Ball and her husband Joe 'My friends had seen pictures of (my hair) over summer and said it looked really nice,' Katelyn said. 'But because of what the teachers were saying it has made me think about what other people are thinking.' Both Mr and Mrs Ball shared furious Facebook posts about their interaction with the school, triggering an out-pour of anger and upset from their family, friends and followers. 'Im absolutely stunned, disgusted and so so upset to read this,' one person wrote. 'Your daughter has done a truly courageous brave thing for charity and this is how shes treated? She deserves recognition & praise.. the school should be utterly ashamed of themselves.' Keira, 9, was a passenger in a Vauxhall Vectra when it hit a Ford Ranger 4x4 on July 30 near West Buckland on the A361 North Devon link road. She died days later on August 1 Care coordinator Mrs Ball is now considering homeschooling her two daughters Keely, 13 and Katelyn, as well as son Brad, 8, after the incident with the school While another said: 'Thats so sad, she did an amazing thing and I can say (first) hand how grateful I am for girls like her. 'My wig came from the Little Princess Trust and without brave girls like her I wouldnt have had a chance to have a real hair wig! Amazing she should be proud of herself doing something so selfless for others and her sister would be so proud.' Mrs Ball is also considering homeschooling her son Brad, eight. On their website, South Molton Community College gives the following advice on hair as part of its uniform policy: 'Extreme styles are not condoned by the college. Hair must be of a natural colour. 'If the hair is over shoulder length then it should be tied back for all practical lessons or where health and safety requires it. The Ball family set up InspiredbyKeira to raise money for other families who had lost children, as well as to raise awareness of organ donation Mrs Ball's friends and family were outraged and upset after she recounted what had happened on her Facebook page Commentors called Katelyn 'courageous' and 'brave' for having her long hair chopped off in aid of the two charities 'Shaving of any part of the head is not accepted (no grade 1). Pupils should not wear decorative items in their hair.' A spokesman for South Molton Community College told Devon Live: 'At no point were any of the family shouted at and a reasonable compromise was suggested to parents. 'The suggestion made was that no sanctions would be taken, but we would expect her to grow out her hair over the next term, as it naturally would. 'This would then conform to school policy. The school is always supportive of any charity work that our students undertake.' A spokesman for South Molton Community College has denied that the headmaster raised his voice towards the Ball family and said they would expect Katelyn to grow out her hair Keira was a passenger in a Vauxhall Vectra when it hit a Ford Ranger 4x4 on July 30 near West Buckland on the A361 North Devon link road. Her mother and brother were also injured and taken to hospital, where Keira later passed away. Through organ donation, Keira has saved the lives of four people - including Max, who received her heart after eight years of being on the transplant waiting list. The schoolboy, from Winsford, Cheshire, suffered from cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart to enlarge. After Keira's death, the Ball family set up the InspiredbyKeira charity to raise money for other families who had lost children, as well as to raise awareness of organ donation. A family has adopted Britain's biggest puppy - a real-life Scrappy-Do that is more than 6ft and weighs more than a baby hippo. Arnie the Great Dane is only five months old and already tips the scales at a whopping 43kg (95lbs) - and is still growing. The massive canine, who was adopted by Julie and Colin Reid and their son Josh from Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire, is the biggest the team at Dogs Trust in Glasgow have ever cared for. Arnie the Great Dane is only five months old and already tips the scales at 43kg (95lbs) - and is still growing The canine, who was adopted by Julie (right) and Colin Reid and their son Josh from Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire, is the biggest the team at Dogs Trust in Glasgow have ever cared for After receiving a call from someone at Dogs Trust, the family went to see the canine and fell in love with him After falling in love with the dog, the family decided to adopt him - even though he dwarfs all of them when he stands on his hind legs. Julie said: 'I received a call from someone at Dogs Trust saying Arnie had come in and that he was a Great Dane. 'We didn't have a specific breed in mind when looking for a pet but Arnie is the perfect companion. 'When we went in to have a look at him and it was just love at first sight. 'He is gentle, loving and so playful; he will definitely fit in at home, we are just relieved we have a big enough home to accommodate our new baby hippo. Julie said: 'He is gentle, loving and so playful; he will definitely fit in at home, we are just relieved we have a big enough home to accommodate our new baby hippo' Julie and her family have four other dogs, including a Dogue de Bordeaux, two Chinese crested dogs and a French Bulldog 'He's just a big lovable rogue.' Julie and her family - who were unfazed by Arnie's size - have four other dogs, including a Dogue de Bordeaux, two Chinese crested dogs and a French Bulldog. She said: 'We've always fostered and have had Dogue de Bordeauxs which are medium to large dogs. 'It's so funny taking them for a walk because they're so different in size. 'Arnie's just a puppy but is so big already, I've no idea what he's going to be like when he grows up.' According to Dogs Trust Arnie is big for his age and could potentially double in size as he gets older to a hefty 90kg Dogs Trust said Arnie was handed in to them by a family who cited a change in personal circumstances. His vet records showed the first time he was weighed at eight weeks he was just 10kg. Arnie, who according to Dogs Trust is big for his age and could potentially double in size as he gets older to a hefty 90kg, eats a kilo-and-a-half of raw meat per day, along with fish, egg and vegetables. He eats a kilo-and-a-half of raw meat per day, along with fish, egg and vegetables but luckily his owners have an acre of land for him to exercise Luckily his new owners have an acre of land for him to exercise and burn off his mighty meals. Julie, who encourages others to adopt instead of buy from breeders, praised Dogs Trust for their help. She said: 'The Dogs Trust Glasgow team have been fantastic, they've said they're there is we need any support which is great. 'I've had two calls so far about followups to do with behavioral advice and making sure everything's OK. 'But he's still young and hasn't learned any bad habits.' Sandra Lawton, Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Glasgow, said: 'We are always overjoyed when a dog finds their perfect someone and we are sure Arnie has gone to a home where he will receive lots of love and care' Sandra Lawton, Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Glasgow, said: 'We are always overjoyed when a dog finds their perfect someone and we are sure Arnie has gone to a home where he will receive lots of love and care. 'The team can't wait to get regular updates from Arnie's family on all his antics because he is definitely a lap dog at heart and has no idea just how big he is. 'We can't be sure how big Arnie will grow to but, even now, he is still the biggest puppy Dogs Trust Glasgow has ever rehomed. 'We still have plenty of dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds in our care awaiting their forever homes so anyone interested in adopting a rescue dog should pop down to Dogs Trust Glasgow for more information.' From selling excess stock and confining livestock to smaller spaces to taking on second jobs, farmers are doing whatever necessary to survive during a period of record drought. Fifth generation sheep farmer Emma Grabham from Bathurst in New South Wales' central west believes she has overcome the worst of the drought and can see the light at the end of a long, dry tunnel. Mrs Grabham co-manages the 1000 hectare merino and wool production property she and her husband bought from his family in 2014, which is home to 2000 sheep. Emma Grabham (pictured) is a sheep farmer near Bathurst in New South Wales' central west 'Things are pretty tough as we've been feeding our stock for months,' Mrs Grabham told Daily Mail Australia. 'The Central West region went into drought early on, so we know winter would be hard. There was a fear of the unknown of what the future held.' Both she and her husband have jobs away the farm to help make ends meet. 'We haven't needed to ask for assistance but we're pretty stretched,' Mrs Grabham said. 'My husband has been working beyond daylight hours. It's ridiculous, both physically and emotionally. We are, however, very grateful to have off-farm income that's enabled us to keep and feed most of our sheep through the drought.' They also made the difficult decisions for their stock to not breed, sell some excess stock and confine livestock to drought lots. 'There's nothing on the property for them to eat so we have to provide everything, which has been financially straining,' Mrs Grabham said. 'We still have to feed them to a level where they're still producing. We've already held off from lambing this year.' Drought conditions forced Emma and her husband to confine livestock (pictured) to smaller spaces The couple have at times considered selling more stock to make ends meet. 'It crosses your mind when you have hungry sheep to feed and are trying to figure out how you're going to survive,' Mrs Grabham said. After some recent rain eased conditions, she has her fingers crossed they've overcome the worst of the drought. 'Now that we've maintained everything through winter, the goal now is to make it through spring and to take step back because we've been so flat out,' Mrs Grabham told Daily Mail Australia. 'We want to get the the stage where one of us is back on the farm full-time. We may even be able to have lambs again next year. We were facing the prospect of holding off again, before the recent rain came.' Emma Grabham hopes one of her three children will one day take over the farm (pictured) and become sixth generation farmers Longer term, the couple hope one of their three children will one day take over the farm. 'That's why we keep doing it, for the future,' Mrs Grabham said. While Mrs Grabham says she and her family are dealing with the cards they've been given, she knows there are others out there dealing with mental health issues because of the toll on the drought has had on them. 'It's a massive issue, especially for guys on the farm who work so hard and see no end in sight,' Mrs Grabham said. 'There's definitely a need for a strong emphasis on mental health.' Emma Grabham (pictured) and her husband held off from lambing this year due to the drought 'We are very grateful to have off-farm income that's enabled us to keep and feed most of our sheep through the drought,' Emma Grabham told Daily Mail Australia Lifeline has partnered up with Bushells Tea on a new initiative called Fancy a Cuppa?, which encourages people to sit down with each other to discuss the personal problems in their lives. According to new research by Bushells, one in four Australians believe the drought has a significantly impact on their line of work, with almost two in five people (37 per cent) agree it affects their emotional wellbeing. Two-thirds of regional Australians believe they live in a supportive community and one in three know their neighbour well enough to reach out and talk about their personal issues. The Grabhams considered selling more stock to make ends meet when things were looking grim 'A five minute conversation is a great way to check in with someone else to see if they're okay,' Mrs Grabham said. 'When you're buried in working on the farm, it's important to stay connected.' Lifeline 13 11 14 A Hells Angel bikie will spend at least six years behind bars for shooting two men at a birthday party. A 'slight altercation' at a Melbourne bar for a 30th birthday party led to the shooting, a court has heard. Vince Tominiko, 26, was at the Hampton Park Tavern celebration November 19 last year, which was attended mainly by church group friends, when the dispute happened. Vince Tominiko, 26, was at the Hampton Park Tavern celebration November 19 last year, when he shot two men in the car park Tominiko, who had not been involved in the initial altercation, shot Tremaine Pasi in the stomach as he lay on the ground after he was bashed in the car park and had his head stomped on by others, the Herald Sun reported. Tominiko then shot Tremaine's brother, Foisa in the buttocks. The brothers were taken to hospital, where Tremaine required surgery and had to have part of his bowel removed with the shot still lodged in his sacrum. During sentencing on Friday, County Court Judge Sue Pullen said she was concerned about Tominiko's ability to be rehabilitated, saying she hoped one day 'the penny will drop'. Tremaine Pasi was shot in the stomach as he lay on the ground after he was bashed in the car park and had his head stomped on by others Judge Pullen said Tremaine still wonders why he and his brother were shot. '[His] whole lifestyle has changed and he's angry about it,' the judge said. Tominiko pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury, intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, possessing an unregistered handgun, driving while disqualified and committing an indictable offence. He was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria for eight years, four months and 49 days, with a non-parole period of six years. Germany's spy chief has said he is not convinced migrants were hunted down in right-wing protests in Chemnitz - and says video of violence may be 'targeted misinformation'. There was a surge of violent right-wing protests and counter demonstrations from left-wing groups in the eastern city after the fatal stabbing of Daniel Hillig. Reports soon emerged that migrants had been hunted down by neo-Nazi mobs during the clashes. Michael Kretschmer, Saxony's conservative state premier, had said on Wednesday that this had not happened - but Chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed his remark, saying pictures had shown 'hate and ... the persecution of innocent people'. Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the BfV domestic intelligence agency, has now appeared to undermine Merkel by telling Bild newspaper's Friday edition: 'I share the scepticism about media reports on right-wing extremists hunting down people in Chemnitz.' Germany's spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen (pictured) has said he is not convinced migrants were hunted down in right-wing protests in Chemnitz - and says video of violence may be 'targeted misinformation' There was a surge of violent right-wing protests (pictured) and counter demonstrations from left-wing groups in the eastern city after the fatal stabbing of Daniel Hillig Right-wing protestors clash with police officers during demonstrations following the killing of a German man in Chemnitz on September 1 He added: 'The domestic intelligence agency has no reliable information about such hunts taking place.' Maassen said there was no evidence that a video circulating on the internet was authentic, adding: 'Based on my cautious assessment, there are good reasons to believe that it amounts to intentional misinformation, possibly to divert the public's attention from the murder in Chemnitz.' Extremist groups and thousands of local citizens took to the streets in the days after the fatal stabbing, with a number of participants shouting anti-foreigner slurs and flashing the illegal Nazi salute. In a spasm of violence that shocked the country, marauding mobs also assaulted reporters and police. During the first demonstration on August 26, a freelance journalist working for respected weekly Die Zeit posted two videos on Twitter showing demonstrators running after foreign-looking people. They were widely picked up by media outlets. Extremist groups and thousands of local citizens took to the streets in the days after the fatal stabbing, with a number of participants shouting anti-foreigner slurs and flashing the illegal Nazi salute Police said that several people have come forward saying they were assaulted, including a Syrian, a Bulgarian and an Afghan. Merkel, who has said images from Chemnitz 'very clearly' showed hate, on Thursday accused the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) of using violent protests over the stabbing blamed on migrants to stir up ethnic tension. Thomas Oppermann, a senior member of the Social Democrats (SPD) - junior partner in Merkel's ruling coalition - criticised Maassen, telling German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk: 'The president of the domestic intelligence agency is causing confusion at the moment.' Oppermann said there was proof the incident had taken place, adding that a group of Social Democrats had been attacked by hooligans. Asda has been forced to order new shopping baskets after customers started taking them home when 5p plastic carrier bags were phased out. The supermarket chain has now ordered dozens of new baskets for its store in Cambridge after finding it had as little as 30 to 40 left for customers. It comes after the Leeds-based company stopped replenishing stocks of 5p plastic bags when they run out at stores, although 9p 'bags for life' are still available. The supermarket chain has now ordered dozens of new baskets for its store in Cambridge Asda said in February that it would stop selling 5p plastic bags by the end the year, following the charge that was introduced in England in October 2015. The chain, which is owned by the US retailer Walmart, has now asked that customers 'who are taking our baskets home with them use their bags for life instead'. Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons have also either phased out single-use plastic bags or are currently doing so, according to BBC News. An Asda spokesman said: 'After listening to our customers and their concerns about plastic, we made the decision to phase out our single-use plastic bags, in all of our stores, by the end of the year. 'We're trying to do our bit to protect the environment, and would ask that the small number of customers who are taking our baskets home with them use their bags for life instead.' Bosses at the Asda store in Cambridge found they had just 30 to 40 baskets left for customers It comes days after Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to 'go further' in tackling plastics use as she confirmed charges for bags are set to double to 10p. She backed it despite pushback from Philip Hammond, with Treasury insiders suggesting the rise was unnecessary and will look like government 'profiteering'. Environmental campaigners have hailed the success of the policy, which is said to have taken 13billion plastic bags out of circulation in the last two years. A consultation paper unveiled by Mrs May also raises the prospect of extending the levy to the estimated three billion bags handed out annually by smaller shops. A shopper carries a 9p Asda 'bag for life' (left), and a Sainsbury's 'reliabag' (right) in London Meanwhile, Asda is to scrap its price guarantee scheme that allows customers to claim money-off vouchers if their shopping is cheaper at other supermarkets. The store announced that it would end the scheme next month but it faces a backlash after consumers took to social media to complain. Launched in 2010, Asda promised that if its prices were not 10 per cent cheaper than at Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Waitrose, it would refund the difference. In April, Sainsburys confirmed plans to merge with Asda. The competition watchdog is investigating to see if the deal will mean higher prices for customers. Chinese President Xi Jinping today welcomed Prince Albert II of Monaco during the monarch's official state visit to Beijing, with both countries pledging to serve as a model for friendly exchanges between large and small countries. The principality's reigning monarch is in China from September 5 to 8 at the invitation of Xi and will attend the inauguration of an exhibition on Monegasque history in the Forbidden City of the Chinese capital. Both sides have pledged to further promote bilateral friendly ties to 'bear new fruits' after holding meetings to review relations between China and the Mediterranean nation, according to Xinhua. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prince Albert II of Monaco walk pass the People's Liberation Army honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on Friday The head of state of the Principality of Monaco is in China from September 5 to 8 'China and Morocco should maintain close exchanges and explore areas of cooperation on eco-environmental protection - including climate change, clean energy and wildlife protection - under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative,' China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The two countries shall continue to serve as a model for friendly exchanges between large and small countries, the ministry added. Xi also welcomed Prince Albert II to attend the 2022 Winter Olympics set to take place in Beijing. During his trip, Prince Albert also visited a bee farm and a Siberian tiger breeding centre in Jilin province. The two heads of state last met in Nanjing at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games Monaco's Prince Albert II attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing Prince Albert ascended the throne in July 2005 and has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985. He has been the president of the Monaco National Olympic Committee since 1994. He has previously visited China nine times. In 2014, the two heads of state met in Nanjing at the opening ceremony of the second Summer Youth Olympic Games. In that meeting, both sides expressed the wish to deepen political mutual trust, promote cooperation in various areas and continue to support each other in multilateral occasions. Both sides have pledged to further promote bilateral friendly ties to 'bear new fruits' after holding talks to review relations between China and the Mediterranean nation, Xinhua reports The National Rugby League has been caught up in another off-field scandal, this time involving two Wests Tigers players. Josh Reynolds and Luke Brooks will be investigated by the NRL integrity unit after they were caught up in a police drug raid at the Illinois Hotel strip club at Five Dock in Sydney's inner west last Saturday night. The pair were with a group of men in a private room which was raided by police just after midnight on Saturday, where they allegedly found cocaine, 7 News reported. Wests Tigers says it won't take any further action against stars Josh Reynolds (left) and Luke Brooks, who were not charged and have not been contacted by police Reynolds and Brooks were present during the alleged raid but have not charged. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the players were using drugs. 'Reynolds and Brooks came to the club to make it aware of a situation they found themselves in on Saturday night,' Wests said in a statement on Friday. 'The two players were at an Inner West venue with a larger group throughout the evening. During the night NSW Police conducted a search of the venue. NSW Police have confirmed that Luke Brooks (pictured) and Josh Reynolds will not be the subject of any further action 'NSW Police searched the entire group Reynolds and Brooks were with, and recorded the events, with both players remaining at the venue once police left. Neither player has had any further contact with NSW Police since the event.' The club stated it won't take any further action against the players but has informed the NRL Integrity Unit. Brooks was named as the Tigers' player of the year at the club's end of season presentation awards on Monday night, just two days after the alleged drug raid. The NRL players were present when police raided a private room at the Illinois Hotel (pictured) in Five Dock last Saturday night NSW Police has since confirmed to AAP that they will not be the subject of any further action. The latest scandal comes after the Canterbury Bulldogs were fined a record $250,000 on Thursday for its boozy Mad Monday celebrations earlier this week. Two players were charged by NSW Police, and four were fined by the club following their highly publicised end-of-season drinking session. Inside the Illinois Hotel in Five Dock, where police allegedly seized cocaine last Saturday night A 10-year-old boy has raised a remarkable $1million to help drought-stricken farmers across Australia. Jack Berne and his classmates raised the money in a campaign to help drought-stricken farming communities in Australia. The 'A Fiver For A Farmer' campaign on GoFundMe was launched in July, urging people to spare at least $5 to support struggling farming communities. Jack's original goal was to raise $200,000 but received overwhelming support, generating $1million in a little over a month. The Year 4 student at St John the Baptist Primary School in Sydney said he was inspired to take action after learning about the drought in class. Scroll down for video Jack Berne (pictured) raised $1 million in his 'A Fiver For A Farmer' campaign, which encouraged people to donate at least $5 to the cause Jack (pictured) asked then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull if he regarded the drought as a national disaster 'We have been learning about the drought and the farmers and I heard that there are kids that are skipping school to help out on their farms. Kids that are our age!' Jack wrote on his GoFundMe page. 'If we can raise some money, I think we can all feel better about helping our mates on the farms.' 'We believe in community, we believe in having each others back, and we believe in the Aussie spirit. We believe that together, we can make a huge difference to support the farmers,' he added. All proceeds will be split between Rural Aid and Drought Angels. The two organisations are dedicated to helping farming communities by sending care packages, much needed bales of hay and counselling support, according to 7 News. Just last month, Jack and his classmates dressed up as farmers as a show of support and in an effort to encourage more people to donate to the cause. The fundraising campaign has not just gained nationwide support but also caught the attention of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Jack made a personal plea to Mr Turnbull last month to do more to help drought-stricken farmers in rural New South Wales. Jack's original goal was to raise $200,000 but received overwhelming support that amounted to $1 million in just a little over a month 'We believe in community, we believe in having each others back, and we believe in the Aussie spirit. We believe that together, we can make a huge difference to support the farmers,' Jack wrote on his GoFundMe page Mr Turnbull personally thanked Jack and told him about his sheep and cattle farm in the Upper Hunter Valley. Jack called for better outcomes for farmers and asked Mr Turnbull if he regarded the drought as a national disaster. 'He had a pretty good reason to say no - he said the relief legislation was more designed for disasters like floods and fires,' Jack told The Manly Daily. Mr Turnbull publicly paid tribute to Jack's outstanding fundraising efforts in federal parliament afterwards. 'A Fiver For A Farmer campaign has raised 10 times more he'd hoped,' he told Parliament. 'When nature throws its worst at us, it brings out the best in Australians'. 'Every little bit helps,' Mr Turnbull told The Manly Daily. 'This just goes to show that you're never too young to make a difference.' Shocking CCTV footage showing the attempted murder of a former Comanchero bikie kingpin has emerged. Australian Capital Territory Police released the footage from the attempted murder in Calwell in June this year. The home that was attacked belongs to former Comanchero ACT president Peter Zdravkovic, according to The Canberra Times. Three of the men try to break in to the back of the house, armed with a handgun and shotguns, and shoot into the glass door The attack is part of internal Comanchero violence, according to the publication. The footage shows a group of men dressed head-to-toe in white sanitation clothes as they walk down a narrow path. A fourth an appears to pour petrol over a car and down what looks to be a drive way. Three of the men try to break in to the back of the house, armed with a handgun and shotguns, and shoot into the glass door. Mr Zdravkovic was shot in the hand and treated at the home before being moved to hospital. Another shot went into a neighbour's home, but no one was injured. ACT Policing released the footage from the attempted murder in Calwell in June this year The home that was attacked belongs to former Comanchero ACT president Peter Zdravkovic, according to The Canberra Times The attackers then run away after lighting three cars on fire. The men broke into the Carter Crescent property at 10.45pm on June 28. Superintendent Scott Moller said: 'To have multiple shots discharged in this incident and to have one bullet narrowly miss an innocent person only highlights the grave risk these offenders pose to our community. 'We are urging anyone with information relating to this incident, or who may be able to identify the offenders to come forward.' The footage was released to help identify those in the video. The footage shows a group of men dressed head-to-toe in white sanitation clothes as they walk down a narrow path before one begins to pour petrol on three cars Millie, aged 4, from Lancashire, walks to first day of primary school on her own This is the heart-warming moment a little girl with cerebral palsy took her first steps alone on the first day of primary school, with encouragement from her devoted twin brother. Millie Bea Hughes, aged 4, told her mum Natalie Hughes that she wanted to walk into school on her own on her first day yesterday. The clip shows Millie, dressed in her new school uniform and with a massive grin on her face, taking her first wobbly steps. Millie (left) is pictured walking in public unaided for the very first time. Millie and twin Evan, pictured right, both started their first day at school yesterday in Lancashire Mum Natalie, pictured left with Millie, walks behind her to give her support. The heartwarming video shows Millie slightly wobbling in her first few steps Mum-of-two Natalie, 36, can be seen walking behind Millie while younger twin brother Evan walks in front of encouraging her. Her brother Evan offers to bring her a toy or her stick to help. Natalie, from Carnforth, Lancashire, said: 'Millie was so determined and wanted to do it. 'It makes me cry every time I watch that video. Evan was encouraging her, you can see his little feet in the clip and hear him ask 'Shall I get your sticks or a toy?' It's really sweet. 'It makes me really, really proud. She's come so far with all her physio and Evan always wants to help her. 'It's just nice to see him be there for her and wants her to walk as much as he does.' Detective Constable for Cumbria constabulary, Natalie, and 36-year-old husband nuclear power station operator Chris Hughes say the pair have been inseparable since they were born. Millie, left, was born on 26th January 2014 at 32 weeks, 13 minutes before her twin brother Evan Ray, right Mum Natalie said that since Evan was able to walk he would fetch shoes and toys for his sister. She said: 'It's just nice to see him be there for her and wants her to walk as much as he does' A post on the family's donation page read: 'As we got bigger my brother could sit up and play with his toys, crawl around, walk and dance but because my legs don't work properly I can only get around with the help of my Mommy (sic) and Daddy' Natalie said that since Evan was able to walk he would fetch shoes and toys for his sister and make sure if he got a drink and biscuit, she got one too. Natalie said: 'They love each other very much and he'll ask 'Are you OK Millie?' and try and help her. 'When we go to the park he makes sure she has a good time and pushes her on the swing which is lovely to see.' Millie was born on 26th January 2014 at 32 weeks, 13 minutes before her twin brother Evan Ray. What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is a brain disorder affecting motor co-ordination throughout the body. The severity of the cerebral palsy varies from person to person. Some people have weak arms and legs, uncontrollable sharp movements, and some sufferers cannot walk at all. Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is an operation carried out on children with cerebral palsy from ages three to nine. The operation can be used to cut nerves in the lower spine which are responsible for the body getting stiff. These give growing children who are cerebral palsy patients freer movement and mobility. Advertisement Millie had a 32K Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) operation at Portland Hospital in London on January 13. This, combined with extensive physical therapy, means the schoolgirl is starting to rely less on her walking frame and uses sticks to get around. The money for the operation was raised through the online fundraising platform Just Giving. The family raised 43,562 of a 40,000 target, donated by 449 supporters. A post on the family's donation page read: 'As we got bigger my brother could sit up and play with his toys, crawl around, walk and dance but because my legs don't work properly I can only get around with the help of my Mommy (sic) and Daddy. 'My Mommy and Daddy have been talking about an operation called SDR (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy). This means having an operation to make my legs work properly and stop being stiff and tight. The doctors will open my back and find the rootlets in my spine which make my legs tight. They will split them up and this will make my legs feel better and help me to walk. I will need to do lots of physiotherapy after which will be hard but I just can't wait to be able to walk like my brother!' The procedure involves cutting nerves in the lower spine that are responsible for muscle rigidity, this is improving her mobility meaning she is now able to move and play more independently. Millie had a 32K Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) operation at Portland Hospital in London, which cuts the nerves in the spine. This means the schoolgirl is starting to rely less on her walking frame Millie with her Dad Chris before the operation. The money for the 40,000 operation was raised through kind members of the public via the online fundraising platform Just Giving Family photo: nuclear power station operator Chris, left, with Millie and Evan centre and Detective Constable for Cumbria constabulary, Natalie, right The family raised 43,562 of a 40,000 target, donated by 449 online supporters. The video shows the first time Millie walked unaided out in public, thanks to a specialist therapy centre Simple things such as kneeling on both knees and bringing one up to help get herself up again were impossible before the operation because her hips were too tight, but now she is able to do it with relative ease. Natalie said: 'Yesterday was her first time walking in public unaided, something made possible by an intensive strength and conditioning course at specialist therapy centre Walk This Way in Perth. 'She's struggled with confidence so I'm hoping our next visit there will really help. 'She's now able to do things she couldn't do before the operation and is smashing it - I'm so proud of her.' A leading Labour moderate is battling to hold on to her political career after she lost a crucial party vote as the hard-left try to oust her as an MP. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London. Ms Ryan, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, blamed the bid to deselect her on 'Trots, Stalinists, Communists and assorted hard left'. But she vowed to stay on as the local MP, telling her Twitter followers 'I am Labour through and through' and she will not be quitting. And Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, who also lost a no confidence vote last night, pledged to stay on in Parliament. Quizzed about the votes while on a visit to a museum in Leicestershire today, Mr Corbyn defended them - saying local parties have a right to challenge their MPs. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, (pictured last night after the meeting in Enfield) lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London The Iranian state propaganda channel Press TV tweeted out a video of activists celebrating after the result came in (pictured, last night) Joan Ryan blamed the entryism of the hard left - including Communists - for the bid to deselect her in Joan Ryan vowed to stay on as a Labour MP and said that she is Labour 'through and through' Jewish leaders and Labour MPs immediately rallied to their colleagues' defence - and slammed moves to oust them. In extraordinary scenes at a Labour party meeting last night, activists packed into the hall to hear the outcome of Ms Ryan's vote. And some erupted into loud cheers, jumped up and down and hugged one another when news that Ms Ryan had lost the vote 94 to 92 came through. The moment was captured on video by Press TV - the Iranian state propaganda channel which Mr Corbyn has been criticised for appearing on - which jubilantly tweeted the result. The Labour Party will launch a formal investigation into how the broadcaster got inside the meeting as all press were banned, Enfield Constituency Labour Party said. Ms Ryan, who was first elected to the seat when Tony Blair swept to power in his 1997 landslide, hit back at the moves to deselect her. In a series of Twitter messages, she wrote: 'So lost 92 to 94 votes hardly decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would have confidence in me. I have none in them.' She added: 'I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield. 'Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values.' Mr Shuker also vowed to stay on as Labour MP, writing on Twitter: 'At a local Labour Party meeting last night a motion of no confidence in me was passed. And Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, (pictured at a protest outside Parliament in 2014) also lost a no confidence vote last night Jeremy Corbyn (pictured with pump station volunteers as he is shown around Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester's Museum of Science and Technology, Leicester today) defended the votes - saying local parties have a right to have their say on their MPs 'It's not part of any formal procedure, so it changes nothing about my role as Labour MP for Luton South.' He added: 'I've not changed, but the Labour Party has.' In comments that will spark fury among many of his backbenchers, Mr Corbyn today defended the votes. The Labour leader was about them while on a visit to Abbey Pumping Station Museum in Leicestershire this morning, where he is campaigning on bringing water companies back into public hands. He said: 'Every party has a right to question what its MP does. Every party has a right to challenge them on what they do and how they represent the area and that's exactly what happens in those areas as I understand it.' Asked if Jewish MPs should be protected from deselection, Mr Corbyn added: 'Nobody should be attacked for whatever their faith is and I'm absolutely clear - there is no place for racism anywhere in our society. The Labour MP Gavin Shuker vowed to stay on in parliament despite the vote Labour moderate Mike Gapes hit out at the Iranian propaganda channel Press TV for tweeting a video of people celebrating as Joan Ryan's vote was announced Former Labour frontbencher Owen Smith said all Labour supporters should be worried that Press TV had got the clip and was jubilantly tweeting it Leading Labour moderate Liz Kendall also hit out at the votes and said the party must be a broad church if it wants to be elected 'There is no place for anti-Semitism anywhere in our society or in any of our political parties as I made clear to the Prime Minister on Wednesday.' Labour Friends of Israel rallied to the defence of their chairwoman, tweeting: 'Our chair Joan Ryan is one of the most decent, courageous and principled people in British politics. 'Nothing about tonight's vote changes that fact.' Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Education Trust, said: 'We are lucky to have such a strong advocate in Joan Ryan. 'A strong supporter of the Holocaust Education Trust, Joan is admired and respected by our survivors and the wider community and has done so much for our cause. Labour MP Mike Gapes, who has said he could quit the Labour party over the anti-Semitism crisis, expressed his 'solidarity' to his colleagues on Twitter. And ex Labour frontbencher Owen Smith said: 'Iranian State TV is now live-streaming Labour Party meetings, as part of their propaganda campaign against Israel. 'Labour members should reflect on that for a moment and ask if you are comfortable with what we are becoming in the eyes of the World.' A Spanish shop owner has been accused of an 'aberration' after an amateur restoration of three 15th century sculptures which included eyeliner and pink lipstick for the Virgin Mary. Maria Luisa Menendez, one of only 16 inhabitants in the tiny village of Ranadoiro in the northern province of Asturias, is said to have produced the eye-catching result with the permission of local priest Arturo Garcia. The Virgin Mary ended up with turquoise green hair in one of the three sculptures and Baby Jesus with a look which has been compared to a Playmobil figure. Luis Saro, the last person to restore the sculptures before tobacco shop owner Maria Luisa got to work, has branded them a 'disaster and an aberration.' Residents were said to have complained that the Virgin Mary was sporting red lipstick and eyeliner after the refurbishment Maria Luisa Menendez, one of only 16 inhabitants in the tiny village of Ranadoiro was given permission to carry out the work by a priest The makeover has led to comparisons with the famous 'Ecce Homo' saga in Borja near Zaragoza after an elderly Spanish artist tried to give a painting of Christ a facelift. In July restoration work began on a 500-year-old effigy of St George after a Spanish handicraft teacher was accused of it leaving it looking like a 'fairground carousel ride' with a non-expert restoration in the town of Estella in the province of Navarra. The three sculptures at the centre of the latest row - housed in the village chapel in Ranadoiro - are estimated to date from the 15th and 16th centuries. One represents the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus and Saint Anne, the mother of Mary. The other two represent Saint Peter and the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus. Maria Luisa, who has received support from her neighbours, hit back on Friday by insisting she had simply used colours she liked for the facelift and claimed they were horrible before she transformed them. She told a local paper: 'I'm not a professional but they were horrible and I wanted to paint them to make them look better. Statues of St Peter (left) and a second one of the Virgin Mary fared little better in the unsympathetic restoration Maria Luisa, who has received support from her neighbours, hit back on Friday by insisting she had simply used colours she liked 'I had the priest's permission. I painted them in the colours that took my fancy, that was all.' Mr Saro said he wanted try to return the sculptures to their original appearance but the paint used on them could make it impossible. He said: 'A proper analysis will have to be done to know for sure.' Estella mayor Koldo Leoz admitted the results left 'something to be desired' after the restoration of the 16th century effigy of St George and the Dragon which made headlines before the Ranadoiro makeover. Untrained Cecilia Gimenez's botched attempt to restore the fresco of Christ in 2012 in Borja sparked ridicule and led to claims by critics the face of Christ had been turned into a 'hairy monkey.' Several workers places a sculpture of St. George in the warehouse of regional Archeological Historic Heritage Administration after it was moved from St. Michael Church in the village of Estella in Spain Critics said the face of Christ had been turned into a 'hairy monkey' in an ill-fitting tunic In July this year it was announced that a 500-year-old effigy of St. George needed a full restoration after a handicraft teacher's botched job left it looking like a 'fairground carousel ride.' The sculpture of St George and the Dragon, which dates back to the 16th century, normally takes pride of place in the church of San Miguel in Estella, Navarra. The results caused outrage in Navarra and further afield with many blasting the sculpture as 'barely recognisable.' The botched restoration led to comparisons with the 'Ecce Homo' saga which catapulted the small town of Borja after an elderly Spanish artist tried to give a painting of Christ a facelift. The spectacularly bad results garnered worldwide attention and was dubbed one of 'the worst art restoration projects of all time'. Tourists flocking to see the 'world's worst restoration' of 'Ecce Homo' in the tiny town of Borja, Spain Advertisement This is the stunning moment a pair of vicunas appear to hug as they smash into one another in a violent turf war in the remote Atacama Desert. The feisty animals, which are distant relatives of llamas, can be see scrapping and biting at one another as they engage in the heated duel. Henrique Olsen de Assumpcao, 24, who witnessed the startling events unfold on in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile, said he was thrilled to be in the right place at the right time. The photographer, from Porto Alegre, Brazil, said: 'The photos were taken as the sun was setting, The golden light matches that of the animals. 'I was going to the mountains by the car when I took a sandy path that leads to the Altiplanic lagoons to see the sunset from there. 'Suddenly, in the middle of the road, a vicuna crosses the sandy path and begins a territorial fight with another one.' Photos taken by Henrique Olsen de Assumpcao, 24, show the wild vicunas appearing to embrace while battling each other in the brutal turf war The Vicunas could be seen biting one another and grappling as they faced off on the remote plains of the Atacama Desert national park The photographer said he had travelled to the region to photograph the Vicunas because their coats match the colour of the landscape in the desert The feisty animals are distant relatives of llamas but choose to live in flat open spaces like the Atacama rather than in the hills A toddler in central China got her hand snagged under an escalator handrail after her grandmother failed to notice her playing with the moving belt. The one-year-old girl was holding her grandmother's hand and walking past the moving staircase at a supermarket when she reached out and touched the handrail. Her left arm got sucked under the moving belt and her grandmother alerted emergency services while shocked passers-by rushed to help the pair. A toddler in central China's Hunan province got her hand snagged under an escalator handrail after her grandmother failed to notice her playing with the moving belt The little girl's left arm got sucked under the moving belt and her grandmother alerted emergency services while shocked passers-by rushed to help the pair The accident happened on Thursday in Taojiang county, Hunan province. Surveillance footage shows the curious girl extending her left hand to touch the moving handrail while her grandmother was looking elsewhere. Suddenly her hand got snagged in the device and she was pulled to the floor. Staff workers immediately stopped the escalator and firefighters were able to free the girl in 15 minutes. She was taken to hospital but did not sustain any serious injuries. Local authorities are investigating the incident. Surveillance footage of the Chinese supermarket shows the curious girl extending her left hand to touch the moving handrail while her grandmother was looking elsewhere Vince Cable today announced he will resign as Lib Dem leader once Brexit is either 'resolved or stopped'. The party leader, 75, made the announcement at a speech in central London this morning where he laid out plans for a radical shake-up of the party. Sir Vince was only elected party leader last year when Tim Farron stepped down after their woeful election performance. But he has failed to boost their performance and the party has continued to be lacklustre in the polls. Making the announcement today, Sir Vince said the Liberal Democrats will hold a leadership election 'once Brexit is resolved or stopped'. Sir Vince also laid out plans to radically transform the Lib Dems as he tries to beef up the party's appeal. The party leader, 75,(pictured today in central London) he will resign as Lib Dem leader once Brexit is either 'resolved or stopped' He wants to change the organisation's rules so that non members can vote for the next party leader. Voters who are 'liberal-minded' will be allowed to sign up for free under plans to bolster membership, he said. The Lib Dems have languished in the polls and struggled electorally since going into government in coalition with the Conservatives in 2010. Sir Vince said he wants to create a 'movement of the moderates' that will bring together voters that loosely identify with the party. He said 'We should widen membership with a new class of supporters who pay nothing to sign up to the party's values. 'They should enjoy a range of entitlements, including the right to vote for the leadership and to shape the party's campaigning online. 'The Liberal Democrats already have an army of voluntary helpers and deliverers, as well as 200,000 online supporters, who loosely identify with us and campaign with us, but currently have no say in the direction of the party.' The speech comes ahead of the party's annual autumn conference, which begins on September 15. He said: 'Whatever rights our new supporters gain, we as a party aim to be in constant conversation with them, engaging them in campaigns and urging them to begin campaigns of their own. The party leader, 75, made the announcement at a speech in central London this morning (pictured) where he laid out plans for a radical shake-up of the party 'I want these not to be just about stopping things but about growing support for the things that matter to Liberal Democrat voters, and to the vast swathe of voters in the centre ground whom we are yet to persuade. 'Groups like More United, 38 Degrees, Avaaz and Change.org have shown us how these regular conversations can happen, how we can engage hundreds of thousands of people online. 'I want our party to do that and to offer our movement a political arm within Parliament. 'So it is not just a protest group banging at the door, but a movement with a voice on the inside - our parliamentary party.' Labour reformed its membership rules under Ed Miliband but the changes led to claims it had fuelled 'entryism', where members of other groups infiltrate a party to subvert it with their own agenda. Sir Vince added: 'The Liberal Democrats are not a socialist party concerned with extreme-left entryism or a right-wing party trying to keep out extreme right-wingers. 'We are a centre-ground, pro-European, liberal and social democratic party, welcoming like-minded supporters. 'This will be a movement for moderates.' About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile Advertisement A cocaine dealer's law student girlfriend will only have to pay back 7000 of the 40,000 she gained in gifts from her boyfriend's drug-dealing ring, a court heard today. But she will have to auction of the thousands of pounds worth of lavish designer goods that were bought with illegal obtained cash. Emily Lock, 22, used drug money to emulate the lifestyle of her idol Kim Kardashian and post about her life of luxury online. Lock jetted of the glamorous locations around the world, and would post pictures of her on the beach (left) and also uploaded snaps of her purchases, like these Tommy Hilfiger denim shorts (right) Emily Lock at a machine gun shooting range in US Lock at the Eiffel Tower in Paris (left) and with boyfriend Mark Price in Amsterdam (right) But her lavish lifestyle led to her downfall, as police smashed the drug ring after being alerted to her Instagram that showed off expensive trips and designer gear at odds with her job as a checkout girl on a salary of 10,000. Lock must repay 7,000 by December 6 or face five more months in prison. She only has assets left of 7,240, Newport Crown Court heard this morning. And now her designer goods and clothing would now be put up for sale by Wilsons Auctions. The 'gifted' law student, who got 3As at A-level, will have to sell her vast collection of Vivienne Westwood handbags, Gucci sunglasses, Christian Louboutin shoes and Christian Dior perfume to repay the money, as a judge said her Instagram pictures showed her 'dripping in clothes that most people could only dream about'. Judge Daniel Williams said if she fails to cough up by December 6 she will face a further five months in jail. Lock, of Llanbradach, Caerphilly, is already serving 18 months after being convicted of acquiring criminal property in April. The former Lidl checkout girl had a 'fixation' with Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West and posted pictures on Instagram living the high life in Dubai, Miami, and Las Vegas, the court heard. Another selfie taken by Lock, left, and a picture of plane tickets for the couple to Miami, using a Louis Vuitton handbag as a backdrop The law student, who got three grade As at A-level was obsessed with living like a celebrity, and dreamed of a Kim Kardashian lifestyle Lock with boyfriend Mark Price on holiday in Miami, (left) and the couple posing in front of a Ferrari spider hire car in Dubai (right) She and her drug dealer boyfriend Mark Price, 27, were setting off on a five-star holiday to Thailand when police pounced after being alerted Lock's Instagram account. Judge Tom Crowther QC told her: 'When police went to your home they found a large quantity of Rolex watches along with clothing and shoes from well-known aspirational brands. 'You could not resist flaunting your extravagant lifestyle on social media. One of Lock's purchases included these Christian Louboutin shoes Emily posed on Instagram with expensive clothes and accesories such as Versace slippers (left) and a Louis Vuitton phone case (right) Lock has been ordered to repay just 7,000 or face five more months in prison, as she only has assets left of 7,240 Mark Price (left) was jailed for seven years for possession of cocaine, and Lock (right) was sentenced to 15 months for acquiring criminal property 'You were dripping in clothes that could only be dreamed of by most people. 'You went on extravagant holidays and the plan for your Thailand trip was cruelly interrupted by your arrest.' Lock's dream of becoming a probation officer was 'in tatters' a previous hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard. Price showing off some of his designer gear in a social media selfie (left) and the couple together on a shopping trip Emily Lock with her Siamese cats Judge Crowther told her: 'You did well in school and went on to university. 'I have read letters from your schoolteachers, family and friends who struggle to reconcile what they know of you and what you did. 'You spent conspicuously and self-indulgently in full knowledge of how your partner was making his money - your lifestyle was funded by a Class A drug dealer.' Lock and Price earned 1,600-a-week from cocaine dealing splashing out on designer brands including Gucci, Cartier and Vivienne Westwood. Andrew Taylor, defending, said: 'She left school with three As at A-level and went on to study law and criminology at university. Lock and Price earned 1,600-a-week from cocaine dealing splashing out on designer brands including Gucci, Cartier and Vivienne Westwood, they often drove expensive cars such the Ferrari 458 Spider (left) 'Her ambition was to be a probation officer but like a lot of young people she was fixated by a Kim Kardashian type of lifestyle.' Lock was working as a 10,000-a-year Lidl supermarket cashier when she went on six luxury holidays with Price who had worked in the construction industry. Price who owned a a 40,000 Audi RS4, was jailed for seven years after admitting possession with intent to supply cocaine and fraud. Emily Lock Showing her Louis Vuitton running shoes (left) and Chanel trainers (right) His 'subordinate' Kyle Crowley, 28, was jailed for five years after admitting supplying cocaine and the production of cannabis. Crowley's partner, mother-of-one Dionne Thomas, 25, admitted acquiring criminal property and was given 120 hours unpaid work after the court heard she received just a single pair of shoes from the 'lucrative' drug dealing operation. A fifth defendant involved in the investigation, Christopher Morgan, 30, was jailed for 20 months after pleading guilty to growing cannabis with intent tom supply. All five defendants are from the Caerphilly area of south Wales. Investigating officer PC Michael Coles said after the case: 'I hope this sends a message to those who continue to be involved in the supply of controlled drugs, that you will not just be prosecuted, we will also use our powers to seize any financial assets you have acquired though criminality.' Three war memorials - honoring an airman, a naval officer and a soldier - have been stolen in West Sussex. The near life-sized 'silent silhouettes' are an initiative from the Royal British Legion to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War and to symbolise the communities that took part. A black silhouette of a soldier was taken from outside a Co-Op in Main Road, Yapton, overnight on Wednesday August 29. Three war memorials - honoring a naval officer, an airman and a soldier - have been stolen from Yapton and Petworth in West Sussex The other two memorial figures - the naval officer and airman - are believed to have been stolen over night five days later on Monday September 3 from St Mary's Church in Church Street, Petworth. The memorials are of great sentimental value and police are appealing for anyone with any information to get in touch. Cllr Chris Kemp, Chairman of Petworth Town Council, said: 'I am saddened by the theft of the sailor and airman from outside the church here in Petworth. 'I feel that it is a bit of thoughtless misguided mischief by those who do not understand or appreciate the significance of what these silhouettes represent. 'Many in our community here in Petworth have a personal connection to the Great War 100 years ago and have sponsored a soldier in memory of a family member or a person of significance. The first black silhouette of a soldier (pictured) was taken from outside a Co-Op in Main Road, Yapton, overnight on Wednesday August 29 'I have been moved by the emotion attached to this personal act of remembrance and thanks to those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.' Local resident Eileen Lintill said: 'I think it is very disrespectful to the memory of those they are representing and upsetting for those that have raised funds to provide them.' To mark the upcoming centenary of WWI the Royal British Legion invited the public to take part in a movement to say 'Thank You' to the generation who served, sacrificed, rebuilt and changed the nation. The silhouettes are near life-size and can be fixed to a wall or attached to an upright post in public or private spaces. A range of silhouettes, including the iconic image of a Tommy, have been placed across the UK. Other figures include soldiers from across the commonwealth, RAF/RFC, Navy Officers, munition factory workers and suffragettes. At their base are the words 'Lest we Forget' and business or community groups that buy or sponsor a silhouette can have its name incorporated in the base wording. After the first memorial was taken, a spokesperson for The Royal British Legion told the Standard: 'The Legion is shocked and saddened to hear of this incident. The Silent Soldier installations honour the memory of the Armed Forces personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice and those who defend the freedom we enjoy.' Anyone with anyone information about the thefts is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 78 of 03/09 (Yapton) or serial 1097 of 05/09 (Petworth). You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report it online. A woman was fined $42,000 for keeping 34 ducks, four chickens, three cats, two dogs and a guinea pig in her home under poor living conditions. Rachel Staines, 37, pleaded guilty before the Beenleigh Magistrates Court in Queensland for animal neglect. She will be paying a total of $42,409.50 for vet and boarding costs and an additional $92.90 for legal costs. Animal protection service RSPCA Australia also found that Ms Staines breached her duty of care to the animals upon inspection of her faeces-littered home, according to The Courier Mail. He added that Ms Staines was 'genuinely trying to look after' the animals Rachel Staines, 37, (pictured) pleaded guilty before the Beenleigh Magistrates Court in Queensland for animal neglect In September last year, neighbours reported to the RSPCA that the herd of animals were being kept inside Ms Staines' Beaudesert home. The following month, police and the RSPCA executed a search warrant of Ms Staines' home, where they found that 'there was a strong odour faeces and urine emanating from the house', The Courier Mail reported. However Mrs Staines has hit back at the RSPCA via her social media in a scathing post. 'This is about the mistreatment, blatant lies and preset agenda of rspca (sic) and the way they've intentionally orchestrated, lied, intimidated, bullied, harrassed (sic) and run their own agenda from the very beginning,' she claimed on Facebook. 'We are about to lose our precious ducks because of their vet's fabricated and trumped up so called ''expert opinion'' and the fact that they had absolutely no intention whatsoever of returning them to us,' she continued. 'Irrespective of the fact they had no case - they did what they had to and stooped as low as necessary just to get another ''notch in their belt''.' Solicitor Karl Brandon said that his client admitted that her home had unsanitary living conditions but also defended Ms Staines by saying that this was only a temporary situation Animal protection service RSPCA Australia also found that Ms Staines breached her duty of care to the animals upon inspection of her faeces-littered home She also went on to claim that the RSPCA had no reason to take her animals from her. 'I know our story is far from unique, in fact so far from it, it's tragic, I KNOW there are so many others out there who've had their animals taken from them by RSPCA for absolutely NO legit reason, been treated like criminals and in the end,' she wrote. The court also heard that some of the ducks and chickens were underweight and suffering from mild bumblefoot, a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction on the bird's feet. One chicken was also euthanised due to septic arthritis. The court also heard that some of the ducks and chickens were underweight and suffering from mild bumblefoot, a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction on the bird's feet Solicitor Karl Brandon said that his client admitted that her home had unsanitary living conditions but also defended Ms Staines by saying that this was only a temporary situation until the straws were replaced. Mr Brandon also told the court that Ms Staines took the animals inside her home because the council previously seized some of them due to a noise complaint. He added that Ms Staines was 'genuinely trying to look after' the animals. Ms Staines has been banned from owning animals for two years and was put on 12 months' probation. A woman was fined $42,000 for keeping 34 ducks, four chickens, three cats, two dogs and a guinea pig in her home under poor living conditions A Russian scientist called Alexander Petrov who works at a secretive plant that produces smallpox vaccine has denied he is a GRU spy who was sent to Britain to assassinate Sergei Skripal. The 39-year-old, employed at mysterious Siberian 'scientific' company Virion in Tomsk, 2,235 miles from Moscow, insisted he had 'nothing to do with the Skripal story'. He made the denial after being highlighted by a Russian news agency as appearing to match one of two men identified by British antiterrorist police as being sent to Salisbury on a mission to kill Skripal, a former Moscow military spy double agent who was secretly working for MI6. Britain says two men - named Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov - unleashed the novichok attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March - but believes both names are aliases used by GRU military spies. A Russian scientist called Alexander Petrov (pictured) who works at a secretive plant that produces smallpox vaccine has denied he is a GRU spy who was sent to Britain to assassinate Sergei Skripal The 39-year-old is employed at mysterious Siberian 'scientific' company Virion - linked to scientific and manufacturing giant Mikrogen (pictured) - in Tomsk, 2,235 miles from Moscow. He insisted he had 'nothing to do with the Skripal story' Britain says two men named Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov (right) unleashed the novichok attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March - but believes both names are aliases used by GRU military spies 'This is a complete coincidence,' said Petrov in Tomsk, after being approached by a Russian news agency. 'Let alone London, I can't even manage to get to the Altai Mountains (in southern Siberia).' He works as a 'section foreman' for the Tomsk manufacturer Virion, linked to scientific and manufacturing giant Mikrogen, which has close ties to the Russian government. Virion develops and produces 'immunobiological medicinal products'. It is the sole manufacturer of smallpox vaccine in Russia. Russia is one of only two countries in the world - the other is the US - which holds officially sanctioned stocks of smallpox virus. The Russian stocks are held at Novosibirsk, near Tomsk. The two spies were pictured in Salisbury the day before the attack, when they carried out a reconnaissance trip Virion also produces a whole spectrum of vaccines for tick-borne infections. Petrov, born on July 13, 1979, appears to be a different man to a namesake living in Moscow whose grandparents worked for Stalin's notorious SMERCH killing machine which vowed 'death to spies'. The Moscow Petrov who also fell under suspicion after the names were revealed by Scotland Yard has gone to ground and was not seen at a block of flats to which he is registered. The other man named by Britain, Ruslan Boshirov, has also vanished. Britain in any case suspects that the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov are aliases used by GRU military spies sent to Salisbury to unleash a novichok attack on Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 34, who was visiting him at the time. Skripal had been swapped for flame-haired agent Anna Chapman as part of an east-west spy exchange in 2010. However, there has been speculation his former service, the GRU, was used in an assassination bid in revenge for his 'treason' in working for Britain. British Airways could face a 500million fine following a cyber attack which saw bank card details stolen from almost 400,000 passengers. The Information Commissioner's Office said it was 'making inquiries' after the shocking security breach was not detected for 16 days. Former Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry was among the BA customers to slam the airline while another customer is claimed to have had 1,600 hacked from her account. British Airways Chief Executive Alex Cruz said today the company is '100 per cent committed' to compensating customers but the airline could be fined under the provisions of the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). She tweeted: 'Furious @British_Airways. Found out re data breach from news, before you had the decency to tell me yourself I was likely affected' Under the new regulations, the maximum penalty for a company hit with a data breach is a fine of either 17million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is greater. In the year ended December 31, 2017, BA's total revenue was 12.2 billion, meaning the company could face a fine of around 500million if the ICO takes action. Businesswoman Ms Dewberry said she had been left 'vulnerable' after being forced to cancel her bank card while travelling alone in the middle of Vietnam. She tweeted: 'Furious @British_Airways. Found out re data breach from news, before you had the decency to tell me yourself I was likely affected. One customer reportedly had 1,600 hacked from her bank account with her friend writing on Twitter: 'So I guess this is what hacking looks like British Airways - my account looks fine, but my friend's account, not so much... what should she do?' It was posted by Sally Burtt-Jones alongside a picture of the passenger's bank account which apparently saw money being sent to BA.com 'We'll fly with someone else' Simon Nayyar received an email at 1.43am yesterday saying his card details and personal information may have been stolen. British Airways expressed its deepest apologies for the worry and inconvenience and urged him to contact his bank or credit card provider and follow their advice. Mr Nayyar, a senior consultant, who flies regularly with the airline on business, has a BA American Express credit card. He said it took him three attempts and more than 20 minutes waiting on hold to get through to American Express, which had been inundated with calls from worried BA customers. He was told it did not know whether the card had been compromised and could not give him any firm advice. As a result, he has decided not to cancel the card for the time being. The 51-year-old from London, who runs Acuitas Communications, which gives companies advice on reputation management, said: Ive been a member of BAs Executive Club for over 20 years and have spent a great deal of money with the airline. But whether you spend a lot or very little, no customer should be treated this way by a company that clearly doesnt take data breaches as seriously as they should. At some stage, many of us will vote with our feet and fly with someone else. Advertisement 'Im travelling alone in Vietnam and have had to put stop on the card, which makes me vulnerable & Im now spending precious [holiday] time trying to resolve.' One customer reportedly had 1,600 hacked from her bank account with her friend writing on Twitter: 'So I guess this is what hacking looks like British Airways - my account looks fine, but my friend's account, not so much... what should she do?' It was posted by Sally Burtt-Jones alongside a picture of the passenger's bank account which apparently saw money being sent to BA.com. Launching a furious tirade towards British Airways, Ms Dewberry said: 'All companies have problems, some of them will affect their customers. That is a simple fact of business. How the company reacts, communicates & cares, is everything. 'British Airways are failing badly on this. I cant even get a team manager in their call centre to call me.' Tweeting to Mr Cruz, the TV commentator, added: '@alex_cruz you say BA will work with affected customers. 'Yet Im one such customer & asking one of your call centre managers to call me and it seems impossible. '(I dont believe Im alone) All companies have problems, but its how you deal with them that separates good from bad'. Mr Cruz said the company had been hit by a 'very sophisticated, malicious criminal attack.' The security breach affects all 380,000 customers who booked flights online or via the BA app during that time using a debit or credit card. BA has insisted it had told customers about the security breach as soon as it could and it had now called in the police. But the cyber failure is a blow to the airline's once-renowned reputation for customer service with some victims vowing never to use them again. Launching a furious tirade towards British Airways, Ms Dewberry said: 'All companies have problems, some of them will affect their customers' Apprentice winner had to cancel her card 6,000 miles from home The 2006 Apprentice winner, Michelle Dewberry, is one of many British Airways customers lambasting the airline following a cyber attack on the company Michelle Dewberry only discovered her card details had been stolen when she read about BAs data breach in the news. The former winner of BBCs The Apprentice is on a backpacking trip around south-east Asia and has just landed in Hoi An in Vietnam. Travelling alone and in an unfamiliar city more than 6,000 miles away from her home in Hull, the businesswoman and broadcaster said the experience had been particularly stressful. Despite this, she says she has received precious little help or sympathy from BA. Like many thousands of others, the 38-year-old received an email from the airline alerting her about the hack and urging her to contact her bank. Anxious for guidance, she phoned BA and asked if a manager could call her back. She was told this was not possible. Miss Dewberry called her bank and, when she finally managed to get through, she was urged to trawl through all her recent transactions to check for suspicious payments. Worried she could fall victim to fraud, Miss Dewberry decided to cancel her main card and is now relying on a back-up card. She said: It is frustrating that BA has shown such little regard for me as a customer. I should be having a great time enjoying myself instead Im spending lots of time and money on calls trying to cancel my card and shift my money around. The fact that BA isnt even prepared to have a conversation with me about this is outrageous. I realise things can go wrong. But it is how a company reacts that separates the good from the bad. BA has ignored its customers. The whole experience has made me furious. Advertisement Mr Cruz said: 'We are deeply sorry for the disruption that this criminal activity has caused. We take the protection of our customers' data very seriously.' 'We know that the information that has been stolen is name, address, email address, credit card information; that would be credit card number, expiration date and the three-letter code in the back of the credit card,' Mr Cruz told the BBC, adding that no passport data had been hacked. The company said: 'The breach has been resolved and our website is working normally. British Airways Chief Executive Alex Cruz (pictured) said today the company is '100 per cent committed' to compensating customers whose financial information was stolen British Airways customers have vented their fury at BA, especially about how long it took them to notice 'British Airways is communicating with affected customers and we advise any customers who believe they may have been affected by this incident to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their recommended advice. 'We have notified the police and relevant authorities.' Advice is currently being given to those who may have been affected, including resetting passwords on the BA website. The airline said it will contact people who it believes may have had their data collected by the criminals. Compensation claims will be discussed on a 'individual basis' the firm said. Alex Cruz, British Airways' chairman and chief executive, said in a statement: 'We are deeply sorry for the disruption that this criminal activity has caused. 'We take the protection of our customers' data very seriously.' The airline said it was investigating the breach as a 'matter of urgency' and had reported it to the police and other 'relevant authorities'. The National Crime Agency has been brought in. British Airways has admitted hackers spent more than two weeks accessing data online resulting in a risk to passengers Just last month, British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group said profits had hit 989 million for the first half of the year. BA raked in 780 million of that sum. The breach was revealed at 6.27pm yesterday, after the stockmarkets had closed. What to do if you have been affected by the British Airways data theft If you believe you have been affected by this incident, then please contact your bank or credit card provider and follow their recommended advice. Please check back here for further updates, we will be updating this page. How do I know if I have been affected? This relates to customer bookings made from 22:58 BST August 21 2018 to 21:45 September 5 2018 inclusive. We will be contacting affected customers directly to advise them of what has happened and are advising them to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their recommended advice. Will there be any compensation? We take the protection of our customers' data seriously, and are very sorry for the concern that this criminal activity has caused. We will continue to keep our customers updated with the very latest information. We will be contacting customers and will manage any claims on an individual basis. What data has been lost? The personal and financial details of customers making bookings on ba.com and the airline's mobile app were compromised. No passport or travel details were stolen. Should I call my bank or cancel my credit cards? We recommend you contact your bank and follow their recommended advice. What shall I do if I am due to travel today? The incident has been resolved and all systems are working normally so customers due to travel can check-in online as normal. Will I still be able to check in? Yes, all customers booked on our flights will be able to check in as normal. Will this affect any future bookings? The incident has been resolved and ba.com is working normally so future bookings will not be affected. Source: britishairways.com Advertisement A spokesman confirmed that the airline had discovered the breach on Wednesday evening, but needed time to investigate the matter and assess which customers were affected. The data breach affects all customers who booked flights online or used the BA.com app from 10.58pm on August 21 to 9.45pm on September 5. BA said it had received no reports from customers who had had money fraudulently taken out of their account. It added that the breach had been 'resolved' and the website was 'working normally'. The airline has taken out full-page advertisements in today's newspapers, including the Daily Mail, apologising to customers. Shares in BA's parent company, IAG, were down 2 percent on Friday. Everyone affected by the breach was urged to contact their bank or credit card company as soon as possible. The leak is significant because the scale of the payment information accessed by the hackers is almost without precedent in the UK. Telecoms firm TalkTalk was handed a record 400,000 fine by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in 2016 when data from 156,959 customers was leaked the previous year, but financial information from just 15,656 was accessed. Banks are legally obliged to refund customers who have had money fraudulently taken from their account, but the hack raises fears that BA customers' details will be sold on the 'dark web' to fraudsters intent on hacking their accounts. Britain's flagship carrier has suffered a series of knocks to its reputation for customer service. An IT shutdown last summer grounded flights and resulted in tens of thousands of passengers being stranded across the world. In July this year BA apologised after computer issues caused dozens of flights in and out of Heathrow to be cancelled. The month before, more than 2,000 BA passengers had their tickets cancelled because the prices were too cheap. Customers took to social media to criticise the airline last night with many hitting out at BA for failing to contact them directly about the data breach. One customer said on Twitter: 'Idiots. So as an executive club member they have my card details, my passport, tel, email etc. All because you outsource IT to joke places to save money.' Alex Neill of Which? said: 'It is now vital that the company moves quickly to ensure those affected get clear information about what has happened and what steps they should take. 'Anyone concerned they could be at risk of fraud should consider changing their online passwords, monitor bank and other online accounts and be wary of emails regarding the breach.' The BA Twitter account has been bombarded with complaints about the way they have handled the crisis British Airways joined a growing list of companies whose customers had had their details stolen. In July, Dixons Carphone admitted a huge data theft. The airline has taken out full-page advertisements in today's newspapers (pictured), including the Daily Mail, apologising to customers for the breach Initially, the company said 5.9 million customer bank card details and 1.2 million personal data records had been hacked in 2017 and went unnoticed. Later, the company backtracked on its original figures and amended the total of customer records that had been accessed to a staggering 10 million. Access was also gained to non-financial personal data, such as addresses, names and email information. The major data breach involved shoppers at Currys PC World and Dixons Travel but bosses insist there is no sign of any related fraud. Simon Migliano, head of research and cyber security expert at Top10VPN.com, said: 'This serious security breach at BA could be sending the dark web into a frenzy. 'Financial information is extremely valuable and highly desirable and our Dark Web Market Price Index shows that credit card details can sell for 56.50 each. 'This means the value of the 380,000 hacked accounts on the dark web could be as much as 21.5m. 'And it won't take long for word to get around that Christmas has come early.' Jair Bolsonaro, known as the Brazilian Donald Trump, was stabbed in the stomach while being carried through a crowd in Juiz de Fora, part of Minas Gerais in the south east of the country during a campaign rally for next months election. Currently leading the polls in Brazil, Bolsonaro was caught on a number of cameras collapsing and clutching his stomach as the assailant struck him in his lower half, before he was rushed to hospital by car. The far-right politician, who has outraged many in the country with his racist and homophobic comments, had surgery for injuries to his intestines and is expected to recover after the attack, but who is Jair Bolsonaro? Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro gives thumbs up to supporters alongside wife Michelle Who is Jair Bolsonaro? Born Jair Messias Bolsonaro on March 21, 1955 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he is a former military officer of Italian descent and is regarded as a polarising, controversial presidential candidate because of his populist views, as reported by The Sun. As the leader of the PSL (Social Liberal Party), Bolsonaro is the second in the polls to ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is banned from running because of criminal conviction for corruption. His ambitious yet aggressive nature could stem from his background in the military, having served in the Brazilian armys parachutist units for seventeen years and reaching the rank of Captain. It has been reported that while he worked in Congress, following his time in the army, he hired his third wife Michelle as a secretary and she was promoted multiple times and her salary tripled in the space of two years. Michelle Bolsonaro, the wife of the National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair After Brazils Supreme Court ruled that nepotism was illegal in the public administration, Bolsonaro was forced to fire her. He has been married three times and has five children and the couple now live in Barra da Tijuca, a wealthy area of Rio de Janeiro. Jair is also known as the Brazilian Trump, due to his racist, sexist and homophobic comments, in addition to his gun promotion. According to the BBC, Bolsonaro has been involved in scandal, especially after he told Playboy magazine in 2011 that he would be incapable of loving a gay son and he would rather see that son die in an accident. After this, in 2015, he was fined for saying that Congresswoman Maria do Rosario was not worth raping, she is very ugly in a newspaper interview. He was later investigated for alleged racism over remarks he had made about Afro-Brazilians. Despite his advocation of loosening the countrys gun control laws in order to deal with crime, Bolsonaro is in fact supported by millions of evangelical Christians because of his anti-abortion stance. Right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro reacts after being stabbed during a rally in Juiz de Fora Bolsonaro stabbing Footage of Bolsonaros stabbing revealed that while he was held at shoulder-height by a crowd of supporters, an assailant struck his stomach with what appeared to be a knife. Shortly after, he is slowly lowered to the ground, before being bundled into a car. After the attack, Jairs son Flavio Bolsonaro said that his injury had been worse than we thought and the puncture had hit parts of his fathers liver, lung and intestines, resulting in a lot of loss of blood. The presidential candidate had arrived at the hospital with a [blood] pressure of 10/3, almost dead. His condition now seems stabilised. Pray, please! the tweet read. After two hours of surgery, Bolsonaro was recuperating and would remain in hospital for at least seven days, as reported by BBC. Jair Bolsonaro is carried away after being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora The suspect has been arrested and the police named him as Adelio Obispo de Oliveira, officials having later declared him mentally disturbed. He was beaten by supporters before being taken into custody before electoral rivals also condemned the stabbing. Fernando Haddad, who is expected to replace Lula for the Workers Party, said that the attack was absurd and regrettable and President Michel Temer said that it was intolerable in a democratic state such as Brazil. Brazilian stocks also rose after the attack on Bolsonaro, which has been seen as increasing his chances. Bolsonaro 2018 As President Temer is not standing for re-election, millions of voters remain undecided. According to research company Ibope, Bolsonaro will have a strong first round but lose a run-off to leftist Ciro Gomes, environmentalist Marina Silva or ex-Governor of Sao Paulo Geraldo Alckmin. A race against Lula's replacement, Fernando Haddad, could be much narrower with Ibope finding that Bolsonaro could lose to him by one percentage point. Haddad was charged with corruption and, like Lula, denies any wrongdoing. This comes after the Supreme Court rejected Lula's latest appeal to run and the Workers' Party has until the end of Tuesday to register Mr Haddad as its presidential candidate. A 64-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a British-born toddler in Australia nearly 50 years ago. Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer vanished from a shower block at a beach in New South Wales in 1970. She was one of four children to emigrate from Knowle, Bristol, to Australia in 1969, with the family-of-six living at a hostel near Fairy Meadow Beach, 40 miles south of Sydney, at the time of her disappearance. Cheryl Grimmer (left) disappeared from New South Wales in 1970 - and her mother Carole Grimmer (right) was pictured with her three brothers Stephen, Ricki and Paul one day later A 64-year-old man (pictured with his face pixelated) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a British-born toddler in Australia nearly 50 years ago The military joined police in the search for three-year-old Cheryl in January 1970 after she disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong The accused man, originally from Britain, was arrested in Melbourne in March last year and appeared at the Supreme Court in Sydney today via video-link. The man, who cannot be named as he was a minor at the time of the alleged offence, spoke only to confirm his name and not-guilty plea. A trial will take place at the same court in May. Cheryl was last seen out the front of a toilet block at Fairy Meadow Beach, in Wollongong on January 12, 1970. She had gone to the changing rooms with her brothers when she vanished. Detectives have said they doubt that Cheryl's body will ever be found and her relatives have previously spoken about their ordeal. One family member said she 'cannot leave her children alone for one second' as a result of the toddler's disappearance outside the surf club. This ransom note for $10,000 was sent to Cheryl's parents after three days but no one showed up to collect the money where police dressed as council workers lay in wait Cheryl was last seen out the front of a toilet block at Fairy Meadow Beach, about 90 minutes south of Sydney, after going to the changing rooms with her brothers Cheryl's parents Carole and John, pictured eating with their children the day after she went missing in January 1970, died without ever knowing the truth about what happened to her Her brother Stephen Grimmer and niece Melanie have both said the whole incident had been 'very traumatic'. The Grimmer family say they have been deluged with tributes from friends and relatives, including from Britain. Last year it emerged that plans were in the works for a commemorative plaque to be laid for Cheryl at the spot where she went missing. Cheryl's brother Stephen Grimmer, now in his 50s, revealed in December 2016 that his parents Carole and John died without ever knowing the truth. Mrs Grimmer died four years ago, and on her deathbed made the brothers promise to find out what happened the day her daughter went missing during the family trip. The hangover continues for the Bulldogs with a major sponsor cutting ties with the club over the Mad Monday scandal. The Canterbury Bulldogs stars were pictured stripping naked and vomiting in the street during boozy end of season celebrations at Sydney's Harbour View Hotel this week. The fallout from the drunken Mad Monday celebrations has now seen Electronics company Jaycar, who have backed the team since 2009, decided to end its $500,000-a-season partnership. The fallout from the drunken Mad Monday celebrations has now seen Electronics company Jaycar, who have backed the team since 2009 Adam Elliott (right) is one of two players charged over the Bullldogs Mad Monday celebrations Company founder and owner Gary Johnston said it could no longer be associated with the team. 'Unfortunately, I just could not ignore this behaviour,' he told Fairfax. '[The club had] not bothered to contact us over this matter to explain their side of the story if there is one,' he said. It is understood that Mr Johnston plans to float the company on the stock exchange and requires a spotless reputation for share-buyers. The scandal has been costly for the club. Adam Elliott, 23, and Asipeli Fine, 25, were charged on Thursday after the pair were allegedly photographed dancing nude on a pub balcony. The men were also fined $25,000 each by the club for their alleged drunken antics. Marcelo Montoya - who was pictured having thrown up and passed out on the street - and Zac Woolford were also fined $10,000 each by the club. The Canterbury Bulldogs' Mad Monday celebrations saw the 63-year-old licensee of the Harbour View Hotel in the heart of Sydney slugged with five penalty notices The hotel where the players ran amok has been hit with five penalty notices - two for permitting indecent behaviour and three for permitting intoxication on a licensed premises. Police issued three of the notices for allegedly breaching the New South Wales Liquor Act by permitting intoxication on the premises during the club's private event. As a result, the pub could be slapped with heavy fines, face trading hour restrictions or even be shut down - which would have a chilling effect on Sydney pubs ahead of the festive season. Electronics company Jaycar has to ended its $500,000 a-season partnership with the Bulldogs after the Mad Monday scandal A hospital failed to give basic care to an elderly patient who died from multi-organ failure due to a severe bedsore. Peter James McBride was admitted to Port Pirie Hospital, South Australia in 2015 after falling twice in the same day. The 86-year-old suffered with dementia and was waiting in the regional hospital until a bed became available in the local aged-care home, the ABC reported. His distraught wife Alisa said she was she was 'horrified' by the coroners findings and said her husband 'should never have died'. 'It's very sad. I've lost a wonderful husband and father. I miss him terribly. Peter James McBride (pictured) suffered with dementia and was waiting in the regional hospital until a bed freed up in the local aged-care home 'I hope someone else doesn't have to go through what my dear husband had to go through it must've been agony for the poor man,' Mrs McBride told the publication. Mr McBride remained in the hospital's care for eight weeks and was cared for by three separate GP's. In an inquest in to the death of the former harness racing trainer, state coroner Mark Johns found there was a lack of communication between the staff at the hospital which led to issues 'in and of itself'. The coroner said Mr McBride's treatment was inadequate, that the best-practice treatment methods were not adhered to and the use of a catheter and sedative drugs were unnecessary. Despite the care from the three doctors - no notes were kept referencing his bedsore. Nurses were also found to have fed the elderly man with an extensive use of anti-psychotic medication which left him in a sedative state contributing to his bedsore. Mr McBride has died from a number of complications of excessive bed rest and poor nursing care,' expert geriatrician Associate Professor Craig Whitehead said. Mr McBride was transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where he died on April 11. Striking bird's eye view pictures from a new book have revealed the impact humans are having on the earth's environment. The incredible aerial images show colourful tulip fields, the blackened earth around mines and brown slowly replacing green due to deforestation. Other stunning shots show other man-made structures such as dams taking over the landscape, a rusting train graveyard and pier stretching out into the ocean. The amazing photographs were taken across Germany by photographer Tom Hegen, 27, from Munich, as part of his HABITAT project. The mother of a ten-year-old girl who was allegedly hung from a tree by a classmate has opened up about the state of devastation the family has been in since. Belinda Yoon said that the attack on her daughter has not only impacted Amber, who suffers from a severe medical condition, but the entire family. Amber suffers from a condition called Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula and Oesophageal Atresia (TOF-OA) meaning that when she was born her oesophagus was connected to her trachea. She has had countless surgeries, is extremely susceptible to choking and can only hear out of one ear. Belinda Yoon said that the attack on her daughter has not only impacted Amber (pictured), who suffers from a severe medical condition, but the entire family Amber came home from school and told her mother a classmate had tried to kill her by hanging her from a tree (Picture: Amber's neck after the alleged incident) Last month Amber came home and asked to speak to her mother privately before she burst into tears and told her what happened at the Queen of Apostles school in Riverton, Western Australia. Mrs Yoon was in shock as her daughter told her what happened, including that a teacher had sternly told her what she was doing was wrong. The school didn't contact Mrs Yoon or her husband and so, after she called a specialist who knew the details of Amber's condition, she called the police, who are investigating. However what Amber says happened has had a domino effect on the family. The mother-of-four told Daily Mail Australia: 'When I say this literally devastated our whole family, it really did. 'I can't even describe to you. There were days, especially last week, when we couldn't sleep. Anytime we opened our mouths we just cried.' Amber's younger brother, Hunter, 9, is changing schools as a result of what happened to his older sister. 'My daughters are just devastated.' One of Mrs Yoon's older daughters is in her first year of university while another is in Year 10. Belinda Yoon (pictured) was in shock as her daughter told her what happened, including that a teacher had sternly told her what she was doing was wrong. Amber's younger brother, Hunter, 9, is changing schools as a result of what happened to his older sister (Pictured: Amber and her mother Belinda) She said one of them recalls holding Amber as she had a serious medical scare, believing her little sister was going to die. 'It is just a mix of anger and hurt,' Mrs Yoon said. As a result members of the family have missed school, angry at what allegedly happened to their sister. Mrs Yoon, who was in her second year as a nursing student, has had to withdraw from university so she can help her child get the help she needs as a result. Amber, who has never complained through countless procedures and wears her scars 'like war wounds' has always been a happy little girl, according to Mrs Yoon. Despite countless visits to the hospital she has never needed psychological help but last week her mother took her to her first appointment because of what she went through on that Friday. The bullying that Amber was experiencing was first brought to the attention of the school after Mrs Yoon found a 'heartbreaking' diary entry (pictured) from her daughter as she asked why none of her friends would play with her 'As I was reading them a common theme was recurring and it was the frustration and heartache at the lack of a system that does not yet exist', Mrs Yoon posted on Facebook The bullying that Amber was experiencing was first brought to the attention of the school after Mrs Yoon found a 'heartbreaking' diary entry from her daughter, her mother said. 'I can't get off my mind why won't my "friends" won't (sic) play with me,' the young girl wrote in a new diary after ripping out her previous entries, revealed by Nine News. 'And haven't been treating me not (sic) very nice. 'Pray for me please.' Mrs Yoon said that her and her husband Dave have almost lost Amber countless times due to her medical condition She described herself as the 'weird girl' and she wrote that nobody would sit with her. In a meeting two days before Amber was found hanging from a tree school officials said that there was evidence her daughter was being excluded, Mrs Yoon said. Mrs Yoon has opened up about her daughter's ordeal because she felt as though the school was trying to silence her and she was so angry. She told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have to do something. I can't let another family feel this pain. There is no feeling like it. 'We have been scared before - we thought we were going to lose her many times. 'But this was so different because it was completely preventable and it didn't need to happen.' Mrs Yoon told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have to do something. I can't let another family feel this pain. There is no feeling like it' Mrs Yoon has opened up about her daughter's ordeal because she felt as though the school was trying to silence her and she was so angry She and Amber have been targeted by people on social media as a result of their claims but Mrs Yoon said she and her daughter have stayed up all night reading positive messages. 'It was nothing but love,' she said. 'She was feeling shame. I was going, "Baby, you're so brave" and she said "What, for being bullied?".' Mrs Yoon had to tell her ten-year-old the shame wasn't on her. 'I told her people are so inspired by you because you have spoken out.' But now she feels responsible for everyone who has sent her a message thanking her for using her voice, to the countless parents of children who contacted her with their own horrific story with bullying. She and Amber have been targeted by people on social media as a result of their claims but Mrs Yoon said she and her daughter have stayed up all night reading positive messages Mrs Yoon is calling for government change about regulations regarding bullying because of the horrific effects it can have on children. She said: 'Children are killing themselves over this. They're not heard and the families are just heartbroken and they're trying to fight a system that doesn't exist.' She wrote on Facebook: 'Australia I have heard you, I am with you, and with your help we will create this much needed change. I will get the smile back on my little Amber's face and fight to never have another family have no where to turn when bullying occurs. Australias had enough our government needs to listen.' Mrs Yoon said she understands that there are children involved and that as long as what happened to her daughter is investigated, how she is feeling is validated and change is made that that is one positive outcome from this ordeal. A spokesperson for Catholic Education Western Australia, on behalf of the school, told Daily Mail Australia: 'Responding to media reports in relation to an alleged incident involving students attending Queen of Apostles Primary School, Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) continues to consult with the families of the individual students, the school, WA Police, and relevant authorities. The Catholic Education Western Australia described the situation as 'complex and sensitive' and said they are working with the families involved and the police 'This is a complex and sensitive issue and it is being managed with due consideration for the confidentiality that is required. 'CEWA is aware the incident has reasonably caused distress within the school and wider community and is treating the matter with compassion and respect for the dignity of all those impacted. 'The safety and welfare of all students remains the highest priority for CEWA and we will continue to work with the families of the individual students involved, the school, WA Police and relevant authorities to ensure their concerns are comprehensively addressed.' A Scottish building firm has been accused of 'glamourising rape culture' with a poster of a scantily-clad woman captioned: 'We don't pull out 'til the job is done'. Core Drilling Specialist Limited (CDS Ltd) have been branded 'misogynistic' after displaying the offensive picture onto the side of a generator in Edinburgh city centre. The poster shows a blonde cartoon woman wearing a minuscule cropped top with the bottom of her breasts clearly visible. She is also wearing hot pants, a hard-hat and holding a sledge hammer, alongside the slogan: 'Core Drilling: We don't pull out 'til the jobs done.' Core Drilling Specialist Limited (CDS Ltd) have been branded 'misogynistic' after displaying the offensive picture onto the side of a generator in Edinburgh city centre Non Jones shared the initial photograph of the sign with the caption: 'Casual misogyny courtesy of CDS Ltd Scotland in association with Malmaison Hotels - what awesome companies they must be' Locals spotted the advertisement at a building site outside Malmaison hotel near St Andrew's Square on Tuesday. The image was later shared on Twitter where furious social media users blasted the company saying it would be 'better suited to the 1970's'. One wrote: 'As a woman who works in the construction industry - this makes me mad. Welcome To The 1970's.' While another said: 'I've been in construction for over 10 years and I've never seen anything like this?! Absolutely shocking.' CDS Ltd have so far refused to comment on the scandal, while Malmaison have issued an apology and had the sign covered within an hour of being notified. Non Jones shared the initial photograph of the sign with the caption: 'Casual misogyny courtesy of CDS Ltd Scotland in association with Malmaison Hotels - what awesome companies they must be.' Speaking to a local paper yesterday, a female staff member for C.D.S said that they didn't find the poster distasteful. She said: 'It doesn't bother me at all. It's only a cartoon character.' It comes after Jark Norfolk, which is the UK's largest independent recruitment agency, sparked anger with their advert of a woman wearing a skimpy bikini next to the caption 'Want to see my white bits?' A spokesperson for Malmaison Hotels said: 'It has been brought to our attention that a supplier to a sub-contractor of one of Malmaisons development partners was responsible for an offensive image near our new Edinburgh site. 'Naturally we expect all of our suppliers to uphold the same high standards of decency, and we immediately stepped in to resolve the issue.' A spokesperson for Core Drilling Specialists, based in Bathgate, West Lothian, said: 'We are deeply sorry for the offence this image has caused. 'Were a local company with female employees, we all have mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, and recognise this type of sexism has no place in our society nor the construction industry, which has worked so hard in recent years to achieve equality for all. 'We are devastated that this wholly unacceptable cartoon image, which was on an old generator, has caused distress and its now been removed. 'We hold our hands up and concede it was poor judgement, we got it wrong and we apologise to everyone affected by it.' Social media users shared a link to CDS Ltd's Twitter page in June which apparently showed the poster and dubbed it a 'company meme'. The post has now been deleted. It comes after Jark Norfolk, which is the UK's largest independent recruitment agency, sparked anger with their advert of a woman wearing a skimpy bikini next to the caption 'Want to see my white bits?'. The ad which was sent out to its entire database also wrote beneath the main header: 'Oops sorry, I meant white collar candidates.' The Norwich based firm quickly recalled the image after screenshots were posted online by furious recipients. A number of Jark Norfolk clients have stated the firm had 'seriously misjudged their target audience'. It is believed Jark Norfolk has issued a private apology to their clients, but the company declined a request to comment. The furious hunt for the senior leaker who trashed President Trump in an anonymous op-ed heated up Friday, after reports Trump has a list of 12 suspects and still more denials from top officials who said they didn't do it. The effort came as Trump leveled a new attack on Bob Woodward's bombshell book, which reveals chaos in the White House and senior aides scurrying to thwart the president's worst impulses. Trump said the book isn't accurate because 'I don't talk the way I am quoted.' Trump Tweeted Friday that 'The Woodward book is a scam.' In President Donald Trump's speech he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation The president continued: 'I dont talk the way I am quoted. If I did I would not have been elected President. These quotes were made up. The author uses every trick in the book to demean and belittle. I wish the people could see the real facts - and our country is doing GREAT!' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has suggested lie detector tests for senior aides in just one of the aggressive options to try to identify the author from within his own administration who charged Trump with holding 'off the rails' meetings, filled with 'repetitive rants' that produce 'half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions.' Another tactic being floated is to force aides to sign sworn affidavits stating that they weren't behind the leaks. FBI Director Chris Wray is the latest top official to deny being behind the devastating op-ed, after Vice President Mike Pence and a raft of cabinet secretaries and senior aides said they didn't do it. Top aides have already been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, so it is unclear what additional weight an affidavit might carry. An outside advisor said the White House has winnowed down the list of suspects to just a dozen, the New York Times reported. Trump tweeted Friday that Bob Woodward's book is a 'scam,' after saying an anonymous op-ed might be 'treason' Trump's rebuttal of the Woodward book about the way he comes off in direct quotes cuts to the storied author's unique methods. In the book's forward, Woodward notes that he has done hundreds of hours of interviews, conducted on 'deep background.' Woodward writes in the forward to the book, which was obtained by DailyMail.com: 'When I have attributed exact quotations, thoughts or conclusions to the participants, that information comes from the person, a colleague with direct knowledge, or from meeting notes, personal diaries, files and government or personal documents.' The book contains numerous eye-catching quotes from the president in private settings that show him in a different light from those who know his verbiage from public events. For example, Trump unleashes a slew of expletives when Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon ask him to cut a $50 million check to his campaign in one scene in the book. 'No way,' Trump responded. 'F*** that. I'm not doing it 'Where the f***'s the money? Where's all this money from these [donor] guys? Jared, you're supposed to be raising all this money. Not going to do it.' In a post-election scene in the book, Trump bashes a South Korea trade deal but uses its technical acronym in a way that would be unfamiliar at any Trump rally. 'I'm tired of these arguments!' Trump is quoted as saying at a meeting. 'I don't want to hear about it anymore. We're getting out of KORUS.' Trump said Thursday that an anonymous op-ed slamming him in The New York Times was an act of treason, asserting something he has only written with a question mark to date. 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said The title used by the Times op-ed page, 'a senior official in the Trump administration,' could refer to hundreds of people. 'The Times should never have done that because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason. You could call it a lot of things,' the president said in Billings, Montana. Trump was being interviewed by Fox News Channel co-host Pete Hegseth in one corner of the Rimrock Auto Arena, with a live audience of more than 10,000 people. In his speech he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation. 'Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she,' he finally declared. Trump repeated a challenge he had already issued to the Times on Twitter, demanding the paper's nameless author's head on a platter. 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said. 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup. 'And it's really bad and it's really dangerous,' he said. 'And it's really sad for the media.' Scroll down for video Trump extends his hand to Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale during his 'Make America Great Again' rally in Billings, Montana Trump's stemwinder was met with unanimous cheers. No protesters raised their voices. During his pre-show interview with Fox, he speculated about who might have written the piece, focusing on people working 'at a fairly low level' who may want to give the public a false picture of what's going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 'I don't mind when they write a book and they make lies, because it gets discredited,' he said. 'We just discredited the last one.' But he admitted that he 'can't discredit' the Times turncoat 'because you don't know who they are.' The culprit could be a non-Republican lurking in his administration, he suggested, or 'it may be a deep-state person that's been there a long time.' The president had suggested ahalf-hour earlier that he would put muscle behind efforts to identify the official who broke ranks to claim in the Times that a 'resistance' of aides is trying to subvert the president's worst instincts for the good of the country. DailyMail.com asked him on the tarmac in Billings how he planned to uncover the disloyal official's identity. 'We're going to try!' he yelled, over the noise of an idling Air Force One. As Air Force One was on approach for landing, Trump flexed his Twitter muscle in the Times' direction, while one of the paper's star photographers was sitting on the plane. 'Are the investigative 'journalists' of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?' he wrote. President Trump flew to Billings, Montana on Thursday for a rally but found time beforehand to tell a TV interviewer that an anonymous, disloyal aide had committed an act of treason by trashing him in a New York Times essay Trump greets the crowd as he arrives for a 'Make America Great Again' rally in Billings, Montana Trump's assertion about 'treason' marks the first time he's used that word about the Times op-ed without a question mark A supporter of the US president wears a t-shirt reading 'CNN sucks' during the rally in Billings, Montana Trump supporters wave placards at the rally in Montana. Trump suggested the culprit behind the op-ed could be a non-Republican lurking in his administration, he suggested, or 'it may be a deep-state person that's been there a long time' More than 10,000 people crowded into an arena in a Montana city of 110,000 Trump mocked the New York Times in a tweet as he was landing in Billings (pictured above) ahead of a rally Trump seemed content for most of the day while watching the drama of a Washington-wide molehunt play out on television and Twitter, and appreciatively consuming reports of Cabinet members denying any involvement in the journalistic bombshell. A White House official said in the afternoon that the president would 'probably go there in Montana' anticipating a stem-winder about the op-ed. But the official wouldn't predict Trump's willingness to field direct questions from the press about who was and wasn't under suspicion. Trump boarded Marine One on the South Lawn without approaching a waiting gaggle of reporters. At Joint Base Andrews, he strode methodically up the Air Force One stairway, never coming near a traveling press corps that shouted questions about how he would unmask his deep-state Judas. And despite a nearly four-hour flight to the upper plains, he didn't stray to the aft press cabin to talk: He was saving his rhetorical bullets for Fox News. Trump's aides had televisions in the press cabin of Air Force One tuned to Fox News during the four-hour flight, while the network was totaling the senior officials who denied being behind the op-ed Practically Trump's entire cabinet including these famous faces and the first lady have all declared they're not responsible for the mysterious op-ed Non-Fox reporters were treated to a nonstop Fox feed on TV screens while the network was reporting on an ever-lengthening list of Cabinet officials and other Trump A-listers who denied having anything to do with the Times essay. At one point Fox filled its screen with a grid of 32 faces including Vice President Mike Pence, Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis. First lady Melania Trump said in a statement: 'To the writer of the oped - you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions.' Another White House official said Thursday that West Wing aides couldn't wait for the president to leave town, knowing it would 'lower the building's blood pressure and give him a reboot' in an atmosphere where he excels. Trump held his Montana rally in support of U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Jon Tester. He blames Tester for scuttling his White House physician's nomination to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary. Dr. Ronny Jackson, a respected Navy admiral, was forced to withdraw following Tester's accusations that he oversaw a 'toxic' work environment, drank on the job and overprescribed medication. The president, who insisted none of it was true, pledged that Tester would ultimately have a 'big price to pay in Montana.' Tester, he said Thursday, 'will never 'drain the swamp' because he happens to live in the swamp.' 'Jon Tester talks like he's from Montana, but he votes like he's Nancy Pelosi,' he said, lumping the Democrat in with one of the nation's most liberal lamakers. Trump needed the rally to publicly shake his Etch-a-Sketch following a week of revelations that hit his team like a series of kidney punches. Trump's senior aides have all scrambled to disown the op-ed that appeared in the Times on Wednesday that slammed the President's leadership style as impetuous, petty and ineffective First came excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book 'Fear,' which paints the president as an ill-prepared and crude leader whose lack of impulse control drove senior aides to protect him from himself. In one vignette, Woodward describes then-chief economic adviser Gary Cohn literally swiping a draft memo from the Resolute Desk to derail Trump's goal of ending a crucial Korean trade agreement. Scuttling the longstanding deal would have introduced uncertainty into Washington's relationship with Seoul and could have jeopardized America's use of South Korean real estate for an ambitious missile-detection program. Internal fallout from the Cohn affair inside the West Wing had barely softened from panic to mere shock when The New York Times twisted the knife. The publication of Wednesday's unsigned op-ed, which the Times claims was penned by a 'senior' administration official, struck a variation on the same theme. Its central claim is that a winking, nudging cabal of aides considers its primary mission to save the republic from Trump's ham-fisted ways. 'Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations,' according to the still-unidentified writer. This is the moment Prince Harry made a little girl feel like a princess as he asked her to swear a 'pinky promise'. The caring royal met irrepressible Matilda Booth, seven, who has Spina Bifida, at the WellChild awards for seriously ill children earlier this week and won her heart as they linked little fingers, with Harry making her promise she would 'never stop smiling'. 'Never stop smiling because you have a beautiful smile,' he said, prompting the youngster from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, to beam from ear to ear. Although the moment was reported on across the globe, no one had seen it until now. The footage has been passed on by Matilda's grateful family to Mail Online. Scroll down for video Caring Prince Harry made a pinky promise with seven-year-old Matilda Booth and asked her to swear to 'never stop smiling because you have a beautiful smile' at the WellChild awards Matilda's family say she will 'always remember the pinky promise she made with Prince Harry and when she is feeling poorly or in hospital she will always remember to carry on smiling' They say she has vowed she will 'always remember the pinky promise she made with Prince Harry and when she is feeling poorly or in hospital she will always remember to carry on smiling'. Matilda, who was accompanied by her mother, Sharon, also got to meet Harry's wife, the Duchess of Sussex. The youngster presented her with a posy of white roses - the emblem of Yorkshire - but Meghan, 37, plucked one out, gave it back to her and told her to keep it in her 'memory box'. Harry, 33, cheekily interjected and asked if the flowers were for him. Photographs taken of the day as well as an article about their meeting, published in the Daily Mail, are also going in Matilda's special collection. Mrs Booth told Mail Online: 'Matilda has loved seeing her photos all over the papers and online.... she thinks she is famous! 'We have started writing a letter to the couple to say thank you. Matilda is dictating it and I am writing it as my daughter cannot write. She has referred to Prince Harry and Meghan as her "New Royal friends" and says she is sad she will never see them again but will always remember the pinky promise she made with Prince Harry and when she is feeling poorly or in hospital she will always remember to carry on smiling. 'She makes me laugh as she now wants to meet the Queen and her dogs!' The annual WellChild awards took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, and celebrated the unbelievable bravery of the nation's most seriously ill children and the carers who selflessly look after them. Matilda's mother Sharon Booth said they are writing a thank you letter to the couple, that she now calls her 'New Royal Friends' and the seven-year-old would like to meet the Queen The youngster presented her with a posy of white roses - the emblem of Yorkshire - but Meghan, 37, plucked one out, gave it back to her and told her to keep it in her 'memory box' It was the first time that Meghan, 37, wearing what is fast becoming her trademark black trouser suit, has attended the event. She admitted that she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears. Her husband Harry has been patron of the WellChild charity since 2007. Matilda, who was chosen as the country's most inspirational girl in the age 4-6 category, spent her early years in hospital and has had more than 40 operations, including brain surgery seven times. Despite this, the beautiful little girl with the big smile - who says she wants to be a nurse when she is older - has a huge zest for life and impresses all she meets with her courage, strength and determination. Mrs Booth said of the royal couple: 'They were just so lovely. It was very exciting. Matilda had watched the royal wedding and was very nervous about meeting them but they completely put us at ease. 'They got down to Matilda's level and she gave Meghan a posy. But she took one out and handed it back to Matilda and told her to keep it in her memory box. She made her feel so special. Prince Harry, patron of the charity WellChild since 2007 and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex talk with seven year old Matilda Booth at the annual awards 'Prince Harry also told her she had such a lovely smile. They also wanted to meet Simon, her toy dog, who is named after Simon Cowell. She is inseparable from him.' Matilda was still clutching her rose and toy afterwards - with a beam that went from ear to ear. Harry also asked Mrs Booth if she would get emotional during the evening. When she said she would, the Duchess reassured her: 'By the way, me too. I won't be able to hold back.' WellChild is a national charity for seriously ill children, funding nurses, home makeover projects and family support service to enable to them live at home with their families outside of the hospital environment. To support the charity's valuable work see their website. Spina Bifida occurs when a baby's spine and spinal cord fail to develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine. It can result in weakness or total paralysis of the legs, bowel issues and hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid on the brain. This is the terrifying moment 52 desperate migrants struggle to escape a dinghy as it sinks in the middle of the sea. Spanish authorities rescued the asylum seekers as they tried to reach Europe from Morocco. Dramatic footage showed the migrants leaping from the side of their sinking dinghy onto a rescue boat as they tried to scramble to safety. Migrants scramble on top of one another as they try to escape their sinking dinghy off the Spanish coast The asylum seekers, who'd made their way from Morocco, jumped from the side of their boat onto a rescue raft Some of them crashed into the water, while others failed to cling on and slipped over the edge as they made the jump onto the yellow raft. They were pulled to safety in the Alboran Sea off Spain's southern coast by the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (Sasemar) who sent a rescue boat and helicopter. According to Sasemar, all the African immigrants they found at sea were rescued but four people died after setting off from Morocco. Prior to the rescue, Sasemar workers rescued a dinghy in a similar situation with 51 migrants on board, including five dead people. The vessel was spotted by a Sasemar aircraft and rafts were lowered to them so that they could wait safely for a rescue boat to arrive. The 51 asylum seekers are taken to the Port of Motril in Andalusia. From January until July this year, 318 migrants have died at sea trying to reach Spain From January until July this year, 318 migrants have died at sea trying to reach the Spanish coast. This number is three times more than recorded numbers for the same period in 2017. Reports said that 1,500 people have died in the Mediterranean Sea in total this year. A Chinese university's dining hall is making students work extra hard to earn the privilege of free Wi-Fi. Students at the elite Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Jiangsu province, known colloquially as Nanhang, are asked to solve a complex calculus question before they could access the protected network. The seemingly ridiculous-looking math question was printed on a laminated sign next to the menus listing the various food items at the Xinyuan Ethnic Restaurant on campus. 'Wi-Fi password is the first eight digits of the math problem below,' the sign indicated in Chinese. Students at the elite Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics are asked to solve a complex calculus question before they could access the protected network. 'Wi-Fi password is the first eight digits of the math problem below,' the sign indicated in Chinese The seemingly ridiculous-looking math question was printed on a laminated sign next to the menus listing the various food items at the Xinyuan Ethnic Restaurant on the school campus Ji jun, deputy director of the university's food administration department, told Beijing News that it is a basic question in further maths. 'If a student can't solve it, he/she should really study harder,' she said. 'Don't use the Internet!' The school decided to come up with the question to let pupils have fun with mathematics and to remind first-year students to study hard, she added. One student told reporters that if a a person has practiced enough, you should be able to solve the equation in 30 seconds. Can you solve the question in 30 seconds? The answer is actually a familiar number to many Since posted, Chinese social media was set ablaze by the math question, with many net users speculating what the answer might be. Others gave up immediately: 'I don't deserve to use the Wi-Fi... I'll go study instead,' one commented. Some posted images of their answers online, completed with steps showing their work. The answer - which is a familiar number to many - is actually 31415926, or pi. Advertisement These images are some of the world's most beautiful libraries, captured by a photographer who travelled the globe to see the stunning architecture. Massimo Listri's 30-year pursuit of the word's most exquisite sites has taken him to the likes of medieval chambers and vast 19th-century libraries, clad in rich mahogany which light up the room as well as solid marble pillared galleries. Others feature grand statues, globes, sprawling mezzanines, ornate chandeliers and golden ceiling installations with thousands of books lined by gilt-edged pillars. The photographer, from Florence, Italy, said everything about these grand venues attracts him - from the simple smell of dust, leather and wood to the pleasure of opening an aged book. Massimo's travels have taken him to the likes of Trinity College, Dublin, home of the Book of Kells, the oldest library in Naples, a monastery in Austria and sprawling research facilities housed across Europe. Other venues have played host to the likes of baroque halls and even bats, which protect the books from becoming damaged by insects. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - The Vatican Library - in Rome, Italy, has around 1.1 million printed books and was built by Pope Nicholas V in 1450 to lure pilgrims and scholars to the city Nicolas wanted the create a public library for all scholars and it was meant to be seen as an institution for humanist scholarship Nicholas' death prevented him from carrying out his vision, but his idea lived on through his successor, Pope Sixtus IV, who lived from 1471 to 1484, who established what is now known as the Vatican Library Photographer Massimo Listri, from Florence, Italy, said that everything about these grand venues attracts him - from the simple smell of dust, leather and wood, to the pleasure of opening an aged book The Vatican Library is a research library for history, law, philosophy, science and theology and is open to any member of the public who can document their qualifications and research needs The Vatican Secret Archives, that contain another 150,000 items, were separated from the library at the beginning of the 17th century and contains another 150,000 items The library has striking colourful pillars and detailed representations of important moments in Vatican history Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the institution was founded in 1837 by a group of 43 Portuguese immigrants and political refugees to promote culture among the Portuguese community in the city The building, designed by the Portuguese architect Rafael da Silva e Castro, was erected between 1880 and 1887 in the Neo-Manueline style with thick dark wooden bookcases The library is full of Gothic-Renaissance features from the time of the Portuguese Discoveries - the territorial and maritime discoveries during the 15th and 16th centuries The ceiling of the Reading Room has a beautiful chandelier and a skylight in iron structure, the first example of this type of architecture in Brazil as well as a beautiful monument of silver, ivory and marble Biblioteca Comunale, Fermo, Italy, dates from 1758 and features a large globe as the centrepiece and a balcony containing a collection of inscriptions and antiquities Photographer Massimo Listri said: 'Libraries are different than all the other architectural interiors because they contain the books' El Escorial Library, Madrid, Spain, was founded in 1565 and is an UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the Spanish royal sites, functioning as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school and hospital The library sits in the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial which is the historical residence of the King of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, around 28 miles (45km) northwest of Madrid In November 1984, the site the library sits, the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo of El Escorial, was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site The library is a popular tourist attraction, often visited by day-trippers from Madrid with more than 500,000 visitors come to El Escorial every year Wiblingen Abbey Library in Germany was founded in 1093 by count Hartmann and Otto von Kirchberg who acquired the abbey fore their role in the First Crusade in 1099 A former Benedictine abbey, it was later used as barracks and now houses several departments of the medical faculty of the University of Ulm In 1806 Bavarian troops left after occupying the abbey and auctioned off all the remaining furniture. The South Wing was rebuilt in 1917 and is now retirement homes Codrington Library is part of All Souls College - a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Nicholas Hawksmoor begun designing the library in 1716 and contains some 185,000 books and manuscripts Unusually for an Oxford college library, access to the Codrington is open to all members of the university and contains a significant collection of manuscripts and early printed books, and attracts scholars from around the world Biblioteca do Convento de Mafra, in Mafra near Lisbon, Portugal. Construction began in 1717 and after being finished in 1755, it was eventually classified as a National Monument in 1910 This vast complex is among the best examples of Baroque buildings in Portugal and is nearly nine acres in size (40,000 metres), making it one of the largest royal palaces in the country The palace, which also served as a Franciscan monastery, was built during the reign of King John V of Portugal, who lived from 17071750, after he vowed to build a convent if his wife, Queen Mariana, gave him a child The former monastery near Lisbon has many Gothic features and has a balcony with a high arched ceiling Saint Emmerams Abbey in Germany, was a Benedictine monastery founded in around 739 in Regensburg, Bavaria. Massimo Listri added: 'For me they are the most beautiful environments in the world, where, in addition to being an object of beauty at a glance, there is the substance of knowledge' Biblioteca Statale Oratoriana dei Girolamini in Naples, which is the oldest library in the Italian city and has been open to the public since 1566. It is the second oldest in Italy after the Malatestiana in Cesena A press conference for the opening of the ancient library of the Girolamini to the students of the High School of History and Philology in May last year Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Dario Franceschini during a press conference at the press conference to open the ancient library Church of Girolamini interior features many ornate details on the intricate ceiling and gilded pillars. Mr Listri said, 'I would like to live in a library' Seitenstetten Abbey Library in Austria, on the site of a monastery was founded in 1112. Massimo Listri added: 'I have photographed architecture since I was 18 and I am a bibliophile. These two things together led me to make the book on libraries' Stiftsbibliothek Kremsmunster library in Kremsmunster, Austria, was founded in 777 by Tassilo III, the Duke of Bavaria, reportedly on the site where his son, Gunther, had been attacked and killed by a wild boar during a hunting trip. The monastery library was built between 1680 and 1689 and contains around 160,000 volumes Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve is a public and university library in Paris, France, which inherited the collection of the Abbey of St Genevieve. The library contains around 2 million documents and was the inspiration for the Boston Public Library The library was built under the direction of architect Henri Labrouste and construction started in 1843. The building was finished in December 1850 and opened to the public on February 4 1851 During a period of decline in the 17th century, the library was dispersed and its contents sold, sometimes for the value of just their paper alone. In the next century, efforts were made to rebuild the library by buy back what books remained on the market The exterior of the Parisian library, in the city's Latin quarter, is plain compared to the interior's detail in the ironwork and masonry, which is due to architect's studies of Roman architecture General Archive of the Indies, Sevilla, Spain, houses valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines and has been an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987 The interior of the General Archive of the Indies in Sevilla. A large vaulted ceiling over a room which acted as trade buildings and a mercantile exchange A staircase in the General Archives of the Indies, Seville, which was made the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 Advertisement A new glass-bottomed suspension bridge in east China is giving thrill-seekers a heart-stopping day out. The 228 meter (748 foot) -long crossing in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province dangles visitors 600 feet above a valley floor - equivalent to about 60 storeys - and has just opened to the public this month. Constructed with 56 super-strong glass panes, the vertigo-inducing glass-bottomed bridge at the Taihuyuan scenic area is able to support the weight of 700 people simultaneously. The 228 meter (748 foot) -long crossing in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province dangles visitors 600 feet above a valley floor Since its launch in September, tourists across the country have been flocking to visit the bridge for the thrilling experience Tourists pose for photos on the 60-storey-high glass-bottomed suspension bridge at the Taihuyuan scenic area To add to the terrifying experience, the see-through bridge that is 2.8 metres (nine feet) wide also features a cracking effect to scare visitors. The project started last November and was completed in June, adding to the beautiful landscape of Hangzhou, a top tourist destination in China. Since its launch, tourists have been flocking to visit the bridge, according to Zhejiang Online. Video footage of the adrenaline-packed expedition shows tourists hovering carefully over the glass panes while desperately grasping onto the rails. Others are seen enjoying the panoramic views of the trees and canyon while taking selfies. 'It seems pretty shaky to me!' one man told reporters while holding onto the barrier with both hands. Constructed with super-strong glass panes, the glass-bottomed bridge can support the weight of 700 people simultaneously The see-through crossing that is 2.8 metres (nine feet) wide also features a cracking effect to scare visitors The project started last November and was completed in June, adding to the beautiful landscape of Hangzhou city Eric Newman, 53 (pictured) was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the January 19 death of Tamara Loraine Tucker, 50 A Kansas man has been charged in federal court with killing a woman while they were aboard a cruise ship from Florida to the Bahamas in January. Eric Newman was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the January 19 death of Tamara Loraine Tucker, the Department of Justice announced in a statement released on Thursday. Newman and Tucker were long-time lovers, according to her obituary. 'I miss u more than u will ever know I hope some day soon we can be reunited. Love always and forever,' Newman, 53, wrote in a Facebook remembrance group in honor of Tucker, on April 7. Tucker died two days after her 50th birthday. The indictment alleges the Topeka, Kansas man and Tucker, of Lawson, Missouri, were aboard the Carnival Elation, a vessel registered in Panama, when Tucker died. Newman (left) is accused of Tucker's killing, but prosecutors did not released further details about the incident related to her alleged murder 'I miss u more than u will ever know I hope some day soon we can be reunited. Love always and forever,' Newman, 53, wrote in a Facebook remembrance group in honor of Tucker, on April 7 Newman is accused of her killing, but prosecutors did not released further details about the incident related to her alleged murder. Carnival Cruise Line, which operated the ship on which Tucker died, said a woman 'fell from her balcony to several decks below' while aboard the Elation on January 19, in a previously released statement. The Carnival Cruise Line cruise ship departed and arrived from Jacksonville, Florida, with a scheduled stop in the Bahamas. The cruise began on January 18 in Jacksonville, Florida and was scheduled to last for four days The couple shared many photos on social media, appearing to be very much in love Carnival Cruise Line, which operated the Carnival Elation cruise ship on which Tucker died, previously said a woman 'fell from her balcony to several decks below' on January 19; A stock image of the ship is shown here The cruise began on January 18 and was scheduled to last for four days. Tucker's obituary described Newman as her 'partner and long-time love.' A photo of the couple posted by Tucker on November 1 prompted an eerily premonitional comment from someone who appears to have been a mutual friend of Tucker and Newman. Tucker's obituary, published in January, described Newman as her 'partner and long-time love' A photo of the couple posted by Tucker on November 1 prompted an eerily premonitional comment from someone who appears to have been a mutual friend of Tucker and Newman Tucker began work at Park University in 2007 'That man better be treating you right! Or u could visit me in the islands lol,' a Facebook user identified as Andre Jones wrote on December 16. Tucker replied only with a photo a tropical setting. Tucker was a full-time faculty member in the social work department at Park University in Parkville, Missouri, from 2012 to 2017. She was an adjunct instructor before that, beginning in 2007, the Kansas City Star reported. Newman's first court appearance in the case was on Thursday, which is the same day that the indictment against him was unsealed by a judge. Newman appeared before the Honorable Ross A. Walters, US Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Iowa. His detention hearing is scheduled for September 12. Anti-racism demonstrators clashed with supporters of conservative UK politician Nigel Farage in Melbourne on Friday night. More than 200 protesters gathered outside the Sofitel Hotel to protest the presence the right-wing figurehead, who was one of the driving forces behind Brexit. The controversial politician turned media commentator was at the venue to present the last speech of his Australian tour. Police made five arrests as protesters clashed with Farage supporters as they arrived at the hotel. A large crowd gathered outside a Melbourne hotel in protest of the appearance of UK politician Nigel Farage Protesters clashed with Nigel Farage supporters with police forced to intervene a number of times Far-right activist Neil Erikson was arrested by police while trying to enter the event. 'Was just arrested at Farage event in Melbourne. Just got released from lock up,' Mr Erikson later posted on Facebook, along with a photo of his arrest. There were other aggressive confrontations between protesters and supporters with police forced to intervene several times. It was also a chance for police to use its new powers to search anyone without a warrant in the CBD bounded by Spring, Bourke, Flinders and Russell streets. The crowd of protesters were organised by the Coalition Against Racism and Fascism (CARF). 'We will have chant sheets, placards, you bring yourselves, your friends and your hatred of this fascist filth. It's going to be an amazing evening,' the group posted on Facebook on Friday. Nigel Farage during a talk at Perth Town Hall earlier in the week This female supporter needed to be escorted by police into the venue Up to 100 officers surrounded the Sofitel Hotel in Melbourne on Friday night Andrew Nolch, the man charged with defacing the Eurydice Dixon memorial after the young woman's recent rape and murder, was one of those entering the event. A post on CARF's Facebook page said that Nolch's attendance 'revealed the true nature of Farage's movement.' 'Nigel Farage you can't hide, we can see your Nazi side' and 'Nazis are racist, Muslims are not' were among the chants yelled. A protest organiser told the crowd (pictured) the protest has succeeded in reducing the attendance at the event Police said promoters of the Nigel Farage event will be foot the bill for the increased security A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that five arrests were made at the event. Two people were arrested in relation to outstanding matters, one for criminal damage, another for riot behaviour while the final person was arrested for covering their face and assaulting police. At least a hundred police officers were at the event and formed a four-officer deep barricade at the Sofitel entrance. A protest organiser told the crowd the event has succeeded in reducing the attendance at the event. Five arrests were made outside the Sofitel Hotel on Friday night 'Nigel Farage you can't hide we can see your Nazi side' and 'Nazis are racist, Muslims are not' were among the chants yelled Penthouse Magazine publisher and event promoter Damien Costas told The Age he'd had worked with police in the months leading up to Friday night's event. He also dismissed claims he would be footing the bill for security. 'I don't expect them [police] to charge me at all, we've discussed no fees whatsoever and I would actually think that it's an international disgrace on Victoria if police were to charge a member of the European Parliament for protection,' he told the publication. Police arrested five people on Friday night for various offences But a Victoria Police spokesman told The Herald Sun that event promoters will foot the bill. 'As per the Victoria Police (fees and charges) Regulations 2014, Victoria Police has the right to charge any event organiser for the use of police resources,' he said. 'Victoria Police does not disclose the cost of engaging our services, or the private discussions held as part of the arrangements.' A white Dallas police officer is facing manslaughter charges for shooting dead a black man in his home after she entered his apartment thinking it was her own. The unnamed female officer was off duty and returning home from work Thursday night when she entered 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean's apartment. Dallas authorities say the uniformed officer was confronted by Jean, pulled her gun on him and fired. The officer then called dispatch to report the shooting. When authorities arrived she told them mistook Jean's apartment for her own. Jean, who grew up on the Caribbean Island of St Lucia and worked as a PricewaterhouseCoopers associate, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Botham Shem Jean, 26, was shot dead in his home by a Dallas police officer Thursday night Jean, who grew up on the Caribbean Island of St Lucia and worked as a PricewaterhouseCoopers associate, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Jean is seen above in a Facebook photo The white unnamed female officer said she mistakenly walked into Jean's apartment thinking it was her own A blood sample was drawn from the female officer to determine her drug and alcohol levels, Police Chief Renee Hall said in a press conference Friday afternoon. Dallas police are now seeking a warrant for manslaughter charges against the cop. Hall confirmed that the officer is white, but she did not say whether investigators believe race was a factor in the shooting. She added that the officer would be identified pending any charges. The shooting happened just before 10pm at South Side Flats, an upscale apartment complex in downtown Dallas. The victim was treated at the scene before he was taken to the hospital and died. Authorities have not said how the officer got into Jean's home, or whether his door was open or unlocked. The apartment complex is just a few blocks from Dallas' police headquarters. Hall said it's also not clear whether there was any interaction between the two before Jean was shot. 'Right now there are more questions than there are answers,' Hall said. Jean grew up on the Caribbean Island of St Lucia and worked as a PricewaterhouseCoopers associate Botham Jean graduated from Harding University in Arkansas in 2016, pictured speaking at the university in 2014 Dallas authorities say the uniformed officer was confronted by Jean, pulled her gun on him and fired The shooting happened just before 10pm Thursday at the South Side Flats, an upscale apartment complex in south Dallas After moving to the US, Jean attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where he often led campus worship services before graduating in 2016, the school said in a statement. That July, he went to work for PwC in risk assurance. In a news conference Friday morning Sergeant Warren Mitchell acknowledged there are many questions about what happened that he couldn't answer. 'We still have a lot to do in this investigation,' he said. Mitchell said that the officer was not injured and will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Residents of the apartment complex said they can access their units with a regular key or through a keypad code. Two women who live on the second floor near where the shooting happened said they heard a lot of noise late Thursday. 'It was, like, police talk: ''Open up! Open up!''' 20-year-old Caitlin Simpson told The Dallas Morning News. Yazmine Hernandez, 20, was studying with Simpson when they heard the commotion. 'We heard cops yelling, but otherwise had no idea what was going on,' Hernandez said. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night Family members have taken to Facebook to grieve the loss of Jean. Earl Jean, believed to be his uncle, wrote: 'My heart goes with you my boy... never thought this day would come.' He added: 'I am lost for words... part of me has left!' Earl's words have been met with an outpouring of support and calls for 'justice'. The Dallas Police Department is conducting a joint investigation with the District Attorney's Office for this case. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has said America's 'illegal interference' in Syria must end as he met his Russian and Turkish counterparts today. Rouhani hit out at the 'illegal presence' of the US in Syria as he held talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Iran's capital, Tehran. The leaders are discussing the looming military assault on the region of Idlib in northwestern Syria, the last major stronghold of active opposition to Syria President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Rouhani said: 'The illegal presence and interference of America in Syria which has led to the continuation of insecurity in that country, must end quickly. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (centre) has said America's 'illegal interference' in Syria must end as he met Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) today Rouhani (right) hit out at the 'illegal presence' of the US in Syria as he held talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin (centre) and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a final decisive battle for Idlib Erdogan (centre) called for a cease-fire and an end to airstrikes in Idlib, something that wasn't immediately accepted by Putin (left) and Rouhani Smoke rises near the Syrian village of Kafr Ain in the southern countryside of Idlib province after an airstrike today He said the battle in Syria will continue until militants are pushed out of the whole country, especially in Idlib, but that any military operations should avoid harming civilians. And he added that 'we have to force the United States to leave' Syria. Rouhani did not elaborate on the comment. America has some 2,000 troops in Syria. 'The fires of war and bloodshed in Syria are reaching their end,' Rouhani said, while adding that terrorism must 'be uprooted in Syria, particularly in Idlib.' 'Fighting terrorism in Idlib is an unavoidable part of the mission of restoring peace and stability to Syria,' Rouhani told the summit in Tehran. 'But this battle must not cause civilians to suffer or lead to a scorched earth policy,' he added, amid UN warnings of a humanitarian disaster if an offensive goes ahead. Putin insisted Damascus as 'the legitimate Syrian government has a right and must eventually take under control all its national territory'. He warned militants in Idlib planned 'provocations,' possibly including chemical weapons. The Syrian government has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons in the long conflict. Iranian and Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has shored up the Damascus regime, allowing it to regain the upper hand in the seven-year civil war which has claimed some 350,000 lives since 2011. Seized from government forces in 2015, Idlib and adjacent areas form the final major chunk of Syrian territory still under opposition control. It is home to some three million people - around half of them displaced from other parts of the country, according to the United Nations. On Friday morning, Russian air raids pounded rebel positions in the southwest of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Putin (left with Erdogan) warned militants in Idlib planned 'provocations,' possibly including chemical weapons. The Syrian government has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons in the long conflict Turkey already hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and has sealed its borders to newcomers. Turkish leader Erdogan is pictured with Putin today Among them were positions of the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance, as well as of the hardline Ahrar al-Sham group, the Britain-based monitor said. Hundreds of civilians have already begun to flee Idlib ahead of what could be the last - and bloodiest - major battle of the devastating conflict. Erdogan meanwhile called for a cease-fire and an end to airstrikes in Idlib, something that wasn't immediately accepted by Putin and Rouhani. Turkey, which has long backed Syrian rebels, fears the assault could prompt a flood of desperate Syrians towards its territory. 'We never want Idlib to turn into a bloodbath,' Erdogan told his Iranian and Russian counterparts on Friday. 'Any attack launched or to be launched on Idlib will result in a disaster, massacre and a very big humanitarian tragedy,' he said, calling for a ceasefire in the province. 'If we can ensure a ceasefire here, this will be one of the most important steps of the summit,' Erdogan said. 'Idlib is of vital importance not only for Syria's future but also for our national security, as well as peace and stability in the region.' Each of the three nations has its own interests in the years-long war in Syria. Iran wants to keep its foothold in the Mediterranean nation neighboring Israel and Lebanon. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a flood of refugees fleeing a military offensive and destabilizing areas it now holds in Syria. And Russia wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by America's long uncertainty about what it wants in the conflict. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (pictured today) says 'we have to force the United States to leave' Syria Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a flood of refugees fleeing a military offensive and destabilizing areas it now holds in Syria. And Russia wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by America's long uncertainty about what it wants in the conflict Northwestern Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. For Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete what they see as a military victory in Syria's civil war after Syrian troops recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities, largely defeating the rebellion against Assad. A bloody offensive that creates a massive wave of death and displacement, however, runs counter to their narrative that the situation in Syria is normalizing, and could hurt Russia's longer-term efforts to encourage the return of refugees and get Western countries to invest in Syria's postwar reconstruction. For Turkey, the stakes couldn't be higher. Turkey already hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and has sealed its borders to newcomers. Syrian children are fitted with PAPER CUP gas masks as Assad prepares for 'bloodiest battle yet' Terrified Syrians are making improvised gas masks out of paper cups amid fears dictator Bashar al-Assad will launch chemical attacks during a push to seize the country's remaining rebel stronghold. Pictures show colourful party cups filled with cotton and charcoal being fitted to a child's face with a tightened plastic bag around his head in a village in Syria's Idlib province. The desperate tactic comes as the UN warned that a regime attack on the region of nearly three million could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Syria's seven-year war, displace up to 800,000 people and result in a 'bloodbath'. Terrified Syrians are making improvised gas masks out of paper cups amid fears dictator Bashar al-Assad will launch chemical attacks during a push to seize the country's remaining rebel stronghold Pictures show colourful party cups filled with cotton and charcoal being fitted to a child's face with a tightened plastic bag around his head in a village in Syria's Idlib province Assad has massed his army and allied forces on the frontlines in the northwest, and Russian planes have joined his bombardment of rebels there, in a prelude to a possible assault. A US official has warned there is 'lots of evidence' chemical weapons are being prepared by Syrian government forces in the region. Civilians in Syria's last major stronghold of active opposition to Assad's rule are preparing food and digging shelters ahead of an expected army offensive. They are also putting their faith in neighbouring Turkey's diplomacy to spare them from military action. 'We are preparing what little we can: small primitive masks we can place on our children's mouths in case we are hit with chemicals,' 20-year-old Shahad told Reuters from his village south of Idlib city, where he shares a house with his pregnant wife, three children and around 15 other people. His brother, 35-year-old construction worker Ahmed Abdulkarim al-Shahad, shows off the cavernous space under a cool, vine-covered courtyard the family has been digging and sheltering in from bombardment since 2012. 'Military preparations as we have seen are in full swing ... We as civilians have started preparing the caves,' he said, showing glass bottles of pickled vegetables shelved on the damp cave walls. Around three million people live in the rebel stronghold in northwest Syria, which comprises most of Idlib province and adjacent small parts of Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces. The desperate tactic comes as the UN warned that a regime attack on the region of nearly three million could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Syria's seven-year war, displace up to 800,000 people and result in a 'bloodbath' Hudhayfa al-Shahad fills a paper cup with cotton and charcoal in Idlib, Syria as he makes a make-shift gas mask About half of them fled fighting or were transferred there by the government under surrender deals from other parts of Syria as Assad has steadily taken back territory from rebels. The new U.S. adviser for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, said on Thursday there was 'evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared' 'I am very sure that we have very, very good grounds to be making these warnings,' he said. 'Any offensive is to us objectionable as a reckless escalation. There is lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared.' The White House has warned that the United States and its allies would respond 'swiftly and vigorously' if government forces used chemical weapons in the widely expected offensive. Jeffrey said an attack by Russian and Syrian forces, and the use of chemical weapons, would force huge refugee flows into southeastern Turkey or areas in Syria under Turkish control. In April last year, a Syrian government warplane dropped sarin on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib, killing more than 80 civilians, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry has said. It also said Syrian forces have used chemical weapons, including chlorine, more than two dozen times during the war. Damascus and its ally Russia both deny these charges and say they do not engage in chemical warfare. Idlib residents are fearful and Washington has warned Assad against using chemical weapons in any offensive, promising a response if he does so. Russia, Assad's ally, resumed air strikes against insurgents in Idlib on Tuesday following weeks of bombardment and shelling by pro-Syrian government forces in an apparent prelude to a full-scale offensive against the last major rebel enclave. Advertisement It has also created zones of control in northern Syria and has several hundred troops deployed at 12 observation posts in Idlib. A government assault creates a nightmare scenario of potentially hundreds of thousands of people, including militants, fleeing toward its border and destabilizing towns and cities in northern Syria under its control. Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Front for Liberation, said Friday his fighters were prepared for a battle that they expect will spark a major humanitarian crisis. 'The least the summit can do is to prevent this military war,' he said. Early on Friday, a series of airstrikes struck villages in southwest Idlib, targeting insurgent posts and killing a fighter, said Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Abdurrahman said suspected Russian warplanes carried out the attack. Turkey also doesn't want to see another Kurdish-controlled area rise along its border, as it already faces in northern Iraq. Allies of Boris Johnson today rallied around the former Foreign Secretary and insisted that news he is getting a divorce will not damage his leadership chances. The Tory MP, 54, announced he and his barrister wife Marina Wheeler, 54, are divorcing after 25 years of marriage following reports he cheated on her again. His daughter Lara 25, was overheard calling her father a 'selfish b*****' and insisting her mother would now 'never take him back'. But a number of Tory MPs today insisted that they do not think his marital problems will damage his prospects of replacing Theresa May. One said he thinks the news is part of a bid to 'clear the decks' so that Mr Johnson can have a clear run at the leadership without any major skeletons in the closet. And the bookmakers Ladbrokes said odds on him being the next Tory leader were cut at news of the divorce, while one punter placed a 2,500 bet on it this morning. Boris Johnson 54, (pictured today driving in Uxbridge) announced he and his barrister wife Marina Wheeler, 54, are divorcing after 25 years of marriage following reports he cheated on her again Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline: 'I don't think it makes any difference to his leadership chances. 'I think he is clearing the decks for a leadership run. 'I would like to see a leader of the Conservative Party who I have confidence can beat Jeremy Corbyn in a general election, and I think Boris has that charisma and appeal.' Mr Bridgen, who has sent a letter of no confidence in Mrs May to party chiefs, added: 'The Prime Minister has stuck with the Chequers proposals and I have no confidence in Chequers, therefore I have no confidence in Theresa May.' He said that Mr Johnson will be the 'star attraction' at the Tory party next month where he will address a rally of up to 1,000 people. He added: 'Boris has that star appeal that charisma.' Tory MP Nigel Evans told Sky News: 'It is a personal tragedy for both of them and I wish them both well. But it is a personal thing. Tory MPs (pictured left to right) Nadine Dorries, Andrew Bridgen and Nigel Evans all rallied around Boris Johnson as news emerged of his divorce this morning Boris Johnson (pictured with his wife Marina outside a polling station in May 2015) has a chequered love life amid reports he has had numerous affairs with other women 'We can all speculate about what happened in their personal lives, only they will really know. I wish them both well they have made this decision now and they are divorcing.' Asked if the announcement suggests Mr Johnson is not 'trustworthy', he added: 'It is 2018, we are not in the 1950s now, so things move on and people make judgements about people they are able to distinguish between personal lives and their public lives.' He said he does not think news of the divorce matters to Mr Johnson's political career. What are the odds on who will be the next Tory party leader? Here are the latest odds on who will be the next Tory party leader, according to the bookmakers Ladbrokes. Boris Johnson 7/2 Sajid Javid 6/1 Jacob Rees-Mogg 8/1 Michael Gove 8/1 Jeremy Hunt 10/1 Andrea Leadsom 12/1 Dominic Raab 14/1 David Davis 16/1 Penny Mordaunt 20/1 Ruth Davidson 20/1 Advertisement While Nadine Dorries, Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire, said she still backs Mr Johnson for the leadership. She told Sky News: 'We cannot continue with a Prime Minister who is non-consensual, who doesn't listen, who doesn't take on board people's concerns and acts in a presidential style. 'That is not how politics works, and I'm afraid it is the end of the road now.' She added: 'What I do know is both my party and the country needs a competent leadership, and they need a leadership that will deal with some of the many important problems that are facing us at the moment. 'That is not only Brexit - we do have a national domestic agenda, including housing and growth, which needs to be looked at. 'And I think we need somebody in Number Ten now that can take us forward in a much more positive way 'If we don't.we will be handing the keys of Number Ten to Jeremy Corbyn' She went on: 'Because the alternative is Jeremy Corbyn, we need somebody more than ever in Number Ten who has popular support from the people and Boris has that, and can win for the Conservative party.' Meanwhile, Ladbrokes announced this morning that they have slashed the odds of Mr Johnson being the next Tory leader from 4/1 to 7/2. They made the move this morning after a punter in Hampshire placed a 2,500 bet on him being the next Tory leader. Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: 'Boris can bat off all the gaffes and scandals in the land as far as punters are concerned as they will back him big regardless of his actions.' A news anchor has reported on her own daughter's deadly drug overdose in a desperate plea to end the opioid crisis. South Dakota journalist Angela Kennecke, 52, took to the air on CBS affiliate KELO-TV, where she has worked for 29 years, on Wednesday to share details of her daughter Emily's death in May. Staring solemnly into the camera, she began her broadcast: 'We have brought you many reports on the opioid crisis but now, the opioid epidemic has hit home in a tragic and devastating way for me personally. 'On May 16, my 21-year-old daughter Emily died of an overdose. Her official cause of death was fentanyl poisoning.' Kennecke, who has two other children and a stepson, went on: 'The loss of a child especially in this sudden and shocking way has turned my world upside down. 'I never intended a member of my family to become part of the statistic you hear on the evening news. Nobody does. There is no recovery for me or my family of the loss our our talented, smart, beautiful daughter Emily. Scroll down for video Angela Kennecke returned to work after four months off on Wednesday to report on the death of her 21-year-old daughter Emily who died of a fentanyl overdose in May I'm issuing a personal plea to end the stigma surrounding addiction and a call for action regarding the opioid crisis! pic.twitter.com/Ayxlf43UQm Angela Kennecke (@AngelaKennecke) September 5, 2018 Emily was an artist who was not living with her family when she died. Her mother said that every time she saw her , 'alarm bells' went off in her head but she had no idea how severe her addiction was 'Instead, I am forced to move forward and my only choice now is how I do that. 'My choice, even at great personal risk, is to share my daughter's story with all of you.' Emily, who was an artist, was found dead from a fentanyl overdose on May 18. Her mother had planned an intervention for three days later. Speaking on Wednesday, Kennecke said she never suspected her daughter was abusing opioids but said she had become aware that she was experimenting with drugs. 'It was soon pretty evident that the whole drug culture was attractive to her. I was really concerned as a mom. 'We would see Em quite a lot, she wasn't living with us - she was 21 years old - but the more time I spent around her before her death the more alarm bells went off in my head,' she said. 'I never intended a member of my family to become part of the statistic you hear on the evening news. Nobody does. The family hired an interventionist and had arranged to get Emily into rehab on May 20 but she died before they could ever seek professional help for her. 'We didn't get that chance. We didn't get a chance to get her into real treatment. Real help,' she said. Kennecke was stunned when she discovered the depths of her daughter's addiction, which also involved her using heroin. 'When I found out what she had been doing, the cause. It was unbelievable to me. The fact that my daughter would be using heroin and needles. 'My beautiful daughter who was very privileged, had every opportunity in life to have a great life had gone down this road. It was shocking to me,' she said. When she was found, the 21-year-old had taken six times the amount of fentanyl that is prescribed for an adult male. She is shown, left, around the time she graduated high school in 2015, and right, more recently Kennecke said it was obvious from 'early on' that her daughter found drugs 'attractive'. She was not living with her family when she began experimenting with drugs The pathologist said Emily had more then six times the recommended medical amount of fentanyl which would be required for an adult male. 'She was just a small young woman. She didn't stand a chance. That fentanyl killed her almost instantly when she injected it,' her mother said. Kennecke said she had decided to speak out about her experience because it could happen to 'any family'. 'My beautiful daughter,who was very privileged, had every opportunity in life to have a great life had gone down this road. It was shocking to me 'It's best if I just tell my story and let everyone out there know what happened to my daughter because I believe it could happen to anyone's daughter,' she said. Her goal is to destigmatize addiction to make it easier for families to cope with and to find 'better, more affordable ways' for young people to seek treatment if they find themselves in the grips of it. 'The reason I am doing this is that my only hope in the face of such devastating loss is that Emily's story, my family's personal tragedy, can be a catalyst for change. 'If 72,000 people were dying a year from any other cause, we would be uniting to end the suffering of so many families, so many mothers,' she said. Kennecke has launched a fund in her daughter's name to help people pay for the cost of treatment. It is called Emily's Hope and can be accessed through this link. Emily is pictured with her brother, sister and step-brother in April, a month before she died Kennecke, pictured with her husband and their children, now wants to destigmatize addiction 'I want her life and tragic death to at least give someone else hope. 'By telling Emiy's story and my story of loss and pain and suffering, I am opening myself up - I am being vulnerable to our audience in a way that I've never been before. 'It's super important I do that because if just one person hears me, if just one person does one thing to save a life, then I don't care about a million naysayers or a million people who don't understand. Emily's mother set up a fund to support other young people seeking treatment for addiction 'I just care about that one mother I can stop from experiencing the pain that I have,' she said. She added: 'She engaged in risky behavior but she didn't deserve to die. She was only 21.' The journalist said there was no way for her to describe the loss she and her family suffered with Emily's death and that the 'permanency' of it was devastating. 'Her chair sits empty at the kitchen table. That's when it really hurts when I look across and she's not there and she's never coming back. 'It's the permanency of it. I was robbed of my daughter. I was simply robbed. 'I consider myself a wordsmith, I write for a living every day, but there are no words to describe the devastation I feel at the loss of my daughter. 'There is nothing that can even come close to describe the grief and the sorrow and the pain. 'And all of the loss of what she could have been and what if. As a mom, I have a hole in my heat that will always be there. It is never going to heal. 'I have other children whom I love and a husband whom I love and other family whom I love, but nobody and nothing can replace the loss of my oldest child. Before returning to work on Wednesday, the mother took to Facebook to describe the decision as the 'hardest thing' she had ever done in her career. A body modifier charged with mutilating a woman's genitals and the manslaughter of another client has been granted bail. Brendan Leigh Russell, 37, spent just three weeks behind bars before his conditional release. His conditions include that he will need to move to Port Macquarie, on the New South Wales north coast, from Terrigal, not have a smart phone or access the internet or social media, according to The Daily Telegraph. Brendan Leigh Russell spent just three weeks behind bars before he was granted bail His conditions include that he will need to move to Port Macquarie, on the New South Wales north coast, from Terrigal He can't be within 500m of a body modification or tattoo parlor and he can't leave the house without his mother. The 37-year-old also must report to Port Macquarie police twice a day. Ahmed Dib, Mr Russell's lawyer, said that he would abide by the conditions. Mr Dib said his client needed to take mental health medication, which he was taking in the month before he was arrested. He said that Mr Russell needed to be put in protective custody and due to the nature of the charges there would be major delays in the case. The Crown Prosecutor argued against bail at Gosford Local Court, describing Mr Russell as a flight risk with a history of intimidation, according to the publication. He can't be within 500m of a body modification or tattoo parlor and he can't leave the house without his mothe Earlier this year he was charged with the manslaughter death of Samantha Hegyi (pictured) Magistrate Alex Mijovich granted bail and placed the strict conditions on the accused. Mr Russell was accused using a branding iron to burn a 33-year-old woman's labia major in 2016. Earlier this year he was charged with the manslaughter death of Samantha Hegyi. Ms Hegyi had gone back to Mr Russell's studio after a 'snowflake' implant he had given her on her right hand had become infected. He allegedly rotated the implant and then inserted a second one. Ms Hegyi had gone back to Mr Russell's studio after a 'snowflake' implant he had given her on her right hand had become infected The wounds were resealed but Ms Hegyi was found dead in her Toowoon Bay home by her seven-year-old daughter on April 12 last year. An autopsy ruled her death as a result of blood poisoning, according to police. Mr Russell also allegedly gave a woman a tummy tuck for $800, He allegedly indicated he had done many procedures like that before but the victim was left in horrific pain. She ended up in hospital after Mr Russell's advice of bandaging it and neurofen didn't work. The case will be back in court on October 12. An ex-convict has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting to death the mayor of a tiny North Carolina town and his wife inside their home. The Edgecombe County Sheriffs Office said 25-year-old Keith Williams, of Tarboro, was arrested on Thursday in the killings of Leggett Mayor Gary Skelton and Jackie Dawn Skelton. A second person of interest in this case is currently being held on unrelated charges. Scroll down for video Small-time slaying: Deputies in North Carolina have arrested Keith Williams, 25 (left), on first-degree murder charges in the killings of Leggett Mayor Gary Skelton and his wife, Jackie Crime scene: The couple were found dead on their property along State Highway 33 Prison records cited by WITN indicate that Williams had just been released from prison last Tuesday on parole after serving a sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon. Williams has a lengthy criminal record including convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, larceny, and assault on a child. Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson said at a news conference Friday it took his investigators just eight hours to solve the double murder. According to Leggett Town Commissioner Teresa Summerlin, Jackie Skelton, 66, was an oncology nurse at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, and didnt show up to work Thursday. Her coworkers contacted the sheriff's office to request a welfare check, which led to the discovery of the bodies on their property. Summerlin told WNCN the Skeltons were last seen alive on Wednesday night when they went out to dinner with another couple. It is unimaginable what they came home to last night, thats what sickens me to my core, how they must have felt, Summerlin told WRAL-TV. It sickens me and they were the epitome of good people, they were awesomely good people. Gary (pictured left with his son) was a retired banker who was in his second term as mayor. Jackie (pictured right with her granddaughter) was an oncology nurse Charlotte Observer reported that Gary Skelton, 70, was a banker at BB&T in Rocky Mount until retirement. He was in his second four-year term as mayor of the eastern North Carolina town of Leggett with a population of around five dozen. He was putting his heart into this town, Summerlin told the Observer. The couple are survived by three grown sons and multiple grandchildren. Julian Assange is in 'extremely poor health' and his condition will become 'life-threatening' if he is not released from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Wikileaks' lawyer has said. Greg Barns, an Australian lawyer in Assange's team has called the UK government 'cruel and inhumane' for refusing to let the Wikileaks founder leave the embassy for medical treatment without being arrested. 'What is remarkable is that Julian remains so mentally alert and is able to function physically given the inevitable impact of six years detention without natural light or access to fresh air on a constant basis. Julian Assange is in 'extremely poor health' and his condition will become 'life-threatening' if he is not released from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Greg Barns, an Australian lawyer in Assange's team (pictured together) has called the UK government 'cruel and inhumane' for refusing to let the Wikileaks founder leave the embassy for medical treatment without being arrested Greg Barns, a member of Julian Assange's legal team, speaks at a rally outside the British consulate in Melbourne, Australia 'However if there is not a resolution to his case in other words, the UK guaranteeing that he will not be extradited to the US the reality is Julian's health will deteriorate to the point where his life is in serious danger' Mr Barns told iTWire. Last week, Vaughan Smith, a journalist and supporter of Assange, said he was worried for his well-being after he was banned from using the internet, phones or having visitors. Assange was banned from having any contact with the outside world except via his legal team after he posted a tweet questioning the UK government's claim that Russia was behind the Novichok attack in Salisbury, in March. Meanwhile there are rumours that Ecuador is being pressured to rescind Assange's asylum so he can be arrested by British police and potentially extradited to the US. Robert Mueller is believed to be looking into Assange and Wikileaks as part of his Russian election meddling probe. Charging documents allege communications between Russian agents posing as hacker Guccifer2.0 and 'Organisation-1' - believed by many to be Wikileaks. Julian Assange pictured on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy Australian-born Assange was granted Ecudorian citizenship at the end of last year and has been in self-imposed isolation inside the embassy since 2012 after a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of rape and molestation failed It is not known if Mueller has enough evidence to charge Assange. Even if Mueller does not charge him, Assange would almost certainly face charges over the leak of millions of highly-sensitive US diplomatic cables in 2010. If he is leaves the embassy, he would be immediately arrested by British police for failing to surrender on a warrant related to a since-dropped rape case in Sweden. While in British police custody, he could be hit with charges by American authorities, which would spark and extradition request. Assange's supporters fear this renewed interest could persuade Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, who has already called him a 'hacker', to sacrifice him. Australian-born Assange was granted Ecudorian citizenship at the end of last year and has been in self-imposed isolation inside the embassy since 2012 after a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of rape and molestation failed. The girlfriend of Brisbane Broncos forward Joe Ofahengaue has opened up about her battle with breast cancer and the couple's decision to start a family. In a candid interview with The Courier Mail, Sofi Leota, 23, discussed the shocking moment she realised something wasn't right and later receiving the diagnosis. The 23-year-old also discussed how she and Ofahengaue made the decision to not let her cancer diagnosis determine the future of their family by undergoing IVF. Sofi Leota (left) of Brisbane Broncos forward Joe Ofahengaue (right) has opened up about her battle with breast cancer and the couple's decision to start a family Ms Leota was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer on April 24 after she accidentally found a lump on the side of her right breast while watching TV. The 23-year-old wasted no time seeking treatment, and has since undergone a mastectomy of her right breast and has numerous rounds of chemotherapy. Despite knowing what she needed to do, Ms Leota said there was a brief moment of doubt in her mind - but she soon realised treatment was a 'no-brainer'. 'I changed my mind,' she said. 'My biggest thing was, I'm a chick. I need my boobs.' The 23-year-old said having the support of Ofahengaue and her family helped her to realise that having treatment was a matter of saving her life. While she described the effects of chemo as minimal, Ms Leota said 'being stripped' of her right breast and losing her hair was the toughest part of treatment. Ms Leota (pictured) wasted no time seeking treatment, and has since undergone a mastectomy of her right breast and has numerous rounds of chemo Sofi Leota (pictured) underwent a right mastectomy for grade 3 breast cancer in June 2018 She continued to say that being stripped of the everyday things people take for granted, such as catching up with friends, was also tough. 'It's the small things like missing out on dinners with girlfriends because I'm too sick or not being able to work and have that independent stability which I am so used to,' she said. The 23-year-old said that she and Ofahengaue were determined to still have a family despite facing adversity. Ms Leota (pictured) said having the support of Ofahengaue (pictured) and her family helped her to realise that having treatment was a matter of saving her life Before Ms Leota started chemo in June, the pair underwent IVF treatment, just so they had a backup plan moving forward - and it resulted in four embryos and seven eggs. 'It was a bit funny (talking to Ofahengaue). We've been together for seven years, but we're not married' she said. 'It was a matter of, do we make these babies and have them sitting there ready to go? But he was just as into it as I was.' Ms Leota and Ofahengaue (pictured) underwent IVF treatment, just so they had a backup plan moving forward - and it resulted in four embryos and seven eggs Ms Leota (right) said she couldn't have made it this far without the love and support of Ofahengaue (left) While the decision to go ahead with IVF, undergo a mastectomy, and push through numerous rounds of chemo have definitely taken their toll on Ms Leota, she said she couldn't have made it this far without the love and support of Ofahengaue. 'He's been positive and supportive and dealing with my random outbursts and hormonal freak-outs. 'He's a lot more patient than I am. I don't know how I would be if I was in his situation, she said. Simon Lemus, 49, had been working at a Hacienda Heights home with his teenage daughter when he got stuck under a heap of fronds inside the tree A tree trimmer became trapped and died inside a palm tree he was working on in a California neighborhood Thursday, according to officials. Simon Lemus, 49, had been working at a Hacienda Heights home with his teenage daughter when she heard screams from inside the tree. When the teenager ran over to the tree, she found that her father had gotten stuck deep inside a the tree's canopy under a heap of fronds. His family revealed that Lemus was doing a side project for a friend but that he had long been in the tree trimming business. 'Receiving news about my dad's passing at this accident is something that's very sad for our family,' son, Simon Lemus Jr., said through a translator to KTLA. 'But he passed away doing what he loved most.' Scroll for video First response arrived at the scene at 15400 block of Garo Street around 4pm First response arrived at the scene at 15400 block of Garo Street around 4pm, according to Vannesa Lozano with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Video taken showed two firemen ascending a ladder in efforts to reach the palm fronds that were 40ft off the ground. They were working to get access to the man who was deep inside the tree. Video taken showed two firemen ascending a ladder in efforts to reach the palm fronds that were 40ft off the ground Around 5.15pm, fire personnel brought the man's limp body from the tree by strapping him to the trunk of the tree Around 5.15pm, fire personnel brought the man's limp body from the tree by strapping him to the trunk of the tree. By 5.45pm, the man was pronounced dead. Lemus was said to have been stuck under dry palm fronds, which can be really heavy. A cause of death has not been determined yet. His family shared that Lemus was doing a side project for a friend but that he had long been in the tree trimming business Friends of Lemus say that the tree trimmer was a seasoned professional and had the right equipment. 'I know he's a very strong guy, so I don't know what happened inside there,' Leonel Granados said. 'It's not the first one; he had trimmed, I think, thousands of palms.' Lemus was remembered as a loving family man who was described as being religious and having a strong work ethic. 'First and foremost, he was a person who loved God,' Lemus Jr. said. 'He was the best kind of guy, admirable, always smiling.' Former Donald Trump campaign foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos was sentenced to two weeks in jail Friday for lying to the FBI during the Russia probe. He became the the first member of President Donald Trump's campaign team to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Former Campaign chair Paul Manafort was convicted on eight counts and is currently in jail but has yet to be sentenced. Judge Randolph Moss issued the sentence Friday afternoon. Papadopoulos also must pay fine of $9,500 and do 200 hours of community service Papadopoulos and his lawyers were hoping to avoid probation altogether, while prosecutors are recommending he get up to six months in jail for statements that didn't reveal his interactions with Russians during the 2016 campaign. Foreign policy advisor to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, George Papadopoulos was sentenced to two weeks in jail Friday Prosecutors say he lied 'to minimize both his own role as a witness and the extent of the campaign's knowledge of his contacts.' Papadopoulos 31, told the New York Times this week: 'I wanted to distance myself as much as possible and Trump himself and the campaign from what was probably an illegal action or dangerous information.' He added: 'I never felt that I did anything against my country's interests.' His lawyer, Thomas Breen, minimized the false statements Papadopoulos admitted to saying they weren't as damaging as President Trump's constant attacks on investigators. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty last year for making a 'materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement' to investigators during FBI's probe of Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election 'The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could,' Breen said in court. Traveling in the plains in hopes of keeping the Senate in GOP hands, Trump diminished Papopoulos, as his White House has done, though Trump once mentioned him as among a handful of early foreign policy advisors. 'I see Papadopoulos today; I dont know Papadopoulos, I dont know,' Trump told DailyMail.com and other reporters aboard Air Force One. 'They got him, on I guess, on a couple of lies is what they're saying.' Then Trump added, referencing his campaign and presidency, as well as the Mueller probe: 'There was no obstruction and there was no collusion. ... We have to get it over with.' Papadopoulos was the first Trump aide to plead guilty and reach a cooperation agreement withe government signaling an aggressive prosecution that has now gotten cooperation deals from top Trump aides and associates, and obtained a conviction of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. Papadopoulos' lawyers released a memo on Friday seeking a reduced jail sentence for their client lying to the FBI when interviewed in January 2017 After his guilty plea, the White House diminished Papadopoulos' role, with one former colleague saying he was just a 'coffee boy.' But he also was pictured at the only meeting of Trump with his foreign policy team at Trump Tower, when a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was discussed. Now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was also pictured. Papadopoulos reflected on his situation in the Times interview. 'Looking back we all make mistakes in life, you know and thats I really hope for it to redeem myself in the eyes of my fellow countrymen, here in the United States. But I do really regret not telling the F.B.I. immediately after that because I probably would have saved a lot of problems for the world, at this point, considering I was perhaps the light that created this conflagration,' he said. He described the reaction he got when he said he could help arrange a Trump meeting with Vladimir Putin. 'I just wanted to hear what the two principals wanted to say, and it seemed at the meeting that candidate Trump was at least open to this. Though he wasnt committed either way, but he nodded and deferred to Jeff Sessions who I remember being actually quite enthusiastic about a potential meeting between then-candidate Trump and Putin,' Papadopoulos said. Among the things Papadopoulos lied about to FBI agents under questioning was his contact with Maltese London-based professor Joseph Mifsud, who said the Russians had 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton. His Italy-born wife, Simona Mangiante, who Papadopoulos met on the Linkedin site during the campaign, said he was considering pulling back from his guilty plea and said 'shady individuals' were targeting him from within the government. He made the false statements he admitted to during a Jan. 27, 2017 meeting with FBI agents. His Italy-born wife, Simona Mangiante, who Papadopoulos met on the Linkedin site during the campaign, said he was considering pulling back from his guilty plea and said 'shady individuals' were targeting him from within the government. Papadopoulos is the first member of President Trump's campaign team to face sentencing in the Mueller probe Foreign policy advisor to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, George Papadopoulos and his wife Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos arrive at US District Court for his sentencing The lawyers for former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos claim that the president-to-be 'nodded with approval' when asked if he wanted to have a meeting with Putin. Papadopoulos' lawyers released a memo on Friday also seeking a reduced jail sentence for their client lying to the FBI when interviewed in January 2017. At the first gathering of Trump's foreign policy team in Washington on March 31, 2016, Papadopoulos, 'eager to show his value to the campaign,' told the candidate and his advisors that he had connections that could facilitate such a meeting. 'While some in the room rebuffed George's offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it,' the statement said about their client's intention to set up a meeting with Putin 'While some in the room rebuffed George's offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it,' the statement said, referring to Jeff Sessions, now the attorney general. Papadopoulos is expected to be sentenced on Friday. In the statement to the court, Papadopoulos admitted he lied to investigators, but asked for a very light sentence, saying he had not sought to obstruct the investigation but only wanted to protect his career path. He said he was a young, inexperienced fan of Trump when his application to join the campaign was accepted in March 2016. Papadopoulos made contacts with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who claimed Kremlin links and introduced him to other ostensibly well-connected Russians, including an alleged niece of Putin During his interview for the job with a senior campaign official, 'George learned that the campaign's foreign policy focus would be improving relations with Russia,' the statement said. 'George landed the job despite having no experience with US and Russian diplomacy.' Weeks later in Europe, Papadopoulos made contacts with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who claimed Kremlin links and introduced him to other ostensibly well-connected Russians, including an alleged niece of Putin. 'To say that George was out of his depth would be a gross understatement.... He had no experience in dealing with Russian policy or its officials,' the statement said. Encouraged by the March 31 foreign policy team gathering, he continued to pursue a Trump-Putin meeting. At a breakfast on April 26, 2016, Mifsud told Papadopoulos that people in Moscow had 'dirt' on Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton -- information Papadopoulos later shared with the campaign. The meeting would never take place and Papadopoulos would be arrested soon after on July 27, 2017. Papadopoulos' wife and unofficial spokeswoman, Simona, took to Twitter to share her support of her husband Prosecutors sought a sentence of six months in jail for lying, claiming that the man misled them about 'critical facts, in an investigation of national importance, after having been explicitly warned that lying to the FBI was a federal offense.' 'The nature and circumstances of the offense warrant a sentence of incarceration,' prosecutors wrote, according to ABC News. Papadopoulos' wife and unofficial spokeswoman, Simona, took to Twitter to share her support of her husband. She said: 'I trust that the facts are clear now. Hope for a fair decision. The defense sentencing memorandum is a very accurate portrayal of George genuine cooperation and the fact that he never hindered the investigation. #freeGeorge ' A former businesswoman who claimed more than 80,000 in benefits after falsely saying she was a single mother has finally been jailed when she jetted off to Tenerife after being ordered to do community service. Mother-of-two, Nicola Alcock, 41, was arrested after she landed back in the UK, several weeks ago. Alcock claimed she had gone to the Spanish island to raise some money after a proceeds of crime hearing, Preston Crown Court was told. Mother-of-two, Nicola Alcock, 41, was arrested after she landed back in the UK, several weeks ago Alcock (pictured with her husband) admitted benefit fraud charges between December 15, 2008 and and April 21, 2015, and was sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years, with 150 hours unpaid work The former criminology student was given the four-month sentence by Judge Andrew Woolman on Monday after breaching the suspended jail term she had been given at Burnley Crown Court in January last year. Alcock admitted benefit fraud charges between December 15, 2008 and and April 21, 2015, and was sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years, with 150 hours unpaid work. Alcock was already serving 91 days in custody in default, after an earlier proceeds of crime hearing. She will serve the sentences concurrently. And she had claimed to a court she was jobless and broke when she got a speeding fine cut from 220 to 40 in February last year, just weeks after being handed the suspended sentence. In January last year, Burnley Crown Court was told how Alcock claimed child tax credits and housing benefit over a five-year period after telling the authorities she was living alone with her two children. But her lies were unmasked after Alcock advertised her services on the Barking Mad dog sitting service - and wrote about her happy marriage and family life. Her lies were unmasked after Alcock advertised her services on the Barking Mad dog sitting service - and wrote about her happy marriage and family life An investigation revealed she married trucker Gerard Thornton (pictured together left) in 2008 but failed to mention the wedding to the authorities Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officials were alerted to the organisation's website on which Alcock posed in a Barking Mad polo shirt and spoke about her happy family life at home in Earby, Lancashire with husband Gerard Thornton. In her promotional blurb she wrote: 'I am proud to be the Barking Mad representative in Keighley and surrounding areas. I live in Earby with my husband Gez and 2 children. 'So as you can see not only am I animal mad but being Barking Mad helps too!' An investigation revealed she married trucker Mr Thornton in 2008 but failed to mention the wedding to the authorities. Despite being confronted with the evidence she continued to deny being married and only confessed when she was shown her marriage certificate. Calculations revealed she was overpaid tax credits totalling 58,721.91 and housing benefit in the sum of 22,856.29. The total overpayment was 81,578.20. Julian Goode, prosecuting, said Alcock initially made a legitimate claim for tax credits on January 17, 2006, on the basis she was single, with dependent children. She also made an application for housing benefit, on October 3, 2008. Alcock's profile on the website describes her as a happily married, family-orientated Barking Mad representative But Mr Goode added: 'Matters altered on 13 December, 2008 when she married Gerard Thornton and thereafter maintained a common household with him. 'The change in circumstances would have affected her entitlement to benefits and she failed to notify the authorities.' DWP investigators uncovered various documents confirming Alcock and Mr Thornton were living together including a Nationwide Building Society personal loan, bank and insurance documents. Mr Goode said: 'She initially said the relationship started in 2009. 'Of course, we know the marriage was in 2008. She said Mr Thornton only stayed over if her daughter was at her father's house. 'She was later shown her marriage certificate and accepted she had been dishonest.' In mitigation defence lawyer Richard Dawson said Alcock was currently out of work, adding: 'That's primarily because she didn't want to take up employment only to lose her liberty and leave. She is keen to rejoin the workforce and gain stability in her life.' The court heard Alcock was being treated for depression but had led an 'honest life'. Sentencing at the time, Judge Mr Recorder Simon Hilton told her: 'There is no doubt that this behaviour is of a gravity which crosses the custody threshold. A suspended sentence order is justified notwithstanding the gravity of the offences. 'Everything I have read about you suggests this behaviour is out of character for you and, more importantly, is wholly unlikely to be repeated in the future.' The first sun bear cub ever to be born in the UK has emerged from its den for the first time. The new addition, which does not yet have a name, was captured on video as she took a stroll with her mother Milli at Chester Zoo. The 12-week-old cub took a few tumbles as she explored her indoor habitat at the zoo before heading back to the den. Scroll down for video The 12-week-old cub, who was born on June 13, took her first stroll around her den at Chester Zoo, in Cheshire Curator of mammals at Chester Zoo Tim Rowlands said the baby will 'quickly gain in confidence and become more and more excitable' Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo Tim Rowlands said: 'The new cub has plenty of enthusiasm but, at just 12 weeks old, shes still somewhat wobbly on her legs. 'Shell soon find her feet though and it wont be long until mum Milli really has her paws full. 'Her little one will quickly gain in confidence, become more and more excitable and look to explore. Thats when her parenting skills will be given a new test.' In the video, the tiny bear can be seen exploring her home and playfully biting mother Milli's ear as they snack on carrots together. The baby bear is the first sun bear to have been born in the UK, something collections director Mike Jordan has called 'the shining beacon of light at the end of a dark tunnel' Weighing 14 ounces at birth, the new cub is yet to be named by zookeepers at Chester Zoo Sun bears are the smallest of the worlds eight species of bear but are highly threatened in their native south-east Asia The new addition was born earlier this year on June 13, weighing 14 ounces. The cubs parents, Milli and Toni, came to the zoo in 2013 after being rescued from illegal wildlife traders in Cambodia who had killed their mothers and kept them as pets. Mike Jordan, Collections Director at the zoo, said: 'These bears had a really tough start to life and so to now see Milli thriving with a cub is ever so special. 'Its the wonderful culmination of an awful lot of hard work by numerous conservationists - here and in Cambodia - who have fought to give her a brighter future. 'The cub is the shining beacon of light at the end of what, at one stage, was a very dark tunnel.' Sun bears are the smallest of the worlds eight species of bear but are highly threatened in their native south-east Asia and are thought to be extinct in Singapore, where they were once found in large numbers. Moroccan authorities prevented more than 54,000 migrants from smuggling into Europe illegally this year. Police dismantled 74 human trafficking rings and seized 1,900 boats in the last nine months, the country's official news agency MAP claimed. The North African country - a key route for people trying to reach Europe via Spain - has launched an operation targeting people smugglers. Asylum seekers risk injury to clamber across the border from Morocco to Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta Some 600 migrants reached Spain in a mass jump of the Spanish border in July, prompting the Moroccan government to clamp down on the issue It was forced to clamp down on the issue after hundreds of migrants forced their way into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by violently storming a heavily fortified border fence with Morocco in July. Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other tiny territory in North Africa, make up the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Spain has become the main entry point for migrants arriving in Europe, after Italy and Greece. More than 35,000 migrants have arrived in Spain by sea and land so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. Migrants charged border fences separating Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in July. The enclave is a hotspot for migrants looking to get into Europe From January until July, 318 migrants died at sea trying to reach the Spanish coast. That number is three times more than recorded numbers for the same period in 2017. MAP did not give the nationalities of the migrants prevented from crossing to Europe or specify what action was taken. According to the interior ministry, 230 suspected people smugglers - Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans - have been put on trial since the start of 2018. After being female only for more than a hundred years Girl Guides is allowing boys who identify as girls to join the ranks. Anyone who is transitioning or identifies as a girl is now allowed to join - and there are already three girls who previously identified as boys already in the guides. Those who are biologically female but identify as male are not allowed to join Girl Guides. Anyone who is transitioning or identifies as a girl is now allowed to join - and there are already three girls who previously identified as boys already in the guides (Pictured: Girl Guides logo) Girl Guides Victoria CEO Amanda Kelly told the Herald Sun: 'It's not a big deal, it's more of an explanation of what we already do.' Girl Guides is for females between five and 17, which means that those who as 'non-binary/neutral/gender fluid' because it is an 'explicitly female organisation', the publication reported. While only three young women in Victoria have disclosed Ms Kelly believes there are more in the organisation who are. She said in one case the girl had not disclosed and they had helped her do that. Another has been happy and open to talk about her transition. The policy stated: 'An individual is to be considered the final authority on their own gender identity. The only way to know if a person is a transgender person is if the person discloses this to you. 'It is not appropriate to judge who is and who is not a girl, nor is it appropriate to approach a person to ask if they are transitioning.' The new policy guidelines mean that any child is able to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. The new policy guidelines mean that any child is able to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, describing any action against this as 'discrimination' (stock image) In the event that a parent is concerned about this the Girl Guides Victoria has set strict guidelines. 'This is often raised in conversations about denying transgender people access to bathrooms and is recognised as a form of discrimination. Advise the parent that you expect all girls to behave in respectful and appropriate ways,' they state. Those involved in a unit will also participate in the same activities, including sleeping in the same area. Kristen Hilton, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, said she welcomed the new policies. A kindly Army veteran was killed after trying to help a stranded driver who turned out to be a hitman hired to stop him testifying in road rage court case - after the killer accidentally got stuck in a ditch while hunting for his victim, police say. Carlos Cruz-Echevarria, 60, was 'executed' on a quiet Deltona road, in Florida on Veteran's Day. Police say Kelsey Terrance McFoley, 28, paid suspected hitman Benjamin Jaquaric Antonio Bascom, 24, to kill Cruz-Echevarria to prevent him from testifying against him in a road rage case. Both suspects were arrested this week. Carlos Cruz-Echevarria, 60, (pictured) was killed in 'planned execution' on a quiet Deltona road, in Florida on Veteran's Day Detectives say that Cruz-Echevarria was driving along a Deltona road, in Florida, in November, when he spotted a car which appeared to be stuck in a ditch. Cops say Bascom had gone to Cruz-Echevarria's home to kill him, but when he wasn't there, had decided to scope the local neighborhood. During his search, he accidentally reversed into a ditch where his car became stuck. Until, that was, his very target came to help him. Acting as a good Samaritan, the Army veteran brought his truck round to try and pull the vehicle free. But when he got out of his vehicle, he was shot dead. His truck was stolen and was later found burned in Apopka, sheriff's spokesman Andrew Gant told the Orlando Sentinel. Investigators say the trouble began on May 2, 2017, when Cruz-Echevarria was driving in Deltona and he honked at a vehicle that was stopped at a green light. McFoley pulled up to Cruz-Echevarria at the next intersection, pulled out a gun and asked if he 'had a problem?' according to the police report. 'McFoley reaches into his glove box, pulls out a gun, and threatens to shoot Carlos,' said Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Police say Kelsey Terrance McFoley, 28, (left) paid suspected hitman Benjamin Jaquaric Antonio Bascom, 24, (right) to kill Cruz-Echevarria Bascom, McFoley and his girlfriend, Melissa Rios Roque, 21, (pictured) who allegedly conspired with them to commit murder, were all arrested on murder charges The veteran called the police and was able to provide McFoley's car registration. McFoley, a convicted felon with more than two dozen previous charges, was arrested over the road rage case on June 1, 2017. If convicted, he would have faced a lengthy prison sentence in view of his previous convictions. 'Somewhere along the line these three scumbags decide that Carlos has to die,' said Chitwood. Around three weeks before the execution-style murder, McFoley's attorney filed a court notice indicating Cruz-Echevarria would testify in December - which included the witness' home address. Capt. Brian Henderson said McFoley hired hitman Bascom to kill Cruz-Echevarria to prevent him from ever making that testimony. Bascom went to Cruz-Echevarria's house on November 11, but he wasn't in, so stalked the neighborhood looking for his victim. While turning around in the street, he accidentally got his car stuck in a ditch. That's when Cruz-Echevarria pulled up behind him and offered to help. Detectives say that Cruz-Echevarria was driving along a Deltona road, in Florida, in November, when he spotted a car which appeared to be stuck in a ditch and decided to help (pictured is the ditch where the alleged killer's car was stuck) Tributes have been left to the 60-year-old small business owner, who has a relative who works for the local police Meanwhile, the family of Cruz-Echevarria are still coming to terms with the loss of the 'gentle animal lover' When the good Samaritan bent over to get a better look at the car, Bascom shot him several times in the head, police say. For several months, it appeared that Bascom had gotten away with the murder and the road rage charges against McFoley were dropped. But eventually, DNA evidence was able to tie Bascom to both vehicles, and police were able to trace his phone records to the scene of the crime. His phone also revealed he'd been in touch with McFoley, who had instructed him how to carry out the murder, authorities said. On Tuesday, McFoley and his girlfriend, Melissa Rios Roque, 21, who allegedly conspired with them to commit murder, were arrested. Capt. Brian Henderson said McFoley hired hitman Bascom to kill Cruz-Echevarria to prevent him from ever making a testimony Bascom was arrested the next day at Orlando International Airport, where he was about to board a plane to Texas. They are all facing first-degree murder charges. Chitwood said his department is encouraging prosecutors to pursue the death penalty. Sheriff Chitwood called the murder: 'One of the most heinous, despicable, cowardly acts I've ever witnessed,' Wesh reports. 'Carlos did not deserve to die,' Chitwood said. 'A road-rage incident where a man does what he's supposed to do - notify the police, cooperate with the system - and his thanks is to end up with multiple bullets in his head, killed just outside of his home.' Meanwhile, the family of Cruz-Echevarria, a small business owner and brother-in-law to a Volusia County Sheriff's Office employee, are still coming to terms with the loss of the 'gentle animal lover'. His niece described him as someone who made life 'so much more rich and beautiful just for being himself.' A teenage girl who masterminded a shocking knife attack on her ex-boyfriend and his new lover was jailed today. Jealous college student Anna Dickinson, 18, recruited two friends to help her launch a savage assault on Tyrone Baines in the dead of night after she learnt he was dating another girl. After making threats to 'bang' and 'stab' the new girlfriend, Dickinson and her accomplices burst into 18-year old Mr Baines' home in Lancaster whilst the couple were in bed together. Jealous college student Anna Dickinson (pictured), 18, recruited two friends to help her launch a savage assault on Tyrone Baines in the dead of night after she learnt he was dating another girl After making threats to 'bang' and 'stab' the new girlfriend, Dickinson and her accomplices burst into 18-year old Mr Baines' (pictured left and right with Dickinson) home in Lancaster whilst the couple were in bed together The three swarmed round Mr Baines and left him with three stab wounds to the back and a bite mark before Dickinson and her best friend Kathryn Stanley, 18, burst into his bedroom where the unnamed girl, 17, was lying in bed naked. Stanley jumped on top of the girlfriend, punched her in the head and held her arms to stop her defending herself as Dickinson stabbed at her and tried to cut her hair off as a way of 'degrading' her. The assault only ended when Stanley said: 'I didn't think you were going to stab her,' the court heard. Baines and his girlfriend later received stitches for the several serious lacerations and stab wounds but made a recovery. In a statement the girl said she feared she would be killed and added: 'Since the incident I have struggled with my anxiety and stress. 'I am so scared of them and I will go out of my way to never see them again. I struggle day to day now to leave the house without somebody. 'What they did to me will stay with me for the rest of my life and I will always have the scars on my back. The three swarmed round Mr Baines and left him with three stab wounds to the back and a bite mark before Dickinson and her best friend Kathryn Stanley (pictured), 18, burst into his bedroom where the unnamed girl, 17, was lying in bed naked 'I have started counselling and I am trying to deal with how to trust people again in my life. 'I am scared and fearful of them. She was contacting my friends and calling me a liar and trying to intimidate me.' At Preston Crown Court Dickinson, Stanley and Jordan Gardner, 18, all of Lancaster admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and unlawful wounding. Dickinson and Stanley were locked up for 32 months in a young offenders institution and Gardner a close friend of Tyrone was detained for 21 months. As sentences were passed fighting broke out between loved one of the families. The incident took place on February 19 after Tyrone split up with Dickinson following a four month fling and began dating the other girl. Prosecutor Raymond Smith said: 'Dickinson and the girl had been friends and known each other for some years. 'But the friendship between the two of them deteriorated to the point Dickinson sent messages via social media threatening to 'bang' and 'stab' her. Stanley (right) jumped on top of the girlfriend, punched her in the head and held her arms to stop her defending herself as Dickinson (left) stabbed at her and tried to cut her hair off as a way of 'degrading' her Baines (pictured with Dickinson) and his girlfriend later received stitches for the several serious lacerations and stab wounds but made a recovery 'That day Dickinson had sent messages to Tyrone asking if his girlfriend was at home. Some time later Tyrone and his partner went to bed and fell asleep. 'Two hours later, Tyrone was woken up by Gardner shouting to be let in. Tyrone got out of bed partially dressed and went downstairs and heard Gardner trying to get in through the living room window. 'Tyrone opened the door and Gardner came into the house running upstairs, whilst Dickinson and Stanley also came into the house and came running upstairs. 'Dickinson was carrying a knife and Tyrone recognised it as being from the kitchen. In light of the previous threats Tyrone was scared for his girlfriend and he tried to hold the bedroom door shut. 'But Dickinson was stabbing at him trying to get around him. Tyrone was trying to reason with the two women. 'Tyrone was being stabbed many times by Dickinson. Eventually he failed to stop them gaining entry to the bedroom and witnessed the attack on his partner. 'By this stage Gardner was leaving and had left the house. Tyrone had sustained stab wounds to the neck and back and had cuts to the back and bruises to his neck where Dickinson had tried to bite him when she was trying to get past him. 'The female victim could see that Tyrone was struggling with the two women and she could see a knife in Dickinson's hand. 'Stanley ran into the room and jumped on top of her and punched her to the head and body. She held her wrists making it difficult for her to defend herself. 'She remembers the blade of the knife being held to her throat and being stabbed on her arm by Dickinson. 'She then remembers Stanley shouting: "I didn't think you were going to stab her!" Tyrone had gone to get the two women out of the bedroom when the female noticed she was bleeding from many wounds. 'In her statement she said she was frightened and thought she was going to be killed. At Preston Crown Court Dickinson, Stanley and Jordan Gardner (left), 18, all of Lancaster admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and unlawful wounding the victims (right) Dickinson's lawyer Amanda Hamilton said: 'She is accepting of what happened and has deep regrets and hurt for the two people who suffered significant wounds' 'The girl suffered stab wounds to her left upper back, left side of chest and both arms plus a partially collapsed lung. 'Tyrone had wounds to his back. After the attack Dickinson called her mother requesting a lift and made a telephone call at 4am to tell a friend what she had done.' Mr Smith added: 'Dickinson played a leading role in the group attack. It is aggravated by the location and time of the offence, this was in the victim's bedroom when she was naked and asleep.' Dickinson's lawyer Amanda Hamilton said: 'She is accepting of what happened and has deep regrets and hurt for the two people who suffered significant wounds. 'She was in a relationship with Tyrone, he was the man she loved and there was a desperate nature of the relationship, it was a difficult one. She wishes she didn't attend Tyrone's house that night. 'She accepts she went to the house and took a weapon with her but she didn't make threats to use the weapon. She wants to face up to and understand what happened that night. She wants the victims to know how truly sorry she is. 'She has done a lot of volunteer work with animals, she enjoys working with cats and dogs. She has an extremely supportive family. She doesn't recall sending these messages and they have disappeared from social media, but as the prosecution witnesses are saying they received them, she accepts that. Since her arrest she has found a group of friends who support her.' Robert Elias for Stanley, said: 'She did not have a quarrel, she had not been scorned but she was holding Dickinson's hand. She had no knowledge of her friend picking up the knife. This wasn't premeditated, she didn't knew it was going to happen. Robert Elias for Stanley, said: 'She did not have a quarrel, she had not been scorned but she was holding Dickinson's hand' 'Once the momentum began she took part. She climbed by that young lady, struck her, then unknowing there was a knife she offered the responsibility and prospect of matters getting worse. She was horrified, she was shouting about the need for it to happen. 'Since the incident she has moved counties. She presents to be quite an intelligent young woman and is frustrated with herself for having got in this situation, she doesn't blame Miss Dickinson, she thinks she should have seen through the anger before there was this confrontation. 'She was there for other reasons, she wanted to show loyalty and to help her friend. She is wanting to make a go of things.' Sentencing Judge Heather Lloyd said: 'Tyrone Baines and the female victim began to get close and it was clear you did not like the fact they were together. It is clear from the messages you were threatening to stab his girlfriend and on that night that is precisely what you did. 'These offences are serious. There was a degree of premeditation. There are a number of aggravating factors including the degradation of your victim when you tried to cut off her hair. 'You all played your parts but it is clear you, Miss Dickinson, played a leading role. No matter how a relationship ended or how emotionally charged a situation is after a relationship falls foul, you would be foolish to take the law into your own hands. 'Any person should feel safe in their own home and their own bed and should not expect to be invaded by three people late at night. Boris Johnson leaves his 4million family home in Islington with Marina Wheeler in 2016 as it emerged they will now divorce Boris Johnson must now split his millions with his wife Marina as they rush through their divorce - but he will not be punished for his alleged philandering. The Foreign Secretary, 54, who is believed to have at least 6.5million in cash and assets, will share half of everything he has because they have been married for 25 years. But Mr Johnson's alleged cheating will not have any impact on the settlement, even though he is reported to have had at least three affairs since he married Marina in 1993, legal experts have told MailOnline. The couple own a grand Islington townhouse worth at least 4million plus a country home in Oxfordshire with an estimated value of 1million. Mr Johnson, who is paid 275,000-a-year for a weekly Daily Telegraph column and has written bestselling history books, is said to have a personal wealth of at least 1.5million. Divorce expert David Leadercramer, a partner at law firm DMH Stallard, told MailOnline: 'If the assets total 6.5 million then Marina would look at getting half. 'If 3.25million gave her enough for a home and to meet her day to day needs then she would not usually look for maintenance in addition. They would simply divide assets equally on what is known as a clean break'. Marina, a successful QC in her own right, can expect to get half of everything when the divorce goes through Mr Johnson has previously had affairs with Helen Macintyre (left) and Petronella Wyatt (right) but this will have no impact on the settlement, experts have said Marina reportedly kicked her husband out amid claims he had another affair. Boris Johnson brings cups of tea to reporters outside his Oxfordshire home as he is set to split his assets with his wife The Tory MP has also cheated in the past but this will not be taken into account in any settlement. Mr Leadercramer said: 'In order to bring in conduct it has to be exceptional, such as trying to kill the other spouse, but serial adulterers are not made to pay in that sense for their "misdeeds". I have little or no doubt that in this case his conduct won't affect the financial issues at all'. Last year it was claimed that Boris Johnson told friends his then minister's salary of 141,405 a year is not enough to live on. The Foreign Secretary told friends his annual earnings were insufficient because of his 'extensive family responsibilities', according to The Sunday Times. The Tory MP has four children with Marina Wheeler and a daughter from his affair with Helen MacIntyre. In law children all require his financial support if they are in full time education or under 25 and not working. Boris and his wife today announced that they separated 'several months ago' and are divorcing. The rift emerged when his daughter Lara, 25, was apparently overheard calling her father a 'selfish b*****' and insisting her mother would now 'never take him back'. Their split was announced as it was claimed the Brexit cheerleader is poised to make a bid to replace Theresa May as PM with sources calling it a 'damage limitation exercise' rather than a 'stitch up'. One Tory MP claimed today the news was all a case of 'shovelling the s*** out of the way for the leadership bid'. Boris smiles as he arrives in his Uxbridge constituency today despite his announcement that he is splitting from his wife of 25 years Today Boris looked serious and refused to comment as he left his country home in Oxfordshire minutes before the couple announced their marriage was over. In a joint personal statement Mr Johnson and Ms Wheeler said: 'Several months ago, after 25 years of marriage, we decided it was in our best interests to separate. 'We have subsequently agreed to divorce and that process is under way. As friends we will continue to support our four children in the years ahead. We will not be commenting further'. Mr Johnson and his lawyer wife Marina Wheeler, both 54, now live apart and no longer socialise as a couple, it was claimed. He has already been thrown out twice before, first in 2004 over his affair with writer Petronella Wyatt, and again in 2010 when he fathered a love child with art consultant Helen Macintyre. In the past Mrs Wheeler, mother to their four children, has taken him back, despite his philandering. Sources close to Mr Johnson refused last night to comment. The MP's daughter Lara, 25, was overheard at a party ranting about her father's infidelity, saying her mother would 'never take him back', The Sun said. She added: 'Mum is finished with him.' She is said to have told pals at a party he 'is a selfish b******'. Increasing numbers of Type 2 diabetes cases now involve children as young as five years old - with doctors struggling to find better treatments for shockingly obese children. Data from the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) shows that there are up to 209 cases of children aged 15 years old or under with Type 2 diabetes. According to NDSS, what used to be more common in adults over the age of 45 years old is now affecting an increasing number of children and adolescents. When asked about the rising numbers of diabetes cases among children, Lady Cilento Children's Hospital Director of Endocrinology Professor Jerry Wales said that what used to be a rarity is now a disturbing trend. One notable case was that of a nine-year-old Queensland boy who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and weighed 178kg. Data from the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) shows that there are up to 209 cases of children aged 15 years old or under with Type 2 diabetes (stock image) 'Type 2 diabetes in the young is not mild diabetes. If you get it at less than 30 years of age, your standard mortality rate is six times the average. You are going to lose 20 to 30 years of life,' he told The Courier-Mail. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition where the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or gradually loses the ability to produce insulin. According to Diabetes Australia, it represents 85 to 90 per cent of all diabetes cases. In its 2017 figures, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) stated that approximately 425 million adults have diabetes and that Type 2 diabetes was on the rise in most countries. IDF also added that more than 1,106,500 children had Type 1 diabetes alone. Although there is no one specific cause for Type 2 diabetes, research shows that it has links to family history and is also determined by the individual's lifestyle. Genetic risks are also noticeably higher among Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. Associate Professor Ashim Sinha, a Director of Endocrinology at Cairns Hospital, also spoke to The Courier Mail of his experiences while operating an outreach service to communities in north Queensland and the Torres Strait Island Region. Genetic risks are also noticeably higher among Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders (stock image) According to Sinha, the youngest Type 2 diabetes case he had was a five-year-old Indigenous girl. The girl was born to a mother who also had diabetes, along with a family history of Type 2. He added that this was just one of many Type 2 diabetes cases he saw among children. 'We see everything from renal failure, cardiovascular disease and amputations at a young age,' he said. 'A boy I diagnosed with Type 2 at age 13 I saw him the other day at the Cairns Base [hospital] and he is now 32 and has lost both his legs. We have seen teenagers have minor amputations, losing a couple of toes, for instance'. Medication options can be limited for young patients under 16. Hundreds of Central and South American migrants, including children, were rescued by Mexican authorities from two trailers in separate incidents over just 12 hours. Law-enforcement in the northern state of Nuevo Leon were shocked Wednesday night when they found 119 migrants inside an abandoned trailer on the side of a highway connecting the city of Monterrey to the border town of Reynosa just hours from the U.S. border crossing. Officials said 81 adults and 38 children were found in the trailer at about 10pm local time, and received medical attention. A driver abandoned a trailer carrying 119 immigrants late Wednesday night before reaching a checkpoint station hours from the U.S border Paramedics tend to a migrant (right) that was transported to a hospital after Mexican law-enforcement agents rescued 119 migrants stuck inside a trailer headed for the U.S. border A paramedic offers aid to a girl who was among the 119 undocumented migrants who were abandoned and saved from a trailer in Mexico Two pregnant women, including one who was transported to a hospital, were also part of the traveling group that attempted to cross the border. According to Publi Metro, the driver of the truck identified as Miguel N, 42, was arrested and accused of human trafficking. Miguel stopped the trailer carrying foreign nationals from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala ahead of a routine inspection site set up at a station housing federal, state and local authorities in the municipality of Bravo. After he stopped the trailer, the agents heard people crying, screaming and pounding the doors before they were able to pry it open and lead them to safety. A few of the migrants managed to run off and evade capture. The driver tried fleeing but was quickly apprehended. '[They were] in deplorable conditions. It was tremendously overcrowded,' State Security Secretary Bernardo Gonzalez told Univision. 'Some said they had spent more than two or three days in the semi-trailer box which barely had oxygen.' A team of Mexican federal, state and local agents saved the lives of 218 migrants, including 102 minors, who were inside a trailer heading for the United States border Thursday morning A woman, who perhaps is the parent of the two children sitting on the ground, is attended by a Mexican agent during Thursday morning's rescue The government of state of Nuevo Leon was quick in helping the 218 migrants who were found inside a trailer that was bound from northern Mexico to the U.S. border Thursday On Thursday morning, a joint rescue mission between various law-enforcement agencies freed 218 undocumented migrants, including 102 children, inside a separate trailer traveling along a highway from Reynosa to General Bravo in the state of Nuevo Leon. The truck transporting immigrants from Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras that was also bound for the U.S border. 'Some kids and fathers and mothers fainted since there was no water,' said one of the migrants who was hoping to cross the border into Texas. Wildlife presenter Johnny Kingdom has died following an accident on his land, his family have confirmed. The film-maker, photographer and author, who specialised in his local area of Exmoor and north Devon, was 79. Police were called to a field near Wadham Cross in Knowstone, Devon, to reports that a digger had rolled over at about 9pm on Thursday. Mr Kingdom was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnny Kingdom worked as a gravedigger for more than 50 years. After a tractor accident and a bout of depression, he discovered a passion for film and nature which rocketed him to fame His television agent Hilary Knight paid tribute, saying: 'Today we have lost one of the last true characters of rural Britain. 'Johnny Kingdom embodied all the attributes that are associated with true countrymen. 'Born and bred an Exmoor man through-and-through he loved his Devon patch and all the flora and fauna within. 'He lit up our TV screens with his enthusiasm and passion. He became a very proficient photographer and cameraman and his work became very sought after. 'The various Devon shows, and in particular South Molton market, will be a sadder place without his cheery presence. He will be sadly missed.' Mr Kingdom's family asked for privacy following his death. In a statement, they said: 'This is a short message from the family, unfortunately a legend has been lost. 'Johnny would want you all to continue with his love for Exmoor as you all meant so much to him.' Kingdom started to make his own films after a tractor accident left him depressed. With his camera, he soon discovered the wildlife around him in north Devon Kingdom, a farmer and poacher, was born on February 23, 1939. After a tractor accident, he developed depression, until a friend of his gave him a camera. He then started making his own films, and was discovered by Yorkshire TV after meeting a Times journalist by chance. His series 'Johnny Kingdom: A Year in Exmoor' was shown on BBC2 in 2006. He also witnessed the death of Britain's largest wild land animal, a stag named The Emperor in October 2010. He is understood to have heard the gun shots and seen the stag's bloody head being loaded into a van, in Worthy Folly Woods, near Tiverton. Months later in November 2010, photographs emerged of an animal, which was believed to be The Emperor, being shot and buried on an open field. He said at the time: 'There's no doubt in my mind the stag lying dead in that field is the Emperor. I would know him anywhere. 'The antlers are huge, with a large number of top points.' 'It's nothing to do with me. Whoever took them is a complete amateur because the quality is absolutely dreadful.' The wildlife presenter authored many books, including Johnny Kingdom's wild Exmoor, The Man of Exmoor, and Johnny Kingdom's Westcountry Tales Passionate about nature and the Exmoor area, he lived there all his life. On his blog he praised Exmoor's 'beautiful landscape; the rolling hills, deep valleys, rivers and bubbling streams, woodlands and open moorland'. A spokeswoman for Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called to a single-vehicle collision in the field on Thursday night. 'It was reported that a digger had rolled over in a field,' the force spokeswoman said. 'Emergency services attended and a 79-year-old local man was pronounced dead at the scene.' Jemima Goldsmith has launched an attack on her ex-husband Imran Khan's government for bowing to far-right pressure and sacking an economist because of his Ahmadi Muslim faith. Pakistan's government backed down today over its decision to appoint Atif Mian - considered one of the world's top young economists - as an advisor, underscoring the pressure it faces from hardline Islamists. But the move has been slammed as 'indefensible and very disappointing' by Goldsmith, who was married to Pakistan's new premier Imran Khan from 1995 to 2004. Goldsmith, who is Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith's sister and who has two children with Khan, wrote in a tweet: 'Indefensible & v disappointing. New Pak gov asks renowned & respected Prof of economics to stand down because of his Ahmadi faith. NB: The founder of Pakistan, "Quaid-I-Azam" appointed an Ahmadi as his Foreign Minister.' Jemima Goldsmith has launched an attack on her ex-husband Imran Khan's (right) government for bowing to far-right pressure and sacking an economist because of his Ahmadi Muslim faith. Goldsmith is pictured (left) with Khan in June, 1995 The move has been slammed by Jemima Goldsmith, who married Pakistan's new premier Imran Khan in 1995 and before divorcing him in 2004. In a tweet (above), she called the decision 'indefensible' Goldsmith praised her ex husband's 'tenacity, belief and refusal to accept defeat' when he won the general election to become Pakistan's Prime Minister, explaining: '22 years later, after humiliations, hurdles and sacrifices, my sons' father is Pakistan's next PM'. But she warned at the time: 'The challenge now is to remember why he entered politics in the 1st place. Congratulations.' Mian, a 43-year-old economics professor at Princeton University, was recently named member of a new economic advisory council. He is an Ahmadi, a religious minority which has long been persecuted in deeply conservative Muslim-majority Pakistan, and the announcement sparked swift backlash from Islamist groups. Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, but their beliefs are seen as blasphemous in most mainstream Islamic schools of thought. They are designated non-Muslims in Pakistan's constitution. Government officials initially defended the decision, with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry vowing 'Pakistan belongs as much to minorities as it does to the majority... we will not bow to extremists' in a video clip which went viral. Three days later his government caved to the mounting pressure from the religious right. 'The government has decided to withdraw the nomination of Atif Mian from the economic advisory committee,' Chaudhry tweeted, saying they wanted to work with all sections of society, including Islamic clerics. Goldsmith, who has two children with Khan (pictured together in 2002), wrote in a tweet: 'Indefensible & v disappointing. New Pak gov asks renowned & respected Prof of economics to stand down because of his Ahmadi faith. NB: The founder of Pakistan, "Quaid-I-Azam" appointed an Ahmadi as his Foreign Minister' Mian (pictured), a 43-year-old economics professor at Princeton University, was recently named member of a new economic advisory council Blasphemy is a hugely inflammatory charge in Pakistan, and can carry the death penalty. The state has never executed a blasphemy convict, but mere accusations of insulting Islam have sparked mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests. Friday's announcement divided Pakistani social media, with the hardliners praising it while others slammed the government's 'cowardice', and Prime Minister Khan's failure to hold firm under pressure. 'This is sad and shameful. Pakistan should be for all not a hostage to some hate mongers,' wrote consultant and columnist Yousuf Nazar. But 'Those who are ashamed can go to hell with their thoughts,' tweeted another user, Farkhi. Friday's decision came after Islamists also forced the federal law minister to resign his post following anti-blasphemy protests last November, in a deal brokered by the military. Friday's announcement divided Pakistani social media, with the hardliners praising it while others slammed the government's 'cowardice', and Khan's failure to hold firm under pressure Those protests were led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a radical preacher whose political party, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) also contested the July 25 election which brought Khan's government to power. TLP wants the automatic death penalty for anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or the Prophet Muhammad. Rizvi had vowed to 'wipe Holland off the face of the earth' if he came to power in the nuclear-armed country. Who are the Ahmadi? Atif Mian is an Ahmadi, a religious minority which has long been persecuted in deeply conservative Muslim-majority Pakistan. Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, but their beliefs are seen as blasphemous in most mainstream Islamic schools of thought. Under Pakistani law, Ahmadis are forbidden from calling themselves Muslims or using Islamic symbols in their religious practices. Their recognition of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the sect in British-ruled India in 1889, as a 'subordinate prophet' is viewed by many of the Sunni majority as a breach of the Islamic tenet that the Prophet Mohammad was God's last direct messenger. Ghulam Ahmad saw himself as a renewer of Islam and claimed to have been chosen by Allah. They face discrimination and violence over accusations their faith insults Islam, including impediments blocking them from voting in general elections. Advertisement The group gained no national seats, but won more than 2.23 million votes in the national assembly and more than 2.38 million provincial votes - a spectacularly rapid rise for an organisation which had gained national prominence less than a year earlier. Khan, meanwhile, caused concern with his full-throated defence of Pakistan's blasphemy laws during his campaign, with fears he was mainstreaming extremist thought which could deepen sectarian divides, empower radical groups, and even provoke violence. Last month, his government loudly protested plans by Dutch populist Geert Wilders to stage a Prophet Mohammad cartoon competition, as Islamist groups led by TLP held demonstrations calling for Pakistan to sever diplomatic relations with the Netherlands. Wilders later cancelled the competition, citing security fears. Analysts have warned that Pakistan's economy is the most urgent challenge facing Khan's new government, as a balance-of-payments crisis looms. The government has said it will decide by the end of this month if it needs to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio skewered one of his Democratic colleagues on Friday for calling a camera-ready stunt during a hearing his 'Spartacus moment.' With a televised flourish, New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker released a collection of previously secret documents about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's views on racial profiling after the 9/11 terror attacks, and portrayed himself as a progressive crusader. With a global audience watching, Booker proclaimed that he was making the material public against the wishes of Republicans despite the fact that they had already cleared them for publication the night before. 'This is about the closest I'll probably ever have in my life to an, "I am Spartacus" moment,' he said. Rubio turned it into a moment of mockery that quickly went viral 'On this day in 71B.C. the Thracian gladiator Spartacus was put to death by Marcus Licinius Crassus for disclosing confidential scrolls,' he tweeted. 'When informed days later that in fact the Roman Senate had already publicly released the scrolls, Crassus replied Oh, ok, my bad.' Democratic Sen. Corey Booker released documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's past on Thursday with a grand flourish even though they were already no longer secret, proclaiming it his 'I" am Spartacus" moment' Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, mocked him on Twitter with a joke about the historical Spartacus making a similar gaffe In Hollywood's version, Spartacus leads an audacious slave revolt only to die at the end when equally daring comrades refuse to let him face crucifixion alone The name Spartacus has become a symbol of resistance to power because he escaped and went on to lead a slave army against the Roman empire despite the fact that no one in power knew who he was. In the 1960 Kirk Douglas movie about him, the rebels are captured and the Roman soldiers threaten to crucify all of them unless their leader identifies himself and agrees to die alone. 'I am Spartacus!' he announces. And one by one his soldiers stand and repeat his words, claiming to be the traitor and sharing his gruesome fate because the Romans still have no idea which one is the real Spartacus. Karl Marx saw story as a model for the devotion required for an organized socialist resistance to capitalist economies. Booker's cache of documents revealed no new bombshells, despite his emphasis that he was willing to risk being expelled from the Senate for revealing them. Conservative pundits leapt to hammer him after a look at the material revealed only that Kavanaugh had argued for a 'truly effective and comprehensive race-neutral' policy during the George W. Bush administration. And a prominent House Republican piled on Friday morning in a Fox News Channel interview. What Ive watched over the last couple days are a bunch of people who want to be the nominee in 2020 and its sad, South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy said. The Senate Judiciary Committee was running a confirmation hearing Thursday for Supreme Courtnominee Brett Kavanaugh; the documents Booker revealed ended up showing the opposite of what Democrats hoped What Ive watched over the last couple days are a bunch of people who want to be the nominee in 2020 and its sad, South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy said of Booker's stunt Booker is widely expected to announce in the coming months that he's running for president in 2020 against Donald Trump. Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley jumped in on Thursday and implied Booker was grandstanding: 'Can I ask you how long you are going to say the same thing three or four times?' Cornyn took his own shot: 'Running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate.' Tesla's top accountant announced on Friday that he was stepping down after just one month on the job, citing the electric car company's frenetic pace. News of chief accounting officer Dave Morton's departure added to the sense of uncertainty surrounding the company, sending Tesla shares lower in pre-market trading. Ahead of the shakeup, chief executive Elon Musk gave a bizarre interview late on Thursday in which he was seen smoking marijuana on footage from Joe Rogan's podcast. Communications Vice President Sarah O'Brien is also leaving after two years at the company, with her last day being on Friday. O'Brien had been on leave. HR boss Gabrielle (Gaby) Toledano's last day with Tesla is also on Friday, also after being on leave for the last month, Bloomberg News reported. Meanwhile, shares plummeted to nine percent on Friday morning, wiping $4.3 billion off the company's value, before recovering slightly to down 6.3 percent and a drop of $3.1 billion by the end of the day. Tesla's chief accounting officer Dave Morton (pictured) announced on Friday that he was stepping down after just one month on the job, citing the electric car company's frenetic pace and 'the level of public attention placed on the company' Morton gave notice on Tuesday that he was resigning, according to a filing on Friday. 'Since I joined Tesla on August 6, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations,' Morton said in the securities filing. 'As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future. I want to be clear that I believe strongly in Tesla, its mission, and its future prospects, and I have no disagreements with Tesla's leadership or its financial reporting.' The initial total nine percent share decrease that followed Morton's announcement took Tesla's value from $47.5 billion to $44.4 billion on Friday morning. Tesla shares dropped one percent after Musk's appearance on the Rogan podcast on Thursday, but then fell another seven percent in the half hour after the announcement of Morton's resignation. The full experience: Tesla founder Elon Musk was seen smoking a joint in Joe Rogan's podcast recording studio, hours before the share price dropped by nine per cent Communications Vice President Sarah O'Brien (right) is also leaving after two years at Tesla after coming over from Apple in 2016, with her last day being on Friday Tesla share prices were down nine percent on Friday morning before a slight uptick, resting at least temporarily at being down just under seven percent at 1pm Eastern on Friday Share prices bottomed out at being down nine percent on Friday morning before a slight uptick, resting at least temporarily at being down just under seven percent at 1pm Eastern on Friday. The company finished down 6.3 percent, with $3.1 billion off its total value by the end of the day on Friday. Tesla has already been under heightened scrutiny since Musk's chaotic announcement on August 7 on Twitter that he was considering taking Tesla private, a plan that was reversed two weeks later. The ill-fated effort has prompted a US securities investigation and a class-action lawsuit alleging Musk was trying to punish investors who bet against the company. In an interview with comedian Rogan on Thursday, Musk drank whiskey and tried a marijuana-and-tobacco cigarette proffered by the comedian as he mused about artificial intelligence and colonizing space. Towards the end of the podcast, Rogan lit a 'cigar' rolled with both tobacco and marijuana - a drug which is legal in the state of California - and offered it to Musk. Puffing away: Musk clarified that the drug is legal, and took a puff before handing it back During the podcast, the pair discussed everything from kindness to artificial intelligence but also Musk's electric car company Tesla 'You probably can't do this because of stockholders, right?,' Rogan asks Musk. Musk, who earlier joked that mushrooms - both a harmless fungi and an psychedelic drug - are 'delicious', clarified that the drug is legal, and was seen taking a puff on the joint before handing it back. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never,' he told Rogan. 'I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however I don't find it's very good for productivity.' The appearance was the latest unorthodox move by Musk, who has often surprised investors with brash and unpredictable behavior as Tesla has sought to live up to lofty manufacturing targets for its Model 3 electric car. Musk called Vernon Unsworth (pictured) a pedophile after the British diver criticized the Tesla CEOs submarine Earlier this week, Musk also accused a British diver who helped rescue the 12 Thai boys stuck in a cave of being a pedophile. Musk suggested in emails to a BuzzFeed journalist that diver Vernon Unsworth was a 'child rapist'. Musk also claimed, without providing any evidence, that Unsworth had moved to northern Thailand to take 'a child bride who was about 12 years old at the time.' The Tesla CEO's attacks on Unsworth, whose efforts were considered crucial to the Thai operation, came after the British diver criticized a well-publicized effort by Musk to lend a custom-built mini-submarine to the cave rescue effort. Musk responded on Twitter with comments strongly implying that the Briton was a pedophile. He then apologized for this, before repeating the claims this week. Regarding O'Brien's departure from the vice president of communications role, Tesla said in a statement issued on August 25 that the move had been planned for at least 'a couple of months.' 'We'd like to thank Sarah for all her contributions to Tesla and we wish her the best,' a Tesla spokesperson told Bloomberg News in an emailed statement. 'Sarah's transition has been underway for a couple of months and Dave Arnold, Tesla's Sr. Director of Global Communications, will take on her responsibilities.' O'Brien reportedly made the call to move on before Musk tweeted about taking the company private with Saudi Arabian investors on August 7. None of the departing executive have publicly announced their next moves at this time. O'Brien came to the company from Apple in 2016. Toledano joined Tesla in May 2017 as chief people officer. Parents are 'outraged' over a school uniform row that has led to children's lockers allegedly being 'raided.' Pupils at Ryders Hayes School in Pesall, Walsall, have been told they must have coats, bags and PE kits with school logos on for 'health and safety' reasons. But some parents are finding the additional cost - of around 50 extra to normal school uniform - too much and are refusing to buy the items for their children. Now, some parents claim that teachers have 'humiliated' their kids by allegedly making them stand up in class to explain why they are not wearing correct uniform. Parents are 'outraged' after pupils at Ryders Hayes School in Pesall, Walsall, have been told they must have coats, bags and PE kits with school logos on for 'health and safety' reasons Jaz Paul, Head of School, said: 'The change was brought in because children have been coming into school with large bags and coats which cause a health and safety hazard given the size of the school corridors' Others claim they've been told their children will be sent home until they are wearing the correct uniform and that, if they don't, they 'will be expelled.' Tammy Fulford, from Rushall, has six children and several foster children. She has been sending her kids to Ryders Hayes for 14 years - but has now decided to send her youngest twins, aged four, to a different school and is trying to move her daughter Teigan, eight, to join them. 'If I had to buy all this additional uniform for Teigan and the twins it would cost me around 150,' said Tammy. 'And that's on top of all the regular logo uniform like jumpers, skirts and shirts. 'We asked if we could get the same size bag and coat but we were told it had to be the school logo ones. Some parents claim that teachers have 'humiliated' their kids by allegedly making them stand up in class to explain why they are not wearing correct uniform. Pictured: Ryders Hayes School in Pesall, Walsall 'Children are being sent home due to not having correct uniform. 'They are standing children in infant and junior school in front of all the class to explain why they haven't got the correct uniform and also going through lockers and checking their stuff! 'I have six children and my three eldest children all went through Ryders Hayes. 'But my younger twins are not going, partly because of this issue and also a couple of other issues too. 'I'm trying to move my daughter Teigan into another school at the moment. 'She feels upset by what's happened and wants to move.' The reason for the change in school uniform policy is due to the school moving from a one form entry to a two form entry. Staff say there is not enough space for the additional children to store bulky coats and so they went through a consultation process with parents to come up with a uniform that would be suitable to fit into lockers. In July, there was a school meeting where parents gathered with staff and governors to discuss the matter. One parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'At the meeting we were told this was going to happen and if we did not comply children would be expelled. 'It is now September and lots of parents have not bought the coats but have bought similar size ones but cheaper and not logo 'The minute I dropped my boys off, the school rang to ask why I hadn't put them in the coat and informed action would be taken if I didn't buy the now compulsory items. She added: 'The vast majority of parents have purchased the additional uniform and children are proud to be wearing it' 'I told them I couldn't afford to be buying two extra coats (one for school and one for out of school). 'My child is among many who have been made to stand up in class and explain why they haven't got the school coat. 'Teachers have gone through lockers to find children who have not got the coat, bag and PE kit. 'My child came home and said he felt humiliated by this treatment. 'The school have also told children without the school coat they will not be allowed out to play. 'Parents have sent complaints after complaints and are not being listened to.' Jaz Paul, Head of School, said: 'Ryders Hayes first informed parents of thedecision to change the school uniform in July 2017, over a year in advance of the changes coming in. However, mother Tammy Fulford, from Rushall said: 'Children are being sent home due to not having correct uniform. They are standing children in infant and junior school in front of all the class to explain why they haven't got the correct uniform and also going through lockers and checking their stuff!' 'The change was brought in because children have been coming into school with large bags and coats which cause a health and safety hazard given the size of the school corridors. 'The school has purchased lockers to fit the new bags and coats which will ensure that this is no longer a hazard. 'The school has listened to parents and has made some changes to the uniform requirements because of this. 'Four formal complaints have been received for over 500 children, which have all been addressed. 'The vast majority of parents have purchased the additional uniform and children are proud to be wearing it. 'The school has gone to great lengths to supply great value items and is using four suppliers for the uniform to ensure as low a cost as possible for parents. 'The school is providing a payment plan for all parents who wish to pay for all their uniform over a six-month period and the school is financially supporting a number of parents in hardship or those eligible for pupil premium. 'The school is aware that some families have not been able to purchase the required uniform due to low stock over the summer and is therefore going to great lengths to identify those families who have uniform on order and are as yet unable to comply, so that no action is taken in line with the policy and all children are enjoying playtimes as usual. 'The school has communicated by letter or face to face with parents where children are not wearing school uniform, to ascertain the reason. 'Where parents are refusing to purchase the uniform, the DfE guidance is being followed. 'The decision taken over a year ago has radically improved health and safety in our corridors this week.' Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'A large portion of parents are furious about the implementation of a compulsory coat and bag with the school logo. 'Most parents are annoyed about the coats in particular as they have to buy a minimum of two coats per child (school coat and coat for the weekend) but in the summer they may have to purchase a summer version also bearing the logo. 'The additional cost is unnecessary and their justification for this is for health and safety reasons.' She added: 'Children not wearing all the uniform will be sent home until they have purchased the new uniform. If this does not happen they will be permanently excluded. 'Parents have been questioned on the playground, children interrogated in front of the class, and bags and lockers searched (according to Facebook posts). 'There should be a law or a limit on what a school can ask parents to pay for uniform and it should be reasonable, otherwise we have no say in what we buy our children and no option to shop around to suit our budget.' Pope Francis has hit out at what he describes as a money-centred culture that 'promotes poverty, slavery and waste'. The Pope ranted about modern society in an interview with Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, saying it valued money over people. The pontiff said: 'We can't ignore the fact that an economy structured like this kills because it makes money central and only obeys money. Pope Francis criticised the structure of modern society, saying it 'idolises' and 'obeys' money 'When people are no longer central, when making money becomes the one and only objective, then we're outside all ethics and that's how we get structures of poverty, slavery and waste.' Talking about unemployment in Europe, the pope decried 'an economic system that is no longer able to create jobs, because it idolises money'. The Argentine pope has repeatedly criticised what he calls the 'culture of waste' which excludes the poorest and weakest people and destroys the environment. 'There is still much work to do to reduce behaviour and choices that don't respect the environment and the planet,' he said. 'It is imperative to promote integral human development, reduce inequalities... and abandon consumerism,' he added. The pontiff also criticised our 'culture of waste', which excludes the poorest of people and destroys the environment The pope also slammed modern society for promoting selfishness and destroying the sense of community. He said: 'There is lacking awareness of a common origin... and of a future to build together. This basic awareness would allow for the development of new attitudes and lifestyles. 'Distribution and participation in the wealth produced, social responsibility, company welfare, wage equality between men and women, harmony between time for work and time for life, respect for the environment, recognition of the importance of man compared to machines, recognition of a fair salary and the capacity for innovation are important elements that keep the community dimension alive.' Pope Francis' comments come after he was accused of knowing about sexual abuse within the church for years. An 11-page text penned by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the Vatican's former ambassador to the US, claimed that Pope Francis knew about sex abuse allegations since 2013. Vigano even claimed the pontiff tried to cover up for Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who resigned this year after a series of sexual assault allegations. Michel Barnier has told MPs that the 40billion Brexit divorce bill could 'linked' to a future deal on trade in a major concession from Brussels. The EU has previously insisted that the money must be settled under the terms of the UK's looming departure - and not contingent on a future deal. But Mr Barnier was grilled by MPs on the contentious subject at a hearing on Monday and made public today. Tory MP and leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told him that British taxpayers would not accept stumping up the eye-watering bill with no guarantee of a future deal. And Mr Barnier conceded that there may be a way to 'link' the payment to the future deal. Michel Barnier (pictured with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab in Brussels yesterday) has told MPs that the 40billion Brexit divorce bill could 'linked' to a future deal on trade in a major concession from Brussels. In the exchange, Mr Rees-Mogg - the leader of the powerful European Research Group of Brexit-backing MPs - interrogated Mr Barnier about the issue. He said: 'Just to note that if there is no attachment between the two then it may be very hard to get the deal through Parliament. 'If it is 40 billion without any clarity what is being bought, I am not sure many MPs will want to pay taxpayers' money for that.' What is in Theresa May's Brexit blueprint? These are some of the key features of the Chequers plan being pushed by the UK government: A new free trade area in goods, based on a 'common rulebook' of EU regulations necessary. This will require the UK to commit by treaty to match EU rules 'Mobility' rules which will end automatic freedom of movement, but still allow UK and EU citizens to travel without visas for tourism and temporary work. It will also enable businesses to move staff between countries. Continued UK participation in and funding of European agencies covering areas like chemicals, aviation safety and medicines A 'facilitated customs arrangement', removing the need for customs checks at UK-EU ports. It would allow differing UK and EU tariffs on goods from elsewhere in the world to be paid at the border, removing the need for rebates in the vast majority of cases. This is designed to avoid the need for a hard Irish border. But in theory it still allows Britain to sign trade deals. Keeping services - such as banking or legal support - outside of the common rule book, meaning the UK is completely free to set its own regulations. It accepts it will mean less trade in services between the UK and EU. Continued co-operation on energy and transport, a 'common rulebook' on state aid and commitments to maintain high standards of environmental and workplace protections. A security deal allowing continued UK participation in Europol and Eurojust, 'co-ordination' of UK and EU policies on foreign affairs, defence and development. Continued use of the EHIC health insurance card. Advertisement Mr Barnier replied: 'If the United Kingdom, through its Prime Minister, has agreed to honour its commitments, that means that Theresa May's Government wants to assume their responsibilities when it comes to participation in international commitments and commitments vis-a-vis the European Union. 'It is a very big responsibility. It is an important point for your country and other countries as well, my own country. 'It is important to have a firm signature from the UK as with that of other EU member states. We may work on a possible link. 'I don't know what legal form that will take but there may well be a link. 'Obviously we will have to look at the legal form of that link. There might be a link between the Withdrawal Agreement and the political declaration.' The exchange surfaced today after a transcript of the meeting was published on the Brexit Select Committee's website. Peter Bone, a Tory MP and leading Brexiteer, told MailOnline: 'I think Mr Barnier has always wanted us to hand over the 40bn and then they would separately talk to us about a future deal. 'I think he has now realised reality. The reason for this change in approach is because we are now serious about a no deal situation. 'The threat of no deal has already shown results in that Mr Barnier has conceded on this.' He said that MPs would find it impossible to back a Brexit deal without the link. He said: It is absolutely clear that it would be unacceptable to sign a deal which gives 40bn of taxpayer's money away for no reason.' During the session, Mr Barnier poured scorn on the PM's controversial Brexit Chequers proposal, saying that parts of it are 'unacceptable' to the EU. But claims made by Labour MP and arch Europhile Stephen Kinnock that he described the plan as 'dead' in the session are not stood up. In the transcript of the September 3 meeting in Brussels, Mr Barnier said: 'The proposals made in the White Paper on two points are not acceptable as they are; they are not acceptable to the EU. Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured on the BBC's Andrew Marr show in May) told him that British taxpayers would not accept stumping up the eye-watering bill with no guarantee of a future deal 'That is the White Paper proposal on customs and the White Paper proposal on the common rulebook for goods.' Asked by committee chairman Hilary Benn whether the White Paper setting out Mrs May's proposals was 'dead in the water', Mr Barnier replied: 'In the White Paper there are lots of positive things, lots of useful things, just to make that absolutely clear. 'I did not just reject the White Paper outright; that is just not true. I hope that you will understand that.' But on Mrs May's suggestion that the UK could carry out customs and regulatory checks on its borders on the EU's behalf, he said: 'Your proposal does not seem workable to us.' North Carolina's governor has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Florence approaches the U.S. East Coast. Gov. Roy Cooper announced the declaration in a news release Friday evening as the storm neared Bermuda. Cooper says it's 'too early' to know where the storm will go, but he says residents should use the weekend to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster. Some forecast models have shown Florence slamming into land by late next week, while others indicated the storm would curve away from shore. Tropical Storm Florence appears on track to make landfall in the United States sometime in the middle of next week The National Hurricane Center said Florence's maximum sustained winds Friday evening were estimated to be 65 mph. The storm was centered about 905 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 8 mph Tropical Storm Florence's weakening appears to have stopped and is expected to restrengthen into a hurricane by Saturday night or Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory Cooper also waived transportation rules to help farmers harvest and transport their crops more quickly. The National Hurricane Center said Florence's maximum sustained winds Friday evening were estimated to be 65 mph. The storm was centered about 905 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 8 mph. Tropical Storm Florence's weakening appears to have stopped and is expected to restrengthen into a hurricane by Saturday night or Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The risk of impact on the U.S. East Coast from Florence next week has increased, the Miami-based weather forecaster added. The area of the Atlantic Ocean where the storm is now located is experiencing 30ft high waves AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said: 'An area of high pressure over the central Atlantic will bridge westward and join with an existing high pressure near the U.S. East coast over the next several days. 'This setup will guide Florence on a west to northwesterly course into next week.' The first major hurricane of the Atlantic season is expected to cause 'life-threatening' surf and rip current conditions in Bermuda by Friday but forecasters said it was too early to say whether it would hit land. Weather Channel hurricane expert Greg Postel warned people to keep monitoring all the latest on the major hurricane. 'A close encounter with the United States is not unrealistic later next week,' he tweeted. If Florence does keep tracking towards the US, the hurricane could possible make landfall anywhere from the Carolinas to New England as early as Wednesday, according to Accuweather. The ultimate registration plate for a wealthy Rolls-Royce owner is set to sell for more than 600,000 this week - a record-breaking figure. 'RR1', described as 'one of the most special' registration plates in the world, became the most expensive plate when it was sold for a then whopping 4,800 In 1968. And 50 years later its value has since soared 12,400%. A fierce saleroom battle is expected to take place when this plate is auctioned off by Bonhams at the Goodwood Revival in West Sussex on Saturday. The registration, currently owned by Bentley, has been given a guide price of 500,000 to 600,000, potentially smashing the current auction record for a plate which stands at 518,000. RR1: One of 'the most special and easily identifiable registration plates in the world' Ferrari dealer John Collins paid the current record figure for '25 O' - perfect for a number of 1960s Ferraris. But 'RR1' is ideally suited to any Rolls-Royce model. It is also more valuable than the on-the-road base price of any current Roller, with the new Phantom costing from 360,000. Also on sale tomorrow for 2million is a Rolls-Royce used by The Queen and other members of the Royal family. The burgundy 1955 Phantom IV State Landaulette, one of just 18 ever produced, is being put on the market after four decades of Royal service. For sale: Her Majesty the Queen's burgundy 1955 Phantom IV State Landaulette (pictured) is being put on the market by auctioneers for 2million after four decades of Royal service The Rolls-Royce Phantom IV State Landaulette is one of just 18 ever produced worldwide It was kept in the Royal Mews from 1959 to 2002. An identical car was used to take Meghan Markle and her mother Doria to her wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle this summer. The 'RR 1' license plate would be a 'perfect edition' to any Rolls-Royce, said Toby Wilson, from Bonhams. 'This is one of the most special and easily identifiable registration plates in the world,' he said. 'It evokes the illustrious history of Rolls-Royce, and would be the perfect addition to any Rolls, whether classic or modern. 'It is one of the most exciting pieces of automobilia that I have handled, and should be set to make an impressive world record.' Bonhams will be also be auctioning year a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246GT first bought by Keith Richards, estimated to sell for 300,000-400,000. Sholto Gilbertson, Director of Motor Cars at Bonhams said: 'If you want to feel like a Rock God, this is the car for you. 'The stunning low-sloping bonnet, purring engine power and 0 50 mph acceleration time.' Australian Instagram model Sinead McNamara was just days away from a family reunion when she was found hanged off the back of a billionaire's superyacht in Greece. The 20-year-old was preparing to head back to Australia to see her family when she died on August 31. It's understood McNamara's mother, father and sister only travelled to Athens after they found out she had been found unconscious at the back of the Mayan Queen IV, The Daily Telegraph reported. Australian Instagram model Sinead McNamara (pictured) was just days away from a family reunion when she was found hanged off the back of a billionaire's super yacht in Greece The Instagram model even shared an Instagram post in the lead up to her eagerly-awaited return to Australia describing her excitement just before she died. 'Living & working on a boat seeing all that the world has to offer. yep I think I have it pretty good,' she said. 'Today's a day for being grateful anddd (sic.) it is less then a month till I get to see my family & friends in Aus. Excitement overload!!' The Instagram model had even shared an Instagram post (pictured) in the lead up to her eagerly-awaited return to Australia - describing her excitement - just before she died The news comes just days after the family's lawyer Charalampos Triantafyllopoulos revealed that McNamara had allegedly spoken to her brother before she was found unconscious. The 20-year-old also rang mum Kylie to tell her about an incident with another crew member on board the $190million Mayan Queen IV, which was docked in Argostoli on the Greek island of Kefalonia. It follows reports the model was struggling with a bad breakup, as officers review photographs and messages on her phone to piece together her final hours alive. Instagram model Sinead McNamara rang her mother in tears before taking her own life, according to the family's Greek lawyer The 20-year-old rang mum Kylie to tell her about an incident with another crew member on board the $190million Mayan Queen IV The young Instagram model was found hanged off the back of the Mayan Queen IV (pictured), an AUD$190million superyacht docked at the Greek port Argostoli owned by a billionaire Prior to that, the family claim Ms McNamara had been happy and enjoying her work as a stewardess on the six-storey yacht, which is owned by Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres. The family are now demanding answers as to why there was an apparent delay in airlifting her to a hospital in Athens. A doctor on board the yacht is understood to have tried to resuscitate her before she was taken to a hospital in Argostoli. She was there for several hours, Mr Triantafyllopoulos told Greek media, until a helicopter could transfer her to a private clinic in Athens. In a statement, he said: 'The family expects the Greek authorities to respond to the causes and circumstances of her death and incidents that occurred just prior. 'The deceased had telephoned her mother and brother shortly before the unfortunate incident under investigation. 'She was crying and referred to an incident that took place on the yacht with another crew member. The family are now demanding answers as to why there was an apparent delay in airlifting Ms McNamara (pictured) to a hospital in Athens The luxury yacht is owned by Mexican businessman Alberto Bailleres (pictured) who is worth an estimated $9.6billion The coroner who carried out the autopsy on Ms McNamara told Daily Mail Australia he advised her family against going to visit her body at the morgue, saying it was in 'such a bad state' 'The family state that Sinead was not having any problems, she often communicated with them and she was happy. In two days she will return to her family and her friends in Australia. 'The parents believe it crucial to thoroughly investigate both the events and incidents that preceded the death of their 20-year-old daughter died. 'In addition, they are looking for the reasons for the long delay between the time of the unfortunate incident and Sinead's transfer to an Athens hospital. 'She had been unconscious for several hours in a comatose condition and every minute was critical to her life. 'Expressing their trust in the Greek authorities, they hope that the critical issues above will be thoroughly explored and that they will receive appropriate answers for the sudden and unexpected death of their daughter, ' The Instagram influencer was not having any problems and was in high spirits before her suspected suicide, her family's lawyer said. She was found tangled in rope on the back of Mayan Queen IV (pictured) Ms McNamara's mother and sister were on their way to Greece to holiday with her when crew on-board the Mayan Queen IV made the grim discovery Greek authorities have seized CCTV footage from the cameras on the yacht but at this stage believe her death to be suicide. The MailOnline revealed how just 24-hours before she died, Ms McNamara had enjoyed a 'happy' night out dancing and drinking with friends. She visited the Baroque bar in Argostoli on Wednesday night and drank two vodka-based cocktails - one called Dragon's Breath and another called Mango Mangave. Later in the evening she was seen dancing on a chair. Bar manager Makais Chaliodis said: 'I saw the news and recognised her picture. 'She had come to the bar with five of her friends on the Wednesday about 5.30pm. 'She sat on one of the stools by the bar with two male friends and had two cocktails and a club sandwich. Ms McNamara was reportedly being consoled by a colleague just 15 minutes before her death Ms McNamara penned a cryptic Instagram post (pictured) just two weeks before her death 'One of her companions also bought a round of Tequilas but I don't know if she had one. 'They all seemed to be in high spirits and were happy. They were having a good time. 'They left at 7.30pm but some of them, including the girl who died, came back at 1am. 'The last time I saw her she had got up on one of the chairs and was dancing. 'She must have only been here for no more than 30 minutes the second time and then she left.' Back on board the Mayan Queen, she was seen talking to a security guard about 15-minutes before she was found dead. A sweet teeny-tiny houseboat which is less than nine feet wide has been built for nature lovers and fishermen seeking a bit of luxury on the water. The solar-powered cabin takes up about 13 feet of the 26-foot-long pontoon, while the remainder is an outside deck area to enjoy the sun and views, or to cast a line. The micro-sized houseboat, Le Koroc, has been built in Quebec by Daigno, and is available for $61,000 (47,000). The tiny solar-powered houseboat, Le Koroc, has been built by Daigno in Quebec in Canada Easily transportable, the cabin part of the 26-foot-long pontoon is less than nine feet wide A dining table folds out into a bed frame, transforming this part into a cosy bedroom 'It is aimed at the sport fisherman who does not want to compromise luxury while indulging in his favorite sport, at young families [looking] for safe and comfortable vacationing on water, or at retirees who wish to enjoy an active life', the firm said. The interior of the boat has a kitchen and living area, dining table for two and even a rack to hold all your fishing rods. A compact bathroom has a stand-up shower at the rear of the vessel, while in the living and kitchen area a dining table folds out into a bed frame, transforming this part into a cosy bedroom. Built of white cedar, the mini-sized houseboat has a small kitchen area, table and storage, above Easily transportable, the houseboat can be shipped 'anywhere in the world' according to boat builder Daigno On the deck there's a dining table with seating for two, an area for barbecuing and a built-in fish tank to store the day's fresh catch Two benches on either side of the table fold out to provide a mattress, while space-efficient storage is found throughout Le Koroc. The metal roof is equipped with a 265-watt solar panel, which connects to batteries that power the boat's lighting and refrigerator. Recessed LED lighting is installed throughout the tiny houseboat to reduce its energy use. Located on the open deck is the navigational console, above. Le Koroc has been described as a fishing boat, portable micro-chalet, and high-level 'pleasure pontoon' There is also a shower available on the houseboat, which has gray water filtration with coal for greater environmental responsibility At the front of the boat there is a dining table with seating for two, an area for barbecuing and even a built-in fish tank for storing the day's fresh catch. Daigno described it as a 'micro chalet on wheels and floats. [It's] the ideal, adaptable and inexpensive, alternative to holiday resorts, or simply for overnight stays on or near water.' The firm added that the Le Koroc was a special model designed to be lightweight and efficient, which could be shipped anywhere in the world. The floating home can also be ordered with special composting toilets and other sustainable features. On its roof, the 265-watt solar panel provides power for the lights and refrigerator, while two serial six-volt batteries provide backup power Ready to cook up a fresh catch, while on the water, the houseboat has a Weber barbecue An ally of Jeremy Corbyn secretly recorded ranting about 'Jewish Trump fanatics' has today insisted anti-Semitism is not widespread and severe in Labour. Pete Willsman also revealed party bosses have announced a major crackdown to stop future leaks from meetings of Labour's ruling NEC body after he was exposed. It comes after he was controversially re-elected to the NEC on Monday despite being recorded saying the Jewish community invented the scandal rocking Labour. He later apologised for the remarks. Mr Willsman sparked fresh controversy as he smiled and waved while Momentum activists cheered him when he turned up to a meeting at Labour HQ this week. He has detailed what went on behind the scenes of the crunch meeting, where Labour finally adopted the international definition of anti-Semitism after months of party turmoil over the row. In the report sent to Labour activists, he doubled down on his claim the anti-Semitism scandal has been overblown. Peter Willsman (pictured attending Labour's NEC meeting in London on Tuesday) revealed that party bosses are banning members of the ruling group from taking their phones into future meetings as they try to stop leaks His revelation comes after Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at a museum in Leicestershire today) finally agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism at the crunch meeting at Labour's HQ on Tuesday Referring to his diatribe, which was recorded at an NEC meeting in July, he said: 'We have some 550,000 members and so far, only some 100 cases of antisemitism have been brought before the NEC. 'No doubt, there are other examples to be found and, of course, one example is one too many. 'Nevertheless, the evidence does not support the assertion of "widespread and severe". Two Labour moderates lose confidence votes amid warnings of hard-left party purge Joan Ryan (pictured outside the meeting in Enfield last night) a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London A leading Labour moderate is battling to hold on to her political career after she lost a crucial party vote as the hard-left try to oust her as an MP. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London. Ms Ryan, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, blamed the bid to deselect her on 'Trots, Stalinists, Communists and assorted hard left'. But she vowed to stay on as the local MP, telling her Twitter followers 'I am Labour through and through' and she will not be quitting. And Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, also lost a no confidence vote last night. Jewish leaders and Labour MPs immediately rallied to their colleagues' defence - and slammed moves to oust them. In extraordinary scenes at a Labour party meeting last night, activists packed into the hall to hear the outcome of Ms Ryan's vote. And some erupted into loud cheers, jumped up and down and hugged one another when news that Ms Ryan had lost the vote 94 to 92 came through. The moment was captured on video by Press TV - the Iranian state propaganda channel which Mr Corbyn has been criticised for appearing on - which jubilantly tweeted the result. Ms Ryan, who was first elected to the seat when Tony Blair swept to power in his 1997 landslide, hit back at the moves to deselect her. In a series of Twitter messages, she wrote: 'So lost 92 to 94 votes hardly decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would have confidence in me. I have none in them.' She added: 'I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield. 'Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values.' Advertisement 'As I said to the NEC, I have not personally seen any examples of anti-Semitism in my nearly 50 years in the Party (and many party members have told me the same). 'In case anyone is confused, I was obviously speaking from my own personal experience as an individual party activist. 'The experience of being an NEC member is in a totally separate box and during 37 years as a member of all four national committees I have seen a whole range of quite dreadful things.' He also revealed that party bosses are ushering in a crackdown to stop future leaks from the NEC meetings. Party members will no longer be allowed to take mobile phones or laptops into the meetings or be able to dial in and take part remotely, he said. In a statement on the website Grassroots Labour, he wrote: 'In recent years, there has been an unprecedented amount of leaking directly from NEC meetings while they are still in progress. 'The recording of my emotional outburst had brought matters to a head. 'It was agreed that in future all phones, computers and recording devices will be handed in before NEC meetings start. 'Also, NEC members not present will no longer be allowed to phone in it is only recently that this has been allowed. 'Also, the circulation of documents that include details of individual cases will normally not be circulated in advance. 'Whole cases have been leaked which opens the door to legal action against the Party. 'The chair deeply regretted that we had to take this action but we had no choice.' The revelations come as two Labour moderates were hit by no confidence votes by their local branches last night amid fears the left are trying to pursue a purge of the party. Joan Ryan, chairwoman of Labour Friend of Israel and MP for Enfield North, and Gavin Shuker, MP for Luton South, both lost the votes. But both vowed to stay on as MPs as they hit back at hard-left entryists. Jewish leaders and Labour MPs immediately rallied to their colleagues' defence - and slammed moves to oust them. In extraordinary scenes at a Labour party meeting last night, activists packed into the hall to hear the outcome of Ms Ryan's vote. And some erupted into loud cheers, jumped up and down and hugged one another when news that Ms Ryan had lost the vote 94 to 92 came through. The moment was captured on video by Press TV - the Iranian state propaganda channel which Mr Corbyn has been criticised for appearing on - which jubilantly tweeted the result. The Labour Party will launch a formal investigation into how the broadcaster got inside the meeting as all press were banned, Enfield Constituency Labour Party said. Ms Ryan, who was first elected to the seat when Tony Blair swept to power in his 1997 landslide, hit back at the moves to deselect her. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, (pictured last night after the meeting in Enfield) lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London In a series of Twitter messages, she wrote: 'So lost 92 to 94 votes hardly decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would have confidence in me. I have none in them.' She added: 'I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield. 'Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values.' Mr Shuker also vowed to stay on as Labour MP, writing on Twitter: 'At a local Labour Party meeting last night a motion of no confidence in me was passed. 'It's not part of any formal procedure, so it changes nothing about my role as Labour MP for Luton South.' He added: 'I've not changed, but the Labour Party has.' Consultant obstetrician Tony Boret, 53, leaving the GMC tribunal hearing in Manchester. He denies sexually motivated misconduct. The hearing continues A senior gynaecologist kissed and fondled a financier's wife and suggested they have an extra marital affair whilst she was campaigning to save a hospital maternity unit, a tribunal heard today. Consultant obstetrician Tony Boret, 53, had developed his flirtatious friendship with the mother of two after she raised a petition demanding a decision to shut the privately run service be reversed. But the friendship culminated in a sexually charged medical consultation in which Boret confessed to cheating on his wife before kissing the 38-year old woman and putting his hand up her top to touch her breasts, it was alleged. He also suggested they book a hotel room together to 'make love,' it was claimed. The patient - whose husband is a company financial director in London - fled Boret's office in a state of confusion. But later she sent the doctor an email saying: 'Perhaps I have 'mug' written on my forehead but I do not want to be married to my husband anymore. I hope to see you again. I miss being your patient.' The incident occurred after the woman met Boret whilst pregnant with her first child. Their friendship began to intensify in 2015 when whilst pregnant with her second child. She began a battle to stop the closure of private maternity services at Watford General Hospital. The woman broke down in tears as she told Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service: 'I liked him from the beginning and a friendship started in 2015. 'He was charming and open. He paid me compliments. He was grateful to me for my help. It is alleged Mr Boret (above) then he said he had cheated on his own wife and that other patients fancied Patient A before he kissed her on the lips and put his hands up her top and touched her breasts on top of her bra He used to say I was his number one patient and he referred to me as his favourite patient.' But matters came to a head on June 22 2017 when the pair had a sexual encounter at Boret's office. The General Medical Council claim the doctor told the woman she 'looked beautiful' and after suggesting they go for coffee, asked how 'she would feel about having an affair.' It is alleged he then he said he had cheated on his own wife and that other patients fancied Patient A before he kissed her on the lips and put his hands up her top and touched her breasts on top of her bra. The woman fled the consultation but asked for a further meeting four days later in which Boret allegedly warned Patient A to be 'very careful with what she said as there may be video cameras watching her.' He then allegedly said he was glad she had not been wearing a skirt at the earlier meeting 'because he did not want to just stick it in and it be over in three seconds.' He further allegedly said he wanted to take Patient A to a hotel, 'make love to her and give her an orgasm.' The woman - known as Patient A - told the Manchester hearing: 'He told me that I was beautiful and that he had cheated on his wife, and asked if I wanted an affair. 'We were talking about a mutual friend that they had cheated and he told me he had done the same. 'He told me honestly that he had cheated on his wife. He lowered his head and kissed me and I just responded to his advances. 'He had his hands up my top and touched my breasts. There were two kisses. One standing up and one over the desk.I didn't come onto him - I said he should lock the door but I was flustered. I responded to his advances. 'He told me that he wanted to take me to a hotel and make me orgasm. I know that he kissed me and touched me on that day. I am five foot tall - I would not have been able to make him kiss me.' 'I didn't wear a skirt at his appointments which is why he said he wished I was. He told me to be careful of what I said because there were cameras in the room.' But the hearing was told of a series of emails the woman sent to Boret after the encounter and she was also said to have made a comment that he was 'on her bucket list'. One email sent on July 10 said: 'It would have been a bit of fun between the both of us. Your career will be safe.' Another three days later read: 'I am so concerned with what happened and you may want to erase me from your memory. You made me feel like it was my fault.' In reply Boret said their relationship is 'nothing more than a doctor and patient, and that there should be an element of trust between them' but the woman retorted: 'You have already broken it, what the hell are you on about? You should have thought about that before you put your tongue in my mouth, touched my breasts and said you wanted to make love to me.' Then in separate emails she went on: 'I saw the way you looked at me with those big brown eyes in your office. I can see something was wrong. Perhaps I have mug written on my forehead but I do not want to be married to my husband anymore. 'I hope to see you again. I miss being your patient. I have only been kind and loyal and the only patient to support you.' She then emailed him again a few days later saying: 'I want to apologise to you. I have not been well I am sorry to come on to you. I told my therapist that I made it all up.' But a further email to Boret added: 'I only wrote the retraction email in fear. You are a liar and trying to hide what you did to me. You did not realise what harm you have had.' Under cross examination Boret's lawyer Robert Wastell accused the woman of leaving a 'paper trail' with her emails and said: 'In the summer of 2017, a sexual encounter was not only something you desired, you wanted it to happen. 'You were desperate to speak to him. You wanted to pursue him more. You felt a sense of entitlement because of your work for the practice.' Mr Boret (above) leaving court today. The hearing was told of a series of emails the woman sent to Boret after the encounter and she was also said to have made a comment that he was 'on her bucket list' He also said her conduct in sending heart-eye emojis to her doctor was 'inappropriate for a married woman' but the patient replied: 'Neither is a doctor telling a patient that he wants to make love to her or hugging a patient. I sent him many types of faces. 'I had wanted him to know what had happened would stay between us - I just wanted us to go back to the way things were as a friendship. 'I wanted him to know how I felt. 'He knows what he said and what he did, I wouldn't put myself through this ordeal if it didn't happen. This was someone who I trusted and he knows that but he still did this to me.' 'Mr Boret sent an email saying nothing could happen between us because he was panicking. He said he didn't want to risk his career but he had also been inappropriate with me that day. 'I disagree that it was him saying nothing could happen between us. I wanted him to to know I wasn't going to say anything and we were still friends. 'It is not the case that I was pursuing him and he was saying no. My husband says I was acting odd and he challenged me. He was concerned by what happened. I think if this happened to any patient or doctor anyone would be confused and hurt.' 'I am well aware of what he is facing and I wouldn't put myself through this if it wasn't true. It's not the truth that he rejected me.' Earlier Charles Garside QC lawyer for the General Medical Council told the hearing: 'She became his patient in about 2010 and was someone who visited him as a gynaecologist and consultant. 'When the private hospital was about to close she engaged herself in a campaign to try and keep it open. There is no suggestion of assault or unwanted force and she did not resist it, but it should not have happened.' Boret who qualified in 1987 worked briefly in Russia and Africa before returning to the UK to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynaecology. He was appointed as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist to Watford General Hospital in early 2001. He denies sexually motivated misconduct. The hearing continues. The teenage girl who was held captive in a storage container for nine months before being dramatically freed by her abductor has told how she survived by building a bond with the man and convincing him to trust her. Abigail Hernandez, now 19, was 14 when Nathaniel Kibby, now 39, abducted her as she walked from from school in Conway, New Hampshire, in October 2013. He held her in a locked storage container for nine months where he forced her to wear a shock collar and sexually assaulted her. In July 2014, Kibby suddenly decided to let her go and drove her to a rural road where she was able to then walk home. He was arrested a week later and will likely spend the rest of his life in jail. Abigail has spoken about the horror she endured for the first time in an interview with ABC's 20/20 which will air on Friday night. In a clip from the show, she describes deciding early on that she had to strategise and form a bond with Kibby if she wanted to survive. Scroll down for video Abigail Hernandez revealed in an interview that will air on Friday how she won Nathaniel Kibby's trust while he held her captive for nine months in a trailer in New Hampshire between 2013 and 2014. She was 15 at the time but is now 19 'I remember thinking to myself, Okay, I got to work with this guy. I said [to him], I dont judge you for this. If you let me go, I wont tell anybody about this."' While she was in his captivity, Kibby was operating a counterfeit money scheme. She caught wind of it but went along with him to keep him happy. 'Part of how I gained his trust, I guess, was I went along with whatever he wanted to do.' She then convinced him that if he let her go, she would not tell anyone who he was or where he lived. 'I told him, Look, you don't seem like a bad person. Like, everybody makes mistakes If you let me go, I won't tell anybody about this. 'I really always kinda put it-- you know. This strategy is always there,' she said. Eventually, she won him over enough that he agreed to let her read books. One of the books he gave her had his name written on it. Until then, she had no idea who he was. 'I said, Whos Nate Kibby? And he just kind of breathed and he said How do you know my name?. Law enforcement experts have described Abigail's ability to strategize amid such severe trauma as extraordinary. She credits her faith with carrying her through. 'I remember I never said "amen" in my mind. I never wanted to end my prayers because I didn't want God to leave me. I just really wanted to live. Kibby convinced her that if she or anyone else broke open the trailer door, it would catch on fire and kill her. He also installed a security camera which was pointed at her and was always blinking, she said. Abigail Hernandez is pictured walking back into her family home in Conway, New Hampshire, after nine months in captivity. She was suddenly freed by her abductor in July 2014 after enduring months of sexual assault and abuse 'On the door there were wires, there were like screws and wires. He told me that he fixed the door so that for any reason if it was busted open it would catch on fire. 'If someone kicked open the door that I would quickly go up in flames basically. Yeah I was afraid that the room would set on fire. 'There was a camera that was always blinking, like a security camera. I thought he was watching me,' she said. In an earlier portion of the interview, she recalled the moment he drove her to a rural road and let her go. 'There were no cars coming either way and he said 'get out'. So I got out and then he yelled "wait, give me my hat back! Give me my hat back!" 'So I took it off, threw it in the car, slammed the door and he drove off. Abigail's mother Zenyah said she was stunned when her daughter suddenly walked through the door 'Just like that. That was it,' she said. At the time, she was 15. Now 19, she recalls looking up and 'laughing' afterwards. 'Just being so happy like, "Oh my God. This actually happened. I'm a free person. I never thought it would happen to me but I'm free." And I just walked home,' she said. The family had surveillance cameras on their front doorstep. They caught the moment Abigail walked through the door after while her mother was inside. 'I remember when I came up to my doorstep, I could hear my mum talking on the phone. I could hear her voice. I opened the door and said, "Mom?" and she said, "Abby?" And then she ran out,' she recalled. The girl's mother, Zenyah, said she 'shuddered' when she was first saw her. 't was almost like, it was a shock. Like, I had a shudder. I couldn't believe what I was seeing,' she said. Abigail said she remembered registering the change in her mother's appearance and realizing that her vanishing had taken such a severe toll on her. Kibby held the girl hostage in a storage container on his property in rural New Hampshire (picture) for nine months without suspicion 'That was such a beautiful moment. I remember just the look on her face. 'She looked different she really did. I could see months of stress in her face and it kinda killed me a little bit but I was so relieved to see her,' she said. Kibby is serving between 45 and 90 years in prison on sexual assault and kidnapping charges. Earlier in the interview, which will air in full on Friday, she revealed that Kibby would not tell her his name and instead instructed her to all him 'master'. The young woman also explained how he started using the dog collar on her. 'He said, "You know, I'm thinking of finding something a little more humane for you to keep you quiet." 'He said, "I'm thinking of a shock collar. You know, that like dogs wear." 'I remember he put it on me. And he told me, "Okay, try and scream." 'I just slowly started to raise my voice. And then, it shocked me. So, he's like, "Okay, now you know what it feels like,"' she said. It took her Abigail a week after returning home before she revealed to her family and law enforcement agencies who he was because she was so afraid of him. In July 2014, Hernandez bravely faced her kidnapper in court and thanked him for letting her go (they are pictured during the court hearing above) She knew his name because she had seen it written on a cook book inside the home. Kibby was arrested at his home which was 30 miles north of where he took Abigail. Abigail went missing in October 2013 days before her 15th birthday. It sparked a large manhunt which lasted nine months In the nine months she spent in his captivity, she was only ever allowed to write one letter to her family under his instruction. After his arrest, she bravely confronted him in court and thanked him for letting her go. 'I want you to know that I appreciate my freedom because of you and I enjoy my life because of you. 'I just want to thank you for giving me my freedom back,' she said. Kibby was sentenced to a minimum of 45 years behind bars and was charged with a litany of crimes including kidnapping and sexual assault. Neighbors testified at his sentencing hearings that he was a gun-obsessed loner who was convinced there would be a zombie apocalypse. They said they half expected him to unravel and do something violent but that kidnapping a child was one of the last things they predicted he would do. A coroner in Cincinnati has named the three men ranging in age from 25 to 64 who were killed during Thursday's bank shooting, which also left two other people injured. The Hamilton County Coroners office has identified the victims as 25-year-old Pruthvi Kandepi, 48-year-old Luis Calderon and 64-year-old Richard Newcomer. All three were killed when police say 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez opened fire at the 30-story headquarters of Fifth Third Bancorp in downtown Cincinnati. Two other people, a man and a woman, were wounded in the shooting spree before police officers arrived on the scene three minutes later and killed Perez. Scroll down for video At age 25, programmer Pruthvi Kandepi (left) was the youngest of the three victims shot dead at Fifth Third Bank in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday. The two other deceased were identified as Luis Calderon, 48 (center), and Richard Newcomer, 64 (right) The coroner, Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco, said she recognized the youngest fatality, Kandepi, from a local Hindu temple. The two also shared the same hometown and language, Telugu. Sammarco posted Wednesday on Facebook, asking how officials will explain to his parents in India 'they will never see their son again because of a senseless shooting in a foreign country.' Police on Thursday identified the shooter as 29-year-old Omar Enrique Perez, who was shot and killed by police at the scene The local Telugu Association of North America office said they plan to help Kandepi's father. He wants his son's body to be taken back to India. Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Kandepi worked as a programmer with a company called Tech Services. Richard Newcomer worked for the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Company. On Thursday, the 64-year-old father and grandfather from Amelia was a supervisor on an electrical project on the third floor of the bank when he was shot dead. According to the description of a GoFundMe page, Luis Calderon was a married father of two, a boy and a girl. Investigators said a suit-wearing Perez used a 9mm handgun and had an estimated 200 rounds or more of ammunition. So far, they have not found a motive. Police Chief Eliot Isaac said investigators will study footage from the officers' body cameras and security from the 30-story building. According to police, Perez had never worked at Fifth Third and don't have any information linking him to other businesses in the building. Authorities believe that Perez had lived in the Cincinnati area since 2015. Police swarmed his apartment in North Bend, Ohio, about 15 miles. Police investigate the scene after a shooting at the Fifth Third Bank building on Fountain Square Thursday A woman is comforted by authorities stationed outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center's Emergency room Thursday Records show the shooter formerly lived in South Florida and had been charged with some non-violent crimes years ago. Police said he went into a sandwich shop and possibly other businesses before entering the lobby and opening fire around 9.10am. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the rapid police response probably prevented many more casualties. He said one investigator said it could have been 'a bloodbath beyond imagination.' Leonard Cain told The Cincinnati Enquirer he was going into the bank when someone alerted him about the shooting. He said a woman wearing headphones didn't hear the warnings and walked into the bank and got shot. Perez is seen in this 2014 mugshot released by the Greenville, South Carolina One of the victims died at the scene. Two more died at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The two wounded, a man and a woman, were listed there in critical condition and fair condition, respectively. The Inquirer identified the female survivor as 37-year-old Whitney Austin of Louisville, Kentucky. The married mother-of-two was shot 12 times on one side of her body, but the bullets missed all of her vital organs and arteries, Austin's neighbor told 9News. Her brother-in-law Lonnie Gardner told the Courier Journal that she was conscious and called her husband of 12 years, Waller Austin, from the ambulance en route to the hospital. Fountain Square is often the site of concerts, dancing, food trucks and other events around lunchtime or in the evenings. 'It could have been any one of us,' Mayor John Cranley said. He praised police and other emergency personnel, saying, 'It could have been much, much worse.' Gov. John Kasich ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all public buildings and grounds in Hamilton County, and at the Statehouse, through Monday. A Russian satellite 'with big ears' tried to spy on a French craft in an bid to eavesdrop on military communications, France's defence minister alleged today. Florence Parly said the Athena-Fidus satellite, operated jointly with Italy, was approached 'a bit too closely' by Russia's Luch-Olymp, known for its advanced listening capabilities. In what she said amounted to 'Star Wars' above the Earth, she named the Russian satellite as Louch-Olymp. The French-Italian satellite was launched in 2014 and is used for secure military communications and the planning of operations. Parly said: 'Trying to listen to one's neighbor is not only unfriendly. It's called an act of espionage. Florence Parly said the Athena-Fidus satellite (pictured), operated jointly by France and Italy, was approached 'a bit too closely' by Russia's Luch-Olymp 'It got close. A bit too close. So close that one really could believe that it was trying to capture our communications.' She added that 'this little Stars Wars didn't happen a long time ago in a galaxy far away. It happened a year ago, 36,000 kilometers above our heads.' The Russian satellite has 'big ears' and is 'well-known but a bit indiscreet', she said. Without giving details, she said France had taken 'the necessary measures' and is still watching the satellite attentively. The Russian satellite was launched by the rocket Proton-M in 2014. Parly was speaking at the Toulouse-based France space agency that developed the Athena-Fidus satellite jointly with the Italian space agency ASI. Last month Washington accused Moscow of developing anti-satellite weapons and cited 'very abnormal behaviour' of a 'space object' deployed by Russia last October. In what she said amounted to 'Star Wars' above the Earth, French defence minister Florence Parly (pictured in Paris last month) named the Russian satellite as Louch-Olymp It also dismissed a proposed treaty by Russia and China aimed at averting a space arms race, calling it 'hollow and hypocritical'. 'We are well aware that other major players in space are deploying intriguing objects into orbit, experimenting with potential offensive capabilities, conducting manoeuvres which leave no doubt as to their aggressive intent,' Parly said. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to develop a 'space defence strategy' for France, and Parly said experts were preparing recommendations she intended to pass on by the end of the year. 'We're at risk, our communications, our military manoeuvres and our daily operations are at risk if we don't react,' Parly said. The Russian satellite was launched by the rocket Proton-M (pictured at a different launch) She noted the call by President Donald Trump last month to create a new 'Space Force' to assert US dominance in orbit and protect against vulnerabilities to its satellite-based systems. 'I've heard some people laugh' about Trump's plan, Parly said, but 'I'm not among them'. 'I see this as an extremely powerful signal, one of confrontations to come, of the increasing importance of space, of the future challenges,' she said. 'We know that space is becoming militarised. We're not going to stand by and watch.' Michelle Schiffer, 24, was sentenced to eight years in jail for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student on Thursday The Texas teacher who had sex with a teenage student she met up with at a local Chick-fil-A has been sentenced to eight years in jail. Michelle Schiffer, 24, was sentenced to eight years in prison for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student on Thursday. The history teacher at Cypress Springs High School was accused of having sex twice with her student in 2017. On one occasion she met up with the student from her school at a local Chick-fil-A then they went to a friend's house at the 7200 block of Barker Cypress for sex. On another day she picked up the student in a park, they smoked cannabis, then had sex in her car, according to KHOU. She pleaded guilty in court in May. 'Michelle is prepared to serve her sentence and hopes the complainant and his family can forgive her,' her attorney Grant Scheiner said on her sentencing. 'She has a scarlet letter thats going to last the rest of her life. And that is part of the punishment,' he added. They had sex on two occasions. On one they met up at a local Chick-fil-A in Cypress, Texas (stock image) Schiffer originally met the boy while teaching him at Cypress-Springs High School (stock) Schiffer originally met the boy while teaching him at Cypress-Springs High School. The alleged improper relationship was reported to the principal, Cheryl Henry, by an anonymous student. Her friends and family said she suffers depression during last month's hearing. Schiffer said she stopped taking her medication prior to meeting up with the student. But prosecutors say she was sending text messages to other students, including nude topless photos, according to the New York Post. 'This isnt a heat-of-the-moment thing. This is over a series of months with different students,' prosecutor Keaton Forcht said. Schiffer was placed on administrative leave when her relationship with the student was revealed and later fired. Schiffer could have faced up to 20 years in prison with the plea deal. Thomas Cook have paid 3,000 in compensation to a holidaymaker who suffered such extreme pain from food poisoning at a Turkish hotel that she would have shot herself if she could. Nicola Roberts, 29, an estate agent from Brackla, Bridgend in Wales, was on a seven-day break with her partner Gareth David, 36, in Liberty Hotels' Lykia Holiday World Hotel in Olu Deniz when she was taken ill two years ago. Earlier this week Thomas Cook was ordered to pay her 3,000 in compensation for her suffering at Cardiff Civil Justice Centre. The couple booked a seven-night all-inclusive package holiday at the resort near Dalaman. Nicola Roberts, an estate agent from Brackla, Bridgend in Wales, was on a seven-day break with her partner Gareth David, pictured together on holiday, when she was taken ill two years ago Thomas Cook have paid Ms Roberts 3,000 in compensation after she got food poisoning while staying at the Liberty Hotels' Lykia Holiday World Hotel in Olu Deniz, Turkey (pictured) Ms Roberts said: 'The hotel looked lovely in the brochure and seemed to be very nice. We arrived late on the Friday, when I ate a burger and a chicken wrap in the hotel. 'On the Tuesday I had eggs, beans and toast for breakfast and in the evening I had a lamb kebab. 'On the Wednesday morning I woke up and wasn't well. At first I thought I had a case of traveller's diarrhoea, but the pain got worse and I had to be taken to hospital. 'The pain was absolutely horrendous, and if I'd had a gun to my head I would have pulled the trigger gladly. That's how bad it was. 'I got better after the medication on the Thursday and was released from hospital. 'When we got home I had another week booked off. I needed that to recover before going back to work I felt very tired. 'I thought my case of food poisoning was an isolated case, but we heard people talking by reception in the hotel about other cases of food poisoning. 'We found a page on Facebook that included complaints about people falling sick in the hotel going back to 2010. 'We found out there had been an outbreak in the hotel affecting dozens of people before we left home. 'What really annoyed us was the fact that Thomas Cook sent us and others to the hotel even though there had already been an outbreak.' Her partner Gareth David, 36, an operations manager for an electrical company, said: 'Nicola was in an awful state - it was very worried. 'We were horrified when we looked at the stories about the hotel on Facebook. We can't understand why in the light of all the cases of food poisoning, Thomas Cook still uses the hotel. It seems they've paid out quite a lot in compensation to people in recent years.' She said: 'At first I thought I had a case of traveller's diarrhoea, but the pain got worse and I had to be taken to hospital. 'The pain was absolutely horrendous, and if I'd had a gun to my head I would have pulled the trigger gladly. That's how bad it was' The description of the hotel on Thomas Cook's website states: 'Set in its own turquoise bay surrounded by nothing but lush green mountains Liberty Hotels Lykia offers plenty of activities and spacious rooms. 'With newly baked bread and freshly squeezed orange juice it's the little details that make a stay here special. 'Make sure you check out the Turkish restaurant where you can dine amongst the magical forest or the beach restaurant where you'll see incredible sunsets. 'As for the kids, the waterpark complete with lazy river is their idea of paradise.' The website also states that the hotel won a gold Travelife Award. A Thomas Cook spokesman said: 'We want our customers to have the best possible time on holiday, so we are very sorry to hear that Ms Roberts was ill while on holiday with us in Turkey. 'We take reports of illness seriously and this matter is now resolved with Ms Roberts.' The company maintains it was not aware of a sickness problem in the hotel before Ms Roberts went on holiday, and says it has strict monitoring systems in place that trace levels of sickness in all its hotels. Once a concern is triggered, the company's health and safety team conducts enhanced scrutiny and support for hotels to conduct further prevention of sickness measures. If levels of sickness continued to increase then the company's policy is to remove customers if it believes there is a risk to their safety. It says the numbers of customers who were ill prior to Ms Roberts' holiday were very low and not at levels to trigger this escalation process. Yonatan Eyob (pictured), 26, received almost 87,000 in funds after falsely claiming he lived in Grenfell Tower in the wake of the fire A drug dealer who received almost 87,000 in funds after falsely claiming he lived in Grenfell Tower in the wake of the fire has been jailed for more than six years. Yonatan Eyob, 26, who was described as homeless but uses an address in Notting Hill, west London, was put up in a hotel and given a food allowance and pre-paid cards. Drugs, including MDMA and cocaine, and seven mobile phones were found in his hotel room, along with around 3,000 in cash, designer clothes, jewellery and credit cards. Eyob, who claimed he had been lodging with a friend in Flat 182 - home to a family of five who died in the blaze - pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation in June. At Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh sentenced Eyob to three years and four months for the fraud, and three years and four months for possession of drugs with intent to supply. The judge described the fire as 'a disaster which shocked the nation', and said Eyob was treated as a 'bereaved survivor and given top priority'. He said: 'You were profiting from the deaths of those people and the fact that they were in effect silenced.' The judge said Eyob had decided to 'enrich' himself by 'plundering the funds that were put aside for the victims', adding: 'It was a claim false and dishonest from the start.' The Crown Prosecution Service said it is the largest known convicted Grenfell fraud so far. Eyob received 15,918.20 on pre-paid cards, 60,945 in hotel accommodation and 9,968.36 for laundry and parking - a total of just over 86,831. He was given emergency accommodation at the Holland Park Hilton between July 2017 and June 2018. The court heard he had the use of a white convertible Mercedes and had asked for more money, claiming that he was finding it difficult to eat the food at the hotel. Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly also said that Eyob had complained about the WiFi signal in the hotel. She said: 'He was treated by the borough as a bereaved survivor and therefore given top priority. As a result of that then he was provided with hotel accommodation from June 2017 to June 2018. 'In addition to that he was provided with food and a travel card for zones one to two. He complained he was finding it difficult to eat the food at the hotel. 'He also complained about the wi-fi saying he was finding it hard to study.' Eyob was charged with dishonestly making a false representation for accommodation and subsistence between June 2017 and June 2018. Eyob claimed he had been lodging with a friend in Flat 182, home to a family of five who died in the blaze. Pictured: the Grenfell Tower blaze on the morning of June 14 last year The court heard there was a piece of paper with a list of names and numbers in the hotel room, and there were text messages found which related to drug dealing. A fire ripped through the west London tower block in June 2017 leaving 72 people dead. Hannan Wahabi, the sister of Abdulaziz El-Wahabi who lived in the flat, said what Eyob did was 'a stain on all those who died in the terrible incident'. Reading a victim impact statement, she said the fraud was 'another unwelcome extra heartache and stress to deal with', adding: 'The actions of this individual have caused me sleepless nights.' Ms Wahabi said the fact that someone had taken advantage of the distress felt by those left behind for their own personal gain 'really hurts'. A rich portrait was painted of the El-Wahabi family, who died at each other's side in the tower, at the public inquiry into the fire. Parents Faouzia and Abdulaziz, 42 and 52, died alongside their children, Yasin, 20, Huda, 16, and Mehdi, eight, on the 21st floor of the block. Catherine Gould, from the CPS, said: 'Yonatan Eyob took advantage of a terrible tragedy for his own greed. 'He carried on his fraud for nearly a year, diverting funds from those who genuinely needed it and betraying the trust of everyone who gave him assistance. 'If his deceit had not been discovered he would have been eligible for a council home with free rent and council tax until July 2019. 'When someone lies in this way it is only right they are held to account.' Justice Maryie McKay, 22, of Lake Butler, Florida, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly raping a 14-year-old boy on at least three occasions A mother-of-five has been charged with sexual battery for allegedly raping a 14-year-old boy multiple times - on one occasion in the same room as her husband and young children. Justice Maryie McKay, 22, of Lake Butler, Florida, was arrested Wednesday after the teenage boy's mother confronted her with photos of marks on her son's body. According to a police report obtained by The Gainesville Sun, McKay and her family were at the boy's home in July to celebrate a birthday when she sent a message to the teen via WhatsApp. She allegedly told the boy to come to the room where she was staying with her husband and children who were sleeping at the time. The boy reported to police that he initially refused and said no at least once, but finally went to the room with no intention of having a physical encounter. The report says McKay kissed him, removed his clothes and had sex with him - all while her husband and five children - all under the age of five - were sleeping in the room. The next day, the report says McKay told the teen she couldn't forget about the day prior and said she 'wanted to be with him'. One of the incidents reportedly happened while McKay's husband and five young children were in the room sleeping A month later on August 13, McKay then picked up the boy from his bus stop in Gainesville, offering a ride to school. Instead, she allegedly took the boy to her home where they had sex again, according to police. The boy was left with 'hickies' and scratch marks, indicating sexual battery, police said. A third incident came days later when McKay is reported to have picked the boy up from a gas station and they had sex again in her home. According to police, both of the August incidents took place while all of McKay's children and teen cousin were home. The marks were photographed and later presented to McKay by the boy's mother on August 22. The report showed that the boy's mother said McKay went missing with her children after she learned authorities had been contacted. McKay was arrested Wednesday and has filed a written plea of not guilty. She is being held in the Alachua County Jail with a $75,000 bond. A Chick-fil-A employee lost his job after getting into a massive brawl with an irate customer inside a Washington D.C. location. Video shows the Tuesday altercation at the Tenleytown eatery when Sean Turner, 55, and an unnamed employee duke it out. Turner is said to have started the altercation, shouting at other patrons in the store and going behind the counter, WTTG-TV reports. Video shows the Tuesday altercation at the Tenleytown eatery when Sean Turner, 55, and an unnamed employee duke it out When the man was asked to leave the store by an employee, Turner was said to have allegedly thrown a punch. The 27-year-old employee and Turner then brawl, with the staff member pummeling the man in the head. Other employees are able to pull the two men apart, but Turner tries to throw a stool at the man who just beat him. Turner is said to have started the altercation, shouting at other patrons in the store and going behind the counter Turner was detained and charged with simple assault. He was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries. The employee was not arrested but he was fired from Chick-fil-A, according to a spokesperson. 'There is a viral video circulating of an altercation that took place last night between a restaurant team member and an individual in a franchised restaurant. This video is incredibly disturbing to watch, and we do not condone violence or the team member's response to the situation in any way,' the spokesperson said in a statement. Turner was detained by police and charged with simple assault 'Our franchise restaurant Operators and their team members strive to create a safe and welcoming environment and to treat all guests with dignity and respect. This situation does not live up to our brand's commitment to hospitality, and for that, we are very sorry.' Views for the video have exceeded past 5million views by Friday. 'We are continuing to investigate this situation, including what happened before the video was taken and how it escalated so quickly,' the chain said. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: A pair of American travelers who crashed their scooter in Bali in the middle of the night and were left for dead in a ravine have told how a single Facebook post and the tenacity of friends who responded to it saved their lives. On August 22, Michael Lythcotte, 39, and Stacey Eno, 26, were driving back to their hotel in Ubud at around 2.30am when a truck overtook them on a steep hill and blinded them temporarily. Lythcotte, who runs a boutique digital agency in Brooklyn, New York, was driving and he hit the brakes but they failed. The pair, who had met in Thailand earlier in the year and agreed to meet back up in Indonesia, went over the edge of the road and into a ravine. They found themselves unable to move, concussed and lying alone in the dark. Michael Lythcotte and Stacey Eno were rescued from the ravine they fell down in Ubud, Bali, four hours after crashing their scooter. Lythcotte posted an SOS message on Facebook which set in motion the chain of events which saved their lives. The phone he used is pictured still lying on his chest Lythcotte found his American phone in the top jacket of his jacket after the crash and was able to get enough signal to post this SOS message Stacey and Michael met in Thailand in February and they planned to meet back up in Bali. Both are world travelers. She is from Michigan but lives in South Korea, where she teaches, and Michael lives in Brooklyn where he runs a digital agency 'I then did think "I'm gonna die here," because no one knew we were here or went over and we were both hurt and for a minute I couldn't even remember how we got there,' Lythcotte told DailyMail.com on Friday. In desperation, Lythcotte reached for his US phone which was still in his jacket pocket. He turned on roaming and posted a Facebook message which read: 'Help. In danger. Call police,' marking his location just as 'Bali'. One of his friends who saw the post called him on Facebook then started speaking with him on WhatsApp where Lythcotte sent her his location Immediately, his hundreds of friends responded to ask what he needed. He was only able to type with one hand and responded to them intermittently in the comments section, asking repeatedly for help. Amy Sparks, a friend of his from Seattle, called him using the Facebook phone function. 'It was great that I talked to him because some people were worried that his phone had been stolen or that his account had been hacked. 'And I was able to say, I know his voice and I know it is him, that he is very badly injured and needs help,' she said. Sparks was able to instruct him to then send her a dropped pin of his location to her via WhatsApp. In their conversation, he wrote: 'Woods. By a river. Can't move.' Later, he said: 'Help,' and 'girl with me.' Sparks then took over leading the Facebook thread where dozens were by then asking how they could help. Between them, Sparks and the others hammered the Indonesian authorities with calls and bombarded the US embassy until they go through to someone who could help. The embassy then phoned Lythcotte and told him help was on the way. Aimee Sparks, who was in Pennsylvania at the time, shared his location on the Facebook thread to try to get him help. Dozens of his friends began hammering the US Embassy with calls and eventually they sent a search party to him His brother then got in touch with the doctor at the hospital he had been taken to and was able to tell the thread of Facebook users. More than 200 comments were left The pair were taken to hospital after being found. Neither remembers exactly what happened but say they are grateful to be alive His phone battery died right after he told the man on the other end of the phone the name of a hotel he remembered passing just before they crashed their scooter. After around three or four hours, the pair were found by a team of local rescuers. They were loaded into the back of a flatbed truck and were taken to hospital where doctors told them they had broken bones and concussions. 'I'm still amazed people from all over the world made it work. I'm grateful beyond measure. Technology saved us. In hospital, they found out at a 5.2 magnitude struck when they were either crashing or unconscious in the ravine. They do not remember feeling its impact. Stacey broke her nose, arm and cheekbones. Lythcotte suffered a skull fracture, broken wrist, internal damage, cracked ribs, an injured spine, and perforated bowels. A week after the accident, he returned to social media to thank his friends for saving his life. 'Hi everyone. I actually am sitting up now. Getting better daily. Even on my laptop for the first time today. '[I] will have most tubes removed in a day or two, which will really allow me to move and get well. 'Yes, most pain is gone now. A good sign. And not to be gross but I'm eating and pooping normally. Very good sign. They may try as early as tomorrow to stand me up! 'Your support has kept me sane. Thank you so much.' Stacey broke her nose and cheekbones and Michael suffered a skull fracture and perforated bowels Michael remained in hospital for 10 days. He is still in Indonesia but will fly back to the US on Sunday Both Michael and Stacey say they are grateful for technology and for their friends' efforts In a later post, he said : 'Thank you all for saving us and donating!' He told DailyMail.com he was stunned by the response he received. 'I'm still amazed people from all over the world made it work. I'm grateful beyond measure. 'Technology saved us. I was scared until we got a signal. I forced myself not to think about death. I knew they were coming and they did,' he said. Lythcotte remains in Indonesia and was in the hospital until September 3. His brother has flown out to be with him and they will return to the US on Sunday. Stacey, who is from Michigan, lives in South Korea where she works as a teacher. Her family flew out to be with her after the accident and she has been able to return to South Korea since. Both are relying on donations from two separate GoFundMe pages to pay for their medical care. Lythcotte has raised $30,000 of the $60,000 he hopes for. His page can be found here. Stacey has raised $12,000 of the $30,000 she needs. Her page can be found here. This is the disturbing moment two women allegedly lure a family cat away from his home. Fluffy, who has been in the care of Stephen Godfrey and his wife for 14 years, was sat outside their home in its usual resting place when she was approached by the two women. The cat can be seen wandering in front of its owner's driveway in Albany Road, Cardiff in footage taken on a home surveillance camera, as one of the girls appears to coax it, in a bid to gain her trust. The CCTV footage, appears to show one of the women offer her some fuss before grabbing the ginger feline and making a get-away. This is the disturbing moment two women allegedly lure a family cat away from his home Fluffy's owner Stephen said that the clip was taken on Tuesday at 6.15pm and after discovering the footage launched a Facebook appeal which has since been shared more than 6,000 times. The Godfrey's claim that their neighbours footage taken at the same time shows one of the women 'kidnapp' Fluffy. Footage filmed on a home surveillance camera shows the two girls walking past the house, looking back at the cat to see if it is following them. The first girl - seen wearing a blue and white jacket and black leggings - appears to hold her fingers out to encourage the cat to come nearer. As Fluffy approaches tentatively, the girl rushes over and stoops down in an attempt to grab her - but the cat manages to dart away to safety. Fluffy, who has been in the care of Stephen Godfrey and his wife for 14 years, was sat outside their home in its usual resting place when she was approached by the two women The girl then bends down and holds her fingers out and this time snares the poor animal when she comes back for fuss. Having scooped her up in her arms, the girl is then seen walking away as the footage cuts out. The 58-year-old engineer said: 'Fluffy's been with me and my wife for 14 years. We live on a main road and Fluffy likes to sit on the path outside our house. 'When she didn't come home that night I was concerned because she always comes back, but I was sure I'd find her waiting at the back door in the morning. 'When I woke up and she wasn't there I knew something was wrong. I looked at our CCTV and I could see these two girls enticing her, she was walking down the pavement towards them. The cat can be seen wandering in front of its owner's driveway in Albany Road, Cardiff in footage taken on a home surveillance camera, as one of the girls appears to coax it, in a bid to gain her trust 'The one girl went to pick her up but she walked away, then she enticed it back and grabbed it. On my neighbour's CCTV I saw the other girl holding a bag open and they put her inside and walked off. 'I can't understand why anyone would do something like this. It's an old cat, not a kitten, not a stray cat. They just seem to have decided they wanted my cat for some reason. 'We're hoping she hasn't come to any harm. We've had a lot of responses to the appeal and somebody's come forward with a name which we're looking into.' The family said they have not yet reported the theft to the police as they hope they can find Fluffy themselves. The CCTV footage, appears to show one of the women offer her some fuss before grabbing the ginger feline and making a get-away Stephen's daughter Holly, 23, added: 'I'm raging. We've had Fluffy since she was a kitten. 'Everyone in our road knows she loves to sleep on that same spot on the pavement and they all come over and fusses her. She's a friendly cat.' South Wales Police said it could find no record in its logs of a complaint being made about the incident. An RSPCA spokesman said: 'Stealing any animal is a crime and anyone with information should contact the police by calling 101. 'To help ensure that lost and stolen pets are reunited with their owners, the RSPCA encourages all owners to get their pets microchipped where possible. More information can be found online at rspca.org.uk.' A family have spoken of their anguish after an inspirational teacher became an unintentional victim of a petrol bomb attack. The body of Memunatu Warne, 43, was found by firefighters who were called after a suspected arson attack at a three storey townhouse at Centurion Square in Woolwich in the early hours of September 6. Today, Mrs Warne's family have spoken of the anguish of her death and that her loss was 'devastating.' Her nephew Hudson Burch told The Evening Standard the killing was a 'loss to Sierra Leone', adding: 'We are all in pain. She was a very good and disciplined teacher. Mother-of-two Memunatu Warne ran a business college in her native Sierra Leone. She was described by her family Sixty firefighters were called to the blaze on Centurion Square in Woolwich. The body of mother-of-two Memunatu Warne, 43, was found by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus 'Everyone respected her. She went to London for a holiday. We only thank God she didn't go with her children this time. 'We thought it was an accident. To lose someone like her is devastating.' Mrs Warne, a mother-of-two, was Principal of a business college in her native Sierra Leone, called Liccsal Business School. It was started after ten years of civil war in the country and its aim was to battle low levels of education and high rates of illiteracy. Some residents suspect the fire in Centurion square may have been a gang hit- with the target of the attack unclear. Theo Adler, 21, said: 'I saw the man run away from the window after breaking it. He was wearing a black hoodie and grey tracksuit bottoms. 'I could see him join his mate on the corner and they drove off on a moped ... The whole thing happened so quickly.' Forensics teams investigating the aftermath of a house fire, which broke out in the early hours of the morning on September 6 in Woolwich Residents in Centurion Square, Woolwich, were woken by a loud bang just after 1am on Thursday before seeing flames take hold. Nearly two dozen 999 calls were made and eight engines carrying around 60 firefighters tackled the fire. The London Fire Brigade said: 'Sadly one woman was found dead at the scene by crews wearing breathing apparatus.' A man in his sixties and a woman in her fifties were taken to hospital from the house but their conditions are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening. The fire is being treated as suspicious and detectives from the Metropolitan Police's homicide and major crime command have launched the 100th investigation into a homicide a case of murder or manslaughter in the capital this year. Detectives are keen to hear from anyone in the area who heard or saw anything suspicious before or after the fire started, and added: 'At this early stage any speculation about anyone targeted or any possible motive for the attack is unhelpful.' A South African civil engineering boss has been sacked after claiming that women prefer family and raising children to working in business. Manglin Pillay, head of Saice, said that few women take up scientific professions because they are 'more predisposed for caring', during his column in July's edition of the company's in-house magazine Civil Engineering. Although he later apologised for his remarks the company said they said terminated his contract due to concern from Saice's magazines readers, of which just 5% are women. Mr Pillay's was largely based around a discussion on why more men than women begin careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Manglin Pillay, head of Saice, who said that few women take up scientific professions because they are 'more predisposed for caring' has been sacked He added that more men seek high-profile executive posts because of their 'appetite for work load and extreme performance requirements at that level.' The former head of the company believed that 'type-A personalities who are disagreeable at times, and highly competitive - workaholics, with almost no family, social or hobby time. According to Mr Pillay 'The reason why women do not occupy these positions is that women choose to rather have the flexibility to dedicate themselves to more important enterprises, like family and raising children, than to be at the beck and call of shareholders'. Since his departure founder of WomEng, Hema Vallabh, has said that this sends a message that discrimination will no longer be tolerated His departure has been welcomed by South Africa's Commission for Gender Equality, saying that it would help the fight against sexism. He was also slammed by South Africa's Science Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, who argued that the lack of support for women was the problem and not the attitudes, Fin24 reported. Mr Pillay issued an apology for 'antagonising and offending so many people, in August however this has not been enough to settle the controversy. Saice President Errol Kerst said that the response had been so large that the 'ramifications of the article' could not be ignored. Since his departure founder of WomEng, Hema Vallabh, has said that this sends a message that discrimination will no longer be tolerated. President Donald Trump said Friday aboard Air Force One that the Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his Justice Department should seek out the identity of the 'sick person' who wrote a blistering anonymous op-ed for the New York Times. 'I think so,' he told reporters on the way from Montana to North Dakota, 'because I think it's [about] national security. 'I would say Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was, because I really believe it was national security.' Trump believes the nameless author won't stay nameless forever. 'Eventually the name of this sick person will come out,' he said, adding: 'Maybe it's nobody. Maybe the Times did it. Look, the Times uses phony sources all the time.' Trump seemed most agitated about the possibility that someone with a security clearance may be willing to leak state secrets in the future. President Trump said identifying the anonymous author who wrote the The New York Times op-ed was a matter of 'national security' on Friday 'Supposing I have a high-level national security meeting and he has got a clearance,' Trump mused about his anonymous Judas, 'and he goes into a high-level meeting concerning China or Russia or North Korea or something.' 'I don't want him in those meetings,' the president said. 'So we're going to see what happens. We're looking at it very strongly from a legal standpoint.' The president was airborne on his way from Billings, Montana to Fargo, North Dakota. Speculation has abounded since Wednesday about who might be the op-ed culprit, and three dozen administration A-listers have issued firm denials. 'Almost all of the high level people have said that,' Trump told reporters. 'You know, when you say that and if it were you, you'd be shunned for the rest of your life.' And he continued to bash the Times, one of the newspapers he most loves to hate, for publishing what the White House has called a 'cowardly' anonymous slap. 'For somebody to do that is very low, and I think journalistically, and from many different standpoints, and maybe even from the standpoint of national security,' Trump carped. 'We'll find out about that. For The New York Times to allow that to happen is disgraceful.' The furious hunt for the senior leaker who trashed President Trump in an anonymous op-ed heated up Friday, after reports Trump has a list of 12 suspects and still more denials from top officials who said they didn't do it. The effort came as Trump leveled a new attack on Bob Woodward's bombshell book, which reveals chaos in the White House and senior aides scurrying to thwart the president's worst impulses. Trump said the book isn't accurate because 'I don't talk the way I am quoted.' Practically Trump's entire cabinet including these famous faces and the first lady have all declared they're not responsible for the mysterious op-ed Trump Tweeted Friday that 'The Woodward book is a scam.' The president continued: 'I dont talk the way I am quoted. If I did I would not have been elected President. These quotes were made up. The author uses every trick in the book to demean and belittle. I wish the people could see the real facts - and our country is doing GREAT!' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has suggested lie detector tests for senior aides in just one of the aggressive options to try to identify the author from within his own administration who charged Trump with holding 'off the rails' meetings, filled with 'repetitive rants' that produce 'half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions.' Another tactic being floated is to force aides to sign sworn affidavits stating that they weren't behind the leaks. FBI Director Chris Wray is the latest top official to deny being behind the devastating op-ed, after Vice President Mike Pence and a raft of cabinet secretaries and senior aides said they didn't do it. Top aides have already been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, so it is unclear what additional weight an affidavit might carry. An outside advisor said the White House has winnowed down the list of suspects to just a dozen, the New York Times reported. Trump's rebuttal of the Woodward book about the way he comes off in direct quotes cuts to the storied author's unique methods. In the book's forward, Woodward notes that he has done hundreds of hours of interviews, conducted on 'deep background.' Woodward writes in the forward to the book, which was obtained by DailyMail.com: 'When I have attributed exact quotations, thoughts or conclusions to the participants, that information comes from the person, a colleague with direct knowledge, or from meeting notes, personal diaries, files and government or personal documents.' On Thursday, Trump blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation during his speech in Billings, Montana The book contains numerous eye-catching quotes from the president in private settings that show him in a different light from those who know his verbiage from public events. For example, Trump unleashes a slew of expletives when Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon ask him to cut a $50 million check to his campaign in one scene in the book. 'No way,' Trump responded. 'F*** that. I'm not doing it 'Where the f***'s the money? Where's all this money from these [donor] guys? Jared, you're supposed to be raising all this money. Not going to do it.' In a post-election scene in the book, Trump bashes a South Korea trade deal but uses its technical acronym in a way that would be unfamiliar at any Trump rally. 'I'm tired of these arguments!' Trump is quoted as saying at a meeting. 'I don't want to hear about it anymore. We're getting out of KORUS.' Trump said Thursday that an anonymous op-ed slamming him in The New York Times was an act of treason, asserting something he has only written with a question mark to date. The title used by the Times op-ed page, 'a senior official in the Trump administration,' could refer to hundreds of people. 'The Times should never have done that because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason. You could call it a lot of things,' the president said in Billings, Montana. Trump was being interviewed by Fox News Channel co-host Pete Hegseth in one corner of the Rimrock Auto Arena, with a live audience of more than 10,000 people. In his speech he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation. 'Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she,' he finally declared. Trump repeated a challenge he had already issued to the Times on Twitter, demanding the paper's nameless author's head on a platter. 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said. 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup. 'And it's really bad and it's really dangerous,' he said. 'And it's really sad for the media.' Trump's stemwinder was met with unanimous cheers. No protesters raised their voices. During his pre-show interview with Fox, he speculated about who might have written the piece, focusing on people working 'at a fairly low level' who may want to give the public a false picture of what's going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Trump tweeted Friday that Bob Woodward's book is a 'scam,' after saying an anonymous op-ed might be 'treason' Trump's senior aides have all scrambled to disown the op-ed that appeared in the Times on Wednesday that slammed the President's leadership style as impetuous, petty and ineffective 'I don't mind when they write a book and they make lies, because it gets discredited,' he said. 'We just discredited the last one.' But he admitted that he 'can't discredit' the Times turncoat 'because you don't know who they are.' The culprit could be a non-Republican lurking in his administration, he suggested, or 'it may be a deep-state person that's been there a long time.' The president had suggested ahalf-hour earlier that he would put muscle behind efforts to identify the official who broke ranks to claim in the Times that a 'resistance' of aides is trying to subvert the president's worst instincts for the good of the country. DailyMail.com asked him on the tarmac in Billings how he planned to uncover the disloyal official's identity. 'We're going to try!' he yelled, over the noise of an idling Air Force One. As Air Force One was on approach for landing, Trump flexed his Twitter muscle in the Times' direction, while one of the paper's star photographers was sitting on the plane. 'Are the investigative 'journalists' of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?' he wrote. Trump seemed content for most of the day while watching the drama of a Washington-wide molehunt play out on television and Twitter, and appreciatively consuming reports of Cabinet members denying any involvement in the journalistic bombshell. A White House official said in the afternoon that the president would 'probably go there in Montana' anticipating a stem-winder about the op-ed. But the official wouldn't predict Trump's willingness to field direct questions from the press about who was and wasn't under suspicion. Trump boarded Marine One on the South Lawn without approaching a waiting gaggle of reporters. At Joint Base Andrews, he strode methodically up the Air Force One stairway, never coming near a traveling press corps that shouted questions about how he would unmask his deep-state Judas. And despite a nearly four-hour flight to the upper plains, he didn't stray to the aft press cabin to talk: He was saving his rhetorical bullets for Fox News. Non-Fox reporters were treated to a nonstop Fox feed on TV screens while the network was reporting on an ever-lengthening list of Cabinet officials and other Trump A-listers who denied having anything to do with the Times essay. At one point Fox filled its screen with a grid of 32 faces including Vice President Mike Pence, Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis. First lady Melania Trump said in a statement: 'To the writer of the oped - you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions.' Another White House official said Thursday that West Wing aides couldn't wait for the president to leave town, knowing it would 'lower the building's blood pressure and give him a reboot' in an atmosphere where he excels. Trump held his Montana rally in support of U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Jon Tester. He blames Tester for scuttling his White House physician's nomination to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary. Dr. Ronny Jackson, a respected Navy admiral, was forced to withdraw following Tester's accusations that he oversaw a 'toxic' work environment, drank on the job and overprescribed medication. The president, who insisted none of it was true, pledged that Tester would ultimately have a 'big price to pay in Montana.' Tester, he said Thursday, 'will never 'drain the swamp' because he happens to live in the swamp.' 'Jon Tester talks like he's from Montana, but he votes like he's Nancy Pelosi,' he said, lumping the Democrat in with one of the nation's most liberal lamakers. Trump needed the rally to publicly shake his Etch-a-Sketch following a week of revelations that hit his team like a series of kidney punches. First came excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book 'Fear,' which paints the president as an ill-prepared and crude leader whose lack of impulse control drove senior aides to protect him from himself. In one vignette, Woodward describes then-chief economic adviser Gary Cohn literally swiping a draft memo from the Resolute Desk to derail Trump's goal of ending a crucial Korean trade agreement. Scuttling the longstanding deal would have introduced uncertainty into Washington's relationship with Seoul and could have jeopardized America's use of South Korean real estate for an ambitious missile-detection program. Internal fallout from the Cohn affair inside the West Wing had barely softened from panic to mere shock when The New York Times twisted the knife. The publication of Wednesday's unsigned op-ed, which the Times claims was penned by a 'senior' administration official, struck a variation on the same theme. Its central claim is that a winking, nudging cabal of aides considers its primary mission to save the republic from Trump's ham-fisted ways. 'Many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations,' according to the still-unidentified writer. The saddest dog at a local adoption center in California has finally found a home after a Sacramento couple went against staff's recommendation to find a more friendly pooch. Jessica Williams and her boyfriend Jared had recently moved into an apartment that permitted dogs. Even though Jared was open to the idea, he asked her if she could wait until her birthday in November. But Jessica started searching around for her future pet, and a stray dog at a Los Angeles shelter won her heart. 'He would snarl and snap at people as they walked by,' Williams told The Dodo. 'I had never seen a sadder dog and knew we couldn't leave him there.' The shelter staff told the Sacramento, California couple that the dog they were looking to adopt wouldn't be too 'cuddly'. They presented other furry options that were quickly rejected Jessica Williams and her boyfriend Jared from Sacramento, California, made a six-hour drive to adopt Benji (pictured after the adoption) from a Los Angeles local public shelter, which told them the dog was not 'friendly' Jessica and Jared made the six-hour journey from Northern California but the workers continuously insisted that they instead adopt another pet. 'The shelter also told us he wasn't friendly,' said Jessica, adding the shelter staff said 'he wouldn't be a dog that would come over to us to be cuddly.' Benji, who had been at the shelter for 10 days, wasn't too fond of strangers. A flea allergy caused him to lose much of his fur and the shelter staff weren't very open to the idea of allowing the three to spend time together. The dog-loving couple thought otherwise and signed the required adoption papers, making Benji an official member of their family against the shelter's advice. Staff at the shelter did not want Jessica Williams and her boyfriend Jared to adopt the dog Benji wasn't too comfortable at first with Jessica Williams and Jared, his new owners, but now gets excited once he gets into their car While Benji struggled at first to warm up to his new owners, the couple started noticing some mood changes. Their new pet grew more accustomed to his new home after living on the streets, and now enjoys trips to restaurants, hanging out with Jessica and Jared on the patio and playing with his toys. Uncomfortable at first in the family car, he's now quick to bark with excitement as soon as the car motor starts to run. 'He loves to come up and lick our faces,' Jessica said. 'He is such a goofball now!' The U.S. is the only country in the world that has more guns than people, according to a new report. America is home to 393.3 million civilian-owned guns and has a population of 316.5 million, amounting to 120.5 firearms per 100 people, according to a report by Small Arms Survey, a Geneva-based think tank. It's significantly more than in Canada, where a population of 36.6 million people owns 12.7 million guns, equating to 34.7 firearms for every 100 people. And Mexico, home to 130.2 million people and 16.9 million guns, has a concentration of just 12.9 firearms per 100 people. Redditor user Udzu created this graph illustrating civilian gun ownership worldwide. The U.S. is home to the significant majority of privately owned firearms The tiny Faulkland Islands, with a population of 3,000 and 2,000 privately owned guns, ranks second behind the U.S. for the concentration of firearms to residents at 62.1 per 100 people. Yemen comes in third, with 14.9 million and a population of 28.1 million, for a concentration of 52.8 firearms per 100 people. The households that do have guns are stockpiling. - Andrew Patrick, spokesman, The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Worldwide, approximately 857 firearms were owned by civilians at the end of 2017, the most recent year for which data is available. While the U.S. has more than one gun per person, a majority (69 percent) of Americans do not currently own a gun, according to a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center. In addition, two-thirds of gun owners have more than one firearm, including 29 percent who own five or more. Gun control advocates say the numbers suggest that a small number of people own a majority of the firearms in this country. 'You're seeing the households that do have guns are stockpiling,' said Andrew Patrick, a spokesman for The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. 'It's an extreme gun culture.' Patrick said the origin of gun culture in the U.S. dates back to the 1970s when the National Rifle Association's messaging began equating gun ownership with freedom. 'Our organization also believes that we should have freedom from gun violence,' he said. The NRA did not respond to multiple requests for comment. This 1982 advertisement from the National Rifle Association features an 8-year-old boy who was a member of the organization Patrick said things may be changing particularly since the Parkland, Florida school shooting in February. While the NRA has had historically had significant sway in Washington D.C., gun advocates argue the organization's reputation has been tarnished after Parkland students began an aggressive campaign for gun control across the U.S., even calling out politicians who didn't support their cause. 'They spoke up immediately and they did it without fear and they did it passionately,' Patrick said. 'They were smart and media savvy in the way that they did it, and when corporations started seeing it the NRA's brand almost overnight became toxic.' That remains to be seen. For example, Dick's Sporting Goods said earlier this year that it would stop selling certain types of semi-automatic rifles and that it would destroy its existing stock of those weapons a victory for gun control advocates. But the company's stock sank 6.3 percent in the aftermath, as gun owners stopped shopping at the national chain. According to Pew data, 36 percent of non-gun owners said they could see themselves owning a firearm in the future, while 33 percent said they could never imagine owning one. A majority (69 percent) of Americans own no guns at all, while 30 percent say they have at least one firearm and 1 percent gave no response in a 2017 survey by Pew Research Center Gun owners are more likely to be men than women, and white men, in particular, are likely to own firearms. Gun owners are also more likely to live in rural areas, where 46 percent of people report owning a firearm, compared to 28 percent of suburban dwellers and 19 percent of people in urban communities. Nearly half (44 percent) of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents own a gun, compared to 20 percent of Democrats and Democrat-leaners. The gun culture in America typically starts young, with about two-thirds (67 percent) of owners reporting that there was a gun in the household they grew up in and 76 percent saying they first fired a gun before age 18. A majority (about 80 percent) of gun owners say they have multiple reasons for owning a gun, although personal protection is the most common motivation, with 67 percent of current owners of firearms identifying that as a major reason. In addition, 38 percent cite hunting and about 30 percent say sport shooting is the reason they own a gun. President Trump has denied that his longtime friend and former chief economic adviser Gary Cohn stole a letter from the Oval Office to prevent him from killing a trade deal, even though the document was published in Bob Woodward's book. 'He never took a memo off my desk,' the president told DailyMail.com aboard Air Force One, his lips pursed and eyes pinched in an unusually aggressive manner. In his book 'Fear,' Woodward writes that Cohn swiped the one-page document from the Oval office because it would have informed the South Korean government that Trump was terminating the United StatesKorea Free Trade Agreement, known as KORUS. Woodward's book includes a copy of the letter, a draft that the president never signed. Trump, traveling from Montana to North Dakota, said flatly that he didn't believe the story. 'I would have fired him in two seconds! He would have been fired so fast,' he said. Trump has denied that Gary Cohn once stole a document from the Oval Office to prevent him from terminating the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement The letter in question was printed in Bob Woodward's new book, Fear. The journalist said that Cohn took the unsigned memo to stop him from pulling out of the deal Trump said he did not believe the story and that he would have 'fired him in two seconds' if it was true. He also said he would 'never speak to him again' if he Watching: Trump was on board Air Force One at the time of the Obama speech and later passed comment on it saying that it sent him to sleep Election head-to-head: Trump now finds himself campaigning directly against Obama 'That phony story about Gary Cohn!' Trump boomed later, returning to a topic that a White House official said Thursday had been his most consistent and loudest complaint about the book. The Cohn episode is told in a six-page prologue. On Friday the president was livid at the idea that the book he has labeled a work of 'fiction' had smeared Cohn, a perennial but decidedly non-conservative Trump insider whom he still trusts and speaks with regularly. 'If he did that, I'd never speak to him again!' 'I'd never speak to him again,' the president repeated, suddenly looking away in quieter thought. Cohn is a vocal advocate of free trade, and bristled during his White House tenure at Trump's preference for charging import tariffs as a form of negotiating leverage. At the time Trump was fuming about Washington's $18 billion annual trade deficit with Seoul, and had come to resent spending $3.5 billion every year to maintain the military presence on the Korean peninsula that keeps North Korea in check. Woodward writes that 'Cohn was appalled' at the thought of scuttling KORUS and 'could not believe that President Trump would risk losing vital intelligence assets crucial to U.S. national security,' one benefit of the two countries' close working relationship. Woodward quotes Cohn telling a friend: 'I stole it off his desk. I wouldn't let him see it. He's never going to see that document. Got to protect the country.' KORUS slipped temporarily off Trump's radar, according to Woodward, and he forgot all about it. But the president insisted that he was never derailed from rebooting and saving KORUS. Bob Woodward obtained a copy of the astonishing note that President Trump wrote in the margins of a speech he was poised to deliver: 'TRADE IS BAD' 'I completed the deal after Gary Cohn left,' he told DailyMail.com. 'It's completed. We're probably going to sign it [during] United Nations week in a couple of weeks.' 'I did that not because of Gary Cohn,' he said. 'I did that because of me.' Woodward also obtained a copy of the astonishing note that President Trump wrote in the margins of a speech he was poised to deliver: 'TRADE IS BAD.' The president never uttered the words, but Woodward says the phrase is the 'truest expression' of Trump's 'protectionism, isolationism and fervent American nationalism.' Trump planned to make the assertion during a speech that Woodward says he was working on en route to the United States from the G20 summit in 2017. It's not clear from the book why he never did, unlike the formal notification to South Korea that Trump was unilaterally ending its trade deal, which Cohn and ex-staff secretary Rob Porter are said to have kept away from the president. The unsigned letter to South Korea and the note Trump made about trade, in what appears to be his handwriting, are included in Woodward's book in an astonishing breach of White House security. Woodward uses the documents to bolster the narrative that aides were engaged in an elaborate campaign that is outlined in the book to sometimes shield information from Trump and at other times keep the president from doing things his aides thought would be disastrous. Cohn has been silent since Bob Woodward named him in an except of his new book as someone who tried to thwart the president from within. The White House ignored a request for comment on Thursday on the newest revelations. Woodward's book, which officially hits shelves on Tuesday, Sept. 11, includes a draft copy of a memo withdrawing the United States from its trade agreement with South Korea that the president never signed. That's because Cohn 'stole it' off the president's desk, Woodward writes. Cohn is said to have boasted to a colleague, 'I stole it off his desk....I wouldn't let him see it. He's never going to see that document. Got to protect the country.' Trump told a news outlet this week just after the release of the except that no one removed anything from his desk. 'That's false,' Trump said of the document removal excerpt. 'It's just made up.' He told The Daily Caller flatly: 'There was nobody taking anything from me.' A copy of the book obtained by DailyMail.com includes a scan of the letter, however. And the White House did not immediately slap it down as a faked document. The documents stated that the current trade deal was 'not in the overall best interest of the United States economy.' The letter provides notice of the president's desire to 'terminate the agreement' in 180 days, the required amount of notice. He committed in the letter to negotiating a new trade deal with the close, security ally of the United States. It contained lines for salutations by Trump and trade representative Robert Lighthizer but was left unsigned. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did not respond to a request for comment via email on the document that was dated Sept. 5, 2017. The date of the letter indicates that it was drafted just before Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for bilateral talks at the United Nations. At the summit the president also called North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un 'Little Rocket Man,' escalating tension between South Korea and its autocratic neighbor. Porter told an associate, according to Woodward's book, that there were multiple iterations of the letter, because Trump kept coming back to the topic. 'I'm tired of these arguments!' Trump said in one meeting. 'I don't want to hear about it anymore. We're getting out of KORUS.' Trump made his distaste for the trade deal with Korea, a key U.S. ally, in a White House meeting. Trump ordered son-in-law Jared Kushner to draft the order. The book describes a scene where Kushner took dictation. Porter heard about what Kushner was up to, and later told him: 'Send me the draft. If we're going to do this, we cannot do it on the back of a napkin. We have to write it up in a way that isn't going to embarrass us.' They prepared a draft, but it was described as part of a 'subterfuge' tactic. After a formal meeting on the topic, and following a debate, Trump asked for changes. 'Well, let's keep working on the letter,' Trump said. 'l want to see the next draft.' Cohn and Porter didn't produce a follow-up. The issue disappeared for a while. Porter and Cohn are depicted as ignoring Trump's orders to submit additional drafts, with the president's former economic adviser roping in Pentagon head James Mattis. 'We're teetering on the edge,' Cohn told Mattis. 'We may need some backup this time.' Mattis, for his part, told Trump: 'Kim Jong Un poses the most immediate threat to our national security. We need South Korea as an ally. It may not seem like trade is related to all this, but it's central.' Trump ultimately saw things his aides' way and did not shred the trade agreement. Woodward calls it part of a widespread 'administrative coup d'etat,' with Cohen recalling, 'A third of my job was trying to react to some of the really dangerous ideas that he had and try to give him reasons to believe that maybe they weren't such good ideas.' Cohn, the former Goldman Sachs boss, is also quoted in the book stating privately: 'It's not what we did for the country. lt's what we saved him from doing.' Porter, who stepped down amid allegations of spousal abuse that he denied, is cast as part of the effort to head off catastrophes in the making. Once compared by Trump the likes of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, the book claims that Porter lost respect for the president after he castigated his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, as a 'rat' in his presence. Porter, whose pedigree includes Harvard Law and being a Rhodes Scholar, described efforts to manage Trump by working the tempo beyond swiping of documents. 'But slow-walking things or not taking things up to him, or telling him-right away, not just as an excuse but this needs to be vetted, or we need to do more process on this, or we don't have legal counsel clearance-that happened 10 times more frequently than taking papers from his desk. It felt like we were walking along the edge of the cliff perpetually,' he said. In another passage, Cohn tells Porter that he doesn't know how much longer he could remain at the White House, 'because things are just crazy here. They're so chaotic. He's never going to change. 'It's pointless to prepare a meaningful, substantive briefing for the president that's organized, where you have a bunch of slides. Because you know he's never going to listen. We're never going to get through it,' Cohn says, underlying claims that come up elsewhere in the book that Trump has the mental capacity of a fifth or sixth grader. Cohn had not commented on anecdotes of quotes that included him in the book as of Thursday afternoon, unlike other current and former Trump administration officials, suggesting the letter and the story about him snatching it off Trump's desk were authentic. The globalist whose worldview clashed with the president's left the White House earlier this year. Despite his run-ins with Trump, the president maintained that they had a good relationship until the end. He even suggested that Cohn could return one day in a higher-level position such as Cabinet secretary or chief of staff. All of that was in question this week as Woodward's book went drip, drip, drip. Trump raged on Twitter, and in remarks, about the journalist and the disgruntled current and former employees who provided him with the juicy material. Trump's spokeswoman had said that the Woodward book, which included damaging characterizations of the White House as 'crazytown' and the president as 'unhinged,' couldn't possibly be true when asked it about it at the White House on Wednesday. 'I don't think you can have the type of success that we've had in this White House under this president if that book was an accurate reflection of what is taking place,' she told reporters after blasting the book on two morning shows. Sanders denied that current aides to Donald Trump believe he is an imbecile, as the president is portrayed in excerpts from the book that emerged as the White House was focused on another fight the one to get Brett Kavanaugh on the high court. She said a series of matching accounts across bombshell books that have humiliated the White House are works of 'fiction' from anonymous sources with axes to grind against the president. Sarah Sanders said in a new rebuttal of Bob Woodward book on Wednesday that a damaging characterization of the White House as 'crazytown' and the president as 'unhinged' can't possibly be true Sanders avoided calling Woodward himself a liar, avoiding a trap laid by the president in an interview when he suggested the respected journalist 'made up' anecdotes in his book that is based on hundreds of hours of recorded interviews. The president in a Wednesday tweet encouraged Congress to take a fresh look at libel laws as he desperately searched for ways to retaliate. Sanders wouldn't take the bait, telling a reporter who asked if the book was met the current standards, 'I think we have to see the rest of the book. 'We've seen a few excerpts that have been pretty widely pushed back on by some of the most-respected people in our country,' Sanders said. 'We'll see what happens.' Sanders on 'GMA' said the book is based on the claims of anonymous sources and disgruntled former staffers. 'This is just another repeat of pure fiction.' 'I don't think there are that many current staffers that are painting that picture,' she asserted to assembled journalists later. She told reporters after the interview that Woodward's sources were sharing the same rehearsed stories they'd shared with other authors writing shock-and-awe books about the sitting president. 'Certainly, just because they keep getting told doesn't make them more true,' she said of the pattern of degrading comments. 'I think that's a ridiculous accusation.' She said the fact that the 'same people keep writing the same type of books' about Trump proves nothing. Trump slammed Woodward's book as a 'fraud' and labeled him a 'Dem operative' after the famed Watergate journalist wrote that John Kelly called the president 'an idiot' and James Mattis compared him to a 'fifth grader'. The president said in a tweet on Tuesday night: 'The Woodward book has already been refuted and discredited by General (Secretary of Defense) James Mattis and General (Chief of Staff) John Kelly. Their quotes were made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes. Woodward is a Dem operative? Notice timing?' Mattis and Kelly both dismissed claims they had questioned Trump's intellect. Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday to accuse famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward of fabricating quotes and information in his new book, Fear: Trump in the White House Trump (left) dismissed as 'made up frauds' quotes from James Mattis and John Kelly which were deeply critical of Trump. Woodward is pictured on the right Woodward asaid that Kelly castigated Trump as 'an idiot,' saying, 'It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails.' The White House chief of staff allegedly said, 'We're in Crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had.' Kelly denied making the claims in a statement put out by the White House. 'The idea that I ever called the President is not true, in fact it's exactly the opposite,' he said. 'This is both a pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump and distract from his many successes.' In another episode, Trump is said to have questioned the utility of U.S. early warning systems in Alaska to identify a nuclear attack from North Korea. Mattis is said to have schooled him. 'We're doing this in order to prevent World War III,' he reportedly said. The Pentagon chief is said to have told colleagues after the incident that Trump had the mental ability of 'a fifth- or sixth-grader.' On Tuesday he denied the account, saying in a statement of his own: 'The contemptuous words about the President attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence. 'While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility.' A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, said Mattis was never interviewed by Woodward. 'Mr. Woodward never discussed or verified the alleged quotes included in his book with Secretary Mattis' or anyone within the Defense Department, Manning said. Previous accounts during Trump's first year had former secretary of state Rex Tillerson calling Trump a 'moron,' and Tillerson did not explicitly deny it. This would mean three of Trump's most senior advisors have ridiculed his mental capacity. Woodward also reported that after Syria's Bashar Assad launched a chemical weapons attack on civilians in April 2017, Trump called Mattis and said he wanted the Syrian leader taken out, saying: 'Kill him! Let's go in.' Mattis assured Trump he would get right on it but then told a senior aide they'd do nothing of the kind, Woodward wrote. National security advisers instead developed options for the airstrike that Trump ultimately ordered. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley denied Tuesday that Trump had ever planned to assassinate Assad. She told reporters at U.N. headquarters that she had been privy to conversations about the Syrian chemical weapons attacks, 'and I have not once ever heard the president talk about assassinating Assad.' She said people should take what is written in books about the president with 'a grain of salt.' Trump also tweeted official statements from Kelly and Mattis as part of a barrage of posts on Tuesday evening Highlights: The most searing quotes in Bob Woodward's book WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT TRUMP: JOHN KELLY, CHIEF OF STAFF: 'He's an idiot. It's pointless to try to convince him of anything. He's gone off the rails. We're in Crazytown. I don't even know why any of us are here. This is the worst job I've ever had.' JAMES MATTIS, DEFENSE SECRETARY: 'Fifth- or sixth-grader' REX TILLERSON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: 'He's a f***ing moron.' JOHN DOWN, FORMER PERSONAL ATTORNEY: 'F***ing liar.' JOHN DOWD ON HOW TRANSCRIPT OF A MUELLER INTERVIEW WOULD BE DESCRIBED BY FOREIGN LEADERS: 'I told you he was an idiot. I told you he was a goddamn dumbbell. What are we dealing with this idiot for?' GARY COHN, FORMER CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER: 'A professional liar' ROB PORTER, FORMER STAFF SECRETARY WHO QUIT WHEN BOTH EX-WIVES ACCUSED HIM OF ABUSE: 'A third of my job was trying to react to some of the really dangerous ideas that he had and try to give him reasons to believe that maybe they weren't such good ideas.' WHAT THEY SAID TO EACH OTHER: STEVE BANNON TO IVANKA TRUMP: 'You're nothing but a f***ing staffer! You walk around this place and act like you're on charge, and you're not. You're on staff!' IVANKA TRUMP TO STEVE BANNON: 'I'm not a staffer! I'll never be a staffer. I'm the first daughter and I'm never going to be a staffer!' JOHN KELLY TO GARY COHN: 'If that was me, I would have taken that resignation letter and shoved it up his a** six different times.' DOWD TO ROBERT MUELLER: 'He just made something up. That's his nature.' WHAT TRUMP SAID ABOUT THEM: BARACK OBAMA: 'Weak d**k' RUDY GIULIANI, PERSONAL ATTORNEY: 'Rudy, you're a baby. I've never seen a worse defense of me in my life. They took your diaper off right there. You're like a little baby that needed to be changed. When are you going to be a man?' WILBUR ROSS, COMMERCE SECRETARY: 'I don't trust you. I don't want you doing any more negotiations. You're past your prime.' H.R McMASTER, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: 'Dresses like a beer salesman.' REINCE PRIEBUS, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF: 'Like a little rat. He just scurries around.' AFTER EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT FATAH AL-SISSI ASKED IF HE WAS GOING TO BE AROUND: 'Like a kick in the nuts.' BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIAN DICTATOR: 'Let's f***ing kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the f***ing lot of them.' Advertisement Trump was once a fan of Bob Woodward - but now the president says he might be a liar White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders dismissed the work of the famed journalist as 'nothing more than fabricated stories' Trump suggested to the Daily Caller that 'disgruntled employees' may have made the embarrassing claims in the book or that they could have been falsified Woodward in their entirety. Extracts from veteran Watergate reporter Bob Woodard's new book set off explosions across the political world 'It could just be made up by the author,' Trump said of the journalist he once defended on Twitter against slights levied against him by the Obama administration. The damaging statement about the widely respected journalist had former President George W. Bush's White House Press Secretary Ari Fleisher shaking his head. 'I've been on the receiving end of a Bob Woodward book. There were quotes in it I didn't like. But never once - never - did I think Woodward made it up,' Fleisher said. 'Anonymous sources have looser lips and may take liberties. But Woodward always plays is straight. Someone told it to him.' Trump's press secretary piled on with a statement that said: 'This book is nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the President look bad.' In the response to Woodward's book, Sanders argued that 'sometimes' Trump's approach to the office is 'unconventional' but it 'always gets results.' 'Democrats and their allies in the media understand the President's policies are working and with success like this, no one can beat him in 2020 not even close.' The book follows the January release of author Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury,' which led to a rift between Trump and Bannon, his former chief strategist, who spoke with Wolff in terms that were highly critical of the president and his family. Wolff's book attracted attention with its vivid anecdotes but suffered from numerous factual inaccuracies. Woodward's work also comes weeks after former White House aide and 'Apprentice' contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman published an expose on her time in the West Wing, including audio recordings of her firing by Kelly and a follow-up conversation with the president in which he claimed to have been unaware of Kelly's decision. While White House aides have become increasingly numb to fresh scandals, the latest book still increased tensions in the West Wing, especially given the intimate details shared and the number of people Woodward appeared to have interviewed. Some White House officials expressed surprise at the number of erstwhile Trump loyalists willing to offer embarrassing stories of the president and his inner circle. White House aides on Tuesday coordinated with other officials quoted in the book to dispute troublesome passages. But insiders speculated the fallout could be worse than that from 'Fire and Fury,' given Woodward's storied reputation. Woodward's book was already ranked the top-selling book on Amazon on this week. With his 'Italians first' rallying cry and his tub-thumping against Islam and a 'migrant invasion', Matteo Salvini has rebranded himself and his party to become both interior minister and joint deputy prime minister. As leader of the right-wing League, the 45-year-old's new job allows him to focus on the chief aspects of his election campaign - stopping illegal immigration and deporting those who have already arrived. Salvini was sworn in as interior minister after striking a last-gasp deal to form a government with the Five Star Movement, an agreement that brought Italy a populist government after nearly three months of post-electoral deadlock. He took control of the right-wing coalition that won the most votes in March's election when his League party surpassed ally Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia. Far-right League leader Matteo Salvini (pictured) was named interior minister after his party struck a deal to form a government with the populist Five Star Movement Since taking over the old Northern League in 2013, Salvini has ridden a wave of public discontent, playing on anti-immigrant sentiment as he sought to shift the party's image from defender of the wealthy north against its 'parasite' south, to that of guardian of Italy's national sovereignty. Since Salvini took over the League, nearly 700,000 people have landed in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean, sparking a sense of resentment among many Italians who feel Europe has abandoned them. Salvini was in 2009 caught on video singing songs about 'stinking' Neapolitans and in 2012 said the south did not deserve the euro. But he represents impoverished southern region Calabria in the Senate and has redirected his regional chauvinism to take the League nationwide. Born and raised in Milan in 1973, Salvini joined what was then the Northern League in 1990, aged just 17, rising quickly through the ranks. At the time, the Northern League was a regional party known for its separatist campaign to secede from Italy. Salvini ran its Radio Padania, the referring to the wealthier northern region they wanted to see independent. One of his shows was called 'Never Say Italy' and in 2011, he won notoriety for boycotting Italy's 150-year anniversary celebrations, putting his desk outside Milan city hall to show he was working. 'The Tricolore doesn't represent me,' Salvini said of the Italian flag in 2014. Salvini took control of the right-wing coalition that won the most votes in March's election when his League party surpassed ally Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia But by 2018, he was campaigning as far south as Matera in the impoverished Basilicata region, where he promised 'order, rules, cleanliness' and railed against 'out of control' immigration. In a video on his Facebook page, which has more than two million fans, Salvini said he would work to 'stop the landings' once in power. He opposes same-sex unions wants to deport foreign criminals and sparked outrage on Monday when he promised a head count of Italy's Roma community and to throw out those without legal status. And as talks were under way to form the new government, he posted a photo of himself standing next to a bulldozer on Twitter with the message: 'We're working for you.' Since taking over the League, Salvini has forged alliances with other far-right Europeans like France's National Front and Dutch anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders. Despite positive words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Salvini in 2013 called the EU a 'gulag' like the 'Soviet Union' saying he would work to try and leave it. A savvy social media user, he has managed to successfully push his agenda online, updating his followers daily with constant updates, live videos, photos and even pictures of what he eats. Although happy to talk about his two children - 14-year-old Federico and Mirta, five - he is less happy to discuss his complicated love life. Currently living with glamorous model and TV presenter Elisa Isoardi, his children are from two previous relationships, one with ex-wife Fabrizia Ieluzzi, a political journalist, and the other with former girlfriend Giulia Martinelli. A police officer who stole blank cheques from a dead man he discovered at a property and paid himself 4,000 has been jailed for two years. Metropolitan Police Constable Robert Ward also stole 9,625 in cash from people who had been taken into custody at Edmonton police station. The 36-year-old officer based in Enfield, north London, admitted a host of fraud and theft charges before being jailed at Southwark Crown Court on Friday. Ward's force said he was called to an address over concerns for the welfare of the occupant in January last year before finding the man dead. Metropolitan Police Constable Robert Ward (pictured) also stole 9,625 in cash from people who had been taken into custody at Edmonton police station While he was there Ward stole two blank cheques and made them out to himself for 4,000 each but one bounced, police said. Ward, of Waltham Abbey, north-east London, was also ordered to pay 4,000 compensation to the estate of Peter Jones and a further 2,000 to the Met Police, a court official said. Police also said he took 76 days of compassionate, carers and emergency leave on the basis his child was critically ill - but this claim emerged to be false. Commander Catherine Roper said: 'Cases like this, although extremely rare, undermine public trust and confidence in policing.' Following the investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards, Ward now faces a police misconduct hearing. This is the heart-melting a moment a K-9 officer whimpers as he is honored with a final radio call on his last shift after serving for eight years on the police force. Faust is a German Shepherd that served as a Explosives Detection and Patrol dog with Senior Special Agent Bryan Schaffer on the BNSF Railway Police Force in Texas. As with all retiring officers, Faust was honored with a final radio call, signing him off for the last time in his career in Fort Worth. A German Shepherd K-9 officer named Faust was honored with a final police radio call to thank him for his service, and the heart-melting moment was caught on camera In the video a dispatcher is heard saying on the radio: 'Faust thank you for your service to the BNSF Railway and most importantly for serving and protecting your handler.' Faust is pictured with his handler Senior Special Agent Bryan Schaffer The clip was originally posted on March 6, 2017 but has gone viral, capturing the hearts of dog-lovers across the nation, racking up 147,000 views. 'Thank you for your service, Faust! BNSF Railway Police said farewell to the K-9, who retired March 3 at the end of his shift after eight years and one day on the job,' the original post by the police force said on Facebook. 'The award-winning partner of Senior Special Agent Bryan Schaffer was certified in Explosives Detection and Patrol. He is now part of the Schaffer family. Schaffer writes, "Faust, thank you for all the good you have done for BNSF and other agencies - but mostly I thank you for getting us both home safe after every shift,"' the post added. The clip was originally posted on March 6, 2017 but has recently gone viral, capturing the hearts of dog-lovers across the nation Faust cuddled his handler Agent Schaffer as he was thanked on the radio for his eight years and a day of service on the BNSF Railway Police Force for eight years and a day Faust was heard whimpering and Schaffer was overcome with emotion by the end of the clip. The final radio call closed out with: 'Now we wish you a well, healthy, and happy retirement, radio clear' The video shows Faust and his handler seated in their squad car where Schaffer speaks into his radio. A dispatcher is then heard saying: 'K-9 partner Faust has just completed his last shift after serving as a Explosions detection and free service canine for eight years and one day and he is now officially retired.' 'Faust thank you for your service to the BNS Railway, the communities you've served and most importantly for serving and protecting your handler. Now we wish you a well, healthy, and happy retirement, radio clear,' the call ended. Faust is heard whimpering while listening to the last call as his handler Agent Bryan Schaffer sadly looks at his furry companion overcome with emotion and gives him a kiss. Schaffer thanked his canine companion on Facebook writing: 'He is now officially a permanent part of our family.' Faust retired after the moving video was captured, pictured above in a picture shared by Agent Schaffer A 71-year-old grandfather who stepped on a crocodile while crossing a river in the South African bush has revealed how he miraculously survived a 20-minute fight for his life. Peter Knottenbelt, was crossing the Olifants River in South Africa's remote northern Limpopo province with his granddaughter when he accidentally stepped on the crocodile's back. The three metre beast immediately attacked the retired South African university lecturer in mining engineering. He said: 'The moment I stood on the crocodile's back it reacted with violence, gripping my right leg in its jaws and throwing me from side to side.' Peter Knottenbelt, 71, in hospital after the 20 minute crocodile attack. The damage was so bad the retired lecturer had to undergo an amputation of his right lower leg through the knee Peter Knottenbelt, being pushed along by a kind family member in hospital, was crossing the Olifants River in South Africa's remote northern Limpopo province with his granddaughter when he accidentally stepped on the crocodile's back South African Mr Knottenbelt was victim of a twenty minute attack from a crocodile which left him with horrific injuries The Olifants River in the lower area of South Africa's Kruger National Park. Mr Knottenbelt remote northern Limpopo province His wife and family looked on in horror from the safety of the river bank as the attack unfolded and he screamed for help. Nearby rangers hearing the screams dashed to the scene. The South African added: 'I heard bones in my leg being crushed. While I fought for my life, I thought it was a futile attempt against such a large predator. 'The rangers were shooting into the water close to frighten the crocodile. 'I managed to find its head while it was swimming into deeper water for the inevitable drowning. I forced my thumbs into its eye sockets with all my might. 'I think this went on for about five minutes after which I believe the croc was disoriented and literally spat me out close to a sandbank. 'A brave ranger jumped into the river and dragged me to the shore despite the massive risk to himself.' The attack, which occurred in January this year, lasted about 20 minutes and left Mr Knottenbelt with a horrific catalogue of injuries including a broken sternum with bruising of his heart, six broken ribs and a punctured lung. He also suffered massive tissue damage to his right chest, a dislocated right collarbone, a fractured scapular, broken wrists internal bleeding and multiple severe fractures of the right leg and foot. Rangers managed to stem Knottenbelt's bleeding with a tourniquet and bits of clothing and he miraculously survived for an hour before a paramedic arrived at the remote location. He only arrived at the nearest hospital about six hours later. After being stabilised at Mediclinic Polokwane a sedated Knottenbelt was airlifted by helicopter to a Johannesburg hospital. Over the following 14 days he underwent 12 surgeries. Peter Knottenbelt survived a 20-minute fight for his life with the three metre beast in a remote area of South Africa The 71-year-old said: 'The infection in my leg and chest was too much for my body to handle. 'Together with a gross infection of my whole body, the massive damage caused to my foot and lower leg necessitated the amputation of my right lower leg through the knee. 'My sons and daughters were prepared for the inevitable but once the amputation had taken place the 'numbers' improved dramatically. I was strong physically and mentally. My recovery started.' After 44 days of in ICU Knottenbelt was transferred to a general ward and then to a rehabilitation centre close to his Benoni home outside Johannesburg. 'I have re-joined the gym and swim an average of 1km daily. I am building strength, of course not as fast as I want, but much faster than anybody including the medical specialists could ever have thought possible. 'I have received a prosthetic leg and I am learning to use it effectively for most situations. Mr Knottenbelt says he would have definitely died had he not received top class medical care. The retired 71-year-old said: 'I also believe that many prayers and messages of support have been a driving force in my recovery. 'I thank all those that have supported me over the rescue and recovery period to date. 'I have lived my life positively focused on the development of young people. I still have a lot to offer and this second chance at life stimulates me further to support humanity in any way I can.' The real action was in the bleachers in Billings, Montana on Thursday, where an eccentric crowd of guests scored the few on-camera spots at President Trump's rally. As a result, the focus of the speech began to shift away from President Trump, who seemed completely unaware that he was being upstaged by his guests. His staffers were not in the dark however, and eventually made the decision to eject three guests from the stage and block a fourth from the cameras in the middle of President Trump's remarks. Scroll down for video MAGA: The on-camera guests at President Trump's rally in Billings, Montana proved to be a distraction for many who were captivated by their behavior (on-camera guests above on Thursday including a girl wiping her nose on an American flag) Exit: One man made over-animated facial expressions, and later responded to Trump extolling the benefits of his tax cuts by mouthing 'for the rich' (on left before being removed and on right being asked to exit) Blonde ambition: Just moments later, a sullen couple who looked bored and disinterested throughout the speech were also asked to exit (right) The spectacle all kicked off with the young man just to the left of President Trump, who spent most of the rally making an array of overly-animated faces in response to the real estate scion's speech. That was tolerated, but his comment about the Trump administration tax cuts were clearly deemed too offensive as seen during the live stream. Seconds after he mouthed 'for the rich' when Trump spoke about his tax bill, a young woman could be seen taking the stage and squeezing through guests until she was pressed up against the young man. She quickly blocked him from the camera, told him to get off the stage and then flashed a big smile right in the direction of the camera. President Trump seemed oblivious as this all played out directly behind him on camera. More ejections came a minute later, with a blond Trumpette joining her brunette counterpart on stage. That woman looked to be killing two birds with stone, as she told a pair of very sullen guests who hid their faces behind their caps and looked bored and disinterested in the speech to get lost. She then stood up, at which point she was able to block a young girl in the row behind her who had been all over the place on Thursday. That youngster was happy at times and yelling at others, and at one point she could be seen wiping her nose with the American flag. That move prompted one Twitter user to write: 'If you dont #TakeAKnee ..then the nose must do.. #Sniffle Protest.' A top surgeon who smacked a fellow doctor during a drunken row about BBC reporter Laura Kuenssberg has been let off with a written warning. Dr David Wilkinson, 58, attacked retired GP Lawrence King and knocked off his spectacles as they had a 'vigorous debate' in a restaurant over the political editor's 'lopsided smile.' The pair - who were on holiday in Bilbao, Spain - had been drinking for 'up to eight hours' in five tapas bars and were arguing about whether Ms Kuenssberg was 'attractive' enough to work for the BBC. Dr Wilkinson (pictured) attacked Dr King and knocked off his spectacles in a drunken rage as they and other medical colleagues were engaged in a 'vigorous debate' Dr King allegedly suggested she would look better 'with a bag over her head' due to her 'asymmetrical face.' As the debate at the Peso Neto fusion eaterie intensified, Dr Wilkinson suddenly walked up to Dr King and hit him twice - breaking his glasses and causing a gash behind his left ear. The postgraduate dean for Health Education England in Yorkshire faced being struck off the register for misconduct at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester. But a disciplinary panel ruled his fitness to practise medicine was not impaired after he apologised and said the incident was an 'utter moment of madness.' Dr Wilkinson also said he reacted violently after assuming the comments were made about his daughter, who like Ms Kuenssberg works as a television journalist. The father-of-four, from Leeds in West Yorkshire, has since made a 'financial settlement' with Dr King and has written him a formal letter of apology after the GP sued him in a civil court. Disciplinary panel chairman Emma Boothroyd said: 'Dr Wilkinson is very aware of the impact that his behaviour has had. It was capable of being remedied and it has been remediated and the risk of repetition is very low. 'It was also clear to the tribunal the profound impact the incident and these proceedings have had on Dr Wilkinson and it was satisfied that, were he to find himself in a similar situation, due to his extensive self-reflection, it is more likely than not that he would walk away. 'Dr Wilkinson has expressed remorse which the tribunal considers both heartfelt and genuine.' The hearing was told how the two doctors joined medical colleagues for a trip to Bilbao and had been out for eight hours before going to the restaurant. Witnesses said the doctors began having a 'heated' debate about Brexit before entering a row about Ms Kuenssberg. Members of the group were jokingly asking if Miss Kuenssberg (pictured) was 'attractive' enough to work for the BBC Dr King allegedly told colleagues the reporter would look better with a bag over her head - then said: 'You can't put a bag over her head - you could cut a couple of holes in the bag so she could see'. He also said Miss Kuenssberg's opinions 'didn't count for much' as she had an 'asymmetrical face.' Moments later Dr Wilkinson walked up up to Dr King and struck him once with his open hand and hit him again and his glasses fell off causing them to break and leaving him with a cut to his left temple. Dr King said he had no recollection of saying Miss Kuenssberg was 'not attractive enough to be a presenter.' But in his statement to the tribunal he said: 'We were sat about talking about this that and the other and somehow one of us got on to Brexit and conversation then moved to the reporter. She has been popping up a lot on TV recently. 'As I recall, one of the group commented that she had a lopsided smile. I concurred but I remember looking at Dr Wilkinson and he looked angry. 'He was sat across the table from me, almost opposite me. He got up and walked round the table to my right. 'He was then out of my view behind me. I looked up and saw his fist coming towards my head. 'He was still stood behind me at this point. I am pretty sure it was his right hand. I raised my arm and caught his fist in my open hand.' Dr Wilkinson momentarily left the restaurant but then returned to apologise to Dr King before going back to his hotel. Spanish Police were not alerted to the attack but Dr King tried to report the incident to police in the UK. Dr David Wilkinson (shown left, ahead of the tribunal) admitted attacking Dr Lawrence King (right) was a 'stupid thing' and said he burst into tears after the incident at a tapas bar in Spain In a statement to the tribunal Dr Wilkinson said: 'We are a close group of friends who have known each other a long time, we care about each other and have a huge range of shared experiences and memories. 'Dr King was slowly becoming part of the group by early 2017 and I imagine he thought he was gaining five friends relatively late in life and that he was enjoying that and looking forward to it continuing. 'Because of what happened he has lost that friendship and support, I imagine he feels snubbed, isolated and even bitter.' The statement added: 'I regret now that I did not get in touch with Dr King to find out how he was feeling. I had hurt him, and the incident must have been shocking and unpleasant for him. 'I should have reiterated my apology to him the following day, I included that in my letter of apology to him and I should have made contact with him after our return to the UK. 'I hurt Dr King and caused him physical and emotional distress. The public would rightly be shocked by my actions which adversely affect the reputation of the profession. As a senior visible clinical leader, the public has every right to expect that my behaviour is beyond reproach. 'I feel that I have embarrassed and distracted colleagues, the organisations they represent and risked the important work that we are all doing to improve patient care through excellent education and training. 'I am very sorry that I have allowed a moment of madness to detract from an otherwise unblemished 34 years of public service.' Dr Wilkinson is currently a specialist vascular surgeon with an interest in the management of critical limb ischaemia and vascular access surgery. He took up the post of postgraduate dean within the former Yorkshire and Humber Postgraduate Deanery in 2012. The warning will remain on Wilkinson's registration for two years. A high school in Tennessee has been forced remain closed for six to eight weeks while it works to qualm a rat infestation that has been viewed as an 'unavoidable act of nature.' Kirby High School is expected to undergo the period of trapping and exterminating the pest after the campus was closed for two weeks, according to Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson on Thursday. The rats were said to have been nesting in a auto shop near a greenhouse located behind the Memphis area school up until two weeks ago. The critters are believed to have migrated into the school while the greenhouse was being cleaned. Kirby High School will have to close for six to eight weeks after already closing for two weeks in efforts to tackle a rat infestation Rats in one section of the building have been getting poisoned but dying in another section of the school, according to Fox 13. As a result, the smell in the school has gotten all but unbearable. Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson and his team have been scouting for potential locations to house the school's 800 students - including the now-closed South Side High and Hickory Ridge Mall Hopson and his team have been scouting for potential locations to house the school's 800 students - including the now-closed South Side High and Hickory Ridge Mall. He hopes to solidify the temporary arrangements by next week. Under the current building hiatus, students could expect to return to the building by early November. 'I don't want to bring kids back and it's not right,' Hopson said, the Commercial Appeal reports. District personnel caught 80 rats when the school had first closed a few weeks ago, Hopson explained. The school was reopened after Labor Day once the school got clearance from health officials. Board member Kevin Woods claimed that the school was closed after Wednesday out of an 'abundance of caution' But the return of the stench because of dead rats in the walls caused the school to be closed on Wednesday night. 'We sincerely apologize to our students, families and staff for having to deal with this situation,' the district said in a statement Wednesday night. The school district has claimed that it has spent $70,000 and 800 hours tackling the infestation. Board member Kevin Woods claimed that the school was closed after Wednesday out of an 'abundance of caution.' The district is currently looking for solutions that allow students to take classes while not physically being in the school. Virtual school programs are a potential source for classes that the district is exploring. A suspected member of the brutal MS-13 gang has been charged in connection to two murders of young men in Long Island. Kevin Morales-Lopez, 20, pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder during his arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead, New York, on Friday. Morales-Lopez is accused of playing a role in the violent death of 16-year-old Angel Soler, whom they suspected of being in the rival 18th Street gang. Suspected MS-13 member Kevin Lopez-Moralez, 20, is seen being led out of the Nassua County Police Headquarters on Friday on the way to his arraignment Morales-Lopez has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Long Island The 20-year-old (left and right) is suspected of helping kill 16-year-old Angel Soler and 19-year-old Josue Amaya Leonor Morales-Lopez on Friday pleaded not guilty to the charges against him The boy was reported missing by his family on July 21, 2017, and his body was found hacked to pieces with machetes near the Roosevelt Preserve in October 2017. Four other alleged gang members have been previously arrested and charged in Soler's slaying, among them Dennis Lopez, David Sosa Guevara, Victor Lopez and Josue Antonio Figueroa-Velasquez. The Nassau County Police Department said Morales-Lopez also has been linked to the murder of Josue Amaya Leonor, 19, who was also slaughtered with machetes and then buried near the Preserve in September 2016. Leonor's remains were unearthed in the wooded area on May 30, 2018. Soler (left) was reported missing by his family on July 21, 2017, and his body was found hacked to pieces last October. Leonor (right) was killed in September 2016 and his body parts were recovered in May 2018 The victims' remains were found in the woods in the Roosevelt Preserve (pictured) Police believe seven members of the notoriously vicious street gang may have taken part in the killing of Leonor, whom they also suspected of being in the 18th Street gang. The 19-year-old was lured into the woods near Roosevelt, New York, with the promise of marijuana and then butchered with machetes, according to police. Jose Lopez (pictured), 19, also has been charged with murdering Leonor Both Soler and Leonor were students at Freeport High School. Police did not say whether the two were in a gang. All seven suspects are believed to be in MS-13's Hollywood Clique, reported ABC 7 NY. Another suspect in Leonors killing, identified as 19-year-old Jose Daniel Lopez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was charged with second-degree murder on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Jeffrey Groder, says there's no physical evidence that links his client to the slaying. We're still looking to charge people with Leonor's murder, Nassau County Homicide Commander Detective Lieutenant Stephen Fitzpatrick said. But I think we've taken a big chunk out of them, where we have them on the defensive I believe. MS-13 is believed to be behind 25 killings on Long Island during the past two years. The gang has become a prime target of President Donald Trump's administration Dr. Richard Sackler, former president of Purdue Pharma, is one of six inventors listed on a patent for a new form of drug to treat opioid addiction, used to wean people off drugs the company makes The former president of the company widely believed to be at the root of the US's opioid crisis has been awarded a patent on a new medication for treating opioid addiction. Billionaire Dr. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, is listed as one of six inventors of a new form of buprenorphine, Financial Times first reported. 'Buprenorphine is used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help people reduce or quit their use of heroin or other opiates, such as pain relievers like morphine,' according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administation (SAMHSA). Purdue Parma produces OxyContin, one of the very drugs that this new wafer form of buprenorphine is proposed to help wean patients off of. Meanwhile, the company is being sued in federal court in Ohio by more than 1,000 cities, states, counties and tribes for its role in the rampant distribution of OxyContin in America, its following outbreak of substance abuse, and in some cases, public safety and law enforcement costs associated with addiction. Overall, Emergency Department visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased by 30 per cent in the US, from July 2016 through September 2017, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Buprenorphin is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in its tablet and film forms. This new patent covers a new wafer formulation, which is supposed to dissolve more quickly than other medications used for MAT, like suboxone and methadone, when placed under the tongue. The faster dissolve time is supposed to decrease the likelihood of diversion (or, the risk that the wafer form of buprenorphin will itself be abused by addicts), according to the patent. 'Unlike methadone treatment, which must be performed in a highly structured clinic, buprenorphine is the first medication to treat opioid dependency that is permitted to be prescribed or dispensed in physician offices, significantly increasing treatment access,' SAMHSA said. Purdue Pharma is widely believed to be at the root of the US's opioid crisis with its OxyContin This new patent on a wafer form of buprenorphine covers a new wafer formulation, which is supposed to dissolve more quickly than other medications used for MAT, like suboxone and methadone, when placed under the tongue Overall, Emergency Department visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased by 30 per cent in the US, from July 2016 through September 2017, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC doesn't yet have data on the number of deaths from opioid overdose for 2017, but the government agency reported that 2016 recorded 42,000 deaths from the national epidemic, which is more opioid overdose deaths than any other year on record. It's also double the number of recorded deaths from 2010, which was 21,000. Purdue Pharma is being sued in federal court in Ohio by more than 1,000 cities, states, counties and tribes for its role in the rampant distribution of OxyContin in America, its following outbreak of substance abuse, and in some cases, public safety and law enforcement costs associated with addiction; Family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses protest at Purdue Pharma LLP headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut on August 17 This data has prompted the Surgeon General to issue a warning that more people should carry naloxone, which is an FDA-approved medication that 'can temporarily suspend the effects of [an opioid] overdose until emergency responders arrive.' 'It is time to make sure more people have access to this lifesaving medication, because 77 per cent of opioid overdose deaths occur outside of a medical setting and more than half occur at home,' said Surgeon General Sylvia Trent-Adams. 'Each day we lose 115 Americans to an opioid overdose thats one person every 12.5 minutes,' she added. Sackler's father was one of three brothers who founded Purdue Pharma, the company that may have fueled this epidemic. Sackler was deposed as part of a lawsuit that was settled in 2015, regarding the company's marketing of the highly addictive OcyContin, and what the company knew about its addictive properties during that time. Congress has requested a copy of that deposition, noting it may be the only time a member of the company spoke under oath on the topic. The patent on the new buprenorphin was issued in January. The billionaire playboy who murdered American restaurant heiress Gabriela Kabrins Alban in a horrifyingly violent killing in 2015 was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday. Diego Novella Doughterty, 44, strangled the woman, 39, in a luxury hotel room in Cape Town after pumping himself full of drugs in July 2015. The Guatemalan playboy told prosecutors he thought she was the 'devil' and that he lashed out in a drug-induced rage. He strangled her then mutilated her corpse, stuffed chocolates down her throat, burned her genitals with a curling iron and defecated on her face after she lost consciousness. Her blood-soaked body was found in the hotel villa they were renting at Camps Bay Retreat. Diego Novella, 44, (left in 2017) was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in South Africa on Thursday for the brutal murder of 39-year-old American heiress Gabriella Kabrins Alban who he killed in 2015 Novella was convicted earlier this summer and was sentenced on Thursday. It is not clear why he was not given a life sentence, and his lawyer says he now plans to appeal. In handing down his sentence on Thursday, Judge Vincent Saldhana said the term would have been shorter if Novella had not mutilated his girlfriend's body after killing her. 'The deliberate desecration of the body of the deceased by the accused and his wanton humiliation of her abounds as a serious aggravating factor,' he said. When he was convicted, the judge called him 'evil' and said he wished him a 'long life in prison'. She is the daughter of Howdy Kabrins who founded Tex-Mex restaurant chain La Salsa. After her murder, he moved to South Africa to ensure justice was served. The pair were staying in this $1,300-a-night villa at Camp s Bay Retreat in Cape Town when Novella, who belongs to one of South America's richest families, attacked his girlfriend in a drug induced rage and left her body in the bathroom Novella had been taking cannabis and sceletium on the night of the murder. He told police he mistook his girlfriend for a 'demon' when he was high and attacked her because he thought she was attacking him. He strangled her then mutilated her genitals with a curling iron, defecated on her face and put chocolate and sweets in her throat On Thursday, her mother told Doris Weitz told South African news outlet Eyewitness News that she wished it had been longer. 'I hate to hear the things that the monster did to my child. Its been very, very difficult,' she said. The woman is the daughter of Malibu restaurateur Howdy Kabrins who founded the La Salsa Tex-Mex chain Kabrins said justice had 'prevailed' but said he too wanted a longer sentence. Before the sentencing, Weitz urged the judge to give him life without parole, saying: 'Diego Novella has given me a life sentence without parole. There will be no recovery from this. 'He has given Gabis father Howdy a life sentence without parole. All I can say is I hope he will not be outside of prison while I am still alive.' He and Novella had spent time together when his daughter was still alive. The couple met at Pepperdine University and dated for several weeks but they broke up because of his substance abuse problems. She went on to marry Dr. Blake Alban and reconnected with Novella after her divorce. She and Novella got back in touch online and rekindled their relationship in 2013. By then, she had launched her own marketing agency. Kabrins met Novella more than once. The pair are pictured holidaying together before his daughter's death Novella and Kabrins met at Pepperdine University where they dated as students for several weeks before she broke up with him over his substance abuse problems. They reconciled in 2013 after she divorced her husband. He convinced her to go to South Africa to seek treatment for Lyme Disease On July 29, he attacked his girlfriend in an apparent sex game gone wrong. He was described as a crack and cocaine addict beforehand. His lawyers said that he was high on cannabis and over-the-counter drug sceletium on the night of the attack. After attacking her, Novella went from his hotel room into the hotel bar where he picked up a guitar and started singing. The victim's mother, Doris Weitz, is pictured leaving court in South Africa (center) in 2015 A lawyer for Novella (shown in court in February) said he planned to appeal the conviction and sentence Witnesses said he told a bar tender: 'My lovely lady is dead,' and then waded in to the sea. He was arrested after room service staff found her body and called police. Novella is a scion of the billionaire Dougherty Novella family in Guatemala, who own Cementos Progreso, the country's largest cement company, and are one of the Central American country's most powerful families. At the time of her death, they said he was estranged from the family and had been for years. The victims's family has not yet spoken out about the sentencing. Authorities have arrested the South Carolina father of a seven-month-old baby who died after being found inside a hot car. The Florence County Sheriff's Office said Friday that it has arrested the baby's father, Brandon Scott Coward, 36, and that he has been charged with homicide by child abuse, according to WBTW. Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken said the child, Dean Emerson Coward, died a short time after he was found in the vehicle outside a Florence, South Carolina, home around 5:35pm Thursday. Brandon Scott Coward, 36, was arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse after authorities allege his infant son died after being left in a hot car for an extended period Von Lutcken said in a statement that while it appears to be a heat-related death, he has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Authorities said that they responded to a call of an unresponsive child at the Florence home. By the time they arrived, the baby was already in the process of being taken to a local hospital, where he was then pronounced dead. The National Weather Service says the temperature in Florence was around 94 degrees when the boy was found. Authorities responded to a call about an unresponsive child at Coward's South Carolina home The FCSO alleged that Brandon had left Dean 'in a hot vehicle for an extended length of time.' Brandon is currently being held at the Florence County Detention Center. Neither his bond nor a court date has been set yet. Dean's autopsy was scheduled for Friday morning. Jail records indicate that Brandon's charge carries a possible penalty of 20 years to life. A murdered Russian exile believed he had previously been poisoned by mystery Russians who brought him Champagne, a paramedic who treated him said. Nikolai Glushkov, a frequent Kremlin critic, was found apparently strangled in his home in New Malden, south-west London, a week after the Novichok poisoning of the Skripals. Paramedic Keith Carr said how he treated Mr Glushkov in November 2013 for suspected poisoning, after the exile shared drinks with two men from Moscow at The Grand Hotel, in Bristol. Detectives are now reinvestigating the suspected poisoning incident as part of their inquiry into Glushkov's murder, according to The Guardian. Nikolai Glushkov was a frequent critic of the Kremlin and friend of the late oligarch Boris Berezovsky Nikolai Glushkov was found apparently strangled in his home in New Malden, south-west London, a week after the Novichok poisoning of the Skripals The suspected poisoning came some six months after Mr Glushkov accused the Kremlin of murdering his friend and Vladimir Putin critic Boris Berezovsky. Mr Carr, then working with South Western Ambulance Service, said he responded to a report that Mr Glushkov had collapsed on the carpet the morning after the drinks. The 71-year-old said:'He had been visited by two Russians the night before,' 'They (the visitors) brought Champagne. They drank the Champagne together. 'He woke up on the carpet the next day. He had carpet burns to his face and he was unsteady.' Mr Carr said his patient had an abnormal heart rhythm, which was very fast. He added: 'In 47 years as a paramedic I've never had anybody deliberately poisoned so it wasn't foremost in my mind until he said, 'I think they poisoned me'. Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky was found lying on his bathroom floor at his home in Ascot, Berkshire, in March 2013 Nikolai Glushkov (pictured left) the general director of Avtovaz company and the general director of the All-Russian Automobile Alliance (AVVA) Boris Berezovsky (pictured right) posing during a briefing in Moscow 'I thought it was a bit far-fetched but when I saw the cardiac dysrhythmia I thought something's wrong, it's not like any normal heart rhythm, so somebody's got to him.' Mr Glushkov was treated in Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital. The disclosure comes after police named two men said to be Russian military intelligence agents as suspects in the nerve agent poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal. Counter-terrorism police led the murder inquiry after Mr Glushkov was found dead on March 11. Mr Glushkov claimed political asylum in the UK after Russia accused him and Mr Berezovsky, who died in March 2013, of a criminal conspiracy in relation to Aeroflot. A Scotland Yard spokesman said the 'incident' in Bristol in 2013 was a matter for Avon and Somerset Police, and added: 'We are not prepared to discuss specific lines of inquiry in regards our investigation.' Russia has asked Britain for help in identifying the two assassins police believe carried out the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March. Moscow have claimed they want to establish whether or not the two men are Russian citizens, reports the Guardian. Last week, police released pictures of the two suspects who were using the bogus aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. The two men, believed to be officers in the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, were charged in absentia on Wednesday. Russia have asked Britain for help in identifying the two assassins police believe carried out the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March. The pair were using the aliases Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov (right) Russia have said the names and photographs of the men 'mean nothing to them', and denied involvement Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, said: 'We need to establish who these people are, if these are [Russian] citizens or not. 'We want to do this with maximum haste and effectiveness, and so we are again appealing to Britain for help in ascertaining the identities of these people.' Russia have said the names and photographs of the men 'mean nothing to them', and denied involvement. Ms Zakharova also accused Theresa May of a 'frank lie' over claims Russia did not offer Britain information after the nerve agent attack earlier this year. The Crown Prosecution Service said the pair faced charges of conspiracy to murder Skripal, and the attempted murder of him, his daughter and Nick Bailey, a policeman injured in the attack. The Crown Prosecution Service said the pair faced charges of conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, and the attempted murder of him, his daughter Yulia and Nick Bailey, a policeman injured in the attack Pictured: The army begin their decontamination of Sergei Skripal's home in Salisbury earlier today Skripal was a colonel in Russian military intelligence who was jailed for betraying agents to Britain's MI6 security service. He moved to England in 2010 as part of a spy swap. The nerve agent was believed to have been smeared on the front door of his house in the sleepy Wiltshire cathedral city of Salisbury in March. London blamed the Russian state for the attack, but Moscow strongly denied any involvement. The Skripals and Bailey both recovered, but in June, a British couple fell ill from the same type of nerve agent in the nearby town of Amesbury. One of them, 44-year-old mother Dawn Sturgess, died in July. The news comes as a purported ex-GRU officer claimed the attempted assassination was too amateurish to have been the work of a professional. Ivan Tarasov told Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper that professionals would have done it 'quietly, without fuss, and brought him [to Russia] in a mail bag, and no one would have known where he had gone'. A furious President Donald Trump went on a rant about the anonymous source who wrote the New York Times op-ed during a Montana rally on Thursday. At least he tried to, but it was a little difficult to understand thanks to his bizarre pronunciation of the word 'anonymous.' Trump was explaining how his first year and a half in office were driving his Democratic opponents and his critics 'crazy', when he turned to the 'latest act of resistance'. 'The op-ed, published in the failing New York Times by an 'amanomanous'.' On Thursday, Trump blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation during his speech in Billings, Montana He stopped and decided to take another run at the run at the tricky word. 'An... ominous... gutless, coward.' 'Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she, although they put he, but probably that's a little disguised. That means it's she,' he said, speculating about the identity of the top Trump aide. His statement appears to reveal that the White House isn't any wiser about the identity of the source who wrote the op-ed piece this week. But he slammed the move as an act of 'treason'. 'The Times should never have done that because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason. You could call it a lot of things,' the president said in Billings, Montana. Trump was being interviewed by Fox News Channel co-host Pete Hegseth in one corner of the Rimrock Auto Arena, with a live audience of more than 10,000 people. Trump repeated a challenge he had already issued to the Times on Twitter, demanding the paper's nameless author's head on a platter. 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said. 'At some point this whole thing is going to be exposed,' Trump predicted, as he warned about 'unelected deep-state operatives' who have tried to take his government into their own hands in a soft coup. 'And it's really bad and it's really dangerous,' he said. 'And it's really sad for the media.' Trump's critics were quick to mock the slip up. 'Donald Trump loves to give people nicknames. 'B***h,D say Anonymous. You can't even give coherent speech,' wrote one critic. President Trump said identifying the anonymous author who wrote the The New York Times op-ed was a matter of 'national security' on Friday Another tweet joked: 'What if Anonymous wrote that piece because he knows Trump can't say anonymous?' Others raised concerns that the fact Trump couldn't pronounce the word could be a sign of dementia. Trump said on Friday that he's called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the Times after the op-ed. Trump also said he was considering taking action against the Times, whose shares moved briefly lower after his comments were made public. 'Were going to see. Im looking at that right now,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 'should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security.' The Times issued a statement saying it was confident the Justice Department 'would not participate in such a blatant abuse of government power.' 'The President's threats both underscore why we must safeguard the identity of the writer of this op-ed and serve as a reminder of the importance of a free and independent press to American democracy.' Trump did not indicate what sort of action he was considering against the Times and it was unclear what legal grounds he could act on. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department does not confirm or deny investigations. The Times could not be immediately reached for comment. Practically Trump's entire cabinet including these famous faces and the first lady have all declared they're not responsible for the mysterious op-ed A number of top Trump advisers have disavowed the piece, which was published on Wednesday without a name in what the Times said was a rare but necessary move to protect the writer. In the column, the writer slammed Trump's 'amorality' and leadership style. The official said there were a number of U.S. officials who were part of an 'quiet resistance' inside the administration who was 'working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.' Trump regularly attacks the media for focusing on negative news about his administration and decries what he perceives as 'fakes news.' He repeated on Air Force One that he believes libel laws should be strengthened. Trump had threatened to sue the Times when he was running for president in October 2016 because of its story about allegations of sexual assault against women. The Times stood by its story and dismissed a Trump attorney's demand for an apology and retraction. No suit was filed. Earlier this week the Justice Department said is set a meeting with state attorneys general to discuss concerns social media platforms are stifling conservative voices. Tom O'Brien (pictured) spotted the stranded boy sobbing before giving him 10 for a taxi A schoolboy has been praised for giving a lost Year 7 pupil money for a taxi home after finding him crying on a bus in Liverpool. Tom O'Brien, 15, handed the child 10 and called a cab to pick him up from the next bus stop after discovering him sobbing. The 11-year-old boy had got on the wrong bus from Holy Family Catholic High School in Thornton and was getting further away from his home in Netherton. Tom stepped in after learning that the boy had no phone and no money. The act of kindness was shared on Facebook by the mother of one of the children on the bus, who said it restored her faith in humanity. Ruth Furlong wrote: 'His name is Tom and hes a year 11 pupil at Holy Family so if anyone knows him or his parents, let them know what a lovely lad theyve raised.' Tom's sister Katie replied to the post saying: 'Ahhh everyone it was my little brother. We are so proud of Tom and it's so lovely to know he's a good lad in the outside world. 'The school rang our mum and left a lovely message. All your comments are so so lovely they've had us all close to tears, Tom will hate all the attention.' Tom had approached a group of Year 7's on the bus to ask how their day went before discovering the sobbing boy. Year 7 students Harry Campbell and Dylan Robson stood with the sobbing child as he waited on the cab and made sure he got home safe. Harry Campbell's mother Colette wrote: 'It was my husband who saw Harry standing outside the house, talking to this boy we had never seen before. Dylan Robson (left) and Harry Campbell waited with the boy until his taxi came to collect him 'Harry had told Dylan to ring the taxi to pick him up from our house, to make sure he got home safe. 'Then he had walked him to ours and was stood outside waiting until the taxi came. 'God love him, this little fella was upset and had got on the wrong bus and with it being his first day wouldn't have known very many people either. The mother of one of the boys on the school bus used social media to hail 'lovely lad' Tom 'I asked Harry had he seen the boy today and how he was and he said he was fine and had thanked him. 'I just think it is lovely. I'm very proud of him. It puts faith back in humanity and that little fella will know there are good people who will help him.' Dylan's mother Toni said she heard about what happened when her son got home from school. Tom's sister Katie praised her younger brother, saying she'd been contacted by several parents who appreciated his act of kindness She said: 'He came home and said that there was a boy on the wrong bus and he was upset. 'He told me about Tom giving him the money and how he and Harry had rang a taxi. I asked him how he had known the number to ring and he said he had Googled it. 'I am very proud of him. I would hope that if it was my son in the same situation, someone would have helped him. ' The boys rang a local Delta Taxi and it is believed the driver didn't charge the young boy for the journey. Headteacher of Holy Family Catholic High School Matthew Symes, said: 'It is just lovely and at the start of the year it really sets the tone for everyone else. 'Tom is an incredibly thoughtful and all round good guy. I went to see him yesterday after receiving a lot of calls from parents about what had happened. Holy Family Catholic High School in Merseyside where the four boys are all students 'And he said he was pleased at the publicity because many 15-year-olds get bad press. 'But he was just pleased the boy had got home safe. He has set a great example in front of a whole bus of Year 7's - who have all that worry and anxiety about the bigger kids. 'It is a brilliant example of the older pupils looking out for them.' Chicken and pork products sold in supermarkets and butchers are carrying dangerous superbugs resistant to antibiotics, an official study reveals. Bacteria such as E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella have mutated, giving them a resistance to important drugs, the Food Standards Agency found. It means people who develop food poisoning after coming into contact with these bugs are more difficult to cure. Alarmingly, some samples of pork mince tested for the Government agency found E. coli that is resistant to a so-called last resort antibiotic called colistin. Chicken and pork products sold in supermarkets and butchers are carrying dangerous superbugs resistant to antibiotics, an official study reveal Colistin is considered extremely important in human medicine because it is the only drug that works on some common human infections. Experts say the emergence and spread of superbugs, which are known as antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, poses a significant global threat both in terms of public health and economic impact. The chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has called on ministers and the farming industry to radically reduce the use of antibiotics, which are also given to sick animals. She said: Antimicrobial resistance poses a catastrophic threat. If we dont act now, any one of us could go into hospital in 20 years for minor surgery and die because of an ordinary infection that cant be treated by antibiotics. The new study involved 339 samples of raw chicken and 342 samples of raw pork mince from all the major supermarkets and butchers. Bacteria such as E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella have mutated, giving them a resistance to important drugs, the Food Standards Agency found Strains of E. coli were found in 165 of the chicken samples 49 per cent of them. Some 74 of these showed resistance to three or more groups of antibiotics. Ninety-four E. coli samples taken from pork mince were tested and of those, 52 showed multi-drug resistance and two were resistant to the important antibiotic colistin. Superdrug strains of campylobacter and salmonella were also found in the chicken and pork at lower levels. The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics is campaigning to cut the use of the drugs on farms so that they can be saved for use in human medicine. Its scientific advisor, Coilin Nunan, said the discovery of strains of E. coli that is resistant to colistin in pork mince is particularly alarming. The drug is used on intensive factory pig farms in Britain despite being outlawed in countries such as China because of concerns for human health. It has also been banned on a voluntary basis by UK poultry farmers. Mr Nunan said: Why is the Government allowing a last-resort human antibiotic to be used in animal feed when we know it leads to resistant bacteria on retail meat that can transfer to humans? Colistin is used in intensive pig farming mainly to control diarrhoea in piglets caused by early weaning. This problem can be largely avoided by weaning piglets later. However, some farmers want to wean their piglets very young so that the sow can be impregnated again to produce yet more young. Alarmingly, some samples of pork mince tested for the Government agency found E. coli that is resistant to a so-called last resort antibiotic called colistin Mr Nunan said: How can it be right that a last-resort antibiotic is being undermined just so we can produce pork a bit more cheaply? A National Pig Association spokesman said: The UK pig industry has been working extremely hard to minimise its use of antibiotics, to limit the development of AMR. A British Poultry Council spokesman said: The poultry meat sectors drive for excellence in bird health and welfare is delivering responsible use of antibiotics and safeguarding the efficacy of antibiotics. The FSA report said: The risk of people developing antimicrobial resistant infections from these foods is very low providing that both chicken and pork is cooked thoroughly. The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance represents the animal medicines industry and argues antibiotics are needed on farms to promote animal welfare. A right-wing candidate for President of Brazil has spoken from his hospital bed after he was stabbed by a 'socialist' attacker and lost 40 per cent of his blood. Jair Bolsonaro said the attack was 'like a punch in the pit of my stomach' and said he suffered 'unbearable' pain when he was targeted during a rally by a man who said he was acting out a 'mission from God'. Claiming he had 'never done anything bad to anyone', the controversial politician said he had expected an attack and been prepared for it, but hospital staff revealed he was not wearing a protective vest at the time of the stabbing. Shocking footage showed the moment election hopeful Bolsonaro was knifed in the stomach in a crowd in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, south-east Brazil. The 63-year-old was transferred to intensive care after undergoing a procedure for serious internal injuries and is now stable and out of 'acute and immediate danger'. Jair Bolsonaro (said the attack was 'like a punch in the pit of my stomach' and said he suffered 'unbearable' pain when he was targeted during a rally The latest video, recorded in a hospital in Minas Gerais, was posted by Senator Magna Malta who prayed for the candidate's recovery by his bedside. Bolsonaro said: 'It felt like a punch in the pit of my stomach. Who ever has had a ball hit them in their stomach will know the pain is unbearable. 'The blade entered up to five inches and passed 1mm away from the main artery of my heart.' Bolsonaro, 63, said he was grateful to the doctors and nurses for saving his life and to God for giving him 'one more chance'. Earlier the politician's son Eduardo said: 'It was a miracle that he was alive. If he had been delayed five more minutes he would have died.' He credited the emergency medical team for saving his father's life and added the parliamentarian is recovering well from the knife attack. 'My father is stronger than ever. He is stable and talking, but still shaken because of the surgery.' On Friday morning, the injured politician was transferred to Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo. According to medical information the candidate is extremely stable and not at risk of death. A 40-year-old suspect, identified by police as Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, has been arrested over the attack with police saying he appeared to be mentally disturbed and had claimed he was 'on a mission from God'. Oliveira was said to be a member of the left-leaning PSOL party from 2007 to 2014. On his Facebook page, the attacker recently posted messages criticizing Bolsonaro and supporting the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is taken on the shoulders of a supporter moments before being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil Jair Bolsonaro reacts after being stabbed during the rally. Police spokesman Flavio Santiago confirmed that his attacker had been arrested Bolsonaro is reported to have underwent laparoscopic surgery after being stabbed at a campaign rally according to his advisers Adelio Bispo de Oliveira (pictured) is suspected of stabbing Jair Boslanaro while he was campaigning in Brazil This photo released by the Military Police, shows the knife supposedly used by Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, suspected of stabbing Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing Brazilian presidential candidate The split-second assault happened as the politcian was being carried shoulder high by supporters in the midst of a crowd during the afternoon event. Horrifying footage from several mobile phones caught the moment a man plunged a knife into his belly. He was seen clutching his stomach and grimacing in agony before collapsing backwards. He was rushed through the crowds and whisked by car to Santa Casa de Misericordia de Juiz de Fora hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery. Bolsonaro's son, Flavio Bolsonaro, initially posted on Twitter that the injury was superficial and his father was fine. However, an hour later he posted another tweet saying the wound was 'worse than we thought.' He arrived at the hospital 'almost dead,' Flavio wrote. 'His condition now seems stabilised. Please pray.' The attack on Bolsonaro, is a twist in what was already Brazil's most unpredictable election since the country's return to democracy three decades ago. Corruption investigations have jailed scores of businessmen and politicians in recent years, and alienated voters. There was fear of violence flaring across Brazil on Friday, as the nation celebrates Independence Day with political groups likely to march in hundreds of cities. Bolsonaro's rival candidates called off campaign activities for Friday. Under Brazil's campaign laws, Bolsonaro's tiny coalition has almost no campaign time on government-regulated candidate ad blocs on TV and radio. That means Bolsonaro relies on social media and rallies around the country to drum up support. As such, not being able to go out in the streets could impact his campaign. Jair Bolsonaro is being carried by the crowd while campaigning in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, south east Brazil He can suddenly be seen grasping his stomach and wincing in pain and the crowd carries him on The crowd react and carry the wounded politician to safety. He is currently undergoing critical surgery Flavio Bolsonaro said early Friday outside the hospital where his father was treated that he was conscious and the attack was a political boost. 'I just want to send a message to the thugs who tried to ruin the life of a family man, a guy who is the hope for millions of Brazilians: You just elected him president. He will win in the first round,' said Flavio Bolsonaro. In a statement Federal Police said: '[Bolsonaro] was (being) escorted by federal police when he was struck by a knife during a public act in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. A suspect was arrested in the act and taken to the police station. A police investigation was established to ascertain the circumstances of the incident.' Speaking to local media, Pedro Augusto Lima Possa, the suspect's lawyer said: 'Adelio confessed and claimed responsibility for the attack. But he said he had not intended to kill (Bolsonaro).' Stabbing could reshape election contest The stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. Far-right congressman Bolsonaro, a former army captain who has promised to crack down on crime, has long argued that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand to be steadied. After a knife-wielding man stabbed the candidate in the abdomen during a campaign event Thursday, Brazilians surged on to social media to argue over whether the attack supports Bolsonaro's assertions that the country is off the rails or whether his heated rhetoric contributed to inciting the attack. Far-right congressman Bolsonaro (centre, at a rally earlier this week), a former army captain who has promised to crack down on crime, has long argued that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand to be steadied After more than four years of revelations of widespread corruption within Brazil's political class, anger is running high in the country, and analysts initially predicted this would be a change election. But no true outsider has emerged. Instead, Bolsonaro, despite being a congressman since 1991, has harnessed much of the anger and presented himself as a maverick who will clean up a corrupt system. He also promises to confront a surge in crime, in part by giving police a freer hand to shoot and kill while on duty. The public's anger is partially responsible for making this year's campaign the most unpredictable in years for Brazil, and the attack could lead to another seismic shift. The man leading polls, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been barred from running by electoral authorities because he was convicted of corruption and is in jail. That puts Bolsonaro in the lead position, though it is unclear how the attack might affect the campaign for the October 7 presidential ballot. The stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. His son Flavio is pictured today outside the hospital treating the firebrand politician In the hours following the attack in Juiz de Fora, about 125 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro supporters predicted it would carry him to the presidency. 'They made Bolsonaro a martyr,' said Jonatan Valente, a student who joined a small vigil for Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo. 'I think the left shot itself in the foot because with this attack they will end up electing Bolsonaro.' But it is unknown when he can get out again on the campaign trail and if his injuries will impede his ability to campaign. There were signs of the deep divide in Brazil at the vigil, when Bolsonaro's supporters briefly exchanged insults with some detractors who showed up. Meanwhile, on Twitter many decried the stabbing and asked for prayers for Bolsonaro, but others suggested the candidate might have brought the attack upon himself or even staged it. Brazilian medical doctor Eunice Dantas, director of the Santa Casa Hospital, speaks to the press about Brazil's right-wing presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro's health today This is not the first time in recent months that violence has touched politicians. In March, while da Silva was on a campaign tour in southern Brazil before his imprisonment, gunshots hit buses in his caravan. No one was hurt. Also that month, Marielle Franco, a black councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, was shot to death in March along with her driver after attending an event. While Bolsonaro has a strong following, he is a deeply divisive figure. He has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements toward women, blacks and gays. He speaks nostalgically about the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship and has promised to fill his government with current and former military leaders. His vice presidential running mate is a retired general. 'It's likely that Bolsonaro will use the attack to argue his opponents are desperate, that they had no other way to stop him,' said Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at Rio de Janeiro's state university Advertisement The unmarried man, who has a teacher's degree, is believed to be currently unemployed but has been working as a waiter and is apparently estranged from his family. According to Possa, the attacked was motivated by religious and political reasons. 'He told me that there were religious and political motivations and that he hated the prejudice that the Bolsonaro openly spoke about and held against different races, religion and women,' the suspect's lawyer said. Dr Luiz Henrique Borsato, a member of the hospital's general surgery team who performed the critical operation on the victim said Bolsonaro suffered a 'blunt abdominal trauma and was admitted to the hospital with signs of shock.' 'Surgery was performed as a matter of urgency and a massive internal haemorrhage was diagnosed and controlled,' said Dr Borsato at a press briefing last night. He explained that the former army captain had suffered injuries to several organs and had lost between 2 to 2.5 litres of blood. 'The damage was very serious. (He suffered) three perforations to the small intestine and a severe lesion in the large intestine. There was faecal contamination inside the abdominal cavity,' the surgeon revealed. 'During surgery the small intestine was connected to a temporary colostomy pouch which was placed on the inner wall of the intestine. It will stop waste matter from passing through the large intestine and prevent the site from being infected,' he continued. Michelle Bolsonaro, the wife of the National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, arrives at the Santa Casa hospital where her husband is hospitalised Jair Bolsonaro's son Flavio Bolsonaro is pictured outside Santa Casa hospital today People light candles in support of presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, of the National Social Liberal Party A man covers his face with his hands as he stands outside the hospital where Bolsonaro is being treated Initially the politician's son, Flavio, said the injury was superficial, but ultrasound and CT scans showed trauma in the organs and bleeding from the superior mesenteric artery, a major blood vessel in the digestive system. Borsato dismissed earlier reports of injuries to the candidate's liver. 'There was bleeding from an abdominal artery and perforations in the large and small intestines. The injured part of the large intestine was removed, and the small intestine was sewn up,' said Borsato. 'The internal injuries were serious, and the patient's life was at risk. At the start of the surgery his condition was unstable, but we were able to bring it under control and stabilise him.' The team confirmed that Bolsonaro arrived at the unit wearing a 'yellow shirt' and was not wearing a protective vest. According to reports, Bolsonaro would normally wear body protection provided by federal police for his safety. However, on this occasion he was without the vest. The politician is expected to be hospitalised for at least l0 days and will undergo another operation in a couple months' time to remove the internal colostomy bag. 'It's too early to say if he will have long term problems,' Borsato said. A group of people try to detain Adelio Bispo de Oliveira (pictured centre), who allegedly stabbed the right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro campaigns in the district of Ceilandia in Brasilia, yesterday Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is running on a tough law and order platform advocating looser gun controls He is a polarising figure in an unpredictable election campaign but rising violent crime, anger over repeated corruption scandals and an effective social media campaign have helped him gain support. He was second in the polls to former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who was the front-runner in the country's elections until he was struck from the ballot. At the end of last month, electoral court ruled that the Brazil's embattled ex-president, who is in prison on corruption charges and who served two terms between 2003 to 2011, would not be able to stand for election again. Bolsonaro is known for insulting women, openly expressing racist and homophobic views, championing dictatorship, calling for political opponents to be shot and for holding derogatory views of indigenous people and foreigners. This has earned him the title of 'the most misogynistic, hateful elected official in the democratic world'. The ex-military office, who has been called the 'tropical Trump' of South America, has been a serving politician in the Chamber of Deputies since 1991. Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is a polarizing figure and has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements towards women and black people Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (pictured left) gestures at the crowd during a campaign rally in the district of Ceilandia in Brasilia, on September 5, 2018 An American Airlines Captain went above and beyond duty when the flight he was piloting was diverted and to ease his disgruntled passengers he bought 40 boxes of pizza. Captain Jeff Raines was concerned for the passengers on Flight 2354 traveling from Los Angeles to Dallas-Fort Worth when the aircraft was diverted due to severe thunderstorms. The aircraft last-minute landed at the Wichita Falls Municipal Airport on Thursday and quick-thinking Raines decided to order 40 boxes of Papa John's pizza for his 159 frustrated passengers and his kind deed was all caught on camera. American Airlines Pilot Jeff Raines ordered and hand-delivered 40 boxes of Papa John's pizza for his disgruntled passengers after he had to divert the flight due to severe weather Thursday Come and get it! The kind-hearted pilot knew his passengers would have to stay in Wichita Falls the following morning so he ordered them pizza for a hot and tasty meal The video sees Raines running to a fro from a Papa John's delivery car, handing out pizza boxes to passengers standing on the tarmac. The gesture warmed the hearts of the passengers who were told they would have had to stake out in Wichita Falls until the following morning. In the video people are heard saying 'what a guy, what a guy.' The passengers are seen smiling and happily munching on their hot meal. The video was shared by airport employee Josh Raines who posted in on Twitter writing: 'I don't think I've seen this before.' 'All of us are always proud of our crew members who take great care of our customers who fly on American Airlines. We are fortunate that our crew members are the best in the business,' an American Airlines spokesperson said to Dailymail.com. Pizza Pilot! Raines, left, pictured handing out boxes to hungry passengers at Wichita Falls Municipal Airport in Texas Good deed: Raines walked around making sure each passenger received a slice of pizza 'Flight 2354 from Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort Worth yesterday diverted to Wichita Falls due to severe thunderstorms that impacted northern Texas. The flight remained overnight in Wichita Falls, and re-departed for Dallas/Fort Worth this morning,' they added. Raines has worked for American Airlines for 27 years and the airline applauded his loyalty to customers saying: 'We are fortunate that our crew members are the best in the business.' Speaking to KTLA, Raines said: 'Thanks for the compliments however this was a "TEAM" effort.' 'My First Officer was on the telephone with crew tracking / hotel desk arranging for our release and hotels for the entire crew. The Flight Attendants manned a galley cart from the aircraft serving waters, juice, and sodas to all the passengers in the terminal. All while the Envoy SPS Personnel were arranging for a bus, re-booking flights, and answering a flurry of questions from these passengers. Thanks to everyone for your help there is no "I" in "TEAM,"' he added. Three pilots celebrated as heroes aboard the Aeromexico plane that crashed into a field off the runway at an airport in northwest Mexico in late July were fired Thursday as it was revealed a pilot in training was behind the controls during takeoff. Chief executive Andre Conesa said in a letter distributed Thursday to its employees that 'the behavior of the three pilots in the cockpit was not carried out according to established protocols, deliberately violating the policies, manuals and procedures of our company'. Investigators said a trainee pilot was improperly seated in the co-pilot's seat when the plane took off, which is a breach of protocol. In total, 85 peopleof the 103 on board were injured in the terrifying crash on July 31. Captain Carlos Galvan Mayran was showered with praise following the Aeromexico Flight AM2431 crash in late July. He was fired Thursday for not following 'protocols' First officer Daniel Dardon is one of the three pilots fired by Aeromexico following the crash First responders were quick on the scene after Aeromexico Flight AM2431 was overwhelmed by the weather conditions Flight crew members (left) from the Aeromexico walk alongside the emergency responders team (right) that were carrying a passenger in a stretcher after the plane went down in an area of scrubland at the end of the runway The plane was left a smoking wreck at the end of the runway as emergency services personnel made sure no one was trapped They said the plane's commanding officer took over controls from the trainee just before the crash. The Mexican airline released a statement on Wednesday saying the accident was caused by severe weather. The initial report also indicated that there were no mechanical failures or human errors that could have caused the jetliner to crash. Flight AM2431 departed Durango International Airport and was bound to Mexico City when the Embraer 190 jet smashed into a grass field near the runway as the pilot tried to abort take-off. Passengers have described there being strong winds, hail and rain. All 103 passengers and crew survived by evacuating from the plane before it caught fire. The crew and passengers were commended for the poise they showed in helping some of the passengers that were immediately injured once the plane came to a stop and the exit doors were hatched open. The plane filled with smoke and caught fire. Captain Carlos Galvan Mayran, 38, was among the most seriously injured that afternoon. He was heavily criticized for allowing flight trainee Jose Ramon Vazquez to take off, before taking over control of the aircraft moments later. Aeromexico chief executive Andre Conesa said the behavior of the pilots, including pilot Daniel Dardon (pictured), was 'unacceptable' after an investigation into the crash of a July 31 flight in Durango, Mexico Carlos Galvan Mayran, a former flight captain with Aeromexico, was badly injured in the plane crash. All 103 passengers and crew survived by evacuating the plane before it caught fire First officer Daniel Dardon was also relieved of his duties. DailyMail.com reached out to Aeromexico but the airline declined to comment. 'This type of behavior is unacceptable and we will not tolerate [it] for any reason,' Conesa said. '[It] put at risk the trust that more than 20 million clients give us.' 'Today more than ever, our number one priority is and will continue to be the culture of safety, discipline and transparency, so any irregular event must be reported 'immediately' regardless of the rank of the person who committed the violation.' Standing behind a basic wooden table in a rural cabin, the eyes of the three girls look vacant and glassy, while their smiles look like those of mystics having a vision. Their hair is cropped in military buzz cuts, different frames show them cradling rifles or toying with knives, and one plays dreamily with a snake wrapped around her neck. They appear to be talking about what would happen if somebody threatened their leader, a man called Charlie. Tapes (pictured) unearthed in California after four decades reveal the chilling control American cult leader Charles Manson had over his followers We could respond so quickly, says the girl in the middle, Lynette Squeaky Fromme. With what? an interviewer asks off-camera. Anything, says the girl on the right, Sandra Good. Whatever. Whatevers at hand. We are animals! We are, Fromme interjects. And I know that if they laid a finger on Charlie, Good continues, if we were unarmed, we would chew their necks off. Claw their eyes out. And they know it. In another segment of film we see Fromme once again. This time her hair is long and she looks as if shes been crying. She is holding a rifle and leaning on it. Every girl ought to have a daddy like Charlie, she says, her voice slurred as if drunk or drugged. Manson (pictured) brainwashed his young followers to commit a series of savage murders in the summer of 1969 In another context, it would be easy to suppose that the footage is from some Seventies B-movie. But the girls wearing denim jackets with the words Satans Maidens, Devils Witches and Devils Daughters stitched on their backs are not actresses and the words they speak are frighteningly real and sincere. For the Charlie they speak about with such violent loyalty is none other than Charles Manson, the notorious leader of a cult he called his Family, who brainwashed his young followers to commit a series of savage murders in the summer of 1969 in Los Angeles that would shock the world. Among the nine people they slaughtered was actress Sharon Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, and married to the film director Roman Polanski. Tate had pleaded for her life and that of her unborn child, but the cult members would hang her from a beam and stab her 16 times. One of those who stabbed her would later recount that she murmured the words, Mother...mother as she was being killed. What made the murders all the more shocking was the identity of those that Manson had brainwashed into being killers. In the main, they were all-American boys and girls, whod fallen prey to his satanic charm, and who had been seduced by a life of unfettered sex and drugs. But as the 50th anniversary of the killings approaches, many questions about Manson who died last November and his cult still remain, the biggest of which is this: What drove these young people not only to kill, but to kill so savagely? The answer, I believe, lies in extraordinary lost footage of the Manson Family I discovered in California, and which is the basis of a documentary series being shown on ITV later this month.What the film shows is nothing less than the real-time radicalisation of a group of young, disaffected people, who were to fall under the spell of a highly charismatic leader. I first learned of the existence of the footage when I received a text. I think Ive found what you are looking for, it read. Attached to it were three pictures, showing some two dozen rusting film cans. They appeared to be stored in an attic, and many had the word Manson still just visible on their labels. Over the past 30 years, I have made a number of films about serial killers, and I have always wanted to make one about Charles Manson. Back in 2016, I came across an intriguing reference in a book to a young filmmaker who had gained access to Manson and his cult over a period of nearly four years, from 1969 to 1973. This was Robert Hendrickson, and there had been almost no trace of him for decades. His career seems to have focused almost entirely on Manson, producing two documentaries on the Family, one of which had a limited theatrical release in 1973 and was then banned, and one of which was never released at all. Girls with buzz cuts cradle rifles or toy with knives while discussing what would happen if someone threatened their 'Charlie' Manson had let him in because he was friends with one of the Familys associates but perhaps also because, in his heart, he wanted the world to witness what he had created, one day at least. He cant have known then that it would take nearly 50 years. I hired a private investigator and asked her if she could find any of his unseen footage. A few weeks passed and I waited more in hope than expectation. Then that text arrived. I was told that Hendrickson had died just a couple of weeks before and the tapes had been sitting in his attic for more than 40 years. It turned out that the find was even better than I had dared hope. What Hendricksons lost footage showed was nothing less than the unexpurgated life of Mansons cult over four years. This was exactly what was needed to make the film I wanted about radicalisation and, better still, there were chilling revelations in the footage about Manson and the madness of his family a madness that would lead to some of its members stabbing their victims more than 100 times and daubing the walls with their blood in a display of utterly horrific barbarism. So what does the film show? Clearly, Charles Manson is the central figure. Undoubtedly a man who committed many evil acts, he was born in 1934 into the kind of rootless and abusive environment that fostered criminality. With an absent father and alcoholic mother, the young Manson progressed from truancy to delinquency, before graduating to carjacking and armed robbery. Manson was sentenced to the type of institutions where physical abuse and homosexual rape were common, acts that he would then reciprocate on his peers. At some point in his troubled life, he found time to get married and father a child, although his criminality meant that his roles as husband and father were severely lacking. By 1967, Manson had spent half his life in correctional facilities or in prisons and when he was released in March that year, he headed up to San Francisco at the height of the hippie era. Here, the 32-year-old Manson realised that the counter-culture of free love offered him the opportunity not only to wield his darkly charismatic personality for his own sexual gratification, but to establish a community of impressionable youngsters who would be his acolytes. He was, in his own twisted way, needy for love and desperate for some form of control. While some members saw Manson as their 'Daddy' others were even more extreme in their affection for him By drawing on lessons he had learned from pimps in prison, Manson preyed upon young men and women especially the latter who were vulnerable and lacking in family bonds and self-esteem. He would tell them that their parents had betrayed them and that he would become their new father give them a sense of belonging to a new family. While some members like Lynette Fromme saw Manson as their Daddy, others were even more extreme in their affection for him. I am Charlie, says Family member Thomas Walleman in the newly discovered footage. When he dies, I die. I gave up my personality and became what he showed me I could be total love. This was the first stage in Mansons radicalisation process, although even he did not yet know its ultimately horrific destination.The second stage was, quite simply, to give the young people a good time. He provided an environment a run-down ranch in the Santa Susana mountains, about 30 miles north of Los Angeles which was free of moral restrictions and full of sex and drugs. It was here that a group of as many as 30 Family members lived together. Paul Watkins, one of the early male members of the Family, describes in the tapes his first experience of the anything- goes culture. There was a big room with mattresses all over it and a little table in the middle, he says. Charlie was playing the guitar. Among the nine people they slaughtered was actress Sharon Tate (pictured), who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant He laid out all these girls in front of me and said: Theyre yours. What are you going to do with them? I was flattered. Unsurprisingly, Watkins stayed, although he was to find that Manson used sex as a means of control. We all had to go through lots and lots of changes, Watkins says. All the guys had to get over all their homosexual [reticence] by doing everything you could possibly think of doing with guys. And all the girls had to do everything you could possibly think of with other girls. Manson would watch it all. That enabled him to get to know his disciples most intimate natures, which would, of course, help him control them. Some of the cult members were very young, such as Dianne Lake, who was just 14 when she joined the Family, and when Manson first had sex with her. It appears that Lake relished the attention. Her parents, she told us when we tracked her down last year, were not the warm, fuzzy, hugging variety. He expressed his love and admiration for me, she said. It was a high. It was magic. It was an incredible upwelling of love and joy. Charlie invited me to be a part of their family. It was what I was looking for. But along with the reward of sex, Manson would also use punishment to keep his followers in his thrall. When girls did not do as he pleased, he would hit them. Many of them became like battered wives, with Manson using intermittent cruelty followed by love and intimacy. The use of drugs was the fourth stage of radicalisation, and the Family took them daily. WHO WAS SHARON TATE? Sharon Tate was an the American actress and model who rose to fame in the 60s, appearing in several small-screen productions and starring in a several fashion magazine campaigns before making her film debut in Barrabas in 1961. Her most noteworthy role was as Jennifer North in the 1967 cult classic Valley Of The Dolls, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. After starring in The Fearless Vampire Killers in 1967, she married director and co-star Roman Polanski in August 1968. Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski in 1968 She was just two weeks away from giving birth to the couple's son when she was butchered by members of the Manson Family at Polanski's Southern California home in 1969. Four friends were slaughtered alongside her at Polanski's home in Benedict Canyon: Hollywood hairstylist, Jay Sebring, an ex-lover of Tate's, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, a Polish actor and writer, and Steven Parent, who had been visiting the caretaker. On that fateful summer night, Polanski was in London scouting locations for the Day of the Dolphin when he got the call that his wife was stabbed to death 16 times in one of the most vicious and brutal murders in the history of Los Angeles. Media frenzy directly followed the murders, with speculation that perhaps it had been part of a satanic ritual. Polanski posed for photographs in the home, next to where the word 'PIG' was written in blood, saying he hoped the graphic images would help shock people into coming forward with information. About a month later members of the Manson 'Family' were arrested on suspicion of involvement in an unrelated murder, which lead investigators to a breakthrough on the Tate case as well. The suspects told police they had killed Tate and her friends not because of who they were, but because of the home they were in, which had belonged to a previous acquaintance of Manson. Reporting by Megan Sheets Advertisement We took things like belladonna, smoked hashish a lot, smoked marijuana all the time, and took mescaline [a natural psychedelic], says Watkins, in the lost footage. When I was with Charlie, I took between 30 and 40 trips on acid alone. Everyone just went stark raving mad. I mean just completely crazy. While marijuana sedated the Family members, it was the psychedelic drug LSD that Manson used to cement his control. For it was while his cult members were having acid trips that Manson would insinuate the idea that he was the messiah. Charlie never just said he was Jesus Christ, says Watkins. But then he always said it in every other way. Another follower, Brooks Poston, recalls in the footage how Manson once said that two thousand years ago he had hung on the cross and died for everyones sins, and it didnt do a f*** bit of good. The Family members appeared to believe it. Weve seen whats possible, says Sandra Good in an audio recording. Weve seen Charlie do things that no human being has ever done, or no human being has revealed that he can do these things. Weve seen miracles. These supposed miracles which apparently included Mansons ability to bring a dead bird back to life and to jump higher than possible for a human being were doubtless the product of narcotics rather than divinity. By now, the members of the Family were utterly under Mansons spell, a fact that was compounded by the way he ensured that no members had access to any media there were no newspapers, magazines, televisions or radios. There werent even any clocks at the ranch. The only source of information about the outside world was from Manson himself and he presented the world as he wanted to see it, rather than how it was. They lived from hand to mouth, collecting food that supermarkets had thrown out, begging on the streets of LA, cajoling worried parents into sending gifts in the hope they would grow out of their Charlie Manson phase and yes, from casual prostitution. This paid for the food and, of course, the drugs as well. Tate pleaded for her life and that of her unborn child, but the cult members hung her from a beam and stabbed her 16 times What made Mansons view of the world so violent was that he was full of rage and wanted his revenge on those he felt had betrayed him. A failed musician, Mansons loathing was particularly intense for the showbiz world, which he felt had ignored his genius. The person for whom he reserved his greatest bile was a record producer called Terry Melcher, who had been introduced to Manson by Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. After making some initially positive noises, Melcher realised that Manson was not all that talented, and besides, he was clearly prone to violence. The record producer did not sign up Manson and cut all ties with him. As well as loathing Melcher and his industry, Manson was a racist, convinced that a race war between blacks and whites would soon break out in the United States. He called this forthcoming war Helter Skelter after a song from The Beatles White Album and convinced the Family it was both real and imminent. Isolated at the ranch and strung out on drugs, the cult members believed him. Imbued with a strong sense of vengeance and feeling that his life was in danger of falling apart, Manson started training his followers to use knives and guns. Of all the footage we found in Hendricksons attic, perhaps the most disturbing features three elfin young women Fromme, Good and Nancy Pitman posing with guns and hunting knives. Their faces are set in rapturous expressions and they talk openly about their willingness to kill. If you want it, here it is, come and get it, sings Good with a smile on her face, brandishing a huge knife. In another section of the footage, she says, chillingly: When somebody needs to be killed, theres no wrong, you do it, and then you move on. And killing is what would soon happen. Towards the end of July 1969, Manson ordered his followers to start their slayings. On the 25th, Manson and members of the group went to the home of music teacher Gary Hinman in Topanga Canyon, on the fringes of Los Angeles They were concerned that Hinman had sold them some bad drugs and wanted to get their money back. But Hinman insisted the drugs were good and would not pay up. Eventually, Manson challenged Family associate Bobby Beausoleil to stab him to death. Afterwards, Beausoleil and the gang smeared their victims blood on the wall, daubing it as gruesome graffiti that suggested the killing was the work of the radical black power group, the Black Panthers. On the night of August 8, Manson ordered four Family members a man named Tex Watson and three women to a house at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles and to kill everybody there. The address had been the home of Terry Melcher, the music producer who had cast aside Manson. Although it is often thought Manson was well aware Melcher had moved, our documentary reveals he had indeed wanted the gang to kill Melcher and not those who were to die five victims including the actress Sharon Tate. This revelation is made by Beausoleil, who gave us an exclusive interview from prison, where he is still serving a life sentence. While he and Manson were locked up together in a holding cell during his subsequent trial, Manson told Beausoleil that Melcher had been the target. He admitted to me that he had made a mistake, Beausoleil told us. And he said, I sent Tex to kill Terry, meaning Terry Melcher, the producer for The Beach Boys. What happened that night was truly barbaric. After cutting the telephone line, the groups first victim was the 18-year-old Steven Parent, who had been visiting the houses caretaker. Watson first tried to stab him, then shot him four times in the chest. The group then entered the house and this is where the butchery began. Its four inhabitants, including the heavily-pregnant Tate, were bound, pistol-whipped, hanged, stabbed and shot. One was stabbed 51 times. Tate pleaded with the killers to let her live long enough to give birth, but her appeal fell on deaf ears. After she was repeatedly stabbed, her blood was used to daub the word pig on the front door, in another ludicrous attempt to convince the authorities that the murders were committed by black activists wishing to start a race war. The following night, six more members of the cult, including Manson himself, were involved in the double murder of a supermarket owner and his wife, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca chosen, apparently, at random after a four-hour drive scouting possible targets. Leno was stabbed 12 times his wife 41 times. Justice would finally catch up with Manson and his cult after one of the killers, Susan Sadie Atkins, spilled the beans to a fellow inmate in a jail cell where she was being held on an unrelated charge of arson, three months after the murders. In June 1970, the Family were put on trial. However, even then, the cult was determined their messiah would never be punished and hatched an outrageous plan thats revealed in our film. One of those we spoke to, former member Aesop Aquarian now a character actor told us that the Family wanted to kill the judge appointed to the case: One of the girls came up to me and said, Weve gotta get Charlie out. We need you to go to the courthouse and kill the judge. I felt my jaw drop to the ground. You want me to what? We want you to kill the judge. That will show them that were serious and get Charlie out. Are you for real? And she said, Yeah. My first thought was what the hell am I doing here? As if he needed any more persuading, Aquarian left the cult immediately. It would be easy to say the demand to attack the judge was mere bravado, but the brutality of the gangs slayings mean the existence of such a plan should not be dismissed. Once more, the footage shows what extreme measures some cult members were willing to take to protect their Daddy: Im ready to die for Charlie, says Fromme. Hes ready to die for me. He has died for me. Im ready to die. Im ready to die to protect my own. Snitches will be taken care of. When asked how by one of the original film crew, she leans on a pump-action shotgun and says ominously: Ah. Thats to be seen. The plan to kill the judge never came to fruition and Manson and those Family members directly involved in the slayings were sentenced first to death and then, when the death penalty was temporarily abolished in California, to the rest of their lives behind bars. I do hope this proves to be a warning from history. It shows clearly how impressionable young minds can be twisted to suit the violent ends of a dominant and cunning personality. Ultimately, nobody deserves a daddy like Charlie. Manson: The Lost Tapes starts on ITV later this month. Sasha Young is the daughter of Scot Young, who fell from a fourth-floor flat he rented in Marylebone and was impaled on the railings Absolutely nothing about Sasha Youngs early life could be construed as normal. Her childhood was one of such unimaginable wealth she now regards its ostentation as obscene. Home was an elegant Palladian villa stuffed with 6 million worth of antiques, set in 500 glorious Oxfordshire acres. Little Sasha and her elder sister Scarlet had 15 ponies, six pedigree dogs and a collection of Fendi handbags worth thousands. The tooth fairy would leave us 50, she recalls. We flew in Concorde to luxury villas in Barbados or the South of France, and Christmas was every childs dream. Our parents would fill a room with presents everything from toys, to designer clothes, bags and jewellery. I didnt realise then that the life I was leading was abnormal that we were wealthy to a degree I now think of as obscene but Dad wanted us to have everything he didnt have as a boy. Sashas father Scot Young charming, smart and funny was a self-made billionaire who grew up in a humble street in Dundee and amassed a fortune in the Eighties property boom. He flaunted his wealth, rolling up to collect his daughters from their private school in one of his fleet of 52 luxury cars. He had two vintage Mercedes worth 500,000 each, Baby Bentleys, a Ferrari Spider, Porsches. Sasha reels them off like a shopping list. Her mum Michelle, a former fashion buyer, routinely spent 10,000 a week in Londons designer boutiques. When their wealth was at its zenith, Michelle and Scot Young frittered 2 million a year on clothes alone. Yet within a decade the idyll was shattered. Sashas adored father, aged 52, was dead. In December 2014, he fell from a fourth-floor flat he rented in Marylebone and was impaled on the railings below. Sasha believes that her fathers death, although it had been contrived to appear like suicide, was actually murder. This is why she is speaking for the first time about it now, in the hope that someone who knows the truth might come forward, and that the police will reopen their investigation. Dad called me eight minutes before it happened, she reveals. There was absolutely nothing in his voice that indicated anything was wrong. Everyday pleasantries were exchanged. Dad said, How are you doing? and I said everything was fine. I asked how he was and he said it was all good. He said hed call me the next day and that he loved me. I told him I loved him, too. He didnt sound stressed or agitated. After he died, we begged the police to investigate, but the forensic work that should have been carried out at the flat at the time wasnt done. Scots ex-girlfriend model Noelle Reno alleges he called her just minutes after he phoned Sasha to say he intended to take his life. But Sasha questions how her dad seemed so calm and chatty during the call minutes earlier? Reno is one of the original stars of the Bravo show ladies of London and Scot had appeared in it with her. Sasha Young aged four in Barbados with late father Scot, mother Michelle and sister Scarlet Sasha, now 23, was just ten when her gilded life began to disintegrate. Fissures developed in her parents marriage and the family planned a fresh start in Miami. Michelle and her daughters went there to live in an opulent beachfront house, expecting Scot to join them. But out of the blue his lawyer called Michelle. Scot, he disclosed, had lost all his money. The proposition seemed absurd. How could such vast wealth disappear in its entirety, apparently overnight? Sashas life was about to change for ever. She returned with her mother and sister to a lavish rented house in Regents Park, London, and although Scot professed to have no money, the familys affluent lifestyle continued for a while, at least. Michelle and her husband began a rancorous and protracted divorce, played out in the media. When the proceedings were under way, Scot began a relationship with Reno, an American-born model and TV presenter. The acrimonious divorce, meanwhile, continued and after 65 court hearings, Scot was ordered to pay his wife 28 million. But she has never received a penny. Sasha believes her fathers fortune of at least 400 million is secreted somewhere. But Scot continued to insist hed lost it all, and after failing to provide information about its whereabouts to the divorce court, he was jailed in 2013 for six months for contempt of court. Then, within months of his release from jail he was dead. Sashas quiet voice falters as she recalls the day she heard the news. Mum walked into my bathroom holding her stomach. She said: Your fathers fallen from a building. She said shed read about it in a newspaper. My legs were shaking. I felt sick. I wanted to see for myself what had happened. I walked to the flat. I had to see the blood on the street before I would believe it was true. And when I saw a section of the railings had been taken away I threw up all over the street. Sasha Young on her third birthday with her late father Scot at the family home Woodperry I bought a huge bouquet and wrote a card for Dad, hiding it near where he had fallen. I wrote that I loved him. She rubs away tears. And it was two days before the police came round and told us officially that he had died. He had been impaled through the heart on the spike of a railing. I wanted to see my Dad, to say my last goodbye. I needed that closure. But they told me I couldnt because his body had started to decompose, and I was devastated. I was at university at the time doing a business degree. I didnt go back. I couldnt. Everything was just too much. It still is. I adored dad. We were extremely close. He called me his cheeky monkey and people said we were the spitting image of each other. I cant think about how he died. I have nightmares. Theyre graphic and bloody. I dream hes hugging me. Then someone comes in and injects us with poison that kills us. She breaks off, exhausted by the emotion, the horror of it all. There are many reasons she is certain his death was not suicide. She explains: One day, when I was sitting my GCSEs, everything in my life seemed scary, unstable and horrible. I was embarrassed and ashamed my parents divorce was so public. At school, a teacher said: You know youll probably end up in a council flat. I felt desperate, suicidal, and I remember sitting at home crying and telling Dad Id considered taking my life. He said: Never think about doing that, ever again. He told me it made him scared. He was crying. That day we made a pact. We promised each other we would never, ever contemplate taking our own lives. And he had a terrible fear of heights. He didnt even like looking out of a high window. He would never have ended his life that way. Nobody wants to die like that, from impalement. The police said it was one of the worst deaths theyd seen. The inquest brought Sasha no resolution. The coroner recorded an open verdict. It makes me feel sick, shaky thinking about what actually happened that day and I really do want to know but I dont see myself getting any concrete answers. The reason she thinks it unlikely is that her fathers business deals were convoluted, shady and secretive. Today, Sasha reveals that she believes he was killed by a professional hitman on the orders of the Russian mafia. Scot had close links to Boris Berezovsky, the exiled Russian oligarch who was a vocal opponent of President Putin. Scot Young was a self-made billionaire who grew up in a humble street in Dundee and amassed a fortune in the Eighties property boom. He is pictured aged 36 And if Sashas theories about her fathers death seem extravagant, there is compelling evidence to support them. Five of her fathers friends all of whom attained huge riches on deals they brokered met sudden, violent deaths within four years of each other. They were property magnates Paul Castle and Robbie Curtis; ex-rock manager Johnny Elichaoff and Berezovsky, found dead at his Berkshire home in 2013 with a ligature round his neck. A coroner also recorded an open verdict on Berezovsky, while a forensic scientist said he could have been murdered. Berezovsky was an investor in Project Moscow, a Russian property deal set up by Scot, which collapsed, allegedly costing those involved hundreds of millions. But did Scot really lose all his wealth in the abortive project? Sasha believes not. She thinks Russian associates could have been involved in hiding her fathers huge fortune, and that they might have had a role in his death, sanctioning his murder by a hitman rather than returning his money when he asked for it back. People do crazy things for money, she says, only my dad knew the truth about where it went. If I thought about it too much Id go mad. There are too many unanswered questions, too many things Ill never understand. But what I want to know is the truth about why he died. I want justice for him. Sashas demeanour is almost diffident. She speaks in a soft, hesitant voice, recalling how her carefree and privileged early childhood descended into chaos, confusion and darkness. The former family home where Sasha Young lived - Woodperry House in Oxfordshire Back in London after her parents break-up, Sasha attended the 21,000-a-year Francis Holland School in Sloane Square; her father still gave her a 100-a-week allowance. We were still living an extremely expensive house, she recalls. Dad wasnt living with us but still called every day. Wed chat about school, everyday things. And hed reassure me and say, Dont worry. Everything will be fine. But there were lots of rows, and mum was angry. It was difficult for her to understand why her extravagant lifestyle had been curtailed. Shed been used to going to Hermes or Dolce & Gabbana every Thursday and coming out with rails of clothes which would fill her Range Rover. There was evidence, too, of Scots shady financial dealings. Money started arriving via intermediaries in wads of cash. I was about 13 and I remember a Russian guy one of Dads business associates handing over about 30,000 in cash outside a hairdressers in Mayfair. I saw it. It was very strange. We began to realise Dad was associated with people who were scary. It came to a head one night when I was about 14. Mum was at the cinema and my sister and I were in the house alone. Dad called us and said people were watching the house; that we were in danger and we had to meet him and leave the country that night. Im sure he believed it. He wouldnt have frightened us without reason. We locked ourselves in a bathroom. We were terrified; too scared to leave the house. By the time Mum came home we were trembling and crying. Her parents ruinously costly and bitter divorce case rumbled on. Then one day in 2008, Scot rang Michelle with a proposition. He said he would put 100 million in her bank account and give the same to each of their daughters if she would drop the case. Noelle Reno and Scot Young pictured together at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London He said he would give mum until 3pm the next day to decide, remembers Sasha. And Mum hesitated. Scarlet and I were begging her: Take the deal, take the deal! We pleaded with Mum. The next day we were walking on Primrose Hill with her and it was near the 3pm deadline. We were saying: We need to sort this out. Dont you want all this to stop? But mum called 15 minutes late. I heard Dad saying: Its too late. The deals off. Thats how he was. For Dad, a deal was a deal, no matter who you were. And when I think about it now, if it had been agreed it would have put a stop to everything. Dad would never have gone to prison. There would have been no more court hearings. He would probably still be alive today, because the more his business dealings were exposed in public, the more vulnerable he became. She breaks off again, in tears, remembering the court hearings: It was like the War of the Roses, she observes: bloody, intractable and seemingly interminable. By then, Michelle and her daughters were living in reduced circumstances. School fees left unpaid, Sasha left her smart independent school and went to a small private college. Home was a pleasant, but far from pretentious, three bedroom rented flat in Victoria. All the expensive cars had gone, she recalls. Mum drove a Mini and I went on a bus for the first time. She recalls how she took on the role of unofficial intermediary in the epic marital dispute. Dad would call and say, I need you to talk to mum. Then mum would say, Tell Dad this. I was piggy in the middle. So desperate was Sasha for peace, she brokered a meeting with them at a cafe in Victoria. They were flirting and laughing, which gave me tremendous hope that they would speak civilly and dispense with the lawyers; perhaps even get back together again. But after the meeting mum said she never wanted to see dad again. She felt so betrayed by all hed done. I was crushed, devastated. My hopes were raised then dashed. Meanwhile, the court decreed that Scot should pay Michelle 27,500 a month in maintenance. But no money ever materialised. Sasha was sitting her A-levels when her Dad was jailed. I wondered why Dad would rather go to prison than answer questions in court about his money. I cried. I was scared about what would happen to him in jail and I wanted to visit him, but he told me not to. Flowers are left at the scene in Marylebone, London, in 2014 after Scot Young fell to his death On the day he was released from Pentonville I met him. We gave each other a huge bear hug. He was in a great mood, so happy to be out. I said to him again: Why didnt you answer the questions about where the money was? And he just said: Its complicated. Today Sasha remains baffled, grief-stricken, and no nearer to reaching a conclusion. She is haunted by the fact that when he asked to meet her days before he died, she didnt go. He said there was something he wanted to say in person that he couldnt discuss over the phone. I didnt go. I had a university deadline. I regret it tremendously now, and the guilt stays with me. I think he was scared that someone was trying to get him. He thought he was vulnerable. Today her life has changed irrevocably. She lives in an unassuming flat and has just started a 25,000-a-year job with a charity. She is pretty and likeable; there is nothing ostentatious about her. Dad was not a normal person, she reflects. He was such a huge personality. He couldnt have lived an everyday life. I thought he was a strong, powerful man. She stares ahead, her intense blue eyes brimming with tears. Actually I thought he was invincible. But I was proved wrong. A man accused of running a red light while drunk and killing an Oregon couple on a motorcycle is said to have been in the US without documentation. Eduardo de la Lima Vargas, 39, of Hubbard, Oregon, was arrested and charged with two counts of manslaughter, driving under the influence, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person, following an incident which occurred in Salem, Oregon, on August 19. Authorities said that Vargas was driving a pickup truck and pulling a horse trailer when he ran a red light and hit couple Jessica and Logan Wilson, who were attempting to turn a street corner on their motorcycle. Authorities said Eduardo de la Lima Vargas, 39, was intoxicated when he ran a red light, killing an Oregon couple on a motorcycle. ICE said that Vargas is in the US without documentation The Wilsons were taken to the hospital where they were declared dead, the Statesmen Journal reported. Police said Vargas' blood alcohol level was above the legal limit when he ran the red light, KGW8 reported. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed that Vargas is from Mexico and has been living in the US without documentation. They put an immigration hold on him on August 23. During his initial court appearance, prosecutors said that Vargas had received a DUI in 2001, but had been allowed to go into a diversion program instead of facing potential conviction and a criminal record. At Vargas' court appearance Wednesday, his lawyer said that Vargas first arrived in the United States 18 years ago. He spent the intervening years living in the US, minus a six-year period during which he'd gone back to live in Jalisco, Mexico. Logan and Jessica Wilson were riding a motorcycle, attempting to make a turn when they were hit by Vargas who was driving a pickup with a horse trailer attached to it Logan and Jessica Wilson were declared dead at the hospital. They leave behind three children Vargas was said to have been self-employed and working in construction with a friend, according to the AP. Vargas waived his right to a speedy trial and the judge set his bail at $500,000, due to his being a danger to society and a flight risk. Vargas is said to be one of the 943 foreign nationals in the Oregon Department of Corrections prisons system, all of who have ICE detainers. ICE spokeswoman Carissa Cutrell told the AP that ICE 'only lodges detainers on individuals who are subject to removal, meaning these individuals violated the terms of their lawful status or are in the country illegally.' Oregon has the oldest sanctuary state law in the US. A GoFundMe was created to help provide for the Wilson's three children, although it is no longer accepting donations. Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg A Southwest Airlines passenger from Texas may have exposed other passengers to the measles, according to local health officials. The passenger, from North Texas, is said to have caught connecting flights in Houston's William P. Hobby Airport on August 21 and 22. At the time already contagious, the passenger was said to have not left the airport. Instead, they sat in waiting areas inside the airport for an hour on each day, according to KPRC-TV. The passenger, from North Texas, is said to have caught connecting flights in Houston's William P. Hobby Airport on August 21 and 22 Video courtesy of KRGV Officials stated that the traveler flew on Flight 5 from Dallas Love to Houston Hobby on August 21. That same day, the passenger caught Flight 9 from Houston Hobby to Harlingen. The next day, the passenger caught Flight 665 from Harlingen to Houston Hobby. The next flight was number 44 from Houston Hobby to Dallas Love. Houston Health Department officials explained that they are working to get in contact with the passengers who may have been exposed to the traveler and to the virus. Already contagious, the passenger did not leave the airport while flying Measels can be prevented by vaccines but are highly contagious if left unchecked. The virus lives in the nose and throat and spreads though coughs and sneezes. 'People at the airport are at a much lower risk of exposure than passengers on the flights with the patient,' explained Dr. David Persse, of the Houston Health Department Local Health Authority. 'That's why our focus is on directly contacting the passengers to notify them of the risk, inquire about their vaccination status and make sure they monitor for symptoms and seek medical attention if necessary.' Measels can be prevented by vaccines but are highly contagious if left unchecked. The virus lives in the nose and throat and spreads though coughs and sneezes. Rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and irritated eyes are just some of the symptoms of the virus. According to health officials, passengers could develop symptoms as late as September 12. 'This serves as a reminder about the importance of proper vaccination,' Persse added. 'The vaccine is safe and effective.' Southwest Airlines released a statement that said: 'Our Safety and Security groups worked with the CDC to support the agency's work in reaching our customers who traveled onboard four intra-Texas flights last week (details below) with a passenger later diagnosed with measles Southwest Airlines released a statement that said: 'Our Safety and Security groups worked with the CDC to support the agency's work in reaching our customers who traveled onboard four intra-Texas flights last week (details below) with a passenger later diagnosed with measles. 'We've shared awareness of the situation and protocols with our employees who also were onboard these aircraft. Our entire fleet is subject to rigorous and regular cleaning programs and every aircraft utilizes hospital-quality HEPA filtration that improves overall quality of the air in the passenger cabin.' A 2006 letter from a top Vatican official confirms that the Holy See received information in 2000 about the sexual misconduct of now-resigned U.S. cardinal, lending credibility to bombshell accusations of a cover-up at the highest echelons of the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic News Service, the news agency of the U.S. bishops' conference, published the letter Friday from then-Archbishop Leonardo Sandri to the Rev. Boniface Ramsay, a New York priest who made the initial allegation. Ramsay informed the Vatican in a November 2000 letter about then Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's misconduct with seminarians from Seton Hall University's Immaculate Conception Seminary. Ramsay, who in 2000 was on the faculty at the seminary, has said he sent the letter at the request of the then-Vatican ambassador because he had heard so many complaints from seminarians that McCarrick would invite them to his beach house and into his bed. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is the first cardinal in history to step down from the College of Cardinals because of sexual abuse allegations A 2006 letter from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, a top Vatican official confirms that the Holy See received information in 2000 about the sexual misconduct of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Sandri, now a top-ranked Vatican cardinal who was the No. 3 in the Vatican's secretariat of state at the time, wrote Ramsay on October 11, 2006, seeking his recommendation for a former seminarian for a Vatican job. In it, he referred to Ramsay's 2000 letter, saying: 'I ask with particular reference to the serious matters involving some of the students of the Immaculate Conception Seminary, which in November 2000 you were good enough to bring confidentially to the attention of the then-Apostolic Nuncio in the United States, the late Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo.' Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, at the center of a storm rocking Pope Francis' papacy, cited Ramsay's 2000 letter in his own expose of a cover-up about the McCarrick affair. He named Sandri among a long list of Vatican officials who knew about McCarrick's penchant for seminarians. A 2006 letter from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, a top Vatican official, pictured, confirms that the Holy See received information in 2000 about the sexual misconduct of McCarrick Vigano also accused Francis of knowing in 2013 of McCarrick's misconduct but of rehabilitating him from sanctions purportedly imposed by Pope Benedict XVI. Sandri's letter is significant because it corroborates Ramsay's story as well as Vigano's claims. It shows the Vatican knew about allegations against McCarrick in 2000, a year before St. John Paul II made him a cardinal. And it further implicates the Benedict's papacy for failing to take action against McCarrick for years even as more allegations against him arrived. Vigano says Benedict eventually imposed some form of sanction on McCarrick in 2009 or 2010, nearly a decade after Ramsay's letter arrived. The fact that Sandri cited it so readily suggests it wasn't lost in a pile of unread mail somewhere, but was relevant even for a simple job reference. Significantly, Sandri appeared more concerned about the sexual purity of the seminarian-candidate than that McCarrick might have sexually abused or harassed him, or abused his power over him. In July, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, from the College of Cardinals, ordering him to a 'life of prayer and penance' McCarrick resigned as a cardinal in July after a U.S. church investigation determined an accusation that he groped a teen-age altar boy in the 1970s was credible. Since then several seminarians have come forward to say he routinely bedded them, or harassed them when they refused. His lawyer has said the accusations are serious and that McCarrick looks forward to invoking his right to due process at the right time. A federal judge on Friday found that election officials in 32 Florida counties violated the Voting Rights Act by failing to plan on providing Spanish-language ballots for the November elections. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker criticized election officials for not accommodating an estimated 30,000 Puerto Ricans who have moved to Florida following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. His 27-page decision sarcastically referenced the movie Groundhog Day, noting that Florida officials have repeatedly been accused of violating voters' rights. 'Here were are again. The clock hits 6:00 a.m. Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe' starts playing. Denizens of and visitors to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania eagerly await the groundhog's prediction,' Walker wrote. 'And the state of Florida is alleged to violate federal law in its handling of elections.' Voters line up to cast ballots for an election on August 28, 2018 in Miami The judge only partially sided with the plaintiffs in the case by requiring 32 of Florida's 67 counties to provide Spanish-language sample ballots for the general election, so voters may refer to the material when voting on official English-language ballots, The News Service of Florida reported. He also ruled that 13 counties with high numbers of Puerto Ricans must provide official Spanish-language ballots, but declined to order bilingual workers placed at polls across the state. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker referenced Groundhog Day in a scathing decision that condemned Florida election officials for violating voters' rights Walker wrote that there wasn't enough time before the election to order statewide official Spanish-language ballots, writing that such a broad mandate would create a hardship for election officials this close to the Nov. 6 vote. However, the judge noted the unique situation for voters displaced from Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory. 'Puerto Ricans are American citizens,' Walker wrote. 'Unique among Americans, they are not educated primarily in English and do not need to be. But, like all American citizens, they possess the fundamental right to vote.' 'The issue in this case is whether Florida officials, consistent with longstanding federal law, must provide assistance to Puerto Rican voters who wish to vote,' Walker continued. 'Under the plain language of the Voting Rights Act, they must.' The lawsuit was filed in August by a coalition of advocacy groups and a Puerto Rican voter who now lives in Florida. The suit accused Florida officials of violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which bans discriminatory barriers to voting. Election officials said in court documents that they have made efforts to assist Spanish-speaking voters, including providing materials in their native language and having a voters' guide translated into Spanish. While Walker did not rule entirely in favor of the plaintiffs, he expressed concern for their plight. 'Voting in a language you do not understand is like asking this court (to) decide the winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Ineffective, in other words,' Walker wrote. 'Courts have long held that the right to vote includes not only the right to physically enter a polling place and fill out a ballot but also the right to comprehend and understand what is on that ballot.' The sex is difficult. So said Tony Blairs biographer, John Rentoul, when I sought his advice as I set out to write the life of Boris Johnson. Fourteen years later, the sex is still difficult, and has precipitated the former Foreign Secretarys second divorce. Friends of Johnson and his estranged wife Marina Wheeler will think that the collapse of their marriage is a dreadful waste. Is it really necessary that two people who undoubtedly love each other for otherwise they would not have stayed together for a quarter of a century should split up? Tellingly, Johnson himself once wrote, in a trenchant defence of Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky affair, of politics being turned into hell for so many of its practitioners by the publics belief in its democratic right to insist on its leaders taking no mistresses. It is very true that we live in a contradictory age, with people in some ways far more relaxed than they used to be about sex. Then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson gets stuck on a zip-wire during the London Olympics Yet politicians still have to be worried about intrusion into their private lives. Not for todays generation the cloak of secrecy that shrouded from the public John F. Kennedys sexual shenanigans and compulsive womanising in the White House in the early Sixties. While I was writing my biography of Johnson, whom I have known since 1987 when he sought my somewhat superfluous advice about finding a job in journalism, he was at first immensely keen on encouraging my research and anxious to help in any way he could. However, he then got very cold feet. One evening, when we met in New Palace Yard in Westminster after hed taken part in a Commons vote, he mentioned the book. He said: If its a p***-take, thats OK. But anything that purported to tell the truth really would be intolerable. I put it to him that politicians almost always get into trouble not for telling the truth, but for trying to conceal it. Painful episodes in Johnsons past, of which there were already several, would lose their power to hurt him once they were known, I argued, and it would be much less dangerous to deal with this awkward stuff now than if he ever became Prime Minister. He was not persuaded by this argument and began to offer me larger and larger amounts of money not to write the book, eventually offering me 100,000 to give it up. I am the kind of Englishman who feels insulted by the idea that he can be bought, so I turned him down, after which he proposed, instead, to give free Greek lessons to my children. But many of us know that getting things out in the open does have quite a bit to recommend it. This is what Johnson has to some extent now done with the announcement about his divorce. The latest official statistics, for 2016, show that there were nearly 107,000 divorces in England and Wales that year. Marriage breakdown is not unusual, either, among those who aspire to lead us. Looking back in history, the Duke of Grafton got divorced while Prime Minister, using a special Act of Parliament in 1769. In more recent times, Sir Anthony Eden, got divorced before becoming PM in the Fifties. Only someone with exceptionally rigid moral views would nowadays contend that we cannot have a Prime Minister, or indeed a King, who has been divorced. Indeed, three of the Queens four children have been divorced. Boris Johnson and wife Marina Wheeler arrive to vote in the 2016 mayoral election in London Johnsons critics will nevertheless seize on his divorce, and the reasons for it, as yet more evidence that he is hopelessly unreliable, unserious and untrustworthy. There have always been people who reckon he would prove a national embarrassment if he were ever to be Prime Minister. Indeed, on these pages, Max Hastings has written that he would leave the country if Johnson ever became PM. The fact is that Johnson attracted many enemies by leading the Leave campaign to victory in the EU referendum. His much-disputed assertion that quitting the EU would mean Britain getting 350 million extra a week to spend on the NHS certainly helped convert scorn of him into hatred. The truth is that there has always been something about Johnson which is an affront to serious-minded peoples idea of how politics should be conducted. By refusing to adopt their solemn tone, and by making jokes about things which they consider to be no laughing matter, he implies that they are ridiculous. Indeed, the dreadful thing, from their point of view, is that millions of people agree with him. He is the Lord of Misrule: the Merry England candidate who shows that politics does not always have to be practised in an unrelentingly humourless way, with high-minded members of the Establishment deciding among themselves what is good for the rest of us. Where I live, in North London, I find that on social occasions it is tactful not to say anything which might be construed as support for a Johnson prime ministership. Instead, I wait politely to see what others have to say. Generally, even if they do not vow to emigrate to New Zealand in the event of Johnson in No 10, such a prospect has them choking on their canapes. And yet, as they utter their condemnations, I cannot help noticing that in quite a few cases the mention of the word Boris has put a smile on their faces. Ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson rides his bicycle in Westminster on Thursday afternoon There is something about him which cheers people up. Even as they say how unspeakably awful he is, some cannot help finding him amusing recounting his bumbling performances on TVs Have I Got News For You or recalling him once refer to black children as piccaninnies and talking about watermelon smiles. As a topic of conversation, he beats Philip Hammond or Jeremy Hunt hands down. He is marmalade to the vinegar of cautious, professional, career politicians who never take a risk. Those men and women, when interviewed, consider it their duty never to say anything in the slightest bit candid, unexpected or imaginative. In the United States, Donald Trump reached the highest office by shocking the Establishment, and the more he shocks it, the better his supporters are pleased. He has become their revenge on the prosy, priggish, self-satisfied Washington elite. Trumps manners are abominable, but they are authentically abominable. He is a genuine lout, a genuine sexist, a genuine disgrace. Thankfully, on this side of the Atlantic, we do not have anyone quite as vulgar as Trump. But we do have millions of voters who yearn to shock the Westminster establishment out of its complacent sense of superiority, and who in the EU referendum found an excellent way of doing so. They are the British equivalent of those Trump supporters who Hillary Clinton contemptuously described as a basket of deplorables. Of course, Johnson is cut from very different cloth than Trump. He is much better educated, much more liberal in his instincts and managed twice to get elected as Mayor of London, a city that has become predominantly Labour and Europhile. His opponents had confidently predicted that if by some accident he were to become mayor, he would within a short time stand exposed as a laughably incompetent clown. He proved them wrong by assembling, admittedly with some difficulty and after a number of false starts, a team which included such outstandingly able figures as Sir Simon Milton, who could perform the administrative work for which Johnson himself was unsuited. And while Trump likes to divide people, and is accused of practising the politics of hatred as far as foreigners and others are concerned, Johnsons instinct is to get people to like him. Boris Johnson and his wife Marina in Edinburgh on the day the UK voted in the EU referendum All this said, almost everyone who has ever had anything to do with Boris Johnson has, at some point, become utterly infuriated by him. As Ann Sindall, who worked for him for many years as his PA, told me: We can all hate his guts, we want to kill him, but then he can get us laughing again. That is Johnson through and through he always wants to mend fences if he can. This philosophy was behind his repeated willingness to be the fall-guy on Have I Got News For You. Like Trump, who revelled in his own role as the controversial host of The Apprentice on U.S. TV, Johnson knew he would be ambushed and risked humiliation. But he did not crawl away and resolve, as most politicians would have done, never to appear on such a dangerously unpredictable show again. He showed his resilience by coming back for more and expressed his individuality by being the most ill-prepared guest ever to appear. The whole of Johnsons life has, in a sense, been a preparation for being unprepared. Unlike most of us, he is prepared to have a go at things which he is no good at. Of course, this can be a very dangerous characteristic, but it is also an educational one. He learns by doing things himself, not by watching how other people do them, or by reading the instruction manual. History tells us that every so often, the Conservative Party finds itself enthused by a showman who can raise peoples spirits in a way which sober, solemn leaders cannot. The greatest of these showmen was Benjamin Disraeli. In his youth, Disraeli seemed, and in many ways was, a ridiculous and disreputable figure. He encumbered himself with enormous debts by setting up a newspaper which immediately failed and by promoting South America mining shares which turned out to be worthless. Then, adding insult to injury, he wrote a satirical novel in which he mocked the investors whose money he had just lost. Yet he became one of our great Prime Ministers, and the only person who could charm Queen Victoria out of her mourning for Prince Albert. After Disraelis death, he was the inspiration for the Primrose League, founded to promote Tory principles by another brilliant but rackety Conservative, Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Winston. The Primrose League soon acquired a mass membership and Lord Randolph was told by the wife of an Oxford don that he was duty-bound to give these people a solid political education. He responded: No. The only way is to amuse them: theyre quite incapable of anything else. This is the Tory tradition in which Boris Johnson now takes his place. His career may well end in failure: Lord Randolphs certainly did. But it will take a lot more than a divorce to stop Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. Andrew Gimson is the author of Boris: The Adventures Of Boris Johnson, published by Simon & Schuster at 9.99. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley issued a public denunciation of the senior administration official who penned a New York Times op-ed trashing the administration, saying she raises her own concerns in person or by phone. 'I dont agree with the president on everything. When there is disagreement, there is a right way and a wrong way to address it. I pick up the phone and call him or meet with him in person,' Haley wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. She joined a series of top officials who have either denounced the anonymous op-ed writer or issued public denials that they wrote it. She characterized the author as acting in an unpatriotic fashion on a day when President Obama also mocked those who stayed within the administration on the theory they could head off '10 per cent' of the bad actions. The UN ambassador said the anonymous senior official who penned an anti-Trump op-ed has done a 'disservice' to the nation 'What this senior official in the Trump administration has done, and is apparently intent on continuing to do, is a serious disservice not just to the president but to the country,' Haley wrote. She added: 'What this anonymous author is doing is very dangerous. He or she claims to be putting the country first, and that is the right goal.' But she continued, 'What the author is describing is an extra-constitutional method of addressing policy disputes within the administration. Thats wrong on a fundamental level.' Haley, who has been mentioned as someone with potential national GOP ambitions, added: ' Haley said when she does disagree with Trump, 'I pick up the phone and call him or meet with him in person' "As a former governor, I find it absolutely chilling to imagine that a high-ranking member of my team would secretly try to thwart my agenda. That is not the American way. It is fundamentally disloyal, not just to the chief executive, but to our country and our values," she argued. After Trump said there were good people on 'both sides' at a Charlottesville clash that included Neo-Nazis, Haley said she spoke to Trump in private. 'Well, I had a personal conversation with the president about Charlottesville, and I will leave it at that,' she said at the time. 'Well, I had a personal conversation with the president about Charlottesville, and I will leave it at that,' Haley said last year She wrote Friday: 'If I disagree with something and believe it is important enough to raise with the president, I do it. And he listens. Sometimes he changes course, sometimes he doesnt. Thats the way the system should work. And the American people should be comfortable knowing thats the way the system does work in this administration.' Obama also critiqued the anonymous author in his own speech Friday. 'That's not how our democracy is supposed to work. These people aren't elected. They're not accountable. They're not doing us a service by actively promoting 90 per cent of the crazy stuff coming out of this White House, then saying don't worry, we're preventing the other 10 per cent,' Obama said. The anonymous author wrote: 'The root of the problem is the presidents amorality. Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making.' 'Although he was elected as a Republican, the president shows little affinity for ideals long espoused by conservatives: free minds, free markets and free people. At best, he has invoked these ideals in scripted settings. At worst, he has attacked them outright,' the author wrote. Trump on Friday called for his attorney general to investigate who is the leaker. Watergate figure John Dean told senators at the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings Friday that President Donald Trump's is 'unchecked' by other branches and could 'shoot someone' without facing prosecution. Dean, whose testimony helped bring down President Richard Nixon during Watergate, referenced Trump's line from the 2016 campaign that, 'I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody' without losing support from his loyal followers. According Dean, Kavanaugh's views on issues of executive power might tilt the Supreme Court so that Trump could get away with crimes at least by avoiding indictment while holding office. According former Nixon counsel John Dean, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's views on issues of executive power might tilt the Supreme Court so that Trump could get away with crimes at least by avoiding indictment while holding office 'Under Judge Kavanaugh's recommendation, if a president shot someone in cold blood on Fifth Avenue that president could not be prosecuted while in office,' Dean said in testimony, where minority Democrats brought him as a witness. 'The fact that we have a president who is unchecked right now by other branches makes it particularly timely to be worried afresh about Kavanaugh's positions on some many cases that would enhance presidential powers,' Dean told lawmakers under questioning. Dean was the first Nixon administration official to testify the president was part of a cover-up. Vice president Nixon smiling after being nominated for president at Republican National Convention, July 1960 A panel of experts and character witnesses is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the final stage of the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. From left are, real estate agent Monica Mastal, John Dean, former counsel to President Richard M. Nixon, Paul Clement, former solicitor general Former White House counsel to President Nixon John Dean Kavanaugh, who served on Kenneth Starr's team of investigators during the Clinton Administration, has been grilled on his writings about executive authority, but revealed relatively little during his testimony. Dean said there is 'much to fear from an unchecked president who is inclined to abuse his powers. That is a fact I can attest to from personal experience.' Dean told Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono that 'I could see [Kavanaugh] as the leader of the 5-4 that would enhance presidential powers.' Dean spoke of how his testimony helped trigger a discussion of White House tape recordings. Describing why Nixon resigned, he said, he said the Californian 'was going to lose in an impeachment battle that the House would impeach and the Senate would find him guilty and remove. But he said despite Nixon being caught in an 'awkward' situation by lying about what he had known, 'The man at his core had a respect for the rule of law' and decided to leave office. Dean does not hold that view of Trump. 'I don't think he would resign. He could care less about the rule of law,' Dean said.' Asked Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal: 'There is now arguably a cancer on the presidency as malignant and metastasizing as there was then, correct?' 'Yes, I would agree with that,' Dean responded. The US Air Force is looking into Elon Musk after he smoked marijuana during a wild, rambling two-and-a-half-hour podcast streamed live onto YouTube, it emerged on Friday. Marijuana use is prohibited for people with government security clearance, which Musk gained in 2015 when his company SpaceX started launching satellites for the Pentagon. The US Air Force told DailyMail.com a formal investigation is not underway at this time, but would not rule out that members of the department were looking into the incident. An Air Force source confirmed to CNBC that staff were examining the podcast. Tesla shares plunged this morning after the Tesla founder smoked and drank whiskey while discussing everything from drugs to the possibility we're all living in a simulation. Elon Musk was seen smoking a joint in Joe Rogan's podcast recording studio, prompting the US Air Force to look into his case, as people with government security clearance are not allowed to use marijuana The 47-year-old billionaire went on the Joe Rogan Experience late on Thursday night and accepted a joint from the host - after a rambling conversation that also took in the dangers of AI and the possibility China is spying on US citizens through their phones. Hours later, the company's chief accounting officer Dave Morton resigned citing 'public attention' on the company. Meanwhile, shares plummeted to nine per cent this morning, wiping $4.3 billion off the company's value. By close of trading they had slightly recovered to a 6.3 per cent drop, reducing the company's value by $3.1bn. It follows weeks of serious turbulence for both Musk and Tesla, after he falsely announced he was taking the company private in a deal with Saudi Arabia and accused a British hero diver of being a paedophile. Friday is also the last day for VP of Communications Sarah O'Brien and HR head Gabrielle Toledano, both of whom have been off work, on leave. Toledano's departure was announced on Friday, while O'Brien announced her departure two weeks ago. Tesla shares, down just one percent after Musk's appearance on the Rogan podcast, fell another seven percent in the half hour after the resignation of Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton, and then to nine per cent, before recovering slightly to down close to seven per cent. Morton gave notice on Tuesday that he was resigning, according to a filing on Friday. 'Since I joined Tesla on August 6, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations,' Morton said in the securities filing. 'As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future. I want to be clear that I believe strongly in Tesla, its mission, and its future prospects, and I have no disagreements with Tesla's leadership or its financial reporting.' Dave Morton gave notice on Tuesday that he was resigning, according to a filing on Friday Today is also the last day for VP of Communications Sarah O'Brien (left) and HR head Gabrielle Toledano (right), both of whom have been off on leave Before the news broke of his executives departures, Musk, who has openly admitted to relying on sleeping pill Ambien, told Rogan on Thursday night that Tesla keeps him up at night, adding 'it's very difficult to keep a car company alive.' Towards the end of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the host lit a 'cigar' rolled with both tobacco and marijuana - a drug which is legal in the state of California - and offered it to Musk. 'You probably can't do this because of stockholders, right?,' Rogan asks Musk. Musk, who earlier joked that mushrooms - both a harmless fungi and an psychedelic drug - are 'delicious', clarified that the drug is legal, and was seen taking a puff on the joint before handing it back. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never,' he told Rogan. 'I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however I don't find it's very good for productivity.' Puffing away: Musk clarified that the drug is legal, and took a puff before handing it back During the podcast, the pair discussed everything from kindness to artificial intelligence but also Musk's electric car company Tesla The 2.5 hour long podcast began with Musk and Rogan discussing his dream of solving traffic problems in Los Angeles by building a tunnel underneath the city - a project which he has already embarked on - and artificial intelligence. Rogan asked Musk if he is 'honestly and legitimately' concerned about AI and the future of robotics, to which Musk replied 'yes, but it's less of a worry than it used to be.' 'It's not necessarily bad, but it's definitely going to be outside of human control,' before speaking of the danger of using AI being used as a weapon and a future where humans will be able to become part-robots: cyborgs. 'You're already a cyborg, and most people don't even realise. That phone [in your hand] is an extension of yourself.' Upon pouring themselves a generous whiskey, Musk said he had met former President Obama 'for one reason' and that was to warn him about the danger of artificial intelligence. He also spoke to the host about growing up and realizing at the age of five that he was different. 'I thought I was insane,' Musk said, explaining that he had kept his 'never-ending explosion of ideas' a secret for fear of being 'taken away' by authorities. The billionaire also joked with Rogen that the reason why he is able to come up with inventions such as Tesla and roof-tiles with built-in solar cells is because he is 'an alien'. He was also asked if he believes in the possibility of alternate realities and multiverses, to which he replied that 'we are most likely in a simulation, because we exist.' I think most likely there are many, many simulations. You might as well call them reality, or you could call them multiverse.' Musk also passed comment on the recent ban on phones from Chinese company Huawei, which applies to anyone working for the US government or a government contractor over fears of spying. MUSK'S MUSINGS: BILLIONAIRE'S BEST QUOTES FROM THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE PODCAST On why he comes up with innovations and runs his companies: Musk: 'I'm an alien! - Discussing the possibility we are living in an alternate reality and a 'multiverse'. Musk: 'If you assume any rate of improvement at all, then games will be indistinguishable from reality, or civilization will end. One of those two things will occur. 'Therefore, we are most likely in a simulation, because we exist. 'I think most likely, this is just about probability, there are many, many simulations. 'You might as well call them reality, or you could call them multiverse. - On social media: Musk: 'Be nicer to each other. Don't assume someone is mean. It's easy to demonize people.' Musk: 'It's way easier to be mean on social media than it is to be mean in person.' Musk: 'On balance [my Twitter interactions are] more good than bad, but there is definitely some bad'. Musk: 'The vast number of negative comments, the vast majority of them I just ignore them. Every now and again I get drawn in, it's not good. I make some mistakes.' - Rogan: 'What could potentially be holding the company [Tesla] back? Anything you'd change Musk: 'I wish politicians were better at science. That would help a lot. They [politicians] are pretty good at science in China, I have to say.' - On stopping use of Huawei phones because of risk of China spying on US citizens: Musk: 'If you have, like, top secret stuff, you wanna be careful with what hardware you use, but most people don't have top secret stuff. Nobody really cares what porn you watch! Nobody really cares. National spy agencies do not give a rats a** what porn you watch, they do not care. ' - Rogan: 'You know what could help, mushrooms.' Musk: 'They're delicious.' - Rogan: 'What keeps you up at night?' Musk: 'Its quite hard to run companies. Especially car companies. It's quite challenging. Space X is no walk in the park but a car company, it's very difficult to keep a car company alive. 'You know, there is only two car companies in the history of American car companies that haven't gone bankrupt and that's Ford and Tesla. That's it. We barely survived. ' Rogan: 'How close did you get to folding?' Musk: 'Very close. 2008 is not a good time to be a car company, especially an electric car company, that was like stupidity squared. ' - After puffing on the joint given to him by Rogan: Musk: 'I'm getting text messages from friends asking me 'what the hell are you doing smoking weed?'. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never. I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however, I don't find it's very good for productivity.' 'It's like a cup of coffee in reverse. I like to get things done. I like to be useful.' - Musk: 'You're already a cyborg, and most people don't even realise. That phone [in your hand] is an extension of yourself.' - Rogan: 'I don't know how you manage your time, it doesn't seem humanly possible?' Musk: I think people don't totally understand what I do with my time, they think I'm like, a business guy, I think even my Wikipedia page says business magnate.' Rogan: What would you call yourself? Musk: 'A business magnet.' - On sustainable energy and the environment Musk: 'We're really playing a crazy game here with the atmosphere and the oceans. We're taking vast amounts of carbon from deep underground and putting this, putting this in the atmosphere, this is crazy. 'We should not do this. It's very dangerous. We should accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. 'I mean the bizarre thing is that obviously we're going to run out of oil in the long term. There's only so much oil we can mine and burn. That's totally logical, we must have a sustainable energy transport and energy infrastructure in the long term. 'So we know that's the end point, we know that. So why run this crazy experiment where we take trillions of tons of carbon from underground and put it in the atmosphere and oceans. This is an insane experiment. It's the dumbest experiment in human history. Why are we doing this, it's crazy.' - On why he isn't building electrical sustainable energy airplanes: Musk: 'Electric cars are important, solar energy is important, stationary storage of energy is important. 'These things are much more important than creating electric supersonic VTOL[vertical take-off and landing planes].' Musk: The trick [with VTOL] is that you have to transition to level flight. The thing you'd use for vertical takeoff and landing is not suitable for high speed flight. 'The interesting thing about an electric plane is that you want to go as high as possible, but you need a certain energy density in the battery pack, because you have to overcome gravitational potential energy. ' Once you've overcome gravitational potential energy and you're at a high altitude, the energy you use in cruise is very low, and then you can recapture a large part of your gravitational potential energy on the way down. So you really don't need any kind of reserve fuel.' - On fossil fuels: Musk: 'It is the dumbest experiment in history' - Musk: 'I really think people should give other people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they are good until proven otherwise and most people are actually pretty good people. Nobody is perfect.' - On flying cars Musk: 'If you get one of those toy drones and imagine it's 1,000 times heavier - that's not going to make your neighbors happy. 'If you want a flying car, just put wheels on a helicopter.' - On his plans to eliminate traffic jams in Los Angeles Musk: 'I have this, it's sort of a hobby company, called the Boring Company, which started out as a joke. 'And we decided to make it real, and dig a tunnel under LA. And then other people asked us to build tunnels so we said yes in a few cases.' Musk: 'I'm not saying it's going to be successful. It's not, like, asserting it's going to be successful. But so far I've lived in LA for 16 years and the traffic has always been terrible. And so I don't see any other ideas for improving the traffic. 'So in desperation, we are going to build a tunnel, and maybe that tunnel will be successful. And maybe it won't. 'I'm not trying to convince you it's going to work. Or anyone.' - On his new company 'Neuralink' trying to connect human brains straight to a computer. Musk: 'I think we'll have something interesting to announce in a few months.. that's better than anyone thinks is possible.' Musk: 'Best case scenario, we [humans] effectively merge with AI.' Musk: 'How much smarter are you with a phone or computer or without? You're vastly smarter, actually. You can answer any question pretty much instantly. You can remember flawlessly. Your phone can remember videos [and] pictures perfectly. Your phone is already an extension of you. 'You're already a cyborg. Most people don't realize you're already a cyborg. It's just that the data rate.. it's slow, very slow. It's like a tiny straw of information flow between your biological self and your digital self. 'We need to make that tiny straw like a giant river, a huge, high-bandwidth interface.' Advertisement While he acknowledged that anyone working with 'top secret stuff' ought to be careful with their choice of hardware, he said it was not something 'most people' should worry about. 'Nobody really cares what porn you watch! National spy agencies do not give a rats a** what porn you watch - they do not care. ' Later on, Musk, who recently who recently accused a British diver who helped rescue the 12 Thai boys stuck in a cave of being a paedophile, spoke about kindness. 'Be nicer to each other. Don't assume someone is mean. It's easy to demonize people.' Earlier this week, Mr Musk suggested in emails to a BuzzFeed journalist that diver Vernon Unsworth was a 'child rapist'. Musk also claimed, without providing any evidence, that Mr Unsworth had moved to northern Thailand to take 'a child bride who was about 12 years old at the time.' The Tesla CEO's attacks on Mr Unsworth, whose efforts were considered crucial to the Thai operation, came after the British diver criticized a well-publicized effort by Musk to lend a custom-built mini-submarine to the cave rescue effort. Mr Musk responded on Twitter with comments strongly implying that the Briton was a pedophile. He then apologised for this, before repeating the claims this week. During the podcast, Musk was asked what percentage of his interactions with other people on Twitter was a good idea, with Rogan suggesting 'ten per cent'. Shocking: Musk called Vernon Unsworth a paedophile after the British diver criticized the Tesla CEOs submarine Musk replied that 'it's on balance more good than bad, but there is definitely some bad'. He later added: 'It's way easier to be mean on social media than it is to be mean in person.' Mr Unsworth, from St Albans in Hertfordshire has, through his lawyer, made it clear that he will be suing Musk over his comments. 'Elon Musks ongoing campaign of publishing vile and false accusations against Mr. Unsworth is outrageous,' Unsworth's lawyer, L. Lin Wood, said in an email to Reuters. 'Musk has publicly and clearly stated that he `hopes to be sued. Let me be equally clear in response - Musk will be sued - not because of his hopes, but because he deserves to be sued,' Wood said. Musk's renewed attack on Mr Unsworth, his appearance on the show and his top accountant resigning on Friday saw Tesla's stock and bond prices drop even further today. During the podcast, Musk revealed that the one thing that keeps him up at night is his electrical car company. 'Its quite hard to run companies. Especially car companies. It's quite challenging. Space X is no walk in the park, but it's very difficult to keep a car company alive. 'There is only two car companies in the history of American car companies that haven't gone bankrupt and that's Ford and Tesla. That's it. We barely survived. Rogan asked him how close Tesla had gotten to 'folding', to which Musk admitted it had been 'very close'. The $1.8 billion high-yield bond Tesla issued a year ago hit a record low price on Wednesday. It also became more expensive to insure Tesla's bonds against default. Tesla's stock has lost more than a quarter of its value since August 7, when Musk tweeted that he had secured funding for a previously undisclosed plan to take Tesla private. Musk on abandoned that plan on August 24, but he faces lawsuits and a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the factual accuracy of his tweet that funding for the deal was 'secured.' The incident is weighing on investor confidence and has hurt the credibility of Musk, long viewed by Tesla supporters as its most valuable asset. A lawsuit was filed on Thursday accusing Musk of trying to 'burn' short-sellers through his false tweet that funding had been secured to take Tesla private. 'This appears to be a textbook case of fraud,' Michael Canty of law firm Labaton Sucharow said in a press release. 'We believe Musk attempted to manipulate the price of Tesla securities with false and misleading tweets, in a directed effort to harm short-sellers.' Labaton Sucharow is asking for class action status to represent anyone who bought or sold Tesla shares between August 7 and August 17. Musk has described the infamous privatization tweet - including his assurance that funding for going private was secured - as an attempt to be transparent. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will introduce laws to guarantee religious freedom. The devout Christian is making the push in response to a government inquiry to protect religious freedom by former attorney-general Philip Ruddock, which came after the same-sex marriage vote last year in November. 'So I'll be taking a proactive approach when it comes to ensuring that peoples' religious freedoms are protected,' Mr Morrison told Fairfax Media on Saturday. The devout Christian is pushing religious freedom laws in response to same-sex marriage vote The Prime Minister is known to have more of a conservative agenda over his moderate predecessors and said the laws were necessary to protect personal freedom. 'At the end of the day, if you're not free to believe in your own faith, well, you're not free,' Mr Morrison said. 'Just because things haven't been a problem in the past doesn't mean they won't be a problem in the future.' 'If you're not free to believe in your own faith, well, you're not free,' the PM said (stock image) The Prime Minister said religious freedom laws were needed to safeguard the liberty to express faith and beliefs and argued that children in public schools should not face opposition in living out Christian tradition. 'Like anyone else, they should be able to do Christmas plays, they should be able to talk about Easter. That's our culture. There's nothing wrong with that,' he said. Mr Morrison spoke to an audience of Liberal Party supporters in Albury about his personal faith and his conviction in 'a fair go for those who have a go'. The Prime Minister spoke to his supporters in Albury about his personal faith He added that to love Australians meant to 'love all Australians'. Mr Morrison wants to assure voters although he is vowing to push laws for religious freedom, he is not a 'culture warrior' on other social issues like previous conservative Prime Ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott. Just over half of Australians identified as Christian in the last census, while 30 per cent said they had no religion. The bakery chain Greggs has sparked fury after it opened its first branch in Cornwall - but it won't be selling its own version of the famous Cornish pasty. Workers have said the store feared its crimped on top 'the Devon way' pasty would upset locals and wouldn't be welcome. Instead the outlet at a service station just off the A38 in Saltash features a range of slices and other baked goods including sausage rolls, sandwiches and cakes. One outraged local even asked: 'Why in the name of Satan does our county need a Greggs?' It is understood that Greggs, which has had several stores in neighbouring Devon for many years, has never sold pasties in the West Country as it did not want to create a pasty war. A Devon-based employee said: 'We don't sell pasties down here. It is something we have never done and no store in Devon will.' The bakery chain Greggs has sparked fury after it opened its first branch in Cornwall (pictured) It is understood that Greggs, which has had several stores in neighbouring Devon for many years, has never sold pasties in the West Country as it did not want to create a pasty war Staff at the newly-opened Cornish store also confirmed they were adhering to the 'no pasty' rule. Greggs confirmed the store had opened in July although there had been no publicity around it and it is still not visible on the store locator online. In a short statement they said: 'A new Greggs shop opened at Euro Garages Saltash, Callington Road in July. 'It is operated under a franchise agreement with Euro Garages and eight new jobs have been created.' News of the opening was greeted with disdain by some locals in Cornwall. Lee Stephens said: 'Why in the name of Satan does our county need a Greggs? Why would we require Greggs down here. 'We have proper bakeries down here, we don't need cookie cutter franchises like Greggs when we already have legit nom factories.' Hayley Hill said: 'They're surely not gonna get that much custom except tourists right? I mean Greggs doesn't even know what a pasty is, their "pasty" is a bleddy slice.' Kathy Aspinall added: 'I don't mind Gregg's but they're pasty's are nothing like a traditional Cornish pasty - flaky pastry for a start! No comparison really.' Greggs confirmed the store had opened in July although there had been no publicity around it and it is still not visible on the store locator online. Pictured: the store just off the A38 in Saltash Locals have reacted badly to the news Greggs has opened a store in Cornwall Speaking before the opening, a spokesman said: 'Cornwall is the only county where Greggs have yet to open. 'There is a strong demand for the Greggs offer and we look forward to being able to make this available to customers in Cornwall.' But renowned bakers in Cornwall said they had faith that locals will always pick a traditional pasty instead of any imitations. Marion Symonds, 51, owner of Portreath Bakery and Made Marion Gluten Free and a long time campaigner of the traditional Cornish pasty, said: 'I would have thought they would sell whatever they sell in their normal stores. 'If they sell pasties in their other shops why wouldn't they sell them in pasty world? 'I believe that Cornish people who have had Cornish pasties with traditional ingredients will always go to a Cornish bakery. 'There's a chance that we will loose some trade to Greggs but I don't think there will be a pasty war because Cornish people will always go for a traditional pasty.' She added: 'People will always go to a proper baker if they want a pasty made the traditional way. 'Greggs do a budget line and people on a low income do like it.' Ann Muller, 64, owner of renowned pasty business Ann's Pasties, said: 'I have never been to a Greggs and I don't know what their strategy is. 'But I suppose even a bad pasty is nourishing, as long as it has beef, onion and turnips then it is a wholesome meal. 'If they're no good at making pasties I'll teach them a thing or two, for a fee.' President Donald Trump said Friday that he's considering using military resources to finish construction of his long-promised border wall instead of relying on Congress to fund the project through the Homeland Security Department's budget. He also wouldn't eliminate the possibility of a government shutdown if Democrats continue to confound his efforts to appropriate money for the project on the U.S.-Mexico border. 'We have two options,' he told DailyMail.com aboard Air Force One as he flew from Billings, Montana to Fargo, North Dakota. 'We have military, we have homeland security.' He was asked specifically about using the Army Corps of Engineers as a taxpayer-funded construction crew. Scroll down for video President Donald Trump said Friday that he's considering using military resources to finish construction of his long-promised border wall, as he spoke to the press on Air Force One, above on Friday 'We have two options,' he told DailyMail.com aboard Air Force One as he flew from Billings, Montana to Fargo, North Dakota. 'We have military, we have homeland security' Trump said he would prefer to fund the ambitious construction 'the old-fashioned way get it from Congress but I have other options if I have to.' He's seeking about $25 billion. The possibility of diverting Pentagon funding and assets to build a border wall is a hole card the president is holding but has never directly acknowledged before. Two Defense Department officials told DailyMail.com in August that the Army Corps of Engineers could take on the task. 'They build levees that hold back massive walls of water,' one said of the agency. 'They can build one to hold back drugs and human traffickers.' The White House appears headed for another confrontation with Congress over an increase in funding for the project after securing $1.6 billion for 2007 and the same amount for this year. A Homeland Security border patrol vehicle monitors the border area where prototypes of US President Donald Trump's proposed border wall are standing in this November 2017 file photo A senior White House official said Thursday that the money was 'basically a down-payment on the thing'. The possibility looms that the president will refuse to sign the next federal budget, due September 30, if lawmakers don't go along with more installments. That would trigger a government shutdown. 'If it were up I don't want to say "up to me," because it is up to me I would do it,' he said aboard Air Force One, 'because I think it's a great political issue.' But he said some Republicans in Congress, facing tough re-election fights, have counseled more patience. 'They have races, they're doing well, they're up,' Trump explained. 'And you know, the way they look at it: might be good, might be bad.' Typically the party in power, in this case the GOP, would shoulder most of the blame for interrupted government services. National security and military operations wouldn't be affected. Trump said he would prefer to fund the ambitious construction 'the old-fashioned way get it from Congress but I have other options if I have to.' he is pictured above speaking with the press on Air Force One on Friday The Army Corps of Engineers are seen above in this file photo repairing damage to the middle breakwater caused by Hurricane Marie in Long Beach, California, in January 2015 Thursday night in Billings, he told a Fox News Channel interviewer that 'we need Republicans elected in the midterms'. 'We are getting the wall done. But I've had so many people, good people, great people they would rather not do [it] before [November]. They'd rather do it right after the election.' Trump said he still wants to persuade Congress preferably one reinforced with more Republicans to write the checks he wants. 'Politically speaking, I'd rather get it through Congress. If we don't, I'm looking at that option very seriously,' he said aboard Air Force One on Friday, referring to the Defense Department. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday evening the president assured a crowd of about 600 supporters that 'we're building the wall!' 'It works so easily!' he said. 'They say walls don't work? Tell Israel.' Guwahati : Assam Public Works, an NGO, will appeal before the Supreme Court to form a monitoring committee to monitor the entire process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Assam Public Works (APW) president, Abhijeet Sharma on Saturday said that, there were a large number of anomalies during the NRC updation process, due to large number of illegal foreigners name were included in the final draft of NRC published on July 30. NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela admitted in the apex court that, there were reported of some cases of buying and selling of legacy data. The Morigaon district Deputy Commissioner also admitted that, 39 suspected illegal foreigner families name were included in the final draft of NRC. It is proved that, there were a large number of anomalies in the NRC updation process, Sharma said. Abhijeet Sharma further said that, they will appeal before the Supreme Court to form a monitoring committee. This committee will monitor the entire NRC process. People of Assam want a foreigners free NRC. So we have to be alerted, Sharma said. The APW alleged that, the Registrar General of India was aware everything as how the illegal foreigners name included in the draft NRC and how the legacy data were buying and selling, but he didnt take any action. The final draft of NRC was published on July 30 by including the names of 2.89 crore persons out of 3.29 crore applicants. The Supreme Court has chosen ten identity proof documents for the re-verification of the around 40.7 lakh applicants excluded from the final draft of NRC, and asked all stakeholders to let their views known on the documents before September 19 as the apex court will hear the case on September 19. Meanwhile, APW had submitted a memorandum to the NRC state coordinator and suggested for scrutiny of NRC based on residency check as per directive by the apex court. A young ballerina who is suing the New York City Ballet and her dancer ex over claims he swapped naked photos of her with male colleagues told on Friday how she first uncovered the sick messages by logging onto his laptop. Alexandra Waterbury, 19, accuses Chase Finlay, 28, of secretly photographing and filming their sexual encounters and sharing the files without her consent. She alleges his actions were part of a 'fraternity-like atmosphere' at the institution that tolerated the abuse of women. Waterbury told Good Morning America she was staying at Finlay's house when found a raft of sordid exchanges on his computer after logging in using a password he gave her. '[They] were just really misogynistic and vulgar and just cruel. It was a lot to take in,' she said. Alexandra Waterbury, 19, has opened up about her relationship with the former principal dancer at the New York Ballet who she accuses of sharing naked photos of her Waterbury (pictured left in rehearsal) has filed a lawsuit against her former boyfriend and New York City Ballet principal Chase Finlay, 28 (pictured together right in May), accusing him of sexual misconduct The dancer said she had grown up 'idolizing' Finlay, who is seven years older than her, but shortly after they started dating he became 'abusive in every way - physically, emotionally, mentally. He was really manipulative,' she said. Waterbury was staying at Finlay's apartment one morning after he had left at 4am for work when she used his computer to check her emails. 'The first thing that popped up was an unsaved number with some pretty descriptive language,' she said. 'That just wasn't OK. I was just like, "What is this?" and it just got worse and worse.' She said the conversations were with men and women, all of whom I would've considered friends ... that were just really misogynistic and vulgar and just cruel. It was a lot to take in. When Waterbury confronted him about the alleged messages and images he had 'nothing to say', she said. The ballerina claims she shared them with other dancers, employees, NYC Ballet donors and even a sex trafficker, according to a complaint obtained by Dailymail.com. The ballerina said she was also angry at New York City Ballet for not offering an apology. 'They could address the situation at least,' she said. Finlays lawyer told Pix11 News: The Complaint is nothing more than a mass of allegations that ought not to be taken as fact. Waterbury's bombshell lawsuit also names New York City Ballet as a defendant, accusing the high-brow institution of being a a breeding ground for sexual exploitation and fostering a 'frat-house' culture The lawsuit quoted an unnamed top donor texting Finlay: 'we should get like half a kilo [of cocaine] and put it over the girls and just violate them.' The donor went on to say: 'I bet we could tie some of them up and abuse them like farm animals,' to which Finlay replied in a text, 'or like the sluts they are,' according to his ex-girlfriends complaint. Waterbury's lawsuit comes less than a week after New York City Ballet announced that Finlay had abruptly resigned, and that two other male principals, Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro, were suspended over allegations of inappropriate communications via text and email. The lawsuit points at the celebrated ballet companys workplace culture, describing it as a breeding ground for sexual exploitation where women are objectified and treated as second-class citizens. She further accuses the company of fostering a highly sexualized environment and sweeping the male principals' unlawful, reckless or degrading behavior towards women 'under the rug'. The male dancersunderstood that they were above the law and could do whatever they wanted to women, whenever they wanted to do so just make sure it occurs in New York, where it could be controlled by [NYC Ballets] executives and management, the lawsuit alleged. Waterbury claims that Finlay, her boyfriend of one year, had secretly photographed and videotaped his sexual encounters, and then shared the content with his colleagues Finlay and a ballet donor at one point traded messages joking that ballerinas should be dusted with cocaine 'and abused like farm animals.' He also allegedly shared one of the 19-year-old Waterbury's photos with a pimp Without naming the person in question, the court filing claims that one male dancer was sent to rehab after a run-in with the law concerning substance abuse and domestic violence involving a ballerina, but he was allowed to return to the dance corps a week later 'without repercussion.' 'This sent the message to Mr Finlay and other New York City Ballet male dancers and others that it was acceptable to...abuse substances and degrade, demean, dehumanize and physically abuse women, including its own employees,' the complaint reads. According to the complaint, at least one high-ranking official within the organization was aware of Finlay's substance abuse and would ask him about his partying because he would show up to work smelling of alcohol, but the institution 'buried its head in the sand' and chose not to address the principals conduct. Waterbury shared this snap taken on her first day of class at Columbia University on her Instagram page Tuesday 'Clearly, New York City Ballet had extensive knowledge of this out-of-control, fraternity-house, abusive and sexually charged environment, but it did nothing to stop it, so long as it continued to sell tickets, Waterburys attorney wrote in the filing. The document goes into graphic detail about Chase Finlays text message exchanges with other male principals, in which they allegedly agreed to swap sexually explicit photos and videos of their girlfriends and other ballerinas. 'You have any pictures of girls you've f***ed?' Finlay allegedly said in a text sent to another person with the Ballet, along with a naked photo of Waterbury. 'I'll send you some got ballerina girls I've made scream and squirt.' The male dancers allegedly began exchanging images and photos on a text message chain in September 2017 and continued through May 2018. On one occasion, a Ballet employee allegedly texted Finlay in reference to his girlfriend: 'I want to j*** off to watching u and Alex f*** lol' and 'I cant stop looking at Alex's t**s lol.' Finlay also allegedly discussed recording the 19-year-old Waterbury performing a sex act for profit, because 'that s*** would sell.' The lawsuit says Waterbury sustained severe psychological and emotional damage, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation It was not until May 15, 2018, that Waterbury, then a student at School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, discovered that Finlay, whom she had been dating for a year, had been allegedly surreptitiously videotaping her and disseminating her naked photos to agents, donors, ballet employees and fellow performers. The lawsuit claims that Waterbury sustained severe psychological and emotional damage, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation as a result of Finlays actions and those of the ballet company. She is suing her ex-boyfriend and his former employer for negligence, intentional affliction of emotional distress, assault, battery and invasion of privacy. Waterburys lawsuit is seeking unspecified punitive damages, compensatory damages and attorney's fees. The plaintiff is currently an undergraduate student at the School of General Studies at Columbia University and a dancer at the Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Waterbury also has been modelling with the agency Wilhelmina International from the time she was a teenager. DailyMail.com on Wednesday reached out to New York City Ballet for comment on the lawsuit. Richard Engelbrink, 80, was charged with his wife's murder after someone reported seeing him in the bathroom washing blood off his hands An elderly man in Texas was arrested in connection to his wife's murder after police say he was found in the bathroom of a local bank trying to wash blood off his hands. Richard Engelbrink was taken into custody at a Chase bank in Houston on Thursday afternoon, shortly after his wife Alice was found wounded and covered in blood outside their Faust Lane home. According to ABC 13, police received several 911 calls around noon on Thursday from concerned residents in the area. Witnesses said after the incident they saw Engelbrink, 80, running door-to-door appearing to look for help. The outlet reports that blood was found on several doorbells. A construction worker in the area told ABC that he saw Engelbrink running from one neighbor's home to the next. The worker said minutes later Engelbrinks' wife emerged from the couple's home screaming for help. He said she was covered in so much blood it was hard to recognize her. 'She was saying, "Help, help, help!"' the construction worker said. 'Blood all over her.' The worker said he called 911, but by then Engelbrink was nowhere to be found. Police were called to the couple's Houston home after Engelbrink's wife Alice stumbled out of the house covered in blood and screaming for help. She died at the hospital A construction worker told police that he saw Engelbrink leave the home covered in blood and minutes Alice ran out asking for help Alice, a successful CPA in the area, was rushed to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital where she later died, according to the Houston Chronicle. Prosecutors said during a hearing on Friday a neighbor had let Engelbrink into her home. 'The defendant came to her house covered in blood. The witness said the defendant began washing his hands in her bathroom at which point she began calling 911 and he left the residence,' the prosecutor said. Engelbrink was later found in the bathroom of a Chase bank about a mile from the home. Police said they investigated and found he had a bloody gun on him. Neighbors said after the incident Engelbrink ran from door-to-door looking for help. Blood was found on several neighbor's doorbells Engelbrink was arrested at a Chase bank after he was seen in the bathroom washing away blood Engelbrink was arrested and has been charged with murder. He did not appear in court for medical reasons, ABC reports, but his charges were read. Authorities have not said why they believe Engelbrink allegedly murdered his wife. A medical examiner is determining how Alice died. Court papers say it was blunt force trauma. Linus Lee, who lives two houses down, told ABC that he was shocked by the murder. He described Engelbrink as a nice man and said the couple had lived in the home for more than 20 years. They had recently moved back into the house after it was renovated following Hurricane Harvey. A former KGB officer has said Vladimir Putin could order more assassinations because Britain is seen as a 'soft touch'. Former general Oleg Kalugin has urged the government to hit back and expel the Russian ambassador to send a 'proper signal'. Mr Kalugin, who was formerly chief of KGB counter-intelligence and is still on the run, has also said that he would have been killed 'long ago' if he lived in the UK, reports the Mirror. The news comes after Russia asked Britain for help in identifying the two assassins police believe carried out the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March. Former KGB officer Oleg Kalugin, pictured in 1990, has said Vladimir Putin could order more assassinations because Britain is seen as a 'soft touch' The pair, who are believed to have been using aliases, were named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. Mr Kalugin said: 'The Russians see Britain as a soft touch. I would not rule out more assassinations. 'Now that you've identified two assassins, I feel Britain should at the very least expel the Russian ambassador. That would send a proper signal.' Mr Kalugin was Putin's boss in the KGB in Leningrad during the 1970s, and was one of three men present when the organisation sanctioned the assassination of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov with a poisoned umbrella in London in 1978. He believes that the Kremlin have behaved differently when acting on American soil. Mr Kalugin said: 'Just note how differently the Russians, and before them the Soviets, have acted in the US. Yes, they interfere in elections but they have never, to my certain knowledge, even attempted a political assassination on US soil. He said: 'Now that you've identified two assassins, I feel Britain should at the very least expel the Russian ambassador. That would send a proper signal' 'Of course, Britain has less means to make Putin feel threatened. But it's been lacking in strong counter-action.' He also said the government and security agencies 'failed' in their job by leaving Sergei Skripal, a former double agent, unprotected in Salisbury. Skripal was a colonel in Russian military intelligence who was jailed for betraying agents to Britain's MI6 security service. He moved to England in 2010 as part of a spy swap. The nerve agent Novichok was believed to have been smeared on the front door of his house in the sleepy Wiltshire cathedral city in March. London blamed the Russian state for the attack, but Moscow strongly denied any involvement. The Skripals and Bailey both recovered, but in June, a British couple fell ill from the same type of nerve agent in the nearby town of Amesbury. Mr Kalugin added that British security services should have learned from the death of Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with a radioactive substance in London in 2006. Close friend now revealed Ms Wheeler 'is a women who should not be crossed' Boris Johnson and wife Marina Wheeler (pictured) were married 25 years before they called it quits As a couple, Boris Johnson and his wife, Marina, were a study in opposites. He affects an unkempt, even shambolic persona. She, by contrast, is usually meticulously elegant and well turned out. He is ebullient and garrulous, while she is quiet and thoughtful. And while Boris is a master of the punchy catchphrase and the ready quip, it is Marina Wheeler QC who is renowned for her fierce, inquiring mind, who assimilates the finer detail. But it was not their fundamentally different personalities that caused the problems within their marriage. After all, for it to have lasted as long as it did the union lasted 25 years and produced four children the pair clearly complemented one another. The problem, as we know only too well, was Boris and his women. And, we can reveal, that fiercely clever Marina finally became fed up that he was rarely alongside her physically, mentally or emotionally. And, during the marriage, not only did Marina have to contend with her husbands affairs with other women, a veritable posse of them, but she had to bear the worst betrayal of all seeing her husband father another child outside wedlock with one of his mistresses. Yes, she kicked him out a couple of times, but until now she has always taken him back. Now, following claims that Johnson has been having another affair, possibly two, she has finally called in the lawyers. Last night, a close friend of the couple said she was a woman who should not be crossed: Do not underestimate Marinas demeanour of quietness. There is an iron core of steel inside her and that can frighten Boris. She was prepared to tolerate if he strayed in the beginning of the marriage as she had never had in her life so turbo-charged or so large a character. But that tolerance ran out. His repeat crime of straying frayed it totally at the end. Here is a tiger who can send emails that can freeze your blood. Boris respects that. His eternally not being there in every way is what made her will to stay married lose its commitment. Still, there were many who thought Marina would never head down the path of divorce. I wouldnt say all was well with the marriage, said one source close to them both. But my understanding was that Boris and Marina had come to an understanding that they would stick it out. I thought theyd be together till they died. Its true that they dont really go out together much, but then Marina has always liked to be at home with the kids rather than go out. And, when all is said and done, marriages are complicated things, layered with nuances not easily detected by the casual outsider. Certainly, in the case of the Johnson marriage, the stereotypical image of the downtrodden, stay-at-home wife, putting up with anything to keep hold of her famous, charismatic husband could not be further from the reality. Ms Wheeler finally called in the lawyers following claims that Johnson has been having another affair, possibly two A star player in the legal profession, Marina Wheeler, who at 54 is the same age as her husband, enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a barrister before being made a QC in 2016. An insight into Marinas mindset may be found in her background. Her mother is Dip Singh, an Indian-born Sikh. Marina was raised in the Sikh religion and her faith remains at the heart of who she is. Sikhs place a special emphasis on the importance of family. As well as finally tiring of her husbands persistent disloyalty, Marina may have decided that the most important thing of all was to keep the family together. So she may, in part, have stuck with Boris for the most obvious and honourable reason of all for the sake of the children: Lara, 25, Milo, 23, Cassia, 21 and Theodore, 19. But now that Theodore, the youngest, is grown up, she may have thought she no longer had a duty to tolerate Boriss behaviour. And if she were to feel a twinge of malicious pleasure in the public confirmation that Boris is an unreliable husband and, ergo, possibly not entirely suited to the greatest office of Prime Minister who could really blame her? Still, despite everything hes put her through, making that final brutal cut and filing divorce papers must have been extraordinarily painful for Marina. Theirs, after all, is a history that goes right back to childhood. In the early Seventies, Boriss father, Stanley, was working in Brussels in an environmental division of the European Commission. Marinas father, Charles Wheeler, the distinguished BBC foreign correspondent who was knighted in 2006 and died in 2008, was also based in Brussels at the time, and was friends with Stanley. Marina and Boris both attended the European School in Brussels and their families holidayed together. Boris had a crush on her even then. Last night, a close friend of the couple said Ms Wheeler was a woman who should not be crossed At the age of 11, Marina and Boris were parted when Marina returned to England and was sent to Bedales School in Hampshire. She went on to study law at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and, after taking a Masters degree in EC law at Brussels University where she practised for a while, she was called to the Bar in 1987. It was in the year that Marina became a barrister that Boris married Allegra Mostyn-Owen, daughter of the art historian William Mostyn-Owen and the Italian writer, Gaia Servadio, whom he met at Oxford University while he was studying Classics. Allegra was artistic and beautiful a Tatler cover girl and Boris was besotted. Allegra and Boris moved to the Belgian capital when he was appointed Brussels correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, but Allegra did not feel at home with the competitive environment that Boris revelled in and returned to London. It so happened that Marina was working in Brussels, too, at this time. The paths of the old school friends crossed again. While Marina apparently hadnt given much thought to Boris over the years, she is said to have fallen hopelessly in love with him then. They married in May 1993, 12 days after his divorce from Allegra was finalised, with Marina already pregnant with their first child, Lara. Three further children followed in quick succession. The family home was a four-storey, five-bedroom home in Highbury, North London. Friends say that Marina was more to the Left than Boris politically, but that he would often consult her on political matters. I ran this past Marina, he would say, or, Marina thinks . . .. Marina and Boris (pictured) both attended the European School in Brussels and their families holidayed together. There was a deep friendship, a partnership, as well as a marriage. But Boris had a fatal wandering eye. And the uncomfortable truth mystifying to some as it may seem is that women find Boris very attractive. In 2004, the News Of The World ran the story that he had had a four-year affair with journalist Petronella Wyatt while he was editor of The Spectator and she was one of his columnists. Ms Wyatts mother told the newspaper that the affair resulted in her daughter becoming pregnant and having a termination. Johnson famously dismissed the report as an inverted pyramid of piffle. Marina promptly threw him out, changed the locks and took off her wedding ring. But at some point he was allowed back into the marital home. A couple of years later, a fresh story appeared in the papers claiming that Johnson had also had an affair with a second journalist, Anna Fazackerley, which apparently had run concurrently with the earlier affair with Ms Wyatt. On one occasion in 2005, it was said, Boris, then a junior shadow education minister, had changed his travel plans and stopped off in Paris on the way back from China to meet up with Ms Fazackerley. The election of Johnson as Mayor of London in 2008 seemed to mark a new beginning for the marriage. But the most painful revelation was yet to come, when in 2010, it emerged that Johnson had fathered a baby girl by the name of Stephanie the result of a fling with art consultant Helen Macintyre. Stephanies wild flaxen hair and blue eyes made it pretty impossible for Boris to think about dismissing this claim as another inverted pyramid of piffle. Boris was thrown out a second time but again allowed back after a period of penance. It has been said often over the past few years that Marina and Boris had come to an understanding about their marriage. That it would continue, but they would not delude themselves into thinking it would be the same as it was at the start. Marina, who is based at One Crown Office Row chambers, focused on her family and her career. Her defence in public against the humiliation of Boriss proclivities was to put on a show of serene indifference. The pair were parted at the age of 11 when Marina returned to England and was sent to Bedales School in Hampshire Whatever else he may have been doing, Boris continued to consult his wife on political matters and she is said to have influenced his decision to reposition himself in favour of Brexit. Whether the understanding between Marina and Boris meant she had agreed to turn a blind eye to future indiscretions is not clear. The pair were photographed together in the summer looking happy enough. The catastrophic rupture appears to have happened a month or so ago. The pair are now living apart and are not in contact with one another. Their daughter, Lara, a fashion journalist, is reported to have told a friend: Hes a selfish b******. Mum is finished with him. She will never take him back now. Marina may have said that before, but this time its different a divorce is under way. Given the nature of these things, it seems unlikely that the identity of her husbands latest mistress will stay out of the public domain for very long. Marina Wheeler QC will, no doubt, rise above it. As she always has done. Eggs are being recalled from shops in Sydney after a cluster of salmonella cases were uncovered. On Saturday, the NSW Food Authority said 23 cases of salmonella enteritidis had been confirmed. Egg supplier Eggz on the Run have voluntarily recalled some products sold under the Glendenning Farm brand. Egg supplier, Eggz on the Run have voluntarily recalled some products sold under the Glendenning Farm brand (pictured) Consumers are advised not to consume any Glendenning Farm whole shell eggs sold in NSW with best before dates of September 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 or October 1. The products were sold in small independent supermarkets and retailers, in cartons and bulk trays in NSW only. 'Either bin or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund,' NSW Food Authority said in a statement on Saturday. 'You do not require proof of purchase for a recalled item.' Fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are symptoms of salmonellosis and usually start about six to 72 hours after the contaminated food is eaten. Illness can last seven days or longer. Eggs are being recalled from shops in Sydney after a cluster of salmonella cases were uncovered (stock image) In a post on Facebook, NSW Food Authority advised consumers to seek medical advice if they were concerned about their health. The government has restricted the movement of livestock, eggs, manure and disposables at the farm and ordered the disinfection and decontamination of equipment. Investigations are still ongoing. An Airbnb user who rented a home in a swanky part of San Francisco left human feces, used needles and other drug paraphernalia, and trash throughout the $5million property after his three-month stay. The house is located in one of San Franciscos most exclusive areas, but the owner asked the media not to reveal any details that might tip people off to its location. Pictures of the debris left behind were broadcast by KTVU-TV. The owner of the home has requested anonymity. An Airbnb user who rented a home in a swanky part of San Francisco left human feces, used needles and other drug paraphernalia, and trash throughout the $5million property after his three-month stay These used needles were found on the floor of the home after the Airbnb user stayed in the home The home's property manager said that when he checked on the home Sunday, he could smell the stench from the outside The property manager, Egan Lim, said it appeared the guest used the home as 'a safe place to inject heroin' Used food containers, band aids, and other trash were strewn throughout the home Journalists from the television station who were invited into the home by the property manager needed to wear hazmat suits Journalists from the television station were invited into the home by the property manager, Egan Lim, who needed to wear hazmat suits. The home was filled with empty bottles, bent spoons, and open containers. The sheets in the bedroom were stained with blood, according to KTVU-TV. Plumbing inside the house was unusable while the trash bins were overflowing, suggesting that they had not been emptied in weeks. The image above shows drapes being knocked over on one side Lim needed to call pest control crews to the home. He said that he came to the property on Sunday to survey it after the guest had checked out An Airbnb spokesperson said that the guest who stayed in the home has been barred from the site and that the company has zero tolerance for this type of behavior Lim needed to call pest control crews to the home. He said that he came to the property on Sunday to survey it after the guest had checked out. We went immediately smelled the stench right outside the door, Lim said. We saw garbage everywhere. He essentially used this place as a safe place for him to inject heroin. An Airbnb spokesperson said that the guest who stayed in the home has been barred from the site and that the company has zero tolerance for this type of behavior. Airbnb is now working with the host owner to help him file a claim under the companys insurance policy, which covers damage to the property of up to $1million. The company released a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. There have been over 300 million guest arrivals and negative incidents are extremely rare, Airbnb said. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior and have removed this individual from our community. We are in touch with our host and are fully supporting them under our $1 Million Host Guarantee program. The safety of our community is our priority. A previously censored lawsuit by Playboy centerfold 'bunny' Shera Bechard against Elliot Broidy, a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump and other Republicans, reveals embarrassing details of their sexual affair and says she feared for her safety A former Playboy model's lawsuit against a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump and other Republicans revealed embarrassing details of their sexual affair and said she feared for her safety after he impregnated her, according to previously censored allegations unsealed Friday. Shera Bechard said she went to a lawyer after Elliott Broidy became violent, behaved in a 'profoundly disturbing' manner and demanded she get an abortion. The details came to light in Los Angeles Superior Court after The Associated Press and other news organizations fought to unseal Bechard's lawsuit alleging Broidy failed to pay a $200,000 installment toward a $1.6 million hush payment. Broidy's lawyers said payments stopped because Bechard's former lawyer discussed the confidential agreement with attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents porn actress Stormy Daniels in a suit against Trump and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. The affair became public in part because Cohen represented Broidy in the settlement. Cohen pleaded guilty last month to paying off Daniels 'at the direction' of Trump to influence the election. Broidy resigned in April as deputy finance chairman for the Republican National Committee after the affair was reported by the Wall Street Journal. In unsealed court documents Bechard said after he impregnated her, Elliott Broidy became violent and demanded she get an abortion. Broidy is pictured here with his wife, Robin Broidy had fought to keep the salacious details in Bechard's suit under wraps because he said they were false, maligned his reputation, invaded his right to privacy and were irrelevant to the case. Judge Elizabeth Allen White agreed to strike allegations that were irrelevant to the breach of contract dispute going forward but not seal the complaint. In the newly uncensored sections of the lawsuit, Bechard, a two-time Playboy centerfold, said she met Broidy at a restaurant in 2013 and carried on an extramarital relationship for years, exposing intimate details of their sex life. Shera Bechard sued Broidy after he failed to pay a portion of a $1.6 million confidentiality agreement. Broidy says the allegations are false and defamatory She said she and Broidy referred to each other as 'mommy' and 'daddy' and he shared personal information about his children with her, told her he loved her and would financially support her. But in 2016 he became increasingly violent and also told her she was 'fat and needed to fix it' with liposuction, the suit said. Bechard said Broidy, who refused to wear a condom, didn't disclose for years that he had genital herpes. She said he pushed her to drink heavily so she was more compliant and that ultimately led to her letting her guard down and becoming pregnant. She said Broidy initially supported her keeping the baby, but later demanded she get an abortion and insisted 'nobody can know.' She said she feared Broidy because he had a gun and told her he could make people disappear, the suit said. Broidy, who acknowledged the affair, said in a statement he would defend himself from false and defamatory allegations. 'This person tried to extract money from me by making up false, malicious and disgusting allegations,' he said. 'I honored my agreement until her lawyer breached it- and then, when I failed to pay her demands, she did what blackmailers do and went public with her lies.' Bechard is also suing her former attorney, Keith Davidson, who once represented Daniels, and Avenatti. A judge tossed two counts against Avenatti on Friday and he said he would appeal the final count. A hero Battle of Britain pilot has taken to the skies at the tender age of 99 for the last time - in a Spitfire. World War II ace Archie McInnes is one of only six surviving RAF pilots who took part in the vital Battle of Britain - known as The Few. The war hero took to the skies above Kent last week in a refurbished Second World War Spitfire - accompanied by the plane he flew during the war. Archie McInnes, who is 99-years-old, during last weeks flight in a Spitfire above Kent The two-seater Spitfire, owned and operated by Peter Monk out the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar at Westerham, was joined on its flight by the one-seater Hurricane - the plane Archie flew to protect Britain from the Luftwaffe. Archie, who lives near Cambridge, beamed with joy when he saw his beloved Hurricane flying on the wing of the Spitfire. The flight was organised and photographed by pal Jonny Cracknell, working alongside the Battle of Britain Museum. Jonny said: 'There are only eight Battle of Britain airmen left, and out of them, Archie is the most active. Battle of Britain pilot Archie McInnes during his flying days. He lost his arm when he was shot down in North Africa in 1941 Archie McInnes clocks his beloved Hurricane on his port wing during his Spitfire flight 'I managed to get him back up in a Spitfire, and it was amazing. 'It was an unbelievable and surreal experience to see Archie back in a Spitfire again. 'And the smile on his face when he spotted the Hurricane was priceless.' There are only six pilots and two aircrew left out of the thousands of heroes who risked everything to protect Britain from the Nazis. Archie joined the RAF in 1938, the year before the war, and completed pilot training in August, 1940. He flew Hurricanes as part of 601 Squadron in Exeter, before moving to 238 Squadron at Chilbolton. Archie, who lives near Cambridge, beamed with joy when he saw his beloved Hurricane The Spitfire, operated by Peter Monk at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar was joined on its flight by the Hurricane After the Battle of Britain ended, on Ocotber 31, 1940, Archie's illustrious career took him on board HMS Victorious - where he was part of the team that hunted the Bismarck. Archie then took part in the North African campaign, where he was shot down and lost his arm. Pal Jonny said: 'After he was shot down, it took him some time to recover. 'But eventually he managed to find a way to make things work for him. 'He got back to flying again. The flight was organised ahead of the 78th anniversary of Battle of Britain Day, September 15 'Archie is incredible. Sadly, it's definitely going to be one of the last flights of the Battle of Britain.' He was released from the RAF in 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant. Pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain are known as 'The Few' after an iconic speech by then-PM Winston Churchill. Churchill famously said: 'Never was so much owed by so many to so few.' The flight was organised ahead of the 78th anniversary of Battle of Britain Day, on September 15. The two-seater Spitfire flies out of Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, in Biggin Hill, Kent. The U.S. Coast Guard says a cruise ship that became disabled off the Massachusetts coast is docking in Rhode Island and must be inspected before it can continue on its way to New York. The Star Pride carrying 351 people became stranded at about 3.15pm Friday in Massachusetts' Buzzards Bay between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. After becoming disabled, the ship was said to have drifted for about two miles as its pilots were said to have been worried about dropping anchor on undersea cables that provided power to nearby Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, the MV Times reported. Scroll down for video The Star Pride was stranded off Massachusetts for several hours after suddenly losing power to its engines. Power was eventually restored with no injuries reported The US Coast Guard responded and sent a tugboat to escort the ship to Newport, Rhode Island At about 4.45pm, however, the pilot was forced to drop anchor for safety reasons. While the Coast Guard did not believe that any of the undersea cables were hit, they acknowledged that it was difficult to know for certain since nautical maps don't reveal the exact location of the cables. 'We felt some vibrations, and the vibrations last five to 10 seconds, and then we lost propulsion power and all the electrical power,' passenger Jose Kirchener told Boston 25 News. The US Coast Guard responded and tweeted that the 376-foot (115-meter) ship was anchored and had regained power after 5.30pm. Windstar Cruises, which operates the Star Pride, said in a statement that the ship experienced a loss of cooling water for the engine systems, causing an automatic shutdown of the propulsion and auxiliary engines. The cruise operators said that the passengers and crew were never at risk and that, 'During the time the ship was without propulsion, the Star Pride was on emergency generator power including power to navigational equipment and essential safety systems as well as basic comforts for the passengers and crew,' according to NBC Connecticut. 'We felt some vibrations, and the vibrations last five to 10 seconds, and then we lost propulsion power and all the electrical power,' passenger Jose Kirchene said. passenger on board are seen above Windstar Cruises, which operates the Star Pride, said in a statement that the ship experienced a loss of cooling water for the engine systems, causing an automatic shutdown of the propulsion and auxiliary engines. Stranded passengers seen above Windstar Cruises said the cause of the shutdown was identified and addressed. The company said all ship operations, including propulsion, have returned to normal. Guests were being served dinner. No injuries were reported. The Coast Guard said a tug boat, the Buckley McAllister, was escorting the vessel to Newport, Rhode Island, where it will be docked overnight for an inspection. Coast Guard Capt. Chris Glander said the inspection 'will ensure the safety of the passengers and crew' before they continue on to New York City. There were 191 passengers and 160 crew members on the ship. The ship is on a 17-day cruise from Reykjavik, Iceland, to New York. It had been scheduled to depart New York on Saturday for a cruise to Montreal. Rogue cold-call firms can now be fined up to 500,000 if they pester people who have not expressly signed up to hear from them. The tough new laws, taking effect today, target firms making unwanted calls about payment protection insurance (PPI) or personal injury claims. In the past, people could opt out of receiving these sorts of calls by joining the Telephone Preference Service a list of numbers cold-calling firms are banned from contacting. Rogue cold-call firms can now be fined up to 500,000 if they pester people who have not expressly signed up to hear from them The new rules mean cold-call firms are only allowed to contact people who deliberately opt in to receive their calls. The crackdown is designed to curb the plague of nuisance calls that has left many Britons unwilling to answer their own phones. Around 3.9billion nuisance phone calls and texts were made last year, the equivalent of 7,420 every minute, according to Ofcom. The new rules mean cold-call firms are only allowed to contact people who deliberately opt in to receive their calls And the biggest problems involve firms pushing compensation claims for accidents and PPI. In the last year, the average adult in Britain has received 50 texts, calls and emails chasing them to make a claim, according to the Financial Conduct Authority. Many nuisance calls target the elderly and vulnerable. The Government may also hand regulators extra powers to punish the individuals involved by dishing out personal fines to the bosses of rogue firms. Todays crackdown is a victory for the Daily Mail, which has campaigned for a clampdown on unscrupulous cold-calling firms. Guwahati : Police had seized a huge consignment of cigarettes and other items smuggled from Myanmar in Assams Karimganj district on Friday evening. According to the reports, based on intelligence input, a police team of Patharkandi police station in the bordering district with Tripura had launched operation and seized 300 packets foreign made cigarettes and 100 packets corn flakes from a vehicle and arrested two persons in connection with it. The police team had intercepted the vehicle bearing registration number of AS-10B-0511 at Patharkandi area and seized the items. Police said that, the vehicle was coming from Tripura side. Police had arrested two persons in connection with it and they were identified as Baharuddin and Manirul Islam. We have seized some foreign made cigarettes and other items from a vehicle. When we asked to produce the documents, they were failed. We have confirmed that, these items have been smuggled into India from foreign country. We have arrested two persons in connection with it, Dimbeswar Thakuria, Officer-in-Charge of Patharkandi police station said. This is the shocking moment an Arizona cop punched an unarmed woman in the face before dragging her several feet down the street. The officer is seen hitting Renee Armenta to stop her hanging onto the car door and then yanking the 38-year-old across the tarmac. He then pulls his gun and points it at a male passenger after he steps out of the car during the altercation. Goodyear Police Department is investigating the cop over the incident, which happened during a traffic stop on Thursday just before noon. The video was filmed by a passerby and posted onto Twitter. The officer is seen trying to pull Renee Armenta, 38, out of the car as she hangs onto the door (left). He then strikes Armenta before pulling her loose (right) As the confrontation continues one witness shouts at the cop, 'Dude, what the f***? She's a woman.' Cops are now reviewing body camera footage of the incident and conducting interviews to understand what happened, reported AZCentral.com. Armenta is in jail facing charges including resisting arrest, driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana. The passenger, 27-year-old John Charlie Moreno Aguilar, from Phoenix, is accused of possessing drug paraphernalia. The officer yanks the 38-year-old across the tarmac until she is several feet away from the vehicle He pulls his gun and points it at a male passenger who steps out of the car during the altercation Armenta's daughter, identified only as Cassandra, said she found the footage 'heartbreaking' to watch. 'I didn't know what he was going to do to her, she was scared for her life,' she told AZFamily.com. Armenta is in jail facing charges including resisting arrest, driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana 'It was really outrageous; it shouldn't have went that far. It was ridiculous.' Goodyear Police Department said: 'The driver who had a suspended driver's license was notified that she was being placed under arrest; at that time she began to retreat. 'When a conflict with a suspect occurs during an arrest, this presents a challenging and often dangerous situation for the arresting officer. 'The top priority of the Goodyear Police Department is the safety of the public as well as our officers. 'When a situation such as this occurs, it can appear frightening to passersby who don't understand the full context of the situation. 'In the interest of transparency and maintaining the trust of our public, the Goodyear Police Department is currently investigating the specific details of this particular case.' The 18-year-old woman who was filmed pushing her teenage friend off a 60-foot bridge has pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment. Taylor Smith, 18, appeared in Washington state's Clark County District Court for her arraignment Friday, during which she entered her not guilty plea, The Columbian reported. Smith had been charged with reckless endangerment after being caught on camera pushing her friend, 16-year-old Jordan Holgerson, off the three-storey Moulton Falls Bridge in Yacolt, Washington, on August 7. Scroll down for video Taylor Smith, 18, appeared in a Washington state court for her arraignment Friday During her appearance, Smith entered a not guilty plea to her reckless endangerment charge Smith was charged with reckless endangerment after being caught on camera pushing her reluctant-to-jump, 16-year-old friend off of a three-story bridge into the water below At the arraignment, Smith was given a supervised released and told not to contact her friend Holgerson suffered five cracked ribs and a punctured lung when she belly-flopped into the water. Her other injuries reportedly included a bruised esophagus, an injured trachea and air bubbles in her chest. In the video, which quickly went viral, Holgerson could be seen standing on top of the bridge with a group of friends gathered behind her and saying that she didn't want to jump, despite her friends' pressuring her to do it. She could be heard saying 'no' shortly before Smith suddenly shoves her off the bridge. In court Friday, Smith was granted supervised release and told that she cannot contact Holgerson or leave the area except to attend school in Lane County, Oregon, The Columbian reported. Holgerson was among the large crowd in attendance during Smith's arraignment. Stills from the viral video showing Smith (left) as she pushes 16-year-old Jordan Holgerson, off the 60-foot-tall Moulton Falls Bridge in Yacolt, Washington, on August 7 Holgerson suffered five cracked ribs, a punctured lung and other injuries when she belly-flopped into the water Smith's next court date was scheduled for December 4. Reckless endangerment is a gross misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is up to a year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. After the incident went viral, Smith claimed that Jordan asked her to push her off the Moulton Falls Bridge because she was scared. Smith told Good Morning America that she never thought about the consequences and thought her friend 'would be fine.' 'She wanted to jump and she was scared and she asked me to give her a push, I didn't think about the consequences,' Smith said, revealing that she had tried to apologize to Holgerson multiple times, but was not allowed to see her and told to leave the hospital where Holgerson had been recovering. Holgerson's (pictured) family said that she did not want to see her friend, Smith, charged Immediately following the incident, Holgerson's family had said that she didn't want her friend, Smith, to be charged. However, she later changed her mind. 'Now that I've thought about it more, I'm kind of wanting her to sit in jail and think about at least what she did,' Jordan said in an interview with Today. Holgerson took to Instagram a week after the incident and wrote: 'I just want to stay positive with my whole situation and not think about what has happened in the past week. 'And I wanted to thank everyone who has supported me or txted me with positive intent. But at the moment I feel trapped, and I feel like I cant do anything and I feel like its not going to get better because we keep finding more problems.. so if anyone could message me to make me feel better Im more than happy to listen:)' Famously dishevelled and with a bumbling persona, Boris Johnson might not seem like the archetypal ladies man. So how, it is often wondered, has he managed to have quite such a colourful love life? And why has Mr Johnson repeatedly been unfaithful? A rare insight into these matters came from his former mistress Petronella Wyatt, now 50, who fell for his charms while she was Mr Johnsons deputy when he was editor of The Spectator magazine. Following their four-year affair, she told how he once grumbled to her: I find it genuinely unreasonable that men should be confined to one woman. Boris Johnson and Petronella Wyatt at the Spectator Offices in Doughty street in July 2006 Boris Johnson and Allegra Mostyn-Owen celebrate in 1987 after his final Oxford exams Miss Wyatt attributed this in part to Mr Johnson being inordinately proud of his Turkish ancestry, and said his views on matters such as monogamy are decidedly Eastern. She had an abortion and suffered a miscarriage as a result of the relationship which cost Mr Johnson his job after his claims that reports of his infidelity were an inverted pyramid of piffle proved to be a lie. He was forced to quit as shadow arts minister and party vice-chairman in 2004 by then-Tory leader Michael Howard for failing to tell the whole truth about the affair. Mr Howards officials said the issue was one of personal morality. Mr Johnsons barrister wife Marina Wheeler they had married in 1993 threw him out of their home in Islington, North London, but later took him back. In 2016, Miss Wyatt, whose late father, Lord Woodrow Wyatt, was one of Margaret Thatchers confidants, also said that Mr Johnson had told her he was a bit of a loner with few friends. He fathered a love child with art consultant Helen Macintyre, then 39, who worked for him in an unpaid capacity Like many loners, he has a compensating need to be liked, she wrote in The Mail on Sunday. There is an element of Boris that wants to be Prime Minister because the love of his family and Tory voters is not enough. He wants to be loved by the entire world. She described her relationship with Mr Johnson as their amitie amoureuse, or amorous friendship and said he was devastated by his parents divorce because his father Stanley promised he would never leave Boriss mother Charlotte. Boris never sets out to lie. It is just that he will do anything to avoid an argument, which leads to a degree of duplicity, Miss Wyatt said. She also noted that he is the contrary of vain, adding: Boris regards himself as rather ugly, requiring half an hour to talk away my face. In 2006 The News of the World reported that Mr Johnson had also had an affair with journalist Anna Fazackerley, then 29. Mr Johnson, then 41, reportedly met her in his new job as Tory shadow education minister. A source said: Anna is really, really gorgeous every thinking mans pin-up. Boris finds her irresistible. Mr Johnson had married his first wife, Allegra Mostyn-Owen, his university sweetheart, in 1987. In 2006 The News of the World reported that Mr Johnson had also had an affair with journalist Anna Fazackerley, then 29 They divorced after he had an affair with his current wife Miss Wheeler. After the fallout from his affair with Miss Wyatt, Mr Johnson ran successfully for London Mayor in 2008. But the following year he fathered a love child with art consultant Helen Macintyre, then 39, who worked for him in an unpaid capacity. There were reports that his wife threw him out of his family home again like a tomcat when that affair was revealed. When the scandal broke a source close to Mr Johnson said: Is Boris the father of this child? Its quite likely he hasnt the faintest idea. In a significant victory for Press freedom, a High Court judge said in 2012 that the Daily Mail was justified in publishing stories about the child. This was because the politicians recklessness in conducting extramarital affairs, resulting in the conception of a child on two occasions, called into question his fitness for public office. A friend once said that Miss Wheeler tolerated Mr Johnsons philandering because she viewed it as a childish side of his personality which one day hell grow out of. But he hasnt, her tolerance has run out and now they are divorcing after 25 years of marriage. British and French fishermen have failed to finalise a deal to end the scallop wars in the English Channel. Industry leaders were unable to agree a compensation package during negotiations in Paris on Friday, which was aiming to cease recent skirmishes. The basis of an agreement was formed in London this week, with small UK vessels pledging not to fish in the area of dispute during the period French laws prevented their counterparts. But this was on the basis British crews would not lose out financially, and the price appeared to have been too high for the French during the latest discussions. British and French fishermen have failed to finalise a deal to end the scallop wars in the English Channel. Pictured: French fishermen throwing rocks at a British boat off Normandy coast last week A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokeswoman said further talks could be held next week. 'We are making progress,' she said. 'Discussions are continuing and we are looking at next steps.' British ships can legally forage in the disputed territory - the Baie de Seine - all year round. But the French are banned from taking scallops there between May 15 and October 1 to conserve stocks. An industry accord prevented UK vessels larger than 15 metres doing so too, but smaller ones could help themselves. However, trouble flared last week when some 35 French boats confronted five British craft off the coast of northern France last week, with reports of rocks and smoke bombs being hurled at UK mariners. Captains of small British boats voluntarily agreed not to forage in the Baie until a deal was struck - but they had expected this to be sealed on Friday. Whether they can continue to uphold this will remain to be seen. Jim Portus, the chief executive of Britain's South Western Fish Producers Organisation, previously said the deal 'satisfies the honour of fishermen on both sides' - but added it would be rejected if it was not good enough French fisherman Dimitri Rogoff speaks to the media before leaders meet in London Jim Portus, the chief executive of Britain's South Western Fish Producers Organisation, said previously the deal 'satisfies the honour of fishermen on both sides'. But he added: 'If it's not good enough on Friday, it will be rejected,' he said. Asked if the French apologised, Portus said: 'Regret was voiced before we started our negotiations.' He added to that UK fishermen have been urged to avoid the Bay de Seine until an agreement is signed, he told Sky News. The clashes, which occurred around 12 nautical miles from the Normandy coastline, were the most serious in years of wrangling over the area's prized scallops. 'The UK and French fishing industries and governments held constructive talks today about scallop fishing in the eastern Channel including Baie de Seine,' the British and French governments said in a joint statement. Mark Powell, whose boat the Golden Fleece II was caught up in the so-called 'Scallop Wars' last week, claims he is being unfairly targeted by French authorities to punish British crews 'An agreement on the principles of a deal has been reached,' they said. French fishermen were incensed that British boats were accessing the highly productive waters, while their own government limited them to fishing there to between October and May to allow stocks to replenish. Deals struck previously exempted British boats less than 15 metres (50 feet) long from the restrictions, a loophole French fishermen want to see closed and which led to deadlock in reaching an agreement earlier this year. 'The previous agreement involving the UK 15-metre-and-over fleet will be renewed,' the joint statement said. 'In addition, there is agreement in principle for UK under-15-metre vessels to be included in the deal. 'This is subject to a reasonable compensation package, the details of which will be defined in Paris on Friday. 'In the meantime, there is a voluntary agreement for all UK vessels to respect the French closure period in the Baie de Seine.' British and French officials and fishing industry representatives met in London to try and prevent further conflicts over scallop fishing. The talks follow an incident last week in which French and British fishermen angrily bumped boats over access to fisheries off the French coast. About 35 French boats confronted five British ones, sometimes banging hulls, in international waters during the incident. UK crews reported rocks, smoke bombs and other projectiles were hurled at them during the confrontation. Some of the fishermen from both sides also rammed each other, video footage showed. British Fisheries Minister George Eustice said the goal of the talks is to reach a new agreement that would prevent more confrontations. An agreement reached in 2013 has broken down, leading to the clashes. The clashes have occurred in a scallop-rich area known as the Baie de Somme, off the coast of Normandy. National regulations allow British ships to fish legally in the area all year round but French fishermen are banned from taking the molluscs between May 15 and October 1 to conserve stocks. Meanwhile, the British skipper of one of the boats attacked by French trawlermen is facing a 9,000 fine after being accused of illegally fishing a small number of under-sized scallops. Mark Powell, whose boat the Golden Fleece II was caught up in the so-called 'Scallop Wars' last week, claims he is being unfairly targeted by French authorities in order to punish British crews. Footage shows French fishing rivals using a petrol bomb to stop their UK counterparts catching scallops in the English Channel He was arrested and detained by French authorities who boarded his boat and confiscated his 20,000 catch which they say included 180 (162) of under-sized scallops. EU laws intended to protect sea life forbid fishermen from catching scallop under around four inches in length so they can grow large enough to spawn. But Mr Powell, 49, denies catching any under-sized scallops and said the French were simply 'looking for technicalities all the time to have a go at the British fleet'. He faces a court hearing in two weeks where he could be fined 10,000 (8,954) if found guilty over the incident in Le Havre last September. Mr Powell's boat was involved in a clash with a 40-strong flotilla of French vessels which surrounded them off the coast of Normandy in the early hours of Tuesday. But scallops aren't the only thing that is causing tension. On Monday, two French boats based in Normandy caught 44 tuna fish while hunting for bream off the Channel Islands - adding to already simmering tensions between the two nations. The tuna, each weighing between 50kg and 120kg and worth more than 100,000 in total, were then brought ashore at Granville in France to be sold. British and French fishermen are at loggerheads over scallops and have clashed off the coast of Normandy and Jersey over tuna Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are managed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). French fishermen are allowed to keep bluefin tuna while their British counterparts are banned from doing it. The bluefins are usually only found in the Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean but rising water temperatures are sending more into UK waters. The UK has no quota to catch bluefin tuna but France, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus do. France's agriculture minister Stephane Travert said yesterday that the French navy is 'ready to step in' if more clashes break out. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the comments were in line with Environment Secretary Michael Gove's position that it was for the French to take any steps needed to prevent violence in the area. An Australian mother-of-four could face the death penalty if convicted over the murder of her seven-year-old stepdaughter in Arizona. Lisa Cunningham, 43, and her husband Germayne Cunningham, 39, allegedly abused and neglected Sanaa Cunningham, who died from pneumonia and complications from sepsis in February 2017. The couple are accused of zip-tying the child to a water tank in a garage and neglecting to treat a septic wound to her foot. Sanaa was also made to pick up dog faeces by the pair with her bare hands and restrained in a straight-jacket-like long-sleeved shirt, the prosecution allege. On Monday, a Maricopa County judge ruled Lisa and Germayne Cunningham would face the death penalty if convicted. Lisa and Germayne Cunningham (pictured), the former of whom has lived in the USA for 20 years and comes from Adelaide, could face the death penalty following their hearing in October if found guilty Lisa Cunningham, 43, (pictured) allegedly abused and neglected Sanaa Cunningham, who died from pneumonia and complications from sepsis in February 2017, by zip-tying her to a water tank in her garage and neglected to treat a septic wound to their foot Prosecutors allege the restraints Cunningham used to tie up Sanaa (pictured) meant she was unable to expel liquid from her lungs, exacerbating her pneumonia and leaving her unresponsive Prosecutors allege Sanaa was unable to expel liquid from her lungs as a result of being restrained, exacerbating her pneumonia and leaving her unresponsive. According to The Phoenix New Times, Sanaa's death went unreported by state welfare agents for months before a grand jury charged them with 10 counts of child abuse and one of first-degree murder in December. The couple were allowed to remain free until Monday, when judge Michael Kemp ruled prosecutors had enough evidence to justify their aim to seek the death penalty. Cunningham and her husband Germayne Cunningham, 39, (pictured) are charged with 10 counts of child abuse and one of first-degree murder after Sanaa's death went unreported by state welfare agents for months Sanaa Cunningham had pneumonia at the time of her death, and the prosecution allege the couple's neglect made her condition worse and left her unresponsive He said: 'There were many warning signs with regard to her need for medical attention. 'This was more than reckless behaviour. This was more than a failure to provide care and it led to the child's death.' But Lisa Cunningham's lawyer Taylor Fox argued doctors had differing views about what killed the seven-year-old - who noted the autopsy was inconclusive as to whether Sanaa was killed or died by accident. Mr Fox also said the accused called a doctor two days before she died, but had to wait until Monday to book an appointment. Lisa and Germayne Cunningham, a former Phoenix policeman, have been refused bail, with a hearing date schedule for October. The method of death penalty in Arizona is lethal injection, but a criminal convicted before November 23 1992 can also opt to be killed by gas inhalation. No-one has been executed by death penalty in the state since 2014. The Australian had lived in the US for 20 years and is eligible for $500,000 in funds from the Attorney-General - which provides support to Australians facing the death penalty overseas. A moderate Labour MP who lost a confidence motion in her constituency has accused Iran of 'infiltrating' the party after a journalist from the country's state broadcaster filmed the meeting and took part in the vote. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London. Press TV reporter Roshan Salih, who reportedly joined the constituency party several months ago, filmed the meeting for the Iranian channel. Ms Ryan, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, said she was 'horrified' at Iran's involvement and said it was part of an effort to 'purge' moderates from the parliamentary party, the Daily Telegraph reported. Joan Ryan, a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn's failure to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis, (pictured after the meeting in Enfield) lost the confidence motion by just two votes at a party meeting in Enfield, north London She said: 'I'm horrified that they've infiltrated the Labour party in this way and I think it needs to be investigated, because it is incredibly serious. 'I'm proud of my values and I don't expect to be the toast of the mouthpiece of the Iranian regime.' Mr Salih was evasive about his party membership on Twitter, saying: 'I might be, I might not be. I suggest you do your job and investigate whether I am. Like you should have done last night by reporting that meeting.' Ms Ryan had earlier blamed the bid to deselect her on 'Trots, Stalinists, Communists and assorted hard left'. But she vowed to stay on as the local MP, telling her Twitter followers 'I am Labour through and through' and she will not be quitting. And Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, who also lost a no confidence vote, pledged to stay on in Parliament. Former frontbencher Chuka Umunna last night claimed moderates were being systematically targeted by more hardline factions and now face a 'clear and present danger' of being run out of the party. Earlier Tony Blair had said was is unsure whether the Labour Party can be 'taken back' by moderates. The former prime minister said Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is now a 'different party' and he hoped it was not 'lost'. The Iranian state propaganda channel Press TV tweeted out a video of activists celebrating after the result came in (pictured) Joan Ryan blamed the entryism of the hard left - including Communists - for the bid to deselect her in Joan Ryan vowed to stay on as a Labour MP and said that she is Labour 'through and through' Quizzed about the votes while on a visit to a museum in Leicestershire yesterday , Mr Corbyn defended them - saying local parties have a right to challenge their MPs. Jewish leaders and Labour MPs immediately rallied to their colleagues' defence - and slammed moves to oust them. In extraordinary scenes at the Labour party meeting, activists packed into the hall to hear the outcome of Ms Ryan's vote. And some erupted into loud cheers, jumped up and down and hugged one another when news that Ms Ryan had lost the vote 94 to 92 came through. The moment was captured on video by Press TV - the Iranian state propaganda channel which Mr Corbyn has been criticised for appearing on - which jubilantly tweeted the result. Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, (pictured at a protest outside Parliament in 2014) also lost a no confidence vote The Labour Party will launch a formal investigation into how the broadcaster got inside the meeting as all press were banned, Enfield Constituency Labour Party said. Ms Ryan, who was first elected to the seat when Tony Blair swept to power in his 1997 landslide, hit back at the moves to deselect her. In a series of Twitter messages, she wrote: 'So lost 92 to 94 votes hardly decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would have confidence in me. I have none in them.' She added: 'I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield. 'Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values.' Mr Shuker also vowed to stay on as Labour MP, writing on Twitter: 'At a local Labour Party meeting last night a motion of no confidence in me was passed. Jeremy Corbyn (pictured with pump station volunteers as he is shown around Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester's Museum of Science and Technology, Leicester) defended the votes - saying local parties have a right to have their say on their MPs 'It's not part of any formal procedure, so it changes nothing about my role as Labour MP for Luton South.' He added: 'I've not changed, but the Labour Party has.' In comments that will spark fury among many of his backbenchers, Mr Corbyn yesterday defended the votes. The Labour leader was about them while on a visit to Abbey Pumping Station Museum in Leicestershire this morning, where he is campaigning on bringing water companies back into public hands. He said: 'Every party has a right to question what its MP does. Every party has a right to challenge them on what they do and how they represent the area and that's exactly what happens in those areas as I understand it.' Asked if Jewish MPs should be protected from deselection, Mr Corbyn added: 'Nobody should be attacked for whatever their faith is and I'm absolutely clear - there is no place for racism anywhere in our society. The Labour MP Gavin Shuker vowed to stay on in parliament despite the vote Labour moderate Mike Gapes hit out at the Iranian propaganda channel Press TV for tweeting a video of people celebrating as Joan Ryan's vote was announced Former Labour frontbencher Owen Smith said all Labour supporters should be worried that Press TV had got the clip and was jubilantly tweeting it Leading Labour moderate Liz Kendall also hit out at the votes and said the party must be a broad church if it wants to be elected 'There is no place for anti-Semitism anywhere in our society or in any of our political parties as I made clear to the Prime Minister on Wednesday.' Labour Friends of Israel rallied to the defence of their chairwoman, tweeting: 'Our chair Joan Ryan is one of the most decent, courageous and principled people in British politics. 'Nothing about tonight's vote changes that fact.' Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Education Trust, said: 'We are lucky to have such a strong advocate in Joan Ryan. 'A strong supporter of the Holocaust Education Trust, Joan is admired and respected by our survivors and the wider community and has done so much for our cause. Labour MP Mike Gapes, who has said he could quit the Labour party over the anti-Semitism crisis, expressed his 'solidarity' to his colleagues on Twitter. And ex Labour frontbencher Owen Smith said: 'Iranian State TV is now live-streaming Labour Party meetings, as part of their propaganda campaign against Israel. 'Labour members should reflect on that for a moment and ask if you are comfortable with what we are becoming in the eyes of the World.' Just imagine being in pain, feeling confused and scared, and unable to tell anyone or summon help. All you can do is groan and cry out, while people come and go around you. When the pain becomes too much and your cries more frequent, or if you start to writhe in agony, you are sedated with anti-psychotic drugs and silenced. It sounds like a living hell, doesnt it? Yet this is precisely what many thousands of people with dementia have to endure, day in and day out. As the Mail reported last week, a study by University College London estimates as many as a third of dementia patients in hospital experience physical pain, sometimes so intense they become delirious. Patients with dementia are sedated when, in fact, their disruptive behaviour was due to easily treated problems such as earache, toothache or joint pain Yet, so often, their way of expressing discomfort is dismissed as a symptom of their dementia. They might spend days, weeks, months or even years in acute pain without anyone realising. I witnessed this many times when I provided medical cover to nursing homes. Patients with dementia were sedated when, in fact, their disruptive behaviour was due to easily treated problems such as earache, toothache or joint pain. While reading the new research, I was reminded of another study published several years ago. It found, incredibly, that paracetamol was a very effective treatment for managing distress in dementia patients. In fact, regular paracetamol was more effective in reducing agitation and distress than anti-psychotics, suggesting the cause of the agitation and distress was rooted in the pain the patient was experiencing. Give them a painkiller and the pain, stress and agitation disappears. I decided to put this into practice with patients referred to me by care homes, and I was astounded by the response of some of them. After only a few days of regular paracetamol, I was able stop all the anti-psychotic drugs prescribed for one lady. Paracetamol became my first-line treatment for agitation in elderly patients. But paracetamol isnt the answer for everyone. Skilled nursing care is the missing factor in the tragic plight of so many dementia patients. Just because someone is unable to articulate how they are feeling or what is wrong, doesnt mean they are not communicating. Non-verbal communication and subtle changes in demeanour can provide a wealth of information about the patient but it takes experience and time spent with them to pick up on this. I was once called to see an elderly man with dementia in a nursing home. I dont know what it is, but Im sure theres a problem, his nurse said. He knelt down and gently took the mans hand. You can tell from his face. See . . .? All I saw was an elderly man with his mouth wide open and expressionless eyes, utterly shut off from the world. Then his lip curled very slightly. There, the nurse said triumphantly. He does that now and again when hes hungry or thirsty, but hes been doing it a lot for a few days now. I wasnt convinced, but realised the nurse knew his patient so well that he recognised minute, idiosyncratic changes in facial expression indicating a problem. However, after examining the patient I could find nothing wrong. The nurse continued to insist the opposite was true, so I arranged for the man to be admitted to hospital for a full investigation. He was subsequently diagnosed with a urinary tract infection that had spread to his kidneys and which must have been causing him acute pain. But thanks to his relationship with an empathetic nurse he didnt have to sit there and suffer for long. Sadly, this type of patient/nurse relationship is all too rare in the modern NHS and even in many care homes because of staff shortages, high turnover and a pressured environment. As a result societys most vulnerable must suffer in silence. DUMBING DOWN JUST WON'T WORK The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has had a brainwave! Patients would be more engaged in their treatment if they were written to in language that avoided medical terminology rather than copied in on a letter to their GP after a specialist consultation. I tried it a few years ago but it wasnt a success. It doubled my workload because I still had to record everything formally in the medical notes rather than rely on a letter to cover everything adequately. Nor did my patients like it. Quite rightly, they seemed to prefer medical professionals communicating with each other about their health, rather than via them in a dumbed-down letter that risked missing key details. Medical terminology and jargon is a language thats evolved to communicate precise, complex things in as clear and unambiguous way as possible to others who speak that language. Most patients realise receiving a copy of such a letter is a courtesy, but it isnt intended to explain things to them. That should be done face to face by the doctor during the appointment, and the patient encouraged to ask questions or seek clarification. To me, this interaction is the bedrock of good doctor-patient relationships. Firing off patronising missives to our patients is no substitute. OLD AGE, NEW TAX! The crisis in social care is not going away. Latest figures from the charity Age UK show 1,000 elderly people are admitted to hospital every day simply due to a lack of adequate social care. I know too well how patients can languish on medical wards, waiting for the social care to be put in place so they can return to their own homes, or for a care home place to be found. It is grossly unfair on patients and puts them at risk of infections and a general deterioration in health: increasingly immobile and lacking the mental stimulation of a non- hospital environment. It is also a shameful waste of much-needed NHS beds. Calling the old and frail bed blockers is distasteful, but through no fault of their own thats what they are. The Governments social care green paper this autumn will set out plans for addressing this escalating crisis. But the harsh truth is ministers have few options. The system desperately needs more cash and Im afraid tax-payers must cough up. The alternative is a social care system not fit for purpose, that compromises the efficient functioning of the NHS, denies many the medical care they need and lets down the elderly. I dislike the idea of extra tax, but I dislike even more the idea of inadequate care when Im old and infirm. A social care tax ring-fenced so it isnt subsumed by other expenditure would let us start building the sort of 21st-century care system expected of the worlds sixth largest economy. If we dont, then as former Labour leader Neil Kinnock once said (albeit in a very different context): I warn you not to grow old WHY DOES THE STIGMA OF HIV STILL LINGER? New cases of HIV are at their lowest level for nearly 20 years. This is in large part due to new therapies, including drugs that prevent someone who is HIV positive passing on the virus. Its also thanks to PrEp (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a combination of two anti-HIV medicines that are taken daily and which protect someone who may be at high risk of exposure to HIV. Its a truly seismic shift in the management of a disease that, when I started training to be a doctor in the late Nineties, was still considered a death sentence. Now, men and women infected with HIV and who have access to the best medication can expect to live as long as someone without the virus. Unfortunately, there has been no accompanying shift in public perception of the disease. We still make moral judgments about those who are HIV positive. We still regard infection as some sort of retribution for a debauched or hedonistic life. This contributes to the persistent stigma associated with HIV, and I believe its a factor in the significantly higher rates of mental health problems in HIV positive individuals. For many newly-diagnosed, fear of being ostracised haunts them. So its no wonder rates of depression among the HIV positive are nearly ten times higher than in the general public. How sad that, despite incredible scientific advances that have enabled us to conquer HIV, weve reached the stage where it is societys attitude rather than the virus itself that ensures HIV remains a feared diagnosis. One in four student nurses quits before their course ends, according to new figures. Yet we face a shortfall of 40,000 nurses. Its an absolute crisis. Nurses are frontline deliverers of care. Without enough, the NHS will collapse. This cannot continue. We can recruit more nurses from overseas but we also need home-grown nurses, and there IS a simple solution. Abolish tuition fees for nursing degrees, and reinstate the student nurse grant. It would send a clear message that we value our nurses and are grateful for their vocation. If retention rates dont improve, I fear we will live to regret it. Sent away to boarding school, an unhappy Winston Churchill wrote dozens of letters to his mother Jennie now published in a collection edited by historian David Lough. As the American wife of Tory MP Lord Randolph Churchill, she was a pillar of society, with little time to spare for visiting her young son. By 1890 Lord Randolph, unknown to the 15-year-old Winston, was being treated for late-stage syphilis, although modern medical opinion is that he may have been suffering from another serious disease ... Sent away to boarding school, an unhappy Winston Churchill wrote dozens of letters to his mother Jennie June 12, 1890, 2 Connaught Place Dearest Winston, I am sending this by Everest [Winstons nanny], who is going to see how you are getting on. I would go down to you but I have so many things to arrange about the Ascot party next week that I cant manage it. I have much to say to you, Im afraid not of a pleasant nature. You know darling how I hate to find fault with you, but I cant help myself this time. In the first place your father is very angry with you for not acknowledging the gift of the 5 for a whole week, and then writing an offhand careless letter. Your report which I enclose is as you will see a very bad one. You work in such a fitful inharmonious way, that you are bound to come out last look at your place in the form! Your father & I are both more disappointed than we can say. If only you had a better place in your form & were a little more methodical I would try to & find an excuse for you. Dearest Winston you make me very unhappy I had built up such hopes about you & felt so proud of you & now all is gone. My only consolation is that your conduct is good and you are an affectionate son but your work is an insult to your intelligence. If you would only trace out a plan of action for yourself & carry it out & be determined to do so I am sure you could accomplish anything you wished. It is that thoughtlessness of yours which is your greatest enemy. I will say no more now, but Winston you are old enough to see how serious this is to you & how the next year or two & the use you make of them, will affect your whole life. Stop & think it out for yourself & take a good pull before it is too late. You know dearest boy that I will always help you all I can. June 19, Harrow My darling Mummy, I will not try to excuse myself for not working hard, because I know that what with one thing and another I have been rather lazy. Consequently when the month ended I got a bad report. My own Mummy I can tell you your letter cut me up very much. Still, there is plenty of time to the end of term and I will do my very best in what remains. Good Bye, my own. [That September, Jennie set off without Randolph on a two-month tour of her friends Scottish country estates, a progress that became a regular feature of her social calendar. ] September 19, 1890, Invermark, Brechin Darling Winston, I hope you will try & not smoke. If only you know how foolish & silly you look doing it you wd give up, at least for a few years. If you give it up & work hard this term I will get Papa to get you a gun & a pony. I want you so much to get on. Dont forget to brush your teeth! & think of me. Lady Randolph Churchill , Winston Churchill's mother was very candid in the replies to her schoolboy son September 21, Harrow My Dear Mummy, I will leave off smoking at any rate for 6 mths because I think you are right. Good Bye my darling Mummy. April 1891, Harrow [aged 16] Darling Mummy, My face is swelled up double its natural size through toothache. I have made an appointment with Pritchard [a dentist] for Tuesday. Good bye my darling, With love & kisses I remain, Your tooth tormented but affectionate son. April 29, Banstead [a rented manor house near Newmarket] Dearest Winston, I dont want to lecture on the subject but I am sure if you wld take a little more care of yr teeth you wld not suffer so much. Quite apart from the pigginess of not brushing them!! However I do hope darling that you are better. May 19, Harrow My darling Mummy, I am well & all right, but have just been in the deuce of a row for breaking some windows at a factory. There were 5 of us & only 2 of us were discovered. I was found, with my usual luck, to be one of these 2. June 21, Harrow Darling Mummy, I have to pay 8/- [49 today] as my share of those windows we smashed. Please send it to me before Tuesday. July 14, Harrow My darling Mummy, Mr Welldon [Rev James Welldon, headmaster of Harrow] told me last night that he had written to you about my going to spend at least 4 weeks in France. His ideal of course is a family. Im sure you would not like me to be away the greater part of the holidays with some horrid French family. It would be perfectly well unpleasant. Of course it is entirely in your hands. But I am sure you will not send me to any such abominable drudgery with your free consent. I beg you to let me have a bit of fun. P.S. Really I feel less keen about the Army [his father wanted him to go to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst] every day. I think the church would suit me better. Jennie and her sons spent most of that summer holiday at Banstead much of it in the company of her new lover Charles Kinsky, son of an Austro-Hungarian prince. September 19, Harrow Darling Mummy, Welldon wants you to write to him & explain why I did not come back [to school] Thursday. The Doctors Certificate says he accounts for Wed. I told the animal I understood that if you telegraphed, it was sufficient. Nay saith he. So he proposes that you should write him a letter saying that I was unable to favour him with my presence on account of anything. Twiggez-vous? Dont say anything about the Theatre or that would make him rampant. With much love & many kisses I remain your dull homesick exiled darling. September 27, Harrow My darling Mummy, Why have you not written to me, as you said you would, in answer to my 3 letters! I think it is very unkind of you because I am very dull here, and am working very hard. I suppose you are busy with your race [racing] party & so have not had time to send me a line. I have been back 10 days & you have not sent me a single word. September 28, Harrow Darling Mummy, Oho! Aha! And now Behold I have written 3 long epistles & not one single SOLITARY LINE have I recd. I am going to sell my bicycle for a Bull-dog. I have known him some time & he is very tame & affectionate. He is a celebrated blood dog & worth 10 [1,200]. So please write my mummy & give your gracious consent. Good bye my bird. September 29, Banstead Dearest Winston, I confess that I have been very remiss about writing but I have been too busy. Do as you like about yr bicycle but it wld be wiser I think to keep it a dog is sometimes a nuisance. Goodbye my darling. Will write again. October 28, Banstead Dearest Winston, Since seeing you I have been so busy I have not had time to write. I have been very remiss I confess but dear child your letters always have the same refrain please send me money. You do get through it in the most rapid manner. Here is a P.O.O. for 1 [today 120]. I was horrified to hear from Everest that you had had another tooth out. It is too silly of you & you will regret it. Send me the address of the dentist as I wish to see him & give him a piece of my mind. December 6, Harrow [aged 17] My darling Mamma, Mr Welldon is very keen on my going to Paris straight from here. Darling Mummy, I shall think it will be very unkind and unnatural of you if you allow him to do me out of my Christmas. Please dont you put pressure on me. Welldon got very angry last night when I told him I couldnt give up coming home. But Mummy dont be unkind and make me unhappy. I have firmly made up my mind not to go abroad till after the 27th. If you in spite of my entreaties force me to go I will do as little as I can and the holidays will be one continual battle. December 8, London Dearest Winston, My dear boy I feel for you in every way & can quite understand your anxiety & desire to be at home for Xmas, but quite apart other considerations, the tone of your letter is not calculated to make one over lenient. When one wants something in this world, it is not by delivering ultimatums that one is likely to get it. You can be quite certain my darling that I will decide what is best, but I tell you frankly that I am going to decide, not you. If you have to go, I shall see if it is possible to make it up to you in another way. I count on you not making a useless fuss until then bless you & work so that Papa may see a good report. December 9, Harrow My darling Mamma, You ought not to be so sarcastic to me since it is I not you who have to make the sacrifice. You say that You tell me frankly very well Mamma I only told you frankly my intentions that I would throw every obstacle in the way of my going abroad before the 27th. You say it is for you to decide. I am required to give up my holidays not you, I am forced to go to people who bore me excessively not you. You were asked to give up a short part of the year to take me abroad you promised refused & I did not press the point. I am very much surprised and pained to think that both you & Papa should treat me so, as a machine. Please do have a little regard for my happiness. December 15, 2 Connaught Place Dearest Winston, I have only read one page of yr letter and I sent it back to you as its style does not please me. I confess after our conversation the other day I did not expect you to go back on yr word, & try & make everything as disagreeable to yrself & everyone else as possible. My dear you wont gain anything by taking this line. Everything that I can do for you to make things as smooth & palatable as possible I will do more I cannot promise. Write to me a nice letter! December 16, Harrow My darling Mummy, Never would I have believed that you would have been so unkind. I am utterly miserable. That you should refuse to read my letter is most painful to me. There was nothing in it to give you grounds for rejecting it. I am glad however that I waited 3 hours before answering or I would have sent you something that would have startled you. I cant tell you how wretched you have made me feel instead of doing everything to make me happy you go and cut the ground away from under my feet like that. Oh my Mummy! I made up my mind I would write no letter to you of any length in future as in my letters [sic] length I can perceive a [reason] for your not reading it. I expect you were too busy with your parties and arrangements for Christmas. I comfort myself by this. As to the style [of my letter] it was rather good. Darling Mummy I am so unhappy but if you dont read this letter it will be the last youll have the trouble to send back. I am more unhappy than I can possibly say. Your unkindness has relieved me however from all feelings of duty. Darling Mamma if you want me to do anything for you, especially so great a sacrifice, dont be so cruel to your loving son Winny. December, Harrow My darling Mummy, Do attend to my letter. I am so wretched. Even now I weep. Please my darling Mummy be kind to your loving son. Dont let my silly letters make you angry. Let me at least think that you love me Darling Mummy I despair. I am so wretched. I dont know what to do. Dont be angry I am so miserable. Good Bye my darling Mummy. Winston lost this tussle. Jennie wrote to Randolph: He makes as much fuss as though he were going to Australia for 2 years. December 22, Versailles My darling Mummy, Notwithstanding a horrible smell of Brandy & beer on the boat, I was not sick. Au contraire I slept all the time. Fatigue, the passage. The strange food, the cold, home sickness, the thoughts of what was behind & what before nearly caused me to write a letter which would have been painful to you. I have made great progress in French. Of course I would give much to return, but considering all things I am prepared to stay my month. Goodbye my darling Mummy. December 27, Versailles My darling Mummy, I am longing to return. I count the hours. I wont travel 2nd [class] again by Jove. Hoping to see you in 3 weeks 21 hours. February 7, 1892, Harrow My darling Mummy, I am getting terribly low in my finances. You say I never write for love but always for money. I think you are right but remember that you are my banker and who else have I to write to. Please send me une[sic] peu. Jespere que vous etes en bonne sante, comme votre fils devoue. [I hope youre in good health, like your devoted son.] Adapted from Darling Winston edited by David Lough, published by Head of Zeus on September 20 at 30. To order a copy for 24 (offer valid until September 15; P&P free), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. Copyright in Winstons letters is The Estate of Winston S. Churchill; Copyright in Lady Randolph Churchills letters is The Master, Fellows and Scholars of Churchill College, Cambridge. The EUs chief Brexit negotiator has softened his stance on a key Brussels red line, it emerged last night, and is willing to link the UKs 39billion divorce bill with a trade deal. The significant concession by Michel Barnier, who had previously insisted there should be no link between the two major issues, came after a series of one-on-one meetings with new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Mr Raab has been demanding a link between the payment of the Brexit bill, which has been set at 39billion, and a commitment from the EU to a future trading relationship. Privately, ministers believe it would be almost impossible to persuade MPs to sign off on the divorce bill this autumn without any trade guarantees or clear detail about what the UK would receive from the EU in return. Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab, right, and EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier at EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday The disclosure was made in the minutes of a meeting that Mr Barnier held with British MPs from the Exiting the European Union Committee in Brussels on Monday, and could ease the Governments task of getting the Brexit withdrawal agreement through Parliament. The minutes show Mr Barnier signalled the shift of tone while under questioning from Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. Mr Barnier said: We may work on a possible link. I dont know what legal form that will take but there may well be a link. There might be a link between the Withdrawal Agreement [which includes the Brexit Bill] and the political declaration. Mr Raabs regular meetings with his EU counterpart, in contrast to former Brexit Secretary David Davis, is believed to have helped him press the political necessity of securing such a guarantee. Raab and Barnier attend a press conference at the end of a round of talks in Brexit negotiation Yesterday Chancellor Philip Hammond used a meeting of finance ministers in Vienna to insist it was equally important for the remaining 27 EU states to avoid a no-deal Brexit, as it could impact on European elections being held just after Britain leaves on March 29. He said: Its not in anybodys interests to have a Brexit without a deal. After being subject to yet another attack in prison convicted child killer Brett Peter Cowan's (pictured) days could be numbered as its revealed prisoners may never stop until they kill him After being the target of yet another vicious jailhouse attack, Brett Cowan's days could be numbered. Inmates sparked a massive riot at Brisbane's Wolston prison this week, plotting to use boiling hot jam, a toasted sandwich maker and sharpened broomsticks on the convicted paedophile and child killer. Cowan, 48, murdered 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe in 2003 and is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years. John Heffernan, former governor of Grafton Jail and author of The Last Governor, told Daily Mail Australia the attacks on Cowan won't stop. 'Even the most violent of offenders detest any inmates incarcerated for child related offences. That includes paedophiles, child molesters, incest and particularly child killers,' he said. Cowan, 48, was convicted of the murder of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe (pictured) in 2003 and is currently serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years 'There is an unspoken hierarchy of offences within the prison system, murderers, armed robbers and so on are at the top of the pecking order - child related offenders are at the very bottom.' He said even violent offenders have 'standards' and most will have strong family ties, which in turn causes them to 'revile' anyone convicted of a child related crime. Cowan will likely be the subject of targeted attacks for the entirety of his sentence, Mr Heffernan said. Former governor of the Grafton Jail and author of The Last Governor John Heffernan told Daily Mail Australia that offenders of child related crimes are always a target for other inmates Mr Heffernan (pictured when he was a corrections officer) worked in the corrections industry for three decades and was governor of the Grafton jail which has given him insight into inmates hierarchy 'He is a high profile inmate in that he has received a significant amount of publicity and most inmates would be aware of his notoriety,' he said. 'After a long period of time and the publicity fades those responsible for inmate classification and placement may be tempted to move Cowan into the mainstream as a trial. 'I have seen that happen on occasion with child related offenders but it usually ends badly when either, someone recognises the inmate or the media do a story on long forgotten cases and the inmate is exposed.' Mr Heffernan said the corrections system is obliged to act on behalf of any inmates subjected to violence in jail. Cowan screamed in pain and pleaded 'why, why, why?' after Davidson poured boiling water over his head Since his conviction Cowan has been the victim of a number of prison attacks, most notably in 2016 when another inmate, Adam Paul Davidson (pictured), covered him in boiling water 'The overwhelming majority of child killers will spend their entire sentence on protection,' Mr Heffernan said. 'Protection centres are usually incorporated with medium or maximum security centres so they will never really assimilate with other inmates other than those also on protection. 'Corrections goes to great lengths to protect child killers so the chances of something happening to them whilst in prison is rare. 'That said, I have seen several instances of child molesters, killers, being beaten severely once other inmates have become aware of their offence.' At the time, Cowan was left with his skin peeling from his scalded face, blistered chest and bulging prison gut after being attacked Another incident occurred in May of this year when a fellow inmate stabbed the 48-year-old Cowan (pictured) in the ear and the neck Since his conviction, Cowan has been the victim of a multiple prison attacks, most notably in 2016 when another inmate, Adam Paul Davidson, covered him in boiling water at Wolston jail. Cowan was left with his skin peeling from his scalded face, blistered chest and stomach. He screamed in pain and pleaded 'why, why, why?' after Davidson poured boiling water over his head. Pictures of Cowan's injuries seen by Daily Mail Australia showed burnt skin falling off his face, right shoulder, right arm and stomach. Pictures of Cowan's injuries seen by Daily Mail Australia showed burnt skin falling off his face, right shoulder, right arm and stomach (artist reconstruction) A court heard Davidson - in custody for robbery and fraud offences at the time - watched Cowan's movements for a month and plotted the best way to harm the despised sex offender (artist reconstruction) A court heard Davidson - in custody for robbery and fraud offences at the time - watched Cowan's movements for a month and plotted the best way to harm the despised sex offender. Another incident occurred in May of this year when a fellow inmate stabbed the 48-year-old in the ear and the neck. Authorities said the prisoner used an 'improvised implement' to assault Cowan in a common area. Reports have claimed the weapon was a sharpened toothbrush. Cowan suffered only 'very superficial injuries'. 'There was no blood,' a Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said. 'He sustained very superficial injuries and he is actually back at the secure unit.' Mr Heffernan said because of the high profile nature Daniel Morcombe's (pictured) murder Cowan was an easy target to identify inside jail Meanwhile, on Friday Cowan was again targeted by inmates at Wolston jail, who sparked a riot in an effort to get to the loathed child killer. Cowan was in the exercise yard at the time and the riot was designed as a distraction, but it didn't work and inmates weren't able to reach him. He has since been moved to the protection unit at the Wolston Correctional Centre which is filled with murderers and sex offenders. Prior to the 2016 attack, Cowan had been confined to his maximum security jail cell because he feared attacks by other inmates. But he was released into a general unit earlier that year. It is not yet known if he will spend the remainder of his sentence in isolation. Guwahati : Indias sprint sensation Hima Das received injuries, so she has pulled out of the IAAF Continental Cup has started in Czech Republic from Saturday. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Hima Das said that, she couldnt take part in the prestigious tournament due to injuries. I was participated so many competitions and needs some time to rest. Also I have some injuries, Hima Das said. Hima Das had run many international level tournaments from the Commonwealth Games to the World Juniors and the Asian Games in this season. The new track and field sensation further said that, she is now aim to show her better performance in the next Olympic Games. I always try to improve my timings. It has two years time for the Olympic Games and I will try to improve my timing during this period, Hima said. On the other hand, Hima said that, 400 meter race is her favourite event and she will concentrate more in the event. I also run in 200 meter. But 400 meter is my favourite. An athlete will focus more at that event, where he or she will get more profits. So I will concentrate more in 400 meter, Hima said. Hima nicknamed Dhing Express returned to her home state Assam on Friday and the Assam government accorded a red carpet welcome on her arrival. She would likely to visit her native village Kandhulimari, near Dhing in central Assams Nagaon district on September 11. Ronald Scott, 70, was at helm of the vessel for the cloak and dagger operation A retired Navy captain and two other British men have been jailed for trying to smuggle Vietnamese immigrants into Britain for 8,000 a head in a sea operation which descended into farce. The smugglers brainwashed by a plot mastermind sailed their boat from Kent to 100 yards from the French coast where an accomplice waved a torch in the middle of the night. Twelve migrants waded into the water from the shore and swam towards the vessel. Eleven climbed on board but the last man could not get up a rope ladder. Building site worker Stephen Chapman (left) and DJ Toby Lake (right), 24, were involved in smuggling farce French police, acting on a tip-off from British colleagues, swooped on the scene and arrested the gang and the Vietnamese as they attempted to flee. Former naval officer Ronald Scott, 70, was at the helm of the vessel as the cloak and dagger operation was foiled by maritime police 20 miles south of Calais. British police had informed the French authorities that Scott and his crewman, Toby Lake, a 24-year-old DJ from Hoo, Kent, had set sail in the early hours of August 30. Police boats surrounded Scotts vessel by Pointe aux Oies (Geese Point). Building site worker Stephen Chapman, 37, from Chatham, Kent, was spotted guiding the craft in towards the beach with a torch. The gang were speedily dealt with by the French courts and sent to prison. A prosecuting source in France said: Eleven of the migrants got as far as a rope ladder lowered from the side of the boat and then got on board, while the 12th person remained in the sea. He had trouble getting up the ladder. When those on board became aware of the police, they attempted to steam away at speed, but were caught. Scott, from Gravesend, was jailed for 30 months for people trafficking by a court in Boulogne. Chapman was sentenced to two years and Lake one year. All three admitted being involved in the operation, but insisted that a British man named only as Fred was behind the plot. Scott and Lake said they were very scared of Fred, and had not received any money from him. Scott had led his neighbours to believe he was going to France for a holiday. One said: I saw Ron leaving with a holdall on the Monday or Tuesday and assumed he had gone on holiday. He does go to France quite a lot. A source close to Chapman said Fred had promised him easy money if he shone the torch from the beach, persuading him that there was no risk involved. None of them got paid a penny. They were desperate and forced into doing something they didnt want to do, the source said. The gang set sail in the early hours of August 30 before being surrounded by police 20 miles south of Calais at Pointe aux Oies (pictured) I just hope they catch this Fred as hes just ruined the lives of three families for his own selfishness, blackmailing and threatening people. Stephen was desperate for money. He asked Fred for a loan and Fred said No, but if you just stand on the beach and shine a torch I will give you the money. Basically he brainwashed him by saying there was no risk. He made a stupid decision to try and help his family, and now he has been jailed for two years for shining a torch on a beach. Lakes girlfriend, who asked not to be named, said he had told her he would be away for work but would be back soon. He didnt say what he was doing. He told me how much he loved me and he would be away for work for a while. Then suddenly his phone went dead and I couldnt get hold of him. I just cant believe this has happened. Hes never like this. Hes normally a very chilled guy so I have no idea how he got mixed up in something like this. Hed told me he was going to change his life, turn things around. Hes a good boy from a good family and I just dont see why he would do this. Im just shocked. Lakes father Anthony said he had not been able to speak to his son since his arrest. He added: We havent been able to see him or speak to him. The Vietnamese migrants are all currently in the care of the French authorities. Frances northern coast remains a magnet for illegal migrants from all over the world, with many desperate to cross the Channel to Britain and claim asylum. Boat owners, including fishermen and former merchant navy officers, have been caught up in people smuggling but it is highly unusual for former members of the British military to be involved. Facebook users think it's ridiculous photos showing a nude Burt Reynolds from his 1970s Cosmo centerfold have been removed for violating the company's nudity policy. A spokesperson for the social networking site released a statement on Friday apologizing to users after several people complained that the photo was taken down from tribute posts to honor Reynolds, who died on Thursday at the age of 82. Facebook told Fox News that the photos of Reynolds were 'mistakenly removed' and the images were being restored. 'It does not break our standards and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,' the statement read. The image, from 1972, shows a naked Reynolds posing on a bearskin rug with his arm covering his privates. It was the first time Cosmo had pictured a nude man in its centerfold. Facebook issued an apology after the above photo from Burt Reynolds' Cosmo centerfold was removed from tribute posts Facebook users complained that they were told the image violated community standards on nudity Facebook automatically flagged the image and then removed it saying it was under review One user called out Marc Zuckerberg for censoring the Reynold photo but not doing the same for hate speech The social networking site said in a statement that the photos were mistakenly removed and were being restored On Thursday and Friday, several Facebook users posted status updates venting about the site flagging the image and then removing it from their tribute posts. 'Last night I posted a goodbye post to Burt Reynolds. Added a pic of his FSU days, his centerfold in Cosmo (the 1st male centerfold in history) & a movie star pic. FB flagged it. It is now under review & cant be viewed. Isnt that a hoot?!' user Susie Hughes wrote. 'I just tried to post the late Burt Reynold's Cosmo pic and Facebook is appalled at my lack of decorum in violating their community standards. NO WAY -- they say. So here he is without the 'stache,' a woman named Cindy Davidson wrote, opting to share a different photo of Reynolds. Katie Davis called out Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for censoring the photo of Reynolds, but not doing the same for hate speech. Reynolds died at the age of 82 on September 6 from cardiac arrest, his agent said. Reynolds is seen above at an event in March in California Reynolds rose to fame with movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights and Deliverance. He's pictured above in a September 1972 photo 'Yesterday I posted about Burt Reynolds and included the famous picture of him on the bearskin rug from Cosmo, his private parts covered. FB told me I had gone against community standards. Yet Zuckerberg is foggy on hate speech,' she wrote. 'My post about Burt Reynolds got taken down for being obscene. It was the Cosmo photo I stole from a page where it had been up for quite some time,' user Elizabeth Roper posted. According to The Blast, Facebook's automation which automatically detects nudity flagged the photos for violating the platform's community standards. The spokesperson said users should be able to share the centerfold pictures now. Reynolds died on September 6 from a cardiac arrest, his agent Todd Eisner said. The Michigan-born actor rose to fame with movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights and Deliverance. Students need to work during the holidays to avoid being trapped in a cycle of unpaid internships as graduates, a watchdog chief warns. Nicola Dandridge, head of university regulator the Office for Students, said gaining work experience while studying is key to securing a rewarding career. One in five university leavers is still not in graduate employment six months after they finish their degrees, official figures show. Mrs Dandridge warned that those who graduate with no work placements on their CV are often forced to undertake a cycle of unpaid internships afterwards. Students need to work during the holidays to avoid being trapped in a cycle of unpaid internships as graduates, a watchdog chief warns Those on non-vocational courses and people who have no industry contacts would particularly benefit from work experience, she said. Speaking yesterday at the National Graduate Recruitment Conference, Mrs Dandridge called on universities and employers to improve access to work placements and internships for undergraduates. She said: It cannot be right that so many students especially those in courses with little vocational element and those without the right networks have no access to good work placements and/or holiday internships while they are studying. 'This means they are more likely to face a cycle of internships, too often unpaid, after they graduate before they are able to get lasting graduate employment. A report by social mobility charity the Sutton Trust earlier this year estimated 40 per cent of around 70,000 internships undertaken a year are unpaid. 'With living costs of more than 1,000 a month in London and 800 a month in Manchester, the trust warned this was pushing many less advantaged people of out their dream careers. Nicola Dandridge, head of university regulator the Office for Students, said gaining work experience while studying is key to securing a rewarding career Mrs Dandridge said research shows that half of students went on to their first employment in their home region but had worse outcomes on average. The numbers of students from the most disadvantaged groups entering professional jobs is lower than it should be given their qualifications, she added. An important reason for this can be a lack of contacts and relevant employment experience. She said there needed to be more focus on outcomes for graduates from poorer backgrounds, adding that employers had a responsibility to increase equality of opportunity. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that 22 per cent of graduates are not in graduate employment six months after graduation. Even after three-and-a-half years, 15 per cent are not employed in highly skilled jobs. The Labour Partys top official in the North-West, Andy Smith, was last year called to a secret meeting at Birkenheads imposing Victorian Town Hall. Held on a Saturday in October, when few council employees would be there to witness comings and goings, it was attended by six senior local councillors, along with Frank Field, the Merseyside towns long-serving MP. On the agenda was a topic that had been dogging Labour for months, turning a party built to advance tolerance and fairness into a cauldron of intimidation and abuse. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses delegates and members in Liverpool, England, in 2016. Following his election as party leader in 2015, tens of thousands of hard-Left activists many from angry fringes of the political spectrum had become Labour members Namely: the widespread bullying of its centrist MPs, councillors and party activists by ultra-zealous supporters of Jeremy Corbyn. Following his election as party leader in 2015, tens of thousands of hard-Left activists many from angry fringes of the political spectrum had become Labour members. Then, largely under the stewardship of the notorious pro-Corbyn pressure group Momentum, which has an estimated 40,000 members, they began trying to re-shape the party in the leaders image, driving out MPs and members deemed to be insufficiently devoted to him. This purge (as their Bolshevik forebears would have called it) had become particularly ugly on Merseyside. Here, Jewish MPs Luciana Berger and Louise Ellman were the target of appalling anti-Semitic attacks, while centrist MP Angela Eagle had a brick lobbed through the window of her constituency office after she launched a campaign to replace Corbyn as leader in 2016. Field was branded Tory scum (and worse) on social media, after his name appeared on a hit-list of MPs accused by Corbyns campaign of having demonstrated less-than-complete loyalty to the new regime. One of the most famous historic examples of entryism took place on Merseyside in the Eighties. The architect of that shambles, Jaguar-driving council boss Derek Hatton (pictured) Fast forward 12 months, to the secret meeting, and the hard-Left was seeking to widen its campaign to local politics, by getting rid of a raft of councillors and officials suspected of being unacceptably moderate. Nowhere were things nastier than on the Wirral, the coastal peninsula adjacent to Liverpool, where deprived industrial communities rub shoulders with some of the regions most prosperous commuter towns. Party meetings had descended into shouting matches, where fists were clenched, voices raised, and women were often left in tears. At campaign events, long-standing councillors had been assailed by groups of Corbynites chanting that they were Red Tories, traitors and worse. On social media, Labour centrists were being subjected to a daily quota of abuse, criticism and offensive name-calling. By last October, 24 specific events said to involve this appalling behaviour, largely by Momentum supporters, had been chronicled by senior party officials and councillors in forensic detail. They were then compiled in a 60-page dossier, containing a timeline of events, with images of alleged online bullying and lengthy statements from several people who had witnessed face-to-face incidents said to involve intimidation and abuse. It was this document that Mr Smith had been called to Birkenhead to discuss. Minutes of the Town Hall meeting, which took place on October 25, have been seen by the Mail, along with a copy of the 60-page dossier. Together, they provide a damning insight into the dysfunctional and warring state of Labour politics under Corbyn, with Left-wing extremists appearing to devote as much energy to attacking moderate members of their own party as they do to taking on the Conservatives. They also shed light on why Frank Field chose to complain, in his recent letter resigning as a Labour MP, of a culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation [that] now reigns in too many parts of the Party. The minutes record that Smith was presented with a file of evidence showing how a small group of members have used intimidatory and aggressive behaviour. It contained tales of Momentum activists undermining people and their roles, public criticism, people not being allowed to attend meetings, and emails being sent to residents asking them not to support their local Labour councillors. This was part, Smith was informed, of an orchestrated campaign to remove long-standing and hard-working Labour officials in which suggestions have been made that people are corrupt and ineffective. To students of socialist history, this might ring a bell: many critics regard Momentums campaign as a classic example of hostile entryism where an organised group, often with extreme views, joins a mainstream organisation (in this case Labour) in order to take control, subvert policies and expand their influence. Such campaigns are currently well advanced in Momentum hotbeds across Britain. In Haringey, a slate of centrist Labour councillors was recently replaced by hard-Left alternatives. While two allegedly Blairite MPs, Gavin Shuker and Joan Ryan (Chair of Labour Friends of Israel) were this week the subject of no confidence votes after Momentum activists flooded meetings of their local party. Intriguingly, one of the most famous historic examples of entryism took place on Merseyside in the Eighties, where a Trotskyite entryist faction Militant took over the local party, bringing what Neil Kinnock famously described as grotesque chaos to the streets and helping render Labour unelectable for years. The architect of that shambles, Jaguar-driving council boss Derek Hatton, was booted out of the party, but last week announced his intention to rejoin. Still more intriguingly, the two Corbyn supporters at the centre of current bullying claims detailed in the documents come from the same political tradition. One is John Maher, then a key figure in the Wirral branch of Momentum. The other is Tony Norbury, a Left-wing Labour member of Wirral Council with close links to the Unite trade union. Ever since they came on the scene, theres been endless hostility and aggression, says one Wirral councillor to have clashed with the pair. Party meetings descend into shouting matches. People get abuse on social media. Some of its petty, but its all about wearing people down, trying to drive them out, so the only people left in the Labour Party are members of the Corbyn cult. The councillor adds that Momentum seeks to enact its agenda by flooding party meetings with activists many new to Labour who have been instructed to elect a slate of hard-Left candidates. At a recent AGM of Birkenhead Labour, for example, the lobby group laid on free food and drink for supporters, along with a creche for their children. These people are fanatics, so when they turn up in numbers things almost invariably turn nasty, the councillor said. Maher and Norbury for their part, vigorously deny bullying claims, and this week sought to rebut many of the allegations in the dossier thus adding to the sense of dysfunction. Complaints against Maher stretch back to 2016, when he was the subject of a bullying complaint sent to Labours regional director Anna Hutchinson, centring on his alleged behaviour at a Labour branch meeting where Momentum activists insisted on passing a resolution pledging unwavering support to Corbyn. This meeting was very hostile and I have since been approached by several members who felt that they were not in a position to vote against the motion for fear of the consequences, reads a witness statement. At one point during this meeting, John Maher said: Does anyone dare speak against this? Adds the witness: I was a police officer prior to re-joining the Labour Party and have been trained in reading body language when in confrontational situations. To me it was clear that the body language displayed by both John Maher and [a friend] was clearly threatening. Throughout the debate they had raised voices, clenched fists and were gritting their teeth, all clear signs of danger. Maher describes this claim as a complete fabrication, saying that CCTV of the meeting backs up his version of events. The complaint to Hutchinson was malicious, he adds. Be that is it may, just three months later, he was the subject of a second complaint after an incident in which two elderly Labour activists were booted out of a branch meeting at the Stork Hotel in Birkenhead, apparently because he suspected them of spying on proceedings on behalf of moderates. A witness statement says they were questioned in a hostile manner, then challenged as to whether it was in the constitution or party rules that we could attend and accused of being spies and requested to leave. Maher then proposed a motion to have the elderly man and woman kicked out, which was passed with some members abstaining and many visibly embarrassed and upset as to how we were being treated. They duly left, with a second witness recalling: I was horrified and embarrassed by the level of hostility, adding that the female activist targeted by Maher was visibly shaking and looked incredibly uncomfortable. Maher admits that the incident took place, but denies anyone was in tears, saying: They were politely asked to leave. The dossier provides several further examples of Mahers supposedly hostile behaviour to Labour colleagues. They include being responsible for an email asking Momentum members to attend Birkenhead Labours AGM and vote for hard-Left council officers, because the old cabal of Right-wing, clapped-out councillors needs a shake-up. He denies this constitutes bullying, saying such claims are an invention of the hard Right. Labour did not respond to a request for comment. The charge sheet against Tony Norbury, meanwhile, begins with claims that in June last year he made a series of aggressive and derogatory comments about the way colleagues ran the party and criticised members he regarded as Right-wing at a meeting of Birkenhead Labour Party. A witness statement from one councillor, who filed a formal complaint, reads: As a woman, I should be able to attend Labour Party meetings and be guaranteed a safe environment. I should not have to experience personal criticism, intimidation and verbal abuse. He was also accused of using social media to share material from a Facebook group called Israel Is a War Criminal, which the dossier contends is widely regarded by the Jewish community to be Anti-Semitic and to criticise publicly a number of local Labour policies, in breach of party rules. Meanwhile, last September, the document states that Norbury posted comments on Facebook critical of Frank Field MP inaccurately stating that he had supported the Conservative Party, and encouraging readers to use the local partys upcoming AGM to lobby against him. At the Birkenhead Town Hall meeting, the six Labour councillors present who had worked doggedly for the party for decades politely informed Mr Smith that Momentums hostile brand of politics was unacceptable. Senior party official Andy Smith was asked to mount a formal investigation. According to minutes of the meeting, he asked that the file of evidence be submitted electronically and said he will escalate the matter. That was now almost a year ago. But nothing has been done. Weve had no acknowledgement of our complaint, and no word of whether any of the incidents mentioned has been investigated, says the councillor. Bullying is a serious issue, and to have it ignored like this just beggars belief. Perhaps as a result of the Labour hierarchys apparent indifference, the atmosphere has since become more poisonous. In January, for example, Left-wingers in Birkenhead Labour Party took the extraordinary decision of voting to refuse an offer of free diversity training aimed at helping root out anti-Semitism among activists. According to leaked minutes of a party meeting, it was agreed that the Jewish Labour Movement, which had offered to provide the training, had possible links with ISIS and the Israeli government. Such links echo a sinister and utterly false anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that wealthy Jews bankrolled the creation of the terror group ISIS to ensure that Western governments remain on a war footing in the Middle East. According to a new draft complaint, seen by the Mail, Councillor Tony Norbury was asked to leave a Labour event because of an aggressive outburst towards two group members. He was also accused of stating that a long-serving moderate colleague was not a loyal Labour Party member at her branch meeting. More recently, a Labour canvassing session in Birkenhead was abandoned following an alleged street altercation between Norbury and Angela Davies, a fellow councillor leafletting local homes. Norbury turned up and started shouting at Angela, saying the leaflets hadnt been approved by the local Labour Party branch, and asking on whose authority she was campaigning, one witness recalled. She pointed out that she was the local councillor, but he carried on having a go at her, so she decided to leave. He followed her down the road to her car. It left two of the women with her in tears. The incident is now the subject of a formal investigation. Norbury is understood to deny wrongdoing. However a complaint seen by the Mail suggests there will be several witnesses of recent canvassing sessions during which he behaved in a way which was intimidating to people present and the sessions had to be aborted. However, one of the two women left in tears, a senior Labour figure called Sheila Murphy, said the experience had left her holding onto my membership by my fingertips. In an interview with the blog Labour Uncut, Murphy said that many local councillors fear being replaced by hard-Left loyalists in advance of Mays elections. Hard-working councillors are telling me that their mental health is suffering as a result. We have a new hard core whose behaviour is nasty, vicious and controlling, she says. Its a return to the factionalism of the Eighties. And we all know how that worked out. One person who might agree is Mike Sullivan, a Wirral councillor who left Labour last week, saying the party had been over-run by a narrow ideological cult where bullying of the many by the few is now the norm. Meanwhile, Phil Davies, the leader of Wirral Councils Labour group, issued a statement last week criticising the concerted efforts of a small group of hard-line extremists who want to undermine the democratic mandate of Labour councillors in pursuit of a narrow ideological agenda. Our whips are investigating intimidation of female party members, reducing them to tears . . . This is a repeat of tactics used by hard-Left extremists in the Eighties and there is no place for this behaviour in todays Labour Party. Davies has called on Labours most senior UK official, General Secretary Jennie Formby, to conduct an urgent investigation into bullying in Wirral Labour. But he shouldnt hold his breath. Formby, a hard-line Corbynist, was recently identified as a former Militant activist making her possibly the worst person to bring peace to a party that seems increasingly at war with itself. A 14-year-old suspected of having raped and killed a woman in her eighties in the US city of Baltimore has been charged as an adult with murder. Tyrone Harvin, who turned 14 last month, is accused of attacking 83-year-old Dorothy Mae Neal at her home and leaving her for dead. Neal was found inside her apartment unresponsive and the victim of an apparent assault. She died in hospital on August 30. Tyrone Harvin, 14, is being held without bail in the death of Dorothy Neal, 83 She was only found after a concerned neighbor contacted police regarding her well-being after not seeing her in the neighborhood for a few days. 'We can tell you without even checking our records this is the youngest person we've charged in Baltimore this year and probably the last couple of years with murder,' police spokesman TJ Smith said. Neal was beaten to death, Smith said, calling the age difference between the suspect and victim 'really something unheard of.' 'Almost 70 years separate our victim and suspect. It's sad all the way around. There's some systematic failure in the 14-year-old's life to allow us to be here talking about him being accused of murder and rape. It's just a very tragic situation all the way around.' Harvin is the youngest person to be charged with murder in Baltimore over the last few years Smith said that authorities speculated the suspect may be young during their investigation, 'but I don't think any of us were thinking a 14-year-old could be capable of something like this.' Tyrone Harvin is charged with premeditated murder, aggravated rape, sexual assault and violence. Smith said Neal died of blunt-force trauma. He alleged Harvin 'beat her to death.' An autopsy determined that Neal had also been sexually assaulted. Baltimore police spokesman TJ Smith said said 14-year-old Tyrone Harvin was likely the youngest person charged in years for murder in the city Smith said that police used physical evidence to link Harvin to the crime. Police do not know of a motive. Smith said investigators believe Harvin might have been doing a chore for Neal when she was attacked. Police said there were no signs of forced entry into her basement apartment according to the Baltimore Sun. A woman who answered the door at Harvin's apartment identified herself only as his mother said her son has been wrongly accused. 'I'm hurting because I know my son wouldn't do nothing like this. I know my son,' she said to The Sun. 'My son didn't do it.' Home to some 600,000 people, the port city of Baltimore has the highest murder rate per capita in the country. Controversial French actor Gerard Depardieu has been spotted in North Korea during celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the socialist state. Mr Depardieu, 69, was filmed by reporters in the lobby of a Pyongyang hotel on Friday but refused to talk to journalists. North Korea celebrated its 70th founding anniversary today, September 9, and the Green Card star was one of the spectators seen in the crowd. Participants cheered and waved flowers during the parade and military officers marched through Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square. French actor Gerard Depardieu (centre) has been seen at a military parade and mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang, North Korea It is not known whether Mr Depardieu was in the North Korean capital to take part in the festivities or as a guest North Korean female soldiers march past during the parade, which was part of the two-hour long celebrations North Korea staged a major military parade, huge rallies and revived its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation It is not known whether Mr Depardieu was in the North Korean capital to take part in the festivities or as a guest, reports the Telegraph. Oliver Hotham, managing editor of NK News, was present at the Yangakdo hotel for tourists and tweeted about seeing Mr Depardieu. He said the actor had: 'refused to allow photos and one of his dudes said 'you'll have a bad time' if I persisted in trying to get a quote from him'. However Mr Depardieu, who became the face of French cinema thanks to roles in films such as Cyrano de Bergerac for which he won best actor at the Cannes film festival and was nominated for an Oscar, did allow a selfie to be taken at the airport. The star posed with a member of a Turkish 'friendship' delegation at the airport. In August, prosecutors in Paris opened a preliminary investigation of a woman's rape and sexual assault accusations against the actor. Airplanes formed the number 70 by flying in formation and fire flared during the event The cheering crowds waved flowers and flags as they took part in the celebrations today Pictured military officers clapping at the parade today. Unlike in previous years, there were no inter-continental missiles on display North Korean participants march with a float during a parade celebrating the National Day and 70th anniversary of its Foundation in Pyongyang The events are alleged to have taken place at Mr Depardieu's Parisian home, a sprawling mansion in the 6th arrondissement of the city, earlier this month. The 69-year-old star denies the allegations 'absolutely', his lawyer told AFP news agency. Depardieu has appeared in more than 200 films over six decades. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in 'Green Card,' a 1990 romantic comedy. He made his name in the 1974 film 'Going Places' after which he enjoyed a meteoric rise and went on to act in wide-ranging roles in classics, dramas and comedies alike. In August prosecutors in Paris opened a preliminary investigation of a woman's rape and sexual assault accusations against Mr Depardieu (stock photo) In 2013 Depardieu sparked a huge outcry by leaving France and taking Russian nationality in protest at a proposed tax hike on the rich in his homeland. Russian President Vladimir Putin treated him to a dinner to present him with his new citizenship and Mr Depardieu was subsequently full of praise in an interview to Komsomolskaya Pravda daily. The Green Card star caused controversy at the time for slamming his home country. President Trump mocked the light sentence handed out to George Papadopoulos on Friday as proof there was 'no collusion' with Russia, heralding the news 'a great day for America'. But his comments came shortly before an interview aired on CNN in which his former aide admitted he 'can't guarantee' he never told anyone on the Trump campaign that Russian officials had damaging emails on Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulos told the network he did not remember sharing the information with anyone on the campaign, before adding: 'I might have, but I have no recollection of doing so. I can't guarantee.' George Papadopoulos admitted he 'can't guarantee' never having told anyone on the Trump campaign that the Russians had damaging emails on Hillary Clinton Papadopoulos, the first campaign aide sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into alleged collusion, received 14 days in prison and a $9500 fine for lying to the FBI, well short of the six months pursued by the prosecution. According to a sweeping indictment this summer, Russian intelligence had stolen emails from Clinton's campaign and other Democratic groups by April 2016, the same month Papadopoulos was told by Maltese professor Joseph Mifsud that Russians had told him they had 'dirt' on Clinton in the form of 'thousands of emails'. Speaking to Jake Tapper for an interview recorded before his guilty plea, but airing on Friday, Papadopoulos refused to rule out the possibility he ever informed the Trump team that he knew Russia held the emails. 'As far as I remember, I absolutely did not share this information with anyone on the campaign,' Papadopoulos said, adding, 'I might have, but I have no recollection of doing so. I can't guarantee. 'All I can say is, my memory is telling me that I never shared it with anyone on the campaign.' He also repeated his claim that then senator Jeff Sessions was supportive about the idea of a meeting between candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin - contradicting the now Attorney General's testimony to Congress. Papadopoulos said Trump gave 'a sort of a nod' when he raised the idea of the meeting, but that Sessions was 'actually enthusiastic' about it taking place. Sessions told a Congress hearing he had 'pushed back' against the idea. The comments were made in a TV interview made shortly after Trump heralded his short 14-day sentence as evidence his trial had not uncovered any collusion with Russia President Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday In statements made after his sentencing, Papadopoulos said he was 'deeply embarrassed and ashamed' for having lied to FBI agents during an interview last year and acknowledged that his actions could have hindered their work. 'I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption,' Papadopoulos said on Friday. Earlier on Friday Trump, who dismisses the Mueller probe as a 'witch hunt', had denied knowing him. Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign, has been a central figure in the Russia investigation dating back before Mueller's May 2017 appointment. Papadopoulos also repeated his claim that then senator Jeff Sessions (pictured in Alabama on Friday) was supportive about the idea of a meeting between candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin He was the first to plead guilty in Mueller's probe while his case was also the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. US District Judge Randolph Moss said that Papadopoulos' deception was 'not a noble lie' and that he had lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and did not want to jeopardise that possibility by being tied to the Russia investigation. 'In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self interest over the national interest,' the judge said. Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats, now declassified, also show that information about Papadopoulos' contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI's counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential co-ordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mueller. Papadopoulos used his connections with Professor Mifsud, a Maltese, and other Russian nationals in an attempt to broker a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Putin. Papadopoulos leaves US District Court in Washington, DC, on Friday after receiving his sentence He admitted last year to lying to the FBI about those contacts. In court papers filed ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors say those lies caused irreparable harm to the investigation during its early months. Prosecutors wrote that those false statements, made during a January 2017 interview with federal investigators, caused the FBI to miss an opportunity to interview Mifsud while he was in the United States. 'The defendant's lies undermined investigators' ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States,' they wrote, noting that Mr Mifsud left the US in February 2017 and has not returned. A spokesperson for First Lady Melania Trump is accusing the hosts of The View of disparaging the Slovenian-born wife of the President because of her accent. Stephanie Grisham, who is chief spokeswoman in the East Wing of the White House, said The Views hosts were disrespectful and hypocritical for mocking someones accent. Grisham tweeted the criticism in response to a segment on the ABC gabfest in which Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Abby Huntsman, and Sunny Hostin discussed this weeks anonymous op ed inThe New York Times. The op-ed was written by a senior official in the Trump administration who described themselves as part of the internal resistance against the President. The White House reacted angrily to the op-ed, while a number of cabinet officials and senior aides denied that they were the ones who wrote the op-ed. A spokesperson for First Lady Melania Trump is accusing the hosts of The View of disparaging the Slovenian-born wife of the President because of her accent. View co-hosts are seen above left to right: Whoopi Goldberg, Abby Huntsman, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin Behar and Hostin took Melania Trump to task for her criticism of an anonymous op ed in The New York Times by a writer who says they are part of an internal 'resistance' to President Donald Trump The First Lady was among those who criticized the op-ed author. Freedom of speech is an important pillar of our nation's founding principles and a free press is important to our democracy, she said in a statement to CNN. The press should be fair, unbiased and responsible. To the writer of the op-ed - you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions. The statement continued: Unidentified sources have become the majority of the voices people hear about in today's news. People with no names are writing our nation's history. Words are important, and accusations can lead to severe consequences. To the writer of the op-ed - you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions, the First Lady said in a statement in response to the op ed. President Trump and his wife are seen above at the White House on August 27 If a person is bold enough to accuse people of negative actions, they have a responsibility to publicly stand by their words and people have the right to be able to defend themselves. The Views co-hosts blasted the First Lady, recalling that she plagiarized a speech written by Michelle Obama and that she also supported conspiracy theories suggesting former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Hostin sarcastically read Melania Trumps statement sarcastically. While it appeared she would mock the First Lady for her Slovenian accent, Goldberg warned her not to do it. Hostin eventually read the statement without mimicking the accent. I recall that Melania was also a birther, Hostin said. Stephanie Grisham, who is chief spokeswoman in the East Wing of the White House, said The Views hosts were disrespectful and hypocritical for mocking someones accent Werent those words very important? Then Behar added: How about, I really dont care, do you? How about those words? That was a reference to the First Ladys jacket which she wore while traveling to meet the detained children of migrants who were separated at the border. The green jacket had the words I really dont care, do u? emblazoned on the back, prompting criticism from people who said it showed insensitivity to the plight of migrant children. Grisham has been fighting back quite a bit recently on Twitter against critics of the First Lady. She slammed Issa Rae, the actress who stars in the HBO hit show Insecure, for saying that the show should be canceled if Melania Trump liked it. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will scrap the National Energy Guarantee after the controversial policy cost Malcolm Turnbull his job. The NEG, which aimed to deliver cheaper and reliable power while reducing emissions, was proposed by Malcolm Turnbull in October last year and quickly became an issue which divided the Liberal Party. 'The NEG is dead, long live - reliability guarantee, long live defaults prices, long live backing new power generation,' the PM said in an interview with The Weekend Australian. Scott Morrison will scrap the energy policy that put Malcolm Turnbull out of his job. Turnbull's proposal triggered the leadership spill that knocked him out of office and put Morrison in power on 24 August. Mr Morrison will ditch the energy plan when parliament resumes next week on Monday - the first time since Malcolm Turnbull stepped down. 'Largely, we are in that position already anyway so it's not a major shift. But we just need to put to rest any suggestion that this legislation is going ahead,' said the PM. However, the government has urged Australia will stand by its Paris emissions targets despite dumping the NEG. Morrison will ditch the NEG when parliament formally resumes next Monday. 'The government remained committed to meeting its Paris targets,' a spokesperson from the Prime Minister's office told AAP on Saturday. Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman told the ABC he was sorry to see the NEG go but assured Australia of the government's focus to continue to deliver policies on affordable energy. 'The first thing to say is we're not tearing up the Paris targets,' said Zimmerman. 'But or commitment to fulfill them remains.' A Louisville mother-of-two is lucky to be alive after she was shot 12 times by a gunman who opened fire in the lobby of a downtown Cincinnati office building on Thursday. Whitney Austin said she was on a conference call as she walked into the lobby of Fifth Third Bank headquarters when bullets started flying through the air. Austin, 37, was struck a dozen times. She was rescued by two officers who rushed into the lobby and carried her to safety. Austin is currently recovering at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The mom to two young children, ages 5 and 7, released a statement on the tragedy Friday evening via her employer Fifth Third Bank. Whitney Austin, a 37-year-old mother-of-two, survived Thursday's shooting at a downtown Cincinnati office building Austin said in a statement on Friday that she was thinking about how I can make a difference in the future'. She's pictured above in a Facebook photo with her husband and two kids Austin, pictured with her husband, works for Fifth Third Bank as a senior product manager for digital lending 'I'm still processing the events from yesterday, the impact to the victims, to me and the community,' she said, according to the Courier Journal. Austin, who works for the bank as a senior product manager for digital lending, said she was 'thinking about how I can make a difference in the future'. 'Our family has been overwhelmed by the support we have received from co-workers, family, friends and total strangers,' she said. 'We are so grateful that people want to help and do something.' The gunman was identified as 29-year-old Omar Santa Perez. He's pictured in a 2014 mugshot Austin's brother-in-law Lonnie Gardner told the Courier Journal that her most severe injury was to her shoulder. Gardner also said Austin, who is married to his brother Waller Austin, has two breaks in one arm. It's not clear how long she will remain hospitalized. Waller said in a statement that his wife of 12 years was 'in good spirits and is a fighter'. Austin started working for Fifth Third Bank as a teller in 2003 before she was promoted to personal banker. Over the years, she was promoted several more times and in 2016 became the senior product manager for digital lending. Austin was one of two people injured in Thursday's shooting when gunman Omar Santa Perez opened fire just after 9am. The identity of the second injured victim has not been released and they are said to be in serious condition. Three people were killed in the rampage, authorities said. They have been identified as 25-year-old Pruthvi Kandepi, 48-year-old Luis Calderon and 64-year-old Richard Newcomer. Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Kandepi worked as a programmer with a company called Tech Services. At age 25, programmer Pruthvi Kandepi (left) was the youngest of the three victims shot dead at Fifth Third Bank in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday. The two other deceased were identified as Luis Calderon, 48 (center), and Richard Newcomer, 64 (right) A photo of the pistol alleged to be used by suspect Omar Santa Perez is displayed during a news conference on Friday This image released by the Cincinnati Police Department on Friday shows a shows a briefcase containing ammunition used by used by the gunman Newcomer worked for the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Company. He was at the bank's headquarters supervising an electrical project on the third floor. According to the description of a GoFundMe page, Calderon was a married father of two, a boy and a girl. Investigators said Perez, 29, was wearing a suit when he opened fire with a 9mm handgun. He was carrying a briefcase with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Perez fired 35 rounds in just under four-and-a-half minutes before he was killed by police. '(He was) firing shots at anyone he sees,' Police Chief Eliot Isaac told reporters at a news conference. Isaac said officers arrived on the scene 55 seconds after the first 911 call. Police body camera video released Friday shows an officer firing through a glass window and killing Perez. 'The police saved lives, and we owe them all a huge debt of gratitude,' Mayor John Cranley said. Authorities don't know why Perez opened fire in the building and said he never worked there. Kathmandu, Nepal: The government has on Sunday formed a three-member commission to investigate into fatal crash of an Altitude Air helicopter in Nuwakot on Saturday. In the fatal crash, six people including a Japanese national were killed while one person was rescued alive. The safely rescued woman has been receiving treatment in Kathmandu. The thee member commission, formed under the eldership of Joint Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane at the Aviation Safety Division of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, has been assigned to investigate into the accident and submit its report as early as possible. A violent, professional and capable criminal syndicate operating "very similar to the mafia" has been dismantled by one of the largest police investigations in NSW history. Police on Saturday alleged the "thugs for hire" - headed by 29-year-old business student Abuzar Sultani - had been behind several murders, kidnappings, and extortions. More than 70 people, including a real estate agent and an IT professional, have been charged with 660 offences. "They were violent in nature, they operated very similar to the mafia where their status and their profiteering was the centre of their crime," Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith told reporters on Saturday. "The business model of this group was professional, it was capable, they were violent in nature, they were able to quickly move on targets. "It took a great deal of work inside and outside this agency to break it down so that we could refer it and ensure the core members of this group would face court." Mr Smith said the full investigation was kept secret from all but the highest ranked police but had involved every branch of the force since it began in November 2015. Federal agencies including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, financial intel body AUSTRAC, the tax office and Border Force were also involved, he said. Advertisement Commuters with tickets to ride out of New York's Grand Central Terminal heard a special serenade on Friday evening, with Paul McCartney taking over a corner of the majestic hub for a concert. Only invited guests including Jon Bon Jovi, Meryl Streep, Amy Schumer, Kate Moss and Chris Rock were let behind black curtains to see the stage, but everyone could hear a 24-song set that spanned more than 50 years of music. It was a stunt to promote a new album called 'Egypt Station.' McCartney said he wondered 'what's the coolest station we could think of?' and settled on the Manhattan landmark. The band set up under a chandelier and in front of a giant clock, just off the 42nd Street entrance. Paul McCartney delighted a lucky audience with a surprise concert at Grand Central Terminal on Friday night. Jon Bon Jovi, Meryl Streep, Amy Schumer, Kate Moss and Chris Rock were all in the audience Paul performed a career spanning set including songs from Egypt Station in front of an energetic crowd who keenly sang along The concert was to promote 'Egypt Station,' McCartney's first solo album in five years. He also dug deeper into his songbook for 'I've Got a Feeling,' 'Hi Hi Hi' and '1985' Despite grey streaks in his famous mop top, the 76-year-old former Beatle was in fighting trim. He performed familiar hits like 'Let it Be,' 'Can't Buy Me Love,' 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Lady Madonna' for about 300 lucky fans who were able to snag tickets. He also dug deeper into his songbook for 'I've Got a Feeling,' 'Hi Hi Hi' and '1985.' While he played three songs from his new album, McCartney did more from the 50-year-old White Album. The sweaty, dancing crowd hardly minded the trip back in time. McCartney may be the world's most famous musician, but he's also human. Seemingly nervous as he stood on a riser in the middle of the audience with an acoustic guitar for one song, he flubbed the words to 'Blackbird' not once but twice, starting over both times. Surrounding fans, famous and non-famous, knew all the lyrics and coaxed him on. Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep is pictured arriving at Paul McCartney's start-studded concert on Friday night Model Kate Moss and Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon stepped out to watch the legendary Beatle perform Fellow rock star Jon Bon Jovi is pictured arriving to the event in support of friend Paul McCartney Fans were able to catch a glimpse of the icon leaving the New York Cityt terminal 'I know this song,' he said in frustration. 'I wrote it!' Before singing the Beatles' first single, 'Love Me Do,' McCartney told of his nerves singing the chorus and that he can still hear it in his voice when he hears the recording. Flash forward a half century, and he talked about a writing session with Kanye West. After a few days in the studio, he wasn't sure they even had a song. A few months later, West sent him a copy of '4, 5 Seconds' with Rihanna on lead vocals. 'I rang him up and asked, "am I on this song?"' McCartney said, and West said it included his guitar. At Grand Central, McCartney reclaimed it. Paul McCartney also managed to fit in an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon after his performance on Friday The Beatle looked as well and happy as ever as he fielded questions. Earlier, he and Fallon delighted tourists by waiting outside a lift for the doors to open Fans line up outside Grand Central Terminal on 42nd street to hear the former Beatle perform, clutching their cellphones to prepare for any stars stepping out Comedian Amy Schumer and actor Chris Rock were among the A-list stars who were lucky enough to watch the concert live Some members of the Beatles' extended family were on hand. Sean Lennon, the son of McCartney's late partner, was in the audience. So was McCartney's wife, Nancy Shevell, and he dedicated the song 'My Valentine' to her. Giles Martin, the son of longtime Beatles producer George Martin, was handling the concert's sound. For a new song about bullying, McCartney invited two women from the audience to tell their stories about being treated poorly. 'I got made fun of for being a Beatles fan,' one of them said. That earned her a Beatle hug. McCartney is notorious for popping up to perform. In 2009 he appeared on top of the marquee of The Ed Sullivan Theatre as part of the David Letterman Show. In 1969, he and The Beatles famously performed on the rooftop of the Apple building on Savile Row in London. McCartney is well known for popping up to perform. In 2009 he appeared on top of the marquee of The Ed Sullivan Theatre as part of the David Letterman Show Video showed the moments after the alleged attack on Lincoln, as Franklin carried the limp child and casually The Oklahoma dentist caught callously grabbing a slice of pizza while holding the limp body of his mistress' son just moments after allegedly slamming the toddler's head into the ground has been found guilty of murder. An Oklahoma County jury found Bert Franklin, 35, guilty of first-degree murder in the 2016 death of 19-month-old Lincoln Van Henry Lewis. The jury also found Franklin, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, guilty of soliciting the murder of Lincoln's mother, Franklin's mistress, Roxanne Randall, while he was in jail. Bert Franklin, 35, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2016 death of 19-month-old Lincoln Van Henry Lewis. He was also found guilty of soliciting the murder of Franklin's mother The jury recommended that Franklin, a married father of four, serve life without parole for Lincoln's murder and life in prison for soliciting his mistress Roxanne Randall's murder from jail The jury heard two weeks' worth of testimony regarding how Franklin (left) allegedly killed his mistress Randall's 19-month-old son, Lincoln Van Henry Lewis The jury recommended that Franklin, a married father of four, serve life without parole for Lincoln's murder and life in prison for soliciting Randall's murder. In July 2016, Randall found her son, Lincoln, unresponsive at home and took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with skull fractures. Due to the severity of his injuries, the child was flown to a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital where he passed away. A doctor who initially treated Lincoln called police because his injuries were consistent with abuse. An autopsy that was performed in the wake of the child's death found that Lincoln had severe swelling and trauma to his brain, as well as hemorrhaging in both eyes caused by a pair of skull fractures. The pair of guilty verdicts were handed down Thursday after two weeks of witness testimony, KFOR reported. During the trial, expert witnesses for the prosecution stated that Lincoln's injuries could not have been accidental or self-inflicted, with one doctor calling the head injuries the 'worst fracture' he'd ever seen. Shocking surveillance video released during the trial showed Franklin walking around Randall's home, carrying an alert and awake Lincoln. Franklin then disappears out of view into the living room. A shocking video showed Franklin, a dentist and father of four, carrying a limp Lincoln after the alleged attack (left) and grabbing a slice of pizza It was unclear what happened next, but an Oklahoma City detective told the court she believed the video showed the dentist slamming the child head first into the ground. Franklin was then seen kicking towards something on the floor which is not visible. When Franklin walks back into the kitchen, in view of the camera, with the child limp in his arms. Franklin then casually grabs a piece of pizza from the box on the side. Franklin's lawyer said that he was kicking a dog, not Lincoln, as had been suggested and that Franklin did not kill the child. The prosecution also asked the jury to decide whether Franklin was guilty of soliciting murder from his jail cell by trying to arrange for someone to kill Randall in the days leading to the start of the trial, News on 6 reported. Evidence presented included recorded conversations captured by a phone that had been smuggled into the Oklahoma County jail for Franklin. Franklin's lawyer told the jury that Franklin had no reason to kill Randall. An autopsy that was performed in the wake of the Lincoln's (pictured) death found that Lincoln had severe swelling and trauma to his brain, as well as hemorrhaging in both eyes caused by a pair of skull fractures. Randall claimed that Franklin hated Lincoln's biological father (pictured right) and threatened to kill him, 'skin him in Bricktown' and cut off his penis In a statement, Randall wrote that she believed Lincoln would still be alive if someone who knew of Franklin's abusive behavior had reported him Following the guilty verdict, Randall sent KFOR a statement about the two year ordeal. 'A little over two years ago I woke up to the most horrific tragedy a mother or parent could imagine. My baby was dying in my arms, and I didnt know why. His abuser was hiding in plain site and the last person I or anyone else would suspect,' Randall wrote. 'Lincoln was a perfect baby and from day one, had to fight to survive. He courageously fought and won his preemie battle, only to have his life cut short at 18 months old, and by someone who claimed to love him. The day he was born, I begged God to heal him and let him stay. I promised to love him, unconditionally, for the rest of our lives.' She went on to say that she 'wholeheartedly' believed that Lincoln would still be alive 'if the people that had knowledge of Bert Franklins abusive behaviors would have reported him. This should serve as a reminder that abusers arent always easily identifiable. They often hide among us as successful people and loving fathers.' Detectives said when they interviewed Franklin, they found his story to be inconsistent with the evidence in the case. According to Randall, her boyfriend hated Lincoln's biological father and had threatened to kill him, 'skin him in Bricktown' and cut off his penis, reported Fox 25. Randall also claimed that Franklin recently had begun to exhibit 'controlling behavior.' Investigators stated in Franklin's arrest warrant that his wife and his mistress were not aware of one another's existence. The court heard evidence that one of Franklin's biological children had accused him of abuse in the past. The judge, who also saw violent texts Franklin had sent to Lewis' biological father, was swayed by the arguments and denied him bail. Franklin's formal sentencing is scheduled for October 19. The Trump administration has trimmed the list of White House officials who could have possibly penned the blistering New York Times op-ed published this week, an insider has revealed. A source close to the White House told CNN Friday that the hunt for the op-ed's anonymous author is now zeroing in on 'a few' individuals, with counselor Kellyanne Conway revealing that President Donald Trump believes the writer is from the national security sector of the government. The insider said Trump remains 'obsessed' with nailing the 'sick person' responsible - while his chief of staff John Kelly tries to talk the president into letting it go, fearing that Trump's repeated calls to reveal the author have drawn more attention to the unfavorable editorial itself. The op-ed, written by someone identified only as a 'senior administration official', describes a resistance movement within the White House that has been working to dilute Trump's reckless leadership style. Trump's hunt for the identity of the senior White House official behind this week's blistering New York Times op-ed has zeroed in on a few individuals, an insider revealed Friday Trump has cried for a full-fledged manhunt for the author behind the scathing Times op-ed which he referred to as 'treason'. While on board Air Force One Friday, Trump said Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department should be leading the hunt, telling reporters: 'It's about national security.' 'I would say Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was, because I really believe it was national security,' he said. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told CNN Friday that Trump believes the op-ed author is from the national security sector of the government (stock image) 'Eventually the name of this sick person will come out. 'Maybe it's nobody. Maybe the Times did it. Look, the Times uses phony sources all the time.' Trump seemed most agitated about the possibility that someone with a security clearance may be willing to leak state secrets in the future. 'Supposing I have a high-level national security meeting and he has got a clearance,' Trump mused about his anonymous Judas, 'and he goes into a high-level meeting concerning China or Russia or North Korea or something.' 'I don't want him in those meetings,' the president said. 'So we're going to see what happens. We're looking at it very strongly from a legal standpoint.' The president was airborne on his way from Billings, Montana to Fargo, North Dakota. President Trump said identifying the anonymous author who wrote the The New York Times op-ed was a matter of 'national security' on Friday Speculation has abounded since Wednesday about who might be the op-ed culprit, and three dozen administration A-listers have issued firm denials. 'Almost all of the high level people have said that,' Trump told reporters. 'You know, when you say that and if it were you, you'd be shunned for the rest of your life.' And he continued to bash the Times, one of the newspapers he most loves to hate, for publishing what the White House has called a 'cowardly' anonymous slap. 'For somebody to do that is very low, and I think journalistically, and from many different standpoints, and maybe even from the standpoint of national security,' Trump carped. 'We'll find out about that. For The New York Times to allow that to happen is disgraceful.' Trump's senior aides have all scrambled to disown the op-ed that appeared in the Times on Wednesday that slammed the President's leadership style as impetuous, petty and ineffective The furious hunt for the senior leaker who trashed President Trump in an anonymous op-ed heated up Friday, after reports Trump has a list of 12 suspects and still more denials from top officials who said they didn't do it. The effort came as Trump leveled a new attack on Bob Woodward's bombshell book, which reveals chaos in the White House and senior aides scurrying to thwart the president's worst impulses. Trump said the book isn't accurate because 'I don't talk the way I am quoted.' Kentucky Sen Rand Paul has suggested lie detector tests for senior aides in just one of the aggressive options to try to identify the author from within his own administration who charged Trump with holding 'off the rails' meetings, filled with 'repetitive rants' that produce 'half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions.' Another tactic being floated is to force aides to sign sworn affidavits stating that they weren't behind the leaks. FBI Director Chris Wray is the latest top official to deny being behind the devastating op-ed, after Vice President Mike Pence and a raft of cabinet secretaries and senior aides said they didn't do it. Top aides have already been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, so it is unclear what additional weight an affidavit might carry. A Dutch man living in Sydney claims he was denied a permit to leave the country and visit his dying father by Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton - before having to watch the funeral on Skype. Jean Franco Vilaro Campos, who moved to Sydney in June 2015 on a student visa, found out last August that his father Salvador was seriously ill in Columbia after suffering a stroke. After meeting his partner Robert Wills a year after arriving in Sydney, he then cancelled his student visa and transferred onto a bridging visa while he waited for his partner visa to come through. Dutch immigrant Jean Vilaro Campos (left) asked for a compassionate permit to be issued to him so he could leave Australia on his bridging visa and visit his dying father in Columbia But under the terms of the visa he was on at the time, Mr Campos was restricted from getting back into the country were he to leave to visit his dying father. The man was able to get in contact with Mr Dutton's office, but was unable to plead successfully for a two-week compassionate permit. Mr Campos' story comes as Peter Dutton weathers a storm of criticism over allegations he stepped in to help two European au pairs remain in Australia. Mr Campos told Channel 7: 'Our application was denied within 24 hours and my father passed away on September 1. The man was able to get in contact with Mr Dutton's office, but was unable to plead successfully for the permit. Mr Campos' story comes as Peter Dutton weathers a storm of criticism over allegations he stepped in to help two European au pairs remain in Australia. 'I attended his funeral over Skype - it was the most horrible and harrowing situation I've ever had in my entire life.' 'My dad told me: 'I do want to see you, that's my last wish, but don't do anything you might regret.' Mr Dutton explained in a letter that although he acknowledged Mr Campos' extenuating circumstances, he could not consider letting him leave the country and then returning again. He told Mr Campos he could still apply for visa from overseas. He added that given his visa situation and given his need to travel imminently it was his only option. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Home Affairs for comment. A former jail governor has spoken about bluffing violent prisoners to prevent them from identifying a sex offender. Former governor of Grafton jail John Heffernan spent thirty years in the corrections industry. He spoke to Daily Mail Australia about an incident which occurred while he was the governor of a minimum security jail, where a new inmate had just been transferred. Former governor of Grafton jail John Heffernan (pictured) has spoken about having to bluff violent prisoners to prevent them from identifying a sex offender 'A deputation of about six inmates approached me in the main centre. They alleged that an inmate that had just been transferred into the centre was a child molester,' he told Daily Mail Australia. They then demanded to be shown the inmates list of offences. After being caught on the spot and with six inmates flanking him Mr Heffernan caught them off guard with what he did next. 'I took them by surprise when I agreed to their demand,' he said. 'I told them I would go and get the inmates warrant file and show them all precisely what offences for which he was serving time.' Mr Heffernan said after their surprise the inmates seemed very happy with his decision until he filled them in on the full extent of what he was going to do. 'Until I told them I was also going to get their warrant files and show everyone in the centre what offences they had committed,' he said. 'I reasoned to them that was only fair - if they wanted to see his offences others were entitled to see their files. I was bluffing of course but they didn't know that - they walked away shaking their heads.' After being caught on the spot and with six inmates flanking him Mr Heffernan caught them off guard with what he did next (pictured on duty) Mr Heffernan then went to his office to check the list of offences anyway and decided he needed to act after he read the offence list. 'I then arranged the transfer of the inmate concerned ASAP. They were right, he was a paedophile,' Mr Heffernan said. Mr Heffernan said an unspoken hierarchy of offences within the prison system. Murderers, armed robbers and so on are at the top of the pecking order and child related offenders are at the very bottom,' he said. 'The overwhelming majority of child killers will spend their entire sentence on protection.' A dam is breaching on the edge of Mississippi's Delta region after heavy rains during Tropical Storm Gordon, according to officials. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for parts of Carroll County downstream from Murdock Lake, where water was eroding an earthen dam late Friday. The area near Black Hawk, about 70 miles north of Jackson, received more than 12 inches of rain Wednesday during Gordon according to radar estimates, senior Weather Service forecaster Mike Edmonston said. Carroll County saw widespread flash flooding with water entering some homes, and some farmers said their crops were significantly damaged. Heavy rains are causing a dam breaching on the edge of the Mississippi Delta, an arial view shows the dam Dusty Myers, chief of the dam safety division for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, said there's one main breach where water is penetrating through the dam. 'It seems to be holding a lot better than I would expect,' Myers said. However, he said it was still likely that the dam would fully breach. He said if it didn't wash away, officials would have to dig a trench to breach the dam themselves because it's unsafe. 'There's really not anything we can do as far as preventative action,' Myers said. Three houses have been evacuated in the rural area. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is blocking off Mississippi 16 and other roads, as water is expected to rise up eight to 10 feet on Abiaca Creek by Saturday. Edmonston said the flash flood would likely dissipate by the time it reached the table-flat Delta, about 15 miles west. Mickey Kiker walks down a flooded street with his girlfriend's grandson 5-year-old Cooper O'Brien after Tropical Storm Gordon The dam is one of more than 500 across the state built with federal aid to control flooding and erosion. Myers said this one is owned by the Abiaca Creek Drainage District. He said the Department of Environmental Quality had inspected the dam a few weeks ago. The inspector noted vegetation on the dam, which can create voids that water can travel through. But Myers said problems appeared minor, noting rain may have pushed water to a record high in the lake. 'Nothing was really a glaring problem th` I was aware of that would have alerted us that this dam was going to fail,' he said. Myers said seven to eight dams fail each year in Mississippi, and said rural drainage districts can sometimes have trouble maintaining decades-old structures. 'This is one of the bigger ones in the last few years,' Myers said of the 60-acre lake. A dam south of Jackson failed in February, sending water and debris rushing across a major four-lane highway. A Florida hair stylist who police say used more than a dozen fake names over the past several years has been charged with murder in connection to the disappearance of her co-worker. Kimberly Kessler, who recently has been using the alias Jennifer Sybert, was charged with premeditated first-degree murder, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office announced Friday. Police believe Kessler is the last person to see 34-year-old Joleen Cummings alive, First Coast News reports. Kessler was already in jail on a grand theft charge after video surveillance caught her abandoning Cummings' SUV in the parking lot of a Home Depot and then anxiously walking around a gas station as she waited for a taxi. Kimberly Kessler (left) has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder. Police believe Kessler is the last person to see Joleen Cummings (right) alive Cummings was last seen on May 12 leaving Tangles Hair Salon, where she worked with Kessler, who was using the fake name Jennifer Sybert Sheriff Bill Leeper said Kessler was arraigned by phone on Friday and remains at the Duval County jail without bond. Leeper said Kessler is not cooperating with investigators but he thinks they have enough evidence. 'I believe people within our community will be shocked and surprised at what occurred. This is where I grew up. This is my community. We all hear about cold-hearted, evil people who conduct heinous crimes in other communities all across our state, our nation and the world,' the sheriff said. 'But when something like this happens in your community, to someone you know, it affects everyone.' Cummings, a mother-of-three, was reported missing by her ex-husband on Mother's Day after she failed to pick up their children. Police believe she was last seen alive two days earlier, on May 12. Investigators said Cummings and Kessler worked together at Tangles Hair Salon in Yulee. One day before Kessler was charged with murder, investigators released an audio recording of a police interview with a Gate gas station attendant who talked to Kessler the day of Cummings alleged disappearance. The attendant told officers that he was working when Kessler came in and asked if he could call her a taxi. The man said Kessler seemed 'irritable' and told him that she had been out with friends and one of her friend's ex-boyfriends showed up. Kessler allegedly told the gas station employee that things went bad when the ex showed up. The murder charge comes after police released surveillance video showing Kessler abandoning Cummings' SUV (pictured) in the parking lot of a Home Depot on May 12 After leaving the car, Kessler went to a nearby gas station and asked the attendant to call her a taxi Kessler said she needed the gas station worker to call her a cab because she didn't have a ride home. He also told officers that Kessler talked about what effects meth has on a person's body and became 'defensive' when he tried to leave and go back inside the store. 'She didn't want me to leave her alone, like when I tried to go back inside and go to work,' the gas station employee said. 'I figured whatever happened it scared her.' The worker said he waited with until her cab arrived. He told police that he talked to Kessler for roughly 15 minutes before she left. Detectives also interviewed the cab driver who said he noticed that Kessler seemed irritated. He said Kessler asked him if he was a born-again Christian and that they exchanged phone numbers because she wanted to go to church with him. Leeper said Kessler, 44, has lived in 33 cities in 14 states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Texas. Since 1996 she has used 17 different aliases, including one belonging to a 13-year-old girl who died in a car crash in Germany and was buried in Pennsylvania. The fake names used by Kessler included: Christina Young,Pamela Kleiber, Melissa McKernan, Melissa Losy, Mia Stone, Jenn Lee Sybert Allen, Jennifer Seibring, Jennifer Marie Allen, Marie Sybert Stone, Christa Brooks, Pam Cleaver, Pamela Kleiver, Pamela Jean Kleiber, Jenn Siever Allen and Christina Melissa (Malissa) Brook. The gas station attendant told police that Kessler (pictured in the black) seemed 'irritable' and anxious as she waited for the cab Authorities said Kessler (left) is not cooperating and they have not located Cummings' (right) body Kimberly Kessler is her real name. Former FBI agent Toni Chrabot previously told News 4 Jax that the FBI will launch an investigation into each fake name. Kessler's ex--boyfriend and the father of her child said he did not know her as Kessler when they were together. 'I'm not sure what she was hiding from, but this time she came to the wrong county and messed with the wrong people,' Leeper said. 'Hopefully she will never have the opportunity to do anything like this ever again.' Authorities have not found Cummings' body, but did discover evidence at a Georgia landfill after Kessler was seen on surveillance video throwing a white trash bag into a dumpster around the time Cummings vanished. 'Kessler is the person who knows where Joleen is and, unfortunately, she has not provided that information,' Leeper said. 'We will continue our efforts to search for Joleen wherever we have credible evidence and our prayers are that she will be found.' Kessler's next court appearance is set for Thursday. Officials at a New Jersey college say campus police were justified in using force and drawing their guns on students in order to break up a fight on the same day that former Vice President Joe Biden was visiting. Amateur video captured on a cell phone Wednesday shows campus police at Montclair State University detain four African American men in what appears to be a parking lot. One of the men detained has his hands up in the air while the other is tackled by a uniformed officer. Two officers then handcuff three other men who were pinned to the ground. Other officers arrive on the scene and demand that another passenger sitting in a vehicle exit the sedan. Officials at a New Jersey college say campus police were justified in using force and drawing their guns on students in order to break up a fight on the same day that former Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Amateur video captured on a cell phone Wednesday shows campus police at Montclair State University detain four African American men in what appears to be a parking lot. Two of the men are seen standing outside while another two are inside the car At one point, a uniformed officer tackles the man in the red shirt to the ground while two other officers have their guns drawn The images above show two officers arrest the man who is pinned to the ground while the other man has his hands up As the passenger gets out of the car, he is pulled to the ground by another officer and handcuffed. A third passenger in the backseat of the car is then told to lie face down while he, too, is handcuffed. The video, which was filmed by student Jaffer Mehdi, was posted to Twitter and went viral. As of late Friday, it had been viewed more than 372,000 times and retweeted more than 5,600 times. Mehdi began filming when he noticed an officer arrive to the scene where two men were fighting. One of the men put his hands up and the officer drew his gun... thats where the video starts, he tells WNBC-TV. One of the men arrested was charged with simple assault. Another was charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Two others were released at the scene, according to the university Officers also used force to pull two other men to the ground. The men are seen emerging from the car as officers draw their weapons Mehdi says that all of the men arrested - with one exception - are students enrolled at Montclair State. It was evident from the video that at least three officers had their guns drawn - outraging social media users who say that police used unnecessary and excessive force. But New Jersey officials say that the officers acted appropriately. The incident took place on the first day of classes on campus. That same day, Biden appeared at a campaign rally on campus for Mikie Sherrill, a candidate for Congress. The incident took place on the first day of classes on campus. That same day, Biden appeared at a campaign rally on campus for Mikie Sherrill, a candidate for Congress. The university said that the officers took every precaution necessary to ensure that people on campus were safe. While the optics in the video may be unclear, the reality is that the officers acted according to New Jersey Attorney General guidelines and the process worked, the university said. The university also said that the men involved in the fight refused to lie on the ground when told to by officers. Officials also said that because the car had tinted windows, officers were unable to be certain if there was movement inside. Because of the uncertainty of the situation, the officer drew his weapon to secure the scene until back-up arrived, the university said. One of the men arrested was charged with simple assault. Another was charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Two others were released at the scene, according to the university. Mehdi, however, says that the perception among students it that the officers acted with excessive force. I believe the police response was excessive, Mehdi says. In the video it shows that four officers drew their guns at unarmed men, dragged one man from the car and pointed guns at the men as they were being hand cuffed and compliant. A farmer responsible for distributing eggs in Sydney that caused a cluster of Salmonella cases has insisted the outbreak isn't his fault. On Saturday, the NSW Food Authority said 23 cases of Salmonella enteritidis had been confirmed. The worker on Glendenning Farms said he has been working in egg farming for 20 years and has never had an issue. Egg supplier, Eggz on the Run have voluntarily recalled some products sold under the Glendenning Farm brand (pictured) Talking to The Sunday Telegraph, he insisted that the NSW Food Authority agreed that the issue had nothing to do with his farming skills. 'It's not my fault bro,' the farmer, who wasn't named, said. 'It is something to do with the birds. Some birds have been flying in from overseas, landed on the shed and chucked a sh*t.' The farm is run by the Osman family and a company called Eggz on the Run. The family's lawyer, Rael Rahal, said that the family has been completely shocked by the news, as egg farming is their livelihood. 'They would certainly not do anything to risk anyone's safety,' Mr Rahal said of the family. Eggs are being recalled from shops in Sydney after a cluster of salmonella cases were uncovered (stock image) WHAT IS SALMONELLA? There are thousands of different types of Salmonella bacteria and they occur in many domestic and wild animals, including birds, sometimes causing illness in them. Salmonella infection usually results from ingestion of the bacteria from contaminated food, water or hands. Eggs, milk, meat or poultry are particularly high risk foods. Fruit and vegetables may also be contaminated, especially if manure has been used as fertiliser. Symptoms may include fever, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, headache, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. Recovery from Salmonella infection usually occurs within a week and antibiotic treatment is not normally required. Source: South Australia Health Advertisement He also said that only one batch was supposed to be recalled, but the company made the decision to remove all the batches. The eggs are being recalled from shops in Sydney after the cluster of Salmonella cases were uncovered. Consumers are advised not to consume any Glendenning Farm whole shell eggs sold in NSW with best before dates of September 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 or October 1. The products were sold in small independent supermarkets and retailers, in cartons and bulk trays in NSW only. 'Either bin or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund,' NSW Food Authority said in a statement on Saturday. 'You do not require proof of purchase for a recalled item.' Fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are symptoms of salmonellosis and usually start about six to 72 hours after the contaminated food is eaten. Illness can last seven days or longer. In a post on Facebook, NSW Food Authority advised consumers to seek medical advice if they were concerned about their health. The government has restricted the movement of livestock, eggs, manure and disposables at the farm and ordered the disinfection and decontamination of equipment. Investigations are still ongoing. Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003. A coroner investigating the death of Australian Instagram model Sinead McNamara believes she tried to stop herself from being hanged during her final moments. Coroner Elias Boyiokas said he had been left with 'doubts and questions' over whether she intentionally killed herself. The 20-year-old was just days away from a family reunion when she was found entangled in ropes at the back of a billionaire's superyacht in Greece. Australian Instagram model Sinead McNamara (pictured) was just days away from a family reunion when she was found hanged off the back of a billionaire's super yacht in Greece She is believed to have committed suicide, but both her family and now the coroner have their doubts. 'There was no evidence of ill-treatment my verdict is death by hanging but there were signs that she may have tried to stop it,' Coroner Boyiokas said. He added that toxicological and histological tests would help reveal her true cause of death, The Guardian reported. 'There was no evidence of ill-treatment my verdict is death by hanging but there were signs that she may have tried to stop it.' A source close to the family said there were serious doubts within the family over reports that all evidence points to suicide, Fairfax reported. Miss McNamara was preparing to head back to Australia to see her family when she died on August 31. Instagram model Sinead McNamara rang her mother in tears before taking her own life, according to the family's Greek lawyer The family's lawyer Charalampos Triantafyllopoulos revealed that the Instagram star had allegedly spoken to her brother before she was found unconscious. She also rang her mother Kylie McNamara to tell her about an incident with another crew member on board the $190million Mayan Queen IV, which was docked in Argostoli on the Greek island of Kefalonia. It follows reports the model was struggling with a bad breakup, as officers review photographs and messages on her phone to piece together her final hours alive. The family claim Miss McNamara had been happy and enjoying her work as a stewardess on the six-storey yacht, which is owned by Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres. The family are now demanding answers as to why there was an apparent delay in airlifting her to a hospital in Athens. A doctor on board the yacht is understood to have tried to resuscitate her before she was taken to a hospital in Argostoli. The Instagram model had even shared an Instagram post (pictured) in the lead up to her eagerly-awaited return to Australia - describing her excitement - just before she died The Instagram model shared an Instagram post in the lead up to her eagerly-awaited return to Australia describing her excitement just before she died. 'Living & working on a boat seeing all that the world has to offer. yep I think I have it pretty good,' she said. 'Today's a day for being grateful anddd (sic.) it is less then a month till I get to see my family & friends in Aus. Excitement overload!!' The 20-year-old rang mum Kylie to tell her about an incident with another crew member on board the $190million Mayan Queen IV The young Instagram model was found hanged off the back of the Mayan Queen IV (pictured), an AUD$190million superyacht docked at the Greek port Argostoli owned by a billionaire It's understood McNamara's mother, father and sister only travelled to Athens after they were told she had been found unconscious at the back of the Mayan Queen IV, The Daily Telegraph reported. She was there for several hours, Mr Triantafyllopoulos told Greek media, until a helicopter could transfer her to a private clinic in Athens. In a statement, he said: 'The family expects the Greek authorities to respond to the causes and circumstances of her death and incidents that occurred just prior. 'The deceased had telephoned her mother and brother shortly before the unfortunate incident under investigation. 'She was crying and referred to an incident that took place on the yacht with another crew member. The family are now demanding answers as to why there was an apparent delay in airlifting Ms McNamara (pictured) to a hospital in Athens The luxury yacht is owned by Mexican businessman Alberto Bailleres (pictured) who is worth an estimated $9.6billion The coroner who carried out the autopsy on Ms McNamara told Daily Mail Australia he advised her family against going to visit her body at the morgue, saying it was in 'such a bad state' 'The family state that Sinead was not having any problems, she often communicated with them and she was happy. In two days she will return to her family and her friends in Australia. 'The parents believe it crucial to thoroughly investigate both the events and incidents that preceded the death of their 20-year-old daughter died. 'In addition, they are looking for the reasons for the long delay between the time of the unfortunate incident and Sinead's transfer to an Athens hospital. 'She had been unconscious for several hours in a comatose condition and every minute was critical to her life. 'Expressing their trust in the Greek authorities, they hope that the critical issues above will be thoroughly explored and that they will receive appropriate answers for the sudden and unexpected death of their daughter, ' The Instagram influencer was not having any problems and was in high spirits before her suspected suicide, her family's lawyer said. She was found tangled in rope on the back of Mayan Queen IV (pictured) Miss McNamara's mother and sister were on their way to Greece to holiday with her when crew on-board the Mayan Queen IV made the grim discovery Greek authorities have seized CCTV footage from the cameras on the yacht but at this stage believe her death to be suicide. MailOnline revealed how just 24-hours before she died, Ms McNamara had enjoyed a 'happy' night out dancing and drinking with friends. She visited the Baroque bar in Argostoli on Wednesday night and drank two vodka-based cocktails - one called Dragon's Breath and another called Mango Mangave. Later in the evening she was seen dancing on a chair. Bar manager Makais Chaliodis said: 'I saw the news and recognised her picture. 'She had come to the bar with five of her friends on the Wednesday about 5.30pm. 'She sat on one of the stools by the bar with two male friends and had two cocktails and a club sandwich. Ms McNamara was reportedly being consoled by a colleague just 15 minutes before her death Ms McNamara penned a cryptic Instagram post (pictured) just two weeks before her death 'One of her companions also bought a round of Tequilas but I don't know if she had one. 'They all seemed to be in high spirits and were happy. They were having a good time. 'They left at 7.30pm but some of them, including the girl who died, came back at 1am. 'The last time I saw her she had got up on one of the chairs and was dancing. 'She must have only been here for no more than 30 minutes the second time and then she left.' Back on board the Mayan Queen, she was seen talking to a security guard about 15-minutes before she was found dead. Lifeline - 13 11 14 Tragedy has struck on a farm after one teenage boy was killed and another seriously injured in a freak farm accident. The two boys, both 15-year-old, were working on a farm in far north Queensland on Friday when they received massive electric shocks. They were moving one of the farm's irrigation systems when it reportedly made contact with a power line, sending deadly shocks through the sprinkler. The teenagers were moving one of the farm's irrigation systems when it reportedly made contact with a power line, sending deadly shocks through the sprinkler (stock image) Paramedics from Queensland Ambulance Service were called to the Atherton Tablelands farm at 6pm, where they found both boys. AUSTRALIAN FARM DEATHS IN 2017 Sydney University research found that there were 68 farm deaths reported by the Australian media in 2017. A rise from the 2016 figure of 63 deaths. Tractors (13) and quad bikes (11) were the leading cause of death on farms in 2017., making up 40 per cent of all fatalities. Of the fatal cases 9 (13 per cent) involved children aged under 15 years. There were also 179 nonfatal farm incidents. Source: Queensland Government Workplace Health and Safety Advertisement One of them was in cardiac arrest when they arrived, while the other was fully conscious but had suffered severe burns, a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman told The Courier Mail. 'The burns patient was transported to Atherton Hospital and the other was pronounced deceased on scene,' the spokeswoman said. A farm safety report card released by Sydney University based on research from the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety showed there were 68 farm deaths reported by the Australian media in 2017, a slight rise from the 63 in 2016. Tragically, nine of the fatal cases (13 per cent) involved children aged under 15 years. The young man booted from a Trump rally in Billings, Montana on Thursday said he wasn't trying to mock the president with his overly-dramatic facial expressions. In a viral video, a man in a plaid shirt is seen snickering, throwing puzzled looks at the camera and mouthing disagreements during Trump's speech. At one point in the clip, a brunette-haired Trump rally staffer approaches the man and makes him leave. Soon after, another Trump rally staffer appears on camera and makes two more guests leave. High school student Tyler Linfesty came forward as the plaid shirt guy telling KTVQ that his facial expressions were natural reactions to what Trump was saying. High school student Tyler Linfesty, in the plaid shirt, said he was not trying to mock the president with his facial expressions and reactions He said his facial expressions were a natural reaction to what Trump was saying 'When I heard the policies, I disagreed with most of them,' Linfesty said. 'I knew what faces I was making, but those faces were completely genuine. I was not trying to make those faces, those were just faces that came out when I heard what he was saying. Some stuff I agreed with, some stuff I disagreed with. When I disagreed, it was pretty apparent.' The 17-year-old student said he and two of his friends were randomly chosen to stand behind Trump during the rally. He told The Daily Beast that he had won VIP tickets and met Trump before the rally started for a photo-op. When people signed up to go to the rally, their names were placed into a draw and I was chosen. Because I won, I got an opportunity to meet the president, he said. At one point during the rally, Linfesty mouths 'What when Trump discussed defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016. The teen also chuckled when the president boasted about knocking the hell out of the terrorists. Linfesty seemed puzzled when Trump made the claim that the country was thriving. The teen was also seen mouthing 'for the rich' when Trump spoke about his tax bill. When he said something crazy, I thought, Wow thats crazy, and when he said something I thought was reasonable I thought, well, thats reasonable,' the teen said, insisting he was not seeking attention with his dramatic reactions. I took each issue individually,' he told the outlet. Linfesty, who is a part of the Democratic Socialists of America, said he saw the Trump rally staffer approaching and knew he was about to be kicked out. He told the Daily Beast that the woman told him, Im going to take your place now before making him leave. MAGA: The on-camera guests at President Trump's rally in Billings, Montana proved to be a distraction for many who were captivated by their behavior Exit: One man made over-animated facial expressions, and later responded to Trump extolling the benefits of his tax cuts by mouthing 'for the rich' (on left before being removed and on right being asked to exit) Blonde ambition: Just moments later, a sullen couple who looked bored and disinterested throughout the speech were also asked to exit (right) I knew I was getting kicked out for not clapping so I didnt fight it. After about 10 minutes they told me to leave and not come back and that was it,' he said. Linfesty said the other two people kicked out after him were his friends. Trump seemed completely unaware that he was being upstaged by his guests. His staffers were not in the dark however, and made the quick decision to eject the three guests from the stage and block a fourth from the cameras in the middle of President Trump's remarks. The young girl who was blocked by the staffer had been all over the place on Thursday. That youngster was happy at times and yelling at others, and at one point she could be seen wiping her nose with the American flag. That move prompted one Twitter user to write: 'If you dont #TakeAKnee ..then the nose must do.. #Sniffle Protest.' A divorced millionaire couple are locked in a bitter legal battle over their former country home worth 2million. Martin Lonergan said his ex-wife Rachel Milton duped him into handing over the rights to their former marital home in Sacombe Green, Hertfordshire, named Toad Hall. The former steel trader is suing Miss Milton, 48, in the High Court in order to try to reclaim the four bedroom property. Martin Lonergan said his ex-wife Rachel Milton duped him into handing over the rights to their former marital home Mr Lonergan, who was earning more than 2million a year as a high-flying company director, said he lost a fortune due to 'deceit or fraudulent misrepresentation', which brought an end to their marriage. After Miss Milton divorced Mr Lonergan against his wishes, she ran up huge debts totalling at least 30,000 under his name, his legal team claimed. The 56-year-old now wants to get back Toad Hall along with the tens of thousands of pounds which he said she owes him. They moved into Toad Hall (pictured) in 2010 when they were a couple, which he bought outright for 1.3million He is trying to get an injunction to stop her selling the house, as well as damages for her 'lies, deliberate concealments and evasion'. Mr Lonergan's claim reads: 'Ultimately, he wanted to return to the UK and to live in Toad Hall and he hoped that they might then get back together. 'He wanted to come home and make the relationship work and he begged her not to go ahead with the divorce. 'But still the defendant insisted that she wanted a divorce and to feel free.' The luxury property is now unoccupied after Mor Lonergan moved to Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. Rachel Milton was the owner or part-owned building sites, ran a fruit businesses, as well possessing horses and carriages and a substantial amount of jewellery He met his wife 11 years ago, when he was earning an annual salary of 2.4million as chief executive of Total Global Steel (TGS). According to Mr Lonergan's lawyers, Miss Milton owner or part-owned building sites, ran a fruit businesses, as well possessing horses and carriages and a substantial amount of jewellery. His legal team also alleged she is blacklisted from having bank or credit card account, so Mr Lonergan gave her a Titanium Amex card where she racked up huge bills. Miss Milton was allegedly lent 30,000 to send her daughters to private school for four years. They moved into Toad Hall in 2010 when they were a couple, which he bought outright for 1.3million. The former steel trader (pictured) is suing Miss Milton, 48, in the High Court in order to try to reclaim the four bedroom property The house was put under Miss Milton's name due to a complex tax arrangement, which involved Mr Lonergan buyinganother property from her uncle, racecourse owner John Holmes, his legal team claimed. They added that the plan was for the house to be transferred back to him. But their financial empire came crashing down around them after TGS went into voluntary liquidation in 2012, and Mr Lonergan was banned from being company director. Mr Lonergan then spent years trying to convince Miss Milton to hand back Toad Hall and repay the burgeoning debts she had accumulated during their marriage, his legal team said. Now living in Dubai, he describes himself as a 'Writer', 'listener' and 'thinker' online. Miss Milton has not filed a defence against the claim and was unavailable for comment yesterday. Her solicitor for the divorce settlement, Michael Sawali, said he no longer acted for her. Mr Lonergan declined to comment. Boris Johnson cheated on his wife on Valentine's Day with a glamorous Tory aide, it has been claimed. The former Foreign Secretary is said to have wined and dined the blonde in front of shocked diners at an exclusive London restaurant behind his wife's back. Mr Johnson, 54, was supposed to be working when he took the young woman out for lunch in the capital as MPs sat in the Commons. Boris Johnson (pictured in London last night) is thought to have wined and dined a Tory aide on Valentine's Day Mr Johnson's wife Marina Wheeler announced the divorce on Thursday. Pictured: The couple together in 2008 at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, when he was mayor of London One diner told The Sun: 'It seemed quite an intimate meal and hardly anything to do with any great matters of the state. 'It was quite a strange day to be meeting a young attractive woman for a meal in one of Londons most exclusive restaurants.' The date lasted two hours and the pair were joined by bodyguards who sat at a nearby table. Mr Johnson's wife Marina Wheeler announced the divorce on Thursday after tiring of the 54-year-old's cheating antics. Diners said the Valentine's Day date lasted two hours, while Mr Johnson was meant to be working Sources said the marital crisis erupted in early July, around the time Mr Johnson sparked chaos by quitting as foreign secretary over Theresa Mays Chequers plan. One source claimed Mr Johnson had dumped a lover to take up the blonde Tory aide. Another said he was involved with only one woman. The aide was described as a young, vivacious and stunning blonde who regularly posts glamorous photos of herself online. Affair: Mr Johnson and Petronella Wyatt, now 50, who fell for his charms while she was his deputy when he was editor of The Spectator magazine But she took down her Instagram account yesterday and messages to her seeking comment went unanswered. She lives with her mother, who would not open the door yesterday. Mr Johnson, who has had at least four extramarital affairs and made at least two of his mistresses pregnant, refused to comment when he left his country home in Oxfordshire. Minutes later he and Miss Wheeler announced their marriage was over. In a joint statement they said: Several months ago, after 25 years of marriage, we decided it was in our best interests to separate. In 2006 The News of the World reported that Mr Johnson had also had an affair with journalist Anna Fazackerley, then 29 We have subsequently agreed to divorce and that process is under way. As friends we will continue to support our four children in the years ahead. We will not be commenting further. Miss Wheeler, 54, a Cambridge-educated QC and the daughter of veteran BBC correspondent Sir Charles Wheeler, has been getting their assets professionally valued in recent weeks, a source said. She has put up with her husbands infidelity for years. In 2004, he admitted having an affair with the writer Petronella Wyatt who had an abortion. He had initially denied the fling but was sacked from the shadow cabinet for lying. In 2009, he was thrown out of the marital home again for fathering a lovechild with arts consultant Helen Macintyre. He fathered a love child with art consultant Helen Macintyre (pictured) who worked for him in an unpaid capacity Both times Miss Wheeler mother to their four older children Lara, Milo Arthur, 23, Cassia Peaches, 21, and Theodore Apollo, 19 took him back. Fashion journalist Lara was reportedly overheard exploding with rage at her father, telling friends at a party he is a selfish b******. They couple are thought to have been living apart for some time. The announcement of the break-up came amid signs that Mr Johnson was poised to make a pitch for No 10. A friend of Mr Johnson said: He hates the children knowing this stuff but theres no getting around the fact that his living arrangements have changed. Allegra Mostyn-OwenAllegra out and about, London, Britain in May 2008 . She was the first wife of Boris Johnson Its all very painful to watch. Despite the family upheaval, Mr Johnson took his four children but not his wife to his father Stanleys holiday villa on Greeces Pelion peninsula last week. He was photographed by locals relaxing with one of the children in a taverna and at the airport with Milo. It was rumoured earlier this year that Mr Johnson had taken to the habit of giving his police protection officers the slip for illicit liaisons. His spokesman declined to comment last night. The organisers of Bunnings Warehouse's sausage sizzle have revealed what makes the $10million-a-year fundraiser so successful. The sausage sizzle raises thousands of dollars every day for charities, but its top earners say the secret to maximising charity dollars is to not eat the snags while working the barbecue. According to one Bunnings volunteer, one of the best ways to boost your club's charity profits is to avoid snacking on the go, the Herald Sun reported. The organisers of Bunnings Warehouse's sausage sizzle have revealed what makes the $10million-a-year fundraiser so successful 'It is probably a good idea to make sure volunteers come on a full stomach so they don't eat all the profits and lose the will to ever eat again after being surrounded by so many sausages in one day,' the volunteer said. Some other top tips included, asking your local butcher to donate some meat, providing vegetarian options, and always having onions cooking to entice people. 'We try to give as many different groups in the community the chance to host a sausage sizzle by keeping waiting lists to a minimum, although they are very popular,' Bunnings chief operating officer Debbie Poole said. Some of Bunnings' top earners in Victoria include Hawthorn, Altona, Waurn Ponds and Melton, with their average day takings ranging from $3000 to $4500. RMIT associate professor of marketing Dr Con Stavros told the publication Bunnings' sausage sizzles (pictured) have an important place in Australian culture Australian chef Shane Delia believes you can't get more Australian than the humble sausage sizzle, saying the 'simple food brings people together'. RMIT associate professor of marketing Dr Con Stavros said Bunnings' sausage sizzles have an important place in Australian culture. 'It's a delicious win-win opportunity for people to indulge in a guilty pleasure with a donation to a good cause,' he said. Five years ago Emma Carey was in a skydiving accident in Switzerland and has since struggled with a spinal cord injury. The 25-year-old can walk, with a limp, and from the outside looks completely okay. However Ms Carey, originally from Canberra, and others living with a spinal cord injury are dealing with so much more than meets the eye. During World Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week this week Ms Carey posted a series of Instagram stories in a 'day of the life' format before revealing to Daily Mail Australia her fear of socialising shortly after she was injured. Scroll down for video Five years ago Emma Carey was in a skydiving accident and has since struggled with a spinal cord injury However Ms Carey, and others living with a spinal cord injury are dealing with so much more than meets the eye (Pictured: Ms Carey covered in her own urine, something that happens on a daily basis) In a series of day in the life videos Ms Carey was frank about her bathroom habits and how they have changed since her injury She touched on issues such as being unable to sleep and an incontinent bowel and bladder, meaning she can't control when she needs to use the bathroom. She showed her catheters, her incontinence pads and what products she uses for enemas. Ms Carey was explicit in the fact she doesn't know when she needs to use the bathroom and she can't feel her lower body. She said that people see her Instagram and believe she has this perfect life and she often sees people make 'day in the life' videos showing what they do all day. 'Normally when I film a day I would show all the fun things I do that day but this was showing on the very same day all these good things happen this is also things I deal with each and every day.' She said everyone has that in their life - people have the good and the bad and only show the good. On World Spinal Cord Injury day this week Ms Carey posted a series of Instagram stories in a 'day of the life' format (Pictured: Ms Carey moments before she hit the ground) She said that while people may just believe a spinal cord injury means being in a wheelchair, that isn't the case 'Before I was injured I knew nothing about spinal cord injuries or all the things that came along with it,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'I think people just see people in a wheelchair and think that is it - that they can't move their legs and that is the end of it.' She said that isn't the case though, and while loss of movement in the legs is a major part, it isn't the only thing. Ms Carey has struggled with her incontinence, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'I never wanted to leave the house. I didn't want to socialise with anyone because I was scared I was going to have an accident and get really embarrassed. 'It got to the point where I realised I was never going to be able to go out in public if I was always scared of it happening because it happens every day. Ms Carey has struggled with her incontinence, and told Daily Mail Australia at first she didn't want to leave the house she was so embarrassed 'I didn't want to live my whole life in fear of something happening, so that is when I started telling my friends and family more of what I was going through.' She said if they were aware of it then she didn't need to feel embarrassed and it was the best thing she did. Ms Carey said she began opening up online about the reality of her injury in the hope it would help other people start a conversation. She has had messages from people that their partner of 20 years didn't know what they were going through as they made an effort to hide it. Ms Carey said she wants to shed light on these things. Ms Carey said she began opening up online about the reality of her injury in the hopes it would help other people start a conversation (Pictured: Ms Carey returned to the spot where she hit the ground five years later) When Ms Carey was first out of hospital she was still in a wheelchair and so any of these accidents were dismissed as she was 'someone with a disability' 'A lot of people who suffer with these issues are embarrassed and ashamed and don't even tell some of their best friends and family what they're dealing with,' she said. 'People shouldn't have to feel that way about something they can't control.' When Ms Carey was first out of hospital she was still in a wheelchair and so any of these accidents were dismissed as she was 'someone with a disability'. 'People were really helpful and kind - it was all good. When I started walking and I look like I am healed people would have no idea why this random 20-year-old girl was peeing on the shopping centre floor. 'People are less inclined to help and be understanding and supportive if they don't understand why something is happening.' She said that people see her Instagram and believe she has this perfect life and she often sees people make 'day in the life' videos showing what they do all day Ms Carey said: 'Normally when I film a day I would show all the fun things I do that day but this was showing on the very same day all these good things happen this is also things I deal with each and every day' Ms Carey said for those without the injury but are trying to support a friend or a family that they should talk to the person with the injury about what they need because every injury is so different Her message to those suffering from spinal cord injuries and everything that comes with it is: 'Inform the people around you of what it is you have to deal with so you don't feel like you have to face it alone and you don't feel like you need to hide anything from those around you.' She said you wouldn't hide other injuries and this shouldn't be any different. Ms Carey said for those without the injury but are trying to support a friend or a family that they should talk to the person with the injury about what they need because every injury is so different. Oktoberfest revellers have been accused of over-sexualising the annual event and using it as a chance to wear 'porno dresses'. A Munich-based crime author asked why so many people felt the need to poorly imitate the traditional Bavarian clothing. In a newspaper interview this week, he said: 'With the young women it often looks like porno dresses, short and low-cut and cheap material. Oktoberfest revellers have been accused of over-sexualising the annual event and using it as a chance to wear 'porno dresses'. Model Alessandra Geissel seen enjoying the beer festival in 2012 (left) and another woman seen drinking a beer in 2013 (right) Some Germans believe the traditions of Oktoberfest have been cheapened by the imitations of Bavarian outfits. Women partying at last year's celebration (pictured) 'It has nothing to do with identity.' The number of people wearing traditional Bavarian outfits at the world's most popular beer festival, which starts on September 22, has surged over the past 10 years. Franz Thalhammer, 70, a former chairman of Munich's Georgenstoana Baierbrunn folk group, said it was a shame that costumes were being denigrated. Waitress holding four Mass beer jugs at Oktoberfest in Munich last year He said: 'A dirndl is something nice, it can make almost anyone pretty. But some of the dresses you see these days are crazy. 'You go in a tent and it's full of paralytic Australians and Italians and they've forked out 250 [224] for a complete Bavarian outfit and think they're Bavarians. It's as if I'd walk around half-naked and say I'm Australian.' British fancy dress shops said that customers now want 'sexier' items as opposed to the traditional outfits. Ulku Stephanides, who has run the Carnival Store in Kensington, west London, said: 'For women, we have either knee-length or shorter than knee-length dresses. People used to have a normal size. Now, because models are wearing these costumes, the girls come to the shop and they say: "I want to look sexy".' Over the past 10 years there has been an increase in the number of people wearing the traditional Bavarian attire. Pictured: A woman drinking a beer as the crowd looks on Ms Stephanides, 55, said while locals preferred knee-length, skirts, the cut of dress around the cleavage was more exposed. She said: 'They have their boobs out.' Although that trend was not confined to Germany, as she told the Times her British customers also wanted to express themselves. Ms Stephanides added: 'That's the new generation. Last week I was serving one girl; she was like the Queen of Sheba. She was buying a costume for 20 and taking photographs to show friends on Instagram. She said: "I don't look sexy enough. I have to go to Germany, to Oktoberfest".' Around 6.2 million people attended Oktoberfest last year, where 7.5 million one litre glasses of beer were drunk. Britons were among the top ten visitors to the annual festival, which has been running since the 1800s in. One of the three teenagers injured after slipping onto a 25,000-volt wire while sneaking onto train tracks has broken his silence from his hospital bed. High school student, Jake Walton, 17, spoke out while still in intensive care at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Jake and his friend Rex Warburton, also 17, both remain in a critical but stable condition after they were severely electrocuted by an electrical arc on Thursday while sitting on a bridge. 'Too [sic] let everyone know I'm in the Royal Brisbane Intensive Care Unit currently lost my voice, lost my little toe on my right foot and my whole legs are covered in electrical burns,' Mr Walton wrote. Jake Walton and his friend Rex Warburton, 17, both remain in a critical but stable condition after Thursday night's incident 'Please don't gossip about it, just send me love and support so I can come back home ASAP.' Another, unidentified friend of the boys also remains critically injured but in the Gold Coast University Hospital after he was electrocuted from trying to help the pair. The three boys were found by police under a rail overpass near Jacobs Well-Pimpama Road on Thursday just after 8.30pm. One of the boys mustered the strength to call triple-zero for help after being caught in an electrical arc. 'Apparently what happened is they climbed over the bridge there and sat on the concrete barriers that support the bridge,' Gold Coast Ambulance Senior Operations Supervisor Allan Windsor told the Gold Coast Bulletin. 'While they were sitting there it appears the electricity from the high voltage wires have arced across to the young males, and they've been severely electrocuted. One of the boys mustered the strength to call triple-0 for help after being caught in an electrical arc (example pictured) 'As those boys realise, they can arc, which I don't think a lot of people realise or appreciate, and that's why they have those safety barriers and fences there so please keep away from them.' WHAT IS AN ELECTRICAL ARC? An electrical arc is when electricity flows through an air gap between conductors unintentionally Lightning is a natural form of an electrical arc occuring The term refers to both the electric current and the electrodes between which it travels Electrical arcs can cause injury, harm or damage Advertisement The Queensland Ambulance Service also told the ABC both boys received approximately 50 per cent burns to their bodies. All three boys involved were conscious at the time of the rescue. Police are currently investigating the trio's reasons for being at the location and what they were doing there. Before the incident, the boys had driven to a nearby service station and parked a blue Holden Commodore displaying a red P-plate, where Walton's student id was later spotted. Train services were suspended until 10.15pm on Thursday between Beenleigh and Helensvale stations whilst emergency services attended the incident. Troublemaking students have the option to pay a $20 fine to get out of detention at an elite Catholic school in Sydney. The Bede Polding College rule that allows students caught with chewing gum or permanent markers to either spend two hours in after-school detention or pay up has been slammed as 'stupid' by parenting experts. Principal Kevin Jones said the fine covered clean-up costs for the mess those items caused. Principal Kevin Jones said the fine covered clean-up costs for the mess gum or permanent markers caused 'It is one of the things we put in place just to highlight to the kids that the damage they do with things like chewing gum does actually cost all of us in the school money.' He said the two-tiered punishment system was about educating students. However, parenting expert and author Justin Coulson has called the system 'stupid'. Dr Coulson said it was a band-aid solution that would not fix the bad behaviour. University of Western Sydney education lecturer Dr Katrina Barker said it was a way of allowing students to buy their way out of a punishment. She told the Daily Telegraph it would be better if they made students clean up the mess themselves. Bede Polding College allows students caught with gum or permanent markers face either two hours in detention or a $20 fine NSW Parents Council president Rose Cantali said that children need to learn if they break the rules there are consequences that they can't simply buy their way out of. 'Were such a materialistic society already and children are given everything they want, they dont understand the value of money and what youre doing is feeding into that.' 'Psychologically it wont work it only encourages students to get out of something.' Kathmandu, Nepal: Kushe Aunshi, which is also known as Fathers Day, is being celebrated across the country. Hindus celebrate the festival with full of devotion to the father. Hundreds of thousands devotees have thronged at Gokarneshwor Temple in Kathmandu from early morning on Sunday to perform shraddha. Though, whose father is dead, go to temples and perform shraddha (a Hindu ritual performed for deceased parents). Two missing children have been found safe and well by police as their concerned neighbours claimed the father 'had just come out of prison.' Lancashire Police launched a search for a four-year-old girl and her three-month-old half sister, after they were last seen at about 2pm on Friday getting into a dark coloured Vauxhall Corsa on St Anne's Street in Preston. The children were both found at an address in Blackpool this afternoon. A man aged 30 and a woman aged 37 have been arrested on suspicion of child neglect. Neighbours claimed the family were involved with social services and that Johnathan Almond (left) had recently been 'released from prison' Neighbours told MailOnline that the family were known to social services and that Johnathan Almond had only been released from prison on Friday after 'serving a sentence for drink-driving.' They also claimed social services became involved with the family because Sonia Duarte, a Portuguese national, is a drug user. Rozanne Duncan, 31, lives across the road from the family and admitted she was 'very concerned' for their welfare. The mother-of-two said: 'Their mother has said she uses heroin and she never looked after the children very well. 'Her house is a mess and there's no couch or cooker.' It's understood Mr Almond is the father of the baby, but the four-year-old is from a previous relationship. She added that the couple, who've been together about two years, had a 'turbulent relationship' and there had been incidents of 'heavy drinking' and domestic violence. The children were last seen on Friday afternoon getting into a dark coloured Vauxhall Corsa on St Anne's Street (pictured) Another neighbour, who didn't wish to be named, said she was also aware that the mother was a drug user and social services had had contact with the family. 'She never looked in a good way and I saw her shaking in the street a few times,' she said. 'Other drug addicts regularly call at her home and I feel so sorry for her two children with all that going on 'I was told she'd been in court Friday and social services were ready to take the children off her. 'The father had only got of prison the same day for a drink-driving offence so they must have decided to disappear.' 'I hope the police find them because I'm worried what will happen to the two children.' Police launched a nationwide search for the two youngsters and urged anyone who may have seen them to come forward. Sgt James Hesketh, of Preston Police said: 'We are growing increasingly concerned about Suria and Leticia. 'I would urge anyone who sees anyone matching their description or who knows where they might be to get in touch. 'I would also ask the parents to contact us if they see this appeal to let us know the children are okay.' A British backpacker who was allegedly, drugged tied up an raped on the Thai island of Koh Tao has warned others not to go there amid safety fears. The 19-year-old Brit claims she was drugged while drinking on Sairee Beach, and later woke up on the sand with no underwear on, next to an unknown man who had sexually assaulted her. Speaking publicly for the first time since the attack, she said Thai authorities have tried to discredit her without the proper forensic checks, and are now threatening to ban her from the country. The 19-year-old Briton claims she was drugged and raped on Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, but police, pictured walking on Sairee Beach during a press conference, say they have found no forensic evidence or witnesses to back her allegations The girl drank at Leo Bar (pictured next to the large rock) on Koh Tao before she was raped and robbed on the beach The gap year student from London added they were 'suppressing the truth' to avoid a negative impact of tourism. 'I would urge other young people to stay away. I would never feel safe going back to Koh Tao' she told the Times. 'I wouldn't tell people not to go to Thailand in general, it is one of my favourite countries. But it is a beautiful place with a dark side that blinds you'. Police have questioned the teenager's account of the events, which allegedly took place on June 26, claiming she would not have been able to drink on the beach as it was flooded by the tide. After a visit to the island, deputy tourist police chief Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn has previously said that officers found no forensic evidence or witnesses to an assault. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allegedly too scared to report the rape, but told local police she had her phone and 3,000 baht (71) stolen. The safety of the idyllic Koh Tao island has been questioned for years, and were heightened after the murders of Hannah Witheridge (left), 23, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and David Miller (right), 24, from Jersey in 2014 She left Koh Tao on June 26, and then attempted to report her ordeal to the police on nearby Koh Phangan police. The girl's family claims officers refused to take any details of the rape as it was not part of their jurisdiction. The teenager reported the crime upon her return to the UK, after which the Thai police have independently begun investigating the alleged rape. This week, twelve people have been threatened with arrest for sharing details on the alleged attack on Facebook and A British journalist is being sought for arrest after reporting the case on her website, Samui Times. The girl's mother previously said she would 'never let my daughter return to Thailand' and offered to go instead before the three-month limit for reporting a crime passes. Speaking from her home in the UK, she said: 'She was having a fantastic time. She had an amazing time working at an orphanage in Sri Lanka then went to meet her friends in Koh Phi Phi [in Thailand]. 'This was a disaster, an absolute disaster. It's changed her life, it's changed her freedom, she's even scared to be here. 'The [British] police have the [semen covered] t-shirt [of her alleged attacker] so what more evidence is there? This is the trouble, it's her word against them, the whole of the police force of Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. 'The British Embassy is in touch with me, their hands are tied too, aren't they? Nobody really knows what to do because it's so dark. 'I'm not letting my daughter go back to Thailand. I will go back, I've been in touch with the FCO and they said they would be happy to meet me and keep me safe.' The three-month limit means the girl has until September to report the crime. The backpackers' bodies were found in the surf on Sairee Beach (pictured) in the early hours of the morning Her mother told local media: 'This island is run by two mafia families who cover up, sickly cover up, somebody or some people who enjoy spiking, raping and murdering. 'It has to stop. My daughter is a survivor and she managed to come back (to Britain)'. The safety of the idyllic Koh Tao island has been questioned for years, and were heightened after the murders of Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and David Miller, 24, from Jersey in 2014. Ms Witheridge had been savagely raped and beaten to death and Mr Miller had been beaten unconscious and left to drown in the incoming tide on Sairee Beach. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were sentenced to death for the killings. But although Mr Miller's family called the verdict 'justice', the trial of the two Burmese migrant workers was plagued by accusations of human rights abuses. The men, apprehended soon after the pair's bodies were found, initially confessed to the crime only to retract their statements amid claims they were extracted by torture. Following their conviction there were protests in Myanmar saying they were 'scapegoats'. Four other Western tourists, including three more Britons, have died on the island in the years following their deaths and the family of some of the deceased accused local police of not investigating the deaths properly. Koh Tao has become a huge draw for young backpackers thanks to its stunning beaches and cheap accommodation. As many as 750,000 Britons visit each year. A teenager who is believed to have been stabbed to death at an 18th birthday party has been named locally, as police launch a murder investigation. Tributes have been flooding in for Eddie O'Rourke, who is thought to have been knifed while attending a party at the Halton Royal British Legion Club in Runcorn, Cheshire. Police raced to the scene at around 8.30pm last night following reports of a 'disturbance'. Police have launched a murder investigation after Eddie O'Rourke (left) died at an 18th birthday party in Runcorn, Cheshire Tributes have been flooding in for 18-year-old Eddie O'Rourke (pictured) who died last night. One person wrote on Facebook: 'Sleep tight Eddie kid. One of the most politest and well mannered lads I've ever come across.' Chelsie O'Rourke changed her profile picture on Facebook this morning to an image of her and Eddie Tributes have been left at the scene, and dozens of tributes have also been left online for the teenager They found the teen with a 'serious injury' but despite being rushed to hospital by ambulance, he later died. Cheshire Police have now arrested three boys aged 17, 16 and 15 from the Runcorn area, on suspicion of murder. Detective Inspector Adam Waller, of Cheshire Police's Major Investigation Team, said: 'Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and we are working incredibly hard to establish the exact circumstances of what happened. 'Three teenage boys from Runcorn aged 17, 16 and 15 have been arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to the incident. 'I would like to reassure the community that, at this stage, this is believed to be an isolated incident. 'Local officers remain in the area to provide reassurance to the community and anyone with any issues or concerns is urged to speak to them.' Josh Christian shared an image of the teenager with a candle in the background and the words 'Sleep tight Eddie O'Rourke' Dozens have been taking to social media to share tributes for the youngster. Karen Richardson wrote on Facebook: 'So so sad, R.I.P Eddie, only two years and two days after your dad's anniversary. 'Devastating what your family are going through, thinking of them all.' While Paulajane Keeley said: 'Heartbreaking for so many families around Liverpool and around the country. What's going on with the kids of today.' Chelsie O'Rourke has changed her profile picture on Facebook to an image of Eddie. Captioning the picture, she said: 'My Eddie, we will get justice for you. I love you always from your Chel.' Josh Christian shared an image of the teenager with a candle in the background and the words 'Sleep tight Eddie O'Rourke'. Many have spoken of their encounters with the youngster. Bobbi-Jo Dowling said: 'Sleep tight Eddie kid. One of the most politest and well mannered lads I've ever come across. 'Credit to his family, thoughts are with them all. Gone far too soon lad.' While Joanne Fraser said: 'An innocent 18th party. How sad. Rip thoughts with family' Cheshire Police is currently supporting the family with specialist officers. Many have questioned why there was a knife at the party. Christine Stephenson said: 'What are the idiots doing with a knife at a party? Looking for a fight. So sad. While Chelsea Ashman said: 'No more knife crime. My heart is with all of the O'Rourkes for their tragic loss'. Writing last night, Lisa Lowe said: '18 years old and stabbed to death tonight. Far too young to die. Knife crime needs stopping, and stopping now.' Police have set up a cordon around the Royal British Legion in Halton, Runcorn. Cheshire police launched a murder investigation last night following a reported 'disturbance' Tributes have been flooding in for Eddie O'Rourke with many labeling the news 'devastating'. Others, who knew the teenager, have shared their sympathies with the family (Above and below) She went on to say: 'Honestly don't know what the world is coming to. RIP Eddie O'Rourke, thoughts are with your family and friends.' More tributes are being left this afternoon, Jackie Daintry said: 'Your child goes to a party come home in a body back. How cruel this world. 'To get that dreaded knock on door. My god my heart goes out to his poor parents. My prayers and thought for them all rip young man taken well before your time.' According to eyewitnesses, as reported in the Liverpool Echo, bar staff had tried to break up a fight inside the Royal British Legion before the brawl was taken outside. Cards have been left at the scene of the stabbing with one saying the teenager will be 'truly missed' Another mourner, who signed her card India, said the Eddie O'Rourke: 'Hope you're watching down on your family.' The witness, who asked not to be named, said: 'There was an 18th birthday party being held in the big room next door and a fight broke out, with a load of kids shouting and fighting. 'The bar staff tried to break it up, but it continued outside and a lot of other people came out. 'Then all of a sudden I heard someone shouting a lad's name and then 'wake up.' 'It all happened really quickly.' Several have already been to pay tribute to the teenager this morning. Police were called to a 'disturbance' at the Halton Royal British Legion (pictured) on Castle Road in Runcorn at around 8.30pm yesterday but on arrival found an 18-year-old had sustained a serious injury The incident took place at Halton Royal British Legion (pictured) in Runcorn, Cheshire. The town is around 18 miles away from Liverpool Steven Hanaghan, 20, said he had been mates with the victim for years, reports the Liverpool Echo. He said: 'He didn't deserve it. He was the nicest, kindest person you'll ever meet. He would do anything for anyone. 'For something like this to happen, it's not fair. We've always been mates and I just want justice for him.' Launching the murder investigation, police appealed for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage from the area at the time to contact investigators. Detective Inspector Adam Waller said: 'We are in the very early stages of piecing together the events of tonight. 'Enquiries are ongoing and I urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that may help our investigation to get in touch. 'I am keen to hear from anyone who was driving along Main Street or Castle Road at around 8.30pm and thinks they may have dashcam footage of the incident or anything else that may aid our investigation.' Police are yet to confirm if a knife was involved in the 'disturbance'. Anyone with information is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101, quoting IML 177899, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. They can submit dashcam footage at www.cheshire.police.uk/advice-and-support/roads-and-vehicle-safety/submit-dashca m-footage. A university lecturer has been accused of a 'ludicrous' assault on academic freedom after she asked thousands of members of a Facebook group to create and spread a list of academics she deemed to be 'transphobic'. Natacha Kennedy, a researcher at Goldsmiths University of London, who describes herself as a 'bolshie trans woman' asked people in the closed group to shame academics if they did not agree with the activist's views that people born biologically male could be women. She called the list 'necessary' so that students could avoid accepting a place on a 'dangerous' course. Natacha Kennedy, a researcher at Goldsmiths University of London, who describes herself as a 'bolshie trans woman' asked people in the closed group to accuse professors of hate crimes if they did not agree with the activist's views that people born biologically male could be women Rosa Freedman (right) and Kathleen Stock (left) were among the women Ms Kennedy attempted to blacklist Staff at Oxford, Warwick, Bristol, Sussex and Reading were among those deemed 'unsafe' as they employed academics who have publicly disputed Ms Kennedy's belief that 'transwomen are women'. Rosa Freedman, a professor of law, conflict and global development, at the University of Reading, was listed for saying 'biological males' should not have access to women's refuges. One activist boasted she had been reported the professor for 'hate speech' several times. Professor Freedman told The Times: 'We are talking about the aggressive trolling of women who are experts. I have received penis pictures telling me to "suck my girl cock". This is straight-up, aggressive, anti-woman misogyny. 'The idea that writing about women's rights automatically becomes a hate crime in some people's eyes is ludicrous.' All the named academics were women. Another included was Kathleen Stock, a professor at the University of Sussex who has argued against redefining the category of woman and lesbian 'to include men'. Writing on the Facebook post in Trans Rights UK, one wrote: 'File a hate crime report against her, and then the chairman and vice-chair. Drag them over the f***ing coals'. Pictured: Natacha Kennedy Writing on the Facebook post in Trans Rights UK, one wrote: 'File a hate crime report against her, and then the chairman and vice-chair. Drag them over the f***ing coals.' In response to her environment being called 'unsafe', Professor Stock told the Times: 'What would make a philosophy department unsafe is if its academics weren't allowed to challenge currently popular beliefs or ideologies for fear of offending. 'Deliberately plotting to have my department lose students, or to have me dismissed, through covert means, is surprising behaviour from a fellow academic.' A university lecturer has been accused of a 'ludicrous' assault on academic freedom after she asked thousands of members of a Facebook group to create and spread a list of academics she deemed to be 'transphobic' Goldsmiths University confirmed Ms Kennedy was an employee, but did not confirm to the Times why she appeared in the staff directory twice, once as Mark Hellen in the department for education and once as Natacha Kennedy in equality and diversity reports. The University also did not clarify why one academic paper appeared to cite Mark Hellen and Natacha Kennedy as co-authors on a paper, when they appeared to be the same person. A spokesman said: 'Goldsmiths prides itself on its inclusive community and is committed to the values of freedom of speech within the law.' A violent, professional and capable criminal syndicate operating 'very similar to the mafia' has been dismantled by one of the largest police investigations in NSW history. Police on Saturday alleged the 'thugs for hire' - headed by 29-year-old business student Abuzar Sultani - had been behind several murders, kidnappings, and extortions. More than 70 people, including a real estate agent and an IT professional, have been charged with 660 offences. A violent and professional criminal syndicate has been dismantled by police in a three year investigation 'They were violent in nature, they operated very similar to the mafia where their status and their profiteering was the centre of their crime,' Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith told reporters on Saturday. 'The business model of this group was professional, it was capable, they were violent in nature, they were able to quickly move on targets. 'It took a great deal of work inside and outside this agency to break it down so that we could refer it and ensure the core members of this group would face court.' Police alleged on Saturday that network was headed 29-year-old Abuzar Sultani (pictured) Mr Smith said the full investigation was kept secret from all but the highest ranked police but had involved every branch of the force since it began in November 2015. Federal agencies including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, financial intel body AUSTRAC, the tax office and Border Force were also involved, he said. A panicked mother thought her two-year-old daughter was dead before a heroic bystander saved the little girl's life. Chloe Tuff, was driving in Sandringham, southeast Melbourne when her 2-year-old daughter, Amelia, dropped her lollipop and began having an uncontrollable seizure in the car without any warning. She immediately pulled over and dialed triple-zero before council worker, Scott Walker, saw her in distress while passing by and ran over to help. The Chelsea Heights mother-of-two told Daily Mail Australia this was Amelia's first ever seizure and the child is well and back to being a 'naughty toddler'. Scroll down for Video Chloe Tuff, was driving in Sandringham, southeast Melbourne when her 2-year-old daughter, Amelia, dropped her lollipop and began having an uncontrollable seizure in the car without any warning Mrs Tuff told Daily Mail Australia this was Amelia's first ever seizure and the child is well and back to being a 'naughty toddler' - she has never even had a cold Mr Scott Walker had completed an advanced first-aid course only one week before he saved the 2-year-olds life - he now urges every parent to take the course. Prior to Walker's critical help, Chloe was performing CPR with one hand while dialing for help with the other. She found the situation very difficult and was struggling to communicate details like the street name and location to emergency services. 'I was in such a state of shock with everything happening, for those first few moments after the seizure and when she was just unconscious and blue I just was hysterical as I thought she was dead,' she said. Scott Walker was passing by and saw the traumatic situation and immediately came to the resuce Mr Walker has been nominated for a Pride of Australia award for his compassion and help 'I was on the phone to 000 whilst trying to do CPR and trying to scream her name and ''will someone help me''.' Mr Walker was able to take control of the situation and take Amelia's vitals while communicating with emergency services as his workmates directed the traffic. Another passer-by also helped the mother by entertaining her one-year-old daughter Peggy who was also in the car at the time. Mr Walker has been nominated for a Pride of Australia award for his compassion and help. Mrs Tuff and husband Luke said they are grateful for the help from Mr Walker. 'I think I thought someone will come to me, but I never thought I'd be so lucky to have someone as amazing as Scott, who had the training and knowledge and just his whole persona of being so caring and selfless, he is one in a million, and still so humble,' Mrs Tuff said. Another passerby also helped the mother by entertaining her one-year-old daughter Peggy who was also in the car at the time Mrs Tuff has also given some advice to other parents: 'My advice is to every single person, but especially parents please do a first aid course, and I know that's the message Scott really wants to get out too - he is very passionate about people knowing first aid.' 'I did a first aid course when Amelia was about 8 months, and I definitely need a refresher but it gave me the confidence to at least try CPR. 'As a parent, you never want to be in a situation where you think your child is dying in front of your eyes and you are helpless... and it can happen to anyone.' A mother has revealed how her touch helped her premature baby survive the odds in intensive care. Baby Georgina weighed just 975 grams when she was born at the The Royal Hospital in Randwick, Sydney. At 32 weeks, mother Jodie Harris held her newborn baby to her chest for a 'kangaroo cuddle'. Covered in life-support equipment and confined to an incubator, Mrs Harris was frightened to pick up her newborn because she was so fragile. Baby Georgina (pictured) weighed just 975 grams when she was born at the The Royal hospital in Randwick. 'I was scared to touch her; Georgia was tiny and covered in wires and the thought of fumbling my way through and lifting up her bottom was too much,' Mrs Harris told the Sydney Morning Herald. As the mother brought her in to her chest for a cuddle her fears disappeared. 'As soon as she felt me, she stopped crying and curled up into her foetal position. She just knows the voices, the heartbeat, and that's what they need to grow, not just nutrients, but love.' Patients of the Royal Hospital for Women's Newborn Intensive Care Unit are being urged to care for their premature baby in ways usually reserved for nurses. Even the smallest of babies are being washed, changed and weighed by their mothers in an emerging care program called Family Integrated Care (FIC). Parents are also feeding their babies using tiny syringes and taking their temperature. Professor Kei Lui, who implemented FIC at the hospital said under this model of care, premature babies are putting on an average of two grams. 'We want to be in our little bubble, just chilling on the couch': Jodie Harris (left) and her husband Kevin (right) were able to take their baby girl home at 2.5 kilograms 'Traditionally, parents were bystanders, they didn't touch them too often because of germs, they stared at their baby lying inside the glasshouse, but now we know getting them involved is good for everyone,' Professor Kei Lui told the paper. After three months of intense care and invasive procedures to fix the baby's oesophagus - Georgina went home at 2.5 kilograms. 'We want to be in our little bubble, just chilling on the couch,' Mrs Harris said. A warning has been issued over faulty gear that has been failing firefighters during rescues. It has been revealed that breathing masks, which were purchased by the NSW government in 2016 for $5.5million, should only be used for 10 minutes at a time during a rescue. The MSA AirGo masks are locking up in the open position continuously releasing air, fire fighters have reported. The MSA AirGo masks are locking up in the open position continuously releasing air, which means firefighters can only wear them for 10 minutes 'The uncontrolled flow will rapidly deplete air supply, representing a safety risk to firefighters in hazardous atmospheres,' the Fire and Rescue bulletin stated. Due to the fault, the masks needed to be replaced with old masks on trucks in the Greater Sydney area, Wollongong and Newcastle. But each truck, which has four new MSA AirGo masks, only received two old masks as a replacement. The MSA AirGo masks are locking up in the open position allowing air to continuously flow through This has led to the need for extra crews to be sent out to battle blazes, the Daily Telegraph reported. Fire Brigade Employees' Union state secretary Leighton Drury said if the issue isn't resolved they will be taking action. 'Breathing apparatus is the most important piece of equipment on a fire truck,' a senior Sydney Station Officer said. 'It is the only thing that allows firefighters to breathe in smoke and toxic atmospheres and the only thing that allows us to save the lives of people trapped.' Acting Emergency Services Minister, Mark Speakman said they were working with the supplier to address the issue. 'They are working to identify any potential issues with the equipment, and will assess possible solutions, if required. The agency remains ready to respond to any potential incidents.' Blood taken from a young person may help prolong health in the elderly. Following a series of studies on young mice, Professor Linda Partridge from UCL's Institute of Healthy Ageing has argued in the journal Nature that humanity is close gaining the tools to prolong health. Her argument comes at the same time a Harvard University company announced that it would be investing millions to explore the impact of donating the blood of young animals to the old. Professor Linda Partridge (above) from UCL's Institute of Healthy Ageing has drawn from research into humans and animals and argued that humanity is close gaining the tools to prolong health Professor Partridge told The Telegraph: 'I would say ageing is the emperor of all diseases. 'There's been all this fantastic research in animals. It's just crazy. 'We're really beginning to understand how malleable ageing is. Now we need to push to translate this into humans.' Research conducted in the area has already found that when blood from a young mouse is transfused into one when ill health it can help maintain vitality. The professor's arguments follows research conducted in the area that has found the blood from a young mouse can help maintain the vitality of an older one In 2014, researchers at Stanford University, led by neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, found that blood infusions from the young mice reversed cognitive and neurological impairments seen in the older mice. The research is now looking into how humans may benefit from what was discovered in the animal studies. This week a programme called Elvian announced it had already received a $5.5 million investment backing to conduct research in the field. Also offering blood donations to those in their later years is the US clinical trial called Ambrosia that offers teenage blood to elderly customers at a cost of $8,000 for 2.5 litres. A middle school teacher from Tennessee has been slammed after giving her eighth grade students a contract that allows them only two passes to leave the classroom each month. Students in Mrs White's class at Aspire Hanley Middle School in Memphis were told the two passes, used to see a nurse, go to the bathroom or get water, also appeared to include their lunch break. 'I understand that Mrs. White is petty and although we both have options, I can be denied going to the restroom/water/nurse during the lesson,' the note read. Pictured: Eighth grade students at a middle school in Memphis were told they would only be allowed two out of class slips each month in a note from their 'petty' teacher 'If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to speak with Mrs. White before or after-school, although nothing will change.' The final sentence of the letter advises students, in all-caps, if they lose their slip: 'I'M SORRY, TRY AGAIN NEXT MONTH'. The note further advises students if they chose to break the contract, they would receive no grade for the work done in that class, and that only a doctor's note would be sufficient to change the policy. Mrs White's note went viral after it was shared on Twitter, asking parents on the social network what they would do if their child brought the note home. Many were outraged, and said they would contact the school board, while others were more enraged by the teacher's spelling and grammar. 'Okay. My first reaction was to shudder at the grammarI have went. No excuse whatsoever for that,' user Noralee Potts wrote. 'As for the rest of it, that borders on cruel and inhumane.' The students, at Aspire Hanley Middle School (pictured) were told they would not be allowed to leave for any reason after they had used both slips if they lost their note Another, who goes by Myram, wrote: 'This couldnt be a teacher because I would like to think the teacher would have better grammar. It is never "have went". It is have gone'. Others called for her termination from the school, and said Mrs White's expectations of her students were abusive. 'Sounds like child abuse. Does the school need to be reported to CPS? That teacher should have been fired,' Dori Previn wrote. 'The b*t*h should be fired immediately. Period. No excuses and no pass for her,' Kydess wrote. The school's superintendent, Dr. Nickalous Manning, told Local Memphis Mrs White had been working at the school for 'a number of years', and the administration of the school said the woman had not been fired. The teacher, Mrs White (not pictured), has been working with the school for years, and has not been terminated, school officials said The school sent a note home to parents, explaining the contract given to the students was 'inconsistent with the school's actual policies'. 'On August 29, 2018, it was discovered that 8th grade students at Hanley Middle School were given a document restricting bathroom and nurse visits that was inconsistent with our schools actual policies, our mission, and our values,' it read. 'We are currently reviewing the circumstances under which the document was prepared and distributed to students. 'Please know the safety and care of our students is always our first priority. It is important that students know we respect them and are responsive to their needs. 'To reinforce these values, we convened our full team today to review all relevant policies and procedures. 'We will continue to work with our teachers and staff to ensure all school policies and values are consistently maintained in each classroom.' livemint.com, September 7, 2018 At 23 minutes past noon, the second body of the day arrives, laid out flat on an open trailer harnessed to a tractor. The body is covered in a white sheet. The dead manas name is Ram Chander: 25 years old, a labourer. He was found this morning slumped under a tree inside a primary school in his village, with a noose around his neck. Next to his body squats his father, Ram Pal, a small man with short salt-and-pepper hair tamped down on his head. Ram Palas eyes are closed. As the tractor comes to a stop under a towering Seemal tree inside the district mortuary compound in the town of Barabanki, Uttar Pradeshaan houras drive from the stateas capital, LucknowaRam Pal steps off the trailer and looks around with dazed eyes. He notices a battered police car and walks up to it. From the back of the car protrudes what is unmistakably the feet of another body, wrapped tightly in a white sheet. This was the first body to arrive, at 9:37, and it belongs to a government clerk, the victim of a hit-and-run. The clerkas brother has fallen asleep under the tree. The police have not managed to get the inquest papers required for an autopsy to begin, and after three hours of restless and silent pacing, during which the clerkas brother searched for, and failed, to find anyone to speak to about the situation, he gave up and lay down to rest. Now Ram Pal joins the wait. At one in the afternoon, two policemen arrive with another bodyaa 72-year old man who died in prison while serving a life term for murderain a ramshackle ambulance splattered with dried blood. The policemen bang loudly on the black gate that separates the parking lot from the autopsy rooms. The mortuary manager opens it a sliver to speak to the police. The families of the dead, roused by this new development, gather around. The inquest papers have come. The bodies are piling up. The gate opens wider and Rakesh Kumar steps out. He is 45 years old, dressed in oversized red boxer shorts, a frayed t-shirt that sweeps over his belly, a thin pair of glasses with a broken bridge fixed with tape, and a pair of worn-out rubber slippers. His hair is cut close to the scalp and he has a drooping moustache. The police know him well: he does all the autopsies. They offer him a pint bottle of whiskey and cajole him to start. He goes into the guardroom at the corner of the compound that doubles as his home, pours himself a stiff drink, drains it in one gulp, stuffs tobacco in his mouth, and pulls a pair of white rubber gloves onto his hands. At 13:37, Rakesh has the body of the clerk laid out on the stone table in the cramped autopsy room, lit by a bright, naked bulb hanging from the ceiling. He takes a crude, rusted, knife and makes the first incision: a carefully drawn straight lineawith a slight leftward deviation to bypass the navelabeginning from just under the adamas apple, and ending just above the penis. The line splits the upper layer of the skin. Now he picks a six-inch knife, as rusted and rough as the first one, its handle held in place with a twine of blue plastic. He begins to cut through the layer of fat under the skin along the incision, and then through the flesh. aYou have to be careful, you donat want to cut through any organs, or the post mortem will be ruined,a Rakesh says. Rakesh is not a forensic surgeon. He is not a doctor. His official designation is asafai karamchariaahe is the mortuaryas cleaner. He is barely literate. Today, he will cut open six bodies, inspect them inside and out for injuries, remove the organs and weigh them before putting them back into the stomach cavity, stitch the bodies up, wrap them in plastic and a cotton sheet, and hand them back to the families. The doctor actually assigned to do the autopsies will come in half an hour after the commencement of the first body, and will get to wear a mask, gloves, and a gown; but he will never once touch a corpse. Instead, he will observe and write his reports, often asking Rakesh to narrate what he is seeing. The doctor will leave before the last bodyathe prisonerais barely open, having already written and signed the autopsy report for the old man. [ . . . ] Full text at: https://www.livemint.com/Politics/Lofa7q6gweBypR05IoERrO/The-autopsy-report.html The Southern California man dubbed the 'Dine-and-Dash Dater' faces new charges for his scheme where he invited women out to dinner then ditched them, leaving them to foot the pricey bill. Paul Guadalupe Gonzales, 45, was charged with four new felony counts of extortion on Friday for his alleged dating ruse from May 2016 to April 2018 where he targeted 13 women throughout Los Angeles County. Along with his charges from last month, he now faces a total of 11 counts of extortion, two counts of attempted extortion, two counts of defrauding an innkeeper and one count of petty theft, according to the criminal complaint. Serial 'Dine-and-Dash Dater' Paul Guadalupe Gonzales, 45, charged with four new counts of extortion Friday for skipping out on dinner dates and leaving women to cover the bill from May 2016 to April 2018 Originally 10 targeted women were counted, but three more women have come forward to say they too were victims of Gonzales' trickery, district attorney's office spokesman Paul Eakins said. Previous charges of one count of grand theft and one county of petty theft have also been dismissed. He pleaded not guilty to the new extortion charges at a hearing on Friday. Gonzales, a serial dater with expensive taste, would allegedly meet the women on dating apps PlentyofFish and Bumble, and invite them out to dinner at fancy restaurants. Once there he ordered expensive items including lobster tail and chocolate souffle before excusing himself and exiting the restaurant, leaving his dates to pay the exorbitant bill. On two occasions the restaurants elected to pick up the check themselves, district attorney office spokesman Eakins said. In a separate incident Gonzales is accused of leaving a hair salon without paying after being serviced. Victims: Diane Guilmette, left, said she was victimized by Gonzales in 2016 where he left her to cover the $163 bill. A woman named Carol, right, says was targeted by him as well, but the restaurant recognized him and covered the bill for her He pleaded not guilty to the new extortion charges at a hearing on Friday. He now faces a total of 11 counts of extortion, two counts of attempted extortion, two counts of defrauding an innkeeper and one count of petty theft He is accused of holding up his dating ruse for two years throughout Los Angeles, Pasadena, Long Beach and Burbank, according to KTLA. 'Gonzales is accused of dining with women he met through online dating apps, then leaving without paying any of the bill,' district attorney officials said in a statement. A preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday. He faces a possible maximum penalty of 16 years and 10 months in county jail if convicted. A woman named Carol spoke on being targeted by Paul Gonzales on Inside Edition, claiming that agreed to go on a date with him after meeting him on a dating website where he went by 'Mike'. He suggested to grab a bite to eat at Mercado, a Mexican restaurant in Pasadena where he ordered a steak dinner. After he finished eating, Carol said he excused himself from the table and never came back. The manager of the restaurant said he had recognized Gonzales as the serial dine-and-dash dater and Gonzales fled. The manager then comped Carol's food. One woman said Gonzalez left her with the bill after he said he needed to get his phone charger from his car but never returned. The unidentified woman had to pay the $130 tab at Smitty's in Pasadena, pictured above Carol said she met Gonzales at Mercado in Pasadena, above, when he skipped out on her. The restaurant eventually paid for her meal after recognizing him as the 'Dine-and-Dash Dater' 'This man needs to be stopped. God knows how many other women he will attempt to do this too,' Carol said. She said he 'knew all the right things to say' and presented himself online as a fun-loving and adventurous man who was looking for a serious relationship. Another victim named Michelle told CBS Los Angeles she met Gonzales for dinner at Smitty's Bar and Grill in Pasadena after they connected on a dating app and he 'went all out' ordering a filet mignon, a shrimp salad, and a couple cups of coffee. When he finished eating he said his aunt was very sick and needed to grab a phone charger from his car in case he received a call about her. After he was gone for about 10 minutes, she realized he wasn't coming back and she had to foot the $130 bill. 'I didn't mention it to the restaurant, nothing. I think I was more embarrassed, my pride was just like, you know, I felt dumb,' she said, deciding not to reveal her true identity to the outlet. 'I think he owes every woman an apology. I think that would humble him by having to apologize to the women,' she added. Last March another California woman came forward with a similar story where he ate at BJ's in Pasadena then left to take a phone call but never returned. In 2016, yet another woman came forward. Diane Guilmette said after meeting on a dating app Gonzales invited her to Morton's Steakhouse and ordered an appetizer for himself and a steak for dinner then skipped out before the $163 bill arrived. A family-of-three miraculously survived after ducking underneath an oncoming train when they fell onto the tracks on the London Underground. A woman pushing her baby in a buggy slipped on the platform at Baker Street Tube Station last night and the child's father jumped down to save them. As the train hurtled towards them, the family were able to duck into a pit below the track and the train passed over their heads without injuring them. A family-of-three managed to duck underneath a tube train after falling on the tracks last night The mother was walking along the platform pushing her child in a pram, while looking up at the indicator board just before 10.15pm on Friday, British Transport Police (BTP) said. She didn't realise how close to the edge she was when the buggy wheels slipped over the edge and dragged her down with it. The woman and the buggy fell onto the tracks before the father dived down after them. British Transport Police said: 'All three were extremely fortunate in being able to move into a pit under the track and the train passed safely over the top of them. 'Amazingly none of them were seriously hurt, but as a precaution they were taken to hospital for check-ups.' Nigel Holness, director of network operations at Transport for London, said: 'We understand this incident was an accident but it does underline the need for all customers to remain behind the yellow line when waiting for trains or walking along the platform.' The minds of children are being dulled by iPads before they enter primary school, the head of Britain's biggest teacher's union has said. Andrew Mellor, the president of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) argued that children were entering schools as passive rather than active learners due to the items of technology they use. He said that iPads and tablets, which are increasingly being used by children under five, were preventing children from developing their imagination and creating less inquisitive pupils. Andrew Mellor (above), president of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has argued that children were entering schools as passive rather than active learners due the iPads they use According to Mr Mellor, head of St Nicholas Church of England primary school in Blackpool, it would take a school a year to wean a child off the technology that kept them constantly stimulated. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'We have children starting school at the age of four who are used to having technology put in front of them almost as a soother if they have a tantrum. 'They have not been stimulated in early reading and maths but essentially had an iPad in front of them rather than looking through books and developing vocabulary.' Mr Mellor also added that social media encouraged more vitriolic abuse and that it is to blame for the increase violence among both pupils and parents that has been seen at the school gates. His comments have been supported by Peter Radcliffe, assistant head teacher at Longdeam school in Hemel Hempstead, who said social media turned many young people's lives into 'a constant abusive cycle, insulting and baiting others'. A 14-year-old schoolboy is now too terrified to leave the house after he was filmed being kicked and punched by a hooded man in a 'happy slap' attack. Callum Patterson, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was left crying in the street after the sickening assault. In the shocking clip, filmed by friends of the attacker, Callum can be seen walking along the road as a car approaches him. In the shocking clip, filmed by friends of the attacker, Callum Patterson can be seen walking along the road as a car approaches him. The vehicle slows down and a hooded man jumps out His attacker repeatedly punches and kicks the defenceless 14-year-old schoolboy The vehicle slows down and a hooded man jumps out before punching and kicking him. As Callum raises his arms to protect his face, the car moves forward slightly so the person filming can get a better ankle. Eventually, he falls to the ground and the attacker jumps back into the car as they drive off. Happy slapping is where somebody assaults a person, often chosen at random, for the sole purpose of filming the attack. The trend began in 2005. Callum's mother, Wendy Jones, has said the assault is just part of a wider campaign of abuse. Her son has been told to leave town or face being stamped on, and he has been bombarded with threats on Instagram and calls from unknown numbers. She told the Sun: 'The initial random attack was shocking, it broke my heart when I saw it, they think they are clever doing things like that. 'I have been getting more and more angry since then, I took it to the police who said they had a word with [the attacker, but] he cried and said that he didn't know why he did it.' Callum's mother, Wendy Jones, has said the assault is just part of a wider campaign of abuse Eventually, Callum is seen falling to the ground as the attacker jumps back into the car and the group drive off Ms Jones added: 'People I have shown it too were speechless, they know my son and all they can say is "the horrible b******".' She has taken Callum out of school after the vile attack left her in tears, and is now even considering moving out of the area. Detective Sergeant Andy Day of Greater Manchester Police's Oldham CID, told the Sun they launched an investigation into Callum's harassment. He said: 'We subsequently identified four boys who were also aged 14 and spoke to them in connection with the investigation. 'This approach was the most appropriate way to respond in line with the force's priority to deal with those incidents that pose the highest threat, harm and risk, and, we spoke with the 14-year-old boy to explain why we were taking this approach, of which he was fully understanding and supportive. 'Although our support to those who become a victim of crime is available up until the conclusion of the investigation, if anyone should feel they require further support, there are a number of agencies that we are able to put them in touch with, should that need for support change.' A birthday party spat over where to cook a barbecue has ended with a teenager being stabbed in the thigh. A steak knife was used to stab the teenager in the top of his left thigh at the Playford Alivetown Park in Adelaide on Saturday. Witnesses allege the teen was trying to break up the fight on the location of the barbecue when he was stabbed. A birthday party spat over where to cook a barbecue has ended with a teenager being stabbed in the thigh in Adelaide Witnesses allege the teen was trying to break up the fight on the location of the barbecue when he was stabbed The argument started during a phone conversation between a woman at the barbecue and a man wanting to move locations. Witness Melissa Casey told Nine News the man 'rocked up screaming to pack up and move on and then a young guy stood up to defuse the situation and ended up in a brawl'. 'He was bleeding a lot out the back of his leg,' she said. 'He was shocked, he was okay.' The discrepancies started over the phone between a woman at the barbecue and a man on the phone wanting to move locations The teenager was quickly rushed to the Lyell McEwen hospital in Elizabeth Vale for surgery on the wound The teenager was quickly rushed to Lyell McEwen Hospital in Elizabeth Vale for surgery on the wound. It is expected the boy will make a full recovery. Police are on the hunt for the suspect and urging anyone with any information to come forward. Other party revelers were not taken back by the stabbing and remained barbecuing for hours. An eight-year-old chihuahua fended off an attack from a mountain lion while walking with his owner on a Colorado trail. Laurie Cullum was walking with Spits on a Durango trail that they frequented on August 28 when she heard her pooch crying. When she turned around, Cullum discovered that her dog was covered in blood and noticed a mountain lion running away. Laurie Cullum was walking with Spits on a Durango trail that they frequented on August 28 when she heard her eight-year-old chihuahua crying When she turned around, Cullum discovered that her dog was covered in blood and noticed a mountain lion running away 'I had to make a decision right there,' Cullum explained to 9News. 'Is he going to be able to live like this? Or can I try and save his life?' Cullum worked to quickly stop the bleeding and rushed the dog to Durango Animal Hospital where he was treated by Dr. Charles Hawman. 'The vet thought he had a chance and brought him home to his own house for 2 nights in a row to care for him throughout the night,' Cullum added. Spits suffered puncture wounds to the neck and head. He was bitten through his sinus and inner ear canals, resulting in some balance troubles. Spits suffered puncture wounds to the neck and head. He was bit through his sinus and inner ear canals, resulting in some balance troubles The dog is also now blind in one eye after surviving the attack. 'He's not the same dog for sure, but he's alive and walking in straight lines now,' Cullum explained. 'Initially the first week he could only walk in circles.' It is unknown how long it will take for Spits to recover. His owner is just in disbelief that such a thing could happen to them. 'It's so hard to believe it's really happening,' she stated. 'I thought, "Oh that doesn't happen to people like me who are so familiar with the outdoors."' Colorado Parks and Wildlife has put up warning signs throughout Durango. The Liberal Party has lost the seat of Wagga Wagga, according to predictions (Pictured: candidate Julia Ham) The Liberal Party has lost a seat that it has held since 1957 in a by-election. After recent leadership trouble in the Federal parliament the political party pulled out all the stops in an effort to win the Wagga Wagga by-election but it appears as though the efforts were not enough. The Daily Telegraph has reported that Liberal candidate Julia Ham 'virtually conceded' the New South Wales state seat. She said she would run again for the seat in March during the state election. The ABC reported that the Liberal Party lost the election but it will take a week to know the winner from the Labor and Independent candidates. Nationals leader Michael McCormack showed up to hand out 'how to vote' cards for candidate Julia Ham. However he refused to answer questions about a potential loss being the fault of colleagues in Canberra. He told the publication: 'We're not intending to lose the seat, we're intending to win the seat. That question is hypothetical and I am getting a good vibe from the voters here on the ground.' Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who visited Wagga Wagga six times in the lead up, also told The Daily Telegraph: 'The infighting in Canberra was a huge concern and, when combined with the actions of a former member, it created an atmosphere where peoples cynicism with politics was off the charts.' Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who visited Wagga Wagga six times in the lead up, also told The Daily Telegraph: 'The infighting in Canberra was a huge concern' (Pictured: Ms Berejiklian and Ms Ham) Currently Ms Ham is in second place behind Independent candidate Joe McGirr. Despite that ABC analyst Antony Green is almost certain she has lost. He said: 'At the moment it appears that of the three candidates in this contest, the Liberals are currently the least likely to win.' Dr McGirr said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald: 'It's clearly very close and it will come down to preferences. 'To be at this point in the primary vote is really really a delightful surprise.' The first-preference vote for the party appears to have halved and swings more than 30 per cent away from the government. If the Liberals lose the seat it is expected that blame will be laid on the the Federal party, which had their messy spill during the lead up to the by-election. Currently Julia Ham is in second place behind Independent candidate Joe McGirr (pictured), who is delightfully surprised at being the current leader The spill saw Malcolm Turnbull ousted as Prime Minister and replaced by Scott Morrison. A Newspoll released after Mr Morrison took over the top job showed that Bill Shorten is currently the preferred Prime Minister, 33 to 39 per cent. The Labor Party is also currently the preferred party by a hefty margin, 41 to 33 per cent. The loss of the seat means that when the 2019 state election takes place the Liberal Party is in even more of a precarious position. More than 80 per cent of the first-preference vote has been counted. A journalism student is taking his university to court after he failed an assignment. Monash University masters student Chinmay Naik failed an assignment about the negative stereotypes of dogs. His assignment, which featured interviews with people walking dogs, initially received 12 marks out of 100. It was marked a second time but that only slightly improved his grade. But Mr Naik is not accepting his result, the Herald Sun reported. Monash University masters student Chinmay Naik failed an assignment he did about the negative stereotypes of dogs The Oakleigh South man has taken his case to the Supreme Court in the hope of having his mark overturned. According to court documents, Mr Naik claims the university acted 'unlawfully' by not disclosing who marked the assignment the second time. He believes the same person graded the assignment twice. Mr Naik feels he deserves a 'minimum pass mark', according to court documents. The markers' notes claim the assignment's questions about dogs were too general and unconnected. 'No narrative structure, one shot of overlay, no expert interviews, no clear beginning/middle/end,' the notes said. His assignment, which featured interviews with people walking dogs, initially received 12 marks out of 100 (stock image) 'For what is supposed to be the major assignment of the unit, this fails to meet any of the minimum criteria.' His case to the Supreme Court this month is not his first attempt to change his mark. The dispute over the failing mark has been taken to the Australian Prime Minister's office, the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman. However, all his appeals for help have been rejected. Advertisement Mia Tindall was spotted entertaining her cousins today - by pulling funny faces and joking around on the grass - while enjoying a day out with her extended royal family. The Queen's great-granddaughters were also seen tucking into ice creams as they giggled through their play-date at the Gatcombe Horse Trials in Gloucestershire. Savannah, seven, and Isla Phillips, six, the daughters of Peter Phillips and the granddaughters of Princess Anne, were all smiles on their family day out as their younger cousin, Zara and Mike Tindall's daughter Mia, rolled her tongue and provided the laughs. Savannah and Isla Phillips are seen laughing with their cousin Mia at the racecourse in Gloucestershire this afternoon Mia (centre) was given a helping hand as she tucked into her ice cream with her cousins Savannah (left) and Isla (right) Adorable Mia, four, was spotted kneeling in the grass during the Gatcombe Horse Trials at Whatley Manor today rolling her tongue as her cousins giggled She may be the littlest but Mia showed her might as she took control of a dogs lead at the Horse Trials. Smiling older cousin Savannah helped the four-year-old out Mia Tindall (centre) is given a helping hand as she eats what appears to be chocolate ice cream. Savannah and Isla are seen looking on today Zara Tindall, the brother of Peter Phillips, arrived at the racecourse pushing her newborn daughter Lena, who was born on June 28. But it was four-year-old Mia who stole the show, pulling funny faces as she played in the grass and held hands with her two cousins. All three of the youngsters were pictured tucking into an ice cream, with young Mia given a helping hand by one of the adults looking after her. Mia, the youngest of the trio, could not help but get the ice-cold treat around her face, much to the amusement of her cousins. The three of them were attending the Gatcombe International equestrian event at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire today. The event runs over from Friday September 7 and is set to come to an end on Sunday 9. Dressage, show jumping and cross country all feature in the busy three-day schedule. Former Olympian medalist Zara Tindall used to compete in equestrian, winning a silver medal at London 2012 which was presented to her by her mother, Princess Anne. Earlier this week, the Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall spoke of the heartbreak of suffering two miscarriages with her husband Mike, in an emotional and revealing interview. Not impressed: The young royal pulls a funny face while on her families big day out. She was soon spotted being jolly again Mia appeared reluctant to use the spoon given to her to eat the ice cream with, instead looking to try to shovel the treat straight into her mouth. Savannah (left) and Isla (right) opted to the coned ice cream instead The youngster took a short break from entertaining her cousins to gently stroke a dog at Whately Manor Beaming Mia (furthest away) can be seen going in for a hug with her cousin Isla (right) as she eats her ice cream cone Savannah Phillips (right) and Isla Phillips (left), the granddaughters of Princess Anne and daughter of Peter Phillips, were all smiles as they spent time with their little cousin Mia Tindall pulls a funny face as she holds hand with one of her carers, while her cousin Savaanah strolls on with her hands in her pocket As one of the nation's favourite royals, Mrs Tindall discussed the impact both deaths had on the couple - in her first televised interview about their double loss. Speaking about the miscarriages, she told BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent: 'I think that's the hardest thing in our situation, is that everyone knew. 'And very much when things like that happen, normally it's just your family and friends, but unfortunately everyone knew about it. 'Actually I had so many letters saying 'I'm so sorry, we've been through the same thing', which was incredible - and thank you to all those people. Mia (left) crawls along the grass at the racecourse today as her older cousin Isla enjoys an ice cream. The two are watched over by an adult Isla Phillips (right) is seen eating her ice cream as young Mia struts beside her at the racecourse before dropping to her knees and giggling as her older cousin smiles 'But it just showed how often it does happen and I have a very supportive family, Mike's incredible and it's hard for the guys too. She continued: 'It's very different for us because we're carrying the child, but for guys I guess it's kind of that helpless feeling, which must be incredibly high and horrible for them. At the end of the day they've still lost a child too.' Mrs Tindall added: 'Being helpless is horrible isn't it... for anyone. So... you know, he's... it's been a horrible road but, you know, actually now we've come out the end of it, hopefully it makes you a stronger family.' She carried out the interview with the BBC to also tell of her joy at riding horses again just three months after the birth of her second child, Lena, earlier this year. Playful Mia even entertained the grownups as she leans on a table and makes retired Royal Navy officer Tim Laurence, who is the second husband of her grandmother Princess Anne, smile Mia (left) recently became an older sister this year following the birth of Mike and Zara Tindall's baby daughter Lena. Pictured: Mia walking beside her cousin Isla today An evil paedophile has been shut away for life after he sexually attacked then killed and dismembered a helpless 10-year-old boy. Deeply disturbing video shows how Russian Aleksandr Georgievsky spotted victim Ruslan Korolev at a railway station then lured him to his flat. The adventurous boy was a 'train hopper', riding on the roofs of trains, but the pervert promised sweets to get close to him. Killer Aleksandr Georgievsky sexually attacked a 10-year-old boy before chopping his body up The 35-year-old pervert lured the child back to his apartment after promising him sweets CCTV footage showed his tragic final moments. The 35-year-old - a previously convicted murderer who had a record of earlier child sex attacks - is seen talking to the boy then going to a shop before he led Ruslan to his apartment in Ortadnoe, 21 miles east of St Petersburg. The frightened youngster resisted the paedophile's advances and Georgievsky sexually attacked him, say detectives. Police spokeswoman Anastasiya Glushchenko told local media: 'After that [Georgievsky] strangled and dismembered the boy. Ruslan Korolev resisted the paedophile's advances and Georgievsky sexually attacked him Ruslan's body parts were discovered in different places around Ortadnoe and St Petersburg 'Then he hid the boy's body parts in different places around the local area and in St Petersburg.' The case was initially treated as a missing person until a child's boy parts were found in different locations. Georgievsky was detained in December last year after police examined CCTV footage. He confessed and told detectives where he had dumped the boy's other body parts. A court this week convicted him of violent sex acts against a minor, and killing a child with a sexual motive. The boy's mother Evgenia Alikulova, 28, was too traumatised to attend the final hearings of the case The punishment - handed down after closed-door hearings - means he will never be released under Russian law. The paedophile had begged forgiveness from the boy's mother Evgenia Alikulova, 28, but she was too traumatised to attend the final hearings of his case. 'I did not want to see him,' she said, before revealing his sickening demand to be treated leniently. Georgievsky was convicted of violent sex acts against a minor, and killing a child with a sexual motive. He's been sentenced to life in prison At the age of 22, Georgievsky was sent to prison for murder and served an eight year sentence The pervert was jailed for a violent sex attack on a minor for three years when he was 17 'I know that he begged forgiveness and pleaded with the judge not to be given a life sentence. He told how he wanted to return to life. 'He told to the judge: 'I have not lost my hope to come back to the people. I'm in hell'.' She said for months she could not face reality and refused to tell her other two children Ulyana, eight, and Artyom, four, that Ruslan was dead. She hoped it was :an evil hoax or a nightmare', she said. Evgenia said she even even celebrated last Christmas without acknowledging that her son was dead. 'I was criticised - but they are still children,' she said. Then I told them. Ulyana did not cry. 'She had wept a lot when he went missing and there were searches. She simply hugged me, and now she says that her brother is a star in the sky. 'Artyom was small and did not quite understand. But today he remembered and said: 'Ruslan has gone'. 'When we walked outside, he pointed at the sky and said that Ruslan was sitting on that cloud.' Georgievsky had been convicted at the age of 17 for a violent sex attack on a minor. He was jailed for three years. At 22, he was sent to prison for murder and served an eight year sentence. The new sentence means he will die in prison. Police have quizzed him on a boy aged six who went missing seven years ago. A trip to the Goodwood Revival Festival in Chichester was brought to a brutal halt for one Ferrari driver, who collided with a Mazda before crashing through a fence. The slick red Ferrari 355 F1 Berlinetta was travelling along Arundel Road, Worthing, when it was involved in the collision at about 10.30am today, said a spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. A woman driving the Ferrari worth in the region of about 65,000 told bystanders that she was heading to this weekend's festival at the famous racecourse. A Ferrari driver on her way to the Goodwood festival was involved in a collision with another vehicle The slick red Ferrari 355 F1 Berlinetta crashed through a timber fence and came to a halt on a resident's driveway in Worthing, West Sussex The front of the car was damaged as a result of the collision, and fluid leaked across the driveway Firefighters, police and a ambulance were called to the scene of the collision, which saw the car coming to a rest on a person's driveway. A spokesman for Sussex Police said that one person received minor injuries in the collision, but he did not have details of which driver was hurt, or whether they were taken to hospital. The fire service made the scene safe as fluid was leaking from the Ferrari. The 7-year-old boy missing from his Melbourne home for more than 12 hours has been found. A desperate search was launched on Saturday night after Xavier Jones disappeared from his home just before 6pm. The seven-year-old boy recently underwent surgery for a serious illness causing grave concern for his welfare. On Sunday morning, he was reunited with his mother after being found in Melbourne's northern suburb of Glenroy, unaware of the 14-hour-long search for him. He reportedly told his mother he had spent the night at a friend's house. Xavier Jones (pictured) disappeared from his Melbourne home just before six Saturday night Before the search, he was last seen wearing a dark-hooded jumper and black shorts. Xavier had a bandage around his neck. He was also thought to have taken his scooter with him. The 'Lucky' brand scooter is black and covered in skate-brand stickers. He was thought to be travelling to the local skate park in Glenroy in north Melbourne. He was found in Melbourne's norther suburb of Glenroy 14 hours after search efforts launched His age and the length of time he has been missing was concerning to authorities. The boy was last seen on on Isla Street in the northern Melbourne suburb. Social studies classes for seventh graders in Texas schools may omit the word 'heroic' when talking about the men who guarded the Alamo. The Texas State Board of Education's advisory panel suggested the change in efforts to tackle the restructuring of the curriculum, claiming that 'heroic' was a 'value-charged word.' The curriculum currently states that the 'siege of the Alamo and all of the heroic defenders who gave their lives there,' according to Dallas News. The phrase 'and all of the heroic defenders who gave their lives there' would be cut. The Texas State Board of Education's advisory panel suggested the change in efforts to tackle the restructuring of the curriculum, claiming that 'heroic' was a 'value-charged word' 'Stop political correctness in our schools,' Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said on Thursday 'Stop political correctness in our schools,' Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said on Thursday. 'Of course Texas schoolchildren should be taught that Alamo defenders were 'Heroic'! I fully expect the State Board of Education to agree. Contact your SBOE Member to complain.' George P. Bush, state land commissioner, also voiced his disdain for a plan to allow students to not have to write a separate assignment about 'the Travis Letter,' written by Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis at the Alamo during the battle. 'This politically correct nonsense is why I'll always fight to honor the Alamo defenders' sacrifice,' he said. 'His letter & the defenders' actions must remain at the very core of TX history teaching. This is not debatable to me.' George P. Bush, state land commissioner, also voiced his disdain for a plan to allow students to not have to write a separate assignment about 'the Travis Letter,' written by Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis at the Alamo during the battle The letter could be included in overall Alamo teaching, however. Debbie Ratcliffe, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, explained to the Dallas News that they had aimed to see if things could 'be reduced by either deleting information, combining standards or clarifying.' Ratcliffe added: 'That was the goal. They suggested deleting the Travis letter because they think when teachers talk about the Alamo they will absolutely mention it, but not having it outlined specifically just meant teachers would spend less time on it.' A still from the 1960 movie The Alamo staring John Wayne According to a tweet from the Board of Education, a public hearing will be held on Tuesday. 'The #TXSBOE will hold public hearings Tuesday on language arts and reading textbooks and social studies standards,' the tweet said. A vote is said to occur in November. According to a tweet from the Board of Education, a public hearing will be held on Tuesday The Battle of the Alamo is regarded as the climax of the Texas Revolution, but is regarded as a controversial topic in depicting who the actual heroes were The Battle of the Alamo is regarded as the climax of the Texas Revolution, but is seen as a controversial topic in depicting who the actual heroes were. For 'Anglo' United States immigrants at the time, annexation meant freeing the state from the autocratic rule of Mexico and General Santa Ana. These white Texan immigrants also wanted to maintain slavery as the Mexican government had abolished all forms of the human enslavement in 1829. 'The early depictions of Texas history was good guys against bad guys, white guys against brown guys, democracy against tyranny,' said James Crisp, a historian at North Carolina State University, according to Splinter News. 'Then, there was a counter-story switching good guys and bad guysthe Americans were all racist, taking the Mexicans' land. Both of those stories are way overly simplistic.' 'Before I begin, I would like to note to everyone that I am only making a statement in order to clarify the details in order to prevent further stress or harm from rumours or allegations to/against innocent parties. It is important to not over glorify or sensationalise the actions of any individual who comes forward with evidence in a sexual assault case because it is the basic thing one should do. 'I can confirm that the text messages are indeed between Asia Argento and myself. When I reported them to police I remained silent socially because I didnt wish to be a part of the narrative or distract from the path to justice. While the conflict may feel murky- the situation is cut and dry. An individual admitted to sexual engagement with a minor (according to the age stated by California) which is an illegal act that can qualify as statutory rape. As well as such they admitted to receiving continued nude images without reporting/blocking the account/written rejection/or action. When the individual made it clear that they were not going to be honest about their engagement, I turned in materials that may contribute towards an honest investigation. 'All victims deserve justice. Justice can rarely exist without honesty. In a sexual assault case it is important to support and believe the victim- while also allowing for due process. I believe all beings accused of a crime have the right to prove their innocence. For many victims of sexual assault their justice may never come in the court of law due to lack of evidence or time passage. Its heartbreaking and cruel. However, I still fully believe in the allowance and balance of both ethos. Support and believe- allow due process. That is why when Asia Argento asked for assistance during this case declaring full innocence, I systemically took them through the list of things they would need to clear their name. Proof that they didnt pay off this individual, proof that they didnt approve any payments if they had occurred, proof that they had indeed been harassed and rejected all sexual sexual advances through action or verbally, proof that they hadnt engaged sexually via an alibi, and a few more. 'Occasionally in the past individuals have come to me knowing that they were guilty, they admitted the guilt off the bat, and my space in their life has been guiding them through the rehabilitation process with the community and shifting their negative actions into proactive ones so that they can be productive members of the community again while justice also prevails. The key to agreement to assist is that they have the intention to do whats necessary to rectify a situation. Unfortunately Asia did not have that intention. This is a person who represents a certain ideal and who has called out for all those accused of sexual assault to be honest about their experiences in order to allow justice for the victims. However when the NYT statement came out, in which Asia denied any sexual engagement thats when it became clear that they were not going to follow their own ethics. I had received the original statement from Asia before they put it out into the world, before they had admitted their sexual engagement. In it they were dismissive of the victim, put down the integrity of the reporter Kim Severson utilising the guilt power of the opinion of their deceased former partner Anthony Bourdain, and robbed all parties of their truth. It was painful to read. I had hoped that that narrative would change after our conversation but unfortunately the piece went straight to press. 'Before bringing this information to police I did speak with Rose McGowan as they are the person who introduced me to Asia. I was admittedly a little nervous because I knew that Asia was an important person in Roses life. When confronted with the messages and knowledge that I was going to go to the police, Rose immediately agreed that it was the right action to take. No begging or bargaining. No anger. Just very matter of fact. I know this is a painful loss of community in Roses life and Im proud of her dedication to the truth. Its tempting to many to cover for their loved ones during rough times, but when a victim is involved on the other end we must think of them. True justice has no bias. 'I would also like to address allegations that Jimmy Bennet extorted Asia Argento by saying simply- keep both actions separate. They are two different accusations and all victims of a crime deserve justice. All guilty parties must be honest. I would also like to state that the case between HW and Asia Argento is separate from Jimmy Bennets case and that Asia deserves the same respect in that case that Jimmy should receive in this one. Their choice to lie to the NYT does not mean that they are lying about HW. Their accounts for that case should be held separately and fairly. I believe that most beings have the power to change. Asia has contributed a strong voice to the #MeToo movement and encouraged many in their nation as well as around the globe to come forward with their truths. Perhaps, despite where public opinion may be over time, through honesty, dialogue and rehabilitation this person can become a strong advocate for justice once again. Especially uniquely as a person who is experiencing both sides of the coin. 'We can not let this single case crumble the power and momentum of a movement that has saved so many. Just because a person is a celebrity or more visible does not make them THE VOICE or a MORE IMPORTANT voice than any other being that has been a part of #MeToo. All are equal and their struggles equally valid- we must remember that. Until then, let truth shine its light so we can see the way to a solution. Keep that light on patiently.' Drugs with a potential street value of 27 million have been found hidden in a lorry load of vegetables at a port. Around 882lb (400kg) of cocaine and heroin was discovered at Killingholme Port, north Lincolnshire, concealed in a load of onions and tomatoes. The unaccompanied lorry arrived from the Hook of Holland on Wednesday and the National Crime Agency said the drugs had a potential street value of 27 million. The raid was the result of an NCA-led operation, supported by Border Force and Humberside Police. Bags of vegetables at Killingholme Port, north Lincolnshire, after cocaine and heroin with a potential street value of 27 million were found hidden in a lorry A 45-year-old Romanian national, who arrived to drive the lorry away, was arrested the same day on suspicion of conspiring to import class A drugs. He has subsequently been released under investigation, the NCA said. NCA branch commander Jayne Lloyd said: 'The seizure of this significant amount of controlled drugs supports our mission to protect the public from harm. 'We will continue to work with law enforcement partners to detect and disrupt criminal activity.' Liz Versi, director at Border Force North, said: 'This was a substantial seizure and demonstrates the vital work Border Force officers are doing to take Class A drugs out of circulation. 'Working with law enforcement partners, like the NCA, we are determined to prevent drugs from being brought into the country and causing harm to our communities.' A man suffered head injuries after he was tasered by police in a 'violent disturbance' at a quiet seaside resort. Cleveland Police were called to the 'on-going disturbance' at a flat on The Front in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool on Friday night. A 27-year-old man was rushed to James Cook University Hospital with a head injury after he was tasered by officers at around 9pm. Cleveland Police were called to a 'violent disturbance' at a flat (pictured) on The Front in Seaton Carew on Friday night A 27-year-old man suffered a head injury when he was tasered by an officer during the incident (pictured) The force said the taser was deployed to 'protect officers and members of the public' during attempts to detain him after he left the flat. Cleveland Police has now referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Graphic photographs from the scene show 'blood-splattered' windows of a ground floor flat - but it is unclear whether this is related to the man's injury. Another window on the ground floor was pictured smashed open, revealing what appears to be more blood on the curtains and smashed cider cans and bottles on the pavement. Detective chief superintendent John Lyons, director of standards and ethics at Cleveland Police, said: 'Just before 8.30pm last night officers attended an address on The Front, Seaton Carew following a call from a woman reporting an on-going violent disturbance inside the address. 'A man came out of the address at around 9.15pm and during attempts to detain him, a taser was deployed to protect officers and members of the public. Cleveland Police force said the taser was deployed to protect officers and members of the public 'The 27-year-old suffered a head injury during the incident and he is currently receiving treatment in James Cook University Hospital.' He added that the force's Department of Standards and Ethics has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Inquiries are ongoing and police are appealing for anyone with information relating to this incident to contact them via the 101 number quoting Event 165616. Brad Pitt's foundation Make It Right is being sued by two homeowners who say the charity sold them 'defectively and improperly constructed homes'. Pitt's foundation sought to build 150 homes in the Lower Ninth ward of New Orleans that were storm-safe, solar-powered, and 'green' for the price of $150,000 in 2007, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Two residents of Pitt's homes filed a lawsuit in Orleans Parish Civil District Court on Friday accusing Make It Right of unfair trade practices, breach of contract, and fraud. Brad Pitt's foundation Make It Right is being sued for selling 'defective' homes by two New Orleans Lower Ninth ward homeowners 'While the citizens of the 9th Ward are grateful to Brad Pitt they were forced to file this lawsuit because the Make It Right Foundation built substandard homes, that are deteriorating at a rapid pace while the homeowners are stuck with mortgages on properties that have diminished values,' Ron Austin, the attorney representing the Lower Ninth Ward residents, said in a statement to NBC News. 'We have filed to make Make It Right make it right,' he added. The project started in 2007 and by 2016 had spent $26.9million building 109 homes before construction was halted. Although Make It Right stopped about 40 homes short of its goal, it led the most visible recovery effort in New Orleans. The homes were priced at an average of $150,000 for residents looking to resettle. The lawsuit was filed by two New Orleans Lower Ninth ward homeowners on Friday. It accuses charity of unfair trade practices, breach of contract, and fraud. A home built by Make It Right pictured is above Many of the houses, including the one pictured above, are falling apart, with roofs caving in, wood rotting and walls collapsing Photos taken by Dailymail.com show another devastated property built by the charity This Make It Right property is suffering from mold and rotten wooden walls, which are coming away from the house But residents complain that the home isn't what they signed up for with many houses falling apart, some with rotting wood, plumbing issues, and roofs caving in. The complaint says Make It Right 'fraudulently deprived homeowners of their right to pursue legal actions under Louisiana's New Home Warranty Act' because the charity knew about issues with the homes' building materials and designs - but never alerted homeowners. The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs' homes were 'deficiently constructed and built' with 'defective products' that led to damage such as the growth of mold and air quality problems due to improper ventilation. The homes also had structural problems, electrical problems, plumbing issues and rotten wood, according to the lawsuit. The complaint adds that Make It Right arranged for engineer inspections of the home 'allegedly brought in specifically to render a report on the state of the Make It Right homes'. But homeowners were never given access to those reports. From 2007 to 2016 Make It Right spent $26.9million and built over 100 'green' homes sold for $150,000 'The homeowners are gravely concerned that their homes, which suffer serious structural problems, will not last as long as their mortgages,' the complaint says. A finished Make It Right home pictured above in 2009 The lawsuit asserts that engineers found issues in the home but the charity didn't inform homeowners of the problems, citing a portion of the foundation's 2013 tax filing which accounts for $4.3million in 'warranty and repair liabilities'. It also adds that Make It Right gave homeowners a nondisclosure agreement and documents that bound them to arbitration before agreeing to making repairs. But, the lawsuit says that the charity didn't explain these documents to the homeowners, 'fraudulently' obtaining signatures 'on agreements that would deprive homeowners of important legal rights while the homeowners are under duress.' The complaint adds the homeowners noticed problems with the home as early as 2013 but they thought Make It Right would sort out the repairs. 'The homeowners are gravely concerned that their homes, which suffer serious structural problems, will not last as long as their mortgages,' the complaint says. Pitt and Make It Right are yet to comment on the lawsuit. Almost two-thirds of millennials sleep in the nude and those that do have better sex and a more satisfying rest than people who wear pajamas to bed. A survey conducted by a project manager at Mattress Advisor named Joe Mercurio heard from 1,000 people in the U.S. with close to 60% of them admitting they enjoy sleeping naked. More millennials love sleeping in the buff with around 65% sleeping naked compared to their baby boomer parents of which around just 40% said that they slept in the buff. Two-thirds of millennial's sleep in the nude according to a new survey (file photo) Those who slept nude also reported that they had more sex than those who don't. Also, more people who sleep nude are in relationships with almost 75% of those who replied saying they were with a long-term partner. The survey reveals than men are more likely to sleep nude than women but more than half of the women who responded also said that they did so. One particular claim that sleeping naked leads to better sleep is backed up by scientific research. A study by the University of Amsterdam suggested that people slept better when their temperature was lowered and even led to improved overall health, according to Forbes. In the course of the survey, as reported by USA Today, some people said that it had led to some awkward situations including potential embarrassment of having to wake up and leave the house in an emergency or the risk of a roommate, friend or parents walking in. Some of the respondents said that sleeping naked made them feel 'more comfortable.' Nearly 70 percent of respondents who sleep naked said they do so because they're more comfortable without clothes. About 58 percent said nude sleeping was relaxing, and 54 percent said it improves their slee Twenty percent said their genitals felt 'free and happy' when they went to bed pajama-less. For those who prefer pajamas, their reasons ranged from staying warm, to anxiety about being seen, or 'that's how I was raised.' Advertisement Hundreds of Hells Angels took to the streets of Berlin today in a protest against the German government's crackdown on biker club symbols. The bikers took their motorcycles to the Brandenburg Gate in the city centre after gathering at their club house in the east of the German capital on Saturday morning. Under the slogan 'Freedom is our religion', the bikers were protesting against a change to the law last year which banned the club symbols over fears they were linked to organised crime. Members of motorcycle clubs gather by the Brandenburg Gate in the centre of Berlin in a protest on Saturday A biker makes a hand gesture as he rides away from Berlin's Brandenburg Gate today along with fellow club members Bikers wearing masks and helmets drive away from the Brandenburg Gate towards Berlin's Victory Column on Saturday The government announced last year that the symbols of rocker groups would be prohibited in public over fears they 'provide a cover for various forms of serious and organised crime'. Most of the protesters, who were flanked by Berlin police, were riding Harley Davidson motorcycles and were joined by sympathetic members of other biker clubs, the newspaper Berliner Morgenpost reported. In July this year Germany banned a Turkish nationalist biker gang following allegations it was involved in organised crime and represented a threat to the general public. German authorities said the Osmanen Germania BC group is believed to have ties to the party of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and has been involved in intimidation of his German critics. Last month a Hells Angels boss was left fighting for his life after being shot in a drive-by attack at a set of traffic lights in Hamburg, north Germany. The club member, identified only as Dariusch F, was the leader of its Hamburg branch and was in a white Bentley when a car approached him and gunmen shot him five times before speeding away. Bikers from various gangs who were sympathetic with the protest against the biker symbol ban gathered in Berlin today Motorcycles are parked in Berlin looking away from the Brandenburg Gate towards the Victory Column during The protesters gather by the Brandenburg Gate in the centre of Berlin during the protest against the government crackdown A man with tattoos attends the demonstration of motorcycle clubs in Berlin on Saturday Barack Obama has returned to the podium to rally voters in California. Speaking at a political rally in Anaheim, the former president shared the story of how he was kicked out of Disneyland for smoking in the theme park with his friends. As he recalled smoking on a park gondola the crowd erupted with applause, leading Obama to shake his finger and give a sly grin to the audience saying: 'No no no, cigarettes people.' 'This is a true story everybody, I was booted from the Magic Kingdom!' he said to the laughing crowd, adding his entourage was escorted out by two officers. Barack Obama spoke at a political rally in Anaheim on Saturday to urge voters to take back the House in California In his speech he recalled the time he was kicked out of Disneyland for smoking with his friends at the theme park He shook his finger at the crowd and assured with a laugh that it was just 'cigarettes' that he got in trouble for After sharing his little anecdote he focused his speech on fear versus hope citing the slogan Take It Back, rallying voters to take back the House in California. He made his poignant speech in Anaheim, Orange County, which is a Republican stronghold in the West Coast state, ahead of midterm elections. 'Today what I really want to do is highlight the extraordinary collection of candidates who have decided to step up and bring out the best in our country,' he said highlighting the Democratic candidates. He spent time talking about each candidate: Josh Harder, TJ Cox, Katie Hill, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Harley Rouda and Mike Levin. He added: 'This is a government for and by the people' and talked about the cycle of anger sweeping Washington. 'The only way we reverse that cycle of anger and division is when each of us citizens step up and say were going to take it upon ourselves to do things different,' he said. He focused his speech on fear versus hope in a speech with the slogan Take It Back, rallying voters to take back the House from California In his speech he recalled the time he was kicked out of Disneyland for smoking with his friends at the theme park He highlighted the Democratic congressional candidates running in California including TJ Cos, far left, Gil Cisneros, second left, Katie Porter, third right, Harley Rouda, second right, and Mike Levin, far right The crowds cheered and tried to shake hands with the former president as he rallied for California's Democratic candidates in Anaheim, California He was bombarded by fans snapping pictures and holding 'TakeItBack' signs at the rally on Saturday 'Were going to fight for the things that we believe in. Were going to fight for the idea that every child in America should get decent education. Were going to fight for the idea that anybody out there who's going to work hard will get the living wage. Were going to work hard to the idea that women should be the paid the same as men for doing the same work,' he added. His speech was positive and focused on Democrats today, appealing to Republicans and Independents and the values of past presidents like Abraham Lincoln, saying for many the current administration 'isn't what they believe'. 'If we don't step up, things are going to get worse. In two months we have a chance to restore some sanity to our politics,' he said. 'The biggest threat to our democracy, I said yesterday: It's not one individual; it's not one big super PAC billionaire it's apathy, it's indifference. It's us not doing what we're supposed to do,' he added. He asked the crowd 'Are you ready to go to work?' and roused a thunderous applause. 'This is a government for everybody, it's not for sale, that's what we believe in. They stepped up, they're fired up, they're ready to go,' repeating a slogan from his 2008 campaign. Obama did not mention Trump in his speech unlike yesterday where he ripped into the president as he spoke in Champaign, Illinois. Obama called for the 'restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government' in his Friday speech in Champaign, Illinois and ripped into President Donald Trump In his Friday speech he threw jabs at Trump saying: 'You should still be concerned with our current course' Speaking in his home state, Obama called Trump a 'symptom' of a societal problem where powerful forces manufacture and capitalize on 'resentments'. 'You should still be concerned with our current course. You should still want to see a restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government,' the former president said. 'It should not be a Democratic or Republican, it should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents,' Obama said, citing the political spotlight on Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump dismissed Obama's words from Friday saying: 'I'm sorry, I watched it, but I fell asleep ... I found he's very good very good for sleeping.' The opening of a new bridge over the Hudson River has been delayed just one day after its opening ceremony due to a 'potentially dangerous situation'. On Friday, Hilary Clinton joined New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to officially open the second span of the new Mario M Cuomo Bridge - which was named after the current governor's late father. But its scheduled Saturday opening has been since pushed back after a piece of the bridge it is replacing became destabilized and threatened to fall, officials said. The new $4billion bridge connects Westchester and Rockland counties 30 miles north of New York City and is replacing the old Tappan Zee Bridge, which opened in 1955, and is in the process of being demolished. Hilary Clinton joined current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the bridge named after his father Friday The opening has been pushed back after a piece of the bridge its replacing, the Tappan Zee, became destabilized and threatened to fall The Mario M Cuomo Bridge over the Hudson River was to open Saturday, named after New York's former governor The New York State Thruway Authority says 'a potentially dangerous situation' developed Friday night when a piece of the old Tappan Zee Bridge between became destabilized during the ongoing process of disassembly. 'Given its proximity to the new completed span, out of an abundance of caution, motorists will remain in the current traffic configuration until a thorough evaluation by Tappan Zee Constructors is complete,' said Matthew J. Driscoll, head of the New York State Thruway Authority. The closure has been met with criticism by Cuomo's rivals, including candidate Cynthia Nixon, who says the ceremony was timed for positive coverage before the primaries 'The second span is finished and ready to open to traffic as soon as the Thruway Authority is assured there is no risk to the new span,' he added. The issue came just hours after Democratic governor Cuomo held a grand opening ceremony for the new bridge span and was joined by former presidential candidate Hilary Clinton. Cuomo said Friday that the new bridge 'shows the world that we're capable of dreaming big and delivering results for the people of this state.' However, Cuomo's rivals claim the timing of the ribbon cutting ceremony was a stunt as it came just days before the primaries. His primary opponent, actress Cynthia Nixon, condemned Cuomo's bridge opening as a dangerous ploy for positive coverage before the elections. 'A ribbon-cutting ceremony should not have been held if the bridge span was not yet safe,' Nixon, said in a statement Saturday. 'There are real, reasonable questions about whether this bridge span opening was accelerated to aid the governor's campaign.' 'Safety has to come first,' Nixon reiterated in a tweet Saturday.' The Governor should not rush to cut the ribbon on a bridge if it's not yet safe. 'There are real, reasonable questions about whether this bridge span opening was accelerated to aid Governor Cuomo's campaign.' Nixon speculates the ceremony was a ploy right before the primary elections The new $4billion bridge connects Westchester and Rockland counties 30 miles north of New York City Nixon used the hashtag '#CuomosBridgegate' as spin off former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's Bridgegate scandal in which lanes of the George Washington Bridge were closed, causing extreme delays. The new bridge's first span opened last year. Cuomo, who is also considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, has been a frequent critic of Trump, a native New Yorker who defeated Clinton in the 2016 election. During a speech made before the ceremonial ribbon cutting, Clinton lauded state officials who guided the bridge's construction and the 7,000 workers who built the twin 3.1-mile-long spans. 'It is time for the United States of America to take another look at what's getting done here in New York and follow this example,' she said. Cuomo said the new bridge, the nation's largest infrastructure project, has 'national significance' because it stands as an example of what the nation can accomplish despite the current deep political rifts. 'This bridge restores confidence in ourselves,' he said. 'At a time when the president is obsessed with his singular goal of building a wall, this bridge stands in defiant opposition.' With a click of a button, South Carolina teachers can now alert first responders to emergencies within their schools. Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said a panic button app is being installed on every teacher's cellphone in his county. Foster said when someone hits the button, it instantly alerts police, paramedics, firefighters, school administrators and calls 911. Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster (pictured) says a panic button app is being installed on every teacher's cellphone in his county Foster said when someone hits the button (pictured), it alerts police, paramedics, firefighters, school administrators and calls 911 According to Rave Mobile Safety, the Rave Panic Button emergency response app 'enhances emergency response by communicating details of an onsite crisis to faculty, staff, and security resource officers, while simultaneously notifying 911 officials'. 'Having the ability to get that notification we believe that we're saving anywhere from three to four minutes from that notification to the first responder,' Chief Deputy Todd Johnson told WTOC. The app displays a large panic button with the words 'active shooter'. It shows the four options of police, 911, medical responders and firefighters. Foster said the app can save valuable seconds, since first responders can head to the school while a 911 dispatcher gathers information. According to the sheriff, Newberry County is the first in the state with the app. According to Rave Mobile Safety, the Rave Panic Button emergency response app 'enhances emergency response by communicating details of an onsite crisis to faculty, staff, and security resource officers, while simultaneously notifying 911 officials (pictured)' Foster said the app can also pinpoint the location of any 911 call made from a school. The Panic Button app was installed on all school district administrator's phones last year, according to WTOC. Foster said the app is important to have because there are 13 campuses spread out over 620 miles in Newberry County. The app works through a geofence to ping where your location is, so having it installed on a phone allows first responders to pinpoint exactly where the emergency is. Officials said the app costs around $10,000 a year, which is split between four agencies in the county, including the sheriff's office, the school district, Newberry County Public Safety and Newberry County Memorial Hospital. Each agency pays about $2,500 a year. Advertisement The tombs of Mehu have been reopened to the viewing public for the first time in almost 80 years since it was discovered in 1940 in Giza, Egypt. Mehu's tombs, which are situated in the vast ancient burial ground of Saqqara, are deemed to be the most beautiful tombs at the site. The magnificent burial site was restored by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiques, who reinstated the tomb paintings pictured on the walls of the chambers. The tombs of Mehu have been reopened to the viewing public for the first time in almost 80 years since it was discovered in 1940 in Giza, Egypt Mehu's tombs, which are situated in the vast ancient burial ground of Saqqara, are deemed to be the most beautiful tombs at the site - where the first dynasties of the old kingdom are buried Images depict the owner of the tomb hunting in the jungle and during fishing expeditions, murals also capture harvesting scenes as well as civilians cooking and dancing. These sorts of paintings were not used in Saqqara tombs before the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, the burial chamber, antechamber and entrance corridor of these pyramids are inscribed with Pyramid Texts, following the example set by Unas of the Fifth Dynasty. Occupier of the tomb, Mehu was an ancient Egyptian vizier, a vizier is the highest ranked official to serve the pharaoh of the time and one of the most important people in the royal court. The magnificent burial site was restored by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiques, who reinstated the tomb paintings pictured on the walls of the chambers Images depict the owner of the tomb hunting in the jungle and during fishing expeditions, murals also capture harvesting scenes as well as civilians cooking and dancing These sorts of paintings were not used in Saqqara tombs before the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, the burial chamber, antechamber and entrance corridor of these pyramids are inscribed with Pyramid Texts, following the example set by Unas of the Fifth Dynasty Occupier of the tomb, Mehu was an ancient Egyptian vizier, a vizier is the highest ranked official to serve the pharaoh of the time and one of the most important people in the royal court He lived in around 2300BC and is largely known due to his monumental mastaba (tomb), which is situated closely to the Pyramid of Unas. However the exact dating of Mehu has been disputed in Egyptology, documents have previously been published suggesting that he severed King Teti, while others argue he dated slightly later under the reign of King Pepy I. Mehu's family history is unclear, however it is believed that he had two wives named Nebet and Neferkaus, several of his sons are also mentioned in the tomb paintings. He lived in around 2300BC and is largely known due to his monumental mastaba (tomb), which is situated closely to the Pyramid of Unas However the exact dating of Mehu has been disputed in Egyptology, documents have previously been published suggesting that he severed King Teti, while others argue he dated slightly later under the reign of King Pepy I Mehu's family history is unclear, however it is believed that he had two wives named Nebet and Neferkaus, several of his sons are also mentioned in the tomb paintings Tomb paintings share messages of the past with a series of hieroglyphics etched onto a feature wall in the ancient tomb The opening of the burial site was filmed and photographed by a team of photographers who arrived to take pictures of the tomb It's enough to whip coffee-lovers into a latte-lathered fury. Despite coffee bean prices falling to their lowest level for seven years, the cost of a high street cappuccino has risen by up to 20 per cent. Research by the MoS found the price of beans on the international markets has plunged 67 per cent since 2011, from 2.23 per pound to a low of 74p last month. Yet in that time, a tall cappuccino in Starbucks that cost 2.15 in 2011 now costs 2.60 in most outlets a 20 per cent increase, according to industry experts Allegra. Research by the MoS found the price of beans on the international markets has plunged 67 per cent since 2011 (file photo) Rival Caffe Neros regular cappuccino has risen 40p from 2.30 in 2011, at Pret a Manger it has gone up from 2.19 to 2.45 and at Costa, the 2.15 primo now costs 2.35. MPs last night accused the coffee giants of making extra profit at the expense of their customers and called for the price falls to be passed on. Tory MP Charlie Elphicke said: It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Its time the corporations passed on wholesale savings to consumers. And Labours Caroline Flint, who serves on the Public Accounts Committee, said: British consumers have a right to ask why they arent passing on the fall in price. The extraordinary contrast between the price of a high street coffee and the coffee-bean market emerged after Costa Coffee was bought by Coca-Cola for 3.9 billion and Pret a Manger was sold to German-owned JAB Holdings for 1.5 billion. A tall cappuccino in Starbucks that cost 2.15 in 2011 now costs at least 2.60 in most outlets Selling coffee is now so profitable that the UK market has grown larger than Italys, according to Allegra. Britain now boasts about 24,000 outlets, while the amount being spent by customers is growing at 7.3 per cent a year. The falls of the wholesale price has been widely attributed to a global oversupply of beans. This will have provided a financial boost to chains such as Caffe Nero, whose parent company Italian Coffee Holdings said in its latest set of accounts that it made a profit of 26 million. Both Caffe Nero and Starbucks have in the past come under fire for paying less corporation tax than they could on UK profits. Selling coffee is now so profitable that the UK market has grown larger than Italys, according to Allegra (file photo) A Starbucks spokesman said: Many factors contribute to pricing decisions, including rents, labour, competition, distribution, commodities and coffee. A Costa spokeswoman said: The price of a cup of coffee does not simply reflect the cost of the beans. A spokeswoman for Pret a Manger said: Our coffee prices take into account the cost of our ingredients, as well as operational costs such as wages. Cafe Nero declined to comment. Jeremy Corbyn was branded 'an anti-Semite and a racist' yesterday in an astonishing onslaught by former racial equalities chief Trevor Phillips. Long-time Labour member Mr Phillips tore in to Mr Corbyn, claiming the anti-Semitism row was 'killing our party'. But he warned the problem went much further than Mr Corbyn, saying the leader was surrounded by like-minded people. Mr Phillips, who also hit out 'bullies' at the top of the party, told The Mail on Sunday: 'If he [Corbyn] were to step down tomorrow or be hit by a bus, don't forget there are people around him who are important in the party, who supported him 'There are literally tens of thousands of activists who defend the behaviour that we have all been seeing from the leadership.' Jeremy Corbyn was branded 'an anti-Semite and a racist' yesterday by Trevor Phillips Mr Corbyn's office angrily hit back, branding Mr Phillips's remarks as 'wrong and offensive'. But Mr Phillips's explosive comments wrecked Labour's attempt to draw a line under the anti-Semitism controversy which has plagued the party all summer. Last week, Labour's ruling National Executive Committee finally adopted the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism after weeks of protests by Jewish community representatives. But speaking yesterday, Mr Phillips reignited the row during a discussion on how to heal divisions in Britain, hosted by the Policy Exchange think-tank. Mr Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: 'It doesn't help that one of our great parties, the one I belong to, is led by anti-Semites and racists who basically want to eliminate anyone who disagrees with them.' Asked by The Mail on Sunday if he included the Labour leader in his 'anti-Semites' attack, he replied: 'Yes I think Jeremy Corbyn's views have been pretty well ventilated and exposed.' Mr Phillips, 64, said he had known Mr Corbyn for 40 years and had no personal 'animus' against him. But the former equalities watchdog dismissed the argument put forward by allies of the Labour leader that he was in no way prejudiced. Mr Corbyn's office angrily hit back, branding Mr Phillips's remarks as 'wrong and offensive' Mr Phillips said: 'This is the 'he hasn't got a racist bone in his body' b******t. My answer to that is: let me be the judge of that.' He also seized on the revelation that, in 2013, Mr Corbyn had said a group of British Zionists did not have an English sense of irony. Mr Phillips said: 'Prior to that, it was always possible for Jeremy Corbyn to say it's nothing to do with me. With that, he put himself in that group.' Some Labour MPs have privately claimed the anti-Semitism row has not dented the party electorally. But Mr Phillips said anyone claiming it would not harm Labour at the ballot box was 'an idiot'. 'It's killing our party. British people are not bigots, they are not racists. 'They don't like bigots, they don't like racists.' A Labour spokesman dismissed Mr Phillips's claims last night, saying: 'Jeremy Corbyn and the party leadership are life-long anti-racists who are determined to tackle anti-Semitism both within the Labour party and in wider society.' Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell faced claims he was as 'hard core' as Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism last night after it emerged he took part in a boycott of Israeli goods. Mr McDonnell helped organise a protest in his Hayes and Harlington constituency in 2014 to get shops not to stock fruit and other products from Israel. The protest came during bitter fighting between Israel and Hamas forces in Gaza. But Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard condemned the protest as 'vile'. He claimed it showed that, far from trying to defuse the row over anti-Semitism, Mr McDonnell was 'as hard core as Jeremy Corbyn and the rest of them'. Mr McDonnell defended taking part, saying it came from people 'appalled by the bombing of Gaza'. He said he had also previously supported a boycott of Saudi Arabia over arms sales. Labour was last night probing claims that two Iranian sympathisers infiltrated the party to try to oust a pro-Israel MP. Sources claim a 26-year-old Labour member was the man who broke party rules by filming a no-confidence vote in Enfield MP Joan Ryan for Iranian channel Press TV, which is banned here. Party insiders say the man joined Labour in July 2015. And they claim that another pro-Iran man gained access to the meeting after joining the local party just a few months ago. Labour MP Joan Ryan, (Enfield North), lost a vote of confidence yesterday by three votes A party insider said last night: We think there were at least two Iranian sympathisers in the meeting it was very organised. The man at the centre of the probe could not be reached for comment yesterday, although a family member confirmed he had attended the meeting and worked for Press TV. They declined to say whether he filmed it. Ms Ryan chairman of Labour Friends of Israel and a leading critic of Jeremy Corbyn narrowly lost the no-confidence vote by 92 votes to 95. The MP has said she is horrified at the way the party had been infiltrated. But there were claims last night that the entire no-confidence ballot was invalid as more people took part than were eligible to vote. One witness said: In total, 191 people voted including four spoilt ballot papers. But there were only 187 eligible members at the meeting. Joan Ryan, MP for Enfield North, lost a vote of confidence yesterday by three votes The vote against Ms Ryan coincided with a similar action by local party members against Luton MP Gavin Shuker and protests against Nottingham MP Chris Leslie, both critics of their party leader. Leading Labour moderate MP Chuka Umunna yesterday appealed to Mr Corbyn to call off the dogs, saying it was within the party leaders power to stop the votes. But Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell branded Mr Umunnas language appalling and denied party activists were engaged in a purge of MPs critical of Mr Corbyn. He said: There are no dogs being called on. I actually think referring to our party members as dogs is just unacceptable. BORIS JOHNSON: We have wrapped a suicide vest around our constitution and handed the detonator to Brussels Why are they bullying us? How can they get away with it? It is one of the mysteries of the current Brexit negotiations that the UK is so utterly feeble. We have a massive economy; the sixth largest in the world. We ought to be able to do that giant and generous free trade deal the Prime Minister originally spoke of. And yet its, yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir. At every stage in the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants. We have agreed to the EUs timetable; we have agreed to hand over 39 billion, for nothing in return. Boris Johnson, pictured, has accused the European Union of attempting to bully Britain Johnson, pictured at The Oval yesterday, claimed the Northern Ireland backstop is a 'suicide vest' wrapped around the British constitution Now under the Chequers proposal, we are set to agree to accept their rules forever with no say on the making of those rules. It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500 lb gorilla. And the reason is simple: Northern Ireland, and the insanity of the so-called backstop. We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier. We have given him a jemmy with which Brussels can choose at any time to crack apart the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We have been so mad as to agree, last December, that if we cant find ways of producing frictionless trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, then Northern Ireland must remain in the customs union and the Single Market: in other words, part of the EU. And that would mean a border down the Irish Sea. That outcome is completely unacceptable, as the PM has said, to the majority in Northern Ireland and to the UK Government; and yet that is the threat to the integrity of the UK that we have allowed our partners to wield. That is why Barnier seems so confident. That is why they are pushing us around. And we are now trying to sort it out, with a solution that is if anything even more pathetic. We are now proposing our own version of the backstop: that if we cant find ways of solving the Irish border problem, then the whole of the UK must remain in the customs union and Single Market. Mr Johnson said the Chequers plan, proposed by PM Theresa May, would keep Britain subject to EU rules and would prevent the country seeking ambitious trade deals And as a so-called solution to that problem we are putting forward the Chequers plan which keeps us subject to EU rules for goods, for food, in practice for trade, and much else besides. Either means agreeing to take EU rules, with no say on those rules. It means exposing UK business and entrepreneurs to potentially hostile regulation over which we have no control whatever. It means we cant do any real free trade deals. It means we are a vassal state. So we have managed to reduce the great British Brexit to two appalling options: either we must divide the Union, or the whole country must accept EU law forever. You might suppose that the issue of frictionless trade in Ireland had been grossly inflated, in order to keep us in the orbit of Brussels. And you might well be right. But what I can say for sure is that there are far better technical solutions than either of these hopeless backstop arrangements. Around the world, authorities are finding ways of abolishing frontier checks and doing them elsewhere. Why is that so unthinkable for Ireland? The Irish currently use their ports and airports to check only one per cent of goods arriving from anywhere outside the EU, let alone the UK. We live in a world of smartphone apps and electronic forms and Authorised Economic Operator schemes. There is no need for any kind of friction at the border at all. As Jon Thompson, the head of Her Majestys Revenue & Customs, told the House of Commons: We do not believe and this has been our consistent advice to Ministers we do not believe we require any infrastructure at the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland under any circumstances. He is right. The tragedy is that the British Government has never consistently pushed for those projects to be developed, and that is because there has always been a secret agenda to keep the UK in the customs union and effectively in the Single Market. In a weird semi-masochistic way we have created the means by which the EU can bully us. We have conspired in this threat to the Union. We have put our own heads deliberately on the block. It is time to scrap the backstop, fix the borders for frictionless trade, and get back to the open and dynamic approach outlined in Theresa Mays original Lancaster House speech with a big Canada-style free trade deal. Otherwise, we should tell our friends they wont get a penny. JEREMY HUNT: Mrs May will hold the line and win the best deal for Britain. But she needs the country behind her Throughout the post-war era, no political issue has aroused greater strength of feeling than our relationship with Europe and rightly so. With crucial negotiations under way, and vital issues hanging in the balance, the Prime Minister needs the flexibility and room to negotiate the best deal for Britain. New Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, pictured, said Theresa May was in the best position to secure the best deal from Brussels for Britain As we enter the final approach to Brexit, the critical moment has arrived. In just over six months, Britain will leave the European Union. In the coming weeks the Prime Minister will seek an agreement that fulfils the letter and spirit of our national decision to withdraw from the EU. She is better than anyone I know at holding the line in the face of intense pressure. But as a country we can help, too, because her efforts to achieve the best outcome for Britain will be greatly strengthened if we are united behind her. Parliament will, of course, have the chance to debate and vote on any agreement. Until then, we should not rush to judgment on a deal that is still under negotiation. Nor should we assume that unacceptable further concessions will inevitably be made on the Chequers proposals. I know this Prime Minister and she would never recommend a deal inconsistent with what the country voted for. In brief, our plan will take Britain out of the Single Market and the customs union, end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and halt the payment of vast sums into the EU budget. It will end freedom of movement and withdraw from the Common Agricultural and Common Fisheries policies. The Governments overarching aim is to restore Britains sovereign control over our borders, laws and money, while protecting jobs by ensuring our exporters can trade as freely as possible with the EU. We will also protect the peace in Northern Ireland and firmly resist attempts by some in Europe to divide our United Kingdom with customs posts down the Irish Sea. Mr Hunt called for unity in order for the government to secure the best deal for Britain Nobody else has a detailed plan that both delivers on the instruction of the British people and has a chance of succeeding in the negotiations. No country has ever left the EU before, so this is a journey without signposts. No negotiation is ever easy: I know that only too well having recently negotiated the NHSs long-term funding settlement with a Chancellor who rightly guards the purse-strings of the British taxpayer with great care. Yet all sides in this negotiation share a strong interest in achieving a smooth and orderly Brexit. Last year, total trade between Britain and the rest of the EU came to 615 billion more than twice the corresponding flow between China and Japan. About three million jobs in Britain and six million in the EU depend on this trade. We would all lose from any disruption. As it happens, I voted to Remain in the referendum in 2016 but I have found my views changing since then. Since becoming Foreign Secretary in July, I have visited eight EU countries and met more than half of my European counterparts. This has led me to reach two conclusions. Mr Hunt said his views have changed since the 2016 referendum and he acknowledges that the only way to honour the result and control the nation's borders is to leave the EU Firstly, the concept of freedom of movement is an inescapable element of the EU project and it has been firmly rejected by voters in Britain. Only by leaving the EU can we satisfy the emphatic desire in the country to control our own borders, voiced in the referendum and again in last years Election, when 82 per cent of the public voted for parties that pledged to stop free movement. Secondly, because of our very different histories, the pooling of sovereignty for collective security is in the DNA of our European friends, whereas parliamentary sovereignty is in ours. Ending our membership of the EU is a vital way to restore British parliamentary sovereignty and respect a strong desire to ensure decisions are taken closer to the people they affect. Both of these factors help to explain why more people voted to leave the EU than have ever voted for any political party in our countrys history. Nothing would be more damaging for our democracy than for the political establishment to try to unpick that decision. Keeping faith with the British people also rules out certain alternatives to EU membership. Especially any option that would entail accepting freedom of movement would contradict the message of both the referendum and the Election. In the end, democracy depends on respecting the power and legitimacy of the ballot box and accepting whatever the electorate decides. However tough the negotiations, we must not and will not ignore the will of the British people. So this is the moment to back the Prime Minister who is determined to deliver on their instructions. Four more Russians are suspects in the Novichok investigation but have yet to be named, it was claimed tonight. Security sources have reportedly said the Russian hit squad who targeted former spy Sergei Skripal had six members who were known as The Cleaners. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were accused this week of carrying out the poisoning in Salisbury and were identified as members of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. The attempted assassins are said to have had a back-up team who travelled separately and helped with reconnaissance in Salisbury, the Mirror reported. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov (pictured)were accused this week of carrying out the poisoning in Salisbury and were identified as members of Russia's military intelligence agency A source told the newspaper: 'Back-up is needed to keep the Skripals under surveillance. Petrov and Boshirov needed to know they wouldnt turn up while they were spraying the novichok.' The back-up team were also there in case anything happened to the nerve agent, the source said. The two alleged assassins are also said to have visited the UK several times, posing as wealthy Russians, so that their trip in March would not attract suspicion. It came as work started to decontaminate the home of poisoning victim Mr Skripal, six months after the attack. A cordon is in place so that police investigations or clean-up work can be carried out safely and will remain in place until the decontamination has been completed. Counter-terrorism officers believe the house is where Mr Skripal, a former Russian agent, and his daughter Yulia were contaminated with nerve agent on March 4, after a high concentration of the chemical weapon was found on the front door. Military personnel dressed in protective clothing begin decontaminating the home of Sergei Skripal, the former spy who was targeted in the Novichok attack in Salisbury in March The clean-up is being overseen by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in partnership with Wiltshire Council and carried out by specialist military teams. Former GRU officer Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left critically ill after being exposed to the military grade nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March. Detectives believe it is likely the two suspects, thought to be aged around 40, travelled under aliases and that Petrov and Boshirov are not their real names. Prosecutors deem it futile to apply to Russia for the extradition of the two men, but a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained and the authorities are also seeking the assistance of Interpol. Officers have formally linked the attack on the Skripals to events in nearby Amesbury when Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, were exposed to the same nerve agent. Ms Sturgess later died in hospital. Moscow has continued to deny it was involved in the attack. Boris Johnson has triggered a fresh political storm by accusing Theresa May of wrapping a suicide vest around Britain and handing the detonator to Brussels. The former Foreign Secretary uses a blistering article in todays The Mail on Sunday to condemn the Prime Ministers feeble handling of the Brexit negotiations, her pathetic Chequers deal and the Governments semi-masochistic relationship with the EU. In his first public comments since his marriage split, Mr Johnson paves the way for a potential leadership bid by demanding Mrs May take a more aggressive stance in the Brexit negotiations. Boris Johnson, pictured yesterday leaving the Oval, has condemned Theresa May's negotiating strategy with Brussels over Brexit, describing her Chequers deal as wrapping a 'suicide vest' around the British constitution Mr Johnson is especially critical over Theresa May's Northern Ireland 'backstop' agreement Amid an increasingly febrile atmosphere at Westminster, this newspaper can also reveal: The contents of a dirty dossier on Mr Johnson, which was drawn up by Mrs Mays advisers as part of an alleged attempt to smear him; Leaked details of the chuck Chequers manifesto drawn up by arch-Brexiteers, which calls for billions to be ploughed into income tax cuts, the NHS and the Armed Forces; That the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is calling on the Prime Ministers political enemies to give her the flexibility and room to strike a good deal for Britain. Writing in The Mail on Sunday he says she will fulfil the will of the people. Mr Johnsons colourful private life was thrust on to centre stage on Friday when it was announced he was separating from his barrister wife Marina Wheeler amid claims of an affair with a blonde Conservative aide. Though the woman has not yet been named, Carrie Symonds, the partys former director of communications, was last night linked to the former Foreign Secretary. Some observers have speculated Mr Johnsons marital crisis could torpedo his lifelong dream of becoming Prime Minister, but in todays article he makes clear his ambitions are undimmed as he ferociously attacks Mrs Mays plan to keep the UK tied to many EU rules. We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail, he writes. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to [EU Brexit negotiator] Michel Barnier. Mr Johnson, right, and his wife Marina announced they are to divorce after the former Foreign Secretary was linked to former Tory Party spin doctor Carrie Symonds, left Mr Johnson complains that instead of striking a giant and generous free trade deal, Mrs May says yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir to the EU. He writes: At every stage in the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants. We have agreed to the EUs timetable; we have agreed to hand over 39 billion, for nothing in return. Under the Chequers proposal we are set to agree to accept their rules forever with no say on the making of those rules. It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla. He directs his attack on Mrs Mays promise to Brussels that, if a solution to the Irish border problem cannot be found, then Northern Ireland would remain in the customs union and the Single Market: in other words, part of the EU. And that would mean a border down the Irish sea Mr Johnson claimed the Chequers deal was like wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution Describing the so-called backstop as insanity, Mr Johnson says of Mr Barnier: We have given him a jemmy with which Brussels can choose at any time to crack apart the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In a weird semi-masochistic way we have created the means by which the EU can bully us. We have conspired in this threat to the Union. We have put our own heads deliberately on the block. Meanwhile, in a separate Mail on Sunday article, Mr Hunt calls on the Prime Ministers critics to unite behind her, saying: She is better than anyone I know at holding the line in the face of intense pressure, adding that she would never recommend a deal that was inconsistent with what the country voted for. Mr Hunt who backed Remain in the referendum and once floated the idea of a second poll on the final deal now says he is determined to push on with Brexit. More people voted to leave the EU than have ever voted for any political party in our countrys history, he writes. Nothing would be more damaging for our democracy than for the political establishment to try to unpick that decision. Mr Hunt and Mr Johnsons clash comes amid intensifying speculation about an imminent leadership challenge to Mrs May. In an apparent attempt to undermine Mr Johnsons expected bid for power, a secret file detailing his affairs and political controversies was circulating in Whitehall last week. It was compiled by members of Mrs Mays team during the 2016 Election, but Tory HQ stressed yesterday that it was not connected to its distribution. Meanwhile, the chuck Chequers proposal described as an effective manifesto for a Johnson leadership had been due out in the coming days, but was spiked at the last minute. The document, drawn up Jacob Rees-Moggs European Research Group, was pulled following rows over some of the policies. A draft of the blueprint seen by this newspaper shows that the MPs were planning to give voters a Brexit bonus by cutting income tax, business rates, capital gains tax, stamp duty and VAT on female hygiene products, home insulation and domestic fuel. Billions would also be spent on schools, the NHS and defence including a nuclear missile shield. Jacob Rees Mogg's European Research Group has prepared a manifesto to outline their Brexit vision which includes special tax cuts to celebrate leaving the EU Details of the alternative proposals that Tory Brexiteers drew up in response to Theresa Mays Chequers plan can today be revealed. The chuck Chequers policies drafted by the European Research Group (ERG) led by Jacob Rees-Mogg were due to be published in the coming days but were dropped at the last minute following rows over how much detail to include. The Eurosceptic MPs, who are deciding whether to unite behind a Boris Johnson leadership bid, were planning to call for the 39 billion Brussels divorce bill to instead be spent on a Brexit income tax cut, the NHS and even a renewed nuclear deterrent. According to a version of the blueprint seen by this newspaper, the ERG was planning to call for a Canada-style free trade deal with the EU and if Brussels refused to grant the deal they advocated falling back on a hard Brexit governed by World Trade Organisation rules. They called for a significant proportion of the 39 billion divorce bill we have agreed to pay Brussels when we leave the EU to be ploughed into the NHS, and for 2 billion a year to be ringfenced for social care. The MPs were going to pledge to give everyone a Brexit bonus by cutting income tax, business rates, capital gains tax and stamp duty, while the UKs greater freedom to vary VAT after leaving the EU could be exploited by cutting the rates charged on female hygiene products, home insulation and domestic fuel. Some of the ideas are likely to raise eyebrows, including the suggestion that the UK needs a strong defence to protect these islands, which includes the insurance of a nuclear missile shield to deter aggression. Other plans for boosting our military forces include re-establishing an expeditionary force, so that the Army can intervene decisively, usually with allies, where there are events like the invasion of the Falklands or Kuwait that require a swift and effective military response. The ERG paper dismisses the EUs demand that there should be a hard border in Northern Ireland if there is a hard Brexit. Mr Mogg said Britain had nothing to worry about if the country had to trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules while a future arrangement was negotiated Echoing Mr Johnsons comments in this newspaper today, the manifesto argues in favour of an invisible customs frontier, with any checks carried out away from the border. It also condemns Mrs Mays backstop option on Northern Ireland, which would leave the province in the same customs jurisdiction as the rest of Ireland, as an absolutely unacceptable solution as it would involve a customs frontier down the Irish Sea. Mr Rees-Mogg said last night: That was an early draft. The key thing which the papers will address is that there is nothing to be concerned about the UK trading with the EU on WTO terms. The Canada deal with the EU, known as CETA, removed 98 per cent of all Canadian duties EU firms had to pay, and boosted the ability of European companies to bid for public contracts. It increased sales of EU cheese and wine in Canada, in return for Canadian beef hitting the shelves in Europe. Under a hard Brexit, the UK would pay tariffs on goods and services it traded with the EU. These tariffs range from 32 per cent on wine to nine on cars. Mr Rees Mogg claims that the UK would be able to enjoy ten tariff-free years while a free-trade agreement was negotiated. Meghan Markle's mother Doria is understood to have made secret visits to the UK to comfort her daughter in the wake of her father's damaging outbursts. Ms Ragland, who lives in Los Angeles, made the trips after repeated criticism from Thomas Markle that he had been 'cut off' by his daughter. The Mail on Sunday understands that on one occasion in July the social worker stayed with Harry and Meghan at their Oxfordshire cottage. A source said: 'The visit was totally under the radar Doria supported Meghan throughout a lot of the ordeal with Thomas.' Meghan Markle and Doria Ragland attend UN Women's 20th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women Harry and Meghan have spent much of the summer at their 'safe haven' house on the Great Tew Estate Harry and Meghan have spent much of the summer at their 'safe haven' house on the Great Tew Estate. The 74-year-old father to the Duchess of Sussex sensationally revealed how he had hung up on Prince Harry during a heated call ahead of the couple's wedding on May 19, leading the Duchess to want 'time off' from their relationship. It was the latest in a series of very public outbursts from Thomas Markle, this one being the final straw for the Duchess of Sussex. Ms Ragland, who lives in Los Angeles, made the trips amid Thomas Markl's public outbursts Sources claim that although Meghan, 37, does want to maintain a relationship with her father she feels they need time apart. Meanwhile, a US source told The Sun said: 'Meghan loves Thomas and does want to maintain a relationship with him in the long run. 'But at the moment she feels he needs and bit of space. She also wants to take a bit of time out.' Adding that the newly minted Duchess wants to focus on settling into royal life she has reportedly admitted there is no 'quick fix' for her relationship with her father. A woman has pleaded guilty to pinching a man's testicles on a party boat. Finance worker Alice Zhang Thomas was on board a work Christmas party that cruised around Sydney Harbour on December 7. The party boat welcomed colleagues from two different companies to celebrate the end-of-year festivities. Mrs Thomas, a mother-of-one, approached stranger Zhe Zhang who was minding numerous chairs for his friends on the middle level of the boat, the Daily Telegraph reported. Finance worker Alice Zhang Thomas was on board a work Christmas party that cruised around Sydney Harbour on December 7 when she assaulted stranger Zhe Zhang An argument ensued when Mrs Thomas sat down with Mr Zhang. According to a statement of facts tendered in court, Mrs Thomas said: 'You know in Australia a man cannot beat a woman but a woman can beat a man.' Mrs Thomas then proceeded to pinch Mr Zhang on the testicles, before hitting his glasses from his head. The seat debacle continued and Mrs Thomas assaulted the victim further, even using a framed certificate Mr Zhang was awarded to slam him on the head. Mr Zhang was cut on the face by the cracked frame. The pair were forced to apologise to each other when the boat docked at Pyrmont but Mr Zhang later reported to assault to police and Mrs Thomas was charged with common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Mrs Thomas faced Downing Centre Local Court last week where she was convicted and fined $2,800 Mrs Thomas faced Downing Centre Local Court where she pleaded guilty to the charges last week. The Strathfield woman was 'extremely embarrassed and upset with how she acted,' the court heard. Magistrate Alison Viney said: 'This is an appalling display of a lack of temper quite frankly.' Mrs Thomas was convicted and fined $2,800. Even the doctor who helped a British couple create a 'designer grandson' from the sperm of their dead sperm, Dr David Smotrich (pictured) has admitted their case is unusual A wealthy British couple have created a 'designer grandson' using sperm from their dead son. The couple took the extraordinary decision to harvest the sperm after their son their only child was killed in a motorcycle crash. Bypassing strict UK laws, the sperm was frozen and exported to the US where the couple, who are in their 50s, chose to use gender selection techniques to create a new male heir, who was born using donor eggs and a surrogate. The boy is now three and is understood to be living in the UK with his grandparents. It is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK and is certain to raise huge ethical concerns. Even the doctor involved world-leading fertility specialist, Dr David Smotrich has admitted the case was highly unusual. Dr Smotrich says he helped the couple at his pioneering La Jolla IVF clinic in California. Astonishingly, he said he understood the couple's son who was unmarried had not given formal consent to the extraction and use of his sperm in the event of his death. Legal experts have confirmed that this means those involved in the UK may have committed a criminal act and could face prosecution. Dr Smotrich says he helped the couple at his pioneering La Jolla IVF clinic in California (pictured) Last night, Dr Smotrich said: 'The English couple lost their son under the most tragic of circumstances. They desperately wanted an heir and a grandchild. It was a privilege to be able to help them.' The remarkable case began when the couple, described by Dr Smotrich as extremely rich 'and from a notable family', lost their 26-year-old son in the crash four years ago. The man's body lay undiscovered for two days but, once recovered, his sperm which can survive for up to 72 hours following death was retrieved by a urologist and immediately frozen. After nearly a year, it was flown to Dr Smotrich's clinic, using a UK-based specialist medical courier. IVF treatment. The child, believed to be three-years-old now, was born via eggs and surrogate Dr Smotrich, 55, an IVF pioneer who created the first test-tube baby for a same-sex US couple in 1997, was responsible for another UK first in 2001 when he helped Berkshire-based businessman Ian Mucklejohn become Britain's first single dad of triplets. The doctor said: 'Producing a child using posthumous sperm is exceedingly rare. I have done it only five times. 'This couple were desperate to find someone who would be able to create an heir. They wanted a boy. 'What we did is not available in the UK, where gender-selection isn't legal.' Around five babies a year are born in the UK after their fathers' deaths. Usually the sperm is extracted while the men are still alive, or children are born from IVF embryos created by a couple before the father's death. But this may be the first UK case in which a baby has been born from sperm extracted posthumously. There have been other cases in India, the US and Australia. THE CASE THAT RULED THERE MUST BE CONSENT Diane Blood with sons Liam, four, and Joel, 16-months, shows birth certificates bearing the name of their father, outside Sheffield District Register Office in 2003 Diane Blood (pictured) made history in 1997 by winning a two-year legal fight to have children using her dead husband's sperm. Liam, now 19, and Joel, 16, were born after father Stephen died in 1995 from bacterial meningitis. His sperm was retrieved while he was in a coma. The Court of Appeal ruled this was illegal without written consent but that discretion could be used and Mrs Blood had IVF treatment in Brussels. Advertisement Dr Smotrich said he was 'unaware' of how the grandparents bypassed British law. Professor Allan Pacey, a former chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: 'If the son in this case wasn't being treated by a clinic, and had not signed the necessary consent forms for the posthumous retrieval, storage and use of his sperm, then a criminal act has probably taken place. 'The clinician who extracted the sperm is in breach of the law as is the facility which stored and exported the sample.' Prof Pacey added that, in the absence of proper consent, the fertility regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the courts should have been involved in decisions over storage and export. The HFEA was unable to confirm whether its committee had reviewed the case. Dr Smotrich's office manager Diane Batzofin said: 'I took the initial call, from the dead man's mother. This was a marriage of science and soul. The mother told me it's what her son would have wanted.' Dr Smotrich said the couple were 'very specific' about the 'type and calibre' of egg donor and surrogate; insisting on someone who matched the kind of woman they believed their son would have married in terms of physical looks, intellect and education. Both egg donor and surrogate were American. Four embryos were created, one was selected and the couple were present for the birth in the US in 2015. The procedure including payments to the egg donor, surrogate and hospital fees is thought to have cost 60,000-100,000. The couple returned to the UK after official paperwork naming them as the child's legal parents was complete. Dr Smotrich said he received Christmas cards from the family. He claimed to have treated many high-profile individuals including politicians, aristocracy and minor royals seeking to bypass UK fertility laws. The doctor said he had no ethical objections to helping the couple and confirmed the remaining sperm and three embryos were in storage. 'I'm not here to judge who should be a parent,' he said. 'In this case, from what the parents told me, their son absolutely wanted children. I was happy to help a tragic story end with a happy outcome.' Additional reporting: Peter Sheridan Macbre mourning kits that include black bordered photographs and books of condolence have been sent out by a council in a tasteless preparation for the deaths of the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles. The boxed kits, sent to shops and community centres, include framed photographs of the senior Royals, draped in sombre black ribbon. Also in the boxes, distributed by Highland Council in Scotland, are a black tablecloth, a flower vase and a book of condolence to be signed by members of the public. Macbre mourning kits have been sent out by a council in a tasteless preparation for the deaths of the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles They come with a step-by-step guide to on how to use the kit to create an accessible but discreet place for the public to mourn the death of a royal family member. Although both the Government and local officials across the country have longstanding plans for dealing with the demise of national figures such as the Queen, they are not normally activated until the death of the individual. The boxed kits, sent to shops and community centres, include framed photographs of the senior Royals, draped in sombre black ribbon Royal expert and biographer Penny Junor last night branded the councils actions bizarre as well as pointless. She said: This is in very bad taste and beyond bizarre. Charles is not yet even 70 years old. It is both premature and pointless to send out these kits now. The council should apologise to the Queen and move whoever made the decision to another line of work. One of those who received a kit was Jan Hargreaves, 58, who runs the shop and post office in the village of Foyers near Inverness. She said: Though we were pleased to be chosen by the council, were just bemused, really, as to why we were suddenly given this box now, especially as we dont really have a place to put it. We did think maybe we could put it in the ice-cream stand, so long as it wasnt in use. We could cover it over with a dark cloth and make it more private. A Highland Council spokeswoman confirmed kits had been sent out to communities, apparently following guidelines from the umbrella body for councils in Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). She said: Its guidance that we are following from COSLA. I understand that COSLA has issued guidance to all local authorities on the death of a senior national figure. Yesterday, however, a COSLA spokesman declined to comment. New freshmen at George Mason University in Virginia are being offered another orientation created especially for black students, sparking anger from critics. The event, called the 'Black Freshmen Orientation', was held on August 25, and advertised as an opportunity for students to learn more about the 'black community at Mason'. It is now held every year and is organized by the Black Student Alliance, which says it is for 'freshmen who identify as black or are supporters of black people'. Students who attend must also go to the regular university orientation as well. The event, called the 'Black Freshmen Orientation', was held on August 25, and advertised as an opportunity for students to learn more about the 'black community at Mason'. Pictured is an advert for the day on a welcome website The news provoked anger on Twitter, where Professor Gad Saad wrote: 'So race-based segregation is now a good thing right? Asking for a friend.' 'If you're looking for an all-black experience, I can recommend about 101 places where you can get that. Stop this foolishness,' wrote Autumn Arnett. And Andrew Follett wrote: 'My grad school alma mater has reinvented 'separate but equal.' Many universities across the country now hold welcome events for black students, according to The College Fix. The event at Mason 'will offer ways to be involved not only with the black organizations but also mason as a whole', according to the Welcome 2 Mason website. 'This event allows incoming students for an outlook on how the Black Community at Mason is like,' it continues. Another site website, GMU Campus Labs, described it as a chance to network. 'The Black Freshman Orientation is a Black Student Alliance event that occurs annually at the beginning of the school year,' it stated. 'This year, the Black Student Alliance will be collaborating with other on campus organizations to make the experience even more valuable and enriching for all who attend.' The news provoked anger on Twitter, where Professor Gad Saad wrote: 'So race-based segregation is now a good thing right? Asking for a friend' Michael Sandler, director of strategic communications at George Mason University, said: 'The university also has over 300 student organizations that sponsor a variety of events throughout the year. 'Many student organizations hold welcome back activities as we get close to the beginning of the fall semester. 'Mason's Black Student Alliance, one of our student organizations, did sponsor a welcome event during the first week of the fall semester, which was open to all.' The family of an Australian mother are in disbelief amid fears the mother-of-four could face the death penalty in the United States if convicted over the murder of her seven-year-old stepdaughter. Lisa Cunningham, 43, and her husband Germayne Cunningham, 39, are accused of abusing and neglecting Sanaa Cunningham, who died from pneumonia and complications from sepsis in February 2017. The couple are accused of zip-tying the child to a water tank in a garage at their home in Arizona and neglecting to treat a septic wound to her foot. Lisa Cunningham, 43, (pictured) allegedly abused and neglected Sanaa Cunningham, who died from pneumonia and complications from sepsis in February 2017, by zip-tying her to a water tank in her garage and neglected to treat a septic wound to their foot Sanaa was also made to pick up dog faeces by the pair with her bare hands and restrained in a straight-jacket-like long-sleeved shirt, the prosecution alleges. On Monday, a Maricopa County judge ruled Lisa and Germayne Cunningham could face the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors allege Sanaa was unable to expel liquid from her lungs as a result of being restrained, exacerbating her pneumonia and leaving her unresponsive. Family of Mrs Cunningham claim the former Adelaide woman is innocent, the Sunday Mail reported. 'What I know I could not honestly see her doing something like that. I really and truly believe she is innocent. She was too nice a girl,' said cousin Julie. Mrs Cunningham's uncle, Rob Topsfield, 70, said the Americans had got it wrong about his niece who 'wouldn't hurt a fly'. 'I'm really angry with the American judicial system at the moment,' he said. Mr Topsfield is disappointed that he can't fly over to support his niece as he is undergoing cancer treatment. Prosecutors allege the restraints Cunningham used to tie up Sanaa (pictured) meant she was unable to expel liquid from her lungs, exacerbating her pneumonia and leaving her unresponsive He claims Mrs Cunningham is a compassionate person who cared for her two older brothers when her mother experienced mental health struggles. Mr Topsfield said Mrs Cunningham had tragedy in her life as her grandmother and mother died within a short period of time when she last visited Australia. Mrs Cunningham was born in Adelaide, before moving around the country and living in Far North Queensland. She moved to the United States in the late 1980s as a teenager and then met her first husband. Two weeks before she pleaded not guilty, Mrs Cunningham tried to commit suicide, according to the Sunday Mail. Lisa and Germayne Cunningham (pictured), the former of whom has lived in the USA for 20 years and comes from Adelaide, could face the death penalty following their hearing in October if found guilty The case could create diplomatic disharmony as the Australian Government is opposed to the death penalty. If convicted and sentenced to death, she would be the first Australian woman to face the death penalty in the United States. According to The Phoenix New Times, Sanaa's death went unreported by state welfare agents for months before a grand jury charged the Cunninghams with 10 counts of child abuse and one of first-degree murder in December. The couple were allowed to remain free until Monday, when judge Michael Kemp ruled prosecutors had enough evidence to justify their aim to seek the death penalty. He said: 'There were many warning signs with regard to her need for medical attention. 'This was more than reckless behaviour. This was more than a failure to provide care and it led to the child's death.' Cunningham and her husband Germayne Cunningham, 39, (pictured) are charged with 10 counts of child abuse and one of first-degree murder after Sanaa's death went unreported by state welfare agents for months But Lisa Cunningham's lawyer Taylor Fox argued doctors had differing views about what killed the seven-year-old - who noted the autopsy was inconclusive as to whether Sanaa was killed or died by accident. Mr Fox also said the accused called a doctor two days before she died, but had to wait until Monday to book an appointment. Lisa and Germayne Cunningham, a former Phoenix policeman, have been refused bail, with a hearing date schedule for October. Sanaa's mother, Sylvia Norwood, 38, is still grieving the loss of her second daughter, according to her lawyer Quacy Smith. Mr Smith told the Sunday Mail it took 24 hours for his client to be notified about Sanaa's death. 'Parents don't expect to have to bury their children,' he said. Sanaa Cunningham had pneumonia at the time of her death, and the prosecution allege the couple's neglect made her condition worse and left her unresponsive The method of death penalty in Arizona is lethal injection, but a criminal convicted before November 23 1992 can also opt to be killed by gas inhalation. No-one has been executed by death penalty in the state since 2014. The Australian had lived in the US for 20 years and is eligible for $500,000 in funds from the Attorney-General - which provides support to Australians facing the death penalty overseas. The leader of one of Australia's most notorious motorcycle gangs is being pursued for unpaid taxes. Finks outlaw motorcycle gang president Koshan Rashidi, also known as Kosh Radford, was hit with a demand for almost $600,000 in tax debts on Saturday. According to a writ issued to the Victorian County Court by the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation, Radford, 40, has debts dating back 15 years. Kosh Radford (second to left) is being chased for nearly $600,000 in unpaid tax debts The debt claim comes after an ammended assessment of his tax history from the past 11 years The debt claim of more than $586,961 includes $245,006 in unpaid taxes, $187,353 in penalties and more than $154,591 in interest. It comes after Radford was issued an amended tax assessment of the past 11 years in May this year, as reported by the Herald Sun. According to the Australian Taxation Office, he now lives in a double-storey house with a luxury backyard pool in Melbourne's south-eastern suburb of Endeavour Hills. The writ was put before Victoria's County Court on Saturday, with the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation now awaiting a ruling to force the president to pay up. Radford most recently made headlines when he and his family were denied access to Bali last year. Radford made headlines when he was barred from entering Bali with his family in 2017 Travelling with his wife, child and mother-in-law, he was intercepted at the airport and put on the first available flight back to Sydney. Bali's immigration minister later confirmed he was barred due to his links to the motorcycle gang, and was tipped off by Australian Federal Police. The move was reported as an attempt to disrupt the emergence of Australian bikie gangs in Bali over recent years, with the Finks, Rebels and Bandidos reportedly expanding into Indonesia. Radford is the president of the Finks outlaw motorcycle club, which reportedly stands at more than 2000 members Soon after, he was arrested and released on bail over charges of allegedly punching a cop in the face. He was released on strict conditional bail, which included a $15,000 bond and orders not to associate with anyone from the Finks. Police missed the alleged killers of Mick Hawi by just minutes on the day the former Comancheros bikie boss was gunned down outside his gym. Heavily-armed anti-bikie officers stormed apartment 12 at the 'Toaster' building overlooking Sydney's Circular Quay about 5.30am on February 12. They were looking for Ahmad Doudar on a routine warrant but just missed him. Had they arrived minutes earlier they allegedly could have unwittingly foiled the murder. Police missed the alleged killers of Mick Hawi (pictured) by just minutes on the day the former Comancheros bikie boss was gunned down outside his gym Hawi was shot in the head at close range as the shooter leaned in to the window of his black Mercedes, spraying himself with gunshot residue that was a key break in the case All they found was the Lone Wolf bikies member's mobile phone and gym pass, according to the Daily Telegraph. The 38-year-old was allegedly already setting up the brazen hit on Hawi along with Yusuf Nazlioglu, 37, who lived with him in the Toaster flat. They were putting getaway cars in place, tailing Hawi, and casing the Fitness First gym he attended in Rockdale, police alleged. Six hours after the Toaster raid, Hawi was dead - shot in the head at close range as Nazlioglu allegedly leaned in to the window of his black Mercedes. Ahmad Doudar, 38, (left) and Yusuf Nazlioglu, 37, (right) were the alleged killers and are facing trial for the former bikie boss' murder Heavily-armed anti-bikie officers stormed their apartment at the 'Toaster' building (stock pictured) overlooking Sydney's Circular Quay about 5.30am on February 12 His $40,000 assassination seemed meticulously planned, but was riddled with sloppy errors that eventually led to their capture. Detectives got their first break when they found the burned-out silver Mercedes getaway car dumped near the gym. Forty officers scoured the streets for CCTV footage and spent 16 days tracking the car back to a derelict house owned by Doudar's brother. More CCTV from near there identified a second getaway car that arrived 10 minutes after the shooting. Weeks later the Toyota Aurion was tracked down 11km away in Beaconsfield after it was loaded on to a tow truck, allegedly by Mustafa Salami who was also arrested. Hawi (pictured with his wife Carolina Gonzalez) was shot to death on February 12 but police are still perplexed about the motive Doudar and Nazlioglu were finally arrested last month outside a Bexley barbershop amid concerns they were about to take an interstate trip Detectives watched the 'inseparable' pair for months before as they partied hard at their exclusive apartment and hit the gym together Police found a balaclava carelessly left behind and had the lab run tests in case anything was left behind. Usually traces would be long gone but as the car was sealed up for weeks, traces of DNA and gunshot residue were still on it. The DNA allegedly matched Nazlioglu, and CCTV of the murder showed the shooter was close enough to the car to have been sprayed with GSR. Detectives watched the 'inseparable' pair for months as they partied hard at their exclusive apartment and hit the gym together. They were finally arrested last month outside a Bexley barbershop amid concerns they were about to take an interstate trip, and charged with Hawi's murder. A 25-year-old female staff member claims she was blackmailed into having sex with five students at a prestigious boarding school. The woman, who was employed at The Armidale School in New South Wales' north, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual intercourse with a person under her care and three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse, in April. The incidents occurred with students aged between 15 and 17 over several months in 2014 and 2015, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. A 25-year-old female staff member claims she was blackmailed into having sex with five students at The Armidale School (pictured) in New South Wales' north The former staff member told the NSW District Court she was treated like dirt and claimed the boys threatened to report her if she didn't continue to have sex with them. 'At the time I was going along with what I thought was going to keep them happy,' she said before acting judge Christopher Armitage on Friday. She also alleged one of the teenagers raped her on two separate occasions. The woman said she was remorseful for her actions and the situation - which got out of hand - was not dealt with correctly. The court heard that thousands of text messages were exchanged between the students and some were read out. One boy texted his friend: 'you rooting that fat s*** tonight?' In a text sent to the woman, a male student said he and his friend wanted to put her 'on the spit'. The incidents occurred with students aged between 15 and 17 over several months in 2014 and 2015 The woman had messaged the students about fears she could lose her job and go to jail. The students texted about what would likely happen when the behaviour became known. 'I'm saying I got raped,' a student texted. 'Yeah, f--- the c---, we'll all say it,' replied the other. Judge Armitage lifted suppression orders prohibiting the name, location and type of the school after parents of the boys wrote to the court, claiming the school needed to be held accountable. The suppression order on the identity of the staff member remained. The woman will be sentenced on Monday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's school alumni Facebook group has been made private after former students flooded the forum to speak out against the new Liberal Party leader. The Sydney High School Old Boys Union Facebook group was previously a public forum, until it started attracting heated commentary regarding Mr Morrison's newest position. It all began after one member expressed his excitement over having an ex-classmate named the new prime minister, The Guardian reported. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's school alumni Facebook group was locked off from the public after former students flooded the forum to speak out against the new Liberal leader Others weren't as enthusiastic. One user expressed shame over attending a school that had 'generated such a bigot', while others lashed out against Mr Morrison's beliefs and values, including his religion and stance against climate change. 'I did not know him at school, but I have seen this reprehensible dolt wield his powers to the detriment of us all, evil Now I am very embarrassed to have gone to school with him.' 'You are definitely not talking on behalf of SBHS Old Boys, his political actions are a disgrace to humanity and his Christian hypocrisy is mind-boggling. Hardly someone to hold up as a model of what SBHS turned out,' another wrote. One group member attempted to diffuse the situation, but was quickly abused by fellow alumni While others were defending him and expressing their pride, moderators acted quickly to shut down any public access to the page, which has more than 1400 members. Mr Morrison is the second prime minister to hail from the public selective school, the first being Country party leader Earle Page, who served the nation as leader for 19 days after the sudden death of Joseph Lyons in 1939. 'I'm no fan of Morrison, but he's the first Liberal leader since John Howard who didn't go to a private school, so says something for diversity perhaps?' Morrison quickly outlined his vision for Australia after being sworn into his position, saying: 'Our plan, my plan is for an even stronger Australia.' He said he was on the side of everyday Australians working to make a living. 'I'm on your side, that's what matters,' he said in his first media conference leading the nation. 'We're on your side because we share beliefs and values in common.' He described the Australian people as 'ambitious and aspirational' and has also promised to heal the divisions in the Liberal Party. President Donald Trump is congratulating North Korea for its 70th anniversary of its founding, which the country celebrated with a military parade that was notable for its lack of display of nuclear missiles. He's also touting his close relationship with leader Kim Jong Un. 'North Korea has just staged their parade, celebrating 70th anniversary of founding, without the customary display of nuclear missiles. Theme was peace and economic development. 'Experts believe that North Korea cut out the nuclear missiles to show President Trump......,' the president tweeted Sunday morning. '...its commitment to denuclearize.' This is a big and very positive statement from North Korea. Thank you To Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! Much better than before I took office,' he continued. President Trump congratulated North Korea for its military anniversary Trump praised the country for emphasizing its economic development Trump also touted his relationship with Kim Jong Un Trump is a fan of military parades and is longing to hold one of his own in Washington D.C. He's also been touting a show of faith from North Korean leaderKim Jong Un in the last week as the loyalty of some of his aides comes into question in the wake of an anonymous New York Times op-ed that undermined his presidency. North Korea rolled out some of its latest tanks and marched its best-trained goose-stepping units in a major military parade on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary, but held back its most advanced missiles and devoted nearly half of the event to civilian efforts to build the domestic economy. The strong emphasis on the economy underscores leader Kim's new strategy of putting economic development front and center. Trump has praised the leader as an ally. 'Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims 'unwavering faith in President Trump.' Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!,' the president tweeted Thursday morning. Trump is touting the kind words of a despot as his own West Wing was in a meltdown after an anonymous 'senior official in the Trump administration' wrote a scandalous op-ed in the New York Times outlining a conspiracy within the administration to keep Trump from doing anything detrimental to the country. Kim's show of faith came during a meeting with South Korean envoys in Pyongyang on Wednesday. He told them he still trusts Trump despite a breakdown in negotiations between the two countries, according to reports. Soldiers march in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he attends a parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang Korean People's Army (KPA) tanks take part in a military parade on Kim Il Sung square Kim Jong Un and President Trump at their June Singapore summit Tens of thousands of North Koreans waving brightly colored plastic bouquets filled Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square as the parade began. Residents of Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, trained for months for the anniversary and held up the bouquets to spell out words and slogans that can be seen from the VIP viewing area. Kim attended the Sunday morning military parade in Pyongyang but did not address the assembled crowd, which included the head of the Chinese parliament and high-level delegations from countries that have friendly ties with the North. At the end of the two-hour event he strolled to the edge of the balcony with the Chinese special envoy, Li Zhanshu, the third-ranking member in China's ruling Communist Party. The two held up their joined hands to symbolize the countries' traditionally close ties, though the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping could indicate Beijing still has some reservations about Kim's initiatives. Senior statesman Kim Yong Nam, the head of North Korea's parliament, set the relatively softer tone for the event with an opening speech that emphasized the economic goals of the regime, not its nuclear might. He called on the military to be ready to work to help build the economy. After a truncated parade featuring tanks and some of North Korea's biggest artillery, fewer than the usual number of missiles and lots of goose-stepping units from all branches of the military, the focus switched to civilian groups ranging from nurses to students to construction workers, many with colorful floats beside them. The combining of military and civilian sections is a familiar North Korean parade format. The past two big anniversaries of North Korea's founding, in 2008 and 2013, did not feature the Korean People's Army, only the civil defense units, which are officially called 'Worker Peasant Red Guards.' Although North Korea stages military parades almost every year, and held one just before the Olympics began in South Korea in February this year, Sunday's parade came at a particularly sensitive time. Kim's effort to ease tensions with Trump has stalled since their June summit in Singapore. Both sides are now insisting on a different starting point. Washington wants Kim to commit to denuclearization first, but Pyongyang wants its security guaranteed and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War. With tensions once again on the rise, a parade featuring the very missiles that so unnerved Trump last year, and led to a dangerous volley of insults from both leaders, could have been seen as a deliberate provocation. The North also refrained from immediately televising the event, though North Korean media were out in force to film it, deploying booms and - for possibly the first time - drones with cameras. Pyongyang residents unable to attend at the square lined the streets around town to cheer and applaud convoys carrying the troops after they completed the parade duties. Participants cheer during a parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding North Korean soldiers march during the parade North Korean artillery roll past during a parade for the 70th anniversary Soldiers march past during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares Soldiers march past in the parade Soon after the anniversary celebrations end, Kim will meet in Pyongyang with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss ways to break the impasse over his nuclear weapons. The 'new line' of putting economic development first has been Kim's top priority this year. He claims to have perfected his nuclear arsenal enough to deter U.S. aggression and devote his resources to raising his nation's standard of living. This year's celebrations also mark the revival of North Korea's iconic mass games after a five-year hiatus. The mass games involve tens of thousands of people holding up placards or dancing in precise unison and are intended to be a display of national unity. This year's spectacle - tickets start at just over $100 and go up to more than $800 per seat - also has a strong economic theme. An unofficial translation of its name this year is 'Our Shining Nation.' Donald Trump Jr spent Saturday in Louisiana on a $5,000-per-head alligator hunt with his girlfriend Kimberley Guilfoyle to raise money for a local Republican. The president's son posted an Instagram message hailing a 'great day' out hunting - although it is unclear whether he managed to catch any gators himself. Earlier he appeared in a Facebook video posted by another attendee in which he thanked Landry for his early support during the 2016 presidential campaign. Scroll down for video. Kimberly Guilfoyle pouts next to a tray of roasted alligator and Pork during a day out hunting with Donald Trump Jr Trump and Guilfoyle, who recently got together, seemed to be enjoying themselves during the day's festivities 'It's just great to come back here because you guys do have the best food in the country,' he told the adoring crowd. 'Jeff's been great, we got to meet on the campaign trail when it was not even popular to be supporting us and he was into what was going on there. 'It's awesome to have guys like this in the state attorney general's office. So I just wanted to come down and thank him, be with you guys and have a great time.' At that point Landry interjected and appealed to the crowd: 'Ya'll tell him how much we're on the Trump train.' Attendees paid $5,000 to help Landry in what has become an annual fundraising event The president's son teamed up with congressman Steve Scalise for the hunting trip, which was to raise money for Louisiana attorney general Jeff Landry Party people: Days before they were in attendance at a party at Bice Cucina, an upmarket midtown West Italian restaurant. The bash was hosted by friend and publicist Anna Rothschild 'I like that,' Trump replied after cheers. 'It's a little better than walking down the street in New York. Slightly different response. I like it here.' Guilfoyle, an attorney and ex-Fox News host, called Landry a 'real winner' and joked that Trump was under pressure for the hunt because 'Mama needs a new pair of boots'. Later she posted an Instagram video of herself stirring a pot of gator gumbo with Beyonce's Single Ladies in the background. Trump had Congressman Steve Scalise as his hunting partner during the annual event. He split from his wife Vanessa in March, and they are in the process of divorcing. Trump met Guilfoyle after she appeared at a campaign stop in West Virginia with Vice President Mike Pence as part of her new vice president's job with Trump super PAC America First. The pair have since been regulars on the NYC scene. Days before the gator hunting trip they were pictured together at a party hosted by friend and publicist Anna Rothschild at the Italian restaurant Bice Cucina in NYC. The Annual Top 100 Uptown Party brought out a number of celebrities including Cuba Gooding Jr, Patty Raynes and Ramona Singer to name but a few. A homeowner is fighting to keep a bus stop from being built outside his front door - but now the bus stop is planned for the man's driveway instead. The Karaka, Auckland resident complained to Auckland Transport (AT) regarding the issue but AT spokesman Mark Hannan said the bus stop was planned by the developer of the area. 'In that process somewhere along the line, they have lost sight of the planned and approved network, and then been surprised by the construction of approved infrastructure,' Mr Hannan told the NZ Herald. A homeowner is fighting to keep a bus stop from being built outside his front door - but now the bus stop is planned for the man's driveway instead (pictured) AT agreed to approve the Karaka subdivision's street layout before the houses were built, according to NZ Herald. The homeowner, who refused to be identified, said that he read a report last week on similar cases where two new townhouses had a bus shelter obstruct the properties. The Karaka resident, who bought the $1.15 million house just last year, only found out three months ago that similar plans were made to build a bus stop near his property. Aside from writing to AT, he also contacted the local board, developers, Mayor Phil Goff and even members of Parliament. AT ruled out the homeowner's suggestion of moving the bus stop 200 metres away, saying that it would go against the planned spacing of bus stops. This led to the current situation, where AT agreed to move it to the man's driveway, where the tail end of the bus stop would go over the driveway instead. Similar cases have been cited in New Zealand, such as this bus stop placed directly in front of a Hobonsville home (pictured) Although Mr Hannan said it 'perfectly normal' to encounter such situations in Auckland, the Karaka homeowner remains dissatisfied. 'It is absurd for anyone to say having a public bus stop blocking your driveway is normal,' he told NZ Herald. 'I understand the bus stop was part of the resource consent of a neighbouring development, not the developers of my house, so it is unfair that this has affected me'. The Liberal Party has lost the seat of Wagga Wagga, according to predictions (Pictured: candidate Julia Ham) New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday conceded defeat in the Wagga Wagga byelection, saying she believes independent Joe McGirr will secure enough votes to take the seat from the Liberals. The Liberal Party will lose the seat 60 years after they first won it in 1957. While counting is still underway, experts are predicting a swing of 29 per cent against the Liberals, signalling a historic loss for the party, SBS reported. 'It's likely that we'll get the highest primary vote, but, of course, not enough to hold the seat. It's the most likely outcome is that independent Joe McGirr will win the seat,' Ms Berejiklian said after early results were made public. After recent leadership trouble in the Federal parliament, the political party pulled out all the stops in an effort to win the Wagga Wagga byelection. Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who visited Wagga Wagga six times in the lead-up, also told The Daily Telegraph: 'The infighting in Canberra was a huge concern' (Pictured: Ms Berejiklian and Ms Ham) Dr McGirr (pictured right), who addressed his supporters in his own backyard, promised his fans he would remain independent no matter the outcome Liberal candidate Julia Ham has also virtually conceded the NSW state seat, saying that although this 'may be over, it's something that I would certainly stand for again.' Ms Ham will be able to re-contest the seat in the March general elections. While Ms Berejiklian has been quick to blame the federal leadership coup for inciting distrust in the public, the exit of the former Member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire was said to also hinder Ms Ham's likelihood of success, the ABC reported. 'We had an MP booted out of Parliament and we had the federal Liberal Party ripping itself apart, what do you expect is going to happen?' one senior Liberal minister said. The disgraced former MP tendered his official resignation from parliament after he was embroiled in a corruption scandal. It is alleged secret recordings were discovered of him discussing potential commissions over property deals with another local councillor. Ms Berejiklian, who visited Wagga Wagga six times in the lead-up to the byelection, also said: 'The infighting in Canberra was a huge concern and, when combined with the actions of a former member, it created an atmosphere where people's cynicism with politics was off the charts.' With the Liberals ruled out of the race, it is now down to Dr McGirr and Labor candidate Dan Hayes. Independent candidate Joe McGirr (pictured), is surprised at being the current favourite to win the by-election Dr McGirr, who addressed his supporters in his own backyard, promised his fans he would remain independent no matter the outcome. 'I have been an independent, I am an independent, I intend to continue as an independent,' he said. He also said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald: 'It's clearly very close and it will come down to preferences. 'To be at this point in the primary vote is really really a delightful surprise.' Mr Hayes, also proud of his achievements, declared they'd achieved the task of making Wagga Wagga a marginal seat again. 'We've been neglected for too long, for too long and we're sending them a message: we won't be neglected anymore.' Mr Hayes (pictured left), also proud of his achievements, declared they'd achieved the task of making Wagga Wagga a marginal seat again Hamish Earle McLaren (pictured) fleeced more than $7million from 15 victims between 2011 and 2017 A conman fleeced more than $7million from 15 victims by pretending to be a barrister, investment fund manager and a Harvard graduate. Hamish Earle McLaren, from Sydney's eastern suburbs, acquired $7.66million between 2011 and 2017, before his arrest in July 2017. McLaren pleaded guilty to 17 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one count of knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime at the Central Local Court on Wednesday. The 48-year-old tricked his victims by claiming he had insider knowledge of a gold mine and had access to investment opportunities, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. He also told victims to cash in their superannuation, sell their shares and redraw from their mortgages. Fashion designer Lisa Ho paid McLaren $850,000 of her superannuation in late 2011 after the pair were unwittingly introduced by her ex-husband. Fashion designer Lisa Ho (pictured) paid McLaren $850,000 of her superannuation in late 2011 after the pair were introduced by her ex-husband Ms Ho was able to recover $500,000 after she launched legal proceedings. 'I'm glad he's behind bars and starting to feel the punishment he dumped on so many trusting people,' Ms Ho said. One retired couple were fleeced $1,712,500 and were left without superannuation and savings, according to agreed facts tendered to the court. When McLaren managed to convince a new victim to pay, the money was used a front for legitimate business as he would pay 'dividends' or 'interest' to other victims. Three of McLaren's victims were women who were recently divorced, receiving money or property from their settlements. McLaren lived at various properties including an apartment at Bondi Beach and a waterfront unit a Woollomooloo. He also operated 30 bank accounts. McLaren is in custody at Sydney's Long Bay jail and will return to court on September 14. A surfer has been rescued after clinging to his surfboard for six hours in extremely rough water. The Hawke's Bay man was spotted making hand signals in the Tukituki River in Haumoana in the east coast of New Zealand's north island on Sunday. Helicopter staff confirmed to the coast guard of the surfer's rescue at 1.35pm. When the man was located, helicopters said he had been swept out 10.5km to sea in 13-degree temperatures, which posed a great risk of hypothermia. Scroll down for video. Due to the large swells, the boat had to slow down, delaying the rescue of the surfer 'He was on a surfboard, but that was a lighter colour unfortunately so it blended in with the sea. It was just his black wetsuit that we saw, but we only saw him from 100m away,' said Coastguard skipper Henry van Tuel. The surfer had reportedly gone into the water early in the morning and had arranged to meet his friends after his surf. His friends had arrived to a locked car with no sign of him and contacted police to begin an urgent search at 11am. The Tukituki River in Haumoana is located in the east coast of New Zealand's north island. The rescue boat took half an hour to get from the Coastguard base in Napier to Haumoana, where the search started due to rough waters with a swell close to four metres in height. Due to the large swells, the boat had to slow down, delaying the rescue of the surfer. The helicopters who struggled in the search finally spotted the man where there was a two-metre swell. Coastguard skipper Henry van Tuel said the man's lucky survival was due to his wetsuit The search team managed to spot the surfer 100 metres away because he was wearing a black wetsuit that stopped him from blending into the sea and the surfboard. Rescuers said the lucky surfer owed his survival due to being extremely young, fit and because he wore a good wetsuit. A rural supermarket has raised the price of milk in support of local farmers affected by the drought. An IGA store in Ulladulla, Shoalhaven, put the price of milk up by 10 cents a litre, with all additional profits being delivered directly to four of their local dairy farmers. Co-owner of the IGA store Anthony Latter said the decision is a direct response to what his customers have been asking for, the ABC reported. A rural supermarket has raised the price of milk in support of local farmers affected by the drought 'They have been asking what milk to buy as there is a lot of milk varieties out there and they are wanting to support the local farmers,' he said. The action comes as major supermarkets continue to resist and ignore farmers' pleas to increase the price of milk, or for the government to introduce a levy to ease the farmers' load during the crisis. 'Doing it this way means we know where the money is going and we can keep it in our community,' Mr Latter's business partner, Shane Wilson said. An IGA store in Ulladulla, Shoalhaven, put the price of milk up by 10 cents a litre, with all additional profits being delivered directly to four of their local dairy farmers Local dairy farmer Robert Miller described the generosity of his community as overwhelming. While he still holds hope the big supermarkets will step up and follow suit, his appreciation for the local community is immense. 'When you've got the community backing you in a situation where you are losing money, producing milk is a good feeling,' Mr Miller said. He described the gesture as one of the greatest he could imagine. The supermarket will trial the price increase until at least Christmas, but hope to maintain it well into the future. Gerard Batten today declared that he backs controversial moves to allow far-right activist Tommy Robinson to join Ukip. He said the former EDL leader had shown bravery and the party should make a special exception to its rule banning ex members of far-right groups from joining. His explosive intervention comes as Ukips ruling NEC body will today hold a meeting where they will vote on a motion paving the way for Robinsons membership. But some Ukip members are furious at the move to embrace Robinson - who was in the BNP before founding the EDL and becoming Britains most notorious far-right activist. Gerard Batten (pictured) has declared that he backs controversial moves to allow far-right activist Tommy Robinson to join Ukip At least one NEC member has warned he could quit if the activist is let in - raising the prospect that Ukip could split. But in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Mr Batten praised Robinson, 35, for confronting grooming gangs. The former EDL leader was jailed earlier this year for contempt for live-streaming details of a grooming trial on Facebook, but released last month when judges quashed the conviction. Mr Batten said: My personal opinion is that we should find a way of allowing Tommy Robinson to become a member. Because, for all his faults - and Im sure he will admit he has got them - and his indiscretions, he is incredibly brave and he has stood up and defended people in the face of grave danger to himself. And I am talking now about these victims of industrialised sexual abuse. He has got the sheer guts to stand up and defend those people. And my view is that in his case we should make an exception - a one off. Mr Batten was a supporter of the free Tommy campaign and spoke at a rally in central London where thousands of activists descended on Whitehall to demand his release. The two men are both vocal critics of Islam, which Robinson has dubbed bigoted and Mr Batten has described as a death cult. Under Nigel Farage and other leaders, Ukip has maintained a strict ban on former members of far right groups joining. Mr Batten said he does not think Ukip should tear up its blanket ban - insisting his backing of Robinson is a one off case. But he also said he believes the ex EDL leader will be able to help broaden Ukips appeal - particularly to voters in the north. Mr Batten said: Not everybody who has joined the BNP over the years is a bad person - they may have made a mistake because of a lack of understanding about the origin of these parties But we have had a blanket ban on these people because we have to protect ourselves from infiltration. In an interview, Mr Batten praised Robinson (pictured) for confronting grooming gangs Now about Tommy Robinson, we have to keep that blanket ban because we cant tell the people who made a mistake from the outright racists and people we wouldnt want to have in the party. But my personal opinion - and Ive had various meetings with Tommy Robinson and [Ukip peer] Lord Pearson is a supporter of Tommy Robinson... - and I think he is a very special case. He has explained that when he joined the BNP, he didnt really know what they were about, he was quite young, he wasnt particularly politically sophisticated. Once he found out what they were about - when they refused entry to a friend of his because he was black - then he left the party The EDL didnt start out as an extreme right wing party. But Tommy Robinson will tell you himself that it was infiltrated, and thats why he left. Ukips NEC is meeting today where they will decide whether to back a motion calling for Robinson to be given membership. If they do and it is selected by the party chairman, it will be debated by Ukip party members at their conference in Birmingham later this month. If the members back it then Robinson could be handed his party card. Mr Batten played down talk that embracing Robinson could trigger a mass walkout of existing Ukip members. He said: This motion at conference will gauge the feeling of the party. The members will be a representation of the party and we will see what they decide... If they overwhelmingly vote against it then I will accept that democratic decision. Asked if the vote has to be overwhelming, he added: If it is 80-20 its pretty clear, if it is 50-50 its not so clear. And he suggested that recruiting Robinson is part of his broader mission to turn Ukip into a mass populist movement. He said that after Britain leaves the EU next March - and Ukips MEPs lose their jobs - we have to develop the party and transform it into something else. One of the things I will be saying at the conference is I want to develop the party into a populist party in the true meaning of the word - a party whose policies are popular with a large proportion of the electorate. Now in March we have to then think about how we are going to do that. As it becomes apparent that Brexit is being betrayed more people will join. But I also think that if Tommy Robinson joins he has the ability to help us recruit members, particularly for example, in the north of England who maybe wont want to vote Labour under Jeremy Corbyn but certainly arent going to vote Tory, but would seriously think about Ukip. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said she is prepared to settle her defamation case for $75,000 over comments made in the media by Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm. Senator Hanson-Young filed proceedings on July 2 over comments made by the crossbencher during the previous week on Sky News, ABC's 7.30 program, Melbourne station 3AW and a separate media statement. She claimed Senator Leyonhjelm defamed her by insinuating she was a 'hypocrite' by saying 'all men are rapists but nevertheless had sexual relations with them'. Scroll down for video Sarah Hanson-Young (pictured) has said she is prepared to settle her defamation case for $75,000 Senator Hanson-Young has also requested a verdict in her favour and costs. But Senator Leyonhjelm has refused to back down, with his legal team saying the Greens politician is misrepresenting the case. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, he said: 'She also continues to tell her supporters that the court proceedings relate to alleged 'slut-shaming'. 'In fact, none of that is true. Her statement of claim relates only to misandry and hypocrisy.' Ms Hanson-Young declined to comment while her lawyer, Rebekah Giles told Fairfax Media she would not comment on a matter before the court. The notice issued by Ms Hanson-Young in July claimed Senator Leyonhjelm caused 'hurt, stress and embarrassment' over comments made in the media between July 1 and 4 regarding her opinions about men, which he described as 'without merit'. But Senator Leyonhjelm has refused to back down, with his legal team saying the Greens politician is misrepresenting the case. 'She is wasting her time, money and endless reserves of outrage, because I won't be issuing an apology,' Senator Leyonhjelm said in a statement at the time. 'Apologising in response to the outrage of a politically correct lynch mob would be insincere. Drawing attention to double standards and misandry is not wrong and does not warrant an apology.' Senator Leyonhjelm's comments in the media in have caused Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (pictured) 'hurt, stress and embarrassment' Boris Johnson is facing a massive Tory backlash today after he accused Theresa May of wrapping a 'suicide vest' around Britain. The former foreign secretary was branded 'disgusting' and not 'fit to govern' after delivering the extraordinary jibe about the PM's plan for 'soft' Brexit. Despite a wave of rumours about his marriage split, Mr Johnson made clear his leadership ambitions are undimmed with an attack on Mrs May's 'pathetic' Chequers blueprint and the Government's 'semi-masochistic' relationship with the EU. But senior Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat voiced fury, saying that as an army officer he had lost soldiers to a suicide bomb and the comparison was 'not funny'. 'A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand,' Mr Tugendhat said. 'The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died In horrific pain. 'Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isn't funny.' Sir Alan Duncan - previously Mr Johnson's deputy at the Foreign Office - also weighed in, insisting: 'For Boris to say that the PM's view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. 'This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. I'm sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isn't now, I will make sure it is later.' Boris Johnson, pictured left yesterday leaving the Oval, condemned Theresa May's for wrapping a 'suicide vest' around the British constitution. Tom Tugendhat, pictured right while serving in Afghanistan, said the comparison was 'not funny' Sir Alan Duncan - previously Mr Johnson's deputy at the Foreign Office - was clearly infuriated by the language deployed Foreign Affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat, a former army officer, also expressed revulsion at the comments Another Foreign Office minister, Alistair Burt, said the jibe from Mr Johnson was 'outrageous' Other Conservatives echoed the criticism, with fellow Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt saying: 'I'm stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. 'If we don't stop this extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough.' Home Secretary Sajid Javid issued a rebuke, insisting there were 'much better ways' to articulate differences and saying it was a reminder politicians needed to use 'measured language'. 'It's a reminder for all of us in public policy, whichever party we represent, to use measured language because I think that's what the public want to see,' he said. What is in Theresa May's Brexit blueprint? These are some of the key features of the Chequers plan being pushed by the UK government: A new free trade area in goods, based on a 'common rulebook' of EU regulations necessary. This will require the UK to commit by treaty to match EU rules 'Mobility' rules which will end automatic freedom of movement, but still allow UK and EU citizens to travel without visas for tourism and temporary work. It will also enable businesses to move staff between countries. Continued UK participation in and funding of European agencies covering areas like chemicals, aviation safety and medicines A 'facilitated customs arrangement', removing the need for customs checks at UK-EU ports. It would allow differing UK and EU tariffs on goods from elsewhere in the world to be paid at the border, removing the need for rebates in the vast majority of cases. This is designed to avoid the need for a hard Irish border. But in theory it still allows Britain to sign trade deals. Keeping services - such as banking or legal support - outside of the common rule book, meaning the UK is completely free to set its own regulations. It accepts it will mean less trade in services between the UK and EU. Continued co-operation on energy and transport, a 'common rulebook' on state aid and commitments to maintain high standards of environmental and workplace protections. A security deal allowing continued UK participation in Europol and Eurojust, 'co-ordination' of UK and EU policies on foreign affairs, defence and development. Continued use of the EHIC health insurance card. Advertisement Housing Secretary James Brokenshire told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday he thought Mr Johnson had used the wrong 'tone' in the article. 'I think he is wrong on this - I think the tone that he has used isn't right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan.' Tory MP Sarah Wollaston said she would consider leaving the Tory party if Boris Johnson became leader. 'Personally I hope that won't happen, I don't think he is fit to lead the country,' she told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend. 'Would I stay? I very much doubt it but we are not in that position at the moment and I hope we can avoid it.' The condemnation from Mr Tugendhat, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who reached the rank of lieutenant colonel before becoming MP for Tonbridge and Malling, will be particularly stinging for Mr Johnson. But the criticism received short shrift from Mr Johnson's allies, with Zac Goldsmith pointing out that Sir Alan had been a long-standing enemy of the former Cabinet minister. 'There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain 'principles' aren't one of them,' he posted on Twitter. Stewart Jackson, former chief of staff to David Davis as Brexit Secretary, said of Sir Alan: 'This is the guy who flew to Chicago at public expense to tell us that Brexit was a 'tantrum' by the 'working classes (sic)'. Pompous doesn't really do it justice.' Allies of Mr Johnson privately accused Remainer Tories of using his remarks in their 'proxy war' against Brexit. They told MailOnline other politicians had used similarly dramatic metaphors without coming in for the same criticism. Mr Johnson's colourful private life was thrust on to centre stage last week when it was announced he was separating from his barrister wife Marina Wheeler amid claims of an affair with a blonde Conservative aide. Though the woman has not yet been named, Carrie Symonds, the party's former director of communications, was last night linked to the former Foreign Secretary. Some observers have speculated Mr Johnson's marital crisis could torpedo his lifelong dream of becoming Prime Minister. But writing in the Mail on Sunday today, he stepped back into the fray with a ferocious assault on Mrs May's plan to keep the UK tied to many EU rules. 'We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail,' he writes. 'We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to [EU Brexit negotiator] Michel Barnier.' Mr Johnson, right, and his wife Marina announced they are to divorce after the former Foreign Secretary was linked to former Tory Party spin doctor Carrie Symonds, left Home Secretary Sajid Javid issued a rebuke to Mr Johnson in an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today (pictured), insisting there were 'much better ways' to articulate differences and saying it was a reminder politicians needed to use 'measured language' Mr Johnson is especially critical over Theresa May's Northern Ireland 'backstop' agreement Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan (right) branded the jibe 'disgusting' Mr Johnson complained that instead of striking a 'giant and generous free trade deal', Mrs May says 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir' to the EU. 'At every stage in the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants. We have agreed to the EU's timetable; we have agreed to hand over 39 billion, for nothing in return,' he wrote. 'Under the Chequers proposal we are set to agree to accept their rules forever with no say on the making of those rules. It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla.' He directed his attack on Mrs May's promise to Brussels that, if a solution to the Irish border problem cannot be found, then Northern Ireland would remain in the customs union and the Single Market: 'in other words, part of the EU. And that would mean a border down the Irish sea' Canada-style trade deal has 'lot to commend it', says Sajid Javid Sajid Javid today praised the Canada-style trade deal favoured by Tory Brexiteers. The Home Secretary said the was 'a lot to commend' the idea of a looser relationship with the EU. But he warned it did not address concerns about the Irish border. Many Conservatives have been urging Theresa May to ditch her Chequers proposals and pursue a broad free trade pact. They have dismissed Brussels' claim that would mean a hard border. The bloc says Northern Ireland should stay within its jurisdiction - and outcomes Mrs May says no PM could ever accept. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Javid said: 'I think the Canada deal has a lot to commend it. 'But it doesn't deal with one of the underlying challenges.' Advertisement Describing the so-called 'backstop' as 'insanity', Mr Johnson said of Mr Barnier: 'We have given him a jemmy with which Brussels can choose at any time to crack apart the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 'In a weird semi-masochistic way we have created the means by which the EU can bully us. We have conspired in this threat to the Union. We have put our own heads deliberately on the block.' The language in the article sparked claims that Mr Johnson was actively trying to cause a row in order to change the subject from his marital woes. Over the summer the ex-Cabinet minister was embroiled in another major row after suggesting muslim women in Burkas look like 'letterboxes'. Meanwhile, in a separate Mail on Sunday article, the current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called on the Prime Minister's critics to unite behind her, saying: 'She is better than anyone I know at holding the line in the face of intense pressure', adding that she 'would never recommend a deal that was inconsistent with what the country voted for'. Mr Hunt who backed Remain in the referendum and once floated the idea of a second poll on the final deal said he is determined to push on with Brexit. 'More people voted to leave the EU than have ever voted for any political party in our country's history,' he writes. 'Nothing would be more damaging for our democracy than for the political establishment to try to unpick that decision'. Mr Hunt and Mr Johnson's clash comes amid intensifying speculation about an imminent leadership challenge to Mrs May. In an apparent attempt to undermine Mr Johnson's expected bid for power, a secret file detailing his affairs and political controversies was circulating in Whitehall last week. It was compiled by members of Mrs May's team during the 2016 Election, but Tory HQ stressed yesterday that it was not connected to its distribution. Meanwhile, the 'chuck Chequers' proposal described as an effective manifesto for a Johnson leadership had been due out in the coming days, but was spiked at the last minute. The document, drawn up Jacob Rees-Mogg's European Research Group, was pulled following rows over some of the policies. A draft of the blueprint seen by this newspaper shows that the MPs were planning to give voters a 'Brexit bonus' by cutting income tax, business rates, capital gains tax, stamp duty and VAT on female hygiene products, home insulation and domestic fuel. Billions would also be spent on schools, the NHS and defence including a 'nuclear missile shield'. A ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of its route to Russia was held on the occasion of the official visit to Russia by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh highly appreciated the carriers effort in establishing a bridge of cooperation in various fields of economy, science, education, culture and tourism between the two countries. With its strategic investment projects, Vietnam Airlines is expected to contribute to raise bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and Russia up to US$10 billion by 2020. Vietnam Airlines opened its first route from Vietnam to Russia on July 7, 1993 with stopovers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dubai or Berlin. Direct flights connecting the two countries, starting in 2005, has increased the number of passengers up to 10 times greater than it was before. Russia is among the top ten tourism market in Vietnam with an average annual growth of 30 percent. In 2017, the total number of tourists travelling between the two countries was more than 1.35 million, including the Russian travellers accounting for 80 percent. The national flag carrier has announced that it has replaced its Airbus A330 with Boeing's (BA) wide-body aircrafts on Hanoi-Moscow route, starting March 27. The carriers revenue from passengers and cargo increased by 14 and 69 percent, over the same period last year. On this occasion, Vietnam Airlines and the Russian flag carrier Aeroflo signed a strategic cooperation agreement, marking the development of cooperation between two carriers and the aviation industry of the two nations. Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh speaks at the ceremony. By BICH QUYEN - Translated by Kim Khanh Plans to to withdraw British troops from Germany have been scrapped to deter Russian aggression. Gavin Williamson has ordered 200 soldiers to stay put to show Vladimir Putin that Britain is committed to the protection of Europe. The defence secretary planned to withdraw all forces from Germany by 2020 before he was warned by intelligence chiefs and military commanders that Russia was at its 'most dangerous since the Cold War'. Around 200 British troops will remain in Germany to deter Russian aggression in Europe (file image) The MoD will keep the British Army's armoured vehicle storage depot at Monchengladbach, which can hold about 2,000 tanks (file image) The change means more than 200 servicemen and 400 family members will not be coming home in the next year as planned. Williamson will issue the warning to Putin at the Conservative Party conference this month. 'The threat from the East is not going away. We are rethinking the drawdown in Germany,' a defence source told The Sunday Times. How many British troops will stay in Germany? About 200 British military personnel and defence civil servants and up to 400 family members will stay behind in Germany and be based at Normandy and Athlone barracks in Sennelager. The MoD will keep the British Army's armoured vehicle storage depot at Monchengladbach, which can hold about 2,000 tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks. A fleet of armoured vehicles is expected to be based at the depot, to be activated during a crisis. The army will also retain the 45-square-mile Sennelager military training area near the city of Paderborn. Advertisement 'We have certain assets in Germany which we want to more actively maintain. There's equipment which helps with water crossings that we want to keep over there. 'He [Williamson] will explain the thinking behind that as we adapt to the new threat. Having armed forces sat around in barracks in the United Kingdom is not the most productive or useful place to have them.' Of the troops due to remain in Germany is an engineering regiment used for river crossings and sending tanks into battles when bridges have been destroyed. Those due to remain in Germany include an engineering regiment that is Nato's leading unit for river crossings, enabling tanks to go into battle where bridges have been destroyed. The 200 soldiers and 400 family members will remain in Germany and be based at Normandy and Athlone barracks in Sennelager. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also plans to retain the British Army's armoured vehicle storage depot at Monchengladbach, which can hold about 2,000 tanks, armoured vehicles and trucks. Paramedics treated eight children under the age of 12, compared to two in 2016 Of the 491 cases in WA, 360 underage drinkers needed to be taken to hospital Boys were the worst offenders rather than girls for the first time WA paramedics called out to treat almost 500 underage binge drinkers in 2017 The state where paramedics treat the most underage binge drinkers has been revealed. Western Australia has the dubious honour of being named the nation's teen drinking capital, with the number of call-outs by St John Ambulance skyrocketing from 398 in 2015 to 491 in 2017. For the first time, boys were the worst offenders rather than girls, according to the new data from Curtin University's McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth. St John Ambulance Western Australia paramedics According to the figures, 251 of boys under the age 18 needed urgent medical attention due to intoxication, compared with 239 girls. Of the 491 cases, 360 cases needed hospital treatment. Paramedics treated eight children under the age of 12, compared with two in 2016. More boys than girls needed urgent medical attention due to intoxication, according to the latest data than St John Ambulance WA and Curtin Universitys McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth (stock image) St John Ambulance WA metropolitan ambulance general manager Phil Martin described the figures as 'incredibly disappointing'. 'Alcohol can cause a lot of harm, especially in young people. It can cause lasting brain changes, affecting mood, the ability to learn and decision making,' he told Perth Now. 'We'd like to see parents educate their children more about the dangers of using alcohol and that includes setting a good example for young people.' St John Ambulance metropolitan ambulance general manager Phil Martin (pictured) is concerned by the latest figures McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth executive officer Julia Stafford described it as a big problem, which is a burden on ambulance and hospital resources. 'Evidence-based policy options are available to the WA Government to help reduce alcohol-related harm across the state, with minimum pricing of alcohol holding great potential to reduce the harm experienced by families and communities, and reduce the burden on health services,' she said. Around 5,324 people needed urgent medical attention for intoxication in WA last year, compared to 5009 in 2016 and 4903 in 2015. A young girl was 'passed around' and had sex with 100 men by the time she was 16, jurors in a child sex abuse trial were told. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims the abuse she suffered between 1998 and 2001 began when she was just 13 years old. Her account was given in a video interview played at the trial of eight Asian men accused of the sexual abuse of five girls over a five-year period from 1998 to 2003. Tanweer Ali (left) and Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar (right) both stand accused of indecently assaulting the girl between 1998 and 2001 The men were arrested and charged as part of Operation Stovewood , an investigation into sexual abuse which was launched after the Rotherham grooming scandal. On Friday (Sept 7), Sheffield Crown Court heard how her number would be passed around between the men - with others then 'demanding' to meet her. She said: 'I can honestly say that by the age of 16 I had slept with 100 Asian men - some I didn't see again. 'The ones who come and use you for one time are the ones who are hard to remember. 'As soon as you get to know them your number gets passed around. 'Asian lads demanding to meet you - then you meet a new group and it went on like that. 'I didn't know at the time I was being passed around when I was 13 but I know now I'm older.' Salah Ahmed El-Hakam (left) faces one count of rape and Amjal Rafiq (right) faces one count of false imprisonment and one count of indecent assault. The men are on trial with six others, all accused of committing historic sex offences in Rotherham Tanweer Ali, 37, and Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 37, both stand accused of indecently assaulting the girl between 1998 and 2001 when she was under the age of 16. Ali and Akhtar would have been aged between 17 and 20 during the alleged period of offending. The victim described how she initially disliked Ali Akhtar, of Rotherham. Tanweer Ali (pictured) faces two counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape and one of false imprisonment However she eventually 'fell' for the delivery driver when he made her feel special by visiting her 'every day' after he finished his shift in the early hours of the morning. She fell pregnant with his son at the age of 14 and gave birth to him when she was 15. The victim claimed sexual activity with Ali Akhtar continued throughout the pregnancy. She told how after their son was born, she 'tricked' him into meeting him when he visited her hoping for sex. She said: 'I never saw him again after that.' The victim told how her sister was also allegedly abused by Ali Akhtar and said the abuse they suffered made it feel as though their childhoods were 'snatched away'. She said: 'Before, we would just enjoy going on holiday with our granddad but we had advantage taken of us - we were children one minute and adults the next. 'We were snatched away.' Ali, also of Rotherham, and Ali Akhtar are on trial with six other men, all accused of committing historic sex offences in Rotherham against five alleged victims. The eight men are on trial at Sheffield Crown Court (pictured), all accused of committing historic sex offences in Rotherham against five alleged victims They face a total of 28 counts of sexual abuse of five girls over a five-year period from 1998 to 2003. Akhtar, of Rotherham, faces four counts of indecent assault, one of supplying a controlled drug, one of rape, one of procuring a girl under 21 for unlawful sexual intercourse with another, one of aiding and abetting a rape and one of sexual assault. Tanweer Ali, 37, of Rotherham, faces two counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape and one of false imprisonment. Nabeel Kurshid (left) faces two counts of rape and one of indecent assault, while Iqlak Yousaf (right) faces two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault Salah El-Hakam, 39, of Sheffield, faces one count of rape. Nabeel Kurshid, 34, of Rotherham, faces two counts of rape and one of indecent assault. Iqlak Yousaf, 34 of Rotherham, faces two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault. Ajmal Rafiq, 38, of Rotherham, faces one count of false imprisonment and one count of indecent assault. Salah El-Hakam (pictured) faces one count of rape. The eight men face a total of 45 child sex abuse offences Asif Ali, 33, of Rotherham, faces three counts of indecent assault. An eighth defendant, who cannot be named, faces three counts of rape and one of abducting a child. Earlier this week the court heard how one girl who was raped by multiple men was months later forced to have an abortion by her parents. Nabeel Kurshid, 34, and Iqlak Yousaf, 33, along with a third man, are accused of taking the girl, 14 at the time, to Sherwood Forest and threatening to leave her there alone unless she had sex with them. The alleged incident happened some time between August 2002 and August 2003, prosecutors at Sheffield Crown Court said. The trial continues. Britain's first gender-fluid family are preparing for total transformation as both parents are set to have gender reassignment operations. Louise and Nikki Draven, who are parents to five-year-old Star Cloud, are planning to undergo the surgery and be in their 'ideal bodies' by the time their son is ten. Biological father Louise, 32 who Star already calls mummy is to become a woman and said the change has been 'a long time coming.' Nikki (right) and Louise Draven (left) with their son Star Cloud, five, are both planning to have gender reassignment surgery Biological father Louise, 32 (left in both pictures) is to become a woman and said the change has been 'a long time coming.' Five-year-old Star (pictured left) calls Louise 'mummy' Star's biological mother Nikki is set to undergo a female-to-male procedure and will be called Charlie. The couple from Middlesborough - whose son is free to play with any toys he likes and paint his nails at home - said they worry 'like all parents do.' They said: 'If we waited until Star was older, he'd spend his childhood with parents who felt incomplete.' Star is being raised as gender neutral - with his parents focusing on raising a 'person' not a 'boy' - is said to have a 'five-year-old's understanding' of the families situation. Although describing Star as well-adjusted Charlie did say he has started asking questions. 'Recently he asked why I had to wear a swimsuit at the pool and not trunks like other daddies. I tell Star mummy is going to a special doctor who will take away her ducky, which is Star's word for penis.' The parents are raising Star as gender neutral - focusing on raising a 'person' not a 'boy' Biological father Louise, 32 (pictured with red hair) said 'I have doubts all the time but that's just part and parcel of my transition.' Nikki (far left and right) is transitioning to become a man and is now known as Charlie The little boy can play with dolls and paint his nails at home. He even cut his long hair in January but stay-at-home mother Louise said: 'He's in two minds now about whether or not he wants it long again...However he wants it is fine by us.' Louise said of the swap op: 'I have doubts all the time but that's just part and parcel of my transition. 'No one chooses these feelings but when people do, they need the outside of their bodies to match the inside.' Louise started preparing for the transition process in 2011 and lost 16 stone - dropping from 25 stone to a slimline nine stone - so that she can have the op in December. She said: 'I lost the weight because a raised BMI can cause complications with the surgery and the hormones. 'I did it using bariatric surgery (reducing the size of the stomach), which involved a complete change of lifestyle, diet and in my relationship with food. It wasn't easy and took a lot of self-discipline but, as you can see, it's worked brilliantly.' Five-year-old Star Cloud has been raised as a 'person' rather than a 'boy' and can choose what toys he plays with and colours he wears Little Star cut his long hair into a shorter style in January and mother Louise said: 'He's in two minds now about whether or not he wants it long again...However he wants it is fine by us' She has also shaved off her red and black hair after hormone treatment left it thinning. 'Ive gone for the easy-to-manage bald look. The hair doesnt make the woman - the woman makes herself!' Nikki, now known as Charlie, said: 'I was never happy about having periods or growing breasts. It felt all wrong. 'So I did some soul-searching and realised I've always wanted to be male.' The Dravens, married in a pagan ceremony in 2012, are believed to be Britain's first entirely gender fluid family. The couple said they worry like all parents but they said 'if we waited until Star was older, he'd spend his childhood with parents who felt incomplete' 'Neither of us gets hung up on the gender we were born as,' Louise, 30, said. 'We don't want our child constrained by that either. We're just an ordinary family being who we want to be.' Last year the Dravens spoke about their experiences and struggles with other children are imposing their views on him. They said: 'Star is only in nursery but has already been put under pressure by other children. He came home the other day saying, 'I can't play with dolls they're for girls'. 'We sat him down and explained that anyone can play with dolls and that it's good practice for when he grows up and is a daddy. 'He said, 'I might not be a daddy I might be a mammy!' The family caused a stir after appearing on a number of TV shows last year and have had to deal with cruel comments. Charlie said: 'Most people were pretty supportive, especially people we met in person. 'But some of the written comments were horrendous. One person wrote that we should kill Star Cloud, before he became a serial killer, committed suicide or killed us. 'Unbelievable how people could say such dreadful things about a four-year-old!' Prison guards have reassured the public that there would be no risk as jails go into lockdown while the officers prepare to strike. A majority of Adelaide's prison guards will be walking off the job on Monday morning in protest of public service job cuts in the recent state budget. The officers will also be protesting the planned privatisation of the Adelaide Remand Centre - a maximum-security prison facility used to hold prisoners awaiting trial. Prison guards have reassured the public that there would be no risk as jails go into lockdown while the officers prepare to go on a strike tomorrow Majority of the Adelaide prison guards will be walking away from their posts in protest of the public service job cuts in the 2018 - 2019 state budget As the officers take the day off tomorrow, all SA prisons - such as Yatala, Port Lincoln, Port Augusta and Mobilong - will be on lockdown (stock image) The protest, which will begin at the Adelaide Remand Centre at 11 in the morning, will end with the officers marching to Parliament House in North Terrace, according to 9 News Adelaide. As the officers take the day off tomorrow, all prisons in the state will be on lockdown. The dispute between the South Australian government and the Public Service Association (PSA) led to a tribunal last Saturday to ensure that minimum staffing levels would still be maintained during the protest. 'Well, ultimately, you don't want to have a situation where they might be in the worst possible set of circumstances, rioting and escapes or anything like that,' State Treasurer Rob Lucas said. The PSA, however, accused the government of using the tribunal 'to pursue its political agenda', according to the ABC. 'The orders have been issued...we acknowledge those orders,' PSA spokesman Austin White said. 'We're not going to defy the orders. We are going to proceed with the lockdown. The arrangements that will apply during that lockdown have been discussed at length,' he added. 'Well, ultimately, you don't want to have a situation where they might be in the worst possible set of circumstances, rioting and escapes or anything like that,' State Treasurer Rob Lucas said regarding the planned Monday protest and prison lockdown The officers will also be protesting the planned privatisation of the Adelaide Remand Centre (pictured) - a maximum-security prison facility used to hold prisoners on remand pending trial Hundreds of PSA members are expected to participate in the protest. Despite this, the government remains firm in its decision to keep the public service cuts outlined in its state budget. Prison guards have also been warned that they will not be paid if they do not go to work tomorrow. Union bosses have said, however, that the workers simply 'don't care' and will go on strike tomorrow regardless. All prisons - such as Yatala, Port Lincoln, Port Augusta and Mobilong - will be on lockdown during Monday's planned protest, with the exception of Mount Gambier prison. Two young girls narrowly escaped being kidnapped after they were snatched by a masked man in east London on Friday. The children, aged six and nine, were playing together when a stranger lured them to a secluded spot, that was only a few yards away from a police station. When they began to scream the man fled. Police are asking anyone who was in Stoke Newington, east London on Friday evening to come forward and are trawling through CCTV and going door-to-door to track down the suspect A manhunt has been launched for the suspect and police are appealing for information. They are asking anyone who was in Stoke Newington, east London on Friday evening to come forward and are trawling through CCTV and going door-to-door to track down the suspect. He was wearing a light-coloured face-covering and dark clothing. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'At around 20:15hrs on Friday, 7 September, officers were alerted to an incident in Coronation Avenue, N16 in which the girls, aged nine and six, were grabbed by an unknown suspect. 'At the time of the incident, around 1900hrs, the girls had been playing together. 'Both girls were led to a secluded area a short distance away. 'When the girls began to scream for help the suspect ran away.' They added: 'Enquiries are ongoing to establish the details of what is believed at this point to have been an isolated incident. 'The investigation is being treated as an attempted abduction.' Anyone with information should call Hackney CID on 0208 217 3739 or on 101 quoting CAD7307/07SEP. Information can be provided anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Media tycoon Robert Maxell had a massive row with his son and was due to meet the Bank of England on the same day his body was found floating in the Atlantic - his sons have revealed. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Times, Kevin and Ian Maxwell said they do not believe their father's death was a suicide despite the conspiracy theories surrounding it. According to Kevin, he and Maxwell had been engaged in a shouting match on the day he died over a 'day of reckoning' meeting with the Bank of England that was due to take place that day. 'In 27 years I've never speculated: was he killed or did he kill himself?' Kevin said, 'If I say anything about it, I think it is highly unlikely that he would have taken his own life, it wasn't in his makeup or his mentality. Maxwell's sons Kevin (left) and Ian (right) say their father had been due to meet the governor of the Bank of England on the day he died Media tycoon Robert Maxwell died in 1991 after falling into the Atlantic while on his yacht in the Caribbean 'I don't think any murder conspiracy stands up, so for me, it is an unexplained accident and I'm content to live with that.' Maxwell was under pressure to explain the precarious financial position of two of his companies, Maxwell Communications Corporation (MCC) and Mirror Group holdings, at the time of his death in November 1991. Maxwell had taken two loans from the bank Goldman Sachs, one for 20m and one for 30m - both of which he had failed to repay despite extensions and warnings. The bank then started selling Mirror group and MCC shares it held as collateral and the sell-off was due to be publicly announced within days. Maxwell's dead body was discovered hours after news of the stock crisis broke having gone missing from his yacht that morning. Three pathologists who examined his body failed to agree how he died, although an inquest later determined that he had suffered a heart attack and accidentally drowned after falling overboard. Sons Ian and Kevin, pictured after receiving the verdict in 1992, were found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud the pensioners after and eight-week trial An inquest into his death revealed Maxwell died after suffering a heart attack and drowning having fallen into the sea from the Lady Ghislane (pictured) In the wake of his death it emerged that Maxwell had taken 460m from the Mirror Group's pension fund and both sons Kevin and Ian were arrested and charged with conspiracy to defraud the pensioners. After a lengthy and traumatic eight-month trial, the pair were eventually found not guilty and Kevin Maxwell became Britain's biggest personal bankrupt at the age of 33. The theft of the pension funds left 32,000 members facing years of stress before the fund was topped up by a City consortium. Kevin was said to have been closest to the company's finances and was aware that Maxwell had been using the pension fund. 'I have always accepted that it was right that there was a trial,' Kevin said, 'I personally didn't handle the conflict of interest between loyalty to family and duty to all the other stakeholders, including the pensioners, so of course there was a case to answer.' At its zenith, Robert Maxwell's media empire included the Mirror, The People and the New York Daily News as well as several other businesses. He was 68 at the time of his death in 1991. After his death it emerged Maxwell had raided 460million from the Mirror Group pension fund Labour MP Chuka Umunna said the party was 'institutionally racist' today amid condemnation of Jeremy Corbyn's handling of the anti-Semitism crisis. Former frontbencher Mr Umunna said it was 'very painful' to admit Labour had such deep-seated problems. But he vowed to stay as a Labour member because he it was better to 'try and argue and see change through in an organisation' rather than 'leave the field'. The intervention came as former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips claimed the Labour Party is 'led by anti-Semites and racists'. Streatham MP Mr Umunna has been facing demands to apologise for saying the leadership should 'call off the dogs' to stop moderate MPs being driven out by abuse from the hard-left. Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday (pictured), former frontbencher Chuka Umunna said it was 'very painful' to admit Labour had such deep-seated problems Senior allies of Mr Corbyn have joined criticism, suggesting it was 'offensive' to liken activists to dogs. Defending his remarks as 'a metaphor', Mr Umunna told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'If you look at the definition of institutional racism as outlined by Sir William Macpherson in the Macpherson Report and the Macpherson Inquiry produced the institutional racism definition. 'The Labour Party, it's beyond doubt for me that it has met it - it's very painful for me to say that.' Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery told the same programme that Mr Umunna's call was 'disrespectful' and 'offensive'. He said: 'Calling anybody a dog is absolutely outrageous in the extreme, and Chuka Umunna of all people should know that. 'And I hope that when he comes onto your show this morning that he takes this opportunity of apologising to those people who he's offended immensely. 'These are the people who keep Chuka Umunna and myself and other MPs in a job.' Mr Lavery also said MPs should be 'accountable' and expect to be challenged, after a number of Labour MPs who have been critical of Mr Corbyn, particularly over his handling of the anti-Semitism row, have found themselves locked in battles with members of their constituency Labour party. Labour Friends of Israel chairwoman Joan Ryan, a former minister under Tony Blair, and Luton South MP Gavin Shuker, both lost local no confidence votes on Thursday. But Mr Lavery, MP for Wansbeck, said: 'These votes of no confidence hold no water, they are basically a statement from the constituencies. 'These aren't individuals being targeted - they are being challenged.' Jeremy Corbyn has come under criticism for his handling of the anti-Semitism row which has plagued the party. Pictured: Corbyn at Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester, yesterday Labour MP Joan Ryan lost a vote of no confidence from her party constituents Jeremy Corbyn was branded 'an anti-Semite and a racist' yesterday by Trevor Phillips He added: 'When people think that they are being unfairly challenged they need to be accountable to the people that they represent.' Mr Phillips, who served as a Labour member of the London Assembly for three years, told the Mail on Sunday that rows about anti-Semitism are 'killing our party'. Labour has faced accusations of anti-Semitism as senior figures have demanded the leadership take firm action to prove the party is not hostile to the Jewish community. Mr Phillips said: 'It doesn't help that one of our great parties, the one I belong to, is led by anti-Semites and racists who basically want to eliminate anyone who disagrees with them.' Mr Corbyn's office said Mr Phillips' comments were 'wrong and offensive'. Labour made another desperate effort to move on from the damaging row over anti-Semitism today, with John McDonnell setting out plans for private firms with more than 250 staff to set up 'ownership funds' to give workers a financial stake and influence in their companies. The shadow chancellor said he wants to deliver an 'irreversible shift in wealth and power in favour of working people' as Labour prepares for a general election within months. Mr McDonnell set out his plans in an Observer interview in which he said Labour must be ready for an election because the Tories are on the brink of collapse. He said: 'What this will ensure is that in large companies, in addition to rewarding workers with wages, they will reward them with shares that will go into a pool that will allow them to have an ownership role.' Australia has celebrated it's first ever McWedding and the bride and groom say they couldn't be happier. Paramedics Chris King and Christine Cygan first bonded over midnight meals at Warilla McDonald's in Wollongong, NSW, during late shifts together. Christine told 9 News: 'We wanted something nice, laid back, where the kids could just relax. 'What better place than Maccas?' Scroll down for video Paramedics Chris King and Christine Cygan got 'McMarried' today after entering a Wave FM competition Even though they didn't have much time to prepare for their special day the happy couple were all smiles Sydney's south west got 'McMarried' after winning a radio competition for an all-expenses paid ceremony at the world's most popular family restaurant. The wedding is the first of its kind in Australia and the Dapto couple were over the moon when they found out they had won a wedding at Warilla McDonald's. The McWedding saw friends and family watch Chris and Christine get married under the golden arches and enjoy a three-course meal. In the lead up to the wedding Chris joked to Sunrise: 'I had a vision of maybe a load of apple pies as tiers and sundaes on top of it.' However his now wife said she couldn't go pass a Big Mac. The wedding day package also included helping Christine find her perfect wedding dress, a wedding celebrant, flowers and a McDonald's-inspired cake The McWedding saw friends and family watch Chris and Christine get married under the golden arches and enjoy a three-course meal The wedding day package also included helping Christine find her perfect wedding dress, a wedding celebrant, flowers and a McDonald's-inspired cake. Organisers of the competition even took care of cars, honeymoon plans and the rings. The couple were chosen from hundreds of applicants and the winner was announced on Monday. Even though they didn't have much time to prepare for their special day the happy couple were all smiles. The wedding is the first of its kind in Australia and the Dapto couple were over the moon when they found out they had won a wedding at Warilla McDonald's Advertisement Sweden's anti-immigration party won a record percentage of the vote in yesterday's general election, as preliminary results leave neither the left nor the right coalitions with a strong enough majority to form a government. The far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) won 17.6 per cent of the vote, holding their position as the third-largest party, after a campaign dominated by fears over asylum and integration saw the ruling Social Democrats suffer its worst election result in over a century. The official election result will not be announced until Wednesday, as the votes of 165,000 expatriates are still being counted, but regardless of the final toll, Sweden has been left in limbo, with coalition talks across the blocs set to take weeks or even months. With 143 versus 144 seats in the 379 seat Parliament, neither the centre-right Alliance - made up of the Moderates, the Centre Party, the Liberal Party and the Christian Democrats - nor a centre-left coalition - Social Democrats, the Greens and Left Party - have mandate to rule. SD leader Jimmie Akesson, who has tried to move the party away from its neo-Nazi origins, said last night his party had gained 'real influence' over Swedish politics. However, as Akesson was seen arriving at his first post-result television appearance, no party leaders had made any contact with him. Both traditional coalitions have ruled out forming a government with the Sweden Democrats. Far-right surge: Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Akesson, arrives to the TV-channel TV4, the morning after the general election in the country, in Stockholm, Sweden, Young members and supporters of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats react to the results of the exit polls at their party election centre in Stockholm on Sunday evening Celebrations: Sweden Democrats politicians and supporters cheer as the results come on in Sunday evening, which saw them increase their support from 12.9 per cent to 17.6 per cent The centre-left Social Democrats party, which has been governing alongside the Greens, remained the largest party, but fell to a historic low of 28.4 per cent of the vote, their worst since 1908. While Akesson's Sweden Democrats party failed to live up to the predicted results of over 20 per cent - they increased their share of the votes by nearly five per cent. And in Sweden's southernmost county of Scania, which connects to Denmark and mainland Europe via the Oresund Bridge, SD became the biggest party in 21 of 33 municipalities. With the country in deadlock, Akesson told a party rally last night: 'We will gain huge influence over what happens in Sweden during the coming weeks, months and years'. He said he was interested in cooperating with other parties and wanted to tell Ulf Kristersson, the leader of the second-largest Moderates, 'how to govern the country'. However, Kristersson, the head of the Moderates who are part of the four-party Alliance, made it clear that he would not work with the SD. Kristersson said: 'We have been completely clear during the whole election. The Alliance will not govern or discuss how to form a government with the Sweden Democrats.' He told supporters on Sunday night that the four-party opposition alliance in parliament 'is clearly the largest and the government should resign.' Supporters attend the Swedish Democrats election night party in Stockholm on Sunday Sweden Democrats members celebrate with drinks and balloons after an improved vote share Sweden Democrats MP Paula Biehler, 30, reacts to the exit poll figures which saw the anti-immigration party increase its share from 2014 but fall short of becoming the largest party Jimmie Akesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats - who achieved a record 17.6 per cent of the vote - during the party's election night event at Kristallen restaurant in Stockholm Now what? Who will form the new Swedish government after the deadlock general election With the preliminary results leaving Sweden in a political deadlock, the nation now faces weeks of uncertainty with no clear Prime Minister nor ready-made ruling coalition. Neither of the 'traditional' Swedish government coalitions have won enough votes in Sunday's general election to form a majority government. Following the preliminary results, the three centre-left parties have 144 seats and the centre-right Alliance coalition, which governed from 2006 to 2014 have 143 of the total 379 in Swedish Parliament. In the past four years, the Social Democrats and the Greens have ruled in a minority government with support from the Left Party, formerly known as the Communist Party, and experts say they would now need to formally include the Left in a potential government to continue with this make-up. Not as big as he thinks: Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Akesson had expected to win '20 to 30 per cent' but ended up with 17.6 per cent of the vote - still a major gain from the last general election in 2014 Any minority coalition government would be under constant threat from the Sweden Democrats, who won 62 seats in parliament. SD have made it clear they are willing to block any attempt to pass legislation, such as the autumn budget bill, to get their way. If the final toll - officially announced on Friday following the end of the count on Wednesday - cements the preliminary results, it could force new cross-bloc coalitions in order to break the deadlock, and all of Sweden's parliamentary parties now readying themselves for weeks of talks. So far both current PM Stefan Lofven, whose Social Democrats won 28.4 per cent, and Ulf Kristersson, whose Moderates won 19.8 per cent, have said they will seek a mandate to form a government. Here are some of the most likely scenarios: THE ALLIANCE - Moderates, Liberals, Centre, Christian Democrats The Alliance have already made it clear they hope to form a government, but they would need support from SD to be able to vote through a budget. In exchange for this, SD would demand influence, which all the Alliance parties (so far) flat-out refuse. Time to talk: The Alliance coalition's party leaders, Ebba Busch Thor (KD), Ulf Kristersson (M), Annie Loof (C) and Jan Bjorklund (L) may try to form a government 'This is a very uncertain situation,' said David Ahlin, opinion chief at the market research company Ipsos. 'The most likely situation will be that the Alliance will form a coalition together and try to seek cross-bloc support.' THE LEFT - Social Democrats, Greens, Left Party While loath to form a government with the former Communist Party, this is PM Stefan Lofven's only shot at a traditional left of centre government. However, if SD joins the four Alliance parties and votes this coalition down in parliament, he would not be able to rule and it would be back to the drawing board. THE GERMAN SOLUTION - Moderates and Social Democrats I come in peace: Stefan Lofven has also said he aims to form a government Following months of talks, Angela Merkel united her conservative bloc with the German Social Democrats in a cross-bloc 'grand coalition'. This is an unlikely scenario, however as 'neither Social Democrats nor Moderates want to rule together,' according to political scientist Jenny Madestam However, 'should we end up in a situation where a re-election is the only option, it may be a solution,' Ms Madestam told Expressen. In the past four-year mandate, Social Democrats and the Moderates have signed 26 deals to pass legislation, notably on immigration, energy and the climate. This is still a more likely solution than any coalition involving the far-right Sweden Democrats. MEET IN THE MIDDLE - Social Democrats, Centre, Liberals Prime Minister Lofven is reportedly keen on this solution, which would see him remain Prime Minister and lead a coalition government with 151 seats. 'If the red-green bloc is bigger, the Centre and the Liberals hold the key and not Jimmie Akesson,', University of Gothenburg political science professor Mikael Gilliam told Swedish public service radio. However, this comes with a major caveat: the Centre and Liberals are members of the Alliance and would have to break election campaign promises to form a new coalition without the Christian Democrats and the Moderates. And angering former coalition partners ahead of needing cross-bloc support to vote a budget through parliament may result in a toppled government. Advertisement Preliminary results: The final tally will not be known until Wednesday, but as of Monday morning, this is the result of the Swedish general election 2018 Current PM Lofven said he intended to remain in the job despite his party's historically poor performance. He said of the weeks ahead: 'We have a moral responsibility. We must gather all good forces. We won't mourn, we will organize ourselves. 'It is up the political parties to cooperate responsibly and create a strong government,' he said. Speaking after votes were counted he said 'a party with roots in Nazism' would 'never ever offer anything responsible, but hatred'. European leaders are watching the result closely after a wave of right-wing populist successes across the continent since the refugee crisis sparked by conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. Official results with almost all the votes counted showed the left-wing alliance on 144 seats, the right-wing bloc on 142 and the Sweden Democrats on 63. The Social Democrats and Greens and their Left Party parliamentary allies had 40.6 per cent of the vote, while the opposition centre-right Alliance were on 40.3 per cent. The SD's 17.6 per cent share was an increase of almost five percentage points since 2014 but below the highs of 25 per cent which some pre-election surveys had predicted. Stefan Lofven, the Social Democrat leader, speaks after the election results were announced Ulf Kristersson, leader of Sweden's Moderate Party, speaks at an election party at the Scandic Continental hotel in central Stockholm after the results were announced Jimmie Akesson, leader of Sweden Democrats speaking during the party's election night event at Kristallen restaurant in Stockholm Early analysis of the results on Swedish broadcaster SVT suggested the SD was strongest among voters who wanted fewer refugees in the country. Some 41 per cent of voters had switched sides since the last election and 38 per cent had made up their mind in the last week of the campaign, the survey found. Marine Le Pen of France's far-right National Rally - formerly known as the National Front - hailed the Swedish party's rise, tweeting: 'Yet another bad night ahead for the European Union. The democratic revolution in Europe is moving forward!' Prime Minister Stefan Lofven had called the poll a 'referendum on the future of the welfare state' but the influx of 400,000 asylum seekers since 2015 has polarised voters and defined the election. SD argues that asylum seekers threaten Swedish culture and put a strain on the country's generous welfare state. They have vowed to end dual nationality for non-Nordic citizens. Former Swedish PM Carl Bildt, centre, at the election party of the Moderate Party in Stockholm Supporters of the Moderates on election night as the party was set to come third in the polls Party leader Jimmie Akesson voted in Stockholm on Sunday, saying: 'Everything suggests we're going to have a good election. I've said throughout the campaign that 20 to 30 per cent is a reasonable score for us and I think that's possible.' While his party's election result failed to live up to his expectations, Akesson's fervent anti-immigrant campaigning still saw Sweden Democrats make significant gains. A self-proclaimed nationalist, Akesson argues that multi-cultural values and customs prevent immigrants from assimilating into Swedish society. Akesson has tried to sweep away the traces of the SD's origins in the fascist movement 'Bevara Sverige Svenskt' ('Keep Sweden Swedish') and purge the party of outspoken racists. Their transformation was described as 'trading jackboots for business suits' in the Washington Post. Incumbent PM Lofven urged Swedes not to vote for the 'racist party' as he cast his ballot, saying: 'It's about decency, about a decent democracy. 'A Social Democratic-led government is a guarantee for not letting the Sweden Democrats extremist party, racist party, get any influence in the government.' Lofven's main challenger, Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson, handed out campaign leaflets in his hometown of Strangnas, west of Stockholm, on voting day. Kristersson, the head of the four-party Alliance of the Moderates, Centre, Liberals and Christian Democrats parties, said he was worried about SD. SD leader Jimmie Akesson is pictured sealing his vote at a polling station in Stockholm Sunday, with his party making gains since 2014 but failing to become the largest grouping People react at the Social Democratic Party's election party in Stockholm on Sunday evening Swedish Democrats supporters react in Stockholm after the exit polls were announced tonight Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven is pictured casting his vote in Stockholm Sunday A Swedish woman wearing a veil is pictured casting her vote in the Swedish general election, which has been dominated by a row over asylum seekers Stefan Lofven (pictured) has been meeting citizens throughout the day Jimmie Akesson, leader of the right-wing Sweden Democrats party, votes in Stockholm Sunday Voters across Sweden will head to the polling stations (pictured) to cast their votes in the Swedish general election Who is the Swedish right-wing leader Jimmie Akesson? Akesson has headed SD since 2005, guiding what was initially a fringe party into parliament for the first time in 2010 with 5.7 per cent of the vote, climbing to 13 per cent in 2014. Often casually dressed, cool-headed in debates and talented at deflecting criticism, Akesson is seen as a straight-talker by his supporters. In 2014, he admitted to have a serious gambling problem, having spent 500,000 kronor (47,000 euros, $55,000) online. SD leader Jimmie Akesson is pictured with his partner Louise Erixon The politician, who has a son with his partner Louise Erixon, says he developed his nationalist streak at an early age. In a 2014 interview he recalled an incident from his childhood that made him 'sceptical about immigration': some refugee children pushed him off his bicycle and called him a 'bloody Swede'. Akesson is seen as a tireless worker and campaigner, pushing himself so hard in the 2014 election that he suffered a burnout. Doctors put him on sick leave for six months. He has called Muslims 'our greatest foreign threat since the Second World War' and said that immigrants must fully assimilate into Swedish society to be considered Swedish. Advertisement He said: 'I have tried to prove to voters during the election campaign that if you really want a change, you have to for our four parties. We are the guarantee to oust the current government from power.' Sweden took in more asylum seekers per capita than any other country in Europe in 2015, magnifying worries about a welfare system that many voters already believe is in crisis. Lengthening queues for operations, shortages of doctors and teachers and a police service that has failed to deal with inner-city gang violence have shaken faith in the 'Swedish model', built on a promise of comprehensive welfare and social inclusion. SD leader Akesson has promised to sink any government that refuses to give his party a say in policy, particularly on immigration. Mainstream politicians have so far rebuffed him but may be forced to co-operate in coalition talks. The opposition is intent on ousting Lofven, with some Moderates willing to put an end to SD's pariah status and open negotiations with them. But such talks could split the Alliance, with the Liberal and Centre parties repeatedly ruling out a deal with 'the devil', as Akesson occasionally calls himself. None of the seven parties have been willing to negotiate with SD. But a number of SD officials have made headlines for racist remarks in recent years and more than a dozen candidates were kicked out of the party in the campaign's final week after their backgrounds in neo-Nazi movements were uncovered by the media. About 7.5 million people were registered to choose from almost 6,300 candidates for a four-year term in the 349-seat Riksdag, or parliament. With both options unpalatable to the traditional players, forming a government could take weeks. With an eye on the European Parliament elections next year, Brussels policymakers are watching the Swedish vote closely, concerned that a nation with impeccable democratic credentials could add to the growing chorus of euroscepticism in the EU. Sweden has flirted with populism before. New Democracy, founded by an aristocrat and a record producer, won nearly 7 per cent of the vote in 1991, on the promise of strict immigration policies, cheaper alcohol and free parking, only to crash out of parliament three years later. 'I'm not an SD supporter, but it's a problem for democracy if the other party leaders refuse to talk to a party that represents the views of so many people,' Josefine, a voter in Stockholm said. Therese, an SD voter in Stockholm, said: 'If you get the chance to move here then you should to try to live like us.' But Anna Berglund, a 28-year-old lawyer who voted for the Centre Party at a polling station in Stockholm's upmarket Ostermalm neighbourhood, said SD's mounting support was 'bad news'. 'I'm afraid we're becoming a society that is more hostile to foreigners.' The populist surge could weaken the Swedish crown in the short term, but analysts do not see any long-term effect on markets from the election. Economic growth is strong, government coffers are well stocked and there is broad agreement about the thrust of economic policy, experts believe. According to Magnus Blomgren, a social scientist at Umea University, 'traditional parties have failed to respond to the sense of discontent that exists. 'That discontent maybe isn't directly related to unemployment or the economy, but simply a loss of faith in the political system. Sweden isn't alone in this.' Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson (pictured) has been rebuffed by mainstream politicians after he promised to sink any government which refuses to give his party a say in various issues Sweden Democrats party supporters (pictured) have been campaigning across Stockholm Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Speaking at a working session in Hanoi on September 8 with the Ministry of Information and Communications, the PM urged the ministry to create an environment conducive to high technology, play a guiding role in digital transformation and industry 4.0.He also instructed the ministry to enhance its management of the press and social media and develop human resources for national construction and development.Pointing out the sectors shortcomings, the PM said many shortcomings remain in press planning and management work, resulting in commercialization of press coverage which erodes public trust in the press. Meanwhile, policy consultation remains slow with poor quality.Phuc also pointed to a serious problem that Vietnam is one of the countries highly vulnerable to malware infection via multimedia devices.Outlining the direction and tasks for the ministry, the PM said the ministry must guide the efforts to build a digital economy, an e-government and develop e-commerce in the context of the fourth industrial revolution.The ministry was required to work closely with the Party Central Committees Commission on Education and Information in orienting press coverage, and better managing social media.PM Phuc also called attention to the development of telecommunications infrastructure, adding that the ministry should support the building of several leading firms so that they will train others during the Industry 4.0.The ministry should concentrate on developing the IT and electronic telecom industries to transform Vietnam into a manufacturer of IT and telecommunications electronics and software developer from its current status of importer and outsourcing country.At the meeting, acting Minister of Information and Communications and deputy head of the Party Central Committees Commission on Education and Information Nguyen Manh Hung reported that with nearly 1 million km of optical cable lines reaching villages, communes and districts in 63 cities and provinces nationwide, Vietnam has become one of the countries with the worlds highest fiber optic cable coverage. The mobile coverage has reached 99.5 percent of the population while 3G/4G coverage has come to 98 percent.In the next period, Vietnam will strive to become among top 10 countries globally with the most developed telecommunications network.With more than 28,000 IT firms and 900,000 workers, the IT industry has expanded by over 20 percent annually over the past decade. Last year, the sector earned 91.6 billion USD in revenue, 81.6 billion USD of which was from hardware, 3.8 billion USD from software, 5.4 billion USD from IT services, and 800 million USD from digital contents. Its exports reached 83.4 billion USD, contributing over 39.2 trillion VND (1.7 billion USD) to the State budget.In the next decade, the postal sector is expected to surpass telecommunications in terms of revenue thanks to an annual growth of 35-40 percent.Head of the Commission on Education and Information Vo Van Thuong asked the ministry to continue refining laws and policies on information and mass media to fix existing shortcomings.He suggested that domestic social media suppliers need to receive support to increase their competitiveness while legal responsibility for information supply should be enhanced so as to address the spread of fake information. Vietnamplus Acting deputy Greens leader Adam Bandt has sparked outrage on social media after he described how attractive his own wife looked. The Melbourne-based federal politician found himself in hot water after he posted a photo on Facebook of himself posing with his wife of five years, Claudia Perkins on a night out. 'With hot wife at Bangarra opening night of 'Dark Emu',' Mr Bandt posted on Thursday night. The couple were attending a dance adaptation of Bruce Pascoe's award-winning book by Bangarra Dance Theatre at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. Adam Bandt has been slammed online for describing his wife Claudia as 'hot'' in this photo Mr Bandt received many comments similar to this one (pictured) after he posted a photo of he and his wife on a night out last Thursday He has copped a barrage of criticism on social media since. 'Women in the public eye are sexually objectified enough and you are alienating your progressive support base by contributing to that. Be more measured in your social media posts. This is not a public statement, it is a private one,' one person commented. Another added: 'Sounds like you are objectifying your wife for public consumption. Be proud of her, call her lovely or intelligent or even beautiful, but why promote her in this way in public? Undignified, disappointing.' Even men were offended by the post. 'Does your wife have a name? Is she only defined by her relationship to you and her perceived attractiveness? I thought we were better than this,' one commented. His wife has since defended his Facebook post, which saw a barrage of negative comments Adam Bandt has been with his wife Claudia for 11 years. They're pictured in 2016 with eldest daughter Wren The photo was also posted on Instagram but without the public backlash. While Mr Bandt is yet to publicly comment on the matter, his wife has weighed into the social media debate to defend him. 'It's ok everyone, I'm completely fine with this post! It was just a reference to how hot we are for each other, even after 11 years together,' the mother-of-two commented on the post. It's not the first time Mr Bandt has described his wife (right) as 'hot' on social media Other commenters couldn't see why it was such a big deal. 'So many awful people pretending to be offended because he called his wife hot? Grow up people,' one person commented. Another added: 'Your wife is lovely and it is your right to express your love and attraction to her here or anywhere you choose. The women that are angry are only angry because they are jealous as they most likely don't have anyone in their lives who loves them like you love her.' Mr Bandt also described his wife as 'hot' in this photo posted on Instagram in March It's not the first time Mr Bandt has described his wife as 'hot' on social media. 'When your hot wife takes you out for birthday cocktails and you remember just how much youve totally scored,' he posted on Instagram earlier this year. He made history when he became the first Greens MP to be elected to the Federal House of Representatives in 2010. Eight guests at a wedding of a British person in Lake Garda, Italy have been hit with a mystery illness, that may have been caused by a guest bringing home made biscuits to the party. It is not clear if the guests have food poisoning, or something more sinister, as local police attended the scene amid fears guests' drinks were spiked or food was contaminated. The guests were celebrating in the romantic resort of Brenzone, near Verona when paramedics rushed to the scene at 2am today. Eight guests at a wedding of a British person in Lake Garda, Italy have been hit with a mystery illness They were taken to two separate hospitals where some guests were told their condition was severe. It is believed one has now been discharged. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said they were not aware of the case. The wedding was held at a private property in Malcesine, on the eastern shore of Lake Gard before guests moved to Brenzone for the wedding reception, according to Italian media. Italian police are exploring various theories, including guests may have become ill from homemade biscuit bought to the wedding by one of the guests. Passengers who saw a family fall onto the tracks as a tube approached 'screamed and waved' at the driver as he pulled into the platform. The family-of-three survived after ducking into a pit underneath the oncoming train at Baker Street Tube Station just after 10pm on Friday night. Witnesses of the 'unbelievable' incident said it was a 'miracle they survived.' Peter Holland, a theatre producer from East Dulwich, southeast London, described the panic saying: 'We got to the platforms at Baker Street just as this happened the train whistling, people screaming and running in tears. A family-of-three managed to duck underneath a tube train after falling on the tracks on Friday night. Witnesses said they 'screamed and waved' at the driver as he pulled into the platform 'I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear this wasn't fatal. Thoughts out to the driver of the train. Unbelievable.', reports The Guardian. Another source, who viewed CCTV footage of the incident, told the Sunday Times that passengers were 'screaming and waving' to the train driver as he pulled into the platform at 10.12pm. By the time he was able to stop, he had already gone over the child and his parents who were sheltering in the pit under the track. He said: 'It was a miracle they survived. They were also very lucky not to have been electrocuted by the live rail.' A woman pushing her baby in a buggy slipped on the platform at Baker Street Tube Station last night and the child's father jumped down to save them. As the train hurtled towards them, the family were able to duck into a pit below the track and the train passed over their heads without injuring them. The mother was walking along the platform pushing her child in a pram, while looking up at the indicator board just before 10.15pm on Friday, British Transport Police (BTP) said. She didn't realise how close to the edge she was when the buggy wheels slipped over the edge and dragged her down with it. One passenger said: 'It was a miracle they survived. They were also very lucky not to have been electrocuted by the live rail' (stock picture) The woman and the buggy fell onto the tracks before the father dived down after them. Speaking to the BBC, a commuter who did not want to be named said that the station was evacuated in minutes after the incident. She said: 'I was on the platform for about two minutes and then an alarm went off which said 'this is an emergency. Everyone leave the station' 'I left the station and within five minutes there were fire engines, police cars, St John's Ambulance, British Transport Police and undercover police cars.' British Transport Police said: 'All three were extremely fortunate in being able to move into a pit under the track and the train passed safely over the top of them. 'Amazingly none of them were seriously hurt, but as a precaution they were taken to hospital for check-ups.' Nigel Holness, director of network operations at Transport for London, said: 'We understand this incident was an accident but it does underline the need for all customers to remain behind the yellow line when waiting for trains or walking along the platform.' A seven-year-old British boy has been left fighting for his life after getting food poisoning while on holiday at a five-star resort in Egypt. Luay Mohammed has spent more than three weeks in intensive care with complications including sepsis and a stroke after contracting salmonella in the Tia Heights at Makadi Bay in Hurghada. The hotel is near the resort where British couple John and Susan Cooper died last month after falling ill in mysterious circumstances. According to reports Mohammed fell ill while on holiday but his condition deteriorated when he returned home. Scroll down for video Luay Mohammed, seven, pictured receiving treatment at an intensive care unit for complications arising from a salmonella infection The seven-year-old had been on a family holiday to Egypt when he contracted food poisoning On Thursday this week, Luay suffered a series of seizures and a stroke while in hospital and his condition is said to be critical but stable. Speaking from Birmingham Children's Hospital, his mother Fathia Obayd said: 'It was terrifying. I thought we were losing him.' He is today awaiting MRI scan results and spinal tests to help doctors identify any long-term damage and is still getting treatment to repair a collapsed lung. Fathia, 30, added: 'I was so scared we would lose him. It makes me so angry this all began with food poisoning. 'Luay is just a little boy. He'll be in hospital a while yet but he is a fighter.' According to Luay's family his symptoms started getting a lot worse after he had returned home Luay Mohammed contracted salmonella at the Tia Heights at Makadi Bay in Hurghada, Egypt The deaths of Susan, 63, and John Cooper, 69, from Burnley last month are still under investigation. Two guests were last week evacuated from the Egyptian hotel where the British couple died last week claiming they have an infection known as shigella. Shigella is a contagious cause of food poisoning which is said to kill hundreds of thousands a year worldwide. Samples showed the mother and daughter had the bacterial infection, a health officer told The Daily Telegraph. John and Susan Cooper died with hours of each other at Aqua Magic hotel in Egypt This is the gorgeous apartment block which has had the same residents in it for almost two decades. The five-unit block at 123 Kurraba Road, in Neutral Bay, Sydney was last sold in 1999 and has since been occupied by the original residents. But now, Annette and Kevin Burges are saying goodbye to their home for the last 18 years, as they downsize. The five-unit block at 123 Kurraba Road, in Neutral Bay has been occupied by the same residents since 1999 Annette and Kevin Burges are saying goodbye to their home for the last 18 years, as they thought it was time to downsize 'We're sad being the first to move but we've had 18 wonderful here,' they told domain.com.au. 'You get the feeling that you're in a house, rather than an apartment...You feel youre living amongst friends.' With a breathtaking view of the Sydney Harbour, the three-bedroom unit entails a price guide of $5.5 million and is described as rare buying opportunity. The three-bedroom unit entails a price guide of $5.5 million and is described as rare buying opportunity The apartment block also boasts a large pool, common entertainer's kitchen, jetty and boat shed The apartment block also boasts a large pool, common entertainer's kitchen, jetty and boat shed. The master-bedroom has spa ensuite It is wrapped in glass on all three sides allowing the sun to shine into the lavish lounge and dining room. There is also a separate casual living room which can be used as a fourth bedroom, and study room. The agent, Matthew Smythe, from Belle Property, said once you step into the property, you understand why people would not want to move out. Unit 4 will go to auction on September 22. It is wrapped in glass on all three sides allowing the sun to shine into the lavish lounge and dining room Karen Matthews, the woman jailed for faking her own daughter's kidnapping, has been spotted shopping at Mothercare. Matthews, 43, dubbed 'Britain's worst mum' was pictured stepping out of the mothering store in a town in the south of England where she was relocated to after her release from prison. She spent eight years behind bars after being arrested in 2008 for kidnapping daughter Shannon Matthews, who turns 20 on Sunday. The mother of seven, who now goes under a new identity, was alone as she left the shop. Scroll down for video Karen Matthews leaves the Mothercare shop in a town in the south of England where she was relocated after her release from prison Matthews was snapped during her impromtu shopping trip as daughter Shannon is due to turn 20 on Sunday Shannon was nine when she was kidnapped from near her home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, sparking a month-long police search. Matthews and her boyfriend at the time, Craig Meehan, made several public appeals for help to find the schoolgirl. She was found on March 14 at the flat of accomplice Michael Donovan in nearby Batley Carr. She had been drugged and kept in a small compartment under the bed. Donovan was also found guilty of kidnap and served half of his eight-year sentence. Karen Matthews was also spotted having a McDonald's meal on a bench in the town center The mother of seven has been given a new identity and moved to a town in the south of England since she was released from prison Karen Matthews being led from Dewsbury police station in 2008 following her arrest for the crime A British tourist is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed six times on holiday in Magaluf. The incident took place at 2am today after an argument broke out among a group of British tourists. The victim's identity has not yet been released, but he is believed to be 31-years-old and from Scotland. Scroll for video Suspect is led away by Spanish Guardia Civil after the incident in Magaluf Paramedics attend the scene at the TRH Hotel in Magaluf The fight broke out at the Hotel TRH in Magaluf (pictured) when two Scottish brothers crossed paths with a group of English men The Civil Guard said four people have now been arrested in connection with the stabbing and are being held at nearby Calvia police station. Spanish newspaper Cronicabalear.es says police were called to the TRH Magaluf, located on Martin Ros Garcia Street, after reports of a confrontation involving a group of seven Brits and two Scottish men. An altercation is alleged to have taken place, during which one of the Scottish men realised he was bleeding. An ambulance and paramedics attending the scene at the TRH hotel in Magaluf It is understood he suffered stab wounds to the buttocks, back and abdomen and possibly the chest as well. The Scottish man and his brother, according to Cronicabalear.es, managed to run away and locked themselves in their hotel room until the police and ambulances arrived. The injured man was treated at the scene by medics before being transferred in a serious condition to the Son Espases hospital. His condition is believed to be stable. The other brother remained at the hotel with the police to help with their investigations and find the people responsible for the stabbing. Police have been talking to guests to determine if the four suspects were staying at the same hotel. The victim was stabbed at the TRH Magaluf hotel (pictured) in the early hours of this morning The Civil Guard said four people have now been arrested in connection with the stabbing and are being held at nearby Calvia police station. Unions heaped pressure on Jeremy Corbyn today by demanding a 'popular vote' on Brexit if negotiations with the EU fail. TUC chief Frances O'Grady said a fresh national ballot would be needed unless there was a deal that benefited 'working people'. The comments come amid a raging row within Labour over whether the party should endorse calls for another referendum. Many MPs have thrown their weight behind the campaign - but the leadership has so far stopped short of adopting the policy. TUC chief Frances O'Grady (pictured on the BBC's Andrew Marr show today) said a fresh national ballot would be needed unless there was a deal that benefited 'working people' Instead Mr Corbyn and other senior figures merely say the option of another vote should be kept on the table. Theresa May has flatly ruled out holding a second referendum, and critics point out there is no time to do so before the Article 50 Brexit process is due to come to an end in March. Speaking on BBC TV's Andrew Marr Show as the TUC congress gets under way in Manchester today, Ms O'Grady said unions would never negotiate a deal and not consult members on the outcome. She said time was running out to avoid 'crashing out' of the EU. 'That would be an absolute disaster for the people we represent. If we don't get a deal that working people need, the TUC will be throwing its full weight behind a campaign for a popular vote so that people have a say.' The TUC general secretary said a deal which included staying with the customs union and single market would be the best way to protect people's livelihoods. She added: 'Trust in the Government to deliver a good deal is nose-diving.' The unions' position was underlined by a poll that suggests rank-and-file activists are behind a second referendum. The research by YouGov found 68 per cent of Unison, Unite and GMB members said they would support another national vote. However, not all unions are on board with the idea. Mick Cash, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, spoke out against another vote on Brexit. 'Trade unionists voted in droves to leave the EU because they are sick of austerity, the race to the bottom on jobs and pay and the privatisation of services like the railways which is all wrapped up in EU diktat,' he said. 'The problem we have now is that the terms of Britain's withdrawal are being negotiated by a useless and divided Tory government that is a global laughing stock. 'The only vote now that matters is a general election and the sooner the better. The talk of a second vote on the withdrawal terms is a defacto second referendum whichever way you try to dress it up and risks becoming a trojan horse for civil unrest on our streets.' Authorities said 33-year-old Brian Alexander shot his young kids with a Nerf gun modified with sharp needles attached to the end of the darts A Wisconsin man has been accused of turning a Nerf gun toy into a weapon to use against his stepchildren. Authorities said 33-year-old Brian Alexander shot his young kids with a Nerf gun modified with sharp needles attached to the end of the darts. The investigation by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office began earlier this month after a report of child abuse. The Sheriff's Office worked with Health & Human Services and determined the kids aged between six and nine years old, were being harmed, and not for first time. 'The investigation revealed that this has been occurring for some time,' authorities said, adding they found a Nerf gun with needles at the home. Columbia County Sheriff's Office Detective Lt. Roger Brandner described the needles as thin sewing-type needles. A Nerf Blaster is a toy gun made that fires foam darts, discs, or foam balls but Alexander is alleged to have added spikes and sewing needles onto the end of it 'Through the years, we have seen a number of different abuses in homes that would just make you cringe and really touches at the heartstrings, and this is one of those,' Brandner said. 'It didn't inflict serious injuries, which we're grateful for, but the idea of, really, torturing a kid, and subjecting them to being shot with a sharp needle doesn't make any sense to me and I don't know why anyone would do that, and that's obviously why we took it seriously and made the arrest.' Brandner said investigators are working to determine if any other people were present during the incidents or witnessed the activity. Alexander has been charged with two counts of physical abuse of a child. Federal prosecutors are backtracking on their allegation that a Russian woman accused of working as a secret agent offered to trade sex for access, according to a Justice Department court filing. Prosecutors had earlier accused Maria Butina, a gun rights activist in U.S. custody on charges she worked as a covert agent and tried to establish back-channel lines of communication to the Kremlin, of offering to exchange sex for a position with a special interest organization. The salacious allegation, which immediately escalated the public interest in the case, was based on a series of text messages to and from Butina and other information that prosecutors say they had obtained. Federal prosecutors concede that they misinterpreted text messages when they alleged that Maria Butina, a Russian woman accused of working as a secret agent traded sex for access Prosecutors acknowledged they made a mistake in the case of Maria Butina But in a new court filing, prosecutors said they misinterpreted the messages. They said 'even granting that the government's understanding of this particular text conversation was mistaken,' there is other evidence to support keeping Butina in custody as the case against her moves forward in Washington. Butina was arrested in July, accused of gathering intelligence on American officials and political organizations. Prosecutors say she used her contacts with the National Rifle Association and the National Prayer Breakfast to develop relationships with U.S. politicians and gather information for Russia. They also say she used her role as a student at American University in Washington as a cover for her activities. The case is being handled by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and not by special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been leading an investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's Republican presidential campaign as well as Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Butina had a romantic relationship with GOP operative Paul Erickson of South Dakota and gained entree into Republican circles. The concession came in a late-night court filing Friday in which prosecutors said Butina, 29, should stay in custody as a flight risk but wrote 'the government's understanding of this particular text conversation was mistaken' The filing came ahead of a status hearing in her case scheduled for Monday. Butina's lawyer, Robert Driscoll, had strongly denied the accusation and said the government had relied on an 'innocuous' three-year-old text message exchange between Butina and a longtime friend, assistant and public relations professional for a gun rights group that she had founded. The individual, identified in court papers only as DK, had said in the text that he didn't know what Butina would owe him after he took her car for an insurance renewal and government inspection. She replied in part, 'Sex. Thank you so much. I have nothing else at all. Not a nickel to my name.' In a court filing last month, Driscoll said that the sex comment was clearly a joke and that Butina is friends with DK's wife and child and treats him like a brother. He said there is no evidence that the two ever had sex. Butina has pleaded not guilty to charges that she was acting as an agent for the Russian government since her arrest in July 'The impact of this inflammatory allegation, which painted Ms. Butina as some type of Kremlin-trained seductress, or spy-novel honeypot character, trading sex for access and power, cannot be overstated,' Driscoll said. In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, Driscoll said, 'I'm happy the government walked back their false allegation.' Butina, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Russia. Driscoll has denied that Butina is a Russian agent, calling the case 'overblown.' He has said his client was merely a student who wanted to see a better relationship between the U.S. and Russia and sought to network with influential people in American politics. The sexual allegation was only a small part of the evidence presented by prosecutors in arguing to jail Butina. Prosecutors largely argued that she posed an 'extreme' flight risk and raised the prospect of her being swept out of the country by Russians using their diplomatic immunity to shield her from U.S. law enforcement. Prosecutors have said her activities in the U.S. were being directed by a Russian official, identified by Driscoll in court as Alexander Torshin. He is a senior official in the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, a former lawmaker and a member of the NRA since 2012. The admission that the U.S. Gov made a mistake represents a victory for Butina's defense team, which has attempted to soften the 29-year-old's image and win her release from jail Torshin was also among a number of Russian businessmen and officials sanctioned this year by the U.S. Treasury Department for their ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and for their part in 'advancing Russia's malign activities.' Prosecutors have said they also found evidence that Butina has had contact with Russian intelligence. FBI agents photographed her dining with a diplomat suspected of being a Russian intelligence agent. They found she had contact information for people suspected of being employed by Russia's Federal Security Services, or FSB, the successor intelligence agency to the KGB. They also found notes in her home referring to a potential job offer from the FSB. The heroism of airline passengers and crew who died storming the cockpit of Flight 93 has been commemorated with a concrete-and-steel tower that will ring with wind chimes for every one of them at the spot where they fell to earth. Relatives of the 40 people killed in the terror hijacking on September 11, 2001 attended the tower's dedication ceremony on Sunday at the Flight 93 National Memorial site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There, they helped ring some of what will eventually be 40 aluminum chimes hung in what has been dubbed the Tower of Voices, one for each of those who died. Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who was in office at the time of the attacks, said the memorial will be 'an everlasting concert by our heroes.' People attending the dedication stand around the 93-foot tall Tower of Voices on Sunday at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania The tower will contain 40 wind chimes representing the 40 people that perished in the crash of Flight 93 in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 The dedication occurred nearly 17 years after passengers on the hijacked flight from New Jersey to California fought back against a band of terrorists. Officials concluded the terrorists were aiming the Boeing 757 toward Washington DC, to be used as an enormous airborne weapon against either the White House or the Capitol building in the final of four planned attacks. But after passengers and crew learned through air phones of the earlier plane attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, they rushed the cockpit, declaring 'let's roll' as they confronted the hijackers inside the plane, forcing them to crash early. It was 'the day that lives were lost so that other lives were saved. And heroes were made over the skies of Shanksville,' said Ridge, who also served as the first secretary of the Homeland Security Department when it was created after 9/11. The crash site of Flight 93 is seen on the day after the terror attacks of 9/11. Heroic passengers and crew rushed the plane's cockpit when they realized the hijackers were on a suicide mission The roughly 93-foot memorial structure represents the final phase of the Flight 93 National Memorial. Each chime generates a distinctive sound, and rows of trees that ring the site symbolize sound waves. 'Together their voices will ring out into perpetuity, with this beautiful Somerset County, Pennsylvania, wind,' park Superintendent Stephen Clark said. The national park at a the crash site, about two miles north of Shanksville, also includes a memorial plaza, dedicated on the 10th anniversary in 2011, and a visitor's center that opened three years ago. As a cold, driving rain pelted the hills, memorial architect Paul Murdoch spoke of the plan, which uses the wind to activate the chimes. The remaining chimes are expected to be installed in the coming weeks. 'These chimes respond to unanswered cries of voices not spoken again, but remembered in the vibrations of a monumental tower,' Murdoch said. They range from five to 10 feet long, weigh as much as 150 pounds and are tuned. Stephen Clark (right) the Superintendent of the Flight 93 National Memorial addresses the crowd alongside tower architect Paul Murdoch (left); Calvin E. Wilson (center left) brother of First Officer LeRoy Homer; and Tom Ridge, the First U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security The Tower of Voices stands above visitors, dignitaries and family members of the victims of Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial on Sunday Nearly 3,000 people died in the September 11 attacks, when terrorists seized control of four planes. 'These guys are the real heroes,' said retired truck driver Stefan Robbins, visiting the memorial from Lexington, Kentucky. 'They didn't sign up - they're not a cop, they're not a firefighter.' Thirteen passengers on Flight 93 made a combined 37 phone calls during the attack, getting information about the other three hijackings and crashes. 'When they learned that, it galvanized them as a group,' Clark said. 'They said, 'We're not going back to any airport. This is a suicide mission.'' As some passengers apparently tried to storm the cabin, the hijacker at the controls then rolled the plane, trying to throw them off balance, before the aircraft became inverted and crashed at 563 mph on the edge of a reclaimed strip mine at 10.30am. The impact ignited about 100 hemlock trees. Hemlocks are used as symbols throughout the memorial's design, including the tower. Family members of the victims of Flight 93, Calvin Wilson and Gordon Felt Jr., join former Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge (left) as they pull cords attached to the chimes A 17-ton sandstone marks the impact site, located within a 44-acre fenced-off area of the field where crash debris landed, referred to as the 'sacred ground.' Access to that part of the park is limited to family members of the passengers and crew. Four 40-foot containers of remaining debris from the crashed airplane were buried there during a private ceremony on June 21. The memorial was funded with $46 million from 110,000 private donors, including $6 million to design and build the Tower of Voices. Volunteers are well on their way to the goal of planting 150,000 seedlings around the 2,200 acre park. It attracted about 400,000 visitors last year. The dedication comes two days before the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. President Donald Trump is expected to attend that memorial ceremony Tuesday in Shanksville, along with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Vice President Mike Pence is denying he was ever part of a conversation about invoking the 25th amendment against President Donald Trump and said he'd take a lie detecter test to prove he's not the author of the anonymous New York Times op-ed. 'No. Never. And why would we,' Pence said when asked on CBS' 'Face the Nation' if he's ever been part a conversation to remove the president from office. He also said he'd be willing to take a lie detector test to prove he didn't write the essay published last week. 'I would agree to take it in a heartbeat,' Pence said on 'Fox News Sunday.' The anonymous writer of the New York Times op-ed claimed there was a resistance movement in the administration working to keep Trump from harming the country and that 'there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis.' 'No. Never. And why would we,' Vice President Pence said when asked on CBS' 'Face the Nation' if he's ever been part a conversation to remove the president from office In President Donald Trump's speech on Thursday he blasted the 'anonymous gutless coward' behind the essay, verbally hiccuping on the word 'anonymous' and twice mangling the pronunciation Pence, who would become president if Trump is removed from office, is denying such talks took place. He also said he is '100 percent confident' none of his staff wrote the essay. 'I know them. I know their character,' he said on CBS. He added: 'I don't have to ask them because I know them. I know their character. I know their dedication and I am absolutely confident that no one on the vice president's staff had anything to do with this.' The vice president took to the Sunday morning talk shows to offer a strong defense of the president, painting him as in command and in charge of his administration, as the New York Times essay and upcoming Bob Woodward book have portrayed Trump as incompetent and thwarted by his staff. 'Sometimes I watch a little bit of TV in the morning, and then I go to the White House, and I feel like I'm in a parallel universe. I walk into a White House where there's a President behind the desk; he's in command. He's constantly driving forward on delivering on the promises that we made for the American people. And then I go home at night and I see cable TV talking about all of this stuff about disarray in the White House, and it's just not my experience,' Pence said on 'Fox News Sunday.' He argues this is a political effort to harm Republicans in the upcoming midterm election. 'Whether it's the book, whether it's the anonymous editorial, whether it's President Obama's speech this week, it's all an effort to distract attention from this booming economy and from the president's record of success. And it's all very predictable. We have important midterm elections coming up. I get all of that,' he said. He also said on CBS that the 'the author of the anonymous editorial and frankly the New York Times should be ashamed. But it seems to me to be just an obvious attempt to distract attention from this booming economy and President Trump's record of success.' But he wouldn't go as far as Trump as accusing the author of treason. When asked on 'Fox News Sunday,' if the piece was treason, which the president has called it, Pence said: 'Look, it's un-American. And I think that's why you've seen Republicans and Democrats condemn this. The American people vote for a president. They fully expect the president to be able to surround themselves with men and women who will work with them in advancing their agenda.' Online speculation had Pence as an early favorite in authoring the piece because the essay contained the word 'lodestar,' which the vice president frequently uses. Some White House officials hinted the word was deliberately used to implicate the vice president, who has denied multiple times he is the author. 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace asked Pence if he thought the word was used 'to try to set you up?' 'I wouldn't know. I wouldn't know,' Pence replied. He also said he has no idea who wrote the piece. Section four of the 25th amendment, which has never been invoked, provides the process for the president to be removed from office. It takes the vice president and 'a majority' of the Cabinet to declare the president incompetent and remove him from office. 'Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President,' the 25th amendment states. Pence also said there could be national security grounds to investigate who wrote the essay. 'I think the president's concern is that this individual may have responsibilities in the area of national security. And if they've now published an anonymous editorial that says that they are misrepresenting themselves - that they're essentially living a lie within this administration and trying to frustrate and subvert the agenda the president was elected to advance that's an important issue,' he said on 'Fox News Sunday.' Pence also called on the author to resign from the administration. 'To have an individual who took that oath - literally say that they work every day to frustrate the president advancing the agenda he was elected to advance, is undemocratic. It's not just deceitful, but it's really an assault on our democracy. And that person should do the honorable thing, step forward and resign,' he said. The op-ed has shaken up the Trump administration since its publication in The New York Times last Wednesday. The White House and Washington D.C. has been consumed with chatter about who wrote it. Pence, every Cabinet official and multiple other cabinet-level and senior administration officials have denied being the author, who is only identified as a 'senior official in the Trump administration.' That title could apply to many, many people. Trump has a list of 12 suspects, it's been reported, and has ordered a witch hunt within his own administration for the identity of the writer. The president also wants to know who cooperated with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward for his forthcoming book 'Fear.' Practically Trump's entire cabinet including these famous faces and the first lady have all declared they're not responsible for the mysterious op-ed Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has suggested lie detector tests for senior aides in just one of the aggressive options to try to identify the author from within his own administration who charged Trump with holding 'off the rails' meetings, filled with 'repetitive rants' that produce 'half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions.' Another tactic being floated is to force aides to sign sworn affidavits stating that they weren't behind the leaks. Trump has blasted the author as 'gutless' and accused the person of 'treason.' He has demanded the New York Times release the writer's name. 'For the sake of our national security, The New York Times should publish his name at once. I think their reporters should go and investigate who it is. That would actually be a good scoop. That would be a good scoop!' he said at a rally on Thursday in Billings, Mont. And, in an interview with 'Fox & Friends,' Trump speculated about who might have written the piece, focusing on people working 'at a fairly low level' who may want to give the public a false picture of what's going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 'I don't mind when they write a book and they make lies, because it gets discredited,' he said. 'We just discredited the last one.' But he admitted that he 'can't discredit' the Times turncoat 'because you don't know who they are.' The culprit could be a non-Republican lurking in his administration, he suggested, or 'it may be a deep-state person that's been there a long time.' Advertisement Spain's maritime rescue service says it has saved over 300 migrants attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea this weekend. The service says it rescued 160 migrants from six boats on Saturday, and another 172 migrants from four boats on Sunday in the Strait of Gibraltar. Spain has become a leading entry point for migrants and the human trafficking rings that help them reach European shores. According to the United Nations, 34,994 migrants have arrived to Spain this year. Spain's maritime rescue service says it has saved over 300 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea this weekend 160 migrants in six boats were picked up on Saturday and another 172 migrants from four boats were rescued on Sunday in the Strait of Gibraltar Migrants wave aboard a Salvamento Maritimo sea search and rescue agency vessel after they were rescued from a boat stranded in the Strait of Gibraltar The U.N. says 1,565 people are known to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean so far in 2018. Dozens of people crammed into the tiny boats were rescued by the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Salvamento Maritimo, Spain's maritime safety and rescue society, while trying to get to dry land in Spain Spain has overtaken Italy and Greece as a popular entry point, as Italy's new populist government refuses to admit rescue boats. A total of 33,195 illegal migrants had entered Spain as of the end of August 2018, Interior Ministry data shows. This is more than double the number for the same period last year. The number of arrivals is down sharply from the peak in 2015, when 1.02 million entered Europe via the Mediterranean. Recently there has been a sharp increase in the use of a Morocco and Spain route. Nearly abandoned until 2000, this 'Western Mediterranean' route saw 23,000 crossings last year, mostly of Algerians, Ivorians and Moroccans. However most of the crossings last year were from Libya or Tunisia into Italy, by the 'Central Mediterranean' route, says the EU's Frontex border agency. According to the United Nations, 34,994 migrants have arrived to Spain this year. The country has seen a steady increase in arrivals this year and has overtaken Italy as the preferred destination The crew of a Spanish Guardia Civil boat communicate with 157 migrants on board a boat stranded in the Strait A total of 33,195 illegal migrants had entered Spain as of the end of August 2018, according to Interior Ministry data The number of arrivals is down sharply from the peak in 2015, when 1.02 million entered Europe via the Mediterranean It was used by 118,962 people, mostly Nigerians, Guineans and Ivorians. But arrivals via this route have plunged 75 per cent since a controversial July 2017 deal between Rome and the Libyan coastguard. Crossings have also dropped sharply from Turkey to Greece, the 'Eastern Mediterranean' route. After close to 900,000 migrants in 2015, Frontex recorded only 42,000 last year, essentially Afghans, Iraqis and Syrians. The main secondary route into the EU is through the western Balkans into Eastern Europe. Around 12,000 people entered this way last year, most of them Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis - a sharp reduction from the 760,000 in 2015. But this path joins up with one used by migrants who have already passed through Turkey and Greece, meaning the actual numbers of new arrivals don't always add up They might be fierce political rivals today but appears federal leaders Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten once moved in the same circles. Flashback photos emerged on social media last week of the new Prime Minister and federal Opposition Leader on a trip together in Tel Aviv, Israel 15 years ago. Both sporting slightly more hair than they do today, they're pictured with friends from both sides of politics. This photo of Scott Morrison (left ) and Bill Shorten (second right) from 15 years ago in Tel Avib did the rounds on social media last week One photo shows the happy looking group looking casual on a night out, all enjoying a round of beers. While some wore colourful Mambo shirts, Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten opted for less eccentric attire. The second throwback snap was in a more formal setting, where the future leaders are pictured next to each other during a meeting with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak. Also pictured in the photos are disgraced former NSW Labor minister Joe Tripodi, who was a promising backbencher at the time and Israel Defense Forces spokesman Guy Spigelman, a relative of former NSW chief justice Jim Spigelman, who ran as a candidate for the Israeli parliament. Peter Crone, who was an economic adviser to former Prime Minister John Howard and Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and current chief economist for new treasurer Josh Frydenberg is also pictured. Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten (left and second left) are pictured next to other during a meeting with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak Mr Morrison was the state director of the New South Wales Liberal Party at the time while Mr Shorten was national secretary of the Australian Workers Union. Both men entered politics following the 2007 federal election. Mr Shorten described his rival as 'the new fella who half of Australia hasnt heard of' when Mr Morrison became the new prime minister a fortnight ago. Last week, the prime minister slammed Mr Shorten for being 'owned' by union bosses. Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, had a wealth of $1.3million at the time of his death The Las Vegas gunman had a mysterious fortune worth more than $1.3million held in separate bank accounts at the time of his shooting spree. Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, also owned a shocking collection of weapons and firearm accessories, found in his home and his Mandalay Bay hotel room where he launched his attack, worth $62,000. Las Vegas police said Paddock kept his money in 14 bank accounts and in his last two years of life he splashed out $1.5million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Following his shooting spree on October 1, 2017, Paddock took his own life and left no will, leaving his mother to inherit his fortune. She decided to give the money to the families of the 58 people killed in the horrific shooting. Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay hotel and released a hail of bullets upon a Las Vegas music festival below, killing 58 and injuring an additional 800. After 10 months, the shooting's investigation was closed in August as police failed to determine a motive behind the lone-wolf gunman's attack. He also had a massive collection of weapons and accessories worth $62,000. Cops found $41,000 worth of weapons in his suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas from where he launched his shooting spree. His hotel room pictured above Some of the weapons used in his October 1, 2017 shooting that killed 58 and injured 800 pictured in his hotel room above He released a hail of bullets from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel upon a music festival below in Las Vegas. His room pictured above with open window It's not clear whether authorities will sell his arsenal of weapons, which is still in FBI custody. 'What will be done to them is still to be determined. We have not been able to procure them yet, and we don't know if we ever will. We just listed them so everyone would know that they are assets of the estate,' Alice Denton, the attorney working on Paddock's probate case, said. 'Due to the highly sensitive nature of the tragedy and this probate, it would be my personal preference that we petition the court at some point to destroy them. But we haven't gotten to that point yet,' she added. His fortune estimate was revealed in a recent court filing and shows that more than $455,000 remained in Paddock's 13 bank accounts at the time of his death. The largest amount he left in one account was $102,584.51 and the smallest was $30.95. The filing only mentioned 13 accounts but Las Vegas police previously reported he had 14 bank accounts. It's not clear why there's a discrepancy in the number of bank accounts reported. He was retired at the time of the shooting and previously worked as a real-estate investor, property manager, accountant, and was an avid gambler. The investigation into the massacre closed in August without a determined motive In the October 1, 2017 shooting 58 people were killed and 800 were injured Police scrambled on the scene to help the injured and the close in on Paddock. He took his own life following the shooting Two of his Mandalay Bay gaming vouchers from October 1 were also added into his wealth - one worth $29,000 and another worth $226.50. In his last two years he spent a whopping $1.5million on casinos, bills to credit card companies, firearms purchases, and on his girlfriend Marilou Danley who received three separate transfers from Paddock totaling to $150,000 in September 2017. When cops raided Paddock's hotel room they found about $41,000 worth of weapons and firearm accessories. When they combed through his Reno home they found nearly $3,000 worth of weapons and firearm accessories there and another $18,000 worth or weapons and accessories in his Mesquite residence. His homes in Reno and Mesquite, Nevada were valued together at about $758,000 and in July a judge allowed them to be sold. However no offers have been made and both residences remain on the market. Another hearing is scheduled for next week that will reveal more details of Paddock's wealth. Russians have been casting their vote in regional elections today as police detained dozens of supporters of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The vote for Moscow's new mayor came amid protests against plans to hike the retirement age, which have led to rare outbursts of public anger and seen President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings take a fall. President Putin was seen taking to his polling station to make his vote for the new mayor during the nationwide election day. Video footage of the first detention in St. Petersburg were reported at 2pm, as young protesters were seen dragged away by police and some local reporters say there could be as many as 500 detainees. President Putin was seen taking to his polling station to make his vote for the new Moscow mayor during the nationwide election day The Russian president takes a ballot at the polling station in Moscow. The vote for Moscow's new mayor came amid protests against plans to hike the retirement age and support for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny Despite the discontent outside the ballot boxes are unlikely to be affected, with serious opposition candidates barred from standing Despite the discontent outside, the ballot boxes are unlikely to be affected, with serious opposition candidates in the highest-profile Moscow mayoral vote barred from standing. Around 50 supporters of the opposition leader, who is serving a month-long jail term over an earlier illegal protest, were detained ahead of the rallies, according to independent monitor OVD-Info. Officers also held dozens more as protests kicked off in eastern Russia and Siberia, with demonstrations set to take place in Saint Petersburg and Moscow in the afternoon. In a similar stance to Putin ahead of the presidential polls in March, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin has refused to take part in electoral debates but faces only nominal opposition and is expected to win the vote in a landslide. Protesters shout during a rally in Moscow, Russia, today as the Russian government moves to increase the age for collecting state retirement pensions. The protests were called by Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent foe Authorities in the capital have organised festivals and food fairs at polling booths to drive up participation and lend legitimacy to Putin ally Sobyanin's next term as mayor. 'With all the imperfections of the electoral system... this is still the way of expressing your opinion, your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with what's going on in our city,' Nikita Romashka, a 41-year-old dentist, told AFP after voting in Moscow. The mayoral election of five years ago was the last time Russian politics came close to a major upset, with Navalny nearly forcing Sobyanin into a run-off. Around 50 supporters of the opposition leader were detained ahead of the rallies, according to independent monitor OVD-Info. They also held dozens more as protests kicked off in eastern Russia and Siberia Despite being behind bars, the opposition leader is still continuing to make his presence felt. On their social media pages Navalny's team wrote: 'For 18 years, Putin and his government have stolen from the budget and squandered it on meaningless projects. 'Now the money's run out and we have to steal from pensioners to make ends meet.' Protesters hold Russian state flag with sign reading: 'Down with the Chekists', during a rally in Moscow, Russia, today At the weekend a close aide of the opposition leader said Google had removed advertisements for the rally at the request of the Russian authorities. Moscow had previously warned the US internet giant against 'meddling' in the election. Google's Russian office said it required advertisers to comply with local laws, in comments reported by news agencies. Russians in various regions will be voting for their governors, local lawmakers and other officials. The five candidates running for Moscow mayorship are: Mikhail Balakin (The Citizens' Union), Mikhail Degtyaryov (LDPR), Vadim Kumin (KPRF), Ilya Sviridov (A Just Russia) and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Primary school teacher Shane Matthews (top) was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in jail on Monday over child sex abuse charges A paedophile primary school teacher who sexually abused students as young as ten in the classroom sent letters to his victims while in jail. Shane Andrew Matthews, 31, was sentenced to a minimum 12 years in jail on Monday after pleading guilty to 33 charges of child sex abuse, possessing child pornography and grooming underage children between 2012 and 2015 in Sydney's south-west. The handwritten letters were very similar in content, with Matthews telling nine of the students 'I need help, serious help', according to The Daily Telegraph. He told three of his victims that he wouldn't explain his actions as that would be a 'disservice' to them. Matthews, according to the publication, also told many of his victims: 'I was your teacher and friend and I manipulated and used that relationship in the most horrific way. 'I will regret what I have done for the rest of my life.' He also told some of his victims that they did the right thing by coming forward. Court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia show how Matthews would approach parents at Wattle Grove Public School, in Sydney's south-west, and ask to give one-on-one tutoring to their children. During these one-on-one sessions at lunch and recess he would abuse his victims. But after he left the classroom that Matthews' would send shocking text messages about his 'child sex fantasies' to other paedophiles. Matthews (pictured) pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 15 students during his time teaching at Wattle Grove Public School, in Sydney's west, between 2012 and 2015 During a raid on the school teacher's house in 2016, police uncovered text messages on his phone where Matthews discussed his fantasies with students in his own class. Court documents said the text exchanges were between the teacher and another man, who he'd previously been involved in a sexual relationship with. In some of the texts, Matthews discussed the children he had abused in his class. In others he demanded his former lover to send through child pornography videos. Matthews (after receiving the video) even asked: 'Got anything younger?' During further text message exchanges, the other man told Matthews he believed he 'should stop looking at them (child pornography videos)'. In response, the teacher said: 'Why... it's not hurting anyone?' Matthews also boasted via text that his ideal age for young boys was 'probably 9/10'. In sentencing at Campbelltown Local Court on Monday, Judge Jennifer English said that Matthews had acted like a 'predator'. In total, he admitted to sexually abusing 15 students while teaching at the school between 2012 and 2015, he admitted pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 15 of his male students during his time at the school between 2012 and 2015. During a raid on the school teacher's house in 2016, police uncovered text messages between Matthews and a former lover in which they discussed 'how far they would go' with young boys During further exchanges, the man told Matthews he believed he 'should stop looking at them (child pornography videos)'. In response Matthews said: 'Why... it's not hurting anyone?' Matthews asked his former lover to send him child pornography videos via text (pictured) Judge English's comments were in contrast to the reputation Matthews developed in his three years working at the school. During his trial, the court heard that he was 'considered by the students to be a "cool" teacher and was considered by parents to be a "good teacher"'. He would regularly hold 'superhero days' where he and the children would dress up and he would play games with his class in the schoolyard. But it was this person that Matthews used to target the children he wanted to groom. SHANE MATTHEWS' TIMELINE OF ABUSE: 2012-2015: Shane Andrew Matthews abuses 15 male students at Sydney primary school 2015: A former student, now in Year 10, reveals a history of abuse by Matthews 2015: Police investigations uncover 14 other boys had been abused 2016: Matthews charged with 33 counts of child sex abuse May 2018: Matthews pleads guilty to all 33 charges August 2018: Matthews is sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in jail Advertisement On several occasions the young teacher called parents in for private meetings about the progress of their child. During these meetings he would often ask to provide additional private tutoring in an effort to help their child's development. But when children stayed behind to go through their studies one-on-one, Matthews would prey on them. Court documents reveal he would often 'kneel down next to the students... (and) put one of his hands on their upper thigh outside their shorts'. 'Are you all right with this?' the teacher would then ask. But even when students replied that they found the behaviour 'distracting' or replied 'no', Matthews would often continue. On several occasions Matthews had meetings with parents of students at Wattle Grove Public School (pictured). He told them their children needed tutoring. It was during these one-on-one sessions he would often abuse the children Matthews was regarded as a 'cool' teacher by students and regularly held superhero dress-up days (pictured). He would also offer 'class money' which students could use to buy pencils and other stationery items. Matthews often offered this money to students after he abused them Matthews would soon progress to touching the young boys' 'penis or testicles' both on the outside and inside of their school pants. Some of his victims told police they 'froze' after being touched by their teacher. One student told how Matthews' hand remained touching his leg and penis for up to 30 minutes. On multiple occasions during private one-on-one tutoring with another student the teacher told the boy to 'stand up' and 'pull down his shorts'. The ordeals left the boy so traumatised he lied to his mother about being 'bullied' at school in an attempt to be allowed to stay home. Matthews got the young students to stay quiet about his sickening ways by offering them bribes in the form of 'class money'. The 'class money' could then be used by students in Matthews' classes to buy prizes including 'pencil cases, pencils, rulers and rubbers'. He also offered 'boy to boy' advice about how to masturbate and told students that they should to touch each other's penises. Matthews was only caught when one of his former students, now in Year 10, told a different teacher to 'f*** off' after they put their hand on his leg years later. In sentencing at Campbelltown Local Court (pictured) on Monday, Judge Jennifer English said that Matthews had acted like a 'predator' At this point the teacher sent (the student) to the head teacher, with the student told a letter would be sent home to his parents'. When the boy's parents asked him why he had reacted in this way the truth came out and police began to investigate Matthews' history of abuse. Police then spoke with other students taught by Matthews who revealed more complaints. Matthews refused to make eye contact with any of his 15 victims and their parents as they sat in court for his sentencing on Monday. Outside court the boy who first broke his silence and told of Matthews' abuse said he believed their had been a 'power shift' between students and teacher. 'We've saved a lot of kids locking him up,' the boy told The Daily Telegraph. 'It (thinking about the crimes Matthews committed) makes you vomit in your mouth. 'It was good to see him sh***ing himself.' A British man died on a flight to Ibiza after overdosing on cocaine, it was reported today. Two passengers tried to revive the man after he took the drugs in mid-air because he feared getting caught with them in his possession, a witness said. He apparently 'downed' the cocaine when cabin crew became suspicious of him during the flight from Manchester on Saturday evening. A British man has died after needing medical attention on a Jet2 flight to Ibiza (file image) A passenger told The Sun Online: 'We heard that he had become paranoid that staff knew he taking drugs and that he had swallowed it all for fear of getting caught. 'I spoke to a couple who were sitting close to the man and they said he was getting up and down from his seat constantly. 'They heard he had taken coke but didn't see him doing any drugs.' Two women on board gave the man CPR in the aisle and a defibrillator was used but the man could not be saved. The Jet2 flight from Manchester was diverted to Toulouse on Saturday evening due to the medical emergency. A spokesperson for the airline has confirmed the man's death - but not the cause. Jet2 said it was forced to make the emergency landing in Toulouse and the passenger was taken to hospital by the emergency services. The Foreign Office said it was supporting the man's family. A spokesperson said: 'We are in contact with the French authorities following the death of a British man in Toulouse and are supporting his family at this difficult time.' A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport said: 'We are aware of the incident and send our deepest condolences to the family. It would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this time.' President Donald Trump is spending a rainy Sunday morning launching Twitter attacks against his Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. Trump has been on a defense of his presidency in the wake of a trifecta of attacks against him - excerpts from Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward's upcoming book 'Fear' and an anonymous New York Times op-ed about a resistance movement within his administration have portrayed the president as incompetent while Obama delivered a sweeping denunciation of Trump's time in office. The president tweeted a video wishing Clinton a 'Happy Anniversary' that showed her speech from September 9, 2016, where she called Trump supporters a 'basket of deplorables,' a comment for which she later apologized. President Trump took to Twitter Sunday morning to attack Democrats The president tweeted a video wishing Clinton a 'Happy Anniversary' that showed her speech from September 9, 2016, where she called Trump supporters a 'basket of deplorables' President Barack Obama called for the 'restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government' and ripped President Donald Trump He also fired some salvos at Obama, claiming his presidency was better than his predecessor's. Trump tweeted a comment from ex-Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was on 'Fox & Friends' Sunday morning, where the former Republican lawmaker said Trump delivered 'the American Dream.' ''Barack Obama talked a lot about hope, but Donald Trump delivered the American Dream. All the economic indicators, what's happening overseas, Donald Trump has proven to be far more successful than Barack Obama. President Trump is delivering the American Dream.' Jason Chaffetz,' Trump tweeted. The president was also in retweet mode as rain poured down on Washington D.C. Sunday morning, reviving some old defenses of his presidency. He retweeted a video showing himself being called as the winner of various states on election night 2016. The White House has been touting the president's electoral college win over Clinton: 304 to 227. Clinton won the popular vote: 65,844,610 compared to Trump's 62,979,636. The president also revived a tweet quoting a story from New York Times' congressional reporter Nicholas Fandos. 'So true! 'Mr. Trump remains the single most popular figure in the Republican Party, whose fealty has helped buoy candidates in competitive Republican primaries and remains a hot commodity among general election candidates.' Nicholas Fandos, @nytimes,' he noted. The story the president was referring to was actually about how Congressional Republicans were quietly continuing their agenda even as Trump steals the spotlight. And he retweeted a video of Obama on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show, where the former president appeared in a segment called 'Mean tweets,' where celebrities read mean things said about them on social media. Obama read a tweet that said he'd go down 'as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States.' The president also defended his presidency, touting quotes from CNBC about how well the U.S. economy is doing. ''Ford has abruptly killed a plan to sell a Chinese-made small vehicle in the U.S. because of the prospect of higher U.S. Tariffs.' CNBC. This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE U.S.A. and Ford will pay no tariffs!,' he tweeted. Also, he noted: ''Trump has set Economic Growth on fire. During his time in office, the economy has achieved feats most experts thought impossible. GDP is growing at a 3 percent-plus rate. The unemployment rate is near a 50 year low.' CNBC...Also, the Stock Market is up almost 50% since Election!' Trump has had a tough week. The president has ordered a witch hunt within his own administration for the identity of the writer of the anonymous New York Times op-ed and for names of those who cooperated with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward for his forthcoming book 'Fear.' Trump wished Clinton a happy anniversary of her 'basket of deplorables' speech He retweeted Obama on Jimmy Kimmel's 'Mean tweets' segment of his late night show He also touted his presidency compared to Obama's And he tweeted a video showing him winning the presidential election Trump also touted his economic record Additionally, Obama came out swinging on Friday against successor. The former president acknowledged that he was setting aside 'a wise American tradition' by speaking about his successor in the Oval Office nut said: 'This time's different.' 'You should still be concerned with our current course. You should still want to see a restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government,' the former president said. 'It should not be a Democratic or Republican, it should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents,' Obama said. 'Or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from prosecution because an election happens to be coming up.' 'I'm not making that up,' Obama said, chuckling as he referenced a recent tweet by Trump faulting Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the indictments of two sitting Republican House members who are also two of his foremost House supporters. Tiffany Trump was spotted enjoying a day out at New York Fashion Week to attend one of her favorite designers catwalk shows on Saturday morning. The 24-year-old Georgetown Law student sported a fitted powder blue mini-dress from the brand - Taoray Wang - which she paired with some nude heels for her front row appearance. But while Tiffany might have looked like any other fashionista on the surface, behind her sat a burly bald Secret Service agent, serving as an ever-present reminder of her status as first daughter. Tiffany Trump is seen in the front row at Taoray Wang show on Saturday during New York fashion week Tiffany seemed to be enjoying a break from her studies at Georgetown Law in DC when she was spotted in the front row Tiffany looked stunning in a powder blue dress from the designer for the front row appearance Saturday Tiffany clearly seemed to be enjoying a break from her studies at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C., and was all smiles as she took her place in the front row alongside her fellow fashion elite. This isn't Tiffany's first foray at Taoray Wang's fashion week show; last year she was spotted at designer Wang Tao's runway event with her now-former boyfriend Ross Mechanic, and her mother Marla Maples. The Shanghai brand has been a longtime favorite of Tiffany's. During the Spring New York Fashion Week show last year she told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I think Tao's aesthetic is just unparalleled. She puts so much effort into the slightest detail.' Wang said the first daughter has been a 'supporter since a long time before the election,' and has ordered pieces before attending Wang's show in 2016. Tiffany eagerly snapped photos from the collection on Saturday, taking in all the luxurious apparel from the Taoray Wang collection Tiffany looked happy to be away from her studies at Georgetown Law back in her hometown of New York City Tiffany happily posed with Wang Tao in a dress from the Taoray Wang collection on Saturday. The pair have worked together before and even provided Tiffany a dress for one of the presidential debates Tiffany was all smiles and laughter as she enjoyed the show Saturday at The Shows at Gallery II at Spring Studios Just hours after the event, Tiffany was featured in a Instagram video posted by mom Marla Maples, who just buried her father on Thursday (tribute post, right) Tiffany was dressed in Wang's designs during one of the presidential debates. Her interest in the designer drew criticism because of Donald Trump's remarks against China. The blonde did not comment on anything regarding politics and her father when she spoke back in 2017. She added: 'We talked a lot and I think now she really knows my style, so we work closely together.' During past shows, Tiffany was a less than welcome addition to the fashion circuit, considering 2017's designers making politically sartorial statements about the president. Calvin Klein played This is Not America and a Mexican immigrant designer, Raul Solis, 32 sent a model wearing 'f*** your wall' down the runway in a clear message to President Trump. The Saturday, Sept. 8 program at Woodbine Mohawk Park featured freshmen trotters in elimination action with the fillies contesting in two elims of the Peaceful Way and the colts in two elims for the William Wellwood. The card also featured two $83,342 divisions of the Simcoe Three-Year-Old Pace and a $150,996 division of the Simcoe Three-Year-Old Filly Pace. The Ice Dutchess circled from the pocket heading to the half and cruised to a 1:55.4 victory in the first Peaceful Way elimination. Fraulein Blucher took control as The Ice Dutchess, sent the 1-2 favourite, sat pocket through a :28.4 opening quarter ahead of Angies Luckeylady gapped out in third. Driver Yannick Gingras soon angled The Ice Dutchess from the pocket and overtook Fraulein Blucher before a :58.4 half. Evident Beauty tipped first over from fourth as the field chased The Ice Dutchess around the final turn. By three-quarters in 1:27.2, The Ice Dutchess strolled home under minor pursuit from Evident Beauty taking second and Presto Change O shooting through a gap at the rail in third. Angies Luckeylady held fourth and Hp Titania Runner rounded out the finalists. By Muscle Hill from the Conway Hall mare The Ice Queen, The Ice Dutchess, owned by Coyote Wynd Farms, won her third race in six starts, surpassing $200,000 in earnings. Jimmy Takter conditions the $3.10 winner. [This race] was just a matter of keeping her on stride and getting her around the track, Gingras said after the race. [The hopples] definitely make her a little safer. Here and there she interferes with them a bit but shes able to save herself with the hopples. The way she was tonight, she probably couldve done it withoutshe was well-behaved tonight and there was never an anxious moment. Sisters Promise pounced on 3-5 favourite Susy circling the final turn and kicked clear to a length victory in the second Peaceful Way elimination timed in 1:55.4. Susy sent for the lead while Teddys Littleangel parked to the first turn when attempting to leave from the outermost post. Teddys Littleangel cleared control by the quarter in :28.1 before yielding the front to Susy as she brushed to the lead before a :57.3 half. Tim Tetrick initiated his bid with Sisters Promise moving into the final turn and quickly marched to match strides with Susy at three-quarters in 1:26.3 before sticking her neck in front into the stretch. Sisters Promise continued to hold sway as Susy battled back towards the rail and extended her margin over the favourite heading to the line. Speed Titan slid into contention to take third ahead of finalists Tommi Canu Hearme and Teddys Littleangel. Owned by Brittany Farms LLC, Sisters Promise, by Father Patrick from the Donato Hanover mare Amourato, won her second race in four starts, earning $42,216. Linda Toscano trains the $8.30 winner. Last week we got away too far backgot away fourth but [Susy] just went a :30-and-something quarter and from there it was hard to catch that mare, Tetrick said after the race. Today he had to leave and remove and got [to the] half in :57 and from there I thought I had a good shot. She put in a step here and there but shes really sure-footed and (knock on wood) she hasnt made a break, Tetrick also said. She has plenty of speed and I know you havent seen the best of her yet; she has plenty of speed left. Following the eliminations, the field received their post positions for the Peaceful Way final and will line up next Saturday (Sept. 15) as follows: 1. Presto Change O 2. Susy 3. The Ice Dutchess 4. Sister Promise 5. Evident Beauty 6. Angies Luckeylady 7. Teddys Littleangel 8. Tommi Canu Hearme 9. Speed Titan 10. Hp Titania Runner AE Fraulein Blucher Marcus Melander trainee Green Manalishi S dominated the first elimination for the William Wellwood Memorial with a three-and-a-half length stroll in 1:54.4 as the 4-5 favourite. Tim Tetrick sent the favourite to the lead as Ct Conabra also contested for the lead before losing stride heading into the first turn. Green Manalishi S led Westfiftysecond, pushing for the pocket from post one, through a :28.2 opening quarter. He continued on the lead unpressured through a :57.4 half while Hudson River slowly tipped off the rail from third and supplied cover to Kings County entering the final turn. Green Manalishi S opened his lead by three-quarters in 1:26.2 as Kings County moved three wide to circumvent Hudson River parked to the outside of Westfiftysecond faltering at the rail. Kings County swept into second while Smart As Hill vaulted from the rear of the field and through the center of the track for third. Southwind Avenger and Hudson River capped out the finalists. By Muscle Hill from the Enjoy Lavec mare Naga Morich, Green Manalishi S, owned by Courant Inc., won his third race in five starts, earning $150,357. He paid $3.60 to win. He looked beautiful out there, Melander said. We bought him in Sweden as a yearling [in] August of last year then we shipped him over here in September, October. He was very good in the Peter Haughtonparked the entire mileeven if he has a lot of speed, he has a lot of stamina [so] he can do whatever he wants. It was very good [that] he could be on the lead today because he had some tough trips, first in the Haughton then in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes, [so] I was very happy he could get a good race today. With a pocket trip Union Forces upset 1-5 favourite and previously undefeated Swandre The Giant to win the second William Wellwood Memorial elimination at 33-1 in 1:55.3. Gerry left from the center of the track with Union Forces to his outside and Swandre The Giant near the rail. Union Forces shot to the rail as Gerry made a break approaching the first turn, leaving Swandre The Giant in the pocket through a :27.4 opening quarter. Swandre The Giant circled to the lead entering the backstretch and took the field by the half in :57.3. While Your Up, sitting third, edged off the rail and rushed towards the leader heading to three-quarters with White Tiger on his back. Past three-quarters in 1:27.2, Swandre The Giant turned away While Your Up as White Tiger circled wide and Union Forces found room to vacate the pocket. Union Forces slid off the rail and past Swandre The Giant in the final eighth to win with White Tiger third, Okeanos fourth and While Your Up completing the finalists. Returning $68.90 to win, Union Forces, by Cantab Hall from the Muscles Yankee mare Southwind Catlin, competes for Lindy Farms Of Connecticut, Robert Rudolph, David Anderson and John Fielding. Trained by Domenico Cecere and driven by Scott Zeron, Union Forces collected his third win from four starts, collecting $43,412 in earnings. To me, [Union Forces winning] is not a surprise, Cecere said. I know hes 33-1 but I know the horsehes a great horse, great gait, great head. It was a perfect trip [but] when I saw him in the two-hole I thought They better be careful. Below is the draw for the William Wellwood Memorial Final also conducted during the card: 1. White Tiger 2. Okeanos 3. Green Manalishi S 4. Union Forces 5. Hudson River 6. Smart As Hill 7. Swandre The Giant 8. Kings County 9. Southwind Avenger 10. While Your Up AE Ct Conabra Shower Play again stormed through the center of the track to collar pacesetter Youaremycandygirl and 3-5 favourite Kissin In The Sand to take the $150,996 Simcoe Three-Year-Old Filly Pace in 1:52. Sitting fifth to the quarter, Shower Play sat off a contentious first quarter with Parisian Blue Chip parking For The Record and Youaremycandygirl into the first turn. For The Record eventually cleared the lead and took the pocket as Youaremycandygirl got to the cones past the quarter in :26.4. Youaremycandygirl then gained separation on the field heading to the half as she paced three lengths ahead of For The Record holding second through a :56.4 clip with Parisian Blue Chip tipping first over and Kissin In The Sand on her cover. Youaremycandygirl continued to lead with an open margin through three-quarters in 1:24.1 before Kissin In The Sand kicked off cover and began reeling in the pacesetter. Shower Play, positioned third over around the turn, fanned wider and sprinted past Kissin In The Sand late in the stretch as Youaremycandygirl faded to third. She can be so quick, especially in the last quarter, winning driver Louis Philippe-Roy said. Its always fun to win races on the front but going by everybody its a better feeling for sure. I give the credit to Susie and Rene because for awhile in the summer we had some steering issues with her so they worked on her and [now] I think shes coming back better than she was at the beginning of the season. Winning her fifth race in 10 starts this season and her eighth in 15 overall, Shower Play, by Shadow Play out of the Bettors Delight mare Alice Emily, races for owner-trainer Rene Dion and partners Susie Kerwood and Martin Leveillee and has compiled $454,300 in earnings. She paid $14.10 to win. Shes just a good horse, Susie Kerwood said. I dont know what else to say; she just does it all. Shes so quick and, Ill tell you one thing, Rene [Dion] has done an amazing job on this horse. Im just going for the rideits very gratifying and to have Martin has a partner makes it even more exciting. The Downtown Bus went down the road to take the $83,342 first division of the Simcoe Three-Year-Old Pace in 1:50.2 while holding off a late-stretch bid from Torrin Hanover. Leading past the quarter in :27.3, The Downtown Bus paced unchallenged on the lead to the half in :56.2. Dragon Time attempted to advance first over moving to the far turn while Babes Dig Me drafted from the pocket and Torrin Hanover behind him in third. By three-quarters in 1:23.1, Babes Dig Me edged off the rail as did Torrin Hanover in pursuit of The Downtown Bus into the stretch with The Downtown Bus maintaining the advantage through the line while Torrin Hanover lunged past Babes Dig Me to take second. A homebred for trainer Jeff Gillis and partner Ellen Ott, The Downtown Bus, a gelding by Mach Three out of the Artsplace mare Slimsplace, won his eighth race in 19 starts this season and in 26 overall, earning $238,700. Tim Tetrick steered the $4.20 winner. Hes turned a corner, Tetrick said. Jeffs done a really good job with him and every start Ive driven him in hes been good. Last week he trained around pretty good in [1]:49[.2] and today he was up in a little more open classsome better bred horses in thereand he still got the job done. He fought them all; I was proud of him. Stay Hungry lunged after pacesetter Backstreet Shadow through the stretch and nailed him on the wire to win the $83,342 second division of the Simcoe narrowly in 1:49.3. Positioned fourth through a :27 opening quarter, Stay Hungry stuck to the rail as Backstreet Shadow maintained control under no pressure through a :55 half. Driver Doug McNair tipped the 2-5 favourite first over heading into the final turn and began to cut into his deficit as Backstreet Shadow passed three-quarters in 1:23.1. Backstreet Shadow remained in front with a two length lead into the stretch while Stay Hungry tucked behind for cover. Into the final eighth McNair angled out again with Stay Hungry and dug into Backstreet Shadow heading to the wire to stick his nose in front as Hidden Delight finished six lengths behind the two in third. Owned by Brad Grant and Irwin Samelman, Stay Hungry, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Dragon Again mare My Little Dragon, won his fifth race in 11 starts this season and his 11th in 20 overall, earning $1,240,119. Tony Alagna trains the $2.90 winner. During the card the field for the Canadian Trotting Classic, which went straight to final, also drew with the post positions below: 1. Missile Hill 2. Mets Hall 3. You Know You Do 4. For A Dreamer 5. Lawmaker 6. Alarm Detector 7. Run Director 8. Fiftydallarbill 9. Winning American 10. Crystal Fashion 11. Zephyr Kronos The field for the Elegantimage also drew and will line up as follows: 1. Phaetosive 2. Manchego 3. Alloveragain 4. Blonde Magic 5. Jordan Blue Chip 6. Atlanta 7. Sneeker Hanover Bill Budd-trainee Nirvana Seelster ground out a third-place finish in Saturdays $34,000 Preferred Pace to become harness racings newest millionaire. The seven-year-old gelding entered Saturdays card just a little over $300 away from $1 million in career earnings. Nirvana Seelster and driver Trevor Henry did the heavy-lifting in the Preferred and despite surrendering the lead early in the lane, the Budd trainee battled hard to the line for a third-place finish, beat only three-quarters of a length. American Wiggle, driven by Louis-Philippe Roy for trainer Richard Moreau, captured the $34,000 top-class in 1:49.4. Owned by Bruce Davy, Nirvana Seelster is a 39-time winner with a mark of 1:48 taken last season at Mohawk Park. The Budd trainee has made 176 of his 178 career starts at either Woodbine Racetrack or Mohawk Park. Nirvana Seelster recently competed in his fourth consecutive Canadian Pacing Derby. The fan-favourite has seven wins, 20 top-three finishes and $191,170 earned in 27 starts this season. (With files from Woodbine Mohawk Park) To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. A top ex-MI6 spy inside Al Qaeda has said he knew 'something big' was being planned in 2001 but didn't have any idea of the scale of the attack. In a tell-all memoir Aimen Dean also reveals a conversation with his MI6 handler showing the spy agency's desperation at trying to get an 'English court to take notice' of potential threats. Abu al-Abbas, now known as Aimen Dean, spied on Al Qaeda for almost eight years before he was discovered. Ex-MI6 informer Aimen Dean (pictured) has said he was told 'something big' was going to happen while in Afghanistan in 2001 and has revealed conversations with his MI6 handler 'Tom' He has now revealed that in June 2001 the group became secretive and he had an inkling something could happen, reports the Sunday Express. In his book Mr Dean explains how while in Afghanistan there was 'intense security among the Al Qaeda hierarchy' and he was summoned to a meeting with Abu Hafs al-Masri, Bin Laden's trusted right-hand man. Masri told him he wanted 'four brothers' living in England to come to Afghanistan by the end of August. He also said: 'Something big is going to happen and we expect the Americans to come to Afghanistan.' Mr Dean reveals in his book, called Nine Lives: My Time As MI6's Top Spy Inside Al Quaeda, the names of the men but none were the hijackers involved in the September attack. He also reveals he'd 'come across the so-called 20th hijacker', Zacarias Moussaoui, in London before he left in February 2001 for the United States. In a tell-all memoir Aimen Dean also reveals a conversation with his MI6 handler showing the spy agency's desperation at trying to get an 'English court to take notice' of potential threats He said there was 'intense security among the Al Qaeda hierarchy' and he was summoned to a meeting with Abu Hafs al-Masri, Osama bin-Laden's (pictured right) trusted right-hand man The ex-informer only knew him by his first name and told his handlers about a French jihadi. Mr Dean said: 'Only after 9/11 was I shown his photograph and learned his full name and connection.' The Saudi-born informer has also revealed more details about his time in London and work with MI6. In late 1998, after five British citizens were arrested in the Yemen and security forces seized explosives, landmines and rockets, Mr Dean was contacted by a MI6 handler named Tom in the book. Once his cover was blown Mr Dean was raced to London and put in a safe house. Pictured is the cover of his book Tom told him: 'It would be very interesting to see who you might be able to flush out here. Make a few calls perhaps. We're getting a bit tired of this Londonistan tag. 'Trouble is we'd need to prove they are raging psychopaths about to blow up Buckingham Palace to get an English court to take notice.' Mr Dean had become a double agent earlier in 1998 after the bombing of the U.S. embassy buildings in Kenya. In Nairobi 213 people were killed and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 11 died. For almost eight nerve-shredding years, he risked his life as an undercover agent for the British secret service. He managed to penetrate the ranks of al-Qaeda, from Osama bin Laden at the top, to sinister recruiting agents and rabble-rousers such as hook-handed Abu Hamza in the Finsbury Park Mosque in London. Aimen Dean's cover was blown after an article was published on the website of Time magazine. He was not named, as such, but enough of the story was true for al-Qaeda to put two and two together and identify him. He was swiftly in touch with his MI5 and MI6 minders and raced to London, where he was put in a safe house and given a new name. Brought up in Saudi Arabia and schooled in the Koran, which he knew word for word, he started out as an extremist at the age of 16, committing himself to defending Muslim people from attack. He fought in Bosnia and then went to Afghanistan, where he pledged his allegiance to Bin Laden in person. However, he began to doubt the cause when he saw a blood lust among some of his fellow fighters. The slaughter of more than 200 people by suicide bombers in 1998 in an attack on the American embassy in Kenya was the final straw for him. Mr Dean now acts as a consultant to large international companies. Theresa May has been briefing the Queen on progress with Brexit at Balmoral - amid claims she wants to stay in Downing Street as long as Margaret Thatcher. The Prime Minister and husband Philip were photographed attending church today with the monarch near the residence in Scotland where she spends summers. Premiers traditionally enjoy a weekend with the Queen at Balmoral at this time of year, and Mrs May will have had a lot of news to pass on. Talks with the EU have reached a critical stage amid apparent deadlock over future trade and how to treat the Irish border. Theresa May and her husband Philip were photographed on the way to church with the Queen near Balmoral today (pictured) The Queen has been spending the summer at Balmoral as usual and British monarch since has worshipped there while staying at nearby Balmoral Castle Mrs May's Chequers plan has been coming under intense fire from Tory Brexiteers and Remainers, as well as the Labour Party. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has been agitating to force his way into Downing Street. Within months there is set to be a massive parliamentary showdown that could see Mrs May - and even possibly the Conservative - thrown out of power. The topic of Russia is also likely to have come up, after security services revealed that Russian military intelligence officers were behind the Salisbury nerve gas attack. The Queen, 92, is known to take a keen interest in politics and the activities of government. But the audiences between the monarch and the PM are kept completely secret, with no official record. Mrs May is the 13th PM during the Queen's reign, dating back to Winston Churchill's time in office. Previous incumbents have spoken of the value of being able to talk freely with no fear of information being leaked or used against them. The Royal group - also including Prince Charles and Camilla - attended the service at Crathie Kirk Church, Aberdeenshire, today. Monarchs have been worshipping there since Queen Victoria. According to The Sun, despite her mounting woes, Mrs May will use her speech at Tory conference to vow to stay on beyond Brexit, saying: Ill win you the next election. Completing a full second term would keep her in office until 2027 - matching Thatcher, who was in power for 11 years from 1979 to 1990. Boris Johnson (pictured in central london yesterday) has been agitating against Mrs May's Brexit blueprint A car ploughed through the railings of a historic castle - and plunged 20ft into the empty moat. The black car veered off the road and into the dry moat which surrounds Deal Castle in Kent, which dates back to the 1500s. Police who responded to the blunder said the driver was taken to hospital but said their injuries were not thought to be serious. The car ploughed through the railings near the historic castle in Kent which dates back to the 1500s The driver plunged into the dry moat outside Deal Castle in Kent. The castle has cycle paths towards Walmer Castles and along the beachfront Photos of the incident show the smashed car stuck at the bottom of the moat as police inspected the damage. A spokesman for Kent Police said: 'The driver was taken to a local hospital. 'His injuries are not said to be life-threatening.' The driver was taken to hospital but police said their injuries were not thought to be serious The car plunged into the moat of Deal Castle which was built by Henry VIII at a time when England seemed vulnerable to invasion An air ambulance was among emergency services who rushed to the incident, which happened on Saturday at about 6.20pm. The helicopter landed at a nearby beach but is not thought to have been used and left at about 7pm. The car plunged 20ft into the dry moat which surrounds Deal Castle in Kent The castle was built by the order of King Henry VIII and is one of the finest Tudor artillery castles in England. It is among the earliest and most elaborate of a chain of coastal forts, which also includes Calshot, Camber, Walmer and Pendennis Castles. The castle was built in 153940, and was the centre of a network of three Tudor artillery forts that included Walmer to the south and Sandown to the north. A birds eye view of Deal Castle (pictured) which has watched over the Kentish coast for nearly 500 years During the English Civil War in 1648, when soldiers loyal to Charles I fought Parliamentarians in several bloody encounters, the castle came under seige. Then in the Second World War, the castle was brought back into service to guard the coast from German forces in the Channel. Advertisement With no long-range missiles on display, North Korea staged a military parade on Sunday focused on conventional arms, peace and economic development, to mark the 70th anniversary of the country's founding. Line upon line of goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks shook the ground before giving way to chanting crowds waving flags and flowers as they passed a review stand where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat with a special envoy from China, as well as other visiting foreigners. Kim told the envoy, Chinese parliament chief Li Zhanshu, that North Korea was focusing on economic development and hopes to learn from China's experience in this regard, Chinese state television reported. 'North Korea upholds the consensus of the Singapore meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States and has taken steps for it and hopes the United States takes corresponding steps, to jointly promote the political resolution process for the peninsula issue,' the report paraphrased Kim as saying. Goose-stepping soldiers file past carrying the flags of their regiment in the center of the main parade ground in Pyongyang Also present during the enormous parade were squadrons of Kim's artillery pieces and tanks but none of the ICBM launchers seen in previous years Participants wave flowers as they march past a balcony from where North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was watching, during the remarkable celebration Short-range missile launchers were still on show and could be seen driving past, but there was no sign of the ICBMs of the past Kim Jong-un himself watched the two-hour parade alonside Li Zhanshu, one Chinese President Xi Jinping's closest advisers The parade highlight themes of military accomplishment, national development, and international engagement at a time when doubts are arising over Kim's commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons. Unlike in previous years, there were no inter-continental missiles on display. And there were no nuclear tests to mark the holiday, as has happened in each of the last two years. North Korea routinely uses major holidays to showcase its military capabilities and the latest developments in missile technology. But that has lessened this year, underlining Kim's stated aim for denuclearising the Korean peninsula and his recent meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and summits with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and Dalian. The theme for the celebrations this year was economic development and unifying the Korean peninsula, divided since World War Two. Kim and Li could be seen waving to the crowd as the parade started on Sunday morning in the center of the historic city of Pyongyang Kim's invitation of Li signals a continuation of North Korea's attempts to draw down its nuclear programme and stabilise its economy through trade Thousands of North Korea's crack troops were pictured marching in perfect rank and file bearing rifles with attached bayonets Goose-stepping soldiers march with their feet in the air as they file past the center point of the parade ground during the ceremony Hypnotic lines of soldiers stood in a smorgasbord of different coloured uniforms as they gathered to celebrate the anniversary The full range of North Korea's military was on show in the parade on Sunday, with troops from the Navy joining their land-based counterparts North Korean soldiers look towards the balcony where Kim Jong-un is sitting during the two-hour parade on Sunday afternoon Soldiers from the armoured corps of the North Korean army responsible for driving tanks marched with their distinctive headgear Camouflaged troops carrying high-spec assault rifles and wearing full combat gear were also on display during the parade Tanks drive through the center of the city with formed up ranks of soldiers standing just to the side of the armoured vehicles Kim's female troops were snapped marching in their characteristic goose-step-esque style through the streets of Pyongyang on Sunday Female soldiers from Kim's crack regiment march in time during the two-hour parade on Sunday morning as they filed past their leader Thousands of civilians followed the soldiers waving the North Korean the flag and crying in an emotion show of support for their leader Brightly dressed women held colourful banners aloft in a remarkable display to celebrate the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding Pictures of past leader Kim Jong-il were on show as packed stands full of high-ranking military officials applauded during the parade A huge float was decorated with a modern train, solar panels, wind power plants and dams, under a slogan of 'All our might to build economy!', as North Korean men in construction work wear marched. Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's titular head of state, gave a speech at the parade in which he said the country had achieved status as a military power, and would now pursue efforts to strengthen its economy. Floats on unification also passed by a throng of North Koreans waving unified Korea flags. 'All Koreans should join forces to accomplish unification in our generation. Unification is the only way Koreans can survive,' said an editorial in North Korea's party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Kim Jong Un and his South Korean counterpart Moon will meet in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20 for the third time this year and discuss 'practical measures' towards denuclearisation, officials in Seoul have said. A group of generals stand watching the parade in front of a giant sign celebrating the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding Students wave to a bus carrying foreign journalists after a parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day The parade was one of the largest ever witnessed in Pyongyang as thousands of troops and citizens took part in the two-hour show Confetti and balloons were released intothe sky as civilians carrying North Korean flags marched in perfect order during the ceremony Cohorts of happy-looking civilians also took to the streets for the parade waving mini flags and carrying balloons in support of their leader Hundreds of women wearing blue and waving large red flags march past the gathered crowds on Sunday morning in the large display Performers wearing the colours of the North Korean flag were also present and formed a huge patchwork effect with coloured banners North Korean schoolchildren carrying placards emblazoned with slogans march in time while saluting Kim Jong-un in the crowd As part of the celebrations, a concert was held on Saturday evening in front of an invited audience of several thousand people at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium. Featuring three of the state's top musical ensembles - the State Merited Chorus army choir, the Samjiyon Orchestra and the Mansudae Art Troupe - a red grand piano took centre stage. At such events in North Korea performers normally play in front of a giant screen displaying the country's successes. In recent years that has always included footage of the ballistic missile launches under leader Kim Jong-un that, along with Pyongyang's nuclear tests, have earned the North multiple sets of UN Security Council sanctions. What IS Gerard Depardieu doing in North Korea? Controversial French actor is spotted in Pyongyang Controversial French actor Gerard Depardieu has been spotted in North Korea during celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the socialist state. Mr Depardieu, 69, was filmed by reporters in the lobby of a Pyongyang hotel on Friday but refused to talk to journalists. North Korea celebrated its 70th founding anniversary today, September 9, and the Green Card star was one of the spectators seen in the crowd. Participants cheered and waved flowers during the parade and military officers marched through Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square. It is not known whether Mr Depardieu was in the North Korean capital to take part in the festivities or as a guest It is not known whether Mr Depardieu was in the North Korean capital to take part in the festivities or as a guest, reports the Telegraph. Oliver Hotham, managing editor of NK News, was present at the Yangakdo hotel for tourists and tweeted about seeing Mr Depardieu. He said the actor had: 'refused to allow photos and one of his dudes said 'you'll have a bad time' if I persisted in trying to get a quote from him'. However Mr Depardieu, who became the face of French cinema thanks to roles in films such as Cyrano de Bergerac for which he won best actor at the Cannes film festival and was nominated for an Oscar, did allow a selfie to be taken at the airport. The star posed with a member of a Turkish 'friendship' delegation at the airport. In August, prosecutors in Paris opened a preliminary investigation of a woman's rape and sexual assault accusations against the actor. The events are alleged to have taken place at Mr Depardieu's Parisian home, a sprawling mansion in the 6th arrondissement of the city, earlier this month. French actor Gerard Depardieu (centre) has been seen at a military parade and mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang, North Korea The 69-year-old star denies the allegations 'absolutely', his lawyer told AFP news agency. Depardieu has appeared in more than 200 films over six decades. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in 'Green Card,' a 1990 romantic comedy. He made his name in the 1974 film 'Going Places' after which he enjoyed a meteoric rise and went on to act in wide-ranging roles in classics, dramas and comedies alike. In 2013 Depardieu sparked a huge outcry by leaving France and taking Russian nationality in protest at a proposed tax hike on the rich in his homeland. Russian President Vladimir Putin treated him to a dinner to present him with his new citizenship and Mr Depardieu was subsequently full of praise in an interview to Komsomolskaya Pravda daily. The Green Card star caused controversy at the time for slamming his home country. Advertisement North Korea began celebrating the 70th anniversary of its official birth as a nation today with a huge concert, pictured, ahead of the main events tomorrow The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was proclaimed on September 9, 1948. During the concert this evening, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was projected on to a screen as orchestra musicians performed Although the military featured in the concert (pictured: military choir members), there was a notable absence of footage of ballistic missile launches In recent years the events have always included footage of the ballistic missile launches under leader Kim Jong-un that, along with Pyongyang's nuclear tests, have earned the North multiple sets of UN Security Council sanctions But in a dramatic turnaround on the peninsula triggered by the Winter Olympics in the South in February, the North is engaged on multiple diplomatic fronts, even as the US insists it give up its weapons. After a June meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore and its third summit with the South's President Moon Jae-in due in Pyongyang later this month, the North is keen to send a different message to the past. Instead of missiles, the imagery at Saturday's concert highlighted North Korean landmarks, from its spiritual birthplace Mount Paektu to the Pyongyang skyline, and economic development, with shots of factories, steel plants, and abundant fields of wheat. Instead of missiles, the imagery at Saturday's concert highlighted North Korean landmarks, from its spiritual birthplace Mount Paektu to the Pyongyang skyline, and economic development, with shots of factories, steel plants, and abundant fields of wheat Only a few short segments featured the military, with only conventional equipment on display. It seems the North is keen to send a different message to the past Songs included 'Socialism, I love you', and the first-ever public performance of a new ode to Kim Jong-un, 'Be loved, our father'. Pictured: audience members watch the concert 'The Supreme Leader visits every family even at midnight and even at dawn,' ran the lyrics. 'He hears everything the ordinary people say.... We are confident in his powerful leadership, taking us to the future, Oh, Comrade Kim Jong-un.' Pictured: students performing at the concert Every time Kim's grandfather, the North's founder Kim Il Sung, or his successors appeared on screen the audience broke into applause, with the loudest reserved for the current leader Only a few short segments featured the military, with only conventional equipment on display. And in one, when tanks rolled, jets flew and infantry marched, a message ran across the top of the screen: 'Military strength ensures peace'. Moments later the hardware was replaced with images of ripe red apples. In April, leader Kim declared the North's nuclear programme a success and said the country's new strategic priority would be 'socialist economic construction'. Featuring three of the state's top musical ensembles - the State Merited Chorus army choir, the Samjiyon Orchestra and the Mansudae Art Troupe - a red grand piano took centre stage Pictured: North Korean military cadets clapping during the evening gala earlier this evening Pictured: North Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers leave following the concert ahead of the country's official birthday tomorrow The anniversary is a major occasion in the North, and is being marked with a series of events expected to include a military parade and the return of the 'Mass Games' after a five-year absence The mass games involve tens of thousands of people holding up placards or dancing in precise unison and are intended to be a display of national unity. Pictured: students performing Every time Kim's grandfather, the North's founder Kim Il Sung, or his successors appeared on screen the audience broke into applause, with the loudest reserved for the current leader. Songs included 'Socialism, I love you', and the first-ever public performance of a new ode to Kim Jong-un, 'Be loved, our father'. 'The Supreme Leader visits every family even at midnight and even at dawn,' ran the lyrics. 'He hears everything the ordinary people say.... We are confident in his powerful leadership, taking us to the future, Oh, Comrade Kim Jong-un.' Earlier in the day officials attended a ceremony (pictured) ahead of the country's official birthday tomorrow Pictured: officials clapping during a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation Burt Reynolds lived out his final years at his Florida estate after his real estate magnate friend bought the property and rented it to him for a low price when the screen legend was struggling financially. Reynolds, who died last week at age 82 of a heart attack, had a history of financial woes after sliding into bankruptcy more than 20 years ago. The actor auctioned off much of his iconography in 2014 to cover his debts, including the famous Pontiac Trans-Am car from hit 1977 film Smokey And The Bandit, and his twoGolden Globes. He sold his longtime waterfront home in Jupiter the following year to his real estate tycoon friend and neighbor, Charles Modica, in 2015 for $3.3 million. Reynolds, who died last week at age 82 of a heart attack, had a history of financial woes after sliding into bankruptcy more than 20 years ago His friend let Reynolds live at the property while paying minimal rent up until his death last week. 'He was undergoing a lot of stress and strain in his life at that time and I called him and told him I would like to be a part to help him,' Modica told Inside Edition. Reynolds had bought the property in 1980 for $700,000. His neighbors in Jupiter - where he was regarded as virtual royalty - said that in his final years Reynolds had become increasingly housebound. He lived at the home with his pitbull and carer. 'You wouldn't know that he still lived here,' a neighbor said. 'I've not seen him in weeks. He just doesn't come out.' Reynolds suffered his fatal heart attack at the home last Thursday. Reynolds lived out his final years at his Florida estate (above) after his real estate magnate friend bought the property and rented it to him for a low price when the screen legend was struggling financially He sold his longtime waterfront home in Jupiter to his real estate tycoon friend and neighbor, Charles Modica (above), in 2015 for $3.3 million At the peak of his career, Reynolds was one of the most bankable actors in the film industry, reeling off a series of box-office smashes until a career downturn in the mid-1980s. He rebounded in 1997 with an Oscar nomination for his supporting role as a porn director in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights' - a role Reynolds despised - and won an Emmy for his role in the 1990-1994 television series 'Evening Shade.' With his trademark mustache, rugged looks and macho aura, Reynolds was a leading male sex symbol of the 1970s. At the peak of his career, Reynolds was one of the most bankable actors in the film industry, reeling off a series of box-office smashes until a career downturn in the mid-1980s He famously appeared naked - reclining on a bearskin rug with his arm strategically positioned for the sake of modesty - in a centerfold in the women's magazine Cosmopolitan in 1972. Reynolds' personal life sometimes overshadowed his movies, including marriages that ended in divorce to actresses Loni Anderson and Judy Carne and romances with Sally Field and Dinah Shore, among others. His financial woes and his struggles with prescription pain medication also generated attention. The actor was due to appear with Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie and Al Pacino in Tarantino's upcoming period drama 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' set in 1969 Los Angeles around the time of the Charles Manson murders. According to Variety, production began this summer but Reynolds had not been expected to shoot his scenes until the end of this month. The film is slated for release next August. Advertisement He's known as a ruthless leader who rules with an iron fist and takes no prisoners, but Vladimir Putin did his best to look cheerful as he leaned in for selfies and handed out awards. The dictator played host to an event aimed at encouraging Russians to have more babies. He presented the country's biggest families with The Order of Parental Glory and a bouquets of flowers in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Putin was seen awkwardly leaning in for a selfie and puffing out his chest as he stood with clans from across the country for ceremonial photos. Men, women and children part of families from Moscow, Kaliningrad Region, Kurgan Region, Stavropol Territory, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Khakassia and Republic of Sakha, all stood rigid by the Russian leader and timidly posed waited for their pictures to be taken. The purpose of International Children's Day is to recognise activities that promote 'the institution of the family and child-rearing and reverse the country's falling population. Vladimir Putin did his best 'cheerful' impression during an awards ceremony in Moscow. Pictured: He presents a gong to the Shutylev family from the Republic of Khakassia The disinterested leader awkwardly leaned in for a selfie while struggling to crack a smile in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow He was hosting International Children's Day - an event aimed at celebrating 'activities that promote the institution of the family and child-rearing'. Pictured: Putin stands rigidly with the Makeyev family from Kurgan Region That's as close as you're getting to a smile: He put an arm round one of the daughters of the Ilyashenko family from Moscow The Ursov family from the Republic of Mordovia stand tall and stiff as they pose with their leader. A woman on the far right can't take her eye off Putin during the awkward photoshoot The Yudintsev family from the Republic of Sakha have raised 12 children, made up of a dozen boys and as many daughters Putin puffs out his chest as he presents the order to the Makeyev family from the Kurgan Region, which has a population estimated to be 874,100 Russia's population has fallen by a 0.5 per cent annual rate, about 750,000 to 800,000 people per year from the mid-1990s. Pictured: The Nesmiyanov family from Stavropol Territory A Florida man who showed up at his neighbor's house carrying an AR-15 and wearing a bulletproof vest is now behind bars. Tom D'Errico and his family believe Kevin Flaherty, 48, was on a mission to kill on the night he rang their doorbell. Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment Flaherty stumbled up to his neighbor's home in Boca Raton on Wednesday night. Kevin Flaherty, 48, was arrested after he showed up on his neighbor's doorstep holding an AR-15 rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest Flaherty even put his hand over the camera, seeming to indicate that he did not want the family to know it was him at the door. Both D'Errico, who was in San Diego for a business trip, and his family were able to see Flaherty through the cell phone app Ring. The motion-detecting app allows homeowners to see anything happening outside of their property on their phones. When the D'Erricos saw Flaherty at their front door just before 11pm, they immediately called 911. Tom D'Errico and his family believe Flaherty was on a mission to kill when he rang their doorbell on Wednesday Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment Flaherty stumbled up to his neighbor's home in Boca Raton D'Errico's wife hid in the bathroom with her 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter as they waited for the police to arrive, fearing for their lives. 'Not being home, not being able to do anything, I felt like I was in the movie Taken,' D'Errico told the Sun-Sentinel. D'Errico told investigators that Flaherty's wife and daughter had left him just days beforehand after he threatened to shoot and kill them. When the D'Erricos saw Flaherty at their front door just before 11pm on Wednesday, they immediately called 911 The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed that deputies were called to Flaherty's home last Sunday after he threatened his wife and daughter with a gun. No arrest was made. Flaherty was arrested and has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm The D'Erricos had let Flaherty's daughter stay at their home, which is 200 feet away, for two nights because she was afraid of him. D'Errico's 17-year-old son also told police that Flaherty had threatened the family in the past and has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, according to CBS 12. The teen believes Flaherty wanted to kill his family because they let his daughter stay with them. Flaherty was arrested and has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. A judge ordered him to have no contact with the family and no weapons or firearms. He also ordered Flaherty to undergo a mental evaluation and said there would be no bond pending stabilization. A massacre in a quiet Perth suburb has horrified residents who say the victims seemed like 'a normal, happy family'. Two-year-old twin girls, their sister, aged three-and-a-half, mother and grandmother were found dead at a house in Coode Street, Bedford, on Sunday at 12pm (local time). The ages of the children and their relationship to the two women were confirmed on Monday by WA Police. A man aged in his 20s turned himself into a police station hundreds of kilometres away on Sunday before officers went to the house where they discovered the five females. 'The man currently assisting police remains in custody, no charges have been laid at this time,' police said on Monday. It is unclear whether the man is related to the victims. 'It's just so sad, they've got young kids - it's horrific on every level,' neighbour Maria Manfredini told WA Today. Scroll down for video Two-year-old twin girls, their sister, aged three-and-a-half, mother and grandmother have been found dead in a massacre at this property in Perth Aerial footage has revealed a swing and children's toys in the backyard, including a plastic slide and toadstool-themed furniture Coode Street resident Vagner D'Souza told ABC News the incident had taken the street by surprise. 'They just seemed like a normal family, you would never imagine anything like this happening here,' Mr D'Souza said. Neighbours told reporters that they had not seen the family in at least seven days. 'We thought they were on holiday, they haven't been there all week,' Desrae Cambos told 7 News. Police confirmed they did not know how long the bodies had been inside the Bedford house. Ms Cambos revealed to Perth Now that the family's father ran a lawnmowing and landscaping business and she had not seen his work ute outside the premises for some days. 'It's just so sad, it's horrific on every level,' neighbour Maria Manfredini told WA Today Streets in the area are still locked down but West Australia Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Steel said there were no safety concerns for the public and no suspects are at large. 'Sadly at that location police have located the bodies of a number of deceased people including women and children,' he said. 'This is a tragic event and will have an impact on family and friends, the community, and the emergency services who first responded to the tragic scene. 'It will send a ripple through the community of Western Australia.' 'Police are conducting a thorough and proper investigation to determine what events led to this matter,' a police spokesman said Detectives and homicide squad at the house in Coode Street in Bedford, in Perth's north east The tragedy comes after a 19-year-old man was charged with murdering an eight-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and their mother at Ellenbrook in July. At the time of the incident, Mr Steel said it was 'potentially the most horrific crime scene he has ever been called to'. In July, four children and three adults were found dead at a Western Australia property in Osmington, in Australia's worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The bodies of Peter Miles, 61, his 58-year-old wife Cynda, their daughter Katrina, 35, and her four autistic children with estranged partner Aaron Cockman - Taye, 13, Rylan, 12, Arye, 10, and Kadyn Cockman, 8 - were found at the Miles residence. Three firearms were located at the scene belonging to grandfather Peter Miles. Jeremy Corbyn's anti-Semitism crisis deepened today after the Labour leadership was accused of interfering in abuse probes. Peter Mason, a member of Labour's national constitutional committee (NCC) disciplinary body, painted a dire picture of the processes. In a leaked recording of an event at the Jewish Labour Movement conference last week, Mr Mason is said to have accused Mr Corbyn's office of intervening in the cases of Ken Livingstone, Marc Wadsworth, Dame Margaret Hodge and Ian Austin. According to the Sunday Times, Mr Mason also claimed that 'disgraceful' cases that were not picked up the national media were being effectively ignored. The latest claims will heap problems on Jeremy Corbyn (pictured leaving his London home last week) who has been struggling to get a grip on the anti-Semitism crisis He suggested the Labour Party had an 'institutional' problem in the way it treated Jews. Mr Corbyn's officer rejected the latest claims, but they will heap problems on the leader, who has been struggling to get a grip on the issue - even being forced to deny that he personally is anti-Semitic. Mr Mason was giving a talk entitled 'Prejudicial and grossly detrimental behaviour: scratching beneath the surface of the party's disciplinary nightmares'. The Labour councillor disclosed that thousands of anti-semitism complaints have been received by the party, and warned they would take months, if not years, to resolve - blaming the party's 'politically fractious and divided' ruling national executive committee (NEC). 'Quite frankly, we're just having to take decisions on a***holes nasty people who just behave in intolerable ways to each other,' he reportedly said. In a statement to the Sunday Times, Mr Mason said: ' As an elected member of the NCC, I am accountable to the socialist societies that elect me. I was sharing my personal view that the party's disciplinary processes need fixing urgently. 'Many of the people who attended the discussion have been the victims of antisemitism within the party, some of whom have had their complaints handled atrociously. 'I won't stay silent while the party's disciplinary processes remain corrupted, and I hope I will not be the sole voice in saying so.' Senior Labour figures Peter Mason reportedly accused Mr Corbyn's office of intervening in the cases of Ken Livingstone, Marc Wadsworth, Dame Margaret Hodge (pictured) and Ian Austin A Labour spokesman branded claims Mr Corby's office had interfered 'misinformation', and said the party took complaints of anti-semitism 'extremely seriously'. 'These accusations are either completely untrue or deeply misleading,' he said. 'It is categorically untrue to say that you can't be expelled from the Labour Party for anti-Semitism. 'The Labour Party takes complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and the General Secretary has made tackling it her top priority. 'Measures to speed up cases have been successful in recent months and we are implementing a series of improvements to our procedures for dealing with complaints. 'Misinformation of this kind undermines the fight against antisemitism and the effort to rebuild relations with the Jewish community.' Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday (pictured), former frontbencher Chuka Umunna said it was 'very painful' to admit Labour was 'institutionally racist' Labour MP Chuka Umunna warned the party was 'institutionally racist' today as tensions between the hard-left and moderates escalated further. Former frontbencher Mr Umunna said it was 'very painful' to admit Labour had such deep-seated problems. But he vowed to stay as a Labour member because he it was better to 'try and argue and see change through in an organisation' rather than 'leave the field'. Meanwhile, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips claimed the Labour Party is 'led by anti-Semites and racists'. Confronting images and footage have emerged of police struggling to deal with the devastating ice epidemic causing havoc across Australia's regional areas. The Police Association of NSW released a photo and footage from two separate incidents to bring light to the nation's ice epidemic. Polair footage obtained by The Daily Telegraph from an incident at a Central Coast home in April 2017 shows a man that appears to be under the influence of ice lashing out at police as five officers try to apprehend him. This senior constable was taken to hospital after he was allegedly attacked when he responded to a call-out at Muswellbrook The five officers hold the man on the ground for several minutes before leading him away from the home and into a police car. The police association also released a shocking photo of a bloodied policeman in hospital after he was allegedly attacked and pushed down a flight of stairs when he responded to a call-out at Muswellbrook in the state's upper Hunter region last month. The officer is still recovering from the incident and is currently on restricted duties. A 22-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man are before the courts in relation to the alleged incident. The Police Association of NSW also released a map of ice hotspots across NSW, which lists Narrandera in the state's Riverina region as having the highest rate of amphetamine use or possession in NSW at 502 per 100,000 people, based on BOSCAR figures. Polair footage from an incident at a Central Coast home in April 2017 shows a man under the influence of ice lashing out at police Sydney is second, followed by the regional areas of Moree Plains, Edward River and Gilgandra. 'It (ice) dominates our work; it has links to domestic violence, mental health incidents, road fatalities, house and business break-ins, organised crime and it is destroying lives,' police association president Tony King told The Daily Telegraph. 'Local police are so stretched that they're drowning just dealing with the symptoms of ice and users rather than focusing their efforts on the supply chain.' Five officers were needed to restrain the man to the ground Last week, the police association launched its Back The Blue online petition calling on NSW police minister Troy Grant for more police on the beat and less crime on the street. Around 5000 petitions have already been submitted. 'Our police are working harder than ever to keep us safe, but a shortfall in police numbers means theyre being stretched to their limits,' the petition states. 'Our local commands, including those in regional areas, are also suffering as a result of years of inadequate resourcing. The impact is not only being felt within the police force, but within our communities.' Running Aces featured a $13,000 Open Handicap Pace for horses and geldings during its Saturday night (Sept. 8) program. Bestinthebusiness (driven by James Yoder) was the race favourite in the seven-horse affair. His stablemate, Whatchyastarinat (Lemoyne Svendsen), fired right off the gate from Post 7 to take command after an early battle with Stuckey Dote (Rick Magee). The fractions in the race were cut in :26.4, :56 and 1:24.1. Bestinthebusiness had launched a first-over attack near the five-eighths marker, and the two Gene Miller trainees battled head to head for the final quarter mile in the dash. Whatchyastarinat was dead-game in the lane, but Bestinthebusiness and Stuckey Dote were firing on both sides in the final yards. It was Besinthebusiness that got up to prevail by a neck over Stuckey Dote. Whatchyastarinat finished just a half-length back in third in the 1:52.1 mile. Bestinthebusiness ($4.20) is owned by Brett Boyd Racing and trained by Gene Miller. The win was the 46th career tally for Bestinthebusiness, who is a winner of $431,130 lifetime. The cards $14,000 Minnesota-sired three-year-old pacing dash was won by Giggle Monster ($3.60) in 1:54.3. Steve Wiseman led the Saturday card with three wins, while Dean Magee recorded a driving double. (With files from Running Aces) Advertisement Pictures of Victorian prisoners have been brought to life by a photo restorer who transformed black and white mugshots into glorious colour before animating them. Nick Harris, from Chatham in Kent, is a photo restorer and colouriser who works at Photo Restoration Services. He completely transformed a series of mugshots dating back to 1885 for an exhibition at the Barnsley Museum in South Yorkshire entitled 'Changing Crimes: True Stories of Barnsley's Criminal Past'. Mr Harris spent a painstaking three to four hours colourising each of the photos of prisoners arrested for murder, theft, and 'furious driving' more than 130 years ago. After bringing the photos into the modern day with a fresh lick of colour, Mr Harris took a image of John Cane - a 26-year-old labourer from Shropshire jailed for sexual offences in 1888 - and animated it in After Effects. By cutting out Cane's arms and placing them on to a different layer in the programme, Mr Harris was able to animate the arms, creating the eerie effect seen below. Mr Harris told MailOnline: 'I've not done that before, I was just having a play around, colourisation is something I do a lot more of. It was a bit of fun, and it added an extra element of bringing the photo to life. 'It adds another dimension to it, we're simulating the moments just prior to the photo being taken 130 years ago.' Other criminals in the photo collection include 46-year-old miner James Carey, who was arrested for theft in 1890, and George Shaw, who was arrested for bestiality in 1886. Notably, photos taken after 1890 feature mirrors next to the prisoners in order to capture both their front and side profile in a single shot. Mr Harris added: 'I found the series of prisoner mugshots fascinating, particularly the method of using a mirror to reveal the prisoners' side profiles and hands all in a single photo. 'People are enamoured by old photos and I believe these stories and historical photos really deserve to be seen.' Nick Harris, from Chatham in Kent, has restored and colourised a series of photos of prisoners for an exhibition at Barnsley Museum. Pictured: James Carey, 46, who was arrested in Mexborough for theft in 1889 The mugshots, which date back to 1885, are featured in an exhibition entitled 'Changing Crimes: True Stories of Barnsley's Criminal Past'. Pictured: Joseph Wildsmith, who was jailed in 1887 for theft Mr Harris spent a painstaking three to four hours colourising each of the photos of prisoners arrested for murder, theft, and 'furious driving' more than 130 years ago. Pictured: Barnsley-born Thomas Frost, 48, who was jailed for theft in 1888 Notably, photos taken after 1890 feature mirrors next to the prisoners in order to capture both their front and side profile in one shot. Pictured: Seaman Benjamin Parker, 30, who was arrested in Hull for breaking into a house in 1890 Pictured: Wigan-born George Hough, who was arrested for theft in 1882. The 22-year-old coal miner spent time in Pentonville Prison Pictured: George Shaw, 48, who was jailed for bestiality in 1886. The unmarried labourer was sent to Dartmoor Prison After bringing the photos into the modern day with a fresh lick of colour, Mr Harris took a image of John Cane - a 26-year-old labourer from Shropshire jailed for sexual offences in 1888 - and animated it in After Effects Pictured: Hoyland-born Isaac Chappell, 46, who was arrested in 1890 for theft. The nailmaker was living in Barnsley at the time and was sent to Portsmouth Prison Pictured: John W. Ogden, a 27-year-old baker who was sent to Pankhurst Prison for theft in 1887 Pictured: Alfred Hirst, a 37-year-old coal miner from Barnsley who was arrested for theft and sent to Dartmoor Prison Pictured: Joe Schofield, who was jailed in 1887 for sexual offences. Mr Harris told MailOnline: '[Animation] adds another dimension to it, we're simulating the moments just prior to the photo being taking 130 years ago' Advertisement These stunning photos capture the true essence of British sea-faring life, with the coastal views winner depicting the raw power of waves crashing against a lighthouse in Seaham, County Durham. The photography competition was launched by Shipwrecked Mariners' Society to mark national Seafarers Awareness Week from 23rd-30th June. The Societys Maritime Photographic Competition encourages photographers, both amateur and professional, to enter pictures that capture the essence of Britains enduring connection with the sea its merchant ships, fishermen, coast, harbours and ports. Celebrating its 179th year, the Society was searching for standout images relating to all aspects of the UKs historic relationship with the sea, including ships and wrecks, seascapes, industry and leisure, and the winner encapsulates a British seascape in its most raw form. 'Stormy Seas' taken by Owen Humphreys won the coastal views section of the competition with a stunning sea scape with several other stunning images depicting everything from sailors battling the elements under the night time sky in Shetland, to a swimmer traversing the waters in the shadow of the Cliffs of Dover at 5 am. Since 1839, the Shipwrecked Mariners Society has provided financial assistance to fishermen and mariners and their dependents who have suffered hardship, misfortune or poverty, as a result of an accident, illness, disability, unemployment or retirement. The Society paid grants totalling over 1.4 million last year in 2,000 cases of need. 'Stormy Seas' taken at Seaham, Co. Durham, by Owen Humphreys, which has won the Coastal Views category of the UK's ultimate sea view photography competition 'Lee on board Guardian Angell LK 272' taken in Shetland, by Gareth Easton, won the People category of the competition Dawn Fishing' taken at the Bay of Biscay, by John Roberts, which has won the Industry category of the competition 'Just a Shell' taken in Aberdour, Scotland, by Craig Scott, which has been highly commended in the Coastal Views category Recovering the Trawl' taken in Guernsey by Dave Agnelli, which has been highly commended in the People category 'Dover, 5am' by Teri Pengilley, which has been highly commended in the people category of the UK's ultimate sea view photography competition 'Fighting until the End' taken at Cart Gap, Norfolk, by Chris Herring, which has won the Ships and Wrecks category 'Shipshape' taken at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, by Justin Minns, which was highly commended in the Ships and Wrecks category 'Fruitful Bow Wreck' taken at Scalloway, Shetland, by Ian Reid, which was highly commended in Ships and Wrecks category 'Full on Reverse' taken at Whitstable Harbour by Michael Marsh, which has been highly commended in the Industry category 'Clear Communications' by Rob Amsbury, which has been highly commended in the Costal Views category Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have taken 'secret trips' to Portugal as they continue to hunt for the missing girl. Five return flights were purchased by detectives to the country in the last financial year, costing a total of 1,240. Metropolitan Police confirmed the air tickets were for two separate trips in details obtained by Freedom of Information laws. Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (pictured) have taken 'secret trips' to Portugal Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall also claimed 811 in accommodation and around 80 in taxis to and from the airport, the Daily Star Sunday reported. DCI Wall is part of the Operation Grange investigating team working to solve the mystery surrounding Madeleine's disappearance. The probe was granted 150,000 more funding by the Home Office in March. But though the public has since questioned why the investigation is still ongoing, this movement by detectives may suggest important leads. The three-year-old's parents Kate, 50, and Gerry, 49, believe their daughter could still be alive. The three-year-old's parents Kate, 50, and Gerry, 49, (pictured) believe their daughter could still be alive The toddler disappeared from the Praia da Luz resort (pictured) in Portugal in 2007 after her parents left her to have dinner with friends Madeleine, who would now be 15, disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007. Her parents had left her and her two-year-old twin siblings Sean and Amelie alone in the ground-floor flat as they dined with friends. A 11.5million investigative review into the circumstances of her disappearance was launched by the Metropolitan Police in 2011 following a request to Scotland Yard by then-Home Secretary Theresa May. A Home Office spokesman told The Metro the government 'remains committed' to the investigation after they granted it more funding earlier this year. He said: 'The Government remains committed to the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.' Staff have dismantled swings at a playground after children suffered electric shocks while playing on them - and locals have blamed overhead pylons. Shaun Veness was with his three-year-old daughter Poppy at the playground in High Brooms, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on August 14 when she complained that it 'hurt' when she held onto the metal chains attached to the swing. Mr Veness, who spotted 132,000 volt power lines overheard, said his daughter started crying and told him 'Get me off daddy, it hurts' before he quickly took his daughter off the swing to stop her getting zapped again. He then held on to the metal chain to see if there was a problem, and in a video posted on Facebook, seen by nearly 20,000 people, the chains can be heard 'buzzing with electric current' when he grabs them. Shaun Veness was with his three-year-old daughter Poppy at the playground in High Brooms, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, when she complained that it 'hurt' when she held on to the swing Mr Veness, who spotted 132,000 volt power lines overheard, said there was a 'constant current' running through the metal chains of the swing He said there was a 'constant current' and that is was not static electricity, adding: 'When I took her off I felt the chain, it wasn't static, it was a running current.' Mr Veness immediately contacted housing chiefs at Town & Country Housing - which own and run the playpark and nearby housing estate - and bosses at UK Power Networks. Specialists arrived soon after and tested the chains on the swings and the metal climbing frame - and they have now been removed from the playground. Writing online, Mr Veness said: 'Interesting walk today... Put Poppy onto a swing and she started crying, I grabbed the chain to get her off and felt a hell of a jolt!!! 'Got her off and then recorded this!!! 2 of the 5 swings had current running through the chains. 'Not sure what sort of mess that would make of a pacemaker?' He added: 'It felt like a cattle fence, my hair was on end all day. Poppy is okay and we've gone back since but it has fascinated me how this could happen.' Roksana Mia said: 'We have the same issue...ladies there (at the play park) said to me be careful because you get electricity shock on it. 'I was putting my little girl on one of those swings and when I just touched her back to push I felt this electricity going through her back and she jumped off it crying.' A spokesman from Electrical Safety First, a charity which works to prevent death and injuries caused by electrical accidents, told the Kent Messenger newspaper last week: 'This is not simply a case of static but of a possible live current running through the chains of these children's swings. He then held onto the metal chain to see if there was a problem, and in a video posted on Facebook, - the chains can be heard 'buzzing with electric current' when he grabs them Mr Veness immediately contacted housing chiefs at Town & Country Housing and bosses at UK Power Networks, and specialists quickly removed the swings 'We are pleased to see the developer has since removed the swings, which sit very close to power cables.' Bosses at UK Power Networks said it found no fault with the power lines or at a substation on the edge of the play area. Chiefs at Town and Country Planning, which own and run the housing estate where the playground is, said that the playground's 'proximity' to the 132,000 volt overhead power lines and nearby sub-station was being investigated. A spokesman said: 'As there had not been any reports of issues previously, it seems to be as a result of the unique weather conditions. 'We understand that this case is unique and believe the case was due to the exceedingly hot, dry spell of weather. 'We will work with UK Power Networks to redesign the equipment to mitigate against potential risk in the future. 'We are continuing to investigate the cause and are unable to speculate further until these investigations are complete.' The spokesman added: 'Due to advice taken, it is necessary for us to remove the swings in the play area. 'We are however looking to find a suitable place to replace the swings. We are really sorry and hope we can find a solution very soon.' A Florida corrections officer has resigned after he was caught stealing candy from the prison's commissary. Deputy John Mackey, of Fort Myers, resigned on July 19, solving a months-long mystery of missing M&M's, Mounds, and Starbust candy from the jail's commissary stock. On Sunday July 15 Mackey was caught on camera entering the Charlotte County Jail commissary, which was closed at the time. Deputy John Mackey, of Florida, has resigned after he was busted for stealing candy from Charlotte County Jail's commissary. Mackey pictured right He resigned on July 18 after he was caught stealing three bags of M&M's and a Mounds bar and stuffing them into his desk on July 15 On the commissary's surveillance cameras he was seen walking into the shop, going to an area out of the camera's view, then leaving. Once at his desk witnesses saw him remove his booty of three bags of M&M's and a Mounds bar and place them in a drawer, according to WFTX. When confronted by detectives Mackey said he 'grabbed some items I had no business taking'. He later told investigators he suffers from 'sugar cravings' after returning from military deployment in 2010. He said he normally satisfied his craving with soda but his wife took his drinks away. Mackey, pictured with wife, told investigators he suffers from sugar cravings after returning from military deployment Sweet tooth! The commissary manager said Mackey would come into the shop daily but never purchased anything He was a corrections officer at Charlotte County Jail when he was busted for stealing candy and placed on administrative leave The July 15 incident wasn't the first time the candy thief struck - commissary manager Theodore Schlosser told investigators Mackey would come to the shop nearly every day for no reason and without purchasing anything. He added that in the past two to three months there was a large inventory discrepancy in Mounds and Starburst candy. Schlosser said he never sold candy to Mackey. Mackey was placed on administrative leave on July 18 and filed his resignation paperwork the following day. Following his resignation an officer went with Mackey to recover his firearm from his locker and found 10 to 20 individual bags of chips. There was also a packet of M&Ms and a cupcake package inside. When Mackey thought the officer saw his snacks he 'freaked out' and tried to block her view. He then stuffed the items into his pocket, shirt, and lunch bag then silently left, according to the Charlotte Sun. Advertisement A fresh wave of far-right protests broke out in Germany today after a second man was killed 'in a fight with Afghans.' The 22-year-old reportedly suffered heart failure and died after a fight broke out in a playground in Koethen, east Germany. Eyewitnesses said the man and his brother were involved in an argument between three Afghan men - but police said the 'concrete circumstances' of the death are still unknown. It comes after another man was stabbed to death in Chemnitz just two weeks ago - sparking violent far-right protests across the country. Mourners (pictured) gather at the site of a deadly brawl in Koethen, southwest of the German capital after a man died last night Two Afghan men, aged 18 and 20, were arrested following the death of the 22-year-old German man - but police say the concrete circumstances of the death are unknown Hundreds of mourners (pictured) took part in a mourning march in the city today - as far-right and far-left sympathisers began protests A Syrian and an Iraqi were arrested after the 35-year-old was killed on 26 August, the BBC reported. Two Afghans, aged 18 and 20, have now been detained following the second man's death last night. The police and the public prosecutor's office said: 'Two Afghans were provisionally detained on suspicion of homicide. 'The reasons for, and concrete circumstances of, the incident are not yet known.' At dusk in Koethen, both far-right and left-wing protesters began assembling to demonstrate. A vigil and mourning march for the 22-year-old, named by local media as Markus B, also took place at the site of the brawl today. A member of the new right-wing party Die Republikaner attends the right-wing protest in Koethen, Germany this afternoon New wave of far-right protests (pictured) come after violent riots broke out in Chemnitz on August 26 after a German man was stabbed A Syrian and an Iraqi were arrested after the 35-year-old was killed two weeks ago - sparking the dramatic demonstrations The Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported the man died as a result of acute heart failure - as revealed by an autopsy today. The state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, home to Koethen, said protests there must not turn out like those in Chemnitz. Reiner Haseloff said: 'Despite all the emotion, every attempt to turn Koethen, as is being said on the internet, into a second Chemnitz, must be rejected.' Left wing protesters also showed up in mass to protest after the death of the 22-year-old, named by local media as Markus B Germany is still deeply divided over Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision three years ago to allow in over a million migrants A row over the veracity of reports that supporters of the far-right hounded migrants in Chemnitz has inflamed tensions over immigration in Merkel's 'grand coalition' Germany is deeply divided over Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to allow in over a million migrants, many of them refugees from wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. A row over the veracity of reports that supporters of the far-right hounded migrants in Chemnitz has inflamed tensions over immigration in Merkel's 'grand coalition' only two months after she reached a truce with her Bavarian sister party on the same issue. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), on Wednesday said: 'Migration is the mother of all problems.' Advertisement Protesters took to the streets of Russia again today over Vladimir Putin's unpopular plans to increase the state pension age. Nearly 300 people have been arrested across the country's 11 time zones, even though the opposition leader who called for protests - Alexei Navalny - is currently in jail. In St Petersburg, a 10-year-old boy was frogmarched away from the rally by a policeman, and an elderly man was manhandled by officers before losing consciousness. Crowds chanted Pozor, pozor! (Shame, shame!) in the biggest show of opposition to the Putin government in recent years. The plan calls for the eligibility age for retirement pensions to be raised by five years, to 65 for men and 60 for women. Opposition to it spans the political spectrum. Rallies began in the Far East and Siberia and spread across the country to Moscow, where a downtown demonstration in the afternoon ended in scuffles when riot police stopped participants from marching to the Kremlin. A Russian police officer detained a teenager during a rally protesting against plans to increase the state pension age today in St Petersburg Protests took place across the country's 11 time zones, with nearly 300 people arrested. Pictured: Moscow earlier today Pictured: a female protester is lead away by Russian police in St Petersburg during the unauthorized rally The plan calls for the eligibility age for retirement pensions to be raised by five years, to 65 for men and 60 for women. Pictured: police officers in scuffle with protesters in St Petersburg Large numbers of Russian police officers were spotted across the country as they attempted to control protests Navalny, the anti-corruption activist who is President Vladimir Putin's most prominent foe, urged supporters to protest the pension proposal before he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for organizing an unsanctioned January protest involving a different issue. The demonstrators, predominantly people in their 20s and decades away from retirement, chanted 'Russia without Putin' and held signs with messages such as 'Putin, when will you go on pension?' They later marched toward Red Square and the Kremlin, chanting 'Down with the czar!' as they passed the building of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. The group was eventually blocked by police barricades and riot police, and thecrowd dispersed half an hour later. Factory worker Olga Sokolova, 52, said she was 'dumbfounded' when the proposal was introduced in June because she had hoped to retire from her physically taxing job at age 55. Crowds chanted Pozor, pozor! (Shame, shame!) in the biggest show of opposition to the Putin government in recent years. Pictured: A teenager being pushed against a car at a rally in St Petersburg In Moscow, pictured, protesters later marched toward Red Square and the Kremlin, chanting 'Down with the czar!' as they passed the building of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament The demonstrators, predominantly people in their 20s and decades away from retirement, also chanted 'Russia without Putin' and held signs with messages such as 'Putin, when will you go on pension?' Pictured: St Petersburg The group in Moscow was eventually blocked by police barricades and riot police, and the crowd was dispersed half an hour later Pictured: protesters in Moscow hold a Russian flag with a sign reading 'Down with the Chekists' 'I can't keep being afraid anymore,' she said of her decision to risk detention by showing up at Moscow's Pushkin Square for the protest that attracted several thousand people. Demonstrations took place throughout the sprawling country, from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on a Pacific island and in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. In St Petersburg, the crowd appeared to exceed 1,000. The OVD-Info organization that monitors political repression reported that 291 people in all were detained in connection with the protests around the country. The largest number arrested was 58 in Yekaterinburg. A lawyer for Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund was arrested in Moscow before the rally there. Raising the pension age is opposed both by older Russians, who fear they won't live long enough to collect significant benefits, and by young adults worried that keeping people in the workforce longer will limit their own employment opportunities. 'The reform is a robbery of my parents and grandparents. We're stealing our future, too. Right now the only thing we can do is protest,' 24-year-old Igor Panov said at the Moscow demonstration. 'The state should have found the money it needed in the budget or through fighting corruption,' 19-year-old Yegor Zhukov said at the St Petersburg protest. The OVD-Info organization that monitors political repression reported that 291 people in all were detained in connection with the protests around the country. Pictured: Protesters in Moscow holding signs that say 'goodbye' and 'no way' Raising the pension age is opposed both by older Russians, who fear they won't live long enough to collect significant benefits, and by young adults worried that keeping people in the workforce longer will limit their own employment opportunities. Pictured: Moscow Pictured: Russian police officers detaining a demonstrator during a rally in St Petersburg earlier today Popular opposition leader Yevgeny Roizman, who is a former mayor of Yekaterinburg, said on Twitter that a younger generation took the lead because middle-aged Russians were too scared to protest. 'My respect to those who took to the streets today, especially young people,' said Roizman, who was briefly detained at the rally in Yekaterinburg. 'I want to say this to older people: The young have to take the hit for us and come out because we don't.' Putin's trust rating in public opinion polls dropped after the proposal was put forward. Last month he offered some concessions, but he and government officials say the age hike is necessary because rising life expectancy in Russia could exhaust pension resources if the eligibility age remains the same. The proposal changes offered by Putin are to be considered when the bill comes up for its second reading in the Duma, the lower house of parliament. No date has been announced for that reading, which is the point when proposed legislation can be revised. Police are pictured using batons as they tried to block protesters during the rally in Moscow earlier today Putin's trust rating in public opinion polls dropped after the proposal was put forward. Pictured: protestors in Moscow being blocked by police Last month Putin offered some concessions, but he and government officials say the age hike is necessary because rising life expectancy in Russia could exhaust pension resources if the eligibility age remains the same. Pictured: Moscow Police in Greenville say officers fatally shot a man who was firing a gun into a crowd of people. The Greenville Police Department said officers responded to an alleyway around 1:30am on Sunday for a report of a fight in progress involving shots fired. Greenville officers and officers from East Carolina University who were already in the area saw a man actively shooting into a crowd. Greenville Police say three of their own officers exchanged fire with the suspect. The man was later pronounced dead at the scene (file photo of the scene) Police say three Greenville officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Two individuals are receiving treatment at a hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening. The three officers involved will be put on standard administrative leave pending an investigation. No one involved was immediately identified. Police Chief Mark Holtzman says two others were taken to Vidant, one with serious injuries and one with non life-threatening injures. The names of the officers and those involved in the shooting have not been released at this time. A stash of fifth-century gold coins worth millions has been found buried in a pot under an Italian theatre. Builders demolishing the former Cressoni theatre in Como were stunned to discover the cache last Wednesday. The Roman coins will be examined and dated before ending up in a museum, officials said. Discovery: A priceless stash of fifth-century gold coins has been found buried in a pot under an Italian theatre The Roman coins will be examined and dated before ending up in a museum, officials said According to Italian media, the coins could be worth millions of euros. Local archaeologist Luca Rinaldi told Qui Como: 'We cannot speak of a precise value because they are not a marketable commodity, but certainly it is an exceptional find and therefore of inestimable value'. He said the coins dated from the fifth century, adding: 'The state of conservation so good that even dating should be fast enough.' Minister of Culture, Alberto Bonisoli, said: 'We do not yet know in detail the historical and cultural significance of the find. 'That area is proving to be a real treasure. The discovery fills me with pride.' The theatre, which was inaugurated in 1870 and later became a cinema before closing in 1997, was due to be demolished to allow the construction of a luxury residence. Authorities now plan to suspend work at the site to allow further excavations, according to local media. George Papadopoulos, the former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump's presidential campaign who was sentenced to two weeks in jail last week for lying to the FBI, said his testimony to special counsel Robert Mueller's team could help prove collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia. 'All I can say is my testimony might have helped move something towards that,' Papadopoulos told ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday. He went on to say he has no direct knowledge of Trump obstructing Mueller's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 contest. 'I don't think anybody should obstruct anything. And I have no opinion on - and I actually have no knowledge of the president is obstructing anything. That is just my opinion,' he said. George Papadopoulos is speaking about what he knew about his time on the Trump campaign Papadopoulos says he suggested the meeting between Trump and Putin at a campaign gathering on March 31, 2016 He declined to speak about it more, saying there was an ongoing investigation. 'I can't really get into details about what I discussed with the special counsel because there's still an ongoing investigation, of course. I can just speak for myself and my verdict I think speaks volumes of how I was involved at this time,' Papadopoulos said. He revealed that he met with Mueller's team four times over the course of his testimony to them but never spoke to Mueller himself. In his interview with ABC, Papadopoulos detailed his work on the Trump campaign, including a proposed meeting between the then-presidential candidate and Russian President Vladimir Putin and his contact with a professor who claimed to have knowledge of Hillary Clinton's hacked emails before that news became public. Papadopoulos detailed how then-Senator Jeff Sessions was enthusiastic about pursuing a meeting between Trump and Putin during the campaign - which is in direct contrast to what Sessions later told Congress. 'My recollection differs from Sen. Sessions,' Papadopoulos told ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday. Papadopoulos says he suggested the meeting between Trump and Putin at a campaign gathering on March 31, 2016 and that the then-presidential candidate seemed interested but appeared to defer to Sessions' opinion. Sessions, who as a senator was one of Trump's earliest supporters on Capitol Hill and now serves as attorney general, later told Congress he pushed back on the proposal at that meeting. But Papadopoulos has a different recollection, saying Trump nodded his head to suggest he was open to the idea but then turned to Sessions. 'Candidate Trump at the time nodded at me. I don't think he was committed either way. He was open to the idea. And he deferred, of course, to then senior Senator Jeff Sessions, who I remember being quite enthusiastic about hosting,' he said. When asked why Sessions told Congress something different, Papadopoulos said: 'All I can say is my recollection differs from his at this point.' Papadopoulos' account differed from that of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' Papadopoulos also talked about his contact with Joseph Mifsud, a U.K. professor peddling dirt from Russian officials about Hillary Clinton He also talked about his contact with Joseph Mifsud, a U.K. professor peddling dirt from Russian officials about Clinton. On Friday, lawyers for the Democratic National Committee suggested Mifsud may be dead. The DNC, which is suing Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks for interfering in the 2016 election, said in a court filing Friday that it believes all the defendants in the case have been served 'with the exception of Mifsud (who is missing and may be deceased).' The lawyers didn't elaborate. DNC Deputy Communications Director Adrienne Watson said in a statement: 'The DNC's counsel has attempted to serve Mifsud for months and has been unable to locate or contact him. In addition, public reports have said he has disappeared and hasn't been seen for months.' Papadopoulos told ABC after that Trump campaign meeting in March, he sought to use his connection to Mifsud to arrange a Trump-Putin sit down. 'The campaign was fully aware with what I was doing, including Corey Lewandowski, Sam Clovis,' he said of his fellow Trump campaign advisers. 'I was actively discussing with the group and Sam that I was talking with Mifsud and that this person could potentially organize a meeting for us with Putin. Papadopoulos said he met with Mifsud in April 2016 at the Andaz hotel by Liverpool Street Station in London. And that meeting was where Mifsud, who had been in Moscow the week before where he'd had meetings with the Russian parliament, revealed he knew of the existence of some emails hacked from Hillary Clinton's campaign. 'He sat me down and he was quite giddy. And he told me, I have information that the Russians have thousands of Hillary Clinton's e-mails,' he said. Papadopoulos said he couldn't recall if he emailed or spoke to anyone on the Trump campaign about Mifsud's claim about the hacked emails, saying he didn't have a lot of faith in the professor because he discovered Mifsud did not have the connections to arrange a meeting with Putin as he originally suggested. He also said the Trump campaign had just hired a new manager at that point - Paul Manafort - who expressed no interest in a meeting with Putin. 'We actually looked back at what was happening around that time. I think around that time is when Corey Lewandowski had just been fired, Paul Manafort had just taken the helm of the campaign and I actually had reached out to Manafort and told him look, I have the information that the Russian government might want to host candidate Trump,' he said. 'Are you interested or not, or I just don't want to continue this exercise if it's fruitless. And as far as I remember, it didn't seem that Paul Manafort wanted to pursue this meeting.' Papadopoulos said he originally met Mifsud at a conference in Rome when he was there for his work with the London Center of International Law Practice, shortly before he joined the Trump campaign. He said he told Mifsud he was going to work for Trump. 'He basically presented himself as this well-connected, well-traveled former diplomat who could essentially connect me and the campaign to Russian officials and to other leaders around the world,' Papadopoulos said. Foreign policy advisor to President Donald Trump's election campaign, George Papadopoulos was sentenced to two weeks in jail Friday Papadopoulos was sentenced to two weeks in jail on Friday for lying to the FBI during the Russia probe. He became the the first member of Trump's campaign team to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Manafort was convicted on eight counts and is currently in jail but has yet to be sentenced. Judge Randolph Moss issued the sentence Friday afternoon. Papadopoulos also must pay fine of $9,500 and do 200 hours of community service. Prosecutors say he lied 'to minimize both his own role as a witness and the extent of the campaign's knowledge of his contacts.' Papadopoulos 31, told the New York Times this week: 'I wanted to distance myself as much as possible and Trump himself and the campaign from what was probably an illegal action or dangerous information.' He added: 'I never felt that I did anything against my country's interests.' His lawyer, Thomas Breen, minimized the false statements Papadopoulos admitted to saying they weren't as damaging as President Trump's constant attacks on investigators. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty last year for making a 'materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement' to investigators during FBI's probe of Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election 'The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could,' Breen said in court. Traveling in the plains on Friday in hopes of keeping the Senate in GOP hands, Trump diminished Papopoulos, as his White House has done, though Trump once mentioned him as among a handful of early foreign policy advisors. 'I see Papadopoulos today; I don't know Papadopoulos, I don't know,' Trump told DailyMail.com and other reporters aboard Air Force One. 'They got him, on I guess, on a couple of lies is what they're saying.' Then Trump added, referencing his campaign and presidency, as well as the Mueller probe: 'There was no obstruction and there was no collusion. ... We have to get it over with.' Papadopoulos was the first Trump aide to plead guilty and reach a cooperation agreement withe government signaling an aggressive prosecution that has now gotten cooperation deals from top Trump aides and associates, and obtained a conviction of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. Papadopoulos' lawyers released a memo on Friday seeking a reduced jail sentence for their client lying to the FBI when interviewed in January 2017 His Italy-born wife, Simona Mangiante, who Papadopoulos met on the Linkedin site during the campaign, said he was considering pulling back from his guilty plea and said 'shady individuals' were targeting him from within the government. After his guilty plea, the White House diminished Papadopoulos' role, with one former colleague saying he was just a 'coffee boy.' But he also was pictured at the only meeting of Trump with his foreign policy team at Trump Tower, when a meeting between Trump and Putin was discussed. Now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was also pictured. Papadopoulos reflected on his situation in the Times interview. 'Looking back we all make mistakes in life, you know and that's I really hope for it to redeem myself in the eyes of my fellow countrymen, here in the United States. But I do really regret not telling the F.B.I. immediately after that because I probably would have saved a lot of problems for the world, at this point, considering I was perhaps the light that created this conflagration,' he said. He described the reaction he got when he said he could help arrange a Trump meeting with Vladimir Putin. 'I just wanted to hear what the two principals wanted to say, and it seemed at the meeting that candidate Trump was at least open to this. Though he wasn't committed either way, but he nodded and deferred to Jeff Sessions who I remember being actually quite enthusiastic about a potential meeting between then-candidate Trump and Putin,' Papadopoulos said. Among the things Papadopoulos lied about to FBI agents under questioning was his contact with Mifsud, who said the Russians had 'dirt' on Clinton. He made the false statements he admitted to during a Jan. 27, 2017 meeting with FBI agents. His Italy-born wife, Simona Mangiante, who Papadopoulos met on the Linkedin site during the campaign, said he was considering pulling back from his guilty plea and said 'shady individuals' were targeting him from within the government. Papadopoulos is the first member of President Trump's campaign team to face sentencing in the Mueller probe Foreign policy advisor to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, George Papadopoulos and his wife Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos arrive at US District Court for his sentencing 'While some in the room rebuffed George's offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it,' the statement said about their client's intention to set up a meeting with Putin In the statement to the court, Papadopoulos admitted he lied to investigators, but asked for a very light sentence, saying he had not sought to obstruct the investigation but only wanted to protect his career path. He said he was a young, inexperienced fan of Trump when his application to join the campaign was accepted in March 2016. Papadopoulos made contacts with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who claimed Kremlin links and introduced him to other ostensibly well-connected Russians, including an alleged niece of Putin During his interview for the job with a senior campaign official, 'George learned that the campaign's foreign policy focus would be improving relations with Russia,' the statement said. 'George landed the job despite having no experience with US and Russian diplomacy.' Weeks later in Europe, Papadopoulos made contacts with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who claimed Kremlin links and introduced him to other ostensibly well-connected Russians, including an alleged niece of Putin. 'To say that George was out of his depth would be a gross understatement.... He had no experience in dealing with Russian policy or its officials,' the statement said. Encouraged by the March 31 foreign policy team gathering, he continued to pursue a Trump-Putin meeting. At a breakfast on April 26, 2016, Mifsud told Papadopoulos that people in Moscow had 'dirt' on Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton -- information Papadopoulos later shared with the campaign. The meeting would never take place and Papadopoulos would be arrested soon after on July 27, 2017. Prosecutors sought a sentence of six months in jail for lying, claiming that the man misled them about 'critical facts, in an investigation of national importance, after having been explicitly warned that lying to the FBI was a federal offense.' 'The nature and circumstances of the offense warrant a sentence of incarceration,' prosecutors wrote, according to ABC News. Papadopoulos' wife and unofficial spokeswoman, Simona, took to Twitter to share her support of her husband. She said: 'I trust that the facts are clear now. Hope for a fair decision. The defense sentencing memorandum is a very accurate portrayal of George genuine cooperation and the fact that he never hindered the investigation. #freeGeorge ' There was a chill in the fall air on Saturday (Sept. 8), but it did not deter an enthusiastic gathering from flocking trackside to cheer on their harness racing favourites at the 151st annual Six Nations fall fair in Ohsweken. The Ohsweken Fair -- the only fair in Ontario to conduct charted harness racing with pari-mutuel wagering this year -- is one of Canadas oldest, as it conducted its initial fair in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation. Veteran horsemen recall when harness racing was featured at more than 150 Ontario towns, cities and villages in the 1900s. The Lansdowne fair also hosted an afternoon of live racing earlier this summer, but wagering on the races was not offered. Ohsweken, located on the Six Nations Reserve, is the largest reserve in Canada, extending six miles wide on each side of the Grand River from its northern source near Shelburne, Ont., to Lake Erie. The communitys name comes from the Mohawk word 'Tayoswaken,' which translates to mean 'the fork where one route goes to the happy hunting ground and the other leads to the place of torment.' Ken Oliver scored a driving double on the four-race card with Flysantanna in the $5,000 Six Nations Elective Council Pace (Race 1) and Lyons Fairhanover in the Fred Hill Pace (Race 2), which honours the late Fred Hill. Both of the horses are trained by Ancaster horseman Alan Fair and owned by Alan and Elizabeth Fair, respectively. Mighty Mouse proved best in the third race for Scott Coulter, who steered the consistent seven-year-old bay mare to her eighth victory this season for Brantford owners Nancy Coulter and his trainer-father Robert Paul Coulter. Morning line favourite Vijayscam, trained and driven by veteran horseman Don Graham for Lynda Marshall of St.Thomas, reeled off a 2:02.2 winning effort in the $5,000 Earl Hill Memorial (Race 4) for his third win of the year. All participating horses received a spanking new blanket and horsepeople were treated to a tasty meal of roast beef, lasagna and other goodies in the stable area following the races. Mohawk Marshall Joanne Colville and her daughter, Emma, led the horses in the post parades. Rob McKay presided in the judges' stand. Eric Lauredson charted the races. John Chandler was the timer for the card and Gary Guy entertained the fans with his witty comments and exciting race calls. Albert Green, a retired iron worker and Ohsweken native, is the enthusiastic mover and shaker who organized the entire race program with the help of a hard working team of volunteers. Green was happy with the day's results. Everything went well," Green said. "I am pleased with the tremendous support of the many sponsors and the fans who braved the chilly weather and bettered last years mutuel handle of $1,994 by wagering $2,068 on the afternoons four-race card. Band Chief Ava Hill, daughter of Fred Hill and a fourth generation harness racing enthusiast, welcomed the return of the trotters and pacers to Ohsweken. Harness racing has always been a major event in our community for many years and we are so excited to have it back at the Ohsweken Fair," Hill said. "It brings an excitement back to the fair which can be enjoyed by our community members and the visitors we hope it will attract. With the addition of 21 new stalls, complete with modern lighting, washrooms and wash bays, the Ohsweken Fairgrounds backstretch is an excellent place for trainers to condition their horses. A British tourist issued a warning to holidaymakers after she spotted a street trader spray painting white grapes red. Layla Khan, 23, and her cousin investigated food at the street market because her aunty suffered sickness and diarrhea after eating the grapes. She was shocked to see a vendor crouched behind a stall using a can of Win spray paint to dye the fruit - and they began secretly filming him. The middle-aged man notices the camera and smirks before placing the grapes on the ground The camera handler takes the can of paint from the man while the grapes can be seen behind The middle-aged man spins his head round, notices the camera and smirks - before placing the grapes on the ground in a pile with other painted fruit. The man, who has red paint on his hands, doesn't react when questioned in the video. Layla, a carer from Birmingham, was visiting family in Afzalpur, a village in Mirpur, Pakistan in August. She said: 'Tourists need to keep their eyes open and be very careful in street markets like this. Layla Khan from Birmingham begins secretly filming man as he spray paints the green grapes The street vendor eventually notices her filming and sits the grapes in a pile on the ground 'You can easily be exploited and it is very dangerous for your health. 'This man does not care that he is feeding people poison and it left my aunty very ill. 'When we confronted him he said 'Everyone is doing it' - and smirked. 'I saw many British people walking around - it's a spot that is popular with tourists and a busy area. 'My aunty had fallen ill for two days with diarrhea and sickness but had only eaten grapes from a man on the street. 'My cousin and I were shopping and we decided to visit - there were street vendors selling all sorts of food like kebabs, samosas, fruit and coconuts. 'Tourists need to open their eyes and see what they are buying - you'd have to be blind to miss him spraying them in the street. 'Go to a supermarket to buy food to be safe - the grapes cost more but it's worth it.' Layla said she reported the incident to the local police force who have been approached for comment. An Orthodox Jewish woman says she constantly receives hateful comments because she chooses to wear longer wigs that some in her community, including rabbis, believe is too 'slutty'. Esther Adina Sash, 30, chooses to wear a long-haired wig - or sheitels as they are traditionally known in Hebrew - as part of her Orthodox religion. Married women who practice Orthodox Judaism are required to wear the wigs in order to cover their real hair as a form of modesty. New York mother-of-two Esther Adina Sash, 30, chooses to wear a long-haired wig - or sheitels as they are traditionally known in Hebrew - as part of her Orthodox religion Shoulder-length wigs are traditionally what women opt to wear as part of the religion. But Sash, who is a mother-of-two from Brooklyn, New York, is among those who prefer wigs that are at least waist length. She says her decision has led to her receiving hateful messages online and criticism from rabbis. 'People always say the longer it is, the sluttier it is,' Sash told the New York Post. Sash said one rabbi asked her to cut her wig shorter so she would be a better example to others and so she would be rewarded spiritually. Shoulder-length wigs (Sash pictured left) are traditionally what women opt to wear as part of the religion but Sash is among those who prefer wigs that are at least waist length (pictured on right) Sash says her decision has led to her receiving hateful messages online and criticism from rabbis 'I was laughing that he would think hair length has a connection to spirituality,' she said. She said she was once told to 'go drown yourself in a lake - youre negatively influencing young girls'. In a recent Facebook photo showing off her long wig, Sash said: 'Dear Haters, go drown in a vat of honey. To everyone else, have a happy and sweet new year full of health, happiness, wealth, and blessings! Love, your devoted and fearless Queen Bee.' Sash, who regularly shares photos and videos of herself on social media under her moniker FlatbushGirl, is vocal in the Jewish community about women's issues. She is currently running for district leader in the 45th Assembly District. His beaming smile lit up the hospital ward after he had life-saving surgery aged just three months. And it seems little Ellis Disney and his mother Stephanie have hardly stopped smiling since, as these pictures show. Ellis had surgery to repair a hole in the heart just over a year ago and is now a picture of health. To Mrs Disney and her husband Charlie, his smile is a reminder of both his progress and the ordeal the family went through. Mrs Disney, 28, a pre-school teaching assistant from Woolston, Southampton, gave birth to 4lb 14oz Ellis six weeks prematurely on April 1 last year. Ellis Disney, pictured with his mother Stephanie, from Woolston, Southampton, had surgery to repair a hole in the heart just over a year ago Doctors were concerned that his breathing was laboured and tests revealed a ventricular septal defect a large hole between the two sides of his heart. He was too small for surgery, so Ellis was sent home and his parents were given special formula milk to build him up. In July last year, by which time he weighed 11lb 9oz, surgeons at Southampton General Hospital repaired the hole using a synthetic patch. Ellis spent five days in hospital but even as he recovered, his sparkling grin despite the jagged scar running down his chest was the reassurance his parents needed. That picture really sums it up wed all had five days of hell, but to be leaving with a healthy baby made it all worthwhile, Mrs Disney said yesterday. It was all a bit of a blur. It felt as if life couldnt begin again properly until we had Ellis back home again. Since then, Ellis has made spectacular progress, growing so rapidly he now tips the scales at more than 2st. Hes already such a big boy when the surgeons see him now they question whether its the same baby, Mrs Disney said. Hes a very happy baby, really relaxed and chilled out, hes always smiling and has a very warm character. Mrs Disney, 28, a pre-school teaching assistant, gave birth to 4lb 14oz Ellis six weeks prematurely on April 1 last year. Pictured: Ellis in hospital aged three months with his mother Ellis, who is not yet walking, will need regular check-ups throughout his life. But his mother said: Hell be able to do anything a boy his age can, hell even be able to climb mountains when hes older if thats what he wants to do. Were just so delighted with his progress, its a wonderful tribute to the surgeons who operated on him. It was an incredibly stressful time, but hopefully it will show parents who go through what we have that their child can still lead a perfectly normal life. The couple, who also have a daughter, three-year-old Norah, have raised 500 for the ward where Ellis was looked after following his operation. They also paid tribute to the British Heart Foundation, which provided them with information about Elliss condition. Ventricular septal defect is the most common form of congenital heart condition. The hole between the left and right ventricles means some oxygen-rich blood does not reach the body, putting strain on the heart and lungs. The condition affects about three in 1,000 newborns but in many cases small holes heal themselves and do not require surgery. The BHF aims to fund 100million of research each year to help people like Ellis fight heart and circulatory disease including stroke and vascular dementia, www.bhf.org.uk President Donald Trump spooked the Pentagon with a proposed tweet that - had it been sent - North Korea would have read as a sign of an imminent U.S. attack, Bob Woodward revealed. Woodward describes the situation in his forthcoming book 'Fear' and also discussed it in an interview on 'CBS Sunday Morning.' He said that unsent tweet was the most dangerous moment of Trump's standoff with North Korea. President Donald Trump spooked the Pentagon with a proposed tweet that - had it been sent - North Korea would have read as a sign of an imminent U.S. attack, Bob Woodward revealed President Trump wanted to send a tweet saying America was pulling its dependents out of South Korea 'He drafts a tweet saying 'We are going to pull our dependents from South Korea - family members of the 28,000 people there,'' Woodward told CBS News. The proposed tweet 'scared the daylights' out of Defense Secretary James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, according to the book, a copy of which was obtained by the DailyMail.com. Such a declaration from the 'U.S. commander in chief on Twitter was almost unthinkable' and Pentagon leadership worried that such a tweet would provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Woodward wrote. Additionally, then-National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster received a back-channel message at the White House that Ri Su-yong, the vice chairman of North Korea's Politburo, had told intermediaries 'that the North would take the evacuation of U.S. civilians as a sign of imminent attack,' according to the book. 'At that moment there was a sense of profound alarm in the Pentagon leadership that, "My God, one tweet and we have reliable information that the North Koreans are going to read this as 'an attack is imminent,"' Woodward told CBS. Ultimately the tweet was never sent. Trump is obsessed by the fact that the U.S. pays $3.5 billion a year to station troops in South Korea as a first line of defense against the North, Woodward noted and has repeatedly questioned their necessity. Woodward also revealed in his book that Trump's tweet in January about the size of the United States' nuclear button was meant to intimate Kim and part of the president's strategy of being tough on the North Korean leader. 'He's a bully,' Trump told aides, according to the book. 'He's a tough guy, The way to deal with those people is by being tough. And I'm going to intimidate him and I'm going to outfox him.' That is when he sent out his mine-is-bigger-than-yours tweet: 'North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un iust stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,' Trump wrote on Twitter. 'Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!' 'Fear: Trump in the White House' is Woodward's 19th book and comes out September 11th. Bob Woodward's book 'Fear' comes out September 11 President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore in June Trump has pushed back against Woodward's reporting and called it a 'work of fiction.' He has started a witch hunt in the White House to discover which of his aides talked to The Washington Post reporter for his tome. Meanwhile White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told NBC's 'Meet the Press' Sunday that she didn't bring Woodward's request to interview the president for the book directly to Trump. 'I didn't bring the request to the president directly,' she said. Woodward told 'CBS Sunday Morning' he had multiple sources for every claim in the book: 'Multiple interviews with key witnesses. One person I interviewed nine times, and the transcripts of those conversations are 700 or 800 pages.' '700-800 pages for one person?,' interviewer David Martin clarified. 'Yes, sir,' Woodward said. 'How many people did you interview?' Martin asked. 'Over a hundred. I would say that maybe half of those are key people,' Woodward replied. Kellyanne Conway said she never took Woodward's request to interview the president directly to Trump Woodward said he interviewed over 100 people for his book He also said he had no idea who wrote the anonymous 'resistance' op-ed that ran in The New York Times last Wednesday but, he noted, he would not have published it. 'I have no idea who it is,' Woodward told CBS News. 'It's very important, who it is. It's very important whether this is somebody who witnessed and participated. And quite frankly, if there was a person in the White House or the administration who wanted to tell me what's in that op-ed piece, I would say, 'Okay, name me who was there. What is the specific incident?' As you know, from having read my book, the dates and times and participants [are documented].' He said that without that detail on the op-ed author's story, 'I wouldn't have used it.' 'Too vague?' asked Martin. 'Well, too vague, and does not meet the standards of trying to describe specific incidents. Specific incidents are the building blocks of journalism, as you well know,' he said. Vice President Mike Pence says he would sit down for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller if asked. 'I would. I would be more than willing to continue to provide any and all support in that. And we have outside counsel that will advise me accordingly,' Pence told CBS' 'Face the Nation.' The vice president said his office has 'fully cooperated' with Mueller's investigation into whether President Donald Trump obstructed the investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 election. Vice President Mike Pence says he would sit down for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller if asked Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Trump obstructed the Russia investigation But Pence said he hasn't be asked to sit down for an interview. Mueller's team has expressed a desire to speak to Trump, which his lawyers are in negotiations on. 'He has not,' Pence said when asked if Mueller has requested to speak to him. 'Although we've provided any and all information and we'll continue to do that.' Pence claims no one in the White House - including himself or Trump - is focused on the investigation. 'It's just not been my focus and it's not the president's focus,' he said. Trump's legal team and Mueller's team remain at odds over a sit-down with the president. Among the points of contention: whether it would be an in-person interview or submitted questions that the president could provide written responses and whether Mueller's team can ask about obstruction. Trump has expressed concern he could find himself facing perjury charges should he sit down with prosecutors. 'I don't want to be set up with a perjury trap, No. 1. No. 2, there was no obstruction and there was no collusion,' Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday. President Trump said he would sit down with the special counsel 'under certain circumstances' He also said that while he would sit down with Mueller 'under certain circumstances,' he said he it would be 'a big waste of time.' 'I'd do it under certain circumstances,' Trump said. 'I think it's a big waste of time because there is no collusion. It's such a sad thing for our country to be going through a witch hunt like that.' The fun-loving blonde Tory aide at the centre of Boris Johnsons marriage split was ousted by bullying No 10 to destroy his dream of become Prime Minister, his allies claimed last night. Glamorous Carrie Symonds, 30, abruptly quit her job as head of communications for the Conservative Party three weeks ago, amid suspicions she was politically sleeping with the enemy. She was officially a Tory party cheerleader, charged with promoting Theresa Mays vision for Brexit. But behind the scenes, Downing Street feared Miss Symonds was growing too close to Mrs Mays biggest critic, Mr Johnson, prompting concerns of a conflict of interest. Boris Johnson's allies claim Carrie Symonds (pictured together) was ousted from her job as a Tory aide by 'bullying' In addition, she was highly visible on social media and made statements about public policy. She has often written positive comments about Mr Johnson, last year posting a link to one of his speeches with the comment: This is really worth watching. Despite her back office role, she regularly urged action on issues such as environmental scandals and on the prospect of black cab rapist John Worboys being released on parole earlier this year after less than a decade in jail. At the time, she wrote it was brilliant news when an outcry over the Worboys case resulted in the public being able to see details of why a criminal was being released early. As news of her involvement with Mr Johnson broke on Saturday, she tweeted: Sea otters have the thickest fur of all animals. Her cryptic message came after Mr Johnson mentioned otters in his newspaper column three weeks ago. Yesterday Miss Symonds was in hiding as Westminster speculation centred on her, following Mr Johnsons split from his wife Marina Wheeler. As Foreign Secretary, Mr Johnson repeatedly took time out of Brexit to pursue his strong friendship with Miss Symonds, who is only five years older than his eldest daughter Lara who has since branded her father a selfish b******. Mr Johnson, 54, sent a ministerial car to collect Miss Symonds from a wedding, bombarded her with playful texts, attended her 30th birthday, and wined and dined her on Valentines Day as his peeved police protection officers sat by, it was claimed. Miss Symonds, 30, (pictured with John Whittingdale) abruptly quit her job as head of communications for the Conservative Party three weeks ago The aide (pictured with Michael Gove) was charged with promoting Theresa Mays vision for Brexit His wife, also 54, finally tired of his serial unfaithfulness after discovering some of his lurid texts, and the couple announced their divorce on Friday. Miss Wheeler, the mother of Mr Johnsons first four children, is now said to fear he had as many as ten affairs during their 25-year marriage. Mr Johnsons marital breakdown erupted around the time of the crucial Chequers deal in July. Yesterday there was anger that not only was Mr Johnson himself distracted from delivering Brexit, but he was spending too much time with the Tory party communications chief. But Mr Johnsons allies poured scorn on Downing Street. Brexiteer MP Nadine Dorries said: This is all a bullying attempt by No 10 to destroy Boris ahead of the party conference and its been happening all over the summer. I think Carrie was collateral damage. Its because she was close to the Brexiteers. Part of that strategy of attack was to get rid of her. Im very sure she was ousted. She is a lovely girl who everyone speaks very highly of and she was excellent at her job. CCHQ feels her loss keenly. A Tory MP added: This is how Theresa Mays team deals with anyone who gets in their way. Its hardly a coincidence Carrie Symonds had to leave her job. But behind the scenes, Downing Street feared Miss Symonds was growing too close to Mrs Mays biggest critic, Mr Johnson Another senior Tory said: You can see how it might look in No 10 if they discover the woman in charge of communications for the party is in a relationship with the Prime Ministers biggest critic. There is potentially a question of divided loyalties and that might explain why she left. And another source added: She was sometimes shockingly indiscreet, and critical of Theresa May, and would actively promote Boriss interests to journalists ahead of Mays. Central Office got wind of that and thought she had dual loyalties. She jumped before she was pushed. Downing Street declined to comment on the reasons for the departure of Miss Symonds, who starts a new job this week as a clean oceans specialist at City news giant Bloomberg. Friends of Miss Symonds, who advised Sajid Javid when he was communities secretary, say she felt she had been penalised for her links to Team Boris. And a Tory insider insisted her exit was not linked to her relationship with Mr Johnson or to her friendships with other leading Brexiteers, such as Zac Goldsmith, John Whittingdale and Michael Gove. The reason Carrie left had nothing to do with her private life, the source claimed. Yes, shes a Brexiteer who is friends with a lot of other Brexiteers, but there are quite a few Brexiteers inside No 10. After all, the Government is taking Britain out of the EU. Colleagues first noticed Mr Johnson had eyes for the aide when they attended the Tory annual Black and White fundraising ball in February. They were pictured giggling together as they left. Friends claim they go to extraordinary lengths to see each other during and after work. They said their strong relationship had been an open secret for several months. Now living in North London, Miss Wheeler was said by friends to have borrowed a Brexit catchphrase. One said: Shes taken control of this. Shes not a victim. No one who knows her recognises that description. This is about Marina taking back control. Neither Mr Johnson nor Miss Symonds have commented. Photographs have emerged from inside the small brick home where a mother, her three young children and their grandmother were found dead. Detectives made the horrific discovery while visiting the house in Bedford, Perth, after a man in his 20s attended a police station hundreds of kilometres away. Located on Coode Street on a large corner block in the city's north-east, the modest three-bedroom home was last sold in 2008, and has been off the market ever since. A compact kitchen and large stand-alone outdoor garage can be seen in the photos, along with a covered back patio area facing the lawn. The bodies found inside were twin girls, aged two, another girl, aged three-and-a-half, and their mother and grandmother. Scroll down for video Photographs have emerged from inside the small brick home where a mother, her three young children and their grandmother were found dead (pictured is the kitchen) A compact kitchen and large stand-alone outdoor garage (pictured) can be seen in the photos, along with a covered back patio area facing the lawn The three-bedroom house (pictured) in Bedford, Perth, was the scene of a horrific discovery on Sunday after a man attended a police station hundreds of kilometres away The ages of the children and their relationship to the two adult women found at the Bedford address were confirmed on Monday by WA Police The ages of the children and their relationship to the two adult women found at the Bedford address were confirmed on Monday by WA Police. 'The man currently assisting police remains in custody, no charges have been laid at this time,' police said. It is believed the man was known to the victims, although this has yet to be confirmed. Police have not said how the women and children died, and it's still to be determined how long the bodies had been there. Homicide detectives and specialist forensic police will on Monday continue to comb the home for evidence and clues to what happened after the shocking discovery on Sunday. 'Depending on the size of that crime scene that will take a period of time, and it could be a number of days,' Assistant Commissioner Metropolitan Region Paul Steel said. 'It is a tragic thing when incidents like this occur. It does send a ripple through the community of Western Australia.' Homicide detectives and specialist forensic police will on Monday continue to comb the home for evidence and clues to what happened A suspected massacre in a quiet Perth suburb has horrified residents who say the victims seemed like 'a normal, happy family' Police have not said how the women and children died and it's still to be determined how long the bodies had been there. Horrified residents said the victims seemed like 'a normal, happy family'. 'It's just so sad, they've got young kids - it's horrific on every level' neighbour Maria Manfredini told WA Today 'It's just so sad, they've got primary school aged kids and I thought it just couldn't be,' a neighbour said. Coode Street resident Vagner D'Souza told ABC News the incident had taken the street by surprise. Officers discovered the bodies of two women and three young children in a house in Bedford on Sunday afternoon at 12pm local time 'They just seemed like a normal family, you would never imagine anything like this happening here,' Mr D'Souza said. Neighbours told reporters that they had not seen the family in at least seven days. 'We thought they were on holiday, they haven't been there all week,' Desrae Cambos told 7 News. Ms Cambos said the family's father ran a lawnmowing and landscaping business and she had not seen his work ute outside the premises for some days. Horrified local residents said the victims seemed like 'a normal, happy family' (pictured is the home on Coode Street) The tragedy comes after a 19-year-old man was charged with murdering an eight-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and their mother at Ellenbrook in July. At the time of the incident, Mr Steel said it was 'potentially the most horrific crime scene he has ever been called to'. In July, four children and three adults were found dead at a Western Australia property in Osmington, in Australia's worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The bodies of Peter Miles, 61, his 58-year-old wife Cynda, their daughter Katrina, 35, and her four autistic children with estranged partner Aaron Cockman - Taye, 13, Rylan, 12, Arye, 10, and Kadyn Cockman, 8 - were found at the Miles residence. Three firearms were located at the scene belonging to grandfather Peter Miles. Kayla Jean Giles, 31, from Alexandria in Louisiana, (pictured) has been charged with the second-degree murder of her estranged husband, Thomas Coutee Jr, 30 A wife has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting dead her estranged husband in the parking lot of a Walmart on Saturday while their three children looked on. Kayla Jean Giles, 31, from Alexandria in Louisiana, arranged to meet Thomas Coutee Jr outside the local store for a child custody exchange. As the youngsters sat in her car she shot Coutee once in the chest at 11.15am. The 30-year-old died at the scene after attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Giles has been charged with second-degree murder and was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on $500,000 bond. On August 28, Coutee's attorney had filed a motion for a new trial to decide who has custody of the daughter he shares with Giles, according to legal documents seen by The Town Talk. Coutee died on his daughter's second birthday, which he also shares. He claimed an August 20 ruling granting joint custody for the girl should be voided because Giles had a 'history of domestic abuse' towards him. His initial petition for a divorce did not mention any alleged abuse and sought joint custody. However, Coutee filed one report with Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office on May 28 alleging that six days before Giles slapped him while they were 'exchanging custody of the kids'. Video courtesy of KALB Coutee (pictured with Giles in an undated photo) died at the scene after attempts to revive him were unsuccessful On August 28, Coutee's attorney had filed a motion for a new trial to decide who has custody of the daughter he shares with Giles. The victim is seen in a social media photo Coutee was left with 'redness on the left side of his jaw line', according to a police report. He also showed officers a text Giles is said to have sent to a mutual friend in which she said she had 'knocked the s*** out of Thomas, it felt good tho.' It is not clear who fathered Giles's two other children. All three escaped were uninjured in the shooting and are not in the custody of family members. Witnesses said they a member of the public performed CPR on Coutee until firefighters and Louisiana State Police arrived. They continued attempting to revive him for 20 minutes but were unable to do so. The shooting took place in the 'outer area' of the parking lot with few other cars around, according to police. Witnesses said they a member of the public performed CPR on Coutee until firefighters and Louisiana State Police arrived Giles, (pictured) who lived in a gated community of townhouses nearby the store where the shooting happened, married Coutee in Waco, Texas, on October 24, 2014 Giles, who lived in a gated community of townhouses nearby the store where the shooting happened, married Coutee in Waco, Texas, on October 24, 2014. They moved to Rapides in August last year and separated on February 2, 2018. A matrimonial agreement filed in May revealed they had a home in Pineville, five acres of land in Pineville, Texas, and two cars - a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2015 Dodge Durango. In the agreement Giles also agreed to revert to her maiden name and provide medical benefits for Coutee and their daughter through a medical program for military dependents. Women hoping to be mothers are being given needless and invasive IVF treatment because their infertile partners are ignored by the NHS, an expert has warned. Infertile men are not being diagnosed or looked after properly within the health system, said Professor Sheena Lewis. And she said it was absurd that women were being given IVF to tackle the problem. Her comments come as the average sperm count of men in the west has fallen almost 60 per cent in a generation, scientists reported last year. They warned it could lead to the extinction of the human species. Professor Lewis said women routinely have IVF when there is nothing wrong with their own fertility, while male infertility is now the most common reason for couples in the UK to seek IVF. It also costs couples up to 5,000 on average when they go to private clinics. Speaking to the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire programme, Professor Lewis said: The woman actually acts as the therapy for the mans problem. We are giving an invasive procedure to a person who doesnt need it in order to treat another person. That doesnt happen in any other branch of medicine. Laboratory microscopic research of IVF (in vitro fertilization, file picture) 'Designer grandchild' from dead son's sperm A wealthy British couple have apparently illegally used their dead sons sperm to create a designer grandson who is now three years old and being raised by them. Their unmarried son died aged 26 in a motorbike accident. But his grieving parents, both in their 50s, instructed a urologist to harvest semen from his corpse. In what may be a breach of UK laws and without previous consent from their son, they sent the sperm to the La Jolla IVF clinic in California. The clinic used a donors eggs and a female surrogate to carry the child and the couple paid up to 100,000. Gender selection techniques were used to ensure the child would be a boy, meaning he would be a male heir for the family. Advertisement Experts say up to one in five men in Britain are sub-fertile, which means their sperm count is low enough to affect their ability to have a baby. The fall in male fertility seen in Western countries has been blamed on obesity, stress and chemical compounds such as bisphenol A in water bottles and inside food cans. Professor Lewis, an expert in reproductive medicine at Queens University Belfast, said the failure of health services to focus on male infertility is an urgent problem, adding: Men are not being looked after properly, not diagnosed, and not cared for. A review of 85 studies published last year found the average sperm count of men from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand had fallen by 59.3 per cent from 1973 to 2011. Dr Hagai Levine, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said at the time: Eventually we may have a problem, and with reproduction in general, and it may be the extinction of the human species. Some experts say GPs tend to offer IVF because they dont know what other treatments or tests are available to couples. In the programme airing today, Victoria Derbyshire spoke to a man whose wife underwent IVF. He sought help from a private clinic and had surgery to treat varicocele swollen veins in the testicles which often affect men with fertility problems. After the operation, which was cheaper than IVF, he and his wife conceived naturally. More than 34,000 criminal investigations were dropped on the day they were reported to the Metropolitan Police last year, figures reveal. This is more than double the 13,019 investigations 'screened out' within 24 hours in 2016. Critics say it means huge numbers of criminals including rapists, thugs and burglars have escaped justice and are free on the streets. Data obtained by The Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act also shows that 18,093 inquiries were dropped within 24 hours between January and May this year, including 32 allegations of sexual offences. Almost 50 investigations of sex crimes were screened out last year, up from 20 in 2016. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu (above) addresses the media outside New Scotland Yard in London last month Under the controversial 'screening out' policy, resources are directed at cases where there is a prospect of catching an offender, for example if there are witnesses or CCTV evidence. Former police officers expressed their concern over the figures last night, which come less than a week after Home Office data revealed four in five burglary cases are closed without a suspect ever being established. One said budget cuts meant some crimes had ceased to be a priority. Retired officer Chris Hobbs told The Guardian: 'It's not just sexual offences, but all offences what used to be regarded as a serious offences, burglary for example they have now slipped right down the ladder.' Lack of officers is a 'fraud on public' Police forces are so overstretched and underperforming that it amounts to a fraud on the public, a senior officer claims. Everyday operations now depend on officers working long hours and their days off unpaid, and working for two forces at the same time, Chief Superintendent Gavin Thomas will say. The criticism from Mr Thomas, president of the Police Superintendents' Association, comes amid deepening alarm over the failure of forces to cope with crime. Mr Thomas will tell his organisation's conference tomorrow there are 'genuine fears' for the future of policing in England and Wales. 'The delivery of routine policing functions should not be dependent on officers effectively giving their time for free by staying past their shift times or working on leave days,' he will say. 'That exploits police officers and defrauds the public. 'I would now suggest that this great service is on the verge of crisis in many areas. There is a void in the long-term strategic vision for the police service of the future.' Advertisement Last week figures revealed hundreds of thousands of recorded crimes are never solved. In 57 per cent of robberies and around 14 per cent of violent offences or sexual attacks, a perpetrator was not identified. Four out of five burglaries, three-quarters of vehicle thefts and half of shoplifting cases were closed without a suspect being established. For some offences such as criminal damage, arson and theft, as many as seven in ten investigations were shut without anyone being caught, according to Home Office data. In total, 47.5 per cent of crimes were written off as 'no suspect identified'. In May it was reported police are abandoning inquiries into thousands of crimes without sending an officer to see the victim. Chief constables are setting up 'phone investigation' teams that screen out hundreds of reported offences before they reach detectives. One force aims to close down more than half of the crime report calls it receives, according to the BBC's Panorama. The Metropolitan Police's new guidelines around 'screening out' crimes were first announced last October. The force said it had to save 400million by 2020 and it was 'not practical' to investigate crimes such as shoplifting and criminal damage. A spokesman told The Guardian: 'The Met deals with nearly 800,000 allegations of crime every year. Investigations must be proportionate and timely to utilise the best possible evidential opportunities.' Just because an investigation has been completed 'this does not necessarily mean [it] is over. For example, forensic evidence may result in investigations being reopened.' Trot Insider has learned that Monstrous, the 2016 Three-Year-Old Filly of the Year in Alberta, was euthanized on the morning of Monday, September 3 following complications from overnight colic surgery. So she went into surgery with severe colic and we operated thinking it was a large colon issue, but she never came out of the colicy (sic) situation and she had to be euthanized, owner-breeder Dr. Warren Fuller said over the phone. Monstrous had gone to the veterinary clinic Saturday morning (Sept. 1) for surgery. Fuller said it was the second case of colic the filly by Allamerican Navajo had developed her first episode had occurred in January 2017, the start of her four-year-old year. It was one of the reasons she hasnt been back as an aged horse, Fuller said. The Daryl Cutting-trained champion filly made one start in 2017, where she finished eighth by 11 lengths against top-level conditioned pacers at Century Downs. She came back in 2018 with six starts, but failed to collect a cheque in any of those miles. She was never the same horse after that, Fuller said of the first colic episode. It led to other soundness issues and things. We qualified her a couple of times, raced her a few times, but she was never the racehorse she was as a three-year-old. According to vets, Monstrous likely developed the second bout of colic as a result of her first case back in 2017 and that, being the second time around, the condition likely worsened. Fullers homebred stateside star shined brightest in her sophomore campaign back in 2016. As a three-year-old, she won the $70,000 Ralph Klein Memorial and the $80,000 Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final. She also finished second in the $30,000 Bev Sears Memorial and the $58,100 Alberta Sires Stakes Princess Final. Overall, she won seven races from 29 starts and banked $164,814. She was a once-in-a-lifetime horse as an owner, Fuller said. Im proud that she was a homebred we had the mare and foaled Monstrous out. Other than that, she was a special horse for us; Three-Year-Old Open Filly of the Year here in Alberta and Three-Year-Old Alberta Sired Filly [of the Year]. That doesnt happen very often which was a blessing for us. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Monstrous. Two British tourists were among seven wounded after an Afghan man carrying child immigration documents went on a knife rampage through Paris. The attacker, who is aged in his 30s, stabbed three people outside a cinema in the north-east of the city just before 11pm, fled, then stabbed four more before being arrested. At one point petanque players threw metal boules at the man in an attempt to disarm him, hitting him four times in the head, but were unable to stop him. 'He is unconscious in hospital in Paris, and has not spoken since the attack, but he was carrying immigration documents issued to an Afghan minor,' said a source close to the investigation. Officers said the man targeted strangers during his rampage but there is no link to terror at this stage. Evidence lies on the pavement as police secure the area in Paris where people were stabbed Police investigators work at the scene after seven people were wounded in a knife attack in Paris on Sunday evening which officials said was unlikely to be linked to terrorism French police officers at the scene where a man attacked and injured people in the streets 'It may be that he is an adult Afghan or Pakistani using the documents illegally,' the source added. 'One of the English victims was stabbed in the chest, while the other was also badly hurt. Both remain in hospital along with two others who are in a very serious condition.' The attacker, who was armed with a knife and an iron bar, stabbed three people outside a cinema on the banks of a canal in the north-east of the city. People playing petanque - a sport popular in France also known as boules - saw the attack and threw metal balls at the assailant. He was struck in the head by about four of the balls but this failed to stop him and he fled, cornering the two British tourists before stabbing them. 'They were told, be careful, he has a knife. But they did not react. These tourists were then attacked,' a witness told Le Figaro. Both were stabbed before a plain-clothes police officer intervened, and then a night patrol helped him arrest the man. A British foreign office spokesman confirmed that 'two Britons were among the people targeted' in an areas close to the Gare du Nord, the Eurostar rail hub where high speed trains travel to London. It is well known for its immigrant communities, many of them Afghan, sleeping rough as they try to get to the UK to claim asylum. Some are minors travelling alone, although adults have been known to pose as children in the hope of getting priority treatment by the authorities. A security guard at one of two cinemas on either side of the Canal de l'Ourcq said he saw a man who had already assaulted people being chased by two other men who tried to stop him. 'He had an iron bar in his hand which he threw at the men chasing him, then he took out a knife,' he told AFP. A police investigation has been launched for attempted murder, according to a judicial source. The victims were all rushed to local hospitals, where their conditions were described as 'serious but not life threatening'. The attacker is not thought to have been badly injured by officers. A map shows the location of the attack in Paris where a man with a knife injured seven people Police secure the area after seven people were wounded in a knife attack in downtown Paris Police investigators work on the scene after seven people were wounded in the knife attack Police investigators work on the scene after seven people were wounded in the knife attack A French police officer speaks to a man at the scene where a man attacked and injured people A Paris police officer and vehicle at the scene where a man injured seven people on Sunday It is the latest of several knife attacks France has seen in recent months, with terrorism being ruled out in most cases. On August 23, a man stabbed his mother and sister to death and seriously injured another person in a town near Paris before being shot dead by police. The motive for the violence remained unclear despite a claim by the Islamic State (IS) group that it was an attack by one of its fighters responding to the terror organisation's propaganda. Authorities said the 36-year-old had serious mental health problems and had been on a terror watch list since 2016. That attack came days after an Afghan asylum-seeker was arrested in town of Perigueux for a drunken rampage with a knife in which four people were wounded, one seriously. Police said investigators had "very quickly" dismissed a terrorist motive after the August 13 incident. And on June 17, two people were hurt in another southern town when a woman shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) attacked them in a supermarket with a boxcutter knife. France has been on high alert following a string of jihadist attacks in recent years, often by people who have become radicalised or claim to have acted in the name of the IS group. More than 240 people have been killed by Islamist extremists since a massacre at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris in January 2015. The scene in Paris where police responded to an attacker who injured seven people last night The aftermath of the attack in Paris in which four people were reportedly injured seriously A police vehicle at the scene after seven people were injured by the knifeman in Paris Advertisement It is the most expensive place to buy a property by the British seaside, with old houses regularly bought up and replaced by modern constructions. Sandbanks on the Dorset coast is beloved by developers who snap up older homes with land, which they knock down and replace with a larger residence or two homes that can be sold at a higher profit. The phenomenon is spreading out to neighbouring areas, including Canford Cliffs, where a large Edwardian property is for sale for 1.15million via fixed-fee estate agents Yopa. The five-bedroom house is in St Clair Road in the Canford Cliffs area of Poole, just behind the closest road to the beach and next to expensive Sandbanks. The large Edwardian property is for sale for 1.15million via fixed-fee estate agents Yopa Most of the other older properties on the same street have been replaced with new properties, leaving this unique Edwardian Arts and Crafts property as one of the few opportunities left to follow the trend. Yopa describes the property in its marketing literature as a 'seaside villa of great charm and character'. It highlights the large south-facing veranda and balcony, a hand-carved Jacobean-style fireplace, paneling and central skylight in the hall, with even some of the radiators proving to be works of art. An impressive entrance includes a large south-facing veranda and balcony Back in time: The hallway and staircase includes period-style wood panelling Period features include a floor to ceiling hand-carved Jacobean-style fireplace So why has the site not yet been developed? One estate agent in the area suggests that the plot is not wide enough to get planning for two new homes on the plot. Instead, Tom Doyle, managing director of estate agents Lloyds Property Group, claims it would be ideal Grand Designs Project for someone who would like to replace the existing property with a new one that they would like to live in rather than sell on for a profit. He said: 'You might squeeze two new houses on this plot, but it is all about what the property market can take at the time. The hallway is flooded with plenty of light due to a central skylight The property includes some standout period features include this large fireplace Further period features can be found with the stained glass windows at the entrance Unique features include a large bay with ornamental leaded light windows The kitchen needs updating - although some buyers may decide to knock down the entire house and start again Mr Doyle added: 'St Clair is a good road, one back from the cliff. It used to be full of old bungalows but most of them have now been replaced with new build houses. 'This is a nice plot but I doubt you would get two new houses through planning because it isn't wide enough. The plot only has the required depth. If it could take two houses, it wouldn't be for sale. 'It is a wonderful one for one replacement. It is for someone who wants to create their own Grand Designs and live in it. It is in a good road, near to the beach and the shops in the Canford Cliffs village. Estate agent Yopa explains that the separate garage would take 'two small cars or one Rolls' Wood panelling, high ceilings and decorative windows can be found throughout the property The first floor is approached via a staircase with a wood balustrade The house has plenty of rooms, with this one used as a study and library The St Clair Road property has five large bedrooms, with this one also having a washing area Mr Doyle said: 'Sandbanks is two miles away and is a tourist resort. Canford Cliffs is the hub of the area where people live and work.' He claims that buyers currently pay around 325 per sq ft for homes in St Claire Road that cost more than 1million. In neighbouring Sandbanks, values are more than twice that amount at 862 per sq ft, with some developments reaching more than 1,000 per sq ft. The property is on a plot of land in a quiet road in Poole, near the expensive tourist resort of Sandbanks This bathroom has a panelled and tiled bathroom, as well as a heated towel rail Buying a luxury apartment in the Alps is widely perceived as the preserve of winter sport enthusiasts. Of course, you can visit in summer - and the mountains are beautiful then too - but some resorts that thrive in winter can be a bit of a ghost town once the snow goes. But if the purchase is in what is known as a dual-season season resort, buyers can get the benefits of using the property in both the winter and summer. Les Gets in France is one such resort that caters as much for mountain bikers and hikers, as it does for skiers and snowboarders. MailOnline Property visited Les Gets to check out a new development of luxury freehold apartments and what summer sport facilities are on offer. Annapurna is a new development of 38 apartments in the centre of Les Gets in the French Alps The village of Les Gets is a dual-season resort open in both the winter and summer seasons At 900 to 1,820 metres above sea level it may be fairly low altitude for the French Alps, but Les Gets is a favourite of British skiers. The key to that is that it is a pretty village with an abundance of classic ski chalets and a distinct absence of high-rise blocks. Les Gets is between Geneva Lake and Mont Blanc, and belongs to the Portes du Soleil ski area, which includes a total of 12 resorts linked by 650km of ski runs - including its popular neighbour Morzine. When the summer arrives, the ski runs in Les Gets turn into the ideal terrain for mountain bikers and hikers - particularly those who value a helping hand up the steep alpine slopes, as chairlifts are in operation with attachments to carry bikes to the top of the green hills. Back in the village and the ski hire shops swap their stock in the summer to provide the bikes and all of the robust clothing required for the adrenaline-inducing two-wheeled sport. There are also plenty of certified instructors at hand to help mountain bikers master hitting the trails at speed. Apartments at the new development can be rented out from 189 a night The Annapurna apartments are 150 metres from the Mont Chery gondola A six-bedroom penthouse costing 2.56million has already been sold at the development The mountains in Les Gets are a haven for hikers, runners and cyclists during the summer Furniture can be provided to buyers, including sofabeds from SITS and coffee tables from Notre Monde In the centre of Les Gets is a new development of 38 luxury apartments called Annapurna. It includes apartments starting at 295,000 - the equivalent of 260,000 - for a one-bedroom flat of 430 sq ft, through to a six-bedroom penthouse costing 2.9million - the equivalent of 2.56million - and covering 3,434 sq ft. The penthouse has already been sold and a second phase of development is being constructed next door, with a further 34 apartments. It will also include a gym and beauty spa, in addition to the swimming pool and leisure suite that is already available at Annapurna. Unlike leaseback apartments which are often found at French ski resorts, these apartments can be bought without having to rent them out. However, buyers can sign up to what is called a flexi-lease if they want to rent out their properties and still benefit from reclaiming VAT. The flexi-lease is run by operator Alpine Residences, which oversees the rentals. If buyers sign up for a minimum of nine years, it means buyers can then apply to claim back the VAT paid on the purchase. They don't have to rent out their property if they don't want to and can pull out of the lease agreement at any time with the penalty of paying back the VAT benefits. Les Gets attracts professional and amateur mountain bikers during the summer months The apartments are bought on a freehold basis, but buyers can sign up to what is called a flexi-lease to get a rental income Management of the rentals, including cleaning, can be arranged through Alpine Residences Leaseback vs flexi-lease Leaseback is a common way of buying a ski apartment in France, but has its limitations as it locks buyers into renting out their apartment, often at times when they might want to use them for themselves. The apartments at Annapurna in Les Gets offer a flexi-lease, which has some key differences to leasebacks. Morgan Bientz, of Alpine Lodges explains some of the main differences. He says: 'A leaseback is a nine-year commercial contract where the property is handed over to a management company. This management company is selected by the developer and future buyers do not have a say in the company that they want to use. 'A leaseback contract also limits buyers to how much they can use their property, typically two to six weeks a year depending on rental return sought. Owners are not able to enjoy their property whenever they want as the access rules are strict and so an owner is considered to be more of an investor who rents out their property.' Mr Bientz goes on to explain that a flexi-lease is a different proposition as owners are not obliged to rent out the property. He said: 'A flex-lease is a three-year lease contract and the owner can decide if they want to change the operator after this period of time. 'There is no maximum or minimum occupation for owners, meaning they can use it when they want. However, if they use the property more, they will receive less rental income.' > Read our guide to leaseback and how buying a property works Advertisement There a range of finishes and accessories available for buyers wanting to use the interior design options provided at Annapurna (alternatively, buyers can use their own interior designers). They include sofabeds from SITS and coffee tables from Notre Monde. The apartments can be rented out via Alpine Residences from 215 - the equivalent of 189 - a night on a self-catering basis for a two-bed apartment sleeping six people to 430 - or 379 - a night for a five-bed penthouse apartment. There is a fantastic restaurant on site, with plenty of further eating out options in and around Les Gets. For hungry hikers and trail runners, there is a hidden gem in terms of a place to eat called Les Chevrelles, about half an hour's walk from the top of the Mont Chery gondola, which is 150 metres from Annapurna. Head along the trail towards Mont Caly and you will find it, along with breath-taking views of Mont Blanc on a clear day. Millions of homebuyers have shunned a property for sale because it doesn't have an upstairs bathroom, new research reveals. Lower demand translates into smaller asking prices for those properties with only a downstairs bathroom, typically being six per cent cheaper - the equivalent of 13,580. This potential loss due to not having an upstairs bathroom increases to 27,000 in London, according to the findings by Direct Line Home Insurance. This three-bedroom terrace house in Northfields, Leicester, has a downstairs bathroom and is for sale for 158,000 via estate agents Seths The family bathroom is downstairs at the rear of the Leicester property It comes with a white bath suite that includes a bath tub with a shower overhead It claims millions have decided against buying a property in the past as the bathroom was located downstairs. However, having a bathroom downstairs can be appealing to a slither of buyers, especially if they are elderly and need to avoid challenging stairs to reach one upstairs. It can also result in a potential bargain for buyers who may then choose to move the bathroom upstairs with the savings they could potentially make on the purchase price. This modern three-bedroom home in Worcester Park, Surrey, has an upstairs family bathroom The Surrey property is on the market for 450,000 via estate agents Browns Residential The Surrey property has a family bathroom upstairs and an ensuite with the master bedroom Dan Simson, head of home insurance at Direct Line, said: 'Downstairs bathrooms are usually found in older properties accessed through the kitchen and despite them featuring in thousands of homes across the UK, they divide opinion. 'With some home buyers actively avoiding properties like this and others finding them much more convenient, especially if they are less mobile or have young children.' PERCENTAGE WHO ARE PUT OFF BY A DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM - BY REGION Region Percentage put off by a downstairs bathroom Estimated number of adults put off by a downstairs bathroom London 57% 3,916,000 North East 50% 1,063,000 North West 50% 2,879,000 East Midlands 45% 1,685,000 South East 44% 3,138,000 West Midlands 44% 2,023,000 Yorkshire & Humberside 44% 1,867,000 Northern Ireland 41% 597,000 South West 40% 1,790,000 Wales 37% 960,000 East of England 37% 1,790,00 Scotland 28% 1,219,000 UK total 44% 22,979,000 Source: Direct Line Home Insurance The research claims a quarter of estate agents advise homeowners that if a property has a downstairs bathroom, they should consider relocating this upstairs before they put it on the market. However, this can cost thousands of pounds, especially if the switch is not straight-forward and involves expensive building works. Mr Simson added: 'Homeowners who are planning home renovations should let their insurer know about any changes being made to their house, as any work that involves walls being knocked down, floors being taken up, plumbing or electrical work, can result in damage to the property. 'Having builders and other trades coming and going with spare keys also increases the security risk. 'Once the building work has been completed, householders should inform their insurer of any changes that have been made to their property, as adding bedrooms or bathrooms can not only add value to their home, but also change their home insurance requirements.' This three-bedroom terrace house in Geoffrey Road, Birmingham, has a downstairs bathroom This Birmingham property is listed for sale via estate agents Purplebricks for 150,000 The family bathroom is downstairs in the Birmingham property Direct Line Home Insurance claimed that the lack of desirability of downstairs bathrooms and the apparent negative impact on property prices may also be contributing to the increase in homeowners choosing to move them upstairs. It said 45 per cent of estate agents reported that there are fewer properties with downstairs bathrooms listed now compared to five years ago. The also research found that Londoners are most likely to be put off by a bathroom that is downstairs, with 57 per cent of those in the capital saying it would deter them from buying a property. At the same time, people living in Scotland are the least concerned about the location of a family bathroom, with it only discouraging 28 per cent of purchases. When the art historian, Kenneth Clark, commissioned the Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant in 1932 to create a dinner service, he perhaps hadnt expected to receive a feminist history lesson. Face-painting: Laura Jackson and Alice Levine with their plate collection for Habitat The 50 plates Bell and Grant delivered were each hand-painted with the faces of 50 famous women. Kenneth Clark, best known for his TV series Civilisation, was taken aback. As usual with commissions it turned out differently to what we had expected, he recorded a little glumly. But his wife Jane, who had been writing to Bell discussing the commission, liked the artists idea of celebrating women from all sorts of fields. Now those 50 faces Christina Rossetti, Mary, Queen of Scots, Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Queen Victoria, Virginia Woolf, Emily Bronte and Greta Garbo among them are on display in a new exhibition space at Charleston, the Bloomsbury Groups retreat near Lewes, East Sussex. Did the Clarks serve cake from Marie Antoinette or eat tea-time sandwiches presented on Queen Victoria? Either way, the plates would have sparked dinner party discussion surely what the artists intended. Portrait: Greta Garbo on one of the plates hand-painted by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant Its a timely show because faces are popping up all over the place. If our dinner guests are dull it doesnt matter, our tableware has personality. Some of these portrait plates are so lovely, theyre too good to eat from. Hang those on the wall instead. This summer a ceramics collection for Habitat by the London-based supper club duo, Laura Jackson and Alice Levine, was an instant hit, selling out within three hours. Figurative illustration is having a moment, says Kate Butler, head of design at Habitat. Its striking a chord with customers who like this playful style. Hand-painted in the Fasano factory in Puglia, Southern Italy, the range will be back in store from next month. Dotty dinnerware: Part of the jaunty collection of ceramics by Jackson and Levine The faces on the plates are described in expressive brushstrokes, the plate rims decorated with polka dots. In mustard and red or olive green and pink, they will prolong that summer feel, (20 for a platter, 12 for a side plate, habitat.co.uk). The store has launched another collaboration with the faux fur clothing brand Shrimps. Rather disquieting cartoon-like faces by Shrimps founder Hannah Weiland appear on tea towels, cushions and rugs. More serene are the visage vases inspired by the Easter Island statues, 25, also at Habitat. Meanwhile, Liberty is celebrating the ceramic illustrations of Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) with a range inspired by the work of the French poet. Cocteau came to ceramics, aged 68, and was influenced by Picasso. Fine lines: The Jean Cocteau inspired range made with Limoges porcelain by Raynaud for Liberty Picasso told me that if I put a ceramic in the kiln, I would be lost. But I have always taken great pleasure in being lost, he said. Made in Limoges porcelain by the French brand Raynaud and starring Greek gods, these gorgeous pieces are made to be admired (95, libertylondon.com). The interior designer and artist Luke Edward Hall also takes inspiration from Ancient Greece and is known for his handsome other-worldly portraits. Classical allusions: One of the Ancient Greece inspired faces by Luke Edward Hall Lukes Faces dinner plate comes in turquoise, pink, red and orange (55 each emporiosirenuse.com). While his dreamy Friend platter is more artwork than tableware, 295, alexeagle.co.uk. If you want to display your plates off the wall, then you need a dresser. John Lewis has the Audley Oak large dresser for 1,038, johnlewis.com. Auction houses seem to be almost giving away brown furniture. The Sale Room has several, ranging from a Ercol dresser in a dark stain with an opening price of 25 (September 11 auction) to a George III oak dresser with an estimate between 500 and 700 (September 12 to 13 auction), the-saleroom.com. If you want to be happy, don't make plans for your free time, researchers have warned. They say the key to happiness is 'rough scheduling' rather than firm plans. Researchers believe scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun because the strict beginning and end times 'disrupted their free-flowing nature'. Ohio researchers believe scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun because the strict beginning and end times 'disrupted their free-flowing nature' HOW TO (NOT) PLAN YOUR FREE TIME The researchers advise people to: Schedule more roughly - leisure activities makes them less fun because the strict beginning and end times disrupted their free-flowing nature. Avoid hard stops. Don't schedule something to do immediately after a leisure activity even if it is another enjoyable event. Focus on the now - Even when there is no time pressure, the mere knowledge of upcoming activities may lessen your enjoyment of what you're doing now. Advertisement 'The minute you put limits on a fun activity, you're robbing yourself of some of the enjoyment,' said Dr Selin Malkoc of Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business. Malkoc recommends that if you have to schedule leisure, do it only roughly. 'Say you'll do it 'after work' rather than 'at 6 p.m.' she advises. Allowing a little wiggle room alleviates the restriction one feels, she said. The researchers also warn against hard stops, saying 'don't schedule something to do immediately after a leisure activity even if it is another enjoyable event. 'You're always looking at the clock and feel like you have less time to enjoy the first activity. 'You are dreading the fun ending and having to do the next thing on your schedule,' she said. In one study, for example, participants expected a desirable activity (a massage) would be less enjoyable if it occurred before another scheduled activity (meeting friends). They also say people should focus on the now. Even when there is no time pressure, the mere knowledge of upcoming activities may lessen your enjoyment of what you're doing now. 'Your mind wanders to the next event,' Malkoc said. 'What you're doing now can be seen as just a way to get to the next activity, and not as fun in itself.' For instance, participants in one study enjoyed a comedic video less when they knew they would watch another enjoyable video, compared to those who didn't know what they were doing afterward. 'The key to enjoying your leisure activities is to live in the moment as much as possible. Be spontaneous and don't live by the calendar,' she said. The team also say meetings and regular appointments are the enemy of productivity at work. When you have an upcoming work engagement, the event hinders progress and stops you from being productive. To avoid this lull, experts suggest lumping all meetings together and leaving longer, extended periods of free time to focus on projects. Meetings and regular appointments are the enemy of productivity, scientists have discovered. When a person has an upcoming engagement, the looming event hinders progress and stops people getting stuff done (stock) The researchers, from the Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, suggest we are least productive right before a meeting or other work engagement. This is because when a meeting is coming up we feel we shouldn't start a big project and instead spendup to an hour simply answering emails or being unproductive. 'We seem to take a mental tax out of our time right before an appointment,' said study coauthor Dr Selin Malkoc. 'We figure something might come up, we might need some extra time, even when there's no need to do that. As a result, we do less with the available time.' Over the course of eight studies, both online and in real-life, scientists assessed productivity immediately preceding an appointment. One of the studies presented 198 participants with one of two situations. Half the group were told they had a friend coming over to visit in one hour and 'you are all ready for your friend to come by.' The others were told that they had no plans for the evening. People were less likely to make use of their free time when they had a looming engagement. To avoid this lull at work, experts suggest lumping all meetings together and leaving longer, extended periods of free time to focus on projects (stock) All participants were asked how many minutes 'objectively' they could spend reading during the next hour and how many minutes they 'subjectively' felt like they could spend reading during that same hour. 'Regardless of whether they had a friend coming by or not, participants said that they objectively had about 50 minutes available to read,' Dr Malkoc said. Those with a friend coming by felt that they had 10 more minutes missing in their hour, with only about 40 minutes of free time. Dr Malkoc continued: 'That's an amazing finding right there. Most people didn't think even objectively they had a full hour to read. 'People are putting a little 'just-in-case' time into their schedules when there is no real reason to do that.' The results held up in real-life studies as well. The researchers asked the participants about their actual schedules the next day. Participants were offered the opportunity to take part in either a 30-minute or a 45-minute study on that day. The 30-minute study paid $2.50 (1.87) and the 45-minute study paid twice as much: $5 (3.74). Some participants had their appointment scheduled one hour before they would need to prepare for their next engagement. For comparison, others were pencilled in when they had a clear schedule for several hours. Even though they had plenty of time to finish the 45-minute study, people who had an appointment in an hour were much more likely than the others to choose the shorter study. 'It was clear they would have plenty of time to finish and have extra time before their next appointment, but they still were more likely to choose the 30-minute study - even when they had a clear financial incentive to choose the longer study,' Dr Malkoc said. In a separate study, 158 university students told participants when they arrived at a lab that study sessions were running faster than expected. In a five-minute period between activities, some were reminded of the imminent event whilst others were not. WHAT ARE ELON MUSK'S SIX TOP TIPS FOR BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK? In a leaked email to his Tesla employees, Elon Musk revealed tips for staff to avoid wasting their time. His advice incorporates ditching company rules, leaving large meetings and even going above your boss to get to the person 'doing the actual work.' Here are Elon Musk's top tips for boosting productivity at work: 1. Get rid of big meetings 'Excessive meetings are the blight of big companies and almost always get worse over time. Please get [out] of all large meetings.' 2. Avoid having too many meetings 'Get rid of frequent meetings, unless you are dealing with an extremely urgent matter. Meeting frequency should drop rapidly once the urgent matter is resolved.' 3. Leave a meeting if you're not contributing 'Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren't adding value. It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.' 4. Avoid acronyms and jargon 'Don't use acronyms or nonsense words for objects, software or processes at Tesla. In general, anything that requires an explanation inhibits communication.' 5.Cut out the middle-man (your boss), if needs be 'Communication should travel via the shortest path necessary to get the job done, not through the 'chain of command.' 6.Don't follow rules, follow logic 'In general, always pick common sense as your guide. 'If following a 'company rule' is obviously ridiculous in a particular situation, such that it would make for a great Dilbert cartoon, then the rule should change.' Advertisement After the time had passed, all participants wrote down what they did during the five-minute interval. Students tended to do typical time-filler activities, such as sending a text message, checking emails and visiting social media sites. But those who weren't reminded they had an upcoming task performed more activities (an average of 2.38) than those who were told they had a task soon (an average of 1.86). 'You don't feel like you can get as much done when you have a task coming up soon. The time seems shorter,' Dr Malkoc said. These findings suggest that looming tasks on our calendar make us less productive. Dr Malkoc said: 'We feel that if we have a meeting in two hours, we shouldn't work on any big projects. So we may spend time just answering emails or doing things that aren't as productive.' That may explain why, on days when we have meetings spread throughout, we feel like we have accomplished little. The problem is that we aren't maximising the time in between those meetings. One solution proposed by the researchers is to try to stack all your meetings together. That way, you have longer, uninterrupted times when you feel you can tackle the bigger projects on your agenda. Lemurs could soon be wiped from the face of the Earth, experts have warned. The animals, which are only found in the wild on the island of Madagascar, are now the most at-risk primates on Earth. According to new statistics from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 95 per cent of the animals are now 'on the brink of extinction.' Lemur populations have been decimated by rainforest destruction, unregulated agriculture and logging and mining, say experts. Scroll down for video Out of a total of 111 lemur species and subspecies, 105 are under threat, IUCN said in its first update on the animals since 2012. The unique animals are only found on the African island of Madagascar and are now the most endangered primates on Earth (stock) Out of a total of 111 lemur species and subspecies, 105 are under threat, the IUCN revealed in its first update on lemur populations since 2012. 'This is, without a doubt, the highest percentage of threat for any large group of mammals and for any large group of vertebrates,' Russ Mittermeier of IUCN's species survival commission said in a statement. The IUCN creates the 'red list' of endangered animals and categorises animals based on their stability. Among the most concerning trends is an 'increase in the level of hunting of lemurs taking place, including larger-scale commercial hunting,' Christoph Schwitzer, director of conservation at the Bristol Zoological Society, said in the statement. He described the hunting as 'unlike anything we have seen before in Madagascar.' Ninety-five percent of the world's lemur population is 'on the brink of extinction,' a leading conservation group has revealed. IUCN has said it is launching 'a major action plan for lemur conservation,' to help preserve the endangered primates (stock) One of the species identified as 'critically endangered' is the northern sportive lemur, of which there are thought to be only 50 individuals left. 'Lemurs are to Madagascar what giant pandas are to China - they are the goose that laid the golden egg, attracting tourists and nature lovers,' said Jonah Ratsimbazafy of the domestic primate research group known as GERP. Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world. IUCN said it was launching 'a major action plan for lemur conservation,' to help preserve the endangered primates. The number of people illegally downloading music has dropped significantly as sophisticated online blocks make it harder for people to find free downloads. The lengths now needed for people to access free music has forced people to legitimate streaming services, like Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer. According to new figures from YouGov, just one in 10 Britons now get their music from an illegitimate source down from 18 per cent five years earlier. Of those who still download their tracks illegally, more than a fifth (22 per cent) claim they will likely move to a streaming source within the next five years. Researchers say the latest statistics show 'encouraging signs' that streaming services could one-day eradicate online music piracy. Scroll down for video A YouGov poll revealed that just ten per cent of Brits are getting their audio fix from an illegitimate source, down form 18 per cent five years ago. The drop in online piracy has been triggered by streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify 'filling the void' Earlier this year, the Intellectual Property Office called to remove the court process to make it cheaper and easier for illegitimate websites, like those that facilitate internet piracy, blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This is just the latest in a string of moves in the UK to quash online piracy. According to figures from the Motion Picture Association, the government has blocked a total of 171 sites and 2,215 domains in the UK. ISPs signed and joined an agreement in 2017 called the 'Get it right from a genuine site' which cracked down on illegal download sites. Pirate Pay is not unavailable on all major broadband providers and the government continues to enforce measures to prevent piracy. The campaign states: 'Copyright owners are monitoring peer-to-peer (file-sharing) networks to identify instances where their content is uploaded and shared without permission. 'They will note the Internet Protocol (IP) address and then contact the appropriate ISP including BT, NowTV, PlusNet, Sky, Talk-Talk and Virgin Media. 'The account holder may then receive an educational email from their ISP referencing one or more instances of peer-to-peer uploading and file sharing activities that have been confirmed to breach copyright.' Before this arrangement, internet users avoided any ISP counter measures by using proxies and VPNs, which allow users to bypass blocks. Participants of the YouGov poll were also asked to provide an explanation as to why they choose or avoid illegal sources. One unnamed person said: 'It is now easier to stream music than to pirate it. And the cost is not prohibitive.' Another believed that 'Spotify has everything from new releases to old songs, it filled the vacuum, there was no longer a need for using unverified source.' Streaming services have dominated the market in recent years and are now attributed as the main reason for a reduction in online piracy. WHAT DO MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES CHARGE AND WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY? Spotify Price: Free with ads and shuffle only play Premium costs 9.99 ($9.99) a month Premium features: Lets you to listen to albums from start to finish No adverts interrupting your enjoyment Lets you download music YouTube Music Price: Free with ads Premium costs $9.99 (or 9.99 if YouTube follows Spotify and Apple's pricing) Premium features: No adverts interrupting your enjoyment. Lets you download music Remixes, covers and live tracks exclusive to YouTube Apple Music Price: 9.99 ($9.99) a month Features Integrates with your existing music collection Connects with your favourite bands Largest music library currently Lets you download music Advertisement More than a fifth of the illegal downloaders (22 per cent) said they intend to go move to a bona fide source within the next five years. Streaming services have dominated the market in recent years and they can be attributed to the cure of the piracy scourge According to the latest YouGov figures, over six in ten (63 per cent) of those that have stopped illegally downloading music now use streaming services. On top of this, 36 per cent say that using unverified sources to access music is becoming more difficult. YouGov Associate Director Justin Marshall said: 'While illegal downloads still present a significant challenge to the music industry, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. 'Our research reveals a change in behaviour, with those that previously attained music by unlawful means now being enticed by the low costs and ease of use associated with streaming. 'Simply put, many don't feel they need to go to the same lengths to acquire the music they want, now they have it at their fingertips. 'Whether or not streaming is what finally banishes illegal downloads remains to be seen, but there are encouraging signs.' Some people still persist with illegal downloading and of this demographic, over half (51 per cent) say that they get frustrated when music is released exclusively through one platform, such as Jay-Z and Beyonce's Everything is Love launching exclusively on Tidal. Almost as many (44 per cent) say that they only download illegally as a last resort and when they are unable to access the music anywhere else. Google is funding a campaign site that spams policymakers and influential media contacts in an attempt to influence their decisions. The group OpenMedia encourages members of the public to sway the opinion of influential politicians and media figures by sending them automated messages. But the site is used to amplify the extent of public support for policies that benefit Silicon Valley, an investigation by The Times suggests. Its tools, which include one-click links to automatically tweet and email key policy figures, were recently used to send a barrage of messages to MEPs pushing them to reject a proposal for tighter EU copyright laws. The bill was thrown out of the European parliament last month following an intense lobbying campaign led by Facebook and Google. Scroll down for video The Google-funded group OpenMedia encourages members of the public to sway the opinion of influential politicians and media figures by sending them automated messages. Its tools pictured) were recently used to send a barrage of messages to MEPs OpenMedia, which claims to work 'keep the internet open, affordable, and surveillance-free' appears to have partly orchestrated public opposition to the bill. The group claims donors do not influence its campaigns, but lists Google as a platinum donor. One of the organisation's board members, Jacob Glick, previously worked as Google's head of policy. Users visiting OpenMedia's website in the lead up to last month's EU vote were given the option to call relevant MEPs with a single click of their mouse. The site provided those who clicked with scripted 'talking points' that echoed points made by Google during its own campaign on the bill, according to the Times. During the June debate, MEPs were spammed with thousands of automated phone messages and emails supporting the views of the tech giant. OpenMedia has also been involved in a campaign (pictured) against a UK bill to ditch the end-to-end encryption used by popular messaging services like WhatsApp Members of the music industry and media groups had hoped the bill would ensure content creators were fairly rewarded for the use of their work. OpenMedia has also been involved in a campaign against a UK bill to ditch the end-to-end encryption used by popular messaging services like WhatsApp. Then Home Secretary Amber Rudd who proposed the ban said it would help security services weed out terrorists. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, and Google, which encrypts emails sent through its Gmail web client, have both opposed calls to ban encryption. HAS THE EU KILLED MEMES? HOW DO ARTICLE 13 AND ARTICLE 11 CHANGE COPYRIGHT LAW? MEPs have approved a number of changes to the EU Copyright Directive the first major overhaul to European copyright law since 2001. Although most of the changes present a welcome update to ageing legislation, Article 11 and Article 13 in the document have provoked outrage in some corners of the internet. A letter penned in June by 70 leading internet figures including Sir Tim Berners-Lee said the risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to the new EU law. 'We support the consideration of measures that would improve the ability for creators to receive fair remuneration for the use of their works online,' the open letter reads. 'But we cannot support Article 13, which would mandate Internet platforms to embed an automated infrastructure for monitoring and censorship deep into their networks.' EU lawmakers will now take the legislation to talks with the European Commission and the 28 EU countries. The next step is negotiations will reconcile their different positions before updating the existing copyright laws. Article 13 and Article 11 of the Copyright Directive have been approved by officials in Brussels in an attempt to change online copyright law What is in Article 13? Article 13 in the revised EU Copyright Directive could affect memes and music remixes shared online. This portion of the legislation puts the onus of policing for copyright infringement on the websites themselves. Until now, online companies have not been subject to copyright penalties when a user on their platform uploaded something that infringes copyright. However, that will change with Article 13. As a result, Facebook could be held responsible when one of its 2.19 billion monthly active users shares a copyrighted image without the correct permission from the rightsholders. But while Facebook has the funds to build a system to automatically scan content before it is shared to check for infringement, many smaller sites do not. Memes often use still images from popular television shows or films, which are protected by copyright and would be flagged by these systems. Cory Doctorow, special Advisor for online watchdog Electronic Freedom Foundation, says Article 13 will trigger 'problems so big that they threaten to wreck the Internet itself.' It's unclear exactly what precautions websites will have to provide to protect against copyright infringement from its users. Article 13 is quite vague, suggesting that sites use 'appropriate' measures, and employ 'effective content recognition technologies' to check content. According to critics, the most important problem with Article 13 is the fact that it makes no exceptions for fair use which previously allowed people to remix and mash-up copyrighted songs, or use short video clips from movies in commentary or parody. What is in Article 11? Article 11 in the Copyright Directive has been nicknamed the 'snippet tax'. It aims to limit the power that technology giants like Google and Facebook hold over publishers, whose work is protected under copyright law. Online platforms will have to pay for a license to link to news publishers when quoting portions of text from these outlets. This will support publishers and drive some traffic away to the publishers. But while Silicon Valley companies like Google and Facebook will undoubtedly be able to afford a licence, smaller firms may not. The changes could outlaw small news aggregators, which pull-in articles from a variety of sources online. Axel Voss, Rapporteur of the European Parliament for the Copyright Directive, who spearheaded the changes, defended Article 11, saying: 'If the press is dependent on search engines, of powerful companies, then we simply dont have an independent press any longer.' Advertisement OpenMedia software allowed users to spam newspapers with pro-encryption 'letters to the editor' backing the line of Silicon Valley giant. The site recommended facts to include in the letter and sent five copies of it to papers closest to the user's postcode. New/Mode, an engagement platform that OpenMedia helped found in 2016, developed the software behind the campaigns. The company boasts its one-click tools allow campaigns to 'flood targets with public messages' on social media and 'blanket local media with stories from your supporters'. The group claims donors do not influence its campaigns, but lists Google as a platinum donor. One of the organisation's board members, Jacob Glick, previously worked as Google's head of policy (stock image) Companies have been accused of using these tools to 'astroturf' campaigns - a tactic that amplifies grassroots support for movements. 'OpenMedia does not accept funding that compromises its organisational independence, including funding relationships that may influence our focus,' Laura Tribe, the group's executive director, said. 'We receive contributions from a diverse range of businesses and organisations whose goals align with ours. Google is one of these.' A Google spokesperson told MailOnline: 'As one of many donors, we are transparent about supporting OpenMedia's work to campaign for the open web, and we respect their organisational and editorial independence.' Google and OpenMedia declined to disclose the size of the search giant's donations to the campaign group. Reports suggest Google spent as much as 27 million ($35 million) on its campaign to block the EU copyright bill. Foxes could become the must have pets of the future, after scientists successfully isolated a slice of their genetic code linked to tameness and aggression - dubbed SorCS1. The study focused on the red fox, which have been reared by humans for over a century, and found 103 genomic regions involved in fox behaviour. Experts say that understanding the link between genetics and behaviour could help shed light on social behaviour in other animals - including people. These genetic markers are also associated with human behavioural conditions such as autism and bipolar disorder. Scroll down for video Foxes could become the must have pets of the future, after scientists successfully isolated a slice of their genetic code linked to tameness and aggression. Dubbed SorCS1, it eradicates the aggressive streak that persists in the animals when bred in captivity Red foxes have been bred in some parts of the world but - unlike their dog cousins - captive foxes generally exhibit fear or aggression toward humans. A 60-year study conducted by the Russian Institute of Cytology and Genetics has experimented with domesticating foxes and established a tame and an aggressive breed. One of the animal groups is eager for human interaction, while the other population has a tendency to behave violently toward humans. A third population of foxes acted as a control and was not selected for any particular behaviour. 'We've been waiting for this tool for a very, very long time,' says Anna Kukekova, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois and lead author of the paper. 'In our previous work, we tried to identify regions of the fox genome responsible for tame and aggressive behavior, but these studies required a reference genome and all we could use was the dog genome. 'For us, the fox genome provides a much better resource for genetic analysis of behaviour.' The researchers sequenced the genomes of 10 individuals from each population, then compared them to the full fox genome and each other. They identify 103 genomic regions that were changed by the selective breeding programme. The study focused on the red fox, which has been reared by humans for over a century, and found 103 genomic regions involved in fox behaviour. Experts say that understanding the link between genetics and behaviour could help shed light on social behaviour in other animals PEOPLE HAVE KEPT ANIMALS AS PETS FOR MILLENNIA Pets have been a companion to humans for millennia. In fact, according to Greger Larson, director of the University of Oxford's palaeogenomics and bio-archaeology research network, humans have likely kept baby animals for amusement as long as humans have lived. But the story of exactly how animals became domesticated is much debated and often only glimpsed at from scraps of fossils and DNA. Scientists largely agree that dogs were the first domestic animal. They were tamed and used for work or for their meat. A study published by University of Maine researchers in 2011 found evidence that dogs were being bred, and, eaten, by humans living in Texas some 9,400 years ago. A more recent study in 2017 found dogs were domesticated in a single event by humans living in Eurasia. Dr Krishna Veeramah, an assistant professor in evolution at Stony Brook University, told MailOnline: 'We've found clear evidence that dogs were domesticated 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. 'New research last year provocatively suggested that dogs could have been domesticated twice but our conclusion was there is no evidence for dual domestication. 'We would argue that finding evidence for only one domestication event is a big deal, because it is very important to helping us understand how domestication works.' His research found that dogs evolved to be a separate species from wild wolves sometime between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. But it's not known if they were the first pets, and kept for companionship. A study this year found compared the genomes, or complete genetic codes, of modern domestic and wild rabbits to see how long it had taken them to diverge. Using the known mutation rate of certain biomolecules as a 'molecular clock' they found it was not possible to pin down rabbit domestication to a single date or event. Instead, the creation of tame buns appeared to be a cumulative effect stretching back to Roman times and possibly the Stone Age. The story of domestication is not a linear progression from wild to domestic, Larsen told the Smithsonian. 'These things exist on a continuum,' says Larson. He said when the first pet came into being is 'a bit like asking when did life begin?' Advertisement Some of these genetic marker turned out to be responsible for the tame and aggressive behaviours exhibited in the different fox groups. 'Finding genomic regions at such resolution was beyond any expectations with our previous tools. 'Now, for the first time, we could not only pinpoint part of a chromosome which makes foxes more tame or aggressive, but we could identify specific genes responsible for it,' Dr Kukekova says. Some of the geneomic regions are also known to be associated with human conditions and behaviours. One of the 103 is associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome, a genetic disorder characterised by extremely outgoing, friendly behaviour. 'Oddly enough, we found the Williams-Beuren region in aggressive foxes, not tame ones. We thought it would be the opposite,' Dr Kukekova says. Some of the geneomic regions are also known to be associated with human conditions and behaviours. Experts knowledge of these genetic markers could be used to help treat human behavioural conditions such as autism and bipolar disorder SorCS1 is involved in the formation and operation of synapses - the small gap between two neurones in the brain - and was clearly associated with a very specific behaviour in foxes The mysterious finding exemplifies that far more research is needed to understand these genetic regions and how they work in different animals. SorCS1 is involved in the formation and operation of synapses - the small gap between two neurones in the brain - and was clearly associated with a very specific behaviour in foxes. Human handlers interact with the foxes in a very controlled way as part of their videotaped fox behavioural assessments. Handlers stand near the enclosures for one minute, hold the door open for another minute, reach toward the fox for a third minute, then close the door, and stand near the enclosure for one final minute. One group of foxes clamoured for more human interaction after being left alone and this population had a version of the SorCS1 gene not found in the aggressive population. 'We think this gene makes foxes more tame, but we don't want to overemphasize it - tameness isn't associated with a single gene. 'The picture is definitely more complex,' Dr Kukekova says. The research was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. Virgin Hyperloop One, a US startup developing a near-supersonic rail transit system, has reached an agreement with Spanish state-owned rail infrastructure company Adif to build a $500 million research center in Spain, its first in Europe. The 19,000-square-meter (204,000-sq-ft) center, which is planned to be open in the tiny village of Bobadilla in the southern province of Malaga by 2020, will develop and test components for Hyperloop systems to improve their safety. A Hyperloop is a shuttle that travels on magnetic rails, somewhat like a train, but which runs in a tube with little or no air. In theory, Hyperloops could allow travel faster than the speed of sound. Scroll down for video Virgin Hyperloop One has reached an agreement with Spanish state-owned rail infrastructure company Adif to build a $500 million research center in Spain, its first in Europe. A Hyperloop One pod recently debuted in Dubai is shown Virgin Hyperloop One, backed by British tycoon Richard Branson, has been testing its Hyperloop system in Nevada in the United States with speeds reaching 240 miles (386 kilometres) an hour, and is planning three production systems in service by 2021. 'By investing in the development and testing of Virgin Hyperloop One, Spain is extending its long tradition as an innovative, global transport leader. We are excited to partner with such a forward-thinking country in developing the next generation of transportation,' Virgin Hyperloop One chief Rob Lloyd said in the statement. Virgin Hyperloop One will receive 126 million euros ($146 million) in public aid in the form of loans and grants to help set up the new centre, the US company Adif said in separate statements. Adif said the centre will create 250 high skilled jobs while Virgin Hyperloop One said it would 'hire 250-300 high-tech skilled professionals'. Malaga is quickly becoming a hotbed of high-tech activity. Hyperloop One, which is developing a system theorized by entrepreneur Elon Musk, is planning to open a research centre to develop and test components for hyperloop systems to improve their safety Sir Richard Branson speaks to CNBC reporter Hadley Gamble at the hyperloop event in Dubai WHAT IS THE HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. For safety reasons, Hyperloop tunnels need escape hatches in case of fire. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. There are now a number of firms vying to bring the technology to life, including Elon Musk himself, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, and Virgin Hyperloop One. As several firms vie to create the first operational Hyperloop, Elon Musks vision of a radical transport system that could ferry passengers above land at 760 miles per hour continues to inch closer to reality Advertisement The province has over 9,000 companies in transport and logistics, as well as the second largest aerospace cluster in Spain, and 20,000 employees in research and development, according to Adif. Spain's high-speed network is the world's second largest after China's. Under construction since 1992, 3,200 kilometres (1,990 miles) of tracks spread across the country, from Seville and Malaga at its southern tip, to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona in the north, and Valencia and Alicante in the east. About 500 trains are propelled along these high-speed corridors every day, carrying around 36.5 million passengers every year. The Perseid meteor shower is said to be the best of the year, often bringing well over 50 shooting stars per hour in the northern sky. This annual meteor shower comes as Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing bright streaks that appear as though theyre radiating from the constellation Perseus. And this year, the viewing opportunities are about as good as they can get. The Perseids will peak this weekend between the 12th and 13th, when moonless nights will make for an especially dark sky. Scroll down for video At its peak, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to bring 60-70 shooting stars per hour. But in some years, its been known to produce more. And, stray shooting stars will likely be visible until the end of the month According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower will reach the beginning of its peak at 4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday the 12th. This will last until 4 a.m. on the 13th. Shooting stars will be visible north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views. This means the United States, Europe, and Canada will be able to see the Perseids at their best, along with stellar views in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America. Meteors will be visible for those south of the equator, too, though not at the rate seen in more northern areas. The best time to look for meteors will be from a few hours after twilight until dawn, NASA says. For viewers in southern latitudes, theyll start to appear in the sky around midnight and continue through the early hours of the morning. The Perseid meteor shower is said to be the best of the year. This annual meteor shower comes as Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing bright streaks that appear as though theyre radiating from the constellation Perseus Some Perseid meteors will even be visible during the early evening. If youre lucky, you may spot an earthgrazer during this time, according to EarthSky. These are the colorful meteors that appear long and slow-moving, and soar horizontally across the sky in the hours before midnight. The event will coincide with the new moon, when the moon is essentially invisible in the sky. The new moon falls the day before the peak, and the sky will remain dark for days after. According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower is 'the best of the year.' The Perseid meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the trail of cometary dust following comet Swift-Tuttle (illustrated above) HOW CAN YOU SEE THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER THIS YEAR? Shooting stars will be visible north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views, according to NASA. Some Perseid meteors will even be visible during the early evening The Perseid meteor shower will reach the beginning of its peak at 4pm (ET) on Sunday the 12th. This will last until 4am on the 13th. As the event coincides with the new moon this year, observers will be treated to a dark, moonless sky for a clearer view of the meteors. North of the equator: Observers in the United States, Europe, and Canada should begin looking to the sky from a few hours after twilight until dawn. The same goes for viewers in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America. South of the equator: Meteors will be visible for those south of the equator, too, though not at the rate seen in more northern areas. For viewers in Australia and other southern locations, meteors will start to appear in the sky around midnight and continue through the early hours of the morning. You won't need binoculars to spot a shooting star this weekend, nor do you need to look directly at the constellation Perseus. Instead, just look up. NASA says you 'can look anywhere you want to,' to see the Perseids, 'even directly overhead.' Advertisement At its peak, the meteor shower is expected to bring 60-70 shooting stars per hour. But in some years, its been known to produce more. And, stray shooting stars will likely be visible until the end of the month. According to NASA, the meteors will continue until August 24, though rates will drop after its peak on Monday. Unlike most meteor showers, which have a short peak of high meteor rates, NASA explains, the Perseids have a very broad peak, as Earth takes more than three weeks to plow through the wide trail of cometary dust from comet Swift-Tuttle. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has 'intensified' its probe into Elon Musk and Tesla, according to sources familiar with the matter. The independent US regulator was already making enquiries into the company following a tweet by 47-year-old multi-billionaire Elon Musk about taking electric car company Tesla private. However, the CEO is now under increased scrutiny from the SEC, sources say. Tesla has yet to be accused of any wrongdoing, however the SEC enquiry is designed to ensure no rules were broken. Musk tweeted out about taking the company private on Tuesday at a stock price of $420 a share, a significant jump from its current position. After an initial surge in share prices to roughly $375 a share on the same day, Tesla stock has since fallen by almost five per cent down to $352.45. However, the tweets have raised concerns around whether Musk violated fair-disclosure rules established by the SEC around using social media platforms for market manipulation. The regulator has remained silent on the issue since Musk's surprise announcement. Scroll down for video The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is scrutinising Elon Musk and Tesla regarding tweets the CEO posted earlier this week regarding taking the company private. Tesla has yet to be accused of wrongdoing, but the SEC is taking a close look to make sure no rules were broken (file photo) Officials looking into whether the public statements of Tesla CEO Elon Musk breach federal security laws are looking with 'increased scrutiny', sources close to the matter told Bloomberg. SEC enforcement attorneys in the San Francisco office were already gathering general information, according to those with knowledge of the regulators plans. However, lawyers are now scrutinising whether Musks tweet about having funding secured to buy out the company was meant to be factual. Musks tweets about a possible buyout for Tesla are likely not enough to put him in legal jeopardy unless the SEC proves the information was false or inaccurate, securities lawyers told Bloomberg. As a rule, the SEC holds executives responsible for their statements and considers them to be material information requiring them to be true. At this time the SEC inquiry is preliminary and there is no guarantee formal action will be taken. Both Tesla and SEC have refused to comment on the matter. 'I don't really understand the idea of what was suggested in the potential for them to go private,' Dick Weil, CEO of Janus Henderson Group, said in an interview. 'That's obviously an incredibly large valuation to somehow take into the private market.' Security experts say the tweets are probably not enough to warrant legal action unless it can be proved the statements are false or inaccurate. According to a statement from six of the nine directors on Tesla's executive board, Musk addressed the possibility of taking the firm private last week. They said he had 'addressed the funding for this to occur' without providing details. The tweets raised concerns about whether Musk violated fair-disclosure rules established by the SEC around using social media platforms for market manipulation. Tesla could be hit with a full-scale investigation if regulators determine the CEO's statement on Twitter broke the rules by being false or misleading, according to WSJ. At this stage, it's unclear if any laws have been broken but, in any case, experts agree that Musk's surprise announcement on social media is unprecedented, and may have consequences. 'If a company has always issued its earnings releases in a conventional matter, and it had not alerted investors, then that can be a problem, because an investor who happens to watch the Twitter feed, may have an unfair advantage,' Ira Matetsky, a partner at Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer in Manhattan told MarketWatch. Tesla has only told investors to monitor the CEO's Twitter feed in a public filing once, back in 2013. After listing a slew of Tesla sites that are frequently updated with the latest information, including its investors' and press sites, the 2013 document states: 'for additional information, please follow Elon Musk's and Tesla's Twitter accounts.' Given this advice and Musk's wide-reaching Twitter presence, with more than 22 million followers, the expert says Musk's lawyers could argue the new information was readily available, even if his delivery was not traditional. WHAT ARE THE SEC'S RULES AROUND FAIR DISCLOSURE? Tesla CEO Elon Musk's tweets about the firm going private have reportedly drawn a closer look from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC is now looking at whether what Musk said was truthful and why he announced the information on his Twitter. The regulatory agency has certain rules around what companies can and cannot speak about on social media platforms, as part of its fair disclosure rules. Many believe Musk's tweets are likely to be weighed against the Reed Hastings Rule, which was established in 2012. The rule was established when Netflix CEO Reed Hastings used his Facebook to post that the streaming service had 'exceeded 1 billion hours for the first time.' This warranted further investigation by SEC regulators, who later determined that posting material information on social media is allowed. However, companies must make sure that shareholders are notified that material announcements will be made on social media channels, as well as given proper access to them. In Musk's case, Tesla has only told investors to monitor the CEOs Twitter feed in a public filing once, back in 2013. Beyond that, regulators will be working to find out whether Musk's claims were honest. Musk tweeted that financing had been secured for a take-private deal and that the company had received broad investor support. If Tesla doesn't have the funding in place, experts say Musk's tweets could amount to market manipulation, since it would be an example of false statements causing the company's shares to skyrocket. Advertisement But, Musk may not be out of hot water just yet. 'If he doesn't have financing in place, but the deal happens anyway, then it may be, no harm, no foul,' Metetsky told MarketWatch. 'If this was a pipe dream going nowhere, there will be a case.' In the hours following the revelation of plans to take Tesla private, Musk went quiet on Twitter unusual silence for a CEO known for his voracious social media activity. He finally tweeted again early Wednesday evening, but failed to address the growing controversy. Instead, he shared a chart illustrating Tesla vehicle deliveries and Autopilot hardware. Musk's initial message came after a report said Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund had bought a $2 billion or nearly 5 per cent stake in Tesla. Should Musk ultimately decide to take Tesla private at a price of $420 per share, or more than $70 billion, it would mark the largest buyout in history. 'Last week Elon opened a discussion with the board about taking the company private,' Tesla's board said in the statement. 'This included discussion as to how being private could better serve Tesla's long-term interests, and also addressed the funding for this to occur. 'The board has met several times over the last week and is now taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this,' they added. Tesla hasn't disclosed any details about funding beyond noting that the firm had secured the necessary means for a take-private transaction. So far, no one has stepped forward to say they're backing the buyout. Musk's tweets have raised concerns about whether the CEO violated fair-disclosure rules established by the SEC around using social media platforms for market manipulation Should Musk ultimately decide to take Tesla private at a price of $420 per share, or more than $70 billion, it would mark the largest buyout in history READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM TESLA'S BOARD 'Last week, Elon opened a discussion with the board about taking the company private. This included discussion as to how being private could better serve Tesla's long-term interests, and also addressed the funding for this to occur. The board has met several times over the last week and is taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this.' - Signed by Tesla board members Brad Buss, Robyn Denholm, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Linda Johnson Rice, and James Murdoch Advertisement In a letter to shareholders after his tweet on Tuesday, Musk fleshed out his idea, suggesting they would get the option to sell their shares for $420 each or remain investors in a private Tesla, out of the glare of Wall Street and its need for quarterly results. He said that would allow Tesla to 'operate at its best, free from as much distraction and short-term thinking as possible.' It's highly unusual for the head of a major company make a significant announcement in such casual manner. The tweet prompted questions about how serious Musk's intentions were. 'If his comments were issued for the purpose of moving the price of the stock, that could be manipulation, it could also be securities fraud,' former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt told CNBC. 'The use of a specific price for a potential going private transaction is highly unprecedented and therefore raises significant questions about what his intent was. So, that would have to be investigated.' However, several Wall Street analysts expressed skepticism about Musk's ability to gather the financial backing to complete such a deal. Musk tweeted out about taking the company private on Tuesday at a stock price of $420 a share, a significant jump from its current position. After an initial surge in share prices to roughly $375 a share on Tuesday, the stock has since fell by nearly five per cent to $352.45 'Who gives $30 to $50 billion to buy back the shares?,' asked NordLB analyst Frank Schwope. 'And if you stay as a shareholder you get less information than before and you depend more and more on Elon Musk.' Many cited Tesla's massive debt load as a sticking point in its plans to go private. 'The company is cash-flow negative,' Steven Kaplan, a University of Chicago professor, told BBC. 'How do you use any debt on a company that is cash-flow negative?' JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman said he gave only a 50 per cent probability that Tesla would go private. The six board members who issued the statement on Wednesday included James Murdoch, chief executive of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc and Brad Buss, who was the chief financial officer of solar panel maker SolarCity until it was bought by Tesla in 2016. Other board members mentioned in the statement included Robyn Denholm, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias and Linda Johnson Rice. Tesla's other board members are Musk, his brother Kimbal Musk and venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson. Homo erectus may have gone extinct because they were lazy, new research claims. Scientists believe the 'least-effort strategies' employed to build tools and collect resources may have contributed to the downfall of the primitive human species. Unlike other hominids, the tools created by Homo erectus were comparatively low quality and were built using low-quality materials found nearby, experts say. This is in sharp contrast to stone tools made by other hominid species, including early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, who climbed mountains to find good quality stone and transported it over huge distances. This laziness paired with an inability to adapt to a changing climate likely resulted in the species going extinct, scientists say. Scroll down for video Homo erectus (reconstruction, pictured) may have gone extinct because they were lazy, according to new research. Scientists claim the 'least-effort strategies' for tool making and collecting resources led to the downfall of the primitive human species Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) studied the ancient populations that lived in the Arabian Peninsula during the Early Stone Age. The team examined stone tools used by Homo erectus unearthed in Saffaqah which is about 200 kilometres west of Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh to try to work out why the species went extinct. First thought to have evolved around 1.9 million years ago in Africa, Homo erectus was the first early hominid to become a true global traveller. They are known to have migrated from Africa into Eurasia, spreading as far as Georgia, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia. However, the hominid ultimately went extinct around 140,000 years ago. According to the latest findings from the Australian National University, this can be blamed on a lack of ambition, wonder and industriousness. 'They really don't seem to have been pushing themselves,' said lead researcher Dr Ceri Shipton of the ANU School of Culture, History and Language. 'I don't get the sense they were explorers looking over the horizon. They didn't have that same sense of wonder that we have,' he explained. Homo erectus is thought to have lived in hunter-gatherer societies. Archaeological evidence suggests Homo erectus used fire and made basic stone tools. Researchers said this lack of wonder was evident in the way the species made their stone tools and collected resources. EXPLAINED: HOMO ERECTUS EVOLVED 1.9 MILLION YEARS AGO IN AFRICA AND WAS A 'GLOBAL TRAVELLER' First thought to have evolved around 1.9 million years ago in Africa, Homo erectus was the first early human species to become a true global traveller. They are known to have migrated from Africa into Eurasia, spreading as far as Georgia, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia. They ranged in size from just under five feet tall to over six feet. With a smaller brain and heavier brow than modern humans, they are thought to have been a key evolutionary step in our evolution. It was previously thought Homo erectus disappeared some 400,000 years ago. However, this date has been dramatically reduced, with more recent estimates suggesting they went extinct just 140,000 years ago. They are thought to have given rise to a number of different extinct human species including Homo heidelbergensis and Homo antecessor. Homo erectus is thought to have lived in hunter gatherer societies and there is some evidence that suggests they used fire and made basic stone tools. Advertisement Unlike other hominids, the tools created by Homo erectus (pictured) were comparatively low quality and were predominantly built using materials that were lying around These tools (pictured) were in sharp contrast to stone tools made by other hominid species, including early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, who climbed mountains to find good quality stone and transported it over huge distances First thought to have evolved around 1.9 million years ago in Africa, Homo erectus was the first early human species to become a true global traveller. Pictured is the site at Saffaqah in central Saudi Arabia Pictured is lead researcher Dr Ceri Shipton of the ANU School of Culture, History and Language. At the site scientists looked at a big rocky outcrop of quality stone just a short distance away up a small hill This 'laziness' paired with an inability to adapt to a changing climate likely led to the species (skull, pictured) going extinct, a new paper suggests 'To make their stone tools they would use whatever rocks they could find lying around their camp, which were mostly of comparatively low quality to what later stone tool makers used,' he said. 'At the site we looked at there was a big rocky outcrop of quality stone just a short distance away up a small hill. 'But rather than walk up the hill they would just use whatever bits had rolled down and were lying at the bottom.' However, when researchers examined a rocky outcrop close to a known area they found there were no signs of any activity, no artefacts and no quarrying of the stone. 'They knew it was there, but because they had enough adequate resources they seem to have thought, "why bother?",' Dr Shipton said. Homo erectus are known to have migrated from Africa into Eurasia, spreading as far as Georgia, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia. Pictured are some of their tools Dr Shipton said a failure to progress technologically, as their environment dried out into a desert, also contributed to the population's demise Homo erectus is thought to have lived in hunter gatherer societies and there is some evidence that suggests they used fire and made basic stone tools. Pictured is Dr Ceri Shipton on site at Saffaqah in central Saudi Arabia To make their stone tools they would use whatever rocks they could find lying around their camp, which were mostly of comparatively low quality to what later stone tool makers used. Pictured is a site that was excavated Dr Shipton (pictured) said a failure to progress technologically, as their environment dried out into a desert, also contributed to the population's demise The excavation and survey work was undertaken in 2014 at the site of Saffaqah near Dawadmi in central Saudi Arabia. The research has been published in a paper for the PLoS One scientific journal Research from the Australian National University (ANU) studied the ancient human populations who lived in the Arabian Peninsula (pictured, today) during the Early Stone Age WHAT EVIDENCE DO WE HAVE HOMO ERECTUS WERE LAZY? Homo erectus may have gone extinct because they were lazy, according to research from the Australian National University. Scientists claim the 'least-effort strategies' for tool making and collecting resources led to the downfall of the primitive human species. This 'laziness' paired with an inability to adapt to a changing climate likely led to the species going extinct, their paper suggests. To make their stone tools they would use whatever rocks they could find lying around their camp, which were mostly of comparatively low quality to what later stone tool makers used, according to researchers who looked at ancient populations in the Arabian Peninsula. At the site researchers looked at there was a big rocky outcrop of quality stone just a short distance away up a small hill. But rather than walk up the hill they would just use whatever bits had rolled down and were lying at the bottom. When researchers looked at the rocky outcrop they found there were no signs of any activity, no artefacts and no quarrying of the stone. This is in contrast to the stone tool makers of later periods, including early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, who were climbing mountains to find good quality stone and transporting it over long distances. Experts believe a failure to progress technologically, as their environment dried out into a desert, also contributed to the population's demise. Advertisement This is in contrast to hominids of later periods, including early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, which evidence shows climbed mountains to find good quality stone and transported it over vast distances to use in their tools. Dr Shipton said a failure to progress technologically, as their environment dried out into a desert, also contributed to the population's demise. 'Not only were they lazy, but they were also very conservative,' Dr Shipton said. 'The sediment samples showed the environment around them was changing, but they were doing the exact same things with their tools', said Dr Shipton 'There was no progression at all, and their tools are never very far from these now dry river beds. I think in the end the environment just got too dry for them', said Dr Shipton. Pictured is a handaxe (top), cleaver (middle), and early stage biface (bottom) from the site. The handaxe and cleaver are made on large flakes, while the early stage biface is made on a cobble It was previously thought Homo erectus disappeared some 400,000 years ago. However, this date has been dramatically reduced, with more recent estimates suggesting they went extinct just 140,000 years ago. Pictured are some of the tools they looked at 'The sediment samples showed the environment around them was changing, but they were doing the exact same things with their tools. 'There was no progression at all, and their tools are never very far from these now dry river beds. I think in the end the environment just got too dry for them.' The excavation and survey work was undertaken in 2014 at the site of Saffaqah near Dawadmi in central Saudi Arabia. The research has been published in a paper for the PLoS One scientific journal. Advertisement The Perseid meteor shower arrived this weekend, stunning stargazers around the world as more than 70 shooting stars flashed across the night sky every hour. Known as the 'fiery tears of Saint Lawrence', the celestial showcase takes place each year when the Earth ploughs through the galactic debris left discarded by the passing of the Swift-Tuttle Comet. People both north and south of the equator were able to watch and photograph the stunning celestial showcase this weekend, and will enjoy one final opportunity to see the Perseids tonight. Those in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views of the display, with stellar views expected across the United States, Europe, and Canada. With a slice of good fortune and clear skies, people looking skyward in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America may also be able to catch a glimpse of the occasional meteor. Those south of the equator will catch the tail-end of the meteor shower, since the vast majority of the event will take place below the horizon, diminishing the impact of the phenomenon. Nasa says the meteor shower reached its peak earlier in the weekend between 4 pm ET (9 pm BST) on Sunday 12th until 4 am (9 am BST) this morning. However, the event will continue tonight. Although the number of shooting stars etched across the night sky will be somewhat diminished, this evening will provide people around the world a chance to see the spectacular annual event unfold. Stray shooting stars will be visible until August 24, but these will be much harder to spot as the majority of the meteors will have already passed. This year sees the event coincides with the new moon phase of the lunar cycle, which sees the moon emanating almost no light at all creating perfect conditions in the sky for stargazing. Scroll down for video This picture, taken over Loch Etive, near Taynuilt in Argyll on the West coast of Scotland, shows a Perseid meteor (top left) together with the Milky Way, Mars and Saturn. The annual meteor shower can produce between 50 and 100 shooting stars per hour and conditions this year are expected to be ideal with the darkened New Moon keeping the skies dark Perseid meteors streak across the sky over the radar near the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic in Ondrejov, Czech Republic. The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year in August when the Earth passes through the debris and dust of the Swift-Tuttle comet which spans 16-miles (28 km) wide and ploughs through our Solar System once every 133 years For those in areas with low light pollution, no smog and clear skies, the Perseids are visible to the naked eye, with no specialist equipment needed. The meteor shower takes place at the same time each year, as the Earth passes though a section of its orbit peppered with galactic space dust leftover from the last passing of the Swift-Tuttle Comet. The Swift-Tuttle Comet, which spans 16-miles (28 km) wide and is formed of ice and rock, ploughs through our Solar System once every 133 years, with the last pass coming in 1992. The comet will come within one million miles of Earth on August 5, 2126 and August 24, 2261. The name 'Perseids meteor shower' comes from the fact meteors appear to shoot out from the Perseus constellation the 24th largest constellation in the sky. The annual meteor shower is known for the sheer quantity, including the possibility of bright fireballs in the sky. A girl lies in hammock as she looks at the milky way during the peak of Perseid meteor shower in Kozjak, Macedonia. People both north and south of the equator saw the celestial showcase and will get one last opportunity to see the Perseids tonight HOW CAN YOU SEE THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER THIS YEAR? Shooting stars will be visible north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views, according to NASA. Some Perseid meteors will even be visible during the early evening The Perseid meteor shower will reach the beginning of its peak at 4pm (ET) on Sunday the 12th. This will last until 4am on the 13th. As the event coincides with the new moon this year, observers will be treated to a dark, moonless sky for a clearer view of the meteors. North of the equator: Observers in the United States, Europe, and Canada should begin looking to the sky from a few hours after twilight until dawn. The same goes for viewers in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America. South of the equator: Meteors will be visible for those south of the equator, too, though not at the rate seen in more northern areas. For viewers in Australia and other southern locations, meteors will start to appear in the sky around midnight and continue through the early hours of the morning. You won't need binoculars to spot a shooting star this weekend, nor do you need to look directly at the constellation Perseus. Instead, just look up. NASA says you 'can look anywhere you want to,' to see the Perseids, 'even directly overhead.' Advertisement Known as the 'fiery tears of Saint Lawrence', the celestial showcase takes place once a year. This image was taken over the village of Klinovka, Simferopol District of the Crimea and shows a long-exposure image of the meteor shower on August 12 According to Nasa, the meteor shower reached its peak earlier this weekend between 4 pm ET (9 pm BST) on Sunday 12th until 4 am (9 am BST) on Monday 13th. This image was captured over the Windy Post Cross on Dartmoor. The Windy Cross, or Beckamoor Cross, dated from the 16 Century and marks the Abbotsi Way across the moor For those in areas with low light pollution, smog and clear skies, the Perseids are visible to the naked eye, with no specialist equipment needed. Those in mid-northern latitudes, such as in the Crimean village of Klinovka where this photo of the shooting stars was taken, will have the best view of the celestial event Most of the specks of material are tiny and flash across the night sky when they collide with Earth's atmosphere at about 133,200 mph (214,365 km/h). During the meteor shower's peak, skywatchers in the northern hemisphere saw between 60 to 70 shooting stars cross the sky every hour. Although fewer will be visible tonight, well-positioned spectators can expect to see dozens of 'shooting stars' every hour. According to Nasa, the odd stray meteor will likely be visible until August 24, though rates will drop after today's peak. 'Unlike most meteor showers, which have a short peak of high meteor rates,' Nasa explains, 'the Perseids have a very broad peak, as Earth takes more than three weeks to plow through the wide trail of cometary dust from comet Swift-Tuttle.' The Perseid meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the trail of cometary dust following comet Swift-Tuttle (illustrated above) A meteor streaks through the night sky, past Mars (yellow dot, centre left), during the Perseid meteor shower over the lake of Kozjak, some 30 miles (45km) from the capitol Skopje, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on August 13 A meteor streaks across the skies over the cross near the Franciscan monastery Rama-Scit during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in Prozor, Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 13 Luckily, less than ten per cent of Britain is built up, leaving lots of places where the cityscape will not obscure the natural beauty of the Perseids. There are just 11 Dark Sky Reserves in the world, and the UK is home to four: Brecon Beacons National Park (Wales), Moore's Reserve (South Downs, England), Snowdonia National Park (Wales) and Exmoor National Park (England). The others are scattered around the world, with locations listed in Europe, the US, Africa and New Zealand. These locations, assuming the weather is clear and there are no clouds in the sky, provide an 'exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment'. Those not close enough to one of these locations to make it worth the night trip should head to an area with low-light pollution. For example, high vantage points in a built-up area, or ideally, a trip to the countryside should provide the best view. The 2018 Perseid meteor shower over the village of Klinovka. The meteors will also be visible tonight in a last-ditch attempt to catch the Perseids Most of the specks of material are tiny and flash across the night sky when they collide with Earth's atmosphere at about 133,200 mph (214,365 km/h). Those wishing to take pictures of the meteor shower, like this time-lapse image from Russia, should use a tripod but the event will also be visible to the naked eye A meteor streaks through the sky during the Perseid meteor shower above the village of Hajnacka, or Ajnacsko in Hungarian, Slovakia. This year the event coincides with the new moon phase of the lunar cycle, which sees the moon emanating almost no light at all creating perfect conditions in the sky for stargazing The event will originate in the night sky from the constellation Perseus and spread throughout the sky, with the shooting stars set to be visible both north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views The Perseid meteor shower is said to be the best of the year. This annual meteor shower comes as Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing bright streaks that appear as though they're radiating from the constellation Perseus WHAT ARE THE 11 DARK SKY RESERVES? Aoraki Mackenzie (New Zealand) Brecon Beacons National Park (Wales) Central Idaho (U.S.) Exmoor National Park (England) Kerry (Ireland) Mont-Megantic (Quebec) Moore's Reserve (South Downs, England) NamibRand Nature Reserve (Namibia) Pic du Midi (France) Rhon (Germany) Snowdonia National Park (Wales) Westhavelland (Germany) Advertisement The Dark Sky Atlas can be used to help people find their nearest dark spot as it maps the light pollution of areas around the world. Those unfortunate enough to have an overcast evening can still catch the beauty of the Peresids via a live stream that was run by the Virtual Telescope Project. Nasa says the meteor shower will be accompanied with the parade of planets Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. When asked about the best way to view the Perseids meteor shower Bill Cooke, head of Nasa's Meteoroid Environments Office at the Marshall Space Flight Centre in Alabama simply said: 'All you've got to do is go outside, find a nice dark spot, lie flat on your back and look up. 'You don't want binoculars. You don't want a telescope. You just use your eyes.' Speaking to LiveScience, Mr Cooke said stargazers should give their eyes around 30 minutes to adjust to the dark sky. 'Don't expect to walk outside and see Perseids,' Cooke said. Those who want to capture the celestial event with a camera should use a tripod to ensure their image is not blurred. For the best results, take a long-exposure shot, lasting from a few seconds to a minute. Nasa's Bill Cooke warns against setting the exposure any longer than that, otherwise you'll pick-up the rotation of the stars, which could block out streaks from shooting stars. Nasa scientists believe they have found new evidence of the mysterious 'wall' that surrounds all the planets and objects in our solar system. This mysterious bubble marks the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space and provides a marker for the edge of the sun's influence. According to the latest findings, the barrier is actually a vast amount of trapped hydrogen atoms caught up in the solar wind of our star. These produce waves of ultraviolet light in a very distinctive way, which have been detected by the sensors aboard the New Horizons interplanetary space probe. Scroll down for video Nasa scientists believe they have found new evidence of a mysterious 'wall' surrounding our solar system. This mysterious bubble marks the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space and provides a mark for where the Sun's influence wanes Astronomers first glimpsed the phenomenon around 30 years ago, when faint signs were detected by both Voyager probes. However, evidence supporting the theory of a heliosphere has remained murky in the intervening yeas. Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft, which passed Pluto in 2015, has been using its on-board detector, known as 'Alice', to look for traces of the celestial interaction. 'We're seeing the threshold between being in the solar neighbourhood and being in the galaxy,' astronomer Leslie Young of the Southwest Research Institute and New Horizons team told Science News. New Horizons is the first spacecraft with the capability to verify Voyager's observations. It has scanned the ultraviolet sky seven times between 2007 to 2017. According to the measurements taken by all three spacecrafts, the three decade old theory about the heliosphere appears to still hold true. In the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Nasa scientists wrote: 'Longterm observations made with the Alice instrument on the New Horizons spacecraft confirm measurements made 30 thirty years earlier with the Voyager spacecraft. 'Both sets of data are best explained if the observed ultraviolet light is not only a result of the scattering of sunlight by hydrogen atoms within the solar system but includes a substantial contribution from a distant source. 'This distant source could be the signature of a "wall" of hydrogen, formed near where the interstellar wind encounters the solar wind or could be more distant. 'Similar future observations from New Horizons are planned about twice each year.' WHERE IS NEW HORIZONS? The spacecraft that gave us the first close-up views of Pluto now has a much smaller object in its sights. New Horizons is now track to fly past a recently discovered, less than 30-mile-wide object out on the solar system frontier. The close encounter with what's known as 2014 MU69 would occur in 2019. It orbits nearly 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto. Nasa and the New Horizons team chose 2014 MU69 in August as New Horizons' next potential target, thus the nickname PT-1. Like Pluto, MU69 orbits the sun in the frozen, twilight zone known as the Kuiper Belt. This illustration provided by NASA shows the New Horizons spacecraft. The probe whipped past Pluto in 2015 and is headed to 2014 MU69 for an attempted 2019 flyby of the tiny, icy world on the edge of the solar system MU69 is thought to be 10 times larger and 1,000 times more massive than average comets, including the one being orbited right now by Europe's Rosetta spacecraft. On the other end, MU69 is barely 1 percent the size of Pluto and perhaps one-ten-thousandth the mass of the dwarf planet. So the new target is a good middle ground, according to scientists. The spacecraft was recently approved for its extended mission, allowing it to continue on its path toward the object deeper in the Kuiper Belt. It's expected that New Horizons will make its approach to the ancient object on January 1, 2019. Advertisement The latest findings confirm theories that there is more UV light beyond the theorised location of the wall surrounding our solar system. 'It's really exciting if these data are able to distinguish the hydrogen wall,' said space scientist David McComas of Princeton University, who was not involved in the research. New Horizons is expected to jet past Ultima Thule the most distant object within the solar system, on New Years Day 2019. It will then continue to look for the wall about twice a year until the mission reaches its conclusion, which is expected to be around 10-15 years from now, says Randy Gladstone of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. If the levels of UV light detected ever take a nosedive, the researchers say this could prove the craft has left the wall in its wake, much like Voyager 1 did in 2013. Google has admitted that it tracks users' location history even after they turn off location sharing. On Thursday, the search giant revised a help page that erroneously described how its 'Location History' setting works. The page now clarifies that Google still tracks their location even if they turn the setting off. Scroll down for video Days after an Associated Press investigation revealed that Google is storing the locations of users even if they turn a privacy setting called 'Location History' off, the company has changed a help page that erroneously described how the setting works The move follows an explosive report by the Associated Press, which revealed that several Google apps and websites store user location even if users turned off Location History. Google has not changed its location-tracking practices since the investigation was published. The help page now states: 'This setting does not affect other location services on your device.' It also acknowledges that 'some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps.' Previously, the page stated: 'With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored.' The change appeared to have been made to Google's website midday Thursday. Researchers created a map of the movements of Princeton postdoctoral researcher Gunes Acar, who carried an Android phone with Location history off (pictured) Google has since changed some portions of its help page that address its location-tracking policies. However, it hasn't altered its location-tracking tactics following recent scrutiny Google acknowledge the change in a statement to reporters. 'We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clear across our platforms and help centers,' Google said in a statement to the AP. The AP investigation found that even with Location History turned off, Google stores user location when, for instance, the Google Maps app is opened, or when users conduct Google searches that aren't related to location. The researchers found Google logs a record of your current location each time you open its turn-by-turn navigation app, Google Maps. The daily weather updates on Android phones also provided another way to track movement. Even with Location History turned off, Google stores user location when, for instance, the Google Maps app is opened, or when users search things that aren't related to location HOW DOES GOOGLE TRACK ITS USERS' LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF 'LOCATION HISTORY'? A new investigation led by the Associated Press found that some Google apps automatically store time-stamped location data without asking - even when you've paused Location History. The investigation found, for example: Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you open its Maps app Automatic daily weather updates on Android phones pinpoint where you are each time the forecast is refreshed Simple searchers, such as 'chocolate chip cookies,' or 'kids science kits,' pinpoint your precise latitude and longitude accurate to the square foot - and save it to your Google account This information is all logged as part of the 'Web and App Activity feature, which does not specifically reference location information in its description. This is enabled by default, and stores a variety of information from Google apps and websites to your Google account. When paused, it will prevent activity on any device from being saved to your account. Leaving 'Web & App Activity' on and turning 'Location History' off only prevents Google from adding your movements to the 'timeline,' its visualization of your daily travels. It does not stop Google's collection of other location markers. Advertisement Storing your minute-by-minute travels carries privacy risks and has been used by police to determine the location of suspects such as a warrant that police in Raleigh, North Carolina, served on Google last year to find devices near a murder scene. Privacy experts have assailed Google's policy of saving user location data that it doesn't technically classify as 'location history.' Silicon Valley tech giants are under increasing scrutiny over their data practices, following a series of privacy scandals at Facebook. Additionally, new data-privacy rules adopted by the European Union have also generated a greater focus on protecting user data. Last year, the business news site Quartz found that Google was tracking Android users by collecting the addresses of nearby cellphone towers even if all location services were off. Google changed the practice and insisted it never recorded the data anyway. Critics say Google's insistence on tracking its users' locations stems from its drive to boost advertising revenue. Twitter has started banning a huge amount of accounts, with many users taking to the site to bemoan the loss of hundreds of followers in a single day. The cull started yesterday and had such an impact on numbers that the 'Twitterverse' was swept with the hashtag #TwitterPurge. The firm is ruthlessly removing accounts, with those who have been previously suspended or banned most likely to see their account deactivated. It marks the latest in a string of moves from the site to clean up the platform as the San-Francisco based firm now places a premium on integrity among its users. Scroll down for video Twitter is ridding its site of a large amount of accounts as part of its ongoing battle to clean up the platform In a recent interview, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said the company intends to focus on politics in the common months. He said: 'Election integrity is our first priority this year. 'We need to make sure that we are considering not just policy changes, but also product changes to help alleviate some of these concerns,' he said. Twitter has been in an ongoing battle with its user base for some time, after it was revealed the 2016 US presidential election was soiled by Russian disinformation efforts, which were spread using social networks, including Twitter. The purge marks the first notable action since Twitter declared its intentions to ostracise accounts it deemed to be breaching its guidelines earlier this week. Twitter has cracked down on 'low quality' accounts recently, with the seven-day suspension of Infowars host Alex Jones a high-profile move. Alex Jones' account was placed in read-only mode for a week, which allowed him to browse Twitter posts, but stopped him form interacting with other users by tweeting, retweeting or liking posts. The firm is ruthlessly culling accounts, with those who have been previously suspended or banned most likely to see their account deactivated. In a recent interview, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (pictured) said the platform intends to focus on politics in the common months Twitter has cracked down on 'low quality' accounts recently, with the seven-day suspension of Infowars host Alex Jones (pictured) a high-profile move. Alex Jones' account was placed in read-only mode for a week Mr Jones was also required to delete the tweet that also included a snippet of video, Twitter said. It announced earlier this week its plan to remove the accounts of those who have tried to evade an account suspension. The company says that the accounts in question are users who have been previously suspended on Twitter for their abusive behaviour, or for trying to evade a prior suspension. Twitter has been on this mission for several months as it places a premium on integrity among its users. Those fortunate to have their account still have taken to the social media site, using the hashtag #TwitterPurge. WHAT IS TWITTER'S POLICY ON HATE SPEECH? Twitter says it does not tolerate behaviour that harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence other social network users. Twitter users that violate these rules could find their content deleted, or their access to the account suspended by the social network. What does Twitter forbid? According to the company, it will remove any tweets that do the following Threaten physical violence Promote attacks on the basis of their race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease References to mass murder, violent events, or specific means of violence in which such groups are the primary targets or victims Incites fear about a certain protected group Repeated use of non-consensual slurs, epithets, racist and sexist tropes Content designed to degrade a specific user Twitter users can target individuals or specific groups in a number of manners, for example using the @ mention feature, or tagging a photo. How does Twitter enforce these rules? According to the company, the first thing it does whenever an account or tweet is flagged as inappropriate is check the context. Twitter says: 'some Tweets may seem to be abusive when viewed in isolation, but may not be when viewed in the context of a larger conversation. 'While we accept reports of violations from anyone, sometimes we also need to hear directly from the target to ensure that we have proper context.' Twitter says the total number of reports received around an individual post or account does not impact whether or not something will be removed. However, it could help Twitter prioritise the order in which it looks through flagged tweets and accounts. What happens if you violate Twitter's policy? The consequences for violating our rules will vary depending on the severity of the violation and the persons previous record of violations, Twitter says. The penalties range from requesting a user voluntarily remove an offending tweet, to suspending an entire account. Advertisement The announcement came in the form of a tweet and was sparse on details but was a clear indication of the firm's intentions going forward. This is the latest in a series of culls from Twitter, with The Washington post reporting last month that the social media platform had rid itself of 70 million accounts between May and June of this year. This marks a significant uptick in the rate it is removing accounts. It was revealed that the company started this movement during the end of 2017, where it got rid of 58 million user accounts in the final three months of 2017, according to new data obtained by The Associated Press. Twitter flagged fake accounts as those which had been dormant for at least a month. Investors have previously voiced concerns the suspension of malicious accounts could could affect user growth on the platform but this was appeased when the firm's CFO announced the removal of bots and unethical accounts had not affected the company's metrics. The San Francisco-based company has been struggling with user growth, when compared to rivals including Instagram and Facebook. Twitter's user base is steadily shrinking, with the company losing a million monthly active users in Q2, with 335 million overall users and 68 million in the US. Twitter announced earlier this week its plan to remove the accounts of those who have tried to evade an account suspension (pictured) The US Air Force's X-37B unmanned space plane is nearing one year in orbit as part of its fifth secretive mission. The aircraft has now been up for 340 days as part of it's latest trip, called the Orbital Test Vehicle-5 (OTV-5), which started on September 7th 2017. The craft was launched from Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Officials have revealed few details about the OTV-5 mission but there has been a suggestion it could be part of a push for a US Space Force. Scroll down for video The US Air Force's X-37B unmanned space plane (pictured) is nearing one year in orbit as part of its fifth secretive mission The space plane is 29 feet (8.8 metres) long, 9.6 feet (2.9 metres) tall and weighs around 11,000 lbs. (4,990 kilograms). It is orbiting at around 200 miles (320 kilometres) high and is powered by solar cells with lithium-ion batteries. Little is known about what it is carrying but on board OTV-5's payload is a US thermal spreader which will test the longevity of electronics and heat pipes in the space environment. In June, President Donald Trump announced that he is directing the Pentagon to a new Space Force as an independent service branch aimed at ensuring American dominance in space. The president framed space as a national security issue, saying he does not want 'China and Russia and other countries leading us'. One expert has suggested that this aircraft could already be part of an early US Space Force. 'Ironically, the X-37B is exactly the type of program toward giving the U.S. flexibility of operations in space that seems to be prompting the current push for a Space Force, yet are already underway,' said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor in the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, writes Space.com. Four previous X-37B missions have been launched by United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets. Each time the unmanned space plane has carried a mystery payload on long-duration flights in Earth orbit. The craft (pictured) was launched from Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida WHAT IS THE X-37B SPACE PLANE? The U.S. Air Force's unmanned X-37B space plane looks similar to Nasa's space shuttle but is much smaller. The space plane is 29 feet (8.8 metres) long, 9.6 feet (2.9 metres) tall and weighs around 11,000 lbs. (4,990 kilograms). It is orbiting at around 200 miles (320 kilometres) high. The U.S. Air Force's unmanned X-37B space plane looks similar to Nasa's space shuttle but is much smaller. The space plane is 29 feet (8.8 metres) long, 9.6 feet (2.9 metres) tall and weighs around 11,000 lbs. (4,990 kilograms) Officials have revealed few details about the OTV-5 mission (the aircraft's fifth) but according to the Air Force, one on board OTV-5 payload is US thermal spreader which will test the longevity of electronics and heat pipes in the space environment. The craft is powered by solar cells with lithium-ion batteries. Four previous X-37B missions have been launched by United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets. Each time the unmanned space plane has carried a mystery payload on long-duration flights in Earth orbit. Advertisement 'The many firsts on this mission make the upcoming OTV launch a milestone for the program,' said Randy Walden, the director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office at the launch last year. 'It is our goal to continue advancing the X-37B OTV so it can more fully support the growing space community.' 'The fifth OTV mission continues to advance the X-37B's performance and flexibility as a space technology demonstrator and host platform for experimental payloads,' a spokesperson for the US Air Force said. The previous OTV-4 mission was 718 days long. The Boeing-built space plane blasted off in May 2015 from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing. The reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (pictured) returned in June after its fourth mission, concluding an almost two-year mission in orbit, according to the US Air Force The X-37B, one of two in the Air Force fleet, conducted unspecified experiments during its lengthy orbit. It was the fourth and lengthiest mission so far for the secretive program, managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The Air Force said the orbiters 'perform risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.' The Air Force tweeted that the vehicle had landed safely, marking the conclusion of its fourth classified mission, which lasted more than 700 days However, the exact nature of the mission and its cost is classified. The Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit group promoting the peaceful exploration of space, says the secrecy surrounding the X-37B suggests the presence of intelligence-related hardware being tested or evaluated aboard the craft. The X-37B first flew in April 2010 and returned after eight months. A second mission launched in March 2011 and lasted 15 months, while a third took flight in December 2012 and returned after 22 months. An amateur treasure hunter has stumbled across a hoard of Bronze Age items that could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds in a Norfolk field. David Lovett, a 64-year-old from Smallburgh, unearthed the precious haul of ancient goods when walking through the field in Barton Turf, Norfolk. The 3,000-year-old stash is now being assessed by the British Museum which is expected to purchase the lot and put it on display. Among the discovered axe heads, chisels, knives and spears is a ring for a lock of hair that is believed to contain 82 to 83 per cent solid gold. Scroll down for video David Lovett, a 64-year-old from Smallburgh, unearthed the precious haul of ancient goods when walking through the field in Barton Turf, Norfolk. Among the discovered axe heads, chisels, knives and spears is well as a ring for a lock of hair that is believed to contain 82 to 83 per cent solid gold (pictured) Mr Lovett had visited the farmer's field a number of times before and never encountered the treasure. He says that the field is normally full of grazing sheep, obstructing the centre of the paddock. On the day of discovery back in 2016, the sheep were not present, allowing Mr Lovett to scan the unexplored patch for any hidden treasures. He said: 'I had been to that field before but there had always been sheep in the middle. On this day there were no sheep. 'The hoard was spread out over an area of about 30 to 40 square yards. I first picked up a couple of tiny fragments and then a bent dagger. 'My heart started to race, and I knew there was going to be more, and I then found another axe head. 'The feeling was indescribable when I found it... to know that you have in your hands something that's not been held for 3,000 years.' Mr Lovett has been searching for buried treasure for about 10 years and has yet to strike gold. The hoard was declared as treasure at an inquest last week and it will be bought by the British Museum. Any sale proceeds will be divided between him and the landowner in a 50-50 split. Mr Lovett, who works for Norfolk Museums Service as a visitor services assistant gathered the haul in March 2016. HOW WAS GOLD USED IN BRONZE AGE BRITAIN? Bronze Age gold artefacts, such as this cup found in Cornwall, were used to designate high status Between 2500 and 800 BC, communities in Britain first learned how to work metal, producing bronze, copper and gold items. There are currently no known gold mines in Europe dated to the Bronze Age, so the metal was likely obtained using the panning technique. Gold artefacts were used to designate the high status of those who wore or were buried with them. These items included jewellery, pots, cups and small battle ornaments fixed to swords, daggers and other weaponary. Around 1,500 gold artefacts dating to the Bronze Age survive in collections, with around 1000 from Ireland and 500 from Britain. Advertisement When he found the first couple of treasures, he phoned the museum service to ask if he should continue digging. 'They said yes, then I phoned Gressenhall (where there is a museum dedicated to Norfolk rural life) and they told me to carry on digging. 'I texted my wife who was at work to tell her. I knew they were Bronze Age because of their weight and shape. 'I also work at the Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth and they've got the Gorleston hoard of Bronze Age artefacts there. 'They would have been expensive items in their day, and would have been buried for safe keeping. For some reason they were never returned to the owner.' Mr Lovett has said that despite the potential financial windfall coming his way, he will continue to search for buried treasure. The 3,000-year-old Bronze Age hoard (pictured) is now being assessed by the British Museum which is expected to purchase the stash and put it on display Mr Lovett has said that despite the potential financial windfall coming his way,he will continue to search for buried treasure. Experts say that bronze is made from tin and copper and was an extremely valuable commodity, especially in areas such as East Anglia 'I don't think you can describe it. I felt both elation and disbelief at the same time,' he said of his discovery. 'My wife said I was bouncing off the wall for three days.' Bronze is made from tin and copper and was an extremely valuable commodity, especially in areas such as East Anglia where there are no local copper or tin deposits, according to Julie Shoemark of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. She said the items could have been 'caches of scrap material intended for recovery and reuse by transient metalworkers'. 'Alternatively, other scholars have characterised hoards which show evidence of acts of deliberate destruction as a form of ritual 'killing', in which the object is taken out of use and offered as a sacrifice to a deity or spirit.' According to Ms Shoemark, lock rings are normally found in pairs leading to theories of their use as ear rings or for hair decoration. 'What is generally agreed is that they denoted wealth and high-status within late Bronze Age society.' Users and Aizuma converse using the accompanied app when they are apart A Japanese firm is hoping a tiny holographic girl could take the place of a wife. Called Aizuma Hikari, the tiny holographic anime girl that stands just a few inches tall inside of a cylindrical projector. Japanese tech firm Gatebox says the system is able to communicate with its owners, called 'masters', through speakers and even an app. The Tokyo-based firm says it is aimed at 'single men who live alone'. Scroll down for video The system has just begun mass production for 150,000 yen (US$1,352). The holographic character stands 8 inches tall and talks to her 'husband' from behind a cylindrical plastic barrier. THE AI WIFE Vinclue's Gatebox is a 20 inch tall transparent tub with a plastic base that houses 'Aizuma Hikari' - a holographic anime girl. The device is fitted with a stereo speaker, camera, microphone, tracking sensors, temperature and humidity seniors and light sensors. This allows Aizuma to recognize her owner's face and voice and control technology inside of the home. Advertisement The system has just begun mass production for 150,000 yen (US$1,352). The holographic character stands 8 inches tall and talks to her 'husband' from behind a cylindrical plastic barrier. In addition to the purchase price, owners have to pay a subscription fee of 1,500 yen (US$13.52) per month to keep their wife from getting outdated, which the firm says are 'living expenses'. It uses microphones, cameras and sensors to detect temperature and motion - allowing her to interact with users 'on a more personal level', and the firm boasts the character will 'always try her best to serve my husband.' It also boasts a dual microphone to pick up speech. 'This will enable characters to communicate actively, for example smiling to masters when characters find them, welcoming home masters by automatic detection,' the firm says. It has a stereo speaker, camera, microphone, tracking sensors, temperature and humidity seniors and light sensors. 'Hikari Azuma is a character with a comforting charm,' the firm says. 'Hikari Azuma will grow to be the user's ideal wife after further updates.' Not only does she use the sensors to detect her owner, but Aizuma has the ability to control lighting and home appliances inside the house. The assistant was designed by Taro Minoboshi and voiced by Yuka Hiyamizu a Japanese actress. It acts like a 'pleasing girlfriend who sends text messages to wish you a pleasant day' according to the firm. It also has wireless LAN, Bluetooth and infrared letting you control home appliances such as television, lights and air conditioning. Gatebox also plans to add support for the AI assistant 'Clova' provided by LINE Corporation in the future. The hologram is preprogrammed with a variety of terrifying phrases The Tokyo-based firm behind it says it is aimed at 'single men who live alone'. The virtual persona can also wakes you in the morning, tells you to pack an umbrella, turns the lights when she knows you're on your way home, and unwinds at the end of the evening by watching television with you. The firm says Gatebox can perform the standard virtual assistant tasks, such as providing calendar reminders and weather reports - but it is also designed to be a companion to its owner. They are the bricks that could build mankind's first home on another planet. European Space Agency officials have revealed the latest 'moon bricks' that could soon be used to construct a lunar habitat. They say the bricks are the starting point to building up a permanent lunar outpost and breaking explorers' reliance on Earth supplies. Scroll down for video This 1.5 tonne building block was produced as a demonstration of 3D printing techniques using lunar soil. The design is based on a hollow closed-cell structure inspired by bird bones to give a good combination of strength and weight HOW DO YOU MAKE A MOON BRICK? The surface of the Moon is covered in grey, fine, rough dust. Lunar soil is a basaltic material made up of silicates, a common feature in planetary bodies with volcanism. ESA has been experimenting using a similar material on Earth. The material is first compacted into shape, then heated using a furnace to 'bake' the brick. The resulting bricks have the equivalent strength of gypsum, and are set to undergo detailed mechanical testing. ESA said. Advertisement 'Moon bricks will be made of dust,' says Aidan Cowley, ESA's science advisor with a wealth of experience in dealing with lunar soil. 'You can create solid blocks out of it to build roads and launch pads, or habitats that protect your astronauts from the harsh lunar environment.' The surface of the Moon is covered in grey, fine, rough dust. This powdery soil is everywhere an indigenous source that could become the ideal material for brickwork, ESA says, and has already carried out experiments to crush, burn and compress it. They say the bricks are actually similar to those used on Earth. Lunar soil is a basaltic material made up of silicates, a common feature in planetary bodies with volcanism. 'The Moon and Earth share a common geological history, and it is not difficult to find material similar to that found on the Moon in the remnants of lava flows,' explains Aidan. Around 45 million years ago, eruptions took place in a region around Cologne, in Germany. Researches from the nearby European Astronaut Centre (EAC) found that the volcanic powder in the area is a good match with what lunar dust is made of. The lunar dust substitute 'made in Europe' already has a name: EAC-1. The Spaceship EAC initiative is working with EAC-1 to prepare technologies and concepts for future lunar exploration. 'One of the great things about the lunar soil is that 40% of it is made up of oxygen,' adds Aidan. Lunar soil is a basaltic material made up of silicates, a common feature in planetary bodies with volcanism. One Spaceship EAC project studies how to crack the oxygen in it and use it to help astronauts extend their stay on the Moon. Bombarded with constant radiation, lunar dust is electrically charged. This can cause particles to lift off the surface. Erin Tranfield, a member of ESA's lunar dust topical team, insists that we still need to fully understand its electrostatic nature. Scientists do not yet know its chemical charge, nor the consequences for building purposes. Trying to recreate the behaviour of lunar dust in a radiation environment, Erin ground the surface of lunar simulants. She managed to activate the particles, but erased the properties of the surface. 'This gives us one more reason to go back to the Moon. 'We need pristine samples from the surface exposed to the radiation environment,' says Erin. EUROPE'S MOON BASE PLANS REVEALED Last year, the head of the ESA elaborated on plans to build a village on the moon. 'The future of space travel needs a new vision,' said Jan Woerner. The concept is a base for lunar exploration by humans and robots, which would act as a stopover for spacecraft, and become a 'village' with mining and even tourism. 'The future of space travel needs a new vision. 'Right now we have the Space Station as a common international project, but it won't last forever,' said Woerner. Multi-dome lunar base being constructed, based on the 3D printing concept. Once assembled, the inflated domes are covered with a layer of 3D-printed lunar regolith by robots to help protect the occupants against space radiation and micrometeoroids._constructed.jpg 'If I say Moon Village, it does not mean single houses, a church, a town hall and so on. No, that would be misleading. 'My idea only deals with the core of the concept of a village: people working and living together in the same place. 'And this place would be on the Moon. 'In the Moon Village we would like to combine the capabilities of different spacefaring nations, with the help of robots and astronauts. For ESA's 3D-printed lunar base concept, Foster+Partners devised a weight-bearing 'catenary' dome design with a cellular structured wall to shield against micrometeoroids and space radiation, incorporating a pressurised inflatable to shelter astronauts 'The participants can work in different fields, perhaps they will conduct pure science and perhaps there will even be business ventures like mining or tourism.' Woerner said the village could even help man get to Mars. 'The Moon Village would also act as a 'pit stop' for the further exploration of the Universe,' he said. 'Esa is eager to fly to Mars as well. 'For more than a decade, we have had a very successful spacecraft orbiting there. And now, with ExoMars, two unmanned missions are aiming at martian orbit and the surface. 'Yes, the Americans want to send astronauts to Mars one day, but today's technology isn't prepared for this trip yet. 'For example, we must develop countermeasures against the cosmic radiation that endangers the health of humans on long space trips. And we have to learn how to endure longer periods of time in space, not only in low orbit as on the Space Station. Structures for a lunar base could be built by robots sent ahead of human astronauts. Experts said 3D printing technology can currently construct an entire building in around a week 'This is where our Moon comes into play it is the perfect stepping stone to Mars.' Advertisement For this biologist who dreams of being the first woman on the Moon, a few sealed grams of lunar dust would be enough. Setting up a permanent village on the moon is the first step towards exploring Mars, the European Space Agency has previously said as plans to reach and colonise the Red Planet gather pace. At an annual gathering of 4,000 global space experts in Adelaide, the ESA said the Moon was the 'right place to be' as humans expand economic activities beyond low-Earth orbit, even while Mars remained the 'ultimate destination'. 'We have been living in low-Earth orbit for the last 17 years on board a space station and we are on our journey to Mars for the first human mission,' ESA's Piero Messina told AFP at the congress. 'In between, we believe that there is an opportunity to create a permanent... sustainable presence on the surface of the Moon.' A 'war drone' that can be fitted with everything form machine guns to explosives and rocket grenades has been revealed. The founder of Ukrainian firm called Matrix UAV, Yuriy Kasyanov, posted a video of the prototype drone to his Facebook page. 'Armed with a grenade launcher, the unit is designed to inflict sudden, precise strikes on armored vehicles, fire points, air defense equipment, and enemy headquarters at a distance of up to 10 kilometers' Kasyanov says in the post. Scroll down for video The Ukranian drone has been tested carrying a grenade launcher, and is designed to inflict 'sudden, precise strikes' He claims the Demon could also carry out kamikaze strikes up to 12 miles away, diving directly onto its target with a 7-kilogram bomb. For more remote attacks, Kasyanov says a a 4-kilogram payload could be carried 56 miles. In the Facebook comments he also claims the firm had successfully test fired the drone without losing control - although no video of this has been posted. The first prototype of the Demon UAV is fitted with the RPG-26 grenade launcher. It can also carry small arms and a bomb load weighing up to 5 kg. The firm says the grenade launcher could be used for surprise attacks on armored vehicles, firing points, air defense systems and enemy headquarters at distances up to 10 km. The drone will be controlled by an operator. The threat of drone attacks has heightened in recent weeks after an alleged 'drone attack' against the president of Venezuela.- although many claim it was faked after TV cameras failed to capture the 'missiles' and firefighters said the incident was actually a gas tank explosion. Nicolas Maduro started rounding up his political opponents after blaming them for what he called an assassination attempt on Saturday. Maduro had been addressing a military parade in Caracas on live TV, when he suddenly halted and looked to the sky after hearing an explosion. He and his wife Cilia Flores were swamped with aides carrying bulletproof shields but both escaped uninjured. Maduro claimed a 'flying device' exploded before his eyes and quickly blamed his 'ultra-right' opponents, but no drones were seen on television footage, which cut out after the incident. No footage of drones emerged on social media either. Then, three fire officials at the scene disputed the government's version of events, claiming the attack was actually a gas tank explosion inside the Residencias Don Eduardo apartment building. An Indonesian volcanic eruption so massive it 'short circuited' Earth's atmosphere, may have been instrumental in helping the Allied army defeat the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo. Electrically charged volcanic ash short-circuited Earth's atmosphere in 1815, causing global poor weather and changing the course of European history, a London team says. Historians have long known that rainy and muddy conditions helped the Allied army defeat the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, with the wet ground stalling troop movements. Scroll down for video Dr Matthew Genge from Imperial College London found electrified volcanic ash from eruptions can 'short-circuit' the electrical current of the ionosphere the upper level of the atmosphere that is responsible for cloud formation. Now they believe a volcano named Mount Tambora that erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa two months before the battle, killing 100,000 people and plunging the Earth into a 'year without a summer' in 1816 was to blame. Dr Matthew Genge from Imperial College London found electrified volcanic ash from eruptions can 'short-circuit' the electrical current of the ionosphere the upper level of the atmosphere that is responsible for cloud formation. This brought heavy rain across Europe that contributed to Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat. Electrically charged volcanic ash short-circuited Earth's atmosphere in 1815, causing global poor weather and changing European history, Imperial researchers say. Pictured, men dressed as soldiers fight in a recreation of the battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo pitted Wellington (left) with his British and Allied army, and Napoleon (right) with his French Imperial Guard against each other in a decisive battle that changed the course of European history, ending France's domination in Europe The findings, published today in Geology, could confirm the suggested link between the eruption and Napoleon's defeat. The paper shows that eruptions can hurl ash much higher than previously thought into the atmosphere up to 100 kilometres above ground. Dr Genge said: 'Previously, geologists thought that volcanic ash gets trapped in the lower atmosphere, because volcanic plumes rise buoyantly. This detailed astronaut photograph depicts the summit caldera of the Mount Tambora, which is 6 kilometres in diameter and 1,100 meters deep. It formed when Tambora's estimated 4,000-meter-high peak was removed, and the magma chamber below emptied during the 1815 eruption. Estimated depth of volcanic ashfall during the 1815 eruption: the outermost region (1 cm) reached Borneo and the Sulawesi islandsThe 1815 Mount Tambora eruption. The red areas are maps of the thickness of volcanic ashfall. 'My research, however, shows that ash can be shot into the upper atmosphere by electrical forces.' A series of experiments showed that that electrostatic forces could lift ash far higher than by buoyancy alone. Dr Genge created a model to calculate how far charged volcanic ash could levitate, and found that particles smaller than 0.2 millionths of a metre in diameter could reach the ionosphere during large eruptions. The findings, published today in Geology, could confirm the suggested link between the eruption of Mount Tambora and Napoleon's defeat He said: 'Volcanic plumes and ash both can have negative electrical charges and thus the plume repels the ash, propelling it high in the atmosphere. 'The effect works very much like the way two magnets are pushed away from each other if their poles match.' The experimental results are consistent with historical records from other eruptions. WHAT WAS THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO? The Battle of Waterloo, which took place in Belgium on June 18, 1815, marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. It pitted Wellington, with his British and Allied army, and Napoleon with his French Imperial Guard against each other in a decisive battle with the potential could end 20 years of bloody conflict on the continent. Napoleon rose through the ranks of the French army during the French Revolution, seized control of the French government in 1799 and became emperor in 1804. Through a series of wars, he expanded his empire across western and central Europe. The Battle of Waterloo, in which Napoleon's forces were defeated by the British and Prussians, marked the end of his reign and of France's domination in Europe. Wellington was outnumbered approximately 68,000 Allied troops versus Napoleon's 72,000 Advertisement Weather records are sparse for 1815, so to test his theory, Dr Genge examined weather records following the 1883 eruption of another Indonesian volcano, Krakatau. The data showed lower average temperatures and reduced rainfall almost immediately after the eruption began, and global rainfall was lower during the eruption than either period before or after. He also found reports of ionosphere disturbance after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, which could have been caused by charged ash in the ionosphere from the volcano plume. In addition, a special cloud type appeared more frequently than usual following the Krakatau eruption. Noctilucent clouds are rare and luminous, and form in the ionosphere. Dr Genge suggests these clouds therefore provide evidence for the electrostatic levitation of ash from large volcanic eruptions. Dr Genge said: 'Vigo Hugo in the novel Les Miserables said of the Battle of Waterloo: 'an unseasonably clouded sky sufficed to bring about the collapse of a World.' 'Now we are a step closer to understanding Tambora's part in the Battle from half a world away.' Onavo, Facebooks data security app that offers consumers access to a virtual private network (VPN), is due to be removed from Apples App Store at the same time that the social media site suspended more than 400 apps for harvesting users personal information. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the app created an encrypted VPN connection that routes internet activity through servers that are managed and secured by Facebook and the app also alerted users when sites they visit may be dangerous. It has become public knowledge that Facebook is able to collate data about how people use their smartphones outside of the social networks services and potentially figure out information about rivals or internet trends, but what is Onavo? Onavo, Facebook data security app offering access to VPN, has been removed from App Store What is Onavo? Onavo, founded in Israel in 2010 by Roi Tiger and Guy Rosen, is an analytics company that has provided products for applications, which are then influenced by the data that is collated through the companys VPN services, Onavo Extend and Onavo Protect, according to Crunchbase. In 2013, the company was acquired by Facebook and was the seed for the launch of Facebook Israel, its platform being leveraged to monitor the performance of competitors and influence other acquisitions and business decisions. Onavo pulled from App Store The WSJ revealed that Facebook will be pulling the Onavo Protect VPN from Apples App Store after being informed that it violates data collection rules. A spokeswoman for the social media site told AFP: Weve always been clear when people download Onavo about the information that is collected and how it is used. As a developer on Apples platform we follow the rules theyve put in place. However, Facebook did not comment about whether or not they were removing Onavo from the App Store, but the Journal quoted a source close to the matter who revealed that the VPN would be gone by the end of the day. While Onavo has been in the App Store for a number of years, Apple recently informed Facebook that the app violated rules that ban gathering information that is not relevant to the program or that is needed to provide advertising. Onavo Protect's description at the App Store said that it helps keep you and your data safe when you browse and share information on the web. Versions of the app installed on iPhones will continue to work, but Facebook will no longer be able to update the program. Onavo Protect will be available on smartphones powered by Google-backed Android software. Facebook suspension This news comes in light of Facebook suspending more than 400 apps for harvesting users data, including the myPersonality app that was exposed after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. It has not been revealed how many users have been affected by the other 399 apps, but Facebook said that information from the four million users that had used myPersonality had been shared. Apps were suspended 'due to concerns around the developers who built them or how the information people chose to share with the app may have been used,' a company official said. What is a Virtual Private Network? Sony's new-and-improved Aibo robot dog is finally coming to the US. The Japanese tech giant said Thursday a special 'First Litter Edition' will go on sale in September and packs more smarts than previous iterations, like the ability to learn custom tricks, map and navigate a room with ease and learn up to 100 faces. It all comes at a hefty cost, however, with a price tag of $2,899 for a bundle that includes Aibo, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, an 'aibone' and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app. Scroll down for video Sony's new-and-improved Aibo robot dog is finally coming to the US. The tech giant said a special 'First Litter Edition' will go on sale in September for the hefty price tag of $2,899 THE NEW AIBO Aibo is billed as a pet that behaves like a puppy using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and interact with its owner and surroundings. The reborn Aibo features new actuator technology allowing it move more smoothly and naturally like a real dog. With sensing and AI technologies, Aibo can run toward its owner and detect smiles and words of praise, and can remember what actions please the owner. Its eyes are made of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays making it capable of diverse expressions. The robot comes with an array of sensors, cameras and microphones and boasts internet connectivity, allowing owners to play with the pet remotely via smartphone. Advertisement Aibo 2.0 is a major step up from the original robotic puppy dog first launched by Sony back in 1999. Sony says it fitted Aibo with tons of cameras, touch sensors and microphones to make it more responsive and lifelike. The puppy's 4,000 parts and 22 actuators allow it to wag its tail, shake your hand, move its ears back and forth and kick a ball, as well as move or blink its eyes thanks to two Sony organic LED displays that can even follow its owner around. A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect and analyze sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. Aibo responds to your touch when you scratch or pet it and can even recognize words of praise and smiles. Sony's latest re-imagination of Aibo has also given the robo dog a personality. Using a Wifi connection, Aibo uploads all of its day-to-day experiences to the cloud, forming a memory database that enables its unique personality to grow and evolve over time. This makes it so that 'no Aibo is the same,' according to the firm. 'Aibo keeps on growing and changing, constantly updating its data in the cloud,' Sony explained. 'Over time, your approach to nurturing Aibo will gradually shape its personality - it could be a doting partner, a wild, fun-loving companion, or anywhere in between. 'It'll even learn new tricks through interactions with other Aibo, experiences with changing seasons and different events,' the company added. Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, such as 'sit,' 'stay,' and 'come.' There's also a 'mimic' mode, where owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements. A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. Its 22 actuators make it move in a more natural way Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, like 'sit,' 'stay,' and 'come.' 'Mimic' mode lets owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements It can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender. Users can tell their Aibo to 'go to the kitchen' and it's able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination. 'You'll be amazed at what your Aibo can do, but it can't do everything by itself - for some tricks to work, you'll need to interact with your Aibo or help it out a bit,' the company explained. 'Team up, tackle new tricks together, and watch your Aibo grow.' Aibo can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender Users can tell their Aibo to 'go to the kitchen' and it's able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination For $2,899, consumers get a bundle that includes Aibo, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, an 'aibone' and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app Sony released the new version of Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. Japanese consumers can pick up an Aibo without a cloud plan and also at a discount - the new dog is priced at $1,760 there. However, the company admits that Aibo isn't necessarily meant to be for the average consumer. Early adopters and robot enthusiasts are more likely to be open to paying nearly $3,000 for the next-generation robot dog. 'We believe the price we're launching at is a great value, when you look at all things included,' Sony Electronics president and COO Mike Fasulo told Engadget. Sony released the new Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. The company admits that it isn't meant to be for the average consumer 'We're talking about the future, with AI and learning...it just gets better as the days and weeks go.' Sony initially discontinued the original Aibo in 2006 due to financial troubles at the firm. But Aibo diehards continued to purchase older models and even spend hundreds of dollars on maintenance costs. Now, Sony is putting its AI expertise to work with the new Aibo and is hoping consumers will be drawn to the 'one-of-a-kind' product. 'Aibo's charming personality, dog-like behaviors and ability to intelligently interact with family members help to create a personal bond,' Fasulo said in a statement. 'Bringing aibo back to the U.S. reflects Sony's broader commitment to provide consumers with products that not only entertain them, but also enrich their lives.' An enormous Roman villa has been uncovered beneath a field in Oxfordshire packed with trophies, including coins and boar tusks alongside a sarcophagus containing the skeletal remains of a unnamed woman. Amateur detectorist and historian Keith Westcott found the ancient remains beneath a crop in a field near Broughton Castle near Banbury. A team of archaeologists unearthed the remains of the historic building, which is bigger than the mausoleum at the Taj Mahal, as part of a four-month excavation project. The foundations measure 85metre by 85metre (278ft x 278ft) the second largest ever discovered in Britain and date back to 99 AD. The mausoleum at the Taj Mahal is 57metre x 57metre (187ft x 187ft). The land previously belonged to Lord and Lady Saye and Sele, the parents of Martin Fiennes, who now owns the land. He works as a principal at Oxford Sciences Innovation and is second cousin of British explorer Ranulph Fiennes and third cousin of actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes. Scroll down for video A metal detectorist has uncovered one of the largest Roman villas ever discovered in Britain and it was found on land belonging to the family of the actor Ralph Fiennes The new structure is believed to be the second largest Roman villa ever found in Britain, behind only the Fishbourne Palace in West Sussex, which dates back to 75 AD was discovered in 1960. Mr Westcott, 55, decided to investigate the site after being told by local farmer John Taylor that he had ploughed his tractor into a large stone in 1963. Mr Taylor said he saw a hole had been made in the stone and when he reached inside he pulled out a human bone. Incredibly, the farmer had uncovered a sarcophagus of a high-status woman who had died in the third or fourth century. Fascinated by the story, Mr Westcott set off in October 2016 to explore the site properly. His eureka moment came when he found a 1,800 year-old tile from a hypocaust system, which was an early form of central heating used in high-status Roman buildings. A team of archaeologists unearthed the remains of the historic building, which is bigger than mausoleum at the Taj Mahal, following a four month excavation project. Pictured is Martin Fiennes on the north range wall The 85m by 85m (278ft x 278ft) foundations date back to 99 AD and lie beneath a crop in a field near Broughton Castle near Banbury, Oxfordshire A wealth of artifacts including coins, coffins and a large boar tusk were also found during the dig which was led by detectorist and historian Keith Westcott. Pictured is an artifact discovered at the archaeological dig site The land belongs to the family of actor Ralph Fiennes (pictured). The historic building is bigger than the mausoleum at the Taj Mahal Very little is currently known about the site (pictured). Experts say the villa would have been the centre of rural industry and agriculture at the time It is believed to be the second largest Roman villa ever found in Britain since Fishbourne Palace in West Sussex which dates back to 75 AD was discovered in 1960. Pictured is the site How England spent almost half a millennium under Roman rule 55BC - Julius Caesar crossed the channel with around 10,000 soldiers. They landed at a Pegwell Bay on the Isle of Thanet and were met by a force of Britons. Caesar was forced to withdraw. 54BC - Caesar crossed the channel again in his second attempt to conquer Britain. He came with with 27,000 infantry and cavalry and landed at Deal but were unopposed. They marched inland and after hard battles they defeated the Britons and key tribal leaders surrendered. However, later that year, Caesar was forced to return to Gaul to deal with problems there and the Romans left. 54BC - 43BC - Although there were no Romans present in Britain during these years, their influence increased due to trade links. 43AD - A Roman force of 40,000 led by Aulus Plautius landed in Kent and took the south east. The emperor Claudius appointed Plautius as Governor of Britain and returned to Rome. 47AD - Londinium (London) was founded and Britain was declared part of the Roman empire. Networks of roads were built across the country. 50AD - Romans arrived in the southwest and made their mark in the form of a wooden fort on a hill near the river Exe. A town was created at the site of the fort decades later and names Isca. When Romans let and Saxons ruled, all ex-Roman towns were called a 'ceaster'. this was called 'Exe ceaster' and a merger of this eventually gave rise to Exeter. 75 - 77AD - Romans defeated the last resistant tribes, making all Britain Roman. Many Britons started adopting Roman customs and law. 122AD - Emperor Hadrian ordered that a wall be built between England and Scotland to keep Scottish tribes out. 312AD - Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal throughout the Roman empire. 228AD - The Romans were being attacked by barbarian tribes and soldiers stationed in the country started to be recalled to Rome. 410AD - All Romans were recalled to Rome and Emperor Honorious told Britons they no longer had a connection to Rome. Source: History on the net Advertisement It was then he knew that whatever ruins lay beneath the soil were of 'unimaginable quality and significance.' Along with a team from Oxford Archaeology, Mr Westcott spent two weeks on the field in April this year, digging five trial trenches to gauge the scope of the remains. Using technology such as magnotomerty which acts like an x-ray through soil walls, room outlines, ditches and other infrastructure was uncovered. The villa's accommodation would have included a bath-house with a domed roof, mosaics, a grand dining room, kitchens and a living accommodation. Along with a team from Oxford Archaeology, Mr Westcott spent two weeks on the field in April this year, digging five trial trenches to gauge the scope of the remains. Pictured is drone footage of the site In 55BC Julius Caesar crossed the channel with around 10,000 soldiers. They landed at a beach in Deal and were met by a force of Britons. Pictured is a coin found at the site Pictured is a Roman coin found at the Broughton Castle villa dig site. A farmer first stumbled upon the site over half a century ago In 122AD Emperor Hadrian ordered that a wall be built between England and Scotland to keep Scottish tribes out. Pictured is a wild boar tusk found at the site Pictured is an unidentified object from the site. The cost of the project could be in the region of around two million pounds Mr Westcott, 55, decided to investigate the site after being told by local farmer John Taylor that he had ploughed his tractor into a large stone in 1963 Mr Taylor said he saw a hole had been made in the stone and when he reached inside he pulled out a human bone Incredibly, the farmer had uncovered a sarcophagus of a high-status woman who had died in the third or fourth century. Fascinated by the story, Mr Westcott set off in October 2016 to explore the site properly Martin Fiennes is a principal at Oxford Sciences Innovation and is the third cousin of actor Ralph Fiennes and also second cousin to the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes (pictured) In total 178 items of significance were uncovered, cleaned and cataloged including coins bearing the mythological twins Romulus and Remus as well as bone china. Mr Westcott, who is director of The Association of Detectorists, said: 'It truly is a remarkable find of incredible historical significance. 'We've only uncovered about one per cent so the possibilities of what we still might find are endless. 'The only bigger one is at Fishbourne Palace in West Sussex but that is a palace and we think that parts of it could date back to the second century. 'All other sites of this significance with the exception of North Leigh near Witney have a visitor centre and/or a museum, so it really is a big deal.' 'We've only uncovered about one per cent so the possibilities of what we still might find are endless', said Mr Westcott (pictured) Martin Fiennes and his parents Lord and Lady Saye and Sele. Mr Westcott is director of The Association of Detectorists It total 178 items of significance were uncovered, cleaned and cataloged including coins bearing the mythological twins Romulus and Remus as well as bone china. Pictured is Keith Westcott with a wild boar tusk Mr Westcott (pictured), who is director of The Association of Detectorists, said: 'It truly is a remarkable find of incredible historical significance' Mr Westcott says that it is possible Roman dignitaries visited for the sporting purposes He says that it is possible Roman dignitaries visited for the sporting purposes. 'Most of the other big courtyard villas were discovered in the 1800s and excavated using Victorian techniques', said Mr Westcott. 'All of the other discoveries had been done so by accident but in this instance I had a theory and went with it. 'The villa would be the real centre of rural industry and agriculture and although the persons living there would have been very wealthy and powerful there would have been all sorts of things going on from the cooks to slaves. 'The more we're finding out about this part of north Oxfordshire, we're realizing at the head of the triangle between Fosse Way, Akeman Street and Watling Street was a very important Roman area', he said. The land previously belonged to Lord and Lady Saye and Sele the parents of Martin Fiennes who now owns it (pictured) Unlike many other sites, this one has nothing built on top. Universities, English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Roman archaeology are now being approached to take part in a full excavation Unlike many other sites, this one has nothing built on top. Universities, English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Roman archaeology are now being approached to take part in a full excavation. The cost of the project could be in the region of around two million pounds. Martin Fiennes, who was also central to the operation and took part in the dig, said: 'The next step will be for me to reach out to various universities, starting with Oxford, to see if they are interested in leading a project to do a full excavation over a period of years. 'Obviously we would like someone to do it who can involve the local community as much as possible as well as comprehensively recording the site. 'If no-one wants to do it, then it stays happily undisturbed for another 50 or 100 years until someone comes up with the money and interest.' The cost of the project could be in the region of around two million pounds. Pictured are artifacts discovered at the dig Martin Fiennes (right), who was also central to the operation and took part in the dig, said: 'The next step will be for me to reach out to various universities, starting with Oxford, to see if they are interested in leading a project to do a full excavation over a period of years' Dolphins can learn from each other to walk on their tail and this intelligence could help save the species from climate change, a new study found. Scientists say a dolphin who learned the complex trick in captivity has taught it to nine of her friends and family since she was released into the wild. It marks the only known example of a mammal teaching human tricks to its peers in the wild without any help from a human trainer. The skill allows dolphins to adapt new behaviours faster than they would through natural selection, potentially giving them the edge over rapid changes to their environment caused by global warming. Scroll down for video Billie the bottlenose dolphin was rescued from a polluted creek in the 80s and spent time at a dolphinarium before she was released back into the wild. She was not taught how to tail walk but was later spotted performing the trick in the wild. Pictured left is Billie tailwalking The research comes from experts at the University of Exeter and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, which is based in Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is the latest chapter in the story of Billie the dolphin - a bottlenose who was rescued from a severely polluted creek in January 1988. Billie was rehabilitated at a dolphinarium in Adelaide for several weeks, where she learned a trick known as the tailwalk by watching the performing peers she was housed with. The trick, which involves 'standing' upright on the tail and running backwards along the waterline, is a common part of dolphinarium routines and rarely seen in the wild. Following her release back into the wild, Billie continued to perform the trick and by 2011 nine of her peers were copying her, according to the new study. The frequency of the habit dropped off over time, researchers said, and by 2014 only two tailwalkers remained, both of whom performed the behaviour only sporadically. Tail walking is the act of rising vertically out of the water and then moving back and forth across the surface (file photo). The behaviour is a standard part of the routine in most dolphinariums, but rarely occurs in the wild A BRIEF HISTORY OF BILLIE THE TAILWALKING DOLPHIN Billie the dolphin was rescued from a polluted creek in January 1988, spending several weeks in a dolphinarium in Adelaide. While housed with the performing dolphins, Billie learnt a trick known as tail walking by watching them go through their act. During a tail walk, a dolphin rises vertically out of the water and moves forward or backwards across it. The move rarely occurs in the wild but is a standard part of the routine in almost all dolphinaria. Once released back into the wild Billie began performing this unique behaviour in front of her peers in the pod. Billie's tail walking would be nothing more than an interesting example of individual social learning if she alone had performed it. Yet soon other dolphins copied it and by 2011 nine dolphins had been observed tail walking in the wild. After 2011 the number of dolphins tail walking in the wild declined with the most prolific tail-walker dying in 2014, leaving only two remaining tail-walkers, both of whom performed the behaviour only sporadically. Advertisement Tailwalking now seems destined to disappear from the community and is a dying fad, researchers said, but the finding may have implications for the dolphins as they fight to cope with global warming. An ability to quickly imitate others could help the animals adapt to develop new survival skills faster than natural selection allows. New foraging or hunting behaviours could quickly spread between pod-members as the environment changes over the next few decades. Researchers followed the behaviours of Billie and her pod over the course of three decades for their paper. Dr Mike Bossley, of Whale and Dolphin Conservation and the study's lead author, said: 'I knew Billie's history and was able to track her behaviour and that of the other dolphins in the community over an extended period. The find marks the only known example of a mammal teaching human tricks to its peers in the wild without any help from a human trainer (file photo) 'This enabled me to observe tail walking spread through the community and then its eventual fading away.' Dr Luke Rendell, a dolphin specialist from the University of St Andrews, added the study provided a 'revealing insight' into the role of imitation in dolphin communities. Co-author Philippa Brakes said the existence of imitation in wild dolphins has important implications for conservation. She said: 'Understanding more about the social transmission of behaviour will help us predict how different species may respond to changes in their environment. 'The rapid spread of socially learnt behaviours can operate much faster than the intergenerational process of natural selection, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the type of behaviour transmitted.' The study was published in the Royal Society's Biology Letters. The Russian Ministry of Defence has been keen to promote a range of new super weapons currently believed to be in development. President Putin unveiled a catalogue of doomsday weaponry as part of his annual 'State of the Nation' speech in March 2018. However, questions remain about the true nature of their capabilities, how far into development the weapons truly are, and when they will be combat-ready. RS-28 Sarmat ICBM The RS-28 Sarmat is intended to replace the Soviet-designed SS-18 Voyevoda, the world's heaviest ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile). It is known as 'Satan' in the West and carries 10 nuclear warheads. Sarmat can unleash ten large thermonuclear warheads, 16 smaller ones, or a combination of both, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. Each warhead is purportedly capable of taking aim at a different target. The hypersonic glide vehicle, dubbed Avangard, launches atop an intercontinental ballistic missile (IBM) before sailing on top of the atmosphere toward its target. Russia tested its latest IBM, the Sarmat missile, for the first time last year (pictured) The (ICBM) weapons can strike targets via both the North and South poles. TV broadcaster Zvezda, which is run by the Russian Ministry of Defence, has previously claimed the missile will be capable of wiping out areas the size of Texas or France. It is also capable of carrying up to 24 of Russia's new Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles, designed to sit atop of an ICBM. Putin says both weapons will be combat-ready in 2020. Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Russia is also believed to be developing a hypersonic weapon that can breach even the world's most advanced missile defence systems. The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle purportedly travels at 20 times the speed of sound and can hit targets anywhere in the world within half an hour. The vehicle launches atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, before gliding on top of the atmosphere toward its target. It is loaded with advanced countermeasure systems that allow it to skirt around the latest-generation of missile defence systems, Russia claims. The vehicles are equipped with onboard countermeasure systems capable of dodging even the most advanced missile defence systems. This artist's impression shows how the glider could manoeuvre at high speed to bypass missile defences The gliders are also highly unpredictable thanks to their manoeuvrability, making them almost impossible to track using conventional systems. Each weapon could be loaded with a nuclear warhead, however military experts say the sheer speed of the vehicles means they could do damage even without an explosive payload attached. Putin described his hypersonic arsenal as 'invincible' during a state-of-the-nation address in March 2018. He claimed Avangard strikes 'like a meteorite, like a fireball' and was capable of reaching targets at 20 times the speed of sound. At this speed the weapon could circle the Earth in just over half an hour. Speaking to MailOnline, Neil Gibson, senior weapons analyst for Jane's by IHS Markit, said: 'I think the ability of hypersonic systems to defeat air-defence system is highly exaggerated. 'They have advantages and disadvantages as per any other weapon system. 'The fact is, the vast majority of ballistic missiles are already hypersonic anyway, it's the controlled flight when still hypersonic that we are talking about here. 'If nuclear armed, they just come under 'mutually assured destruction' style posturing. Using them is always possible of course. 'Conventionally-armed versions are more likely to be used, though any confusion with what they carry - nuclear or conventional warhead - could start an exchange of nuclear weapons if it is mistaken for a nuclear attack.' Kinzhal Hypersonic Air Launched Missile Another new missile, the hypersonic Kinzhal, travels at ten times the speed of sound, Putin says. It is currently undergoing tests in southern Russia. The hypersonic Kinzhal missile is launched from a high-altitude MiG-31 fighter jet and can be fitted with either nuclear, or conventional weapons. This still shows the hypersonic Kinzhal, which travels at ten times the speed of sound and is currently undergoing tests in southern Russia It has an effective range of 1,250 miles (2,000 km), although Putin claims its total range is actually 'unlimited'. Russia has already conducted some 350 training missions with the military unit tasked with testing the Kinzhal. Putin claims the new missile would be capable of striking 'anywhere in the world', and that its high speed and manoeuvrability allowed it to pierce any missile defence. However, despite Putin's major promises, the missile has still not been able to stay airborne for more than a few minutes, according to US intelligence sources. The new missile has purportedly been tested four times between November and February and crashed every time. Burevestnik nuclear powered cruise missile The burevestnik, or thunderbird, nuclear propulsion system for Russian cruise missiles aims to give them 'unlimited range and unlimited ability to manoeuvre', according to Sergey Pertsev, a developer. Ministry of Defence officials said in July, 2018, that work on the unlimited-range missile is going according to plan. Footage purported to show the missile in action, although it is unclear whether it was being powered by nuclear or conventional fuel. The 'Burevestnik' nuclear propulsion system for Russian cruise missiles, pictured, is said to have 'unlimited range and unlimited ability to manoeuvre' 'Launching systems are also being designed, while technological processes to manufacture, assemble and test the missile are being improved,' an official said at the time. However, experts have criticised the missile, including Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. He told Vice's Motherboard: 'The nuclear-powered cruise missile is newand bats**t crazy.' Poseidon Drone Submarine The Poseidon drone submarine is a sister project to burevestnik. It is essentially a giant, nuclear-capable torpedo capable of carrying a two megaton nuclear warhead capable of obliterating military ports. The Kremlin's Poseidon torpedo sub is designed to destroy 'enemy navy bases' and will be able to travel up to 70 knots (80 miles per hour), it claims. Russian state news agency TASS says it has not been able to confirm details of the weapon. The Poseidon drone submarine - with a miniature nuclear propulsion system - is shown undergoing a static test However, it quoted a military source as saying: 'It will be possible to mount various nuclear charges on the 'torpedo' of the Poseidon multipurpose seaborne system, with the thermonuclear single warhead similar to the Avangard charge to have the maximum capacity of up to two megatonnes in TNT equivalent.' With its nuke, the weapon 'is primarily designed to destroy reinforced naval bases of a potential enemy,' the report added. Peresvet Combat Laser System Named after a medieval warrior monk, very little is known about this system. Many believe Peresvet is a jamming system carried on the back of military lorries, which can be used to 'blind' optical electronic equipment inside enemy vehicles using a laser beam. According to ex-Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov the 'combat laser systems' that Putin addressed in his State of the Nation speech back in March had already been delivered to the nation's armed forces last year. Many believe Peresvet is a jamming system carried on the back of military lorries (pictured), which can be used to 'blind' optical electronic equipment inside enemy vehicles using a laser beam Once found only in works of fiction, Mr Borisov said such devices were now a very real and necessary tool of modern warfare. 'We can talk a lot about laser weapons and movies were made about them a long time ago and fantastic books have been written, and everyone knows about this,' Mr Borisov said in comments translated by the state-run Tass Russian News Agency. But the fact that these systems have started entering service is indeed today's reality.' Advertisement Incredible new images capture the bizarre mating ritual of hooded seals in which the male inflates a huge blood-red sac from its nostril to attract the attention of potential mates. The unique courting technique was snapped by wildlife photographer Sylvain Cordier in the Magdadalen Islands, Canada, during the species' mating season. Male hooded seals grow a cavity within their left nostril that is highly elastic and can be quickly expanded using air to try to tempt potential mates. This crimson sac is only displayed when a competitor approaches in order to discourage them from trying to steal away the female. Mr Cordier, 72, said witnessing the 'amazing' scene was a 'dream come true'. However, the French photographer was sure to keep his distance, as the 400 kilogram (880lb) animals become aggressive during mating season. Scroll down for video Incredible new images capture the stomach-churning moment a hooded seal attempts to impress nearby females by inflating an air sac in his nose. The unique flaunting technique was snapped by wildlife photographer Sylvain Cordier in the Magdadalen Islands, Canada, during the species' mating season Mr Cordier said: 'Hooded seals are very aggressive and therefore it is difficult to get near them. 'The females can also be aggressive in order to protect their young. The males' heads are very striking, it was really exciting photos to shoot because the mating spectacle is so amazing.' Named after their inflatable nasal cavities, hooded seals boast one of the strangest courting displays in the animal kingdom filling an elasticated hood that covers the top-half of their skulls with air. This creates a balloon-like sac beneath the skin on top of their head. As well as this hood, the animals have an inflatable left nostril that is sometimes used in sexual displays. To flaunt it, the seal blocks off its right nostril and pushes air into the other, inflating an elasticated membrane that shines bright red due to the blood coursing through it. Named after their inflatable nasal cavities, hooded seals are extremely territorial, and males can weigh up to 400 kilograms (880 lb). Pictured is a hooded seal without any of its nose sacs inflated The species boasts one of the strangest courting displays in the animal kingdom - filling an elasticated hood over its nose with air to produce a balloon-like sac on top of their head (pictured) WHAT ARE HOODED SEALS AND WHY DO THEY INFLATE THEIR NOSTRILS? Hooded seals are territorial creatures with aggressive personalities that are found in parts of Canada and Russia within the Arctic circle. Males boast one of the strangest courtship displays in the animal kingdom, inflating air sacs in their heads to make themselves appear larger to potential mates and rivals. The species is named after the inflatable hood on top of the male's head, which is elastic and is inflated through normal breathing. As well as an air sac on top of the head, hooded seals have an inflatable left nostril that is sometimes used in sexual displays. To flaunt it, the seal blocks off its right nostril and pushes air into the other, inflating an elasticated membrane that glows bright red due to the blood flowing through it (pictured) It uses this hood to produce sounds to ward off predators and other seals who are competing for food, mates and other resources. As well as its nasal hood, the species also has an air sac in its left nostril that it uses in some sexual displays. This is inflated by blocking off the right nostril and blowing air into it, producing a balloon-like pink sac that dangles from the nose. Advertisement The new pictures were snapped on the Magdadalen Islands off Canada's eastern coast The male only inflates this second sac when a competitor approaches in order to look more impressive and to discourage them from trying to compete for the female. Mr Cordier said of his stunning photographs: 'It was like a dream come true I had wanted to see hooded seals for a very long time. 'I didn't see any mating, although the male did at regular intervals attempt to mate with the female.' Hooded seals largely live on drifting pack ice and in deep water in the Arctic Ocean and North Atlantic, with an estimated 650,000 living in the wild. The species eats krill, squid, mussels, fish and crustaceans, including deep-sea crabs. Hooded seals are unusually solitary for a seal species, spending most of their life alone except for during mating season, when they gather in large groups. Named after their inflatable nasal cavities (pictured), hooded seals are extremely territorial, and males can weigh up to 400 kilograms (880lb) The male only inflates its second sac when a competitor approaches in order to look more impressive and to discourage them from trying to compete for the female. Pictured is a male hooded seal (left) with a female Advertisement The kingdom of King Arthur's Camelot was in a town in the West Country, BBC presenter Nick Knowles claims. Knowles, who is best known for presenting DIY SOS and National Lottery: Who Dares Wins, says the Knights Of The Round Table were most likely based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Knowles claims he can 'prove' that King Arthur's legendary round table was placed at the centre of one of the largest Roman amphitheatres in Britain and claims a historical expert agrees with him. The BBC host made the claim during an appearance on The One Show, telling viewers: 'Me and a professor at Bristol University reckon Camelot is in Cirencester and we can prove it.' According to Knowles, the Roman amphitheatre in Cirencester is the most likely explanation because it is the only location that matches the claim in the legend that King Arthur was able to seat 5,000 knights without precedence. The circular amphitheatre, which is believed to have fallen to the Saxons around AD 577, could hold the necessary number of people for the legend, Knowles claims. The facts surrounding the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, however historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries. Arthur was believed to have sat his knights on a circular table so nobody was ever in a position of power or importance. Scroll down for video Pictured is the huge Roman amphitheatre on the outskirts of the town of Cirencester where BBC presenter Nick Knowles said the legendary kingdom of King Arthur's Camelot was Legend says that during his reign King Arthur journeyed after the Holy Grail and fought a number of battles using his infamous sword, Excalibur. He first appears in historical documents from the early 9th century, but much of what we know of the legendary king comes from the writings of Geoffrey Monmouth, who penned the history of Arthur in the 1100s. Knowles said he could prove that the mystical court was in Cirencester's huge Roman amphitheatre. Knowles, 55, appeared on BBC One's The One Show to talk about the upcoming Grenfell episode of DIY SOS, which he has presented for almost 20 years. But as One Show presenters Alex Jones and Matt Baker introduced a segment about the abandoned Camelot theme park in the north-west, outspoken Knowles revealed that he knew the real location of the court. 'Me and a professor at Bristol University reckon Camelot is in Cirencester,' he said 'And we can prove it!' He went on to explain that King Arthur met with his knights in the middle of the fortified, circular amphitheatre in the Cotswolds town. Knowles claims he can 'prove' that King Arthur's legendary round table was placed in a huge Roman amphitheatre there - and says experts agree with him Arthur was said to have sat his knights on the round table so that none was ever in a position of power of importance Legend says that during his reign King Arthur journeyed after the Holy Grail and fought a number of battles using his infamous sword, Excalibur WHERE COULD KING ARTHUR'S CAMELOT HAVE BEEN? Most scholars regard King Arthur's Camelot as totally fictional. Legend says that during his reign King Arthur met with his knights at a Round Table, journeyed after the Holy Grail and fought a number of battles using his infamous sword, Excalibur. Back in 2014 it was suggested that a place called Standish, near Wigan, was the most likely location of Camelot, the mythical court of King Arthur. The claims were made by Graham Robb, who carried out extensive geographical research in preparation for a book. In his work, The Ancient Paths: Discovering the Lost Map of Celtic Europe, he suggests it was the meeting place of two major Celtic pathways. Mr Robb, who won the Whitbread Book Award in 1997, says his geographical research makes it more plausible than ever that the small corner of Wigan could be the location of the mythical Camelot. However, historic writers have cited a number of places as potentially being home to Camelot. Geoffrey of Monmouth believes that it was in Caerleon in South Wales which is home to one of three Roman legionary forts in Brtain. Another writer John Leland said in his Itinerary of 1542 that Camelot was Cadbury Castle, which is an Iron Age hill fort near Yeovil in Somerset. Another famous account of King Arthur is Thomas Malory's 15th century work Le Morte d'Arthur, who claimed that Winchester Castle was Camelot. Advertisement The huge Roman amphitheatre is one of the largest in the country. It was built at a time when Cirencester was known as Corinium, and was second only to London in size and importance for Roman Britain. The amphitheatre could hold 8,000 spectators before the Roman Army left Britain in around AD 408. It is believed to have fallen to the Saxons around AD 577. 'So the story about King Arthur having a table where 5,000 knights could sit without precedence comes from the circular amphitheatre,' Knowles said. 'That's where King Arthur had his round table.' The DIY SOS host is not the first to propose the theory about an amphitheatre. Camelot historian Chris Gidlow also believes the ancient Roman structure was used by King Arthur. Gidlow believes Arthur would have reinforced the 40-foot walls of a former Roman amphitheatre in Chester to create an imposing and well-fortified base. According to the historian, Arthur's regional noblemen would have sat in the front row of the circular arena, with lower-ranked subjects in the outer stone benches. Speaking ahead of a documentary about the theory that aired in 2010, Gidlow said: 'The first accounts of the Round Table show that it was nothing like a dining table but was a venue for upwards of 1,000 people at a time. 'We know that one of Arthurs two main battles was fought at a town referred to as the City of Legions. There were only two places with this title. One was St Albans but the location of the other has remained a mystery.' The legend of King Arthur links him to 12 major battles fought over 40 years from the Scottish Borders to the West Country. One of the principal victories was said to have been at Chester. The facts surrounded the real King Arthur (pictured left) are mired in myth and folklore but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries. In a recent interview, Nick Knowles (pictured right), said the Knights Of The Round Table were based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire Knowles, 55, appeared on BBC One's The One Show to talk about the upcoming Grenfell episode of DIY SOS, which he has presented for almost 20 years. He surprised locals by claiming the amphitheatre on the outskirts of the town of Cirenceste was the site where King Arthur placed his round table DID THE LEGENDARY KING ARTHUR REALLY EXIST? Both the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) and Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), state that Arthur was a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th to early 6th century. The 9th Century Historia Brittonum lists 12 battles that King Arthur fought, including the Battle of Mons Badonicus, where he is said to have killed 960 men - but some scholars have dismissed the reliability of this text. Tintangel Castle is popularly thought to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur based on the discovery of a slate engraved with 'Artognou' which was found at the site in 1998. Silchester was the site of King Arthur's coronation and was able to continuously defend itself against the Saxons. The Roman name for Silchester was Calleba similar to the name given to Arthur's sword, Excalibur. One of Arthur's celebrated battles against the Saxons was fought at Chester or the City of the Legion, as it was known in the Dark Ages. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of battle at nearby Heronbridge, and recent excavations show the amphitheatre was fortified during this period, with a shrine to a Christian martyr at its centre. This fits a description of Arthur's Round Table, which was said to be a very large structure, seating 1,600 of his warriors. During the 1960s, excavations by Philip Rahtz showed someone had inhabited the top of Glastonbury Tor during the so-called Arthurian period. According to the legends, this could have been King Meluas, who abducted Queen Guinevere to his castle at Glastonbury, or Arthur's warrior Gwynn ap Nudd, who was banished from his Palace on the Tor. In 1191, monks at Glastonbury Abbey found the body of a gigantic man, wounded several times in the head. The bones of his wife and a tress of her golden hair were also in the oak coffin. Found with the burial was an ancient lead cross, inscribed with 'Here lies buried the famous king Arthur with Guinevere his second wife, in the Isle of Avalon'. In 1962, archaeological evidence was found supporting the story that a tomb within the ancient church had been disturbed centuries previously. The whereabouts of the cross and bones are no longer known. However, Arthur is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or any documents written between 400 and 820 - including Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Advertisement Many other places have laid claim to being the famous home of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and the other knights of the round table. Back in 2014, it was suggested that a place called Standish, near Wigan, was the most likely location of Camelot, the mythical court of King Arthur. The claims were made by Graham Robb, who carried out extensive geographical research in preparation for a book. In his work, The Ancient Paths: Discovering the Lost Map of Celtic Europe, he suggests it was the meeting place of two major Celtic pathways. Knowles said he could prove that the mystical court was in Cirencester's huge Roman amphitheatre. According to the BBC presenter, the Roman amphitheatre in Cirencester is the most likely explanation because it is the only location that matches the claim in the legend that King Arthur was able to seat 5,000 knights without precedence The huge Roman amphitheatre is one of the largest in the country. It was built at a time when Cirencester was called Corinium, and was second only to London in size and importance Camelot historian Chris Gidlow also believes the ancient Roman structure was used by King Arthur. Gidlow believes Arthur would have reinforced the 40-foot walls of a former Roman amphitheatre in Chester (pictured) to create an imposing and well-fortified base It could hold 8,000 spectators before the Roman Army left Britain in around AD 408, and is believed to have fallen to the Saxons around AD 577 Camelot historian Chris Gidlow also believes ancient Roman structures was used by King Arthur. Gidlow believes Arthur would have reinforced a former Roman amphitheatre with 40-foot walls to create an imposing and well-fortified base Although Knowles believes the legendary Camelot is located in the Gloucester amphitheatre, there is much historical evidence to dispute this, including historical writings from the likes of Geoffrey of Monmouth and John Leland Mr Robb, who won the Whitbread Book Award in 1997, says his geographical research makes it more plausible than ever that the small corner of Wigan could be the location of the mythical Camelot. However, historic writers have cited a number of other places as potentially being home to Camelot. Geoffrey of Monmouth, who documented the legend of King Arthur in his book The History of the Kings of Britain published in 1136, believes that it was Caerleon, in South Wales that was home to one of three Roman legionary forts in Britain. Another writer, John Leland said that Camelot was Cadbury Castle, which is an Iron Age hill fort near Yeovil in Somerset. Another famous account of King Arthur is Thomas Malory's 15th century work Le Morte d'Arthur, who claimed that Winchester Castle was Camelot. Crop losses at the hands of swarms of hungry insects could double by 2050 as bug populations thrive in the warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. The crops set to be hit hardest include wheat, maize and rice - particularly in northern climates - say scientists behind the shocking new study. The research predicts that pest-induced crop losses will rise by between 10 and 25 per cent for every 1C the planet's surface warms. Farmers should begin grow heat- and insect-resistant produce now in order to prepare for the crop-hungry bugs, scientists warned. Crop losses at the hands of swarms of hungry insects could double by 2050 as bug populations thrive in the warmer temperatures brought about by climate change (stock image) The research, from an international team of scientists, used computer models to predict increases in insect populations in a warmer world. The biggest losses will hit many of the world's most productive agricultural areas, like the United States, France and China. The study projects the proportion of European wheat crops lost to insects each year will double by 2050, while losses of North America maize will jump 40 per cent, even if countries meet their existing promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Co-lead author Professor Joshua Tewksbury, of University of Colorado Boulder, said: 'In some temperate countries, insect pest damage to crops is projected to rise sharply as temperatures continue to climb. 'This would put serious pressure on grain producers.' Insects in a warmer climate are expected to be even hungrier and more numerous. Warmer temperatures have been shown to accelerate an individual insect's metabolic rate, leading it to consume more food during its lifespan. And while pest populations may decline in some hotter tropical areas, they are expected to increase elsewhere as temperatures rise and additional ecosystems become favorable to the insects. The researchers calculated the potential for crop damage through to 2050 by combining climate projection data, crop yield statistics, insect metabolic rates and other demographic information. Insect pestilence already reduces net yields of wheat, maize and rice, three staple grains that combined provide 42 per cent of total calorie consumption worldwide. The new study calculated that just a 2C (3.6F) rise in global average temperature will result in total crop losses of approximately 213 million tons for the three grains. The crops set to be hit hardest include wheat (pictured), maize and rice - particularly in northern climates, say scientists behind the shocking new study (stock image) It found that Europe's bread basket, including Britain, could be among the hardest hit. Currently the most productive wheat producing region in the world, pest impacts on European wheat could create total annual pest-induced yield losses that could top 16 million tons. Eleven European countries are predicted to see 75 per cent or higher increases in insect-induced wheat losses - including the UK, Denmark, Sweden and Ireland. Insects could also create major impacts on maize and rice yields in North America and Asia, respectively, according to the study. The US, the world's largest maize producer, could see an almost 40 per cent increase in insect-induced maize losses under current climate warming trajectories, a reduction of more than 20 million tons annually. Meanwhile, one-third of the world's rice production comes from China, where future insect-induced losses could top 27 million tons annually. Professor Tewksbury said: 'On average, the impacts from insects add up to about a 2.5 per cent reduction in crop yield for every degree Celsius increase in temperature. 'For context, this is about half the estimated direct impact of temperature change on crop yields, but in north temperate areas, the impact of increases insect damage will likely be greater than the direct impact of climate on crop yields.' The study recommended changes to global agricultural practices to adapt to the incoming changes. These included increased selection for heat- and pest-resistant crops and new crop rotation patterns to reduce vulnerability to insects. In some extreme cases, the researchers said that greater pesticide use may become necessary to secure regional food supplies, even at the cost of possible associated health and environmental damage. Advertisement SpaceX is one step closer towards ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station, dubbed by many as the start of a 'new era for human spaceflight.' Elon Musk's rocket company has completed the installation of a Crew Access Arm that will serve as a walkway for astronauts boarding the Crew Dragon capsule. Four astronauts will walk across the futuristic bridge from a crew access tower at the historic 39A launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to the Dragon, which will blast them into space. Scroll down for video Four astronauts will walk across the futuristic bridge from a crew access tower at the historic 39A launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to the Dragon, which will blast them into space. SpaceX shared images of the newly constructed Crew Access Arm on Twitter. 'Crew access arm installed at Launch Complex 39A in Florida; will serve as a bridge for @NASA astronauts to board Crew Dragon,' SpaceX said in a tweet. The firm is aiming for its first crewed flight in April 2019, while an uncrewed test flight will take place in November 2018. SpaceXs crew flight test will be led by astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, with plans to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in April 2019. Crew Dragon can hold up to seven astronauts at one time, but the manned mission will only include four men on board. The Crew Dragon capsule will blast off from launchpad 39A atop a 230-feet-tall Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX has been installing the Crew Access Arm at Kennedy Space Center's 39A launchpad for several weeks. The firm finished positioning it on a fixed service structure last week It will surely be a landmark moment for US space exploration, as it will signify the first human spaceflight mission since 2011, when NASA's Space Shuttle was retired. The Space Shuttle was a reusable spacecraft that ferried astronauts to and from earth and the International Space Station. After the Space Shuttle retired, the US was forced to rely on Russia for spacecraft that could transport astronauts to the ISS. WHAT IS ELON MUSK'S CREW DRAGON? The capsule measures about 20 feet tall by 12 feet in diameter, and will carry up to 7 astronauts at a time. The Crew Dragon features an advanced emergency escape system (which was tested earlier this year) to swiftly carry astronauts to safety if something were to go wrong, experiencing about the same G-forces as a ride at Disneyland. SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule measures 20 feet tall by 12 feet in diameter, and will carry up to 7 astronauts at a time. However, the manned flight will have four astronauts on board It also has an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) that provides a comfortable and safe environment for crew members. Crew Dragon's displays will provide real-time information on the state of the spacecraft's capabilities, showing everything from Dragon's position in space, to possible destinations, to the environment on board. Pictured is the Crew Dragon spacecraft simulator. The Crew Dragon features an advanced emergency escape system to swiftly carry astronauts to safety if something were to go wrong Those CRS-2 Dragon missions will use 'propulsive' landings, where the capsule lands on a landing pad using its SuperDraco thrusters rather than splashing down in the ocean. That will allow NASA faster access to the cargo returned by those spacecraft, and also build up experience for propulsive landings of crewed Dragon spacecraft. Advertisement Astronauts Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley, Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover will fly the Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station in April 2019 Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner will take the place of the now-defunct Spae Shuttle, as they each have crewed demonstration missions planned for later this year. Even more historic, the spacecrafts will blast off from the same launchpad used for NASA's Apollo 11 mission, which landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. The launchpad, which was built in 1967, was also where Apollo 13 launched into orbit. The access arm has been in development for several months now, but was installed at the complex on Monday. It hangs roughly 200ft above the ground - or about 70ft higher than where the former Space Shuttle access arm was constructed - and will be kept in pristine condition. WHEN DID NASA LAST LAUNCH CREWED MISSIONS FROM THE US? Shuttle Columbia is shown during lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center in 2003 NASA launched its first space shuttle, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1), from the Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981. In the three decades that followed, the space agency deployed a total of 135 missions from US soil. Columbia was only the beginning; following in its footsteps, NASA launched Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor to carry people to orbit. These launches also allowed for the construction of the International Space Station the largest structure in space, thats now home to a revolving crew of astronauts from all around the world, conducting important experiments that continue to advance our knowledge of the cosmos. The shuttle missions came to an end with the Atlantis shuttle on July 21, 2011 after STS-135. In the years since, NASA has had to rely on Russian modules to send astronauts to the ISS, all of which launch from foreign soil. Now, the space agency has turned to the private sector to provide space taxi services, to take astronauts from US soil to the ISS. On August 3, 2018, NASA revealed astronauts would fly on the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon. So far only SpaceX has successfully taken astronauts to the ISS, but it is hoped the first Starliner flight will happen in 2022. The shuttle missions came to an end with the Atlantis shuttle on July 21, 2011 after STS-135. Above, Atlantis lands at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fl, marking the official end of the 30-year program Advertisement According to NASA, SpaceX continues to modify Launch Complex 39A from its earlier state, by removing over 500,000lbs of steel from the pad structure. Pictured is the spacesuit to be worn by NASA astronauts that will travel to the ISS next year In addition to the Crew Dragon mission, SpaceX is also using 39A to send cargo to the ISS, as well as to launch commercial payloads. The first SpaceX mission from the historic launchpad took place in February. Before SpaceX is able to conduct its manned mission to the ISS, it has to complete an unmanned test misision. For the manned demonstration, called DEMO-2, the Crew Dragon will dock and undock with the ISS and then return back to earth. NASA will examine data from the flight and make sure that it meets certain safety and performance requirements. This will determine whether or not the spacecraft is suitable for regular trips to the ISS in the future. While uncrewed flight tests were not required, both Boeing and SpaceX have volunteered to perform them before adding astronauts. This was above and beyond the NASA requirement in the contract, said Kathy Lueders, Commercial Crew Program manager at NASA Kennedy. Both partners said they really wanted to have an uncrewed flight test to make sure the integrated rockets, spacecraft and re-entry systems are all working as designed to be able to ensure the integrated system is functioning. NASA launched its first space shuttle, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1), from the Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981. THE HISTORIC LAUNCH PADS OF KENNEDY SPACE CENTER'S LAUNCH COMPLEX 39 Since the late 1960s, Pads A and B at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 have served as backdrops for America's most significant manned space flight endeavors - Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and space shuttle. Located on Merritt Island, Fla., just north of Cape Canaveral, the pads were originally built for the huge Apollo/Saturn V rockets that launched American astronauts on their historic journeys to the moon and back. An aerial view of Launch Pad 39A during the Apollo/Saturn era, taken in 1976. During the Apollo era, key pad service structures were mobile. Following the joint U.S.-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission of July 1975, the pads were modified to support space shuttle operations. Both pads were designed to support the concept of mobile launch operations, in which space vehicles are checked out and assembled in the protected environment of the Orbiter Processing Facility and the Vehicle Assembly Building, then transported by large, tracked crawlers to the launch pad for final processing and launch. During the Apollo era, key pad service structures were mobile. For the space shuttle, two permanent service towers were installed at each pad for the first time, the fixed service structure and the rotating service structure. On April 12, 1981, shuttle operations commenced at Pad A with the launch of Columbia on STS-1. After 23 more successful launches from A, the first space shuttle to lift off from Pad B was the ill-fated Challenger in January 1986. Pad B was designated for the resumption of shuttle flights in September 1988, followed by the reactivation of Pad A in January 1990. Advertisement In the three decades that followed, the space agency deployed a total of 135 missions from US soil. With the upcoming tests, NASA is now closer than it has been in nearly a decade to launching astronauts from the US, aboard capsules made here at home. Advertisement Fifty-four years after it was sold by looters, an ancient Maya pictographic text has been judged authentic by scholars. Mexico's National Institute of History and Anthropology said the calendar-style text was made between 1021 and 1154 A.D. and is the oldest known pre-Hispanic document. The 10 surviving pages of the tree-bark folding 'book' will now be known as the Mexico Maya Codex. This undated photo released by Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH) shows an ancient Maya pictographic text that has been judged authentic by scholars in Mexico City. The INAH says it was made between 1021 and 1154 A.D., is the oldest known pre-Hispanic text, and will now be known as the 'Mexico Maya Codex.' (INAH via AP) It had been known as the Grolier Codex. It may have originally had 20 pages, but some were lost after centuries in a cave in southern Chiapas state. It contains a series of observations and predictions related to the astral movement of Venus. Mayan texts are written in a series of syllabic glyphs, in which a stylized painted figure often stands for a syllable. A Mexican collector bought it in 1964, and it was first exhibited at the Grolier Club in New York in 1971. Collector Josue Saenz returned the book to Mexican authorities in 1974. WHAT DOES THE MEXICO MAYA CODEX SHOW? The 10 surviving pages of the tree-bark folding 'book' will now be known as the Mexico Maya Codex, researchers said. It is a screenfold book fashioned from bark paper, coated with stucco on both sides and painted on one side. It may have originally had 20 pages, but some were lost after centuries in a cave in southern Chiapas state. The lower portions of the pages are badly damaged by moisture, eroding and staining bottom of each page. This undated photo released by Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH) shows an ancient Maya pictographic text that has been judged authentic by scholars in Mexico City The document contains a series of observations and predictions related to the astral movement of Venus. The lost pages would have been the first eight and the last two It contains a series of observations and predictions related to the astral movement of Venus. Mayan texts are written in a series of syllabic glyphs, in which a stylized painted figure often stands for a syllable. Each page of the codex has been painted on one side with a standing figure facing left. Each figure holds a weapon and most grip a rope leading to a restrained captive. The Codex is believed to have been created by a scribe during the 'difficult times' when both Chichen Itza and Tula were falling into decline. A smaller sheet of bark paper was attached to the lined sheet, and was radiocarbon dated to AD 1230, making the codex the oldest known surviving Mesoamerican codex. The lack of incrustations or insect damage to the codex suggests that, if genuine, it was stored inside a container for hundreds of years. Advertisement The fact that it was looted and had a simpler design than other surviving texts had led some to doubt its authenticity. 'Its style differs from other Maya codex that are known and proven authentic,' the institute said in a statement. About three other later Maya 'books' survived an attempt by Spanish conquerors to destroy Mayan artifacts in the 1500s. But the institute said Thursday that because the book was written so early, it had been created in an era of relative poverty compared to the other works. It said a series of chemical tests proved the authenticity of the pages and the pre-Hispanic inks used to write it. The ancient Maya pictographic text that has been judged authentic by scholars in Mexico City While previous studies had supported the authenticity of the text, it was the end of decades of doubts for the book. 'For a long time, critics of the codex said the style wasn't Mayan and that it was 'the ugliest' of them in terms of figures and color,' said institute researcher Sofia Martinez del Campo. 'But the austerity of the work is explained by its epoch, when things are scarce one uses what one has at hand.' Scientists are on the hunt for a 'dark force' of nature that, if found, would open the door to an invisible realm of the universe. The team hope to uncover a new fundamental force that connects ordinary matter with the elusive dark sector - invisible matter that makes up most of the cosmos. If successful, the find would fill in substantial holes in our understanding of the universe, making it one of the most dramatic discoveries in the history of physics. Our best guess at the make-up of the cosmos explains only 4 per cent of the observable universe, with the rest filled in by dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter and dark energy are among the most perplexing materials in the cosmos, and could explain the movement of stars and the expansion of the universe. But while this so-called dark sector forms a significant portion of the known universe, scientists have never directly observed it. Researchers hope finding a new force that connects the dark sector with ordinary matter will finally reveal what dark matter and energy are made of - if they exist at all. Scroll down for video Using a new instrument in Rome, scientists will begin a hunt this month for a fifth fundamental force of nature. It is hoped that this theoretical force, which connects ordinary matter with the so-called dark sector, will answer key questions about dark matter (artist's impression) 'At the moment, we don't know what more than 90 per cent of the universe is made of,' Dr Mauro Raggi, a scientist at Sapienza University in Rome, which is leading the project, told the Guardian. 'If we find this force it will completely change the paradigm we have now. 'It would open up a new world and help us to understand the particles and forces that compose the dark sector.' Researchers will turn on an instrument at Italy's National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Rome this month in search of a fifth fundamental force. The four basic forces physicists know of include the electromagnetic force and gravity, as well as the strong force - which holds atoms together - and the weak force, which is involved in radiation. It is believed that a fifth force control dark matter and dark energy, and may exert subtle effects on the other four forces that scientists currently struggle to explain. Our best guess at the make-up of the cosmos explains only 4 per cent of the observable universe, with the rest filled in by dark matter and dark energy (artist's impression) Dark matter: The mysterious substance that makes up 85% of the universe that scientists cannot confirm Dark matter is a hypothetical substance said to make up roughly 85 per cent of the universe. The enigmatic material is invisible because it does not reflect light, and has never been directly observed by scientists. Astronomers know it to be out there because of its gravitational effects on known matter. The European Space Agency says: 'Shine a torch in a completely dark room, and you will see only what the torch illuminates. Dark matter is a hypothetical substance said to make up roughly 27 per cent of the universe. It is thought to be the gravitational 'glue' that holds the galaxies together (artist's impression) 'That does not mean that the room around you does not exist. 'Similarly we know dark matter exists but have never observed it directly.' The material is thought to be the gravitational 'glue' that holds the galaxies together. Calculations show that many galaxies would be torn apart instead of rotating if they weren't held together by a large amount of dark matter. Just five per cent the observable universe consists of known matter such as atoms and subatomic particles. Advertisement The Positron Annihilation into Dark Matter Experiment, or Padme for short, will record what happens when antimatter particles called positrons are fired into a fragment of diamond just a tenth of a millimetre thick. When positrons hit the diamond, they merge with its electrons, releasing two particles of light called photons in a burst of energy. If the theorised dark force exists, then instead of producing two visible photons, the experiment will only release one regular light particle. The other will be a so-called dark photon that is invisible to the experiment's instruments. This hypothetical particle is the dark sector's equivalent to a photon, and will be measured by comparing the energy and direction of photons fired in, with whatever comes out. By measuring the energy of dark photons, scientists can figure out their mass, which the scientists predict is around 50 times that of an electron. Knowing the mass of the dark photon, if it exists, would allow scientists to figure out what particles it breaks down into, providing a first look at the dark sector. Other laboratories around the world are also looking for dark photons. Bryan McKinnon, a research fellow at Glasgow University, is involved in the search for the particle at the Thomas Jefferson national accelerator facility in Virginia. 'The dark photon, if it exists, is effectively a portal,' said Glasgow University research fellow Dr Bryan McKinnon, who is not involved in the research. 'It lets us peer into the dark sector to see what is happening. It won't open the floodgates, but it will allow us to have a little look.' Facebook should face new laws over its deliberate failure to protect children, according to the social media giant's ex-operations manager. Sandy Parakilas, who worked at the firm between 2011 and 2012, said Facebook's content and product design was driven by algorithms that maximised the number of users, irrespective of whether it caused addiction, or promoted inflammatory, disturbing or threatening material. The company repeatedly ignored his warnings about the way it handled the data and health of younger users, he told the Telegraph. This 'deliberate failure' allowed for the spread of problems such as social media addiction, anxiety or depression. The prominent Facebook critic argues that a duty of care to users must be imposed on tech firms to protect people from the harms of social media. New laws that force companies to safeguard the personal data, safety and mental health of users are needed to ensure people's safety, he said. Scroll down for video Sandy Parakilas (pictured left) has said Facebook is run like a personality cult centred around CEO Mark Zuckerburg (pictured right). He argues new laws must be put in place to ensure big tech firms have a 'duty of care' to users He claimed the company was run like a 'personality cult' centred around CEO Mark Zuckerberg, with no dissent or constructive internal criticism of policies. 'Businesses have a duty to do certain kinds of things,' Mr Parakilas said. 'While any law might not regulate at a hyper-specific feature level, you can say that companies have a duty not to addict their users. 'Where a company takes explicit steps that violate that duty, there should be some punishment.' Mr Parakilas is now chief strategy officer at the Center for Humane Technology, a group of former Silicon Insiders aiming to change our relationship with technology. Sandy Parakilas, who worked with the company from 2011 to 2012, said Facebook repeatedly ignored his warnings over misuse of the personal data of younger users (stock image) WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FACEBOOK WHISTLEBLOWER SANDY PARAKILAS? Sandy Parakilas worked as Facebook's operations manager at its Menlo Park campus in California between 2011 and 2012. He has since become a prominent critic of the social media site, and says he will continue until it does more to protect elections. The whistleblower warned in late 2017 that Facebook could not be trusted to regulate itself. He described the company as a 'living, breathing crime scene' for its role in the 2016 election. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal in March, Mr Parakilas said CEO Mark Zuckerberg knew the potential for such a breach as far back as 2010. He gave evidence to Congress, UK MPs and MEPs in Brussels during investigations of the scandal. Mr Parakilas has claimed Facebook repeatedly ignored his warnings over misuse of the personal data of younger users. He is now chief strategy officer at the Center for Humane Technology, a group of former Silicon Insiders aiming to change our relationship with technology. Advertisement He has repeatedly spoken out against the practices of Facebook, where he worked for two years at its Menlo Park headquarters in California. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal in March - in which it was revealed Facebook shared the data of 87 million users with a British political consultancy firm - Mr Parakilas claimed the company could have avoided the controversy. He told MPs that CEO Mark Zuckerberg would have known about concerns of data breaches at Facebook as early as 2010, in which 'highly personal' data on its users was handed over to app developers. But once the information was handed over the company had no way of keeping track of it - meaning it could be harvested and used by firms like Cambridge Analytica. Mr Parakilas said he gave top executives a briefing on the dangers that data could be breached. But Facebook effectively turned a blind eye to these concerns and did not carry out audits of where the data was going. He said Facebook's obsession with growth but lax privacy controls was like the 'Wild West' of America. A stunning 13th century tiled floor has been found 6.5 feet (two metres) below the current floor level at a medieval Abbey, in what has been described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime' discovery. The vividly-coloured tiles, which have not been seen in 500 years, display the coats of arms of powerful Norman monarchs and barons. They give a unique glimpse at what the interior of the grand Normal cathedral, which once stood on the site, would have looked like. The 'amazing' discovery was made at Bath Abbey in Somerset which was initially founded in the 10th century as part of vital repair work to the Abbey's collapsing floor. Scroll down for video A stunning 13th century tiled floor has been found two metres (6.5ft) below the current floor level at a medieval Abbey, in what has been described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime' discovery The tiles were found during renovation work for Bath Abbey's Footprint project to install a new eco-friendly heating system by using Bath's unique hot springs as a source of energy. Project director Charles Curnock said: 'Seeing these tiles is just amazing. 'We knew there was a floor down there but in a couple of places that we've done [and seen] already, there have been nothing of significance at all, just ordinary stone if that. 'We have been surprised and thrilled by the beautiful medieval tiles that Wessex Archaeology have just found as they dig down through the different layers of history below the floor.' Cai Mason, senior project officer for Wessex Archaeology, which is excavating the site, said that for archaeologists involved it is 'a once-in-a-lifetime find'. 'The trench in which the tiled floor was discovered was excavated during vital repair and stabilisation work to the abbey's collapsing floor', he said. 'The work is part of the 19.3 million ($25m) Heritage Lottery-supported Footprint Project which will also create new spaces and facilities for the community and install an eco-friendly heating system using Bath's famous thermal spring.' The 700-year-old floor is currently being painstakingly recorded by the archaeologists. The 'amazing' discovery was made at Bath Abbey in Somerset which was initially founded in the 10th century as part of vital repair work to the Abbey's collapsing floor The tiles were found during renovation work for Bath Abbey's Footprint project to install a new eco-friendly heating system by using Bath's unique hot springs as a source of energy WHAT HAVE ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND UNDER BATH ABBEY? A stunning 13th century tiled floor has been found 6.5 feet (two metres) below the current floor level at a Bath Abbey, in what has been described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime' discovery. The vividly-coloured tiles, which have not been seen in 500 years, display the coats of arms of powerful Norman monarchs and barons. They give a unique glimpse at what the interior of the grand Normal cathedral which once stood on the site would have looked like. The 'amazing' discovery was made at the abbey which was initially founded in the 10th century as part of vital repair work to the Abbey's collapsing floor. The 700-year-old floor is currently being painstakingly recorded by the archaeologists. The tiles will be preserved in situ; covered by a protective membrane and a layer of inert sand before the floor layers are built back up again to their present level. Experts have always known that before the current Gothic church was built there stood a Norman Cathedral and before that an Anglo-Saxon monastery. The three golden lions on a red shield is the coat of arms of the Plantagenet kings. The three red chevrons on a gold shield is the coat of arms of the de Clare family. This was composed of powerful Norman marcher barons who held the earldoms of Gloucester and Hertford as well as land in both Wales and Ireland. The family line came to an end when Gilbert de Clare, 8 Earl of Gloucester and cousin of Edward II, died at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Advertisement It will eventually form part of a 3D model encompassing all the excavations within the abbey. The tiles will be preserved in situ; covered by a protective membrane and a layer of inert sand before the floor layers are built back up again to their present level. Mr Curnock said: 'We have been surprised and thrilled by the beautiful medieval tiles that Wessex Archaeology have just found as they dig down through the different layers of history below the floor. Experts have always known that before the current Gothic church was built there stood a Norman Cathedral and before that an Anglo-Saxon monastery. 'Lifting the pews and repairing the floor as part of the Footprint project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity', Mr Curnock said. 'It will mean that we can maintain and make improvements to this beautiful building, and change how it can be used to better serve the city, visitors and future generations. Experts have always known that before the current Gothic church was built there stood a Norman Cathedral and before that an Anglo-Saxon monastery 'However, a massive bonus is that it has allowed us to discover important parts of the heritage; things like these beautiful tiles which are being seen for the first time in centuries.' Experts say that if it wasn't for the work carried out for the Footprint project they would have no idea they were here. The floor is composed of exquisite tiles which are attributed to the Wessex School; a series of designs derived from tiles laid at Clarendon Palace, east of Salisbury. Other examples of these tile designs are known from Bath, Wells, Bristol and Glastonbury. The three golden lions on a red shield is the coat of arms of the Plantagenet kings. The three red chevrons on a gold shield is the coat of arms of the de Clare family. This was composed of powerful Norman marcher barons who held the earldoms of Gloucester and Hertford as well as land in both Wales and Ireland. The family line came to an end when Gilbert de Clare, 8 Earl of Gloucester and cousin of Edward II, died at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. It is one of the biggest mysteries in the universe - and could be hiding in plain sight. Many astronomers are still convinced 'Planet Nine' exists beyond Jupiter. 'Every time we take a picture,' Surhud More, an astronomer at the University of Tokyo told the Washington Post, 'there is this possibility that Planet Nine exists in the shot.' While evidence for its existence stacks up, no telescope has yet been able to spot it. Scroll down for video Astronomers are still convinced a mysterious 'Planet Nine' exists beyond Jupiter. 'Every time we take a picture,' Surhud More, an astronomer at the University of Tokyo told the Washington Post, 'there is this possibility that Planet Nine exists in the shot.' Michael Brown, an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology, says he feels 'eternally optimistic' that someone will soon find it - but experts say it could be essentially invisible to existing observatories. 'It might be lingering bashfully on the icy outer edges of our solar system, hiding in the dark, but subtly pulling strings behind the scenes: stretching out the orbits of distant bodies, perhaps even tilting the entire solar system to one side,' NASA said. Astronomers have debated whether an elusive ninth planet orbits beyond Pluto for years, but a recent study may finally prove the mysterious world is real. Researchers spotted a distant rocky object that they suggest was pushed into an 'extraordinary orbit' by the gravitational pull of an uncharted planet. They say that their finding bolsters the ever-convincing case that a so-called 'Planet Nine' exists. Planet Nine was first theorised by experts at Caltech in 2016 when they spotted that a group of icy objects on the edges of the solar system have tilted orbits. They suggested the orbits of these lumps of ice - so-called Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) - were warped by the gravitational pull of a ninth planet in the solar system. An undiscovered world may be lurking in the outer reaches of the solar system. Astronomers have debated whether an elusive 'Planet Nine' (artist's impression) orbits beyond Pluto for years, but a new study may finally prove the mysterious world is real The objects had elliptical orbits that pointed in the same direction and were tilted 30 degrees 'downward' compared to the plane in which planets circle the sun. While Planet Nine has never been spotted, a number of astronomers - including scientists at Nasa - have since released research that supports the theory. In a new paper a group of experts led by the University of Michigan describe a distant object that they spotted in 2014 that could be as large as a dwarf planet. PLANET NINE: ORBITS OF OBJECTS BEYOND NEPTUNE SUGGEST 'SOMETHING LARGE' IS THERE Astronomers believe that the orbits of a number of bodies in the distant reaches of the solar system have been disrupted by the pull of an as yet unidentified planet. First proposed by a group at CalTech in the US, this alien world was theorised to explain the distorted paths seen in distant icy bodies. In order to fit in with the data they have, this alien world - popularly called Planet Nine - would need to be roughly four time the size of Earth and ten times the mass. Researchers say a body of this size and mass would explain the clustered paths of a number of icy minor planets beyond Neptune. First proposed by a group at CalTech in the US, this alien world was theorised to explain the distorted paths seen in distant icy bodies. Its huge orbit would mean it takes between 10,000 and 20,000 years to make a single pass around the sun. The theoretical Planet Nine is based on the gravitational pull it exerts on these bodies, with astronomers confident it will be found in the coming years. Those hoping for theoretical Earth-sized planets proposed by astrologers or science fiction writers - which are 'hiding behind the sun' and linked with Doomsday scenarios - may have to keep searching. Advertisement The rocky body, dubbed 2015 BP519, peaked the team's interest because its orbit is unusually tilted away from the plane that most objects that orbit the sun lie. They used computer simulations of the solar system to explore how this strange trajectory may have arisen. Simulations where our star system had eight planets did not reproduce 2015 BP519's tilted orbit. When researchers added a ninth planet that matched the properties of those proposed by the Caltech researchers, the simulation reproduced 2015 BP519's current orbit almost exactly. 'It's not proof that Planet Nine exists,' Professor David Gerdes, an astronomer at the University of Michigan and a co-author on the new paper, told Quanta. 'But I would say the presence of an object like this in our solar system bolsters the case for Planet Nine.' This image shows the orbit of 2015 BP519 (blue) as well as other TNOs as comparisons. For each orbit, the darker regions on the curve show where an object falls below the plane of the solar system. 2015 BP519 has the highest inclination of any extreme TNO discovered to date The study adds to piling evidence for the existence of Planet Nine, though astronomers remain latched to their telescopes in search of the object. In October 2017 Nasa weighed in on the debate, highlighting five different lines of evidence pointing to the existence of the object. It said that imagining that Planet Nine does not exist generates more problems than it solves. In 2016, researchers examined the orbits of six objects in a distant region of icy bodies stretching beyond Neptune. The objects had orbits that point in the same direction and are tilted 30 'downward' compared to the solar plane in which the eight planets circle the sun Dr Konstantin Batygin, a planetary astrophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, whose team is closing in on finding Planet Nine, said: 'There are now five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine. 'If you were to remove this explanation and imagine Planet Nine does not exist, then you generate more problems than you solve. 'All of a sudden, you have five different puzzles, and you must come up with five different theories to explain them.' Researchers are now using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii in the hopes of finding Planet Nine, and hope that its detection will also shed light on its origin. In 2016, Dr Batygin published a study that examined the orbits of six objects in the Kuiper Belt - a distant region of icy bodies stretching from Neptune outward toward interstellar space. His findings revealed that the objects all had elliptical orbits that point in the same direction and are tilted 30 degrees 'downward' compared to the plane in which the eight planets circle the sun. To investigate this further, the researchers used computer simulations of the solar system with Planet Nine included, and showed that there should be more objects tilted at 90 degrees to the plane of the eight planets. The team realised that five objects already known to astronomers fit the bill. Following this study, two more clues emerged about Planet Nine. A second article by Dr Batygin's team, led by Ms Elizabeth Bailey, showed that Planet Nine could have tilted the planets of our solar system during the last 4.5 billion years. Dr Batygin said: 'Over long periods of time, Planet Nine will make the entire solar-system plane precess or wobble, just like a top on a table.' Finally, the researchers demonstrate how Planet Nine's presence could explain why Kuiper Belt objects orbit in the opposite direction from everything else in the solar system. Dr Batygin said: 'No other model can explain the weirdness of these high-inclination orbits. It turns out that Planet Nine provides a natural avenue for their generation. 'These things have been twisted out of the solar system plane with help from Planet Nine and then scattered inward by Neptune.' The researchers now hope to find Planet Nine itself using the Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, which they describe as the 'best tool' for the job. Dr Batygin added: 'I think Planet Nine's detection will tell us something about its origin.' Babies can identify a bully before they can talk properly, scientists have revealed. They know the difference between respect and fear-based power by the time are 21 months old, according to new research. A study of 96 infants found they expected cartoon characters to obey a bully only when the bully was present. However, with a leader they assumed order would continue to be followed even in their absence. Scroll down for video Babies can identify a bully before they can talk properly, scientists have revealed. They know the difference between respect and fear-based power by the time are 21 months old, according to new research (stock image) Psychologist Professor Renee Baillargeon from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said the discovery sheds light on how babies make sense of the social world. She said: 'In general, when the leader left the scene, the infants expected the protagonists to continue to obey the leader. 'However, when the bully left, the infants had no particular expectation. The protagonists might continue to obey out of fear, or they might disobey because the bully was gone. 'The infants expected obedience only when the bully remained in the scene and could harm them again if they disobeyed.' Another experiment tested whether the babies were responding to the likeability of the characters in the scenarios - rather than to their status as leaders or bullies. Professor Baillargeon said: 'Finally, when the likeable character left, the infants expected the protagonists to disobey, most likely because the character held no power over them.' The findings confirm earlier studies showing infants can detect differences in power and expect them to to endure over time. Professor Baillargeon said: 'Our results also provide evidence infants in the second year of life can already distinguish between leaders and bullies. 'Infants understand that with leaders, you have to obey them even when they are not around. With bullies, though, you have to obey them only when they are around.' The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, followed the eyes of the infant participants as they viewed a series of animations. These included interactions between three protagonists and a character depicted either as a leader or a bully. A study of 96 infants found they expected cartoon characters to obey a bully only when the bully was present. However, with a leader they assumed order would continue to be followed even in their absence (stock image) Eye-gazing behaviour is a standard approach for measuring expectations in children too young to explain their thinking to adults. It relies on the observation babies stare longer at events that contradict their expectations. Previous studies have shown infants can recognise power differences between two or more characters. Professor Baillargeon said: 'For example infants will stare longer at scenarios where larger characters defer to smaller ones. 'They also take note when a character who normally wins a confrontation with another suddenly loses. 'But little was known about infants' ability to distinguish between different bases of power.' So she developed animations showing cartoon characters and an individual portrayed as a leader, a bully or a likeable person with no evident power. She first tested how adults (undergraduate students at the university) responded to the scenarios and found they identified the characters as intended. Next, she measured the eye-gazing of the infants as they watched the same animations. Professor Baillargeon said: 'In one experiment, the infants watched a scenario in which a character portrayed either as a leader or a bully gave an order - 'Time for bed' - to three protagonists, who initially obeyed. 'The character then left the scene and the protagonists either continued to obey or disobeyed.' The leader hit the ground with a stick as they played ball in a field so they handed the ball over and returned to the house and stayed inside even after she went away. But the bully used the stick to hit them over the head and snatched the ball away instead of asking. Professor Baillargeon said: 'We examined whether 21-month-old infants could distinguish between two broad types of social power. 'Respect-based power exerted by a leader who might be an authority figure with legitimate power, a prestigious individual with merited power, or some combination there of and fear-based power exerted by a bully.' Infants first saw three protagonists interact with a character who was either a leader or a bully and gave an order. They initially obeyed and the character then left. The protagonists either continued to obey or no longer did so. Professor Baillargeon explained: 'Infants in the leader condition looked significantly longer at the disobey than at the obey event, suggesting they expected the protagonists to continue to obey the leader in her absence. 'In contrast, infants in the bully condition looked equally at the two events, suggesting that they viewed both outcomes as plausible. 'The protagonists might continue to obey the absent bully to prevent further harm, or they might disobey her because her power over them weakened in her absence. 'Additional results supported these interpretations. Infants expected obedience when the bully remained in the scene and could harm the protagonists if defied. 'But they expected disobedience when the order was given by a character with little or no power over the protagonists. 'Together, these results indicate that by 21 months of age, infants already hold different expectations for subordinates' responses to individuals with respect-based as opposed to fear-based power.' The leaks just won't stop coming for Google. Another set of images claiming to show the Pixel 3 XL has leaked - this time from a Lyft driver who discovered the device in the back of his car, left behind by a forgetful passenger. It's unclear where the incident, first reported by Android Police, occurred. Scroll down for video Another set of images claiming to show the Pixel 3 XL has leaked - this time from a Lyft driver who discovered the device in the back of his car, left behind by a forgetful passenger The driver discovered the phone in the back of his car minutes after the passengers exited and, being a Pixel 2 XL owner, immediately recognized what it was, due to the Google logo on the back and the prominent notch at the top of the screen. He then shot a few photos of the device before giving it back to its owner. The phone had some identifying stickers, which Android Police blocked out. The incident has drawn some comparisons to when Apple suffered an embarrassing leak in 2010, after a man accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype behind in a bar. The leak comes about a month ahead of the Pixel 3 XL's official release date. Google is expected to release two new Pixel models at its October hardware event later this year. This isn't the first time the Pixel 3 XL has been spotted out in the wild well ahead of its official launch. The driver discovered the phone in the back of his car minutes after the passengers exited and, being a Pixel 2 XL owner, immediately recognized what it was, due to the Google logo on the back and the prominent notch at the top of the screen A closeup of the device's notch. The unit lines up with what analysts have predicted for Google's upcoming phones. The firm is expected to launch two new phones in October In July, a savvy leaker shared images that purportedly show the yet-to-be-released Pixel 3 XL in a white colorway, according to XDA-Developers. They reveal that the Pixel 3 XL is likely to include a large notch, as well as a sizable 'chin,' or space at the bottom of the phone's display. The photos provide more details after another leak in early June claimed to show the Pixel 3 XL in black. Like the photos shared earlier this year, these show off a Pixel phone with a larger form-factor, an orange power button on the right side of the device, single-lens rear camera, dual front-facing cameras and stereo speakers. Additionally, the device shows a logo on the back panel that's different than the typical 'G', indicating that it's more than likely a prototype model. Critics of the notch on Apple's iPhone X are likely to be peeved by Google's next smartphone. New images claim to show the upcoming Pixel 3 XL with a massive notch and chin design The photos were leaked by XDA-Developers user 'dr.guru' on Sunday. 'Unfortunately the phone doesn't boot because it was remotely erased by Google,' the user wrote in a blog post. The prototype Pixel device shows that it has 4 gigabytes of RAM, as well as 64 gigabytes of storage. Last week, photos leaked that claim to show what Google's smaller Pixel 3 smartphone could look like. An anonymous Reddit user shared several detailed shots of the seemingly legitimate device, as well as a few screenshots of its specifications. It's the latest case of Google being been hit by savvy leakers who claim to have photos of the tech giant's yet-to-be-released flagship phone. An anonymous Reddit user shared several detailed shots of the seemingly legitimate device, as well as a few screenshots of its specifications. It appears to be the smaller Pixel 3 phone Google typically releases two variants of its Pixel smartphone each year. This year, it's expected to release a Pixel 3 base model, as well as the larger Pixel 3 XL. The leaked photos seem to depict the smaller Pixel 3. The phone appears to have a 5.5-inch display with a 2160x1080 resolution, making it about 10% bigger compared to the 5-inch Pixel 2. Small bezels can be seen at the top of the device, as well as a chin at the bottom. Consumers will likely be happy to find that it doesn't have a notch cutout. Making the phone seem more legitimate is the Google logo on the back, as well as the matte finish of the rear panel. Screenshots show that the phone will have a 2,915mAh battery, which is a noteworthy jump in capacity from the Pixel 2. It also shows two 8 megapixel front-facing cameras The leaked spec photos also give a glimpse of what could be coming in the smaller Pixel 3. Screenshots show that the phone will have a 2,915mAh battery, which is a noteworthy jump in capacity from the Pixel 2. It also features wireless charging and two 8 megapixel front-facing camera. It appears that users may be able to switch between f/1.8 and f/2.2 apertures. Previous reports have indicated that the Pixel 3 will come with 4 gigabytes of RAM and a Snapdragon 845 processor. The screenshots don't confirm this, however. Like the photos shared earlier this year, these show off a Pixel phone with a larger form-factor, an orange power button on the right side of the device, single-lens rear camera, dual front-facing cameras and stereo speakers. It has 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage The feature that's generated the most attention is the XL prototype's 'deep notch' and massive chin. Apple first popularized the notch, which houses facial recognition sensors and cameras, in the iPhone X. At the time, the controversial design received feedback from users who both loved and hated the notch, with some claiming it was an ugly feature that distracted from the phone's edge-to-edge screen. More and more smartphone vendors have worked to minimize the notch to make way for a truly bezel-less display, but if the prototypes prove accurate, the Pixel 3 XL will move in the opposite direction. The feature that's generated the most attention is the XL prototype's 'deep notch' and massive chin. Pictured is a closeup of the notch design, which likely houses front-facing cameras The large chin at the bottom of the device is expected to house dual front-facing stereo speakers. It's also unclear whether the phone features an organic LED display or the Active Edge squeeze feature that's appeared on previous Pixel devices. Active Edge first appeared on the Pixel 2 and can be used to activate Google Assistant, as well as other helpful features, such as silencing incoming calls. Along with the Pixel 3 XL, analysts have projected that Google will launch a smaller Pixel device that'll be reminiscent of the Pixel 2. It will feature sizable bezels at the bottom and top of the screen. Savvy Twitter user @PhoneDesigner created renderings of what the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL could look like based on leaked images of what claim to show their screen protectors Google is expected to release two Pixel models at its October hardware event later this year. A nearly bezel-less Pixel 3 XL (pictured in a rendering) will be released, along with a Pixel 3 Google typically features different designs for its base Pixel model and the XL model, so it's unsurprising that the notch may only make it onto the larger of the two devices. It's also believed that Verizon will be the exclusive carrier of the Pixel 3 devices. Unlike Apple, Google's next smartphones are expected to retain a single-lens camera design on the back panel. It may take a page from the iPhone maker in other areas, however, as new leaked images show off a 'Pixel Stand.' The device, also leaked by XDA-Developers, is believed to be a wireless charging device for some upcoming Google devices. It's unclear if that includes the new Pixel phones. Scientists have created an AI that can detect obesity from space. The software scans satellite images and predicts how many residents are overweight based on the availability of parks, fast food stores and other buildings in the area. Researchers used deep learning to scan 150,000 high-resolution satellite images from Google Maps in order to identify patterns. They looked at data in six US cities - Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma, Los Angeles, Memphis, and San Antonio. The team found that features of the built environment explained 64.8 per cent of the variation in obesity between cities. Scroll down for video They looked at data in six US cities - Bellevue, Seattle (pictured), Tacoma, Los Angeles, Memphis, and San Antonio. The team found that features of the built environment explained 64.8 per cent of the variation in obesity between cities Researchers, led by Adyasha Maharana from the University of Washington Seattle, looked at how obesity is related to characteristics of the built environment. They compared this to data on obesity prevalence from the Centres for Disease Control and Preventions 500 Cities project. Obesity is defined as having a 'body mass index' or BMI score over 30, whereas being overweight is having a BMI of more than 25. 'Regression models were used to quantify the association between the features and obesity prevalence across census tracts',researchers wrote in the paper published in JAMA Network Open. The success level varied across cities and the dataset was best at predicting obesity in Memphis, which it did with 73.3 per cent accuracy. Researchers say that this kind of system could help experts gauge obesity risks in different cities, writes Science Alert. Scientists found that 19.8 per cent of residents were obese in Bellevue; 30.8 per cent in Tacoma; 22.4 per cent in Seattle; 26.7 per cent for Los Angeles; 36.3 per cent for Memphis and 32.9 per cent for San Antonio. 'Understanding the association between specific features of the built environment and obesity prevalence can lead to structural changes that could encourage physical activity and decreases in obesity prevalence', researchers wrote in the paper. Researchers, led by Adyasha Maharana from the University of Washington Seattle, looked at how obesity is related to characteristics of the built environment. Pictured is Memphis, Tennessee, which was included in the study Scientists say that a third of the world's population is now overweight or obese. In June experts said obesity has become a 'rising pandemic' and a 'disturbing global public health crisis', which is leading to booming rates of diabetes and heart disease. Excess weight is already contributing to one in every 14 deaths from any cause, the researchers found, a figure which they said is bound to rise. Only 61 per cent of these weight-related deaths were to people classed as 'obese' - with the remaining 39 per cent to people who were merely 'overweight'. The startling paper, based on a compilation of figures from 195 countries around the globe in 2015, found 2.2billion people - 30 per cent of the world's 7.5billion population- were overweight. Of these, 711million are classed as obese - nearly 10 per cent of the global population. The researchers found that the UK is well above the global average, with 67 per cent of adult men and 57 per cent of adult women overweight. A key opponent of high-tech, automated weapons known as 'killer robots' is blaming countries like the U.S. and Russia for blocking consensus at a U.N.-backed conference, where most countries wanted to ensure that humans stay at the controls of lethal machines. Coordinator Mary Wareham of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots spoke Monday after experts from dozens of countries agreed before dawn Saturday at the U.N. in Geneva on 10 'possible guiding principles' about such 'Lethal Automated Weapons Systems.' Point 2 said: 'Human responsibility for decisions on the use of weapons systems must be retained since accountability cannot be transferred to machines.' Killer robots must be banned to prevent unlawful killings, injuries and other violations of human rights 'before it's too late', according to Amnesty International. The non-profit aims to halt the development of autonomous systems, such as AI-controlled UAVs (file photo) Wareham said such language wasn't binding, adding that 'it's time to start laying down some rules now.' Members of the LAWS conference will meet again in November. Last week Amnesty International said killer robots must be banned to prevent unlawful killings, injuries and other violations of human rights 'before it's too late', as the talks kicked off. The development of automated weapons, which can pick out and eliminate targets without input from a human being, has proliferated over the past decade. Countries including the UK, France, Israel and the US are known to be developing the technology for use in military and police operations. Amnesty International argues humans should remain 'at the core of critical decisions' on the use of deadly force, such as the selection and engagement of targets. The call came ahead of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, which met in Geneva between 27 and 31 August. During the meeting, states discussed options for addressing the human rights, humanitarian, ethical and security challenges posed by killer robots. 'Killer robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction,' said Rasha Abdul Rahim, an advisor on artificial intelligence and human rights at Amnesty International. 'From artificially intelligent drones to automated guns that can choose their own targets, technological advances in weaponry are far outpacing international law.' 'A ban on fully autonomous weapons systems could prevent some truly dystopian scenarios, like a new high-tech arms race between world superpowers which would cause autonomous weapons to proliferate widely. 'We are calling on states present in Geneva this week to act with the urgency this issue demands, and come up with an ambitious mandate to address the numerous risks posed by autonomous weapons.' Amnesty International is calling upon the United Nations to place restraints on the development of autonomous weapon systems ahead of key negotiations in Geneva this week (file photo) At the last CCW meeting in April, the majority of the which 120 member states stressed the importance of retaining human control over weapons systems. Twenty-six of these called for a total ban, including Austria, Brazil and Egypt. China also called for a new CCW protocol to prohibit the use of fully autonomous weapon systems. WHAT AUTONOMOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT? A number of countries are known to be developing autonomous weapon systems, which can select and eliminate targets without human help. They include France, Israel, Russia, South Korea, the USA and UK. Nations are racing to develop AI systems that can take control of unmanned military Reaper drones - UAVs that are currently piloted by humans from a ground control centre. The high-altitude craft could soon pick out targets and hit them with air-to-ground missiles without any human oversight. Rumours suggest military officials are also looking into the development of automated tanks. AI-assisted weapons systems are already in use in some countries, including Israel, which recently deployed semi-autonomous drones to fire tear gas at protesters in Gaza. Advertisement But a number of key states oppose creating legally binding BANS, including governments who are already known to be developing autonomous weapons systems, such as France, Israel, Russia, South Korea, the USA and UK. It is not clear what form autonomous weapons of the future could take, but experts warn they could eventually replace human decision-makers on the battlefield. Amnesty International is calling for the creation of legally-binding standards to ensure that humans remain at the core of 'critical functions' of weapons systems. Several countries, including the UK, France and United States, are already developing weapons that can eliminate targets without human help. The technology is reminiscent of the killer androids featured in the Terminator franchise (stock) The non-profit argues humans must be involved in the identification, selection and engagement of targets to comply with International Law. The call forms part of Amnesty International's Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, which is seeking a total ban on the development, production and use of fully autonomous weapon systems. 'So far, the likelihood that autonomous weapons will be used in police operations, with all the risks that entails, has been largely overlooked,' said Mr Rahim. WHAT IS THE AUGUST UN CONVENTION ON KILLER ROBOTS? Experts from scores of countries are meeting to discuss ways to define and deal with 'killer robots' - futuristic weapons systems that could conduct war without human intervention. The weeklong gathering is the second this year at UN offices in Geneva to focus on such lethal autonomous weapons systems and explore ways of possibly regulating them, among other issues. Some top advocacy groups say governments and militaries should be prevented from developing such systems, which have sparked fears and led some critics to envisage harrowing scenarios about their use. As the meeting opened Monday, Amnesty International urged countries to work toward a ban. Amnesty researcher on Artificial Intelligence Rasha Abdul Rahim said killer robots are 'no longer the stuff of science fiction,' warning that technological advances are outpacing international law. Advertisement 'But drones capable of shooting electric-shock darts, tear gas and pepperball already exist. 'The use of fully autonomous weapons in law enforcement without effective and meaningful human control would be incompatible with international human rights law, and could lead to unlawful killings, injuries and other violations of human rights. 'We are calling on states to take concrete steps to halt the spread of these dangerous weapons, both on the streets and on the battlefield, before it's too late.' Google has developed an AI tool to help flag child sex abuse content online. The free tool uses image recognition to help human moderators spot and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) more quickly. It will reduce moderators' exposure to content that can be traumatic, while hopefully catching greater quantities of child sex abuse content. The move comes as UK officials have called on Google and other Silicon Valley giants to take greater action against online child sexual abuse. Scroll down for video Google has developed an AI tool to help flag child sex abuse content online. It uses image recognition to help moderators spot child sexual abuse material (CSAM) more quickly Some existing systems are able to identify child sex abuse images and video by running it through a database of content that has already been flagged. It's a helpful tool for spotting content that has been re-posted on the internet, but it doesn't ease the process of finding new images or video. Instead, human moderators have to review the content themselves. Google's technology aims to address that issue, by allowing service providers, non-governmental organizations and other tech firms 'review this content at scale,' the firm said. It uses deep neural networks to sort through masses of content and prioritizes certain posts for review. 'Quick identification of new images means that children who are being sexually abused today are much more likely to be identified and protected from further abuse,' Google explained in a blog post. Google said it has already observed the system's success: It helped a reviewer 'take action on 700 percent more CSAM content over the same time period' 'Were making this available for free to NGOs and industry partners via our Content Safety API, a toolkit to increase the capacity to review content in a way that requires fewer people to be exposed to it.' Google said it has already observed the system's success: It helped a reviewer 'take action on 700 percent more CSAM content over the same time period.' The firm is partnering with UK-based charity Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which is dedicated to stamping out CSAM online. IWF employs human moderators to identify child sex abuse content online and also investigates sites where CSAM is shared, while working with law enforcement in some cases. 'We, and in particular our expert analysts, are excited about the development of an artificial intelligence tool which could help our human experts review material to an even greater scale and keep up with offenders, by targeting imagery that hasnt previously been marked as illegal material,' said Susie Hargreaves, chief executive at IWF, said in a statement. In a keynote speech today (pictured), Home Secretary Sajid Javid painted a terrifying picture of the 'sickening' scale of the problem on the internet WHAT HAVE EXPERTS WARNED ABOUT CHILD SEX ABUSE ONLINE? The National Crime Agency said the number of tips about online child abuse had risen 700 per cent from 10,384 in 2012 to 82,109 last year Cases involving perverts watching sickening images of very young children and babies being abused have soared; The NCA revealed yesterday that 131 suspects including a former police officer, five teachers and a children's entertainer were arrested in one probe New technology to remove indecent images has led to more than 800,000 takedown notices being issued Police recorded an average of 23 child sexual offences involving the internet every day in 2017-18 up from 15 a day the year before 400 predators are arrested a month, helping to safeguard 500 children. Advertisement 'By sharing this new technology, the identification of images could be speeded up, which in turn could make the internet a safer place for both survivors and users.' IWF will now test out Google's AI tool to see how it performs. The announcement from Google came just a few hours after the UK's Home Secretary Sajid Javid doubled down on calls for tech firms to crack down on CSAM. Javid said he had only recently understood the scale of the issue, claiming that people can livestream child sex abuse online for just 12. He said tech companies needed to do more than just flag offensive material and threatened legislation if they didn't take more action. Advertisement Scientists tracking a massive iceberg that broke free from Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf has begun to spin, satellite images have revealed. Experts had previously said the giant area, estimated to be about the size of Delaware, was locked into place, saying it 'likely got stuck on the sea bed' 'But now A68 has started to swing northwards,' said Polar oceanographer Mark Brandon recently, who spotted the movement using temperature data collected by the Suomi NPP satellite. 'You can see at between 7-12 July 2018 the weather conditions and ocean currents conspire to swing the trillion tonnes of the giant iceberg A68 in an anticlockwise direction,' he said. 'My guess is that A68a will continue rotating as it is now around that western point, until what is currently the northern edge collides with the Larsen C ice front. 'It has a spectacular amount of momentum and it's not going to stopped easily. I should think we will see some interesting collisions with the ice shelf in the next few months.' It is believed a 'temperature anomaly' on 20 July 2018, when it was almost 20 C warmer than the mean over the Weddell Sea and Larsen Ice shelf, may have triggered the rotation beginning. Glaciologist and former Project MIDAS collaborator Martin O'Leary told Earther a collision is 'certainly possible' he doubts it would have much of an effect on either the iceberg or shelf given the slow-motion speed at which it would occur. Eventually, O'Leary says the prevailing ocean currents will push the iceberg northwards and eastwards into the Southern Ocean 'where it will probably break up and melt.' Left, a 'temperature anomaly' on 20 July 2018, when it was almost 20 C warmer than the mean over the Weddell Sea and Larsen Ice shelf Right: Sentinel-1 SAR satellite imagery from 29 August 2018 shows that to the north of the iceberg the wind is pushing the sea ice northwards faster than the iceberg is rotating. Iceberg A68 captured from with the Sentinel-1 SAR sensor 29 August 2018 23:58 UTC, showing an area of open water where there is intense sea ice generation happening right now. last year it was revealed dense ice cover had so far prevented it from drifting far out to sea. An animation showing its movement over the last few months reveals how the trillion-plus ton Iceberg A-68 has shifted as it's battered by ocean currents, tides, and winds in the Weddell Sea. While the huge chunk of ice, estimated to be about the size of Delaware, has moved around some, the experts say its surroundings have kept it somewhat locked into place. An animation showing its movement over the last few months reveals how the trillion-plus ton Iceberg A-68 has shifted as it's battered by ocean currents, tides, and winds in the Weddell Sea Iceberg A-68 is the sixth largest iceberg on record since scientists began keeping track, and its separation from the ice shelf sparked fears about its future impacts on global sea levels. Despite all the activity in the Weddell Sea, 'its northern end has repeatedly been grounded in shallower water near Bawden Ice Rise,' according to Project Midas researchers, who have been monitoring the iceberg over the last year. 'These groundings led eventually to further pieces of the iceberg being shattered off in May 2018. 'Whilst not quite large enough to be given labels themselves, the total area of icebergs lost from A-68 in May was the size of a small city.' Scientists tracking a massive iceberg that broke free from Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf last year say dense sea-ice cover has so far prevented it from drifting far out to sea. It is shown above in July, 2018 While the huge chunk of ice, estimated to be about the size of Delaware, has moved around some, the experts say its surroundings have kept it somewhat locked into place. Its position back in November, 2017 is shown Earlier this year, scientists released the first-ever footage of 'A-68', a trillion-ton iceberg the size of Delaware that has broken off from Antarctica. Stunning aerial clips capture the huge crack in Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf that led to the third largest iceberg ever recorded breaking off from the continent last July. When A-68 separated from Larsen C, it revealed an ocean hidden under the ice shelf for 120,000 years, and a team of scientists are now studying the region to uncover some of the hidden ecosystem's mysteries. Led by the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the group will study tiny animals, microbes and plankton on the seafloor to see how they cope with severe changes to their environment. As part of preliminary research for the trip, the team have taken aerial footage of the iceberg to monitor how far it has drifted to sea - the very first video captured of the berg since it calved from Larsen C last year. Marine biologist Dr Katrin Linse, the BAS researcher leading the mission, said: 'The calving of A-68 provides us with a unique opportunity study marine life as it responds to a dramatic environmental change. 'It's important we get there quickly before the undersea environment changes as sunlight enters the water and new species begin to colonise. 'We've put together a team with a wide range of scientific skills so that we can collect as much information as possible in a short time. It's very exciting.' The scientists are travelling by ship to collect samples from the newly exposed seabed, which covers an area of around 2,250 square miles (5,800 square kilometres). The team says their mission is urgent because the ecosystem that's likely hidden beneath the ice for thousands of years may change as sunlight starts to alter the surface layers of the sea. The team will investigate the area previously under the ice shelf by collecting seafloor animals, microbes, plankton, sediments and water samples using a range of equipment including video cameras and a special sledge pulled along the seafloor to collect tiny animals. They will also record any marine mammals and birds that might have moved into the area. Their findings will provide a picture of what life under the ice shelf was like so changes to the ecosystem can be tracked. A-68 is 620 feet (190 meters) thick from top to bottom, with just 100 feet (30 meters) of it is visible above the ocean. The iceberg was formed by a single crack along Larsen C, its parent ice shelf, and makes up a little over 10 per cent of the shelf. BAS researchers flew around the iceberg to get a better view of it as it drifts into the Weddell sea. This newly exposed marine area is the first to benefit from an international agreement made in 2016 by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The edge of A-68, the iceberg the calved from the Larsen C ice shelf. Nasa took this image in November during a flight that was part of its IceBridge program, which will help researchers understand the bedrock under the ice This agreement designates Special Areas for Scientific Study in newly exposed marine areas following the collapse or retreat of ice shelves across the Antarctic Peninsula region. The agreement came following a European Union proposal to CCAMLR, led by BAS scientists. Professor David Vaughan, Science Director at BAS, said: 'The calving of A-68 offers a new and unprecedented opportunity to establish an interdisciplinary scientific research programme in this climate sensitive region. 'Now is the time to address fundamental questions about the sustainability of polar continental shelves under climate change. 'We need to be bold on this one. Larsen C is a long way south and there's lots of sea ice in the area, but this is important science, so we will try our best to get the team where they need to be.' Getting an extra pair of arms is now as easy as putting on a backpack. Researchers at the University of Tokyo and Keio University created a telepresence robotic system called 'Fusion' that has a head and two arms that are controlled remotely. The remote person not only sees what the wearer sees, but they can also control the robot's arms, or even use the robot to manipulate the wearer's arms. Scroll down for video WHAT IS A TELEPRESENCE ROBOT? A telepresence robot is a remote-controlled device that typically moves around using a set of wheels. They've been adapted for a variety of uses, from communications tools for consumers or even for use by businesses. It uses a WiFi connection to allow a remote user to participate in a situation or communicate with others. A tablet is usually attached to the wheeled device to let the remote person 'see.' However, more and more telepresence robots are being built in hi-tech ways, such as wearable devices. Advertisement Scientists describe the gadget as being a 'telecollaboration system' that enables 'full body surrogacy' and can help friends or family work together on different tasks. The system uses a combination of stereo cameras, anthropomorphic arms and hands with 'force feedback sensors.' Put simply, motion sensors are attached to the remote wearer's hands, which allow it to control the arms of the Fusion robot. Remote users can control the arms using a pair of joysticks. They also wear an Oculus Rift headset to see through the device's eye-shaped cameras that peer over the wearer's shoulder. It can be operated in 'three different modes: direct collaboration, enforced body guidance, and induced body motion, enabling effective communication,' the researchers explained. The system uses a combination of stereo cameras, anthropomorphic arms and hands with 'force feedback sensors.' The remote user wears motion sensors that let it control the arms It can be operated in 'three different modes: direct collaboration, enforced body guidance, and induced body motion, enabling effective communication,' the researchers explained. Wearers can also attach the device to their hands using straps to give the remote user greater control. 'Fusion enables two people to share the same point of view with the capacity to reproduce body motion of an operator, into the surrogate,' they added. '...All components for the surrogate are integrated within the backpack, which is a wearable and mobile robotic platform.' Its developers say it could have a wide range of applications, from helping people with disabilities complete tasks they're otherwise incapable of participating in, to even teaching people how to play an instrument. Remote users can control the arms using a pair of joysticks. They also wear an Oculus Rift headset to see through the device's eye-shaped cameras that peer over the wearer's shoulder Fusion could have a many applications, from helping people with disabilities complete tasks they're otherwise incapable of participating in, to teaching people how to play an instrument For now, it requires a human operator in order to function, but its creators believe that Fusion could one day use AI to work autonomously. Yamen Saraji, a co-creator of the project, said it could help people learn martial arts. 'It can also be used in factories allowing employers to train new employees,' Saraji told the Telegraph. He believes Fusion could be launched within the next three years if it gets enough funding. For now, it requires a human operator in order to function, but its creators believe that Fusion could one day use AI to work autonomously. The system also needs to respond faster Fusion's creators believes the system could be launched within the next three years if it gets enough funding. For now, the system is just a prototype version 'There are still some improvements to be made,' Saraji explained. 'For example, the speed of the robot itself must be increased to match human speed. 'The hand design of the robot could also be improved to replicate the hand of a human.' Fusion isn't the only telepresence robot on the market that claims to help create shared experiences for remote users. Earlier this year, researchers in Japan unveiled the 'Human Uber,' a telepresence system that allows someone to strap an iPad to their face, enabling a 'surrogate' to attend meetings and other events in their place. A Japanese team working to develop a 'space elevator' will conduct a first trial this month, blasting off a miniature version on satellites to test the technology. The test equipment, produced by researchers at Shizuoka University, will hitch a ride on an H-2B rocket being launched by Japan's space agency from southern island of Tanegashima next week. The test involves a miniature elevator stand-in - a box just six centimetres (2.4 inches) long, three centimetres wide, and three centimetres high. Scroll down for video A Japanese team working to develop a 'space elevator' will conduct a first trial this month, blasting off a miniature version on satellites to test the technology. Pictured, their vision for a future space elevator which climbs from the Earth Port as a departure port for people to Geostationary Earth Orbit Station at a height of 36,000 km is featured. THE HISTORY OF THE SPACE ELEVATOR There is a long history of 'space elevator' dreams. The idea was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky after he saw the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and was revisited nearly a century later in a novel by Arthur C. Clarke. But technical barriers have always kept plans stuck at the conceptual stage. Advertisement If all goes well, it will provide proof of concept by moving along a 10-metre cable suspended in space between two mini satellites that will keep it taut. The mini-elevator will travel along the cable from a container in one of the satellites. 'It's going to be the world's first experiment to test elevator movement in space,' a university spokesman told AFP on Tuesday. The movement of the motorised 'elevator' box will be monitored with cameras in the satellites. It is still a far cry from the ultimate beam-me-up goals of the project, which builds on a long history of 'space elevator' dreams. The idea was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky after he saw the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and was revisited nearly a century later in a novel by Arthur C. Clarke. But technical barriers have always kept plans stuck at the conceptual stage. How it will work: The company has said it could use carbon nanotube technology, which is more than 20 times stronger than steel, to build a lift shaft 96,000 kilometres (roughly 60,000 miles) above the Earth. Japanese construction firm Obayashi, which is collaborating with the Shizuoka university project, is also exploring other ways to build its own space elevator to put tourists in space in 2050. The company has said it could use carbon nanotube technology, which is more than 20 times stronger than steel, to build a lift shaft 96,000 kilometres (roughly 60,000 miles) above the Earth. The firm hopes it will transport people and shipment to a new space station. It will also work as a port to transport astronauts to Mars and beyond. The firm first revealed the plans in 2014, claiming 'construction will be technically feasible.' It calculated it would take roughly 20 years to construct the cable, which would have one end fixed to the earth's surface, always applying pre-tension at the ground end. According to the plan, a 20-ton cable is deployed initially, and is reinforced 510 times by climbers up to 7,000 tons, ascending in succession over roughly 18 years. The facilities are then transported and constructed within one year. The firm has also previously floated the idea of a 'space hotel' at the top of the elevator. The company said it would carry up to 30 passengers at a time and travel at a speed of 200 kilometres per hour for a week, stopping off at a station at 36,000 kilometres. The space-elevator test equipment will be launched on a Japanese H-2B rocket next week Tokyo-based company Obayashi Corporation announced plans to build an operational space elevator by 2050, (concept image pictured). It uses similar technology proposed by Debney, and seen in supertall buildings Vision: A rendering of a sea platform, which could be used at the Earth base for the elevator Tourists would stay there, but researchers and specialists would be able to travel all the way to the end, said Satomi Katsuyama, the project's leader. 'Humans have long adored high towers,' she said. 'Rather than building it from the earth, we will construct it from the space.' Japanese construction firm Obayashi, which is collaborating with the Shizuoka university project, is also exploring other ways to build its own space elevator to put tourists in space in 2050. A Russian official has said the International Space Station (ISS) leak could have been caused deliberately by someone on the ground. Space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin revealed that the hole in a Russian space craft docked at the orbiting station was caused by a drill held with a 'wavering hand'. A commission will seek to identify the culprit by name, Rogozin said, calling this a 'matter of honour' for Russia's Energia space manufacturing company that made the Soyuz space craft. The 'micro fracture' believed to be around 2mm wide in the $150 billion (115 billion) space station was discovered after astronauts noticed a drop in pressure on 29 August. It was initially believed to have been caused by a small meteorite and astronauts used tape to seal the leak after it caused a minor loss of pressure. However, as the investigation went on it began to look like the hole was made from someone inside as opposed to outside, either back on Earth or in space, the Russian space agency claimed. A leading theory from an unnamed source at Energia has said that the hole was made on the ground potentially caused by 'deliberate interference' with suggestions the person responsible may have already been identified. Sources suggest the question of how to fix the hole may have strained relations between Moscow and Houston. A Russian official has said the International Space Station leak (pictured) could have been caused by deliberate sabotage. A leading theory from an unnamed source at Russia's Energia space manufacturing company has said that the hole was made on the ground 'There were several attempts at drilling,' Rogozin said late Monday in televised comments. He added that the drill appeared to have been held by a 'wavering hand.' 'What is this: a production defect or some premeditated actions?' he asked. 'We are checking the Earth version. But there is another version that we do not rule out: deliberate interference in space.' An unnamed source at Energia told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that '[t]he hole was made on the ground'. According to the source, '[t]he person responsible for the act of negligence has been identified'. Another anonymous source said the hole was not made intentionally but by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it. If it was made on the ground, it seems the patched hole held for two months before the seal began to break. One source told RIS Novosti that 'the glue dried and was squeezed out, opening the hole'. It was believed the ISS was one of the few areas of Russia-US cooperation that remained unaffected by the slump in relations between the countries and Washington's sanctions. A commission will seek to identify the culprit by name, Rogozin said, calling this a 'matter of honour' for Russia's Energiya space manufacturing company that made the Soyuz space craft (pictured) Crew inside the International Space Station (pictured) raced to patch a small 'leak' likely caused by a collision with a small meteorite last week. A top Russian official has now claimed the small hole was caused by sabotage WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A HOLE IN THE ISS? Theory one - it was caused by a small meteorite A tiny hole appeared in a Russian space capsule locked to the ISS on 30th August. The 'micro fracture' believed to be around 2mm wide in the $150 billion (115 billion) space station was discovered after astronauts noticed a drop in pressure. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst reportedly put his finger over the hole before crew patched it with tape. The hole was confirmed repaired by Friday (31 August) after cabin pressure returned to normal. It was initially believed to have been caused by a small meteorite and astronauts used tape to seal the leak after it caused a minor loss of pressure. Theory two - it was made deliberately while in orbit However, as the investigation went on it began to look like the hole was made from someone inside as opposed to outside, either back on Earth or in space, the Russian space agency claimed. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in September that the hole could have been drilled during manufacturing or while in orbit with a 'wavering hand'. He didn't say if he suspected any of the US crew, but the statement has caused some bewilderment. Sources suggest the question of how to fix the hole may have strained relations between Moscow and Houston. Rogozin has since reneged on his statement blaming the media for twisting his words and said that he 'never pointed the finger at U.S. astronauts'. Theory three - it was caused by a worker at Energia A leading theory from an unnamed source at Energia said the hole was made on the ground potentially caused by 'deliberate interference' with suggestions the person responsible may have already been identified. Another anonymous source said the hole was drilled by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it. An unnamed source at Energia told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that '[t]he hole was made on the ground'. According to the source, '[t]he person responsible for the act of negligence has been identified'. Another anonymous source said the hole was not made intentionally but by a worker who hid their mistake with a seal instead of reporting it. The patchwork repair lasted the trip up to the ISS but after three weeks in orbit gradually peeled away. Advertisement However, it seems the two countries have disagreed on how to fix the hole. The Russian space agency wanted to permanently seal the hole with special glue while Nasa astronauts were concerned the glue might have expanding properties, writes Science Alert. Nasa astronaut Drew Feustel grew concerned about the Russian sealant plan and wanted it passed on to MCC-Moscow. 'We've got one shot at this and we don't want to screw it up,' he said, according to a livestream. In the end astronauts sealed it with special glue as the cosmonauts wanted, added insulation and then medical gauze on top. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, pictured, reportedly put his finger over the hole initially, before crew patched it with tape. They are now trying to work out a more permanent solution A second patch was added the next day, and the pressure is currently stable. In 2007, another leak occurred in the station's Harmony module in the US section but officials said at the time the leak was no cause for concern. 'The crew are healthy and safe with weeks of air left in the International Space Station reserves,' ESA officials said in the statement following this latest leak. Previously Rogozin had said the hole in the side of the Soyuz ship used to ferry astronauts was most likely caused from outside by a tiny meteorite. 'This leak seems to have resulted from a micro meteoroid impact. Weve dodged a lot of bullets over the past 20 years', tweeted astronaut Scott Kelly at the time. 'Theres a lot of space junk up there, a serious issue which needs to be addressed', he said. Russia launched checks Tuesday after its space chief said an air leak on the International Space Station last week could have been caused by deliberate sabotage 'We have already ruled out the meteorite version,' Rogozin said late Monday. The hole is in a section of the Soyuz ship that will not be used to carry astronauts back to Earth. The leak, which was detected by flight controllers as the Expedition 56 crew slept, resulted in a small loss of cabin pressure. Flight controllers determined there was no immediate danger to the crew overnight, but alerted the crew as soon as they awoke. 'The leak has been isolated to a hole about two millimetres in diameter in the orbital compartment, or upper section, of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft attached to the Rassvet module of the Russian segment,' Nasa said on 30 August. Energiya will check all its Soyuz and Progress cargo craft for possible defects, both at its production site outside Moscow and those awaiting launch at Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, RIA Novosti state news agency reported Tuesday, citing a source in the space industry. Currently on the ISS are two cosmonauts from Russia and three Nasa astronauts as well as one German astronaut from the European Space Agency. Amazon.com is in talks with Chile to house and mine massive amounts of data generated by the country's giant telescopes, which could prove fertile ground for the company to develop new artificial intelligence tools. The talks, which have been little reported on so far and which were described to Reuters by Chilean officials and an astronomer, are aimed at fuelling growth in Amazon.com Inc's cloud computing business in Latin America and boosting its data processing capabilities. President Sebastian Pinera's center-right government, which is seeking to wean Chile's $325 billion economy from reliance on copper mining, announced last week it plans to pool data from all its telescopes onto a virtual observatory stored in the cloud, without giving a timeframe. Scroll down for video Amazon.com is in talks with Chile to house and mine massive amounts of data generated by the country's giant telescopes, which could prove fertile ground for the company to develop new artificial intelligence tools. File photo The government talked of the potential for astrodata innovation, but did not give details. The government did not comment on companies that might host astrodata in the computing cloud. Amazon executives have been holding discussions with the Chilean government for two years about a possible data center to provide infrastructure for local firms and the government to store information on the cloud, an official at InvestChile, the government's investment body, told Reuters. For at least some of that time, the talks have included discussion about the possibility of Amazon Web Services (AWS), hosting astrodata, astronomer Chris Smith said, based on email exchanges he was part of between AWS and Chilean Economy Ministry officials over the last six months. Smith was at the time mission head of AURA observatory, which manages three of the U.S. federally-funded telescope projects in Chile. Jeffrey Kratz, AWS's General Manager for Public Sector for Latin American, Caribbean and Canada, has visited Chile for talks with Pinera. He confirmed the company's interest in astrodata but said Amazon had no announcements to make at present. 'Chile is a very important country for AWS,' he said in an email to Reuters. 'We kept being amazed about the incredible work on astronomy and the telescopes, as real proof points on innovation and technology working together.' 'The Chilean telescopes can benefit from the cloud by eliminating the heavy lifting of managing IT,' Kratz added. AWS is a fast-growing part of Amazon's overall business. In July it reported second-quarter sales of $6.1 billion, up by 49 percent over the same period a year ago, accounting for 12 percent of Amazon's overall sales. Chile is home to 70 percent of global astronomy investment, thanks to the cloudless skies above its northern Atacama desert, the driest on earth. Within five years, the South American country will host three of the world's four next-generation, billion-dollar telescopes, according to Smith. He and Economy Ministry officials leading the Chilean initiative to store astrodata in the cloud saw potential in more Earth-bound matters. NOW THAT'S WIDESCREEN: MEET THE INCREDIBLE LSST Starting in 2022, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will take digital images of the entire visible southern sky every few nights from atop a mountain called Cerro Pachon in Chile. It will produce a wide, deep and fast survey of the night sky, cataloguing by far the largest number of stars and galaxies ever observed. The telescope will be equipped with a 3.2-gigapixel camera a powerful instrument that would require 1500 high-definitions screens to display just one of its images. During a 10-year time frame, LSST will detect tens of billions of objectsthe first time a telescope will observe more galaxies than there are people on Earth and will create movies of the sky with unprecedented details. The LSST's camera will include a filter-changing mechanism and shutter, which allows the camera to view different wavelengths; the camera is capable of viewing light from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared (0.3-1 m) wavelengths Advertisement The particular tools developed for the astrodata project could be applicable for a wide variety of other uses, such as tracking potential shop-lifters, fare-evaders on public transport and endangered animals, Julio Pertuze, a ministry official, told Reuters at the event announcing Chile's aim to build a virtual observatory on the cloud. Smith added that the same technology could also be applied to medicine and banking to spot anomalies in large datasets. Amazon, whose founder and largest shareholder Jeff Bezos is well known for his interest in space, already provides a cloud platform for the Hubble Telescope's data and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia. As Amazon explores the potential in Chile's astrodata, tech rival Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, is already a member of Chile's Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which will be fully operational in Cerro Pachon in 2022. Google also has a data center established in the country. Justin Burr, senior PR associate for AI and Machine learning at Google, declined to comment on any Google plans around astrodata or its involvement in other telescope projects. Amazon's role in the astrodata project would also give it an entry into a market where it is seeking to expand. File photo Separately, a Google spokeswoman said last week that the company will announce expansion plans for its Chilean data center on Sept. 12. Smith said that what the Chileans are calling the Astroinformatics Initiative - to harness the potential of astrodata - could enable Amazon Web Services access to the research that astronomers are doing on projects like the LSST. 'We are going to have to go through a huge database of billions of stars to find the three stars that an astronomer wants,' Smith said, adding that was not too different from searching a database of billions of people to find the right profile for a targeted advertisement. 'So a tool that might get developed in LSST or the astronomical world could be applicable for Amazon in their commercial world.' Since speaking to Reuters, Smith has moved on from his job heading AURA to a new position at the U.S. National Science Foundation. WHAT IS AMAZON WEB SERVICE? AWS is a cloud computing service that gives customers a way of accessing databases, storage and servers. AWS owns and operates the hardware that is required to provide these services. Customers access what they need from AWS through a web application. Amazon's cloud computing option allows users to pay for the resources they need as they go - meaning they do not have to purchase servers that might not even be used to be safe. Additionally, the service allows developers to access exactly the infrastructure capacity they need so they do not end up having purchased too much or too little. The 'AWS Secret Region' is a subset with the capability to allow the 17 intelligence agencies to host, analyze and run applications on government data classified at the secret level. The service is air-gappedor shut offfrom the rest of the internet. Advertisement Amazon's role in the astrodata project would also give it an entry into a market where it is seeking to expand. Amazon - which controls nearly one-third of the global cloud computing business, ahead of rivals Microsoft Corp and Google - has struggled to lure public institutions in Latin America, including research facilities, to store their data online instead of on physical machines. AWS declined to provide any information on the size of its regional business in Latin America. Economy Minister Jose Ramon Valente said at last week's announcement, 'Chile has enormous potential in its pristine skies not only in the observation of the universe but also in the amount of data that observation generates.' Soon Nasa astronauts could have their faces on cereal packets and their rockets branded with private company logos. This is according to Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who says the space agency is considering getting corporations to buy the naming rights to missions in a bid to commercialise space activities. In 1966 Nasa had 4.41 per cent of the US's total federal budget but now that figure is less than 0.5 per cent. At the end of last year, President Donald Trump directed Nasa to send Americans to the Moon for the first time in decades, despite cutting his 2018 budget for it by around $200 million (156m). Scroll down for video Soon Nasa astronauts could have their faces on cereal packets and their rockets branded with private company logos. This handout photo shows the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket with the Parker Solar Probe on board launching last month According to Mr Bridenstine , who was speaking before the Nasa Advisory Council, 'there is interest' in pushing through commercial endorsements. 'We're talking about, potentially is it possible for NASA to offset some of its costs by selling the naming rights to its spacecraft, or the naming rights to its rockets?', he said at the Ames Research Centre in California's Silicon Valley, according to Space.com. 'The question is, is it possible? The answer is, I don't know. But we're looking to the committee to give us advice on whether or not it is.' Mike Gold, who is vice president for government contracts at Colorado-based space-tech company Maxar Technologies said astronauts may also be able to film adverts on the International Space Station, something that is currently forbidden. He said this could increase the agency's exposure, meaning there could be more people interested in becoming astronauts in the future. 'When new industrial substances are created, commercial experiments conducted, or even advertisements filmed, American astronauts should lead the way', he said. 'Speaking of astronauts, the committee will examine giving them the freedom to pursue endorsements and other media opportunities. 'Our astronauts are American heroes, and deserve to be treated as such', he said. Mr Gold said that if the US did not lead the way, foreign competitors would get there first. Last month Mr Bridenstine (pictured) revealed his hopes for long-term human settlement on the moon Last month Mr Bridenstine revealed his hopes for long-term human settlement on the moon. In a meeting with reporters at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston Mr Bridenstein elaborated on plans to build 'Gateway' modules that will orbit the moon and, ultimately, close the gaps in space exploration. 'We want lots of humans in space,' he said, according to Space.com. The Gateway craft will initially support brief science missions of about 30-60 days, and will be key to exploring the moon in greater detail than ever before. And, in the years to follow, a second module could be used to carry astronauts to Mars. A new startup is aiming to change the interview process as we know it - by using robots to find the best candidates. Canadian firm Knockri has built an AI that reads the facial expressions and eye movement of job seekers in videos they record during their applications. It uses these subtle tells to analyse whether you have the necessary skills and rates you on how well you fit the job - such as confidence or collaboration. With big firms like IBM already signed up for the service, Knockri claims its tool offers a more impartial judgement of job candidates than human recruiters. Scroll down for video A new startup is aiming to change the interview process as we know it - by using robots to find the best candidates. It rates videos of candidates answering questions with desired personality traits to recommend people to interview (artist's impression) Based in Toronto, the firm says companies that need to sift through thousands of applications could use the AI to shoulder most of the legwork. 'It's just not humanly possible for them to go through each and every one, [so] a lot of organisations resort to a lottery process,' CEO Jahanzaib Ansari told Cbc. 'A process that actually misses out great talent.' The algorithm creates applicant shortlists for employers looking to fill jobs that require broad communication skills, such as client-facing roles like consultants. It works by analysing footage of prospective candidates answering questions, for instance: 'Why do you want a career in this field?' These questions are asked through pre-recorded clips of a manager shown through the job hunter's home computer. The algorithm creates applicant shortlists for employers looking to fill jobs that require broad communication skills, such as client-facing roles like consultants. Questions are asked through pre-recorded clips of a manager shown through the job hunter's home computer (stock) Reading subtle changes in facial expression, eye movement and speech tone, the AI highlights candidates that showed characteristics picked out by the hiring company. It may give one candidate a 91 per cent confidence score and an 88 per cent enthusiasm score, rounded off with an overall 'fit' of 91 per cent. Recruiters pick out people to interview from this shortlist, and ultimately make the decision on who is hired. To boost the diversity, the shortlist is presented to employers with no names or faces attached, just scores. Knockri says the lists its machine creates are more diverse than those produced by humans, with 17 per cent more people of colour and six per cent more women. HOW DOES FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY WORK? Facial recognition software works by matching real time images to a previous photograph of a person. Each face has approximately 80 unique nodal points across the eyes, nose, cheeks and mouth which distinguish one person from another. A digital video camera measures the distance between various points on the human face, such as the width of the nose, depth of the eye sockets, distance between the eyes and shape of the jawline. A different smart surveillance system (pictured) can scan 2 billion faces within seconds has been revealed in China. The system connects to millions of CCTV cameras and uses artificial intelligence to pick out targets. The military is working on applying a similar version of this with AI to track people across the country This produces a unique numerical code that can then be linked with a matching code gleaned from a previous photograph. A facial recognition system used by officials in China connects to millions of CCTV cameras and uses artificial intelligence to pick out targets. Experts believe that facial recognition technology will soon overtake fingerprint technology as the most effective way to identify people. Advertisement But some experts argued leaving recruitment decisions up to a machine sets a dangerous precedent. 'It seems very pernicious, 'to expect that the kind of signals we affect with our face [are] a reliable indicator of some fundamental human truth about our competencies and capabilities,' said Dr Solon Barocas, a tech researcher at Cornell University He also expressed concern that the system could introduce bias where it was supposed to be removing it. 'Many of these systems are based on trying to learn patterns from historical examples. 'And because these examples are going to come from some previous process involving human discretion and human choices, [they] are going to probably feed forward many of the same kinds of biases that this system is ostensibly supposed to eliminate.' Scientists have developed a way to transform sunlight into fuel that could lead to an 'unlimited source of renewable energy'. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have reached this 'milestone' by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. They did this through using a technique called semi-artificial photosynthesis that is based on the same process plants use to convert sunlight into energy. Hydrogen, which is produced when the water is split, could potentially be a green and unlimited source of renewable energy. Researchers did this by reactivating hydrogenase, an enzyme present in algae, that can reduce protons into hydrogen. Scroll down for video Researchers converted sunlight to water into hydrogen and oxygen using a mixture of photosynthesis and manmade technologies (pictured) Oxygen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis when the water absorbed by plants is 'split'. It is one of the most important reactions on the planet because it is the source of nearly all of the world's oxygen. Researchers used natural sunlight to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen using a mixture of biological components and manmade technologies. Academics at the Reisner Laboratory in Cambridge's Department of Chemistry developed the new technique of solar-driven water-splitting. HOW CAN SCIENTISTS TURN SUNLIGHT INTO FUEL? Scientists have developed a way to transform sunlight into fuel that could lead to an 'unlimited source of renewable energy'. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have done this by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. They did this through using a technique called semi-artificial photosynthesis that is based on the same process plants use to convert sunlight into energy. Artificial photosynthesis has been around for decades but it has not yet been successfully used to create renewable energy. This is because it relies on the use of catalysts, which are often expensive and toxic. Researchers used natural sunlight to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen using a mixture of biological components and manmade technologies. Researchers reactivated a process in algae that has been dormant for millennia. They did this using hydrogenase, an enzyme present in algae that is capable of reducing protons into hydrogen. 'During evolution, this process has been deactivated because it wasn't necessary for survival but we successfully managed to bypass the inactivity to achieve the reaction we wanted splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen', said Katarzyna Soko, first author and PhD student at St John's College. Ms Soko hopes the findings will enable new innovative model systems for solar energy conversion to be developed. Advertisement Their method also managed to absorb more solar light than natural photosynthesis, according to the paper published in Nature Energy. 'Natural photosynthesis is not efficient because it has evolved merely to survive so it makes the bare minimum amount of energy needed around one to two per cent of what it could potentially convert and store', said Katarzyna Soko, first author and PhD student at St John's College. Artificial photosynthesis has been around for decades but it has not yet been successfully used to create renewable energy. This is because it relies on the use of catalysts, which are often expensive and toxic. Scientists have developed a way to transform sunlight into fuel that could lead to an 'unlimited source of renewable energy' (stock image) Dr Erwin Reisner, Head of the Reisner Laboratory, a Fellow of St John's College, University of Cambridge, and one of the paper's authors, described the research as a 'milestone'. 'This work overcomes many difficult challenges associated with the integration of biological and organic components into inorganic materials for the assembly of semi-artificial devices and opens up a toolbox for developing future systems for solar energy conversion', he said. Researchers not only improved on the amount of energy produced and stored, they managed to reactivate a process in the algae that has been dormant for millennia. 'Hydrogenase is an enzyme present in algae that is capable of reducing protons into hydrogen', said Ms Soko. 'During evolution, this process has been deactivated because it wasn't necessary for survival but we successfully managed to bypass the inactivity to achieve the reaction we wanted splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen', she said. Ms Soko hopes the findings will enable new innovative model systems for solar energy conversion to be developed. 'It's exciting that we can selectively choose the processes we want, and achieve the reaction we want which is inaccessible in nature.' 'The approach could be used to couple other reactions together to see what can be done, learn from these reactions and then build synthetic, more robust pieces of solar energy technology.' Two major lakes in the Colorado River Basin that operate as one huge reservoir to supply millions of people with water are drying up, scientists have warned. Water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell have been steadily declining over the course of a two-decade drought affecting the region. In addition to the extended dry spell hitting the Colorado River Basin, the water supply is suffering a severe 'structural deficit,' in which more water is being consumed each year than can be replenished. Two major lakes in the Colorado River Basin that operate, essentially, as one huge reservoir to supply millions of people with water are drying up, scientists warn. Low level of the water line is shown on the banks of the Colorado River at the Hoover Dam WHO RELIES ON LAKE MEAD FOR WATER? The Colorado River system - including the giant Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs - serves about 40 million people and 6,300 square miles (16,300 square kilometers) of farmland. Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming rely on the river, along with native American reservations and northwestern Mexico. The water is divided under international treaties, court rulings and interstate agreements. If there's not enough water to go around, Mexico, Arizona and Nevada would be the first to see their shares reduced. Advertisement More than 40 million people and 7,800 square miles of farmland rely on the Colorado River and its tributaries. According to a new report from the Colorado River Research Group, Lake Powell will have dropped by about 94 feet by the end of this year; back in 2000, the lake was nearly full. Now, scientists estimate it is about 48 percent full, while Lake Mead is about 38 percent full, according to the Denver Post. Both reservoirs are fed by the Colorado River Basin, and extra water releases flowing into Lake Mead are causing further drainage in Lake Powell. While there have been several dry years over the last two decades, each of which has contributed to the phenomenon, the researchers say the problem ultimately boils down to the operational rules. 'Continuing this operational pattern will further drain Lake Powell and erode the benefits associated with its water storage, including Lower Basin water deliveries, Glen Canyon hydropower generation, and perhaps most importantly, the delicate interbasin truce brokered by the Law of the River and made operational by the two massive reservoirs,' the researchers wrote in the new report. 'The structural deficit is the true villain in this story, mixing with the operational rules to drain Lake Powell. The process is already well underway.' The experts say the two huge lakes must be thought of as 'essentially one giant reservoir,' and managed accordingly to prevent storage in one from worsening drainage in the other. 'If storage in Lake Powell cannot rebound in an era where the Upper Basin consumes less than two-thirds of its legal apportionment, then the crisis is already real,' the researchers added in the report. According to a new report from the Colorado River Research Group, Lake Powell will have dropped by about 94 feet by the end of this year; back in 2000, the lake was nearly full. Now, scientists estimate it is about 48 percent full. This will affect water deliveries, hydropower At the end of last month, federal water managers warned that the drought-stressed Colorado River carried even less water than expected this summer, increasing the odds of a shortage in the vital river system in 2020. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the chances of a shortfall in Lake Mead, the river's biggest reservoir, are now 57 percent, up from the 52 percent projected in May. If the surface of Lake Mead drops below 1,075 feet (330 meters) above sea level, some deliveries would be cut under agreements governing the system. Arizona, Nevada and Mexico would have their shares reduced first in a shortage. A shortage has never occurred in the river. In addition to the extended dry spell hitting the Colorado River Basin, the water supply is suffering a severe 'structural deficit,' in which more water is being consumed each year than can be replenished. A view of the low water levels on the banks of the Colorado River is shown 'There is a real sense of urgency across the basin to protect the river's supply in the face of increasing demand and ongoing drought,' said Brenda Burman, chief of the Bureau of Reclamation. The forecast worsened because Lake Powell, which is upstream from Lake Mead, collected about 500,000 acre-feet (600 million cubic meters) less water than expected between April and July, said Patti Aaron, a spokeswoman for the bureau. One acre-foot (1,200 cubic meters) is enough to supply a typical U.S. family for a year. That means Powell will be up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) lower than expected, with less water available to release into Lake Mead. Powell gathers water from the upper parts of the river system, where it originates as mountain snow. Facebook is doubling down on its efforts to fight election meddling ahead of the 2018 midterms. The social media giant is in the process of building a physical 'war room' at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Samidh Chakrabarti, Facebook's head of civic engagement, told NBC News. There, employees from all across the company will work together to spot and stamp out any attempts to interfere with the US midterm elections. Scroll down for video Facebook is in the process of building a physical 'war room' at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, so that employees can spot and stamp out any attempts to interfere with elections 'We've been building this war room, a physical war room [with] people across the company, of all different disciplines, who are there,' Chakrabarti said. 'So, as we discover problems that may come up in the hours leading up to the election, we can take quick and decisive action.' The room is expected to include a number of screens that keep track of certain Facebook metrics, watching for any unusual activity. Alarms may sound off if there are any noticeable spikes or drop-offs in activity. Employees will be sourced from all over Facebook, including engineering, data science and public policy, among other areas. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called upon other executives in the company to take up a more robust effort to quickly detect meddling from Facebook and Instagram users in elections. CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) has called upon executives in the company to take up a more robust effort to quickly detect meddling from Facebook and Instagram users in elections Chakrabarti said the company is already 'much more effective than [it] used to be' and that the entire firm is 'laser focused' on deploying the right strategies to prevent meddling. 'We've been at this for a while,' he told NBC News. '...We've been mobilizing a huge cross-company effort. 'Really every single corner of this company has mobilized to making sure that we're laser-focused and that we get it right.' Chakrabarti said Facebook is focusing on four areas: Combating foreign interference, blocking and removing fake accounts from the site, decelerating the spread of misinformation and fake news, as well as increasing the level of transparency around political ads being shared on the platform. He said efforts have been ramping up over the past several months and that the company has already seen some success in getting ahead of false information and fake accounts. Facebook continues to double down on staving off efforts to meddle in the midterm elections. In a six month period, Facebook 'detected, blocked and removed' over a billion fake accounts before they could spread false information, Chakrabarti added In a six month period, Facebook 'detected, blocked and removed' over a billion fake accounts before they could spread false information, Chakrabarti added. Facebook has also followed through on its promise to double the size of its safety and security team from 10,000 people last year to 20,000 now. However, Chakrabarti conceded that it has become more and more challenging to spot bad actors on the platform. 'The bad actors out there have gotten more sophisticated,' he said. 'They're better at hiding their location' Others believe Facebook faces numerous hurdles in its efforts to stamp out bad actors and false information. WHAT ARE THE CLAIMS ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE ON FACEBOOK DURING THE US ELECTION? Google, Twitter and Facebook have come under fire for allowing the spread of bogus news - some of which was directed by Russia - ahead of the 2016 US election and in other countries. In a blog post in September 2017, Facebook said that more than 3,000 advertisements posted between June 2015 and May 2017 had Russian links. These ads came from a Russian company called Internet Research Agency. According to CNN, Russia-linked Facebook ads were targeted to reach people living in Michigan and Wisconsin, both of which were won narrowly by Trump. Facebook told Congress that the apparent political meddling included use of its image-sharing application Instagram. Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch told a hearing that Instagram posts by suspect Russian accounts were seen by some 20 million Americans last year. 'I've expressed how upset I am that the Russians tried to use our tools to sow mistrust,' Zuckerberg said The data on Instagram is on top of the estimated 126 million Americans exposed to Facebook posts from Russian entities seeking to create divisions during the election campaign. 'I've expressed how upset I am that the Russians tried to use our tools to sow mistrust,' Zuckerberg said. 'What they did is wrong and we are not going to stand for it.' Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg addressed criticism over allowing disinformation and manipulation during the US presidential election, just hours after the company's top lawyer faced a grilling at a Washington congressional hearing at the end of last year. 'Our community continues to grow and our business is doing well,' Zuckerberg said. 'But none of that matters if our services are used in ways that don't bring people closer together. Protecting our community is more important than maximizing our profits.' Advertisement Alex Stamos, Facebook's former security chief, warned in an essay for Lawfare, that it's 'too late to protect the 2018 elections' from bad actors trying to influence American politics. He believes international meddling efforts from Iran and France are still going strong, as evidenced by continued information campaigns being staged on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. Stamos acknowledged that he feels a 'personal responsibility for the failures of 2016,' having been the security leader at Facebook at the time. 'Social media platforms, including my former employer, made serious mistakes in 2016,' Stamos wrote. 'Tech companies were still using a definition of cyber-warfare focused on traditional hacking techniquessuch as spear-phishing or the spreading of malwareand were not prepared to detect and mitigate the propaganda campaigns that were subsequently found and stopped.' Your next smartphone could be worn on your wrist. Chinese phone manufacturer Nubia has released a prototype device that's part smartwatch and part smartphone. Called the Nubia Alpha, its creators are billing it as the 'world's most advanced wearable smartphone.' Scroll down for video Your next smartphone could be worn on your wrist. Chinese phone manufacturer Nubia has released a device that's part smartwatch and part smartphone, called the Nubia Alpha WHAT CAN THE NUBIA WATCH DO? Makes and takes calls using 4G network connectivity Plays music and videos Can act as a fitness tracker Takes photos or places video calls Displays notifications Can be used to pay for purchases Includes a 'Find My Phone' function Advertisement The gadget attempts to make the sci-fi dream of a screen that wraps around the user's wrist a reality. Nubia Alpha, which was featured at the IFA 2018 conference in Berlin, uses the firm's proprietary 'Flex' screen, which is a large organic LED panel. The screen is situated inside a plastic case and a metal wrist strap that features traditional watch links. It runs on an Android operating system, Engadget noted, and has all 'essential functions of a smartphone to the user at their fingertips.' So far, it has basic functions like the ability to make or take phone calls thanks to 4G network connectivity. It also tracks health data, such as your steps, can be used to control music, pay for purchases and it has a Find My Phone function in case you've misplaced your iPhone. Nubia Alpha also has an onboard camera that can take selfies or be used to make video calls. Nubia Alpha, which was featured at the IFA 2018 conference in Berlin, uses the firm's proprietary 'Flex' screen, which is a large organic LED panel Despite its somewhat clunky watch face, users have reported that the device still remains light and not too heavy when worn on a wrist. Even though the Nubia Alpha was put on flashy display at IFA, the ZTE spinoff didn't release any details about the device's specifications. It's not yet known what the screen's resolution is, what kind of processor it uses, or its memory and battery life. The company says these things are likely to change in the next few weeks as it ramps up development of the Nubia Alpha. Even though the Nubia Alpha was put on flashy display at IFA, the ZTE spinoff didn't release any specs. It's unclear what the screen's resolution is, or what processor it uses Despite its somewhat clunky watch face, users have reported that the device still remains light and not too heavy when worn on a wrist. It's not yet known what the device's specs are What's more, the device is still in the early stages of development, according to the company. Still, it's aiming for the Alpha to be ready for launch before the end of the year in China. It could also be ready for global release by the end of 2018. Nubia noted that the Alpha would likely be priced in the same range as smartphones that are currently in the market, so in other words, it could cost as much as $1,000. That could be a detractor for some consumers, as the device currently can't run Android apps without each developer formatting their application for the Alpha's elongated display. Nubia noted that the Alpha would likely be priced in the same range as smartphones that are currently in the market, so in other words, it could cost as much as $1,000 It comes as Samsung and other smartphone makers have been teasing foldable phones. This week, Samsung indicated that its foldable smartphone could go on sale as soon as November. If Samsung does release a foldable phone, the event might serve as an indicator for whether or not consumers are on board with the flexible screen trend and, in turn, devices like the Nubia Alpha. Some people swear vehemently by their beliefs despite overwhelming evidence contradicting their standpoint. Its a phenomenon thats given rise to movements such as the flat Earthers and climate change deniers, among many others in recent times. While it might seem baffling, new research suggests it may have something to do with how we value feedback compared to hard evidence. In a new study, researchers found that the positive and negative reactions that spring up in response to peoples opinions tend to hold more weight than logic or scientific data. Some people swear vehemently by their beliefs despite overwhelming evidence contradicting their standpoint. Its a phenomenon thats given rise to movements such as the flat Earthers and climate change deniers, among many others in recent times. Artist's impression This feedback, which can play out in personal exchanges or across social media, can bolster a persons certainty in their own beliefs. If you think you know a lot about something, even though you dont, youre less likely to be curious enough to explore the topic further, and will fail to learn how little you know, said study lead author Louis Marti, a PhD student in psychology at UC Berkeley. In the study, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley recruited more than 500 adults for an online task on Amasons Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform. The experiment called on participants to look at different combinations of shapes and identify which qualified as a made-up object called a Daxxy. Participants were given no information about the characteristics of this shape, but received feedback on whether their guesses were right or wrong as they played. The study was designed to investigate what influences a persons certainty during the learning process, the researchers explain. If you use a crazy theory to make a correct prediction a couple of times, you can get stuck in that belief and may not be as interested in gathering more information, said study senior author Celeste Kidd, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. Each participant was asked to report on their certainty following each guess. In a new study, researchers found that the positive and negative reactions that spring up in response to peoples opinions tend to hold more weight than logic or scientific data. This feedback can bolster beliefs despite contradicting evidence. File photo BELIEVE IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES? YOU'RE PROBABLY A NARCISSIST, RESEARCHERS SAY People who doubt the moon landings are more likely to be selfish and attention-seeking, according to a 2015 study. Over the course of three online-based studies, researchers at the University of Kent showed strong links between the belief in conspiracy theories and negative psychological traits. Writing in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, the team explained: 'Previous research linked the endorsement of conspiracy theories to low self-esteem.' In the first study, a total of 202 participants completed questionnaires on conspiracy beliefs, asking how strongly they agreed with specific statements, such as whether governments carried out acts of terrorism on their own soil. Alongside this, they were asked to complete a narcissist scale and a self-esteem assessment. The results showed that those people who rated highly on the narcissism scale and who had low self-esteem were more likely to be conspiracy believers. Advertisement And, the researchers found they only considered the recent feedback, as opposed to the cumulative information. The participants consistently based their certainty on how they did in the last four or five guesses, the researchers said. What we found interesting is that they could get the first 19 guesses in a row wrong, but if they got the last five right, they felt very confident, Marti said. Its not that they werent paying attention, they were learning what a Daxxy was, but they werent using most of what they learned to inform their certainty. If your goal is to arrive at the truth, the strategy of using your most recent feedback, rather than all of the data youve accumulated, is not a great tactic, Marti said. A new virtual reality walking tour lets you explore ancient Jerusalem as it would have appeared during the time of Jesus. The high-tech expedition offers 360-degree simulations that reveal what Jerusalem's citadel, palaces, streets and ancient Jewish temples looked like 2,000 years ago. The city enjoyed its heyday under King Herod during the first century BC, building many of the ancient monuments it is famous for today. The Tower of David Museum, which is housed in the Old City's ancient stronghold, is launching the attraction this month ahead of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Scroll down for video Pictured is a temple presented as it would have looked 2,000 years ago. A new virtual reality walking tour lets you explore ancient Jerusalem The virtual reality guide, 'Step into History,' offers visitors a chance to 'walk in the streets of Jerusalem and enjoy the present and take a look back to the past,' said Tower of David Museum director Eilat Lieber. Working with archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority, Lithodomos VR created the tour to show what life was like under the famed King Herod. Herod, a Roman vassal who ruled Judaea from 37-4 B.C., invested heavily in large construction projects across his realm. He oversaw a major expansion of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and the fortress and palace where the Tower of David stands today. His monuments, including the mountaintop fortress at Masada and the port city of Caesarea, are among the most visited sites in Israel. 'Especially with Jerusalem, I think the biggest challenge was getting it right,' said Simon Young, founder of Lithodomos VR, an Australian startup. The high-tech expedition offers 360-degree simulations that reveal what Jerusalem's citadel, palaces, streets and ancient Jewish temples looked like 2,000 years ago Pictured is an ancient temple seen through the tour's virtual reality guide. The city enjoyed its heyday under King Herod during the first century BC, building many of the ancient monuments it is famous for today WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AR AND VR? Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of an environment or situation It immerses the user by making them feel like they are in the simulated reality through images and sounds For example, in VR, you could feel like you're climbing a mountain while you're at home In contrast, augmented reality layers computer-generated images on top of an existing reality AR is developed into apps to bring digital components into the real world For example, in the Pokemon Go app, the characters seem to appear in real world scenarios Advertisement 'There's a lot of different opinions about how Jerusalem looked in the ancient world ... of course, we want to do justice to Jerusalem and to make it as accurate as possible.' Lithodomos VR's team of archaeologists and artists has produced similar projects in London, Rome, Athens and other cities. Accompanied by a guide, visitors will be able explore nine different vantage points in the city. The tour starts at the citadel - an Ottoman-era fortress built atop remnants of several earlier bastions - before meandering through the Old City's Jewish Quarter down toward the remains of the Second Jewish Temple. In order to keep from crashing into modern Jerusalem, visitors carry the goggles between sites, then put them on once they are stationary. At each point, a narrator explains the historical significance of the structures they can see in the goggles. The VR tour around the Old City takes approximately two hours, the museum said. Young says the Lithodomos VR team would be interested in adding additional historical layers to the virtual reality guide that would allow people to explore Jerusalem during other periods, such as the Crusades. Judy Magnusson, an Australian tourist who previewed the tour on Monday ahead of its launch, said the virtual reality-enhanced experience 'brings history to life' and makes the stories about the city 'more real.' This image shows the virtual reality goggles used as part of the tour. The Tower of David Museum, which is housed in the Old City's ancient stronghold, is launching the attraction this month ahead of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot In order to keep from crashing into modern Jerusalem, visitors carry the goggles between sites, then put them on once they are stationary Advertisement This is the moment scientists took cell samples from a 40,000-year-old extinct baby horse in a bid to clone the species back to life. The Russian-South Korean team claim the experiment on the male foal is the 'first step' in restoring the long-gone woolly mammoth, their ultimate goal. Laboratory pictures from Yakutsk the world's coldest city show the search for 'living cells' on the light ginger-coloured carcass frozen in permafrost for between 30,000 and 40,000 years. The foal was discovered in the frozen subsoil of a Siberian crater known as the 'Mouth of Hell' and was around 20 days old when it died. Close-up images highlight the extraordinary life-like preservation in the planet's natural freezer. Scroll down for video This is the moment scientists took cell samples from an extinct baby horse up to 40,000 years old in a bid to clone the species back to life. The Russian-South Korean team claim the experiment on the male foal is a 'first step' in restoring the long-gone woolly mammoth, their ultimate goal Tens of thousands of years of dirt was washed off the young foal, revealing a black mane and tail with a dark stripe along the spine. 'Fortunately, the animal's muscle tissues were undamaged and well preserved, so we managed to get samples from this unique find for biotechnology research', said Dr Semyon Grigoriev, leading researcher at Russia's mammoth Museum. Cloning specialist Professor Hwang Woo Suk flew in from Seoul to spearhead the search for living DNA material from the foal. 'If we manage to find a cell, then we will do our best to clone the unique animal,' he said. A mare of a horse species similar to the extinct Lenskaya breed will be used as a surrogate, he told The Siberian Times. Laboratory pictures from Yakutsk the world's coldest city show the search for 'living cells' on the light ginger-coloured carcass frozen in permafrost for between 30,000 and 40,000 years The foal was discovered in the frozen subsoil of a Siberian crater known as the 'Mouth of Hell' and was around 20 days old when it died Close-up images highlight the extraordinary life-like preservation in the planet's natural freezer. Tens of thousands of years of dirt was washed off the young foal, revealing a black mane and tail with a dark stripe along the spine Cloning specialist Professor Hwang Woo Suk flew in from Seoul to spearhead the search for living DNA material from the foal Scientists will use horses (pictured) that are similar to the extinct Lenskaya breed. It could be the first step in working out how to restore the long-gone woolly mammoth Plans for a'world class' research centre in the city of Yakutsk are set to be unveiled later this month when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts a major investment forum Similarly, when the scientists are ready to clone a mammoth an elephant will be used as a surrogate. But the professor said there was far more similarity between the foal and a modern-day horse than between a mammoth and an elephant. 'We have so many live horses. We can get a very good choice of eggs from these female horses', he said. 'And after making the cloned embryo with this baby horse, we can easily transport it to the surrogate mother. 'There are the types of horses that are very close to the ancient one.' In contrast, he said there is a very big distance between the ancient mammoth and the elephant. A mare of a horse species similar to the extinct Lenskaya breed will be used as a surrogate. Similarly, when the scientists are ready to clone a mammoth an elephant will be used as a surrogate 'We have so many live horses (pictured). We can get a very good choice of eggs from these female horses', said Dr Semyon Grigoriev, leading researcher at Russia's mammoth Museum But the professor said there was far more similarity between the foal (pictured) and a modern-day horse than between a mammoth and an elephant In contrast, he said there is a very big distance between the ancient mammoth and the elephant. With the foal, 'if we have one live cell, we can multiply it and get as many embryo as we need Yakutsk, the capital of Russia's diamond-rich Sakha Republic, is a hot spot for frozen animal remains. At the end of last month it was revealed Russia is opening a brand-new 4.5 million ($5.9 million) cloning facility that aims to bring back the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct species 'There was 'a million years of evolution between them', he said. With the foal, 'if we have one live cell, we can multiply it and get as many embryo as we need. 'Actually if we get the living cell from the ancient tissue it will be unique by itself, because no-one managed to do this before. 'And if we manage to clone the horse - it will be the first step to cloning the mammoth. It will help us to work out the technology', he said. His researcher Hae Hyun Kim who pioneered obtaining a living cell from a dead pet dog frozen by its owner has relocated to Yakutsk to try and make the breakthrough. Yakutsk, the capital of Russia's diamond-rich Sakha Republic, is a hot spot for frozen animal remains. At the end of last month it was revealed Russia is opening a brand-new 4.5 million ($5.9 million) cloning facility that aims to bring back the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct species. Plans for the 'world class' research centre in the city of Yakutsk will purportedly be unveiled later this month by Russian PresidentVladimir Putin during a major investment forum. As well as woolly mammoths, Russian geneticists are set to study a number of extinct species, including the woolly rhinoceros, which died out 10,000 years ago. Plans for the 'world class' research centre in the city of Yakutsk will purportedly be unveiled later this month by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a major investment forum. Pictured is the foal As well as woolly mammoths, Russian geneticists are set to study a number of extinct species, including the woolly rhinoceros, which died out 10,000 years ago Scientists have long poised that woolly mammoth DNA preserved for thousands of years in Arctic permafrost could be used to clone one of the animals, and bring them back from extinction. Russia is planning to open a new genetics facility to explore ancient DNA COULD WE RESURRECT MAMMOTHS? Male woolly mammoths were around 12 feet (3.5m) tall, while the females were slightly smaller. They had curved tusks up to 16 feet (5m) long and their underbellies boasted a coat of shaggy hair up to 3 feet (1m) long. Tiny ears and short tails prevented vital body heat being lost. Their trunks had 'two fingers' at the end to help them pluck grass, twigs and other vegetation. They get their name from the Russian 'mammut', or earth mole, as it was believed the animals lived underground and died on contact with light explaining why they were always found dead and half-buried. Their bones were once believed to have belonged to extinct races of giants. Woolly mammoths and modern-day elephants are closely related, sharing 99.4 per cent of their genes. The two species took separate evolutionary paths six million years ago, at about the same time humans and chimpanzees went their own way. Woolly mammoths co-existed with early humans, who hunted them for food and used their bones and tusks for making weapons and art. The most widely used technique, known as CRISPR/Cas9, allows scientists to create a hybrid animal from the preserved fossils of woolly mammoths and merging it with cells from a living elephant. The two species share 99.4 per cent of their DNA 'De-extincting' the mammoth has become a realistic prospect because of revolutionary gene editing techniques that allow the precise selection and insertion of DNA from specimens frozen over millennia in Siberian ice. The most widely used technique, known as CRISPR/Cas9, has transformed genetic engineering since it was first demonstrated in 2012. The system allows the 'cut and paste' manipulation of strands of DNA with a precision not seen before. Using this technique, scientists could cut and paste preserved mammoth DNA into Asian elephants to create and elephant-mammoth hybrid. Mammoths roamed the icy tundra of Europe and North America for 140,000 years, disappearing at the end of the Pleistocene period, 10,000 years ago. They are one of the best understood prehistoric animals known to science because their remains are often not fossilised but frozen and preserved. Advertisement As many as 80 per cent of samples of Pleistocene and Holocene animals with preserved soft tissues discovered in Russia have been unearthed in the Yakutsk region. It is hoped that by extracting DNA from these preserved remains, researchers will gain a better understanding of the biology behind some of the largest creatures to ever roam the Earth. Woolly mammoths co-existed with early humans, who hunted the animal to use its bones and tusks for tools, shelter, as well as food. The animal, which could weigh a maximum of 6000kg (6 metric tons), disappeared from its mainland range at the end of the Pleistocene era, around 10,000 years ago. The new facility, in the city of Yakutsk, will study the preserved DNA of several extinct species, including the woolly rhinoceros (artist's impression), which died out around 10,000 years ago However, isolated populations of the animal are believed to have survived on St. Paul Island, in Alaska until 5,600 years ago and on Wrangel Island, in Russia, until as recently as 4,000 years ago. Woolly mammoths are believed to have been wiped out because of a shrinking habitat caused by climate change, as well as hunting by humans, experts say. Several international projects, including a team at Harvard University, are already racing to use preserved mammoth DNA to resurrect the ancient species. The new Russian centre will 'aim to study extinct animals from living cells and to restore such creatures as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave lion and breeds of long-gone horses', according to the The Siberian Times. Humanity's next gold rush could take place aboard asteroids sailing around Earth. That's according to a team of British scientists, who have devised a technique to redirect passing space rocks toward our planet to make them easier to mine. Experts believe asteroids, which are rich in precious metals like platinum and gold, could hold wealth equivalent to 75 billion ($100 billion) for every person on Earth. The objects can be positioned in stable trajectories around Earth using rockets to nudge them into our planet's gravitational pull, the new study suggests. Once safely slotted into orbit, small, unmanned spacecraft could mine the rocks for metals, minerals and water, scientists said. The research follows the news this week that the United States Geological Survey was mapping space for future extraterrestrial mining missions. The government agency, which has spent decades mapping oil fields and gold mines across North America, said it was investing heavily in research into the locations and extent of extraterrestrial resources. Scroll down for video Several start-ups have begun to explore the idea of mining near-Earth asteroids for precious resources. One such company - California-based Deep Space Industries - envisions swarms of small mining craft flying out to draw resources from near-Earth asteroids (artist's impression) In the new study, scientists at the University of Glasgow suggest using a method known as 'aerobraking' to capture asteroids. The manoeuvre involves using the atmosphere of a planet as drag to slow objects down. It has helped place interplanetary spacecraft in orbit around Mars and Venus, and to slow down spacecraft returning to Earth. The team said the technique could be used to decelerate near-Earth asteroids pushed toward our planet by a small spacecraft. This spacecraft could remain attached to the asteroid on its journey in case any sudden course-corrections are needed. If done from a safe enough distance, the feat would require little fuel, as just a small push would be enough to change a rock's trajectory. Pictured are the trajectories of all of the near-Earth asteroids mapped by Nasa. Scientists believe asteroids, which are rich in precious metals like platinum and gold, could hold wealth equivalent to 75 billion ($100 billion) for every person on Earth To avoid disaster in the event of an accidental impact, asteroids selected for aerobraking would need to measure under 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter. These space rocks are small enough that they would burn up in the atmosphere the capture procedure failed. The team picked out the asteroid 2005 VL1 as a particularly good potential target for an aerobraking mission. The object is the ideal size and speed for the technique, and its make-up means it would not lose much mass during the aerobraking procedure, they said. WHY DO SCIENTISTS WANT TO MINE ASTEROIDS? Several start-ups have begun to explore the idea of mining near-Earth asteroids for precious resources. The celestial objects are made of carbon, silicon or metal, but it is metallic asteroids that mining companies are most interested in. These rogue blocks of minerals are teeming with precious metals, including pricey platinum, which could be worth quadrillions on Earth. Nickel, iron and gold are also found in abundance within metallic asteroids. Nasa estimates the total value of resources locked in space rocks is 522 quintillion - equivalent to 75 billion ($100 billion) for each person on Earth. A company could send a small space probe to intersect with asteroids as they pass near Earth, and mine them for these resources. Experts have warned that doing so may destroy commodity prices and cause the world's economy to collapse. Advertisement The scientists, led by Minghu Tan, wrote in their paper: 'Aerobraking can in principle enable candidate asteroids to be captured around the Earth with, in some cases, extremely low energy requirements.' The study follows the news that experts at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have begun large-scale mapping of space for resources. This includes understanding the locations and extent of extraterrestrial minerals, metals and water. USGS scientists met in Golden, Colorado at the Colorado School of Mines in June to take part in a Space Resources Roundtable, Space.com reported Tuesday. Explained: The difference between an asteroid, meteorite and other space rocks An asteroid is a large chunk of rock left over from collisions or the early solar system. Most are located between Mars and Jupiter in the Main Belt. A comet is a rock covered in ice, methane and other compounds. Their orbits take them much further out of the solar system. A meteor is what astronomers call a flash of light in the atmosphere when debris burns up. This debris itself is known as a meteoroid. Most are so small they are vapourised in the atmosphere. If any of this meteoroid makes it to Earth, it is called a meteorite. Meteors, meteoroids and meteorites normally originate from asteroids and comets. For example, if Earth passes through the tail of a comet, much of the debris burns up in the atmosphere, forming a meteor shower. Advertisement 'The space-resources community will benefit greatly from working together with the USGS to assess the location and value of minerals, energy and water on the moon, Mars and asteroids,' said Angel Abbud-Madrid, director of the Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines. USGS offers valuable expertise that 'can lead to reliable and much-needed geological maps for more precise landing-site and resource-deposit selection,' he added. Several start-ups have begun to explore the idea of mining near-Earth asteroids for precious resources. The celestial objects are made of carbon, silicon or metal, but it is metallic asteroids that mining companies are most interested in. These rogue blocks of minerals are teeming with precious metals, including pricey platinum, which could be worth quadrillions on Earth. Nickel, iron and gold are also found in abundance within metallic asteroids. Nasa estimates the total value of resources locked in space rocks in the asteroid belt is 522 quintillion - equivalent to 75 billion ($100 billion) for each person on Earth. Spix's macaw, a bright blue species of Brazilian parrot that starred in the children's animation film Rio, has become extinct in the wild. It joins seven other bird species declared extinct by a new analysis of endangered animals - making them the first avians to have died out this decade. Scientists blame deforestation for the losses, which include the poo-uli, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl and the cryptic treehunter. Most birds that die out are small-island species, making them vulnerable to hunting, but five of the eight extinctions have occurred in South America, researchers said. The Spix's macaw is one of eight bird species now deemed extinct following a new statistical analysis. The birds, which include the poo-uli, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl and the cryptic treehunter, are the first to die out this decade Researchers at BirdLife International, a group of conservation NGOs based in Cambridge, UK, carried out a statistical analysis of endangered species. They said the study highlighted an extinction crisis on larger continents caused by damage to the environment by humans. Stuart Butchart, BirdLife International's chief scientist, said: 'People think of extinctions and think of the dodo but our analysis shows that extinctions are continuing and accelerating today. 'Historically 90 per cent of bird extinctions have been small populations on remote islands. 'Our evidence shows there is a growing wave of extinctions washing over the continent driven by habitat loss from unsustainable agriculture, drainage and logging.' The researchers examined 51 species judged 'critically endangered' on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list. The Spix's macaw is a bright blue species of Brazilian parrot that starred in the children's animation film Rio More than 26,000 of the world's species are now threatened, according to the list, leading scientists to warn that humans may be driving the planet's sixth big extinction event. According to the new analysis, eight species of bird can now be added to the growing list of confirmed or 'highly likely' extinctions. Four of the extinctions took place in Brazil, including the Spix's macaw, which was traded in cages for 150 years before a trio of wild birds were found in 1985. Two of these were illegally captured, while attempts to breed the third failed. The last known wild sighting was in 2000, though captive birds are now being used to breed for restoration programmes. Three other species, the poo-uli, the cryptic treehunter and the Alagoas foliage-gleane, may have disappeared forever, according to the analysis. THE IUCN RED LIST Species on the endangered red list are animals of the highest conservation priority that need 'urgent action' to save. An Amber list is reserved for the next most critical group, followed by a green list. Red list criteria: Globally threatened Historical population decline in UK during 18001995 Severe (at least 50 per cent) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years Severe (at least 50 per cent) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years In recent years, in the UK, several more species have been added to the list. These included: Atlantic puffin Nightingale Long-tailed duck Turtle dove Advertisement The Alagoas foliage-gleaner, a small forest bird also native to Brazil, became extinct in 2011 following heavy deforestation. Following its discovery in two patches of forest in north-eastern Brazil in 2002, the cryptic treehunter has not been spotted since 2007. The small forests where it was found have been cut down and replaced with sugar cane plantations. The poo-uli, found only on the island of Maui in Hawaii, has not been seen since 2004, and attempts to breed it in captivity have been unsuccessful. Of the eight species to be reclassified as extinct, four are 'critically endangered (possibly extinct)'. They include the glaucous macaw, once found in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil before its palm grove habitat was destroyed for farming. Another is a small insect-eating owl, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl, which hasn't been spotted in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco since 2002. Much of the bird's habitat has been destroyed by logging. Dr Butchart hopes the shocking results spark better conservation of endangered species in future. 'Because we know birds better than any other taxonomic class we know which other species are most at risk,' he said. 'We hope this study will inspire a redoubling of efforts to prevent other extinctions.' Over a fifth of meat sample tests in British supermarkets and restaurants including sausages, burgers and pizzas contains 'unspecified meat' an alarming investigation has found. In the second food contamination scandal to rock Britain in just five years, 145 items out of 665 tested in a Food Standards Agency (FSA) report contained animal DNA that was not listed on the packaging. But the names of the 487 brands and shops implicated have not been revealed. The results point to 'deliberate inclusion' of foreign meat, according to the FSA - possibly as part of a scam that stretches across the food sector. The most highly contaminated items were fresh and cooked lamb products, with some curries and kebabs labelled as lamb made entirely from beef. It follows the 2013 horsemeat scandal that shook Europe after horse DNA was found in several beef products sold on the continent. Pictured are the meats that were contaminated with unspecified DNA. One-hundred-forty-five items out of 665 tested as part of a Food Standards Agency (FSA) report contained animal DNA that was not listed on the packaging WHICH MEAT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH OTHER DNA? The FSA found 145 of 665 food items were contaminated with other DNA. Below are the number of items that were contaminated. - Lamb: 77 - Beef: 29 - Goat: 19 - Pork/ham: 18 - Duck: One - Ostrich: One Advertisement The British Food Standards Agency (FSA) found 145 items out of 665 that it sampled in 2017 consisted partly or wholly of unspecified meat, it reported. The FSA said the results, accessed under a freedom of information request by the BBC, were consistent with 'deliberate inclusion'. But the agency added that the tests had deliberately targeted operations suspected of 'compliance issues'. They were 'not representative of the wider food industry', an FSA spokesman told MailOnline. Around half of the 145 contaminated samples came from retailers, which included three supermarkets, 50 belonged to restaurants and 22 originated from food manufacturers. Around 85 per cent of contaminated samples were sold by either butchers or takeaway businesses. Some specimens showed DNA from as many as four different animals, while others contained no trace of the actual meat listed on the product label. Supposed lamb items were most likely to contain traces of other animals' DNA, followed by beef and goat, while cow DNA was the most common contaminate. Pig, chicken, sheep and turkey also featured frequently when not specified on packaging. More than a fifth of meat tested in Britain last year contained DNA from animals not listed on the label, according to the BBC (stock image) WHAT WERE THE WORST CASES FOUND BY THE FSA? An ostrich mince product sold in Yorkshire was made entirely from beef. A duck dished named 'bagalore' was 100 per cent lamb. A lamb korma sold in Blackpool was made entirely of beef. In Dudley, a curry restaurant sold a lamb passanda that was more than 60 per cent beef. Pork sausages sold by small butchers in Durham and Northern Ireland contained undeclared beef and lamb. Advertisement Mince meat was the product incorrectly labelled most often, followed by sausages, kebabs and restaurant curries. An FSA spokesperson told MailOnline that local authorities - which had procured the samples for the agency - were responsible for leading investigations and taking 'appropriate action'. They said: 'The number of unsatisfactory samples is a result of this targeted approach where businesses which don't comply are sampled multiple times, and the figures are not representative of the wider food industry. 'Where problems are found, local authorities can consider appropriate action to protect customers and improve compliance, which may include a formal warning or taking enforcement action such as prosecutions or cautions.' The European Union, which Britain is due to leave next March, toughened oversight of the food industry across the continent last year to prevent a repeat of a horsemeat scandal in 2013. Millions of European consumers were shocked to learn then that a long list of supermarket items being passed off as beef or pork were in fact horsemeat. An app that lets people see everything their partner and children do on their phone has leaked millions of sensitive records, a security expert has warned. The mSpy app is used by more than a million paying customers to track their partner or keep an eye on their children. It records phone calls, records a person's location, lets users remotely read texts, view browsing history and even see how much battery the phone has left. However hackers have used spyware to secretly collect vast amounts of information from it, including passwords, call logs and location data, a security expert has warned. Scroll down for video An app that lets people see everything their partner and children do on their phone has leaked millions of sensitive records, a security expert has warned (stock image) The app was first made in 2013 and was created for 'monitoring your children, employees or others on a smartphone or mobile device'. The person doing the spying must own the device being tracked, or the person being tracked must give their permission. Users can also use the app to view videos and photos stored on a device, see the phone owner's list of applications and software updates, open their calendar, notes and tasks, and even get hold of the phone's unique IMEI number. Indian security researcher Nitish Shah directed Washington-based security news site KrebsOnSecurity to an open database on the web. The site allowed people to look up mSpy records without needing any authentication. They could see records for customer transactions and mobile phone data collected by mSpy's software, which is used in more than 100 countries. The database - which contained millions of records - has now been taken offline. Anyone who looked at the database would have been able to read WhatsApp and Facebook messages from devices equipped with mSpy, Mr Shah said. The mSpy app is used by more than a million paying customers to track their partner or keep an eye on their children The app was first made in 2013 and was created for 'monitoring your children, employees or others on a smartphone or mobile device' He tried to alert mSpy, which has offices in the US, Germany and the UK, but he says the firm's support personal did not want to talk to him. The mSpy's chief security officer later told KrebsOnSecurity that the company had been 'working hard to secure our system'. 'All our customers' accounts are securely encrypted and the data is being wiped out once in a short period of time', he said. 'Thanks to you we have prevented this possible breach and from what we could discover the data you are talking about could be some amount of customers' emails and possibly some other data.' People wanting to use the app do need to physically install it onto the phone they wish to track. Subscribers can choose to sync the data automatically, only over Wi-Fi, or manually and if automatic sync is selected the data is updated every 30 minutes. Users can then track this information from anywhere by signing into an online account and viewing it all on a dashboard. The dashboard produces charts that show which apps have been used and how often, while the person's location is plotted on to a map. MailOnline has contacted mSpy for comment. Scientists have identified 25 genetic mutations that could help to explain how humans evolved to live such long lives compared to our primate cousins. Humans can live for up to 120 years, whereas the species of some closer primates live for half that period. Globally there is now believed to be as many as half a million centenarians. Scientists say the new find might also help them develop new drugs to treat ageing-related diseases potentially helping us live even longer. Scroll down for video Scientists have identified 25 genetic mutations that could help to explain how humans evolved to live such long lives compared to our primate cousins (stock image) Scientists have developed a new method to identify 25 genes associated with wound healing, blood coagulation and cardiovascular disorders. Senescence, or biological ageing, refers to the general deterioration of an organism, leading to increased susceptibility to diseases and ultimately death. It is a complex process that involves many genes. Flies can expect to live for four weeks, horses for thirty years while some hedgehogs may live for up to two centuries. Researchers led by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) identified some of the genes that may have been crucial in extending the life of our species, as well as that of primates with a longer lifespan. They studied the genomes of seventeen primate species, including humans, according to the study published in the Molecular Biology & Evolution journal. From the standpoint of ageing, primates are interesting because while they are very similar, there are major differences across the species in terms of longevity. Of all the species studied, only three humans and two macaques lived longer than the common ancestor. This proves that 'they have undergone a relatively rapid process of lifespan evolution', said Arcadi Navarro, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) research professor and the study leader. Of all the species studied, only three humans and two macaques lived longer than the common ancestor (stock image) Scientists compared these species to those of the remaining fourteen primate species in order to detect the mutations present in those with a longer life. 'This would constitute very suggestive evidence that these genes have helped to extend their lives', said Dr Navarro. Following the comparison, twenty-five mutations were identified in genes associated with wound-healing, coagulation and a large number of cardiovascular conditions. 'The results are meaningful, because a flexible and adaptable control of coagulation mechanisms are required in species that live longer', said Gerard Muntane, the study's leading author and a postdoctoral researcher at the IBE. He said 'they confirm the pleiotropy theory of ageing'. This proposes that 'certain mutations may have different effects depending on life-stage: they help us in the early stages but damage us in later stages, once the reproductive stage has ended', he said. The authors suggest that the results could help to develop new therapeutic targets for treating ageing-related diseases. Uber wants to make sure its riders arrive safely at their destination. The ride-hailing giant on Wednesday launched a slew of new safety features for riders and drivers, including one called 'Ride Check.' Ride Check uses a smartphone's GPS, gyroscope and accelerometer, as well as AI, to determine whether a car has been involved in a crash. Scroll down for video Uber wants to make sure its riders arrive safely at their destination. The ride-hailing giant launched a slew of new safety features for riders and drivers, including 'Ride Check' Uber already uses GPS data to track where and when a passenger is riding, as well as who is behind the wheel. Now it's taking those technologies a step further to determine if a rider or driver is okay in the event of a possible crash. Once Ride Check is initiated, riders and drivers are given access to Uber's Safety Toolkit. This gives them the ability to report a crash, change their destination and, most importantly, call 911. 'Our safety team can also follow up by phone to make sure everyone is safe,' Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi explained in a blog post. Users may also receive a Ride Check notification if their systems indicate an increased safety risk, such as being stalled for too long in the same place. 'They can let us know through the app that all is well, or take other actions like using the emergency button or reporting the issue to Uber's critical safety line,' Khosrowshahi said. 'We expect to expand this technology to additional scenarios in the future.' Among the other features launched is one that improves rider safety by concealing specific pickup and drop off addresses. In the past, riders may have been concerned that drivers had access to their address long after their trip had ended. Now, the driver's app history will only show a general area where the trip started and finished. Additionally, riders can now request trips using cross-streets instead of an exact street address. 'Safety should be our No. 1 priority,' Khosrowshahi said at event announcing the features, according to Bloomberg. 'We want you to know when you get in that car, whether youre a rider or a driver, that Uber has your back.' Uber is also launching two-step verification for users. Another feature improves rider safety by concealing specific pickup and drop off addresses. In the past, riders have been concerned that drivers can see their address after a trip ends WHAT NEW SAFETY FEATURES ARE COMING FOR UBER DRIVERS? In addition to a slew of new rider safety features, Uber is also beefing up its tools for drivers. The firm announced that it will soon begin testing voice-activated commands. Drivers will soon be able to accept rides and communicate with riders by just using their voice. It eliminates the need for drivers to try and keep a hand on the wheel while completing other tasks, which is a safety risk for both drivers and riders. Uber is also rolling out its new and improved Safety Toolkit for all drivers in the US and Canada. Now, drivers can easily access safety features from the Driver app home screen, call 911 and see their real-time location to easily share it with 911 operators. It's also testing a 911 integration feature that will automatically share a driver's location, license plate, and the make and model of a car with a 911 dispatcher. These features are expected to become available for drivers soon. Advertisement Now, users can choose to go through the two-step verification process each time they sign in. Uber will either send a text message, or verify their identity through third-party apps like Google Authenticator, Authy or Duo by going to Uber's account settings and selecting a method. Riders will be able to access these new features in the coming months, while more will be announced soon, Uber said. Facebook's data privacy scandal seems to have made an impact on its users. A new Pew Research study surveyed users to measure their activity on the site over the past 12 months. They found that a large portion of the population has taken an extended break from Facebook, while 26 percent have deleted the app entirely. Scroll down for video Facebook's data privacy scandal seems to have made an impact on its users. A new Pew Research study surveyed users to measure their activity on the site over the past 12 months For the study, researchers polled 4,594 US adults between May 29th and June 11th. Of those respondents, 54 percent said they'd changed their privacy settings, while 42 percent had taken a break from the site. Overall, 74 percent of those respondents had taken at least one of those actions over the last 12 months. Interestingly, Pew found that respondents' answers differed greatly depending on their age. They found that younger users were much more likely than older users to have altered their privacy settings or deleted the Facebook app from their phone. A whopping 44 percent of users aged 18 to 29 has deleted the Facebook app from their phone, compared to just 12 percent of users aged 65 and older. For the study, researchers polled 4,594 US adults between May 29th and June 11th. Of those respondents, 54% said they'd changed their privacy settings, while 42% had taken a break Meanwhile, only a third of Facebook users 65 and older have changed their privacy settings vs. 64 percent of younger users. Similar shares of adults and younger users have taken a break from Facebook in the last year. The findings come in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica Scandal that rocked Facebook earlier this year. In March, it was discovered that more than 87 million users' data had unknowingly been harvested by Trump-affiliated research Cambridge Analytica. Interestingly, researchers found that younger users were much more likely than older users to have altered their privacy settings or deleted the Facebook app from their phone The findings come in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica Scandal that rocked Facebook in March and ultimately led to CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) testifying in front of Congress The event sparked intense scrutiny around how Facebook and other Silicon Valley giants manage and secure users' personal data. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg even appeared in front of Congress to discuss the issue. The company also introduced greater privacy controls for users to manage their data, while launching more stringent policies for third-party advertisers on the site that limited what kinds of data they could collect from users. As part of the new privacy controls, Facebook began allowing users to download and review any data the site had collected on them. WHAT IS THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL? Communications firms Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia. The company boasts it can 'find your voters and move them to action' through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists and behavioural psychologists. 'Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,' with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website. The company profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your Facebook friends. Cambridge Analytica profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your Facebook friends It was initially estimated that the firm was able to mine the information of 55 million Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to do so. But, Facebook has since revealed the number was actually as high as 87 million. This was designed to help them create software that can predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box. The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump. This information is said to have been used to help the Brexit campaign in the UK. Advertisement The Pew survey found that about one-in-ten, or roughly 9 percent, of Facebook users have downloaded the personal data about them on Facebook. 'But despite their relatively small size as a share of the Facebook population, these users are highly privacy-conscious,' Pew explained. 'Roughly half of the users who have downloaded their personal data from Facebook (47%) have deleted the app from their cellphone, while 79% have elected to adjust their privacy settings.' However, the survey didn't find any correlation between users' willingness to take a break from Facebook and their political views. '...Nearly identical shares of Democrats and Republicans (including political independents who lean toward either party) use Facebook,' Pew noted. 'Republicans are no more likely than Democrats to have taken a break from Facebook or deleted the app from their phone in the past year.' Apple is widely expected to launch three new iPhones at its annual September event next week. Now we may know what each of them will be called. The tech giant's 6.5-inch Plus model may be called the 'iPhone XS Max,' while the 6.1-inch budget model may be named the 'iPhone Xr.' A report last week indicated that the 5.9-inch model could be dubbed the 'iPhone XS.' It comes as separate reports have indicated Apple may ditch its idea of introducing an in-display Touch ID. Scroll down for video Apple's 6.5-inch device may be called the 'iPhone XS Max.' A separate report said its 5.8-inch device could be called the 'iPhone XS.' Pictured is a leaked image claiming to be the device Many believe Apple is eyeing the elimination of its usual naming convention, 'Plus,' to describe the biggest device in its iPhone lineup. In in its place, 9to5Mac is reporting that the firm would go with 'Max' to describe the device, which should it feature a 6.5-inch screen, would mark Apple's biggest iPhone yet. Longtime Apple blogger John Gruber noted that Apple might be dropping the word Plus as the firm has used that naming convention in the past to indicate that Plus devices included upgraded features, like better components, cameras and the like. This year, many believe that the only difference between the base 5.8-inch model and the 6.5-inch device will be screen size. Both phones are expected to get a new A12 processor and 4 gigabytes of RAM, representing a significant upgrade from the iPhone X. Apple may also be dropping another rumored feature of the upcoming iPhones. Separate reports have indicated Apple may ditch its idea of introducing an in-display Touch ID. In its place, Apple is said to be forging ahead with adding Face ID to all of its devices The firm has long weighed the idea of adding an in-display touch ID to the iPhone as a way for users to control it in lieu of a physical button. However, the technology proved to be expensive and complicated to integrate. 9to5Mac has reported that Apple will forego that idea altogether in favor of adopting facial recognition technology, or Face ID, across all its devices. The name that seems just as peculiar is the 'iPhone Xr,' VentureBeat noted, given that it doesn't convey any obvious meaning like the 'iPhone X' - it signified the iPhone's 10 year anniversary. Already, Twitter users were calling into question the rumored iPhone names. The reports come after 9to5Mac last week posted what it claimed were authentic images of the 5.8-inch iPhone, said to be dubbed the 'iPhone XS.' They reveal the 'iPhone XS' with a 5.8inch screen, alongside a 'Series 4' version of Apple's Watch. Beneath the iPhone XS appears to be the larger 'iPhone XS Max.' Apple last week sent out invites for the launch of the latest version of the iPhone and Watch. It will take place on September 12th at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's 'spaceship' HQ in Cupertino. The golden 'gather round' invites show the circular HQ. Apple last week sent out invites for the launch of the latest version of the iPhone and Watch. It will take place on Sept. 12th at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's 'spaceship' HQ in Cupertino It is believed that Apple is branding this year's lineup an 'S year' - meaning the new devices will mostly include internal improvements, instead of any major aesthetic overhauls, Bloomberg claimed earlier this week. This tallies with previous reports that suggest Apple will launch three new models that resemble the existing iPhone X all-screen design on September 12th. The three models are tipped to boast 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch displays. All three models could have a battery charge that lasts for more than a day thanks to a new Apple-designed processor that is set to increase battery life by as much as 40 per cent. Facebook is spending $1 billion (770m) on it first custom-built data centre in Asia, which will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The 1.8 million sq ft (170,000 sq m) facility, which will be located in Singapore, has been designed to minimise the use of water, energy and land. Mark Zuckerberg's company says it is currently working to develop new solar power resources in Singapore to provide power to the 11 storey building. Operations at the data centre are expected to begin in 2022, although construction work is anticipated to continue as Facebook expands its capacity. It will be Facebook's 15th data centre worldwide. Last week, Facebook confirmed plans to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 75 per cent and power its global operations with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2020. Scroll down for video Facebook is spending $1 billion (770m) on it first custom-built data centre in Asia, which will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The 1.8 million sq ft (170,000 sq m) facility, located in Singapore, has been designed to minimise the use of water, energy and land FACEBOOK'S NEW DATA CENTRE Facebook is spending $1 billion (770m) on it first custom-built data centre in Asia, based in Singapore. It will feature: Solar energy providing 100 per cent of its power Facebook's new StatePoint Liquid Cooling system A facade made of a perforated lightweight material that allows airflow throughout the building Connection to the country's high speed fibre optic broadband Advertisement The Singapore data centre will be the first to incorporate Facebook's new StatePoint Liquid Cooling system, which is designed to minimise water and power consumption. According to the social network's tests, it can reduce the amount of peak water used by 20 per cent in tropical climates like Singapores, where temperatures rarely drop below 25C (77F). The building's facade is made of a perforated lightweight material that allows airflow throughout the building. Facebook says it selected the city-state to play host to its new facility for a number of reasons, including its robust infrastructure and access to high speed fibre optic broadband. 'Over the last decade weve seen our platform grow with unprecedented scale, from 150M people in 2009 to a family of products that now serve billions of people worldwide,' said Jay Parikh, vice president of engineering at Facebook, in a written statement. 'Our data centers play a foundational role in ensuring our infrastructure is reliable, efficient, and can scale to meet the future needs of our community. 'Today, were excited to announce our fifteenth data center in Singapore, our first that is engineered by Facebook in Asia.' Operations at the data centre are expected to begin in 2022, although construction work is anticipated to continue as Facebook expands its capacity The Singapore data centre will be the first to incorporate Facebook's new StatePoint Liquid Cooling system, which minimises water and power consumption Mark Zuckerberg's firm says it is currently working to develop new solar power resources in Singapore to provide power to the 11 storey building Google has also built two data centres in the city-state, and announced this month it was starting work on a third, bringing their total investment to 660 million ($850m). Despite its popularity in Asia, Facebook has also faced criticism, particularly in Myanmar where it was used as a platform for the army and Buddhist hardliners to spread hate speech against the Muslim Rohingya minority. The new site is expected to begin operations at 30 megawatts, with capacity expanding in a 'phased approach' towards a peak of 150 megawatts, a spokesman said. 'Singapore is one of the most vibrant and modern technology hubs in Asia. However, it presents a new set of efficiency challenges due to its high temperatures and humidity,' added Mr Parikh. 'To address these and other unique operational requirements, including building in a dense, urban environment, we came up with a new design and way to build this facility. 'We're very excited about expanding our data center footprint into Asia, and it becoming part of our highly advanced infrastructure that helps bring Facebook apps and services to you every day.' A leading British astrophysicist has won a 2.3 million ($3 million) science prize but says she will be donating her 'shocking' winnings to boost diversity in her field. The prize fund will be used to establish research studentships for people from under-represented groups in physics. It was donated by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who was awarded the lucrative Breakthrough Prize for her work on highly dense stars, known as pulsars. The 75-year-old said she does not need the financial reward, and hoped it will be used to support female and ethnic minority physicists. Scroll down for video Astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell has been awarded the 2.3 million Breakthrough Prize ($3 million) for her work on highly dense stars called pulsars. She says the money will be used to establish research studentships for people from under-represented groups BREAKTHROUGH PRIZES The Breakthrough Prizes recognise the contributions of the world's top scientists. The Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin, Pony Ma, Yuri and Julia Milner, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Anne Wojcicki. Each prize is 2.23 million ($3 million) and awarded in the fields of Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics. In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics and up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes are given out to early-career researchers each year. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates choose the winners. Advertisement Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'I think diversity is very important and I hope this might increase the diversity a bit. 'One of the under-represented groups in physics is women, so that is one that interests me. 'But groups with various ethnicities could well be included, it would be wonderful if we could find a refugee or two.' Dame Jocelyn was overlooked for the Nobel Prize with senior male colleagues involved in the work on pulsars awarded the honour in 1974. She said the money will go to London's Institute of Physics to launch research studentships that address workforce diversity imbalances in her field. According to the Women in Science and Engineering (Wise) campaign, women make up just 13 per cent of the science, technology and engineering and medical research (STEM) workforce. Race For Opportunity, a group committed to improving the employment opportunities, says less than one in five undergraduate students taking STEM subjects is from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. Originally from Northern Ireland, Dame Jocelyn said her background had pushed her to work harder at university. Her work included the discovery of pulsars, a form of rotating neutron star that emits pulses of electromagnetic radiation as it spins in space. 'In the late 60s, early 70s, when all this was happening, science was very male dominated and, in Britain, white male dominated,' she said. As a research student in 1974 Dame Jocelyn was overlooked for the Nobel Prize, which was instead awarded to senior male colleagues involved in the work on pulsars - highly dense, rotating stars that form from the dying embers of other stars 'I came in as a female and came into Cambridge from the north and west of the UK I had never been that far south before. 'I was really scared, I thought they had made a mistake admitting me, reckoned they were going to throw me out in due course. 'But I decided to work my very hardest so that when they threw me out I wouldn't have a guilty conscience and I was being incredibly thorough.' Asked if she felt she should have been awarded the Nobel, she said 'they don't often give the Nobel Prize to students' and 'it's perceived as a senior man's prize'. Pulsars (artist's impression) are essentially rotating, highly magnatised neutron stars. These stars are made of matter much more densely packed than normal and which give the entire star a density comparable to an atomic nucleus The Breakthrough Prizes recognise the contributions of the world's top scientists. The awards were founded by Israeli-Russian entrepreneur and former physicist Yuri Milner in July 2012. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Chinese business magnate Pony Ma, facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki all joined the scheme the following year. Each prize is 2.23 million ($3 million) and awarded in the fields of Life Sciences, Mathematics, and Fundamental Physics which Dame Jocelyn won. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates choose the latest winners. The passenger boat arrives at the bottom of Veidileysufjordur, a short inlet with a long name, to drop off backpackers for a multi-day trek. A weather-beaten group that's completed the trip waits to board, eager to get back to a part of Iceland where they can reconnect with the world via Wi-Fi. By boat, that will take about a half-hour. No roads lead to the Nordic country's northernmost peninsula, a rugged glacial horn that reaches for the Arctic Circle. Making a phone call requires walking up a mountain for a cell signal so weak, clouds seem capable of blocking it. But internet service soon could be reaching the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, one of the last digital-free frontiers in what might be the world's most-wired nation. Pictured, hikers take an early morning trek on the southern part of the Hornstrandir peninsula, in Iceland. Residents and outdoor enthusiasts in northwestern Iceland are communicating their desire to keep internet access out of the country's Hornstrandir peninsula The possibility has most hikers, park rangers and summer residents worried that email, news and social media will destroy a way of life that depends on the absence of all three. 'We see a growing appreciation for the lack of online connection,' Environment Agency of Iceland ranger Vesteinn Runarsson, who patrols the peninsula's southern end on his own. 'Looking to the future, we want to keep Hornstrandir special in that way.' The area has long resisted cell towers, but commercial initiatives could take the decision out of Icelanders' hands and push Hornstrandir across the digital divide. Companies such as Elon Musk's SpaceX are racing to deliver high-speed internet service to every inch of the world by putting thousands of small satellites into low Earth orbit. Their success would have global implications, bringing the benefits and downsides of internet communication to places that are off the grid because of poverty or war, or where internet access is reserved for the wealthy. That's also true for sparsely populated communities and far-flung destinations in Canada, Russia, Alaska and elsewhere in the vast Arctic region, where broadband service generally is prohibitively expensive. Internet service soon could be reaching the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, one of the last digital-free frontiers in the nation. This has most hikers, park rangers and residents worried that email, news and social media will destroy a way of life that depends on the absence Yet in Iceland, the prospect of constant connectivity has called up an old debate on whether Hornstrandir's wilderness should stay unwired. Despite or because of its remoteness, Iceland ranks first on a U.N. index comparing nations by information technology use, with roughly 98 percent of the population using the internet. Among adults, 93 percent report having Facebook accounts and two-thirds are Snapchat users, according to pollster MMR. Many people who live in northwestern Iceland or visit as outdoor enthusiasts want Hornstrandir's 570 square kilometers (220 square miles), which accounts for 0.6 percent of Iceland's land mass, to be declared a 'digital-free zone.' The idea hasn't coalesced into a petition or formal campaign, so what it would require or prohibit hasn't been fleshed out. The last full-time resident of the rugged area moved away in 1952 - it never was an easy place to farm - but many descendants have turned family farmsteads into summer getaways. The area has long resisted cell towers, but commercial initiatives could take the decision out of Icelanders' hands and push Hornstrandir across the digital divide Despite or because of its remoteness, Iceland ranks first on a U.N. index comparing nations by information technology use, with roughly 98 percent of the population using the internet. But,the country's Hornstrandir peninsula has remained digital-free Alexander Gudmundsson, who vacations in the home where his great-grandmother grew up, doesn't have to look far down the family tree to see the effect of digital devices: his teenage daughter refused to come to Hornstrandir this summer because it would mean not having online access. 'But once the kids are here, all they do is play outside,' Gudmundsson said. Northwest Iceland's representative in parliament is less sentimental about the value of isolation. Since her election last year, Halla Signy Kristjansdottir has urged the Ministry of Transport to fund cell towers for the safety of sailors and travelers whose mobile devices currently are useless in and near Hornstrandir. WHAT IS ELON MUSK'S PLAN FOR A SPACEX INTERNET? SpaceX wants to launch satellite internet in 2019, with hopes to carry out the initial tests this year. Each satellite in SpaceX's planned group will weigh about 850 lbs (386 kg). They will orbit at altitudes ranging from 715 miles (1,150 km) to 790 miles (1,275 km). From this height each satellite will be able to cover an area on the ground about around 1,300 miles (2,120 km) wide. The satellites will orbit at altitudes ranging from 715 miles (1,150 km) to 790 miles (1,275 km). From this height each satellite will be able to cover an area on the ground spanning about around 1,300 miles (2,120 km). Pictured is SpaceX's satellite internet proposal to the FCC The project, which Musk previously said would cost at least $10 billion (8.03 billion), was first announced in January 2015. The plan hit a roadblock in September 2017 when US regulators expressed worries it will interfere with competing systems. But in February 2018, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai proposed the approval of an application by SpaceX to provide the broadband services using satellites in the United States and worldwide. Advertisement 'I don't see anything romantic about lying on the ground with a broken thigh bone and no cellphone signal,' Kristjansdottir said in an interview. In a written response to the lawmaker, Minister of Transport Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson noted that huts along the hiking trails are equipped with radiophones for emergencies. He defended the absence of digital connectivity in Hornstrandir as a factor in 'advancing visitor's experience.' Police and rescue workers have suggested creating an illustrated map that marks the mountain summits with the strongest signals. The Environment Agency of Iceland estimates that 3,000 people trek through Hornstrandir every summer, moving from one fjord to the next. Some are rewarded with sightings of the arctic fox, Iceland's only native land mammal. The few structures - abandoned farm houses and a decommissioned U.S. Air Force radar station - were abandoned decades ago. If commercial initiatives are successful, it would have global implications, bringing the benefits and downsides of internet communication to places that are off the grid because of poverty or war, or where internet access is reserved for the wealthy When The Associated Press visited in August, the travelers interviewed there unanimously favored making the reserve a digital-free zone, though their notions of what that meant varied. 'If phones worked here, I am sure many people would go as far as carrying battery packs to charge their devices,' said Mikko Ronkkonen, a hiker from Finland who had just completed an eight-day trip. When Runarsson, who works as a police officer during the winter, wanted to ask the ferry captain about the next arrival, he took a short cairn-marked trail to the higher ground known locally as Telephone Mountain. He walked in circles, as if searching for something on the ground. 'One bar. Two bars,' he murmured with his eyes fixed on his phone. The bars quickly disappeared as the mountain shrugged off the faint signal. 'Maybe the clouds are interfering,' Runarsson said without a hint of frustration. 'No phone calls today, I guess.' Scientists have discovered the world's most mature cheese which made in Croatia by Neolithic farmers more than 7,000 years ago. During excavations of ancient pottery, researchers found residues of a feta-like cheese on the remains of rhyton drinking horns and sieves dating back to 5300 BC. Access to fresh milk and cheese has been linked to the spread of agriculture across Europe, starting around 9,000 years ago. But evidence for cheese production in the Mediterranean has, until now, dated back only as far the beginning of the Bronze Age, around 5,000 years ago. The latest discovery pushes back previous estimates of when cheese production started among early human settlements by more than 2,000 years. Researchers believe milk and cheese production in Europe's early farmers reduced infant mortality and helped stimulate demographic shifts that propelled farming communities to expand to northern latitudes. Scientists have discovered the world's most mature cheese which was being made in Croatia more than 7,000 years ago. Pictured are examples of pottery types from the Dalmatian Neolithic WHEN DID PEOPLE START MAKING CHEESE? During excavations of ancient pottery, researchers found residues of a feta-like cheese on the remains of rhyton drinking horns and sieves dating back to 5300BC. Access to milk and cheese has been linked to the spread of agriculture across Europe around 9,000 years ago. The two villages, Pokrovnik and Danilo Bitinj, were occupied between 6000 and 4800BCE and have several types of pottery across that period. The residents of these villages appear to have used specific pottery types for the production of different foods, with cheese residue being most common on rhyta and sieves. According to the latest findings, cheese was established in the Mediterranean 7,200 years ago. Fermented dairy products were easier for Neolithic humans to store and were relatively low in lactose content. It would have been an important source of nutrition for all ages in early farming populations. The authors thus suggest that cheese production and associated ceramic technology were key factors aiding the expansion of early farmers into northern and central Europe. Advertisement Researchers led by Sarah McClure from Pennsylvania State University analysed stable carbon isotopes of fatty acids preserved on potsherds (pieces of ceramic material) from two Neolithic villages on the Dalmatian coast east of the Adriatic Sea. The two villages, Pokrovnik and Danilo Bitinj, were occupied between 6000BCE and 4800BCE and have several types of pottery across that period, according to the research published in Plos One. Scientists found evidence of milk, along with meat and fish, being consumed throughout this period and evidence of cheese starting around 5200BC. 'The evidence we have comes from fatty acids that remain as residues on pottery, so we don't know how the cheese would have tasted. It was likely a firm soft cheese, something like a farmer's cheese or feta,' Dr McClure told MailOnline. 'Since these were farming people who grew wheat, I imagine they would have eaten it as is, possibly with unleavened bread, stews, roasts, porridge, and fruits. 'I think it did catch on pretty quickly since it is a great food that can be stored for a while and is quite nutritious,' she said. The residents of these villages appear to have used specific types of pottery for the production of different foods, with cheese residue being most common on rhyta and sieves. According to the latest findings, cheese was established in the Mediterranean 7,200 years ago. Fermented dairy products were easier for Neolithic humans to store and were relatively low in lactose content. Diary would have been a crucial source of nutrition for all ages in early farming populations. Scientists believe cheese production and associated ceramic technology were key factors in helping the expansion of early farmers into northern and central Europe. Pictured is the archaeological site of Pokrovnik during excavation with the modern village, Dalmatia, Croatia. During excavations of ancient pottery, researchers found residues of a feta-like cheese on the remains of rhyton drinking horns and sieves dating back to 5300BC Researchers led by Sarah McClure from Pennsylvania State University analysed stable carbon isotopes of fatty acids preserved on potsherds (pieces of ceramic material). Access to milk and cheese has been linked to the spread of agriculture across Europe around 9,000 years ago (pictured) This research is the first evidence of cheese production through identified stages of dairy fermentation in functionally specific vessels in the Mediterranean region more than 7,000 years ago. The oldest cheese outside Europe was found just last month in a 3,200 year-old Egyptian tomb. The cheese was buried alongside Ptahmes Mayor of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis whose resting place was rediscovered in 2010 after it was lost under the desert sand for millennia. The two villages, Pokrovnik and Danilo Bitinj, were occupied between 6000 and 4800BCE and have several types of pottery across that age range, according to the research One jar contained a solidified whitish mass, as well as parts of a canvas fabric that is believed to have once covered the top of the jar in a bid to preserve its contents. The peptides detected during the analysis of the jar revealed the sample was a dairy product made from cow milk and sheep or goat milk. 'The characteristics of the canvas fabric, which indicate it was suitable for containing a solid rather than a liquid, and the absence of other specific markers, support the conclusion that the dairy product was a solid cheese,' said the researchers, who were led by Catania University, in Italy. Other peptides in the food sample suggest it was contaminated with Brucella melitensis a bacterium that causes brucellosis. This potentially deadly disease spreads from animals to people, typically from eating unpasteurised dairy products. Advertisement Scuba diving archaeologists are scouring the seabed where a gas pipeline is being built off Israel's coast in a bid to preserve ancient relics. The area lies near a 5,000-year-old port which once was a key trade hub for the Mediterranean's ancient civilisations. Scientists say the vestiges of marine traders throughout the ages - from the Phoenicians to the Romans - lie hidden beneath the seabed at the port of Dor. They have already found earthenware jugs, anchors and the remains of wrecked ships, setting new guidelines for similar future projects. Scroll down for video Underwater robots are scouring the seabed where a gas pipeline is being built off Israel's coast in a bid to preserve ancient relics. Pictured is an archaeologist handling a jug found in the region as part of excavations ANCIENT DOR Dor is a modern settlement and ancient port in northwest Israel. Ruins at the coastal site date back as far as the Bronze Age. The city is mentioned in Egyptian texts of the 11th century. Dor was a strategic site on a historic road known as Via Maris that ran along the Palestine coast. It changed hands multiple times over centuries, owned at different times by the Assyrians, Persians, Romans and Phoenicians. Advertisement The pipeline from the deep-sea Leviathan gas field that is due to begin production late next year comes ashore near Dor Beach in northern Israel, a popular holiday spot. To minimise damage to hidden relics, the Israel Antiquities Authority has been working over the past year with the Leviathan field's operator, Texas-based Noble Energy. A team spent weeks scuba diving in the warm crystal clear water off the beach, dispersing silt to uncover ancient artefacts. A remote-operated robot was used for searches in deeper water. 'There has been unprecedented cooperation to protect the antiquities and the cultural assets,' Yaakov Sharvit, director of the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority, told Reuters. Sharvit said Noble financed most of the archaeological surveys and a large research ship to help extract ancient objects along the pipeline's route. The pipeline is being buried 50 to 65 feet (15-20 meters) below the seabed to minimise any impact on the surroundings. Relics are seen on the seabed of the Mediterranean Sea close to the site of a 5000-year-old port near Dor Beach in northern Israel. Scientists say the vestiges of marine traders throughout the ages - from the Phoenicians to the Romans - lie hidden beneath the seabed at the port of Dor Researchers have already found earthenware jugs, anchors and the remains of wrecked ships, setting new guidelines for similar future projects The pipeline from the deep-sea Leviathan gas field that is due to begin production late next year comes ashore near Dor Beach in northern Israel, a popular holiday spot (file photo) Leviathan was discovered in 2010 about 75 miles (120 km) off Israel's coast. Its development will be the largest energy project in Israel's history. 'What is unique here in Israel is the ancient place that we're operating,' said Binyamin Zomer, vice president for regional affairs for Noble Energy. The pipeline from the deep-sea Leviathan gas field that is due to begin production late next year comes ashore near Dor Beach in northern Israel 'We work very closely with the Antiquities Authority here in Israel to make sure that should we discover such finds, we first of all avoid causing harm to those areas and secondly, to make sure that they are aware of the resources and potential finds that they have.' His company says the project will not harm the environment and will replace less healthy fossil fuels. But some local environmentalists and residents oppose the plan, which along with the pipeline includes a towering production platform to be built just six miles (10 km) from shore. Local resident and marine archaeologist Kurt Raveh, who has been excavating at Dor for decades and founded its diving club, thinks the survey being done is insufficient. He worries the area is at risk from potential pipeline leaks. 'We have so many treasures and old shipwrecks and things like that, we should get them out of the water before we can't enter the water anymore,' he said. Apple is set to include a charging cable with a USB-C connector in the box with its next range of iPhones, according to leaks ahead of the launch next week. The move will enable fast charging of the smartphones, but will mean some iPhone owners will be unable to connect their handsets to existing accessories and PCs. Until now, Apple has always shipped charging cables with the USB-A connector to plug into the mains charger, a computer, in-car infotainment system, and more. The latest update will swap this connector for a USB-C, which is quickly becoming the industry-standard connection. However, the change is likely to throw up some compatibility issues with users, as those who buy the latest iPhone hardware will not be able to use the new cable with the mains charger that shipped with their old handset as these used USB-A. Scroll down for video Apple is set to include a charging cable with a USB-C connector in the box with its next-generation range of iPhones, according to leaks ahead of next week's launch. This image shows a USB C connector (left) next to Apple's Lightning (right) Apple already sells a Lightning port to USB-C charging cable. The company first announced the cable, which allows iPhone and iPad owners to plug-in their device to any USB-C port including an external battery pack or computer, back in March 2016. However, the charging cable shipped with every iOS device has continued to include a USB-A connector. But that is set to change with the launch of the latest Apple smartphones next week, according to sources speaking with Japanese news source Macotakara. According to Macotakara, Apple has informed partners in its 'Made For iPhone' (MFi) program they will be able to sell licenced USB-C to Lightning cables in the future. Until now, only Apple was able to sell licenced versions of the cable. The inclusion of the USB-C to Lightning connector in the MFI scheme hints that the cables are set to become much more prevalent in the future, fuelling rumours these cables will become the standard for future iPhone launches. Third-party versions of the USB-C to Lightning cables should start hitting the market in mid-2019, according to the latest report from Macotakara. Manufacturers hoping to create licenced cables will need to use meet the latest requirements from Apple, which stipulate the cable must be carry 18W of power to fast-charging iPhones this is not the case with current-generation USB-A cables. The move will enable fast charging of the smartphones, but will mean some iPhone owners will be unable to connect their handsets to existing accessories and PCs. This leaked image claims to show the iPhone XS (top) and XS Max (bottom). The devices have 6.1 and 6.5inch OLED screens, respectively If the latest leak is accurate, the change to the bundled charging cable shipped with the new iPhone will eradicate these inconsistencies across Apple's line of products. This image shows the various types of connector available Until now, those who wanted to take advantage of the fast-charging capabilities of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X had to buy a USB-C cable from Apple separately. Not everyone is happy with the move, with initial rumours sparking a flurry of people angrily criticising Apple for changing its charging cables again. Apple introduced the Lightning port a flat, reversible connector to charge and sync its iPhone and iPad devices in September 2012. This replaced the existing 30-pin connector that had been used to sync and charge all previous iPhone and iPad devices. As a result, existing accessories and docks were no longer compatible. Faced with the prospect of more incompatibility issues, Twitter users have voiced their complaints about the purported change ahead of the Apple launch event next week. Twitter user Han said: 'So it seems like Apple is putting USB C on their phones... On the other side. 'All new USB C power adapters then to make you throw away all your old USB adapters?' Until now, those who wanted to take advantage of the fast-charging capabilities of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X had to buy a USB-C cable from Apple separately Faced with the prospect of more incompatibility issues, Twitter users have voiced their complaints about the purported change ahead of the Apple launch event next week One example of the sort of problems customers could face was outlined by Twitter user Vittorio, who found he could not connect his iPhone to a charging port on a flight he was taking. Spotted Yinge added: '@AppleSupport idea for the iPhone XS: USB type C connector, ditch the Lightning. Come on @Apple, lets put the U back into USB!' One example of the sort of problems customers could face was outlined by Twitter user Vittorio, who found he could not connect his iPhone to a charging port on a flight he was taking. He added: 'Well, I am kind of screwed. Brought only the high speed charger for the iPhone but the stupid cable is USB-C, which means that it wont go in the USB power plug in my airplane seat. 'Cautionary tale on better standards - the best standard is the one you can use.' The rumoured move to USB-C for the charging cable comes as Apple eradicated all USB-A ports from its MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook notebook lines. The latest designs of both notebooks exclusively use USB-C to charge and sync data. Following the launch of the redesigned 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro, those who wanted to connect their iPhone to the notebook was forced to buy a separate cable from the Apple Store for 19 ($19). If the latest leak is accurate, the change to the bundled charging cable shipped with the new iPhone will eradicate these inconsistencies across Apple's product line. Advertisement After years of hunting archaeologists have found sunken ruins that could be where the First Council of Nicaea was held making it one of the most important places in Christian history. The First Council of Nicaea was a meeting held in 325 AD in the ancient town of Nicaea, now known as Iznik, in Turkey, which was then part of the Roman Empire. It was arranged by Constantine I, the first emperor to convert to Christianity, and it was here they agreed the nature of the relationship between God and Jesus. The council brought bishops from across the world to the shores of Lake Ascanius to agree the particulars of their faith including when Easter should be held. Archaeologist Mustafa Sahin from Uludag University has spent years scouring the shores of the modern-day lake, called Lake Iznik, searching for historical treasures from that time. But it was only when the government of Bursa Province commissioned some aerial photos of the lake that he spotted a church submerged in its waters. Scroll down for video After years of hunting archaeologists have found sunken ruins that could be where the First Council of Nicaea was held making it one of the most important places in Christian history WHAT WAS THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICAEA? The First Council of Nicaea was a meeting in 325 AD in the ancient town of Nicaea, now known as Iznik, in Turkey, which was then part of the Roman Empire. It was called by Constantine I, the first emperor to convert to Christianity. The council brought bishops from across the world to the shores of Lake Ascanius to agree the particulars of their faith. The meeting was held to decide whether Jesus had been 'begotten' by God from his own being, and therefore had no beginning, or was created out of nothing, and therefore had a beginning. The council decided overwhelmingly in favour of the former. As well as agreeing the nature of the relationship between God and Jesus, the First Council of Nicaea set a date for Easter. Constantine believed that setting a shared date for Easter would be good for the unity of the Church as a whole. It was also where the Nicene Creed was created, which is still used in Catholic Mass. It is an often-repeated statement of belief that ends with the words 'We believe in the Holy Spirit'. Advertisement 'The photography team in Bursa City Hall have been capturing the aerial photos of the Lake since 2013, but hadn't thought of contacting any expert,' said Dr Sahin. 'So when they started capturing aerial pictures of the lake again, team member Saffet Yilmaz contacted me and asked if the remains of the structure might have meant something. 'When I first saw the images of the lake, I was quite surprised to see a church structure that clearly. 'I'd been doing field surveys in Iznik since 2006 and hadn't yet discovered a magnificent structure like that,' he said. Dr Sahin believes the church marks the place where Saint Neophytos was martyred back in 303AD. Saint Neophytos, who led the life of a hermit, is widely believed to be one of the most significant figures of the Church of Cyprus. Dr Sahin believes the church was built in the honour of Saint Neophytos. He also believes it marks the site of the former Senate Palace where the first First Council of Nicaea took place almost 1,700 years ago. The meeting was held to decide whether Jesus had been 'begotten' by God from his own being and therefore had no beginning or was created out of nothing, and therefore had a beginning. The council, as encouraged by Constantine I, overwhelmingly decided in favour of the former thereby creating one of the defining characteristics of Christianity. As well as agreeing the nature of the relationship between God and Jesus, the First Council of Nicaea set the date for Easter. Constantine believed that setting a shared date for Easter would be good for the unity of the Church as a whole. It was also where the Nicene Creed was created, which is still used in Catholic Mass. It is an often-repeated statement of belief that ends with the words 'We believe in the Holy Spirit.' There is even evidence of an earlier temple at the site dedicated to Apollo, a Greek and Roman god sometimes associated with Jesus in the early Christian period. The church was destroyed by an earthquake in 740 AD and sank beneath the lake. The First Council of Nicaea was a meeting in 325 AD in the ancient town of Nicaea, now known as Iznik, in Turkey, which was then part of the Roman Empire. Pictured is the site archaeologists are currently exploring It was only when the government of Bursa Province commissioned some aerial photographs of the lake that archaeologist Mustafa Sahin spotted a church submerged in its waters (circled in red) Dr Sahin believes the church marks the place where Saint Neophytos was martyred in 303AD, with the church constructed in his honour The First Council of Nicaea set a date for Easter, and created the Nicene Creed, which is still used in Catholic Mass (artist's impression) The church itself was destroyed by an earthquake in 740 AD and later sank beneath the lake. Pictured is the plan of the church 'The ruins remain two to three metres deep in the lake and 50 metres from the shore,' said Dr Sahin. 'The hardest part of the underwater excavation is that visibility sometimes drops under 10cm because of intense algae and plankton activity. 'Another special difficulty is slime being spreading throughout the water from the top of the lake's base during the excavation,' he added. Scouring for ancient remains on a shallow surface underwater means waves hit archaeologists during their work, making the process much harder. To get around this problem, the team is taking soil from the site to the shore, and is sifting through it there. Now Dr Sahin wants the site to become Turkey's first underwater museum. Having the remains on a shallow surface also means waves hit archaeologists during their work which also makes it harder The meeting was held in the ancient town of Nicaea, now known as Iznik, in Turkey To get around this problem, the team is taking soil from the site to the shore, and is sifting through it there Now Dr Sahin wants the site to become Turkey's first underwater museum. The museum would include a 20-metre (66ft) tower to allow the ruins to be seen from the shore The museum would include a 20-metre (66ft) tower to allow the ruins to be seen from the shore, a walkway over the lake itself, and a submerged glass room at the nave where visitors can pray, Dr Sahin says. There would also be a diving club, allowing visitors to see the structure up close. Construction could begin as early as this year, ready to open in 2019. 'There is actually no need to wait for the end of excavation to built a museum,' said Dr Sahin. 'With our excavation methodology, the visitors aren't a distraction for the work in progress.' This photo shows a pilgrimage token found at the site depicting Christ Pantocrator. The First Council of Nicaea was held to decide whether Jesus had been 'begotten' by God from his own being, and therefore had no beginning, or was created out of nothing, and therefore had a beginning This picture shows shows a lamp predating the church itself, suggesting a pre-Christian history at the site. Dr Sahin believes the church marks the place where Saint Neophytos was martyred in 303AD New DNA analysis techniques are helping identify more victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, scientists in the office of New York City's chief medical examiner said on Thursday. Although the death toll after two hijacked airliners crashed into the Twin Towers was 2,753, the remains of more than 1,000 people remain unidentified, to the dismay of their grieving families. Using new technology it pioneered, the medical examiner's office said it was able to recently identify financial worker Scott Michael Johnson, 26, who worked on the 89th floor of the South Tower. Andrew Schweighardt holds a vial with a DNA sample at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New Yor. Although the death toll after two hijacked airliners crashed into the Twin Towers was 2,753, the remains of more than 1,000 people remain unidentified, to the dismay of their grieving families. HOW SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY REMAINS Scientists clean the bone, then pulverize it into a powder. They then add chemicals and incubate the sample. It is then placed into a large white auto-extraction machine that pulls out any recoverable DNA from the damaged material. The newest step is placing the bone in a chamber containing liquid nitrogen, which makes the bone more fragile, and shaking it until it is ground to a powder. The more a bone is pulverized, the more likely it is to extract DNA. Advertisement One new victim has been identified in each of the last five years due to advancements that have been ongoing since 2001. Investigators in the world's largest crime lab made the breakthrough by retesting bone fragments they had examined many times before with no success. 'These are all samples that we've tried in the past,' said Mark Desire, who leads the medical examiner's crime lab. Desire and his team of scientists in white lab coats demonstrated the steps of the latest DNA analysis technique, which is used on human bone fragments recovered from the attack. Known as the 'World Trade Center Protocol,' the method has been used to help identify victims of train and plane crashes and terrorist attacks in Argentina, Canada, South Africa and elsewhere, Desire said. Moving from table to table, the scientists showed how they clean the bone, pulverize it into a powder, add chemicals, incubate the sample, and then place it into a large white auto-extraction machine that pulls out any recoverable DNA from the damaged material. An evidence bag is pictured at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York during an event in New York City. One new victim has been identified in each of the last five years due to advancements that have been ongoing since 2001. The newest step is placing the bone in a chamber containing liquid nitrogen, which makes the bone more fragile, and shaking it until it is ground to a powder. The more a bone is pulverized, the more likely it is to extract DNA. The newest step is placing the bone in a chamber containing liquid nitrogen, which makes the bone more fragile, and shaking it until it is ground to a powder. Desire praised the chief medical examiner who decided in 2001 to preserve human remains in anticipation of future advancements in DNA identification technology, making it possible for scientists years later to identify victims and bring peace to their families. 'If we did not take that step back in 2001, those remains would have continued to degrade and decompose and the DNA identifications were making this year probably would not be possible,' Desire said. Google has confirmed when it will unveil its next-generation smartphone in a bid to take on the latest iPhone. The Californian search firm will hold a media event in New York on October 9. The latest 'Made By Google' hardware event is widely-tipped to include the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL handsets. Google has previously used its hardware announcements to unveil updated Home smart speakers and new ChromeBooks, as well as its Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones. In the launch event invitation, Google uses a numerical '3' hinting at the long-rumoured third iteration of the flagship handset designed by the company. Google has revealed few details about the updated smartphones, however, a number of recent high-profile leaks suggest it will launch two handsets that feature dual front-facing cameras, wireless charging, and a 'notch' display like the iPhone X. The Pixel 3 XL boasts a 6.7-inch display, almost an inch larger than the Pixel 2 XL, while the smaller Pixel 3 has a 5.3-inch display. Scroll down for video Pictured is the invite sent to media by Google for its next hardware launch event, which will open in New York on October 9. The company is expected to launch its Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones at the event Google has suffered a flurry of leaks in the months leading up to the launch of its latest handset. Pre-production units of the upcoming handset have surface for sale on a Ukrainian black market website for 1,500 ($2,000, or 55,728 Ukrainian hryvnia). It is believed the prototype handsets were stolen from a shipping container. The gadgets have been photographed from a number of angles, revealing details about the design and improvements planned by Google. Specifications photographed from the Pixel 3 XL packaging has confirmed the handset will have a notch at the top of the all-screen design similar to iPhone X. There are currently three pre-production Google Pixel 3 XLs on sale, according to a message from the seller shared on an encrypted Telegram with blog 9to5Google. The price for each stolen handset is currently $2,000 (1,500), the seller stipulated. According to a source close with knowledge of Google's response to the stolen unannounced handset, legal and security teams inside the Mountain View-based company are discussing a plan of action to address the leaks. A listing of the handset on a black market website says: 'Remains only 3 pcs. Google Pixel 3 XL I answer immediately to the most popular questions. The price is 2000 $. Payment is possible via PayPal or Bitcoin. 'The second is preferable because PayPal has a horse commission for international transfers. Dispatch is made from London via DHL or FedEx.' It's unknown point how the dealer obtained the units. Details of the upcoming device, and the 3XL version, have been steadily leaked for several weeks and the latest revelations include details about the phone's camera The phone is expected to be officially revealed in October and the leaks are thought to come from one person who is selling potentially stolen devices online According to the seller, as many as 10 pre-production Google Pixel 3 XL handsets have already been sold, suggesting the total number of handsets was much higher than the three units currently for sale. The dealer claims the smartphones can not be remotely disabled by Google. According to the details shared by the seller, the upcoming iPhone X rival with sport dual, front-facing cameras with one wide-angle sensor to allow users to take 'Super Selfies' that automatically blur the background behind the subject. Wide-angle selfies were first introduced with by rival LG with its G6 smartphone. A Russian tech blog believed to be affiliated with the seller has published leaks of the Pixel 3 XL itself this week, as well as images shot using the handset's cameras. It's unknown point how the dealer obtained the Pixel 3 and 3XL units and how they are sold. One screenshot does reveal as many 10 units for one buyer, which suggests the total number at one point is significant It is believed the devices' will have a dual, front-facing cameras that will house one wide-angle sensor to allow users to take 'Super Selfies.' These cameras will also have an improved portrait mode. It has an iPhone X-esque notch and a supposed high-quality OLED screen that measures 6.2inches, with a screen resolution of 1,440x2,960 According to a source close to the matter, the Google legal and security teams are aware of the matter and are involved in internal discussions about the leaks According to the bloggers, Google's new smartphone has a 12.2MP rear camera the same as its predecessor, the Google Pixel 2 XL, which launched in October 2017. Likewise, the next-generation Pixel handset has the same dual-tone case design and circular rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. It has an iPhone X-esque notch and a supposed OLED display that spans 6.2 inches, with a screen resolution of 1,440x2,960 pixels. Previous rumours suggest the phone will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Google has not confirmed whether the Pixel 3 XL on-sale on the black market website is genuine, nor has it commented on the leaked specifications. Earlier this summer, a series of images claiming to reveal the finalised design of the forthcoming Pixel 3 XL were shared online after a Lyft driver discovered the prototype device in the back of his car, left behind by a forgetful passenger. It's unclear exactly where the incident, first reported by Android Police, occurred. Another set of images claiming to show the Pixel 3 XL has leaked - this time from a Lyft driver who discovered the device in the back of his car, left behind by a forgetful passenger The driver discovered the phone in the back of his car minutes after his passengers exited and, being a Pixel 2 XL owner himself, immediately recognized what it was because of the Google logo on the rear of the handset and the prominent notch at the top of the OLED display. He then shot a few photos of the device before contacting the rightful owner and returning the as-yet unannounced smartphone. The device had a number of identifying stickers, which Android Police censored. The incident has drawn some comparisons to when Apple suffered an embarrassing leak in 2010, after a man accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype behind in a bar. The leak comes about less than a month ahead of the Pixel 3 XL's release date on October 9 2018 in New York. This isn't the first time the Pixel 3 XL has been spotted out in the wild well ahead of its official launch. The driver discovered the phone in the back of his car minutes after the passengers exited and, being a Pixel 2 XL owner, immediately recognized what it was, due to the Google logo on the back and the prominent notch at the top of the screen A closeup of the device's notch. The unit lines up with what analysts have predicted for Google's upcoming phones. The firm is expected to launch two new phones in October In July, a savvy leaker shared images that purportedly show the yet-to-be-released Pixel 3 XL in a white colorway, according to XDA-Developers. They reveal that the Pixel 3 XL is likely to include a large notch, as well as a sizable 'chin,' or space at the bottom of the phone's display. The photos provide more details after another leak in early June claimed to show the Pixel 3 XL in black. Like the photos shared earlier this year, these show off a Pixel phone with a larger form-factor, an orange power button on the right side of the device, single-lens rear camera, dual front-facing cameras and stereo speakers. Additionally, the device shows a logo on the back panel that's different than the typical 'G', indicating that it's more than likely a prototype model. Critics of the notch on Apple's iPhone X are likely to be peeved by Google's next smartphone. New images claim to show the upcoming Pixel 3 XL with a massive notch and chin design The photos were leaked by XDA-Developers user 'dr.guru' on Sunday. 'Unfortunately the phone doesn't boot because it was remotely erased by Google,' the user wrote in a blog post. The prototype Pixel device shows that it has 4 gigabytes of RAM, as well as 64 gigabytes of storage. Last week, photos leaked that claim to show what Google's smaller Pixel 3 smartphone could look like. An anonymous Reddit user shared several detailed shots of the seemingly legitimate device, as well as a few screenshots of its specifications. It's the latest case of Google being been hit by savvy leakers who claim to have photos of the tech giant's yet-to-be-released flagship phone. An anonymous Reddit user shared several detailed shots of the seemingly legitimate device, as well as a few screenshots of its specifications. It appears to be the smaller Pixel 3 phone Google typically releases two variants of its Pixel smartphone each year. This year, it's expected to release a Pixel 3 base model, as well as the larger Pixel 3 XL. The leaked photos seem to depict the smaller Pixel 3. The phone appears to have a 5.5-inch display with a 2160x1080 resolution, making it about 10% bigger compared to the 5-inch Pixel 2. Small bezels can be seen at the top of the device, as well as a chin at the bottom. Consumers will likely be happy to find that it doesn't have a notch cutout. Making the phone seem more legitimate is the Google logo on the back, as well as the matte finish of the rear panel. Screenshots show that the phone will have a 2,915mAh battery, which is a noteworthy jump in capacity from the Pixel 2. It also shows two 8 megapixel front-facing cameras The leaked spec photos also give a glimpse of what could be coming in the smaller Pixel 3. Screenshots show that the phone will have a 2,915mAh battery, which is a noteworthy jump in capacity from the Pixel 2. It also features wireless charging and two 8 megapixel front-facing camera. It appears that users may be able to switch between f/1.8 and f/2.2 apertures. Previous reports have indicated that the Pixel 3 will come with 4 gigabytes of RAM and a Snapdragon 845 processor. The screenshots don't confirm this, however. Like the photos shared earlier this year, these show off a Pixel phone with a larger form-factor, an orange power button on the right side of the device, single-lens rear camera, dual front-facing cameras and stereo speakers. It has 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage The feature that's generated the most attention is the XL prototype's 'deep notch' and massive chin. Apple first popularized the notch, which houses facial recognition sensors and cameras, in the iPhone X. At the time, the controversial design received feedback from users who both loved and hated the notch, with some claiming it was an ugly feature that distracted from the phone's edge-to-edge screen. More and more smartphone vendors have worked to minimize the notch to make way for a truly bezel-less display, but if the prototypes prove accurate, the Pixel 3 XL will move in the opposite direction. The feature that's generated the most attention is the XL prototype's 'deep notch' and massive chin. Pictured is a closeup of the notch design, which likely houses front-facing cameras The large chin at the bottom of the device is expected to house dual front-facing stereo speakers. It's also unclear whether the phone features an organic LED display or the Active Edge squeeze feature that's appeared on previous Pixel devices. Active Edge first appeared on the Pixel 2 and can be used to activate Google Assistant, as well as other helpful features, such as silencing incoming calls. Along with the Pixel 3 XL, analysts have projected that Google will launch a smaller Pixel device that'll be reminiscent of the Pixel 2. It will feature sizable bezels at the bottom and top of the screen. Savvy Twitter user @PhoneDesigner created renderings of what the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL could look like based on leaked images of what claim to show their screen protectors Google is expected to release two Pixel models at its October hardware event later this year. A nearly bezel-less Pixel 3 XL (pictured in a rendering) will be released, along with a Pixel 3 Google typically features different designs for its base Pixel model and the XL model, so it's unsurprising that the notch may only make it onto the larger of the two devices. It's also believed that Verizon will be the exclusive carrier of the Pixel 3 devices. Unlike Apple, Google's next smartphones are expected to retain a single-lens camera design on the back panel. It may take a page from the iPhone maker in other areas, however, as new leaked images show off a 'Pixel Stand.' The device, also leaked by XDA-Developers, is believed to be a wireless charging device for some upcoming Google devices. It's unclear if that includes the new Pixel phones. The 'man in the Moon' illusion, familiar to various cultures across the globe, is the result of magnetic dust left by ancient lava, a new study suggests. The dust created lunar swirls, bright, mysterious patterns on the surface of the rocky satellite that are often mistaken for faces and other shapes during a full Moon. Nasa has known about the swirls for decades, describing them as 'like the cream in your coffee', but until now it was not known what caused them. Scroll down for video The 'man in the Moon' illusion (real image of Moon, left; artist's impression of illusion, right) is recognised by traditions across the globe. A new study suggests lunar swirls, key markings on the Moon that help create the illusion, are caused by magnetic dust left over by ancient lava WHAT ARE LUNAR SWIRLS? Lunar swirls have been described as the 'tattoos of the Moon'. These markings are known to exist in regions with high magnetism. They appear to be less weathered than their surroundings, according to NASA. Over time, they darken as a result of natural processes, including solar wind and micrometeoroid impacts. It's thought that they may have formed from plumes of material ejected by comets. A new study suggests ancient tunnels dug by lava cause the swirls. The lava broke down minerals in the crust, forming metallic iron, scientists said. Advertisement Scientists had long suspected they appeared beneath areas of intense magnetism, which protects parts of the surface from solar winds. Solar winds, streams of highly charged particles, normally batter the Moon's outer layer causing it to gradually whiten over the course of its four-billion-year history. In the new study, researchers at Rutgers University and the University of California, Berkeley, used computer models to map the Moon's lunar swirls. They found that there are narrow, snake-like magnetic zones where the swirls appear. These strings of magnetism line up with the shape of lava tubes ancient subsurface tunnels formed during the Moon's violent volcanic past. Areas where volcanic activity was strongest are now highly magnetic due to minerals in the rock breaking down under extreme temperatures, releasing metallic iron. Lunar swirls (bright regions in image) are mysterious swirling patterns on the surface of the Moon that are often mistaken for faces and other shapes during a full Moon Pictured is the Mare Ingenii lunar swirl. Nasa has known about lunar swirls for decades, describing them as 'like the cream in your coffee' This means lava tubes and 'dikes' - large sheets of subsurface lava - formed by ancient volcanic activity could have become very magnetic as they cooled down. This image shows the Reiner Gamma lunar swirl, taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Incoming particles from solar winds are deflected by this magnetic force field, allowing some parts of the Moon to stay dark, forming lunar swirls. 'No one had thought about this reaction in terms of explaining these unusually strong magnetic features on the Moon,' study co-author Dr Sonia Tikoo said. 'This was the final piece in the puzzle of understanding the magnetism that underlies these lunar swirls.' The find may finally explain the 'man in the Moon' illusion - the appearance of a human face or head that certain traditions recognise in the disc of the full Moon. Many cultures believe the man was banished to the satellite after a disagreement with a powerful being. The researchers published their findings in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Advertisement These stunning images show the Milky Way etched across the night sky over a Neolithic burial barrow, which will open this weekend as part of a Stone Age tradition being resurrected across Britain. The Soulton Long Barrow in Shropshire is only the third of its kind to be opened in modern times. The burial chamber is based on ancient solution to the lack of burial space in Britain used by our Neolithic ancestors almost 5,000 years ago. Soulton Long Barrow is made entirely by hand using natural limestone, lime mortar and traditional techniques. Housing ashes inside the structure costs around 750 ($970) for an individual, and 5,850 ($7,590) for a family. The barrow, covered by rich soil planted with wild flowers and meadow grass, will house cremation ashes and will provide a cheaper and more secular alternative venue for funerals, its creators say. These stunning images show the milky way stretching across the night sky over a Neolithic burial barrow which will open this weekend as part of a Stone Age tradition that is being resurrected in Britain WHAT IS A NEOLITHIC BURIAL BARROW? Neolithic barrows were first built by our ancestors thousands of years ago. They are essentially earth mounds that were built overs stone structures which acted as collective tombs. They are made entirely by hand using natural limestone, lime mortar and traditional techniques. Barrows were traditionally built for the social elite while ordinary citizens were cremated or buried. They were first constructed in about 4,000 BC with the best-known site at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. The ancient burial chambers have not been widely used in Britain since around 2,000 BC. Advertisement Similar structures have already opened at All Cannings in Wiltshire back in 2014, and at Willow Row in Cambridgeshire two years later. The Neolithic-inspired structures are the first to be built in the UK for 5,500 years. Prices range from 750 ($973) to 5,850 ($7,590) for a family niche [the space which holds the cremation urns] which will be reserved for a hundred years. Niches can be passed down to relatives within the hundred years. Burial of ashes varies in price across the UK, but typically costs around 1,000 ($1,300) for a plot in a cemetery. Neolithic barrows are essentially earth mounds that were erected over stone structures, which acted as collective tombs. The ancient burial chambers have not been widely used in Britain since around 2,000 BC. Toby Angel, managing director of Sacred Stones, the firm behind the project, said: 'We've worked with academics from Cambridge University and understand barrows were an integral part of community life. 'They would have been a theatre for union, creation and of course a sacred space to venerate their dead. 'We are echoing what community meant to our early ancestors by providing these unique venues 'The build is exciting. People came, saw and decided it was for them, expressing the desire to play a part in the construction of their niches.' He said some 20-25 per cent of niches in the first chamber are already taken. There are 390 niches within the Soulton Long Barrow. Each is lit by candlelight. The barrow, covered by rich with wild flowers and meadow grass, will house cremation ashes and will provide a cheaper and more secular alternative venue for funerals Inspired by those built by prehistoric ancestors 5,000 years ago, the space is made entirely by hand using natural limestone, lime mortar and traditional techniques Pictured is the inside of the Shropshire barrow, where people can place their ashes. Barrows were traditionally built for the social elite while ordinary citizens were cremated or buried 'It's a deeply spiritual experience to visit these places and offers a much more wholesome experience for what is a very important life ritual,' he said. Barrows were traditionally built for the social elite, while ordinary citizens were cremated or buried. The looming earth-and-stone burial chambers were first constructed around 4,000 BC with the best-known site at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. Mr Ashton, who owns the land where the barrow now sits, said: 'We have been bowled-over by the support offered by our community. It is truly humbling. 'We knew this would provide much needed support for people at a difficult time in their lives, and this has been evidenced by the number of families who've chosen to use the barrow.' According to the Sacred Stones website, there is no limit to the number of ashes that can be placed inside each niche within the chamber. Pictured is a view of the roof of the barrow as seen from inside the complex. Barrows were first constructed in Britain about 4,000 BC with the best-known site at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk Pictured are some of the amazing views of the Milky Way captured by photographer Andrew Fusek Peters (right). The Soulton Long Barrow in Shropshire is only the third of its kind to be opened in modern times as an ancient solution to the lack of burial space in Britain. Pictured (left) is a picture of a barrow on the Sacred Stones website There are 390 niches within the Soulton Long Barrow. Each is lit by candlelight. Housing ashes inside the structure costs around 750 ($970) for an individual, and 5,850 ($7,590) for a family. Pictured is a wicker coffin in one of the barrows WILTSHIRE AND ITS NEOLITHIC BURIAL CHAMBERS Wiltshire is strewn with Neolithic burial mounds, or barrows, dating back to the new stone age period, beginning about 10,200 BC and ending between 4,500 and 2,000 BC. They were constructed using vast sarsen stones or wooden posts and then covered with mud, soil and grass. West Kennet Long Barrow, six miles from Daw's barrow at All Cannings, is one of the largest, measuring 100 metres (330 feet) long. Excavations suggest work began on the tomb, which has five sarsen stone chambers, in 3,600 BC - some 400 years before Stonehenge was begun. East Kennet Long Barrow is the largest in Britain, a wedge-shaped burial chamber measuring 106 metres (348 feet) long. It is believed to have been open for several centuries before being sealed up. Lanhill Long Barrow, near Chippenham, is a late Neolithic long barrow which was found to contain the remains of several people from the same family, ranging in age from 12 months to 60 years. Beckhampton Long Barrow, near Avebury, is one of the oldest known barrows in the country, dating back to around 3,200 BC. Its two ends have been ploughed away and destroyed, but the remains of one of the Beaker folk, migrants into Britain in 2,500 BC who were notable for the beaker shape of their pottery, have been found in the barrow. Silbury Hill, a vast chalk mound 16 miles (26 kilometres) from Stonehenge, is not strictly a barrow but is a man-made mound from the same, Neolithic period and can be seen from many of the barrows that post-date it. Despite various attempts to excavate it over the years, and despite a common assumption over the years that it must be a burial mound, its purpose is still a mystery. source: Wiltshire Web Advertisement Elon Musk has reiterated his controversial belief we are living in a simulation. During his controversial appearance on comedian Joe Rogan's popular podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' where he smoked a joint, he also explained why he still believes we are living in the Matrix. He said that the sheer age of the universe - 13.8 billion years, means alien civilizations have had time to develop the complex systems needed. 'If you assume any rate of improvement at all, then games will be indistinguishable from reality, or civilization will end. One of those two things will occur,' Musk said. The full experience: Tesla founder Elon Musk was seen smoking a joint in Joe Rogan's podcast recording studio, hours before the share price dropped by nine per cent 'Therefore, we are most likely in a simulation, because we exist.' 'I think most likely this is just about probability there are many, many simulations,' he added. 'You might as well call them reality, or you could call them multiverse.' 'The 'substrate' on which these simulations are running, whatever it may be, is probably quite boring, at least compared to the simulations themselves, Musk said. 'Why would you make a simulation that's boring? You'd make a simulation that's way more interesting than base reality,' Musk said, citing the video games and movies that humanity makes, which are 'distillation[s] of what's interesting about life.' The 2.5 hour long podcast began with Musk and Rogan discussing his dream of solving traffic problems in Los Angeles by building a tunnel underneath the city - a project which he has already embarked on - and artificial intelligence. DO WE LIVE IN A SIMULATION? THE SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTS Last summer, when asked at the Code Conference in southern California if the answer to the question of whether we are in a simulated computer game was 'yes', Elon Musk said the answer is 'probably'. Musk believes that computer game technology, particularly virtual reality, is already approaching a point that it is indistinguishable from reality. But, according to Sabine Hossenfelder, a theoretical physicist at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, the simulation scenario ignores the laws of nature. Such a universe that would either have to 'overthrow quantum mechanics' or rely on qubits, which have yet to tie in with general relativity. Elon Musk is one of many who have suggested reality may not be as we think. Last summer, when if the answer to the question of whether we are in a simulated computer game was 'yes', Elon Musk said the answer is 'probably' Essentially, the researcher argues, 'our presently best theories are the standard model and general relativity, and whatever other explanation you have for our observations must first be able to reproduce these theories' achievements.' So far, no one has been able to do this. Hossenfelder considers a scenario in which the universe is composed of bits, like a computer, relying on ordered time-series encoded by an algorithm. Such a thing could not be done using classical bits, as there would be no quantum effects. But, even if you were to attempt to build the universe from quantum bits (qubits), there 'are good reasons to believe it's not possible,' the physicist argues, as no one has yet succeeded in recovering general relativity and the standard model of particle physics from qubits. Advertisement Rogan asked Musk if he is 'honestly and legitimately' concerned about AI and the future of robotics, to which Musk replied 'yes, but it's less of a worry than it used to be.' 'It's not necessarily bad, but it's definitely going to be outside of human control,' before speaking of the danger of using AI being used as a weapon and a future where humans will be able to become part-robots: cyborgs. 'You're already a cyborg, and most people don't even realise. That phone [in your hand] is an extension of yourself.' It is a question that has persisted in science fiction and philosophical discussion alike: are we living in a computer simulation? Scientists have long argued both sides of the theory, with some even suggesting if we did live in a simulated reality, we'd never know the truth. But now, a new study could finally put the debate to rest. While the computer simulation theory continues to gnaw at the minds of many, with people such as Elon Musk backing the idea, the new study suggests it would be impossible to generate the illusion of life and reality in this way. A still from The Matrix is pictured Theoretical physicists have discovered that it is impossible, by principle, to simulate a quantum phenomenon that occurs in metals and, ultimately, something as complex as the entire universe. In a new study published to the journal Science Advances, the team from the University of Oxford and the Hebrew University used a technique known as Monte Carlo simulation to investigate a phenomenon said to be a gravitational anomaly. MUSK'S MUSINGS: BILLIONAIRE'S BEST QUOTES FROM THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE PODCAST On why he comes up with innovations and runs his companies: Musk: 'I'm an alien! - Discussing the possibility we are living in an alternate reality and a 'multiverse'. Musk: 'If you assume any rate of improvement at all, then games will be indistinguishable from reality, or civilization will end. One of those two things will occur. 'Therefore, we are most likely in a simulation, because we exist. 'I think most likely, this is just about probability, there are many, many simulations. 'You might as well call them reality, or you could call them multiverse. - On social media: Musk: 'Be nicer to each other. Don't assume someone is mean. It's easy to demonize people.' Musk: 'It's way easier to be mean on social media than it is to be mean in person.' Musk: 'On balance [my Twitter interactions are] more good than bad, but there is definitely some bad'. - Rogan: 'What could potentially be holding the company [Tesla] back? Anything you'd change Musk: 'I wish politicians were better at science. That would help a lot. They [politicians] are pretty good at science in China, I have to say.' - On stopping use of Huawei phones because of risk of China spying on US citizens: Musk: 'If you have, like, top secret stuff, you wanna be careful with what hardware you use, but most people don't have top secret stuff. Nobody really cares what porn you watch! Nobody really cares. National spy agencies do not give a rats a** what porn you watch, they do not care. ' - Rogan: 'You know what could help, mushrooms.' Musk: 'They're delicious.' - Rogan: 'What keeps you up at night?' Musk: 'Its quite hard to run companies. Especially car companies. It's quite challenging. Space X is no walk in the park but a car company, it's very difficult to keep a car company alive. 'You know, there is only two car companies in the history of American car companies that haven't gone bankrupt and that's Ford and Tesla. That's it. We barely survived. ' Rogan: 'How close did you get to folding?' Musk: 'Very close. 2008 is not a good time to be a car company, especially an electric car company, that was like stupidity squared. ' - After puffing on the joint given to him by Rogan: Musk: 'I'm getting text messages from friends asking me 'what the hell are you doing smoking weed?'. 'I'm not a regular smoker of weed. Almost never. I don't actually notice any effect. I know a lot of people like weed, and that's fine, however, I don't find it's very good for productivity.' 'It's like a cup of coffee in reverse. I like to get things done. I like to be useful.' - Musk: 'You're already a cyborg, and most people don't even realise. That phone [in your hand] is an extension of yourself.' - Rogan: 'I don't know how you manage your time, it doesn't seem humanly possible?' Musk: I think people don't totally understand what I do with my time, they think I'm like, a business guy, I think even my Wikipedia page says business magnate.' Rogan: What would you call yourself? Musk: 'A business magnet.' - On sustainable energy and the environment Musk: 'We're really playing a crazy game here with the atmosphere and the oceans. We're taking vast amounts of carbon from deep underground and putting this, putting this in the atmosphere, this is crazy. 'We should not do this. It's very dangerous. We should accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. 'I mean the bizarre thing is that obviously we're going to run out of oil in the long term. There's only so much oil we can mine and burn. That's totally logical, we must have a sustainable energy transport and energy infrastructure in the long term. 'So we know that's the end point, we know that. So why run this crazy experiment where we take trillions of tons of carbon from underground and put it in the atmosphere and oceans. This is an insane experiment. It's the dumbest experiment in human history. Why are we doing this, it's crazy.' - On why he isn't building electrical sustainable energy airplanes: Musk: 'Electric cars are important, solar energy is important, stationary storage of energy is important. 'These things are much more important than creating electric supersonic VTOL[vertical take-off and landing planes].' Musk: The trick [with VTOL] is that you have to transition to level flight. The thing you'd use for vertical takeoff and landing is not suitable for high speed flight. 'The interesting thing about an electric plane is that you want to go as high as possible, but you need a certain energy density in the battery pack, because you have to overcome gravitational potential energy. ' Once you've overcome gravitational potential energy and you're at a high altitude, the energy you use in cruise is very low, and then you can recapture a large part of your gravitational potential energy on the way down. So you really don't need any kind of reserve fuel.' - On fossil fuels: Musk: 'It is the dumbest experiment in history' - Musk: 'I really think people should give other people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they are good until proven otherwise and most people are actually pretty good people. Nobody is perfect.' - On flying cars Musk: 'If you get one of those toy drones and imagine it's 1,000 times heavier - that's not going to make your neighbors happy. 'If you want a flying car, just put wheels on a helicopter.' Advertisement The effect, called thermal Hall conductance, can be seen in systems with high magnetic fields and low temperatures. But in their work, the researchers found that the simulation is unable to capture a system with gravitational anomalies, such as the quantum Hall effect. As the number of particles required for the simulation increased, the researchers found the simulation itself became far more complex. Scientists have long argued both sides of the theory, with some even suggesting if we did live in a simulated reality, we'd never know the truth anyway. But now, a new study could finally put the debate to rest. A stock image is pictured If the particles increased in a linear way, the number of computational resources to simulate the system would have to as well; for a system twice as large, for example, the number of required resources, including processors and memory, would have to double. But, if the system grew exponentially, this effect would be far more extreme. To store the information of a few hundred electrons on a computer, the simulation would require memory built from more atoms than exist in the entire universe, the researchers note. 'Our work provides an intriguing link between two seemingly unrelated topics: gravitational anomalies and computational complexity,' said co-author Zohar Ringel, a professor at Hebrew University. 'It also shows that the thermal Hall conductance is a genuine quantum effect: one for which no local classical analogue exists.' According to the researchers, the study shows that systems with gravitational anomalies will bring about a 'sign problem' within the Monte-Carlo approach. If the problem could be solved, large-scale quantum simulations could be possible, they say but the work provides proof that it cannot be solved for some systems. While the computer simulation theory continues to gnaw at the minds of many, with people such as Elon Musk backing the idea, the new study suggests it would be impossible to generate the illusion of reality in this way. Drugs for a variety of neurological conditions could be less effective for women, a new study has sensationally found. Experts identified a difference in the way the immune system of male and female mice react, which could result in women being given the short straw. Male mice are predominantly used in scientific research, however, their immune systems were found to be more naturally robust that their female equivalents. As a result, findings based on studies with male mice used in the research underestimate the strength of doses needed to achieve the same effect in females. This could have a drastic impact on the development of new drugs, experts say. Scroll down for video Drugs for a variety of neurological conditions could be less effective for women, a new study has found. Experts identified a gender gap in the way the immune system of male and female mice react, which could result in women being given the short straw (Stock Image) Researchers from the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin found that microglia, the immune cells of the central nervous system, differ in male and female mice. Microglia watch over the brain's health around the clock, much like a battalion of tiny soldiers. When the cells sense pathogens bacteria, viruses and other microorganism that can cause disease or an injury, they rush to the trouble spot and try to save whatever is still salvageable. But they do so quite differently depending on the animal's sex, which could explain previous research that suggests the human immune system also varies between genders. 'We were really surprised to find so many differences between the microglia of male and female mice,' said Dr Susanne Wolf, senior author of the study and a researcher in the cellular neurosciences lab at MDC. 'It turns out that the brains of male mice have more microglia.' Researchers from the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin found that microglia , the immune cells of the central nervous system (pictured), differ in male and female mice, with men's more alert and active HOW DO MICROGLIA DIFFER IN MALE AND FEMALE MICE? Microglia watch over the brain's health around the clock, like a battalion of tiny soldiers. When the cells sense pathogens including bacteria, viruses and other microorganism that can cause disease or an injury, they rush to the trouble spot and try to save whatever remains salvageable. But they do so quite differently depending on the sex of the animal, which could explain previous research that suggests the human immune system also varies between genders. Male mice have more microglia and the cell bodies of male brain immune cells are larger than their female counterparts. The microglia of male animals seem to be permanently at attention, ready to strike and keep order Male microglia also appear to wear themselves out faster because of their constant alertness. In female mice, the exact opposite was observed. Advertisement According to the researchers, that's not the only difference. The cell bodies of male brain immune cells are larger than their female counterparts. The team also determined not only which genes are active in the male and female cells, but also which proteins are produced by these genes. What's more, everything suggests that the male cells also act differently to female cells. 'We identified more than 1,000 genes and 300 to 400 proteins that are regulated differently according to sex,' Dr Wolf added. 'The microglia of male animals seem to be permanently at attention, ready to strike and keep order.' Male microglia, saysthe researchers, also appear to wear themselves out faster because of their constant alertness. 'In the female cells, proteins and genes responsible for protecting cells, such as DNA repair genes, are more active,' Dr Wolf said. 'In the male cells, on the other hand, we see increased activity of genes involved in initiating programmed cell death.' This means, she adds, that male microglia might be less protected against environmental insults and quicker to activate the cellular suicide program. 'It almost seems as if the male cells are more willing to take risks than the female ones,' says the study's first author Dilansu Guneykaya, a PhD student at the MDC. 'They almost always react faster, but as a result they sometimes seem to put themselves in danger.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal Cell Reports. A popular fetish app has been found to be storing users' passwords in plain text. Whiplr, which bills itself as the 'world's biggest online fetish community,' stores unmasked user credentials in its internal database, according to Engadget. This leaves them wide open to being exploited by hackers, should Whiplr's system ever be breached. Scroll down for video Whiplr, which bills itself as the 'world's biggest online fetish community,' stores unmasked user credentials in its internal database. This leaves them wide open to being exploited by hackers WHAT IS WHIPLR? Whiplr was launched in 2015 as a free, location-based messaging app that allows users to connect with others who share their interests in BDSM or other fetishes. According to the app's description, it is 'the world's first and only location-based messaging app to help you connect with potential play partners online or in person.' Users entire their 'kink category' upon creating an account. Inside the app, users can message, call or video chat with others. Whiplr offers a free version or a subscription-based version, which range from $19.95 for a one month of service to $119.95 for a year. Advertisement It was discovered when a user was asked to submit their password, username and email address in plain-text format to verify their account. The vulnerability is particularly distressing given that many users populate the site in near-anonymity. After the flaw was pointed out, Whiplr said it would implement greater security measures to protect users credentials. 'Whiplr places both the security and privacy of its millions of users around the world at the highest priority,' Ido Manor, Whiplr's data protection officer, told Engadget. 'This case was an error of judgment in a specific situation where a user could not have been identified via email address. 'We took steps to make sure this never happens again, just as it never happened before this incident,' he added. Whiplr says it has now secured passwords with one-way encryption and will be 'adding more security measures' in the future. However, it marks a troubling security flaw for an app that previously pledged to help protect users' identities. Storing the data in a raw format would've allowed bad actors to potentially figure out the real identities of users on the app. The Whiplr vulnerability was discovered when a user was asked to submit their password, username and email address in plain-text format to verify their account They could've also used their credentials to attempt to log in to other services - particularly if someone uses the same credentials for different apps or websites across the internet. In most cases, companies use a combination of hashing and salting to safeguard users login information. Hashing takes a user's password and scrambles it into a random string of characters. From there, the hashes are stored in an internal database, instead of the password. Every hash is the same length, which makes them harder for hackers to crack. Salting adds a random string of characters to either the front or back of your password before it's run through the hashing system. This adds an extra layer of security to the hashing process. Some firms use a combination of hashing and salting to safeguard users login info. Hashing takes a user's password and scrambles it into a random string of characters Additionally, more and more companies are adding extra security on the front end of the login process, by introducing two-factor authentication. When two-factor authentication is turned on, the service will send an email, text message or phone call to the user to verify a login attempt. But not every company considers user data protection to be its highest priority. In fact, there are no laws against storing users' passwords in plain text format, Engadget noted. Whiplr isn't the first firm to store users passwords in such a way. CHOOSING A SECURE PASSWORD According to internet security provider Norton, 'the shorter and less complex your password is, the quicker it can be for the program to come up with the correct combination of characters. The longer and more complex your password is, the less likely the attacker will use the brute force method, because of the lengthy amount of time it will take for the program to figure it out. 'Instead, they'll use a method called a dictionary attack, where the program will cycle through a predefined list of common words that are used in passwords.' Here are some steps to follow when creating a new password: DO: Use a combination of numbers, symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters Ensure that the password is at least eight characters long Use abbreviated phrases for passwords Change your passwords regularly Log out of websites and devices after you have finished using them DO NOT: Choose a commonly used password like '123456', 'password', 'qwerty' or '111111' Use a solitary word. Hackers can use dictionary-based systems to crack passwords Use a derivative of your name, family member's name, pet's name, phone number, address or birthday Write your password down, share it or let anyone else use your login details Answer 'yes' when asked to save your password to a computer browser Advertisement In April, T-Mobile Austria admitted it was storing customer passwords in partially plain text, revealing the practice in a conversation with a Twitter user. The firm even said in a tweet that it didn't 'get why [doing so] was a problem.' Twitter in May discovered a bug that caused passwords to be stored in plain text. The error caused passwords to be stored in plain text in an internal log before the hashing process was completed. Advertisement In the wake of a massive dust storm on Mars, NASAs Curiosity rover went dutifully back to work collecting samples at the surface. On August 9, just over two weeks after the storm officially began to die down, the rover scooped up a rock sample and captured a 360-degree view of its surroundings on Vera Rubin, revealing a thin layer of dust still lingering in the air. The stunning panorama reveals an immersive look at the eerie brown skies, with glimpses of Mount Sharp and ancient lakebed features and, a selfie of the Mars rover. Meanwhile, NASA's other Mars rover, Opportunity, is still silent more than two months after hunkering down in the dust storm. Click video and drag your cursor for the 360 view. Mobile users, simply point your phone in different directions On August 9, just over two weeks after the storm officially began to die down, the rover scooped up a rock sample and captured a 360-degree view of its surroundings on Vera Rubin, revealing a thin layer of dust still lingering in the air Curiosity captured the panorama and selfie using its Mast Camera. The rovers previous drill attempts were thwarted by unexpectedly hard rocks, according to NASA, so the latest collection came as a welcome surprise. Vera Rubin Ridge, where Curiosity is currently investigating, has perplexed scientists since its discovery. The region varies greatly in color and texture throughout, in a way never seen before. The ridge isnt this monolithic thing it has two distinct sections, each of which has a variety of colors, said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Some are visible to the eye and even more show up when we look in near-infrared, just beyond what our eyes can see. Some seem related to how hard the rocks are. To find a good spot for drilling, the team simply has to make an educated guess. So far, NASA says, this seems to be working out. The scientists suspected the ridges ledge may include harder rock while the spot below may be softer. The stunning panorama reveals an immersive look at the eerie brown skies, with glimpses of Mount Sharp and ancient lakebed features and, a selfie of the Mars rover. Curiosity captured the panorama and selfie using its Mast Camera With its new sample, Curiosity will be able to study the pulverized rock in its internal laboratories, to reveal what material is holding the ridge together in the face of wind erosion. While Curiosity is running just fine, the status of the Opportunity rover still remains unclear. Opportunity fell silent back in June, with no way to power its solar battery as dust continued to block out the sun. Engineers involved with the mission were at first hopeful that the robotic Mars explorer would wake back up once the storm abated but, after more than two months of silence, they recently admitted morale is shaky. In effort to keep their spirits high and inspire the rover to wake up, the team even crafted a themed playlist with a new song to kick off each Martian day from the control room. So far, the list includes 18 songs, from Wham!s Wake Me up Before You Go-Go and The Beatles Here Comes the Sun to Queens Keep Yourself Alive. Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam) took the component images for this view from a position outside Endeavor Crater during the span of June 7 to June 19, 2017 HOW OFTEN DO DUST STORMS HAPPEN ON MARS AND WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SEE THEM? Dust storms occur frequently on Mars, but global events that circle the entire planet appear every six to eight Earth years, which equates to three to four years on the red planet. MailOnline spoke to Dr Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, for his advice on witnessing this extra-terrestrial weather event. He said: 'Observing Mars is always challenging, as it's small, about half the size of the Earth, and at its closest is still around 34 million miles (55 million km) away. 'It is easily visible to the eye as a bright red object in the sky, but seeing any detail requires a reasonable telescope and binoculars won't show much. 'Even with that, details are fleeting, and depend on a steady terrestrial atmosphere as otherwise turbulence blurs out the view. 'This is why early Martian observers spent a lot of time making many sketches to try to map the planet's surface. 'A good time to look is when Mars is near its opposition, the point when the planet is opposite the sun in the sky and near its minimum distance from the Earth. 'Opposition in 2018 is on July 27, and Mars' closest approach is on 30 July. 'As it gets dark in the evening, you should look for a bright red object in the southeastern sky. 'With a decent telescope, observers can see the polar caps growing and shrinking and the dust storms described above. These can rapidly change from being local features to planetwide events.' Advertisement Opportunity hasnt let out a peep since June 10, and its unclear when the rover will wake up if it does at all. At the end of last month, NASA said it would have just 45 more days to contact Opportunity. Beyond that, the agency says the rover will more than likely not never recover. 'The Sun is breaking through the haze over Perseverance Valley, and soon there will be enough sunlight present that Opportunity should be able to recharge its batteries,' John Callas, Opportunity project manager at JPL, said at the end of August. 'When the tau level [a measure of the amount of particulate matter in the Martian sky] dips below 1.5, we will begin a period of actively attempting to communicate with the rover by sending it commands via the antennas of NASA's Deep Space Network. 'Assuming that we hear back from Opportunity, we will begin the process of discerning its status and bringing it back online.' Our brains respond to irony from emojis in the same way as words. A team of researchers from the University of Illinois examined the brain activity of English-speaking college students as they read sentences containing various emoji. They read sentences with emoji that were either negative, positive or ironic. Scroll down for video A team of researchers from the University of Illinois examined the brain activity of English-speaking college students as they read sentences containing various emoji HOW DO OUR BRAINS PROCESS IRONY? For the study, scientists monitored respondents' brainwaves as they read sentences that included ironic emoji. They specifically studied brain-wave patterns related to language processing, studying a pattern called the 'P600.' This is an 'error signal' that happens when someone encounters a word or symbol that's linguistically unexpected. It means the reader is encountering something, then reassessing it's meaning. Respondents who viewed an ironic emoji, such as the winky face, exhibited this brainwave pattern. Advertisement In one example, they read a sentence that said 'The cake she made was terrible,' followed by a frowning emoji, a smiling emoji and a winking emoji. At the same time, scientists recorded their brainwaves. Respondents then answered comprehension questions about how they interpreted the meaning of the sentence. They were asked whether they interpreted the sentence literally, or whether the wink emoji changed their reading of the sentence, so that they viewed it as an expression of irony. Researchers compared the brainwaves elicited by the ironic emojis and the nonironic emojis and found that the patterns elicited by the ironic emojis mirrored those shown in studies looking at ironic verbal communication. The study shows that words combined with emojis can be considered another form of 'multimodal communication,' in the same way that people might use gestures or facial expressions in combination with words to convey meaning. Put simply, emoji can convey irony or sarcasm in a written mode of communication, in the same way that intonation would do the same when you're speaking to someone. Typically, written modes of communication 'strips away' things like intonation or gestures, but emojis appear to add them back. In one example, respondents read a sentence that said 'The cake she made was terrible,' followed by a frowning emoji, a smiling emoji and a winking emoji As the respondents read the sentences, scientists recorded their brainwaves. They then served comprehension questions about how they interpreted the meaning of the sentence 'I wouldnt go so far as saying emojis are words, but they can be used linguistically,' said Benjamin Weissman, one of the co-authors of the study. 'Emojis can convey irony or sarcasm in a written format in the same way we might use intonation to convey the same thing when speaking.' Another example involved respondents reading the phrase 'You are such a jerk,' followed by a sad, smiling or winking emoji. They were asked to determine whether, based on the emoji used in the sentence, the person was actually a jerk. Again, people who interpreted irony showed different brain activity in response. Their brain scans showed separate spikes in activity, in contrast to other respondents. Specifically, one spike in activity occurred 200 milliseconds after reading the winky-face sentence. Another spike followed at roughly 600 milliseconds. People who interpreted irony in a sentence showed different patterns in brain activity. Specifically, they showed one spike in activity 200 milliseconds after reading the winky-face sentence. Another spike followed at roughly 600 milliseconds It shows that when a brain reads a sentence with ironic emoji, it first reads the words in one way, then changes its interpretation to consider new info - a process called 'reassessment' Researchers said that pattern is similar to what's been observed in studies where people listened to sentences that had a sarcastic tone. It appears to signify that when a brain reads a sentence with an ironic emoji, it first reads the sentence in one way, then changes its interpretation to consider new information - a process called 'reassessment.' The study shows that emojis convey a certain linguistic meaning in a sentence. 'This helps broaden our view of communication,' said Darren Tanner, another co-author of the study. 'It can be words, or words plus pictures, or words plus gesture, and it can be words plus emojis. 'You cant just use a string of emojis, but when you pair emojis with words, they can enhance each other. The combined effect of written words plus emojis is bigger than words or emojis alone,' he added. More than a decade after it was demoted, the debate over whether Pluto is a planet has been reignited by a new study. New research from the University of Central Florida in Orlando claims the reason Pluto lost its planet status is 'not valid'. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union, a global group of astronomy experts, established a definition of a planet that required it to 'clear' its orbit, or in other words, be the largest gravitational force in its orbit. Scroll down for video The new Florida study reviewed scientific literature from the past 200 years and found only one publication - from 1802 - that agreed with the IAU definition. THE GEOPHYSICAL DEFINITION Scientists have proposed a new way to define planets based on 'the physics of the world itself.' By the proposed geophysical definition: 'A planet is a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion and that has sufficient self-gravitation to assume a spheroidal shape adequately described by a triaxial ellipsoid regardless of its orbital parameters.' Or, simply put, 'round objects in space that are smaller than stars.' Advertisement Since Neptune's gravity influences its neighboring planet Pluto, and Pluto shares its orbit with frozen gases and objects in the Kuiper belt, that meant Pluto was out of planet status. However, the new study reviewed scientific literature from the past 200 years and found only one publication - from 1802 - that used the clearing-orbit requirement to classify planets, and it was based on since-disproven reasoning. 'The IAU definition would say that the fundamental object of planetary science, the planet, is supposed to be a defined on the basis of a concept that nobody uses in their research,' said UCF planetary scientist Philip Metzger, who is with the university's Florida Space Institute. 'And it would leave out the second-most complex, interesting planet in our solar system.' Metzger said moons such as Saturn's Titan and Jupiter's Europa have been routinely called planets by planetary scientists since the time of Galileo. Adopting the new definition would see roughly 110 objects in the solar system classified as 'full-fledged' planets, including dwarf planets and moon planets such as Ceres, Pluto, Charon, and our own moon 'We now have a list of well over 100 recent examples of planetary scientists using the word planet in a way that violates the IAU definition, but they are doing it because it's functionally useful.' 'It's a sloppy definition 'They didn't say what they meant by clearing their orbit. If you take that literally, then there are no planets, because no planet clears its orbit.' According to Metzger, the literature review showed that the real division between planets and other celestial bodies, such as asteroids, occurred in the early 1950s when Gerard Kuiper published a paper that made the distinction based on how they were formed. However, even this reason is no longer considered a factor that determines if a celestial body is a planet, he believes. Study co-author Kirby Runyon, with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, said the IAU's definition was erroneous since the literature review showed that clearing orbit is not a standard that is used for distinguishing asteroids from planets, as the IAU claimed when crafting the 2006 definition of planets. 'We showed that this is a false historical claim,' Runyon said. 'It is therefore fallacious to apply the same reasoning to Pluto,' he said. Metzger said that the definition of a planet should be based on its intrinsic properties, rather than ones that can change, such as the dynamics of a planet's orbit. 'Dynamics are not constant, they are constantly changing,' Metzger said. 'So, they are not the fundamental description of a body, they are just the occupation of a body at a current era.' Instead, Metzger recommends classifying a planet based on if it is large enough that its gravity allows it to become spherical in shape. 'And that's not just an arbitrary definition, Metzger said. 'It turns out this is an important milestone in the evolution of a planetary body, because apparently when it happens, it initiates active geology in the body.' Pluto, for instance, has an underground ocean, a multilayer atmosphere, organic compounds, evidence of ancient lakes and multiple moons, he said. 'It's more dynamic and alive than Mars,' Metzger said. 'The only planet that has more complex geology is the Earth.' Last year astronomers proposed a new way to define planets based on 'the physics of the world itself,' citing technical flaws in the definition adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 2006 as the reason for the possible overhaul. If accepted, the geophysical definition would essentially classify all 'round objects in space that are smaller than stars' as planets, including Pluto, other dwarf planets, and even moons. Scientists from NASA's New Horizon's mission will make their proposal at the Lunar and planetary Science Conference in March. The team argues that the IAU definition is flawed in several ways, including that it only recognizes as planets those which orbit our sun. This leaves out objects orbiting other stars or those orbiting freely through the galaxy. Along with this, they say there are parameters which even the planets in our solar system cannot satisfy. The new definition, they argue, would meet the needs of both scientific classification and 'peoples' intuition.' By the proposed geophysical definition: 'A planet is a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion and that has sufficient self-gravitation to assume a spheroidal shape adequately described by a triaxial ellipsoid regardless of its orbital parameters.' Or, simply put, 'round objects in space that are smaller than stars.' This definition holds the physics of the planet itself to more importance than the physics of its interactions with other objects, the researchers explain. Adopting this definition would see roughly 110 objects in the solar system classified as 'full-fledged' planets, including dwarf planets and moon planets such as Ceres, Pluto, Charon, and our own moon. According to the proposal, the new definition would be better for scientists, educators, and students alike, as it is more intuitive and emphasizes the intrinsic physical properties of a planetary body. More than a decade after it was demoted, Pluto could soon be considered a planet again along with more than 100 other objects in our solar system. The newly proposed definition, simply put, would classify 'round objects in space that are smaller than stars' as planets And, it speaks to a practice that is already in use. 'In keeping with emphasizing intrinsic properties, our geophysical definition is directly based on the physics of the world itself rather than the physics of its interactions with external objects,' the authors explain. 'Our definition captures the common usage already present in the planetary science community. 'In peer-reviewed planetary science publications and talks, the world 'planet' often substitutes for the given name of the world, even if the world is a moon or a dwarf planet.' A special issue of Nature has published a series of studies looking at how monitoring Antarctica from space is providing crucial insights into its response to a warming climate. Here are their key findings: Three trillion tonnes of ice has been lost from Antarctica since 1992 The Antarctic Ice Sheet lost around three trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2017, according to research led by Leeds University. This figure corresponds to a mean sea-level rise of about eight millimetres (1/3 inch), with two-fifths of this rise coming in the last five years alone. The finds mean people in coastal communities are at greater risk of losing their homes and becoming so-called climate refugees than previously feared. In one of the most complete pictures of Antarctic ice sheet change to date, an international team of 84 experts combined 24 satellite surveys to yield the results. It found that until 2012 Antarctica lost ice at a steady rate of 76 billion tonnes per year - a 0.2mm (0.008 inches) per year contribution to sea level rise. However, since then there has been a sharp, threefold increase. At some point since the last Ice Age, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was smaller than it is today Researchers previously believed that since the last ice age, around 15,000 years ago, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) was getting smaller However, new research published by Northern Illinois University shows that between roughly 14,500 and 9,000 years ago, the ice sheet below sea level was even smaller than today. Over the following millennia, the loss of the massive amount of ice that was previously weighing down the seabed spurred an uplift in the sea floor. Then the ice sheet began to regrow toward today's configuration. 'The WAIS today is again retreating, but there was a time since the last Ice Age when the ice sheet was even smaller than it is now, yet it didn't collapse,' said Northern Illinois University geology professor Reed Scherer, a lead author on the study. 'That's important information to have as we try to figure out how the ice sheet will behave in the future', he said. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet was stable throughout the last warm period The stability of the largest ice sheet on Earth is an indication to scientists that it could hold up as temperatures continue to rise. If all the East Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, the sea level would rise by 175 feet (53 metres). However, unlike the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets it seems it would be resistant to melting as conditions warm, according to research from Purdue University and Boston College. Their research showed that land-based sectors of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet were mostly stable throughout the Pliocene (5.3 to 2.6 million years ago). This is when carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere were close to what they are today - around 400 parts per million. 'Based on this evidence from the Pliocene, today's current carbon dioxide levels are not enough to destabilise the land-based ice on the Antarctic continent,' said Jeremy Shakun, lead author of the paper and assistant professor of earth and environmental science at Boston College. 'This does not mean that at current atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, Antarctica won't contribute to sea level rise. 'Marine-based ice very well could and in fact is already starting to contribute, and that alone holds an estimated 20 meters of sea level rise,' he said. Decisions in the next decade will determine whether Antarctica contributes to a metre of sea level rise One of the largest uncertainties in future sea-level rise predictions is how the Antarctic ice sheet reacts to human-induced global warming. Scientists say that time is running out to save this unique ecosystem and if the right decisions are not made in the next ten years there will be no turning back. Researchers from Imperial College London assessed the state of Antarctica in 2070 under two scenarios which represent the opposite extremes of action and inaction on greenhouse gas emissions. Under the high emissions and low regulations narrative, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean undergo widespread and rapid change, with global consequences. By 2070, warming of the ocean and atmosphere has caused dramatic loss of major ice shelves, leading to increased loss of grounded ice from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and an acceleration in global sea level rise. Under the low emissions and tight regulations narrative, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and implementation of effective policy helps to minimise change in Antarctica, which in 2070 looks much like it did in the early decades of the century. This results in Antarctica's ice shelves remaining intact, slowing loss of ice from the ice sheet and reducing the threat of sea level rise. What saved the West Antarctic Ice Sheet 10,000 years ago will not save it today The retreat of the West Antarctic ice masses after the last Ice Age was reversed surprisingly about 10,000 years ago, scientists found. In fact it was the shrinking itself that stopped the shrinking: relieved from the weight of the ice, the Earth crust lifted and triggered the re-advance of the ice sheet. According to research from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) this mechanism is much too slow to prevent dangerous sea-level rise caused by West Antarctica's ice-loss in the present and near future. Only rapid greenhouse-gas emission reductions can, researchers found. 'The warming after the last Ice Age made the ice masses of West Antarctica dwindle,' said Torsten Albrecht from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. 'Given the speed of current climate-change from burning fossil fuels, the mechanism we detected unfortunately does not work fast enough to save today's ice sheets from melting and causing seas to rise.' The world's ice shelves may be being destabilised by forces from above and below Researchers found that warm ocean water flowing in channels beneath Antarctic ice shelves is thinning the ice from below so much that the ice in the channels is cracking. Surface meltwater can then flow into these fractures, further destabilising the ice shelf and increasing the chances that substantial pieces will break away. The researchers, led by the University of Texas at Austin, documented this mechanism in a major ice break up, or calving, event in 2016 at Antarctica's Nansen Ice Shelf. The findings are concerning because ice shelves, which are floating extensions of continental glaciers, slow down the flow of ice into the ocean and help control the rate of sea level rise, according to the study. 'We are learning that ice shelves are more vulnerable to rising ocean and air temperatures than we thought,' said Professor Christine Dow, lead author of the study. 'There are dual processes going on here. One that is destabilising from below, and another from above. 'This information could have an impact on our projected timelines for ice shelf collapse and resulting sea level rise due to climate change', he said. A perfectly preserved spear dart used 1,000 years ago by hunters has been found in a melting ice patch in the Yukon. The 'amazing' find is so well preserved, feather and even the sap used as glue is still visible. 'I'd never seen anything like that before, it was amazing,' Jennifer Herkes, who is the heritage manager for the Carcross/Tagish First Nation in Yukon, told CBC. The 'amazing' find is so well preserved, feather and even the sap used as glue is still visible. The incredible find was made on the Yukon ice patches, near Carcross. WHAT IS AN ATLATL? Atlatls are ancient weapons that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world and are one of humankind's first mechanical inventions. The word atlatl (pronounced at-latal or atal-atal) comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztec, who were still using them when encountered by the Spanish in the 1500s. Other words include spear-thrower, estolica (Spanish), propulseur (French), speerschleuder (German) and woomera or miru (English versions of the most common Australian terms). An atlatl is essentially a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear or 'dart' on the other. The flipping motion of the atlatl propels a light spear much faster and farther than it could be thrown by hand alone. Advertisement 'The feathers, the sinew, the sap they would have used as, like, a glue to attach the stone point to the wood shaft all of it is completely intact.' The incredible find was made on the Yukon ice patches, near Carcross. At first, Herkes said didn't realize what had been found, thinking is was just a small part of a dart. 'I thought, 'Oh yeah, that's neat,'' she told CBC. Then she saw it wasn't just a piece it was the whole spear. 'My heart rate started increasing, and I got goose bumps all over.' The five-foot spear dart, or atlatl, would have been launched with a throwing tool, increasing its velocity. The area is home to woodland caribou who gather on the ice patches during summer, and it was once a popular hunting ground. Recent warmer weather has meant tools are now regularly being found in the area as the ice patches melt. The five-foot spear dart, or atlatl, would have been launched with a throwing tool, increasing its velocity 'Carcross/Tagish First Nation Citizens and staff had the opportunity to go up to the ice patches this year,' the organization said on its Facebook Page. 'Ice patches are used by caribou to escape the heat and bugs in the summer, and were used as a common hunting location for at least 9000 years.' The organization is working to have these sites designated as world heritage sites because of their importance and uniqueness. CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSING YUKON HARES TO CHANGE COLOUR Animals are losing their ability to blend in with their surroundings thanks to climate change, a new study suggests. Experts found that snowshoe hares in some parts of the US are not developing a white winter coat as expected, in response to lower levels of snowfall. Understanding animals' responses to the climate will become increasingly important as changes become more extreme in the future, researchers say. Animals in the extreme north, especially those adapted to survive harsh winters, are particularly vulnerable as these regions are experiencing the greatest changes. Snowshoe hares are named thanks to their large back feet. Having large back feet is not the only adaptation the small hare's have for life in the snow, their white winter coat (right) helps them blend in with the snowy background and they are brown (left) during the summer Agricultural scientists from Penn State University compared data from a study of snowshoe hares conducted in 2007 in the Yukon region of Canada with information collected from 70 Pennsylvania hares trapped in 2014 and 2015. Snowshoe hares are brown in the summer and develop a white coat in the winter to avoid predators. They found that the hares from the Eastern US had shorter, less-dense and less-white winter coats than their northern counterparts. Advertisement 'This year's amazing finds included a ground stone point, an arrow shaft with point, and an intact atl-alt dart,' it said. A few weeks before the spear was found, archeologists made another discovery in the ice patches a ground-stone point. Earlier this year, archaeologists also confirmed that a rare copper arrowhead discovered on a remote Canadian mountain is almost 900 years old. The arrowhead, which is at the tip of a perfectly preserved antler arrow, was found sticking out of an ice patch in the Yukon Territory. The Carcross/Tagish First Nations was also involved in the arrowhead discovery, which shed new light on the history of the Canadian Territory. Amazon is to open a branch of its radical 'Amazon Go' cashierless store in New York The store was revealed through a series of job postings spotted by The Information. The firm recently opened a second location in Seattle, and has previously said it hopes to open stores in Chicago and San Francisco. Scroll down for video The plans for the New York store were revealed through a series of job postings spotted by The Information. Pictured, the original store in Seattle. 'On Thursday night, the internet retailer posted at least four job listings related to an Amazon Go store in the New York area,' The Information said. 'The listings seek candidates for a store manager, an assistant store manager, a learning and development manager, and a training lead associate.' It comes weeks after Amazon's second Seattle store opened. The store, the second in Amazon's hometown of Seattle, will be a mile away from the original location near the Seattle Central Library at 920 Fifth Ave., and opened at 7 a.m. today. HOW DO AMAZON'S GO STORES WORK? In December 2016, Amazon unveiled a convenience store in downtown Seattle that replaced cashiers with technology found in self-driving cars. It opened to the public in January 2018. To start shopping, customers must scan an Amazon Go smartphone app and pass through a gated turnstile. Ready-to-eat lunch items greet shoppers when they enter. Deeper into the store, shoppers can find a small selection of grocery items, including meats and meal kits. An Amazon employee checks IDs in the store's wine and beer section. Amazon's first Go Store opened in Seattle earlier this year and are looking to expand and open stores in Chicago and San Francisco Sleek black cameras monitoring from above and weight sensors in the shelves help Amazon determine exactly what people take. If someone passes back through the gates with an item, his or her associated account is charged. If a shopper puts an item back on the shelf, Amazon removes it from his or her virtual cart. Much of the store will feel familiar to shoppers, aside from the check-out process. Amazon, famous for dynamic pricing online, has printed price tags just as traditional brick-and-mortar stores do. Advertisement The new store is slightly smaller than the original, at 1,450 square feet, and won't sell alcohol or staples like milk and bread. It also forgoes an in store kitchen, and will have its fresh food supplied by an Amazon kitchen facility in Seattle. Gianna Puerini, the Amazon vice president who oversees Go, told the Seattle Times she expects a higher portion of office workers among the clientele compared to the first store. 'The population here is a little different,' Puerini said. The first store debuted one mile away at the base of Amazon's Day One tower in January, after more than a year of fine-tuning the concept. Amazon customers scan their smartphones at a turnstile to enter the shop. Cameras and sensors identify which products customers remove from the shelves and put into their backpack, or shopping trolley. Since the system is tracking their purchases as they move around the store, customers simply leave when they're finished shopping, with Amazon billing the credit cards on file for any products its cameras identified. Amazon Go, which is also set to open stores in Chicago and San Francisco, has sent rivals scrambling to prepare for yet another disruption from the online retailer. It comes after claims Microsoft is working on technology that would eliminate the need for cashiers and checkout lines in supermarkets. Other rival stores have purportedly tested programs where customers scan and bag each item as they shop, with mixed results. In the UK, Waitrose already allows customers to scan products customers to scan purchases as they pick them off the shelf. However, they still need to pay at a till. For Microsoft, becoming a strategic ally to retailers has resulted in big business. Amazon customers scan their smartphones at a turnstile to enter. Cameras and sensors identify what they remove from the shelves and Amazon bills their credit cards on file for everything on their person as they leave the store In addition to developing retail technologies, it ranks second, behind only Amazon, in selling cloud services that are key to running e-commerce sites, for instance. It is not clear how soon Microsoft would bring an automated checkout service to market, if at all, or whether its technology would be the answer retailers are looking for. But some see the technology as the next big innovation in shopping, one that Amazon's competitors cannot afford to ignore. 'This is the future of checking out for convenience and grocery stores,' said Gene Munster, head of research at Loup Ventures in Minneapolis. The venture capital firm estimates the US market for an automated checkout system is worth some $50 billion (37.2 billion). Microsoft said it 'does not comment on rumours or speculation'. Walmart and Amazon have declined to comment. So far, Microsoft's attempt at developing the checkout-free supermarket has largely fallen under its Business AI (Artificial Intelligence) team, one source said. A group consisting of 10 to 15 people have worked on a slew of retail store technologies, and they have presented their efforts to CEO Satya Nadella, the person said. MICROSOFT TO TAKE ON AMAZON IN SMART SHOPS It comes after claims Microsoft is working on technology that would eliminate the need for cashiers and checkout lines in supermarkets. The company is looking to challenge Amazon, which has already opened a checkout-free store in Seattle, called Amazon Go, according to people familiar with the matter. Microsoft is working on technology that would eliminate cashiers and checkout lines from stores. The tech firm is looking to challenge Amazon's automated grocery shop, according to six people familiar with the matter (stock image) It is believed Microsoft is developing systems to track what shoppers add to their carts or basket as they move around the supermarket. The Redmond-based software giant has shown sample technology to retailers from around the world and is reportedly in talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration. Advertisement In a meeting with the team several months ago, Mr Nadella recommended an 'intelligent edge' device that could manage connected gadgets such as cameras on site with minimum data transfers to the cloud, which would cut down on costs, they added. Making its technology cheap enough so it does not shrink grocers' already thin profit margins is a major challenge for Microsoft, another person said. Microsoft already showcases the basics for automated checkout at its Retail Experience Centre in Redmond. It has half a dozen partners, including Redmond-based AVA Retail, that are building their own checkout-free or related services atop Microsoft's cloud, some of the people said. Sales of partners' services result in cloud revenue for Microsoft, along with insight into the market for new retail technologies. Meanwhile, Microsoft's internal team, including a computer vision specialist hired from Amazon Go, has worked on attaching cameras to shopping carts to track customers' items. The secretive team has studied novel ways for smartphones to play a role in the shopping experience, people said. Still, the industry is playing catch-up to Amazon. The company spent four years building Amazon Go in secret, before launching an employee-only pilot on its Seattle campus in 2016. It collected data for almost 14 months before opening its first Seattle store. Amazon has said it has no plans to introduce checkout-free technology to its Whole Foods Market grocery chain, which it acquired last year. The company is still hard at work improving the service. Amazon Vice President Dilip Kumar told Reuters in an interview earlier this year that the company is training computers to identify items or activities with as little information as possible. 'It's a really hard problem,' said Scott Jacobson, managing director of Madrona Venture Group, adding it is 'one that Amazon is uniquely positioned to solve.' Artificial intelligence poses a greater challege to the world than terrorism, the incoming president of the British Science Association has warned. Professor Jim Al-Khalili, a physicist at the University of Surrey, warned that progress in artificial intelligence is 'happening too fast' and is not being regulated well enough. He said that AI will make Britain increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks and lead to greater inequality as thousands are rendered unemployed. Artificial intelligence poses a greater challege to the world than terrorism, the incoming president of the British Science Association (pictured) has warned At a briefing in London ahead of the British Science Festival in Hull this week, he said: 'Until maybe a couple of years ago had I been asked what is the most pressing and important conversation we should be having about our future, I might have said climate change or one of the other big challenges facing humanity, such as terrorism, antimicrobial resistance, the threat of pandemics or world poverty. 'But today I am certain the most important conversation we should be having is about the future of AI. It will dominate what happens with all of these other issues for better or for worse. 'If Russian cyber hackers were able to meddle with the 2016 US elections, then what is stopping cyber terrorists from hacking into any future AI controlled power grids, transport systems, banks of military installations. 'Our government has a responsibility to protect society from potential threats and risks.' He added: 'Many people are becoming increasingly nervous about what they see as unchecked progress in AI. 'There are valid concerns about the widespread implementation of AI leading to an increase in inequality. Robotics and autonomous systems are predicted to bring about job losses, primarily affecting workers in low-skilled roles, and there is still little research on how the future effects of automation might vary across the UK. Humanoid Robot Sophia is seen during the Discovery exhibition on April 30, 2018 in Toronto, Canada 'We are now seeing an unprecedented level of interest, investment and technological progress in the field, which many people, including myself, feel is happening too fast.' Al-Khalili also warned week that without greater transparency and public engagement the full potential of AI may not be realised. Artificial Intelligence promises an even bigger revolution than the internet yet could be stifled in the UK by a fear-driven public backlash. In the absence of concerted action by academics, the Government and industry, the rapidly advancing technology could end up 'uncontrolled and unregulated' in the hands of a few supremely powerful companies, he said. Previewing his presidential address at this year's British Science Festival in Hull, which begins this week, Prof Al-Khalili spoke of the dream and dangers of AI. He pointed out that the UK was at the forefront of the technology, which is predicted to contribute up to $15trillion (11.7 trillion) to the global economy by 2030. Theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili But there was a risk of AI going the same way as GM (genetic modification) and being seen as frightening and sinister by members of the public and a 'poison chalice' by politicians. Prof Al-Khalili said: 'There's a real danger of a public backlash against AI potentially similar to the one we had with GM back in the early days of the millennium. 'If the public become disengaged our leaders will see it as less of a priority. Regulations will need to be in place and they may come too late. He wants to see AI included in the school curriculum, even though that would be like 'shifting a giant tanker in the middle of the ocean', and the focus of myth-dispelling public education programmes. While AI was often seen as science fiction, it was already becoming part of daily life, Al-Khalili said. AI manifested itself in virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa, as well as the 'almost psychic awareness' of Google, Facebook and Amazon. In future, the technology could completely reshape society. 'AI is going to transform our lives in the coming decades even more than the internet has over the last few decades,' said Prof Al-Khalili. 'Let's make sure we're ready for it.' Prof Al-Khalili's new documentary 'The Joy of AI' was launched on Tuesday, September 4, on BBC4. Coo-ey, breakfast, shouts Dzeneta from the verandah of her farmhouse. I open the creaky gate of the picket fence and make my way back from the beach, stuffing a shell into my trouser pocket. Here on the Baltic shore of Cape Kolka sandcastles have replaced Soviet machine gun towers and the shriek of children playing in the dunes drowns ghostly echoes of the past. The white sand stretches north to the Estonian border and south to the frontier with Lithuania, a 300-mile swathe of perfect white seaboard. Last port of call: Latvias lively capital is the final stop on a trip along the Baltic Highway We are driving a section of the 'Baltic Highway', the road that follows Latvia's beautiful coastline. The Cape marks the stormy latitude at which the Baltic Sea collides with the Gulf of Riga. Trees ripped from the ground during a winter hurricane in 2005 are scattered like spillikins across the sandscape, semi-buried symbols of turbulent times. Latvia is the largest of the three Baltic nations and has been independent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990. For centuries Swedes fought Germans before the Soviets and the Nazis marched in and claimed it for most of the 20th century. By contrast, here in Courland a small community of Finnish settlers has lived quietly since the Dark Ages, eking out a peaceful existence. Dzeneta is one of the 200-strong surviving members of the local tribe, known as Livs and also the owner of Usi farm, where we are staying . 'The tanks have been and gone, but we have stayed. We pray the Russians leave us alone,' she says. She points to places of interest on a map I have just smeared with butter. 'Come back in the winter and you can cross-country ski the length of Latvia, along the beach!' Outside the rich and colourful port of Ventspils we stop at a restored Cold War spy station used for eavesdropping on the West. 'I dare you to ask whether it is now being used to spy on the Russians,' I say to my friend, Ana. Neither of us dares. We cut inland for the medieval town of Kuldiga and dine at the Goldingen Room on the ancient square opposite the town hall. Somewhat incongruously, we eat haute Mediterranean cuisine in a moody setting. I risk a glass of wine from the excellent list then drive into the forest to find Maras Manor, the lovingly restored home of our wonderful guide, Ilga, and her German husband. With its impeccable hospitality and acres of creaking wood, it is one of the finest chambres d'hotes I have ever stayed in. The next day we head to the naval port of Karosta, adjoining the town of Liepaja, near the border with Lithuania. Off-limits in Soviet times, it housed the Atlantic submarine fleet and there's a gruesome military jail where for 17 (15) you can spend the night. 'But I wouldn't if I were you,' says our guide, a former prison guard. 'You won't like it.' Beyond the barbed wire is a domed Russian Orthodox Cathedral and in town we walk through a lively market to get to the House of Craftsmen, where the largest amber in the world resides. Here, women toil on looms and weave baskets. North up the Baltic highway is Jurmala, where many of Russia's super-rich own holiday homes. From our penthouse room at the groovy Semarah Lielupe spa hotel, we see that they are not so much homes as mini palaces. 'Jurmala is Cannes and Martha's vineyard all in one,' coos Ana. She's looking down at the shopping street. I steer her to the gorgeously wide beach, then the hotel spa for a steam bath. Our last stop is Riga, where we check into the four-star Semarah Hotel Metropole, the grand old lady of the capital. Well run and reasonably priced, it is handily placed between the station and Riga Old Town. Majestic: The golden domes of the St Nicholas Orthodox Sea Cathedral in Liepaja Romans, the hotels obliging gofer, organises a trip around the fabulous art nouveau quarter and provides us with a highly-cultivated guide. Juris Berze was Michael Portillo's local architectural expert for his TV series Great Continental Railway Journeys. Our last night is at the opulent Grand Palace Hotel. In the marbled cocktail bar, the air is distinctly smoky. I ask the waiter. 'If our guests want to smoke, they smoke.' Russians like to smoke. And there's nothing wrong with the smell of a Montecristo A. No trip to Riga would be complete without testing some of its great restaurants. Biblioteka N1 is where chef Maris Jansons the Heston Blumenthal of Latvia has created a contemporary Baltic temple to gastronomy, in a library. With its open kitchen and modern cooking, 3 Chefs in the Old Town, is the buzziest spot to be seen. Rocket Bean Roastery, in an old sock factory, is where Michelin-starred chef Arturs Taskans combines beetroot with chocolate and cooks up a storm in one of Riga's newest ventures. Let's just say, I've developed a taste for Latvia. The pelt of a polar bear and several sealskins decorate the walls of the Mamartut restaurant. Through the panorama window, beyond the pastel coloured houses, icebergs are sweating in the late summer sunshine. Earlier it soared to 10c but is now down to 5c. Sensationally balmy for a Greenland evening, but not so good if you are an iceberg. Welcome to the land of the hunter and the hunted, where the midnight summer sun does its best to make up for the rest of the year. Panorama: Colourful houses (pictured above) in Greenland's stunning Disko Bay We are in Ilulissat, a town well inside the Arctic Circle, from whence the iceberg that sank the Titanic began its fateful voyage. The ice is now too thin for hunters sleds in much of Greenland but, up in the north, there are still icebergs the size of Manhattan, says Tagak, our guide and one of only 51,000 remaining Greenlandic Inuits. Greenland is the worlds largest island and is nine times the size of Britain. Lying between Iceland and Canada, it is a heavily subsidised autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. The vast majority of us are Inuits, says Tagak. We used to be known as Eskimos, but that word is considered demeaning. Mamartut is his idea and I graze on Greenland tapas, a combo of whats locally available, prepared by chef owner, Kim Pedersen. A post mortem of my napkin would reveal three types of whale (roasted, smoked and stewed), musk ox and reindeer jelly, with the odd smear of claret, not to mention seal soup and puffin. But these folk live on the margins of Arctic existence so they have little choice. Further north they are still allowed to hunt polar bears for subsistence and are the only humans of whom the Arctic monster is (rightly) afraid. We awake to a panorama view of Disko Bay and its myriad icebergs glimmering antifreeze blue in the weak morning sun, like aliens on a vast indigo stage. After a hefty Danish breakfast at the Hotel Isfjord we board our sturdy fishing boat, the Sapangaq, and gun north for 50 miles, up the Ataa Strait and through the Pakitsoq fjord system to visit the Eqi glacier. Small icebergs bob and wobble as we thunder in and out of channels between the bigger ones, hitting larger and larger chunks of ice. Thunk! Thunk! Gradually, the sea turns from bluey-grey to grey as it changes into frozen sludge. Half a mile short of the glacier, a jagged ridge rising to 900 feet above sea level, the skipper brings us to a halt. 'Any closer, very dangerous,' he announces. Two minutes later a huge slab of the glacier collapses into the sea, sending a sludgequake which slaps the side of the boat and caused the bay to audibly quake. Large chunks of ice the size of whales appear to come to life and leap up before crashing down onto the freezing fastness of Baffin Bay. By mid-September the bay is ice-locked and the tiny local communities hunker down to face seven months of isolation. 'The glacier will gradually regroup and expand slightly, but during the past 10 years it has moved further back than during the previous 150,' says the lady from World of Greenland, who run the trips. Cosy: Locals wear traditional costume (above) As we labour through the thickening water Kristian Brandt, the 49-year-old Inuit skipper, assures me the Sapangaq would plough through ice a metre thick. 'This is fast changing. We see bears floating by on small patches of drifting ice. It is not right.' We eat lunch in the restaurant at Ilimanaq Lodge, where an old village is being restored and where World of Greenland owns 15 chalets. In the old chapel a simple confection of fish and locally grown vegetables is imaginatively cooked and we experience the apotheosis of the carrot. We now fly to Nuuk, the capital, checking into the excellent Inuk Hostels, where we meet the owner, a Greenlandic author and scholar, Liisi Egede Hegelund, a charming and knowledgable host. She suggests the hour-long boat trip we took across the glassy stillness of an inland fjord to the semi-abandoned village of Qooqqut. Here we meet Sulli, Greenlands breakdancing champion who is also a waiter at the cheerful Thai-style seafood restaurant some 400 yards from the pontoon. He gives me a spin on his quad bike during a fag break. 'Theres never a dull moment here,' he says. The fiery sunset glows orange across the water as we sail back and the stillness is occasionally disturbed by the distant thunder of glacial waterfalls. On the last day we lunch well at the upmarket Cafe Toqqorfik opposite the Greenland National Museum. The film of Inuit life, made in 1934 by the Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen, brings tears to my eyes. 'We are hunters for many generations. But hunting on thin ice is not safe and many think that the alternative fishing is a womans work. Thats why so many go to the pub,' says Tagak, as he drops us at the airport. The smell of hotdog fills the air. The trip ends where it began, in Iceland. We fly to the east of the island, the bit thats off the beaten track, and visit the Vatnajokull glacier and sea fjords amidst the mountains and vast national park in this least visited of areas. A volcanic end to an elegiac trip to the fast melting fastness of Greenland. TRAVEL FACTS Icelandair (icelandair.com) flies London to Reykjavik and, from there, Air Iceland Connect (airicelandconnect.com) to Greenland (total from 865 return). Internal flights with Air Greenland (airgreenland.com). Rooms at Hotel Icefjord, Ilulissat (hotelicefiord.gl) from 108 and Hostel Inuk, Nuuk (inukhostels.com) from 95. World of Greenland see worldofgreenland.com. Boat trip to Qooqqut with Tupilak Travel (tupilaktravel.com). More info: visitgreenland.com. Iceland: Hotel Herad, Egilsstadir (icelandairhotels.com). Advertisement Where in the world would you choose as the perfect place for hiking amid a spectacular mountain wilderness, with jagged limestone peaks giving way to valleys speckled with olive groves? A place so unspoilt youre unlikely to encounter another living soul for days on end? One place I suspect would not be top of your list is 20 miles from Benidorm. Yet it is here, close to the Costa Blancas party capital, that youll find some of the most fabulous walking routes in southern Europe. The Marina Alta range dubbed Spains Secret Mountains may offer distant glimpses of Benidorm but they are truly a world away. Here, life remains as peaceful and unhurried as Benidorm is hectic. Walkers' paradise: A peaceful hilltop town in the Marina Alta mountain range The few small towns and villages are still centred around what agriculture can be eked from the unforgiving soil, and from a very different kind of slow tourism. With old muleteers tracks and well-worn paths winding their way through the mountainscape, it is a walkers paradise. I headed to Spain with my 17-year-old son. Our travel firm organised the accommodation, transport and luggage transfers to our overnight stops, and provided detailed walking notes. Our four-day route, covering ten to 15 miles a day through the lower slopes of pine forest up to the craggier peaks of scrub, should be manageable for most. We began at Tarbena, a village that has been fought over through the centuries by the Moors, Iberians, Romans, British and even Majorcans. From the rooftop terrace of our overnight inn, my son usually constantly on his phone took one look at the view and was so bowled over that he got out his A-level art sketchbook. On Day Two we stopped at Els Arcs, giant limestone arches so slender I feared one sneeze could bring them tumbling down. Scenic: The village of Tarbena inspired Harry's son to get out his sketchbook Equally stunning was El Castelet, the ruins of a Moorish watchtower, but it was on the valley floor on our final day that we stumbled on a site I found most awe-inspiring. Here, daubed on to a rockface by the side of the road, are some of the oldest cave paintings in Europe faded ochre images of fertility symbols, made 8,000 years ago. Incredible, arent they? I said. Yeah. Theyre a bit rubbish, though, came the A-level artists reply. Normal teenage service resumed. Cruises come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Whether it's discovering old Second World War sites, sailing around the Med or listening to talks by world-famous TV host Oprah Winfrey, cruising has something for everyone. Here Caroline Hendrie recommends some of the best ocean cruises on offer... Asian adventure Discover the rich culture of four South-East Asian countries in one eye-opening journey. A stop at Ho Chi Minh City, pictured, is included Discover the rich culture of four South-East Asian countries in one eye-opening journey. Meet artisans in their workshops, mingle with monks in ancient temples and soak up the atmosphere in floating markets ashore on board new ship Viking Orion. A 15-day cruise from Hong Kong to Bangkok departing on April 7, 2019, calls at China, Vietnam and Cambodia. Viking (vikingcruises.co.uk, 0800 298 9700). D-Day remembrance Mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day aboard classic British ship Marco Polo next year. A specialist lecturer will be on board to give insights into Operation Overlord and the sites youll visit. These include the replica of Pegasus Bridge and the port of Arromanches. On June 6, the ship will be cruising off the Normandy beaches when a ceremony will honour those who lost their lives on D-Day. The ship leaves Portsmouth on June 2, 2019, for six nights, calling at Antwerp, Honfleur and Rouen. Cruise & Maritime Voyages (cruiseandmaritime.com, 0844 998 3877). Spot the birdie Get close to the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands aboard new luxury ship Celebrity Flora, launching next May. The 100-passenger ship offers lectures and presentations, and has guided tours of the heavens. On a Galapagos cruise, guests can discover giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and sea lions Ashore, youll be astonished by the fearlessness of giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and sea lions. Seven-night Quito and Galapagos Inner Loop fly-cruise holidays start on May 26, 2019. Celebrity Cruises (celebritycruises.co.uk, 0800 441 4054). Go nuts in Brazil Call at six ports in Brazil on board mid-size ship Marina. Between overnight stays in Rio de Janeiro and Argentinas capital, Buenos Aires, youll visit seaside resort Buzios, the wildlife haven of Ilha Grande, Parati filled with Portuguese colonial architecture, Santos, the gateway to Sao Paulo, Porto Belo famed for its beaches, and Rio Grande. A 12-night cruise departs Rio on December 7, 2019. Oceania Cruises (oceaniacruises.com, 0345 505 1920). Oprah Winfrey hosts a 'Girls' Getaway' cruise to the Caribbean Fancy a chat with Oprah? Join Oprah Winfrey for a Girls Getaway to the Caribbean aboard Holland America Lines Nieuw Statendam. Hear the talk show host in one of three Conversations With Oprah. The three-night Girls Getaway cruise sails round trip from Fort Lauderdale on January 30, 2019. Holland America Line (hollandamerica.com/OprahMag, 0344 338 8605). Find your family tree Head for New York and spend a week at sea drawing up your family tree. A new Journey Of Genealogy cruise aboard Queen Mary 2 will have experts on ancestry on board. Queen Mary 2 leaves Southampton for New York on November 4. Cunard (cunard.co.uk, 03453 550300). New Years Eve Welcome the New Year in by seeing the Madeira fireworks show. You can do your shopping in Lisbon on Christmas Eve and wake up on Christmas morning on the Atlantic Ocean ready for a festive dinner. A no-fly, Christmas and New Year Canary Islands cruise aboard Ventura departs Southampton for 14 nights on December 21, 2019. P&O (pandocruises.com, 03453 555111). Spanish Steps Cadiz, pictured, is one of the stops on a seven-night trip on the Crystal Serenity Catch the last rays of summer along the Costa del Sol on a seven-night trip aboard luxury ship Crystal Serenity. Sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon, the ship visits Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Cadiz and Gibraltar. Departure is on October 7, 2018. Crystal Cruises (crystalcruises.co.uk, 020 7399 7601). Scandinavian walks Pack your walking shoes for a Scandinavian Islands tour. Your base will be British ship Boudicca, Youll explore the Danish island of Bornholm, the Swedish island of Gotland and Copenhagen. The round trip cruise from Dover departs on September 15, 2019.Ramblers Cruise & Walk Holidays (cruiseandwalk.co.uk, 01707 386767). If youre keen to escape the winter chill, what better than a cruise to exotic places? For the past two years Fred. Olsen has won a new generation of travellers with its Warmer Cruising offers discounts of up to 40 per cent on a selection of trips. So why not take advantage of the special offers to experience the ultimate magic this winter: sailing part of the world cruise on Black Watch, which departs Southampton on November 12? Rather than staying on board to enjoy all 107 nights, you can sail on individual legs flying out to join the ship. The offers will be available on the following legs: The stunning walled city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, one of the stops on the cruise Southampton to the Caribbean departs November 12 and arrives Barbados November 26. Australia & The Contrasts Of Asia departs Heathrow on January 4, 2019, sails from Brisbane on January 7. The Black Watch World Cruise offers you the chance to witness natural and man-made marvels: breathtaking scenery, amazing wildlife, awe-inspiring cultures and fascinating ancient sites on an unforgettable circumnavigation of the globe. Thanks to rigid inflatable boats, the operator can take travellers even closer to life on the waters edge. Journey away from the usual tourist trails in some of the most beautiful locations on Earth. There are stunning ports of call in the Americas, including Caribbean islands, Colombias walled city of Cartagena de Indias a delight to explore with its centuries-old architecture and charming Puntarenas in Costa Rica. Travellers also enjoy a journey along the Panama Canal all before sailing to the land down under via South Pacific Islands. They will see the volcanic landscapes and crystal-clear lagoons of Nuku Hiva and Rangiroa, as well as Tahiti, Bora-Bora and Mystery Island, with Christmas Day at sea in between. Passengers will also see the volcanic landscapes and crystal-clear lagoons of Nuku Hiva, pictured In Australia, an abundance of experiences await. From Cairns, visitors can explore tropical rainforest and wetlands, or tour to the Great Barrier Reef, while a call into Sydney is a highlight of the cruise. An extended stay is timed to celebrate the New Year with the chance to see the famous fireworks light up the midnight sky above the Harbour Bridge. On the Asian leg of the adventure, there is the contrast between Indonesias Komodo Island the untouched natural habitat of the worlds largest lizard and Singapore, a striking modern metropolis of skyscrapers, busy commercial districts and impressive temples. The contrasts continue with calls into Phuket gateway to exotic Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island and three Indian cities. From Kochi take an overland tour to the Taj Mahal; in Goa, explore the historic centres of Old Goa and the Latin Quarter; while an overnight stay in Mumbai affords time to immerse oneself in the citys hustle and bustle. In Arabia, there is the Burj Khalifa the worlds tallest building to admire in Dubai before visiting Oman and Jordan. See the amazing Komodo dragons, pictured, on the Asian leg of the adventure Ride a traditional dhow boat into the Musandam Fjords from Khasab; tour historic Nizwa and the Nakhal Fort from Muscat; and uncover the lost cities of Ubar and Petra from Salalah and Aqaba. Finally, after navigating the Suez Canal, the ship will journey through the Mediterranean, stopping at Kusadasi and Naples gateways to Ephesus and Pompeii Gibraltar and La Coruna, from where there are tours to Santiago de Compostela. As well as an itinerary packed with cities and destinations, there is a huge programme of on-board activities including pottery, learning to play a ukulele, craft, watercolour painting, drama workshops, photography classes, bridge instruction and dance lessons. The summer holidays may be over but Europes shoulder season is waiting in the wings. September, October and even early November are majestic months to take flight as prices tumble and crowds disperse. Heres where to go: GREEK GETAWAY Better late than never: Kalamitsii beach (above) on the east coast of Sithonia in Halkidiki If Mamma Mia 2 has whet your appetite for a Hellenic getaway, then October half-term is perfect for a final sunny hurrah. Save up to 1,990 on a family break to the sleek-looking five-star Eagles Villas in Halkidiki, where a kids club, and sandy bays await. October average: 22c. Book it: Seven-nights half-board for two adults and one child starts at 5,000 on holidays until October 31. Includes flights, transfers and kids club, scottdunn.com. TASTY TUSCANY The grape harvest has just begun in Tuscany. Feast in style at the four-star Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa, north of Lucca, which is celebrating the new vine haul with an autumnal foodie break. Wine-tasting, pasta-making and spa treatments using oils infused with herbs are all on the menu. October average: 21c. Book it: A two-night culinary stay in September costs 275pp, based on two sharing and includes B&B, wine tasting and a cookery lesson, renaissancetuscany.com. Fly to Pisa from Heathrow for 126, alitalia.com. SEVILLE SIESTA Sunshine stroll: The Plaza de Espana in Seville where temperatures stay warm into November The Spanish south laughs off winter until November, with Andalucia basking under blue skies. Casa Palacio de Carmona, close to Sevilles historic old quarter, offers a bijou pocket of calm spend your mornings sightseeing and tapas feasting, and the afternoons with a book. October average: 26c. Book it: A five-night stay in a junior suite on October 8 costs 260pp, based on two sharing, casadecarmona.com. Fly to Seville, from 100pp return, ba.com. SWISS SAVINGS Switzerland can be bankrupting in peak season, but you can bag a room with an Alpine view for significantly less at this time of year. Retreat to glitzy Montreux on Lake Geneva, whose beauty has inspired everyone from Byron and Shelley to rock band Queen, and stay at one of the grandiose belle epoque hotels lapped by water on Quai des Fleurs. October average: 17c. Book it: A four-night stay, starting on October 15 at the four-star Hotel du Grand Lac Excelsior costs 262pp, based on two sharing, hotelexcelsiormontreux.com. Flights to Geneva with Swiss cost 106pp, from Heathrow, swiss.com. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Maltas capital Valletta is Europes sunniest city, with 2,957 hours of sunshine per year. Advertisement CYPRUS SUN If only skin-bronzing sunshine will do, then make the four-hour flight east to Aphrodites Isle, where it feels like high summer. Pretty Stella Maris villa in Pomos, in the Paphos mountains foothills, has ten per cent off October prices. Take your cozzie, the waters of nearby Chrysochou Bay are still clement. October average: 26c. Book it: A seven-night self-catering stay at Stella Maris in October costs from 1,102pp, based on two sharing, and includes flights and car hire, sunvil.co.uk. STEAMY AZORES Unmissable: Visit Sao Miguel island (pictured above) on a seven-night tour of the Azores Unesco-recognised and about 1,000 miles west of Lisbon, the Azores offer dreamy October weather. Rich in volcanic landscapes, hot springs and colourful flora, these nine isles in the Western Atlantic are blissful at this time of year. October average: 22c. Book it: Voyages Jules Verne has a seven-night tour of islands Sao Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Pico departing September 29 for 1,495pp, based on two sharing. Price includes flights, breakfast, some lunches, transfers and a guide, vjv.com. SULTRY MOROCCO Surf is permanently up on North Africas wind-licked Atlantic coast and the balmy October sun means you dont need a wetsuit to enjoy it. Couple big waves with a luxury riad stay at the Rebali resort in the boho village of Sidi Kaouki, a 20-minute drive from atmospheric Essaouira. The perfect chaser to a day on the beach? Being steam-cleaned in Rebalis hammam. October average: 23c. Book it: A one-week stay costs 315pp based on two sharing a self-catering riad and includes transfers and breakfast, fleewinter.com. Fly Luton to Essaouira from 111pp, easyjet.com. One visit to Africa is never enough. This beautiful, flawed continent creeps into your soul and, as soon as you return from one stupendous trip, you want to start planning the next. This time, I enjoyed a two-centre adventure in South Africa and Botswana. We flew into Johannesburg, then it was a quick hop in a tiny plane to the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve at the edge of the mighty Kruger National Park. Sabi Sabi is made up of four separate lodges and we stayed at the Earth Lodge, an environmentally friendly, beautifully designed, comfortable home from home. New friends: Lorraine poses for a snap with the San bush people (above) Usually, the quality of cuisine in lodges is pretty basic, but this was proper five-star hospitality. Our accommodation was spacious and elegant, with indoor and outdoor showers and a plunge pool. And thanks to our guide, Louise, we saw some incredible wildlife. Highlights included a female leopard who had hunted down a baby antelope and dragged it up a tree to keep her meal safe from hyenas, and a pack of wild dogs enjoying a mud bath in the scant shade. Heading back to the lodge for dinner, we saw elephants, giraffes and, my favourites, a cute family of warthogs. After three nights in Sabi Sabi, we flew back to Johannesburg, caught the two-hour flight to Maun in Botswana and then took a helicopter hop to The Lodge at Feline Fields. Now if you really want to get away from it all, this is where you want to be. The attention to detail is admirable, from the huge pool that attracts all sorts of wildlife, including thirsty elephants, to the comfy swing seats at the well-stocked bar. And theres a constant supply of home-cooked food. Feline Fields is all about relaxation and listening to Africas heartbeat. I had a massage outside with local products that made the stress simply ooze from my body. I really enjoyed our morning out walking with the local San bush people, because it wasnt the usual patronising tourist tour but a real insight into a culture that has so much to teach us all. Favourites: Lorraine loved seeing a cute family of warthogs Lorraine spent three nights in Sabi Sabi, pictured, and said that she can't wait to return There was a lot of giggling at our pathetic attempts to dig up roots for water and to make fire from a couple of sticks and some moss. This really was the perfect two-centre holiday, with lots of game drives and astonishing wildlife at Sabi Sabi and then complete relaxation, as well as being steeped in local culture, at Feline Fields. I cant wait to return. World traveller: Robert pictured in 1977 Continuing our series featuring the holiday memories of famous people, this week actor Robert Lindsay, 68, recalls his lifetime of adventures. First holiday I can remember: Going to the Miners Holiday Camp in Skegness, the slightly more downmarket camp that was fenced off from the adjoining Butlins by barbed wire. Back then, aged nine, I thought Butlins was for posh people! Its where I learnt to swim, and in a way perform because I used to take part in talent competitions. I had TB as a child so spent a lot of time in the years before in a sanatorium. My first time abroad: I went to Lanzarote to make a commercial when I was 21. It was the first time Id ever been on a plane and I was so excited. I couldnt believe how lucky I was to be going somewhere sunny and to get paid for going too. It sowed a lifelong love of flying. My first school trip: It was to see a pantomime, Mother Goose, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, when I was eight, in the late 1950s. It starred the comedian Harry Worth, who always wore a trilby, and was magical. Now 60 years on, I am making my own panto debut. My honeymoon: I went to Morocco with my wife Rosemarie 12 years ago. We flew out in early autumn and stayed in the Atlas Mountains near Marrakech. It was very romantic and we did lots of walking an unforgettable holiday in so many ways. All smiles: Robert, far right, on holiday with his family in Mauritius in 2007 Best holiday: One of my favourite places is Ravello on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, which I visited with my family a few years ago. I also love Antigua, which I can now afford to visit occasionally thanks to my wonderful profession. I like Britain, too, and had a fabulous time in Cornwall last year I think one day I might move down there permanently. And my worst: It was that awful place Benidorm which has now become popular thanks to the TV series. I was trapped there with my young daughter one night 25 years ago and Ive never seen so much drunken, loutish behaviour. I was shocked at the Brits abroad. My essential holiday items: My phone and prescription sunglasses so I can read a novel or script. Memory lane: Robert pictured above, aged seven, with his parents in 1957 Advertisement I once capsized a tiny catamaran - something which is apparently pretty much impossible - and on a school trip while canoeing with my teacher on a lake, because I struggled with the steering, we ended up going around in circles for a worrying amount of time. So when I was invited to have a crack at sailing Alex Thomson's 5million round-the-world yacht - the Hugo Boss - I took on the challenge with mild trepidation. Hopefully I wouldn't bring about its demise. On boarding the slick-looking carbon fibre vessel in Portsmouth - which Alex used last year to speed around the world single-handedly in 74 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes - I quickly learned there was no toilet, the kitchen consisted of a gas burner, and sailing at speed would require all hands on deck. Scroll down for video MailOnline Travel's Sadie Whitelocks, pictured, had a go at sailing Alex Thomson's 5million round-the-world yacht. Above, she is pictured sailing the vessel in the Solent Alex sped around the world single-handedly on the Hugo Boss last year in 74 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes Luckily it was a windy day and Alex was clearly excited about the blustery conditions. While the 44-year-old sailed the 60ft yacht alone in the 2017 Vendee Globe race, in which he came second, on the day I boarded, we were accompanied by a crew to take the pressure off. Phew! Before we left the marina and things got wobbly, the British yachtsman gave me a tour of his boat. He explained that to minimize its weight, the aerodynamic structure has extremely simple interiors. The deck outside features angled grips on the floor to prevent Alex from slipping and sliding in choppy conditions while the belly of the boat is a cavernous space, playing host to a storage area and makeshift bed. Alex has been sailing since a child. He is planning to attempt the Vendee Globe around-the-world race again in 2020 in a bid to score first place Sadie has a go at 'grinding'. This activity required her to bicycle a wheel around using her arm power to control the sails Alex showed me the kitchen, which consisted of a tiny area with a little gas canister fixed into place. He uses the piece of kit to boil water and rustle up meals from dehydrated and freeze-dried food packs while he's speeding along. A true master of multi-tasking. One of his favourite delicacies while he's racing on the high seas is a beef and cheese casserole, while chunks of Parmesan, slithers of Spanish ham and peanuts are other good sources of energy. When he's in the midst of circumnavigating the globe - a feat he has accomplished three times and is due to undertake again in 2020 - he can eat up to 7,000 calories a day. He joked: 'That's the equivalent of 14 Big Macs but somehow I always come back lighter. I lost 100lbs on my last race.' The bed, meanwhile, is merely a flat surface he flings a mattress on. Alex says that he sleeps as little as possible when he's racing but tries to get enough kip so he can make rational decisions. He tends to nap for between five minutes and one hour, but no longer. To make sure he doesn't oversleep, putting him at danger of veering off course, Alex has an extremely loud industrial-style alarm, which almost deafens me when he switches it on. The yacht's kitchen consists of a tiny area with a little gas canister fixed into place, pictured. Alex uses the piece of kit to boil water and rustle up meals from dehydrated and freeze-dried food packs while he's speeding along Along with steering and grinding, Alex spends much of his day while racing around the world analysing weather data on a small computer screen - to make sure there are no dangers on the horizon The bed is merely a flat surface he flings a mattress on. Alex says that he sleeps as little as possible when he's racing but tries to get enough kip so he can make rational decisions. He tends to nap for between five minutes and one hour, but no longer On the toilet front, Alex uses a bucket that has a wide body and a slender neck, to prevent any spills. The contents are then thrown overboard. After a speedy tour of the sportsman's boat, we got going on the water. Watching the boat come alive was quite a magnificent show, with Alex directing the crew to get the sails lifted. After a gentle start out of the harbour, suddenly we were off. At one point, thanks to the strong wind, we managed to reach a speed of 29 miles an hour - the boat reaches a maximum of 40mph when it's at full pelt. One of the scariest things when you're on the boat, is the way it leans at an extreme angle as it cuts through the waves. But thanks to hydrofoils (wing-like fins on the belly), the vessel never tips up. After getting suitably drenched by water gushing over the deck, I had a go at 'grinding'. This activity required me to bicycle a wheel around using my arm power in a bid to control the sails. Alex says he does this five to six times a day when he's racing. I felt suitably exhausted after one round of grinding and the thought of more filled me with dread. After a bit of an arm workout, I had a go at steering. To minimize weight, the aerodynamic yacht has extremely simple interiors. The deck outside features angled grips on the floor to prevent Alex from slipping and sliding in choppy conditions while the belly of the boat is a cavernous space What is the Vendee Globe race? The Vendee Globe is the hardest and most famous sailing race in the world. Nicknamed the Everest of the Seas, it involves sailing around the world alone, without stopping and without assistance, setting sail from and finishing in Les Sables dOlonne, after rounding the three legendary capes: The Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, Cape Leeuwin in Southern Australia and the infamous Cape Horn at the tip of South America. The first Vendee Globe race, in 1968, was won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who crossed the finish line in 312 days. In the last race Alex Thomson crossed the finish line in just 74 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes and broke the World Record he already held as the fastest Briton to sail single-handedly, non-stop around the world. He says 40 to 60 per cent of competitors who start the race will not finish. The next race will start on Sunday 8, November 2020. Advertisement Alex informed me: 'If you move the tiller (steering stick) to the left, the boat turns right; move the tiller right, and the boat goes left.' I was surprised at how sensitive the steering stick was. As the yacht suddenly veered to the right, visions of my catamaran incident came flooding back. Luckily, I managed to keep things upright this time. Along with steering and grinding, Alex spends much of his day while racing around the world analysing weather data on a small computer screen - to make sure there are no dangers on the horizon. After a session out sailing, I was left with a sense of awe as to how Alex does this all alone. Talking about his profession, the father-of-two concluded: 'The Vendee Globe around the world race is the most difficult sport left in the world today. It's not just physically challenging, but also mentally. 'It's just one boat and one person. It's less about technology and more about adventure. Human management in a very extreme way. I have to be the navigator, the medic, the cook, the cleaner and more while I'm on the go. 'It certainly is a conversation-stopper at dinner parties when I tell people what it is I do.' There's clearly no taking the wind out of Alex's sails and his new boat for the 2020 Vendee Globe is set to be slicker and speedier than ever. MailOnline Travel was invited to sail on the Hugo Boss by Opihr gin to celebrate the launch of its three new ready-to-drink flavours. Alex Thomson is an ambassador for the drinks brand and it was the official sponsor of this year's Lendy Cowes Week sailing regatta. Advertisement The ghosts of Russias past haunt the remote Solovetsky Islands, and travellers prepared to make the sometimes bumpy plane journey to the small archipelago, 100 miles below the Arctic Circle in Russias White Sea, will be rewarded with powerful memories. Russian history and outstanding wildlife meet head-on in an eerie atmosphere that pervades the unspoilt landscape it could be mistaken for the Scottish Highlands, until you come across a traditionally garbed orthodox monk, or a bemedalled Navy veteran reliving old Soviet glories. Known locally as Solovki, there are six main islands and around 100 in total, but its the largest, Greater Solovetsky, with its famous medieval monastery, which draws pilgrims and tourists, from Russia and beyond, and chronicles the islands long and often brutal past. The ghosts of Russias past haunt the remote Solovetsky Islands. This is the monastery complex that was turned into the first and cruellest Soviet gulag The Solovetsky camp is said by historians to have had the harshest regime of all, with more than one million prisoners dying here. Pictured is the outer wall of the monastery Known locally as Solovki, there are six main islands and around 100 in total. But its the largest, Greater Solovetsky, where the medieval monastery is, which draws pilgrims and tourists from Russia and beyond Russian history and outstanding wildlife meet head-on in the Solovetsky Islands, which have an eerie atmosphere that pervades the unspoilt landscape they could be mistaken for the Scottish Highlands, writes Tim Founded by a handful of monks in 1436, Solovetsky Monastery quickly grew to become one of the most important and influential religious centres in Russia. Looking out to sea from the ancient building, across the main village, to the smaller granite islands beyond, the natural beauty is stunning lakes and sweeping forests of Scots pine and Norway spruce the perfect habitat for a huge colony of nesting Arctic tern and a summer nursery for the beluga whale. But Solovetsky holds a darker fascination, from the Soviet past, for this monastery complex was the site of the first and cruellest gulag in the empire. Created under Lenins leadership after the October Revolution, the camp was officially opened in 1923. It became a model for the gulag system that was to span the country in the years that followed. The Solovetsky camp is said by historians to have had the harshest regime of all, with more than one million prisoners dying here. It served the double purpose of ousting the monks from their influential monastery, and providing a base for the first Soviet Special Purpose Camp, called Ston. Anyone persecuted by the Soviet government could be sent here for imprisonment in the main building and surrounding camp and even children were detained as punishment for a variety of offences including political crimes. Prisoners were used as cheap manpower by the government and were ordered to carry out back-breaking manual labour. Many of the wooden barrack-style huts built by convicts are still standing today with some used as accommodation by villagers. The most tragic remnant of the regime though is found at nearby Sekirnaya Hill, a short drive from the main village up a steep mountainside providing breath-taking views across the islands. A punishment isolation cell was built at this spot and became the site of mass torture and executions of prisoners from the gulag. Despite the beauty of its location, anyone sent here had no chance of returning home. A small 16th Century church, which also served as a lighthouse, still stands, alongside a commemoration cross later erected in memory of those who suffered unimaginable deaths. The gulag was closed in 1939, just ahead of World War II when it became a naval cadet training camp. Its monastery function was restored in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. A few monks can occasionally be seen walking outside the monastery and add to the feeling that you may have stepped back in time. In 1974, the Solovetsky Islands were designated a historical and architectural museum and a natural reserve of the Soviet Union. In 1992 Solovetsky joined the World Heritage List and renovations to the monastery continue to this day. In 1974, the Solovetsky Islands were designated a historical and architectural museum and a natural reserve of the Soviet Union In 1992 Solovetsky joined the World Heritage List and renovations to the monastery continue to this day If the history of the main island becomes too much, by escaping to the smaller uninhabited islands you could really be anywhere in the world, writes Tim Walking tours around the main Solovki village with local guides are easy to arrange and smaller islands are also reachable via a short boat ride from the main village The gulag was closed in 1939, just ahead of World War II when it became a naval cadet training camp. Its monastery function was restored in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union It can be explored inside though it is the views from outside that are most impressive. Walking tours around the main Solovki village with local guides are easy to arrange and smaller islands are also reachable via a short boat ride from the main village, which itself remains relatively free from modern development. If the history of the main island becomes too much, by escaping to the smaller uninhabited islands you could really be anywhere in the world. Organised tours include visits to smaller churches and ancient labyrinths. There are a number of options for travel to Solovetsky, with the main island having its own airport, Solovki Airport, which offers regular flights to Archangel, from where onward flights to Moscow are frequent. Depending on weather conditions flights between Solovetsky and Archangel can be a little unnerving and not for the fainthearted, though the views over the archipelago make it more than worthwhile. The island lies about 100 miles south of the Arctic circle in Russia's White Sea A motorcycle on Solovetsky speeds along a dusty road. Visitors will be rewarded with powerful memories, writes Tim Cramped: Photographer Roger Allen took this picture on his flight to the island Advertisement The best place in the world for travel experiences has been named by TripAdvisor as La Fortuna de San Carlos in Costa Rica. The travel site has revealed the places countries, and specific cities, towns and regions, grouped under destinations that are best for local tours, activities and experiences, based on the combined average destination ratings and reviews for bookable experiences. And the Costa Rican town ranks No1 in the destination list. The second-best destination is Kauai, Hawaii, while Tromso in Norway comes third and Rotorua in New Zealand is fourth. Ireland and Scotland, meanwhile, come fourth and fifth respectively in the country list which Costa Rica tops, too. The best place in the world for travel experiences has been named by TripAdvisor as La Fortuna de San Carlos (pictured) in Costa Rica The second-best destination is Kauai, Hawaii, where the top experiences are a half-day history and ecology trek at the Makauwahi Cave Reserve, a sightseeing flight and the Koloa Zipline Tromso, pictured, ranks third on the destinations list. There, fjord tours and reindeer feeding are popular activities In fourth-place destination Rotorua, pictured, visitors love white water rafting, zip-lining through its forest and zooming along in jet boats The top-rated experiences in La Fortuna at least, thats according to booking data from TripAdvisor are white water river rafting, guided sloth seeing tours and canyoning in the Lost Canyon. In second-place Kauai the top experiences are a half-day history and ecology trek at the Makauwahi Cave Reserve, a sightseeing flight and the Koloa Zipline. The best-rated experiences in third-place Tromso are apparently fjord tours, reindeer feeding and Northern Lights viewing, while in fourth-place Rotorua visitors love white water rafting, zip-lining through its forest and zooming through the Tutukau Gorge on a jet boat the best. The rest of the top 10 destinations list is made up of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico (5th), Sedona in Arizona (6th), Queenstown in New Zealand (7th), St Petersburg in Russia (8th), Santorini in Greece (9th) and Key West in Florida (10th). Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, pictured, comes fifth on TripAdvisor's destinations list Sedona in Arizona, pictured, comes sixth on the list. Off-road jeep tours are popular there, according to TripAdvisor Pictured is seventh-place Queenstown, where visitors love to bungee jump St. Petersburg came eighth on the specific destinations list with a three-day highlights tour being one of the most popular experiences there It's never a surprise to see Santorini on a 'best of' list. In this instance it came ninth on the destinations ranking Key West in Florida came 10th on the destinations list. Popular activities there are kayaking and snorkeling The rest of the best countries list comprises New Zealand (2nd), Vietnam (3rd), Australia (6th), Portugal (7th), Mexico (8th), the U.S (9th) and Iceland (10th). TripAdvisor said that Scotlands variety of scenic experiences for travellers, like the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Tour and a four-day tour of the West Highlands and Isle of Skye, propelled the country into the list of top five countries worldwide for experiences. Costa Rica topped the countries and destinations lists, it said, thanks to its combination of experiences amid rainforests, volcanoes and beaches. TripAdvisor also produced a ranking of European destinations. In this Belfast came fourth, thanks to its Troubles Historical Walking Tour and Titanic Walking Tour, and Edinburgh came ninth, with a private half-day tour of Edinburgh in a Mini one of the best-rated experiences. Note - these lists were drawn up using TripAdvisor data - other booking sites are available. And remember, sometimes the best experience on holiday is simply watching the sun set with a cocktail to hand. Advertisement This fascinating 'UFO landing pad' has been built in the middle of the Argentinian desert by a man who claimed aliens told him to construct it. It's a collection of white and brown rocks in the shape of a star, known as an 'ovniport' - and it appeared in the small town of Cachi in the province of Salta. It is believed to have been built by Swiss man Werner Jaisli, who travelled to the area in search of extraterrestrials. The fascinating 'UFO landing pad' that has been built in the middle of the Argentinian desert Visitors flock to the site - and no wonder. Because it's stunning. A fact that's highlighted by aerial images. After travelling to Argentina, Jaisli is reported to have claimed he received a 'telepathic message' from aliens telling him they needed a place to land on earth. He told Argentine newspaper El Tribuno: 'They landed about 100 metres above our heads and projected on us a beam of light that made us both see their own brightness. 'The funny thing is that it did not affect our vision. Something began to bubble through my brain: it was an order. They asked me telepathically to build the airport.' He is thought to have immediately got to work, making a large star in 2008 with 36 points that measures 48 metres in diameter. It is believed to have been built by Swiss man Werner Jaisli, who travelled to the area in search of extraterrestrials and claimed they told him to build it Visitors flock to the site - and no wonder. Because it's stunning. A fact that's highlighted by aerial images Jaisli also made a smaller star and it took him until 2012 until his work was complete. As well as tourists, the site is also popular with UFO enthusiasts, who believe they may be able to contact beings from another world from the site. However, soon after the ovniport was built, locals around Cachi stopped seeing Jaisli, who had a large beard and would often wear a Druid outfit. It is unclear where he travelled to but some locals joked that he may have been abducted by aliens. However, it is thought he actually went to Bolivia - with another theory that he travelled back to Switzerland. The chance to try tasty local wines is one of the highlights of travelling to a thoroughbred wine-making country. And the holiday spirit often makes tourists less prone to worrying about splashing out on a pricey bottle but are they wasting their money if they do? Does paying a bit more really mean better-tasting wine? MailOnline Travel decided to find out by conducting a Cheap vs Expensive blind tasting of wines from countries popular with tourist connoisseurs to see if it's possible to tell the difference between budget and costly wines without the suggestive influence of the price tag. The master of ceremonies the wine buyer for Vagabond Wines in London, Colin Thorne. The venue Vagabond's Battersea bar. The panel me, MailOnlines Travel Editor and three other (very willing) helpers. Scroll down to discover the results. It's not quite 'The Judgment of Paris', but they're intriguing nevertheless. Round 1 white wine MailOnline Travel decided to find out whether it's really worth splashing out on wine by conducting a Cheap vs Expensive blind tasting of wines at Vagabond in London (pictured) We tried four pairs of wine, all available at Vagabond two red and one rose. But first up was a pair of whites. We had a glass each - with no food - with each vessel simply labelled No1 and No2. Only Colin knew which was which. Our mission was to determine which one was cheap and expensive and to indicate which one we preferred. To make the test realistic, the cheap wines were anything up to 10 and the expensive between 20 and 30 for each round. The white wine test resulted in a 50/50 split jury for preference. In my notes I described glass number one as a good party wine, while tester Kelly Grindle, from the Virgin Atlantic press office, said one sip down it feels I could neck a bottle and Anna Catchpole, also from the Virgin Atlantic press team and another volunteer for this challenge, said it was clean and crisp. Our fourth panellist, James Murphy, said it was a stayed-out-too-late kind of wine. Next glass number two. I reckoned it was more refined, James well behaved and subtler, Kelly easier to drink than the first and Anna not as refreshing. THE VERDICT Preference: Two of us preferred glass No1, two glass No2. Cheap vs Expensive: Three of us thought glass No2 was the most expensive. Kelly was sure it was glass No1. The answer: Glass No1 was in fact pricier so three out of four of us were wrong. It was a 22.95 Bodegas Biniagual Memories Blanco 2017 from Majorca. Glass No2 was actually an 8.95 Bayanegra Airen 2017 from La Roda, Spain. The Bayanegra (left) fooled most of the MailOnline panel into thinking that it was an expensive wine. The Majorcan wine on the right costs 22.95 - and 50 per cent of the panel preferred it The MailOnline Travel panel - Anna Catchpole (left), James Murphy (second from right), Kelly Grindle (far right, mid-sip) and with his back to the camera, Vagabond wine expert Colin Thorne, who set up the test and guided us through the experience Round 2 rose Glass No1 deeply impressed Anna. She said it was probably one of the nicest roses Ive ever had light and refreshing. Kelly said it had loads of flavour, I said it had a good structure and James said it was pleasingly robust. Glass No2 was more intriguing. I said that it smelt ordinary, but that it had hidden talents, because once you swirled it around in the mouth loveliness arose. Kelly said the taste was delightful, Anna said it was not easy to drink, more complex and James said it was spring when you smelt it, but autumn when you drunk it. THE VERDICT Preference: All four of us preferred glass No1. Cheap vs Expensive: However, three of us thought that actually glass No2 was more expensive. The answer: Glass No2 was in fact more expensive so 75 per cent of the panel were correct. It was a Grand Boise Jadis Rose 2017 from Provence, France, and costs 25.95. Glass No1 was from a bottle of 9.95 Pierre et Papa Rose 2017 Pays dHerault, also from France. In terms of preference, the 'cheap' rose on the left was the all-out winner. The Chateau Grand Boise on the right, however, was correctly perceived to be expensive by three out of four of the panel Round 3 red wine Anna declared that shes not really a red wine drinker but said that she quite liked glass No1. I said it had a smooth finish. Kelly said it smelt like burnt berries and is an easy drinkable red and James said it was best drunk with November bonfires. Glass No2 made a big impression on Kelly. He said: This wine punched me in the mouth pretty strong, heavy, flavourful. I said it was rustic in a great way, Anna said it was heavy and that one sip was enough and James said it was a smidgen spirit-y, several shades from port. THE VERDICT Preference: Three preferred glass No1. Cheap vs Expensive: But interestingly three said No2 was pricier. The answer: Glass No2 was in fact more expensive so 75 per cent of the panel were correct. It was a Cellar El Pereres Nuncito 2011 from Priorat, Spain, and costs 24.95. Glass No1 costs 8.95 and was a 2017 Bayanegra Tempranillo from La Roda in Spain again. The bottle on the left is the 'expensive' red - a 24.95 Nuncito from Priorat, Spain. However, only one of the panel preferred it to the 'cheap' bottle, pictured right - an 8.95 Tempranillo from La Roda The venue was Vagabond Wines in Battersea, London. It makes its own wine and sells top produce by the glass and bottle Round 4 red wine Glass No1 was universally declared to be heavy and oaky with a lot of flavour. Blankets in December, said James, keeping his seasonal analogies going. Glass No2 wasnt as popular. Strange tasting, said Anna. Too earthy, said Kelly. I reckoned it was a bit thin, a bit 2D. THE VERDICT Preference: Three preferred glass No1. Cheap vs Expensive: And three said No1 was more expensive. The answer: Again, three out of four were correct. Glass No1 was from a 2015 22.95 Tinta Tinto Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and glass No2 from a 2017 Quincho Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile costing 8.95. The 8.95 Quincho (left), lost out to the 22.95 Tinta Tinto (right). The expensive wine in this round was preferred by three out of four of the panel RESULTS SUMMARY White round. Confusion. Preference was split 50/50 and three out of four thought the cheap wine was actually the expensive one. Rose. Three out of four correctly worked out which one was the expensive wine - but all four of us preferred the cheaper version. Red wine round 1. Three of us preferred the cheaper red wine but three out of four correctly worked out which one was pricier. Red wine round 2. A through and through winner for the expensive wine as three out of four preferred it and correctly declared it to be the pricier tipple. The expert opinion on the results For some insight into the results, we turned to wine expert Emily OHare (pictured) In conclusion it seems then that generally, it is possible for amateur wine enthusiasts to tell a cheap from an expensive wine. But on the whole, we generally preferred the cheaper stuff. So does that mean that makers of expensive wines are ripping us off? Not at all. For some insight into the results, we turned to wine expert Emily OHare, who contributes to Decanter magazine and used to be the sommelier at Michelin-starred restaurant The River Cafe, in London. First of all, she mused, the fact that we didnt eat with the wines would have had an influence on what we thought of them. She said: Some wines refuse to perform without a meal. I would imagine the Provencal rose [the expensive one] felt drier than the Pays d'Herault [the cheaper rose that won the round]? On its own it may have seemed rather ungenerous and tight-lipped, but given a mouthful of toast and tapenade - I would bet that wine would have turned it on, and revealed a side to you that was way more fruity. Some older wines suffer if tasted next to a younger wine. Sometimes they knock the younger wine out of the park immediately. But generally older wines, like people, mellow with age, and will not exert themselves to grab your attention Wine expert Emily O'Hare Emily also leaped to the defence of the 2011 24.95 Priorat Spanish red that lost the first red wine round to an 8.95 Tempranillo from 2017. She said: Even though a good wine is a good wine regardless of what it is compared next to, some older wines suffer if tasted next to a younger wine. 'Sometimes they knock the younger wine out of the park immediately. But generally older wines, like people, mellow with age, and will not exert themselves to grab your attention the way a younger wine will, with its vibrant colour and powerful primary aromas and flavours. Not all wines age well, (dont go near those 1990 gran reserva Riojas under supermarket special offers for 8, theyll be well over the hill), but the ones that can, what they are offering you is a different conversation, a bit quieter but usually more interesting. A glass may be enough of the Tempranillo but the Priorat, in maybe a less challenging environment, that wine could be the one you would be glad to have a bottle of. Emily remarked that comparing the two Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons must have been fun, like walking into two chain stores but with one selling cheaper wares than the other. You know the difference, she said. Your senses tell you, the smell, the texture, the pleasure they are to walk in/drink. And finally, Emily was delighted with the white wine round result, where three out of four of us thought the 8.95 Airen Blanco from La Roda region was actually the expensive wine. She said: Airen is the most planted white wine grape variety in the world. The wine it produces is usually turned into brandy or sherry. So it is nice to see a producer trying to coax a bit more from this grape. And evidently I must admit to being very intrigued by glass No1 from Majorca, I would have loved to have tried it.' WHEN AND WHEN NOT TO SPLASH: THREE GENERAL RULES Here Emily offers sage advice on when to fork out for something and when it's best to save the pennies. DON'T SPLASH If you are in a large group. If you are with many people - don't splurge... there is nothing worse than having a tiny sip of a great wine. A great bottle is no fun for just one. Or eight. SPLASH! For two/three it is perfect, for four it's okay. I'd split a really good bottle between four maximum. You need a good glug of a wine to get to know it. DON'T SPLASH If you are eating lots of different dishes with lots of different smells and flavours. It is hard to focus on all the different qualities of a great wine. If you are choosing a wine to match a complicated meal I would err on the side of simplicity, save on the wine front and ask for a recommendation for a wine on the reasonable side - or choose a wine at the cheaper end of the list. Even the house wine. All good restaurants and bars work really hard to find a great house wine. A great house wine usually reflects a great wine list. SPLASH! However, if you are going for a simple meal, then you can really turn it into something super memorable by choosing a really smart wine. DON'T SPLASH If you've noticed that the restaurant/bar is serving great wines in crappy glasses. Tumblers are good for knocking back wine, so if you are in the mood for sinking a bottle without thinking too much then they are perfect. But if you are spending up, you deserve a decent glass with which to appreciate a lovingly made wine. A glass with which you can appreciate a wines colour, smell and flavour. You wouldn't want to eat an expensive meal off a paper plate. And a not-so-secret secret... If you want a bad wine to taste better chew a lemon, or have a lick of salt - prepare your tequila kit! Acidity and saltiness are friends to wine (bitterness and sweetness are enemies) so if you have ended up with a neutral, thin wine and you want it to feel bit fruitier and fuller-bodied, chew on a lemon before taking a sip. Or crunch a few granules of salt. Not great for the teeth enamel, and you'll need to have plenty of water to rehydrate before bed... but both tricks work! Advertisement Advertisement Life as a wildlife photographer is a tough one, as one top professional has revealed in a stunning new book. In Arctic Solitaire: A Boat, A Bay and the Quest for the Perfect Bear, Paul Souders, from Seattle, reveals how snapping the great outdoors and the creatures in it can be brutal. The book charts four solo journeys he made in the Arctic between 2012 and 2015 and is packed with incredible pictures many of which illustrate the dangers the 57-year-old faced. One shows a Polar bear baring its teeth at the camera as it gets up close and personal. Another shows one lurking just beneath the surface of the water nearby and in one picture a curious bear peers through the window of his ship. This boat was lashed by storms and ground on rocks as Souders sought out the bears. He says: Think of this not as a how-to manual so much as a cautionary tale. Below are a jaw-dropping selection of images from the tome. In Arctic Solitaire: A Boat, A Bay and the Quest for the Perfect Bear, Paul Souders, from Seattle, reveals how snapping the great outdoors and the creatures in it can be brutal. This picture shows a polar biting an underwater camera in the Hudson Bay The book charts solo journeys Souders made in the Arctic and is packed with incredible pictures many of which illustrate the dangers the 57-year-old faced Souders said: 'For years I've wanted to photograph polar bears, but rather than chartering a boat and captain or going on a tour, I wanted to see if I could do it independently' The photographer added: 'I came up with a plan to pull my 22ft fibreglass boat on its trailer about 1,800 miles from my home in Seattle to the end of the road in Manitoba, in central Canada. I put the boat into the Nelson River and travelled 75 miles to reach Hudson Bay, then took her more than 600 miles north, fighting storms and ice, towards the Arctic Circle' Mr Souders explained: 'Over the course of four summers I photographed dozens, maybe hundreds of polar bears living wild and unafraid near the Arctic Circle at the northern reaches of Hudson Bay. I spent vast amounts of time watching the bears as they moved along the melting sea ice and along the shore' Souders said: 'I prefer to work around bears that are relaxed and curious. Although they are brutally effective hunters, polar bears are quite intelligent and are always curious about their surroundings' Souders' 22ft boat is pictured here jammed in among blocks of floating ice in Nunavut territory Ice one: A self-portrait showing Souders and his boats grounded in Hudson Bay Mesmerising: Souders' boat - C-Sick - sitting in still waters off Marble Island in Hudson Bay A polar bear with a young cub on sea ice in Repulse Bay in Nunavut, which lies to the west of the Northwestern Passage Whalers' graves on Deadman Island in Nunavut. Arctic Solitaire comes from notes Souders kept during four solo boat trips to Canadas Hudson Bay A polar bear skull in Hudson Bay. Souders' book is billed as a 'hilarious and evocative misadventure'. He said: 'There were times when the bears relaxed completely, and I was able to show them staring through the boat's window at me, or swimming through the water, or hunting on the ice. There were also a few times when they took a more active, even culinary interest in my presence, which was another matter entirely. I drifted too close to one big male polar bear, and he took an enormous bite of my inflatable dinghy. The air leaked out in one enormous "whoosh" and I had to limp back to C-Sick and try to patch up the hole' 'I wanted to share both the romance and tremendous difficulty of the day to day life of a wildlife photographer,' Souders said. 'A lot of folks imagine that it's an altogether glamorous and wonderful job. On good days, it really is. But there's also an incredible amount of hard work and frustration and disappointment. And, in my case anyway, a vast trove of ridiculous mistakes to be made' Advertisement As dream properties go, they don't get much dreamier than a private island in French Polynesia. Nine-and-a-half-acre Motu Teta - in Tahitian it means 'far away isle' - is on the market for 2.5million, which is a lot, but for that you will own a slice of South Pacific paradise. Amazing images show that the island has gorgeous white sandy beaches, plenty of lush greenery and is surrounded by mesmerising turquoise waters. Nine-and-a-half-acre Motu Teta - in Tahitian it means 'far away isle' - is on the market for 2.5million, which is a lot, but for that you will own a slice of South Pacific paradise Amazing images show that the island has gorgeous white sandy beaches, plenty of lush greenery and is surrounded by mesmerising turquoise waters Motu Teta is located 211 miles from Papeete in the Commune of Tiputa, which sits within the Rangiroa atoll The current accommodations on the island include an owner's bungalow and a guest beach bungalow, caretaker's accommodations and a utility building Courtesy of YourDreamIsland Other stunning shots show the sun setting against the backdrop of the palm trees and a luxury bungalow that comes with the island. Motu Teta is located 211 miles from Papeete in the Commune of Tiputa, which sits within the Rangiroa atoll. It is listed for sale on www.vladi-private-islands.de. 'If you've ever dreamed of owning your own island in a South Pacific tropical paradise, covered in lush palms, cooled by gentle breezes, surrounded by warm tropical waters teeming with exotic corals and sea life, then your dream could possibly come true,' states the listing. It is listed for sale on www.vladi-private-islands.de. The listing on the site says: 'If you've ever dreamed of owning your own island in a South Pacific tropical paradise, covered in lush palms, cooled by gentle breezes, surrounded by warm tropical waters teeming with exotic corals and sea life, then your dream could possibly come true' This amazing aerial shot shows how the accommodation on the island nestles among lush palms 'Trusted staff keep the grounds and the buildings in top shape and tourist operation guarantees extra income, if so desired,' the listing states Basic supplies, restaurants and shopping, as well as gourmet foods from France and around the world, are available in Papeete The island really is miles from anywhere, as this map shows. It's a true castaway location Motu Teta offers a jaw-dropping getaway 'Motu Teta is covered in coconut palms and bordered by the warm waters of the turquoise lagoon. 'For the discrete private individual looking for a personal escape, or an ideal resort location, Motu Teta is ideal. 'Trusted staff keep the grounds and the buildings in top shape and tourist operation guarantees extra income, if so desired. 'The current accommodations include an owner's bungalow and a guest beach bungalow, caretaker's accommodations and a utility building. Fresh rain water is collected in the cistern and electricity is generated by two generators and some solar panels.' Flights from Los Angeles and other international cities arrive in Papeete daily. A one-hour local flight brings you to Rangiroa, then a short lagoon boat ride brings you to Motu Teta. Basic supplies, restaurants and shopping, as well as gourmet foods from France and around the world, are available in Papeete. Advertisement This is the beautiful 65-acre island off the coast of Maine that could be yours for just under $8million. It's called Sheephead Island and amazing aerial images show its white sandy beaches as well as its lush green forests. The island also boasts two houses including a main residence as well as a smaller four-bedroom property. The stunning 65-acre Sheephead Island off the coast of Maine, which has gone on the market for just under $8million Amazing aerial images show its white sandy beaches as well as its lush green forests Private haven: The island can be accessed from the mainland twice a day during low tide One of the white sandy beaches on the island. One of the two properties included in the sale looks out on to a beach The main residence is a relatively new five-bedroom house built in the style of a classic New England colonial with spacious, light-filled rooms, comfortable living areas and magnificent views of Penobscot Bay. An additional four-bedroom contemporary residence is located away from the main house with an open floor plan, beautiful ocean views and a secluded beach. The property also includes a boathouse and artist's studio. Located just off Sylvester Cove and the village of Sunset, Sheephead Island is connected to the mainland at low tide. The main residence, pictured, boasts five bedrooms and has been built in a classic New England colonial style The island's listing states: 'The island's shore-front is spectacular with miles of interesting ledge, tidal pools, and broad beaches. 'Trails run through fields and forest, and there's a wonderful swimming pond hidden away in the woods in the middle of the island. 'In the northeast lee of the island, a deep-water dock, float, and mooring provide ample space for yacht moorage and protection from most winds and prevailing seas. 'The village of Sunset is a delightful summer colony on the western shore of Deer Isle, a quintessential Maine island that is accessible by automobile over a suspension bridge.' Stonnington is also close by, which along with Deer Isle, boasts art galleries, shops, restaurants, inns, and pretty harbours. The main house is also described as spacious with light-filled rooms, comfortable living areas and magnificent views of Penobscot Bay The welcoming living area inside the main house. The island is located just off Sylvester Cove and the village of Sunset Ryanair's new hand baggage policy of not allowing passengers to take small suitcases with them for free is against the law, a Spanish consumer rights group has claimed. FACUA-Consumidores en Accion alleges that the airline's new system, which comes into force from November 1, is simply a way to make more money and recoup the millions of pounds worth of compensation paid following recent strike action. It says that customers should be allowed to take all hand luggage on to an aircraft free of charge, but the Dublin-based airline has labelled the claims as 'clearly false'. Ryanair's new baggage policy of not allowing passengers to take small suitcases with them for free is against the law, a Spanish consumer rights group has claimed The consumer watchdog has been quoting Spain's Law of Air Navigation which, it claims, allows people to bring all hand luggage free of charge. The only exception, it says, is if the piece of equipment or object is too heavy or too big in relation to the size of the plane, in which case staff can take it away. FACUA quotes article 97 of the 'Ley de Navegacion Aerea' as ruling: 'The transport provider will be obliged to transport free of charge in the cabin, such as hand luggage, the objects and packages that the traveller carries with them. 'The only exceptions to deny transportation are safety reasons, linked to the weight or size of the object, in relation to the characteristics of the aircraft.' The group has warned that Ryanair may be violating the regulations and has asked the Spanish Government to intervene. But hitting back at the claims, Ryanair says: 'These claims are clearly false. No airline allows all passengers to bring all their bags on the aircraft.' Under the new rules, from November, all passengers on Ryanair will need to pay for any bag that won't fit under the seat in front WHAT IS RYANAIR'S BAGGAGE POLICY? Even seasoned fliers find Ryanair's baggage policy confusing, so here's what you need to know. The point of confusion with the policy centres around the carrier's assertion that every customer is granted a 'two free carry-on bag allowance'. This needs clarification, because what the airline actually means is that all customers can bring two free carry-on bags with them to the airport and up to the gate, but that the larger of the two bags will be transferred at the gate to the hold. Unless a 'priority boarding' fee is paid. Priority Boarding can be purchased at time of flight booking for 5 or 6 on selected routes. It can be added for 6 or 7 on selected routes up to 30 minutes before scheduled departure time on the Ryanair App. However, from November 1, the baggage policy is set to change again. Passengers without priority boarding wanting to bring a second big bag with them will have to pay between 8 and 10 to check in a bag up to 10kg or 25 for a bag over that weight (but not exceeding 20kg). However, if a passenger opts to pay for priority boarding, which costs between 6 and 8, they can still take two bags with them on board with no extra charge. All passengers will still be allowed to take one 'small personal bag' on board, to be placed under the seat in front. Advertisement Under the new rules, from November, all passengers will need to pay for any bag that won't fit under the seat in front. The current bag policy stipulates that unless a passenger has paid a nominal fee for 'priority boarding', if they turn up to the gate with a bag bigger than 35cm x 20cm x 20cm it is placed in the hold at no extra charge. But from November Ryanair has said that passengers wanting to bring a big bag with them will have to pay between 8 and 10 for a piece of luggage up to 10kg or 25 for a bag over that weight (but not exceeding 20kg). The fee has to be paid either at the booking stage or at check in - and the bag has to be checked in. If a passenger turns up to the gate with a bag too large to be classed as hand luggage they will be charged a 25 gate bag fee. However, Ryanair's priority boarding rules stay the same. If a passenger opts to pay for this, which costs between 6 and 8, they can still take two bags with them on board with no extra charge. All passengers will still be allowed to take one 'small personal bag' on board, but this must be small enough to be placed under the seat in front. Ryanair said it was increasing the size of the small carry-on bag that remains free to take on board from 14 to 20 litres. The airline has already altered its luggage policy twice this year and says the latest changes were necessary because too many passengers were arriving at the gates with big bags and placing them in the hold has been causing delays. Ryanair added: 'Our new lower cost 8 x 10kg checked bag (compared to the current 25 x 20kg checked bag) means that checked bag income will probably decline as we deliver more savings to Ryanair customers.' If you get the feeling that planes seem more crowded than they used to be - then you're right. Shocking statistics from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics reveal that in 2017 there were a record-breaking 741million domestic-flight passengers in the U.S, up from 647million in 2005. However, in that time the number of flights being operated has decreased 18.5 per cent and the average number of passengers on a US domestic flight since 2007 has risen from 69 to 91. Figures have shown that although the number of airline passengers has increased, the number of flights has actually gone down The decline in the number of flights is being blamed on airlines wanting to reduce costs and increase revenue by using larger aircraft and configurations that allow for more seats - a practice in the airline industry known as 'upgauging'. Seth Kaplan, managing partner for the newsletter Airline Weekly, told Travel Weekly: 'The economics on the cost side always favor a larger aircraft. 'Upgauging also saves on engine maintenance and airport fees. There are just powerful incentives to try and get more seats per flights.' To pack more passengers in many airlines have added added extra rows on to aircraft. For example, in 2007 Southwest Airlines' 737 aircraft would carry 137 passengers but now the aircraft have been reconfigured to fit 143 passengers. The decline in the number of flights is being blamed on airlines wanting to reduce costs and increase revenue by using larger aircraft and configurations that allow for more seats JetBlue is reported to be adding two extra rows to its A320 aircraft, increasing passenger numbers from 150 to 162. Also, in the mid-1990s, standard seating on a 777 aircraft was nine seats across and it is now not uncommon to see 10 seats in a row. In addition, much larger aircraft have been introduced to the market such as the jumbo A380 aircraft, which is able to carry 853 people in a single class cabin. But the economics of the A380 have proved daunting, with airlines having to operate every flight at full capacity in order to make a profit and the plane only being able to land at certain airports. Earlier this year, Airbus was close to scrapping production of the A380 until Dubai's Emirates airline made a large order for new models. EasyJet has been voted as the best value airline for a beach holiday, beating Jet2 into second place. A study quizzed British holidaymakers on their flying experiences in 2018 and it also found that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the two carriers that jointly make the best 'impression'. EasyJet also topped the list for 'budget beach holiday bookers' in 2017. For this table those polled were asked to rank airlines in terms of being good/poor value for money. Easyjet has been named as the best value airline for a beach holiday in a new report by YouGov A table showing the airlines that British holidaymakers think gives the best value for money for a seaside break Flybe comes third, with Thomas Cook fourth and Virgin Atlantic fifth. The poll, by YouGov, places Emirates in third place in the impressions table, with Qantas in fourth and Singapore Airlines in fifth. However, when passengers were asked which airline they would be most likely to recommend, Singapore Airlines takes the No1 spot. British Airways, pictured, and Virgin Atlantic are the two carriers that make the best impression, according to the research Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines make up the rest of the top five in the impressions ranking In this table Emirates comes second and in third place is Air New Zealand. Norwegian Air comes fourth and Etihad Airways is fifth. For this metric, YouGov only included answers from those that had travelled with the airline. Singapore Airlines tops the table for most-likely-to-recommend carriers Amelia Brophy, head of brands UK at YouGov, said: 'EasyJet appears to have escaped the crises that have taken hold at budget-airline rival Ryanair, and remains in a healthy position in the industry. 'We can expect increased competition from Jet2 on this front, as the carrier expands and continues to invest in its marketing efforts. 'Elsewhere, Singapore Airlines maintains its very strong showing, achieving the magic combination of high satisfaction and recommendation levels. With word of mouth still vital to an airlines success, the carrier is well-placed to capitalise.' Advertisement Its New York as youve very probably never seen it before looking spookier, more mysterious and more ethereal than ever. Behold the incredible photographs of Paul Brake, who has an eye for capturing the forgotten and less glamorous sides of the city in mesmerising style. His Instagram page is packed with pictures of abandoned hospitals, run-down forts and tourist attractions given a stylistic twist. An abandoned building at Seaview Hospital, Staten Island. The hospital was built in 1905 and closed in the 1970s - but some of the buildings are now back in use. One section contained housing for the insane This is what remains of the road to Staten Island's Seaview Hospital. It started life as a tuberculosis sanatorium This is a creepy, dilapidated building at Staten Island's abandoned Farm Colony. Built in 1898, it started off as a community vegetable growing project but it was abandoned in 1975. In the 1970s local children would go missing here and turn up in shallow graves on the colony - and it's said that past residents haunt the grounds The land Fort Wadsworth (pictured) sits on has been used for military purposes since the 17th century. A Dutch fort was erected here in 1636. In the mid 1800s a Fort Richmond was erected, which became Fort Wadsworth in 1865. It closed in 1994 Some of the locations the 48-year-old visited must have been a tad scary for him, such as Staten Islands abandoned Farm Colony, where local children in the 1970s would go missing and turn up in shallow graves. Then theres the islands Seaview Hospital. It was built in 1905 and contained housing for the insane. Paul has captured it in all its spine-chilling glory. An eye-catching shot of Fort Wadsworth, with the the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge looming overhead A view of the Statue of Liberty from an isolation ward on Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, which is not open to the general public One of the creepy corridors in the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital. Paul said: 'Some of the most exciting photography for me is finding hidden corners, less traveled places, and run down/derelict architecture' Thought Paul's shots of Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital couldn't get any creepier? This mesmerising shot is of Prince's Bay Beach, which is often wrongly called Princess Bay or Prince Bay Paul said: 'There is so much to photograph I couldn't imagine not taking advantage of capturing all the sights, the people of NYC, and the weird and wonderful situations encountered almost daily.' This shot is of Prince's Bay beach The Manhattan Skyline lurks on the horizon in this beautifully moody shot taken at the Battery Weed fortification on Staten Island The photographer - who grew up in Bournemouth, England, but who moved to New York in 1996 has also put a twist on the cliched Statue of Liberty shot. He shot it through the window of the abandoned Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, where he also photographed creepy corridors and discarded dolls. The Staten Island resident told MailOnline Travel: I definitely prefer urban environments as there is always so much to photograph. This is part of Historic Richmond Town, a museum on Staten Island that 'possesses some of the most celebrated and storied historical items of American history... more than 130,000 artifacts, photographs, and archival collections dating back to the 17th century' New York is famous for its fire escapes and here Paul has captured a set of them in style This is the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in the Nolita neighborhood, which Paul points out offers tours of its catacombs Paul said of this picture that it is 'an intimate perspective of the catacombs' at the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral A misty shot of the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain in New York's Central Park. Instagram user 'anotherguywithacamera' commented: 'Nice twist on the familiar spot. Very moody!' This mysterious picture of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn almost looks like a scene from a fantasy movie Street photography and capturing the human condition is always a passion of mine which I try to do every time I venture out of the house. Some of the most exciting photography for me is finding hidden corners, less traveled places, and run down/derelict architecture as you never know what you are going to encounter, and it's always unique. And he acknowledges that New York is the gift that keeps on giving for him. He added: Like most people I was amazed [when I moved to New York] at all the sights that we usually only see in movies and on TV. There is so much to photograph I couldn't imagine not taking advantage of capturing all the sights, the people of NYC, and the weird and wonderful situations encountered almost daily. I can honestly say that after 22 years here I am still continually encountering new things to photograph. Advertisement For most travellers, Syria is a no-go area that is far too dangerous to even contemplate visiting. But one brave tourist has revealed how a visit to the war-torn country earlier this year gave him the trip of a lifetime - and some amazing holiday snaps. Jorgo Molotsios, who is originally from Belgium, travelled to Syria in July and got to take in the sights in war-ravaged places such as Damascus, Douma and Homs. Travel blogger Jorgo Molotsios went on an eye-opening trip to war-ravaged Syria. He had a great time but witnessed heart-wrenching destruction in several places including Douma (pictured), near Damascus Jorgo saw the bullet-riddled and shelled buildings as he travelled out of the city of Damascus through Douma and Homs Jorgo described seeing the bombed-out buildings and rubble lying in the streets as a 'real eye-opener to the realities of war Talking about the destruction, Jorgo said: 'It is clear this war has to stop as soon as possible. If only it was that simple' Another bombed out street that Jorgo captured on camera on his trip outside of Damascus. It was eerily deserted Although there are main roads in Damascus, Jorgo said he enjoyed strolling down the narrow, winding streets The Syrian flag painted on the side of a wall in Damascus. Jorgo visited the government-controlled areas of Syria, which are thought of as safer for tourists He travelled to President Assad's bullet-hole riddled country via Beirut, then took a one-hour car ride into Syria. His first stop was one of the most prestigious hotels in Damascus, the Beit Al-Wali Hotel, which has several stunning open-air courtyards. Jorgo described it as one of the beautiful he had ever stayed in. While in the Syrian capital the travel blogger was able to explore the narrow streets and noticed posters of President Assad on nearly every corner. One of the most famous areas he visited was the Bab Touma district, which is packed full of Christian churches and is one of the earliest sites associated with the religion. The beautiful courtyard of the Beit Al-Wali Hotel, where Jorgo stayed. It is often thought of as one of the most prestigious hotels in Damascus Jorgo said he would definitely recommend other people seeing the Syria he experienced. He is pictured taking tea in his hotel courtyard Jorgo's hotel room in the city. He said: 'Syrians have a great vibe and are the most hospitable people I've ever met. I got several invites for dinner and tea' The bathroom in the hotel room. He travelled to President Assad's bullet-hole riddled country via Beirut, then took a one-hour car ride into Syria Bab Touma translates as Gate of Thomas and Saint Paul is thought to have stayed there on his mission from Jerusalem to Damascus. And for Jorgo, he says visiting this district was one of the most enjoyable parts of his trip. He told MailOnline Travel: 'Syrians have a great vibe and are the most hospitable people I've ever met. I got several invites for dinner and tea. It's just amazing how people interact with each other. 'There also seems much less separation between the religions. Bab Touma, for example, is a Christian district with a lot of churches. You'll see a lot of Muslims on Friday shopping in this district because all the shops are still open.' The road to Homs. The signpost is intact but the landscape around it bears the scars of war One of the most ancient sites Jorgo visited was the Krak Des Chevaliers, a medieval castle close to the city of Homs, which was partially destroyed during the recent war Jorgo noticed pictures of President Assad on nearly every street corner in Damascus. This one is juxta-positioned with a photograph of the leader shaking Vladimir Putin's hand As well as discovering Damascus, Jorgo also paid a visit to Krak Des Chevaliers, a medieval castle close to the city of Homs. And it was on the journey out to the castle that Jorgo travelled through Douma in East Gouta and saw first-hand the destruction that has been caused by the vicious ongoing conflict. He saw bombed-out buildings and rubble lying in the streets, which he described as a 'real eye-opener. He explained: 'It was horrible and depressing to see the destruction by the war. 'East Gouta looks small on Google Maps but when you pass by in a vehicle, it's like there is never ending destruction. 'It is clear this war has to stop as soon as possible. If only it was that simple.' The Krak Des Chevaliers castle itself has been shelled and there had been fears the historic monument, which is part of a Unesco world heritage site, was beyond repair. But when Jorgo visited, he said the castle was in a surprisingly good condition, and he also found it flying the Russian flag. Jorgo also got to sample Syrian food at the many restaurants and cafes in Damascus eating chicken, hummus, flat bread, potatoes and vegetables. For one large meal for three people, the bill came to 8,000 Syrian pounds, which is just 28. He was also able to stroll through the city's souks selling items such as gold, nuts and spices and visited the Umayyad Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam. Jorgo got to meet with locals to take tea in the many lounges around Damascus and talk to them about their country. During his time in Damascus, Jorgo got to stroll around the city's souks, where stalls sell items such as nuts, spices and even gold Syrian people pack into one of the souks in Damascus at night, when buying goods from market traders is easier thanks to the lower temperatures A tamarind drink being sold by a market trader. It's common for Syrians to drink this on very hot days. Jorgo described it as tasting like a 'sweet cherry juice' Damascus is packed full of cafes and restaurants, Jorgo noted. He dined on food such as chicken, hummus, flat bread, potatoes and vegetables He also tasted a tamarind drink that market traders sell on very hot days, which Jorgo described as tasting like a 'sweet cherry juice'. And like in many other cities around the world, he was able to snap a picture of people posing beside a huge 'I heart Damascus' sign in the centre of the city. He added: 'The war is complex, but I wanted to see the country by myself, without choosing sides. Jorgo visited the stunning Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, which is one of the holiest sites in Islam The entrance to one of the many churches in Bab Touma, which is one of the earliest sites associated with Christianity 'I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks of course so I talked to some people online from Damascus before going and it seemed okay to go ... so I was ready to go.' Jorgo admits that during the visit, he mainly stuck to pro-government areas of Syria as they tend to be safer for visitors. And now he has visited the country and has a Syrian stamp in his passport, he is no longer able to join the USA's Esta visa waiver scheme. Like many other cities around the world, Damascus has a huge 'I love' sign where tourists love to take photos So now travel to America would be very difficult. Current advice from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office is that British citizens should not go to Syria and anybody there should leave by all practical means immediately. But despite this, Jorgo said he would definitely recommend other people seeing the Syria he experienced. He explained: 'I never felt unsafe and the checkpoints keep the areas safe, so you can't just go anywhere by accident where it might be dangerous. 'I'd say, as long as you follow how the war evolves and stick to the government controlled areas, why not if you're adventurous?' Advertisement Once prized objects of adoration and splendour, these forgotten buildings, cars, planes and ships are slowly crumbling - and there's something eerily fascinating about them. Covered in rust, mosses and sprouting trees, the wreck of the SS Ayrfield wallows in the shallows of Homebush Bay, just west of Sydney. The bay has become a graveyard of once illustrious boats that fell into disuse in the 1960s and 1970s and it is now a popular tourist attraction. Meanwhile, the Namib desert in southern Africa is home to a whole host of forgotten goods, including vintage cars and even bathtubs from tumbledown shacks dumped in the sands. Abandoned buildings also make for haunting sites, with some of the spookiest spots including the dishevelled New World shopping mall in Bangkok and the dormant mining stations dotted around Longyearbyen in Svalbard. Scroll down to see MailOnline Travel's round-up of intriguing objects and buildings around the world left to rust and ruin... The wreck of the the SS Ayrfield in Homebush sits in the shallows of Homebush Bay, just west of Sydney The antique train cemetery, which is located about two miles outside the Bolivian city of Uyuni, has become a popular tourist attraction with the rusting carriages and locomotives and sparse landscape making for a surreal sight The New World Mall in Bangkok was closed in 1997 after it was found to have breached building regulations, then a fire in 1999 left it without a roof. Rainwater slowly filled the building, causing a major mosquito problem. In an effort to rid themselves of the pests, the locals introduced freshwater talapia fish to eat the insects This photograph of a rusting, moss-covered car was taken by French photographer Antoine Jacquiaux The Namib desert in Namibia is home to a whole host of forgotten goods, including classic cars and even bathtubs from tumbledown shacks that have been dumped in the sands Disused coal mining stations are dotted around the town of Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Norway The Keys Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park, with its water tank and wooden structures, has been abandoned since the 1950s An abandoned building along a hiking path in the Amalfi Coast region of Italy is shrouded by trees An old military fort slowly sinks into the sands along the Baltic Sea coast by the port city of Liepaja on Latvia's west coast An abandoned rusty anti-aircraft gun points to the sky at the stunning Paklenica Canyon in Croatia An abandoned car cooks in the desert heat in Namibia, with its paint slowly peeling away The abandoned Tkvarcheli power plant in Abkhazia, Georgia, is overgrown with weeds and mosses Once a closed city home to 5,000 Soviet soldiers, technicians and their families, Skrunda-1 in Latvia was abandoned in 1998 and is now being destroyed by nature The abandoned Canfranc Railway Station in Spain was once the second biggest train station in Europe but now it is home to derelict carriages instead of paying passengers An unknown shipwrecked boat sits in the golden sands on the coast of Vila Nova de Milfontes in Portugal An abandoned Ford pick-up truck from the 1960s sits decaying in the middle of a forest in Olympic National Park, Washington A drone view of the former restaurant on top of Mount Akhun in Sochi, Russia, as it sits crumbling amid the trees Located on the south coast of Sydney, the old Helensburgh Tunnels are a popular sightseeing attraction. The railway station linking the tunnels was deserted more than 100 years ago and left to rot This amazing picture was taken at a Swedish car cemetery near Lennartsfors. The photographer, Bjrn Eyvind Eilertson, said: 'It's a huge area of at least five square kilometers. You can easily get lost there. There are countless cars there. As far as I know it's only accessible by boat. I went there on one of my canoeing trips to take the pictures' Old Antonov An-2 aircraft are here engulfed by plant life as they sit rusting at an abandoned airport in Russia Two ships sunk 22 years apart are among the top tourist attractions at Bruce Peninsula in the Fathom Five National Marine Park in Ontario, Canada. Officials here seek to protect and display shipwrecks and lighthouses A green abandoned van at an unknown spot blends into the scenery, entwined by weeds and trees In 1973 a U.S. military plane ran out of fuel and crashed on the black beach at Solheimasandur, on the South Coast of Iceland. Fortunately, everyone survived the crash and the remains are still visible on the beach, with tours to the site available The wreck of a World War II Japanese fighter airplane from the 1944 Battle of Peleliu, Palau, fought between the U.S. and Japan A number of Iraqi Mil Mi-2 helicopters are abandoned at Camp Warhorse, a few miles to the northwest of Baqubah The mayor of Magaluf has called for new measures to tackle the balconing craze in the holiday spot. Alfonso Rodriguez Badal, the head of Calvia Council, said it must stop young people 'coming here to die' as a result of the craze, which sees holidaymakers jump from balconies into swimming pools. Mr Badal, whose council covers Magaluf and Palma Nova, explained how he continued to be shocked by the number of balconing tragedies, especially this summer. The mayor of Magaluf has called for new measures to tackle the balconing craze in the holiday spot. Pictured is Magaluf beach And now he says new legislation must be brought in to try and stop tourists taking chances. Mr Badal took the opportunity of opening fiesta celebrations in Calvia to address the thorny topic. Spanish newspaper Diario de Mallorca says he is wants more 'legislative initiatives' and felt alcohol and drugs continued to be at the heart of the problem. He said: 'We must not allow those who come to have fun with us to find death in this absurd way.' The mayor also called for Calvia's civil guard numbers to be increased and the end of 'aggressive offers of alcohol'. He continued: 'These are basic actions to avoid excesses that, although reduced year after year, continue to appear in our municipality, which this year has also been shaken by an increase in young people who have died as a result of falling into voids.' Balconing has become so bad in some of the Spanish resorts that locals have put up signs mocking Brits for either jumping off balconies into pools or trying to get from one room to another. Pictured is the island of Majorca Balconing has become so bad in some of the Spanish resorts that locals have put up signs mocking Brits for either jumping off balconies into pools or trying to get from one room to another. Calvia Council has already made balconing an offence under its own 'co-existence' rules and has started to dish out fines. Those caught recently include an 18-year-old Irish girl who was stung with a fine of between 500 and 1,300 for 'balconing' in Magaluf, despite being injured in the process. Police says she jumped from one balcony to another but fell from the first floor into an interior courtyard. The number of tourists visiting Spain in July fell for the first time in nine years, new figures have revealed. Statistics show that visitor numbers to the country are now stalling after five years of record growth. And the slow down is being blamed on rival destinations such as Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt tempting holidaymakers with cheap, all inclusive deals elsewhere. The coastline in the Spanish resort of Benidorm on the Costa Blanca. The number of tourists visiting Spain in July fell for the first time in nine years, new figures have revealed Tourism accounts for around 11 per cent of Spain's economic output and the number of foreign visitors rose to 82 million last year, making Spain the world's second most visited country after France. But visitor numbers fell by 4.9 per cent in July, Monday's data showed, the first fall for that key summer month since 2009. In the first seven months, numbers rose by 0.3 percent, the lowest growth rate in eight years and compared to double-digit growth in 2016 and 2017. Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt have experienced a resurgence in tourism, marking a revival of demand for these destinations which had been shunned by holidaymakers following militant attacks and an attempted military coup in Turkey in 2016. This season they have been competing for German and British tourists with packages priced up to 73 per cent cheaper than the popular Spanish resort islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, according to one study. Spanish hotels have cut prices in an attempt to lure back visitors, hoteliers and tourist officers have told Reuters. German and British tourists have found package holidays in alternative destinations priced up to 73 per cent cheaper than the popular Spanish resort islands of Ibiza, pictured, Mallorca and Menorca, according to one study Meanwhile, in Tunisia, tourism jumped by 40 per cent in the first half of 2018, its government said, driven by a strong return of European tourists three years after they were targeted in attacks. Egyptian numbers surged by a similar percentage. In Turkey, tourism grew by nearly a third in the same period after slumping in 2016 following a series of bomb attacks and the abortive coup. Spanish hotel operators have attempted to upgrade their offerings in response to the spike in visitor numbers of recent years, targeting high-spending tourists rather than those seeking cheap sun-and-sand packages. Official data on Monday showed that, although the total spend of international tourists in July had fallen 0.9 percent from one year ago, the average spend was up 9.5 percent. Instead of a golden tan you could return from your travels with a gold coin thanks to one unusual holiday offering. Holidaymakers can take part in trips on the England-Wales border at spots where 'Bronze Age man marked out settlements' and 'Roman legions waged war'. The popular 1,499 tour includes 12 days of scouring fields and country land for buried goods. Instead of a golden tan you could return from your travels with a gold coin thanks to one unusual holiday offering (stock image) Chris Langston, who runs Metal Detecting Holidays, told MailOnline Travel that guests 'have found some awesome finds including a hoard of 38 medieval coins and bronze age tools'. Another memorable discovery included medieval letter seal from the Vatican City. The firm runs tours for eight months in the year with a break in the summer. Mr Langston says that holidaymakers are 'mainly international coming from as far a field from the USA, Canada, Australia, Finland, also Europe and the UK too'. Commenting on his own favourite find he said: 'If I had to choose I'd say it was the Henry 8th silver Sovereign Penny or the 1st Queen Mary Groat, they are both breathtaking!' Chris Langston, who runs Metal Detecting Holidays , told MailOnline Travel that guests 'have found some awesome finds including a hoard of 38 medieval coins and bronze age tools' Mr Langston (pictured centre) says that holidaymakers are 'mainly international coming from as far a field from the USA, Canada, Australia, Finland, also Europe and the UK too' The metal detecting package includes 12 nights of accommodation, a personal detecting guide and ten days of digging in prime locations. Digging spades and a spare metal detector can also be provided if needed. Beau Ouimette said after his metal detecting adventure: 'The fields and finds were phenomenal, as are the friendships that developed over the stay. 'In the end, the thrill of the many ancient finds will be remembered, but not overshadowed by the entire experience of living and detecting in the comfort of a small English village.' Advertisement Some critters tend to shy away from the camera. But these curious animals show no sign of fear as they get up close to photographers in their natural habitat. The adorable images show bears, big cats, birds and other members of the animal kingdom distracting photographers from the task in hand as they investigate what's going on. One meerkat cheekily sits on the back of a photographer as he gets down on the ground to take some pictures in Bostwana, Africa, while a young black bear is caught standing upright as it examines a camera set in Ontario, Canada. In Austria, an alpine marmot gets very close to a cameraman, as it pokes its head into a lens hood. Scroll down to see the friendly beasts making a wildlife photographer's job a touch more tricky... A cheetah sniffs around a photographer in South Africa, who seems unaware the big cat is so close A curious kitten approached animal photographer Mitsuaki Iwago sitting on the ground filming. The adorable incident occurred on the island of Okinawa, Japan A meerkat fearlessly climbs up on the back of a photographer while he gets down on the ground to shoot in Botswana, Africa Photo assistant Tony Heenon, gets an eye-to-eye encounter with a kangaroo while in Australia A gray wolf looms behind photographers Jim and Jamie Dutcher at Sawtooth Range in Idaho A coal tit sits perched on telephoto lens of a wildlife photographer with a piece of food in its beak A young black bear examines a photographer's camera on set in Ontario, Canada A playful grey seal pup nibbles an underwater camera off the coast of Northumberland in Britain In Austria, an alpine marmot gets very close to the camera, as it pokes its head into a lens hood A squirrel stands on the back of a photographer in Canada while it stops for a little snack I slept in a cabin some 30ft from the spot in Arles where Vincent Van Gogh set his easel in September 1888 to paint Starry Night Over The Rhone. His vantage point, which offered a sweeping view of the river as it twists through the city, is barely two minutes' walk from the Yellow House, which Vincent rented in the hope of creating a 'studio of the south' for himself and fellow artist Gauguin. That friendship finished acrimoniously; their studio met an even more unhappy ending. The Yellow House was destroyed by Allied bombing in August 1944 as was the nearby Pont des Lions railway bridge. Water wonder: The Pont du Gard is an impressive aqueduct that crosses the River Gardon The bridge's lion statues survived to gaze over the mooring spot of our river cruise ship, the Amacello. River cruising is now big business on the Rhone. Arles to the south and Lyons to the north represent either the beginning or the end point of a seven-day journey for Rhone cruisers. Towards the end of the 19th Century, when Van Gogh was here, the Rhone was a less significant means of transport than you might have thought. By 1900 the railway had become the primary method of transport, but since the time of the Greeks and Romans, the Rhone, which flows 500 miles from St Gothard in Switzerland to the Mediterranean, offered intriguing possibilities. The problem was that for much of its length, the river was a terrifying torrent. In Victorian times, any passenger boarding a boat at Lyons for a journey south did so in the knowledge that they were boldly going where many had gone before and some had failed to make it back. At the summit in Lamastre, the steam train puffs its way on to a turntable where it takes just one man to push the huge engine around so that it can pull passengers back down Between Lyons and Arles the river descends more than 450ft, creating fierce currents and unpredictable shallows. Even today, larger vessels such as our cruise ship can face buffetings from the famous winds, the mistral and the sirocco, that race up and down the Rhone Valley. It wasn't until after the Second World War that work began to tame this mighty river. A series of 12 locks which also served as hydro-electric generating dams brought not only safer navigation but electricity and increased irrigation for local agriculture (which includes the like of wine-maker Chateauneuf du Pape). The cruise ships are also bringing tourism, not particularly needed in Arles and Avignon, which are already honeypots for visitors, but to smaller towns along the river which are charming and probably more rewarding for tourists. After a day spent wandering Arles in the footsteps of Van Gogh, the next port of call, Avignon, offered the chance to visit a more ancient watercourse project. In the 1st Century, the Romans decided to bring fresh water to the city of Nimes by building a 30-mile water channel, at the time a project as amazing in its ambition as it was extraordinary in its execution. Enchanted evening: Van Gogh's Starry Night Over The Rhone, which he painted while living in Arles The part of the project known to all is the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct which crosses the River Gardon. An excellent museum at the site explains with large-scale models how the water course was constructed and how the Pont du Gard, in particular, was built. The aqueduct ceased operating when the Roman Empire fell, and one wonders what Dark Ages visitors made of such a marvel. In the 17th Century they built a now-defunct road bridge, which sits next to the ancient structure with admirable sensitivity. After the wow moment of the Pont du Gard, it would be easy to imagine that, in tourist terms, you've peaked. Not so. One of the key attractions of an ATP cruise is that so much is included in the basic price being picked up from home and taken to and from the airport, for example. Or drinks at the bar or restaurant. A sunflower tribute to Van Gogh aboard Frank's ship At our stop in Tournon we travelled on the small-gauge Ardeche railway. It offers a short and sweet climb up to the Doux Gorges through woodland. At the summit in Lamastre, the steam train puffs its way on to a turntable where it takes just one man to push the huge engine around so that it can pull us back down. Such was the trading wealth generated by being next to the river, there are many handsome medieval towns along its way. Viviers, for example, looks as if its 15th Century merchants have only just stepped away from their handsome town- centre stone houses. Our most memorable meal was on an excursion to the Abbaye de Collonges once run by the late French master chef Paul Bocuse. It was of the highest of standards in glorious surroundings. One of the many unforgettable moments that come from being a river-cruise traveller, a member of one of the finest private clubs in the world. Ryanair has accused the UK's air traffic control provider Nats of deliberately delaying its flights by not rostering enough staff at London Stansted airport. The budget carrier claimed 52 per cent of all air traffic delays in the London area 'caused by' operator Nats during the first three months of the year affected flights at Stansted, which is its largest base. This is compared with zero delays at Heathrow and 10 per cent of delays at Gatwick. Budget airline Ryanair has said the failure of Nats to 'fairly supply' staffing and resources has led to delays at Stansted airport - its biggest base in the UK According to Irish-based Ryanair, the failure of Nats to 'fairly supply' staffing and airspace resources at Stansted has 'wreaked havoc' on its schedules this summer. The airline's analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data found that 2018 is on course to be the worst year on record for air traffic disruptions at the Essex airport. Ryanair has now submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission and the CAA over the issue. Nats is owned by a public private partnership including the government who have a 49 per cent stake and a group of UK airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, who own 42 per cent. Ryanair chief operating officer Peter Bellew said the airline and airport are 'clearly being discriminated against', describing the delay figures as 'unjustifiable'. He went on: 'The situation is particularly bad at weekends where Nats are hiding behind adverse weather and euphemisms such as "capacity restrictions" when the truth is they are not rostering enough ATC staff to cater for the number of flights that are scheduled to operate. 'Urgent action must now be taken by the UK Department for Transport and the EU Commission, otherwise thousands more flights and millions of passengers at Stansted will continue to suffer disproportionate delays while Nats protects its shareholder airlines' services in Heathrow and Gatwick.' Nats says that Ryanair's figures coincide with the introduction of new technology that affected flight capacity at Stansted and other airports such as London Luton over a seven-month period Nats insisted that it 'does not discriminate between airlines or airports' and declared that Ryanair's performance this summer 'cannot be blamed on UK air traffic control'. It said in a statement that the figures quoted by Ryanair coincide with the introduction of new technology that affected flight capacity at Stansted and other airports such as London Luton over a seven-month period. The statement went on: 'All airlines and airports were notified of the timetable in advance and understood the new technology will help us increase capacity safely in the future. 'Nats has a duty to ensure commercial aircraft can fly safely through UK airspace. Adding extra controllers to the Essex airspace will not make a difference. 'Additional aircraft cannot fly in that area safely without redesigning the airspace, which requires consultation with those affected on the ground.' A spokesman for Manchester Airports Group, which owns Stansted, said: 'We are seeking answers from Nats on the root cause for these delays and considering the need for further action, including the possibility of making a formal complaint to the CAA in due course.' Advertisement The best country in the world is Italy. That's according to the annual Conde Nast Traveller UK Awards 2018, which honours 'the best that the travel world has to offer'. The categories also include hotels, airlines, ski resorts, islands and architecture. Italy was picked as the best country for its fine food and scenery, while Norwegian was lauded as the best short-haul carrier, Emirates as the top long-haul airline and London's Heathrow pipped Changi to the post as the world's best airport. Italy, pictured, was named as the best country in the world in the 21st Conde Nast Traveller UK Awards Norwegian was lauded as the best short-haul carrier, beating easyJet into second place Soaring to success: London's Heathrow pipped Changi to the post to win the best airport category In the 'best UK city category', London ruled the roost, while Paris was voted as the best 'overseas' metropolis. What's more, it's home to 'the best overseas hotel' - the ritzy 'palace-rated' Le Bristol Paris. Hawaii was voted as the best island in the world for white sand beaches, while the Greek Islands took home the award for being the best island chain overall. Holland America Line, meanwhile, claimed the bragging rights in the big ship cruise operator ranking, while Seabourn took home the award in the small ship category. Emirates was voted as the best long-haul airline in the world in the awards. Pictured is one of the carrier's 777s British Airways was runner-up in the long-haul carrier category, with travellers pleased with the in-flight experience The luxurious Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire was voted as the best UK holiday hotel by Conde Nast Traveller readers In the 'best UK city category', London ruled the roost, while Paris was voted as the best 'overseas' metropolis CONDE NAST TRAVELLER 21ST ANNUAL READERS' TRAVEL AWARDS 2018 - THE RESULTS BEST COUNTRY Winner: Italy Runner Up: Greece BEST ISLAND Winner: Greek Islands Runner Up: Maldives BEST UK CITY Winner: London Runner Up: Edinburgh BEST OVERSEAS CITY Winner: Paris Runner Up: Rome BEST SKI RESORT Winner: Val-d'Isere, France Runner Up: Whistler, Canada BEST UK HOLIDAY HOTEL Winner: The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire Runner Up: Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire BEST UK BUSINESS HOTEL Winner: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London Runner Up: Rosewood, London BEST OVERSEAS BUSINESS HOTEL Winner: Le Bristol Paris, France Runner Up: The Peninsula Hong Kong, Hong Kong BEST EUROPE, TURKEY & RUSSIA HOTEL Winner: Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France Runner Up: La Reserve Paris, France BEST AMERICAN & CARIBBEAN HOTEL Winner: One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico Runner Up: Eden Rock - St Barths, St Barths BEST MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA & THE INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL Winner: Belmond Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa Runner Up: Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger, South Africa BEST ASIA & THE INDIAN SUBCONTIENT HOTEL Winner: The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India Runner Up: The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai, India BEST AUSTRALASIA & THE SOUTH PACIFIC HOTEL Winner: The Brando, French Polynesia Runner Up: Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, French Polynesia BEST AIRLINE SHORT-HAUL HOLIDAY Winner: Norwegian Runner Up: EasyJet BEST AIRLINE LONG-HAUL HOLIDAY Winner: Emirates Runner Up: British Airways BEST BUSINESS AIRLINE Winner: Emirates Runner Up: Singapore Airlines BEST AIRPORT Winner: Heathrow Airport, London Runner Up: Changi Airport, Singapore BEST CRUISE LINES LARGE SHIPS Winner: Holland America Line Runner Up: Cunard Line BEST CRUISE LINES SMALL SHIPS Winner: Seabourn Cruise Line Runner Up: Silversea Cruises BEST TOUR OPERATORS Winner: The Turquoise Holiday Company Runner Up: Kuoni BEST SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATORS Winner: Scott Dunn Runner Up: Healing Holidays BEST VILLA RENTAL COMPANIES Winner: The Thinking Traveller Runner Up: Tuscany Now & More BEST UK HOTEL SPAS Winner: The Spa, Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, Hampshire Runner Up: Spa Village Bath, The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath BEST OVERSEAS HOTEL SPAS Winner: Thalassa Spa, Anassa, Cyprus Runner Up: Vair Spa, Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, Italy BEST DESTINATION SPA Winner: Lanserhof Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany Runner Up: The Original FX Mayr, Maria Worth, Austria BEST ISLAND FOR BEACHES Winner: Hawaii BEST CITY FOR CULTURE Winner: Rome BEST COUNTRY FOR PEOPLE Winner: Thailand BEST CITY FOR ARCHITECTURE Winner: York THE WORLD'S TOP SIX Winner: Greek Islands Runners Up: Lanserhof Tegernsee in Germany, The Oberoi Udaivilas in India, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India, Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in France and One&Only Palmilla in Mexico Advertisement Val-d'Isere in France was declared the best ski resort by readers. The spot offers sublime scenery, luxury accommodation and fun-fuelled apres-ski The Brando, a white sand island resort in French Polynesia, was named as the best hotel in Australasia and the South Pacific Helping holidaymakers flawlessly plan their vacations from start to finish, The Turquoise Holiday Company was named the best tour operator with Scott Dunn winning in the specialist category. It fixes unique luxury tours to spots including Mauritius and Madagascar. If you're a culture vulture, then put a visit to Rome on your to-do list - it was declared the best city for culture. It's Thailand that apparently has the 'best people', though. Meanwhile, York in England was deemed the best city for architecture - and no wonder. It has a mammoth Gothic cathedral and stunning neoclassical buildings. The results of the annual Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards, now in its 21st year, were announced on Monday at the Ham Yard Hotel in London. The full results will be revealed in the October issue of the magazine, on sale from September 6. Visit www.mailtravel.co.uk for great travel deals. The luxury Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London was revealed as the best business hotel in the UK Paris, with its beautiful architecture, famous landmarks and fine food, was voted as the best overseas metropolis British Airways passengers heading to Cairo usually fly to the Egyptian capital on board a state-of-the art Boeing 787 Dreamliner. But for several services this week, customers will find themselves travelling on an aircraft leased from a budget Belgian airline that is over 10 years old. The British flag carrier has been forced to improvise because the 787s have been suffering issues with their Rolls-Royce engines and are being taken out of service to undergo additional inspections. A British Airways 787 Dreamliner usually operates the Cairo route - but the model has been temporarily replaced BA will 'borrow' (in industry terms it's called wet leasing) an Airbus A340 and its crew from low-cost carrier Air Belgium to run the services to Cairo until September 6. The Dreamliner, introduced in 2011, is often regarded as the most comfortable passenger plane with a wide cabin, a 'hospital-grade' filtration system that provides cleaner air, luxury seats and sensor technology that can dampen turbulence. In contrast, the Airbus A340 has been in service for 25 years and Air Belgium's aircraft were previously owned by Finnair. Air Belgium only began operations earlier this year, meaning it has yet to be rated by Skytrax, the airline rating body. Customers travelling with the airline usually have to pay 20 euros for a 'comfort kit' including a blanket, pillow and toothbrush and toothpaste. But British Airways says leasing the aircraft means that it will allow its customers to travel on their intended date. A spokesman for the airline told MailOnline Travel: 'We're doing everything we can to make sure our customers travel as planned, in light of continuing issues with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines which are affecting many airlines around the world. For several services this week, BA customers travelling to Cairo will find themselves flying on an Airbus A340 aircraft leased from a budget Belgian airline 'In order to fly as many customers as possible on their original dates of travel, we have leased an aircraft from Air Belgium. 'We are in touch with customers who are affected to offer them a range of options if they don't wish to continue with their booking.' On its website, British Airways states that there could be flight scheduling issues with Dreamliner services in the future as it continues to work with Rolls-Royce on the engine issues. It is believed that up to 500 Trent 1000 engines used on Boeing 787 planes owned by several airlines are affected by the issues, which see components wear out earlier than expected. Rolls-Royce warned in April that additional inspections on the power plants would result in some customer disruption. A ban on unlimited alcohol in all-inclusive resorts in Majorca and Ibiza won't come into force until at least 2020. The Balearic government has been writing to travel agents and tour operators in Britain and Germany to give advance notice of the controversial changes which, it is claimed, will help cut out drunken tourism and 'uncivic behaviour' in the leading party resorts. Tourism chiefs say they still intend to implement the new rules, which will see free alcohol served to guests only during mealtimes and then solely through waiter service. A ban on unlimited alcohol in all-inclusive resorts in Majorca, pictured, and Ibiza won't come into force until at least 2020 But the only concession being offered is that the changes will not come into force for another two years, giving the tour operators and travel agents plenty of time to do new deals with the hotels and change their brochures and offers. This is because the tourism department concedes that many tour operators have already signed deals with hotels for 2019, hence the extra year. Letters have been sent out to the Association of British Travel Agencies and the German Travel Association (DRV). In it, the Balearic Government announces its intention to 'prohibit the unlimited consumption of alcohol in all-inclusive hotels' because it is considered a public health issue. The tourism department has told Abta and DRV: 'The Balearic Island Government has drafted a legislation to ban unlimited consumption of alcohol in all-inclusive hotels. The Balearic government has been writing to travel agents and tour operators in Britain and Germany to give advance notice of the controversial changes. Pictured is a beach in Ibiza 'One of the articles concerns all-inclusive hotels in the Balearics. 'As we consider this a matter of public health, the new law will limit the consumption of free alcohol to meal times (lunch and dinner). In addition, the self service of alcohol will be eliminated: alcoholic beverages may only be served by hotel staff. 'Further changes concerning all-inclusive hotels are a future ban on disposable tableware in order to reduce plastic waste and to protect the environment.' The Balearic government says the changes will need to be covered by new legislation and this will be carried out next year. Hoteliers fear the crackdown on all-inclusive hotels will hit them hard in the pockets, reduce competitiveness and threaten jobs. Egypt is the fastest growing tourist destination and France is the most visited country, new UN figures have revealed. Visitor numbers to Egypt jumped 55.1 per cent to 8.6 million in 2017 - a huge turnaround. The number of foreign tourists in Egypt went from 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.2 million in 2016 after the suspension of flights following the downing of a Russian charter jet and the turmoil following the uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. Egypt is the fastest growing tourist destination with a 55.1 per cent rise in tourist numbers in 2017. Pictured is the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh France retained its 2016 No1 ranking in the most-visited list with 86.9million visitors, beating Spain into second place (81.8million) and the USA into third (75.9million). The figures were published by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in its annual tourism highlights report. Egypt attracts tourists to the likes of Giza and Luxor, who come to discover the great pyramids and the Sphinx. Meanwhile resorts around the Red Sea pull in visitors looking for beach holidays and offer spectacular diving. The second-fastest growing destination is the African country of Togo, which saw a 46.7 per cent jump in visitors. Here, visitors can enjoy palm-fringed beaches on the Atlantic coast as well as lush forests further north. The second fastest growing destination is the African country of Togo, pictured, which saw a 46.7 per cent jump in visitors The fourth fastest growing destination is Palestine. One popular attraction there is the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, pictured A rise of 29.1 per cent in visitors sees Vietnam, known for its beautiful beaches and rivers, named the third-fastest growing destination. While in fourth place is Palestine, which saw a 25.7 per cent rise in tourists in 2017. Tourists travel to Palestine to visit the holy site of Bethlehem, which is home to the Church of the Nativity, as well as the Mar Saba Monastery and the Mosque of Omar. Rounding off the top five fastest-growing tourist destinations is the tiny island of Niue in the South Pacific, which saw tourist numbers rise by 25.7 per cent in 2017. Other places that saw huge rises in tourist numbers included Nepal (24.9 per cent, 6th), Israel (24.6 per cent, 7th), the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean (24.3 per cent, 8th) as well as Turkey and Iceland (both 24.1 per cent, tied in 9th). The most visited country in the world is France - it attracted a total of 86.9million visitors in 2017 In the most-visited countries list China comes fourth with 60.7million visitors in 2017 then Italy, which welcomed 58.3million people. In sixth place is Mexico on 39.3million visitors followed by the UK on 37.7million visitors in 2017. Other countries in the top ten most visited destinations are Turkey (37.6million, 8th), Germany (37.5million, 9th) and Thailand (35.4million, 10th). For great travel deals visit www.mailtravel.co.uk . Tourists in Florence are being warned they could face fines of up to 450 for eating in the street. New laws, which went into force on Tuesday, ban snacking in four streets in the Italian city's historic centre. Local businesses in the affected sites have been asked to put up signs warning visitors about the ban in prominent places. They read: 'Respect residents, traders and workers of this street.' Tourists in Florence, pictured, are being warned they could face fines of up to 450 if they eat in certain streets in the city According to The Local, the restrictions will be in place from 12 to 3pm and between 6 and 10pm. They will remain in place for four months. The affected areas are Via de' Neri, Piazzale degli Uffizi, Piazza del Grano and Via della Ninna. Florence is known for its fine cuisine and reviews on Tripadvisor have rated the city as having the world's best sandwiches. But the Telegraph reports that local businesses were fed up with tourists loitering outside their premises or sitting on kerbs and sating their hunger pangs. Mayor Dario Nardella said: 'Its not a punitive measure but a deterrent. 'If tourists behave in Florence as they would at home then they will always be welcome, especially if they want to try our gastronomic specialities.' However, it is not the first time Mr Nardella has brought in controversial rules affecting tourists. Last year, he announced that the city would be fighting back against a rise in messy tourists who leave iconic churches strewn with rubbish by hosing down the steps at lunch time. New laws, which went into force yesterday, ban snacking in four streets in the Italian city's historic centre close to Florence Cathedral, pictured He said the the measure was aimed at people who 'camp out' at historic sites during the middle of the day, then leave them strewn with greasy packaging and beer bottles. Elsewhere in Italy, in the capital Rome, there has also been a crackdown on unruly tourists and authorities have even considered fencing off the celebrated Spanish Steps to protect them from 'barbarian' hordes of sightseers. Last year, the city considered barring tourists from stopping next to the Trevi Fountain to crack down on illegal swimming there. In Venice, stewards patrol the city looking for signs of uncouth behaviour such as sitting down on church steps and eating. And in Milan earlier this year, visitors were banned from taking pictures with selfie sticks. The ancient city of Palmyra, which was almost destroyed by ISIS jihadis, could re-open to tourists as early as next year. Extensive work has been underway to restore the site, which used to be one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Middle East. Authorities in Syria say they hope that visitors will be able to marvel at the wonders of the ancient monuments from summer 2019. Scroll down for video The ancient city of Palmyra pictured in September 2017 after it was almost destroyed by ISIS jihadis Authorities in Syria say they hope to welcome back tourists to the site next year. Pictured is Palmyra in 2017 Palmyra, in the province of Homs, was an important caravan city of the Roman Empire, linking it to India, China, and Persia and was a Unesco world heritage site. Global concern for Palmyra's magnificent ancient ruins spiked in September 2015, when satellite images confirmed that ISIS - which took control of the city - had demolished the famed Temple of Bel as part of its campaign to destroy pre-Islamic monuments it considers idolatrous. The Syrian government then took back control of the site but it fell to ISIS one again in December 2016. Its members then caused even more destruction. By March 2017, Palmyra was recaptured by Syrian government forces and Russian scientists from the Pushkin Museum in Moscow began trying to reconstruct some of the ancient structures. The ancient Palmyra theater before the devastating civil war began. The site was used by Islamic State members as a backdrop for executions The provincial governor of Homs, Talal Barazi, told Sputnik News: 'The authorities now have a project to repair all the damage caused to Palmyra's Old City. 'There are also good offers from the world powers to restore the artifacts and historical value of Palmyra. I suppose that Palmyra will be completely ready for receiving tourists by summer 2019.' News of the re-opening comes after an antiquities museum in Syria's rebel-held province of Idlib said to house one of the world's oldest dictionaries reopened earlier this month after being shut for five years. The Temple of Baalshamin, which was later destroyed by Islamic State. It was dedicated to the Canaanite sky god Baalshamin after being constructed sometime in the 2nd century BC. In the 5th century AD, it was converted into a Christian church Dozens of visitors trickled into the museum in Idlib city to see what an official said represented just a fraction of the building's collection. Ayman al-Nabu, head of antiquities for the city, which is controlled by an alliance of rebels and jihadists, said the museum had been damaged by air strikes and looting during Syria's conflict - now nearly seven years old. The museum is said to house a collection of clay tablets dating back to 2400-2300 BC, which bear witness to the invention of the first alphabet. Ryanair is set to scrap plans to reduce its fleet in Ireland that put 300 jobs under threat after striking pilots unanimously voted to accept an agreement with the airline. Europe's largest low-cost carrier suffered its worst ever strikes this summer, but reached agreement on issues including transfers and promotions with the Irish union two weeks ago and said it was hopeful it could secure deals in other markets soon. In a statement after the Forsa/IALPA union published the ballot result on Wednesday, Ryanair welcomed the vote and said it would ask its board to reverse a plan to reduce its Dublin fleet by six aircraft. Ryanair is set to scrap plans to reduce its fleet in Ireland that put 300 jobs under threat The board will meet to discuss the development in the coming days, it said. In July, the Irish-based airline, headed by Michael O'Leary, said it had issued 90-day notices to 100 pilots and more than 200 cabin crew under plans to slash its Dublin-based fleet from 30 to around 24 for the winter season and move more aircraft to Poland. The airline said it was beginning consultations on redundancy adding that if job losses were necessary, they will be determined by 'assessment of flight performance, productivity, attendances, and base transfer requests'. At the time, Ryanair said the reductions were driven by the rapid growth of its Polish charter airline, Ryanair Sun, coupled with a downturn in forward bookings and airfares in Ireland, which it partly blamed on the strikes. In July, the Irish-based airline, headed by Michael O'Leary, pictured, said it had issued 90-day notices to 100 pilots and more than 200 cabin crew under plans to slash its Dublin-based fleet from 30 to around 24 After publishing details for the first time of the agreement it described as a 'first step' towards providing fairness for pilots, the union said the flexibility on base transfers and promotions would end the 'sole control' exercised previously by management over pilots' careers. Captain Joe May, a spokesman for IALPA, said in a statement: 'While our members fully respect Ryanair's operational model, they no longer accept the company's highly problematic employment model. 'After decades of declining terms and conditions, pilots in Ryanair have now firmly found a unified voice.' Advertisement This is the bizarre reptile cafe where customers can sip on coffee while getting up close and personal with snakes, iguanas and scorpions. The cafe is a first for Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and comes hot on the heels of popular cat cafes in the city. The owner, Chea Raty, launched the business to revamp the skin-crawling reputation of lizards and snakes and convince haters that they are simply misunderstood. A customer takes a selfie with a ball python at the reptile cafe that has just opened in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh The cafe is a first for Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and comes hot on the heels of popular cat cafes in the city As well as snakes, customers can also get up close and personal with other animals including iguanas, lizards and scorpions Chea Raty, the owner of the cafe, launched his business to revamp the skin-crawling reputation of lizards and snakes Customer are free to enter the cafe and buy a coffee. They can then request which type of reptile they would like to sit with While stroking the scaly neck wattle of an iguana, the 32-year-old told AFP: 'They will love them like I do.' The walls of his cafe are lined with lit-up glass tanks containing snakes of various lengths and colours, while a bright macaw screeches in the corner. Some visitors look hesitantly at the cages, others are bolder in their embrace of the creatures. There's no entry fee, so visitors can order a coffee and request a sit-down with a serpentine friend from one of the tanks. A customer sips on a cool drink while a ball python wraps around his left arm and he holds an iguana in his right hand A female customer holds a ball python up for the camera, left, before she gives the reptile a gentle pat as she enjoys her coffee The walls of the cafe are lined with lit-up glass tanks containing snakes of various lengths and colours as well as other creatures An ice tea for a young customer instantly becomes a cool object for a yellow-and-cream-coloured ball python to twist its body around. A woman giggles as an albino python creeps from her shoulder and wraps behind her head. Nearby, a bearded dragon iguana perches on a table while a man gently pets it. Customer Y Navim was wary at first of a corn snake, an orange-coloured serpent that kills its prey through constriction. But it was soon resting on her palm as she sipped her coffee. 'This cafe is quite unique,' the 22-year-old said. 'I've never seen some of these reptiles before. They are beautiful and scary.' To critics who say the animals should be left alone in the wild, Mr Raty says his human-bred creatures 'cannot survive there' Women, Mr Raty says, are providing an unexpected boost. 'They put the pythons around their neck, take selfies, and they are happy' One customer at the reptile cafe puckers up to give a green iguana a kiss. Business is still slow-going at the cafe due to the common fears of snakes and lizards To critics who say the animals should be left alone in the wild, Mr Raty says his human-bred creatures 'cannot survive there'. All of his cafe creatures are imported from Thailand. Business is still slow-going due to the common fears of snakes and lizards. But women, Mr Raty says, are providing an unexpected boost. He says: 'They put the pythons around their neck, take selfies, and they are happy.' Advertisement London's Leicester Square is taking another step to shedding its tacky tourist-trap image thanks to the opening of another swanky hotel. And of course, since this is the capital's cinema district, it houses a couple of Odeons. The Square is already home to plush W and Radisson hotels. They will be joined in 2020 by the 300million five-star The Londoner. An artist's impression of how the new The Londoner hotel will look when it opens to guests in Leicester Square in 2020 The five-star hotel will be set across 15 floors and will have 350 rooms, including 15 suites, as well as five concept restaurants and a rooftop bar The new property, which is being described as a 'pioneering, purpose-built destination', is being developed by Edwardian Hotels London. It will have 350 rooms, including 15 suites, across 15 floors as well as five concept restaurants and lounges and a rooftop bar. As well as two Odeon Luxe cinemas, The Londoner will also have a state-of-the-art ballroom for up to 1,000 guests as well as a subterranean spa. Iype Abraham, the commercial development director at Edwardian Hotels London, said: 'The Londoner exemplifies Edwardian Hotels Londons bold philosophy. An artist's impression showing the entrance to the hotel. The hotel will boast two new Odeon cinemas, naturally The new property, which is being described as a 'pioneering, purpose-built destination', is being developed by Edwardian Hotels London 'Building a complex and ambitious project in an iconic area is a demonstration of our commitment to London and our ability to deliver high-quality, sustainable, integrated hotels designed for the future. 'We are privileged to play a pivotal role in the regeneration of Leicester Square and contribute to the evolving skyline of London.' To deliver The Londoner, Edwardian Hotels London has teamed up with project engineers Arup, project developers McGee, an interior design team from Yabu Pushelberg and project architects Woods Bagot. Leicester Square, in the heart of London's West End. Many regard the area as one of the city's most efficient tourist traps Rob Steul, creative director at Edwardian Hotels London and lead designer of The Londoner, added: 'It has always been the vision of our chairman to develop a lifestyle hotel destination in a prime central London location. 'And I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to bring this aspirational vision to life, from conceptualising the original design through to overseeing the development and delivery of the hotel. 'The Londoner celebrates and captures the drama of its vibrant West End neighbourhood and I am confident that its striking contemporary design, sophisticated social spaces and its collection of distinctive restaurants and lounges will set it apart.' A Paris official said he would propose outlawing home rentals via Airbnb and other websites in the city centre, accusing the service of forcing residents out of the French capital. Ian Brossat, the city council member in charge of housing and the Deputy Mayor, also added that he would seek to ban the purchase of second homes in Paris, saying such measures were necessary to keep the city from becoming an 'open-air museum'. With some 60,000 apartments on offer in the city, Paris is the biggest market for Airbnb, which like other home-sharing platforms has come under increasing pressure from cities which claim it drives up rents for locals. An official in Paris has said he wants to ban Airbnb from the French capital, accusing it of forcing residents out of the city Mr Brossat, who is expected to head the Communist party list for European Parliament elections next year, told AFP: 'One residence out of every four no longer houses Parisians. 'Do we want Paris to be a city which the middle classes can afford, or do we want it to be a playground for Saudi or American billionaires?' Mr Brossat has had Airbnb and its rivals in his sights for years, and recently published a book assailing the US giant titled Airbnb, or the Uberised City. He wants to forbid any short-term tourist rentals of entire apartments in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Arrondissements of Paris, home to some of the world's most popular sites including the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Louvre museum. 'If we don't do anything, there won't be any more locals: Like on the Ile Saint-Louis, we'll end up with a drop in the number of residents and food shops turned into clothing or souvenir stores,' he added, referring to the Seine island in the shadow of the Notre-Dame cathedral. 'We'll be living in an open-air museum.' Ian Brossat, the city council member in charge of housing, said 'do we want Paris to be a city which the middle classes can afford, or do we want it to be a playground for Saudi or American billionaires?' Mr Brossat hopes the measures will be included in a law aimed at overhauling France's real estate laws to be debated this fall. The administration of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has already taken action against Airbnb and others, requiring homeowners to register with the city and limiting the number of rentals to 120 nights a year. Last month the city said the total amount of fines levied against home rental platforms rose to 1.38 million euros ($1.60 million, 1.24 million) from January to August 15, compared with 1.3 million euros for 2017 as a whole. Its crackdown echoes those in other hot tourist destinations including Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin. Last month Airbnb sued the city of New York after it passed a law forcing home-sharing platforms to disclose data about their hosts, calling it a campaign 'funded by the city's powerful hotel lobby'. San Francisco-based Airbnb claims that it provides a useful service by helping visitors find affordable temporary lodging while enabling homeowners to supplement their income. It said in a statement: 'This scheme would steal opportunities from thousands of middle-class families to feed the wealthy hotel lobby and help protect its profits. It is out of touch with public opinion, divorced from legal reality and is a smokescreen for the real tourism concerns in central Paris, where more than 750 additional hotel rooms have been approved and built in the last year alone. 'But while the Deputy Mayor uses his time in office to clamp down on opportunities for local families, write books that champion the views of the hotel lobby, and launch a bid to further his political career in the EU, Airbnb is building a platform that one in five Parisians use to travel the world, boost their income and afford rising living costs in their communities, where housing capacity has failed to meet demand for decades. 'We firmly believe that travel should benefit many - not just a wealthy few - and we will continue to encourage the Deputy Mayor to back innovations that help make Paris more affordable for Parisians, not line the pockets of wealthy hoteliers.' Here's food for thought - Britain imports more pizza from the Netherlands than it does from Italy. The surprising statistic has been revealed in a new study of data from HM Revenue & Customs, which showed only five per cent of the 223million worth of pizza imported in the first half of 2018 came from its homeland. Also, according to the study, Britain imports more chocolate from Poland than it does from Belgium, the country most often associated with the product. Britain imports more pizza from the Netherlands than it does from Italy, new figures have shown The research was carried out by Glotechrepairs.co.uk. It discovered that the UK's total food and drink imports in the first six months of 2018 cost 23,543,173,333. Most of the overseas pizza that is supplied to Britain actually comes from Germany, France, and Spain, who together feed 56 per cent of the UK's imported pizza cravings. Just five per cent comes from Italy. In the study of 191 countries, it was found that although Italy supplies 94 per cent of Britain's imported pasta and is its second largest exporter of tomatoes and mozzarella, it only provides Brits with 11 million worth of pizza. In addition, the UK also imported 5 billion worth of meat, 1.5 billion worth of wine, and 1.1 billion in fish in the first half of 2018. And the figures also show just how much the UK relies on other countries' goods. Even for items generally considered to be domestic, it was found that imports brought huge quantities of consumables to UK shores. Over 143 million worth of cheddar cheese was imported from outside of the UK and Ireland is its biggest supplier, sending 196,074,494 worth. Ireland also sends Britain a lot of beer, together with Mexico, which contributes 97 million to Britain's alcohol economy. Britain also imports more chocolate from Poland than it does from Belgium The UK also gets more avocados from Israel than anything else and Antarctica's only significant exports to Britain are herbs and spices. Brtain also imports 597 million of chocolate from 57 countries and 408 million worth of other cocoa products from 60 countries. Mark Reeves, of Glotechrepairs.co.uk, said: 'What we discovered by looking into the data behind our imports is that a huge amount of what we eat in the UK comes from outside of the country. 'There were some astounding figures like the 5.4 billion worth of fruit and veg we import in half a year but we also stumbled upon some interesting facts such as Antarctica's contribution of 7,911 worth of herbs and spices.' Most Londoners know that pressing the door-open button on Tube trains is totally pointless. And natives of the British capital say seeing someone trying to push it is a sure fire way of knowing someone is new to the city. That's according to an online discussion, where Londoners have been pinpointing the things that make visitors stick out like a sore thumb. And they're also, among other people, looking at you, the person who's complaining about the price of a pint. Londoners have been revealing the things that make visitors stick out like a sore thumb The comments were uploaded to internet forum Quora after a user posted the question: 'What screams, "I am new to London"?' And unsurprisingly, Tube behaviour came up rapidly. One Londoner, John Birch, said: They stand (or put luggage down) on the left-hand side of the Underground escalators.' While Freddy Smith added: 'Pressing the illuminated door-opening buttons on the doors of Tube trains. There is no point. The doors will all open anyway.' For Nick Cooper, it's intently studying the Underground map. He explained: 'Londoners who use the system regularly dont necessarily know the network like the back of their hands. 'But they at least know enough that all it will take is a cursory glance at the directional signs and specific line diagrams in the station to know they are heading where they need to go, without breaking their step in the process.' And for David Osofsky, a subtle clue while riding the Bakerloo line gives away London newcomers. He said in answer to the question: 'Plopping down on a Bakerloo seat too hard and launching a complete stranger into the ceiling.' Vincent Harriman wrote that travelling by bus and trying to pay using cash can also mark out who is new to London. He wrote: 'They are now all card based (except tourist buses) and cash isn't accepted on buses or on the Underground.' Some Londoners joked that making eye contact and talking marks out newcomers While Michael Charalambous added that seeing newcomers waiting to cross the road at traffic lights when there are no cars coming is another tell-tale sign. For Sindhu Satish, insisting on shopping on Oxford Street is another way of marking out people who are new to London. She wrote: 'Id recommend other places too like Piccadilly, Knightsbridge (Harrods) or even Camden. If you want knickknacks then go no further than Notting Hill.' And Roger Hughes explained that seeing someone wearing a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt also screams 'I'm new to London'. Mike O'Boyle, meanwhile, joked that saying hello or making eye contact is not normal for natives. And Richard Smedley added that newcomers to London can be distinguished by them saying certain phrases, including 'wow, this place is really big!' and 'HOW MUCH for a pint?!' Advertisement It is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, having welcomed more than 800million people through its doors. And now the fascinating history of the original Disneyland in California has been revealed in a stunning new book by Taschen, which shows how a dusty tract of orange groves an hour south of Los Angeles was transformed across six decades into one of the worlds most beloved destinations. The book, called Walt Disney's Disneyland by Chris Nichols, is described as a 'bountiful visual history' that 'draws on Disneys vast historical collections, private archives, and the golden age of photojournalism' to tell the story of the park. Pictures show Walts earliest inspirations and ideas for the park as well as extraordinary feats of design and engineering, its grand opening and each of its immersive 'lands' from Main Street USA to Tomorrowland. While other images depict the much-loved sign from the road that welcomed visitors to Disney between 1958 and 1989, as well as children running across the Cinderella Castle drawbridge on the day the park opened in 1955. Scroll down to see some of the mesmerising pictures from 'a visual history of the worlds megalopolis of magic'... Walt Disney described his park on television in 1954 (above) with the help of an aerial plan. Disneyland then opened to the public on July 17, 1955 The original Disneyland sign on Harbor Boulevard welcomed guests from 1958 to 1989. Its bold colours and shapes made it instantly recognisable to visitors, Nichols says The drawbridge to Sleeping Beauty Castle was lowered for the first time on opening day in 1955 (above), and only once since when the redesigned Fantasyland opened on May 25, 1983, Nichols says. The castle sits at the centre of Disneyland and is one of the world's most recognisable structures, with spires that rise as high as 77 feet (about 24m). But it wasn't the first concept that Walt Disney had in mind. A palace for Cinderella and a castle for Robin Hood were considered in the planning stages Fourteen years before actual astronauts would visit the moon, the Rocket to the Moon and Astro-Jets attractions offered Tomorrowland guests the simulated thrill of blasting into space Monstro the Whale, from Pinocchio, guards the entrance to the Storybook Land Canal Boats in 1956. His giant blinking eye and spouting blowhole sometimes surprised guests posing for photos Walt Disney is joined in 1964 by some of his most adored characters. Many starred in what Walt called 'classic stories of everyone's youth' that, in Fantasyland, had 'become realities for youngsters of all ages to participate in' The buildings of the Rainbow Ridge mining town were designed by art director and set designer Bill Martin, who recalled they were a favourite of the Disney family. He said: 'I remember that Walt and Lilly [Walt's wife] would often walk along the pathways between those little buildings when they stayed at the park overnight.' Although the attraction is long gone, the little town can still be seen in the queue to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad One of the original members of the WED Model Shop, Harriet Burns, helped construct the scale models for Pirates of the Caribbean so that Walt could study every detail from the point of view of guests riding the finished attraction. Though Walt oversaw the construction of the attraction, Nichols says, it did not open until after his death in 1966. Harriet is pictured working on the model in 1967 Walt Disney's Disneyland by Chris Nichols is available next month and is published by Taschen Advertisement The world's busiest airlines have been revealed - and it is American carriers that fly the most. American Airlines is ranked top of a list of busiest airlines after flying 324 million scheduled passenger kilometres (201 million miles) in 2017. Following is Delta Air Lines in second, which flew 316.3 million scheduled passenger kilometres (196 million miles), and then United Airlines on 311 million (193 million miles). American Airlines is ranked top of a list of busiest airlines after flying 324 million scheduled passenger kilometres in 2017 The ranking has been revealed in a new report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which announced industry performance statistics for 2017. The busiest non-US carrier is Emirates Airline, which flew 289 million scheduled passenger kilometres (179 million miles), claiming fourth place. The top five is rounded off by Southwest Airlines, which flew 207.7 million scheduled passenger kilometres (129 million miles). Also making the top ten is China Southern Airlines in sixth place on 177.4 million kilometres (110 million miles) followed by Ryanair in seventh on 157.1 million kilometres (97.6 million miles). Lufthansa is eighth on 152.2 million kilometres (94.5 million miles) followed by China Eastern Airlines (151 million km/93.8 million miles) and Air China (145 million km/90 million miles). In the cargo ranking Federal Express comes top having flown 16.9 billion freight tonne kilometres. A table by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showing the busiest passenger airlines by revenue passenger kilometres and the busiest cargo airlines by freight tonne kilometres In second place is Emirates (12.7 billion) and then United Parcel Service (11.9 billion), Qatar Airways (11 billion) and Cathay Pacific Airways (10.8 billion). Also making the top ten global ranking for cargo is Korea Air (8 billion, sixth), Cargo Lux (7.3 billion, seventh), Lufthansa (7.3 billion, eight), Air China (6.7 billion, ninth) and Singapore Airlines (6.6 billion, 10th). The busiest international routes of 2017, meanwhile, are all within the Asia-Pacific region with the most scheduled passenger kilometres on the link between Hong Kong and Taipei on 5.4 million (3.3 million miles). Following is Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta to Singapore on 3.3 million and third is the link between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Hong Kong on 3.1 million. The top five is rounded off by Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on 2.8 million and Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon on 2.7 million. Delta Air Lines is in second place - it flew 316.3 million scheduled passenger kilometres, according to 2017 data It is a similar story for domestic routes, with the top five in 2017 all being in the Asia-Pacific region. The busiest is Jeju to Seoul Gimpo with 13.5 million scheduled passenger kilometers (8.3 million miles) followed by Melbourne Tullamarine to Sydney on 7.8 million. In third is Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda in Japan on 7.6 million followed by Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda on 7.4 million. The fifth busiest domestic route is Beijing Capital to to Shanghai Hongqiao on 6.4 million scheduled passenger kilometers. The report also shows that worldwide annual air passenger numbers exceeded four billion for the first time, which was attributed to an improvement in global economic conditions and lower average airfares. Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO, said: 'In 2000, the average citizen flew just once every 43 months. In 2017, the figure was once every 22 months. 'Flying has never been more accessible. And this is liberating people to explore more of our planet for work, leisure and education. Aviation is the business of freedom.' The Meg (12A) Verdict: Amusingly preposterous Rating: A mighty survivor against all the odds, thrashing around aggressively at the bottom of the ocean, master of its realm like some ancient, angry king, but occasionally, menacingly, thundering to the surface, vast torso inducing gasps of shock and awe despite its great age Yes, tough guy Jason Statham is back in an action movie, fighting a giant, two-million-year-old shark. Almost 16 years have passed since Statham kicked up a storm in The Transporter, the first of his over-the-top action roles. He is in his 50s now, so uncompromisingly bald and gruff that he could easily get a comfortable job in EastEnders as the lost Mitchell brother. Li Bingbing and Jason Statham in film 'The Meg' - just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water Instead, here he is splashing about energetically in The Meg, a film of such heroic preposterousness that I can't quite decide whether to urge you to see it, or urge you not to. Either way, you can't lose. Meg is short for megalodon, a species of colossal shark long thought to be extinct for the thoroughly sound reason that it is, having died out towards the end of the Pliocene age. But in Hollywood, extinction is a concept itself as dead as a dodo. Where would summer blockbusters be without the snarling of primordial beasts, terrorising the modern world? The Meg is half Jurassic Park, half Jaws, and wholly barmy. It begins with Statham's character, Jonas Taylor, diver extraordinaire, rescuing the crew of a stricken submarine. 'Something's crushing the hull,' someone shouts, possibly Jonas, though it's hard to tell in the melee. The implication is clear to us if not yet to them. There's a megalodon the size of an articulated lorry at large. Meanwhile, a caption says Philippine Trench, which is not the name of the film's heroine but an underwater location, and the first hint that a chunk of The Meg's production money came from the Far East. Further evidence arrives in the beauteous form of the female love interest, Suyin Zhang, played by Li Bingbing. The Meg is half Jurassic Park, half Jaws, and wholly barmy, according to Brian Viner Suyin is not just a pretty face, she is also an intrepid diver herself and enviably well-connected. Her father is Dr Minway Zhang (Winston Chao), the brilliant scientist who runs an oceanic research station 200 miles off the Chinese coast, funded by a livewire U.S. billionaire called Jack Morris. He is played by Rainn Wilson, who does not live up to his name and Rainn anything in. Some of the acting in this film is as subtle as a shark attack, although compared with the dialogue, it deserves prizes for understatement. At the screening I attended, small ripples of mirth developed into great frothy waves, as it began to dawn on us that every character had at least one contender for clunkiest line. Whether director Jon Turteltaub intended his audience to laugh their socks off, I'm not sure. There is some suggestion of deliberate tongue-in-cheekery, not least the film's amusing valedictory caption, but on the whole I think we're meant to take it seriously, which is the biggest hoot of all. Jason Statham in the Warner Bros. new movie : The Meg (2018): After escaping an attack by what he claims was a 70-foot shark, Jonas Taylor (Statham) must confront his fears to save those trapped in a sunken submersible As for the story, it resumes five years after Jonas's initial rescue, which was only partially successful and damaged rather than enhanced his reputation as the go-to man in an underwater crisis, because his claims about a massive shark were considered, well, fishy. Consequently, and inevitably, he is now a beach bum in Thailand. In films like this, discredited heroes always end up as beach bums. But out at the research station, they need Jonas back in his wetsuit. The crew of an exploration vessel has discovered that what was previously thought to be the ocean floor wasn't. There's a whole new maritime world underneath it, including a family of megalodons, one of which has bashed up the exploration vessel, rendering it immovable. Only one fellow has the lung-power, the know-how and the designer stubble to save it, and he's quaffing Thai beer and refusing to ride to the rescue, until someone says: 'Your ex-wife and her crew are trapped ' Yes, the vessel is skippered by Jonas's ex, the comely Celeste (Jessica McNamee), who, like all the other adult females who work at the research station, is uncommonly gorgeous. The recruitment message is clear: if you don't look like a beauty queen, you clearly haven't got the requisite oceanography skills. So Jonas does squeeze into his wetsuit, which is a sight in itself, like seeing an extra-thick beef sausage in a chipolata skin. Then, once he's bonded with Suyin's cute little daughter by way of showing us that he would be at least as terrific a dad as he is a shark-hunter, the stage is set for him to save the world, or at least that smallish proportion of it holidaying in the Chinese resort of Sanya Bay. That's where the megalodon is headed, and where Turteltaub shamelessly re-stages the scene in Jaws in which the little boy's distraught mother runs towards the water while everyone else is running away. The open references to Steven Spielberg's 1975 masterpiece act as an unwitting reminder that the evolution of the shark movie has gone backwards in 43 years, in every way but one. The special-effects in The Meg are splendid, making it just about more watchable than not. And then, of course, there's Statham, who keeps an admirably straight face from start to finish, still reportedly tackles his own stunts, and never lets on whether the apparatus he needs to plunge into the watery depths is to let the oxygen in, or the testosterone out. Unfriended: Dark Web (15) Verdict: Ingenious horror Rating: A notional sequel to the 2014 horror film Unfriended, but really a standalone project marking the directorial debut of screenwriter Stephen Susco, Unfriended: Dark Web might make you want to go home and throw your laptop away. Or give thanks that you don't have one. At any rate, as the title implies, the film explores that sinister side of the internet where predators and perverts flourish. Like the original film, this one unfolds almost entirely on a computer screen, which at first feels like a teasing novelty, but soon gets more than a little tiresome. If you're not fluent in System Preferences and don't know your way round Facebook and Skype, then this is definitely not for you. At the centre of the story is an American man in his 20s, Matias (Colin Woodell), who has claimed a stranger's Apple Mac from lost property at an internet cafe. More fool him. The laptop, it soon emerges, has some deeply weird stuff on it, leading Matias, the pals in his group Skype sessions and his deaf girlfriend headlong into a grotesque world of extreme sexual deviancy, not to mention abduction and murder. The film is nicely acted and ingeniously constructed, but actually its very ingenuity becomes a problem, because we are forced to believe in a set of cyber-skills that become increasingly, almost ludicrously, implausible. Still, as a scary modern fable, a kind of warped fairy tale, it is quite effective. A fairy tale, when you think about it, that's all about someone unwisely taking a byte of a poisoned Apple. The Darkest Minds (12A) Verdict: Derivative sci-fi fare Rating: The Darkest Minds is based on a young-adult novel and plays out like a pallid version of The Hunger Games or Divergent films. It even stars The Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg. She plays Ruby, a teenager infected by a disease that is killing all American children, except those it doesn't kill, who are rounded up by the state and forced to live in internment camps. Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, whose first live-action picture this is (she previously brought us Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3), lightens all the sci-fi dystopia with an old-fashioned summer-camp love story, but as a result the film feels muddled, neither entirely one thing nor entirely the other. I think its young target audience will feel a little short-changed. Sophie Cookson (pictured), a star of the popular Kingsman films, will portray party girl Christine Keeler in a BBC drama Sophie Cookson, a star of the popular Kingsman films, will portray party girl Christine Keeler in a BBC drama about the young woman at the heart of what became known as the Profumo Affair. Six-parter The Trial Of Christine Keeler will explore Keelers role in the scandal that helped bring down Harold Macmillans Conservative government in 1963. In 1961, she had a brief fling with John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War, who was married to film actress Valerie Hobson. Profumo denied the affair in Parliament, but to further complicate matters, Keeler had also been seeing Soviet Navy Attache Yevgeny Ivanov. The ensuing scandal hurled the young model and her friend, Mandy Rice-Davies, into the public spotlight, and ruined many of those caught up in it. Stephen Ward, the society osteopath who introduced Keeler to his friends in high places, committed suicide during his 1963 trial for living off immoral earnings. Rhys Ifans is in complex negotiations to play Ward. Other principal roles are still being cast for the limited series, which will begin filming on October 22. Its based on a script by Amanda Coe, who wrote Apple Tree Yard. Coe said in a statement last year that the Profumo case is the Salem witch trial meets O.J Simpson, calling it a perfect storm of gender, class, race and power that resonated still. The drama reunites Coe with Ecosse Films, who worked with her on the mini-series Life In Squares. Keeler, who died last December, once told me that the events she was involved in back in the early Sixties stole my life; a point that was echoed by her son Seymour Platt. He noted that his mother earned her place in British history, but at a huge personal price. In 1961, Christine Keeler (pictured) had a brief fling with John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War, who was married to film actress Valerie Hobson Rhys Ifans (right) is in complex negotiations to play Stephen Ward (left), the society osteopath who introduced Keeler to his friends in high places The part of Keeler will certainly shine a bigger spotlight on Cookson. She did two Kingsman thrillers for director Matthew Vaughn and was superb in the short-lived Netflix drama Gypsy. The 28-year-old actress just completed a run at Trafalgar Studios in the Tracy Letts play Killer Joe, alongside Orlando Bloom. And her latest film, Red Joan, directed by Trevor Nunn in which she shares the part of KGB agent Joan Stanley with Judi Dench will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. Fiddler On The Roof call for Andy... Andy Nyman is ready to shout it from the rooftops: hes going to play Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof. The actor will be directed by Trevor Nunn in a production of the classic musical that will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory from November 23. Nyman joked that after David Babani, the Meniers artistic chief, told him he had the part: I managed to pick myself off the floor and wanted to run up to the roof and shout out to everybody. Somehow, he managed to keep the news to himself, until he spoke to me. Andy Nyman (left) will be directed by Trevor Nunn in a production of the classic musical Fiddler On The Roof. Barry Keoghan (right) is in the new film American Animals The show about Tevye the dairyman father of five daughters who wants to keep his way of life as everything changes around him, has been a theatrical landmark since it was first staged on Broadway in 1964. Nyman met with Sheldon Harnick, the veteran songwriter who wrote Fiddlers lyrics. He said, Dont play it for laughs. Play it straight. The actor said doing Fiddler would be an extraordinary opportunity, not least because his great-grandparents fled Lithuania and went through some of the ordeals fictional Tevye and his family endured. And he said he felt close to his character, despite having a smaller brood. I have one daughter and one son, he said, adding that daughter Macy and son Preston are both actors. Nyman will be appearing on big screens next year in Jungle Cruise with The Rock and Emily Blunt, and Judy starring Renee Zellweger. Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who was in Dunkirk and The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, didnt think director Bart Layton would cast him in his new film American Animals. They were after star names, he said. But Layton watched Keoghans audition tapes and felt the young actor would be instantly believable as the Kentucky university student who teams up with bored friends to steal priceless manuscripts. Keoghan laughed when I recounted what Layton had said. Instantly believable is a nice way of saying ugly actors. No, Im kidding. But I do know there were a bunch of pretty-boy actors after the roles in this film, Keoghan told me when we met for cold drinks on a scorching day. The actor keeps a list of directors he hopes to work for on his mobile. Even if Im turned down by someone on the list, I dont get mad, because I feel well bump into each other again. Watch out for... Kate Winslet who will now be joined by Susan Sarandon in director Roger Michells film Blackbird, based on the Danish movie Silent Heart, about an unwell mother who tries to bring her two daughters together. Diane Keaton had been set to make the picture but had to withdraw for personal family reasons, not professional ones. Kate Winslet (right) who will now be joined by Susan Sarandon (left) in director Roger Michells film Blackbird, based on the Danish movie Silent Heart Ralph Fiennes, who is attending the Telluride Film Festival up in the mountains above Denver, Colorado, for the first screening of his film The White Crow, which he directs and also appears in. Its about Rudolf Nureyevs defection to the west in 1961. Oleg Ivenko portrays Nureyev in the picture, that has a screenplay by David Hare. The White Crow will also be shown at the BFI London Film Festival on October 18. It looks like a bumper year for Telluride, an old mining town set high in the San Juan peaks. Yorgos Lanthimoss new movie The Favourite, should be a highlight. It stars Olivia Colman as Queen Anne, with Rachel Weisz as Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough and Emma Stone as Abigail Masham, a servant who vies with Sarah for the Queens ear, as it were. Im hearing from those who have caught it that its a comedic beauty of a film that flips the usually stale Brit historical picture on its head. I also hear it will have maiden aunts sending for the smelling salts. If you want to see for yourself, The Favourite will be shown at the London Film Festival on October 18 at a special gala. Other Telluride films include Destroyer with Nicole Kidman, Mike Leighs brilliant Peterloo, Joel Edgertons Boy Erased, Alfonso Cuarons autobiographical Roma, and Robert Redfords last acting project, The Old Man & The Gun. The WA gaming watchdog launched an investigation into a competition run by Married At First Sight contestant Tracey Jewel, Daily Mail Australia can reveal. Earlier this year, the Perth resident, 35, offered customers who bought her book This Goddess Means Business the opportunity to win a 'wellness holiday' in Malaysia. However, the giveaway soon became the subject of complaints to the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor WA, which subsequently looked into the matter. EXCLUSIVE: Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel has been given a 'warning' by the WA gaming watchdog after an investigation was launched into her Malaysian holiday competition A spokesperson for the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries said on Thursday: 'The Department has completed its investigation and taken appropriate action to conclude the matter'. Tracey told Daily Mail Australia that 'the appropriate action was a warning due to the allegations involved' and that 'no further action' was taken. She added that the matter was 'concluded back in July' and she 'followed [the] terms and conditions' of the competition. Giveaway: Earlier this year, the Perth-based single mother, 35, offered customers who bought her book This Goddess Means Business the opportunity to win a 'wellness holiday' in Malaysia In order to promote her self-help book This Goddess Means Business, Tracey had advertised a wellness retreat holiday to Malaysia. Last month, she claimed in a statement that 'the main prize winner advised in writing she was unable to take the major prize so it was redrawn'. A winner is currently named on her website. Investigation: However, the giveaway soon became the subject of complaints to the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor WA, which subsequently looked into the matter Earlier this year, Tracey became one of the most talked-about women in Australia when she was involved in a love triangle on Married At First Sight. She was paired with Dean Wells on the 'social experiment', but was left blindsided when he had an 'affair' with fellow contestant Davina Rankin. In the months after the show aired, Tracey's professional and personal life has come under scrutiny and she has spoken out about her battles with social media trolls. Katie Holmes has been busy raising her profile as a fashionista. And on Tuesday she turned out to support a launch event for A. Human, a self-described 'fashion brand from the future.' The actress, 39, stepped out in a purple dress and black sandal heels for the New York City event. Purple reign: Katie Holmes looked stylish in a clingy bright dress at a launch event for a 'futuristic' fashion brand in NYC Her dress had three-quarter sleeves and a small cowl neck and was gathered at the hips at the front. She wore her bobbed brown hair styled back from her face. Her eyes were rimmed with black liner and mascara and she added glossy red lip color and dark red polish on her toe nails. Double trouble: The event was hosted by PR specialist Simon Huck, (left), who cosied up to Katie Holmes for a snap Natural beauty: Katie added inches to her frame with a pair of killer heels A look ahead: The A. Human exhibition is billed as an 'immersive, theatrical experience created by Society of Spectacle', according to the brand's website The A. Human exhibition is billed as an 'immersive, theatrical experience created by Society of Spectacle', according to the brand's website. It's the brainchild of PR specialist Simon Huck. Also on the celebrity guest list were models Toni Garrn and Nina Agdal, former Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford and Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness of Netflix's Queer Eye. Blonde beauty: Model Toni Garrn, 26, put on a leggy show in a long-sleeved black top and black mini skirt paired with emerald green sandal heels with bows at the ankle On trend: Nina Agdal, 26, showed up in a pale pink Zadig & Voltaire mini dress with a round neckline and long sleeves and a tiered skirt and added white heeled ankle boots Model Toni Garrn, 26, put on a leggy show in a long-sleeved black top and black mini skirt paired with emerald green sandal heels with bows at the ankle. She flashed her taut midriff in the ensemble and wore her blonde hair loose and tumbling around her shoulders. Nina Agdal, 26, showed up in a pale pink Zadig & Voltaire mini dress with a round neckline and long sleeves and a tiered skirt. The Danish model added a pair of white heeled boots and wore her hair in a top knot. On the wild side: Former Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford, 49, looked stylish in a sleeveless leopard print tunic and matching trousers Fingers on the fashion pulse: Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness of Netflix's Queer Eye also lent their celebrity to the event Influencers: Olivia Palermo posed for photos with brand creator and PR specialist Simon Huck, left, and Alice + Olivia CEO Stacey Bendet was also on hand She's one of the jury members at the 75th annual Venice Film Festival this year. And Naomi Watts looked chic as she stepped out in the Italian city, opting to wear a stylish yet simple ensemble for her outing on Wednesday. The Australian actress, 49, looked the picture of elegance in a white 3/4 length T-shirt which she tucked into khaki green trousers. Looking good: Naomi Watts looked chic in a white shirt and khaki trousers as she headed out in the Italian city before the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday Her ensemble was cinched at the waist with an oversized belt that matched her trousers, while she stepped out in a pair of Everlane's Day Glove flats. Leaving her cropped blonde locks into a tousled hairstyle, she protected herself from the sun with a white trilby hat and stylish shades. Naomi completed her look with a white handbag, and held a dark blue blazer in her arms in case the weather took a turn for the worse. Stunning: The Australian actress, 49, looked the picture of elegance in her ensemble, which she accessorized with a white hat and a pair of Everlane's Day Glove flats Friendly: The Impossible actress was joined by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro on her outing, who was appointed as jury president earlier this year The Impossible actress was joined by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro on her outing, who was appointed as jury president earlier this year. Her fellow jury member Christoph Waltz also spent the day walking through the streets of Venice, and he looked dapper in a white shirt and grey suit jacket. The German actor, 61, added a casual flair to his look with a pair of denim jeans and blue slip on shoes. Finishing touches: Leaving her cropped blonde locks into a tousled hairstyle, she protected herself from the sun with a white trilby hat and stylish shades Handsome: Her fellow jury member Christoph Waltz also spent the day walking through the streets of Venice, and he looked dapper in a white shirt and grey suit jacket Dapper: The German actor, 61, added a casual flair to his look with a pair of denim jeans and blue slip on shoes Among the industry professionals, other people on the panel include Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, actresses Sylvia Chang, Nicole Garcia, and Trine Dyrholm, and filmmakers Paolo Genovese and Malgorzata Szumowska. The Venice Film Festival has come under fire for selecting only one female director in the 2018 competition. Speaking during the first day of the festival, president Guillermo spoke about the lack of gender diversity represented in the selection. He said: 'I think that the goal has to be clear, and has to remain 50/50 by 2020. Its a real problem we have in the culture in general.' Low-key: Christoph kept a low profile in a pair of black shades Joined by: Among the other industry professionals, other people on the panel include Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, actresses Sylvia Chang, Nicole Garcia, and Trine Dyrholm Drama: The Venice Film Festival has come under fire for selecting only one female director in the 2018 competition However, The Shape Of Water filmmaker also insisted the issue couldnt be solved simply by meeting a quota. 'Its not a matter of establishing a quota. Its extremely important to call it out, and to question it and to name it, and to make it known,' he continued. 'I think that is necessary, because for many decades, if not centuries, it has not been called. 'Its not a controversy, its a real problem, and it needs to be solved, in every one of our pertinent departments, with strength and resolve.' Looking to change: Speaking during the first day of the festival, president Guillermo spoke about the lack of gender diversity represented in the selection Ty Dolla $ign found himself in hot water in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday. Police officers allegedly found marijuana and cocaine in his limousine following a search by drug sniffing dogs, a spokesperson for Atlanta law enforcement told TMZ. The website reports that it currently appears Ty, 33, will be charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and possession of cocaine. Smells like trouble: Ty Dolla $ign (above on Sunday's Made In America Festival) has been apprehended by Atlanta, Georgia police on suspicion of drug possession after the cops supposedly found marijuana and cocaine in his limousine Though Ty was cuffed at the scene, official charges have yet to be filed, the spokesperson told the website. The LA native was on his way to open for G-Eazy along with fellow performers Lil Uzi Vert and YBN Nahmir. Video of the ordeal shows Ty, real name Tyrone William Griffin Jr, outside of his vehicle while drug dogs bark, appearing to signal something suspicious. Then the rapper is seen being placed in handcuffs by police and escorted away from the scene. Witnesses said the cops gave the car a thorough search before apprehending Ty. Dolla $ign recently had another awkward encounter with canines. Back in June the rapper tried to have a blind woman moved from her seat on an Air Canada because he didn't want to sit by her seeing-eye dog due to allergies. Opening act: The LA native (above September 2) was on his way to open for G-Eazy The incident, also reported by TMZ, happened while traveling from Montreal to Ottawa. The alleged incident happened right before takeoff as he cited having an allergy to the pup. Things seemingly escalated as an insider for TMZ said that the woman had offered him an allergy pill but the rapper refused and said he had to perform. Staff on board tried to diffuse the situation as they asked if Ty had contacted the medical assistant at the desk about his allergy but he said he hadn't. As the woman did have the clearance to bring the dog on board, she did not have to move. They celebrated her birthday on Tuesday while on vacation in Italy. And Beyonce and Jay-Z didn't look like they were going to stop the party anytime soon as they hopped on a boat, sipped drinks, and ate delicious food on Wednesday. The 37-year-old artist and 48-year-old rapper spent their day soaking up rays while cruising along the Sardinian coast. Italian vacation: Beyonce and Jay-Z didn't look like they were going to stop the party anytime soon as they hopped on a boat, sipped drinks, and ate delicious food on Wednesday Beyonce donned an airy, off-the-shoulders frock featuring a frond pattern, which matched her Mediterranean whereabouts. Keeping conscious of her sunny environment, she donned a large wicker hat and shaded her eyes with gold-framed For Art's Sake 'Alice Green' sunglasses with green lenses. Her long blonde tresses shimmered as they fell over shoulders and across her torso, and she painted her lips a majestic pink. Lifestyles: The 37-year-old artist and 48-year-old rapper spent their day soaking up rays while cruising along the Sardinian coast Mediterranean fashion: Beyonce donned an airy, off-the-shoulders frock featuring a frond pattern, which matched her Mediterranean whereabouts Mindful: Keeping conscious of her sunny environment, she donned a large wicker hat and shaded her eyes with gold-framed For Art's Sake 'Alice Green' sunglasses with green lenses Stylish: Her long blonde tresses shimmered as they fell over shoulders and across her torso Jay-Z sported a flower-covered Hawaiian shirt, and black track pants that seemed ideal for the couple's relaxed, end-of-summer adventure. He sported snappy white sneakers and tied a navy bandanna around his forehead. The Story of O.J. rapper kept his eyes shaded with dark sunglasses and wore a straightforward watch on one wrist. The simple things: She painted her lips a majestic pink Floral: Jay-Z sported a flower-covered Hawaiian shirt, and black track pants that seemed ideal for the couple's relaxed, end-of-summer adventure On the water: The Story of O.J. rapper kept his eyes shaded with dark sunglasses and wore a straightforward watch on one wrist The couple celebrated Beyonce's birthday on Tuesday by heading to exclusive restaurant La Casitta on Maddalena island along with a few friends. They are currently on a break from their joint On the Run II Tour. The concert series started off in Europe in June with a concert in Cardiff, Wales, and then headed to the United States in late July. They most recently played in Miami on August 31, and are set to return to the road on September 11 with a show in Arlington, Texas. Keeping it going: The couple celebrated Beyonce's birthday on Tuesday by heading to exclusive restaurant La Casitta on Maddalena island along with a few friends Relaxing: They are currently on a break from their joint On the Run II Tour Beyonce and Jay-Z started dating in 2002, after they collaborated on the track 03 Bonnie & Clyde. Back in April, they celebrated their 10th anniversary, and followed that up by renewing their vows in June. The couple have three children together: Blue Ivy, Rumer and Sir. Cruising: The concert series started off in Europe in June with a concert in Cardiff, Wales, and then headed to the United States in lat July Returning: They most recently played in Miami on August 31, and are set to return to the road on September 11 with a show in Arlington, Texas She's expecting the arrival of her first child any day now. And Josie Gibson celebrated her impending arrival as she hosted a fun-filled baby shower at Piccolino Heddon Street in London on Wednesday. The heavily-pregnant Big Brother star, 33, was joined by a group of reality TV pals as she flaunted her blossoming bump in a pastel blue maxi dress. It's almost time: Josie Gibson celebrated her impending arrival as she hosted a fun-filled baby shower at Piccolino Heddon Street in London on Wednesday The short-sleeved wrap-dress hugged her curves, and its stretchy material allowed the blonde to showcase her best moves on the dance floor. Josie kept things practical for the celebrations, opting to wear a pair of flat blue sandals. She styled her platinum tresses into glamorous curls, and enhanced her natural beauty with a heavy dusting of make-up. The glowing television personality proudly wore a pretty badge emblazoned with the words: 'Mother To Be' and happily posed for snaps with her celebrity friends. Famous friends: The heavily-pregnant Big Brother star, 33, was joined by a group of reality TV pals, including Lydia Bright, 28, as she flaunted her bump in a pastel blue maxi dress Fun times: The short-sleeved wrap-dress hugged her curves, and its stretchy material allowed the blonde to showcase her best moves on the dance floor Cute: Lydia shared a snap on Instagram of herself with her mother, Debbie Douglas, with their hands placed on Josie's baby bump Fun times: Lydia also shared videos on her Instagram story of Josie energetically dancing around the venue with friends Josie was joined at the London restaurant by former TOWIE star Lydia Bright, 28, and her mum Debbie Douglas, 57, as well as Celebs Go Dating matchmaker Nadia Essex, 35. Lydia looked chic in a floral wrap dress from her own clothing brand Bella Sorella, which featured pretty ruffle detailing and a tie around her slim waist. The blonde beauty posted a snap on Instagram of herself with her mother, Debbie, with their hands places on Josie's baby bump. She wrote: 'Celebrating our girls @josiegibson85 baby shower. can't believe two of my jump girls @voguewilliams & Josie have our are becoming mummies. #HappilyEverAfter.' (sic) Lydia also shared videos on her Instagram story of Josie energetically dancing around the venue with friends, which she captioned: 'Baby shower gone wild.' Happy: Impressionist Francine Lewis, 42 - who was a Britain's Got Talent finalist in 2013 - attended the lively baby shower, clad in a nude, bodycon, bandeau dress Oh hi there: The comedienne shared videos on her Instagram Story, revealing that Celebs Go Dating star Nadia Essex was also at the baby shower Impressionist Francine Lewis, 42 - who was a Britain's Got Talent finalist in 2013 - attended the lively baby shower, clad in a nude, bodycon, bandeau dress. The comedienne shared videos on her Instagram Story, revealing that Celebs Go Dating star Nadia Essex was also at the baby shower. Josie's baby shower was sponsored by Fake Bake, with money raised for ELHAP, an Essex-based charity which provides adventure play opportunities to disabled and disadvantaged children. In June, Josie found out the gender of her unborn baby live on Loose Women. The shocked reality star discovered she is having a boy with her property developer boyfriend, Terry. Josie had convinced herself she was having a girl and said she's excited to meet her little one after suffering a heartbreaking miscarriage just months before. She said: 'I was sure it was a girl because I've got a really small bump. I'm so looking forward to it I just feel so blessed. Party time: Josie got involved with all of the dancing competitions at her baby shower Sweet treats: Josie had an impressive animal print cake to celebrate the occasion Sweet: Josie's baby shower was sponsored by Fake Bake, with money raised for ELHAP, a charity which provides adventure play opportunities to disabled and disadvantaged children 'I've done all the old wives tales, I've been urinating in baking soda, all the wives tales have all come out that it's a girl, but I do believe it's a boy. I want to call him Diggory or Jack.' Josie's man wants to keep out of the limelight, so he wasn't on the show, but she said he will be thrilled with the news. She said: 'I think he [boyfriend] really wants a boy, being a bloke, I've kissed a few frogs. I've known him since I was about 14, he's just... you can't ever get bored with him.' 'That's been the most difficult thing... is finding one we can actually trust, I didn't look at him like that at first.' Josie spoke about her miscarriage, explaining she was cautious to announce her second pregnancy too early on, revealing the news just last month. She said: 'I didn't tell anyone until I was gone five months. The last time we went mental and told everyone.' The Bachelor's trio of 'mean girls' all sensationally left the show on Thursday night, in one of the most explosive episodes in the franchise's history. Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins took a tearful Cat Henesey aside and booted her off the program after learning of her 'bullying' behaviour. In a subsequent elimination ceremony, her pal Alisha Aitken-Radburn was also sent packing, before their co-conspirator Romy Poulier spectacularly rejected a rose. 'It's time to leave!' Nick Cummins spectacularly BOOTED a tearful Cat Henesey (pictured) off The Bachelor on Thursday night, after he confronted her about her 'bullying' behaviour See ya! Alisha Aitken-Radburn (left) was rejected by Nick at the rose ceremony, while Romy Poulier (right) chose to quit the show on her own accord Thursday night's drama all began with Cat's shock booting - the first time in Bachelor Australia history that a contestant has been kicked off the show for their bad behaviour. Nick confronted the Bali-based jewellery designer after he got wind that co-star Tenille Favois had been reduced to tears by her the previous evening. 'It seems that there's a bit of commotion that's been happening lately... I'm just wondering why, now, there's so many times your name keeps popping up,' Nick sternly stated. Confrontation: Nick confronted Bali-based jewellery designer Cat, who denied claims of 'bullying' Cat started to cry, and replied: 'I hope you don't believe that. Like, yeah, I'm competitive and you see that side of me and you see my confidence when I come in, but, like, I'm definitely not a mean person.' She then insisted: 'I have a heart of gold!' However, Nick failed to agree, telling Cat: 'I think it's time to leave.' Cat-ch ya later! A tearful Cat was escorted out to her car by an unimpressed Nick The aspiring fashionista was humiliatingly escorted out of the mansion, as she gave an irate voice over. 'I've sacrificed a lot to be here. I could be working on my business. I could be dating guys who actually want to go out with me to a dinner date. I know that I have qualities that a guy would like, so...whatever - it's his loss,' she moaned. Cat's unbecoming elimination caused her pals Romy and Alisha to react in disbelief, with Alisha spluttering: 'I am livid. I was feeling pretty confident, going into this rose ceremony, but now Cat's left the mansion, I don't really know what to feel!' Shock! Cat's best friends Alisha (centre) and Romy (left) were stunned by Cat's shock booting, but it wasn't long before the two of them also left the show Romy added: I literally am f**king mortified that Cat left tonight. She is the life of the mansion. She deserves it more than any of these losers... I'm really f**king pissed off'. In the subsequent elimination ceremony, political advisor Alisha was snubbed by Nick, failing to receive a rose. Fellow 'mean girl' Romy was offered the final rose of the evening, but in a shocking twist, she decided to reject the flower. Snubbed: Alisha failed to receive a rose from Nick, just minutes after he booted Cat off the show 'Romy, will you accept this rose?' Nick asked. 'I'm not sure,' she replied. 'I don't reckon I can, hey?' Nick then escorted the Brisbane-based blonde outside, where she attempted to explain her reasoning. 'I'm not sure': Romy shocked Nick by refusing to accept his offer of a rose 'I just...I just don't think it's... I can't do it. It's not me. I've never had to... Yeah,' she spluttered. The other contestants were seen crowding around a window, looking out as Romy was put into a car. 'Oh, my God. Drama follows that girl absolutely everywhere!' one competitor was heard saying in a voice over as she was driven away from the mansion for the final time. She proudly took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a sweet photo of her children, Leo and Penelope returning to school after the summer break. And Christine McGuinness, 30, looked as if all had gone well when she was pictured a day later, heading to the hairdresser's in Cheshire. The model looked incredible wearing a cropped jumper which fell down on one shoulder and showed off her toned abs. Stunning: Christine McGuinness beamed as she steps out in a cropped jumper and checked mini skirt on Thursday in Cheshire, a day after her twins' first day at school Cute: A day before, the wife of actor and comedian Paddy posted the snap of the siblings skipping off in their red school blazers She teamed it with a checked mini skirt which had a lace-up detail going down one side and box-fresh white trainers. Christine's caramel blonde locks were tied up in a high ponytail as she headed into the salon for a bit of 'me-time.' The day before, the wife of actor and comedian Paddy posted the snap of the siblings skipping off in their red school blazers. Loving life: She wore a pair of box-fresh white trainers as she put on a leggy display, stepping out in the rain Good look: She hid her eyes behind a pair of giant designers shades for her outing She captioned it: 'Leo and Penelope were both excited and a little bit nervous about their first day back to school this morning starting year 1. 'We are all ready to get our routine back after 8 weeks off! Im beaming with pride #FirstDayOfSchool.' It's been a tough time for the beauty after a theft at the family home she shares with husband and their three children. Money and other high-value items have gone missing from the family's sprawling 2million estate in recent weeks, prompting them to go to the police. It was reported last week that the theft at Paddy and Christine's home took place 'over a matter of weeks' - suggesting someone with access to the house may be involved. Proud as punch: Christine proudly took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a sweet photo of her children, Leo and Penelope returning to school after the summer break Hard times: It's been a tough time for the beauty after a theft at the family home she shares with husband and their three children The thefts were initially thought to have been the result of a burglary, but police confirmed they took place over a long period of time. They do not believe other homes in the wealthy Cheshire village are at risk. The police announcement suggests the criminals either had access to McGuinness' home or broke in a number of times. Neither Christine or Paddy have commented. She met boyfriend Josh Denzel during her romantic summer in the Love Island villa. But Kaz Crossley's Majorca experience was a lot different when the beauty returned to the Spanish island to party with fans at BH Mallorca on Wednesday afternoon. The make-up artist, 23, was pictured pouring shots down fans' throats as she joined fellow reality stars Chloe Crowhurst and Survival of the Fittest's Georgie Clarke at the raucous hotel venue. Sizzling! Kaz Crossley's Majorca experience was a lot different when the beauty returned to the Spanish island, where Love Island was filmed, to party with fans at BH Mallorca on Wednesday afternoon The beauty sizzled in a sexy mesh co-ord, which comprised sheer trousers that featured risque cut-out detailing at the hips. Making the most of the raunchy style, Kaz showed off her perky posterior in the sheer garment as she worked her angles and posed up a storm for the cameras. The design also boasted a tiny crop top that flashed Kaz's black swimwear as she spent the day drinking with friends and posing for selfies with fans in the sun-soaked location. Raucous! The make-up artist, 23, was pictured pouring shots down fans' throats as she partied up a storm Girls' day out: Kaz was joined by Love Island 2017 star Chloe Crowhurst at the raucous hotel venue Adding to the glamour, Kaz's ombre blonde tresses were styled into loose waves and showed off her make-up artist prowess with a dramatic smokey eyeshadow and matte nude lipstick. Kaz has been inundated with work opportunities after rising to fame on hit ITV2 series Love Island over the summer. The beauty started the show on shaky ground after Josh chose to couple up with her - leaving his former partner Georgia Steel high and dry. Setting pulses racing! The beauty sizzled in a sexy mesh co-ord, which comprised sheer trousers that featured risque cut-out detailing at the hips Show-stopper! Making the most of the raunchy style, Kaz showed off her perky posterior in the sheer garment as she worked her angles for the camera and posed up a storm for the cameras Sight for sore eyes! Kaz's outfit also boasted a tiny crop top that flashed her black swimwear as she spent the day drinking with friends and posing for selfies with fans But eventually viewers warmed to the pairing - who finished third in the final earlier this month and exited the villa as official boyfriend and girlfriend. Coming out to see the reaction on social media, Josh said during an appearance on BBC Breakfast: 'A bit of criticism is an understatement, I think I was public enemy number one.' Kaz added: 'I wasn't prepared, right now there's a lot of love though, it is a bad thing that you did essentially, but at the time people could see you have a real connection, and it all worked out in the end. 'When we meet fans on the street they're like ''are you and Josh still together''. They ask "are you in love with him? And is it real?" Luckily it was all real emotions, and stuff you're going to ask "is it fake?"' In demand! Kaz has been inundated with work opportunities after rising to fame on hit ITV2 series Love Island over the summer All the girls! Survival of the Fittest's Georgie Clarke [L] also partied with Kaz, sporting a racy pink two-piece for their wild afternoon She never puts a foot wrong when it comes to her style. And Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo pulled another sartorially savvy look out of the bag as she arrived at the ITV Studios in London on Thursday morning. The TV personality, 23, looked sensational as she got ready to promote her new book, Always Smiling: The World According to Toff, after telling MailOnline she is taking a step back from reality TV to focus on her presenting career. Floral fancy! Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo pulled another sartorially savvy look out of the bag as she arrived at the ITV Studios in London on Thursday morning Proving she isn't ready to bid her summer wardrobe goodbye just yet, Georgia rocked a flirty floral mini dress for her TV stint. The chic number comprised a flattering off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline as well as a tiered skirt that gave the frock some added pizazz. The Made in Chelsea star's dress also featured a vibrant floral design across the neckline, with the beauty complementing the pattern's blush hue with a pink satchel bag and heels. Fashionista: The TV personality, 23, looked sensational as she got ready to promote her new book, Always Smiling: The World According to Toff Short and sweet: Proving she isn't ready to bid her summer wardrobe goodbye just yet, Georgia rocked a flirty floral mini dress for her TV stint The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! champion framed her face by pulling her front tendrils of hair into elegant twists. The This Morning presenter looked in high spirits as she sashayed into the ITV studios - shortly after telling MailOnline that she will pause her reality TV career to make TV presenting her focus. She confessed: 'I have stepped away from other things just to test the waters for now and see if I can get better at presenting and stuff. 'I do want to work more on projects to do with my skin. I felt that someone in my position who has that condition can help others. I had so much positive feedback from it.' But Georgia wouldn't rule out a return to the show that found her fame, adding: 'I may have stepped away for now, but, as I say, it's to do other things and test things out. Gorgeous: The chic number comprised a flattering off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline as well as a tiered skirt that gave the frock some added pizazz 'I think Stanley [Johnson] should keep being on it. He could go for tea with Ollie [Locke].' As well as her presenting career, Toff is also gearing up for the release of her new book Always Smiling: The World According to Toff, which she is quick to insist isn't an autobiography. She enthused: 'Its a mini-Bible about being positive and confident. Its not an autobiography. I am only 23.' Explaining her decision to put pen to paper, she continued: 'I wanted to do this myself as I can actually write. And its been one of my dreams to write a book. Big plans: The This Morning presenter has told MailOnline that she will pause her reality TV career to make TV presenting her focus 'It has taken a long time though, to actually do. I basically have kept a diary over the past five years. 'Its been really cathartic doing this. Its been an experience going through the last five years again. Its great to have the beauty of hindsight.' Insisting the book doesn't involve her 'giving readers therapy', she divulged: 'Its just about accepting certain things in your life. Its also not been an egotistical exercise, I have written about other people too.' Always Smiling: The World According to Toff by Georgia Toffolo is published by Quercus in Hardback on 6th September, 16.99. It may only be day two of New York Fashion Week, but Emily Ratajkowski is already turning heads. The 27-year-old beauty was spotted on Thursday in high spirits ahead of a fashion show. She sported a bold color-block ensemble that drew attention to her lithe frame. Gorgeous: Emily Ratajkowski got all heads turning when she strutted her lithe frame and killer good looks to NYFW show on Thursday Emily stunned in a navy blue blouse that featured a V-neck and mismatched sleeves. The top tied up at the bottom with a sash kept flowing down the side of her leg. The Vogue star teamed the look with a pair of burgundy colored trousers and minimalistic nude heels. Chic: Emily stunned in a navy blue blouse that featured a V-neck and mismatched sleeves She's glowing! Her brunette locks were styled out with a voluminous crown and her makeup incredibly luminous with highlighted cheekbones Fan love: Showing her look on Instagram, one fan joked about her glossy plump lips writing: 'Your lips are going to declare its own Independency' Emily accessorised with a green clutch and large dainty hoops. Her brunette locks were styled out with a voluminous crown and her makeup incredibly luminous with highlighted cheekbones. Showing her look on Instagram, one fan joked about her glossy plump lips writing: 'Your lips are going to declare its own Independency'. Beauty: The Gone Girl actress shared another photo in an Adidas ensemble over on her Instagram on Thursday And so far on Thursday, Emily has been quite active on social media. The Gone Girl actress shared another photo in an Adidas ensemble. 'Geared up @livincool,' she captioned. Model off-duty: Emily was dressed in a cropped Adidas T-shirt and teal colored tracksuit pants from the same sportswear brand The look consisted off a cropped T-shirt that showcased her toned stomach and a pair of teal colored trackpants. While some of her 19.4 million followers opted to critique her thin frame, Emily has previously opened up about her love for food. 'I'm someone who eats - a lot,' she told Jimmy Kimmel last year. 'Well, obviously,' Jimmy joked. 'That's what everyone thinks and then they think I'm being cute when I say I eat, but I'm actually not cute about it at all,' Emily continued. 'You should see my refrigerator, it's pretty insane - I have a relationship with Postmates. It's basically Indian food, Thai food, and preferably when I'm horizontal in bed.' 'I've had people come over and watch me eat and say, "I've lost all respect for you".' Fast metabolism: 'I've had people come over and watch me eat and say, "I've lost all respect for you"' Wow: Emily arrived to the W Magazine's It Girl Luncheon in New York City in the chic look Fancy: Emily posed on the couch in another picture Pretty: Nina Agdal wowed in a green and white patterned dress with a stylish black handbag Suited up: Debby Ryan chose a cream blazer and trousers set, adding a yellow button up Patterned: Hayley Kiyoko flaunted her legs in patterned dress with matching jacket She is known for her sartorial prowess and her age-defying physique And Amanda Holden looked sensational as she arrived on the red carpet for the Animal Hero Awards in Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Thursday. The BGT judge was sure to set pulses racing in a floor-length black gown, which had a sweetheart neck design to show off a glimpse of her cleavage. Wow! Amanda Holden looked chic in a floor-length black gown as she lead the glamour at the Animal Hero Awards on Thursday She exuded glamour in her one-shouldered outfit, which had semi-sheer panels going up her legs and also had a puffy sleeve. Amanda used a natural palette of make-up to highlight her pretty features, with her slick of mascara ensuring her brown eyes popped. The blonde beauty pulled her tresses into a stylish ponytail, as she pulled her locks forward so that they cascaded over her shoulder and framed her face well. Stylish: The BGT judge was sure to set pulses racing in her one-shouldered outfit, which had semi-sheer panels going up her legs and also had a puffy sleeve Looking good: Amanda used a natural palette of make-up to highlight her pretty features, with her slick of mascara ensuring her brown eyes popped Sheer delight! Amanda's revealing ensemble showed off a glimpse lithe legs Chic: The blonde beauty pulled her tresses into a stylish ponytail, as she pulled her locks forward so that they cascaded over her shoulder and framed her face well Animal lover Amanda is a proud owner of dogs Rudie and Buddy - a Shitzu and Bichon-Frise cross, who she welcomed to her family just after Christmas. The TV personality's pups are so pampered that she even does yoga with them to help find their 'inner zen'. Speaking to the Daily Star, she previously said: 'We have my instructor come to my home and we set aside an hour session of Kundalini yoga. 'Rudie and Buddy join in and find their inner zen. It's a great de-stresser for them.' Pet pooch: Animal lover Amanda is a proud owner of dogs Rudie and Buddy - a Shitzu and Bichon-Frise cross, who she welcomed to her family just after Christmas Sizzling: Ferne McCann was sure to turn heads in her chic beige dress, which had a daring side-slit to show off a very leggy display Stars in her eyes: She added to her statuesque figure with a pair of silver heels, which were adorned with stars across the front Sensational: Her ombre hair was brushed into a tousled hairstyle, which was styled with a side parting that complemented her pretty face Incredible: The reality star looked stunning as she posed for cameras Ferne McCann was sure to turn heads in her chic beige dress, which had a daring side-slit to show off a very leggy display. She added to her statuesque figure with a pair of silver heels, which were adorned with stars across the front. Her ombre hair was brushed into a tousled hairstyle, which was styled with a side parting that complemented her pretty face. Pretty: Amber Davies wowed in a form-fitting LBD, that showed off a glimpse of her cleavage with its button-up design Groomed: The Love Island 2017 winner pulled her brunette locks into a tight ponytail which was set in waves, and parted her hair down the middle Dazzling: Her ensemble was adorned with silver buttons for a glittering touch, but she kept her accessories to a minimum while stepping out in a pair of black heels Stunning: The reality star brushed on a glamorous palette of make-up, including a slick of black eyeliner and nude lipstick to highlight her pretty features Ready for pictures: Amber seemed keen to find the right spot to pose for snaps Amber Davies wowed in a form-fitting LBD, that showed off a glimpse of her cleavage with its button-up design. The Love Island 2017 winner pulled her brunette locks into a tight ponytail which was set in waves, and parted her hair down the middle. Her ensemble was adorned with silver buttons for a glittering touch, but she kept her accessories to a minimum while stepping out in a pair of black heels. The reality star brushed on a glamorous palette of make-up, including a slick of black eyeliner and nude lipstick to highlight her pretty features. Professional flair: Laura Whitmore, 33, kept things chic in a sea green suit, which she paired with a white T-Shirt that had the words 'Peace and Love' written across the front Looking good: Laura looked great in her sharply-tailored two-piece and graphic-print T-shirt Glamorous: The presenter wore her blonde tresses in a sleek, straight style and used a natural palette of make-up to highlight her petite face Cute: Laura held her pet pooch Mick in her arms, and her dog seemed excited as he sat in her arms, and was on his best behaviour Laura Whitmore, 33, kept things chic in a sea green suit, which she paired with a white T-Shirt that had the words 'Peace and Love' written across the front. She complemented her outfit with a pair of stylish white court shoes, and kept her personal items in a quirky lip-shaped clutch bag. The presenter wore her blonde tresses in a sleek, straight style and used a natural palette of make-up to highlight her petite face. Laura held her pet pooch Mick in her arms, and her dog seemed excited as he sat in her arms, and was on his best behaviour. Puppy love: GBBO's Candice Brown also arrived with her adorable pet pooch Sybil, who is blind in one eye Chic ensemble: Candice looked chic in an a-symmetrical black gown Company: The Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown came with her pet Sybil, a disabled dog she adopted in Wales Striking: Her brunette tresses were brushed into a glamorous style, and she wore a slick of bold red lipstick to accentuate her plump pout Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown also arrived at the event with her adorable pet pooch Sybil, a disabled dog she adopted in Wales. The cute dog, who is blind in one eye and walks on three legs, was well-trained as she sat calmly in her owner's arms. Candice looked chic in an a-symmetrical black gown, that sat off her shoulders and ensured that she could show off her ample assets. Her brunette tresses were brushed into a glamorous style, and she wore a slick of bold red lipstick to accentuate her plump pout. Accessorise: Candice accessorised with simple jewellery including what looked to be a pearl bracelet, as she stepped out in a pair of grey heels Happy: She beamed as she posed up a storm with her adorable companion Friendly: The pair seemed perfectly suited to each other at the event Ashley Roberts looked suitably glamorous in a stylish off-the-shoulder evening dress while attending the event despite her busy rehearsal schedule for Strictly Come Dancing. The form-fitting design drew attention to Ashleys slender physique as she posed for photos at the awards show, which celebrated the bravery of inspirational pets. Conventional stiletto heels rounded off the ensemble, while statement earrings and a striking clutch proved to be her only visible accessories. Pushing her hair to one side, Ashley revealed naturally pretty features accentuated by deft touches of make-up as she made her way across the red carpet. Outing: Ashley Roberts looked suitably glamorous in a stylish off-the-shoulder evening dress while attending the event despite her busy rehearsal schedule for Strictly Come Dancing Tasteful: Pushing her hair to one side, Ashley revealed naturally pretty features accentuated by deft touches of make-up as she made her way across the red carpet Striking: Conventional stiletto heels rounded off the ensemble, while statement earrings and a striking clutch proved to be her only visible accessories Peachy! Ashley posed with her back to the cameras to show off her pert posterior All that glitters: Ashley completed her look with a pair of dazzling silver earrings Olivia Buckland upped the glamour in a stunning lilac mini dress, which had a daring thigh-slit on one side. She complemented her colourful ensemble with a pair of sky blue platform heels. The reality star wore her cropped ombre locks in a sleek, straight style, and used smokey eye shadow and mascara to accentuate her pretty eyes. Colourful: Olivia Buckland upped the glamour in a stunning lilac mini dress, which had a daring thigh-slit on one side Killer heels: She complemented her colourful ensemble with a pair of sky blue platform shoes Friendly display: Olivia and Laura posed for pictures together outside the venue Rosie: Love Island 2018 star Laura Anderson opted for a more muted look, as she stepped out in a pastel pink floral mini dress Tanned: She paired her stylish number with a pair of rose-gold heeled sandals, which complemented her sun-kissed complexion Love Island 2018 star Laura Anderson opted for a more muted look, as she stepped out in a pastel pink floral mini dress. She paired her stylish number with a pair of rose-gold heeled sandals, which complemented her sun-kissed complexion. The blonde beauty wore her hair in loose waves, and used a natural palette of make-up to accentuate her features. Wow! Rosie Williams showed off her toned abs in a ruched black top and exotic print skirt Pretty: She stepped out in a pair of ankle heels, which matched her oversized handbag Pet lovers: Pip Tomson and Pete Wicks showed their love for dogs as they arrived with them For the love of dogs: Pete's affection for his pet pooches is well-known Megan Barton-Hanson chose to stand out from the crowd, as she arrived at the glitzy event in a black jumpsuit. Exuding car mechanic chic, her ensemble used a white thread lining to highlight the seams for an extra stylish flair. The Love Island star wore a slick of bold red lipstick to accentuate her plump pout, while she wore her blonde locks into a tight bun. Memorable: Megan Barton-Hanson chose to stand out from the crowd, as she arrived at the glitzy event in a black jumpsuit Standing out: Exuding car mechanic chic, her ensemble used a white thread lining to highlight the seams for an extra stylish flair Beautiful: The Love Island star wore a slick of bold red lipstick to accentuate her plump pout Chic: She wore her blonde locks into a tight bun, and kept some locks loose to frame her face Britain's Got Talent winners Ashleigh Butler and Pudsey also made an appearance at the event, as the pooch showed that he's still go it. Standing on his hind legs and resting his paws on Ashleigh, the pooch looked adorable as the pair posed for photos. Ashleigh looked chic in an off-the-shoulder maroon gown which had a daring side slit on either side of her legs. She pulled her brunette locks into a glamorous up-do, and offset her ensemble with a gold chain necklace. They're back! Britain's Got Talent winners Ashleigh Butler and Pudsey also made an appearance at the event, as the pooch showed that he's still go it So cute: Standing on his hind legs and resting his paws on Ashleigh, the pooch looked adorable as the pair posed for photos Great choice: She pulled her brunette locks into a glamorous up-do, and offset her ensemble with a gold chain necklace Nick Feeney and Andrea McLean arrived side-by-side at the event, and the presenter and her husband looked loved-up as they posed on the red carpet. Andrea upped the glamour in her white polka dot dress, which was cinched at the waist with a black belt and tumbled down her legs. She accessorised with a black clutch bag and matching heels, and added a touch of glitter with a silver necklace. Together: Nick Feeney and Andrea McLean arrived side-by-side at the event Glam: Andrea upped the glamour in her white polka dot dress, which was cinched at the waist with a black belt and tumbled down Loved-up: The couple held hands as they walked to the venue together Smitten: The presenter and her husband looked loved-up as they posed on the red carpet Beaming: Andrea beamed as she walked closely with her beau Ebony: TOWIE star Courtney Green went for a chic white outfit, as she tucked a button-up shirt into a pair of loose-fitting trousers Stun: Her luscious brunette tresses were brushed with a middle parting, and her hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves Gal pals: Courtney joined fellow TOWIE star Chloe Meadows on the red carpet Bright: Chloe wore an all-pink ensemble that was made of a sleek, reflective material TOWIE star Courtney Green went for a chic white outfit, as she tucked a button-up shirt into a pair of loose-fitting trousers. She complemented her ensemble with a pair of pink heels and carried an Yves Saint Laurent handbag on one shoulder. Her luscious brunette tresses were brushed with a middle parting, and her hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves. Together: Media personality Doctor Dawn Harper arrived with her two dogs in tow Stylish: She wore a white midi-dress and matching shoes for a chic flair Stars in her eyes: Alice Beer was out of this world with her astrological print dress Sunset orange: Arlene Phillips looked bright in her sunny ensemble Glam: Patrick Aryee donned a blue velvet jacket and a black lace shirt Dapper: Dean Gaffney was suited and booted in a blue professional ensemble Striking: George Shelley stood out in tartan trousers and black boots Cute couple: Helen Glover and Steve Backshall were dressed to impress Handsome: Mario Falcone looked sharp in a navy suit that fit snugly on his muscular frame The Mirror's Animal Hero Awards honours inspirational pets for their bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world. It also recognises the work that their owners and teams have done to continue to improve their pet's lives. Set up in conjunction with pet food manufacturer Webbox and welfare charity the RSPCA, the event aims to showcase the resilience of the nation's animals. Gorgeous: Ferne continued the sexy display as she headed home Walk this way: Rosie Williams continue to flash a smile as she strutted along The boys: Chris Hughes and Pete Wicks looked in high spirits as they exited the venue Lads: Pete was joined by Mario Falcone Babe: Fresh off her Dubai trip, Laura Anderson flaunted her bronzed glow Work it! Love Island's Amber looked on form as she strutted out Eyes on her: The brunette commanded attention as she worked her angles Mila Kunis was spotted out Wednesday as her husband made headlines with his comments about the MeToo movement. Cameras captured the 35-year-old pacing outside of The London Hotel in West Hollywood with her phone in hand. While the star visited the swanky hotel, her husband Ashton Kutcher was at a technology conference in San Francisco, where he divulged the pointed advice that Mila gave him about how to handle #MeToo. Spotted: Mila Kunis was seen at a West Hollywood hotel Wednesday while Ashton Kutcher was in San Francisco where he divulged the pointed advice she gave him about how to handle the #MeToo movement 'Shut up and listen:' That was Kunis' advice to her husband of three years about what men should be doing in the wake of #MeToo While speaking on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, the Jobs actor was asked about #MeToo. He paused thoughtfully before answering and appeared to weigh his words. The 40-year-old then revealed that the best advice he received so far was from his wife of three years who told him men should 'shut up and listen.' 'You know, the best advice that I got relative to this entire thing came from my wife, and she said, "Men have had hundreds of years to solve this problem and to talk about this and figure it out and it's probably the best thing, at this point, for me to just shut up and listen for a little bit,"' he divulged at the conference. A few hours away in Los Angeles, the Bad Moms star was seen dressed casually while intently looking down at something on her phone. Hump Day: The 35-year-old looked down intently at her phone outside of The London Hotel on Wednesday Pay attention: The actress didn't even break her concentration while walking out of the lobby doors The actress kept her head down while keeping a laser focus on her iPhone and shielding part of her face with unkempt raven hair. She walked outside of a luxury hotel in a pair of riveted lace-less black leather Oxford shoes. Dressed in a simple pair of slim cut blue jeans and a loose white button up blouse, the Eastern European beauty looked a bit bewildered as she peered out of glass lobby window. The That 70s Show headliner appeared to be solo after staying inside the hotel for nearly four hours. While Mila headed out of the West Hollywood staple, Ashton continued to wax poetic on the #MeToo movement. Take action: 'Hire more women, get busy making sure that there's equal pay for women within organizations, make sure that the companies that we invest in are thinking about this problem on day one,' Kutcher said at Tech Crunch He went on to admit that he feels his thoughts on the movement are hollow if he fails to 'do' anything about it. The actor explained that he is ready for action: 'So hire more women, get busy making sure that there's equal pay for women within organizations, make sure that the companies that we invest in are thinking about this problem on day one, and continue to tell stories about the extraordinary women in history and in the world and going forward. I think that's my baseline of what needs to be done.' Kunis, who famously voiced Meg on Family Guy, has yet to chime in her opinion on husband Ashton's comments. She met the former husband of Demi Moore in the late nineties while still a teenager on the set of the sitcom That 70s Show. The pair reconnected in 2012 and married a few years later. Mila just wrapped up a promotional tour for her new comedy opposite Kate McKinnon, The Spy Who Dumped Me. When Sir Christopher Meyer served as ambassador to Washington from 1997 to 2003, his wife Lady Meyer caused controversy after embarking on a makeover of the residence costing around 1 million. However, this is a mere bagatelle compared to the cash the Foreign Office is about to lavish on what is described as Washington's Downton Abbey. I can disclose it is to spend a staggering 55 million refurbishing the embassy compound and the ambassador's incomparable residence, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. There will be a further bill for finding what is described as 'appropriate alternative accommodation' for the current ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch. The Foreign Office is to spend a staggering 55 million refurbishing the embassy compound and the ambassador's incomparable residence. Pictured, current ambassador Sir Kim Darroch and his wife The information is revealed in a letter written last week to Tory MP Tom Tugendhat who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee by Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, who notes that those temporary relocation costs are 'commercially sensitive'. In a previous letter, earlier last month, Sir Simon explained to Tugendhat that 'essential health and safety works' were needed on several of the embassy buildings, whose pipes had rusted and urgently required replacing. Arguably worst afflicted is the ambassador's residence, often considered one of Lutyens's finest creations for its flawless blend of country-house style with American colonial architecture. 'There have been several floods in the residence,' writes Sir Simon, adding that the ambassador will have to 'vacate the residence for a period of at least 12 months, given the disruptive nature of the infrastructure work, which includes asbestos removal'. The ambassador's residence at the British embassy (pictured) is described as Washington's Downton Abbey The ambassador's residence is often considered one of Lutyens's finest creations for its flawless blend of country-house style with American colonial architecture There is some consolation for Sir Kim: McDonald insists that 'the project budget' allows for 'hiring of external facilities to enable business and hospitality to continue'. The Foreign Office raised 420 million in January by selling its embassy in Bangkok to fund modernisation projects across its global estate. For nearly 90 years, the Washington residence has been at the heart of the special relationship, playing host to prime ministers, presidents, royalty and even The Beatles. During Peter Jay's legendary ambassadorship, he marked a notch on the embassy bedpost by fathering a son by his children's nanny. When Sir Christopher Meyer served as ambassador to Washington from 1997 to 2003, his wife Lady Meyer caused controversy after embarking on a makeover costing around 1 million. Pictured, the residence's sitting room Besotted Kylie shows off her 'man of the year' Pop pixie Kylie Minogue stole the show at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards by making her debut public appearance with her new boyfriend, Paul Solomons the magazine's creative director. The couple met through mutual friends in February following her painful split from actor Joshua Sasse, 30, and confirmed their relationship in May. Pop pixie Kylie Minogue stole the show at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards by making her debut public appearance with her new boyfriend, Paul Solomons Gliding up the red carpet outside the Tate Modern on Wednesday, Kylie, 50, who dazzled in a gold Stella McCartney gown, could barely keep her eyes or hands off the strapping Welshman, 43. 'I've found my man. Of the year and some,' she joked, later perching on his lap inside the party, top. Gliding up the red carpet outside the Tate Modern on Wednesday, Kylie, 50, could barely keep her eyes or hands off the strapping Welshman, 43 Strictly? Blair can't be bovvered Former PM Tony Blair says he gets asked to appear in Strictly Come Dancing every year and even the Christmas special. And every year he spurns the request, leaving the disappointed producers kicking their heels. 'I don't think anything I have done TV-wise can really top the Comic Relief sketch [in 2007] I appeared on with Catherine Tate,' he says. 'Everywhere in the world I get asked about that and I mean everywhere followed by the 'Am I bovvered?' line, so I truly think I can't top that.' Goldie's girl looks swell in a bikini Pregnant Hollywood star Kate Hudson refuses to skimp on style. Posting a selfie online just weeks ahead of her due date, the 39-year-old daughter of Goldie Hawn proudly shows off her baby bump in an orange bikini and patterned kimono. Pregnant Kate Hudson proudly shows off her baby bump in an orange bikini and patterned kimono The actress, who has two sons by two different men Black Crowes rocker Chris Robinson and Muse's Matt Bellamy is expecting her first girl with musician Danny Fujikawa. Mamma Mia! Brosnan's model son is all grown up Former Bond star Pierce Brosnan played the role of proud father yesterday when he shared a picture of his 17-year-old model son, Paris, online. The Mamma Mia! actor, 65, wished the 6 ft 1 in teen, pictured below as a toddler with his dad, luck ahead of his catwalk shows at New York fashion week. Pierce recently advised Paris, whose mother is the Irish/American star's second wife Keely Shaye Smith: 'Work hard, love life, be lucky, courage always, and don't forget to have lots of laughs .' Former Bond star Pierce Brosnan played the role of proud father yesterday when he shared a picture of his 17-year-old model son, Paris, online The Mamma Mia! actor, 65, wished the 6 ft 1 in teen (pictured above as a toddler with his dad) luck ahead of his catwalk shows at New York fashion week Mum-of-two Mariella Frostrup says her generation never grew up and is set on an Ab Fab old age. The 55-year-old broadcaster says: 'Having partied like it was 1999 at a slew of celebrations for friends reaching their half-century, I'm starting to wonder if it's adults, not kids, who can't be trusted. 'Whether it's drinking too much, messy love lives, or being financially feckless . . . the Patsy and Edina-styled embarrassments of Absolutely Fabulous appear to have become the status quo.' She is a reality sensation who is a devoted mother to ten-month old daughter Sunday, And Ferne McCann enjoyed some time away from parenting as she enjoyed a girls' night out at Reign nightclub with Love Island star Megan Barton-Hanson in London after the Animal Hero Awards 2018 on Thursday. The former TOWIE star, 28, looked stunning in an elegant taupe bustier dress, which teased her ample cleavage and hugged her taut midriff. Dynamic duo: Ferne McCann enjoyed some time away from parenting as she enjoyed a night out with Love Island star Megan Barton-Hanson in London after the Animal Hero Awards 2018 on Thursday Champagne chic: The former TOWIE star, 28, looked stunning in an elegant taupe bustier dress, which teased her ample cleavage and hugged her taut midriff With a daring thigh-high split, the striking outfit generously exposed her legs, with the star completing her ensemble with sparkly star-studded stiletto sandals. Her ombre tresses were styled in wet-look waves while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and candied pink lipstick. Megan, 24, donned a striking navy denim jumpsuit which cinched in at her waist. Night on the town: With a daring thigh-high split, the striking outfit generously exposed her legs, with the star completing her ensemble with sparkly star-studded stiletto sandals Glamour: Her ombre tresses were styled in wet-look waves while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and candied pink lipstick Out and a pout: The star looked sensational as she climbed into a cab Biker chic: Megan, 24, donned a striking navy denim jumpsuit which cinched in at her waist Metallic silver heels completed her outfit. The star wore her blonde tresses in a tousled updo while metallic shadow, kohl liner and scarlet lipstick adorned her features. Looking pally as they left the star-studded event at the Grosvenor House Hotel together, the two reality titans looked impossibly glamorous for their evening at Reign nightclub. Glittering: The star wore her blonde tresses in a tousled updo while metallic shadow, kohl liner and scarlet lipstick adorned her features Radiant: Megan looked happier than ever on a solo night out without beau Wes Night out: Earlier in the evening Ferne dazzled on the red carpet at the awards The Mirror's Animal Hero Awards honours inspirational pets for their bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world. It also recognises the work that their owners and teams have done to continue to improve their pet's lives. Set up in conjunction with pet food manufacturer Webbox and welfare charity the RSPCA, the event aims to showcase the resilience of the nation's animals. Tasteful: The looked stunning while making an entrance at London s Grosvenor House hotel Here we go: Ferne looked radiant as she enjoyed her night at the awards Ferne shares baby Sunday with ex Arthur Collins, who was handed a 20-year prison sentence for an acid attack carried out at a London nightclub in April 2017. And the TV personality recently spoke to OK! magazine about the day-to-day dilemmas she faces without the baby's father around. She said: 'While I was pregnant, I knew I was going to be a single mum, but it didn't hit me until I actually had Sunday... 'That was tough to deal with - realising I really was totally on my own. I don't have another person to confer with. I don't have another person to discuss my day-to-day decisions with - like choosing what food she has. It's tough.' She's set to the tie the knot with the love of her life, Alex Bowen, in just a few weeks after they met on Love Island in 2016. And Olivia Buckland ensured she packed in plenty of socialising before the big day as she attended the Daily Mirror & RSPCA Animal Hero Awards at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. The 24-year-old reality star ensured she stood out on the red carpet in a lilac asymmetric dress with a plunging neckline and racy thigh-split on Thursday evening. Turning heads: Olivia Buckland looked stylish in a lilac dress with a racy thigh-split as she attended the Animal Hero Awards 2018... just weeks before her wedding to Alex Bowen Letting the statement dress do all the talking, the Instagram sensation boosted her height with some pale blue platform sandals. Styling her ombre-hued tresses in a sleek middle-parting, she framed her features with a dramatic sweep of mascara and nude lipstick. Olivia wasn't joined by her fiance Alex Bowen at the bash, who she will marry in a few weeks time. Earlier this week, Olivia exclusively revealed to MailOnline that she has invited Love Island host, Caroline Flack, and narrator, Iain Stirling, to their nuptials. Killer footwear: Letting the statement dress do all the talking, the Instagram sensation, 24, boosted her height with some pale blue platform sandals Glam: Styling her ombre-hued tresses in a sleek middle-parting, she framed her features with a dramatic sweep of mascara and nude lipstick Double trouble: Olivia also posed with this year's Love Island star, Laura Anderson She said: 'Iain is coming to the day, and Caroline is invited to the evening - hopefully they come! 'I know Iain is definitely coming to the day. So that will be good fun, he's a laugh.' Talking about her upcoming big day, Olivia revealed that she had planned for her and Alex's adorable French bulldog, Reggie, to be a ring bearer, but had changed their minds as he's 'very slobbery'. She joked: 'We were going to try and have him as ring bearer, but he's very slobbery, and I don't know if it's going to work too well. Cute couple: She's set to the tie the knot to the love of her life, Alex Bowen, in just a few weeks after they met on Love Island in 2016 (pictured together earlier this week) 'We did have a go, we tried to train him, he was actually really good, but it's a bit of a risk on the day, I don't want to chase my dog at the time I'm meant to be getting married! We might try, but it's still an unknown.' And after the chaos of organising a huge wedding, Olivia revealed she's got a relaxing honeymoon in store. She said: 'For honeymoon, we're going to Sri Lanka and Maldives. I can't wait. Sri Lanka is more for Alex, as he can't sit still, Maldives is for me, so I cna just chill and not do anything.' Winnie Harlow once again justified her lofty position as one of the worlds most sought after models as she strode the runway at a New York Fashion Week event on Thursday afternoon. The Canadian star sported a thigh-skimming sheer dress that left little to the imagination as she walked the catwalk on behalf of Australian brand Nana Judy. Fully exposing her lingerie, the outfit guaranteed maximum attention from guests at New York Citys Gallery II at Spring Studios. Here she comes: Winnie Harlow once again justified her lofty position as one of the worlds most sought after models as she strode the runway at a New York Fashion Week event on Thursday afternoon A cropped silver jacket gave the look a distinctive flourish, while black leather ankle boots rounded things off. Keeping things simple, Winnie opted to style her hair with a conventional centre parting that served to frame her naturally pretty face. The star found fame on America's Next Top Model in 2014, where she was kicked out in the second week of finals, before returning to a comeback series where she finished 6th. Revealing: The Canadian star sported a thigh-skimming sheer dress that left little to the imagination as she walked the catwalk on behalf of Australian brand Nany Judy Since then she has soared to fame in the industry and fronted campaigns for Desigual, Diesel and Swarovski atop a host of magazine covers. Winnie - who has Vitiligo - discussed the changes in the modelling industry in an interview with ELLE Magazine. She explained: 'There is a big shift happening in the fashion industry in terms of beauty standards, and I feel Im part of that shift. Centre stage: Fully exposing her lingerie, the outfit guaranteed maximum attention from guests at New York Citys Gallery II at Spring Studios 'I remember on Americas Next Top Model, Tyra Banks asked me if a photographer told me to cover my skin for a shoot, would I do it? I said no. I dont care who it is, or who thinks I should. Im going to stay true to myself.' She also lashed out at being branded 'a sufferer' of pigment disease Vitiligo. Taking to Instagra, she wrote: "I'm not a 'Vitiligo Sufferer" I'm not a 'Vitiligo model.' I am Winnie. I am a model. And I happen to have Vitiligo. Stop putting these titles on me or anyone else.' She's not often seen without her boyfriend, after meeting on Love Island over the summer. And Megan Barton Hanson has shared her relationship struggles with Wes Nelson as she enjoyed a solo night out without her beau and joined her fellow ex contestants at the Animal Hero Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Thursday. The 24-year-old blonde beauty admitted that she and Wes are 'barely together' due to their hectic schedules since leaving the villa, which is 'difficult'. Candid: Megan Barton Hanson shared her relationship struggles with Wes Nelson at the Animal Hero Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Thursday However, Megan added that they make sure they're 'honest' with each other when they feel like they need to spend more time together. Talking to the Mirror Online at the Animal Hero Awards, she said: 'You have struggles because you're barely together and then when we are it's two hours here, three hours there and then he's running away to do a PA. 'So it's difficult but I think we're very honest with each other. When we feel like we need to spend more time with each other we'll do it.' For the star-studded event, Megan kept her famous curves covered up in a denim boilersuit. Busy schedule: The 24-year-old blonde beauty admitted that she and Wes are 'barely together' due to their hectic schedules since leaving the villa, which is 'difficult' Looking good: Shying away from her typical scanty ensembles, the 24-year-old reality star kept her famous curves covered up in a denim boilersuit With a chunky waist cinching in at her slender waist, the garment featured flared trousers that skimmed over her silver heels. Megan added to the glamour by donning a slick of scarlet lipstick, whilst she wore her glossy golden locks styled in a chignon. Megan was joined at the event by her former co-stars Laura Anderson, who looked sensational in a floral mini dress, and Rosie Williams, who turned heads in a crop top and printed skirt. Stylish: With a chunky waist cinching in at her slender waist, the garment featured flared trousers that skimmed over her silver heels The Animal Hero Awards honours inspirational pets for their bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world. It also recognises the work that their owners and teams have done to continue to improve their pet's lives. Set up in conjunction with pet food manufacturer Webbox and welfare charity the RSPCA, the event aims to showcase the resilience of the nation's animals. Blonde bombshell: Megan added to the glamour by donning a slick of scarlet lipstick, whilst she wore her glossy golden locks styled in a chignon Megan is an animal-lover, with the sad news breaking that her beloved dog died whilst she was appearing on Love Island over the summer. Megan recently discussed her time on the ITV2 show as she hit out at critics who slammed her for having sex on TV with Eyal Booker and her beau Wes. Megan appeared on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday while wearing a slogan T-shirt which condemns 'slut-shaming.' Reunited: Megan was joined at the event by her former co-stars Laura Anderson (L) who looked sensational in a floral mini dress, and Rosie Williams, who turned heads in a crop top Puppy love: Also at the even was Love Island's Eyal Booker, who attended the bash with his dog Talking to Love Island's harshest critic, Piers Morgan, 53, alongside Wes, 20, Megan's yellow top said: 'Stop valuing women based on their sexual history. She said of women being open with their sexuality: 'I think it's really unfair and an old fashioned way to look at it. It's frowned upon its 2018, it shouldn't be a put a down.' 'I slept with guys on TV and people think I should be ashamed of it. I'm not. If a guy done it... Adam [Collard] did it.' The Bachelor producers have released an official statement following Tenille Favios' decision to flee Wednesday's cocktail party after being targeted by 'bullies'. After the episode aired, the 25-year-old confessed the 'mean girls' had affected her mental health while attempting to find love with Nick Cummins on the show. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Australia has now revealed that a psychologist was available at all times during filming, adding that contestants are free to leave whenever they choose but must provide some warning. Scroll down for video 'It took everyone by surprise': The Bachelor producers have release statement about Tenille Favios fleeing Wednesday night's cocktail party... after she opened up about her 'mental health' struggles on the show In a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia, a Warner Bros. spokesperson said: 'Tenille's decision to run took everyone by surprise. 'Participants can decide to leave at any time however they need to let crew know so they can be transported safely. 'A producer stayed with Tenille until she felt comfortable to return and continue her journey in pursuit of love. 'She was offered support by the psychologist who is available 24/7.' 'She was offered support by the psychologist who is available 24/7': The statement claimed that contestants can leave at any time - but need to inform staff beforehand. Pictured: Tenille unzipping her dress as she prepared to leave the mansion on Wednesday's episode Antics: Speaking to the Courier Mail on Wednesday, Tenille revealed she wanted quit the show after relentlessly clashing with 'villains' Cat Henesey (centre), Romy Poulier (left) and Alisha Aitken-Radburn (right) The statement comes after Tenille told the Courier Mail she wanted leave the show after clashing with 'villains' Cat Henesey, Romy Poulier and Alisha Aitken-Radburn. The trio had repeatedly accused her of describing her kiss with Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins as 'gross', which she insisted she did not. 'I'm not going to tolerate behaviour like this. I'm not so desperate to find love that I would compromise my mental health,' the flight attendant told the publication. 'I do look back [at the exit] and think, "God, that's so dramatic", but having someone constantly picking on you and making you feel like that, it's sad I got to that breaking point.' Argument: The trio had repeatedly accused Tenille (right) of describing her kiss with Nick Cummins as 'gross', which she insisted she did not. Pictured during the confrontation alongside Brooke Blurton (left), who looked visibly uncomfortable throughout Tenille explained the situation was hard on her mental health because she was not able to get away from Romy due to the constraints of filming in the mansion. 'I was 24/7 living with someone who was going out of their way to put me down. There's no escape. It's really hard mentally. I just wanted to look after myself,' she said. As she tried to flee on Wednesday's episode, a female producer followed her and pleaded: 'Tenille, you can't run away. Stop running! Seriously, stop it. It's dangerous!' 'It's really hard mentally': Tenille explained the situation was hard on her mental health because she was not able to get away from Romy due to the constraints of filming Breaking down in tears, Tenille replied: 'I don't want to be here. I refuse to sit in a situation where people are going to pick on me. Picking and picking and picking at me'. Attempting to comfort Tenille, the producer reminded her of what she was on the show for and reminded her of the strong bond she shared with Nick. She eventually decided to return to the house, saying 'I am here for Nick. and I'll just need to sort of keep focusing on that.' The Bachelor Australia continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten She is engaged to crooner Nick Jonas. But Priyanka Chopra was stag when she swung by the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards during New York Fashion Week this Thursday. The 36-year-old radiated chic at the Park Hyatt New York near Carnegie Hall, opting for a head-to-toe black ensemble that hinted at her trim midriff. Glamour icon: Priyanka Chopra was stag when she swung by the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards during New York Fashion Week this Thursday Priyanka's sleeveless black top offered only the barest trace of cleavage, and her skintight high-waisted skirt was hemmed shortly above the knee. Flares of black drapery were attached to the hem; earlier she accessorized with tortoiseshell shades. Adding another splash of glitz with a pair of glittering drop earrings, Priyanka lent herself some extra stature with a pair of ankle-strap heels. She joined many other famously beautiful faces at the star-packed event where guests enjoyed Kim Crawford Wines such as Ashley Graham, Nicki Minaj, Winnie Harlow, Shanina Shaik, Ashlee Simpson and Karrueche Tran. Movie star on the move: She was spotted out and about in the city wearing the same ensemble and beaming as she clambered into a glinting black SUV Off she goes: Priyanka's sleeveless black top offered only the barest trace of cleavage, and her skintight high-waisted skirt was hemmed shortly above the knee Priyanka was spotted out and about in the city wearing the same ensemble and beaming as she clambered into a glinting black SUV. The actress, who starred in a searing Hindi movie called Fashion about the modeling world, held a sleek black clutch in her right hand. Amid rumors they got engaged in July, Priyanka and Nick had their roka ceremony last month in Bombay, where she keeps a pad. After the roka and the engagement party, the spouses-to-be were glimpsed performing for the children at St. Catherine's Home, an orphanage in Andheri West. While in Bombay, Priyanka had also been working on her upcoming indie film The Sky Is Pink, whose producer Siddharth Roy Kapur had been at her engagement party. Chic to the last: Flares of black drapery were attached to the hem, and the Jamshedpur-born daughter of military doctors accessorized with tortoiseshell shades Star stature: Adding another splash of glitz with a pair of glittering drop earrings, Priyanka lent herself some extra height with a pair of ankle-strap heels The movie is about Aisha Chaudhury, a girl from New Delhi who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, became a motivational speaker and died at 18 in 2015. Since Priyanka and Nick were last in Bombay, their schedule has been a swirl of travel, including stops in Los Angeles, Cabo San Lucas and Mammoth Mountain. On Tuesday of this week, Priyanka was joined by her mother Madhu, Nick, Nick's brother Joe and Joe's fiancee for the US Open at Flushing Meadows in Queens. Priyanka achieved immense stardom in India, and in 2016 was garlanded with a Padma Shri, the fourth highest of the civilian honors granted by her government. Hoofing it: Priyanka, who starred in a searing Hindi movie called Fashion about the modeling world, held a sleek black clutch in her right hand She has not, however, appeared in an Indian film since 2016's Jai Gangaajal, which wrapped in the autumn of 2015, the Indian Express reported. Her ABC spy show Quantico lasted from 2015 until this year, during which period Priyanka was also in a flop Baywatch film starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. She did score an invite to her pal Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry in Windsor this May, the month news broke that Quantico had been scuttled. Accomplished: Priyanka achieved immense stardom in India, and in 2016 was garlanded with a Padma Shri, the fourth highest of the civilian honors granted by her government Priyanka was slated to make her grand return to Hindi cinema opposite the colossally famous Salman Khan and the critical darling Tabu in Ali Abbas Zafar's Bharat. Then, as speculation swirled about her engagement, Ali tweeted: 'Yes Priyanka Chopra is no more part of @Bharat_TheFilm & and the reason is very very special , she told us in the Nick of time about her decision and we are very happy for her ... Team Bharat wishes @priyankachopra loads of love & happiness for life'. In a flash, Priyanka was replaced by Salman's ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif, who rose to prominence in Bollywood during her relationship with him and whose big break came when she starred alongside him in 2005's Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?. MANATEE COUNTY Manatee County Government and the U.S. Small Business Administration announced this week that an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will assist businesses that have been affected by red tide. The center opened at the Manatee County Island Branch Library on Friday. SBA representatives will be on hand to provide information about disaster loans, answer questions and assist businesses in completing the SBA application. The Countys Economic Development team and local economic development and Chamber of Commerce partners will also be on hand to provide information and resources to assist and to help businesses document financial losses at Floridadisaster.biz. "Reporting injury to business, no matter how small, assists the State of Florida in requesting disaster declarations from the Federal Government," said Karen Stewart, Manatee County Economic Development Official. "This information helps government officials determine the impact to the community and helps in determining types of federal assistance that may be offered in the future." The temporary SBA Center at the Island Branch Library will operate until further notice. No appointments are necessary. The library is located at 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. On its first day of operation, the center will open at 11 a.m. but other weekday hours in the future will be Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The center will also be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To receive additional disaster assistance information, visit SBAs website at www.sba.gov/disaster . Applicants may also call SBAs Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. For additional information pertaining to the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center or the Florida SBDC Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, call (941) 749-3029. Press (BBC1) Rating: Forget anything youve read about the national newspaper drama Press (BBC1) being brilliantly researched and authentic. It isnt. Every office scene, crammed with painfully duff notes, felt to me like listening to someone pick out a familiar melody on an out-of-tune piano. Even writer Mike Bartletts splashes of press-room jargon, with phrases like off-stone and death knock, are not quite right in the way that non-native speakers always retain a giveaway accent. TV drama is never really accurate, of course. Real-life coppers roll their eyes at Line Of Duty, and pathologists openly weep over Silent Witness. No doubt if an 18th-century Cornish tin miner could watch Poldark, hed be muttering: Taint right, taint fit, taint proper. Press: The BBC has filmed a new drama based on rival newspapers - but it does not hit the spot for many hardened hacks This muddled portrayal of how a newspaper works isnt the problem. Nor is the dreadful plotting: we have to suspend our disbelief with considerable force to accept Holly (Charlotte Riley) is a journalist. Supposedly a deputy news editor, she fails to recognise a story with the explosive power of a 20 megaton hydrogen bomb. Her best friend has been killed by a hit-and-run police car, and Holly doesnt mention it to her colleagues because she doesnt want their pity. If Holly doesnt think that story needs reporting, shes missed her vocation she should have been a nun in a silent convent. Still, lots of dramas survive atrocious storylines. Bodyguard is as nutty as a conker dipped in peanut butter, but still draws ten million viewers on a Sunday night. The real travesty of Press is the naked bias and hypocrisy of the BBC. Remember that, when the Beeb decided to highlight their own failings in a show, they painted themselves as lovably bumbling brainboxes on W1A. The whole existence of the Corporation is based on its impartiality, yet it uses this star-laden, six-part serial for a sustained attack on what it portrays as commonplace newspaper practice: manipulating grief, blackmailing politicians, covering up secrets. One scene showed bullying tabloid editor Duncan (Ben Chaplin) trying to browbeat a bereaved mother in a Parliamentary Press Commission meeting. Bartlett couldnt have made the man any more hateful if hed stamped on a kitten. Such gleeful stereotyping of newspapers is not merely dishonest, its dangerous. It increases the risk of censorship because, by painting all journalists as villains, the BBC encourages the public to think of reporters as the enemy. In an age when politicians, celebrities and tax-dodging oligarchs have never been more keen to muzzle the press, the BBC has picked the wrong side to support. Ross Kemp And The Armed Police (ITV) Rating: Realism was not in question on Ross Kemp And The Armed Police (ITV), as the former EastEnders actor joined firearms units on raids in Birmingham. The efficiency of the squads that surrounded suburban houses and arrested gun-toting drug dealers was coldly impressive but far from reassuring, as every operation revealed the ubiquity of illegal weapons on British streets. TV hardman Ross Kemp dons his Iraq body armour to meet young gang members on the mean streets of Birmingham The combination of Kemps fame and his investigative methods, honed in war zones, enabled him to set up two remarkable interviews one with a gun smuggler who cheerfully noted how underfunded the police have become, and one with three masked gang members intoxicated with gun violence. Its easy to turn a little child into a killer, boasted one youth, before admitting that his lifestyle terrified his own mother. This made depressing television. But no one could doubt its authenticity or the depth of its research. Nicole Kidman was curled up like a cat in the corner of a sofa, looking reassuringly bright-eyed and alert. Reassuringly, because the night before I was ready to call in emergency services to get her to hospital. Not the real Nicole, but the one I'd seen on screen in an extraordinary film called Destroyer, in which she plays a cop who has destroyed her body after a life of narcotics and booze. 'Ravaged eyes,' the actress mumbled. The opening shot of director Karyn Kusama's film does indeed show a pair of ravaged eyes. Bloodshot and bleary, they belong to Erin Bell, a Los Angeles deputy sheriff who has clearly seen better days. Her skin is blotchy, her hair lank, her teeth ghastly and you can practically smell her through the celluloid. The 51-year-old is unrecognisable as Erin Bell in the thriller Destroyer When she gets out of a car, her shoulders are hunched. She looks emaciated. 'I was a lot thinner then than I am now,' Kidman agreed. 'I was sick through most of that film. I had flu. It was good in terms of the character if not in terms of my health. A friend saw me walking as Erin and said: 'For God's sake, don't keep walking like that!' He was worried I'd be like that for ever.' It's a brilliant performance that captures a character who may be self-destructing, but who still knows how to handle a pistol and a machine gun. At one point she's a one-woman army trying to foil a bank robbery, and despite her haggard appearance, she's pretty awesome. Kidman said she didn't care that she looked awful. She was prepared to do whatever the director and screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi wanted her to. 'I wanted to be believable as this woman who is a cop and a very bad mother to her daughter. To do that, she had to look the way she did. This was a low-budget film, so the amount of time we had to do the make-up was limited. You can't be having five hours in make-up or you wouldn't have time to shoot. 'It's very freeing as an actress to look like a wreck. I insisted on bad teeth,' she said, laughing and revealing a set of perfect gnashers. I asked if she met any addicts to help her prepare. She shook her head. 'I've lived a life, so I've seen a lot. I knew what I had to do.' But it wasn't easy for those around her. 'I didn't want people near me, not even Karyn the director. I wanted to say I'm sorry, but part of being an actor is not apologising. It's not a popularity contest. There are other characters you play where you can be engaged. But the type of person Erin is insular and introverted can't engage. Nicole Kidman, 51, as Erin Bell a Los Angeles deputy ravaged by drugs in The 'Destroyer' Nicole admitted: 'l'm kind of amazed that I'm still working'. Pictured here at last week's Telluride Film Festival 'Maybe Laurence Olivier would have said to me: 'Try acting!' But, I mean, maybe I'm not that good.' The 51-year-old star was at the Telluride Film Festival, in the San Juan range of the Colorado Rockies, with two films: Destroyer and director Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased, in which she plays the mother of a student (Lucas Hedges from Manchester By The Sea) who has come out to his parents. His preacher father (Russell Crowe) demands he undergo homosexual conversion therapy. Kidman's role is a supporting one but she almost steals the film when she marches into the conversion centre and takes her son away, chiding herself for putting him through such an ordeal. 'Shame on me!' her character cries. Edgerton told me Kidman had reached a place in her career where she had no fear. 'She has no vanity and doesn't care what she looks like,' he told me. Kidman admitted: 'l'm kind of amazed that I'm still working. I've lived a pretty wild life. There was a point where I was probably burned out and I stumbled. I wanted a baby and I wanted to find somebody to share my life with,' she told me, without referencing her tumultuous break-up from Tom Cruise. 'I was in a place where I was willing to give it all up, willing to walk away and then come back.' Joel Edgerton, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and Laura Dern attend the Telluride Film Festival She's certainly back. Big Little Lies, in which she starred with Reese Witherspoon, became a phenomenon for HBO and Sky Atlantic and she's shooting a second series with director Andrea Arnold. Meryl Streep plays her mother-in-law, and Kidman said they had long conversations about life and career and how taxing it can be to fully immerse yourself in a character. Like every working mum, she has to juggle schedules; but she and husband Keith Urban are clearly happy together. 'Happy wife, happy life,' he told me. They had flown to Telluride with their daughters and two cats. This Christmas, she'll be seen in cinemas in Aquaman, playing the Queen of Atlantis. 'I did that for my daughters,' she told me. 'They can't see Big Little Lies and they can't see Destroyer. But they can bring their friends to Aquaman. It's a bit of street cred for them.' Destroyer will play in competition at the BFI London Film Festival next month. For more than a decade the actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has been telling me stories about his hardscrabble upbringing with white foster parents in Tilbury. He was born in Islington to Nigerian parents in 1967, but at six weeks old was farmed out to a white, working-class couple and raised with other children in care until he was 16. Growing up, he had to cope with local kids hurling racist abuse at him. His foster father, a lorry driver, told him to stand up for himself. Kate Beckinsale in the new film 'Farming' that tells the story of a young Nigerian boy The local skinheads beat me up, but I beat them back. After several encounters they were amused by me and took me in as a brutalised pet. By the time I was 16 I was a formidable member of that gang, said Adewale, who is known as Mr Eko from the TV drama Lost, and for roles in Thor and forthcoming TV drama The Fix. The actor has fictionalised his upbringing and written and directed a film called Farming, which is being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. Damson Idris plays the teenage boy struggling to discover who he is, and Kate Beckinsale in one of her best roles plays the woman who, in her own way, raises him. Adewale said his foster parents often made racist remarks, but they were made against a backdrop of Love Thy Neighbour and watching Alf Garnett on television. Coon and sambo was the fabric wallpaper. My foster parents had not been exposed to African culture. They didnt know any better. As harsh as it was, he got the best street education and later went on to study law. Adewale said he was bowled over by working with Beckinsale and we agreed that shes the fractured, flawed hero of the story, which also stars John Dagleish and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The film is set in the early 18th century as England is at war with France Emma Stone is insulted in the most delectable way in her latest film. 'I'm called 'scullery scraps' and 'disloyal little b***h'. And they're the politest ones,' the Oscar-winning star said. Stone appears in The Favourite, a gorgeously outrageous film 'some fact and some fiction' in the words of celebrated director Yorgos Lanthimos about the relationships between Queen Anne and her courtiers: Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Masham. Olivia Colman plays the gout-ridden monarch, Rachel Weisz (who as I revealed exclusively on Mail Online gave birth to a baby girl last week) plays the Duchess, and Stone plays the maid who rises to the top. They are the most delicious performances and, being a bit of a glutton, I've seen the Film4 gem no fewer than three times. Emma Stone attends the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado on September 1, 2018 Stone described Abigail as a survivor. 'She's been in some pretty horrible circumstances but she's street smart; she speaks French and Latin and writes with a quill pen,' she said when I met up with her and Lanthimos at the Telluride Film Festival, high in the Rockies. She and her cast mates had to be prepared for all manner of strange tasks during filming, but the worst for her, she said, was having to put steaks on Colman's legs, as part of Abigail's attempts to help soothe the queen's swollen limbs. 'I kept putting them on her legs, over and over again, with a fire raging in the fireplace. You can imagine the smell,' Stone said. 'It was pretty gross.' Still, out of such horror has emerged one of the year's best pictures. It's in the first rank of movie making a dangerous, delightful classic that will be out here on New Year's Day. Russian ballet dancer Oleg Ivenko with Ralph Fiennes. They star in new film The White Crow Ralph Fiennes was the last person I expected to see in the Rocky Mountains. He had been given special dispensation to take a break from rehearsing Antony And Cleopatra with Sophie Okonedo at the National Theatre and go to Telluride for the premiere of his film The White Crow. Im virtual rehearsing with Sophie back in London, he joked. The picture tells the story of Rudolf Nureyevs defection to the West in 1961. But in Fiennes hands its much more than that. Its about the emergence of a ballet superstar and the ability of great art to take your breath away. Fiennes directs and plays Nureyevs teacher Alexander Pushkin. Nureyev is played by Russian ballet dancer Oleg Ivenko. He had emotions and attitudes that felt Nureyev-like, Fiennes told me. It was also essential he could dance and boy, can he! and possess some acting chops. His portrait of the often haughty but brilliant ballet megastar is sublime. Fiennes and screenwriter David Hare are interested in showing how the physical world around Nureyev influenced and informed the way he danced. The result is Fiennes best directorial work to date. The White Crow shows at the BFI London Film Festival from October 18. Natasha Gordon, who wrote the hit comedy Nine Night, at the National Theatre, London Natasha Gordon, who wrote the hit comedy Nine Night at the National Theatre, is joining the cast when it transfers to the West End. The play, the funniest Ive seen this year, is about a family in London who gather for a traditional nine-day Jamaican wake. Franc Ashman, who played Lorraine, the dutiful daughter who kept the family together, was unable to move to the Trafalgar Studios with fellow cast mates including Cecilia Noble. So actress and playwright Gordon (left) stepped up. I obviously know it inside out, she told me, adding: Its a natural progression. She was fashionably late as the GQ Men of the Year Awards kicked off at Londons Tate Modern on Wednesday evening. But Naomi Campbell was right on time as she touched down on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean less than 24-hours later. The supermodel, 48, looked understandably tired as she made her way across JFK International Airport in New York City following what appeared to be an almost back to back schedule. Here she comes: Naomi Campbell went make-up free during an appearance at JFK International Airport in New York City on Thursday Going make-up free, Naomi walked well ahead of the baggage handler who appeared to struggle with a suitcase laden trolley as he followed in her wake. The catwalk veteran looked typically stylish in a faux snakeskin jacket, beneath which she sported a simple black top, leggings and high-top trainers. Just hours earlier Naomi nearly spilled out of her evening gown as she made a bold fashion statement in a funky patterned corset dress by Versace. Distinctive look: The catwalk veteran looked typically stylish in a faux snakeskin jacket, beneath which she sported a simple black top, leggings and high-top trainers Fashionably late: Just hours earlier she attended the 21st annual GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2018 in London She styled the item of clothing with a pair of black thigh-high heel boots, which had the same matching material as a cuff. Naomi accessorised her entire look with a collection of rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and a black silk choker. The model rocked curled raven tresses with a stylish fringe as she arrived fashionably late to the star-studded red carpet. Fashion statement: The supermodel, 48, nearly spilled out of her evening gown as she made a bold fashion statement in a funky patterned corset dress by Versace Work it: She styled the item of clothing with a pair of black thigh-high heel boots, which had the same matching material as a cuff Naomi visited Cannes recently for a panel discussion with broadcaster Tania Bryer following a whistle-stop trip to Milan, Italy, where she walked in the Dolce & Gabbana men's spring-summer 2019 fashion show. The model's return to the catwalk comes after she hinted at retirement in an interview while promoting her Fashion For Relief show in Cannes in May. She said: 'I dont know if I can walk much longer, its been 32 years.' Stylish: Naomi accessorised her entire look with a collection of rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and a black silk choker Gorgeous: The model rocked curled raven tresses with a stylish fringe as she arrived fashionably late to the star-studded red carpet The fashion darling went on to discuss passing on the baton to her younger counterparts. She explained: 'It's an honour to walk. I'd love for it to be carried on by the younger generation and for me to sit in the audience and watch.' Naomi was discovered at the tender age of 15 and went on to become one of the 'original' 80s supermodels alongside catwalk queens Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and later, fellow Brit Kate Moss. GQ MEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2018: THE WINNERS Editors Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Philanthropy His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales Solo Artist of the Year Dua Lipa Breakthrough Designer of the Year Charles Jeffrey International Man of the Year Chadwick Boseman Solo Artist of the Year: Dua Lipa Politician of the Year David Lammy Sportsman of the Year Harry Kane Brand of the Year Philipp Plein Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor Tom Bateman Maddox Gallery Artist of the Year Jonathan Yeo Vero Breakthrough Solo Artist: Jorja Smith Editors Special Sacha Baron Cohen Writer of the Year Michael Wolff Design Legend of the Year Ralph Lauren Vero Breakthrough Solo Artist Jorja Smith Live Act of the Year Olly Alexander (Years & Years) Lifetime Achievement Johnny Marr International Man of the Year: Chadwick Boseman Inspiration Award Rose McGowan Fashion Icon of the Year Naomi Campbell Hugo Boss Most Stylish Man John Legend Actor of the Year Daniel Kaluuya Politician of the Year: David Lammy Television Actor of the Year Elisabeth Moss Songwriter of the Year Paul Weller Designer of the Year Donatella Versace Haig Club Icon Jeff Goldblum Advertisement Cate Blanchett has admitted her children complain that she was only in Lord Of The Rings 'for about 30 seconds'. The mother-of-four, 49, confessed that her son wasn't impressed by her role as Lady Galadriel in the epic fantasy trilogy, and asked when she was going to play the lead in a blockbuster. In scenes set to air on The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday, the Australian actress added that all her children think she's 'really uncool and embarrassing'. Not impressed: Cate Blanchett has admitted her children complain that she was only in Lord Of The Rings 'for about 30 seconds' She said: 'They do and they don't [watch my films.] My son gave me some great career advice a few years ago, he said, "Mum, when are you going to make a blockbuster?" She continued: 'I said, "I was in Lord of the Rings!" And he said, "Yeah for about 30 seconds." So it didn't really count. I had no brownie points with my children.' Cate is mother to sons Dashiell John, 16, Roman Robert, 14, Ignatius Martin, 10, and adopted daughter Edith, four, with husband Andrew Upton, 52. Jack Black, who is also on the sofa, added: 'My boys, they actually prefer the work of Will Ferrell. I think it's natural that kids think that their parents are really uncool and embarrassing.' Whatever: The 49-year-old actress confessed that her son wasn't impressed by her role as Lady Galadriel in the epic fantasy trilogy, and asked when she was going to play the lead in a blockbuster (pictured in The Fellowship Of The Ring in 2001) Cate and Jack - who are both going to turn 50 next year - spoke about whether they will celebrate their milestone birthdays. Cate says: 'We are going to be 100 together! Maybe we should have a Tenacious D concert for my birthday? I would love that. Would you sing at my party?' Jack says: 'Yes, what do you want to hear?' before the pair agreed that Jack will sing their classic, Tribute. Cate also spoke to Jonathan about living in the UK and why she has chosen home in London to from her native, Australia. Not her biggest fans: The Thor: Ragnarak star said her kids 'do and don't' watch her films Family ties: Cate is mother to sons Dashiell John, 16, Roman Robert, 14, Ignatius Martin, 10, and adopted daughter Edith, four, with husband Andrew Upton (pictured), 52 She joked: 'I came back just in time for Brexit. It's all my fault!' On the real reason she has moved to the UK, she said: 'I just think that in my country you walk into a field and you're going to be killed by some kind of snake or accosted by a huge [animal.] It's much more benign here pigs, chickens.' Cate previously revealed her feelings about the prospect of her children following in her footsteps. She told Harper's Bazaar this month: 'I think if I was in a different profession, if I was a lawyer, or a doctor, or an architect, maybe, or if I had a trade that I could actually use in the Armageddon, then there would be a sense that that would be a great and expected thing. Candid: On the real reason she has moved to the UK, she said: 'I just think that in my country you walk into a field and you're going to be killed by some kind of snake or accosted by a huge [animal.] It's much more benign here pigs, chickens' 'Certainly my children do not want to be 'the son of', and I know that my feisty daughter will not want to be 'the daughter of' And there is more rejection than there is acceptance.' And while she is happily unsure of which paths her offspring will take, she is also in doubt about her future on the big screen. This autumn, she will star in the children's fantasy film The House with a Clock in Its Walls, but Cate admitted to the magazine that she's not certain about how much longer she will keep acting. She said: 'I don't know what I am going to do next as an actor, I never do really. But I feel like I've probably got a couple more years left in it, before I lose my sanity.' The second episode of The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 9.45pm on ITV. The Bachelor's 'mean girl' Cat Henesy might be taking another bite at fame after she was sensationally kicked off the dating show by Nick Cummins for 'bullying.' The Bali-based jewellery designer hinted she will appear on Channel 10's upcoming season of Bachelor In Paradise during an interview with Nova's Fitzy & Wippa on Friday morning. Cat, who joined fellow 'mean girls' Alisha Aitken-Radburn and Romy Poulier on the Sydney breakfast radio show, said she would 'absolutely' love to appear on the Fiji-based spin-off. Scroll down for video 'Absolutely I would!' Cat Henesey (pictured here earlier this year) has hinted that she will appear on Bachelor In Paradise after being booted off dating show by Nick Cummins for 'bullying' The discussion was prompted after radio host Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald, 41, quizzed the former contestants about whether they would consider signing up for another reality TV series. 'Absolutely I would!' Cat revealed. '(However) I'd probably just be a bit more tactical,' she conceded. Romy said she wouldn't consider spin-off the show unless she was 'paid a lot of money.' Seconds later Fitzy turned his attention to the brunette Cat and exclaimed: 'Cat you're in!' Very keen! Cat, who joined fellow 'mean girls' Alisha Aitken-Radburn and Romy Poulier on the Sydney breakfast radio show Fitzy & Wippa on Friday morning, said she would 'absolutely' love to appear on the Fiji-based spin-off 'Cat is so keen!' Romy remarked with a laugh. 'I mean you're on an island anyway...you're in Bali anyway, Cat' Fitzy added. 'Cat from Bali...I've got a jewellery label if you didn't know!' she said sarcastically. During Thursday night's episode of The Bachelor, Nick took a tearful Cat aside and booted her off the program after learning of her 'bullying' behaviour. In a subsequent elimination ceremony, her pal Alisha Aitken-Radburn was also sent packing, before their co-conspirator Romy Poulier spectacularly rejected a rose. 'It's time to leave!' During Thursday night's episode of The Bachelor, Nick took a tearful Cat aside and booted her off the program after learning of her 'bullying' behaviour See ya! Alisha Aitken-Radburn (left) was rejected by Nick at the rose ceremony, while Romy Poulier (right) chose to quit the show on her own accord Thursday night's drama all began with Cat's shock booting - the first time in Bachelor Australia history that a contestant has been kicked off the show for bad behaviour. Nick confronted the Bali-based jewellery designer after he got wind that co-star Tenille Favois had been reduced to tears by her the previous evening. 'It seems that there's a bit of commotion that's been happening lately... I'm just wondering why, now, there's so many times your name keeps popping up,' Nick sternly stated. Confrontation: Nick confronted Bali-based jewellery designer Cat, who denied claims of 'bullying' Cat started to cry, and replied: 'I hope you don't believe that. Like, yeah, I'm competitive and you see that side of me and you see my confidence when I come in, but, like, I'm definitely not a mean person.' She then insisted: 'I have a heart of gold!' However, Nick failed to agree, telling Cat: 'I think it's time to leave.' Cat-ch ya later! A tearful Cat was escorted out to her car by an unimpressed Nick The aspiring fashionista was humiliatingly escorted out of the mansion, as she gave an irate voice over. 'I've sacrificed a lot to be here. I could be working on my business. I could be dating guys who actually want to go out with me to a dinner date. I know that I have qualities that a guy would like, so...whatever - it's his loss,' she moaned. Cat's unbecoming elimination caused her pals Romy and Alisha to react in disbelief, with Alisha spluttering: 'I am livid. I was feeling pretty confident, going into this rose ceremony, but now Cat's left the mansion, I don't really know what to feel!' Shock! Cat's best friends Alisha (centre) and Romy (left) were stunned by Cat's shock booting, but it wasn't long before the two of them also left the show Romy added: I literally am f**king mortified that Cat left tonight. She is the life of the mansion. She deserves it more than any of these losers... I'm really f**king pissed off'. In the subsequent elimination ceremony, political advisor Alisha was snubbed by Nick, failing to receive a rose. Fellow 'mean girl' Romy was offered the final rose of the evening, but in a shocking twist she decided to reject the flower. Big Brother 2013 winner Tim Dormer got engaged to his fiance Ash Toweel last year. And while the lovebirds are looking forward to their 'big gay wedding', it appears that their relationship may not be an exclusive one. After it emerged they had joined Tinder as a 'friendly couple' looking to meet other people, Tim proudly told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have a f**king great sex life!' Scroll down to video EXCLUSIVE: 'We have a f**king great sex life!' Big Brother's Tim Dormer has confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he and fiance Ash Toweel are listed as a 'friendly couple' on Tinder Tim and Ash's Tinder profile, which surfaced this week, features a black and white photo of the pair alongside the caption: 'Friendly couple'. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, Tim acknowledged the profile was in fact genuine. He was also happy to confirm the two men enjoyed a healthy sex life. Room for one more? Tim and Ash's Tinder profile, which surfaced this week, features a black and white photo of the pair alongside the caption: 'Friendly couple'. Tim acknowledged on Friday that the account is genuine 'I'm more than happy for you to let everyone know that Ash and I have a f**king great sex life,' he said in a statement. 'We're at a stage in our relationship where we are comfortably discussing what monogamy means for us. 'We don't believe in shaming other for not choosing to adhere to traditional ideals of monogamy in their own relationships. 'We thank Australia for voting to let us get married, but I'll be damned if I ever found myself in an unhappy, sex-deprived marriage bound by the expectations of others!' Tim added that the pair have done ambassadorial work for Tinder, and were invited on the company's float at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras earlier this year. They have nothing to hide! 'I'm more than happy for you to let everyone know that Ash and I have a f**king great sex life,' Tim told Daily Mail Australia in a statement. Pictured in 2017 The couple, who first met at a party in 2014, are busy preparing for their wedding after marriage equality was enshrined in law last December. Tim previously told Who magazine they are hoping for an outdoor ceremony. 'We'd love to do a beach wedding so it won't be in a church, but we're still quite spiritual ourselves,' he said. They previously declared their commitment to each other by exchanging hand-crafted pyrite crystal stone rings. Sofia Richie was put on the spot and quizzed about her relationship with Scott Disick during an appearance on The Morning Show on Friday. Prior to appearing on the Australian breakfast program, a leaked e-mail revealed that Sofia would not be discussing her relationship while doing media rounds Down Under. When asked the cheeky questions, the 20-year-old model awkwardly responded before defending her decision to keep Scott, 35, off limits in interviews. 'I'm not upset that I have to answer these questions, but...': Sofia Richie was awkwardly asked about her boyfriend Scott Disick during a breakfast show appearance in Australia on Friday after a leaked e-mail revealed personal questions are off limits during her media rounds The Morning Show host Larry Emdur carefully brought Scott into conversation while discussing Windsor Smith - the shoe brand Sofia is currently in Australia promoting. He asked: 'Now is it true your partner Scott helped you discover these shoes?' After being caught off-guard a little, Sofia responded: 'Yeah, he actually showed me the shoe line and said, "these are really cute sneakers you should wear these." Then they reached out. And it all worked out from there.' Awkward: When asked the cheeky questions, the 20-year-old model awkwardly responded before defending her decision to keep Scott, 35, off limits in interviews Cheeky question: Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies asked about Scott after a leaked e-mail in the Daily Telegraph earlier this week revealed personal questions were off limits in interviews 'We're very happy': Sofia tried to shrug off the chat about Scott and bring the focus back to Windsor Smith Shoes - the brand she is in Australia to promote Despite the American star bringing the focus back to the shoe brand, Larry's co-host Kylie Gillies continued to push for details on her highly publicised romance. Kylie said: 'This is Scott Disick... who is your boyfriend! Life with Scott looks pretty good, I've gotta say.' Ending the exchange on the subject, Sofia responded: 'Yeah, we're very happy, I'm very happy.' 'Are you happy answering all of these questions?': Kylie alluded to the recent story suggesting Sofia would not be discussing her personal life with Scott, pictured here After taking the interview to more neutral topics for a moment, Kylie then alluded to a recent report that Sofia would not be answering questions about Scott. Earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph revealed that an email from her representatives stated that Sofia would not discuss Scott, the Kardashians or her father, Lionel Richie, in interviews during her time in Australia. Kylie asked: 'Are you happy answering all of these questions?' 'Because when we want to talk to you, people want to bring up your relationships and stuff with your dad and your sister as well. 'Does that ever get tiring and you wish we wouldn't ask that? Or you're happy for us to sit here and ask you those questions?' Addressing the recent controversy surrounding her trip, Sofia responded: 'I mean, I can't deny the fact that that is my life.' 'By the way, that's been my life forever, and it's nothing new. 'I'm not upset that I have to answer these questions but there are moments where I want to be my own person and stand as my own person.' 'And I think that's actually what drives me to work and do my own thing,' she added. 'I be want to seen as my own person, even though I have all these amazing people in my life that I love so much.' Love's Labour's Lost (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) Verdict: La-di-dah love games Rating: There is a reason Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost is not often produced: it is a wordy tangle about genteel courtship games among six young lovelies. Only at the end comes the whack of reality, when one of the lovers, the Princess of France, is informed that her father has died. That blow transforms the mood and makes the last ten minutes resonate; but until that point it is all rather fnarr-fnarr and frivolous. At the intimate, candle-lit Sam Wanamaker theatre they give it a stylised stab: olde-worlde techniques with flashes of 21st century irony. The princess is played by Kirsty Woodward, tall as a hop pole and done up in anachronistic spectacles with an inhaler to keep her calm in the love chase. At the intimate, candle-lit Sam Wanamaker theatre they give it a stylised stab: olde-worlde techniques with flashes of 21st century irony. The princess is played by Kirsty Woodward, tall as a hop pole and done up in anachronistic spectacles with an inhaler to keep her calm in the love chase. Miss Woodward's performance, with its occasional throw-away sarcasm, reminded me of Tamsin Greig. The three male lovers (whose doomed attempt to lead a monastic life is the premise for the comedy), gallop around on toy hobby horses. Is this 'the kingly state of youth' or just childishness? Nick Bagnall's direction was too fey for me. Spanish braggart Don Armado, done with aplomb but to diminishing returns by Jos Vantyler, is normally served by a tiny servant, Moth. Not here. Moth's presence is imaginary, Mr Vantyler mouthing the words in a northern-English accent and Moth's movements suggested by scratches of a 'cello string. This only confuses an already knotty plot. The show has its moments: some charming music and evocative snuffing of candles at the end. With the Royal Shakespeare Company so off-form at present, it is good that people like Mr Bagnall are bringing their undoubted skill to rarely-seen plays. But too much cleverness clogs. I watched two teenagers in the audience. They were bored rigid. Advertisement Cindy Crawford was among the top models who showed up to support a launch party for photographer Russell James's coffee table book Angels Collectors Edition. Cindy, 52, who was accompanied by husband Rande Gerber, flashed plenty of cleavage in a very low-cut metallic sleeveless dress. The figure-hugging number had semi-sheer shoulders and she paired it with strappy black stiletto heels. Star: Cindy Crawford flashed plenty of cleavage in a very low-cut metallic sleeveless dress at a launch party for photographer Russell James's coffee table book Angels Collectors Edition The supermodel left her brunette hair loose and accessorized with silver hoop earrings. For her make-up she chose black eye liner and mascara along with rosy blush on her cheeks and a glossy lip color. Rande, whom she married in 1998 after her first marriage to Richard Gere ended in divorce, was dressed in his go-to ensemble of a navy shirt tucked in dark blue jeans with black shoes. On trend: The figure-hugging number had semi-sheer shoulders and she paired it with strappy black stiletto heels Couple goals: Cindy, 52, was accompanied by husband Rande Gerber to the NY Fashion Week event. Gerber was dressed in his go-to ensemble of a navy shirt tucked in dark blue jeans Supporting his book launch: The glamorous couple posed for photos with photographer Russell James Loved up: The couple looked loved up as they enjoyed the private dinner Smitten: Rande and Cindy were every inch the hot couple as they packed on the PDA Close: Cindy linked arms with her hunky husband as they strolled along Happy couple: Rande wrapped an arm around his beautiful wife as they walked Toned: Cindy revealed her peachy posterior in the clinging gown Silver siren: The brunette beauty cosied up to her hunky husband The cover of Russell's book features a photo of Candice Swanepoel completely naked. And the 29-year-old South African was naturally on hand to show support for the book launch. She looked gorgeous in a plush black mini dress with long sleeves that she wore slightly off the shoulder. Her hair was styled back from her face in a thick braid and she added perspex heels with black straps above the ankle. Star-studded: Supermodel, Gigi Hadid, 23, was also in attendance and looked sensational in an off-the-shoulder metallic silver dress with a slit on the side Wonder in white: Martha Hunt was a vision in white while Elizabeth Sulcer showed off her slender figure in a plunging black ruffled dress with a diamond heart belt Cover girl: The cover of Russell's book features a photo of Candice Swanepoel completely naked. And the 29-year-old South African was naturally on hand to show support Classy: Swanepoel looked gorgeous in a plush black mini dress with long sleeves that she wore slightly off the shoulder Natural beauty: Her hair was styled back from her face in a thick braid and she added perspex heels with black straps above the ankle Dating: Barbara Palvin, 24, arrived with actor Dylan Sprouse, 26, and the two posed for photos with their arms around each other Barbara Palvin, 24, arrived with actor Dylan Sprouse, 26, and the two posed for photos with their arms around each other. Palvin wore a black leather halter neck dress with asymmetrical hem while Sprouse opted for a dark two-piece suit with suspenders over a white t-shirt. Adriana Lima looked on trend in an olive green patterned mini dress with plunging neckline. The outfit had a large sash tied at the waist and the Brazilian beauty, 37, added shiny gold strappy heels and carried a back purse. Chic: The Hungarian model looked effortlessly chic in a black crocodile print and leather asymmetrical dress Smile!: Dylan Sprouse, Russell James and Barbara Palvin also posed together for a photo Strike a pose: Josephine Skriver, Russell James and Elsa Hosk knew how to work their best angles as they posed up a storm Striking: Adriana Lima opted for an olive green patterned mini dress with plunging neckline Eclectic: The outfit had a large sash tied at the waist and the Brazilian beauty, 37, added shiny gold strappy heels and carried a back purse Flawless: Lais Ribeiro showed off her stunning figure in a silky red crop top and skirt with a matching jacket. She added metallic sandal heels and left her dark hair loose Fabulous: The 27-year-old Portuguese model flaunted her toned and taut midriff and her cleavage in the ensemble Pals: Lais and Romee Strijd knew how to work their best angles as they posed up a storm at the star-studded bash Big night out: Lola James (left) and Toni Garrn (right) were also in attendance Lais Ribeiro showed off her stunning figure in a silky red crop top and skirt with a matching jacket. The 27-year-old Portuguese model flaunted her toned and taut midriff and her cleavage in the ensemble. She added metallic sandal heels and left her dark hair loose and sleekly styled tucked behind her diamond-studded ears. Jasmine Tookes dared to bare in a shiny gold and silver dress with a very revealing bodice. The brunette stunner, 27, added shiny gold pointed toe heels and wore her long hair loose. Flashed cleavage: Jasmine Tookes dared to bare in a shiny gold and silver dress with a very revealing bodice Shimmery look: The brunette stunner, 27, added shiny gold pointed toe heels and wore her long hair loose Victoria's Secret Angels: The three Victoria's Secret Angels - Martha Hunt, Josephine Skriver, and Jasmine Tookes - looked sensational at the event Golden girl: Romee Strijd, 23, also went for a shiny metallic look. She chose a figure-hugging number cut low at the back and added matching heels All business: Sara Sampaio showcased her legs in a white mini coat dress Coordinated: The outfit had a wide shiny gold band at the waist and she added shiny heels. Her long hair was loose and she accessorized with gold hoop earrings Full of models: James's book will be published in 1000 Limited Editions and 200 art editions Model behaviour: Elena Matei and Sara Sampaio looked glamorous in plunging mini dress ensembles Work it: Marquita Pring and Jordan Barrett were also in attendance at the book launch Shiny style: Alessandra Ambrosio, 37, wore a gold patterned mini dress with cape and shiny gold heels Flaunting it: Elsa Hosk, 29, followed the trend for mini coat dresses showing off her legs in a sparkly number while Josephine Skriver, 25, opted for black underwear with sheer covering Sara Sampaio showcased her legs in a white mini coat dress. The outfit had a wide shiny gold band at the waist and she added shiny heels. James's book will be published in 1000 Limited Editions and 200 art editions. Quirky: Kendall Jenner dropped by in a bizarre ensemble of shorts, jacket and baggy boots to get her picture taken with James Eye-catching: Moldovan-born model Elena Matei wore a chic black mini dress with square shoulders and long sleeves as well as a low-cut neckline Funky: Belgian beauty Yumi Lambert opted for lacy black bra paired with cropped black trousers, black cropped jacket and chunky black boots Influencer: Designer Donna Karan, 69, also came out to show support wearing a baggy black dress and gladiator-style heels Famous friends: The models posed with the guest of honor Talented starlets: Actress Ajiona Alexus looked stunning in a metallic purple dress while Cindy Bruna looked effortlessly chic in a black sheer shirt with thigh-high PVC heel boots Family affair: Cindy and Rande's son Presley Gerber was spotted taking his girlfriend Charlotte D'Alessio out to dinner on Thursday Stylish couple: The young lovers made quite a stylish pair Vice Chancellor of the Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology Prof Dr Rafiqul Alam addressing the inaugural session of IOT workshop at the university campus as Chief Guest yesterday. IMG Model BFFs Romee Strijd and Jasmine Tookes reunited in Manhattan on Thursday night at the Russell James Angel book bash, which was held at the Stephan Weiss Studio. The Victoria's Secret Angels - who earned their 'wings' in 2015 - work out five times a week together when they're not posing in lingerie/swimwear in front of the same camera. The Dutch 23-year-old was a glittery golden goddess in a sequinned pencil dress and matching stilettos selected by stylist Sonny Groo. IMG Model BFFs! Romee Strijd (L) and Jasmine Tookes (R) reunited in Manhattan on Thursday night at the Russell James (M) Angel book bash, which was held at the Stephan Weiss Studio Earned their 'wings' in 2015: The Victoria's Secret Angels work out five times a week together when they're not posing in lingerie/swimwear in front of the same camera Hairstylist Ruslan Nureev coiffed Romee's flaxen waves while make-up artist Kale Teter made sure she was ready for her close-up. And the 27-year-old SoCal native slipped her sensational 5ft9in figure into a plunging silver-and-copper pleated Abodi creation with matching Le Silla 'Eva' pumps selected by stylist Cary Robinson. Jasmine's waist-length 'mermaid' locks were coiffed by hairstylist Martin-Christopher Harper and make-up artist Mariel Barrera brought out her glowing complexion. Both Strijd and Tookes are featured in the Australian 56-year-old lensman's limited-edition fine art photography book, and only a thousand copies were printed. Glittery: The Dutch 23-year-old was a golden goddess in a sequinned pencil dress and matching stilettos selected by stylist Sonny Groo Glam: Hairstylist Ruslan Nureev coiffed Romee's flaxen partial updo while make- up artist Kale Teter made sure she was ready for her close-up Selected by stylist Cary Robinson: The 27-year-old SoCal native slipped her sensational 5ft9in figure into a plunging silver-and-copper pleated Abodi creation with matching Le Silla 'Eva' pumps Flawless: Jasmine's waist-length 'mermaid' locks were coiffed by hairstylist Martin-Christopher Harper and make-up artist Mariel Barrera brought out her glowing complexion Man of the hour: The gal pals puckered up with the Australian 56-year-old lensman, who's the official photographer of the San Francisco bra brand 'I cannot wait to see all of the beautiful images!' Both Strijd (R) and Tookes (2-R) are featured in Russell's limited-edition fine art photography book, and only a thousand copies were printed 'Look who I found! Who's butt is that?' Several of Russell's prints were on display at the star-studded exhibition, including an artsy shot of the former gymnast's pert derriere 'So happy being part of this!' The brunette beauty - who's a quarter Caucasian - shared a cute Insta-story of the dimpled blonde smacking the framed picture of her behind Several of Russell's prints were on display at the star-studded exhibition, including an artsy shot of the former gymnast's pert derriere. The brunette beauty - who's a quarter Caucasian - shared a cute Insta-story of the dimpled blonde smacking the framed picture of her behind for the amusement of her 3.1M followers. Missing from Romee's side was her boyfriend since 2009 - business consultant Laurens van Leeuwen - whom she met as a teenager through his sister. Meanwhile, the Ridiculousness guest star has been romancing Snapchat's Senior Partnership Manager Juan David Borrero as far back as 2016. 'Sundays with you are the best!' Missing from Romee's side was her boyfriend since 2009 - business consultant Laurens van Leeuwen - whom she met as a teenager through his sister (pictured July 15) Ronnie Ortiz-Magro worried about the well being of his baby daughter Ariana after a domestic violence incident on Thursday's episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. The 32-year-old reality star got into an ugly argument with his daughter's mother Jen Harley at the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas. She was seen spitting on Ronnie and storming away. Tough vacation: Ronnie Ortiz-Magro worried about the whereabouts of his baby daughter following a domestic violence incident on Thursday's episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Police were called to investigate and MTV was not allowed to film as officers looked into the domestic disturbance allegation. Ronnie later told Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi , 30, that he was worried about baby Ariana since he couldn't get in touch with Jen who disappeared after their altercation. 'Now Jen will have a warrant out for her arrest,' said Ronnie who fretted that she could be arrested for kidnapping if she left with Ariana. 'At this point I don't know what to do,' admitted Ronnie who feared dragging his baby daughter into the serious situation. Stormy relationship: Jen Harley was shown arguing with Ronnie in Las Vegas Up close: The argument included Jen spitting on Ronnie Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, 32, and Snooki agreed to join Ronnie as they waited for police to arrest Jen. 'Let's go get the baby,' Snooki said while admitting that she was still drunk from the night before. Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino, Paul 'DJ Pauly D' DelVecchio and Vinny Guadagnino also joined Ronnie in his bid to claim his daughter. Police arrived: Police arrived after Jen stormed out Pauly D, 38, was worried about his multiple parking tickets as Ronnie interacted with police. An officer told Ronnie that Jen was questioned and there wasn't a warrant out for her arrest and also urged him to get a child custody plan in place. Ronnie after being assured the baby was safe decided to let his lawyers handle it. Daughter concern: Ronnie was worried about the whereabouts of Ariana and Jen was unreachable Good news: A police officer told Ronnie that his baby was safe No warrant: An arrest warrant at the time had not been issued against Jen 'It sucks. Me and Jen always get into altercations. We need stability for Ariana,' Ronnie said during a confessional. He pledged that he didn't want the current chaos around Ariana for the rest of her life. The group after the drama let loose at the Voodoo Steakhouse atop the Rio Hotel. Chaotic life: Ronnie insisted that he didn't want his daughter Ariana growing up amid chaos Pauly and Ronnie rode a zipline during dinner high above Sin City as they finally were able to relax. Snooki meanwhile screamed while riding the zipline with the The Situation. Pauly left to work a DJ gig in Atlantic City leaving his buddy Vinny to create a doll in his likeness. Dinner ride: Pauly D and Ronnie rode a zipline during dinner high over Las Vegas Good times: Snooki screamed while riding the zipline with The Situation Little buddy: Vinny made a doll of Pauly D after he left for Atlantic City for a DJ gig Angelina Pivarnick, 32, made a surprise appearance after being invited by Snooki. 'I hate you, Nicole,' Vinny said after learning that his former flame Angelina was on her way. Jenni who had previous run-ins with Angelina wasn't looking forward to her arrival. Surprise visit: Angelina Pivarnick made a surprise appearance after being invited by Snooki 'I like my inner peace. I don't want to see my angry side,' Jenni said. Angelina had trouble checking-in and the others knew she was 'coming in hot'. Ronnie left to see his lawyers and quipped that he would rather see 'nine lawyers before I see one Angelina'. Checking in: She got off to a rough start checking into the hotel Angelina greeted everyone but Jenni and said they had things to work out. Jenni then reminded Angelina that she wasn't part of their family. Vinny quickly got slapped in the face after trying to push Angelina into a shower. Hot entrance: Angelina came in hot and immediately challenged JWoww Angelina then asked Jenni to make her a drink but she refused. 'We're in for a long night,' Vinny said. A preview showed Angelina and Jenni getting into a fight and wrestling with each other at a club. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation returns next week on MTV. Em Rusciano's tenure as co-host of 2Day FM's breakfast show was controversial to say the least, with accusations of 'diva' behaviour and tantrums making headlines. And, having announced her resignation on Monday, the 39-year-old spent her last day on the job on Friday living up to her reputation as a loose cannon. During the program, Em claimed her boss was in the studio 'with the dump button in case I really burn the bridges'. ('Dumping' refers to the practice of removing unwanted segments by taking advantage of the broadcast delay.) Em Rusciano's chaotic last day at 2DayFM: Producers scrambled to hit the 'dump button' as the departing host alluded to 'burning bridges' with her bosses during her farewell show on Friday She later appeared to be 'dumped' during the program's Secret Sound segment, presumably after saying something not appropriate for broadcast. 'She was beeped. We are being told to move on,' Em's co-host Ed Kavalee said on air. At this point, Em was heard yelling in the background: 'Eat it, suckers!' Wild child: Having announced her resignation on Monday, the 39-year-old spent her last day on the job on Friday living up to her reputation as a loose cannon Later in the show, Em delivered a farewell speech in which she revealed her naivety going into the role and recalled some of the show's special moments. 'Two years ago I agreed to take this job on and, I'll be honest, I was pretty arrogant and I thought I'd totally blitz it and we'd go to No. 1 in like a year,' she said. 'And then I quickly realised it was going to kick my arse... I didn't expect to be questioning who I am and all that I hold dear on a weekly basis.' She went on to list some of her personal highlights from the show, such as taking on former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over marriage equality. Saying goodbye: Later in the show, Em made a farewell speech in which she spoke of her naivety going into the role, and recalled some of the program's special moments. She became tearful as she thanked her production team and co-hosts Grant Denyer (L) and Ed Kavalee (R) Em became tearful as she thanked her production team and co-hosts Grant Denyer and Ed Kavalee, saying: 'Thank you for coming on board. You didn't know what the hell you were getting into and we've been OK. 'Sydney I can honestly say I gave it a crack! I regret nothing.' Ed and Grant then led a round of applause in the studio. No regrets: 'Sydney I can honestly say I gave it a crack! I regret nothing,' said Em on Friday. Pictured on Studio 10 earlier this week Em, who is expecting her third child with husband Scott Barrow, has been with 2Day FM since the departure of Rove McManus and Sam Frost in early 2017. The first iteration of the program, The Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen, lasted less than 12 months before co-host Harley Breen's departure. It was rumoured that the two presenters did not get along behind the scenes. Last day: Em is pictured in the 2Day FM studios on her final day with the network He was subsequently replaced by TV personalities Ed Kavalee and Grant Denyer and the show was rebranded Em, Grant & Ed by the Hit Network. Em admitted earlier this year that this shake-up was a difficult transition for her. She said the Hit Network's decision came out of the blue, leaving her with the intimidating task of generating chemistry with two people she had never met. Career girl: Em, who is expecting her third child with husband Scott Barrow, has been with 2Day FM since the departure of Rove McManus and Sam Frost in early 2017. Pictured: Em with Scott (right) and her children Odette (left) and Marchella (second from left) Speaking to Wil Anderson on his Wilosophy podcast in May, she said: 'It was hectic. It was the Em Rusciano Radio Show - it was my show! And then all of a sudden Ed's anchoring and the show's called "The 2Day FM Breakfast Show".' Em also revealed at the time that she she fought with 2Day FM to let her produce the program and manage staffing, but they declined because they wanted to have a say in the show's direction. Shortly after her interview with Wil made headlines, the mother-of-two was publicly accused of creating a 'toxic' workplace at the Hit Network. Changes: Em has previously admitted that transitioning to the role of co-host alongside Grant Denyer and Ed Kavalee was difficult for her 'She makes it a toxic work environment,' a former staff member told News.com.au. 'In all honesty, I actually feel really sad for her. She seems really insecure. She portrays this really confident, "I think I'm the greatest!" image but I think it stems from a really deep-seeded insecurity, which is really sad. 'She just doesn't know how to interact with people. She won't compromise with anybody. She always has to be right.' Another ex-employee told The Daily Telegraph there 'had been casualties at the hands of Em Rusciano' at 2Day FM. 'Things are at breaking point, people just cannot work with her energy,' they said. 'The audio producer is now working on another show, the publicist is refusing to work with her and one of the producers has told the company that they are looking for other work. All of that on top of the previous host [Harley Breen] leaving.' She was at the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards earlier in the night. But Gigi Hadid is one of the biggest models in the world, and that means she's going to be bouncing around the Big Apple non-stop this week. The 23-year-old superstar was next spotted sitting front row at the Jeremy Scott runway show. Stunning: Gigi Hadid is one of the biggest models in the world, and that means she's going to be bouncing around the Big Apple non-stop this week Donning a back t-shirt featuring zippers on the sleeves and a print of a Polaroid that had Jeremy Scott written across the bottom, the blue-eyed beauty looked fresh faced despite her long evening. Her long legs stretched out from underneath the base of the shirt and she donned shiny black heels with dark socks. A long sleeve dark shirt was visible underneath and she painted her lips a soft pink and made her eyes pop with a smokey eye. Her dirty blonde tresses fell across her shoulders is relaxed waves and she accessorized with various gold necklaces. All smiles: The 23-year-old superstar was next spotted sitting front row at the Jeremy Scott runway show Gorgeous: Donning a back t-shirt featuring zippers on the sleeves and a print of a Polaroid that had Jeremy Scott written across the bottom, the blue-eyed beauty looked fresh faced despite her long evening Big night: A long sleeve dark shirt was visible underneath and she painted her lips a soft pink and made her eyes pop with a smokey eye Gigi joined a variety of her celebrity friends at the event, including Paris Jackson, Cardi B, Tiffany Haddish, and Hennessy Carolina. The quintet of beauties sat in the front row of Jeremy's Scott's show and looked completely engaged in the night's events. Paris was also in attendance at the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards before hand. Star-studded: Gigi joined a variety of her celebrity friends at the event, including Paris Jackson, Cardi B, Tiffany Haddish, and Hennessy Carolina Friends: Paris was also in attendance at the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards before hand Celeb-city: The quintet of beauties sat in the front row of Jeremy's Scott's show and looked completely engaged in the night's events Under the flashbulbs: It was another pop-heavy collection for Scott, who's never been shy of a color or strange silhouette It was another pop-heavy collection for Scott, who's never been shy of a color or strange silhouette. He included oversized sweater dresses emblazoned with bold catchphrases like 'hyper', 'power, 'peace' and 'shock.' Orange camo-print took streetwear trends onto the runway along with hoodies and overalls. The show also featured knee and shin pads on the footwear, attempting a contemporary gladiator vibe. Lace, neons, and straps aplenty also carried the collection. Packed house: It was another pop-heavy collection for Scott, who's never been shy of a color or strange silhouette Advertisement She's one of fashion's favorite faces. And Bella Hadid proved exactly why while walking the runway for Kith Park's NYFW show. The 21-year-old beauty simply smoldered in a velour jacket atop bold bustier as she hit the catwalk on Thursday. A walk in the Park: Bella Hadid was sexy as ever while walking Kith Park's New York Fashion Week show on Thursday Do you Bielieb in magic? Justin Bieber was there, looking casual in head-to-toe black while sitting front row Major cat-eyes added another level to the bombshell look. Also walking in the show was Sara Sampaio, who modeled gold and black Greek key trimmed bike shorts, bikini, and puffer jacket from Kith's Versace collab. Justin Bieber was there in the front row, looking casual in head-to-toe black while watching. Very Versace: Sara Sampaio modeled gold and black Greek key trimmed bike shorts, a bikini, and puffer jacket from Kith's Versace collab Smoking hot: The 21-year-old beauty simply smoldered in a velour jacket atop bold bustier as she hit the catwalk on Thursday Model fiance Hailey Baldwin wasn't with him, as she was too busy walking runways and accepting awards elsewhere. NBA pro Lebron James graced the front row wearing a denim shirt with bleach-splotched jeans and a distressed shirt, accessorizing with a crossbody bag from Kith's new collaboration with Eastpak, which made its debut at the catwalk show. He was joined by 2 Chainz, who donned a pink and green Versace sweater with several diamond-heavy necklaces, one even reading 'Trap.' All stars: Lebron James and 2 Chainz were also among the guests at the event. Lebron modeled a crossbody bag from Kith's new collaboration with Eastpak, which made its debut on the runway at the event Ronnie Fieg, the designer behind Kith, teased details about his couture collab on his Instagram yesterday. 'I worked with Donatella Versace on a collection that will stand as a very important notch in our timeline,' he shared, 'I dont want to give away too much info before the show. Tomorrow, Kith Park is going to change things.' The line also recently announced they were working on a joint-project with Tommy Hilfiger. Advertisement Avengers: Infinity War action star Zoe Saldana flaunted her softer, feminine side at the Cartier Precious Garage SS/19 installation during New York Fashion Week on Thursday. The 40-year-old mother-of-three donned a flirty pink-lace corset featuring a scalloped peplum with black slacks and matching Louboutin pumps selected by stylist Petra Flannery. The lingerie look was racy for the half-Dominican, half-Puerto Rican stunner, who doesn't usually opt for boudoir attire on the red carpet. Ooh la la! Avengers: Infinity War action star Zoe Saldana flaunted her softer, feminine side at the Cartier Precious Garage SS/19 installation during New York Fashion Week on Thursday Cartier jewelry of course: The 40-year-old mother-of-three donned a flirty pink-lace corset featuring a scalloped peplum with black slacks and matching Louboutin pumps selected by stylist Petra Flannery Saldana (born Saldana Nazario) wore her signature raven mane sideswept for the jewelry festivities and she contrasted the pink bustier with a mauve pout. Missing from Zoe's side Thursday was her husband of five years - Black and White Stripes producer Marco Perego - and their twin sons Bowie Ezio & Cy Aridio, 3; and son Zen, 21 months. The New Jersey-born beauty will next appear in Tom Donahue's Hollywood gender pay disparity documentary This Changes Everything, which premieres this Friday at the Toronto Film Festival. The Nice for What video vixen made sure to pose with the woman of the hour, Cartier North America CEO Mercedes Abramo, while on the red carpet of Fifth Avenue Mansion. 'Merci Cartier!' Saldana (born Saldana Nazario) wore her signature raven mane sideswept for the jewelry festivities and she contrasted the pink bustier with a mauve pout July 4th family portrait: Missing from Zoe's side Thursday was her husband of five years - Black and White Stripes producer Marco Perego - and their twin sons Bowie Ezio & Cy Aridio, 3; and son Zen, 21 months Laced up: The lingerie look was racy for the half-Dominican, half-Puerto Rican stunner, who doesn't usually opt for boudoir attire on the red carpet Hey girl! The New Jersey-born beauty made sure to pose with the woman of the hour, Cartier North America CEO Mercedes Abramo, while on the red carpet of Fifth Avenue Mansion Also glamming up at the Cartier soiree were Golden Globe nominee Armie Hammer and SAG Award nominee Justin Theroux both looking dapper in their blazers. Golden Globe nominee Lily Collins was the designated lady in red at the bash, taking the plunge in a red embellished, belted mini-dress and matching stilettos. All Eyez on Me actress Kat Graham flaunted her cleavage in a black-lace, puff-sleeved gothic gown and ankle-strap stilettos. Oscar-winning screenwriter Sofia Coppola showcased her eccentric, minimalist style in cheery, colorful floral co-ords and black peep-toe shoes. Sharp-dressed gentlemen: Also glamming up at the Cartier soiree were Golden Globe nominee Armie Hammer (L) and SAG Award nominee Justin Theroux (R) both looking dapper in their blazers Vamp: All Eyez on Me actress Kat Graham flaunted her cleavage in a black-lace, puff-sleeved gothic gown and ankle-strap stilettos Plunging: Golden Globe nominee Lily Collins was the designated lady in red at the bash, taking the plunge in a red embellished, belted mini-dress and matching stilettos (pictured with Cartier CEO, Mercedes Abramo) Cheery: Oscar-winning screenwriter Sofia Coppola showcased her eccentric, minimalist style in colorful floral co-ords and black peep-toe shoes IMG Model Taylor Hill donned a fringed Ralph Lauren frock selected by stylist Rob Zangardi, while designer Nicky Hilton Rothschild showed a lot of leg in a silver sequinned cocktail dress. Project Runway judge Nina Garcia wore a black bodysuit beneath a patterned tuxedo blazer, matching slacks, and peep-toe heels. Suki Waterhouse - who starred in the flop Billionaire Boys Club and Woody Allen's shelved A Rainy Day in New York - wore a single-sleeved creation selected by stylist Alexandra Cronan. Gold and silver: IMG Model Taylor Hill (left) donned a fringed Ralph Lauren frock, designer Nicky Hilton Rothschild (centre) showed a lot of leg in a silver sequinned cocktail dress and Rachel Zoe (right) stunned in a animal print maxi Looking good: The older sister of Paris grinned from ear-to-ear as she joined model Sabina Socol, who accentuated her slender framed in a clingy black gown Basic black: Project Runway judge Nina Garcia wore a black bodysuit beneath a patterned tuxedo blazer, matching slacks, and peep-toe heels Yikes! Suki Waterhouse - who starred in the flop Billionaire Boys Club and Woody Allen's shelved A Rainy Day in New York - wore a single-sleeved creation selected by stylist Alexandra Cronan Radiant: The actress showcased her leggy pins in the thigh-skimming garment, and added to her height in a pair of clear-strapped heels Show-stopper: Model Molly Sims oozed glamour in a silk PJ-style suit, which she tied in with a low-cut bustier He's set to come to Australia in November for his The Thrill of It All world tour. And now it's been revealed that Sam Smith will also perform at this year's Melbourne Cup. The British hit maker, 26, will headline the event and sing two of his hit songs. The Thrill of It All! Sam Smith to take a break from his upcoming Australian tour to perform at the Melbourne Cup 'I am so excited to be playing at the Lexus Melbourne Cup this year,' Sam said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. Sam will be heading to Australia in November and will tour in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Earlier this year, some fans expressed disappointed that he won't be playing shows in Adelaide. 'I am so excited to be playing at the Lexus Melbourne Cup this year,' Sam said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia 'I've never woken up so disappointed,' one wrote on social media at the time. Sam is just the latest in a long line of musical acts who have left Adelaide off their tour list. Also skipping the city of churches recently was superstars Taylor Swift, Sia and Paul McCartney. Paris Hilton has been a fixture in the front-row of fashion shows for years. And the star premiered one of her most daring looks yet during Thursday night's New York Fashion Week show for Jeremy Scott. The hotel heiress, 37, made a statement in chap-inspired pants which revealed her bare hips. Risk-taker: Paris Hilton made waves in a bold Jeremy Scott outfit during Thursday night's NYFW show She teamed the edgy bottoms with a sheer crop top with sassy claw-mark appliques while studded boots and velvet motorcycle gloves tied everything together. Though her shirt was to sheer she needed to wear pasties, it wasn't the most provocative piece of her outfit. Paris' pants showed off parts of her body usually reserved for the beach. Hilton, who is engaged to wed actor Chris Zylka, encountered a minor fashion mishap pants as she posed to reveal a G-string shaped tan line upon the hips. Hippie! The hotel heiress, 37, made a statement in chap-inspired pants which revealed her bare hips Sheer wonder: She teamed the edgy bottoms with a sheer crop top with sassy claw-mark appliques Fashion faux pas: Hilton, who is engaged to wed actor Chris Zylka, encountered a minor fashion mishap pants as she posed to reveal a G-string shaped tan line upon the hips Paris, who was just at Burning Man Festival in Black Rock, Nevada, styled her hair back into a half-up 'do with two small French braids. It was another pop-heavy collection for Scott, who's never been shy of a color or strange silhouette. He included oversized sweater dresses emblazoned with bold catchphrases like 'hyper', 'power, 'peace' and 'shock. Best tressed: Paris, who was just at Burning Man Festival in Black Rock, Nevada, styled her hair back into a half-up 'do with two small French braids Show off: Paris' pants showed off parts of her body usually reserved for the beach Orange camo-print took streetwear trends onto the runway along with hoodies and overalls. The show also featured knee and shin pads on the footwear, attempting a contemporary gladiator vibe. Lace, neons, and straps aplenty also carried the collection. Undercover: Orange camo-print took streetwear trends onto the runway along with hoodies and overalls Billy Dee Williams got a helping hand on Thursday while catching a departing flight at Los Angeles International Airport. The 81-year-old actor was pushed in a wheelchair by a staffer as he made his way through the airport's concourse. Williams kept it simple in all-black ensemble for his travel. Departing flight: Billy Dee Williams was spotted catching a departing flight on Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport He accessorized with sunglasses and also carried a cane. Williams remains best known for his portrayal of Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars film franchise. The character was first introduced in the 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back as an old friend of Han Solo who betrayed him to Darth Vader. Williams again portrayed the character in Return Of The Jedi in 1983 that marked the end of the original trilogy. Fan favorite: The 81-year-old actor remains best know for playing Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise He will again play Calrissian in the upcoming Episode IX due out in December 2019. It will mark one of the longest gaps between appearances of a character by the same actor in US film history. Donald Glover, 34, portrayed a younger Calrissian in the prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story that came out in May. Coming soon: Williams, shown in May at the Los Angeles premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story, will play Calrissian in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX The film directed by Ron Howard also featured Alden Ehrenreich as a younger Han Solo. Star Wars: Episode IX will serve as the third and final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy following The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. J.J. Abrams who directed The Force Awakens will return to direct Episode IX. She's been a prominent star at New York Fashion Week for the last few days. And on Thursday, Australian model Shanina Shaik made the sidewalk her personal catwalk as she delivered a leggy display in a pair of thigh-skimming Daisy Dukes. Attending The Daily Front Row's 6th Annual Media Fashion Awards, the 27 year-old attempted to deflect attention from her stunning stems with an elaborate black military jacket dripping with intricate jewel detail. Legs for days! Shanina Shaik flaunted her endless perfect pins in thigh-skimming Daisy Dukes while attending fashion awards in New York Underneath, the Victoria's Secret beauty kept it simple with a white cropped top which flaunted her rock hard abs and killer physique. With her flowing dark locks cascading past her shoulders, the Melbourne-raised model captivated the waiting photographers as she strutted by in a pair of eye-catching metallic skyscraper stilettos from Stella Luna. Accessorising with a tiny black clutch, Shanina allowed her make-up palette to take centre stage, with dramatic cheekbones, dark eye make-up and a pink lip. Silver siren: With her flowing dark locks cascading past her shoulders, the Melbourne-raised model captivated the waiting photographers as she strutted by in a pair of eye-catching metallic skyscraper stilettos from Stella Luna Inside the Manhattan event, she cut a stunning figure as she stopped for the flashbulbs in a series of effortless, understated poses. She joined many other famously beautiful faces at the star-packed event where guests enjoyed Kim Crawford Wines such as Priyanka Chopra, Ashley Graham, Nicki Minaj, Winnie Harlow, Ashlee Simpson and Karrueche Tran. Meanwhile, the beauty recently opened up about the racism she endured when trying to land her big break. Last month, she told TooFab that she sometimes struggled to find work as a model because of her skin colour and cultural background. Naturally poised: Inside the Manhattan event, the model cut a stunning figure as she stopped for the flashbulbs in a series of effortless, understated poses 'I did find at times that I couldn't book jobs because I didn't fit a certain category of like background or like cultural, like skin colour,' Shanina, 27, said. She added: 'It doesn't happen so often now, for me. But it did happen and it was really hard for me, it does tear you down.' Shanina, who is married to DJ Ruckus, also revealed that she has developed a thicker skin to handle rejection, if she isn't the right 'fit' for the job on offer. 'Sometimes with a client, if they wanted apples and you come in and you're a pear, you're not right for that look or that idea that the designer or the client has with an image for the job,' she said. "AL leaders think that India has no option but to support the AL..." An article by Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, a distinguished fellow at the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, appeared in an international periodical centering around the current situation in Bangladesh's political scenario. The article states that some factors, like the removal of a caretaker government, had a negative impact on the political landscape as most people thought the intention was malafide. The article further states that internal domestic issues have been dealt with haphazardly by the current government -- including the quota reform movement and the students agitation for traffic reforms. Further flashpoints include the authoritarian way the country is being governed, the high levels of corruption and inefficiency present in the administration, and the sustained harassment of political opponents which gives off the image that the current administration is subverting political norms. The article mentions a few positive sides like the fact that the government's action against militant religious extremists and terrorists has been effective. The economy has also done very well under the stewardship of the Hasina government, though rampant corruption and crony capitalism have marred the economic landscape. Further allegations in the article include the packing of every national institution with sympathisers and the removal of anyone in the administration who defies the wishes of the administration. The article states that AL leaders think that India has no option but to support the AL and will not complain about harassment and discrimination against the Hindu minority. We have to admit that the former High Commissioner of India has analysed the political crisis facing the country more objectively than many others in India. It is also a hope sign that some others in India have recently been expressing anxiety about the evolving crisis in politics of Bangladesh. We may not agree with him in all aspects but we have to appreciate that at this crucial time when that nation is totally unsure about the election to be fair, Mr Pinak's article contains valuable suggestions for the government of India not to be blind to the realities in Bangladesh. Mr Pinak was frank and bravely honest when he said about the bad faith over the election time caretaker government: The AL's move to expunge the caretaker government provision, has been seen as designed to give it control over the election process and, therefore, malafide in intent. Ironically, it was the AL which had agitated in the 1990s for a caretaker government for conducting elections and this provision was incorporated in the constitution by the BNP government. Our friendship with and dependence on India should be welcome as long as it is not seen to be against the interest of the people of Bangladesh. No nation with any sense of dignity and freedom can feel comfortable with the reality that their government thinks it can derive it's authority, in the words Mr Pinak, from India as "India's shadow". Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself stated back in 2017 that the BNP government came to power in 2001 with the help of Indian intelligence services as she refused to sell gas to India. For the good of respectable relationship between the two countries India cannot feel happy with the image that it interfere with the internal affairs to the extent that the government of Bangladesh do not have to worry about the public opinion for remaining in power. Discussing the issue of corruption, cronyism and repression of the opposition the former Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh has again so right said; These issues and the India factor will dominate the electoral campaign. The sustained harassment of political opponents has only added to the growing sullenness among sections of the people and a pervasive feeling that the ruling AL government has assiduously subverted democratic norms and institutions. There is growing consensus that if elections are free and fair, the AL will be reduced to an embarrassing minority in the next parliament. Many critics believe that the Hasina government will 'manage' the election. We humbly suggest that we have seen very painfully the results of arrogance of blind politics in power. We are deeply concerned about the way the government is using police power and the language of dire consequences against the opposition in the confidence that election rigging arrangement is foolproof. Newspaper reports are there to confirm that hundreds of innocent people are bring arrested with baseless police cases to create panic before the election. The government most unconstitutionally amended the Constitution to make parliamentary election in an unparliamentary way without dissolving the parliament. AL government's preparation for the election can be compared with the declaration of war against the voters. Awami League is going to hold election remaining in power not to give up power. There is hope if Mr Pinak is right about his assessment; There is, however, a growing feeling in policy circles in India that Hasina's authoritarian impulses and taking India's support for granted would not be in India's interest. The people of Bangladesh is facing a dangerous crisis of an impending civil war. Our appeal to friends abroad is to help us have a free election allowing the people to choose their own government. Violent confrontation between the government and the people is not election. We feel sorry that Prime Minister Hasina is surrounded by some Pakistan time bureaucrats to make her follow development politics of Ayub Khan and not our people's democratic politics. She needs to be rescued. There is no other way for peace in Bangladesh but to arrange free election through politics of compromise. She hails from a family whose name has become a world-renowned brand. And Nicky Hilton swung by a New York Fashion Week party on Thursday in aid of another company named after the tycoon who founded it. The platinum blonde 34-year-old draped her enviably taut figure in a sequined silver dress that hugged her frame at the Cartier Precious Garage Party. Dazzling: Nicky Hilton swung by a New York Fashion Week party on Thursday in aid of another company named after the tycoon who founded it She swept her hair back into a ponytail and upped the glamour factor with a glistening necklace, a jeweled bracelet and a pair of earrings. Caking her face in makeup, the New York City-born Rothschild-by-marriage arced one of her svelte legs from the thigh-slit of her outfit. The mother-of-two, who went to school at the Upper East Side's Convent Of The Sacred Heart, balanced on a glinting silver pair of ankle-strap stilettos. Nicky - whose big sister is socialite, businesswoman and sex tape icon Paris Hilton - has been married since 2015 to James, grandson of the 3rd Baron Rothschild. Swank: The platinum blonde 34-year-old draped her enviably taut figure in a sequined silver dress that hugged her frame at the Cartier Precious Garage Party All that glitters: She swept her hair back into a ponytail and upped the glamour factor with a glistening necklace, a jeweled bracelet and a pair of earrings Girls' night out: The Hilton hotel heiress posed alongside Sabina Socol as they enjoyed the high-profile New York Fashion Week party James and Nicky tied the knot at the Orangery at Kensington Palace, the London home of William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Nottingham Cottage, which is in the grounds of Kensington Palace, is now where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Before getting hitched in Valentino to James, Nicky married her old pal Todd Meister in Las Vegas in 2004, then had the union annulled before the year was out. Split gown: Caking her face in makeup, the New York City-born Rothschild-by-marriage arced one of her svelte legs from the thigh-slit of her outfit Girl about town: After hitting the town at the Cartier bash, headed over to the Dundas New York Fashion Week party Nicky and James welcomed their elder daughter Lily Grace in 2016, and their younger daughter Teddy was born five days before Christmas this past year. Meanwhile, Paris, who has never been married before, is currently engaged to actor Chris Zylka, whom she praised toTMZ in April. Paris and Nicky's mother Kathy was herself a little-known actress until 1979, the year she got hitched to Richard Hilton, by whom she has four children. Silver is the new black: Nicky posed with a friend in a cut out silver dress inside the bash She has been an Angel since 2015. And Sara Sampaio joined a plethora of other current and former Victoria Secret models on Thursday night at the Russell James Angels Book Launch and Exhibit. The 27-year-old beauty showed off her long and sinewy stems in a white Azzaro coat dress that blended classic elegance with modern sophistication. Stunning: Sara Sampaio joined a plethora of other current and former Victoria Secret models on Thursday night at the Russell James Angels Book Launch and Exhibit. The white frock featured a see through gilded mesh section that gave a glittering glimpse at her taut torso. Paired with reflective gold and sliver Christian Louboutin stilettos, the ensemble gave a dreamy twist on the glamour of classic Hollywood. The pulchritudinous portuenses painted her luscious lips a soft, yet powerful pink and her cheekbones shimmered underneath the flashbulbs so brightly that it seemed like they could break a heart. Thin gold hoops dazzled as they hung from her hairs and her chocolate-colored tresses cascaded across her shoulders in soft waves. Gorgeous: The 27-year-old beauty showed off her long and sinewy stems in a white Azzaro coat dress that blended classic elegance with modern sophistication Beauty: The white frock featured a see through gilded mesh section that gave a glittering glimpse at her taut torso Sara joined a slew of other celebrities at the book launch, former Angel Alessandra Ambrosio and current Angels Jasmine Tookes and Romee Strijd. The launch party Thursday plugged a book of Russell James photos for the lingerie brand. It was an event filled with Angels from the past and present, and Sara's ensemble carried a timeless vibe. Angelic: Paired with reflective gold and sliver stilettos, the ensemble gave a dreamy twist on the glamour of classic Hollywood Big night: The pulchritudinous Tripeiro painted her luscious lips a soft, yet powerful pink and her cheekbones shimmered underneath the flashbulbs so brightly that it seemed like they could break a heart Later in the evening, Sara headed to the Kith Park's New York Fashion Week show. She modeled gold and black Greek key trimmed bike shorts, bikini, and puffer jacket from Kith's Versace collab. The new fierce look was a drastic change from the elegance she presented at the book launch, but her ability to stun audiences remained the same. Busy bee: Later in the evening, Sara headed to the Kith Park's New York Fashion Week show Australian model Abbey Lee Kershaw certainly took a walk on the wild side as she stepped out at the Tom Ford Fashion show in New York on Thursday. The blonde beauty displayed her purrfect figure in a red leopard print mini dress as she joined a litany of A-listers at the exclusive runway event. The Mad Max: Fury Road star commanded attention in the thigh-skimming animal print ensemble which showcased her slender stems. Take a walk on the wild side! Australian model Abbey Lee Kershaw (pictured) slips her purrfect figure into a thigh-skimming red leopard print mini dress She added inches to her already statuesque figure by slipping her feet into a pair of bronzed-heeled black pumps. The beauty cemented her sartorial credentials by accessorising her ensemble with oversized hoop earrings. The statement bling drew attention to the blonde star's tousled tresses which fell softly around her flawless visage. Serious stems! The Mad Max: Fury Road star commanded attention in the thigh-skimming animal print ensemble which showcased her slender stems Killer heels: She added inches to her already statuesque figure by slipping into a pair of bronzed-heeled black pumps Blonde-haired beauty: Abbey Lee's tousled tresses fell softly around her flawless visage A-list event: At one stage, Abbey Lee was joined by fellow Aussie actress Elizabeth Debicki (right) who cut a chic silhouette in a sequined black number The successful model worked her best angles for the cameras and in the process gave onlookers a glimpse of her immaculate makeup palette. The blue-eyed beauty made her peepers pop with a dusting of gold shimmering eyeshadow and black winged eyeliner. At one stage, Abbey Lee was joined by fellow Aussie actress Elizabeth Debicki, who cut a chic silhouette in a sequined black number. Abbey Lee - who has walked for the likes of Gucci and Victoria's Secret scored a breakout role in the film Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015. She has since gone on to appear in films including, Gods of Egypt and The Dark Tower. Eye-popping: The blue-eyed beauty (pictured) made her peepers pop with a dusting of gold shimmering eyeshadow and black winged eyeliner Earlier this year, she spoke about gender inequality in Hollywood, claiming there is still 'one female to every 10 men' getting roles. Speaking to The Herald Sun, she said: 'For every script I get, a male actor friend will get five.' 'Every script with a female, there's one female to every 10 men. On top of that, there's the gender pay gap issue that's a huge problem worldwide.' 'In my workplace, I get paid less purely for that fact I am a female,' she continued. Kendall Jenner gave her blessing on Thursday to the engagement of fellow model Hailey Baldwin and Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. The 22-year-old model was asked about their pending nuptials by host Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on The Tonight Show on NBC. 'Whatever makes them happy. I'm friends with both of them,' Kendall said while looking lovely in a long-sleeved Paula Knorr blue top and green trousers. Chat show: Kendall Jenner appeared on The Tonight Show on Thursday to promote Keeping Up With The Kardashians Hailey, 21, and Justin, 24, announced in July that they were engaged to be married. Jimmy, 43, earlier shared an Instagram video of Kendall kicking a bottle off the top of a guy's head during a beach birthday party. She was dubbed 'Kung Fu Kenny' in the video that showed her impressive high-kick. Kendall said that Hailey's 'hidden talent' of opening bottles with her teeth 'makes me so nervous'. Reality star: The 22-year-old reality star wore a blue long-sleeved Paula Knorr top and green trousers 'I yell at her every time. It hurts my teeth,' Kendall said. Kendall added that she gets angry with Hailey when she does it and fears she will break her teeth. The Los Angeles native was on the NBC talk show promoting the current 15th season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Hidden talent: Kendall was teased about her hidden talent of kicking a beer bottle off the top of a guy's head Jimmy pointed out that she's been on the family reality show more this season. 'I'm not always in LA and sadly I'm not always around my family because I'm like traveling or working or whatever,' Kendall said. The top model said she made it a point to be on the show since she's been in Los Angeles more lately, but has managed to stay out of the drama. Famous friends: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin are shown in July in New York City a short time after announcing their engagement 'It's a lot. I don't know how I stay out of it. I don't really care,' she admitted. Kendall said there are multiple group chats within the family, but she was told by her sisters that there are none dedicated to badmouthing her. 'They're probably lying,' Kendall joked. Keeping Up With The Kardashians airs on Sunday on the E! network. She's one of the breakout stars of the current season of The Block. And now Carla Dziwoki has swapped her usual hi-vis vest and helmet for something far more sexy after being photographed away from St Kilda's Gatwick Hotel. After going blonde, the 36-year-old went topless under a tailored white blazer while being styled by a team of professionals for a daring new photoshoot. Scroll down for video 'Blondes have more fun?': The Block's Carla Dziwoki goes topless under blazer as she swaps her usual hi-vis for sexy look in daring photoshoot after going blonde 'Couple of weeks ago I met these incredible ladies,' Carla captioned the picture which showed her posing alongside two stylists. In the photo, Carla's revealing blazer is fasted only at the midriff. The racy look is balanced out with a pair of skinny stone-wash jeans and heels. Carla added: 'I did a photoshoot with @timjohntom that was so far left field of of my comfort zone but I had the best day! Thanks for dressing me up and making me feel like a #bosslady!' A new woman! Carla, 36, swapped her usual hi-vis vest and helmet for something far more sexy after being photographed away from St Kilda's Gatwick Hotel Stunning: Earlier this month, Carla completely mixed up her look by going blonde Earlier this month, Carla completely mixed up her look by going blonde. Alongside a glowing selfie, the beauty wrote: 'Blondes have more fun??!...Let me get back to you on that one!' The star of the renovation show is of course no stranger to the attention that The Block has thrust upon her. Already famous: The star of the renovation show is of course no stranger to the attention that The Block has thrust upon her as a professional netball player Away from her reality TV fame, Carla has had a very successful career as an Australian netball player. Most noticeably she played with the Queensland Firebirds in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy from 2004 to 2007. Her Wikipedia page states she most recently signed with the Melbourne Vixens for the 2015 season. Carla is currently competing on The Block with friend Bianca Chatfield. Cardi B's husband Offset is so impressed by Kim Kardashian's prison reform efforts, he thinks she should be president. The 26-year-old Migos rapper spoke with TMZ on Thursday in New York City, a day after Kim again ventured to Washington, D.C. to address reform in the criminal justice system. The rapper, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, cited his own past times in legal trouble in relaying the importance of Kim's political efforts. Scroll below for video Campaign manager? Offset, 26, said he's so impressed by Kim Kardashian's prison reform efforts, he thinks she should be president. He was snapped in NYC Thursday 'Hey, yeah, I've been through that s***, so it's like, being in there firsthand ... and then being able to have a second chance ... I've been through it, man,' he said. The celebrity advocate was instrumental in springing a 63-year-old woman named Alice Marie Johnson from a life sentence stemming from a 1996 conviction on nonviolent drug charges; she's currently pushing for the release of Clarksville, Tennessee native Chris Young, 30, from a life sentence for a 2013 conviction for nonviolent drug charges. Asked if he believed Kim's efforts could be a sign of bigger things to come for her in the political spectrum, the Migos artist said, 'Kim for president, man.' Offset praised the socialite for making an impact in getting people released from prison 'if they don't need to stay in that motherf****r.' Power couple: The rapper and his wife Cardi B were snapped at New York Fashion Week Thursday White House visit: Ivanka Trump posted a group shot after the meeting Wednesday He continued: 'She deserves to be president - ain't no other president doing that s*** ... helping them folks get out.' The Georgia native added that he was supportive of Kim's efforts to help black people. Trump's deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley confirmed that the Keeping up the Kardashians star sat in on 'a listening session about the clemency process,' with a 'discussion ... mainly focused on ways to improve that process to ensure deserving cases receive a fair review.' Trump's senior adviser and daughter, Ivanka Trump, took to Twitter Wednesday sharing a shot of herself posing with the reality star as well as her husband and fellow adviser Jared Kushner, as well as CNN's Van Jones. 'Great working session today at the White House on ways to improve the clemency process with policy leaders and criminal justice reform advocates,' Ivanka tweeted. Jones had high words of praise for Kim's efforts on the issue, saying on Instagram she's someone who 'does her homework and comes prepared to fight hard. He continued: 'Kim is an incredibly smart, effective, humble and determined advocate - working day in, day out, around the clock to win clemency for individuals who should not be doomed to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.' Her brief stint on this summer's edition of Love Island ended abruptly, after she was unceremoniously dumped by Adam Collard just days after their romance began. But Rosie Williams, 26, showed that she's far removed from the drama that played out before millions of viewers on Wednesday, when she stripped down to white skimpy lingerie for a sultry shoot in Paris. The Welsh beauty looked sensational as she posed up a storm at a terrace bar overlooking a number of the City of Light's most iconic sights including the Eiffel Tower in her embellished barely-there two-piece. Illuminating the city of light: Rosie Williams posed up a storm in skimpy white lingerie during her recent trip to Paris on Wednesday Wearing her chestnut brown tresses in long voluminous waves, which fell beyond her shoulders, she complemented her tanned complexion with a generous application of makeup that included lilac eyeshadow and lipstick. Keeping her accessories to a minimum, the reality star added a touch of sparkle to her eye-catching look with a chunky pair of glittering gold earrings. She was joined by her fashion blogger pal Rachel Ward, who mirrored her look in a contrasting two-piece, which featured high-cut bottoms. A sight to behold: The Welsh beauty looked sensational as she relaxed on a balcony overlooking a number of the City of Light's most iconic sights Contrasting: She was joined by her fashion blogger pal Rachel Ward, who mirrored her look in a contrasting two-piece, which featured high-cut bottoms Snap decision: The stunning pair posed for selfies as they relaxed at the elevated terrace bar Cold beverage: They sipped on large cocktails as they enjoyed a friendly chat in their lingerie Towering: As they posed on the balcony, the Eiffel Tower was seen towering in the background The glamorous twosome sipped on cocktails, looked out over Paris's city skyline and also threw on white fluffy dressing gowns with towels over their hair as they flicked through the pages of Vogue magazine. Last month, Rosie and ex Islander Dean Overson set tongues wagging when they were spotted clambering into a taxi together after reuniting with their co-stars at the Love Island wrap party. Dean even shielded Rosie, who ducked her head, with a balloon as the photogenic pair made a desperate attempt not to be seen. Joined by fellow islander Kendall Rae Knight in the car, the hunk was then spotted wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they sped off to their next destination. Tress-ed to impress: Reality star Rosie wore her chestnut brown tresses in long voluminous waves, which fell beyond her shoulders Beauty: The Love Island beauty complemented her tanned complexion with a generous application of makeup that included lilac eyeshadow and lipstick Scrolling back: The twosome looked delighted as they checked over their selection of selfies It's all in the details: Keeping her accessories to a minimum, Rosie added a touch of sparkle to her eye-catching look with a chunky pair of glittering gold earrings Dumped: Her brief stint on this summer's edition of Love Island ended abruptly, after she was unceremoniously dumped by Adam Collard just days after their romance began Rosie and Dean seemingly hit it off at the bash, having never crossed paths in the Love Island villa. The Welsh beauty was dumped from the island in June, after her partner Adam Collard ditched her for Zara McDermott. Dean then arrived as part of a big twist the following week - with six new hunks descending on the villa, while six new girls joined the original boys in Casa Amor. Over it: Rosie appeared to be over her failed romance with Adam almost as soon as she returned to the UK from the famed Mallorca villa Setting tongues wagging: Last month, Rosie and ex Islander Dean Overson set tongues wagging when they were spotted getting a taxi together following the Love Island wrap party Social: Rosie has enjoyed the London social circuit since her Love Island stint came to an end Despite her early departure from the ITV2 series, Rosie has made no secret of the success she has experienced since. The brunette gave up her career as a solicitor to take part in the show, but recently revealed she has no regrets about her decision, as she is making far more money from personal appearances and Instagram endorsements. Appearing on Radio 5 Live last month, Rosie said: 'For me I went from a job that I studied eight years to achieve to doing this. 'I feel like the legal profession is struggling at the moment. I've made my year earnings in a month, let's just say that, doing this.' Under wraps: During her shoot, the TV star also threw on a fluffy white bathrobe and slippers Sunglasses: The pair further glammed up their looks with ever-fashionable cat eye sunglasses Magazine: They flicked through the pages of fashion magazines as they sat together at the bar Sensational: Rosie and her pal wowed as they commanded attention during their sultry shoot Gold: She added a further touch of sparkle to her look by sporting a pair of large gold earrings She has seen immeasurable success since bursting out on the scene on America's Next Top Model in 2014. And Winnie Harlow was named as the Breakthrough Model Of The Year at Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards held at the Park Hyatt in New York on Thursday night. The Canadian model, 24, was handed the prestigious award by her friend, rapper Nicki Minaj, for all her achievements over the last 12 months and took to Instagram to thank her pal for being there. Winner: Winnie Harlow was named as the Breakthrough Model Of The Year at Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards held at the Park Hyatt in New York on Thursday night Winnie shared a photograph of them together, she captioned it with: 'Wow.. I cant believe you did this. @NickiMinaj you came all the way to NYC to present me with BreakThrough Model of the Year award at @DailyFrontRow. 'The accomplishment in itself is breath taking to me! But to have someone Ive looked up to for soooo long and now call my friend present this iconic award to me.. Im crying right now writing this. You know i love you. .' Winnie showed off her statuesque frame in the slinky silver dress which flashed snippets of her figure with it's extensive side cut-out detailing. Eyes on her!: The Canadian model, 24, was handed the prestigious award by her friend, rapper Nicki Minaj, for all her achievements over the last 12 months Stunning: Winnie showed off her statuesque frame in the slinky silver dress which flashed snippets of her figure with it's extensive side cut-out detailing Standing tall in a pair of towering heels, Winnie looked sensational as she worked her angles. The catwalk queen sported long glossy raven tresses, which complemented her stunning features. Reaping the rewards of her hard work, Winnie looked undoubtedly delighted as she headed up on stage to collect her Breakthrough Model award. Model stardom: Standing tall in a pair of towering heels, Winnie looked sensational as she worked her angles Winnie once again justified her lofty position as one of the worlds most sought after models as she strode the runway at a New York Fashion Week event hours earlier The Canadian star sported a thigh-skimming sheer dress that left little to the imagination as she walked the catwalk on behalf of Australian brand Nany Judy. Fully exposing her lingerie, the outfit guaranteed maximum attention from guests at New York Citys Gallery II at Spring Studios. Striking: The catwalk queen sported long glossy raven tresses, which complemented her stunning features as she posed with pal Nicki Minaj Gal pals: Nicki put on a saucy display in a deep purple semi-sheer gown which had frayed and beaded detailing Her time to shine: Winnie couldn't wipe the smile from her face Loving life: All eyes were on Winnie as she strutted along in style to the venue Not raining on her parade: In the rain didn't deter Winnie for the bash as a member of her team held an umbrella over her head Proud: Winnie couldn't resist showing off her Breakthrough Model fashion spread A cropped silver jacket gave the look a distinctive flourish, while black leather ankle boots rounded things off. Keeping things simple, Winnie opted to style her hair with a conventional centre parting that served to frame her naturally pretty face. She joined many other famously beautiful faces at the star-packed event where guests enjoyed Kim Crawford Wines such as Priyanka Chopra, Ashley Graham, Shanina Shaik, Ashlee Simpson and Karrueche Tran. The star found fame on America's Next Top Model in 2014, where she was kicked out in the second week of finals, before returning to a comeback series where she finished 6th. Here she comes: Winnie once again justified her lofty position as one of the worlds most sought after models as she strode the runway at a New York Fashion Week event hours earlier Revealing: The star sported a thigh-skimming sheer dress that left little to the imagination as she walked the catwalk on behalf of Australian brand Nany Judy Since then she has soared to fame in the industry and fronted campaigns for Desigual, Diesel and Swarovski atop a host of magazine covers. Winnie - who has Vitiligo - discussed the changes in the modelling industry in an interview with ELLE Magazine. She explained: 'There is a big shift happening in the fashion industry in terms of beauty standards, and I feel Im part of that shift. Centre stage: Fully exposing her lingerie, the outfit guaranteed maximum attention from guests at New York Citys Gallery II at Spring Studios 'I remember on Americas Next Top Model, Tyra Banks asked me if a photographer told me to cover my skin for a shoot, would I do it? I said no. I dont care who it is, or who thinks I should. Im going to stay true to myself.' She also lashed out at being branded 'a sufferer' of pigment disease Vitiligo. Taking to Instagra, she wrote: "I'm not a 'Vitiligo Sufferer" I'm not a 'Vitiligo model.' I am Winnie. I am a model. And I happen to have Vitiligo. Stop putting these titles on me or anyone else.' Gemma Collins was branded 'lazy, rude and disrespectful' by Celebrity Masterchef viewers when she appeared on the show on Thursday night. The TOWIE star, 37, drove fans wild as she ordered professional chefs around, doing as little as possible for herself, claiming: 'I need to be the boss,' But others tweeted that they found her antics compelling, writing that were chuckling over her behaviour as she ruled the roost on the popular cookery show. Scroll down for video. Oh dear: Gemma Collins was branded 'lazy, rude, and disrespectful' by Celebrity Masterchef viewers on Thursday night's show... as others said they LOVE her 'bossy' behaviour Talking to one of the professional chefs, Gemma said: 'Do you want to put that in the oven for me hun'? Ooh, someone get me fish out!' she demanded. She then revealed that she felt completely at ease in the heat of the moment, admitting: 'I feel like I've got this right under control in the kitchen now.' 'I think if I worked in a kitchen I'd need to be like where this man's standing' explained the blonde bombshell, as she pointed at the head chef, before turning behind her and impatiently requesting: 'The fish, the fish!' Always first: The TOWIE star was the first celebrity to use the chance of working in an exclusive London restaurant by getting the kitchen staff to do her job for her Bossy: 'Do you want to put that in the oven for me hun'? Ooh, someone get me fish out!' she demanded Easy: Gemma then revealed that she felt completely at ease in the heat of the moment, admitting: 'I feel like I've got this right under control in the kitchen now' One fan of the show tweeted: 'What is the actual point of @missgemcollins? So rude and disrespectful in the pro kitchen. #CelebrityMasterChef.' '#celebritymasterchef Typical Gemma Collins BS... 'do this for me. do that for me' lazy b***h,' slammed another. Someone else fumed: 'My goodnesss @missgemcollins is a lazy f**ker - giving her orders in the kitchen because she can't cope - GET OFF OUR TV SCREENS YOU TALENTLESS NOTHING!! #MasterChefUK #CelebrityMasterchef.' The boss: Gemma admitted: 'I think if I worked in a kitchen I'd need to be like where this man's standing,' as she pointed at the head chef Furious: Celebrity MasterChef viewers immediately took to Twitter in their droves to express their fury over her treatment of the professional kitchen staff And, in true 'GC' style, the reality star didn't fail to deliver a range of perfect TV soundbites and shockingly awful culinary concoctions. 'Who knows? I could be the next Nigella!' suggested Gemma, despite her 'chick pea stew,' her crab-meat-filled mango, and her meal of chicken thighs served with an omelette, not wowing the judges by any stretch of the imagination. And so, while many were horrified with Gemma's feisty display, others found the reality star's appearance on the BBC cooking show nothing short of hilarious. Can't cook won't cook: In true 'GC' style, the reality star didn't fail to deliver a range of perfect TV soundbites and shockingly awful culinary concoctions Funny: While many were horrified with Gemma's feisty display, others found the reality star's appearance on the BBC cooking show nothing short of hilarious Other fans of the show couldn't contain themselves, with one person tweeting: 'Gemma Collins on masterchef is everything I wanted and more.' Another viewer wrote: 'Whoever signed up @missgemcollins to #CelebrityMasterchef I salute you. I'm obsessed. Put that in the oven for me hun x.' And a third reasoned: 'You may all dislike Gemma Collins but my God, you're all tweeting about her. I wouldn't want her around me in real life but she did make me chuckle. Too lazy to get her own fish. #CelebrityMasterchef.' Celebrity MasterChef continues tonight at 8pm on BBC One. Robbie Williams and Ayda Field have welcomed a 'very special secret' baby girl via an 'incredible' surrogate. The X Factor co-judges announced the arrival of Colette Josephine Williams, to be known as Coco, via Ayda's Instagram page on Friday morning, while detailing their 'long and difficult' path to a third child in a heartfelt post. Sharing a black and white image of the family's hands in one frame, Ayda, 39, and Robbie, 44 - who are parents to daughter Teddy, five, and son Charlie, three - said they will be 'eternally grateful' to their surrogate. Happy news: Ayda Field and Robbie Williams took to Instagram on Friday to announce they have had secretly welcomed a daughter told Colette Josephine via surrogate Shock news: The couple shared this black and white image of all the family's hands in one frame, writing: 'I spy with my little eye an extra little hand' A lovely thing to say: Ayda accompanied the picture with a sweet caption which explained how full of joy the family are Ayda wrote: 'I spy with my little eye an extra little hand. So we have been keeping a very special secret! We are delighted to share with you that we have had a baby girl. welcome to the world Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams!! 'It has been a very long and difficult path to get here, which is why we have kept it on the down low. 'Family comes in all forms, and this little lady, who is biologically ours, was carried by an incredible surrogate mother, to whom we will be eternally grateful.' She continued: 'We are over the moon to have this beautiful baby girl in our lives and so blessed that we live in a world which makes this possible. 'As with Teddy and Charlie, we ask that you respect Cocos privacy and allow us to grow into our new team of 5!' In love: The couple are also parents to Theodora Rose Williams, five and Charlton Valentine Williams, three HOW COMMON IS SURROGACY IN THE UK? Surrogacy is becoming more common in the UK - with legal applications relating to surrogacy having risen six-fold in ten years. In 2007, there were only 55 parental order applications in England - the process where legal parenthood is transferred from the surrogate to the intended parents. This rose to 316 in 2016. The Department of Health and Social Care has said the rise reflects a 'broadening diversity of families, with more LGTBQ+ couples and people with fertility difficulties turning to surrogacy'. Some hospitals have insisted surrogates hand over their baby to intended parents in hospital car parks - for fear the hospitals could be caught up in legal disputes over the parenting rights of the child. But DoH guidance states 'there is no reason why the "hand over" of the baby to the intended parents should take place outside hospital premises and hospital staff should not suggest this'. Advertisement The news comes as a complete surprise as it was unknown that the couple were on this journey. Ayda and Robbie are already parents to Theodora Rose Williams, five and Charlton Valentine Williams, three. In May, a source told Metro that they wanted more children. They said: 'Ayda and Robbie couldnt be happier with their private life but feel one more baby would complete their family. Theyre hoping it will happen for them soon, but its tough for them to spend lots of time together as sometimes they spend weeks apart. 'But its top of their agenda when they do get time off from their hectic schedules. It's a busy time for them as they are both judges on the new series of X Factor, so no doubt they will have their hands full. They are said to have signed a 10 million deal to take part in this series. Robbie famously referred to the experience of watching Ayda give birth to their son Charlie, as being like 'watching his favourite pub burning down.' Surrogacy is becoming more common in the UK - with legal applications relating to surrogacy having risen six-fold in ten years. Multi-tasking: It's a busy time for them as they are both judges on the new series of X Factor, so no doubt they will have their hands full Four years ago Robbie let the whole world share in his wife's labour. In fact, Robbie live-tweeted footage of legs in stirrups, feet in red glittering stilettos gyrating as Ayda joked and laughed her way through the birth. She found it hilarious though, writing: I thought the idea was genius. It took my mind off everything especially the pain. And Ayda later admitted it was her idea to document the birth of the couple's second child through a series of bizarre social media videos, which went viral online. The US star was speaking about her child birth experiences on Loose Women, when she revealed she encouraged her fun-loving husband to 'goof around' in order to distract her from the pain. Fun loving pair: Ayda Field has admitted it was her idea to document the birth of her and husband Robbie Williams' second child Charlie through a series of bizarre social media videos which went viral back in 2014 The birth of Robbie and Ayda's son Charlie was caught on camera as the former Take That star posted a string of bizarre videos and pictures showing him in hospital in LA with his wife. Explaining that many people didn't believe she was actually in labour when the videos and snaps were shared online, the actress insisted: 'I was genuinely giving birth, I have to say for poor Rob he took a lot of flak but it was my idea.' 'We didnt set out to do it, it started out as me putting my heels on as a joke, I put them in the stirrups and he asked to tweet it.' The pic that started it all: 'We didnt set out to do it, it started out as me putting my heels on as a joke, I put them in the stirrups and he asked to tweet it,' Ayda explained 'When Ayda goes into labour she comes correct,' the funnyman wrote alongside the snap at the time. Robbie went onto share videos showing the pair of them dancing in their hospital room as well as him singing his hits as Ayda had contractions. 'It was 3 in the morning, a 17 hour labour. It kept me distracted, we were coming up with all sorts of funny bits,' Ayda told her Loose Women colleagues. 'Its our sense of humour, were goofy. But I didnt think about it going viral. About an hour after the birth some lady passed by us and said "oh my god, those videos are so funny!". Then a cleaner told us shed seen us on Spanish TV that morning and another said we were on Good Morning America and I went "babe what happened?"' No idea: 'Its our sense of humour, were goofy. But I didnt think about it going viral,' Ayda added In 2014, Robbie told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: 'I'm hooked on anything that takes my mind off me. 'It used to be food, drugs, sex, the internet, smoking or TV. Now it's my daughter.' He said: 'I'm in a content stage of my life. That's because I'm married with a kid. I'm less reckless. I thought it was all about the cars and the clothes, the girls and the house. But none of that is for me. 'With a baby girl there's a point to it other than my own ego. I'm now tethered to the planet.' The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. It has been six years since they blissfully tied the knot. And Sam Taylor-Johnson, 51, and her husband Aaron, 28, looked stronger than ever as they attended the Outlaw King premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday. The filmmaker cut an incredibly glamorous figure as she cosied up to her suited and booted other half while storming the red carpet. Lovebirds: Sam Taylor-Johnson, 51, in Gucci and her husband Aaron, 28, wearing Givenchy, attended the Outlaw King premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday Sam's light-coloured dress was almost Western in style with it's midriff-cinching design of large stars. The number plunged down to middle to tease at her cleavage and she completed the regal look with tousled side-parted locks. Aaron looked undeniably handsome in a shiny black suit which he teamed with a crisp white shirt and a black bow-tie. Sensational pair: The filmmaker cut an incredibly glamorous figure as she cosied up to her suited and booted other half while storming the red carpet The screen star first met wife Sam in 2009 as she was the director of the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, in which he starred. He, at the time, was 19, and she over twice his age at 42, but they proved love knows no age restriction as they got engaged that year and married in 2012 at Babington House in Somerset. The lovebirds raise their two young children, seven-year-old Wylda Rae and five-year-old Romy, together at their glamorous home. Sam is also mother to 20-year-old Angelica and 12-year-old Jessie from her first marriage to Jay Jopling. Smitten: Aaron first met wife Sam in 2009 as she was the director of the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, in which he starred (Pictured 2013) Love: He, at the time, was 19, and she was 42, but they proved love knows no age restriction as they got engaged that year and married in 2012 at Babington House, Somerset The mother-of-four was married to the art dealer in 1997 but they decided to go their separate ways for good in 2008. Sam moved on her heartache with Aaron and the filmmaker defiantly defended her choice to marry a man 23 years her junior in June 2017. 'If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage,' she told The Hollywood Reporter. 'People like to talk about it. I'm like, "Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage". It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages.' Romy Poulier hasn't wasted any time in moving on since leaving The Bachelor. In an interview with hit105's Stav, Abby & Matt on Friday, the blonde bombshell claimed she had already been on a few dates since exiting the hit show. Romy, one of the infamous 'mean girls', confessed: 'I'm dating, but I'm not in a relationship.' Scroll down for audio Single and ready to mingle... Romy Poulier hasn't wasted any time in moving on since leaving The Bachelor, admitting she's currently 'dating' The 29-year-old's candid admission came after she was apparently spotted with a mystery hunk in Brisbane recently. 'I may have been having a few cocktails with some friends and chatting to one of my friends who happened to be a boy,' she said somewhat cryptically. Romy then said she couldn't actually remember if it had been a date, but it quite possibly was. Although she lives in Sydney now, the blonde beauty admitted she regularly returns home to Brisbane to visit her dad. Keeping it casual... Although she's been spotted out with different men, Romy maintains she's not in a relationship And just in case Romy wasn't telling the whole truth about her relationship status, hosts Stav Davidson, Abby Coleman and Matt Acton enlisted the help of behavioural expert Simon Rea. When asked for his thoughts on what Romy had told them, Simon said he believed she wasn't currently in a relationship, but was 'quite interested' in the guy she was seen talking to. This prompted Romy to say he was 'spot on' in his assessment. Moving on: The blonde bombshell doesn't appear to have spent any time pining after The Bachelor's Nick Cummins since leaving the show But the mystery man with the cocktail isn't the only guy Romy has set her sights on since leaving the Bachelor mansion. 'There's a couple,' she admitted. While she clearly didn't want to give too much away, it's safe to say Romy hasn't exactly been pining over Nick Cummins. He's the lovable patriarch who stars with his wife and two kids on Googlebox Australia. But when he's not kicking back on the couch, Matt Dalton is a high-powered healthcare company director with some surprising connections. On Thursday night's episode of the reality show, the 52-year-old revealed he went to high school with Labor leader Bill Shorten, 51, and recalled his surprising impressions of the politician. Scroll down for video What a small world! Googlebox's Matt Dalton (left) reveals he went to high school with Labor leader Bill Shorten (right) back in the mid 1980s Matt told his wife, Kate, and daughters, Holly and Millie: 'I went to school with Bill Shorten, as you know and he was really quiet and unassuming.' 'If ever I was going to guess someone who was going to end up being a Prime Minister, I wouldn't have thought Bill Shorten.' Both Matt and Bill attended Xavier College, a private Jesuit college located in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. 'He was really quiet and unassuming': Matt told his family he's suprised that Bill could be Australia's next Prime Minister Described as 'the best-connected school in Melbourne', its alumni includes two former Deputy Prime Ministers, a former Premier and several Supreme Court Justices. Today, tutition at the all-boys school tops out at a $28,450, but both Matt and Bill graduated in the mid 1980s. It seems the two weren't close in high-school, and it's unclear whether business-minded Matt share's Bill's left-wing leanings. Family favourites: Matt is a lovable patriarch on Gogglebox, but off the show he's a high-powered healthcare company executive educated at one of Melbourne's top schools Meanwhile, other Googlebox stars didn't hold back when giving their assessment on the state of Australian politics during Thursday night's episode. Art collector Di Kershaw claimed that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has 'a very unfortunate face', while mum-of-six Stacey Jackson had a suggestion for the current government. 'Just bring back John Howard!' she demanded. 'Just bring him back!' She recently revealed that she's gone sober for the month of September. And Susanna Reid, 47, hasn't let her alcohol ban stop her from having fun as she put her best fashion foot forward while attending the launch of Derek Draper's new book Create Space at The IOD Pall Mall London on Thursday night. The Good Morning Britain host looked sensational in an emerald green python print midi dress as she hung out with pals Fiona Phillips and Kate Garraway at the star-studded event. Having a ball: Susanna Reid, 47, hasn't let her alcohol ban stop her from having fun as she put her best fashion foot forward while attending the launch of Derek Draper's new book Create Space at The IOD Pall Mall London on Thursday night Beaming for the cameras, the ITV darling's look accentuated her slender waist with a fabric belt, which she tied into a bow. Susanna continued to wow the style brigade in her chic number which featured a semi-sheer sleeve and fell just just below her knee. She added inches to her petite frame with a pair of nude pointed pumps and gold watch. The broadcaster continued her glamorous display by styling her brunette locks into a voluminous curl and sported a glowing beauty look. Star power: The Good Morning Britain host looked sensational in an emerald green python print midi dress as she hung out with pals Fiona Phillips and Kate Garraway at the star-studded event Wrapped up: Beaming for the cameras, the ITV darling's look accentuated her slender waist with a fabric belt, which she tied into a bow Figuratively letting her hair down, Susanna happily took a number of selfies with her pals Kate, 51, and Fiona, 57. Fellow GMB host Kate looked equally demure for the occasion and donned a navy ensemble with gold button detail. While Fiona looked effortlessly stylish in a black two-piece suit and white shirt. Meanwhile, Susanna's smiling appearance comes after she revealed she's gone 'sober for the month of September'. Fashion: Susanna continued to wow the style brigade in her chic number which featured a semi-sheer sleeve and fell just just below her knee Glowing: The broadcaster continued her glamorous display by styling her brunette locks into a voluminous curl and sported a glowing beauty look All smiles: The trio looked in jovial spirits at the party Revealing the secret to her bright-eyed appearance on Thursday's Good Morning Britain after the star-studded bash, the journalist explained: 'I am sober for September. Is that a thing?' Susanna announced her new booze-free plan to co-hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway after Kate asked: 'Feeling alright this morning?' Expanding on her plan, Susanna said: 'I've decided no alcohol for the entire month,' before jokingly adding: 'I decided that last night.' All in the details: She added inches to her petite frame with a pair of nude pointed pumps and gold watch Picture perfect: Figuratively letting her hair down, Susanna happily took a number of selfies with her pals Kate, 51, and Fiona, 57 Laugh a minute: The trio couldn't contain their laughter looking at their picture Susanna's month-long alcohol abstinence comes after she looked typically glamorous on Wednesday evening, as she attended the event, held at the Tate Modern in London. The TV star turned heads as she hit the red carpet in a one-shoulder coral dress with a chic asymmetric hemline. The TV presenter left BBC Breakfast to launch ITV's new early-morning show four years ago, following failed attempts from other hosts to revive the ratings. Going for gold: Fellow GMB host Kate looked equally demure for the occasion and donned a navy ensemble with gold button detail Style maven: While Fiona looked effortlessly stylish in a black two-piece suit and white shirt Susanna revealed in June that she wasn't always so sure about her controversial co-star, Piers Morgan, who was drafted in to the show in 2015. She admitted to Radio Times that she she wasn't exactly 'filled with hope' when she heard that Piers's would be joining the team a year later. She confessed that rather than thinking 'Aww, what a lovely safe choice. Oh, my life's going to be easy from now on. Brilliant.' I was like... Argh!' Despite forging an authentic friendship following their time on air together, Susanna joked that sharing the sofa with Piers felt like 'sitting next to a hedgehog.' They've been dating for 16 years and Bo Derek and her Sex And The City beau, John Corbett, headed to a White Party on Thursday night. The 61-year-old actress and her man, 57, looked very well co-ordinated in their matching bright white ensembles as they posed for pictures by a boat. They were heading to a Celebrity Fight night party together, benefitting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center held at the foot of The Church of St. Peter, Porto Venere, Italy. Well-matched: Bo Derek, 61, and her Sex And The City beau John Corbett, 57, headed to a White Party for a Celebrity Fight Night event in Italy Bo, famous for her role in 10, looked incredible wearing a white top with lace detailing with a pair of matching jeans. She carried a metallic tote in her hand which perfectly matched the bronze shade of her summery wedges. A smart sunhat made sure she didn't get too much sun and she carried a pair of designer shades in her hand. They've got the look: Bo, famous for her role in 10, looked incredible wearing a white top with lace detailing with a pair of matching jeans John, best known for playing Carrie Bradshaw's love interest, Aidan Shaw, in the famous HBO series, teamed a fitted white shirt with slim-fit trousers. He even wore bright white shoes and a pair of sunglasses. The couple appeared to be in high spirits on the day as they posed with the arms around one another. All in the details: A smart sunhat added some further style to her ensemble She likes the look: Bo pictured in 1981, pictured in a similar look Their romance followed her marriage to American actor John Derek, who was 30 years her senior. The couple tied the knot in 1976, marking Derek's fourth marriage, and the lovebirds remained wed until his death in 1998. Bo and John started seeing each other when she was just 16 and he was 50 as they shot a film called And Once Upon a Time in 1973. In 2016, Corbett gave Inquirer.net an insight about his relaxed life with Bo. He said: 'We live up past Santa Barbara in California. We have a nice little ranch. We ride horses. 'We dont have children, but we have furry childrenGerman shepherds and Irish wolfhounds. 'The weathers always pretty nice where we live, so I ride motorcycles with Bos brother-in-law, Mike. We play guitars. Its a fun life.' A look back: John is perhaps best known for playing Carrie Bradshaw's love interest, Aidan Shaw in Sex And The City As well as enjoying an enduring career as a lauded actress, she's also known to support a large number of philanthropic causes. And Kate Winslet stepped out in the name of charity once again on Friday, when she attended the London launch of Words for Work: Women in Leadership, a partnership between National Literacy Trust and Lancome. The 42-year-old actress looked typically chic for the occasion, which has been launched ahead of Saturday's International Literacy Day, arriving at the gathering in a sleeveless blue dress. Stepping out: Kate Winslet attended the launch of Words for Work: Women in Leadership, a partnership between National Literacy Trust and Lancome, in London on Friday Wearing her golden locks in perfectly coiffed shoulder-length waves, the Oscar-winning actress highlighted her natural beauty with makeup that included an array of soft and flattering tones. Standing tall in a pair of black heels, she accessorised with a gold necklace and a selection of matching bracelets, which perfectly complemented her chic ensemble. Inside the event, Lancome ambassadress Kate spoke in support of the Words for Work: Women in Leadership programme, which aims to break down the barriers to success for disadvantaged women by improving their literacy skills and confidence. Typically chic: The 42-year-old actress looked typically chic for the occasion, arriving at the gathering a sleeveless blue dress Her outing comes two months after Sir Richard Branson joyfully discussed her six-year marriage to his nephew Ned Rocknroll. Speaking on ITV's Lorraine, the businessman, 68, recalled a devastating fire at his private isle Necker Island in August 2011, before revealing his actress pal Kate 'stayed on a couple of days' and eventually fell in love with his nephew, Ned. The Titanic star has been happily married to Ned since 2012, after the pair got to know each other on the holiday where she saved his 90-year-old grandmother from a fire. Kate had fallen for the nephew of Sir Richard during her trip to Necker, despite arriving on the island with her on-off boyfriend model Louis Dowler. At the event, she posed alongside (L-R) Fiona Evans, of the National Literacy Trust, author Chidera Eggerue, aka The Slumflower, and Francoise Lehmann of Lancome Two's company: Kate looked in excellent spirits as she posed alongside Chidera Eggerue Speech: The Lancome ambassadress spoke in support of the launch, which aims to break down the barriers for disadvantaged women by improving their literacy skills and confidence Speaking of the turn of events, Richard gushed about Kate: 'She fell in love. Because of the fire she stayed on an extra couple of days to help out and fell in love with my nephew and got a beautiful child by it.' He continued to detail the devastating incident: 'She managed to get my mum out of the building and all her own children. We had the hurricane, which was the most devastating hurricane in history. 'Were lucky, we can rebuild and weve got help in the Caribbean as a whole. Its getting back on its feet,' he revealed. Love and marriage: The Oscar-winning actress has been married to Ned Rocknroll since 2012 Sharing details: In July, Ned's uncle Sir Richard Branson spoke with Lorraine Kelly on her eponymous show about the couple's romance Richard also discussed his shocking 76 near death experiences, confessing: 'I cant say no I just love a challenge, so if someone says lets see if we can fly around the world in a hot air balloon, I say, "Im in for it!". 'Life has been the richer for it. There have been occasions where Ive been dangling from a balloon at 35,000 feet where everything gone wrong, wondering why no Id be a very sad person if I had any regrets,' he concluded. Mother-of-three Kate welcomed son Bear, now aged four, with Ned back in 2013. As well as starring in Hollywood's chart-topping films, the blonde beauty is also mother to Mia, 17, from her marriage to Jim Threapleton, and Joe, 14, from her previous relationship with director Sam Mendes. First meeting: The couple met on Sir Richard's private Necker Island in the Caribbean in 2011 Turn of events: Kate had fallen for the nephew of Sir Richard during thetrip to Necker, despite arriving on the island with her on-off boyfriend model Louis Dowler It's one of the most polarising issues facing Australia, and a new SBS program will tackle it head on. In the upcoming Go Back To Where You Came From, a group of Aussies, including celebrities Meshel Laurie, 42, and Gretel Killeen, will experience life as a refugee. Hosted by respected journalists Ray Martin and Janice Petersen, the three-part series will see the show's participants witness the crisis firsthand. Scroll down for video From the other side... Meshel Laurie (left) and Gretel Killeen (right) will experience what it's like to be a refugee in the new program, Go Back to Where You Came From Live The participants all have differing views on the refugee crisis and are dispatched to different parts of the world. Once in their respective locations, they will report back on their experiences as they unfold over three nights from October 2 to 4. 'Australian audiences will follow events live from conflict hotspots and frontlines across multiple continents, witnessing the complexity of mass human migration and its ripple effects in 2018,' SBS said in a press release. Calling the project their most 'ambitious television event to date', SBS is likely to challenge many people's views on the refugee crisis - including those of many of the participants. 'The participants, each with pre-conceived ideas about refugees, will glimpse the reality of life in disputed territories, at border crossings and inside refugee camps,' the network said in a press release. Close up: The three-part series will see the show's participants dispatched to different parts of the world, where they will witness the crisis firsthand 'They will get a first-hand experience of the global refugee crisis beyond the headlines, protests and policies, and opinions from all sides of the debate will be challenged.' SBS has said they'll be announcing more participants in the coming weeks, but the first line-up blends high profile personalities with everyday Australians. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Gretel, 55, announced her involvement in the program, describing herself as an 'opinionated Australian'. Coming soon: Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Gretel announced her involvement in the program, describing herself as an 'opinionated Australian' According to SBS, she thinks 'Australias treatment of refugees is barbaric'. 'Hi all - wanted to let you know that as an opinionated Australian Im joining the #GoBackLive team to broadcast Go Back To Where You Came from live from overseas,' she wrote on Instagram. 'I dont know where yet, stay tuned.' It was recently reported that she is planning to give away part of her reported 31 million divorce settlement from Ant McPartlin to a dog charity. But Lisa Armstrong stayed mum on the matter on Friday morning, when she was spotted leaving her London home as she stepped out for another busy day of work. The 41-year-old makeup artist turned heads in an all-black ensemble that included a mesh longline sweater, which she teamed with a matching leather miniskirt. Off to work she goes: Lisa Armstrong was spotted leaving her London home as she stepped out for another busy day of work on Friday morning Wearing her dyed purple locks in a sleek bob, she kept her makeup and accessories to a minimum, while hiding her eyes behind a pair of tortoise shell-framed shades. Complementing her flattering ensemble with tan suede booties and a large peach leather handbag, she marched her way into a waiting vehicle to go about her day. The Strictly Come Dancing makeup artist's outing comes as it has been claimed that she plans to part with some of her 31 million divorce settlement from Ant to give to a dog charity. Black to basics: The 41-year-old makeup artist turned heads in an all-black ensemble that included a mesh longline sweater, which she teamed with a matching leather miniskirt Accessories: Wearing her dyed purple locks in a sleek bob, she kept her makeup and accessories to a minimum, while hiding her eyes behind a pair of tortoise shell-framed shades Sources told The Mirror that Lisa who shares beloved pooch Hurley with Ant is said to want to help those four-legged friends who need looking after. An insider explained: 'It's pretty likely that Lisa is going to get a hefty payment when her divorce with Ant is finalised. She has told pals she wants to give a large chunk of that money to a dog charity. 'She is very passionate about her four-legged pals and really wants to help improve some of their lives around the country.' Ant has recently returned from a holiday to Florence with new girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett and the two have been pictured cuddling up to one another. Staying hydrated: She carried a bottle of water as she made her way through the city streets Vehicle: Complementing her flattering ensemble with tan suede booties and a large peach leather handbag, she marched her way into a waiting vehicle to go about her day Meanwhile, Lisa has taken to social media to 'like' tweets about him being 'pathetic' and 'despicable'. Lisa also replied to a photo from her best friend and former Deuce star, Craig Robert Young, who shared a quote which said 'those people who tried to bury you didn't know you were a seed,' to which she replied with three red hearts. Lisa admitted that Ant did not give her a heads up about his relationship with Anne-Marie and he found out at the same time as the public. Ant announced he had split from Lisa in a statement back in January following 12 years of marriage, but Lisa refused to put her name to it. Flashback: In the early hours of Friday morning, she took to her Instagram Story to share an old shot of herself posing with another makeup artist She's the daughter of fiery Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna. But Delilah Belle Hamlin ensured all eyes were on her as she stepped out in a striking neon yellow ensemble to attend a series of New York Fashion Week parties on Thursday night. The rising model, 20, showed off her sensational figure in the bold two-piece which clung to her frame. Party girl: Delilah Belle Hamlin ensured all eyes were on her as she stepped out in a striking neon yellow ensemble to attend a series of New York Fashion Week parties on Thursday The social media sensation took centre-stage as she arrived at a launch party for photographer Russell James' coffee table book Angels Collectors Edition at Stephan Weiss Studio. Before long, Delilah dashed to the Daily Front Row's 2018 Fashion Media Awards held at the Park Hyatt in Manhattan. At both events, all eyes were on the stunning beauty as she confidently posed for photographs in her colourful outfit. Delilah made a style statement in a pair of heavily sequinned trousers which were noticeably too long for the 5'6" beauty, despite boosting her height with a pair of nude skyscraper heels. Work it: The rising model, 20, showed off her sensational figure in the bold two-piece which clung to her slim frame And pose: The trousers fell onto the floor, despite the model boosting her height with a pair of nude skyscraper heels The reality star teamed the sparkly trousers with a thin neon yellow sweater, with slits at the end of its long sleeves. She carried a gold boxy clutch in her hand and accessorised with a smattering of edgy gold necklaces and rings, and chunky hoop earrings Delilah wore her ombre-hued tresses in a sleek middle-parting, enhanced her natural beauty with a dewy foundation. The model was joined by a gal pal at the fashion awards show, with the pair holding hands as they strolled away from the party. Stylish: The star teamed the sparkly trousers with a thin neon yellow sweater, and posed for photos at her first event, photographer Russell James' book launch at Stephan Weiss Studio Gorgeous: Delilah wore her ombre-hued tresses in a sleek middle-parting, and enhanced her natural beauty with dewy make-up Fabulous friend: The model was joined by a gal pal at her second event of the evening, Daily Front Row's 2018 Fashion Media Awards at the Park Hyatt in Manhattan Lead the way: The pair held hands as they strolled away from the fashion party Delilah got her first taste of fame after appearing on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills alongside her mother Lisa Rinna, 54. She recently admitted that despite their three-decade age gap, she can wear anything from her 'shopaholic' mum's closet because they are the same dress size. 'We have a different sense of style. Instagram and being in the fashion industry has made me realise what I like and it's always changing,' she told 9Style. 'But the great thing about my mum is that we both have the same shoe size, same clothing size. I can wear anything from her closet which is great as she is a shopaholic!' Delilah also revealed that while she is content with modelling for the moment, she would love to pursue a singing career in five years' time. 'I have long-term goals, I would love to start designing clothing and I sing so I would love to release an album,' she gushed. It's been two weeks since the former Bachelor In Paradise star claimed she was heartbroken at announcing her split from boyfriend Jarrod Woodgate. And on Thursday, Keira Maguire appeared to be keeping busy by partaking in a promotional shoot for food delivery service, Deliveroo. The newly-single reality TV star, 32, held up a heart-shaped pepperoni pizza and later add the cheesy treat straight from the box. Meal for one! Newly-single Keira Maguire chows down on a heart-shaped pizza following her shock split from Bachelor In Paradise boyfriend Jarrod Woodgate Just a slice? At one stage, Keira was seen devouring the heart-shaped pizza straight out of the delivery box Wearing a pair cropped grey skinny jeans and black Converse sneakers, Keira was seen chatting with the shoot's crew in between takes. The former 2016 Bachelor 'villain' also wore a turquoise and grey windcheater jacket printed with the Deliveroo logo. Keira had previously disclosed that she and ex-partner Jarrod would regularly order takeout, drink wine and watch TV while living together in Melbourne. Despite her split with the vineyard manager dominating the headlines, the blonde bombshell appeared to be in high spirits during the photo shoot. On the job: Keira Maguire was seen shooting an ad campaign for Deliveroo on the streets of Sydney on Thursday Moving on: The blonde bombshell appeared to have been in high spirits, despite her split with fellow Bachelor in Paradise star Jarrod Woodgate last month New gig: Keira appears to be the latest Aussie star to promote the food delivery service Taking a break: Wearing a pair cropped grey skinny jeans and black Converse sneakers, Keira was seen chatting with the shoot's crew in between takes Working hard for the money... She also wore a turquoise and grey windcheater jacket printed with the Deliveroo logo At one stage, Keira was seen peddling a matching turquoise bike around Sydney's side streets. Clearly taking her safety seriously, she also wore a white helmet. When she wasn't wrangling her bicycle, Keira was seen supposedly delivering a heart-shaped pepperoni pizza. She was later seen turning her back from passersby as she devoured the pizza straight out of the box. On your bike: At one stage, Keira was seen peddling a matching turquoise bicycle around Sydney's side streets Having a wheelie good time... Keira could be seen messing around with her bicycle in between takes In an interview with Who magazine on Thursday, Jarrod, 32, said Keira's obsession with Instagram was a driving force behind their breakup. 'Id spend two days a week with her and it [was] basically all Instagram-based,' he told Who. 'Its hard because youre competing with 177,000 other people that follow her, but I shouldnt have to compete.' Love pizza: When she wasn't wrangling her bicycle, Keira was seen holding a heart-shaped pepperoni pizza Picture this: In an interview with Who magazine on Thursday, Jarrod said Keira's obsession with Instagram was a driving force behind their break up Spent: Jarrod said that although Keira earned thousands of dollars from her Instagram posts, her tendency to spend money also put a strain on their fledgling relationship He also said that although Keira earned thousands of dollars from her Instagram posts, her tendency to spend money also put a strain on their fledgling relationship. 'When youre living in my family home and not paying any rent or bills, money shouldnt be an issue,' he added. 'But when it came to spending money, she would blow it on so much.' Shocked: In an interview with Who magazine late last month, Keira said Jarrod left her completely blindsided when he broke up with her It's a different story to the one Keira told Who late last month. In an interview with the magazine, Keira said Jarrod left her completely blindsided when he broke up with her. 'It was Jarrod who broke up with me,' she said. 'I really believed wed live happily ever after. I was so ready for that and nothing else in my life really mattered.' Richwood, TX (77531) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 67F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Earlier this year, former Bachelor Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson revealed the surprising, and unsavoury, bathroom habit that 'disgusted' girlfriend Laura Byrne. But now the loved-up couple have moved in together in Bondi, the hunk claims he's learnt to curb his filthy bathroom routine. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, the 31-year-old said the horrifying practice he disclosed on Hughesy We Have A Problem in February was now behind him. Scroll down for video EXCLUSIVE: Hes a changed man! Bachelor star Matty J ditches filthy bathroom habit after 'disgusted' girlfriend Laura Byrne moves in to his Bondi apartment While on the Channel Ten talk show, Matty J admitted to disposing of scrap food and leftovers in the toilet. 'Happy to confirm I no longer flush food down the toilet,' Matty J said of his attempt to end the long-standing practice while living with Laura. The couple moved in together three weeks ago in August, after celebrating their one-year anniversary together on May 23, 2018. However, a cheeky Matty J added: '...unless I'm home alone and there's an old green curry in the fridge that needs to be disposed of.' 'Happy to confirm I no longer flush food down the toilet': After the couple moved in together three weeks ago, Matty J said he has learnt to curb his habit for his lady love 'Laura is disgusted by it!' Bachelor star Matty J confirmed that his filthy bathroom habit annoyed and disturbed his girlfriend Before the TV episode aired, host Dave Hughes said on Hit105: 'Laura is disgusted by it, but he's been doing it for a long time and doesn't want to stop doing it.' Prepping them for a shocking admission about the Sydney-based star, he said: 'His problem was quite interesting. This is a true story!' 'When he finishes a meal and doesn't quite finish all the food on his plate, instead of sort of scraping the food scraps into the bin, he scraps them straight into the toilet,' he told the shocked radio co-hosts at the time. 'Instead of scraping food scraps into the bin, he scraps them straight into the TOILET!' TV host Dave Hughes shocked the radio duo with the hunk's hidden habit 'What?!' Stav Davidson said, as co-host Abby Coleman gasped loudly in disbelief. Stav, appearing to rationalise the bizarre problem, added: 'Cutting out the middle man.' Comedian Dave agreed: 'He cuts out the middle man and just scrapes his food scraps into the toilet, because he doesn't want a soggy bin, apparently.' 'He doesn't want a soggy bin, apparently': Dave said Matty J bemoaned taking out the trash and flushed food down the toilet to avoid accumulating rubbish Still going strong: Laura and Matty J have been dating since the Bachelor finale last year Still in shock, Stav questioned, 'but that would block up the...', before Abby interrupted with: 'That's gross!' Matty J spoke about his girlfriend Laura: 'She's questioned one of the ways I clean the house. For me, the most annoying task is taking out the rubbish.' 'And what is the thing that fills up the trash the most? Food!' he appeared to defend his decision on TV. Dave joked from his hosting seat: 'Well you could eat it, but then you wouldn't have that washboard stomach, would you?' Laura and Matty J have been dating since the Bachelor finale in 2017. The Bachelor's Alisha Aitken-Radburn got more than she bargained for when she appeared on the Hughesy & Kate radio show on Friday. The newly-ousted Bachelor contestant was expecting to discuss her role on the hit reality show, when talk soon turned to politics. Alisha, 25, is a political advisor for the Australian Labor Party, and hosts Dave Hughes, 47, and Kate Langbroek, 53, couldn't resist asking if she had been caught up in any drama while working for Bill Shorten. Scroll down for audio In the firing line... The Bachelor's Alisha Aitken-Radburn got more than she bargained for when she appeared on the Hughesy & Kate radio show on Friday In February, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash, 48, threatened to name women she claimed there had been 'rumours' about while working in the 51-year-old opposition leader's office. 'If you want to start discussing staff members, be very, very careful, because I'm happy to sit here and name every young woman in Mr Shorten's office over which rumours in this place abound,' she said in Parliament. Her remarks were made at a the time when details of former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce's affair with former Nationals staffer Vikki Campion were coming to light. When quizzed about Cash's comments on radio, Alisha branded them as 'outrageous'. Day job: Alisha is a political advisor for the Australian Labor Party 'I thought it was absolutely disgraceful of her. How are women supposed to get ahead in politics,' she told Hughesy & Kate. Alisha maintained there was absolutely no truth to Cash's remarks. 'I thought it was a disgraceful attack on women who work really, really hard and are trying to get ahead,' she insisted. Controversy: In February, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash threatened to name women working in Bill Shorten's office that there had allegedly been 'rumours' about in the industry Outraged: 'I thought it was a disgraceful attack on women who work really, really hard and are trying to get ahead,' Alisha said of Cash's comments When Kate asked how many young women were working for Shorten around the time of the comments, Alisha disclosed there were about 12. But she insisted Cash's remarks were nothing more than a political ploy. Bachelor Nick Cummins chose not to give Alisha a rose on Thursday night's episode, which resulted in her leaving the same day as fellow 'mean girls' Cat and Romy. The Nun (15) - Horror in bad habits Rating: Whats black and white and red all over? A demonic nun horror movie with plenty of gory, gothic action. The fright fest features the same nasty nun with snaggle teeth and runny mascara who kept popping up in The Conjuring 2. Horror: Taissa Farmiga plays the lead in The Nun - in this origin-of-evil story, Taissa plays Sister Irene, a novice sent to Romania back in 1952 to investigate a suicide in a creepy convent In that (better) film, Vera Farmiga played a paranormal expert in London and The Nun now stars her younger sister, Taissa. In this origin-of-evil story, Taissa plays Sister Irene, a novice sent to Romania back in 1952 to investigate a suicide in a creepy convent. While the Famigas are always convincing on screen, The Nuns plot swiftly descends from horror to hilarity, as Irene is tasked by the Vatican, along with Father Burke (Demian Bichir), with exorcising the evil. Scary stuff: While the Famigas are always convincing on screen, The Nuns plot swiftly descends from horror to hilarity, as Irene is tasked by the Vatican, along with Father Burke (Demian Bichir), with exorcising the evil A handsome farmer (Jonas Bloquet) also gets in on the act when he is delivering wonky veg to the convent, and discovers a nun who has hanged herself. The Romanian landscape and crevices and corridors of the ruined abbey create a powerfully dark atmosphere, but director Corin Hardy relies on endless jump scares, as black figures in habits constantly turn to reveal less-than-holy features. When youve seen one roaming Catholic, youve seen them all. The religious imagery features burning crosses and a headless crucified Christ. There are flying nuns, crying nuns, slaying nuns and even an iced nun, as the convent remains on a 24-hour prayer vigil and protects a relic containing the blood of Christ, which is keeping the gateway to Hell closed, for the moment . . . LIVE: U2 (Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin) Verdict: State-of-the-art arena show Rating: U2s Experience + Innocence tour ground to a temporary halt last weekend when Bono lost his voice on the second of two nights in Berlin. That gig was unceremoniously cut short, but the group were back onstage three nights later and the tour, which reaches the UK next month, is now continuing as planned. Given the demands that full-blooded rockers like Bono place on their vocal cords every night, the real surprise is that this doesnt happen more often, although Dave Grohls Foo Fighters also pulled two concerts this week for the same reason. I witnessed the tours barnstorming opening night in the German capital 24 hours before the abandoned show and the sense of an ensemble who still fly by the seat of their pants, and sometimes stumble, was palpable. Bono: U2s Experience + Innocence tour ground to a temporary halt last weekend when Bono lost his voice on the second of two nights in Berlin The special effects across two hours were stunning, with the centrepiece a 96ft walkway-cum-digital-screen that divided the hall in two. But U2 were at their best when they stuck to what Bono calls rocks primary colours, retreating to a cramped satellite stage and playing guitar, bass and drums in close proximity to one another: This is the kind of stage we started out on, he quipped. Its like Larry Mullens old kitchen or Adam Claytons en-suite. Night to remember: The special effects across two hours were stunning, with the centrepiece a 96ft walkway-cum-digital-screen that divided the hall in two Having toured 1987s The Joshua Tree last year, they eschewed any trace of it here. Omitting With Or Without You and Where The Streets Have No Name would seriously weaken most rock shows, but U2 called on I Will Follow, Beautiful Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love) and a visceral Vertigo to fill the gaps. There were also four tracks from 1991s Achtung Baby, a record made in Berlin and, for me, their finest hour. Bono, never knowingly understated, worked in some local colour. He praised the beautiful, beautiful city of Berlin, hummed the German national anthem and sang a line from Kraftwerks Hall Of Mirrors. Singalong: There were also four tracks from 1991s Achtung Baby, a record made in Berlin and, for me, their finest hour He made a plea for European unity and lamented the rise of the far-right. Heartfelt without being hectoring, this was Bono in full flow. But the nights most vivid moments were more personal. Iris (Hold Me Close) was dedicated to his late mother. A sunny Youre The Best Thing About Me was sung to his wife Ali, with Mullen on bongos and guitarist The Edge on strummed acoustic chords. On the biggest stages, U2 remain a benchmark. U2 start the UK leg of their tour at Manchester Arena on October (ticketmaster.co.uk[http://ticketmaster.co.uk]). She's been busy with her judging duties on the latest series of So You Think You Can Dance. But Vanessa Hudgens enjoyed some time off from work as she was spotted leaving a marijuana dispensary in Beverly Hills, California, on Thursday afternoon. The High School Musical actress, 27, nailed casual chic as she slipped her gym-honed frame into an ab-flashing crop top, tied with a pair of flared culottes. Casually cool: Vanessa Hudgens enjoyed some time off from work as she was spotted leaving a marijuana dispensary in Beverly Hills, California, on Thursday afternoon Adding an edgy touch to her appearance, the screen star sported an oversized light denim jacket, and strolled along the streets of the Californian city in running trainers. Vanessa opted for her signature accessories as she donned a pair of skinny cat-eye sunglasses, and was decked out in a dainty necklace and dangle earrings. The Bandslam actress swept her naturally curly tresses into a tousled ponytail and went make-up free. Low-key: The High School Musical actress, 27, nailed casual chic as she slipped her gym-honed frame into an ab-flashing crop top, tied with a pair of flared culottes Off she goes: Adding an edgy touch to her appearance, the screen star sported an oversized light denim jacket, and strolled along the streets of the Californian city in running trainers Vanessa's display comes after she took to Instagram to post a sweet tribute on her beau Austin Bulter's 27th birthday. In the romantic snap, the couple appeared in the throes of love as they shared a romantic kiss in the image. Showcasing her affection for the fellow thespian, she wrote in the caption: 'Happy birthday to my best friend and my love @austinbutler. Im a lucky lady...except for when were playing chess. Then Im not so lucky. Lol.' All in the details: The Bandslam actress opted for her signature accessories as she donned a pair of skinny cat-eye sunglasses, and was decked out in a dainty necklace and dangle earrings 'I'm a lucky lady': Vanessa's display comes after she took to Instagram to post a sweet tribute on her beau Austin Bulter's 27th birthday Vanessa and Austin were first romantically linked in 2011 and have been inseparable ever since, following her split from her High School Musical co-star Zac Efron after dating for five years. The pair have gone from strength to strength as the couple were long-distance last year, as Austin worked in New Zealand for MTVs The Shannara Chronicles. In an interview with PEOPLE, the brunette beauty shared her secrets to making a long-distance relationship work. She told the publication: 'Just communication, communication is key. I think that if anythings bothering you, dont hold it in. Always bring it up and just talk about it. Uncensor yourself and just be open.' The World's Hottest Grandma has blamed Instagram for the rise in women getting plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures. Gina Stewart, who shot to fame on the social media platform earlier this year, told the Attention People podcast that 'young girls' are getting fillers and implants to keep up with Instagram models. 'These young girls that are getting all these cosmetic surgery procedures, it's quite sad,' the 47-year-old said. 'And I know that social media is doing that.' Scroll down for video 'These young girls that are getting all these cosmetic surgery procedures': The World's Hottest Grandma Gina Stewart, 47, has blamed Instagram for the rise in artificial beauty 'It's actually destroying their bodies and destroying their confidence as well because the reason that they got it done in the first place was because they had insecurities.' The Gold Coast granny maintains that she's never had fillers or Botox, and says that the only procedure she's had done are her double-E cup breast implants - which she now regrets and wants to remove. 'My daughter's 25 and all her girlfriends have got the big lips and the big boobs and the tattooed eyebrows and it all comes from their own insecurities because they think that they've got to look a certain way to look good and feel good about themselves,' Gina said. Natural: Gina maintains that she's never had fillers or Botox, and that the only procedure she's had done are her double-E cup breast implants - which she now regrets and wants to remove 'My daughter's 25 and all her girlfriends have got the big lips and the big boobs and the tattooed eyebrows and it all comes from their own insecurities,' said the mum-of-four 'These young girls just really need to love themselves for who they are, but it's hard because on social media there's just all these beautiful girls.' The model went on to call today's cosmetic surgery trends a 'phase,' and said that she hopes natural beauty will come back into fashion soon. 'I think there's a whole thing with the lips and the cheeks and all the tattooing that's a phase, and I hope that the next phase will be more natural, that you can actually have expression and be more accepting of your looks.' 'These young girls just really need to love themselves for who they are, but it's hard because on social media there's just all these beautiful girls,' said the social media star The mother-of-four then recounted a story about meeting a 20-year-old woman who had just had her 'cheeks, lips and boobs done.' 'It saddens me,' said Gina. 'I don't want my little girl growing up thinking that she's got to have all of that done to her body just to be accepted in this world.' Gina is currently a single mum to her youngest daughter Summer, four. The Gold Coast-based bombshell became a grandmother at age 46. 'I don't want my little girl growing up thinking that she's got to have all of that done to her body just to be accepted in this world': The single mother wants to set a good example for her youngest daughter Summer, four The social media sensation, who boasts almost 100,000 followers on Instagram, was recently asked to compete in the USA Maxim Cover Girl competition. According to Maxim, the winner will be photographed by famed photographer Gilles Bensimon for the January/February 2019 cover of the magazine and receive a $25,000 cash prize. The winner will also score VIP tickets to a couple of prestigious red carpet Maxim parties. Season three followed the story of Columbia's Cali Cartel after Pablo Escobar's death. And now season four of Narcos is moving on to a new cartel and a new country. Diego Luna stars as the infamous Felix Gallardo in the first trailer released for Netflix's Narcos: Mexico. Big news: Diego Luna stars as the infamous Felix Gallardo in the first trailer released for Netflix's Narcos: Mexico The next chapter of the highly popular series will be following the rise of the infamous Guadalajara Cartel from the 1980s. There is no dialogue in the 45-second clip other than the man known as El Padrino AKA The Godfather declaring in Spanish 'What I'm doing here. I'm building an empire.' The trailer features splitscreens of different scenes including one where it seems like El Padrino is being tortured by a man in a military uniform. Ouch: A man who seems to be El Padrino could be seen being tortured in the clip Eye-opening: The trailer featured many different split screens of scenes from the upcoming season with little to no background information Also seen briefly in the trailer was Michael Pena who plays DEA agent Kiki Camarena on the hunt for El Padrino and the rest of his cartel. Kiki moved his wife and young son from California to Guadalajara to take on a challenging new assignment and becomes entangled in the mission which affects the drug trade and war for years to come. Not much action is shown in the clip but at one point a man could be seen being thrown against the wall before being punched in the stomach. Man with the plan? Also seen briefly in the trailer was Michael Pena who plays DEA agent Kiki Camarena on the hunt for El Padrino and the rest of his cartel Ouch: Not much action is shown in the clip but at one point a man could be seen being thrown against the wall before being punched in the stomach Burn: There is also a scene showing police officers with a bomb detonating behind them before showing a field on fire There is also a scene showing police officers with a bomb detonating behind them before showing a field on fire. The cast also includes Tenoch Huerta, Joaquin Cosio, Teresa Ruiz, Alyssa Diaz, and Jose Maria Yazpik, who is reprising his role from the third season of Narcos. Narcos: Mexico will stream on Netflix beginning November 16. Foundation: There is not much dialogue in the clip other than toward the end which sees El Padrino looking over a scenic desert landscape 'I'm building an empire': Diego delivers the only two lines in the clip in Spanish in what is looking like another exciting season She is known for her role on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. But there could be no medical explanation for how amazing Jane Seymour looks at 67-years-old. The veteran actress looked absolutely ravishing in red while spotted out for dinner in Los Angeles on Thursday. The ageless beauty, who was seemingly make-up free, looked glamorous in a crimson dress that she paired with slingback nude heels. Hollywood legend: Jane Seymour, best known for her role on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, was spotted out for dinner in Los Angeles on Thursday Seymour flashed a smile for the cameras as she waited for her car outside of Spagoa Wolfgang Puck eatery. Jane attempted to keep a low profile in large sunglasses, but her infamous long blonde locks and side swept bangs were unmistakable. The UK native's red dress featured a skintight bodice and a sheer, lace skirt that fell just below the knee. She accessorized with two large diamond rings. Classic look: Jane attempted to keep a low profile in large sunglasses, but her long blonde locks were unmistakable Red-hot! The 67-year-old actress, who was seemingly makeup free, showed off her figure in a red dress that she paired with slingback nude heels Back in February, Seymour stole headlines when she posed for Playboy Magazine at the age of 67. 'I felt it was important to show you could be comfortable in your own skin, to be authentically you, and to still feel viable as a sensual woman at any age,' she told This Morning on Thursday. 'For me, I feel freer now than I did when I was 30 or 40. If you are enjoying life and you have a positive spirit, you will probably look better, live longer.' Cover girl! Back in February, Seymour stole headlines when she posed for Playboy Magazine at the age of 67 'I felt it was important to show you could be comfortable in your own skin, to be authentically you, and to still feel viable as a sensual woman at any age,' she told This Morning on Thursday With a long list of film credits behind her name, the former Bond Girl admitted that she's embracing each and every day. 'Growing older is actually a privilege,' she said. 'Sadly, I lost three of my closest friends last year, who were the same age as me. So for me to be here and even having this discussion is a huge privilege.' Jane added: 'Growing older is something I embrace because it means I'm around.' He sensationally announced their separation last week, with the mother-of-five, 40, snogging her new toyboy lover less than 24 hours later. And Kris Boyson appears to still be heartbroken over the split as he took to his Instagram on Wednesday to like a series of tweets claiming Katie Price made the 'wrong choice'. The personal trainer, 29, also shared a video of himself listening to sad love songs as he captioned it with: 'Smile through all the s**t... (prayer hand emoji) Split: Kris Boyson appears to still be heartbroken over the split as he took to his Instagram on Wednesday to like a series of tweets claiming Katie Price made the 'wrong choice' 'You guys are amazing!' followed by a blue heart emoji. He then went on to like a collection of tweets, with one that said: 'KP Made the wrong choice!!' followed by a drool face. A different one put: 'None of my business but hope your ok after splitting from Katie. Once again shes jumped from 1 guy to the next, and Im quite sad as your the only guy shes dated Ive actually had a warm feeling about! Sending my good vibes you way.' Not meant to be: The personal trainer, 29, also shared a video of himself listening to sad love songs as he captioned it with: 'Smile through all the s**t... (prayer hand emoji)' Hitting back: He then went on to like a collection of tweets, with one that said: 'KP Made the wrong choice!!' followed by a drool face With another tweet saying: 'Have followed her for years and often felt sorry for her but seems to be shes attracted to men that treat her bad but you were a nice guy. 'People s******g you but its her whos been seeing someone behind your back yet she thinks its not ok when its done to her, shes lost it!' Just days earlier, Kris had taken to Twitter to announce his split from the mother-of-five, 40, he said: 'This wasnt an easy decision for me to make, however @KatiePrice and I are no longer together! Its just clear we both want different things... Who knows what the future will bring but I wish her all the best! X.' Katie came under fire from fans on Tuesday for missing her four-year-old daughter's very first day of school, after she was pictured enjoying a boozy getaway with Alex Adderson, 25, less than 24 hours after her split. Candid: Just days earlier, Kris had taken to Twitter to announce his split from the mother-of-five, 40, on both his Twitter and Instagram New man: Katie came under fire from fans on Tuesday for missing her four-year-old daughter's very first day of school, after she was pictured enjoying a boozy getaway with Alex Adderson, 25, less than 24 hours after her split (pictured far right) It was reported that her new toyboy lover flew out to join the Loose Women panellist on the idyllic Spanish island. According to The Sun, Alex jetted to Mallorca to make their romance official following her split from Kris on Saturday - with Katie staying with him in his plush villa. A source told the publication: 'Alex and Katie are now 100 per cent together and in a relationship. They are both smitten and he can't believe his luck. He is head over heels. 'Alex is loaded and he's been treating Katie to whatever she wants - he's wining and dining her and they're both having a great time.' Alex and Katie were seen having a night out at a pub last month, during her romance with Kris. MailOnline has contacted Katie's representative for comment. They are known for their quirky antics and playful banter on-screen. And new X Factor judges Robbie Williams and Ayda Field were up to their usual antics as the actress made a cheeky jibe about his age during an audition, which will air on Saturday. Rocker teen Owen Mathews arrives on-stage and immediately proclaims his fandom for the Angels hitmaker, 44, saying 'Hi Robbie, how's it going?' Banter: New X Factor judges Robbie Williams and Ayda Field were up to their usual antics as the actress made a cheeky jibe about his age during an audition, which will air on Saturday Good spirits: Robbie was taken aback when an audtionee proclaimed their fandom of him A surprised Robbie responds: 'Why have you picked me out? There's other people here!' with Owen saying 'I think you're ace.' Robbie says: 'It's a yes from me.' When Owen, known as Ozzie, reveals he is just 17, a bemused Robbie says 'You look like a man, man!' Ayda then cheekily takes aim at her husband, saying: 'Can I just point out, he's 17 and he knew who you were.' Fandom: Rocker teen Owen Mathews arrives on-stage and immediately proclaims his fandom for the Angels hitmaker, 44, saying 'Hi Robbie, how's it going?' Robbie sarcastically retorts: 'He's 17 and he knew me, wow. Thanks Ayda.' It isn't long before Ozzie launches into a soulful rendition of Elvis Presley's Trouble, leaving Robbie and Simon bobbing along. The X Factor continues at 8:30pm Saturday 8th September. The clip comes as it was revealed Robbie and Ayda have welcomed a 'very special secret' baby girl via an 'incredible' surrogate. Love you: A surprised Robbie responds: 'Why have you picked me out? There's other people here!' with Owen saying 'I think you're ace' Fan: Ayda then cheekily takes aim at her husband, saying: 'Can I just point out, he's 17 and he knew who you were.' Tuneful: Robbie sarcastically retorts: 'He's 17 and he knew me, wow. Thanks Ayda' The co-judges announced the arrival of Colette Josephine Williams, to be known as Coco, via Ayda's Instagram page on Friday morning, while detailing their 'long and difficult' path to a third child in a heartfelt post. Sharing a black and white image of the family's hands in one frame, Ayda, 39, and Robbie, 44 - who are parents to daughter Teddy, five, and son Charlie, three - said they will be 'eternally grateful' to their surrogate. Ayda wrote: 'I spy with my little eye an extra little hand. So we have been keeping a very special secret! We are delighted to share with you that we have had a baby girl. welcome to the world Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams!! 'It has been a very long and difficult path to get here, which is why we have kept it on the down low. Shock news: The clip comes as it was revealed Robbie and Ayda have welcomed a 'very special secret' baby girl via an 'incredible' surrogate A lovely thing to say: Ayda accompanied the picture with a sweet caption which explained how full of joy the family are 'Family comes in all forms, and this little lady, who is biologically ours, was carried by an incredible surrogate mother, to whom we will be eternally grateful.' She continued: 'We are over the moon to have this beautiful baby girl in our lives and so blessed that we live in a world which makes this possible. 'As with Teddy and Charlie, we ask that you respect Cocos privacy and allow us to grow into our new team of 5!' The news comes as a complete surprise as it was unknown that the couple were on this journey. Ayda and Robbie are already parents to Theodora Rose Williams, five and Charlton Valentine Williams, three. In May, a source told Metro that they wanted more children. They said: 'Ayda and Robbie couldnt be happier with their private life but feel one more baby would complete their family. Theyre hoping it will happen for them soon, but its tough for them to spend lots of time together as sometimes they spend weeks apart. In love: The couple are also parents to Theodora Rose Williams, five and Charlton Valentine Williams, three 'But its top of their agenda when they do get time off from their hectic schedules. It's a busy time for them as they are both judges on the new series of X Factor, so no doubt they will have their hands full. They are said to have signed a 10 million deal to take part in this series. Robbie famously referred to the experience of watching Ayda give birth to their son Charlie, as being like 'watching his favourite pub burning down.' Surrogacy is becoming more common in the UK - with legal applications relating to surrogacy having risen six-fold in ten years. Geoffrey Owens has reportedly accepted an offer to star on Tyler Perry's drama series on Oprah Winfrey's cable network OWN. Perry stepped in to offer The Cosby Show actor a gig after he spoke out about being shamed for working at Trader Joe's after a customer took photographs of him at a checkout and posted them to her social media account. Sources revealed to TMZ on Friday that Owens, 57, has accepted the deal and is signing on for a 10-episode run on Perry's The Haves And The Have Nots. The website reports that Owens will fly to Atlanta, where the show shoots, next week. The show is currently on its 6th season. Scroll down for video Done deal: Geoffrey Owens has accepted an offer to star in Tyler Perry's drama The Haves And The Have Nots after the actor was shamed for working at Trader Joe's Perry is the creator and director of The Haves and the Haves Nots, which is based on his own 2011 play. The soap opera, which premiered in 2013, follows two powerful rich families and one poor family as their lives intertwine in Savannah, Georgia. Owens had appeared on Good Morning America proudly wearing his Trader Joe's name tag on Tuesday morning as he spoke of being 'shamed' for working at the supermarket chain last week. Shortly after the interview Perry invited Owens to join his hit drama as he tweeted on Tuesday morning: '#GeoffreyOwens I'm about to start shootings OWN's number one drama next week! Come join us! 'I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs. The measure of a true artist.' Owens had revealed that he quit his supermarket job due to the unwanted attention. Offer: Perry is the creator and director of The Haves and the Haves Nots and offered Owens a role on his show via Twitter after his story hit headlines Joining the cast: It was reported Friday that Owens will fly to Atlanta next week where the show shoots. It's currently in its sixth season Perry offered Owens a job on his show after the former Cosby Show star appeared on Good Morning America on Tuesday During his GMA appearance Owens also seemed to indicate he would turn offers like Perry's down, noting he would not feel comfortable accepting an acting gig because of the recent attention. 'This might sound weird but I wouldn't feel comfortable getting acting jobs from this event,' he said. 'I wouldn't mind getting auditions. But I wouldn't feel comfortable, someone giving me a job, because this happened. I want to get a job because I am the right person for the job.' Owens said he never intended to advertise his work at the store and was stunned when the photographs first emerged. The actor revealed he had been working at store in New Jersey for 15 months 'out of necessity' between short-term acting gigs and teaching. Dedicated: The actor appeared on the show after he was photographed last week bagging groceries at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey Owens proudly wore his Trader Joe's name tag and a hat from Yale - his alma mater -on Tuesday as he spoke of being 'shamed' for working at the supermarket chain last week The former Cosby Show star said he never intended to advertise his work at the store and was stunned when the photographs emerged last week 'When I first saw the pictures...I was really devastated,' Owens said, explaining that he has not had an on-screen job which lasted more than 10 weeks in the 26 years since The Cosby Show wrapped in 1992. 'I got to a point where I'd been teaching acting and directing for 30 plus years but it just didn't add up enough. You've got to do what you've got to do.' 'I wanted a job that I could I have some flexibility and try to stay in the acting business.' 'I didn't advertise it, not because I was ashamed of it, but because I didn't want the acting community to think that I wasn't pursuing acting anymore,' he said. When photographs of him in the store swept social media last week, Owens said he was baffled by the sudden interest. 'It was really overwhelming. It came out of nowhere. I feel like I'm more of a celebrity now than I ever have been. I'm more of a celebrity now than when I actually was a celebrity!' he joked. The 57-year-old said he had been working at the store in New Jersey for 15 months 'out of necessity' between short-term acting gigs and teaching Owens said he hoped his story sparked a shift in attitudes about work and getting by. Owens is pictured in a head shot from The Cosby Show. He appeared in the hit show from 1985 to 1992, when it wrapped 'This business of me being the Cosby guy who got shamed for working at Trader Joe's, that's going to pass,' he said. 'I hope what doesn't pass is this idea that people are now thinking about - what it means to work.' 'The honor of the working person and the dignity of work. [There's a] reevaluation [of the idea] that some jobs are better than others. It's not true.' 'There is no job that's better than another. It may pay better, it may have better benefits, it may look better on paper. But it's not better. Every job is worthwhile.' Owens went on to say that he didn't want anyone's pity. 'No one should feel sorry for me,' he said. 'I've had a great life, a great career. I've had a career most actors would die for. I am doing fine,' he proudly added. Since The Cosby Show wrapped, Owens (shown above, top right, with disgraced star Bill Cosby and the rest of the show's cast in a fourth series promotional image) has not had an acting job which lasted more than 10 weeks She's a natural beauty. And Jennifer Aniston looked lovely as can be while out with actress friend Amanda Anka in LA on Friday. The Friends favorite, 49, looked sexy and sophisticated while donning in a tiny white tank tucked into sharply tailored trousers. Busy lady: Jennifer Aniston was seen on her way to a studio with friend Amanda Anka on Tuesday Elevating her 5foot5 form, the actress added heels. Ready for a long day, Jennifer came equipped with several bags, a jacket, and sunglasses. She arrived in her shiny convertible Porsche along with pal Amanda Anka, who is the wife of actor Jason Bateman. Balancing act: The Friends favorite, 49, looked sexy and sophisticated while going bra-free in a tiny white tank tucked into sharply tailored trousers Supplies: Ready for a long day, Jennifer came equipped with several bags, a jacket, and sunglasses Amanda was effortlessly stylish in a black tee shirt and relaxed jeans with a bit of a flare. Though Anka and Aniston have never worked together, Jennifer has collaborated with Amanda's hubby Jason in five different films. Most recently, they teamed up on 2016's Office Christmas Party. Paling around: She arrived in her shiny convertible Porsche along with friend Amanda Anka, who is the wife of actor Jason Bateman. People recently reported how Aniston is happy being single following her split with husband Justin Theroux last year. 'She isn't concerned about dating. She is happy to focus on work,' a source told the magazine Tuesday. 'She's been having a great summer.' It seems that Justin is far from her mind, as the insider continued: 'She doesnt even talk about him anymore. She doesnt keep up with what he does. She is focusing on her own life.' He was catapulted into the mainstream during his long-running stint on Full House and it's Netflix incarnation Fuller House as daddy Danny Tanner. And while Bob Saget has become synonymous with the iconic TV role, the first father of sitcom has also enjoyed an illustrious stand-up career for over 43 years, which he admits is the 'biggest love of his life'. Now ahead of his first UK show at London's Leicester Square Theatre, the 62-year-old entertainer opened up exclusively to MailOnline about his relationship with fiancee Kelly Rizzo, 39, and life in comedy amid the #MeToo era. Getting candid: Bob Saget has become synonymous with Full House but has also enjoyed a illustrious stand-up career for over 43 years, which he admits is the 'biggest love of his life Bob has endured an incredible career, which has spanned over four decades, while hosting shows such as America's Funniest Home Videos and voicing a grown-up Ted Mobsy in beloved sitcom How I Met Your Mother? But it was his role in eighties sitcom Full House starring alongside John Stamos, Candace Cameron-Bure and then newborns Mark-Kate and Ashley Olsen, which solidified his name in American television history. With a busy career on his plate, he left little time to find love but all that changed in 2015 when a friend set him up with his travel blogger wife-to-be, Kelly. The Full House star, who already has three adult daughters from his 15 year marriage to ex-wife Sherri Kramer, had been divorced for over two decades at the time and albeit 23 years her senior admitted falling in love with her has been a 'gift'. Romance: The 62-year-old opened up exclusively to MailOnline about his relationship with fiancee Kelly Rizzo, 39, and life in comedy amid the #MeToo era Role: But it was his role in eighties and nineties sitcom Full House starring alongside John Stamos, Candace Cameron-Bure and then newborns Mark-Kate and Ashley Olsen, which solidified his name in American television history 'As you would say proudly in love because it's kind of a gift,' he said. 'I've been divorced for 22 years and this would be my second marriage and in Hollywood that's a miracle. He added: 'We've known each other for two years and she's just remarkable, she's just wonderful.' Although joking about their age difference, the TV icon reflected on his love life before he dated Kelly and insisted that he has always been a gentleman towards women. He joked: 'In Hollywood gross terms, she's half my age plus seven so that's legal. She's a full grown woman. Love: With a busy career on his plate, he left little time to find love but all that changed in 2015 when a friend set him up with his travel blogger wife-to-be, Kelly 'Gift': The Full House star, who already has three adult daughters from his 15 year marriage to ex-wife Sherri Kramer, had been divorced for over two decades at the time and albeit 23 years her senior admitted falling in love with her has been a 'gift' Before he reflected: 'I'm not an ageist but in the past I probably dated people that were too young. I've always treated women with the utmost respect and that's why nothing has ever come out about me. 'I've made mistakes where I've said the wrong thing but it would be on the phone or some double entendre joke but I would do that to a male or female or a squirrel - it doesn't matter, it's just me riffing. Adding: 'I'm not a guy who would even hit on a woman, they would have to come toward me and that never worked out because they thought I was scary. Nowadays with Twitter, you don't want to know anybody. Reflecting on his special connection with Kelly, he gushed about his other half, who he got engaged to in November 2017, and added that she's given him a different view of the world. 'Proudly in love': He said: 'As you would say proudly in love because it's kind of a gift. I've been divorced for 22 years and this would be my second marriage and in Hollywood that's a miracle. We've known each other for two years and she's just remarkable, she's just wonderful' 'Proudly in love': He said: 'As you would say proudly in love because it's kind of a gift. I've been divorced for 22 years and this would be my second marriage and in Hollywood that's a miracle. We've known each other for two years and she's just remarkable, she's just wonderful' (Pictured with two of his daughter Aubrey and Lara) He shared: 'I'm incredibly fortunate and met her through a friend in Chicago. She has a global way of looking at things.' In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Bob reflected on how comedy has responded but more importantly how he has changed his stand-up routine in light of the wave of sexual harassment and sexual assault claims in Hollywood. Referencing a 2005 documentary he was in called The Aristocrats, the TV star admitted that in light of the many cases that he is second guessing how to deliver his comedy. He said: 'I am politically correct in that there's no hurt to my comedy. I'm not going to say a joke I would have said 15 years without a thought. Change: In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Bob reflected on how comedy has responded but more importantly how he has changed his stand-up routine in light of the wave of sexual harassment and sexual assault claims in Hollywood 'I was in this documentary called The Aristocrats [released in 2005] and that wouldn't come out now. It was the telling of this foul joke but it's not right, it's the wrong thing to tell and I find myself being very cautious about how I tee up a joke like that. Adding: 'How would I want to set up a joke like that? Normally if I'm going to say something that's out of line then I say it pretty quickly and move quickly. 'If there's any repercussions I deal with them in the moment. I'm a real in the moment comedian. I'll know if I crossed the line and discuss it with them there and them. I don't want to offend anymore, just entertain.' Bob Saget is set to perform at The Leicester Square Theatre on Friday September 21. For more information click here. Robbie Williams and Ayda Field are parents once more. The couple announced the arrival of their third child on Friday after opening up about the difficult road that led them to realizing their dream of having another baby. Their daughter, Colette Josephine Williams or Coco, as they're calling her was born via surrogate. X Factor judge Ayda shared a photo of her, Robbie, daughter Teddy, son Charlie and baby Cocos hands together to make the announcement. Robbie Williams and Ayda Field shocked fans on Friday, revealing the arrival of their third child Robbie Williams and Ayda Field welcomed a baby girl called Colette Josephine Williams via surrogate I spy with my little eye an extra little hand. So we have been keeping a very special secret! We are delighted to share with you that we have had a baby girlwelcome to the world Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams!! It has been a very long and difficult path to get here, which is why we have kept it on the down low. Family comes in all forms, and this little lady, who is biologically ours, was carried by an incredible surrogate mother, to whom we will be eternally grateful. Want to know more about Robbies wife, Ayda Field? Heres what you need to know. Who is Ayda Field? Ayda Field is an actress. She was born Ayda Sabahat Evecan on May 17, 1979 in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Gwen Field, is a movie producer. As an actress, Ayda has appeared on Days of Our Lives, Blue Collar TV and more in the United States. She made her UK debut in 2016, appearing in the final series of Fresh Meat. She also appeared on Paranoid, which aired on ITV and Netflix. Ayda joined the Loose Women guest panel in 2016. Two years later she was signed as an X Factor judge alongside husband Robbie Williams, Simon Cowell and Louis Tomlinson. She and Robbie started dating in May 2006. They moved in together after three years and became engaged in November 2009. Ayda and Robbie tied the knot at their home in Mulholland Estates in Beverly Hills, California in August 2010. They announced that they were expecting their first child together in 2012 and their second in 2014. Ayda Field net worth According to Express, Ayda Fields net worth was about $35.5m (26.4m) at the end of 2017. That figure may have changed since then. She's made the majority of her money as an actress and a presenter. Ayda Field baby Ayda Field and Robbie Williams announced the arrival of their third child on Friday. The baby girl, Colette Josephine Williams, was born via surrogate, according to Aydas Instagram birth announcement. She wrote: I spy with my little eye an extra little hand. So we have been keeping a very special secret! We are delighted to share with you that we have had a baby girlwelcome to the world Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams!! Ayda Field revealed that she and Robbie Williams had to hire a surrogate to carry their third child for them It has been a very long and difficult path to get here, which is why we have kept it on the down low. Family comes in all forms, and this little lady, who is biologically ours, was carried by an incredible surrogate mother, to whom we will be eternally grateful. She added: We are over the moon to have this beautiful baby girl in our lives and so blessed that we live in a world which makes this possible. Who is Robbie Williams? Robbie Williams is an English musician and actor. He was born February 13, 1974 and comes from Stratfordshire, England. Robbies career began in 1990. He was chosen to be a member of Take That at 16. He was the youngest member of the group at that time. He struggled to cope with the rules of being in the boy band and started drinking and using cocaine heavily. Robbies drug use escalated and he nearly overdosed before a big performance, according to a documentary film called Take That: For the Record. The band called it quits in 1996, but reunited along with Robbie in 2009. He wasnt fully welcomed back into the group until 2010. Take That performed at the 2012 summer Olympics, but Robbie wasnt able to perform with them due to a family emergency. In addition to his career as part of the boy band, Robbies enjoyed success as a solo artist. Hes released hit singles like Millennium, No Regrets and Angels. Robbie Williamss net worth Robbie Williamss net worth is about $200 million (150.5m). A heated argument between Kourtney Kardashian and ex Scott Disick played out in a teaser for Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. The 39-year-old reality star called Disick, 35, 'disrespectful' after he introduced girlfriend, Sofia Richie, 19 at the time, to their kids without warning. The couple share three childrenMason, eight, Penelope, six, and Reign, three. Co-parenting: A heated argument between Kourtney Kardashian and ex Scott Disick played out in a teaser for Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. . The 39-year-old reality star called Disick, 35, 'disrespectful' after he introduced girlfriend, Sofia Richie, 20, to their kids without warning 'It's called giving someone a heads up and having a respectful conversation. Giving someone the respect,' Kourtney, who wore a blue silk pajama set, said in reference to Sofia. Scott attempted to defend himself: 'Sometimes you want to do certain things or you map out certain things, but they don't always go as planned.' 'That could also just be an excuse,' the Kardashian responded. 'You just go and do whatever you want, and I'm not okay with it.' 'It's called giving someone a heads up and having a respectful conversation. Giving someone the respect,' Kourtney, who wore a blue silk pajama set, said in reference to Sofia Scott attempted to defend himself: 'Sometimes you want to do certain things or you map out certain things, but they don't always go as planned' 'That could also just be an excuse,' the Kardashian responded. 'You just go and do whatever you want, and I'm not okay with it' Disick then attempted to convince Kourtney of her flaws as they discussed his disrespectful ways. 'Do you think you're difficult?' he asked. 'No,' Kourtney said with a laugh. 'Do you think you're overly controlling?' 'No. I did have to be with you in our relationship,' she retorted. 'I expect a lot for my kids. I want the best for them.' In the KUWTK teaser, Disick attempted to convince Kourtney of her flaws as they discussed his disrespectful ways. 'Do you think you're overly controlling?' he asked 'No. I did have to be with you in our relationship,' she retorted. 'I expect a lot for my kids. I want the best for them' Richie was first seen in public with Disick's kids at Nobu Malibu on January 28. This came months after the KUWTK star denied Sofia from meeting her children. 'Kourtney is a fierce mom, and she'll do whatever it takes to protect her kids,' an insider told The Sun in October 2017. 'Kourtney doesn't want them meeting another one of Scott's new girlfriends, only for her to disappear from their lives in a month, Plus, it would kill her to see another woman 'playing mom' to her kids in public. It would break her heart.' Trio: Kourtney and Scott share three children Mason, eight, Penelope, six, and Reign, three Scott and Sofia have been linked since May 2017. Until recently, Kourtney was romantically involved with Algerian model, Younes Bendjima. The couple split in early August after roughly two years of dating. Bendjima met the Kardashian's offspring in December 2017. She's already back to work after welcoming her second child, son Ariel, in June, And duty called on Thursday as the Victoria's Secret beauty was snapped breastfeeding her baby boy during a glitzy book launch in New York. The 29-year-old mother-of-two shared a black and white image of herself sitting cradling Ariel, with her black cocktail dress slipped off her shoulders so she could feed the tot. Multitasking mom: Candice Swanepoel shared a snap of her breastfeeding baby son Ariel during a book launch event on Thursday evening Candice captioned the Instagram shot simply 'Ariel' along with an emoji of a breastfeeding woman. The South African model has Ariel and Anaca, 23 months, with fiance Hermann Nicoli. Thursday's event, the launch of Russell James' book ANGELS, saw a slew of celebrities attend including Candice and Cindy Crawford who were hosts. Alessandra Ambrosio and current Angels Jasmine Tookes and Romee Strijd also put in super glamorous appearances. Leggy look: Thursday's event, the launch of Russell James' book ANGELS, saw a slew of celebrities attend including Candice and Cindy Crawford who were hosts Candice stunned in a black velvet mini dress and skyscraper heels with her long locks pinned back in an immaculate bun. Last month the 5ft 10in stunner preached the virtues of breastfeeding as she wrote a lengthy message on social media. 'This is the beginning of a month long celebration of the joy, the pain, the challenges & the triumphs of breastfeeding. Mother Nature is deeply invested in breastfeeding & we are uniquely designed to feed our young.' she wrote. 'Breastmilk provides information, not just nutrition- its a complex form of communication that is dependent on the endocrine system, the emotional body, the brain and the physical body. Brotherly love: Candice is also mom to son Anaca, one, and shared this cute snap of the siblings kissing last week Lingerie babe: The South African beauty has snapped back into shape less than three months after welcoming baby Ariel 'Besides the wonderful life long bond & deeply rooted connection you establish with your baby, breastfeeding also encourages the uterus to contract back to its normal size. Breastfeeding can burn up to 600 calories daily- so you need to eat & stay well hydrated to maximize production. From breastfeeding alone you may lose a pound of pregnancy weight every week.' She continued: 'Breastfeeding is also linked to lower lower incidences of breast cancer later in life.' 'Many women give up breastfeeding after the first few weeks postpartum due to pain, discomfort & no paid maternity leave. Support and community is key. Having healthy models for breastfeeding and advocates can increase breastfeeding success. #normalizebreastfeeding - this is Anacan 3 months old.' Sarah Roza is the latest Married At First Sight reject to use their fleeting reality TV fame to launch a product. The 39-year-old is currently in Singapore to shoot promotional material for her own line of 'luscious lip products.' The busty beautician has promised fans that the 'super sexy colours' can make the wearer's 'teeth look whiter,' which may be a world first for a lip gloss. 'Affordable, gorgeous, real wearable colours!' Married At First Sight's Sarah Roza is launching her own range of lip gloss products 'It's so exciting,' Sarah gushed on Instagram. 'Affordable, gorgeous, real wearable colours.' 'No coo-coo crazy colours,' she continued. 'Only classic, iconic, wearable forever loveable colours.' The single socialite also revealed that the line will be vegan and cruelty-free. Sarah isn't the first Married At First Sight star to cash in on their fifteen minutes of fame. 'No coo-coo crazy colours,' she told fans. 'Only classic, iconic, wearable forever loveable colours.' Pucker up! The 39-year-old is currently in Singapore to shoot promotional material for her own line of 'luscious lip products' Tracey Jewel memorably released her own self-help book, This Goddess Means Business, before being admitted to a mental health facility following a suicide attempt in Berlin this year. Sean Thomsen also started his own podcast called The Seany Show, which now appears to be defunct. The biggest success story from MAFS to date appears to be Davina Rankin, who had several businesses under her belt before appearing on the show. Following in Tracey's footsteps? Tracey Jewel memorably released her own self-help book, This Goddess Means Business, after appearing on MAFS Is Sarah the next Sean? Sean Thomsen also started his own podcast called The Seany Show, which now appears to be defunct Since her memorable stint on the series, the model's events company We Love Brunch Co has gone from strength to strength with a string of sold-out shindigs across Brisbane. Davina is now expanding her empire with a new event called Apres Mixer. Apres Mixer is a Brisbane-based event spearheaded by Davina and her boyfriend Jaxon Manuel for men and women to meet and 'mix.' Jessica Cunningham has stepped out with her newborn son Digby for the first time, as she enjoyed a low-key outing to run errands in Manchester, The 31-year-old Apprentice star was effortlessly chic in leather leggings as she pushed the tot around in his pram for the trip. Jessica confirmed the arrival of her fourth child - her first with boyfriend Alex Daw - in a sweet social media post in July, as the beauty gushed about her 'beautiful little rainbow baby.' Stylish: Jessica Cunningham has stepped out with her newborn son Digby for the first time, as she enjoyed a low-key outing to run errands in Manchester Showing off her incredible post-baby body, Jessica was putting on a stylish display in the low-key white top and leather leggings. The mother-of-four accessorised with a black handbag and nude trench coat, as she pushed around little Digby in his pram. Jessica struggled to hide her beaming smile as she stepped out with her glossy brunette tresses styled into effortless curls, accentuating her flawless complexion with a silver smoky eye, lined brows and nude lip. On point: The 31-year-old Apprentice star couldn't hide her beaming smile as she pushed the tot around in his pram, going for a casual white top and leather leggings look Casual: Jessica had her glossy brunette tresses styled into effortless waves for the outing, and accessorised her look with leopard print flats and a cream rain mac Jessica was every inch the proud mum as she ran some errands in Manchester, after welcomed her son in July. Taking to Instagram Jessica shared a sweet snap of Digby's hand clasping her finger, as she gushed about the joy in welcoming her 'rainbow baby.' She wrote: 'I've not been on here for a good few days, and Iv had a good few messages asking if I have had the baby and the answer is....NO. #justjokes. 'We have in fact welcomed our beautiful little rainbow baby into the world and its as if they were always meant to be here. 'Before every rainbow there is always a storm and our storm over the past year has left us with THE most beautiful little view. Happy: Jessica welcomed her fourth child in July with boyfriend Alex Daw, and in a sweet social media post couldn't stop gushing about her 'beautiful little rainbow baby' 'We are all doing well, but for now, I probably wont be on here for a few days as I am going to take a little bit of time to just enjoy my wonderful little family and also social media is a job in itself, and I am already quite sleep deprived, so any spare minutes are spent snoozing. 'Wish me luck on being a mama of 4.' Jessica and her boyfriend, Alex, tragically suffered a miscarriage in November 2017, while expecting their first child together. The heartbreaking news came a few weeks after she discovered she was pregnant, and just two months after the suicide of her ex-boyfriend Alistair Eccles, father of her three children, aged six, four and three. It has been revealed that she hasn't been booked to walk in any shows during New York Fashion Week. But Kendall Jenner still took the Big Apple by storm as she stepped out in a semi-sheer top and high-waisted trousers on Friday. The reality star, 22, looked effortlessly chic as she accessorised with tiny sunglasses and toted her essentials in a red clutch. Model behaviour: Kendall Jenner looked chic in high-waisted pants and a sheer multi-colored top as she stepped out for another day of New York Fashion Week festivities Jenner, who wore her haired in a sleek bun, teetered on heeled booties as she left her NYC residence. The Calabasas native wore a swipe of lip gloss and gold chain link earrings could be seen hanging from her lobes. Accompanied by her bodyguard, Kendall hopped into a waiting SUV. Fashionista: The reality star, 22, looked effortlessly chic as she accessorised with tiny sunglasses and toted her essentials in a red clutch Picture perfect: The Calabasas native wore a swipe of lip gloss and gold chain link earrings could be seen hanging from her lobes Jenner, who says she was misquoted, recently received backlash after she bashed other models in Love Magazine's 10th-anniversary issue. 'Since the beginning, we've been super selective about what shows I would do,' she said. 'I was never one of those girls who would do like 30 shows a season or whatever the f**k those girls do. More power to 'em.' The KUWTK star addressed the supposed 'misrepresentation' on Twitter. 'It was intended to be entirely complimentary, but unfortunately my words were twisted and taken out of context,' she wrote. 'The respect I have for my peers is immeasurable.' Buddy system: Kendall was accompanied by her bodyguard as they left her NYC residence Meanwhile, Page Six reported Thursday that Kendall engaged in an 'epic make out session' with Anwar Hadid, the younger brother of her pals Gigi and Bella Hadid. The gossip site said the pair were seen 'furiously locking lips' at a party at Cipriani Downtown on Wednesday night. 'Kendall was sitting with Anwar all night and made out with him for quite some time,' a source said. 'They didn't give a d**n who saw them.' Back in June, TMZ published photos of the pair kissing at a CDFA Awards after-party in NYC. Kendall recently split from Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons after a short romance. Vince Vaughn has been charged with DUI after his arrest in Hermosa Beach, California nearly three months ago. The Los Angeles District Attorney charged the 48-year-old actor with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and disobeying an officer according to a Friday report TMZ. This comes just days after the actor made a glamorous red carpet appearance alongside wife Kyla Weber at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on Monday. Ouch: Vince Vaughn (seen in his mugshot from back in June) has been charged with DUI and disobeying an officer by the Los Angeles District Attorney after his arrest in Hermosa Beach, California nearly three months ago according to TMZ Troubled: Vaughn - seen earlier this week - was charged with DWI and resisting while his passenger was also arrested and charged with public intoxication back in June Back in June Vaughn was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest in Hermosa Beach. He was busted early Sunday morning on June 10 at a checkpoint, according to the Manhattan Beach Police Department. A source told TMZ that Vaughn was stopped was driving with a passenger. According to a Facebook post by the Manhattan Beach police, the department held a DUI and driver's license checkpoint event from 8pm Saturday night until 3am Sunday morning. Making appearances: This comes just days after the actor made a glamorous red carpet appearance alongside wife Kyla Weber at the Venice Film Festival in Italy on Monday 'The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, increase the awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, and deter impaired driving and unlicensed driving,' the post read. Vaughn was arrested by Manhattan Beach police around 1am. He was charged with DWI and resisting while his passenger was also arrested and charged with public intoxication, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Vaughn was later released on $5,000 bail. According to a Facebook post by the Manhattan Beach police (station pictured), the department held a DUI and driver's license checkpoint event from 8pm Saturday night until 3am Sunday morning The Wedding Crashers (pictured) actor was later released on $5,000 bail Vaughn most recently starred in Brawl in Cell Block 99 as a former boxer who landed in prison. He's most known for his stand-out appearances in Wedding Crashers and The Break-Up, which he starred in with Jennifer Aniston. Vaughn and Aniston dated for a little more than a year in 2006. In 2010, he married Weber. They have two children together. Earlier this year it was announced that Vaughn will be joining Kristen Stewart in Against All Enemies, which started production this spring. The movie stars Stewart as iconic actress Jean Seberg. Vaughn is set to play FBI agent Carl Kowalski in the political thriller. She's always been the calming voice at his side. But Jeff Lewis, 48, has revealed he is no longer on speaking terms with his project manager and Flipping Out co-star Jenni Pulos, after they had a huge row. Speaking on his radio show he confirmed reports, saying: 'Its true. Jenni and I did have a fight which then resulted in a rift. I havent spoken to her in three months. Row: Jeff Lewis says he hasn't spoken to Flipping Out co-star Jenni Pulos for three months after blowout fight... and says she accused him of abuse Jenni, 45, reported Jeff to both the show's production company and TV network Bravo for 'abuse and victimization', which he says could well have ended his career. Speaking on his SiriusXM radio show Jeff Lewis Live, Jeff said his actions had been thoroughly investigated by Bravo over the summer, anbd the network had cleared him of the charges. However, he said, Jenni had then taken things a step further - reporting him for wrongfully terminating her and alleging he created a 'hostile working environment.' Said Jeff: 'Her making this claim, it put my entire career in jeopardy. My family, my livelihood, everything. I just lost my job. Im pretty sure of that. But I need to get in front of the story and I have to tell my side of the story. Im a dead man walking, but I have to tell my story.' Your browser does not support iframes. Nbcuniversal Privacy Policy Family friends: Jeff and Jenni are practically family. In season 10 of Flipping Out Jenni stepped up to be a god parent to Lewis' baby girl Monroe along with Wen Haircare mogul Chaz Dean Jeff and Jenni had been friends for 16 years, and their families were close. Their personal and professional lives are so interwoven that last season Jenni stepped into the role of God Mother for Lewis' now two-year-old daughter Monroe. He denied her claims, saying: 'I would never do that to a friend of 15, 16 years. I would never put someone I love her family, I love her kids, shes a godmother to my child, I would never do that to her.' Jeff and Jenni first found fame when Flipping Out launched in 2007. Initially chronicling Jeff's house flipping business, following the property crash that year, the show was reinvented as a home decorating business. Spats between the hot-headed stars aren't uncommon and are, in fact, a major part of the show. Jeff is famous for his temper tantrums and has on numerous occasions cut ties with employees. Pulos gave birth to her second child last year and things with her boss were seemingly problematic when she returned from maternity leave. It's over! Tensions between Jenni and Jeff had been rising for months and they've officially parted ways. Their blowout fight will air on the new season of Flipping Out Family issue: Pulos gave birth to her second child last year and things were problematic when she returned from maternity leave. The mother of two is seen here with her husband and daughter from a recent trip to Hawaii in August Viewers will get a front seat to that 'horrible fight' soon enough. The design team reportedly had it out in a battle royale while cameras were rolling for the upcoming season of Flipping Out. Both Pulos and Lewis serve as executive producers on the show and the fate of Flipping Out remains to be seen. If Pulos bows out of the show, it will mark another major shift in the cast on the heels of Season 10 which ended with the tearful exit of fan-favorite Zoila Chavez. The big fight will air in the reality show's latest season that premieres on September 11. Eva Longoria has shared a sweet new photograph of her baby boy Santiago Enrique on Instagram on Friday. The 43-year-old was seen planting a kiss on her baby boy and captioned the snap: 'Smooches from Santi'. The former Desperate Housewives star gave birth to her first child, whom she has with her husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston, in June. Smooches for Santi! Eva Longoria shared this sweet snap of her baby boy on Friday She has since returned to work and has been juggling motherhood with her new ABC TV series Grand Hotel. She is an executive producer on the show, and is also directing. She regularly takes her son along to the set and shares snaps on social media for her fans. The drama, which is based on a Spanish series, focuses on the last family-hotel in Miami. 'Bring your baby to work day'! Eva took Santi onto the set of Grand Hotel earlier this week Eva was also recently cast in the new Dora the Explorer movie. She will voice the young adventurer's mother Elena 'Mami' Marquez in the upcoming live adaptation alongside Isabela Moner, who will play the titular character. Michael Pena will portray Dora's father Cole 'Papi' Marquez. And action! Baby Santi has joined his mother in the director's chair Dora the Explorer is a children's television programme which first aired in 2000 and is based around the adventures of the titular Spanish-speaking girl, her monkey Boots, her backpack and other animated friends. It ran for 14 years and was geared towards the younger viewers, with the franchise also branching out into dolls and video games. Dora the Explorer is set to hit cinema screens in 2019. She recently revealed her struggles to juggle a career with being a princess in the public eye, as well as helping organise her sister Eugenie's wedding. And Princess Beatrice seemed keen to blow off some steam as she partied with Prince Harry's best friend, Thomas 'Skippy' Inskip, in Mayfair, London. The eighth in line to the throne, who celebrated her 30th birthday last month, seemed to in good spirits as she left LouLou's private members' club in the early hours of Thursday night. Double trouble: Princess Beatrice lookED chic in A purple minidress as she partied with Prince Harry's BFF Thomas Inskip (R) at a private members' club in London on Thursday Beatrice looked as chic as ever on the night, donning a burgundy-hued dress with a pussybow neckline and a tiered skirt. Letting her statement dress do the talking, Beatrice added height with a pair of platform courts and covered up with a simple black pea coat. She seemed to be in good spirits as she strolled along with Thomas, who is one of Harry's childhood friends from Eton College. Thomas married Hon Lara Hughes-Young in Jamaica last year - one of the first times where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were first spotted together as a couple. Loving life: She seemed to be in good spirits as she strolled along with Thomas (C), who is one of Harry's childhood friends from Eton College Old pals: Thomas has accompanied Harry on endless trips, from swims in Croatia to wild trips to Las Vegas (pictured throwing snowballs from a balcony in Verbier, France, in 2011) The banker has accompanied Harry on endless headline-making trips, from swims in Croatia to wild trips to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Beatrice, who works for business management consultancy Afiniti and splits her time between London, Windsor and New York. She and sister Eugenie, 28, recently touched on everything from life in the spotlight to fashion, social media and Eugenie's upcoming wedding in a Vogue interview. At one point, they discussed living in the public eye as they say they constantly face mockery and criticism. Of doing media interviews, Beatrice said: Its hard to navigate situations like these because there is no precedent, there is no protocol. Glam: Beatrice, who works for business management consultancy Afiniti and splits her time between London, Windsor and New York 'It's hard to navigate situations like these because there is no precedent,' said Princess Beatrice, the vice-president of a technology company, who celebrated her 30th birthday this week. We are the first: we are young women trying to build careers and have personal lives, and were also princesses, and doing all of this in the public eye.' Eugenie, who will tie the knot with Jack Brooksbank in October, added: We want to show people who we are as working, young, royal women, but also not to be afraid of putting ourselves out there.' Nowadays its so easy to recoil when you see a perfect image on Instagram - but its important that its real. Were real. She posed up a storm at the launch of her Adidas Originals Falcon collection. And one day later, Kylie Jenner enjoyed some downtime with her seven-month old daughter Stormi on Friday morning. The 21-year-old entrepreneur shared a clip of herself holding on to her baby girl as she stood up and danced in her arms, adding the caption 'My lover.' So cute: Kylie Jenner enjoyed some downtime with her seven month old daughter Stormi on Friday morning Kylie was getting ready in her bathroom; she appeared to be baking, which is a method to set your makeup. The mother of one donned a loose-fitting T-shirt with her long, blonde tresses loose and sleek. Stormi stood up and danced in her mom's arms; the seven-month-old wore adorable overalls with her hair in a top knot. Kylie captioned the short video simply with 'My lover.' Doting mother: The 21-year-old entrepreneur shared a clip of herself holding on to her baby girl as she stood up and danced in her arms, adding the caption 'My lover' Kylie welcomed Stormi on February 1 with her boyfriend Travis Scott, 26; the Kylie Cosmetics founder stepped out of the limelight during the entire course of her pregnancy. She announced news that she gave birth just days after welcoming her first child. The beauty posted a series of Instagram posts soon after while sporting a black and silver Dior T-shirt with shiny patent bottoms. The curvy makeup mogul donned the long blonde wig for the images with rainbow colored sunglasses and ombre pink nails. Focused: The beauty posted a series of Instagram posts soon after while sporting a black and silver Dior T-shirt with shiny patent bottoms; she shared the images Friday afternoon Iconic: The curvy makeup mogul donned the long blonde wig for the images with rainbow colored sunglasses Details: Her finishing touches included diamond rings and ombre pink polished nails On Thursday, Kylie attended the launch of the Falcon collection for Adidas Originals in Los Angeles. The beauty, who wore a Versus Versace black and white checkered dress, rocked the stylish shoes from her collection. She opted for long blonde hair for the event; she has been rocking platinum hair since her 21st birthday party on August 9. Hours later, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star slipped on a skintight dusty rose latex mini dress while heading to The Nice Guy in West Hollywood. All dressed up: On Thursday, Kylie attended the launch of the Falcon collection for Adidas Originals in Los Angeles Trendsetter: The beauty, who wore a Versus Versace black and white checkered dress, rocked the shoes from her collection Adidas ambassador: The stunner showed off the newest collection on her Instagram accounts in late August Va va voom: Hours later, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star slipped on a skintight dusty rose latex mini dress while heading to The Nice Guy in West Hollywood on Thursday Roxanne Pallett has been accused of exaggerating her pain during a car crash over the summer so she could get 'publicity' to go on Celebrity Big Brother. New video of the accident appears to show a low speed collision despite the former Emmerdale actress claiming she lost consciousness and 'was drifting away'. Pallett, 35, insisted she was 'lucky' to escape with two sprained wrists after being airlifted to hospital following the smash during a stock car race day in June. New video of the accident (above) at Hunmanby Raceway in York appears to show a low speed collision Allegations: Roxanne Pallett has been accused of exaggerating her pain during a car crash over the summer so she could get 'publicity' to go on Celebrity Big Brother But race organisers have claimed she 'hadn't hurt herself' as severely as she made out and alleged that she used the incident as a 'stepping stone' to raise her profile. The accusations come after Roxanne found herself at the centre of a national scandal after saying her CBB co-star Ryan Thomas was a 'woman-beater' who 'punched' her during their playfight. 'I was first on the scene. I didn't run over because I knew she hadn't hurt herself,' Edd Pannett, whose firm organised the day at Hunmanby Raceway in York, told The Sun. 'When I got there, she was saying, "I can't feel my legs, I can't feel my arms, my neck's hurting, my back's hurting, my head's hurting". She went through the whole lot. 'I feel we were used as a stepping stone for her to get to other things, and get publicity before going on Big Brother.' Ordeal: The former Emmerdale actress, 35, insisted she was 'lucky' to escape with two sprained wrists after being airlifted to hospital following the smash during a race day in June (pictured) Hmm: But race organisers have claimed she 'hadn't hurt herself' as severely as she made out and alleged that she used the incident as a 'stepping stone' to raise her profile First-aider Lynsey Pannett, who is marrying Edd's son, also alleged that she knew there was 'nothing wrong' with Roxanne after her initial assessment of her. In a video of the crash obtained by The Sun, Roxanne appears to be doing around 24mph and the car seems to have sustained minimal damage. Roxanne's representative told MailOnline: 'Roxanne has never confirmed the speed she was travelling at when the crash occurred, it may have been reported but she never confirmed it. 'It would have been impossible for her to know her speed, as she was crashing. The only qualified and crucially impartial people present to assess Roxannes condition were the paramedics, who made the decision to airlift her to hospital. Bizarre: 'I was first on the scene. I didn't run over because I knew she hadn't hurt herself,' Edd Pannett, whose firm organised the day at Hunmanby Raceway in York, told The Sun Claims: He added: 'When I got there, she was saying, "I can't feel my legs, I can't feel my arms, my neck's hurting, my back's hurting, my head's hurting". She went through the whole lot' 'At the time of discussions and at the time of the race, Roxanne was not booked or in discussions for Celebrity Big Brother. There is evidence to support this which the Sun have been offered.' Discussing the crash in July, the actress claimed she had 'never felt pain like it' and claimed she could feel her brain 'rattling'. 'I had this numbed, blocked up feeling in my head, like there was water in my head, like my brain had rattled. I couldnt really hear much, I couldnt feel much either,' she told Good Morning Britain. '[My co-host] Ben was relaying messages from [my boyfriend] Lee to try and keep me awake because I just wanted to go to sleep. Exaggeration? First-aider Lynsey Pannett also alleged that she knew there was 'nothing wrong' with Roxanne after her initial assessment of her 'The minute I woke up I knew it wasnt good. I think thats why they airlifted me because I couldnt feel my legs and my neck and my head. Ive never felt pain like it.' Roxanne was sporting two wrist supports for her TV interview, and the shaken star confessed she was still taking a lot of pain medication. 'Its something you never expect to happen to you. Its just a bit of a blur still to be honest. Im so dosed up on painkillers, Im almost grateful to feel this numb. Im really lucky, Ive been lucky', she declared. She was airlifted to hospital and taken home 24 hours later by her fiance, Lee Walton. Scandal: The accusations come after Roxanne found herself at the centre of a national scandal after saying her CBB co-star Ryan Thomas was a 'woman-beater' who 'punched' her during their playfight Roxanne made the startling admission she has since been trolled by stock car racing fans because she had only suffered minor injuries, and can't believe people could be so lacking in compassion. 'Ive had some really negative comments on social media thats been really upsetting from the stock car racing community almost lacking compassion. 'They were almost disappointed that Id been airlifted and only come out of it with some internal bruising and sprained wrist.' Heartbreaking: Ryan left the CBB house on medical grounds soon after her claims Roxanne said: 'Ive got to also point out that sometimes injuries can be invisible. My head doesnt feel right, I can barely stretch my ribs and back are so sore. 'Theres people everyday walking around with injuries and disabilities that are invisible to the eye and people need to remember that.' Since Roxanne's CBB scandal, a spokesperson for Emmerdale confirmed that they 'will not be bringing her back' to the soap and it has also been revealed that she has stepped down from her forthcoming panto. Roxanne has reportedly vowed to turn her back on showbusiness amid the scandal. Off air: Roxanne Pallett has quit her Breakfast radio show, which she began in February 2018, alongside Ben Fry No return: A spokesperson for Emmerdale has also confirmed that they 'will not be bringing back her back' - (Pictured with co-star Kelvin Fletcher) She announced on Tuesday that she is quitting her Breakfast radio show, which she began in February 2018, alongside Ben Fry. A statement from the radio station said: 'As a result of discussions today with her representatives, Minster FM can confirm that Roxanne Pallett has stepped down from her position at the station with immediate effect to take some time out and reflect on recent events. 'Roxanne will not be returning to Minster FM,' it was concluded. She missed out on a coveted spot in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the past two years, after previously walking for the lingerie giant. And on Saturday, Australian model Shanina Shaik announced she will be walking in the show this year, after making it through castings. The 27-year-old brunette beauty couldn't contain her excitement as she shared the 'outrageous' news with fans, vowing to make it an 'unforgettable show'. She's back! Shanina Shaik has announced she will be walking in the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show... after missing out on a coveted spot on the runway the past two years (pictured walking for the lingerie giant in 2012) Taking to Instagram, Shanina shared a shot of herself previously walking for Victoria's Secret and said she was doing a photoshoot when she got the news. 'I had a few visitors turn up to my photoshoot today,' Shanina began the lengthy post. She added: 'It was my amazing agent and my bestie Jasmine Tookes... a little confused then began to realise I'm going to receive the most outrageous news! I WILL BE WALKING IN THE VICTORIA's SECRET FASHION SHOW!' Thrilled: The 27-year-old brunette beauty couldn't contain her excitement as she shared the 'outrageous' news with fans, vowing to make it an 'unforgettable show' Shanina said she couldn't cry when she got the news because she sat in four hours of makeup but added: 'I'm overjoyed and so beyond grateful.' She then went on to thank the likes of Victoria's Secret head honcho Ed Razek. 'I'm excited to make this 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show an unforgettable show!' Shanina wrote. Shanina rose to international stardom when she scored a spot in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011. Success: Shanina rose to international stardom when she scored a spot in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011 (pictured) The leggy brunette went on to walk in the show three more times in 2012, 2014 and 2015 but had failed to score a spot since then. Shanina told The Daily Telegraph in 2014 that she was proud of the opportunity to represent her home country in the lingerie show. 'I was the only Aussie in the show this year,' the Melbourne-born beauty told the publication at the time. 'A lot of girls try out for the shows, and there are obviously a few Australians, so to be chosen is amazing and it makes me proud to represent Australia.' Robbie Williams and Ayda Field reportedly kept their surrogate baby daughter a secret from fellow X Factor judge Simon Cowell. The couple excitedly announced the arrival of Colette Josephine Williams, to be known as Coco, via Ayda's Instagram page on Friday, while detailing their 'long and difficult' path to a third child in a heartfelt post. Simon, 58, and their ITV colleagues were allegedly completely blindsided by the news and had no idea the duo were expecting a new arrival. Blindsided? Robbie Williams and Ayda Field reportedly kept their surrogate baby girl Coco a secret from Simon Cowell and their X Factor colleagues 'It took everyone by surprise. Nobody could quite believe it. Even Simon Cowell didn't know,' an X Factor insider told The Sun. 'We've seen lots of Robbie and Ayda lately. They have been on great form on the judging panel. The fact they were going through so much behind the scenes has come absolutely out of nowhere,' they added. 'But obviously everybody here is delighted for them and we look forward to seeing them again at the next stage of filming.' MailOnline has contacted Simon's representative for comment. Ayda, 39, and Robbie, 44, who are parents to daughter Teddy, five, and son Charlie, three, announced the news with a black and white image of the family's hands in one frame and said they will be 'eternally grateful' to their surrogate. Shock news: The couple excitedly announced the arrival of Colette Josephine Williams, to be known as Coco, via Ayda's Instagram page on Friday Happy news: They made the announcement while detailing their 'long and difficult' path to a third child in a heartfelt post A lovely thing to say: Ayda accompanied the picture with a sweet caption which explained how full of joy the family are Ayda wrote: 'I spy with my little eye an extra little hand. So we have been keeping a very special secret! We are delighted to share with you that we have had a baby girl. welcome to the world Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams!! 'It has been a very long and difficult path to get here, which is why we have kept it on the down low. 'Family comes in all forms, and this little lady, who is biologically ours, was carried by an incredible surrogate mother, to whom we will be eternally grateful.' She continued: 'We are over the moon to have this beautiful baby girl in our lives and so blessed that we live in a world which makes this possible. 'As with Teddy and Charlie, we ask that you respect Coco's privacy and allow us to grow into our new team of 5!' In love: The couple are also parents to Theodora Rose Williams, five and Charlton Valentine Williams, three HOW COMMON IS SURROGACY IN THE UK? Surrogacy is becoming more common in the UK - with legal applications relating to surrogacy having risen six-fold in ten years. In 2007, there were only 55 parental order applications in England - the process where legal parenthood is transferred from the surrogate to the intended parents. This rose to 316 in 2016. The Department of Health and Social Care has said the rise reflects a 'broadening diversity of families, with more LGTBQ+ couples and people with fertility difficulties turning to surrogacy'. Some hospitals have insisted surrogates hand over their baby to intended parents in hospital car parks - for fear the hospitals could be caught up in legal disputes over the parenting rights of the child. But DoH guidance states 'there is no reason why the 'hand over' of the baby to the intended parents should take place outside hospital premises and hospital staff should not suggest this'. Advertisement The news comes as a complete surprise as it was unknown that the couple were on this journey. Ayda and Robbie are already parents to Theodora Rose Williams, five and Charlton Valentine Williams, three. In May, a source told Metro that they wanted more children. They said: 'Ayda and Robbie couldn't be happier with their private life but feel one more baby would complete their family. 'They're hoping it will happen for them soon, but it's tough for them to spend lots of time together as sometimes they spend weeks apart. 'But it's top of their agenda when they do get time off from their hectic schedules. It's a busy time for them as they are both judges on the new series of X Factor, so no doubt they will have their hands full. They are said to have signed a 10 million deal to take part in this series. Robbie famously referred to the experience of watching Ayda give birth to their son Charlie, as being like 'watching his favourite pub burning down.' Surrogacy is becoming more common in the UK - with legal applications relating to surrogacy having risen six-fold in ten years. Multi-tasking: It's a busy time for them as they are both judges on the new series of X Factor, so no doubt they will have their hands full Four years ago Robbie let the whole world share in his wife's labour. In fact, Robbie live-tweeted footage of legs in stirrups, feet in red glittering stilettos gyrating as Ayda joked and laughed her way through the birth. She found it hilarious though, writing: 'I thought the idea was genius. It took my mind off everything especially the pain.' And Ayda later admitted it was her idea to document the birth of the couple's second child through a series of bizarre social media videos, which went viral online. The US star was speaking about her child birth experiences on Loose Women, when she revealed she encouraged her fun-loving husband to 'goof around' in order to distract her from the pain. Fun loving pair: Ayda Field has admitted it was her idea to document the birth of her and husband Robbie Williams' second child Charlie through a series of bizarre social media videos which went viral back in 2014 The birth of Robbie and Ayda's son Charlie was caught on camera as the former Take That star posted a string of bizarre videos and pictures showing him in hospital in LA with his wife. Explaining that many people didn't believe she was actually in labour when the videos and snaps were shared online, the actress insisted: 'I was genuinely giving birth, I have to say for poor Rob he took a lot of flak but it was my idea.' 'We didn't set out to do it, it started out as me putting my heels on as a joke, I put them in the stirrups and he asked to tweet it.' The pic that started it all: 'We didn't set out to do it, it started out as me putting my heels on as a joke, I put them in the stirrups and he asked to tweet it,' Ayda explained 'When Ayda goes into labour she comes correct,' the funnyman wrote alongside the snap at the time. Robbie went onto share videos showing the pair of them dancing in their hospital room as well as him singing his hits as Ayda had contractions. 'It was 3 in the morning, a 17 hour labour. It kept me distracted, we were coming up with all sorts of funny bits,' Ayda told her Loose Women colleagues. 'It's our sense of humour, we're goofy. But I didn't think about it going viral. About an hour after the birth some lady passed by us and said 'oh my god, those videos are so funny!'. Then a cleaner told us she'd seen us on Spanish TV that morning and another said we were on Good Morning America and I went 'babe what happened?'' No idea: 'It's our sense of humour, we're goofy. But I didn't think about it going viral,' Ayda added In 2014, Robbie told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: 'I'm hooked on anything that takes my mind off me. 'It used to be food, drugs, sex, the internet, smoking or TV. Now it's my daughter.' He said: 'I'm in a content stage of my life. That's because I'm married with a kid. I'm less reckless. I thought it was all about the cars and the clothes, the girls and the house. But none of that is for me. 'With a baby girl there's a point to it other than my own ego. I'm now tethered to the planet.' He was accused of faking booking a make-or-break holiday to Mexico to woo Courtney Green back on last week's episode. And Myles Barnett seems determined to build the bridge and become amicable with his ex-girlfriend after rumours begin to swirl he is dating Love Island's Kady McDermott on TOWIE. In upcoming scenes for Sunday's show, the reality star sends a voice message to Courtney, 23, while she is out with the girls for lunch. Bitter: Myles Barnett seems determined to build the bridge and become amicable with his ex-girlfriend after rumours began to swirl he is dating Love Island's Kady McDermott on TOWIE The teaser clip shows Amber Turner receiving a voice note from boyfriend Dan Edgar, with his intention to send on a message from Myles to Courtney. As the girls draw gasps, Myles says in the recording: 'What's happening? Listen, I know I'm probably the last one you want to speak to but, if you've got some free time tonight I would love to clear things up because i don't really like how we left it.' Aghast, Courtney said: 'I feel like my eyes have gone to the back of my head,' while best friend Chloe Meadows commented: 'My heart sunk for you.' Building bridges: In upcoming scenes for Sunday's show, the reality star sends a voice message to Courtney, 23, while she is out with the girls for lunch Unimpressed: Myles says in the recording: 'I'm probably the last one you want to speak to but, if you've got some free time tonight I would love to clear things up' Shocked: Aghast, Courtney said: 'I feel like my eyes have gone to the back of my head,' while best friend Chloe Meadows commented: 'My heart sunk for you.' While Amber, 24, thinks the reason Myles has reached out was to not make it 'awkward' for her as Dan's girlfriend and Courtney's friend, Chloe hit back: 'Myles likes to play the good guy to be honest.' 'He thinks that it's the right thing to do, so he's going to pretend like he's the nicest guy in the world and apologise- even though he doesn't really mean it.' Chiming in, Courtney vented: 'I just think why are you pulling my friends aside you should be pulling me aside to talk to me about everything's that's going on. Saving face: While Amber, 24, thinks the reason Myles reached out was to not make it 'awkward' for her as Dan's girlfriend , Chloe hit back: 'Myles likes to play the good guy' 'Amber's my friend, she's backing me. He's an ex boyfriend. I don't want to be around my ex boyfriend.' Last series ended with Courtney reuniting with Myles after he pulled out how all the stops by booking a surprise holiday to Mexico. However on last Sunday's show, Courtney divulged the trip never happened and accused Myles of never booking the flights. Following their bitter split, rumours swirled around Essex that the pair have been dating other people, with Myles reportedly dating Kady McDermott Following their bitter split, rumours swirled around Essex that the pair have been dating other people, with the two confronting each other in a teaser clip for Sunday's upcoming episode. Speaking about Myles moving on with Love Island star Kady, Courtney told OK Online: 'Yeah, I think he is, yeah. 'Youll see in TOWIE, we do have a conversation next week.' TOWIE continues on Sunday at 9pm on ITVBe. She is starring in two films screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. And Natalie Portman made her first appearance in the Great White North on Friday as she attended a screening for her film Vox Lux. The 37-year-old actress cut an elegant figure in a pale pink dress while sauntering down the red carpet. Pretty in pink: Natalie Portman made her first appearance in the Great White North on Friday as she attended a screening for her film Vox Lux The muted frock had a pleated skirt bottom and the top featured a plunging neckline that highlighted the Annihilation actress' cleavage. Her light brown tresses fell straight across her her shoulders and she tucked them behind her ears. She painted her lips a deep rose and used dark eyeliner to to add depth to her eyes. Keeping accessories simple, Natalie donned small, gold hoop earrings, along with her wedding ring. On the carpet: The 37-year-old actress cut an elegant figure in a pale pink dress while sauntering down the red carpet Stunning: The muted frock had a pleated skirt bottom and the top featured a plunging neckline that highlighted the Annihilation actress' cleavage Round two: Keeping accessories simple, Natalie donned small, gold hoop earrings, along with her wedding ring Natalie was joined on the carpet by her co-star Jude Law, 45, and director Brady Corbet, who also penned the screenplay. The Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow star buttoned one button on a navy jacket that he matched with baggy pants. He donned a black v-neck underneath and paired it with shiny black Oxfords. Stars align: Natalie was joined on the carpet by her co-star Jude Law, 45, and director Brady Corbet, who also penned the screenplay Captain: The Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow star buttoned one button on a navy jacket that he matched with baggy pants Natalie was cast in the starring role of Celeste in the upcoming film, after Rooney Mara roped out. She is also an excutive producer on the project. The film has yet to set a United States release date. All smiles: She painted her lips a deep rose and used dark eyeliner to to add depth to her eyes Together: Natalie was cast in the starring role of Celeste in the upcoming film, after Rooney Mara roped out Afterparty: The co-stars continued their celebratory moment as they attended the film's premiere party, hosted by GREY GOOSE Vodka and Soho House at Soho House Toronto Radiant: The mother-of-two appeared in high spirits as she joined her co-stars for the festivities following the screening Animated: Natalie and Jude put on a playful display during a lively chat with director Brady Tiffany Scanlon's crippling struggle with depression took a turn for the worse this week. On Friday, The Bachelor series contestant told Instagram followers she's now seeking Quantum Neuro Recoding (QNR) therapy at Brain Wellness Spa in Perth. 'Things escalated over the past week and a friend has pointed me in the right direction,' Tiffany, 31, said in a statement she live-streamed from her bedroom. 'I haven't been able to get a grip': The Bachelor star Tiffany Scanlon (pictured) has revealed she is seeking depression treatment using 'Quantum Neuro Recoding', at an alternative medicine 'brain wellness spa' The reality star shared a promotional image of alternative medicine clinic Brain Wellness Spa, a company she said her friend vouched for. 'I definitely have depression and it's something I have to manage,' Tiffany said. 'Over the past month things have built up and I haven't been able to get a grip. 'I have a hard time focusing and remembering things at the moment, I've struggled started and finishing tasks and being motivated.' Revelation: 'Things escalated over the past week and a friend has pointed me in the right direction,' Tiffany, 31, said in a statement she live-streamed from her bedroom Brain Wellness Spa: The reality star shared a promotional image of the alternative medicine clinic - a company she said her friend vouched for Brain Wellness Spa was founded by Terri Bowman, who trained in 'brain behaviour' in the UK and Germany before returning to Australia. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last year, Terri said the spa has a 98 per cent success rate and helps over 400 people every month. 'We're called the Brain Wellness Spa because we actually offer a spa menu,' she said. Tiffany's struggle: 'I definitely have depression and it's something I have to manage,' Tiffany said. 'I am at the point where I am willing to try anything' 'We wanted to get away from that typical clinical approach to mental health.' Tiffany will conduct her therapy over the phone, informing fans her first session would be at 5pm on Friday night. 'I am at the point where I am willing to try anything,' The Bachelor 2016 contestant explained. QNR: Tiffany will be treated with QNR, a therapy developed by Brain Wellness Spa founder Terri Bowman, which she claims is a way of reprogramming the brain via the unconscious (Brain Wellness Spa is pictured) 'I dont believe there is a magic wand for mental health stuff and I believe therapy and medication can help, but it's been over 10 years of dealing with this stuff. Tiffany will be treated with QNR, a therapy developed by Terri, which she claims is a way of reprogramming the brain via the unconscious. 'QNR stops your brain from going down the pathway of a bad memory or behaviour,' she told Daily Mail Australia last year. Brain training: 'QNR stops your brain from going down the pathway of a bad memory or behaviour,' Terri told Daily Mail Australia last year 'It works in the unconscious brain, which is actually where the root of all emotional and mental problems are found.' According to the Frequently Asked Questions section on the company's website, staff have a 'background in Psychology'. 'However, as we are not treating your conscious brain, we do not require a psychology degree... [Staff] are all fully trained QNR facilitators.' Qualifications: According to the FAQ section on the company's website, staff have a 'background in Psychology' but are not required to have a degree in the field Tiffany competed on Richie Strahan's season of The Bachelor, but gained increased media attention after starting a lesbian relationship with co-star Megan Marx. The pair dated for six-months, before separating in March 2017. If you or anyone around you are struggling and/or seeking support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 She always looks preened to perfection while presenting The One Show. And Alex Jones proved she can nail off-duty chic too, as she left the BBC studios in London on Friday. The 41-year-old TV star certainly turned heads as she stepped out in a simple pale pink shirt and skintight grey jeans. Turning heads: Alex Jones looked chic in a plunging shirt and skintight jeans as she left the BBC Studios after The One Show Injecting a dose of glamour into her look, the Welsh beauty added a stylish pair of silver mules to her ensemble. Sweeping her glossy dark tresses into a simple ponytail, she framed her features with a slick of red lipstick. Alex was joined by rocker Lenny Kravitz on The One Show, who looked typically edgy in a burgundy leather jacket and distressed jeans. The 54-year-old musician shielded his eyes behind some aviator sunnies as he took to the stage with his guitar. Killer footwear: Injecting a dose of glamour into her look, the Welsh beauty added a stylish pair of silver mules to her ensemble Glam: Sweeping her glossy dark tresses into a simple ponytail, she framed her features with a slick of red lipstick Alex recently opened up about what it was like to be a first-time mother at the age of 39 to a son, Teddy. Speaking to You magazine about the one-year-old in March, she admitted that her relationship with her husband, insurance broker Charlie Thomson, suffered. 'Charlie is a fantastic support and now I think our relationship is a lot stronger because of Ted, but we struggled to find a way to even like each other sometimes in those early days,' she says. Candid: Alex recently opened up about what it was like to be a first-time mother at the age of 39 to a son, Teddy Honest: Speaking to You magazine about the one-year-old in March, she admitted that her relationship with her husband, insurance broker Charlie Thomson, suffered 'Once I sat upstairs in our bedroom for about four hours trying to feed Ted, feeling so upset and isolated. Or there would be nights when I was waking to feed Ted every two hours; Charlie would be snoring beside me while I felt murderous. It's not your partner's fault he can't breastfeed, but it's tough.' Alex became pregnant at 39 nine years older than the average first-time mum. Until she announced her pregnancy, she says, some people assumed she didn't want children, preferring to focus on work. 'It was nothing to do with that. I just felt getting pregnant when I did was the right time for me,' she says. 'But we have this very odd way of putting women into boxes: 'Ooh, she's 36 with no kids, she must be career driven.' It's absolute nonsense. Usually when a woman doesn't have children it's because of circumstances out of her control.' Cool guy: Alex was joined by rocker Lenny Kravitz on The One Show Peace out: He looked typically edgy in a burgundy leather jacket and distressed jeans Advertisement They're known for their roles on the mega-hit television show Modern Family. But on Friday Sarah Hyland and Sofia Vergara were on hand not because of their acting prowess, but instead to support the renowned Stand Up To Cancer event. Sofia, 46, kept her outfit quite simple for the star-studded event, but still managed to turn some heads. Good cause! On Friday Sarah Hyland and Sofia Vergara were on hand not because of their acting prowess, but instead to support the renowned Stand Up To Cancer event The Colombian native put her ample bosom on display in a tight red tee, while perfectly fitted jeans revealed her shapely legs. Crimson colored, peep-toe platform heels completed her look, while some spangly gold bracelets and red circular earrings appeared to be her only accessories. The mother-of-one parted her mixed brown tresses in the middle and went with a smokey eye, blush and deep rose lipstick. Sarah Hyland, 27, also went with a more basic ensemble. Flattering! The Colombian native put her ample bosom on display in a tight red tee, while perfectly fitted jeans revealed her shapely legs Glam gal! The mother-of-one parted her mixed brown tresses in the middle and went with a smokey eye, blush and deep rose lipstick Leggy lady! Her high platforms added a few more inches to her 5ft7in frame Nothing fancy: Sarah Hyland, 27, also went with a more basic ensemble Perfect peepers! Accessories included a small square wristwatch, a long pendant necklace and some clear frame glasses She paired a black promotional tee with some skinny leg jeans that showed off her lithe legs. Some strappy black and white snakeskin heels by Sophia Webster added a few inches to her petite 5ft2in frame. Accessories included a small square wristwatch, a long pendant necklace and some clear frame glasses. Fitness fanatic! Of course there were many more celebs on hand for the show as well, such as television personality Jillian Michaels, 44 Hot stuff! Maria Menounos, 40, of Extra, also sported a grey t-shirt, though down below she spiced things up with some leather trousers and strappy stilettos She parted her brunette tresses on the right and allowed them to cascade down past her shoulders while a smokey eye, and rose lipstick adorned her youthful visage. It seems the Sarah was quite excited about the event, tweeting on Thursday: 'I am honored to join @SU2C for their live fundraising telecast marking #StandUpToCancers 10 years of impact in cancer research. Stand Up for a future where every cancer patient becomes a long-term survivor. Join me and tune in on Sept. 7!' Of course there were many more celebs on hand for the show as well, such as television personality Jillian Michaels, 44. A little of everything! The Social Network actress Brenda Song, 30, jazzed things up with her own pair of black leather trousers and elaborate strappy heels Monochrome! Katie Couric, 61, kept up the t-shirt and trouser trend with an all black ensemble, and added a pair of black platform pumps as well Bling bling! When Katie took the stage her thick hoop earrings were on full display Unique look! Disney starlet Olivia Holt, 21, mixed up the prevailing style of the evening with a pair of massively baggy black trousers which fell only to her ankles Survivor! Shannen Doherty, 47,(right) who was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2015, looked happy and healthy in a black satiny jacket, grey tee, and classic jeans She paired her loose grey tee with some very tight black trousers with cuts at the knees. Some black high top sneakers with white soles looked like comfortable footwear for the evening. Maria Menounos, 40, of Extra, also sported a grey t-shirt, though down below she spiced things up with some leather trousers and strappy stilettos. The Social Network actress Brenda Song, 30, jazzed things up with her own pair of black leather trousers and elaborate strappy heels. Two of a kind! Dance Moms stars Maddie Ziegler, 15, (left) and her sister Mackenzie, 14, both chose high-waisted trousers for the appearance Adding some inches! Another Modern Family star, Julie Bowen, 48, showed up in dark track pants and wild red, white and blue platform sneakers. Well-prepared! Long time Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney, 41, decided to tie a sweatshirt around her waist in case it got chilly at the venue Katie Couric, 61, kept up the t-shirt and trouser trend with an all black ensemble, and added a pair of black platform pumps as well. Disney starlet Olivia Holt, 21, mixed up the prevailing style of the evening with a pair of massively baggy black trousers which fell only to her ankles. Shannen Doherty, 47, who of course was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2015, looked happy and healthy in a black satiny jacket, grey tee, and classic jeans. Dance Moms stars Maddie Ziegler, 15, and her sister Mackenzie, 14, both chose high-waisted trousers for the appearance. Keeping it simple! Avengers: Infinity War star Josh Brolin, 50,(left) went with a fitted grey tee and dark wash jeans combination Another Modern Family star, Julie Bowen, 48, showed up in dark track pants and wild red, white and blue platform sneakers. Long time Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney, 41, decided to tie a sweatshirt around her waist in case it got chilly at the venue. Avengers: Infinity War star Josh Brolin, 50, went with a fitted grey tee and dark wash jeans combination, while Rob Riggle, 48, bucked the denim trend and opted for a pair of khakis. Listen up! Matt Damon, 47, went with an all black combo and looked quite happy on stage Ready to fly! Joe Dirt actor David Spade, 54, added some character to his ensemble with a pair of gold framed aviator shades Everybody on the way? Yet another Modern Family alum was on hand in the form of Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 42 Getting the band back together! Modern Family stars Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sarah Hyland took a group shot together backstage Who knew they were friends? Eric McCormack and Jason Bateman (right) posed for a snap together Encore! Little Big Town performed in Stand Up To Cancer t-shirts Only the best: The audience of Stand Up To Cancer were treated to a musical performance by none other than the great Stevie Wonder What a foursome: Little Big Town also hit the stage to regale the crowd with their musical stylings Comedy icon: Ken Jeong was one of the formidable string of celebrities featured on the telecast Heartbreaking: Katie Couric, who lost both her sister and her first husband to cancer, was one of the celebrity speakers Star power: Matt Damon cut a dashing figure in a fitted T-shirt as he addressed the crowd Send in the clowns: Late night comedians also lent their talents to the evening, including Daily Show host Trevor Noah They are starring together in her rumored boyfriend Max Minghella's film Teen Spirit. And Elle Fanning, 20, beamed as she got a kiss on the cheek from her co-star Zlatko Buric, 65, at the film's Toronto International Film Festival premiere on Friday. Max, 32, looked less than thrilled as he stood awkwardly nearby, while his stars bonded. He was romantically linked to Elle back in August when they were pictured together, although the two have yet to confirm the reports. Affection: (from left) Elle Fanning, 20, beamed as she got a kiss on the cheek from her co-star Zlatko Buric, 65, in Toronto on Friday as their director and co-star Max Minghella looked on For her premiere, Elle was stunning in a plunging dress with an undulating hemline, wearing her long blonde hair down and playing up her movie star features with makeup. Her outfit was bordered with multicolored Art Deco stripes, and everywhere else it was covered in dazzling midnight blue sequins. Elle stars as a small-town girl who plunges herself into a grueling singing contest in Teen Spirit, which Max wrote as well as directing. Gorgeous: Elle was stunning in a plunging dress with an undulating hemline, wearing her long blonde hair down and playing up her movie star features with makeup Swank: Her outfit was bordered with multicolored Art Deco stripes, and everywhere else it was covered in dazzling midnight blue sequins Who's who: Elle stars as a small-town girl who plunges herself into a grueling singing contest in Teen Spirit, which Max wrote as well as directing Max, a British actor known for his turn on The Handmaid's Tale, cut a dapper figure at the premiere in a simple black suit. Accessorizing with a red and green print tie, he went for a classic look with a white dress shirt and a gleaming pair of black shoes. Producer Fred Berger posed on the red carpet alongside cast members Elle, Olive Gray, Ursula Holliday, Zlatko, Clara and their director on the red carpet. Smoldering: Max, a British actor known for his turn on The Handmaid's Tale, cut a dapper figure at the premiere in a simple black suit So snappy: Accessorizing with a red and green print tie, Max went for a classic look with a white dress shirt and a gleaming pair of black shoes Group shot: (from left) Producer Fred Berger posed on the red carpet alongside cast members Elle,Olive Gray, Ursula Holliday, Zlatko, Clara and their director on the red carpet For the new movie's world premiere, Ursula wore a red dress with red and gold shoes, as well as a drop necklace. Olive flashed her enviably trim midriff beneath a skintight black crop top, slinging on a sea green purse and a tangle of necklaces. She wore her hair in long braids and slipped into a flowing pair of high-waisted pinstriped pants, balancing on open-toed platform stilettos. Star turns: For the new movie's world premiere, Ursula wore a red dress with red and gold shoes, as well as a drop necklace Ab fab: Olive flashed her enviably trim midriff beneath a skintight black crop top, slinging on a sea green purse and a tangle of necklaces Stylish to the hilt: She wore her hair in long braids and slipped into a flowing pair of high-waisted pinstriped pants, balancing on open-toed platform stilettos Clara swept her hair tightly back into a bun, grinning joyously as she stood for the cameras at the Toronto event. She opted for a simple floor-length gown that featured blue and white stripes at the top half and pink and white stripes nearer the ground. That day, Elle buttoned herself into a collared denim dress when she swung by Variety Studio presented by AT&T to discuss her work. Glowing: Clara swept her hair tightly back into a bun, grinning joyously as she stood for the cameras at the Toronto event Dazzling beauty: She opted for a simple floor-length gown that featured blue and white stripes at the top half and pink and white stripes nearer the ground Publicity rounds: That day, Elle buttoned herself into a collared denim dress when she swung by Variety Studio presented by AT&T to discuss her work Bright spirits: The younger sister of Dakota Fanning could be seen laughing uproariously as she sat at the end of a couch, leaning against the armrest The younger sister of Dakota Fanning could be seen laughing uproariously as she sat at the end of a couch, leaning against the armrest. Elle, who hails from Conyers, Georgia, contrasted her dark dress elegantly against a pair of orange-accented white shoes. Also on Thursday, she posed with Clara, Zlatko and Max at The IMDb Studio presented by Land Rover at Bisha Hotel And Residences. Rounding off the look: Elle, who hails from Conyers, Georgia, contrasted her dark dress elegantly against a pair of orange-accented white shoes Quartet: Also on Thursday, she posed with Clara, Zlatko and Max at The IMDb Studio presented by Land Rover at Bisha Hotel And Residences Clara was belted into a stylishly buttoned-up white collared dress redolent of the 1950s, while Max threw a hoodie over a T-shirt. Elle, who was back in her denim dress, sat beside Max, Clara and Zlatko to be interviewed in aid of Teen Spirit. Interviewer Dave Karger appeared to have raised a smile from Elle, as she was seen flashing her megawatt grin while they chatted. Marked contrast: Clara was belted into a stylishly buttoned-up white collared dress redolent of the 1950s, while Max threw a hoodie over a T-shirt Side by side by side by side: Elle, who was back in her denim dress, sat beside Max, Clara and Zlatko to be interviewed in aid of Teen Spirit Morgan Freeman has made his first red carpet appearance since being accused of sexual misconduct, as he attended the premiere for Line Of Fire. The 81-year-old Hollywood legend was in good spirits as he attended the launch at the 44th Deauville American Film Festival in France on Friday. Sporting an all-black suit, Morgan was also wearing a compression glove on his paralysed right hand, clearly continuing to battle with the injuries he suffered in a car crash in 2008. Back to business: Morgan Freeman has made his first red carpet appearance since being accused of sexual misconduct, as he attended the premiere for Line Of Fire Morgan was sporting his signature sunglasses along with his all-black suit as he put on an animated display on the red carpet, wearing his medical compression glove in the same black colour. Joining several of the film's stars on the red carpet, the Million Dollar Baby star made a dramatic entrance as he walked along the red carpet. It was also believed that Morgan was attending the event to received a lifetime achievement award for his body of acting work. Suited and booted: Looking sharp in all-black the 81-year-old attended the event at the 44th Deauville American Film Festival in France on Friday Sharp: Moegan was also sported a matching compression glove as he walked the red carpet for the outing, after sustaining injuries from a 2008 car crash Suffering: The glove maintains blood flow in his right hand after the Bruce Almighty star was left near-paralysed by fibromyalgia Morgan had been spotted previously wearing his compression glove at an event last year, with a representative confirming to MailOnline at the time that it was being worn as a result of the injuries he sustained nine years ago in the crash. He previously admitted to being in near constant pain as he continues to suffer from fibromyalgia - chronic widespread pain - steaming from his broken shoulder. Sadly, despite doctors promising it would improve by 2011, the actor's left hand remains immobile due to the severe nerve damage he suffered in the 2008 crash, and he has to wear the compression glove to keep the blood flow going. Jovial: Morgan was putting on an animated display as he walked the lavish red carpet event, which was also believed to be ahead of him receiving a lifetime achievement award In pain: Speaking about his hand injuries, Morgan said he manages to remain matter of face about the crippling affliction Open: He said: 'If you don't move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?' Speaking about the injury just after the crash, the Dark Knight Rises star managed to remain matter of fact about the crippling affliction. 'I suffered nerve damage and it hasn't gotten better. I can't move it,' he said at the time. 'If you don't move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?' Morgan's red carpet appearance was the first since he was accused of sexual misconduct and 'inappropriate behaviour' by sixteen individuals in May according to CNN. Tough time: Morgan's red carpet outing came after he was accused of sexual misconduct and 'inappropriate behaviour' by sixteen individuals in May Not true: The Oscar winner strongly denied the allegations in a statement at the time, saying: 'I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women' The Oscar winner strongly denied the allegations in a statement at the time: 'I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday's media reports. 'All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humour. I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women and men feel appreciated and at ease around me. 'As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way. Clearly, I was not always coming across the way I intended. 'And that is why I apologised Thursday and will continue to apologise to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally. But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.' Glamorous: Josephine Japy also made a bold statement as she walked the red carpet, standing out in a bright red midi dress and silver heels She recently admitted that a bout of adult acne affected her confidence. Yet Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looked far from shy as she stepped out in a showstopping gown to attend a party during New York Fashion Week on Friday. Ensuring all eyes would be on her as she left her hotel, the blonde bombshell, 31, was dressed to the nines in a plunging white gown. Stunning: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looked far from shy as she stepped out in a showstopping gown to attend a party during New York Fashion Week on Friday Featuring a plunging neckline, the garment showcased her cleavage, whilst nipping in at her tiny waist to showcase her supermodel figure. The tuxedo style gown also featured a stunning split to show off her tanned and toned pins, that were elongated with a pair of silver court heels. Rosie kept her accessories simple for the outing, clutching a small satin purse, whilst she added to the bling with a pair of ornate diamond earrings. The mother-of-one finished off the look by styling her glossy honey-hued locks in retro Hollywood waves that cascaded down her shoulder. Cream of the crop: Ensuring all eyes would be on her as she left her hotel, the blonde bombshell, 31, was dressed to the nines in a plunging white gown Dressed to impress: Featuring a plunging neckline, the garment showcased her cleavage, whilst nipping in at her tiny waist to showcase her supermodel figure Rosie's outing came after she recently opened up about suffering from adult acne following the birth of her son Jack. Speaking to Net-a-Porter's digital magazine Porter Edit, the supermodel opened up about overcoming her skin issues while also discussing her negative modelling experiences. Vowing that she 'never had perfect skin', the British beauty explained that her acne began six months following the birth of her boy, who she welcomed with partner Jason Statham in June 2017, and confessed it left her feeling 'mortified'. Leggy lady! The tuxedo style gown also featured a stunning split to show off her tanned and toned pins, that were elongated with a pair of silver court heels Finishing touches: Rosie kept her accessories simple for the outing, clutching a small satin purse, whilst she added to the bling with a pair of ornate diamond earrings She shared: 'Ive never had perfect skin, but throughout the pregnancy it couldnt have been better. They say boys bring out your beauty and girls steal it! 'Six months after [the birth] the acne started. Its sort of a depressing thing, so mortifying. Im following [skin specialist] Dr Lancers advice, so its a work in progress.' Rosie has been a stalwart in the modelling community ever since her jaw-dropping debut in 2006's Victoria's Secret catwalk show. It has become the biggest new drama on British television in more than a decade. And following the success of BBC's political thriller Bodyguard, writer Jed Mercurio has revealed plans for second series are in the pipeline. The six-part show - starring Keeley Hawes as the Home Secretary and Richard Madden as the officer assigned to protect her - achieved viewing figures of 10.4 million for its first episode alone. More to come: Following the success of BBC's political thriller Bodyguard, writer Jed Mercurio has revealed a second series is in the pipeline Jed told The Mirror: 'I have got some ideas for a second series, but it is worth waiting until the run is finished to see from the research which bits worked and which bits didnt work for the audience. 'We clearly need to be offering the audience another Bodyguard experience if we are lucky enough to get a second series, those conversations are for the future.' Speaking about what's in store for episode four, the Line Of Duty creator teased: 'I have put in some red herrings, you have to be able to have a number of possible answers in play and that is all about what you let the audience in on and what you keep from them.' Head brimming with ideas: Jed said: 'I have got some ideas for a second series, but it is worth waiting until the run is finished to see from the research which bits worked' Impressive: The BBC One series - starring Keeley Hawes as the Home Secretary and Richard Madden - has achieved consolidated viewing figures of 10.4 million for its first episode On its first episode, Bodyguard had an average overnight rating of 6.7 million and an audience share of 35%, the BBC said. The programme peaked with 6.9 million viewers. Following its explosive first episode, Jed previously revealed his hopes of a second series being commissioned on Twitter. Ahead of the show Amber Rudd, 55, wrote an article in The Sunday Times, detailing her personal experiences of working with her bodyguard during her time as Home Secretary. Well received: The series, written and created by Line Of Duty's Jed Mercurio, kicked off on August 26, when it scored the highest overnight audience for a drama launch this year Delighted with the response to the political thriller, Jed shared the article, writing: 'Thanks to Amber Rudd for an interesting and thought provoking article on Bodyguard. Maybe she'll honour us with a cameo appearance if we get a second series!' Last Sunday, a staggering 6.7million viewers tuned in to watch the third installment of the political thriller, while 3.1million watched ITV's Napoleonic-era series Vanity Fair. During the episode, Budd continued his relationship with Miss Hawess character Home Secretary Julie Montague in a series of steamy trysts. Terror: Bodyguard's third episode saw Budd continue his relationship with Home Secretary Julie Montague before he dealt with a dramatic assassination attempt However, at one point, the former army officer, suffering from PTSD following time in Afghanistan, attempted to strangle her after she woke him in the night before he realised who she was. The sinister themes continued when the Home Secretary suffered another assassination attempt. She delivered a speech about plans to increase surveillance powers when a bomb is detonated, causing her and Budd to be thrown into the air. Budd crawled through debris to reach the minister, whose charred body appears lifeless. Bodyguard continues on BBC One on Sunday at 9pm. They've been inseparable ever since they tied the knot in 2012. And Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves showed they were more loved-up than ever as they attended the TIFF premiere of White Boy Rick during Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on Friday. The Dallas Buyers Club Oscar winner, 48, couldn't resist packing on the PDA with the gorgeous model, 36, as they shared a sweet smooch on the red carpet. Smitten: Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves showed they were more loved-up than ever as they attended the premiere of White Boy Rick during Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on Friday Matthew and Camila looked effortlessly chic for the premiere of his upcoming movie drama White Boy Rick at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The model was the picture of elegance in a white off-the-shoulder dress that came with an added layer of sheer fabric for some extra pop. The number hugged her impressively toned figure and showcased her arms, shoulders and legs. She paired it with matching white-strapped pumps and wore her raven tresses long and with a part in the middle. Stunning: The Dallas Buyers Club Oscar winner, 48, couldn't resist packing on the PDA with the gorgeous model, 36, as they shared a sweet smooch on the red carpet Elegant: Matthew and Camila looked effortlessly chic for the premiere of his upcoming movie drama White Boy Rick at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Soaking in the spotlight: The actor shined in a berry 'Vanquish' Strong Suit, while his model wife stunned in a white off-the-shoulder dress Her Oscar-winning husband also impressed mightily with a berry 'Vanquish' Strong Suit, white dress shirt and black dress shoes. Giving his look a more casual appeal, the Texas native opted to leave out a tie and kept two buttons undone. Fans couldn't get enough of the affable star as he greeted many of them as they stood back behind a make-shift barrier along the red capret. Also on hand to soak in all hoopla were costars Richie Merritt, Jonathan Majors, Bel Powley and director Yann Demange, to name a few. At times, the group couldn't hold back their affinity for each other as they posed for photographers locked arm and arm. Fan favorite: The 48-year old affable star took time out to greet fans and sign autogaphs Gritty: White Boy Rick is set in 1980's Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic, and follows the true story of a father (McConaughey) and his teenage son (Merritt) , who was a street hustler, FBI informant and drug kingpinall before he turned 16 Camaraderie: Stars Jonathan Majors, McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Bel Powley and director Yann Demange gathered for some group photos on the red carpet Hamming it up: McConaughey, third right, joined director Yann Demange, third left, Richie Merritt, second left, Bel Powley, right, Jonathan Majors, center, and other cast members First-timer: Teenage co-star Richie Merritt had no acting experience heading into the role and he didn't recognize leading man Matthew McConaughy White Boy Rick is set in 1980's Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic, and follows the true story of a blue-collar father, played by McConaughey, and his teenage son (Merritt) , who was a street hustler, FBI informant and drug kingpinall before he turned 16. According to USA Today, Merritt had no acting experience heading into the role and, what's more, he admitted the film's famous leading man wasn't exactly on his radar. 'I didnt know who he was at first. Because I'm used to watching action movies with, like, Will Smith or Mark Wahlberg, stuff like that,' Merritt said, now 17 and a high-school senior. 'But when I met him, it was like, 'I do know that guy.' I didnt know his name was Matthew McConaughey.' White Boy Rick hits theaters across the U.S. September 14. Going strong: The happy couple have been married since 2012 and share three children Leading stars: Matthew starred with actor Richie Merritt who stars in White Boy Rick Celebration: The actor and his fellow co-stars celebrated the premiere with a sparkling cake As a Hollywood legend, she's been photographed thousands of times. Regardless, it seems Goldie Hawn had some photography-related issues on Friday as she tried to commemorate her son Oliver's birthday via Instagram post. The 72-year-old Overboard star took to the social network with a sweet message for her son, who turned 42 on Friday. Whoops? It seems Goldie Hawn had some photography-related issues on Friday as she tried to commemorate her son Oliver's birthday via Instagram post 'You are my sunshine my only sunshine you make me happy when skys are blue.... happy birthday my honey. Xxx love you!' wrote the Oscar winner. However, the accompanying image only showed the beaming blonde wearing what appeared to be a black sweater and slate grey top. The headless male would prove to be her son, as the photo was actually from a premiere they both attended back in 2015. The source! The headless male would prove to be her son, as the photo was actually from a premiere they both attended back in 2015 Couldn't resist! Oliver's sister Kate Hudson, 39, seemed to think it was quite a laugh It isn't clear whether the famously comedic actress botched the crop on purpose, or whether it was simply technical difficulties. Oliver's sister Kate Hudson, 39, seemed to think it was quite a laugh, as she responded in the comments: 'This is the greatest of all time!!!' She also recognized her brother's big day on her own account, albeit in a definitely funny matter. Her snap shows a rather stunned-looking Oliver staring into the camera. Seen a ghost? Oliver's sister Kate Hudson, 39, also recognized her brother's big day, albeit in a definitely funny matter His hair is quite unkempt, and he appears to be wearing downhill mountain biking armor. 'This is 42 #NoFilter' wrote the Almost Famous actress, 'A huge Happy Birthday to this legend @theoliverhudson Love you #LoveMyBro.' Of course Oliver is known for his work on the hit CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement. They're both the daughters of world-famous models. And Kaia Gerber, 17, and Gigi Hadid, 23, demonstrated their special bond on Friday as the beauties shared a warm embrace in Central Park before the Ralph Lauren New York Fashion Week show. Later, Cindy Crawford's teenage daughter Kaia hit the red carpet for Harper's Bazaar ICONS party in a leather miniskirt. Birds of a feather: Kaia Gerber, 17, and Gigi Hadid, 23, demonstrated their special bond on Friday as the beauties shared a warm embrace in Central Park The daughter of supermodel Crawford and model Rande Gerber kept it casual in jeans and a U2 band T-shirt. She crouched down to wrap her arms around the daughter of model Yolanda Hadid and real estate developer Mohamed Hadid. The blonde beauty was similarly low-key in cream-colored pants and a colorful, unbuttoned blouse. Later, Kaia dressed up in a leather skirt with matching leather vest. Hug it out: The daughter of supermodel Crawford and model Rande Gerber kept it casual in jeans and a U2 band T-shirt Style: Kaia [L] wore jeans; while Gigi [R] wore an elegant pair of cream-colored cargo pants The teenage beauty paired the all-leather ensemble with a pair of heels that added inches to her 5ft9in frame. Kaia's brunette tresses were parted down the middle and pulled back in a tight bun. Gerber completed the look with a pair of gold star earrings. Hell for leather! Later, Cindy Crawford's teenage daughter Kaia hit the red carpet for Harper's Bazaar ICONS party in a leather miniskirt Accessories: Gerber completed the look with a pair of gold star earrings Well-heeled: The teenage beauty paired the all-leather ensemble with a pair of heels that added inches to her 5ft9in frame Jordan Barrett has just recorded another career highlight. The 22-year-old international model of the year winner partied it up alongside fellow models at his very own New York Fashion Week event on Thursday night. Jordan was seen getting chatty with several models at Blame Frame, an event celebrating the launch of his collaboration with clothing brand Frame. 'He has like a je ne sais quoi of "I dont give a f**k": Jordan Barrett (pictured) lived it up at the NYFW launch of his Frame collaboration on Thursday... as the brand's co-founder praised the Australian model Despite being the star of the show, the Australian cut a very low-key figure in a black T-shirt and pants. He completed the effortless outfit with a green army surplus jacket tied around his waist. Although he was mostly seen in the company of models such as Estee Lauder favourite Hilary Rhoda and best friend Alana OHerlihy, Jordan also posed with Frame founder Erik Torstensson. Living it up! Jordan was seen getting chatty with several models at Blame Frame, an event celebrating the launch of his collaboration with clothing brand Frame Fast friends! He was mostly seen in the company of models such as Estee Lauder favourite Hilary Rhoda (pictured) Erik, Jordan and co-founder Jens Grede have previously worked together on a unisex clothing collection, but ramped up production significantly for Blame Frame. The collaboration got its name from Jordan's Instagram handle, @Iblamejordan, and every model in attendance received an orange cap with 'Blame [their name]' printed on it. 'We thought it was funny, and then we were like, "We have to do something for everyone who comes", and we're like, let's just put to blame each other,' Jens told WWD. Creative team! Jordan also posed with Frame founder Erik Torstensson (right), who he worked with on his Blame Frame collaboration, alongside co-founder Jens Grede Blame Alana! The collaboration got its name from Jordan's Instagram handle, @Iblamejordan, and every model in attendance received an orange cap with 'Blame [their name]' printed on it 'And we said before the dinner, "Everyone's going to be swapping hats and everyone's going to be blaming one another." It's just fun.' Jens said he was drawn to work with Jordan because of his distinct sense of style. 'He has like a je ne sais quoi of "I dont give a f**k",' he explained. The designer said this sense of reckless abandon was pivotal to the collaboration's message because, 'It allows you to do something that you normally wouldn't.' Please explain! 'We thought it was funny, and then we were like, "We have to do something for everyone who comes", and we're like, let's just put to blame each other,' Jens told WWD Why Jordan? Jens said he was drawn to work with Jordan because of his distinct sense of style, adding: 'He has like a je ne sais quoi of "I dont give a f**k"' She is currently in the Big Apple for Fashion Week. And Shay Mitchell was determined to have all eyes on her. The actress looked incredible in a sheer mesh dress that clung to her physique at the Harper's Bazaar ICONS party. Don't mesh with her: Shay Mitchell had all eyes on her in a silver mesh dress with playful fringe at the Harper's Bazaar ICONS party Shay radiated as she posed up a storm with her wavy locks tousled over her head. She wore a coat of perfect makeup, enhancing her already stunning features. Dressing up the ensemble even more were Shay's gorgeous rings and silver earrings. She carried a small, gold clutch, giving her look even more glam. If you've got it! Shay radiated as she posed up a storm with her wavy locks tousled over her head Rest and relax! And it's no wonder the star looked her best, after returning from a fun-filled trip to Bali No doubt heads were turning as Shay made her grand entrance to the star-packed bash, which was sponsored by an array of big-name brands: Infor, Estee Lauder, Saks Fifth Avenue, FujiFilm Instax, Genesis, and Stella Artois. And it's no wonder the star looked her best, after returning from a fun-filled trip to Bali. Days before her arrival in New York, the Canadian star gathered a group of friends for a trip to Bali where the group enjoyed their stay at Mulia Resort & Villas. Mirror, mirror: Mitchell dazzled as she posed beside an ornate gold mirror Expressing her gratitude for the fun-filled vacation she had with her closest pals, the Dreamland star explained how the trip was much-needed following an intense schedule of work. 'Sometimes its nice to actually take your own advice to breathe, relax and enjoy the moment (or in this case, a vacation),' the beauty wrote. 'It was a nice break to not worry about cameras and filming and be able to focus on beautiful moments with great friends. Thank you Bali, you were exactly what we needed and thank you for hosting us.' Sofia Richie put on a brave face in Sydney on Saturday, just 24 hours after one of the most awkward interviews of her burgeoning career. The 20-year-old model finally got down to business after a rough start to her Australian trip, seen arriving at Windsor Smith shoe store in Bondi. Sofia parsed a grin on the red carpet - indicating her ban on questions about boyfriend Scott Disick was upheld. Scroll down for video Just don't ask about Scott! Sofia Richie puts on a brave face as she hits the promotional trail for Windsor Smith in Bondi... after THAT off-limits interview about boyfriend Disick Down to business! The 20-year-old model finally got down to business after a rough start to her Australian trip, seen arriving at Windsor Smith shoe store in Bondi It comes after The Morning Show waded into risky territory on Friday, when they asked about her relationship with Kourtney Kardashian's ex, despite leaked emails revealing such topics were 'off-limits'. Sofia looked to have put the awkward moment behind her for the most part on Saturday, arriving at Windsor Smith alongside her best friend, Bronte Blampied. She occasionally appeared downcast or tense, but her mood seemed to pick up as she became more comfortable with the media and fan attention. That's more like it! After failing to raise a smile upon her arrival in Australia, Sofia finally parsed a grin on the red carpet - indicating her ban on questions about boyfriend Scott Disick was upheld The stunner opted for an outfit that accentuated her gym-honed physique, posing against the photo wall in a black print crop and acid wash jeans. Although it was unclear whether Sofia was unhappy, or simply showcasing her model pout, she didn't smile initially. Her mood instantly changed when the scores of fans in attendance started to cheer. No problems this time! It comes after The Morning Show waded into risky territory on Friday, when they asked about her relationship with Kourtney Kardashian's ex, despite leaked emails revealing such topics were 'off-limits' Good company! Sofia looked to have put the awkward moment behind her for the most part on Saturday, arriving at Windsor Smith alongside her best friend, Bronte Blampied (left) The daughter of pop icon Lionel Richie beamed as she raised her hand to wave at the crowd. Sofia also posed for several photos inside the Windsor Smith store with its merchandise in her hands. The brand flew her down as an ambassador, with Saturday's event just one of several 'meet and greets' scheduled at stores in Sydney and Melbourne. Happy Sofia! She occasionally appeared downcast or tense, but her mood seemed to pick up as she became more comfortable with the media and fan attention On Friday, she was put on the spot and quizzed about her relationship with American boyfriend Scott, 35. The Morning Show's line of questioning flew in the face of the leaked email first reported on by The Daily Telegraph. It was allegedly sent by her representatives to Australian media outlets, stating Sofia would not discuss Scott, the Kardashians or her father during her trip. While you're here... Sofia also posed for several photos inside the Windsor Smith store Thanks guys! The brand flew her down as an ambassador, with Saturday's event just one of several 'meet & greets' scheduled at stores in Sydney and Melbourne Larry Emdur first broke the 'ban' by asking if Scott had introduced her to Windsor Smith shoes, while co-host Kylie Gillies went one further. 'Are you happy answering all of these questions?' she said, referencing the alleged email leaks by her management. 'Because when we want to talk to you, people want to bring up your relationships and stuff with your dad and your sister as well.' On Friday, she was put on the spot and quizzed about her relationship with Scott, 35, on The Morning Show Australia, despite leaked emails revealing the topic was 'off-limits' 'Does that ever get tiring and you wish we wouldn't ask that? Or you're happy for us to sit here and ask you those questions?' In an awkward, stilted response, Sofia replied: 'I'm not upset that I have to answer these questions but there are moments where I want to be my own person and stand as my own person.' She is a fashion icon known for her stunning looks and stylish sartorial ensembles. And Sofia Vergara looked sensational as she stepped out with her husband Joe Manganiello at the Brent Shapiro Foundation Summer Spectacular at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Friday. The Modern Family actress, 46, flaunted her toned curves in a stunning floral silk gown with a sweetheart neckline, which teased at her ample assets. Floral finesse: Sofia Vergara looked sensational as she stepped out with her husband Joe Manganiello at the Brent Shapiro Foundation Summer Spectacular at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Friday Stunning: The Modern Family actress, 46, flaunted her toned curves in a stunning floral silk gown with a sweetheart neckline, which teased at her ample assets The gorgeous gown, which featured lacy straps, cinched in at her toned waist before flowing out into an elegant A-line skirt. She added extra height to her look with black peep toe shoes. Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight while her pretty features were enhanced with a rich palette of make-up. Style: The gorgeous gown, which featured lacy straps, cinched in at her toned waist before flowing out into an elegant A-line skirt Hunk: True Blood star Joe looked handsome in a tailored navy suit and silk tie, worn with a fitted white shirt Congrats: Joe picked up the Spirit of Sobriety award at the event True Blood star Joe looked handsome in a tailored navy suit and silk tie, worn with a fitted white shirt. His salt and pepper locks were worn slightly tousled while he sported a distinguished beard. He picked up the Spirit of Sobriety award at the event, after speaking openly about conquering his alcohol addiction. The pair were joined at the party by celebs including Terri Seymour and boyfriend Clark Mallon, Mario Lopez and Kathy and Rick Hilton. What happened? Mario Lopez sported a boot cast at the event Pals: Sofia and Joe joined lawyer Robert Shapiro at the bash Cute couple: Mario was joined by his glamorous wife Courtney Sofia has been starring on the Modern Family sitcom for nearly a decade since it aired in September 2009. The actress celebrated her part in the long-running series Modern Family as 'something so special' and a 'dream come true'. Sofia told Now To Love magazine: 'It's a dream come true it's not often an actress can say they're a part of something so special. It's really a pleasure to go to work every day.' She will celebrate three years of marriage to husband Joe Manganiello in November. Smitten: Terri Seymour and Clark Mallon looked loved-up at the event Glamour: Adrienne Maloof and Jacob Busch were all smiles at the bash Long-time love: Kathy and Rick Hilton attended the party Chic: Maureen McCormick and Michael Cummings were all smiles at the event Elegant: Vanessa Rano and Michael Chow were effortlessly elegant The Magic Mike hunk recently gushed that being married to the Modern Family star was the 'greatest thing' to ever happen to him. He said in April: 'The biggest adjustment in marriage? Coming to grips with the idea that someone who is not related to you could possibly love you that much. She was it for me. 'People say things like, "Marriage and relationships are work". But it's not. Life is hard. Having somebody to help you deal with it is the greatest thing that ever happened.' Joe isn't the only one who cannot believe his luck after Sofia recently admitted she must have done something good to 'get that reward'. She shared last year: 'I'm very lucky. I must have done something really right in my life to get that reward ... I'm good but I'm not a very, very good person. But, he's better than me. Coupled up: Larry and Shawn King looked loved-up at the party Back in black: Paul Nassif and Brittany Pattakos smiled for the cameras Vibrant: Brooke Mueller wowed in scarlet trousers and a floral blouse Summer fresh: John Savage and Blanca Blanco posed up at the event While his former Married At First Sight castmates fade into obscurity, Nasser Sultan is stretching out his fifteen minutes of fame. Last week, the reality TV legend rubbed shoulders with Sydney's A-list at a Vogue Fashions Night Out party. The 51-year-old opted for affordable style at the event, shunning overpriced designer gear in favour of budget-conscious items from Kmart and The St Vincent de Paul Society. Stealing the spotlight! Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan rubbed shoulders with the stars at a Vogue magazine party last week 'Thanks to K-Mart and Vinnies for dressing me for my DJ set at the Vogue party,' he proudly wrote on Instagram. Nasser mingled with Vogue editor-in-chief Edwina McCann, and even cheekily asked her if he could grace the cover of a future Vogue issue. Other stars at the event included Jessica Gomes, Nadia Farifax, and Jesinta Franklin. Besides getting inside Sydney's hottest parties, Nasser is also lining up another reality TV gig on the Nine Network. 'Thanks to K-Mart and Vinnies for dressing me for my DJ set at the Vogue party!' The 51-year-old opted for affordable style at the event, shunning overpriced designer gear Cover guy! Nasser mingled with Vogue editor-in-chief Edwina McCann, and even asked her if he could grace the cover of a future Vogue issue Fresh from his appearance on Channel Ten's Trial By Kyle, the over-50s personal trainer has hinted that he's headed to ratings blockbuster, The Block. Sharing a photo of himself in an official Block hardhat, the 51-year-old wrote: 'Nasser is heading to The Gatwick for an extra special cameo!' The in-demand star recently shut down a scathing report in The Daily Telegraph that he had 'begged' to be let inside an exclusive MTV party in Waterloo. 'Nasser is heading to The Gatwick for an extra special cameo!' Fresh from his appearance on Trial By Kyle, the pint-sized personal trainer has hinted that he's headed to The Block After the publication called him 'desperate' and said he had 'no shame', Nasser took to Instagram to share an email from the event's PR revealing that he had in fact been invited to attend. 'I was invited down and I'm mad they would write such rubbish,' he later told Daily Mail Australia. 'This is so defamatory and fake news that I'll happy take them to court unless they print me a proper apology.' She's bounced back from her bitter divorce from ex James Stunt as she's found love with salesman Sam Palmer. And Petra Ecclestone enjoyed a night on the town with her beau Sam as they were spotted at celebrity hotspot Craig's in West Hollywood, California, on Friday evening. The heiress, 29, flashed her slender midsection in a daring cropped blouse, embellished with sheer details throughout. Quality time: Petra Ecclestone enjoyed a night on the town with her beau Sam Palmer as they were spotted at celebrity hotspot Craig's in West Hollywood, California, on Friday evening Looking every inch the yummy mummy, the daughter of Formula One tycoon Bernie sported a pair of acid-wash denim jeans, featured with trendy lace-up details. The fashion designer took her sartorial prowess up a notch with her choice of footwear, as she donned Dalmatian print heels. Petra ensured all eyes were on her as she accessorised with a selection of bangles and rings. Off she goes: The heiress, 29, flashed her slender midsection in a daring cropped blouse, embellished with sheer details throughout Style savvy: Looking every inch the yummy mummy, the daughter of Formula One tycoon Bernie sported a pair of acid-wash denim jeans, featured with trendy eyelet details Low-key: Petra made a low-key exit from her night out with her beau with her washboard abs on full display in the semi-sheer blouse Framing her face with loose waves, the socialite accentuated her beauty with shimmery eyeshadow, rose-tinted blush and light pink lipgloss. Petra was joined by Essex native Sam, 34, who went casual in a checked shirt and black ripped jeans. The star's night out comes as it was revealed she's been dating her beau Sam since late last year, as she and ex-husband James finally reached a divorce settlement in October after six years of marriage. All eyes on her: The fashion designer took her sartorial prowess up a notch with her choice of footwear, as she donned Dalmatian print heels All in the details: Petra ensured all eyes were on her as she accessorised with a selection of bangles and rings Glowing: The star's night out comes as it was revealed she's been dating her beau Sam since late last year While no details of the settlement were released, it was reported that James signed a 16 million prenuptial agreement, with Petra also awarded sole custody of the couple's three children in January. Petra, who is mother to daughter Lavinia, five, and twin sons, Andrew and James, both three, has been photographed in the past with her new man, a vintage car dealer who is friends with her sister Tamaras husband, Jay Rutland. Its very early-on dating, she told Mail On Sunday's YOU magazine. The whole thing is quite strange because my life didnt pan out the way I expected it to. I thought I wasnt the type who believed in divorce. 'I go to church and I got married thinking I would be with that person for the rest of my life. But things happen for a reason and, whatever that reason is, Ive now got my three kids. Loved-up: Her new relationship comes after Petra and ex-husband James finally reached a divorce settlement in October after six years of marriage Happy: Petra, who is mother to daughter Lavinia, five, and twin sons, Andrew and James, both three, has been photographed in the past with her new man, a vintage car dealer She's been taking on her juror duties during the 75th annual Venice Film Festival. And Naomi Watts enjoyed some time off from her busy schedule as she joined her fellow jurors Guillermo del Toro, Trine Dyrholm, Taika Waititi and Christoph Waltz on a night out to ring in the end of the prestigious event in Italy on Friday evening. The actress, 49, put on a relaxed display as she treated herself to a cigarette outside a local restaurant with her close pals. Cigarette break: Naomi Watts enjoyed time off from her schedule as she joined her fellow jurors (pictured with Taika Waititi) on a night out during the Venice Film Festival on Friday Cutting a demure figure, the Fair Game star slipped her slender frame into turtleneck jumper dress, which featured a daring backless detail. The Impossible actress injected her look with even more glamour as she enhanced her height in stiletto boots. Exhibiting her naturally radiant complexion, Naomi opted for minimal make-up and style her cropped tresses in her naturally wavy hair pattern. Having fun: The actress, 49, put on a relaxed display as she treated herself to a cigarette outside a local restaurant with her close pals Chic: Cutting a demure figure, the Fair Game star slipped her slender frame into turtleneck jumper dress, which featured a daring backless detail Fresh-faced: Exhibiting her naturally radiant complexion, Naomi opted for minimal make-up and style her cropped tresses in her naturally wavy hair pattern The blonde beauty, who has made a number of show-stopping appearances at the festival's leading film premieres, chatted up a storm with her close pals during their time off work. In addition to Naomi, Guillermo, Trine, Taika and Christoph, this year's jury features Sylvia Chang, Nicole Garcia, Paolo Genovese and Magorzata Szumowska. The line-up consists of five women and four men in an effort to readdress the imbalance that has occurred in previous years. Having fun: The blonde beauty chatted up a storm with her close pals during their time off work Beaming: Naomi appeared in high spirits as she chuckled during her lively discussion Lavish: The group enjoyed a cosy dinner outing moments before they stepped out for a cigarette break Smitten: Film director Guillermo del Toro enjoyed an evening stroll with his girlfriend and screenwriter Kim Morgan Off he goes: The 53-year-old headed off to his next destination in style as he hopped on a water taxi Ahead of the festival, Naomi said she hopes the experience will be 'life altering', gushing: 'To sit in a disciplined way and spend the next 10 days watching two to three films a day is extraordinary and I have just never had that opportunity. 'And to be amongst this group of people on this panel and with Guillermo leading it, I think it's going to be a really unique and really new experience.' On September 8, the final day of the festival, Del Toro's jury will be tasked with handing out the Golden Lion for Best Film, the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Award for Best Screenplay, the Special Jury Prize and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress. Giddy: New Zealand film director Taika, 43, appeared in good company as he was joined by a female pal Star-studded: Actor Christoph Waltz put on a suave display in a dark navy suit and crisp white shirt Meanwhile, the Venice Film Festival has come under fire for selecting only one female director in the 2018 competition - The Nightingale, directed by Jennifer Kent, known for her work on The Babadook. Speaking during the first day of the festival, president Guillermo spoke about the lack of gender diversity represented in the selection. He said: 'I think that the goal has to be clear, and has to remain 50/50 by 2020. Its a real problem we have in the culture in general.' Effortlessly stylish: Actress Trine Dyrholm stunned in a lilac PJ-style suit, embellished with delicate strips Selfie time! Naomi beamed with delight as she took a snap with a pal during her night out Proud: Naomi revealed she hopes the experience as a juror will be 'life altering' Hard-earned role: On September 8, the final day of the festival, Del Toro's jury will be tasked with handing out an array of prestigious awards Important cause: The jury consists of five women and four men in an effort to readdress the imbalance that has occurred in previous years However, The Shape Of Water filmmaker also insisted the issue couldnt be solved simply by meeting a quota. 'Its not a matter of establishing a quota. Its extremely important to call it out, and to question it and to name it, and to make it known,' he continued. 'I think that is necessary, because for many decades, if not centuries, it has not been called. 'Its not a controversy, its a real problem, and it needs to be solved, in every one of our pertinent departments, with strength and resolve.' She's currently on an Australian promotional tour with affordable footwear brand Windsor Smith. But Sofia Richie has had some trouble doing publicity Down Under after refusing to be questioned about her boyfriend Scott Disick and famous father Lionel Richie. After the diva demands allegedly caused Confidential to decline an interview with the 20-year-old socialite, the publication now claims that Channel Ten's The Project also had to pull an interview for the same reason. Scroll down for video I'm not talking about that! Sofia Richie's reps reportedly pulled a scheduled interview with the star on The Project after they couldn't agree to her strict question limitations The Herald Sun reports that 'Richie's reps cancelled an appearance on The Project hours before she was due on air as the show also wouldn't agree to the strict question limitations.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Ten and Sofia for comment. Sofia is an American socialite who became famous for being the daughter of Lionel Richie and younger sister of Nicole Richie. Stepping out of her dad's shadow? The 20-year-old, who shot to fame for being Lionel Richie's daughter, refused to be questioned about her famous father What boyfriend? Sofia also refused to be questioned about The Kardashians or her famous boyfriend Scott Disick (R), who is partially responsible for the media attention she has received over the past year Her profile skyrocketed after she started dating Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick, who is 16 years older than her. The 5'6' star is now a successful model with campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Dolce & Gabbana. Earlier this week, the Daily Telegraph shared a leaked email from Sofia's reps stating that questions about her father Lionel, boyfriend Scott, and The Kardashians were off-limits in all interviews during her Aussie promo tour for Windsor Smith. Working hard? The socialite is currently on an Australian promotional tour for footwear brand Windsor Smith 'Questions relating to her dad Lionel Richie - the presenters can obviously mention that she is the daughter of Lionel Richie, but she does not want to discuss it,' the email reportedly said. Sofia's ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber was also forbidden, leaving potential interviewers with little to ask the star about. The 20-year-old appeared on The Morning Show on Friday, where hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies blatantly ignored her strict requests by asking her questions about Scott. Claim to fame! The socialite is well known for her Instagram account (pictured), where she boasts over 3 million followers They then took things further by bringing up The Daily Telegraph's leaked email from her representatives. Kylie asked: 'Are you happy answering all of these questions?' 'Because when we want to talk to you, people want to bring up your relationships and stuff with your dad and your sister as well,' she continued. 'Does that ever get tiring and you wish we wouldn't ask that? Or you're happy for us to sit here and ask you those questions?' Addressing the recent controversy surrounding her trip, Sofia responded: 'I mean, I can't deny the fact that that is my life.' 'I'm not upset that I have to answer these questions but there are moments where I want to be my own person and stand as my own person.' Rebels! The 20-year-old appeared on The Morning Show on Friday, where hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies blatantly ignored her strict requests by asking her questions about Scott Model Sofia Richie is on a whirlwind visit to Australia to promote her collaboration with local shoe brand, Windsor Smith. And the American beauty, 20, has revealed to Daily Mail Australia the simple products she uses every night to give her skin a flawless and luminous finish. 'Every night. I soak myself,' the daughter of Lionel Richie said of her easy-to-replicate beauty regime. So that's her secret! Sofia Richie reveals the simple products behind her flawless skin as she continues to promote shoe line in Australia The US socialite went on to say: 'I scrub my skin because I break out after makeup, and I use vitamin E oil and vitamin C.' The brunette stunner is also known for her eclectic taste in style and fashion. 'Boyfriend jeans, a small little crop top and some heels,' Sofia claimed was her go-to outfit of choice. The 20-year-old has revealed to Daily Mail Australia the simple products she uses every night to give her skin flawless and luminous finish. She explain she scrubs her skin, 'I scrub my skin because I break out after makeup, and I use vitamin E oil and vitamin C' Sofia, who is a budding fashion designer herself, also revealed to Daily Mail Australia her career plans for the near future. 'I'm focusing on designing, but I'm also doing some exciting collaborations.' 'I can't talk about that, but it's exciting and coming soon,' she added. Fashionista: Sofia, who is a budding fashion designer, also revealed to Daily Mail Australia her career plans for the future. 'I'm focusing on designing, but I'm also doing some exciting collaborations' Notably not joining her on the quick work trip was boyfriend Scott Disick (Kourtney Kardashian's ex), who initially introduced her to the Australian shoe brand. The beauty, who's been dating the reality TV personality since May 2017, is set to fly back to the US for the end of New York Fashion Week. Earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph revealed an alleged email sent by her representatives that claimed Sofia would not discuss Scott, the Kardashians or her father, Lionel Richie, in interviews during her time in Australia. She shares her two children, Otis, four, and Daisy, one, with comedian Jason Sudeikis. So it's no surprise Olivia Wilde supported the Thomas & Friends UN collaboration as a guest speaker at the United Nations headquarters on Friday afternoon. The Alpha Dog actress, 34, oozed elegance as she stunned in a pink floral maxi dress, embellished with trendy puff sleeves. Important cause: Olivia Wilde supported the Thomas & Friends UN collaboration as a guest speaker at the United Nations headquarters on Friday afternoon Maintaining her delicate colour scheme, the screen star enhanced her frame in a pair of hot pink strappy heels from Stella Luna. The Meadowland actress complemented her radiant complexion with strokes of dewy foundation, peach blush and lashings of mascara. Keeping accessories to a minimum, the star wore an array of gold bangles with dainty earrings, and styled her cropped bob in a straight fashion. Dazzling: The Alpha Dog actress, 34, oozed elegance as she stunned in a pink floral maxi dress, embellished with trendy puff sleeves The Thomas & Friends production team collaborated with the UN Department of Public Informations Creative Community Outreach Initiative to develop content that were most appropriate for a preschool audience and fitting to the Thomas & Friends brand values. The content and parent targeted materials looks to introduce preschoolers around the world to the concept of global citizenship and start meaningful conversations between parents and children. Speaking on the new project, which launched on Friday, Olivia said: 'Particularly as a mother, I think about the power of storytelling quite a lot.' 'By telling children stories about engines who feel no difference between their genders, who feel a responsibility to the environment, who are excited about education, we are teaching them important values that should be instilled at an early age', she added. Stunning: The Meadowland actress complemented her radiant complexion with strokes of dewy foundation, peach blush and lashings of mascara Beaming: Keeping accessories to a minimum, the star wore an array of gold bangles with dainty earrings, and styled her cropped bob in a straight fashion Striking display: Maintaining her delicate colour scheme, the screen star enhanced her frame in a pair of hot pink strappy heels from Stella Luna Giving further insight into the cause, Director of the Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Public Information Maher Nasser said: 'In our quest to popularize the Sustainable Development Goals and raise awareness about them among all ages, Thomas & Friends was a natural fit for younger audiences, as well as their parents and caretakers. 'The SDGs also proved to be the perfect tool for Thomas & Friends to teach children the importance of taking part in the global efforts to end poverty, providing girls and boys with the same opportunities, and of course doing so while protecting our planet.' During the event, mother-of-two Olivia was also joined by Senior Producer of Thomas & Friends Ian McCue, UN Womens Africa Program Advisor Tolulope Lewis-Tamoka, and President and COO of Mattel Richard Dickson. Thomas & Friends airs daily on Channel 5 Milkshake! at 7am and in the US on Nick Jr. preschool block on Nickelodeon. Jet-setter: Olivia slipped into a rainbow striped sweater, jeans and white pumps as she headed back to Los Angeles on Sunday night after her UN appearance In demand: The actress smiled as she made her way through the arrivals terminal at LAX, toting her belongings in a large white bag Madeleine West has announced her separation from her partner of 13 years, Shannon Bennett. The former Neighbours actress, 38, revealed the news to Stellar magazine on Sunday, saying that she and celebrity chef Shannon, 42, are 'striving to reconnect as friends and parents'. The couple share six young children together, with Madeleine telling the publication that a 'multitude' of kids 'puts exponential pressures on a relationship'. Scroll down for video 'We're not currently together': Former Neighbours star Madeleine West has CONFIRMED her split from MasterChef's Shannon Bennett after six children and 13 years together. The pair are pictured together in 2016 Although the pair will continue to co-parent, Madeleine remains unsure whether she will ever reconcile with Shannon, saying: 'Who knows what the future holds?' Explaining the split, she told Stellar: 'Having a public profile, having two high-pressure careers, having a multitude of children and I will say they are a lot harder to train than dragons it puts exponential pressures on a relationship, and cracks can form, and things that we don't necessarily plan in the beginning can happen'. Madeleine and Shannon began dating in 2005, and are parents to Phoenix, 12, Hendrix, 10, Xascha, 8, Xanthe, 6, and twins Xalia and Margaux, 4. 'Who knows what the future holds?' Speaking candidly with Stellar magazine, Madeleine says she is unsure if she will ever reconcile with Shannon Split: Shannon and Madeleine (pictured in 2016) have been together both have busy careers and public profiles, which the actress says put pressure on their relationship Private: The former couple keep their six children out of the spotlight. They are pictured together in 2016 In 2016, the actress published a book about parenthood titled 'Six Under Eight', but she keeps her kids largely out of the limelight. 'I've made a point of shielding my children,' she told Stellar, adding: 'Until they're of an age where they can choose to enter the public eye, then it's my responsibility to keep them safe'. Earlier this month, MasterChef guest judge Shannon appeared to quash split rumours, sharing a photo of Madeleine's name tattooed across his chest. Tattooed on his heart: Earlier this month, MasterChef guest judge Shannon (left) appeared to quash split rumours, sharing a photo of Madeleine's name tattooed across his chest It comes after Woman's Day ran a report last month claiming that the couple 'broke up' in July. A source allegedly told the magazine: 'Nobody knows what went wrong but whatever happened, it's sad. They have such a beautiful family'. Last September, Shannon and Madeleine bought a mansion in the ritzy Melbourne suburb of Toorak for a rumoured $16million. Returning to screens: Madeleine is best known for starring on Neighbours, but is now set to star in the new drama Playing For Keeps Parents of six: Madeleine and Shannon (pictured) will continue to co-parent their six children Shannon is the head chef of Melbourne's famed restaurant Vue de monde, and has published eight cookbooks. Madeleine, meanwhile, is best known for playing Dee Bliss on Neighbours from 2000 until 2003. She returned to the soap for a recurring role last year, but is now heading back to screens for a role in Channel Ten's new drama about AFL WAGs titled Playing For Keeps. She was the first housemate to be evicted from the current series of Celebrity Big Brother. And Natalie Nunn seemed completely at ease as she poured her curves into a skimpy white bikini as she soaked up the sun around a swimming pool in Spain on Friday. The reality star, 33, displayed her ample cleavage in the white push-up halterneck top, which featured a pretty lace-up centre. Stunning: Natalie Nunn, 33, seemed completely at ease as she poured her curves into a skimpy white bikini as she soaked up the sun around a swimming pool in Spain on Friday Natalie flaunted her peachy derriere in the coordinating tanga briefs as she hoisted herself out of the swimming pool. She added a pop of colour to her bright white swimwear with a neon yellow manicure and a splash of fuchsia lipstick. Despite tying her long locks into a low ponytail, the Bad Girls Club star wasn't scared to get her long ebony tresses wet as she splashed about in the pool. Natalie's Spanish getaway comes ahead of her rumoured return to the Celebrity Big Brother house this weekend. Oh my: The reality star flaunted her peachy derriere in the coordinating tanga briefs as she hoisted herself out of the swimming pool Work it: Natalie displayed her ample cleavage in the white push-up halterneck top, which featured a pretty lace-up centre Eye-catching: She added a pop of colour to her bright white swimwear with a neon yellow manicure and a splash of fuchsia lipstick According to The Sun, Natalie is set to head back into the Elstree bungalow to tell housemates the truth about the punching scandal between Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas. Moreover, the reality star is apparently planning on spilling the beans on what happened when she met up with Dan Osborne's estranged wife, Jacqueline Jossa. A source told the site: 'Since being evicted Natalie has been on a mission to get to the bottom of all of her fellow housemates' 'storms' and she's kept up with the goings on inside the house.' They continued: 'She saw everything that happened with Roxanne and will not hold back when it comes to telling the housemates all about. 'But she's most excited about letting Dan know that all about her meeting with his wife Jacqueline. She's made no secret of her disdain over the situation.' CBB SPOILER: Natalie Nunn is 'set to RETURN to the house to reveal the truth about THAT Roxanne Pallett row and her meeting with Dan Osborne's estranged wife Jacqueline Jossa' Comeback? It has been claimed that Channel 5 execs are hoping to bring back evicted housemates on Saturday ahead of the CBBfinale, for an explosive end to the series Explosive: The reality star is apparently planning on spilling the beans on what happened when she met up with Dan Osborne's estranged wife, Jacqueline Jossa Not holding back: Natalie previously revealed she planned to meet his Dan Osborne's wife to expose his behaviour towards Gabby Allen A spokesperson for the show declined to comment to MailOnline. Natalie previously revealed she planned to meet his Dan Osborne's wife to expose his 'flirtacious' behaviour towards Gabby Allen. In an explosive interview with The Sun, Natalie said: 'Dan wants Gabby and Gabby wants Dan, they're not showing that relationship.' Return? It has been claimed that Channel 5 execs are hoping to bring back other evicted housemates on Saturday ahead of the show's finale Controversy: While 'Human Ken Doll' Rodrigo Alves, 35, was thrown out of the house after being involved in an alleged 'serious inappropriate incident', a source alleged to MailOnline 'They play spin the bottle every night and they play truth or dare every single night. 'They asked Dan, if the world would end tomorrow and you had to have sex with someone in the house, who would it be? He said of course Gabby.' It's fair to say this has been one of the most controversial series of CBB in the show's 17 year history. And it has been claimed that Channel 5 execs are hoping to bring back other evicted housemates on Saturday ahead of the show's finale. Fury: It could mean that housemates will finally find out the truth about the Roxanne Pallett incident, who has been at the centre of a media storm after branding Ryan Thomas a 'woman beater' when he 'punched her' during a play fight Tears: The incident provoked a media storm - but housemates are still in the dark as what actually unfolded This year's series of the hit reality show has served up more drama than ever anticipated. Roxanne, who quit CBB and left the mansion on Saturday morning, has been met with a huge outcry in the wake of her 'punching' scandal. She walked out after claiming Thomas punched her 'like a boxer would punch a bag'. Broadcast regulator Ofcom received more than 11,000 complaints over her claims as footage appeared to contradict her claims. A staggering 21 former Emmerdale co-stars slammed the actress while many claimed she was making a 'mockery' of real abuse victims. Confrontational: Natalie is known for her fiery nature and isn't afraid to air her views with other housemates The former CBB housemate was quizzed by Emma Willis, 42, about her claims in the house in a 'savage' no-holds barred interview screened last night which set the internet alight. Responding to firm questioning by Emma, Roxanne said that she was 'devastated and sorry' and that she was 'scared about her future'. She also told the presenter 'things in the past' have made her 'fragile'. She said: 'I needed to come and tell everyone that I got it wrong, I'm human, I made a massive, massive, horrible mistake.' When asked by Emma whether she felt she could be forgiven for the ordeal, the ex-Emmerdale star said: 'I would hope that I could be [forgiven].' Thrown out: The departure comes after viewers called for Rodrigo to be ejected the week prior, for using the N-word twice whilst talking to Dan Osborne about his 'type of man' While 'Human Ken Doll' Rodrigo, 35, was thrown out of the house after being involved in an alleged 'serious inappropriate incident', a source alleged to MailOnline. This was reportedly what led to his removal from the Celebrity Big Brother compound and not the meltdown as had previously been reported. Rodrigo is thought to have been ejected from the house in an abrupt, non-televised manner, but previously MailOnline upon his exit that it was his own choice to leave. The departure came after viewers called for Rodrigo to be ejected the week prior, for using the N-word twice whilst talking to Dan Osborne about his 'type of man'. Angelina Jolie is focusing on family as her nasty divorce battle with estranged husband Brad Pitt rumbles on. The actress was spotted taking her kids to see gothic thriller The Nun at the movies on Friday as the actress bundled her brood into a huge SUV. The 43-year-old wore a black dress with nude Louboutin pumps as she was pictured following Shiloh, 12, Zahara, 13, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 10, into a waiting car in Los Angeles. Family outing: The 43-year-old actress was seen with daughters Shiloh, 12, and Zahara, 13 and son Knox, 10 The Nun, directed by Corin Hardy and rated R, revolves around a priest and a novice on the threshold of her final vows who are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun. It appeared that Angie's older sons Pax, 14, and Maddox, 17, were not with the Salt actress on the outing. The twosome also weren't pictured with Angie over the weekend as she enjoyed a Labor Day hike in Los Angeles with four of her brood. The public family outings come as Angie continues her ongoing court battle with Pitt, 54, as they seek to finalize their divorce. Mom duty: Angie wore black with nude pumps and pulled her long locks back in a low ponytail The divorce between the two Hollywood stars took a nasty turn a few weeks ago after Jolie accused Pitt of being a 'deadbeat dad'. The actor responded by revealing he had paid millions to his estranged wife including lending her money to buy a family home in LA since she filed for divorce in September 2016. After duking it out in public, Jolie let it be known last week that she has had a change of heart and wants an amicable end to her marriage. It appeared that Angie's older sons Pax, 14, and Maddox, 17, were not with the Salt actress on the outing Scary: The Nun revolves around a priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows who are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun And on August 22, news broke that the celebrity exes reached an interim custody arrangement. According to The Blast, Jolie and Pitt agreed temporary custody issues for one month as a custody evaluation continues in Los Angeles. Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016 and sought custody of their children. Pitt countered by asking for joint custody. A judge overseeing the case has previously cautioned Jolie for allegedly not helping the kids have a relationship with Pitt and threatening to reduce her time with them. She has become embroiled in a storm of controversy after claiming Ryan Thomas viciously punched her in theCelebrity Big Brother house, with the soap star quitting the house - and showbiz - since. And it has now been reported that Roxanne Pallett, 35, has left a Celebrity Island Whatsapp group after she became uncomfortable reading conversations, between her fellow islanders, about her disastrous Celebrity Big Brother appearance. Olympian Anthony Ogogo, 29, endured a month-long stint on the deserted island - which Roxanne left after just five days - and opened up about the Emmerdale actress' departure from their group chat. Bye: It has been reported that Roxanne Pallett, 35, has left a Celebrity Island Whatsapp group after she became uncomfortable seeing comments made by her fellow islanders, about her disastrous Celebrity Big Brother appearance According to Metro, the semi-retired professional boxer said: 'Well, actually she was in the Whatsapp group. 'Then Big Brother happened and obviously we were talking about it because we're all friends, and then then she didn't like some of the things we were talking about and she just left because she didn't feel comfortable.' And while the rest of the group remain in contact with each other since their time together on Celebrity Island, Anthony was fairly certain that none of their fellow islanders had spoken to Roxanne since she left Celebrity Big Brother. He admitted: 'I don't know if anyone has spoken to her. All girls and the guys that would have spoken to her haven't spoken to her.' Awkward: According to Metro, Anthony said: 'Well, actually she was in the Whatsapp group. Then Big Brother happened and obviously we were talking about it because we're all friends, and then then she didn't like some of the things we were talking about and she just left because she didn't feel comfortable' Roxanne's departure from the Whatsapp group, comes after it was reported that her upcoming Celebrity Island debut 'couldn't have come at a worse time,' as she reportedly finds herself coming to blows with Hollywood actor Eric Roberts. According to reports, the former Emmerdale star annoyed her fellow contestants on the show after they were abandoned on an uninhabited island in the Pacific and had to survive on their own. However, during her time on the series - which will air on Sunday - before she sensationally quits after five days, it has been reported that viewers will see Roxanne and Eric come to blows after she annoys him. Real talk: Olympian Anthony Ogogo, 29, endured a month-long stint on the deserted island - which Roxanne left after just five days - and opened up about the Emmerdale actress' departure from their group chat The Dark Knight actor, 62, is believed to have confronted the soap star after she wears a bright pink bikini while everyone else is dressed in camouflage gear. In the scenes, Roxanne reportedly says: 'I've turned into some Amazonian ninja woman, I just don't care how I look any more.' To which Eric replies: 'Are you saying that to us or the camera?' Oh dear: According to reports, the former Emmerdale star annoyed her fellow contestants on Celebrity Island after they're abandoned on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Not impressed: The Dark Knight actor, 62, is believed to have confronted the soap star after she wears a bright pink bikini while everyone else is dressed in camouflage gear (Eric Roberts pictured in 2006) Fate? In a coincidental twist, Ryan in fact met his now-girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh on the same show in 2017 'The show couldn't have come at a worse time. Now she'll be seen being a drama queen again,' a source told the Daily Star. In a coincidental twist, Ryan in fact met his now-girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh on the same show in 2017. The reports come after it was revealed that Roxanne has quit her radio show, stepped down from panto and Emmerdale bosses revealed they will 'never' rehire her. With the star losing work at a rapid rate, it's said that is set to lose over 100,000 from lucrative acting roles. A source told The Sun Online: 'Roxanne will turn her back on showbiz. She understands she's upset many people and wants to step out of the spotlight to focus on herself. Goodbye: The actress walked off the show earlier this year after the smell of the fire triggered traumatic memories of being involved in the blaze when she was aged 16 (above, Celebrity Island host Bear Grylls) 'She's not interested in anything to do with fame now and is convinced time away is the best thing for her.' During Roxanne's debut on Celebrity Island, the soap star leaves the show after five days after the bonfires caused her to have flashbacks of being caught in a house fire. The actress, 35, walked off the island earlier this year after the smell of the fire triggered traumatic memories of being involved in the blaze when she was aged 16. Her spokesman told MailOnline Roxanne, her mother and grandmother were caught in the fire in the middle of the night almost two decades ago. Outrage: This comes after Roxanne walked out of the Big Brother house after claiming Thomas punched her 'like a boxer' Heartbreaking: Broadcast regulator Ofcom received more than 11,000 complaints over her claims as footage appeared to contradict her claims, with Ryan left a 'broken man' They said: 'Roxanne and her family were rescued by emergency services after being trapped in the house for a substantial amount of time. 'Roxanne suffered smoke inhalation and her mum was hospitalised for months as she lost her sight, this later returned after lengthy medical care. 'Her house was completely burnt out and Roxanne and her family lost all of their belongings'. It was also claimed that Love Island's Montana Brown and journalist Paris Lees also walked off, leaving Jo Wood Martin Kemp, James Cracknell and Anthony Ogogo. MailOnline have contacted representatives for Roxanne and Channel 4 for comment. Shocking: A staggering 21 former Emmerdale co-stars slammed the actress while many claimed she was making a 'mockery' of real abuse victims Celebrity Island will air on Channel 4 on Sunday September 9 at 9pm. This comes after Roxanne walked out of the Big Brother house after claiming Thomas punched her 'like a boxer would punch a bag'. Broadcast regulator Ofcom received more than 11,000 complaints over her claims as footage appeared to contradict her claims. A staggering 21 former Emmerdale co-stars slammed the actress while many claimed she was making a 'mockery' of real abuse victims. Interview: Responding to firm questioning by Emma Willis, Roxanne said that she was 'devastated and sorry' and that she was 'scared about her future' Responding to firm questioning by Emma Willis, Roxanne said that she was 'devastated and sorry' and that she was 'scared about her future'. She also told the presenter 'things in the past' have made her 'fragile'. She said: 'I needed to come and tell everyone that I got it wrong, I'm human, I made a massive, massive, horrible mistake.' When asked by Emma whether she felt she could be forgiven for the ordeal, the ex-Emmerdale star said: 'I would hope that I could be [forgiven].' The actress also appeared on the Jeremy Vine show, where she admitted she 'really got it wrong' and apologised to Ryan. Sorry: The actress also appeared on the Jeremy Vine show, where she admitted she 'really got it wrong' and apologised to Ryan Advertisement From a glittering Dolce & Gabbana dress to a pink Armani Prive column gown, she's been pulling out all the sartorial stops this week. And Naomi Watts cemented her fashion credentials on Saturday evening, as she hit the red carpet in an ethereal butterfly-motif gown during the Venice Film Festival for the Award Ceremony at Sala Grande. The 49-year-old Australian actress, who is a juror on this year's panel, ensured all eyes were on her as she twirled playfully in the showstopping feathered garment. Stunning: Venice Film Festival: Naomi Watts, 49, looked showstopping in an ethereal butterfly-motif gown as she twirled playfully on the red carpet on Saturday evening The blonde bombshell certainly took centre-stage in the gown, which featured a multi-coloured embellished butterfly on the bodice and romantic cap sleeves. Making the most of the irreverent layers of tulle in the gown's floaty skirt, she lifted up the dress and turned around for the cameras. Styling her glossy golden tresses in Old Hollywood inspired waves, Naomi plumped her pout with a bold slick of red lipstick. The star has been a part of this year's jury at the Film Festival, which showcased upcoming movies. Dazzling: Making the most of the irreverent layers of tulle in the gown's floaty skirt, she lifted up the dress and turned around for the cameras Preened to perfection: She styled her glossy golden tresses in Old Hollywood inspired waves Turning heads: The blonde bombshell certainly took centre-stage in the gown, which featured a multi-coloured embellished butterfly on the bodice and romantic cap sleeves Ready for her close-up: The Impossible actress plumped her pout with a bold slick of red lipstick Among the industry professionals, other people on the panel include Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, actresses Sylvia Chang, Nicole Garcia, and Trine Dyrholm, and filmmakers Paolo Genovese and Malgorzata Szumowska. The line-up consists of five women and four men in an effort to readdress the imbalance that has occurred in previous years. Ahead of the festival, Naomi said she hopes the experience will be 'life altering', gushing: 'To sit in a disciplined way and spend the next 10 days watching two to three films a day is extraordinary and I have just never had that opportunity. 'And to be amongst this group of people on this panel and with Guillermo leading it, I think it's going to be a really unique and really new experience.' Taking centre-stage: The Australian actress, who is a juror on this year's panel, ensured all eyes were on her on the night Honoured: Naomi said she hopes the role of juror will be 'life altering', gushing: 'To sit in a disciplined way and spend the next 10 days watching two to three films a day is extraordinary and I have just never had that opportunity' Dressed to impress: From a glittering Dolce & Gabbana dress to a pink Armani Prive column gown, Naomi has been pulling out all the sartorial stops this week during her time at the festival On the final day of the festival, Del Toro's jury were tasked with handing out the Golden Lion for Best Film, the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Award for Best Screenplay, the Special Jury Prize and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress. Among the winners were Olivia Colman, who scooped Coppa Volpi for Best Actress for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite, the film also scooped jury prize. Looking radiant in red as she attended the awards ceremony at Sala Grande on Saturday, the 44-year-old actress seemed delighted as she posed with the gong. Victorious: Among the winners were Olivia Colman, who scooped Coppa Volpi for Best Actress for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite, the film also scooped jury prize All about the accessories: The Broadchurch star injected some further glitz into her ensemble with a pair of De Beers Phenomena Frost drop earrings, matching glittering cuff bracelet and five line ring from the luxury jewellers Olivia stars alongside Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in the priod drama, that is 'a bawdy, acerbic tale of royal intrigue, passion, envy and betrayal' set in the court of Queen Anne in early 18th century England, according to Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, also also stars Nicholas Hoult and Joe Alwyn and is released in US cinemas on November 23 and hits UK screens on January 1, 2019. Elsewhere during the awards ceremony, Roma, Alfonso Cuarons intimate, black-and-white portrait of the women who raised him in Mexico Citys turbulent 1970s, won the top prize at the Festival. Alfonso accepted the Leone dOro, which he said was the birthday of the woman who inspired the lead character Cleo, a young domestic worker with her own troubles amid political strife in the citys Roma neighbourhood. Best director went to Jacques Audiard for The Sisters and Brothers. Willem Dafoe picked up best actor for At Eternitys Gate, Julian Schnabels homage to Vincent Van Gogh. Radiant in red: Olivia looked phenomenal as she accepted her Best Actress award, turning heads in a scarlet floor length gown that clashed with the red carpet She was recently forced to deny rumours she's engaged to Gorka Marquez. But Gemma Atkinson certainly looked smitten with the Strictly Come Dancing professional as she cuddled up to him during their loved-up holiday in Crete. The former Emmerdale actress, 33, flaunted every inch of her enviably toned frame in a skimpy thong bikini as she locked lips with the Spanish dancer while relaxing on a lilo. Looking good: Gemma Atkinson parades her sizzling figure in a skimpy thong bikini during loved-up Crete holiday with boyfriend Gorka Marquez The blonde bombshell flaunted her generous cleavage and incredible abs in her plunging halterneck bikini top. Flaunting a sunkissed all-over glow, she showed off her natural beauty by going make-up free for the beachside outing. The fitness fanatic certainly induced envy with her toned curves, flashing a peek of her pert posterior with her high-cut bikini bottoms. Cute couple: The former Emmerdale actress, 33, seemed to be in great spirits as she frolicked in the sea with Gorka Chest appeal: The blonde bombshell flaunted her generous cleavage and incredible abs in her plunging halterneck bikini top Pucker up: Gemma looked loved-up as she locked lips with the Spanish dancer while relaxing on a lilo Gorka, meanwhile, showed off his rippling abs and biceps in a pair of simple black swimming shorts. The couple, who met on the 2017 series of Strictly Come Dancing show when Gemma was a celeb contestant, seemed utterly smitten as they shared a lilo. Straddling the lilo, they leaned across to share a kiss and chatted away happily together. Stunning: Flaunting a sunkissed all-over glow, Atkinson showed off her natural beauty by going make-up free for the beachside outing Having a whale of a time! The couple seemed to be in great spirits during the sun-soaked outing Bum's the word: The fitness fanatic certainly induced envy with her toned curves, flashing a peek of her pert posterior with her high-cut bikini bottoms Love on the dancefloor: Gemma was partnered with professional, Aljaz Skorjanec, while Gorka was with Alexandra Burke on Strictly last year - but it didn't stop the two of them striking up a romance Meanwhile, engagement speculation was sparked on Friday when Gemma shared a cryptic Instagram video in which she appeared to be sporting a ring on her left hand. The actress took to her social media to share a clip of herself glammed up with her make-up artist friend while showing the ring, however she was later forced to insist Instagram flips images - meaning it was in fact of her right hand Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that Gemma was wearing a ring on her engagement finger. Hunk: Gorka, meanwhile, showed off his rippling abs and biceps in a pair of simple black swimming shorts Sweet: The couple, who met on the 2017 series of Strictly Come Dancing show when Gemma was a celeb contestant, seemed utterly smitten as they shared a lilo Making a splash: Gorka showed off his playful side as he splashed a laughing Gemma with water Admiring the view, Gorka? The Spanish dancer seemed to be checking out his girlfriend's rear at one point Rumour has it: Gemma was recently forced to deny engagement rumours surrounding her romance with Gorka While later on in her stories, it showed the former Emmerdale star with Gorka in her car as they spoke about their 'special day'. She said: 'Work's done, finished. Reunited with Gorks. Special day for us today, innit?' She later took to Instagram to post a statement reading: 'The ring I'm wearing is a crystal on my right hand. Instagram stories flip the camera. No ring on my left hand because I'm not engaged'. Hmm: Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that Gemma was wearing a ring on her engagement finger in a selfie she shared on Instagram on Friday Interesting: While later on in her stories, it showed the former Emmerdale star with Gorka in her car as they spoke about their 'special day' Setting the record straight: She later took to Instagram to post a statement reading: 'The ring I'm wearing is a crystal on my right hand' She's landed a spot in her first Victoria's Secret show. So it was no wonder Winnie Harlow seemed to be in the mood to celebrate as she headed out in New York City on Friday with her friends. The 24-year-old model dazzled in a one-shouldered cream dress that showcased her sensational figure as she enjoyed a night on the town amid fashion week. Celebration: She's landed a spot in her first Victoria's Secret show. So it was no wonder Winnie Harlow seemed to be in the mood to celebrate as she headed out in New York City on Friday The skimpy dress grazed her thighs to offer a look at her enviably lean legs, whilst she donned a pair of chunky white trainers. Cinching in at her slender waist, the former America's Next Top Model star donned a glittering Chanel belt, whilst she accessorised with a small perspex handbag. Winnie - who has vitiligo, a long-term condition where pale white patches develop on the skin - finished off the look by styluing her glossy raven locks loose in a sleek centre parting. Cream of the crop: The 24-year-old model dazzled in a one-shouldered cream dress that showcased her sensational figure as she enjoyed a night on the town amid fashion week Leggy lady! The skimpy dress grazed her thighs to offer a look at her enviably lean legs, whilst she donned a pair of chunky white trainers All about the accessories: Cinching in at her slender waist, the former America's Next Top Model star donned a glittering Chanel belt, whilst she accessorised with a small perspex bag The outing came as it was announced the Canadian model will now be taking to the coveted Victorias Secret Fashion Show in November. The exact moment Winnie found out she had earned her wings has been uploaded to Models Daily's Twitter account and it has also been reported she went on to make the official announcement at the IMG VIP Lounge by Principessa Prosecco on Friday. Winnie has seen a meteoric rise to stardom in recent years and has now officially nabbed the hottest gig in the business. Congratulations: The outing came as it was announced the Canadian model will now be taking to the coveted Victorias Secret Fashion Show in November A rep told Just Jared that she has been appointed as a new Victorias Secret model and the exciting news has been confirmed by video footage. The date, location and theme of the 2018 show has yet to be confirmed. Winnie has seen immeasurable success since bursting out on the scene on America's Next Top Model in 2014. Big moment: The exact moment Winnie found out she had earned her wings has been uploaded to Models Daily's Twitter account Excitement: The beauty also went on to make the official announcement at the IMG VIP Lounge by Principessa Prosecco on Friday So it was no surprise she was named as the Breakthrough Model Of The Year at Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards on Thursday night. The model was handed the prestigious award by her friend, rapper Nicki Minaj, for all her achievements over the last 12 months and took to Instagram to thank her pal for being there. Winnie shared a photograph of them together, she captioned it with: 'Wow.. I cant believe you did this. @NickiMinaj you came all the way to NYC to present me with BreakThrough Model of the Year award at @DailyFrontRow. 'The accomplishment in itself is breath taking to me! But to have someone Ive looked up to for soooo long and now call my friend present this iconic award to me.. Im crying right now writing this. You know i love you. .' She appeared to be having trouble getting connected on her retro, brick-like mobile phone. But Kim Kardashian West had a curious way of trying to get service. Flashing her abs in neon yellow crop top, the 37-year-old lifted her lovely leg through the thigh-high split in the matching skirt, coming perilously close to a wardrobe malfunction, before resting her foot on a chest. 'Can you hear me now?' Kim Kardashian had a curious way of trying to get service on her retro brick phone, risking a wardrobe malfunction as she lifted her leg in her split skirt in this shot she shared on Instagram on Saturday 'Can you hear me now?' she captioned the snap, which also showcased her snakeskin print high heels. The reality star and cosmetics queen posted the revealing snap on Instagram on Saturday. It could've been taken on a photoshoot or in the dressing room of her own home in Hidden Hills, Los Angeles Country, as there were rails of clothes and shoes in the background. Having a great time: The 37-year-old was wearing the same outfit in this snap she shared on Friday, showing her at the wheel of a yellow Humvee that she captioned, 'LOL' But, either way, it was likely taken the day before as she was wearing the same sexy outfit in a snap of her at the wheel of a yellow Humvee that she shared on Friday. In that photo Kim threw her head back and appeared to be roaring with laughter, confirmed by her 'LOL' caption. The Hummer could be the one that her trainer Gunnar Peterson has at his gym in Beverly Hills. Sexy style: Kim donned an Atsuko Kudi dress in a similar hue to the one she wore on Friday when she and husband Kanye West were in Miami, Florida, on August 18 Kim and husband Kanye West, 41, share three children: daughter North, five, son Saint, two, and daughter Chicago who was born via surrogate in January. Meanwhile, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has nixed a suggestion from rapper Offset, 26, that she should run for President The Migos rapper, who is married to Cardi B, thinks Kim should become the first woman to represent the United States because of the work she's doing for criminal justice reform. Bed time: for her brood Kim shared this sweet snap of daughter North, five, son Saint, two, and eight-month-old daughter Chicago on Instagram She recently convinced President Donald Trump to pardon Alice Johnson, a 63-year-old grandmother who was jailed in 1997 on money laundering and drug conspiracy charges, after hiring a team of lawyers to defend her. Kim is now fighting to free Chris Young, 30, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2010 for marijuana and cocaine possession, because she thinks it's 'unfair' that he was given such a harsh sentence. 'Kim for President, man,' Offset told TMZ on Thursday. 'She deserve to be president. Ain't no other president doing that s*** ... And she helping black folks, so I f*** with that 10,000 times hard.' She's been busy taking New York Fashion Week by storm. And on Saturday, Bella Hadid looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out for another day of work in the Big Apple. The 21-year-old model showed off her leggy figure in black biker shorts that she paired with a leather motorcycle jacket and sneakers. Street style: Bella Hadid showed off her leggy figure in black biker shorts that she paired with a leather motorcycle jacket and sneakers Bella, who wore her hair tied up in a messy bun, was seemingly makeup free for the outing. She accessorized with tiny sunglasses and carried her belongings in a small shoulder bag. Despite having an apartment in NYC, Hadid has been staying at the Four Seasons during fashion week. Natural beauty: The 21-year-old model, who wore her hair tied up in a messy bun, was seemingly makeup free for the outing Hotel life: Despite having an apartment in NYC, Hadid has been staying at the Four Seasons during fashion week On Friday night, the Los Angeles native attended Harper's Bazaar ICONS party. Bella turned heads when she arrived in a nude bodysuit with a deep, plunging neckline. The model of the moment teamed the statement garment with a pair of clear heels and a bevy of bejeweled bracelets. Taking centre-stage: Bella's boyfriend, The Weeknd, meanwhile, was over in Berlin putting on a captivating show at Lollapalooza Edgy guy: The 28-year-old rapper donned a grungy graffiti print denim jacket for the performance She was joined at the event by brother Anwar, 19, whom she showered with kisses. 'Two of my three musketeers, nothing makes me happier then seeing them close and learning the value of the unconditional love and the bond of a sibling who will be your built in best friend forever,' their mother, Yolanda Hadid, wrote on Instagram. Bella's sister, Gigi Hadid, 23, was also on the guest list. Showstopper: On Friday night, Hadid attended Harper's Bazaar ICONS party. She turned heads when she arrived in a nude bodysuit with a deep, plunging neckline Sibling love: Bella was joined at the event by her brother, Anwar, 19 Its the most gripping TV thriller since Broadchurch, with a dramatic cliffhanger thats left the nation demanding to know whodunnit?. More than ten million viewers saw Home Secretary Julia Montague played by Keeley Hawes blown up at the climax of last weeks episode of BBC1s Bodyguard. Well find out tonight if she survived but the big question is: who planted the bomb that went off just as the ruthlessly ambitious Minister made a landmark anti-terror speech? Could it really be handsome protection officer David Budd (Richard Madden), whos become her lover? The Afghanistan veteran is dangerously disturbed, but hes just one of eight suspects and here we examine how explosive the evidence for guilt is, and why they may be innocent. Each gets a rating out of three with three indicating the greatest level of threat. Sinister MI5 chief: Stephen Hunter-Dunn (pictured) feels betrayed after Montague went behind his back GUILTY? Stephen Hunter-Dunn (Stuart Bowman), the head of MI5, feels sorely betrayed after Montague went behind his back to make use of an incriminating dossier he gave her about the Prime Minister before he was ready. Shadowy MI5 agent Longcross (Michael Shaeffer) asked his boss: Do you want me to put a plan in place? INNOCENT? Up until the bomb blast, he and Julia were thick as thieves, with the security services happy to help Julia get her hands on the keys to No 10 so she would do their bidding. Why would they abandon the plan now? Rating: Sacked aide: PR advisor Chanel Dyson (pictured) failed in her attempt to expose her ex-boss as a sociopath GUILTY? Fuming after being fired by Julia, PR adviser Chanel Dyson (Stephanie Hyam) failed in her attempt to expose her ex-boss in the press as a sociopath. INNOCENT? Shes been such a mess since she was fired that its hard to imagine her plotting an assassination. Rating: Bitter PR man: The Minister's PR man Tahir Mahmood (pictured) is unhappy about being sidelined GUILTY? The Ministers PR man Tahir Mahmood (Shubham Saraf) is bitterly unhappy about being sidelined by her Special Adviser, Rob Macdonald, insisted that she should attend the event where the attack took place and was just yards away from her when he opened his briefcase moments before the explosion. INNOCENT? Mahmood was handed the case by Macdonald, who told him it contained briefing notes for Julias speech. Rating: Spurned special adviser: Rob Macdonald (pictured) had his romantic advances rebuffed by Julia GUILTY? Special Adviser Rob Macdonald (Paul Ready) had his romantic advances rebuffed by Julia and was absent from her speech after handing over the suspect brief case to Mahmood. INNOCENT? This weak, craven character shows no trace of the steely determination required of a cold-blooded killer. Rating: Dutiful police commander: Met Police counter-terror chief Anne Sampson (pictured) sees Montague as a dangerous politician GUILTY? Met Police counter-terror chief Anne Sampson (Gina McKee) sees Montague as a very, very dangerous politician who is not above breaking the law and must be stopped at all costs. INNOCENT? Shes every inch the dedicated policewoman who would reel in revulsion at the notion of murder. Rating: Furious chief whip: Julia's ex-husband Roger Penhaligon (pictured) is fiercely loyal to the PM GUILTY? Julias former husband Roger Penhaligon (Nicholas Gleaves) is the Chief Whip and House Of Cards proved how deadly those who hold that post can be. Fiercely loyal to the PM, he will do all he can to stop his ex-wifes plot to take over at No 10. INNOCENT? However acrimonious relations are, he is more Machiavellian than murderous. Rating: War-scarred hero: Former squaddie David Budd (pictured) blamed the Home Secretary for the horrors he witnessed GUILTY? Troubled former squaddie David Budd (Richard Madden) blames the Home Secretary for the horrors he witnessed in war and despite becoming her lover, hes already assaulted Julia. INNOCENT? David has clearly grown close to Julia and saved her from an assassination attempt. But what about his fellow protection officer Kim Knowles (Claire-Louise Cordwell) suspiciously seen running towards the scene of the explosion just moments beforehand? Rating: She boasts a host of accolades, including a BAFTA and Golden Globe. And Olivia Colman can now add the Coppa Volpi award to her burgeoning trophy cabinet, as she scooped the Best Actress Award for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite, at the 75th Venice Film Festival. Looking radiant in red as she attended the awards ceremony at Sala Grande on Saturday, the 44-year-old actress seemed delighted as she posed with the gong. Winner: Olivia Colman can now add the Coppa Volpi award to her burgeoning trophy cabinet, as she scooped the Best Actress Award at the 75th Venice Film Festival Olivia stars alongside Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in the priod drama, that is 'a bawdy, acerbic tale of royal intrigue, passion, envy and betrayal' set in the court of Queen Anne in early 18th century England, according to Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, also also stars Nicholas Hoult and Joe Alwyn and is released in US cinemas on November 23 and hits UK screens on January 1, 2019. The jury prize also went to The Favourite. Radiant in red: Olivia looked phenomenal as she accepted her Best Actress award, turning heads in a scarlet floor length gown that clashed with the red carpet Loving life: Looking radiant in red as she attended the awards ceremony at Sala Grande on Saturday, the 44-year-old actress seemed delighted as she posed with the gong Olivia looked phenomenal as she accepted her Best Actress award, turning heads in a scarlet floor length gown that clashed with the red carpet. The garment featured a high neckline and capped sleeves, whilst it cinched in at her small waist before flaring out into floor length. The Broadchurch star injected some further glitz into her ensemble with a pair of De Beers Phenomena Frost drop earrings, matching glittering cuff bracelet and five line ring from the luxury jewellers. Lady in red: The garment featured a high neckline and capped sleeves, whilst it cinched in at ehr small waist before flaring out into floor length All about the accessories: The Broadchurch star injected some further glitz into her ensemble with a pair of De Beers Phenomena Frost drop earrings, matching glittering cuff bracelet and five line ring from the luxury jewellers Elsewhere during the awards ceremony, Roma, Alfonso Cuarons intimate, black-and-white portrait of the women who raised him in Mexico Citys turbulent 1970s, won the top prize at the Festival. Alfonso accepted the Leone dOro, which he said was the birthday of the woman who inspired the lead character Cleo, a young domestic worker with her own troubles amid political strife in the citys Roma neighbourhood. Best director went to Jacques Audiard for The Sisters and Brothers. Willem Dafoe picked up best actor for At Eternitys Gate, Julian Schnabels homage to Vincent Van Gogh. He supports Donald Trump so it's perhaps no surprise Kanye West is a disciple of the President's anti-media stance too. The rapper has been filmed having a reporter kicked out of a fashion show for daring to ask a question about wife Kim Kardashian. The incident unfolded on Friday night at the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary show when a female journalist asked Kanye about Kim's feud with Tyson Beckford. Kanye West demanded female reporter be kicked out of the Ralph Lauren Fashion Show on Friday night for asking question about his wife Kim Kardashian's 'homophobic' feud with Tyson Beckford In video footage, Kanye can be seen aggressively telling an event PA that either the reporter be booted out, or he was leaving. 'She needs to be kicked out right now, or I'm going to leave. Right now,' he told her. 'Do you want to do that? Or do you want me to leave?' he added. The 41-year-old then leads the PA back to the interview room, before identifying the reporter by pointing a finger in her face. It's me or her: In video footage, Kanye can be seen aggressively telling a an event PA that either the reporter be booted out, or he was leaving 'Not soon, right now,' he told the PA, before telling the reporter she should be 'very ashamed that you asked that last question.' Refusing her apologies, her told her 'you have to go,' before storming off. On his way back into the show, Kanye was asked a far more vanilla question by another reporter: 'how has Ralph Lauren inspired you as an artist?' Boo hoo: 'She needs to be kicked out right now, or I'm going to leave. Right now,' he told her Sulking: The 41-year-old then leads the PA beck to the interview room, before identifying the reporter by pointing a finger in her face How dare you? 'Not soon, right now,' he told the PA, before telling the reporter she should be 'very ashamed that you asked that last question.' He answered this all smiles, as if nothing had just happened. Despite the first reporter's question being perfectly reasonable, she left the event before she could be kicked out, according to TMZ. Kim's feud with Tyson kicked off in August when he said he didn't like her look, accusing her of going under the knife and having botched surgery on her hips. She scratched back by according to many commentators insinuating he was gay. 'Sis we all know why you don't care for it,' she tweeted at the time. Advertisement Salma Hayek's upcoming film, The Hummingbird Project, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday. The 52-year-old actress wowed in a plunging, red dress and sky-high heels as she walked the red carpet alongside her co-stars Alexander Skarsgard and Jesse Eisenberg. Hayek arrived in Toronto just hours before the premiere after spending a romantic few days in Italy with her husband, Francois-Henri Pinault. Leading lady: Salma Hayek's upcoming film, The Hummingbird project, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday Salma's dress, which featured a plunging neckline and cascading ruffles, accentuated her curvy yet toned figure. The Mexico native wore her hair in soft waves, while her glam included bold brows and a nude lip. Both Alexander Skarsgard and Jesse Eisenberg looked dapper in fitted suits. Va-va-voom! The 52-year-old actress wowed in a plunging, red dress and sky-high heels as she walked the red carpet The Hummingbird Project follows two men, played by Skarsgard and Eisenberg, who go up against their old boss, played by Hayak, in an attempt to make millions in a fiber-optic cable deal, according to IMDB. 'It's a story of the absurd lengths people go to in the name of greed or successthese kind of vague things that your realize only in retrospect are fleeting,' Jesse told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview at Tiff. The independent film is slated to open the upcoming Vancouver Film Festival on September 27. Cast: Hayek posed alongside her co-stars Alexander Skarsgard and Jesse Eisenberg Travel wardrobe: Salma arrived in Toronto wearing a chic, navy jumpsuit. The Frida star paired the ensemble with a ball cap, platform shoes, and large sunglasses Jetsetter: The Frida star arrived in Toronto just hours before the premiere after spending a romantic few days in Italy with her husband, Francois-Henri Pinault Fashionista: Salma was spotted in a chic lace blouse and flared black trousers as headed out to promote her new flick later in the day Salma arrived in Toronto wearing a chic, navy jumpsuit and platform shoes. The Frida star, who was seemingly makeup free, attempted to keep a low profile in large sunglasses and a ball cap. She was escorted through the airport by a man who appeared to be her private driver, who handled her luggage. Also at TIFF! Elizabeth Olsen cut a sophisticated figure in a plunging black suit at the premiere of Sorry For Your Loss Double trouble! Olivia Wilde and Olivia Cooke dazzled in their red carpet attire at the Life Itself premiere Suits him! Joaquin Phoenix sharpened up in a smart black suit and slick leather shoes for The Sisters Brothers premiere Meanwhile, the stars came in droves to this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Elizabeth Olsen cut a sophisticated figure in a plunging black suit at the premiere of Sorry For Your Loss. She wore her brunette tresses down in tumbling, loose waves, and glammed up her look with an eye-catching pair of teardrop earrings. Oh la la! Viola Davis looked stunning in a sleeveless dress with colorful necklace at the Widows gala, while Penelope Cruz wowed in a black lace dress at the Everybody Knows premiere Hello petal: Amber Heard wowed in a sheer black dress with rose print design at the DIRECTV House during TIFF Pink lady! Judy Greer rocked a flowing hot pink dress and black heels at the DIRECTV event At the premiere of Life Itself, Olivia Wilde and Olivia Cooke dazzled in their red carpet attire. Olivia rocked a plunging black dress with a silver cinched waistline while wearing her silky brunette hair down. Cooke looked incredible in a navy blue mini dress with a coordinating pair of heels. Keeping it casual! Hugh Jackman kept it casual yet stylish in his copper top, black trousers, and coordinating shoes Heaven on earth! Jamie Lee Curtis rocked a chic white dress as she supported her movie Halloween at it's TIFF premiere Strike a pose! Curtis shared the spotlight with producers Malek Akkad and Jason Blum Meanwhile, Viola Davis cut a sophisticated figure in her strapless black gown and colorful necklace as she attended the Widows gala. Penelope Cruz dazzled in a black lace dress with low-cut neckline at the Everybody Knows premiere. Amber Heard turned heads in a sheer lace number with pretty floral print at the DIRECTV House during TIFF. Also at the event, Judy Greer stood out in her flowing hot pink dress. Three's company! The actresses were joined by Andi Matichak, who dazzled in a sequin beige floorlength dress Beautiful in blue: Melissa McCarthy cut a glamorous figure in her flowing deep blue dress at the Can You Forgive Me? premiere Suits them! Matt Bomer looked sharp in his suit with light blue top at the premiere of Papi Chulo while Hugh Jackman cut a smart figure at The Front Runner premiere Work! Michelle Rodriguez rocked a midnight blue number with gold accent at the Widows premiere Sofia Richie is on a whirlwind visit to Australia to promote her collaboration with local shoe brand, Windsor Smith. During her time Down Under, the 20-year-old shared a little insight into her romantic relationship with boyfriend Scott Disick, 35, after it had previously been reported she was refusing to talk about her love life with media. Speaking to The Goss on Sunday, the daughter of Lionel Richie revealed: 'We are very happy, very lovey dovey.' 'We are very happy, very lovey dovey': Speaking to The Goss Sofia Richie, 20, shared insight into her relationship with Scott Disick, 35, during first trip Down Under... despite previously 'refusing to answer questions about her love life' 'We are best friends and that is mainly the strongest connection we have. We have always had that best friend connection and from there it has really worked out. I am so happy,' she added. Sofia also revealed although she liked being a model, the young socialite had some bigger ambitions. 'I love modelling but my goal is to be a designer,' she said, and mentioned plans to collaborate with her sister Nicole. Going strong! Speaking to The Goss on Sunday, the daughter of Lionel Richie revealed: 'We are very happy, very lovey dovey' Meanwhile, the candid interview comes after the fashion model had some issues while doing publicity during her trip to Australia. Despite revealing details to The Goss, Sofia reportedly refused to be questioned about her boyfriend Scott Disick and famous father Lionel Richie. Her diva demands allegedly caused Confidential to decline an interview with the 20-year-old socialite, with the publication also claiming that Channel Ten's The Project also had to pull an interview for the same reason. The Herald Sun reported on Saturday that 'Richie's reps cancelled an appearance on The Project hours before she was due on air as the show also wouldn't agree to the strict question limitations.' In love: 'We are best friends and that is mainly the strongest connection we have. We have always had that best friend connection and from there it has really worked out. I am so happy' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Ten and Sofia for comment. Sofia is an American socialite who became famous for being the daughter of Lionel Richie and younger sister of Nicole Richie. Her profile skyrocketed after she started dating Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick, who is 16 years older than her. Working hard? The socialite is currently on an Australian promotional tour for footwear brand Windsor Smith The 5'6' star is now a successful model with campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Dolce & Gabbana. Earlier this week, the Daily Telegraph shared a leaked email from Sofia's reps stating that questions about her father Lionel, boyfriend Scott, and The Kardashians were off-limits in all interviews during her Aussie promo tour for Windsor Smith. Australian natives Jessica Hart and Jordan Barrett turned heads at the Harper's Bazaar Icons party during New York Fashion Week on Friday. Both models stole the spotlight as they walked the black carpet before entering the exclusive magazine party. Jess, 32, wore a very revealing black sequined miniskirt which showed off her perfect physique. Down Under delights! Australian models Jessica Hart and Jordan Barrett turned heads at the star-studded Harper's Bazaar Icons party on Friday at New York Fashion Week Jess put on a racy display as her see-through ensemble revealed a glimpse of her black underwear while she posed for the cameras. She showcased her trim pins while wearing the daring outfit choice which consisted of a hand-beaded black sequined crop top and matching mini skirt with tassel detail. Jess finished her look with black platform stilettos and black box clutch, leaving her make up natural and dewy, with her hair slicked back in a top knot. So chic: Jess, 32, wore a very revealing black sequined miniskirt which showed off her perfect physique Black beauty: The see-through ensemble revealed a glimpse of her black underwear while she posed for the cameras at the event See-through: Jess showcased her trim pins while wearing the daring outfit choice which consisted of a hand-beaded black sequined crop top and matching miniskirt with tassel detail Meanwhile, fashion's 'bad boy' Jordan, 22, looked dapper in an all-white 80s-style ensemble, which he paired with tan loafers. It's not the first Fashion Week appearance for the International Model of the Year winner. Earlier in the week, he was seen partying it up alongside fellow models at his very own New York Fashion Week event on Thursday night. Handsome: Jordan, 22, looked dapper in an all-white 80s-style ensemble, which he paired with tan loafers Jordan was seen getting chatty with several models at Blame Frame, an event celebrating the launch of his collaboration with clothing brand Frame. Despite being the star of the show, the Australian cut a very low-key figure in a black T-shirt and pants. He completed the effortless outfit with a green army surplus jacket tied around his waist. Retro: Meanwhile, it's not the first Fashion Week appearance for the 22-year-old International model of the year winner Advertisement Model Coco Rocha knows a thing or two about turning heads on catwalks all across the globe. On Saturday the Canadian beauty still stunned as a spectator at the Christian Siriano show during New York Fashion Week. And she got a front-row view, with her adorable three-year old daughter on her lap, alongside celebrities like Cynthia Nixon, Whoopi Goldberg, Carmen Electra, Tiffany Haddish, Danielle Brooks, Judith Light and Sarah Hyland. Look-a-likes: Model Coco Rocha attended Christian Siriano's show during New York Fashion Week with three-year old daughter Ioni James Conran on Saturday Schooling her baby: Coco was all smiles as she schooled daughter Ioni James Conran about the models and Siriano's new collection next to Danielle Brooks Coco was all smiles as she schooled daughter Ioni James Conran about the models and Siriano's new collection dressed in a retro dark denim two piece ensemble. The jacket came complete with large lapels, a la 1970s style, and a belt that tied around her svelte waist. Mom dressed Ioni in matching overalls that were over a white frilly shirt. 'So much love for my friend @csiriano and his breathtaking show today at Gotham Hall,' she said in the caption of video she shared on her Instagram. In another video, Coco takes a downright cute selfie. 'Where are you?' the models asked her little girl. She responds, 'I don't know.' 'What are you going to see? Ioni briefly pauses and says, 'princesses. Mom proudly smiles and says: 'We're going to see princesses ha ha ha.' It's in the jeans: The Canadian model rocked a retro two-piece denim outfit, while Ioni had matching overalls Celebrity row: Carmen Electra, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tiffany Haddish and Sarah Hyland all got chummy with each other with their choice front row seats Say cheese: Whoopi has been a mainstay at New York fashion Week for many years Working it: Brooks, best known for Orange is the new Black, showed a little arms and shoulders in her blue dress Star power: Light, of Who's the Boss? TV fame, wore brown leather, while the Sex in the City alum stunned in an elegant red dress and black pumps Glamour: American model Shaun Ross hammed it up with Electra and celebrity fashion stylist Derek Warburton The mother-daughter duo had plenty of star power around them. Seated to their left was Orange is the New Black star Danielle Brooks. Electra, Nixon, Goldberg, Haddish and Hyland also had prime seating in the front row. They were visibly having a great times as seen by their constant smiles and banter with each other. But when the light shined down on Siriano's collection of models and designer, it was all business. Colorful class: Electra and Brooks went with some eye-popping colors Wowing the crowd: Siriano's collection appeared to be a perfect mix of old school and new school Making his mark: Siriano, 32, first gained attention after winning the fourth season of the competition show Project Runway in 2008 Showing his support: Designer Christian Siriano showed support for Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon and her bid to be the next Governor of New York Red in the city!: Cynthia Nixon looked effortlessly elegant in a red structured midi dress with black high heels The American fashion designer is a red carpet favorite for celebrities. Some of his famour clients include Victoria Beckham, Emily Blunt, Lady Gaga, Maggie Grace, Christina Hendricks, Nicki Minaj, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, Christina Ricci Taylor swift and Shailene Woodley. He first gained attention after winning the fourth season of the competition show Project Runway in 2008. He would go on to launch his namesake collection later that same year. In 2010, Siriano was named one of Crain's Top 40 Entrepreneurs Under 40, which reported that his line had brought in over $1.2million in revenue. It jumped to about $5million in 2012. Glamorous: Tess Holliday oozed Hollywood glamour in a long polka dot dress, with a zip slit on the side, and funky yellow mules Smile!: Christian Siriano and Judith Light couldn't resist posing up a storm at the star-studded event Retro: Sarah Hyland opted for a retro-looking ensemble in a black structured dress with a giant neon pink waist belt and funky oversized glasses Fun times: The star-studded group appeared in good spirits as they playfully posed together Leading ladies: Tiffany Haddish and Sarah Hyland appeared in good spirits as they caught up at the fashion event She cut a triumphant figure during her first TV appearance since splitting with Today host Karl Stefanovic on The Morning Show earlier this week. And while attending the Women of the Future Awards in Sydney, Cassandra Thorburn was spotted 'chatting and mingling' with Seven's Samantha Armytage and Kylie Gillies. But according to The Goss on Sunday, the 47-year-old former journalist kept her distance from Stefanovic's current co-host Georgie Gardner and former on-air partner Lisa Wilkinson, who defected to Ten last year. Scroll down for video On her side? Karl Stefanovic's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn (pictured) spotted 'chatting and mingling' with Seven's Samantha Armytage and Kylie Gillies at Sydney awards bash Welcomed into the fold: While attending the Women of the Future Awards, Cassandra was spotted deep in conversation with network stars Samantha Armytage (left), Kylie Gillies (right) and Edwina Bartholomew Claiming the Seven stars 'welcomed Cassandra into the fold', the article revealed the mum-of-three was not seen interacting with Georgie, 48 or Lisa, 58, who have both worked closely with her ex-husband. The report comes after the brunette appeared on Seven's The Morning Show to promote her new children's book Leo Lion's Big Bed. During her stint on the couch, Cassandra further detailed the end of their 21-year marriage. Awkward: According to The Goss on Sunday, the 47-year-old former journalist kept her distance from Stefanovic's current or former co-hosts Georgie Gardiner (left) and Lisa Wilkinson (right), who defected to Ten last year Speaking to hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, she mentioned how tough the split had been on kids, Jackson, 19, Ava, 13, and 11-year-old River. 'I think everyone knows separating and divorce is particularly challenging, for the children especially,' she said. 'And it being so public wasn't perfect!' Cassandra added, referencing her own marriage breakdown. Her time to shine! Cassandra said that she is 'stepping out to say that she feels comfortable within herself' following her high-profile divorce The children's book author then added defiantly: 'But now, I'm stepping out to say that I feel comfortable within myself and I'm telling others to be comfortable in their own skin. Cassandra was previously a TV producer and journalist, but she said on Monday that she doesn't particularly miss her old career. As for the future, the devoted single mother is taking it one step at a time. High-profile split: Cassandra and Karl were married for 21 years before their split in 2016. The couple are pictured on May 1, 2011 at the Logie Awards in Melbourne 'I want to focus on my children, and making sure that they're all happy and well. Looking that far ahead and focusing on myself is not something that I'm wanting to do right now,' she said. Meanwhile, her ex-husband Karl is preparing to marry his fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough in December at a star-studded ceremony in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Actor Luke Hemsworth has sent worried fans into a frenzy after showing off a horror injury as he posted an image of his ear with a row of stitches. The 37-year-old actor, who is the older brother of Hollywood A-listers Chris and Liam, shared the painful-looking image to his Instagram account on Saturday. While it is unclear how Luke sustained the injury, the close-up photograph drew an immediate reaction from the actor's near 90,000 followers, many desperate to know what happened. Scroll down for video 'F**k that looks bad': Westworld actor Luke Hemsworth sends concerned fans into a frenzy after revealing a horror injury 'F**k that looks bad,' one worried fan stated on the image. Another concerned fan wrote: 'What happened!!!', while another commented: 'jokes aside hope you're holding it together.' But while fans might have been left concerned, the Los Angeles-based actor seemed pretty chilled about the state of his ear. 'Jokes aside hope you're holding together': A number of worried fans took to social media to express concern for the actor, who is the older brother of Chris and Liam Proving he had a sense of humour about his intense-looking injury, Luke made light of it in the accompanying caption. 'Ear today.... gone tomorrow,' the down-to-earth Australian joked. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Luke for further clarification and comment. 'Ear today.... gone tomorrow': While Luke didn't say how the injury was sustained, the Los Angeles-based actor did seem chilled out about it While Luke stars in US hit Westworld, his fame has yet to reach the soaring heights of his siblings Chris and Liam. And Luke told The Daily Telegraph in April that his smaller profile didn't faze him as he relished the fact he still lived with some anonymity. He insisted he's not bothered by being the least notable Hemsworth, instead saying it can be a difficult road for his superstar siblings. 'I worry about the loss of anonymity, which is the one thing Chris and Liam would want back,' he told the publication. Doesn't faze him! Back in April, Luke said he didn't mind being the least notable Hemsworth, adding brothers Chris (left) and Liam (right) would like their anonymity back Luke added that it was his brother's strapping heights which saw them stand out in the crowd wherever they go. 'They are both 6 foot 4, they're very recognisable, whereas I am a little shorter (5 foot 11) and can disappear into the crowd,' he explained. Luke also gushed about his role as Ashley Stubbs in the second season of sci-fi series Westworld, saying he's thrilled being part of the smash hit. 'I've been chipping away at my career for nearly 20 years. I've tried to be careful about where to go, what to do, and how to find something that ticks a lot of the boxes,' he said. Australian actress Bella Heathcote is known for her ever-flawless style. And on Saturday, the 31-year-old made her New York Fashion Week debut after attending the ADEAM show. The 31-year-old Fifty Shades Darker actress turned heads as she entered the fashion show wearing a stunning mini dress which showed off her lithe limbs. Simply stunning! Australian actress Bella Heathcote attends the Adeam fashion show during New York Fashion Week wearing laced-up mini dress The stunner paired the dress designed by ADEAM with matching lace-up boots. In terms of beauty choices, Bella kept her makeup fresh and dewy with a pink-hued lip while styling her hair in natural waves. The former Neighbours star sat front row next to Dove Cameron, Annalise Basso and Rowan Blanchard. Good company! The former Neighbours star sat front row next to (L-R) Dove Cameron, Annalise Basso and Rowan Blanchard So chic: She kept her makeup fresh and dewy with a pink-hued lip and left her hair natural and wavy It seems Bella is quite the fan of showing off her trim pins and wearing mini dresses. The In Time actress looked stunning in her new series Strange Angel screening in Los Angeles back in June. At the event, Bella looked gorgeous as she posed against the media wall in a white mini dress. Her frock was embellished with cream and gold beads and the star happily posed for the cameras while showing off the dress' intricate detailing. Leaving the dress to do the talking, Bella paired her look with pointed, strappy metallic kitten heels. Smoking: It seems Bella is quite the fan of showing off her trim pins and wearing mini dresses Adding a sweet touch of colour to her otherwise angelic look, Bella carried a bubblegum-hued clutch. Bella pulled her sun-kissed locks back into two French braids, clasped together at the nape of her neck. Keeping her makeup equally stunning, Bella opted for touches of rouge atop her cheekbone and eye area. Adding depth to her otherwise minimalist look, Bella looked striking as she smiled with a cherry-hued tinge atop her lips. They are used to the sweltering weather in Texas. But Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves were prepared for Canadian chill on Saturday night as they attended the HFPA and InStyle TIFF Celebration up in Toronto. The actor, 48, looked smart decked out in a cosy in a burgundy long-sleeve turtleneck, paired with steel grey slacks and brown brogues. Chilly: Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves dressed up warm for the HFPA and InStyle TIFF Celebration in Toronto on Saturday night His wife meanwhile wrapped up warm in a thick yellow and black plaid tweed coat. She did however brave the cold to bare her fab legs in a short skirt, paired with thick white-soled black shoes. The couple, who have been together for 12 years and married for six, share three children: sons Levi (ten) and Livingston (five), and daughter Vida (eight). Cosy: The actor looked smart decked out in a cosy in a burgundy long-sleeve turtleneck, paired with steel grey slacks and brown brogues Toasty: His wife meanwhile wrapped up warm in a thick yellow and black plaid tweed coat Flash: She did however brave the cold to bare her fab legs in a short skirt, paired with thick white-soled black shoes Crew: Also at the party was White Boy Rick director Yann Demange and co-star Jonathan Majors (R) Loved-up: Matthew put a protective arm around Camila as they posed for a snap inside the event Fancy seeing you here! Matthew looked overjoyed to bump into Beautiful Boy star Timothee Chalamet inside the event Bring it in! The actor burst into laughter when Timothee leaned in for a hug and wrapped his arms around him The night previous, the couple attended the premiere of the Oscar-winner's new movie White Boy Rick at the Toronto International Film Festival. Set in 1980's Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic, it follows the true story of a blue-collar father, played by McConaughey, and his teenage son (Richie Merritt) , who was a street hustler, FBI informant and drug kingpinall before he turned 16. According to USA Today, Merritt had no acting experience heading into the role and, what's more, he admitted the film's famous leading man wasn't exactly on his radar. Dressed the part: Timothee showed off his flair for fashion in a velvet, bottle green suit, which he offset with a black shirt Fashionable bunch: Michael, Jonathan and Matthew all cut stylish figures as they represented their new flick White Boy Rick at the bash King in the north: Kit Harington was his usual suave self Shiny: Melissa McCarthy rocked a funky green catsuit Scarlet witch: Elizabeth Olsen gave a nod to her famous marvel character Suits: Alexander Skarsgard and Jonah Hill looked sharp, with and without tie Snap: Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson matched in cream 'I didn't know who he was at first. Because I'm used to watching action movies with, like, Will Smith or Mark Wahlberg, stuff like that,' Merritt said, now 17 and a high-school senior. 'But when I met him, it was like, 'I do know that guy.' I didn't know his name was Matthew McConaughey.' White Boy Rick hits theaters across the U.S. September 14. Petal: Carla Gugino opted for a floral catsuit Colorful: Tanaya Beatty rocked red and Abbie Cornish looked splendid in silver Pair: Wildlife pairing Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano hung out together Gents: It was a coin toss between Mike Colter and Joel Edgerton over who looked most dapper Rose: Kelly Marie Tran rocked a wide legged pant suit Chick chic: Elle Fanning looked cute in pink and yellow He's currently Down Under while scouting for locations for new World War II movie, Destroyer. And it appears the search continues for Mel Gibson as he exited a taxi in Sydney's Bondi on Friday. Wearing a blue jacket worn over a check shirt, the Oscar-winner, 62, cut a rugged figure as he clambered out of the grey vehicle. On the move! Mel Gibson cuts a rugged figure as he exits taxi in Sydney's Bondi while continuing to scout locations for new WWII epic, Destroyer Coordinating the look with well-worn blue jeans, the filmmaker kept light on his feet with black trainers and accessorised with a pair of black sunglasses hanging from his collar. Taking care when crossing the street, the Sydney-raised icon drew attention with his bushy beard and shock of salt and pepper locks. The Braveheart star touched down in the Harbour City at the end of last month to begin a location scout for his next blockbuster, Destroyer. Still got it: Taking care when crossing the street, the Sydney-raised icon drew attention with his bushy beard and shock of salt and pepper locks Mel will direct Hollywood heavyweight Mark Wahlberg in the drama following the Battle of Okinawa, which took place in 1945. The film's script has reportedly been penned by Rosalind Ross, who is Mel's partner of four years and mother of his ninth child, one-year-old son, Lars. The big-screen epic could follow in the footsteps of the Gibson-directed war drama Hacksaw Ridge, which won two Academy Awards. Who's the boss! The film's script has reportedly been penned by Rosalind Ross, who is Mel's partner of four years and mother of his ninth child, one-year-old son, Lars Boogie Nights star Mark and Lethal Weapon leading man Mel are good mates, after previously working together on the comedy Daddy's Home 2 in 2017. The Braveheart actor made a mystery trip to Australia earlier this year, which was later revealed to be a location scouting tour. Friends in high places: Boogie Nights star Mark Wahlberg and Lethal Weapon leading man Mel are good mates, after working together on the comedy Daddy's Home 2 in 2017 He was seen in Brisbane where he met with Screen Queensland executives, as well as eyeing off filming locations around the Gold Coast and Woongoolba. Mel moved to Australia at the age of just 12, and he later studied at the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Oscar buzz again: Destroyer could follow in the footsteps of the Gibson-directed war drama Hacksaw Ridge (pictured), which won two Academy Awards She's been hot on the New York Fashion Week circuit this week, attending runway shows and mingling with fellow celebrities. And despite her hectic schedule, Australian actress Rose Byrne, 39, looked positively relaxed as she arrived outside her hotel on Saturday. The mother-of-two turned heads as she glided towards the Bowery Hotel in a floral dress paired with a black basket bag, sandals and a set of over-sized sunglasses. Fresh as a daisy! Australian actress Rose Byrne, 39, looked positively relaxed as she arrived outside her hotel on Saturday. Sweeping her brunette mane into a low pony-tail, Rose looked serene as she waved gently at onlookers before disappearing from sight. Rose has been keeping up appearances during New York Fashion Week, attending exclusive runway shows and red carpet events. On Friday, Rose was spotted spotted at the Ralph Lauren catwalk show alongside fellow actress friend Camilla Belle and celebrity stylist Penny Lovell. Effortless: The mother-of-two turned heads as she glided towards the Bowery Hotel in a floral dress paired with a black basket bag, sandals and a set of over-sized sunglasses Last week, she also attended the Ulla Johnson show which took place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It comes after Rose spoke candidly about her busy lifestyle with Live With Kelly And Ryan, admitting that her youngest son Rafa, eight months, has become quite the handful. 'He just goes in for the tackle and loves to pin him down,' she revealed. 'He just goes in for the tackle!' It comes after Rose spoke candidly about her busy lifestyle with Live With Kelly And Ryan, admitting that her youngest son Rafa, eight months, has become quite the handful (Rose pictured with partner Bobby Cannavale) The 'big guy', her two-year-old son Rocco whom she also shares with partner Bobby Cannavale, is not too bothered by the relentless attacks, she added. 'It's quite a trauma on them, those first few months... but it's good, it toughens them up.' She joked that her youngest son was just trying to assert his place in the pecking order: 'You gotta establish status pretty quickly,' she smiled. She's known for her model prowess on camera and at fashion's leading events. So it's no surprise Rosie Huntington-Whiteley oozed her trademark glamour once again as she attended the Jimmy Choo party in New York City on Saturday evening. The catwalk queen, 31, cut a sophisticated figure as she slipped her statuesque physique into a demure shift dress, which skimmed her toned thighs. Working it! Rosie Huntington-Whiteley oozed her trademark glamour once again as she attended the Jimmy Choo party in New York City on Saturday evening Looking every inch the trendsetter, the model added a touch of edgy chic into her appearance with a pair of knee-high boots. Rosie, who shares 14-month-old son Jack Oscar with fiance Jason Statham, upped the ante in the accessory department with a pair of gold hooped earrings and toted her possessions in a white feathered handbag. The British beauty complemented her out-of-this-world beauty with hints of pink-toned make-up, tied in with thick eyeliner. Legs for days: The catwalk queen, 31, cut a sophisticated figure as she slipped her statuesque physique into a demure shift dress, which skimmed her toned thighs Striking: Looking every inch the trendsetter, the model added a touch of edgy chic into her appearance with a pair of knee-high boots Maintaining her sleek look, the mother-of-one swept her tresses into a striking ponytail. Rosie's stylish display came after she recently opened up about suffering from adult acne following the birth of her son Jack. Speaking to Net-a-Porter's digital magazine Porter Edit, the supermodel opened up about overcoming her skin issues while also discussing her negative modelling experiences. Wow-factor! Rosie upped the ante in the accessory department with a pair of gold hooped earrings and toted her possessions in a white feathered handbag All eyes on her: The British beauty complemented her out-of-this-world beauty with hints of pink-toned make-up, tied in with thick eyeliner Vowing that she 'never had perfect skin', the blonde bombshell explained that her acne began six months following the birth of her boy, who she welcomed with partner Jason in June 2017, and confessed it left her feeling 'mortified'. She shared: 'Ive never had perfect skin, but throughout the pregnancy it couldnt have been better. They say boys bring out your beauty and girls steal it! 'Six months after [the birth] the acne started. Its sort of a depressing thing, so mortifying. Im following [skin specialist] Dr Lancers advice, so its a work in progress.' Rosie has been a stalwart in the modelling community ever since her jaw-dropping debut in 2006's Victoria's Secret catwalk show. Commanding attention: Rosie has been a stalwart in the modelling community ever since her jaw-dropping debut in 2006's Victoria's Secret catwalk show Star-studded: The blonde's fellow models Lily Aldridge (centre) and Joan Smalls (right) were also in attendance Russell Crowe is rumoured to be romancing Love Child actress Sophia Forrest, with the pair spotted taking in an NRL match together last month. And according to the Sydney Morning Herald, the two were spending more time together last Saturday night, attending an Amy Shark show at Sydney's Enmore Theatre. A fellow concertgoer told the newspaper that Russell, 54, and Sophia, 23, were trying to keep a low profile and avoid being seen together. Claim: On Sunday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Love Child actress Sophia Forrest (pictured) attended a Sydney concert with rumoured love interest Russell Crowe last weekend 'They weren't doing any obvious displays of affection but it was quite dark,' the attendee claimed. They added: 'They obviously didn't want to be seen together as they were tucked away behind the barrier in the front of house [near sound and light areas] and out of view of the public.' On Thursday night, while attending Vogue Fashion Night Out, Sophia was 'visibly rattled' when asked about her relationship with the Oscar-winning actor before she 'rushed back to friends and a publicist'. Watching on: Last month, Sophia was spotted with Russell as they watched the Rabbitohs thrash the Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium Last month, Sophia was spotted with Russell as they watched the Rabbitohs thrash the Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium. But the pair have known each other for a long time, with Sophia sharing a snap with Russell to her Instagram page back in March 2017. The two both smiled as they sat back on board a boat that was sailing Sydney Harbour. Old friends! Sophia shared a snap with Russell to her Instagram page back in March 2017 Sophia's father Andrew is the founder and former CEO of Fortescue Metals - the fourth largest iron ore producer in the world. Sophia is one of the billionaire's three children whom he shares with wife Nicola. Raised in Perth, Sophia has since relocated to Sydney and is soon set to star in Rachel Griffiths' directorial debut, Ride Like A Girl. She underwent her second boob job earlier this year, after admitting her first operation left her with severe scarring. And Yazmin Oukhellou made sure to show off her surgically-enhanced assets as she enjoyed a night out with boyfriend James Lock and TOWIE co-star Chloe Meadows at Faces nightclub in Essex on Saturday night. The 24-year-old reality star was bound to turn heads as she sizzled in a skintight dress that boasted a seriously plunging neckline. Busty display: Yazmin Oukhellou made sure to show off her surgically-enhanced assets as she enjoyed a night out with boyfriend James Lock and TOWIE co-star Chloe Meadows at Faces nightclub in Essex on Saturday night The beauty looked sensational in the silk pencil dress, which was seemingly the work of fashion house Chanel as it was emblazoned with the brand's iconic emblem in pretty pearl detailing. Amplifying the glamour, Yazmin paired the dress with sparkling silver stilettos and a complementary grey clutch bag. She styled her brunette tresses into a pin-straight style and accentuated her bronzed visage with dramatic false lashes and a liberal sweeping of highlighter. Taking the plunge: The 24-year-old reality star was bound to turn heads as she sizzled in a skintight dress that boasted a seriously plunging neckline Short and sweet: TOWIE co-star Chloe also hit the nighttime haunt, sporting a chic striped blouse, which the beauty knotted to flash a hint of her toned midriff, and burgundy shorts Of course, all eyes would no doubt have been on Yazmin's ample cleavage as the beauty showcased her generous assets in the dress, which boasted a low-scooping neckline. Yazmin took to Instagram to confirm she had undergone a second breast augmentation earlier this summer, after being disappointed by her first surgery. The beauty explained that scarring from her initial surgery had left her self-conscious, prompting her decision to go back under the knife. Sharing the results of her second boob job on Instagram, Yazmin claimed she is 'so pleased' with the results this time round. Looking good! The statuesque star paired her style with caged, studded stilettos and styled her blonde tresses into glamorous loose curls Smitten kittens: Yazmin was joined on her night out by boyfriend James Lock, who was cut a dapper figure for their date night in a black suit and trousers Making a night of it! The couple kicked off their date night at Essex hot spot Sheesh restaurant Addressing speculation surrounding her second surgery, Yazmin penned: 'Theres been a lot of speculation recently in regards to my boobs and whether or not Ive had them re-done. Well...... the answer is YES. 'Following my first augmentation I was left with scarring that not only affected me physically but mentally as well and really knocked my confidence.' Despite stating she may appear confident while starring on ITVBe hit TOWIE, Yazmin insisted that she suffers with insecurities like anybody else, adding: 'Many people think that just because youre on TV, you are body confident but they are so wrong.' Flying solo! Love Island star Jack Fowler was also spotted partying at the club, though was without girlfriend Laura Crane Good night? Jack looked in high spirits as he left the club alongside a female companion Although she was quick to add that her latest operation has left her feeling positive about her appearance, as she continued: 'I finally feel body confident, have felt the best I ever have done on my recent holiday to Dubai and love my new boobs in bikinis.' Meanwhile, Yazmin was joined on her night out by boyfriend James Lock, who was cut a dapper figure for their date night, which started at Essex hot spot Sheesh restaurant, in a black shirt and trousers. TOWIE co-star Chloe Meadows also hit the nighttime haunt, sporting a chic striped blouse, which the beauty knotted to flash a hint of her toned midriff, and tailored burgundy shorts. Lovebirds: Stephen Bear was at the club with girlfriend Ellie O'Donnell, who sizzled in a checked mini dress The lovebirds looked to have enjoyed their night out as the Celebrity Big Brother winner appeared to prop up his girlfriend as they called it a night and flagged down a taxi home The statuesque star paired her style with caged, studded stilettos and styled her blonde tresses into glamorous loose curls. But the nightclub wasn't only popular with TOWIE stars as Love Island's Jack Fowler and Ex on the Beach star Stephen Bear were also spotted making their way into the club. While Jack was without girlfriend Laura Crane, Stephen was joined by model partner Ellie O'Donnell, who flashed her lean legs in a checked mini dress and barely-there stilettos. The lovebirds looked to have enjoyed their night out as the Celebrity Big Brother winner appeared to prop up his girlfriend as they called it a night and flagged down a taxi home. She's one of Australia's top models flying the flag over in America. And after being front and centre throughout New York Fashion Week, Abbey Lee Kershaw continued to command attention at a star-studded party on Friday. The 31-year-old attended Harper's Bazaar ICONS By Carine Roitfeld event in NYC while wearing a statement dress with matching scarf. Scroll down for video Lady in red! Abbey Lee Kershaw smouldered in skimpy statement dress at a Harper's Bazaar party during New York Fashion Week on Friday Abbey smouldered while striking a pose for photographers before making her way into the A-list party at The Plaza in Manhattan. Her showstopping legs were on full display as she donned the thigh-skimming statement dress. She styled the quirky look with a matching scarf, gold jewellery and strappy heels, and wore her long, blonde hair loosely. Posing up a storm: Abbey posed for photographers before making her way into the A-list party at The Plaza in Manhattan Statement style: The 31-year-old's showstopping legs were on full display as she donned the thigh-skimming statement dress Earlier this week, Abby took a walk on the wild side as she stepped out at the Tom Ford Fashion during NYFW. The blonde displayed her perfect figure in a red leopard print mini dress as she joined a litany of celebrities at the runway event on Thursday. The Mad Max: Fury Road star was the centre of attention in the daring animal print ensemble which she paired with bronzed-heeled black pumps. Model material: She styled the quirky look with a matching scarf, gold jewellery and strappy heels, and wore her long, blonde hair loosely Abbey Lee - who has walked the runway for the likes of Gucci and Victoria's Secret - scored a breakout role in the film Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015. She has since appeared in films such as Gods of Egypt and The Dark Tower. Earlier this year, she spoke about gender inequality in Hollywood, claiming there is still 'one female to every 10 men' getting roles. 'For every script I get, a male actor friend will get five,' she told the Herald Sun. 'Every script with a female, there's one female to every 10 men. On top of that, there's the gender pay gap issue that's a huge problem worldwide. 'In my workplace, I get paid less purely for that fact I am a female.' They found each other in the rolling Mallorcan countryside on the most recent series of Love Island. And Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel affirmed that romance is still very much the order of the day as they stepped out in London on Saturday. The happy couple were in high spirits while making their way home hand in hand following a night out at local night spot The Mango Tree. Hand in hand: Love Island couple Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel affirmed that romance is still very much the order of the day as they stepped out in London on Saturday Looking typically stylish, Kaz opted for an off-the-shoulder top over generously cut trousers for her evening out with Josh, who looked comparatively casual in a grey T-shirt and skinny jeans. Kaz has been inundated with work opportunities after rising to fame on hit ITV2 series Love Island over the summer. The beauty started the show on shaky ground after Josh chose to couple up with her - leaving his former partner Georgia Steel high and dry. Upbeat: The happy couple were in high spirits while making their way home following a night out at local night spot The Mango Tree. But eventually viewers warmed to the pairing - who finished third in the final earlier this month and exited the villa as official boyfriend and girlfriend. Coming out to see the reaction on social media, Josh said during an appearance on BBC Breakfast: 'A bit of criticism is an understatement, I think I was public enemy number one.' Kaz added: 'I wasn't prepared, right now there's a lot of love though, it is a bad thing that you did essentially, but at the time people could see you have a real connection, and it all worked out in the end. Busy girl: Kaz has been inundated with work opportunities after rising to fame on hit ITV2 series Love Island over the summer 'When we meet fans on the street they're like ''are you and Josh still together''. They ask "are you in love with him? And is it real?" Luckily it was all real emotions, and stuff you're going to ask "is it fake?"' Since leaving the villa, many fans have eagerly waiting to see what will happen next in Josh and Kaz's relationship, after officially saying their loved each other just days before the show's end. Josh said: 'I watched a few of the big moments, from talking to people you understand that some stuff isn't shown. We probably see it slightly different. Kaz added: 'Things are really crazy, it's important to know what the platform, we're going to make money from it, but it's really important you do that as well.' Australian hitmaker Troye Sivan, 23, has been celebrating the release of his sophomore album Bloom. And it seems the crooner also knows how to hit the right note in the fashion department, having attended Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen looking decidedly trendy on Thursday. Clad in a black-and-white checked polo shirt and leather trousers, the peroxide-blond star confidently posed on the red carpet ahead of his talk-show appearance. Check him out! Troye Sivan, 23, wore a striking polo shirt and leather trousers as he attended Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Thursday He completed his quirky look with a pair of whited sneakers and his trademark nose-ring. Later that evening, Troye enjoyed an interview with Bravo media personality Andy Cohen, during which he revealed his desire to collaborate with Taylor Swift. 'I have had nothing but unbelievably positive interactions with [Taylor],' he cooed. Stylish! Clad in a black-and-white checked polo shirt and leather trousers, the peroxide-blond star confidently posed on the red carpet ahead of his talk-show appearance 'She's extraordinarily generous and giving and sweet and talented, and I just have infinite respect for her.' Back in May, Troye performed his song My My My! alongside Taylor during her Reputation tour in Los Angeles. Speaking to Andy about the experience, Troye admitted that he felt so excited that he almost fainted. 'I just have infinite respect for her': Later that evening, Troye enjoyed an interview with Bravo media personality Andy Cohen, during which he revealed his desire to collaborate with Taylor Swift 'It was just so much more than I'd ever done before': Back in May, Troye performed his song My My My! alongside Taylor during her Reputation tour in Los Angeles 'It was just so much more than I'd ever done before. It was nuts!' he gushed. It comes amid the success of his recent duet We Can Just Dance To This with pint-sized pop-star Ariana Grande. The pair appear together in the film clip dancing together and have since proved they share a real-life friendship by posing side-by-side on social media. Former Who Dares Wins host Tania Zaetta, 48, has welcomed twins. The star shared a first glimpse at her new son and daughter with partner Chris Rodgers via Instagram on Sunday. Alby Zeke Rogers weighed 1.5kg and Kenzie Louise Rogers weighed 1.6kg following their safe arrival into the world, the new mother said on Instagram. Scroll down for video 'Our family is complete!': Who Dares Wins former host Tania Zaetta, 48, has given birth to twins after turning to IVF and an anonymous egg donor with partner Chris Rodgers Tania added: 'Bubs are breathtakingly adorable & having arrived a few weeks early & being divinely tiny will spend some time in their little hospital isolettes for safe monitoring before we can all go home.' 'Special thanks also to Dr Dennis Price for the safe delivery of our bubs & all the special care in the lead up as well as the incredible team at Cabrini Hospital. 'We can't wait to learn all they are going to teach us & we're already loving being their adoring parents,' she wrote. Happy family: Alby Zeke Rogers weighed 1.5KG and Kenzie Louise Rogers weighed 1.6KG Last month the TV star-turned-fitness instructor announced she was pregnant with twins after she failed to fall pregnant naturally. The new parents flew to Greece to find an anonymous egg donor, who resembled Tania. Speaking to Woman's Day last month, Tania revealed that they had two eggs implanted and the IVF worked the first time. Glowing: 'Having arrived a few weeks early & being divinely tiny will spend some time in their little hospital isolettes for safe monitoring before we can all go home,' Tania wrote online 'To be able to have an egg donor baby, that's the miracle to me,' she said. 'I was always going to be a mum, but I was single for a long time, and I wanted to wait for the right man and Chris was the right man.' She and Chris, who is 13 years younger than Tania, found love seven years ago. She's a talented young actress who hails from Melbourne, Australia. But on Saturday night, Elizabeth Debicki oozed old Hollywood glamour as she stepped out to promote her new film, Widows. The 28 year-old joined co-star Viola Davis at the Toronto International Film Festival, looking every inch a 1940s screen siren in a plunging black gown by Armani Prive. Stunner: Elizabeth Debicki oozed old Hollywood glamour at Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, as she promoted her new crime thriller Widows Elizabeth turned heads in the demure garment, which was cut low at the bust and complete with gold detailing. Adding to her Old Hollywood look, she swept her short blonde hair into a cowlick and sported a bold red lip and accessorised with Birks jewellery. With her alabaster skin and statuesque height, the up-and-coming actress was reminiscent of a young Cate Blanchett, another of Australia's acclaimed film stars. Co-stars: Elizabeth (right) looks at home in the company of Hollywood royalty, cosying up with co-star Viola on Saturday night Elizabeth first garnered international attention after starring in Baz Lurhmann's 2013 adaption of The Great Gatsby. She now looks at home in the company of Hollywood royalty, cosying up with co-star Viola on Saturday night. The pair appear in the new crime thriller, Widows, directed by Steve McQueen and co-starring Colin Farrell and Michelle Rodriguez. Up and coming: Widows is not the only film Elizabeth has screening at Canadian festival - she is also promoting the new biopic Vita and Virginia Widows is not the only film Elizabeth has screening at the Canadian festival. She is also in the country promoting the new British biopic Vita and Virginia. Elizabeth plays Virginia Woolf in the romantic movie, which examines the iconic author's relationship with fellow writer Vita Sackville-West. The front row at Christian Siriano's NYFW show was almost as fashionable as the runway. Sarah Hyland cut an elegant figure in a sophisticated 1950s inspired cocktail dress while attending the Project Runway star's cheerful Hawaiian themed show. The 27-year-old looked youthful and radiant while sitting front row among a bevvy of Hollywood beauties on Saturday in New York. Retro glam: Sarah Hyland was inspired by the past in a sophisticated LBD at the Christian Siriano runway show in New York on Saturday Besties! Sarah was all smiles while she posed for a quick picture with the star of the day, designer Christian Siriano Sarah posed for cameras in a structured little black dress made from black taffeta. With a basic crew neck, the dress was anything but boring featuring statement 3/4 length dramatic bell sleeves. The cocktail number hit the actresses slim legs right at the knee with an A-line hem. The Modern Family star took the look from simple to stunning with the addition of an extra-wide bubblegum statement belt. Keeping with her typical fun and carefree attitude, the starlet added a bit of spunk with a pair of embellished strappy stilettos that featuerd rainbow hued beading across the toes. Sarah kept her beauty look clean and classic. She had her chestnut locks parted down the middle and pulled into a sleek ponytail at the nape of her neck. Rocking her signature oversized clear framed eyeglasses, the actress showed off her glowing skin with minimal makeup. Making a statement: The 27-year-old made her look youthful with beaded heels and a bubblegum pink statement belt Celebrity row: Carmen Electra, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tiffany Haddish and Sarah Hyland all got chummy with each other with their choice front row seats Fast friends: Hyland seemed to hit it off before the show with her front row neighbor Tiffany Haddish Behind the scenes: The Modern family star posed with friends at the Christian Sirano show The Geek Charming star watched Siriano's Spring/Summer 2019 show front and center next to Hollywood 'it girl' Tiffany Haddish. The rest of the row was a veritable who's who in Hollywood. Seated next to Haddish and Hyland was Whoppi Goldberg, Judith Light, Carmen Electra, Danielle Brooks and gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon. After party! Sarah and Christian joined Coco Rocha afterwards at the SVEDKA Vodka afterparty at TAO Downtown Nixon, who famously starred for years as Miranda Hobbs in HBO's Sex and the City, is currently running for the highest office in her home state of New York. At the end of the runway show, during the designers traditional walk down the catwalk, Siriano took his time to throw support to Nixon. Dressed in simple green denim motorcycle jeans and a blazer, the designer's black T-shirt read 'I'm voting for Cynthia.' Jennifer Garner took a break from the whirlwind promotional tour for her new film Peppermint to spend Sunday with her children and her former mother-in-law. The 46-year-old was spotted early Sunday morning in Los Angeles heading in to church with her family while her estranged husband, Ben Affleck, completes his stay at a Malibu rehab facility. Affleck's mother, Christine, joined her former daughter-in-law and her three young grandchildren for the service. Church time: Jennifer Garner was spotted Sunday in Los Angeles heading in to church with her children and former mother-in-law while her ex, Ben Affleck, completes rehab Grandmom: Ben Affleck's mom Christine arrived at church with her grandchildren while her son battles alcohol addiction at a nearby facility Twins: Affleck and Garner's eldest daughter Violet is 12-year-old and looks just like her mom Jen was all smiles for the camera while walking in a church appropriate ensemble. The Peppermint star wore a white ribbed crew neck sweater atop a basic black skirt with an embellished beaded hem. The mother of three opted for a smart pair of casual loafers. She kept her chestnut hair, which appeared still damp from a shower, tucked behind her ears and donned a pair of sunglasses while carrying a large leather handbag. Her blonde haired mini me, 12-year-old Violet, wore a white Oxford shirt tucked into a pair of stone washed straight leg jeans with a pair of darker denim stripes down the strides. Violet smiled as she strode into church in a pair of leather Birkenstock's while flashing the enviable dimples she inherited from her actress mother. Her younger siblings, Samuel, six, and Seraphina, nine, followed shortly behind their big sis each dressed in casual graphic T-shirts and shorts. Ben Affleck's mom Christine joined the brood on Sunday in a chevron printed maxi skirt and a short sleeve black sweater set with a woven hat. Family time: Garner took time out of her busy schedule promoting her new movie Peppermint to spend Sunday with her family Little ones: Affleck and Garner have three children together, two girls and a boy. Samuel and Seraphina were spotted with their mom on Sunday All grown up: Violet is the former couple's eldest child at 12-years-old The family seemed amicable as they went in for services while Ben continues to get help for his problems with substance abuse at a nearby facility. At the end of August, Garner staged an intervention for her ex-husband, arriving at Ben's home with a lawyer and a bible after he was photographed collecting a delivery of bottles in a beer box. She was later spotted driving him to rehab where he was slated to complete treatment for alcohol addiction. Trouble at home: Last month Garner staged an intervention for her ex-husband, arriving at Ben's home with a lawyer and a bible Last week while the actress was in New York promoting her new thriller, Peppermint, her estranged ex was spotted out of rehab. The Argo actor was seen at his California home for the first time since entering the facility. Sources said that the Argo director's jaunt to his Brentwood mansion was only temporary so he could exercise, despite having access to an impressive gym at the luxury Malibu rehab. The Oscar winner is currently on his third stint in rehab. Pageant queen Chelsi Smith, who won Miss USA and Miss Universe in 1995, has died after a battle with liver cancer aged 45. She died on Saturday, having been diagnosed with liver cancer in spring 2017, a family spokesman said. She started her beauty queen career in 1994 with the Miss Galveston County crown and went on to earn the Miss Texas USA and Miss USA crown the following year. In a statement, her family said Chelsi is the only biracial woman to ever win all three crowns. Chelsi Smith (pictured after being crowned Miss Universe 1995) has died after a battle with liver cancer aged 45 Chelsi Smith (left) is crowned Miss Universe by her predecessor Sushmita Sen in 1995 She was also the only Texan to become Miss Universe, The Houston Chronicle reported. Her family said a public memorial service is planned for October in Houston. Actress and reality star Shanna Moakler, 43, who was her runner up in the Miss USA Pageant, remembered her friend in a touching tribute she shared on Instagram along with a collage of snaps. 'Her light was so big and so bright, she changed my life,' Shanna wrote. 'If it wasnt for her, her beauty and her energy, her incredible destiny, I wouldnt even be where I am today. 'Even when she was sick she was positive and radiant and never stopped laughing. 'I am heartbroken. Godspeed beautiful...I love and will miss you more then you will ever know. The epitome of a Queen.' Chelsi posted her last photo on Instagram on April 4 and fans immediately began leaving their condolences to the beauty queen on Sunday. Beautiful brunette: Chelsi was seen at the Fashion Rocks The Universe! show at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on April 10, 2008 in Las Vegas Poignant message: Actress and reality star Shanna Moakler, 43, her runner up in the Miss USA Pageant, remembered her friend in a touching Instagram tribute along with a collage of snaps, saying 'Even when she was sick she was positive and radiant and never stopped laughing' Reaching out: The Miss Universe community remembered one of their own justalaina22 wrote: 'Rest in paradise #queen thank u for continued mold breaking for young mixed girls like me in #Texas and all around the world. U are and always will be MY #missuniverse.' The Miss Universe organization also sent its 'sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Chelsi Smith, Miss USA and Miss Universe 1995.' Chelsi traveled to Namibia to compete in the Miss Universe Pageant where she won the crown, becoming the first woman from the U.S. to do so in 15 years. Last look: Chelsi posted this seductive black and white photo of herself on April 4 - her last entry. Fans immediately began leaving their reactions to her death on Sunday In memory: Chelsi was loved by her many fans who posted their condolences on Instagram After the pageants, her Model Mayhem profile says she starred in commercials for brands including Hawaiian Tropic and Venus Swimwear. The beautiful brunette released a single, Dom Da Da, which appeared in the movie The Sweetest Thing in 2002. Chelsi also had small roles in Playas Ball in 2003 and TV series Due South in 1996. Costars and rumored new couple Cara Delevingne, 26, and Ashley Benson, 28, were spotted together Sunday in Toronto. The duo are currently in Canada for the annual Toronto International Film Festival where they're promoting their new movie Her Smell. The beautiful blondes looked stylish and sophisticated in suits as they left a restaurant side by side. Together! Rumored couple Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson were spotted together leaving a restaurant in Toronto on Sunday while in Canada to promote their latest film Standing a few inches taller than her mate, Cara looked statuesque in a pair of budget-friendly American Eagle jeans, which she paired with a rather more pricey gold buckled leather Chanel belt. Tucked into her pants she wore a see-through black net turtle neck with a bandeau bra underneath. Cara added a long black wool structured blazer with a velvet collar on top Her pixie cut blonde hair was swept over her forehead with a deep side part. During their walk, the Papertowns star pulled off a pair of red Prive Revaux sunglasses that matched her red and black strappy stiletto pumps. The Pretty Little Liars actress walked alongside her costar in a pair of flat black Oxford slip-on shoes. Ashley wore a classic grey and white pinstripe suit with loose fit trousers and a double breasted blazer over a plain white T-shirt. Stylish! The pair opted for tailored suits during their press day at TIFF, with Cara wearing a pair of budget-friendly American Eagle Ne(X)t Level 360 Super High-Waisted Jegging What's so funny? The women giggled after seeing something on the Pretty Little Liars star's cell phone while they walked TIFF: Cara and Ashley are in Toronto to promote their new film Her Smell starring Elisabeth Moss (center right in the red skirt) Her blonde lob was wavy and fell loosely at her shoulders. The Spring Breakers star carried a small black leather handbag. The girls looked very friendly as they strolled together, at one point they seemed to share a laugh while looking at something on Ashley's cell phone. In April the rumor mill started reporting that there was a budding romance between the two after they were spotted holding hands together during a late night in New York. At the time, the starlet's had just connected while filming the movie they're now debuting at TIFF. The pair star alongside Elisabeth Moss and Amber Heard in the new rock drama Her Smell. Are they? Fueling the rumor mill, Benson posted this photo with her possible girlfriend in May Last month, DailyMail.com was the first to publish proof of their love affair when pictures surfaced of the two kissing. Cara and Ashley were spotted arriving back to NYC after a trip together in the UK. In the photos the girls snuggled close together while waiting in line for a taxi and shared a passionate smooch. The photos also revealed the PLL star wearing a necklace with a 'c' initial on it, prompting fans to speculate that it stood for Cara. When asked about their relationship recently by PEOPLE, Ashley wouldn't confirm or deny the romance. 'I think it's the best way in any relationship,' she said. 'I've always been very private about them, and I think it's just better.' He's left ex-girlfriend Courtney Green distraught by moving on with a mystery girl so soon after dumping her - for the second time. And Myles Barnett has finally gone public with his new girlfriend Kady McDermott, with the pair making their red carpet debut as a couple at a London screening of The Krays: Dead Man Walking on Sunday night. The timing was all the more poignant sine tonight's episode of TOWIE saw love rat Myles confronted by his ex Courtney over his relationship status. It's official: Myles Barnett has finally gone public with his new girlfriend Kady McDermott, with the pair making their red carpet debut as a couple at a London screening of The Krays: Dead Man Walking on Sunday night Following days of speculation about their new relationship, Myles and Love Island 2016 star Kady proved they were very much an item with an undeniable display of affection. The pair went arm-in-arm as they graced the red carpet together, looking loved-up. Myles flashed a beaming smile as he laced a protective arm around his stunning new girlfriend's waist, looking like the cat who'd got the cream. Ouch: The timing was all the more poignant sine tonight's episode of TOWIE saw love rat Myles confronted by his ex Courtney over his relationship status New couple: Following days of speculation about their new relationship, Myles and Love Island 2016 star Kady proved they were very much an item Glamorous: Kady - who previously dated fellow reality star Scott Thomas, was showing off her figure in a coral silk crop top and a tight-fitting white skirt He's got a type! The petite brunette bears a strong resemblance to Myles' lovesick ex Courtney, with her long brunette locks and chiseled cheekbones Kady - who previously dated fellow reality star Scott Thomas, was showing off her figure in a coral silk crop top and a tight-fitting white skirt. The pair's decision to go public comes after Myles joined Kady for her intimate 23rd birthday meal on Friday night. He was seated alongside her family, which included her mum, Kerry, and sister, Kirsty, for a dinner at Veyso's Brasserie in Hertfordshire. Rumour mill: The pair's decision to go public comes after Myles joined Kady for her intimate 23rd birthday meal on Friday night In the picture, the group appear in good spirits as they all smile and pose for the camera, with Myles sitting opposite Kady. MailOnline has contacted both Myles and Kady's representative for comment. The photo comes after Myles' ex-girlfriend, Courtney Green, spoke about her former beau moving on with the Love Island star. Talking to OK! Online, she said: 'Yeah, I think he is, yeah. Bitter: The TOWIE star, 24, has recently been surrounded by rumours that he is dating the Love Island star, 23, with his ex-girlfriend Courtney Green confronting him about it Family times: Myles joined Kady and her family, which included her mum, Kerry, and sister, Kirsty, for the intimate birthday meal Cosy: In the picture, the group appear in good spirits as they all smile and pose for the camera, with Myles sitting opposite Kady 'Youll see in TOWIE, we do have a conversation next week.' Following their bitter split, rumours have swirled around Essex that the pair have been dating other people, with the two confronting each other in a teaser clip for Sunday's upcoming episode. It comes after Myles attempts to build the bridge and become amicable with his ex-girlfriend after rumours begin to swirl he is dating Love Island's Kady. New love?: The photo comes after Myles' ex-girlfriend, Courtney Green, spoke about her former beau moving on with the Love Island star (pictured) 0n Sunday night's show, the reality star sent a voice message to Courtney, 23, while she is out with the girls for lunch. Amber Turner received a voice note from boyfriend Dan Edgar, with his intention to send on a message from Myles to Courtney. As the girls drew gasps, Myles says in the recording: 'What's happening? Listen, I know I'm probably the last one you want to speak to but, if you've got some free time tonight I would love to clear things up because i don't really like how we left it.' Aghast, Courtney said: 'I feel like my eyes have gone to the back of my head,' while best friend Chloe Meadows commented: 'My heart sunk for you.' Unimpressed: Talking to OK! Online, she said: 'Yeah, I think he is, yeah. Youll see in TOWIE, we do have a conversation next week.' Building bridges: On Sunday night's show, the reality star sends a voice message to Courtney, 23, while she is out with the girls for lunch Shocked: Aghast, Courtney said: 'I feel like my eyes have gone to the back of my head,' while best friend Chloe Meadows commented: 'My heart sunk for you.' While Amber, 24, thinks the reason Myles has reached out was to not make it 'awkward' for her as Dan's girlfriend and Courtney's friend, Chloe hit back: 'Myles likes to play the good guy to be honest.' 'He thinks that it's the right thing to do, so he's going to pretend like he's the nicest guy in the world and apologise - even though he doesn't really mean it.' Chiming in, Courtney vented: 'I just think why are you pulling my friends aside you should be pulling me aside to talk to me about everything's that's going on. Saving face: While Amber, 24, thinks the reason Myles reached out was to not make it 'awkward' for her as Dan's girlfriend, Chloe hit back: 'Myles likes to play the good guy' 'Amber's my friend, she's backing me. He's an ex boyfriend. I don't want to be around my ex boyfriend.' Last series ended with Courtney reuniting with Myles after he pulled out how all the stops by booking a surprise holiday to Mexico. However on last Sunday's show, Courtney divulged the trip never happened and accused Myles of never booking the flights. More shock claims about what lead to Keira Maguire and Jarrod Woodgate's split have emerged. A source has told Woman's Day that Keira was 'uncomfortable' over Jarrod's past sexual conquests, causing friction between the pair. According to the magazine, the 32-year-old 'felt she couldn't compete' after Jarrod openly spoke about the number of people he had slept with in the past. Scroll down for video 'He enjoyed using different toys, aids and harnesses - and even boasted he had a room with contraptions in it': Surprise claims have emerge about Jarrod Woodgate's past sex life Meanwhile, Woman's Day has claimed that Keira 'felt she couldn't compete' after Jarrod openly spoke about the number of people he had slept with in the past 'When he was in (The Bachelorette) mansion he regularly bragged to the boys that he'd has more than a thousand sexual partners,' a 'source' allegedly told the publication. 'Initially they didn't think it was true but he was very open about how he enjoyed using different sex toys, aids and harnesses - and even had a room with contraptions in it.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jarrod for comment. Meanwhile, Keira, 32, recently revealed Jarrod 32, dumped her by text message. 'When he was in (The Bachelorette) mansion he regularly bragged to the boys that he'd has more than a thousand sexual partners,' a 'source' allegedly told the publication. Jarrod is seen picture on Bachelor In Paradise Brutal: Meanwhile, Keira, 32, recently revealed Jarrod 32, dumped her by text message Speaking to the Daily Telegraph on Sunday, the Bachelor In Paradise star didn't mince words when speaking about her ill-fated eight-month relationship. 'Apparently I am not worth more than that,' Keira told the publication of Jarrod's break-up message. 'I would have liked to have met Jarrod and talked. I haven't seen him since we broke up,' she added. Keira also claimed that Jarrod's close bond with his mother put strain on her relationship with the vineyard manager. 'He would spend more time with his mum than with me,' she claimed. Over: Keira announced her shock split with Jarrod last month after dating for less than a year Jarrod previously claimed it was Keira's obsession with Instagram that led him to make the decision to call time on their romance. 'Her Instagram following is overwhelming and it was taking over our relationship. She's purely Instagram-focused and that takes up a lot of time,' he told Who magazine. 'I'd spend two days a week with her and it [was] basically all Instagram-based. It's hard because you're competing with 177,000 other people that follow her, but I shouldn't have to compete.' Despite previously sharing their hopes for marriage and children, Keira announced her shock split with Jarrod last month after dating for less than a year. 'It is with a very sad heart but I have to let you all know that Jarrod and I have split up,' she wrote on Instagram. The couple had previously fallen in love on Network Ten's Bachelor In Paradise, which was filmed in Fiji last year. It was a sermon, no other word for it. Scott Morrison laid out his vision for the country and his party in a speech at the Robert Menzies Centre forum in Albury. It was Preacher Morrison, with all the hallmarks of a Protestant Sunday morning service. The "power of prayer" featured, as did a call for the audience to put their hands up in the air. There was a joke about struggling to remember Bible verses in Sunday school. The sermon finished with a call to action. "We all love Australia. Of course, we do. But do we love all Australians? That's a different question, isn't it?" Morrison said on Thursday. "We've got to. That's what brings a country together. You love all Australians if you love Australia." Morrison returned to Menzies in a bid to remind his fractured party what brought them together in the first place. Labor does this sort of thing all the time, harking back to Ben Chifley and Gough Whitlam when it feels like the party has lost its way. The Liberal divide between the conservatives and the moderates is as deep as it has been in years. One of the reasons the conservatives hated Malcolm Turnbull was because they thought he wasn't a true Liberal. Even though he gave ground to them in every policy area, they thought he was still dragging the party to the left. Morrison, a former party director, has been described as a "creature of the party". If anyone knows how to bring the Liberals back together, it should be him. "(Menzies) talked about the importance of freedoms. Of faith. Of religion. Of speech. Of association," Morrison said. "That's a great place to start a party, I reckon. And it's a great place to continue to run a party from. "In coming here today, a new generation of Liberal leaders are embracing all of those beliefs." Will it work? At this stage anything is worth trying. The polls were devastating immediately after the spill. Damaging leaks about the policies Turnbull was going to roll out are continuing, taking the shine off Morrison's future agenda. Some MPs are talking about bullying and intimidation they faced during the leadership drama. And Morrison doesn't even have a clear majority, thanks to Turnbull's decision to leave parliament. If the prime minister is to avoid an electoral whacking, he has to claw back a heap of ground. He doesn't have a lot of policy to work with - the National Energy Guarantee (R.I.P) and the big business tax cuts (also R.I.P) were the only main things left on Turnbull's agenda. So Morrison picked a fight with the CFMEU, talked about "gender whisperers" in schools, and dumped the plan to raise the aged pension age from 67 to 70 to fill the policy void. He also has to connect with the Australian people. Turnbull was a relentless optimist, always talking up Australia, the economy, whatever the topic was. Morrison's positive approach so far appears grounded in his Christian faith, but in a different way to previous religious prime ministers. Tony Abbott had his strident Catholicism, Turnbull barely mentioned faith but did talk a lot about love, and Kevin Rudd was famously an Anglican with a sharp tongue. Morrison spoke like the Pentecostal pastor he would have heard so often. Encouragement to love everyone. The importance of family. Look after your mates - and that means he believes in the Medicare safety net. Australia is not the United States; blatant appeals to God and faith are treated differently here. But Morrison is speaking to a part of middle Australia not specifically represented in recent political history. Mums and dads across the political divide who pack the kids off to church on a Sunday morning, donate their time, volunteer to help out. The Liberal party desperately needs volunteers, and it desperately needs votes. Pastor Scott is trying everything, and if this sticks, expect to see him back at the pulpit before too long. The big banks don't realise how angry Australians are with them for hiking up mortgage rates, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says. His comments come after Commonwealth Bank and ANZ on Thursday followed Westpac's lead in lifting rates, with both institutions blaming growing international borrowing costs. "I think people would be disappointed with the banks in their response today and it seems that the banks still have a bit to learn about how angry the Australian public are," Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne on Friday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says claims one of his Liberal MPs mistreated her campaign workers have been debunked. Victorian Liberal MP Julia Banks, who is quitting politics due to bullying within her party, has denied claims she mistreated workers on her 2016 campaign. She cited bullying and intimidation tactics by male colleagues during last month's leadership spill as the reason she will leave parliament at the next federal election. Now claims aired in a confidential internal party report written after the 2016 election have been made public by The Australian. The report written by a "veteran Liberal political advisor" and submitted to Victorian Liberal director Simon Frost, accuses her of poorly treating volunteer campaign workers and having unrealistic expectations, The Australian said. Ms Banks denies the allegations. "The campaign went through a number of staff and volunteers. I believe it important to put on record the way staff and volunteers were treated as I have never seen anything like this before," the report said, according to The Australian. Ms Banks has reserved her right to take legal action over the "false allegations". Mr Morrison said there was nothing to the claims. "The 2016 report? That was dismissed by the party division last night," Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne on Friday. Tony Abbott wants everyone to remember it's been five years since he led the coalition to victory at the 2013 federal election. His own party kicked him out two years later after a series of gaffes, unpopular policy decisions, and shocking polls showing he was leading them to defeat. "Today is the fifth anniversary of the election of the Abbott government. It's a good government, getting better!" Mr Abbott tweeted on Friday. In a week's time it will be the three-year anniversary of Malcolm Turnbull's spill to take over from Mr Abbott. Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised both his predecessors for their roles in winning the last two elections. "I pay tribute to Tony Abbott who led us back into government, and Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop, who was the deputy (leader) over that entire period," Mr Morrison told Triple M radio in Melbourne. Mr Morrison said he was proud to have been a part of what the coalition government had achieved. "We've got a lot of runs on the board, but as I was saying yesterday, I need to explain to Australians why we're doing things so that in the future, they'll know how I make decisions," he said. Scott Morrison and his new front bench face their first week in parliament without Malcolm Turnbull and without a majority. Speaker Tony Smith may be required to step off his chair to vote with the government to break voting deadlocks, with Mr Turnbull now out of parliament but not replaced. Labor is due to welcome back Emma Husar after she was on leave while she was investigated for bullying her staff. That puts Labor on 69 seats, while there are five crossbenchers. The government's 76-seat majority is down to just 74, with Mr Turnbull gone, and Nationals MP Keith Hogan promising to move to the cross bench. With Mr Smith in the Speaker's chair, the government will need Mr Hogan to vote with them every time to deadlock the numbers or else risk losing. In the Senate the government has a set of uncontroversial legislation it is trying to get through, as it looks to minimise opportunities for Labor to cause problems. Senators will look at amendments to Treasury laws, aged care reforms and changes to pathology health insurance rules. In the lower house, changes to laws to stop victims of family violence being cross-examined in court by offenders will be debated. MPs will also discuss changes to the My Health Record laws, which will be strengthened to protect people's privacy after controversy earlier in the year. On Wednesday the lower house will also examine legislation in preparation for the Trans-Pacific Partnership being signed. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has urged MPs to pass the legislation so the TPP can be made law and benefits can flow through to businesses. Mr Morrison's new ministers will face their first question time in their new portfolios, as Labor aims to catch them out. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton will also face scrutiny over his eligibility to sit in parliament, due to government payments made to childcare centres he has a financial interest in. He will also face more questions about his use of ministerial intervention powers to give visas to two au pairs in immigration detention in 2015. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will reportedly miss his first parliamentary sitting day in the new role, as September 10 marks Rosh Hashana on the Jewish calendar. Mr Frydenberg and fellow Liberal MP Julian Leeser will be paired with Jewish Labor MPs Mark Dreyfus and Michael Danby on Monday. Videos of girls' "private parts" have been allegedly discovered on a young man's phone by police officers after he was seen acting suspiciously at a Sydney shopping centre. NSW Police officers arrested the 20-year-old on Thursday evening when he was behaving strangely at the Campbelltown shopping centre. Officers seized his laptop computer and mobile phone which allegedly contained videos of the genitals and breasts of girls and women shot at various Campbelltown locations without their knowledge. The 20-year-old was charged with 36 counts of filming people's private parts without consent and one count of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place. He was granted bail and is due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court in mid-October. An Australian Prime Minister is back to recommit to a $450 million train extension in Melbourne's southeast, but this time his name is Scott Morrison. Mr Morrison on Friday retraced his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull's footsteps in Frankston to reaffirm a $225 million federal cash splash to be matched by a Liberal state government, if re-elected. "It is a good opportunity to affirm the continuity of the commitment here. I brought down the budget in which the $225 million was in ... I am not going to take anything for granted in terms of how people understand what's been going on," he said at Leawarra train station. "I want to reassure them that those commitments that I put in the budget, they are all there. They are there to be getting on with. "We are on the same track as we outlined in the budget." He spruiked his new "congestion busting minister" Alan Tudge while also flanked by other Liberals including Dunkley MP Chris Crewther. "I wanted a pair of Melbourne eyes on congestion busting projects across the country, particularly here in Melbourne," Mr Morrison said. Mr Morrison then got lost in a spiel about a nationwide set of coalition eyes he has on the ground to inform him of "regional challenges". The original train announcement made on July 17 was for state Liberals to match a federal government commitment for the 8km electrification and duplication of the Frankston line to Baxter, if re-elected at the November state poll. There would be new stations at Frankston East near Monash University and Frankston Hospital and at Langwarrin, and an upgrade of the Baxter train station. The state government was continuing to compile a business case for the project when it was announced in July. But even Mr Guy got tongue-tied by Mr Morrison's appearance in Frankston on Friday. "It is so important that the Prime Minister is here again in Frankston today to recommit, as it is an important announcement," Mr Guy said. Mr Morrison told reporters he "had not heard" from Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews and he seemed "a little bit busy today". Mr Andrews was in Cowes making an education announcement, distracting from scrutiny over the inadvertent release of citizens' personal details as part of a Victorian government campaign to try to bring down Mr Guy over a decision he made as planning minister seven years ago. A 14-year-old boy has been charged over a stolen car crash in Melbourne which left another teenager fighting for life. The car lost control at a Hampton Park roundabout late on Tuesday afternoon and struck a pole, leaving a 15-year-old girl occupant in a critical condition and three other teenagers in the vehicle with minor injuries. A 14-year old Cranbourne North boy was due to appear before a children's court on Friday charged with motor vehicle theft. Another boy, also 14, was arrested shortly after the incident and released pending further inquiries. Detectives remain unsure who was driving the car, stolen from Springvale late last month. Four armed men shot a man in the hand and set fire to a car in an attempted bikie-related murder in Canberra. ACT Police released CCTV footage on Friday of the attack, showing four hooded men sneaking down the side of a Calwell house at 10.45pm on June 28. One is seen carrying a handgun while another has what looks like a shotgun. They fired shots through the rear glass door of the home, leaving the resident with a gunshot wound to his hand. One of the other men poured a liquid over the ground and three cars. The carserupted in flames before the men were able to make their escape. Superintendent Scott Moller said the attack was unacceptable. "To have multiple shots discharged in this incident and to have one bullet narrowly miss an innocent person only highlights the grave risk these offenders pose to our community," Superintendent Moller said. "We are urging anyone with information relating to this incident, or who may be able to identify the offenders to come forward." A Sydney driver was due to have a faulty Takata airbag replaced two days before he was killed in a car accident, a court has heard. Huy Neng Ngo, 58, died minutes after a "relatively minor collision" in Cabramatta on July 13, 2017 when the airbag activated and flung a piece of metal at his neck, the NSW Coroners Court was told on Friday. The court heard the inquest will examine why the airbag wasn't replaced as originally scheduled on July 11. The booking was pushed back to a date in October. Counsel assisting Tamara Phillips said the Ngo family had deep concerns that they weren't made fully aware of dangers of the Takata airbag and how faults may materialise before the fatal crash. Neither Mr Ngo nor his wife, to whom the car was registered, used English as their first language, Ms Phillips said. "They have expressed interest in why it was they had to wait as long as they did to wait for replacement," she said. "Rather than provide protection ... this airbag malfunctioned." His death was one month after the Japanese airbag manufacturer filed for bankruptcy amid the largest ever automotive recall. Ms Phillips told the court the inquest will determine the "real risks posed by Takata airbags" and how the recall has been managed. Takata airbags have been reported as linked to 24 deaths and 266 injuries worldwide, according to the Australian website ismyairbagsafe.com.au. That site allows Australians to type in their vehicle's details to learn whether its airbags are subject to the recall "It is very important that that website gets out," Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame said. Lawyers for Honda Australia and Warwick Farm mechanic Peter Warren Automotive attended Friday's directions hearing. A second hearing will be held on November 23 ahead of a scheduled inquest beginning in 2019. A driver has been charged after a 19-year-old man was killed and two other teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were injured in a car rollover in Western Australia's north. Police say the crash happened on Weaber Plain Road in Kununurra on June 30 when the driver tried to overtake another vehicle and lost control, causing the car to roll several times. The 22-year-old Wyndham man has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and two counts of dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm. A new Australian-developed blood test could help 30 million American diabetics predict whether they will develop kidney disease. Using technology developed by a Perth-based firm, doctors in the United States will be able to predict whether diabetes patients will require a kidney transplant or dialysis within four years, giving them a chance to avert a health crisis. Current tests can only detect diabetic kidney disease once there has been damage done to the organ as there are no early symptoms. The Australian test kit, called PromarkerD, was developed by Proteomics International to run proteins found in the blood which act as biomarker "fingerprints" through an algorithm that determines the likelihood of a diabetic's kidney deteriorating. CEO Dr Richard Lipscombe says the company chose to launch in the United States first because they have an efficient regulatory process and a "compelling" market size of 30 million people with diabetes. It's hoped Australia will follow within the next two years but the company needs approval from regulatory bodies first, Dr Lipscombe said. "The biggest challenge was actually getting people in the industry and community to recognise that new tests like this are available and they work," he said. "The existing test has been around for 50 years." In clinical studies, PromarkerD predicted 86 per cent of previously disease-free patients who went on to develop diabetic kidney disease within four years, according to the company. Once a patient takes their blood test, specialised clinics use their equipment to retrieve the biomarker data before sending the information to Proteomics International where a score is produced for the patient. Dr Lipscombe said he expected the company, which employs 25 people, to grow as the tests eventually make their way to markets such as China, where there are 115 million people with diabetes. The company has also begun work on similar tests for endometriosis, asthma and lung disease. A planned surcharge on foreign buyers of residential property in Western Australia may be supported by One Nation upper house MPs if the Labor state government accepts certain proposals. The Liberals have vowed to oppose the tax, saying it will drive foreign property buyers elsewhere and depress an already flat housing market. The Nationals have also threatened to not back it if Labor does not use some of the money to reverse education cuts, an argument partly extinguished after the federal government promised cash to save Moora Residential College. One Nation's WA leader Colin Tincknell said his party was working constructively with the cash-strapped state government instead of using blackmail. "We don't horse-trade that way," Mr Tincknell told AAP. But One Nation had asked the government to adopt certain amendments to the bill, and while talks continued, he would only say they were "all about fairness to the taxpayers of WA" and would "bring in even more cash to the coffers". "At this stage, we're looking at supporting it," Mr Tincknell said. Premier Mark McGowan promised a four per cent levy during the 2017 election campaign but has bumped it up to seven per cent. One Nation wanted a 15 per cent tax, which the state government would not accept as it was "a bridge too far", Mr Tincknell said. He stood by the party's decision to reject the McGowan government's gold royalty hike last year, which would have been used to reduce the state's crippling debt, but said he recognised households were now bearing the brunt of budget-repair measures. The state government was spending too much on things that could wait until the budget was back in surplus, Mr Tincknell said. These included pouring millions of dollars into a wave energy plant at Albany that will only power a modest number of homes. "Indoor swimming pools in Collie is not a priority," the South West MP said. "If you really want to fund raise, stop pork barrelling." The Northern Territory government could seize land owned by Alice Springs Town Council if it doesn't voluntarily hand it over so a National Aboriginal Art Gallery can be built. NT Labor committed $50 million to the project last year but new South Australian Liberal premier Steven Marshall gazumped them, pledging $60 million to a national home for indigenous art. The government wants to build the gallery in the CBD next to iconic Anzac Hill and while it controls an unused school on the site, the adjacent rugby field is owned by council. It is pressuring the local government body to state its position on Anzac Oval, accusing it of delaying a project that would grow visitor numbers and create local jobs in a town where tourism has dropped significantly. The council will vote in coming days on whether it will approve bulldozing the rugby complex, which received a multimillion dollar upgrade in 2014 that the previous CLP government paid for. The territory government, which says it cannot attract the investment nationally it needs on top of the $50 million it has pledged until it secures the site, can legally compulsorily acquire the land. Tourism and Culture Minister Lauren Moss and Alice Springs-based Braitling MP Dale Wakefield handed over a survey of 755 people including Aboriginal leaders to the council showing 88 per cent of people supported the project, with most backing the site or neutral. "They have got a decision to make," Ms Wakefield told reporters in Alice Springs. "We are now at a stage where we do need to make a decision so we can get on with this project. "We are looking forward to working with council to get a good decision that leads to really positive outcomes for the community of Alice Springs." Ms Moss said while she was not opposed to South Australia investing in art and culture, she believed Central Australia was the rightful home for a national Aboriginal gallery. Ms Moss said she was confident the gallery would be built by 2022, before South Australia's. A man has died after crashing his car into a tree near Brisbane. The 24-year-old was driving on Castle Hill Drive at Murrumba Downs on Friday afternoon when he passed through a roundabout and crashed into a tree on the opposite side of the road, police said. He died at the scene while a 17-year-old male passenger was seriously injured and taken to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Two other male passengers, aged 17 and 18, and an 18-year-old female were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Today's birthday: Australian political cartoonist Paul Zanetti (1961 - ). As a young man Paul Zanetti was often thrown out of class for drawing cartoons of his teachers. Little did they know those very cartoons would win a Walkley Award at just 23. Born on September 8 1961 in Wollongong on the NSW South Coast, Zanetti was one of six boys born to Italian migrant parents. Growing up, he says he was often the target of racism in the schoolyard. "My surname was a curse, in that it made me a target in the 1970s," he once wrote on the Pickering Post. "My way of handling it was to laugh it off. I picked up a pen and taught myself how to draw cartoons." At the age of 16, while still a schoolboy, Zanetti began contributing those cartoons to the Sydney Sun, which eventually led to a cadetship in the art department. The cadetship proved to be focused more on the technical aspects of the newspaper business rather than cartooning, but a helping hand from someone in the industry got him back on track. Zanetti says he was just 15 when he first met Larry Pickering, who at the time was a "national superstar cartoonist" at The Australian. "Keep at it chief, I reckon you've what it takes," Pickering told him, and years later he orchestrated a meeting for the kid from Wollongong to meet with the editor of the Daily Telegraph and News Ltd. "And by 18 I was sitting in my own little office drawing daily cartoons at The Tele," Zanetti wrote. By 1983 Zanetti's work had seen him become the youngest winner of a Walkley Award. In 1990 he moved to the US where he studied the country's system of syndication, which helps cartoonists have their work featured in as many newspapers as possible. On his return to Australia, Zanetti's website says he pioneered political cartoon syndication at home. Zanetti's political cartoons have featured in newspapers all over Australia and across the world. A move to give rank-and-file Tasmanian Labor members greater say in electing a leader will be debated at the party's annual state conference. Currently, leadership ballots are weighted in thirds between party members, union affiliates and members of the Parliamentary Labor Party. Young Labor wants all votes counted equally when electing leaders if the party fails to win government or four MPs support a spill. It will be one of many motions put forward at the party's two-day conference in Hobart beginning Saturday. Labor's policy of removing poker machines from the state's pubs and clubs is also up for debate. The Tasmanian opposition campaigned heavily in the lead-up to the March election on a controversial pledge to remove electronic gaming machines by 2023. Labor leader Rebecca White has since indicated the party has no plans to shift its position despite the Liberals labelling it a failed pitch. Recent polling has seen Ms White overtake Liberal Premier Will Hodgman as Tasmania's preferred leader, six months after the state vote. Ms White has 46 per cent support compared to Mr Hodgman's 38 per cent, according to an EMRS survey of 1000 voters in August. The Liberal government holds a narrow 36-34 lead in popularity over Labor. Ms White has copped recent Liberal flack over a motion that seeks to increase the size of the state's public service by 10 per cent. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is expected to address the conference on Sunday. A Queensland town is ramping up the pressure on Peter Dutton to let a Tamil family facing deportation return to their outback home. Supporters who want the family freed from immigration detention and returned to the town of Biloela will march on the home affairs minister's electorate office in Brisbane on Saturday. The Biloela community fears what may happen to Tamil couple Nades and Priya and their Australian-born daughters, aged three and one, if they are sent back to Sri Lanka. Town residents have been fighting for their release after the couple's temporary bridging visas ran out in March and they were taken into immigration detention in a dawn raid. The campaign has seen a large billboard, featuring a photo of the family, erected not far from Mr Dutton's Brisbane office. Supporters this week seized on the au pair saga engulfing Mr Dutton, saying that if he can step in to save foreign au pairs from detention, he must act to help the family. Family friends Marie Austin, Margot Plant, Vashini Nirojan and Chandra Roulston will lead supporters in a silent march from the billboard site to Mr Dutton's nearby office in Strathpine. A Japanese push for commercial and 'scientific' whaling is due to be opposed by Australia at an international meeting in Brazil. Senator Anne Ruston will attend the International Whaling Commission meeting this weekend to drive the opposition, but will return to Australia before the event wraps up at the end of next week. The Senator, who was recently appointed to the government's international development and Pacific portfolio, says Australia wants other countries to follow its lead. "Australia will continue to oppose any efforts to overturn the global moratorium on commercial whaling and will call on like-minded nations to join us in rejecting any proposal to allow commercial whaling," Senator Ruston said in a statement on Friday. "We will also oppose any attempts to weaken the commission's decision-making rules or establish catch-limits for commercial whaling. "The government is unwavering in its commitment to protect whales." The Japan Fisheries Agency wants an end to the whaling moratorium and for new commercial whaling quotas to be established by 2020. Aboriginal subsistence whaling, governance reform, special permit whaling and the establishment of a South Atlantic whale sanctuary are also on the agenda for the meeting. Representatives of the Australian Marine Conservation Society will travel to Brazil for the meeting to oppose Japan's "outrageous" intentions, saying whales need help not harpoons. Voters are heading to the polls in Wagga Wagga as the NSW government braces for potential defeat in the regional seat for the first time in more than half a century. A disastrous by-election campaign bookended by a local corruption scandal and a messy federal leadership coup has eroded the Liberals' once safe 12.9 per cent margin, senior government sources say. Local doctor and academic Joe McGirr has emerged as the front-runner with the best chance to end the Liberals' 60-year hold on the Riverina seat although he's expecting a tight contest. "A lot of people are really excited ... there's a sense to make a change," he told AAP in Wagga. Campaigning with Liberal candidate Julia Ham on Friday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian conceded the Liberals could be punished after the federal bloodletting that saw Malcolm Turnbull rolled as prime minister. "There is a possibility we may not hold the seat," Ms Berejiklian told reporters. Labor's Dan Hayes believes the Liberals have taken Wagga for granted and Saturday is an opportunity for the community to push back. "You can't turn up three weeks before a by-election and try and buy that trust back," Mr Hayes told reporters, referring to disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire's conduct uncovered by a corruption probe. The coalition's primary vote has plummeted to 25 per cent, according to a recent ReachTel poll published by News Corp Australia. But while many commentators believe Dr McGirr will win, the bookies still have the Liberal candidate as the $1.90 favourite. The independent is on the second line at $2. A third person has been charged after a young woman died in a hit-and-run in inner Sydney. A 20-year-old woman was walking across Lachlan Street in Waterloo about 2.15pm on Thursday when she was struck and thrown into oncoming traffic, police said on Friday. She suffered critical injuries and later died in hospital. Police say the car, believed to be a white Kia Rio hatchback, failed to stop. On Friday, a 50-year-old woman was arrested in Dapto, near Wollongong, and charged with hindering police officers, knowingly making a false or misleading statement, and acting with the intention to pervert the course of justice. A short time later, a 21-year-old man known to the woman handed himself in at Wollongong Police Station and was charged with a string of driving offences including dangerous driving occasioning death, failing to stop and assist and proceeding through a red traffic light. About 7.10pm, another 21-year-old man, who is alleged to have been a passenger in the car, was arrested in Wollongong. All three have been refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Saturday. A man is in serious condition after being stabbed a number of times at a Sydney home in what is believed to be a domestic violence incident. The 31-year-old man was found at a residence on Blacktown Road, Seven Hills, late on Friday night with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. His alleged attacker had fled the scene and police are hunting him. The victim has been taken to Westmead Hospital where he is undergoing surgery. A pregnant 29-year-old woman who witnessed the incident was taken to Blacktown Hospital as a precaution. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Scott Morrison will move to ditch the National Energy Guarantee, which cost Malcolm Turnbull the top job, when parliament sits again next week. The prime minister told The Weekend Australian the NEG legislation would not be going any further and that he would move to dump the Paris emissions targets. "The NEG is dead, long live reliability guarantee, long live default prices, long live backing new power generation," Mr Morrison told the paper. "Next week we will be putting to rest the issue of the legislation ... it won't be proceeding. "Largely, we are in that position already anyway so it's not a major shift. But we just need to put to rest any suggestion that this legislation is going ahead." More than 100 specialist NSW firefighters will start returning to Sydney after battling massive wildfires along the United States west coast and Canada. The contingent flew to North America in July and August to help tackle wildfires burning in northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. NSW Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant said the state was fortunate to have such highly-skilled and respected firefighters. "These men and women put their lives on hold to go and support their international counterparts," Mr Grant said in a statement on Saturday. "It really is testament to their selflessness and professionalism, and I thank every one of them for their incredible dedication and service." The NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW officers received praise from their respective commissioners who said they were pleased to have the crews home safe and sound. "They all deserve a well-earned rest before we call on them here, as the fire activity builds over the coming weeks," NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said in a statement. Fire and Rescue NSW deputy Commissioner Jim Hamilton said their courage and commitment has further enhanced Australia's reputation as a "world leader" in forest firefighting. The crews were dispatched after formal requests from the National Resource Sharing Centre from US fire authorities and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Five people have been arrested during a protest outside a Melbourne CBD hotel against conservative UK politician Nigel Farage's speaking tour. About 200 demonstrators gathered outside the Sofitel on Collins St on Friday night, where the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party gave his last Australian tour speech. Five people were arrested, one for criminal damage, another for riotous behaviour and a third for covering their face and assaulting police, while two others were arrested for unrelated outstanding matters, police said. Coalition MPs are shying away from quotas to boost female representation in their federal party while leaving the door open to get there by other means. Liberal backbencher Trent Zimmerman argues the coalition needs more structures, mentoring and training to get more women into politics. "Whilst I don't support quotas, it is worthwhile for the party to be setting targets so we can measure our success," he told the ABC on Saturday. "And that becomes a performance measure, a KPI (key performance indicator), against which we can be judged." He said targets aimed at locking in a set proportion of male and female MPs, whereas quotas gave a "leg up" to female candidates during preselection. Only one in five federal MPs within the coalition are female, compared to nearly half within opposition ranks. "I don't think we'll be at the right place until we have parity," government frontbencher Greg Hunt told Nine News. "That's 50 per cent, plus or minus five per cent in either direction over time because these things will ebb and flow." Nationals MP and government minister Darren Chester acknowledged his party needed to encourage more women to take part in politics. "I am not a big fan of quotas, but I feel we have to be more actively seeking to recruit women to seats that are safer," he told the ABC. "I think parliament is better when there is more diversity, and there is a challenge on our side to make that happen." But quotas were the answer for Labor MP Linda Burney, acknowledging she was a beneficiary of such policy. "One of the reasons that the Labor Party is almost at 50 per cent is exactly because of affirmative action policies," she said. "Something deliberate like quotas or affirmative action is the answer, in my view, to bringing some equity about in terms of numbers." While senior members of the NSW government are blaming Liberal Party bloodletting in Canberra for a tight race in the Wagga Wagga by-election, federal senator Jim Molan has defended his colleagues. Voters are heading to the polls in Wagga on Saturday with the NSW government bracing to lose the Riverina seat for the first time in more than half a century. A troubled by-election campaign bookended by a local corruption scandal and a messy federal leadership coup has eroded the Liberals' once safe 12.9 per cent margin, senior government sources say. But Senator Molan said the party needed to get rid of Malcolm Turnbull, and dismissed questions over whether federal Liberals would owe their state colleagues an apology if they lost Wagga. "I've seen no indication that that's even a factor," Senator Molan told AAP outside a polling booth in Wagga. He said the government now had a "greater balance" under new Prime Minister Scott Morrison. While refusing to blame the Liberals poor polling in Wagga on the leadership spill, Senator Molan conceded people hadn't enjoyed watching another coup in Canberra. He said it was a necessary evil. "People were very disappointed that we were spending time talking about ourselves and to ourselves, but it's something that every now and again that you've got to go through," Senator Molan said. "We don't go through leadership spill for fun, I can tell you that." The bookies have the Liberals placed second, three cents behind an independent win which is paying $1.87. Campaigning with local Liberal candidate Julie Ham on Friday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian conceded internal party politics had played a part in losing the trust of Wagga voters. "What I've learned during this campaign is that the focus always has to be about the community, not about politicians, not about what we say to each other," Ms Berejiklian told reporters. Local doctor and academic Joe McGirr, who is running as an independent, has emerged as the most likely threat to the Liberals. More than a dozen Western Australian Perth Mint customers have been caught up in a data hack. Data has been taken from a third-party provider relating to 13 customers of the mint's precious metals Depository Online trading platform. "We sincerely regret any distress caused by the misconduct of these unlawful individuals who are responsible for the breach," Perth Mint chief executive Richard Hayes said in a statement on Saturday. "We have assured these customers that their investments remain safe and secure." My Hayes added those customers were being advised on how to prevent the misuse of their personal information, and stressed the Perth Mint's system's remained secure. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and the WA and federal police were being informed of the data breach, discovered on Wednesday. "We are working with the external third-party provider to understand how this breach occurred and and have taken steps to remediate the identified threats" Mr Hayes said. Two people have died and a third is in a critical condition after a car crash in the NSW Hunter region. Two cars collided on the New England Highway at Muswellbrook about 3.30pm on Friday with a 48-year-old male driver of one of the vehicles dying at the scene, police said on Saturday. The male driver and female passenger in the other car, both aged 59, were trapped for some time before being freed and airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition. The man died in hospital on Saturday morning while the woman remains in a critical condition and is undergoing surgery. A man has been charged over a stabbing in Adelaide's CBD following a public appeal for information. Police have arrested a 32-year-old man from Happy Valley over the alleged stabbing of another man near the corner of Hindley and Clarendon streets just after 3am on August 12. The victim, who had minor injuries, took himself to hospital. Following the incident, police released an image of the man wanted for questioning and on Friday he was arrested after police received information from the public. The 32-year-old has been charged with aggravated assault causing harm and carrying an offensive weapon. He was bailed to face Adelaide Magistrates Court on October 10. A teenage boy is dead and another is seriously injured after they were electrocuted on a private property in Queensland's far north. The boys, aged 15, were chasing rabbits at Tolga, on the Atherton Tablelands, when they picked up a hollow metal pipe after a rabbit ran inside it just before 6pm on Friday. The pipe hit power lines and the boys were electrocuted, a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said. One boy was pronounced dead at the scene and the other suffered third degree burns to 20 per cent of his body. The injured boy was taken to Artherton Hospital and later transferred to Cairns Hospital then Townsville Hospital where he remains. "It was an unfortunate thing that they happened to lift that pole up too close to the line," said Ange Timmins, Operation Centre Supervisor at Queensland Ambulance Service. The shooting of a 76-year-old man in NSW's north has sparked a public appeal for information after the attacker escaped. About 4.45am on Saturday, a man heard noises in the garage of his Tweed Heads West home but when he went to investigate, was shot in the leg by an unknown person who fled. Paramedics treated the man before he was taken to a Gold Coast hospital in a serious condition. A 73-year-old woman who was also home was not injured. Police are urging anyone with information, dashcam footage or mobile phone video to come forward. A Sydney crime syndicate police say operated much like the mafia has been dismantled and its alleged chief charged over four murders. More than 70 people have been accused of 660 offences including murder, abduction, extortion and forgery as part of a three-year investigation. While elements of the gang's activities were investigated by detectives from homicide and other mainstream squads, a covert unit known only to high-ranking police focused on fully linking the web of crimes involved. Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the gang, which operated in a way similar to the mafia, grew out of a chapter of the Rebels bikies to become a network of hired thugs for multiple criminal groups. It was allegedly headed by a 29-year-old business student and former Rebels member who had been in custody since late 2016 and was now accused of three murders, plotting another and running a criminal enterprise. While the gang's "core members" were facing court, police only lifted the veil on covert Strike Force Ayle on Saturday once it had sufficiently dealt with a number of "professionals" who'd been assisting the gang. They include mortgage brokers and an IT expert who gave advice on encryption. Another is allegedly a former gunsmith who altered ballistic identification on a firearm to help thwart police attempts to link the gun to multiple serious crimes. Police have forecast more charges will be laid. The NSW Liberal Party is almost certain to lose the seat of Wagga Wagga for the first time in almost 60 years. Early results on Saturday night suggest the Liberals are bracing for defeat in the regional seat with independent candidate Joe McGirr leading as the favourite and Labor tracking second. There is a projected swing of about 29 per cent against the government, spelling a historic loss. Addressing supporters in his Wagga backyard on Saturday night, Dr McGirr said he was feeling "quietly optimistic" but didn't expect a result until Sunday. The doctor and academic ruled out joining the coalition once in government. NSW Liberal state director Chris Stone on Saturday told the party function "on current projections it will be very difficult for us to get there". Liberal candidate Julia Ham told the subdued crowd she would consider running in March if the loss eventuated. A troubled campaign bookended by a local corruption scandal and a messy federal leadership coup has eroded their once-safe 12.9 per cent margin, senior government sources say. No matter the outcome, Labor candidate Dan Hayes declared the community had "made Wagga marginal again" after arriving at the election night reception to rapturous applause. Mr Hayes said the local and national scandals had stoked community anger. Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who didn't attend the Liberal election function on Saturday night, conceded victory would be difficult. The premier and several of senior colleagues acknowledged Malcolm Turnbull's knifing had deterred some voters in Wagga but federal Senator Jim Molan dismissed those concerns. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack wouldn't be drawn on whether the federal coalition would be to blame for a Liberal loss saying the government wasn't intending on losing the seat. Melbourne police are appealing for help to locate a missing seven-year-old boy. Xavier Jones was last seen at an address on Isla Street, Glenroy about 6pm on Saturday night. It's believed he may have been heading to a nearby skate park. Concerns are held for his welfare due to his age and his health as Xavier has had surgery recently. Xavier is wearing a dark-coloured hoodie, black shorts and has a bandage around his neck. He is believed to have a black and chrome Lucky brand scooter with him. Seven men have been arrested after a large group refused police direction to disperse at Lidcombe Railway Station in Sydney's west. Police were alerted to a number of passengers causing trouble on a train travelling from Sydney Olympic Park just before 10pm. They attempted to disperse a group of about 30 men who became aggressive towards the officers. Reinforcements were called in and the men were dispersed, with seven of them being arrested. Five of them will face court next month on a variety of charges including affray while two have been released pending further inquiries. A car has crashed into a house in Melbourne's Collingwood, trapping the driver, who had to be freed by the fire brigade. The car ran through the rear fence of the property about 4.00am on Sunday and struck the building, coming to rest nose down. It was balanced on its front with the rear of the vehicle about 1.5 metres in the air. Firefighters had to stabilise the vehicle before they were able to free the trapped driver after about 30 minutes. Labor has vowed to put an energy policy to Australians before the next election, after Scott Morrison declared his government's National Energy Guarantee was dead. Mr Morrison will propose ditching the policy in a partyroom meeting when parliament resumes this week, but wants to keep its reliability guarantee, default prices and measures to add new generation. Labor's energy spokesman Mark Butler told Sky News on Sunday it's an "extraordinary decision" and his party will propose its own policy before the election, which is due by May. The last known position of the tanker, which has been missing since August 14 with 17 Georgian sailors on board A tanker with 17 Georgian sailors onboard has been missing for a week off the coast of Gabon in the Gulf of Guinea, a notorious area for sea piracy, officials said Tuesday. The ship "disappeared" from tracking screens on August 14, and the potential search area was between the Gabonese coast and the Sao Tome and Principe archipelago, a regional military source said. Specialist websites list the 121-metre (396-feet) ship, the Pantelena, as a 7,000-tonne, 12-year-old dual-purpose oil or chemical tanker. The vessel is Panamanian-flagged and owned by a Greek company, Lotus Shipping Co. Ltd. Georgia's foreign ministry in Tbilisi, in a statement issued last Friday, said there were concerns for 17 Georgian sailors onboard and a search operation was being conducted with the help of the British maritime authorities. Gabon lies on the southern part of the Gulf of Guinea -- the great bend in the coastline of West Africa -- where pirates are a major problem for shipping. The Pantelena "turned off its locator beacon," a device that tracks a vessel's position by satellite, the military source said, adding that "the first thing that pirates do when they board a ship is to cut off this beacon". But at this stage, it is premature to talk about an act of piracy because "it could be a simple transmission breakdown," the source added. - 'Distress message' - A crew member aboard a ship sailing between Gabon's capital Libreville and Port-Gentil, the country's economic hub, told AFP: "We received a distress message over the radio and we alerted the Gabonese navy." A Gabonese navy official confirmed that it had "received an alert... about the Pantelena, but we didn't have enough information to intervene." In Sao Tome and Principe, which is located about 260 kilometres (160 miles) from Gabon, the commander of the local coastguard, Joao Idalecio, said it had dispatched a patrol vessel with a crew of 30 to search for the tanker. Maritime security is a major concern in the Gulf of Guinea, with more than 5,700 kilometres of coastline and 17 countries from Senegal to Angola, as it has become an epicentre of piracy since 2016 after the pirate threat diminished off the coast of Somalia. In February, the MT Marine Express, a Panama-registered tanker with 13,500 tonnes of gasoline, was seized with its crew as it was anchored off Benin. The ship and crew were freed several days later. Last month, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said that its specialist piracy reporting centre had recorded 107 incidents worldwide in the first six months of 2018. "All 25 crew kidnappings reported this year have occurred over six incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting the higher risks in this area," the IMB said. However, the true number of incidents in the Gulf of Guinea is believed to be "significantly higher," its report added. The pirates' mode of operation has also evolved from so-called "bunkering" -- theft of material on the boat -- "to an increase in the taking of hostages for ransom," a Gabonese patrol commander Gael Mbanda told AFP in February. The soldiers were killed by a blast on Tuesday after they were sent to the town of Pama as reinforcements after a police station there came under attack, in the heaviest toll for the eastern region Thousands of people attended the funerals of seven soldiers killed in a roadside bombing in eastern Burkina Faso, in a ceremony held under tight security on Friday. The troops were killed by a blast on Tuesday after they were sent to the town of Pama as reinforcements when a police station there came under attack, in the heaviest recent toll for the Eastern Region. "It is needless for me to say that the pain is very strong for the nation, for the armed forces and for the parents," said the Burkina Faso army chief Major General Oumarou Sadou in an emotional service on the outskirts of the capital Ouagadougou. The Sahel state, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been battling Islamist violence since 2015, starting with cross-border incursions in the north. The recent surge of attacks in the east is the result of pressure on jihadist insurgents in neighbouring Mali and Niger, experts say. On August 11, four gendarmes and a civilian were killed when their vehicle struck a mine about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Fada N'Gourma, the main town in the Eastern Region administrative area. A sixth person, also a gendarme, was killed later in a shootout with the assailants. On June 17, a policeman was killed in the town of Comin-Yanga in a simultaneous attack on the local police and gendarmerie stations. Security forces have carried out a wave of arrests, detaining hundreds of people in connection with the attacks. Official figures released in April showed there had been 80 attacks in three years that killed 133 people, many of them state officials. Hundreds of schools and town halls have been closed. Ouagadougou, in the centre of the country, has suffered three attacks in two years, leaving 60 dead. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on "all parties" in Mauritania to contribute to "peaceful and credible elections" UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged "all parties" in Mauritania to contribute to "peaceful and credible elections" the following day. The UN chief "is closely following developments in Mauritania on the eve of the legislative, regional and municipal elections scheduled for 1 September," a statement from his office said. Guterres "urges all parties to ensure the holding of elections that are peaceful and credible and allow for the participation of all interested stakeholders," the statement said. "He calls on all parties to ensure respect of the rule of law and that the human rights of all Mauritanians are upheld," it added. The elections are a test for the regime of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz less than a year from the presidential vote in mid-2019. Aziz, 61, came to power in a coup in 2008. He was elected in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. Ayanna Pressley, 44, won the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives in Massachusetts's seventh district, one of the most left-leaning in America and which includes Harvard University An African American woman on Tuesday pulled off an upset victory in a Democratic primary contest against a 10-term entrenched male incumbent in Boston, the latest sign that insurgent US candidates from the left are gaining ground. Ayanna Pressley, 44, won the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives in Massachusetts's seventh district, one of the most left-leaning in America and which includes Harvard University. "It seems like change is on the way," she told her cheering supporters. "Ours was truly a people-power, grass-roots campaign." Pressley has long been identified as a rising star in the Democratic Party. In 2009, she was the first woman of color ever elected to the Boston City Council. She also worked for former senator John Kerry. Michael Capuano, who has represented the district for 20 years, conceded defeat in a primary that few predicted he would lose, armed with an impressive party machinery and top-flight support. "This is life and this is OK. America's going to be OK. Ayanna Pressley is going to be a good congresswoman, and I will tell you that Massachusetts will be well served," the 66-year-old said. Winning Tuesday's primary in the safe Democratic seat puts Pressley on course to become the first African American in Massachusetts to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Teeming opposition on the left to US President Donald Trump has fueled primary wins for insurgent, women and minority candidates in Democratic primaries ahead of November's crucial mid-term elections. Some similarities have been drawn between Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the political novice who defeated Democratic Party grandee Joe Crowley in a New York primary in June. But as Capuano and Pressley are both progressives, she campaigned for change and argued that her life experience -- she is a survivor of sexual assault -- would make her the better representative. The Group to Support Islam and Muslims' leader, Malian jihadist Iyad Ag Ghaly, has already been named a "global terrorist" by the United States The United States on Wednesday added the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), a fusion of three Malian jihadist groups allied to Al-Qaeda, to its list of "foreign terrorist organizations." The move is aimed at denying GSIM the "resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks," the State Department said in a statement. It said any property owned by GSIM in the United States would be blocked and that US citizens are prohibited from dealing with the group. The State Department said GSIM has described itself as Al-Qaeda's official branch in Mali. It added the group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks since it was formed in March 2017, including those on March 2 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. "Al-Qaeda and its affiliates like (GSIM) remain deadly threats to the United States and our allies," said ambassador Nathan Sales, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism. "These designations are part of our continuing efforts to squeeze Al-Qaeda's finances, denying it the resources it needs to carry out attacks." The group's leader, Malian jihadist Iyad Ag Ghaly, has already been named a "global terrorist" by the United States. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has extended his 33-year rule by another five years Strongman Hun Sen was formally installed as Cambodia's prime minister for a new term on Thursday, after securing all 125 seats in an uncontested vote that was derided internationally. The 66-year-old will preside over a new era of one-party rule in the Southeast Asian nation after the election in July -- criticised by Western democracies as unfair -- handed his ruling Cambodian People's Party all 125 seats. The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), the only credible opposition, was dissolved in the run-up to the vote with government dissenters and activists arrested. Parliament reconvened on Thursday for the formality of voting Hun Sen back in as prime minister, extending his 33-year rule over the country by another five years. All 125 lawmakers voted by raising their hands to endorse members of Hun Sen's new government, which includes ministers from the previous term. "Today is an important historical day of the Kingdom of Cambodia," Hun Sen told the parliament. The US government has said the election was neither free nor fair and it "failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people". But Hun Sen on Thursday insisted that the poll was "free, just, fair and transparent". During his new term, he pledged to improve public services, the economy, and boost salaries for garment workers and civil servants, and accused opponents of "trying to veer Cambodia off the path of democracy and rule of law". A former Khmer Rouge commander, Hun Sen has been seen by some as a stabilising force that helped bring roads and mega-malls to a country ravaged by decades of brutal civil war. But analysts say there has been a rollback of democratic freedoms as civil society, campaign groups and the press were squeezed in the run-up to this year's ballot. Most notably, CNRP co-founder Kem Sokha was arrested under treason charges in September, and remains detained despite multiple requests for bail. On Thursday, CNRP rejected the new government and called July's national poll a "fake election". "The one-party parliament does not reflect the real will of the Cambodian people," it said in a statement. Vice President Mike Pence is among the top US officials who have denied being behind an explosive op-ed targeting Donald Trump Donald Trump on Thursday called on the New York Times to reveal the name of the "coward" who wrote an explosive, anonymous article that has plunged his presidency into its worst crisis yet. The White House has been convulsed by a fevered hunt for the senior official who declared, in an unsigned article for The New York Times published Wednesday, that "unsung heroes" were quietly working within the administration to frustrate the president's "worst inclinations." "Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she," Trump told supporters at a rally in Billings, Montana, adding: "Unidentified deep state operatives who defy voters to push their secret agendas are truly a threat to democracy itself." Invoking national security concerns, Trump said the paper should publish the official's name, before encouraging reporters to investigate the matter. "That would be a good scoop!" he said. On the internet and in Washington, a guessing game has raged over who the author might be, prompting nearly every cabinet-ranked member of the government to deny it was them. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats were among those who issued denials. First Lady Melania Trump, seen here with US President Donald Trump, decried the publication of an anonymous article attacking her husband "The Vice President puts his name on his Op-eds. The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed," Pence's spokesman Jarrod Agen wrote on Twitter. "Our office is above such amateur acts." The manifesto followed the release of excerpts from a bombshell book by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward, who portrayed Trump's White House as an out-of-control "crazytown." Trump responded with a furious volley of tweets that asked if the author had committed treason while First Lady Melania Trump condemned the decision to publish. "To the writer of the op-ed -- you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions," she said. - Firestorm - The Woodward book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," reported that senior aides lifted documents from the Oval Office desk to keep the president from acting on his impulses, reinforcing the assertions in the Times article. The firestorm caught up with Mattis and Pompeo in New Delhi, where the Secretary of State denounced the Times' decision to publish as "sad" and "disturbing." "I come from a place where if you're not in a position to execute the commander's intent, you have a singular option, that is to leave," he said. News of the op-ed caught up with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who branded it "sad" and "disturbing" during a visit to New Delhi Both men denied involvement, while Coats, who as intelligence chief has at times been publicly at odds with Trump, said in a statement speculation that he or his deputy had written the op-ed were "patently false." When asked if she wrote it, UN envoy Nikki Haley responded with a curt "no" on her way to a Security Council meeting. James Dao, who runs the Times op-ed page, told CNN he received the article several days ago through an intermediary, but had spoken directly with its author. - Eye-opening - In one eye-opening passage, the writer says cabinet members initially considered invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, which provides for the president's removal if he is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." They decided against the move, fearing a constitutional crisis, but Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren took to the airwaves on Thursday to revive the idea. "If senior administration officials think the president of the United States is not able to do his job, then they should invoke the 25th Amendment," Warren told CNN. Trump meanwhile has called for the article's author to be unmasked. "Are the investigative 'journalists' of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?," he tweeted ahead of a rally in Montana. The Times acknowledged the "rare step" of publishing an anonymous editorial but said the official's job would be jeopardized if they were identified. The piece described a "two-track" presidency in which Trump says one thing and his staff consciously does another, citing the president's alleged preference "for autocrats and dictators." "The root of the problem is the president's amorality," the official said, denouncing Trump's "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective" leadership style. The conflict between Yemen's Huthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition has left nearly 10,000 people dead Scheduled Yemen peace talks hung in the balance Friday, with the Huthi rebels listing preconditions for coming to Geneva while the government warned it would decide within hours whether to fly home. The rebel delegation, still in Yemen's capital Sanaa, insisted the UN meets three demands before it travels to Switzerland. UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who earlier said the planned meeting offered a "flickering signal of hope" for an end to the years-long conflict, had to postpone the start of the talks and was left scrambling to save them. "He continues to make efforts to overcome obstacles to allow the consultations to go forward," his office said in a statement, adding that Griffiths remained "hopeful" the rebels would come. The Geneva talks are meant to be the first since 2016, when 108 days of negotiations between the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and rebels failed to yield a deal. The Huthis control Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, while a Saudi-led coalition which backs Hadi's government controls the country's airspace. Led by Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, a Yemen government delegation arrived in Switzerland on Wednesday. Key actors in the Yemen conflict But on what was meant to be the opening day of talks, the rebels issued an ultimatum from Sanaa, saying they would not join until the UN meets three conditions that it had already agreed to. They want the transportation of wounded rebels to Oman for medical care, the repatriation of rebels who have already received treatment there, and a guarantee that the Huthi delegation will be allowed to return to Sanaa after the Geneva talks. The rebels said late Thursday that the coalition was "still refusing to give permission to a Omani plane" to land at Sanaa and take the delegation to Geneva. The rebels also need to "ensure the safety of the delegation" and require a guarantee that they would be allowed to return "smoothly" to Sanaa airport, according to a statement posted on the SABA news agency website. - Rebels 'don't want peace' - The government delegation said Thursday it would wait only 24 hours, until midday (1000 GMT) on Friday, then leave Geneva. Yamani later denied that the government had issued such an ultimatum but told journalists in Geneva "the government delegation will take a decision within a few hours whether to continue in Geneva or to withdraw". Yemen delegation member Hamza Alkamali said the talks had been scheduled for two months and that the rebels clearly "don't want peace". Clearance for a flight carrying rebel delegates and wounded was "issued three days ago," he insisted. A Yemeni pro-government fighter near Hodeida fires a heavy machine gun in an image grab taken from AFPTV on June 15, 2018 Griffiths, was "mindful of the challenges associated with bringing the parties together to Geneva, bearing in mind that they haven't met for two years," his office said in a statement. On Thursday, an AFP journalist saw the envoy entering the Geneva hotel hosting the Yemen government delegation. Griffiths had told journalists he would begin informal consultations with the government team while the rebels make their way to Switzerland. If and when the two parties do eventually meet, he said, there would be no "formal negotiations", merely exploratory talks on how best to get everyone around a negotiating table. The UN Security Council this week urged both sides to "take a first step towards ending a conflict that has brought severe pain and humanitarian suffering to the Yemeni people". - 'Collateral damage' - All previous attempts to resolve the Yemen war have failed. Griffiths is the UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. The following year, Saudi Arabia and its allies formed a powerful regional military coalition to back Hadi. The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead and pushed the Arab world's most impoverished country to the brink of famine. On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition acknowledged there may have been "collateral damage" from August 23 strikes the UN said killed 26 children south of the port of Hodeida. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia shot down a ballistic missile fired by Huthi rebels, with shrapnel wounding 26 people including two children, the coalition said. burs-apo/pvh/dl/ceb Iraqi special forces patrol in a street in Basra on September 8, 2018, after Iraq's Joint Operations Command vowed a "severe" response with "exceptional security measures", including a ban on protests and group travel Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi faced calls to resign Saturday as his alliance with a populist cleric who won May elections crumbled over deadly unrest shaking the country's oil-rich south. The two leading groups in parliament called on Abadi to step down, after lawmakers held an emergency meeting on the public anger boiling over in the southern city of Basra. "We demand the government apologise to the people and resign immediately," said Hassan al-Aqouli, spokesman for the list of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr that won the most seats in the election. The announcement dealt a severe blow to Abadi's hopes of holding onto his post through a bloc -- described as the biggest in parliament -- unveiled just days earlier with Sadr and more than a dozen other groups. Ahmed al-Assadi, spokesman for the second-largest list in parliament, the Conquest Alliance, condemned "the government's failure to resolve the crisis in Basra", where 12 protesters were killed this week in clashes with security forces. The Conquest Alliance of pro-Iranian former paramilitary fighters was "on the same wavelength" as Sadr's Marching Towards Reform list and they would work together to form a new government, Assadi said. Iraq Abadi, whose grouping came third in the May polls, defended his record in parliament, describing the unrest as "political sabotage" and saying the crisis over public services was being exploited for political ends. His government has announced the allocation of an unspecified amount of extra funds for Basra, although demonstrators say that billions of dollars in emergency funding pledged in July has failed to materialise. - Anger over shortages - Calm appeared to have returned to the streets of Basra late Saturday. Friday evening's curfew held for the first time as soldiers and police manned checkpoints and patrolled the city. And no incidents were reported in the course of Saturday evening, leading authorities to lift the curfew. Basra had been rocked by protests since Tuesday, with demonstrators setting ablaze government buildings, the Iranian consulate and the offices of pro-Tehran militias and political parties. The anger flared after the hospitalisation of 30,000 people who had drunk polluted water, in an oil-rich region where residents have for weeks complained of water and electricity shortages, corruption among officials and unemployment. Hours before parliament met, four rockets fired by unidentified assailants struck inside the perimeter of Basra airport, security sources said. Staff at the airport, which is located near the US consulate in Basra, said flights were not affected. The attack came after a day of rage in the southern city where hundreds of protesters stormed the fortified Iranian consulate, causing no casualties but sparking condemnation. This picture taken on September 7, 2018 shows the burning Iranian consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra which was torched by protesters during demonstrations over poor public services Abadi said he had instructed security forces to "act decisively against the acts of vandalism that accompanied the demonstrations". Iraq's Joint Operations Command, which includes the army and police, vowed a "severe" response with "exceptional security measures", including a ban on protests and group travel. - 'Neglect, corruption' - A spokesman for the consulate said that all diplomats and staff had been evacuated from the building before the protesters attacked, and that nobody was hurt. The wave of protests first broke out in Basra in July before spreading to other parts of the country, with demonstrators condemning corruption among Iraqi officials and demanding jobs. Since then a total of at least 27 people have been killed. "We're thirsty, we're hungry, we are sick and abandoned," protester Ali Hussein told AFP on Friday in Basra after another night of violence. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (R) is trying to hold on to his post by forming an alliance with popular Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, a former militia chief who demands greater political independence for Iraq from both Iran and the United States Iraq has been struggling to rebuild its infrastructure and economy after decades of bloody conflicts, including an eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s, the US-led invasion of 2003 and the battle against the Islamic State group. In August, the oil ministry announced that crude exports for August had hit their highest monthly figure this year, with nearly 112 million barrels of oil bringing $7.7 billion to state coffers. Iraq, however, suffers from persistent corruption and many Iraqis complain that the oil wealth is unfairly distributed. "We do not want Basra to be seen as a huge barrel of oil" to be exploited, said Walid al-Ansari, who heads an association that looks after the families of people killed in the protests. "It's been 15 years since they did anything for the people," Ansari added. Saturday's talks among Iraqi politicians in Baghdad drew scorn in the southern city. "These meetings will never appease Basra residents", said Montazer al-Karkochi, coordinator of the Rally for Basra Youth. "Basra has received no money (and) no projects have been launched" since the government promised in July to spend billions of dollars on improving services, he added. Activists protest against Donald Trump's administration's separation of illegal immigrant children from their parents The US government has moved to lift limits on how long it can detain illegal immigrant children, a move that could see hundreds of children kept separated from their parents or relatives for months. The Department of Homeland Security filed a proposal in the Federal Register Thursday indicating that it would end its adherence to the Flores Settlement, a 1997 agreement with a federal court to not detain children separated from their parents for more than 20 days. That could give the government the ability to continue holding indefinitely more than 400 children who were separated from their parents after crossing the Mexican border illegally. Additionally, it could continue in the future to indefinitely separate families taken into custody after crossing into the United States without legal immigration papers. The Flores Settlement was agreed to prevent the mistreatment of minors held by the government in detention facilities. The Trump administration, which has been stepping up the fight against illegal immigration, says it has to separate them while their parents face criminal charges of illegally entering the country. Some in the government say the separation policy aims to deter the thousands of people who seek to cross the border illegally each month. But for many of those children currently in detention, their parents have already been deported back to their home countries. Rights groups decried the proposed change. "These proposed regulations would only inflict further harm on children who have likely already endured significant persecution, trauma, and extreme distress. The Flores Agreement must be allowed to stand to protect vulnerable families," said Ashley Houghton of Amnesty International USA. Musk late last week announced that the company would continue to be publicly traded, weeks after suggesting that he would take the pioneering electric carmaker private A lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Tesla chief Elon Musk of trying to "burn" short-sellers by falsely tweeting that funding had been secured to take the electric car maker private. The law firm of Labaton Sucharow said in a release that it filed a suit in US federal court in San Francisco on behalf of short seller Andrew Left and that it is asking for class action status to represent anyone who bought or sold Tesla shares between August 7 and August 17. "This appears to be a textbook case of fraud," law firm partner Michael Canty said in the release. "We believe Musk attempted to manipulate the price of Tesla securities with false and misleading tweets, in a directed effort to harm short-sellers." Musk late last week announced that the company would continue to be publicly traded, weeks after suggesting that he would take the pioneering electric carmaker private. Musk met Tesla's board of directors "and let them know that I believe the better path is for Tesla to remain public. The Board indicated that they agree," he wrote on the company blog. Musk surprised markets on August 7 by announcing on Twitter he wanted to take Tesla private at $420 a share, causing the stock price to jump. Short-sellers bet on share prices dropping. After the announcement the controversial entrepreneur came under extensive scrutiny over his Twitter statements related to the proposal, especially a claim that Tesla had "secured" funding for the move. Tesla shares tumbled on reports that the US Securities and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed Musk to talk about the tweet. Normally such a major announcement -- taking a huge company private -- would be explained in detail beforehand to regulators. Musk has described the infamous privatization tweet -- including his assurance that funding for going private was secured -- as an attempt to be transparent. The news shocked investors, market analysts and even Tesla board members. Musk explained on the company blog that his much-scrutinized statements about financing were based on his conversations with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and other investors. The lawsuit listing the company and its chief as defendants contends that funding to take Tesla private was not in place, and that Musk's false tweets to the contrary were intended to "burn" short-sellers, whom he has taunted. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a key summit in Russia Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a regional summit in Russia next week, officials said Friday, joining the prime ministers of Japan and South Korea at a gathering to which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was invited. Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Kim to participate in the September 11-13 Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Kim has not confirmed his attendance, but his participation would mark another major step in his efforts to bring Pyongyang out of international isolation over its nuclear weapons programme. At a press briefing to announce Xi's visit, Chinese officials would not comment on whether Xi planned to meet with other leaders during the summit. "Should we have any proposals from other countries, China will positively consider" them, assistant foreign minister Zhang Hanhui told reporters. Kim and Xi met three times in China this year as the two countries seek to repair relations frayed by North Korea's nuclear activities and Beijing's backing of United Nations sanctions against its Cold War-era ally. Xi is sending the head of China's rubber-stamp legislature, Li Zhanshu, to Pyongyang this weekend to attend celebrations marking North Korea's 70th anniversary, ending speculation that the Chinese president would use the occasion to make his first official trip to the neighbouring country. In the latest chapter in the roller-coaster diplomacy over North Korea, US President Donald Trump signalled on Thursday that negotiations on denuclearisation remain alive after weeks of an apparent deadlock. Xi will be in Vladivostok on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be the first time that a Chinese leader participates in the annual economic forum hosted by Russia. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean premier Lee Nak-yeon are expected to attend the summit. Relations between China and Japan soured in 2012 over a territorial dispute, but have begun to warm. In recent months, the two sides have been negotiating an exchange of top level visits. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they prepare to join a three-way summit hosted by Iran's Hassan Rouhani that is set to decide the future of Syria's last major rebel bastion Idlib The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey were due to meet Friday in Tehran for talks on the future of Idlib province amid growing fears of a humanitarian disaster in Syria's last major rebel bastion. Two people were killed in the northwestern province by Russian air strikes, according to a monitor, even as Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Iran shortly after his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erodgan. The two men, shown arriving by plane by Iranian state television, were due to hold talks with Iranian President Hassan Rohani. The three countries are guarantors of the Astana process, a track of negotiations launched after Russia's game-changing 2015 military intervention which has eclipsed the Western-backed Geneva negotiations led by the UN. Iranian and Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has shored up the Damascus regime, allowing it to regain the upper hand in the seven-year civil war which has claimed some 350,000 lives since 2011. Smoke rises after an air strike near the Idlib province village of Kafr Ain on September 7, 2018 as the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey prepared to meet in Tehran for a summit expected to decide the future of Syria's last major rebel bastion On Friday morning, Russian air raids pounded rebel positions in the southwest of Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Among them were positions of the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance, as well as of the hardline Ahrar al-Sham group, the Britain-based monitor said. Hundreds of civilians have already begun to flee Idlib as government forces and their allies ready for what could be the last -- and bloodiest -- major battle of the devastating conflict. Seized from government forces in 2015, Idlib and adjacent areas form the final major chunk of Syrian territory still under opposition control. The province is home to some three million people -- around half of them displaced from other parts of the country, according to the United Nations. - 'Horrific scenario' - Neighbouring Turkey, which has long backed Syrian rebels, fears the assault could prompt a flood of desperate Syrians towards its territory. Idlib and adjacent areas form the final major chunk of Syrian territory still under opposition control But regime backers Russia and Iran have sworn to wipe out "terrorists" and Assad has declared his determination to retake control of the entire country. Eight leading aid agencies warned Friday that "once again, it will be the most vulnerable who will pay the heaviest price". They appealed to world leaders to "urgently work together to avoid this horrific scenario". The Tehran talks could determine the scale and the timeline of the Idlib offensive, which the UN has warned may displace some 800,000 people. Iranian television reported the three leaders would each have "bilateral meetings" on the sidelines of the main summit. They are also due to hold a press conference. Just hours later, the UN Security Council will also meet, at Washington's request, to discuss Idlib. Risk of humanitarian crisis in Idlib Russia wants Turkey, which borders the province, to use its influence to rein in the dominant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by the former Al-Qaeda branch in Syria, as well as rival rebels. Turkey has limited sway over the jihadists who control an estimated 60 percent of the province, but it backs other rebel groups and has 12 military "observation points" across the area. Idlib's population has swelled as the regime chalked up a series of victories across the country, reaching evacuation deals that saw tens of thousands of people bussed there. - 'Liquidation of terrorists' - Russia has said the Syrian army is preparing to solve the problem of "terrorism" in the rebel stronghold and reiterated Friday that its position had not changed. The Tehran meetings could determine the scale and the timeline of the Idlib offensive "A total and definitive liquidation of the terrorists across all of Syria's territory is necessary," said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She stressed however that Moscow "is doing everything in its power to ensure that human losses and harm to Idlib's civilian population is limited as much as possible". Her Iranian counterpart, Bahram Ghassemi, assured Damascus of Tehran's support and willingness to "continue its role as adviser and help" for the Idlib campaign. Al-Watan, a Syrian newspaper close to the government, reported Monday the military operation could "immediately follow the summit". Analyst Sam Heller with the International Crisis Group said there was some hope of a deal. Any new flood of refugees towards Turkey would come at a time when Ankara is "vulnerable," he told AFP, adding it would be a "huge new burden on Turkey and would overwhelm its humanitarian capacities." "I don't think that either of these countries, or really anyone, has an interest in doing something which is genuinely destabilising to Turkey," he added. Angola's Jose Eduardo dos Santos, shown here voting in last year's election won by Joao Lourenco, says he wants to be remembered for his dignified exit from the office he held since 1979 Ex-president Jose Eduardo dos Santos will bow out from Angolan politics which he dominated for nearly four decades when he hands leadership of the ruling party to President Joao Lourenco on Saturday. The passing of the baton between the two men will be the climax of a handover marked by barely disguised friction and new policies challenging Dos Santos's legacy. As his rule came to an end, Dos Santos said he wanted to be remembered for his dignified exit from the office he held since 1979. The 76-year-old liberation war veteran did not seek re-election in the August 2017 polls and handed the reins of power to his defence minister Lourenco, 64. But he remained at the helm of the oil-rich country's People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party, where real power is seen to be vested. On Saturday "Comrade Number One" will relinquish control of the MPLA to Lourenco at an extraordinary party meeting, underlining the shift of power in the southern African nation of 28 million people. "The stepping down of Jose Eduardo Dos Santos as MPLA president is an important watershed moment," said Alex Vines, an Angola expert at the Chatham House think-tank in London. "It's been a bumpy transition with a bit of tug-of-war over power between (them)." By choosing a successor from within his own regime, Dos Santos had thought he would be assured a peaceful handover. He had earlier given control of strategic sectors of the economy to close confidants -- including the state oil giant to his daughter Isabel. Dos Santos also appointed loyalists to head the country's security forces. - Purge of the old guard - But Lourenco quickly moved to assert his authority after being elected president last year, beginning to dismantle his predecessor's empire. On the premise of rebooting the listless economy, Lourenco deposed Isabel from the top job at Sonangol as well as her half-brother Jose "Zenu" Filomeno from the leadership of Angola's sovereign wealth fund. Filomeno has since been charged with misappropriating public funds while Isabel faces several graft investigations. On the premise of rebooting the listless economy, Lourenco deposed Isabel Dos Santos from the top job at Sonangol as well as her half-brother Jose "Zenu" Filomeno from the leadership of Angola's sovereign wealth fund Many of Dos Santos's acolytes have been purged from the highest echelons of Angolan public life including the army and police chiefs as well as executives at state-owned companies. The clear-out created ructions at the top of the state and the party, drawing comment from the former president himself. "The changes are necessary but shouldn't be too radical," Dos Santos said in December. In recent months, the two men and their staffs have been seeking to make amends and smoothe the way to the final handover. "Everything is going normally, there hasn't been any turbulence," said Luzia Ingles, secretary general of the party's women's league. But the fissure between the two men had come close to breaking point. - 'For the good of the country'? - Dos Santos had originally proposed stepping down from the party leadership by April 2019 -- but Lourenco insisted it must be Saturday. "Lourenco is already entirely autonomous as shown by his sacking of the Dos Santos children -- all of the country's sectors have been purged," said Benjamin Auge, an analyst at the French Institute for International Relations. Marcolino Moco, who was prime minister between 1992 and 1996 and the MPLA's former secretary general, backed the changes. Joao Lourenco, Dos Santos's handpicked successor, was sworn in last September "The measures undertaken by Lourenco are encouraging -- he hasn't taken them to cement his power, but for the good of the country." Since his election, Lourenco -- dubbed "JLo" -- has enacted sweeping reforms of the oil sector, the country's leading source of revenue, with the aim of reassuring investors. But the task facing the president is daunting: chronic unemployment, sluggish growth and alarming deficits have dogged Africa's second-largest producer of crude. Highlighting the impending storm, Angola has said it will seek a $4.5 billion (3.87 billion euro) loan from the International Monetary Fund. "Lourenco will hopefully turn to longer-term structural reforms," Vines said. He added that breaking the country's "economic addiction to oil" would be key to progress along with "creating jobs as Lourenco prepares for elections in 2022". Fears have mounted that an attack on Idlib could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Syria's seven-year war In northwestern Syria, 68-year-old Abu Khaled was among dozens to have set up camp in a field, hoping that Turkish soldiers nearby would shield him from bombardment by Bashar al-Assad's regime. In the country's last major rebel bastion of Idlib province on Turkey's border, civilians are scrambling to protect themselves from a possible Russian-backed government offensive. Fears have mounted that any attack on the region of nearly three million people could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters of Syria's seven-year civil war. Dressed in a long white robe and a chequered red-and-white headscarf, Abu Khaled sat by his tent pitched in a field in the southeast of Idlib. Around him, children played between poles covered in flowery bedsheets and pitched for shelter in the red earth. One dangled back and forth on an improvised swing, while a woman prepared food in a large saucepan on an open fire. Civilians are scrambling to protect themselves from a possible Russia-backed offensive by the Assad regime "There was bombardment of our villages so we came here, near the Turkish outpost," Abu Khaled said. "It's to protect us," he said, referring to the monitors deployed by rebel backer Turkey just hundreds of metres (yards) away. Last year, Ankara and regime allies Moscow and Tehran made Idlib a "de-escalation zone" under a deal that saw Turkish monitoring posts set up in the province. The United Nations has warned that any regime attack on Idlib could displace up to 800,000 people, and urged key players to intervene to avoid a "bloodbath". - Hospitals plan - On Friday, the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran are to meet in Tehran to determine Idlib's fate, hours before a UN Security Council meeting in New York. The timing and scope of any attack on Idlib remain unclear, but civilians and aid workers are preparing for the worst Aid agencies urged world powers to avoid "the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in Syria's seven-year war". Humanitarian workers "are already overwhelmed trying to provide shelter, food, water, schooling and healthcare," eight agencies said in a joint statement. Around half of the residents of Idlib and adjacent areas have already lost their homes in the conflict, the UN says. Russian-backed government troops have massed around the province in recent weeks, after ousting rebels from other parts of the country. Moscow says it is bent on eliminating Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate that controls more than half of the province. The UN has warned that an offensive on Idlib could displace up to 800,000 people Turkish-backed rebels hold much of the rest, while the regime controls a southeastern chunk. The timing and scope of any attack remain unclear, but healthcare and aid workers are preparing for the worst. At a hospital in the provincial capital of Idlib this week, staff worked as usual. Two doctors wearing grey scrubs operated on a patient, while a staff member tested a girl's eyesight in another room. But their hospital, like others in the province, is drawing up a contingency plan in case the surrounding area comes under attack. "Every hospital needs to have a special emergency plan," said Mustafa al-Eido, the deputy head of healthcare in Idlib province. Around half of the residents in Idlib and adjacent areas have lost their homes in the conflict, the UN says With no means to defend the hospitals against regime or Russian air strikes, they would have to reduce staff or redeploy doctors and nurses to other locations. "You can't fortify against Russian military equipment," Eido said. In the first six months of this year, 38 attacks hit medical infrastructure in Idlib province, most blamed on the government or Russia, the UN says. - More displaced? - Idlib's health service is coordinating with rescue groups like the White Helmets to prepare for air strikes To better respond to air strikes, a joint operations committee has been set up to coordinate between the health service's 50 ambulances and rescue organisations such as the White Helmets, Eido said. Hospitals are grappling with severe shortages of medicines and also trying to stock up on supplies to deal with any chemical attack, he said. Assad's regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons during the conflict, including in an attack that killed more than 80 people in the Idlib province town of Khan Sheikhun last year. Since then, staff from 16 hospitals in Idlib and adjacent areas have trained with the World Health Organization in Turkey on how to treat victims of any toxic attack, Eido said. Aid workers are preparing to deal with any sudden exodus of civilians. Just outside Idlib province, at a camp for the displaced, its director Yussef Nur inspected reserve supplies of thin foam mattresses, woollen blankets and large outdoor plastic sheets. "We've planned for any sudden displacement of people," he said. "We now have around 700 people at the camp" in Mizanaz in neighbouring Aleppo province. But "we could take in 1,800 to 2,000 more". Mattis' visit comes as Afghan and international forces try to push peace talks with the Taliban US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis landed in Kabul on Friday for an unannounced visit to war-torn Afghanistan, where he will meet President Ashraf Ghani and the new US commander for American and NATO forces. His trip comes a little more than a year after President Donald Trump unveiled a revamped strategy for Afghanistan that saw him commit thousands of additional US forces to the country on an open-ended basis. Mattis, on his second visit to the country in recent months, arrives in Kabul at a sensitive time in the 17-year war. The grinding conflict has seen little progress by Afghan or US forces against the Taliban, Afghanistan's largest militant group. Afghan and international players have been ratcheting up efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban, which was toppled from power by US-led forces in 2001. An unprecedented ceasefire in June followed by talks between US officials and Taliban representatives in Qatar in July fuelled hopes that negotiations could bring an end to the fighting. But a recent spate of attacks by the Taliban and the smaller but potent Islamic State group that left hundreds of security forces and civilians dead has severely dented that optimism. The execution chamber at the Tokyo detention house where inmates are hanged, often with just hours notice Years waiting on death row, inmates told their fate just hours before their execution, and guards paid $180 to do an "unbearable" job -- Japan's capital punishment system is criticised as cruel and secretive yet remains popular. Unusually for an major industrialised power, capital punishment in Japan enjoys broad public support with few calls for its abolishment. Inmates are executed not by professionals but by ordinary prison staff who may have been guarding the condemned for months or even years, and who receive extra pay of 20,000 yen ($180) each. "It's awful, the body bounces like a 70 kilogramme object on a nylon rope," said Toshio Sakamoto, who witnessed noosed inmates plunge to their deaths, and described the process as "unbearable". Blindfolded convicts, usually serial murderers, are led to a spot with their feet bound and hands cuffed. Then, a trap-door opens below. Executions worldwide The mechanism is triggered by a button in an adjacent room, pressed simultaneously by several officers, although none is told which button is the "live one" that will cause the prisoner's fall. The guards assigned to carry out the executions "remember the (inmates') body temperatures, their breathing, their words... But they must do most of the work," he told AFP in an interview. And they received no counselling. They are expected to "digest" the execution themselves, Sakamoto explained. "There is no worse job," he said. "The cost of a human life is 100,000 yen." - 'Until the day comes' - Japan is the only major industrialised democracy other than the United States to carry out capital punishment. Former prison guard Toshio Sakamoto witnessed executions and described the job as unbearable The system was thrust into the international spotlight in July when the country hanged 13 doomsday cultists but the secretive methods have come under fire for being cruel for criminals, families and guards. Under law, the death sentence should be carried out six months after confirmed by the top court. In reality however, prisoners languish on death row for many years -- Japan has a total of 110 awaiting execution. "Prisoners are typically only given a few hours' notice before execution, but some may be given no warning at all," said Amnesty International in a recent statement. "Inmates are kept in isolation suffering the anguish of never knowing when they are going to be put to death -- sometimes for decades," added the pressure group. Families are only informed after the execution, noted Amnesty. Munehiro Nishiguchi, a convicted murderer whose appeal against the death sentence is being heard in the Supreme Court, said the news of the Aum cult executions came as "an indescribable shock". "I feel I'm such a pathetically weak person," he wrote in a letter to Yo Nagatsuka, who filmed a documentary exploring public perceptions of capital punishment in Japan. "I have realised the real punishment or agony from the death sentence is the fear you feel until the day comes," he also wrote. Former guard Sakamoto notes that a high reliance on confessions and a conviction rate of well over 90 percent allows room for coercion and false charges. - 'Insane' to scrap hanging - The government cites broad public support as a reason to maintain capital punishment but there is little public debate as the whole process is veiled in secrecy. The authorities have just once allowed a 30-minute media visit inside the glass-walled execution room in the Tokyo Detention House, arguably the best-kept among Japan's seven facilities with gallows. A 2014 government survey of around 1,800 people showed 80 percent thought capital punishment was "unavoidable", with only one in 10 in favour of abolishing it. But 38 percent thought it should be abolished if Japan introduces life imprisonment without parole -- something the penal code does not currently allow. One 62-year-old businessman in Tokyo said it would be "insane" to think of scrapping capital punishment. And Mika Koike, a 29-year-old IT engineer, said: "Taking the victims and their families into consideration, I think there is no other clear, absolute way to punish the offenders." Kotaro Yamakami, a 25-year-old politics student, said murderers should pay in kind. "There is a saying 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' I think it's unavoidable that those who committed heinous crimes are executed," he said. But he acknowledged there was an increasing number opposed to the death penalty and urged authorities to consider introducing life imprisonment with no parole. For now, there is no sign that Japan's leaders are pondering any changes. On July 5, the eve of executions of seven Aum cultists, a smiling Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was photographed in a drinking party with fellow politicians, giving the thumbs-up for a collective snapshot with his justice minister who had signed off on the hanging orders. The Supreme Court's ruling caused jubilation among India's LGBT community Indian media on Friday -- including some conservative outlets -- hailed a Supreme Court ruling to decriminalise gay sex whilst highlighting a "deafening" silence from Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government. Banner front page headlines such as "Love at First Right", "Rainbow Nation" and "Independence Day" greeted the verdict of the top court to strike down the heart of Section 377, a law introduced by British rulers in 1861. Many said the five justices may have opened the doors to demands for greater civil rights for long-marginalised gays and lesbians, including same-sex marriage. The conservative Hindu newspaper called the verdict "a reaffirmation of the right to love" and "a welcome depature from centuries of 'hetero-normative' thinking". The judges had "furthered the frontiers of personal freedom and liberated the idea of personal rights from the pressure of public opinion," it added in an editorial. The Hindusan Times warned that the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender community will still face condemnation from their families and colleagues. "Harassment and violence will continue to occur," it warned. "But if the long legal battle and the courage of queer people and communities are anything to go by, this fight for equal rights will not end. It will grow even stronger now that even the apex court has said there is no going back." Amid pictures of celebrating activists, Google India put out a rainbow flag on its homepage and Facebook changed its display picture to a multi-hued icon. The court ruled the colonial era law effectively making gay sex illegal was unconstitutional The United Nations and rights activists around the world gave Twitter support to the Supreme Court ruling. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing government has yet to make a comment on the ruling. Modi's administration had initially opposed dismantling Section 377, though in July government lawyers said they would give in to the "wisdom" of the top court. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the government should have taken a categorical stand one way or the other instead of being ambivalent, the Hindu newspaper reported the judge as saying. The Indian Express daily said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's silence on the issue was "deafening" and "deceptive". India's main opposition Congress and other small regional parties have welcomed the verdict. The BJP's ideological Hindu nationalist backer, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said it does not consider homosexuality a crime but it did not support same-sex relations. "Traditionally, Indian society does not accept such relations," it said in a statement. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been beset by policy squabbles with coalition partners and plummeting business confidence New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faced her first major crisis Friday over her handling of a gaffe-prone minister's resignation. Ardern swept to power on a wave of "Jacinda-mania" late last year, with her centre-left Labour Party leading a coalition that promised "a government of change". The optimism surrounding her administration was enhanced in June when she gave birth to daughter Neve -- becoming only the second female leader in the world to have a baby in office. But the lustre surrounding the 38-year-old has dimmed in recent weeks amid policy squabbles with coalition partners and plummeting business confidence. Ardern revealed Friday that her government had suffered its first casualty, with Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran resigning after using a private email account to conduct government business. Curran, who had been disciplined twice previously for failing to declare meetings, said she faced "intolerable pressure" and did not want to become a distraction for the government. But it was the way Ardern dealt with the problem that drew most criticism, with opponents accusing her of misleading the public. Asked on talkback radio on Friday morning whether she was considering firing Curran, she replied: "No, I think she's paid her price. "We want to make sure that you don't set the bar so high that you have a situation where you show a bit of human frailty and you lose your job over it." In fact, Ardern had accepted Curran's resignation the previous night but failed to mention it during the 10-minute interview. Ardern later insisted that she answered the question correctly but opposition leader Simon Bridges zeroed in on her evasiveness, saying she had mishandled the affair. "The prime minister needs to explain why she misled New Zealanders this morning by saying Ms Curran's job was safe when Ms Curran says she resigned last night," he said. "This whole saga has seriously damaged the credibility of both the prime minister and the government." Another of Ardern's ministers, Meka Whaitiri, has stood aside from her customs portfolio while under investigation for an alleged physical altercation with a staffer. Meanwhile coalition partner New Zealand First, led by populist veteran Winston Peters, has undermined her election pledge to lift New Zealand's refugee quota. Ardern also came under fire this week for arriving late at a Pacific summit in Nauru to minimise time away from her baby, although defenders labelled such criticism petty and overly partisan. The group was part of a larger protest against a government plan to redevelop an area in Hong Kong for housing Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal on Friday quashed jail sentences for 13 pro-democracy activists who stormed the city's legislative council in a dramatic 2014 protest. The group were earlier sentenced to between eight and 13 months after the government successfully sought to overturn a previous punishment of community service and seek harsher terms. All 13 were already on bail pending their appeal. They included democracy activists, student leaders and villagers from Hong Kong's rural northeast who had been convicted of unlawful assembly for forcing their way into the territory's legislature. The group was part of a larger protest against a government plan to redevelop the area for housing, which they said was being waved through without proper consultation. Their actions came weeks before the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement mass rallies which brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two months. Activists said they were "happy and excited" about the result and denied using violence in the protest. "We had no intention at all to hurt anybody," said Raphael Wong, one of the 13 protesters. Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong faced more restrictions and demonstrators would have to be "well-disciplined" in future, he added. It was the second time this year that the city's highest court freed democracy activists who had been jailed after their lighter original sentences were increased on appeal from the government. In February, three leaders of the Umbrella Movement including student activist Joshua Wong won an appeal against their jail terms in a case seen as a test of the independence of the city's judiciary. They had also originally been given community service or suspended sentences which had been switched to jail terms. Hong Kong has been governed under a "one country, two systems" arrangement since 1997, when Britain handed the territory back to China. The deal allows citizens rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and an independent judiciary. But there are growing concerns that the semi-autonomous city's rights are under threat as Beijing tightens its grip. Pakistan PM Imran Khan's campaign rhetoric earlier this year raised fears he was mainstreaming extremist Islamist thought Pakistan premier Imran Khan's government backed down Friday over its controversial decision to appoint a member of a persecuted religious minority as an economic advisor, underscoring the pressure it faces from hardline Islamists. Atif Mian, an MIT-educated Pakistani-American economics professor at Princeton University, was recently named member of a new economic advisory council. Mian is an Ahmadi, a religious minority which has long been persecuted in deeply conservative Muslim-majority Pakistan, and the announcement sparked swift backlash from Islamist groups. Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, but their beliefs are seen as blasphemous in most mainstream Islamic schools of thought. They are designated non-Muslims in Pakistan's constitution. Government officials initially defended the decision, with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry vowing "Pakistan belongs as much to minorities as it does to the majority... we will not bow to extremists" in a video clip which went viral. Three days later his government caved to mounting pressure from the religious right. "The government has decided to withdraw the nomination of Atif Mian from the economic advisory committee," Chaudhry tweeted, saying they wanted to work with all sections of society, including Islamic clerics. Mian later tweeted to say he had stepped down "as the Government was facing a lot of adverse pressure... from the Mullahs (Muslim clerics) and their supporters". "My prayers will always be with Pakistan and I will always be ready to help it," he added. Blasphemy is a hugely inflammatory charge in Pakistan, and can carry the death penalty. The state has never executed a blasphemy convict, but mere accusations of insulting Islam have sparked mob lynchings, vigilante murders and mass protests. Analysts have warned that Pakistan's economy is the most urgent challenge facing Khan's new government, which has said it will decide by the end of this month if it will seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Hours after Friday's announcement, Khan appeared on television to appeal for Pakistanis to donate money to help build new water storage dams, underscoring the government's fragile economic position. Official estimates show that by 2025 Pakistan will be facing an "absolute scarcity" of water. - Hostage to hate - Friday's decision to withdraw Mian's nomination divided Pakistani social media, with the hardliners praising it while others slammed the government's "cowardice" and Khan's failure to hold firm under pressure. "This is sad and shameful. Pakistan should be for all not a hostage to some hate mongers," wrote consultant and columnist Yousuf Nazar. But another user, Farkhi, tweeted: "Those who are ashamed can go to hell with their thoughts." The decision came after Islamists also forced the federal law minister to resign following anti-blasphemy protests last November, in a deal brokered by the military. Those protests were led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a radical preacher whose political party, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), also contested the July 25 election which brought Khan's government to power. TLP won more than 2.23 million votes in the national assembly and more than 2.38 million provincial votes -- a spectacular rise for an organisation that gained national prominence less than a year earlier. Khan, meanwhile, caused concern with his full-throated defence of Pakistan's blasphemy laws during his campaign, with fears he was mainstreaming extremist thought. Last month his government protested plans by Dutch populist Geert Wilders to stage a Prophet Mohammad cartoon competition, as TLP held demonstrations calling for Pakistan to sever diplomatic relations with the Netherlands. Wilders later cancelled the competition, citing security fears. Khan and his cabinet face a myriad of challenges including a faltering economy, militant extremism, water shortages, and a rapidly growing population negating growth in the developing country. Support for gay rights in Singapore has been growing in recent years A senior Singapore diplomat Friday urged the country's gay community to challenge a law banning homosexual sex after India's top court stuck down similar legislation, a rare high-level intervention on the issue. Tommy Koh, ambassador-at-large in the Singapore foreign ministry, made the comments on Facebook in response to a post about Thursday's historic ruling, which followed a decades-long campaign against the law in the South Asian nation. "I would encourage our gay community to bring a class action to challenge the constitutionality of Section 377A," Koh said, referring to the law which criminalises sex between men. Responding to a comment that previous petitions to strike down the law were unsuccessful, Singapore's former US ambassador and envoy to the United Nations said: "Try again." While Singapore boasts a modern and vibrant culture, attitudes towards homosexuality remain conservative. Sex between men remains technically illegal under a law dating back to British colonial rule, although the statute is rarely enforced. Despite the challenges, support for gay rights has been growing in recent years in the city-state of 5.6 million. Huge crowds attended the 10th anniversary of Singapore's annual Pink Dot gay rights rally in July. Pink Dot, Singapore's leading gay rights group, said the Indian ruling showed attitudes towards homosexuals were "positively changing in Asia" and called on parliament to decriminalise gay sex. In 2014, Singapore's highest court dismissed a constitutional challenge to the law and said it was up to parliament to repeal it. Singapore Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said the government was caught in between a majority of Singaporeans opposing the repeal of the law and a "growing minority" who want it abolished. "Really I think society has to decide which direction it wants to go," he added. "The laws will have to keep pace with the changes in society." Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses media on July 29 during a surprise press conference at his residence "Blue Roof " in Harare Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe, who had vowed not to vote for his old party in July elections, on Thursday said he accepted the outcome of the disputed poll. Mugabe said on the eve of the ballot he hoped his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party would be voted out of office, complaining they had "tormented" him when he was removed from power following a military intervention last year. He hinted that he would vote for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) after the military and his once-loyal ZANU-PF lawmakers turned against him, ending his 37 years in power in just days. Mnangagwa won the election taking 50.8 percent of the vote -- just enough to avoid a run-off against the MDC's Nelson Chamisa on 44.3 percent. Chamisa challenged the result in court and lost. But speaking on Thursday at a wake following the funeral of his mother-in-law in Harare, Mugabe said Mnangagwa was the rightful president. "Mnangagwa is the winner. Things have been righted. We can't deny it," he said. It was his first public comment since the election. The 94-year-old spoke slowly and calmly, telling mourners "the past is gone, now it's time to unite and dialogue to build our nation". In a speech lasting about 40 minutes, Mugabe urged that the opposition "be allowed to peacefully" protest against the vote outcome. The country's top court dismissed the opposition bid to have the results annulled on grounds they were rigged. But Chamisa has rejected that ruling and vowed to lead "peaceful protests". Mugabe had not been seen in public since the election and even missed the inauguration of Mnangagwa on August 26, sending an apology that he was in Singapore for medical treatment. Aid group Doctors Without Borders has urged the evacuation of thousands of migrants trapped in detention centres in Tripoli, which is under a fragile ceasefire after deadly clashes Aid group Doctors Without Borders on Friday urged the evacuation of thousands of migrants trapped in detention centres in Libya's capital Tripoli, which is under a fragile ceasefire after deadly clashes. The ceasefire brokered by the United Nations was agreed between armed groups Tuesday after at least 63 people were killed in days of fighting around the city. Doctors Without Borders, also known under its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said migrants in squalid detention centres close to the frontline could yet come under shelling and artillery fire. Analysts say the ceasefire is doomed without a sustainable political agreement between the myriad armed groups. Ibrahim Younis, MSF's mission chief in Libya, said food supplies to the detention centres were sparse as international groups had been forced to suspend their work due to the clashes. The charity has been completely cut off from one of the most crowded detention centres, depriving some 700 people of aid, and has pulled some staff from the city. The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, last week said it had "evacuated" some 300 migrants from the Ain Zara detention centre to another a few kilometres away as they risked getting caught in the crossfire. But Younis said this was not good enough. "Moving endangered refugees and migrants from one detention centre to another in the same conflict zone cannot be described as an evacuation and it is certainly not a solution," he said in a statement. The aid group called on the UNHCR and the governments of peaceful countries to organise a mass evacuation for the migrants, who could then claim asylum. The International Organization for Migration could arrange for those seeking to return home to do so, MSF said. The group also called on the European Union and Libyan authorities to stop blocking boatloads of migrants seeking to flee the conflict-torn country, "with the goal of reducing arrivals to Europe at all costs". Sub-Saharan African migrants have suffered appalling abuses since Libya descended into chaos following the death of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. A video showing African migrants being sold as slaves sparked global outrage last year. Some 8,000 people picked up by the Libyan coastguard while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe are being indefinitely held in detention centres, according to the UNHCR. EU countries have offered support and training to the Libyan coastguard in a bid to stem the influx of migrants to Europe. The head of Ethiopia's controversial project damming waters of the Blue Nile committed suicide, state media reported Friday. The body of Simegnew Bekele, project manager and public face of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, was found in a parked car in the capital Addis Ababa's in July with a gunshot wound to the head. "His death was a suicide" from a "contact shoot", state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported, citing an unnamed police official. The investigation into his death is continuing, Fana added. Ethiopians reacted with dismay to the death of Simegnew, whose body was found in a parked car in the capital's central Meskel Square. At his funeral, clashes broke out between police and bystanders who tried to push past their lines. The $4-billion (3.2-billion-euro) dam, being built near the country's western border with Sudan, will be Africa's largest when completed, producing 6,000 megawatts -- the rough equivalent of six large nuclear reactors. But the scheme faces opposition from Egypt, which is crucially dependent on the Nile and worries that downstream flows could be affected. The Blue and the White Nile converge in Sudan's capital Khartoum and from there run north, crossing Egypt before emptying in the Mediterranean. Copies of the China Daily fresh off the printing press pile up before distribution in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in this January 3, 2013 file picture Kenyan police on Friday briefly detained a Chinese journalist, just days after a raid on another Chinese broadcaster, as part of an immigration crackdown that has frustrated Bejing embassy officials. Police entered the offices of the China Daily newspaper in Nairobi demanding the documents of staff before hauling deputy bureau chief Liu Hongjie to the police station despite having verified his work permit online. "His work permit is valid. They even checked it online at his office. But he was still be taken away," said embassy spokesman Zhang Ghang, adding the journalist was later released. Police on Wednesday raided the African headquarters of the China Global Television Network (CGTN), briefly detaining eight journalists, as well as five other nationals employed in the same building. The Chinese embassy expressed concern at an increase in detentions of its nationals even though they hold legal documents. Government spokesman Erick Kiraithe told AFP the raid on CGTN was a "mistake", without elaborating. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing in Beijing that Kenya had "admitted inadequacies in law enforcement and apologised". Kenya last month began hunting down and arresting those illegally in the country after holding a 60-day exercise in which every foreigner was required to revalidate their permits. Last week the interior ministry released a hotline number for members of the public to report suspected illegal immigrants. Police have been stopping foreigners in malls, restaurants and other establishments and demanding they identify themselves, however no other raids on workplaces have so far been reported. On Thursday a Chinese businessman was arrested and deported after a video of him making a string of racist remarks was widely shared on social media. Zhang said that the video dated to June and that the person in question had already been punished by his company. China and Kenya maintain strong relations, with Beijing funding numerous infrastructure projects in the country. China financed 90 percent of a $3.2-billion (2.8-billion-euro) railway linking Nairobi to the coastal city of Mombasa. President Uhuru Kenyatta attended a two-day China-Africa forum in Beijing this week discussing the financing of the railway's second phase linking the Rift Valley town of Naivasha to Kisumu near the Ugandan border, at a cost of a further $3.5 billion. Smoke rises after an air strike near the Idlib province village of Kafr Ain on September 7, 2018 as the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey prepared for a summit in Tehran on Syria's last major rebel bastion Russian air strikes killed five people in Syria's Idlib Friday, a monitor said, even as the brutal war's top three power brokers discussed "stabilising" the last rebel-held province. Later in the day, shelling by hardline rebels killed 10 civilians in a neighbouring province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Government forces have been massing around Idlib for weeks ahead of an expected offensive on the province, which is held by jihadists led by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate and rival Turkish-backed rebels. On Friday morning, Russian air raids targeted positions in Idlib's southwest held by the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance, as well as of the hardline Ahrar al-Sham group, the Britain-based Observatory said. They destroyed one Ahrar al-Sham post, killing four of its fighters and wounding 14 others in the area of Hobait, it said. An AFP stringer saw rescue workers working with their bare hands to retrieve a victim from rubble blocking the entrance of what appeared to be a cave inside a sandstone rock face. They carried away the limp body of a man covered in pale dust, as diggers worked nearby to clear the debris. A shepherd was also killed and four other people wounded in the bombardment, the Observatory said, although it was not immediately clear if they were fighters or civilians. "The aim was to destroy rebel fortifications," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. On Friday evening, hardline rebels fired shells at the town of Mahrada, which lies in the adjacent province of Hama about 15 kilometres (10 miles) south of the administrative border with Idlib. "The bombardment was in retaliation for the earlier strikes and killed 10 civilians, including six women, three children and one man," Abdel Rahman told AFP. - Fears of humanitarian disaster - A Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter drops bombs over the Syrian village of Kafr Ain in the southern countryside of Idlib province on September 7, 2018 HTS controls more than half of Idlib province, while other rebels, including Ahrar al-Sham, hold most of the rest. Regime troops are present in a southeastern chunk of the province, but observers say a planned offensive could target other peripheral areas of the rebel-held zone. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who backs Syria's government, met the leaders of fellow regime ally Iran and rebel supporter Turkey to determine the fate of the northwestern zone on the Turkish border. On Friday, Putin said that he, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan "discussed concrete measures regarding a phased stabilisation" for Idlib. But a joint statement released after the talks gave few details. Aid groups have warned that any military offensive in Idlib could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters of Syria's seven-year civil war. Almost three million people live in Idlib and adjacent rebel-held areas, half of whom have already been displaced from other parts of the country, the United Nations says. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the war erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. North Korea is preparing to celebrate its 70th anniversary and has invited foreign diplomats and media North Korea is preparing to mark the 70th anniversary of its foundation this weekend with a series of festivities, expected to include a military parade and the return of its renowned 'Mass Games' after a five-year absence. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the North is officially known, was proclaimed on September 9, 1948, three years after Moscow and Washington divided the peninsula between them in the closing days of the Second World War. Such set-piece dates are a mainstay of the North's political calendar, particularly when round numbers are involved, and it is pulling out all the stops this time. The military parades - overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, the third of his family to rule the country - are crucial to Korea-watchers, who observe them closely for clues about its latest military advances. Traditionally they see nuclear-armed Pyongyang show off its latest hardware, culminating earlier this year in intercontinental ballistic missiles rolling through Kim Il Sung Square. But analysts say the North may not put them on display this time with the peninsula in the throes of a diplomatic rapprochement, and may instead adopt milder messaging focussed on the economy and technological development. Reports say rehearsals for a military parade have been spotted at a training ground on the outskirts of the capital and at night in the city centre. And at the parade venue, the portraits of the North's founder and his son and successor Kim Jong Il have been covered up, most likely to protect them during the preparations. Practices for the Mass Games, which typically involve 100,000 performers or more in a spectacular display against an ever-changing backdrop at the May Day stadium, have been going on for months. Hundreds of drum-carrying youths dressed in white can be seen streaming out of the stadium every evening, and at night the sound of rehearsals echoes across the city. The show will be titled "The Glorious Country", according to the North's official KCNA news agency. Diplomatic invitations for the anniversary have gone out around the world, but few heads of state are known to be attending. Despite speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping would go, the delegation from the North's key ally and main diplomatic protector will be headed by Li Zhanshu, one of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, its most powerful body. But Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will attend, KCNA reported, and French actor Gerard Depardieu was spotted by AFP at a Pyongyang hotel Friday. More than 120 foreign journalists have been allowed to go to Pyongyang to cover the events, its largest-scale media invitation in recent years. But neither the reporters nor resident diplomats have yet been told of the exact schedule - nor even whether a parade will definitely go ahead. Such secrecy is standard procedure in the North. Abubakar has described Nigeria as a 'number of countries in one country' The political make-up of Africa's most populous nation is coming under scrutiny after a leading election hopeful promised greater devolution if he becomes president at polls next year. Nigeria's former vice-president Atiku Abubakar said this week he was in favour of handing more powers to the country's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory if he wins in February. "Over the years, since (the) military got involved governing the country, they have created too many states and concentrated a lot of power in the centre," he said. "So, we believe we should return to the principles of true federalism: devolving more power and resources to the components of federalism in terms of security, healthcare, education." Such issues "will be best dealt with by people nearer to the people than the FG (federal government), which is too far away", Abubakar, 71, told reporters in an interview. In July, states and local governments received 656.6 billion naira ($1.8 billion, 1.6 billion euros) from a total of 821.9 billion naira in federal funding, according to official statistics. The money shared out from the central account comes from revenue generated by the states themselves. But more prosperous states -- particularly those in the oil-producing south -- have long complained they are subsidising less productive counterparts, especially those in the more impoverished north. - 'Bottle feeding' - Abubakar's call for a loosening of federal ties is significant because it stands at odds with the position of his fellow politicians from the north, including Buhari. Until now, the idea has had more support in the south. Nigeria as a single entity dates back to 1914 when British colonial rulers amalgamated northern and southern Nigeria for commercial purposes. But there have been tensions ever since -- and questions about whether the union can hold -- because of ethnic, cultural and religious divisions. Regional identity is fiercely guarded in Nigeria, which is almost evenly divided between a mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south. The most obvious division has been between the north and south. Abubakar, who was president Olusegun Obasanjo's deputy from 1999 to 2007, described Nigeria as "a number of countries in one country". Critics of the current political set-up, such as the Restructure Nigeria group, have called the current system of allocations "unfair, ridiculous and bizarre" and suggested it provides no incentives and breeds corruption. Militancy in the oil-producing south has largely been fuelled by demands for greater control of the revenue generated by oil and gas Ending "unitary 'feeding bottle' federalism" and giving states more control of areas from natural resources to policing would kickstart moribund local economies and improve security, they argue. Militancy in the oil-producing south has largely been fuelled by demands for greater control of the revenue generated by oil and gas. Repeated lack of central funding for infrastructure has equally contributed to the revival of separatist sentiment in the southeast. But Buhari's administration has maintained that good governance and better execution of infrastructure projects is more important than restructuring. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said last month: "It is about managing resources properly and providing for the people properly, that is what it is all about." He recalled his time as a commissioner in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, between 1999 and 2007 and how he fought for financial autonomy for the state. "We felt that there was a need for the states to be stronger, for states, to more or less, determine their fortunes." Osinbajo on Tuesday said Abubakar lacked proper understanding of restructuring, calling his plan "vague" and ill thought-out. - Support - Abubakar, who wants to secure the ticket for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, admitted that his position would not be popular in his native northeast Nigeria. But it could be a canny political move to win support in the south, which traditionally has not been inclined to back northern Muslim candidates. The ethnic Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere in the southwest has led calls for greater devolution. The region includes megacity Lagos - a key election battleground and must-win prize for any presidential hopeful. "When people talk about good governance and promise good roads, agricultural development and all that, we just laugh," Afenifere leader, Ayo Adebanjo, said last weekend. Nigeria faces numerous security challenges ranging from jihadist attacks to a separatist movement in the southeast "There must be a country first before any development." Nigeria is riven with security challenges from Boko Haram Islamists in the northeast to Biafran separatists in the southeast and violence between farmers and herders in central states. Peace and stability would be elusive without restructuring, he added. The Supreme Court's ruling caused jubilation among India's LGBT community One of the last Indian activists facing action under an anti-gay colonial-era law killed off by a landmark Supreme Court ruling expressed hope Friday that he would escape punishment in a new age of liberalisation. But even as India's media widely hailed the Supreme Court for quashing the 157-year-old ban on gay sex, it highlighted the "deafening" silence of the conservative government on the historic verdict. Arif Jafar, 48, was arrested in 2001 under the notorious Section 377 law, which was struck down on Thursday. "It was quite traumatic. I was picked up from my office with four others," Jafar told AFP. "I was beaten up in the jail for 15 days continuously until my fellow prisoners complained. "I was denied every basic human right. I was made to sleep on the floor and I was not even given water to drink. It was horrible," he said, his voice choking with emotion. The case has still not come to trial because other accused are missing. Jafar, who now runs a London-based foundation to counter AIDS and promote gay rights, was at the Supreme Court and collapsed in tears after the ruling. "Finally I can appeal to the courts by showing them the Supreme Court judgement and I can be free at last," Jafar said. The ruling was greeted with front page banner headlines such as "Love at First Right", "Rainbow Nation" and "Independence Day". Many commentators said the five justices may have opened the doors to demands for greater civil rights for long-marginalised gays and lesbians, including same-sex marriage. The Hindu newspaper called the verdict "a reaffirmation of the right to love" and "a welcome departure" from traditional mores. The Hindustan Times warned that members of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender communities would still face condemnation from their families and colleagues. - Pride and prejudice - "Harassment and violence will continue to occur," it warned. "But if the long legal battle and the courage of queer people and communities are anything to go by, this fight for equal rights will not end. It will grow even stronger now that even the apex court has said there is no going back." The court ruled the colonial era law effectively making gay sex illegal was unconstitutional The United Nations and rights activists around the world welcomed the Supreme Court ruling. "This is a great day for India and for all those who believe in the universality of human rights," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement Friday. "I hope that other courts elsewhere in the world will look to India's example and be encouraged to move in the same direction." But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing government has yet to make a comment on the ruling. Modi's administration had initially opposed dismantling Section 377, though in July government lawyers said they would give in to the "wisdom" of the top court. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who was among the five judges to strike down the law, said in his ruling that the government should have taken a categorical stand. The Indian Express said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's silence on the issue was "deafening". Veteran journalist Barkha Dutt said the government had lost an opportunity to bask in reflected glory by choosing to sit on the fence. "In saying neither yes nor no, it has failed a critical leadership test," she wrote in a column for the Washington Post. India's main opposition Congress and other small regional parties have welcomed the verdict. The BJP's ideological Hindu nationalist backer, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said it does not consider homosexuality a crime but it did not support same-sex relations. "Traditionally, Indian society does not accept such relations," it said in a statement. ULIMO fighters performing a war dance west of the Liberian capital Monrovia on September 2, 1992 France has detained a suspected former militant commander from Liberia's brutal civil war and charged him with crimes against humanity for alleged atrocities including torture and cannibalism, police said Friday. A legal source said the man, identified as naturalised Dutch citizen Kunti K., is suspected of being a former commander in the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), which fought during the 1990s. Arrested on Tuesday in the northeast Paris suburb of Bobigny where he had been hiding out at the home of a friend, he is suspected of torture, murder, slavery, the use of child soldiers and cannibalism between 1993 and 1997. Liberia, Africa's oldest republic, formed by freed American slaves, was devastated by two civil wars which killed around 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003. ULIMO was set up to fight a rebel force headed by warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, who is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence for aiding and abetting rebels who committed atrocities in neighbouring Sierra Leone. Kunti K., born in 1974, was detained in a joint operation by elite GIGN police and officers from France's OCLCH agency, which investigates war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. "He had arrived in France in 2016, after leaving the Netherlands and passing through Belgium," said Colonel Eric Emeraux, head of the OCLCH. Paris prosecutors had opened an initial investigation into Kunti K. after victims' rights group Civitas Maxima filed a criminal complaint on July 23. Contacted by AFP, the Geneva-based group, which offers legal support to victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity, declined to comment on the case. Investing billions in the 'Mittelstand' Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said in Berlin Friday his country would invest some 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion) in Germany, as he battles a policy of isolation by neighbouring states. "We are announcing Qatar's desire to invest 10 billion euros in the German economy over the coming five years," the Gulf state leader said as he opened a German-Qatari business forum alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel. Qatar plans to invest in the car, high-tech and banking sectors -- three traditional strengths of the German economy. Business daily Handelsblatt reported that Doha is especially interested in Germany's dense network of small- and medium-sized firms known as the "Mittelstand". In recent years its German investments in larger industrial or financial firms have often soured, including in the country's troubled largest lender Deutsche Bank. For more than a year, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt have cut off ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting "terrorist" movements, cosying up to Iran and undermining stability in the region. The cold shoulder from its neighbours has prompted Qatari leaders to fall back on more distant allies, with Germany now its third-weightiest trading partner after the US and China. Bilateral trade has more than doubled since 2011, to around 2.8 billion euros. Also Friday, Merkel confirmed German plans to build a liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Germany. Qatar is the world's largest exporter of the fuel. Both capitals also have a common interest in Turkey, with Qatar announcing $15 billion of investments there last month. Meanwhile Berlin is bound to Ankara by Germany's millions-strong Turkish diaspora community and an agreement for Turkey to hold back refugees from the Middle East from reaching Europe. Turkey's lira currency has been weakened recently as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump engage in a diplomatic face-off with mutual sanctions. The conflict between Yemen's Huthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition has left nearly 10,000 people dead Long-awaited UN-backed talks between Yemen's warring parties were sputtering Friday before even starting, with Huthi rebels refusing to travel to Geneva and fresh fighting breaking out on the ground. The Huthis, powerful armed tribes locked in a war with Yemen's Saudi-backed government, have refused to take off from the rebel-held capital of Sanaa unless the United Nations meets a list of conditions, which includes securing a safe return from Geneva to Sanaa for their delegation. At the same time, multiple military sources reported Friday that forces from the government alliance were attempting to close in on rebel-held Hodeida. The fate of the embattled port city had been scheduled for discussion at the Geneva conference, which was meant to be the first meeting between the warring sides since 2016. The talks had been scheduled to formally open Thursday but were put on hold, leaving UN envoy Martin Griffiths scrambling to save them. Over the past two days, Griffiths has hosted a number of meetings with the government delegation, which arrived in Geneva on Wednesday, and diplomats from countries with influence in Yemen's bloody conflict. But Friday evening, the envoy's office said he would give a press conference Saturday morning, when he was broadly expected to announce an end to the talks before they even got off the ground. Conflict in Yemen The announcement came after the Huthis' Supreme Revolutionary Council said Friday they were "increasingly suspicious that the coalition intended to insult" the rebels. It accused the Saudi-led alliance of planning to strand the rebel delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. The Huthis hinted they feared a repeat of 2016, when 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a rebel delegation was stranded in Oman for three months due to an air blockade, the council said in a statement on Telegram. - 'Excuses' - The Saudi-led military coalition controls the country's airspace and Sanaa international airport has been largely disused for years. The Iran-backed Huthis also demand the evacuation of their wounded fighters from Sanaa to Oman. But in Geneva Friday, Yemen's foreign minister Khaled Yamani, who is leading the government delegation, insisted the Huthi delay was evidence of infighting. "We came to Geneva .. ready and willing to delve into talks" on confidence-building, Yamani told UAE's Sky News. He slammed the Huthi "excuses" for not arriving on time as "an attempt to cover up something critical, and that is that the insurgents are arguing about who among them will represent them in Geneva." Saudi Arabia and its allies have meanwhile said they have already granted the Huthis clearance to fly, accusing the rebels of intransigence. Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher accused the rebels of "speaking no language other than force" and "using negotiations to secure more arms", in a tweet on Thursday. - 'Nothing short of heroic' - Among humanitarians, hopes for the Geneva talks have been high. On Friday, the heads of 10 international aid organisations, including Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps, sent an open letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres, describing Griffiths' efforts as "nothing short of heroic". "His consultations this week represent the best hope for peace that Yemen has seen in over two years," they wrote, also urging Guterres to personally urge the parties in Yemen to agree to "an immediate ceasefire." Washington, which supports the Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile voiced disappointment at the lack of progress in Geneva. "It's disappointing that the delegation from Sanaa isn't here or hasn't been able to be here to actually produce the result that we wanted to see," US ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller told reporters in Geneva. He said it remained unclear if the Huthis might still arrive, but that if they did not show up, "well regroup and try to find a way to bring again the group in Sanaa together with the government so that we can find some way to give Yemeni people hope". Griffiths, who said this week he hoped the Geneva talks would offer a "flickering signal of hope" to the Yemeni people, has been up against difficult odds from the start. He is the UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile, and all previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the Yemen conflict on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) join hands during a three-way summit in Tehran on the Syrian conflict Iran, Russia and Turkey were unable to overcome their differences at a Tehran summit on Friday as they held talks on an imminent offensive against the last rebel stronghold in Syria, amid warnings from the international community of a looming humanitarian disaster. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly disagreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at a press conference in the Iranian capital and warned of a "bloodbath" in Idlib province, where an assault by Syrian government forces is expected any day. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who hosted the meeting, also warned against a "scorched earth" policy, but said "fighting terrorism in Idlib is an unavoidable part of the mission of restoring peace and stability to Syria." Russia and Iran are major allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey backs opposition fighters, including some present in Idlib, who are seeking his ouster. In front of the world's press, Erdogan criticised their joint statement for not including the word "truce", saying it would "strengthen and calm this process." Putin retorted that armed opposition groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Nusra front were not present at the talks to offer to uphold any ceasefire. "We cannot say for them... that they will stop shooting or stop using armed drones," Putin said. He also insisted Damascus "has a right and must eventually take under control all of its national territory". - 'Phased stabilisation' - The three countries are guarantors of the Astana process, a track of talks on Syria's civil war launched after Russia's game-changing 2015 military intervention that has eclipsed Western-backed Geneva negotiations led by the United Nations. Putin said they had spoken of a "phased stabilisation" in Idlib and hoped "terrorist organisations will have enough common sense to stop resistance and lay down their weapons." Iranian and Russian support has shored up the Damascus regime, allowing it to regain the upper hand in the seven-year civil war which has claimed some 350,000 lives since 2011. Seized from government forces in 2015, Idlib and adjacent areas form the final major chunk of Syrian territory still under opposition control. It is home to some three million people. No caption On Friday morning, Russian air raids pounded rebel positions in the southwest of Idlib killing five people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Among them were positions of the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance, as well as of the hardline Ahrar al-Sham group, the Britain-based monitor said. Hundreds of civilians have already begun to flee Idlib ahead of what could be the last -- and bloodiest -- major battle of the devastating conflict. - 'Humanitarian tragedy' - Turkey, which has long backed Syrian rebels, fears the potential flood of desperate Syrians into its territory. No caption "Any attack launched or to be launched on Idlib will result in a disaster, massacre and a very big humanitarian tragedy," Erdogan said. But Russia and Iran have sworn to wipe out "terrorists" and Assad has declared his determination to retake control of the entire country. A statement released at the end of the talks on Friday was low on detail and merely reaffirmed their commitment to keep working together. The UN Security Council was also due to meet late Friday, at Washington's request, to discuss Idlib. Risk of humanitarian crisis in Idlib Russia wants Turkey, which borders the province, to use its influence to rein in the dominant group HTS, led by the former Al-Qaeda branch in Syria, as well as rival rebels. Turkey has limited sway over the jihadists who control an estimated 60 percent of the province, but it backs other rebel groups and has 12 military "observation points" across the area. Idlib's population has swelled as the regime chalked up a series of victories across the country, reaching evacuation deals that saw tens of thousands of people bussed there. Russia has said the Syrian army is preparing to solve the problem of "terrorism" in the rebel stronghold. "A total and definitive liquidation of the terrorists across all of Syria's territory is necessary," said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Al-Watan, a Syrian newspaper close to the government, reported Monday the military operation could "immediately follow the summit". Bob Woodward's book is not the first unflattering investigation into Donald Trump's White House, but it carries particular weight coming from the man who together with Carl Bernstein authored the Watergate expose that brought down Richard Nixon Donald Trump on Friday slammed investigative journalist Bob Woodward's damning portrayal of the inner workings of the US president's administration as a "scam," alleging that it includes made-up quotes. "The Woodward book is a scam. I don't talk the way I am quoted. If I did I would not have been elected President. These quotes were made up. The author uses every trick in the book to demean and belittle," Trump tweeted. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, the respected White House chronicler describes a coalition of like-minded aides plotting to prevent the US president from destroying the world trade system, undermining national security and sparking wars. That idea was also supported by an unsigned article for The New York Times published Wednesday, which said that "unsung heroes" were quietly working within the administration to frustrate the president's "worst inclinations." While Woodward's is not the first unflattering investigation into Trump's White House, it carries particular weight coming from the man who together with Carl Bernstein authored the Watergate expose that brought down Richard Nixon. While he does not name his sources, Woodward says he spoke with many people currently or formerly working for Trump as he researched the book, discussing not just the president's personality but also major policy debates regarding North Korea and Afghanistan. Government spokesman Zaw Htay says he will no longer take phone calls from the media Myanmar on Friday "resolutely" rejected a ruling by the International Criminal Court empowering the tribunal to probe alleged crimes against the Rohingya even though the Southeast Asian nation is not a member of it. Around 700,000 of the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority were driven into Bangladesh by a Myanmar army-led crackdown last August. They have given detailed and consistent accounts of a relentless campaign of murder, rape and arson that forced them to flee. Myanmar denies any systematic abuses, insisting its military actions were a proportionate response to attacks by Rohingya militants. In an unprecedented ruling on Thursday the ICC said it had jurisdiction over the crisis because of the cross-border nature of the alleged "deportations" of the Rohingya to Bangladesh. But in a stinging response late Friday from a government besieged by criticism, Myanmar said the decision was "of dubious legal merit". "The decision was the result of manifest bad faith, procedural irregularities and general lack of transparency," a statement released by the president's office said, adding the country "resolutely rejects" the court ruling. Myanmar was "under no obligation" to respect the ICC decision, it said, adding allegations of deportation "could not be further from the truth". Myanmar, which denies the Rohingya citizenship and has for years subjected them to apartheid-like conditions inside its western Rakhine state, says it is ready and willing to take those who fled back. But a "repatriation" deal with Bangladesh has so far not resulted in any serious numbers of returns. Refugees in the overcrowded, fetid Bangladeshi camps say they will not return to Myanmar without citizenship and the accompanying rights, as well as security guarantees and compensation for seized land and razed villages. The ICC ruling on Thursday significantly ups the ante on Myanmar, allowing the ICC's chief prosecutor to open a preliminary investigation that could lead to a wider probe and eventually a trial. While Myanmar has not signed the statute underpinning the tribunal, Bangladesh is a signatory. The judges said that because the deportation of the Rohingya amounted to a cross-border crime, the court has the right to pursue the issue further. - Journalists in jail - Last week a damning UN report called for military chief Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide", which was swiftly followed by Facebook pulling down the profile pages of several military top brass. Myanmar has barred journalists and diplomats from independently visiting the conflict-hit parts of Rakhine state -- except on short, military-chaperoned trips. On Monday a judge jailed two Reuters journalists -- both Myanmar nationals -- for seven years under a draconian state secrets act linked to their reporting of the crisis. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, had been investigating the extrajudicial killing of Rohingya villagers when they were arrested in December last year. Rights groups decried the case as a sham trial in a country where press freedom has shrivelled, casting into serious doubt some of the gains of the last few years since the end of full junta rule. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto civilian leader, has been hit by a barrage of criticism from outside the country for failing to speak up for the Rohingya throughout the crisis or weigh in on the side of the Reuters' journalists. burs-apj/amu A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (C) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) attend a news conference after meeting in Tehran on September 7, 2018 to discuss Syria's Idlib province Leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran on Friday discussed a step-by-step "stabilisation" in Syria's Idlib, with a possibility of peace with some rebel groups, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the talks. "We have discussed concrete measures regarding a phased stabilisation in the Idlib de-escalation zone, which stipulate... a possibility of making peace for those ready for dialogue," Putin said after the summit in Tehran to discuss the fate of Syria's last rebel bastion. Putin said that Russia hopes that its "call for peace in Idlib zone as well will be heard... we will strive for peace among all warring sides, and we have never factored in terrorist organisations." "We hope that representatives of terrorist organisations will have enough common sense to stop resistance and lay down (their) weapons," Putin said. A joint statement released after the talks gave few more details on the plans for Syria's Idlib. The communique said the leaders "took up the situation in (the) Idlib de-escalation area and decided to address it in line with... the spirit of cooperation that characterised the Astana format". The three countries are guarantors of the Astana process, a track of talks on Syria's civil war launched after Russia's game-changing 2015 military intervention, which led to the creation of de-escalation zones. While Iran and Russia back the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Turkey backs opposition fighters and has warned against an offensive on Idlib that could turn it into a "bloodbath". burs/ma/tm/del/hkb No caption The UN peace envoy for Syria on Friday proposed a plan for Al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Syria's Idlib province to pull back from cities and other civilian-populated areas to avert a bloodbath in the rebel-held province. The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian disaster if Syrian forces, backed by Russia and Iran, launch an all-out attack in Idlib, the last major rebel bastion. Addressing the Security Council, Staffan de Mistura also called for evacuation corridors to be opened for civilians to voluntarily leave the war zone, under UN monitoring. The council was meeting as Turkey clashed with Iran and Russia at a summit in Tehran on how to address the crisis in Idlib, an enclave in northwest Syria where three million people live. De Mistura proposed that a deadline be set for all fighters -- in particular the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front -- to retreat from populated areas and that no military attacks would be launched during the pullback. "This would apply in particular for Al-Nusra, who should be notified by the guarantors, in particular Turkey, which still has the capacity to send messages," he said. A Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed skepticism, saying it was unclear where the fighters would go and whether Syria could be persuaded to halt military action. "There are challenges," he said. - Legitimate target - Russia told the council meeting that some 40 to 45 armed groups with up to 50,000 people were operating in Idlib. About 16,000 are fighting in the ranks of Al-Nusra and 11,300 others are members of hardline groups, said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia. Syrian civilians are "worn out by extremist tyranny" in Idlib, said Nebenzia, adding that armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda remain "a legitimate target for liquidation." Britain recalled that targeting civilians amounts to war crimes and warned that Syrian commanders and military units loyal to President Bashar al-Assad will be held accountable for any violations in Idlib. "There are more babies in Idlib than there are terrorists," said British Ambassador Karen Pierce. "I think this should give those engaged in military action pause for thought." US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned: "If Assad, Russia, and Iran continue, the consequences will be dire." "Syria is once again at the edge of an abyss," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre. De Mistura is to hold talks in Geneva next week with Russia, Iran and Turkey in Geneva, the three countries of the Astana process, a track of talks on Syria's war that has largely eclipsed the UN-led peace process. More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria's seven-year conflict. Syrian protesters in the rebel-held city of Idlib on September 7, 2018 wave the flag of the opposition as they demonstrate against a potential Russia-backed regime assault Hundreds of Syrians took to the streets in the country's last major rebel bastion of Idlib Friday, calling on neighbouring Turkey to help prevent a regime assault on their region. Demonstrators in the northwestern province also denounced a summit in Tehran between the leaders of rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran to determine the province's fate. "We all came to protest to say that this people will not back down and will not return to the era of (President) Bashar al-Assad," said Abdurazzaq Awwad, a father-of-one in Idlib city. "We expect the Turks to stand by this people," said Awwad, 31. "We are not happy at all that the fate of Idlib is being decided in Tehran," said Awwad, who sported a black beard and wore a white shirt. "Idlib's fate should be decided by its people." Syrian protesters in the rebel-held city of Idlib on September 7, 2018 wave the flag of the opposition as they demonstrate against a potential Russia-backed regime assault Around him, protesters held up the three-star flag of the Syrian opposition. "Your plots and conferences mean nothing to us," read one sign. Yussef Sadiq, 35, condemned the conference in Tehran as "Iran is part of the problem." "Most Syrians hope that Turkey's efforts will succeed in stopping an assault against Idlib and in protecting its population," said the bespectacled young man, whose home city of Aleppo was retaken by regime forces in late 2016 after a crippling siege and deadly bombardment. Some three million people live in Idlib province and adjacent areas, the United Nations says, around half of whom have already fled their homes in other parts of Syria. Assad's regime has massed forces around Idlib in recent weeks, sparking international alarm over an imminent offensive on the region controlled by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate and rebels. The United Nations says up to 800,000 people could be displaced by fighting and aid groups fear the worst humanitarian crisis so far in Syria's seven-year war. Turkey, which already hosts more than three million refugees, is keen to avoid a new influx across its border. Sawsan Al-Saeed, a 45-year-old pharmacist from the same city, was defiant. "I am certain that Turkey won't leave the region," she said. Syrian protesters in the rebel-held city of Idlib on September 7, 2018 wave the flag of the opposition as they demonstrate against a potential Russia-backed regime assault Similar demonstrations were held in Idlib's towns of Khan Sheikhun and Jisr al-Shughur, as well as opposition-held areas in the neighbouring provinces of Hama and Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. Assad's Russia-backed regime has retaken large parts of Syria from rebels and jihadists, especially in recent months, through a combination of deadly military campaigns and surrender deals. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of the conflict in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. Tesla shares faced fresh pressure after news of the departure of the electric automaker's chief accounting officer and a bizarre interview with CEO Elon Musk Shares of Tesla Motors tumbled Friday as investors were rattled by the departures of two executives and a late-night interview in which chief executive Elon Musk was seen smoking marijuana. Tesla shares sank 6.3 to close at $263.24 after the latest events that heightened concerns over Musk's erratic management style at the electric carmaker. "Elon's actions are making it harder and harder to support Tesla as a company," said analyst Gene Munster of Loup Ventures. "His actions directly affect Tesla's share price because Elon is Tesla." Munster said that while there may be more "upside" to Tesla, Musk's actions are hurting. "The use of recreational drugs, legal or not, goes against the unspoken rules of being a public CEO," the analyst said in a blog post. Shares came under pressure at the opening following the Musk online interview and news that chief accounting officer Dave Morton was leaving only a month on the job, citing the company's frenetic pace. Separately, human resources chief Gabrielle Toledano told Bloomberg she planned to exit the company, rather than return from a leave of absence. Morton's departure further roiled the company, which has been under heightened scrutiny since Musk's chaotic Twitter announcement on August 7 that he was considering taking Tesla private, before reversing the plan two weeks later. The ill-fated effort has prompted a US securities investigation and a class-action lawsuit alleging Musk was trying to punish investors who bet against the company. Morton's brief tenure with the company coincided with the aborted go-private push. "Since I joined Tesla on August 6th, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations," Morton said in a securities filing. "As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future. I want to be clear that I believe strongly in Tesla, its mission and its future prospects, and I have no disagreements with Tesla's leadership or its financial reporting." - Turning heads in podcast - Musk appeared to be smoking a marijuana-and-tobacco concoction during a podcast interview, the latest in a string of actions raising concerns over his management Musk turned heads with a more than two-hour podcast interview with comedian Joe Rogan in which he drank whiskey and appeared to smoke a marijuana-and-tobacco cigarette proffered by the comedian as he mused about artificial intelligence and colonizing space. At one point, Musk described the constant barrage of ideas in his mind as a "never-ending explosion," and said he wondered as a young boy whether he might be insane because it didn't seem to happen to other people. The appearance was the latest unorthodox move by Musk, who has often surprised investors with brash and unpredictable behavior as Tesla has sought to live up to lofty manufacturing targets for its Model 3 electric car. Long a polarizing figure because of his swashbuckling style, Musk is seen by his champions as an entrepreneurial genius with the potential to remake the transportation system, while his detractors see him as an egotistical blowhard whose outsized promises have driven unjustified gains in the company's values. Especially bizarre moments involving the Tesla chief of late include disparaging remarks about Vernon Unsworth, a Briton who helped save boys trapped in a Thai cave and the abrupt shutdown of Wall Street analyst's questions during a contentious earnings conference call. "At times, Musk appears to be working against himself," analyst Munster wrote. "At the core, we believe he wants to prove his doubters wrong, but many of his actions strengthen the case against him. "If he wanted to prove them wrong with actions, he would delete Twitter, drop the Unsworth conversation and not use recreational drugs in a public setting." In August, Musk told The New York Times he was exhausted from too much work and difficulty sleeping in an interview that sharpened questions about his mental stability. Some observers have said Tesla could be helped with a strong number-two executive, but Friday's departures create additional gaps in Tesla's ranks. This undated image posted on his Linkedin profile shows George Papadopoulos posing on a street of London. The foreign policy advisor to President Donald Trump's election campaign whose contacts with Russians set off the investigation into possible collusion with Moscow is to be sentenced on Friday. After cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe for more than a year, George Papadopoulos faces up to six months in prison for one count of lying to investigators. He has testified that senior members of the Trump campaign encouraged him during 2016 to build ties with Russia, including after he told them that Moscow possessed -- and could be willing to share -- dirt on Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton. Those issues are now at the heart of Mueller's sprawling investigation, which increasingly threatens Trump's inner circle and the president himself. Out of the 35 people and entities so far charged, Papadopoulos is one of five who have pleaded guilty and will be the second to be sentenced. Prosecutors have recommended he be jailed for up to six months for one count of making false statements to investigators. Papadopoulos has asked to be sentenced to probation -- and have that immediately terminated, arguing that the past 13 months he has spent cooperating with the investigation is "the equivalent of one year of probation." - Offered 'dirt' on Clinton - The 31-year-old Chicago native was a little-experienced petroleum analyst based in London when he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 as one of a handful of members of the future president's national security and foreign policy advisory board. Within weeks, he made contact with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who touted links to the Kremlin and introduced him to others who ostensibly had connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin -- including a woman who claimed to be Putin's niece. At the end of March 2016, Papadopoulos told Trump, then-senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and members of the national security team at their first meeting in Washington that he had connections in London that could set up a Trump-Putin meeting ahead of the November election. "While some in the room rebuffed George's offer, Mr Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it," Papadopoulos claimed in a pre-sentencing statement last week. Sessions has claimed he opposed the idea. In subsequent campaign communications, Papadopoulos was encouraged to pursue a Putin-Trump meeting. In late April he told them that Mifsud said the Russians had information that could harm Clinton, in the form of thousands of emails. Weeks later, stolen Clinton emails were leaked over the internet by what US intelligence chiefs now say were Russian intelligence actors. Papadopoulos says he had nothing to do with the leak. - 'Misguided loyalty' to Trump - US investigators were only alerted to Papadopoulos' activities in mid-2016 after he told Australia's ambassador to London, Alexander Downer, about his talks with Mifsud during a late-night drinking session in a London pub. After the Clinton emails were leaked, the Australians told US intelligence counterparts what Downer had heard, spurring the FBI to begin investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. In his pre-sentencing statement, Papadopoulos admitted lying to FBI investigators in January 2017 but said it had been out of a desire to protect his career and a naive loyalty to the Trump administration. The lies did not impede the investigation, he argued. "Caught off-guard by an impromptu interrogation, Mr Papadopoulos misled investigators to save his professional aspirations and preserve a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master," the statement said. Shinya Tsukamoto said his stylish movie is a cry for peace in an age "in which more and more people think that violence is an answer" Cult Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto said Friday that his new film about a pacifist samurai who refuses to kill is "a scream" at the current state of the world. The actor-director with a huge following for his cyberpunk horror movies like "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" and "Tokyo Fist" said he was exasperated with the spread of violence as he premiered his latest film, "Killing", at the Venice film festival. Tsukamoto plays a samurai master who tries to recruit a young wandering ronin fighter in mid-19th century Japan as centuries of relative peace there are threatened by the arrival of the US Navy under Commodore Perry. But despite his master's insistence, the young samurai refuses to kill. Tsukamoto, 58, said the stylish movie was a cry for peace. "As I took in the current state of the world, I had an urge to let out (the film) like a scream. "The act of killing in the Edo period was quite normal. I found many connections with our age, in which more and more people think that violence is an answer," he told reporters. "I asked myself how a young person today would react if they found themselves in that period -- would they be able to kill without hesitation? - 'Stunning' Zhang Yimou - "That's why I created a samurai that doesn't want to kill anymore," Tsukamoto said. Joining Tsukamoto for a Venice screening which drew prolonged applause were Yu Aoi, who as a peasant girl makes her feelings known for the hero, and "The Last Samurai" actor Sosuke Ikematsu The film, which was greeted with prolonged applause and cheering at Venice, also features a remarkable performance from actress Yu Aoi as a peasant girl who makes her feeling known for the hero -- played by "The Last Samurai" star Sosuke Ikematsu -- by giving him the odd punch. Historian Julien Peltier told AFP that the young man's apparently modern, humanist dilemma was a recurring theme in Japanese culture before the samurai myth became the stuff of action films. "While samurais are often reduced in the West to pitiless killers in Japanese literature they were more complex characters, often riven by doubt, particularly during the Edo period (which lasted up to 1868)," said the French author of "samurai". "Killing" was screened after critics had raved about Chinese master Zhang Yimou's latest martial arts film, "Shadow", which the Hollywood Reporter called "stunning". Zhang, the maker of such classics as "Red Sorghum", "Raise the Red Lantern" and "House of Flying Daggers", said the historical epic was inspired by the ying and yang symbol and Chinese ink-brush painting. Director Zhang Yimou, whose much-praised "Ying" (Shadow) is being presented out of competition, told reporters he has just finished an as yet untitled new movie about "small characters from the lower classes" Critic Boyd van Hoeij said "this unexpected combination of constantly wondrous production design and lethal Chinese umbrellas... is probably the most beautiful film Zhang has made." Zhang told reporters that had he has just finished an as yet untitled new film, which is a story of "small characters from the lower classes", in a similar realist style to his highly acclaimed "Coming Home", which starred Gong Li, the superstar actress he discovered in "Red Sorghum" in 1988. South Korean and US Army soldiers stand guard at the Demilitarized Zone on September 7, 2018 Seoul and Washington are moving apart -- even heading in different directions -- on nuclear-armed North Korea, analysts say, putting at risk the diplomatic process on the peninsula. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will travel to Pyongyang later this month for his third summit this year with the North's leader Kim Jong Un, Seoul announced Thursday, with the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula on the agenda. Pyongyang has reaffirmed its commitment to the goal, but the term is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides. Senior US officials have for weeks been referring to the more precise "final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea" specifically, saying Kim promised it at his landmark Singapore summit with President Donald Trump. Pyongyang has made no such public declaration, however. Washington sent mixed messages Thursday, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying the North still had an "enormous amount of work to do", while Trump thanked Kim and tweeted: "We will get it done together." "There's no question that Seoul and Washington are moving at different speeds in their respective relations with Pyongyang," said Evans Revere of the Brookings Institution in Washington. "It's also becoming clear that the two allies are not on the same page when it comes to North Korea." While Washington continues to prioritise the dismantling of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal, Revere said, Seoul has stressed measures to reduce tensions. Any major new goodwill measures by the South are "bound to raise hackles in Washington, create suspicions about... (Seoul's) agenda, and undermine alliance coordination", he added. - 'Insincere, dishonest, shallow' - South Korea and the US are "on a collision course" when it comes to the North, according to Andrei Lankov of Korea Risk Group, as their interests are fundamentally different. "For the United States essentially the only issue, why they worry about North Korea, is nuclear weapons, and they are willing to stop at pretty much nothing to have the nuclear issue solved," he said. But South Korea "can live with a nuclear North Korea", he added. "For them it is far more important to maintain stability at status quo." But Lankov warned that Pyongyang will never surrender its nuclear weapons, as North Korean leaders consider it "collective suicide". If the current diplomatic process fails, Washington could return to threats against Pyongyang, and possibly military action that could rapidly escalate and engulf the South. To prevent such a confrontation, Moon is creating "a wave of insincere, dishonest, shallow optimism", Lankov said. "The message is that basically denuclearisation is proceeding -- which it's not -- that everything is fine." The two allies, he said, were going to experience "a level of friction they have not seen for many, many years". - The Korean War problem - A cartoon is displayed on the wall of a kindergarten, during a guided tour for visiting foreign media in Pyongyang on September 7, 2018 The most recent sticking point between Pyongyang and Washington has been a formal declaration that the Korean War, which ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, is over. The two Koreas have been pushing for such a move, but the US is wary, insisting on first making progress on stripping Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons. "In the North Korean negotiating list (a declaration) is something that was going to come relatively early," said John Delury of Yonsei University in Seoul. "They've been very frustrated that the Americans aren't giving on it." And while Seoul and Pyongyang are moving on a "shared approach", the parallel US-North Korea process is stuck at a time when both sides need to make compromises, Delury added. "It's a problem," he said. "Washington needs to speed up." The US, which backed Seoul against Pyongyang in the 1950-53 conflict, has 28,500 troops stationed on the peninsula to guard the South, a treaty ally. But Revere of Brookings said declaring the Korean War over could allow Pyongyang to argue that US forces are no longer needed in the South. A key goal for Pyongyang, he said, "is to create a situation in which a nuclear-armed North Korea faces a non-nuclear South Korea that no longer hosts US forces". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, center, inspects a military robot deployed with NATO troops in Latvia in July 2018 The Pentagon's research wing said Friday it was investing $2 billion to develop a new generation of artificial intelligence with "human-like communication" skills. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, will use the money to fund around 20 existing projects over the next five years and launch new ones over the next 12 months seeking a higher level of machine learning, the agency's director Steven Walker told reporters near Washington. "We are making multiple research investments aimed at transforming computers from specialized tools to partners in problem-solving," said Walker, referring to the new generation of machines as "AI Next." "We want to explore how machines can acquire human-like communication and reasoning capabilities, with the ability to recognize new situations and environments and adapt to them," he said in a statement. The current generation of smart machines and robots cannot be easily updated when new technology appears, and researchers want them to learn to update themselves, he said. The new smart machines will be designed to help speed up security clearance vetting or accelerated accreditation of software systems, the agency said. Most of DARPA's research, which is entirely funded by the Pentagon, is focused on technologies that can be used in combat, such as drones that are becoming ever more autonomous. Another use could be DARPA's Blackjack project, which aims to develop a constellation of low-orbit satellites that will communicate with one another and can continuously cover military operations. "We will be looking at, under that program, to help satellites be able to communicate and develop a corporate behavior," Walker said. Protesters flee from incoming tear gas canisters fired by Israeli forces during clashes following a demonstration along the Israel-Gaza border, east of Gaza City in the central Gaza Strip on September 7, 2018 A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by the Israeli army during renewed clashes on the Gaza border Friday, the health ministry in the Hamas-run strip said. Bilal Khafaja, 17, was shot in the chest during clashes east of Rafah in southern Gaza, the ministry said in a statement. Several thousand demonstrators approached the border in multiple locations Friday evening, AFP correspondents said, the latest in months of often violent confrontations. At least 45 people were injured by Israeli fire, the ministry said. East of Gaza City balloons attached to incendiary devices were again flown across the border, after being largely absent in recent weeks. A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli forces during clashes following a demonstration at the Israel-Gaza border, east of Gaza City in the central Gaza Strip on September 7, 2018 The balloons have started hundreds of fires inside Israel, causing major damage to farmland. The Israeli military said in a statement that its aircraft targeted two Hamas observation posts after a grenade was thrown and "security infrastructure" damaged. It said thousands of "demonstrators and rioters" had gathered along the border, with some of those involved burning tyres and throwing rocks, incendiary devices and a grenade. Troops responded with "riot dispersal means" and no Israeli personnel were injured, the statement said. East of Gaza City protesters used a net to capture an Israeli drone carrying tear gas cannisters, an AFP correspondent said. Earlier Friday a Palestinian succumbed to his wounds, two months after being shot during protests, Gaza's health ministry said. Amjed Hamdouna, 19, was wounded on July 14. At least 174 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since protests broke out on March 30. Over the same period, one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper. Palestinian paramedics tend to a fallen injured protester during clashes following a demonstration at the Israel-Gaza border, east of Gaza City in the central Gaza Strip on September 7, 2018 The protesters are calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to the homes they or their relatives fled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. Israel accuses Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of manipulating the protests and of seeking to use them as cover to carry out attacks. The Jewish state this week closed the only people crossing with Gaza after violent protests damaged the site. It said it would reopen the passage next Thursday providing the situation is calm. US President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One as he travels to Fargo, North Dakota Donald Trump on Friday urged his attorney general to investigate the anonymous author of a damning op-ed, escalating his long-running battles with the media and highlighting his suspicions that people are seeking to overthrow his presidency. Trump, battling one of the deepest crises in his 20-month presidency, has raged about Wednesday's searing essay, branding its unidentified writer a "gutless" coward and accusing The New York Times of borderline treason for publishing it. "I would say Jeff (Sessions) should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," Trump told reporters traveling with him in North Dakota. "The Times should never have done that, because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason," the president said in an interview with Fox News broadcast earlier Friday. Asked on Air Force One whether action should be taken against the Times, Trump said "I'm looking at that right now." Trump appeared to be calling for a criminal investigation despite there being no indication that the mystery author broke any laws by releasing his extraordinary column, which detailed how "unsung heroes" were quietly working within the administration to frustrate an amoral president's "worst inclinations." The Times said in a statement that any such investigation would be an abuse of power, and that Trump's "threats... underscore why we must safeguard the identity of the writer of this op-ed." "We're confident that the Department of Justice understands that the First Amendment protects all American citizens and that it would not participate in such a blatant abuse of government power," the newspaper said. - 'Whodunnit' - A "whodunnit?" style guessing game has raged in the corridors of power and on social media over the identity of the author of an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times, prompting nearly every cabinet-ranked member of the US government to deny involvement A "whodunnit"-style guessing game has raged in the corridors of power and on social media over the author's identity, prompting nearly every cabinet-ranked member of the government to deny involvement. Among them was Trump's United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who wrote her own op-ed Friday that assails her unnamed fellow senior official for taking the "very dangerous" step of outlining how members of Trump's team are hamstringing the president. "A central part of our democracy requires that those who work directly for the president not secretly try to undermine him or his policies," Haley wrote in The Washington Post. "What the author is describing is an extra-constitutional method of addressing policy disputes within the administration. That's wrong on a fundamental level." Trump also took aim at a book set for release next week by investigative journalist Bob Woodward which offered a damning portrayal of the administration's inner workings, sparking yet another White House crisis and putting the president on the defensive. Trump attacked the book as a "scam," and suggested hardening the country's "pathetic" libel legislation. "Our libel laws should be toughened up so that if somebody writes things that are fraudulent and false, they get sued and they lose," said Trump. Later at a rally in Fargo, Trump called Woodward an "idiot." The respected White House chronicler's "Fear: Trump in the White House," a 448-page account of an out-of-control administration, draws on hundreds of hours of insider interviews. - Not how democracy works - Woodward describes a coalition of like-minded aides plotting to prevent the president from destroying the world trade system, undermining national security and sparking wars. Woodward's is not the first unflattering investigation into Trump's White House, but it has been particularly resonant coming from the man who together with Carl Bernstein authored the Watergate expose that brought down Richard Nixon. He is one of the most respected living US journalists, and has written extensively on modern American presidents, earning praise from Trump in 2013 for his work on Barack Obama. The book depicts Trump aides working to head off potential foreign policy disasters, disregarding a call by the president for the assassination of his Syrian counterpart, and removing from his desk an order that would have canceled a US-South Korea trade agreement. Like Haley, Obama spoke out about the way aides were doing end runs around Trump, saying it was irresponsible to think "that everything will turn out OK because there are people inside the White House who secretly aren't following the president's orders." "That's not how our democracy is supposed to work," he told students at the University of Illinois, in a speech launching his involvement in the 2018 midterm elections. The former president has endorsed dozens of Democrats in races across the country, and he will campaign with some of them ahead of the November 6 elections. Map of Yemen locating the rebel-held port of Hodeida Clashes between Yemen's Huthi rebels and a government alliance led by the United Arab Emirates broke out near the Red Sea city of Hodeida Friday, military sources said. The violence came as United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Geneva have failed to get off the ground, with the Huthi delegation refusing to leave Yemen over alleged fears it will be blocked from returning to the capital Sanaa. Multiple military sources reported the government alliance attempted Friday to close in on rebel-held Hodeida, a city home to impoverished Yemen's most valuable port. The coalition, which launched an offensive on Hodeida in June, advanced some 16 kilometres (10 miles) along the coastal road of the al-Durayhmi district Friday, a military source said. The road is a key supply route for the rebels, who still hold Hodeida city. The fate of embattled Hodeida was scheduled for discussion at the Geneva conference, originally due to open Thursday but now on hold until an agreement is reached with the rebels. The Iran-aligned Huthis have demanded the UN guarantee their delegation's safe return to Sanaa and allow the evacuation of wounded rebels from the capital to nearby Oman. The rebels seized control of Sanaa in 2014 along with the Red Sea Hodeida port. Hodeida's port serves as an entry point for some 70 percent of imports in a country where eight million people face imminent famine. The government and the Saudi-led coalition that backs it accuse the Huthis of receiving smuggled weapons through Hodeida and have demanded their unconditional withdrawal from the city. Government forces backed by the coalition have paused their assault on Hodeida port in what they say is a bid to give UN-led peace efforts a chance, but clashes have erupted sporadically. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen conflict since 2015, when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in the civil conflict between the government and rebels. Protesters in Ecuador have accused Texaco, bought by Chevron in 2001, of polluting the environment An appeals court in The Hague cancelled $9.5 billion in damages handed down by an Ecuadoran court against American energy giant Chevron for causing oil pollution in the Amazon jungle, Ecuador's public prosecutor said Friday. The original ruling dates back to 2011 and was twice upheld on appeal in Ecuador, but Chevron took its protest to The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration, claiming it had already been exonerated of any wrongdoing. The Dutch court decided Ecuador was guilty of "denial of justice" and ordered it to annul its sentence against Chevron, prosecutor Inigo Salvador said. Chevron's lawyers had argued that the plaintiffs had "promised payments" to an Ecuadoran judge "in return for being permitted to draft significant portions" of the ruling against the American multi-national. "We are concerned that a court can ask a state to cancel a judgement by a national court in a case between private entities," said Salvador. The long-running saga stems from Chevron's acquisition of former rival Texaco in 2001. Although Chevron has never worked directly in Ecuador, Texaco Petroleum operated in the South American country from 1964 to 1990 and was accused of causing environmental damage. Thousands of indigenous villagers from the Lago Agrio region claimed they had fallen ill and even developed cancer from pollution in their water supply. An Ecuadoran court originally ordered Chevron to pay $19 billion in damages before the country's supreme court upheld the ruling but halved the amount. Chevron claimed it had already been cleared of responsibility and called the ruling "illegitimate." It filed a fraud case against Ecuador at a district court in New York, winning that and a $96 million award against the South American country. The Hague court's ruling was given on August 30 but did not include any damages awarded to Chevron, Salvador said. US President Donald Trump told reporters on board Air Force One he was ready to slap tariffs on all Chinese goods imported into the United States President Donald Trump threatened Friday to slap tariffs on all of the Chinese goods imported into the United States, ramping up the already tense trade relations with Beijing. The US has punitive tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods already in place, and another $200 billion "in the hopper" that Trump said "could take place very soon." But he told reporters traveling with him to Fargo, North Dakota that "behind that, there's another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want." That would cover virtually all the goods imported from the world's second largest economy. "That totally changes the equation," Trump said. His comments contradict the more diplomatic remarks earlier Friday from his top economic adviser Larry Kudlow who said talks with Beijing are continuing to try to defuse the conflict, and that he was hopeful that a solution could be found. "China, right now, is a far bigger problem," Trump said. "I'm being strong on China because I have to be." The deadline for public comment on the next wave of punitive taxes on $200 billion of annual imports from China expired Thursday, so Trump could impose the tariffs immediately. He previously had threatened to hit 100 percent of imports from China if the country failed to address US concerns over theft of US technology and barriers to American goods and investments. Trump has had Beijing in his crosshairs since he took office, and has applied increasing pressure to try to convince it to change its policies, allow more imports and reduce the $335-billion US trade deficit with China. China so far has retaliated dollar-for-dollar with tariffs of its own on US goods, but since it imports less than $200 billion a year from the United States, it has run out of room to match the US. But businesses warn there are other ways China can strike back, through regulations and other administrative means. The last effort at a negotiated solution came in late August with meetings between low-level officials, but nothing came of it. Former President Barack Obama speaks to students about the importance of voting at the University of Illinois where he accepted the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government Former US President Barack Obama forcefully rebuked the Republican Party on Friday, criticizing it for divisive politics and its retrenchment in global leadership. "What happened to the Republican Party?" Obama asked in a speech at the University of Illinois. "They're undermining our alliances, cozying up to Russia," he said. The party's "central organizing principle in foreign policy was the fight against communism and now they're cozying up to the former head of the KGB." The former president's remarks -- which marked his full return to the political stage -- came ahead of series of campaign stops to help fellow Democrats running in pivotal upcoming midterm races. Democrats are hoping to ride an anti-Donald Trump "blue wave" to gain seats and secure control of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, and are also battling for seats in the Senate. The speech in Obama's home state was a preview of the arguments he is expected to make on the campaign trail. He criticized the divisive politics of the Trump era and took aim at recent Republican policy moves such as the $1.5 trillion in tax cuts that ballooned the nation's budget deficit. "It's supposed to be the party... of fiscal conservatism. Suddenly deficits do not matter," Obama said. The former president implored an audience of college students to vote in the upcoming election. Historically, midterms are lightly attended and Obama made a point of reminding his audience that only one in five young people voted in the 2014 midterm election. "The biggest threat to our democracy is cynicism," Obama said. "You've got to do more than retweet a hashtag, you've got to vote." President Donald Trump told reporters traveling with him to North Dakota that North Korea's Kim Jong Un had made a "very positive" statement about him US President Donald Trump said Friday he was expecting a "positive" new letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, indicating that negotiations on denuclearizing the peninsula remain alive after weeks of apparent deadlock. "I know that a letter is being delivered to me, a personal letter from Kim Jong Un to me, that was handed at the border," Trump told reporters traveling with him to North Dakota. "I think it's going to be a positive letter." Trump, who said he expects Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to deliver the note, also brought up a statement from Kim on Thursday emphasizing his continuing "trust in Trump," despite difficulties in denuclearization negotiations. "That was a very positive statement, what he said about me," Trump said. "There's never been a more positive statement." He accused the news media of not covering it, however, adding: "Honestly I didn't see it on the front page of your papers." Trump lauded the progress he said had been made with Pyongyang since the June summit with the North Korean leader in Singapore. "We have our hostages back," he said. "I say it a hundred times -- no missiles, no rockets, no nuclear testing. There's been some rhetoric, let's see what happens." Kim on Thursday renewed his commitment to the goal of denuclearization in talks with a special envoy from Seoul, ahead of a summit planned in Pyongyang September 18-20 with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "The north and the south should further their efforts to realize the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. Kim's expression of confidence in Trump, relayed by Seoul's envoy, prompted the US president to tweet out his thanks to the North Korean leader and vow to "get it done together." Trump and Kim pledged to denuclearize the Korean peninsula at the Singapore summit but no details were agreed. And Washington and Pyongyang have sparred since on what that means and how it will be achieved. - 'Still more work to do' - Trump in late August canceled a planned trip to Pyongyang by Pompeo over a lack of progress in North Korea's nuclear disarmament. But relations seem to have improved since then. South Korean national security advisor Chung Eui-yong, who met with Kim, said the North Korean leader also emphasized that his "trust in Trump remains unchanged," the comment which led to the US president's tweet. Chung added that Kim expressed his intention to work closely with the United States to achieve denuclearization "in the first official term of President Trump," which ends in January 2021. In a statement on August 24, Trump said he was scotching Pompeo's trip "because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." He also slammed China as not helping with the effort to convince Pyongyang to halt its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. In New Delhi on Thursday, Pompeo, the former US intelligence chief who heads the US negotiating effort, struck a sober note, saying there was still much work to do. North Korea "is the only country that has commitments under UN Security Council resolutions," Pompeo told reporters. "It is the case that there is still an enormous amount of work to do. We haven't had any nuclear tests, we haven't had any missile tests, which we consider a great thing," Pompeo added. "But the work of convincing Chairman Kim to make the strategic shift which we talked about, for a brighter future for the people of North Korea, continues." US President Donald Trump frequently lashes out at what he calls the "Deep State" seeking to thwart his agenda The "Deep State." President Donald Trump rails against it all the time. But what is it? And does it even exist? Trump's latest salvo against the shadowy forces he sees as ranged against him came after The New York Times published an opinion piece by someone identified as a "senior administration official." The anonymous author claimed to be a member of the "Resistance" inside Trump's administration, "working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations." "It may be a Deep State person that's been there a long time," Trump complained to the show "Fox and Friends," speculating on the identity of the author. "The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy - & they don't know what to do," he tweeted, lumping his favorite villains together. "I'm draining the Swamp, and the Swamp is trying to fight back. Don't worry, we will win," he assured his supporters in another tweet. Trump's broadsides came on the heels of the publication of a book by Bob Woodward of Watergate fame that painted a picture of a dysfunctional White House in which even top cabinet appointees have a dim view of the president and are doing their best to contain him. Like the "Deep State" itself, the origins of the term are shrouded in mystery. Some political observers see the "Deep State" as the heir to the "military-industrial complex" warned about by former president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Some have used the phrase to refer to the military power structures behind ostensibly democratic regimes in countries such Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey. - Leaks are its currency - For some, the "Deep State" is the thousands of federal government employees who soldier on through changes in administration. "The Deep State is, in fact, a very real thing," geopolitical analyst George Friedman wrote in The Huffington Post. "It is, however, neither a secret nor nearly as glamorous as the concept might indicate. "This entity is called the civil service, and it was created to limit the power of the president." The anonymous author of the piece in The New York Times lent some credence to this explanation, seeking to reassure readers there are "adults in the room." "This isn't the work of the so-called Deep State," he or she wrote. "It's the work of the steady state." Writing in The Guardian in April, Jack Goldsmith, a law professor at Harvard, said the "Deep State," such as it is, is "national security bureaucrats who use secretly collected information to shape or curb the actions of elected officials." If the "Deep State" does indeed exist, leaks to the press -- Trump's "enemy of the people" -- are its currency. They are the weapon of choice used by its members to undermine or put the brakes on policies they oppose. "Since Trump was elected, unusually sensitive leaks of intelligence information designed to discredit him and his senior leadership have poured forth from current and former intelligence officials in the Deep State," Goldsmith said. Trump, for his part, said that "unelected, Deep State operatives who defy the voters to push their own secret agendas are truly a threat to democracy itself." The far right has been warning about the dangers of the "Deep State" ever since Trump took office, accusing it of seeking to thwart his conservative agenda. "The Deep State: How an Army of Bureaucrats Protected Barack Obama and Is Working to Destroy the Trump Agenda," is the title of a book by Jason Chaffetz, a former Republican congressman from Utah, one of several recently published tomes on the subject. Former president Barack Obama's remarks in his home state of Illinois came after a nearly two-year absence from the political stage, during which he avoided directly criticizing Trump and made a calculated effort not to utter his successor's name Barack Obama assailed US Republicans Friday for failing to keep President Donald Trump in check, in a forceful return to the political fray aimed at firing up Democratic voters ahead of key elections. Since leaving office, the 44th US president has pointedly avoided direct criticism of his successor, making a calculated effort not to utter Trump's name. But on Friday the gloves came off. "What happened to the Republican Party?" asked Obama, accusing Trump of "capitalizing" on "fear and anger." In a nod to the turbulence of the past week -- which saw allegations of a secret "resistance" working inside the White House -- the 57-year-old Obama poured scorn on the idea that "everything will turn out okay" because some of Trump's staff are secretly ignoring the boss's orders. "That's not how our democracy is supposed to work," Obama thundered, in reference to the revelations by investigative journalist Bob Woodward whose new book describes Trump's aides battling to rein in an angry, uninformed president. The Democratic former president assailed Republicans as "unwilling to find the backbone" to challenge Trump head-on -- accusing them instead of answering "outrageous" actions with "vague statements of disappointment." "They're not doing us a service by actively promoting 90 percent of the crazy stuff that's coming out of this White House, and then saying, 'Don't worry, we're preventing the other 10 percent,'" he said. Obama's remarks to an auditorium of college students in Illinois -- the state he represented before he won the White House -- marked the opening salvo in a series of campaign stops aimed at boosting fellow Democrats in November's midterm elections, when voters will elect much of Congress and 36 state governorships. - Trump a 'symptom' - In a wide-ranging speech punctuated by frequent applause, Obama criticized the divisive politics of the era, decrying Trump's attacks on the media and the judiciary, his eagerness to work with Russia while neglecting traditional alliances. But he also sounded a hopeful note about the apparent mobilization of Democratic voters. "Out of this political darkness I am seeing a great awakening of citizenship all across the country," Obama said. Calling out the president by name, Obama said Trump was a "symptom, not the cause" of broader ailments in the nation's politics. The president -- who was traveling in North Dakota -- took a swipe back at his predecessor after the speech, telling a crowd of supporters at a fundraiser: "I watched it, but I fell asleep." "I found he's very good, very good for sleeping." Taking aim at a key campaign argument by Trump's Republicans, Obama challenged them for laying claim to a roaring economic recovery that saw 200,000 jobs added last month. "When you hear how great the economy's doing right now, let's just remember when this recovery started," he said, recalling that he had inherited a dangerous economic downturn and left office amid a recovery. Trump fired back by pointing at the country's 4.2 percent growth rate for the second quarter -- accusing Obama of "trying to take credit for this incredible thing that's happening." Had Democrats won control of Congress two year ago, he jeered, "instead of having 4.2 up, I believe, honestly, we'd have 4.2 down." - 'You've got to vote' - Having devoted most of his time since leaving office to writing his memoirs and setting up his presidential foundation in Chicago, Obama will be back in the limelight in coming weeks with campaign stops planned in California Saturday, and Ohio on Thursday. The hugely popular former first lady Michelle Obama will also be bringing star power to Democratic races in Las Vegas and Miami late this month. Democrats are hoping to ride an anti-Trump "blue wave" to take control of the House of Representatives, and are also battling for seats in the Senate. Obama's speech was a preview of the arguments he will make on the campaign trail -- partly in an attempt to reach out to voters in parts of the country he won in 2012, but which voted for Trump in 2016. The former president implored the young Illinois audience to take a stand in November, warning "our democracy depends on it." "This is one of those pivotal moments when every one of us, as citizens of the United States, need to determine just who it is that we are, just what it is that we stand for." "You've got to do more than retweet a hashtag, you've got to vote," he said. Mdagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina, pictured speaking in June 2018, announced he would step down ahead of the upcoming election Madagascan President Hery Rajaonarimampianina stepped down Friday, in line with the constitution, to contest elections in which he will face rivals including opposition leader and ex-president Andry Rajoelina. Rajaonarimampianina resigned two months ahead of the November 7 vote on the Indian Ocean island that has been beset by political instability. "The time has come for me to resign in accordance with the constitution and today I have submitted my request to the constitutional court," he said in a brief televised speech. Mounting protests earlier this year forced Rajaonarimampianina to accept the formation of a "consensus" government tasked with organising the election. Demonstrators took to the capital Antananarivo's central square between April and June over Rajaonarimampianina's efforts to change electoral laws that opponents said were intended to favour his party. The proposals were overturned by the courts. But the protests morphed into a full-blown movement to oust Rajaonarimampianina. Clashes between activists and the security forces claimed two lives and left more than a dozen injured. Also on the ballot paper will be opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana, Rajoelina's predecessor as civilian head of state. Rajoelina removed Ravalomanana from power in a coup in 2009. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent in the first round, a second round of voting will be held on December 19. Madagascar, a former French colony with a population of 25 million, has been endured decades of political crises and grinding poverty. The country's interim leader will be senate Speaker Riko Rakotovao. According to Bob Woodward's account, when Donald Trump urged him to assassinate Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad 2017, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hung up the phone and and said: "We're not going to do any of that" A secret "resistance" is working from within to cushion the United States from Donald Trump's worst instincts, according to damning accounts of his leadership that rattled the corridors of power this week. The alleged gap between the president's orders and what his mistrustful lieutenants actually do has been most apparent in bombshell revelations about the White House approach to foreign policy. Anecdote after anecdote in an anonymously published New York Times article and an incendiary book by veteran investigative reporter Bob Woodward have painted the same picture of a "two track presidency." Woodward's "Fear: Trump in the White House," due for release next week, offers perhaps the most disquieting examples of aides plotting to head off potential foreign policy disasters. The reporter who made his name bringing down Richard Nixon describes West Wing aides and other senior officials taking more measured steps time and again to mitigate Trump's decisions. Backed by hundreds of hours of taped conversations, Woodward recounts that Trump wanted to have Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad assassinated in 2017. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hung up the phone, according to Woodward, and said: "We're not going to do any of that. We're going to be much more measured." Woodward describes how Gary Cohn, Trump's former top economic advisor, swiped a letter from the president's desk to avoid him canceling a trade agreement with strategic ally South Korea. Consulted later by a colleague worried Trump was poised to sign a decree pulling the United States out of the NAFTA trade pact with Mexico and Canada, Cohen reportedly replied: "I can stop this." "I'll just take the paper off his desk." - Determination - The New York Times op-ed, published anonymously by a senior administration official, alleged that the president "complained for weeks" after being "boxed into" expelling a large number of Moscow's spies as punishment for the poisoning of a Russian double-agent in Britain. Bob Woodward describes how Gary Cohn, Donald Trump's former top economic advisor, swiped a letter from the president's desk to avoid him canceling a trade agreement with strategic ally South Korea "In public and in private, President Trump shows a preference for autocrats and dictators, such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un," the piece said. It accused Trump of displaying little genuine appreciation for "the ties that bind us to allied, like-minded nations." "Trump wants to be Putin's friend, but in the meanwhile, the administration continues its work, methodically, makes the determination that the Russians are responsible for the poisoning and, according to the law, take sanctions," said a US official convinced that other governments pay more attention to such punishment than to Trump's rants. The "two track" presidency has been at its most apparent, according to Trump critics, in US relations with Russia. This was especially the case after Trump's summit with Putin in July, when he sided with the Russian leader's denials, rather than US intelligence agencies' insistence, that Moscow interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. Under pressure from lawmakers who are hostile to Putin, Trump later backtracked, albeit half-heartedly, and said he supported his intelligence people. On North Korea, too, a sort of two track diplomacy seems to have been in place since the summit during which Trump met with the hermetic Asian nation's leader Kim Jong Un. Daniel Sneider, of Stanford University, said most US officials working on North Korea policy were focused on keeping Trump from meeting again with Kim, to whom they say he made concessions without getting anything in return. - On the sidelines - "The (Pyongyang) regime expressed a clear preference for dealing only with President Trump," said Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. While serving as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, whom some described as a buffer against White House chaos along with Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, managed for a while to dissuade Donald Trump from leaving the Iranian nuclear accord While Kim praised his American counterpart personally, North Korean officials have sought to keep Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines. This dynamic played out again Thursday as Kim said he trusted Trump in the process to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Trump immediately fired back on Twitter: "Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!" On Syria, Trump said in June he wanted nothing more to do with the war-torn country, forcing his civilian and military advisors to explain why the US had to remain committed to resolving the conflict. On other issues, from the Paris climate change accord to the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, internal conflicts within the administration were won by Trump. While serving as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, whom some lawmakers described as a buffer against White House chaos along with Mattis, managed for a while to dissuade Trump from leaving the Iranian nuclear accord. Tillerson's right hand man, Brian Hook, even reached a deal with European allies to toughen the text, diplomats say. But it was all in vain as Tillerson was fired in March and two months later Trump abandoned the nuclear accord. Actor Vince Vaughn faces charges for drinking and driving in Los Angeles Actor Vince Vaughn faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test, officials said Friday. Vaughn, who starred in the comedy "The Wedding Crashers" and the second series of "True Detective," is being charged with "misdemeanor driving under the influence after he was stopped at a sobriety checkpoint in Manhattan Beach earlier this summer," the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Vaughn, 48, will also be charged with "refusing to comply with a peace officer or to submit to an inspection" when he was pulled over in June, the attorney's office said. Both are misdemeanor charges and Vaughn could face a maximum sentence of 360 days in jail, the attorney's office said. He will appear in court on September 10 to formally face the charges. Vaughn was at the Venice Film Festival this week presenting his latest movie "Dragged Across Concrete," in which he co-stars with Mel Gibson and Jennifer Carpenter. US President Donald Trump told reporters on board Air Force One he was ready to slap tariffs on all Chinese goods imported into the United States President Donald Trump threatened Friday to slap tariffs on all of the Chinese goods imported into the United States, ramping up the already tense trade relations with Beijing amid ongoing talks with Canada and the EU. His comments, which contradicted the more diplomatic remarks earlier Friday from his top economic adviser, sent the stock market plunging amid fears of the economic damage that could result from the multi-front trade war he pursues. The United States already has punitive tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods in place and another $200 billion are "in the hopper" and "could take place very soon," Trump said. But he told reporters traveling with him to Fargo, North Dakota that "behind that, there's another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want." That would cover virtually all the goods imported from the world's second largest economy. "That totally changes the equation," Trump said. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow just hours before said talks with Beijing were continuing to try to defuse the conflict, and that he was hopeful that a solution could be found. And there have been more positive signs in talks with North American partners as well as with the European Union. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer held another day of meetings with Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement, after reaching a deal last week with Mexico. However, Freeland left Washington without a deal in hand and the schedule for any future talks was uncertain. Lighthizer is due to meet Monday in Brussels with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom to resolve the dispute ignited when Trump imposed steep duties on all steel and aluminum imports. And Freeland is due to attend a Liberal Party meeting on Wednesday and Thursday prior to the opening of Parliament. - China a 'bigger problem' - Trump tax on Chinese goods "China, right now, is a far bigger problem," Trump said. "I'm being strong on China because I have to be." The deadline for public comment on the next wave of punitive taxes on $200 billion of annual imports from China expired Thursday, so Trump could impose the tariffs immediately. He previously had threatened to hit 100 percent of imports from China if the country failed to address US concerns over theft of US technology and barriers to American goods and investments. Trump has had Beijing in his crosshairs since he took office and has applied increasing pressure to try to convince it to change its policies, allow more US imports and reduce the $335-billion US trade deficit with China. China so far has retaliated dollar-for-dollar with tariffs of its own on US goods but since it imports less than $200 billion in goods a year from the United States, it has run out of room to match the punitive measures. But businesses warn there are other ways China can strike back, through regulations and other administrative means, or even through sales of its large holdings of US Treasury debt. The last effort at a negotiated solution came in late August with meetings between low-level officials, but nothing came of it. In Beijing, China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday it was ready to retaliate. "If the US dogmatically implements any new tariff measures against China, China will have to take the necessary countermeasures," commerce spokesman Gao Feng told reporters. Those steps include slapping tariffs on $60 billion of US imports, Gao said. - NAFTA talks 24/7 - Trump said talks with Canada to revise the 25-year-old NAFTA were "moving along" but again called the agreement "one of the worst trade deals in history." "Canada has been ripping us off for a long time. Now, they've got to treat us fairly," he said, and again threatened to impose duties on cars produced in Canada. Last week, Washington reached a new deal with Mexico and is pushing to sign a revamped NAFTA before December 1, when the next president takes over in Mexico City. Following meetings on Friday, Freeland told reporters the issues were "complicated" but that officials were working "really at this point 24/7." However, she seemed to have a different position than Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo on the relationship between the NAFTA talks and the US steel and aluminum tariffs. Guajardo said Thursday it would be "very strange" to sign a new NAFTA "when this trade war is pending." "So the idea would be to table a solution to these trade aggressions before signing," Guajardo said at a conference in Mexico City. But Freeland said on Thursday the metals tariffs and NAFTA talks "are entirely separate" -- although she again called them "unjustified and illegal." The NAFTA talks between Washington and Ottawa have been hung up over Canada's insistence on retaining a dispute resolution mechanism in Chapter 19 and US objections over Ottawa's tight controls over the dairy market. Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point's vice-president for Europe says that smartphones are an ideal surveillance tool as "they accompany you everywhere and are almost always switched on" Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point on Friday said a surveillance operation had targeted the smartphones of several hundred Iranian citizens via malware implanted in their handsets, indicating Tehran was responsible. "This is the first time to our knowledge that a technical analysis technique has highlighted the fact a government has led a cyberespionage campaign on smartphones," the firm's vice-president for Europe, Thierry Karsenti, told AFP. He added that smartphones were an ideal tool for surveillance as "they accompany you everywhere and are almost always switched on". The company said its investigation had found around 240 people affected and nearly all were Iranians, "consistently aligning with our estimation that this campaign is of Iranian origin". However, the firm also found some targets from Britain as well as Afghanistan. Check Point also established that some supporters in Iran of the Islamic State group, as well as some of Kurdish and Turkish origin -- people "that could pose a threat to stability of the Iranian regime" -- had also been targeted by mobile applications containing spyware. One of the applications monitored came from a firmware system update website which initially linked through to an Iranian internet protocol address before switching to a Russian one. Filmmaker Maxim Pozdorovkin warns in a new film of the dangers of relying too heavily on robots and computers Automation is killing us, warns filmmaker Maxim Pozdorovkin in his new documentary "The Truth About Killer Robots," which premieres Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film is also the first ever to be narrated by a robot -- a possible sign of what's to come in the motion picture industry. "When I started making the movie, the idea of robots killing people was very trendy, people were talking about the theoretical possibilities," Pozdorovkin told AFP. Most cautionary tales about automation have considered "what robots will be able to do in the future," he said. "But I'm more interested in how technology presently works on us. How is automation transforming us? This is a deeper issue, fundamental to who we are as a species." The movie considers laws for robots first imagined by Isaac Asimov in the his 1942 short story "Runaround," which states that machines must not harm humans. It presents the viewpoints of engineers, journalists, philosophers and, through archival footage, Asimov himself. In the film, Pozdorovkin points to deaths at a VW factory in Germany, in self-driving Tesla vehicles in the United States and from an explosives-carrying robot used by Dallas police to end an armed standoff. The cases raise questions about accountability, legality and morality. Robots, Pozdorovkin suggests, are also job killers, as well as making our minds lazy and fraying our connections to other people. "We're talking about massive societal changes," he said. "And I think it's going to continue." Many of the impacts are incremental, as in the case of American truck drivers who are now being tasked with effectively "baby-sitting" robot navigators, for less money. "Before a truck driver is fully replaced by automation, their wages, their skills and their sense of dignity are slowly being degraded" as they hand over more and more tasks to computers, Pozdorovkin explained. He noted inroads by artificial intelligence and robots far beyond factory floors, such as in law firms, pizza restaurants and taxis (which provoked five driver suicides in New York), and supplanting even a spouse in one case in China, where men outnumber women. - Losing our humanity - The economic benefits are easy to understand: robots are faster and more productive. But what will happen to all of the people who lose their jobs to automation? More pressing for UC Berkeley philosopher John Campbell is the "loss of authentic connections with another person" as we increasingly turn to robots and artificial intelligence. He explains in the film that robots made to mimic human emotions -- or trick us -- risk making people less empathetic overall. "Relying on tech, your mind gets lazier," comments a witness to the Florida highway crash with a semi-trailer that resulted in the decapitation of the owner of the self-driving Tesla car, who was watching a movie at the time. The case of the Dallas police attaching explosives to a bomb disposal robot and sending it into a building to kill a man who ambushed a group of officers in 2016 was described in media reports cited in the film as a "watershed moment in police tactics." It was the first time American police used a robot to kill anyone. But it was what came afterward that interested Pozdorovkin: the Dallas police chief asked the city council for more technology, not officers, to respond to future threats. The filmmaker interviewed Chris Webb, a police sniper who responded to the Dallas attack, saying increased automation in policing was leading to "a loss of interpersonal relationships between officers and the community the officers serve." "We're becoming more robotic," he said. HBO television will show the film on November 26. On Tuesday, Pozdorovkin and the film's director of photography Joe Bender will also host a talk in Toronto about increasing automation. George Papadopoulos, a one-time foreign policy advisor to US President Donald Trump's election campaign, leaves the US District Court in Washington after his sentencing on September 7, 2018 A former advisor to US President Donald Trump whose contacts with Russians set off the investigation into possible collusion with Moscow was jailed Friday for lying to the FBI. US District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos to 14 days in prison, acknowledging his guilty plea and his remorse, but noting that he "lied in an investigation that was important to national security." Papadopoulos was the second person ordered to prison in the sprawling, 16-month Russia collusion investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and came just over two weeks after two former top aides to Trump were convicted of felony crimes in cases that grew out of the probe. Trump sought to ridicule the sentence, suggesting that it was trivial accomplishment for an investigation that has cost millions since it began in May 2017 -- while ignoring the 35 indictments, five guilty pleas and one trial conviction Mueller has racked up so far. "14 days for $28 MILLION - $2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!" Trump tweeted. But Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has its own Russia collusion investigation, applauded Mueller's work. "Despite constant attacks by the President and his allies, Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team have once again demonstrated that they are conducting a serious, professional investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians during the 2016 election," Warner said in a statement. - Tried to arrange Trump-Putin meeting - Papadopoulos, 31, was an inexperienced oil analyst based in London when he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 as one of a handful of members of the Republican candidate's national security advisory board. Told the campaign's priority was to improve relations with Russia, within weeks he made contact with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who touted links to the Kremlin. Mifsud introduced him to others who ostensibly had connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin -- including a woman who claimed to be Putin's niece. At a campaign meeting at the end of March 2016 Papadopoulos told Trump, then-senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and other campaign officials that he had connections in London that could set up a Trump-Putin meeting ahead of the November election. "While some in the room rebuffed George's offer, Mr Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it," Papadopoulos's lawyers said in a pre-sentencing statement last week. Sessions has claimed he opposed the idea, but Papadopoulos continued to discuss the idea with top campaign officials over the following months. In late April, he also told them that Mifsud said the Russians had information that could harm Clinton, in the form of thousands of emails. Weeks later, stolen Clinton emails were leaked over the internet by what US intelligence chiefs now say were Russian intelligence actors. Papadopoulos says he had nothing to do with the leak. - 'Young and ambitious' - Papadopoulos's lawyer Tom Breen claimed that Trump hindered the Russia probe more than his client After being tipped off by an Australian diplomat that Papadopoulos had spoken about Russians having dirt on Clinton, the Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly opened a probe into whether people in Trump's campaign were colluding with Russia. Papadopoulos admitted that he lied to FBI investigators when they interviewed him on January 27, 2017. "In January 2017, I made a terrible mistake for which I paid dearly, I am ashamed," Papadopoulos had told the court in Washington. "I was young and ambitious." His lawyer Tom Breen said that at the time, Papadopoulos was naive and acted on what he told the court was a "misguided loyalty" to Trump, who had been inaugurated as president just one week before. Already at that time, Breen noted, Trump was calling the allegations of Russian interference in the election "fake news" and a "political witch hunt" -- terms he continues to use for the Mueller probe. "The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever did," Breen said. Moss, the federal judge, said he took into consideration Papadopoulos's "genuine remorse" in issuing the light sentence, which included a $9,500 fine, a year on parole and community service. Papadopoulos has cooperated for more than a year with Mueller's probe, but it remains unknown whether he has provided the probe with any information supporting allegations of collusion with Russia. Mueller's office did not immediately comment on the sentence. Authorities were seeking to charge the officer, who has not yet been named, with manslaughter; Dallas Police U. Renee Hall told a news conference the incident was "a very unique situation" Protesters in Texas are demanding immediate jail for a Dallas police officer who entered the wrong apartment mistaking it for her own and shot dead the black man who lived there. The officer, who police have yet to identify and has been placed on leave pending official charges, will face criminal charges for the fatal shooting, officials said Friday. A racially-mixed crowd gathered near the crime scene for a candlelight vigil late Friday to honor the victim, identified as Botham Shem Jean, 26, an immigrant from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. "We are here to express our outrage, and we are here to demand accountability," said Imam Omar Suleiman, an activist at the event organized by the Dallas-based Mothers Against Police Brutality group. "If this was not an officer that pulled the trigger, this person would be in a jail cell tonight!" Suleiman said Mourners carried signs with slogans that read "Have a trial when police kill" and "Where is justice when police kill us?" Authorities are seeking to charge the officer with manslaughter. Dallas Police chief U. Renee Hall told a news conference that the shooting was "a very unique situation." "We have ceased handling (the incident) under our normal officer-involved shooting protocol," the chief said, adding that the officer's blood was being tested for drugs and alcohol. - 'Was in no wrong place' - The shooting took place late Thursday at the end of the officer's work shift. While still in uniform, she told authorities she mistakenly walked into Jean's apartment in an upscale complex near downtown Dallas. Police did not yet know what interaction occurred between Jean and the officer. After the officer shot Jean, she called emergency services and told responding officers that she had thought she had entered her own apartment. "Right now there are more questions than answers," Chief Hall said. Jean had graduated from a private Christian college in Arkansas in 2016 and had since been working at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas. "It just still feels like a nightmare," Jean's mother, Allison Jean, told NBC News. "I wish I would wake up and find that it wasn't true." Allison Jean -- who according to the St. Lucia Times has served for years in the island's government -- said the details of her son's shooting make no sense. Her son "was in no wrong place at any wrong time. He was in his sanctuary, in the place where he called home. He didn't deserve this," she told NBC. Jean's sister, Allisa Charles-Findley, said she needs "answers for my baby brother." "Just last week I was thinking of what to get you for your birthday," she wrote on Facebook, "now I have to go pick out your casket." Neighbor Alyssa Kinsey told The Dallas Morning News that Jean helped her move new furniture into her apartment soon after she moved into the building with her family in April. "I'll remember his smile," she said. "It just lit up a room." Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma is stepping down from the e-commerce giant he co-founded Alibaba co-founder and chief Jack Ma announced he will leave from the Chinese e-commerce giant Monday to devote his time to philanthropy focused on education. Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus. His own worth has soared along with that of the company, which was valued at $420.8 billion based on its share price at the close of trading on Friday. Ma told The New York Times that he plans to step down from the company, referring to his retirement as "the beginning of an era" rather than an end. After being knocked back by US venture capitalists in 1999, cash-strapped Chinese entrepreneur Ma persuaded friends to give him $60,000 to start an e-commerce firm called Alibaba. As he prepares to leave the company, Ma is among China's super rich. His net worth was estimated at $36.6 billion by Forbes. Ma will turn 54 years old on Monday, the day he is retiring. He gave up his university teaching job after discovering the internet. Seeing an opportunity for small businesses to buy and sell their goods online, he started Alibaba, initially running the company out of his apartment in the eastern city of Hangzhou. "The first time I used the internet, I touched on the keyboard and I find 'well, this is something I believe, it is something that is going to change the world and change China,'" Ma once told CNN. Ma has inspired strong devotion among his employees and users, drawing comparisons with late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs -- although he practiced a more open management style. A devotee of tai chi, he has made references to Chinese martial arts in both business strategy and corporate culture. Porter Erisman, a former Alibaba employee who made a documentary about the firm, "Crocodile in the Yangtze," said: "What Silicon Valley is known for, he embodies a lot of that with Chinese characteristics -- that spirit of openness, risk-taking, innovation." Ma graduated from the Hangzhou Teachers College with a major in English-language education, and went on to teach at another university in the city, where Alibaba is still headquartered. Chinese state media have burnished his rags-to-riches story, saying his parents were poorly educated and his father depended on a monthly retirement allowance of just $40 to support the family. Ma's success was evident after Alibaba's Taobao bested eBay in China, forcing the US auction site to largely withdraw from the country in 2006. A guard closes the gate of the Embassy of Taiwan in San Salvador in August 2018 The United States on Friday recalled its envoys to three Latin American countries that recently switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, saying it would hold consultations with the diplomats. The move comes after Washington accused Beijing last month of destabilizing cross-Strait relations and engaging in a campaign of "political interference" by poaching Taiwan's allies in the western hemisphere. "The Department of State has called back the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, the US Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes and the US Charge d'Affaires in Panama Roxanne Cabral," a statement said Friday. "Our three chiefs of mission will meet with US government leaders to discuss ways in which the United States can support strong, independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean," it added. Taiwan and China have been engaged for years in a diplomatic tug-of-war in developing countries, with economic support and other aid often used as bargaining chips for diplomatic recognition. Beijing sees self-ruling, democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be brought back into the fold and has not ruled out using force to do so. Relations between Taipei and Beijing have worsened since Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016 as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China." El Salvador, which switched its ties in August, became the fifth diplomatic loss under Tsai's presidency and the third this year. But while most countries have established formal relations with Beijing rather than rival Taipei in recent decades, Taiwan still has unofficial relationships with powerful countries. Its most important unofficial ally is the US, which remains Taiwan's leading arms supplier, despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. Ties have warmed between the US and Taiwan in recent months, incensing Beijing. Some analysts saw the poaching of El Salvador as an indirect slap in the face to President Donald Trump's administration and a warning against further friendly overtures. Alibaba founder Jack Ma is venerated in China thanks to his remarkable rags to riches rise Jack Ma was a cash-strapped Chinese entrepreneur and former English teacher when he convinced friends to give him $60,000 to start a Chinese e-commerce firm called Alibaba in 1999. Almost two decades later, Alibaba is an internet juggernaut and Ma is among the world's richest men, with a net worth of more than $40 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. But the company's chairman is now retiring, telling The New York Times that he plans to step down on Monday -- his 54th birthday -- to devote his time to philanthropy focused on education. Alibaba Group includes Tmall.com for business-to-consumer transactions and Taobao, China's most popular online consumer marketplace with hundreds of millions of products and services listed. The company has now become a player in online payments and films, and it has been pouring investment into an array of ventures, including bricks-and-mortar retail, cloud computing, meal delivery and advertising. It owns a stake in China's hugely popular Twitter-like Weibo platform and in 2015 it bought the South China Morning Post newspaper. Ma, whose Chinese name is Ma Yun, has often described himself as something on an accidental entrepreneur, giving up his university teaching for the hustle of trade after discovering the internet. Seeing an opportunity for small businesses to buy and sell their goods online, he started Alibaba, initially running the company out of his apartment in the eastern city of Hangzhou, where the company's headquarters remains. He has inspired strong devotion among his employees and users, drawing comparisons with late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs -- although he practices a more open management style. He is one of the most colourful of China's growing cop of billionaires, performing a Michael Jackson-inspired dance routine at the company's 18th anniversary celebration last year, and starring in his own kung fu short film. He likes to recount his stories of rejection, such as the time he was turned down for a job at the KFC fast-food chain and being rejected by Harvard "10 times". Ma's success was evident after Alibaba's Taobao bested eBay in China, forcing the US auction site to largely withdraw from the country in 2006. He retired as Alibaba's chief executive in 2013, eventually handing the reins to his protege Daniel Zhang, but he remained active within the company, providing strategic direction as chairman. Ma has long shown an admiration for Microsoft founder Bill Gates who has donated vast amounts of his wealth to philanthropic causes. Like Gates he has created his own eponymous foundation -- the Jack Ma Foundation -- which he says will push his original calling: education. "This is something I think I can do much better than being CEO of Alibaba," he told Bloomberg TV recently. Jawar Mohammed, a prominent Oromo activist and director of the United States-based Oromia Media Network (OMN)returned to Ethiopia in August after the country withdrew coup plotting charges it had filed against him in 2017 Jawar Mohammed was once so hated by the Ethiopian state that the media activist was accused of coup plotting while viewers of his anti-government broadcasts were hunted down. Yet today he hosts politicians and diplomats in his hotel room in the Ethiopian capital, and enjoys the protection of government-supplied bodyguards. The dramatic change in Jawar's fortunes mirrors the breakneck reforms implemented in recent months by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has sought to open up his repressive nation. To his supporters, Jawar is a freedom fighter who through his US-based Oromia Media Network (OMN) promoted protests that rocked Ethiopia's ruling party and led to Abiy's rise. To his detractors, he's an ethnic hate-monger intent on destabilising Africa's second most-populous country. In Ethiopia, there is scarcely a more polarising figure, a role for which Jawar makes no apologies. "Who cares?" he told AFP in a recent interview. "I don't regret a single day. I wanted to bring down the bloody government that was killing my people." - 'We planned it' - Abiy came to power in April after the resignation of his predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn whose last years in office were defined by anti-government unrest and nationwide emergency declarations. That the protests happened where, how and when they did was no accident, Jawar said. "We planned it. The people who were organising the protest and the people who were in OMN are almost the same," said the 32-year-old, wearing a pink shirt and hotel slippers as two mobile phones periodically vibrated on a nearby table. People protest against the Ethiopian government during Irreecha, the annual Oromo festival Jawar used his media network to coordinate protesters from his Oromo ethnic group against the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of four ethnically based parties that has ruled since 1991. Their target was the powerful Tigrayan faction of the coalition which they accused of squashing dissent and marginalising the Oromo, the country's largest ethnic group. While Ethiopian state media was busy downplaying the unrest that began in 2015, Jawar gave it heavy coverage. Based in the US he kept Ethiopian hours, staying up all night to share photos and updates from the protests with his Facebook followers, which today number over 1.4 million. Jawar calls himself a "microphone" for the Oromo youth who spearheaded the sometimes violent protests. By 2016, protesters from the second-largest ethnicity, the Amhara, had joined the revolt. - Rebalancing power - Jawar's prominence earned him powerful enemies. Commentators accused him of inciting violence against Tigrayans and other ethnic groups, while plainclothes police officers in Oromia prowled neighbourhoods, arresting people for watching OMN. In the US, Jawar said Ethiopian agents rented offices adjacent to his in Minneapolis, blasting loud music to disrupt his recordings. The protests, Jawar said, were part of a bigger plan to shift power within the EPRDF away from the Tigrayans to the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organisation (OPDO), which represents the ethnicity in the coalition. "We worked tirelessly and systematically, strategically, with the OPDO to empower the reformist forces, and we succeeded beyond our imagination," he said. OPDO officials did not respond to requests for comment. His coup de grace came when he promoted a strike earlier this year that shut down roads and businesses on Addis Ababa's outskirts. Not long after, Hailemariam resigned and Abiy, a fellow Oromo from the OPDO, was appointed leader. - Victorious - While discord within the EPRDF played a significant role in Abiy's rise, Befekadu Hailu, a blogger repeatedly jailed under Hailemariam, said Jawar seized the moment to take on the fundamental role of "de-facto mouthpiece" for the protesters. "He's one-of-a-kind, but I don't really believe in one man's absolute power," Befekadu said. "If he was not there, other people would have dominated social media." Jawar counts Abiy's election as a victory both for Oromos and the country at large. "We fought as an Oromo and we won as an Oromo. We will build an Ethiopia that is good to Oromos and good to everybody else," he said. Last month, he returned to Ethiopia after charges of plotting a coup, filed in 2017, were withdrawn. Jawar now wants to turn his OMN into an independent media outlet, the BBC of Ethiopia as he puts it. But some doubt he can shake off his reputation for ethnic nationalism and tight personal control. "The way OMN is going [will] be decided by one person," namely Jawar, said Solomon Ungashe, a founding board member who left after a falling out. "This is not going to be an independent media." Jawar, meanwhile, is unbowed and disdainful of his critics. "For those who are sceptical, let them be sceptical and wait until we deliver," he said. "They thought I was going to destroy this country. No, we built it." Angola's Jose Eduardo dos Santos, shown here voting in last year's election won by Joao Lourenco, says he wants to be remembered for his dignified exit from the office he held since 1979 Angolan president Joao Lourenco was voted in as leader of the ruling MPLA party on Saturday, as former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepped down after dominating the country's politics for nearly four decades. Having served as president since August 2017, Lourenco secured an overwhelming 98.59 percent of 2,951 delegates' votes to become party president. "With the strength of the past and the present we build the future, we can correct what is wrong," Lourenco told delegates at the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA)'s sixth extraordinary congress. The passing of the baton between the two men is the climax of a handover marked by barely disguised friction and new policies challenging dos Santos's legacy and Lourenco hinted strongly at a need to leave much of that legacy behind. "Comrades, we are all aware that we will only build a better future if we have the courage to really correct what is wrong -- corruption and nepotism, flattery and impunity that have taken place over the last few years in our country," said Lourenco. "Today, with my head up, I leave and pass on the baton to comrade Joao Lourenco," dos Santos had earlier told crowds at the ruling party headquarters in Luanda, the oil rich southern African nation's capital. - 'Bumpy transition' - Liberation war veteran dos Santos, 76, did not seek re-election in the August 2017 polls and handed over power to his defence minister Lourenco, 64. But he stayed on at the helm of the party, where much of the real power is seen to be vested. On Saturday, however, "Comrade Number One" finally relinquished MPLA control to Lourenco and admitted to some mistakes while in office. "There is no human activity free from mistakes and I assume that I have committed them as well," dos Santos said. "The stepping down of Jose Eduardo dos Santos as MPLA president is an important watershed moment," said Alex Vines, an Angola expert at the Chatham House think-tank in London. "It's been a bumpy transition with a bit of tug-of-war over power between (them)." By choosing a successor from within his own regime, dos Santos had thought he would be assured a peaceful handover. He had earlier given control of strategic sectors of the economy to close confidants -- including the state oil giant to his daughter Isabel. Dos Santos also appointed loyalists to head the country's security forces. - A purge of the old guard - But Lourenco quickly moved to assert his authority after being elected president last year, beginning to dismantle his predecessor's empire. On the premise of rebooting the listless economy, Lourenco deposed Isabel from the top job at Sonangol as well as her half-brother Jose "Zenu" Filomeno from the leadership of Angola's sovereign wealth fund. Filomeno has since been charged with misappropriating public funds while Isabel faces several graft investigations. On the premise of rebooting the listless economy, Lourenco deposed Isabel dos Santos from the top job at Sonangol as well as her half-brother Jose "Zenu" Filomeno from the leadership of Angola's sovereign wealth fund Many of dos Santos's acolytes have been purged from the highest echelons of Angolan public life including the army and police chiefs as well as executives at state-owned companies. The clear-out created ructions at the top of the state and the party. In recent months, the two men and their staffs have sought to make amends and smoothe the way to the final handover. "Everything is going normally, there hasn't been any turbulence," said Luzia Ingles, secretary general of the party's women's league. But the fissure between the two men had come close to breaking point. Dos Santos had originally proposed stepping down from the party leadership by April 2019 -- but Lourenco insisted it must be Saturday. "Lourenco is already entirely autonomous as shown by his sacking of the dos Santos children -- all of the country's sectors have been purged," said Benjamin Auge, an analyst at the French Institute for International Relations. Since his election, Lourenco -- dubbed "JLo" -- has enacted sweeping reforms of the oil sector, the country's leading source of revenue, with the aim of reassuring investors. But the new president faces chronic unemployment, sluggish growth and alarming deficits have dogged Africa's second-largest producer of crude. Highlighting the impending storm, Angola has said it will seek a $4.5 billion (3.87 billion euro) loan from the International Monetary Fund. The Rose of Sharon bush outside my kitchen window on July 18th. Hard to see at this size, but note single flower. I don't think I hallucinated thisis there a large photo-centric or photo-heavy social media site that has banned "before and after" pictures? I think it's Instagram. Maybe Facebook? I think to prevent before-and-after weight-loss come-ons. But that might be wrong. Sorry...I can't remember. (Told you my brain is shrinking.) Same bush 12 days later, July 30th Anyway, I like before-and-after pictures. One of my favorites was taken in the '90s with a then-antique Spotmatictwo B&W pictures of a pan of cookies before and after baking. Simple pictures. But...tasty. :-) As with many photographic ideas, once you start thinking about it and looking for them, more and more possibilities pop up. As far as weight-loss before-and-afters are concerned, all I can say is that I am all prepared with the "befores"! And while we are on the subject of things that grow, may I just say how sorry I am that blueberry season is over* and that green bean season soon will be. We've had a wet Summer and it's been a banner year for green beans. I think I've eaten fresh-picked green beans close to every day for the past month and a half. But broccoli season just got going and will be going strong until the first hard frost, so that's consolation! I'm trying to get the Mennonite farmer up the road to let me go out into his broccoli field (two acres) and cut my own. I suspect he thinks I've got a bit of a screw loose, but broccoli oxidizes fast. It's better for you if it's eaten right after it's picked**. Enjoy your Sunday. I'm off to work on my book about photography, which is going splendidly if I do say so myself. I'm writing it all off the top of my head and just telling stories. Which, it turns out, I have a lot of. And it even includes quite a bit of sensible practical advice, even. Lots of fun to write. I'll enjoy it even if no one else does. Because when you get right down to it, photography should be fun, right? Mike *But don't cry for me. A farmer near me fresh-freezes them and sells them out of his freezer all Winter. **Source: Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson, a must-have for anyone who eats fruits and veggies. Recommended to me by a TOP reader, and thanks again for that. It's in the form of an encyclopedia, with entries for every major edible fruit and vegetable, telling you about their history, the various cultivars, how to shop for them and how to cook them for maximal health benefit. Big surprisethere's no rule that covers everything, like "always eat raw" or "always eat fresh" or "always eat organic" or any of the other popular ideologies. Everything's different and you have to take each one individually and case by case. P.S. Someday soon I will do a post about the organic heirloom apple orchard near me. Tomorrow I plan to get some fresh-squeezed 100% pure Concord grape juice from the vineyard across the main road. Life is good in the Finger Lakes. Original contents copyright 2018 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. B&H Photo Amazon US Amazon UK (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.) Featured Comments from: Gordon Lewis: "Please do write a post about the organic heirloom apple orchard. I remember when you and I visited that orchard for the first time and hearing all about the owner's background (not what one might expect) while trying to decide among all of the exotic varieties he had. I can't remember which one we decided on, but I know for sure it was amazingly crisp, delicious, and bargain priced." The tall ship Southern Swan sails on Sydney Harbour as part of an environmental protest Thai fishermen and labourers whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels kicked off an international day of protests in Bangkok Saturday, where key UN talks are attempting to breathe life into the Paris Agreement on climate change. As global warming races ahead of efforts to contain it, the discussions are deadlocked over a number of contentious issues, with activists demanding immediate action to prevent irreparable damage to the planet. The "Rise for Climate" protest movement -- which has organised events in dozens of countries on Saturday -- wants governments to end their reliance on fossil fuels and transition fully into renewable energy. People marched in Manila to protest the country's heavy reliance on coal Beginning in Australia, a tall ship moved through Sydney Harbour in front of the Opera House as activists on board held up protest signs. Its billowing sails featured banners that read "Rise for Climate; Action with 350" -- referring to environment advocacy group 350 which spearheaded the global protest. Blair Palese, CEO of 350 Australia, said that the country -- heavily reliant on coal mining for its economy -- has long suffered the effects of climate change. "We are fighting bushfires in winter, suffering a crippling drought, and scientists fear back-to-back bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef this summer," he said. In the Thai capital, some 200 protesters assembled in front of the UN regional headquarters, where delegates were discussing how to implement measures agreed by world powers under the 2015 Paris Accord on climate change. The talks aim to create a draft legal framework for limiting global temperature rises that can be presented to ministers and heads of state at a final round of discussions in Poland in December. An environmental activist wearing a face mask depicting US President Donald Trump takes part in a Bangkok demonstration The delegates have been meeting since Tuesday, but have made little progress, according to multiple sources close to the negotiations. "The negotiators are not taking any action," Ruchi Tripathi, head of climate justice at charity ActionAid, told AFP. Dozens of labourers and fishermen from the Gulf of Thailand, whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels and coastal erosion caused by climate change, joined Saturday's protest. Many brought examples of their produce, including crabs and shrimp, and held banners demanding that delegates take action. "I came here today to ask the government to put coastal erosion on the national agenda," 58-year-old fisherwoman Aree Kongklad told AFP. She said that the mangrove forests near her coastal home had been destroyed, jeopardising the supply of crabs which are her livelihood. Some 200 protesters gathered in front of the UN regional headquarters in Bangkok, where climate talks are under way In Manila, more than 800 people, including one dressed as a T-Rex holding a "Go Fossil Free" sign, marched through the streets protesting the country's heavy reliance on coal. Along with Bangkok, the Philippine capital is projected to be among the world's hardest hit urban areas by climate change impacts. "We are among the most vulnerable and we are among those still stuck in an energy system that is backwards," campaigner Chuck Baclavon told AFP, adding that the government is out of excuses. Around 10,000 school students and their teachers in northern India tied red ribbons to trees in a call to end deforestation. "We came out in support of this global initiative because it draws attention to a very urgent and important issue," said Red Tape Movement founder Prabhat Misra. In a separate initiative, the New Delhi local government launched a drive to plant half a million trees around the Indian capital on Saturday. burs-dhc-pg/gle/rma Iraqi protesters demonstrate in the southern city of Basra where protesters have torched the Iranian consulate and government buildings in protest over poor public services At least 12 people have been killed in several days of protests over the lack of public services in Iraq's southern city of Basra, the health ministry said on Saturday. Basra has seen a surge in protests since Tuesday, with demonstrators torching the Iranian consulate, government buildings as well as offices of political parties and militias considered close to Tehran. The anger flared after the hospitalisation of 30,000 people who had drunk polluted water, in a city where residents have complained of water and electricity shortages, corruption and a lack of jobs. The health ministry said 12 people had been killed since Tuesday and 50 -- 48 civilians and two policemen -- injured. It did not give the circumstances of the deaths. Medical sources in Basra said two protesters had died on Friday night. The Iraqi parliament is expected to hold an emergency session later on Saturday to discuss the crisis in public services that has stoked the unrest. The conflict between Yemen's Huthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition has left nearly 10,000 people dead Yemeni government representatives, who had flown to Geneva to take part in long-awaited UN-sponsored peace talks, will return home on Saturday after rebels failed to show up, a delegate said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the government representative said the delegation had decided to return home after the talks were put on hold for three days. The Huthi rebel delegation had declined to attend until the United Nations met several demands including providing guarantees it would be able to return to the Yemeni capital Sanaa afterwards. Hamid Issam, a member of the rebel delegation, told AFP that they were staying in the rebel-held capital on Saturday. He declined to say whether that spelt an end to the talks before they had even began. Fighting flared again on the ground on Friday with government forces attempting to close in on the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, which was supposed to be one of the main topics of discussion. The Geneva talks, which had been due to open on Thursday, would have been the first formal peace negotiations since 2016. Then, 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a Saudi-led coalition, which has been fighting in support of the government and controls Yemeni airspace, barred the rebel delegation from flying back to Sanaa for three months. UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths was due to hold a news conference later on the apparent breakdown of the talks he had spent months of shuttle diplomacy organising. Aid organisations had described the planned talks as the "best hope for peace that Yemen has seen in over two years." Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015, triggering what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The bus was carrying around 40 passengers from neighbouring Helmand province to Kandahar At least 13 people were killed when a passenger bus collided with a truck parked on a road in southern Afghanistan on Saturday and overturned, officials said. Another 25 were wounded in the accident in Zherai district of Kandahar province, provincial police spokesman Abdul Bashir Khaksar told AFP. The truck was stationary when it was hit by the bus at around 6:00 am (0130 GMT), said Kandahar governor spokesman Mohammad Aziz Azizi. The bus was carrying around 40 passengers from neighbouring Helmand province to Kandahar and overturned after the collision, he told AFP. Azizi put the death toll at 15. Women and children were among the casualties, he added. It was unclear how many of the casualties were on the bus. Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan where drivers often flout rules and roads are in poor condition. Rescue operations continued throughout the night The death toll from a powerful quake that triggered landslides in northern Japan rose to 35 Saturday, as tens of thousands of rescue workers raked through the mud for survivors. The majority of the dead are from the small rural town of Atsuma, where a cluster of dwellings were wrecked when a hillside collapsed from the force of the 6.6-magnitude quake, causing deep brown scars in the landscape. Public broadcaster NHK said 35 were dead, with around five people still unaccounted for in the town. More than 600 sustained minor injuries, according to the Hokkaido island local government. "We never had landslides here," said Akira Matsushita who lost his brother in Atsuma. "I couldn't believe until I saw it with my own eyes," he told TV Asahi. "When I saw it, I knew no-one could survive." Some 40,000 rescue workers, including Self-Defense Forces drafted in specially, were searching for survivors with the aid of bulldozers, sniffer dogs and 75 helicopters, according to the top government spokesman. "They're doing their best around the clock," Yoshihide Suga told reporters. Around 10,000 people spent the night in shelters Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he will meet quake survivors in Hokkaido on Sunday, according to Jiji Press. All three million households in Hokkaido lost power when Thursday's quake damaged a thermal plant supplying electricity to the region, but Abe said power was mostly restored. "Thanks to hard work to boost power supply throughout the night, the number of households without power has declined to 20,000," he told a cabinet meeting. Abe said the government would release emergency funds to deliver food, water and fuel needed for power generators at hospitals. A total of 31,000 households still have no water and around 16,000 people have evacuated to shelters. The earthquake also collapsed a handful of houses and walls in the main regional city of Sapporo but considering the strength of the quake, the death toll was relatively light, with the majority of victims coming from the landslide in Atsuma. International flights at the main airport in Sapporo resumed operations on Saturday, while bullet trains began service the day before. The quake was the latest in a string of natural disasters to batter the country. Western parts of the country are still recovering from the most powerful typhoon to strike Japan in a quarter of a century, which claimed 11 lives and shut down the main regional airport. Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded. On March 11, 2011, a devastating 9.0-magnitude quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives. Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid mimics taking a photograph inside a glass dock during his trial in Cairo on September 8, 2018 An Egyptian court on Saturday upheld death sentences against 75 people, in one of the largest mass trials since the 2011 uprising, and gave a five-year jail term to an award-winning photojournalist. Amnesty International said the sentences, linked to clashes in 2013 between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, amounted to "a mockery of justice". Photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid was among 739 defendants on trial, most of them charged with killing police and vandalising property. The journalist, widely known as Shawkan, was arrested as he covered the clashes that turned into a bloodbath in which hundreds of demonstrators died. The court also confirmed death sentences initially passed in July against 75 defendants, including leaders of Morsi's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood such as Mohamed el-Baltagui, Issam al-Aryan and Safwat Hijazi. Of the 75 defendants facing the death penalty, 44 were in the dock while the rest were tried in absentia. Forty-seven were handed life sentences, while 347 were given 15 years in prison, and 22 minors received 10-year terms. The court sentenced Morsi's son, Ossama, to 10 years in jail, while 215 people were handed five-year prison terms. - 'Disgraceful mass trial' - In a statement, Amnesty condemned Saturday's death sentences and heavy prison terms after what it called a "disgraceful mass trial". The rights watchdog called for a retrial in front of an "impartial court". It said the verdicts were "a mockery of justice", since "not a single police officer has been brought to account". Shawkan, who earlier this year received UNESCO's World Freedom Prize, is expected to walk free within days because of time served, his lawyer said. He was accused of "murder and membership of a terrorist organisation" -- charges that can carry the death penalty -- but has already spent five years in jail. Smiling in the dock, the photojournalist made a "V" for victory sign, while his lawyer, Karim Abdelrady, said he would launch a legal bid to have the conviction overturned. His detention sparked outrage among human rights groups and NGOs who lobbied continuously for his release. A photo of Shawkan -- behind bars with his hands in front of his face mimicking holding a camera -- has circulated widely on social media. Amnesty said he had been convicted "simply for doing his job as a photojournalist and documenting the police brutality that took place that day". Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index and says that at least 31 journalists are currently detained in the Arab world's most populous nation. - About 700 killed - On August 14, 2013, one of the bloodiest days in Egypt's modern history, a month after the army ousted Morsi, police moved to disperse a sprawling Islamist protest camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya square in Cairo. This picture shows the courtroom and soundproof glass dock (bottom) during the trial of 700 defendants including Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, widely known as Shawkan, in the capital Cairo About 700 people were killed within hours at that site and Nahda Square where another sit-in was being held. Hundreds more were killed in street clashes with police over the months that followed and mass arrests were made. Amnesty and Human Rights Watch say at least 40,000 people were arrested in the first year after Morsi's ouster on July 3, 2013. Egypt's courts have sentenced hundreds of them to death or lengthy jail terms after other speedy mass trials, including Morsi and several leaders of his Brotherhood movement. Former armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won the presidency in 2014 after leading the ouster of Morsi following mass protests against the Islamist's rule. Sisi won re-election with 97 percent at a vote in March against a single opponent widely seen as a token challenger, with critics saying the president had carried out a widespread crackdown on dissent. A Palestinian relative mourns 17-year-old Bilal Khafaja, killed the day before by Israeli forces, during his funeral in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on September 8, 2018 A Palestinian teen died of his wounds Saturday a day after he was shot by Israeli troops during a protest on the Gaza border, the enclave's health ministry said. Ahmad Abu Tayoor, 17, was shot late Friday on the border close to the southern city of Rafah, the ministry said. The Israeli army shot dead another 17-year-old Palestinian, Bilal Khafaja, on Friday and wounded at least 45 others as thousands of demonstrators approached Gaza's border with Israel in multiple locations. The military said in a statement on Saturday that it was opening an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two young protesters. The army also said that it had arrested four Palestinians on Saturday. They were "armed with a knife and an axe (and) attempted to break through the security fence from Gaza into Israel", it said on Twitter. On Friday, Palestinians had set tyres ablaze and thrown Molotov cocktails and grenades towards nearby Israeli soldiers, the army said. There have been regular protests along the border since March 30 as Palestinians demand the right to return to homes their families fled or were expelled from during the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. At least 175 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since then. Over the same period, one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper. Israel accuses Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of manipulating the protests and of seeking to use them as cover to carry out attacks. This week, it closed its only people crossing with Gaza after violent protests damaged the infrastructure. Israel said it would reopen the passage next Thursday providing the situation is calm. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than a decade, and its Hamas rulers have fought three wars with Israel since 2008. Some 80 percent of the enclave's two million residents rely on aid, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). A member of the Kurdish security forces walks past a bullet-riddled Syrian government pick-up truck in the northeastern city of Qamishli where clashes killed 18 combatants on September 8, 2018 Clashes between Kurdish forces and regime fighters in the divided northeastern city of Qamishli killed 18 combatants Saturday, the Kurdish forces and a war monitor said. The rare flare-up in the Kurdish-majority city near the Turkish border saw 11 regime fighters and seven Kurds killed, the Kurdish security forces known as Asayesh said in a statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported the same death toll for the fighting near a Kurdish checkpoint in the city. The Asayesh said a regime "patrol opened fire on our forces with light and medium weapons, causing our forces to respond to this violation, which killed 11 regime fighters... and seven of our comrades". The Observatory said the shootout started when Asayesh members at the checkpoint asked regime fighters aboard a patrol vehicle to step out but they refused. "When they did not comply, the shooting started on the car," Observatory chief Rami Abdelrahman said, and the clashes escalated after both sides called in reinforcements. An AFP correspondent at the scene saw empty camouflaged pick-up trucks in the street. Some bore bullet holes, while traces of blood were visible on the tarmac, he said. Kurdish forces control most of Qamishli, but regime forces and allied militiamen hold part of the city and its airport. Syrian Kurdish forces control most of Qamishli, but regime forces and allied militiamen hold part of the city and its airport Deadly clashes last broke out between Kurdish forces and pro-regime fighters in Qamishli in April 2016, but ended days later with a truce. That fighting began with a scuffle at a checkpoint and, according to Kurdish security forces, killed 17 civilians, 10 Kurdish fighters and 31 regime troops and militia. With US-led support, Syria's Kurds played a prominent role in the war against the Islamic State group during which they seized large swathes of northern and northeastern Syria where they have set up automous institutions. The Damascus regime has vowed to reintegrate the Kurdish-held areas, by force if necessary. In late July, it opened talks with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on a negotiated settlement. Pentagon chief James Mattis warned that US support for Gulf Arab military intervention in Yemen was not unconditional after dozens of children were killed in coalition air raids last month Pentagon chief James Mattis held talks in the United Arab Emirates late Friday after warning last month that US support for its military intervention in Yemen was not unconditional. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed tweeted that his talks with Mattis covered "the enhancing of defence and military ties" and "issues of mutual interest." He did not give further details. Their talks were also reported by the UAE's official WAM news agency, which did not give further details either. Mattis's August 28 warning that Washington could end its support for the intervention in Yemen the UAE and Saudi Arabia have spearheaded since March 2015 came amid an international outcry over the deaths of dozens of children in coalition air raids last month. Twin strikes south of the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida on August 23 killed 26 children, the UN said. An August 9 strike in the rebel heartland of Saada province killed 51 people, 40 of them children, according to the Red Cross. The US provides weapons, aerial refuelling and intelligence and targeting information to the coalition. "It is not unconditional," Mattis said. "Our conduct there is to try and keep the human cost of innocents being killed accidentally to the absolute minimum." The UAE is also a key US ally in the long-running campaign against Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based affiliate, regarded by Washington as its most dangerous. While US action has largely been confined to air strikes and missile strikes from warships, UAE troops have conducted ground operations against the jihadists alongside allied Yemeni militia, ousting them from the southeastern port city of Mukalla. UN-backed talks between Yemen's warring parties ended Saturday before properly getting off the ground, with the UN envoy acknowledging it had not been possible to convince the rebels to come to Geneva Long awaited UN-backed talks between Yemen's warring parties sputtered out Saturday before ever truly starting, after the Huthi rebels refused to travel to Geneva and fresh fighting broke out on the ground. UN envoy Martin Griffiths said he had held "fruitful consultations" with the delegation representing the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, but acknowledged he had been unable to convince the rebel delegation to even show up for the talks. "We didn't manage to get... the delegation from Sanaa to come here," he told reporters. "We just didn't make it," he said, insisting though that efforts would continue to bring the parties together. Rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi defended his decision not to send a delegation to Geneva, calling on his supporters to fight and slamming the government as "mercenaries" and "traitors". "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression on all fronts," the rebel chief said in his first public statement after the collapse of negotiations. The talks, meant to be the first meeting between Yemen's warring sides in two years, had been scheduled to formally open Thursday, but the absence of the rebels left Griffiths scrambling to try to save them. The Iran-backed Huthis, powerful armed tribes locked in a war with Yemen's Saudi-backed government, refused to take off from the rebel-held capital of Sanaa unless the UN met a list of conditions, which included securing a safe return from Geneva for their delegation. They accused the Saudi-led alliance backing the Hadi government of planning to strand their delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. They hinted they feared a repeat of 2016, when 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a rebel delegation was stranded in Oman for three months due to an air blockade. Complicating things further, fighting flared again on the ground on Friday with government forces attempting to close in on the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, which had been expected to be one of the main topics of discussion in Geneva. - 'Appeasing' the rebels? - Head of the Yemeni government delegation, Foreign Minister Khaled Yamani, charged that the rebels were "trying to sabotage" the negotiations, and slammed them for being "totally irresponsible". "I believe that their absence from Geneva is part of their panic over losing their grip on areas under their control," he told reporters. He also harshly criticised Griffiths for "appeasing" the rebels by refusing to lay blame for the failure of the talks squarely on their shoulders. When asked at Saturday's press conference who was to blame for the stillborn negotiations, Griffiths had insisted that "it's not my job to find fault. It's my job to find agreement". This enraged Yamani, who said the UN envoy in private conversations had "expressed his dissatisfaction with (the) unjustified position" of the Huthis not to come to Geneva. "I believe that the (public) words of the Special Envoy... were unfortunately appeasing the coup plotters and giving them excuse," he said, urging the UN to be "firmer". - No 'fundamental blockage' - Griffiths, who said earlier this week he believed the Geneva talks would offer a "flickering signal of hope" to the Yemeni people, said on Saturday that his own hope had not faltered. "A restart is a very delicate, fragile moment" in any negotiations, he said. "I don't take this as a fundamental blockage in the process." He hailed "good progress" made in discussions in recent days with the government delegation on so-called confidence-building measures, including issues like prisoner swaps and the reopening of Sanaa airport. Griffiths said he would be travelling to Muscat and Sanaa over the next few days to lay the groundwork for future talks, but hinted he might initially engage in separate discussions with the two sides. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place". Griffiths has been up against difficult odds from the start. He is the UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile, but all previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Syrian protesters wave the flag of the opposition as they demonstrate against the regime and its ally Russia, in the rebel-held city of Idlib on September 7, 2018 Russian air strikes on Syria's last major rebel bastion Saturday were the "most violent" in a month since Damascus and its ally Moscow started threatening it with an imminent attack around a month ago, a monitor said. Nearly 60 Russian air raids hit Idlib province near the Turkish border in less than three hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The Russian strikes and regime barrel bombing on south and southeastern areas of the province killed at least four civilians including two children, the Britain-based monitor said. The raids targeted jihadist and rebel positions, some of which were empty and others in use, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. It was the "most violent" bombardment since August 10, when fierce bombardment killed at least 53 civilians including 28 children in Idlib and the neighbouring province of Aleppo, he said. Idlib and nearby areas are largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate, as well as rival rebels. On Friday, Russian air strikes killed four hardline rebels and a shepherd in Idlib province, the Observatory said. The spike in violence came after Russia, fellow regime ally Iran and rebel backer Turkey on Friday failed to immediately agree on a solution to avert an imminent government offensive. President Bashar al-Assad's regime has upped its rhetoric on retaking control of Idlib and surrounding areas over the past month. The threats come after government forces seized back areas around the capital Damascus and in the south from rebels and jihadists earlier this year. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since Syria's civil war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests. South Sudan President Salva Kiir (R) and rebel leader Riek Machar sign a power-sharing deal in Khartoum on August 5, 2018 South Sudanese arch-foes President Salva Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar are set to formally sign a peace deal at a summit of regional leaders in Ethiopia next week, a top mediator said Saturday. The rivals have already approved a deal that was negotiated during weeks of talks hosted in Khartoum between South Sudan's warring factions. Kiir and Machar are now expected to ink the final accord at a summit in Addis Ababa on September 12, Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed told Sudan's official news agency SUNA. "After intense discussions between IGAD leaders in Beijing, it has been decided that an IGAD summit will be held on September 12 in Addis Ababa," Ahmed said, referring to the East African bloc that has pushed the latest initiative to end the war in South Sudan. "Among other issues, the summit will approve the South Sudan peace agreement, which has already been initialled in Khartoum." Machar and Kiir have already signed several other agreements, including a permanent ceasefire and a power-sharing deal that sees Machar returning as first vice president. A succession of peace deals have been signed between the two leaders previously, only to be broken thereafter. South Sudan, the world's youngest country, spiralled into a devastating civil war a little more than two years after it became independent from Sudan in 2011. The conflict pitted Kiir against Machar after the president accused his one-time deputy of plotting a coup. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted roughly a third of the country's population. The violence has included the widespread rape and murder of civilians, often along ethnic lines. Syrian protesters wave the flag of the opposition as they demonstrate against the regime and its ally Russia, in the rebel-held city of Idlib on September 7, 2018 Syria's last major rebel bastion Idlib was Saturday targeted by the "most violent" Russian air strikes in a month, a monitor said, after the failure of a three-way summit on the Syrian conflict. The renewed strikes came a day after the leaders of rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran failed at the summit in Tehran to agree on how to stave off a threatened offensive on the northwestern province of Idlib. Aid organisations have warned that any military campaign to retake the region of nearly three million people on the Turkish border could spark one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Syria's seven-year war. On Saturday, dozens of Russian air raids hit southern and southeastern areas of Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. At least nine civilians including two children were killed in the strikes and as dozens of barrel bombs were dropped by regime aircraft, the Britain-based monitor said. An AFP correspondent in the southern village of Al-Muntar saw huge clouds of grey smoke billow up above olive trees after a barrel bombing. - Civilians flee - Women and children ran terrified across nearby fields, one woman appearing to clutch a baby in a blanket. An elderly man sat out of breath, barefoot and dazed in the red earth, his walking cane by his side. An underground hospital located in the province's Hass area was hit by an air strike, damaging the building and equipment, an AFP correspondent said. "We've had non-stop air raids since the morning," said Abu Hussein, originally a resident of Hama province to the south before he found refuge near the Idlib village of Al-Abdine. "Barrel bombs dropped by helicopters crashed close to us," he told AFP. The raids prompted hundreds of families to take to the roads, as dozens of cars and trucks tried to ferry civilians away from the bombardment. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the raids targeted jihadist and rebel positions, some of which were empty and others in use. It was the heaviest bombardment since August 10, when at least 53 civilians were killed in Idlib and the neighbouring province of Aleppo, he said. Idlib is largely controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate, as well as rival rebels. Smoke billows following Syrian government forces' bombardment around the village of Al-Muntar on the southern edges of rebel-held Idlib province The United Nations has warned that any offensive could force up to 800,000 people to flee their homes and urged key powerbrokers to avoid a "bloodbath". On Friday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly disagreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at a press conference in the Iranian capital. Erdogan called for a "truce", while Russia's president said Damascus "has a right and must eventually take under control all of its national territory". Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned against a "scorched earth" policy, but said "fighting terrorism in Idlib is unavoidable". Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has upped its rhetoric on retaking control of Idlib and surrounding areas over the past month. The threat comes after it recaptured areas around the capital Damascus and in southern Syria earlier this year, through a combination of deadly bombardment and surrender deals. - Regime, Kurds clash - Idlib's provincial health chief Munzer al-Khalil warned Saturday that a large-scale military operation could result in "the most catastrophic crisis in our war". Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov, for his part, said Moscow had "irrefutable information" that Syrian rebels were planning a "provocation" in Idlib province to justify Western intervention. More than 350,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since Syria's civil war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests. Elsewhere on Saturday, clashes between Kurdish forces and regime fighters in the divided northeastern city of Qamishli killed 20 combatants, including 13 regime personnel, the Observatory said, updating an earlier toll. Kurdish forces control most of Qamishli, but the regime and allied militiamen hold part of the city and its airport. A member of the Kurdish internal security police walks by a government forces' pick-up truck at the site of clashes with regime forces in Qamishli, northeastern Syria The Observatory said shooting broke out when Kurdish security forces at a checkpoint demanded that regime fighters step out of their patrol vehicle but they refused. The Kurdish forces said they had retaliated to regime fire. With US-led support, Syria's Kurds played a key role in the war against the Islamic State group, during which they seized large swathes of northern and northeastern Syria. The Damascus regime has vowed to reintegrate the Kurdish-held areas, by force if necessary. In late July, it opened talks with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A 2015 outbreak of MERS killed 38 people and sparked widespread panic across South Korea South Korea reported its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in three years, health officials said on Saturday. A 61-year-old businessman was diagnosed with the highly contagious viral respiratory illness, according to officials at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). He returned to South Korea Friday from a business trip in Kuwait where he stayed for three weeks, the KCDC said a statement. "Authorities have traced and separated 20 people who have come in close contact with the infected person," KCDC head Chung Eun-gyeong told journalists. They include medical staff, flight attendants and passengers of the plane the man flew back to South Korea on, she said. He was hospitalised with fever and phlegm and has been quarantined at a university hospital, she added. It is the first case of MERS diagnosed in South Korea since 2015, when an outbreak killed 38 people and triggered widespread panic. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for companies to move production to, or keep it in the United States, while pushing aggressive trade actions to narrow the US trade deficit, which he equates with theft from Americans US President Donald Trump called Saturday for Apple to make its products in the US instead of China to avoid suffering the consequences of his trade war with Beijing. Trump has repeatedly called for companies to move production to the United States, or to keep it there, while pushing aggressive trade actions aimed at narrowing the US trade deficit, which he equates with theft from Americans. "Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China - but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive," Trump tweeted. "Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting!" But the higher cost of wages in the United States could offset the benefits Apple might gain by avoiding tariffs affecting its products manufactured in China. The Trump administration has placed punitive tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods and threatened to tax all Chinese imports to the United States. US businesses have become increasingly concerned about the tariffs, which are raising prices for manufacturers and could hurt the economy. But Trump has been unapologetic, insisting that his tough tactics will work. A UNHCR worker tends to African migrants in Libya (pictured March 2018), where the UN refugee agency says reliable sources indicate that smugglers and traffickers pretend they work with that and other UN organisations to target refugees The UN decried Saturday "reliable reports" that smugglers and traffickers were impersonating its staff in Libya to target desperate migrants and refugees, and demanded action to hold them to account. The UN refugee agency said reliable sources were indicating that smugglers and traffickers trying to pretend they worked with different UN organisations had been seen in a range of different locations across the conflict-torn country. "These criminals were spotted at disembarkation points and smuggling hubs, using vests and other items with logos similar to that of UNHCR," it said in a statement. The agency said it had received information about the problem from among other "refugees who report having been sold to traffickers in Libya, and subjected to abuse and torture, including after having been intercepted at sea". Spokesman Babar Baloch however told AFP that it remained unclear if the fake UN employees had succeeded in tricking migrants and refugees who subsequently faced abuse, saying the agency was still investigating. "We want the authorities to go after these people," he said, stressing that they clearly had "criminal intent" and were going after people who were already extremely vulnerable. Plunged into chaos following the fall of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, Libya has become a prime transit point for sub-Saharan African migrants making dangerous clandestine bids to reach Europe. People smugglers have taken advantage of the turmoil, putting African migrants seeking to reach Europe at greater risk. Many migrants, intercepted or rescued at sea, find themselves detained in detention centres with poor conditions. UNHCR said Saturday that it and its partners are present at all the official disembarkation points "to provide lifesaving humanitarian and medical assistance". "Once the smuggled passengers are back on land, the Libyan authorities transport them to detention centres, managed by the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration," the agency said, adding that its staff do not help with such transports but they are present at the centres to monitor the situation and provide assistance. UNHCR pointed out that the situation for refugees and migrants in the Tripoli area has significantly worsened in recent weeks amid heavy clashes. Last week, the agency helped evacuate some 300 migrants from the Ain Zara detention centre to another a few kilometres away as they risked getting caught in the crossfire. Aid group Doctors Without Borders has meanwhile urged the evacuation of thousands of migrants trapped in detention centres in Tripoli, where a fragile ceasefire was negotiated last week. But those in detention centres are not the only ones at risk. UNHCR said Saturday it had received reports of "unspeakable atrocities" committed against migrants in the streets of the Libyan capital, including rape, kidnapping and torture. The Boko Haram attack comes as the government encourages the return of displaced people from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, like the ones pictured at the Bakassi IDP (Internally Displaced People) Camp in July 2017, to Guzamala Boko Haram jihadists have taken over a town in northeast Nigeria after sacking and occupying a military base, local officials and security sources told AFP on Saturday. Scores of fighters believed to be loyal to an Islamic State group-affiliated Boko Haram faction stormed the base in Gudumbali, in the Guzamala area of Borno state. At least eight civilians were believed to have been killed, according to one local civilian militia member. The attack is the latest against troops in recent weeks and comes as the government encourages the return of displaced people from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, to Guzamala. The authorities, which maintain the Islamist militants are severely weakened to the point of defeat, say the area is safe for people to return, despite continued attacks. But aid agencies say people who have been living in makeshift camps are being persuaded to return to areas without basic services area -- and worse security. President Muhammadu Buhari was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat Boko Haram and is seeking a second term of office at polls in February next year. An official of Guzamala local government area, of which Gudumbali is the headquarters, told AFP: "It is true Boko Haram have taken over Gudumbali this morning after pushing troops out of the military facility in the town. "They are in full control of the town and the military facility," the official said, speaking from Maiduguri on anonymity for fear of government sanction. A military source in Maiduguri added: "The terrorists attacked the base at about 7:50 pm (1850 GMT) and engaged soldiers in an intense battle that continued until early Saturday when troops were forced to withdraw." The source, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said he had no information about casualties. But local civilian militia member Musa Ari said: "Most civilians were spared because the attack was targeted at the military base. "So far eight civilians who were errand boys for troops were believed to have been killed in the attack." The IS-backed faction led by Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi has vowed to attack only "hard" military or government targets unlike those loyal to long-time leader Abubakar Shekau. The Shekau faction has been behind the repeated suicide and bomb attacks on civilians as well as kidnappings in the nine-year conflict. Ari said soldiers and residents fled Gudumbali to Damasak, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) away, on the border with Niger. Others escaped south towards Gajiram, where nine soldiers were killed in a similar attack in June. There was no immediate response from the Nigerian military. Boko Haram captured Gudumbali in 2014 when swathes of territory were seized in northern Borno and declared their Islamic Caliphate. The military reclaimed the town two years later in a regional fightback involving troops from neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. The PLO's Hanan Ashrawi, seen here in a 2015 file photo, has called the Trump administration decision to cut aid to Palestinian hospitals "an act of political blackmail (that) goes against the norms of human decency" The United States plans to cut $25 million in aid to six hospitals primarily serving Palestinians in Jerusalem, a State Department official confirmed Saturday. The official said the decision followed a President Donald Trump-directed review of assistance to the Palestinian Authority and in the West Bank and Gaza "to ensure these funds were being spent in accordance with US national interests and were providing value to the US taxpayer." "As a result of that review, at the direction of the president, we will be redirecting approximately $25 million originally planned for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. Those funds will go to high-priority projects elsewhere." Palestinians reacted angrily. "This is not a formula of peacebuilding, this is a complete inhuman and immoral action that adopts the Israeli right-wing narrative to target and punish Palestinian citizens to compromise their rights to independence," said Ahmad Shami, a spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. "Such an act of political blackmail goes against the norms of human decency and morality," added Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee. In the past, the US funds made it possible for many Palestinians to seek specialized treatment -- such as cardiac surgery, neonatal intensive care or children's dialysis -- unavailable in the West Bank and Gaza, according to the World Health Organization. Palestinian officials vociferously protested US President Donald Trump's December 2017 decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They accuse him of using aid as a coarse lever to force them back to peace negotiations with Israel. The Trump administration this year cut funds to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and scrapped around $200 million in payments by USAID to the Palestinians. Trump made it clear Thursday he was working to force the Palestinians to negotiate. "You'll get money, but we're not paying you until we make a deal," he said in Washington. "If we don't make a deal, we're not paying." Instead, Palestinians say his position has weakened moderates and encouraged radicals across the Middle East. Iraqi protesting the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen (pictured March 2015) hold a portrait of Yemeni rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi, who said the only choice is "steadfastness and resistance to aggression" as the UN-brokered peace talks collapsed The head of Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels called Saturday for "resistance" as UN-brokered peace talks with the government collapsed after the insurgents stayed away. "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression on all fronts," rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi said in a defiant speech. "I appeal to the free and honourable people of Yemen today to go to the fronts ... We must move on all fronts to recruit for our defence." Huthi's representatives failed to show up at the talks in Geneva this week, prompting UN envoy Martin Griffiths to call off the attempted negotiations. In his first reaction to the collapse of the talks, Huthi said he did not negotiate with "mercenaries" and "traitors", referring to the government. "The delegation of mercenaries ... in Geneva does not even make its own decisions," he said in a speech broadcast on the rebels' Al-Masirah TV. "If the delegation ... does not have the decision even in its personal affairs, how can it go to Geneva and lead negotiations on key issues, including finding a solution to their aggression?" The peace talks, initially scheduled to open Thursday, would have been the first official negotiation effort between the government and rebels since 2014. But the Iran-backed Huthis refused to take off from the rebel-held capital for Geneva unless the UN met a list of conditions, which included securing a safe return to Sanaa for their delegation. They accused the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government of planning to strand their delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. While the rebels control Sanaa, the coalition controls Yemen's airspace. The Huthis had hinted they feared a repeat of 2016, when 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a rebel delegation was stranded in Oman for three months due to an air blockade. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government's fight against the Huthis -- triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Crowds march in San Francisco during the "Rise For Climate" global action on September 8, 2018 A climate protest rolling across the world's time zones Saturday peaked in San Francisco, where thousands marched in a bid to shame political leader into stepping up action on global warming. In a festive, sun-soaked atmosphere, demonstrators from across the state and country set out from the city's Embarcadero Plaza beating drums and carrying handmade banners and posters. The dominant message was two-fold: speed up transition to a world powered by renewable energy rather than planet-warming fossil fuels, and protect the people most vulnerable to climate-addled weather, including droughts, heatwaves and superstorms. Several slogans were barbs from the heart of Blue America pointed at Washington. "Alternative Energy, not Alternative Facts," read one, while another -- more blunt -- said: "More Science, Less Bullshit." "Defend democracy: impeach Putin's poodle," read a third, taking aim squarely at US President Donald Trump, who opted out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty and has moved aggressively to dismantle the climate policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. Many participants were demonstrating for the first time. "We're not really the protesting kind," said Mariko Eastman, 65, speaking also for her husband Dick, 81. "But for this, we had to come out. There is too much at stake." - 'Keep fossil fuels in ground' - Several slogans were barbs from the heart of Blue America pointed at Washington "Climate change is not a niche topic anymore," said Payal Parekh, program director for 350.org, an umbrella organiZation for hundreds of activist groups worldwide. "More and more people are seeing how the fossil fuel industry is ultimately responsible for the climate crisis," he told AFP. "Fossil fuels need to be kept in the ground." California -- by some estimates the fifth largest economy in the world -- has committed ambitious goals for slashing carbon dioxide emissions over the next three decades. Governor Jerry Brown leads a coalition of subnational regions and cities also taking aggressive climate action. Many will be represented next week in the port citty at the Global Climate Action Summit. But within his own state, Brown has come under attack for allowing the expansion of natural gas and oil extraction under his watch. Alex Palms, nine, shows off his sign just before the start of the climate march "Normally a pragmatic visionary, Governor Brown has failed to reconcile to key climate facts: California is a major oil producer and climate science demands that we phase out oil and gas," said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, a major conservation group. The protests in San Francisco and elsewhere are unfolding as United Nations climate talks struggle to breathe life into the Paris Agreement, which enjoins nations to cap the rise in global temperatures at "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). "If national governments are not willing to do the work necessary to stop greenhouse gas emissions... then others are willing to fill the gap," said Parekh. Global climate march organizers said some 450 grassroots groups held nearly 1,000 events across more than 90 countries. Alibaba has denied reports that co-founder and chairman Jack Ma is to retire Monday Alibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma will unveil a succession plan on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday, with a company spokesman denying a New York Times report that he would retire that day. The SCMP, which is owned by Alibaba, said China's most famous tech billionaire will "unveil a succession strategy" on Monday -- his 54th birthday -- but remain the company's executive chairman for the foreseeable future. The New York Times ran an article on Friday, based on an interview with Ma, saying the former teacher turned billionaire planned to use his birthday to announce his retirement as chairman of Alibaba to focus on philanthropy. The paper quoted Ma as saying the decision was "the beginning of an era". But an Alibaba spokesman told the SCMP that the New York Times' story "was taken out of context, and factually wrong". "An Alibaba spokesman said Ma remains the company's executive chairman and will provide transition plans over a significant period of time," the SCMP wrote. The paper added that the Monday succession strategy was part of a plan "for grooming a generation of younger executives to take over the reins" of the company. Eileen Murphy, a spokesperson for the New York Times, said the newspaper stood by its story. Jack Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus, becoming one of the world's richest men and a revered figure in his homeland Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus, becoming one of the world's richest men and a revered figure in his homeland. His own worth has soared along with that of the company, which has added cloud computing, films and e-payments to its growing portfolio and was valued at $420.8 billion when the stock market closed on Friday. The New York Times' report surprised many in the global business community because of Ma's comparative youth, especially in China where it is not unusual for tycoons to remain in place into their eighties. Alibaba did not return requests for comment on Saturday after the story ran. Ma gave up the title of Alibaba CEO in 2013 but remains a pivotal figure within the company as well as its most recognisable face. The SCMP reports that Ma plans to unveil his succession strategy on Monday, not his imminent retirement In an interview with Bloomberg TV released on Friday, Ma hinted at his retirement plans, saying he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the world's most prolific philanthropists. "There's a lot of things I can learn from Bill Gates. I can never be as rich, but one thing I can do better is to retire earlier," he said. The SCMP report ran quotes from Ma himself, but they did not address when exactly he would retire. Ma said he met with company executives 10 years ago to work out "what Alibaba would do without me". "Anybody who knows me knows I embrace the future. This is not about retiring, stepping away, or backing off. This is a systematic plan," the paper quoted Ma as saying. The SCMP said Ma would be in Russia next week for Alibaba business meetings as well as an upcoming trip to South Africa and a planned speech at the company's investor day in mid-September. Australian actor Hugh Jackman takes selfies with fans before a press conference for "The Front Runner" during the Toronto International Film Festival Do voters need to know about a political candidate's sex life? This came up during Donald Trump's 2016 campaign but also three decades earlier when adultery ended another presidential run now the focus of a new film. Director Jason Reitman's "The Front Runner," about US Senator Gary Hart's 1988 presidential campaign and the scandalous affair that derailed it, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It stars Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga and J.K. Simmons. "The film is always asking what should we know, what do we need to know, what do we want to know," Reitman told a press conference on Saturday. "You ask one person and they'll say I don't need to know what's going on in the president's bedroom. "And the next person might say he's the president and everything should be available, he should have no secrets." After two terms of Ronald Reagan in the White House, the Democrats were eager to wrestle back power in 1988. Hart was their star candidate, with intelligence, charisma and a strong political pedigree. But it all fell apart when it came out that he was a womanizer who had an affair with a young woman, Donna Rice. Hart dropped out of the race. The film is based on journalist Matt Bai's book "All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid." In order to adapt the story for the silver screen, he teamed up with Jay Carson, who was press secretary for former secretary of state Hillary Clinton during her failed 2008 presidential bid. Although the script was written before the 2016 election, when Trump was accused of paying hush money to two women with whom he allegedly had affairs -- porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal -- Carson insists, "It's a way to speak to what we're going through today." "It's a way to engage with the questions that we're asking ourselves today without the divisiveness of having to be talking about something that's happening right now," echoed producer Helen Estabrook. The movie presents all sorts of viewpoints, from the candidate himself defending his privacy, to journalists questioning his morality, and political staffers left to deal with the fallout. There has certainly been a shift in what American voters want to glean about their leaders over the past three decades. Bai suggested that the public cares less now about extramarital affairs when they cast a ballot. "what is the measure of someone's integrity? I think those are questions we still wrestle with, particularly in a news cycle that goes so fast," he said. "Do we (as journalists) assume that everyone is lying and fraudulent and it's our job to find out how. Or do we endeavor to provide context? "What have they been for their whole lives, their careers, how have they voted, have they been corrupt, have they been honest with constituents in addition to their wife?" Bai asked. Jackman, who hung out with Hart to prepare for the role, noted: "Post-Watergate every single journalist, every voter assumes there is a flaw that needs to be found out." But, added Carson, "whoever we're going to elect is a human being and a human being has flaws. "So we have to ask ourselves what kind of flaws do we want in that person," he said. Reitman said he showed the film last week to Hart, and then they went out for hot chocolate. The movie will be released on November 6, coinciding US midterm elections. A Yemeni man walks through the rubble of a building that was reportedly destroyed in Saudi-led coalition air strike in the capital Sanaa on September 5, 2018 The collapse of UN efforts to organise peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels is likely to lead to an escalation in the country's war, analysts say. Long-awaited talks between the Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels linked to Iran were set to start Thursday but failed to take place. The Huthis, armed tribesmen from northern Yemen, refused to leave Sanaa to attend the talks, saying the UN had failed to guarantee the return of their delegation from Geneva to the Yemeni capital and to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. With hopes of political conciliation dashed, experts fear both the rebels and Saudi-backed troops will turn to more violence. "We will almost certainly see a military escalation, as the initial failure of Geneva will deepen the Saudi-led coalition's conviction that only further losses on the battlefield will cause the Huthis to compromise," said Graham Griffith, senior analyst at the UAE-based consultancy Control Risks. A Yemeni child recites a prayer by the graves of schoolboys who were killed when an August 9 Saudi-led coalition air strike hit their bus in a Huthi rebel stronghold, killing 51 people "However, the military campaign is likely to be hampered by the additional scrutiny the coalition is facing over its conduct in the war," he added. The Saudi-led coalition has drawn heavy international criticism for the high civilian death toll from its more than three-year-old bombing campaign in Yemen. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes but accuse the rebels of routinely using civilians as human shields. The head of the Huthi rebels, for his part, on Saturday issued a message of defiance. "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression," said Abdulmalik al-Huthi. "We must move on all fronts to recruit for our defence." - 'Mistrust' - The Geneva talks were abandoned on Saturday as fresh fighting broke out on the ground. Yemen's foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani speaks to journalists on September 7, 2018 in Geneva ahead of the collapse of UN attempts to host warring parties in Yemen for talks on reviving floundering peace process Analysts say the failure to bring Yemeni representatives to the summit, which would have been the first since lengthy talks in Kuwait collapsed in 2016, will only raise mistrust between the government and rebels. "The peace talks did not begin, and because there is no peace process to be considered that means there are fewer constraints in place for the behaviour of both sides on the ground," said security and defence analyst Aleksandar Mitreski. "While there is mistrust between the actors, as much as there is in any conflict of this kind, I believe the failure of the peace process is due to the imbalance of power between the two sides," said Mitreski, researcher at the University of Sydney. Yemen's government on Saturday accused UN envoy Martin Griffiths of defending the rebels. Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani criticised Griffiths for "appeasing" the Huthis by refusing to lay blame for the failure of the talks squarely on their shoulders. "The UN, unfortunately, does not have the capability to be the equaliser," said Mitreski. - Hodeida - Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Griffiths is UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. All previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. The envoy said Saturday he would travel to Muscat and Sanaa in the coming days to lay the groundwork for future talks, but hinted he might initially engage in separate discussions with the two sides. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place". UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths arrives at a press conference on September 5, 2018, ahead of the collapse of planned peace talks between Yemen rebels and the government Complicating things further, fighting has flared again around the vital rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, after a temporary ceasefire was declared by the Saudi-led coalition in June. Government forces on Friday launched another attempt to close in on Hodeida, which had been expected to be one of the main topics of discussion in Geneva. "The next month or two may be critical for fighting over the control of Hodeida. The military operation... could continue since nothing in the political process has changed," said Mitreski. "The only concern for the Saudi-led coalition remains to manage the reaction of the international community." Members of the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDPI) check the damage after a rocket attack inside their headquarters in Koysinjaq, 100 kilometres east of Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed Sunday they had launched deadly missile strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq the previous day. "The terrorists' headquarters... was successfully struck by seven surface-to-surface rockets on Saturday by the missile department of the Guards' aerospace force," it said on its Sepah News website. The statement added that their drone division was also involved. Fifteen people were killed in the rare cross-border attack on the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, which is blacklisted as a "terrorist" group by Tehran, a KDPI spokesman, Soran Louri, told AFP on Sunday. Around 30 others were injured, according to local medical sources. Iranian state television showed images of the missiles being launched and drone footage of the impact. "The punishment of transgressors was planned following the recent months' wicked acts by terrorists from the Kurdistan realm against the Islamic republic's borders," the Guards' statement said. It cited incursions by numerous "terrorist teams" into Iran's West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces bordering Iraq. The KDPI had recently clashed with Revolutionary Guards forces in the towns of Marivan and Kamyaran in Iran's own Kurdistan region, the statement added. The Kurdish group was holding a meeting at the time of the missile strikes, and the party's secretary general and his predecessor were injured, according to one of its officials. The headquarters is in Koysinjaq, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Iraq's foreign ministry denounced the Iranian missile strike. "Iraq protects the security of its neighbours and does not allow its territory to be used to threaten these countries," spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub said in a statement. "But it categorically rejects the violation of its territorial sovereignty by strikes against certain targets on its territory with previous coordination," he added. The KDPI is Iran's oldest Kurdish movement and has seen several of its leaders assassinated by Tehran in the past. Berhanu Nega, the leader of the former armed movement Ginbot 7, returned to Ethiopia on Sunday after 11 years in exile The popular leader of a formerly outlawed opposition group returned to Ethiopia on Sunday where he was greeted by a crowd of thousands after 11 years in exile, an AFP reporter witnessed. Berhanu Nega, the leader of the former armed movement Ginbot 7, returned with scores of other senior members of the group, after reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed removed the group from a list of "terrorist" organisations in July. Speaking at a ceremony in the capital Addis Ababa, Berhanu said he had been forced to wage an armed struggle to fight for Ethiopians' rights, however recent political changes had convinced him to return to the country and conduct a peaceful campaign. Since taking office in April, Abiy has released imprisoned dissidents and prioritised reconciling with the country's various opposition groups in a country long under the iron-fisted rule of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. "We didn't return to Ethiopia in the belief that all is settled, the political reform process faces risks from those who want to sabotage it as well as those impatient with the pace of change, however we've returned with the belief that we should contribute to the reform process," said Berhanu. One of Ginbot 7's supporters, Sileshi Bekele, told AFP he believed Berhanu was capable of transforming Ethiopian politics due to his support from the youth. "There is a young population which wants to see change, this youth has come out in mass to see the change, I as part of this group have come out to support the change, he said. Ginbot 7 had been accused by authorities of armed banditry and small-scale terrorist plots. Berhanu was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in a contentious May 2005 election, however was imprisoned before assuming office and accused of leading a civil insurrection with intent to overthrow the ruling party after accusing the EPRDF of trying to rig the results. His party called for street action that was violently suppressed by security forces, leading to the death of around 200 people. In the aftermath of the bloody protests Berhanu and other opposition leaders were jailed for 20 months before being released as part of a pardon agreement in July 2007. Ever since then the party has been based in neighbouring Eritrea -- former arch-foe of Ethiopia. As part of his reforms, Abiy has been credited with the lightning peace process between the two nations, who signed a peace pact in July, and have since re-opened embassies, trade routes and air links. The flurry of diplomacy in the Horn of Africa has also seen Somalia establish diplomatic links with Eritrea, while Eritrea this week made moves to end a long spat with neighbouring Djibouti. In August Abiy promised that the next election in Ethiopia in 2020 would be "free and fair" and promised a democratic transition if his party loses. Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela is asking the United States to respect his country's decision to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela on Sunday asked the United States to respect his country's sovereignty after the US recalled its envoys from three regional countries for switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. "We respect the sovereign decisions of other countries and we will always ask the same respect for ours," Varela said in a statement. The United States on Friday recalled its envoys from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, as well as its charge d'affaires from Panama, to protest the diplomatic switch. Those countries have said their decision reflected simple economic realities -- big, fast-growing China has been spending billions to build ports, rail lines and other projects across Latin America. Taiwan and China have been engaged for years in a diplomatic tug-of-war in developing countries, with aid and economic support often used as bargaining chips to gain diplomatic recognition. Beijing sees self-ruling, democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it into the fold. But Washington, now engaged in a trade war against Beijing, accuses the Chinese of trying to use aid to drive a wedge between Taipei and its Western Hemisphere partners. Varela said that the United States and Panama would always work together "in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorism" while supporting democracy and freedom. As "a sovereign country, we will always make our decisions" based on Panama's own interests, he said. The United States is Taiwan's most important unofficial ally and chief provider of military equipment, though the relationship has at times been tricky since Washington in 1979 established diplomatic relations with China and formally ended them with Taiwan. UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Former German President Horst Koehler is trying to bring Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement together by the end of the year to work on a solution to the 42-year conflict over the Western Sahara, Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador said Wednesday. Koehler, the secretary-general's personal envoy for Western Sahara, briefed the Security Council behind closed doors, and British envoy Jonathan Allen told several reporters afterward that all 15 members "stressed the importance of consultations with everybody." "The president got a lot of support from the council for his approach and for his proposal to try and see if he can bring the parties together by the end of the year," said Allen, who chaired the meeting as part of Britain's council presidency this month. A U.N. diplomat said Koehler told members that he would be sending invitations to the parties in September. Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought the Polisario Front. The U.N. brokered a cease-fire in 1991 and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor it and help prepare a referendum on the territory's future that has never taken place. Morocco considers the mineral-rich Western Sahara its "southern provinces" and has proposed giving the territory wide-ranging autonomy. The Polisario Front insists on self-determination through a referendum for the local population, which it estimates at between 350,000 and 500,000. Sidi Omar, the Polisario Front's U.N. representative, said bringing the parties together by the end of the year "would be a positive step in the process, definitely." "We're very willing and ready to accept an invitation should that be addressed to us, to engage in this process in the framework of the United Nations ... to find a lasting and peaceful solution to this longstanding conflict," Omar said. Morocco's U.N. Mission did not have any immediate comment on the meeting. JAY, Maine (AP) - A Canadian power company says it expects to purchase dozens of hydroelectric plants across the U.S. by the end of the year - including four in Maine. The plants are located in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls and are currently operated by Eagle Creek Renewable Energy LLC. The Sun Journal reports Ontario Power Generation announced on Aug. 9 it had entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Hudson Clean Energy partners and others to acquire 100 percent of the equity of Eagle Creek. New Jersey-based Eagle Creek owns 63 hydroelectric facilities in the U.S. and has 216 megawatts of in-service capacity. Ontario Power says it plans to retain Eagle Creek's management team and operational employees. CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) - Several thousand Moldovans have gathered in the capital Chisinau to call for reunification with Romania. Supporters carried the Romanian and Moldovan flags, which are virtually identical, and shouted: "Unity," and "Bessarabia, Romanian land," using the old name for Moldova. Moldova united with Romania in 1918 and was annexed to the Soviet Union in 1940. It gained independence in 1991. Demonstrators applauded a group of several dozen Romanians who joined Saturday's reunification rally after a 1,300-kilometer (812-mile) "Centenary March" march they started in Romania on July 1. The Romanians had been barred entry from Moldova for several days this week after border police said they were a threat to public order. ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Thousands of Walt Disney World workers on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a new contract that increases the starting minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years while enabling Disney to use more part-time workers and require new workers to stay in their positions longer before transferring. Scores of union workers chanted "Union! Union!" and "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, we got a raise!" as they waited for the votes to be counted at a hotel in the heart of Orlando's tourism district. "We got a fair deal," Matt Hollis, who leads a coalition of six unions, told the workers after the vote was counted. FILE - In this June 5, 2012, file photo, visitors stroll along Main Street at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Thousands of Walt Disney World workers are voting on whether to accept a contract proposal that would increase the starting minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years while enabling Disney to use more part-time workers and require new workers to stay in their positions longer before transferring. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) Union officials said the new contract would have an impact outside of Walt Disney World as other non-unionized businesses in central Florida's low-wage service economy compete for tourism workers in a tight job market. The contract covers more than half of the 70,000 workers at Disney World, the largest single-site employer in the United States. Those workers include costumed characters, bus drivers, launderers, retail workers, monorail drivers, custodians, housekeepers, servers, cooks, florists, makeup artists and lifeguards. "The way I feel is we won this for our members at Disney but we also won this for the ride operator at Universal Studios who doesn't have a union," said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here Local 362, one of the six unions that represents 38,000 workers covered by the contract. "This affects Hyatt, Hilton. They are going to have to raise wages to compete with others. This is 38,000 people. This isn't a small amount." Besides raising the starting minimum wage almost 50 percent to $15 an hour in three years, the new four-year contract would raise wages for existing workers by at least $4.75 an hour by October 2021. Each Florida worker also will receive a $1,000 bonus that Disney had paid to other employees after last year's tax cut by Congress. Those bonuses were withheld during the contract negotiations. "Our 50 percent wage increase will have a real, meaningful impact on our cast and their families and is part of our commitment to the thousands of cast members who make magic for our guests each and every day," said George Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "Increasing wages for cast members represents a significant investment in central Florida and will provide a powerful boost to the local economy." The new contract expands anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, military or veteran status and genetic information. In return for the higher wages, the coalition of unions, known as the Service Trades Council Union, agreed to allow Disney to use more part-time workers. Under the old contract, 35 percent of the union workforce can be part-timers, but that was raised to 38 percent in the new deal, although Disney doesn't currently reach its limit on part-timers. New hires also will have to wait longer to switch jobs under the new deal. The old contract allowed for a transfer after six months, but that changed to a year under the new contract. The new contract also allows Disney the ability to expand the probationary period for some new workers from three months to six months. The new contract expanded the types of workers who could be subject to random drug tests. It also added extra language giving managers the right to "supervise, and control the manner, means and details by which employees perform their work duties as well as the ends to be accomplished." "The focus was about how Disney workers need a raise - current workers and those coming into the workforce," said Hollis, president of the Service Trades Council Union. "These are historic raises, not just entry level but for every hourly cast member." ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP Marlene Philippe, a housekeeper for Disney, celebrates a union vote for a pay raise and bonus as ballots are counted at the Park Inn by Radisson in Kissimmee, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The vote tally comes after months of protests, negotiations and the rejection of a previous contract offer. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Evelyn Sims, a custodian at Disney's Epcot, celebrates a union vote for a pay raise and bonus as ballots are counted at the Park Inn by Radisson in Kissimmee, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. She is holding ballots in her right hand. Thousands of Walt Disney World workers are voting on whether to accept a new contract that would increase the starting minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years while enabling Disney to use more part-time workers and require new workers to stay in their positions longer before transferring. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Evelyn Sims, a custodian at Disney's Epcot, celebrates a union vote for a pay raise and bonus as ballots are counted at the Park Inn by Radisson in Kissimmee on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. She is holding ballots in her right hand. Thousands of Walt Disney World workers are voting on whether to accept a new contract that would increase the starting minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years while enabling Disney to use more part-time workers and require new workers to stay in their positions longer before transferring. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Disney workers celebrate a union vote for a pay raise and bonus as ballots are counted at the Park Inn by Radisson in Kissimmee, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Thousands of Walt Disney World workers are voting on whether to accept a new contract that would increase the starting minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years while enabling Disney to use more part-time workers and require new workers to stay in their positions longer before transferring. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Disney union workers arrange ballots following a union vote for a pay raise and bonus as ballots are counted at the Park Inn by Radisson in Kissimmee, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Thousands of Walt Disney World workers are voting on whether to accept a new contract that would increase the starting minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years while enabling Disney to use more part-time workers and require new workers to stay in their positions longer before transferring. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) DOVER, Del. (AP) - Incumbent Tom Carper won Thursday's Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Delaware, easily fending off a challenge from a political newcomer who had hoped to become the latest liberal candidate to score an upset against a powerful legislator. Carper's victory set up a November race against Rob Arlett, President Donald Trump's former campaign chair in this heavily Democratic state. Arlett defeated former PayPal executive Gene Truono in the Republican primary. "This is not the finish line," Carper told a crowd of about 60 supporters, including Democratic Gov. John Carney, in declaring victory. "This was a good solid win." Incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and his wife Martha walk into Bluewinkle's Diamond Club at Frawley Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Wilmington, Del., to a cheering crowd of supporters as he gives a victory speech after defeating progressive political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. (Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via AP) Carper, 71, won by nearly 30 percent over Kerry Evelyn Harris, who was part of a wave of young activists emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Eying a fourth term in the Senate, Carper touted his experience and his ability to work with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in Congress, despite being a vocal Trump critic. He served five terms in the U.S. House and two terms as governor before being elected to the Senate in 2000. "I'm happy with how things are going here in the state," said Jim Williams, 39, who works in the financial services industry and voted for Carper. "I think he represents us well, and I didn't see a need for change." Carper had a huge advantage over Harris in fundraising, having raised more than $1.3 million this year, compared to a little more than $120,000 reported by Harris as of mid-August. He outspent her by a similar margin. Harris, a black, gay Air Force veteran, ran on a platform including government-paid health care for all, a $15 an hour minimum wage and abolition of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. She tried to paint Carper as an out-of-touch, career politician beholden to corporations and their political action committees. She had hoped to follow the success of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat a 10-term incumbent in a New York congressional primary in June, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who won Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary, and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who beat an incumbent in a Massachusetts primary this week. "We're going to just keep pushing against the machine," Harris said. "Our voices are louder than ever, and we are not going to sit silent whenever we see any injustices." Carper congratulated Harris for running a good race and inspiring young people to get energized and involved. "We need to reunite as a party," he said. "We need to keep in mind that we are not one another's enemies." Carper beat his 2012 general election opponent by 37 points, suggesting a difficult race for Arlett, the 51-year-old owner of a real estate business in southern Delaware. Arlett has served on the Sussex County council since 2015. During the Senate campaign, Arlett touted his support of Trump's "America First" agenda and his socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He reminded GOP voters that Truono is openly gay and in a same-sex marriage. "I'm married to a woman and he is not," Arlett replied when asked by a newspaper reporter just days before the election to describe the biggest contrast between him and Truono. Arlett also tried to paint Truono, who changed his political registration from unaffiliated to Republican a year ago before announcing his Senate bid, as a "party crasher." Arlett has said he would work in Washington to remove burdensome regulations on businesses, improve border security and fight for free and fair trade. He also has called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the defunding of so-called "sanctuary cities." Republican voters also chose businessman Scott Walker as their nominee for Delaware's lone U.S. House seat. He will challenge first-term Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and his wife Martha walk into Bluewinkle's Diamond Club at Frawley Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Wilmington, Del., to a cheering crowd of supporters as he gives a victory speech after defeating progressive political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. (Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via AP) FILE - In this May 15, 2018, file photo, Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., asks a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as she testifies to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kerri Evelyn Harris, whose resume includes loading giant Air Force cargo planes, frying chicken at a convenience store chain and working as an auto body mechanic, is seeking in the Thursday, Sept. 6, Democratic primary to unseat three-term incumbent Carper, one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) NEW DELHI (AP) - India's Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a colonial-era law that made gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a landmark victory for gay rights that one judge said would "pave the way for a better future." The 1861 law, a relic of Victorian England that hung on long after the end of British colonialism, was a weapon used to discriminate against India's gay community, the judges ruled in a unanimous decision. "Constitutional morality cannot be martyred at the altar of social morality," Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, reading the verdict. "Social morality cannot be used to violate the fundamental rights of even a single individual." Members of the LGBT community dance to celebrate after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in Bangalore, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The court gave its ruling Thursday on a petition filed by five people who challenged the law, saying they are living in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) As the news spread, the streets outside the courthouse erupted in cheers as opponents of the law danced and waved flags. "We feel as equal citizens now," said activist Shashi Bhushan. "What happens in our bedroom is left to us." In its ruling, the court said sexual orientation was a "biological phenomenon" and that discrimination on that basis violated fundamental rights. "We cannot change history but can pave a way for a better future," said Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. The law known as Section 377 held that intercourse between members of the same sex was against the order of nature. The five petitioners who challenged the law said it was discriminatory and led to gays living in fear of harassment and persecution. Jessica Stern, the executive director of the New York-based rights group OutRight Action International, said the original law had reverberated far beyond India, including in countries where gay people still struggle for acceptance. "The sodomy law that became the model everywhere, from Uganda to Singapore to the U.K. itself, premiered in India, becoming the confusing and dehumanizing standard replicated around the world," she said in a statement, saying "today's historic outcome will reverberate across India and the world." The court's ruling struck down the law's sections on consensual gay sex, but let stand segments that deal with such issues as bestiality. Homosexuality has a tangled history in India, and some of Hinduism's most ancient texts are accepting of gay sex. But same-sex couples have also been harassed for centuries in many Indian communities, whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Transgendered people known as "hijras," for example, have long been a common sight in India. But their treatment - both shunned as impure, and embraced for the belief that they can bring powerful blessings - reflects the complexities of gay life here. Homosexuality has gained a degree of acceptance in deeply conservative India over the past decade, particularly in big cities. India now has openly gay celebrities, and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues. But many gay people still face isolation and persecution, and the court's ruling will do little to change life on the ground for millions of people. On Thursday, a leader of a prominent hard-line Hindu group noted that while it doesn't see homosexuality as a crime, it believes gay marriage is not "compatible with nature." Arun Kumar, a spokesman for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said Indian society "traditionally does not recognize" gay relationships, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. A New Delhi High Court in 2009 declared Section 377 unconstitutional, but that decision was overturned in a ruling by three Supreme Court justices in 2013 on the grounds that amending or repealing the law should be left to Parliament. But lawmakers failed to take action and in July the government told the Supreme Court to give a ruling in the case. Sukhdeep Singh, a gay rights activist and editor of Gaylaxy Magazine, said the community still had a lot of distance to go "to be legally with your partner." "This will obviously open the doors for a lot of more things, more civil rights. And we'll fight for our rights, definitely. This is the first battle that has been won and there are many more battles that we are going to fight," he said. Supporters and members of the LGBT community celebrate after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that makes homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The court gave its ruling Thursday on a petition filed by five people who challenged the law, saying they are living in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Supporters and members of the LGBT community celebrate after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that makes homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The court gave its ruling Thursday on a petition filed by five people who challenged the law, saying they are living in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) An activist wears a badge protesting against Section 377 of the India Penal Code (IPC) which criminalizes homosexuality, in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. India's top court has struck down a colonial-era law that makes homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Supporters and gay rights activists celebrate amid heavy downpour after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The court gave its ruling Thursday on a petition filed by five people who challenged the law, saying they are living in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Supporters and gay rights activists dance as they celebrate amid heavy downpour after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The court gave its ruling Thursday on a petition filed by five people who challenged the law, saying they are living in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Gay rights activists hold a wet flag as they celebrate amid heavy downpour after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The court gave its ruling Thursday on a petition filed by five people who challenged the law, saying they are living in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Gay rights activists celebrate after the country's top court struck down a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration may be about to slap tariffs of up to 25 percent on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, escalating a confrontation between the world's two biggest economies and likely squeezing U.S. companies that import everything from handbags to bicycle tires. The administration could decide to begin taxing the imports - equal to nearly 40 percent of all the goods China sold the United States last year - after a public comment period ends Thursday. The administration has already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese products, and Beijing has punched back with tariffs on $50 billion in American goods. These U.S. goods include soybeans and beef - a direct shot at supporters of President Donald Trump in the U.S. farm belt. China plans to tax an additional $60 billion in U.S. products if the Trump administration expands its hit list by $200 billion. FILE- In this July 18, 2012, file photo, wheat harvest is in full swing near Patterson, Wash. The trade war with China is making life difficult for many farmers across Washington state. Washington State stands to lose $480 million in agricultural exports to China because of retaliatory tariffs, according to the state Department of Agriculture. (Paul T. Erickson/The Tri-City Herald via AP, File) Trump initiated the trade war to punish Beijing for what it says are China's predatory tactics to try to supplant U.S. technological supremacy. Those tactics, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has alleged, include stealing trade secrets through computer hacking and forcing U.S. companies to hand over technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market. In the early rounds of the hostilities, the administration targeted Chinese industrial imports to try to spare American consumers from higher import costs. But if Trump adds the $200 billion in Chinese products to the target list, American consumers would likely feel the pinch directly. And China has vowed to hit $60 billion in U.S. products in retaliation. Many American companies that rely on targeted Chinese imports are bracing for the next round of tariffs to hit, with some wondering whether they can absorb the higher costs or instead will need to pass them along to their customers - or find alternatives suppliers outside China. "An escalation of the tariff war could start to sever or disrupt supply chains, bringing about diminished production efficiency, higher costs and lost competitiveness - ultimately leading to a lower potential growth rate for both countries," analysts at S&P Global Ratings wrote Wednesday. They say a full-blown trade war by 2021 could shrink America's annual economic output by an average of one-third of a percentage point and China's by two-tenths of a percentage point from 2019 through 2021. The trade war could inflict further damage if it rattles financial markets, thereby hurting business confidence and potentially discouraging investment. Sherill Mosee, founder of MinkeeBlue, a Philadelphia company that makes travel and work bags, said that her 4-year-old business will probably have to suspend operations if the tariffs hit and the administration starts taxing imported Chinese luggage and handbags. MinkeeBlue relies on inexpensive imports to be able to sell for less than $200 an all-purpose bag for working women that holds shoes and a lunch bag. Mosee said she won't be able to either absorb higher import costs or pass them on to her customers. Finding a supplier outside China likely would take months, she said. "I'm scared; I am overwhelmed," Mosee said. "I'm just beginning to grow my business. I finally feel good about the direction of the business, and now this is happening." ___ D'Innocenzio reported from New York. AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP NEW YORK (AP) - Ever since he stepped into his role as CEO a year ago, Dara Khosrowshahi has had to deal with wave after wave of major scandals and bad press, much of which he inherited from his predecessor, Travis Kalanick. About two weeks after Khosrowshahi started his job, London's transport regulator decided to revoke Uber's license to operate, jeopardizing the regional business with 3.5 million passengers. A court eventually gave Uber a license, although much shorter than normal. Later that year Uber was forced to come clean about covering up a major computer attack that stole personal information about more than 57 million customers and drivers. In February, Uber agreed to pay $245 million to Google's self-driving car spinoff to end a legal brawl that aired out allegations that Uber stole technology. Perhaps the biggest problem came in March when an Uber self-driving test vehicle ran down and killed a pedestrian in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, Arizona. Later it was disclosed that the human backup driver in the Uber SUV was streaming the television show "The Voice" on her phone and looking downward just before the crash. Under Khosrowshahi, Uber has been trying to shore up its reputation. It has made safety a top priority and on Wednesday, it revealed a suite of safety features for both drivers and passengers. Uber is also teaming up with Toyota to build self-driving cars for its ride-hailing service and will receive a $500 million investment from the Japanese automaker. Khosrowshahi sat down with The Associated Press to talk about his first year as CEO and how he plans to steer the company. Answers have been edited for space and clarity. Q: Aside from improving safety features, where do you see the company headed? A: Uber was a ride-hailing service, but really we want to think about Uber as a broad transportation platform which includes ride-hailing, Uber Eats, e-bikes, scooters - and eventually we're going to integrate with mass transit. So if you work in a city and if you want to get from point A to point B, we want you to think about Uber. We ultimately want to be your one-stop shop for transportation. Q: You've at Uber a year, and from the moment you walked through the door there have been problems. When do you feel like you've reached the point where you've stopped repairing the damage of your predecessor and are really making your mark on the company? A: My predecessor made mistakes. I'm going to make mistakes as well. The fact is that I've inherited an incredible company with incredible talent. My predecessor and his team built a company that's a verb. So no one's perfect and there's a lot that we've undertaken to fix. We have rebuilt the culture of the company, we have reprioritized safety as a number one priority for the company...I can tell you that a year in, I'm thrilled to be here and I've got a ton of work to do. Q: What's the timeline for taking the company public, and do you think you can do it without being profitable? A: We're looking at the second half of next year toward the end of the year. There are very few companies of our size that have the kind of growth rate or exciting new businesses like Uber Eats within the portfolio, and we're showing progress toward profitability. We have to show a path to profitability. Q: What about the driverless car program? Is Toyota going to run it, and what are the plans for Toyota's $500 million investment? A: We have an incredibly talented in-house team of engineers who are building hardware, software and operations to make self-driving cars a reality in a safe manner. An advantage we have now is we're building self-driving technology while we have a live network in place, and ultimately we think there's going to be a hybrid of self-driving technology and human-driven technology. We wanted to bring Toyota in as a valuable partner. Toyota is bringing in special cars that are going to be electric and that are built for ride sharing in urban destinations. Their expertise in self-driving and car manufacturing and our expertise with advanced technologies and our network will be an unbeatable combination. Q: Do you think that Toyota will help in terms of rebuilding the trust in Uber's self-driving program after what happened in Phoenix? A: I think Toyota's investment in us and their partnership with us speaks volumes about our efforts and their efforts. We have a lot to learn from Toyota in terms of manufacturing, technology, brand and safety. We're here to learn, and the partnership is off to a great start. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on an anonymous New York Times opinion piece claiming there's a "resistance" working within President Donald Trump's administration (all times local): 10 p.m. President Donald Trump says The New York Times' decision to publish an op-ed from an anonymous Trump administration official has "backfired" and he has "picked up a lot of support" as a result. President Donald Trump leaves the Oval Office to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. Trump is heading to Montana for a rally. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Trump is again urging the Times to publish the name of the author "for the sake of our national security" and asking the newspaper's reporters to investigate the identity of the writer. The anonymous New York Times opinion piece published Wednesday claimed there's a "resistance" working within President Donald Trump's administration to thwart his most dangerous impulses. Trump says during a rally in Billings, Montana, that "unelected deep state operatives" are a "threat to democracy itself." But he adds that he is "really sad for the mainstream media." __ 9:10 p.m. President Donald Trump is faulting The New York Times for publishing an anonymous op-ed from a senior administration official. He claimed erroneously in an interview with Fox News on Thursday that "what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason, you could call it a lot of things." Trump says it was unfair for the person to pen the editorial because there's no way to discredit it. He's suggesting it "may not be a Republican, it may not be a conservative, it may be a deep state person who has been there for a long time." Trump says his administration is a "well-oiled machine." The president spoke in an interview in front of supporters ahead of a rally in Billings, Montana. ___ 8:25 p.m. Former Attorney General Eric Holder says an anonymous New York Times opinion piece criticizing President Donald Trump is "alarming" but "consistent with what we have seen in previous books, in previous stories about the dysfunction of this administration." Holder made the comments in Las Vegas Thursday while appearing with a Nevada gubernatorial candidate. The Democrat says the focus should not be on which Trump administration official wrote the piece, but on its content. Holder says it's "also disturbing to think that you could have people who are not elected making decisions about the way in which this country is governed." He says Democrats need to win elections in 2018 to serve as a check on the president and Republicans need to put "country before party." __ 7:45 p.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says if President Donald Trump's Cabinet thinks he is unfit for office, they should remove him. The Massachusetts Democrat made the comments in a fundraising email Thursday. Warren points to an anonymous senior official who wrote a New York Times opinion piece claiming to be part of a "resistance" working "from within" to thwart Trump's most dangerous impulses. Warren says if senior officials believe the president is unfit, "they should stop hiding behind anonymous op-eds and leaking information to Bob Woodward" and "do what the Constitution demands they do: invoke the 25th Amendment and remove this president from office." The 25th Amendment allows the vice president to take over if the commander in chief is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." __ 2:40 p.m. A congressional ally of President Donald Trump says he thinks Congress could investigate which senior administration official wrote an anonymous New York Times opinion piece criticizing the president. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., says he thinks the issue is "serious from a national security standpoint." He is the chairman of a House subcommittee that oversees the president's executive office and a founder of conservative Freedom Caucus. Meadows, chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he disagrees with House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said earlier in the day that he doesn't know what role Congress would have in investigating the opinion piece. The anonymous author claims to be part of a "resistance" to Trump. Meadows said that "we are looking at what is proper" to investigate but said he hasn't yet taken "concrete steps." Many members of Trump Cabinet have denied writing the column. __ 1:10 p.m. Melania Trump says the anonymous author of a critical opinion piece about President Donald Trump is "sabotaging" the country through "cowardly actions." The first lady says in a statement Thursday that "if a person is bold enough to accuse people of negative actions, they have a responsibility to publicly stand by their words and people have the right to be able to defend themselves." She directly addresses the unidentified senior administration official who is said to have written the piece published by The New York Times: "To the writer of the oped - you are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions." The anonymous author wrote that Trump administration officials are actively working to prevent Trump from carrying out his worst instincts. __ 12:30 p.m. House Speaker Paul Ryan says whoever wrote an anonymous New York Times opinion column claiming officials in President Donald Trump's administration are preventing Trump from carrying out his worst instincts is "living in dishonesty" and shouldn't work for him. Ryan said Thursday he understands Trump's tweeting and "unconventional tactics" bother people. But the Wisconsin Republican says Trump is producing "good results." The Times' opinion piece is attributed to a senior administration official, who writes that some officials are acting as "adults in the room" and frustrating Trump from following through on his "worst inclinations." Trump has called the editorial gutless and a disgrace and says the Times should turn the writer over to the government. The Times says publishing the essay anonymously was "the only way to deliver an important perspective" to its readers. ___ 9:45 a.m. Add the director of national intelligence to the list of Trump administration officials who say they didn't write the anonymous opinion piece in The New York Times that said an internal "resistance" was working to thwart some of President Donald Trump's efforts. Dan Coats says speculation that either he or his top deputy wrote the op-ed is "patently false. We did not." ___ 7:05 a.m. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) has denied writing an anonymous New York Times opinion piece that said an internal "resistance" was working to thwart some of President Donald Trump's efforts. Pompeo spoke to reporters after a Thursday meeting in New Delhi with top Indian officials and said, "It's not mine." He says "It shouldn't surprise anyone" that the New York Times chose to print "such a piece." He says if the piece actually was written by a top U.S. official "they should not well have chosen to take a disgruntled, deceptive, bad actor's word for anything." Pompeo accuses the media of trying to undermine the Trump administration and says he finds it "incredibly disturbing." The Times says publishing the essay anonymously is "the only way to deliver an important perspective" to its readers. ___ 12:25 a.m. An opinion piece in The New York Times by an anonymous senior administration official claiming to be part of a "resistance" working "from within" to thwart President Donald Trump's "worst inclinations" has set off a wild guessing game on the author's identity. In an extraordinary move, Trump tweeted Wednesday that if "the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!" White House officials didn't immediately respond to a request to elaborate on Trump's call for the writer to be turned over to the government. Two people familiar with the matter say Trump has demanded that aides identify the leaker. The two were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. FLORENCE, N.J. (AP) - Police raided a New Jersey couple's home and hauled away a new BMW on Thursday after a homeless man accused them of helping themselves to some of the $400,000 in online donations they supposedly raised to help him start a new life. Citing "enormous public interest" in the case, county prosecutor Scott Coffina confirmed in a Facebook post that Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure are under investigation, though no charges have been filed. It was the latest twist in a onetime feel-good story about Johnny Bobbitt, who spent his last $20 to buy gas for McClure when she became stranded on a highway in Philadelphia last year, and the couple who found 14,000 people online who were so touched by his kindness that they donated to a fund to help him start a new life. Martin P. Duffey, left, Christopher C. Fallon Jr., center, who are lawyers for Johnny Bobbitt, and Ernest E. Badway, right, who is the lawyer for the Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico, listen during a hearing on missing funds in the Johnny Bobbitt case in the Olde Historic Courthouse in Mt. Holly, NJ, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. McClure and D'Amico are accused of mismanaging the money raised for Bobbitt. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool) GoFundMe and the law firm representing Bobbitt issued a joint statement later Thursday that said he would receive all the money raised for him. GoFundMe and Cozen O'Connor law firm said Bobbitt would get an amount equal to the balance he did not receive through the fundraiser, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported . Earlier on Thursday, police armed with a search warrant left the couple's home in Florence, New Jersey, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, with bags and boxes of material and the BMW, according to news outlets at the scene when the raid occurred. Bobbitt has questioned where they got the money for the new car. They have said they used their own money for it. The couple's attorney, Ernest Badway, did not return calls seeking comment on the police investigation. They have previously denied any wrongdoing. The couple are also being sued by Bobbitt, the homeless man who was to receive the donations, which were made through a GoFundMe page. In the suit, he says they used the account as a "personal piggy bank" to "fund a lifestyle they could not otherwise afford." In court Wednesday, the couple's lawyer said Bobbitt has gotten about $200,000. But Bobbitt's lawyer said he had received only about $75,000, which includes the value of a camper and a 1999 Ford Ranger. A judge presiding over Bobbitt's lawsuit ordered the couple to give sworn statements Monday on the status of all the money raised, as well as to turn over documents. Bobbitt, whose attorney says he is entering a drug addiction program, will also be deposed. Their attorney has indicated the couple will claim their constitutional right not to have to testify. Outside their home Thursday, a handwritten "No Trespassing" sign was posted. Chris Fallon, Bobbitt's attorney, didn't return a call seeking comment on the latest development. The story initially led to appearances for Bobbitt and McClure on national TV programs as well as an interview by the BBC. But a dispute over the money soured the relationship. D'Amico has said Bobbitt spent $25,000 in less than two weeks last year on drugs as well as paying for overdue legal bills and sending money to family. The couple also bought Bobbitt a camper with some of the cash and parked it on land McClure's family owns in New Jersey. But Bobbitt became homeless again after D'Amico told him in June that he had to leave the property. During a recent appearance on NBC's "Megyn Kelly Today" show, D'Amico said there was well over $150,000 left of the donations. But Bobbitt's attorney said earlier this week that he was told all the money is gone. GoFundMe said it gave $20,000 to an account set up by his attorney to help him during the investigation. Christopher C. Fallon Jr., left,, who is lawyer for Johnny Bobbitt, and Ernest E. Badway, right, who is the lawyer for the Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico, look over a document during a hearing on missing funds in the Johnny Bobbitt case in the Olde Historic Courthouse in Mt. Holly, NJ Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. McClure and D'Amico are accused of mismanaging the money raised for Bobbitt. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool) Judge Paula T. Dow addresses the lawyers during a hearing on missing funds in the Johnny Bobbitt case in the Olde Historic Courthouse in Mt. Holly, NJ Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. McClure and D'Amico are accused of mismanaging the money raised for Bobbitt. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)Inquirer/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) DOVER, Del. (AP) - The Latest on Delaware's primary election (all times local): 9:25 p.m. Scott Walker, a business owner and landlord who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat two years ago, has won the Republican primary for Delaware's lone U.S. House seat. FILE - In this May 15, 2018, file photo, Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., asks a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as she testifies to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kerri Evelyn Harris, whose resume includes loading giant Air Force cargo planes, frying chicken at a convenience store chain and working as an auto body mechanic, is seeking in the Thursday, Sept. 6, Democratic primary to unseat three-term incumbent Carper, one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) The 67-year-old Walker defeated actor and retired railroad industry worker Lee Murphy on Thursday and will face incumbent Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester in November. Blunt Rochester easily won a six-way Democratic primary for Congress in 2016. Walker finished fifth in that race with less than 5 percent of the vote. Walker's political fortunes changed after he switched parties. During the campaign, Walker stressed the need to improve the nation's defense, economy and health care system. He also noted that he recently became very religious, and that he has God on his side to help conquer every problem. ___ 9 p.m. Rob Arlett, a county councilman who served as Donald Trump's state campaign chair in 2016, has won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Delaware. The 51-year-old Arlett defeated former PayPal executive Gene Truono in Thursday's primary. Arlett, who owns a real estate business, has served on the Sussex County council since 2015. During the Senate campaign, Arlett touted his support of Trump's "America First" agenda and his socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He reminded GOP voters that Truono is openly gay and in a same-sex marriage. Arlett also called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and defunding of so-called "sanctuary cities." ___ 8:58 p.m. Incumbent Tom Carper has won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Delaware as he eyes a fourth term in the Senate. The 71-year-old lawmaker defeated 38-year-old political newcomer Kerry Evelyn Harris in Thursday's primary contest. With the win, Carper keeps his unbeaten streak intact, having never lost an election since his first campaign in 1976. Harris is among a wave of young activists emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont who have been trying to move the Democratic Party farther left. Her platform included government-paid health care for all, a $15 hourly minimum wage and abolishing the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Carper will face the winner of the Republican Senate primary between Gene Truono and Rob Arlett in November. ___ 8 p.m. Polls have closed in Delaware's primary election, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is looking ahead to the November general election. Rochester is finishing up her first term in Delaware's lone U.S. House seat, having won a six-way Democratic primary two years ago. Rochester was not on the ballot Thursday because no other Democrat challenged her. Scott Walker, a business owner and who finished fifth in the 2016 Democratic primary won by Blunt Rochester, switched parties and ran as a Republican, vying with actor and retired railroad industry worker Lee Murphy for the GOP nomination. ___ 7:30 p.m. The candidates in Delaware's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate have continued campaigning until the last minute. Incumbent Sen. Tom Carper and challenger Kerri Evelyn Harris actually crossed paths Thursday evening as they looked for support at a middle school in Wilmington. Harris said she feels confident and has been encouraged by support she received traveling around the state. She predicted that "change is going to be the theme of the day." Carper said, "I love campaigning." He said what's different this year is the number of out-of-state activists who have come to Delaware as part of Harris' campaign. Polls close at 8 p.m. ___ 3:10 p.m. Delaware's election commissioner says turnout in the state's primary election is looking lower than usual by midday. A battle between Delaware's senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party highlights the state's primary elections Thursday. Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says there were more absentee ballots than usual, so she'd expect higher than usual turnout. But she says numbers from the polls by midday were on the "low side" for a primary. By noon, Manlove says New Castle County was reporting 18,039 voters, and by 1 p.m., Sussex County reported 8,784 voters and Kent County reported 5,914 voters. Polls are open until 8 p.m. ____ 12 p.m. Delaware's senior senator and his challenger riding an antiestablishment wave in the Democratic Party have both cast their own ballots in the primary election. Kerri Evelyn Harris's campaign said she voted Thursday morning with her family. The 38-year-old political newcomer and community activist is trying to stage what would be one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history. Sen. Tom Carper's campaign said he voted with his wife before heading to Washington. Carper plans to return to Delaware to campaign later Thursday. The 71-year-old lawmaker has never lost a race in his more than four decades in politics. Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says she's expecting higher than usual turnout since more absentee ballots were cast than usual. Polls are open until 8 p.m. Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include Republican contests for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and Democratic primaries for attorney general and state auditor. ___ 9 a.m. In a primary election battle in Delaware, voters are choosing between the state's senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party. Seventy-one-year-old Sen. Tom Carper has never lost a race in his more than four decades in politics. His Democratic primary challenger is 38-year-old political newcomer and community activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, who is trying to stage what would be one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history. Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove says she's not seeing any unusual problems at the polls Thursday morning. No turnout information is available yet. Polls are open until 8 p.m. Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include Republican contests for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and Democratic primaries for attorney general and state auditor. Seventeen legislative primaries also will be decided on the local level. Only Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective primaries. ___ 12:20 a.m. A battle between Delaware's senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party highlights the state's primary elections Thursday. Seventy-one-year-old Sen. Tom Carper has never lost a race during his more than four decades in politics. His Democratic primary challenger is 38-year-old political newcomer and community activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, who is trying to stage what would be one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history. Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include Republican contests for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and Democratic primaries for attorney general and state auditor. Seventeen legislative primaries also will be decided on the local level. Only Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective primaries. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. BANGKOK (AP) - Police in Thailand have arrested 12 people who shared a Facebook post about a rape allegation by a British tourist who claims that the police refused to accept her complaint when she reported the crime. Winyat Chatmontree, a lawyer for the 12 Thai men said Thursday they were arrested in several different provinces this week for violating the Computer Crime Act. They could face up to five years in prison and fines for spreading false information and damaging national security. Police deny turning away the British woman and say their investigation determined her claim of being raped on the island of Koh Tao in June was untrue. The 19-year-old woman, who has since returned to England, has told journalists she believes she was drugged by someone who spiked her drink, and woke up on a beach to find that she had been raped and robbed. "From our initial investigation, we concluded and reported to our police commissioner that at the moment there is no evidence or witnesses to prove that the incident has happened, not on a drug claim or a rape claim," Deputy Tourist Police chief Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpan, head of the investigation, said at a news conference Thursday. Koh Tao, though popular with foreign backpackers, has gained an unsavory reputation since the murders of British nationals Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, who were beaten to death on a beach there in 2014. That case has been plagued with speculation that the two migrant workers from Myanmar convicted and sentenced to death for the crime were only scapegoats. Skeptics point to several other unexplained tourist deaths on the island, suggesting that well-connected local residents have covered up deadly attacks. The Computer Crime Act has been used to prosecute for Facebook postings about the country's monarchy or political issues but rarely for purely criminal cases. "These men just simply clicked share on a Facebook post. They have no intention of spreading false rumors or damaging the country. I can only assume that the police made such a quick arrest to stop people from sharing news on this case, which they see as bad to tourism industry." said lawyer Winyat. Thai police said two more arrest warrants are out for suspects living aboard. One is a British editor who reported the news on her website, Samui Times, and the other is a Thai self-styled online sleuth who has written Facebook posts about the allegation. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Authorities say 12 passengers on two flights from Europe were evaluated for sore throats and coughs upon arrival at Philadelphia International Airport, but none were considered severely ill. A federal Customs and Border Protection spokesman says the sick passengers had been attending the hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Officials say passengers from the two flights on Thursday afternoon who weren't sick continued on with their travel plans. Emergency response crews gather outside a plane at New York's Kennedy Airport amid reports of ill passengers aboard a flight from Dubai, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The group of illnesses comes a day after 10 people were hospitalized and tested positive for influenza after arriving by plane in New York from Dubai. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says none of the 12 passengers coming to Philadelphia on American Airlines flights from Paris and Munich exhibited fevers. An American Airlines spokeswoman says the plane wasn't quarantined. BOSTON (AP) - An expert panel of the National Academy of Sciences called for fundamental reforms to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election system, which is handicapped by antiquated technology and under stress from foreign destabilization efforts. The cautiously worded report calls for conducting all federal, state and local elections on paper ballots by 2020. Its other top recommendation would require nationwide use of a specific form of routine post-election audit to ensure votes have been accurately counted. The panel did not offer a price tag for its recommended overhaul. New York University's Brennan Center has estimated that replacing aging voting machines over the next few years could cost well over $1 billion. FILE - This Oct. 19, 2017, file photo shows a new voting machine which prints a paper record on display at a polling site in Conyers, Ga. An expert panel of the National Academy of Sciences called for fundamental reforms to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election system. The report calls for replacing rickety voting machines with more-secure voting systems that use paper ballots or equivalents, and other measures such as a particular form of postelection audit aimed at spotting fraud. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) "The extraordinary threat from foreign actors has profound implications for the future of voting and obliges us to examine, re-examine seriously, both the conduct of elections in the United States and the role of the federal and state governments in securing our elections," Lee Bollinger, president of Columbia University and co-chair of the panel, said in presenting the report Thursday. The 156-page report - "Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy" - bemoans a rickety system compromised by insecure voting equipment and software whose vulnerabilities were exposed more than a decade ago and which are too often managed by officials with little training in cybersecurity. The principal recommendations of the study, commissioned in 2016 as foreign intrusion in U.S. elections became evident, reflect a consensus among election security experts that has met resistance from a number of states and Republican leaders in Congress but are hallmarks of legislation proposed by Ron Wyden of Oregon and four other Democratic senators in June. In particular, the panel stressed that it is not calling for a one-time fix, but a sustained effort over years that would include regular funding from Congress and greater transparency about attacks on voting systems and other irregularities. Among its specific recommendations was a mainstay of election reformers: All elections should use human-readable paper ballots by 2020. Such systems are intended to assure voters that their vote was recorded accurately. They also create a lasting record of "voter intent" that can be used for reliable recounts, which may not be possible in systems that record votes electronically. Roughly one in five U.S. voters cast ballots on such electronic machines in 2016. While some states have scrambled to replace them ahead of November's midterm elections, 13 continue to rely fully or partially on them. The panel also calls for all states to adopt a type of post-election audit that employs statistical analysis of ballots prior to results certification. Such "risk-limiting" audits are designed to uncover miscounts and vote tampering. Currently only three states mandate them. The report's release comes barely a week after a major piece of election security legislation was blocked in the Senate Rules Committee by GOP leaders. As originally written , the bipartisan Secure Elections Act would have satisfied the paper ballot and risk-limiting audit requirements. But those aspects have been watered down. One of the report's authors, Princeton computer scientist Andrew Appel, credits the states for efforts to replace digital voting machines. Most U.S. voters now have paper ballots, he said, so "if the computers were cheating we could recount and tell." Next up, he said, are risk-limiting audits. "That's the thing I would say where this country really needs to do a lot better." Early this year, Congress appropriated $380 million to help states bolster election security. But no requirements were attached on how that money should be spent. MIT political scientist Charles Stewart, another study author, called that money a "down payment" on what's needed to overhaul the voting landscape, including new public-private partnerships to spur innovation. The report also recommends requiring states to report irregularities in voter-registration systems to the federal government. Illinois' voter database suffered the most serious known breach in the U.S. elections landscape in 2016; the U.S. special counsel reported that half a million records were downloaded by Russian agents. Experts would also require states and local officials to inform the federal Election Assistance Commission - and the public - of system failures and other voting difficulties. States are often reluctant to discuss such problems. ___ ONLINE: Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy: https://bit.ly/2Qb1hnl ___ Frank Bajak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fbajak FILE- In this Oct. 14, 2016, file photo, a technician works to prepare voting machines to be used in the upcoming presidential election in Philadelphia. An expert panel of the National Academy of Sciences called for fundamental reforms to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election system. The report calls for replacing rickety voting machines with more-secure voting systems that use paper ballots or equivalents, and other measures such as a particular form of postelection audit aimed at spotting fraud. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) FILE- In this Nov. 8, 2016, file photo a lone voter fills out a ballot alongside a row of empty booths at a polling station in the Terrace Park Community Building on Election Day in Cincinnati. An expert panel of the National Academy of Sciences called for fundamental reforms to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election system. The report calls for replacing rickety voting machines with more-secure voting systems that use paper ballots or equivalents, and other measures such as a particular form of postelection audit aimed at spotting fraud. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America pageant (all times local): 9 p.m. Contestants from Virginia and Louisiana have won titles in the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition. Contestants wave to the audience during introductions at the second night of preliminary competition at the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Miss Virginia Emili McPhail won the onstage interview portion. Miss Louisiana Holli' Conway won the talent portion for a vocal performance. The third and final night of preliminary competition is Friday. The next Miss America will be crowned Sunday night in a nationally broadcast finale from Atlantic City. ___ 5 p.m. Signs criticizing the chairwoman of the Miss America Organization have surfaced around Atlantic City, where the competition is to have its second night of preliminaries Thursday. Intended to parody her book "Be Fierce," the signs brand Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host, as "So Fake," adding the words "private bully, public liar." Several signs were hung from street lights and at least one was glued to a utility box. They reference claims by the outgoing Miss America, Cara Mund. Mund said Carlson and pageant CEO Regina Hopper bullied and silenced her during her yearlong reign. Carlson said she had no comment. ___ 11:45 a.m. Signs criticizing the chairwoman of the Miss America Organization have surfaced around Atlantic City, where the competition is to have its second night of preliminaries Thursday. Intended to parody her book "Be Fierce," the signs brand Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host, as "So Fake," adding the words "private bully, public liar." Several signs were hung from street lights and at least one was glued to a utility box. They reference claims by the outgoing Miss America, Cara Mund. Mund said Carlson and pageant CEO Regina Hopper bullied and silenced her during her yearlong reign. There was no immediate response from Carlson. ___ 12:15 a.m. The second night of preliminary competition in the swimsuit-less Miss America competition will be held Thursday night in Atlantic City. Contestants from Florida and Wisconsin picked up wins Wednesday in the first night of preliminary competition. Miss Florida Taylor Tyson won the talent competition for a classical piano performance. Miss Wisconsin Tianna Vanderhei won the onstage interview competition. This is the first year the Miss America competition does not include a swimsuit competition. That decision has generated controversy between those who see it as a long-overdue modernization, and those who lament the loss of an essential element of the competition for 98 years. The third and final night of preliminaries will be held Friday. The next Miss America will be crowned Sunday night in Atlantic City. Danamarie McNicholl, Miss Washington, introduces herself during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Alexandra Coppa, Miss Rhode Island, introduces herself during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw, Miss Iowa, introduces herself during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Contestants walk the stage during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Miss Missouri Katelyn Lewis sings onstage during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Miss Georgia Annie Jorgensen dances onstage during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, left, conducts an onstage interview with Miss Florida Taylor Tyson during the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 6, 2018. The pageant has replaced swimsuit competition this year with an onstage interview. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) WASHINGTON (AP) - One after another, President Donald Trump's top lieutenants stepped forward Thursday to declare, "Not me." They lined up to deny writing an incendiary New York Times opinion piece that was purportedly submitted by a member of an administration "resistance" movement straining to thwart Trump's most dangerous impulses. By email, by tweet and on camera, the denials paraded in from Cabinet-level officials - and even Vice President Mike Pence - apparently crafted for an audience of one, seated in the Oval Office. Senior officials in key national security and economic policy roles charged the article's writer with cowardice, disloyalty and acting against America's interests in harsh terms that mimicked the president's own words. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, right, follows President Donald Trump to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Trump was incensed about the column, calling around to confidants to vent about the author, solicit guesses as to his or her identity and fume that a "deep state" within the administration was conspiring against him. He ordered aides to unmask the writer, and issued an extraordinary demand that the newspaper reveal the author to the government. In an interview Thursday with Fox News, Trump said it was unfair for the person to pen the editorial anonymously because there's no way to discredit it. He suggested it "may not be a Republican, it may not be a conservative, it may be a deep state person who has been there for a long time." As striking as the essay was the long list of officials who plausibly could have been its author. Many have privately shared some of the article's same concerns about Trump with colleagues, friends and reporters. With such a wide circle of potential suspicion, Trump's men and women felt they had no choice but to speak out. The denials and condemnations came in from far and wide: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis denied authorship on a visit to India; Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke chimed in from American Samoa. In Washington, the claims of "not me" echoed from Vice President Pence's office, from Energy Secretary Rick Perry, from Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman from Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, and other Cabinet members. The author professed to be a member of that same inner circle. So could the denials be trusted? There was no surefire way to know, and that only deepened the president's frustrations. On Twitter, Trump charged "The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy - & they don't know what to do." White House officials did not respond to requests to elaborate on Trump's call for the writer to be turned over to the government or on the unsupported national security grounds of his demand. Some who agreed with the writer's points suggested the president's reaction actually confirmed the author's concerns. Rudy Giuliani, the president's attorney, suggested that it "would be appropriate" for Trump to ask for a formal investigation into the identity of the op-ed author. "Let's assume it's a person with a security clearance. If they feel writing this is appropriate, maybe they feel it would be appropriate to disclose national security secrets, too. That person should be found out and stopped," Giuliani said. As the initial scramble to unmask the writer proved fruitless, attention turned to the questions the article raised, which have been whispered in Washington for more than a year: Is Trump truly in charge, and could a divided executive branch pose a danger to the country? Former CIA Director John Brennan, a fierce Trump critic, called the op-ed "active insubordination ... born out of loyalty to the country." "This is not sustainable to have an executive branch where individuals are not following the orders of the chief executive," Brennan told NBC's "Today" show. "I don't know how Donald Trump is going to react to this. A wounded lion is a very dangerous animal, and I think Donald Trump is wounded." The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the resistance "working diligently from within" the administration, said, "Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office." "It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room," the author continued. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't." First lady Melania Trump issued a statement backing her husband. She praised the free press as "important to our democracy" but assailed the writer, saying, "You are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions." The Beltway guessing game seeped into the White House, as current and former staffers traded calls and texts trying to figure out who could have written the piece, some turning to reporters and asking them for clues. In a rare step, Pence's communications director Jarrod Agen tweeted early Thursday that "The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds. The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts." With many prominent administration members delivering on-the-record denials, the focus could now fall on other senior aides to do the same, with questions raised about those who stay silent. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to head off reporters' inquiries of Trump officials, tweeting that the questions should be aimed at the Times, which she said was "complicit in this deceitful act." The anonymous author wrote that where Trump has had successes, they have come "despite - not because of - the president's leadership style, which is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective." Down Pennsylvania Avenue, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he did not know of any role Congress would have to investigate, though Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a Trump ally, said the legislative body could take part. "Nothing in this town stays secret forever, and so ultimately I do think we will find out who is the author," he said. The writer said Trump aides are aware of the president's faults and "many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them." ___ Lemire reported from New York. AP writers Catherine Lucey, Mary Clare Jalonick, Darlene Superville and Ken Thomas contributed reporting. ___ Follow Miller on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@zekejmiller and Lemire at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis. speaks during his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. Ryan says whoever wrote an anonymous New York Times opinion column claiming officials in President Donald Trump's administration are preventing Trump from carrying out his worst instincts is "living in dishonesty" and shouldn't work for him. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York and New Jersey launched new investigations into the Roman Catholic Church's handling of clergy sex abuse allegations Thursday as the number of similar inquiries around the country continues to grow. In New York, the state's attorney general issued subpoenas to all eight of the state's Catholic dioceses seeking any and all documents pertaining to allegations, findings from internal church investigations and payments to victims, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly. In New Jersey, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced a new task force that will look at how abuse allegations were handled in the seven dioceses in that state. People pass the Archdiocese of New York, in New York, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood subpoenaed all eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state Thursday as part of a broadening civil investigation into the handling of sex abuse allegations by church leaders. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The investigations come three weeks after a grand jury report found rampant sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by about 300 priests in Pennsylvania since the 1940s. The report accused senior church officials of orchestrating a systematic cover-up to protect the church from scandal. Attorneys general in Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri have since announced investigations into allegations of clergy abuse or cover ups in local dioceses. Church leaders in New York confirmed receipt of the subpoenas Thursday, and vowed to work with Attorney General Barbara Underwood's civil investigation - as well as any potential criminal investigations to come. The subpoenas were issued to the Archdiocese of New York in New York City as well as the dioceses of Albany, Brooklyn, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Ogdensburg and Rockville Centre. "It is not a surprise to us that the attorney general would look to begin a civil investigation, and she will find the archdiocese of New York, and the other seven dioceses in the state, ready and eager to work together with her in the investigation," New York archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling said. Underwood's office is pursuing a civil investigation into the church's response to abuse reports and has also reached out to local prosecutors, who are authorized to convene grand juries or pursue criminal investigations. In New York the attorney general doesn't have that power, so the involvement of local district attorneys would be critical to any criminal prosecutions. "I'm elated, but my elation is tempered by how long it has taken to get here," said Steve Jimenez, a leading advocate for survivors in New York who says a Roman Catholic brother repeatedly assaulted him when he was a child attending Catholic school in Brooklyn. Jimenez said he hopes investigators can answer a question that's haunted him for decades: "What did the diocese of Brooklyn know and when did they know it?" Even if investigators do find evidence of past abuse, many victims in New York may have little legal recourse. That's because the state currently has one of the strictest laws in the nation when it comes to allowing victims to sue or press criminal charges. Jimenez and other advocates have for years urged lawmakers to relax the state's statute of limitations and create a one-year window for civil suits now barred by the law. The bill has repeatedly been blocked by the Republican leaders of the state Senate, but Jimenez said he and others will keep trying to get legislation passed. Underwood and Grewal also announced hotlines for individuals to report allegations of clergy abuse. The numbers are 855-363-6548 in New Jersey and 800-771-7755 in New Jersey. New York has also set up a confidential online complaint form that can be found at ag.ny.gov/ClergyAbuse. "The Pennsylvania grand jury report shined a light on incredibly disturbing and depraved acts by Catholic clergy, assisted by a culture of secrecy and cover ups in the dioceses," Underwood, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Victims in New York deserve to be heard as well - and we are going to do everything in our power to bring them the justice they deserve." Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger proactively asked Albany County District Attorney David Soares to review his diocese's records on Thursday, before the subpoena from Underwood was received. "We have to do what is right, even if it is not easy," Scharfenberger wrote in a letter to parishioners announcing his request. Florida attorney Michael Dolce is an expert on abuse cases and successfully pushed lawmakers in his state to relax the statute of limitations on civil and criminal child sex abuse allegations. He summed up Underwood's decision to subpoena the state's dioceses as "huge and welcomed." Dolce, of the firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, is also abuse survivor. "It shows a determination to see if what happened in Pennsylvania also happened in New York," he said. "I shudder to think about what they will find." New Jersey's task force will be led by Robert Laurino, a former Essex Country prosecutor. The panel will have the power to establish a grand jury and issue subpoenas. The state's Catholic Conference said it welcomes the investigation and would "fully cooperate." The conference, which represents the state's bishops, stressed that since 2002 the church has complied with a memorandum of understanding with the attorney general and all 21 county prosecutors in New Jersey that every abuse complaint would be forwarded to law enforcement. "One thing I want to emphasize is that New Jersey is not Pennsylvania - more than the Delaware River separates us," said conference executive director Patrick Brannigan. ___ Associated Press reporter Michael Catalini contributed to this report from Trenton, New Jersey. Tens of thousands of employees at more than 18,000 U.S. hotels will soon carry panic buttons to help protect them from harassment and assault in an era of heightened awareness around the #MeToo movement. More than a dozen big hotel chains - including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Wyndham - said Thursday that they will provide personal safety devices by 2020 to all employees who deal one-on-one with guests. The companies will also train staff to identify and report harassment and publish anti-sexual harassment policies in multiple languages. The devices will vary by hotel. In a new, Wi-Fi enabled hotel, for example, companies may give out devices that automatically send the employee's location to security officers. In an older or smaller hotel, they might distribute devices that emit a loud shriek. In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, poses for a photo in Seattle. Accettola is wearing a device that lets her push a button and summon help if she is in a threatening situation while working. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) The American Hotel and Lodging Association, which is backing the effort, says around three-fourths of its 25,000 member hotels are participating right now. It is working with harassment and human trafficking organizations to develop training and testing devices to help hotels figure out what works best. This isn't the first time hotels are giving panic buttons to staff. New York has required them since 2012, after a hotel maid there accused French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexually assaulting her in his suite. Chicago and Seattle began requiring them more recently. But increasing public discussion about harassment and the #MeToo movement has given the effort a new sense of urgency. Red Roof Inn, Best Western, AccorHotels, Four Seasons and Caesar's are other participants in the rare display of unity from a fiercely competitive industry. "The cultural conversations have changed, and we have gotten smarter," said Erika Alexander, Marriott's chief lodging officer for the Americas. Marriott plans to make the devices standard at all of its nearly 5,000 hotels in North America by 2020. Eventually it hopes to expand the devices globally. Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Seattle's Pioneer Square, has a safety fob clipped to the front of her uniform at all times. If she presses a button, hotel managers and security are immediately notified of her location. Accettola said the system gives her an added feeling of security, especially when she works late. "At any moment, help is there if you should need it," she said. It's unclear how often the devices will be used, but harassment of hotel staff is an ongoing issue. In a 2016 survey of 500 housekeepers in Chicago, 49 percent said guests had flashed them, exposed themselves or opened the door naked. The rollout of the devices will be messy. Hotel companies only manage some of their properties; others are managed by franchisees. Some companies may require franchisees to add the devices; others may not. Properties vary widely, from sprawling 2,500-room resorts to 65-room, cookie-cutter hotels by the highway. Some hotels have already begun the process. Hyatt mandated electronic safety devices last fall and has already distributed them to 4,500 employees at 120 hotels in the Americas, Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian said. Hyatt has also strongly recommended the devices for franchisees, and expects to expand the program globally, Hoplamazian said. He said the cost of the devices is easily absorbed by the company. Shrieking alarms - the kind most widely used at Hyatt right now - cost around $25 each. A React mobile device, like the one Accettola wears, retails for $70, but big hotel chains will likely be able to get bulk discounts. Hoplamazian said there haven't been many reported usages. In one instance, a guest was acting strangely so a housekeeper summoned help. It turned out there was no threat, but Hoplamazian is glad the system worked. "While the frequency may not by high, the importance of it is really, really high," he said. Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti said his company expects to distribute safety devices by the end of next year to 5,000 employees in the 450 U.S. hotels it owns and manages. Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta said "tens of thousands" of staff at 4,500 hotels will get the devices by 2020. Nassetta said the rollout will take time because training staff members how to respond to the devices is as important as the devices themselves. "We don't want to create the appearance of safety without the reality behind it," he said. ___ This story has been corrected to read that the announcement was made Thursday, not Tuesday. In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, poses for a photo while holding a device that lets her push a button and summon help if she is in a threatening situation while working in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, poses for a photo in Seattle. Accettola is wearing a device that lets her push a button and summon help if she is in a threatening situation while working. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, demonstrates how she smoothes the sheets on a bed at the hotel in Seattle. Accettola is wearing a device that lets her push a button and summon help if she is in a threatening situation while working. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo Rani Accettola, a housekeeper at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, poses for a photo while holding a device that lets her push a button and summon help if she is in a threatening situation while working in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood is shown in Seattle. Housekeeping workers at the hotel use devices that let them push a button and summon help if they are in a threatening situation while working. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, photo guests stand at the front desk at the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood in Seattle. Housekeeping workers at the hotel use devices that let them push a button and summon help if they are in a threatening situation while working. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (AP) - California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. The disclosures came as a roaring blaze in a rural area near the Oregon state line closed 45 miles (72 kilometers) of heavily traveled Interstate 5, the main highway from Mexico to Canada. Fierce orange flames forced panicked truckers to abandon big-rigs and brought screams from motorists as they watched the advancing fire in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. A scorched VW Beetle rests in a clearing after the Delta Fire burned through the Lamoine community in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A decision was expected Friday on when to reopen the highway. The wildfire flared just weeks after a blaze in the Redding area killed eight people and burned about 1,100 homes. California's insurance commissioner said Thursday that victims of that fire and one in the Mendocino area - the two largest blazes in the state so far this year - have filed more than 10,000 claims so far totaling $845 million. The two wildfires destroyed or damaged a combined 8,800 homes and 329 businesses. "The worst may be yet to come," Commissioner David Jones warned at a San Francisco news conference, noting that California wildfires are typically more destructive after Sept. 1. Last year, for example, wildfires that killed more than 40 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in counties north of San Francisco didn't spark until October. Also on Thursday, the director of the state's firefighting agency said in a letter to lawmakers that the agency only had about $11 million remaining in its annual budget and anticipates needing another $234 million to add firefighters and helicopters, and to cover other costs of fires expected later this year. The department had spent $432 million through the end of August, said Ken Pimlott of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Legislature budgets for firefighting costs based on historical averages. Cal Fire has requested extra money in seven of the past 10 years but never this early, according to the Department of Finance. In far Northern California, officials said they had no plans to re-open Interstate 5 on Thursday and would reevaluate early Friday - a decision that slowed or stalled truckers who rely heavily on the highway to transport goods along the West Coast. They were advised to take an alternate route adding 100 miles (160 kilometers) that could take at least six hours. "If you don't need to make the trip, I wouldn't do it," Caltrans spokeswoman Denise Yergenson said. Truck driver Amit Sekhri said he saw flames and slowing vehicles along the freeway on Wednesday but his big-rig was too large to turn around and he decided against parking and fleeing on foot. He kept driving, with fire lapping at both sides of the highway and burning ash falling all around him. He felt the heat in his cab, despite the air conditioning. "It was picking up so fast. It was behind me, in front of me, left, right. It was all fire. I was surrounded by fire," he said, still shaken by the experience. When he finally saw daylight, he knew he had made it to safety. "It's one of the scariest things I've ever seen and been through," he said. The fire began Wednesday and nearly tripled in size overnight, officials said. By Thursday night it had grown to 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) and had damaged three buildings, although there was no confirmation of any homes being destroyed. It prompted mandatory evacuations and was moving rapidly but remained far from any large towns. David Steinberg and his partner Kim Mears were returning from a day hike when they came upon the wildfire and watched in awe. Steinberg says they were mesmerized by the fire, but eventually realized the danger it presented. "There's a moment when you're saying, 'This is really exciting.' Then you realize, 'Oh this could be really dangerous,'" he said. Elsewhere in the state, a fire burning in the Sierra Nevada had grown to more than 7 square miles (18 square kilometers) after shutting down stretches of U.S. 395, State Route 108 and the Pacific Crest Trail along the eastern spine of California. The Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, campgrounds and other areas were evacuated Wednesday. Ranchers were told to prepare to move livestock out of the area in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. ___ Elias reported from San Francisco. AP writers Jonathan J. Cooper in Sacramento, Alina Hartounian in Phoenix, and Janie Har in San Francisco contributed to this report. A fire vehicle drives along Interstate 5 as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A home leveled by the Delta Fire rests in a clearing in Pollard Flat area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A home leveled by the Delta Fire rests in a clearing in Pollard Flat area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones speaks during a news conference about the costs of recent wildfires Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in San Francisco. Jones released the first data on the total insurance claims reported for residential and commercial losses following the Carr and Mendocino Complex wildfires. Commissioner Jones also released updated data for the 2017 California wildfires and 2018 mudslides. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones holds up a copy of a report during a news conference about the costs of recent wildfires Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in San Francisco. Jones released the first data on the total insurance claims reported for residential and commercial losses following the Carr and Mendocino Complex wildfires. Commissioner Jones also released updated data for the 2017 California wildfires and 2018 mudslides. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones speaks during a news conference about the costs of recent wildfires Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in San Francisco. Jones released the first data on the total insurance claims reported for residential and commercial losses following the Carr and Mendocino Complex wildfires. Commissioner Jones also released updated data for the 2017 California wildfires and 2018 mudslides. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones speaks during a news conference about the costs of recent wildfires Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in San Francisco. Jones released the first data on the total insurance claims reported for residential and commercial losses following the Carr and Mendocino Complex wildfires. Commissioner Jones also released updated data for the 2017 California wildfires and 2018 mudslides. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) A scorched truck rests on Interstate 5 as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) California Capt. Mark Loveless examines a truck scorched by the Delta Fire burning along Interstate 5 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Bruce Palmer, left, and Justice Geib prepare to tow a truck scorched by the Delta Fire on Interstate 5 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., near Shasta Lake on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A crane lifts a truck scorched by the Delta Fire on Interstate 5 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) California Capt. Mark Loveless examines a scorched license plate on Interstate 5 as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Bruce Palmer prepares to tow a truck scorched by the Delta Fire on Interstate 5 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., near Shasta Lake on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The highway remains closed to traffic in both directions as crews battle the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2017 file photo, a row of chimneys stand in a neighborhood devastated by a wildfire near Santa Rosa, Calif. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is releasing Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, the first data on the total insurance claims reported for residential and commercial losses following the Carr and Mendocino Complex wildfires. Commissioner Jones will also release updated data for the 2017 California wildfires and 2018 mudslides. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) The Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. Fire officials say the wildfire roaring through timber and brush in Northern California tripled in size overnight, prompting mandatory evacuations. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) WASHINGTON (AP) - Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get price cuts. That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program, which still sparks deep divisions heading into this year's midterm elections. The Associated Press and the consulting firm Avalere Health crunched available state data and found that "Obamacare's" health insurance marketplaces seem to be stabilizing after two years of sharp premium hikes. And the exodus of insurers from the program has halted, even reversed somewhat, with more consumer choices for 2019. The analysis found a 3.6 percent average increase in proposed or approved premiums across 47 states and Washington, D.C., for next year. This year the average increase nationally was about 30 percent. The average total premium for an individual covered under the health law is now close to $600 a month before subsidies. In this Aug. 22, 2018 photo, April Box poses for a photo at her home in Spokane, Wash. Box is a healthcare advocate and runs the website www.hip-help.com to help guide people through major surgeries and other aspects of the healthcare system. Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get a price cut. That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program that still divides voters heading into this year's midterm elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) For next year, premiums are expected either to drop or increase by less than 10 percent in 41 states with about 9 million customers. Eleven of those states are expected to see a drop in average premiums. In six other states, plus Washington, D.C., premiums are projected to rise between 10 percent and 18 percent. Insurers also are starting to come back. Nineteen states will either see new insurers enter or current ones expand into more areas. There are no bare counties lacking a willing insurer. Even so, Chris Sloan, an Avalere director, says, "This is still a market that's unaffordable for many people who aren't eligible for subsidies." Nearly 9 in 10 ACA customers get government subsidies based on income, shielding most from premium increases. But people with higher incomes, who don't qualify for financial aid, have dropped out in droves. It's too early to say if the ACA's turnabout will be fleeting or a more permanent shift. Either way, next year's numbers are at odds with the political rhetoric around the ACA, still heated even after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to repeal the law last year. Trump regularly calls "Obamacare" a "disaster" and time again has declared it "dead." The GOP tax-cut bill repealed the ACA requirement that Americans have health insurance or risk fines, effective next year. But other key elements remain, including subsidies and protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats, meanwhile, accuse Trump of "sabotage," driving up premiums and threatening coverage. The moderating market trend "takes the issue away from Republican candidates" in the midterm elections, said Mark Hall, a health law and policy expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. "Part of the mess is now their fault, and the facts really don't support the narrative that things are getting worse." Market stability also appears to undercut Democrats' charge that Trump is undermining the program. But Democrats disagree, saying the ACA is in danger while Republicans control Washington, and that premiums would have been even lower but for the administration's hostility. "Voters won't think that the Trump threat to the ACA has passed at all, unless Democrats get at least the House in 2018," said Bill Carrick, a strategist for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose re-election ads emphasize her support for the health law. As if seconding Democrats' argument, the Trump administration has said it won't defend the ACA's protections for pre-existing conditions in a federal case in Texas that could go to the Supreme Court. A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that Americans regardless of partisan identification said those protections should remain the law of the land. In solidly Republican Arkansas, Democratic state legislator and cancer survivor Clarke Tucker is using the ACA in his campaign to try to flip a U.S. House seat from red to blue. Tucker, 37, says part of what made him want to run is the House vote to repeal the ACA last year and images of Trump and GOP lawmakers celebrating at the White House. Business analysts say the relatively good news for 2019 is partly the result of previous premium increases, which allowed insurers to return to profitability after losing hundreds of millions of dollars. "They can price better, and they can manage this population better, which is why they can actually make some money," said Deep Banerjee of Standard & Poor's. Repeal of the ACA's requirement to carry insurance doesn't seem to have had a major impact yet, but Banerjee said there's "a cloud of uncertainty" around the Trump administration's potential policy shifts. Yet some administration actions have also helped settle the markets, such as continuing a premium stabilization program. April Box of Spokane Valley, Washington, lives in a state where premiums could rise substantially since insurers have proposed an 18 percent increase. In states expecting double-digit increases, the reasons reflect local market conditions. Proposed increases may ultimately get revised downward. Box is self-employed as a personal advocate helping patients navigate the health care system. She has an ACA plan, but even with a subsidy her premiums are expensive and a high deductible means she's essentially covered only for catastrophic illness. "I'm choosing not to go to the doctor, and I'm saying to myself I'm not sick enough to go to the doctors," Box said. "We need to figure out how to make it better and lower the price." Now in her 50s, Box was born with dislocated hips. She worries she could be uninsurable if insurers are allowed to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. She might need another hip surgery. "It needs to be a level playing field for everybody," said Box. "We need to have universal coverage - that is really the only answer." Tennessee is a prime example of the ACA's flipped fortunes. Last year, the state struggled to secure at least one insurer in every county. But approved rates for 2019 reflect an 11 percent average decrease. Two new insurers - Bright Health and Celtic- have entered its marketplace, and two others -Cigna and Oscar- will expand into new counties. Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called that a "welcome step," but argued rates could have been even lower if congressional Democrats had supported a market stabilization bill. Democrats blame Republicans for the failure. To calculate premium changes, Avalere and The Associated Press used proposed overall individual marketplace rate filings for 34 states and D.C., and final rates for 13 states that have already approved them. Data was not available for Massachusetts, Maryland and Alabama. The average rate change calculations include both on-exchange and off-exchange plans that comply with ACA requirements. The government isn't expected to release final national figures until later this fall. The HealthCare.gov website is photographed in Washington on Dec. 15, 2017. Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will actually get a price cut. That's from an exclusive analysis bound to surprise 'Obamacare' opponents and supporters. The study of state data by Avalere Health and The Associated Press also found that insurers aren't bailing out of the ACA marketplaces anymore; some are coming back. The average premium increase across 47 states and Washington, D.C. will be 3.6 percent in 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) In this Aug. 22, 2018 photo, April Box uses a roller to work on her hip muscles at her home in Spokane, Wash. Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get a price cut. That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program that still divides voters heading into this year's midterm elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Jair Bolsonaro, a leading presidential candidate whose heated rhetoric has electrified some voters and angered others in a deeply polarized Brazil, was stabbed at a campaign event Thursday and suffered serious abdominal injuries. Police said the suspected attacker was in custody. Dr. Luiz Henrique Borsato, who performed emergency surgery, said Thursday night that the right-wing candidate was in serious but stable condition and would remain in intensive care for at least seven days. The first round of Brazil's presidential election is Oct. 7. Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro grimaces right after being stabbed in the stomach during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Bolsonaro, a leading presidential candidate in Brazil, was stabbed during the campaign event, though officials and his son said the injury is not life-threatening. (AP Photo/Raysa Leite) The doctor said the two-hour procedure stopped serious internal bleeding and repaired most of the damage from the knifing. The candidate will need further surgery within months for a part of his intestines that was temporarily fixed with a colostomy, the surgeon said. "We can't say when he will be able to leave hospital," Borsato said. "But in the first hours after the surgery his recovery has been very satisfactory." Numerous videos on social media showed Bolsonaro, who has promised to crack down on crime in Latin America's largest nation, being stabbed with a knife to the lower part of his stomach while campaigning in Juiz de Fora, a city about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Rio de Janeiro. At the moment of the attack, Bolsonaro was on the shoulders of a supporter, looking out at the crowd and giving a thumbs up with his left hand. After the attack, he is seen flinching and then goes out of view. Other videos show supporters carrying him to a car and hitting a man who was apparently the suspect. Police spokesman Flavio Santiago confirmed to The Associated Press that 40-year-old Adelio Bispo de Oliveira had been arrested in connection with the incident. De Oliveira was beaten badly by Bolsonaro supporters after the attack. The man was arrested in 2013 for another assault, police said. Luis Boudens, president of the National Federation of Federal Police, told AP that the assailant appeared to be mentally disturbed. "Our agents there said the attacker said he was 'on a mission from God,'" Boudens reported. "Their impression is that they were not dealing with a mentally stable person. He didn't expect to be arrested so quickly; agents reacted in seconds." Bolsonaro's son, Flavio Bolsonaro, initially posted on Twitter that the injury was superficial and his father was fine. However, an hour later he posted another tweet saying the wound was "worse than we thought." He arrived at the hospital "almost dead," Flavio wrote. "His condition now seems stabilized. Please pray." A statement from federal police said the candidate had bodyguards. In the videos, Bolsonaro does not appear to be wearing a protective vest. Such measures are rare for candidates in Brazil. "This episode is sad," President Michel Temer told reporters in Brasilia. "We won't have a rule of law if we have intolerance." Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is second in the polls to jailed ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been barred from running but continues to appeal. Despite being a congressman since 1991, Bolsonaro is running as an outsider ready to upend the establishment by cracking down on corruption in politics and reducing crime, in part by giving police a freer hand to shoot and kill while on duty. While Bolsonaro has a strong following, he is also a deeply polarizing figure. He has been fined, and even faced charges, for derogatory statements toward women, blacks and gays. He speaks nostalgically about the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship and has promised to fill his government with current and former military leaders. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro said during a campaign event that he would like to shoot corrupt members of the leftist Workers' Party, which made da Silva its candidate. The comment prompted an immediate rebuke from the attorney general, who asked Bolsonaro to explain that comment. His vice presidential running mate, Hamilton Mourao, is a retired general who blamed leftists for the knife attack. Underling Brazil's divisions, people took to Twitter to either to decry the stabbing and ask for prayers for Bolsonaro or to say the candidate had brought it upon himself and even may have staged it. The top five trending topics in Brazil were related to the stabbing. Other presidential candidates quickly denounced the stabbing and many of them decided to suspend their campaign events Friday. "Politics is done through dialogue and by convincing, never with hate," tweeted Geraldo Alckmin, former governor of Sao Paulo who has focused negative ads on Bolsonaro. Fernando Haddad, who is expected to take da Silva's place on the Workers' Party ticket, called the attack "absurd and regrettable." The attack comes at a time of increasingly heated rhetoric, and sometimes violence, related to campaigns and candidates. In March, while da Silva was on a campaign tour in southern Brazil before his imprisonment, gunshots hit buses in his caravan. No one was hurt, and da Silva, who is in jail on a corruption conviction, was not in the vehicles that were hit. Also in March, Marielle Franco, a left-leaning black councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, was shot to death along with her driver after attending an event on empowering black women. It wasn't immediately clear how the attack on Bolsonaro might reshape a presidential race very much up in the air with the front-runner, da Silva, in jail. In many ways, the incident feeds Bolsonaro's narrative that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand to steady it. "It's likely that Bolsonaro will use the attack to argue his opponents are desperate, that they had no other way to stop him," said Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at Rio de Janeiro's state university. A handful of Bolsonaro supporters held a vigil in Sao Paulo on Thursday night, and briefly exchanged insults with leftists. 'They made Bolsonaro a martyr,' said Jonatan Valente, a student. 'I think the left shot itself in the foot because with this attack they will end up electing Bolsonaro.'" ___ Associated Press reporters Marcelo Silva de Sousa in Rio de Janeiro and Sarah DiLorenzo and Victor Caivano in Sao Paulo contributed to this report. In this photo released by the Military Police, Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, suspected of stabbing Jair Bolsonaro, a leading Brazilian presidential candidate, sits after being detained in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Officials and Bolsonaro's son said the far-right candidate was in stable condition, though the son also said Bolsonaro suffered severe blood loss and arrived to the hospital "almost dead." (Military Police via AP) People light candles in support of presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, of the National Social Liberal Party, who was stabbed earlier in the day during a campaign event, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Officials and his son said Jair Bolsonaro was in stable condition, though the son also said the far-right candidate suffered severe blood loss and arrived to the hospital "almost dead." (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is taken on the shoulders of a supporter moments before being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Bolsonaro's son said the injury is not life-threatening. (Antonio Scorza/Agencia O Globo via AP) National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro greets supporters as he gets a shoulder ride from a member of his security detail, in Brasilia's Ceilandia neighborhood, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. Brazilians go to the polls on October 7 to cast their vote for a new president. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) NEW YORK (AP) - Twitter permanently banned right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars show for abusive behavior, a day after CEO Jack Dorsey testified before Congress about alleged bias against conservatives on the platform. The company said Jones won't be able to create new accounts on Twitter or take over any existing ones. In a tweet, it said it would continue to monitor reports about other accounts potentially associated with Jones or Infowars, and will "take action" if it finds any attempts to circumvent the ban. Twitter said Jones posted a video on Wednesday that violates the company's policy against "abusive behavior." That video showed Jones berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes in between two congressional hearings on social media. Dorsey testified at both hearings, but did not appear to witness the confrontation. FILE- In this Sept. 5, 2018, file photo conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaks outside of the Dirksen building of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning right-wing conspiracy theorist Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Jones had about 900,000 followers on Twitter. Infowars had about 430,000. Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment. New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone praised Twitter's action in a tweet. "Glad Twitter is taking steps to put an end to the abusive behavior from Alex Jones & Infowars," the tweet stated. "Tweets designed to threaten, belittle, demean and silence individuals have no place on this platform." Twitter had previously suspended Jones for a week. But until now it had resisted muzzling Jones further. Other tech companies have limited Jones by suspending him for longer periods, as Facebook did, and by taking down his pages and radio stations. Jones heckled Darcy in a Capitol Hill hallway where reporters were waiting to enter the House committee room. He criticized the journalist's reporting and appearance, referencing his "skinny jeans" and repeatedly saying, "just look at this guy's eyes" and "look at that smile." At one point, he said Darcy was "smiling like a possum that crawled out of the rear end of a dead cow. That's what you look like. You look like a possum that got caught doing some really nasty stuff - in my view. You're a public figure too." Darcy has aggressively questioned social media companies about the forbearance they showed Jones, asking why they have allowed him to remain on their platforms for as long as they have. Jones is currently active on Facebook; his personal suspension there recently expired. Apple, YouTube and Spotify also permanently removed material Jones had published. Facebook did not immediately respond to a message asking whether it would also ban Jones. Dorsey originally defended his company's decision not to ban Jones, tweeting that Jones "hasn't violated our rules" but if he does "we'll enforce." "We're going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories," Dorsey tweeted on Aug. 7 , after the other companies took action against Jones. But a week later Twitter joined the other tech companies in muzzling Jones, even if it was only for a week. It was a significant move for a company one of its executives once called the "free speech wing of the free speech party." But critics warn there is another side to high-profile cases such as this one. "We should be extremely careful before rushing to embrace an internet that is moderated by private companies by default," said David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation in an email last month. While high-profile cases of highly offensive content being taken down gets a lot of attention, he added, content moderation "continues to silence" the voices of people around the world struggling to be heard. __ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this story from Washington; AP technology writer Ryan Nakashima contributed from San Francisco. This image shows posts on right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Twitter account on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones won't be able to create new accounts on Twitter or take over any existing ones. (Twitter via AP) This image shows a post on Info Wars' Twitter account showing CNN journalist Oliver Darcy listening to right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones posted a video on Wednesday that is in violation of the company's policy against "abusive behavior." The video in question shows Jones shouting at and berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes during congressional hearings about social media. (Twitter via AP) This image shows a post on Info Wars' Twitter account showing right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones questioning CNN journalist Oliver Darcy on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones posted a video on Wednesday that is in violation of the company's policy against "abusive behavior." The video in question shows Jones shouting at and berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes during congressional hearings about social media. (Twitter via AP) NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump's tweets were cited Thursday by lawyers for a man charged with fatally mowing down eight people on a New York City bike path as reason to disqualify the death penalty as a trial possibility. The lawyers wrote in a court submission that Trump's tweeted demands for death and his "politicizing" of the Justice Department should eliminate the option as punishment if Sayfullo Saipov is convicted at a trial scheduled for October 2019. "A decision not to seek death would expose the decision-maker to a blaze of public scorn and ridicule as well as the possible loss of employment. That taint on the charging process cannot be tolerated," they said. Prosecutors had said that they would know by September whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions had authorized the death penalty if conviction is secured against the 30-year-old Paterson, New Jersey, resident. A prosecutor's spokesman, Nicholas Biase, declined comment. Saipov was arrested at the scene of the Oct. 31 truck attack near the World Trade Center that left eight people dead and many more injured. He has been incarcerated since. In papers in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers said a Monday tweet by Trump shows that he believes Sessions' charging decisions "should be governed by nakedly political considerations." In the tweet, a reaction to recent federal charges against two Republican congressmen, Trump said: "Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressman were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff......" The lawyers also noted that Trump had repeatedly demanded, including in a tweet sent the day after the attack, that Saipov be killed by the government. In a Nov. 1 tweet, Trump said: "NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" The following day, Trump tweeted: "...There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!" The lawyers also said Trump had used a tweet to describe Saipov as a "degenerate animal." They argued that Trump's tweets had made it impossible for Sessions to "fairly and independently decide whether to seek the death penalty against Mr. Saipov," who has pleaded not guilty. The lawyers urged U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick to rule out death as an option. Otherwise, they said, he should appoint an independent prosecutor to determine whether death should be sought. The attorneys said it defies reality to believe Sessions could truly independently decide whether Saipov should face the death penalty, "knowing that a decision not to seek death would inevitably trigger a 'tweetstorm' of ridicule and scorn from the President and might well lead to the loss of his job." ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Hikers have embarked on a 500-mile (805-kilometer) expedition that will traverse New Mexico. The mission: Chart out the best route and identify what challenges might lay ahead as the state moves closer to establishing the Rio Grande Trail. Following in the footsteps of other states, New Mexico is looking to capitalize on its vistas, mild weather and culture with the creation of a long-distance trail along one of North America's longest rivers. The Rio Grande stretches down the middle of the state, from the southern end of the Rocky Mountains near the Colorado state line to the bustling desert region where New Mexico and Texas intersect with the U.S.-Mexico border. This August 2018 photo shows the Taos Gorge in New Mexico. Hikers have embarked on a 500-mile (805-kilometer) expedition that will traverse New Mexico. The mission: Chart out the best route and identify what challenges might lay ahead as the state moves closer to establishing the Rio Grande Trail. Following in the footsteps of other states, New Mexico is looking to capitalize on its vistas, mild weather and culture with the creation of a long-distance trail along one of North America's longest rivers. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan) With its diverse scenery, supporters say the Rio Grande Trail has the potential to make the list of the country's more famous long-distance routes, including the Appalachian Trail that runs from Georgia to Maine and the Continental Divide Trail that crosses a handful of Western states. Neighboring Colorado and Arizona have their own namesake trails, and there are several others that are designed as national scenic trails. Outdoor recreation in New Mexico alone is already a multibillion-dollar industry, and the benefits of the Rio Grande Trail could be profound, said Jeff Steinborn, a New Mexico state senator who pushed legislation in 2015 to create the commission charged with establishing the trail. "We can't even begin to appreciate all the opportunities that it will unfold for our citizens, for economic development and for frontier communities," he said. In the East, more than 3 million people visit some part of the Appalachian Trail annually. The trail's advocacy group is currently working on a study to better determine the spending that results from those visits and the branding campaigns that go along with such long-distance trail systems. Jordan Bowman, a spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said it's all tied to the draw of experiencing the American backcountry. "It's whatever adventure you want to make out of it," he said. "So people can find a nice smooth section if they just need to get out for an afternoon or it can be a monthslong adventure where you walk out with a beard and this incredible story of how you survived a blizzard or whatever the case may be." In New Mexico, the Rio Grande Trail Commission last week approved an official logo. A master plan is in the works. While the official alignment has yet to be decided, this month's expedition by volunteers with the Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance is aimed at scouting proposed segments and gathering as much data about water sources, camping spots, supply stops and not-to-be-missed scenery that could be incorporated. "A lot of those little details we can't pick up until we're actually there on the ground walking it," said Peter Livingstone with the alliance. He has traveled more than 120 miles (190 kilometers) in five days. He expects the whole trip to take about a month. A small solar panel sits on the top of his backpack, charging a collection of GPS and satellite communication devices that are tracking the journey. "I have a map and compass if all that fancy stuff fails," Livingstone said. The expedition so far has taken him along the volcanic ridge that makes up the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos. To the west, there are numerous homes dubbed earthships built out of recycled materials. Wheeler Peak - the highest in New Mexico - is visible to the east. Livingstone also talked about petroglyphs, adobe churches, driving rain, hail and being greeted by locals with beans, rice and tacos. "Life is a wonderful adventure, or it is nothing," he said in a recent post . The trek will end near Mount Cristo Rey, where the faithful make a religious pilgrimage each year. Steinborn plans to join the hikers there. Close to 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more of trail already have been designated and there's another 100 miles (160 kilometers) or so being planned with the federal government and conservancy districts in the Middle Rio Grande, Steinborn said. "There's work to be done but what an incredible start. It's coming to life in front of our eyes," he said. HONOLULU (AP) - Board members of a foundation a 92-year-old heiress established for Native Hawaiians are calling for a judge to protect her $215 million trust. The money should go toward helping Native Hawaiians, they said at a news conference Thursday in front of Honolulu's Iolani Palace. They are asking a judge to appoint a guardian for the elderly heiress, whose riches come from being the great-granddaughter of James Campbell, an Irish businessman who made his fortune as a sugar plantation owner and one of Hawaii's largest landowners. Many Native Hawaiians consider Abigail Kawananakoa to be the last Hawaiian princess because she's a descendent of the family that ruled the islands before the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom. FILE - This March 15, 2018 file image from pool video shows 91-year-old Hawaiian heiress Abigail Kawananakoa, left, and her wife, Veronica Gail Worth, in a Honolulu courtroom. Board members of a foundation a 92-year-old heiress established for Native Hawaiians are calling for a judge to protect her $215 million trust. Many Native Hawaiians consider Abigail Kawananakoa to be the last Hawaiian princess because of her lineage. Her wealth is embroiled in a legal fight and a key court hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. (Hawaii News Now via AP, Pool, File) A key court hearing in a legal fight over the trust is scheduled for Monday. Her longtime lawyer, Jim Wright, argued a stroke last year left her impaired, allowing him to assume the role of trustee. Kawananakoa says she's fine. As trustee, Wright appointed three prominent Native Hawaiian leaders to serve as board members for the $100 million foundation Kawananakoa created in 2001. The foundation has a right to participate in the court battle because it is a beneficiary of her trust. Kawananakoa "has reached a point in her life where she needs us to stand up and fight for her and her legacy," said foundation board member Jan Dill. Kawananakoa intended that the foundation serve the Hawaiian community in arts, language, culture and education, he said. Dill and the other board members accuse Kawananakoa's wife, Veronica Gail Worth, and her attorneys, of exploiting her. "For me, this is a clear case of elder abuse," said board member Lilikala Kameeleihiwa, urging that the judge appoint a guardian for Kawananakoa. "At the rate they're going spending money, we'll see if there's anything left for the Hawaiian people in this trust," she said. The judge needs to follow the estate plan she created for herself, the board members said. "She had everything set up for Jim Wright to step in and do the right thing and I think he has," Kameeleihiwa said. Worth referred questions to a publicist, who put The Associated Press in contact with Michael Lilly, an attorney representing Kawananakoa. Lilly said he is bound by a stipulated court order not to discuss the case publicly. The foundation board members should also be bound by the order, he said, adding that he will respond to their comments in court on Monday. ___ This version of the story corrects that attorney Michael Lilly is representing Abigail Kawananakoa and not Veronica Gail Worth. Jan Dill, a board member of a foundation a 92-year-old Hawaiian heiress established for Native Hawaiians, reads a statement to the media as other board members and supporters look on in Honolulu on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The foundation's board members want Abigail Kawananakoa's wealth to be used to help Native Hawaiians. Kawananakoa is embroiled in a legal fight for control over her $215 million trust. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher) NEW YORK (AP) - The coup of publishing a column by an anonymous Trump administration official bashing the boss could backfire on The New York Times if the author is unmasked and turns out to be a little-known person, or if the newspaper's own reporters solve the puzzle. Within hours of the essay appearing on the paper's website, the mystery of the writer's identity began to rival the Watergate-era hunt for "Deep Throat" in Washington, and a parade of Trump team members issued statements Thursday saying, in effect, "it's not me." The Times' only clue was calling the author a "senior administration official." James Dao, the newspaper's op-ed editor, said in the Times' daily podcast that while an intermediary brought him together with the author, he conducted a background check and spoke to the person to the point that he was "totally confident" in the identity. This photo shows an anonymous opinion piece in The New York Times in New York, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. President Donald Trump lashed out against the anonymous senior official who wrote it, claiming to be part of a "resistance" working "from within" to thwart the commander-in-chief's most dangerous impulses. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) How large the pool of "senior administration officials" is in Washington is a matter of interpretation. It's a term used loosely around the White House. Press offices often release statements or offer background briefings and ask that the information be attributed to a senior administration official. The Partnership for Public Services tracks approximately 700 senior positions in government, ones that require Senate confirmation. Paul Light, a New York University professor and expert on the federal bureaucracy, said about 50 people could have legitimately written the column - probably someone in a political position appointed by President Donald Trump. He suspects the author is in either a Cabinet-level or deputy secretary position who frequently visits the White House or someone who works in the maze of offices in the West Wing. Most of the Cabinet has denied authorship. Martha Joynt Kumar, director of the White House Transition Project, meanwhile, puts the number of true senior administration officials at around 100, defining them as high up in the government and having regular interaction with the White House or the president himself. Jennifer Palmieri, former communications director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, tweeted that, based on her experience with the Times and sourcing, "this person could easily be someone most of us have never heard of and more junior than you'd expect." That would be a problem for the Times, partly through no fault of its own, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, communications professor and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The column attracted so much attention - as much for its existence as for what it actually said - that it raised the expectation that the author is someone powerful, she said. If the person is not among the 20 top people in the administration, "the Times just gets creamed," said Tom Bettag, a veteran news producer and now a University of Maryland journalism instructor. "And I think it gets held against them in the biggest possible way. I have enough respect for the Times to believe that they wouldn't hold themselves up to that." It would look like the Times was trying to stir the pot if it were not a high-level person, said Chuck Todd, host of NBC's "Meet the Press." Ruth Marcus, deputy editorial page editor of The Washington Post, told Todd on MSNBC that if the author had come to the Post it would provoke a serious discussion, because the newspaper has not in the past run anonymous op-ed columns. She said no one approached the Post to hawk the column. "When you give someone anonymity on this, you are putting your credibility on the line," Marcus said. News organizations have different standards for using information from unnamed sources. Frequently, they try to give some indication of why the person would be in a position to know something - the senior administration official, for example - and why anonymity was granted. In this case, the newspaper considered that the person's job would clearly be at risk and that the person could even be physically threatened, Dao said. He did not see much difference in the use of anonymity in news and opinion pages. The Times has long been a target of Trump's vitriol. He criticized the newspaper for printing the column and said the Times should reveal its source for reasons of national security. In an interview Thursday with Fox News, Trump said, "What they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason, you could call it a lot of things." Dao said, "There's nothing in the piece that strikes me as being relevant to or undermining the national security." The newspaper maintains a strict policy of separation between its news and opinion side, and the decision to publish the column without identifying the author was made by Dao and his boss, Editorial Page Editor James Bennet, in consultation with Publisher A.G. Sulzberger. The paper's executive editor, Dean Baquet, is responsible for the news side and was not part of the decision. Few people at the paper know the writer's identity, Dao said, and he could not see any circumstances under which it would be divulged. The Times' own news story about the column said the author's identity is "known to the Times' editorial page department but not to the reporters who cover the White House." Trump, in a tweet Thursday evening, posed the question: "Are the investigative 'journalists' of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?" Indeed, like hundreds of other reporters in Washington, the Times' news staff is trying to find out the writer's name. If the Times learns the identity, it could raise serious questions about the newspaper's ability to protect a confidential source among people who don't know - or don't believe - that one part of the newspaper will keep important information away from another. "You could write a novel about this," said Jamieson, author of the upcoming "Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President." ''If they engage in successful journalism, at some level they discredit themselves." ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report. FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2018 file photo, Vice President Mike Pence gestures while speaking to the Republican National Lawyers Association in Washington. President Donald Trump is lashing out against the anonymous senior official who wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times. Washington is consumed by a wild guessing game as to the identity of the writer, and swift denials of involvement in the op-ed came Thursday from top administration officials, including from Vice President Mike Pence's office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, and other Cabinet members. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) EDGEMONT, S.D. (AP) - A series of human errors led to a BNSF Railway train striking and killing two railroad workers in South Dakota last year, federal investigators said Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board released its report Thursday on the Jan. 17, 2017, accident near Edgemont, in southwestern South Dakota. A BNSF train traveling at 35 mph struck and killed two of three workers who had been clearing snow and ice from a track switch. One of the workers killed was the designated lookout. According to the NTSB, the sight distance at the switch was inadequate for safely using a train approach warning method with only one lookout. Investigators also found the lookout did not devote his full attention to detecting approaching trains, and was not given the necessary equipment as required by federal regulations. In addition, the work group had incorrect information about the minimum-required sight distance and lacked the required time to move to a predetermined place of safety, the report found. BNSF says it will review the report and recommendations. BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the railroad follows Federal Railroad Administration standards for proper lookout equipment. "After the incident, we further developed our already robust safety protocols," McBeth said in a statement. In its report, the NTSB said the FRA's inconsistent enforcement of federal regulations for lookout equipment requirements contributed to the accident. Robert Hall, the NTSB's director of the Office of Rail, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials, said it was the 52nd fatal accident in the past 21 years involving railroad roadway worker safety. In all, 55 workers have been killed in these accidents. "These accidents are completely preventable when the people involved, from the workers to the regulators, follow well-established rules and perform their duties with a focus on safety," Hall said in a news release. The FRA said Thursday the agency is reviewing the report and will respond within 90 days. The two railroad workers who were killed were 35-year-old gang foreman Richard Lessert and 58-year-old motor vehicle operator Douglas Schmitz. Lessert had 10 years of service with BNSF, and Schmitz was employed by the railroad for 39 years. BNSF says the two were headquartered at Edgemont, a city about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Rapid City. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Two Sacramento police officers shot and killed a man who was armed with a gun early Thursday, authorities said. Officers responded to a 911 call about a masked man carrying a gun and found someone matching the description, but he fled into the Curtis Park neighborhood about two miles (three kilometers) from the state Capitol, police Sgt. Vance Chandler told reporters. Police surrounded the area and called in a SWAT team, which discovered a suspect in the backyard of a home, where officers opened fire. A police vehicle blocks the road leading to the scene where a man was shot and killed by Sacramento Police Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Responding to a 911 call of a masked man carrying a gun, a SWAT team located the man in a backyard and two officers opened fire. Police say a gun was found next to the man, but it is unclear if he pointed it at officers or fired at them. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) It's unclear whether the man pointed a gun at officers or fired at them before they killed him. However, Chandler said a gun was found next to the man, and "the suspect posed an immediate threat to the officers." Neither the man nor the officers were identified. The shooting comes the same week the family of another man shot by police in March filed wrongful death claims with the city. Police fatally shot 22-year-old Stephon, setting off weeks of protests in in Sacramento and calls for police reform. Two officers said they shot Clark thinking he was pointing a gun at them, but he turned out to be carrying only a cellphone. Clark's family is seeking more than $15 million in damages, including loss of financial support, funeral expenses, attorney fees, and punitive damages, according to the city. Such claims are usually a precursor to a lawsuit, the city said. District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert has not decided whether to bring charges against the officers in the March shooting. A Sacramento Police officer strings police tape across a street near the scene where a man was shot and killed by Sacramento Police Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. Responding to a 911 call of a masked man carrying a gun, a SWAT team located the man in a backyard and two officers opened fire. Police say a gun was found next to the man, but it's unclear if he pointed it at officers or fired at them. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) SEATTLE (AP) - The deaths of two female students from Thailand have been ruled a murder-suicide, according to authorities in Seattle. The women were 25-year-old Kornkamol Leenavarat and her close friend 32-year-old Thiti-orn Chotchuangsap, The Bangkok Post in Thailand reported . The younger woman had flown to the U.S. recently to attend the University of Washington, the news outlet reported. Police found their bodies in an apartment in Seattle's University District on Tuesday after responding to a call from a building manager. The King County Medical Examiner's Office in Seattle said Thursday that Leenavarat died from multiple stab wounds and her death was ruled a homicide. The medical examiner said the older woman died of a stab wound to the chest and that her death was ruled a suicide. Both died on Saturday. Police have said there are no outstanding suspects. The medical examiner identified the women as Kornkamon Leenawarat and Thiti-on Chotechuangsab, names that match those on file with the University of Washington. The Bangkok Post identified the younger woman as a member of a political family in Thanyaburi, in Pathum Thani Province northeast of Bangkok. She was the daughter of the former deputy mayor and niece of the current mayor. University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce said in a statement posted online Thursday that both women were studying for a master's degree in law. "This is a heartbreaking loss for their families, friends and our entire community. I offer condolences on behalf of our University to everyone who is grieving as a result of this tragedy," she said. TORONTO (AP) - In a story Sept. 6 about Toronto's program for increasing critic diversity, The Associated Press misspelled the name of writer Danielle Solzman. A corrected version of the story is below: As curtain goes up in Toronto, new faces fill audiences As the curtain goes up on the Toronto International Film Festival, a new media diversity program is filling audiences with new faces By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer TORONTO (AP) - The Toronto International Film Festival prides itself on offering a diverse array of stories. This year, North America's largest film festival is also making sure that the media that covers its films is diverse, too. Some 180 journalists and critics from underrepresented groups were granted credentials to the film festival, and many had their travel and accommodations paid for. When the Toronto Film Festival got underway Thursday with the opening night premiere of David Mackenzie's Robert the Bruce epic "Outlaw King," some of its most excited attendees were the journalists making their first foray to one of the fall festival circuit's premiere destinations. "I think mostly what I'm looking for is otherness," said Joelle Monique, a Los Angeles-based freelance writer. "I'm a black queer woman. If you can check any of those marks in your film and you're exploring those stories in detail, I'm interested in hearing what you have to say." Monique, who has once before been to TIFF and got her start writing for the website Black Girl Nerds, raised more than $1,000 through crowd funding to get her to Toronto. The festival reached out to her with an invitation and an offer of help. "I'm just thrilled to have a place," she said. Toronto, along with the Sundance Film Festival, launched a "media inclusion initiative" in response to a study released in June by the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. It found that of the 19,559 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for the top 100 box-office performers in 2017, 78 percent of reviews were written by male critics and 82 percent were by white critics. While unsurprising to many in the industry, the study put renewed focus on the homogeneous industry of film criticism at a time when Hollywood's poor inclusivity record is being scrutinized. To diversify its press corps, TIFF reached contacted freelance writers and videographers, and it began asking all journalists, if they chose to, to provide their sexuality and ethnicity. "It's been a success," said festival co-head Cameron Bailey of the program. "We had a target of about 20 percent in terms of increasing the overall size of our press corps. Those journalists are coming from underrepresented groups: women, people of color, LGBTQ journalists and journalists with disabilities. We've had support from a number of companies and organizations in the industry who wanted to help us bring those journalists to town." Those corporate partners in the initiative include Rotten Tomatoes which provided a grant of $25,000. In response to the USC study, the review aggregation website has revamped its critics criteria to open itself to wider pool of critics. For Bailey, the makeup of Toronto's press corps is important because media response at the festival has such a sizable effect for countless films, whether they're Oscar contenders or less heralded movies that get overlooked. Yolanda Machado, also a Los Angeles-based film writer, believes that the response to "La La Land" - which saw its awards hype go into overdrive in Toronto - might have been less glowing had there been more in the audience like herself. "I'm a native Angelo, born and raised here. For a city that's populated with over five million Latino, why did I not see one?" said Machado of the film. "'La La Land' I don't think it would have been the same had a diverse group of critics been there in the first place." Machado, who began writing about movies as a parenting blogger but has long loved movies ("I grew up in LA. It's kind of in the blood.") is making her first trip to Toronto after the festival contacted her several months ago. "I'm extremely honored that I even got invited," she says. "It's really going to open up a lot of doors for a lot of people." Chicago-based writer Danielle Solzman, who identifies as a transgender woman, has often turned to crowdfunding to get to festivals. For her, things might have also been different for awards favorites like "The Danish Girl" or "Dallas Buyers Club" - which both won acclaim in Toronto but starred male actors in trans roles - had more trans critics been in attendance. One movie Solzman won't be seeing in Toronto is Lukas Dhont's "Girl," which stars a male actor (Victor Polster) as a 16-year-old ballerina awaiting her gender-confirmation surgery. "I will not see that film. I am done watching cisgender actors in transgender roles," says Solzman. "It just makes me angry. It makes my blood boil." Solzman, though, applauds TIFF's program for underrepresented journalists. "A lot of people that I know are freelance, and if TIFF didn't offer them money, there would be no way to get them to Toronto," she said. "Then you'd just be looking at the same straight white cisgender males providing the majority of the coverage." ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A liberal Kansas activist is challenging Secretary of State Kris Kobach's right to appear as the Republican nominee for governor on the November ballot, alleging that perhaps hundreds of legally cast ballots were not counted in his close primary race with Gov. Jeff Colyer. Davis Hammet, of Topeka, filed an objection Thursday to Kobach's nomination with the secretary of state's office. His filing, a little more than a page long, asks to have ballots "illegally rejected" by county election officials unsealed and counted. "There are hundreds of votes that they didn't count that legally should have been counted," Hammet said after filing the objection. "All they have to do is decertify the election and go open those ballots, so that we can find out what the real election results were." FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2018 file photo, Kansas Secretary of State and candidate for the Republican nomination for Kansas Governor Kris Kobach addresses supporters during a campaign stop in Pittsburg, Kan. A liberal activist is challenging Kobach's right to appear as the Republican nominee for governor on the November ballot. Davis Hammet filed an objection Thursday, Sept. 6, to Kobach's nomination. Hammet contends that potentially hundreds of legal ballots were not counted in the state's August primary. His objection will force a three-member state board that includes Kobach or one of his deputies to consider the allegations. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Kobach defeated Colyer in the August primary by 343 votes , a minuscule margin with more than 317,000 ballots counted. Hammet's filing will force a three-member, all-GOP state board - Kobach, Colyer's lieutenant governor and the attorney general, or their deputies - to consider the allegations. He faces Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly, of Topeka, and independent candidate Greg Orman, a Kansas City-area businessman, in what is expected to be a close and contentious general election race. As for Hammet's objection, Kobach spokeswoman Danedri Herbert said in an email: "Kris Kobach is focused on providing a quality education for Kansas students and bringing back jobs for hard-working Kansans." The Kansas secretary of state is nationally known for advocating tough immigration and voter identification policies and served as vice chairman of President Donald Trump's now-disbanded commission on election fraud. He faces a potential investigation of his handling of voter registrations by a citizen-called grand jury in Douglas County , a liberal bastion that is home to the University of Kansas. He's also been enmeshed in multiple lawsuits over a state law requiring new voters to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship that was struck down by a federal judge earlier this year. Hammet said he's filing his objection as a citizen under a law that allows a registered voter to object to a candidate's listing on the ballot. He is the founder and president of Loud Light, a left-leaning group that registers young voters that has criticized Kobach and other Republicans. He is raising issues that some Colyer supporters did during the first days after primary. Those issues include whether local election workers denied unaffiliated voters their right under state law to affiliate with the GOP at the polls and vote in the primary and whether election officials were overly strict in rejecting some provisional ballots. But Hammet's objection does not contain specific examples of problems, only broad statements that state laws were violated. Colyer conceded defeat a week after the election, after county officials had reviewed most late mail-in and provisional ballots. He then immediately endorsed Kobach. "Gov. Colyer has been vocal in his support of Secretary Kobach as the Republican candidate for governor, and that has not changed," Colyer spokesman Daniel Seitz said. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna . SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Staff at two senior care centers abandoned residents during an evacuation as wildfires swept through Northern California last October, state officials said Thursday as they moved to revoke licenses from the Santa Rosa facilities and their top administrators. Nobody in either facility died. A Department of Social Services complaint says more than 20 people would have died when a dementia facility burned to the ground if family members and emergency responders hadn't evacuated them after all staff left. The investigation says night staff members at Villa Capri were not trained in emergency procedures and had never practiced a fire drill. They could not find keys to a bus that could have sped evacuations. At least three residents were never evacuated from another facility, Varenna, and workers who found them the next morning lied about it, the investigation found. FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2017, file photo, structures burn in Fountaingrove, Calif. A state investigation has found that staff at two senior care facilities, not seen, abandoned residents during an evacuation as wildfires swept through Northern California last October. Officials announced Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, that they've moved to revoke licenses from the Santa Rosa facilities and their top administrators. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP, File) Both care centers are owned by Oakmont Senior Living, which called the allegations unfounded. The night of the fire, "we voluntarily began evacuating residents after we were repeatedly unable to reach emergency authorities on clogged 911 phone lines. We never received an official evacuation order from emergency authorities," the owner said in a statement. "All 418 residents were safely evacuated," Oakmont added. Oakmont owns 25 senior centers in California and one in Las Vegas. The company has 15 days to appeal and request a hearing before an administrative law judge, said Michael Weston, a spokesman for the state Department of Social Services. The state's complaint conveys a chaotic scene as flames swept into Santa Rosa overnight on Oct. 8 and 9. The blaze, known as the Tubbs Fire, ultimately destroyed thousands of homes in Santa Rosa and killed dozens of people, part of a firestorm that left a trail of destruction across Northern California wine country. At Villa Capri, home to 62 elderly and disabled residents including 25 in the dementia unit, the night supervisor did not know evacuation plans or where to find flashlights and batteries, the report said. One on-duty staff member spent an hour unsuccessfully searching for vehicle keys, according to the complaint. When the power went out at about 11:30 p.m., disabling electronic locks that keep patients with dementia from leaving, the facility administrator, who was not there, instructed staff to guard the exit doors, preventing them from caring for residents, the state alleges. But the administrator, Deborah Smith, did not go to the facility, according to the state's complaint. Between 3 and 3:30 a.m., the night supervisor left as a passenger in a vehicle taking residents to an evacuation center, followed by the two remaining staff members who evacuated about six residents, according to the complaint. After staff left, relatives of residents arrived and helped non-mobile residents "who were left stranded on the second floor." Emergency responders eventually arrived to help. At Varenna, which houses 228 residents, administrator Nathan Condie directed staff members who had been evacuating residents to return them to their rooms, the complaint alleges. "Nathan Condie stated that he did not want to cause issues or make trouble for (Oakmont)," the complaint says. He left with "a small number of residents in his personal car" at about 3:30 a.m., the complaint alleges, followed later by remaining staff members, leaving about 70 residents behind. The grandson of one resident arrived at 4 a.m. and found his grandfather had left. "He was besieged by questions about what to do and became aware that there were many residents in the darkened, smoky building who needed help," the complaint says. He ran door to door to awaken residents, help them into the lobby, and started a list of names as he stayed for three hours to help people evacuate. Smith and Condie could not be reached for comment. The state is seeking to ban them for life from owning or working in licensed care facilities. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner says a second bank has terminated her campaign account because she supports medical marijuana. Nikki Fried's campaign manager, Alicia Stallworth, told the Miami Herald that BB&T called the campaign Aug. 29 to tell them that their bank account had to be closed within 30 days. Stallworth says the bank sent them an email last Friday saying the account had to be closed by Wednesday. Fried's campaign had previously used Wells Fargo until that financial institution closed her accounts last month, just weeks before the Aug. 28 primary, which Fried won. Florida Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried greets supporters as she arrives to speak at a Democratic Party rally Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Fried is a Fort Lauderdale-based lawyer and medical marijuana lobbyist. Florida voters legalized medical marijuana in 2016, but some banks are reluctant to do business with an industry that remains illegal under federal law. BB&T released a statement saying they're complying with federal law. ___ Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An Israeli teenager visiting Yosemite National Park in California fell hundreds of feet to his death while hiking near the top of an iconic waterfall. The Mariposa County coroner's office said 18-year-old Tomer Frankfurter of Jerusalem was near the top of Nevada Fall when he fell. Assistant coroner Andrea Stewart said Thursday the cause of the fall on Wednesday was not immediately known, but it was considered an accident. FILE - In this March 28, 2016, file photo provided by the National Park Service, water flows over the Nevada Fall near Liberty Cap as seen from the John Muir Trail in Yosemite National Park, Calif. An Israeli teenager visiting Yosemite National Park fell hundreds of feet to his death while hiking near the top of an iconic waterfall. The Mariposa County Coroner's office said that 18-year-old Tomer Frankfurter of Jerusalem was near the top of Nevada Falls when he fell. Assistant coroner Andrea Stewart said Thursday the cause of the fall on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, was not immediately known but was considered an accident. (National Park Service via AP, File) Nevada Fall is nearly 600 feet tall. The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the death and was coordinating with U.S. officials to transfer the teen's body back to Israel. Yosemite National Park spokeswoman Jamie Richards said the death was under investigation and could not release other details. WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. and Canadian negotiators will extend at least through Friday their negotiations to reach a deal that would allow Canada to remain in a North American trade bloc. Canada's envoy - Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland - left a five-minute-long meeting with U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer Thursday night. She told reporters that it was important to discuss a couple of issues face to face but offered no further details. She added that the two sides agreed to meet again Friday. Freeland has been negotiating in Washington since last week. The U.S. and Canada are sparring over issues including U.S. access to Canada's protected dairy market and American plans to protect some drug companies from generic competition. NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump will not answer federal investigators' questions, in writing or in person, about whether he tried to block the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, one of the president's attorneys told The Associated Press on Thursday. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said questions about obstruction of justice were a "no-go." Giuliani's statement was the most definitive rejection yet of special counsel Robert Mueller's efforts to interview the president about any efforts to obstruct the investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Russians. It signals the Trump's lawyers are committed to protecting the president from answering questions about actions the president took in office. FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2018 file photo, Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump, addresses a gathering during a campaign event for Eddie Edwards, who is running for the U.S. Congress, in Portsmouth, N.H. President Donald Trump will not answer any questions, written or in-person, about possible obstruction of justice, Giuliani told The Associated Press. Giuliani's statement was the most definitive rejection yet of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's efforts to interview the president about any efforts to block the investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Russians. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File ) It's unclear if Giuliani's public position has been endorsed by Trump, who has said he wants to answer questions under oath. Negotiations about the scope and format of an interview are still ongoing. If the legal team holds its stance, it could force Mueller to try to subpoena the president, likely triggering a standoff that would lead to the Supreme Court. Mueller's office has previously sought to interview the president about the obstruction issue, including his firing last year of former FBI Director James Comey and his public attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump's legal team has argued that the president has the power to hire and fire appointees and the special counsel does not have the authority to ask him to explain those decisions. Giuliani said Thursday the team was steadfast in that position. "That's a no-go. That is not going to happen," Giuliani said. "There will be no questions at all on obstruction." In a letter last week, Mueller's team said it would accept written responses from Trump on questions related to Russian election interference. Giuliani suggested Thursday that Trump's lawyers had agreed to those terms but wanted to prohibit investigators from asking follow-up questions. "It would be in written form and if you want to follow up on our answers, justify it. Show us why you didn't get there the first time," Giuliani said. He said he was not categorically ruling out answering a second round of questions but the entire matter of whether there would be follow-up inquiries should be settled before the president answers anything at all. "We aren't going to let them spring it on us," said Giuliani, who has served as lawyer-spokesman for the president's personal legal team, using television interviews and public comments as a tactic in the negotiations. He has repeatedly moved the goalposts on what would be required for a presidential interview and, at times, has been forced to clarify previous statements. In earlier interviews, Giuliani had suggested some obstruction questions could be allowed if prosecutors show necessity and preview the questions with the defense lawyers. Trump, in a Fox News interview taped ahead of a Thursday night rally in Montana, was noncommittal when asked about a possible Mueller interview. In the latest letter to the legal team, Mueller's office didn't address obstruction questions, indicating investigators would later assess what additional information it needs from the president after receiving a response about the written submissions, according to a person familiar with the document. The person familiar with the letter spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the negotiations. Giuliani's declaration drew a swift rebuke from Rep. Adam Schiff, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who tweeted: "Trump's legal team never had any intention of allowing him to be interviewed, knowing he is incapable of telling the truth. It's past time to subpoena the President. No one is above the law." Though the president has publicly said he was eager to face questions from Mueller, his lawyers have been far more reluctant to make him available for an interview and have questioned whether Mueller has the right to ask him about actions that he is authorized, under the Constitution, to take as president. Giuliani's comments came just hours after Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, espoused a belief in an expansive view of executive powers and declined to say whether a president can be subpoenaed and forced to testify. Mueller's team raised the prospect in March that it could subpoena the president, though this would unquestionably prompt a court fight. The Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on the question of whether a president can be forced to testify, though the justices did rule in 1974 that Richard Nixon had to produce recordings and documents that had been subpoenaed. In addition to questions about Comey and Sessions, Mueller has expressed interest in Trump's role in drafting a statement to The New York Times about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower attended by his son, Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr. took the meeting, emails show, after it was described as part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign by providing derogatory information about Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump has said he knew nothing about the meeting before it happened. Trump and Giuliani have led an onslaught of attacks on Mueller's credibility, claiming that the special counsel was biased and that the entire probe was a "witch hunt." Giuliani has also demanded that the probe suspend its activities with the midterm elections approaching, but the former mayor said Thursday he was not certain of Mueller's intentions. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Chad Day contributed reporting from Washington. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire ATSUMA, Japan (AP) - The toll from an earthquake that rocked Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido rose to 20 on Friday, and 19 others remained unaccounted for in one small town after an entire mountainside collapsed on their homes. The region was slowly restoring transport links and power, with lights back in about half of the homes on the island of 5.4 million people after a day of region-wide blackouts. Officials said they hoped to have the generating capacity close to normal by the weekend, though full repairs to Hokkaido's main power plant could take up to a week. Rescuers were using search dogs, backhoes and shovels as they dug through tons of mud and debris from the landslides triggered by the magnitude 6.7 quake that struck before dawn Thursday. Police search missing persons at the site of a landslide triggered by an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) After more than a day of digging there were no reports of survivors being pulled from their crushed homes in the outskirts of the town of Atsuma, not far from the quake's epicenter. There were scant signs of damage inside Atsuma itself, a seaside community of about 4,600 that advertises itself as a destination for surfing and a great lifestyle. But by late Friday, the power still had not been restored and stores were closed. "There are no supplies, so the shop simply cannot function. It's tough," said Yasuhiro Kurosaki, a young father whose wife was cradling their infant son outside the small supermarket owned by his father. Shelves inside the darkened shop were bare aside from a few boxes of potato chips. Most residents sought meals, water and shelter at the local social services office. Farther inland, unharvested rice fields stretched before a long expanse of hillside that had collapsed all at once, bringing earth and timber down on homes that had been tucked along the edge of the mountain. Of the 20 people confirmed or presumed dead, 17 were from Atsuma. In the regional capital, Sapporo, lights and water were restored to many areas a day after the entire island saw power cut off. Bullet train services resumed and the city's airport at Chitose reopened. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. "This is shocking. I was always walking on this street and I had never imagined this road could collapse in such a way," said resident Noriyuki Sumi. "But, if you think positively, imagine if I was walking here when this took place. I might have lost my life. So, I try to think I am lucky in this unfortunate situation." Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said it would take at least a week to fully restore power to all communities due to damage at a thermal power plant at Tomato-Atsuma that supplies half of Hokkaido's electricity. "We're trying to do it faster, but it will likely take a week," Seko said. He urged residents to conserve power. Japan has had a string of natural disasters in recent months. The quake came on the heels of a typhoon that lifted heavy trucks off their wheels and triggered major flooding in western Japan, and damaged the main airport near Osaka and Kobe. The summer also brought devastating floods and landslides from torrential rains in Hiroshima and deadly hot temperatures across the country. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writer Elaine Kurtenbach in Tokyo contributed to this report. Police search missing persons at the site of a landslide triggered by an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police walk as they search for missing persons at the site of a landslide after an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The magnitude 6.7 quake early Thursday unleashed scores of landslides that buried homes in avalanches of soil, rock and timber. In Atsuma, a town of about 4,600 people, more than a dozen of people were still unaccounted for. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police search for missing persons at the site of a landslide triggered by Thursday's earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Rescuers were using dogs, backhoes and shovels to search Friday for survivors trapped in mud and debris from landslides triggered by the powerful earthquake in northern Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) This aerial photo taken Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, shows the site of a landslide triggered by an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, southern Japan. Search operations continue after Thursday's powerful earthquake on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido unleashed scores of landslides, burying homes in avalanches of soil, rock and timber. (Tsuyoshi Ueda/Kyodo News via AP) Passengers queue up for their flights after Chitose airport resumed operation in Chitose, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The regional airport was beginning to resume operations after hundreds of flights had been cancelled, stranding thousands of travelers, due to Thursday's power outage and light quake damage. (Kyodo News via AP) A woman cries after her missing father was found at the site of a landslide triggered by an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Rescuers were using dogs, backhoes and shovels to search Friday for survivors trapped in mud and debris from landslides triggered by a powerful earthquake in northern Japan. (Masanori Takei/Kyodo News via AP) A Japan Self-Defense Forces member rests during a break of a search operation at the site of a landslide after an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police officers stand guard at the site of a landslide where a search mission is taking place, in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, in Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police members rest during a break of a search operation at the site of a landslide after an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police members search missing persons at the site of a landslide after an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Japan Self-Defense Forces members search missing persons at the site of a landslide triggered by an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police search missing persons at the site of a landslide triggered by an earthquake in Atsuma town, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) SANTA FE, Texas (AP) - Officials at a Houston-area high school where a shooting in May left 10 people dead say that two students who exchanged threatening text messages will face disciplinary action. The Houston Chronicle reports the threatening messages come less than a month after students at Santa Fe High School began the new school year. In a letter to parents, Principal Rachel Blundell says administrators learned of the threat on Wednesday afternoon and contacted authorities. Blundell says in the letter that "any threat against student safety will not be tolerated." Students at Santa Fe High School began the new school year with additional security measures, including metal detectors, following the deadly shooting. The student accused of the shooting, Dimitrios Pagourtzis (puh-GOR'-chees), has been indicted on capital murder charges and remains jailed without bond. ___ Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Even two decades after he fled North Korea, even with an abiding hatred of the ruling dictatorship, Sim Ju-il sometimes still relives the days when he goose-stepped past the nation's revered founder, Kim Il Sung, as a young man. Alone on a Seoul street, he'll pretend his umbrella is a rifle and present arms as he lifts his now aged legs in a rigid, still springy march and remembers the long-ago, exalted feeling. "I was proud of myself because not too many people got to take part in these marches, and I still have that pride," said Sim, 67, who participated in military parades in 1972 and 1985 - first as a goose-stepper and later riding on a military vehicle - before later defecting to South Korea. "I think North Korean military parades are the best in the world." Ahead of a massive military parade Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's socialist government, there are mixed feelings among ex-North Korean soldiers who goose-stepped in previous years' parades. Pride, for some like Sim, but bitterness among others who say they were beaten, battered and malnourished during intense training sessions that never seemed to end. There's also acknowledgement that the privilege of marching in one of the North's premier events guaranteed speedy promotion and higher social standing. In this Aug. 29, 2018 photo, North Korean defector Sim Ju-il shows how to do North Korean military goosesteps during an interview in Seoul, South Korea. Even two decades after he fled North Korea, even with an abiding hatred of the ruling dictatorship, Sim sometimes still relives the days when he goose-stepped past the nation's revered founder, Kim Il Sung, as a young man. Goose-stepping soldiers are the most spectacular part of North Korea's massive military parades. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Another former North Korean goose-stepper, Kim Jungah, was once proud of her marching but now feels she was physically abused. Still, she, too, sometimes dusts off her goose-stepping skills for South Koreans curious about the harsh training she experienced ahead of a 1997 military parade in North Korea. The sight of thousands of goose-stepping soldiers can be a breathtaking spectacle: Columns of young soldiers, some with bayonet-tipped rifles, kick their unbending legs high in perfect unison as they parade through Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung square. Metal tips and heel plates on their boots ring out in unison, and the troops often look more like they're bouncing than marching as they spring forward. When they reach an elevated reviewing stand where North Korea's young ruler, Kim Jong Un, smiles and waves his hands, they all instantly whip their heads at a 45-degree angle at the command, "Eyes right!" The current batch of North Korean goose-steppers appears to swing their feet much higher than their predecessors. Goose-stepping was once favored by despots like Hitler, Mussolini, Mao and Stalin, but North Korea is now one of the few nations whose military still does a full-fledged version. Experts say the spectacle allows Kim to display to the world highly disciplined, devoted and powerful troops as he maneuvers in a decades-long nuclear standoff with the United States and South Korea. The goose-steppers are mostly from military academies or elite army units, selected because of their loyalty to the Kim government, family background and height. Sim was a member of Kim Il Sung University of Politics, a prestigious army academy, in 1972, when he marched. His school only selected those who were between 165 and 174 centimeters (5'4" and 5'7" feet) tall. Kim Jungah, who eventually dropped out of the parade because of injuries, said her academy only selected female cadets who were 160-164 centimeters (5'2"- 5'3"). "When you are in a parade, you're in the presence of Kim Jong Un, so there are elaborate background checks that must be done before you can attend such events," said analyst Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies. "Being in a parade is the same thing as the top leader bestowing on you his pomp and splendor, so it helps your future." Seo said goose-stepping soldiers likely began appearing in parades between the late 1950s and early 1960s when Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and the grandfather of Kim Jong Un, was solidifying his grip on power. After his death in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il held a larger number of military parades under his "military-first policy" until he died in 2011. Kim Jong Un has had six big parades during his nearly seven years of rule. Goose-steppers train at their respective military academies or on army bases before gathering in Pyongyang, in places like Mirim airfield, a military airport on the outskirts of the city, for joint practices. Sim trained for six months; Kim said her colleagues in the 1997 parade practiced for one year; another ex-North Korean soldier said in an interview that he trained for two months before a 1998 parade. The defectors said they trained about 6-10 hours per day and six days a week. Many of their colleagues fainted or were injured during practice and had to be replaced. Kim said that when parade instructors weren't satisfied they often hit her and her colleagues with tree branches and flimsy metal rods used to clean rifles. Kim said she and her colleagues were beaten on their feet, calves, arms, jaw, hips and even breasts. "We were hit a lot ... and they always carried those switches," she said. "I didn't know whether it was a human rights violation at the time. I saw (my parade training) as a source of pride, even after I came to South Korea" in 2009, she said. Kim's training happened during a North Korean famine that was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands. Malnourished, she said she passed out during a practice in July 1996 because her training unit didn't have enough food, often eating only rice and salt for each meal. Sim and another ex-North Korean soldier, who requested anonymity because of worries about the safety of his relatives in the North, said their teams were fed well. Several weeks after quitting her training because of health problems, Kim said she suffered sciatic neuralgia that left her paralyzed below the waist for weeks. Kim said her North Korean doctor told her that her injury was likely caused by the goose-stepping. Other goose-steppers had slipped disks and blood in the urine, she said. The third ex-North Korean soldier said he had a backache for one and a half months after the 1998 parade. Sim said his training was tough but he wasn't injured. Soldiers riding on tanks and armored vehicles during the parades had less severe training than the goose-steppers. Sim, who was an army captain on a trackless trolley car towing an anti-aircraft gun in 1985, said his training then was primarily focused on maintaining his vehicle to prevent it from accidently stopping during the parade. After the parades, participants are usually awarded commemorative medals, gift boxes with food and beverages and special holidays. They are also allowed to keep the military uniforms they wear during the parades. Kim was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and she got a coveted ruling party membership and was promoted faster than her colleagues, in part, she believes, because of her participation in parade training. Sim, who was a lieutenant colonel at Pyongyang's defense command when he fled North Korea in 1998, now works as a pastor who promotes Christianity in North Korea. He hates the North Korean dictatorship but still highly values its military parades. On the day of his parade in 1972, Sim said his heart was pounding as he smoothly passed by Kim Il Sung, whom North Koreans worshipped as a god-like figure. A female officer collapsed after her appendix burst following her march, and she was praised by military leaders for having concealed her pains while training, Sim said. "After the parade, I felt a little bit empty. I thought to myself, 'I trained all those months for something that took just over a minute,'" he said. ___ Follow Hyung-jin Kim at www.twitter.com/@hyungjin1972 In this Aug. 29, 2018 photo, North Korean defector Sim Ju-il speaks during an interview in Seoul, South Korea. Even two decades after he fled North Korea, even with an abiding hatred of the ruling dictatorship, Sim sometimes still relives the days when he goose-stepped past the nation's revered founder, Kim Il Sung, as a young man. Goose-stepping soldiers are the most spectacular part of North Korea's massive military parades. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) In this Aug. 28, 2018, photo, North Korean defector Kim Jungah shows how to do North Korean military goose steps during an interview in Seoul, South Korea. Goose-stepping soldiers are the most spectacular part of North Korea's massive military parades. Kim, was once proud of her marching but now feels she was physically abused. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) In this Aug. 28, 2018, photo, North Korean defector Kim Jungah gestures while speaking about North Korean military goose steps during an interview in Seoul, South Korea. Goose-stepping soldiers are the most spectacular part of North Korea's massive military parades. Kim, was once proud of her marching but now feels she was physically abused. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) In this Aug. 28, 2018, photo, North Korean defector Kim Jungah gestures while speaking about North Korean military goose steps during an interview in Seoul, South Korea. Goose-stepping soldiers are the most spectacular part of North Korea's massive military parades. Kim was once proud of her marching but now feels she was physically abused. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2013, file photo, North Korean troops march during a military parade at Kim Il Sung Square to mark the 65th anniversary of the country's founding in Pyongyang, North Korea. A massive military parade is expected on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's socialist government, Goose-stepping soldiers are the most spectacular part of North Korea's massive military parades. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin, File) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday he is pushing for "irrevocable progress" in efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons by the end of this year as he prepares for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was expecting to get a "positive" letter from Kim after South Korean special envoys traveled to Pyongyang this week to help resolve the nuclear stalemate and pave the way for the Sept. 18-20 Moon-Kim summit. South Korean officials say the summit in Pyongyang will focus on how to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula - the goal that Kim and Trump agreed to at their own historic face-to-face meeting in Singapore in June. Diplomatic progress since then has been slow. In this Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, photo, South Korean President Moon Jae-in smiles as he presides over a meeting to make preparations for upcoming summit between South and North Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, from Sept. 18-20 at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea. Moon said Friday, Sept. 7, that he's pushing for "irrevocable progress" on efforts to rid North Korea of its nukes by the end of this year as he prepares for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Hwang Gwang-mo/Yonhap via AP) After returning home from North Korea, the South Korean envoys said Thursday that Kim still has faith in Trump and reaffirmed his commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, although he expressed frustration over skepticism about his sincerity. Chief envoy Chung Eui-yong said Kim wanted to denuclearize before Trump's current term ends in early 2021. On Friday, Trump was upbeat about the North Korean leader's overtures, describing as "a very positive statement what he said about me and also what he said about he wants to denuclearize during the Trump administration." Trump said he's expecting to get a letter in the coming days that Kim is sending to him through Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It was a reference to the message from Kim to Trump that South Korea said Thursday it would be forwarding to the United States. During their visit on Wednesday, the envoys had forwarded a message from Trump to Kim. "I know that a letter is being delivered to me, a personal letter from Kim Jong Un to me," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to a campaign event in North Dakota. "I think it's going to be a positive letter." Still, the next step in nuclear diplomacy is uncertain. Negotiators seem deadlocked over whether North Korea truly intends to denuclearize as it has pledged numerous times in recent months. North Korea has dismantled its nuclear and rocket engine testing sites, but U.S. officials want more serious, concrete action taken before North Korea obtains outside concessions. North Korea, which says its nuclear program is aimed at countering U.S. military threats, has demanded the United States jointly declare with that country and South Korea an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, which was halted by an armistice, not a peace treaty. During his meeting with the South Korean envoys, Kim said an end-of-war declaration wouldn't weaken the U.S.-South Korean alliance or lead to the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea to prevent an North Korean attack, according to Chung. Kim's stance appeared designed to allay U.S. concerns that the declaration could be used by the North to demand the removal of U.S. forces. Moon's liberal government, which is eager to continue engagement with North Korea, also wants the declaration. In a written interview released Friday with Indonesian newspaper Kompas, Moon said he wants to see such a declaration made this year as part of trust-building measures. "What matters is implementing with sincerity the agreements among the leaders, and our objective is producing irrevocable progress by the end of this year," Moon said, referring to denuclearization and a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Two senior members of South Korea's delegation to Pyongyang are to fly to China and Japan to brief them on their meeting with Kim. Chung is to meet senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi on Saturday, and National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon, who went to Pyongyang with Chung, is to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, according to South Korea's presidential office. Chung, whose official title is presidential national security director, spoke with his U.S. counterpart, John Bolton, on the phone on Thursday about his trip to North Korea. ___ Thomas reported from Fargo, North Dakota. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on California revoking licenses for senior care facilities where residents were left during a fire (all times local): 7:35 p.m. The owner of two Northern California senior care facilities denies residents were abandoned as wildfires swept the area last October. Oakmont Senior Living responded Thursday after state regulators moved to revoke licenses for two of its Santa Rosa facilities. State investigators contend that at least three residents were never evacuated and that more than 20 people would have died if family members and emergency responders hadn't helped them after staff fled. The company says the allegations by the Department of Social Services are unfounded. Oakmont says it never received an official evacuation order for the residents but decided to move them voluntarily and that all 418 of the elderly patients were safely evacuated. ___ 4:49 p.m. A state investigation has found that staff at two senior care facilities abandoned residents during an evacuation as wildfires swept through Northern California last October. Officials announced Thursday that they've moved to revoke licenses from the Santa Rosa facilities and their top administrators. The Department of Social Services investigation says more than 20 people would have died when a dementia facility burned to the ground if family members and emergency responders hadn't evacuated them after all staff left. Investigators say at least three residents were never evacuated from another facility, and workers who found them the next morning lied about it. The facilities known as Villa Capri and Varenna are managed by Oakmont Management Group based in Windsor. Executives did not respond to requests for comment. NEW YORK (AP) - Tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions could be erased with the OK of Brooklyn's top prosecutor, under a new plan for wiping records clean of offenses no longer being prosecuted in parts of the nation's biggest city. District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is inviting people to request conviction dismissals. He expects prosecutors will consent in the great majority of a potential 20,000 cases since 1990 and an unknown number of older ones. To Gonzalez, whose office has stopped prosecuting most cases involving people accused of having small amounts of pot, it's only right to nix convictions that wouldn't be pursued now. "It's a little unfair to say we're no longer prosecuting these cases, but to have these folks carry these convictions for the rest of their lives," the Democrat told The Associated Press ahead of a planned announcement Friday. Several states have laws allowing for expunging or sealing marijuana convictions in certain circumstances. And prosecutors in San Diego, San Francisco , and Seattle - all in states where pot is now legal - have taken steps toward clearing marijuana convictions en masse. California lawmakers approved a measure last month that would require prosecutors to erase or reduce an estimated 220,000 pot convictions. It's awaiting action from Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown. The Brooklyn initiative envisions a case-by-case wipeout of thousands of convictions obtained under a law that still stands. New York allows marijuana-derived medications for some conditions, but recreational pot remains illegal, although Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has appointed a panel to draft legislation that could legalize it. Meanwhile, Gonzalez and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. decided this year to decline to prosecute most misdemeanor pot possession and smoking cases. The men oversee prosecutions in two of the city's five boroughs. The DAs said the prosecutions did little for public safety but sometimes a lot of harm - jeopardizing job opportunities, housing, immigration status and more - in the lives of defendants who were overwhelmingly black and Hispanic. District attorneys in the other three boroughs still pursue such cases, however. All five DAs are Democrats. Under Gonzalez' new initiative, people already convicted of pot possession misdemeanors or violations in Brooklyn can ask a court to dismiss the cases. Legal groups are ready to help people with the paperwork. The DA's office will oppose requests from people with additional convictions for drug sales, certain violent felonies or sex offenses, for instance. But Gonzalez expects those cases to be few. "This is really a relief that I think we can provide, and we do it in a way that is safe," he said. A dismissal will ultimately be up to a judge. In general, judges often dismiss cases when prosecutors consent to it. New York City overall has been shifting its approach to policing marijuana, which spurred more than 50,000 arrests a year as recently as 2011. Last year, there were 17,880, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. A 2014 city policy called for police to issue summonses citing violations, instead of making misdemeanor arrests, for most small-time marijuana possession cases, though not public pot smoking. As of last Saturday, officers have been directed to issue tickets in most marijuana-smoking cases, too. Police Commissioner James O'Neill supports the move, but the city's efforts to ease off on pot have drawn criticism from Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins. "If you want to not have enforcement of arrests," he told The Wall Street Journal in May, "then you need to change the law." CINCINNATI (AP) - Police say they're trying to learn why a gunman carrying a large amount of ammunition began shooting in a downtown Cincinnati high-rise building, killing three people and wounding two others before four officers all opened fire on him. Police Chief Eliot Isaac says they will study footage from the officers' body cameras and security from the 30-story building that headquarters Fifth Third Bancorp. Police say the suspect had never worked at Fifth Third and don't have any information linking him to other businesses in the building. Authorities believe that 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez has lived in the Cincinnati area since 2015. Police swarmed his apartment in North Bend, Ohio, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away. Members of the Cincinnati Police Department listen as Chief Eliot Isaac speaks to the media as emergency personnel and police work the scene of a shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Isaac says the shooter used a 9 mm handgun with some 200 rounds of ammunition. Officers arrived in seconds to drop him in a hail of gunfire. Authorities hope to have more information to release Friday. Records show the shooter formerly lived in South Florida and had been charged with some non-violent crimes years ago. Police said he went into a sandwich shop and possibly other businesses before entering the lobby and opening fire around 9:10 a.m. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the rapid police response probably prevented many more casualties. He said one investigator said it could have been "a bloodbath beyond imagination." Leonard Cain told The Enquirer he was going into the bank when someone alerted him about the shooting. He said a woman wearing headphones didn't hear the warnings and walked into the bank and got shot. The Hamilton County Coroner's office identified the victims as Pruthvi Kandepi, 25; Luis Calderon, 48; and Richard Newcomer, 64. One of the victims died at the scene. Two more died at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The wounded were listed there in critical condition and fair condition. Fountain Square is often the site of concerts, dancing, food trucks and other events around lunchtime or in the evenings. "It could have been any one of us," Mayor John Cranley said. He praised police and other emergency personnel, saying, "It could have been much, much worse." ___ Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Alexandra Villarreal in New York and AP Photographer John Minchillo in Cincinnati contributed. __ Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell Emergency personnel and police respond to a reported active shooter situation near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Emergency personnel and police respond to reports of an active shooter situation near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Emergency personnel and police respond to a reported active shooter situation near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Emergency personnel and police respond to reports of an active shooter situation near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) An area is cordoned off with police tape as emergency personnel and police respond to reports of an active shooter situation near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley stands at the scene as emergency personnel and police respond to reports of a shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, center, works the scene as emergency personnel and police respond to reports of a shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Pedestrians stand behind a police line as emergency personnel and police respond to reports of a shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Pedestrians stand behind a police line as emergency personnel and police respond to reports of a shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, center, speaks alongside Mayor John Cranley, left, during a media conference as emergency personnel and police work the scene of shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley speaks to the media as emergency personnel and police work the scene of shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Pedestrians are allowed to exit police cordons as emergency personnel and police work the scene of shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Emergency personnel and police work the scene of shooting near Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) This undated photo provided by the Cincinnati Police Department shows Omar Enrique Perez who is suspected of the shooting deaths of three people in downtown Cincinnati, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (Cincinnati Police Department via AP) HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on hurricanes near Hawaii (all times local): 6 p.m. Hawaii Gov. David Ige is asking President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster for Hurricane Lane which battered the state last month. Ige said Thursday the state is seeking help from federal grants and other programs to cover the costs of the storm. Lane flooded homes and schools and triggered landslides as it dumped torrential rains on the Big Island and Kauai. The hurricane's strong winds fueled wildfires on Maui. Lane was the nation's second rainiest tropical cyclone since 1950. Mountain View on the Big Island recorded 52.02 inches (132 centimeters) of rain during the storm. Hurricane Norman is currently passing Hawaii to the northeast, while Hurricane Olivia is expected to approach the state early next week. ___ 5:30 p.m. One hurricane is on course to bypass Hawaii offshore, while another behind it is heading straight for the islands. The National Weather Service said Thursday that Hurricane Norman's center will likely pass 200 to 300 miles (320 to 480 kilometers) to the northeast of the main Hawaiian Islands. Meteorologists are warning of high surf, but they don't expect the storm to directly affect the state. Norman was packing maximum sustained winds near 100 mph (155 kph), making it a Category 2 hurricane. Wind shear and cooler ocean temperatures are expected to weaken it over the next few days. Olivia is currently a Category 4 hurricane 1,300 miles west of Mexico's Baja California. Meteorologists expect it to weaken as it nears the islands early next week, but it's uncertain by how much. ___ 10:45 a.m. One hurricane is on course to bypass Hawaii to the northeast, while another appears set to weaken before it gets closer to the island state. The National Weather Service said Thursday Hurricane Norman's center will likely pass 200 to 300 miles to the northeast of the main Hawaiian Islands. Meteorologists are warning of high surf, but they don't expect the storm to directly affect the state. Norman was packing maximum sustained winds near 115 mph (185 kph), making it a Category 3 hurricane. Wind shear and cooler ocean temperatures are expected to weaken it over the next few days. Olivia is currently a Category 3 hurricane 1,200 miles southwest of Mexico's Baja California. It's forecast to weaken to a tropical storm before it nears Hawaii early next week. And so, having donated my time and talent to this organisation, it was with disappointment and regret to have it deny my sole and rightful authorship of Butterflies along the Track, the KTFs Kokoda75 commemorative childrens book, funded by Australias foreign affairs department. While designated to act only in as a volunteer, all research, design, delivery and facilitation was assigned to me by the Foundation. On both occasions I achieved the assigned outcomes. ON THE TRAIL - In 2017, I was invited by the Australian-based social enterprise, Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF), to facilitate two rural school book-making workshops in Oro Province. The first of a series of articles about the need to improve the conditions and sustainable development of the tourism industry on the Kokoda Trail. The articles document my observations and conversations with Papua New Guinean guides, carriers, campsite owners and communities as I trekked the Trail from 617 August. Kokoda trail or trial? Rashmii Bell's 10-day trek investigated who benefits from Kokoda tourism and why there's a need for urgent corrective action Exacerbated by KTFs resistance to engage in public dialogue (nor to issue a formal apology) on this matter, my frustration increased at witnessing what I perceived as a conscious act of perpetuating the aid-dependent narrative of many projects in PNG. Perhaps such strategies to insert oneself between aid funder and aid receiver are necessary for institutional survival masked as making a contribution to nation-building activities in PNG. This incident shifted my attention to examining other activities of foreign entities in PNG. I was particularly on the lookout for acts of exploitation and dispossession of Papua New Guineans, especially in the rural and remote regions. I saw an urgent need to critique the operations of such entities and the networks in which they function and benefit, specifically alert for activity directly affecting sustainable development, especially for girls and women. It is this kind of advocacy that underpinned the nomination of the My Walk to Equality literary project as PNGs entry for the 2018 United Nations Girls and Women Education Prize. So when Charlie Lynn OAM OL penned the scathing article Losing Kokoda, in Australian Spectator, it captured my attention. A former Army officer, Australian state parliamentarian and long-time friend of PNG, Lynn has been consistently vocal about the importance of nurturing positive, people-to-people relations between Australia and PNG. His trek company, Adventure Kokoda, has had a 27-year relationship with communities along the Trail, which he has walked no less than 93 times. Lynns commentary was deeply concerning. The article was another chapter in Lynns efforts to highlight his observations of mismanagement and questionable operations of the Kokoda trek tourism industry. Most alarmingly, his commentary raised instances of exploitation of carriers by trek tour operators (many Australia-based). These could be seen as conscious acts of dispossession hindering the development of Papua New Guineans. Lynns accounts illustrate a most troubling scenario, seemingly fostered by a defunct management body and its affiliated Papua New Guinean and Australian agencies, unable to properly discharge its mandated responsibilities including regulating trek operators, overseeing the distribution of benefits and ensuring the continued wellbeing of the Trails people. As a Papua New Guinean who writes and publishes the writing of others to advocate social change, I sought on my own trek to observe first-hand, report and critique such disturbing claims. So I initiated contact with Charlie Lynn. I was heartened when he responded by encouraging me both to undertake my first trek of the Trail as an investigative exercise but also to be immersed in an experience (regarded as akin to a pilgrimage especially by Australians) that many people had done before. Lynn suggested I trek with Adventure Kokodas annual Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge (KYLC) group; a 16-member team of young and open-minded Australians from NSW RSL Clubs. For 10 days I lived with and walked in comradeship alongside 16 Australians on the soil that is my homeland, all of us retracing the steps of the brave men who 75 years ago fought to ensure the freedoms that we near neighbours enjoy today. With the immeasurable aid of Adventure Kokodas team of carriers, guide Big Joe and leader Charlie Lynn, we trekked the ever-changing environment along the 138 kilometres from Owers Corner to the Kokoda Plateau. My own steps were observed closely and guided by De, my personal carrier, who became my lifeline in a setting that swiftly reveals weaknesses, demands unimaginable endurance and is unforgiving of a missed step. I observed, interacted and listened to the lived experiences of those at the forefront of Trail tourism: the guides, carriers, campsite owners and people living in the villages along the way - all of whom should share the benefits generated by the tourism occurring around them. I saw the Spirit of Kokoda unfold in the individuals of my trek group and the Papua New Guineans in the villages en route. I noted that my positive interactions and ease of access with the people along the Trail was enabled by the long established rapport Adventure Kokoda carriers had established with the communities. It caused me to consider that whilst Papua New Guinean and Australian bureaucracy muddles its way through strategies to strengthen bilateral relations and improve people-to-people relations, strong relationships are an absolute necessity on the rugged Trail where the Koiari and Orokaiva people have long resided. Seemingly, strengthening relationships it is the only way Kokoda Trail trek tourism will survive. For trek tourism to thrive, the Kokoda Trails management body (including affiliated Papua New Guinean and Australian agencies) have an immense amount of work to do with trek operators, their employees and communities. Some of the issues raised in discussions whilst I was on the Trail that Ive submitted through a formal PNG channel include: erosion, particularly along steep mountain climbs lack of safety measures along the Trail, including safe and secure footbridges and a reliance on guides to construct temporary rope handrails disjointed support and communication by operators for trekkers and indigenous communities the inconsistent presence of rangers to monitor carriers pack weights limited access to safe, hygienic and secure amenities for trekkers; on several occasions Australians trekkers opted to go bush instead of using the dismal pit latrine and other facilities available absence of structured promotion to engage and educate trekkers of the Koiari and Orokaiva peoples cultures absence of information (signage) about the fauna and flora of the Trail community concern about disjointed engagement, infrastructure provision, program implementation and service delivery by Kokoda Track Authority, Kokoda Initiative and smaller non-government organisations the inequitable and blatant imbalance of the benefits between trekkers and trek operators and the indigenous staff and trail communities the marked imbalance of participation by indigenous women in comparison to that of indigenous men throughout the trails tourism activities and its offsets the breakdown of service delivery intended by the PNG and Australian governments and affiliated organisation for communities and lack of responsiveness the Kokoda Track Authority and Kokoda Initiative to suggestions from community members inconsistencies in the working conditions of carriers between the well-equipped Adventure Kokoda personnel and other tour operators including terrain-appropriate enclosed footwear, safety wear, adequate sleeping equipment and uniforms At the core of this series of articles is a demand for responsible, ethical tourism ensuring professional support and strict regulation of operator activity to create a safe and satisfactory experience for trekkers and the well-being of the Papua New Guineans working on the Trail. It is apparent that the Trails management body, including its network of affiliated Papua New Guinean and Australian agencies, needs marked improvements in its operations including enabling transparent dialogue with and accountability to all who access the Trail. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. SAO PAULO (AP) - The stabbing of a leading Brazilian presidential candidate jolted an already wildly unpredictable campaign to lead Latin America's largest nation, with doctors saying Friday that Jair Bolsonaro will be hospitalized for at least a week. Supporters of the far-right congressman who wants to crack down on crime said the attack would only boost his chances in next month's election, but it was unclear when he would be able to return to campaigning in person. A knife-wielding man whose motive was unknown stabbed Bolsonaro during a rally Thursday in Juiz de Fora, a city about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Rio de Janeiro, as he was being carried on the shoulders of a supporter. Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, wave national flags as they gather outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate was transferred, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Surgeon Luis Borsato said Bolsonaro was in serious but stable condition and would remain in intensive care for at least seven days. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Bolsonaro, 63, suffered intestinal damage and serious internal bleeding, said Dr. Luiz Henrique Borsato, one of the surgeons who operated on the candidate. He was in serious but stable condition and would remain in intensive care for seven to 10 days, Borsato said. The candidate was transferred Friday to a premier hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city. Supporters outside the hospital carried a giant inflatable doll of Bolsonaro dressed in a formal suit with a sash that said "President." "No matter what you think about him, he did not deserve this," said Mauro Rodrigues, owner of a construction business who went to the hospital to support Bolsonaro. "It will definitely increase his chances of winning the election because people will be more sympathetic toward him." The attack is likely to have a major impact on the remaining four weeks of the campaign, from how candidates interact with supporters to their message. For Bolsonaro, there will be questions about his physical ability to campaign - a key factor in a country slightly larger than the continental United States - as well as whether the attack will give him a boost among voters. "He probably won't go back to the streets during this campaign, so he can't do it, but we can," his son, Flavio, said in a video posted on Facebook. "More than ever I count with each one of you." Bolsonaro's vice presidential running mate, retired Gen. Hamilton Mourao, told reporters that the candidate will "come out of this process stronger than he went in." The sentiment was echoed by Flavio Bolsonaro, who tweeted: "Jair Bolsonaro is stronger than ever and ready to be elected President of Brazil in the 1st ROUND!" About a dozen candidates are competing in the Oct. 7 voting. If no one wins an outright majority, a second round will be held Oct. 28. In a video posted on the Facebook page of a senator who visited him in the hospital, Bolsonaro thanked his doctors in a weak and scratchy voice and said: "I never did harm to anyone." He described a painful wound, saying he had worried about an attack on the campaign trail. "I was preparing for this sort of thing. You run risks," he said. The leader in the polls is former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but he is serving a 12-year sentence for corruption and has been barred from running. Bolsonaro is currently second, and while he has enthusiastic followers, his disapproval rating is higher than any other major candidate. Friday was Independence Day in Brazil, and Bolsonaro had planned to attend a military parade in Rio de Janeiro. The former army captain openly praises Brazil's 1964-85 dictatorship and has long argued the country is in chaos and needs a strong hand. That message has resonated with Brazilians, but his often derogatory comments about women, blacks and gays have also repulsed many. The attack "will turn into a dispute between the left and right," said Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at Rio de Janeiro's state university. "It's time that all presidential candidates make a declaration together to stop the aggressiveness." Videos on social media show Bolsonaro on the shoulders of a supporter, looking out at the crowd and giving a thumbs-up with his left hand. He suddenly flinches and then goes out of view. Other videos show supporters carrying him to a car and hitting a man who was apparently the attacker. The suspect, identified by authorities as 40-year-old Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, was arrested within seconds. The internet news portal G1 posted cellphone video, apparently obtained from police, of de Oliveira being questioned. Sitting on the floor with his hands cuffed behind him, a voice can be heard asking him who had sent him to attack Bolsonaro. "I didn't say anybody sent me," said de Oliveira. "He who sent me was God on high." Luis Boudens, president of the National Federation of Federal Police, told The Associated Press that agents believed "they were not dealing with a mentally stable person." Eraldo Fabio Rodrigues de Oliveira, who is married to a niece of the suspect, told the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo that he appeared to be "disturbed" and would often lock himself in a shed when he visited his family. "I can't say he was crazy, but, from the way he acted, he wasn't normal, no," the relative was quoted as saying. Lt. Col. Marco Rodrigues of the Minas Gerais state police told reporters that de Oliveira, who was once affiliated with a leftist party, said he acted because he disagreed with Bolsonaro. G1 quoted a lawyer for de Oliveira, Pedro Augusto Lima Possa, as saying his client did not mean to kill the politician, only wound him. Federal police said another suspect was detained in connection with the attack and questioned. That suspect was released overnight but remains under investigation. Minister of Public Security Raul Jungmann said the number of federal police providing security to candidates would be increased because of the attack, adding that Bolsonaro had been warned against launching himself into crowds as he did Thursday, according to the government-run news agency Agencia Brasil. Currently, 80 federal police protect five presidential candidates who requested security, and 21 were assigned to Bolsonaro, according to Jungmann. Brazilians surged onto social media to argue over whether the attack supports Bolsonaro's assertions that the country is off the rails or if his heated rhetoric contributed to inciting the attack. Flavio Bolsonaro, a state legislator who is running for a seat in the federal Senate, rejected the idea that his father incited the attack, saying the candidate was engaged in a campaign of ideas. He said the mainstream media bear some responsibility, accusing them of portraying his father as a "monster." "They made Bolsonaro a martyr," said Jonatan Valente, a student who joined a small vigil in Sao Paulo for the wounded candidate. "I think the left shot itself in the foot because with this attack they will end up electing Bolsonaro." After more than four years of revelations of widespread political corruption, anger is running high. Despite being a congressman since 1991, Bolsonaro has harnessed much of the anger and presented himself as a maverick who will clean up a corrupt system. He also promises to confront a surge in crime, in part by giving police a freer hand to shoot and kill while on duty. He has promised to fill his government with current and former military leaders. It was not the first incident of political violence this year. In March, while da Silva was campaigning in southern Brazil before his imprisonment, gunshots hit buses in his caravan, although no one was hurt. That same month, Marielle Franco, a councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, was shot to death along with her driver. "The campaign will become much more emotional than it already was," said Marcos Troyjo, co-director of the BRICLab at Columbia University. "Ideas will take a back seat." ___ Associated Press writer Sarah DiLorenzo reported this story in Sao Paulo and AP writer Peter Prengaman reported from Rio de Janeiro. AP writers Stan Lehman and Victor Caivano in Sao Paulo and Marcelo Silva de Sousa and Yesica Fisch in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report. Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, wear T-shirts emblazoned with his image, as they gather outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate was transferred, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Surgeon Luis Borsato said Bolsonaro was in serious but stable condition and would remain in intensive care for at least seven days. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE - In this video still provided by Fernando Goncalves, National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is carried away after being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Officials and Bolsonaro's son said the far-right candidate was in stable condition, though the son also said Bolsonaro suffered severe blood loss and arrived to the hospital "almost dead." (AP Photo/Fernando Goncalves) Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, gather next to a large inflatable doll depicting him, outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate was transferred, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, inflate a large doll depicting him, outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate was transferred, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) In this photo released by the Military Police, Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, suspected of stabbing Jair Bolsonaro, a leading Brazilian presidential candidate, sits after being detained in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Officials and Bolsonaro's son said the far-right candidate was in stable condition, though the son also said Bolsonaro suffered severe blood loss and arrived to the hospital "almost dead." (Military Police via AP) Flavio Bolsonaro, second left, son of the National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, levaes the Santa Casa hospital where his father is hospitalized in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Jair Bolsonaro, a leading Brazilian presidential candidate whose heated rhetoric has electrified some voters and angered others in a deeply polarized electorate, was stabbed during a campaign event. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) The ambulance carrying National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro leaves the Santa Casa hospital where he was hospitalized in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The wounding of the leading Brazilian presidential candidate has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, inflate a large doll depicting him, outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate was transferred, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) The ambulance transporting Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, is escorted by police as they make their way to the Albert Einstein Hospital, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Surgeon Luis Borsato said Bolsonaro was in serious but stable condition and would remain in intensive care for at least seven days. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) Flavio Bolsonaro, second left, son of the National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, levaes the Santa Casa hospital where his father is hospitalized in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Jair Bolsonaro, a leading Brazilian presidential candidate whose heated rhetoric has electrified some voters and angered others in a deeply polarized electorate, was stabbed during a campaign event. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Friends of the National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, react as they stand at the entrance of the Santa Casa hospital in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Bolsonaro, a leading Brazilian presidential candidate whose heated rhetoric has electrified some voters and angered others in a deeply polarized electorate, was stabbed during a campaign event. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) The ambulance carrying National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro leaves the Santa Casa hospital where he was hospitalized in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The wounding of the leading Brazilian presidential candidate has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, greets students as he leaves the Santa Casa hospital where his father was hospitalized in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The wounding of the leading Brazilian presidential candidate has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Prosecutors questioned Roman Catholic bishop emeritus Juan Barros as part of an investigation into sex abuse allegations against a former Chilean military chaplain. Barros, who has been accused of covering up the abuses of notorious predator priest Fernando Karadima, arrived on foot at the police sex crimes division in the capital Thursday to be questioned on the case involving a different cleric - former chaplain Pedro Quiroz. Quiroz was part of the military bishops' office headed by Barros between 2004 and 2015. According to statement from the office in late August, there were several complaints against Quiroz from between 1997 and 2000. The document said investigators didn't get the victims' statements necessary to determine responsibility in the cases. Bishop emeritus Juan Barros waves to the press after leaving the police sex crimes division building in Santiago, Chile. Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Prosecutors questioned Barros, who has been accused of covering up the abuses of the country's most notorious predator priest. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) At the end of Thursday's questioning, Barros said: "I contributed what I could contribute. I told the prosecutor what I had known or didn't know." Barros has been at the center of Chile's growing clerical sex abuse scandal since Pope Francis appointed him bishop in 2015 over the objections of the local faithful, the pope's own sex abuse prevention advisers and some of Chile's other bishops. The critics questioned Barros' appointment since he had been a top lieutenant of Karadima and had been accused by the priest's victims of witnessing and ignoring abuses. Barros denied the charge but twice offered to resign in the ensuing years. Francis accepted his resignation in June. WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) - As she hits up the town fairs and parades across northwestern Connecticut, political newcomer Jahana Hayes is sharing her story of rising from poverty to the height of the teaching profession in her bid to become the state's first black woman elected to Congress. Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, defeated a veteran politician in the Democratic primary last month, propelling her candidacy onto the national stage in a year when many voters are embracing non-traditional congressional candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York and Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts. The onetime teen mother says her life experiences have shaped her positions on strengthening the public education system, passing stronger federal gun safety laws, and moving toward a single-payer health care system. In this Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018 photo, Jahana Hayes, right, Democratic nominee for Connecticut's 5th Congressional District, reviews photos in her Waterbury, Conn., campaign headquarters with campaign staffer Zeke Hodkin, who took a semester off from Middlebury College to be part of the candidate's social media team. Hayes, a former National Teacher of the Year, will face Republican Manny Santos in the November general election. (AP Photo/Susan Haigh) "A lot of it is very personal to me. I know what it was like to be unemployed, underemployed, homeless, homeowner, single mom, married professional," she told The Associated Press in an interview. "I think everything in my life has positioned me to be exactly where I am. I wouldn't change a thing about it." Hayes, 45, is running for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a Democrat who chose not to seek re-election after being criticized for her handling of a sexual harassment case in her office. Hayes faces Republican Manny Santos, a former mayor of Meriden and an analyst with the United Health Group. He currently trails Hayes in fundraising and says it's been a challenge going up against attention paid to Hayes and her life story, even though he has own compelling personal narrative as a poor immigrant from Portugal who became a U.S. Marine. "Her story is getting out there because she has the money to spend on commercials and messaging," said Santos, who doesn't expect much, if any, financial help from national Republicans, even though the 5th Congressional District is considered competitive for the GOP. "When I'm out there campaigning, I don't particularly talk about myself. I would much rather talk about someone else's issues and what they're concerned with and how I might be able to help them." Santos supports President Donald Trump's agenda of lower taxes and stronger immigration enforcement. He said Hayes' campaign is about "touching the emotions of people" and is "lacking in substance and policy." Hayes, who defeated former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman in the primary, is competing in a year when Democratic voters have rewarded diversity and youth, including the candidacies of Stacey Abrams for Georgia governor and Andrew Gillum for Florida governor. Her story of overcoming so much personal adversity also has resonated with voters she has met since the primary at events like the Goshen Fair and the Newtown Labor Day parade. Hayes said she has received letters from single mothers who say she's inspired them to return to school or vote for the first time. Hayes grew up in Waterbury's Berkeley Heights, which was considered one of the city's most violent housing projects. Her mother struggled with drug addiction. Hayes became pregnant at 17 and considered dropping out of school, despite being a good student. She said public education and people in the system saved her life. She ultimately enrolled in community college and went on to earn her bachelor's and advanced degrees. A mother of four, Hayes is married to a detective in the Waterbury Police Department. The day after winning the primary, she was back at work, planning an orientation session for 112 new teachers entering the Waterbury Public Schools system. "I didn't campaign full-time until the two weeks leading up to the primary. That was my summer vacation," said Hayes, who is the school district's talent and professional development supervisor, a job she took on after winning the national award for her work as a high school history teacher. "I can't quit my job. I mean, I have a son who just started college last week." U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat who encouraged Hayes to run, got to know her when she was named Connecticut Teacher of the Year and later National Teacher of the Year. He still remembers her "tour de force performance" at the White House, when she excitedly introduced President Barack Obama. "I remember thinking, as I watched her up on stage, she was just a natural at public presentation," he said. "She clearly had a gift to be able to translate really important, difficult topics amidst an authenticity that is pretty rare to find." After traveling the nation and overseas for a year-and-a-half as the National Teacher of Year, Hayes said she decided to run for public office. She refers to Trump infrequently on the campaign trail, but she said she is concerned by his policies and "the hollowing out" of the institutions and government programs that helped her succeed. "I thought I was doing my part," she said. "But all of a sudden, it seemed like what I was doing was not enough." BEIJING (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in a sign of strengthening ties between the two Asian giants. The summit will take place during Xi's working visit to Russia's far-eastern port city of Vladivostok on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said Friday. It will be the first time a Chinese head of state has attended the Russian-hosted Eastern Economic Forum, a gathering Moscow hopes will encourage investment in its thinly populated far-east. Xi's visit is a sign of healthy ties between China and Russia that have been cemented by joint military exercises and coordination on foreign policy issues from Syria to North Korea. China this month is sending 3,200 troops and about 900 weapons units to take part in the biggest Russian military exercises since the Cold War. FILE - In this July 26, 2018, file photo, China's President Xi Jinping, left, poses with Russia's President Vladimir Putin for a photo at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. China's foreign ministry said Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, Xi will meet with Putin on Sept. 11 and 12 in a sign of strengthening ties between the two Asian giants. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) The visit also comes as China is reaching out to trade partners amid a tariff war with the United States. Russia has in recent years surpassed Saudi Arabia as China's largest source of crude oil and Beijing also imports Russian gas and military equipment. Russia and China have responded to the U.S. national security strategy describing them as America's top adversaries by vowing to further expand their economic, political and military cooperation. They have also sought to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping they created and which holds occasional defense exercises. The relationship is driven in part by the warm ties between Putin and Xi, seen as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. The two have met 25 times - five times last year alone, according to Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov. Putin's visit begins on Friday. NEW YORK (AP) - Twitter's permanent ban of conspiracy-monger Alex Jones on Thursday again underscored the difficulty many social-media services face in trying to consistently apply their rules against harassment and other bad behavior. The platform took action against Jones and his Infowars show for "abusive behavior," referencing videos posted Wednesday that showed him berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes between two congressional hearings on social media. Jones has behaved badly before - calling survivors of a shooting in Parkland, Florida "crisis actors" and saying the mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 was fake. Videos of the latest exchange show Jones calling Darcy "a possum that climbed out of the rear end of a dead cow," referencing his "skinny jeans" and repeatedly saying, "just look at this guy's eyes" and "look at that smile." FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, file photo, Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist, walks the corridors of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Twitter's permanent ban of conspiracy-monger Alex Jones on Thursday again underscored the difficulty many social-media services face in trying to consistently apply their rules against harassment and other bad behavior. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) The action follows moves by Facebook, YouTube, Apple, and Spotify to limit or remove Jones' material from their services. But Twitter went a step further , saying it will continue to monitor reports about other accounts potentially associated with Jones or Infowars and will "take action" if it finds any attempts to circumvent the ban. Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He had about 900,000 followers on Twitter. Infowars had about 430,000. New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone praised Twitter's action in a tweet. "Glad Twitter is taking steps to put an end to the abusive behavior from Alex Jones & Infowars," the tweet stated. "Tweets designed to threaten, belittle, demean and silence individuals have no place on this platform." Twitter had previously suspended Jones for a week, but until now it had resisted muzzling him further. Other tech companies have limited Jones by suspending him for longer periods and by taking down his pages and podcasts. Critics said there was still a lack of transparency about how large platforms carry out their policies. Media Matters for America, a nonprofit dedicated to criticizing conservative media outlets, said the move was "about time" but also noted the behavior was "par for the course" for Jones. David Greene, civil liberties director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the banning of Jones is almost a distraction to a real debate he believes people should have about how content should be moderated on platforms controlled by just a few giant companies. "Whether the stuff he posted yesterday really crossed the line, as opposed to other stuff, I don't know," Greene said. The EFF supports a series of content moderation principles for all social media companies that call for disclosure of numbers on enforcement actions, clear user notifications that explain when and why their posts are removed, and an appeal process that has to be reviewed by humans. Jones heckled Darcy in a Capitol Hill hallway where reporters were waiting to enter the House committee at which Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was to appear. Jones later apparently attempted to chase Dorsey out of the building. Critics on Twitter itself drew attention to the timing of the move. "Alex Jones was allowed to harass Sandy Hook parents for six years with no repercussions," one user tweeted . "He harassed Jack Dorsey for one day and was banned from Twitter." Jones is still posting on the "Alex Jones" Facebook page, since his personal suspension had recently expired. He posted a video that included some of the exchange with Darcy Thursday afternoon. Posts later in the afternoon acknowledged his ban on Twitter and urged his followers to find him elsewhere online. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company "will be continuing to review reports" from people on Facebook and take action in line with its community standards. Dorsey had once defended his company's decision not to ban Jones, tweeting last month that Jones "hasn't violated our rules" but if he does "we'll enforce." But a week later Twitter joined the other tech companies in muzzling Jones, even if it was only for a week. It was a significant move for a company one of its executives once called the "free speech wing of the free speech party." ___ Nakashima reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this story from Washington. FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist, walks the corridors of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill in Washington. Twitter's permanent ban of conspiracy-monger Alex Jones on Thursday again underscored the difficulty many social-media services face in trying to consistently apply their rules against harassment and other bad behavior.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) FILE- In this Sept. 5, 2018, file photo conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaks outside of the Dirksen building of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning right-wing conspiracy theorist Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) This image shows posts on right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Twitter account on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones won't be able to create new accounts on Twitter or take over any existing ones. (Twitter via AP) This image shows a post on Info Wars' Twitter account showing CNN journalist Oliver Darcy listening to right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones posted a video on Wednesday that is in violation of the company's policy against "abusive behavior." The video in question shows Jones shouting at and berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes during congressional hearings about social media. (Twitter via AP) This image shows a post on Info Wars' Twitter account showing right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones questioning CNN journalist Oliver Darcy on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones posted a video on Wednesday that is in violation of the company's policy against "abusive behavior." The video in question shows Jones shouting at and berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes during congressional hearings about social media. (Twitter via AP) NAURU (AP) - Surrounded by the shelves and furniture her older brother made, 13-year-old Parnian sits in the small, neat living room where she spends much of her time, recalling the day two years ago she watched family friend Omid set himself alight. "It was just down there," she says, motioning toward a patch of dusty earth in front of a couple of shipping containers on this hot, rocky part of the island that locals call Topside. "And then the man was on fire. And he was just screaming." Omid, 23, was airlifted from the Nibok refugee settlement, where Parnian lives, to a hospital in Australia, where he died two days later. He had timed his protest against Australia using Nauru as a holding station for more than 600 refugees to coincide with a visit by U.N. refugee agency officials. In this Sept. 4, 2018, photo, from left, Mohammad, 17, Aryana, 2 1/2 months old, his mother and little brother Amirparsa, 11, are pictured on Nauru. "We were innocent," says Mohammad about himself and other children. "It was not our fault to come out of our countries. It was not our fault to be in Nauru. We need future. We need education. We need to be in a normal place." (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) Australia designed its policy of keeping boat refugees and asylum seekers far from its shores to deter more of them from trying to make the voyage, but many critics say it violates human rights. Parnian has been stuck on this tiny island for nearly five years now. She spends her days sleeping and watching movies, avoiding the local schools where refugees are often bullied. She holds little hope of ever leaving. Some of her friends from Myanmar were accepted by the U.S., but her family is among the many Iranian Christians on Nauru who say the U.S. won't take them under its current immigration policies. Like many of the refugees, Parnian did not want her full name used or her face shown in a photograph for fear of reprisals. She is one of about 120 refugee children and teenagers living on Nauru. In confronting interviews, several of the young refugees described how they often talk with each other about the desperate measures they're considering taking. "A lot of them are doing hunger strike now," says another refugee, Mohammad, 17. "They're not eating anything. They're not drinking. Their hope is to get out of here. If they don't get out of here, they hope to get out of their life." A series of Australian court cases has described how some of the refugee children on Nauru have been evacuated because they are suffering from resignation syndrome, a medical condition in which they withdraw socially and stop eating and drinking. Nauru's government claims the children have been manipulated into self-harm by their families and activists in a bid to get to Australia and make headlines. Not all the refugees feel so helpless. They aren't restricted in their movements on this island of 21 square kilometers (8 square miles) and many work in local businesses. And Nauruans are proud of their country. Before dawn, residents are up and sweeping the streets and sidewalks. The notion that some refugees could feel so unhappy about life on Nauru does not seem to sit well with its leader, President Baron Waqa. "They're living with us. They're living among us," Waqa said. "They're running their lives normally, just like any other Nauruans. They're provided all the services that are available to the Nauruans. And, you know, we live together very happily." Waqa was this week put in the unusual position of facing questions about the refugees from journalists, because the nation of 11,000 people was hosting the Pacific Islands Forum, a meeting of regional leaders. For years, Nauru had effectively kept journalists away by charging a fee of 8,000 Australian dollars ($5,750) to apply for media visas. Nauru waived the fee for the forum, but allowed only a handful of journalists into the country and placed restrictions on them. One New Zealand journalist was detained by police for three hours after she was spotted talking to a refugee. And Waqa, whose nation's economy relies on the revenue that Australia provides for housing the refugees, did not seem in a mood to invite journalists back. "The Pacific is doing a lot of good things. That's probably why (President Donald) Trump is not listening to us, because you people are not supporting us," he told media at a press conference. "You'd rather talk about the issues and refugees and things that only interest you, but not the Pacific." Helia, 15, a refugee who lives near her friend Parnian at the Nibok settlement, says Nauru feels like a jail. She says it's hard to even consider what a normal life might be like. "I'd like go to school and after school come back home, go out with my friends, hang out, go to the movies. I don't know," she says. "There's nothing, literally nothing, here. It's not even safe." Some of the refugees see some hope in moving to New Zealand, after it made an offer to Australia to take 150 refugees from Nauru and Papua New Guinea. But so far Australia has refused, saying that if the refugees gain citizenship in New Zealand, they could use that as a way to move to Australia thanks to the two countries free-movement policy. Before New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arrived at the forum, she said she wanted to hear the concerns of refugees. And Mohammad said he wanted to give her a message. "What was my and the other children's guilt?" he said. "We were innocent. It was not our fault to come out of our countries. It was not our fault to be in Nauru. We need future. We need education. We need to be in a normal place." After Ardern arrived, Waqa picked up a guitar and, along with a group of elders, serenaded her with a song he'd written himself. Included was a verse about Ardern's 11-week-old baby Neve: "Her future is bright and secure." About the same time, Mohammad sent a text to a reporter. He'd heard that Ardern had arrived. Could he meet with her and tell her of the plight of the refugee children? "Please tell me if you think there is a way," he wrote. Told it wouldn't be possible, Mohammad responded: "Oh," he wrote. "OK." This Sept. 4, 2018, photo shows 15-year-old refugee Helia in the Nibok refugee settlement on Nauru. Helia says Nauru feels like a jail. She says it's hard to even consider what a normal life might be like. (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) In this Sept. 4, 2018, photo, Parnian, 13, right, and her mother Zaha, only their first names given, are pictured in the Nibok refugee settlement on Nauru. Parnian has been stuck on this tiny island for nearly five years now. She spends her days sleeping and watching movies, avoiding the local schools where refugees are often bullied. (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) This Sept. 4, 2018, photo shows Nibok refugee settlement on Nauru. About 120 refugee children and teenagers are living on Nauru. (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) This Sept. 4, 2018, photo shows a general view of the Nibok refugee settlement on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru. About 120 refugee children and teenagers are living on Nauru. (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) This Sept. 4, 2018, photo shows the bedroom of a teenage refugee in the Nibok refugee settlement. The refugee spends all her time here, and has installed a sheet to provide some privacy in a tiny space from her sister. About 120 refugee children and teenagers are living on Nauru. (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) This Sept. 4, 2018, photo shows the bedroom of a teenage refugee in the Nibok refugee settlement on Nauru. She spends all her time here, and has installed a sheet to provide some privacy in a tiny space from her sister. About 120 refugee children and teenagers are living on Nauru. (Jason Oxenham/Pool Photo via AP) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. The summit between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action. Even before it began, an airstrike early Friday struck Idlib's southern edge, killing at least one person. Each of the three nations has its own interests in the yearslong war in Syria. FILE- In this April 4, 2018, file photo, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, left, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lock hands during a group photo in Ankara, Turkey. When the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran meet in Tehran Friday, Sept. 7, all eyes will be on their diplomacy averting a bloodbath in Idlib, Syria's crowded northwestern province and last opposition stronghold. The three leaders whose nations are all under U.S. sanctions have an interest in working together, but Idlib is complicated and they have little common ground. (Tolga Bozoglu/Pool Photo via AP, File) Iran wants to keep its foothold in the Mediterranean nation neighboring Israel and Lebanon. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a flood of refugees fleeing a military offensive and destabilizing areas it now holds in Syria. And Russia wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by America's long uncertainty about what it wants in the conflict. "The Tehran summit can produce peace and reconciliation in Syria or it can deepen the mess created by endless bouts of violence mainly instigated by the Assad regime," Ilnur Cevik, a senior adviser to Erdogan, wrote in the Daily Sabah newspaper. Northwestern Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. For Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete what they see as a military victory in Syria's civil war after Syrian troops recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities, largely defeating the rebellion against Assad. A bloody offensive that creates a massive wave of death and displacement, however, runs counter to their narrative that the situation in Syria is normalizing, and could hurt Russia's longer-term efforts to encourage the return of refugees and get Western countries to invest in Syria's postwar reconstruction. The streets of Tehran were quiet on Friday, the second day of the Iranian weekend. The country's state-run IRNA news agency described the summit as potentially offering an "agreement on peace and security" in Syria. A former Iranian diplomat, Ali Akbar Farazi, told IRNA the summit shows that solving regional issues "in a fair way that agrees with the interests of all sides" remains important for the three nations. For Turkey, the stakes couldn't be higher. Turkey already hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and has sealed its borders to newcomers. It has also created zones of control in northern Syria and has several hundred troops deployed at 12 observation posts in Idlib. A government assault creates a nightmare scenario of potentially hundreds of thousands of people, including militants, fleeing toward its border and destabilizing towns and cities in northern Syria under its control. Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Front for Liberation, said Friday his fighters were prepared for a battle that they expect will spark a major humanitarian crisis. "The least the summit can do is to prevent this military war," he said. Early on Friday, a series of airstrikes struck villages in southwest Idlib, targeting insurgent posts and killing a fighter, said Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Abdurrahman said suspected Russian warplanes carried out the attack. Turkey also doesn't want to see another Kurdish-controlled area rise along its border, as it already faces in northern Iraq. Cevik, a senior adviser to Erdogan, also didn't pull any punches in his piece in the Daily Sabah, saying: "Assad bolstered by Iran's land assets and Russian air power and his use of chemical weapons has punched his way into opposition strongholds and hence massive gains for the Damascus regime. "You still need moderate opposition groups who represent the Sunni suffering masses in Syria to achieve a viable political solution and durable peace in this country," he wrote. "Iran and Russia are the fighting forces in Syria and have brought blood and tears." All three nations face sanctions from the U.S. under the administration of President Donald Trump. Although America has some 2,000 troops and outposts in Syria, Trump has said he wants to pull those forces out after the war against the Islamic State group dislodged the extremists from vast territories it once held there and in Iraq. America's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has warned any military offensive in Idlib "would be a reckless escalation." The U.S. will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday about the possible offensive. "There is no military solution to the Syrian conflict," Haley said in a statement Wednesday. "Assad's brutal regime - backed by Russia and Iran - cannot continue to attack and terrorize Syria's citizens." ___ Associated Press writers Zeina Karam and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. FARGO, N.D. (AP) - President Donald Trump declared Friday that the Justice Department should investigate and unmask the author of a bitingly critical New York Times opinion piece purportedly written by a member of an administration "resistance" movement straining to thwart his most dangerous impulses. Trump cited "national security" as the reason for such an extraordinary probe, and he called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to get it going. He also said he was exploring bringing legal action against the newspaper over publication of the essay two days earlier. "Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," Trump said. If the person has a high-level security clearance, he said, "I don't want him in those meetings." White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley, left, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Bill Shine, center, listen as President Donald Trump talks to reporters while in flight from Billings, Mont., to Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) A White House official later said Trump's call for a government investigation was an expression of his frustration with the essay, not an order for federal prosecutors to take action. Though the article was strongly critical of Trump, no classified information appears to have been revealed by the author or leaked to the newspaper, which would be a crucial bar to clear before a leak investigation could be contemplated. "The department does not confirm or deny investigations," said Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman. Trump's call is the latest test of the independence of his Justice Department, which is supposed to make investigative and charging decisions without political interference from the White House. It also reflects an expansive view of White House authority that cuts to the heart of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump's lawyers and supporters have argued that as president he is empowered not only to hire and fire whomever he chooses but that he can also inject himself into law enforcement matters. Former FBI Director James Comey has said Trump asked him to go easy on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, an allegation that Mueller is scrutinizing. Trump's lawyers have said that even if that happened as Comey described - they say it didn't - it can't be a crime because the president has the constitutional authority to involve himself in the activities of the Justice Department. Trump's call for an investigation came a day after his top lieutenants stepped forward to repudiate the op-ed in a show of support for their incensed boss, who ordered aides to unmask the writer. The denials continued Friday, when U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley published an opinion piece of her own in The Washington Post titled, "When I challenge the president, I do it directly. My anonymous colleague should have, too." Democrats were quick to condemn the president's call for a federal investigation. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said, "President Trump continues to show a troubling trend in which he views the Department of Justice as the private legal department of the Trump organization rather than an entity that is focused on respecting the Constitution and enforcing our laws." Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she wished Trump "would put the same vigor into getting to the bottom of what Russia has been doing to our country in the elections." But Rudy Giuliani, the president's attorney, suggested that it "would be appropriate" for Trump to ask for a formal investigation into the identity of the op-ed author. "Let's assume it's a person with a security clearance. If they feel writing this is appropriate, maybe they feel it would be appropriate to disclose national security secrets, too. That person should be found out and stopped," Giuliani said. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a key ally of Trump's, called for the president to order those suspected of being the author to undergo lie-detector tests. "People are suggesting it," Trump said Friday, steering clear of explicitly endorsing the proposal. "Eventually the name of this sick person will come out." In an interview Friday with North Dakota television station KVLY, Trump said he could think of "four or five" possible writers - "mostly people that either I don't like or respect, but they're there because in some cases they have to be governmentally, meaning they're protected." The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the resistance "working diligently from within" the administration, wrote that, "Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office." "It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room," the author continued. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't." ___ Miller and Tucker reported from Washington. AP writers Mike Balsamo, Mary Clare Jalonick, Eric Tucker, and Darlene Superville in Washington and Jonathan Lemire reported in New York contributed reporting. ___ Follow Thomas on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@KThomasDC, Miller on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@zekejmiller and Tucker at http://twitter.com/@ETuckerAP President Donald Trump speaks at a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, as he makwa his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, this time to help Cramer build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump walks off of the stage after speaking at a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Trump is making his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, this time to help Cramer build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) TOKYO (AP) - Japan's ultramodern conveniences, its zippy bullet trains, automated ticketing systems and smart homes work just fine, until the power goes out. The blackout across entire northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful earthquake struck early Thursday showed the weak link in all that technology. It's a problem shared by most affluent, and increasingly many other countries, but seems more apparent in this seismically overactive nation, where earthquakes and tsunamis are a constant threat and even the high-tech toilets have electronic flushes. FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, people gather to charge their mobile phones in the blackout on the center of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, after a powerful earthquake. The blackouts that paralyzed the northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful earthquake struck early Thursday showed the weak link in all that technology. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) The magnitude 6.7 quake on Hokkaido's southern coast knocked out power to nearly all 3 million households on the island, forcing essential services such as hospitals and traffic lights to use generators or other backups. Damage to some generators was likely to delay the full restoration of power for more than a week, officials said. On Friday, with power restored to about half of all Hokkaido households, Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko urged residents to conserve electricity. "Unplug appliances. Families should try to all stay in one room," he said. "That can help us more quickly restore power in more places." The vulnerability of the electric grid was driven home most painfully in 2011 by a massive earthquake and tsunami on the northeastern coast of the main island of Honshu, and subsequent meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. Shutdowns of reactors for safety checks put a chunk of Japan's power generating capacity out of commission - straining supplies in this resource scarce nation. Some 3 million households on Hokkaido, whose power supplies generally are only based on the island, were without electricity for nearly a whole day after the quake. After a long, dark night a large share of the lights were back on early Friday in the prefectural capital of Sapporo, a city of 1.9 million. Without power, most tap water systems didn't work. Traffic and street lights were dark and cellphones ran out of power. Some landlines were also silenced, though public phones were working - for free, carrier NTT said. Hokkaido Electric Power Co., or HEPCO, said the large-capacity Tomato Atsuma power plant - source of most power to the region and located relatively close to the quake's epicenter - will take about a week to restart. As a stopgap, the company restarted three other plants with less generating capacity and switched on dozens of small hydroelectric plants. Officials at METI, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which is in charge, told reporters the utility lacked a contingency plan for the failure of all three of Tomato Atsuma's generators - echoing the lack of emergency planning that caused massive problems at the Fukushima plant. HEPCO had only anticipated the possible loss of up to a third of peak power demand, or up to 1.3 million kilowatts, they said. Likely mindful of complaints over the handling of the aftermath of the 2011 disaster by Tokyo Electric Power Corp., operator of the Fukushima plant, the industry minister, Hiroshige Seko, ordered HEPCO to be sure to provide quick and thorough updates. Japan's nuclear regulator said that external power was restored at Tomari, Hokkaido's only nuclear power plant, after it temporarily switched Thursday to backup generators to power cooling systems for spent fuel from its three reactors. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said there was no abnormality at the plant, which has been idled since 2012 for routine safety checks, its reactors emptied of fuel. Hokkaido Electric says the island's average peak demand is about 3.8 million kilowatts. By drawing on secondary generators and possibly importing power from elsewhere in Japan, the utility said it could provide about 2.9 million kilowatts of power even if Tomato Atsuma remained offline. Like many tough residents used to Hokkaido's long, harsh winters, Norio Oikawa was looking on the bright side. His home in Sapporo had no power by early Friday, and he was rationing the water he managed to store in his bathtub before his taps went dry. Thankfully, basic public facilities were at hand - no fancy electronics involved. "There is a park nearby, with a toilet and running water. So, that's a great help," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Haruka Nuga in Sapporo contributed to this report. FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, a man calls with a public phone in the blackout on the center of Sapporo city, Hokkaido, northern Japan, after a powerful earthquake. The blackouts that paralyzed the northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful earthquake struck early Thursday showed the weak link in all that technology. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) One of city's landmarks, Sapporo TV Tower, is seen in the blackout on the center of Sapporo city, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. A powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides as well as causing the loss of power. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Police officers guide traffic as pedestrian walk in the blackout on the center of Sapporo city, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. A powerful earthquake jolted Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, buckling roads, knocking homes off their foundations and causing entire hillsides to collapse. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (AP) - A stretch of a major interstate near the California-Oregon border will remain closed through the weekend as crews try to tame a wildfire roaring along the roadway, forcing truckers and other motorists to take lengthy detours, officials said Friday. The blaze that shut down 45 miles (72 kilometers) of Interstate 5 in California on Wednesday was still burning out of control in the rural area, said Denise Yergenson, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation. It has destroyed thousands of trees - some 70 feet (20 meters) tall - that could fall onto the roadway, she said. Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The wildfire that erupted Wednesday has now burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) of timber and brush and prompted evacuation orders for rural homes in and around Shasta-Trinity National Forest below the Oregon state line. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) "There is lots of damage, lots of emergency personnel. It's just not a safe situation," she said. Officials on Sunday will reevaluate whether to reopen the highway that traverses the entire West Coast from Mexico to Canada and serves as a main artery for commerce. It became a ghost road after fire turned hills on either side into walls of flame. Drivers fled in terror and several big-rigs burned. Drivers for RLT Trucking were slowly making deliveries by taking two-lane mountain roads with bumper-to-bumper traffic that added hours to their trips, company president Al Shufelberger said. About 140 truckers haul cargo for the company based in Redding, south of the blaze. He said only one customer demanded to know why a shipment wasn't coming on time. "We just sent him articles from our local newspaper about the fire. He said, 'Sorry, do what you can,'" Shufelberger recalled with a laugh. The Delta Fire had burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) of timber and brush and prompted evacuation orders for scattered homes and buildings in three counties in and around Shasta-Trinity National Forest. At times, flames shot 300 feet (91 meters) into the air. About 280 homes were considered threatened, but the blaze wasn't burning near any large towns, fire spokesman Brandon Vacarro said. There were some reports that homes had burned, but Vacarro could only confirm that an outbuilding and two mixed-use commercial and residential buildings had been damaged. Patience ran thin at Pilot Travel Center in the town of Weed, near the northern end of the closure, with facilities at the truck stop stretched to the limit and parked big rigs lining nearby roads. "It's been ridiculously congested. It's been frantic," cashier Jacob Chapman said Thursday. "A lot of the truckers are upset. They're just stuck, they can't get through and they're sick of waiting around." California has been hit with one massive blaze after another, including a blaze not far from the Delta Fire that killed eight people and burned about 1,100 homes last month. The unrelenting flames have drained California's firefighting budget and prompted victims to file more than 10,000 claims totaling nearly $1 billion in property claims - even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said. The previous fire near Redding and another in the Mendocino area - the two largest blazes in the state this year - destroyed or damaged 8,800 homes and 329 businesses, Insurance Commissioner David Jones said. The Mendocino fire was expected to be fully contained by Sunday, more than six weeks after it started. The director of the state's firefighting agency said it only had about $11 million remaining in its annual budget and anticipates needing another $234 million to add firefighters and helicopters, and to cover other costs of fires expected later this year. ___ Elias reported from San Francisco. AP writers Jonathan J. Cooper in Sacramento, Alina Hartounian in Phoenix, Janie Har in San Francisco and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Flames from a backfire burn around a fire truck battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A scorched VW Beetle rests in a clearing after the Delta Fire burned through the Lamoine community in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Embers fly above a firefighter as he hustles to control a backfire as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A firefighter passes flames from a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A firefighter battles the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters light backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Embers fly above a firefighter as he works to control a backfire as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The blaze had tripled in size overnight. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) By Trend The Iranian ambassador to Islamabad said Tehran was ready to implement a long-awaited gas pipeline project between Iran and Pakistan and help meet Pakistans energy needs. Tehran is ready to meet Pakistans energy needs, Mehdi Honardoost said, according to IRNA on September 9. He added that the implementation of Iran-Pakistan gas project could help stimulate the countrys economy. The envoy said the project would fall under the category of the new US sanctions against Tehran. Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, which stretches for 900 kilometers only in Iran, has been designed to help populous Pakistan overcome its growing energy needs. Pakistan has fallen short of constructing the 700-kilometer part of the pipeline on its territory. SEATTLE (AP) - Fights over teacher salaries and working conditions are escalating along the West Coast, emboldened in part by the momentum from widespread teacher strikes in more conservative states. The teachers in these blue states - with robust teachers' unions, the right to strike and legislatures that are generally more supportive of education funding - are tapping into a shift in public sentiment that supports better wages for teachers that came as a result of the "Red4Ed" protest movement that began earlier this year. The latest disputes are particularly acute in Washington, a state that has infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle. With students returning to school in the last few weeks, teachers in at least 18 public school districts so far have voted to authorize a strike, gone on strike or settled their strikes in order to get pay raises. Striking Tacoma Teachers walk a picket line, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in front of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. Fights over teacher salaries and work conditions are escalating along the West Coast, and the disputes are particularly acute in Washington, a state that has infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) "We saw everywhere from Arizona to West Virginia standing up for fair wages. Now that it's coming to Washington state, we don't feel isolated. We know we have the support of our local community," said Connie Vernon, an elementary teacher in the Washougal School District in southwest Washington, where a nine-day walkout ended Thursday. Rich Wood, spokesman for the state teachers' union, said local bargaining units at two-thirds of the state's 295 school systems have sought to renegotiate salaries. In California, teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District also voted last week to authorize a strike, although a walkout isn't imminent. The union and district in the nation's second-largest school system have failed to reach an agreement on pay raises, smaller class sizes and other issues. Both sides have filed charges against the other and a state mediation session is scheduled Sept. 27. The momentum earlier from teacher protests in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona has also carried into other kinds of actions, including an organized teacher hunger strike in Georgia and a major rally in North Carolina. Except for Colorado, all of those states have "right to work" laws, which limits the ability for teachers to strike. Teachers there instead scheduled widespread protest "walkouts." In West Virginia, teachers won a 5-percent raise even though they lacked collective bargaining rights and had no legal right to strike. The Washington teachers' union said it has been fighting for schools funding for more than a decade, and that the timing of their latest contract and strike discussions was coincidental to the national teacher uprising. Michael Hansen, an education policy expert at the Brookings Institution, said the teachers' cause is undoubtedly helped by the political dynamics shifting in the national conversation about teacher value. As the protest movement moves from fiscally-conservative red states without much labor power, Hansen said momentum has shifted to more union-friendly blue states where pay and cost of living are substantially higher. The red-state fights thrived as state-wide actions, while the blue-state disputes are at the district level. "They sort of feel like a tipping point has been crossed," Hansen said. "Strategically, if you're going to advance and advocate for more teacher pay, this is the time." More state money toward teacher salaries was funded by the Washington Legislature after a court ruling that stemmed from a 2007 lawsuit. The ruling said the state was violating its own Constitution by inadequately funding K-12 schools. This year, many of the teachers urged their school districts to reopen bargaining talks in the middle of their contract period in order to settle the pay disparity. Teachers at Seattle Public Schools, the state's largest district, had authorized a strike but reached a one-year deal giving them 10.5 percent raises. In some smaller communities, school district officials have pushed back by suing the unions to get them to work. The state union is backing all teachers with a new political tactic, ordering for the first time "bargaining season" television, radio and Facebook ads to both put pressure on the districts and urge community members to stand with the teachers. One ad highlights the state's teacher shortage while saying salaries aren't competitive in a region flush with tech money. That's also a show of force for the unions after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in late June that declared government workers can't be required to contribute money to labor groups. As the state teachers union flexed its political muscle by spending in such an unprecedented but high-stakes way, local leaders say their membership numbers have not been affected by the ruling even though it has the potential to significantly weaken the revenue base for all labor unions. Washougal's superintendent Mary Templeton said the state union relationship with the locals has been affected by these broader elements and that it's evident by the rush of political activity being carried out by the larger labor group. She said the district also wants to support teachers with a new salary pay scale. "We gave a lot because we know how important they are," Templeton said. ___ Follow AP Education Reporter Sally Ho on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_SallyHo. Striking Tacoma Teachers walk a picket line, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in front of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. Fights over teacher salaries and work conditions are escalating along the West Coast, and the disputes are particularly acute in Washington, a state that has infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Striking Tacoma Teachers, including, from left, Hope Bixby, Megan Holyoke, Nate Bowling, and counselor Michelle Ha, walk a picket line, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in front of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. Fights over teacher salaries and work conditions are escalating along the West Coast, and the disputes are particularly acute in Washington, a state that has infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Striking Tacoma Teachers walk a picket line, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in front of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. Fights over teacher salaries and work conditions are escalating along the West Coast, and the disputes are particularly acute in Washington, a state that has infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Striking Tacoma Teachers, including Megan Holyoke, left, Nate Bowling, center, and counselor Michelle Ha, right, walk a picket line, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in front of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. Fights over teacher salaries and work conditions are escalating along the West Coast, and the disputes are particularly acute in Washington, a state that has infused at least $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Defense Secretary James Mattis made a surprise visit to Afghanistan's war-shattered capital on Friday, the U.S. command in Afghanistan said, just days after a suicide bomber killed 21 people in the city and wounded 90 others. Accompanied by Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Mattis met with senior government officials, including President Ashraf Ghani and his leadership partner in the often fractious Unity Government, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. Security featured prominently in their discussions, as did government attempts to put the brakes on runaway government corruption, said a presidential statement following the meetings. Mattis also assured the Afghan leadership that the United States was committed to stay the course in Afghanistan until the country is secure and stable, the statement said. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, left, drinks water as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, makes his statement after the so called "2+2" meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Pompeo and Mattis held long-delayed talks Thursday with top Indian officials, looking to shore up the alliance with one of Washington's top regional partners. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) There was no indication either from the Afghan government or the U.S. military command of a change in strategy that might bring about greater security or how the existing strategy might bring about results. Mattis' visit to Afghanistan, which lasted a little more than six hours, comes amid brutal assaults against the country's minority Shiites and a fresh round of insider attacks this week that have claimed the life of one American service member and eight local police. The U.S. has been supporting Afghan forces in an aggressive campaign against Islamic State group insurgents in eastern Nangarhar province, yet the IS affiliate has repeatedly been able to carry out horrific and brazen attacks in the heavily fortified capital of Kabul. The victims have most often been Afghanistan's minority Shiite Muslims. The radical Sunni Islamic state reviles Shiites as apostates. On Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a wrestling center killing 21 people and wounding 90 others. Two of the dead were journalists who died when a second bomber blew himself up as first responders and journalists rushed to the scene. On Friday, Afghanistan's Islamic State group affiliate issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack on the wrestling center. The statement was accompanied by a picture of a young man with a masked face, who was identified as suicide bomber Saber al-Khorasani. The second explosion was a vehicle filled with explosives, according to the statement, which could not be independently verified. The discrepancy between the IS account and the Afghan government's initial report of two suicide bombers was not immediately clear. The Afghan affiliate is known as IS in Khorasan province, the ancient name of an area that once included parts of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Mattis' visit to Kabul comes as Washington seems to be ramping up efforts for a negotiated end to Afghanistan's protracted war and Washington's longest military engagement. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this week the appointment of Zalmay Khalilzad as Washington's new point man for Afghan reconciliation. Khalilzad, a controversial figure in the region, is a former envoy to Afghanistan. Mattis arrives in Afghanistan fresh off earlier meetings in Pakistan where Pompeo said the U.S. wanted to "reset" its raucous relationship with Pakistan and newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed optimism, promising to work with Washington for peace. But Khan has repeatedly said Pakistan is no longer interested in partnering with the United States in war. "This is my promise - that Pakistan will never again fight someone else's war," Khan said on Thursday in a speech to mark Pakistan's Defense Day. As an opposition leader Khan was a sharp critic of Pakistan's participation in the U.S.-led war on terror. Still, Pakistan is seen as key to any negotiated end to the Afghan war because of its close relationship with the Taliban. Both Washington and Kabul have been harsh critics of Pakistan for allowing safe havens for Taliban fighters on its territory, a charge Islamabad has denied. Khalilzad's appointment was also unwelcome news in Pakistan because of his outspoken attacks on its military and powerful ISI intelligence agency, even suggesting Washington should declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism. Washington last weekend announced it canceled a $300 million Coalition Support Fund payment to Pakistan, which is a payment for costs incurred by Pakistan's military in the war on terror. ____ Gannon reported from Islamabad, Pakistan. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed. REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - A career criminal who authorities believe is the Gypsy Hill Killer faces trial in Northern California for the murders of two young women four decades ago. Law enforcement officials believe 69-year-old Rodney Halbower is the one who raped and killed six young women during a five-month period in 1976. The murders in Northern California and Reno, Nevada, remained cold until 2014. That's when DNA taken from cigarette butts saved from the scene of one of the killings in Reno led investigators to Halbower's prison cell in Oregon where he was doing time for rape and attempted murder. FILE - This undated file photo provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office shows Rodney Halbower. Halbower, a career criminal who authorities believe is a serial killer dubbed the Gypsy Hill Killer, faces trial Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Northern California for the murders of two young women four decades ago. Law enforcement officials believe Halbower raped and killed six young women during a five-month period in 1976. Opening statements start Friday in Redwood City, California about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Francisco. (AP Photo/San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, File) Opening statements start Friday in Redwood City, which is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Francisco. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Australia and New Zealand said Friday they are sending three maritime patrol planes to Japan as part of the effort to enforce U.N. sanctions against North Korea. Japan has been monitoring offshore ship-to-ship transfers of oil allegedly involving North Korean ships, which would violate U.N. sanctions imposed over the North's nuclear and missile programs. New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark said in a statement it would coordinate efforts with partners to counter North Korean activities that breach sanctions, in particular ship-to-ship transfers. Australian Defense Minister Christopher Pyne said his country would deploy two Orion aircraft to put economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. "Australia continues to work with partners to enforce sanctions to pressure North Korea to take concrete and verifiable steps to denuclearize," Pyne said in a statement. "A stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific remains Australia's priority." New Zealand will deploy one Orion plane. New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a statement he welcomed the recent dialogue North Korea has had with the U.S. and South Korea, but said that until North Korea abides by its international obligations, it was essential to fully implement the U.N. Security Council sanctions. TOKYO (AP) - Crown Prince Naruhito, Japan's next emperor, was heading to France on Friday for a nine-day goodwill visit. His 84-year-old father, Emperor Akihito, is abdicating next year, handing the Chrysanthemum throne to the 58-year-old prince. WHO IS NARUHITO? The eldest son of Akihito and the grandson of former Emperor Hirohito, the crown prince is most widely known for his marriage to Crown Princess Masako, a Harvard-educated former diplomat who has struggled with depression after being criticized for not bearing a son. She is not accompanying him on his trip to France. Naruhito has a strong interest in water conservation and has delivered speeches at international conferences on the subject. While studying at Oxford University, he authored a paper on water transport on the River Thames. He is a cello player, an avid mountain climber and skier and enjoys photography. Naruhito has a younger brother, Prince Akishino, and a sister, Sayako, who lost her royal status after marrying a commoner. He and Masako have one daughter, 16-year-old Princess Aiko. Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito looks back before boarding his plane at Haneda airport in Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Naruhito, Japan's next emperor, was heading to France on Friday for a nine-day goodwill visit. His 84-year-old father, Emperor Akihito, is abdicating next year, handing the Chrysanthemum throne to the 58-year-old prince. (Akiko Matsushita/Kyodo News via AP) ___ WHEN WILL HE BE EMPEROR? His father is taking the rare step in Japan's modern imperial history of abdication. Naruhito will become emperor on May 1, 2019, the day after Akihito steps down. He will be the first Japanese emperor born after World War II and the 126th in a line believed to date to the fifth century. Since soon after the end of World War II, the emperor has been a purely symbolic figure with no political power. As emperor, Akihito has sought to make amends for the scars of the war, which was fought in the name of his father, Hirohito. Naruhito is expected to follow in Akihito's footsteps. ___ WHAT IS HE DOING IN FRANCE? Naruhito is making the Sept. 7-15 trip to mark 160 years of diplomatic relations between France and Japan. He will visit a school and a textile museum in Lyon, a winery in Santenay, an advanced technologies research facility in Grenoble and a French-Japanese cultural institute in Paris. Japanese media reports say he will meet President Emmanuel Macron and attend dinner hosted by the French leader. MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has decided not to seek the arrest of an opposition senator, who has taken refuge in the Senate, without a court warrant after the defiant lawmaker asked the Supreme Court to declare Duterte's order illegal. The decision, however, failed to ease tensions between Duterte and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, the volatile president's fiercest critic in Congress. "This is not true," Trillanes said Friday of Duterte's assurance. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a news conference in Jordan, where Duterte is winding up a visit, that the president made the decision "to abide with the rule of law" after a long discussion with Cabinet officials who were traveling with him. Duterte is to return home Saturday, a day earlier than originally scheduled. Philippine opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, left, is interviewed by the media inside his office where he remains holed up Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 in the Philippine Senate in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. Trillanes took refuge in the legislature to avoid an arrest order by President Rodrigo Duterte four days ago and has asked the Supreme Court to declare the move illegal. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) "The instruction is to abide with the rule of law," Roque said. "If there is no warrant of arrest issued by any court, do not apprehend Sen. Trillanes." Backed by dozens of supporters, Trillanes did not immediately venture out of the Senate building, where he has been marooned since Tuesday. His lawyer said the senator would make sure there is no more danger of an "illegal arrest." In a signed proclamation made public Tuesday, Duterte voided a 2011 amnesty granted to Trillanes, who once joined mutinies as a navy officer, and ordered his arrest. Trillanes refused to leave the Senate and instead asked the Supreme Court in a petition to declare Duterte's order illegal without a court warrant, which, if upheld by the high court, could open the president to impeachment bids. Known for his temper and outbursts against critics, Duterte has openly expressed anger against Trillanes, who has accused him of large-scale corruption and involvement in illegal drugs and extrajudicial killings in an anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands of suspects dead. Duterte has denied the allegations. The Department of Justice said Duterte voided Trillanes's amnesty because the senator did not file a formal amnesty application and admit guilt for his role in past coup attempts. Trillanes, however, has presented TV and newspaper reports, along with defense department documents, showing he applied for the amnesty and acknowledged his role in three military uprisings between 2003 and 2007. Trillanes, 47, was jailed for more than seven years for involvement in the army uprisings, including a 2003 mutiny against then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when he and other young officers rigged part of a road in the Makati financial district with bombs and took over an upscale residential building. After being amnestied under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, Trillanes successfully petitioned two Philippine courts to dismiss rebellion and coup cases against him, allowing him to later run for public office. Despite many legal questions, the Department of Justice has asked the courts to issue a warrant for the senator's arrest and revive rebellion cases against him. Separately, the Department of Defense said earlier this week that it has deployed officers to the Senate to take custody of Trillanes and have him face a military court of inquiry into his role in the coup attempts. A military detention cell was being readied for him. Duterte "has made it very clear that although a military tribunal could order his arrest, he prefers and he has ordered that authorities wait for the decision of the regional trial court," Roque said. Since Duterte took office in 2016, another opposition senator has been jailed on illegal drugs charges, a critical Supreme Court chief justice has been ousted by fellow judges, and foreign critics, including an Australian nun, have been barred from entering the Philippines or threatened with deportation. LONDON (AP) - Hackers obtained the credit card details of some 380,000 British Airways travelers during a two-week data breach this summer that leaves the customers vulnerable to financial fraud, the airline says. BA's CEO, Alex Cruz, said Friday that enough data was stolen to allow criminals to use credit card information for illicit purposes, and that police are investigating. "We know that the information that has been stolen is name, address, email address, credit card information; that would be credit card number, expiration date and the three-letter code in the back of the credit card," he told the BBC. FILE - In this file photo dated Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, British Airways planes are parked at Heathrow Airport in London. British Airways announced a "very sophisticated malicious criminal attack" on its website Thursday Sept. 6, 2018, that compromised personal credit card information of its customers, and Chief Executive Alex Cruz said Friday the company is "100 percent committed" to compensating customers whose financial information was stolen. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, FILE) He added that no passport data had been obtained in what he called a "very sophisticated, malicious criminal attack." It advises people to contact their bank or credit card company if they used the airline's website and mobile app to make or change a booking between 10:58 p.m. London time on Aug. 21 and 9:45 p.m. London time on Sept. 5. The recommendation does not apply to customers who bought tickets or changed reservations outside those times. The airline promised to reimburse any financial losses suffered by customers directly because of the theft of this data. Consumer advice website MoneySavingExpert says affected customers should first seek advice from their bank, then monitor bank and credit card statements closely for signs of possible fraudulent activity. It also warns of possible "phishing scams" in which hackers would try to trick affected consumers into revealing personal information like pincodes or banking passwords. Some angry travelers complained to Britain's Press Association that they had already noted bogus activity on credit cards that had been used to make British Airways bookings during the time when the breach was undetected. The hack once again puts the spotlight on the strength of the IT systems at major companies as they expand their digital services. British Airways experienced an IT-related crisis in May last year when roughly 75,000 passengers were stranded after the airline cancelled more than 700 flights over three days because of system problems. In the U.S., Delta Airlines said in April that payment-card information for several hundred thousand customers could have been exposed by a malware breach months earlier. The same breach also hit Sears Holdings Corp., which operates Kmart stores. British Airways revealed the new hack Thursday evening and began notifying customers. Britain's National Crime Agency says it is investigating. Shares in BA's parent company, IAG, were down 3 percent on Friday. ISLAMABAD (AP) - The government of Pakistan's newly elected prime minister removed a minority Ahmadi Muslim from a recently established economic council because of opposition from hard-line Islamists, a spokesman said Friday. Critics say the move indicates that Prime Minister Imran Khan has bowed to religious figures opposed to the appointment of Atif Mian to the Economic Advisory Council because of his faith. Khan set up the 18-member council recently to seek guidance for improving the country's ailing economy. The council included 11 economists and seven government officials. A spokesman for the Ahmadi sect, Saleem-ud-Din, confirmed Mian's removal, saying he will be available should Khan's government seek his services in the future as "we love our country too much." Angered by the move, Asim Ijaz Khawaja, a Sunni Muslim economist who teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School, also quit the council. He said Khan's move saddened him. "Personally, as a Muslim I can't justify this," he said about Mian's removal. Meanwhile, dozens of Islamists rallied in the eastern city of Lahore against Khan for appointing an Ahmadi as member of the council. They urged Khan to refrain from such acts in the future. The Ahmadi sect was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century. Ahmadis are a tiny minority in Pakistan. Their homes and places of worship are often targeted by Sunni militants who consider them heretics. Pakistan declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974. BRUSSELS (AP) - Serbia's president refused to meet with his Kosovo counterpart at European Union-backed talks Friday, dashing hopes of an imminent improvement in long-strained relations between the two countries. Hopes of a breakthrough had been relatively high after a territory swap had been suggested as part of a package to normalize relations between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo. Only after the two sides have patched up their differences do they stand a chance of becoming a member of the EU. However, after separate meetings on an array of issues with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said "difficulties remain." A general view of town Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) Without elaborating, Mogherini said she trusts that both leaders will "continue the process and reach in the coming months a legally binding agreement on comprehensive normalization of relations, in line with international law." Behind the scenes in Brussels, there were few signs of a change in the rhetoric. Marko Djuric, a leading Serbian negotiator, said Vucic refused to meet Thaci because of recent "threats and deceits" from Kosovo. "There are not minimum conditions to talk to the representatives of Pristina today," Djuric said. The dispute between Serbia and Kosovo dates back to 1998-99, when the former Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, ordered a bloody crackdown on Kosovo Albanian separatists. More than 10,000 people died in the conflict before NATO forced Serbia to pull out of the territory. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized as a nation by more than 100 countries. But Serbia does not recognize it, and neither do five EU countries - Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Tensions remain high in northern Kosovo, where many ethnic Serbs still live. Serbia and Kosovo have been told to sort out their differences if they ever hope to join the EU. Officials from both sides have suggested a land swap could work, but the idea has been criticized both locally and internationally. The proposal would likely see a part of southern Serbia centered on the ethnic Albanian-dominated city of Presevo transferred to Kosovo, while the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo, around Mitrovica, would become part of Serbia. Some fear that any border changes might trigger similar demands elsewhere in the Balkans, especially in Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro, which like Serbia and Kosovo, were part of the former Yugoslavia. Germany, Austria and Luxembourg have warned that any land swap could open up old wounds in the region. Other EU countries, such as Belgium and Romania, believe it's up to the two sides to sort things out. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has signaled it would accept any agreement between the two sides. Zoran Ostojic, an analyst from Belgrade, said he believed that Vucic and Thaci are "testing the ground, primarily with the international community" by floating the swap idea. "Who knows where that could end?" Ostojic warned, echoing fears of a chain reaction throughout Balkans. Mogherini is due to chair further high-level talks in Brussels between the sides later this month. ____ Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia and Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, contributed to this report. A view on street in Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) A view on street in Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) A view on street in Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The Latest on Syria talks in Iran (all times local): 12:30 a.m. Syria's U.N. ambassador says the government is committed to regain Syrian territory and "liberate it from terrorism and foreign occupation," adding that there is no de-escalation zone in rebel-held Idlib because "armed groups refused to dissociate themselves from terrorist groups." FILE- In this April 4, 2018, file photo, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, left, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lock hands during a group photo in Ankara, Turkey. When the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran meet in Tehran Friday, Sept. 7, all eyes will be on their diplomacy averting a bloodbath in Idlib, Syria's crowded northwestern province and last opposition stronghold. The three leaders whose nations are all under U.S. sanctions have an interest in working together, but Idlib is complicated and they have little common ground. (Tolga Bozoglu/Pool Photo via AP, File) Bashar Ja'afari told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that "the situation is as it is now in Idlib because the countries sponsoring terrorism do not want to distinguish between terrorists and armed opposition." He said the Syrian government allowed plenty of time to armed groups in Idlib to lay down their arms and become part of the reconciliation process and dissociate themselves from terrorist organizations including the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee (formerly the Nusra Front). Ja'afari said "those who facilitated the entry of foreign terrorist fighters into my country, especially the Turkish government, still have a chance to remove them from Idlib province." But he warned that "in case the armed terrorist groups refuse to lay down weapons, refuse to leave Syrian territory to go back to where they came from, the Syrian government is prepared." Ja'afari said Syria is aware of the humanitarian consequences that might result and "we take all precautions and preparations to protect civilians, to provide safe passage for them to leave, just as we have done in similar situations." ___ 11:30 p.m. The U.N. envoy for Syria says "the signals" from the Tehran meeting of the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey are that they intend to continue talking to avoid a potential catastrophe in rebel-held Idlib. Staffan De Mistura spoke for a second time near the end of a Security Council meeting Friday saying Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly put some "substantive" ideas on the table, which the U.N. hasn't seen yet and are going to be considered. De Mistura said he wanted to offer an idea from civil society on a key issue in Idlib: how to separate groups identified by the U.N. as "terrorists" - including the al-Qaida-linked group formerly known as the Nusra Front - and other armed groups which are not terrorists and can be "reconciled," from the civilian population. Ideally, he said, "all militants and fighters should be asked with a deadline to move their own military presence" and bases away from populated areas and villages, which would remain under control of civilian local councils and police. At the same time, De Mistura said, a media campaign should be launched announcing that this is what is being asked of the armed groups. He said Russia and Turkey, especially, but also Iran, should be guarantors of the plan, and should ask fighters to halt all air and ground attacks on any population center. "Otherwise, all this would be appearing to be futile," De Mistura said. ___ 9:40 p.m. Syrian pro-government media reported that nine civilians have been killed by shells fired from rebel areas south of the province of Idlib on a government-held town. Syria state news agency SANA said they were killed when the missiles struck into a residential area in Mhardeh town in the northern countryside of Hama. Hama lies to the south of Idlib, and several of its villages and towns remain under rebel control. Warplanes, including suspected Russian ones, hit rebel areas in northern and southern Idlib earlier Friday, killing at least five, including one civilian, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence comes on the day that the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting to discuss the fate of the last rebel stronghold in Idlib and surrounding areas in Hama. ___ 9:30 p.m. The director of U.N. humanitarian operations is warning that if a military offensive takes place in Idlib and millions of people start fleeing, aid operations to help them will be overwhelmed. John Ging told the U.N. Security Council on Friday this worst-case scenario "has the potential to create a humanitarian emergency at a scale not yet seen through this crisis," now in its eighth year. He urged council members to ask the parties to cease hostilities in the Idlib de-escalation zone which includes parts of Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia and Hama governorates and includes some 3 million people, about 2.1 million already in need of humanitarian aid. Ging also called for protection of civilians, humanitarian and medical personnel, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure as well as freedom for people to move, access for aid deliveries, and increased funding. While donors including Britain and Germany have recently provided resources, he said, the U.N. is still "woefully short of the $311 million that we estimate is required if there is an increase in violence resulting in mass displacement." Ging said humanitarian aid is being prepositioned inside Idlib and in surrounding areas, and "plans are in place to support up to 900,000 women, children and men that could be affected by conflict." He warned that if millions of people flee Idlib, however, it "will overwhelm all capacity to respond regardless of plans or funding made available." ___ 9:20 p.m. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday after a trilateral meeting between Iran, Russia and Turkey to discuss the war in Syria. In the Friday report carried by the leader's website, Khamenei.ir, he said that the United States is worried about the formation of an "Islamic authority." "America is concerned about the cooperation of Islamic countries and the formation of an Islamic authority," Khamenei was quoted as saying. Khamenei added that this fear underlies America's hostility toward Islamic countries, according to the report. ___ 8:50 p.m. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is warning Syria and its allies Russia and Iran that "the consequences will be dire" for an assault on the last major stronghold for Syrian rebels in Idlib. Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that an offensive against Idlib is starting despite warnings from President Donald Trump and other world leaders, including Russian and Syrian airstrikes against civilian areas. "The United States has been very clear, with Russia and with the broader international community: we consider any assault on Idlib to be a dangerous escalation of the conflict in Syria," Haley said. "If (Syrian President Bashar) Assad, Russia, and Iran continue, the consequences will be dire," she said. Haley said Syria must halt its offensive, and Russia and Iran have the power to prevent "this catastrophe." ___ 8:05 p.m. Eight aid agencies have called on world leaders to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, where the Syrian government is threatening a military offensive. The agencies called on leaders of the Iran, Russia and Turkey meeting in Tehran and members of the U.N. Security Council meeting later in New York to work together to find a diplomatic solution that can protect civilians, aid workers and allow access to humanitarian agencies to the overcrowded province and surrounding areas. More than 3 million live in Idlib and its environs, many of them already displaced by conflict elsewhere in Syria. The agencies, including CARE, Mercy Corps and the International Rescue Committee, said the "most vulnerable" are likely to pay the heaviest price in case of an offensive. They said aid workers working in Idlib are already overwhelmed trying to provide basic needs and shelter to the province's population, which has doubled in size in recent months because it is hosting displaced citizens from all over Syria. ___ 7:50 p.m. The U.N. envoy for Syria says any proposal to avoid Idlib becoming "the biggest humanitarian tragedy at the end of the most horrible recent conflict in our memory" must be given a chance - and he has some ideas on how to separate "terrorists" from civilians. Staffan De Mistura is also calling for "protected voluntary evacuation routes" for civilians if they want to leave Idlib. He told the U.N. Security Council Friday that talk of a military offensive on Idlib "is happening at exactly the same time when there is serious talk" on moving to establish a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution and encourage the return of Syrian refugees. De Mistura said these are incompatible. "Either we are trying to find a political way to end this war and move to a post-war political scenario or we will see this war reach new levels of horrors." He said that's why Friday's meeting of the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Tehran is so important and why he will be meeting with the three countries in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday - and next Friday with Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United States. It would be a failure of diplomacy "if with these efforts we simply saw an increase of military activities," De Mistura said. ___ 5:45 p.m. Turkey's president says his country does not have the "strength or capability" to host millions of more refugees from Idlib. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that a call for terror groups in Idlib to lay down arms was a strong message to them and would help halt refugee flows. "We have to take joint steps to prevent the migration, we need to be successful in the fight against terrorism," Erdogan said. "Turkey is already sheltering 3 million refugees (from Syria). The population of Idlib is 3 million. Turkey doesn't have the strength or capability to host 3 million more," he added. ___ 5:20 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin says it is "unacceptable" to use civilians as a pretext to shield "terrorists" in Syria's rebel-held Idlib. Speaking at the end of a trilateral summit with the leaders of Iran and Turkey Putin said Russia is worried about civilians in Idlib but said Russian finds it "unacceptable" when civilians are used a pretext to "shield terrorists" and target Syrian government positions. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has indicated its support for Assad to regain control of Idlib which is the last remaining bastion of the opposition ___ 4:35 p.m. Turkey's president is calling for a cease-fire and an end to airstrikes amid a looming campaign for Syria's Idlib province. Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the comments Friday at a trilateral meeting between Iran, Russia and Turkey in Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says "we have to force the United States to leave" Syria. Rouhani did not elaborate on the comment, which he made while speaking about Idlib. America has some 2,000 troops in Syria. Friday's summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. ___ 4:15 p.m. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the fight in Syria should continue until all extremists are "uprooted," especially in Idlib. Rouhani made the comment Friday at a trilateral summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey held in Tehran. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. ___ 4:10 p.m. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says America's intervention in Syria should immediately end. Rouhani made the comment Friday at a trilateral summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey held in Tehran. Rouhani also said that "the fires of war and bloodshed in Syria are reaching their end." ___ 3:40 p.m. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey have begun a summit on Syria as a bloody offensive on Idlib province looms, despite warnings from the U.S. and others not to launch the attack. The summit Friday between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. Iran, Russia and Turkey all have their own competing interests over Syria. All also face U.S. sanctions under the administration of President Donald Trump. ____ 3:30 p.m. Residents in Syria's northwestern Idlib province are holding mass rallies in the rebels' last bastion, protesting an imminent government offensive there and chanting against the country's ruler President Bashar Assad. The Friday rallies came as Presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action in Idlib and its surrounding areas, home to more than 3 million people. Nearly half of the area's residents are already displaced from other parts of Syria and have refused to reconcile with the Syrian government. The area also includes opposition fighters and some of Syria's most radical groups. "Come on, leave Bashar!" hundreds of protesters chanted in Saraqeb, a town in eastern Idlib. "We will defend our revolution." ___ 2:20 p.m. A spokesman for a Syrian rebel alliance says the least the summit in the Iranian capital can do is avert a humanitarian crisis in the last bastion for the opposition in northwestern Syria. Naji al-Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Front for Liberation, said Friday his fighters are prepared for battle. But they expect a major humanitarian crisis, a large wave of displacement and a lot of destruction and death if a Russia-backed offensive takes place. Idlib and surrounding areas are home to more than 3 million people, nearly half of them already displaced from other parts of Syria. Al-Mustafa said his rebel alliance is looking to Turkey's efforts to prevent the attack and "to protect Idlib." Turkey has deployed 12 observations points and hundreds of fighters that ring Idlib, separating them from government and allied fighters, as part of a de-escalation agreement with Russia and Iran. ___ 1:55 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have both arrived in Tehran for a trilateral summit on Syria. The two presidents landed at Mehrabad International Airport. They will attend the summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting Syria's northwestern Idlib province. ___ 1:25 p.m. Activists and residents say warplanes have struck areas on the southern edge of the Syrian Idlib province, the rebels' last bastion, killing one and causing loud explosions and large plumes of smoke. The airstrikes Friday come hours before presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey meet in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake bastion of Idlib. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said a series of airstrikes struck a few villages in southwest Idlib and along the borders with the adjacent Hama province, targeting insurgent posts and killing a fighter. Abdurrahman said suspected Russian warplanes carried out the airstrikes. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to more than 3 million people. ___ 12:55 p.m. The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry is calling a summit on Syria between Iran, Turkey and Russia an "invaluable opportunity." Bahram Ghasemi wrote an opinion piece published across Iranian media on Friday that the summit in Tehran helps as all the nations "have faced similar challenges and joint threats by bullying foreign powers." Ghasemi wrote: "The summit has double significance since all the three nations have faced ambitions and greediness of an illogical international big power." That refers to the United States, which has some 2,000 troops in Syria after its war against the Islamic State group. The summit Friday between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting Syria's northwestern Idlib province. ___ 9:55 a.m. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. The summit Friday, the third between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action. Northwestern Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. Iran, Russia and Turkey all have their own competing interests over Syria. All also face U.S. sanctions under the administration of President Donald Trump. Dubai Startup Hub, an initiative of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry is set to launch a 10-week networking series which will bring together stakeholders from the Dubai startup ecosystem and feature talks by business leaders and industry experts. Held in cooperation with Area 2071, networking events start on September 12 and will be held weekly at Area 2071 at Dubais Emirates Towers and run until November 14. The series is designed to highlight success stories and topics of interest to startups and entrepreneurs in Dubai. An initiative of Dubai Future Foundation, Area 2071 is a physical manifestation of the UAE Centennial Plan which aims to make the UAE the worlds leading nation by 2071.The networking series is aligned with Area 2071s efforts of promoting co-collaboration amongst creative thinkers, innovators, industry experts and entrepreneurs for a better future in Dubai. The weekly sessions will provide members of the startup community with valuable insights and practical advice to help them develop their businesses and learn from the experiences of their peers. Natalia Sycheva, manager of Entrepreneurship at Dubai Chamber, explained that the networking series provides an ideal and collaborative environment for entrepreneurs and Dubai Startup Hub members to network build relationships and take the pulse of Dubais startup sector. In our experience, we have seen the benefits of bringing together startups and businesses from various industries to collaborate, build mutual understanding and address common challenges. We are expecting strong interest and attendance for the latest edition of the networking series and look forward to connecting with our members and new joiners, said Sycheva. Established by Dubai Chamber in 2016, Dubai Startup Hub is the first initiative of its kind in the Mena region. The initiative aims to provide clarity and guidance for entrepreneurs throughout their journey, while it also leverages public-private sector partnerships to promote innovation and develop Dubais entrepreneurial ecosystem. TradeArabia News Service LONDON (AP) - Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and his wife have announced that they are divorcing. Johnson and Marina Wheeler said in a joint statement Friday that they separated "several months ago" after 25 years of marriage and have now decided to divorce. The couple said divorce proceedings are now underway. FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday June 23, 2016, British MP Boris Johnson and his wife Marina, are photographed after voting in the EU Brexit referendum in London. Johnson and his wife have issued a joint statement Friday Sept. 7, 2018, that they separated some time ago and are now in the process of divorcing. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, FILE) "As friends we will continue to support our four children in the years ahead. We will not be commenting further," the statement said. The couple's split made front page headlines in several British tabloids that said Johnson had been thrown out of his house by his estranged wife. Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in July after breaking with Prime Minister Theresa May over her Brexit plans. WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - If an antiestablishment wave is moving the Democratic party to the left, longtime U.S. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware has proven to be a breakwater, easily fending off a primary challenger making her first run for office. Carper, 71, trounced Kerri Evelyn Harris, setting up a November race against President Donald Trump's former state campaign chair, Rob Arlett, a Sussex County Councilman who beat former PayPal executive Gene Truono in Tuesday's Republican primary. "We need to reunite as a party," Carper said in his victory speech. "We need to keep in mind that we are not one another's enemies." Incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Carper bows to the crowd with his wife Martha looking on as they walk into Bluewinkle's Diamond Club at Frawley Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Wilmington, Del., to a cheering crowd of supporters as he gives a victory speech after defeating progressive political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. (Suchat Pederson /The News Journal via AP) Carper, who has never lost an election during four decades in politics, is running for a fourth Senate term, touting his experience and his ability to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, despite being a vocal Trump critic. He served five terms in the U.S. House and two terms as governor before being elected to the Senate in 2000. Harris had hoped for a victory like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat a 10-term incumbent in a New York congressional primary in June; Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who won Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary; and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who beat an incumbent in a Massachusetts primary this week. Carper won 65 percent of the votes to 35 percent for Harris, who was part of a wave of young activists emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Carper had 53,633 votes to 29,406 for Harris. The primary was closed, meaning only registered Democrats could vote. "We're going to just keep pushing against the machine," Harris said. "Our voices are louder than ever, and we are not going to sit silent whenever we see any injustices." Harris, a black, gay Air Force veteran, ran on a platform including government-paid health care for all, a $15 an hour minimum wage and abolition of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. She tried to paint Carper as an out-of-touch, career politician beholden to corporations and their political action committees. But Carper had a huge advantage over Harris, both in name recognition and fundraising. He raised more than $1.3 million this year, compared to a little more than $120,000 reported by Harris as of mid-August. He outspent her by a similar margin. Arlett, the 51-year-old owner of a real estate business in southern Delaware, also likely faces an uphill battle against Carper in this heavily Democratic state. In 2012, Carper beat his general election opponent by 37 points. During the Senate campaign, Arlett touted his support of Trump's "America First" agenda and his socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He also reminded GOP voters that Truono is openly gay and in a same-sex marriage. Arlett has said he would work in Washington to remove burdensome regulations on businesses, improve border security and fight for free and fair trade. He also has called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the defunding of so-called "sanctuary cities." Republican voters on Thursday also chose businessman Scott Walker as their nominee for Delaware's lone U.S. House seat. He will challenge first-term Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester. FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2018, file photo, Kerri Evelyn Harris, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Delaware, speaks at a town hall, at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. Harris, whose resume includes loading giant Air Force cargo planes, frying chicken at a convenience store chain and working as an auto body mechanic, is seeking in the Thursday, Sept. 6, Democratic primary to unseat three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) FILE - In this May 15, 2018, file photo, Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., asks a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as she testifies to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kerri Evelyn Harris, whose resume includes loading giant Air Force cargo planes, frying chicken at a convenience store chain and working as an auto body mechanic, is seeking in the Thursday, Sept. 6, Democratic primary to unseat three-term incumbent Carper, one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) A cheering crowd of supporters reacts as incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and his wife Martha walk into Bluewinkle's Diamond Club at Frawley Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Wilmington, Del., as he gives a victory speech after defeating progressive political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. (Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via AP) Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., greets supporters Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Wilmington, Del. Carper defeated political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic Senate primary. (Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via AP) Incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and his wife Martha walk into Bluewinkle's Diamond Club at Frawley Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Wilmington, Del., to a cheering crowd of supporters as he gives a victory speech after defeating progressive political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. (Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via AP) BRUSSELS (AP) - Media outlets and politicians in Belgium expressed shock and dismay Friday after two high-profile reports of racism rocked the kingdom this week, raising troubling questions about white attitudes a few weeks before local elections. Cecile Djunga, a black weather presenter with state broadcaster RTBF, posted an online video saying she had endured racist comments regularly since she joined the station a year ago. Flemish public broadcaster VRT then aired an in-depth program about a far-right group whose leader has warned of a "war of races." Both incidents made headlines. Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir published a reverse front page with a black background and white text that denounced the way whites regard people of different ethnic backgrounds and foreigners. An assortment of the Belgian newspapers with references to racism on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Belgium's media and political class are demanding change as two high-profile cases of racism rock the kingdom, raising troubling questions about white attitudes a few weeks before local elections. Headline at top right in French reads, 'Racism is unacceptable' at center the headline reads in Dutch 'A good chance racism will go unpunished'. (AP Photo/Lorne Cook) "We can't kick this into the long grass anymore. Cecile Djunga's cry for help and the VRT report make it clear: great danger lies ahead and it's urgent to respond," the paper's chief editorial writer said. Djunga, who also works as a comedian, explained in her video that she decided to go public about her experience with bigotry after a female viewer called at work and said the weather woman did not look good on television, that she was "too black." Her employers said they would take stands against racism. Anti-racism organizations say hate speech complaints and crimes motivated by racism in Belgium increased by more than 10 percent last year, but think too few cases result in convictions because charges are often hard to prove. Jail sentences of up to two years and fines of as much as 1,000 euros ($1,150) are possible. VRT's report focused on the Flemish nationalist group Shield and Friends (Schild en Vrienden.) Leader Dries Van Langenhove, who has made references to a "war of races," held an automatic weapon in photographs on social media and has appeared with Belgium's hard-line migration minister, Theo Francken, in photos posted online. Francken told RTBF on Friday he was shocked by the other broadcaster's program. He said he knew of Shield and Friends, "but I didn't know that there were such extreme elements in this organization." Asked whether his migration policies contributed to prejudice, Francken said: "Racism is for idiots, and all those people who think I'm a hero and who do these kinds of things, write these kinds of things, are idiots." Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel condemned "all forms of racism and extremism. There's no place in our society for this kind of attitude." In this undated photo provided on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, Cecile Djunga, a weather presenter with the states television broadcaster. Belgium's media and political class are demanding change as two high-profile cases of racism rock the kingdom. Djunga has published a video after what she claims is more than one year of racist abuse. (Martin Godfroid via AP) FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2015 file photo, Belgium's State Secretary for Asylum Policy and Migration Theo Francken, right, arrives for a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels. Belgium's media and political class on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 called for change after two high-profile cases of racism rocked the kingdom, raising troubling questions about white attitudes a few weeks before local elections. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File) ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Neighbors Eritrea and Djibouti have agreed to normalize relations after a decade of diplomatic stalemate in the latest thaw between countries in the strategic Horn of Africa region. Ethiopia's foreign minister, Workneh Gebeyehu, called the decision "a historic diplomatic achievement" in a Facebook post. The announcement came after an Ethiopia-led mediation effort. "(Djibouti's) President Omar Guelleh stated that Djibouti is ready for reconciliation," Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, said on Twitter. Eritrea, one of the world's most closed-off nations, and Djibouti have a border dispute extending back to 2008. Eritrea long accused Ethiopia of supporting Djibouti in the dispute. Between 2010 and 2017 Qatar attempted to mediate a settlement but that effort failed, and Qatar in June 2017 withdrew its 450 peacekeeping troops from the border. Djibouti accused Eritrean troops of occupying the Dumeira mountain area shortly after the peacekeepers left. In July, Djibouti's U.N. ambassador asked the U.N. secretary-general to work with the Security Council to bring his tiny Red Sea port nation and Eritrea together "with the aim of facilitating an agreement." The ambassador noted that the council imposed sanctions on Eritrea in 2009 "because of its aggression against Djibouti and its refusal to withdraw its troops from the disputed area, and its rejection of all efforts aimed at mediating between the two parties." Eritrea has sought the lifting of those sanctions while pointing to the region's latest diplomatic shifts. It has denied supporting the Somalia-based al-Shabab extremist group, another reason cited for the sanctions. The Horn of Africa region has seen a number of diplomatic thaws since Ethiopia's reformist new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in June fully accepted a peace deal that ended a 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea that killed tens of thousands. Restored diplomatic ties quickly followed. Eritrea and Somalia in late July agreed to restore diplomatic ties, while Somalia's leader called for sanctions on Eritrea to be removed. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa BASRA, Iraq (AP) - Angry protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra on Friday, setting a fire inside amid a wave of demonstrations that have turned deadly in the past few days, a security official and eyewitnesses said. At least 10 protesters have died in clashes with security forces since Monday, including three who were shot dead by security forces on Thursday night as protesters lobbed Molotov cocktails and set fire to a government building and offices of Shiite militias in the city. The protests in Basra and other cities, the most serious to shake Iraq's oil-rich southern Shiite heartland in years, have since July been calling for an end to endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and poor public services. Clashes erupted earlier this week, leaving several civilians and police dead. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the violence which shows no sign of abating. Protesters storm and burn the Iranian consulate building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) The violence prompted the temporary head of Iraq's parliament, the eldest lawmaker, to call an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the snowballing protests. The protesters shouted anti-Iranian slogans outside the Iranian consulate Friday evening, including "Iran, out, out!" before they stormed it and set a fire inside. Smoke could be seen rising from the building. Protesters also burned an Iranian flag. Many residents of the predominantly Shiite city accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering with Iraqi politics and some hold them responsible for mismanagement and the poor services in the city. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the attack on Iran's consulate in Basra and said none of the staff have so far been hurt, Iran's state TV reported Friday. Ghasemi said the attack caused significant damage to the consulate building, and he called for maximum punishment for the assailants. Although the U.S. government has disagreements with Iran, the State Department criticized the attack, without explicitly mentioning Iran. "The United States condemns violence against diplomats, including that which occurred today in Basrah," it said in a statement. Elsewhere in the city, protesters tried to attack the headquarters of Assaib Ahl Al-Haq Shiite militia and the guards stationed there opened fire. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties. Other protesters set tires on fire on main streets and highways, ignoring the curfew imposed by the authorities. Meanwhile in Baghdad, security forces launched a search operation to determine the source of three mortar shells that landed inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. There was n Later Friday, angry protesters marched to the city's presidential palaces compound, where Shiite paramilitary troops are stationed, and tried to breach it. At least three cars driven by the troops ploughed into the protesters, killing one and wounding four others, according to a health official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. o immediate claim of responsibility for the mortar shells that landed just after midnight Friday in an abandoned lot in the Green Zone, and no casualties were reported. The rare attack comes amid a political crisis and against the backdrop of the Basra protests, adding to overall tensions in the country. The newly-elected parliament earlier this week held its first session since the national elections in May. The session was adjourned amid disagreements as two blocs, both claiming to hold the most seats, vied for the right to form a new government. The new parliament faces the twin tasks of rebuilding the north of the country following the war against the Islamic State group and rehabilitating services in the south, where severe water and electricity shortages have fueled protests. A coalition led by al-Abadi and populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has the support of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, while an alliance between former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and militia leader Hadi al-Amiri has the backing of Iran. Both alliances are dominated by Shiites, who have held the preponderance of power in Iraq since Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003. But the largest Sunni blocs are aligned with al-Abadi and al-Sadr. Iraq's two main Kurdish parties have not taken a side. A representative of the Shiite community's spiritual leader, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned during the Friday prayers sermon the violence against peaceful protesters and called for the quick formation of a new government that can deal with the challenges facing the country. Protesters storm and burn the Iranian consulate building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Security forces watch the burning provincial government building during anti-government protests in Basra, about 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Iraqi protesters stormed and set fire to the building despite a curfew imposed by authorities Thursday to try and quell demonstrations against poor public services and unemployment that have turned violent. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters burn a representation of an Iranian flag after storming and burn the Iranian consulate building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters burn a representation of an Iranian flag after storming and burning the Iranian consulate building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters storm and burn the Iranian consulate building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) A protestor passes by a burning building in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Iraqi protesters stormed and set fire to a provincial government building in the southern city of Basra, despite a curfew imposed by authorities Thursday to try and quell demonstrations against poor public services and unemployment that have turned violent. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protestors stand in front of a burning building in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Iraqi protesters stormed and set fire to a provincial government building in the southern city of Basra, despite a curfew imposed by authorities Thursday to try and quell demonstrations against poor public services and unemployment that have turned violent. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protestors react in front of burning building in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Iraqi protesters stormed and set fire to a provincial government building in the southern city of Basra, despite a curfew imposed by authorities Thursday to try and quell demonstrations against poor public services and unemployment that have turned violent. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) A protestor reacts in front of a burning building in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Iraqi protesters stormed and set fire to a provincial government building in the southern city of Basra, despite a curfew imposed by authorities Thursday to try and quell demonstrations against poor public services and unemployment that have turned violent. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Austria's chancellor is urging Macedonians to vote, in a forthcoming referendum, for a deal with neighboring Greece to change their country's name to "North Macedonia." Sebastian Kurz says the European Union will only be complete after western Balkan nations, including Macedonia, join it. He also urged Macedonians to participate in the Sept. 30 referendum. The agreement would end a decades-old dispute with Athens, which says Macedonia's name implies claims on the Greek province of Macedonia and on ancient Greek heritage. It would also facilitate Macedonia's EU and NATO accession. Polls indicate that most Macedonians back the deal, but it is unclear whether turnout will meet the required 50 percent threshold. Kurz spoke after talks in Skopje Friday with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Austria holds the EU's rotating presidency PRESEVO, Serbia (AP) - The Latest on diplomatic talks between Serbia and Kosovo (all times local): 2:40 p.m. Kosovo's president says that negotiations with Serbia are becoming more and more difficult. A view on street in Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) Hashim Thaci on Friday had planned to meet in Brussels with his Serb counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, but they only met separately with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who said after several rounds with each of them that "difficulties remain." Thaci tried to avoid journalists' question on why Vucic left without meeting with him, saying they had "dialogued through Mogherini, which has been a procedure and practice even before," reported private television station rtv21. "It is becoming more difficult because disagreements are deepening," he said, without clarifying what the disagreements were. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and its independence is recognized by more than 100 countries, but not by Belgrade. ___ 1:55 p.m. The European Union's top diplomat says she's concluded separate talks with the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo but that there has been no breakthrough in normalizing their strained relations. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Friday after meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo President Hashim Thaci that she held several rounds of talks but that "difficulties remain." She says she hopes both leaders will continue discussions and "reach in the coming months a legally binding agreement on comprehensive normalization of relations, in line with international law." Mogherini said she would chair further high-level talks in Brussels between the sides later this month. ___ 11:50 a.m. A top Serbian negotiator at European Union-brokered negotiations on normalizing relations with Kosovo says the two nations' presidents won't meet in Brussels as expected. Serbian government official Marko Djuric said on Friday in Brussels that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic "will not talk today with the representatives of Pristina." Kosovo is a former province of Serbia that declared independence in 2008. Belgrade does not recognize its independence. Djuric added that "there are not minimum conditions to talk to the representatives of Pristina today." Djuric cited "all the threats and deceits" from Kosovo that he says have made the meeting impossible. Vucic has met with the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who is the mediator in the talks that are aimed at finding a solution to the dispute stemming from the 1990s conflict. Mogherini also met Kosovo President Hashim Thaci. ___ 10:30 a.m. The idea of a "land swap" between Serbia and Kosovo to settle their long-running dispute once and for all has stirred passions ahead of a new round of talks between former war foes. The notion would likely see a part of southern Serbia centered on the ethnic Albanian-dominated city of Presevo transferred to Kosovo, while the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo, around Mitrovica, would become part of Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Hashim Thaci are meeting Friday in Brussels as part of efforts to normalize relations in the region still riven by tensions from the 1998-99 war. Both have been told that they must sort out their differences if they want to advance toward EU membership, but there is opposition both domestically and internationally to the land-swap plan. A general view of town Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) A view on street in Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) A view on street in Presevo, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. In an ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo and that has been widely assumed a potential bargaining chip in any land-swap deal between Serbia and its breakaway former province. (AP Photo/Zenel Zhinipotoku) SANAA, Yemen (AP) - The United Nations-mediated peace talks on Yemen have stalled pending the arrival of the Shiite rebels who said they didn't attend because they were not guaranteed safe return after the discussions. The talks, meant to be the first between Yemen's warring parties in two years, were scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. A delegation from Yemen's internationally recognized government headed by Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani arrived but the rebels, known as the Houthis, have not. The Houthis insist on traveling to Geneva on an Omani flight, saying it would ensure their safe return to Yemen. "We want guarantees on our return to Yemen," senior Houthi official Deif Allah al-Shami said Friday. On Thursday, senior rebel official Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said on Twitter that the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government refused to grant the Omani flight authorization to transfer their delegation to Geneva. He said the refusal raises the risk of being prevented from returning to Yemen, which happened in 2016 after a failed round of talks. The coalition, which has imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Yemen since 2016, denied the allegation. The official SABA news agency carried a Yemeni government statement on Friday blaming the Houthis for hindering the talks and saying their failure to attend shows "their intention to thwart any steps taken by the U.N. envoy to bring peace and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people." Houthi officials said they had also agreed with the U.N. envoy to evacuate some wounded to neighboring Oman for treatment and others in Muscat to be flown to Sanaa. But they said these demands were also not met. The Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash criticized the Houthis demands on Twitter saying they can only be read as "lacking seriousness" and "an obstruction" to the talks. The United Arab Emirates is a key coalition member. The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, held consultations with Yemen's government delegation on "confidence-building measures including the issue of prisoners, humanitarian access, the reopening of Sanaa airport in addition to economic issues," U.N. spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said Friday. "The special envoy for Yemen also met with diplomats and is still working on getting the Ansar Allah delegation (Houthis) to Geneva," she said. Yemen has been embroiled in a war pitting the Saudi-led coalition backing the government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi against the Iran-aligned rebels since March 2015. Saudi-led airstrikes have hit schools, hospitals and wedding parties and killed thousands of Yemeni civilians. The Houthis have fired long-range missiles into Saudi Arabia and targeted vessels in the Red Sea. An estimated 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's conflict, which has exacerbated what the U.N. calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is calling a new book about his administration by longtime journalist Bob Woodward "a scam." In a Friday morning tweet, Trump is objecting to The Washington Post writer's narrative of Trump's turbulent 18 months in office. Trump says: "I don't talk the way I am quoted. If I did I would not have been elected President." The book spotlights Trump advisers' fears about the impulsive leader, and features quotes of Trump using profanity and mocking Attorney General Jeff Sessions' accent. Trump adds: "These quotes were made up. The author uses every trick in the book to demean and belittle." Woodward has said he stands by his reporting. ROME (AP) - Architect Renzo Piano has offered a new bridge design for his beloved hometown of Genoa to replace the one that collapsed last month, killing 43 people, saying it must be built to last 1,000 years and be "simple, solid ... but not banal." Piano joined city and regional officials on Friday to present the plans for the new bridge, which officials hope to have operational by November 2019. Piano said it would likely be built in steel and recall the shape of a ship in a nod to Genoa's maritime tradition. "A bridge that falls is terrible, because a bridge is a symbol," Piano told a press conference in Genoa. "Bridges shouldn't fall. They can't fall. They're a symbol that unifies, that brings things together." Italian architect Renzo Piano talks with journalists after a meeting about the Morandi highway bridge, which collapsed on Aug. 14 killing 43 people, in Genoa, Italy, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018. Piano, 80, said he had been in Geneva on August 14 when the Morandi Bridge collapsed, "and since then I've been thinking of nothing else". Piano said "the bridge is a theme that touches all the chords: from technology to poetics". (Simone Arveda/ANSA via AP) Prosecutors this week announced 20 people were under investigation for the disaster, which also forced some 600 people from their homes underneath the bridge, and that the list could grow. Italian news reports have documented evidence, including technical studies that show officials were well aware of the bridge's fragility and had scheduled maintenance work, but took no measures to reduce or divert traffic in the meantime. Among those under investigation are officials from the private company that controls the bridge, Autostrade per l'Italia; including its chief executive, Giovanni Castellucci, who was on hand Friday alongside Piano to present the new bridge plans. Castellucci has said the company takes responsibility for the bridge's collapse, but is not guilty. Liguria regional president Giovanni Toti said he hoped to persuade the government to skip the lengthy public bidding process that would normally accompany such a huge public works project, saying Genoa cannot wait. He said crews must work quickly but securely to remove the remains of the reinforced concrete Morandi bridge and give Genoa a new bridge that memorializes the pain of the disaster, unifies the now-divided city and "looks to a great future." Demolition and rebuilding plans, however, are very much on hold since the disaster site is still off-limits and an active crime scene. Piano, who is so revered in Italy that he was named a senator-for-life by the Italian president, has said he was donating his design to his hometown. But his offer has sparked a backlash, with some professional groups saying his "offer" was robbing other architects of the chance to bid for the project. Consumer lobby Codacons said Friday that Piano's gift was fine, but urged the government to follow the regular norms for competitive bidding for the project. Autostrade's board has already approved an initial 500 million euros ($576 million) in funding to help victims and finance the new bridge. Cofely Besix Facility Management (CBFM) said it has been awarded the contract to provide facilities management services to three schools for International Schools Partnership (ISP), a global education group which is currently managing 31 schools in its portfolio across the UK, the US, Spain, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Mexico besides the Middle East. CBFM is a joint-venture established in 2008 by Cofely, a part of global energy leader engie, and the Belgian construction group Besix, to provide first-class integrated facility management services in the Middle East. As per the deal, CBFM will be providing hard FM services to three UAE-based schools within ISPs portfolio, namely: The flagship Aquila School in Dubai, Aspen Heights British School and Reach British School in Abu Dhabi. The scope of work includes full technical services, defect liability period management (DLP) and snagging. BFM will plan and manage the operations via its CAFM system utilising mobile technology to ensure a proactive service delivery within the schools, it stated. CBFM will also be responsible for the refurbishment of the chillers at Reach British School, it added. On the contract win, Keith Elmer, the deputy operations manager of CBFM, said: "We are very pleased to partner with a leading worldwide educator such as ISP, and look forward to supporting them by providing a perfect environment for students and staff." The CBFM group has been present in the Middle East region for 30 years, where it develops large gas and power infrastructures and provides energy services. Bharat Mansukhani, the regional managing director of ISP Middle East, said: "ISP is proud to create new alliances with other established international operators like CBFM. It shares our vision of service quality and we hope partnering with them will further improve our school offering." ISP is a worldwide organisation currently managing 31 schools in their portfolio, with plans to expand in the Middle East region in the near future, he added.-TradeArabia News Service BERLIN (AP) - More than 1,000 far-right supporters rallied Friday night over the fatal stabbing of a man in the eastern German city of Chemnitz, for which two recent migrants have been arrested and charged with manslaughter. In a case that has exposed friction between Chancellor Angela Merkel and top security officials, the flag-waving crowd rallied under the motto "security for Chemnitz" and behind a banner proclaiming "we are the people." The number marching was far smaller than the estimated 6,000 or so who assembled the day after the Aug. 26 stabbing of 35-year-old Daniel Hillig. People attend a demonstration in Chemnitz, eastern Germany, Friday, Sept.7, 2018, after several nationalist groups called for marches protesting the killing of a German man two weeks ago, allegedly by migrants from Syria and Iraq. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) About 500 counter-protesters gathered nearby shouting slogans like "there's no right to Nazi propaganda," while another opposition protest featured an open-air performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as a sign "against xenophobia, hate and violence." Local media reported one far-right supporter was arrested after being identified as having given the stiff-armed Nazi salute at a previous rally, which is banned in Germany, but police headquarters said they had no details on the report. Since the slaying of Hillig, the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, has sought to mobilize support with its anti-migrant message. But after a brief bump, polling suggests little change. An Iraqi citizen and a Syrian citizen have been arrested on manslaughter charges over Hillig's death, which has also put a renewed a focus on Merkel's welcoming migrant policies and revealed disagreements between her and top security officials. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer expressed sympathy Thursday for the protesters who were provoked by the slaying. "If I were not a minister, I'd have gone to the streets as a citizen," Seehofer said, quickly adding: "Naturally, not together with the radicals." Seehofer, who heads the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's center-right Christian Democrats, has long been to the chancellor's right on immigration, but his rhetoric has toughened as polls show his party struggling ahead of an October state election. He told the Rheinischen Post newspaper that voters were linking their concerns to the issue of migration, which he called "the mother of all political problems in this country." Merkel responded in an interview with Germany TV network RTL late Thursday that she saw it differently. "Migration presents us with challenges and here we have problems, but also successes," the chancellor said. Merkel added that she was working with Seehofer to solve those problems. New questions emerged Friday when the head of the country's domestic spy agency, Hans-Georg Maassen, said he was skeptical that far-right protesters in Chemnitz had "hunted" foreigners down in the days after the killing. Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, described mobs going after people who appeared foreign. Maassen told Bild newspaper his agency had "no reliable information about such hunts taking place." When asked about Maassen's comments, Seibert said the spy chief did not speak with Merkel before the Bild interview and that he had nothing to add to his own remarks about the Chemnitz protests. Merkel has said images from the demonstration immediately after the killing "very clearly" showed hate. Authorities in Chemnitz reported several foreigners were injured in the protests following the killing. The Dresden state prosecutor's office, which is handling the investigation, said Friday that video evidence from the scene showed "a multitude of crimes," including disturbing the peace, bodily harm and the public display of banned Nazi symbols or salutes. "At the moment we have 120 cases from the 26th and 27th of August," spokesman Wolfgang Klein told Germany's dpa news agency. He backed Maassen, however, saying that so far they have "no evidence of a so-called hunt" in which victims were pursued through the streets and beaten. __ Frank Jordans contributed to this story. German national flags lean next to wall during a demonstration in Chemnitz, eastern Germany, Thursday, Sept.7, 2018, after several nationalist groups called for marches protesting the killing of a German man two weeks ago, allegedly by migrants from Syria and Iraq. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) German national flags lean next to wall during a demonstration in Chemnitz, eastern Germany, Thursday, Sept.7, 2018, after several nationalist groups called for marches protesting the killing of a German man two weeks ago, allegedly by migrants from Syria and Iraq. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018 file photo, a protestor holds a poster with a photo of Angela Merkel with blood on her hands, reading 'Merkel must go" , in Chemnitz, eastern Germany, after several nationalist groups called for marches protesting the killing of a German man allegedly by migrants from Syria and Iraq. German authorities are preparing for another far-right rally in the eastern city of Chemnitz over the recent killing of a man that was blamed on migrants. About 1,000 people are expected to attend a demonstration on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, far fewer number that attended a protest immediately after the fatal stabbing of Daniel Hillig on Aug. 26. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, May 15, 2018 file photo, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks with German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, right, during the first day of the budget 2018 debate at the parliament Bundestag at the Reichstag building in Berlin. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has expressed sympathy for those who took to the streets after the killing, though not the violent protesters, while Angela Merkel's spy chief disputed her spokesman's characterization of the demonstrations. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, file) BAMENDA, Cameroon (AP) - Hundreds of women gathered for an angry protest in Cameroon on Friday against abuses committed in months of fighting between the government and Anglophone separatists. With some singing, weeping, crying out or praying, the women described the rapes of their daughters and killings of family members as civilians are caught in the crossfire. Nearly 200,000 people have fled. The women who gathered in a stadium in Bamenda city in the heart of the conflict called for an urgent dialogue on peace. They say they want to leave their homes and go without fear to the market and fields as before. They say they cannot remain silent and want to denounce what they call a dirty war. The unrest in the southwest and northwest is a major issue as largely French-speaking Cameroon faces elections in October, with 85-year-old President Paul Biya, in power since 1982, running again. The unrest that began in 2016 with teachers and lawyers demanding respect for the regions' English education and justice systems led to a government crackdown and the emergence of armed separatists seeking an English-speaking state. Tensions rose further in Bamenda on Thursday when a headmaster and three teachers were kidnapped by armed men. "We are calling on the powers that be that women want peace," said a protest organizer, Adah Mbah. "We do not have any hidden agenda anywhere. We are tired. For more than two years, we cannot be quiet." Many women at the protests carried leafy branches of so-called peace plants. Others clutched rosaries or dressed in black. They sat on the ground. "The women are the ones mourning. The women are the ones managing their homes ... they are struggling in all ways to survive," said another organizer, Akouoh Aline. "We want our leaders to see our pain." In July, then-United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was deeply alarmed by reports of abuses in the southwest and northwest. Human rights groups have accused both the government and separatists of abuses including torture and the burning of homes. The government has condemned separatist attacks and defended its security forces, saying all alleged atrocities are investigated. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - Thousands of police officers took up positions around Greece's second-largest city Friday as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met senior U.S. officials at a trade fair where protests of the Greek government's austerity measures were planned. The Thessaloniki police department said more than 4,000 officers will be on duty in the northern city Saturday, when Tsipras plans to outline his economic platform for a country emerging from a decade of international bailout measures. Many previous protests at the annual trade fair turned violent. U.S. security personnel were helping with the event because Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is in Thessaloniki with a delegation of executives from more than 50 American companies. Ross met Tsipras Friday and said he was encouraged by Greece's developing financial recovery. "It's good to see things are starting to turn around," Ross said. "The economy seems to be getting better, and there's a real feel of momentum coming in, so it's very rewarding to see that." The United States is eager to expand trade and military cooperation with Greece given its strained diplomatic relations with neighboring Turkey over the detention of an American pastor and U.S. sanctions on its NATO ally. Greece completed its final rescue program last month and is keen to secure greater overseas investment. The country faces a staggering national debt of nearly 180 percent of gross domestic product. In Thessaloniki, trade unions and left-wing and anarchist groups plan to stage protests Saturday around the fair venue. Their agenda includes restoration of worker benefits axed during three successive international bailouts. Right-wing groups also were set to stage protests over a proposed deal that would help Macedonia join NATO. Tsipras is scheduled to inaugurate the trade fair Saturday and to deliver a widely anticipated speech on his government's post-bailout financial strategy. __ Follow Kantouris at http://twitter.com/CostasKantouris and Tongas at http://twitter.com/theodoratongas TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran and Russia on Friday backed a military campaign to retake the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria as Turkey pleaded for a cease-fire, narrowing the chances of a diplomatic solution to avoid what many say would be a bloody humanitarian disaster. The trilateral summit in Tehran involving Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan puts further pressure on the rebel forces still operating in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, including about 10,000 hard-core jihadists and al-Qaida-linked fighters. It left the chance, however slim, for further diplomacy to try to separate civilians and rebels from the Islamic militants in Idlib. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, centre, flanked by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pose for photographs in Tehran, Iran, ahead of their summit to discuss Syria, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The three leaders began a meeting to discuss the war in Syria.(Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool) While Putin called for the "total annihilation of terrorists in Syria," he left open the possibility of a cease-fire. Rouhani as well spoke of "cleansing the Idlib region of terrorists," while also noting the need of protecting civilians. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a military offensive will touch off a flood of refugees and destabilize areas it now holds in Syria. Ankara also has hundreds of troops manning 12 observation posts in Idlib. "Idlib isn't just important for Syria's future; it is of importance for our national security and for the future of the region," Erdogan said. "Any attack on Idlib would result in a catastrophe. Any fight against terrorists requires methods based on time and patience. . We don't want Idlib to turn into a bloodbath." Erdogan also sought to use Persian literature to drive home his point in Tehran, quoting the poet Saadi: "If you've no sympathy for human pain, the name of a human you cannot retain." The U.S. also warned against an assault in Idlib, with Ambassador Nikki Haley telling the U.N. Security Council that "the consequences will be dire." Northwestern Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. For Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete what they see as a military victory in Syria's civil war after Syrian troops recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities, largely defeating the rebellion against Assad. A bloody offensive that creates a massive wave of death and displacement, however, runs counter to their narrative that the situation in Syria is normalizing, and could hurt Russia's longer-term efforts to encourage the return of refugees and get Western countries to invest in Syria's postwar reconstruction. Russia also wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by the U.S. and its long uncertainty over what it wants in the conflict. "We think it's unacceptable when (someone) is trying to shield the terrorists under the pretext of protecting civilians as well as causing damage to Syrian government troops," Putin said. "As far as we can see, this is also the goal of the attempts to stage chemical weapons incidents by Syrian authorities. We have irrefutable evidence that militants are preparing such operations, such provocations." Putin offered no evidence to back his claim. The U.N. and Western countries have blamed Assad's forces for chemical weapons attacks in the civil war, something denied by Russia and Syria. The U.S., Britain and France have vowed to take action against any further chemical attacks by Assad's regime. Reacting to Erdogan's proposal for a cease-fire in Idlib, Putin said "a cease-fire would be good" but indicated that Moscow does not think it will hold. "We hope that we will be able to reach an agreement and that our call for reconciliation in the Idlib area will be heard," the Russian president said. "We hope that the representatives of those terrorist organizations will be smart enough to stop the resistance and lay down arms." There was no immediate reaction from fighters in Idlib. Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Front for Liberation, said before the summit that his forces were prepared for a battle that they expect will lead to a major humanitarian crisis. "Idlib is about a lot of international power play and everyone is looking after their interests," al-Mustafa said. Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, told the Security Council that the government is determined to regain Syrian territory and "liberate it from terrorism and foreign occupation." He said countries that facilitated the entry of foreign fighters, especially Turkey, "still have a chance to remove them from Idlib province." Staffan De Mistura, the U.N. envoy for Syria, told the council that "the signals" from the Tehran meeting are that they intend to continue talking to avoid a potential catastrophe in Idlib. Ideally, he said, all fighters should be given a deadline to move out of populated areas and all air and ground attacks on population centers should be halted, with Russia and Turkey especially but also Iran standing as guarantors of the plan. De Mistura said a military offensive in Idlib would be incompatible with U.N. efforts to form a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution. It would be a failure of diplomacy "if with these efforts we simply saw an increase of military activities," he said. Early Friday, a series of airstrikes hit villages in southwest Idlib, targeting insurgent posts and killing five people, including a civilian, said Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Abdurrahman said suspected Russian warplanes carried out the attack. Faysal al-Antar, a member of the local council in Kfar Zita, one of the towns on the southern edge of Idlib that was hit in the airstrikes, said warplanes were flying as the leaders convened Friday in Tehran. "The meetings never translate on the ground," he said. "Imagine there is a meeting to calm the situation, while we are being hit, and there are airstrikes as it takes place. If they had the slightest respect, they would have at least halted the strikes for the duration of the meeting." Already, nearly a half-million people have been killed in the grinding civil war, which began first as a popular uprising against Assad and later devolved into a sectarian and regional conflict. Eight aid agencies warned that in the coming offensive "it will be the most vulnerable who will pay the heaviest price, with women, children, and the elderly in Idlib unlikely to be able to move to safety." But Hassan Hassan, a Syria expert and a fellow at the Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said he is doubtful an offensive is imminent, pointing to Turkey getting U.S. backing in opposing a major offensive. "The regime might conduct a face-saving attack on areas away from Turkey's zones of operation, a low-hanging fruit," he said. "I say this because the US is making it clear it is not bluffing this time, and Turkey is similarly against the offensive." In her remarks at the U.N. Security Council, Haley said the U.S. has been clear with Russia and other nations that "we consider any assault on Idlib to be a dangerous escalation of the conflict in Syria." "If Assad, Russia and Iran continue, the consequences will be dire," she said. "We urge Russia to consider its options carefully. Stop Assad's assault on Idlib. Work with us and the U.N. to find peace at last for Syria," she said. The U.S. has found itself largely on the sidelines of the possible offensive as Iran, Russia and Turkey - all nations that Washington has imposed sanctions upon - discuss Idlib's future. Although the U.S. has about 2,000 troops and outposts in Syria, President Donald Trump has said he wants to pull those forces out after the war against the Islamic State group dislodged the extremists from vast territories it once held there and in Iraq. ___ Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Zeina Karam and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. This image courtesy of Mustafa Alabdullah, an activist and resident of Idlib, shows protesters chanting as they holding Syrian revolution flags, in Harim, a town in Idlib province, Syria, Friday, Sept 7, 2018. The rallies were a day of protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad and his troops' imminent offensive against Idlib, the last bastion of rebels in Syria. The Friday rallies came as Presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action in Idlib and its surrounding areas, home to more than 3 million people. Nearly half of the area's residents are already displaced from other parts of Syria and have refused to reconcile with the Syrian government. (Courtesy of Mustafa Alabdullah via AP) This image courtesy of Mustafa Alabdullah, an activist and resident of Idlib, shows a protester holding a placard, in Harim, a town in Idlib province, Syria, Friday, Sept 7, 2018. The rallies were part of a day of protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad and his troops' imminent offensive against Idlib, the last bastion of rebels in Syria. The Friday rallies came as Presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action in Idlib and its surrounding areas, home to more than 3 million people. Nearly half of the area's residents are already displaced from other parts of Syria and have refused to reconcile with the Syrian government. (Courtesy of Mustafa Alabdullah via AP) This image courtesy of Wissam Zarqa, an activist and resident of Idlib, shows protesters holding Syrian revolution flags and chanting, in Maaret al-Numan, a town in Idlib province, Syria, Friday, Sept 7, 2018. The rallies were a day of protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad and his troops' imminent offensive against Idlib, the last bastion of rebels in Syria. The Friday rallies came as Presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action in Idlib and its surrounding areas, home to more than 3 million people. Nearly half of the area's residents are already displaced from other parts of Syria and have refused to reconcile with the Syrian government. (Courtesy of Wissam Zarqa via AP) Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference following the Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Iran on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to attend a news conference following the Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Iran on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, attends a news conference following the Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Iran on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, center, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend a joint press conference in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, greets each other in Tehran, Iran, prior to their talks as part of Russia-Iran-Turkey summit to discuss Syria, Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - One of the five employees slain in the June shooting at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Maryland will have his novel published. The Baltimore Sun reports Rob Hiaasen's "Float Plan" will be released posthumously on Sept. 15 by Loyola University's Apprentice House Press. In a publishing house release, his widow, Maria Hiaasen, called the novel's publication "bittersweet" and "a lifelong dream" for the journalist, whose brother is novelist Carl Hiaasen. The assistant managing editor who was killed on his 59th birthday was known as a gifted journalist with a passion for the craft of writing. According to the release, "Float Plan" is the comic tale of an algebra teacher's midlife crisis, set in Annapolis. Proceeds will be donated to Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates for ending gun violence. ___ Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump will not answer federal investigators' questions, in writing or in person, about whether he tried to block the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, one of the president's attorneys told The Associated Press. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said questions about obstruction of justice were a "no-go." Giuliani's statement was the most definitive rejection yet of special counsel Robert Mueller's efforts to interview the president about any efforts to obstruct the investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Russians. It signals the Trump's lawyers are committed to protecting the president from answering questions about actions the president took in office. FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2018 file photo, Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump, addresses a gathering during a campaign event for Eddie Edwards, who is running for the U.S. Congress, in Portsmouth, N.H. President Donald Trump will not answer any questions, written or in-person, about possible obstruction of justice, Giuliani told The Associated Press. Giuliani's statement was the most definitive rejection yet of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's efforts to interview the president about any efforts to block the investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Russians. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File ) It's unclear if Giuliani's public position has been endorsed by Trump, who has said he wants to answer questions under oath. Negotiations about the scope and format of an interview are still ongoing. If the legal team holds its stance, it could force Mueller to try to subpoena the president, likely triggering a standoff that would lead to the Supreme Court. Mueller's office has previously sought to interview the president about the obstruction issue, including his firing last year of former FBI Director James Comey and his public attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump's legal team has argued that the president has the power to hire and fire appointees and the special counsel does not have the authority to ask him to explain those decisions. Giuliani said Thursday the team was steadfast in that position. "That's a no-go. That is not going to happen," Giuliani said. "There will be no questions at all on obstruction." In a letter last week, Mueller's team said it would accept written responses from Trump on questions related to Russian election interference. Giuliani suggested Thursday that Trump's lawyers had agreed to those terms but wanted to prohibit investigators from asking follow-up questions. "It would be in written form and if you want to follow up on our answers, justify it," Giuliani said. "Show us why you didn't get there the first time." He said he was not categorically ruling out answering a second round of questions but the entire matter of whether there would be follow-up inquiries should be settled before the president answers anything at all. "We aren't going to let them spring it on us," said Giuliani, who has served as lawyer-spokesman for the president's personal legal team, using television interviews and public comments as a tactic in the negotiations. In subsequent interviews late Thursday, Giuliani backtracked slightly, saying that talks over answering obstruction questions were ongoing. The moment encapsulated one of Giuliani's roles on the Trump's legal team: to lay down public markers on interview negotiations that are actually taking place behind closed doors. Giuliani has repeatedly moved the goalposts on what would be required for a presidential interview and, at times, has been forced to clarify previous statements. In earlier interviews, Giuliani had suggested some obstruction questions could be allowed if prosecutors show necessity and preview the questions with the defense lawyers. Trump, in a Fox News interview taped ahead of a Thursday night rally in Montana, was noncommittal when asked about a possible Mueller interview. In the latest letter to the legal team, Mueller's office didn't address obstruction questions, indicating investigators would later assess what additional information it needs from the president after receiving a response about the written submissions, according to a person familiar with the document. The person familiar with the letter spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the negotiations. Giuliani's declaration drew a swift rebuke from Rep. Adam Schiff, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who tweeted: "Trump's legal team never had any intention of allowing him to be interviewed, knowing he is incapable of telling the truth. It's past time to subpoena the President. No one is above the law." Though the president has publicly said he was eager to face questions from Mueller, his lawyers have been far more reluctant to make him available for an interview and have questioned whether Mueller has the right to ask him about actions that he is authorized, under the Constitution, to take as president. Giuliani's comments came just hours after Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, espoused a belief in an expansive view of executive powers and declined to say whether a president can be subpoenaed and forced to testify. Mueller's team raised the prospect in March that it could subpoena the president, though this would unquestionably prompt a court fight. The Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on the question of whether a president can be forced to testify, though the justices did rule in 1974 that Richard Nixon had to produce recordings and documents that had been subpoenaed. In addition to questions about Comey and Sessions, Mueller has expressed interest in Trump's role in drafting a statement to The New York Times about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower attended by his son, Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr. took the meeting, emails show, after it was described as part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign by providing derogatory information about Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump has said he knew nothing about the meeting before it happened. Trump and Giuliani have led an onslaught of attacks on Mueller's credibility, claiming that the special counsel was biased and that the entire probe was a "witch hunt." Giuliani has also demanded that the probe suspend its activities with the midterm elections approaching, but the former mayor said Thursday he was not certain of Mueller's intentions. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Chad Day contributed reporting from Washington. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Last Veterans Day, a 60-year-old U.S. Army veteran stopped near his home in central Florida to help what he thought was a stranded motorist. Carlos Cruz-Echevarria was shot multiple times along a Daytona Beach road that night and his truck was found burned miles away. Volusia County investigators initially thought the slaying was random, that Cruz-Echevarria had been robbed while being a good Samaritan. But the driver turned out to be a hit man who'd been hired to keep him from testifying about a road rage confrontation six months earlier, investigators told news outlets. Sheriff's officials arrested three suspects in the killing this week and charged each with first-degree murder. In these photos made available by the Volusia County Dept. of Corrections, Fla., shows Kelsey McFoley, left, Melissa Rios Roque and Benjamin Bascom under arrest, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The three are charged in the death of Carlos Cruz-Echevarria. Echevarria was to give a deposition in a road rage case against McFoley. Bascom is accused as the shooter, Rios Roque assisted in planning the shooting and helped Bascom get away while McFoley hired to killed Eecevarria. (Volusia County Dept. of Corrections via AP) "I've been a cop for 32 years, and this is one of the most heinous, despicable, cowardly acts that I've ever witnessed," Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said during a news conference Thursday. "You've got a pack of animals, (who) once again illustrate that human life is cheap on the street. A road rage incident where a man does what he's supposed to do, notify the police (and) cooperate with the system. His thanks is to wind up with multiple bullets in his head." Back in May 2017, Cruz-Echevarria was driving near Deltona when he honked at another vehicle that didn't move when the light turned green, officials said. An accident report says Kelsey Terrance McFoley, 28, was driving that vehicle. Cruz-Echevarria passed the vehicle, but McFoley caught up with him at another intersection. The two drivers got out of their vehicles and McFoley pulled a gun. According to deputies, Cruz-Echevarria wrote down McFoley's tag number and identified him in a photo lineup. McFoley was arrested June 1, 2017. Because he has a long record, including 29 felony charges, officials said McFoley could have faced a severe prison sentence if convicted in the road rage case. McFoley had found Cruz-Echevarria's home address listed on a court document about a deposition he was scheduled to give on Dec. 7, and hired Benjamin Bascom, 24, to kill Cruz-Echevarria to keep him from testifying, investigators said. Bascom had been staking out the house for several weeks, investigators said. On Nov. 11, Bascom went to the home but Cruz-Echevarria's wasn't there, so he waited in the neighborhood, investigators said. As Bascom turned his vehicle around, it got stuck in a ditch. That's when a truck pulled up. Inside was Cruz-Echevarria. As Cruz-Echevarria bent over to get a better look at the car, Bascom shot him in the head, Volusia County Sheriff's Capt. Brian Henderson said. As the slaying investigation continued unsolved, the road rage charges against McFoley were dropped. Then DNA found in the vehicles led investigators to Bascom and the bizarre tale unraveled. Phone records tied Bascom to the stranded vehicle and Cruz-Echevarria's truck, deputies said. Those same phone records linked Bascom to McFoley. Authorities said McFoley's girlfriend, Melissa Rios Roque, 21, assisted in the plot. Bascom was arrested Wednesday at Orlando International Airport, carrying a one-way ticket to Texas. McFoley was arrested Tuesday by U.S. Marshals in Orlando and Roque was stopped by Volusia County deputies on Interstate 4. No attorneys were listed on the suspects' court records. ____ This story has corrected the spelling of the girlfriend's last name to Roque, not Rogue. FLORENCE, N.J. (AP) - A homeless good Samaritan who claims a New Jersey couple mismanaged the $400,000 they raised for him online will receive all of the funds he's due while the couple is now under criminal investigation. In a joint statement issued late Thursday, GoFundMe and the law firm representing Johnny Bobbitt said he will get an amount equal to the balance he didn't receive through the fundraiser. The announcement came several hours after authorities had executed a search warrant at the New Jersey, home of Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure. Citing "enormous public interest" in the case, county prosecutor Scott Coffina confirmed in a Facebook post that Mark D'Amico and Katelyn McClure are under investigation, though no charges have been filed. FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2018 photo released by NBC, Mark D'Amico, left, and Kate McClure speak with host Megyn Kelly on "Megyn Kelly Today," in New York. The couple, who set up a GoFundMe page for Johnny Bobbitt, a homeless good Samaritan, are accused in a lawsuit brought by Bobbitt of mismanaging donations. GoFundMe and the law firm representing Bobbitt said he will receive all the money raised for him. The two issued a joint statement late Thursday, Sept. 6 saying Johnny Bobbitt will get an amount equal to the balance he didn't receive through the fundraiser. Authorities had executed a search warrant earlier Thursday at the Florence, New Jersey, home of D'Amico and McClure, who raised $400,000 online for Bobbitt. Bobbitt's lawyer said he's been told the money is gone. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via AP, File) It was the latest twist in a onetime feel-good story about Johnny Bobbitt, who spent his last $20 to buy gas for McClure when she became stranded on a highway in Philadelphia last year, and the couple who found 14,000 people online who were so touched by his kindness that they donated to a fund to help him start a new life. Police armed with a search warrant left the couple's home in Florence, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, with bags and boxes of material and the BMW. Bobbitt has questioned where they got the money for the new car. They have said they used their own money for it. The couple's attorney, Ernest Badway, has not returned calls seeking comment on the police investigation. They have previously denied any wrongdoing. The couple are also being sued by Bobbitt, the homeless man who was to receive the donations, which were made through a GoFundMe page. In the suit, he says they used the account as a "personal piggy bank" to "fund a lifestyle they could not otherwise afford." In court Wednesday, the couple's lawyer said Bobbitt has gotten about $200,000. But Bobbitt's lawyer said he had received only about $75,000, which includes the value of a camper and a 1999 Ford Ranger. A judge presiding over Bobbitt's lawsuit ordered the couple to give sworn statements Monday on the status of all the money raised, as well as to turn over documents. Bobbitt, whose attorney says he is entering a drug addiction program, will also be deposed. Their attorney has indicated the couple will claim their constitutional right not to have to testify. The story initially led to appearances for Bobbitt and McClure on national TV programs as well as an interview by the BBC. But a dispute over the money soured the relationship. D'Amico has said Bobbitt spent $25,000 in less than two weeks last year on drugs as well as paying for overdue legal bills and sending money to family. The couple also bought Bobbitt a camper with some of the cash and parked it on land McClure's family owns in New Jersey. But Bobbitt became homeless again after D'Amico told him in June that he had to leave the property. During a recent appearance on NBC's "Megyn Kelly Today" show, D'Amico said there was well over $150,000 left of the donations. But Bobbitt's attorney said earlier this week that he was told all the money is gone. GoFundMe said it gave $20,000 to an account set up by his attorney to help him during the investigation. EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) - Egyptian security officials say a colonel has been killed in central Sinai after explosives inside an empty vehicle he was inspecting detonated. The officials said incident Friday took place at the foot of Jabal al-Halal mountain also wounded another army officer. They said a separate explosion wounded an army conscript in Sheikh Zuweid town. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Egypt has been struggling to contain a years-long Islamic insurgency in the turbulent Sinai region, the epicenter of a years-long Islamic insurgency spearheaded by the Islamic State group's local affiliate. In February, Egypt began a massive anti-militant operation mainly focused on Sinai as well as parts of Egypt's Nile Delta and the Western Desert along the porous border with Libya. A coroner in Cincinnati has named the three men ranging in age from 25 to 64 who were killed during Thursday's bank shooting, which also left two other people injured. The Hamilton County Coroners office identified the victims as 25-year-old Pruthvi Kandepi, 48-year-old Luis Calderon and 64-year-old Richard Newcomer. All three were killed when police say 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez opened fire at the 30-story headquarters of Fifth Third Bancorp in downtown Cincinnati. Two other people, a man and a woman, were wounded in the shooting spree before police officers arrived on the scene three minutes later and killed Perez. Scroll down for video At age 25, programmer Pruthvi Kandepi was the youngest of the three victims shot dead at Fifth Third Bank in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday The coroner, Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco, said she recognized the youngest fatality, Kandepi, from a local Hindu temple. The two also shared the same hometown and language, Telugu. Sammarco posted Wednesday on Facebook, asking how officials will explain to his parents in India 'they will never see their son again because of a senseless shooting in a foreign country.' The local Telugu Association of North America office said they plan to help Kandepi's father. He wants his son's body to be taken back to India. Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Kandepi worked as a programmer with a company called Tech Services. This undated photo provided by the Broward County Sheriff shows Omar Enrique Perez who is suspected of the shooting deaths of three people in downtown Cincinnati, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (Broward County Sheriff via AP) Richard Newcomer worked for the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Company. On Thursday, the 64-year-old father and grandfather from Amelia was a supervisor on an electrical project on the third floor of the bank when he was shot dead. Investigators said Perez used a 9mm handgun and had an estimated 200 rounds or more of ammunition. So far, they have not found a motive. Police Chief Eliot Isaac said investigators will study footage from the officers' body cameras and security from the 30-story building. According to police, Perez had never worked at Fifth Third and don't have any information linking him to other businesses in the building. Authorities believe that 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez has lived in the Cincinnati area since 2015. Police swarmed his apartment in North Bend, Ohio, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away. Isaac says the shooter used a 9 mm handgun with some 200 rounds of ammunition. Officers arrived in seconds to drop him in a hail of gunfire. Authorities hope to have more information to release Friday. Records show the shooter formerly lived in South Florida and had been charged with some non-violent crimes years ago. Police said he went into a sandwich shop and possibly other businesses before entering the lobby and opening fire around 9:10 a.m. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the rapid police response probably prevented many more casualties. He said one investigator said it could have been "a bloodbath beyond imagination." Leonard Cain told The Enquirer he was going into the bank when someone alerted him about the shooting. He said a woman wearing headphones didn't hear the warnings and walked into the bank and got shot. The Hamilton County Coroner's office identified the victims as Pruthvi Kandepi, 25; Luis Calderon, 48; and Richard Newcomer, 64. A coroner says she recognized the youngest person. Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco had met Kandepi at a local Hindu temple. The two also shared the same hometown and language, Telugu. Sammarco posted Wednesday on Facebook, asking how officials will explain to his parents "they will never see their son again because of a senseless shooting in a foreign country." The local Telugu Association of North America office said they plan to help Kandepi's father. He wants his son's body to be taken back to India. One of the victims died at the scene. Two more died at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The wounded were listed there in critical condition and fair condition. Fountain Square is often the site of concerts, dancing, food trucks and other events around lunchtime or in the evenings. "It could have been any one of us," Mayor John Cranley said. He praised police and other emergency personnel, saying, "It could have been much, much worse." Gov. John Kasich ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all public buildings and grounds in Hamilton County, and at the Statehouse, through Monday. Police investigate the scene after a shooting at the Fifth Third Bank building on Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP) Saudi Fransi Capital, a leading financial services provider that manages client-focused equity and fixed income portfolios, has won approval to nearly double the capital of its real estate investment trust (REIT) fund. A subsidiary of Banque Saudi Fransi, the company manages sharia-compliant mutual funds and conventional mutual funds for its clients. The firm, which was formerly known as Fransi Tadawul, invests in the public equity, fixed income, and alternative asset markets across the globe with a focus on Saudi and GCC. The unitholders of its Taleem REIT fund have backed the Saudi Fransi Capital's move to boost its capital from SR285 million to SR510 million ($76 million to $136 million) through acquisition of a new real estate asset, said the company in its statement to the Saudi bourse Tadawul. During a key meeting held recently in Riyadh, the unitholders gave approval to the amended terms and conditions of the fund which include updates on the capital, the number of units, the risks involved and the mechanism of the increase in fund's capital and the allocation mechanism of new units, it added.-TradeArabia News Service ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A court in Istanbul has convicted a former co-chairman of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish political party of "engaging in terror propaganda." The court sentenced Selahattin Demirtas to more than four years in prison after finding him guilty on Friday. The trial is one of several faced by Demirtas, who has been in pre-trial detention since November 2016. He ran as the People's Democratic Party candidate in Turkey's presidential election from prison and garnered 8.4 percent of the vote. The court also convicted former legislator Sirri Sureyya Onder of the same charge and gave him a prison sentence of more than three years. The two men were accused of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in speeches they delivered in 2013 during festivities marking a Kurdish spring festival. They denied the accusation and were expected to appeal. MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Scholars from around the world are gathering in Vermont to discuss the writings and legacy of the late dissident author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who chronicled life in Soviet-era prison camps and spent 18 years in exile in the state before living out his days in his native Russia. A highlight of the two-day conference beginning Friday on the Lyndon campus of Northern Vermont University will be a visit to Cavendish - the southern Vermont town where the acclaimed writer lived in near-seclusion. Solzhenitsyn, a son says, did his best writing while his privacy was famously guarded by townspeople who refused to give the curious directions to his home. FILE - In this May 25, 1994, file photo Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn gets into the family car as he departs his Cavendish, Vt., compound. Dozens of international experts on the works of the late Nobel Prize winning Russian writer are gathering in Vermont for a planned two-day conference to begin Sept. 7, 2018, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. Solzhenitsyn, who spent nearly two decades in exile in Vermont, died in Russia in 2008. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File) Over the decades, Solzhenitsyn - who spent 11 years in captivity in his homeland - wrote about life in the Soviet labor camps through books such as "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" and "The Gulag Archipelago." He also wrote histories of Russia and the Soviet Union before his death in 2008. His works still resonate today amid strained relations between the U.S. and Russia, conference organizer Alexandre Strokanov said. "If you want to understand where Russia is going and what Russia, at least in part, has become, we have to read his works," Strokanov said. "He answers all these questions in his books." The Vermont conference is one of a number of commemorations in Vermont to celebrate the centennial of Solzhenitsyn's birth. The Vermont Historical Society has an exhibition at its Montpelier museum. The Cavendish Historical Society also has a Solzhenitsyn exhibition and is renovating an old church so it can become a permanent home for Solzhenitsyn artifacts. Next month, the first English translation of "Between Two Millstones, Book 1, Sketches of Exile, 1974-1978," Solzhenitsyn's book about his life in exile, is being published. Solzhenitsyn did some of his best work in Cavendish, said son Stephan, 44, who now lives in Moscow but spent his childhood in Vermont. "That's something he could never have done if he didn't have the ability to work quietly and undisturbed," he said. Margo Caulfield of the Cavendish Historical Society said people still regularly visit the town to learn about Solzhenitsyn's time there. Some are fans of his writing; others are people who lived under the Soviet system. "Everybody comes with their own sort of agenda," she said. Thomas Beyer, a professor of Russian and East European studies at Vermont's Middlebury College, said he began reading Solzhenitsyn in the 1960s before the author became famous. Beyer says he was struck by "the moral courage that he presented in his novels and also the ability to endure ... the worst possible deprivation." But Solzhenitsyn's legacy after writing about the camps is mixed. He was an early supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he never really fit in while living in Vermont, Beyer said. "It would have been hard to consider him a true Vermonter in any sense of the word, save for his rigid independence of thought and action," he said. BERLIN (AP) - German factory production slipped unexpectedly in July for the second month in a row but economists say there's no reason to panic yet about Europe's biggest economy. The Economy Ministry reported Friday that industrial production dropped 1.1 percent in July over June, falling across all sectors except construction. That followed a 0.7 percent drop in June over May. The ministry reported Thursday that factory orders had also dropped 0.9 percent in July, suggesting future declines in production as well. Still, ING economist Carsten Brzeski said there was no need to panic, noting that the figures are traditionally volatile. He says "July industrial data continues to disappoint but should only be one of those regular dips and not a start of a severe downswing." MIAMI (AP) - Florence could cause dangerous surf and rip currents along parts of the U.S. East Coast this weekend as the storm swirls across the Atlantic, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. Though weakened to a tropical storm, Florence was expected to regain hurricane strength as it neared Bermuda. Large swells were likely to start hitting the British island territory in the north Atlantic Ocean on Friday. Forecasters said it was too soon to tell where the storm would go. Some forecast models showed Florence slamming into land by late next week, while others indicated the storm would curve away from shore. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency on Friday evening, urging residents to use the weekend to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster. "We are entering the peak of hurricane season and we know well the unpredictability and power of these storms," Cooper said. South Carolina's Emergency Management Division also advised coastal residents to start making contingency plans. "The risk of other direct impacts associated with Florence along the U.S. East Coast next week has increased. However, there is still very large uncertainty in model forecasts of Florence's track beyond day (five), making it too soon to determine the exact location, magnitude, and timing of these impacts," hurricane specialist Robbie Berg wrote in a forecast advisory. Improving atmospheric conditions were expected to allow Florence to regain its former strength. The storm reached major hurricane status Wednesday, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 kph). Meanwhile, two low pressure systems off the coast of Africa behind Florence also had high chances of developing into tropical storms, forecasters said. "Since we are near the peak of hurricane season, this is a good time for everyone who lives in a hurricane-prone area to ensure they have their hurricane plan in place," hurricane specialist David Zelinsky wrote in a forecast advisory. The National Hurricane Center said Florence's maximum sustained winds Friday night were estimated to be 60 mph (95 kph). The storm was centered about 875 miles (1,405 kilometers) east-southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 7 mph (11 kph). POREC, Croatia (AP) - Russia has failed to be reinstated as a full member by biathlon's governing body amid an investigation into bribery to cover up doping cases. The International Biathlon Union says its members voted against Russia's application and extended the provisional membership imposed last year. IBU members also elected a new president on Friday, five months after its only previous leader was implicated in an Austrian criminal investigation using evidence from Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov. In a 39-12 vote, Olle Dahlin of Sweden won a four-year term against Baiba Broka of Latvia, who was seen as Russia's preferred candidate. Dahlin succeeds Anders Besseberg, who stepped down with IBU secretary general Nicole Resch when Austrian prosecutors alleged about $300,000 was paid in bribes to hide Russian doping cases from 2012-17. ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on wildfires in California (all times local): 7:15 a.m. A major West Coast highway remains closed for a third day as a wildfire continues to rage on forest flanking it in Northern California. Flames from a backfire burn around a fire truck battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) The California Highway Patrol says reopening Interstate 5 is a priority but that highway patrol, fire and transportation officials will meet Friday to assess when to reopen the interstate running from the U.S.-Mexico border to the U.S.-Canada border. Officials say the condition of the pavement is a concern along with burned trees along the highway that might be in danger of falling down. Some are 70 feet (21 meters) tall. The 45-mile (72-kilometer) stretch of highway near the state line with Oregon has been closed since a fire Wednesday turned hills both sides of the roadway into walls of flame. ___ 12:00 a.m. Authorities are still mulling whether to reopen a major highway that's been closed for two days by a raging Northern California wildfire. Officials must first determine if it's safe to resume travel on a 45-mile (72-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 5 near the Oregon state line. The highway was closed on Wednesday as fire erupted on both sides. Fire spokesman Brandon Vacarro says work crews have cleared away burned and abandoned trucks that littered the road after the swift-moving blaze erupted but they must also determine whether charred 70-foot (21-meter) trees along the road are in danger of falling. The so called Delta Fire has burned more than 34 square miles (88 square kilometers) and prompted evacuation orders for scattered homes and buildings in three counties in and around Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The wildfire that erupted Wednesday has now burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) of timber and brush and prompted evacuation orders for rural homes in and around Shasta-Trinity National Forest below the Oregon state line. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters light backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A firefighter battles the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Embers fly above a firefighter as he hustles to control a backfire as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A firefighter passes flames from a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Embers fly above a firefighter as he hustles to control a backfire as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has been arrested in Kansas on suspicion of rape. Records show that Randle was booked into Sedgwick County Jail at around 3:40 a.m. Friday. The prosecutor's office wasn't releasing information, and a police spokesman and Randle's attorney in previous cases didn't immediately reply to phone messages seeking details about his latest arrest. Randle was released on probation in June under a plea deal that allows prosecutors to seek to have him put in prison if he gets into trouble again. He spent most of the past two years in jail, with occasional stints in a state mental hospital, on an array of charges. Several of them were related to Randle hitting three people with a car after an argument at a housewarming party. This photo provided by the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office in Wichita, Kan., shows former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle, who was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail early Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, on a suspicion of rape charge. (Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office via AP) ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's foreign ministry says the country and the Netherlands have taken a further step in normalizing relations by re-appointing ambassadors to each other's capitals. The two countries withdrew ambassadors last year over a row triggered by a Dutch decision to bar Turkish officials from campaigning on Dutch soil during a referendum campaign over increasing the powers of the president. In a statement Friday, Turkey's foreign ministry said Saban Disli, a former legislator from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, was appointed ambassador to the Netherlands. It added that the Dutch foreign minister would visit Turkey in the first week of October in the "next step in normalization of affairs." Details of the new Dutch ambassador to Turkey were not immediately available. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - President Donald Trump is traveling to Mississippi next week for a rally for his own 2020 re-election, and will campaign for an appointed Republican U.S. senator who is running to finish a six-year term. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith faces three challengers in a nominally nonpartisan special election in November and the winner will serve the final two years of a term started by Republican Sen. Thad Cochran. The Trump campaign announced Friday that he'll appear at a "Make America Great Again" rally Sept. 14 in Jackson. It is one of several stops he's making to support Republican candidates as Republicans try to maintain their slim Senate majority. "With only 60 days from now until Election Day, President Trump looks forward to visiting the great State of Mississippi to urge Mississippians to get out and vote for Cindy Hyde-Smith in November," Michael Glassner, CEO of Trump for President Inc., said in a news release. FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2018, file photo, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., speaks at one of the biggest political events of the year in the state, the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, Miss. Hyde-Smith, was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to assume the position until an election could be held to fill the post. All three challengers are accepting two debate invitations for a U.S. Senate race in Mississippi, but it's unclear if the Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith will take part. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) It will be Trump's fourth appearance in Mississippi since his 2016 campaign. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith, the second-term state agriculture commissioner, to temporarily succeed 80-year-old Cochran when the longtime lawmaker resigned amid health concerns in April. Trump won Mississippi with 58 percent of the vote in 2016, and Bryant is an outspoken supporter of the president. Trump tweeted his "complete and total Endorsement" of Hyde-Smith on Aug. 23, saying: "We need Cindy to win in Mississippi!" Hyde-Smith said Friday on Twitter that she is "thrilled" Trump will campaign for her in the state. "I have backed the president's agenda 100 percent," she said. Mississippi special election ballots don't list parties, but candidates tell voters their affiliation. If no candidate receives a majority in the Nov. 6 election, the top two advance to a Nov. 27 runoff. Hyde-Smith is challenged by tea party-backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who lost a bitter 2014 Republican primary runoff to Cochran; Democrat Mike Espy, who in 1986 became the first African-American to win a U.S. House seat from Mississippi since Reconstruction and in 1993 was named President Bill Clinton's first agriculture secretary; and Democrat Tobey Bartee, a former military intelligence officer who is running a low-budget campaign. Trump endorsed McDaniel in the 2014 primary, and McDaniel had been jockeying for Trump's support again this year. McDaniel told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that he thinks the president is backing Hyde-Smith because of pressure from the Senate Republican leader. "Mitch McConnell is forcing Trump to play the Washington game," McDaniel said. ___ Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus . In this Aug. 2, 2018 photo, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, speaks at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, Miss. McDaniel, one of three candidates seeking to replace incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., joins the other two challengers in accepting two debate invitations for a U.S. Senate race. It's unclear if the Republican incumbent Hyde-Smith will take part. Hyde-Smith campaign spokeswoman Melissa Scallan says the senator's participation will depend on the work schedule in Washington. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) FIL - In this Aug. 2, 2018, file photo, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Espy, a candidate in a special election to fill the final two years of a term started by Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, speaks at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, Miss. Espy, now one of three candidates seeking to replace incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., joins the other two challengers in accepting two debate invitations for a U.S. Senate race. It's unclear if the Republican incumbent Hyde-Smith will take part. Hyde-Smith campaign spokeswoman Melissa Scallan says the senator's participation will depend on the work schedule in Washington. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - France's foreign minister says his country is looking to bolster defense cooperation with Cyprus that could help augment Europe's presence in the east Mediterranean. Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides that France wants a more united, democratic and sovereign Europe "whose voice is heard with greater power in the world." Christodoulides said Cyprus is ready to work with France to fulfill the ambition of French President Emmanuel Macron that Europe takes more responsibility for its own defense. Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, right, and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian shake hands after they make statements to media during a press conference after their meeting at the Cypriot foreign ministry in capital Nicosia, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Cyprus and France have in recent years bolstered ties in the fields of energy, the economy, defense, and culture. French oil and gas company Total is licensed to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus' southern coast. (AP Photo/ Philippos Christou) French warships often use the east Mediterranean island-nation - some 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Syria's coastline - as a resupply and refueling stop. The two ministers also discussed expanding energy cooperation. French company Total is already licensed to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus' southern coast. Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, right, and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian make statements to media during a press conference after their meeting at the Cypriot foreign ministry in capital Nicosia, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Cyprus and France have in recent years bolstered ties in the fields of energy, the economy, defense, and culture. French oil and gas company Total is licensed to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus' southern coast. (AP Photo/ Philippos Christou) Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, right, and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian make statements to media during a press conference after their meeting at the Cypriot foreign ministry in capital Nicosia, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Cyprus and France have in recent years bolstered ties in the fields of energy, the economy, defense, and culture. French oil and gas company Total is licensed to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus' southern coast. (AP Photo/ Philippos Christou) Professionals from across the healthcare spectrum including dealers and distributors, medical manufacturers, general practitioners, doctors, hospital managers, as well as those involved in the delivery of healthcare in the region will take part in the Global Health Exhibition, to be held in Saudi Arabia. The event will take place from September 10 to September 12, at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, in Riyadh. This expo follows in accordance with Vision 2030 - the objective to develop and uplift the healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia. The exhibition will host over 135 Saudi-based, regional and international exhibitors, all aiming to showcase the latest advances in health services and medical device technologies to more than 8,000 trade and health professionals in attendance, said a statement. The exhibition will be delighted by the presence of key Saudi governmental entities including the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (Sagia), Saudi Health council, Council of Cooperative Insurance, CBAHI, Saudi Patient Safety Center amongst other decision makers and investors, it said. Global Health Exhibition is organised by XS conferences and exhibition and in collaboration with Informa Exhibitions, organisers of Arab Health. Adel Abdel Shakor, chief executive officer of XS Conferences and Exhibitions, said: The exhibition, is an investment platform that enables innovators, investors and distributors to partake in the thriving sector following an upsurge in the healthcare industry. Additionally, the exhibition allows its participants to gain unparalleled exposure to key decision makers, government authorities and enabling growth within your network, therefore making it an unprecedented opportunity, Shakor said. Peter Hall president of Global Exhibitions, Informa, said: In line with Vision 2030, the kingdom is now focusing on diversifying the economy and one of its main focal points is the health industry as it aims to create an environment with a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Moreover, with plans to increase the private sector contribution to the healthcare industry to 35 per cent, up from 25 per cent, this will open up new opportunities and therefore making this exhibition timely for distributers and manufacturers alike, he added. The exhibitions multitrack congress will host seven conferences discussing various key themes including the Impact of Politics on Healthcare, Value-based Healthcare, Embracing the Future and Healthcare Investment, Financing and Reimbursement, it said. In addition, the exhibition will host a "Scientific Writing and Publishing" masterclass. Through these meticulous sessions, led by experts within the discipline, attending healthcare professions have a unique opportunity to enhance their writing skills, which are essential in the authoring of standards and to uphold publishing ethics, it stated. TradeArabia News Service NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's government on Friday rejected an International Criminal Court ruling that it has jurisdiction to investigate allegations that Myanmar security forces violated international law by driving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes. The office of Myanmar President Win Myint said Thursday's decision by The Hague-based court was "the result of faulty procedure and is of dubious legal merit." It reiterated the government's previously stated position that it has no obligation to respect the court's ruling because it is not a party to the treaty that established the institution. It also listed points of law and evidentiary arguments in rejecting approval for the court to make a preliminary investigation. Myanmar's government spokesman Zaw Htay talks to journalists during a press briefing at the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo) A special U.N. commission on Monday recommended prosecuting senior Myanmar military officers for suspected genocide. Because Myanmar is not a member of the international court, some legal experts had contended the court did not have jurisdiction. But the argument that prevailed, made by court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, was that while the Rohingya were forced from their homes in Myanmar, part of the crime involved them being driven across the border into neighboring Bangladesh, which is a member of the court. Myanmar's statement Friday said the court's decision "was the result of manifest bad faith, procedural irregularities and general lack of transparency." It challenged the factual basis of the ruling, contending that "The allegations of deportation cannot be further from the truth." "Myanmar reiterates that it has not deported any individuals in the areas of concern and in fact has worked hard in collaboration with Bangladesh to repatriate those displaced from their homes." Some 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh after a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by Myanmar security forces. The report issued Monday by the three-member "fact-finding mission" working under a mandate from the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council alleged widespread rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes and villages. Myanmar denies any organized abuses and says the army's operations were a response to attacks last August by an underground Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security personnel in Rakhine state. Earlier this year, Myanmar signed agreements with Bangladesh and U.N. agencies concerning the repatriation of the Rohingya, but it has been dragging its feet in allowing access to U.N. representatives to ensure their safe return. The Muslim Rohingya have long been treated as outsiders in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless, and they are also denied freedom of movement and other basic rights. Earlier Friday, the top government spokesman addressed another issue that has drawn international criticism of Myanmar, the sentencing of two Reuters journalists to seven years in prison on charges of illegal possession of official documents. Zaw Htay said at a news conference in the capital, Naypyitaw, that the court's ruling Monday against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo was the prerogative of the judicial branch, and the government could not interfere. The verdict and sentence caused international outrage. The prosecutors' case was widely seen as based on fabricated evidence, and a key police witness undercut the case when he testified in a pre-trial hearing that the reporters had been set up. The reporters had been gathering evidence of a massacre by security forces of 10 Rohingya in a village in Rakhine state at the time of their arrest. He also acknowledged that Myanmar had yet to develop adequate media freedoms, saying the country's transition to full democracy has yet to be completed. The country was under military and military-backed rule for more than five decades until the National League for Democracy, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, took power in 2016. Suu Kyi has been criticized for failing to ensure fair treatment of the Rohingya and falling short in implementing democratic reforms. ___ Associated Press writer Victorian Milko in Yangon, Myanmar, contributed to this story. URBANA, Ill. (AP) - Former President Barack Obama issued a scorching critique of his successor Friday, blasting President Donald Trump's policies and his pattern of pressuring the Justice Department. Obama also reminded voters that the economic recovery - one of Trump's favorite talking points - began on his watch. Obama's speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was delivered less than two months before midterm elections that could determine the course of Trump's presidency. The remarks amounted to a stinging indictment of political life in the Trump era. Former President Barack Obama speaks in Foellinger Auditorium on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana, Ill., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Obama will receive a medal for the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government at a private ceremony following the speech. (Stephen Haas//The News-Gazette via AP) "It did not start with Donald Trump," Obama said. "He is a symptom, not the cause. He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years." Noting the history of former presidents avoiding the rough and tumble of politics, Obama acknowledged his sharp critique of Trump was something of a departure from tradition. But he said the political moment required a pushback and called for better discourse. "Appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren't for those who don't look like us or don't sound like us or don't pray like we do - that's an old playbook," he said. "It's as old as time. And in a healthy democracy, it doesn't work. Our antibodies kick in and people of good will from across the political spectrum call out the bigots and the fear-mongers and work to compromise and get things done and promote the better angels of our nature." But, Obama added, when there is a vacuum in democracy, "other voices fill the void. A politics of fear and resentment and retrenchment takes hold." Trump, meanwhile, claimed he fell asleep watching Obama's speech. "I found he's very good for sleeping," Trump said at a campaign appearance in Fargo, North Dakota. He said Obama was trying to take credit for this "incredible thing that's happening to our country." Even as he has largely remained out of the spotlight, Obama made clear he's paid close attention to the steady stream of headlines chronicling the Trump administration and said the news is a reminder of what's at stake in the November midterm elections. "Just a glance at recent headlines should tell you this moment really is different," Obama said. "The stakes really are higher. The consequences of any of us sitting on the sidelines are more dire." He later added, "This is not normal." He was especially stern in his condemnation of Trump's pattern of pressuring law enforcement officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The president has repeatedly called on Sessions to fire special counsel Robert Mueller and earlier this week blamed the Justice Department for indicting two incumbent Republican members of Congress, arguing the moves could jeopardize their seats. "It should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents," Obama said. "Or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from prosecution because an election happens to be coming up. I'm not making that up. That's not hypothetical." As Obama spoke, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed Sessions should investigate the identity of the author of an anonymous New York Times opinion piece that was sharply critical of his leadership, saying the essay was a "national security issue." Obama, reacting to the op-ed account, said, "That's not how our democracy is supposed to work." "The claim that everything will turn out OK because there are people inside the White House who secretly aren't following the president's orders, that is not a check," Obama said. "I'm being serious here. ... These people aren't elected. They're not accountable." Obama also jabbed Trump on the issue the current president frequently heralds as one of his greatest achievements: the strong economy. Obama reminded the audience that the economic recovery began during his administration and defended his handling of the 2008 economic collapse. "When you hear how great the economy's doing right now, let's just remember when this recovery started," he said. He also criticized Trump's response to the violence last year at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that resulted in the death of a counter-protester. "We're supposed to stand up to discrimination," Obama said. "And we're sure as heck supposed to stand up clearly and unequivocally to Nazi sympathizers. How hard can that be, saying that Nazis are bad?" The speech was a preview of the argument that Obama is likely to make throughout the fall. On Saturday, the former president will stump for House Democratic candidates at an event in Orange County, a conservative-leaning part of California where Republicans are at risk of losing several congressional seats. Next week, Obama plans to campaign in Ohio for Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for governor, and other Democrats. Obama's campaign activity will continue through October and will include fundraising appearances, according to an Obama adviser. The adviser was not authorized to discuss Obama's thinking publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. While the former president will be visible throughout the general election, the adviser said Obama will not be a daily presence on the campaign trail. Republicans said voters won't find Obama's argument appealing. "In 2016, voters rejected President Obama's policies and his dismissiveness towards half the country," Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens said in response to the Friday speech. "Doubling down on that strategy won't work in 2018 either." Meanwhile, Michelle Obama is also stepping up her political involvement ahead of the November midterm election. She will headline voter registration rallies in Las Vegas and Miami later in September as part of a week of action by When We All Vote, the new nonpartisan organization she co-chairs. ___ Summers wrote from Washington. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report. LONDON (AP) - Coup attempts, cyberwarfare, assassination bids - Western officials say the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, poses a growing menace around the world. Increasingly alarmed by the agency's foreign forays, Western nations are scrambling to protect themselves and to strike back against a shadowy organization British Prime Minister Theresa May calls "a threat to all our allies and our citizens." This week Britain charged two alleged GRU agents in absentia with the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who were left critically ill after being exposed to a Soviet-made nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury. This combination photo made available by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday Sept. 5, 2018, shows Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov. British prosecutors have charged two Russian men, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with the nerve agent poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury. They are charged in absentia with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder and use of the nerve agent Novichok. (Metropolitan Police via AP) May said the attack was approved "at a senior level of the Russian state," and vowed Britain would "deploy the full range of tools from across our national security apparatus in order to counter the threat posed by the GRU." Moscow denies any involvement, and Britain and its allies won't find it easy to counter an organization with strong ties to the Russian leadership and a seeming disregard for international laws. The GRU - formally named the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces - is one prong of Russia's vast security and intelligence apparatus, and has been linked to a series of audacious and deadly operations around the world. In the United States, 12 alleged GRU agents have been indicted for hacking the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The investigative group Bellingcat has reported that a GRU officer was in charge of operations in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists were fighting Ukrainian forces, when a Malaysian passenger airliner was shot down in July 2014, killing all 298 people aboard. Western officials have also linked GRU agents to an attempted coup in Montenegro in 2016. Aglaya Snetkov, an expert on Russian security at University College London, says Russia has taken an increasingly assertive stance overseas in a host of ways since Moscow authorities grew concerned more than a decade ago at "what they saw as increased Western interference in (places like) Ukraine and Georgia." "The Russians are now using their intelligence services more actively, alongside all the other instruments they have in terms of influence - things like (TV channel) RT, party political meetings, increasing societal links, greater links with the diaspora abroad," she said Friday. "The intelligence guys are only one side of it." For Western countries, countering Russian interference is equally complex. U.K. prosecutors say they have enough evidence to charge the two suspects in the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former GRU officer who had betrayed the service by spying for Britain. But they are unlikely to face a British trial, since Russia will not extradite its citizens to be prosecuted abroad. Instead, Britain is trying to squeeze Moscow through diplomatic, economic and covert channels. After the Skripals were poisoned March 4, Britain and more than two dozen other countries expelled a total of 150 Russian spies working under diplomatic cover. Russia kicked out a similar number of those countries' envoys. Britain gave its border guards new powers to stop people they suspected of being spies, and introduced a version of the United States' Magnitsky Act, which allows authorities to ban or seize assets of individuals guilty of human rights abuses. The U.S. imposed sanctions of its own, tightening restrictions on exports to Russia of national security-sensitive items. This week Britain promised more - though unspecified - responses. Jeremy Fleming, who heads the U.K.'s GCHQ electronic spy agency, said Thursday that Britain would use "the full range of tools from across our national security apparatus." Much of that action consists of strengthening British cyber-defenses against Russian hackers. Britain could also take offensive action of its own against Russian websites, though officials stress the U.K. sticks within the law - and British officials may not want to escalate international cyber-conflict. Some doubt U.K. actions will hurt Moscow much. A cartoon in Friday's Daily Telegraph newspaper showed a kitten-heel shoe in May's favorite leopardskin print bouncing harmlessly off a giant Russian bear ridden by Putin. Telegraph columnist Fraser Nelson said the Salisbury nerve-agent attack had been a triumph for the Kremlin, "showing the world that it can strike anywhere, with relative impunity." Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the British Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said there is one sure way to halt the meddling - go for the money. London is a magnet for wealthy Russians, and critics of Putin say Britain should do more to stop the president's wealthy backers from enjoying their money and property in the U.K. Shortly before Skripal was poisoned, Britain introduced powers to seize money and property whose origins are suspicious. But Tugendhat's committee reported in May that those powers had barely been used, and accused the British government of turning a blind eye to dirty Russian money. Tugendhat said Friday he has been assured the government "is now taking it extremely seriously." "We've got to make sure that people who have struck a deal with Putin over the last 10, 15 years - where the deal went, Putin gets the power and you get the money - realize the deal doesn't work anymore because the money is worthless," he said. "You can't go to Paris, London and New York; you can't send your kids to the best schools; you can't dine out in the best restaurants. All you are is a prisoner in a golden cage." In this photo taken on Monday, July 16, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking at the joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. The GRU is one arm of Russia's extensive security and intelligence apparatus, which also includes the Foreign Intelligence Service, known as the SVR, and the Federal Security Service, or FSB, which conducts domestic intelligence and counterintelligence. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) FILE - This Tuesday, July 31, 2018 file photo, shows the building of the Russian military intelligence service, located at 22 Kirova Street, Khimki, which was named in an indictment announced by a U.S. federal grand jury as part of a probe into alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia. Russia's military intelligence service GRU is attracting increasing attention as allegations mount of devious and deadly operations on and off the field of battle. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - As temperatures soared this week, University of Maryland students who live in dorms without air conditioning sought refuge in air-conditioned lounges and multipurpose rooms as the school gave out ice pops. A spokeswoman for the university's resident life department, Tracy Kiras, tells The Baltimore Sun the school's delivered 90 mattresses to the air-conditioned spaces, provided around 400 fans and stocked dorm freezers with ice pops. The four non-air-conditioned halls together house 2,000 students. While similar measures have been taken in the past, Kiras says the university has employed an extreme effort and "tried as many creative solutions as possible" to help students amid unusually high temperatures. The dorms without air conditioning are slated to be replaced by new dorms. The university has no plans to equip the existing halls with air conditioning. ___ Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com CANTON, Ohio (AP) - Police say the body of an Ohio woman who was killed by her husband might have wound up in a Kentucky landfill. Seventy-three-year-old Philip Snider pleaded guilty last week to aggravated murder and other charges in the death of 70-year-old Roberta Snider. A plea agreement requires the Hartville man to disclose where he put her body. The (Canton) Repository reports that Philip Snider initially told police he dumped his wife's body in the Tennessee River, then changed his story and said he put it in a dumpster in Bullitt County, Kentucky. From there, the body likely wound up in a nearby landfill. Hartville Police Chief Larry Dordea says he believes Snider is telling the truth. Snider initially claimed his wife died of natural causes during their trip to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. ___ Information from: The Repository, http://www.cantonrep.com MEXICO CITY (AP) - Prosecutors in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua say four state police officers are dead and six are wounded following an ambush overnight in a rural part of the state. The state prosecutors' office said Friday the attack was apparently carried out by the "La Linea" gang, which works for the Juarez drug cartel. The ambush occurred late Thursday in the mountains near the town of Creel when the officers were returning to their base after depositing three suspects at a local jail in the city of Cuauhtemoc. The Juarez is cartel is based in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, but has expanded into other parts of Chihuahua. SEATTLE (AP) - The city of Lakewood, Washington, its police chief and two officers have agreed to pay $13 million to the family of an unarmed black man who was killed four years ago as he clutched his 4-year-old son following a four-hour standoff. The Seattle Times reported Friday that the payment would settle a wrongful-death and civil-rights lawsuit stemming from the May 24, 2013 SWAT-team sniper-death of 30-year-old Leonard Thomas. In 2017, a unanimous verdict by a jury in U.S. District Court in Seattle found the cities of Lakewood and Fife and members of the Pierce County Metro SWAT team committed 14 separate civil-rights violations that night. Thomas never displayed a firearm and never threatened police or his son, according to testimony at trial. No guns were found in his house. The panel had singled out Lakewood Police Chief Mike Zaro - then an assistant chief - and Lakewood officers Sgt. Brian Markert and Mike Wiley for punitive damages totaling $6.5 million, finding their actions were particularly egregious and led to Thomas' unnecessary death. Zaro was in command that night and gave the orders that led to the shooting. Markert, the sniper, shot Thomas in the stomach with a precision high-powered rifle. Wiley led an assault team that blew down the back door of Thomas' house and killed the family dog, Baxter. The settlement, which came as the case was being considered by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on an appeal by the city, provides that Lakewood will pay just $1 million from its own coffers. The largest portion, $11.5 million, will be paid by the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA). Fife already settled with the Thomas family and estate for $500,000. The settlement also includes attorneys' fees of nearly $2 million. The family settled last month to avoid a prolonged appeal, said plaintiff's attorney John Connelly, who represented Thomas' estate and his 9-year-old son at trial. Thomas' mother had called police that night, seeking to help her son who was intoxicated after being sober for a year and in crisis over the death of a friend. The Metro Pierce County SWAT team, a multiagency operation, responded with more than 20 heavily armed officers and an armored vehicle, which they drove onto Thomas' front yard. Over the next four hours, Thomas repeatedly told police to go away and officers agreed he had committed a misdemeanor assault on his mother at best. In a statement, the city of Lakewood said that "this agreement does not erase the events that transpired . or the lasting effects of Mr. Thomas' death on his family and the police officers involved, but the city hopes it will provide closure and help everyone move forward with the healing process." PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The largest single-mast sailing yacht ever built is now docked in Portland, towering over the other boats. The M5 measures about 277-feet-long (84 meters) and has a mast extending 54 feet (16 meters). The Portland Press Herald reports the massive watercraft arrived Monday from Newport, Rhode Island. "Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors" Publisher John Hanson says the people who own yachts like the M5 "have large egos and it takes a very large yacht to carry them." The M5 was originally commissioned by Avis CEO Joseph Vittoria. The vessel has a master bedroom suite on its main deck and six cabins that sleep up to 12 people. Running the boat requires a crew of more than a dozen. WASHINGTON (AP) - George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation, was sentenced to 14 days in prison Friday after he told a judge he was "deeply embarrassed and ashamed" for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries. Papadopoulos, the first campaign aide sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation, acknowledged that his actions hindered an investigation of national importance, a move that the judge in his case said resulted in the 31-year-old putting his own self-interest above that of his country. "I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption," Papadopoulos said. An orange shirt saying "inmate" is thrown by a protester at former Donald Trump presidential campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, right, who triggered the Russia investigation, and who pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI, as he holds hands with his wife Simona Mangiante on arrival at federal court for sentencing, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) The punishment was far less than the maximum six-month sentence sought by the government but more than the probation that Papadopoulos and his lawyers had asked for. Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign, has been a central figure in the Russia investigation dating back before Mueller's May 2017 appointment. He was the first to plead guilty in Mueller's probe and is now the first Trump campaign adviser to be sentenced. His case was also the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said Papadopoulos' deception was "not a noble lie" and said he had lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and didn't want to jeopardize that possibility by being tied to the Russia investigation. "In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self-interest over the national interest," the judge said. Moss noted that many similar cases resulted in probation but said he imposed a sentence of incarceration partly to send a message to the public that they can't lie to the FBI. The sentence drew a quick response from Trump on Twitter, as he scoffed at the two weeks of prison time by comparing it to an unverified cost figure for the Mueller probe. "14 days for $28 MILLION - $2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!" the president tweeted. Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats , now declassified, show that information about Papadopoulos' contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI's counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mueller. According to a sweeping indictment handed up this summer, Russian intelligence had stolen emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign and other Democratic groups by April 2016, the same month Papadopoulos was told by a professor that Russian officials had told him they had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." Papadopoulos later used his connections with the Maltese professor, Joseph Mifsud, and other Russian nationals in an attempt to broker a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He admitted last year to lying to the FBI about those contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries, false statements that prosecutors say caused irreparable harm to the investigation during its early months. Prosecutors say those false statements, made during a January 2017 interview with federal investigators, led the FBI to miss an opportunity to interview Mifsud while he was in the United States in early 2017. In court Friday, prosecutor Andrew Goldstein said Papadopoulos' cooperation "didn't come close to the standard of substantial assistance." "It was at best begrudging efforts to cooperate and we don't think they were substantial or significant in any regard," he said. He said Papadopoulos' deception required investigators to scour more than 100,000 emails and gigabytes of data to reconstruct the timeline of his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries. Even after his arrest and plea agreement last year, Goldstein said, Papadopoulos continued to be difficult, only providing information after being confronted with documents such as emails and text messages. In response, defense lawyer Thomas Breen said his client was "remorseful" that his lies impeded the investigation. Papadopoulos lied because he was torn between wanting to cooperate and wanting to remain loyal to a president whose administration he hoped to join, Breen said. His client was also affected by Trump's cries of "fake news" and his casting of the Russia investigation as a "witch hunt" just days before his FBI interview. "The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could," Breen said. Breen described his client as a "patriot," who wasn't trying to help Russia. But he acknowledged that Papadopoulos was unsophisticated, naive and even a "fool" for having made contacts with Russia intermediaries during the campaign. Breen said his client's primary interest was brokering a meeting between Trump and Putin, a move he believed the campaign supported. In court papers, Breen wrote that during a March 2016 meeting attended by Papadopoulos, Trump nodded with approval at the idea, and then-Senator Jeff Sessions "appeared to like" it and said the campaign "should look into it." That clashes with what Sessions, a key campaign aide and now Trump's attorney general, told the House Judiciary Committee last November. In that testimony, Sessions said he resisted the idea of any Russia meeting proposed by Papadopoulos. Outside the courthouse Friday, Breen said Papadopoulos didn't recall ever telling anyone in the campaign about the fact that Russia had dirt on Clinton in the form of emails. Breen also rejected the idea that Papadopoulos was the victim of a witch hunt or prosecutorial misconduct. "We have seen no such thing. We have seen no entrapment. We have seen no set up by U.S. intelligence people," he said, noting that he also had no reason to believe that Papadopoulos was the subject of a warrant obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Asked if Papadopoulos still remained loyal to Trump, Breen smiled wryly and paused for a beat. "We don't talk politics," he said. ___ Follow Chad Day on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChadSDay Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. ___ Read Papadopoulos' sentencing memo: http://apne.ws/CY7Ul9Q Read prosecutors' recommendation: http://apne.ws/YkyZTfC PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Two teens have pleaded guilty to fatally beating a homeless man in Philadelphia, and both apologized to the man's family in court. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports 15-year-old Brandon Conrad and 17-year-old Malik Page admitted in consecutive hearings Thursday to participating in the deadly assault on 57-year-old Kevin Cullen. Conrad pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy and was sentenced to four years at a juvenile facility. FILE - This December 2017 file photo provided by the Philadelphia Police Department shows Brandon Conrad. On Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018 Conrad and another teen pleaded guilty to the 2017 fatal beating of a 57-year-old homeless man in Philadelphia, and both apologized to the man's family in court. (Philadelphia Police Department via AP, File) Prosecutors say Conrad's age influenced the sentencing recommendation, and that he threw the first punch but didn't continue assaulting Cullen in 2017. Page pleaded guilty to the same charges and received a sentence of 12 to 25 years for stomping and kicking Cullen in the head and face. He broke down in tears after apologizing to Cullen's relatives. A third co-defendant, 18-year old Emmanuel Harris, awaits trial. Accumulated benefits of Dubai Metro in the period between its establishment in 2009 and end of 2016 reached Dh66 billion ($18 billion) compared to accumulated capital and operational costs of about Dh41 billion, i.e. the cost-benefit ratio reached 1.6 by the end of 2016, a report said. Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has carried out a comprehensive study on the Economic Impact of the Dubai Metro Project, including both its Red and Green Lines, in collaboration with Henley Business School, University of Reading, one of the longest-established universities in the UK. The study analysed the direct and indirect economic benefits of the Metro and calculated the internationally recognised economic indicators in this regard including the Benefit-Cost Ratio. Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of RTA, said: At a time when RTA celebrates the ninth anniversary of Dubai Metro, this study underlines Dubais keenness to invest in improving and widening its infrastructure, since it is the backbone of driving the competitiveness of cities and countries. The infrastructure in general and roads in particular play a massive role in supporting economic, social and tourist activities, boosting the integration of the local economy, and enhancing GDP. The Dubai Government is aware of the paramount importance of investment in infrastructure, and the Government has therefore consistently maintained this policy. As a result, the emirates investments in roads and transport infrastructure have touched Dh100 billion. Such a trend has been rewarded with clear dividends that have propelled the competitiveness of the Emirate and the UAE in general, making Dubai a global benchmark for the quality of infrastructure. The remarkable roads network of the emirate was instrumental in the UAE achieving Number One ranking in the quality of roads worldwide for four years in a row (2014-2017), according to the Global Competitiveness Reports of the World Economic Forum. The sustained improvement of roads, as well as transit systems and services witnessed by Dubai since the establishment of the RTA in 2005 have generated savings of as much as Dh125 billion in the cost of fuel and time, added Al Tayer. Socio-economic benefits The study examined the capital and operational costs of the Metro and matched them to the financial benefits of the project in the form of tariff revenues, increase in operational jobs, and appreciation in the value of properties in the surroundings of the Metro stations. Material benefits also include increasing consumer surplus of metro users, raising foreign investment, reducing mobility and vehicle operation costs, curbing carbon emissions, decreasing traffic accidents, cutting road maintenance costs, and boosting employment prospects. The study also analysed the contents of 14,270 press articles and reports published locally and abroad between 2000 and 2016 to gauge public perceptions surrounding the Dubai Metro and its role in raising the profile of the city as a premier global tourist hub. To examine the impact of the metro on urbanisation in Dubai, analysis and comparisons of aerial maps of areas surrounding Dubai Metro were carried out for the 2005 2017 period. In addition to the local information input, the study relied on various information sources and data including the review of more than 400 studies and technical reports worldwide. World-class standards It is estimated that the accumulated benefits in 2020 and 2030 would be Dh115 billion and Dh234 billion respectively, whereas the capital and operational costs for the same years were estimated at Dh45 billion and Dh54 billion respectively. It follows that the cost-benefit ratio for the said years will be 2.5 and 4.3 respectively. This means that every dirham spent on the Dubai Metro has yielded a return of 1.6 dirhams to the economy of the Emirate in 2016, and this return will shoot to 2.5 dirhams and 4.3 dirhams in 2020 and 2030 respectively. Al Tayer commented that such figures illustrate the huge impact of the Metro on the economy of the Emirate. These results are consistent with the findings of similar global studies albeit the variation in the cost-benefit ratio from one city to another depends on the timeline of studies commissioned, types of benefits covered in the analysis, discount rate applied, and the cost of materials and labour involved. For example, the benefit-cost ratio of Athena Metro Line 4 was estimated at 1.17 in a 30-year study. In Sweden, the ratio of Stockholm Metro ranged from 6.5 to 8.5 in a study spanning for 50 years, and in Ireland, the ratio of Dublin Express Train ranged from 2.1 to 2.7 in a 32-year study. There is international consensus about the vitality of continuing the improvement and maintenance of infrastructure to achieve sustainable development. There is a kind of investment rivalry in this regard. The quality of roads and transport infrastructure represents one of the key measures of global competitiveness. An example that pops up here is that the US spends more than $100 billion on the improvement, maintenance and rehabilitation of the infrastructure p.a. and Canada expends about $30 billion p.a. for the same purpose concluded Al Tayer. TradeArabia News Service BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - Authorities in Florida say the brother of legendary Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda has been killed in a car crash involving a police officer. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said in an email that 83-year-old Joseph Lasorda made a left turn in front of an unmarked Boca Raton police SUV driven by 30-year-old Sgt. Doug Immler on Thursday night. The accident report says Immler had a green light. Lasorda was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he died. While the crash happened in Boca Raton, police officials asked the sheriff's office to investigate since it involved a police officer. Officials say Immler was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Lasorda's wife Gaetana Lasorda told the Palm Beach Post her husband "was personality-plus" and a "friend to everyone." TETERBORO, N.J. (AP) - A woman accused of abandoning her blind and deaf dog along a road said she planned to return, but authorities said they believe the woman deserted the animal because she could not pay for veterinary services. Tania Connelly, 59, is charged with animal cruelty and was issued a summons to appear in court this month, a New Jersey chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said. Roni Wildoner, chief of the Bergen County SPCA, said a motorist in traffic saw the dog being pushed out of a car on a road near Teterboro Airport last Saturday and then took a photo of the car. The photo led investigators to Connelly, Wildoner said. Connelly told NJ.com Friday that she left her Boston terrier, Bruna, in a grassy area while she went shopping at a nearby Walmart store. "It was not my intention to abandon her. I swear to God," she said. "I was going shopping and it was very hot. I didn't want to leave her inside the car." "I thought I could leave her there for a half an hour and then come back. When I came back, she was gone," Connolly said. Connelly said she has had Bruna for eight years and believes the dog is at least 13. She also said the dog has growing medical problems and she cannot afford to pay for them. The dog was found with no collar or identification tags, Wildoner said. He also noted that the Bergen County Animal Shelter was a quarter mile away from where the dog was found. Connolly signed a surrender of ownership order after being issued the court summons, Wildoner said. The order will allow the dog to be adopted before the case is resolved, and the dog remained at the Teterboro shelter this week. Connelly is due to appear Sept. 20 in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack. CINCINNATI (AP) - The Latest on a fatal shooting at a downtown Cincinnati bank (all times local): 5 p.m. Hundreds have gathered in Cincinnati to remember the three people killed and the two injured in a downtown office shooting this week. Police investigate the scene after a shooting at the Fifth Third Bank building on Fountain Square, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in downtown Cincinnati. (Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP) Many left bouquets of flowers alongside a fountain that sits at the center of Cincinnati's Fountain Square, just steps from where Thursday's shooting took place. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley says the first responders and the police officers who confronted and killed the gunman showed true heroism and bravery. He says the officers risked their lives by running into the line of fire. Police say they don't know why 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez decided to open fire in the building. A 64-year-old contractor, a 48-year old bank employee and a 25-year-old engineer who worked as a consultant for the bank died in the attack. Two remain in the hospital. ___ 1:40 p.m. New security footage shows a gunman who killed three people in a downtown Cincinnati office high-rise firing randomly while carrying a briefcase with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The footage released Friday also shows the shooter walking quickly past a security turnstile Thursday morning just as he's shot and killed by a police officer outside the building. He says the shooter's gun jammed at one point during the four-minute rampage. Police say they don't know why 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez decided to open fire in the building. They say he never worked there and an apartment search hasn't turned up any answers so far. An aunt of his described him as "very quiet." A 64-year-old contractor, a 48-year old bank employee and a 25-year-old contractor died in the attack. Two remain hospitalized. ___ 12:10 p.m. An aunt of the man who killed three and injured two during a shooting Thursday broke down crying when she learned her nephew was responsible for the attack. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Yudy Martinez Perez slumped against a kitchen wall and muttered denials after she heard the news. She said she knew her nephew, 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez, had been working various jobs but his family didn't know where. Martinez Perez described him as "very quiet." Richard Newcomer, a contractor who worked for Gilbane Building Company, was one of three killed. Company spokesman Wes Cotter described Newcomer as a great employee, and struggled to describe how grief-stricken his coworkers are. A 48-year-old finance manager and a 25-year-old contractor were also killed. Another contractor and a bank vice president were injured. ___ 10:20 a.m. A Cincinnati coroner says she recognized the youngest person killed during a downtown shooting that left four dead, including the gunman. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco had met 25-year-old Pruthvi Kandepi at a local Hindu temple. The two also shared the same hometown and language, Telugu. Sammarco posted Thursday on Facebook, asking how officials will explain to his parents "they will never see their son again because of a senseless shooting in a foreign country." The local Telugu Association of North America office said they plan to help Kandepi's father. He wants his son's body to be taken back to India. The other two killed are 48-year-old Luis Calderon and 64-year-old Richard Newcomer. Twenty-nine-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez began shooting at a Cincinnati high-rise Thursday before officers opened fire on him. SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on wildfires in California (all times local): 12:05 p.m. A California official says a stretch of major highway near the California-Oregon border hit by a roaring wildfire will remain closed through the weekend. Flames from a backfire burn around a fire truck battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Denise Yergenson, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation, said Friday the wildfire that shut down Interstate 5 on Wednesday was still burning out of control along the highway. She says the blaze has destroyed thousands of trees that could fall onto the roadway. Officials on Sunday will reevaluate whether to reopen the highway that traverses the entire West Coast from Mexico to Canada. ___ 11:10 a.m. Officials say the largest wildfire on record in California is expected to be fully contained by Sunday, more than six weeks after it started. The U.S. Forest Service said Friday the deadly blaze burning in the Mendocino area since July 27 killed a Utah firefighter, destroyed 157 homes and charred 717 square miles (1860 square kilometers). The Mendocino Complex - two blazes that burned side by side north of San Francisco - also prompted the evacuation of thousands of people. One of the two blazes was fully contained in August and residents have been allowed to return home. But a second, massive blaze continues to burn in the Mendocino National Forest. ___ 8:45 a.m. A blaze that shut down a major highway and is burning out of control through timber and brush in Northern California grew overnight. The U.S. Forest Service says in a statement Friday the blaze is now 38 square miles (98 square kilometers). That's up from than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) as of Thursday night. The Forest Service did not release containment figures but California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Morton says the blaze is zero percent contained and still burning along Interstate 5. The highway that runs between the Mexican and Canadian borders is closed for a third day and officials plan to meet at 10 a.m. to assess whether it can reopen. The highway connects California, Oregon and Washington states and is the main thoroughfare for commercial trucks. ___ 7:15 a.m. A major West Coast highway remains closed for a third day as a wildfire continues to rage on forest flanking it in Northern California. The California Highway Patrol says reopening Interstate 5 is a priority but that highway patrol, fire and transportation officials will meet Friday to assess when to reopen the interstate running from the U.S.-Mexico border to the U.S.-Canada border. Officials say the condition of the pavement is a concern along with burned trees along the highway that might be in danger of falling down. Some are 70 feet (21 meters) tall. The 45-mile (72-kilometer) stretch of highway near the state line with Oregon has been closed since a fire Wednesday turned hills both sides of the roadway into walls of flame. ___ 12:00 a.m. Authorities are still mulling whether to reopen a major highway that's been closed for two days by a raging Northern California wildfire. Officials must first determine if it's safe to resume travel on a 45-mile (72-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 5 near the Oregon state line. The highway was closed on Wednesday as fire erupted on both sides. Fire spokesman Brandon Vacarro says work crews have cleared away burned and abandoned trucks that littered the road after the swift-moving blaze erupted but they must also determine whether charred 70-foot (21-meter) trees along the road are in danger of falling. The so called Delta Fire has burned more than 34 square miles (88 square kilometers) and prompted evacuation orders for scattered homes and buildings in three counties in and around Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. The wildfire that erupted Wednesday has now burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) of timber and brush and prompted evacuation orders for rural homes in and around Shasta-Trinity National Forest below the Oregon state line. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters light backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A firefighter battles the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. California is taking a financial wallop from unrelenting wildfires that have drained its firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Embers fly above a firefighter as he hustles to control a backfire as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A firefighter passes flames from a backfire while battling the Delta Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Embers fly above a firefighter as he hustles to control a backfire as the Delta Fire burns in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Most ardent supporters know where Beto O'Rourke stands on single-payer health care (he's for it), legalizing marijuana (ditto) and a border wall (against). But anyone watching his Facebook Live feed as the Democratic Senate candidate tossed wet laundry into the dryer on a recent Sunday learned a far more intimate detail. "Somebody asked, 'Boxers or briefs?'" O'Rourke said holding up a wet, gray undergarment for the cellphone camera at a South Texas laundromat. "These are like boxer-briefs." In his bid to upset Republican Ted Cruz, O'Rourke livestreams constantly, highlighting how the technology has created scenes once unthinkable for candidates seeking national office, but is nonetheless increasingly popular among underdogs desperate for attention. Then little-known New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broadcast from public transportation, an unsuccessful Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate evoked mermaid tales, a Michigan Democrat ran through the streets looking for last-minute supporters and a California congressional hopeful was on Facebook Live when she barged into a Denny's bathroom. In this Monday, Aug. 27, 2018 photo, U.S. Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke is livestreamed with a smart phone during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas. In his bid to upset Republican Ted Cruz, O'Rourke livestreams constantly, highlighting how the technology has created scenes once unthinkable for candidates seeking national office. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Candidates have long livestreamed rallies, debates and question-and-answer sessions. But doing so at near junkie levels defies the increasing tendency among most top politicians to control all contact, from screening who attends public rallies to avoiding interviews with "unfriendly" media outlets. For those facing uphill fights like O'Rourke, using Facebook Live is an easy way to get free media and make low-stakes connections with voters. It's also fitting in the era of President Donald Trump, who is fond of shooting unfiltered thoughts directly to supporters at all hours - but uses Twitter. "It shows the real person and, if that's a good thing, that's good for the candidate," said Bill Jasso, a public relations professor at Syracuse University. "But campaign managers want to manage, and it's very tough to control live because there's no pause." Obvious dangers are misplaced curse words or offensive remarks. Also, anything that feels staged can alienate voters. Jazmina Saavedra lost her House bid despite causing a livestream stir by broadcasting forcing her way into a Los Angeles Denny's bathroom because she said there was a man in the women's room. Still, Rory McShane, a Republican consultant who organized Facebook Live sessions with past candidates in South Carolina and Virginia, said he'd like to see more politicians scrapping traditional scripts, even though he's "hurting myself as someone who writes those messages." "I've encouraged clients of mine to do full campaigns on livestream from the time you're brushing your teeth to the time you're going into your hotel room," McShane said. Embracing such a philosophy is O'Rourke, a one-time punk rocker and natural ad libber starkly different from Ivy League debate champion Cruz, who lacks easy charisma. O'Rourke eats and jogs on Facebook Live. He's gone bowling and gotten haircuts, offered Beatles trivia and skateboarded. Once filming while campaigning in remote West Texas, O'Rourke discovered two lost Labradors and urged their owner to "light me up on the livestream" to arrange a pickup. Asked if this was vanity gone wild, O'Rourke said, "If you're seeing too much livestream, turn it off by all means." But in a state where a Democrat hasn't won a statewide race since 1994, "We can continue to run the same campaign the same way and turn up the same result" or "we can make this about the people. As many people as possible in as many formats as we can." There have been some problems. O'Rourke said he supported instituting a year of required public service for young people, only to later recant. Cruz has made attack ads out of O'Rourke's frequent use of the F-word on livestream. But Suneel Gupta, who lost Michigan's Democratic congressional primary despite frequent Facebook Live sessions - including jogging in search of would-be voters as polls closed - said misstatements shouldn't be a risk for fervent live-streamers. "If you're being yourself consistently, then you don't have to worry too much," Gupta said "Because you were yourself the entire time." O'Rourke's sessions are generally watched by hundreds live, but that climbs after they're archived online. More than 36,000 people have since seen the laundry session, not all happily. "He's on there folding laundry now?" asked Kristine Shafer, an O'Rourke supporter in Austin. "Why do I have to watch him do that?" But Facebook Live presents some bizarre and sometimes wonderful, behind-the-scenes corners of politics. Clay Tippins, an ex-Navy SEAL and failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate, did an all-night livestream and told a story about his wife turning up with Snickers bars and Gatorade during a 3 a.m. Navy water training session. She was mistaken by his delirious compatriots for a mythical sea creature. "Sir, a mermaid comes out of the water in the middle of the night," Tippins recalled being told. In this Monday, Aug. 27, 2018 photo, U.S. Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke is livestreamed during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas. In his bid to upset Republican Ted Cruz, O'Rourke livestreams constantly, highlighting how the technology has created scenes once unthinkable for candidates seeking national office. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) In this Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, photo, Communications Director Chris Evans, left, helps livestream U.S. Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke, right, during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas. In his bid to upset Republican Ted Cruz, O'Rourke livestreams constantly, highlighting how the technology has created scenes once unthinkable for candidates seeking national office. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) In this Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, photo, Communications Director Chris Evans, center, helps livestream U.S. Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke, third from left, during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas. In his bid to upset Republican Ted Cruz, O'Rourke livestreams constantly, highlighting how the technology has created scenes once unthinkable for candidates seeking national office. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times (all times local): 9:50 p.m. President Donald Trump says he can identify up to five people who could have written the anonymous New York Times opinion piece criticizing his leadership. President Donald Trump speaks at a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Trump is making his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, this time to help Cramer build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) But he declined to name names when asked for them during an interview Friday with North Dakota television station KVLY. Trump was in Fargo to campaign for GOP Senate candidate Kevin Cramer. Asked for his opinion on the identity of the senior administration official who the Times says wrote the piece, Trump says, "I could think of four or five, mostly people that either I don't like or don't respect." He says the individual's identity will eventually become public. Trump also claims the issue is "reverberating in the opposite direction." He says people think it's "disgusting" that the Times would publish such a piece. __ 2:45 p.m. A White House official says President Donald Trump's comment about wanting the Justice Department to investigate the anonymous author of a critical New York Times opinion piece didn't amount to an order to federal prosecutors. The official isn't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and is speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump's call is the latest test of the department's independence. The department is supposed to make investigative and charging decisions without political interference from the White House. Trump has told reporters that Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security." There's no apparent evidence of a crime committed by the author. -Associated Press writer Zeke Miller. ___ 12:25 p.m. President Donald Trump says Attorney General Jeff Sessions should investigate the identity of the author of an anonymous New York Times opinion piece. Trump says in an interview Friday with reporters aboard Air Force One that he believes the opinion piece critical of his leadership is a "national security" issue. Asked if he would take any action against the Times, Trump says "we're going to see, I'm looking at that right now." Adds Trump: "We're going to take a look at what he had, what he gave, what he's talking about also where he is right now." Trump says if the person had a high-level security clearance, "I don't want him in those meetings." Trump reiterated that it was a "disgrace" that the Times would publish the piece. __ 1:30 a.m. One after another, President Donald Trump's top lieutenants have stepped forward to declare, "Not me." They lined up to deny writing an incendiary New York Times opinion piece that was purportedly submitted by a member of an administration "resistance" movement straining to thwart Trump's most dangerous impulses. By email, by tweet and on camera, the denials paraded in from Cabinet-level officials - and even Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday - apparently crafted for an audience of one, seated in the Oval Office. Senior officials in key national security and economic policy roles charged the article's writer with cowardice, disloyalty and acting against America's interests in harsh terms that mimicked the president's own words. URBANA, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on former President Barack Obama (all times local): 7 p.m. Former President Barack Obama has issued a scorching critique of his successor, accusing President Donald Trump of "capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years." Former President Barack Obama makes a campaign stop at Caffe Paradiso in Urbana, Ill., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, where he did a campaign stop with Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker, left, following his speech at the University of Illinois. (AP Photo/Sara Burnett) Obama spoke at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign less than two months before midterm elections that could determine the course of Trump's presidency. The remarks amounted to a stinging indictment of political life in the Trump era. Obama says, "Telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren't for those who don't look like us or don't sound like us or don't pray like we do - that's an old playbook." He is calling on "people of good will from across the political spectrum" to "call out the bigots and the fear-mongers." __ 2:45 p.m. President Donald Trump claims he fell asleep watching former President Barack Obama's speech about the current political climate. Trump says: "I'm sorry, I watched it, but I fell asleep." He adds, "I found he's very good for sleeping." Obama criticized Trump during a speech Friday in Illinois, calling the current president "the symptom, not the cause" of division and polarization in the U.S. Trump responded during a campaign appearance in North Dakota, saying that Obama was trying to take credit for this "incredible thing that's happening to our country." Trump went to talk about economic gains since he took office. __ 12:20 p.m. Former President Barack Obama has urged an audience of college students to not just vote in the midterm elections, but to lead the fight against President Donald Trump and his allies. Obama said during a speech Friday at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that "you cannot sit back and wait for a savior." He said the biggest threat to democracy isn't Trump but "indifference." The speech was a preview of the arguments Obama is expected to make as he starts campaigning for Democrats on the ballot this fall. He said people have asked him what he's going to do for the November election. Obama told the students: "The question is: 'What are you going to do?'" Obama said: "If you thought elections don't matter, I hope these past two years have corrected that impression." ___ 12:15 p.m. Former President Barack Obama says the U.S. needs to restore "honesty and decency" in government. Obama says, "It should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents, or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from prosecution because an election happens to be coming up." He says, "I'm not making that up. That's not hypothetical." President Donald Trump this week criticized the attorney general for prosecuting two Republican congressmen, saying it will hurt the party in the November elections. Obama delivered a speech Friday at the University of Illinois that included several broadsides at Trump while rarely mentioning his name. He said Americans and politicians of both parties should stand up against discrimination and "stand up clearly and unequivocally to Nazi sympathizers." Obama said: "How hard can that be? Saying that Nazis are bad?" ___ 11:50 a.m. Former President Barack Obama is blasting Republicans, saying "the politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party." Obama says during a speech Friday in Illinois that the Republican-controlled Congress has championed the unwinding of campaign finance laws, made it harder for minorities to vote and voted multiple times to take health care away from ordinary Americans. He also says the GOP has "cozied up" to the former head of the KGB, a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and is calling out lawmakers for not standing up to President Donald Trump. Obama says "What happened to the Republican Party?" Obama is speaking at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he's urging people to vote in the midterm elections. ___ 11:35 a.m. Former President Barack Obama says President Donald Trump is "a symptom, not a cause" of what's dividing the country. Obama says during a speech Friday at the University of Illinois that Trump is capitalizing on the same resentments, fear and anger that politicians have fanned for years. He's says it's the result of a rapidly changing world and growing inequality and that politicians who appeal to that fear are using "an old playbook." Obama is receiving an award for ethics in government at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Obama is hitting the campaign trail for his fellow Democrats, with an event in California for House candidates and then a stop in Ohio next week. __ 11:20 a.m. Former President Barack Obama is calling on people to vote in the November election, saying "our democracy depends on it." Obama is speaking Friday at the University of Illinois, where he's receiving an award for ethics in government. He says the country is at a pivotal moment in its history and "the consequences of any of us sitting on the sidelines are more dire" than in prior elections. The speech is Obama's first big step into the campaign for the midterm elections. His advisers say it's a preview of the case he'll make throughout the fall campaign season. After spending much of his post-presidency on the political sidelines, Obama has several events scheduled in coming days where he'll campaign for Democrats. He'll next travel to California for an event with seven House candidates in Orange County. Next week he'll be in Ohio to campaign for Richard Cordray and other Democrats. ___ 9:50 a.m. Former President Barack Obama is stepping into the midterm battle. Obama is set to speak Friday as he accepts an ethics in government award in Illinois. Obama has spent much of his post-presidency on the political sidelines, but an adviser says that in the speech he will be more "pointed" in his reflection on the current political environment, including President Donald Trump. The speech will be a preview of the argument Obama will make this fall campaign season. After the speech, Obama will travel to California and campaign for more than a half-dozen House Democratic candidates at an event in Orange County. Next week, he'll return to the campaign trail in Ohio to campaign for Richard Cordray and other Democrats. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while in flight from Billings, Mont., to Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) NEW YORK (AP) - Charlie Rose says three women who worked with him are trying to take "routine workplace interactions and banter" and spin them into a sexual harassment case. The former CBS News and PBS journalist late Thursday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the former employees. He's joining co-defendant CBS, which is also seeking to get the case thrown out of New York state court. Rose was fired by CBS and PBS last year for sexual misconduct. Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Yuqing Wei accused Rose of unwanted touching and making sexual comments. Wei said Rose referred to her as "China Doll." Rose, in court papers, called the women's examples meaningless in terms of establishing any harassment case. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A 16-year-old boy reputedly associated with a gang is facing murder and other charges in the shooting death this week of a 15-year-old student outside a Rhode Island high school. The Providence Journal reports the suspect was brought into family court Friday in a wheelchair because he's still recovering from a bullet wound to his thigh. He was held at a youth detention facility. His name hasn't been released because of his age. Police say he accidentally shot himself while fleeing the scene of Wednesday's shooting outside Providence Career and Technical Academy. The victim, William Parsons, was a student at Central High School. Police say he was "innocent bystander." Prosecutors say video surveillance shows the suspect arguing with three other teens before pulling a gun from his waistband and opening fire. DALLAS (AP) - The Latest on fatal shooting by off-duty Dallas police officer (all times local): 1:30 p.m. The Dallas police chief says it remains unclear whether there were any words exchanged or any other interaction between a police officer and her neighbor before she fatally shot him in his home. South Side Flats is shown in this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo. A Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, authorities said Friday. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. (AP Photo/Ryan Tarinelli) Chief U. Renee Hall said during a news conference Friday that the off-duty officer called 911 after shooting 26-year-old Botham Jean on Thursday night. Police say the officer explained that she had mistakenly entered Jean's home, thinking it was hers. Hall says the officer's blood was drawn to be tested for drugs and alcohol. The officer was in uniform and was returning home after her shift. The chief declined to speculate as to whether fatigue or other factors, including race, may have contributed to the shooting. The officer is white and Jean was black. Hall says the Texas Rangers will conduct an independent investigation. She says she spoke with Jean's sister to officer condolences to the family. ___ 1:05 p.m. Dallas' police chief says her department is seeking to charge a white officer with manslaughter in the killing of a black neighbor. Chief U. Renee Hall said at a news conference Friday that "there are more questions than we have answers" in the Thursday night killing of 26-year-old Botham Jean, but that with the information investigators have now, they're seeking a manslaughter charge against the officer. Police say the officer shot and killed Jean and that she later told officers that she mistakenly entered his apartment, thinking it was her own. Hall didn't address whether investigators believe race was a factor in the shooting. ___ 11:35 a.m. A private Christian university in Arkansas says the 26-year-old man who was killed by an off-duty Dallas police officer who said she confused his apartment with her own was a native of the Caribbean island country of St. Lucia who often led worship services at the school's campus. Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, said in a statement Friday that Botham Jean was a 2016 graduate of the school. Since July 2016, he had been working in risk assurance for accounting and consulting firm PwC. Police say that after the officer reported that she had shot Jean, she told officers who arrived at the scene that she had mistakenly entered his apartment, thinking it was hers. Jean was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Police haven't released the name of the officer, who wasn't injured. They say she will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. ___ 8 a.m. Dallas police say an officer returning home from work shot and killed a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own. Police issued a news release Friday saying the shooting happened Thursday night. Police say the officer had arrived at her apartment complex in uniform after working a shift. Authorities say the officer called dispatch to report the shooting. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. The man was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. The officer, who was not injured, will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. This March 24, 2014, photo provided by Harding University in Searcy, Ark., shows Botham Jean, speaking at the university. Authorities said Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, that a Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed Jean, a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. (Jeff Montgmery/Harding University via AP) South Side Flats is shown in this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo. A Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, authorities said Friday. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP) South Side Flats is shown in this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo. A Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, authorities said Friday. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. (AP Photo/Ryan Tarinelli) South Side Flats is shown in this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo. A Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, authorities said Friday. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP) South Side Flats is shown in this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo. A Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed a neighbor after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, authorities said Friday. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. She told responding officers that she believed the victim's apartment was her own when she entered it. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP) Lincoln, a luxury vehicle brand of the American manufacturer Ford Motor Company, has announced the appointment of Sarah Rae to the position of director, Lincoln Middle East. Rae replaces Alex Schaeffer, who repatriated to Dearborn, Michigan, to take up a new position in Ford Motor Company. In her new role, Rae will lead Lincolns operations in the Middle East as the luxury automotive brand continues to expand its business in the region. She will report to Metelo Arias, vice president, marketing, sales and services, Ford Middle East and Africa. Prior to this role, Rae served as Lincoln Middle Easts brand manager, and has played an integral part in the recent launch of the all-new Navigator full-size SUV and the brands dealership development in the UAE. Rae joined Ford Motor Company in 1995 and brings more than 20 years of automotive industry experience as a marketing and sales professional. This is an exciting time for Lincoln across the Middle East, said Met Arias, vice president, marketing, sales and services, Ford Middle East and Africa. We continue to expand our offering with products such as the new Navigator enjoying unprecedented demand in the full-size luxury SUV segment and the upscale Presidential line, while we drive the delivery of a luxury experience from start to finish across our dealerships. Today, the Lincoln brand is well on track to become the fastest-growing automotive brand in the luxury segment. It is important to have someone of Sarahs experience and brand understanding at the helm to continue to build on this strong momentum the brand has gained in the Middle East. She brings a deep knowledge of the region to the position, and were excited to welcome her new role, Arias added. Lincolns sales in the Middle East have skyrocketed in the first half of 2018, up an estimated 28 per cent over the same period last year. The all-new Navigator full-size SUV contributed greatly to Lincolns bumper year, with the record number of Navigators delivered to customers in June alone eclipsing that of Navigators sold throughout 2017. More than 30 per cent of Navigators sold were in the new upscale Presidential trim. The brand is also witnessing enhancements to its representation in the Middle East. Earlier this year Lincoln welcomed Alghanim Auto as its official distributor in Kuwait, further extending a commitment to delivering its luxury automotive experience to customers in the region, while the highly-anticipated Al Tayer Motors stand-alone Lincoln 3S facility in Dubai is expected to open its doors before the end of this year. - TradeArabia News Service FARGO, N.D. (AP) - President Donald Trump says he's expecting get a letter in the coming days that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is sending him through Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Trump tells reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that Kim's recent overtures amount to "a very positive statement what he said about me and also what he said about he wants to denuclearize during the Trump administration." South Korean officials who met with Kim this week say they forwarded a message from Trump and that Kim gave them a message to deliver to Trump. They're not discussing the contents of the messages. FILE - In this June 12, 2018 file photo, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island in Singapore. The newly appointed U.S. special envoy for North Korea will make his first diplomatic trip abroad next week in the Trump administration's latest effort to press for progress in uncertain denuclearization talks. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool) Just two weeks ago, Trump called off a planned trip by Pompeo to North Korea. Trump cited insufficient progress by the Kim on his commitment to denuclearizing. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota regulators are enlisting an administrative law judge to help untangle some of the legal questions surrounding whether an oil refinery can be built near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The Public Service Commission on Wednesday voted 2-1 to have the state Office of Administrative Hearings designate a judge to make a non-binding recommendation on whether a complaint over the $800 million Davis Refinery should be dismissed. The judge won't weigh in on whether Meridian Energy Group can build at the site 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the park, but his recommendation could make it more difficult for the company to do so. FILE - This July 19, 2018, file photo, shows a sign on property near southwest Belfield, N.D, for the proposedfuture home of the Davis Refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. North Dakota regulators are enlisting an administrative law judge to help untangle some of the legal questions surrounding whether an oil refinery can be built near the park. Meridian Energy Group plans to build the refinery 3 miles from the park. Two environmental groups maintain that Meridian needs state approval for the site. Meridian disputes that. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File) Meridian in July began site work for the refinery it hopes to begin operating in 2020, after obtaining permission from the state Health Department to begin building. Meridian maintains the plant will have modern technology and will be "the cleanest refinery on the planet," and supporters say it will boost the area's economy. Opponents fear pollution from the refinery will mar the park's scenery and erode the air quality at the state's top tourist attraction. The refinery faces several hurdles, including legal challenges of a state air quality permit and a local zoning permit. The Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Dakota Resource Council in late June also filed a complaint with the PSC, maintaining Meridian needs a site permit because the refinery's capacity will be 55,000 barrels per day - above the threshold of 50,000 barrels in state law that triggers a PSC review. The groups cited a number Meridian has previously given to the media, investors and government officials. Meridian maintains the figure is outdated and that the company's current plan is to build a facility capable of processing only up to 49,500 barrels per day - just below the threshold. Meridian has asked the PSC to dismiss the complaint, arguing that the commission has no authority under state law to wade into the dispute. The environmental groups dispute that, raising the question of whether the PSC has the authority to determine its own jurisdiction. They also question whether Meridian is planning a "bait and switch" in which it builds a refinery and then applies for permission to expand beyond the state threshold after the plant is already in place. The company denies that. Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said the PSC wants input on the complex legal issues from an administrative law judge. The commission will then decide whether the complaint goes forward. If it does, the next decision would be whether Meridian needs to seek a state permit to build at the site, a process that involves public hearings and can take half a year or longer to complete. In the meantime, the two environmental groups have asked the PSC to order that Meridian stop work at the site. The commission will not address that request until after the administrative law judge is done with his work, Fedorchak said. Meridian said in a statement that it is "highly confident" it will prevail in its legal battles and that "all other aspects of the Davis Refinery are proceeding according to schedule, including site preparation work." ___ Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina's elections board agreed Friday to fight federal subpoenas seeking millions of voting documents and ballots, even after prosecutors delayed a quick deadline to fulfill their demands until early next year. The State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement voted unanimously to direct state attorneys to work to block the subpoenas issued last week to the state board and local boards in 44 eastern counties. U.S. Attorney Bobby Higdon in Raleigh, whose office issued the subpoenas, hasn't said specifically why immigration enforcement investigators working with a grand jury empaneled in Wilmington are seeking the information. Two weeks ago, Higdon announced charges against 19 non-U.S. citizens for illegal voting, of which more than half were indicted through a Wilmington grand jury. The subpoenas ordered the documents, which the state board estimated would exceed 20 million pages, be provided by Sept. 25 at a time when election administrators prepped for the midterm elections. Requested documents included voted ballots, voter registration and absentee ballot forms and poll books, some going back to early 2010. The action by the panel - comprised of four Democrats, four Republicans and one unaffiliated voter - came a day after an assistant prosecutor wrote the board backing off the deadline because of the election and expressing willingness to narrow the scope of the subpoenas. After close to an hour of meeting privately, board members decided to try to quash the subpoenas altogether. "The subpoena we've received was and remains overly broad, unreasonable, vague, and clearly impacts significant interests of our voters, despite the correspondence received from the U.S. Attorney's Office," board member Joshua Malcolm said during an open portion of the meeting. "The fact is the subpoena has not been withdrawn, despite such correspondence." Board Chairman Andy Penry expressed frustration with the timing of the subpoenas, received by the state board office just as the Labor Day weekend began and without advance notice. He said officials in some counties believed their faxed subpoenas were actually bogus attempts to obtain information fraudulently. While some of the documents and information are public records easily accessible, state law prevents access to voted ballots unless by court order. And Penry said the data sought included very confidential information about voters. "We have not been given a reason as to why ICE wants that information and candidly I can't think of any reason for it," he said. Voting rights activists and Democrats blasted federal investigators for the massive request, accusing them of trying to interfere in the fall elections and taint the sanctity of the secret ballot to look for what critics consider exaggerated occurrences of voter fraud. Absentee ballots can be traced to the individual voter casting one. The North Carolina elections include races for Congress and all of the seats in the legislature as well as several constitutional amendments. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice praised the board Friday "for taking steps to defend the privacy interests of North Carolina voters and to prevent likely unlawful fishing expeditions by the federal government that tends to fuel voter suppression and intimidation efforts," said Allison Riggs, a coalition attorney. North Carolina's three Democratic members of Congress and ranking Democrats on four House committees on Friday asked for the U.S. Justice and Homeland Security departments to investigate the reason for the requests and their legality. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich wrote in a letter Friday to board attorney Josh Lawson that his office is "confident in the appropriateness of the subpoenas." Kielmanovich wrote Thursday that the original subpoena timeline was designed only to ensure documents wouldn't be destroyed following state records procedures. But prosecutors want to "avoid any interference with the ongoing election cycle" and "do nothing to impede those preparations or to affect participation in or the outcome of those elections," he wrote. In offering a January deadline to comply, Kielmanovich also asked that vote information be redacted from ballots. BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A Las Vegas man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 6-year-old daughter whose remains were found in an Illinois garage last year. St. Clair County, Illinois, prosecutors charged Jason Quate, 35, Thursday in the death of his youngest daughter Alysha after an autopsy determined she died in 2014 from a head injury, the Belleville News-Democrat reported . His bail is set at $1 million. His wife Elizabeth Quate, 36, is charged with concealing the body. She's jailed in St. Clair County with her trial scheduled for Oct. 8. Authorities found the girl's decomposed body on June 6, 2017, in a vacant home's garage in Centreville, Illinois, near St. Louis. The discovery came a day after Elizabeth Quate went to a Las Vegas domestic violence shelter and told police her husband had forced her into prostitution, killed their youngest daughter and was abusing their two other daughters, 12 and 13. Police found the two surviving daughters showing signs of neglect at a Las Vegas apartment the Quates lived in. They are both now in protective custody in Nevada. Jason Quate remains jailed in Las Vegas on nearly 40 charges of child endangerment, sex trafficking and child abuse. Jason Quate has written a series of letters to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch since his arrest, saying that on the day of Alysha's death, he told her and a second daughter that he loved them and only heard the second daughter say it back. "So I started whooping and punishing her and then she fell off the bed and started making a funny noise," he wrote to the newspaper. Quate alleged in the letters that Alysha began choking on food she had eaten earlier. He said he and his wife "panicked" and didn't call police out of fear their other daughters would be taken away. The Quates left their home in Belleville, Illinois, sometime in 2016 to move to Las Vegas, he said. "For everyone involved in this case, it's been an emotional process," St. Clair County Prosecutor Brendan Kelly said. "But it always is anytime you're talking about the death of a child." Alysha is buried in Robinson Cemetery in Pocahontas, Illinois. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Rarely has art attempted to link the plight of refugees in the Middle East with those in Central America. Refugees in both regions face similar challenges: they are often fleeing violence and political upheaval and share similar journeys in crossing heavily armed borders with no certain future. But the differing cultures, religions even social classes sometimes mask some of the human elements that make the heart-wrenching migration universal. Three new documentaries are set to air this month on PBS hope to make this connection as part of the third season of Doc World, a PBS/WORLD Channel series focusing on international issues. This image released by PBS shows a scene from the documentary "Sky and Ground," about the plight of refugees in the Middle East. The documentary will air Sunday as part of the third season of "Doc World," a PBS/WORLD Channel series focusing on international issues. (PBS via AP) It begins Sunday with "Sky and Ground," a full-length documentary about a large, extended Syrian-Kurdish family fleeing war-ravaged Aleppo for Germany. Following that film are two short documentaries set to air Sept. 16 examining the journeys of Central Americans. "Los Comandos" follows 16-year-old Mimi, a volunteer emergency medic in El Salvador, who is forced to leave the country after getting caught in the crosshairs of violent gangs. "Towards the North" examines the journeys of Nelly and her daughter Joseline, as they wait in a tiny refugee shelter in Tapachula, Mexico, with their eyes set on the United States, They, too, are escaping gang violence in Central America. The trio of films are produced by the company Show of Force. Joshua Bennett, who co-directed all three projects, said producers were looking to piece together the story of the millions of people who are forced to leave their homes for the unknown and how the journey is universal. "It was really a deliberate decision to make several films that showed the common push factors," Bennett said. "The reason that millions of people have to leave is similar." Bennett said refugees in the United States and Europe currently face a backlash with the rise of neo-nationalism and often are the targets of blame for demographic uncertainty and economic anxiety. "These films are giving viewers human stories that show how we're more closely related to people from different countries than we actually know," Bennett said. That's why Bennett and his co-director Talya Tibbon sought to present the terror the Nabi family face in refugees camps across Europe in "Sky and Ground" along with mundane concerns. As refugee Guevara Nabi seeks to lead his family through Serbia and Austria while avoiding police, the young travelers also worry about bathing or a doll that never leaves their side. Juliana Schatz Preston, a Colombia-American filmmaker who co-directed "Los Comandos," said the unaccompanied minor migrant crisis was at its peak in the U.S. in 2013 when she joined the project. "I wanted to do something that was happening on the ground at its nexus point," Preston said. "What would the conditions have to be to provoke you to leave?" That's how Preston stumbled upon a group from a volunteer emergency medical unit. In filming 16-year-old Mimi, at first Preston said she was hesitant to compare her mother's family's plight from violent Colombia of the 1980s. "In Medellin, where my family is from, was once the most violent place in the world, very similar to what San Salvador is now," Preston said, before pausing. "So, yeah, I guess I did have some inherent empathy that I didn't know was there." ___ Associated Press writer Russell Contreras is a member of the AP's race and ethnicity team. Follow Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 3:10 p.m. President Donald Trump is campaigning for Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who is seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, during a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Trump is making his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Cramer and build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Trump urged state Republicans to get behind Cramer's campaign during an event in Fargo. He says Cramer will help Republicans push for stronger borders and "no crime" and help protect Medicare and Social Security. The president says Cramer will be the best choice for the state's Native American community and he's making a similar argument that he made to black voters in 2016. Trump says, "What do you have to lose?" The president is appearing at events in North Dakota and South Dakota ahead of the November midterm elections. __ 11:55 a.m. President Donald Trump says special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is - in Trump's words -"really, really unfair" for the upcoming elections in November, when control of Congress is at stake. Trump says "we have to get it over with" and he's suggesting that the investigation into Russian election interference "should have been over with a long time ago." Trump made his comments Friday to reporters traveling with him on Air Force One to Fargo, North Dakota. The president says it would "need to be a fair deal" for him to sit down for an interview with Mueller's investigators. The special counsel and Trump's legal team have been negotiating a possible interview for months. ___ 12:20 a.m. President Donald Trump is praising Brett Kavanaugh's progress toward winning confirmation to the Supreme Court. But Trump isn't happy with the "anger and the meanness on the other side" - and says Democrats' behavior toward his nominee is "sick." The president made the comments during a political rally Thursday in Billings, Montana. He also raised the prospect of a move toward impeachment if Democrats win control of Congress in the November elections. President Donald Trump speaks at a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, as he makwa his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, this time to help Cramer build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Police say a man who was fatally shot by officers in California pointed a weapon that turned out to be a pellet gun designed to look like a semi-automatic handgun. The shooting occurred Thursday in Sacramento during a SWAT team search following a report of a masked man pointing a gun at numerous people. A police statement says the man fled when patrol officers arrived, ignored commands and went over a fence. Police say SWAT officers spotted the man hiding under a stairwell behind a house and ordered him to drop the gun, but he pointed it at officers, who fired. Police say the pellet gun was a replica of a Sig Sauer P225 9 mm handgun. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians wounded by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said Friday, as efforts by Egypt to mediate a possible ceasefire between the territory's Hamas rulers and Israel appear to have stalled. Gaza's Health Ministry said a 17-year-old was killed and 45 others were wounded by Israeli fire at Friday's protest. Separately, it said a 19-year-old died of wounds sustained weeks earlier. Israel's military said it struck a Hamas observation post after Palestinians threw a grenade at its forces. Palestinians also threw firebombs and rolled burning tires at soldiers stationed along the border, it said. Protester burn tires while Israeli troops fire teargas near the fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Thick black smoke hung in the air from tires the protesters set ablaze. Israeli soldiers perched on high earthen berms behind the border fence hit several protesters in their legs. Some protesters burnt effigies of U.S President Donald Trump. Showers of tear gas were launched at the protesters from a drone and cannons mounted over military jeeps. Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, has led weekly border protests since March 30 aimed in part at drawing attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after it took control of the territory in 2007. The demonstrations have been fueled in large part by pervasive despair caused by the blockade that has caused widespread economic hardship and left the coastal territory with crippling fuel shortages and just a few hours of electricity a day. Maher Mohammed, 41, a Hamas government employee, attended Friday's protest with his only daughter. "She wants to participate as a minimum duty," he said of his 18-year-old daughter. It was her first such protest as she had been busy with school, he said. "We want the siege to be lifted, we want electricity, water ... at night we sleep on the (cooler) floor because of the heat," he said. Violence escalated several weeks ago and the sides came close to serious conflict. Hamas has indirectly negotiated with Israel through Egyptian mediators to pacify the tense border in exchange for easing restrictions on Gaza. However, the efforts seem to have hit a deadlock.Since the rallies began, at least 127, mainly unarmed, protesters have been killed by Israeli fire, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry and a local rights group. An Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper during this same period.Israel says it is defending its border and accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover for attempts to breach the border fence and attack civilians and soldiers. Palestinians have thrown explosive devices and opened fire at forces along the border in numerous instances over the past few months, the military says. But the high casualty rate among mainly unarmed protesters has drawn international criticism. Palestinian protesters run from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Female protesters wave Palestinian national flags as they run from teargas fired by Israeli troops, near fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) A protester holds a poster of President Donald Trump near the fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The poster's message in Arabic says: "We are returning in spite of you, Trump". A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) A Palestinian protester hurls stones during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) A Palestinian protester wears a plastic bag on his head as a protection from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Palestinian protesters run from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Palestinians take cover from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Protesters run from teargas fired by Israeli troops, while others burn tires near fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Palestinians look up at a Israeli drone flying over them during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Protesters run to cover from teargas fired by Israeli troops, while others burn tires near fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Palestinian protesters hurl stones during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) A protester hurls stones while others burn tires near the fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) A Palestinian protester is carried to an ambulance after being shot on the leg by Israeli troops during a protest at Gaza Strip's border with Israel, east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Protesters run to cover from teargas fired by Israeli troops, while others burn tires near fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Medics evacuate a wounded youth near the fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel, during a protest east of Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. A teenager was killed and dozens of other Palestinians injured by Israeli fire at a border protest, Gaza officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The Latest on Syria talks in Iran (all times local): 9:40 p.m. Syrian pro-government media reported that nine civilians have been killed by shells fired from rebel areas south of the province of Idlib on a government-held town. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, centre, flanked by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pose for photographs in Tehran, Iran, ahead of their summit to discuss Syria, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The three leaders began a meeting to discuss the war in Syria.(Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool) Syria state news agency SANA said they were killed when the missiles struck into a residential area in Mhardeh town in the northern countryside of Hama. Hama lies to the south of Idlib, and several of its villages and towns remain under rebel control. Warplanes, including suspected Russian ones, hit rebel areas in northern and southern Idlib earlier Friday, killing at least five, including one civilian, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence comes on the day that the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting to discuss the fate of the last rebel stronghold in Idlib and surrounding areas in Hama. ___ 9:30 p.m. The director of U.N. humanitarian operations is warning that if a military offensive takes place in Idlib and millions of people start fleeing, aid operations to help them will be overwhelmed. John Ging told the U.N. Security Council on Friday this worst-case scenario "has the potential to create a humanitarian emergency at a scale not yet seen through this crisis," now in its eighth year. He urged council members to ask the parties to cease hostilities in the Idlib de-escalation zone which includes parts of Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia and Hama governorates and includes some 3 million people, about 2.1 million already in need of humanitarian aid. Ging also called for protection of civilians, humanitarian and medical personnel, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure as well as freedom for people to move, access for aid deliveries, and increased funding. While donors including Britain and Germany have recently provided resources, he said, the U.N. is still "woefully short of the $311 million that we estimate is required if there is an increase in violence resulting in mass displacement." Ging said humanitarian aid is being prepositioned inside Idlib and in surrounding areas, and "plans are in place to support up to 900,000 women, children and men that could be affected by conflict." He warned that if millions of people flee Idlib, however, it "will overwhelm all capacity to respond regardless of plans or funding made available." ___ 9:20 p.m. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday after a trilateral meeting between Iran, Russia and Turkey to discuss the war in Syria. In the Friday report carried by the leader's website, Khamenei.ir, he said that the United States is worried about the formation of an "Islamic authority." "America is concerned about the cooperation of Islamic countries and the formation of an Islamic authority," Khamenei was quoted as saying. Khamenei added that this fear underlies America's hostility toward Islamic countries, according to the report. ___ 8:50 p.m. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is warning Syria and its allies Russia and Iran that "the consequences will be dire" for an assault on the last major stronghold for Syrian rebels in Idlib. Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that an offensive against Idlib is starting despite warnings from President Donald Trump and other world leaders, including Russian and Syrian airstrikes against civilian areas. "The United States has been very clear, with Russia and with the broader international community: we consider any assault on Idlib to be a dangerous escalation of the conflict in Syria," Haley said. "If (Syrian President Bashar) Assad, Russia, and Iran continue, the consequences will be dire," she said. Haley said Syria must halt its offensive, and Russia and Iran have the power to prevent "this catastrophe." ___ 8:05 p.m. Eight aid agencies have called on world leaders to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, where the Syrian government is threatening a military offensive. The agencies called on leaders of the Iran, Russia and Turkey meeting in Tehran and members of the U.N. Security Council meeting later in New York to work together to find a diplomatic solution that can protect civilians, aid workers and allow access to humanitarian agencies to the overcrowded province and surrounding areas. More than 3 million live in Idlib and its environs, many of them already displaced by conflict elsewhere in Syria. The agencies, including CARE, Mercy Corps and the International Rescue Committee, said the "most vulnerable" are likely to pay the heaviest price in case of an offensive. They said aid workers working in Idlib are already overwhelmed trying to provide basic needs and shelter to the province's population, which has doubled in size in recent months because it is hosting displaced citizens from all over Syria. ___ 7:50 p.m. The U.N. envoy for Syria says any proposal to avoid Idlib becoming "the biggest humanitarian tragedy at the end of the most horrible recent conflict in our memory" must be given a chance - and he has some ideas on how to separate "terrorists" from civilians. Staffan De Mistura is also calling for "protected voluntary evacuation routes" for civilians if they want to leave Idlib. He told the U.N. Security Council Friday that talk of a military offensive on Idlib "is happening at exactly the same time when there is serious talk" on moving to establish a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution and encourage the return of Syrian refugees. De Mistura said these are incompatible. "Either we are trying to find a political way to end this war and move to a post-war political scenario or we will see this war reach new levels of horrors." He said that's why Friday's meeting of the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Tehran is so important and why he will be meeting with the three countries in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday - and next Friday with Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United States. It would be a failure of diplomacy "if with these efforts we simply saw an increase of military activities," De Mistura said. ___ 5:45 p.m. Turkey's president says his country does not have the "strength or capability" to host millions of more refugees from Idlib. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that a call for terror groups in Idlib to lay down arms was a strong message to them and would help halt refugee flows. "We have to take joint steps to prevent the migration, we need to be successful in the fight against terrorism," Erdogan said. "Turkey is already sheltering 3 million refugees (from Syria). The population of Idlib is 3 million. Turkey doesn't have the strength or capability to host 3 million more," he added. ___ 5:20 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin says it is "unacceptable" to use civilians as a pretext to shield "terrorists" in Syria's rebel-held Idlib. Speaking at the end of a trilateral summit with the leaders of Iran and Turkey Putin said Russia is worried about civilians in Idlib but said Russian finds it "unacceptable" when civilians are used a pretext to "shield terrorists" and target Syrian government positions. Russia has been a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has indicated its support for Assad to regain control of Idlib which is the last remaining bastion of the opposition ___ 4:35 p.m. Turkey's president is calling for a cease-fire and an end to airstrikes amid a looming campaign for Syria's Idlib province. Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the comments Friday at a trilateral meeting between Iran, Russia and Turkey in Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says "we have to force the United States to leave" Syria. Rouhani did not elaborate on the comment, which he made while speaking about Idlib. America has some 2,000 troops in Syria. Friday's summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. ___ 4:15 p.m. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the fight in Syria should continue until all extremists are "uprooted," especially in Idlib. Rouhani made the comment Friday at a trilateral summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey held in Tehran. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. ___ 4:10 p.m. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says America's intervention in Syria should immediately end. Rouhani made the comment Friday at a trilateral summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey held in Tehran. Rouhani also said that "the fires of war and bloodshed in Syria are reaching their end." ___ 3:40 p.m. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey have begun a summit on Syria as a bloody offensive on Idlib province looms, despite warnings from the U.S. and others not to launch the attack. The summit Friday between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. Iran, Russia and Turkey all have their own competing interests over Syria. All also face U.S. sanctions under the administration of President Donald Trump. ____ 3:30 p.m. Residents in Syria's northwestern Idlib province are holding mass rallies in the rebels' last bastion, protesting an imminent government offensive there and chanting against the country's ruler President Bashar Assad. The Friday rallies came as Presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action in Idlib and its surrounding areas, home to more than 3 million people. Nearly half of the area's residents are already displaced from other parts of Syria and have refused to reconcile with the Syrian government. The area also includes opposition fighters and some of Syria's most radical groups. "Come on, leave Bashar!" hundreds of protesters chanted in Saraqeb, a town in eastern Idlib. "We will defend our revolution." ___ 2:20 p.m. A spokesman for a Syrian rebel alliance says the least the summit in the Iranian capital can do is avert a humanitarian crisis in the last bastion for the opposition in northwestern Syria. Naji al-Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Front for Liberation, said Friday his fighters are prepared for battle. But they expect a major humanitarian crisis, a large wave of displacement and a lot of destruction and death if a Russia-backed offensive takes place. Idlib and surrounding areas are home to more than 3 million people, nearly half of them already displaced from other parts of Syria. Al-Mustafa said his rebel alliance is looking to Turkey's efforts to prevent the attack and "to protect Idlib." Turkey has deployed 12 observations points and hundreds of fighters that ring Idlib, separating them from government and allied fighters, as part of a de-escalation agreement with Russia and Iran. ___ 1:55 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have both arrived in Tehran for a trilateral summit on Syria. The two presidents landed at Mehrabad International Airport. They will attend the summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting Syria's northwestern Idlib province. ___ 1:25 p.m. Activists and residents say warplanes have struck areas on the southern edge of the Syrian Idlib province, the rebels' last bastion, killing one and causing loud explosions and large plumes of smoke. The airstrikes Friday come hours before presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey meet in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake bastion of Idlib. Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said a series of airstrikes struck a few villages in southwest Idlib and along the borders with the adjacent Hama province, targeting insurgent posts and killing a fighter. Abdurrahman said suspected Russian warplanes carried out the airstrikes. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to more than 3 million people. ___ 12:55 p.m. The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry is calling a summit on Syria between Iran, Turkey and Russia an "invaluable opportunity." Bahram Ghasemi wrote an opinion piece published across Iranian media on Friday that the summit in Tehran helps as all the nations "have faced similar challenges and joint threats by bullying foreign powers." Ghasemi wrote: "The summit has double significance since all the three nations have faced ambitions and greediness of an illogical international big power." That refers to the United States, which has some 2,000 troops in Syria after its war against the Islamic State group. The summit Friday between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting Syria's northwestern Idlib province. ___ 9:55 a.m. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey will meet in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. The summit Friday, the third between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action. Northwestern Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people - nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hard-core fighters, including al-Qaida-linked militants. Iran, Russia and Turkey all have their own competing interests over Syria. All also face U.S. sanctions under the administration of President Donald Trump. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference following the Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Iran on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to attend a news conference following the Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Iran on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, attends a news conference following the Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Iran on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool Photo via AP) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, center, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend a joint press conference in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) DOVER, Del. (AP) - A federal court on Friday rejected the appeals of a Delaware man and his sister who were sentenced to life in prison in a landmark cyberstalking case involving the killing of the man's ex-wife. In a 77-page ruling, a three-judge panel of the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia upheld the convictions of David Matusiewicz, 51, and his sister, Amy Gonzalez, 46, for what prosecutors say was a three-year campaign of torment and stalking against Christine Belford. Belford, and a friend, Laura "Beth" Mulford were fatally shot by the siblings' father, Thomas Matusiewicz, at the New Castle County Courthouse in February 2013. Mulford had accompanied Belford there for a child support hearing involving the three daughters Belford had with David Matusiewicz. Thomas Matusiewicz, 68, then exchanged gunfire with security officers before killing himself. Prosecutors say Belford's shooting capped a long, orchestrated effort by the Matusiewicz family to harass and intimidate her in an effort to regain custody of the children. David Matusiewicz and Gonzalez were convicted, along with their mother, Lenore Matusiewicz, on federal conspiracy and cyberstalking charges. Lenore Matusiewicz died in prison in 2016. The case marked the first convictions in the nation for the charge of cyberstalking resulting in death. Prosecutors claimed that David Matusiewicz, a former optometrist, conspired with his parents and sister over several years to torment and stalk his ex-wife with the intent to injure, harass, intimidate and kill her. Thomas Matusiewicz's family members consistently denied knowing that he intended to kill Belford. Attorneys for Gonzalez and David Matusiewicz argued on appeal that some of the evidence used by the prosecution was protected speech under the First Amendment, and that jurors shouldn't have heard certain details contained in a family court order terminating David Matusiewicz's parental rights. They also claimed the trial judge made several errors regarding jury instructions and the admission of evidence. The appeals court panel rejected all their challenges, lauding U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh Jr. for his "outstanding work" in handling a complicated case "with exceptional precision and care." "As the Court of Appeals observed, this is a watershed case of national importance," U.S. Attorney David Weiss said in a prepared statement. "Cyberstalking is a form of psychological terror that deeply impacts its victims. Individuals who engage in such conduct are on notice that the Department of Justice will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law." Edson Bostic, a federal public defender representing David Matusiewicz, declined to comment on the ruling. Jeremy H.G. Ibrahim, an attorney representing Gonzalez, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. David Matusiewicz had his parental rights stripped in 2011 after he pleaded guilty in 2009 to federal fraud and kidnapping charges after he and his mother took his daughters to Central America. Lenore Matusiewicz served more than a year in state prison for her role in the 2007 kidnapping. The Matusiewicz family has said they were trying to protect one of the daughters from being sexually abused by Belford, an assertion that has never been proved. The defendants nevertheless continued to maliciously accuse Belford of abuse and neglect in a series of online postings, emails and letters, according to prosecutors. During the cyberstalking investigation, authorities also found a purported "hit list" that included the names of judges and attorneys who were involved in the family court disputes between the former spouses, as well as the name of the federal judge who sent David Matusiewicz to prison on kidnapping and bank fraud charges. Borouge, a joint venture of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Borealis of Austria, has signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with Marie Tecnimont Group for its fifth polypropylene (PP5) plant in Ruwais, a media report said. This will grow Borouges polypropylene capacity by 25 per cent to 2.24 million tonnes per year (t/y) and unlock new opportunities to reinforce local industries, reported Emirates news agency Wam. With a nameplate capacity of 480,000 t/y, the new PP5 plant will be integrated with the existing Borouge 3 plant in Ruwais and will be expected to come on stream in Q3 2021. Enabled by Borealis proprietary Borstar technology, Borouges PP5 plant will play an important role in helping Adnoc deliver against its downstream strategy announced in the recent Downstream Investment Forum, held in May 2018, with the aim to significantly expand its refining and petrochemical operations through the creation of the worlds largest integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Ruwais undertake highly targeted overseas investments to secure greater market access, and increase Adnocs, and its subsidiaries, range and volume of high-value downstream products. Building the PP5 plant in Ruwais significantly contributes to achieving Borouges ambition of growing the polymers production capacity by 11 per cent to reach 5 million tonnes per year which is effectively linked to the growth ambitions of both Adnoc and Borealis to grow polymers production capacity. The PP5 plant will become the tenth Borstar plant in Ruwais that contributes to ensuring global supply of creative polypropylene products based on the partnership between Adnoc and Borealis. The Ruwais-based plant will help Borouge expand its product portfolio and deliver leading solutions to its customers across the globe, especially in the packaging industry. ROOSEVELT, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities on Long Island say they've charged an alleged member of the MS-13 gang in the death of a 19-year-old teenager. The Nassau County District Attorney's Office says it has charged 19-year-old Jose Daniel Lopez with second-degree murder. Authorities say Lopez and other gang members attacked and killed Josue Amaya Leonor with a machete, burying him in a wooded area near Roosevelt. Authorities say they recovered Leonor's body in May of this year. Lopez has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Jeffrey Groder, says there's no physical evidence that links his client to the slaying. The news of Lopez's arrest comes on the heels of the arrest of 20-year-old Kevin Lopez-Morales, who is a suspect in the death of 15-year-old Angel Soler. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas utility regulators have rejected environmentalists' request that more than 2,100 permits for injection wells be revoked because some of them did not follow regulations on the amount of time the public has to protest the projects. The Kansas Corporation Commission on Thursday said in an order that such a small percentage of the permits had incorrect legal notices that it had an insignificant effect. The commission said less than 3 percent of the legal notices incorrectly showed 15-day public protest periods instead of the required 30-day notice, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported . The commission's assistant attorney, Michael Duenes, said the order noted it was the responsibility of the interested parties to know they had 30 days to comment. Duenes said between 24 and 29 permits out of 1,007 at issue in the order were granted before the 30-day comment period expired. He said the record contains no evidence that any person with a substantial interest in specific permits was hurt by the permits being approved. "The order also finds that granting the less than 3 percent of the total applications at issue prior to the application of the 30-day protest period was harmless error based on Kansas case law," Duenes said. Environmentalists who attended the commission meeting said the decision shows the Kansas Legislature must get involved. Cindy Hoedel, an activist who filed complaints about the incorrect legal notices oil and gas companies were publishing, said allowing the permits because only a small number were done incorrectly is "an odd standard." She said concerns about whether injecting wastewater into the wells is causing an increase in earthquakes in Kansas are real. "Are you going to let 3 percent of bank robbers not go to jail because it's only 3 percent of the total?," she said. "I think it's a very odd argument. It's clear there's a culture of secrecy and pro-industry bias at the KCC, and it's going to take the Legislature to get involved to protect Kansans." Mike Schmidt, an engineer, said during more than 40 years he has had to follow all legal technicalities and he was upset that oil and gas companies aren't being held to the same standard. "It's just ludicrous that they would just wave their hand and allow these oil companies to continue to operate on permits that are bogus," he said. "It's just unbelievable." ___ Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on a Brooklyn prosecutor's plan to help people get low-level marijuana convictions dismissed (all times local): 1:45 p.m. Tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions could be erased with the OK of Brooklyn's top prosecutor. FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2017 file photo, then-acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, second from left, holds a news conference in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions could be erased under a new initiative by District Attorney Eric Gonzalez's plan, which would give people some legal help and the DA's support in getting such misdemeanor convictions tossed out. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz, File) District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced a plan Friday to invite people to ask courts to dismiss pot possession misdemeanors or violations. He expects prosecutors will assent in the great majority of a potential 20,000 cases just since 1990. He says it's unfair for people to carry convictions that wouldn't be pursued now. Gonzalez and Manhattan DA Cyrus R. Vance Jr., both Democrats, recently decided to decline to prosecute most misdemeanor pot possession cases. They're still being prosecuted in New York City's other three boroughs. Recreational marijuana is illegal in New York state, although Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has appointed a panel to draft legislation that could legalize it. ___ 11 a.m. Tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions could be erased with the OK of Brooklyn's top prosecutor. District Attorney Eric Gonzalez tells The Associated Press he's announcing a plan Friday to invite people to ask courts to dismiss pot possession misdemeanors or violations. He expects prosecutors will assent in the great majority of a potential 20,000 cases just since 1990. He says it's unfair for people to carry convictions that wouldn't be pursued now. Gonzalez and Manhattan DA Cyrus R. Vance Jr., both Democrats, recently decided to decline to prosecute most misdemeanor pot possession cases. They're still being prosecuted in New York City's other three boroughs. Recreational marijuana is illegal in New York state, although Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has appointed a panel to draft legislation that could legalize it. WASHINGTON (AP) - After two years of double-digit premium hikes, millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest increases next year, according to an exclusive analysis that highlights the changing politics of health care heading into the midterm elections. The consulting firm Avalere Health and The Associated Press crunched available state data, finding that "Obamacare's" health insurance marketplaces seem to be stabilizing. Customers in some states will get price cuts. And the exodus of insurers from the program has halted, even reversed somewhat, with more consumer choices for 2019. The steady outlook means the health care law won't be an easy target for Republicans this year, an election issue that's worked well for them since 2010. But Democrats may also be looking for new talking points. They can't exactly argue that the Trump administration has wrecked the ACA, so they're saying that popular provisions like protections for people with pre-existing conditions are still threatened. In this Aug. 22, 2018 photo, April Box uses a roller to work on her hip muscles at her home in Spokane, Wash. Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get a price cut. That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program that still divides voters heading into this year's midterm elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) The analysis found a 3.3 percent average increase in proposed or approved premiums across 47 states and Washington, D.C., for next year. This year the average increase nationally was about 30 percent. The average total premium for an individual covered under the health law is now close to $600 a month before subsidies. For next year, premiums are expected either to drop or increase by less than 10 percent in 41 states with about 9 million customers. Twelve of those states are expected to see a drop in average premiums, with New Jersey joining that list on Friday. In six other states, plus Washington, D.C., premiums are projected to rise between 10 percent and 18 percent. Insurers also are starting to come back. Nineteen states will either see new insurers enter or current ones expand into more areas. There are no bare counties lacking a willing insurer. Even so, Chris Sloan, an Avalere director, says, "This is still a market that's unaffordable for many people who aren't eligible for subsidies." Nearly 9 in 10 ACA customers get government subsidies based on income, shielding most from premium increases. But people with higher incomes, who don't qualify for financial aid, have dropped out in droves. It's too early to say if the ACA's turnabout will be fleeting or more permanent. Either way, next year's numbers are at odds with the political rhetoric around the ACA, still heated even after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to repeal the law last year. Trump regularly calls "Obamacare" a "disaster" and declares it "dead." The GOP tax-cut bill repealed the ACA requirement that Americans have health insurance or risk fines, effective next year. But other key elements remain, including subsidies and protection for people with pre-existing conditions. The moderating market "takes the issue away from Republican candidates" in the midterm elections, said Mark Hall, a health law and policy expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Stability also undercuts Democrats' contention that Trump has "sabotaged" the program. But Democrats say the ACA remains at risk while Republicans control Washington, and that premiums would be even lower but for the administration's hostility. "Voters won't think that the Trump threat to the ACA has passed at all, unless Democrats get at least the House in 2018," said Bill Carrick, a strategist for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose re-election ads emphasize her support for the health law. As if to add weight to Democratic arguments, the Trump administration has said it won't defend the ACA's protections for pre-existing conditions in a federal case in Texas that could put the law's fate back in the hands of the Supreme Court. In solidly Republican Arkansas, Democratic state legislator and cancer survivor Clarke Tucker is using the ACA in his campaign to try to flip a U.S. House seat from red to blue. Tucker, 37, says part of what made him want to run is the House vote to repeal the ACA last year and images of Trump and GOP lawmakers celebrating at the White House. Business analysts say the relatively good news for 2019 is partly the result of previous premium increases, which allowed insurers to return to profitability after losing hundreds of millions of dollars. "They can price better, and they can manage this population better, which is why they can actually make some money," said Deep Banerjee of Standard & Poor's. Repeal of the ACA's requirement to carry insurance doesn't seem to have had a major impact yet, but Banerjee said there's "a cloud of uncertainty" around the Trump administration's potential policy shifts. Yet some administration actions have also helped settle the markets, such as continuing a premium stabilization program. April Box of Spokane Valley, Washington, lives in a state where premiums could rise substantially since insurers have proposed an 18 percent increase. In states expecting double-digit increases, the reasons reflect local market conditions. Proposed increases may ultimately get revised downward. Box is self-employed as a personal advocate helping patients navigate the health care system. She has an ACA plan, but even with a subsidy her premiums are expensive and a high deductible means she's essentially covered only for catastrophic illness. "I'm choosing not to go to the doctor, and I'm saying to myself I'm not sick enough to go to the doctors," Box said. "We need to figure out how to make it better and lower the price." Now in her 50s, Box was born with dislocated hips. She worries she could be uninsurable if insurers are allowed to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. She might need another hip surgery. "It needs to be a level playing field for everybody," said Box. "We need to have universal coverage - that is really the only answer." Tennessee is a prime example of the ACA's flipped fortunes. Last year, the state struggled to secure at least one insurer in every county. But approved rates for 2019 reflect an 11 percent average decrease. Two new insurers - Bright Health and Celtic- have entered its marketplace, and two others -Cigna and Oscar- will expand into new counties. Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called that a "welcome step," but argued rates could have been even lower if congressional Democrats had supported a market stabilization bill. Democrats blame Republicans for the failure. To calculate premium changes, Avalere and The Associated Press used proposed overall individual marketplace rate filings for 33 states and D.C., and final rates for 14 states that have already approved them. Data was not available for Massachusetts, Maryland and Alabama. The average rate change calculations include both on-exchange and off-exchange plans that comply with ACA requirements. The government isn't expected to release final national figures until later this fall. In this Aug. 22, 2018 photo, April Box poses for a photo at her home in Spokane, Wash. Box is a healthcare advocate and runs the website www.hip-help.com to help guide people through major surgeries and other aspects of the healthcare system. Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get a price cut. That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program that still divides voters heading into this year's midterm elections. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Kasey Kahne will not defend his Brickyard 400 victory because of dehydration issues he said result in an elevated heart rate while he is driving. Kahne said he felt so poorly he should not have been driving the final 100 laps of last weekend's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. He said he was nauseous, struggled to take in fluids from the midway point of the race and vomited when it was over. "I definitely shouldn't have been in the race car anymore," Kahne said Friday. "I stayed out there, put my body through it, my brain, my head. It was really hard to keep my eyes open and see. I was struggling to do that. I was trying to control my heart rate because it was so high." FILE - In this June 30, 2017, file photo, Kasey Kahne talks with a crew member after qualifying for the NASCAR cup auto race at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Kahne will not defend his Brickyard 400 victory because of dehydration issues that have given him an elevated heart rate while he's driving. Regan Smith will drive the No. 95 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kahne said Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, he's not sure when he can race again, and he's scheduled to retire from NASCAR competition at the end of this season.(AP Photo/John Raoux, File) Kahne received fluids in the medical center following Sunday's race in South Carolina. Regan Smith will drive the No. 95 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kahne is not sure when he can race again, and the 38-year-old is planning to retire from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of this season. Kahne said he's suffered from heat exhaustion in a handful of races dating back to last season, and including Indy. Kahne needed medical assistance after that win last July, the last of his career and last with Hendrick Motorsports. The health issues, he conceded Friday, factored into his decision to retire. Kahne said he has met with three different doctors, and NASCAR suggested doctors following Darlington. He's looking for a way to race at Las Vegas next week, but admitted the predicted temperatures in the 90s worry him. "If we can come up with a solution to stay hydrated throughout the race, prior to then ... I'll be in Las Vegas," he said. ___ More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Vince Vaughn has been charged with drunken driving. Los Angeles County prosecutors announced on Friday that the 48-year-old "Wedding Crashers" actor is charged with three misdemeanors: driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher and refusing to comply with police. Authorities say Vaughn repeatedly refusing to get out of his car when officers asked him at a sobriety checkpoint in Manhattan Beach on June 10. Police say he failed a field sobriety test that was captured on an officer's body camera, and a blood test later showed he was over the legal limit. FILE - This Sept. 3, 2018 file photo shows actor Vince Vaughn at the photo call for the film "Dragged Across Concrete" at the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. Vaughn has been charged with drunken driving. Authorities say Vaughn repeatedly refused to get out of his car when officers asked him at a sobriety checkpoint in Manhattan Beach on June 10. Police say he failed a field sobriety test that was captured on an officer's body camera, and a blood test later showed he was over the legal limit. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File) Vaughn has not entered a plea. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Monday. His spokesman, Alan Nierob, declined comment. ST. LOUIS (AP) - The remnants of Tropical Depression Gordon are expected to drop heavy rain across much of Missouri through the weekend, creating a risk of flooding and flash-flooding. The National Weather Service says south-central Missouri and the St. Louis area could get up to 6 inches of rain by Sunday with more in some spots. With a flash flood watch covering the eastern three-quarters of the state, rivers are rising too. The Mississippi River is above flood stage at the Missouri towns of Canton, Hannibal, and Louisiana. The river is expected to crest in the coming days about 4 to 6 feet above flood stage. No major damage is expected but Hannibal has installed its flood wall to protect its downtown, including the Mark Twain sites. A tugboat pushes barges down the Mississippi River at St. Louis on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Recent rains have caused the river to rise above flood level in northern Missouri, and the flooding is making its way south to St. Louis and beyond. Heavy rain is expected over much of Missouri through the weekend, creating concerns about river flooding and flash flooding. (AP Photo/Jim Salter) Portions of the Missouri River also are near or at technical flood stage, though only partially due to rain. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that higher-than-normal water releases from dams northwest of Missouri will continue through the fall season. The Corps said the water release is necessary because high amounts of runoff caused a large amount of water to be stored in reservoirs. The bigger concern being flash flooding, the Missouri State Highway Patrol urged drivers to avoid flooded roadways, noting that even one foot of water can move swiftly and prove deadly. The patrol also encouraged boaters to take extra precautions because rain-swollen waterways can make for faster currents and unpredictable conditions. It's unclear how much of the water will help farmers severely impacted by the summer-long drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that conditions have eased across much of the state due to rain over the past couple of weeks. Currently, 21 percent of Missouri is now listed in severe drought or worse, compared to 37 percent a week earlier. The wet weather is bringing relief from hot, steamy weather. After several consecutive days of temperatures in the 90s and high humidity, St. Louis is expected to see highs only in the low 70s Saturday and Sunday. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said Friday he does not want to hurt Canada's economy but also warned that if he imposes taxes on cars it would be "devastating" for the neighboring country. "If I tax cars coming in from Canada, it would be devastating. But I don't want to do that," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I do use that as leverage in negotiating, where they don't want to give us some points. I say, that's ok, I'd rather tax your cars coming in, and I win a lot of points because of it." Trump spoke on route to Fargo, North Dakota, while Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland was meeting in Washington with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. They have been trying to reach a deal that would allow Canada to remain in a North American trade bloc with the U.S. and Mexico. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, talks to reporters outside the United States Trade Representative building in Washington, Friday Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Luis Alonso Lugo) After a two-hour meeting, Freeland told reporters that "you could say at this very intense point that we are really in a continuous negotiation." Freeland did not say whether the negotiations would continue later Friday or next week. Lighthizer plans to see European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom next week in Brussels. Larry Kudlow, top economic adviser to Trump, told Fox Business Network on Friday morning that U.S. access to Canada's protected dairy market is the single issue holding up the negotiations. "I am just saying 'Let go.' Milk, dairy, drop the barriers, give our farmers a break," Kudlow said. Last week, the U.S. and Mexico reached a preliminary agreement to replace the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. But those talks excluded Canada, the third NAFTA country. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Lawyers for a Pennsylvania County said Friday it should be allowed to keep a cross symbol on its official seal because it represents the county's history, not a religious mandate. Lehigh County asked a panel of the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in its oral argument to reverse a lower federal judge's decision saying the county has to remove the cross from its seal. The Freedom From Religion Foundation and four of its local members filed the original complaint about the county seal, saying the inclusion of the cross constitutes an endorsement of Christianity. Judge Edward Smith wrote in his September 2017 opinion that while he didn't believe the symbol violates the Constitution he was bound by precedent to side with the Wisconsin-based atheist group. Smith said the county could keep the symbol on older documents, but would have to change it on flags, cars or other property. The county appealed the ruling, saying in its argument Friday that a new precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court allows for religious symbols to be viewed in a historical context in some situations. Eric Baxter, an attorney with the Becket Fund hired by the county, said the cross is one of a dozen symbols on the seal and was meant to represent the county's original settlers who were fleeing religious persecution. The Becket Fund is a nonprofit legal and educational group that says its mission it to protect free expression of all religious faith. "But flags with historically-significant religious images are part of American culture: New Mexico's flag has the sacred sun symbol of the Zia Native American tribe, Louisiana's has a Catholic symbol of a pelican with a bleeding heart to feed its hatchlings the Eucharist, and Utah's has multiple images that recall the Mormon pioneers," Becket said in a written statement Friday. The Lehigh County seal features a cross in the center behind a county building surrounded by other symbols in a circle around it, including a heart, a farm, and a factory. Judge Cheryl Ann Krause noted the historical context test had not been used on passive displays. The judges asked why that was a better test than a previous precedent called the Lemon test that requires a secular purpose that neither advances nor inhibits a religion and does not entangle government with religion. They also asked if a test of whether a reasonable observer would perceive an endorsement of religion would be more appropriate. Baxter said the seal had been the same for more than 70 years without drawing any complaints. Foundation attorney Marcus Schneider said the historical argument was faulty. "There is no documentation to connect it to that (historical) theme," he said, adding that the religious meaning of the cross is "ubiquitous across the country." Schneider said the cross is the most prominent feature on the flag, and the county commissioners could have chosen any number of other symbols to represent the original founders. "The shadow cast by this seal is much more than the shadow cast by a single cross," he said. CHICAGO (AP) - Two Chicago police officers are accused of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes from a suburban attorney-referral service for contact information of people recently involved in traffic accidents. An indictment unsealed Friday says they used their access to crash reports before they were publicly available to forward details to the National Attorney Referral Service, giving it a jump on soliciting the people as clients. Kevin Tate, 47, and 46-year-old Milot Cadichon face bribery and conspiracy charges. The referral-service owner, 55-year-old Richard Burton, of Bloomingdale, faces the conspiracy charge. Burton allegedly paid Cadichon at least $7,350 and Tate at least $6,000 between 2015 and 2017. Messages left for Burton Friday weren't returned. Names of the officers' attorneys aren't in court filings. The conspiracy charge alone carries a five-year maximum prison sentence. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has successfully concluded the first level of the 5th Future Engineer summer camp. The camp, which included more than 60 training hours of a comprehensive and intensive study plan, was organised for employees children between 12 and 15 years of age at the Reading Tent in Zabeel Park in Dubai. The second level of the camp will begin this December after which the participants will graduate. This supports the utiliy's vision to become a sustainable, innovative world-class utility, and its efforts to foster creativity and innovation within the community. Students participating in the first level of the programme acquired many technical skills, which contributed to expanding their perceptions and enhancing their creativities. They also learnt about the basic principles in electrical engineering, basics of robotics, how to build and develop smartphone programmes and applications, and other scientific and practical applications that establish the love of science and engineering in young people, it added. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting that the country's Revolutionary Guard has killed six Kurdish militants and wounded several others in western Iran near the border with Iraq. Tasnim's report Friday described the Guard's assault as "revenge" for a July 20 attack that saw at least 10 Iranian border guards killed in the Kurdish town of Marivan. Tasnim said the Guard blamed militants affiliated with the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan for the July attack. The July incident saw the largest number of Iranian security forces killed in a single attack on the Iraqi border in recent years. The area has seen occasional fighting between Iranian forces and Kurdish separatists as well as militants linked to the extremist Islamic State group. MADRID (AP) - Shipbuilders are blocking roads in southern Spain amid fears that Saudi Arabia could scrap a $2.1 billion-purchase of warships in retaliation to a move by Madrid to halt a shipment of bombs to Riyadh. The new center-left Spanish government said earlier this week that it was not planning to deliver the 400 laser-guided precision bombs over worries they may be used to target civilians in Yemen. Formal cancellation of the order, which dates back to 2015, is expected at a ministers meeting this month. Saudi diplomats in Madrid declined to comment on whether that could lead to Riyadh canceling a July deal to buy five navy corvettes from Spanish company Navantia. Jesus Peralta, a Navantia workers union leader, says 6,000 direct jobs over 4-1/2 years could be at stake. REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on an alleged serial killer's murder trial (all times local): 11:30 a.m. A man accused by Northern California authorities of raping and killing six women in the 1970s has shouted at a jury that he is not guilty and never raped anyone. Rodney Halbower made the declarations as his murder and rape trial for the killings of two women got underway Friday in Redwood City in the San Francisco Bay Area. The killings happened in 1976 in California's San Mateo County and in Reno, Nevada. They were nicknamed the Gypsy Hill Killings. DNA evidence led to Halbower's arrest in 2014. He was in prison in Oregon at the time. The judge denied motions for a mistrial made by Halbower's lawyer. ___ 12:05 a.m. A career criminal who authorities say killed six women in the 1970s in Northern California and Nevada is facing a murder trial involving two of the killings. Law enforcement officials believe 69-year-old Rodney Halbower raped and killed six young women during a five-month period in 1976. The killings were unsolved until 2014. That's when DNA taken from cigarette butts saved from the scene of one of the killings in Reno led investigators to Halbower's prison cell in Oregon, where he was doing time for rape and attempted murder. Opening statements start Friday in Redwood City, which is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Francisco. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is vowing to root out the leakers who contributed to the White House insider accounts that contend some on his team question his judgment, competence and even rationality. A book by presidential author Bob Woodward and an anonymous New York Times op-ed article, Trump has said, are fiction and lies. But the president nonetheless finds them compelling enough to seek out the leakers of behind-the-scenes stories and quotes. On Friday, Trump said the U.S. Justice Department should investigate the identity of the op-ed writer. "Eventually, the name of this sick person will come out," he told reporters on Air Force One. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while in flight from Billings, Mont., to Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Some things to know about leak investigations: THE NATURE OF A LEAK Telling embarrassing stories about a president's behavior is not the same thing as revealing classified information. The first could be a political risk, which is why administration members from Vice President Mike Pence on down denied being the op-ed writer this week. Still, writing unflattering things about the president isn't a crime. But the Espionage Act and other federal laws do criminalize unauthorized disclosures about certain national security information, such as surveillance methods. Any leak investigations of classified information tend to go through a complex process at the Justice Department that includes determining whether the information was sensitive and known to few people. No classified information appears to have been revealed by the anonymous op-ed author. And it's far from clear that the vivid portraits of erratic presidential behavior described by Woodward and the op-ed writer would breach national security. ___ SPEAKING OF NATIONAL SECURITY Trump told reporters Friday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should pursue the identity of the New York Times essay writer. "Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," the president said. If the person has a high-level security clearance, Trump said, "I don't want him in those meetings." The FBI and Justice Department are responsible for investigating federal crimes, but there is no indication of anything illegal having been done in the publication of a newspaper opinion piece critical of the president. It is also extraordinary for a president to demand an investigation by the Justice Department, which is supposed to make investigative and charging decisions without White House interference. The New York Times opted to publish the unsigned column, which alleges that a "quiet resistance" of senior administration officials is "working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations." Trump earlier dared the Times to do what journalists scrupulously avoid: "If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!" Asked if he would take any action against the Times, Trump said, "We're going to see, I'm looking at that right now." ___ THE FALLOUT FROM THESE LEAKS Trump was asked if, in light of the book and column, he trust the people around him. "I do, I do," he said. "But what I do is, now I look around the room and I say 'Hey I don't know somebody.'" __ TRUTHTELLING TESTS Nothing would stop Trump from directing his aides to hunt for leakers among senior officials. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who describes himself as a libertarian, says Trump would be justified using lie detectors to find the anonymous essay writer. Trump wasn't saying Friday whether he'd take the suggestion. Lie detectors wouldn't be reliable enough to unearth the column author or other sources for sure, studies and a massive federal report have indicated. And polygraphs aren't acceptable as evidence in court. "At best they are unreliable. The question is how unreliable?" said Indiana University brain sciences professor Richard Shiffrin. ___ UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES Meanwhile, Trump is said to be examining the language of the denials issued this week by the highest members of his administration or their spokespeople. "Everybody very high up has already said it wasn't me. It would be very hard if it was, if they got caught," Trump said. "You'd be shunned for the rest of your life." ___ LEAK PROBES PAST Trump would be far from the first president to hunt for leakers. During his eight years in office, Barack Obama's Justice Department prosecuted nine cases against whistleblowers and leakers, compared to three by all other previous administrations. In one of those investigations, the government secretly seized records for telephone lines and switchboards that more than 100 reporters for The Associated Press used in their Washington bureau and elsewhere. In June under the Trump administration, Reality Winner, 26, pleaded guilty to a single count of transmitting national security information. The former Air Force translator had worked as a contractor at a National Security Agency office in Augusta, Georgia, when she printed a classified report and left the building with it hidden in her pantyhose. Winner told the FBI she mailed the document to an online news outlet. ___ DEEP THROAT Former FBI No. 2 W. Mark Felt first denied, then decades later admitted, being the famous source for Washington Post reporters Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their Watergate coverage that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. ___ NIXON CONSIDERED POLYGRAPHS FOR THOUSANDS Prior to the Watergate scandal, Nixon in 1971 considered lie detector tests for an estimated 300,000 federal employees with security clearances, according to a taped presidential conversation played for the House Judiciary Committee looking at the administration's domestic surveillance programs. Advised the tests would result in mass resignations, he ordered the tests for about 1,000 employees of the State and Defense departments, the CIA and the National Security Council. A June 1974 Associated Press report quoted Nixon as saying, "I don't know much about these things, but it scares the (expletive deleted) out of them." ___ Associated Press Science Writer Seth Borenstein and News Researchers Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman NEW YORK (AP) - Twitter's decision to permanently ban conspiracy-slinger Alex Jones shows it's serious about enforcing its policy against abuse. But it has a long way to go. Along with Facebook and other tech companies, Twitter sees promise in using artificial intelligence to rid its service of objectionable posts, photos and videos. To this end, CEO Jack Dorsey said repeatedly during congressional hearings on Wednesday that he does not want to place the burden of reporting abuse on the victims. Instead, he said Twitter is committed to developing automated tools that could delete abusive posts even without an actual person making a complaint, which is the only way Twitter takes down such posts now. FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, file photo, Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist, walks the corridors of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Twitter's permanent ban of conspiracy-monger Alex Jones on Thursday again underscored the difficulty many social-media services face in trying to consistently apply their rules against harassment and other bad behavior. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) But as the Alex Jones ban shows, even the human moderators that social media companies employ have trouble drawing clear lines around what counts as harassment and abuse rather than humor or healthy debate. How could artificial intelligence do better, when it is still well behind humans in understanding the nuances of language? Twitter said Thursday it has permanently banned Jones and his Infowars show for "abusive behavior," referencing videos posted Wednesday that showed him berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes between two congressional hearings on social media. Facebook, meanwhile, has yet to remove similar videos from Jones's personal page, even though it has banned Infowars and other pages owned by Jones last month and suspended Jones himself for 30 days, a time-out that has just ended. Facebook said it will continue to review complaints and take action in line with its community standards, but the company didn't say why Jones is still allowed on the service. On Twitter and elsewhere, Jones has behaved badly before - calling survivors of a shooting in Parkland, Florida, "crisis actors" and saying the mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 was fake. Videos of the latest exchange show Jones calling Darcy "a possum that climbed out of the rear end of a dead cow," referencing his "skinny jeans" and repeatedly saying, "just look at this guy's eyes" and "look at that smile." Twitter had previously suspended Jones for a week, but had resisted muzzling him further until now. One of Twitter's executives once called the service the "free speech wing of the free speech party." Other tech companies, including YouTube, Apple and Spotify, have limited Jones by suspending him for longer periods and by taking down his pages and podcasts. But this time, Twitter went a step further , saying it will continue to monitor reports about other accounts potentially associated with Jones or Infowars and will "take action" if it finds any attempts to circumvent the ban. Jones had about 900,000 followers on Twitter. Infowars had about 430,000. In a voicemail left with The Associated Press, Jones expressed disbelief that the incident with Darcy could have led to his ban. "He says horrible lies about me and edits things I've said," Jones said. "He's the one that's been abusing me." Darcy referred questions to a CNN spokeswoman, who offered no comment. Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey praised Twitter's action in a tweet. "Glad Twitter is taking steps to put an end to the abusive behavior from Alex Jones & Infowars," the tweet stated. "Tweets designed to threaten, belittle, demean and silence individuals have no place on this platform." Critics said there was still a lack of transparency about how large services carry out their policies. Media Matters for America, a nonprofit dedicated to criticizing conservative media outlets, said the move was "about time" but also noted the behavior was "par for the course" for Jones. David Greene, civil liberties director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said Jones' ban is almost a distraction to a real debate he believes people should have about how posts should be moderated on services controlled by just a few giant companies. "Whether the stuff he posted yesterday really crossed the line, as opposed to other stuff, I don't know," Greene said. The EFF believes that social media companies should disclose the number of enforcement actions and offer clear explanations to people on when and why their posts are removed. The group also believes there should be an appeal process. Critics on Twitter itself drew attention to the timing of the move. "Alex Jones was allowed to harass Sandy Hook parents for six years with no repercussions," tweeted Nick Jack Pappas, a comedy writer in New York. "He harassed Jack Dorsey for one day and was banned from Twitter." Jones heckled Darcy in a Capitol Hill hallway where reporters were waiting to enter the House hearing room at which Dorsey was to appear. Earlier that day, Jones apparently attempted to chase Dorsey out of the building. On his Facebook page, Jones has posted a video that included some of the exchange with Darcy Thursday afternoon. Posts later in the afternoon acknowledged his ban on Twitter and urged his followers to find him elsewhere online. ___ Nakashima reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this story from Washington. FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist, walks the corridors of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill in Washington. Twitter's permanent ban of conspiracy-monger Alex Jones on Thursday again underscored the difficulty many social-media services face in trying to consistently apply their rules against harassment and other bad behavior.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) FILE- In this Sept. 5, 2018, file photo conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaks outside of the Dirksen building of Capitol Hill after listening to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning right-wing conspiracy theorist Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) This image shows posts on right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Twitter account on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones won't be able to create new accounts on Twitter or take over any existing ones. (Twitter via AP) This image shows a post on Info Wars' Twitter account showing CNN journalist Oliver Darcy listening to right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones posted a video on Wednesday that is in violation of the company's policy against "abusive behavior." The video in question shows Jones shouting at and berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes during congressional hearings about social media. (Twitter via AP) This image shows a post on Info Wars' Twitter account showing right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones questioning CNN journalist Oliver Darcy on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in Washington. Twitter is permanently banning Jones and his "Infowars" show for abusive behavior. Twitter says Jones posted a video on Wednesday that is in violation of the company's policy against "abusive behavior." The video in question shows Jones shouting at and berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes during congressional hearings about social media. (Twitter via AP) JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli rights group says the country's Supreme Court has rejected its petition to ease restrictions on Palestinians traveling through a Gaza crossing. Gisha, an Israeli group advocating for greater freedom of movement for Gazans, maintains the ban on travel with basic necessities is "arbitrary ... and illegal." "The state is obligated to find a reasonable balance between Israel's security needs and its responsibilities toward civilians under its control, passing through its crossings," It said, Last year Israel, citing security concerns, imposed new restrictions, including a ban on laptops, on Palestinians exiting Gaza. Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after the militant Islamic Hamas took over. Israel says it is to prevent Hamas arming. Critics say it's collective punishment of Gaza's 2 million people. LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - An eastern Kentucky disability attorney who masterminded the largest Social Security fraud in history has been sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for fleeing the country in an effort to avoid prosecution. Eric Conn pleaded guilty in 2017 to bribing doctors to falsify medical records for his thousands of clients and then paying a judge to approve their lifetime disability benefits. His plea agreement would have put him in prison for 12 years, but a few weeks before his sentencing Conn removed his electronic monitoring bracelet and dumped it along I-75 in central Kentucky. He led federal agents on a six-month chase that ended in December when he was caught outside a Pizza Hut in Honduras. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves sentenced Conn to an additional 15 years for his escape, meaning he is scheduled to spend 27 years in prison for defrauding the government of $500 million in disability benefits. FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2017, file photo, fugitive lawyer Eric Conn, left, is taken into custody by FBI agents on the tarmac at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky. Conn, an eastern Kentucky disability attorney who masterminded the largest Social Security fraud in history, has been sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for fleeing the country in an effort to avoid prosecution on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Goins, File) "I've made a lot of mistakes for a man who wanted to do a lot of good in my life," a shackled, shaggy-haired Conn, standing in blue flip-flops and a dark green jumpsuit, told the judge. "An apology can't right the wrongs that I've done, but I think it's a pretty good place to start." Conn's actions led the Social Security Administration to temporarily suspend benefit payments for thousands of people in eastern Kentucky, one of the poorest regions in the country. At least one man killed himself after getting the notice in the mail, leading his grieving widow to sue the government in a case that was eventually dismissed. The Social Security Administration eventually reversed that decision, instead forcing those people to go to court to prove their disability benefits were warranted. That process is ongoing. One of those clients is 70-year-old Guy Fluty. The Louisa, Kentucky, resident got to keep his benefits. But he said the Social Security Administration is trying to get him to pay back $206,000, a sum he is fighting in court. Fluty, who worked for 20 years for a coal company, said he was twice denied disability benefits before hiring Conn to be his lawyer. Fluty said he knew Conn's name because of a billboard near his home. He soon visited Conn's law office, a sprawling complex of connected mobile homes in eastern Kentucky that featured smaller replicas of the Lincoln Memorial and the Statue of Liberty. But he never met Conn in person and said he did not know about his scheme. "I wish to God I had never heard his name," he said. "He hasn't done anybody in eastern Kentucky any favors." Also in court Friday was Sarah Carver, a former Social Security Administration employee who blew the whistle on Conn's scheme. Conn tried to have her fired by following her and filming her shopping on one of her days off. But he held up a newspaper from another date in the video, making it look like Carver was shopping during working hours. Noting Conn's behavior toward Carver and others, prosecutor Dustin Davis scoffed at his apology in court, telling the judge Conn is "not worthy of belief. He has zero integrity." But Carver said she believed Conn's apology is sincere and said it's more than she's ever gotten from the Social Security Administration. She said Conn could not have carried out his scheme without help from many others in the agency. "There has been no effort to hold them accountable for their actions and there is no deterrent for this to happen in the future," she said. Reeves awarded Carver more than $8,000 in restitution. She and former co-worker Jennifer Griffith were awarded $31 million in damages in a separate lawsuit. It's likely they won't receive all of that money. Their attorney says the women have an agreement with the federal government to be paid 25 percent from money recovered in the case, including the sale of Conn's assets. ___ This version corrects the year in which Conn pleaded guilty to 2017 instead of 2016. SAN DIEGO (AP) - A 6-year-old immigrant boy sobs at the school bus stop in suburban Maryland and begs his mother to promise she will not disappear again. A toddler in Honduras wakes up screaming and searches for the government social worker who cared for him for several months. Other children duck or hide their faces when they see a uniformed officer. Families who were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Trump administration and then reunited with their children say they are suffering deep emotional wounds and want the U.S. government to pay for mental health treatment to remedy the situation. A mother from Guatemala, left, identified only by initials L.J., who was separated from her two children after entering the U.S. in May of 2018, receives support from translator Brenda Quintana, right, after speaking to reporters about the separation during a news conference, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Boston. L.J. is among plaintiffs in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, seeking monetary damages on behalf of children who were separated from their parents at the border. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) The families say the joyous reunions that occurred after the government reversed its policy have given way to agonizing daily routines as they've settled back into life in the U.S. and Central America. They say both the children and parents are traumatized by the ordeal. Once easy-going children are now jumpy, disobedient, short-tempered and afraid of school, their parents say. They have nightmares on a regular basis. Little things trigger tears, even in older kids. "I can't sleep away from my son, nor he from me," Iris Eufragio said in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Rosedale, Maryland, where she and her 6-year-old boy, Ederson, are living with family friends while they seek asylum after fleeing violence in Honduras. The government separated them at the border in June and reunited them under court order after the boy spent a month at a Phoenix detention center. The son is struggling to adjust. As a kindergartner in Honduras, he loved school. Now teachers have had to embrace him to stop him from running off campus to get back to his mother. He keeps asking whether he may have to return to a detention center. "Just seeing a police car makes him scared," Eufragio said A federal class-action lawsuit filed this week seeks unspecified financial compensation and the creation of a fund to pay for mental health treatment for more than 2,000 children who were taken from their parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border this spring as part of the government's "zero tolerance" policy. The Trump administration declined to comment. Researchers and medical professionals have analyzed the effects of traumatizing events on children over the years, and studies have shown that persistent stress may alter brain structure in regions affecting emotions and regulating behavior. Imaging studies have found these regions are smaller than usual in severely traumatized children, and the damage may be worse the younger the child because the brain is still developing. Jenifer Wolf Williams, who is among thousands of U.S. mental health professionals offering free services to help the families, said recovery takes longer than people think. If not treated properly, children may become teens who engage in self-destructive behavior and struggle to make the right choices. The Texas therapist, who has counseled immigrants separated from their families for various reasons, said these kinds of separations can be even more traumatic for immigrants from Latin America where the culture is centered on large extended families. Thousands of miles away in Honduras, Baby Johan almost nightly lets out piercing screams. He stops when his mother mentions Emily, the social worker who cared for him in U.S. government custody. To make him feel better, she sometimes plays Johan the old videos the social worker had sent to his parents. Johan - who captured the world's attention by appearing before a judge in diapers - spent a third of his life at a U.S. government-contracted shelter in Arizona after being separated from his father at the border in May. When he returned home in July he didn't seem to recognize his parents at first. Since then, he has refused to play with his toys, drink from his bottle or eat much, rejecting the food he once loved, like bananas. He can't sleep without the lights on. He vacillates between holding onto his mother with an iron-clad embrace to hitting her to shutting down. "I wonder if this is normal for a toddler, but he cries out like he's having nightmares, he yells loudly like he's traumatized," said his mother, Adalicia Montecinos, who is eight months pregnant with her second child. "We thought once we got him back, everything would go back to normal, but he acts so traumatized, we don't know what to do." His father, Rolando Antonio Bueso Castillo, is consumed by guilt for ever taking him. He feels angry that his son, then 10-months-old, was separated from him. He said he agreed to be deported because he was told he would get his son back immediately. But Johan spent five months at a shelter in Phoenix. He spoke his first words and took his first steps there. Bueso Castillo wants to file a lawsuit against the U.S. as well. But the bus driver, who makes $10-a-day, doesn't have the means to pursue it. "This is all their fault," he said. Isai Valenzuela Segura, a 29-year-old Guatemalan, who was reunited with his 9-year-old son on July 26, wishes he could do more to help his boy, like a hire a counselor. The father has turned to his faith to guide him, reading the Bible to his son on a regular basis. "I thought when I saw my son that he'd be happy, but he asked me why I left him. He said, 'You left me alone for 41 days. You don't know how much I suffered,'" said Valenzuela Segura, who is living with his son in Tennessee while they seek asylum after fleeing violence in Guatemala. "With God's help, we'll heal," he said. ___ Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Astrid Galvan in Phoenix contributed to this report. This July 31, 2018 photo shows Honduran immigrant Iris Eufragio's 6-year-old son Ederson Eufragio in Rosedale, Maryland. The two were separated by U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico in mid-June. A federal class-action lawsuit is seeking money for damages and to fund mental health treatment for more than 2,000 children who were taken from the parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. (Courtesy of Iris Eufragio via AP) This July 31, 2018 photo shows Honduran immigrant Iris Eufragio, 40, and her 6-year-old son Ederson Eufragio in Rosedale, Md. The two were separated by U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico in mid-June. A federal class-action lawsuit is seeking money for damages and to fund mental health treatment for more than 2,000 children who were taken from the parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. (Courtesy of Iris Eufragio via AP) This Aug. 25, 2018 photo shows Honduran immigrant Iris Eufragio's 6-year-old son Ederson Eufragio in Rosedale, Md. The two were separated by U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico in mid-June. A federal class-action lawsuit is seeking money for damages and to fund mental health treatment for more than 2,000 children who were taken from the parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. (Courtesy of Iris Eufragio via AP) This July 14, 2018 photo shows Honduran immigrant Iris Eufragio, 40, after she was reunited with her 6-year-old son Ederson Eufragio at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland. The two were separated by U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico in mid-June. A federal class-action lawsuit is seeking money for damages and to fund mental health treatment for more than 2,000 children who were taken from the parents after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. (Courtesy of Iris Eufragio via AP) A mother from Guatemala, center, identified only by initials L.J., who was separated from her two children after entering the U.S. in May of 2018, is flanked by translators while speaking to reporters about the separation during a news conference, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Boston. L.J. is among plaintiffs in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, seeking monetary damages on behalf of children who were separated from their parents at the border. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) A mother from Guatemala, identified only by initials L.J., who was separated from her two children after entering the U.S. in May of 2018, is tearful while speaking to reporters about the separation during a news conference, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in Boston. L.J. is among plaintiffs in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, seeking monetary damages on behalf of children who were separated from their parents at the border. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has authorized the release of $1.2 billion in U.S. military assistance to Egypt, despite human rights concerns that have held up previous funding. The State Department said Friday it is notifying Congress that Pompeo has signed national security waivers allowing the money known as foreign military financing, or FMF, to be spent. Congress has 15 days to weigh in on the waivers, which were signed on Aug. 21 but not previously made public. It was not immediately clear why there was a delay in the notification. The money includes $1 billion for the current 2018 budget year and $195 million appropriated for 2017 that would have had to have been returned to the Treasury had it not been spent by Sept. 30. In July, Pompeo had lifted a hold on another $195 million in FMF that Congress had approved for budget year 2016 but which former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had frozen due to the continuing human rights issues. The department said Friday the Trump administration still had "serious concerns about the human rights situation in Egypt" and would continue to raise those concerns with senior Egyptian officials. "At the same time," it said, "strengthened security cooperation with Egypt is important to U.S. national security. Secretary Pompeo determined that continuing with the obligation and expenditure of these FMF funds is important to strengthening our security cooperation with Egypt." Independent monitoring groups have documented continued human rights abuses in Egypt over the past year and one such organization, Human Rights First, condemned Friday's announcement. "Sending more military aid is just doubling down on July's terrible decision," it said. "This is a clear signal that the Trump Administration is more than okay with President Sisi's targeting of human rights defenders. Green lights don't come much bigger than this." The New York-based Human Rights Watch has described the situation in Egypt as the "worst human rights crisis in the country in decades." Egyptian police, the group said, systematically use "torture, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances to silence political dissent," according to a recent assessment. Amnesty International reported an escalation in Egypt's crackdown on civil society and pointed to routine "grossly unfair" trials of government critics, peaceful protesters, journalists and human rights defenders. The suspension of the U.S. military aid to Egypt in August 2017 came as a surprise as the two allies had forged increasingly close ties under President Donald Trump. In announcing the freeze, Tillerson said he wasn't able to certify that Egypt had met the human rights criteria set by Congress in order to receive the American assistance. Egypt responded angrily and called that decision a "misjudgment of the nature of the strategic relations that have bound the two countries for decades." Egypt long has been a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, receiving nearly $80 billion in military and economic assistance over the past 30 years. UPHAM, N.M. (AP) - NASA technology designed to protect spacecraft from heat and pressure when entering a planet's atmosphere will be launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico as part of testing. NASA said Friday the system will be aboard a suborbital rocket being launched Sept. 12 by UP Aerospace. Once the rocket reaches space, the umbrella-like shield will deploy. The shield is made from woven carbon fabric and supported by semi-rigid ribs. NASA says it would allow exploratory spacecraft larger than the Curiosity rover to successfully land on other planets within the solar system. The shield was designed and built by NASA's Ames Research Center in California. As part of the launch, NASA also will be testing other technology for launch vehicles and measuring the internal environment of suborbital vehicles that are carrying experiments. National flag carrier Saudia has announced its second destination in Iraq, with plans to fly to Erbil from October 1. The new route will operate three-times-weekly, nonstop from Jeddah. Saudi Arabian Airlines director general, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, said: Saudia is expanding its route network consistently, increasing air links and seat capacity both intra-regionally and internationally. Al-Jasser said: Following the airlines start of flights to Baghdad, the increase in travel demand between the two countries within a short period of time has provided growth opportunities, and eventually the introduction of an additional station to support and facilitate the expansion in cooperation. Saudias growing route network and double-digit passenger growth have seen the airline carry more than 22 million passengers between January and July this year. - TradeArabia News Service MINSK, Belarus (AP) - About 4,000 children have been evacuated from a town in Russia-annexed Crimea where a noxious chemical leak has been blamed on a local titanium factory. Residents of Armyansk complained in late August that a sour smell was pervading the community and a substance resembling rust had fallen on roofs, trees and vehicles. Authorities this week decided to take children away from the town of 20,000 people for two weeks. They say the children are being housed at health resorts elsewhere in Crimea. Russian media have not reported widespread illness or symptoms in Armyansk. The head of Ukraine's adjacent Kherson region said Friday that 37 border guards have been hospitalized due to negative effects from the leak. Crimea's leader, Sergei Aksenov, identified the chemical as sulfur trioxide from the titanium plant. A prisoner has been seriously injured in a mass brawl after the doors to sixteen cells unexpectedly swung open. Convicts at Tecumseh State Correctional Institute, where there is a long history of rioting, were able to run out of their cells fight and start a fire. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said in a statement that the doors are operated by a computerized system and that they were mistakenly opened around 10am on Friday. Officials say the cause of the 'error' is under investigation. The inmates were ordered to stay in their cells, Nebraska State officials said, but they left the cells anyway, entered the gallery and refused to return. The injured inmate was removed from the gallery after being attacked by several men. He was taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he was in stable condition Friday afternoon. Prisoners burn objects as they mill in a courtyard behind razor wire at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in Tecumseh during a previous riot Tecumseh State Correctional Institution where 16 cells at the prison opened unexpectedly on Friday, leading to one inmate being attacked and seriously injured Another inmate also received minor injuries. Prison staff used pepper spray to clear the gallery, but the inmates continued to resist and started a fire in one of the cells, the release said. The fire was contained to the one cell, and the prisoners were returned to their cells a short time later. Emergency officers were scrambled to the site to control the inmates. A statement said: 'The corrections emergency response team (CERT) was activated and prepared to enter the gallery; however, the incident resolved with the inmates complying with staff directives. 'No staff members were injured. One staff member sought medical attention for possible smoke exposure.' Authorities said inmates at the prison that erupted into violence after the cell doors opened The prison has a troubled history. Last year, two of the prison's inmates were killed and others were injured in a riot that included a prison courtyard fire. That riot happened in the same housing unit where two other inmates were killed during a May 2015 uprising that caused about $2 million in damage. The riots and other incidents, such as attacks on prison staff, have led lawmakers and other officials to scrutinize Nebraska's prison system. The Legislature this year passed a package of bills designed to address the state's chronically overcrowded prison system and understaffing. That included a July 1, 2020, deadline to lower overcrowding from 160 percent to 140 percent of capacity. FORT VALLEY, Ga. (AP) - A 59-year-old Georgia man is heading to prison for life after he pleaded guilty in the 2016 slayings of two sheriff's deputies. Ralph Stanley Elrod pleaded guilty to malice murder and other crimes before a judge Thursday in Peach County southwest of Macon. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in a plea deal with prosecutors. News outlets reported Elrod would have faced a possible death sentence if his case went to trial. Prosecutors said Elrod fatally shot Peach County deputies Daryl Smallwood and Patrick Sondron on Nov. 6, 2016, as they responded to a call that Elrod had pointed a gun at a neighbor's nephews. District Attorney David Cooke said Elrod later told investigators he shot the deputies because he "did not want to go to jail." OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma zookeeper at an exotic animal park and candidate for governor earlier this year has been charged in a murder-for-hire scheme alleging he tried to hire someone to kill a Florida woman, federal prosecutors announced on Friday. Joseph Maldonado-Passage, 55, also known as "Joe Exotic," was indicted on two counts of hiring a person to commit murder in federal court in Oklahoma City. Prosecutors allege Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two separate people to kill the woman, who wasn't harmed. One of the unidentified people he sought to hire connected him with an undercover FBI agent, who met with Maldonado-Passage in December 2017. The indictment, unsealed on Friday, indicated Maldonado-Passage had been arrested. FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2013, file photo, Joseph Maldonado answers a question during an interview at the zoo he runs in Wynnewood, Okla. Federal prosecutors on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, announced that the zookeeper, also known as "Joe Exotic," and candidate for governor earlier this year, has been charged in a murder-for-hire scheme alleging he tried to hire someone to kill a Florida woman. Prosecutors allege Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two separate people to kill the woman, who wasn't harmed. Maldonado-Passage finished third in a three-way Libertarian primary in June. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) Court records don't list an attorney for Maldonado-Passage, who didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Known for his blonde mullet and expletive-laden rants on YouTube, Maldonado-Passage finished third in a three-way Libertarian primary in June. In October 2017, Garvin County authorities investigated after Maldonado-Passage's then-husband, 23-year-old Travis Maldonado, shot himself in the head in the zoo gift shop. Garvin County Sheriff Larry Rhodes said at the time that witnesses reported Travis Maldonado put a loaded firearm to his head and pulled the trigger to prove the weapon would not fire with the magazine removed. Maldonado married another man, Dillon Jacob Passage, in December, court records show. Maldonado's appeared on John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" when he was a 2016 write-in candidate for president. ARBOLILLO, Mexico (AP) - A day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the recovery of at least 166 skulls in mass clandestine graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where officials reported finding 47 bodies in 2017. Veracruz state prosecutor Jorge Winckler had said Thursday that authorities had been working at the site for 30 days and in that time found 32 burial pits containing 166 skulls. He said the burials were at least two years old, but made no mention that he had announced previous discoveries at the very same site in March 2017. An Associated Press photographer walked to the site with other journalists thinking they would be stopped at a security perimeter, but instead they found themselves in the middle of active excavations. All around them 40 to 50 people worked at grave sites, setting remains on white sheets and eventually placing them in red plastic bags. Many other still unopened graves were taped off. Investigators look at human remains placed in red evidence bags, dug from a clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) The site is on a narrow isthmus between the Gulf of Mexico and the Alvarado Lagoon about an hour southeast of the port city of Veracruz. The nearest community is Arbolillo, a tiny fishing village. Access required a 20-minute walk through tropical vegetation and mangroves. The graves were spread out under palm trees in a site that was possibly accessed by boat by those burying the victims. Only days before his 2017 announcement of the discovery of 47 skulls, Winckler said at another mass grave site, "There are pits where we are not working because we don't have space to put the bodies that we might find." It was not immediately clear if that was why authorities did not return to Arbolillo until last month. The state prosecutor's office did not respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. Under pressure from collectives of relatives of the state's disappeared, authorities began Friday afternoon to show families the photo albums of clothing, IDs and other items recovered from the site to see if they recognized something belonging to a loved one. Such access had originally been offered for next week. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission said Friday that the latest Veracruz discovery brought to 696 the number of corpses found in mass graves since the beginning of 2017. The government agency said 163 clandestine burial pits had been found, mainly concentrated in states like Veracruz, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Zacatecas and Jalisco. The commission said the existence of such burial pits shows the lack of effective law enforcement. The mass graves are often dug by drug and kidnapping gangs to dispose of the bodies of their victims or rivals. The pace of such discoveries does not appear to have slowed much since the height of Mexico's drug war. The commission said that between 2007 and 2016, 3,230 bodies were found in mass graves. On Friday, as the journalists were shooed from the grave site authorities began taping off a security perimeter. Human remains lie in an evidence bag, dug from a clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Investigators look at human remains placed in an evidence bag, dug from a clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Police cordon off the area at a clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Work areas are cordoned off at a clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) An investigators works at clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Police cordon off the area at a clandestine grave site in Arbolillo, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. One day after authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz announced the discovery of at least 166 skulls in mass graves, journalists who arrived at the site Friday discovered it was the same location where authorities said they had found 47 bodies the previous year. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida deputy has been fired for sleeping while on duty at a Florida school where 17 people had been killed a month earlier. Broward Sheriff's officials say 40-year-old Deputy Moises Carotti was fired last week. He had been suspended pending an internal investigation. Carotti had been assigned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to help boost security in the aftermath of February's shooting. About a month after the shooting, authorities say a student told another sergeant they'd spotted Carotti asleep in his patrol car. The sergeant reported waking Carotti by knocking on the window. An internal report says the brother of the shooter illegally came onto school grounds shortly before Carotti was found sleeping. Carotti told investigators he didn't feel well and should have called in sick. NEW YORK (AP) - John Lennon's iconic round glasses and shaggy 1970s mane will now adorn a U.S. stamp. Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and their son, Sean Lennon, were in New York City's Central Park Friday to celebrate the U.S. Postal Service's release of a stamp honoring the late Beatle. Hundreds of Beatles fans gathered for the event. "I know that my father would have been really thrilled to be accepted, officially in this way, on a stamp," said Sean Lennon. "About as official as it gets, I think." The commemorative stamp features a photo of Lennon taken in 1974 on the roof of his Manhattan apartment building by photographer Bob Gruen, who also spoke at the event. The stamp is designed to look like a 45-rpm record sleeve. "Everybody loves to listen to John's songs and I'm very proud of it, but also the fact that this day, Imagine and you guys are here. It's incredible," Yoko Ono said. She also joked about the blame she gets for breaking up the Beatles. "If John just went with me and then he began, 'La La La, Da Da Da' or something like that, people say, 'Well, that's Yoko's fault,'" she said. "Well, it's always my fault." The crowd received her warmly though, giving her a standing ovation. "I always knew how much he loved her," said Donna Gallucci who came from Pennsylvania for the event. "A lot of people didn't understand that." After the event, people lined up to buy the stamps and enjoy one more day of Beatlemania in New York City. Gallucci said, "He was so much a part of the city, so much a part of the park." SAO PAULO (AP) - The stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro, one of the leading candidates in Brazil's presidential elections, has thrown the race into disarray, making an already unpredictable contest even harder to call. Here's a look at the five top contenders, according to polls: ___ JAIR BOLSONARO FILE - In this April 19, 2018 file photo, presidential hopeful, conservative Brazilian lawmaker Jair Bolsonaro flashes two thumbs up as he poses for a photo with cadets during a ceremony marking Army Day, in Brasilia, Brazil. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) With former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva barred from running by electoral authorities, Bolsonaro leads the polls. The former army captain has tapped into deep unease in Brazil, which is reeling from a sweeping corruption scandal and is struggling to grow again after a protracted recession. Bolsonaro has expressed nostalgia for the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, has been repeatedly fined for offensive comments and has made cracking down on crime a centerpiece of his campaign. But his proposals and his fiery rhetoric have often repulsed as many Brazilians as they have attracted. He garnered 22 percent support in an Ibope poll released earlier this week. The poll, which has margin of error of 2 percentage points, interviewed 2,002 people between Sept. 1 and 3. Because a court has officially barred da Silva, Ibope did not include his name in this poll. Previous polls from a variety of agencies put the former president well ahead of Bolsonaro. ___ MARINA SILVA Silva, who once served as da Silva's environment minister, has a dramatic personal story: She suffered numerous illnesses and often went hungry as a child. She didn't learn to read and write until her teens. Silva nearly upended the last presidential race when her party's candidate died during the campaign and she took his place. She initially surged in polls, tapping into voter discontent and attracting Brazilians on both the left and right. Back then and to this day, however, Silva has struggled to define herself, beyond her focus on environmental issues. She is tied for second place in the Ibope poll, with 12 percent support. ___ CIRO GOMES The left-leaning Gomes has roots in da Silva's stronghold of the northeast and brings extensive experience, having served as governor, mayor, minster and federal congressman. He would be prepared to navigate the halls of power in Brasilia from Day 1, yet also appeals to voters who are disgusted with dirty dealings so common in Brazilian politics, touting the fact that has remained clean, despite decades in public service. Still, Gomes has struggled to unite the left - he also 12-percent support - and he has a reputation for being prickly and saying controversial things. GERALDO ALCKMIN A three-time governor of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest and richest state, Alckmin has a lot of executive experience. At a time when deteriorating public security is of growing concern to many voters, Alckmin can run on the city of Sao Paulo's remarkable reduction in its murder rate. He is a conservative who supports market-friendly economic policies, like scaling back the country's faltering social security system, making him the darling of investors. But Alckmin lacks charisma, and Ibope put his support at 9 percent. ___ FERNANDO HADDAD The Workers' Party is expected to name Haddad as its candidate next week since da Silva has been barred. Haddad is a former mayor of Sao Paulo and currently da Silva's running mate. Haddad does not have a national profile, and he was unpopular enough in Sao Paulo that he lost in the first round when he ran for re-election as mayor in 2016 - an unusually decisive defeat for an incumbent. In the Ibope poll, Haddad garnered just 6 percent support. But two-thirds of da Silva's supporters have indicated they would vote for whomever he eventually endorses - and that could substantially boost Haddad's numbers. FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2018 file photo, Brazilian presidential candidate Ciro Gomes poses for a photo with supporters during a campaign event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File) FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2018 file photo, Geraldo Alckmin, former Sao Paulo governor who is running for president, poses for a photo with supporters at a government subsidized restaurant for low income residents, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File) FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2018 file photo, Brazilian presidential candidate and a former Environment Minister Marina Silva attends her party's national convention, in Brasilia, Brazil. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) NEW YORK (AP) - A Russian hacker accused of helping pull off the biggest theft yet of consumer bank data in the United States has been extradited to the U.S. to face charges, federal prosecutors said Friday. Russian national Andrei Tyurin was arrested by Georgian authorities to face charges he helped steal personal data of more than 80 million JP Morgan Chase customers in a massive hacking scheme uncovered by federal prosecutors three years ago, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman. Tyurin is alleged to have participated in a global hacking ring that ran illegal Internet casinos and payment processors and targeted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and brokers such as E-Trade and Scottrade. Phone calls to Tyurin's attorney were not immediately returned. In an indictment unsealed Friday, Tyurin, 35, is charged with ten counts of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, securities fraud, illegal internet gambling, and wire and bank fraud, the latter which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years. He follows several others accused of participating in the sprawling hacking enterprise. "As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial wellbeing, sometimes taking years to recover," said U.S. prosecutor Berman. "Today's extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institutions." Federal prosecutors have previously named several alleged co-conspirators, including Israeli Gery Shalon and U.S. citizen Joshua Samuel Aaron. Paul McCartney, "Egypt Station" (Capitol) Let's get the titillation out of the way: Yes, Paul McCartney has a song on his new album in which he sings, "I just want it fuh you," but it certainly sounds like something else. Maybe it is. And, no, the septuagenarian knight isn't just now discovering his randy roots - there are numerous examples throughout his Beatles and solo careers where Macca was bringing the sexy bacca. Just what was it that he wanted to do in that road? Now, can we get past that? Because, honestly, what's most impressive is not what the 76-year-old sees - or sings about - when he turns out the light. The best news is that one of the world's greatest pop songwriters can still break some sonic ground and unearth gems six decades into his career. "Fuh You," for all its juvenile smarm and charm, might be what gets listeners in the door but it's nowhere close to the best thing on "Egypt Station." This cover image released by Capitol Records shows "Egypt Station," the latest release by Paul McCartney. (Capitol via AP) For starters, candor of another kind that sets this collection apart. "I Don't Know" has the hallmarks of classic McCartney, with its stately piano, Beatlesque drum and melodic bass. But lyrically he trades his trademark optimism for regret and rumination: "I've got so many lessons to learn," he intones. "What am I doing wrong? I don't know." "Happy With You" offers "Blackbird"-style finger-picking and foot-tapping. Yet the man who was jailed in Japan for pot possession now sings, "I sat around all day, I liked to get stoned. I used to get wasted but these days I don't because I'm happy with you." The master songcrafter is not above a little inscrutability. In the open, folky expanse of "Confidante," he sings to a former friend or lover, "In our imaginary world where butterflies wear army boots and stomp around the forest chanting long-lost anthems." It's a callback to his fallen, former bandmate, John Lennon. It even sounds like something that might have come from an eyeball-to-eyeball songwriting session with Lennon. If more cheek is what you seek, it can be found on "Come on to Me." It's a McCartney-by-numbers, piano-pounding bluesy rocker with a solid melody and groove. "If you come on to me, will I come on to you?" he sings amid four-on-the-floor drums, harmonica, brass and sinewy bass. It leaves a trifle more to the imagination, which might be best for family listening. There is some well-trod ground here: "Hand in Hand" and "People Want Peace" come to mind. As he sings in the latter, "I know that you've heard it before." One could, I suppose, do worse than go on about peace and love but they don't add much to his canon. Still, revelations abound. "Do It Now" is a best-of-McCartney compilation in one song, with regal keyboards, major-minor modulations, countermelodies and a sweet Macca choir that manages to be accessible and experimental. It also offers a revealing lyric about what drives him well past 64: "Do it now while the vision is clear, do it now while the feeling is here. If you leave it too late it could all disappear." "Despite Repeated Warnings" is the collection's opus: The cautionary tale - about a captain who has his own agenda and ignores the will of his people - begins majestically, then out of nowhere comes a sonic shift that would give Uncle Albert and Admiral Halsey a start. Driving rock, guitars and soulful horns call to mind his mid-'70s best, and it goes even faster and rockier before powering down again. "Egypt Station" proves McCartney is not done. Nor should he be, when he can take some risks, capitalize on his strengths and, at times, rival the heights of strongest solo work. Come for the adolescent yearning, but stay for a rewarding, mature ride with stops old and new. It's certain to offer something, um, fuh you. ___ Follow Jeff Karoub on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jeffkaroub and find more of his work at https://apnews.com/search/jeff%20karoub . By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: In a strange turn of events, officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Police disguised themselves among protesters at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar in an attempt to arrest stone pelters after Friday prayers, drawing comparisons with Israeli forces who indulge in similar activities. The place where this incident took place on Friday is known as a hub of anti-India protest. The people usually after Friday congregation prayers take part in the protest outside the historic mosque. Support TwoCircles After the Friday prayers this week, a group of youth started pelting stones at police and CRPF personnel but there was no retaliation this time and not even a single teargas shell was lobbed or baton charge initiated by the law enforcing force, according to sources. As the crowd swelled to over 100 people and two stone pelters started leading the agitation, the first tear gas shell was lobbed at the mob dispersing them. However, the protesters were left stunned when the two stone-pelters who were leading the mob were grabbed by policemen covertly placed in the crowd and whisked away in waiting vehicles. The policemen, who disguised as stone pelters, brandished guns to scare others while the duo was taken to the Police station. Perplexed by the development, the stone pelters ended the protest early today as they were caught unaware of the Police strategy. This is not the first time that this strategy was earlier executed in 2010 when scores of policemen were deployed in the mob to identify and arrested stone pelters in the area. According to Police sources, the cops adopted revised an old strategy of nabbing stone pelters by planting its men among them at Jamia Masjid downtown to arrest the real culprits in action. According to them, stone pelters in the area have become a headache for the security agencies and this was done to stop them from pelting stones. They were dressed like the protesters and appeared to be residents of downtown Srinagar in their accent and mannerisms which were the same as of the protesters, a man who had offered prayers in Mosque. Other eyewitnesses said that the masked men raised slogans in favour of freedom and also threw stones at the men in uniform. They led the protesters closer to the police, they said. The men in uniform took into custody the protesters that were caught by the masked policemen, while the rest of the protesters quickly dispersed. There were at least four of them who had put on caps and masks, said another man. A police statement issued later said that, at about 2.00 pm, after the culmination of Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid Nowhatta, a group of miscreants started pelting stones on the deployments at the main gate of Jamia Masjid. Various Police parties deputed in the area apprehended four lead miscreants who were fomenting trouble there, Also, a toy pistol was recovered from one of the miscreants apprehended there, the statement reads. In this connection case FIR No 47 of 2018 P/S Nowhatta has been registered under relevant sections and investigation has been taken up, the statement said. Meanwhile, pictures of the incident went viral on social media across Kashmir. It is evident that India is using Israeli tactics to suppress Kashmiristhis is a cowardly act by planting their own men in protesters in disguise and the caught hold of them, said a student from Old City, who wished not to be named. Two years ago, a similar strategy was adopted by the Israel Defence Force. In a video that went viral, a group of Israeli policemen were seen infiltrating a crowd of Palestinian stone pelters and arresting many of them. TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) - The Latest on a prison disturbance in Nebraska at a prison that was the site of two deadly riots in recent year (all times local): 3:10 p.m. Nebraska officials say inmates in a 16-cell, single-person unit at a prison with a history of riots attacked another inmate and set a fire after the doors on their cells were opened by mistake. A written release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says the doors at Tecumseh State Correctional Institute are operated by a computerized system and that the cell doors opened unexpectedly around 10 a.m. Friday. Officials say the cause of the error is under investigation. Officials say the inmates were ordered to stay in their cells, but they left anyway, entered the gallery and refused to return. One inmate was assaulted by one or more of the others and was seriously injured. Another inmate also received minor injuries. No prison employees were injured. Prison officials say staff used chemical agents to clear the gallery, but the inmates continued to resist and started a fire in one of the cells. The fire was contained to the one cell, and the prisoners were eventually returned to their cells. ___ 2:20 p.m. Authorities have dispatched firefighters and an ambulance to deal with an incident at a southeast Nebraska prison that was the site of two deadly riots in recent years. Authorities were called Friday to the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. A Johnson County sheriff's dispatcher said no other information was available. A Department of Correctional Services staffer who answered a spokeswoman's office phone says the incident is over and under control but declined to disclose more details. Two of the prison's inmates were killed and others were injured in a 2017 riot that included a prison courtyard fire. That riot happened in the same housing unit where two other inmates were killed during a May 2015 uprising that caused about $2 million in damage. ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) - Pittsburgh's iconic hometown candy bar is returning to Pennsylvania. Boyer Candy Company in Altoona on Thursday purchased the rights, recipes and equipment for the Clark Bar from an unidentified seller. "We're really excited. This is an iconic Pennsylvania candy," owner Anthony Forgione told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I remember the heartbreak when it left Pittsburgh." The chocolate-coated peanut butter crunch bar was created in Pittsburgh by Irish immigrant D.L. Clark in 1917. The bars were wildly successful with soldiers during World War I, when they were marketed as individually wrapped bars to facilitate shipment to American troops. The Clark family sold the business in 1955 and ownership changed several times over the years. Necco, or New England Confectionery Co., in Revere, Massachusetts, had been producing Clark Bars since the 1990s. The fate of the Clark Bar and other nostalgic candies such as Necco Wafers and Sweethearts conversation hearts were thrown into limbo when Necco declared bankruptcy in April. In May, Round Hill Investments won the auction for Necco with an offer of $17.3 million. Round Hill then sold the brand to an unspecified candy maker, prompting the sudden closure of the Revere factory. Forgione, whose company also makes Mallo Cups, declined to reveal the purchase price. He said it might take up to six months to get production underway. "We're not going to just pump product out," he told the Tribune-Review. "We saw how upset people were about the potential of this brand not existing in this country. It's really what drove us to take a stand and bring it back. No candy bar should go out of production on its 101st birthday." COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State University asked a judge on Friday to dismiss three federal lawsuits filed by former students alleging sexual misconduct by a team doctor. The lawsuits claim that university officials turned a blind eye to rampant sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, who worked at Ohio State for 20 years until he retired in 1998. Strauss killed himself in 2005. In legal motions, the university said the former students' claims are decades old and are thus barred by the statute of limitations. In addition, Ohio State said it has sovereign immunity. Ohio State stressed it's not rejecting the students' claims outright. "While the university is responding to the legal claims filed against it, as it must, Ohio State's motions to dismiss are not directed towards plaintiffs' claims of injury," lawyer Michael Carpenter said in a statement. "As stated in the motions to dismiss, 'Ohio State is not ignoring or being dismissive of plaintiffs' factual allegations.'" Jack Landskroner, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said Ohio State is wrong on the statute of limitations, saying the clock did not begin ticking on the students' claims until April. He called Ohio State's position an attempt to "hide behind a technicality" and silence accusers. "Survivors should not be deterred from coming forward," he said. "That's what OSU wants by filing this motion." A law firm hired by the university has been conducting an investigation into allegations that Strauss groped scores of male athletes and other students. To date, about 150 people have come forward to provide firsthand accounts of sexual misconduct by Strauss. The allegations date from 1979 to 1997 and involve male athletes from at least 16 sports, plus Strauss' work at the student health center and his off-campus medical office. Investigators also are reviewing whether university officials properly responded to any concerns raised about Strauss during his tenure, and whether Strauss examined high school students. WASHINGTON (AP) - In a story Sept. 6 about lawmakers pressing the Environmental Protection Agency to act faster to bring more of the country's most hazardous industrial compounds under regulation, The Associated Press erroneously referred to Rep. Fred Upton as Rep. Tom Upton. A corrected version of the story is below: Congress wants EPA to more quickly regulate unsafe chemicals Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to act faster to bring more of the country's most hazardous industrial chemicals and substances under tighter regulation, saying agency action on the health risks was "bogged down." The hearing by a House environment subcommittee focused on one of the biggest rapidly emerging health threats to public water systems, a family of widely used industrial coatings now linked to some cancers and to development problems in children, among other health risks. House members told an EPA official at the hearing about constituents, towns and states scrambling to deal with the discovery of dangerous amounts of the compounds, called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. A federal toxicology agency's finding that some of the compounds were dangerous at much lower doses than previously thought led the Trump administration's EPA to schedule public hearings. But the EPA has declined to say when it might make a decision on whether to declare some of the substances hazardous or otherwise regulate them. "What is the timeline?" asked Republican Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, who spoke of one community in his state ordered not to drink its contaminated water for nearly a month this summer. Upton also held up a previously unreleased report on water tests showing groundwater from a military base at another Michigan city, Battle Creek, bore PFAS levels up to 757 times higher than the EPA's current, advisory-only health maximum. "How do we create that sense of urgency?" Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, asked Peter Grevatt, head of the EPA's office of drinking water. "PFAS in Michigan is scaring people more than the Flint water crisis." Industries have used the compounds for decades to make nonstick and grease- and water-repellent items. Testing and peer-reviewed studies of tens of thousands of people in the Ohio River Valley exposed to high levels of a PFAS once used in making Teflon found a probable link with kidney and testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, hypertension in pregnant women and high cholesterol. Other recent studies point to immune problems in children, among other problems. Two varieties of the compounds are no longer in active production in the United States, and the EPA says it will have a proposal ready by the end of the year on how the agency might deal with those. Grevatt outlined some of the steps under consideration, such as formally declaring the two versions of the compounds as hazardous substances. But he said he did not consider the compounds "the No. 1 challenge we face." Tens of thousands of other versions of PFAS exist, some of them in wide use. Jon Corley of the American Chemistry Council said in a statement Thursday that those versions have been "well studied and undergone rigorous regulatory review." However, Andrew Gillespie, associate director of the EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory, told The Associated Press earlier this year that the agency had not yet carried out adequate reviews to be able to provide "any strong guidance" on risks of the PFAS that U.S. companies are using now. Who in authority "can tell me if the 16 mystery PFAS I found in the tap water at my children's public school are safe to drink?" North Carolina resident Emily Donovan asked lawmakers at the hearing Thursday. She lives near Cape Fear, where discharges from chemical plants are blamed for high levels of a PFAS known as GenX. The EPA has said it expects to complete some toxicology work on GenX this month. More broadly, the subcommittee's Republican chairman, Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois, joined Democrats in faulting the EPA for its handling of 2016 legislation that lawmakers had intended to speed up the agency's long-stalled action on countless other hazardous substances. Environmental groups, Democratic lawmakers and others accuse Trump's EPA, which includes a former executive of the American Chemistry Council trade group at the agency's chemicals office and which has sought to curb regulation that it sees as burdensome to business, of undermining the 2016 act. EPA action on it was "bogged down," Shimkus said, saying he would try to arrange a subcommittee hearing on it. "The whole intent was to get through a process where you don't have things like this," Shimkus said after the hearing, referring to the emerging PFAS crisis. "We have a brand-new law that we want administered," he said. DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Center for SafeSport has permanently banned two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Steven Lopez for sexual misconduct involving a minor. The center has been investigating Lopez for about four months and made his ban permanent Thursday night. He can appeal. He was suspended in May, a few days after four women filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing USA Taekwondo and the U.S. Olympic Committee of sex trafficking. FILE - In this July 21, 2015 file photo, United States' Steven Lopez celebrates winning a bronze medal by defeating Venezuela's Javier Medina in the men's taekwondo under-80kg category at the Pan Am Games in Mississauga, Ontario. The U.S. Center for SafeSport has on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, permanently banned the two-time Olympic taekwondo champion for sexual misconduct involving a minor. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File) The lawsuit alleges the organizations were long aware that Lopez and his brother, Jean, were sexual predators, but kept sending young women with them to competitions and practices. The plaintiffs have since added the U.S. Center for SafeSport as a defendant. Jean Lopez has also been banned on an interim basis. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos (all times local): 6:30 p.m. President Donald Trump tweets "No Collusion. A great day for America!" after a former campaign adviser received a 14-day prison sentence for lying to the FBI. Former Donald Trump presidential campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who triggered the Russia investigation, and who pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI, leaves federal court after he was sentenced to fourteen days in prison, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) George Papadopoulos is the first former campaign aide to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Papadopoulos learned his fate Friday in federal court in Washington. Trump referenced Papadopoulos' 14-day prison term in his tweet. Others associated with Trump's campaign, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, have accepted plea deals. They are cooperating with investigators and await sentencing. Trump said earlier Friday that he did not know Papadopoulos. ___ 4:45 p.m. Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos has been sentenced to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI. The sentence was imposed Friday in federal court in Washington. He is the first former campaign aide to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Papadopoulos apologized for his actions, telling a judge that he had made a "dreadful mistake" and was eager for redemption. Prosecutors sought a sentence of up to six months, while defense lawyers asked for probation. His case was the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. ___ 11:25 a.m. The Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation will find out Friday whether he will be going to prison for lying to the FBI. George Papadopoulos is set to be sentenced in federal court in Washington. Special counsel Robert Mueller's team is pushing for a prison sentence of up to six months, while defense attorneys are asking for probation. Papadopoulos was the first to plead guilty in Mueller's probe. His case was also the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. Prosecutors say Papadopoulos' lies caused irreparable harm to the investigation and he did not provide substantial assistance. His attorneys say he cooperated fully. Former Donald Trump presidential campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, right, who pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI during the agency's Russia probe, holds hands with his wife Simona Mangiante, as they arrive at federal court for sentencing, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - A career criminal accused by authorities of raping and killing six women in the 1970s yelled "I am not guilty!" to a jury at the start of his trial Friday for two of the killings. Rodney Halbower also yelled "I have never raped or murdered in my life!" to the jury in an outburst that briefly disrupted court proceedings, led to a request for a mistrial by his lawyer and claims by a prosecutor that the outburst was staged. The killings happened in 1976 in California's San Mateo County and in Reno, Nevada, and were dubbed the Gypsy Hill Killings. DNA evidence led to Halbower's arrest in 2014. He was in prison in Oregon at the time. FILE - This undated file photo provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office shows Rodney Halbower. Halbower, a career criminal who authorities believe is a serial killer dubbed the Gypsy Hill Killer, faces trial Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Northern California for the murders of two young women four decades ago. Law enforcement officials believe Halbower raped and killed six young women during a five-month period in 1976. Opening statements start Friday in Redwood City, California about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Francisco. (AP Photo/San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, File) Halbower, 69, is now on trial in the 1976 rapes and killings of two high school students within weeks of each other. The Gypsy Hill Killings sent fear through the San Francisco Bay Area when they happened. Prosecutors have said they don't plan to try Halbower for the other killings because a conviction in the current trial - for which their evidence is strongest - would keep him locked up for life. After Halbower's outburst, Judge Mark Forcum denied several motions for a mistrial made by Halbower's attorney, John Halley. "He doesn't get to set up his own mistrial," said Forcum. Prosecutor Sean Gallagher said he believed Halbower was purposely seeking a mistrial and vowed to talk over any outbursts that might come during opening statements. Gallagher told the jury about the two teen girls who were abducted, raped and killed in a once-tranquil suburb, and that DNA from semen found in both women and preserved for decades matched Halbower's DNA. One of the victims was stabbed to death and the other was beaten in the head with concrete and stabbed in her heart. Authorities in the 1970s said the killings were linked and dubbed the attacker the Gypsy Hill Killer for the location where one of the first victims was found. Halbower is also suspected of raping and killing a nursing student in Reno during the same period as the five California killings. "I wasn't here during that period of time," Halbower yelled out, interrupting Gallagher's opening statement. Gallagher responded that Halbower's statement wasn't true because he was living in the nearby city of San Bruno in early 1976. Halbower's attorney told the jury that some of the DNA evidence had been mishandled and that should create enough reasonable doubt for the jurors to acquit. Halbower calmed down and remained quiet in the afternoon. "I want to note for the record that the defendant stayed silent after opening statements," Judge Mark Forcum told lawyers after jurors left for the day. "That corroborates in my mind that he picks and chooses his spots to interrupt the proceedings." Halbower was in an Oregon prison for attempted murder when cold case detectives re-opened the Gypsy Hill investigation. Prosecutors say DNA taken from preserved crime-scene evidence match Halbower's DNA, which he provided to Oregon prison officials. He was charged with two counts of murder and rape in 2014 and transferred to the Redwood City jail to face a trial delayed several times by questions about his mental competency and his insistence on representing himself. A jury last year found him sane enough to stand trial. It's possible that Halbower would never have been linked to the attacks had he not escaped from a Nevada prison in December 1986. He made his way to Oregon, where he was arrested within days of his escape for rape and attempted murder. An Oregon jury convicted Halbower and sentenced him to 15 years in prison in that state. First, he was returned to Nevada to finish that state's prison term. When Nevada paroled him in 2013, he was sent back to Oregon, where prison officials took a DNA sample and submitted it to the national database investigators use to revive stalled investigations. Authorities say the results linked him to the Gypsy Hill case. Court records show Halbower has spent the past 53 years in prison or on the lam after escaping. A 1987 psychiatric report for an Oregon court concluded that Halbower was an intelligent man who suffered from "a severe personality disorder, with a propensity toward criminal behavior." Halbower earned a high school diploma in prison, but he has had no other education, court records show. He does not appear to possess job skills, although he took drafting classes and dabbled with art behind bars in Michigan, Nevada and Oregon. The report said Halbower "feels that he is pretty accomplished, that he should be able to teach, that he has a great many qualifications" and yearned to be a famous artist or a rock-and-roll star. It concluded that Halbower's "life is replete with poor impulse control, narcissism and a certain grandiosity." His trial resumes Monday. WASHINGTON (AP) - A student who survived the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, urged senators Friday to reject the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Aalayah Eastmond said that if Kavanaugh doesn't have the decency to shake hands with the father of a shooting victim, he shouldn't be able to "make life-changing decisions" affecting real people. She was referring to Fred Guttenberg, who tried to shake hands with Kavanaugh earlier in the week. Guttenberg's daughter, Jamie, died in the February attack that killed 17 at the high school. Guttenberg extended his hand to Kavanaugh, but the judge did not reciprocate. A White House spokesman said security intervened before Kavanaugh could take his hand. Kavanaugh this week told senators he's "very aware of the real-world consequences" of gun violence. Eastmond survived by hiding under the body of classmate. "I told God that I knew I was going to die; I asked to please make it fast," she said and called her parents to say her final goodbyes. Authorities picked body matter from her hair, collected her bloody dress and placed her in a chemical suit. "I completely broke down," she said, adding that her mother suffered a miscarriage a few days later. Eastmond, who has become an advocate for gun safety measures and spoke during the national March for Our Lives in March, said her 18-year-old uncle was also killed by gun violence in New York. "As you consider what to do and who to appoint to make and keep us safer from gun violence, remember my story, remember my classmates who died, remember the communities of color that face mass shootings every day," she said. WEST RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - More than 220 years after the first ordained black minister in the U.S. became a pastor in a small, predominantly white community in Vermont and preached about brotherly love, freedom and unity, people there are honoring his life and work with an historic marker. Lemuel Haynes ministered in the Parish of West Rutland for 30 years starting in 1787, drawing people from neighboring communities and hours away, with sermons that historians say at times touched on racial equality. Local historians say now is an apt time to celebrate the popular preacher and author and inspire others with an historic marker near where the church once stood. The West Rutland Historical Society is holding a public dedication ceremony Saturday. In this Sept. 6, 2018, photo, Michelle Jagodzinski, left, and Mary Reczek, right, of the West Rutland Historical Society in Vermont stand next to a new historical marker honoring Lemuel Haynes, first ordained black minister in the U.S. in West Rutland, Vt. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke) "I think it is so timely in the fact that we have this African American person that was here so many years ago speaking out for interracial peace and acceptance ... And that's what this whole nation is crying out for that now," said Michelle Jagodzinski, treasurer of the West Rutland Historical Society. Haynes was born to a white mother and black father in West Hartford, Connecticut and indentured to a devout churchman at the age of 5 months. He read everything he could and became well versed in the Bible, Jagodzinski said. After leaving his adopted family at 21, Haynes joined the Revolutionary War but arrived too late for the battle at Lexington and Concord. He later wrote a poem about the skirmish, including a line about Americans not wanting to be enslaved by the British. He later penned "Liberty Further Extended" in 1776, making the case that liberty should be extended to all, said William Hart, an associate professor of history at Middlebury College. "There he begins to connect Republican liberty and virtue with abolition," Hart said. Vermont, where Haynes made his home, was the first state to abolish adult slavery. "He was one of not too many men at the time who believed ... that the Declaration of Independence was meant for all people - not just the landed gentry who could vote but also for the blacks," said Mary Reczek, vice president of the historical society, who lives just down the road from where the church once stood next to a cemetery. Nine years later Haynes was ordained a minister and served in a church in Torrington, Connecticut for three years before being called to minister in Vermont where other Connecticut residents had moved. He's widely acknowledged to be the first African American ordained minister in the U.S. Not only was he extremely well versed in the Bible but he also had a humility and wit, Reczek said. He was let go from the congregation in 1818, but the accounts differ on why. Some historians believe it was about a doctrinal dispute within the church and others say it was because of his race. He later served as a preacher in Manchester, Vermont, and then in South Granville, New York, where he's buried. His contributions were noted at the time by Middlebury College, which granted him an honorary master's degree in 1804. Now local historians hope his legacy will gain new attention. "Here's a man and a group of people who were principled and worked hard to develop not just their families and their community and their land, and they stood for something. And they all worked together. And the fact that he was of a different race didn't seem to bother them at all," said Reczek. "He's important. People should know his name. And his contributions should be remembered," Jagodzinski said. PARIS (AP) - French and British representatives of the fishing industry have failed to reach a deal for resolving a scallop fishing dispute off France's coast. Pascal Coquet is in charge of shellfish at the French Fisheries Committee and he said after more than five hours of negotiations Friday in Paris that British demands were "too high." Earlier discussions Wednesday in London had been described by both parties as constructive - but they said many details remained to be worked out. The talks follow a clash last week in which French and British fishermen angrily bumped boats over access to fishing grounds near Normandy. About 35 French boats confronted five British vessels in international waters during the incident. French and British fishing officials are considering a third round of talks. EMBDEN, Maine (AP) - Police in Maine are investigating the killing of a pet cow that was shot to death after it wandered from its owner's land and scratched a vehicle. Police on Friday were still determining if there will be charges. The shooting took place Wednesday in Embden, a small town about 45 minutes northwest of Waterville. The cow was kept in a fenced piece of land by a local resident, but it got free and wandered onto a neighbor's lot. It then rubbed its horns against a parked sport utility vehicle, damaging it. Police say a person living on the property killed it with a handgun. The owners of the cow, named Sophie, say they are traumatized by its death. The shooter says he was protecting his property. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - An ethics panel of Maryland lawmakers could not resolve conflicting accounts between a Maryland legislator accused of sexually assaulting a legislative staffer in 2004 and the accuser, but the panel found the lawmaker went against standards of conduct expected of legislators in other cases, according to a report released Friday. The report found there was no physical evidence to support the allegations against Del. Curt Anderson. The panel also said there was no evidence - testimonial or other - that could be used to corroborate either version of the conflicting testimony. Anderson, a Baltimore Democrat, "categorically denied the allegations" under oath, the report said. "In light of the conflicting testimony, and given the limited evidence before the committee, the committee could not conclude whether the alleged 2004 sexual assault occurred," the panel concluded in a four-page report that was made public along with a one-page letter to House Speaker Michael Busch. A police report from last year says a woman told police she was employed as a legislative aide at the time of the alleged 2004 incident in a Baltimore office. The woman told police Anderson started to kiss her on the neck and mouth, and that she resisted and pushed him back. She said he pushed her onto a sofa in the office, pulled down her pants and performed oral sex on her, according to the police report. No charges were filed. In a letter to Busch, the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics noted that the alleged 2004 incident was brought to the attention of the then-House chair of the committee in 2005. As required by law, it was referred to authorities, but when the then-House chair was informed the woman did not want to proceed further with a complaint, the investigation ended. "Based on the limited evidence available, it appears that the entire membership of the committee was not informed of the full nature of the allegations or the name of the member involved," the letter written by Sen. James DeGrange and Del. Adrienne Jones, who chair the panel, said. "The committee will be reviewing internal reporting policies and procedures to ensure that the full committee and the Presiding Officers are notified and aware of any complaints against legislators that are filed with the committee." Separately, the panel also recommended that the General Assembly revise and strengthen required training about sexual harassment for all legislators. In addition, the ethics committee investigated allegations of sexual misconduct, such as inappropriate behavior and jokes of a sexual nature, involving seven women. "Two women fully cooperated with the committee's investigation and provided the committee with sworn testimony," the report said. "Under oath, Delegate Anderson partially admitted to making inappropriate comments." The ethics panel found evidence Anderson engaged in conduct "contrary to the General Assembly's Anti-Harassment Policy." Two lawmakers told The Associated Press in June that they had been interviewed by the panel. They spoke on condition of anonymity at the time, citing the sensitivity of the allegations and the confidentiality of the investigation. The allegations involving the lawmakers happened in 2015. One lawmaker told the AP that Anderson "leered" at her in front of colleagues on the House floor and told her, "I'd do you." Another lawmaker told The Baltimore Sun that Anderson approached her on the floor of the chamber, said, "They say I'm not supposed to do this anymore," and kissed her on the mouth. The panel recommended Anderson receive "intensive harassment awareness and prevention counseling." Busch, who referred the allegations to the panel in January, also has stripped Anderson of his leadership positions. Anderson has described the recommendations and actions as fair, and said he will cooperate. BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - A Brazilian man is the third and final defendant sentenced in connection with the placing of a card skimmer on a Mississippi Gulf Coast ATM. WLOX-TV reports that Claudio Fontes Ferreira was sentenced Friday to 39 months in federal prison. The Department of Justice says the 31-year-old, who is in the country illegally, was convicted of fraud. He and two others were arrested after D'Iberville police officers searched an SUV they spotted leaving a Keesler Federal Credit Union. It matched the description of a vehicle officers were looking for that was believed to have placed skimmers at a Gulfport ATM. The others who pleaded guilty were 37-year-old Rodrigo Ferrareze of Delray Beach, Florida, who drew a 10-month sentence and 26-year-old Taise Braganca Moscon, of Brazil, who received a 13-month sentence. ___ Information from: WLOX-TV, http://www.wlox.com SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Civic leaders in New Mexico's capital city turned the page Friday on a grinding dispute over the annual re-enactment of a 17th century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe following a Native American revolt. The decades-old pageant of Spanish soldiers in armor was replaced with new gestures of reconciliation at Santa Fe's autumn festival that starts with Catholic Mass and a performance by Indian Pueblo dancers. "Today marks a new beginning as we lay the past to rest through our mutual acknowledgement of the pain, agony and suffering that took place," said Paul Torres, chairman of a council of tribal governors in New Mexico that helped negotiate an end to the re-enactment. Dezmund Marcus of Ohkay Owingeh, N.M., performs the butterfly dance at the outset of an annual autumn festival in front of a crowd, including Roman Catholic Archbishop John Wester, right, on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Santa Fe, N.M. Civic and Native American leaders this year agreed to cancel the traditional re-enactment of a 17th century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe after a Native American revolt. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors have encountered mounting criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by Spanish soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) A proclamation signed Friday by Hispanic and Native American civic leaders acknowledged "wounds older and deeper than any on this continent." "On behalf of those from the past who cannot ask forgiveness, we do so now," the proclamation said. Public statues and tributes to Spanish conquerors have encountered mounting criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by Spanish soldiers and missionaries. Activists draw parallels to the national controversy over Confederate monuments. Santa Fe's "Entrada" re-enactment depicted the re-entry of conquistador Don Diego de Vargas into Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Hispanic organizers for many years insisted that the re-enactment was a celebration of Spanish settlers who defied the odds, settled hostile territory and came to an understanding with Native Americans unlike Europeans in other parts of the present-day United States. Critics of the re-enactment say it glorified colonialism and glossed over the continued violent subjugation the region's Native American tribes endured. Under the new plan, Santa Fe will host to a monthlong celebration that ends with Indigenous Peoples Day Oct. 8 at Santa Fe's central plaza. Destiny Baca, of Pojoaque, N.M., performs the butterfly dance at the outset of an annual autumn festival in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Civic and Native American leaders this year agreed to cancel the traditional re-enactment of a 17th century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe following a 1680 Native American revolt. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors have encountered mounting criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by Spanish soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Christian Romero, far right, of Ohkay Owingeh, N.M., drums and Edwin Felter, center, of Nambe, N.M., sings for a butterfly dance performance at the outset of an annual autumn festival in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Katherine Garcia, far left, and Bobby Trujillo, second from left, are dressed as the Santa Fe Fiesta queen and 17th century Spanish conqueror Don Diego de Vargas. Civic and Native American leaders this year agreed to cancel the traditional re-enactment of conquistadors reclaiming Santa Fe following a 1680 Native American revolt.(AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Native American leaders, Paul Torres, sitting, of Isleta Pueblo, N.M., and Regis Pecos, standing, of Cochiti Pueblo, N.M., co-sign a new proclamation recognizing the "trauma, tragedy and sorrow" of the area's colonial past, at a ceremony in Santa Fe, N.M., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Civic and Native Americ leaders agreed this year to put an end to an annual re-enactment of a 17th-century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe following a 1680 Native American revolt. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Costumed participants in annual civic celebrations listen to a proclamation that does away with the re-enactment of a 17th century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe following a 1680 Native American revolt, in Santa Fe, N.M., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Critics of the re-enactment said it glorified colonial rule and obscured the cruelty inflicted on Native Americans. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Participants in annual cultural celebrations in Santa Fe, N.M., portray Spanish-colonial royalty during an anniversary of Roman Catholic Mass Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Civic and Native American leaders this year agreed to cancel the traditional re-enactment of a 17th-century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe following a 1680 Native American revolt and celebrate new forms of reconciliation. Public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors have encountered mounting criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by Spanish soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Regis Pecos, center, of Cochiti, N.M., stands among Native American leaders who attend a Roman Catholic Massat the start of annual civic celebrations known as the Fiesta de Santa Fe on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Civic and Native American leaders agreed this year to put an end to an annual re-enactment of a 17th century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe following a 1680 Native American revolt. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) Members of a local Roman Catholic honor guard known as "The Caballeros de Vargas," carry a statue of the Virgin Mary through Santa Fe, N.M., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, amid annual civic and cultural festivities known as the Santa Fe Fiesta. Civic leaders in New Mexico's capital city are turning the page on a grinding dispute over the annual re-enactment of a 17-the century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe after a Native American revolt by canceling the costumed pageant. The decision comes as public statues and tributes to early Spanish conquerors have encountered mounting criticism tied to the brutal treatment of American Indians centuries ago by Spanish soldiers and missionaries. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) LOS ANGELES (AP) - A former Southern California police lieutenant who also acted as a department spokesman has agreed to plead guilty in connection with the illegal sale of more than 100 guns, prosecutors said Friday. Former Pasadena Police Lt. Vasken Gourdikian of Sierra Madre signed an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty on Sept. 20 to dealing in firearms without a license and lying during a gun purchase. Prosecutors say Gourdikian used his job to get around California's strict gun laws to resell at least 108 guns between 2014 and 2017. FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2011, file photo, then Pasadena Police officer Sgt. Vasken Gourdikian pariticpates in the Relay Race with students against Pasadena Firefighters and students at Madison Elementary in Pasadena, Calif. The former Southern California police lieutenant who also acted as a department spokesman has agreed to plead guilty in connection with the illegal sale of more than 100 guns, prosecutors said Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Former Pasadena Police Lt. Gourdikian of Sierra Madre, Calif., signed an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty on Sept. 20 to dealing in firearms without a license and lying during a gun purchase. (Walt Mancini/The Orange County Register via AP, File) As an officer, they say Gourdikian was able to buy so-called "off-roster" handguns, which aren't available to the public and aren't listed in a catalog of certified handguns maintained by the state. Although police officers aren't prohibited from selling off-roster guns to members of the public, Gourdikian "made a business of dealing firearms without a license, in part, by abusing exemptions made available to him under California law as a sworn peace officer," according to the plea agreement. Gourdikian resigned in March after a 22-year career. Mark Werksman, Gourdikian's attorney, said his client didn't' realize he was breaking the law "but sees now that's what he did." Gourdikian is a firearms enthusiast who had a large and growing collection for his own personal use, and inadvertently became an unlicensed firearms dealer by buying and selling so many guns in a relatively short period of time, Werksman said, calling his client's actions "a regulatory crime." "If he had gone out and gotten a $25 license to be a firearms dealer, none of this would have happened," he said. Prosecutors say they plan to request a prison sentence of 30 months but Werksman said he'll be asking that Gourdikian get probation. "This is a man with an exemplary service record who spent his entire adult life serving his community admirably and without blemish," he said. One of the guns that Gourdikian sold was recovered at a crime scene two months after it had been purchased, said Bill McMullan, special agent in charge of the Los Angeles field division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives. U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement that Gourdikian's "actions clearly violated federal law and introduced unauthorized firearms into the community. "By his participating in these illegal acts, Gourdikian compromised public safety and violated the public's trust," Hanna said. NEW YORK (AP) - The New York attorney general's new investigation into clergy sex abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic Church could be sweeping, delving into confidential church files in a state where hundreds of people have already made claims through programs run by the church itself. But few criminal cases or lawsuits may come out of the inquiry, whatever its findings. New York has some of the nation's strictest time limits on taking child sex abuse claims to civil or criminal courts. A yearslong campaign to extend the timeframe has stalled in the Legislature. And even if it succeeds, at least 375 people who have settled abuse claims through church-run compensation programs waived any right to sue. People pass the Archdiocese of New York, in New York, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood subpoenaed all eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state Thursday as part of a broadening civil investigation into the handling of sex abuse allegations by church leaders. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Still, investigations by New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood and her colleagues in several other states could be valuable to victims just by bringing information to light, says Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania legal expert on child sexual abuse and the founder of CHILD USA, an advocacy group. "It's a way of educating the public on how severe the problem is" and informing lawmakers' debates on extending legal time limits, she says. "The public education and the public accountability is what we need, so there's value in (the investigations). But there's not a straight line to justice for the victims." New York and New Jersey opened new investigations Thursday into the church's handling of sexual misconduct claims against clergy. Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri also have started inquiries in the three weeks since a Pennsylvania grand jury report found that since the 1940s, about 300 Catholic priests had abused a total of more than 1,000 children statewide. The report, which accused senior church officials of systematically covering up the abuse, reignited outrage and national discussion of how the church has dealt with the issue. But it yielded new criminal charges against just two priests because of legal time clocks. In Pennsylvania, prosecutors have until an accuser's 50th birthday to file charges of child sex abuse, while accusers have until their 30th birthdays to sue. New York's limits are tighter: the accuser's 23rd birthday, in both civil and criminal cases. There's no time limit for prosecuting some major child sex crimes, but only if they occurred after 2000. A measure that would raise the age for future cases - and open a one-year window for lawsuits that have been barred by the current age limits - is at an impasse amid opposition from the church, as well as other large institutions. They fault the proposal for not including public schools or other public institutions, and they say opening that "look-back window" could be financially devastating: Catholic dioceses paid $1.2 billion in legal settlements after a similar law passed in California in 2002. The New York proposal, called the Child Victims Act, has passed the Democratic-majority state Assembly, and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports the idea. But it has been blocked from a vote by the state Senate's Republican leaders. They have broached a plan to address future age limits only. Steve Jimenez, a leading advocate for the Child Victims Act, said the attorney general's new civil investigation makes the legislation all the more urgent. "We must change the law," he said. "And we will not give up until we do." Jimenez, who says a Roman Catholic brother repeatedly assaulted him when he was a child attending Catholic school in Brooklyn, said he and other supporters will be back in Albany when lawmakers reconvene in January to keep up the pressure. Underwood also has urged the Legislature to pass the law. But it's unclear how willing Senate leaders are to budge. Senate GOP spokeswoman Candice Giove noted Friday that Republicans have put forward their own proposals on the issue, "and we look forward to holding meaningful conversations that finally get results." Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, said that while the investigation may fuel calls to allow lawsuits over decades-old claims, the archdiocese established its own, private compensation program "because it was the right thing to do." The 278 people who have received a total of nearly $59.8 million through the program waived their right to sue, though they are free to speak about their experiences if they choose. A similar compensation program in the Diocese of Albany has provided over $9 million in direct compensation and counseling assistance to about 100 people, according to spokeswoman Mary DeTurris Poust. In March, the Diocese of Buffalo released a list of 42 priests facing sex abuse allegations. Church leaders have vowed to work with Underwood in her investigation. ___ Klepper reported from Albany, New York. Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox are ready to slowly ease ace Chris Sale back into action. Manager Alex Cora says the left-hander will be activated from the disabled list and pitch about two innings Tuesday night against Toronto at Fenway Park. Cora said Sale would throw a maximum of 40 pitches for the AL East leaders. Cora made the announcement before Boston hosted Houston on Friday. The Red Sox have the best record in the majors and, if they win their division, would begin the playoffs in exactly four weeks. Sale originally went on the disabled list July 31 with mild left shoulder inflammation. He returned for a start Aug. 12 against Baltimore, going five innings and striking out 12. But he quickly as placed back on the disabled list a week later with the same ailment. "Little by little, we're getting healthy," Cora said. Sale has been dominant this season, going 12-4 with a 1.97 ERA. His ERA is the second-best in the majors, and he has struck out 219 in only 146 innings. In July, he started the All-Star game for the third straight year. Cora said the progression for Sale with be two innings his first outing, followed by three in his next start. "We'll keep going and then last one - whenever it is - it's like a full-go six innings, 100 pitches or seven innings 100 pitches," Cora said. "There's a few days with the off-days there where we'll take advantage of him building up and taking care of other guys." ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ___ Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower UNITED NATIONS (AP) - North Korea and South Korea asked the United Nations on Friday to circulate a peace declaration their leaders agreed to in April that vows to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula and work toward a formal end to the Korean War. North Korea's U.N. Mission said ambassadors of the two countries sent a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak requesting that they circulate the "Panmunjom Declaration on Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula" as an official U.N. document. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the letter had been received and was being processed. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to the declaration at a summit in the demilitarized zone in Panmunjom on April 27 where the two men from nations with a deep and bitter history of acrimony held each other's hands and walked over each side of the border. North Korea said the request to circulate the document to the 193 U.N. member states "shows full determination of North and South Korea to keep advancing the North-South ties without deviation" and to demonstrate that they "have entered definitely the new orbit of peace, the orbit of reconciliation and cooperation." North Korea said active support from all U.N. members to implement the declaration "would exert great encouragement to the dramatic changes towards relaxation of the tension and the peace on (the) Korean peninsula." The joint letter follows the recent resumption of temporary reunions of relatives from the two Koreas separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and comes days after top South Korean security officials returned from a meeting with Kim in Pyongyang. They announced that Kim and Moon would hold their third summit on Sept. 18-20 in Pyongyang, just before world leaders gather for their annual meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. Chung Eui-yong, Moon's national security adviser and the head of the South Korean delegation, said Kim told him that he still had faith in President Donald Trump despite diplomatic setbacks and wishes for North Korea and the U.S. to put an end to their seven decades of hostile relations before the end of Trump's first term. Kim told Chung that work to dismantle the only missile engine test site in North Korea "means a complete suspension of future long-range ballistic missile tests." The North Korean leader also said he would take "more active" measures toward denuclearization if his moves are met with corresponding goodwill measures, Chung said. While the April declaration's language on denuclearization was considered weak, the document made inroads on a raft of other points of friction between the two Koreas. They agreed to settle their disagreement over their western maritime border by designating it as a peace area and securing fishing activities for both countries. Both leaders said they would meet on a regular basis and exchange calls via a recently established hotline, and would open a permanent communication office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. Both Koreas also said they would jointly push for talks with the United State and also potentially China to officially end the Korean War, which stopped with an armistice that did not formally end the war. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A federal report shows the number of Native American cultural items listed for bidding at five Paris auction houses declined after an uproar two years ago led to the halted sale of an Acoma Pueblo ceremonial shield - a piece tribal leaders say was illegally taken from their village in New Mexico. The U.S. Government Accountability Office in a report released this week analyzed sales and listings at auction houses that federal officials identified as primary markets for Native American cultural items - such as clothing and the colorful Acoma shield that remains in Paris amid an investigation. The items at the auction houses likely include those that tribes say are sacred and have been stolen from them, and those that represent artwork that has a legitimate place in the marketplace, according to the report. FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2018 file photo, Gov. Kurt Riley of Acoma Pueblo testifies at a congressional field hearing in Albuquerque, N.M., about legislation that would make it illegal to export federally protected Native American religious items to foreign markets. A federal report this week shows the number of Native American cultural items listed for bidding declined significantly at five Paris auction houses after widespread uproar two years ago halted the sale of an Acoma Pueblo ceremonial shield, an item tribal leaders say was illegally taken from their New Mexico community. (AP Photo/Mary Hudetz, File) It said it sometimes is difficult to differentiate between the two categories, and it noted that 13 tribes had flagged the listings of their ceremonial items over the years. The federal report found 1,400 Native American cultural items were listed for sale by the auction houses between 2012 and 2017, with about half selling for nearly $7 million total. Figures also show that after a peak in listings in May 2016 - when Acoma Pueblo Gov. Kurt Riley made an emotional public appeal for the shield's return - the number of items listed and sold dropped in the year that followed. U.S. officials at the time also called for French authorities to intervene in stopping the shield's sale, citing a history of Native American ceremonial items being taken or looted before being sold to institutions and collectors. "We in some ways have deterred the outright public sales of these items," said Aaron Sims, an attorney for Acoma Pueblo. But he noted that the report's numbers don't account for sales on the black market, where the pueblo fears some items that might have appeared in public auction catalogs in the past are now being sold. In May 2016, the federal report found that 220 items were listed in the Paris auction catalogs with just less than a third of the items - or 65 - marked as sold, according to the report. By the end of 2016, there was a 75 percent drop in the number of items listed, with no measurable rebound in listings or sales in the dates analyzed since. "I do hear from dealers overseas that they are skittish," said Robert Gallegos, a board member for the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association who lives in Albuquerque. "What the French auction houses have seen is an outburst from tribes." He said vagueness surrounding what items tribes consider sacred and what they deem a marketable art item has likely contributed to the decline of pieces sold. According to the federal report, the vast majority of items were affiliated with tribes in the Southwest - a finding that Sims said confirms what Acoma Pueblo leaders have long believed: Tribes in the region, and perhaps specifically in New Mexico, have been disproportionately affected by decades of looting and trafficking of ceremonial objects that they consider irreplaceable. The circular Acoma shield stitched together with leather straps, for example, holds a place in the pueblo's cycle of ceremonies and features what a tribal historic preservation officer describes as the face of a Kachina, or ancestral spirit. An affidavit produced by the tribe alleges the shield was taken from a home in the pueblo's village atop a mesa west of Albuquerque. French dealers at EVE, the auction house that initially planned to sell the shield, have said in the past that they acquired it legally under French and U.S. laws. They did not respond to emailed request for comment Friday. RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - The attorney of a South Dakota pet store owner whose business was raided last month said Friday that his client doesn't abuse animals and isn't the "terrible person" people are portraying her to be. Attorney Timothy Rensch told The Associated Press that Marinda Parks, 38, was in the process of opening her new store and didn't have everything set up when animal control seized 90 living animals, including dogs and cats, on Aug. 16. Rensch said she had been sick with the flu and had been unable to clean her business the day animal control officers responded to a call about two puppies sitting in a puddle inside. Animal control officers said they also found 36 dead animals and squalid conditions at the Pitter Patter Pet Store in Rapid City and issued Parks 203 municipal citations of animal cruelty and neglect. But Rensch said the dead animals were cockroaches, goldfish and snails. "These dogs and animals were not in any danger at all," Rensch said. "This gal is not an animal abuser, she's an animal lover. It's her passion. She's had a pet store for years." Rensch said that as a result of the citations Parks faces, she lost her lease and all of her inventory. "She's far from this terrible person she's been portrayed as," he said. Parks first court appearance is Sept. 19. ___ Information from: Rapid City Journal, http://www.rapidcityjournal.com BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The Latest on a visit to two Superfund sites in southwestern Montana by acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler (all times local): 6 p.m. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says cleaning up contamination at mining industry sites and other polluted locations is a priority for the agency as it faces pressure to speed up its work. FILE - This undated photo shows the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Mont. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator David Wheeler planned to visit Butte, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, after an estimated 3,000 snow geese died when they landed in the pit in 2016. (Walter Hinick/The Montana Standard via AP) Montana Public Radio reports that acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler visited the southwestern Montana communities of Butte and Anaconda on Friday with U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. The communities have languished on the federal Superfund list of contaminated sites since 1983. Butte is home to the notorious Berkeley Pit, an open-pit coper mine that holds 50 billion gallons of acidic, metal-laden water where an estimated 3,000 snow geese died in 2016. Anaconda's environmental damage was caused by copper smelting that sent arsenic, lead and other metals into the air until 1980. 9 a.m. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to visit two contaminated mining industry sites in Montana as the agency tries to speed up cleanup work that began more than three decades ago. Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler was to visit the communities of Butte and Anaconda Friday with US Sen. Steve Daines. Butte is home to the notorious Berkeley Pit, an open-pit coper mine that holds 50 billion gallons of acidic, metal-laden water where an estimated 3,000 snow geese died in 2016. Anaconda's environmental damage was caused by copper smelting that sent arsenic, lead and other metals into the air until 1980. EPA officials in June announced a "conceptual" clean-up plan for Butte. In July they reached a preliminary agreement with Atlantic Richfield Company over pollution in Anaconda. MIAMI (AP) - The Latest on Tropical Storm Florence (all times local): 8:20 p.m. North Carolina's governor has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Florence approaches the U.S. East Coast. Gov. Roy Cooper announced the declaration in a news release Friday evening as the storm neared Bermuda. Cooper says it's "too early" to know where the storm will go, but he says residents should use the weekend to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster. Some forecast models have shown Florence slamming into land by late next week, while others indicated the storm would curve away from shore. Cooper also waived transportation rules to help farmers harvest and transport their crops more quickly. The National Hurricane Center said Florence's maximum sustained winds Friday evening were estimated to be 65 mph (105 kph). The storm was centered about 905 miles (1,457 kilometers) east-southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 8 mph (13 kph). ___ 10:20 a.m. Florence could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents along parts of the U.S. East Coast this weekend as the storm swirls across the Atlantic. Though weakened to a tropical storm, Florence is expected to regain hurricane strength as it nears Bermuda. Forecasters say it's too soon to tell where the storm will go because there's still a lot of uncertainty in its long-term track. The National Hurricane Center said the storm's maximum sustained winds early Friday were estimated to be 65 mph (104 kph). Florence was centered about 985 miles (1,585 kilometers) east-southeast of Bermuda and is moving west at 7 mph (11 kph). Forecasters say two low pressure systems off the coast of Africa behind Florence also have high chances of developing into tropical storms. There are no coastal watches or warnings currently in effect. LOS ANGELES (AP) - A pipeline company was convicted of nine criminal charges Friday for causing the worst California coastal spill in 25 years, a disaster that blackened popular beaches for miles, killed wildlife and hurt tourism and fishing. A Santa Barbara County jury found Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline guilty of a felony count of failing to properly maintain its pipeline and eight misdemeanor charges, including killing marine mammals and protected sea birds. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement that Plains' actions were not only reckless and irresponsible but also criminal. FILE - In this May 21, 2015, file photo, an oil-covered bird flaps its wings amid at Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif. A California jury has found a pipeline company guilty of nine criminal charges for causing a 2015 oil spill that was the state's worst coastal spill in 25 years. The jury reached its verdict against Plains All American Pipeline of Houston on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, following a four-month trial. The jury found Plains guilty of a felony count of failing to properly maintain its pipeline and eight misdemeanor charges, including killing marine mammals and protected sea birds. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) "Today's verdict should send a message: if you endanger our environment and wildlife, we will hold you accountable," he said. Plains said in a statement that the jury didn't find any knowing misconduct by the company and "accepts full responsibility for the impact of the accident." "We are committed to doing the right thing," the company said. The company said its operation of the pipeline met or exceeded legal and industry standards, and believes the jury erred in its verdict on one count where California law allowed a conviction under a standard of negligence. "We intend to fully evaluate and consider all of our legal options with respect to the trial and resulting jury decision," Plains said. The company is set to be sentenced on Dec. 13. Because it's a company, and not a person, Plains only faces fines, though it's unclear how steep the penalties could be. Plains had faced a total of 15 charges for the rupture of a corroded pipeline that sent at least 123,000 gallons (465,000 liters) of crude oil gushing onto Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles. Plains pleaded not guilty to the charges and accused prosecutors of criminalizing an unfortunate accident. But federal inspectors found that Plains had made several preventable errors, failed to quickly detect the pipeline rupture and responded too slowly as oil flowed toward the ocean. Plains operators working from a Texas control room more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) away had turned off an alarm that would have signaled a leak and, unaware a spill had occurred, restarted the hemorrhaging line after it had shut down, which only made matters worse, inspectors found. The spill, two weeks shy of Memorial Day, closed beaches with popular campgrounds for two months and put a crimp in the local tourist economy and fishing industry. It also crippled the local oil business because the pipeline was used to transport crude to refineries from seven offshore rigs, including three owned by Exxon Mobil, that have been idle since the spill. Last year, Denver-based Venoco, declared bankruptcy, in part because it wasn't able to operate its platform. The state is now responsible for plugging and decommissioning Veneco's wells at an estimated cost of $58 million. That doesn't include the eventual cost to remove the enormous structure. Plains apologized for the spill and paid for the cleanup. The company's 2017 annual report estimated costs from the spill at $335 million, not including lost revenues. It is seeking approval to repair or rebuild its corroded pipelines. The company still faces possible fines from the U.S. government and also faces a federal class-action lawsuit by owners of beachfront properties, fishing boat operators, the petroleum industry and oil workers who lost jobs because of the spill. The pipeline that spilled has been shuttered but Plains has applied to build a new one in the same location. Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement that Plains can't be given "a second chance to spill again." "It's time to get dirty, dangerous drilling out of our oceans, out of our coastal areas and out of our state," she said. ___ Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed to this report. FILE - In this May 21, 2015 file photo, David Ledig, a national monument manager from the Bureau of Land Management, walks past rocks covered in oil at Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif. A California jury has found a pipeline company guilty of nine criminal charges for causing the 2015 oil spill that was the state's worst coastal spill in 25 years. The jury reached its verdict against Plains All American Pipeline of Houston on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, following a four-month trial. (AP Photo/Jae Hong, File) FILE - In this May 21, 2015, file photo, workers prepare an oil containment boom at Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif., two days after a ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years. A California jury has found a pipeline company guilty of nine criminal charges for causing a 2015 oil spill that was the state's worst coastal spill in 25 years. The jury in Santa Barbara County reached its verdict against Plains All American Pipeline of Houston on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, following a four-month trial. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) FILE - In this May 21, 2015, file photo, workers prepare an oil containment boom at Refugio State Beach, north of Goleta, Calif., two days after a ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years. A California jury has found a pipeline company guilty of nine criminal charges for causing a 2015 oil spill that was the state's worst coastal spill in 25 years. The jury in Santa Barbara County reached its verdict against Plains All American Pipeline of Houston on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, following a four-month trial. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) FILE - In this May 28, 2015 file photo from the County of Santa Barbara, investigators measure and photograph the long break where a pipeline ruptured, spilling thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean in May, 2015, polluting beaches and killing hundreds of birds and marine mammals. A California jury has found a pipeline company guilty of nine criminal charges for causing a 2015 oil spill that was the state's worst coastal spill in 25 years. The jury reached its verdict against Plains All American Pipeline of Houston on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, following a four-month trial. (Bruce Reitherman/County of Santa Barbara via AP, File) BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency visited two contaminated mining sites in Montana on Friday as the agency faces pressure to speed cleanup work that's dragged on for more than three decades. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited Butte and Anaconda with Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. "Superfund is a priority for the administration, for President Trump, and it's a priority for myself as well," Wheeler said during his visit, Montana Public Radio reported . FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2016 file photo, a Phoenix Wailer bird deterrent sits on the bank of the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Mont. The wailer, which emits different sounds at random times, is one of the devices used to keep birds from landing in the toxic water of the former copper mine. Mining companies hope to prevent another massive die-off of geese in the polluted waters of the Berkeley Pit in Montana. The Montana Standard reported Friday, March 9, 2018, bird experts worry that with the annual northward migration of geese underway, birds might again be tempted to rest in the water in Berkeley Pit in Butte. In November 2016, an estimated 3,000 snow geese died when they landed in the acidic, metal-laden water. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was scheduled to visit two contaminated mining industry sites in Montana on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, as the agency faces pressure to speed cleanup work that's dragged on for more than three decades. (AP Photo/Matt Volz, File) Wheeler also said the cleanup plans for both sites are works in progress and community input could still shape the final agreement. Butte is home to the notorious Berkeley Pit , an open-pit copper mine holding 50 billion gallons (190 billion liters) of acidic, metal-laden water. An estimated 3,000 snow geese died after landing in the pit in 2016. Anaconda's environmental damage was caused by a century's worth of copper smelting that sent arsenic, lead and other metals into the air until 1980. The two communities were placed on the EPA's Superfund list, which includes many of the nation's most contaminated sites, in 1983. EPA officials in June announced a "conceptual" cleanup plan for Butte. Details have not been made public because of a gag order imposed by a federal judge in a lawsuit over the pollution. In July, the agency reached a preliminary agreement over pollution in Anaconda with Atlantic Richfield Co., the state of Montana and Anaconda-Deer Lodge County. Daines has been prodding the EPA to accelerate the cleanup projects and said Wheeler's visit demonstrated the agency's willingness to work with the two communities after so many years. "It's time for action," Daines said in a telephone interview. "The sooner that happens, the sooner we can reduce the health risks." Researchers from the University of South Carolina concluded in a study published last month that Butte and Anaconda residents continue to die from cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other illnesses at higher rates than in other Montana counties. The death rate has been falling over time but remains elevated, the study said, suggesting cleanup work done to date appears to be "slowly improving the health impact of ongoing and historical pollution from mining and smelting." The study was based on an analysis of death certificate data between 2000 and 2016 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2016, file photo, snow geese fly along the bank of the Berkeley Pit's toxic waters in Butte, Mont. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator David Wheeler planned to visit Butte, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, after an estimated 3,000 snow geese died when they landed in the pit in 2016. (Walter Hinick/The Montana Standard via AP, File) FILE - This undated photo shows the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Mont. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator David Wheeler planned to visit Butte, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, after an estimated 3,000 snow geese died when they landed in the pit in 2016. (Walter Hinick/The Montana Standard via AP) FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2018, file photo, the Silver Bow Creek, left, enters Blacktail Creek in Butte, Mont. This is an area that Environmental Protection Agency, the state, the county, and Atlantic Richfield Company, ARCO have been fighting over during 12 years of confidential negotiations. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was scheduled to visit two contaminated mining industry sites in Montana on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 as the agency faces pressure to speed cleanup work that's dragged on for more than three decades. (Walter Hinick/The Montana Standard via AP, File) BOSTON (AP) - The Latest on a disabled cruise ship off the Massachusetts coast (all times local): 9:55 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard says a cruise ship that became disabled off the Massachusetts coast cannot leave Newport, Rhode Island, until it is inspected. The Coast Guard tweeted Friday night that it has ordered the Star Pride not to leave until Coast Guard officials inspect it. Capt. Chris Glander said the inspection "will ensure the safety of the passengers and crew" before they continue on to Manhattan. The Star Pride, carrying 351 people, became stranded Friday afternoon in Buzzards Bay between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. No injuries were reported. At about 4:40 p.m. the Coast Guard tweeted that the 376-foot cruise ship was anchored and holding and that commercial tugboats were on the way. The company that owns it later said the vessel had regained power and was expected to continue on its way to New York. ___ 8 p.m. The company that owns a cruise ship that became disabled off the Massachusetts coast says the vessel has regained power and is expected to continue on its way to New York. The Star Pride carrying 351 people became stranded at about 3:15 p.m. Friday in Buzzards Bay between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. No injuries were reported. The US Coast Guard responded. At about 4:40 p.m. the Coast Guard tweeted that the 376-foot cruise ship was anchored and holding and that commercial tugboats were on the way. Just after 5:30 p.m., the Coast Guard tweeted that the ship had regained power. The ship is on a 17-day cruise from Reykjavik to New York. Windstar Cruises, which operates the Star Pride, said they expect the ship to resume the cruise. ___ 6:20 p.m. The US Coast Guard is responding to a disabled cruise ship with 350 people onboard. The ship became stranded at about 3:15 p.m. Friday in Buzzards Bay between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast. There were no injuries reported. The Coast Guard said in a tweet at about 4:40 p.m. that the "376-foot cruise ship Star Pride is anchored and holding" and that commercial tugboats were on the way. The cause of the loss of power was not immediately known. Just after 5:30 p.m., the Coast Guard tweeted out an update saying "The cruise ship Star Pride has regained power but is not pulling anchor. No injuries are reported. Security zone is still in place." A helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod also responded to the scene. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - During the 70 years that the Kim family has ruled, North Korea's 30-plus massive military parades have been used as much for propaganda, intimidation and internal unity as for commemorating important anniversaries. A look at how the parades have evolved ahead of another march on Sunday, the 70th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's authoritarian government: ___ FILE - In this April 25, 2002, file photo, then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il claps from the balcony as soldiers salute him during a military parade, celebrating the foundation of the armed forces in Pyongyang, North Korea. Kim Jong Il took power after his father, Kim Il Sung, died in July 1994. But even before this, Kim Jong Il had been sharing power with his father. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara, File) KIM IL SUNG (1948-1994) Kim Il Sung, a former guerrilla who gained fame battling Japan's colonial rule, established the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Sept. 9, 1948. The North's first military parade occurred seven months earlier, on Feb. 8, 1948, when the country was under Soviet control. The parade at a Pyongyang train station plaza drew Soviet generals and about 20,000 North Korean soldiers wearing Soviet-style insignia. Kim Il Sung, then 35, delivered a speech and repeatedly cheered on his military and fellow dictator Joseph Stalin. On Aug. 15, 1949, Kim held a military parade at the same plaza to mark the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese occupation. The next year, he launched a sneak attack on South Korea that started a three-year war. Parades stopped during the bloodshed. Less than a month after the war ended with an armistice in July 1953, Kim staged another military parade on the liberation anniversary. He then conducted parades every year until 1960, all on Aug. 15, in a bid to boost internal solidarity and control during a series of executions and purges of his political rivals. These parades happened at the square in Pyongyang named after him. From the 1960s to 1980s, he held only three parades as he cemented his grip on power. ___ KIM JONG IL (1994-2011) Kim Il Sung's son, Kim Jong Il, took power after his father died in July 1994. But even before this, Kim Jong Il had been sharing power with his father. He was anointed heir apparent in 1973. In 1991, the younger Kim was made the supreme commander of the North's Korean People's Army, the backbone of his family's authoritarian rule. In 1992, Kim Jong Il attended and reviewed a parade marking the army's founding from an elevated veranda along with his father. In a high-pitched voice, the younger Kim briefly shouted to soldiers and residents gathered at Kim Il Sung Plaza, "Glory to the heroic Korean People's Army soldiers!" It was the first chance for outsiders to hear his voice, something that wasn't repeated until 2000 when his conversation with visiting South Korean President Kim Dae-jung was broadcast. From 1993 to 2011, North Korea held a dozen big military parades featuring goose-steppers, tanks and trucks loaded with rockets and missiles. The increase in big parades over the previous two decades came as Kim Jong Il initiated his trademark "military-first policy" while grappling with an international standoff over his nuclear ambitions and a famine that killed hundreds of thousands in the 1990s. Kim Jong Il died in December 2011, and his son Kim Jong Un inherited his power. ___ KIM JONG UN (2011-present) Previously little known to the outside world, Kim Jong Un made his public debut at a military parade in October 2010, standing next to his gaunt-looking father on an observation platform. Kim, then 26, had a striking resemblance to his late grandfather, Kim Il Sung. He smiled, clapped and waved his hands as goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and long-range missiles rolled past. The parade was carried live by state TV for the first time, allowing North Koreans and the rest of the world to have a good look at the future leader. In April 2012, Kim made his first televised speech during a military parade marking the 100th birthday of his grandfather. In the speech, Kim said he would strengthen his father's "military-first" policy. During his nearly seven years of rule, Kim Jong Un has conducted six big parades, introducing a series of intermediate- and long-range ballistic missiles that he eventually test-launched in defiance of U.N. resolutions. The display of such sophisticated missiles shows Kim is confident about his military's strength, or he may be trying to use them as leverage in negotiations with the United States, experts say. After three intercontinental ballistic missile launches and a powerful nuclear test last year, Kim said his country had finally gained the ability to attack the entire U.S. mainland with nuclear missiles. If he shows a new ICBM during Sunday's parade, it would likely further complicate relations with the United States amid a stalemate over nuclear diplomacy. ___ Sources: A research paper by Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies, dispatches from the North's official Korean Central News Agency and past Associated Press stories. ___ Follow Hyung-jin Kim at www.twitter.com/@hyungjin1972 FILE - In this February 1948, file photo released by the North Korean government, Kim Il Sung attends the military parade celebrating the creation of the North Korean People's Army. Kim Il Sung, a former guerrilla who gained fame battling Japan's colonial rule, established the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Sept. 9, 1948. The North's first military parade occurred seven months earlier, on Feb. 8, 1948, when the country was under Soviet control. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) FILE - In this April 15, 2012, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves from a balcony at the end of a mass military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square, North Korea, to celebrate 100 years since the birth of his grandfather and North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. Previously little known to the outside world, Kim Jong Un made his public debut at a military parade in October 2010, standing next to his gaunt-looking father on an observation platform. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder. File) FILE - In this April 15, 2017, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seen in silhouette as he waves during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, to celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un. Previously little known to the outside world, Kim Jong Un made his public debut at a military parade in October 2010, standing next to his gaunt-looking father on an observation platform. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File) FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2010, file photo, then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, right, and his son, Kim Jong Un, attend a massive military parade to mark the 65th anniversary of the communist nation's ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. Previously little known to the outside world, Kim Jong Un made his public debut at a military parade in October 2010, standing next to his gaunt-looking father on an observation platform. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File) FILE - In this April 15, 2017, file photo, soldiers march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, to celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un. During the 70 years that the Kim family has ruled, North Korea's 30-plus massive military parades have been used as much for propaganda, intimidation and internal unity as for commemorating important anniversaries. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File) FILE - In this April 25, 2002, file photo, North Korean women soldiers toting rifles stand at attention during a massive military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the communist country's armed forces. During the 70 years that the Kim family has ruled, North Korea's 30-plus massive military parades have been used as much for propaganda, intimidation and internal unity as for commemorating important anniversaries. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara, File) FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2010, file photo, North Korean soldiers salute on tanks during a massive military parade marking the 65th anniversary of the communist nation's ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. During the 70 years that the Kim family has ruled, North Korea's 30-plus massive military parades have been used as much for propaganda, intimidation and internal unity as for commemorating important anniversaries. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File) FILE - In this April 15, 2012, file photo, a North Korean vehicle carrying a missile passes by during a mass military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square, North Korea, to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the late North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. During the 70 years that the Kim family has ruled, North Korea's 30-plus massive military parades have been used as much for propaganda, intimidation and internal unity as for commemorating important anniversaries. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, File) WASHINGTON (AP) - The company set up by Donald Trump's former personal attorney offered Friday to rescind Stormy Daniels' hush-money agreement and dropped plans for its threatened $20 million lawsuit against the porn actress for allegedly violating the deal. An attorney for Essential Consultants said the company wants Daniels to repay the $130,000 she was paid as part of the nondisclosure agreement, which was signed days before the 2016 presidential election, according to a letter included in a Friday night court filing. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which Trump denies, and was suing to invalidate the nondisclosure agreement. FILE - In this Monday, April 16, 2018 file photo adult film actress Stormy Daniels speaks outside federal court in New York. The company set up by Donald Trump's former personal attorney has agreed to rescind Daniels' hush-money agreement and drop its planned $20 million lawsuit against the porn actress for violating the agreement. An attorney for the company, Essential Consultants, said in a Friday night, Sept. 7, 2018, court filing that the company wants Daniels to repay the $130,000 she was paid as part of the agreement. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) The development could kill a plan by Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, to try to compel the president to provide testimony under oath, if the agreement is rescinded and a judge agrees to dismiss the case. Essential Consultants was set up by Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty in federal court last month to campaign-finance violations and other charges. Cohen told the judge that he and Trump had arranged the payment of hush money to Daniels and a former Playboy model to influence the election. In addition to the offer to quash the agreement, Essential Consultants also agreed to back off its plan to fight Daniels in private arbitration and will not pursue a lawsuit against her, Brent Blakely, an attorney for the company said in a letter to Daniels' lawyer. Cohen has said that Daniels could owe $20 million for violating the agreement. Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, told The Associated Press that Friday's development is "a stunt by Michael Cohen trying to fix it so that Donald Trump is not deposed." Avenatti said he did not have to accept the offer and would not settle the case "without the depositions," which he said would include Trump. He believes the court should invalidate the agreement because it violated campaign finance laws, he said. Daniels is also suing Trump and Cohen for defamation. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim Chonkil, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. He was 89. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, said he died in New York on Thursday after fighting kidney and respiratory problems. Kim covered South Korea for the AP for nearly 40 years until leaving the company in 1987, a period during which the country rose from the devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War into an Asian industrial power and a full-fledged democracy following a bloody struggle against dictatorship. In this circa 1987 photo, AP photographer Kim Chon-kil looks at negatives at the Seoul, South Korea bureau. Kim suffered a broken arm when he was caught between rock-throwing students and riot police. Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. He was 89. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, confirmed he died in New York on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Corporate Archives) Kim will be remembered for one of the most iconic photos in South Korea's history - a May 1961 photo of Gen. Park Chung-hee, in an army cap and sunglasses, observing a march of military cadets in the capital, Seoul, two days after seizing power in a coup. For most South Koreans, it was the first time they saw the staunch anti-communist dictator who would rule the country for nearly 20 years before being assassinated in 1979. Park left a mixed legacy as a successful economic strategist and a brutal strongman who tortured and executed dissidents. "He was at the very front line of recording South Korea's contemporary history," Paul Shin, a longtime AP writer, said about his former colleague Kim. "He always tried harder than others to be at the scene. He had a strong sense of responsibility, but was also a very generous person." Kim was hired by the AP during the Korean War, initially helping American reporters as an interpreter and translator before formally getting a job as a photojournalist. He also covered the fall of South Korea's first president, Syngman Rhee, who fled into exile in Hawaii in 1960 amid nationwide protests over election-rigging suspicions and the 1980 pro-democracy demonstrations in the southern city of Gwangju, where hundreds died in a violent crackdown. Kim also covered a wave of pro-democracy protests in 1987 that eventually forced the government of Chun Doo-hwan, another army general who took power in a coup weeks after Park's death, to accept free presidential elections. Kim left the AP later in 1987 and worked as a photo editor for Time magazine during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He immigrated to the United States in 1993 and settled in New York. He is survived by a wife and three children. A funeral is planned in New York. FILE - In this Oct. 27, 1979, file photo, people walk beside a South Korean army tank after martial law was declared following the death of South Korean President Park Chung-hee in Seoul, South Korea. Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim Chonkil, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. He was 89. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, confirmed he died in New York on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kim Chonkil, File) FILE - In this May 23, 1987, file photo, plainclothes police, left, try to seize anti-government demonstrators as others hold them off during clashes in the center of Seoul, South Korea. Police deployed 15,000 riot police to prevent demonstrations. Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim Chonkil, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, confirmed he died in New York on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. He was 89. (AP Photo/Kim Chon-kil, File) FILE - In this Wednesday, March 3, 1961, file photo, thousands participate in a rally as South Korea celebrates the anniversary of its 1919 independence uprising against Japan, with pledges to work toward reunifying the divided peninsula and reconstructing the economy. Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim Chonkil, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. He was 89. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, confirmed he died in New York on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kim Chonkil, File) FILE - In this Aug. 9, 1962 file photo, covered bodies of North Koreans killed in an incident within the demilitarized zone, lie on the ground as a communist North Korean observer team investigates the dispute. The clash occurred when North Korean soldiers fired against a team of South Korean soldiers repairing a road. The South Koreans returned fire and killed three communists. Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim Chonkil, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. He was 89. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, confirmed he died in New York on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kim Chonkil, File) FILE - In this June 16, 1987, file photo, students run away from tear gas as police try to disperse anti-government protesters at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea, on the seventh day of anti-government demonstrations. Former Associated Press photojournalist Kim Chonkil, whose images captured South Korea's turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy, has died. He was 89. Kim's son, Kim Kuchul, confirmed he died in New York on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kim Chonkil, File) Ever since the stabbing of Julius Cesar in ancient Rome, assassination has been a fixture of political life around the world. But when political murder is captured on television - or now by citizen journalists via social media - the impact is often magnified, leaving a chilling effect that lasts for generations. This week's stabbing of a leading Brazilian presidential candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, at a campaign rally mirrors past assassination attempts that have jolted voters, forged martyrs and left a blood-stained mark on history. Bolsonaro suffered intestinal damage and serious internal bleeding and is expected to be hospitalized for several days. Here's a look at a few attacks in recent history on leading political figures: Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro grimaces right after being stabbed in the stomach during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Bolsonaro, a leading presidential candidate in Brazil, was stabbed during the campaign event, though officials and his son said the injury is not life-threatening. (AP Photo/Raysa Leite) ___ COLOMBIA Anti-corruption crusader Luis Carlos Galan was the first of three popular candidates killed in the country's 1990 presidential election that took place against the backdrop of a drug-fueled bloodbath. He was shot to death by hit men at a rally near Bogota. Cesar Gaviria was thrust into the national spotlight during Galan's nationally televised funeral when one of the murdered candidate's teenage sons tapped him as his father's successor during an emotional eulogy. Gaviria was elected president nine months later, at age 42. During his four years in office he stepped up anti-narcotics cooperation with the United States and brought down infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, who likely ordered Galan's murder. ___ MEXICO In the spring of 1994 Mexicans watched in shock as presidential candidate Luis Colosio was shot at point blank range at a campaign rally in Tijuana. Colosio was a shoo-in for the presidency but in some ways his brutal slaying paved the way for a more democratic era in Mexico. After Colosio's death, his Institutional Revolutionary Party, which held a tight monopoly on power for seven decades, struggled to find a popular replacement amid internal frictions and ban on anyone who had held public office in the previous six months from running for the presidency. They eventually settled on Ernesto Zedillo, a U.S. educated technocrat who had served on Colosio's campaign. Zedillo oversaw electoral reforms that made Mexico's democracy more competitive, and eventually gave opposition parties the chance to win governorships as well as the country's presidency. ___ PAKISTAN The 2007 slaying of Benazir Bhutto at a campaign rally as she was seeking to become Pakistan's prime minister for the third time touched off weeks of deadly rioting in the Muslim nation. Bhutto was killed in a combination shooting and suicide bombing just weeks after returning to Pakistan from exile. Her death made the self-styled "daughter of Pakistan" a martyr. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was elected in her place and went about forcing the resignation of military ruler Pervez Musharraf. ___ EGYPT Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was presiding over a military parade in 1981 when in a matter of seconds, as fighter jets buzzed overhead, a cadre of soldiers clambered atop an artillery truck and opened fire on the grandstand where the icon of Arab nationalism was surrounded by foreign dignitaries. Shocking footage of the brazen assassination, payback for Sadat's signing a peace deal with Israel, was broadcast around the world. It also became an early propaganda trophy for Islamic radicals who had penetrated the military to carry out a cleric's order that Sadat be killed. ___ ISRAEL The assassination in 1995 of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the hands of a Jewish religious extremist ignited bitter divisions between liberals and conservatives in Israel that continue to this day. Rabin was walking to his car after speaking at a nighttime peace rally in Jerusalem when a far-right law student fired three shot in his direction. Footage of a Jew killing a fellow Jew traumatized Israel and was beamed across the globe. During the days prior to the assassination, Israel's current leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, had led huge rallies against the Oslo accords at which he depicted the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Rabin as a traitor. Despite criticisms of that charged rhetoric, Netanyahu eked out a narrow victory in the elections following Rabin's death and stalled on implementation of the accords. Some leaders, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, believe that if Rabin had lived, peace between Israel and the Palestinians would have been achieved. ___ UNITED STATES For a time in the 1960s, American society seemed unhinged by political violence with the slayings of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Video footage of Kennedy's motorcade as it drove slowly through Dallas marked an entire generation and has been the source of plenty of conspiracy theories since. So much turmoil had a profound impact on America's political psyche. Following the 1968 killings of King and Robert Kennedy, race riots engulfed many American cities, protests against the Vietnam War became more violent and a few radicals on the left decided to abandon non-violent protest in favor of what they called armed "resistance." But the broadcast of King's funeral also sparked more grief than violence, and fair housing legislation that had been the source of much bitterness was passed. The Secret Service has had to guard almost every U.S. president since then against assassination plots or attempts. But the strength and composure demonstrated by Ronald Reagan - who memorably walked and joked his way into the hospital after he was shot leaving the Washington Hilton - cemented early in his presidency a reputation for toughness and coolness under fire. BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE - In this video still provided by Fernando Goncalves, National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is carried away after being stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Officials and Bolsonaro's son said the far-right candidate was in stable condition, though the son also said Bolsonaro suffered severe blood loss and arrived to the hospital "almost dead." (AP Photo/Fernando Goncalves) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1981 file photo, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat smiles at the start of the military parade in Cairo. Later, during the parade, Sadat was killed with eleven others when gunmen opened fire on the reviewing stand with automation weapons. Twenty-eight others were wounded including Vice President Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Bill Foley, File) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1981 file photo, a man in Egyptian army uniform fires a Kalashnikov assault rifle at point blank range into presidential reviewing stand where President Anwar Sadat and several others were killed. In foreground, abandoned TV camera whose operator believed to be among the dead, in Cairo, Egypt. In background Soviet-made army truck on which the assassins arrived in military parade. (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1981 file photo, an Egyptian security guard screams at people as medics bring in a stretcher to carry the wounded after the attack which killed President Anwar Sadat, as he watched a military parade. Shocking footage of the brazen assassination, payback for Sadat's signing a peace deal with Israel, was broadcast around the world. It also became an early propaganda trophy for Islamic radicals who had penetrated the military to carry out a cleric's order that Sadat be killed. (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this 1982 file photo, Luis Carlos Galan speaks at a political rally in Colombia. Anti-corruption crusader Luis Carlos Galan was the first of three popular candidates killed in the country's 1990 presidential election that took place against the backdrop of a drug-fueled bloodbath. He was shot to death by hit men at a rally near Bogota. (AP Photo/File) FILE - In this Aug. 21, 1989 file photo, the coffin containing the body of Colombian politician Luis Carlos Galan is carried through the streets of Bogota, Colombia. The 46-year-old former senator and journalist was a leading candidate for the Liberal Party's Presidential nomination. (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy rides in a motorcade with his wife Jacqueline moments before he was shot and killed in Dallas, Tx. Texas Governor and Mrs. John Connally are also in the car. Video footage of Kennedy's motorcade as it drove slowly through Dallas marked an entire generation and has been the source of plenty of conspiracy theories since. (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this Nov. 23, 1963 file photo, surrounded by detectives, Lee Harvey Oswald talks to the press as he is led down a corridor of the Dallas police station for another round of questioning in connection with the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Oswald, who denied any involvement in the shooting, was killed two days later, live on television, in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters, by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby. (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this Nov. 28, 1993 file photo, Luis Donaldo Colosio, then secretary of social development, greets reporters in his Mexico City office, after he was named the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party's presidential candidate. Colosio was shot at point blank range at a campaign rally in Tijuana. (AP photo/Carolos Taboada, File) FILE - In this March 25, 1994 file photo, Mario Aburto Martinez, suspected assassin of Mexican candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio, is presented to the media at the Almoloya de Juarez high federal prison near Toluca, about 40 miles west of Mexico City. (AP photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) FILE - In this Dec. 27, 2007 file photo, Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto waves to her supporters at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto died as Party security adviser says she was shot in the neck and chest as she got into her vehicle, then gunman blew himself up. At least 20 others were also killed in a blast that took place as Bhutto left the rally. (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash, File) FILE - In this Dec. 29, 2007 file photo, family members of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto pray at her grave in Gahri Khuda Bakhash near Larkana, Pakistan. Her death made the self-styled "daughter of Pakistan" a martyr. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was elected in her place and went about forcing the resignation of military ruler Pervez Musharraf. (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash, File) FILE - In this Nov 4, 1995 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin speaks to a crowd of more than 100,000 Israelis at Tel Aviv's municipal square. Rabin, 73, was shot three times as he had left the rally. During the days prior to the assassination, Israel's current leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, had led huge rallies against the Oslo accords at which he depicted the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Rabin as a traitor. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File) Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next. SAPPORO, Japan (AP) - Japanese rescue workers and troops searched Saturday for the missing for a third straight day in a northern hamlet buried by landslides from a powerful earthquake. Power was restored to most households and international flights resumed to the main airport serving the Hokkaido region. The Hokkaido government said Saturday that 30 people are dead or presumed dead and nine remain missing. All but three of the victims are in the town of Atsuma, where landslides crushed and buried houses at the foot of steep forested hills that overlook rice fields. Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it would suspend nearly all its production in Japan on Monday. Toyota makes transmissions and other parts in Hokkaido and also has suppliers on what is the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. Residents bring out their belongings from an earthquake-damaged house in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) The magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck about 3 a.m. on Thursday knocked out power to the entire island of 5.4 million people, swamped parts of a neighborhood in the main city of Sapporo in deep mud and triggered destructive landslides. Backhoes were removing some of the solidified mud to clear a road in Kiyota ward on the eastern edge of Sapporo. In parts of Kiyota, the earth gave way as it liquefied, tilting homes and leaving manhole covers standing one meter (three feet) in the air. In parking lots, cars were still stuck in mud that reached part way up their wheels. The return of electricity came as a huge relief for residents. About half of Hokkaido got power back Friday, and all but 20,000 households had power Saturday morning. "It was a relief that it was back yesterday evening, but it feels it took time," said 66-year-old Sapporo resident Tatsuo Kimura, adding that the blackout was a reminder "of how important electric power is in our life." Tourists from South Korea and China were able to head home from New Chitose Airport, outside of Sapporo. About 1,600 people spent the previous night at the airport, according to Japanese media reports. Hokkaido has become a popular destination for tourists from other parts of Asia. ___ Associated Press business writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report. Workers speak over a street buried in mud caused by ground liquefaction after a powerful earthquake in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A worker walks past cars half buried in mud caused by ground liquefaction after a powerful earthquake in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A worker walks past cars half buried in mud caused by ground liquefaction after a powerful earthquake in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A worker removes a debris from a damaged street as a vehicles half buried in mud caused by ground liquefaction after a powerful earthquake in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Men stand on an earthquake-damaged street in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A man cover blue sheets over an earthquake-damaged street in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) A man walks by an earthquake-damaged and tilted building with a red sign "Danger" attached by a local government in Kiyota ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thursday's powerful earthquake hit wide areas on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Some parts of the city were severely damaged, with houses atilt and roads crumbled or sunken. A mudslide left several cars half buried, and the ground subsided in some areas, leaving drainpipes and manhole covers protruding by more than a meter (yard) in some places. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration is granting only partial loan forgiveness to the vast majority of students approved for help because of fraud by for-profit colleges, according to preliminary Education Department data obtained by The Associated Press. The figures demonstrate the impact of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' new policy of tiered relief, in which students swindled by for-profit schools are compensated based on their earnings after the program. Of the roughly 16,000 fraud claims approved thus far by the Education Department under DeVos, slightly more than 1,000 students received full forgiveness on their loans, according to an AP analysis of the data. FILE - in this June 5, 2018, file photo, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pauses as she testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Preliminary data obtained by The Associated Press show the Trump administration is granting only partial loan forgiveness to the vast majority of students it approves for help because of fraud by for-profit colleges. The data demonstrate the impact of DeVos' new policy of tiered relief, in which students swindled by for-profit schools are compensated based on their earnings after the program. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) DeVos has been pushing to ease regulations for the for-profit sector and raise the bar for students seeking relief for fraud. Critics say DeVos, who has hired officials from the for-profit sector to top positions in her agency, is favoring industry interests. But DeVos counters that the previous approach was unfair to taxpayers who ended up paying for those forgiven loans. She says the new process will enable students to get their claims considered more quickly and efficiently and will be more balanced instead of an "all-or-nothing" approach. More than 165,000 claims have been filed since the loan forgiveness program launched in full in 2015 under the Obama administration. A total of nearly 48,000 claims have been approved through the end of June. Since DeVos took over, the agency has reviewed more than 25,000 claims. Partial forgiveness awards have covered on average about 30 percent of a student's outstanding loan, with the median loan of roughly $11,500 reduced to about $7,800, according to the data. The department computes the amount erased by comparing their income to peers in similar programs. The statistics were collected over the summer in preparation for a report on loan relief claims that the agency must submit to Congress. The department has previously not provided such information publicly. More than 9,000 loan forgiveness claims have been denied under DeVos, according to the data. The Obama administration didn't issue any denials, but DeVos' Education Department has said many of the claims that it rejected had actually been identified for denial, but never acted on, by the previous administration. Of the total number of claims approved by the Obama and Trump administrations, about 31 percent have received partial relief, according to the data provided to the AP. However, the Obama administration didn't grant partial loan forgiveness on any of the claims it approved. Asked for comment, Education Department spokeswoman Liz Hill pointed to DeVos' remarks in December rolling out the partial relief program. "No fraud is acceptable, and students deserve relief if the school they attended acted dishonestly," DeVos said at the time. She said the new process "will allow claims to be adjudicated quickly" and "also protects taxpayers from being forced to shoulder massive costs that may be unjustified." Kimberly Fe, 53, studied medical administration and billing at a Corinthian college in California. She said she received poor quality education and was deceived into believing that her credits would transfer to four-year colleges, which wasn't the case. The Education Department recently notified Fe that it has forgiven some $2,000 out of $7,000 of her federal student loan. "It was just a money- making machine," Fe said. "I want my money back, I want my time back." The for-profit industry experienced a boom over the past two decades, with enrollment rising from around 230,000 in the early 1990s to a record 2 million in 2010. The sector benefited from federal student loans and the fact that the global financial crisis left many Americans jobless and eager to go back to school to master new skills and get new credentials. The schools recruited aggressively, often making deceptive statements about job prospects and delivering subpar education, which left many students with meaningless degrees and a mountain of debt. The Obama administration went hard after the sector, closing down two major for-profit chains, Corinthian and ITT, and spent $550 million to forgive students' loans. Tens of thousands of students had their loans fully erased under the Obama administration, but an even bigger backlog remained. DeVos took a different approach. In December she announced a new system of partial relief that would be determined by how students fared financially after graduating or participating in a program. DeVos is also seeking to weaken or scrap Obama-era regulations meant to police for-profits and help defrauded students get their loans forgiven. "It's very self-evident in the policies that they are proposing and implementing that they are there to look out for the for-profit colleges," said Clare McCann, a higher education expert with New America, a Washington-based think tank. The tiered system was challenged in a lawsuit filed by Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard University, a legal aid clinic that is representing defrauded students. In June, a federal judge ordered the department to halt partial relief for students, ruling that the method that it used to calculate the amount was unacceptable. But Michael Dakduk of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the industry's largest trade group, hailed DeVos' efforts to reform industry regulations. "Unlike the previous administration, the current administration appears to more concerned with supporting students at all colleges and universities - regardless of tax status," Dakduk said in a statement. "Now is the time to move beyond ideological attacks on any one sector of higher education and establish a uniform commitment to transparency of outcomes that can stand the test of time." Preston Cooper, an analyst with the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said the tiered system reflected DeVos' attempt to strike a balance between protecting the interests of students and taxpayers. "This partial forgiveness operation, it's not perfect, it's hard to come up with a perfect solution," Cooper said. "I would say the administration is pursing partial relief and they are trying to find one way to negotiate this balance." FARGO, N.D. (AP) - President Donald Trump declared the U.S. Justice Department should investigate and unmask the author of a bitingly critical New York Times opinion piece purportedly written by a member of an administration "resistance" movement straining to thwart his most dangerous impulses. Trump cited "national security" Friday as the reason for such an extraordinary probe, and he called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to get it going. He also said he was exploring bringing legal action against the newspaper over publication of the essay two days earlier. "Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," Trump said. If the person has a high-level security clearance, he said, "I don't want him in those meetings." White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley, left, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Bill Shine, center, listen as President Donald Trump talks to reporters while in flight from Billings, Mont., to Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) A White House official later said Trump's call for a government investigation was an expression of his frustration with the essay, not an order for federal prosecutors to take action. Though the article was strongly critical of Trump, no classified information appears to have been revealed by the author or leaked to the newspaper, which would be a crucial bar to clear before a leak investigation could be contemplated. "The department does not confirm or deny investigations," said Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman. Trump's call is the latest test of the independence of his Justice Department, which is supposed to make investigative and charging decisions without political interference from the White House. It also reflects an expansive view of White House authority that cuts to the heart of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump's lawyers and supporters have argued that as president he is empowered not only to hire and fire whomever he chooses but that he can also inject himself into law enforcement matters. Former FBI Director James Comey has said Trump asked him to go easy on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, an allegation that Mueller is scrutinizing. Trump's lawyers have said that even if that happened as Comey described - they say it didn't - it can't be a crime because the president has the constitutional authority to involve himself in the activities of the Justice Department. Trump's call for an investigation came a day after his top lieutenants stepped forward to repudiate the op-ed in a show of support for their incensed boss, who ordered aides to unmask the writer. The denials continued Friday, when U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley published an opinion piece of her own in The Washington Post titled, "When I challenge the president, I do it directly. My anonymous colleague should have, too." Democrats were quick to condemn the president's call for a federal investigation. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said, "President Trump continues to show a troubling trend in which he views the Department of Justice as the private legal department of the Trump organization rather than an entity that is focused on respecting the Constitution and enforcing our laws." Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she wished Trump "would put the same vigor into getting to the bottom of what Russia has been doing to our country in the elections." But Rudy Giuliani, the president's attorney, suggested that it "would be appropriate" for Trump to ask for a formal investigation into the identity of the op-ed author. "Let's assume it's a person with a security clearance. If they feel writing this is appropriate, maybe they feel it would be appropriate to disclose national security secrets, too. That person should be found out and stopped," Giuliani said. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a key ally of Trump's, called for the president to order those suspected of being the author to undergo lie-detector tests. "People are suggesting it," Trump said Friday, steering clear of explicitly endorsing the proposal. "Eventually the name of this sick person will come out." In an interview Thursday with Fox News, Trump said the author "may not be a Republican, it may not be a conservative, it may be a deep state person who has been there for a long time." The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the resistance "working diligently from within" the administration, wrote that, "Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office." "It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room," the author continued. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't." ___ Miller and Tucker reported from Washington. AP writers Mike Balsamo, Mary Clare Jalonick, Eric Tucker, and Darlene Superville in Washington and Jonathan Lemire reported in New York contributed reporting. ___ Follow Thomas on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@KThomasDC, Miller on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@zekejmiller and Tucker at http://twitter.com/@ETuckerAP President Donald Trump speaks at a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, as he makwa his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, this time to help Cramer build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump walks off of the stage after speaking at a fundraiser in Fargo, N.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Trump is making his second visit to North Dakota's biggest city within 10 weeks to campaign for Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, this time to help Cramer build up his finances. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite dire U.S. warnings and fears of a humanitarian disaster, the Trump administration has little leverage to stop Russia, Iran and Syria pressing ahead with a massive military assault against Syria's northwest Idlib province. Washington has threatened military action in case of a chemical weapons attack but its mixed messaging on retaining a U.S. presence in Syria and a cut in aid has diminished its already limited influence over the seven-year conflict. So the administration, which has criticized former President Barack Obama for his inaction on Syria after the war started in 2011, risks appearing powerless to prevent the three nations' plan to retake Syria's last rebel-held area. It's an operation that many warn will cause major bloodshed among a vulnerable population of 3 million people. This photo released Tuesday, Sept 4, 2018 by the al-Qaida-affiliated Ibaa News Agency, shows smoke rising over buildings that were hit by airstrikes, in al-Sahan village, in the northern province of Idlib, Syria. Arabic reads, "Air raid by the Russian occupation plane targets al-Sahan village." Despite dire U.S. warnings and fears of a humanitarian disaster, the Trump administration has little leverage to stop Russia, Iran and Syria pressing ahead with a massive military assault against Syria's northwest Idlib province. (Ibaa News Agency, via AP) And on Saturday, Syrian government and Russian warplanes targeted the province's southern edge in what activists described as the most intense airstrikes in weeks. More than 60 air raids killed at least four civilians in southern Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and rescue workers. While the new U.S. special envoy for Syria said this week that America will stay in Syria until the complete eradication of the Islamic State group, there's little assurance that President Donald Trump won't again seek the withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in the country. And in a sign of the administration's shrinking commitment to Syria, it has pulled more than $200 million in stabilization funding for liberated areas, telling other nations they should step up to pay. A summit in Tehran on Friday between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was seen as a chance for a diplomatic solution before a full-scale assault on Idlib. The three nations are all tacitly allied against IS and in support of a unified, stable Syria, but have differing views of how to achieve those ends. After Friday's talks, the U.N. envoy for Syria told the U.N. Security Council there were indications that the three leaders intend to continue talking to avoid a catastrophe. But above all, the summit highlighted the stark differences among these allies of convenience, with Putin and Rouhani opposing Erdogan's call for a cease-fire. As they discussed the fate of Idlib, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was talking tough in New York, telling the Security Council that the United States would consider any assault on the province as a "dangerous escalation" of the conflict that has already claimed more than 400,000 lives and forced more than 5 million Syrians to flee the country. "If (Syrian President Bashar) Assad, Russia, and Iran continue, the consequences will be dire," said Haley, who was chairing the council meeting. "The Assad regime must halt its offensive ... Russia and Iran, as countries with influence over the regime, must stop this catastrophe. It is in their power to do so." Those remarks capped a week of rising U.S. rhetoric opposing the Idlib operation. On Monday, Trump tweeted: "President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don't let that happen!" A day later, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expanded on the tweet, and renewed calls for the conflict to be resolved through the U.N.-led Geneva Process, which has been stalled for years. And on Thursday, the man Pompeo chose to be his point-man on getting the Geneva process back on track, veteran diplomat James Jeffrey, reiterated Trump's message, saying the U.S. would use all the "tools" it has to respond to a chemical attack. Another "tool" in the U.S. arsenal is economic pressure. The U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions on nine people and companies for assisting weapons or fuel transfers to the Assad regime on Thursday. But sanctions have been ineffectual since they first began to be applied during the Obama administration. Even American airstrikes launched against the Assad government have had limited impact in the past. Twice before the U.S. has resorted to missile strikes in response to chemical weapons attacks, only to see them used again. As Syrian forces prepare for the assault on Idlib, U.S. and UN officials again see signs that those internationally prescribed weapons are being readied for the battlefield. "There's lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared," Jeffrey told reporters Thursday. Officials and analysts will be watching Idlib closely over the next week ahead of U.N.-led talks on Syria in Geneva on Sept. 14. "The Trump administration is really at a Hail Mary moment," said Nicholas Heras, a Syria analyst and fellow at the Center for New American Security. Idlib is the last opportunity for the U.S. to increase leverage in Syria, he said, and if the province falls before the Geneva talks, Trump administration efforts to re-engage with peace talks will likely fail. Heras warned that the Trump team is late to formulate a coherent Syria policy. "It's like trying to save the house as it's burning down," he said. In this Wednesday, Sept 5, 2018 photo, Syrian students play in the courtyard of a school whose walls are still charred and pockmarked with bullets from recent fighting in the town of Douma, in the eastern Ghouta region, near the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. Despite dire U.S. warnings and fears of a humanitarian disaster, the Trump administration has little leverage to stop Russia, Iran and Syria pressing ahead with a massive military assault against Syria's northwest Idlib province. (AP Photo) NEW YORK (AP) - A 19th-century fountain in Manhattan's Central Park provided a majestic backdrop for Ralph Lauren's star-studded 50th anniversary blowout on Friday, a festive celebration of his past and present that included a runway show and a black-tie dinner. Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Blake Lively and Jessica Chastain were just a few of the dozens of celebrities gathered to fete Lauren, 78, and his decades atop the fashion world. Not to mention Hillary Clinton, who wore Lauren's designs at numerous key moments of her presidential campaign - including the white "suffragette" pantsuit she wore to accept the Democratic nomination in Philadelphia. "I love his clothes," Clinton said. "You know he really was so generous and kind to help with all of my clothes during the campaign." Ralph Lauren, center, greets the audience after the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) It was Winfrey who had the job of toasting Lauren at dinner. "The real reason we are here is not the show," she said. "It's you. You Ralph Lauren, and 50 years of your designing our dreams." Winfrey told Lauren that he represented what was great in America. "Your story exalts our collective story," she said. "Your designs define integrity." Old-fashioned trolley cars met guests on Fifth Avenue and shuttled them into the park, where the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain had been transformed into a party space. Guests sipped cocktails and watched, on towering vertical screens, highlights of Lauren shows over the years. Then, everyone descended a granite staircase to the runway show, where velvet banquettes awaited and oriental carpets lined the floor. The show, which fittingly began to the strains of Paul Simon's "New York is My Home," combined elements from various Lauren collections over the years, and included some older models who had been in early campaigns. And, in a second half celebrating the family, it included many smiling children, some small enough to be carried by the adults on the runway - and one baby fast asleep. Lauren himself appeared on the staircase at the end, to thunderous cheers. He took a slow victory lap across the room while admirers applauded, hugged him if they were close by, or snapped photos furiously. At dinner, which took place around the famous fountain, Lauren told the crowd that, contrary to the evening's glamour, he wasn't very glamorous at home. "I walk around in a ripped robe, and no towels," he said. He was referring to Winfrey's anecdote, offered in her toast, about how, working in Chicago early in her career, she saw owning Ralph Lauren towels as a symbol of success. "I vowed, if I ever got me some money I would get me some Ralph Lauren towels," she said - specifically "bath sheets." And she did. Clinton, who sat next to Lauren, told the Associated Press their friendship dated back to the '90s, when Clinton was working on a project to save American treasures, and Lauren helped save the star-spangled banner that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. "Ralph came forward and funded the conservation and restoration of the star-spangled banner," she said, "and he and I were able to be there years later to once again put it on display and have it properly taken care of. His help made that happen. And we just became friends." Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, right, and Ricky Lauren pose for a photo after the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show is shown during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Kanye West arrives at the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Jessica Chastain chats before the start of the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Guests attend a dinner in Central Park after the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show is shown during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Fashion Designer Ralph Lauren greets the audience after the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Katherine Langford, from left, Nick Jonas and fiancee Priyanka Chopra, attend the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Models walk the runway at the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Models walk the runway at the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) Models walk the runway at the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) BASRA, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi security forces deployed on the streets of Basra on Saturday, a day after protesters in the southern city stormed the Iranian consulate and torched government buildings in violence that rocked the oil-exporting Shiite heartland and sparked alarm across a conflict-weary country. Masked troops in combat fatigues set up checkpoints and rode through the city center in black pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted in the back. Security forces in Humvees deployed at intersections. The deployment came after an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed to respond to the violent protests that have gripped the city for the past week, raising the threat of further violence. Popular Mobilization Forces parade in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. A local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed a response Saturday to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra, raising the specter for more escalation in the oil-rich southern region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) At least 15 people were killed and 249 injured in clashes between protesters and security forces this week, health officials say. Since June, Basra has been shaken by the most serious protests in the oil-rich southern region in years, with angry residents complaining of poor public services. In recent days, protests escalated, as crowds turned their rage on neighboring Iran, blaming its outsized influence in Iraq's political affairs for their misery and calling for radical change. Iran controls powerful Shiite militias in Basra, home to some of the largest oil fields in Iraq. Raad Abdelhamid, a Basra firefighter, said he fears for Iraq. "The militias are responsible for this corruption," he said as he stood outside the still-smoldering provincial government building on Saturday, his second day of working to put out a fire there. "I fear Basra is headed for more blood," he said, in tears. A banner on one side of the building read in Arabic: "No to the militias, your militias under our feet." Despite the oil wealth, the city has long suffered from government neglect, soaring unemployment and a crumbling infrastructure. Over the past month, thousands of people were hospitalized after drinking polluted water. Angry protesters have torched government buildings and offices belonging to the Iranian-backed militias in the weeklong protests demanding improved services and an end to corruption. On Friday night, protesters chanting anti-Iranian slogans including "Iran, out, out!" stormed the Iranian consulate and set it on fire. They also burned an Iranian flag and trampled on a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the attack on the consulate, which he said caused significant damage to the building. He called for maximum punishment for the assailants. The ministry also summoned the Iraqi ambassador to relay Tehran's "strong protest." On Saturday, an Iraqi flag was placed at the entrance to the consulate after the Iranian one was torn down and set ablaze. Sprayed in red on the concrete wall of the consulate were the words: "Down with Iran, down with the militias, the revolution will continue." The U.S. State Department criticized the attack, without explicitly mentioning Iran. "The United States condemns violence against diplomats, including that which occurred today in Basra," it said in a statement Friday. The consulate, which handles visas for four southern governorates and issued between five to eight thousand tourism and medical visas a day through a travel agency located next to the embassy, stopped issuing visas. The government-sanctioned Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces - Hashed in Arabic - threatened retaliation Saturday, raising the specter of further escalation. "We will have a response to those who are carrying out acts of arson and sabotage," the militias' commander, known as Abu Yasser al-Jaafari, told reporters in Basra. Al-Jaafari said the lack of response thus far should not be taken as a sign of weakness. He spoke at the city's presidential palaces compound, where Shiite paramilitary troops are stationed. On Thursday night, protesters had marched to the compound and tried to breach it. At least three cars driven by the troops ploughed into the protesters, killing one and wounding four others, according to a health official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. Several burned cars were seen in the compound. On Saturday morning, assailants fired three Katyusha rockets at Iraq's Basra airport, which houses the U.S. consulate, adding to the tensions. An airport official said the attack did not cause casualties or disrupt flights in or out of the city. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Security officials said they reopened partially the vital Umm Qasr port on the Persian Gulf on Saturday, after shutting down operations for several days amid concerns that protesters might try to storm it. An Iraqi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, said the military commander for Basra operations, Jamil al-Shumari, was replaced. Young men in Basra said Saturday that they would continue protesting. "We have no work, no money. Something needs to change," said 18-year-old Mustafa Diaa, a jobless construction worker who said he has been taking part in the protests every day. Diaa took part in torching the provincial government building two days earlier and returned to the scene on Saturday. He said he does not regret it and would do so again until something gives. "They should change the government, provide job opportunities and fix the water. I'm not scared," he said. Basra, once known as the "Venice of the East" because of its freshwater canals, has been hit by an acute water crisis, including rising pollution and salt water levels. The city, where temperatures often approach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer, has also been crippled by electricity shortages. Two hospital officials told The Associated Press that around 35,000 residents have been treated at hospitals as a result of water pollution in the past month. The water is so contaminated it cannot even be used for cooking or washing. The protests began in June, tapered off, then restarted Monday after a surge in water poisoning cases. Iraq's government has scrambled to meet the growing demand for public services and jobs, but has been hindered by years of endemic corruption and a financial crisis fueled by diminished oil revenues and the costly war against the Islamic State group. Basra's streets are filled with pictures of young men from Shiite militias who were killed fighting against the Islamic State group in the past few years - a war that allowed the militias space to flourish and gain strength. Many residents of the predominantly Shiite city now accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering in Iraqi politics. They blame the Shiite militias in their city for mismanagement and profiteering at their expense. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the violence. Iraq's parliament held an emergency session Saturday to discuss the unrest in Basra which comes amid a political crisis in Baghdad, adding to overall tensions in the country. The newly elected parliament earlier this week held its first session since the national elections in May, but the session was adjourned amid disagreements as two blocs, both claiming to hold the most seats, vied for the right to form a new government. ___ Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report. Popular Mobilization Forces parade in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. A local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed a response Saturday to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra, raising the specter for more escalation in the oil-rich southern region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Popular Mobilization Forces fighters stand guard in their burned headquarters in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. A local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed a response Saturday to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra, raising the specter for more escalation in the oil-rich southern region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Abu Yasser al-Jaafari, center, a local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, speaks to reporters inside the burned Popular Mobilization Forces building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. A local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed a response Saturday to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra, raising the specter for more escalation in the oil-rich southern region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) A woman passes by the burned Basra Government building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. A local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed a response Saturday to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra, raising the specter for more escalation in the oil-rich southern region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Workers throw burned furniture from burned Basra Government building in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. A local military commander for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed a response Saturday to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra, raising the specter for more escalation in the oil-rich southern region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters storm and burn the Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters raise the Iraqi flag over Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - President Hassan Rouhani says Iran routinely receives invitations from the U.S. for talks even as the country is pressured by the U.S. in the form of sanctions. Rouhani said Saturday in a speech broadcast on state TV: "Every day they send us messages in various ways saying let's talk." Rouhani says Iranians will not surrender to the U.S.'s "economic war" on Iran, a reference to renewed sanctions resulting from the U.S. pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and Western powers in May. Iran's rial value has been sharply falling since then. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is concerned about Iran's ballistic missile program and regional influence. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - The Maldives has hit out at the United States after the U.S. warned of possible sanctions against key officials of the island nation if upcoming elections are not free and fair. President Donald Trump's administration warned the Indian Ocean archipelago on Thursday of possible sanctions if it doesn't reverse democratic backsliding and ensure free presidential elections on Sept. 23. In a statement posted late Friday on the foreign ministry website, the Maldives said it views the U.S. statement as "as an act of intimidation, imposing undue influence on the democratic processes of a sovereign state." It urged the United States and others "to allow the people of the Maldives to freely decide on 23 September on who should lead them for the next five years." The United States' remarks came amid rising accusations from the Maldivian opposition that the elections will not be free and fair. Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has expressed fears that the government will rig the election. The government rejected Solih's claims, saying it will not unduly influence the election. Current President Yameen Abdul Gayoom had expected to contest the election virtually unopposed, with all of his potential opponents either in jail or forced into exile. However, Solih came forward to contest the election after his party's leader, exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed, abandoned plans to run because of legal obstacles. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison, making him ineligible to contest the election. The verdict was widely criticized as politically motivated. The Supreme Court earlier this year ordered Nasheed's release and retrial, but the government refused to implement the ruling. Following the Supreme Court order to release and retry Nasheed, the government arrested the chief justice and another judge. The remaining three Supreme Court justices then reversed the order. The Maldives had its first multiparty election in 2008, with Nasheed defeating 30-year autocrat Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Nasheed resigned in 2012 amid public protests over his order to the military to detain a sitting judge. He lost the 2013 election to Gayoom's half brother, Yameen, who has reversed many of the country's democratic gains. Gayoom is now an ally of the pro-Nasheed coalition and was jailed by his half brother. Yameen's administration has also jailed his former vice president, two defense ministers, the chief justice and a Supreme Court judge, as well as many other politicians and officials. The opposition and rights groups have claimed they are political prisoners. The foreign ministry's statement said that the Maldives has no political prisoners, and that all those who have been convicted have undergone due process. KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) - A helicopter flying in bad weather crashed in Nepal's mountains on Saturday, killing five of the seven people on board and leaving another missing, police said. The pilot and four of the six passengers, including a 68-year-old Japanese man, were among those killed, said police official Basanta Kuwar. Another passenger was missing, while a woman survived the crash, he said. The woman's condition was not immediately clear. Rescuers were scouring the area for the missing person but thick fog and rain and the mountainous terrain were making the operation difficult, Kuwar said. Aside from the Japanese man, the six others aboard the helicopter were Nepalese. The area where the crash happened is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. The Airbus-manufactured Ecureuil helicopter belongs to Altitude Air in Nepal and has been used in mountain rescues. SANAA, Yemen (AP) - The U.N. special envoy to Yemen sought to downplay the significance of the failure of peace talks to start, saying on Saturday that he would head back to Yemen and neighboring Oman "within days" to try and agree on a new date. A delegation of the internationally recognized government arrived in Geneva for the talks, which were supposed to start Thursday, but their war rivals - Iranian-backed rebels known as the Houthis - did not, arguing they could not go because they did not have guarantees for their safe return. Addressing a news conference in Geneva, Martin Griffiths declined to blame either side for the failure to start the talks, saying apportioning blame would not help Yemen. He insisted that the "consultation" - the term used by the U.N. to refer to the talks - had begun when he and his team held three days of talks with the government delegation. The results of these talks, he said, would be relayed to Houthi representatives in Oman and Yemen. Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, gestures as he speaks to the media about Geneva Consultations on Yemen during a news conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, September 8, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) "We will have similar consultations with Ansar Allah (the Houthis' formal name) ... we will go, and we will discuss with them the fruits of the discussions we've had here. So we will be going to Muscat and Sanaa to take up the issues that we will have discussed here. This is what I mean by, 'We have begun.'" He added: "There was an effort on the part of the Ansar Allah to come here. They wanted to be here. We just did not make it. It's not the first time that we have difficulties in a Yemeni context. Criticizing one or the other doesn't help Yemen. Things happen." The envoy's refusal to apportion blame angered the Yemeni government. Addressing a news conference that immediately followed Griffith's, Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani said the envoy's comments sought to "appease and find excuses" for the Houthis. Their failure to travel to Geneva, he added, showcased their "irresponsibility." The talks would have been the first between Yemen's war rivals in two years. The Houthis insist on traveling to Geneva on an Omani flight, saying that would ensure their safe return to Yemen. "We want guarantees on our return to Yemen," senior Houthi official Deif Allah al-Shami said Friday. On Thursday, senior rebel official Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said on Twitter that the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government refused to grant the Omani flight authorization to transfer their delegation to Geneva. He said that raised the risk of being prevented from returning to Yemen, which he said happened in 2016 after a failed round of talks. The coalition, which has imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Yemen since 2016, denied the allegation. Yemen has been locked in a ruinous war pitting the Saudi-led coalition backing the government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi against the Houthis since March 2015. Saudi-led airstrikes have hit schools, hospitals and wedding parties and killed thousands of Yemeni civilians. The Houthis have fired long-range missiles into Saudi Arabia and targeted vessels in the Red Sea. At least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's conflict, which has exacerbated what the U.N. calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, adjusts his headset as he speaks to the media about Geneva Consultations on Yemen during a news conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, September 8, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian government and Russian warplanes on Saturday targeted the southern edge of Idlib province in what activists described as the most intense airstrikes in weeks, ratcheting up military pressure on the densely populated rebel-held bastion. More than 60 air raids killed at least four civilians in southern Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and rescue workers. The bombings also included indiscriminate barrel bombs, dropped from choppers, invariably blamed on the government. The bombings, including shelling from government areas, came a day after Iran and Russia backed a military campaign in the rebel-held area despite Turkey's pleas for a cease-fire. Turkey has troops and 12 observations points that circle Idlib. This image courtesy of Mustafa Alabdullah, an activist and resident of Idlib, shows a protester holding a placard, in Harim, a town in Idlib province, Syria, Friday, Sept 7, 2018. The rallies were part of a day of protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad and his troops' imminent offensive against Idlib, the last bastion of rebels in Syria. The Friday rallies came as Presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia are meeting in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria. The summit may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action in Idlib and its surrounding areas, home to more than 3 million people. Nearly half of the area's residents are already displaced from other parts of Syria and have refused to reconcile with the Syrian government. (Courtesy of Mustafa Alabdullah via AP) State-run Al-Ikhbariya TV said the government was retaliating against overnight shelling from rebel-held areas on a government-held town in Hama province, south of Idlib. The shelling late Friday in Mhradah killed nine civilians, according to state media. The state news agency SANA said government forces have shelled "terrorist" posts in northern Hama. But the government and Russian raids targeted a wide swath of rebel-held area in the southern edge of the rebel-held enclave that includes most of Idlib province and northern Hama province. More than 3 million people live in the area, nearly half of them already displaced from fighting elsewhere in Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 68 air raids and 19 barrel bombs dropped Saturday on several of towns and villages in southwestern Idlib and Hama province. The area targeted over the past few days overlooks government-controlled areas. The Observatory described the attacks on the rebel-held areas as the "most intense" since August and said they killed four in Abdeen, west of Khan Sheikhoun town, including two children and a woman. The raids forced schools to close in Khan Sheikhoun, a town under attack, according to the Observatory. The White Helmets, a team of first responders, also reported on the four people killed in Abdeen. A video posted by the White Helmets from the town shows their rescuers pulling a woman who was still alive from under the rubble of a caked building, as other team members warn of government helicopters hovering above them. The rescuers said another was killed in Halba, a village farther north. The group said one of its already damaged centers had been hit in the wave of airstrikes. In another village in central Idlib, Hass, an area hospital was hit by the airstrikes, putting it out of service and injuring two of its staff members, according to Coordinators of Response, a group of volunteers operating in northern Syria. The group also said the airstrikes caused a limited amount of internal displacement, uprooting nearly 700 families from their homes in several parts of Idlib. The local council of Morek, a town that serves as a crossing between Hama and Idlib, sent an urgent appeal, asking Turkey to intervene. "We need a quick solution or our town will burn!" the official pleaded in an audio recording shared on social media platforms. Separately, clashes broke out in eastern Syria in Qamishli, a town close to the border with Turkey, between government and Kurdish security members. The Observatory said the clashes left 10 government security personnel and seven Kurdish fighters dead. The town is run by Kurdish-led administrators and forces, but Syrian government troops hold pockets of territory there, including the airport. Occasional clashes erupt there over turf control and authority, reflecting deepening political tension between the uneasy partners. Kurdish security forces, known as Asayish, said in a statement that a government patrol entered the areas controlled by the Kurdish militia in Qamishli and began arresting civilians, then shot at a Kurdish checkpoint sparking the gun battle. The Asayish said seven of its members and 11 government personnel were killed. A journalist and area resident, Arin Sheikmos, said the government security troops carried out an arrest campaign in Kurdish-controlled areas, detaining people it accused of dodging military conscription. This prompted the clashes that lasted no more than 20 minutes, Sheikmos said. There was no immediate comment on the clashes by the government. The U.S.-backed Kurdish administration has recently begun talking with the Syrian government, seeking government recognition of its self-rule areas. But in recent days, the Damascus government announced that it will be holding local administration elections, including in Kurdish-ruled areas, undermining the negotiations with the Kurds and their proposal for self-rule. The Kurdish-led administration control nearly 30 percent of Syria, mostly in the northeastern part of the country, including some of Syria's largest oil fields. They seized the territories, with the backing of the U.S.-led coalition, after driving out Islamic State militants. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, right, shakes hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, after their talks, part of Russia-Iran-Turkey summit to discuss Syria, Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) ISLAMABAD (AP) - China's foreign minister says Pakistan has played a key role in eliminating terrorism and the world should support Pakistan in its efforts to fight extremism. Wang Yi met his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday to discuss matters of mutual interest, including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Wang arrived Friday night for a three-day visit. He said in a news conference that China wants to help strengthen and stabilize Pakistan's economy and enhance strategic relations between the two countries. He said China, the U.S. and other powers should support Pakistan's effort to fight terrorism and improve governance and socio-economic conditions. Qureshi said they discussed regional security, the peace process in Afghanistan and strengthen strategic cooperation. Wang will also meet the prime minister, president, army chief and other top officials. LONDON (AP) - The British government wants to make it easier for couples to divorce, spurred by the case of a woman ordered to stay in what she called a loveless marriage. The Supreme Court ruled in July that Tini Owens must remain married to her husband of 40 years despite her wish to leave him. The judges called it a "very troubling case" but said their hands were tied by the country's divorce laws. English law requires a spouse to prove unreasonable behavior, adultery, desertion or a five-year separation unless both parties agree to divorce. BuzzFeed News reported Friday that ministers are due to open a consultation on reform. A government spokeswoman in the House of Lords, Charlotte Vere, confirmed that "we are looking at ways to reduce conflict in a divorce." JOHANNESBURG (AP) - The former president of Angola on Saturday said he made mistakes during his long rule but was holding his "head high" as he stepped down as leader of the ruling MPLA party. The political exit of Jose Eduardo dos Santos comes as President Joao Lourenco, a former defense minister, pledges to dismantle corruption that flourished under his predecessor, who took power in 1979. At a party congress, more than 98 percent of the delegates elected Lourenco as the new chief of the MPLA, which has led oil-rich Angola since independence from Portugal in 1975. FILE - In this April 12, 2008 file photo, the then Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos arrives at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, Zambia. Dos Santos says he made mistakes during his long rule but holds his "head high" as he steps down as leader of the ruling MPLA party. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File) In departing remarks, the 76-year-old dos Santos said he had not expected to be in power so long and that no "human activity" is free of mistakes. "I accept that I also committed them," said dos Santos, who was in power during most of Angola's devastating civil war and an ensuing building boom. However, corruption and human rights concerns hurt the southern African nation's international standing, and poverty remains entrenched. Dos Santos defended his record and said the MPLA, whose Portuguese acronym means Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, was a party of transformation. He told more than 2,000 delegates he was ready to hand over party leadership, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported. The former president, who has had health problems, did not run in elections last year and instead campaigned for Lourenco as the ruling party's candidate. Despite the show of unity, divisions emerged soon after the election. While some observers did not expect Lourenco to move boldly against his predecessor's legacy, one of the new president's first acts was to fire Isabel dos Santos, the former president's daughter, as chair of state-owned oil company Sonangol. Jose Filomeno dos Santos, son of the former president, was fired from his post at the helm of Angola's sovereign wealth fund. Both Isabel and Jose Filomeno dos Santos face corruption investigations, but deny any wrongdoing. Angola's main opposition party, UNITA, has questioned how far Lourenco will go to dismantle state corruption. UNITA alleged fraud in last year's elections and mounted a court challenge that failed. ___ Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local): 5:20 p.m. The spokesman for the Turkish president has criticized world players for their lack of action to stop a looming offensive against the last remaining rebel stronghold in northwestern Syria. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, right, shakes hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, after their talks, part of Russia-Iran-Turkey summit to discuss Syria, Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Putin, Erdogan and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani began a meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) In a column for Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah Saturday, Ibrahim Kalin called Idlib province a "ticking bomb" in a "global proxy war." He urged western powers to go beyond statements of concern and move toward "concrete action" for a political solution and a plan for refugees. Idlib is home to some 3 million people and a regime offensive may trigger a new wave of displacement, driving refugees to Turkey which is already hosting more than 3.5 million Syrians. Kalin said an attack there to "eliminate terrorist groups" would undermine the ongoing Astana process with Russia and Iran to reach a political solution. Kalin's comments come after Friday's Tehran summit with the Syrian government's backers Russia and Iran, where Turkey called for a cease-fire. ___ 2:50 p.m. A war monitoring group and rescue workers say at least four people have been killed in an intensifying government and Russian air campaign against the last rebel bastion in Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights describes the airstrikes as the "most intense" since August when government forces began targeting the southern edge of Idlib province, the rebel's last stronghold in Syria. The Observatory recorded 68 air raids in the southwestern Idlib town of Khan Sheikhoun, and other villages and towns in the province and in northern Hama. It said at least four civilians were killed, including two children and a woman, most of them in Abdeen, a village west Khan of Sheikhoun. The White Helmets, a team of first responders, said it also recorded the four killed in Abdeen. The rescuers said another was killed in Halba, a village further north. The group said one of its already damaged centers has been hit in the wave of airstrikes. ___ 12:45 p.m. Activists and a war monitoring group say Syrian government and Russian warplanes have targeted the southern edge of Idlib province with a series of airstrikes, ratcheting up the military pressure on the densely populated rebel-held bastion. The intense air raids come a day after Iran and Russia backed a military campaign in the rebel-held area despite Turkey's pleas for a cease-fire. Turkey has troops and observations points that ring Idlib. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported more than 30 air raids Saturday on a number of towns and villages in southwestern Idlib and adjacent northern Hama province, an area targeted over the last few days and that overlooks government-controlled areas. Schools were shut in Khan Sheikhoun, an area under attack, because of the raids, the Observatory reported. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump inaccurately claimed the strongest economic record ever as he capped a week featuring varied misrepresentations from the White House and in hearings for his Supreme Court nominee. A look at recent rhetoric and how it compares with the facts: ECONOMY In this Sept. 5, 2018, photo, President Donald Trump responds to a reporters question during an event with sheriffs in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) TRUMP: "The Economy is booming like never before, Jobs are at Historic Highs." - tweet Thursday. THE FACTS: The economy, though healthy, has been in better shape at many times in the past. Growth reached 4.2 percent at an annual rate in the second quarter. That's the best in the past four years. So far, the economy is growing at a modest rate compared with previous economic expansions. In the late 1990s, growth topped 4 percent for four straight years, from 1997 through 2000. In the 1980s expansion, growth even reached 7.2 percent in 1984. The unemployment rate of 3.9 percent is strong but it's not at the best point ever. It is near an 18-year low. The all-time low came in 1953, when unemployment fell to 2.5 percent during the Korean War. Meanwhile, a greater percentage of Americans held jobs in 2000 than now. ___ 'FAKE NEWS' MEDIA TRUMP: "Isn't it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don't know why Washington politicians don't change libel laws?" - tweet Wednesday. TRUMP, addressing GOP Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds of South Dakota: "We have lousy libel laws... 'Hey Mike and John, could you do me a favor? Create some libel laws, that when people say stuff bad about you, you can sue them and if you're right, you win.'" - remarks Friday at fundraising event in South Dakota. THE FACTS: He misstates libel law in claiming that someone can "totally make up stories" or freely write "fake news" without penalty. Under defamation laws, people can bring a lawsuit for slander or libel if they believe someone's statements have injured their reputation. For public officials such as Trump, they must meet a higher legal bar than ordinary people due to First Amendment guarantees of a free press and show the statements were made with "actual malice." That means a publication is at risk by acting with reckless disregard for the truth. Trump often pledges to make it easier for people to sue for defamation, typically after the publication of books or news articles that present an unflattering portrait of the White House. But he has little influence to change the laws. Libel laws are set at the state level, which the president and Congress do not have authority to change. Any attempt to loosen the laws would likely run afoul of the First Amendment, barring a successful Supreme Court challenge or constitutional amendment. ___ TREASON TRUMP, questioning whether one of his senior officials acted illegally about an administration effort to thwart his agenda: "TREASON?" - tweet Wednesday. THE FACTS: Not treason. The official who wrote anonymously in The New York Times about the "quiet resistance" against Trump is surely disloyal to the president but not a traitor in the legal sense. Treason occurs when a U.S. citizen, or a noncitizen on U.S. territory, wages war against the country or provides material support, not just sympathy, to a declared enemy of the United States. For instance, in the Cold War case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed for giving atomic secrets to Russia, the Rosenbergs were convicted of espionage, not treason, because the U.S. and Russia were not officially at war. No one has been convicted of treason since the aftermath of World War II, few have been through history and no one has been executed for that crime, says Carlton F.W. Larson, a University of California law professor who has a book coming on treason. In 2006, the Bush administration brought a treason indictment against Adam Gadahn, an American who authorities say became an operative and spokesman for al-Qaida abroad. The Obama administration said he was killed in a 2015 counterterrorism operation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. Treason is addressed in the Constitution as part of an effort by the framers to prevent the government from using it as a reason to suppress political speech, said J. Richard Broughton, associate dean at University of Detroit Mercy and a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association. Congress has little if any power to change the definition and the executive branch can only bring charges in extremely limited cases. Trump's opponents have used "treason" loosely as the special counsel investigates contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, and it is thrown around widely in the public discourse by all sides. Trump is using the word loosely now. ___ KAVANAUGH HEARINGS DEMOCRATIC SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR of Minnesota, asking about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's views on the scope of a president's executive power: "I'm asking about your position that you stated in this law review article that a president should be not subject to investigations while in office. You're only saying that they should be subject to investigation as part of an impeachment (proceeding by Congress) and that there's no other investigation that could occur? Is that fair?" - Senate hearing Wednesday. KAVANAUGH: "No. ... On criminal investigation and prosecution, I did not take a position on the constitutionality. Period." THE FACTS: His claim is highly questionable, based on his past writings. In a 2009 Minnesota Law Review article, Kavanaugh cast doubt on whether a president should be subject to what he described as "time-consuming" criminal investigations, cautioning that it could distract the nation's chief executive from doing the job. He wrote in a footnote that "a serious constitutional question exists regarding whether a President can be criminally indicted and tried while in office." A decade earlier, Kavanaugh wrote that the Constitution seems to dictate that "congressional investigation must take place in lieu of criminal investigation when the President is the subject of investigation, and that criminal prosecution can occur only after the President has left office." Special counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 campaign to tip the election in his favor, and whether Trump obstructed justice such as by firing FBI director James Comey. ___ DEMOCRATIC SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN of California: "In the 1950s and 60s, the two decades before Roe, deaths from illegal abortions in this country ran between 200,000 and 1.2 million. That's according to the Guttmacher Institute." - Senate hearing Wednesday. THE FACTS: That's wrong, and she corrected herself Friday. Known deaths from illegal abortion were much smaller. The California senator conflated the estimated number of women who had an illegal abortion with the number who died from it, according to the research she cites. The Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, cites estimates in a 2003 report that 200,000 to 1.2 million illegal abortions were performed in the 1950s and 1960s in the U.S. The report says the number of deaths from illegal abortion dropped from just under 1,700 in 1940 to just over 300 by 1950 and a little under 200 by 1965. The Supreme Court established a constitutional right to abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. ___ RUSSIA INVESTIGATION TRUMP ATTORNEY RUDY GIULIANI, citing a "60 day run-up to 2018 elections": "If Mueller wants to show he's not partisan, then issue a report on collusion and obstruction. They will show President Trump did nothing wrong." - tweet Aug. 25. THE FACTS: He's wrong in suggesting there is a 60-day cutoff date before the Nov. 6 midterm elections, which came Friday, for Mueller to wrap up the Russia investigation. Trump and his allies including Giulani often cite a Justice Department policy on the issue. But in fact, no written policy setting a deadline exists and Mueller can continue the probe and issue new indictments. He also has no time constraints regarding finishing or releasing the findings of his investigation. The only thing that's changed is that Labor Day kicked off high election season in the battle for control of the House and Senate. So any action by Mueller between now and the Nov. 6 voting risks being seen as an effort to affect the outcome. The Justice Department does have guidelines about investigations in advance of an election, which have been interpreted over the past decade to mean that investigators, if possible, should avoid taking specific actions - such as indicting candidates or raiding their office - in the run-up to an election. "Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party," one such memo from 2012 states. But the policy does not impose a specific cutoff date for investigations before an election. ___ Associated Press writers Christopher Rugaber, Josh Boak, Cal Woodward, Eric Tucker and Laurie Kellman contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck MADRID (AP) - About 100 people have gathered in Madrid to protest plans by the Spanish government to exhume the remains of Gen. Francisco Franco from a controversial mausoleum to the late dictator. Many of the protesters waved out-of-date Spanish flags dating back to Franco's four decades of authoritarian rule following his military uprising which started the 1936-1939 Spanish civil war. On his death in 1975 Franco was buried in the Valley of the Fallen, a mausoleum he ordered built 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Madrid. Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pledged to return Franco's remains to his family before the end of the year. Protesters on Saturday held signs reading "Sanchez out of office and leave Franco in peace" and "Hands off the Valley and Franco as well." VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis told newly ordained bishops Saturday that they must reject all forms of abuse and work in communion to fight the clerical culture that has fueled the sex abuse and cover-up scandal rocking his papacy. Francis cited his recent letter about combatting abuse during an audience with 74 new bishops from 34 developing countries. The bishops were in Rome for training this week. Their seminar took place during a crisis for the pope: a lone archbishop has alleged Francis covered up for a now-former U.S. cardinal who was accused of sexually molesting children and adult seminarians. Faithful and pilgrims gather in St.Peter's Square, as Pope Francis recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio, at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Francis has ignored calls from clergy and ordinary faithful to respond directly to the claims, saying there were times when "silence and prayer" were the best response. However, the pontiff spoke in a general way about the Catholic Church's abuse scandal to the new bishops. Many of them hail from dioceses where mishandled clerical abuse cases haven't erupted publicly like it has in the United States, Europe and parts of Latin America. "Just say no to abuse - of power, conscience or any type," Francis said, adding that to do so the bishops must reject the clerical culture that often places clergy on a pedestal and which Francis himself has blamed for fueling the scandal. Francis also told the new bishops they are there to serve their flocks, and must work in communion with the church, not as lone actors. "The bishop can't have all the gifts - the complete set of charisms - even though some think they do, poor things," Francis said. The church, he said, needs unity of bishops "not lone actors working outside the chorus, conducting their own personal battles." It was perhaps an indirect swipe at Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who broke with centuries of Vatican protocol and pontifical secret to name names and denounce two decades of cover-up by top Vatican bishops, cardinals and popes of the misconduct by ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Specifically, Vigano said he told Francis about McCarrick in 2013, but claimed Francis nevertheless rehabilitated the American cardinal from sanctions that Pope Benedict XVI purportedly imposed in 2009 or 2010. The Vatican has refused repeated requests for information about what, if any, sanctions were imposed on McCarrick, and what, if anything, Francis did about them. Vigano's bombshell accusations have plunged the papacy into crisis, with a steady trickle of revelations coming out about who knew what and when about McCarrick - and what they did with that information. On Friday, Catholic News Service, the news agency of the U.S. bishops' conference, published a 2006 letter from a top Vatican official confirming that the Holy See knew as early as 2000 about McCarrick's penchant for inviting seminarians into his bed. The letter, from now-Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, confirmed a key part of Vigano's testimony: That a New York City priest, the Rev. Boniface Ramsay, had written the Vatican's U.S. ambassador in November 2000 complaining about McCarrick's behavior. Previously, there were reports that a group of concerned Americans had travelled to the Vatican in 2000 to complain about McCarrick, and Ramsay himself had said he had written the letter in 2000. But the documentary evidence of Sandri's 2006 missive confirms that Ramsay's 2000 letter had indeed arrived in the Vatican, hadn't been lost in a pile of mail or ignored, and was still so present and relevant six years later that Sandri cited it in a simple request to Ramsay for information about a job applicant. Vatican watchers have compared the McCarrick cover-up scandal to that of the Rev. Marcial Maciel, the 20th-century Catholic Church's most notorious pedophile. Maciel's sex crimes against children were ignored for decades by a Vatican more impressed by his ability to bring in donations and vocations. Like Maciel, McCarrick was a powerful and popular prelate who funneled millions in donations to the Vatican. He apparently got a calculated pass for what many in the church hierarchy would have either discounted as ideological-fueled rumor or brushed off as a mere "moral lapse" in sleeping with adult men. Francis in July accepted McCarrick's resignation as a cardinal after a U.S. church investigation determined that an allegation he fondled a teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. McCarrick's lawyer has said the allegations against him are serious and that he intends to invoke his right to due process at the appropriate time. FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick speaks during a memorial service in South Bend, Ind. A 2006 letter from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, a top Vatican official confirms that the Holy See received information in 2000 about the sexual misconduct of now-resigned U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, lending credibility to bombshell accusations of cover-up at the highest echelons of the Catholic Church (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP, Pool, File) PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The end of contentious confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has shifted the focus back to potential swing votes like Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. If Collins votes yes, then he is likely confirmed. She and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska probably would have to both vote "no" for Kavanaugh to be blocked. In keeping with her deliberative approach, Collins has kept mum about how she'll vote. Still, she's sent signals that Kavanaugh cleared a hurdle by telling her that Roe v. Wade establishing abortion rights is settled law. A spokeswoman for Collins said Saturday that a recently released email from Kavanaugh - in which he disputed that all legal scholars see Roe as settled - didn't contradict what he told the senator because he wasn't expressing his personal views. FILE- In this Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, file photo, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh at her office, before a private meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. The end of contentious confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh is shifting the focus to potential swing votes like Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, files) The pressure is intense. Democrats argue that President Donald Trump picked Kavanaugh because he will vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Liberal groups are running TV ads encouraging the senator to reject the nomination. People from across the country have mailed about 3,000 coat hangers to her office, symbolizing back-alley abortions that took place before they became legal. And activists have pledged to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund an opponent to Collins if she votes in favor of the president's nomination. She is up for re-election in 2020. Collins, a centrist who fought the GOP effort to junk the Affordable Care Act, is used to being in the hot seat. "I always wait until after the hearings are complete before making a decision, and I'll do so in this case as well," she told The Associated Press in an interview. It's a similar story in Alaska. Murkowski, who also supports abortion rights, is reviewing Kavanaugh and won't announce her vote before his nomination goes to the Senate floor. "Basically, she's still vetting the new information that's coming out," said her spokeswoman, Hannah Ray. Collins, for her part, is following the same process she used with GOP nominees John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, and Democratic nominees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. "I have voted for Justice Sotomayor, and I've also voted for Justice Alito," she said, referring to justices at the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. "I respect the fact that one of my jobs is to determine whether or not the candidate is qualified for the court, has the requisite experience, and has the judicial temperament, as well as respect for precedence," she added. While she's never voted against a Supreme Court nominee, Collins has vowed to reject a candidate who's hostile to the Roe v. Wade ruling. She said Kavanaugh told her during their face-to-face meeting that he views the 1973 decision as established legal precedent. But Kavanaugh said in a 2003 email while working for the administration of President George W. Bush some legal scholars may view the idea of precedent differently and that the Supreme Court "can always overrule its precedent." Kavanaugh said that the comment did not reflect his personal views, but "what legal scholars might say." In Durham, Mindy Woerter said she traveled to Washington to meet with Collins and tell her about an abortion she had because the fetus she was carrying had a fatal anomaly. "We need to make sure that we preserve that right in the future," she said. "A lot of people in Maine would be disappointed if she decided to vote for Kavanaugh." Collins insists she's still deciding. She said she was surprised when many groups reacted reflexively against Kavanaugh's nomination, without due consideration. "I was shocked when many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle took a position on the nominee before his identity was even known. That's just extraordinary," she said. Outside observers remember when all senators took a more deliberative approach. "There's a lot to like in that kind of a process," said University of Maine professor Mark Brewer. Collins, who's not up for re-election until 2020, voted last month to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood a day after the same organization rallied in Washington to encourage her to vote against Kavanaugh. On Thursday, the group delivered letters to her office in Bangor. "I've learned not to expect a 'thank you,'" Collins said. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian media is reporting that authorities have hanged three Kurdish prisoners after years in prison. The Saturday report by the semi-official ISNA news agency quotes Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, the lawyer representing Ramin Hossein Panahi, as saying reliable sources have informed him that his client has been hanged. The semi-official Fars news agency said authorities hanged three "counterrevolutionaries," without elaborating. Amjad Hossein Panahi, Ramin's brother, also tweeted that his brother was among three people hanged in a prison near Tehran. He said the other two were cousins Zanyar Moradi and Loghman Moradi, who were charged with murder in 2009. Rights groups routinely call on Iran to abolish its use of the death penalty. BASRA, Iraq (AP) - The Latest on the unrest in Iraq (all times local): 5:30 p.m. Iraqi security forces and troops are deploying in the center of Basra and on street intersections, after hundreds of protesters torched government buildings and set fire to the Iranian consulate. Protesters trample a portrait of Iran's supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the storming and burning the Iranian consulate in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Dozens of gun-mounted black pick-up trucks belonging to the Interior Ministry and carrying masked security forces in combat fatigues were seen deploying Saturday afternoon. Troops in Humvees also deployed on street intersections in the city center. The deployment came shortly after an alliance of Shiite militias vowed to respond to the violent protests that have gripped the city for the past week. Health officials say at least 15 people have been killed in the weeklong confrontations. ___ 4:45 p.m. The local military commander of an alliance of powerful Shiite militias is vowing to respond to weeklong protests that have turned violent in the southern city of Basra. The commander, known as Abu Yasser al-Jaafar,i held a news conference in the city Saturday. "We will have a response to those who are carrying out acts of arson and sabotage," he proclaimed. Angry protesters have torched government buildings and offices belonging to powerful Iranian-backed militias in weeklong protests demanding improved services and an end to corruption. Al-Jaafari said that the lack of a response thus far should not be taken as a sign of weakness. He spoke at the city's presidential palaces compound, where Shiite paramilitary troops are stationed. The government-sanctioned alliance of Shiite militias is known as the "Popular Mobilization Forces" or "Hashed" in Arabic. Many of the militias are backed by Iran. ___ 2:15 p.m. Assailants fired three Katyusha rockets at Iraq's Basra airport Saturday, an airport official said, after a chaotic and violent night that saw hundreds of protesters setting ablaze the Iranian consulate in the city, attacking offices belonging to Iranian-backed militias and blocking roads. The city of Basra, home to some of the largest oil fields in Iraq, has been the epicenter of angry protests over decades of government neglect, poor services and corruption. The demonstrations are the most serious to shake the oil-rich southern Shiite area in years, demanding an end to endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and crumbling infrastructure. This week, they turned their rage on neighboring Iran, blaming its outsized influence in Iraq's political affairs for their misery and calling for radical change. Protesters storm and burn the Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Angry protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra Friday, setting a fire inside as part of ongoing demonstrations that have turned deadly in the past few days, a security official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters storm and burn the Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters raise an Iraqi flag over the Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Angry protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra Friday, setting a fire inside as part of ongoing demonstrations that have turned deadly in the past few days, a security official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters storm and burn the Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Angry protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra Friday, setting a fire inside as part of ongoing demonstrations that have turned deadly in the past few days, a security official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Mourners chant anti government slogans while carrying the Iraqi flag-draped coffin of Abdul Salam Fathi, a protester whose family said he was killed when he participated in a protest last night, during his funeral in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Hundreds of angry protesters in Basra took to the streets on Thursday night. Some clashed with security forces, lobbing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to a government building as well as the offices of Shiite militias. At least three people were shot dead in confrontations with security forces. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) BOSTON (AP) - A cruise ship that became disabled off the Massachusetts coast was cleared by the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday to continue on to New York. The Star Pride docked in Newport, Rhode Island, on Friday night so it could be inspected. The vessel, carrying 351 people, became stranded earlier Friday in Buzzards Bay between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. Windstar Cruises, which operates the Star Pride, said the ship experienced a loss of cooling water for the engine systems, causing an automatic shutdown of the propulsion and auxiliary engines. No injuries were reported. The company said the cause of the shutdown was identified and addressed and all ship operations returned to normal on Friday. A tug boat escorted the vessel to Newport, where it was docked overnight for the inspection to "ensure the safety of the passengers and crew," Coast Guard Capt. Chris Chandler said. The Coast Guard said on Twitter early Saturday that the vessel had passed inspection. The ship was nearing the end of a 17-day cruise from Reykjavik, Iceland, to New York. It was scheduled to depart New York on Saturday for a cruise to Montreal. The Newport Daily News reports that because of the delay, the cruise ship will skip a scheduled stop in Newport on Sunday, when passengers would have been able to disembark and tour the city, including its famous mansions. WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vigorously pushed President Donald Trump's agenda at the Justice Department, and before that, spent 20 years championing conservative causes in the Senate. Yet as Sessions enters what may be the final stretch of his tenure, those efforts are at risk of being eclipsed by his boss' relentless verbal jabs that have made the attorney general seem like a perpetual presidential punching bag. It's a role Sessions never sought but perhaps could have anticipated. The steady diatribes , most recently a tweet excoriating Sessions for the federal indictments of two Republican congressmen, reflect Trump's single-minded outrage over the special counsel's Russia investigation and are all the more striking because Sessions is the cabinet member most clearly aligned with Trump's values. FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2018, file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a news conference regarding the country's opioid epidemic in Cleveland. Sessions has pushed President Donald Trump's agenda at the Justice Department and spent 20 years before that as a champion of conservative causes in the Senate. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File) The treatment has largely overshadowed the attorney general's work on violent crime, illegal immigration and opioid addiction, clouding a legacy that in other times would be more broadly cheered in conservative circles. "There are folks that ask me constantly, 'What's wrong with Sessions?'" said former Cincinnati mayor Ken Blackwell, a longtime friend who says the criticism is "eroding what otherwise would be a very respectable portfolio." "The punches that he throws in Sessions' direction are landing and they're distorting the track record," Blackwell added, "and they're having people start to question not just his loyalty to the president but his competency - when his record is a very successful record and could be compared to any other Cabinet secretary." Sessions has mostly absorbed the blows quietly while marching through a tough-on-crime agenda, bringing to the job the same hard-line principles that once placed him far to the right of many other Republican senators. He has encouraged more aggressive marijuana enforcement, directed prosecutors to bring the most serious charges they can prove, announced a zero-tolerance policy for immigrants crossing the border illegally and targeted the MS-13 gang. He also has alarmed his critics, who fear he has degraded civil rights protections by not defending affirmative action, police reform or transgender legal rights. But neither Sessions' work nor his loyalty seems to resonate with Trump. The president has belittled his attorney general since Sessions stepped aside from an investigation into ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump interpreted the move, which legal experts said was inevitable given Sessions' campaign support, as an act of disloyalty that led to special counsel Robert Mueller's appointment. Trump has said if he had known Sessions would take that step, he would not have picked the Alabama Republican to be attorney general. The president now asserts that Sessions never has had control of the department, and accuses Sessions of failing to aggressively pursue Trump's political rivals and to investigate potential bias in the Russia investigation. Trump told Bloomberg News last week that Sessions' job was safe through the November election. The president gave no reassurances about after that. Meanwhile, the solid Republican support in the Senate that has buffered Sessions is showing signs of cracking. The most recent broadside Monday, about the charges against the two GOP lawmakers, was stunning for its norm-shattering obliteration of the bright line between the White House and Justice Department. Trump said the indictments, coming before an election when control of Congress is at stake, had left "two easy wins now in doubt." He ended the tweet with a sarcastic "Good job Jeff." "You're harassing the attorney general for not dealing with political bias at the DOJ and then conversely accusing him of not engaging in political bias at the DOJ," said Cameron Smith, a former Sessions counsel in the Senate. "Those cannot both be simultaneously consistent positions." Sessions didn't respond to that criticism, though in the past he's issued statements saying the department won't bend to political considerations and promising to serve with integrity and honor. His only mentions of Trump are laudatory, and in public appearances, Sessions is far more likely to focus on the work that has impassioned him for decades than on the controversies around him. The Justice Department declined to comment. The criticism has created an unusual dynamic where Trump-aligned Republicans who ordinarily would praise Sessions are joining in the condemnation, while progressives opposed to his agenda fear that his firing for political reasons could destabilize democracy. Vanita Gupta, the Justice Department civil rights chief in the Obama administration, said she believed Sessions was terrible for civil rights but she did not want him dismissed as a means of crippling Mueller's investigation. "It isn't about protecting Jeff Sessions," Gupta said. "It's about protecting the notion that nobody is above the law in this country and that the Constitution applies to everybody." It wasn't always this way for Sessions, a federal prosecutor during the 1980s-era "war on drugs." His conservative Senate positions, including opposing bipartisan legislation that would have created a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the country illegally, made him a natural fit for Trump. Sessions was the first senator to endorse Trump, joining the candidate for campaigning and foreign policy meetings. The loyalty paid off with the attorney general post, but it also wound up entangling him in the Russia investigation. Even as Sessions has pushed the Trump agenda, he's confronted headlines about his campaign interactions with the Russian ambassador and about his attendance at a campaign meeting where the prospect of a Trump-Vladimir Putin meeting was broached. "It's not as if Trump's background didn't have a lot of red flags in it and Sessions decided, 'Hey, I want to get on board with this person' and it frankly turned out poorly for him as a person," said Smith, the former Sessions aide. "I do think that's a lesson in discretion." ___ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo in Washington and Jay Reeves in Alabaster, Alabama, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/etuckerAP Attorney General Jeff Sessions waits to speak at the dedication for the United States Courthouse for the Southern District of Alabama in Mobile, Ala., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dan Anderson) U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., left, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, center, and U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., react at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the United States Courthouse for the Southern District of Alabama Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Dan Anderson) Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the dedication for the United States Courthouse for the Southern District of Alabama, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Dan Anderson) U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., speaks with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the dedication for the United States Courthouse for the Southern District of Alabama in Mobile, Ala. on Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Dan Anderson) MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Boko Haram extremists have overrun a key crossroads and military outpost in northeastern Nigeria, residents and authorities said Saturday. Gudumbali is a town to which just months ago the government encouraged thousands of displaced people to return. The attack highlights the difficulties Nigeria's government has faced in trying to reassure well over 1.5 million people displaced by the deadly Islamic insurgency that it is winning the nearly decade-long fight against Boko Haram. It is a major challenge for President Muhammadu Buhari as elections approach next year. The deputy governor of Borno state, Usman Durkwa, confirmed the attack on a military base in Gudumbali but "I am yet to get the number of casualties" from security forces. The extremists attacked on Friday afternoon, said the Borno state secretary of the self-defense hunters association, Bunu Bukar. "Suddenly, I saw people running all over the place shouting, 'They have come! They have come!'" resident Umara Modu told The Associated Press. "I saw the attackers right inside our town but, surprisingly, they told us to calmly take our property and move out because we are not the target." He said about half the town's population fled as the extremists entered without resistance. "I will never go back to Gudumbali again, no matter the assurance, because we went back after the military authority and the Borno state government promised us adequate security," Modu said. Security forces had no immediate comment. The fighters are thought to be with the Boko Haram faction under Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi that has the backing of the Islamic State organization. That faction, also called the Islamic State's West Africa Province, claimed responsibility but announced no deaths, saying the military fled and that tanks and other vehicles and weapons were destroyed or seized, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist groups' statements. Gudumbali was the site of one of the deadliest encounters in the fight again Boko Haram, with scores of soldiers killed in 2015. The town also was among the first communities targeted in a military operation launched earlier this year to return people displaced by Boko Haram to their homes in Nigeria's northeast with the goal of resuming normal life. Thousands of people were returned to Gudumbali alone in recent months after spending years in displacement camps in the Borno state capital Maiduguri, the deputy governor said. The government under Buhari more than once has declared Boko Haram defeated but the extremists continue to carry out attacks in the impoverished northeast and Lake Chad region. ___ Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Gaza's Health Ministry says a 16-year-old protester shot by Israeli troops has died of his wounds. The ministry says Saturday that Ahmad Abu Tuyur died of wounds sustained from a single gunshot the previous day along the Israeli border in the southern Rafah region. Video posted on social media allegedly shows Abu Tuyur in a white T-shirt hurling a rock toward Israeli soldiers from a distance then waving at them before he was struck. The Israeli military says it's aware of the incident and is investigating. Hundreds took part in protests Friday along the border, burning tires and hurling objects at troops on the Israeli side. Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers have been leading near-weekly protests since March in part to draw attention to a decade-old Israeli-Egyptian blockade. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The day after a grand jury report revealed that Roman Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania molested more than 1,000 children over decades, Adrienne Alexander went to Mass at a Chicago church and waited for the priest to say something about the situation. He didn't. And that left Alexander fuming. So she went on Facebook to vent - then organized a prayer vigil in Chicago that became the catalyst for similar laity-led vigils in Boston, Philadelphia and other cities nationwide. Alexander is among countless Catholics in the U.S. who are raising their voices in prayer and protest to demand change amid new revelations of sex abuse by priests and allegations of widespread cover-ups. They are doing letter-writing campaigns and holding prayer vigils and listening sessions in an effort to bring about change from the pews, realizing it's up to them to confront the problem and save the church they love after years of empty promises from leadership. In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo, Chris Damian poses in Minneapolis. Damian believes having more nuanced conversations about hard topics like sex abuse by priests and allegations of cover-ups by church leaders can bring about change. Damian, 27, has organized a group of Catholic young adults to respond to the church crisis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) "I think it's important that the large body hears from us," Alexander said. "We actually make up the church." Their grassroots efforts are gaining momentum. In the last week more than 39,000 people have signed their names to a letter demanding answers from Pope Francis himself. Another effort, sponsored by reform groups, has seized upon the "Time's Up" and #MeToo movements and is organizing events across the country this weekend under the CatholicToo hash tag. Some of the efforts are calling for specific reforms, such as laity-led investigations and transparency, while others are still brainstorming solutions. One woman in Michigan founded a website to make it easy for anyone to speak up and write to church officials. "I've never seen anything like this before," Marjorie Murphy Campbell, a civil and canon lawyer in Park City, Utah, said of the laity's engagement. She said many Catholics feel they have no choice. "You either have to get involved now, because you cannot trust the bishops to solve this themselves, or you leave. ... It's our job to help the mother church get through this." The actions come as the church is facing a global crisis over clergy abuse following the scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report and the pope's removal of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from public ministry amid allegations McCarrick sexually abused a teenage altar boy and preyed upon adult seminarians decades ago. Francis wrote a letter to Catholics in August, saying the laity must help end the clerical culture that has placed priests above reproach. He then found himself immersed in the scandal amid claims that he knew about allegations against McCarrick in 2013, but rehabilitated him anyway. A collective of individual Catholic women last week wrote a letter urging Francis to deliver answers. The letter, which had more than 39,000 signatures by Friday, declared "we are not second-class Catholics to be brushed off while bishops and cardinals handle matters privately." "In short, we are the Church, every bit as much as the cardinals and bishops around you," the letter said. Robert Shine, a Catholic in Boston and vice president of the Women's Ordination Conference, said he believes Catholics are now ready to confront what's been happening in the church and talk about how they can be involved in reform, reflecting a broader trend in the U.S. with people getting more active in protests. Other denominations have been struggling with the issue as well. "People are less willing to look the other way ... This new consciousness and new honesty about politics is sort of being transferred to the Catholic Church as well." Miriel Thomas Reneau of Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded a website to make letter-writing easy. Her site lists the names and addresses of local dioceses and includes templates for people to write letters to church leaders. Others are withholding donations in protest. Legatus, an association of Catholic businessmen, announced it would put its annual tithe to the Holy See in escrow. Thousands of people have also signed a statement that calls on Catholic bishops in the U.S. to consider resigning as a public act of repentance. There are examples of laity forcing change in other countries. In the city of Osorno, Chile, a group of lay members organized themselves to raise attention to the sex abuse crisis, and their movement helped throw out a bishop. It took more than three years, but they decided it was necessary to try to change their church from within. Lori Carter of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and two other women started a "Wear Gray" campaign in which they are urging "prayer warriors" like themselves to wear gray to Mass and fast as a symbol of repentance. They are also asking people to write letters to the pope and local bishops. "I'm assuming it's going to have to go back to sort of how it was - a church of the people and prayer and holiness," she said. In Minneapolis, Chris Damian believes having more nuanced conversations can bring about change. Damian, 27, organized a group of Catholic young adults to respond to the church crisis. The group has held a public prayer session, which St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda attended, as well as a discussion session where more than 100 people gathered to learn about the issue and brainstorm solutions. The group is sending a letter to Hebda that urges pastors to listen to lay people, instead of telling them what to do. The letter also lists concrete recommendations, such as waiving confidentiality agreements for all past settlements and reopening the investigation into a former St. Paul-Minneapolis archbishop who resigned in 2015 after prosecutors filed criminal charges against the archdiocese for failing to protect children from an abusive priest. "We're all really frustrated because things continue to pop up and that's just not acceptable," Damian said. "I think we can spend all this time complaining about how churches aren't being more proactive ... but there's no reason why we can't take this issue and make the solution our own responsibility." __ Associated Press writer Eva Vergara contributed to this report from Santiago, Chile. In this Sept. 7, 2018 photo, Adrienne Alexander poses for a photo in downtown Chicago. Alexander is among countless members of the Catholic laity in the U.S. who are raising their voices in prayer and protest to demand change amid new revelations of sex abuse by priests and allegations of widespread cover-ups. Alexander organized a prayer vigil in Chicago, and became a catalyst for similar laity-led vigils in Boston, Philadelphia and other cities nationwide. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) In this Aug. 26, 2018 photo, Rob Super, right, holds a sign as nearly two dozen people gather outside the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minn., to demand action from the Catholic Church and show solidarity for victims of abuse. Members of the Catholic laity are raising their voices in prayer and protest after new revelations of sex abuse by priests and allegations of cover-ups by church leaders. From petitions that demand answers to prayer vigils that spanned several cities, Catholic faithful are taking action, saying it's now up to the laity to confront the culture of clericalism that has allowed sex abuse to persist. (Scott Takushi, Pioneer Press via AP) In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo, Chris Damian, right, poses in Minneapolis. Damian believes having more nuanced conversations about hard topics like sex abuse by priests and allegations of cover-ups by church leaders can bring about change. Damian, 27, has organized a group of Catholic young adults, including friend Tucker Moore, left, to respond to the church crisis. The group has held a public prayer session where as many as 100 people gathered to learn about the issue and brainstorm solutions. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) In this Sept. 7, 2018 photo, Adrienne Alexander poses for a photo under Chicago's el train track in downtown. Alexander is among countless members of the Catholic laity in the U.S. who are raising their voices in prayer and protest to demand change amid new revelations of sex abuse by priests and allegations of widespread cover-ups. Alexander organized a prayer vigil in Chicago, and became a catalyst for similar laity-led vigils in Boston, Philadelphia and other cities nationwide. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo, Chris Damian poses in Minneapolis. Damian believes having more nuanced conversations about hard topics like sex abuse by priests and allegations of cover-ups by church leaders can bring about change. Damian, 27, has organized a group of Catholic young adults to respond to the church crisis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) LONDON (AP) - British police say a man suffered minor injuries when a woman wielding a foot-long (30 centimeters) knife chased passers-by through a northern England town center. The South Yorkshire Police department said a woman was in custody after Saturday's incident in Barnsley, 150 miles (245 kilometers) north of London. The force says counterterrorism detectives are supporting the investigation as police seek a motive. Witnesses say a woman in a headscarf chased pedestrians around the area and shouted threats to kill while market traders were setting up for the day. Trader Abdul Razzaq says he followed her to the town train station and identified her to police. He said: "She still had the knife and said: 'Kill, kill, kill.'" The woman was arrested and police say they recovered a kitchen knife. ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Former President Barack Obama said Saturday that November midterm elections would give Americans "a chance to restore some sanity in our politics," taking another swipe at his successor as he raises his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House. Obama didn't mention President Donald Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County but the allusions were clear. "We're in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, there's always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear," he said. Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) His appearance - one day after a strongly worded critique of Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education. "If we don't step up, things can get worse," the former president told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Center. "In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Representatives and make sure there are real checks and balances in Washington." Obama gave shout-outs to seven Democratic candidates in competitive House districts across California that are considered crucial to the party's efforts to oust Republicans from control. Four of those districts are at least partly in Orange County, a formerly reliable GOP bastion that went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. "We're going to put on our marching shoes, we're going to start knocking on some doors, we're going to start making some calls," he said to cheers. Clinton trounced Trump by more than 4 million votes in California in 2016 and carried Orange County by 9 percentage points. A surge in immigrants has transformed California and its voting patterns. The number of Hispanics, blacks and Asians combined has outnumbered whites in the state since 1998. Meanwhile, new voters, largely Latinos and Asians, lean Democratic. In Orange County, Republicans held a 13-point edge in voter registration 10 years ago but that has shrunk to 3 points while independents, who tend to vote like Democrats in California, have climbed to 25 percent. Democrats, hoping to build on their 39-14 advantage in the state's congressional delegation, are eyeing Republican seats in districts that Clinton won in 2016. Each of the seven candidates that Obama campaigned for on Saturday fit that description. In Orange County, GOP Rep. Mimi Walters faces a challenge from Katie Porter, a law professor at University of California at Irvine. Environmental lawyer Mike Levin is seeking an open seat to replace retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa in a district that includes part of Orange County. Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, whose district encompasses part of Orange County, is fending off a challenge from Democratic real estate investor Harley Rouda to secure a 16th term in Congress despite barely winning 30 percent of the primary vote. In the other Orange County race, Gil Cisneros, a Democratic philanthropist and Navy veteran, is vying for an open seat created by retiring Republican Ed Royce. Obama also highlighted two races in the state's Central Valley, praising venture capitalist Josh Harder in his bid to unseat four-term Republican Jeff Denham, and T.J. Cox, who is challenging David Valadao in a district where Democrats hold a 17-point advantage in voter registration. He also made a plug for nonprofit executive Katie Hill in her Los Angeles-area race to unseat sophomore Republican Steve Knight, who won an underwhelming 53 percent of the vote in 2016. California Republicans said Obama's appearance would have little impact and may even help their party. "I wish he would come more often because he reminds Republicans of eight years of misery," said Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel, who lives in Orange County. "It reminds the Republicans why these midterms are important." Vice President Mike Pence says it's disappointing that Obama is back on the campaign trail criticizing Trump. Says Pence: "The truth is, the American people in 2016 rejected the policy and direction of Barack Obama when they elected President Donald Trump." Pence comments came in a taped interview set to air on "Fox News Sunday." Fox released an excerpt on Saturday. Obama is expected to deliver a similar message in Cleveland on Thursday, when he campaigns on behalf of Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, and other Democrats. ___ Associated Press writers Tom Strong and Jeff Horwitz in Washington contributed to this report. Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) Former President Barack Obama greets supporters as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Engineers are deploying a trash collection device to corral plastic litter floating between California and Hawaii in an attempt to clean up the world's largest garbage patch in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. The 2,000-foot (600-meter) long floating boom is being towed from San Francisco to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - an island of trash twice the size of Texas. The system was created by The Ocean Cleanup, an organization founded by Boyan Slat, a 24-year-old innovator from the Netherlands who first became passionate about cleaning the oceans when he went scuba diving at age 16 in the Mediterranean Sea and saw more plastic bags than fish. A ship tows The Ocean Cleanup's first buoyant trash-collecting device toward the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco en route to the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Once deployed, the boom will form a U-shaped barrier to trap plastic and trash that currently makes up the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." (AP Photo/Lorin Eleni Gill) "The plastic is really persistent and it doesn't go away by itself and the time to act is now," Slat said, adding that researchers with his organization found plastic going back to the 1960s and 1970s bobbing in the patch. The buoyant, U-shaped barrier made of plastic and with a tapered 10-foot (3-meter) deep screen, is intended to act like a coastline, trapping some of the 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic that scientists estimate are swirling in that gyre but allowing marine life to safely swim beneath it. Fitted with solar power lights, cameras, sensors and satellite antennas, the cleanup system will communicate its position at all times, allowing a support vessel to fish out the collected plastic every few months and transport it to dry land where it will be recycled, said Slat. Shipping containers filled with the fishing nets, plastic bottles, laundry baskets and other plastic refuse scooped up by the system being deployed Saturday are expected to be back on land within a year, he said. Slat said he and his team will pay close attention to whether the system works efficiently and withstands harsh ocean conditions, including huge waves. He said he's most looking forward to a ship loaded with plastic coming back to port. "We still have to prove the technology... which will then allow us to scale up a fleet of systems," he said. The Ocean Cleanup, which has raised $35 million in donations to fund the project, including from Salesforce.com chief executive Marc Benioff and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, will deploy 60 free-floating barriers in the Pacific Ocean by 2020. "One of our goals is to remove 50 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years," Slat said. The free-floating barriers are made to withstand harsh weather conditions and constant wear and tear. They will stay in the water for two decades and in that time collect 90 percent of the trash in the patch, he added. George Leonard, chief scientist of the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, said he's skeptical Slat can achieve that goal because even if plastic trash can be taken out of the ocean, a lot more is pouring in each year. "We at the Ocean Conservancy are highly skeptical but we hope it works," he said. "The ocean needs all the help it can get." Leonard said 9 million tons (8 million metric tons) of plastic waste enter the ocean annually and that a solution must include a multi-pronged approach, including stopping plastic from reaching the ocean and more education so people reduce consumption of single use plastic containers and bottles. "If you don't stop plastics from flowing into the ocean, it will be a Sisyphean task," Leonard said, citing the Greek myth of a task never completed. He added that on September 15 about 1 million volunteers around the world will collect trash from beaches and waterways as part of the Ocean Conservancy's annual International Coastal Cleanup. Volunteers last year collected about 10,000 tons of plastics worldwide over two hours, he said. Leonard also raised concerns that marine and wildlife could be entangled by the net that will hang below the surface. He said he hopes Slat's group is transparent with its data and shares information with the public about what happens with the first deployment. "He has set a very large and lofty goal and we certainly hope it works but we really are not going to know until it is deployed," Leonard said. "We have to wait and see." The system will act as a "big boat that stands still in the water" and will have a screen and not a net so that there is nothing for marine life to get entangled with. As an extra precautionary measure, a boat carrying experienced marine biologists will be deployed to make sure the device is not harming wildlife, Slat said. "I'm the first to acknowledge this has never done before and that it is important to collect plastic on land and close the taps on plastic entering into the ocean, but I also think humanity can do more than one thing at a time to tackle this problem," Slat said. ___ Freelance photographer Lorin Eleni Gill in San Francisco contributed to this story. The Ocean Cleanup's first buoyant trash-collecting device is seen in front of the San Francisco skyline en route to the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Once deployed, the boom will form a U-shaped barrier to trap plastic and trash that currently makes up the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." (AP Photo/Lorin Eleni Gill) FILE - In this May 11, 2017, file photo, Dutch innovator Boyan Slat poses for a portrait next to a pile of plastic garbage prior to a press conference in Utrecht, Netherlands. Engineers will deploy a trash collection device to corral plastic litter floating between California and Hawaii in an attempt to clean up the world's largest garbage patch in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. The 2,000-foot (600-meter) long floating boom will be towed Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, from San Francisco to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of trash twice the size of Texas. The system was created by The Ocean Cleanup, an organization founded by Slat. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File) In this Monday, Aug. 27, 2018 photo provided by The Ocean Cleanup, a long floating boom that will be used to corral plastic litter in the Pacific Ocean is assembled in Alameda, Calif. Engineers will deploy a trash collection device to corral plastic litter floating between California and Hawaii in an attempt to clean up the world's largest garbage patch. The 2,000-foot (600-meter) long floating boom will be towed Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, from San Francisco to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of trash twice the size of Texas. (The Ocean Cleanup via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) has received the letter that President Donald Trump has said he was expecting from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon). A State Department official is confirming that Pompeo has the letter. It's not immediately clear whether it's been delivered to Trump. Pompeo returned early Friday from India. Trump was in Montana and the Dakotas on Friday before a late return to the White House. The official wasn't authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea and spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump has said Kim's recent statement that he wants to denuclearize North Korea during Trump's tenure as president was "a very positive statement." SEATTLE (AP) - A dire child care workforce crisis amid a booming U.S. economy is compelling many industry players to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than "Sesame Street" - including noncompete clauses for child care workers and client families, college tuition incentives for the workers and non-refundable wait list fees for desperate parents seeking day care slots. Underlying the phenomenon is a shrinking pool of child care workers with employers still offering low pay while demand for high-quality child care programs skyrockets, particularly in expensive urban areas like Seattle, with a rise in children needing care and a decline in providers. Child care workers in the U.S. make less than parking lot attendants and dog-walkers, said Marcy Whitebook, co-director of the University of California, Berkeley's Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, director Jenny Cimbalnik talks with a child at the Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle. A dire workforce crisis in a booming U.S. economy is forcing many in the child care industry to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than Sesame Street. Non-compete and "hold-harmless" legal agreements, college tuition incentives for workers and steep waiting-list fees for parents are fast becoming the norm. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) "If you can't get workers to do the job, then it's hard to expand the supply. And when the economy is good, that's when you need to expand the supply," Whitebook said. "The economics of early childhood in the United States are quite broken." In Seattle, the fastest growing U.S. big city, the population and household incomes have skyrocketed because of the technology boom - creating a child care hole with costs reaching about $2,000 monthly per child. The advocacy group Child Care Aware reports that in 2017, there were 132,000 more children up to age 6 in Washington state who could use formal child care arrangements, compared to the number of available child care slots. Nationally, Whitebook said two-thirds of all children in that age range have parents who are both working. Some child care centers are so popular in Seattle, New York and San Francisco that parents pay to get on waiting lists while still trying to conceive. That meant Rachel Lipsky and her husband were already at a disadvantage when they started looking for child care while she was pregnant in 2012. She thinks the system is troubled but doesn't blame the workers, saying "they work two times harder than I do. Who am I to quibble?" Lipsky, a 38-year-old government agency project manager, paid the waitlist fees before her child was out of the womb, didn't get her daughter into her first choice care centers but eventually secured a spot for the girl and another child born later. She said the road to finding care for her children, now 5 and 3, was daunting, emotional, time-consuming and pricey. Licensed providers caring for children from infancy through 5 years old say they have tried for years to professionalize what is largely a decentralized array of small businesses. But the industry as a whole has always stumbled with high labor turnover as the jobs offer low pay and high stress. Experts say care for young children is expensive because it requires intensive labor, but families can only afford to pay so much. Aubrey Zoli, 38, said she loves working with 4- and 5-year-olds at the popular Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle but struggles with the $16.90 hourly pay, especially with a bachelor's degree. "I love the job but I can't afford to live it. A lot of our teachers have second incomes from second projects because it's impossible to live on these wages in Seattle," said Zoli, who also does work as a musician and event-planner. Her boss, Jenny Cimbalnik, concedes that the nonprofit Wallingford center can't afford higher wages because it already puts 80 to 90 percent of revenue into staffing costs. The median annual pay for child care workers - including those in formal facilities and home-based centers, as well as private nannies - increased by 13 percent between 2014 and 2017, to $22,290, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the same period, the pool of U.S. child care workers dropped to 562,420 workers, down 21,000 people, or 3.5 percent of the workforce. Laws regulate how many children child care centers can take and busy centers say it's not unusual for parents to try to bribe center officials with money or gifts for child care slots or offers to pay extra tuition. Some parents sob while pleading for the slots - a practice child care centers call "cold-crying." Experts say public policy and demographics have exacerbated demand. Dual-income households headed by millennials are more often concentrated in urban centers. Parents also increasingly favor high-quality early education programs with trained teachers and academic philosophies instead of the mere babysitting functionalities of yesterday's "nursery" day care systems. The shift comes as a growing body of brain development research shows children who attend good preschools are better off as adults, with higher incomes and healthier lifestyles. That has contributed to political momentum for government-subsidized pre-Kindergarten programs, which has also affected child care centers. Business operations suffered at the Wallingford center when the city launched a pre-K program in 2014, Cimbalnik said. Toddlers that cost less to care for left for free preschool, creating an imbalanced demand among higher-cost infants. Wallingford was also stretched financially when the city's $15 hourly minimum wage law took effect in 2015. Amid the challenges, Bright Horizons Children's Centers, one of the country's largest publicly traded, for-profit child care businesses, recently announced a new college tuition incentive program for its employees. CEO Stephen Kramer said the company's turnover rate is well below the 50 percent industry average, but he wanted to boost the numbers of career-minded early education professionals. Some child care centers now use noncompete-like and "hold harmless" policies to combat family "poaching" of child care workers to become their personal nannies and to address other outside work arrangements by child care workers. Bright Horizons' noncompete-like policy forbids families and workers from using each other for private babysitting opportunities because the company cannot manage the work outside of its facilities, Kramer said. "If something goes wrong, it becomes an uncomfortable situation," he said. Cimbalnik said the Wallingford center loses several teachers every year to more lucrative nanny offers but allows outside babysitting because it gives workers extra income and builds tighter relationships with family clients. The company requires workers and families to sign "hold harmless" agreements to avoid liability. Getting on a waitlist at a Bright Horizons location in Seattle costs $100 while Wallingford charges $75. Many parents report spending hundreds of dollars to get their names on as many waitlists as possible, realizing they may not get slots for their children at most locations. Wallingford also has a separate waiting list for its free monthly tours. The wait? Nine months. ___ Follow AP Education Reporter Sally Ho on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_SallyHo In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, Rachel Lipsky walks with her daughters Azra Maidadi, left, and Naima Maidadi as they leave Azra's preschool in Shoreline, Wash. Lipsky and her husband were already at a disadvantage when they started looking for child care while she was pregnant in 2012. The 38-year-old project manager discovered it wasn't a problem they could solve with money, given they were in an already-expensive market that charges about $2,000 monthly per child. They eventually secured a spot for their girls, but the road to preschool was daunting, emotional, time-consuming and pricy. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, Rachel Lipsky, left, poses with her daughters Azra Maidadi, center, and Naima Maidadi at Azra's preschool and where Naima previously attended in Shoreline, Wash. Lipsky and her husband were already at a disadvantage when they started looking for child care while she was pregnant in 2012. The 38-year-old project manager discovered it wasn't a problem they could solve with money, given they were in an already-expensive market that charges about $2,000 monthly per child. They eventually secured a spot for their girls, but the road to preschool was daunting, emotional, time-consuming and pricy. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, teacher Fatuma Yusuf interacts with children on the playground at the Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle. A dire workforce crisis in a booming U.S. economy is forcing many in the child care industry to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than Sesame Street. Non-compete and "hold-harmless" legal agreements, college tuition incentives for workers and steep waiting-list fees for parents are fast becoming the norm. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, teacher Joshua Gielgens reads to Arlo Morgenroth, right, and other children at the Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle. A dire workforce crisis in a booming U.S. economy is forcing many in the child care industry to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than Sesame Street. Non-compete and "hold-harmless" legal agreements, college tuition incentives for workers and steep waiting-list fees for parents are fast becoming the norm. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, Astrid Kozlen, left, and Vincent Seeborn, right, talk with another toddler at a splash bin in the playground at the Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle. A dire workforce crisis in a booming U.S. economy is forcing many in the child care industry to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than Sesame Street. Non-compete and "hold-harmless" legal agreements, college tuition incentives for workers and steep waiting-list fees for parents are fast becoming the norm. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) PARIS (AP) - More than 18,000 people marched Saturday in Paris as part of an international mobilization to show popular support for urgent measures to combat climate change in advance of a San Francisco summit. Crowds overflowed a plaza in front of City Hall before marching east to the Place de la Republique, carrying an urgent message that it's up to the public to put global warming at the top of the political agenda. "Planet in Danger," read some banners. Thousands of people gather in front of Paris town hall during a protest, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Demonstrators in cities across France and Europe were marching on Saturday as part of a global day of protest ahead of a climate action summit this month in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Activists around the world encouraged "Rise for Climate" protests before the summit taking place Sept.12-Sept. 14. California's governor proposed the event after President Donald Trump vowed to pull the U.S. out of a landmark 2015 climate accord. The international agreement was negotiated in France, and the French capital's march was more successful than ones held Saturday in other French cities or elsewhere in Europe. Environmental groups said the organized hundreds of events around the globe Saturday to highlight the issue. Thousands of people took to the streets of San Francisco, marching about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the city's piers to City Hall. Demonstrators banged drums, sang and hoisted signs that said "Rise for climate justice" and "Not a penny more for dirty energy." They called for politicians to spearhead a transition to 100 percent renewable energy. Police estimated that 18,500 took part in the Paris march, while organizers put the number at some 50,000. Several hundred people gathered in France's southern port city of Marseille. Several dozen called for an end to the use of fossil fuels outside London's Tate Modern art gallery. Only about two dozen showed up in Barcelona, Spain. The front-page of France's daily Liberation newspaper featured a call from 700 French scientists for the government to "move from incantations to acts to move toward a carbon-free society." The language was a reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's use of the phrase "Make our planet great again," a takeoff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. The signing scientists also called for "strong and clear political choices" and said "solutions are available." The march in Paris, organized with the theme "Change the system, but don't change the climate," was both festive and serious. One protester, Manuel Bibes, denounced the plastic that inundates daily life. Another, Rodgrigo de la Vega criticized the practice of driving down the road to buy bread. "There is no Planet B," a sign read. ___ Elaine Ganley and Chris den Hond in Paris and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Thousands of people gather in front of Paris town hall during a protest, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Demonstrators in cities across France and Europe were marching on Saturday as part of a global day of protest ahead of a climate action summit this month in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) A man holds a poster reading: State of emergency for climate, during a protest in Paris, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Demonstrators in cities across France and Europe were marching on Saturday as part of a global day of protest ahead of a climate action summit this month in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) A man holds a poster reading: Save our planet, during a protest in Paris, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Demonstrators in cities across France and Europe were marching on Saturday as part of a global day of protest ahead of a climate action summit this month in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) A person holds a placard reading "I vote for the planet", during a demonstration for the climate, in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Demonstrators in cities across France and Europe are marching on Saturday as part of a global day of protest ahead of a climate action summit later this month in San Francisco, USA. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) CINCINNATI (AP) - The three people shot and killed in the lobby of a Cincinnati office building didn't have any apparent connection to the gunman. One was a longtime construction worker who was working in the building. Another moved to Cincinnati a year ago to take a better job with Fifth Third Bancorp. The youngest victim, at 25, was an engineer from India. Two others recovering from being shot and who remained hospitalized Saturday didn't work there every day, but they were there for meetings on Thursday morning. Mourners hold hands during a vigil Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 in Cincinnati's Fountain Square near the site of Thursday's fatal shooting. Suspect Omar Enrique Santa Perez was killed by police officers. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Police don't know yet why 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez began shooting randomly inside the bank headquarters. Investigators say he had never worked in the building or had any known association with it. ___ BUILT THIS CITY Richard Newcomer was a supervisor for Gilbane Building Co. the past three years and spent much of his life on construction projects across Cincinnati. The 64-year-old was overseeing work on the building's third floor, the company said. "He built this city," Mayor John Cranley said Friday after speaking to Newcomer's wife. "The buildings we live and work in, he helped construct. He loved the city." Newcomer's brother said in a statement that "Rick and the others affected were in the right place at the wrong time." "Words cannot describe what I'm sure we are all feeling," said Larry Newcomer. "Rick was a fun loving family man ... always quick with a joke." ___ BIG DREAMS Prudhvi Kandepi came to the United States four years ago from India after graduating from college and received a master's degree in computer engineering from the University of California in Riverside. He was working as a consultant for the bank. "He worked really hard to be where he was a couple of days ago," Yash Yeddulapalli, Kandepi's college roommate, told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "He had a lot of career goals and he wanted to support his family." Kandepi, 25, was just with his college friends during the Labor Day weekend on a trip he arranged to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. His friends said he always wanted to make people happy. ___ BETTER OPPORTUNITY Luis Calderon left his family in Miami a year ago to take a better, executive job with the bank, but he was trying to figure out how to get back to Florida, his wife said. Calderon, 48, was born in the United States, but he grew up in Columbia. He moved to Cincinnati about a year ago because he thought it would benefit his two teenage children, Ana Maria Calderon told The Enquirer. "To help us all more, he got a good job offer and it was a really tough decision to make because he was leaving everything behind," she said. He wanted to come back to his children within another a year or so, she said, once he had saved enough money. SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (AP) - A roaring wildfire that shut down a stretch of a major interstate near the California-Oregon border exploded in size as crews on Saturday scrambled to prevent flames from reaching rural communities. The blaze in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest was burning out of control after chewing through 58 square miles (150 square kilometers) of timber and brush since Wednesday. Aircraft were temporarily prevented from making water and retardant drops because heavy smoke was trapped under cloud cover, making for limited visibility for pilots. Firefighters working in rugged terrain were contending with hot temperatures and gusty winds. In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo, wildfires continued to burn on the ridge line east of I-5 just south of Gibson Rd., exit near Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif. A roaring wildfire that has shut down a stretch of a major interstate in a rural area near the California-Oregon border has nearly doubled in size. The blaze in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest is burning out of control and crews Saturday, Sept. 8, are scrambling to prevent it from reaching mountain communities to the north. (Hung T. Vu/The Record Searchlight via AP) Authorities announced Friday that a 45-mile (72-kilometer) section of Interstate 5 north of Redding would remain closed at least until Sunday. The fire has destroyed thousands of trees - some 70 feet (20 meters) tall - that could fall onto the highway that traverses the entire West Coast from Mexico to Canada and serves as a main artery for commerce. Truckers and other motorists were forced to take circuitous local routes that added hours to travel times. Interstate 5 became a ghost road after fire turned hills on either side into walls of flame. Drivers fled in terror and several big-rigs burned. Nearly 300 homes were considered threatened, but the blaze was not burning near any large towns, fire spokesman Brandon Vacarro said. Meanwhile crews near California's border with Nevada gained minimal containment of another wildfire that closed highways on the edge of the Sierra Nevada. A previous fire this year near Redding and another in the Mendocino area - the two largest blazes in the state this year - destroyed or damaged 8,800 homes and 329 businesses. The Mendocino fire was expected to be fully contained by Sunday, more than six weeks after it started. In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 photo, fire fighters from Yocha Dehe Fire Department work together to put out a grass fire along I-5 at Earl Sholes Memorial Bridge near Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif. A roaring wildfire that has shut down a stretch of a major interstate in a rural area near the California-Oregon border has nearly doubled in size. The blaze in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest is burning out of control and crews on Saturday are scrambling to prevent it from reaching mountain communities to the north. (Hung T. Vu/The Record Searchlight via AP) In this Friday Sept. 7, 2018 photo, firefighters keep standing guard along I-5 north of the Pollard Flat exit as the Delta Fire flares up in the background near Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif. A roaring wildfire that has shut down a stretch of a major interstate in a rural area near the California-Oregon border has nearly doubled in size. The blaze in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest is burning out of control and crews on Saturday are scrambling to prevent it from reaching mountain communities to the north. (Hung T. Vu/The Record Searchlight via AP) THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - The Latest on an international trade fair in Greece: (all times local): 10:15 p.m. Police in northern Greece have clashed briefly with extreme left protesters outside an international trade fair where the prime minister is hosting the commerce secretary of the United States. A protester shouts at policemen during a rally opposing Greece's name deal with neighbouring Macedonia at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Greek police say about 6,000 protesters have tried to reach a venue where prime minister Alexis Tsipras is due to give a keynote address on the economy later Saturday and were pushed back with tear gas and stun grenades. (AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) The protesters dispersed quickly from a square by the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center. Two other demonstrations - one staged by 6,000 pro-communist unionists and one with about 7,000 participants from other trade unions, ended without incident on Saturday night. But Greek nationalists opposed to the government's deal to end a name dispute with neighboring Macedonia remained on Thessaloniki's waterfront. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades after some of the 6,000 nationalist protesters threw rocks and other objects at officers/ U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross spoke at the trade fair before Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' keynote address on the economy. ___ 7:50 p.m. Greek police say tear gas and stun grenades have been used to keep thousands of protesters from reaching a venue where Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is due to give a keynote address on the economy. The crowd of about 6,000 gathered Saturday to protest an agreement Greece signed with neighboring Macedonia to end their long name dispute. Officers kept the protesters at bay, but the group approached the fairgrounds from another direction and attacked officers with rocks and others items. Three more protest marches are headed to the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre. Police let about 6,000 participants in a union-backed march by without incident. ___ 12:55 p.m. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has inaugurated a trade fair in recession-weary Greece, where the government is pushing for overseas investment but faces mass protests after years of plummeting living standards. Ross joined Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras Saturday at the opening of the annual trade fair. The United States is the featured country at this year's event, and Ross traveled with a delegation of executives from dozens of major U.S. companies. Greece last month ended its third consecutive international bailout and now must return to markets that have been rattled by financial concerns in nearby Italy. Some 4,000 police officers are on duty in the northern Greek city as several major protest rallies are planned later Saturday, led by labor unions. A protester waves a Greek flag amid tear gas smoke during clashes at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Greek police say about 6,000 protesters have tried to reach a venue where prime minister Alexis Tsipras is due to give a keynote address on the economy later Saturday. (AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, right, sits next to Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, left, ahead of a speech by the Prime Minister at Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Saturday inaugurated a trade fair in recession-weary Greece, where the government is pushing for overseas investment but faces mass protests after years of plummeting living standards. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, right, and Simos Anastasopoulos, President of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, center, listen to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, during a visit at Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thousands of police officers will be on duty in the northern city Saturday, as anti-austerity protests are planned throughout the city, at the same time when Tsipras plans to outline his economic platform for a country emerging from a decade of international bailout measures. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, second left, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, center, cut the ribbon during the inauguration ceremony at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thousands of police officers will be on duty in the northern city Saturday, as anti-austerity protests are planned throughout the city, at the same time when Tsipras plans to outline his economic platform for a country emerging from a decade of international bailout measures. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) A protester is detained by riot policemen during clashes at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Some thousands of police officers are on duty in the northern city Saturday, as anti-austerity protests are planned. (AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) Protesters take part in a rally opposing Greece's name deal with neighbouring Macedonia at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Anti-austerity protests are planned throughout the city Saturday, coinciding with an announcement by Prime Minister Tsipras to outline his economic platform for Greece, following a decade of international bailout measures.(AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) A protester waves a Greek flag amid smoke from tear gas during a rally opposing Greece's name deal with neighbouring Macedonia at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Greek police say about 6,000 protesters have tried to reach a venue where prime minister Alexis Tsipras is due to give a keynote address on the economy later Saturday and were pushed back with tear gas and stun grenades. (AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) Protesters shout slogans during a rally opposing Greece's name deal with neighbouring Macedonia at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Greek police say about 6,000 protesters have tried to reach a venue where prime minister Alexis Tsipras is due to give a keynote address on the economy later Saturday and were pushed back with tear gas and stun grenades. (AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, center, walks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, as they visit the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Thousands of police officers will be on duty in the northern city Saturday, as anti-austerity protests are planned throughout the city, at the same time when Tsipras plans to outline his economic platform for a country emerging from a decade of international bailout measures. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) Protesters chant slogans during a rally opposing Greece's name deal with neighbouring Macedonia at the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Some thousands of police officers will be on duty in the northern city Saturday, as anti-austerity protests are planned throughout the city. (AP Photo/Dimitris Tosidis) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bill Daily, the comic sidekick to leading men on the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show," has died, a family spokesman said Saturday. Daily died of natural causes in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, at his home where he had been living with his son, J. Patrick Daily, spokesman Steve Moyer told The Associated Press. Daily was not a household name but he was a household face, familiar to many millions of baby-boomer viewers in the 1960s and '70s from two of the era's biggest shows. FILE - In a Sept. 5, 2007 file photo, Bill Daily arrives for TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show," Wednesday, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Bill Daily, the comic sidekick to leading men on the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show," has died. Family spokesman Steve Moyer said Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 that Daily died Tuesday of natural causes in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was 91. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) He played Major Roger Healy in all five seasons of "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1965 to 1970. Healy was the astronaut partner to Larry Hagman's Major Anthony Nelson as both men tried to contain the antics of Jeannie, the childlike blond bombshell who lived in a bottle played by Barbara Eden. Eden said on Twitter Friday night that Daily was "Our favorite zany astronaut." "Billy was wonderful to work with," Eden said. "He was a funny, sweet man that kept us all on our toes. I'm so thankful to have known and worked with that rascal." Just two years later he landed a very similar role and had an even longer run on "The Bob Newhart Show," playing aviator Howard Borden behind Newhart's psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley for 140 episodes between 1972 and 1978. Newhart, now 89, said in a statement Saturday that he and Daily had been friends since both were trying to break into comedy in Chicago in the 1950s, and Daily was a clutch comedian that could make anything work on the sitcom. "I called him our bullpen man. Whenever we were having trouble with a script on the show, we'd have Bill make an appearance," Newhart said. "He was one of the most positive people I ever knew, and we'll dearly miss him." Daily saved scenes instead of stealing them like other sidekicks of the era. He specialized in support, upping the comic moments of his co-stars - his Newhart character was, fittingly, a co-pilot - with a goofy warmth. Actor James Urbaniak called him the "king of affable vulnerability" on Twitter Friday. But like all co-stars on long-running shows, he got occasional episodes of his own, including one where he stole the role of Jeannie's master from Hagman. Daily was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but raised in Chicago, which he always considered his hometown. He said he was always a class clown despite losing his father while still a child. Before acting, he tried to make it in show business as a jazz bass player, playing in a combo called "Jack and the Beanstalks." Appearing in variety shows drew him into standup comedy and then acting. He landed one-off roles on the oddball shows of the early 1960s like "My Mother the Car" and "Bewitched," which brought him to the attention of the creators of "I Dream of Jeannie." He said his work at first was derivative - and not very good. "I was doing Bob Hope and Bing Crosby," Daily said in a 2003 interview with the Archive of American Television. "I was terrible. I think I was funny, but I didn't know what I was doing." After "Jeannie" he returned to guest-starring roles, including one on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," before his old friend Newhart came seeking a sidekick. On "The Bob Newhart Show," Daily's Howard Borden was the neighbor across the hall who always popped in looking to borrow or mooch something, like Kramer on "Seinfeld" two decades later. He said the writers and his co-stars made the part a breeze. "I just think the scripts were just written so beautifully," Daily said in the TV archive interview. "And Bob was a brilliant straight man, he'd just give you everything." Daily later appeared on game shows and in reunion specials for his two shows, and in later years hung out with his co-stars on the nostalgia convention circuit. In his last well-known role, he played a psychiatrist on the cult hit alien-puppet sitcom "Alf" from 1987 to 1989. Daily was married three times. His third wife, Becky Daily, died in 2010 after 17 years of marriage. He adopted two children, daughter Kimberly and son J. Patrick Daily. He had been living for several years in New Mexico with his son and son's wife Sharon. At Bill Daily's request no funeral is planned. He just wanted his loved ones to have a party, which is tentatively planned for next year, the family said. ___ Follow Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton. PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - Workers with paint brushes and brooms put the final touches on Pyongyang's iconic Kim Il Sung Square as North Korea prepared for what promises to be its biggest celebration in years on Sunday - the 70th anniversary of the country's official birth as a nation. The spectacle, months in the making, will center on a military parade and mass games that will likely put both advanced missiles and leader Kim Jong Un's hopes for a stronger economy front and center. Although North Korea stages military parades almost every year, and held one just before the Olympics began in South Korea in February this year, Sunday's parade comes at a particularly sensitive time. Military vehicles are seen along the Taedong River in Pyongyang, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. North Korea will stage a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (Kyodo News via AP) Kim's effort to ease tensions with President Donald Trump have stalled since their June summit in Singapore. Both sides are now insisting on a different starting point. Washington wants Kim to commit to denuclearization first, but Pyongyang wants its security guaranteed and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War. With tensions once again on the rise, a parade featuring the very missiles that so unnerved Trump last year, and led to a dangerous volley of insults from both leaders, could be seen as a deliberate provocation. The North displayed its latest missilery in the February parade, however, and Washington hardly batted an eye. So it's possible Kim might choose to display them but give the missiles a lower profile if he makes his usual address just before the parade begins. Either way, soon after the Sunday celebrations end, Kim will once again meet in Pyongyang with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss ways to break the impasse over his nuclear weapons. While it remains to be seen what kind of weaponry will be rolled out at the parade, North Korea is clearly trying to switch its emphasis away from just military power to its efforts to improve the country's domestic economy. The "new line" of putting economic development first has been Kim's top priority this year. He claims to have perfected his nuclear arsenal enough to deter U.S. aggression and devote his resources to raising the nation's standard of living. Despite speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend, Beijing instead sent its third-highest party official. With Xi officially out, no major world leaders were expected to join in, though delegations from countries such as Syria, Vietnam and nations across Africa that have friendly relations with the North sent high-level delegations. This year's celebrations also mark the revival of North Korea's iconic mass games after a five-year hiatus. The mass games involve tens of thousands of people holding up placards or dancing in precise unison and are intended to be a display of national unity. This year's spectacle - tickets start at just over $100 and go up to more than $800 per seat - also has a strong economic theme. The economy was also a big part of a concert held on the eve of the anniversary for foreign dignitaries and a large foreign media contingent allowed in for the events. As is commonly the case, the visiting journalists were generally kept away from anything newsworthy. On Saturday, they were bussed to a cosmetics factory and a very well-funded cooperative - and not very representative - farm on the outskirts of the capital. ___ Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @EricTalmadge Military choir members salute as they sing during an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Koreans military cadets are silhouetted as they attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) North Koreans military officers leave after an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) North Koreans military cadets attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) A North Korean woman leaves after attending an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) North Koreans military officers leave after attending an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) North Koreans attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) North Koreans military cadets are silhouetted near the North Korean flag as they attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) North Koreans attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu, center arrives for an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Korean military choir members sing during an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Koreans applaud as they attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Koreans attend an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Korean performers take part in an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Performers dance during an evening gala held on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) A large screen displays statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il during a evening gala performance on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is displayed on a large screen with the words "We will go and go along the road of loyalty, Shining Fatherland" during a evening gala performance on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) A portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is displayed on a large screen with the words "We will go and go along the road of loyalty, Shining Fatherland" during a evening gala performance on the eve of the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. North Korea will be staging a major military parade, huge rallies and reviving its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Workers produce cosmetic brushes at the Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. The Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory, which was recently renovated, is one of the North's main producers of cosmetic items. The poster reads "poweful socialisim." (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Senior Chinese official Li Zhanshu, right, is welcomed upon his arrival at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Li, the Chinese ruling party's third highest official, will attend a big military parade on the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding on Sunday, Sept. 9. (Kyodo News via AP)/Kyodo News via AP) Senior Chinese official Li Zhanshu, top, waves upon arrival at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Li, the Chinese ruling party's third highest official, will attend a big military parade on the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding on Sunday, Sept. 9. (Kyodo News via AP) Senior Chinese official Li Zhanshu, center let, walks with Choe Ryong Hae, center right, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, upon his arrival at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Li, the Chinese ruling party's third highest official, will attend a big military parade on the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding on Sunday, Sept. 9. (Kyodo News via AP) ADDS TRANSLATION - Products made by the Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory are on display in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. The Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory, which was recently renovated, is one of the North's main producers of cosmetic items. The Korean words mean "Compete with the world, challenge the world, go lead the world!" (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) A North Korean woman walks past slogans at the Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. The Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory, which was recently renovated, is one of the North's main producers of cosmetic items. A poster at left reads "Let's thoroughly implement the decisions of the April meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea." (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) SAO PAULO (AP) - The man suspected of stabbing Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro was moved Saturday to a prison in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The Globo TV network said Adelio Bispo de Oliveira was taken to the Federal Prison in Campo Grande, the state's capital. It said he would be held in an isolation wing used for prisoners who might be in danger. Calls to the prison's administration went unanswered. Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, hold a candlelight vigil outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate is hospitalized, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine) Bolsonaro, a far-right congressman running second in opinion polls, was stabbed Thursday during a rally in Juiz de Fora, a city about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Rio de Janeiro. He suffered intestinal damage and serious internal bleeding before undergoing surgery at a local hospital. He was later transferred to Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital, where doctors said Saturday that he was improving. "My father continues improving and has begun physical therapy sessions," Flavio Bolsonaro, one of the candidate's sons, said on his Twitter account. He posted a photo showing his smiling father in a blue hospital gown sitting on a chair imitating pistols with both hands. It is unclear what led de Oliveira to attack Bolsonaro. The G1 news portal on Friday posted a cellphone video, apparently obtained from police, where he said he acted on God's orders. Although there is no indication that the stabbing was premeditated, the Bolsonaro camp has sought to pin the blame on the left. "They say that he (de Oliveira) was a lone wolf. That it was an isolated case. That is not the case," said Eduardo Bolsonaro, another son of the candidate. "At the very least he was a leftist with a lot of hate in his heart." Evangelical pastor Silas Malafaia said on Twitter that de Oliveira was once affiliated with the left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party, which like most of Brazil's political parties criticized the attack and called for a thorough investigation. For Bolsonaro, there will be questions about his physical ability to campaign for the Oct. 7 election. "He probably won't go back to the streets during this campaign, so he can't do it, but we can," his son Flavio said in a video posted on Facebook. The son later tweeted: "Jair Bolsonaro is stronger than ever and ready to be elected President of Brazil in the 1st round. About a dozen candidates are competing in the presidential race. If no one wins an outright majority, the top two finishers will face off in a runoff election Oct. 28. The Federal Police said in a statement Saturday that the number of agents providing security for each candidate will be increased, though it provided no details. But Bazileu Margarido, an official in candidate Marina Silva's campaign, told G1 that the number of agents would rise to 25 from 21. In this handout photo provided by the National Social Liberal Party press office, presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro poses for a photo while sitting in his hospital room at the Albert Einstein Hospital, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2018. The far-right congressman was stabbed on Thursday during a campaign rally. Bolsonaro, 63, suffered intestinal damage and serious internal bleeding, according to Dr. Luiz Henrique Borsato, one of the surgeons who operated on the candidate. (Flavio Bolsonaro/National Social Liberal Party via AP) Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who was stabbed during a campaign event, hold a candlelight vigil outside the Albert Einstein Hospital, where the candidate is hospitalized, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine) DALLAS (AP) - The Latest on a deadly shooting involving an off-duty Dallas police officer (all times local): 9:20 p.m. Court documents show that the Dallas police officer involved in the fatal shooting of a black man earlier this week also shot a man during a confrontation in 2017. "Young King" Solomon Grayson, 6, looks over at a sign that reads "You Could be Botham Shem Jean" during a Mothers Against Police Brutality candlelight vigil for Jean at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Dallas. Authorities are seeking a manslaughter warrant for the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Jean after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, police said Friday. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News via AP) An affidavit says that officer Amber Guyger shot and wounded Uvaldo Perez on May 12, 2017, after a struggle that resulted in Perez taking her Taser. Police named Guyger Saturday as the off-duty officer who shot and killed Botham Jean Thursday night after she says that she mistakenly went to the wrong apartment and encountered him. The Texas Rangers are investigating and an attorney for Jean's family has called on the authorities to arrest Guyger. Dallas police say the state police have requested more time to investigate. In the 2017 confrontation, the affidavit says Guyger was one of two officers called to help another officer. Guyger was trying to assist, when a struggle began with Perez. Guyger fired her Taser at Perez, who then took her Taser from her. Guyger pulled her gun and fired, wounding Perez in the abdomen. Guyger was not charged in the 2017 shooting. ___ 8:25 p.m. Dallas police have released the name of the officer involved in the fatal shooting of a black man. A statement from the Dallas Police Department Saturday says the officer is Amber Guyger, a four-year veteran of the force assigned to the Southeast Patrol Division. No other details about her were released. Guyger has told investigators that she was off-duty on Thursday night when she mistakenly went to the wrong apartment and shot Botham Jean. The Texas Rangers are investigating and say they need more time to determine whether to charged her with a crime. ___ 6:35 p.m. An attorney for the family of a man fatally shot by an off-duty Dallas police officer says an arrest warrant should be issued for the officer. Attorney Lee Merritt was speaking following a prayer vigil for Botham Jean, a black man who was shot by an officer who says she mistakenly entered the wrong apartment and encountered Jean. Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall had said Friday that the officer would be charged with manslaughter but on Saturday she said a warrant had not been issued because the Texas Rangers asked her department to wait. She says the Texas Rangers wanted more time to investigate the Thursday night shooting. The prayer vigil Saturday, attended by dozens of people including Jean's mother, was held at the Dallas West Church of Christ. ___ 2:15 p.m. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says the shooting death of a 26-year-old black man by a white off-duty police officer "is a very serious situation for the city of Dallas." He told reporters Saturday that the Texas Rangers, the top criminal investigative agency in the state, has taken over the probe into the shooting death late Thursday of Botham Jean. Rawlings says Jean was a young professional who displayed leadership and was a man of faith, and that he was "exactly the sort of citizen we want to have." He says he spoke Saturday with Gov. Greg Abbott, who promised that the Rangers will ensure "justice will be served." Jean was shot by an off-duty officer who was returning home after working a shift. The officer told investigators she mistakenly entered the wrong apartment and encountered Jean. ___ 1:35 p.m. Dallas' police chief says a warrant for manslaughter hasn't been issued for an officer who killed a man in his home because the Texas Rangers asked her department to wait. Chief U. Renee Hall said Saturday during a panel discussion livestreamed on Facebook by television station WFAA that the state investigators said they needed more time to investigate the Thursday night fatal shooting of 26-year-old Botham Jean. Police say the officer shot and killed Jean at his home and later said she had mistaken his apartment for her own. Hall said at a news conference Friday that the officer would be charged with manslaughter, but it's unclear if that will still be the case. ___ 1:30 p.m. Government leaders of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia say the shooting death in Dallas of an island native came as a "shock" and that embassy officials in the U.S. will provide assistance to the victim's family. Island authorities offered their condolences Friday to Allison Jean, who's held a number of government posts and whose 26-year-old son was killed late Thursday. Dallas police officials say Botham Jean was shot by an off-duty officer who told investigators that she mistakenly entered the wrong apartment after returning home from a shift. Jean was taken to a hospital where he died. The officer has not been identified and police Chief U. Renee Hall says she'll be charged with manslaughter. But it was not clear Saturday whether the officer has been formally charged or whether she's in custody. A police spokeswoman declined to comment. ___ 11 a.m. The mother of a black Caribbean man who was fatally shot by a white Dallas police officer who said she mistook his apartment for her own wonders whether her son's race was a factor in his killing. Allison Jean in comments Friday broadcast by Dallas TV station KXAS questioned whether the off-duty officer would have reacted differently if she encountered a white man. Jean, who has held government posts in the island nation of St. Lucia, says her son's death "just feels like a nightmare." Police say the officer shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Jean after she returned home from her shift Thursday night and said she mistook his apartment for her own. Authorities say she will be charged with manslaughter. Botham Jean attended college in Arkansas and had been living and working in Dallas since 2016. This Sept. 21, 2017, photo provided by Harding University in Search, Ark., shows Botham Jean leading worship at a university presidential reception in Dallas. Authorities said Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, that a Dallas police officer returning home from work shot and killed Jean, a neighbor, after she said she mistook his apartment for her own. The officer called dispatch to report that she had shot the man Thursday night, police said. (Jeff Montgomery/Harding University via AP) Debra Mendoza, national prime minister of the Brown Berets, embraces an attendant during a Mothers Against Police Brutality candlelight vigil for Botham Jean at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Dallas. Authorities are seeking a manslaughter warrant for the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Jean after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, police said Friday. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News via AP) Dr. Pamela Grayson raises her fist as "Young King" Solomon Grayson, 6, peaks behind her sign during a Mothers Against Police Brutality candlelight vigil for Botham Jean at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Dallas. Authorities are seeking a manslaughter warrant for the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Jean after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, police said Friday. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News via AP) Pastor Michael W. Waters leads a prayer following a Mothers Against Police Brutality candlelight vigil for Botham Jean at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Dallas. Authorities are seeking a manslaughter warrant for the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Jean after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, police said Friday. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News via AP) Lloyd Harvey, left, holds onto Alyssa Kinsey during a Mothers Against Police Brutality candlelight vigil for Botham Jean at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Dallas. Authorities are seeking a manslaughter warrant for the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Jean after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, police said Friday. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News via AP) "Young King" Solomon Grayson, 6, stands on a ledge next to a memorial during a Mothers Against Police Brutality candlelight vigil for Botham Jean at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Dallas. Authorities are seeking a manslaughter warrant for the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Jean after she said she mistook his apartment for her own, police said Friday. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News via AP) GAZIVODE, Kosovo (AP) - Serbia's president said Saturday that an agreement resolving his country's dispute with Kosovo will be difficult to achieve given European opposition to remaking borders in the Balkans region. President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia wants to be on friendly terms with Kosovo, but doesn't recognize its 2008 declaration of independence. Vucic is in Kosovo for a two-day visit. Speculation surfaced in recent weeks that the countries were headed toward normalized relations and might exchange territory. Serbian President Aleksadar Vucic speaks at the Gazivode Dam near the village of Gazivode, Kosovo, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Vucic is on a two day visit to Kosovo. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) The land swap idea has drawn opposition based on concerns the exchange would produce demands for similar deals in the volatile region. "It will be very hard for us to reach any kind of agreement," Vucic said while visiting Serb-populated northern Kosovo. "Serbia cannot accept the imposed decisions from 2008." Kosovo was a Serbian province when a crackdown on ethnic-Albanian separatists in 1998-99 led to the deaths of more than 10,000 people. The conflict ended with a NATO intervention that forced Serbia to pull out of the province. Serbia and Kosovo must mend ties to advance toward European Union membership. The two sides have been engaged in EU-mediated negotiations. Serbian President Aleksadar Vucic, center, visits a recreation youth center near the village of Gazivode, Kosovo, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Vucic is on a two day visit to Kosovo. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Serbian President Aleksadar Vucic, center, visits a recreation youth center near the village of Gazivode, Kosovo, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Vucic is on a two day visit to Kosovo. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a press conference in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Serbia's president refused to meet with his Kosovo counterpart at European Union-backed talks Friday, dashing hopes of an imminent improvement in long-strained relations between the two countries. (AP Photo) A man standing on a balcony looks towards the monument of the late Serbian Duke Lazar who was killed inthe Battle of Kosovo in June 1389, in the northern, Serb-dominated part of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The idea of a "land swap" between Serbia and Kosovo to resolve their long-running dispute once and for all has stirred passions ahead of a new round of talks between former war foes. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) LAS VEGAS (AP) - Pilots with a Nevada glider team have flown to new heights above the Andes Mountains in Argentina using only wind as their engine. An experimental sailplane built by a Perlan Project team set an unofficial world altitude record for engineless flight on Sunday, then broke that record by more than a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) two days later, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported . Pilots Jim Payne and Miguel Iturmendi flew the Perlan 2 aircraft to 63,776 feet (19,439 meters) on Tuesday, 3,107 feet (947 meters) higher than Sunday's flight by Payne and Morgan Sandercock. That's about 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the highest altitude used by commercial flights. At that altitude, "the sky is starting to get dark" and you can see the curve of the Earth, Payne said. "You get some beautiful vistas from up there." Payne and Sandercock also own the current official record of 52,221 feet (15,917 meters), which they reached in Perlan 2 above the Andes on Sept. 3, 2017. It took about two-and-a-half hours for the glider to reach its record-setting altitude. Payne said Perlan 2 can climb more quickly than that, but these are test flights so they are ascending in stages to determine how the aircraft is performing. "We're testing just the way the Air Force would," he said. The glider is designed to soar up to 90,000 feet (27,432 meters), and Payne thinks it might get there some day. "It's kind of like a cross between a spaceship and an F-16," he said. Payne and company hope to keep pushing the altitude record higher between now and Sept. 15, when they will wrap up operations and return to the U.S.. Their next flight is scheduled for Sunday, weather permitting. Perlan 2's altitude record will remain unofficial until it is reviewed and accepted by the National Aeronautic Association and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, a Switzerland-based equivalent of the Guinness World Records for aviation. It took almost a year for the Federation Aeronautique Internationale to sign off on the team's 2017 world altitude record. ___ Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on former President Barack Obama (all times local): 6:05 p.m. Vice President Mike Pence says it's disappointing that former President Barack Obama is back on the campaign trail criticizing President Donald Trump. Former President Barack Obama greets supporters as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) Says Pence: "The truth is, the American people in 2016 rejected the policy and direction of Barack Obama when they elected President Donald Trump." Pence comments in a taped interview set to air on "Fox News Sunday." Fox released an excerpt on Saturday. Obama campaigned for congressional Democrats from California on Saturday, a day after he excoriated Trump in a speech in Illinois. Pence said it's "very disappointing" to see Obama break with the tradition of former presidents, who largely shun the campaign trail, and "become so political." Pence says Obama rolled out "the same tired arguments that he and liberals have made over the last eight years." ___ 2:15 p.m. Former President Barack Obama says November midterm elections give Americans "a chance to restore some sanity in our politics." Appearing in Southern California on Saturday, the former president took another swipe at his successor as he raised his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House. Obama didn't mention President Donald Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County. Obama's appearance comes one day after a strongly worded critique of Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In California, the former president touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education. He told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Center, "If we don't step up, things can get worse." ___ 12:55 p.m. Former President Barack Obama says the midterm elections in November will give Americans the chance to - in his words - "restore some sanity in our politics" by changing control of Congress. He's in California trying to help out a group of congressional candidates. And Obama tells the crowd in Anaheim that "we're all in this together and that what makes America exceptional and unique is that from all around the world people ... came here because they believed in a certain set of ideals." ___ 12:40 p.m. Barack Obama has made a political appearance in California on behalf of Democratic congressional candidates he says have "decided to step up and bring out the best in our country." The former president says "we're in a challenging moment" when enormous changes are taking place. He says 'people feel unsettled, people feel scared," and they're worried about their children's future. Obama says there are no problems that can't be solved if "we're working together and we're true to the traditions that are the best in America." But he's also warning that it's "always tempting for politicians - for their own gain and for people in power - to try to see if they can divide people, scapegoat folks." When that happens, he says, people become cynical and decide not to participate in the political process - creating a vacuum that lobbyists and special interests fill. ___ 8:15 a.m. Former President Barack Obama is in California to campaign for Democratic congressional candidates one day after issuing a stinging rebuke of his successor in the White House. Obama is set to appear later Saturday at the Anaheim Convention Center in the heart of Orange County, a once-solid Republican stronghold that voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election that Donald Trump won. Obama will share the billing with seven Democratic candidates in competitive U.S. House districts across California. Those races are considered crucial to the party's efforts to retake control of the House from Republican. Four of those districts are at least partly in Orange County. Obama issued a scorching critique of President Donald Trump on Friday in a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Former President Barack Obama speaks as he campaigns in support of California congressional candidates, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) GREENVILLE, Miss. (AP) - A man was fatally shot by authorities during a foot chase in the Mississippi Delta. The Delta Democrat-Times reports Greenville police say the man aimed a gun at them after running away on Friday afternoon. Assistant Police Chief Michael Merchant says officers then shot the man. He died at a hospital. His name was not released. No one else was injured. Police aren't releasing names of the officers involved. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has been asked to lead the inquiry into the incident. Merchant says officers were responding to reports of gunfire. A grand jury declined to indict five Greenville officers who shot a man in 2017. Officers said Ronnie Lee "Pie" Shorter walked out his front door and fired a handgun at officers. Shorter died after being shot five times. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is scheduled to headline Iowa Democrats' marquee fall banquet next month, raising his national profile further on the heels of a spotlight role in confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Booker is the first of the Democrats' better-known potential 2020 presidential candidates to make plans to visit the leadoff caucus state this year. Several lesser-known Democrats have already begun making introductions. Booker struck a defiant tone this week as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in declaring his willingness to face expulsion from the Senate by releasing an email from Kavanaugh about racial profiling written during his time as a top White House aide to President George W. Bush. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., questions witnesses before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the final stage of the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Calling it an act of "civil disobedience," Booker said reading the email to the committee "is about the closest I'll probably ever have in my life to an 'I am Spartacus' moment." However, a committee lawyer later announced the material had been cleared for release that morning. Still, Booker garnered some of the national spotlight, as well as the mockery of some of his Republican colleagues on the committee. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said "running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate." In planning to visit Iowa before the November midterms, Booker, elected in 2012, is inviting further national attention. Other Senate Democrats mentioned as 2020 prospects, such as New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, California's Kamala Harris and Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren, have steered clear of the early presidential proving ground. Likewise, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2016, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who is also weighing a 2020 campaign, have been in touch with Iowa Democrats but have not yet made plans to visit. While some of the better-known potential 2020 Democratic candidates have been in touch with Iowa Democrats quietly, Booker too had met with lawmakers from the state in Newark in July. LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) - A recount will determine the winner of a Democratic congressional primary in Massachusetts. Two candidates, Dan Koh and Lori Trahan, have filed the necessary signatures for a recount of votes in the 3rd Congressional District, which could begin later next week. Koh and Trahan were among 10 Democrats seeking their party's nomination for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, a Lowell Democrat who is retiring after more than a decade in the House. Congressional candidate Lori Trahan speaks to supporters at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, in Lowell, Mass. Ten Democrats, including Trahan, were competing in the 3rd district primary to fill the seat left open by Democratic Rep. Niki Tsongas, who is retiring. (Julia Malakie/The Lowell Sun via AP) Unofficial returns showed Trahan ahead by 52 votes, out of approximately 85,000 cast, prior to a review of provisional ballots from Tuesday's primary. Provisional ballots are cast when there are questions about the eligibility of a voter, and counted only after eligibility is confirmed. Secretary of State William Galvin said Saturday that he wants to assure that during the recount all cities and towns in the district apply the same standards for determining if a vote should be counted for a particular candidate. Galvin said his office would monitor the recount and intervene if proper procedures were not followed. The timetable is a tight one. The recount must be completed by Sept. 17, Galvin said, with the deadline for mailing out absentee ballots for the general election coming on Sept. 23 - leaving only days for a possible legal challenge should the losing candidate decide to contest the results of the recount in court. A spokeswoman for Trahan tells the Eagle Tribune of Lawrence the candidate is confident her margin will hold up, but was committed to participating in the recount so voters in the district would have full confidence in the results. Republican Rick Green was unopposed in the Republican primary, and will face the eventual Democratic nominee in November. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A Rhode Island woman accused of funneling lottery scam money between the U.S. and Jamaica through her airline job goes on trial in federal court in North Dakota this week. She is the last of 27 defendants in the case that began seven years ago this month. Here's a look at the case and the upcoming trial of Melinda Bulgin, which is expected to last up to 10 days. WHY IS THIS CASE A BIG DEAL? The Federal Trade Commission estimates that lottery scams could be a billion-dollar-a-year industry in Jamaica. This is believed to be the first large-scale Jamaican lottery scam tried in U.S. courts, and it will create a template for future investigations, Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter said. The U.S. attorney's office expects many more investigations in both the U.S. and Jamaica, though Hochhalter believes it will take a combined effort of governments, citizens and law officers to put a serious dent in the Jamaican lottery scam industry. HOW DO THESE SCAMS WORK? Scammers call victims about bogus lottery winnings, persuading them to send advance fees to receive the purported winnings, then keeping the money without paying anything to the victims. In the scam that launched this case, a woman was told she had won $19 million and a new car, and needed only to pay taxes and fees to collect the prizes. HOW DID THIS CASE COME TO BE PROSECUTED? In September 2011, 86-year-old Edna Schmeets, of Harvey, North Dakota, paid those "fees" and lost her life savings of more than $300,000. Authorities opened a case in 2012. The probe involved the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Authorities dubbed the case "Operation Hard Copy," a reference to lists of prospective victims' contact information used by scammers. They say the investigation determined the sophisticated scam bilked at least 90 mostly elderly Americans out of more than $5.7 million. Court documents list victims in North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina and Texas, with illegal scam-related activity also alleged in New York, New Hampshire, California and Florida. Prosecutors eventually filed conspiracy, fraud and money laundering charges against 27 people. All have pleaded guilty or been convicted except Bulgin, of Providence, Rhode Island. WHAT WILL HER TRIAL FOCUS ON? Prosecutors say Bulgin worked as a customer service representative for Delta Air Lines and took advantage of the fact that she was able to travel "virtually free" to funnel money. They call her "not a minor player" in the scam and say she has a past that includes getting expelled from Pace University in New York in 2013 for "untruthful and dishonest behavior" that included forgery, cheating and unlawfully obtaining federal student loans. Defense attorney Kevin Chapman says that isn't relevant. In 2015, Jamaican airport authorities said they found nearly $15,000 in Bulgin's handbag that she hadn't declared to customs officials. She was arrested three months later in Rhode Island. She was interrogated in both countries. Chapman maintains that the authorities mishandled the interrogations and violated Bulgin's rights. Bulgin initially faced 66 counts of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors late last month sought the dismissal of 51 of the counts, saying it would "allow the United States to effectively focus attention and resources." U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland on Tuesday approved the request. He'll oversee her trial in Bismarck. Prosecutors say they'll introduce evidence including money transfer records, bank records and emails, and also have testimony from an FBI special agent who has reviewed hundreds of thousands of emails, documents and other records. Schmeets is on the government's lengthy witness list, as is Lavrick Willocks, who authorities said masterminded the scam. WILL THIS TRIAL WRAP UP THE CASE? There's another upcoming court hearing of note - Willocks is to be sentenced Oct. 15. Willocks pleaded guilty in July 2017 to conspiracy in a deal with prosecutors. He faces up to 40 years in prison, though prosecutors will recommend about 10 years because he cooperated. WILL THE VICTIMS EVER GET THEIR MONEY BACK? Those who have been convicted in the case have been ordered to pay restitution, but it's not known how likely it is that will actually happen. Hovland in July also ordered that cash and jewelry seized from Willocks be liquidated and the proceeds doled out to victims. The property includes the equivalent of nearly $12,000 in U.S. currency and jewelry of unknown worth including gold chains, gold rings, gold and silver bracelets including one with a diamond, and Rolex watches. Hochhalter said authorities are making other efforts to locate forfeitable assets but it's a challenge. ___ Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched a charity performance for veterans with the former Army chief ultimately responsible for Harry in Afghanistan. The duke and Meghan sat with Lord Dannatt at Central Hall in Westminster, London, on Thursday night for the concert titled 100 Days To Peace, which was to mark the final stretch of the First World War. The general led the Army between 2006 and 2009, during which Harry started his first of two tours in Afghanistan in 2007. Soprano Lesley Garrett performed a WB Yeats poem, and Sir Karl Jenkins was to conduct The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace, an anti-war piece performed by choir and orchestra. Garrett praised Harry for highlighting mental health issues and supporting veterans. We did sign up before we knew Prince Harry and Meghan would be here, she added. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at the event hand in hand (Geoff Pugh/The Telegraph) Its so important to support these amazing charities. Lord Dannatt, accompanied by his wife, spoke warmly with the royal couple before they entered the Great Hall for the show. During the intermission the peer led Meghan, in a dark blue dress by Taiwanese-Canadian designer Jason Wu, and Harry, in a sombre navy suit, to meet performers and charity leaders. The show, presented by the Royal Armouries Museum, raised money for three charities supporting veterans with mental health issues Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and Heads Together. Legislation aimed at banning the smacking of children in Scotland has been published at Holyrood. Green MSP John Finnie introduced the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill after gaining the backing of the Scottish Government and MSPs from across all the political parties. If passed, the legislation would remove the defence of justifiable assault in Scots law, which allows parents to use physical punishment to admonish a child. An MSP has lodged legislation to ban the smacking of children (Anthony Devlin/PA) Mr Finnies Members Bill is also supported by a range of organisations including the Scottish Police Federation, Barnardos Scotland, the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland and the NSPCC. A public consultation last year received more than 650 responses with almost 75% of those in favour of the legislation. Mr Finnie said: I am delighted to be formally lodging my Bill to give children equal protection from assault in the Scottish Parliament today. Children deserve the same legal protection from assault that adults enjoy, a position that childrens rights organisations and charities have long been arguing. Substantial academic research from around the world shows that physical punishment does not work and is shown to be counter-productive. My Bill aims to support parents to make positive choices. The Bill will not change the way that police and social work deal with assault against children. Rather it establishes the principle that assault can never be justifiable. Matt Forde of NSPCC Scotland said: John Finnies Bill, and the Scottish Governments support for it, is a huge step forward for our children. It is wrong that a legal defence which does not exist in a case of common assault against an adult can be used to justify striking a child. Closing this loophole brings Scotland in line with dozens of other countries in Europe and across the world and gives our children equal protection from assault. But the move is opposed by campaign group Be Reasonable Scotland backed by The Christian Institute and The Family Education Trust which argues a ban will criminalise parents. A spokesman for the group said: More than 140 countries around the world continue to respect parents freedom and responsibility to discipline their children appropriately. Scotland has taken a positive step forward with @JohnFinnieHI Bill that will give children the same protection from assault that an adult gets. Once passed, we will be the first country in the UK to change this law! https://t.co/WoL6bJwGRo #EqualProtection pic.twitter.com/llxhX1Y710 Children 1st (@children1st) September 7, 2018 This Bill could see them in the dock for simply tapping their kids on the back of the hand or pulling them away from the side of the road. Police and social workers are already overstretched. Criminalising loving parents for giving a light, infrequent smack for the purpose of teaching right from wrong will inevitably divert valuable resources away from children who genuinely need help. Furious British Airways customers have been left having to cancel their credit cards after a 15-day data breach compromised around 380,000 card payments. The airline admitted criminal activity had compromised the personal and financial details of customers who made bookings on its website or app from just before 11pm on August 21 until 9.45pm on Wednesday. BA said it was investigating the vast breach as a matter of urgency, while the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre are also assessing the hack. Shares in British Airways owner IAG were down over 4% shortly after the London Stock Exchange opened, before settling 2% lower. Worried customers rushed to social media and helplines after the airline urged anyone who suspected they may have been affected to contact their bank or credit card provider. There were reports of banks being inundated with calls, leaving account holders in lengthy queues, while some BA customers said they had to have cards cancelled and reissued as a result. The data watchdog has said it would be making inquiries into the incident. (PA Graphics) Under new data protection rules, the airline was obliged to issue a breach notification within 72 hours of it being detected. BA said on Thursday evening: British Airways is investigating, as a matter of urgency, the theft of customer data from its website, ba.com and the airlines mobile app. The stolen data did not include travel or passport details. The breach has been resolved and our website is working normally. The airline was in the process of notifying affected customers and Alex Cruz, BAs chairman and chief executive, said it was deeply sorry for the disruption that this criminal activity has caused. We take the protection of our customers data very seriously, he said. Mr Cruz said BA had hundreds of people communicating with customers making sure that we can help to protect that data. He told the BBC on Friday morning that the attack was sophisticated and malicious. There was a very sophisticated, malicious criminal attack on our website. We became aware initially on that day, and we began to work on it. We discovered that something had happened, and immediately we began to work, he said. We didnt know exactly (the) extent of the work, so overnight, the teams were trying to figure what was the extent of the attack. Customer Mat Thomas said he had placed a booking on August 27, but had not been contacted over the breach. Atrocious that I had to find out about this via news and twitter, he tweeted. Called bank and had to cancel both mine and my wifes card. Probably wont get it back before we fly (ironically). Terrible handling of the situation as Ive still not received an email from BA! Unfortunately its not soon enough. No point at this stage; card is cancelled causing my wife and I fairly significant disruption, I will be doing my utmost to chose other airlines over BA from now on, I usually do anyway but others didnt have the times I wanted on this occasion Mat Thomas (@phiebs) September 6, 2018 Gemma Theobald said she had booked on Sunday and only found out about the breach on Twitter. She tweeted: My bank are experiencing extremely high call volumes due to this breach! Couldnt do anything other than cancel my card not how I wanted to spend my Thursday evening. Banks including NatWest and RBS attempted to reassure worried BA customers that they have significant levels of security in place, although they advised account holders to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. Which? said it was vital BA moved quickly to ensure affected customers get clear information and what steps they need to take to protect themselves. British Airways customers will be concerned to hear about this data breach, said consumer groups Alex Neill. Anyone concerned they could be at risk of fraud should consider changing their online passwords, monitor bank and other online accounts and be wary of emails regarding the breach as scammers may try and take advantage of it. Finally got through to my bank. Feel sorry for them as its not their fault and they are experiencing extremely high call volumes due to this breach! Couldnt do anything other than cancel my card... not how I wanted to spend my Thursday evening Gemma Robyn Theobald (@GemmaRobyn) September 6, 2018 A spokesman for the Information Commissioners Office said they would be making inquiries about the data theft. The incident comes after an IT meltdown caused huge disruption for BA passengers at the start of the May half-term holiday. Some 75,000 passengers were left stranded after a glitch forced the airline to cancel nearly 726 flights over three days. The airlines recent data breach follows a massive incident that saw round 10 million records containing personal data of Dixons Carphone customers accessed. The company said there was evidence that some of the data may have left our systems, although the records did not contain payment card or bank account details and there was no evidence that any fraud has resulted. Travellers heading to Dubai or Abu Dhabi have been warned they could face arrest if they consume alcoholic drinks on the flight to the Middle East. The British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates posted the message about drinking in the federation on its Facebook page, weeks after a mother was detained in Dubai after drinking a complimentary glass of wine on a flight from London. Alcohol licences are required for residents while tourists are restricted to consuming alcohol in a hotel or a licensed premises. It said: If caught carrying or drinking alcohol without a licence or with alcohol in your blood, you can be arrested. It is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public including when transiting through the UAE. It can result in custodial sentences and/or a fine. The post appeared to be part of a series on the UK in UAE page about consular matters. Ellie Holman was detained in Dubai for three days (Detained in Dubai/PA) Swedish dentist Ellie Holman, who lives in Sevenoaks in Kent with her English partner Gary and their three children, was detained on July 13 having drunk one glass of wine on her eight-hour Emirates Airline flight to Dubai from London. The charges were later dropped. Radha Stirling, chief executive of human rights group Detained in Dubai, said: In light of the FCOs announcement, we will be contacting all airlines who transit to or through the UAE to clarify their position on serving alcohol to passengers. Either the UAE will need to reform their laws urgently, or the airlines will need to update their policy to ensure the safety of customers. American defence secretary James Mattis has arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul on a surprise visit to the war-weary country. Mr Mattis is expected to meet Afghan, US and Nato military commanders as well as Afghan president Ashraf Ghani. The defence secretarys arrival comes just days after a suicide bomber killed 21 people amid a fresh round of insider attacks that claimed the life of one American service member and eight local police officers earlier this week. A US serviceman was killed in Afghanistan this week (AP) Washington appears to be ramping up efforts for a negotiated end to Afghanistans war. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced this week the appointment of Zalmay Khalilzad, as Washingtons new senior official for Afghan reconciliation. Mr Khalilzad, a controversial figure in the region, is a former envoy to Afghanistan. Russia faced a fresh wave of international condemnation over the Salisbury spy poisoning as it claimed Britain was lying about the latest developments in the case. Moscow was accused of playing dice with the lives of people living in the Wiltshire city by the UK during an emergency debate at the United Nations. The US warned the world should be chilled to the bone by the developments set out in recent days. US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau earlier issued a joint statement with Theresa May agreeing with the British assessment that the operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level in Moscow. On Wednesday, two Russian nationals Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov said to be members of Russias military intelligence service the GRU, were identified as suspects by police investigating the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in March. GCHQ head Jeremy Fleming warned that Russia poses an active threat during a speech in Washington. He called on the international community to reject the Kremlins brazen determination to undermine the international rules-based order. But Russia claimed the UK had been mendacious and was trying to unleash disgusting anti-Russian hysteria during talks at the United Nations. Diplomat Vasily Nebenzya told the UN security council: Im not going to go through the list of this whole unfounded and mendacious cocktail of facts. Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov have been named as suspects (Metropolitan Police/PA) London needs this story for just one purpose to unleash a disgusting anti-Russian hysteria and to involve other countries in this hysteria. Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left critically ill after being exposed to the military grade nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March. Detectives believe it is likely the two suspects, thought to be aged around 40, travelled under aliases and that Petrov and Boshirov are not their real names. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday it wants to identify and find the suspects involved in the poisoning of Mr Skripal and his daughter. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed officials want to find out who these people are and called on the UK to share intelligence on them. Officers have formally linked the attack on the Skripals to events in nearby Amesbury when Dawn Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, were exposed to the same nerve agent. Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July, just over a week after the pair fell ill. Dame Karen Pierce, the UKs representative at the UN, said Russia had played dice with the lives of the people of Salisbury. We have clear evidence of Russian state involvement in what happened in Salisbury, she told the meeting. Chinese president Xi Jinping will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin next week in a sign of strengthening ties between the two global powers. The summit will take place during Mr Xis working visit to Russias far-eastern port city of Vladivostok on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said. It will be the first time a Chinese head of state has attended the Russian-hosted Eastern Economic Forum, a gathering Moscow hopes will encourage investment in its thinly populated far-east. Mr Xis visit is a sign of healthy ties between China and Russia that have been cemented by joint military exercises and coordination on foreign policy issues from Syria to North Korea. The two leaders, pictured during a meeting in Johannesburg (AP) China this month is sending 3,200 troops and about 900 weapons units to take part in the biggest Russian military exercises since the Cold War. The visit also comes as China is reaching out to trade partners amid a tariff war with the United States. Russia has in recent years surpassed Saudi Arabia as Chinas largest source of crude oil and Beijing also imports Russian gas and military equipment. Russia and China have responded to the US national security strategy describing them as Americas top adversaries by vowing to further expand their economic, political and military cooperation. The two countries have also sought to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional grouping they created which holds occasional defence exercises. The relationship is driven in part by the warm ties between Mr Putin and Mr Xi, seen as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. The two have met 25 times five times last year alone, according to Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov. Donald Trumps top lieutenants have stepped forward to declare that they were not behind a newspaper article written by a senior US government official who claimed to be part of a resistance working to restrain the presidents most dangerous impulses. By email, by tweet and on camera, the denials over the anonymous New York Times column came from cabinet-level officials, all the way up to the office of vice president Mike Pence. Senior staff in key US national security and economic policy roles charged the articles writer with cowardice, disloyalty and acting against Americas interests in harsh terms that mimicked the presidents own words. Mr Trump was incensed over the column, and called confidants to vent about the author, solicit guesses as to his or her identity and fume that a deep state within the administration was conspiring against him. He ordered aides to unmask the writer, and issued an extraordinary demand that the newspaper should reveal the authors identity to the government. In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump said it was unfair for the person to pen the editorial anonymously because there is no way to discredit it. Mr Trump has issued dark warnings about `the deep state (AP) He suggested it may not be a Republican, it may not be a conservative, it may be a deep state person who has been there for a long time. As striking as the essay was, there is a long list of officials who could plausibly have been its author. Many have privately shared some of the articles same concerns about Mr Trump with colleagues, friends and reporters. With such a wide circle of potential suspicion, Mr Trumps top aides felt they had no choice but to speak out. The denials and condemnations came from secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defence secretary Jim Mattis and interior secretary Ryan Zinke. In Washington, the claims of not me were echoed from Mr Pences office, from energy secretary Rick Perry, from Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, from Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, as well as a host of other US cabinet members. On Twitter, Mr Trump said: The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy & they dont know what to do. Some White House officials who agreed with the writers points suggested the presidents reaction actually confirmed the authors concerns. Rudy Giuliani, the presidents personal lawyer, suggested that it would be appropriate for Mr Trump to ask for a formal investigation into the identity of the articles author. The presidents personal lawyer has suggested the author could have national security clearance (AP) He said: Lets assume its a person with a security clearance. If they feel writing this is appropriate, maybe they feel it would be appropriate to disclose national security secrets, too. That person should be found out and stopped. As the initial scramble to unmask the writer proved fruitless, attention turned to the questions the article raised, which have been whispered in Washington for more than a year: Is Donald Trump truly in charge, and could a divided executive branch pose a danger to America? Former CIA director John Brennan, a fierce Trump critic, called the article active insubordination born out of loyalty to the country. The US vice president issued a denial as the guessing game over the mystery authors name continues (AP) He told NBC: This is not sustainable to have an executive branch where individuals are not following the orders of the chief executive. I dont know how Donald Trump is going to react to this. A wounded lion is a very dangerous animal, and I think Donald Trump is wounded. The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the resistance working diligently from within the administration, said: Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr Trumps more misguided impulses until he is out of office. It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognise what is happening. And we are trying to do whats right even when Donald Trump wont. First lady Melania Trump issued a statement backing her husband. She praised the free press as important to our democracy but assailed the writer, saying: You are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions. The stabbing of a leading Brazilian presidential candidate has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing the deep polarisation in Latin Americas largest nation. Far-right Social Liberal Party congressman Jair Bolsonaro was seriously injured after a man stabbed him in the abdomen during a campaign event in Juiz de Fora. The former army captain has promised to crack down on crime, and has long argued that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand. After the attack, Brazilians surged on to social media to argue over whether the incident supports Mr Bolsonaros assertions that the country is off the rails, or whether his heated rhetoric contributed to inciting the attack. National Social Liberal Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (Eraldo Peres/AP) Dr Luiz Henrique Borsato, who performed emergency surgery on the candidate, said Mr Bolsonaros recovery is satisfactory so far. He said the candidate would remain in hospital for at least a week after a two-hour operation to stop serious internal bleeding. In videos of the moment of the attack posted on social media, Mr Bolsonaro could be seen on the shoulders of a supporter, looking out at the crowd and giving a thumbs-up sign with his left hand. Adelio Bispo de Oliveira is suspected of stabbing Jair Bolsonaro (AP) He is seen flinching and then goes out of view. Other videos show supporters carrying him to a car and hitting a man who appears to have been the attacker. A suspect, identified by authorities as 40-year-old Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, was arrested within seconds. Police did not identify a motive, but one official said the man appeared to be mentally unstable. (Twitter screengrab) After more than four years of revelations of widespread corruption within Brazils political class, anger is running high in the country, and analysts initially predicted this poll would see huge changes. But no true outside candidate has emerged. Instead, Mr Bolsonaro, despite being a congressman since 1991, has harnessed much of the anger and presented himself as a maverick who will clean up a corrupt system. He also promises to confront a surge in crime, in part by giving police a freer hand to shoot to kill while on duty. The publics anger is partially responsible for making this years campaign the most unpredictable in years for Brazil, and the attack could lead to another seismic shift. (Twitter screengrab) The man leading the polls, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been barred from running by electoral authorities because he was convicted of corruption and is in jail. That puts Mr Bolsonaro in the lead position, though it is unclear how the attack might affect the campaign for the October 7 presidential ballot. In the hours following the attack in Juiz de Fora, about 125 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, Mr Bolsonaros supporters predicted it would carry him to the presidency. They made Bolsonaro a martyr, said Jonatan Valente, a student who joined a small vigil for Mr Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo. I think the left shot itself in the foot because with this attack they will end up electing Bolsonaro. However, it is unknown when the candidate can get out again on the campaign trail or if his injuries will impede his ability to campaign. A woman has been charged in connection with the alleged murder of a 22-year-old whose body was found near a roadside almost four months ago. Annalise Johnstone was discovered dead in a wooded area close to the B8062 between Auchterarder and Dunning in Perth and Kinross on May 10. Police said that a 28-year-old woman has been charged and she is expected to appear at Perth Sheriff Court on Friday. Annalise Johnstone was found in woods between Auchterarder and Dunning (Police Scotland) A woman, 28, now charged in connection with the alleged murder of 22-yr-old Annalise Johnstone. A 24-yr-old man was charged in connection with her death in May. Expected to appear at Perth Sheriff Court today Perth & Kinross Police (@PerthKinPolice) September 7, 2018 Jordan Johnstone, 24, was also arrested in connection with the death in May. He was charged with murder and theft when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on May 25. The idea of a land swap between Serbia and Kosovo to settle their long-running dispute once and for all has stirred passions ahead of a new round of talks between the former foes. The idea would likely see a part of southern Serbia centred on the ethnic Albanian-dominated city of Presevo transferred to Kosovo, while the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo, around Mitrovica, would become part of Serbia. Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo leader Hashim Thaci are expected to meet in Brussels as part of efforts to normalise relations in the region still riven by tensions from the 1998-99 war. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized as a nation by more than 100 countries. However, Serbia does not recognise it, and neither do five EU countries: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Serbia and Kosovo have been told that they must sort out their differences if they want to advance toward EU membership. Officials from both nations have suggested a land swap could be a good idea, but there is opposition both inside the countries and internationally. There are concerns that changes to the borders could trigger similar demands in Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro, nations which were also formed after the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The ethnic Albanian-dominated region in southern Serbia of Presevo (AP) Germany and some of its EU partners also have voiced fears this could open up old wounds in the Balkans rather than resolving their longstanding differences. US president Donald Trumps administration has signalled it would accept any agreement between the two sides. Although there are no fixed proposals on the table, the most commonly mentioned ideas always involve the so-called Presevo Valley area of Serbia, to be swapped for Kosovos Serb-populated north. Zoran Ostojic, an analyst from Belgrade, believes that the meeting in Brussels will not result in an immediate breakthrough despite heightened expectations. Serbias Mr Vucic and Kosovos Mr Thaci are testing the ground, primarily with the international community by floating the idea, he said. Who knows where that could end? Ostojic warned, echoing fears of a chain reaction throughout Balkans. The 1998-99 war erupted when Kosovo separatists launched a rebellion to split from Serbia after Belgrade had stripped the region of its self-rule. More than 10,000 people died in the conflict before Nato forced Serbia to pull out of the territory. EU officials are hoping that the prospects of membership in the bloc will encourage the Balkan nations to leave the past behind but when it comes to Serbia and Kosovo, there is a long way to go. Police close investigations without identifying a suspect in three quarters of reported vehicle thefts, four in five residential burglaries and almost half of shoplifting cases, new analysis shows. Across the three offence types, hundreds of thousands of probes are shut with no suspected culprit in the frame, the Press Association found. The revelations prompted warnings that victims could be put off reporting offences, while criminals are given a green light to reoffend. A new analysis looks at crime outcomes data (Peter Byrne/PA) Police chiefs say increased demand and reduced officer numbers mean they have to prioritise cases where there is a realistic chance of prosecution. Figures for shoplifting, theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle, and residential burglary were extracted from Home Office crime outcomes data for the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales, plus British Transport Police. The analysis, which covers the 12 months to March and reflects the position as of June, found: -Recorded shoplifting and vehicle theft levels are at their highest in years -Some of the countrys largest forces were among those with the highest percentages of cases closed without a suspect being identified -At the time the data was collected charges or summonses had been issued for 4% of recorded vehicle thefts and 5% of residential burglaries Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Commons Home Affairs committee, said: Too many investigations are closing without suspects being identified and we are hearing increasing reports of the police being too overstretched to investigate. Police forces are under immense pressure with rising serious and violent crime and changing patterns of crime alongside cuts in the numbers of officers and PCSOs. These figures suggest that investigations into volume crimes are now being hit. Failing to identify suspects gives criminals a green light to reoffend. Alex Mayes, of charity Victim Support, said: News like this could undermine confidence in the criminal justice system and prevent people reporting in the future. The 44 forces logged 106,334 offences of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle in 2017/18, the highest tally for an equivalent period since 2009/10. For 81,788 of these offences, the outcome was investigation complete no suspect identified. This is used when a reported crime has been investigated as far as reasonably possible and the case is closed pending further investigative opportunities. The percentage of vehicle thefts in this category nationally, 77%, was up by one percentage point compared with the previous year. West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police closed 91% and 85% of vehicle thefts they recorded without a suspect being identified respectively, the analysis found. Only City of London Police had a higher percentage, at 96%, although it recorded the smallest number of such offences, with 54. All but five forces closed over half of these cases without identifying a suspect. RAC Insurance spokesman Simon Williams said motorists will be shocked by the findings. This is a sign that thieves have found ways around car security systems and have ways of selling vehicles on with little or no fear of being caught, he said. The fact fewer suspects are being identified is very worrying and no doubt a symptom of the declining number of police officers and the resulting reduction in time that can be dedicated to investigating these crimes. The total number of recorded shoplifting offences, 382,100, is the highest for an April-March period since national crime recording standards were introduced in 2002. In nearly half of cases (47%), investigations ended without a suspect being identified, a rise of four percentage points year-on-year. Leicestershire Police had 63% of shoplifting crimes in this bracket, followed by Greater Manchester Police with 59%. Across all forces, 81% of a total 249,235 residential burglary offences recorded in 2017/18 were closed without a suspect being identified. West Midlands (90%), Greater Manchester Police and the Met (both 88%) were among those with the highest percentages of residential burglaries assigned the outcome. Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs Council lead for acquisitive crime, said increased demand and fewer officer numbers have led to forces prioritising cases with a realistic prospect of prosecution. She added: Police investigate all cases of theft, burglary and shoplifting. Particularly for these types of offences, police focus on targeting prolific offenders, organised crime networks, and ensuring prevention measures by homeowners and businesses are in place. The Met said its new crime assessment policy does not mean some crime types are not investigated, adding that cases initially screened out can be reopened if forensic work produces results. West Midlands Police said it is committed to following the trail of evidence in all cases but if an investigation finds no witnesses, CCTV or forensic evidence then the chance of identifying offenders is vastly reduced. Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said a reduction in officer numbers and the changing nature and complexity of crime means that we have to focus our resources where they are needed most, adding that if credible information comes to light that could lead to an offenders identification after a case is closed, it will be thoroughly investigated. Detective Chief Inspector Chris Baker, of Leicestershire Police, said every crime report is reviewed by an investigator and the decision to classify an offence with the no suspect identified outcome is not taken lightly. City of London Police said vehicle crime is a priority for the force, adding: A dedicated operation has been established to tackle this crime type which typically occurs in car parks and areas with limited public footfall. A Home Office spokesman said: We expect the police to take all reports of crime seriously, to investigate and to bring the offenders to court so that they can receive appropriate punishment. However we recognise that crime is changing and police demand is becoming increasingly complex. That is why we have provided a strong and comprehensive 13 billion funding settlement to ensure the police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work. The Government remains alert to changes in trends and new methods used by criminals and we will continue to work with the police, industry and others to consider the evidence and what more can be done to prevent these crimes taking place. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has announced plans to step down after Brexit is resolved or stopped. Sir Vince, 75, said reports of his imminent departure were very wide of the mark and insisted he would stay on to steer the party through any Brexit-related turmoil, including any possible general election. However, in a London speech he said the time would be right for a leadership election after that under new rules he unveiled to widen participation in the party. (PA Graphics) Sir Vince also made a naked pitch to disaffected Labour and Conservative MPs and members unhappy at the direction their parties are moving to join the Lib Dems, saying it was better to join an existing centrist party than to start a new one. He told the audience at the Liberal Club he had already made it clear he did not want to follow in the footsteps of Liberal prime minister William Gladstone, who served into his 80s or fellow octogenarian leader Robert Mugabe. Sir Vince said: Reports I have read of my imminent departure are very wide of the mark. Britain needs a movement that is ready to lead in the interest of the millions of UK citizens who dont have a voice. That movement is the Liberal Democrats pic.twitter.com/piMZunuCmw Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) September 7, 2018 Now is not the time for an internal election, there is serious work for me and the party to do. Once Brexit is resolved or stopped, that will be the time to conduct a leadership election under the new rules. Voters who are liberal-minded will be allowed to sign up for free under plans to bolster membership, the former Cabinet minister announced. Sir Vince is seeking a `movement of the moderates in the UK (Yui Mok/PA) The Lib Dems have languished in the polls and struggled electorally since going into government in coalition with the Conservatives in 2010. Sir Vince said he wanted to create a movement of the moderates that would bring together voters who loosely identify with the party. Appealing to moderates from other parties to join the Lib Dems, he said there was a risk of emulating the Peoples Front of Judea and the Judean Peoples Front from Monty Pythons The Life Of Brian two almost identical forces competing in the same ground. Britain needs a political party that is ready to lead in the interest of the millions of UK citizens who dont have a voice that party is the Liberal Democrats. Join me live at 9:30 AM > https://t.co/z95skC1PC8 pic.twitter.com/wPd5tmy3Ge Vince Cable (@vincecable) September 7, 2018 He added: I make the case that it is much easier under our electoral system to work within existing party structures and with people who have shared values, rather than trying to compete. As the old adage has it: we hang together, or we hang separately. Sir Vince lost his Twickenham seat in the mass defenestration of Lib Dem MPs at the 2015 General Election following their years of coalition with the Conservatives, but he regained the seat in 2017. He replaced Tim Farron as party leader in July 2017, who himself had replaced Nick Clegg two years earlier. If Sir Vince does trigger a leadership election in 2019 it would leave the Lib Dems searching for their fourth leader in four years. He declined to give a timescale for the election being held, saying he cannot clear away the current uncertainty over Brexit. (PA Graphics) But he said one of his objectives was to lead the party to further local election success in May and begin the process of transforming the Liberal Democrats from an old-style political party into a new, open movement. The speech come ahead of the partys annual autumn conference, which begins on September 15. Sir Vince insisted all of the partys 11 other current MPs could lead it. But he outlined a vision for a mass movement with similar impact if different politics to Labours grassroots organisation Momentum. Labelling it a Movement for Moderates he said: We should widen membership with a new class of supporters who pay nothing to sign up to the partys values. They should enjoy a range of entitlements, including the right to vote for the leadership and to shape the partys campaigning online. Ladbrokes made Jo Swinson, the partys deputy leader, the early favourite to replace him at evens, but said early betting was heaviest on education spokeswoman Layla Moran, who was cut from 5/2 to 2/1 behind her. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- SAIC Motor reported a slight year-on-year growth of 0.3% in August sales with 528,438 vehicles delivered. For the first eight months, the automaker delivered 4,532,032 vehicles in total, a year-on-year increase of 9.1%. The top 3 subsidiaries by August sales were SAIC-GM, SAIC Volkswagen and SAIC-GM-Wuling. Although the sales of both SAIC-GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling presented year-on-year drop in August sales, they achieved positive growth in terms of Jan-Aug sales thanks to the good performances made in previous months. SAIC-CP was the fast-growing subsidiary in light of year-to-date sales growth, followed by SAIC Hongyan and SAIC Motor PV. SAIC Motor PV saw its August sales jump 23% over the year-ago period to 50,006 units. Besides, the company boasted a year-on-year surge of 46.8% in Jan-Aug sales with 457,123 vehicles sold despite of somewhat fluctuant performances so far this year. The sales of the Roewe RX Series, the MG 6 and the Roewe ERX5 continued the upward momentum last month. The total NEV sales of the Roewe and the MG brands skyrocketed 260% year on year to 11,326 in August, exceeding 10,000 units for four consecutive months. As to JV performances, SAIC Volkswagens sales edged up 2.7% from a year ago to 156,000 units in August and climbed 6% to 1,328,649 units for the first eight months. The hottest-selling sedan model should be the Lavida, whose cumulative sales have already topped 240,000 units for the first half of the year. The Jan-June sales of the Tiguan reached 147,941 units, the champion by the JV-made SUV sales. SAIC-GMs August sales slid 3.8% over the previous year to 158,616 units, showing up year-on-year downturn for three consecutive months. However, as to the cumulative sales growth, the joint venture still did a better job than SAIC Volkswagen and SAIC-GM-Wuling. Affected by the overall economic climate and the competition from the internal products, SAIC-GM-Wuling suffered a year-on-year decline of 5.8% with its August sales totaling 145,515 units, trailing SAIC Volkswagen with a relatively small sales gap. Theresa May retains confidence in Karen Bradley despite her admission that she initially did not understand Northern Ireland politics when she took on the Cabinet brief, No 10 has said. The Northern Ireland Secretary revealed she initially did not realise that the countrys nationalists did not vote for unionist parties or vice-versa during elections. Ms Bradley, who was appointed earlier this year, also said she did not fathom some of the deep-rooted issues that define Northern Irish politics. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Michael McHugh/PA) Downing Street refused to be drawn on the criteria used by the Prime Minister when appointing ministers. The Secretary of State is speaking to media about the clear plan for Northern Ireland she set out in Parliament today https://t.co/mkkFVHgukP pic.twitter.com/2CkduTfc2o Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) September 6, 2018 A No 10 spokeswoman said: The Northern Ireland Secretary is working incredibly hard to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland. Asked if the PM remained confident that Ms Bradley was able to do the job, the spokeswoman replied: Yes, she is working very closely with the parties there. Asked how voters in Northern Ireland could have confidence in Ms Bradley, the spokeswoman replied: I would point to all of the work that she is doing to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland. Ms Bradley was appointed in January after her predecessor James Brokenshire stepped aside for medical reasons. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley as she arrives in #Belfast for her first day of engagements in Northern Ireland: pic.twitter.com/azMHcrdWoO Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 10, 2018 She told The House magazine: I didnt understand things like when elections are fought for example in Northern Ireland people who are nationalists dont vote for unionist parties and vice-versa. So, the parties fight for election within their own community. Actually, the unionist parties fight the elections against each other in unionist communities and nationalists in nationalist communities. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey have begun a summit on Syria as a bloody offensive on Idlib province looms, despite warnings from the US and others against the attack. The summit between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may determine whether diplomacy halts any military action ahead of an anticipated offensive targeting the north-western Syrian province. Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about three million people nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 hardcore fighters, including al Qaida-linked militants. Vladimir Putin (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) The three leaders each held bilateral talks before the meeting began in Tehran. As photographers took pictures of the three leaders Mr Rouhani, smiling, reached for their hands. The fires of war and bloodshed in Syria are reaching their end, Mr Rouhani said, adding that terrorism must be uprooted in Syria, particularly in Idlib. Mr Erdogan appealed for a reasonable way out to avoid a bloodbath in Idlib. Iran, Russia and Turkey all have competing interests over Syria, and all also face US sanctions under the administration of President Donald Trump. Iran wants to retain its foothold in the Mediterranean nation neighbouring Israel and Lebanon. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian leader Bashar Assad, fears a flood of refugees fleeing a military offensive and further destabilisation of areas it holds in Syria. Meanwhile, Russia wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by Americas long uncertainty about what it wants in the conflict. Early on Friday, a series of air strikes struck villages in south-west Idlib, targeting insurgent posts and killing a fighter, said Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Mr Abdurrahman said suspected Russian planes carried out the attack. Waterstones has acquired independent book business Foyles as it promises to help the chain fight back against Amazons siren call. Waterstones, which was bought by US hedge fund Elliott Advisors this year, has purchased the book chain from the Foyle family for an undisclosed sum. Foyles was founded 115 years ago by brothers William and Gilbert Foyle, who started the business by selling textbooks, before setting up shop on Charing Cross Road in central London. Foyles flagship is in Charing Cross Road, London (PA) The bookshop has other outlets across London, at the Royal Festival Hall, Waterloo and Westfield Stratford, as well as shops in Bristol, Birmingham and Chelmsford. Watersones has been in expansion mode after it was sold by Alexander Mamut, the Russian billionaire who owned the book brand through his investment vehicle Lynwood Investments. The sale ended Mr Mamuts seven-year ownership of the business, although he still maintains a minority stake in the company. Press statement: Foyles family to sell business to Waterstones https://t.co/mPPTaDOcFD Foyles Bookshop (@Foyles) September 7, 2018 James Daunt, Waterstones managing director, said the acquisition of Foyles would help both brands face off the threat from e-commerce giant Amazon. We are honoured to be entrusted with the Foyles business, and greatly look forward to joining forces with the Foyles bookselling team, Mr Daunt said. Together, we will be stronger and better-positioned to protect and champion the pleasures of real bookshops in the face of Amazons siren call. He said that Waterstones, which also owns Hatchards in Londons Piccadilly and Hodges Figgis in Dublin, saw itself as responsible stewards of independent book stores. It is an exciting and invigorating time in bookselling as good bookshops are rediscovering their purpose in the fight back against online and e-reading, he said. Christopher Foyle, chairman of Foyles, said: My family and I are delighted that Foyles is entering a new chapter, one which secures the brands future and protects its personality. I look forward to witnessing the exciting times ahead for the company founded by my Grandfather and his brother 115 years ago. Key elements of Prime Minister Theresa Mays Chequers plan for Brexit are not acceptable to Brussels, the EUs chief negotiator has told MPs. But a transcript of Michel Barniers evidence to the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee showed that he did not describe the blueprint agreed at the PMs country residence in July and set out in the Governments Brexit White Paper as dead, as Labour MP Stephen Kinnock claimed earlier this week. In a hearing of the committee in Westminster on Wednesday, Mr Kinnock broke into French to tell Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab that the EU negotiator had told them les propositions sont mortes the proposals are dead. I can tell you absolutely, unequivocally, without a shadow of a doubt that Chequers is dead in the water, the Labour committee member told Mr Raab. Michel Barnier made it crystal clear that Chequers is completely unacceptable to the EU. But a transcript of Mondays meeting, held behind closed doors in Brussels, shows that, in response to repeated questioning over whether the proposals were dead, Mr Barnier insisted he was not rejecting them outright. Asked by committee chairman Hilary Benn whether the Chequers plan was dead in the water, Mr Barnier replied: In the White Paper there are lots of positive things, lots of useful things, just to make that absolutely clear. I did not just reject the White Paper outright; that is just not true. I hope that you will understand that. However, he made clear that Brussels will not accept Mrs Mays proposals on customs arrangements, as well as her suggestion that the UK and EU could have a free trade area with a common rulebook for goods but not services. In a translation of his comments released by the committee, Mr Barnier said: The proposals made in the White Paper on two points are not acceptable as they are, they are not acceptable to the EU that is the White Paper proposal on customs and the White Paper proposal on the common rulebook for goods. On Mrs Mays suggestion that the UK could carry out customs checks on its borders on the EUs behalf, he said: Your proposal does not seem workable to us. Theresa Mays blueprint for Brexit was agreed by her Cabinet at a meeting in Chequers in July (Joel Rouse/Crown Copyright) Mr Barnier said that agreement on the UKs withdrawal deal and a political declaration on the future relationship must be reached by the start of November in order to have time for ratification by the scheduled date of Brexit on March 29. Asked whether the deal would be ready by the deadline of October 18s European Council summit, he told MPs: We might need a few extra days. I have always said that give or take a day or a week, the essential thing to do is to get a good result, even if it takes a few days longer. But he added pointedly: It is not extra time we need now. It is decisions we need now. Mr Barnier said that the future of the Irish border remained the main obstacle to a withdrawal agreement, telling MPs he was very concerned about Ireland. He dismissed as too easy the suggestion put forward by some Brexiteers that the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic could simply be kept open, arguing that this would not allow either the EU or the UK to protect their consumers and businesses. But he said that the EU was open to discussing other backstop arrangements for Northern Ireland than the Brussels proposal for it to remain within the European customs area, which has been roundly rejected by Mrs May. Mr Barnier insisted that he hoped the UK does well out of Brexit (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Barnier insisted that the EU wants to establish the closest relationship possible with your country an unprecedented relationship following Brexit. But he said that Mrs Mays proposals for a facilitated customs arrangement under which tariffs gathered at the border on goods heading for continental Europe would be passed on to Brussels were impossible, technically speaking, for us to implement. The proposal would create extra cost and bureaucracy, risk a major distortion in competition to the disadvantage of EU companies, and call into question the very integrity of our single market, he said. Mrs Mays White Paper appeared to be suggesting a kind of a la carte single market, a kind of cherry-picking approach, and we do not agree, he said. We cannot agree to that. Mr Barnier rejected a suggestion from prominent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg that the divorce bill of around 40 billion agreed by Mrs May represents a payment for a future trade deal and could be withheld if the EU failed to come up with terms acceptable to the UK. There was no question of going back on the financial settlement, which related only to commitments made by the UK during its time as an EU member, he said, telling Mr Rees-Mogg: That figure is settlement for the past. You want to leave the European Union. That is your decision, so we settle the accounts. Mr Barnier indicated that he expects the economic consequences of Brexit to become clear in the UK within a few years. We will see in a few years time where we are, where the advantages and disadvantages are, said Mr Barnier. We will see by then whether it is better to have a common trade policy or to go it alone. We will see then. I hope you do well. I hope you are successful, quite frankly, but I think myself in negotiating with Mr Trump, in negotiating with the Chinese, it is better to be in a big group and to be sitting on a big single market and a common trade policy In todays world I think it is better to be strong together when it comes to negotiating with the other major powers that are not going to wait for us. The idea of a land swap between Serbia and Kosovo to settle their long-running dispute has stirred passions as the prospect of a new round of talks between the former foes was reported. The proposal could see part of southern Serbia centred on the ethnic Albanian-dominated city of Presevo transferred to Kosovo, while the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo, around Mitrovica, would become part of Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan leader Hashim Thaci had been expected to meet in Brussels as part of efforts to normalise relations in the region still riven by tensions from the 1998-99 war, but Serbian officials said they will not talk today. Marko Djuric, a senior Serbian negotiator at the European Union-brokered talks, said in Brussels that Mr Vucic will not talk today with the representatives of Pristina. There are not minimum conditions to talk to the representatives of Pristina today, he added. Presevo is an ethnic Albanian-dominated city in southern Serbia (Zenel Zhinipotoku/AP) Mr Vucic and Mr Thaci held separate meetings with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who is the mediator in the talks. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognised as a nation by more than 100 countries, but Serbia does not recognise it, and neither do five EU countries: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Serbia and Kosovo have been told they must sort out their differences if they want to advance towards EU membership. Officials from both nations have suggested a land swap could be a good idea, but there is opposition inside both countries and internationally. There are concerns that changes to the borders could trigger similar demands in Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro, nations which were also formed after the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Germany and some of its EU partners also have voiced fears this could open up old wounds in the Balkans rather than resolving their long-standing differences. Federica Mogherini has met both leaders (Olivier Hoslet/AP) Although there are no fixed proposals on the table, the most commonly mentioned ideas always involve the so-called Presevo Valley area of Serbia, to be swapped for Kosovos Serb-populated north. Zoran Ostojic, an analyst from Belgrade, believes the meeting in Brussels will not result in an immediate breakthrough. Mr Vucic and Mr Thaci are testing the ground, primarily with the international community by floating the idea, he said. Who knows where that could end? Mr Ostojic warned, echoing fears of a chain reaction throughout the Balkans. The 1998-99 war erupted when Kosovo separatists launched a rebellion to split from Serbia after Belgrade had stripped the region of its self-rule. More than 10,000 people died in the conflict before Nato forced Serbia to pull out of the territory. A former Stormont minister has said his department did not tell him that costs for a renewable energy scheme were spiralling. Jonathan Bell said it is a matter of grave concern to him that it now appears the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) had that information and did not share it with him. Mr Bell was minister at the DETI, which oversaw the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Former DUP minister Jonathan Bell arrives at the RHI inquiry (Niall Carson/PA) It was intended to encourage businesses to switch from fossil fuels to green alternatives such as biomass. By the summer of 2015 the cost to the taxpayer was beginning to spiral as firms realised how lucrative the incentives on offer were. A public inquiry set up to examine what went wrong with the RHI scheme heard on Friday that there was a spike in applications in September and October before cost controls were applied in November. The inquiry heard that applications increased by 100% in six weeks. Mr Bell signed an order to introduce cost controls on September 3, but these did not come into effect until November. He insisted he would have tried other mechanisms if he had known about the spike in applications. Nobody informed me through the agreed processes of the department, so I wasnt aware at all of the spikes in applications, nobody was even informally briefing me, he said. What causes me grave concern is why I wasnt told after the first week, the second week, the third week, running right up to the sixth week. Why if my department had the information, and why when my department had a mechanism to get urgent messages to the minister, why was none of this done. If it is the case that Ofgem and others were telling my department about a surge in applications, had they told me after week one there had been such a surge, we cant deal with it, then I would have looked at urgent procedure, I would have looked at other legislative mechanisms that were in our arsenal to address legislatively that sort of concern. But nobody told me and that causes me grave concern that I was a minister in the department which seems now to have had that information but for whatever reason was not following the agreed process to bring that to the attention of the minister. The inquiry also heard that at that time, the DUP had an in-and-out policy in terms of its ministers. It was a protest move following the murder of Kevin McGuigan in Belfast in August 2015 and subsequent statement by PSNI Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes that members of the supposedly decommissioned Provisional IRA had been responsible. DUP ministers resigned in opposition to sharing government with Sinn Fein, a party with historic links to the Provisional IRA. Ministers resigned for a number of days before returning to office for a number of hours and then resigning again. This pattern was repeated to stage a protest without losing ministerial positions. Mr Bell told the inquiry that this in-and-out policy did not have an impact on his work as a minister. DETI functions continued as normal, I returned on (a) weekly basis to deal with urgent business, and only resigned when all urgent business (was) dealt with, he said. At the start of Fridays hearing, Sir Patrick Coghlin warned that the inquiry is not a media sensational platform. There is no open invitation to witnesses to come along and use the hearings for the purpose of publishing material to which they object or take offence for reasons which are irrelevant to the inquiry, he said. It is not a media sensational platform. The warning came after a reference was made on Thursday to allegations of sexual misbehaviour by DUP ministers. The Archbishop of Canterbury has waded into the anti-Semitism row engulfing Labour after taking an apparent swipe at the partys leadership. During a discussion with the Chief Rabbi, the Most Rev Justin Welby said it was excellent that MPs and peers in the party had accepted the international definition of anti-Semitism without any riders or caveats of any kind. The move by the Parliamentary Labour Party was in contrast to the ruling National Executive Committees decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances description with an additional statement saying the move would not prevent criticism of Israel. Justin Welby said the Jewish community had gone through a very demanding few months (Yui Mok/PA) Mr Welby said the Jewish community had gone through a very demanding few months and hit out at the unspeakable trolling of Jews on social media. Visiting Ephraim Mirvis at his home to mark Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, Mr Welby said: Youve gone through in the last few months a very demanding, stressful time in some ways, over the last few years, I think, with the increase in anti-Jewish attacks across the country, on synagogues, on cemeteries, on individuals and the unspeakable trolling through social media. The Chief Rabbi said the Jewish community was in a worse position than 12 months ago because at that time it had hope but the position now has deteriorated. He added: What weve found particularly upsetting is that after three years of inaction during which we have waited for the Labour Party to show they are actually serious about tackling anti-Semitism, now we have found during the past summer they havent even known where the starting blocks are, how do you define it. Mr Welby replied: Personally, Im very pleased that the Parliamentary Labour Party has accepted IHRA without any riders or caveats of any kind at all. I think that is excellent news. The Archbishop of Canterbury came to the Chief Rabbi's home to talk Rosh Hashanah, hopes for the coming year & antisemitism. For a longer snapshot of their conversation see: https://t.co/RW7uO0146u pic.twitter.com/XyES76tnRx Chief Rabbi Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) September 7, 2018 Labour MPs and peers voted by 205 to eight on Wednesday to adopt the full IHRA definition and all its examples without any additional statements or caveats into the Parliamentary Labour Partys standing orders. On Tuesday, the National Executive Committee adopted all of the IHRAs examples but issued a statement alongside that said the party will ensure the changes do not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had wanted the NEC to endorse a statement that said it should not be regarded as anti-Semitic to describe Israel, its policies or the circumstances around its foundation as racist because of their discriminatory impact. I would like to express my thanks to the Archbishop of Canterbury for his important intervention in advance of Rosh Hashanah, saying that the Church of England should adopt the IHRA Definition of antisemitism. https://t.co/vIlWQ1NcK1 https://t.co/imHRDvY7vN pic.twitter.com/UcY5bTCAgn Board of Deputies President (@BoDPres) September 7, 2018 Mr Welby said the UK is made up of a collection of larger or smaller groups, most of which are minorities. Therefore, anything that permits attacks on one minority group is a threat to the entire structure of the nation because once you attack one group, why not attack every other group? The Archbishop said he wanted the Church of England to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism formally. Board of Deputies of British Jews president Marie van der Zyl said: I would like to express my thanks to the Archbishop of Canterbury for his important intervention in advance of Rosh Hashanah, saying that the Church of England should adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. This moral leadership is warmly welcomed by our community and is a shining example of faith communities uniting against hate. US defence secretary James Mattis has made a surprise visit to Afghanistans war-shattered capital, days after a suicide bomber killed 21 people and wounded 90 others in the city. Accompanied to Kabul by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Mr Mattis met senior government officials, including President Ashraf Ghani and his leadership partner in an often fractious unity government, chief executive Abdullah Abdullah. Security featured prominently in their discussions, as did government attempts to put the brakes on runaway government corruption, said a presidential statement following the meetings. Mr Mattis also assured the Afghan leadership that the US is committed to stay the course in Afghanistan until the country is secure and stable, the statement said. A US Army team carries the remains of US Army Staff Sgt Diobanjo S San Agustin (Alex Brandon/AP) There was no indication from the Afghan government or the US military command of a change in strategy that might bring about greater security or how the existing strategy might bring results. The visit to Afghanistan, which lasted a little more than six hours, came amid brutal assaults against the countrys minority Shiites and a fresh round of insider attacks this week that claimed the life of one American service member and eight local police. The US has been supporting Afghan forces in an aggressive campaign against Islamic State group insurgents in eastern Nangarhar province, but the IS affiliate has repeatedly been able to carry out horrific and brazen attacks in the heavily fortified capital. The victims have most often been Afghanistans minority Shiite Muslims. The radical Sunni IS reviles Shiites as apostates. On Wednesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a wrestling centre, killing 21 people and wounding 90. Two of the dead were journalists who died when a second bomber blew himself up as first responders and journalists rushed to the scene. On Friday, Afghanistans IS affiliate issued a statement claiming the attack. The statement was accompanied by a picture of a young man with a masked face, who was identified as suicide bomber Saber al-Khorasani. The second explosion was a vehicle filled with explosives, according to the statement, which could not be independently verified. The discrepancy between the IS account and the Afghan governments initial report of two suicide bombers was not immediately clear. Mr Mattiss visit to Kabul comes as Washington seems to be ramping up efforts for a negotiated end to Afghanistans protracted war and Washingtons longest military engagement. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced this week the appointment of Zalmay Khalilzad as Washingtons new point man for Afghan reconciliation. Mr Khalilzad, a controversial figure in the region, is a former envoy to Afghanistan. Mr Mattis arrived in Afghanistan fresh from meetings in Pakistan where Mr Pompeo said the US wanted to reset its relationship with Pakistan, and newly elected prime minister Imran Khan expressed optimism, promising to work with Washington for peace. But Mr Khan has repeatedly said Pakistan is no longer interested in partnering with the US in war. This is my promise that Pakistan will never again fight someone elses war, he said on Thursday in a speech to mark Pakistans Defence Day. Irelands deputy premier has said US president Donald Trumps visit to the country will cause controversy. Simon Coveney said the Irish Government was a little taken by surprise when Mr Trump made the announcement he was going to visit Ireland in November. The US leader is expected to visit the country after he attends the Armistice Day commemoration in Paris. Mr Coveney said: It will be controversial because everything Donald Trump does these days is controversial. Mr Trumps announcement caught ministers by surprise (AP) The Tanaiste added that the fact the Government was facilitating the visit did not mean the Government was endorsing US policies. We dont agree with Donald Trump in terms of his approach to climate change, we dont agree with his approach on migration, we dont agree with his approach in terms of international trade and the imposition of tariffs, he said. Mr Coveney also said he did not agree with former premier Enda Kennys description of Mr Trump as a racist. I dont say hes a racist, but as Ive said before I disagree with many of the policies that he advocates, Mr Coveney said. Speaking at the Fine Gael parliamentary partys think-in event in Co Galway on Friday, the deputy premier said the negotiations on the UKs withdrawal from the EU had intensified in recent weeks. Mr Coveney welcomed more `business-like dealings over the effect of Brexit (Simon Coveney/PA) He said: When Michel Barnier talks about the ticking clock, and a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it in, you know, its not a bluff. He means it. Mr Coveney said he was more confident about the negotiations than he was prior to the summer break. The engagement is now much more serious, much more business-like, Mr Coveney said. Both sides I think are determined to deliver an outcome, because no agreement and a potential for a no-deal Brexit is an outcome where everybody loses in particular the UK and Ireland, but the EU as well. Nobody wants that outcome. He added: With some more flexibility on all sides I think a deal can be done, hopefully by the end of October. The chairwoman of Labour Friends of Israel lashed out at Trots, Stalinists, Communists and assorted hard left after losing a confidence vote brought by her own constituency party. Joan Ryan, a former minister under Tony Blair and a longstanding critic of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, lost by just two votes in the Enfield North poll on Thursday night. It comes after a summer in which the party has been engulfed in a row over allegations of anti-Semitism within the party. Joan Ryan said she had no intention of standing down after narrowly losing a confidence vote (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA) Another Corbyn critic, Luton South MP Gavin Shuker, also lost a no confidence vote of local activists on the same evening. The votes carry no official weight in the party and both MPs said they planned to continue in their roles. Mr Corbyn said that every Constituency Labour Party (CLP) has a right to question what its MP does. Mrs Ryan, who increased her majority in Enfield North from 1,086 in 2015 to 10,247 last year, earlier said on Twitter: So lost 92 to 94 votes hardly decisive victory and it never occurred to me that Trots Stalinists Communists and assorted hard left would gave (sic) confidence in me. I have none in them. I will be out tomorrow morning working hard for the people of Enfield. Just to be clear I will not be resigning. I am Labour through and through and I will continue to stand up and fight for Labour values. There was also controversy over the vote, with Iranian television channel Press TV, which was banned in Britain for its part in filming the detention and torture of a journalist, apparently able to show footage from inside the meeting. The CLP chairman Siddo Dwyer told Buzzfeed that filming was not allowed in the room and that he would complain to the Tehran-backed channel. Owen Smith, who unsuccessfully challenged Mr Corbyn for the party leadership in 2016, said: Iranian State TV is now live-streaming Labour Party meetings, as part of their propaganda campaign against Israel. Labour members should reflect on that for a moment and ask if you are comfortable with what we are becoming in the eyes of the World. Mr Shuker sent a message to his constituents, saying: Its not part of any formal procedure, so it changes nothing about my role as Labour MP for Luton South. Im really sorry a handful of people in the Labour Party want to overturn your vote of confidence in me last year. Their actions say far less about me and you than they do about the face of todays Labour Party. Ive not changed, but the Labour Party has. Another former minister in Mr Blairs government, Frank Field, resigned the party whip after losing a vote of no confidence in his constituency, blaming the anti-Semitism row and allegations of bullying among members. Mr Corbyn was asked during a visit to Leicester on Friday if Labour members were targeting MPs on their views. He said: Every party has a right to question what its MP does. Every party has a right to challenge them on what they do and how they represent the area and thats exactly what happens in those areas as I understand it. The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey are meeting to discuss the future of Syria as a bloody military operation looms in the last rebel-held area of the war-ravaged nation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a ceasefire and an end to air strikes in the north-western province of Idlib, something that was not immediately accepted by Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Mr Putin warned that militants in Idlib planned provocations, possibly including chemical weapons. The Syrian government has been repeatedly accused of using such weapons in the long conflict. Mr Putin added that it is unacceptable to use civilians as a pretext to shield terrorists in Idlib. Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Hassan Rouhani in Tehran (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP) Mr Rouhani demanded an immediate withdrawal of American forces in the country. The US has 2,000 troops in Syria. The fires of war and bloodshed in Syria are reaching their end, Mr Rouhani said, adding that terrorism must be uprooted in Syria, particularly in Idlib. Each of the three nations has its own interests in the years-long war in Syria. Iran wants to keep its foothold in the Mediterranean nation neighbouring Israel and Lebanon. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a flood of refugees fleeing a military offensive and destabilising areas it now holds in Syria. Russia wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by Americas long uncertainty about what it wants in the conflict. Vladimir Putin meeting Bashar Assad in May (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) North-western Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about three million people nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. There are an estimated 10,000 hardcore fighters, including al Qaida-linked militants. For Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete what they see as a military victory in Syrias civil war after government troops recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities, largely defeating the rebellion against Mr Assad. A bloody offensive that creates a massive wave of death and displacement, however, runs counter to their narrative that the situation in Syria is normalising, and could hurt Moscows longer-term efforts to encourage the return of refugees and get Western countries to invest in Syrias post-war reconstruction. Anti-Assad protests in Maaret al-Numan, a town in Idlib province (Wissam Zarqa/AP) For Turkey, the stakes could not be higher. Turkey already hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and has sealed its borders to newcomers. It has also created zones of control in northern Syria and has several hundred troops deployed at 12 observation posts in Idlib. A government assault creates a nightmare scenario of potentially hundreds of thousands of people, including militants, fleeing towards its border and destabilising towns and cities in northern Syria. Early on Friday, a series of air strikes struck villages in south-west Idlib, targeting insurgent posts and killing one fighter, said Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said suspected Russian planes carried out the attack. Academics are pressing for music therapy sessions for people living with dementia to be rolled out around the country. Weekly music sessions for those living with the disease and their carers were held in Saffron Walden, Essex, as part of a research project by Anglia Ruskin University. Helen Odell-Miller, director of the universitys Cambridge Institute of Music Therapy Research, said participants in the Together In Sound projects first year indicated an increase in mood and memory. Lecturer Claire Molyneux (right) holds a music therapy session at the Salvation Army Hall in Saffron Walden, Essex (Roger King/PA) Ultimately we would like to see this rolled out, she said. Attendees sing together and play musical instruments as a group. The project is a collaboration with the towns Saffron Hall concert venue, which provides guest musicians. Those taking part in the sessions reported an increase in mood and memory (Roger King/PA) Retired colonel Bob Stewart, 81, and his former primary school teacher wife Anne, 82, who live near Saffron Walden, attend the group. Mr Stewart said his wife of 56 years was diagnosed with dementia while in her 60s and now has virtually no memory. When we come here and music therapy starts, Anne actually becomes a different person, he said. Its lovely to see her remember things, songs, the music. That is therapy for me because Anne cant do that any more. There is no memory, but there is with music, and its quite remarkable what it does to her personality over that period of time. She laughs, she smiles, she has fun and for a short while she is back several years, and to me that is a therapy in itself. Bob Stewart and his wife Anne, who has lived with dementia for more than a decade, attend a music therapy session (Joe Giddens/PA) He said he believes there should be more music therapy sessions, and that it is something which brings him enjoyment. My brain is alive from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, he said. Im not regretting that at all, but my brain is totally concentrating on Anne and not on me, so personal enjoyment is not there really anymore unless there is something we can do together and music therapy I enjoy, Anne does, we can do something together but that is about the only thing we can do together. It is as a therapy quite remarkable and I am a huge fan of it. Ms Odell-Miller said: When people have dementia quite often they become confused and their cognitive abilities decline but they can still sing and make music. The sessions, which ran in two 10-week blocks in the first year, have funding to run for at least one more year. The first project was attended by 70 people, comprising 35 couples, and participants were asked to complete a survey. People with dementia, who completed a rating scale, noted a slight increase in mood and memory, while other aspects including energy, living conditions and physical health were rated as slightly decreased, reflecting an expected progression of their condition. Initial research findings show that 100% of respondents liked singing and playing instruments together and sharing experiences with others. The project restarts in October. An adventurer is to celebrate 100 days at sea as part of his challenge to swim around mainland Great Britain. Ross Edgley has not stepped foot on land since he began his swim on June 1. Sorry for the radio silence Turns out Moray Firth is a pretty big bay, haha, so its been a week of swimming more than I sleep BUT catching up on social now INCLUDING this weeks NEW #greatbritishswim episode now on YouTube! See link below: https://t.co/OnKndZJjfe pic.twitter.com/yUe7I2n9xn Ross Edgley (@RossEdgley) September 7, 2018 In that time he has swam 1,230 miles, spent 2,039 hours in the sea and completed 1,600,000 strokes. The 32-year-old, from Grantham, has also gone through 442 bananas, two kilograms of Vaseline and had 54 jellyfish stings. His routine sees him swim for six hours, rest for six hours, then go back into the sea to swim. When not in the water he is on a boat. To mark the feat, the Red Bull Matadors aerobatic display team surprised him by writing 100 in the sky above him in the waters of Moray Firth Bay in the north of Scotland. A pilot flies through the 100 drawn to mark 100 days at sea for the adventurer (Red Bull Content Pool ) Saturday will mark his 100th day in the water. He is currently more than two-thirds of the way through his 2,000 mile challenge and expects to finish in mid-October. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has decided not to seek the arrest of an opposition senator without a court warrant after the defiant legislator asked the Supreme Court to declare the order illegal. The decision failed to ease tensions between Mr Duterte and Antonio Trillanes IV, the volatile presidents fiercest critic in Congress, who has taken refuge in the Senate. This is not true, Mr Trillanes said of Mr Dutertes assurance. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the president made the decision to abide with the rule of law after a long discussion with cabinet officials travelling with him. Rodrigo Duterte in Jordan (Raad Adayleh/AP) Mr Duterte is to return home from a visit to Jordan on Saturday, a day earlier than scheduled. The instruction is to abide with the rule of law, Mr Roque said. If there is no warrant of arrest issued by any court, do not apprehend Senator Trillanes. Backed by dozens of supporters, Mr Trillanes did not venture out of the Senate building, where he has been marooned since Tuesday. His lawyer said the senator would make sure there is no more danger of an illegal arrest. In a signed proclamation made public on Tuesday, Mr Duterte voided a 2011 amnesty granted to Mr Trillanes, who once joined mutinies as a navy officer, and ordered his arrest. Antonio Trillanes IV holds copies of a court ruling granting him amnesty (Bullit Marquez/AP) He refused to leave the Senate and asked the Supreme Court in a petition to declare Mr Dutertes order illegal without a court warrant, which, if upheld by the high court, could open the president to impeachment bids. Mr Duterte has openly expressed anger against Mr Trillanes, who has accused him of large-scale corruption and involvement in illegal drugs and extrajudicial killings in an anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands of suspects dead. Mr Duterte has denied the allegations. The Department of Justice said the president voided Mr Trillaness amnesty because the senator did not file a formal amnesty application and admit guilt for his role in past coup attempts. Mr Trillanes has presented TV and newspaper reports, along with defence department documents, showing he applied for the amnesty and acknowledged his role in three military uprisings between 2003 and 2007. The 47-year-old was jailed for more than seven years for involvement in the army uprisings, including a 2003 mutiny against then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when he and other young officers rigged part of a road in the Makati financial district with bombs and took over an upscale residential building. After being given amnesty under Mr Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, Mr Trillanes successfully petitioned two Philippine courts to dismiss rebellion and coup cases against him, allowing him to later run for public office. Despite many legal questions, the Department of Justice had asked the courts to issue a warrant for the senators arrest and revive rebellion cases against him. Separately, the Department of Defence said earlier this week that that it had deployed officers to the Senate to take custody of Mr Trillanes and have him face a military court of inquiry into his role in the coup attempts. Wildlife presenter Johnny Kingdom has been described as one of the last true characters of rural Britain following his death in an apparent digger accident. The film-maker, photographer and author who specialised in his local area of Exmoor and north Devon died on Thursday night at the age of 79. Emergency services were called to reports that a digger had rolled over in a field on Mr Kingdoms land at about 9pm. Mr Kingdom was pronounced dead at the scene near Wadham Cross in Knowstone, Devon. His television agent Hilary Knight paid tribute, saying: Today we have lost one of the last true characters of rural Britain. Johnny Kingdom embodied all the attributes that are associated with true countrymen. Born and bred an Exmoor man through-and-through he loved his Devon patch and all the flora and fauna within. He lit up our TV screens with his enthusiasm and passion. He became a very proficient photographer and cameraman and his work became very sought after. The various Devon shows, and in particular South Molton market, will be a sadder place without his cheery presence. He will be sadly missed. The TV star was 79 (Carl Court/PA) Before becoming a film-maker, Mr Kingdom worked as a farmer, quarryman, forestry worker, gravedigger and poacher. He was lent a video camera following a tractor accident and developed a passion for recording wildlife. In 2006, the BBC screened a 10-part series about his life entitled Johnny Kingdom: A Year On Exmoor. Mr Kingdom wrote an accompanying book, A Wild Life On Exmoor, followed by Bambi And Me, and West Country Tales. He was well-known for taking pictures of red deer particularly stags and badgers. His literary agent, Jane Turnbull, said: Johnny Kingdom could have been the model for Rooster Byron in Jerusalem. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of our clients Johnny Kingdom. R.I.P he will be greatly missed. HK Management Ltd (@HKManagementLtd) September 7, 2018 A man of tremendous energy, charisma, kindness and passion for his native moor, he embodied a way of life that will soon be gone forever. In a statement, Mr Kingdoms family asked his fans to continue his love for Exmoor. They said: This is a short message from the family, unfortunately a legend has been lost. Johnny would want you all to continue with his love for Exmoor as you all meant so much to him. As the loving man himself would have said: Farewell to all you lovely people. Mr Kingdoms family asked for privacy. A spokeswoman for Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called to a single-vehicle collision in the field on Thursday night. It was reported that a digger had rolled over in a field, a spokeswoman said. Emergency services attended and a 79-year-old local man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin are aware. The Irish government has said Karen Bradley is a smart and experienced politician after she admitted she initially did not understand Northern Ireland politics when she took on her Cabinet brief. The Northern Ireland Secretary will be working closely with Dublin, as co-guarantors of the peace process, over coming weeks to kickstart powersharing talks. She revealed that when appointed earlier this year, she did not realise that the countrys nationalists did not vote for unionist parties or vice-versa during elections. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (Michael McHugh/PA) Sinn Fein said her comments were a reminder of where the country is on the British Governments priority list but No 10 has said Prime Minister Theresa May retains confidence in her. Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said: Shes someone who has really made an effort to understand Northern Ireland. She didnt have a lot of experience of Northern Ireland before being appointed there but shes an experienced, very smart politician and Im going to work closely with her to help the parties in Northern Ireland to work with each other in a way thats good for people in Northern Ireland. Whether youre a unionist or a nationalist, having no devolved government structures, having no capacity to make political decisions in Northern Ireland is bad for everybody, both communities. Karen Bradley recognises that, so do I. Ms Bradley also said she did not fathom some of the deep-rooted issues that define Northern Irish politics when she was first appointed. Earlier this year, an immigration minister quizzed about the Irish border at Westminster admitted she had not read in full the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. Sinn Feins former Stormont finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir said Ms Bradleys comments were a sorry reminder of where the country was on the priority list of the British Government. He added: We have gone beyond being shocked by the British Governments ignorance of affairs here and their disregard for the rights of people here but there is no way they would appoint a Chancellor of the Exchequer who could not count or did not know how to read a P and L (profit and loss statement). When it comes to appointing their representative in Belfast, the only requirement was that that person would take the orders of Theresa May, who of course is taking her orders from the DUP. The Secretary of State is speaking to media about the clear plan for Northern Ireland she set out in Parliament today https://t.co/mkkFVHgukP pic.twitter.com/2CkduTfc2o Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) September 6, 2018 A No 10 spokeswoman said the Northern Ireland Secretary is working incredibly hard to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland. Asked if the PM remained confident that Ms Bradley was able to do the job, the spokeswoman replied: Yes, she is working very closely with the parties there. Asked how voters in Northern Ireland could have confidence in Ms Bradley, the spokeswoman replied: I would point to all of the work that she is doing to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland. Ms Bradley was appointed in January after her predecessor James Brokenshire stepped aside for medical reasons. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley as she arrives in #Belfast for her first day of engagements in Northern Ireland: pic.twitter.com/azMHcrdWoO Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 10, 2018 She told The House magazine: I didnt understand things like when elections are fought for example in Northern Ireland people who are nationalists dont vote for unionist parties and vice-versa. So, the parties fight for election within their own community. Actually, the unionist parties fight the elections against each other in unionist communities and nationalists in nationalist communities. A man has been killed in a targeted shooting outside his home. Gary More, 32, died after a number of shots were fired at him in Gartness Drive, Airdrie, at around 8.10pm on Thursday. Police and ambulance crews rushed to the busy residential area in North Lanarkshire, but Mr More died at the scene. Police are investigating the murder of Gary More in Airdrie (David Cheskin/PA) Officers have launched a murder inquiry into the death and said they are treating the shooting as a targeted attack. Detective Superintendent Jim Smith, of Police Scotlands Major Investigation Team, said: The victim was outside his house in Gartness Drive when a number of shots were fired at him, causing fatal injuries. Although the investigation is at an early stage, it is not believed to be a random attack and at this stage we believe the victim has been targeted by the person responsible. Police said a small white vehicle is of interest to their investigation. A vehicle of a similar colour was found burnt-out near Craigmaddie Road in Balmore, in the north of Glasgow. Forensic work is being carried out at the scene of the shooting and on the burnt-out vehicle to see if the two are linked. Mr Smith said: I am interested in any sightings of a small white-coloured vehicle seen in the street at the time of the shooting. I am appealing for anyone who was in the area of the shooting or the area of the burnt-out vehicle who may have witnessed a small white car, or anyone acting suspiciously, to get in touch with Police Scotland as a matter of urgency. Officers are currently carrying out extensive door-to-door inquiries and gathering and reviewing CCTV footage in the area to trace the movements of the car involved. A post-mortem examination is being carried out to establish the exact cause of death. Specialist officers are said to be supporting the victims family at this time. Superintendent Louise Skelton said: We are aware the local community will be shocked by this incident as it took place in a busy residential area early in the evening. This is being treated as a targeted attack, and we have taken immediate steps by increasing police patrols in the area to provide public reassurance. Anyone with concerns should speak to officers. Witnesses who have not yet spoken to police are being urged to come forward. Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to contact Airdrie Police Office on the 101 number, quoting reference 3626 of September 6. Irelands president has hit out at the worlds most powerful countries for being behind the mass export of weapons of death across the world. Michael D Higgins criticised the five members of the UN Security Council who are responsible for the bulk of the worlds arms exports. Speaking at an address to mark the 50th anniversary of aid agency Concern, Mr Higgins warned of the role the five members China, France, Russia, the UK and the United States have in what he described as the arms race. Referring to findings by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, he said that the five UN members who are entrusted with the maintenance of international peace and security account for three-quarters of global arms exports. Speaking at Dublin Castle on Friday, Mr Higgins said: In 2016, 2.23% of global gross domestic product (GDP) was devoted to military expenditure, the lowest since 2000, and far below the heights of the Cold War. Yet that has begun to rise as some of the permanent members of the Security Council embark on a new arms race, and the arms industry now exports weapons of death and destruction for use in Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen. The self-defeating rhetoric of the arms race, and the immorality of the arms trade, only serve to fuel current and future wars. That is most evident today in Yemen. He told the audience that UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned that 22 million Yemenis are in desperate need of humanitarian aid and protection. But he added that while the UN was seeking a peaceful political solution, the conflict in Yemen was sustained by the sale of arms and by the support of Security Council members. The president added: It is a stark example of the triumph of the diplomacy of transaction, and of narrow national interest, over the diplomacy of the common good embodied by the Charter of the United Nations. He went on to say, however, that the UN needs worldwide support as it is the best alternative to war. Through 50 years of action and advocacy, Concern has stood for a different vision of the world, one in which power yields to justice, one which recognises that we are all part of a common humanity, owing to ourselves and to others not only of compassion, but of solidarity, he said. Michael D Higgins applauds Amina Mohammed (Brian Lawless/PA) Among those attending the Resurge 2018 conference in Dublin Castle was UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed, Nigerias former environment minister. When asked about Mr Higginss comments on the Security Council, she said: Lets hope that we can turn that around. You would have seen in the secretary-generals recent speech on nuclear disarmament, that is taking hold. More people are thinking of better ways to reduce armed conflict and therefore there will be a reduction in the production and need for weapons. We should really be looking to the resolutions to peace, dialogue and mediation. The silly behaviour of Tory politicians means there will be no agreement on the nature of post-Brexit trading arrangements before the UKs exit from the EU, Irelands European commissioner has said. In a strongly-worded intervention, Phil Hogan stressed that Theresa Mays own red lines meant the only option available was a Canada-style trade deal and if her government remained fixed on the Chequers plan there can be no breakthrough on the future relationship by March next year. Mr Hogan, Irelands representative on Jean-Claude Junckers European Commission, branded Brexiteers Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage the Three Stooges and suggested they did not appreciate the significance of the Irish border issue. Phil Hogan stressed that Theresa Mays own red lines meant the only option available was a Canada-style trade deal (Victoria Jones/PA) In a speech at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Ireland, Mr Hogan said: More than two years after the referendum, the UK remains in a pickle. And by pickle, I mean that the UK is trapped in a recurring cycle of silly behaviour. Were better and stronger together rather than actually working against each other - EU Commissioner Phil Hogan on working with the EU and the U.S #JFKSS pic.twitter.com/W3CJ51yqp8 Kennedy SummerSchool (@JFK_SS) September 7, 2018 Every time Mrs May has come up with a position to negotiate with Brussels the factions in her own party will have none of it, he said. Mr Johnson and Mr Rees-Mogg say, in effect, Prime Minister, you must negotiate Brexit with us. This is leading to absurdist politics. Mr Hogan said the Chequers plans approach to resolving the Irish border issue, by effectively keeping the whole UK in the single market for goods only, was unacceptable to the EU. We will not damage the EUs great achievement of the internal market just to save the UK from the consequences of its own silliness, he said. Mr Hogan, the EUs agriculture commissioner, said: If the UK attitude is Chequers and only Chequers, there will be no agreement before March next year on the future trade relationship. We come back then to the withdrawal treaty pure and simple, part of which is the backstop arrangement for Irelands border. Both sides were determined to maintain an invisible border, he said, which was essential for peace, adding dont listen to the Three Stooges, they dont know the first thing about it. He expressed hope that administrative matters relating to the operation of the border could be resolved as bureaucrats do it all the time. Labour MP Virendra Sharma, a supporter of the anti-Brexit Best for Britain campaign, said: Another day, another knife plunged into the heart of the Prime Ministers Chequers proposals. When will this Government give up on their unpopular plan? No-one voted for a messy half-way house that neither takes us out of the EU completely, nor protects us from the economic disaster that is Brexit. An 81-year-old woman has been airlifted to hospital after her car crashed into a tree. The pensioner was driving on the A76 in East Ayrshire when the grey Vauxhall Corsa came off the road. The collision happened at around 9.20am on Friday on the stretch between Cumnock and New Cumnock. The pensioner is stable in hospital after the crash in Ayrshire (David Cheskin/PA) Police Scotland is appealing for information after a road traffic collision involving one car on the A76 this morning. https://t.co/mYQHOJn0Tk pic.twitter.com/JR7rb1PCCX Ayrshire Police (@AyrshirePolice) September 7, 2018 The woman was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and treated for non-life threatening injuries, Police Scotland said. She remains in a stable condition at the hospital. Sergeant Ian Thornton, from the divisional road police unit, said: We are appealing for anyone who was travelling on the A76 this morning who may have seen this vehicle prior to the incident, or witnessed the incident take place, to come forward. You may have encountered this vehicle without realising and have dash-cam footage that can help us. Anyone with information should contact police via 101, quoting incident number 0823 of Friday 7 September 2018. Julian Alaphilippe seized a potentially decisive lead on the sixth stage of the Tour of Britain in Cumbria won by Team Skys Wout Poels. Hollands Poels won on the 168.3-kilometres route from Barrow-in-Furness to Whinlatter pass to move to second overall, 17 seconds behind Frenchman Alaphilippe (QuickStep-Floors). Team Skys Wout Poels won stage six of the Tour of Britain ahead of Julian Alaphilippe (Martin Rickett/PA Images) But with two flat stages to come Saturdays 215.6km seventh stage from West Bridford to Mansfield and Sundays concluding 77km London stage Poels chances of overall success appear remote. Poels said on tourofbritain.co.uk: Im really happy the team did a really good job G (Geraint Thomas), Ian Stannard so its really nice that I could finish it off. Second is really nice, Im quite happy with it. Its going to be a hard fight no more uphill finishes, everything is flat. But well keep on trying. @OVOEnergy Tour of Britain general classification after Stage 6.#OVOToB pic.twitter.com/7a2uxnRnJE AJ Bell Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) September 7, 2018 Alaphilippe began the day six seconds behind Primoz Roglic (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) in the general classification. But he and Poels managed to distance Roglic on the final climb. Poels won the dash for the line by two seconds from Alaphilippe, with Briton Hugh Carthy (Education First) third, 12 seconds adrift. Slovakian Roglic now sits third overall, 32secs behind. The Frenchman, who won stage three in Bristol, is now the races fifth leader in six days. Alaphilippe said: I was only riding to take the (leaders green) jersey; in the fight for the stage victory Wout was fresher than me so Im not disappointed. A murder inquiry has been launched after a man was killed in a targeted shooting outside his home. Gary More, 32, suffered significant injuries after a number of shots were fired at him in Gartness Drive, Airdrie, at around 8.10pm on Thursday. Police and ambulance crews rushed to the busy residential area in North Lanarkshire, but Mr More died at the scene. Detectives said they are treating the shooting as a targeted attack. Gartness Drive in Airdrie has been cordoned off as police investigate the murder of Gary More (Lucinda Cameron/PA) They are keen to trace a small white car that was seen in the street around the time of the shooting and left the area shortly afterwards. Detective Superintendent Jim Smith, of Police Scotlands Major Investigation Team, said: A brutal act took place here. The victim was outside his house in Gartness Drive when a number of shots were fired at him, causing fatal injuries. Although the investigation is at an early stage, it is not believed to be a random attack and at this stage we believe the victim has been targeted by the person responsible. A white vehicle was later found burnt-out near Craigmaddie Road to the north of Glasgow. Forensic work is being carried out at the scene of the shooting and on the burnt-out vehicle to see if the two are linked. Speaking at the scene in Airdrie, Mr Smith said: A small white car was seen in the street around the time of the shooting. It was last seen leaving the area shortly after the shooting. There was a vehicle in the Craigmaddie Road area of Milngavie last night that was found on fire and burnt out. It is a small white vehicle that may be connected to this incident or it may not. We are obviously following that as a line of inquiry. Trying to link that vehicle to this incident here is going to be a key line of inquiry for me and my team. Officers are currently carrying out extensive door-to-door inquiries and gathering and reviewing CCTV footage in the area to trace the movements of the car involved. Flowers have been placed near the police cordon (Lucinda Cameron/PA) The area around Gartness Drive has been cordoned off and officers stood guard at the scene on Friday. Flowers have been laid near the cordon, with messages including You were always in my corner, Ill never forget you bro, and: In shock, sleep well brother. A post-mortem examination is being carried out to establish the exact cause of death. Superintendent Louise Skelton said: We are aware the local community will be shocked by this incident as it took place in a busy residential area early in the evening. This is being treated as a targeted attack, and we have taken immediate steps by increasing police patrols in the area to provide public reassurance. Anyone with concerns should speak to officers. Witnesses who have not yet spoken to police are being urged to come forward. Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to contact Airdrie Police Office on the 101 number, quoting reference 3626 of September 6. A blaze that shut down a major highway and is burning out of control through timber and brush in northern California grew overnight. The US Forest Service said the blaze is now covering 38 square miles, up from 34 square miles on Thursday night. California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Morton said the blaze is 0% contained and still burning along Interstate 5. The highway that runs between Mexico and Canada, and is the main thoroughfare for commercial trucks, is closed for a third day and officials are meeting to assess whether it can reopen. A scorched car in a clearing after the Delta Fire burned through the Lamoine community (Noah Berger/AP) It was a ghost road on Friday morning along a 45-mile stretch that has remained closed since a fire two days earlier swept down and turned hills on either side into walls of flame. Drivers fled in terror and several big rigs burned on Wednesday as the fire erupted on both sides of the route. Crews managed to remove the burned hulks and abandoned rigs on Thursday but flames continued to burn along the edge of the road in some areas, fire spokesman Brandon Vacarro said. The fire prompted evacuation orders for scattered homes and buildings in three counties in and around the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. At times, flames shot up 300ft high. Although the fire was not burning near any large towns, Mr Vacarro said about 280 homes were considered threatened. There were some reports that homes had burned but he could only confirm that an outbuilding and two mixed-use commercial and residential buildings had been damaged. Truckers who rely heavily on the I5 to transport timber and other goods along the West Coast had the unenviable choice of waiting or taking a jammed detour that added 115 miles or so to their journeys. There are ~79 large #wildfires currently burning on about 1.6 million acres of private, state, tribal, and federal land. 14,000 interagency fire personnel, including about 310 crews, 800+ engines, about 140 helicopters, and 20 Airtankers are deployed to wildfires. pic.twitter.com/BUcLpuzXEo USDA Forest Service (@forestservice) September 7, 2018 California has been hit with one massive blaze after another over the summer, including a blaze not far from the Delta Fire that last month burned about 1,100 homes and killed eight people. The unrelenting flames have drained Californias firefighting budget and prompted nearly a billion dollars in property claims even before the start of the dangerous autumn fire season, officials said. A drug dealer who received almost 87,000 in funds after falsely claiming he lived in Grenfell Tower in the wake of the fire has been jailed for more than six years. Yonatan Eyob, 26, who was described as homeless but uses an address in Notting Hill, west London, was put up in a hotel and given a food allowance and pre-paid cards. Drugs, including MDMA and cocaine, and seven mobile phones were found in his hotel room, along with around 3,000 in cash, designer clothes, jewellery and credit cards. Yonatan Eyob received almost 87,000 in funds after falsely claiming he lived in Grenfell Tower (Metropolitan Police/PA) Eyob, who claimed he had been lodging with a friend in Flat 182 home to a family of five who died in the blaze pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation in June. At Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh sentenced Eyob to three years and four months for the fraud, and three years and four months for possession of drugs with intent to supply. The judge described the fire as a disaster which shocked the nation, and said Eyob was treated as a bereaved survivor and given top priority. He said: You were profiting from the deaths of those people and the fact that they were in effect silenced. The judge said Eyob had decided to enrich himself by plundering the funds that were put aside for the victims, adding: It was a claim false and dishonest from the start. The Crown Prosecution Service said it is the largest known convicted Grenfell fraud so far. Eyob received 15,918.20 on pre-paid cards, 60,945 in hotel accommodation and 9,968.36 for laundry and parking a total of just over 86,831. He was given emergency accommodation at the Holland Park Hilton between July 2017 and June 2018. The court heard he had the use of a white convertible Mercedes and had asked for more money, claiming that he was finding it difficult to eat the food at the hotel. Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly also said that Eyob had complained about the WiFi signal in the hotel. Eyob was charged with dishonestly making a false representation for accommodation and subsistence between June 2017 and June 2018. The court heard there was a piece of paper with a list of names and numbers in the hotel room, and there were text messages found which related to drug dealing. A fire ripped through the west London tower block in June 2017 leaving 72 people dead. Hannan Wahabi, the sister of Abdulaziz El-Wahabi who lived in the flat, said what Eyob did was a stain on all those who died in the terrible incident. Reading a victim impact statement, she said the fraud was another unwelcome extra heartache and stress to deal with, adding: The actions of this individual have caused me sleepless nights. Ms Wahabi said the fact that someone had taken advantage of the distress felt by those left behind for their own personal gain really hurts. A rich portrait was painted of the El-Wahabi family, who died at each others side in the tower, at the public inquiry into the fire. Parents Faouzia and Abdulaziz, 42 and 52, died alongside their children, Yasin, 20, Huda, 16, and Mehdi, eight, on the 21st floor of the block. Catherine Gould, from the CPS, said: Yonatan Eyob took advantage of a terrible tragedy for his own greed. He carried on his fraud for nearly a year, diverting funds from those who genuinely needed it and betraying the trust of everyone who gave him assistance. If his deceit had not been discovered he would have been eligible for a council home with free rent and council tax until July 2019. When someone lies in this way it is only right they are held to account. A white Dallas police officer who shot dead a black man in a flat she said she mistook for her own will be charged with manslaughter. It was not clear what the officer may have said to 26-year-old Botham Jean after entering his home late on Thursday. But given what investigators currently know about the case, they decided to pursue the manslaughter charge, authorities said. Right now, there are more questions than we have answers, Police Chief Renee Hall told a news conference. She said she spoke to Mr Jeans sister to express the departments condolences to the family. PIO is on scene and gathering information at the officer involved shooting in the 1200 block of S. Lamar Street. pic.twitter.com/kGlrxCF3Sk Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) September 7, 2018 According to police, the officer returned home in her uniform after her shift. She called dispatch to report that she had shot a man, and she later told the officers who responded that she believed the victims apartment was her own when she entered it. The responding officers administered first aid to Mr Jean, a native of the Caribbean island country of St Lucia who attended college in Arkansas and worked for accounting and consulting firm PwC. Mr Jean was taken to a hospital, where he died. Ms Hall said the officers blood was drawn to be tested for drugs and alcohol. She declined to speculate as to whether fatigue or other factors, including race, may have factored into the shooting. She also said the Texas Rangers will conduct an independent investigation. Authorities have not said how the officer got into Mr Jeans home, or whether his door was open or unlocked. The block of flats is just a few streets from Dallas police headquarters. Residents of the building said they can access their units with a key or through a keypad code. Jeffrey Scherzer, who lives at the complex, said when he returned home late at night an officer escorted him to his flat and warned him to steer clear of a blood trail. South Side Flats where the shooting took place (AP Photo/Ryan Tarinelli) Two women who live on the second floor near where the shooting happened said they heard a lot of noise late on Thursday. It was, like, police talk: Open up! Open up!' 20-year-old Caitlin Simpson told The Dallas Morning News. Yazmine Hernandez, 20, was studying with Ms Simpson when they heard the commotion. We heard cops yelling, but otherwise had no idea what was going on, Ms Hernandez said. Mr Jean grew up in St Lucia and attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where he majored in accounting and information systems and often led campus worship services before graduating in 2016, the school said in a statement. That July, he went to work for PwC in risk assurance. The company said in a statement: We are simply heartbroken to hear of his death. More than a thousand far-right supporters have gathered for a rally over the fatal stabbing of a man in the German city of Chemnitz, for which two migrants have been arrested and charged with manslaughter. The flag-waving crowd rallied under the motto security for Chemnitz and behind a banner proclaiming we are the people. The number marching was far smaller than the estimated 6,000 who assembled the day after the August 26 stabbing of 35-year-old Daniel Hillig. Protesters marched under a banner reading "we are the people" (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) Around 500 counter-protesters gathered nearby shouting slogans like theres no right to Nazi propaganda, while another opposition protest featured an open-air performance of Beethovens Ninth Symphony as a sign against xenophobia, hate and violence. Local media reported one far-right supporter was arrested after being identified as having given the stiff-armed Nazi salute at a previous rally, which is banned in Germany, but police headquarters said they had no details on the report. Since the killing of Mr Hillig, the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, has sought to mobilise support with its anti-migrant message. But after a brief bump, polling suggests little change. An Iraqi citizen and a Syrian citizen have been arrested on manslaughter charges over Mr Hilligs death, which has also put a renewed a focus on Chancellor Angela Merkels welcoming migrant policies and revealed disagreements between her and top security officials. An Iraqi citizen and a Syrian citizen have been arrested on manslaughter charges (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) Interior minister Horst Seehofer expressed sympathy on Thursday for the protesters who were provoked by the killing. If I were not a minister, Id have gone to the streets as a citizen, Mr Seehofer said, quickly adding: Naturally, not together with the radicals. Mr Seehofer, who heads the Bavarian sister party to Mrs Merkels centre-right Christian Democrats, has long been to the chancellors right on immigration, but his rhetoric has toughened as polls show his party struggling ahead of an October state election. He told the Rheinischen Post newspaper that voters were linking their concerns to the issue of migration, which he called the mother of all political problems in this country. Mrs Merkel responded in an interview with Germany TV network RTL late on Thursday that she saw it differently. Migration presents us with challenges and here we have problems, but also successes, she said. Mrs Merkel added that she was working with Mr Seehofer to solve those problems. Former president Barack Obama has said his successor Donald Trump is the symptom, not the cause of division and polarisation in the US. Mr Trump is just capitalising on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years, the former president said. His comments came during a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he accepted an ethics in government award. Barack Obama made his first serious contribution in the US midterm elections (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) The remarks served as Mr Obamas first steps into the political fray ahead of the midterm elections autumn campaign. While he has endorsed candidates and appeared at fundraising events, he has spent much of his post-presidency on the political sidelines. In unusually direct terms, he made clear his concerns about politics in the Trump era and implored voters especially young people to show up at the polls in the November elections. Just a glance at recent headlines should tell you this moment really is different, Mr Obama said. The stakes really are higher. The consequences of any of us sitting on the sidelines are more dire. He later added: This is not normal. The speech was a preview of the argument that Mr Obama is likely to make throughout the autumn. On Saturday, the former president will stump for House Democratic candidates from California at an event in Orange County, a conservative-leaning part of California where Republicans are at risk of losing several congressional seats. Next week, Mr Obama plans to campaign in Ohio for Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for governor, and Ohio Democrats. Mr Obamas campaign activity will continue through October and will include fundraising appearances, according to an Obama adviser. While the former president will be visible throughout the election, the adviser said Mr Obama will not be a daily presence on the campaign trail. A murdered exile believed he had previously been poisoned by mystery Russians who brought him Champagne, a paramedic who treated him said. Former Aeroflot deputy director Nikolai Glushkov was found apparently strangled in his home in New Malden, south-west London, a week after the Novichok poisoning of the Skripals. Paramedic Keith Carr on Friday told how he treated Mr Glushkov in November 2013 for suspected poisoning, after the exile shared drinks with two men from Moscow in a Bristol hotel. Counter-terrorism police led the murder inquiry after Mr Glushkov was found dead on March 11 (Yui Mok/PA) The suspected poisoning came some six months after Mr Glushkov accused the Kremlin of murdering his friend and Vladimir Putin critic Boris Berezovsky. The Guardian reported that detectives are now reinvestigating that night in the Grand Hotel as part of the murder inquiry. Mr Carr, then working with South Western Ambulance Service, said he responded to a report that Mr Glushkov had collapsed on the carpet the morning after the drinks. He had been visited by two Russians the night before, Mr Carr, now 71, told the Press Association. They (the visitors) brought Champagne. They drank the Champagne together. He woke up on the carpet the next day. He had carpet burns to his face and he was unsteady. Mr Carr said his patient had an abnormal heart rhythm, which was very fast. In 47 years as a paramedic Ive never had anybody deliberately poisoned so it wasnt foremost in my mind until he said, I think they poisoned me, Mr Carr, of Bristol, said. I thought it was a bit far-fetched but when I saw the cardiac dysrhythmia I thought somethings wrong, its not like any normal heart rhythm, so somebodys got to him. Mr Glushkov was treated in Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital. The disclosure comes after police named two men said to be Russian military intelligence agents as suspects in the nerve agent poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal. Counter-terrorism police led the murder inquiry after Mr Glushkov was found dead on March 11. Mr Glushkov claimed political asylum in the UK after Russia accused him and Mr Berezovsky, who died in March 2013, of a criminal conspiracy in relation to Aeroflot. A Scotland Yard spokesman said the incident in Bristol in 2013 was a matter for Avon and Somerset Police, and added: We are not prepared to discuss specific lines of inquiry in regards our investigation. Andy Robertsons first match as Scotland captain turned out to be a nightmare as his team suffered a 4-0 pasting at the hands of Belgium. Here Press Association Sport assesses the Liverpool defenders first display since taking over the armband. Reception Robbo is set to make his first start as captain for @ScotlandNT tonight. Good luck, @andrewrobertso5. pic.twitter.com/VA8Qu0iaYu Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 7, 2018 Robertsons association with Hampden stretches back to his days as a Queens Park player and he got a heros welcome as he returned to the National Stadium for the first time as skipper. He got the loudest cheer of the night as his name was read out before kick-off but that was as good as it got for the 24-year-old. With the ground less than half full and Belgium in no mood to take it easy, you could hear a pin drop for most of the 90 minutes as the Scots suffered their heaviest home defeat in 45 years. Defensive Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring after a mistake by John McGinn at the back (Ian Rutherford/PA) Four individual mistakes ultimately cost Alex McLeishs team as Belgium ruthlessly exploited the openings they were afforded but nobody can point the finger of blame at Robertson for the goals tucked home by Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard before Michy Batshuayis double. He had Dries Mertens to look after initially and did reasonably well up against the Napoli frontman. However, the danger of playing with a wing-back as keen to get forward as the Anfield ace is that space is all too often left in behind and he was lucky that Timothy Castagne did not do better when he ran loose on a couple of first-half occasions. Attacking Andy Robertson was rarely on the front foot at Hampden (Ian Rutherford/PA) Robertsons rise from Third Division amateur to Champions League finalist with Liverpool has much to do with his ability to race forward and provide pin-point deliveries from wide on the left. But there was little scope for the former Dundee United and Hull full-back to show the offensive side to his game as Belgium utterly dominated. His rare forays forward saw him make one early burst up-field which failed to trouble the visitors. He then made a second charge after nicking possession but his attempt to link up with Callum McGregor broke down after a slack pass. Leadership FULL TIME | Scotland 0-4 Belgium. A dominant performance from the visitors sees Scotland succumb to a friendly defeat at Hampden. pic.twitter.com/WMftluTPR8 Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 7, 2018 The softly-spoken Glaswegian is not afraid to make himself heard but his idea of captaincy looks to be based more on leading by example that rousing auditory. Unfortunately it is hard to raise spirits when up against a side packing such devastating firepower as Roberto Martinezs side. The true test of Robertsons influence will come in the next few days as he looks to soothe his squads battered pride ahead of Mondays Nations League opener against Albania. Angry protesters in Iraq have stormed and set fire to the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra. At least 10 protesters have died in clashes with security forces since Monday, including three who were shot dead by security forces on Thursday night. The protests in Basra and other cities, the most serious to shake Iraqs oil-rich southern Shiite heartland in years, have since July been calling for an end to endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and poor public services. Clashes erupted earlier this week, leaving several civilians and police dead. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the violence which shows no sign of abating. The protests are demanding better public services and jobs (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) The violence prompted the temporary head of Iraqs parliament, the eldest lawmaker, to call an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the snowballing protests. The protesters shouted anti-Iranian slogans outside the Iranian consulate on Friday evening, including Iran, out, out! before they stormed it and set a fire inside. Smoke could be seen rising from the building. Protesters also burned an Iranian flag. Many residents of the predominantly Shiite city accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering with Iraqi politics and some hold them responsible for mismanagement and the poor services in the city. Irans foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the attack on Irans consulate in Basra and said none of the staff have so far been hurt, Irans state TV reported on Friday. Mr Ghasemi added the attack caused significant damage to the consulate building, and he called for maximum punishment for the assailants. Elsewhere in the city, protesters tried to attack the headquarters of Assaib Ahl Al-Haq Shiite militia and the guards stationed there opened fire. Other protesters set tyres on fire on main streets and highways, ignoring the curfew imposed by the authorities. Ethan Ampadu has vowed to impress Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri and break into the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge. Ampadu does not turn 18 until next week, but suggested he was ready for a greater senior role at Chelsea by producing a masterful central midfield performance in Wales 4-1 UEFA Nations League victory over the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. He made seven appearances under Antonio Conte last season before fracturing his ankle in March, but has yet to feature for new Blues boss Sarri. Ethan Ampadu (left) is hoping to make his mark at Chelsea after starring for Wales on his first competitive appearance (Mike Egerton/PA) You could say theres been frustration on one hand, but at the same time Im getting experience training with the players, said Ampadu who has remained in west London and not been loaned out like so many Chelsea youngsters. Im just trying to improve to get into the team. This seasons plans are this seasons plans and at the moment Ive just to keep improving to try and get in the team. I want to show the manager what I can do. Ampadus appearance against the Republic ended any lingering doubts over his international future. The Exeter-born midfielder or defender had previously played twice for Wales, against France and Panama last autumn. But those games were both friendlies and he could have switched international allegiance with the option of playing for England, Ghana or the Republic. There was talk (about his future), but Ive always been thinking about Wales, said Ampadu. As you could see here I really enjoy playing for Wales, the atmosphere, and everything around it. Ive always felt part of the set-up and the senior players and staff have helped that. The older, more experienced players definitely help us settle in, and that gives us more confidence to go out on the pitch and express ourselves. A former adviser to Donald Trumps US presidential campaign has been sentenced to 14 days in prison. George Papadopoulos was sentenced by a judge who said he had placed his own interests above those of the country. Papadopoulos, the first campaign aide sentenced in special counsel Robert Muellers ongoing investigation, said he was deeply embarrassed and ashamed for having lied to FBI agents during an interview last year and acknowledged that his actions could have hindered their work. At his sentencing, George Papadopoulos was held to account for lying to federal investigators lies which impeded their inquiry. With former Trump staff lying to the FBI, the work is hard enough. Trump and his allies in Congress must cease their efforts to undermine Mueller. Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 7, 2018 I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption, Papadopoulos said. The punishment was far less than the maximum six-month sentence sought by the government but also more than the probation that Papadopoulos and his lawyers had asked for. Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to Mr Trumps campaign, has been a central figure in the Russia investigation dating back before Mr Muellers May 2017 appointment. He was the first to plead guilty in Mr Muellers probe and is now the first Trump campaign adviser to be sentenced. His case was also the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. Papadopoulos triggered the Russia investigation (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) US District Judge Randolph Moss said that Papadopoulos deception was not a noble lie and that he had lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and did not want to jeopardise that possibility by being tied to the Russia investigation. In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self interest over the national interest, the judge said. Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats, now declassified, also show that information about Papadopoulos contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBIs counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential co-ordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mr Mueller. According to a sweeping indictment this summer, Russian intelligence had stolen emails from Hillary Clintons campaign and other Democratic groups by April 2016, the same month Papadopoulos was told by a professor that Russian officials had told him they had dirt on Mrs Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. Papadopoulos later used his connections with the Maltese professor, Joseph Mifsud, and other Russian nationals in an attempt to broker a meeting between then-candidate Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He admitted last year to lying to the FBI about those contacts. In court papers filed ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors say those lies caused irreparable harm to the investigation during its early months. Prosecutors wrote that those false statements, made during a January 2017 interview with federal investigators, caused the FBI to miss an opportunity to interview Mr Mifsud while he was in the United States. The defendants lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States, they wrote, noting that Mr Mifsud left the US in February 2017 and has not returned. Iran and Russia have backed a military campaign to retake the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria as Turkey pleaded for a ceasefire. The disagreement narrows the chances of a diplomatic solution to avoid what many say would be a bloody humanitarian disaster. The trilateral summit in Tehran involves Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Hassan Rouhani in Tehran (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP) It puts further pressure on the rebel forces still operating in Syrias northwestern Idlib province, including about 10,000 hardcore jihadists and al Qaida-linked fighters. It left the chance, however slim, for further diplomacy to try to separate civilians and rebels from the Islamic militants in Idlib. While Mr Putin called for the total annihilation of terrorists in Syria, he left open the possibility of a ceasefire. Mr Rouhani also spoke of cleansing the Idlib region of terrorists, while also noting the need of protecting civilians. Turkey, which backed opposition forces against Syrian President Bashar Assad, fears a military offensive will touch off a flood of refugees and destabilise areas it now holds in Syria. Ankara also has hundreds of troops manning 12 observation posts in Idlib. Idlib isnt just important for Syrias future; it is of importance for our national security and for the future of the region, Mr Erdogan said. Any attack on Idlib would result in a catastrophe. Any fight against terrorists requires methods based on time and patience. We dont want Idlib to turn into a bloodbath. Vladimir Putin meeting Bashar Assad in May (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) Mr Erdogan also sought to use Persian literature to drive home his point in Tehran, quoting the poet Saadi: If youve no sympathy for human pain, the name of a human you cannot retain. The US also warned against an assault in Idlib, with Ambassador Nikki Haley telling the UN Security Council that the consequences will be dire. North-western Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. For Russia and Iran, both allies of the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to complete what they see as a military victory in Syrias civil war after Syrian troops recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities, largely defeating the rebellion against Assad. A bloody offensive that creates a massive wave of death and displacement, however, runs counter to their narrative that the situation in Syria is normalising, and could hurt Russias longer-term efforts to encourage the return of refugees and get Western countries to invest in Syrias post-war reconstruction. Anti-Assad protests in Maaret al-Numan, a town in Idlib province (Wissam Zarqa/AP) Russia also wants to maintain its regional presence to fill the vacuum left by the US and its long uncertainty over what it wants in the conflict. We think its unacceptable when (someone) is trying to shield the terrorists under the pretext of protecting civilians as well as causing damage to Syrian government troops, Mr Putin said. As far as we can see, this is also the goal of the attempts to stage chemical weapons incidents by Syrian authorities. We have irrefutable evidence that militants are preparing such operations, such provocations. Mr Putin offered no evidence to back his claim. The UN and Western countries have blamed Assads forces for chemical weapons attacks in the civil war, something denied by Russia and Syria. The US, Britain and France have vowed to take action against any further chemical attacks by Assads regime. Reacting to Mr Erdogans proposal for a ceasefire in Idlib, Mr Putin said a ceasefire would be good but indicated that Moscow does not think it will hold. We hope that we will be able to reach an agreement and that our call for reconciliation in the Idlib area will be heard, the Russian president said. We hope that the representatives of those terrorist organisations will be smart enough to stop the resistance and lay down arms. There was no immediate reaction from fighters in Idlib. Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Front for Liberation, said before the summit that his forces were prepared for a battle that they expect will lead to a major humanitarian crisis. Idlib is about a lot of international power play and everyone is looking after their interests, Mr al-Mustafa said. The Scottish Liberal Democrats would support a boycott of controversial tests for primary one pupils, the partys leader will tell members. Willie Rennie will use his speech at the Lib Dem autumn conference to attack the Scottish national standardised assessments, which have been criticised by teachers. He will also call for formal education to start when children are aged six or seven a move being explored by Scotlands largest teaching union as he addresses delegates at the one-day event in Dunfermline. The Lib Dems will stand with parents and school staff if they snub the literacy and numeracy tests, aimed at helping teachers judge progress on a childs learning, Mr Rennie will say. Willie Rennie has said the tests have led to a `tidal wave of concern from teachers (Jane Barlow/PA) Education Secretary John Swinney announced changes to assessments last month after hearing feedback from parents, staff and unions. He said that while there is no statutory right for parents to withdraw their child from any aspect of schooling, they could discuss participation in the tests with their school. Opposition parties called for the P1 assessments to be scrapped altogether. Mr Rennie will say: International evidence shows that the under-sevens need a play-based approach to learning with plenty of opportunities for active, outdoor, social, self-directed play. National testing, especially for five-year-old primary ones, pulls Scottish education in exactly the opposite direction. He will add: And there is a tidal wave of concern from teachers. One teacher in Aberdeen said she had never seen such cruel nonsense in all of her life, branding the tests a shambles. Bold measures to deliver on education and for children in @scotgov Programme for Government. Expansion of early learning, empowerment of schools, incorporating principles of UNCRC into Scots Law, support for students. Great agenda. #ScotPfG https://t.co/LnEb3PDT2j John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) September 4, 2018 Another said this is a massive use of staff resources that could be put into supporting children instead. And to cap it all, an East Ayrshire teacher said the information gathered was completely useless. Mr Rennie said ministers had failed to listen to concerns when they were first raised, and warned the Scottish Parliaments opposition parties would defeat the minority Government in a vote against the tests. At that point if the pupils, parents and teachers boycott these tests, we will stand with them, he will add. These tests are damaging and theyve got to go. On reforms to primary education, he will add: I want schools be able to change the way we teach children aged four and five. We should start formal schooling at six or even seven. I want children in Scotland to get the long-term educational benefits. Because education is on the wrong track. So today I am committing to work with the education charity Upstart to develop a full programme for change. Commenting on the proposal, a spokeswoman for the teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, said: The EIS AGM agreed last year to investigate the opportunities and challenges associated with a change to the school starting age through a possible move to a kindergarten model of early years education. This work is ongoing, and we will be seeking the views of our members in early years and primary establishments as part of this process. On Mr Rennies support for a boycott, a spokesman for Mr Swinney said: This is deeply irresponsible from Willie Rennie. For the sake of a cheap party conference speech line, he wants to threaten the future of childrens education. That is reprehensible, even for the Lib Dems. School assessments have been used in Scotland for years. Throughout that time we didnt hear a peep from Willie Rennie. It would appear he only discovered he was against school assessments when a new version was introduced by the SNP government. Assailants have fired three rockets at Basra Airport, officials said, amid the most serious violence in the Iraqi city in years. An official at the airport said it was not clear who was behind the attack with Katyusha missiles, and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. No casualties were reported. The official said the incident did not disrupt flights in or out of the city. The attack followed a chaotic night that saw hundreds of angry protesters storm and set fire to the Iranian consulate and other Iranian interests in Basra. Protests in Basra (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) The protests in Iraqs oil-rich southern Shiite heartland are calling for an end to endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and poor public services. Demonstrators at the consulate had shouted anti-Iranian slogans, burned an Iranian flag and trampled over a portrait of Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi condemned the attack, which he said caused significant damage to the building. He called for maximum punishment for the assailants. Protesters burn an Iranian flag (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) Elsewhere in the city, protesters tried to attack the headquarters of the Iran-backed Assaib Ahl Al-Haq Shiite militia and the guards stationed there opened fire. Angry protesters marched to the citys presidential palaces compound, where Shiite paramilitary troops are stationed, and tried to breach it. At least three cars driven by troops ploughed into the protesters, killing one and wounding four others, according to a health official. Other protesters set tyres on fire on main streets and highways, ignoring a curfew imposed by the authorities. Mourners carry the Iraqi flag-draped coffin of a protester (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) More than 10 protesters have died in clashes with security forces since Monday, including three who were shot dead by security forces on Thursday night as protesters lobbed petrol bombs and set fire to a government building and offices of Shiite militias in the city. Many residents of the predominantly Shiite city accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering with Iraqi politics and some hold them responsible for mismanagement and poor services in the city. Prime minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the violence, which shows no sign of abating. The unrest comes amid a political crisis in Baghdad, adding to overall tensions in the country. The newly elected parliament earlier this week held its first session since national elections in May, but the session was adjourned amid disagreements as two blocs, both claiming to hold the most seats, vied for the right to form a new government. British and French fishermen have failed to finalise a deal to end the scallop wars in the English Channel. Industry leaders were unable to agree a compensation package during negotiations in Paris on Friday, which was aiming to cease recent skirmishes. The basis of an agreement was formed in London this week, with small UK vessels pledging not to fish in the area of dispute during the period French laws prevented their counterparts. The Honeybourne 3 was among British ships caught up in clashes with French fishermen (Andrew Matthews/PA) But this was on the basis British crews would not lose out financially, and the price appeared to have been too high for the French during the latest discussions. A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokeswoman said further talks could be held next week. We are making progress, she said. Discussions are continuing and we are looking at next steps. British ships can legally forage in the disputed territory the Baie de Seine all year round. But the French are banned from taking scallops there between May 15 and October 1 to conserve stocks. An industry accord prevented UK vessels larger than 15 metres doing so too, but smaller ones could help themselves. However, trouble flared last week when some 35 French boats confronted five British craft off the coast of northern France last week, with reports of rocks and smoke bombs being hurled at UK mariners. Captains of small British boats voluntarily agreed not to forage in the Baie until a deal was struck but they had expected this to be sealed on Friday. Whether they can continue to uphold this will remain to be seen. Syrian government and Russian planes have targeted the southern edge of Idlib province with a series of air strikes, activists said. The strikes have ratcheted up the pressure on the densely populated rebel-held bastion, a day after Iran and Russia backed a military campaign in the area despite Turkeys pleas for a ceasefire. Turkey has troops and observations points that ring Idlib. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported more than 30 air raids on Saturday on a number of towns and villages in south-western Idlib and adjacent northern Hama province, an area targeted over the last few days which overlooks government-controlled areas. Schools were shut in Khan Sheikhoun, an area under attack, because of the raids, the Observatory reported. State-run Al-Ikhbariya TV said the government was retaliating against overnight shelling from rebel-held areas on a government-held town in Hama province, south of Idlib. The shelling late on Friday in Mhradah killed nine civilians, according to state media. The local council of Morek, a town that serves as a crossing between Hama and Idlib, sent an urgent appeal, asking Turkey for a quick solution. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, held talks with Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani on Friday (Presidential Press Service/AP We need a quick solution or our town will burn! an official pleaded in an audio recording shared on social media. Separately, clashes broke out in eastern Syria in Qamishli, a town close to the border with Turkey, between government and Kurdish security members. The Observatory said the clashes left 10 government security personnel and seven Kurdish fighters dead. The town is run by Kurdish-led administrators and forces, but Syrian government troops hold pockets of territory there, including the airport. Clashes rarely erupt there over turf control and authority, and are usually a reflection of deepening political tension between uneasy partners. Assailants have fired three rockets at Basra Airport in Iraq after a chaotic night that saw hundreds of protesters setting ablaze the Iranian consulate, attacking offices belonging to Iranian-backed militias and blocking roads. The city of Basra, home to some of the largest oil fields in Iraq, has been the epicentre of angry protests over decades of government neglect, poor services and corruption. The demonstrations are the most serious to shake the oil-rich southern Shiite area in years, demanding an end to endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and crumbling infrastructure. This week, they turned their rage on neighbouring Iran, blaming its influence in Iraqs political affairs for their misery. Protesters storm the Basra government building (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) An official said it was not clear who was behind the attack on Basra Airport, which also houses the US consulate. He said the attack did not cause casualties or disrupt flights in or out of the city. Iraqs parliament is holding an emergency session to discuss the unrest in Basra. Hours earlier, protesters shouting anti-Iranian slogans including Iran, out, out! stormed the Iranian consulate and set a fire inside. They also burned an Iranian flag and trampled over a portrait of Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Protesters burn an Iranian flag (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi condemned the attack, which he said caused significant damage to the building. He called for maximum punishment for the assailants. Elsewhere in the city, protesters tried to attack the headquarters of the Iran-backed Assaib Ahl Al-Haq Shiite militia and the guards stationed there opened fire. Angry protesters marched to the citys presidential palaces compound, where Shiite paramilitary troops are stationed, and tried to breach it. At least three cars driven by troops ploughed into the protesters, killing one and wounding four others, according to a health official. Protesters raise the Iraqi flag over the Basra government building (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) On Saturday, the two-storey consulate was partially burned. An Iraqi flag was placed at the entrance to the building after the Iranian one was snatched away and set ablaze at night. Sprayed in red on the concrete wall of the consulate were the words: Down with Iran, down with the militias, the revolution will continue. The provincial government building in the centre of Basra was completely torched and several burned cars were seen in the citys presidential palaces compound. At least 15 protesters have died in clashes with security forces since Monday, including three who were shot by security forces on Thursday night. The violence has forced the closure of the vital Um Qasr port on the Persian Gulf. A provincial official with state-run Iraqi Ports Co said authorities closed the port on the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, fearing sabotage. The UN special envoy to Yemen has downplayed the significance of the failure of peace talks to start, saying he would head back to Yemen within days to try to agree on a new date. A delegation of the internationally recognised government arrived in Geneva for the talks, which were supposed to start on Thursday, but their war rivals Iranian-backed rebels known as the Houthis did not, arguing they could not go because they did not have guarantees for their safe return. Addressing a news conference in Geneva, Martin Griffiths declined to blame either side for the failure to start the talks, saying apportioning blame would not help Yemen. Martin Griffiths (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) He insisted that the consultation the term used by the UN to refer to the talks had begun when he and his team held three days of talks with the government delegation. There was an effort on the part of the Ansar Allah to come here, said Mr Griffiths, using the formal name of the Houthis. They wanted to be here. We just did not make it. Its not the first time that we have difficulties in a Yemeni context. Criticising one or the other doesnt help Yemen. Things happen. His refusal to apportion blame angered the Yemeni government. Addressing a news conference, foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani said the envoys comments sought to appease and find excuses for the Houthis, adding that their failure to travel to Geneva showed their irresponsibility. The talks would have been the first between Yemens war rivals in two years. The Houthis insist on traveling to Geneva on an Omani flight, saying that would ensure their safe return to Yemen. We want guarantees on our return to Yemen, senior Houthi official Deif Allah al-Shami said. On Thursday, senior rebel official Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said on Twitter that the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemens internationally recognised government refused to grant the Omani flight authorisation to transfer their delegation to Geneva. He said that raised the risk of being prevented from returning to Yemen, which he said happened in 2016 after a failed round of talks. The coalition, which has imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Yemen since 2016, denied the allegation. Television presenter Konnie Huq said she has lost pride in her Bangladeshi homeland following the arrest of renowned photographer Shahidul Alam. Mr Alam famous for chronicling human-rights abuses was arrested by the Dhaka metropolitan police on August 5 for allegedly damaging the image of the nation. The photographer, who has covered Bangladeshs use of death squads and the Rohingya refugee crisis, has been a vocal supporter of student protests in the country. Konnie Huq has thrown her weight behind a campaign for the release of photojournalist Shahidul Alam (Ian West/PA) Many students were arrested following demonstrations over the deaths of two students killed by a speeding bus. Mr Alam is accused of contravening Bangladeshs Information and Communications Technology Act for an interview he gave to Al Jazeera. In a short video, former Blue Peter presenter said she was really appalled at the treatment of Shahidul Alam. Ms Huq attended a demonstration against Mr Alams incarceration outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Friday. She said: To be taken by force and put into prison just because of your beliefs is something that I did not think the Bangladesh government was capable of. In recent years it has transpired that that is not the case at all and people are beginning to think of my country, that I used to be very proud of, as one with an objectionable government. She added: I really hope he gets freed. I just want justice. She has been a vocal supporter of the campaign for the photographers release on social media. In August she tweeted that she was sickened and upset by his ongoing detention. Her sister, MP for Ealing Central and Acton Rupa Huq, has also campaigned against Mr Alams ongoing detention and wrote to staff at the Foreign Office asking them to work for his release. She tweeted on Friday: Glad to hear Foreign Office are raising human rights abuses with authorities in Bangladesh in response to me #FreeShahidulAlam letter to minister @MarkFieldUK. One wonders if repressive government feels more able to get away with stuff now eyes of the world diverted to Rohingya. Glad to hear Foreign Office are raising human rights abuses w/ authorities in Bangladesh in response to my #freeShahidulAlam letter to minister @MarkFieldUK One wonders if repressive government feels more able to get away with stuff now eyes of the world diverted to Rohinga pic.twitter.com/Jbd6eFjxKr Rupa Huq MP (@RupaHuq) September 7, 2018 Film-maker Steve McQueen, dancer and choreographer Akram Khan and artists Anthony Gormley and Anish Kapoor are among the many high-profile figures calling for his release. Mr Alams career as a photojournalist has spanned 40 years and as well as covering major news events in Bangladesh and surrounding countries, he also founded the Pathshala South Asian Institute of Photography in Dhaka. In a statement made to Rupa Huq, Foreign Office minister Mark Field said the issue had been raised by the UK Government with the Bangladeshi minister for foreign affairs. Ms Karim said: Field said the government should investigate unlawful violence against protesters and journalists and hold the perpetrators to account. A senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn dismissed suggestions there was a purge of Labour critics and said a prominent MPs call on the leader to call off the dogs was offensive. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell claimed Chuka Umunna was inventing stories after the senior MP claimed moderates were being systematically targeted by more hardline factions. Mr McDonnell said the Streatham MP should just get on with campaigning for a Labour government instead of complaining about the state of the party. "So lets dump the prevarication, stop using internal factional reasons as an excuse to avoid it, and back a #PeoplesVote wholeheartedly now." #BAMEvoices #Brexit ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) September 8, 2018 Mr Umunna, a leading pro-EU campaigner, used a speech on Saturday to call on the leadership to stop using internal divisions as an excuse not to fight Brexit. His comments came after Tony Blair questioned whether Labour could ever be taken back by moderates. The speech also came in the context of Labour Friends of Israel chairwoman Joan Ryan a prominent critic of the leaderships handling of the anti-Semitism row and Luton South MP Gavin Shuker losing local no confidence votes on Thursday. Mr Umunna said: There is now a clear and present danger that this tradition is driven out of our party. Having only been re-elected by their constituents last year, already centre-left MPs are being targeted systematically with motions against them for standing up for these values for demanding we have a zero tolerance of racism in our party. More motions such as this are expected by colleagues. My message to our leadership: it is within your power to stop this so call off the dogs and get on with what my constituency, one of the most diverse communities in the nation, demands we do without equivocation, fight this Tory Brexit. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell rejected the suggestion there was a purge of Labour moderates (Yui Mok/PA) However, Mr McDonnell told Sky News: There are no dogs being called on. I actually think referring to our party members as dogs is just unacceptable. It was an appalling expression to be used about Labour Party members, he added. He said of course there isnt a purge but individual constituencies, if they are dissatisfied with what their local MP has done or said or voted, they will raise their concerns in the traditional way which is a vote of confidence or no confidence, or even just around a particular issue. Thats whats happening now, he said. This is an invented story. Mr McDonnell acknowledged it was outrageous and disgraceful that Iran-backed Press TV was able to film the private meeting in Ms Ryans constituency. There will be an investigation into that and action will be taken, he said. Labours conference later this month is expected to debate changes which could make it easier to deselect sitting MPs. Mr McDonnell said: There most probably will be a debate about mandatory reselection I favour the existing system, which is what we call a trigger ballot. I think that works quite effectively but that will be a debate I cant see it going through but you never know on these occasions. But thats no threat to anyone, its basically saying that within our party our members are the people who decide who represents us and what could be more democratic than that? Wales preparations for the Nations League clash with Denmark were thrown into turmoil when a technical problem with their plane left them grounded at Cardiff Airport. Ryan Giggs squad trained at their Vale of Glamorgan base on Saturday morning before being scheduled to fly out to Aarhus. But the squad were stranded at the airport when a fault with the plane was detected. Ryan Giggs Wales squad have been hit by plane misery ahead of their Nations League opener against Denmark (David Davies/PA) The party were left in limbo as it was decided whether the fault could be fixed or a new charter plane would have to be found. They would not arrive until 1am local time if a new plane was needed as they would have to be re-routed through Copenhagen at night. A FAW spokesman: The flight has been delayed and we are working hard to resolve the issue. Hopefully it will be resolved as soon as possible. Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson would be a fantastic replacement for Sir Vince Cable when he steps down as UK leader, the head of the Scottish Lib Dems said. Willie Rennie hailed Ms Swinson who is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her second child as being an incredible performer and a top quality politician. He spoke the day after Sir Vince, 75, announced his plans to quit the post after Brexit is resolved or stopped. Asked if that could pave the way for Ms Swinson, the current deputy leader, to take over the helm of the party, Mr Rennie said: She would be fantastic, I think she is a top quality parliamentarian. East Dunbartonshire MP Jo Swinson (Andrew matthews/PA) Shes so professional, an incredible performer and a really intelligent woman. Ive got a lot of time for Jo, I think she is fantastic. But he quipped: If Vince is waiting till Brexit is over he might be there till 2047. Mr Rennie gave his support to proposals from the UK leader to widen participation in the party, which could see voters who are liberal-minded allowed to sign up for free under plans to bolster membership. While the Lib Dems have languished in the polls and struggled electorally since going into coalition government with the Conservatives in 2010, Sir Vince said on Friday he wanted to create a movement of the moderates that would bring together voters who loosely identify with the party. Britain needs a movement that is ready to lead in the interest of the millions of UK citizens who dont have a voice. That movement is the Liberal Democrats. Be part of what's next > https://t.co/XQRabCJsaM pic.twitter.com/TWHpVetLH1 Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) September 7, 2018 Mr Rennie, who spoke to journalists at the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Dunfermline, Fife, said some of the ideas being put forward were based on reforms that managed to reform and revive Liberal parties in both Canada and Germany. And he said he had no concerns about allowing more people to vote for the next party leader. Im not worried about that at all, the Lib Dem MSP said. However in his speech to the conference, former Scottish leader Tavish Scott cautioned party chiefs to be careful with anyone voting for our leader, recalling how Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader after his party allowed non-members a say. But he agreed party reforms were long overdue as he made clear the Liberals must offer an alternative to the left-wing politics of Mr Corbyn and the hard Brexit policies espoused by Tory Boris Johnson. While Mr Scott said the Lib Dems needed to fill the glaring gap in modern politics, he warned if they could not be relevant then the world will pass us by. Mr Scott said: We have not set any heather on fire since 2016, despite being the only avowedly pro-European party who should at least get a hearing from 48% of the electorate. Tony Blair said yesterday that if the British public are offered a choice of Corbyn versus Boris at the next election they will be looking for something else. He is right. And we need to make that alternative us. That is the glaring gap in modern politics. This is a time when liberals have been needed by the nation like never before. Police are searching for a 14-year-old boy missing in the Scottish Highlands for 24 hours. Kane McGlynn was last seen in Aviemore at about 5pm on Friday. The 14-year-old is 5ft 11in with a slim build and dark blonde hair. He is thought to be carrying a black Converse backpack and wearing black Adidas trainers. Police said Kane McGlynn was last seen in Aviemore on Friday afternoon (Police Scotland/PA) Police are appealing for any sightings or information on his movements. A force spokesman said: Police Scotland are appealing for information to trace 14-year-old male Kane McGlynn, who was last seen in Aviemore at about 5pm on Friday. We would request anyone who may have seen him or have knowledge of his whereabouts to make contact with Police Scotland on 101. The first ever case of monkeypox has been recorded in the UK. The rare viral infection was recorded on Friday in a Nigerian national staying at a naval base in Cornwall, Public Health England (PHE) said. The patient was transferred to the expert infectious disease unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London on Saturday morning. The patient has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital in London (Peter Byrne/PA) They are believed to have contracted the infection in Nigeria before travelling to the UK. PHE said monkeypox does not spread easily and most patients recover within a few weeks, but it can cause severe illness in some people. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, aching muscles, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash can also develop, usually starting on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. It eventually forms a scab which falls off. PHE said that as a precautionary measure, it is working with experts in the NHS to contact a number of people who were on the same flight as the patient. The body has not revealed whether the patient is a member of the military, or confirmed their gender. PHE said in a statement: People without symptoms are not considered infectious but, as a precaution, those who have been in close proximity are being contacted to ensure that if they do become unwell they can be treated quickly. The organisation said passengers that are not contacted need take no action. Dr Michael Jacobs, clinical director of infection at the Royal Free Hospital, said: Monkeypox is, in most cases, a mild condition which will resolve on its own and have no long-term effects on a persons health. Most people recover within several weeks. It is a rare disease caused by monkeypox virus, and has been reported mainly in central and west African countries. It does not spread easily between people and the risk of transmission to the wider public is very low. We are using strict isolation procedures in hospital to protect our staff and patients. Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: PHE and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported and infectious disease and these will be strictly followed to minimise the risk of transmission. The mother of an Irish woman who was raped and murdered in India wants a direct apology from the Taoiseach after she was declined a meeting because her daughter had travelled on a UK passport. Danielle McLaughlin, 28, from Buncrana in Co Donegal, was found dead in a secluded spot in Canacona, an area of Goa popular with holidaymakers, in March last year. Her mother requested a meeting with Leo Varadkar to discuss how families could be better supported when a loved one dies abroad. But Andrea Brannigan says she was told by Government officials that it was probably not worthwhile as her daughter was not an Irish citizen. The distraught mother was advised to contact British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The 28-year-old was travelling on a British passport when she died (family handout/PA) In a statement, the Department of Taoiseach said officials incorrectly concluded Ms McLaughlin was a British citizen as Ms Brannigan said she was travelling on a UK passport. The statement said: The Taoiseach is aware of the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Irish citizen Danielle McLaughlin, and extends his deepest sympathy to Danielles family. The letter received by the Department of the Taoiseach from Danielles mother indicated that Danielle was travelling on a British passport, leading officials handling the matter to incorrectly conclude that Danielle was a British citizen. This was the basis on which the office advised Danielles family that the matter would be most appropriately handled by the British authorities. Having now clarified the facts surrounding this case, the department can confirm that consular services of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have and will continue to be provided to Danielles family, as appropriate. The department sincerely regrets the misunderstanding that arose in this case. Mr Varadkar is expected to travel to Co Donegal on Tuesday for an unrelated matter. Pat The Cope Gallagher, a Fianna Fail TD for the area, said he was shocked and disappointed at how the matter has been dealt with. He said: Danielles mother and family requested a meeting with the Taoiseach but this week received what I can only call a reply lacking in all compassion, stating that due to the fact that Danielle was not an Irish citizen the Taoiseach would not meet with them. This is a disgraceful response to send to anyone, but to send a response to a mother who lost their daughter in such a horrific way is beyond the pale. While I am led to believe that the Taoiseach will now meet Andrea this week, the lack of compassion and consideration beggars belief. There has been an eruption of anger and shock here in Donegal since the family received this reply. While I dont believe it actually matters, Danielle held an Irish passport previously and had lived most of her live here in Donegal. Leo Varadkar will travel to Donegal next week (Brian Lawless/PA) I spoke with Danielles mother Andrea earlier today and their trauma and anguish has been exacerbated by this callous act. What they have been put through has been made worse by the lack of empathy and compassion from the Taoiseachs office. The statement from the Government apologising is nothing more than the Governments spin unit working overtime. I have written to An Taoiseach expressing my concern at how this matter has been handled. Jos Buttler provided Englands seamers with the fresh impetus they needed on a hard-fought second day of the fifth Specsavers Test against India at The Oval. Buttler (89) marked his 28th birthday by top-scoring for the fourth time in Englands last five innings as he and Stuart Broads ninth-wicket stand of 98 underpinned a recovery from 198 for seven at start of play to 332 all out. Then in an impressive, occasionally bad-tempered but very skillful third spell of 6-2-8-2, James Anderson struck in successive overs to put himself just two wickets short of Glenn McGraths world-record 563 for any pace bowler. As the old ball swung, Ben Stokes got in on the act with two late wickets including prolific India captain Virat Kohli in a stumps total of 174 for six. England had surprisingly dominated the morning thanks to their driving force Buttler. He received support from Adil Rashid and then especially Broad as England put themselves back on the front foot in pursuit of a 4-1 series scoreline. Jasprit Bumrah pinned Rashid lbw, and Broad entered the equation on a still under-par 214 for eight. Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler shared a stand of 98 (Steven Paston/PA) Englands number 10 had 10 of a further 20 runs when Bumrah struck him a painful blow to his shoulder. Far from losing his appetite for the battle, though, Broads concentration appeared redoubled. India were unable to stop Englands charge for 20 overs until Broad tried to hit Ravindra Jadeja (four for 79) over the top and fell to a brilliant catch by KL Rahul chasing back from mid-on to dive and hold a skier. There was to be no birthday hundred for Buttler, but he was not done with just yet. James Anderson struck twice for England (Steven Paston/PA) He hit Bumrah for two sixes in three balls into the crowd over long-on and then a hook towards the dressing-rooms before he was last out, caught at slip trying to farm more runs off Jadeja. By then, Englands last three wickets had put on 151 runs, and the onus was on India all the more so after Broad struck with his first delivery, seam movement accounting for Shikhar Dhawan lbw. Rahul responded, in company with the much more cautious Cheteshwar Pujara, in a second-wicket stand of 64 which ended when Sam Curran bowled the opener. The all-rounder had his first Test wicket on his home ground, hinting at his habitual inswing but then getting the ball to leave Rahul off the pitch and take his off-bail. Kohli survived thanks to a tight umpires call on 16 when Anderson thought he had him lbw only for replays to vindicate Kumar Dharmasenas on-field judgement of impact outside off-stump, or near enough. Anderson, whose first two spells had been limited to two and three overs by Joe Root, was not happy. He made his feelings clear to the umpire, surely risking the attentions of the match referee as Dharmasena subsequently spoke to Root apparently about his lynchpin seamers conduct. But Andersons mood was lightened when Pujara edged behind, and then Ajinkya Rahane got a little more bat on the swinging ball and was caught at slip for a duck. Debutant Hanuma Vihari made a nervy start, twice narrowly surviving Broad lbw appeals on nought, before keeping his captain company in a half-century stand. But Kohli fell one short of his 50 when he edged a drive at Stokes to his opposite number at second slip, and left-hander Rishabh Pant was then caught at first in near mirror image. Iraqi security forces have been deployed on the streets of Basra, a day after protesters in the city stormed the Iranian consulate and torched government buildings. The violence has rocked the oil-exporting Shiite heartland and sparked alarm across a conflict-weary country. Masked troops in combat fatigues set up checkpoints and rode through the city centre in black pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted in the back. Security forces in Humvees deployed at intersections. The deployment came after an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed to respond to the violent protests that have gripped the city for the past week, raising the threat of further violence. At least 15 people were killed and 249 injured in clashes between protesters and security forces this week, health officials say. Since June, Basra has been shaken by the most serious protests in the oil-rich southern region in years, with angry residents complaining of poor public services. In recent days, protests escalated, as crowds turned their rage on neighbouring Iran, blaming its outsized influence in Iraqs political affairs for their misery and calling for radical change. Iran controls powerful Shiite militias in Basra, home to some of the largest oil fields in Iraq. Raad Abdelhamid, a Basra firefighter, said he feared for Iraq. The militias are responsible for this corruption, he said as he stood outside the still-smouldering provincial government building on Saturday, his second day of working to put out a fire there. I fear Basra is headed for more blood, he said, in tears. Protesters burn an Iranian flag (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) A banner on one side of the building read in Arabic: No to the militias, your militias under our feet. Despite the oil wealth, the city has long suffered from government neglect, soaring unemployment and a crumbling infrastructure. Over the past month, thousands of people were taken to hospital after drinking polluted water. Angry protesters have torched government buildings and offices belonging to the Iranian-backed militias in the weeklong protests demanding improved services and an end to corruption. Protesters raise the Iraqi flag over the Basra government building (Nabil al-Jurani/AP) On Friday night, protesters chanting anti-Iranian slogans including Iran, out, out! stormed the Iranian consulate and set it on fire. They also burned an Iranian flag and trampled on a portrait of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the attack on the consulate, which he said caused significant damage to the building. He called for maximum punishment for the assailants. The ministry also summoned the Iraqi ambassador to relay Tehrans strong protest. On Saturday, an Iraqi flag was placed at the entrance to the consulate after the Iranian one was torn down and set ablaze. Sprayed in red on the concrete wall of the consulate were the words: Down with Iran, down with the militias, the revolution will continue. The government-sanctioned Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces Hashed in Arabic threatened retaliation Saturday, raising the spectre of further escalation. We will have a response to those who are carrying out acts of arson and sabotage, the militias commander, known as Abu Yasser al-Jaafari, told reporters in Basra. On Saturday morning, assailants fired three Katyusha rockets at Iraqs Basra airport, which houses the US consulate, adding to the tensions. Security officials said they reopened partially the vital Umm Qasr port on the Persian Gulf on Saturday, after shutting down operations for several days amid concerns that protesters might try to storm it. The director of the new V&A Dundee has spoken of the challenges and the thrill of setting up the design museum as it prepares to welcome the public. The Kengo Kuma-designed building will open its doors on September 15, the striking centrepiece of the ongoing 1 billion regeneration of Dundees waterfront. More than a decade after the idea of establishing a V&A in Scotlands fourth city was first discussed, director Philip Long said everything is in place to make it a must-see destination for visitors from all over the world. Philip Long took up the role of V&A director in 2011 (Robert Perry/V&A Dundee) Mr Long told the Press Association: There have been lots of challenges along the way, and Im very pleased and proud that weve seen our way through those. The biggest challenge has been the magnitude of the project overall. V&A Dundee is not an outstation of the V&A in London. As one of the founding partners V&A is a core part, but we here in Dundee are a new team that has come together to develop this project and lead it long into future. Museum bosses anticipate high volumes of visitors, and entry over the opening weekend is reserved for those who have pre-booked tickets. Access is otherwise free and non-ticketed, with the exception of major touring exhibitions. The first, Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, looks at the design and cultural impact of cruise ships and travel. Poster for Canadian Pacific Railways, JR Tooby, London, 1920 - 31 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) The museums Scottish Design Galleries, meanwhile, celebrate the influence of Scottish design at home and abroad, from Beano artwork to Hunter wellies and the Fair Isle jumper. The jewel in the crown is Charles Rennie Mackintoshs Oak Room the conserved and painstakingly reconstructed interior of Miss Cranstons Ingram Street tearoom which has been unseen for 50 years. Mr Long, who came to V&A Dundee from National Galleries of Scotland, admits that laying his eyes on the exhibit for the first time was quite an emotional moment. He said: Its one of his great, but lost to view, interiors that is now compete and in the museum. It brings back to public view after nearly 50 years in fact its 70 years since it was used as a tearoom one of this great architect and designers works. I can tell you, it is a thrilling, quite emotional thing to walk in and see after all of these years. The interior is on long-term loan following discussions with Glasgow Museums several years ago. Joanna Norman, V&A Dundee curator, and Alison Brown from Glasgow Museums with a model of the interior (Robert Perry/V&A Dundee) Mr Long said: The thing Im especially proud of is the conservation and restoration of this original Mackintosh room. Mackintosh is, after all, one of the worlds greatest architects and designers and happens to be part of Scotlands design heritage. When we set about developing the Scottish Design Galleries, one of the things we needed to ensure was to represent Mackintosh as part of the work we were doing. The question has been asked why V&A chose Dundee to set up home, but Mr Long suggests it was the city that chose V&A. Representatives from the University of Dundee got the ball rolling back in 2007, suggesting to the institution it might like to be part of the waterfront regeneration. Mr Long said: Dundee really gets the importance of cultural facilities and activities as part of the life of its citizens thats been clear over the last 20 years through the investment in new organisations like Dundee Contemporary Arts, or whether its the ongoing success of places like Dundee Rep Theatre or the Science Centre or the redevelopment of the McManus. All of these things demonstrated to the leadership here that investment in culture is the right thing to do. All of that helped set the scene and the understanding that a discussion about the V&A might be a very exciting thing to think about as a new presence on the waterfront. Last week, two things caught my attention on Twitter. One devastated me as a human being, and the other made me think where we, Pakistanis, stand today, as people, and more importantly, as Muslims. I thought I'd write about the first one since it traumatised me: the suicide of the 26-year-old model Anam Naveed Tanoli. The beautiful Anam found hanging from the fan in her room in her house in Lahore. The beautiful Anam whose body was found by her mother and sister. The beautiful Anam who was reportedly suffering from depression, had a therapist appointment that day, and whose last Instagram video message was about effects of cyber-bullying. The beautiful dead Anam. Life cut short: Anam Naveed Tanoli's body was found hanging from the ceiling fan by her mother. (Source: Twitter) I'll write about Anam as soon as I know how as the mother of an 18-year-old son I make sense of the enormity of her tragedy, the young woman who seemed to have everything yet took her own life, how to understand the loss of a daughter of a mother who'd have the memory of the sight of her daughter's hanging body and a million unanswered questions for the rest of her life. Today, I'll write about the other thing. There is no death in that story; it is about being comatose. The social fibre of my homeland, its gnawed soul, the wounds it inflicts, and the band-aid it applies to blood that gushes. The story of what it does to those who are not Muslim. Or are the 'wrong' kind of Muslim. Ahmadis of Pakistan. Qadiani. Mirzai. Kafir. Infidel. Non-Muslim. The wrong kind of Muslim. The tags are many, the story is age-old: who is a Muslim, who deserves to be a Muslim, who decides that. This isn't about who Ahmadis are, the history of their faith, the decades old "crusade" against them to impose on them the status of a religious pariah, the 1953 violent campaigns dubbed as Lahore riots, attempts to ghettoise as an outcast without a yellow Star of David pinned on their lapels, leading to constitutional ostracisation via Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's parliament-endorsed Second Amendment on September 7, 1974, sealing the fate of Ahmadis in a way that had consequences that were dark, never-ending, ghoulish. Aif Mian was removed from the Economic Advisory Council because he is an Ahmadi. (Source: Reuters) On September 7, 2018, the new-in-power government of Prime Minister Imran Khan announced its decision to remove the name of Atif Mian from the newly formed Economic Advisory Council (EAC). Twitter erupted into noise that is unparalleled even in the very raucous social media environment of a country called Pakistan. Atif Rehman Mian. The 43-year-old Pakistani-American, hailed by the IMF as one of the top 25 economists of the world, a professor at the Princeton University, Department of Economics and Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy, co-author of the critically acclaimed House of Debt (which "studies the connections between finance and the macro economy... builds on powerful new data to describe how debt precipitated the Great Recession and continues to threaten the global economy"), Mian is an economics giant. And someone Pakistan needed more than it needs most people. The 18-member EAC of Khan's government, lauded as an excellent group of top-notch professionals of the field, would have remained just another governmental agenda if it had not been for one name: Atif Mian. Atif Rehman Mian is Ahmadi. Period. Atif Mian was asked to step down from the Advisory Council and he has agreed. A replacement would be announced later. Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) September 7, 2018 Mian's inclusion in the EAC apparently generated a controversial reaction, the negative one mostly from right-wing, religiopolitical parties. How can an Ahmadi work for the government of Pakistan? Shehla Raza, minister for women development Sindh, of PPP, the so-called progressive party, posted (later deleted) a hate-filled, inflammatory tweet against Mian's appointment. She was one of the many. The statement of minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Hussain defending Mian's induction, and standing up for rights of 'minorities' elicited unequivocal praise from all sides of the political and intellectual spectrum. The euphoria of the courageous words of the official spokesperson of the government was short-lived. After a meeting with religious scholars and clergy, Hussain announced that Atif Mian's appointment had been rescinded. Religious sentiments of people who do not like Ahmadis had to be respected, and the threat of religious fanatics to stage a protest in Islamabad and elsewhere had to be taken into consideration. Pakistan's doddering economy be damned, imagined slights to religion are more important. In a country of almost 97 per cent Muslims - and that too the 'right' kind of Muslims - Islam is always in danger. Protection of religion is every Muslim's first duty, the self-importance doesn't evoke shame, and self-appointed vigilantism is considered a ticket to paradise. Atif Mian's very gracious response in a tweet-thread has catapulted him to the status of a hero in the eyes of many, justifiably so, and Pakistan has lost the chance to benefit from the expertise of one of the best economists of the world. Following his resignation from the EAC, two more Pakistani economists, Asim Ijaz Khwaja of Harvard, and Imran Rasool of UCL London, taking a principled stance against religious discrimination of their esteemed contemporary, a black stain on the very idea of merit, have resigned from the EAC. 1/ For the sake of the stability of the Government of Pakistan, I have resigned from the Economic Advisory Council, as the Government was facing a lot of adverse pressure regarding my appointment from the Mullahs (Muslim clerics) and their supporters. Atif Mian (@AtifRMian) September 7, 2018 2/ Nevertheless, I will always be ready to serve Pakistan as it is the country in which I was raised and which I love a great deal. Serving my country is an inherent part of my faith and will always be my heartfelt desire. Atif Mian (@AtifRMian) September 7, 2018 Despite being a long-term supporter of Imran Khan and his party, I stand by the decisions of these splendid Pakistanis who as Muslims cannot accept discrimination done in the name of their religion. I've a nagging feeling: more names will drop from the list. The domino effect of resistance against discrimination. United, much can be achieved: demolition of one bigoted, discriminatory, exclusionary edifice at a time. I feel dejected. As a human being, as a Muslim, as a Pakistani, and as a PTI supporter, I feel an enormous sense of disappointment and sadness. Removal of Atif Mian from the EAC is not a service to Islam, or to Pakistan. This is not the Islam of my Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), and this is not the Pakistan of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Allah through His Quran (2:256) instructed us: "There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion..." Jinnah in his August 11, 1947, address to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan said: "You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the state." Jinnah's first foreign minister was Sir Zafarullah Khan. He was an Ahmadi. The removal of Atif Mian from the EAC is not a small thing, it re-legitimises institutionalised discrimination. It is a legislative endorsement that a person's faith can be used as a testimonial of their loyalty to the state. It imparts the awful message to the Ahmadiyya community whose services to Pakistan are immense: that in addition to the persecution you face, the government of Pakistan despite its promises to protect rights of all Pakistanis has capitulated to extremist elements who would not even allow Ahmadis to function in Pakistan as non-Muslim. It is also a repudiation of the Constitution of Pakistan that clearly states: "Wherein shall be guaranteed fundamental rights including equality of status, of opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice, and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and association, subject to law and public morality." Article 27: "No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth." Ahmadis as industrialists, intellectuals, high-level civilian and military officials have always been instrumental in building and progress of Pakistan. Now they live hiding their faith, praying in isolation, teaching their children to hide their identity. Many have left Pakistan for good. Pakistan is no country for Ahmadis. Imran Khan's 'naya' Pakistan promise should treat everyone equally in the country. (Source: Reuters) To me it is all very simple: selection of Atif Mian was as a top economist, and that is how it should have remained. The merit of his profession should have remained exclusive of his faith, and those who inducted him in the EAC should have remained steadfast, fully aware while appointing him that there was going to be a backlash. Imran Khan's government standing up for Atif Mian's appointment in the EAC would have sent an unambiguous message to all self-appointed guardians of religion in a Muslim country, all those pandering to extremism, bigotry and hatred dividing Pakistanis on the basis of their faith: that Pakistan is one for all Pakistanis, all Pakistanis are equal irrespective of their faith, and that Imran Khan's government will not succumb to pressure from those who misuse religion for their agenda of hegemony and divisions. Appeasement of extremists so soon after this government has taken oath is a clear submission to politics of threats, fear and intimidation. This one decision is based on discrimination simply on the basis of a person's faith, a matter solely between God and an individual, and a factor that has no bearing on the person's professional merit. A properly qualified person's removal from a position that was created to steer the economy of Pakistan in the right direction is a stark manifestation of the reality of Pakistan today. Through appeasement of clergy and capitulation to threats of anarchy of hooligans disguised as vigilantes of religion, this mainstreaming of bigots and extremists (who received no electoral success) is a failure of governance. A fringe minority is being licensed to hold the government hostage to its demands. No promise of making Pakistan 'naya' will come to fruition as long as engines of bigotry, religious discrimination and politics of hate are being allowed to force farsightedness and pragmatism to be derailed. At the moment, I feel little optimism. But I also believe in Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision and leadership to do something different for Pakistan: to make Pakistan a country for ALL Pakistanis. Also read: NC to boycott Kashmir local body polls: Why hypocrisy is Farooq Abdullahs favourite tool Its worrisome that even though Jalaluddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani Network, is now dead, the infrastructure that he put in place is very much alive Jalaluddin Haqqani, the 71-year-old Islamic militant, who first fought in the Soviet jihad in the 1908s and founded one of the worlds most notorious terror organisations, is now dead. His family-run transnational jihadi organisation, known as the Haqqani Network, had provided support and sustenance to the groups such as Al Qaeda, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba for decades. Born in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan, Haqqani rose to notoriety during the 1980s as a guerilla fighter against the Soviet rule in Afghanistan. Mujahedeen fighters, that were backed by the United States, were provided with logistical and financial support in their holy fight against the Soviet Union. One US Congressman went to the extent of praising Haqqani as man who was goodness personified. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan, foreign funding was sharply abated, and Haqqani, who had served as the top commander for Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Khalis (HiK), established and began to run a number of profitable madrassas in Afghanistan and Pakistans bordering tribal areas. When the Taliban came to power in 1994, he was quick to form an alliance with the group, ceding power to Mullah Omar and setting up the Haqqani Networks new base in north Waziristan, Pakistan. The Taliban, impressed with his military prowess, named him Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs a role that suited Haqqanis expertise perfectly as well as further emboldened his position. While the Taliban provided ideological guidance to the militant Islamists, Haqqani provided the military manpower. The network raised funds through kidnappings, extortion, taxing and smuggling of weapons and drugs across the border, enriching themselves during the lawless years of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. By building strategic ties with the Taliban and the Al Qaeda, it expanded its operational capabilities to a number of Provinces in Afghanistan setting up a number of bases across eastern and southern Afghanistan and occupying key territory outside Kabul. Later, Haqqani also partnered with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, expanding his networks operational reach to the northern areas of Afghanistan. Through brokered deals with large and small militant groups, he developed a large area of influence across the Durand Line. The Haqqanis jihad business set the ground infrastructure for a complex criminal-political nexus, the source of South Asian jihad. With the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Haqqani refused to side with his past allies, the United States. He refused to surrender the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership. As the US troops entered Afghanistan and thousands of militants fled across the border to Pakistan, Haqqani provided the leadership with protection and safe-havens. With dismal governance in Pakistans tribal areas, this was fairly easy. Haqqani was able to lure and recruit poor, displaced and disenfranchised young men to fight in the war, helping in fuelling the fight against the US troops. This made him the Talibans most reliable ally. They actively required the Haqqani network of safe-havens, camps of trained fighters, and supply of weapons to fight the US. His good relationship with local insurgent groups helped in the movement of militants and weapons across the border, fueling what has now been a 17-year-long war. The Haqqani Network has been the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) preferred insurgent group when it comes to Pakistani establishment plans for Afghanistan. Its territorial control over the Afghan south-east is a much-desired strategic depth that Pakistan seeks vis-a-vis India. The group continues to enjoy significant influence and support of members of the Pakistani military, often acting as peace brokers, helping the Government negotiate with other militant groups in the region. Today, the Haqqanis operate as a semi-autonomous group from the Taliban. The groups legacy is one of launching large-scale, high-target attacks in Kabul and elsewhere, using suicide bombers, vehicles and large improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The attacks on the Serena Hotel in 2008, Intercontinental Hotel and US Embassy in 2011, have all been attributed to the work of the Haqqani Network. Jalaluddins insistence on publicising the attacks was to generate media exposure that casts doubt on the ability of Western powers to provide stability and security. Today, the group, which has been operating under the leadership of Jalaluddins son Sirajuddin for the past decade, has been able to maintain its role as one of the most significant political and military actor on the battlefield. The diversity of the Haqqanis business operations, its partnerships with transnational terrorist networks and its illicit fund raising techniques, have made the group network central to the Afghan conflict. Jalaluddin Haqqani is now declared dead but the infrastructure that he put in place over the past three decades is still intact and very much alive. (The writer is a Junior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi) The surge in attacks on kin of cops is a careful a ploy by terrorists to put pressure on the authorities. Such incidents underline the harsh realities Jammu & Kashmir has been facing since its accession to India Recent incidents in Jammu & Kashmir viz the killing of four policemen in Shopian district and the abduction of 11 family members of six policemen from some villages and towns of four districts of south Kashmir by terrorists have shocked the nation. Such instances of targeted attacks on policemens kin were rare before. Incidents like these are considered to be a ploy of terrorists to demoralise our security forces and prevent local residents from supporting the counter-terrorism campaign of the Army as well as the Jammu & Kashmir Police. Killings of police officers and their informers have taken place earlier too but present incidents are considered a tactic used by terrorists to put pressure on the authorities after our security forces conducted multiple raids and arrested many relatives of some terrorists in the area a few days earlier. Incidents like these were also witnessed in 2016, when a local militant, Burhan Wani, was killed.In an incident reported on August 29, militants fired indiscriminately upon a police party at Shopians Arhama. In the latest incident of August 30, terrorists barged into the homes of police personnel in Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam districts in south Kashmir and kidnapped their family members. Those kidnapped included brothers of a policeman posted in Srinagar and the son of another policeman who worked as a cook at the police training centre. In her appeal to the terrorists, the mother requested to show mercy to her son. A video uploaded on social media showing the family and relatives pleading for the childs release went viral. All of those who were kidnapped were freed later with a message from Hizbul Mujahideen leader Riyaz Naikoo that they resorted to the act in retaliation to the actions of the Army, Special Operations Group, and Jammu & Kashmir Police targeting homes of their members. Apparently, Naikoos father had been picked up by police after the killing of four local policemen in an ambush near Shopian as he was suspected of having provided shelter to the killers. The kidnapping incidents underline several hard realities the Kashmir Valley has been facing since its accession to India 70 years ago on October 26, 1947. The question now is: Why are innocent people being targeted? They are local inhabitants and a part of the local cultural milieu. But in the eyes of the terrorists, they are probably guilty of blasphemy because they are working under a system controlled and run by the kaffirs. The new Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, the first politician appointed to the gubernatorial post in five decades, expressed his willingness to reach out to the people to strike a better relationship and win peoples confidence. Discussions on development and grievances of the people with their representatives are his priorities. Immediately after taking over, as a first step, he cleared one of the crucial complaints of the MLAs by ordering disbursements from their Local Area Development scheme that remained suspended for long. Malik said, People of Kashmir have to feel they are not inferior in any manner. And while doing this, I want to bring in a system where there is no casteism, no favours and no sifarish (recommendation). I want to totally do away with sifarish. What I want to do is create a corridor of faith. He also decided to increase the number of safe residences for policemen and ordered that compensation for families of policemen killed in action to be at par with CRPF and the Army. This is not for the first time that somebody in authority has given such assurances or made such friendly gestures. Such assurances were given earlier too and action had been taken to the extent possible but it yielded no results. This change in the Valley has not come overnight. The process of radicalisation started in 1931 after a young Sheikh Abdullah came out of the Aligarh Muslim University. He came to the Valley and started his tirade against ruler Maharaja Hari Singh from a mosque. Secularists like Jawaharlal Nehru saw Sheikh Abdullahs revolt against the Maharaja as a war against feudalism. In fact, for Sheikh Abdullah and his followers, it was a fight by good Muslims against kaffirs. Today, there is no Maharaja and the State is ruled under a democratic system. But Islamic fundamentalism continues. The latest victims of so-called jihad are poor Muslims who have chosen to work for the Indian nation but are dubbed as agents of the kaffir. The immediate fallout of the accession of Jammu & Kashmir to India was the transfer of political power from Jammu to Kashmir. Since then, top ministerial posts, such as the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Finance Minister et al have been the privilege of Kashmiri Muslims. They are also major beneficiaries of jobs in Government and semi-Government offices. Delhi not only facilitated this transfer to appease the Muslim community but also granted the State a special status through Articles 370 and 35A. Article 370 drove the State away from the political and Constitutional organisation of India and empowered it to have a separate Constitution and a separate flag. It also empowered the State to exercise all powers, including the power of taxation. Article 35A barred all the non-permanent residents from exercising any citizenship right in the State and deprived the daughters of the State of their natural right to marry persons of their choice from other parts of the country. Jammu & Kashmir is also the most privileged State in the country in terms of financial benefits it gets from the Centre. It may be noted here that only one per cent of the countrys people live in the State but it got 10 per cent of all Central grants between 2001-2016. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh, which has 13 per cent of the countrys population, received only 8.2 per cent of Central grant during the same period. While the per capita Central assistance to the border State during this period was as high as Rs 91,300 per person, in Uttar Pradesh, it was a paltry Rs 4,300 per person. Also, during the same period, Jammu & Kashmir got Rs 1.14 lakh crore in grants, which is more than 25 per cent of the Central funds granted to 11 special category States. Unrest in the Valley has nothing to do with unemployment, development or regional aspirations. Many residents in the State occasionally raise Islamic State flags, shout slogans in favour of Pakistan or pelt stones at the Army personnel when they are busy chasing or eliminating the terrorists. Obviously, they are not seeking jobs and development their motivation is something else. They are fired by an Islamic zeal or Islamic theology which divides the world into believers and non-believers. And in their understanding of Islam, non-believers have no right to exist and believers have a divine duty either to turn kaffirs into believers or eliminate them. That is the reality of Kashmir. (The writer is a political commentator and a former BJP Rajya Sabha MP) PM says none in Mahagathbandhan ready to accept Cong leadership, coins Ajeya Bharat, Atal BJP Dismissing the Opposition Mahagathbandhan as a group without a charitra (character) and laden with confused niti (policy) and corrupt niyat (intention), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared his party sees no challenge from anywhere in 2019 and claimed that none in the Opposition alliance is ready to accept Congress leadership. Mahagathbandhan ke charitra ka pata nahin, niti ashpasht aur niyat bhrasht, he said. Delivering the closing address at the two-day National Executive Meeting of the BJP here at BR Ambedkar Bhawan, Modi said while the BJP sees power as an instrument of change, the Opposition has no objective and purpose and it has failed in the Government and also in the role of an Opposition. To recall the memory of late Vajpayee, Modi coined a slogan in the meet: Ajeya Bharat, Atal BJP. We do not see any challenge from anywhere, Modi affirmed and challenged Opposition to grill the BJP on its work and ideology and not on the basis of falsehood and misinterpretations. He said comparison should be between BJP-Governments achievements in 48 months versus 48 years of one family (Gandhi parivar). Hitting out at the Congress policies, the PM said the Congress sat on the nationalisation of banks, mining and coal to achieve its stated goal of garibi hatao and later reversed this policy in the name of economic reforms. Modi asked party workers to expose Congress disinformation on the basis of facts in their hands. Taking on the Opposition alliance in the run up to the next years Lok Sabha polls, Modi said the assorted parties cannot work and see eye to eye but have been forced to come together as people have accepted us, our programme and the party, and our popularity has increased. Making light of the Congress and other Opposition parties joining hands to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Modi said, Even smaller parties see Congress leadership as a burden. He said the non-acceptance of the current Congress leadership is there within the Congress party itself. We are sure to win the trust of people as trust deficit against the Opposition goes in our favour, the PM said. Modi asked BJP workers to strengthen polling booth management and improve social connectivity with people. Booth hamari choki hain, usi choki per hamara killa khara hai (polling booth is our main foundation on which our forte is standing), he said. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad gave details of the PMs speech after curtain came down on BJPs highest decision-making body meet. BJP president Amit Shah, who also addressed the meet, asked workers to connect with 22 crore families in the country and map the entire country to score big victory in the Lok Sabha elections. He said Modi has already toured 300 LS constituencies, and before 2019 poll he would be able to visit the rest of them. Panel suggests ways for relief to homebuyers in Noida, Gr Noida A high-level committee, set up by the Ministry of Urban and Housing Affairs to redress the issues of homebuyers and affected parties of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway, has recommended that the development authorities should come up with a policy for taking over the unused land/floor area ratio (FAR) of stuck projects where the builders are not taking enough steps to resolve the issue. While recommending to bring in other developers as substitutes to complete such unfinished projects, it suggested the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to relax its February 12 guidelines for the real estate and construction sector and allow banks to consider additional funding to complete the projects. The committee set up by the Uttar Pradesh Government under Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra has asked the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to conduct more survey of stalled projects of developers other than Amrapali Group and take up a few viable projects to complete them. The authorities shall provide their full support, the report said. It is estimated that 7-8 lakh flats had been planned to be built in Noida and Greater Noida. The construction of these flats started during 2007-15. About three lakh homebuyers are affected due to non-delivery of booked flats in these stalled projects despite making substantial part payment for the same. The RBIs circular of February 12, 2018 restricts additional funding in incomplete stalled housing projects by classifying the loans as NPAs. It is therefore recommended that RBI should review and issue specific guidelines for the real estate and construction sector to enable banks to fund these stalled or incomplete projects, the committee said. It is further recommended that there is no common solution to all stalled projects. Authorities may continue to explore project wise mitigation plans and implement the same within their jurisdiction areas. As an incentive to the homebuyers to encourage registration of properties, it is recommended that State of UP may formulate a policy to permit the affected homebuyers to get the title deed registered at the rate prevailing at the time of the committed date of completion of the project by the developer. Many projects are almost complete but cannot be handed over to the homebuyers because of same minor pending construction works. At this stage the investor or financer do not put in their money as there is no clarity on return of their invested money. Therefore in absence of last mile funding projects get stuck. This adversely affects the home buyers. The committee recommended that the last mile funding of projects may be permitted. For this the concept of Last-In First-Out (LIFO) model where the investor who puts in his money at the last stage to complete the stalled projects exits, first should be permitted. There is a need for a proper policy, which may give implementable solution in terms of completion of stalled projects under the jurisdiction of all three authorities i.e. Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway Authority. It is recommended that in order to resolve the long-pending issue of stalled projects and to help the homebuyers, the Project Settlement Policy (PSP) may be reintroduced by the UP Government with certain modifications including terms such as: For Zero Period Policy, in case project had been stalled for a stay order from any court/NGT order or Authority had delayed possession/lease deed execution or in case the land had not been acquired/resumed by the Authority at the time of handover or in case actual construction on the site could not be started by the allottee due to the absence of any approach road whatsoever to the plot, the affected period may be declared as a zero period by the Authority concerned. To secure the interest of homebuyers and to avoid multiple sale of any property, the agreement to sale deeds may be registered in the office of concerned sub registrar. The committee recommends that the registration fee of agreement to sale may be kept very low or nominal, in order to encourage stakeholders to get registration of agreement to sale. At least 20 Opposition parties have extended its support to the Congress-led Bharat Bandh call on Monday, but surprisingly the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to skip the call. Unfazed by the TMC stand, the Congress announced that in addition to political parties, it has also received support from a number of chambers of commerce and traders associations. Petrol and diesel prices set new records on Sunday. According to the price notification issued by State fuel retailers, petrol price was raised by 12 paise a litre and diesel by 10 paise per litre on Sunday. Holding the BJP Government responsible for the rise in petrol and diesel prices, the Congress alleged the Government kept on raising excise duty on fuel even as international crude oil prices have come down. The party demanded from the Centre that petrol and diesel should be brought under GST, by which oil prices could drop by about Rs 15 to Rs 18. Interestingly, the Samajwadi Party said it would call a demonstration protest across Uttar Pradesh to protest against the Centre over range of issues which include corruption, farmers and students issues and also the price hike. This way without accepting the leadership of the Congress, the SP has decided to back the call in its own way. On the other hand, obviously peeved at Congresss growing camaraderie with CPI(M), the TMC said it is against a strike and would take all measures to ensure that public services remained functional in West Bengal during the Bharat Bandh. The Congress and the NCP together had even approached NDA partner Shiv Sena to support the Bharat Bandh, but the NDA ally did not oblige. However, another regional outfit, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) decided to support the Opposition call for Bharat Bandh on Monday against rising fuel prices. We will actively participate in tomorrows bandh. We have appealed to shopkeepers to keep shops and establishments closed. We wont resort to violence, but we will ask people to support the bandh, the party said in a statement. MNS chief Raj Thackeray acknowledged that fuel prices are linked to international markets, but said Central and State taxes were adding to the common mans burden. The Congress on its part has appealed to party workers to make the bandh violence-free. We are Mahatma Gandhis party and we should not associate ourselves with any violence, Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken said at a media briefing. Between 2014 and now, excise duty on petrol has risen by 211.7 per cent and 433 per cent on diesel. The excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.2 per litre in 2014 and it has gone up to Rs 19.48 per litre. Similarly, the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.46 per litre and today it stands at Rs 15.33 per litre, Maken said. Hitting out at the BJP for attacking the Congress with make in India, breaking India barb, Maken alleged the Government has stalled the Make in India initiative as 109 Rafale jets could have been manufactured at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a PSU. He also said the Government has not yielded to the Oppositions demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal. The opposition parties led by Congress have geared up for the Bharat Bandh on Monday in protest against rising prices of petroleum products, though the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are yet to announce their support to the bandh. All the Left parties, Nationalist Congress Party and other organisations have announced their support to the Bharat Bandh called by the Congress on Monday. UP Congress president Raj Babbar told reporters here on Sunday said that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were not ready to hear the problems of the people. He said while the crude oil prices were decreasing in the international market, fuel prises were rising in India. Babbar said the price of petrol in Mumbai had crossed the Rs 85-per litre-mark while in UP it was above Rs 80 per litre. The BJP, which is holding its national executive in New Delhi, is not concerned about this issue as hike in petroleum products did not come up in the meeting, he said. Babbar announced that the Congress would observe the bandh in Gandhian way across the state. We will stage demonstrations and dharnas but these will be non-violent and in Gandhian way, he said. The UP Congress president did not forget to target the National Democratic Alliance government over the Rafale aircraft deal. The NDA is making all efforts to cover up the scam by telling lies to the people but now the wrongdoing of the Narendra Modi government are coming to the fore, he said. He also said that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should step down as he had failed to check corruption and crime. A mahant is not doing justice to his saffron dress. People had high hopes from him but he has failed them. Corruption is rampant in all departments. Recruitment of teachers has been marred by scam... Scams have rocked UP one after another, the UP Congress president said. Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, VP Singh Badnore on Sunday said that the doctors can be given some incentive to serve in the rural areas or we can have people trained only for serving in rural areas. The Governor was speaking as a chief guest at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32 here which observed its 27th annual day. The Administrator said, doctors are mitigating the suffering of people and we must acknowledge as a nation the great work this community is doing. However, a lot needs to be done as we are facing severe shortage of doctors in rural and semi urban areas. This problem is more acute in rural areas where most of the population of our country lives, he said. The Governor also expressed his concern over lifestyle diseases like hypertension, coronary artery disease, lipid disorders etc. which are on the rise and stressed on adopting a healthy lifestyle by eating right type of food, regular exercise and to imbibe the practice of doing yoga. I am happy to note that GMCH is in the forefront of providing tertiary level care not only to the residents of Chandigarh but also to the population of surrounding states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir. I wish similar health care facilities can be established in the surrounding states as well, he added. Dr BS Chavan, Director Principal, GMCH, while addressing invitees said it was on this day in 1991, when the first batch of 50 MBBS students was admitted to this prestigious college. Since then, September 9 is celebrated as the annual day of Government medical college and hospital. As far as training of medical professionals is concerned, this year we are ranked amongst the top 10 medical colleges of the country. Our first 4 MBBS students this year are from top 100 All India NEET rank. Our MD/MS seats have been increased from 119 to 125 and these seats will be increased to 140 and MCI has already conducted inspection for these additional seats for 2019, he informed. Dr Chavan further said, This will improve patient care as junior residents are the backbone of any health care establishment. From this year, we have started MD in Radiation Oncology. This will improve care of cancer patients. He added last year, around 6.76 lakh patients took treatment from OPD at GMCG, 1.36 lakh came to emergency and trauma services, 17000 major surgeries and 39000 minor surgeries were conducted. Senior Congress leader and communications in-charge of Indian National Congress, Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday said that the poor would not pardon the BJP led Union Government as it was being run like a profiteering company rather than being an elected government. Common man is being fleeced to fill up the coffers of the government, alleged Surjewala while addressing 'Badlaav Rally' at Samalkha in district Panipat. Referring to hike in petrol prices, Surjewala, an MLA from Kaithal said that Rs 11 lakh crore fuel loot has punctured a hole in the budget of common man. On May 16, 2014, when the Congress party demitted power, the international crude oil prices were as high as 108 US dollar per barrel in comparison to 68 US dollar, the present international prices of crude oil but the petro prices have increased. Comparing May 2014 to present rates, Surjewala said that the petrol has risen from Rs 71 to Rs 81.74 per litre and diesel has gone up to Rs 74.17 from Rs 55.49 per litre. There is an increase of over Rs 18.70 per litre and Rs 10.74 in price of diesel and petrol in last four and a half years, he added. Excise duty on petrol and diesel has been increased by 211% and 443% since May 2014. Similarly, Haryana Government has increased VAT on petrol and diesel from 21.5 to 26.25 percent and 9.24 to 17.22 percent respectively, the Congress leader said. Describing the BJP governments at state and the Centre as the most anti farmer governments, Surjewala said that they are most anti farmer governments in the history of free India, which charged GST on farming products. He accused the BJP of betraying farmers, youth and poor sections by not honouring its pre-poll promises of providing 50 per cent profit on their farm production costs for their produces, 2 crore jobs to youth, bringing back '80 lakh crore rupees black money' and putting Rs 15 lakh in each bank account. Stressing for farmers loan waiver, Surjewala asked the logic for writing off huge amount of loans for a few select industrialists, but not being bothered about the crores of distressed farmers. The BJP government imposed huge taxes on farmers, thereby increasing farm costs. Fertilisers, pesticides and farm implements earlier attracted zero per cent tax in most states but under the GST, the BJP government imposed huge taxes, he added. On the occasion, Surjewala also announced that if people elected Congress Government in Haryana, the government would set up sugar mill, IMT and provide fast connectivity to Samalkha region. He also announced to give 24 hours power supply to industries so that industry could flourish in the region and pave way for employability to local youths. The 10th International Eco Course and Workshop was organized here on Sunday at Hotel Courtyard Marriott, Bhopal. Dr Navin C Nanda, known as the father of echo from Birmingham, USA presided over the programme. In this daylong workshop, physicians from different cities of the country shared their experiences through scientific sessions, panel discussions and live demonstration. Dr Anita Saxena, specialist and professor of Pediatric cardiology AIIMS, Dr SC Govind from Bangalore and Dr Vinayak Agrawal from Gurugram also marked their presence. Rishi Kumar Shukla Police Director General Madhya Pradesh was also present as a special guest in the programme. Principal Faculty of the programme Dr Naveen C Nanda said that the latest advancements are being made in the treatment of heart diseases over time. He said that in the last decade, we have moved so well in this direction that the modern techniques of treatment of various heart diseases have equipped us so well to treat the patients in various ways which was beyond our imagination. Now we are working on making them even better. While having a talk about foetal Eco, Dr Anita Saxena, the Pediatric Cardiologist and Professor of AIIMS, Delhi said that through this modern technique, different asymmetries related to heart diseases can be identified before birth in children and their treatment can also be done. DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla said that the work of doctors and police, in reality, share one key factor, believing in the jurisdiction of both of them is very important. He said that this belief is surely like a challenge for our services but it also keeps pushing us to strive harder every day. Organising Committee Chairman Dr PC Manoria said that the workshop was organised in collaboration with the International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound, and was focused on delivering the latest information about echocardiography or echocardiogram which is both important and necessary in investigation of cardiovascular diseases, and what differentiates this conference from others is that here we took help of 50 Live demonstrations of different patients to explain the techniques. Around 56 per cent of the cornea donated every year across the country is not used for transplantation in some other person. With national average of this utilisation to be just 44 per cent, the rest is considered unfit for use, suggest national eye banks. Dr Jeewan S Titiyal, Chairman, National Eye Bank (NEB), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said, "Cornea is a tissue. If we take100 tissues, only 40-45 are considered good to be transplanted in a person waiting for surgery. The national average is 44 per cent. The rest is not considered suitable for the transplantation." Similarly, Dr AK Grover Director, Rotary Delhi Central Eye Bank, Sir Gangaram Hospital said, "In our hospital, we are generally able to use only 50 per cent of the total cornea retrieved because half of the cornea we get is not suitable for use." This year the bank has received only 50 corneal tissues so far, Dr Grover said. According to the doctors, the eye banks across the county get the tissues that fail to be considered good optical quality tissues. "In most of the cases of voluntary donations, the age of the donor is above 60 years. There the utility is less. The utilisation of these tissues is just 40 per cent," said Dr Titiyal. "Tissues which are transplanted in another person have to be clear and viable which is not possible in most of the cases."If the donor suffered from cancer, HIV, diabetes, viral infections or other such diseases before death or there is some problem in the structure of the tissue, then the tissue cannot be used for transplantation," said Dr Grover. The shelf life of a corneal tissue is just 7 to 8 days and that too after it is kept in a preservative medium and as the days pass, the quality further deteriorates, they said. When asked about the tissues that are not used for the transplantation, Dr Titiyal said, "We use these non-suitable tissues for training purposes. We have to train people. How would somebody learn surgery?" According to Dr Grover, "We have a research team that conducts studies on these non suitable corneal tissues. Also in cases where the donor suffered from any disease, these are the eyes used for experimentation and research." Interestingly, according to the data released by NEB, around 70 per cent of the cornea retrieved by Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Opthalimic Sciences (RP Centre), AIIMS is used for transplantation. As per the data, in 2017, NEB made the record corneal tissue collection of 1844 out of which, 1285 tissues were transplanted. The NEB since its inception has received 26000 corneal tissues and has transplanted more than 17000 tissues. "At RP Centre, we do not transplant the tissues to just cure the blindness but sometimes there are cases where there is some infection in the eye, in such cases, we do not want a good quality tissue. There, we just have to save the eye, so these tissues are used there," said the doctor. This is how around 70 per cent of the retrieved cornea is utilised, added Dr Titiyal. Shockingly, in India, around 2 lakh patients are waiting for corneal transplants and every year 40,000 more patients get added to the waiting list, said the doctor. The country is way behind the actual requirement of surgeries per year, he added. "The country needs around 1 lakh surgeries per year, however, only 26000 surgeries were performed last year. In RP Centre alone, we have 560 patients waiting for the corneal transplants," said Dr Titiyal. Doctor Titiyal also informed that India at present has only 300-400 transplant surgeons however there is a requirement of at least 1000 surgeons to perform 1 lakh surgeries every year. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Even as the Teachers Day was celebrated last week, it should be known that a good teacher is a better student as he/she learns as much as his/ her students. He/ she is blessed to learn valuable lessons from his students on daily basis. Teachers were never a sole repository of knowledge, neither are they now. It is because learning is a continuous process till death and mistakes are but a natural part of learning. A teacher merely plays a role of an augmenter to inspire hope, ignite imagination and love for learning. Greek philosopher Socrates is widely regarded as one of the great teachers of all time. He was very much keen to reject his own knowledge and his own methods of teaching. His method of teaching never treats the students as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge. He does not believe that any one person or any one school of thought is authoritative or has the wisdom to teach. Instead, both the teacher and students embark on a voyage of discovery by the process of teaching and learning. It helps in engaging students as well as empowers the contributors to openly exchange dialogue to contribute to teaching -learning process. According to him, a teacher is not merely to teach the facts, formulae and theorems but he educates to stretch the imagination of students to the limits of their intellectual capacity. A teacher facilitates the students to an intelligent grasp of the structure of the subject by adopting dialectical method to critical inquiry into the credibility of widely apprehended doctrine. Teachers guide students on intelligent application of formulae, definitions and facts; rather than committing them to memory. It helps in creative thinking and intensive thinking which is not only important to gain knowledge of facts but knowledge of values. A teacher does not merely teach but he educates. Education is not preparation of life, it is life itself. The goals of education are to know what one can. More importantly, education lets us know what we do not know, how to think, how best to live and make others life better. Since time immemorial, the profession of teaching has been considered as one of the noblest and respectable professions. Teaching with absolute involvement, sincerity and devotion generates passion. Good teachers work tirelessly to create a nurturing environment not only to teach knowledge, skills and abilities to be successful in career, but to become good human beings and good citizens of the country. Teachers are supposed to be the best mind of the nation and the planet as they are the educators who own major responsibility of building capacity, competency, nation and character. The teaching profession requires compassionate people who have the conviction to nurture young minds and mould them into something bottomless. Educators have always played the role of reagents in upholding the societal moral values and bringing necessary social changes. Teaching ought to be a profession with passion to build society, State and country by imparting value education for sustainable human development and social changes. (The writer is an MBA teacher at the Utkal University) While stating that the State Congress would go all-out to make the September 10 Bharat Bandh-called by his party against the skyrocketing fuel prices-a huge success in Uttarakhand, the State Congress chief Pritam Singh said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi owes an answer to the people about why the prices of diesel, petrol and cooking gas are soaring so high. The people are suffering as the high fuel prices have a cascading effect on the prices of the essential commodities, he said while addressing the media persons here on Saturday. Launching a scathing attack on the NDA Government, the Congress leader said that while the prices of petrol and diesel are on upswing in India, Pakistan has reduced their prices recently. He reminded that the BJP slogans coined for the 2014 general election were focused on price rise, particularly the surging fuel prices. Narendra Modi dished out a promise to bring down prices in no time if elected to power. Now over the last four years, the price of LPG cylinder has jumped from Rs 400 to Rs 900. Similarly, while the UPA Government provided subsided sugar at Rs 13.60 to the poor the Modi Government scrapped the subsidy which has resulted in the surging price of sugar, he said. Giving a comparative account of the prices of petrol and diesel with figures, Singh said that the UPA regime had kept the fuel price under rigorous control despite the high rate of the crude oil. Now, the fuel price is soaring high without the Centre trying in the least to control despite the stability prevailing in the crude oil prices, he said. Elaborating further, Pritam Singh said that the excise duty on petrol in 2014 was Rs 9.02 per liter. But now it is Rs 19.48. Similarly, the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.46 per liter which has been hiked to Rs 15.33 per liter, the State Congress chief said. He further said that with various organisations having pledged support for the Bharat Bandh on September 10, it is going to be a resounding success. The people will make it a success as they are grappling with the price rise, he said and added that medical and other emergency services would be exempted from the purview of the shutdown. BHEL Siksha Mandal here on Friday celebrated the Teachers Day at BHEL Cultural Hall, Piplani with great zeal and fervour. On this occasion DK Thakur Executive Director BHEL Bhopal, Pratibha Thakur President BHEL Ladies Club, M Halder General Manager Feeders were present. SB Singh AGM (TAD) & President BSM, TU Singh Sr DGM STM & Secretary BSM and other senior officials were also present in the programme. A cultural programme by the students of Vikram School, Jawaharlal Nehru School and Kasturba College of Nursing was staged on the occasion. During the programme the retired teachers of the school were felicitated. At the same time Excellent Teacher trophy was also given to the best teacher. Ruby Kundu Principal Vikram Higher Secondary School proposed the vote of thanks. Meanwhile, BHEL Ladies Educational Welfare Wing under the aegis of BHEL Ladies Club celebrated Teachers Day on Friday at wing premises with great zeal and fervour. On this occasion Pratibha Thakur President BHEL Ladies Club was present as the Chief Guest. Shashi Singh Vice-President (BLEW), Navita Nigam Vice-President, Rita Dhar Secretary, Sutapa Bhowmick Treasurer and all vice-president of various centres run by the club were also present. Thakur in her address, greeting the gathering present on the occasion of Teachers Day said that the teacher is the profound pillar behind the success of any student. Apart from giving education to the student the teacher also imbibes the cultural values in the student. On the occasion teachers from the schools of the township were felicitated. Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party would have a tough time to win if a grand alliance was formed by the opposition. Rajbhar, an ally of the BJP who has been sulking ever since he joined the Yogi Adityanath government as a Cabinet minister in March 2017, said: This is a harsh reality that if the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress join hands, the BJP will have a tough time. However, he did not clarify whether he meant the grand alliance for the Lok Sabha polls due in 2019 or the state Assembly election. The UP Assembly polls were held in 2017. The SBSP chief said that he had not gained anything from the BJP as despite requesting several times for a house for his party office, he had not been allotted one. Rajbhar had made headlines earlier as well for criticising the BJP. Last month, in a veiled attack on the state government, he had said that renaming Mughalsarai railway station as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction would not help spur development or ensure that trains run as per schedule. Rajbhar had also criticised the BJP for not inviting him or his party in the series of meetings of various caste and social groups from the OBCs organised by the BJP in Lucknow. Such meetings will be held this month also. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as well as Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya have attended some of these meetings. We are informing the representatives of the backward classes about the partys policies. We are telling them how the OBC Commission has been given constitutional status by the Narendra Modi government, that for the creamy layer the income limit has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh and how we have eased the process to get the OBC certificate, said BJP MP Rajesh Verma, who is also state president of BJP OBC Morcha Asked about the participation of the alliance partners such as Apna Dal (Sonelal) which represents Patels and Kurmis, and SBSP which represents Rajbhars, Verma said the BJP had invited them to these sammelans. While representatives of Apna Dal attended some of these meetings, the SBSP skipped all of them, sources said. Denying claims that he was invited to these sammelans, Rajbhar said, I was not invited. Forget about invitation, in the past one year has anyone seen a joint poster of SBSP and BJP leaders here? Has a joint meeting ever been convened? Rajbhar denied rumours that he would join any other front. Criticising the BJPs sammelans, Rajbhar said, What purpose will these sammelans serve? There are at least one to two lakh voters from each community in each Lok Sabha constituency. Calling 10 of them to Lucknow will not do any good. I personally feel that quota within quota is the only solution. Chhattisgarh has bagged the first prize for the works undertaken under Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission as announced by central government. The award would be given away on September 11 in a function scheduled at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had started the Mission to provide town like all basic amenities by retaining the village in its original form. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 21, 2016 has launched the Mission from Kurubhat, under Dongargarh block, Rajnandgaon. Chhattisgarh was felicitated by Centre as best performing state nine months before on December 8, 2017 at Bhubaneswar (Odisha). Chief Minister Raman Singh has extended greetings to the Rurban Mission related cluster village panchayat, villagers and Panch-Sarpanch for the achievement. It is a proud moment for the State. Panchayat and rural development department officials stated that in state 16 districts of Rajnandgaon, Dhamtari, Bastar, Kabirdham, Mahasamund, Janjgir-Champa, Koriya, Korba, Kanker, Sarguja, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Kondagaon, Jashpur, Raipur and Balrampur-Ramanujganj. The officials said that under the Mission in all the 172 village Panchayats under 18 clusters under Swachh Bharat Mission has been declared open defecation free. The work of solid waste management has been started in 51 village panchayats of 116 village Panchayats in 10 clusters. In 10 clusters public transport facilities along with public service centres have been opened. Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industries has decided to support the call made by Congress party for bandh (shut down) on September 10, said CCCI spokesperson duo Vinay Kumar Bajaj and Radhakishan Sundrani. They said that Chamber had received a letter from Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee in which it has stated that All India Congress Committee to protest against the rising prices of petroleum products had called a Bandh on September 10. A meeting was called in which the office bearers and members agreed to support it. The meeting had Chamber chairman Ramesh Gandhi, working president Arvind Jain, Lalit Jaisingh, General Secretary Lalchand Gulwani, treasurer Prakash Agrawal, retailers association, Chhattisgarh Sarafa Association, Chhattisgarh Glass Association, Merchant Association, Raipur Scooter Parts Dealers Association among other frontal organisation office bearers were also present. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhupesh Baghel and Leader of Opposition T. S. Singhdeo had made an appeal to the public that in support to the petrol-diesel, cooking gas along with increasing prices of food materials, they should come in support for the bandh call. He also made appeal to all the business community to keep their shutters down on September 10. The leaders said that silence of the public is being considered by the government as its support. They said that taxation on petroleum products in 52 months the government has collected Rs 11 lakh crore as profit, the government should have considered public welfare instead of profiteering. Congress has received support from all the business organisations, transport organisations, traders among others for the nationwide shut down Bharat Bandh scheduled on September 10, said PL Punia. He said shut down would be from 9 am to 3 pm. Major opposition and left parties have also backing the decision, as it concerns the common man. Addressing a Press conference at State Congress office Rajiv Bhawan on Sunday, Chhattisgarh in-charge of All India Congress Committee (AICC), PL Punia said the party has got all round support to the Bandh call. Here in Chhattisgarh too, Chhattisgarh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (CCCI), Transport Association, and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) have extended full support for shut down, he informed. As far as support from other Opposition parties are concerned, most of them have expressed support. Left parties have already said that as it was a peoples issue and that they are already agitating about them. We will be supporting the Bandh, they have said, stated Punia. Citing the steep petrol and diesel prices as well as cooking gas, he said the common man is reeling under pressure created by Government. AICC incharge of Chhattisgarh further made an appeal to citizens, activists, NGOs and every section of the society to join the Bandh call and make it a peoples movement. He alleged that the Modi government had collected ?11 lakh crore in taxes such as excise duty since May 2014 after hiking it 12 times. They continue to do so and they had also not brought the petroleum and petroleum products under GST. Even though the crude oil prices had gone down from 106$ to 70$ per barrel, the union government has now reduced the prices of petroleum products. The fuel prices in neighbouring countries are much cheaper than here in the country, he said. The Congress has called for Bharat Bandh on Monday, in order to highlight Rs 11 lakh crore income by the Government and to demand an immediate reduction in central excise duty as also excessive VAT, he said. Punia added the AICC president Rahul Gandhi since last year had been demanding to bring petrol and diesel under the ambit of the goods and services tax (GST) in order to slash down the prices but the NDA led union government was not giving any ear to it. The mismanagement of economy has led to high prices. When fuel prices were rising during the UPA regime, taxes were reduced to take the burden off the people. But due to the laxity by the current government, the prices of petrol, diesel and gas cylinders have gone up steeply, he said. State BJP today reacted strongly on the statement of JPCC president Ajoy Kumar who has said that the Congress will do Patthalgadi at NH 33. State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said that Kumar has no knowledge of the culture of the State, especially about Patthalgadi, which is done for bordering or marking someones death. He said that the statement of Ajoy Kumar was against the culture and rituals of the State and is an insult to the tribal residents. He also said that Congress has a history of supporting those who want disintegration of the nation giving examples of separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and LTTE. He wanted to know why Congress is always behind anti-nation think tank. He said that no one can question the unity and integrity of the country in the name of freedom of expression. If Dr Ajoy Kumar posts his message on Facebook then law will take its own course and the people of the State, who are watching everything will take due action in 2019 elections, he added. Aishbagh police have nabbed an accused who had fled from district court on September 6 after he was sentenced 25 years of imprisonment. The accused Mehboob Ali was an accused in a sexual assault case and was released on bail. However, on the final hearing on Saturday, as soon as he was sentenced in the rape case, he fled away from the court. The Aisbagh police registered a case under section 366, 294, 506, 376,376 D and 34 of the IPC and after the accused went absconding MP Nagar police registered a case under section 224 of the IPC. The accused is a habitual criminal and has served three years of jail for burglary. SHO MP Nagar Upendra Singh Bhati said that the accused was released on bail after from High Court and used to appear at the time of hearing for the past one year. On the day of absconding when the quantum of sentence was delivered accused escaped the court before he could be taken into custody to send under judicial custody. In the final hearing accused was pronounced guilty and sentence serving jail for sexual assault. Interestingly accused was released on bail in earlier case of rape in which he was charged by sexual assault by a girl he was in relationship with and during the bail he was accused of sexual assault and went absconding after he sentenced to be serve jail for five and twenty years, he added. After the accused was arrested police recovered sharp edged weapons from his possession and a case under sections 25 and 27 of the IPC was registered against the accused. Crime branch of Bhopal police nabbed eight members of a gang involved in stealing scooters and recovered 80 scooters worth Rs 40 lakh from their possession, said DIG Bhopal Dharmendra Choudhary while speaking with the media persons on Saturday. Choudhary further said that the crime branch team found three scooters at Royal Market area which were without registration number and after spotting the police team the three tried to escape the spot but were chased and nabbed. The three were asked regarding the documents of the vehicles which they failed to provided and tried to mislead and later confessed that the vehicles were stolen and were trying to sell the scooters. Nabbed miscreants were identified as Sunil Dholpuriya(30), Rashid Khan(32) and Aslam Khan(30) of Shahjehanabad. Further in the investigation, accused made revelations that gang of vehicle lifters is working for the past 3 years along with 5 more members of the gang. They would steal a scooter and using fake registration number and card would sell the scooters in remote areas. The gang targeted only Honda Activa and Suzuki Acess scooters as they were easy to steal. Based on the information Surendra Ahirwar (29), Sameer alias Waseem (38), Monty alias Sandesh Shikarware(28), Abdul Samad (29) and Gulbez Khan(26). During the investigation a total of 60 scooters were recovered from the gang worth Rs 40 lakh. The master mind of the gang is Rashid Khan who is involved in stealing scooter from the year 2015. He provided demo of breaking lock of Honda Activa which according to him is easier to steal due to easily breaking of its lock. He trained Sunil and Aslam who ganged to steal scooters across the state capital. For fake registration card they roped in Sameer who was nabbed by crime branch for producing fake currency notes and Monty who works as RTO agent. Monty used to provide photographs of registration card and Sameer would produce duplicate cards after which they would sell the scooter and in case if they fail to sell they would borrow money by keeping the scooter as security but never paid the borrowed money which was an easier option. Surendra Ahirwar who works for Aluminum fabrication used to clear the engine number. Advertisement By The Associated Press Sep. 08, 2018 | LOUISVILLE By The Associated Press Sep. 08, 2018 | 04:44 PM | LOUISVILLE The Republican Party of Kentucky has disavowed a GOP candidate for the state legislature who is being criticized for racially charged comments he's made in the past. Everett Corley narrowly won the Republican nomination for the 43rd District House seat in Louisville. Two years ago, he sued to stop the removal of a Confederate soldier statue near the University of Louisville. The Kentucky Democratic Party this week accused Corley of being a white nationalist and pointed out that he called a U of L professor a "dirty black bastard" during the fight over the Confederate statue. The city removed the statue, and Corley apologized for the comment. In a release Friday, the GOP called Corley a "perennial candidate with a history of offensive statements and behavior." The state GOP said it would not support his candidacy now or in the future. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell also criticized the candidate on Friday, telling the Courier Journal that Corley has "backwards views" and his "rhetoric must be given no corner in the Republican Party or anywhere in America." The Delhi Government has directed liquor vends to deploy adequate number of guards to curb drinking in the open near the outlets. The excise department has issued written instructions and asked those running liquor vends that if any person is found consuming liquor around the vend, they should immediately contact local police station. The department has also directed these establishments to install CCTV cameras that can capture footage within 50 metres. The directions were issued by Assistant Commissioner (Excise) JP Singh after a review. According to the department's directions, liquor vends will exhibit prominently that consumption of liquor in a public place is punishable with fine and/or imprisonment as provided under Rule 65 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010. "If any person is found consuming liquor around the vicinity of vend then they should immediately contact the concerned police station or inform to Control Room of Excise Department. "Wherever required, adequate number of guards must be deployed at the vend," Singh said in its direction. "Proper lighting arrangement should be maintained in and around the vend," Singh also said. In November 2016, the Delhi government launched a drive against open drinking. While announcing a similar drive last month, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said consumption of alcohol in the open, particularly near liquor vends and in vehicles, is not merely a safety hazard but a major problem for women safety in the national Capital. Chhattisgarh Government will get an App developed for further bringing down Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the State, officials informed. Preventive ante-natal, neo-natal and post-natal health care which is automated and mobile driven can have tremendous impact in bringing down MMR and IMR in Chhattisgarh. Also, it can result in better health outcomes for women and children as more targeted and customised initiatives can be directed, they informed. The mother and child care system in Chhattisgarh needs to be enhanced leveraging mobile based application. Presently, there are no systems used by the Government to ensure automated, preventive ante-natal, neo-natal and post-natal care making use of continuous measuring of vital statistics of pregnant and lactating mothers, officials informed. India as a whole and Chhattisgarh in specific has made phenomenal progress in mother and child care. A plethora of schemes are dedicated towards mother and child care like Maternity Benefit Scheme, ICDS and Indradhanush program for immunisation. These schemes are administered through a huge network of dedicated community health workers called Anganwadis. Chhattisgarh has an additional provision of community healthcare through its Mitanin program to address first level of health care needs at the village or hamlet level. The recent ICDS-Common Application Software has been a brilliant step ahead enabling a real time monitoring system of ICDS for improving the service delivery and ensuring better supervision of the scheme. This is a mobile based solution which leverages the network of Anganwadis has 7 modules viz. Household Management, Daily feeding, Home visit scheduler, Child growth monitoring, Take home ration, Due list of vaccinations and mobilisations and Anganwadi workers management. These modules have special focus on nutrition and immunisation and the success of it lies on the efficiency of Anganwadis. The solution may be a kit/ mobile based solution which can auto-monitor vital statistics of pregnant women to identify and segregate high-risk/ low-risk and mid-risk pregnancies and facilitate preventive healthcare. Accordingly, there may be notifications sent to nearest Anganwadi workers, Diagnostic centres and Medical practitioners. Also, preventive measures might be taken which include customised medication, immunisation etc. The solution would be easy to operate so that rural women may operate it with minimal intervention from Anganwadis. All the symptoms, vital statistics, remedies taken would be trackable in a single platform as well. Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Saturday gave his assent to seven bills passed by the state legislature during the brief monsoon session which concluded last month. The bills which got the assent of the Governor include UP State Industrial Development Corporation (Asset and Liabilities) Bill, 2018; UP Repeal Bill, 2018; UP Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2018; UP Loktantra Senani Samman Bill, 2018; UP Molasses Control (Amendment) Bill, 2018; UP Plastic and Other Bio Degradable (Regulation of Use and Disposal) (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The aim and objective of the UP State Industrial Development Corporation (Asset and Liabilities) Act, 2018 states that the asset and liabilities are being transferred to UP State Industrial Development Authority. The authority was set up by the Yogi Adityanath government as per the provisions of the UP State Industrial Area Development Act, 1976. Under the UP Repeal Act, 2018, as many as 96 Acts passed by the UP Assembly since 1976 have been repealed as they had become redundant and archaic. The UP Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Act, 2018 provides for regularising the services of teachers of the government-aided degree colleges. UP Plastic and Other Bio Degradable (Regulation of Use and Disposal) (Amendment) Act, 2018, provides for banning the use of products made of plastic and thermocol. It provides for banning the use, manufacture, sale, distribution, storage, transportation, import and export of plastic and also provides for punitive fine and jail terms for violation. Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) on Sunday held a march from the district school to the Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi to press for their seven-point demands including identification and extradition of Bangladeshi intruders, ban on religious conversion and National Register for Citizens (NRC) in the State. The other demands of the organisation include end to religious conversion, ban on Popular Front of India, stopping of Love Jehad and prevention of cow smuggling from the State. State president of the body Rishi Shahdeo said the extent of infiltration by the Bangladeshi has come to light through newspapers report in the recent days. He alleged that infiltrators have made their base in districts like Sahebganj, Godda, Pakur and Jamtara for carrying out smuggling of illegal currency and bovine animals on the direction of banned organisation Jamaat ul Mujahidin. Shahdeo claimed that the involvement of intruders in terrorists activities in different states is a reflection of their sole intention to divide India. He said that the group was also promoting population Jehad in the country while saying that its members were interested in increasing their population by all means. He alleged that Bangladeshi intruders were continuously involved in paving the way for infiltration of the Rohingya muslims and giving effect to incidents like Love Jehad. Town president of the organisation Sujit Singh said the infiltrators are purchasing land in the state to get established in state and then indulge in anti national activities. General Secretary Rakesh Karn added the laws related to cow protection and religious conversion that were passed by the government has prevented the anti-national activities of the infiltrators to certain extent. He however said the unabated religious conversion and cattle smuggling taking place in different parts of the state including Ranchi must stop. first parkash purab: Capt greets people Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of the first parkash purab of Guru Granth Sahib, the installation of Guru Granth Sahib in Sri Harmandir Sahib in 1604, with a call to imbibe the values ingrained in the holy text. Underlining the importance of disseminating message and philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib in every nook and corner of the world, Capt Amarinder said that Guru Granth Sahib not only enlightens humanity on every aspect of life but also imbibe the spirit of oneness of God, harmony, love, peace and compassion amongst one and all. He called upon the people to seek inspiration from the living guru and the healing virtues it contains, particularly in todays world which is full of sufferings and problems. Punjab distributes 34L free saplings Chandigarh: Punjab Government has initiated Ghar Ghar Hariyali campaign to ensure a clean and green environment for posterity and under the same, 34 lakh saplings of different types have been distributed free to the people of the State. The state Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on Sunday said that as per i-Hariyali app, 3.40 lakh orders have been booked, while 14 lakh saplings have been disbursed free of cost during the course of three months through the app. The Minister said that i-Hariyali mobile app, which was inituially for android-based phones, has also been started for Apple mobile phone. Six people killed, one injured Chandigarh: Six people were killed when their car hit a road divider, then a tree and finally crashed into a truck on Jaipur-Delhi national highway in Rewari district of Haryana on Sunday morning. The accident occurred when the driver of the car lost control over the vehicle, police said. A woman was admitted to PGIMS, Rohtak, in a grievously injured condition. The deceased included two women and a child. They were traveling from Jaipur to Delhi when the incident took place, police said. PGIMER organises symposium Chandigarh: With the aim to sensitize the medical community on causes, prevalence and prevention of low back pain (LBP), PGIMER Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care organized a symposium on Recent Advances in LBP at Nehru Hospital. The symposium was inaugurated by Prof. Jagat Ram, Director PGIMER. Prof Babita Ghai, consultant pain clinic PGIMER emphasized on the importance of discussing LBP in current scenerio as LBP is the most leading cause of disability worldwide including India. She briefed the delegates about pain management services at PGIMER. The pain clinic at present caters to a volume of 4000 patients annually with 80-85% of these patients being LBP patients. It was a multidisciplinary symposium and was attended by around 50 delegates. The highlight of the scientific program was self management and patient education about postures, exercises, and stressed on importance of being physically active. World physiotherapy day celebrated Chandigarh: World physiotherapy day was celebrated in the advanced eye center by the PGIMER physiotherapists. An awareness program was held on ' Role of Physiotherapy in Intensive care unit and role of exercises in diabetes, by the speakers Dr Lokesh and Dr Sandeep Kaur. Dr Shyam, HOD cardiovascular surgery also gave a motivational speech to the participants. Aditya Birla opens its branch in Hissar Hissar: Aditya Birla Sun Life MF has expanded its services with opening its full-service branch in Hissar. The branch will play a key role in deepening mutual fund penetration in Haryana. Company is also launching branches in Karnal and Rohtak in Haryana. There has been a steady rise in retail interest for MF from Haryana. We are certain that our presence in Rohtak will help us tap the potential of this market, said A Balasubramanian, CEO of the company. Migrant labour dies Shimla: A migrant labourer from UP's Saharanpur died after falling into a gorge in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, police said. The deceased, Meharban, was working in a road construction project, they added. The victim sustained severe head injuries from the fall, following which he was taken to the JNU Medical College. Preliminary investigation did not indicate any foul play behind the incident, police said, adding that inquest proceedings under section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was initiated in this regard. International Grandparents Day celebrated Chandigarh: While grandparents pamper their grandchildren throughout the year, Elante Mall took the International Grandparents Day as an opportunity to pamper grandparents by setting aside A Grand Date for them in a heart-warming gesture. In a one-of-its-kind celebrations on Grandparents Day on Sunday, Elante Mall went all out to make grandparents feel special by holding a special cake-cutting ceremony for them and their grandchildren, which was followed by fun games at Smaash and a lavish lunch. Elante Mall Executive Director Mr Anil Malhotra said, This is a small gesture intended to underline the importance of grandparents in a family. The idea behind holding this event is to give grandparents and grandkids an opportunity to bond and spend quality time together. 85 clerks appointed Chandigarh: On the recommendation of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, Haryana School Education Department has appointed 85 clerks of economic backward person in general category (EBPGC) and issued their posting orders, which is available on its website http://www.schooleducationharyana.gov.in/. A spokesman said that the candidate would have to qualify the State Eligibility Test in Computer Appreciation and applications (SETC) within the probation period of two years, extendable by one year in case of direct recruitment. The candidate appointed against the aforesaid categories of posts in the group 'C' would not be entitled to earn any increment in his pay scale till he or she qualifies the said test. The appointees should report for duty to their respective offices within 15 days with relevant documents, failing which the offer would be cancelled, he added. Haryana enhances remuneration rate Chandigarh: Haryana Government has enhanced the rate of remuneration payable to the staff engaged by the Central Committee of Examinations Haryana in conducting the Departmental Examinations. According to revised rates of remuneration, Secretary, Central Committee of Examinations would be paid Rs 6,000 (whole exam), Rs 2,000 per session to Observer (IAS Officer), Rs 3,000 per paper to examiner for setting one question paper, Rs 60 per copy (subject to minimum Rs 500) to examiner for evaluating answer book. Under Secretary Exam or Centre In-charge would be given Rs 2,500 per day, Research Officer or Superintendent or Supervisor Rs 1,400 per day, Invigilator (Assistant or Senior or Junior Scale Stenographer) Rs 1,200 per day. A year after the Union Civil Aviation Ministry gave its in-principle approval for the Jewar international airport in Greater Noida, the mega project is finally inching closer to reality as farmers of the region are gradually agreeing to give their land for the project. So far, 2,335 farmers have given their consent to give up 916 hectares of land for the proposed greenfield airport. This meets approximately 75 per cent of the land requirement for the first phase of the project. An official of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) said it was now certain that the airport would come up in Jewar itself. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry, a few months after the formation of Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh in March 2017, gave its in-principle approval for the second airport in National Capital Region. The proposal for this airport was first submitted way back in 2002 by the Mayawati government but it remained pending for 15 years. A decade of this waiting period was under the United Progressive Alliance rule, as the Centre and the state government indulged in political manoeuvres. Things finally began moving only when the Member of Parliament from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Mahesh Sharma, became the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi government in 2014. the project reached fruition when Yogi Adityanath took over the reins in UP. The total land required for the first phase of the project is 1,334 hectare, of which 116 hectare is government land. For the remaining 1,220 hectare, the district administration, as well as local MLA Dhirendra Singh, have been trying hard to convince farmers about the importance of the project. We have finally accomplished the Herculean task of getting consent for the magical figure of 70 per cent land required for the project. Confirmation has come from 2,335 farmers for 912 hectare, which is almost 75 per cent of the total land required for the first phase. We are now sure that Uttar Pradesh will not be left behind in the development race, said Dhirendra Singh, adding that not only would the airport lift the fortunes of the region, but it would also act as a catalyst in improving the fortunes of the villagers and farmers of the area. Earlier, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry had fixed August 31 as the deadline for seeking consent of farmers for the land, and it was later revised to September 6. However, till Friday, the total consents enabled 67 per cent requirement of land, following which the district administration sought more time. As per the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013, the administration needs to have the consent of at least 70 per cent farmers before it can start acquisition. The government has offered Rs 2,300 per square metre to landowners, a job at the proposed airport to one member of each family, a residential plot of 50 per cent size of the one the farmers currently own and double the value of their existing home to carry out construction of a new one. The process of acquiring land from the villagers, which began in May this year, has been fraught with difficulties, so much so that even YEIDA officials had started losing hope, fearing that the project might be shifted from Uttar Pradesh to neighbouring Haryana. The primary bone of contention among the farmers was that the state government had changed the nomenclature of their land from rural to urban, which entitled them to a compensation that was roughly half of what they would get if the land was classified as rural. The total land required for the world class Jewar airport project is 3,000 hectare. The airport at Jewar is to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 15,754 crore in four phases. However, the timeline of the construction will depend on several factors such as concessionaire, availability of land, mandatory clearances, financial closures, connectivity, and utility services, among others. Former Chief Minister and Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) Supremo Ajit Jogi has raised the demand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer highest civilian award Bharat Ratna to leader of Bahujan Samaj late Kanshiram. He had also demanded to name Janjgir-Champa district of the Chhattisgarh, after Kanshiram. Through a letter Jogi said, Late Kanshiram was a legendary personality of majority Bahujan Samaj. He was not only a person, but was an ideology. Crossing the barriers of political parties, his ideology was of policy of nation and he contributed invaluably for the economic and social development of the majority Bahujan Samaj, he said. The ideology of such a legendary person should be inherited by the coming generation and for making his vision of social equity an example to them, the Government of India should confer him Bharat Ratna, he said. Once upon a time the Janjgir-Champa region was land of action for him from where he debuted to political arena. Keeping in view the sentiments of people of the region towards him, the district should be named after him, Jogi demanded. It is learnt that you are visiting the Janjgir region on September 22 and hence it is expected to look up to my two demands and declare it during the public address, Jogi wrote to Modi. A Core Committee meeting of the Western Odisha Lawyers Association held here on Sunday decided to close all courts and revenue offices in western Odisha from September 17 to 26 demanding a permanent High Court bench. The committee members will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ensuing visit to Jharsuguda on September 22. "The Core Committee will support Odisha Bandh call on September 12 given by the Orissa High Court Bar Association on police atrocities against a lawyer at Cuttack recently," said committee assistant convener Pramod Das. Among others, Jharsuguda District Bar Association president Raghumani Patel and secretary Padmanava Mali, Niranjan Tripathy, besides all bar association members attended. Jamshedpur Management Association (JMA) organised an interaction with the entrepreneurs of AIADA at the Center for Excellence. This interaction was to understand the needs of the SMEs. JMA was represented by its executive board members like Tarun Daga (MD JUSCO), Amitava Bakshi (Tata Steel), Vishal Badshah (Tata Motors) and Amitabh Bhattcharjee (Hony. Secretary JMA). AIADA was represented by around twelve entrepreneurs, which included Inder Agarwal, Vishal Agarwalla, Santosh Khetan, Rajiv Ranjan, Pawan Gutgutia, Raj Kumar Sanghi and Ashok Gupta. The discussion was very fruitful and JMA reassured that it will support AIDA in meeting the training needs and will shortly roll out programs. Sources informed that the Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority of the total 2,923 acre is now looking forward to for its expansion, around 2,076 acres comprising six villages falls in nearby Gamharia while another 226 acres is located a little further away at Seraikela, another piece of around 621 acres of land is at Bahragora adjacent to East Singhbhum. It may be noted that the sprawling Adityapur Industrial Area houses over 1200 units- including 11 large-scale, 64 small scale and 166 tiny industries. A few important industries that has global presence are Usha Martin Group, RSB Group, Tata Steel Growth Shop (TGS) etc., too situated in this industrial belt, situated in Seraikela-Kharsawan. There are 20 industries, which export its products to the USA, Australia and other European countries. With the Delhi Governments mega tree plantation programme, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has also taken the decision to plant tree across all its station and in other location across the city as a part of Mega Plantation drive. As a first step, Delhi Metro on Saturday participated in the Plantation Drive organised by Delhi Government at Sarai Kale Khan and Qudsia Park. "The DMRC has always been very conscious of its responsibilities towards the conservation of the environment. Ever since the beginning of the project, regular plantation drives have been organised at its premises. We also have our initiative, an eco club in the name 'Swachh Chetna DMRC Eco Club'. The club was launched in August, 2017 and under this initiative, Delhi Metro is associated with many schools and also organise plantation program often in schools with the children under the Eco-Club," said a senior DMRC official. Delhi Metro with scores of children from the DMRC's Children's Home took part in the plantation drive and planted around 2,500 saplings at Tis Hazari. "The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also with Children from the schools school's who are also a part of our Eco Club joined us in the plantation drive with their parents. We planted thousands of saplings today in the park and in many other locations under the Delhi government's mega plantation drive," added the DMRC official. Moreover, DMRC has recently in July, 2018 organised a plantation drive at Ajronda in Faridabad where more than 300 school children had participated. The Hundred community and surrounding areas are in mourning after the passing of Hundred Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bert Anderson. Hundred Mayor Charles Goff said Anderson passed away at his home on the afternoon of Sept. 8. He was 43. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his new wife of one month, Sharon, also a member of the Hundred VFD. Hell go out with highest honors, full fireman funeral, many expected to pay their condolences as he was well known in the fire world, Goff said. Mayor Goff said Anderson began his service at 16. This has been his whole life, Goff said. Anderson was an active member of Hundred VFD for more than 26 years and earned the rank of Chief. Goff said Anderson was also a member of Grant Town Fire Department and was employed for a long time with Marion County Rescue Squad. He also had worked for Metz Ambulance Service and Wetzel County EMS. Goff said Anderson touched many peoples hearts. Several surrounding fire departments have offered condolences via social media to Hundred VFD and Andersons loved ones. Wileyville VFD noted, We wish to send our deepest sympathy to the Hundred VFD in the loss of Chief Bert Anderson. If there is anything you need, we are always here. Bert will be missed by all. The crews at AE-78 would like to express our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Chief Bert Anderson from Hundred VFD. Rest In Peace Chief. You will be missed, noted Air Evac Lifeteam 78 Wetzel County. Cameron VFD noted, We have had the privilege of responding to calls along with Hundred under the command of Chief Anderson for some time, and he was always a class act. We hope those close to him will find strength in the times to come. Winfield District VFD stated, On behalf of WDVFD we send out our deepest condolences to the Hundred Volunteer Fire Department of the loss of their Chief Bert Anderson. We will take it from here Bert!! Prayers! Newton VFD stated, We have just learned of the passing of Chief Bert Anderson of the Hundred Volunteer Fire Department in Wetzel County. Last year a few of our members met Chief Anderson after a major flood devastated the area and we were able to collect supplies for them and their citizens. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the fire department and the family. We at Sistersville Fire-Rescue extend our condolences to the members of Hundred Volunteer Fire Department on the passing of Chief Anderson, stated Sistersville VFD. Cassville VFD said, Please send prayers to Hundred Volunteer Fire Department as they lost their chief today to a non-line of death duty. Cassville worked with Hundred VFD on a few calls, and Bert was always a great firefighter and friend to our department. Other fire departments that have reached out include Smoot Area VFD, Stonewood VFD, Brookhaven VFD, and Richwood Fire Department. Arrangements for Anderson include visitation on Thursday, Sept. 13, 1-9 p.m. at Hundred VFD. Funeral services will be Friday, Sept. 14, 1 p.m. Services and funeral will be held at Hundred VFD, and burial will be at Anderson Bethel Cemetery in Littleton. Memorial contributions may be made to Hundred Volunteer Fire Department, 130 Pennsylvania Ave. Hundred, WV 26575. Taking strong action against irregularities in the recruitment examination held for appointment of 68,500 assistant teachers in government schools, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday suspended Examination Regulatory Authority secretary Sutta Singh with immediate effect and constituted a high-level committee to probe into the lapses. The committee would fix individual responsibility of the officers concerned so that stern action could be initiated in the matter. Earlier, Minister of State for Basic Education (Independent charge), Anupama Jaiswal, had entrusted the inquiry into this matter to officers who were involved in the entire examination process and their role in the irregularities was under scrutiny. When this was brought to the knowledge of the Chief Minister, he acted tough and instituted an independent inquiry besides taking preliminary action against the guilty officials. An official communique released by the government here on Saturday confirmed that a three-member high-level committee had been constituted to probe into the irregularities in the assistant teacher recruitment examination. The committee, headed by Principal Secretary (Sugarcane development) Sanjay Bhoosreddy, will submit its report to the government within a week, fixing responsibility for the lapses. The other members of the committee are Sarva Shiksha Campaign director Vedpati Mishra and Basic Education director Sarvendra Vikram Singh. In the preliminary inquiry, Sutta Singh has been found to be prima facie guilty and so she has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against her. During her suspension period, Singh will be attached with the Director, Basic Education in Lucknow. It may be mentioned here that irregularities in evaluation and declaration of assistant teachers recruitment examination results came to light during hearing on a writ filed by one Sonika Devi in the Allahabad High Court. It was found that her answer sheet was changed. The Advocate General had then said in the court that the government would take action against the erring officials behind the lapse. During investigation, it was found that 23 candidates were selected even after they were not qualified for the post. Later, the government had withheld the appointment process. In the exam, whose results were declared in August, more than one lakh aspirants had appeared, but only 41,556 could clear it. Meanwhile, on the directive of the Chief Minister, some officials of Basic Education department were shifted on Saturday. Additional education director, Basic Education Directorate in Lucknow, Rubi Singh, has been posted as secretary, Basic Education Council Allahabad while Lalita Pradeep has come in place of Rubi Singh. Joint education director, Meerut, Anil Bhushan Chaturvedi, has been made director, State Science Institute at Allahabad and secretary, Examination Regulatory Authority, Allahabad. With all parties uniting against Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress giving a call for Bharat Bandh against rising fuel prices on Monday, a senior minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, Shrikant Sharma, said the opposition unity was a farce and asked them to declare who would lead them in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The so-called mahagathbandhan has no meaning in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition parties should first choose their leader and tell the people who will lead the mahagathbandhan in the coming Lok Sabha elections, Sharma, who is also the government spokesman, told The Pioneer. Sharma said the BJP had a charismatic leader in Narendra Modi under whose leadership India had emerged as a global power. He said the opposition did not have a leader to match Modi. And if they have any, they should name him, he added. Sharma said it was very easy to mislead people and that was what the opposition parties were doing. The opposition leaders are saying that the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state have failed to deliver. They are giving sermons about sufferings of people. If that is true, why are they forging an alliance? he asked, adding that the opposition parties were talking about maha-gathbandhan because they knew that the BJP was invincible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have delivered and their projects are being appreciated by the masses, he added. Sharmas barbs were directed more towards Congress as he said what could one say about a party which celebrated its defeat in Karnataka. This is a grand old party of India but look at its predicament, it has become a non-entity in the politically crucial states like Uttar Pradesh, he said. Sharma, who is state Power Minister, said that the so-called grand alliance in UP between all the major players like Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Congress would have no impact on the popularity of the BJP. We will sweep the polls in Uttar Pradesh under the able leadership of Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath. Modi will be the next Prime Minister. This is for sure, he declared. Regarding Akhilesh Yadav, he said the Samajwadi Party national president was yet to learn the intricacies of politics. In 2017, he entered into an alliance with Congress when he was on a strong footing, and suffered humiliating defeat. This should have been an experience to learn from for the SP leader but he is still talking about going ahead with Congress. This shows his political immaturity, he said. Punjab Power Minister and New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar on Sunday said that the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singhs persevering efforts to bring the Water Resources Ministry of the Central Government and Jammu and Kashmirs State Government on board has borne fruit leading to the signing of a historic agreement to restart work on the Shahpur Kandi project. At the same time, Kangar also congratulated all Punjabis on this momentous achievement that would herald a new era of prosperity. As per the agreement, signed by the Chief Secretaries of the states of Punjab and J&K and Indian Commissioner of Indus Waters in the presence of J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik and Punjabs Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, the project would be completed within three years. Kangar expressed gratitude on the behalf of people of Punjab to the Chief Minister for pursuing the matter aggressively with the Central Government over the past several months and seeking personal intervention of the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari for early Resolution of all issues relating to this project. The Shahpur Kandi Dam, an inter-state project, was approved by the Central Government as a national project in February 2008 at a cost of Rs 2,285.81 crore, including the irrigation component of Rs 653.97 crore. Though the work on the project started in 2013, it was halted in 2014 due to certain observations raised by the J&K government. In the meantime, cost estimate has been revised to Rs 2,793.54 crore and Punjab Government has requested the Centre for inclusion of the project in the prioritized list of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) or Accelerated Irrigation Benefit (AIBP) Projects, said Kangar. He said that the Shahpur Kandi Power Plant project is as vital as Bhakra Dam Project and Ranjit Sagar Dam Project are to the state. It will provide balancing reservoir to enable the upstream Ranjit Sagar Dam Project power station to act as a peaking station, besides having its own generation capacity of 206 MW and irrigation benefit of 37,173-hectare Cultivable Command Area to Punjab and J&K states. It will enable the country to fully utilize the Ravi water as per the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, he said. Presently, though installed capacity of Ranjit Sagar Dam is 600 MW (4X150 MW), but at maximum, only 300 MW is generated as the canal system of UBDC project cannot handle more flow and the more than 300 MW water goes waste to Pakistan. With the construction of Shahpur Kandi Dam, a gross storage capacity of 12,071 hectare meter would be provided, and it would be possible to run all four machines of Ranjit Sagar Dams unit at 600 MW for about eight hours without letting any water downstream Shahpur Kandi dam, he said. Kangar also added that with the commissioning of Shahpur Kandi dam, 834 MUs from Shahpur Kandi Power Plant and 348 MUs additional generation from UBDC, that is total 1182 MUs of additional green power would be added to Punjab. , additional Ranjjit Sagar Dam generation during peak hours to the tune of 350 MUs of green power would be available to shore up the state power utilitys, PSPCL finances as peak load power is the costliest power and is very easy to sell, he added. Punjab State Power Corporation Limiteds (PSPCL) chairman-cum-managing director Baldev Singh Sran also expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for statesman like visionary guidance to make this historic agreement possible. Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party president Dharamlal Kaushik has termed the Congress president Rahul Gandhis visit to Kailash-Mansarovar as Political hypocrisy. In a statement, Kaushik said that Congress is itself in a dilemma over the visit of Congress president. On Twitter, the Congress and co-travellers of Rahul are showing mutually paradox pictures, which are raising doubt over the pictures sent by Rahul Gandhi. State BJP president said that it is a shameful act to gain political mileage and such actions would not get any success on what it was intended to. He stated that the whole Congress these days are moving in illusion and the party should go back to the history pages once again. The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the renovation of Somnath temple while the then President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad had also protested against participation in consecration ceremony. But the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel renovated it. Dr Rajendra Prasad had desire to visit by Nehru refrained him citing constitutional issue. But even then Dr Prasad participated in the event Kaushik said that the party having politically inclined towards a minority community appeasement, then better thoughts emerging from it cannot be justified. Mentioning the Ramsetu-case affidavit, Kaushik said that Lord Ram was termed as hypothetic. The party sometimes says it is party of Muslims, while the spokesperson says party has DNA of Brahmin while the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thinks that countrys resources first right should go to Muslims, then Party presidents trip to Mansarovar is just a political stunt. BSP State president further mentioning a context to Shri Ramchatritra Manas, Lord Ram says that if anyone is against Lord Shiv, then he cannot be called as devotee of mine. He would go to hell. BJP leader said that Congress has protested against both Gods so the Congress is not going to gain anything and no one can stop its downfall. The visit is just to save his face from disgrace. Rakhigarhi, an archaeological site in Hisar district of Haryana, has been in the news lately. Excavations at the ancient site of Rakhigarhi reveal a number of mounds, dating from pre and early to mature Harappan times (the period for the mature Harappan civilisation is from 2600-1900 BCE). Adding together the size of all the mounds, some archaeologists have termed it the largest ever Harappan site, covering an area of over 350 hectares. However, archaeologists such as Gregory Possehl refute this, suggesting instead that the mounds belong to two different sites, one of them being of the Sothi-Siswal sub-culture (see my earlier article on Harappan sub-cultures). However, Rakhigarhi is not currently in the news because of its size, but because of the analysis of DNA samples from a Harappan-era grave. On the basis of a preliminary report, the media has jumped to conclusions about whether the Harappans and so-called Aryans were indigenous or not, with some stating that it proves that the Harappans were indigenous, that they had links with Ancestral South Indians, and that those speaking Aryan languages (to reaffirm, there is no, and never has been, any Aryan race), came in later. They then further reach the conclusion that the Harappans spoke a South Indian language. Others in the media have taken it to prove a continuity from Harappan times to the present day. This, in fact, is the way in which myths are created and perpetuated, and become part of a historical narrative, which though unsubstantiated, continue to be quoted. Why should we not arrive at any conclusions on the basis of the DNA analysis from Rakhigarhi? Well, because while 148 samples were sent, DNA could be extracted from only one, or at most from two. And how can you generalise about the population at Rakhigarhi, leave alone about the entire Harappan civilisation, on the basis of the DNA of a single individual? Was the individual a resident of Rakhigarhi or a migrant? Who knows? In addition, DNA cannot be linked with language, as the evolution and diffusion of languages is complex and not necessarily related to a persons ancestry. Here we will look at some problems on conclusions made on the basis of DNA studies. Scientists such as Stephen Gould, Richard Lewontin, Leonard Lieberman and others have argued that race is not a valid method to classify humans, and anthropologists have moved away from categorising people according to race. However, though the term race may not be used, recent studies on genetics, decoding the genome, and Palaeo-analysis of bones, have again brought the question of types of people to the forefront. Such studies have come up with various theories about the ancestry of people in India. Among them are the following: Richard Fnyrop, 2009, on the basis of genetic analysis suggests that Indians are a mixture of two groups, termed Ancestral North Indians (ANI), and Ancestral South Indians (ASI). ANI, are similar to western Eurasians, including Europeans, and accounts for 40 80 per cent of the Indian genome; Ancestral South Indians, are not linked with any other group. Today only Andaman islanders have exclusive descent from ASI, the rest are mixed. David Reich suggests that Dravidians are related to people from the eastern Mediterranean; they are thought to be of the same stock as the people of Asia Minor and Crete, and the pre-Hellenic Greeks (the Aegeans). Other genetic studies suggest there was no large inflow of genes into India after 10,000 BCE. Palaeo analysis of bones from graves in the northwest suggests that there were two periods of discontinuity, between 6000 and 4500, and after 800 BCE. These studies may have some basis, but should not be taken as conclusive. For instance Richard Fynrops conclusions have been arrived at with samples of only 132 people, from 25 groups across 13 States; the majority of people selected were tribals or lower castes. Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam and even Tamil Nadu are among the States totally excluded from this study. Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are represented only by samples from tribal populations. The limited nature of such a study is clear. Another recent study analyses 362 samples from Iran, Turan, Bronze Age Kazhakstan and South Asia(see The Genomic Formation of South and Central Asia by 92 authors). They believe that their studies show that communities from the Steppes mixed with Iranian agriculturalists and South Asian hunter-gatherers. They call this group Indus Periphery, as they have not directly analysed any data from Harappan sites, and believe that results show the linkage between Europe and South Asia in the Bronze Age. Historically, we do know of population movements into India, from 600 BCE onwards, even before the medieval period. Early Persians, Greeks, Parthians, Kushans, Huns and even Sasanians all had a presence in North India. In addition, there were other migrants too among them traders from several parts of the ancient world, including the Roman empire who settled in India for trade. In fact trade with Iran, Mesopotamia and contiguous regions, dates back to the Harappan period, hence while analysing genes, how does one distinguish between migrants and indigenous people? These are some of the questions to be raised before reaching conclusions based on the DNA of a single individual from Rakhigarhi. (A PhD in ancient Indian History, the writer lives in Dehradun and has authored ten books) The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) conducted a hearing under its chairperson Usha Negi to resolve the cases filed in the commission. Various issues concerning the hike in fees by private schools, non-implementation of the recent order for use of NCERT text books and charging fee from students enrolled under the Right To Education Act were heard and necessary action directed in the cases. In a complaint against Delhi Public School, Dehradun, parents alleged that the school is registered under charitable act but raising monthly fees annually by 30 per cent apart from charging money through various other ways. The SCPCR chairperson heard the complaint and instructed school officials and parents to be present within 15 days with all the required evidence. Another complaint heard was regarding the Doon International School purportedly increasing the fees and defying the order regarding NCERT books. However, the school officials rejected this, stating that they were using the NCERT books as per the recent orders. In the complaint filed by Modern High School against a nearby ice cream factory alleging harmful pollution from the unit, the chairperson directed the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board to take necessary action and submit a verification letter to the commission regarding the emission of gases from the factory. The parents of a boy came from Nainital with proof regarding the alleged partiality of the police in investigating the school where he had been beaten by staff. Considering the proof, the chairperson of SCPCR directed that the case be investigated again. In a case related to JP International School in Haridwar, the SCPCR instructed the Education department in Haridwar to submit a detailed report about the case within 15 days. The school management is accused of charging fees from students enrolled under the RTE Act. Refuting opposition criticism on law and order front, the Yogi Adityanath government on Saturday claimed that the first seven months of 2018 saw a steep fall in the crime rate in the state in comparison to the same period in the last two years. However, the dowry death rate and the number of FIRs registered in the state during the period have increased by 3.38 per cent and 9.75 per cent respectively. A government statement released here on Saturday claimed that a major decrease was recorded in dacoity case, which plummeted by 37.75 per cent while cases of kidnapping for ransom came down by 25 per cent. Similarly, crime related to loot dropped by 19.25 per cent and of murder by 2.22 per cent during the period in comparison to 2017. Besides, incidents of riot came down by 7.71 per cent and of theft by 13.51 per cent. No case of road hold-up was registered in 2018 and 2017 while one such case was registered in 2016. Rape cases also decreased by 6.50 per cent compared to the same period during the previous year. But surprisingly, the number of rapes 2,444 between January till July in 2018 was more than that recorded during the same period in 2016 when it was 2,041. In 2017, the state had recorded 2,614 rapes in the first seven months. However, the total number of FIRs registered in the first seven months of 2018 was 1,96,707 against 78,914 in 2017 and 1,55,970 in 2016. The UP government official said that during the stern drives and zero tolerance to criminals, 63 criminals were shot dead in encounters, 3,430 criminals, on whom rewards were announced were arrested and sent to jail. During encounters, 650 criminals were injured while four policemen were martyred. The state government also invoked Gangster Act against 14,746 criminals and property worth Rs 173 crore was attached. In 2018, 9,866 criminals surrendered their bails till July and went to jail due to the strictness of the law enforcing agencies, the release claimed. Going all out to realise his efforts for the opening up of Kartarpur Sahib corridor despite all the criticism, Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has shot off a communique to the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj urging her to step up and open the door. Sidhu, who has been in the eye of storm for heaping praises on Indias warring neighbouring country Pakistan, has asked Swaraj to make every possible effort and bring boundless joy and happiness to the Sikh community world over on the demand to open up a Kartarpur Sahib corridor. In his letter dated September 8, Sidhu said: When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door. Now an opportunity has knocked on our doors. Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long pending demand of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, he said. Sidhu said: Pilgrims and we all have been demanding for this corridor since years. Some positivity came on this issue when I visited Pakistan for the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. But now with their Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary categorically saying that Corridor will be opened and even visa wont be required to visit this as part of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, it is time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue. He added that opening of this Corridor will be a huge thing for the Sikh community all over the world. Even though both neighbours have had sour relations for decades, but the corridor, if opened, can bring peace and prosperity between the two countries, he said adding that it can break barriers, build bridges and improve relations between the two nations. He urged Swaraj that appropriate measures on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor must be taken as Sikh sentiments are strongly attached with it. Defending his demand, Sidhu stated that many historical Gurudwaras were left in Pakistan when the Partition took place in 1947. Since then, the Sikhs living in India, who always offer prayers to pay obeisance in the separated Gurudwaras have to rely on visas to make a visit to the holy shrines left there, he said. London-based economist Imran Rasul has become the second member of the new Pakistan Governments Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to resign in protest against the exclusion of noted US-based academic Atif R Mian who was told to step down from the body due to a backlash over his Ahmadi faith. Succumbing to pressure from the hardliners, the Pakistan Government on Friday withdrew the nomination of noted economist Mian, a member of the minority Ahmadi community, from the newly-constituted economic panel, according to media reports. With a heavy heart, I have resigned from the EAC this morning, Rasul, a professor of economics at University College, London, said in a tweet on Saturday. The economist said he profoundly disagrees with the circumstances in which Mian was asked to resign from the council. Basing decisions on religious affiliation goes against my principles, or the values I am trying to teach my children, he said. In a series of tweets, Rasul spoke in favour of Mians appointment to the advisory council, saying if there was one academic on the EAC that Pakistan needs, it was him (Mian). Wishing the government and the EAC luck for the future, the professor said he remains willing to offer non-partisan, evidence-based advice that can help improve economic policymaking in Pakistan. Rasul said while Pakistan is full of talent, it needs leaders willing to draw on all this talent, and that are willing to appeal to our better sides, for the common good and not sow division. Rasul quit after another EAC member, Asim Ijaz Khwaja, professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, announced his decision to resign from the advisory council following Mians exclusion. The governments climbdown came three days after it had defended the academics nomination to the EAC led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying in categorical terms that it will not bow to extremists. The Ahmadis are designated as non-Muslims in Pakistans Constitution and their beliefs are considered blasphemous in most mainstream Islamic schools of thought. They are often targeted by extremists and their places of worship vandalised. Mian, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-educated Pakistani-American economics professor at the prestigious Princeton University, was recently named member of the 18-member EAC to advise the government on economic policy. He is the only Pakistani to be considered among International Monetary Funds list of Top 25 brightest young economists. His appointment was embroiled in a controversy after it was opposed by several individuals and reigiuos groups, including the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), who objected to his Ahmadi faith. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is not only bad for the country, its really, really unfair for the midterms. Trump said the inquiry should have been wrapped up a long time ago. Asked about the investigation, which he has repeatedly denounced as a witch hunt, Trump reiterated his insistence that there was no collusion between anyone on his presidential campaign and the Russian government. He said it was long past time for the investigation to have ended. We have to get it over with. Its really bad for the country. Its really unfair for our midterms. Really, really unfair for the midterms, Trump told reporters travelling with him aboard Air Force One. This thing should have been over with a long time ago. The president was in the midst of a two-day campaign swing through states where Republicans hope to expand their narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate by knocking off vulnerable Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. Trump was flying from Montana to North Dakota to attend a fundraiser for Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, Heitkamps opponent, when he spoke to reporters accompanying him on the trip, part of an intense campaign schedule Trump has planned through the November 6 elections. Asked if he would consider allowing a government shutdown before the elections, Trump said, I would do it because I think its a great political issue. But he said some Republican lawmakers would rather not do it because they have races, theyre doing well, theyre up. The president told Fox News in an interview broadcast earlier Friday that a government shutdown is up to me, but I dont want to do anything thats going to hurt us or potentially hurt us because I have a feeling that the Republicans are going to do very well. In North Dakota, Trump rattled off a list of what he considers his administrations accomplishments as he sought to bolster Cramer, a staunch Trump supporter. The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu Sunday decided to recommend to the state Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met here under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The moves comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts. Though the apex court had asked the Governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also petitioned seeking premature release, he said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the Governor "immediately," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. Actor Bill Daily, known for his work in the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show", is died. He was 91. Bill, who employed stand-up comedian and actor Bob Newhart as his accountant in Chicago before the two went on to show business fame, died on Tuesday of natural causes in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his son, J. Patrick Daily, told hollywoodreporter.com. He spent five seasons on "I Dream of Jeannie", which aired from 1965-1970, then worked for six seasons on "The Bob Newhart Show", which ran from 1972-78. The whole time, he battled dyslexia and had to memorise all his lines to keep going. After appearances on the TV comedies "Bewitched" and "The Farmer's Daughter", Bill attracted the attention of "I Dream of Jeannie" creator Sidney Sheldon and landed the role of Roger Healey, the best friend of another NASA astronaut, Anthony Nelson (Larry Hagman), on the fantasy comedy that starred Barbara Eden as a genie. "I called him our bullpen man," Newhart said in a statement released on Friday. "Whenever we were having trouble with a script on the show, we'd have Bill make an appearance. In recent years, we had hoped to have Bill be a part of 'The Bob Newhart Show' tributes at the TV Academy, but by then he was no longer travelling. He was one of the most positive people I ever knew, and we'll dearly miss him." William Edward Daily was born on August 30, 1927, in Des Moines, Iowa. 2 hours ago What's in, and what's out, as House nears vote on Biden bill WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden's now- $1.85 trillion plan to boost social and education programs as well as protect against global warming continues to be fine-tuned by Democrats in Congress with a new goal of completing work before Thanksgiving. Read Article CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). 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This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! 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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, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, 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, 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. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Improperly timed traffic lights. Drivers who pull out in front of you. Drivers who accelerate in the left-turn lane. Drivers who are discourteous about allowing others to merge. Drivers who dont use their blinkers. Drivers on their cellphones instead of driving. Vote View Results The following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Piton Paints Limited, Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade Intelectual Ltda, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Coatings Technology Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel Unitary Enterprise, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams UK Coatings Limited, Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited (Japan), Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams. JCDecaux SA engages in the outdoor advertising activities worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Street Furniture, Transport, and Billboard. The Street Furniture segment is involved in advertising in shopping malls; renting of street furniture; selling and renting of equipment; and the provision of cleaning, maintenance, and other activities. The Transport segment provides advertising services in public transport systems, such as airports, subways, buses, tramways, and trains. The Billboard segment is involved in advertising on private property, including traditional large format or back-light billboards; and the provision of neon-light billboards and advertising wraps. The company was founded in 1964 and is based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. JCDecaux SA is a subsidiary of JCDecaux Holding SAS. Read More Schlumberger NV engages in the provision of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry. It operates through the following business segments: Digital and Integration; Reservoir Performance; Well Construction; and Production Systems. The Digital and Integration segment combines the company's software and seismic businesses with its integrated offering of asset performance solutions. The Reservoir Performance segment consists of reservoir-centric technologies and services that are critical to optimizing reservoir productivity and performance. The Well Construction segment includes the full portfolio of products and services to optimize well placement and performance, maximize drilling efficiency, and improve wellbore assurance. The Production Systems segment develops technologies and provides expertise that enhances production and recovery from subsurface reservoirs to the surface, into pipelines, and to refineries. The company was founded by Conrad Schlumberger and Marcel Schlumberger in 1926 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited. CARBO Ceramics Inc., a technology company, provides products and services to the oil and gas, industrial, and environmental markets worldwide. It operates through two segments, Oilfield and Industrial Technologies and Services, and Environmental Technologies and Services. The Oilfield and Industrial Technologies and Services segment manufactures and sells oilfield ceramic technology products, base ceramic proppants, and frac sand proppants to pressure pumping companies, and oil and gas operators for use in the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and oil wells. It also provides technology to design, build, and optimize the Frac; sells fracture stimulation software under the FracPro brand; and offers fracture design and consulting services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies under the StrataGen brand name. The Environmental Technologies and Services segment provides spill prevention, containment, and countermeasure systems for the oil and gas industry. CARBO Ceramics Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Centene: APS Parent Inc., AWC of Syracuse Inc., Absolute Total Care Inc., AcariaHealth Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #11 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #12 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #13 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #14 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy Inc., AcariaHealth Solutions Inc., Access Medical Acquisition LLC, Access Medical Group of Florida City LLC, Access Medical Group of Hialeah LLC, Access Medical Group of Lakeland LLC, Access Medical Group of Miami LLC, Access Medical Group of North Miami Beach LLC, Access Medical Group of Opa-Locka LLC, Access Medical Group of Perrine LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa II LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa III LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa LLC, Access Medical Group of Westchester LLC, Accountable Care Coalition Direct Contracting LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Chesapeake LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers IV LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers V LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VI LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VII LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Florida Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland Primary Care LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Mississippi LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of New Jersey Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of North Texas LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northwest Florida LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Prime Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Physician Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Wisconsin LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Texas Inc., Agate Resources Inc., AirLogix, Ambetter of Magnolia Inc., Ambetter of North Carolina Inc., Ambetter of Peach State Inc., America's 1st Choice California Holdings LLC, American Progressive Life and Health Insurance Company of New York, Apixio, Apixio Inc, Arch Personalized Medicine Initiative LLC, Arkansas Health & Wellness Health Plan Inc., Arkansas Total Care Holding Company LLC, Arkansas Total Care Inc., B2B Gestion Integra S.L.U., B2B Salud S.L.U., Bankers Reserve Life Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Blackcrow Asistencia Medica S.L, Bridgeway Health Solutions LLC, Bridgeway Health Solutions of Arizona Inc., Buckeye Community Health Plan Inc., Buckeye Health Plan Community Solutions Inc., CCTX Holdings LLC, CMC Real Estate Company LLC, CT Poprad s.r.o., CT Presov s.r.o., Calibrate Acquisition Company, California Health and Wellness Plan, Cantina Laredo Clayton LP, Cardium Health Services, Care 1st Health Plan of Arizona Inc., Care1st Health Plan Administrative Services Inc., Carolina Complete Health Holding Company Partnership, Carolina Complete Health Inc., Casenet LLC, Casenet S.R.O., CeltiCare Health Plan Holdings LLC, CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts Inc., Celtic Group Inc., Celtic Insurance Company, Cenpatico Behavioral Health LLC, Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona LLC, Cenpatico of Arizona Inc., Centene Center I LLC, Centene Center II LLC, Centene Center LLC, Centene Company of Texas LP, Centene Europe Finance Company Limited, Centene Health Plan Holdings Inc., Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education LLC, Centene International Ventures LLC, Centene Investments LLC, Centene Management Company LLC, Centene Venture Company Alabama Health Plan Inc., Centene Venture Company Florida Inc., Centene Venture Company Illinois Inc., Centene Venture Company Indiana Inc., Centene Venture Company Kansas Inc., Centene Venture Company Michigan Inc., Centene Venture Company Tennessee Inc., Centro Inmunologocia De La Comunidad Valenciana S.L., Centurion Correctional Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, Centurion Detention Health Services LLC, Centurion LLC, Centurion of Arizona LLC, Centurion of Delaware LLC, Centurion of Florida LLC, Centurion of Kansas LLC, Centurion of Minnesota LLC, Centurion of Mississippi LLC, Centurion of New Hampshire LLC, Centurion of Pennsylvania LLC, Centurion of Tennessee LLC, Centurion of Vermont LLC, Centurion of West Virginia LLC, Centurion of Wyoming LLC, Chrysalis Medical Services LLC, Clinica Santo Domingo De Lugo S.L., Collaborative Health Systems IPA LLC, Collaborative Health Systems LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Maryland LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Virginia LLC, Comfort Hospice of Missouri LLC, Comfort Hospice of Texas LLC, ComfortBrook Hospice LLC, Community Medical Group, Community Medical Holdings Corporation, Comprehensive Health Management Inc., Comprehensive Reinsurance Ltd., Coordinated Care Corporation, Coordinated Care of Washington Inc., Country Style Health Care LLC, Discare CZ a.s., District Community Care Inc., Dr Magnet s.r.o., Elche-Crevillente Salud, Envolve Benefits Options Inc., Envolve Captive Insurance Company Inc., Envolve Dental IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Dental Inc., Envolve Dental of Florida Inc., Envolve Dental of Texas Inc., Envolve Health, Envolve Holdings Inc., Envolve Inc., Envolve Optical Inc., Envolve PeopleCare Inc., Envolve Pharmacy IPA LLC, Envolve Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Envolve Total Vision Inc., Envolve Vision Benefits Inc., Envolve Vision IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Vision Inc., Envolve Vision of Florida Inc., Envolve Vision of Texas Inc., Essential Care Partners LLC, Exactus Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Family Nurse Care II LLC, Family Nurse Care LLC, Family Nurse Care of Ohio LLC, Fidelis Care, Forensic Health Services LLC, Foundation Care LLC, Godgrace Asistencia Medica S.L., Golden Triangle Physician Alliance, Grace Hospice of Austin LLC, Grace Hospice of Grand Rapids LLC, Grace Hospice of Illinois LLC, Grace Hospice of Indiana LLC, Grace Hospice of San Antonio LLC, Grace Hospice of Virginia LLC, Grace Hospice of Wisconsin LLC, Granite State Health Plan Inc., Growly Asistencia Sanitaria S.L., HHS Texas Management Inc., HHS Texas Management LP, Hallmark Life Insurance Company, Harmony Behavioral Health IPA Inc., Harmony Behavioral Health Inc., Harmony Health Management Inc., Harmony Health Plan Inc., Harmony Health Systems Inc., Health Care Enterprises LLC, Health Net Access Inc., Health Net Community Solutions Inc., Health Net Community Solutions of Arizona Inc., Health Net Federal Services LLC, Health Net Health Plan of Oregon Inc., Health Net LLC, Health Net Life Insurance Company, Health Net Life Reinsurance Company, Health Net Pharmaceutical Services, Health Net of Arizona Inc., Health Net of California Inc., Health Plan Real Estate Holdings Inc., HealthSmart Benefit Solutions Inc., HealthSmart Benefits Management LLC, HealthSmart Care Management Solutions LP, HealthSmart Information Systems Inc., HealthSmart Preferred Care II LP, HealthSmart Preferred Network II Inc., HealthSmart Primary Care Clinics LP, HealthSmart Rx Solutions Inc., Healthy Louisiana Holdings LLC, Healthy Missouri Holdings Inc., Healthy Washington Holdings Inc., Heritage Health Systems Inc., Heritage Health Systems of Texas Inc., Heritage Home Hospice LLC, Heritage Physician Networks, Home State Health Plan Inc., HomeScripts.com LLC, Hospice DME Company LLC, Hospinet S.L., Hospital Polusa S.A., Hospital Povisa S.A., Hudson Accountable Care LLC, IAH of Florida LLC, Illinois Health Practice Alliance LLC, Infraestructuras y Servicios de Alzira S. L., Integrated Care Network of Florida LLC, Integrated Mental Health Management LLC, Integrated Mental Health Services, Interpreta Holdings Inc., Interpreta Inc., Iowa Total Care Inc., Kentucky Spirit Health Plan Inc., LBB Industries Inc., LifeShare Management Group LLC, LiveHealthier Inc., Louisiana Healthcare Connections Inc., MH Services International Holdings (UK) Limited, MHM, MHM Correctional Services LLC, MHM Health Professionals LLC, MHM Services Inc., MHM Services of California LLC, MHM Solutions LLC, MHN Government Services LLC, MHN Services LLC, MHS Consulting International Inc., MHS Travel & Charter Inc., MR Centrum Melnick s.r.o., MR Poprad s.r.o., MR Zilina s.r.o., Magnolia Health Plan Inc., Managed Health Network, Managed Health Network LLC, Managed Health Services Insurance Corporation, Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Maryland Collaborative Care Transformation Organization Inc., Mauli Ola Health and Wellness Inc., Medicina NZ spol s.r.o., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Michigan Inc., Meridian Management Company LLC, Meridian Network Services LLC, MeridianRx IPA LLC, MeridianRx LLC, MeridianRx of Indiana LLC, Michigan Complete Health, Mid-Atlantic Collaborative Care LLC, Nebraska Total Care Inc., Network Providers LLC, New York Quality Healthcare Corporation, Next Door Neighbors Inc., Next Door Neighbors LLC., North Florida Health Services Inc., Northern Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Novasys Health Inc., OB Care, OB Klinika, Ohana Health Plan Inc., Oklahoma Complete Health Inc., One Care by Care 1st Health Plans of Arizona Inc, Operose Health (Group) Ltd., Operose Health (Group) UK Ltd., Operose Health Ltd., OptiCare Health Systems - Managed Vision Business, PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, Panther Pass Co LLC, Panther Specialty Holding Co LLC, Pantherx Access Services LLC, Pantherx Specialty LLC, Parker LP LLC, Peach State Health Plan Inc., Penn Marketing America LLC, Pennsylvania Health and Wellness Inc., Phoenix Home Health Care LLC, Pinnacle Home Care LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Illinois LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Indiana LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Kalamazoo LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Missouri LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Wisconsin LLC, Premier Marketing Group LLC, PrimeroSalud S.L., Pro Diagnostic Group A.S., Pro Magnet CZ s.r.o., Pro Magnet s.r.o, Pro RTG s.r.o, Progress Medical A.S., Prowl Holdings LLC, QCA Healthplan Inc., Qualchoice Life and Health Insurance Company, Quincy Coverage Corporation, R&C Healthcare LLC, RMED LLC, RX Direct Inc., Rapid Respiratory Services LLC, Ribera Lab S.L.U., Ribera Salud II, Ribera Salud Proyectos S.L., Ribera Salud S.A., Ribera Salud Tecnologias S.L.U., Ribera Slaud Infraestructuras S.L.U., Ribera-Quilpro UTE, Salus Administrative Services Inc., Salus IPA LLC, Secure Capital Solutions 2000 S.L.U., SelectCare Health Plans Inc., SelectCare of Texas Inc., Seniorcorps Peninsula LLC, Servicios De Mantenimiento Prevencor S.L.U., SilverSummit Healthplan Inc., Social Health Bridge LLC, Social Health Bridge Trust, Specialty Therapeutic Care GP LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care LP, Sunflower State Health Plan Inc., Sunshine Health Community Solutions Inc., Sunshine Health Holding LLC, Sunshine State Health Plan Inc., Superior HealthPlan Community Solutions Inc., Superior HealthPlan Inc., The Practice Properties Limited, The WellCare Management Group Inc., Torrejon Salud S.A., Torrevieja Salud S.L.U., Torrevieja Salud UTE, Traditional Home Health Services LLC, Trillium Community Health Plan Inc., U.S. Medical Management Holdings Inc., U.S. Medical Management LLC, UAM Agent Services Corp., US Script, USMM Accountable Care Partners LLC, Universal American Corp., Universal American Financial Services Inc., Universal American Holdings LLC, WCG Health Management Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of America, WellCare Health Insurance Company of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Louisiana Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Nevada Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Washington Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Connecticut Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Hawaii Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of New York Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of North Carolina Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Southwest Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans, WellCare Health Plans of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Plans of California Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Massachusetts Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Missouri Inc., WellCare Health Plans of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Rhode Island Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Vermont Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare National Health Insurance Company, WellCare Pharmacy Benefits Management Inc., WellCare Prescription Insurance Inc., WellCare of Alabama Inc., WellCare of Arkansas Inc., WellCare of California Inc., WellCare of Connecticut Inc., WellCare of Florida Inc., WellCare of Georgia Inc., WellCare of Illinois Inc., WellCare of Indiana Inc., WellCare of Kansas Inc., WellCare of Maine Inc., WellCare of Michigan Holding Company, WellCare of Mississippi Inc., WellCare of Missouri Health Insurance Company Inc., WellCare of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare of New York Inc., WellCare of North Carolina Inc., WellCare of Ohio Inc., WellCare of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare of Pennsylvania Inc., WellCare of Puerto Rico Inc., WellCare of South Carolina Inc., WellCare of Texas Inc., WellCare of Virginia Inc., WellCare of Washington Inc., Wellcare Health Plans Inc., Western Sky Community Care Inc., Windsor Health Group Inc., Winning Security S.L., Worlco Management Services, and nirvanaHealth LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. is an international offshore energy company. It focuses on subsea construction, maintenance and salvage services to the offshore natural gas and oil industry. The firm also provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. The company operates through three segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities. The Well Intervention segment offers vessels and related equipment that are used to perform well intervention services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea regions. The Robotics segment involves four chartered vessels and also includes ROVs, trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services. The Production Facilities segment includes its investment in the Helix Producer I and Kommandor LLC. Helix Energy Solutions Group was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: @Credentials Inc., ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bahamas) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Global Benefits (UK) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits Limited (DIFC UAE), Aetna Global Holdings Limited, Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Hong Kong) Limite, Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Inc., Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Korea Ltd., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Multi-Strategy 1099 Fund LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Continental Insurance Company, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., American Health Holding Inc., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L. (R.C.S. Luxembourg), CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Claims Administration Corp., Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care Workers Compensation Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Rehabilitation Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, Digital eHealth LLC, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California Inc., Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., FOCUS HealthCare Management Inc., First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, First Script Network Services Inc., Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Group Dental Service of Maryland Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssuance Pennsylvania Inc., Healthagen LLC, Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Life and Health Insurance Company, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, MetraComp Inc., Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare LLC, NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky Inc. (Oh, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Holdings Inc., NeighborCare Inc., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services Inc., NeighborCare Services Corporation, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Holding Company, Omnicare Inc., Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania East LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Holdings Inc., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Pt. Aetna Global Benefits Indonesia, Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Spinnaker Bidco Limited, Spinnaker Topco Limited, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare L.L.C., Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC. Every week, I offer a glimpse of the kind of intelligence assessments that are likely to come across the desk of the President of the United States. Modeled on the President's Daily Briefing, or PDB, which the director of national intelligence prepares for the President almost daily, my Presidential Weekly Briefing focuses on the topics and issues the President needs to know to make informed decisions. Here's this week's briefing: Brazil: Stabbing democracy Democracy in Brazil is literally under assault. Known to many fellow Brazilians as the "Brazilian Trump," Representative Jair Bolsonaro, one of the frontrunners in October's presidential election, was stabbed on Thursday while on the campaign trail. This kind of violence could continue ahead of the presidential election in late October, portending a dangerous trend in South America's largest country. Unfortunately, Brazil is no stranger to political violence. Earlier this year, a councilwoman in Rio De Janeiro was murdered, and, in May, campaign buses hired by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were shot at in southern Brazil. While politicians have denounced the Bolsonaro stabbing and police have charged a suspect, the incident could add more fuel to an already fiery situation. Sympathy generated by it, and the likely withdrawal of Lula, who though leading in the polls, is expected to give up his own campaign bid, means that Bolsonaro will probably advance to a run-off and victory. Lula was convicted and sentenced for corruption and money laundering -- and the Brazilian Supreme Court denied his appeal to continue his campaign from behind bars. A Bolsonaro win would be the latest victory for a far-right candidate in a major democracy. Bolsonaro is a polarizing figure, known for his racist, homophobic and sexist remarks, including saying a female lawmaker was too ugly to be raped. He's facing charges for speech inciting hatred and rape. Though he denies the charges, and the cases have not yet proceeded to court, it has many voters uneasy. That said, for other voters, his campaign rhetoric is resonating. He has centered it around draining the Brazilian corruption-laden swamp, which sits well with many Brazilians who have seen massive anti-corruption operations lead to prison sentences for senior public and private sector officials, massive layoffs, strikes and billions of dollars in fines. Since the country's supreme court decided that Lula, currently serving a 12-year sentence, cannot continue his campaign, he's expected to endorse Fernando Haddad, his running mate, to become the Workers Party (PT) candidate. (Ironically, Haddad was charged with corruption last week, charges that he denies.) Haddad would have a tough time clawing at Bolsonaro's lead, particularly after the stabbing. So, you should probably count on another far-right, divisive leader coming into power. While his win might have some benefits -- he seems amenable to free market economics -- his expressed admiration for the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil could come at a cost for many Brazilians. North Korea: If you build it, they will come There was no rain on Kim Jong Un's military parade on Sunday, and you should expect Kim to keep fine-tuning his words and actions to lower tensions with you -- while he keeps proliferating nuclear bomb materials. Following the latest parade, attended by the number three ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party, he probably thinks that building an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction worked out in his favor. Despite amassing illegal warheads and chemical and biological weapons, he has foreign visitors in North Korea (President Moon Jae-in is expected to visit soon) and media coverage is focused on his decision not to display ballistic missiles. But just because he didn't display them and isn't testing them doesn't mean they do not exist. We assess that Kim is carefully calibrating his messages to you, including his reported statements, relayed through the South Korean national security adviser, that he has faith in you and doesn't talk negatively about you. The specificity of Kim's comments is likely not coincidental. He may be aware of the attention the White House is paying to Bob Woodward's book "Fear: Trump in the White House" and the negative comments about you in it. He is also probably aware of the anonymous New York Times op-ed by a senior administration official, who also writes negatively about you. He may be trying to purposefully contrast himself with this negativity by relaying that he doesn't sink to such lows. He is counting on you to have faith in him and in your discussion at the Singapore summit, despite his failure to denuclearize and despite his demands for more concessions. In a recent tweet, you thanked Kim for his unwavering faith, which is probably adding to his perception that you'll maintain faith in him. We assess that the South Korean delegation may not be an unbiased messenger in this case, and we should analyze the veracity of their message and Kim's sincerity. Remember that it was the South Koreans who passed along Kim's original invitation to meet with you. They may have over-promised on what he was prepared to do without concessions. Moon is deeply invested in the negotiations between you and Kim and has long favored engagement over military action. The "elegant" delivery of Kim's personal letter to you is also probably part of his strategy. The more exchanges between you and Kim, the less likely he thinks you are to abandon talks and pivot to another means of getting him to denuclearize. For Kim, the letters are a way to buy time. He's using this time to ingratiate himself on the global stage and build his own power (militarily and economically), while we suspended a major joint military exercise with South Korea and our maximum pressure campaign dissipates. Syria: Battle update We are providing you with an update on an ongoing situation. The assault on Idlib as Syrian and Russian aircraft pound the province, and we assess that it will continue, unabated, until President Bashar al-Assad and his backers raze and "liquidate" this last rebel stronghold. Because of your history of punishing chemical weapons attacks but not other regime atrocities, and the recent Pentagon statement that we will only use force "to defend US, coalition or partner forces, as we have clearly demonstrated in past instances," Vladimir Putin probably doesn't think you'll do anything to stop the assault on Syrians in Idlib. He expects you to watch the assault, issue some more warnings, and wait for it to be over. If chemical weapons (CW) are used, Assad and Putin probably expect punishment, but we don't think that will deter them from more CW use. Assad and Putin know that despite US Ambassador Nikki Haley's remarks at the UN and US military exercises in Syria, there have been no additional measures to actually stop the ongoing violence. Russia has warned US troops about their impending operations in the US-controlled area of al-Tanf, but deconflicting military moves to avoid a direct confrontation are nothing new. Putin probably isn't itching for a direct military confrontation with you -- he just wants the US to stay out of the way and knows our troops aren't authorized to fight him or the regime. You should expect the humanitarian disaster to continue, which will have an ongoing strain not only on the Syrian people but on Turkey, Lebanon and other countries hosting refugees. Once Idlib is taken, Assad and Putin will feel more empowered to do what they want throughout the country, which will be solidly under their control. Royal KPN NV operates as a supplier of telecommunications and information technology services. It serves customers at home and abroad with fixed and mobile networks for telephony, data and television. The company focuses on both private customers and business users, from small to large. It also offers telecom providers access to widely branched networks. The company's brands include KPN, XS4ALL, Simyo, KPN Security, Ortel Mobile, Cam IT Solutions, Solcon, KPN Interned services and StartReady. Royal KPN was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE). Greene King plc operates as a pub retailer and brewer in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Pub Company, Pub Partners, and Brewing & Brands. Its brands include Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer. The company is also involved in brewing, marketing, and selling beer under the Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Belhaven Best brands. In addition, Greene King plc engages in the employment, financing, pension trustee, and property businesses. As of April 30, 2018, it operated 2,855 managed, tenanted, leased, and franchised pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Greene King plc was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, the United Kingdom. Read More Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. 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Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. 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Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. 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Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC. Every week, I offer a glimpse of the kind of intelligence assessments that are likely to come across the desk of the President of the United States. Modeled on the President's Daily Briefing, or PDB, which the director of national intelligence prepares for the President almost daily, my Presidential Weekly Briefing focuses on the topics and issues the President needs to know to make informed decisions. Here's this week's briefing: Asia Bashar al-Assad Biological and chemical weapons Brazil Continents and regions Crime, law enforcement and corrections Crimes against persons Criminal offenses Democracy Donald Trump East Asia Elections and campaigns Forms of government Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Jair Bolsonaro Kim Jong Un Latin America Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Middle East Middle East and North Africa Military Military weapons Political candidates Political Figures - Intl Political Figures - US Politics South America South Korea Stabbings Syria The Americas US federal government Vladimir Putin Weapons and arms Weapons of mass destruction White House North Korea Brazil: Stabbing democracy Democracy in Brazil is literally under assault. Known to many fellow Brazilians as the "Brazilian Trump," Representative Jair Bolsonaro, one of the frontrunners in October's presidential election, was stabbed on Thursday while on the campaign trail. This kind of violence could continue ahead of the presidential election in late October, portending a dangerous trend in South America's largest country. Unfortunately, Brazil is no stranger to political violence. Earlier this year, a councilwoman in Rio De Janeiro was murdered, and, in May, campaign buses hired by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were shot at in southern Brazil. While politicians have denounced the Bolsonaro stabbing and police have charged a suspect, the incident could add more fuel to an already fiery situation. Sympathy generated by it, and the likely withdrawal of Lula, who though leading in the polls, is expected to give up his own campaign bid, means that Bolsonaro will probably advance to a run-off and victory. Lula was convicted and sentenced for corruption and money laundering -- and the Brazilian Supreme Court denied his appeal to continue his campaign from behind bars. A Bolsonaro win would be the latest victory for a far-right candidate in a major democracy. Bolsonaro is a polarizing figure, known for his racist, homophobic and sexist remarks, including saying a female lawmaker was too ugly to be raped. He's facing charges for speech inciting hatred and rape. Though he denies the charges, and the cases have not yet proceeded to court, it has many voters uneasy. That said, for other voters, his campaign rhetoric is resonating. He has centered it around draining the Brazilian corruption-laden swamp, which sits well with many Brazilians who have seen massive anti-corruption operations lead to prison sentences for senior public and private sector officials, massive layoffs, strikes and billions of dollars in fines. Since the country's supreme court decided that Lula, currently serving a 12-year sentence, cannot continue his campaign, he's expected to endorse Fernando Haddad, his running mate, to become the Workers Party (PT) candidate. (Ironically, Haddad was charged with corruption last week, charges that he denies.) Haddad would have a tough time clawing at Bolsonaro's lead, particularly after the stabbing. So, you should probably count on another far-right, divisive leader coming into power. While his win might have some benefits -- he seems amenable to free market economics -- his expressed admiration for the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil could come at a cost for many Brazilians. North Korea: If you build it, they will come There was no rain on Kim Jong Un's military parade on Sunday, and you should expect Kim to keep fine-tuning his words and actions to lower tensions with you -- while he keeps proliferating nuclear bomb materials. Following the latest parade, attended by the number three ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party, he probably thinks that building an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction worked out in his favor. Despite amassing illegal warheads and chemical and biological weapons, he has foreign visitors in North Korea (President Moon Jae-in is expected to visit soon) and media coverage is focused on his decision not to display ballistic missiles. But just because he didn't display them and isn't testing them doesn't mean they do not exist. We assess that Kim is carefully calibrating his messages to you, including his reported statements, relayed through the South Korean national security adviser, that he has faith in you and doesn't talk negatively about you. The specificity of Kim's comments is likely not coincidental. He may be aware of the attention the White House is paying to Bob Woodward's book "Fear: Trump in the White House" and the negative comments about you in it. He is also probably aware of the anonymous New York Times op-ed by a senior administration official, who also writes negatively about you. He may be trying to purposefully contrast himself with this negativity by relaying that he doesn't sink to such lows. He is counting on you to have faith in him and in your discussion at the Singapore summit, despite his failure to denuclearize and despite his demands for more concessions. In a recent tweet, you thanked Kim for his unwavering faith, which is probably adding to his perception that you'll maintain faith in him. We assess that the South Korean delegation may not be an unbiased messenger in this case, and we should analyze the veracity of their message and Kim's sincerity. Remember that it was the South Koreans who passed along Kim's original invitation to meet with you. They may have over-promised on what he was prepared to do without concessions. Moon is deeply invested in the negotiations between you and Kim and has long favored engagement over military action. The "elegant" delivery of Kim's personal letter to you is also probably part of his strategy. The more exchanges between you and Kim, the less likely he thinks you are to abandon talks and pivot to another means of getting him to denuclearize. For Kim, the letters are a way to buy time. He's using this time to ingratiate himself on the global stage and build his own power (militarily and economically), while we suspended a major joint military exercise with South Korea and our maximum pressure campaign dissipates. Syria: Battle update We are providing you with an update on an ongoing situation. The assault on Idlib as Syrian and Russian aircraft pound the province, and we assess that it will continue, unabated, until President Bashar al-Assad and his backers raze and "liquidate" this last rebel stronghold. Because of your history of punishing chemical weapons attacks but not other regime atrocities, and the recent Pentagon statement that we will only use force "to defend US, coalition or partner forces, as we have clearly demonstrated in past instances," Vladimir Putin probably doesn't think you'll do anything to stop the assault on Syrians in Idlib. He expects you to watch the assault, issue some more warnings, and wait for it to be over. If chemical weapons (CW) are used, Assad and Putin probably expect punishment, but we don't think that will deter them from more CW use. Assad and Putin know that despite US Ambassador Nikki Haley's remarks at the UN and US military exercises in Syria, there have been no additional measures to actually stop the ongoing violence. Russia has warned US troops about their impending operations in the US-controlled area of al-Tanf, but deconflicting military moves to avoid a direct confrontation are nothing new. Putin probably isn't itching for a direct military confrontation with you -- he just wants the US to stay out of the way and knows our troops aren't authorized to fight him or the regime. You should expect the humanitarian disaster to continue, which will have an ongoing strain not only on the Syrian people but on Turkey, Lebanon and other countries hosting refugees. Once Idlib is taken, Assad and Putin will feel more empowered to do what they want throughout the country, which will be solidly under their control. The Southern pays an annual dividend of $2.64 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.22%. SO has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The Southern has been increasing its dividend for 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio of The Southern is 81.23%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, The Southern will have a dividend payout ratio of 74.58% next year. This indicates that The Southern will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. View The Southern's dividend history. Novan, Inc., a clinical development-stage biotechnology company, provides nitric oxide-based therapies to treat dermatological and oncovirus-mediated diseases. Its clinical stage dermatology drug candidates include SB204, a topical monotherapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris; SB206, a topical anti-viral gel for the treatment of viral skin infections; SB208, a topical broad-spectrum anti-fungal gel for the treatment of fungal infections of the skin and nails, including athlete's foot and fungal nail infections; and SB414, a topical cream-based gel product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The company also develops SB207, an anti-viral product candidate for the treatment of external genital warts; WH602, a nitric oxide-containing intravaginal gel to treat high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV); WH504, a non-gel formulation product candidate to treat high-risk HPV; and SB019 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Novan, Inc. has a license agreement with Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and a strategic alliance with Orion Corporation. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares North American Tech-Software ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares North American Tech-Software ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. UPDATE 3:35 p.m. Saturday, September 8, 2018 - A co-manager of Sierra Hot Springs told Action News Now the fire that caused their evacuation Saturday afternoon has been contained by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and CAL FIRE crews. --- SIERRAVILLE, Calif. - A fire is burning near Sierraville, which is causing an evacuation of Sierra Hot Springs. The springs are located on Campbell Hot Springs Road in Sierra County. According to the California Highway Patrol, a fire was reported at 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. By 1:32 p.m. the CHP was assisting in the evacuation of the hot springs because the fire was burning toward the resort. Wall Street analysts have given BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but BlackRock MuniHoldings Quality Fund II wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. A Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government would give new immigrants three years to learn French, or else leave the province, according to party leader Francois Legault. Legault explained that newcomers would be issued a temporary certificate, and would then have three years to take free French classes and pass a basic test. The CAQ government is concerned that with the arrival of new mostly non-francophone immigrants into Quebec, English will begin to overcome French. But, the real problem for the French language in Canada with an emphasis on Quebec is the complete failure of Canada's Official Language Policy that the former Pierre Elliot Trudeau government had championed back in the day from the late 1960's. When the Official Language Act was brought in it was supposed to be directed at helping to boost the amount of English-speakers within the Government of Canada and in Canada in general who would learn French. However, anyone who has applied to jobs at the Federal Government and elsewhere knows is that very few of these jobs want to train an English-speaker to learn French. Almost all of these jobs want someone who is already a native French speaker while being less concerned on their ability to speak English. The result of this mandatory approach to "bilingualism" federally is that many English-speakers see it as an impediment to getting jobs which results in them not being encouraged to learn French as former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau officially intended. Security for the French language in Quebec and across Canada will not be protected by Legault's fascistic style approach that will only conspire to turn more would-be French speakers away from French. Rather, Legault and the federal Liberal can better protect the French language by stopping the systemic discrimination against English-speakers / non-French "allophone" speakers from access to all jobs based upon their skills and then endeavouring to train these non-French speakers to become French speakers. All Canadians or immigrants who are willing to learn French should be provided with the support to do so, and not be subjected to discrimination. Only certain jobs which are extremely essential to communications should be designated as requiring mandatory and immediate bilingualism. Quebec also needs a better human rights enforcement process to prevent immigrants and visible minorities from being subjected to systemic discrimination which doesn't provide a positive environment for them to want to learn the "language of their perceived oppressors". Wall Street analysts have given Nuveen Preferred Securities Income Fund a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Nuveen Preferred Securities Income Fund wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. U.S. President Donald Trump likes to claim that Canada's economy would be destroyed without the AutoPact. In essence he's using blackmail tactics based upon his own apparent ignorance and we as Canadians should not buy into it. The truth of the matter is there's no need for us, as Canadians to be junior partners to the American auto industry. Indeed, dependence on the Americans like this has made us vulnerable to such threats that seeks to force Canada to sell-out to Trump's "America First and Canada Last`agenda. Indeed, we, as Canadians can build our own aeroplanes. We have our own aeroplane industry of which Bombardier is a leading player. If we can build our own aeroplanes, we can make our own cars too - and better ones than GM and these other American manufacturers. South Korea makes it own cars and popular ones too that many Americans and other people around the world buy. A made-in-Canada auto industry could not only be an industry leader but if we do a better job on green technology cars we would not only bolster Canada`s image as a centre for research and innovation but we would also help save our environment including the wasteland that northern Alberta is becoming under mostly American Big Oil companies. When Canada was the hub of the building of the Avro Arrow [shown in photo], we surpassed any military aeroplane that the Americans to-date had developed and attracted research talent that has been elusive to Canada ever since. Let's use this outrageous stuff going on with Trump's threat's to inspire us to live up to our true potential as Canadians without playing second fiddle to America's under-achieving auto sector. We have the workers and the technology / know-how to build our own cars and better than the Americans, so let's do it! Too bad Justin Trudeau doesn't have much vision beyond legalizing pot. 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. Read More BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Everest Re Group Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Reinsurance, International, Bermuda, and Insurance. The U.S. Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance and specialty lines of business, including marine, aviation, surety, and accident and health business, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies primarily within the U.S. The International segment offers foreign property and casualty reinsurance through Everest Re's branches in Canada and Singapore and through offices in Brazil, Miami, and New Jersey. The Bermuda segment comprises reinsurance and insurance to worldwide property and casualty markets through brokers and directly with ceding companies from its Bermuda office and reinsurance to the United Kingdom and European markets through its UK branch and Ireland Re. The Insurance segment writes property and casualty insurance directly and through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents within the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartere Read More Unum Group is engaged in providing financial protection benefits. It operates through the following segments: Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, Closed Block and Corporate. The Unum US segment comprises of group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment products, and supplemental and voluntary lines of business. The Unum International segment engages in the operations of UK business, which includes insurance for group long-term disability, group life, and supplemental lines of business that include dental, individual disability, and critical illness products; Poland business primarily includes insurance for individual and group life with accident and health riders. The Colonial Life segment includes insurance for accident, sickness, disability products, life products, and cancer and critical illness products. The Closed Block segment consists of individual disability, group and individual long-term care, and other insurance products no longer actively marketed. The Corporate segment refers to investment income on corporate assets and other corporate income and expenses not allocated to a line of business; and interest Read More Vitamin Shoppe, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a omni-channel specialty retailer and contract manufacturer of nutritional products in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Retail and Manufacturing. The company provides custom manufacturing and private labeling services for vitamin, mineral, and supplement products, as well as develops and markets own branded products. It offers vitamins, minerals, herbs, specialty supplements, sports nutrition products, and other health and wellness products of approximately 900 brands, such as own brands comprising The Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, True Athlete, Mytrition, plnt, ProBioCare, Next Step, and Betancourt Nutrition; and national brands, including Optimum Nutrition, Cellucor, Garden of Life, Quest Nutrition, Solaray, Solgar, Megafood, and Nature's Way. The company sells its products through Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements retail stores, as well as through its vitaminshoppe.com Website. As of November 7, 2018, it operated 775 company-operated retail stores under the Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements retail banners. It also operates franchise stores. The company was formerly known as VS Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. in November 2009. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Boston Scientific: 34 Biomedical Merger Corp., 9357-1867 Quebec Inc., Acurate Industria e Comercio Ltda., Advanced Bionics, Advanced Stent Technologies, American Medical Systems, American Medical Systems Europe B.V., Apama Medical, Apama Medical Inc., Asthmatx, Atritech, Augmenix, Augmenix Inc., Augmenix K.K., BSC International Medical Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BSC Medical Device Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BTG, BTG Australasia Pty Ltd, BTG Europe B.V., BTG IM Holdings Ltd., BTG International (Holdings) Limited, BTG International Asia Limited, BTG International Canada Inc., BTG International Germany GmbH, BTG International Healthcare Inc., BTG International Healthcare LLC, BTG International Healthcare Limited, BTG International Inc., BTG International Limited, BTG Limited, BTG Management Services Limited, BTG Medikal Limited Sirketi, Bard Electrophysiology, Barosense, Biocompatibles Inc., Biocompatibles International Limited, Biocompatibles UK Limited, Boston Scientific (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Boston Scientific (South Africa) Proprietary Limited, Boston Scientific (Thailand) Ltd., Boston Scientific (UK) Limited, Boston Scientific AG, Boston Scientific Argentina S.A., Boston Scientific Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Boston Scientific Benelux NV, Boston Scientific Canada Limited, Boston Scientific Ceska republika s.r.o., Boston Scientific Chile SpA, Boston Scientific Colombia Limitada, Boston Scientific Comercial de Costa Rica BSCR S.R.L., Boston Scientific Far East B.V., Boston Scientific Gesellschaft m.b.H., Boston Scientific Group plc, Boston Scientific Hellas S.A., Boston Scientific Hong Kong Limited, Boston Scientific Iberica S.A., Boston Scientific India Private Limited, Boston Scientific International B.V., Boston Scientific International Finance Limited, Boston Scientific International S.A., Boston Scientific Israel Ltd., Boston Scientific Japan K.K., Boston Scientific Korea Co. Ltd., Boston Scientific Lebanon SAL, Boston Scientific Limited, Boston Scientific Ltd., Boston Scientific Medical Device, Boston Scientific Medical Device Limited, Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, Boston Scientific Middle East FZ-LLC, Boston Scientific Middle East SAL, Boston Scientific Nederland B.V., Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, Boston Scientific New Zealand Limited, Boston Scientific Nordic AB, Boston Scientific Peru S.A.C., Boston Scientific Philippines Inc., Boston Scientific Polska Sp. z o.o., Boston Scientific Portugal - Dispositivos Medicos Lda, Boston Scientific Pty Ltd, Boston Scientific Romania S.R.L., Boston Scientific S.A.S., Boston Scientific S.p.A., Boston Scientific Scimed, Boston Scientific Scimed Inc., Boston Scientific Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific TIP Gerecleri Limited Sirketi, Boston Scientific Technology & Engineering Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific Uruguay S.A., Boston Scientific Vietnam Company Limited, Boston Scientific de Costa Rica S.R.L., Boston Scientific de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Boston Scientific del Caribe Inc., Boston Scientific do Brasil Ltda., Bravo Bidco Limited, BridgePoint Medical, Cameron Health, Cardiac Pacemakers Inc., Cardiac Pathways Corp, Catheter Innovations, Claret Medical, Claret Medical Inc., Cosman Medical, Cosman Medical LLC, CryoCor, Cryterion Medical, Cryterion Medical Inc., Cryterion Medical Ireland Limited, EKOS LLC, EMcision, EMcision International Inc., EP Technologies, EP Technologies Inc., Electron Acquisition Corporation, EndoChoice, EndoChoice Holdings Inc., EndoChoice Inc., EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd., EndoChoice Israel Ltd., Endotex, Enteric Medical Technologies, Galil Medical Inc., Galil Medical Ltd., Galil Medical UK Limited, Guidant, Guidant Delaware Holding Corporation, Guidant Europe NV, Guidant Puerto Rico B.V., Hong Kong Medtech Trading Limited, Intelect Medical, Millipede, Millipede Inc., NXT Merger Corp., Notebook Merger Sub Ltd., Novate Medical Limited, NxThera, NxThera Inc., PT Boston Scientific Indonesia, PneumRx GmbH, PneumRx LLC, PneumRx Liimited, Protherics Medicines Development B.V., Protherics Medicines Development Limited, Protherics UK Limited, Provensis Limited, RMI Acquisition Corp., Remon Medical Technologies, Rhythmia Medical, Robert S. Smith M.D. Inc., Roxwood Medical Inc., SNS Merger Corp, Sadra Medical, Sadra Medical Inc., Securus Medical Group, Securus Medical Group Inc., Special K Merger Corp., StarMedTec, Stream Enterprises LLC, Symetis, Symetis SA, Target Therapeutics, Target Therapeutics Inc., The LumenR Tissue Retractor System, Veniti, Veniti Inc., VertiFlex, Vertiflex Inc., Vessix Vascular, Xlumena, Zuma Investment Pty Ltd, iogyn, nVision Medical, and nVision Medical Corporation. Worldpay, Inc., through its subsidiary, Worldpay Holding, LLC, provides electronic payment processing services in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. It operates in two segments, Technology Solutions, Merchant Solutions, and Issuer Solutions. The company offers merchant acquiring and payment processing services, such as authorization and settlement, customer service, chargeback and retrieval processing, and interchange management. It also provides value-added services, such data analytics and information management solutions, foreign currency management, and various funding options; and security solutions, including point-to-point encryption and tokenization at the point of sale and for e-commerce transactions. In addition, the company offers card issuer processing, payment network processing, fraud protection, card production, prepaid program management, automated teller machine driving, portfolio optimization, data analytics, and card program marketing, as well as network gateway and switching services. Further, it provides card and statement production, and collections and inbound/outbound call centers. The company serves merchants and financial institutions comprising regional banks, community banks, credit unions, and regional personal identification number networks through direct sales forces and referral partners. The company was formerly known as Vantiv, Inc. and changed its name to Worldpay, Inc. in January 2018. Worldpay, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Read More Navigant Consulting, Inc. provides professional services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services Advisory and Compliance. The Healthcare segment offers consulting and business process management services to healthcare providers, payers, and life sciences companies. This segment helps clients respond to market legislative changes, such as the shift to an outcome and value-based reimbursements model, ongoing industry consolidation and reorganization, Medicaid expansion, the implementation of a electronic health records system, and product planning and commercialization expertise. The Energy segment provides life-cycle solutions that help clients businesses in changing energy environment, manage complexity, accelerate operational performance, and meet compliance requirements, as well as transform its organizations and systems; and various benchmarking, and data and market research services. This segment serves utility and energy companies, government and nongovernmental organizations, large corporations, product manufacturers, and investors. The Financial Services Advisory and Compliance segment provides strategic, operational, valuation, risk management, investigative, and compliance advisory services to financial services industry, including financial and insurance institutions. This segment also offers anti-corruption solutions and anti-money laundering consulting, litigation support, and tax compliance services. Navigant Consulting, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Read More First BanCorp (Puerto Rico) is a holding company, which engages in the provision of personal, commercial, and corporate banking services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Mortgage Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment consists of the company's lending and other services for large customers represented by specialized and middle-market clients and the public sector. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment includes consumer lending and deposit-taking activities conducted mainly through FirstBank's branch network in Puerto Rico. The Mortgage Banking segment focuses on the origination, sale, and servicing of a variety of residential mortgage loan products and related hedging activities. The Treasury and Investments segment deals with treasury and investment management functions. The United States Operations segment represents all banking activities conducted by FirstBank on the United States mainland. The Virgin Islands Operations segment includes all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Carnival Co. &: 1972 Productions Inc., 6348 Equipment LLC, A.C.N. 098 290 834 Pty. Ltd., A.J. Juneau Dock LLC, AIDA Kundencenter GmbH, Adventure Island Ltd., Air-Sea Holiday GmbH, Alaska Hotel Properties LLC, Barcelona Cruise Terminal SLU, Bay Island Cruise Port S.A., Belize Cruise Terminal Limited, CC U.S. Ventures Inc., CCL Gifts LLC, CSSC Carnival Italy Cruise Investment S.r.L, Carnival (UK) Limited, Carnival Bahamas FC Limited, Carnival Bahamas Holdings Limited, Carnival Corporation & plc Asia Pte. Ltd., Carnival Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Carnival Corporation Korea Ltd., Carnival Corporation Ports Group Japan KK, Carnival Finance LLC, Carnival Grand Bahama Investment Limited, Carnival Investments Limited, Carnival Japan Inc., Carnival License Holdings Limited, Carnival Maritime GmbH, Carnival North America LLC, Carnival Port Holdings Limited, Carnival Ports Inc., Carnival Support Services India Private Limited, Carnival Technical Services (UK) Limited, Carnival Technical Services Finland Limited, Carnival Technical Services GmbH, Carnival Technical Services Inc., Carnival Vanuatu Limited, Costa Crociere PTE Ltd., Costa Crociere S.p.A., Costa Cruceros S.A., Costa Cruise Lines Inc., Costa Cruise Lines UK Limited, Costa Cruises Shipping Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, Costa Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Costa Cruzeiros Agencia Maritima e Turismo Ltda., Costa Group Digital & Strategic Services GmbH, Costa International B.V., Costa Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Cozumel Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Creative Travel Lab Ltd., Cruise Ships Catering & Services International N.V., Cruise Terminal Services S.A. de C.V., Cruiseport Curacao C.V., D.R. Cruise Port Ltd., Ecospray Technologies S.r.L., F.P.M. SAS, F.P.P. SAS, Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services International Limited, GXI LLC, Gibs Inc., Global Experience Innovators Inc., Global Fine Arts Inc., Global Shipping Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Grand Cruise Shipping Unipessoal LdA, Grand Turk Cruise Center Ltd., HAL Antillen N.V., HAL Beheer B.V., HAL Cruises Limited, HAL Maritime Ltd., HAL Nederland N.V., HAL Properties Limited, HAL Services B.V., HSE Hamburg School of Entertainment GmbH, Holding Division Iberocruceros SLU, Holland America Line Inc., Holland America Line N.V., Holland America Line Paymaster of Washington LLC, Holland America Line U.S.A. Inc., Ibero Cruzeiros Ltda., Iberocruceros SLU, Information Assistance Corporation, International Cruise Services S.A. de C.V., International Leisure Travel Inc., International Maritime Recruitment Agency S.A. de C.V., Milestone N.V., Navitrans S.R.L., Ocean Bahamas Innovation Ltd., Ocean Medallion Fulfillment Ltd., Operadora Catalina S.r.L., P&O Princess American Holdings, P&O Princess Cruises International Limited, P&O Princess Cruises Pension Trustee Limited, P&O Properties (California) Inc., P&O Travel Limited, Prestige Cruises Management S.A.M., Prestige Cruises N.V., Princess Bermuda Holdings Ltd., Princess Cays Ltd., Princess Cruise Corporation Inc., Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., Princess Cruises and Tours Inc., Princess U.S. Holdings Inc., RCT Maintenance & Related Services S.A., RCT Pilots & Related Services S.A., RCT Security & Related Services S.A., Roatan Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Royal Hyway Tours Inc., Santa Cruz Terminal S.L., SeaVacations Limited, SeaVacations UK Limited, Seabourn Cruise Line Limited, Shanghai Coast Cruise Consulting Co. Lda, Ship Care (Bahamas) Limited, Sitmar Cruises Inc., Spanish Cruise Services N.V., Sunshine Shipping Corporation Ltd., T&T International Inc., Tour Alaska LLC, Transnational Services Corporation, Trident Insurance Company Ltd., Westmark Hotels Inc., Westmark Hotels of Canada Ltd., Westours Motor Coaches LLC, Wind Surf Limited, and World Leading Cruise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.. Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen in northeast Alberta. Its bitumen assets include Foster Creek, Christina Lake, and Narrows Lake, as well as other projects in the early stages of development. The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, and Clearwater operating areas of British Columbia and Alberta, as well as various interests in natural gas processing facilities. The Refining and Marketing segment transports and sells crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. This segment owns a 50% ownership in Wood River and Borger refineries located in the United States; and owns and operates a crude-by-rail terminal in Alberta. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc.. BASF SE operates as a chemical company worldwide. It operates through six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care, and Agricultural Solutions. The Chemicals segment provides petrochemicals and intermediates. The Materials segment offers advanced materials and their precursors for applications and systems, such as isocyanates and polyamides, as well as inorganic basic products and specialties for plastic and plastic processing industries. The Industrial Solutions segment develops and markets ingredients and additives for industrial applications, such as polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, electronic materials, antioxidants, light stabilizers, oilfield chemicals, mineral processing, and hydrometallurgical chemicals. The Surface Technologies segment offers chemical solutions and automotive OEM which include refinish coatings, surface treatment, catalysts, battery materials, and base metal services for the automotive and chemical industries. The Nutrition & Care segment provides nutrition and care ingredients for food and feed producers, as well as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, detergent, and cleaner industries. The Agricultural Solutions segment offers crop protection products and seeds, such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and biological crop production products, as well as seed treatment products. The company has a strategic partnership with IntelliSense.io. BASF SE was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Crown: Adularia Inversiones 2010 S.L., Angleboard Sweden AB, Bates Cargo-Pak ApS, Butimove, CMB Machinery and Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CROWN AP (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Aerosols & Promotional Nederland, CROWN Aerosols Italia Srl, CROWN Aerosols Nederland BV, CROWN Aerosols UK Limited, CROWN Americas LLC, CROWN Arabia Can Company Ltd, CROWN Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd., CROWN Asia Pacific Investments (T) Limited, CROWN Bevcan Espana S.L., CROWN Bevcan France SAS, CROWN Bevcan Slovakia s.r.o., CROWN Bevcan Turkiye Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, CROWN Bevcan and Closures (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Dong Nai) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Beijing Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Changchun Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Danang Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hangzhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hanoi Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Heshan Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hong Kong Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Huizhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Malaysia Sdn Bhd, CROWN Beverage Cans Nanning Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Putian Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Saigon Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Shanghai Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Sihanoukville Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Singapore Pte. Ltd., CROWN Beverage Cans Ziyang Limited, CROWN Beverage Packaging LLC, CROWN Beverage Packaging Puerto Rico Inc., CROWN Cans Ghana Limited, CROWN China Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, CROWN Commercial Belgium BVBA, CROWN Commercial France SAS, CROWN Commercial Germany GmbH & Co. KG, CROWN Commercial Hungary Kft, CROWN Commercial Netherlands B.V., CROWN Commercial Vermogensverwaltung GmbH, CROWN Cork & Seal USA Inc., CROWN Embalagens Metalicas da Amazonia S.A., CROWN Emballage France SAS, CROWN Emirates Company Limited, CROWN Envases Mexico S.A. de C.V., CROWN Famosa S.A. de C.V., CROWN Food Packaging (Thailand) Public Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Hat Yai) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Nakhon Pathom) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan Germany GmbH, CROWN Foodcan GmbH, CROWN Imballaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Imgallaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Italy Finance srl, CROWN Khmer Beverage Cans Limited, CROWN Maghreb Can, CROWN Magyarorszag Csomagoloipari KFT, CROWN Metal Packaging Canada Inc., CROWN Metal Packaging Canada LP, CROWN Middle East Can Co. Ltd., CROWN Packaging (Barbados) Limited, CROWN Packaging Holdings LLC, CROWN Packaging Investment (H.K.) Limited, CROWN Packaging Ireland Ltd, CROWN Packaging Jamaica Limited, CROWN Packaging Polska Sp.z.o.o., CROWN Packaging Technology Inc., CROWN Packaging Trinidad Limited, CROWN Packaging UK Limited, CROWN Promotional Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN SIEM, CROWN Senegal, CROWN Societe Malgache d'Emballages Metalliques, CROWN Speciality Packaging BV, CROWN Speciality Packaging Investment Pte. Ltd., CROWN Specialty Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN TCP Beverage Cans Company Limited, CROWN Verpakking Belgie NV, CROWN Verpakking Nederland B.V., Caretex Asia Ltd., CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Ltd, CarnaudMetalbox Food South Africa (Pty) Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Group UK Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overeseas Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overseas Limited, Cierres Hermeticos S.A. DE C.V., Constar International, Crown Americas Capital Corp., Crown Americas Capital Corp. II, Crown Americas Capital Corp. III, Crown Americas Capital Corp. IV, Crown Americas Capital Corp. V, Crown Americas Capital Corp. VI, Crown Brasil Holdings Ltda., Crown Canadian Holdings ULC, Crown Closures Spain S.L., Crown Colombiana S.A., Crown Comercial de Envases S.L., Crown Commercial Italy Srl, Crown Commercial Polska Sp. z.o.o., Crown Consultants Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Company (DE) LLC, Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Crown Cork & Seal Receivables (DE) Corporation, Crown Cork & Seal de Portugal Embalagens S.A., Crown Cork Kuban, Crown Cork and Seal Receivables II LLC, Crown Developpement SAS, Crown European Holdings, Crown Food Espana S.A.U., Crown Foodcan Turkey Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Crown Hellas Can Packaging SA, Crown Heshan Trading Company Limited, Crown Holdings Italia Srl, Crown Holdings Spain S.L., Crown International Holdings B.V., Crown International Holdings Inc., Crown Luxembourg Holdings, Crown Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., Crown Overseas Investments B.V., Crown Packaging Commercial UK Limited, Crown Packaging Distribution UK Limited, Crown Packaging European Division GmbH, Crown Packaging European Division Services SAS, Crown Packaging European Holdings GmbH, Crown Packaging Lux I S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux II S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux III S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Limited, Crown Packaging Maroc, Crown Receivables III, Crown Services Iberia, Crown UK Holdings Limited, Crownway Insurance Company, Dacro B.V., EMPAQUE, Fabricas Monterrey S.A. de C.V., Form Koruyucu Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Foshan Continental Can Co. Limited, Foshan Crown Easy-Opening End Co. Limited, Glass & Silice S.A. DE C.V., Globoplastt s.r.o., Gunther S.A.S., Haloila Bulgaria EOOD, Interstrap B.V., Josef Kihlberg AB, Kiwiplan GmbH, Kiwiplan Inc, Lachenmeier ApS, Liljendals Bruk AB, Litec France S.A.S., Mezger Heftsysteme GmbH, Mima Films S.a.r.l., Mima Films Sprl, Mima Packaging Systems S.A.S., Mivisa, Nordic S.A.S., Norsk Signode AS, Oy M. Haloila AB, PT CROWN Beverage Cans Indonesia, Package Design and Manufacturing, Prolatamex S.A. DE C.V., Quandel Verpackungs- und Foerdertechnik GmbH, SMB Schwede Maschinenbau GmbH, SMP Schwede Maschinenbau Weischlitz GmbH, SPG Denmark, SPG France Holdings SAS, SPG Germany Service Management GmbH, SPG Industrial Packaging S.a.r.l, SPG Netherlands B.V., SPG Packaging Ireland Limited, SPG Packaging Systems GmbH, SPG Packaging UK Ltd, Scybele S.A.S., Shippers Europe S.p.r.l., Signode BVBA, Signode Brasileira Ltda, Signode Hong Kong Limited, Signode Industrial Group, Signode Industrial Group AB, Signode Industrial Group Colombia S.A.S., Signode Industrial Group GmbH, Signode Industrial Group Holdings Lux S.a.r.l., Signode Industrial Group Holdings US Inc, Signode Industrial Group Lux S.A., Signode Industrial Group Mexico, Signode Industrial Group Sweden AB, Signode International Holdings LLC, Signode International IP Holdings LLC, Signode International Investment LLC, Signode Kabushiki Kaisha, Signode Korea Inc, Signode NZ Limited, Signode Netherlands B.V., Signode Packaging (Qingdao) Co., Signode Packaging (Shanghai) Co., Signode Packaging Espana S.L., Signode Packaging Group (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Signode Packaging Group Australia Pty Ltd, Signode Packaging Group Canada ULC, Signode Packaging Group NZ, Signode Packaging Systems Limited, Signode Pickling Holding LLC, Signode Polska sp. Z.o.o., Signode Singapore Pte. Ltd., Signode Sweden Holdings AB, Signode System GmbH, Signode System Packaging GmbH & Co. KG, Signode Systems (Thailand) Ltd., Signode US IP Holdings LLC, Silice De Veracruz S.A. DE C. V., Silice Del Istmo S.A. DE C.V., Silices De Veracruz, Societe Civile Immobiliere Rousseau-Ivry, Societe Civile Immobiliere des Baquets, Societe de Participations CarnaudMetalbox, Stopak India Pvt. Ltd, Strapex Austria GmbH, Strapex Embalagem L.d.a., Strapex Holdings Limited, Strapex S.A.S., Strapex Srl, Superior Investments Holdings Pte. Ltd., Superior Multi-Packaging Limited, TopFrame LLC, V.A.C. B.V., Vichisa S.A. de C.V., and Warehouse Automation Iberia S.L.. 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.. SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. provides software-as-a-service core systems to the property and casualty insurance industry in North America. It offers Duck Creek Policy, a full lifecycle solution for the development of products and quoting, binding, and servicing of policies across various channels from agents and brokers to end-users; Duck Creek Billing that provides payment and invoicing capabilities, such as billing and collections, commission processing, disbursement management, and general ledger capabilities for insurance lines and bill types; and Duck Creek Claims that supports the entire claims lifecycle from first notice of loss through investigation, payments, negotiations, reporting, and closure. The company also provides Duck Creek Rating that allows carriers to develop new rates and models and deliver accurate quotes in real-time based on the complex rating algorithms; Duck Creek Insights, an insurance analytics solution that allows carriers to gather and analyze data from internal and external sources and facilitate rapid analysis and reporting on a single system; Duck Creek Digital Engagement that offer digital interactions between property and casualty insurers and their agents, brokers, and policyholders; and Duck Creek Distribution Management that automates sales channel activities for agents and brokers, including producer onboarding, compliance, and compensation management. In addition, it offers Duck Creek Reinsurance Management that automates critical financial and administrative functions; and Duck Creek Industry Content that provides pre-built content, including base business rules, product designs, rating algorithms, data capture screens, and workflows for insurance lines of business. The company serves insurance carriers and leaders. Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Read More 16 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Deutsche Wohnen in the last twelve months. There are currently 9 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" Deutsche Wohnen stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in DWNI, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Deutsche Wohnen or view top-rated stocks. The following companies are subsidiares of NRG Energy: 3279405 Nova Scotia Company, 3283764 Nova Scotia Company, 7549709 Canada Inc., 7644868 Canada Inc., 7711565 Canada Inc., AC Solar Holdings LLC, Ace Energy Inc., Agua Caliente Borrower 1 LLC, Agua Caliente Solar Holdings LLC, Agua Caliente Solar LLC, Allied Home Warranty GP LLC, Allied Warranty LLC, Arthur Kill Gas Turbines LLC, Arthur Kill Power LLC, Astoria Gas Turbine Power LLC, Bayou Cove Peaking Power LLC, Beheer-en Beleggingsmaatschappij Plogema B.V., Berrians I Gas Turbine Power LLC, BidURenergy Inc., Big Cajun I Peaking Power LLC, Bluewater Wind Delaware LLC, Bluewater Wind Maryland LLC, Bluewater Wind New Jersey Energy LLC, Boquillas Wind LLC, Cabrillo Power I LLC, Cabrillo Power II LLC, Camino Energy LLC, Carbon Management Solutions LLC, Carlsbad Energy Center LLC, Carlsbad Energy Holdings LLC, Chester Energy LLC, Chickahominy River Energy Corp., Cirro Energy Services Inc., Cirro Group Inc., Citizens Power Holdings One LLC, Commonwealth Atlantic Power LLC, Connecticut Jet Power LLC, Cottonwood Development LLC, Cottonwood Energy Company LP, Cottonwood Generating Partners I LLC, Cottonwood Generating Partners II LLC, Cottonwood Generating Partners III LLC, Cottonwood Technology Partners LP, Delaware Power Development LLC, Devon Power LLC, Doga Enerji Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Doga Isi Satis Hizmetleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Doga Isletme ve Bakim Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Dunkirk Gas Corporation, Dunkirk Power LLC, EHI Development Fund LLC, EME Eastern Holdings LLC, EVgo Services LLC, Eastern Sierra Energy Company LLC, Ecokap Power LLC, El Segundo Energy Center II LLC, El Segundo Power II LLC, El Segundo Power LLC, Elkhorn Ridge Wind II LLC, Energy Alternatives Wholesale LLC, Energy Choice Solutions LLC, Energy Curtailment Specialists, Energy Plus Holdings LLC, Energy Plus Natural Gas LLC, Energy Protection Insurance Company, Everything Energy LLC, Forward Home Security LLC, GCP Funding Company LLC, GenOn Energy, Geostellar Inc., Gladstone Power Station Joint Venture, Goal Zero, Goal Zero Europe GmbH, Goal Zero LLC, Granite II Holding LLC, Granite Power Partners II L.P., Green Mountain Energy, Green Mountain Energy Company, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, Gregory Partners LLC, Gregory Power Partners LLC, Hanover Energy Company, Huntley IGCC LLC, Huntley Power LLC, Independence Energy Alliance LLC, Independence Energy Group LLC, Independence Energy Natural Gas LLC, Indian River Operations Inc., Indian River Power LLC, Intellastar LLC, Ivanpah Master Holdings LLC, Ivanpah Project I Holdings LLC, Ivanpah Project II Holdings LLC, Ivanpah Project III Holdings LLC, James River Power LLC, Kaufman Cogen LP, LSP-Nelson Energy LLC, Long Beach Generation LLC, Long Beach Peakers LLC, Long Beach Power LLC, Louisiana Generating LLC, MEC Esenyurt B.V., MEC San Pascual B.V., Maplekey UK Finance Limited, Maplekey UK Limited, Meriden Gas Turbines LLC, Middletown Power LLC, Midway-Sunset Cogeneration Company, Midwest Finance Company LLC, Midwest Generation EME LLC, Midwest Generation Holdings I LLC, Midwest Generation Holdings II LLC, Midwest Generation LLC, Midwest Generation Procurement Services LLC, Midwest Peaker Holdings LLC, Mission Bingham Lake Wind LLC, Mission Del Cielo LLC, Mission Energy Construction Services LLC, Mission Energy Holdings International LLC, Mission Energy Wales LLC, Mission Funding Zeta LLC, Mission Midway-Sunset Holdings LLC, Mission Midwest Coal LLC, Mission Minnesota Wind LLC, Mission Watson Holdings LLC, Mission Wind Boquillas LLC, Mission Wind New Mexico II LLC, Mission Wind Owaissa LLC, Mission Wind Pinnacle LLC, Mission del Sol LLC, Montville IGCC LLC, Montville Power LLC, NEO Chester-Gen LLC, NEO Corporation, NRG Acquisition Holdings Inc., NRG Advisory Services LLC, NRG Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Alexandria LLC, NRG Arroyo Nogales LLC, NRG Arthur Kill Operations Inc., NRG Asia-Pacific Ltd., NRG Astoria Gas Turbine Operations Inc., NRG Astoria Power LLC, NRG Audrain Generating LLC, NRG Audrain Holding LLC, NRG Bayou Cove LLC, NRG Berrians East Development LLC, NRG Bluewater Holdings LLC, NRG Bluewater Wind Massachusetts LLC, NRG Bourbonnais Equipment LLC, NRG Bourbonnais LLC, NRG Brazoria Energy LLC, NRG Business Services LLC, NRG CTA Holdings LLC, NRG Cabrillo Power Operations Inc., NRG Cadillac Inc., NRG Cadillac Operations Inc., NRG California Peaker Operations LLC, NRG Capital II LLC, NRG Carbon 360 LLC, NRG Cedar Bayou Development Company LLC, NRG Chalk Point CT LLC, NRG CleanTech Investments LLC, NRG Coal Development Company LLC, NRG ComLease LLC, NRG Common Stock Finance I LLC, NRG Common Stock Finance II LLC, NRG Connected Home LLC, NRG Connecticut Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Connecticut Peaking Development LLC, NRG Construction LLC, NRG Cottonwood Tenant LLC, NRG Curtailment Solutions Canada Inc., NRG Curtailment Solutions Inc., NRG DG Development LLC, NRG Development Company Inc., NRG Devon Operations Inc., NRG Dispatch Services LLC, NRG Distributed Energy Resources Holdings LLC, NRG Distributed Generation PR LLC, NRG Dunkirk Operations Inc., NRG ECOKAP Holdings LLC, NRG ESA Joint Development LLC, NRG El Segundo Operations Inc., NRG Energy Center Eagles LLC, NRG Energy Center Oxnard LLC, NRG Energy Fuel LLC, NRG Energy Fuel Services LLC, NRG Energy Gas & Wind Holdings Inc., NRG Energy Holdings II Inc., NRG Energy Holdings Inc., NRG Energy Inc., NRG Energy Labor Services LLC, NRG Energy Petroleum LLC, NRG Energy Services Group LLC, NRG Energy Services International Inc., NRG Energy Services LLC, NRG Equipment Company LLC, NRG Fuel Cell CA1 LLC, NRG Fuel Resources LLC, NRG Fuel Transportation LLC, NRG GTL Holdings LLC, NRG Gas Development Company LLC, NRG Generation Holdings Inc., NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd, NRG Granite Acquisition LLC, NRG Greenco LLC, NRG HQ DG LLC, NRG Holding Leasing Vehicle 7 LLC, NRG Home & Business Solutions LLC, NRG Home Services LLC, NRG Home Solutions LLC, NRG Home Solutions Product LLC, NRG Homer City Services LLC, NRG Huntley Operations Inc., NRG Identity Protect LLC, NRG Ilion LP LLC, NRG Ilion Limited Partnership, NRG Independence Solar LLC, NRG International LLC, NRG Kaufman LLC, NRG Latin America Inc., NRG Lease Co LLC, NRG Lease Development LLC, NRG Limestone 3 LLC, NRG Maintenance Services LLC, NRG Mesquite LLC, NRG Mextrans Inc., NRG MidAtlantic Affiliate Services Inc., NRG MidCon Development LLC, NRG Middletown Operations Inc., NRG Middletown Repowering LLC, NRG Midwest Holdings LLC, NRG Midwest II LLC, NRG Montville Operations Inc., NRG NE Development LLC, NRG Nelson Turbines LLC, NRG New Roads Holdings LLC, NRG NewGen LLC, NRG North Central Operations Inc., NRG Northeast Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Norwalk Harbor Operations Inc., NRG Ohio Pipeline Company LLC, NRG Operating Services Inc., NRG Oswego Harbor Power Operations Inc., NRG Oxbow Holdings LLC, NRG PacGen Inc., NRG Peaker Finance Company LLC, NRG Portable Power LLC, NRG Potrero Development LLC, NRG Power Marketing LLC, NRG Procurement Company LLC, NRG Project Company LLC, NRG Reliability Solutions LLC, NRG Renter's Protection LLC, NRG Repowering Holdings LLC, NRG Residential Solar Solutions LLC, NRG Residential Solar Solutions Leasing II LLC, NRG Retail LLC, NRG Retail Northeast LLC, NRG Rockford Acquisition LLC, NRG Rockford Equipment II LLC, NRG Rockford Equipment LLC, NRG Saguaro Operations Inc., NRG Security LLC, NRG Services Corporation, NRG Sherbino LLC, NRG SimplySmart Solutions LLC, NRG Solar Arrowhead LLC, NRG Solar CVSR Holdings 2 LLC, NRG Solar Dandan LLC, NRG Solar Guam LLC, NRG Solar Ivanpah LLC, NRG Solar Ring LLC, NRG Solar SC Stadium LLC, NRG Solar Sunrise LLC, NRG South Central Affiliate Services Inc., NRG South Central Generating LLC, NRG South Central Operations Inc., NRG South Texas LP, NRG Sterlington Power LLC, NRG Storage Fabrication & Delivery LLC, NRG Storage on Demand NY LLC, NRG SunCap Leasing I LLC, NRG Telogia Power LLC, NRG Texas C&I Supply LLC, NRG Texas Gregory LLC, NRG Texas Holding Inc., NRG Texas LLC, NRG Texas Power LLC, NRG Texas Retail LLC, NRG Trading Advisors LLC, NRG Transmission Holdings LLC, NRG ULC Parent Inc., NRG Victoria I Pty Ltd, NRG Warranty Services LLC, NRG West Coast LLC, NRG Western Affiliate Services Inc., NRG Wind Development Company LLC, NRG Wind Force LLC, NRG Wind LLC, NRG dGen Advisory Services LLC, NRGenerating German Holdings GmbH, NRGenerating International B.V., NRGenerating Luxembourg (No. 1) S.a.r.l., NRGenerating Luxembourg (No. 2) S.a.r.l., New Genco GP LLC, New Jersey Power Development LLC, Norwalk Power LLC, O'Brien Cogeneration Inc. II, ONSITE Energy Inc., One Block Off The Grid Inc., Oswego Harbor Power LLC, Pacific Generation Company, Petra Nova CCS I LLC, Petra Nova Holdings LLC, Petra Nova LLC, Petra Nova Parish Holdings LLC, Petra Nova Power I LLC, Pure Energies Group, Pure Energies Group ULC, Pure Energies Installation Inc., Pure Energies Solar Services Inc., Pure Group Inc., RDI Consulting LLC, RERH Holdings LLC, Reliant Charitable Foundation, Reliant Energy, Reliant Energy Northeast LLC, Reliant Energy Power Supply LLC, Reliant Energy Retail Holdings LLC, Reliant Energy Retail Services LLC, Restoration Design LLC, Roof Diagnostics Solar Holdings LLC, Roof Diagnostics Solar and Electric LLC, Roof Diagnostics Solar and Electric of NY LLC, Saguaro Power Company a Limited Partnership, Saguaro Power LLC, San Gabriel Energy LLC, San Joaquin Energy LLC, San Juan Energy LLC, San Pascual Cogeneration Company International B.V., Sherbino I Wind Farm LLC, Solar Partners I LLC, Solar Partners II LLC, Solar Partners VIII LLC, Solar Power Partners, Solar Pure Energies ULC, Somerset Operations Inc., Somerset Power LLC, South Texas Wind LLC, Station A LLC, Sunrise Power Company LLC, Sunshine State Power (No. 2) B.V., Sunshine State Power B.V., TCV Pipeline LLC, Tacoma Energy Recovery Company, Taloga Wind II LLC, Texas Coastal Ventures LLC, Texas Genco GP LLC, Texas Genco Holdings, Texas Genco Holdings Inc., Texas Genco LP LLC, Texas Genco Services LP, US Retailers LLC, Valle Del Sol Energy LLC, Vienna Operations Inc., Vienna Power LLC, WCP (Generation) Holdings LLC, Watson Cogeneration Company, West Coast Power LLC, XOOM Alberta Holdings LLC, XOOM British Columbia Holdings LLC, XOOM Energy BC ULC, XOOM Energy California LLC, XOOM Energy Canada ULC, XOOM Energy Connecticut LLC, XOOM Energy Delaware LLC, XOOM Energy Georgia LLC, XOOM Energy Global Holdings LLC, XOOM Energy Illinois LLC, XOOM Energy Indiana LLC, XOOM Energy Kentucky LLC, XOOM Energy LLC, XOOM Energy Maine LLC, XOOM Energy Maryland LLC, XOOM Energy Massachusetts LLC, XOOM Energy Michigan LLC, XOOM Energy New Hampshire LLC, XOOM Energy New Jersey LLC, XOOM Energy New York LLC, XOOM Energy ONT ULC, XOOM Energy Ohio LLC, XOOM Energy Pennsylvania LLC, XOOM Energy Rhode Island LLC, XOOM Energy Texas LLC, XOOM Energy Virginia LLC, XOOM Energy Washington D.C. LLC, XOOM Ontario Holdings LLC, XOOM Solar LLC, and eV2g LLC. Knoll, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, and sells commercial and residential furniture, accessories, and coverings for the workplace and residential markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Office and Lifestyle segments. It provides systems furniture, including integrated panels or table desks, work surfaces and storage units, power and data systems, and lighting products; office seating products comprising various work chairs; and files and storage products, such as lateral files, mobile pedestals and other storage units, bookcases, and overhead cabinets. The company also offers adjustable tables, as well as meeting, conference, training, dining, and stand-alone and table desks; conference furniture product platforms; height desks, tables, and ergonomic seating and accessories principally for individual home offices and small businesses; technology support accessories, desktop organizational tools, and lighting and storage products; seating and lounge furniture, as well as side, cafA, and dining chairs; conference, training, dining, and occasional tables; and lighting, rugs, textiles, fabrics, felt, leather, upholstery, drapery, and related architectural products. It serves Fortune 1000 companies, governmental agencies, and other medium-to-large sized organizations in various industries, including financial, legal, technology, entertainment, accounting, education, healthcare, and hospitality through its direct sales force and showrooms, distribution partners, and independent dealers and retailers, as well as online. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in East Greenville, Pennsylvania. Read More Federated Investors, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, including high net worth individuals, banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, and registered investment advisors. Through its subsidiaries, it manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, balanced and money market mutual funds along with separate client-focused equity, fixed income, money market, and balanced portfolios. Through its subsidiaries, the firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The firm makes its fixed income investments in ultra-short, short-term, and intermediate-term mortgage-backed, U.S. Government, U.S. corporate, high yield, and municipal securities. It employs both fundamental and quantitative analysis to make its equity investments. Federated Investors, Inc. was founded in 1955 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with additional offices in New York City and London, United Kingdom. Read More Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Hannover RAck SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance products and services worldwide. It operates through Property & Casualty Reinsurance, and Life & Health Reinsurance segments. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment offers specialty lines comprising marine, aviation, facultative and direct business, credit, surety, and political risks reinsurance products; and treaty, catastrophe XL, and structured reinsurance, as well as insurance-linked securities. This segment also provides risk solutions for agricultural, livestock, and bloodstock businesses; aviation and space business; and marine and offshore energy business. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment offers group and individual credit life, enhanced annuities, group life and health, and Sharia-compliant Takaful reinsurance products. This segment also provides risk solutions in the areas of critical illness, disability, health, longevity, long term care, and mortality and morbidity, as well as underwriting services. In addition, it offers various financial solutions, including new-business financing; monetization of embedded value; reserve and solvency relief; and divestiture of non-core businesses. The company was formerly known as Hannover RAckversicherung AG and changed its name to Hannover RAck SE in March 2013. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Hanover, Germany. Hannover RAck SE is a subsidiary of Talanx AG. Read More The Williams Cos., Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company, which explores, produces, transports, sells and processes natural gas and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Transmission and Gulf of Mexico; Northeast G&P; and West. The Transmission and Gulf of Mexico segment comprises of interstate natural gas pipelines, Transco and Northwest Pipeline, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. The Northeast G&P segment includes midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation businesses in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment consists of gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins. The company was founded by David Williams and Miller Williams in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Read More Inphi Corporation provides high-speed analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions for the communications and computing markets in China, the United States, Thailand, and internationally. Its analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions offer high signal integrity at various data speeds and reduce system power consumption. The company's semiconductor solutions address bandwidth bottlenecks in networks, maximize throughput and minimize latency in computing environments, and enable the rollout of communications and datacenter infrastructures. Its solutions provide a high-speed interface between analog and mixed signals, and digital information in high-performance systems, such as telecommunications transport systems, enterprise networking equipment, and data centers. The company also provides 25G to 600G high-speed analog and mixed semiconductor solutions for the communications market. Its products perform a range of functions, such as amplifying, encoding, multiplexing, demultiplexing, and retiming signals at speeds up to 400 Gbps. Inphi Corporation sells its products directly through its sales force, as well as through a network of sales representatives and distributors to original equipment manufacturers. The company was formerly known as TCom Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Inphi Corporation in February 2001. Inphi Corporation was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. Read More KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation produces and sells a range of containerboards, corrugated products, and specialty paper products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Paper and Packaging, and Distribution. The Paper and Packaging segment offers containerboards consisting of linerboard and corrugated medium to manufacture corrugated containers for packaging products; and corrugated products. It also offers specialty paper products, including kraft paper, such as multiwall paper used to produce bags for agricultural products, pet food, baking products, cement and chemicals; specialty products comprising shingle wraps, end caps, roll wraps, and dunnage bags; and lightweight paper. In addition, this segment provides saturating kraft paper under the Durasorb trade name for use in construction, electronics manufacturing, and furniture manufacturing industries; and unbleached folding carton board under the Kraftpak trade name to integrated and independent converters in the folding carton industry. The Distribution segment distributes corrugated and other specialty packaging products consisting of stretch films, void fills, carton sealing tapes, and other specialty tapes. KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. Read More PetroChina Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in a range of petroleum related products, services, and activities in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline segments. The Exploration and Production segment engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment refines crude oil and petroleum products; and produces and markets primary petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. The Marketing segment is involved in marketing of refined products and trading business. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and sale of natural gas. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a total length of 31,151 km, including 22,555 km of natural gas pipelines, 7,190 km of crude oil pipelines, and 1,406 km of refined product pipelines. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil sands and coalbed methane; trading of crude oil and petrochemical products; storage, chemical engineering, storage facilities, service station, and transportation facilities and related businesses; and production and sales of basic and derivative chemical, and other chemical products. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Invesco China Small Cap ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Invesco China Small Cap ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. operates as an independent specialty pharmacy in the United States. The company operates through Specialty and PBM (pharmacy benefit management) segment. It provides specialty infusion pharmacy, patient care coordination, clinical, compliance and persistency program, patient financial assistance, specialty pharmacy training, benefits investigation, prior authorization, risk evaluation and medication strategy, retail specialty, and hub services, as well as clinical and administrative support services to hospitals and health systems. The company primarily focuses on medication management programs for individuals with complex chronic diseases, including oncology, immunology, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, specialized infusion therapy, and various other serious or long-term conditions. It also offers PBM services, including electronic point-of-sale pharmacy claims management, retail pharmacy network management, mail pharmacy claims management, specialty pharmacy claims management, Medicare Part D services, benefit design consultation, drug review and analysis, consulting services, data access, and reporting, information analysis, and preferred drug management programs to managed care organizations, self-insured employer groups, unions, and third-party healthcare plan administrators and worker's compensation payers. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Flint, Michigan. Read More William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company had revenue of $466.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $487.15 million. William Lyon Homes had a net margin of 3.04% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.98%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. View William Lyon Homes' earnings history. Travelport Worldwide Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates a travel commerce platform that offers distribution, technology, payment, mobile, and other solutions for the travel and tourism industry in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It facilitates travel commerce by connecting travel providers, such as airlines, hotel chains, and car rental companies with online and offline travel buyers in a business-to-business travel platform. The company provides distribution and merchandising solutions for hotel, car rental, rail, cruise-line, and tour operators; Virtual Account Number payment solutions that automatically generate unique MasterCard numbers that are used to process payments; advertising solutions; and other platform services, such as subscription, processing, and business intelligence data services, as well as marketing-oriented analytical tools to travel agencies, travel providers, and other travel data users. It also offers critical IT solutions and other services to airlines, such as shopping, ticketing, departure control, business intelligence, and other solutions. Travelport Worldwide Limited was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Langley, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of SK Telecom Co.,Ltd: ADT CAPS Co. Ltd., ADT Caps, Atlas Investment, CAPSTEC Co. Ltd., Cyworld, DongGuan Iriver Electronics Co. Ltd., Dreamus Company, Eleven Street Co. Ltd., FSK L&S (Hungary) Co. Ltd., FSK L&S (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FSK L&S Co. Ltd., FSK L&S Vietnam Company Limited, Hana Card, Hanaro Telecom, Happy Hanool Co. Ltd., Home & Service Co. Ltd., ID Quantique, Id Quantique LLC, Incross Co. Ltd., Infra Communications Co. Ltd., Iriver China Co. Ltd., Iriver Enterprise Ltd., K-net Culture and Contents Venture Fund, Korea Thrunet, LG HelloVision, Life & Security Holdings Co. Ltd., Life Design Company Inc., Mindknock Co. Ltd., Onestore Co. Ltd., PS&Marketing Co. Ltd., Panasia Semiconductor Materials LLC, Quantum Innovation Fund I, SK Broadband, SK Broadband Co. Ltd., SK Communications Co. Ltd., SK Global Healthcare Business Group Ltd., SK Infosec Co. Ltd., SK M&Service Co. Ltd., SK O&S Co. Ltd., SK Planet Co. Ltd., SK Planet Global Holdings Pte. Ltd., SK Planet Japan K. K., SK Telecom China Fund I L.P., SK Telecom China Holdings Co. Ltd., SK Telecom Innovation Fund L.P., SK Telecom TMT Investment Corp., SK Telink Co. Ltd., SK stoa Co. Ltd., SK telecom Japan Inc., SKP America LLC, SKT Americas Inc., SKinfosec Information Technology (wuxi) Co. Ltd., Service Ace Co. Ltd., Service Top Co. Ltd., Shopkick, Tbroad Nowon Broadcasting Co. Ltd., YTK Investment Ltd., iRiver Ltd, and id Quantique Ltd.. Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited. Read More Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Read More (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Citizens can rest assured that their leaders are moving with renewed passion and energy to make sure that the Community is functioning. This was pointed out by Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica and Chairman of the Council on Finance and Planning, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua, at a briefing to close the Sixth Meeting of the Council on Finance and Planning and The Ninth Special Meeting of The Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CSME on Wednesday, September 5, at Ilaro Court, Barbados. Chairman of the CSME Sub Committee Prime Minister Mia Mottley and CARICOM Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque were also present. Prime Minister Holness said: Our citizens, our voters, our electors can rest assured that as leaders we are addressing those issues that are important to them and that are practical and achievable and that we are using our energy to good effect. Noting that CARICOM citizens may sometimes question the viability or the purpose of CARICOM, he said they could rest assured that the CARICOM institutions are working [and] are functioning. To have both the Prime Ministerial Sub-committee and a second meeting of the Council of Finance Ministers in less than three months is a significant achievement seeing that they have not met in a really long time. There is, as has been said by Prime Ministers Browne and Mottley, a renewed energy and I dare say, passion for the practical form of integration that will move our entire region and to collaborate on mutual threats and challenges and I believe that that augurs well for everyone, Prime Minister Holness said. In his remarks, Prime Minister Browne thanked the Prime Minister of Barbados for the energy that she has brought to the CSME, noting that she has been a tower of strength in the integration movement and has been playing a significant role in ensuring the functionalities of the organs of the CSME and that there was increased focus on the CSME. He also praised chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister Holness, for identifying the CSME as a critical area to ensure that we have a truly functioning Community, and for advocating a move towards the eventual establishment of a Single Economy. Prime Minister Browne, in giving a synopsis of recommendations by COFAP, said that leaders agreed that having a deposit insurance system for the region would help to establish a level of protection for depositors against losses due to the failure of some financial institutions. He added that the system was especially important considering the failure of some financial institutions within the region and was required as a matter of urgency to enhance the financial safety-net for depositors and even for investors in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. We also took follow up action on the mandate from the CARICOM Heads of Government calling for the finalization of some of the relevant instruments before the Inter-sessional meeting in February of 2019, and others by next July. These include the Community Investment Policy; an investment code; an incentives regime; and an integrated capital market; starting with the adoption of model securities market legislation he added. Prime Minister Browne signaled that agreement was also reached on expediting the finalization of the CARICOM Financial Services Agreement, and approval given in principle for the objectives of the CARICOM Credit Reporting policy. He explained that the policy would provide for the regulation of the operations of credit bureaux and cross border exchange of credit information within the Community, to promote financial inclusion for CARICOM nationals, as they live and work across the Community. Prime Minister Mottley said the meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CSME agreed to send forward a number of recommendations to the Special Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government on the CSME to be held in Trinidad and Tobago later this year. These would include expansion of the categories of workers who can move and work across the Region on the CARICOM Skills Certificate. Right now there are 10 categories [of workers] and we have agreed to recommend an eleventh category of agricultural workers, primarily because we recognize the importance of being able to obtain food security across the region, particularly in these difficult and turbulent times. Andafter the realization of what the climate can do and hurricanes can do and now we see earthquakes disrupt the whole production and distribution cycle, and we are conscious and sensitive to the fact that we have to be able to move the region closer to a level of food security in ways that would not perhaps as assiduous about doing in recent times, the Prime Minister said. CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said he expects the concrete recommendations which will go the Special Meeting of CARICOM Heads later this year can be expected to lead to important agreements concretised for implementation. logo_ddn_tag_Site JN with Tagline logo-sns_tag_Site Our apologies, unfortunately our website is currently unavailable in most European countries due to GDPR rules. Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said the proposed waterways in Tapi and Narmada rivers in Gujarat will be developed by state-owned Kandla Port Trust. Vadodara: Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said the proposed waterways in Tapi and Narmada rivers in Gujarat will be developed by state-owned Kandla Port Trust. The Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Chemicals, and Fertilisers told this to PTI after a review meeting on road projects with MPs, MLAs and officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) here Saturday. "Kandla Port Trust will invest the money needed for the development and maintenance of waterways in Tapi and Narmada rivers," he said. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has initiated the process to finalise the detailed project reports (DPRs)for the development of waterways in both these rivers, the minister said. Mandaviya said this came afterthe technical feasibility reports, which said the waterways were technically viable in the two rivers. According to the minister, sea transport was safer than road transport for movement of goods and passengers. "Development of inland waterways in Tapi and Narmada rivers is cost-effective and environmentfriendly. It will help reduce the burden on roads, as around 140 truckloads of goods can be accommodated in a single 2,000-tonne vessel," he said. Mandaviyaclaimed that in the European countries, 40 per cent goods is transported via waterways, whereas in India it is just five per cent. "Besides that, water transport is cheaper than the other modes," he said. The Union minister also said total Rs 35,448 crore would be spent on developing four expressways in Gujarat- Rs 11,000 crore on Delhi-Vadodara expressway, Rs 8,711 crore on VadodaraMumbai expressway, Rs 8,000 crore on Sanchore- Radhanpur economic corridor and Rs 7,737 crore on Ahmedabad-Dholera expressway. The ongoing depreciation in rupee and high oil prices will help in the rebuilding efforts in flood-hit Kerala as remittances by the diaspora are going up, South-based lender Federal Bank said. (Photo: PTI) Mumbai: The ongoing depreciation in rupee and high oil prices will help in the rebuilding efforts in flood-hit Kerala as remittances by the diaspora are going up, South-based lender Federal Bank said. The bank feels reverses in its asset quality may reflect in the December quarter numbers once the exact impact of the damage and short-term forbearances wear-off. "The only saving grace is the rupee weakening and the oil being strong. This will lead to the NRIs in the Middle East remitting more and will help the rebuilding efforts," Federal Bank managing director and chief executive officer Shyam Srinivasan told PTI. He said the depreciation in rupee, which is touching record lows in each of the trading sessions recently and has slipped to 72 against the US dollar, and the diaspora remittances "soften the blow" of the floods. Srinivasan said there are signs of a spurt in remittances already, with the banks remittance handling go up to Rs 1,000 crore per week last fortnight, as against the usual average of Rs 700-800 crore. He was, however, quick to add that while remittances are not the solution to fight impact of disasters like the floods that have claimed over 400 lives, the current trend will help. "It will also help the bank garner much-needed deposits, which can ploughed into supporting credit for rebuilding," he said. When asked about the impact on asset quality, Srinivasan reaffirmed comments made during an investor call right in the aftermath of the floods last month and said that it will take three to four months before it plays into its loan book, if it were to. He said exposures to retail and small business segments will get advantage of regulatory dispensations that allow for non-recognition as a non-performing asset (NPA) in case of a calamity. Then afterward, it will be a case of how the cash flows restart, he said, adding that people are getting back to normal lives with a greater confidence. "The immediate impact of the floods on the asset quality will be on recovery efforts on assets already classified as non-performing," he said, pointing out that people would like to focus on rebuilding rather than paying old bad debts. He said loan demand will also go up, especially in the retail segment, as the rebuilding efforts gather steam. The bank is already seeing a spurt in consumer loans and construction loans, he said, adding that tourism activities related loans will also go up so that facilities are ready to cater to the inflows which start in the year-end. The bank is also one among two lenders which have been chosen by the state government to extend mortgage loans to government employees, Srinivasan said, adding this alone will get it business of Rs 500 crore. Over a third of the banks over Rs 94,000-crore book is concentrated in Kerala, he said, adding that he expects the retail boom growth in the state to be much faster than the usual rate of up to 18 per cent. When asked about analysts view of gold loans going up in the wake of floods, Srinivasan said Federal Bank has not seen a spurt in demand in the last two weeks, but added that the bank is also very open to grow the book. Srinivasan said the rebuilding efforts will take up to two years. New Delhi: Actor Deepika Padukone may have been vocal about her battle with depression, but the actor says while opening up, her aim was not to look 'brave.' The 32-year-old star said when she shared her struggles for the first time, she just wanted to be "honest" with herself and her fans. "For me, coming out with my experience and sharing it with the world really was about being honest. At that point, four years ago, I didn't think about it as being brave. I didn't think that it was meant to be revolutionary" she said. Deepika said she felt it was important for her to share, "Something that had changed my life. And something that I felt had a lot of stigma when I was experiencing it. There wasn't much awareness...even we weren't familiar with what I was going through. "There was also this feeling that, 'Maybe we should not talk about it and keep it hush.' So there was a lack of awareness; there was a lot of stigma." The actor was speaking at a discussion titled Finding Beauty in Imperfection, organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) here on Saturday. The Padmaavat star said that it was her mother, Ujjala Padukone, who realised that she was suffering from depression. "In my case, I didn't know what I was feeling or going through and fortunately, it was my mother who was my caregiver and recognised my symptoms in the early stages. "I was not feeling motivated anymore, I didn't know why I wasn't happy in my life, and she was the one who took me to a counsellor who immediately recognised that I needed medical help," Deepika said. The actor added sharing her story with the world made her feel that "huge weight is off my shoulders". "I felt completely transparent. There was no fear of being judged, and today I think it just made me a much happier person. It made me understand how fragile life is. It's made me much more sensitive to people's thoughts, feelings and emotions," she said. Deepika asserted that everyone has a story to tell, and people should not be quick to judge and label others. "We very easily judge people and label them. Everyone has a backstory.... it is very easy to pass a judgement about someone and say something about someone. But when you understand what someone has been through, it just makes you a lot more aware of the people around you," she said. The actor said her experience has made her aware of her physical and mental well-being. "When I start feeling anxious, I feel a knot in my stomach. I immediately know that I need to take care of myself and control my thoughts. Maybe breathe better and sleep more. "It has created so much awareness about my physical well-being. Because it was such a bad experience for me that I'm always aware now. Obviously, that fear of slipping into it again is there. I would never want to experience that again. So I'm always aware of my thoughts, feelings and emotions." At the event, Deepika was quizzed about her wedding plans with rumoured boyfriend Ranveer Singh, but the actor chose not to reply to the question, calling it "insensitive". Hrithik Roshan is one of those new-age actors who are quite familiar with the various aspects of filmmaking and likes to get involved in the post-production process. We hear that hes taking a keen interest in the editing of his upcoming film Super 30, and some rules have laid down in this regard. Firstly, Hrithik will be editing the film along with the actual editor. And secondly, director Vikas Bahl will be allowed to oversee the process and give his inputs, but his assistant directors wont be allowed into the editing studio. Even during the post-production of the film Kites, when director Anurag Basu and editor Akiv Ali were working on the edits, producer Rakesh Roshan would give his inputs. And once they were done, Hrithik would come in and re-edit portions of the film, a trade source reveals. Looks like the actor wants to make sure everything is just right for his big release. Sanskriti Media HT29 The sale of liquor chocolates without necessary permission amounts to violation of 34(A) of the Telangana Excise Act, 1968. Those found guilty face three to five years in jail. (Representional Image) Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on Friday, the excise department police arrested a person who was illegally manufacturing liquor chocolates at his residence in Asifnagar and supplying them to companies. The officials seized a whiskey bottle and cocoa powder from the accused. Police said the accused, P. Pradeep Kumar, 36, used to sell plastic bags before entering the liquor chocolate business two years ago to cash in on the rising demand. Asifnagar inspector K. Karuna Reddy said the accused used to manufacture whisky chocolates at his house. The sale of liquor chocolates without necessary permission amounts to violation of 34(A) of the Telangana Excise Act, 1968. Those found guilty face three to five years in jail. Kumar advertised the liquor chocolates on the b2b website Indiamart. With a tip-off from there, excise officials raided his residence in Gayathrinagar at 7.30 pm on Friday and caught him. The police have also seized 10 kg of cocoa powder, 2 kg of liquor chocolates, two essence bottles and one moulding tray. Police arrested Shyam, chief managing director of Future Maker Life Care Global Marketing Pvt Ltd, and his associate distributor Surender Singh and seized Rs 200 crore from them. (Representational Images) Hyderabad: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Cyberabad police said that it had busted a New Delhi-registered multilevel marketing money circulation scheme that had duped 20 lakh victims from around the country to the tune of more than Rs 1,200 crore. The police the company was headed by Radhe Shyam, a Class VII drop-out. Police arrested Shyam, chief managing director of Future Maker Life Care Global Marketing Pvt Ltd, and his associate distributor Surender Singh and seized Rs 200 crore from them. The Future Maker is registered with the Registrar of Companies, New Delhi, and has its head office at Hissar, Haryana. The scam came to light with a cheating case booked by the Kukatpally police which was later handed over to the EOW which took up the investigation. Cyberabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said the company had used a binary scheme, under which one person had to enrol two persons. Each of these two persons had to enrol two others and the chain continued. They advertised in leading newspapers and lured non-working class sector like housewives, unemployed youth. The joining fee was Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000 allotted for purchase of clothes and medicines, he said. Chennai: In a shocking turn, the principal of a central school in Bengaluru who has pending sexual harassment cases against him was transferred to Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. In January 2017, Kumar Thakur, principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya School in Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru, was accused of sexual abuse by students, especially from the high school for over three years. He would send inappropriate and suggestive messages to women staff too, said complainant Vasudeva Sharma in his petition. The principal, claiming to be counselling girl students would ask them into his room and meet them alone for more than half to one hour, Vasudeva said in his report. The accusation led to an outrage among parents, students and the public. Soon, Thakur was forced to go on leave and was finally arrested in February 2017. He was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Section 354(A) (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code. However, he was let out on bail a day later. Now, despite the case pending in the Karnataka High Court, Thakur has been transferred to Kendriya Vidyalaya in Tiruvannamalai. This, however, is not his first transfer since the case was filed. Thakur was moved to KV Karwar branch in Karnataka, prior to this shift. The commissioner of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) was summoned by the Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights for questioning on this matter. D.K. Dwivedi, assistant commissioner (vigilance), KVS, responded to the allegations, saying, As per the rules, an accused principal is not allowed to stay near the spot where the incident took place or come in contact with any witness, including students and teachers. Accordingly, we had transferred him to a school in Karwar. This time, however, the parents and child rights activists in Tamil Nadu are not taking the matter lightly. The Tamil Nadu Child Welfare Commission has demanded his removal. It is shocking how he is still being allowed to work among school children. Educational quality is not only in infrastructure and facilities, it is also in the safety of children, says Andrew Jeyaraj, a child rights activist in Chennai, who stressed that children would be extremely uncomfortable with such a man in their midst as they are fully aware of the case. Hyderabad: Terming the TD-Congress alliance in Telangana state as 'unholy', MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday lambasted both the political parties and said the duo would bite the dust in elections for indulging in dirty politics. Mr Owaisi said that the TRS would register a thumping victory for the developmental activities taken up caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Mr Owaisi ridiculed the alliance and asked how could the TD join hands with the Congress when it took birth as an alternative for the latter in united AP. He said the people of Telangana were with the TRS. He asked how TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would contribute to Telangana state when AP had not seen any developmental activity in four years. Notwithstanding KCR's popularity in the state, both the TD and the Congress have been indulging unethical politics, he said. Mr Owaisi said unlike other political parties TRS has sacrificed four months in power for welfare of the state. The RBI, in three separate releases, said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore each on three state-run banks. The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore each on the Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra for failing to detect and report fraud in certain accounts on time. New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore each on the Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra for failing to detect and report fraud in certain accounts on time. The RBI, in three separate releases, said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore each on three state-run banks. According to its releases, the central bank on August 30 "imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10 million" on the three banks for contravention of its instructions contained in Master Circular on Fraud - Classification and Reporting. The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested with the RBI under the provisions of Section 47A (1) (c) read with Section 46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 taking into account delay on the part of the bank to report fraud in an account, the release stated. Bengaluru: With the rumours flying thick about the possible arrest of Water Resources minister, D. K. Shivakumar, his younger brother and Benglauru Rural MP, D. K. Suresh alleged that both the state and the central BJP leadership were trying their best to destabilise coalition government with the JD(S) in the state on Saturday. Speaking to reporters at his residence here, Mr Suresh to buttress his allegations, released a letter allegedly written by the state BJP president, B.S. Yeddyurappa to the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes Sushil Chandra on January 10 last year, demanding a probe into alleged irregularities and corruption by him, his minister brother in the state D.K. Shivakumar and their close associates. Though, Mr Yeddyurappa has rubbished the charges, saying the letter was fake. Alleging that the BJP was indulging in politics of vendetta, Mr Suresh accused that the central agencies had morphed into a BJP morcha and were targeting him, his brother D. K. Shivakumar and their relatives and friends. If I have to explain the functioning of the central agencies, they are working like CBI morcha, ED morcha and I-T morcha. These officers are working under tremendous pressure from the central and state leaders of the BJP, Mr Suresh lashed out. He further added that the Income Tax officers had filed four cases against Shivakumar. When the officers realised that these might not yield the desired results, another attempt was made from back door to mount pressure on Mr Shivakumar and destabilise this coalition government. National and state leaders hatched a conspiracy under Mission-25 (seats) for the Lok Sabha election, he asserted and added that the BJP was using central agencies to fix the opposition members. Mr Suresh claimed that he and his brother were being targeted ever since the saffron party lost the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat in August last year, when senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel won in a close contest. In August 2017, the Income Tax Department had raided several properties owned by D. K. Shivakumar including several of his residences. The Income Tax officials had alleged that they had found Rs 8 crore unaccounted cash at his residence in New Delhi. The Income Tax Department had also filed charges at the Economic Offences court in Bengaluru. In August this year, Mr Shivakumar and four of his associates had petitioned the Karnataka High Court to stay the proceedings of the Income Tax Departments investigation. On August 18, the High Court had granted a stay, which had come as a relief to D.K. Shivakumar. Since the stay order was granted, the BJP is now bringing in the Enforcement Directorate because the I-T Department cannot investigate any further," Mr Suresh alleged. In the letter purportedly written by Mr Yeddyurappa, which was released by Mr Suresh, the BJP leader cited alleged irregularities and corruption by Mr Shivakumar, Mr Suresh and their close associates and demanded swift action against the duo if the complaint was found true. The letter ends with a note, "We collectively build better Karnataka and make it good, safe place to reside for citizens." Mr Suresh's accusation comes close on the heels of Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy's allegation that Mr Yeddyurappa's son B. Y. Vijayendra met the principal chief commissioner of Income Tax (Karnataka Goa region) B. R. Balakrishnan. The income tax department has rejected the charges, saying Balakrishnan did not meet any politician or their family members. It can be recalled that Mr Shivakumar and Suresh were instrumental in safely lodging the Gujarat MLAs during the Rajya Sabha election amid fear of the BJP poaching on them. The duo were also responsible for taking all Congress MLAs to Hyderabad ahead of the floor test in the Karnataka Assembly by the Yeddyurappa government on May 19, this year. Unable to muster numbers, Mr Yeddyurappa had resigned. The lecturer thought it was Aditya who had used the bad language. The lecturer, along with the help of other lecturers dragged him to the directors chamber and beat him up severely using a plastic pipe. Hyderabad: A minor student, H Aditya, 17, was brutally beaten by Geetanjali Junior College director T. Surendra Kumar and four other lecturers on the pretext of using foul language. Following the incident, the student was shifted to a hospital by his parents since he was badly injured. The student had also undergone appendectomy recently. A police case has been registered at the Nagarkurnool police station. According to the Nagarkurnool inspector, the victim was identified as H. Aditya, a second year BiPC student. During the Physics class, the lecturer heard some abuses while leaving the class. The lecturer thought it was Aditya who had used the bad language. The lecturer, along with the help of other lecturers dragged him to the directors chamber and beat him up severely using a plastic pipe. Child rights activist Achyuta Rao said that even after corporal punishment was banned, educational institutions were not paying heed to the ban. The Balala Hakkula Sangam has demanded the arrest of all the lecturers. The activist also raised the issue that the management was running the institution even on a second Saturday, on the pretext of conducting an examination. However, students said that it was an usual affair for them to have exams on every weekend and they did not have any holiday either on second Saturdays or Sundays. The land earmarked for a park in Musheerabad is being encroached. Hyderabad: Encroachers have been trying to grab a parcel of land worth Rs 8 crore in Sri Krishna Colony in Musheerabad, residents allege. The GHMC had earmarked the land spread over 1,087 square yards for a park. Residents claimed that land-grabbers had moved court and secured a status quo and had applied for a keeping by keeping vacant land as collateral. They claimed that they had taken the issue to the notice of senior GHMC officers but there had been no response, Sri Krishna Colony Residents Welfare Association president V.M. Yadagiri said the GHMC had earmarked the land for a park in 1980 but there was no work till 2014. That year, land sharks entered the scene and the matter went to court. Mr Yadagiri said nine cases on the land had gone in favour of the GHMC. Challenging the judgements, the encroachers filed a status quo petition in the High Court. In the meanwhile, land-grabbers had the land evaluated by a consultant at Rs 8,80,47,000 and allegedly applied for a loan of Rs 6 crore at the SBI, Bible House branch. When residents intervened, they approached a private bank, Mr Yadagiri said. He said the problem would not be resolved until a compound wall was constructed around the land. He said that the corporation had earlier constructed a wall on three sides, leaving one side open with an estimated cost of `15 lakh. Residents have asked the civic body to file a petition to secure vacation of the stay and construction the wall and instal a gate to protect the land. Asked about the issue, GHMC chief city planner S. Devender Reddy said he would depute field staff to look into the issue and resolve it. Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader K. Jana Reddy on Saturday challenged caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to prove the allegations levelled against him in 24 hours and offered to quit politics if Mr Rao succeeds. Mr Rao, at a meeting held in Husnabad on Friday, alleged that Mr Jana Reddy had promised in the Assembly that he would wear the TRS scarf and campaign for the party if the government succeeded in providing 24x7 power to the agriculture sector for free. The CM said the TRS government was supplying 24x7 power to agriculture sector for free and it was time for Mr Jana Reddy to wear the TRS scarf. Mr Jana Reddy accused the CM of distorting his comments. He said he had offered to wear the TRS scarf and campaign for the party if it succeeded in generating 24,570 mega watts of power by the end of 2018 in the state. Mr Jana Reddy said If Mr Rao fails to prove that I promised to campaign for the TRS if the government provided 24x7 power to the agriculture sector as claimed by him, then he must tender an apology. He said all Assembly records were accessible to the Caretaker CM. It is not the first time PC George has mad any statements like this. In August 2017, George faced backlash when he made insensitive remarks against an actress who was abducted and assaulted in a car in Kochi. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) Thiruvananthapuram: As the Kerala police failed to make any progress in rape case involving Jaladhar Bishop Franco Mullackal, an independent lawmaker waded into a controversy over statements on the rape survivor. PC George in an interaction with media questioned the character of the nun and called her a prostitute. "Is there any doubt that the nun is a prostitute? 12 times it was pleasure, 13th time it became a rape? Where was she when it happened 12 times? Whom is she telling this to? Why did she not complain on the first time it happened?... Let the three sisters be examined. Let us see if they are holy," said the lawmaker from Poonjar, while speaking on the charges against Bishop Mullackal. A 46-year-old nun alleged that she was sexually abused 13 times from 2014 and 2016. The nuns family said that they would initiate legal action against PC George for his statements and hurting the nuns sentiments. I am ashamed of such lawmakers who are giving these statements instead of helping women. NCW has already taken up the matter and we will write to DGP demanding strict action against him. I met her in person. She was protesting against the Bishop and demanding justice for herself. I've seen her being denounced by the church. She was denied basic facilities like ration and stipend, said NCW Chief Rekha Sharma. According to a NDTV report, a family member said, "She wanted to meet the media on Sunday, a day after the protests by the nuns and other supporters. But after this comment, she just locked herself in the room and refused to take calls or meet anyone for hours. She was very upset." It is not the first time PC George has mad any statements like this. In August 2017, George faced backlash when he made insensitive remarks against an actress who was abducted and assaulted in a car in Kochi. Members of various Catholic organisations took to streets to protest on Saturday the alleged negligence in the probe against the bishop. Read: Nuns protest in Cochin over police inaction in Kerala rape case Advocate Indulekha, who participated in the protest said, "We want action against the Bishop. He should be asked to step down from his position, by the church. He should be arrested." "Seventy-four days have passed since the complaint was made against Bishop Franco. The police recorded her statements several times. But the accused bishop was interrogated only once," said a nun who participated in the protest. The Kerala police questioned Bishop Mullackal and said the case needs more probing as there is a contradiction in the statements. Thirteen people were killed in a police firing after violence broke out on May 22 during an anti-Sterlite protest at Tuticorin. (Photo: File) Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has rejected the Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Tuticorin in the backdrop of the Sterlite controversy, saying it was "absolutely vague" and seemed to support the Vedanta Ltd unit which was "totally unwarranted". The main opposition DMK also lashed out at the report, saying it "angered" the people of the state. Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan wrote to the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, RD and GR (Ground Water), saying Tamil Nadu was "perturbed" that the report had been commissioned without intimating the state government or the statutory authorities, including the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). Referring to the TNPCBs refusal to renew consent for the operation of Sterlite Copper Smelting plant in Tuticorin in April, she said this was done after detailed investigation and analysis of all the relevant factors. "On the basis of scientific studies, the TNPCB has concluded that the level of pollution caused by the Sterlite Copper Smelting Plant has gravely affected the health and safety of residents in the locality, warranting closure of the industry," she said in the letter, dated September 7. To safeguard the environment, a fundamental duty was imposed on the state by virtue of Article 48(A) of the Constitution of India and the Tamil Nadu government had ordered a permanent closure of the unit, she said. The circumstances under which the Ministry of Water Resources had asked the Central Ground Water Board to carry out a water quality assessment in that area was "lacking in bonafides" as the TNPCB has not only conducted detailed studies but the matter was also sub-judice, she said. The matter was pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Delhi, besides the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, she added. Quoting from the report, she said it concludes that the investigation team could not enter into the premises of Sterlite Copper Industry to collect representative samples from inside and outside of the unit since district authorities had sealed it following a government order for its permanent closure. She said the report had stated that "Therefore, it cant be stated that M/s Sterilte Industry is only cause of pollution indicated above" and described this conclusion as "totally unwarranted". "This conclusion, which appears to support Sterlite Industry, is totally unwarranted, besides being absolutely vague and is not supported by any empirical data whatsoever," she said. Further, it does not appear to be made on any scientific basis and it was not known how the two scientists who have submitted the report have made such a vague and an unsubstantiated statement in the report, she added. She said the state government "strongly feels that the report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the Tamil Nadu government and the TNPCB cases in various judicial fora." The law and order situation in and around Tuticorin has returned to normalcy and such an "unscientific report" will likely aggravate it, Vaidyanathan said. "In view of the above, we reject the report and request you to immediately withdraw the entire report since the competent statutory authority of the State has already conducted a detailed analysis on which a decision has already been taken by the Tamil Nadu government and since the matter is sub-judice before various fora," she added. Thirteen people were killed in a police firing after violence broke out on May 22 during an anti-Sterlite protest at Tuticorin. Meanwhile, DMK president M K Stalin lashed out at the report, saying it was an attempt to help Sterlite re-open the plant even as the matter was sub-judice and that it was against the people of Tamil Nadu. "It is shocking to see the BJP government throw away the welfare of crores of Tamil people for the sake of a private corporate company," he claimed in a statement. Calling for withdrawal of the report, he also urged the state government to move the court for a stay against it. The report should be rejected at a meeting of the state Cabinet, Stalin added. Chennai: The State Cabinet is meeting at the Secretariat here on Sunday evening to consider the release of all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case in the wake of the Supreme Court's directive to TN Governor to consider the mercy plea of Perarivalan. Governor must take a decision as he "deemed fit" on the mercy petition filed on December 30, 2015, the SC bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K M Joseph had said in its order on Thursday, while disposing off a writ petition filed by the Centre in 2014 opposing the decision of the then Jayalalitha Government to release all the seven convicts. With state law minister C V Shanmugam reiterating, even on Saturday, that the 'Amma' Government had taken a policy decision already to release all the seven convicts, it is only to be expected that the process of facilitating the freedom of these persons, languishing in jail for over 27 years, would have a free flow and they would soon be released. The Supreme Court has asked the Governor to take the decision as he may "deem fit". That being the case, would be the Governor go against the decision taken by the President of India in rejecting the mercy petitions of the seven convicts on June 15, 2016, is the question worrying a few in the political and legal circles here. "But considering the deep human rights issues involved and the fact that the family of Rajiv Gandhi has repeatedly expressed desire that these seven should be freed, we hope there will be no further impediment to their release", said a lawyer, requesting anonymity. Those familiar with the LTTE ways have argued time and again, on various platforms, that most of those accused in the Rajiv assassination case were not aware of the gruesome murder and were only 'minor pawns' used by the LTTE leader Prabhakaran to carry out the belt-bomb blast on May 21, 1991. The Tiger chief and his shrewd intelligence chief Pottu Amman had never discussed and revealed the details of any major operation with even the top leaders in the group, keeping the information only to the small core group carrying out the job, so as to ensure top secrecy and zero-failure due to information leaking. This being the case, it would be inhuman to continue to keep the seven convicts in the jail if most of them have suffered so long for no fault of theirs, argue the rights groups. The DMK at its meeting of district secretaries, MPs and MLAs, at Chennai on Saturday adopted a resolution demanding that the TN Cabinet "should meet immediately to pass a resolution for the release of the seven and send that to the Governor for clearance". Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. (Photo: File) Chennai: The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu on Sunday decided to recommend to the state Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met here under Chief Minister K Palanisamy's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The moves comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts. Though the apex court had asked the Governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also petitioned seeking premature release, he said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the Governor "immediately," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. Hyderabad: AP Chief Minister and Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu has given enough indications on an alliance with the Congress. Mr Naidu has constituted a committee under the leadership of Telangana TD president L. Ramana and asked it to submit the report on alliance within two days. Naidu said, "You take a decision whichever is useful for TD on alliance. Whatever decision you take, I will endorse it." Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also left the decision on the TPCC whether to form the alliance or not. TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana TD president L. Ramana have already held discussions on the issue. Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge will pronounce the quantum of punishment for the two persons convicted in the twin blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park, at the special court in Cherlapally central prison on Monday. Hyderabad: The court of the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge will pronounce the quantum of punishment for the two persons convicted in the twin blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park, at the special court in Cherlapally central prison on Monday. The court will also give its judgement on another accused, Tariq Anjum, who was alleged to have harboured the accused persons. After an 11-year trial, the court on September 4 convicted Aneeq Shafique Sayeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Choudhary of committing the blasts and acquitted two others, Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash and Mohammed Sadiq Israr. The two blasts that occurred in a span of five minutes on the evening of August 27, 2007, claimed the lives of 44 people and left about 68 persons injured. The first chargesheet of 1,200 pages was filed on May 16, 2009, and a month later, two supplementary chargesheets were filed in the court by the Counter Intelligence Cell. Three other accused, Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal Bhatkal and Amir Reza Khan are still absconding. Aneeq and Choudhary were found guilty under several sections of the IPC, including murder, and also under the Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPPA). Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has started meeting with GST officers, both from central and state tax departments. Alarmed by a nearly four-fold rise in GST compensation to states for June-July, the Finance Ministry is crafting a strategy to shore up tax revenues and engaging with states to identify issues hindering their collections. New Delhi: Alarmed by a nearly four-fold rise in GST compensation to states for June-July, the Finance Ministry is crafting a strategy to shore up tax revenues and engaging with states to identify issues hindering their collections. Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has started meeting with GST officers, both from central and state tax departments, in the state capitals to understand issues plaguing the GST collections. There has been a spike in the bi-monthly GST compensation paid to the states by the Centre. The Centre paid Rs 14,930 crore to compensate states for revenue loss incurred in June and July, a nearly four-fold jump compared to Rs 3,899 crore paid for the months of April and May. "A strategy is to be devised to shore up GST revenues. The amount of compensation to be paid to each state varies every month and there is no set pattern," an official told PTI. The reason for increased compensation also varied from state to state. For instance, in one of the cases, a state saw a huge outgo on account of VAT refund following a court verdict, the official added. A discussion to shore up revenues has already happened with four states-- Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir, while a dialogue with Bihar and Uttarakhand is slated to take place later this month. The official said that one of the options being considered is stepping up anti-evasion measures with a focus on top 30 taxpayers, but added that the Centre will ensure that the fix to the problem will not be intrusive on businesses. "Data analytics will be put to use to examine the profile of top 30 taxpayers to study their tax payment pre and post GST implementation," the official added. The Finance Ministry has targeted monthly GST collections to be Rs 1 lakh crore for this fiscal, but the actual mop up has fallen short of the target month after month. The sole exception was the month of April in which the numbers exceeded Rs 1 lakh crore. The collections stood at Rs 94,016 crore in May, Rs 95,610 crore in June, Rs 96,483 crore in July and Rs 93,960 crore in August. The Centre had agreed to compensate the states for revenue loss on account of GST implementation for a period of five years. The loss of revenue to a state is calculated based on the difference between the actual realisation to a state under GST regime and the tax revenue it would have got under the old indirect tax regime after considering a 14 per cent increase over the base year of 2015-16. In 2017-18, the Centre had released Rs 41,147 crore to the states as GST compensation to ensure that the revenue of the states is protected at the level of 14 per cent over the base year tax collection in 2015-16. The revenue gap of each state is coming down since July and the average revenue gap of all states for last financial year was around 17 per cent, according to the finance ministry. Under GST, a cess is levied on luxury, demerit and sin goods over and above the highest tax rate of 28 per cent and the proceeds are utilised to compensate states for revenue loss. On an average, about Rs 8,000 crore is collected every month from this cess. Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Cabinet on Sunday recommended to Governor Banwarilal Purohit to release all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case by invoking his powers under Art 161 of the Constitution. A reporter asked minister Jayakumar if it was alright to release the convicts involved in the brutal killing of an ex-PM. All that is past. The CBI probe and investigation is past. What is present? The Tamil people want their release, shot back the minister. The seven convicts Murugan alias Sriharan, Nalini Sriharan, Santhan, A.G. Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas have been in jail for the last 27 years amid several mercy petitions, court hearings, political rallies and human rights campaigns for their release. Perarivalans mother Arputhammal, who has been fighting relentlessly through the years for his release, choked with emotion while expressing gratitude to the government as she faced the TV cameras soon after meeting CM Palaniswami with a bouquet of flowers. The initiative was inspired by the Supreme Court directive to the TN Governor on Thursday to consider the mercy plea of Perarivalan and take a decision as deemed fit. The government decided to stretch the relief to cover not just Perarivalan but all the seven. The resolution was welcomed by almost everyone in the state, barring a few legal experts who expressed opinion that the Governor might not be a rubber-stamp the recommendation and choose to consult the Attorney General and the Centre. Hyderabad: The TPCC has geared up to make Bharat Bandh successful on Monday against steep hike in fuel prices. TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday asked party leaders to make the bandh called by the Congress successful. He asked them to hold protests in front of Jubilee Bus Station, Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and Dilsukh-nagar bus station. Mr Uttam, along with senior Congress leaders Shabbir Ali, AICC secretary Bosu Raju, will take part in protests at various places. He also appealed to people to register their protest against the failure of the NDA government in controlling petrol prices. Hyderabad: Voters in the 18-35 age group find politics divisive. While the urban voters do not even participate in the process the rural youth flock to exercise their franchise because they are highly polarised, politicians belonging to various parties said at the Leadership Summit held at the Indian School of Business (ISB) on Sunday. Deciphering the reasons, MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, Youth do not vote because we as politicians are unable to inspire them. You inspire them, you give them a message and you reflect their real needs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did this in 2014. What he did was not reflect what they wanted, he reflected their anger against the Congress and created great castles in the air, which the youth fell for. A quick show of hands in the audience confirmed that many highly educated attendees did not vote in 2014. Mr Owaisi said that if they did not go out and vote in 2019 he wouldnt blame them because they had been taken for a ride. The BJP at the national level and the TRS at the state were able to appeal to youth voters in 2014, which helped the parties win. Politicians said if there was a significant difference in polling in the upcoming elections, it would be because of these young voters. BJP MLC Ramchander Rao, highlighting the importance of the vote, said that he lost his first MLC election from the graduates constituency by 100 votes. About 3,000 educated voters either did not vote, or their votes were found to be invalid. They urged the youth to come out and express their opinion, even if it is by choosing the NOTA option. TD MP K. Rammohan Naidu said, There is a certain amount of passion with which the youth come. They have to start by connecting at ground level, especially picking the right candidate to vote. The greatest advantage we have is NOTA. It is a good change to see people opting for NOTA, you are at least saying that you dont agree with any of the candidates. In the RK Nagar byelection in Tamil Nadu, more voters chose the NOTA option than the BJP candidate. Panelists urged that some opinion has to come out from youth through voting. Chevella TRS MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy said, If there is NOTA there should be compulsory voting. NOTA has no meaning unless there is compulsory voting. Congress workers from Warangal and Khammam districts protest in front of Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Sunday, asking the TPCC not to allot Wyra and Station Ghanpur seats to alliance partners. (Photo:P. Surendra) Hyderabad: Cracks seem to have appeared in the Opposition even before the proposed grand alliance could take shape in Telangana State. Over the past few weeks the Congress has been mulling forming an alliance with anti-TRS and anti-BJP parties to defeat the TRS in the upcoming state elections. On Sunday, the Telugu Desam too sprang into action to form a 'grand alliance'. The Telangana TD president, L Ramana, held talks with the Communist Party of India on seat adjustments and invited Telangana Jana Samithi chief Prof. Kodandaram for talks. He is expected to meet Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday to discuss the grand alliance. After the meeting, Mr Ramana and CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy announced the formation of an alliance for the Assembly polls. The Congress is willing to offer 30 seats to the TD, CPI, CPM and the TJS out of the 119 in the state. While the Congress leaders in south Telangana - where a considerable number of AP-origin people reside - are in favour of a tie-up with the TD, those in North Telangana districts are against it, fearing that the TRS would fuel 'regional sentiments' by projecting the TD as an "Andhra Party". On Sunday, scores of Congress leaders and activists from Warangal and Khammam districts held a flash protest in front of Gandhi Bhavan. They demanded that the TPCC not allot Wyra and Station Ghanpur seats to the alliance partners. They threatened to contest as rebels if the party ignored their demand. While the TD is demanding all the seats which it had won in 2014, Congress ticket aspirants in these seats are opposing this. The preliminary talks between Congress and other Opposition parties have been going on for the past few days on seat adjustments for Assembly polls. Congress sources said the party was keen to offer 15 seats to the TD, six to the TJS and four each to the CPI and the CPM. While this remains the case, the CPM is learnt to be opposed to joining an alliance that contains the Congress. It is trying to have a tie-up with the Jana Sena of film actor Pawan Kalyan. It has held preliminary talks with Jana Sena leaders in this regard. Congress leaders in North Telangana argue that the region has 56 seats and the TD has no presence there. They express concerns that if the TD is given seats in these districts, it would prove disastrous. Their counterparts in the south Telangana districts on the other hand argue that the Congress-TD tie-up was necessary to beat the TRS in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak and Nalgonda districts, where a considerable chunk of AP-origin voters reside. New Delhi: Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modis resolve of a Naya Bharat (New India) by 2022 will be achieved, the BJP declared on Sunday that the Opposition was daydreaming about the coming Lok Sabha polls as it neither has a leader, nor policy, nor strategy. In a political resolution passed on the last day of the partys national executive meeting, the BJP said it will continue to be in power in 2019 as the government is working with a mission of Sabka saath, sabka vikas and the Prime Minister has a very high approval rating, something that is unprecedented for a leader after four years in power. Human resources development minister Prakash Javadekar, who briefed the media about the political resolution moved by Union home minister Rajnath Singh in the meeting, said while the Prime Minister was building an India of no poverty, casteism, corruption and communalism, the sole agenda of the frustrated opposition was roko Modi (stop Modi). However, the resolution had no message for the partys core votebank, the upper castes, who have been seething over the recent legislation on the SC/ST Act, or the opposition, that has been attacking the government over fuel prices. In a damning indictment of the way US President Donald Trump is prone to think wildly and act on impulse, an insider in his administration wrote an article which the New York Times carried on its op-ed page without a byline. The issue may have been sidetracked in the hunt for which senior official in the Trump administration who may have written the article. What is at stake here is the real possibility of a reality star with a larger than life image running amok in the White House and acting detrimental to the health of the US and by extension many other parts of the world. While noting the success of a more powerful military and more prosperous corporates, markets and job creation doing well, the writer says, these successes have come despite not because of the Presidents leadership style, which is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. The object of the article may have been to throw light on the resistance inside the White House to an unmoored President. While the Republican author may have intended it to be an effort to warn Mr Trump into changing his ways, there are moves afoot to escalate the issue into an attempt at impeaching him. In an all-revealing book by Watergate investigative journalist Bob Woodward, reports have surfaced of a chaotic White House in which aides have even stolen memos and torn them up so that US ties with allies may not be jeopardised by the Presidents decisions taken on whims and fancies, and which would keep changing too. True to form, Mr Trump has approached both subjects with the same aggression that marks his attack on the free press that he calls fake news. There is reason to fear the worst from the West Wing. H10 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis at the joint press conference after the India-US 2+2 Dialogue, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) With the signing of the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) agreement with the United States last week, during the visit to New Delhi of US defence secretary James Mattis and secretary of state Mike Pompeo for the 2+2 dialogue with Indias defence and external affairs ministers, India has signed three of the four foundational agreements with the US. Essentially, this means India is now a very significant military (and political) partner of America, effectively just short of a Nato- type relationship. BECA, the last of the four critical defence supplies agreements, will probably be sealed soon, without any serious hurdles remaining, if the current thinking persists in New Delhi. Nations like Pakistan and Egypt have been there only to realise such a close embrace didnt in the end save them from Washingtons displeasure at specific moments in regional/international affairs. What, in the end, counts is a countrys innate strengths, not just a piling up of ultra-sophisticated military hardware from any one side. COMCASA will doubtless bring critical defence strengths essentially communications interoperability. It will also bring real-time information of military significance, including intelligence, to the battlefield. However, precisely because of being locked into the US military communications and sensors systems, in time to come military wares from other sources, especially Russia with which the US has evolved a relationship of hostility even in the post-Cold War era will be strangulated. This may give America a virtually monopoly over Indias defence market. In August 2016, on a visit to India, then US secretary of state John Kerry had underlined it was a strong relationship in the defence arena that was critical to forging strategic and commercial ties of value to the US. Under the Obama administration, India was in the process of being designated a major defence partner of America. But Mr Kerrys words ring true. The problem of being strategically locked in on any one strong side of the international security game in a multipolar world, when promiscuity in ties is the norm, is the demand by the mega-power of exclusion or near-exclusion from other quarters with which a mutually beneficial relationship can be nurtured. In Indias case, this means being alienated from countries like Iran and Russia, both of which lend a deep strategic dimension to Indias orientation in the world. In order that domestic concerns may be allayed, India ensured insertion into the joint statement signed during the 2+2 dialogue emphasis on this countrys autonomous space. The statement said the two countries are strategic partners, major and independent stakeholders in world affairs. This appears to be so much for effect as it appears to exaggerate this countrys real position on the international scale. We are getting locked into an embrace. But we need to maintain clarity in the politics of the region and the world. In the backdrop of the ongoing row over proposed changes in the RTI Act, the government has invited applications from eligible candidates to fill vacant posts of information commissioners (ICs) in the Central Information Commission. In the backdrop of the ongoing row over proposed changes in the RTI Act, the government has invited applications from eligible candidates to fill vacant posts of information commissioners (ICs) in the Central Information Commission. There are six ICs working in the CIC against a sanctioned strength of 10. The CIC is headed by chief information commissioner R.K. Mathur. Many RTI activists and the government are at loggerheads over the proposed changes in the transparency law. The activists have claimed that the proposed changes will dilute the law. According to the proposed amendment, the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the chief information commissioner and ICs shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central government. The tenure of ICs at the Centre and states is proposed to be amended from a term of five years to terms as may be prescribed by the Central government. The salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the ICs shall be as may be specified at the time of appointment of the selected candidates. The latest advertisement seeking applications for the post of ICs make the governments intent clear, that the proposed changes in the act may get the nod of Parliament. Few takers for Central posts Working at the Centre does not seem like an exciting prospect any more for many babus. The Centre had extended the last date of application for at least four Union joint-secretary level posts up to August 24. The posts come under the ministries of petroleum and natural gas, textiles, commerce and industry and health. Though no reason is being cited, it is believed that the government was prompted to extend the date of application due to less number of suitable applicants. The posts for which applications have been invited include, chairman-cum-managing director, Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India Ltd, Noida; secretary, Oil Industry Development Board; development commissioner, Cochin Special Economic Zone, Cochin; and senior deputy director-general (administration), Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi. Of course, the government is hoping to have better luck filling the 10 positions of joint-secretary level, that have been recently opened for lateral entry from the public and private sectors. Bihar blocks babus transfer The battle of a Bihar-cadre IAS officer Jitendra Gupta seeking an inter-cadre transfer to Haryana has blown up into a major tussle. The state government has now gone to the Delhi high court against Mr Guptas plea requesting the transfer following alleged threat to his life from the transport mafia in Bihar. In 2015, the 2013-cadre IAS officer had acted strongly against some organised gangs and has been claiming a threat to his life since, which the state government continues to deny. But recently an RTI plea revealed an internal report of the Bihar police, which corroborates the babus claim. The Bihar government had moved the SC against the HCs decision to quash the FIR and initiated departmental proceedings against the officer. He was currently posted as officer on special duty, department of environment and forest. Mr Gupta moved the SC for an inter-cadre transfer to Haryana because he faced extreme hardships. The SC directed the department of personnel and training (DoPT) to consider the grievances of Mr Gupta and take appropriate action. The DoPT considered his application for transfer to Haryana cadre and the latter even issued a no-objection certificate. But the Bihar government continues to oppose the transfer. The IAS officers association of Bihar and Central IAS Association have strongly protested the unlawful action of the state administration against Mr Gupta. B09 The Maharashtra Police had arrested the five activists in connection with an event on December 31, 2017, that triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village. On September 3, the Bombay high court asked why Maharashtras additional director general (law and order), Parambir Singh, held a press conference on August 31 to disclose evidence against persons facing trial in a court of law. Five respected civil rights activists were arrested on August 28 in connection with acts of violence in Bhima Koregaon in January. In June, the Pune police had arrested five others in the same case. Almost three months later came the arrests of five more all persons of repute. Their houses were raided and papers were seized. The Supreme Court ordered them to be put under house arrest. Three days later, the police decided to respond with an improper disclosure of the evidence it would present in court. The arrested persons are alleged to be sympathisers of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), popularly called Naxalites. ADG Singh said that the police needed the activists in custody to confront them with the seized letters. He read out some of them at the press conference. The high court rightly said that the matter is sub judice. The Supreme Court is seized of the matter. This constitutes contempt of court. The limit had been systematically crossed for long, and the courts did nothing to check the breaches. The Bombay high court itself erred in condoning a grave breach. On the morning of June 27, 1970, the Bombay police arrested Prof Jagdamba Prasad Dixit, who had taught Hindi at St Xaviers College in Mumbai for 14 years, along with some others, for alleged Naxalite activities. A magistrate remanded him into custody that day until July 6. On June 29, the deputy commissioner of police, Greater Bombay, held a press conference at his office, brandished documents and made comments on the persons arrested. On July 8, while a bail application of the suspects were still pending in court, the same police official held another press conference and also gave a press interview on July 9, the day a bail application was to be heard by the high court. It was granted. The court observed that the material collected did not show reasonable grounds to suggest Dixits involvements in the offences. On August 31, the police itself applied for his discharge in the case. Dixit did not cite the editors of the papers that had published the reports. But that does not absolve the person who made the comments. The police contended that its statements at the press conference were based on the remand application. On February 15, 1971, justices Palekar and S.K. Desai held that there was therefore no attempt on the part of the respondent to interfere with the course of justice and that the press conferences were not held with a view to influence the decision in the judicial tribunals. The respondent cannot be deemed to be responsible without further proof for all that has been published in the press pertaining to the two alleged press conferences. As far as the holding of press conferences is concerned, we are of the opinion that in the special background of this matter there was an occasion on which it would be proper for the police or other state authorities to give certain information to the press. We are finally of the opinion that although this may result perhaps in some detriment to the accused persons in the public eye, this has to be balanced against the duty to the public and requirements of the public interest; and after balancing the same we are of the opinion that no contempt of court would be involved. The judgment was wrong on all the points. In law, the intention of the contemnor is not relevant. The officials responsibility is based on what he said. He did not deny the press conference. The special background of a particular case does not alter the law. A press conference by the police prejudices the public against the persons arrested. The court itself held that there is, however, some substance in the contention that by these reports the applicant and the other accused were condemned in the eyes of the public and that there was a trial in the public held much before the actual trial. The test is a tendency to prejudice the public. Press conferences held by the police have that tendency. As for informing the public, a factual press note shorn of comment should suffice. This erroneous judgment gave carte blanche to the police. It should be overruled now. By arrangement with Dawn B09 In 1950, British scientist Alan Turing developed something we call the Turing test. It determines the ability of a computer to show intelligent behaviour. Turings test required a human to observe a natural text conversation between a human and a machine (such as on a messaging app). If the human could not reliably tell which was man and which was machine, the computer would be said to have passed the test. We have of course reached that stage in computer intelligence, but Turing was not around to see it. He died in 1954 at the age of 41. He was convicted of homosexuality in Britain and was made to undergo chemical treatment to make him impotent (this was the punishment offered as an alternative to jail in Britain). He killed himself a couple of years later. A century before Turing, the great English author Oscar Wilde was also convicted for the crime of being a homosexual. He spent two years in jail, after humiliation in court. The judge who sentenced him said: It is no use for me to address you. People who can do these things must be dead to all sense of shame, and one cannot hope to produce any effect upon them. It is the worst case I have ever tried. I shall, under the circumstances, be expected to pass the severest sentence that the law allows. In my judgment it is totally inadequate for a case such as this. The sentence of the court is that each of you be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for two years. The crowd in the court cried: Shame! Wilde said: And I? May I say nothing, my Lord? But the court adjourned and Wilde went off for two years of hard labour. In 1967, the British Parliament legislated a law called the Sexual Offences Act. It decriminalised gay sex between consenting adults. This is of course also what our Supreme Court did this week. Following this, there was a letter in British newspaper the Guardian, by a reader from Glasgow named Paul Brownsey, which read as follows: A toxic colonial legacy dies with Indias anti-gay law, says your headline (September 7) above the article about the Indian Supreme Courts declaration that the law against gay sex is unconstitutional. India has been independent for 71 years. If the law had really been contrary to Indian culture groaning under colonial imposition, one might expect it would have been overthrown long ago. Brownsey was referring to many articles in the press worldwide, which said that Section 377 was essentially a colonial legacy and therefore we Indians had no responsibility for it. However, as he says, we chose to leave it on our law books for seven decades after independence. We must accept this to our great shame. The other thing that has not been observed in this matter is that the striking down of the section happened by a court and not through legislation as it did in the United Kingdom. It would have been much more appropriate if a law such as this, which all of the civilised world has given up, was struck down through democratic politics rather than five individuals sitting in judgment. I know of only two politicians who have spoken out in Parliament or tried to move legislation against the law criminalising gay sex. One is Tathagata Satpathy of the Biju Janata Dal and the other Shashi Tharoor of the Congress. I understand that Mr Tharoor was not able to even get support from the majority of the Congress Partys MPs when he made the attempt. Why am I bringing this up? The preamble to the Indian Constitution reads as follows: We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved... to secure to all of its citizens Justice social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all; Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation. This is crystal clear. We were offending the dignity of our fellow Indians with that awful law. We were offending against their expression, their belief and their equality of status. How many Turings and Wildes have we lost because they were afraid to express themselves or feared the law or were ostracised by society and forced to lead a life which was essentially a lie? How many gay women today live in marriages that they do not belong in but were forced to get into because of societal pressure and shame? I cannot even imagine what the numbers are. While we should be grateful that we have finally done away with a law we should never have had in independent India, we should ponder about why it remained for 71 years and why it took a court to outlaw it. The issue should have been a matter for popular politics because it offended against the promise we made ourselves in our preamble. Ensuring that the rights of the people are upheld by the people themselves is what democracy ultimately is meant to do. B09 Haasan called Yogendra Yadav 'brother' and said 'politician from different state' had come to learn about opinion of farmers of our state. 'This act is to be criticised and condemned, as it prevents opinions from being shared and is an act of dictatorship,' Haasan said in a statement. (Photo: File) Chennai: Makkal Neethi Maiam founder-president Kamal Haasan Saturday condemned the detention of Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav near Tiruvannamalai when he was on his way to express solidarity with farmers protesting against the proposed Salem-Chennai Expressway project. Kamal Haasan called Yogendra Yadav 'brother' and said "a politician from a different state" had come to learn about the opinion of the farmers of our state". "This act is to be criticised and condemned, as it prevents opinions from being shared and is an act of dictatorship," Haasan said in a statement. People should have the freedom to express their views without fear, the actor-turned-politician added. The Swaraj Abhiyan leader tweeted that he was "manhandled" and pushed into a police van. "We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way. We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones were snatched, we were roughed up and pushed into the police van. Firsthand experience of police state in TN," he said. Yadav said he had come here for fact-finding on land acquisition when he was stopped from proceeding. The Rs 10,000-crore eight-lane expressway connecting Salem with Chennai is being opposed by a section of farmers and land owners who do not want to part with their land. The project, a Central government initiative being implemented by the Tamil Nadu government, aims to bring down the travel time between Salem and Chennai. The state government has been insisting that it would also help address the issue of fatal accidents on this stretch, besides saving on fuel and vehicular wear and tear. This Bengaluru boy was always intrigued by photography and decided to take it up professionally in 2010. A self-taught snapper, Auditya Venkatesh is also a road-tripper and filmmaker, whose images have ensured that he garners a humongous following online. Calling himself a University of Google passout, Auditya reveals, I have attended workshops but, Ive mostly got my lessons online by following blogs and trends. Bangalore Sky Walk. Petra by night. Misty Mountains All his experiences as a child helped shaped this shutterbugs vision. I used to paint a lot when young. I love colours and patterns and my mum had this whole drawing kit, so I liked lines and shapes since childhood. All of these, are things I look for in photos symmetry, lines and patterns. Earlier, Id look for beautiful places to shoot, but now, its about making every day look beautiful I strive for this in my images today. Sea of change. The scenic Dal Lake and its reflection. A shot of San Francisco. In 2006, Auditya acquired his first digital camera and since then, hes been shooting regularly. When he started off with photography, he shot parties and college fests and then moved onto capturing other events. I was also shooting a lot of weddings in between, but I zeroed in on landscape and architecture and right now, I do that and also shoot a lot of travel images. I capture a lot with my smartphone the Google Pixel 2XL too, he says. Reaching for the impossible. Pamban-Bridge. Currently, Auditya is working on a range of challenging projects including a whole lot of product shoots. As part of his job, he gets to travel to exotic locations across the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Hes also visited a plethora of international destinations including Germany, Australia and San Francisco. An exciting project I did was the one in South Africa called Meet South Africa with Jonty Rhodes. While Ive travelled across the globe, India remains my favourite destination to explore, he smiles. The verdict was criticised by senior United Nations officials and governments including the United States, Britain and Bangladesh, as well as press freedom advocates in Myanmar and around the world. (Representational Image) Yangon: Myanmar's government spokesman said on Friday a court that convicted two Reuters journalists under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act was independent and followed due process, after international calls for the pair to be released. A judge on Monday found Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, guilty of breaching the law on state secrets and sentenced them to seven years in prison. The verdict was criticised by senior United Nations officials and governments including the United States, Britain and Bangladesh, as well as press freedom advocates in Myanmar and around the world. "The Reuters case is the decision of the court and the court is independent," spokesman Zaw Htay told a news conference in the capital Naypyitaw, in the government's first public comments on the case since the verdict. He said he would not comment further to avoid committing contempt of court. The journalists, who pleaded not guilty, were investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim villagers by the Myanmar security forces at the time of their arrest in December. A crackdown by Myanmar soldiers and police in response to militant attacks last year drove about 700,000 Rohingya to flee western Myanmar for Bangladesh, according to UN agencies. Zaw Htay said the government had not sought to influence the court, despite international pressure over the Rohingya crackdown, including a UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar in the week before the verdict. "It means the court does not know about anything else and it continued to do its own process," he said. "This (the verdict) happened and now we have more pressure. But this is proof that we have nothing to do with the court." On Thursday, the International Criminal Court ruled it had jurisdiction over Myanmar's alleged deportation of Rohingya, paving the way for the court's prosecutor to further examine whether there is sufficient evidence to file charges. Zaw Htay declined to comment in detail on that ruling, but said the government would release a statement later responding to the decision. Myanmar has previously said it was not subject to the court's rulings since the country is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC. The court found it had jurisdiction because part of the alleged act of deportation took place in Bangladesh, which is an ICC member state. Kim Jong Un showed off his friendship with China, raising the hand of President Xi Jinping's envoy as they saluted the crowd together afterwards (Photo: AFP) Pyongyang: Thousands of North Korean troops paraded through Pyongyang Sunday as the nuclear-armed country celebrated its 70th birthday, followed by artillery and tanks, but it refrained from displaying the intercontinental ballistic missiles that have seen it hit with sanctions. Instead leader Kim Jong Un showed off his friendship with China, raising the hand of President Xi Jinping's envoy as they saluted the crowd together afterwards. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the North is officially known, was proclaimed on September 9, 1948, three years after Moscow and Washington divided the peninsula between them in the closing days of the Second World War. Such set-piece dates are a mainstay of the North's political calendar, particularly when round numbers are involved, and have long been occasions for showing off its latest hardware. After a 21-gun salute, dozens of infantry units marched through Kim Il Sung Square, some in night-vision goggles or wielding rocket-propelled grenade launchers (AFP) But too militaristic a display might have risked upsetting the recent diplomatic dalliance on the peninsula, after Kim's Singapore meeting with US President Donald Trump in June and his third summit with the South's President Moon Jae-in due in Pyongyang later this month. After a 21-gun salute, dozens of infantry units marched through Kim Il Sung Square, some in night-vision goggles or wielding rocket-propelled grenade launchers, as the current leader -- the founder's grandson -- looked on from a rostrum. Li Zhanshu, one of the seven members of the Chinese Communist party's Politburo Standing Committee, the country's most powerful body, sat next to him, the two of them occasionally exchanging comments. Armoured personnel carriers, multiple rocket launchers and tanks followed, with biplanes flying overhead in a '70' formation. Armoured personnel carriers, multiple rocket launchers and tanks followed, with biplanes flying overhead in a '70' formation (AFP) At one point jets trailing red, white and blue smoke -- the colours of the North Korean flag -- roared above the Juche Tower, the stone monument to Kim Il Sung's political philosophy. Finally came the missiles, the traditional climax of the parades. But the only ones on show were the blue Kumsong-3, an anti-ship cruise missile, and the Pongae-5 surface-to-air weapon. There was no sign of the Hwasong-14 and -15 missiles that can reach the mainland United States and changed the strategic balance when they were first tested last year. "It looks like the North Koreans really tried to tone down the military nature of this," said Chad O'Carroll, managing director of Korea Risk Group. "There was no display of ICBMs, IRBMs (intermediate-range ballistic missiles), which would really not have sat well with the whole idea that North Korea is committed to ultimate denuclearisation. So I think it will be well received." Immediately after the parade thousands of citizens walked through the square, escorting floats displaying economic themes and calls for Korean reunification. In April, Kim declared that the North's development of nuclear weapons had been completed and "socialist economic construction" would be the new strategic priority. In warm sunshine the marchers waved bouquets and flags and chanted "Long live" to the leader. Honoured Guest Diplomatic invitations for the anniversary went out around the world, but the only head of state who attended was Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz -- although AFP spotted French actor Gerard Depardieu seated in a section below the main tribune. After the civilian rally Kim and Li saluted the crowd, the North Korean raising his guest's hand into the air. Beijing is its neighbour's key diplomatic protector and trade partner, and after years in the deep freeze over the North's missile and nuclear tests their ties have warmed rapidly this year, with Kim visiting China three times to meet President Xi Jinping. Speculation that Xi might reciprocate for the anniversary did not come to pass -- Hu Jintao was the last Chinese president to visit in 2005 -- but O'Carroll said it appeared that Pyongyang was looking to promote its friendship with Beijing. "That's also got some impact on US-DPRK negotiations of course because China is still a very important player and its presence here with such a high level delegation is intended in some way to remind the US of that." Washington is seeking the "final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea", while Pyongyang has only publicly affirmed its commitment to working towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, a euphemism open to interpretation on both sides, and the process has become bogged down in recent weeks. "Anniversaries are important in the DPRK, and this one is particularly so," said Evans Revere of the Brookings Institution think-tank in Washington. "These celebrations are also occasions for the leader to demonstrate accomplishments and national power, and to take credit for them." The collapse of UN efforts to organise peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels is likely to lead to an escalation in the country's war, analysts say. Long-awaited talks between the Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels linked to Iran were set to start Thursday but failed to take place. The Huthis, armed ribesmen from northern Yemen, refused to leave Sanaa to attend the talks, saying the UN had failed to guarantee the return of their delegation from Geneva to the Yemeni capital and to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. With hopes of political conciliation dashed, experts fear both the rebels and Saudi-backed troops will turn to more violence. "We will almost certainly see a military escalation, as the initial failure of Geneva will deepen the Saudi-led coalition's conviction that only further losses on the battlefield will cause the Huthis to compromise," said Graham Griffith, senior analyst at the UAE-based consultancy Control Risks. "However, the military campaign is likely to be hampered by the additional scrutiny the coalition is facing over its conduct in the war," he added. The Saudi-led coalition has drawn heavy international criticism for the high civilian death toll from its more than three-year-old bombing campaign in Yemen. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes but accuse the rebels of routinely using civilians as human shields. The head of the Huthi rebels, for his part, on Saturday issued a message of defiance. "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression," said Abdulmalik al-Huthi. "We must move on all fronts to recruit for our defence." The Geneva talks were abandoned on Saturday as fresh fighting broke out on the ground. Analysts say the failure to bring Yemeni representatives to the summit, which would have been the first since lengthy talks in Kuwait collapsed in 2016, will only raise mistrust between the government and rebels. "The peace talks did not begin, and because there is no peace process to be considered that means there are fewer constraints in place for the behaviour of both sides on the ground," said security and defence analyst Aleksandar Mitreski. "While there is mistrust between the actors, as much as there is in any conflict of this kind, I believe the failure of the peace process is due to the imbalance of power between the two sides," said Mitreski, researcher at the University of Sydney. Yemen's government on Saturday accused UN envoy Martin Griffiths of defending the rebels. Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani criticised Griffiths for "appeasing" the Huthis by refusing to lay blame for the failure of the talks squarely on their shoulders. "The UN, unfortunately, does not have the capability to be the equaliser," said Mitreski. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Griffiths is UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. All previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. The envoy said Saturday he would travel to Muscat and Sanaa in the coming days to lay the groundwork for future talks, but hinted he might initially engage in separate discussions with the two sides. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place". Complicating things further, fighting has flared again around the vital rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, after a temporary ceasefire was declared by the Saudi-led coalition in June. Government forces on Friday launched another attempt to close in on Hodeida, which had been expected to be one of the main topics of discussion in Geneva. "The next month or two may be critical for fighting over the control of Hodeida. The military operation... could continue since nothing in the political process has changed," said Mitreski. "The only concern for the Saudi-led coalition remains to manage the reaction of the international community." The Congress on Sunday questioned the BJP's silence on issues such as rising petroleum prices, sliding rupee and the contentious Rafale deal as top leaders of the ruling party deliberated their strategy for the Lok Sabha elections. We are hearing only empty slogans from the BJP. It is very sad that the BJP National Executive did not discuss issues that directly affect the common man such as rising petrol, diesel prices, growing unemployment, corruption in Rafale, Ajay Maken, AICC's senior spokesman, told reporters in New Delhi. Maken's sharp attack came on the eve of the Congress' call for a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest against the rising fuel prices and the demand to bring petroleum products within the ambit of the GST. Maken said 21 political parties including the Left parties, SP, NCP, DMK, have declared support for the nationwide shutdown call. We have also received support from chambers of commerce, traders' associations, transport associations. We thank each one of them and urge everyone to support our call for shutdown, Maken said. Congress has called for a 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. nation-wide shutdown on Monday when senior party leaders are expected to protest at petrol pumps against the rising prices of petrol and diesel. Congress had demanded that petroleum products be brought under the ambit of GST contending that such a move would bring down fuel prices by nearly Rs 15 per litre. Maken appealed to Congress workers not to resort to violence during the shutdown period on Monday. I appeal all Congress workers to make the bandh violence-free. We are Mahatma Gandhi's party and we should not associate ourselves with any violence, Maken said. Meanwhile, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad briefing reporters on the proceedings of the BJP National Executive meeting on Sunday said, "I am here only to speak on what Prime Minister has spoken." Prasad was asked questions on the fuel prices and the Bandh call given by the Opposition parties on Monday. Support increased for five nuns demanding the arrest of Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, in connection with the alleged rape of a nun, as their protest entered its second day on Sunday. Along with the public, priests from different churches expressed solidarity with the protesters brought together by the Joint Christian Council in Kochi while the police, under fire over a delay in the arrest, expanded the investigating team. The nun had, in a petition filed with police in Kuravilangad in Kottayam district on June 27, alleged that the 54-year-old bishop raped her multiple times over two years since 2014, at a convent guest house in Kottayam. Former high court judge B Kemal Pasha who visited the protest venue on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the police. He said the delay in the arrest was shameful for a government that came to power with womens security as one of its key priorities. The bishop has not even approached courts for an anticipatory bail. He knows there wont be any action, he said. The presence of Fr Paul Thelakkat, former spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Church, and priests from other churches at the protest venue signalled rising opposition against police inaction. In August, the investigating team led by Vaikom DySP K Subash had questioned the Bishop in Jalandhar but there has been no headway in making the arrest. Senior officials have also stated that there was no conclusive evidence, yet, for the police to make the arrest. Alleged attempts to influence progress in the case were also reported. Fr James Erthayil, a priest attached to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, called a nun, a supporter of the complainant, and made offers of land and other benefits in exchange of withdrawal of the complaint. After the voice record of their conversation was made public, the priest was removed from his position in a church facility in Kurianad, in Kottayam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday set the tone for the BJP campaign for the Lok Sabha elections by launching a sharp attack on the Opposition for spreading lies against his government and gave a slogan for the party 'Ajeya Bharat, Atal BJP'. In his concluding remarks at the two-day BJP National Executive meeting here, Modi trained his guns on the Opposition alliance contending that it was the biggest vindication of the NDA government's success. People who do not see eye-to-eye, share no common ideology and cannot tolerate each other are coming together. This is the biggest vindication of our success. This is because people have accepted our programmes, party and leadership, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters quoting the prime minister. There is no sign of leadership, the policies are unclear and intention is corrupt, Modi said. Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah told the meeting that a victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls would ensure the BJP remained in power for the next 50 years. Modi urged party workers to ensure victory for the BJP in every booth in the upcoming elections. The booth is our foundation on which the elaborate fortress of the BJP is standing tall, he said. Interestingly, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue which the BJP has been espousing for decades found no mention in the two-day meeting. This was not on agenda today, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said. Later, the law minister merely said the issue was pending in the Supreme Court. Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, Modi said nobody in Opposition was ready to accept the leadership of the Congress as they believed it was not capable of it. This is not true only of the Opposition parties but also some within the Congress, he said. Modi said the BJP does not see a challenger to it anywhere and slammed the Opposition for not doing its job properly. Those who were a failure in government are a failure in Opposition. They have not raised real issues, Prasad said quoting Modi. He said the theme of the BJP campaign would be the performance of the government over 48 months and the performance of the Congress for 48 years. Whom did you work for in 48 years, for one family, Modi asked. The persona of former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee dominated the meeting with Modi paying rich tributes to the departed leader by coining a slogan 'Ajeya Bharat, Atal BJP' (Victorious India, Firm BJP). Debunking Oppositions unity efforts as a mere pipe dream, the BJP on Sunday sought to portray the political battle in 2019 as Modi versus all. It also promised to provide a New India free from communalism, corruption, poverty and terror under his leadership. The Opposition is only having a pipe dream. It neither has a leader, nor a policy, not even a strategy. Hence it is rattled. It has only one motto Stop Modi. People do not stand with such a negative campaign, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters, quoting from Vision 2022, the partys political resolution passed on the concluding day of its National Executive. Amid cheers from party workers, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who moved the resolution, gave the slogan Aao Milkar Kamal Khilaayen (Let us make the lotus bloom together). Contrasting the performance of Modi government with UPAs, especially on security front, the political resolution said there was a bomb blast every month during 10 years rule of UPA. Now there is no blast, no terror activities, Javadekar said. Javadekar claimed that terrorism has come down in Kashmir and that security forces are giving a befitting reply to ultras. Naxalism is on the verge of extinction, he said. Citing the work done by the Modi government in four years, the resolution said the party can now say with confidence that a New India will definitely be a reality by 2022, a new India that is free from poverty, corruption, terrorism and communalism. The political resolution expressed confidence that Modis commitment for New India will be fulfilled by 2022 because he still has 70% rating in popularity even after four and a half years in power. Modi has vision, passion and imagination, said Javadekar, who also hailed the unique pair of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, a day after the national executive decided to extend the tenure of Shah as party president till the Lok Sabha elections are over. At a time when the BJP has high hopes in the Northeast, the political resolution also mentioned about lifting of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Tripura, Meghalya and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Something of that sort will also happen in Assam, said Javadekar. Assam is the only the Northeastern state where the BJP has a government and it has formed a political coalition, the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), to expand its footprint in the region. On Saturday, the first day of the conclave, the BJP had passed its resolution on agriculture reiterating its commitment to double farmers income by 2022, a deadline which extends well beyond the term of the current government which ends in mid-2019. The theme of 2022 has repeatedly been taken up by Modi and BJP men, apparently to give an impression that the Modi government is to continue for a second term. Similarly, as Opposition parties have begun closing ranks against the BJP, the party in a recollection of the late Indira Gandhis famous remarks woh kehte hain Indira hatao; main kehti hoon garibi hatao.(They say banish Indira, I say banish poverty), has now been seeking to portray Opposition unity efforts as something targeted on an individual Modi, apparently to create sympathy and also cash in on the personal charisma of the prime minister. Javadekar slammed the Opposition for negative politics, which, it said, has no takers. He also claimed that the Jan Dhan Yojana started by Modi government has brought more financial inclusion than even the nationalisation of banks done by Indira Gandhi in 1969. What could not happen in 47 years since the nationalisation of banks has been done in just 47 months now, he said. Amid concerns in the BJP camp over the growing possibility of a national-level alliance between the Congress and the BSP, party chief Amit Shah on Saturday discussed the issue with chief ministers of poll-bound states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. While Shah in his address at the national executive termed attempts to form a grand alliance as nothing more than an eyewash and coalitions based on lies that need to be exposed before people, the BJP top leadership also discussed the eventualities for upcoming assembly polls and 2019 general elections in case such an alliance is materialised. At the national executive meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu and Sushma Swaraj, Shah said that the 2019 elections will be fought on the achievements of Modi government and the strength of party organisation. The meet clearly bore a stamp of the partys priority to consolidate OBCs and farmer constituencies. Shah spoke at length about various steps taken by the Modi government like granting Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes and his governments commitment to protect the rights of Scheduled Castes. A resolution on agriculture was passed at the meeting after which Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, reiterated Modis commitment to double the income of farmers by 2022. Chouhan, whose state Madhya Pradesh has been a seat of farmer agitation in recent times, dwelt at length about the pro-farmer initiatives taken by the Modi government. The vote gap between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh was 8% in 2013. The BSP gets around 6% votes in the state. A tie-up could create trouble for the BJP, which is facing anti-incumbency of three-term Chief Minister Chouhan. In Chattisgarh, the vote gap between the two parties was just 0.75% in last polls. Sources said that Shah also discussed the preparedness of the party organisation and the poll strength of the BJP governments in these states besides in Mizoram and Telangana. The party later also fielded Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan to counter the Opposition campaign against it on fuel price hike. The surprise sweet packets were distributed to convey common perception that Hindu society is not united, according to organisers of event. The second WHC is being held here to mark commemoration of 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at Parliament of World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. (Photo: Twitter | @WHCongress) Chicago/New Delhi: Delegates at the World Hindu Congress being held in Chicago received a sweet box in their welcome packet containing two ladoos -- one hard and one soft. The surprise sweet packets were distributed to convey the common perception that Hindu society is not united, according to the organisers of the event. "The soft ladoo represented the status of Hindus today that they may be easily broken and swallowed while the future vision for the Hindu society should be like a hard ladoo -- strongly bonded," Guna Magesan, coordinator Hindu Organisational conference of the WHC, said on Saturday at a panel discussion on Collective Efforts for Hindu Emergence. Swami Poornatmananda of Bharat Seva Ashram said all Hindus should unite to achieve resurgence. Emphasising that Hindu religious teachings are for humanity, he said, schools and colleges in India should be opened to impart Hindu teachings. On the resurgence of Hinduism, the spiritual head of the Chinmaya Mission, said, "Everything begins at home. When family breaks down, culture breaks down, and life of disharmony follows. We have to convert Hindus to Hinduism." He further said, "The spirit of unity does not mean all should be the same. In the midst of diversity, we must have a common goal of dedication." "We have to reform the education system that inculcates Hindu culture and religion. We have to re-discover the way the 'Rishis' taught the disciples in the ancient gurukul system." Swami Paramatmananda, secretary general of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, said Hindus should think collectively not only for its own resurgence, but for the resurgence of the whole world. "Society has a relationship problem, where one person is unable to relate to the life of another person," he said. Calling Hindus to address the ecological problems of the world, he said, "God did not create the world for man's consumption. The responsibility lies on Hindus to protect the ecology." Sadhguru Dalip Singh of Namdari Panth told the Congress that Hindus and Sikhs can never be separated. The Guru Granth Saheb says that Sikhs should remain Hindus, he added. He urged Hindus to stop using English to describe India and instead call it "Bharath", and that Hindus who know Hindi should always speak in Hindi. Decrying those who habitually blamed their motherland, he said one should instead find what is good in India and espouse it. Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairperson of Akshaya Patra Foundation, ISKCON, said the different denominations of Hinduism are strength rather than weakness. "There are common grounding principles in these denominations," he said. He drew attention to the declining birth rate among Hindus and said, "take pride in having more children". The second World Hindu Congress is being held here to mark the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. SALT LAKE CITY Above the thrill of a live performance, the satisfaction of a job well-done and the enthusiastic applause of an audience, theres something else 17-year-old pianist Sarah Sun is looking for when she plays at Abravanel Hall Tuesday night: tears. Sun, a senior at Skyline High School, was 12 years old when she first heard Sergei Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, a tear-jerker of a piece she looks forward to performing at the 59th annual Salute to Youth concert on Sept. 11. The first time I heard it, I think I cried a little bit, she recalled. I love it when people cry because thats when you know you did it right. Tears from her audience would be a true compliment for the pianist, who is one of nine young Salute to Youth artists this year. Other performers are violinists Natalie Boberg, 18, Adrian Wu, 18, and Ezekiel Sokoloff, 12; harpists Erika Rosen, 17, and Julia Johnson, 16; cellists Stella Wadsworth, 14, and Nathan Blanchard, 13; and pianist John Zhao, 16. For 17-year-old Sun and many of her fellow performers landing a spot onstage with the Utah Symphony is a rewarding chapter in a lengthy tale of hard work and perseverance. A very long journey Sun was 8 years old when she began her journey to the Salute to Youth stage. Nine years later, shes fulfilled her goal, earning a spot on that stage and preparing to show off the first movement of Rachmaninoffs Concerto No. 2 the same piece she auditioned with last year. So what exactly made the pianists performance of that piece better this time around? According to Sun, a large part of it was a change in perspective brought about by her recent conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a decision she said was two years in the making. (Last year), I felt like my attitude was kind of wrong because I was so focused on winning and so focused on being technically perfect. This year, just having the gospel in my life and realizing that not everything is about the end result a lot of times its more about the person that you become in pursuit of your goals that matters, said Sun, who joined the church in April. (I went) in with peace knowing that even if I didnt win this competition, I still had value as a daughter of God and that everything was going to be OK. But Sun, who aspires to pursue an economics degree at Yale University, came out of this years audition a finalist. With the hard part behind her, shes ready to relish in her big moment onstage with the Utah Symphony. Its just been a goal of mine for such a long time, and it represents all those years of hard work paying off, she said. Its representative of a very long journey, so Im really looking forward to enjoying it. This will also be the first time performing at Salute to Youth for Sun's fellow pianist John Zhao, but not for his lack of trying. Ive been waiting for this opportunity basically all my life, said the 16-year-old Hillcrest High School student, who has auditioned for Salute to Youth twice before. Im really excited to play with such an acclaimed symphony orchestra. Its the opportunity of a lifetime, really. Zhao, who has performed at Carnegie Hall twice in his 10 years of study, is eager to bring his interpretation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovskys Piano Concerto No. 1 to Abravanel Hall. If he had it his way, hed be practicing for the big moment at least five hours every day of the week, but he can only do that on the weekends since the demands of school hes also preparing for a national chemistry exam make such intensive practice infeasible. But all thoughts of reactions and the periodic table will leave his mind Tuesday night, when he takes the Salute to Youth stage to perform the first movement of Tchaikovskys concerto a piece he hopes the audience will come to love as much as he does. This is going to be really special Compared to her peers, Natalie Boberg's introduction to Salute to Youth came much later because she grew up in California. But making the cut puts her dream of being a professional musician in the realm of possibility. The 18-year-old violinist was in the car with her mother on a long drive from Salt Lake City to Aspen, Colorado, when she heard the good news. My mom started crying a little bit and then I did too, she recalled. It was such a surreal moment. The violinist had reason to cry as shes sacrificed a lot to get to this point. Originally from Los Angeles, Boberg is finishing her senior year of high school online while she lives in Salt Lake City with a host family and studies with violinist Eugene Watanabe at the Gifted Music School. I spend more time (in Utah) than I do with my family, she said. Although its hard to be away from her family especially her 7-year-old sister Boberg is grateful for the opportunity to expand her music education in Utah, most recently through Salute to Youth. Its my first professional engagement with a professional symphony, she said. Ive played with orchestras before, but I think this is going to be really special. Her family is coming out for the big occasion and Boberg is thrilled because theres something else that makes her upcoming performance so remarkable: Shes composed her own solo. Performing alongside friend and fellow violinist Adrian Wu, Boberg will play Mark OConnors Double Violin Concerto. This selection separates the duo from the other Salute to Youth performers for a couple of reasons: First, the composer is still alive. In fact, Boberg emailed OConnor directly for the orchestral score. Second, theres a fiery dueling banjos-esque cadenza albeit for violins in the middle of the concerto. While her partners part in this battle of strings was written out, Bobergs was not. Everytime Mark OConnor performs it, he improvises his cadenza, so hes never written one down for the first violin, Boberg explained. Im an OK improviser, but I wouldnt want to improvise with the Utah Symphony. So the violinist took her first big stab at composing, drawing inspiration from OConnors improvisations to create a cadenza she hopes will wow the audience. And while theres always a possibility of going off script Tuesday night, Boberg suspects shell play it safe. Theres little things that could change here and there, but for the most part, I think Ill stick to what I wrote, she said. 'A story about artistic accomplishment' Tuesday night will mark all three musicians' first time taking part in the Salute to Youth concert. The stories of Sun, Zhao and Boberg provide just a snapshot of all the hard work and sacrifice that goes into preparing for the prestigious event. And according to Doug Wilks, editor of the Deseret News, it's these efforts that make the Deseret News pleased to continue sponsoring the yearly tradition, which is now closing in on 60 years. The Salute to Youth is consistent with our efforts to provide perspective, insight and analysis about the news that affects Utahs families," Wilks said. "The story unfolding at Salute to Youth is the best kind of news a story about artistic accomplishment made possible by patient parents, dedicated teachers and disciplined students who have worked remarkably hard to enhance their talents." If you go What: 59th annual Salute to Youth concert When: Tuesday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m. Where: Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple How much: $12 Web: arttix.artsaltlake.org No Confidence Motion moved by the TDP against the Narendra Modi government. New Delhi: The Congress wants the TDP to join them in the Dharma Yuddham (holy war) against ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government in the state. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Uttam Kumar Reddy, while describing the next elections as a holy war said that the national party along with other like-minded parties will fight against autocratic, arrogant and dictatorial rule of KCR and his family members. The Congress has formed a committee headed by Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, senior party leaders K. Jana Reddy, working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Mohammed Ali Shabbir to explore the possibility of entering a political alliance with the TDP in Telangana. After preliminary discussions the committee will put up a proposal to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for final clearance. Congress senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will visit Telangana on September 12 and address a gathering of minorities in the Sangareddy district, also reviewing the partys election preparations. The TDP has been strong in Andhra Pradesh and is presently fighting the principal opposition party YSR Congress. In Telangana the Congress is the principal opposition party. Interestingly the TDP and the Congress have been rivals since the creation of TDP. There has been no alliance till now between the two parties. But with the TRS becoming a force to reckon with the Congress is exploring new options. The alliance if it takes place will also have CPM in the bloc. The state Congress also wants civil society, employees unions, women organisations, students groups and all NGOs and voluntary organisations to join the Dharma Yuddham. In the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament the Congress supported the No Confidence Motion moved by the TDP against the Narendra Modi government. Both the Congress and TDP were critical of the Central government. the Congress has already announced that if the party comes to power at the Center it will ensure that the special status is accorded to Andhra Pradesh. The TDP has been demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh from the Central government. In the 119-member Telangana Assembly, TRS has 90 MLAs and its de facto ally AIMIM has 7. Congress has 13, TDP 3, BJP 5 and CPM 1. As the 2018 election gets closer, everything in the political world becomes more intense. We address some of the issues becoming more contentious as the stakes get higher. After strong church opposition and a pledge by Gov. Gary Herbert to enact a more suitable law, support for the medical marijuana ballot proposal is declining a little. Will it still pass? Pignanelli: The mere fact of its being on the ballot has elevated and legitimized public discourse about marijuana and marijuana policy in ways I could not have imagined. George Soros One of the few talents I possess is the ability to over-dramatize anything, no matter how trivial or mundane. But flamboyant animation (another skill I frequently flaunt) is needed when describing how the popular backing of the medical marijuana initiative reflects changing demographics, politics and societal norms in the state. Regardless of how one stands on the issue, these elements cannot be dismissed. Proposition 2 garnered large contributions from entities from out of state, but also collected hundreds of small donations from residents along the Wasatch Front. The initiative was originally supported by 76 percent of polled Utahns. The opposition (religious institutions, government officials, law enforcement and medical organizations) then launched a full-scale effort, dropping the number to 64 percent in a most recent survey. Utahns have affection and respect for these entities, but compassion for friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members is overwhelming. Social media bombards them with real life experiences. Further, the information flood in the internet continually creates opportunities for voters to learn, analyze and judge. Opponents have yet to develop an effective message with compelling emotion (waving arms while speaking could help). So, Prop 2 likely passes. Webb: Most Utahns strongly believe, as do I, that legitimate patients should have access to legitimate medicine derived from the marijuana plant. Opponents of Prop. 2 have the burden to convince voters that while Prop. 2 is a slippery slope to recreational marijuana, they support, and will provide access to, legitimate cannabis medicine. If they can make that case, perhaps the initiative can be defeated. Either way, the Legislature is going to act on this issue and eliminate the recreational aspects of the initiative, while dealing with federal law and creating the opportunity for legitimate medical marijuana. The confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have created partisan sparks. Utahs two senators are in the middle of it. Will Kavanaugh become a Supreme Court justice? Pignanelli: After watching hours of confirmation hearings (yep, I'm a nerd), several observations are worth mentioning. Kavanaugh is a machine who sticks to his talking points, providing few holes for Democrat senators to punch through. Continuing legal education credit should be provided to us who slept through constitutional law and are now caught up, thanks to these televised debates. Hulu program "The Handmaidens Tale is fostering costume ideas for protesters, matching references to HBO's "Game of Thrones." Amidst this confusion and circus, Kavanagh is confirmed. Webb I watched some of the confirmation hearings and Ive decided I have a man-crush on Brett Kavanaugh. The guy is brilliant. Had I been there, I would have stood and cheered (and probably been thrown out by the Capitol police) at his response to Sen. Ted Cruzs question about federalism. It was downright inspiring. Kavanaugh really understands the role of states in the federal system. Hes a veritable legal and constitutional walking encyclopedia, continually referring to the Federalist Papers and his tattered pocket copy of the Constitution. Kavanaugh handled the Democratic grandstanding with graceful aplomb. They couldnt touch him. I couldnt have been prouder of a court nominee. He will be easily confirmed and will be a terrific Supreme Court justice. Mainstream Republicans have organized the Reagan Roundtable to replace the Elephant Club. Money raised will not go to the Republican Party. Is this another blow to the party? Pignanelli: The charter founders of this "Reagan Roundtable" are universally respected and admired. Thus, their willingness to openly establish an alternative to the Utah GOP illustrates the death grip the small strident Gang of 51 has on the entire party and how they are doomed. The extremists do not enjoy broad support or resources and will eventually collapse. Webb: One of the organizers of the Reagan Roundtable, Lew Cramer, has noted that Ronald Reagan was a strong proponent of the "Big Tent" he proclaimed that the GOP was big enough to embrace a wide variety of political viewpoints and was open to all that believe in free markets, individual liberty and limited government. The Reagan Roundtable is designed to help elect such broad-based, mainstream conservative candidates. The far-right GOP activists who control the partys Central Committee reject Reagans Big Tent philosophy, so it makes no sense for traditional GOP donors to support them. Gov. Herbert is still valiantly trying to bring the party factions together, and is trying to raise money so the party can at least keep the lights on. I wish him luck. Friday marked the beginning of the National Weekend of Prayer for Faith, Hope and Life, an important start to National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Churches, ministers and clergy are gaining greater awareness of the mental health issues and other factors that may lead to thoughts of suicide, and they are finding ways to broach the subject, which is a huge departure from the past. This offers a ray of hope for a problem that is dark and seemingly hopeless for too many people. The involvement of clergy is vital. As Melinda Moore, co-chairwoman of the Faith Communities Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention told the Deseret News, churches play a vital role. They offer a sense of worth and purpose, in addition to the social benefits of belonging to a congregation of fellow believers. Efforts must go beyond that, however. Every individual has a responsibility to be aware of the people around him or her and to be sensitive to their needs. That can be challenging, of course. But it is absolutely necessary at a time when suicides are on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now lists suicide as the 10th leading cause of death nationwide. Utah ranks fifth in terms of suicides among the 50 states. Experts have said prevention efforts require cooperation, creativity and doggedness. No one strategy will work in all situations, because a variety of factors appear to lead people into despair. Every individual has a responsibility to be aware of the people around him or her and to be sensitive to their needs. The CDC recently listed some of these factors by order of how prevalent they have been in suicides. The list includes relationship problems (42 percent), acute crisis (29 percent), problematic drug and alcohol use (28 percent), poor health (22 percent), job loss and money troubles (16 percent), legal issues (9 percent) and loss of housing (4 percent), among others. This suggests friends and relatives can be acutely aware of risks during times of obvious stress, as well as when they notice certain behaviors, such as various kinds of substance abuse. Most important, however, is for people to engage with one another and to not be afraid to talk about problems. Last January, Gov. Gary Herbert convened a task force to study Utahs troubling suicide rate, especially among young people, and to recommend any official government action. At the time, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox spoke about the need to break with tradition and actually speak openly about the topic. "One of the issues that we have the hardest time talking about can be solved by talking about it," he said. That brings us back to the clergy. If a greater awareness leads to sermons, a study of scriptural references on the subject and a greater willingness to reach out to those who are suffering or who are mourning the loss of a suicide victim, much good could be accomplished. Perhaps then, the stigma surrounding this problem can disappear and people can confront it frankly and effectively. WASHINGTON Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get price cuts. That's the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program, which still sparks deep divisions heading into this year's midterm elections. The Associated Press and the consulting firm Avalere Health crunched available state data and found that "Obamacare's" health insurance marketplaces seem to be stabilizing after two years of sharp premium hikes. And the exodus of insurers from the program has halted, even reversed somewhat, with more consumer choices for 2019. The analysis found a 3.6 percent average increase in proposed or approved premiums across 47 states and Washington, D.C., for next year. This year the average increase nationally was about 30 percent. The average total premium for an individual covered under the health law is now close to $600 a month before subsidies. In Utah, the average monthly premium before subsidies is $484. The average rate for those who qualify for the applied premium tax credit is $58. The average premium rose $165 over 2017 in Utah but subsidies also went up, so people who qualify for the tax credit saw their rate actually drop $31 this year, according to the Utah Health Policy Project. For next year, premiums are expected either to drop or increase by less than 10 percent in 41 states with about 9 million customers. Eleven of those states are expected to see a drop in average premiums. In six other states, plus Washington, D.C., premiums are projected to rise between 10 percent and 18 percent. Insurers also are starting to come back. Nineteen states will either see new insurers enter or current ones expand into more areas. There are no bare counties lacking a willing insurer. Even so, Chris Sloan, an Avalere director, says, "This is still a market that's unaffordable for many people who aren't eligible for subsidies." Nearly 9 in 10 ACA customers get government subsidies based on income, shielding most from premium increases. But people with higher incomes, who don't qualify for financial aid, have dropped out in droves. It's too early to say if the ACA's turnabout will be fleeting or a more permanent shift. Either way, next year's numbers are at odds with the political rhetoric around the ACA, still heated even after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to repeal the law last year. Trump regularly calls "Obamacare" a "disaster" and time again has declared it "dead." The GOP tax-cut bill repealed the ACA requirement that Americans have health insurance or risk fines, effective next year. But other key elements remain, including subsidies and protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats, meanwhile, accuse Trump of "sabotage," driving up premiums and threatening coverage. The moderating market trend "takes the issue away from Republican candidates" in the midterm elections, said Mark Hall, a health law and policy expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. "Part of the mess is now their fault, and the facts really don't support the narrative that things are getting worse." Market stability also appears to undercut Democrats' charge that Trump is undermining the program. But Democrats disagree, saying the ACA is in danger while Republicans control Washington, and that premiums would have been even lower but for the administration's hostility. "Voters won't think that the Trump threat to the ACA has passed at all, unless Democrats get at least the House in 2018," said Bill Carrick, a strategist for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose re-election ads emphasize her support for the health law. As if seconding Democrats' argument, the Trump administration has said it won't defend the ACA's protections for pre-existing conditions in a federal case in Texas that could go to the Supreme Court. A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that Americans regardless of partisan identification said those protections should remain the law of the land. In solidly Republican Arkansas, Democratic state legislator and cancer survivor Clarke Tucker is using the ACA in his campaign to try to flip a U.S. House seat from red to blue. Tucker, 37, says part of what made him want to run is the House vote to repeal the ACA last year and images of Trump and GOP lawmakers celebrating at the White House. Business analysts say the relatively good news for 2019 is partly the result of previous premium increases, which allowed insurers to return to profitability after losing hundreds of millions of dollars. "They can price better, and they can manage this population better, which is why they can actually make some money," said Deep Banerjee of Standard & Poor's. Repeal of the ACA's requirement to carry insurance doesn't seem to have had a major impact yet, but Banerjee said there's "a cloud of uncertainty" around the Trump administration's potential policy shifts. Yet some administration actions have also helped settle the markets, such as continuing a premium stabilization program. April Box of Spokane Valley, Washington, lives in a state where premiums could rise substantially since insurers have proposed an 18 percent increase. In states expecting double-digit increases, the reasons reflect local market conditions. Proposed increases may ultimately get revised downward. Box is self-employed as a personal advocate helping patients navigate the health care system. She has an ACA plan, but even with a subsidy her premiums are expensive and a high deductible means she's essentially covered only for catastrophic illness. "I'm choosing not to go to the doctor, and I'm saying to myself I'm not sick enough to go to the doctors," Box said. "We need to figure out how to make it better and lower the price." Now in her 50s, Box was born with dislocated hips. She worries she could be uninsurable if insurers are allowed to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. She might need another hip surgery. "It needs to be a level playing field for everybody," said Box. "We need to have universal coverage that is really the only answer." Tennessee is a prime example of the ACA's flipped fortunes. Last year, the state struggled to secure at least one insurer in every county. But approved rates for 2019 reflect an 11 percent average decrease. Two new insurers Bright Health and Celtic have entered its marketplace, and two others Cigna and Oscar will expand into new counties. Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called that a "welcome step," but argued rates could have been even lower if congressional Democrats had supported a market stabilization bill. Democrats blame Republicans for the failure. To calculate premium changes, Avalere and The Associated Press used proposed overall individual marketplace rate filings for 34 states and D.C., and final rates for 13 states that have already approved them. Data was not available for Massachusetts, Maryland and Alabama. The average rate change calculations include both on-exchange and off-exchange plans that comply with ACA requirements. The government isn't expected to release final national figures until later this fall. Contributing: Dennis Romboy PARIS More than 18,000 people marched Saturday in Paris as part of an international mobilization to show popular support for urgent measures to combat climate change in advance of a San Francisco summit. Crowds overflowed a plaza in front of City Hall before marching east to the Place de la Republique, carrying an urgent message that it's up to the public to put global warming at the top of the political agenda. "Planet in Danger," read some banners. Activists around the world encouraged "Rise for Climate" protests before the summit taking place Sept.12-Sept. 14. California's governor proposed the event after President Donald Trump vowed to pull the U.S. out of a landmark 2015 climate accord. The international agreement was negotiated in France, and the French capital's march was more successful than ones held Saturday in other French cities or elsewhere in Europe. Environmental groups said the organized hundreds of events around the globe Saturday to highlight the issue. Thousands of people took to the streets of San Francisco, marching about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the city's piers to City Hall. Demonstrators banged drums, sang and hoisted signs that said "Rise for climate justice" and "Not a penny more for dirty energy." They called for politicians to spearhead a transition to 100 percent renewable energy. Police estimated that 18,500 took part in the Paris march, while organizers put the number at some 50,000. Several hundred people gathered in France's southern port city of Marseille. Several dozen called for an end to the use of fossil fuels outside London's Tate Modern art gallery. Only about two dozen showed up in Barcelona, Spain. The front-page of France's daily Liberation newspaper featured a call from 700 French scientists for the government to "move from incantations to acts to move toward a carbon-free society." The language was a reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's use of the phrase "Make our planet great again," a takeoff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. The signing scientists also called for "strong and clear political choices" and said "solutions are available." The march in Paris, organized with the theme "Change the system, but don't change the climate," was both festive and serious. One protester, Manuel Bibes, denounced the plastic that inundates daily life. Another, Rodgrigo de la Vega criticized the practice of driving down the road to buy bread. "There is no Planet B," a sign read. ___ Elaine Ganley and Chris den Hond in Paris and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. SALT LAKE CITY Deseret News journalist Jesse Hyde took the stage at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City Saturday, said his piece and was greeted by a standing ovation from the TEDx crowd. His topic? The value of journalism in today's confusing world. "If the pursuit of truth is your ultimate goal, every fact matters," he told the crowd. But more on that in a minute. Hyde's presentation was one of several in the tradition of TED Talks that feature "ideas worth spreading" from interesting people. Saturday's event featured talks on global health, the threat (and benefit) of technology, issues of identity and privacy, the historically strong role of women in Utah, even teeth and gums as sentinel for the health of one's body, among other topics. Hyde's presentation came at an opportune time as the week began with published excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward's explosive book "Fear," which takes readers inside President Donald Trump's White House. The week continued with the New York Times' decision to run an anonymous guest opinion (called an op-ed) by an author identified only as "a senior official in the Trump administration." What we learned is that not all journalists think alike and opinions on the week's revelations from journalists themselves were mixed. Woodward, whose book will be released to the public on Tuesday, is known for tremendous shoe-leather reporting and is respected for going deep with sources to then draw what he hopes is an accurate portrayal of his subjects. In this case, the subject is the Trump White House and its players. The publication of the anonymous op-ed was more controversial. Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan, who formally worked as the public editor of The New York Times, summed it up this way: "Was the New York Timess decision to publish a mystery op-ed piece describing an organized resistance inside the Trump administration 'gutless,' as the president has angrily deemed it? Or was it a crucial public service, as the Timess top opinion editors see it? "Id call it neither," she said. "What it was, however, was a quagmire of weirdness: fraught with issues of journalistic ethics and possibly even legal concerns." Only top editors at the Times know who the source is, a person admitting active resistance to some of the work of the president. But the reporters in their newsroom don't have that information and are now trying to uncover it. That is a quagmire. Erik Wemple, The Washington Post's media critic, didn't hold back his criticism of theTimes' decision. After detailing the fine on-the-record and attributed work of journalists at the Times, The Washington Post and elsewhere, he offered this summary of the Trump-critical anonymous op-ed: "So what? Like most anonymous quotes and tracts, this one is a PR stunt. Mr. Senior Administration Official gets to use the distributive power of the New York Times to recast an entire class of federal appointees. No longer are they enablers of a foolish and capricious president. They are now the countrys most precious and valued patriots. In an appearance on Wednesday afternoon, the president pronounced it all a 'gutless' exercise. No argument here," he said. Still, lots of points of view. The New York Times conservative columnist Ross Douthat tweeted: "People who think my newspaper shouldn't have published The Op-Ed are nuts. People who think its author shouldn't have written it are reasonable." And this from David Frum of The Atlantic, who focused less on what was written and more on the fact that it was written at all: "Impeachment is a constitutional mechanism. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment is a constitutional mechanism. Mass resignations followed by voluntary testimony to congressional committees are a constitutional mechanism. Overt defiance of presidential authority by the presidents own appointeesnow thats a constitutional crisis." So where does that leave the nation and newsrooms this week? Actually, in a pretty good place. It comes back to what Jesse Hyde said Saturday, that journalism, messy though it is, is the pursuit of truth. Editors at the Times thought they were pursuing the truth and agreed to the anonymous publication. Columnists at their chief competitor, the Post, thought it fell short. And perhaps they thought the Times was trying to steal a bit of Bob Woodward's thunder in the coming release of his book. Here's another view, and it comes from a Trump Administration official who wrote her own op-ed, this one in the Washington Post. Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said: "I, too, am a senior Trump administration official. I proudly serve in this administration, and I enthusiastically support most of its decisions and the direction it is taking the country. But I dont agree with the president on everything. When there is disagreement, there is a right way and a wrong way to address it. I pick up the phone and call him or meet with him in person." That's valuable commentary, brought on by anonymous commentary, brought on by solid reporting. Jesse Hyde is a tremendous journalist, one of many at the Deseret News doing authoritative, in-depth work. Last week's coverage focused on Utah's upcoming elections, the vote to reject or pass the state's medical marijuana initiative, the participation of Utah's congressional delegation in the confirmation hearings of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the implications of Nike hiring Colin Kaepernick, the work of faith leaders focusing effort and prayer on the plague of suicide, and more. A final word from Jesse Hyde's address, quoting another American who has tried to take a stand, for better or for worse: "Last year, after yet another attack on the press by our president, the outgoing junior senator from Arizona, Jeff Flake, took to the Senate floor and delivered an impassioned defense of journalism and its role in our democracy," Hyde said. 'Here in America,' he said, 'We do not pay obeisance to the powerful in fact, we question the powerful most ardently; to do so is our birthright and a requirement of our citizenship.' That's an idea worthy of a TEDx Talk. SALT LAKE CITY Despite a tumultuous year, Salt Lake's popular fan convention reported an uptick in attendance over three days of downtown nerdvana. Attendance estimates for FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention were at about 110,000 in the final hours of the event Saturday, pulling ahead of its 2016 and 2017 numbers, said the event's co-founder, Bryan Brandenburg. The popular arts convention was forced to move away from its original name, Salt Lake Comic Con, after losing at trial in a trademark dispute with uber event San Diego Comic-Con International over the term "comic con." That blow was followed by a controversy that played out publicly over the convention's response to allegations that Utah author Richard Paul Evans interacted inappropriately with other authors at previous events. "The joke is that 'flat is the new black' in the convention industry, so for us to be ahead of our previous two years with the name change and everything else, we're feeling pretty good," Brandenburg said. The event fills the Salt Palace Convention each September with fans of all ages and genres who turn out for celebrity appearances, mountains of merchandise and clever costuming. And according to Brandenburg, an increasing number of those fans are coming from outside Utah. Where about 15 percent of previous convention crowds have been out-of-towners, the numbers for this week's event were closer to 23 percent. Among them was Steve Mitchum, of Reno, who came to the convention dressed as Thor and had to stop every few minutes to brush back his long blond locks and raise his hammer aloft for a photo with other conventiongoers. Mitchum has attended every Salt Lake fan convention since the first when he got a chance to meet Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk and Mitchum's childhood hero, and confided that it was the star's example that had helped him make healthy changes in his life. "I changed from an obese child to a fit adult. I told him that story and think he was starting to tear up," Mitchum recalls. "I told him, 'When you talk to your mom, tell her you met a guy who might not be alive today if you hadn't inspired him to start lifting weights.'" This year, Mitchum's wife flew out to join him partway through the convention, where he surprised her with a chance to take a photo with actor Jason Momoa, currently reprising the role of Aquaman in DC's Justice League films. Melanie Anguay grinned widely as she showed off her photo embracing Momoa while her husband appears to sulk nearby. "I hugged Jason and he followed along, he knew what we were doing," Anguay said of the pose. "It was such a good experience, I didn't expect that. I thought it would be a standard arm around him for a pose, but it was so great he got into the photo." While Anguay, a first-time FanX-er, came dressed in regular clothes, she left the event making plans to return with a costume, likely something from the Disney movie "Moana" as a nod to her Hawaiian heritage. But for many others who had anxiously preordered photo ops with their favorite stars, the process was not so smooth. Technical difficulties throughout the day Friday and again on Saturday left fans waiting for hours to take their photos, then being asked to return later when the picture could be printed and picked up. The complaints dominated FanX's social media through the weekend. Brandenburg said the companies that work with the convention for photo ops, Epic and GrowTix, estimated FanX had processed the largest amount of photos they had ever seen and perhaps setting a record nationwide which overloaded servers and kept the pictures from printing. Erinne Beachler, who has come from Evanston, Wyoming, for the past three years to attend the convention, said she had to return to the photo op area twice before finally receiving a printout of her photo with Tom Welling, who played a young Clark Kent in the series "Smallville." She has never experienced such delays for her photos at previous events. "I was very appreciative of how hard they worked to get the problem resolved, but it was all very frustrating," Beachler said. "I do feel like there wasn't appropriate communication between anyone. But I'm glad the problem did get resolved." FanX is making plans to prevent a similar debacle in the future, including requiring redundant servers for its photo op contracts, according to Brandenburg. At the close of the convention, FanX co-founder Dan Farr celebrated the positive reviews he had heard from celebrities about their experience appearing at the convention, which bodes well for future events. "They love the convention, the center and how it is run, there are a lot of things that are positive, but the biggest thing is just the fans and the volunteers, the staff," Farr said. As he hurried past on his way to catch a plane after finishing his panel for fans, Brent Spiner, known for his role as Data in the Star Trek series as well as his singing career, added his praise. "I know everything thinks this. Of all the conventions in the world, this is the single best. It's the best one," Spiner said, leaving with a promise to return and hints that he would enjoy making a musical appearance in Salt Lake City. "This is like the king of all." Correction: A photo caption accompanying this story incorrectly identified Chalene Calaway as Charlene Calaway. PRESTON, Idaho Every time Darren Parry walks the hallowed grounds of the Bear River Massacre site in southeastern Idaho, he feels the presence of his Shoshone ancestors. "There's a sacred feeling here," Parry said as he stood on the banks of the Bear River under a cool, blue sky. "My grandmother brought me here often. She would say that if you're here at just the right time in the evening sometimes you can hear the cries of the little ones for their mothers. She instilled in me a love for my people." As the chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation observed the calm water flowing near his feet, he noted that people often forget historical facts and figures, but they never forget how they feel when they hear a story. After acquiring more than 600 acres and developing plans for a new facility to honor his heritage, Parry anticipates many will soon learn and appreciate Shoshone history the way he does. "Have you ever had a memory sneak out of your eye and roll down your cheek? I do all the time when I come here because it's sacred land," Parry said. "I want the world to be able to see it the way I see it. And not only see it, but feel it. I'm on a mission." Last January, two days before Parry and the Shoshone Nation commemorated the 155th anniversary of the Bear River Massacre, the tribe purchased 550 acres of the massacre site for $1.75 million. The land, a few miles north of Preston off U.S. 91, is where federal troops led by Col. Patrick Connor attacked and killed between 250 and 500 Shoshone men, women and children on Jan. 29, 1863. "Purchasing the land was a milestone," Parry said. "Prior to, we owned a 35-acre parcel for 10 years. Now Im just trying to buy all these other little parcels that are hooked onto it. There's no resistance at all. Everybodys on board. I havent had any pushback. I think people are excited to have a little growth come to their community." Parry and other tribal council members then began working with GSBS Architects in Utah to develop plans for the "Boa Ogoi" ("Big River") Cultural Interpretive Center, a structure designed to offer a glimpse of Shoshone life and honor the victims and survivors of the massacre. "What better way than to build an interpretive center, a place of learning where all groups can come together, look at history and learn from it," Parry said. "I tell people we have forgiven but we will never forget." When Baylee Lambourne, an architect with GSBS, asked Parry what he had in mind for the building's design, he said he didn't want to drive off the bluff and see a big building in the middle of a pasture. Lambourne, who collaborated with GSBS principal David Garce and others on the project, responded with several options, but one "humble" design stood out. The rendering most liked by Parry and other tribal council members shows the center built into the earth, featuring natural lighting, a large outdoor plaza, walking trails and a teepee village. "We call the concept 'reverence,'" said Lambourne, who called the Cultural Interpretive Center a dream project. "The idea is for it to hide in the landscape and let the space and the land remain the highlight because it is such an important site." Michael Gross, a tribal councilman and Parry's cousin, said incorporating the landscape into the design was key. It will help to foster education and understand his people's story. "Everything they did was based off the land. That's how they survived. The land was of great importance for a lot of reasons," Gross said. "The design encapsulates everything we're about." After the tribe selected the design, Gross dreamed his grandmother came to him and gave him a big hug. He knew it was her way of saying she approved, he said. Garce, a member of the Western Band of the Catawba Indian Nation, borrowed an idea from Arlington National Cemetery to place 500 small boulders randomly around the site to represent each life lost in the massacre. "It's important to see a representation of the people whose lives were lost there," said Garce, who worked with a group of Native American designers on the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The GSBS firm's work on the project is mostly pro bono, Garce said. The Shoshone Nation is also working with the Utah State University College of Natural Resources to clean up the site and return the land to what it looked like in 1863, with more willows and other natural vegetation. In May, the Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation launched a fundraising campaign to raise the $5 million needed to build the Cultural Interpretive Center. So far they've collected $15,000, mostly through social media. They are only getting started, Parry said. People can donate to the Cultural Intepretive Center project at boaogoi.org. A short distance from the proposed center is a monument, just off U.S. 91, erected by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in 1932. "It gives a warped sense of what took place here," Parry said. "Forever it's all we've had." About 10 years ago, the state of Idaho built a series of kiosks on a hill overlooking the massacre site that tell a more fair and balanced history of events, Parry said. Last January while commemorating the anniversary of the massacre, Parry was speaking to a small gathering that included Utah's Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, when gun shots rang out. They were coming from a nearby firing range. While distracting, the gunfire also seemed strangely appropriate. Parry paused for a moment before asking those in attendance to imagine what it might have been like for the Shoshone Indians camping there on a cold winter's morning 155 years ago to hear the same sounds. "That's why we're here," Parry said. "My big quest is to meet the masses and tell our story to as many people as we can. I think what I'm trying to do is so important to those who went before that I feel their presence all the time. "They are opening doors for me that frankly people told me would never be opened." Twelve months ago, Rodney Hood was primed to be the main player the Utah Jazz would look to in trying to replace Gordon Hayward's scoring production. On Sunday, multiple outlets reported that Hood will take his minimum qualifying offer of $3.4 million to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers where he was traded to in February for the 2018-19 season. Rodney Hood accepts Cavaliers' $3.4 million qualifying offer, sets up free agency next summer @clevelanddotcom https://t.co/maL3u39eWz Joe Vardon (@joevardon) September 9, 2018 With Hood entering restricted free agency at the end of last season, the Cavaliers held the right to match any contract offer for him from another team so long as they extended a one-year qualifying offer to him before July 1. The 6-foot-8 Hood has not agreed to a deal with another team, however, and thus will return to Cleveland. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Sunday's news marks the end of a tumultuous year for the Duke product whom the Jazz selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 draft. As Donovan Mitchell burst on the scene, Hood was moved to the bench and then traded at February's trade deadline in a three-team deal that saw Utah acquire Jae Crowder. It got worse for Hood, as he fell out of the Cavaliers' rotation during the playoffs and even refused to check in at the end of a blowout win over the Toronto Raptors. Now he'll be aiming to rehab his once-high value in hopes of landing a nice contract offer next summer in unrestricted free agency as Cleveland moves on without LeBron James. 'Best way to control fuel price is to bring it under GST. If GST Council moves this proposal, then Maharashtra will support it,' he said. Taking a dig at the opposition, Fadnavis said the NDA government reduced the petrol prices 13 times in the first three years. (Photo: File | PTI) Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state government was working on various proposals to give relief to people from the rising fuel prices. Talking to PTI, Fadnavis also said bringing petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST) was one of the ways of reducing the prices. "The state government is working on various proposals to reduce the prices of fuel in the state," he said without elaborating on the measures. "The best way to control fuel price is to bring it under GST. If the GST Council moves this proposal, then Maharashtra will support it," Fadnavis added. Taking a dig at the opposition, Fadnavis said the NDA government reduced the petrol prices 13 times in the first three years. "They know that oil prices are dependent on the international markets. This government reduced the price of petrol 13 times in the first three years. Now, international prices of crude oil have skyrocketed," he said. He added that if the opposition is so concerned about the high fuel prices, it should announce in the states ruled by the Congress or their alliance partners that there would be no tax on petrol and diesel. "But they will not do so, because this is all politically motivated," Fadnavis said. The chief minister also slammed the opposition over its call for 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday over on the issue. The BJP-led government has under fire over the fuel price hike. The Congress has given a call for a nation-wide shut-down on Monday to protest the increasing petroleum prices. Uday Lodh, president of Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers Association (FAMPEDA) said the government charges 65 per cent taxes of the basic prices of fuel. In Maharashtra, apart from 25 per cent and 21 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel respectively, the government has also introduced Rs 9 and Re 1 as various cess on petrol and diesel respectively. "Since the basic price of fuel is increasing due to international crude prices, the income of the government increases as the taxes being levied on basic price is stagnant. This means the government is making money at a time when the common man is harried," he said. Lodh said the government should either cut down on VAT or the cess to give relief to the common man. Sinn Fein Senator, Padraig Mac Lochlainn, said next Saturdays 'Towards a United Ireland' event promises to be a vitally important discussion, with speakers from various political backgrounds set to be in attendance. This event, which will be held in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, will hear voices from civic Unionism and Nationalism such as Alex Kane and Patricia McBride, as well as Matt Carthy MEP and Michelle ONeill. The event wil be chaired by Inishowen Independent editor, Damian Dowds. Senator Mac Lochlainn said it promises to be an interesting, engaging and informative event. Throughout the last number of years, Sinn Fein has hosted numerous conferences regarding a United Ireland throughout Ireland, Britain, America and Australia," he said. "These have been hugely successful with large crowds of people from a whole array of political viewpoints. Obviously, as an Irish republican party, Sinn Fein believes in - and is actively working towards - the reunification of this island. Any new Ireland though, must reflect all of its people and respect its different cultures. A discussion on how this can be achieved is now more important than ever as the prospect of the North of Ireland being removed from the EU against the will of its people, along with the reinforcing of the border, has brought the issue of a united Ireland back onto the political agenda. Sinn Fein believes that there is now an urgent need for an inclusive, constructive debate on the future, including how a united Ireland might be brought about and what it might look like. We have a very interesting line up of speakers and I expect a major attendance from members of the public. It is free of charge and begins at 11am." Ties between the US and Russia have soured considerably, putting India in a fix. New Delhi: Sending a strong signal to close strategic partner United States that Indias ties with time-tested friend Russia would remain strong and robust, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will be visiting Russia on a two day official visit on September 13 and 14. In a statement on the visit, the MEA said, External affairs minister will visit Moscow on 13-14 September to hold the meeting of the 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical & Economic Cooperation (IRIGC- TEC) which is co-chaired by her and Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.The Commission, after taking stock of bilateral cooperation in various fields, will provide policy recommendations and directions in the concerned fields. Just on Thursday, during the 2+2 Dialogue with the US at the foreign and defence ministerial level, India had discussed the issue of import of Russian arms like the S-400 missiles for its security requirements, with New Delhi putting across its case forcefully to Washington and hoping for a waiver to escape American sanctions on Russian military exports. Ties between the US and Russia have soured considerably, putting India in a fix. Speaking on Indias proposed S-400 missile deal with Russia, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had told the American media during his recent visit to New Delhi, We do understand the history of Indias relationship with Russia and legacy systems. Our effort is not to penalise great strategic partners like India, a major defence partner. The sanctions arent intended to adversely impact countries like India. They are intended to have an impact on the sanctioned country which is Russia and so well work our way through the waiver decision as the days and weeks proceed and well do that alongside our partner India. On the heels of Canada's approval of GMO salmon, Friends of the Earth U.S. and a coalition of more than 30 consumer, health, food safety and fishing groups released updated numbers Wednesday showing that nearly 80 major food retailers have committed to not sell genetically engineered salmon, despite FDA's approval last November. Nearly 80 major food retailers have committed to not sell genetically engineered salmon. Despite irresponsible approvals, the growing number of commitments from retailers demonstrates there is no market for GMO salmon," Dana Perls, senior food and technology campaigner with Friends of the Earth, said. Retailers and restaurants are wisely listening to their customers and rejecting GMO salmon." Albertsons Companies, owner of Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, ACME, Shaw's and others, stated its commitment to not sell GMO salmon. Albertsons Companies and its family of stores, have no plans to carry GE salmon," Jonathan Mayes, Albertsons Companies senior vice president, said in a statement. "The seafood products we offer will continue to be selected consistent with our Responsible Seafood Policy and our partnership with FishWise." Albertsons Companies, which acquired Safeway in January 2015, continued Safeway's policy on sustainable seafood and GMO salmon for all of its banner stores. With Albertsons Companies banner stores, a total of more than 79 grocery retailers with more than 11,000 stores have now made commitments to not sell the GMO salmon, including Albertsons, Safeway, Costco, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, along with restaurant chains including Red Lobster and Legal Sea Foods. Walmart, the world's largest retailer, and Publix are among the last remaining large retail grocers in the U.S. that have not said publicly whether or not they will sell GMO salmon. A growing body of science suggests that GMO salmon may pose serious environmental and public health risks, including potentially irreversible damage to wild salmon populations. In the wake of controversy over the U.S. approval, the U.S. has put in place an import ban on GMO salmon until labeling standards are established. The day after Canada's announcement, Provincial Fisheries Minister of Nova Scotia announced the province will ban the farming of GMO fish. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE David Suzuki: How to Feed the World as the Planet Warms Vandana Shiva: Small Farmers Are Foundation to Food Security, Not Corporations Like Monsanto Canada Approves GMO Salmon Did Your State Make the Top 10 List for Its Commitment to Local Food? May 22 has been declared International Biodiversity Day by the United Nations. It gives us an opportunity to become aware of the rich biodiversity that has been evolved by our farmers as co-creators with nature. It also provides an opportunity to acknowledge the threats to our biodiversity and our rights from IPR monopolies and monocultures. Just as our Vedas and Upanishads have no individual authors, our rich biodiversity, including seeds, have been evolved cumulatively. They are a common heritage of present and future farm communities who have evolved them collectively. I recently joined tribals in Central India who have evolved thousands of rice varieties for their festival of Akti." Akti is a celebration of the relationship of the seed and the soil and the sharing of the seed as a sacred duty to the Earth and the community. "Why do farmers adopt Bt cotton which harms them? But farmers do not choose Bt cotton," Shiva writes. "They have to buy Bt cotton as all other choices are destroyed." Photo credit: Kimberly Vardeman / Flickr In addition to learning about seeds from women and peasants, I had the honor to participate and contribute to international and national laws on biodiversity. I worked closely with our government in the run-up to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, when the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) was adopted by the international community. Three key commitments in the CBD are protection of the sovereign rights of countries to their biodiversity, the traditional knowledge of communities and biosafety in the context of genetically-modified foods. The UN appointed me on the expert panel for the framework for the biosafety protocol, now adopted as the Cartagena protocol on biosafety. I was appointed a member of the expert group to draft the National Biodiversity Act, as well as the Plant Variety and Farmers Rights Act. We ensured that farmers rights are recognized in our laws. A farmer shall be deemed to be entitled to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce, including seed of a variety protected under this act, in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into force of this act", it says. We have worked for the past three decades to protect the diversity and integrity of our seeds, the rights of farmers and resist and challenge the illegitimate IPR monopolies of companies like Monsanto which do genetic engineering to claim patents and royalties. Patents on seeds are unjust and unjustified. A patent or any intellectual property right is a monopoly granted by society in exchange for benefits. But society has no benefit in toxic, non-renewable seeds. We are losing biodiversity and cultural diversity, we are losing nutrition, taste and quality of our food. Above all, we are losing our fundamental freedom to decide what seeds we will sow, how we will grow our food and what we will eat. Seed as a common good has become a commodity of private seed companies. Unless protected and put back in the hands of our farmers, it is at risk of being lost forever. Across the world, communities are saving and exchanging seeds in diverse ways, appropriate to their context. They are creating and recreating freedomfor the seed, for seed keepers and for all life and all people. When we save the seed, we also reclaim and rejuvenate knowledgethe knowledge of breeding and conservation, the knowledge of food and farming. Uniformity as a pseudo-scientific measure has been used to establish unjust IPR monopolies on seed. Once a company has patents on seeds, it pushes its patented crops on farmers in order to collect royalties. Humanity has been eating thousands and thousands (8,500) of plant species. Today we are being condemned to eat GM corn and soya in various forms. Four primary cropscorn, soya, canola and cottonhave all been grown at the cost of other crops because they generate a royalty for every acre planted. For example, India had 1,500 different kinds of cotton, now 95 percent of the cotton planted is GMO Bt Cotton for which Monsanto collects royalties. More than 11 million hectares of land are used to cultivate cotton, of which 9.5 million hectares is used to grow Monsanto's Bt variety. A common question is: Why do farmers adopt Bt cotton which harms them? But farmers do not choose Bt cotton. They have to buy Bt cotton as all other choices are destroyed. Monsanto establishes its seed monopoly through three mechanisms: 1. Make farmers give up old seed, called seed replacement" in industry jargon. 2. Influence public institutions to stop breeding. According to information received through RTI, the Central Cotton Research Institute did not release cotton varieties for Vidharba after Monsanto entered with its Bt cotton seeds. 3. Lock Indian companies into licensing agreements. These coercive, corrupt mechanisms are now falling apart. Navdanya created community seed banks and farmers have access to open pollinated, native organic seeds. The CCIR, under the leadership of Dr. Keshav Kranti, is developing native cotton varieties. Finally, the government also intervened to regulate Monsanto's monopoly. On March 8, it passed a seed price control order regulating the price of seed under the Essential Commodities Act. Monsanto and the biotechnology industry challenged the government order. We were impleaded in the Karnataka high court. On May 3, Justice Bopanna gave an order reaffirming that the government has a duty to regulate seed prices and Monsanto does not have a right to seed monopoly. Biodiversity and small farmers are the foundation of food security, not corporations like Monsanto which are destroying biodiversity and pushing farmers to suicide. These crimes against humanity must stop. That is why on Oct. 16, International Food Day, we will organize a Monsanto Tribunal at The Hague to try" Monsanto for its various crimes. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE India Records Highest Temperature Ever: 123.8 Degrees Fahrenheit How Carbon Farming Can Reverse Climate Change 17 Farmers Doing Much More Than Putting Food on Your Plate Did Your State Make the Top 10 List for Its Commitment to Local Food? Yadavs tweet on Mr Kumars health has set the political circuit on fire. Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday demanded a detailed medical bulletin on the health of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Taking to Twitter, Mr Yadav said that, Chief minister has been ill since last seven days. All government events have been cancelled. We want to know about his actual health condition. We pray for his speedy recovery. The Twitter statement has come at a time when the state government has been facing attacks over rising crime graph in Bihar. The opposition leaders had earlier demanded the resignation of Mr Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi on the issue. Mr Yadav said that, People of the state must be informed about his actual health condition. We demand a detailed medical bulletin on the chief ministers health. Sources in the government also confirmed that Mr Kumar has been ill since his return from Chennai after attending late DMK chief M. Karunanidhis memorial service. The Opposition leaders pointed out that a crucial meeting on law and order was cancelled at the last minute a week earlier due to ill health of Mr Kumar. According to Opposition party leaders, the meeting was crucial as there has been a spurt in murder and crime against women in Bihar. Mr Yadavs tweet on Mr Kumars health has set the political circuit on fire. The ruling party leaders reacted sharply and slammed the Opposition for using the issue as a tool to create, unnecessary controversy against the chief minister. JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar responded bitterly to Mr Yadavs statement and asked him to inform people about the health condition of Sonia Gandhi before asking about Nitish Kumar. Tejashwi Yadav should be ashamed of himself for raising questions on the health of people who have not been well. Such questions will not help him politically at all. Political analysts are of the opinion that the deteriorating law and order condition has changed the perception of people about the image Mr Kumar. whose USP has been good governance. A broad selloff of emerging market currencies last week made it easier for the British Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate to capitalise on the weeks relatively optimistic Brexit developments. However, towards the end of the week the emerging market selloff cooled and the South African Rand began to recover. After opening last week at the level of 19.07, GBP/ZAR spent most of the week climbing and touched a two year high of 20.08 on Wednesday. GBP/ZAR continued to trend relatively closely to those highs until Friday morning, when the South African Rand began to regain some of its losses. This pushed GBP/ZAR to trend in the region of 19.61. Pound (GBP) Falls from Highs Versus South African Rand (ZAR) amid Emerging Market Recovery Last week wasnt a great one for the emerging market South African Rand, due to both domestic and geopolitical news leaving the relatively risky currency unappealing. Towards the beginning of the week, South Africas August manufacturing PMI came in with a disappointing contraction of 43.4, while South Africas Q2 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was even more concerning. Analysts had expected South African growth would improve to 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, and to 1.0% year-on-year. However, the results printed with a surprising contraction of -0.7% quarter-on-quarter while the yearly figure slipped to 0.4%. This meant that South Africa had entered a technical recession. On top of this, political concerns in Turkey and Argentina as well as fears of worsening US trade protectionism left emerging market currencies in general highly unappealing. However, towards the end of the week the selloff cooled and investors opted to buy the South African Rand back from its worst levels. According to Jan Sluis-Cremer from Rand Merchant Bank: Emerging markets are seeing a bit of a breather. The rand has been overstretched and now its a bit of a correction phase. The positive current account news was kind of expected and has put peoples minds at ease, Overall though, the South African Rands weakness helped the Pound to Rand exchange rate sustain gains throughout the week. The Pound did see a boost in demand though, following a Wednesday report on Brexit negotiations. The report claimed that officials from the UK and Germany were willing to drop key demands from Brexit negotiations, if it meant that a deal was more likely to be reached. While uncertainty about the Brexit remained high, no-deal Brexit fears lightened slightly on hopes that negotiators would much rather reach a deal than allow talks to collapse. Pound (GBP) Forecast: Bank of England (BoE) Decision and Growth Rates in Focus Brexit developments are likely to remain the core of underlying Pound movement in the coming week, especially as UK-EU negotiations accelerate ahead of an EU summit in October. Any signs that UK and EU negotiators are more eager to avoid a possible no-deal Brexit would certainly strengthen the Pounds support, but fresh uncertainties or clashes could knock Sterling lower again. A slew of influential UK data will be published in the coming week too, and the Bank of England (BoE) will hold its September monetary policy decision on Thursday. Monday will see the publication of Britains July Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate data, with Britains July job market and wage growth stats following on Tuesday. Of course, the Bank of Englands September policy decision could be highly influential to the Pound if the bank takes a surprising tone on its monetary policy outlook, or its view on Brexit negotiations. South African Rand (ZAR) Forecast: Could the Emerging Market Recovery Rally Continue? Many analysts have perceived the selloff of emerging market currencies to have been overdone, so as markets cool from last weeks disappointing South African data there may be further gains ahead for the risky currency. Investors are more likely to buy the South African Rand back from its cheapest levels if upcoming South African data impresses though, or if US trade relations improve at all. Tuesday will see the publication of South Africas July manufacturing production stats, followed by retail sales data on Wednesday. South African mining and business confidence data will be published on Thursday and could influence some late-week movement in the South African Rand. Of course, other factors influencing risk-sentiment and other emerging market currencies are likely to remain influential too. Exchange rate analysts at Lloyds Bank, in a brief on Monday 10th September, noted that "the pound continues to hold up, trading 1.29 against the US dollar and close to 1.12 against the euro. Comments released on Friday, from the EUs chief Brexit negotiator, were seen as positive and constructive and suggested that progress continues to be made towards avoiding a cliff-edge moment in March 2019." After days of trending higher on fears of a possible no-deal Brexit and decent Eurozone data figures, the Euro to British Pound (EUR/GBP) exchange rate tumbled on Friday following the latest positive signs in Brexit talks. If Brexit negotiations remain optimistic, the Pound Sterling (GBP) could be in for further gains. Brexit jitters at the beginning of the week caused EUR/GBP to climb from opening levels of 0.8958 to and touch a weekly high of 0.9041 in the middle of the week. Since Wednesday though, Brexit hopes have been rising and on Friday the Pound saw another boost, pushing EUR/GBP down to a half-month low of 0.8919. Euro (EUR) to Pound Sterling (GBP) Exchange Rate Slumps After Fresh Optimistic Comments from EU Chief Negotiator For most of the past week, the Euros movement has been driven by the strength of its rivals as Eurozone data has been too mixed to give investors much reason to buy the shared currency. The Euro to Pound exchange rate (see live rates/charts for EUR/GBP here) climbed at the beginning of the week as no-deal Brexit fears caused Pound weakness, and EUR/GBP slumped on Friday as the Pound saw a surge in demand. As for the Pound, most of the past weeks major movements were caused by the latest Brexit developments, particularly the perceived progress in UK-EU Brexit negotiations. Perhaps the biggest news for Euro to Pound exchange rate investors last week was Fridays comments from EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier, who took an optimistic stance on Brexit talks. He said that while there were still disagreements over Britains Brexit Chequers proposal, there were positive elements in the plan too. He reminded markets that the EU was also looking to avoid a no-deal Brexit: We want to establish the closest relationship possible with your country - and I will be saying this in greater detail later - and what will be an unprecedented relationship. We are determined to find an agreement. Let me repeat also that the no-deal scenario is not our scenario. He indicated that the EU was willing to accept alternative backstop plans for the Irish border too. The Pound more easily gained against the Euro at the end of the week, as the Eurozones third Q2 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projections fell short of forecasts year-on-year-. The figure was forecast to come in at 2.2%, but instead slowed from 2.4% to 2.1%. This dampened market expectations for the Eurozones economic outlook and dampened Euro performance. Euro (EUR) Exchange Rates Forecast: European Central Bank (ECB) in Focus This Week The Euro to Pound exchange rate is most likely to remain influenced by Brexit news and the strength of the Pound next week, but the Euro itself could see some shift in movement in reaction to the weeks anticipated European Central Bank (ECB) policy decision. The ECB decision will be held on Thursday, and if the bank shows an unexpected shift in tone due to concerns of US trade protectionism the Euro could weaken. If the bank is more concerned with US-EU trade tensions than expected, the Euro to Pound exchange rate could be in for further losses next week. Other Eurozone news to keep an eye out for throughout the week includes the Eurozones Q2 employment change results and ZEWs September economic sentiment stats on Tuesday. Eurozone industrial production will be published on Wednesday, with German and French Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures due to come in on Thursday. Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Forecast: Brexit and Bank of England (BoE) Developments Anticipated The coming weeks UK economic calendar is bustling with key data publications, but they are still likely to take a backseat to any potential developments in the Brexit process. Brexit news has been the primary cause of Pound movement over the past month, and this is unlikely to stop until a lot more clarity is revealed on what kind of Brexit deal the UK and EU will arrive at. If UK negotiators and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier remain optimistic about Brexit progress, the Pound could be in for further gains. As for data, Britains July Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate will come in on Monday, followed by July job market data on Tuesday. Of course, Thursdays Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy decision could be highly influential too if there are any changes in tone on the UK economic outlook, or any announcements about BoE Governor Mark Carney potentially seeing a longer term as Governor. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. Ed Day stood in the plaza of Mission Espada, holding a plastic bag filled with what looked like crushed red pebbles, all eyes fixed on him. This is dead bugs, the park volunteer said, drawing laughs from the audience and smiles from the young troop of Girl Scouts eagerly tracking his every move. The bags contents were dried cochineal insects, a parasite that feeds on cacti. The insects are used to produce carminic acid, which can serve as a natural red dye, which Day demonstrated with shades of crimson wool as part of the Threads of Time event Saturday. Members of the San Antonio Handweavers Guild explained different techniques for spinning, weaving and dyeing textiles at the event, part of this weekends third annual City of San Antonio World Heritage Festival. Inside the Missions Contact Station, first-graders Maddie Kampstra and Claire Scudder learned how to use a table-loom, quickly picking up how to move the shuttle back and forth between pieces of yard. Under the watchful eye of Guild member Trish Ashton, Scudder was soon expertly moving the looms two harnesses back and forth, creating a blue and gold pattern, while other members of the Guild showed off card-weaving and wool spinning. The event drew a mix of textile enthusiasts, families and visitors exploring the mission who stumbled across the festival. We have to pass this on, we cant let this die with us, said guild member Gretchen Hill, as she rhythmically tapped the treadle on her spinning wheel with her bare foot to power it. A blend of merino wool, bamboo and silk wrapped neatly around the bobbin as she spun, which would become two-ply yarn when she spins it again with sewing thread. I put spinning up there with yoga, said Hill, who will give the yarn to a friend who uses it to crochet. Events like the one Saturday are a chance to introduce the textile arts to new audiences, she said. Maria Snell, who brought her daughters and niece to the Mission, said shes always looking for ways to expose the girls to the history and culture of San Antonio. While theyre often focused on technology, theyre not allowed to use phones or tablets on outings while participating in cultural events, she said. Instead, they used small pieces of cardboard as makeshift looms to make necklaces and bracelets. Kristina Bean said she was trying to visit all of the missions on her last weekend in San Antonio before moving when she found the Guild members at Mission Espada. Rasa Silenas, a retired doctor who said she knitted all the way through medical school lectures, showed Bean how to use a drop spindle, made with a round wooden rod, two CDs and some rubber bands, to spin wool into yarn. Bean had tried weaving before, she said, but stopped when she had trouble with the warp on the loom, or the pieces of yarn that are stretched and wrapped around it and then woven through. After talking with the Guild members, she planned to try again, she said. So this worked out well. John DeArment demonstrated how to use Mission Espadas own loom, which stands about five feet tall and five feet wide. The Guild has helped the park staff keep the loom operational, he said, so it can be used for weekly demonstrations every Tuesday. Day, who has volunteered with the National Park Service for six years, said he teaches visitors about the historic machine as the first computer, with the woven stitches as the first form of coding. In highlighting the early form of manufacturing, which shows the labor-intensive process of making fabric and clothing, were talking about a lot of different things we call STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) now, he said. And showing off how to use plant parasites and chemicals to dye wool, he said, is a way to hook them in. LTeitz@express-news.net | @LizTeitz SAN ANTONIO - A man accused of taking a dog from the city's animal shelter was arrested just 24 hours after the alleged theft and found with multiple dogs, thanks to social media. Kenneth Lamicq, 38, is charged with theft under $2,500 - enhanced. His bail is set at $5,000. San Antonio Police arrested him just before 3 p.m. Friday on Oriental Avenue, Animal Care Services said. Officials released images Thursday evening taken from security cameras that show Lamicq taking Pretty, a female American Staffordshire Terrier, from the ACS facility, 4710 Texas 151. ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said he "ran from the kennels with her." Images of the suspect made the rounds on social media and were seen by an acquaintance of Lamicq who alerted law enforcement, officials said. RELATED: Pasha owner says he was told suspected source of outbreak Police found Pretty in the backyard of the home on Oriental Avenue. She was experiencing a suspected heat stroke and barely able to walk, officials said. She had to be carried to the vehicle for transport to the ACS veterinary clinic where she is receiving treatment, officials said. "She's a large dog," Norwood said. "Because she had such difficulty walking they felt it would be best to not try and push it." RELATED: First photos emerge of Frances Hall leaving prison A male and female adult dogs and six puppies were also recovered from the back yard. "The two adult dogs are in OK shape, it was the puppies that were covered in fleas and dirty," Norwood said. Norwood said it is standard process that if someone is arrested, ACS takes in their animals to ensure they are not left to fend for themselves. Lamicq may face additional charges related to the other dogs and for the condition that Pretty was found in. "That particular aspect has now been turned over to our cruelty investigators and we are pursuing additional charges," Norwood said. jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA The departure of Ramiro Cavazos as president and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will leave a deep void here, but his ascent to the top post at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce says as much about him as the city that prepared him for that national arena. A skilled deal maker and connector, Cavazos has been both servant leader and diplomat, an affable, unflappable ambassador. That hes a seventh-generation Texan is evident in his carriage, and that hes practically homegrown has made his tenure at the chamber one of immense impact. His successor will have to work overtime to fill a post that has become synonymous with Cavazos. Louis Escareno, a member of the chambers board and himself a former president and CEO, says in many ways Cavazos helped create the modern chamber the one that might still be second to the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce in a few categories but that has eclipsed it in others, including innovation, activity and visibility. Cavazos didnt do it alone, but its not an accident the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the largest privately funded chamber in the city and the only one there are only eight statewide to have earned a five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Its also the only Latino chamber in the country to receive that designation. Its not just the oldest Hispanic chamber in the United States, its the leading one. To reach that level, Cavazos and his team has put on one leadership, educational or networking event after another, made presentations before one governmental body after another, all the while preaching the gospel of economic development and the building of wealth among minority-owned businesses. Related: Cavazos to ascend to U.S. Hispanic Chamber's top spot Finding and mentoring leaders has been at the heart of the chambers work and comes with the job. Julissa Carielo, president of Tejas Premier Building Contractor Inc. and a chamber board member, says Cavazos has mentored without even knowing about it. She credits Cavazos for building a platform from which emerging leaders have had a voice and advocated for us at all levels. Under his leadership, the Hispanic chamber has become one of the leading representatives of the new San Antonio and the city its still becoming. U.S. demographers have long said San Antonio is what the rest of the country will look like. Cultural geographer Daniel Arreola long ago described the city as the Mexican American cultural capital of the United States. Its a city from which leaders such as Cavazos have emerged. Was there anyone else that could have done this? wondered Al Arreola, president and CEO of the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. But Latino leaders are a dominant force in such organizations here. Arreola is the second-longest serving chamber CEO in the city, after Richard Perez at the Greater chamber. The North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, another of the larger local chambers, now is led by Cristina Aldrete. Perez, a former city councilman who helped run a small South Side business, says Cavazos rise shows the city has produced a very significant pool, a significant Latino pool, of talent that can compete on the national stage. The national Hispanic chamber did a national search, and probably even somewhat of an international search, Perez said. It shows we have what it takes. Related: New female bishop in S.A. part of Lutheran change San Antonio will benefit from Cavazos new perch in Washington. Having friends in high places always helps when youre competing for resources and talent, Perez said. Hell be our eyes and ears. The local Hispanic chambers search committee now has to find someone as dynamic, collaborative and inclusive as Cavazos, said Thomas Tunstall, senior research director at UTSAs Institute for Economic Development. As excited as he is about this amazing opportunity, Cavazos says its bittersweet, noting, Im leaving a city I love and a team I adore. Hes preparing to leave things in order for his successor and hopes that whoever follows will champion Latino-owned business to create wealth while looking out educationally and economically for those who must be better prepared to be their workforce. We can never forget where we came from. Dont always do whats popular or status quo, he said, summarizing his advice to his successor. Represent the interests of the board but use your power to speak. Never ask for permission. The future of the country is tied to the success of Latinos. He starts his new job Oct. 1 and will commute for a while before his family, a wife and two sons, join him in Washington. Elaine Ayala covers religion and minority affairs in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala Venkaiah Naidu also said legislation alone was not enough as a change in societal behaviour was required to prevent hate incidents. Noting that there was also a debate on about nationalism in the country, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said it should also be properly defined and articulated. (Photo: File | AP) New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said those involved in the incidents of hate and lynching cannot call themselves nationalists while holding that legislation alone was not enough as a change in societal behaviour was required to prevent such cases. The Vice President also expressed anguish over the politicisation of incidents of lynching, saying such cases should not be linked with political parties. "Societal change (is needed). This (lynching) is not because of this party or that party. The moment you attribute it to these parties, the cause is lost. That is what is happening, let me be very frank," he said. Asked about the incidents of hate and lynching, he said it was not a new trend and there were such instances in the past also. "It is the societal behaviour that has to change...when you kill the other man, how can you call yourself nationalist. On the basis of religion, on the basis of caste or on the basis of colour, or on the basis of gender, you discriminate. Nationalism, Bharat Mata Ki Jai has a wider meaning," Naidu told news agency PTI in an interview on Tuesday. Naidu said "some of these things" cannot be tackled through legislation alone, and a societal change was needed to check them. The government has been under attack from Congress and several other opposition parties for a spate of lynchings in various parts of the country in the last couple of years. According to Home Ministry data, around 40 people were lynched in nine states in the past one year. The opposition and various civil rights groups have also accused the government of not coming down hard on those involved in the incidents. On July 17, the Supreme Court said that "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued a slew of guidelines to deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism. It also asked the Centre to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with such incidents. A panel appointed by the government to examine ways to contain such incidents is believed to have recommended framing a new legislation. "When the Nirbhaya issue came, there was a clamour for Nirbhaya act. Nirbhaya act has come, did they stop. I am not getting into politics, the political parties they have their own way of highlighting it. I (had) said, what is required is not a mere bill, political will, administrative skill, and then go for the kill of the social evil. I had said in Parliament," said Naidu. Noting that there was also a debate on about nationalism in the country, Naidu said it should also be properly defined and articulated. "According to me nationalism or 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' means 'Jai Ho' to 130 crore people. Any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion or region is against nationalism," the Vice President said. In the Nirbhaya case, five men and a juvenile gangraped a woman on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a running bus in South Delhi and severely assaulted her. She succumbed to injuries on December 29, 2012, at a Singapore hospital. The woman was given the name Nirbhaya (fearless). It was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon aboard the Brackenridge Eagle train spent chugging along the San Antonio River and winding through Brackenridge Park. Glenn Falcon, his mother and Falcons two sons, Mike and Doug, were enjoying a ride aboard the iconic miniature train in summer 1970 when two masked men brandishing a revolver jumped from the high brush in Brackenridge Park and ordered the trains 75 passengers to hand over their valuables. We knew this was real, recalled Falcon, now 81. They had pillow cases and you were supposed to throw your stuff in them. I threw my camera into the bushes to save it, but they took my billfold. At the time, Falcon didnt realize how historically significant the days events were. But soon, he learned the robbery which became known as the Great (Little) Train Robbery was the first train robbery in the Wild West in nearly 47 years. Today, its also recognized as the last known train robbery in Texas. It stayed with me for a while, Falcon said. But eventually it faded away. People didnt want to hear about it anymore. The two robbers got away with about $500, car keys, checkbooks and credit cards. It later was revealed the culprits were soldiers stationed at Fort Sam Houston, according to the San Antonio Public Library. They were sentenced to 10 and 20 years in prison. John Polich was a young reporter covering cops on the weekend for the Express and News, when he heard the call over the police scanner around 1 p.m. that the train in Brackenridge Park had been robbed. The incident was quite a break from my usual weekend police beat stories shooting and fires, Polich wrote in an email. As soon as the radio call was broadcast, I realized that history might be being made. In fact, it was so unusual that as Polich drove to the park, he wondered if it was a legitimate call. When Polich arrived, he found several passengers shocked by the crime, especially because it was supposed to be a leisurely ride through the public park that was deemed safe, at least in daytime, Polich said. Polich talked to other passengers who told him they thought the robbery was a staged skit or a prank. I laughed at the man with the pistol, said C.A. Berndt, according to San Antonio Express-News archives. The robber had just grabbed the man in front of me by the back when he refused to turn over his wallet, but nobody took him seriously. When he pushed me down the seat and held the gun against my head, I still laughed. Berndt didnt realize the drama was real until the robber grabbed his wifes purse and moved down the train. Another woman realized it wasnt a prank when the robber pointed the revolver at her and said, Lady, this is no joke. Polich suspected that it might be the first train robbery in a number of years and began scrambling to learn more. It was a Saturday afternoon, in the days before a simple Internet search could confirm his suspicions. Finally, he was able to reach Charles Mizell, a former president of the Southwest Railroad Historical Society, who confirmed that it was the first train robbery in 47 years. Polichs front-page story was published on July 18, 1970, in the Sunday edition of the Express and News. The San Antonio Light also featured the story on its front page. Falcon, the passenger, was able to salvage his camera, but he did lose his drivers license and credit cards that were inside his wallet. Afterward, Falcon and his sons traveled to Mexico for a vacation, but he had trouble getting across the border with only a copy of his drivers license that was sent to him after the robbery. He told the border patrol agent that it was stolen during a train robbery in San Antonio. The border patrol agent just rolled his eyes, Falcon said. Obviously, he didnt believe me. But we did get through and we had a good visit for three to four days before we came back. Soon, news of the robbery spread. Falcon received letters from strangers, even some from other countries, who offered their support, or suggested he was to blame. His high school sweetheart from Michigan also called him. Today, the train robbery is still well-known. Between 2011 and 2013, Garl Latham was a train engineer at the San Antonio Zoo, which still operates the train now called the San Antonio Zoo Eagle for millions of visitors every year. Latham, who has worked in the railway industry for 50 years, was familiar with the story of the Great Little Train Robbery. In fact, he had ridden the train as a kid with his parents in 1968, two years before the robbery. Its one of those stories that gets around, especially if you like trains, Latham said. When Latham began working at the zoo, he decided not to mention the robbery because he wanted to keep his narration fun and uplifting. Still, he was often approached by passengers who asked about the robbery, or told him they knew someone who was aboard the train on that summer day in 1970. It was so profound, Latham said. You hear about train robberies, but theyre always in the Wild West. Theyre not in 1970. It was at an amusement park You dont expect something like this to happen. eeaton@express-news.net COMING TOMORROW: A crime of passion stops work on the Alamos construction in the 1700s. An estimated 10 major militant groups are said to be active in the Manipur and adjoining areas. In 2017, eight Army men were killed and 26 injured in anti-insurgency operations while the number of militants gunned down was three. (Photo: Representational/AFP) New Delhi: The Army is working on a new strategy to deal with insurgency in the Northeast region where it has noticed a slowdown in the intensity of its operations against militants ever since the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur. The Army is said to be concerned over increasing casualties of its personnel in Manipur and an over cautious approach being adopted by its field units in the region. An estimated 10 major militant groups are said to be active in the Manipur and adjoining areas. Sources claimed the Army top-brass held detailed discussions a few days ago as there appears to be a manifested caution being exercised by the field units because of the directives of the apex court on cases related to the Armed Forces Special Powers Acts (Afspa). The Supreme Court in the last few months has, in a number of orders, asked the CBI to probe alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters by the Army, Assam Rifles and police in Manipur, observing that violation of human rights cannot be tolerated. The court in July last year had sought a probe into as many as 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur and constituted a special investigation team (SIT) after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed. Sources said that there has been a perceptible disquiet among some of the soldiers and officers deployed in Manipur who were adopting an over-cautious approach in conducting counter-insurgency operations. In 2017, eight Army men were killed and 26 injured in anti-insurgency operations while the number of militants gunned down was three. Till August this year, three insurgents have been killed where as five soldiers were killed and 17 injured, they said. As per the official data, a total of 1,889 soldiers were killed and 3,168 suffered injuries in the Northeast since 1997 while the number of insurgents killed during the period was 4,974. Similarly, the overall figure of the Army and Assam Rifles personnel killed and injured, along with those gunned down by the security forces, was around 10,000 in the last 20 years. In connection with a hearing Afspa-related cases in Manipur, the Supreme Court had earlier rejected the governments contention that the disturbed area was similar to a war like situation and the anti-insurgency forces needed immunity against collateral damage during operations. There has been a long-standing demand from various quarters in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast to withdraw the Afspa. In a major move, around 700 Army officers and soldiers have approached the Supreme Court against a reported move to dilute some provisions of the Afspa. Vivint Solar, Inc. provides distributed solar energy primarily to residential customers in the United States. It owns and installs solar energy systems through long-term customer contracts. The company also sells photovoltaic installation products, as well as solar renewable energy certificates. As of December 31, 2019, it had an aggregate capacity of 1,294.0 megawatts covering approximately 188,300 homes. The company was formerly known as V Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vivint Solar, Inc. in April 2014. Vivint Solar, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 1711 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Cobham, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Services China Ltd., Esterline Technologies Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies Management France SAS, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, ILC Holdings Inc., Irvin Aerospace Limited, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Jupiter SAS, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Militair Aviation Ltd., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas Corp., Norwich Aero Products Inc., Pascall Electronics Limited, Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Racal Acoustics Inc., Racal Acoustics Limited, Rancho TransTechnology Corporation, Retainers Inc., SSP Industries, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, ScioTeq LLC, ScioTeq Ltd., ScioTeq Pte. Ltd., ScioTeq SAS, ScioTeq bvba, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Mfg Limited, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., TREALITY SVS LLC, TTERUSA Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Technical Airborne Components Industries SPRL, Telair International, Telair International AB, Telair International GmbH, Telair International LLC, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, Texas Rotronics Inc., TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Industries Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, and Young & Franklin Inc.. The party claimed that 21 opposition parties are supporting the Bharat bandh besides a number of chambers of commerce and traders associations. New Delhi: On the eve of a nationwide Bandh to protest rising fuel prices and falling value of rupee, the Congress Party has asked its workers to refrain from violent protests and maintain peace. I appeal all Congress workers to make the bandh violence-free. We are Mahatma Gandhis party and we should not associate ourselves with any violence, Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken told the media. The party claimed that 21 opposition parties are supporting the Bharat bandh besides a number of chambers of commerce and traders associations. One of the chief demands of the Congress party was that petrol and diesel be brought under GST, by which oil prices could drop by about Rs 15 to Rs 18. According to the price notification issued by state fuel retailers, petrol price was raised by 12 paise a litre and diesel by 10 paise per litre on Sunday. Mr Maken held the BJP government responsible for the rise in petrol and diesel prices and alleged that it kept on raising excise duty on fuel even as international crude oil prices have come down. Between 2014 and now, excise duty on petrol has risen by 211.7 per cent and 433 per cent on diesel. The excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.2 per litre in 2014 and it has gone up to Rs 19.48 per litre. Similarly, the excise duty on diesel was Rs 3.46 per litre and today it stands at Rs 15.33 per litre. The Congress spokesperson further alleged that the government has collected Rs 11 crore as excise duty by rising prices. I am pained that the BJP national executive meeting did not discuss a solution to these issues, he said. The economic progress and GDP growth rate has been whittled away by the present dispensation. During our rule, Narendra Modi criticised the rising oil prices saying it has gone into ICU. What would they say now? he asked. Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The following companies are subsidiares of 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. Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Read More 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. Read More American Midstream Partners, LP provides midstream infrastructure that links the producers of natural gas, crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), condensate, and specialty chemicals to various intermediate and end-use markets in the United States and Mexico. Its Gas Gathering and Processing Services segment offers services to producers of natural gas and crude oil, including transporting raw natural gas and crude oil from various receipt points through gathering systems, treating the raw natural gas, processing raw natural gas to separate the NGLs from the natural gas, fractionating NGLs, and selling or delivering pipeline-quality natural gas and NGLs. The company's Liquid Pipelines and Services segment transports, purchases, and sells crude oil. Its Natural Gas Transportation Services segment transports and delivers natural gas from producing wells, receipt points, or pipeline interconnects for shippers, local distribution companies, and utilities, as well as industrial, commercial, and power generation customers. The company's Offshore Pipelines and Services segment gathers and transports natural gas from receipt points to other pipeline interconnects, onshore facilities, and other delivery points. Its Terminalling Services segment provides petroleum products, distillates, chemicals, and agricultural products storage services at its marine terminals for commodity brokers, refiners, and chemical manufacturers. As of May 10, 2018, the company owned approximately 5,100 miles of interstate and intrastate pipelines; gas processing plants and fractionation facilities; an offshore semisubmersible floating production system with nameplate processing capacity of 90 thousand barrels per day of crude oil and 220 million cubic feet per day of natural gas; and terminal sites with approximately 6.7 million barrels of storage capacity. American Midstream GP, LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Shah informed that Modi has covered 300 Lok Sabha constituencies since 2014 and will cover all before the next general polls. Underlining that the country has now moved towards politics of performance, Amit Shah said the BJP never relaxed even after assuming power in 2014. (Photo: Twitter | @BJP4India) New Delhi: Expressing confidence about his party coming back to power in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP president Amit Shah said on Sunday his party will rule the country for the next 50 years. Addressing the BJP's national executive meet in New Delhi, Shah said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win the 2019 polls on the basis of its performance and his assertion was not borne out of any arrogance. Briefing the media about Shah's speech, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party has "corpus of 9 crore workers," which means it is in touch with 36-40 crore people. "We need to reach out to 21 crore families across the country, which means we will eventually reach out to more than 110 crore people in the country...in a way we will almost cover the entire population of the country," Prasad said quoting Shah. He said the BJP chief assured the party workers of victory in the next general elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working hard and a lot of developmental work has been done by the government. Also Read: Opposition has no leader, agenda or strategy: Javadekar at BJP meet "Shah told party workers that the BJP will win the 2019 elections because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hard work and then no one can dethrone the party for the next 50 years," Prasad informed. Shah informed that Modi has covered 300 Lok Sabha constituencies since 2014 and will cover all before the next general polls. Underlining that the country has now moved towards politics of performance, Shah said the BJP never relaxed even after assuming power in 2014. "The politics of the county is now progressing towards performance and hope," Prasad said quoting Shah. He said when Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat in 2001, the party has never lost an election and continues to remain in the power in the state because of its performance. Referring to the Congress, he said the party first formed the government in 1947 and remained in power till 1967, indicating that the BJP has the capacity to repeat the same feat. Midstates Petroleum Company, Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in the United States. The company's operations are primarily focused on exploration and production activities in the Mississippian Lime. As of December 31, 2018, its assets consisted of approximately 102,198 net acres in the Mississippian Lime trend in Woods and Alfalfa counties of Oklahoma. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read More Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Thailand ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Thailand ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Modi mentioned various schemes which he said had benefited people in all regions and all sections of society. New Delhi: Giving a clarion call of Ajeya Bharat, Atal BJP (Invincible India, firm BJP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told BJP leaders that the party has no chunauti (challenge) for 2019 as the so-called mahagatbandhan (coalition of parties) against the BJP-led NDA has no leadership and has unclear policy and corrupt intentions. Mr Modi said poitical outfits that are unable to stand each other have been forced to join hands, which was proof of his governments popularity and the BJPs big success. Exuding confidence, BJP president Amit Shah said the party will retain power at the Centre in 2019 and then remain in power for the next 50 years. Asserting that the country had moved towards the politics of performance, Mr Shah said the BJP had been working without taking any rest after assuming power in 2014. In his valedictory speech at the BJP national executive meeting, Mr Modi paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who passed away last month, saying the party patriarch had given heft to the partys ideology, culture and leadership. The PM lashed out at the Opposition for peddling lies and not challenging the government on geniune issues. We have started our journey with confidence of victory. We enjoy the confidence of 125 crore people of India, said senior Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, quoting the PM. Taking on the Congress and the mahagatbandhan, the PM said the Oppositions allegations were based on falsehoods and lies against his government. We do not see any challenge... when they were in power they were a failure, and they are a failure even in Opposition, said Mr Modi. The PM, as quoted by Mr Prasad, cited the example of Gujarat, the state of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, which once a stronghold of the Congress, but has been under BJP rule for over 31 years because the party never let arrogance creep in, and for it the government was an instrument to empower people. Lashing out at the Congress, Mr Modi said while the Opposition has a high place in democracy, but till today, the Opposition had not challenged the government on issues or its policies and ideology, but manufactures lies every day and keeps repeating it. His remarks were seen by many as an apparent reference to the Congress attack over the Rafale deal and demonetisation, among others. He asked the BJP cadre to unmask the Congress with facts and logic. Mr Modi said the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress was not acceptable to any ally, even smaller outfits, and he (Rahul) was not acceptable to a few within his own party. The PM claimed that his government had lived up to the slogan of Sabka saath, sabka vikas by bringing development to all without any consideration of caste, religion or region. Mr Modi mentioned various schemes which he said had benefited people in all regions and all sections of society. On simultaneous polls, he said his government had already done one nation, one tax, a reference to the Goods and Services Tax, and one nation, one power grid, but was not for creating pressure on this issue. He wanted a debate in all sections of society on the issue of simultaneous polls, he said. Earlier, Mr Shah expressed confidence about his party retaining power in 2019 and said the BJP would rule the country for the next 50 years. Amit Shah said the party will win the 2019 elections because of its performance and then no one can dethrone the BJP for the next 50 years, said Mr Prasad, adding that the projection was based on the work and achievements of the party-ruled government at the Centre, and not arrogance. Mr Shah said Mr Modi became Gujarat CM in 2001 and the party has never lost an election and remains in power in the state because of the BJPs performance. The following companies are subsidiares of Teledyne Technologies: Alia Corporation Inc, Bolt Technology Corp, Bowtech Products, CARIS, CDL do Brasil Equipamentos e Servicos Submarinos Sociedade Empresaria Ltda., CETAC Technologies, DALSA, Demo Systems, Detcon Holdco Inc., Ensambles de Precision S.A. de C.V., Falcon Analytical, Frontline Test Equipment, GMI Group Holdings Limited, Hafmynd ehf, Hanson Research Corp, IST Oldham Instruments India Private Limited, Industrial Control Machines, Intelek, Intelek Limited, Intelek Pension Trustees Limited, Intelek Properties Limited, LeCroy (Beijing) Trading Co. Ltd., LeCroy Corporation, Lidar Aviation Services Inc., Maple Imaging LLC, Micralyne Inc, Ocean Design Ltda., Oldham Instrument (Shanghai) Co. 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An Election Commission team will visit Telangana on Tuesday to assess the situation for holding early elections. The terms of the Assemblies in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram are due to end between December 15 and January 20, while the Telangana Assemblys term ended on September 6. Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly elections are most likely to be held prior to the elections in four other states. An Election Commission team will visit Telangana on Tuesday to assess the situation for holding early elections. State chief electoral officer Rajat Kumar is leaving for New Delhi on Monday, a day prior to the EC teams visit to the state, and is learnt to have readied a report to be submitted to the EC stating that all arrangements are in place for polls in the last week of November. The terms of the Assemblies in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram are due to end between December 15 and January 20, while the Telangana Assemblys term ended on September 6. As per preliminary reports, the EC wants to hold elections for the four states in December by releasing the schedule in October-end or Novembers first week. It is in favour of issuing the Telangana poll schedule in Octobers second week and holding the elections in Novembers last week. This is to ensure an adequate number of Electronic Voting Machines, voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs) and security forces are in place for the smooth conduct of elections in Telangana, that would be difficult if five state polls are clubbed together. The EC on Saturday issued orders stopping revision of photo electoral rolls in Telagnana with the cutoff date of January 1, 2019 and to go ahead with the draft rolls of January 1, 2018, to pave the way for early elections in Telangana. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Mr Rajat Kumar said: The two-day tour of the EC team to Telangana to assess the arrangements for elections will begin on September 11. The team will meet representatives of all political parties and election officials on Day 1 and district collectors, SPs, chief secretary and DGP on Day 2. The team will gather all the details and submit a report to the Election Commission, which will take a call on the schedule for the Telangana Assembly polls. He said the supply of EVMs and VVPATs to the state will begin from Monday and the training for polling staff will begin soon. Official sources said the EC has been citing Supreme Court orders to give priority for holding elections in states where the term of Assemblies has ended and in this backdrop the EC wants to hold the Telangana Assembly elections first, before the other four states. Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The firm engages in the operation of pipelines and terminals that transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, carbon dioxide (CO2) and other products and stores petroleum products chemicals and handles bulk materials like ethanol, coal, petroleum coke and steel. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, CO2, Terminals, Product Pipelines and Kinder Morgan Canada. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment engages in the ownership and operation of major interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline and storage systems, natural gas and crude oil gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities. The CO2 segment focuses on the production, transportation and marketing of CO2 to oil fields that use CO2 as a flooding medium for recovering crude oil from mature oil fields to increase production. The Terminals segment consists of the ownership and operation of liquids and bulk terminal facilities located throughout the U.S. and portions of Canada that trans load and store refined petroleum products, crude oil, chemicals, ethanol and bulk products, including coal, petroleum coke, fertilizer, Read More the Ghaziabad police rescued a 12-year-old abducted school kid, for whom his captors had demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore. New Delhi: On Saturday, the Ghaziabad police rescued a 12-year-old abducted school kid, for whom his captors had demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore. The kid was abducted from his school in Mayur Vihar area on Friday. Five persons have been arrested, including a minor, for carrying out the crime. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vaibhav Krishna told the media that on Friday a 12-year-old child was abducted from Bal Bharti Vidya Bhawan in New Kondli area under the New Ashok Nagar police station area. The SSP said that around the time the case was registered, the Khoda inspector learnt that a child had been kept in a house near Vandana Enclave. The police raided the house early on Saturday and rescued the child. Five abductors were also arrested, said the SSP. On Friday, around 2 pm, a 12-year-old student was kidnapped by some unknown miscreants. Later, the abductors demanded Rs 2 crore from the relatives as ransom. The victims father, who is a trader, reported the matter to the police. Following this, the police filed a case of kidnapping under Section 364A of the IPC and initiated a probe. The child was safely recovered from the Khoda area of Ghaziabad on Friday evening. Police said the two accused, Akash Chaudhary and Raja Gaur, were employees at the grocery store that was owned by the childs father. A farmer who has been described as a "persistent waste criminal" has been given another 22 weeks sentence for waste crimes. John Bruce, aged 46, has already been sentenced to 26 months imprisonment for dumping approximately 26,000 tonnes of waste at Ridgeway Park Farm, Throckmorton Airfield, Worcestershire. He was also found to be burying and burning hazardous waste at the site. However, Mr Bruce has now returned to court and pleaded guilty to carrying out illegal waste activities at the farm without an environmental permit. He has been handed a 22 week custodial sentence to run concurrently to his existing sentence. 'Blatant disregard' The case concerned illegal waste operations at Ridgeway Park Farm in January and February 2016, where Mr Bruce had accepted over 60 tonnes of redundant kitchen and bathroom materials onto his site. When Environment Agency officers visited the farm, they saw that in addition to these materials, flat pack furniture and packaging materials were being burnt on site. In mitigation, the Judge noted that Mr Bruce had pleaded guilty and therefore avoided the need for a full trial. An Environment Agency officer in charge of the investigation said that the farmer had shown a "blatant disregard" for the environment and the local community by operating a large scale illegal waste site at his farm. "His actions undermine legitimate businesses and dangers the wider local economy. The additional custodial sentence signals the severity of the crimes committed and demonstrates support from the judicial system in the fight against waste crime," the officer said. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar turns 51 today. The actor celebrated the special occasion with his wife Twinkle Khanna and a few close friends at a popular Mumbai eatery. Akshay's birthday bash was attended by his 'Housefull 4' co-star Bobby Deol and his wife Tanya Deol. While the 'Khiladi' Akshay looked dashing in navy blue shirt, which he paired with grey trousers, his wife dearest Twinkle looked gorgeous in a classic thigh-high black slit dress. Akshay Kumar Turns 51: These Rare Pics Of Bollywood's 'Khiladi' Will Give You Nostalgic Feels! Later, Twinkle took to her Instagram page to share an inside picture fron the bash. She captioned the picture as, "Sometimes when you don't plan things - it all falls in place - Happy Birthday to my lovely Mr K ! #birthdaybumps." Bobby who was present at the bash, too reposted this picture and captioned it as, ""Happy Birthday Akshay Bhaiya." Check out some more pictures here- When asked how he's planning to celebrate his 51st birthday, Akshay told Hindustan Times, "My son is studying in London, so I'm going to miss him... I've flown down to Mumbai for two days (from film sets at Ranthambhore) for my wife's (Twinkle Khanna's) book launch, plus I'll get to spend my birthday with my wife, daughter, my mother-in-law and my mother. We are just going to sit and maybe have a drink." Wait, What? Twinkle Khanna Hopes No One Watches Her Films, Says They Should Be BANNED! Further on being asked what keeps him going year after year, the superstar revealed, "I actually don't take this stress of the number in my head about turning 50, 51, 55, 60, or whatever. I still feel I can have a lot of fun... I still feel I can run fast, feel like jumping. A couple of days back, I was giving a shot for Housefull 4 and the jump wasn't required, but I still did it. I forget that I'm 51 now and I should keep away from it... I'm still thinking that I am in my Khiladi times and just doing action." On the work front, Akshay will be next seen in '2.0' and 'Kesari'. He also has 'Housefull 4' and 'Good News' coming up next. Kasauti Zindagi Kay: This is how Erica Fernandes gets Prerna's Role in Ekta Kapoor's show FilmiBeat Kasautii Zindagi Kay 2 shoot is currently taking place in Kolkata. The fans can't contain their excitement as the show is all set to be broadcast soon. Recently, the Kausautii Zindai Kay team was interacting with the media, when Ekta Kapoor revealed how exactly she spotted the lead actress Erica Fernandes. Erica, unlike other actors didn't have to go through a series of auditions to land a role in the leading lave saga. Ekta Kapoor said that even Erica didn't know what led to her being cast on the television Czarina's show. Ekta said, "I think this thing is unbelievable and even Erica doesn't know about it. I came for a holiday to Kolkata with 2 of my friends, 2-3 years back. I remember somebody had put up a promo of Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi on Facebook. One of my friends and I saw the promo. And I instantly made a call to someone and asked, 'who's this girl?' They said her name is Erica. I wanted to cast her since the day I saw her in promo. And then I offered her the show as soon as hers ended." When asked how Parth Samthaan was chosen to play the iconic role of Anurag Basu, Ekta said, "As for Parth, I auditioned many guys but none had the eyes that speak like his does. I saw his picture and casted him." Fans were surely surprised to see Parth Samthaan's new look in the leaked pictures from the sets of the show in Kolkata. Earlier this week, Ekta Kapoor, Erica Fernandes and Path Samthaan had been to a temple in Khalighat to seek the blessings of Devi. Erica Fernandes is also seen sharing pictures from Kolkata on her Instagram handle, and it is clear from her posts that the actress is in love with the city! Also Read - Yuvika Chaudhary & Prince Narula To Tie The Knot On This Day CHIREDZI, Zimbabwe, September 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With the kind permission and great support of the Government of Zimbabwe the relocation will take place in Zimbabwe. Under the direction of the Zimbabwean Parks & Wildlife Management Authority as a partner of Sango Wildlife Conservancy and Hemmersbach Rhino Force 100 wild elephants are being relocated. Over two decades of nature conservation, the sustainable use of wildlife populations and intensive protection against poachers impressively demonstrates how successful nature conservation works in Zimbabwe on Sango Wildlife Conservancy. "We simply have far too many elephants on Sango," says Wilfried Pabst, owner of the 231.66 square mile Sango Wildlife Conservancy. "Thanks to the support of the Government of Zimbabwe and Hemmersbach Rhino Force, we are able to save 100 elephants from culling," Pabst continues. The giants will be released as a donation into the Rifa Safari Area, more than 700 km away, as part of the "Initiative ReWild" from the Sango Wildlife Conservancy. The entire relocation is funded by Hemmersbach Rhino Force. The new home of the elephants is the Rifa Safari Area, a 110.94 square mile park located in the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe operated by Hemmersbach Rhino Force, who's CEO, Ralph Koczwara, welcomes the action as clear evidence of Zimbabwe's success in nature conservation. "Hemmersbach Rhino Force is very happy to enable and fund the relocation of the 100 Elephants donated by Mr. Pabst. The relocation is only the first step in the collaboration with the Sango Wildlife Conservancy and Hemmersbach Rhino Force, which is planned to see plains game animals and ultimately rhinos being reintroduced where they once lived. The Save Valley Conservancy, of which Sango is the largest property, has had resounding success in protecting its highly threatened rhino population. More Details: http://www.sango-wildlife.com/relocation - Picture available at http://www.apimages.com - Sango Wildlife Conservancy Carsten Schmidt cs@neu-deutsch.com Tel: +49-(0)40-65-68-55-34 Hemmersbach Rhino Force Ute Schramm ute.schramm@rhino-force.org Tel: +49-173-968-9634? Fintech companies are active in the P2P platforms and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created separate category for proper regulations. Kolkata: Striving for a high growth trajectory, the Tata Capital Financial Services Ltd, the flagship subsidiary of Tata Capital, was closely tracking emerging Peer-2-Peer lending space and may enter the space in future. Fintech companies are active in the P2P platforms and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created separate category for proper regulations. Around six startups have already registered under the same. However, there is no official P2P lending data is available but players in the segment claimed high growth and rise in average lending ticket size. "We are watching the space carefully. This sector is at a very nascent stage now and we are looking at the loss rate and delinquency. If found good business, we will get into it," Tata Capital Financial Services managing director Kusal Roy said when asked about its plans on P2P lending. He, however, categorically said there is no plan to foray into it as of now. Tata Capital Financial Services which is set to hit the NCD market on September 10 to raise upto Rs 7500 crore through its maiden issue to fuel its growth appetite was also evaluating to leverage the retail strength of the Tata group. The lender's asset under management had registered CAGR of 15 per cent for the last three years. Roy said the lender was in process of holding dialogues with group companies like retail chain Croma, DTH platform Tata Sky, watch company Titan, jewellery chain Tanishq and airline brand Vistara. He, however, did not disclose the strategy on modalities as plans are at a formative stage. Asked about further capital infusion to maintain capital adequacy, Roy said, Rs 550 crore had been pumped in by the parent in July out of Rs 1250 crore capital raised and there will be no funds constrains in future as and when required. According to media reports, Tata Sons was planning to infuse another Rs 1250 crore by March 2019 into the financial services holding company Tata Capital. CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's top bank UniCredit will assess strategic options when drawing up a new business plan next year, its chairman said, when asked about a possible merger with France's Societe Generale. UniCredit CEO Jean Pierre Mustier is widely expected to seek a merger after completing a turnaround he started on his arrival in mid-2016. Analysts have often singled out SocGen as a likely merger partner CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's top bank UniCredit will assess strategic options when drawing up a new business plan next year, its chairman said, when asked about a possible merger with France's Societe Generale. UniCredit CEO Jean Pierre Mustier is widely expected to seek a merger after completing a turnaround he started on his arrival in mid-2016. Analysts have often singled out SocGen as a likely merger partner. "We have a business plan based on organic growth. We'll have to do a new plan during 2019 and we'll assess all available options," UniCredit Chairman Fabrizio Saccomanni told reporters at the Ambrosetti business forum on Saturday. For the French government, a possible merger between the two banks is not under evaluation yet. "Nothing is on the table right now," Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Saturday on the sidelines of a meeting of European finance ministers in Vienna. Top executives at Societe Generale have repeatedly said current regulatory conditions are not favourable for cross-border banking mergers. (Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro and Leigh Thomas; writing by Valentina Za and Inti Landauro; editing by Alexander Smith and Jason Neely) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The failure to get a no-objection certificate from Fire Bridge has been one of the prime reasons for not getting the permission. Mumbai: With just four days left for the arrival of Ganpati, nearly 300 Ganesh mandals are still awaiting Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) nod to erect pandals. The mandal officials have accused the civic body of making unreasonable demands, which are not part of festival guidelines. According to civic data, nearly 83 per cent Ganesh mandals have been given permission to erect pandals, whereas 11 per cent of mandals have been denied. Out of the 3,523 applications received from city Ganesh mandals, 773 were cancelled due to duplication. Of the 2,750 applications processed, permission was granted to 2,290 Ganesh mandals, whereas 290 mandals were rejected by the BMC. Applications of 170 Mandals are still in process. Ganesh mandals officials have said that the online system started this year to provide permissions has been responsible for applications of several mandals being rejected. In addition to this, the BMC is making unreasonable demands, they said. At some places, the civic officials are insisting that the height of pandals should only be at 120 feet. The high court guidelines do not say that. But still they are adamant on it, said Narendra Dahibavkar, president of Brihanmumbai Sarva-janik Ganeshotsav Sama-nvay Samiti. The failure to get a no-objection certificate from Fire Bridge has been one of the prime reasons for not getting the permission. The lack of coordination between the ward office and the Fire Brigade is causing mandals officials to run from pillar to post, claimed mandal officials. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, Walmart will consolidate the financial statements of Flipkart using a one-month lag Bengaluru: The acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart may negatively impact the net income of the latter this fiscal and also the next, said Walmart in its recent regulatory filing. The US retail giant had last month said it completed the acquisition of 77 percent stake in Flipkart Group, an Indian-based eCommerce marketplace, for approximately $16 billion. "We also expect the ongoing operations of Flipkart to negatively impact fiscal 2019 and 2020 net income, including additional interest expense due to the long-term debt issuance in the second quarter of of fiscal 2019," Walmart said. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, Walmart will consolidate the financial statements of Flipkart using a one-month lag, it added. Speaking in an investors meet in US recently, Douglas McMillon President, CEO and Director Walmart Inc said they are learning about retail ecosystems and how they work around the world. "We're learning a lot from China. We'll be learning even more from India. And we basically want to be in places that have a tremendous opportunity, which is what led us to Flipkart in India," he said in response to a query". According to him, Flipkart, which has a strong management team has built out an ecosystem. "In the case of India, it's worth it. If it had been a smaller market, we may have passed. But this is a unique opportunity And when you look out 5, 10, 20 years from now, time will tell," McMillon had said. As Flipkart is expected to generate meaningful losses for at least the next few years, this is clearly an investment for Walmart for the future," Moody's Vice President Charlie O'Shea had earlier said in a report commenting on the acquisition. The apex court on 5 September had deferred till further orders the commencement of the process of receiving claims and objections for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) Guwahati: NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela has come under fire from the ruling and Opposition parties for suggesting to the Supreme Court to curtail the number of documents required to prove Assamese identity for the claims and objections process. The apex court on 5 September had deferred till further orders the commencement of the process of receiving claims and objections for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and sought the Centre's response on the suggestion that any one of the 10 documents can be used by claimants to prove legacy. A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and RF Nariman had perused the report of Assam's NRC coordinator and said it was agreeable to his suggestions that any one of the 10 of a total 15 documents provided in List-A of the claim form can be used by the claimants to prove legacy. Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia has sought Hajela's removal for suggesting to the apex court to dispense with the 1951 NRC and pre-1971 voters' lists of Assam while dealing with claims and objections relating to omission of over 40 lakh names from the complete draft of the NRC published on July 30. The Congress leader, in a press release, said the eligibility criteria framed for the NRC by various stakeholders, including the government, had specifically listed the 1951 NRC and pre-1971 voters' lists as the first two among the important documents for the purpose of verification and these were even mentioned in the relevant part of the Rules, 2003. "It is consequently logical to attribute a malafide motive to Hajela's arbitrary recommendation to drop these two important documents from the verification process," he alleged. Many people, especially those with economic and educational backwardness, did not anticipate that a day would come when the presence of the names of their ancestors in the 1951 NRC and pre-1971 voters lists would not be sufficient to prove their citizenship, the Opposition leader said. Changing the eligibility criteria at such an advanced stage of the NRC process is against the demands of natural justice, the Congress leader said. The Opposition leader urged all parties involved in the ongoing NRC-related proceedings in the Supreme Court to keep this aspect in view while submitting their views on Hajela's proposal at the next date of hearing. Congress MLA Kamalakhaya Dey Purkayastha has demanded Hajela's arrest for making this suggestion. "He has gone against the interest of the people. The NRC is not his personal document but for the public, for Assam," he told reporters. Another Opposition party, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has also opposed Hajela's suggestions with its party general secretary Aminul Islam terming the recommendation as "unethical and biased". "There seems to be political pressure behind this suggestion. If the 1951 NRC is not accepted, then what is being updated," he asked. Criticising the NRC state coordinator's suggestion, the general secretary of the state unit of the ruling BJP Dilip Saikia claimed it has complicated the situation at a time when the names of lakhs of Indian Gorkhas, Bengalis, Hindi-speaking people and those from several other communities were left out of the NRC draft. "In view of this, BJP state chief Ranjit Kumar Dass and other party leaders will discuss with our party national leadership in Delhi about Hajela's role in this matter, inclusion of the missing names of genuine Indian citizens in the complete NRC and the future action to be taken," Saikia said in a press release Friday. Hajela had filed the report in compliance with the court's 28 August order and stated that the 10 documents of List-A could be relied upon or introduced afresh by any claimant for his or her claim for inclusion in the NRC, subject to their authenticity as per the certification by the relevant issuing authority. The ten legacy documents which are admissible include land documents like registered sale deed, permanent residential certificate issued from outside the state, passport and LIC insurance policy of the relevant period. Voluntary organisation Assam Public Works (APW) president Abhijit Sarma, who had filed the petition in the apex court in 2009 for updation of the NRC, had demanded engagement of a third party to assist in the monitoring of the update process. The APW president said a third party will give direct feedback from the field to the court, which is monitoring the entire NRC update process, as the officers engaged in verifying the process are not permitted to report the anomalies because they are government officials, Sarma said. "Unless the third party's assessments are taken into account, it wont be possible to correct the mistakes already committed in the process," Sarma said in a press release. Hajela could not be reached as he has been censured by the Supreme Court for talking to the media. His mandate is only to update the NRC and not brief the press about it, the court had observed. Back-to-back operations by security forces in the Kashmir valley have reduced the 'shelf life' of terrorists, CRPF chief Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar said. New Delhi: Back-to-back operations by security forces in the Kashmir valley have reduced the "shelf life" of terrorists and over 360 were killed in less than two years, CRPF Director General (DG) Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has said. In an interview to PTI, he said that as figures show an increase in the number of local youths joining terror groups in the Valley, security forces are reaching out to young men through all possible ways to stop them from taking up arms. Bhatnagar said keeping in mind the security challenges, the CRPF has "increased the protection level" of its troops operating in Jammu and Kashmir by inducting full-body protectors, bullet proof vehicles and special armoured 'interception vehicles' to enable personnel to operate in life-threatening situations. "The terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir... Some of them are from outside and there are also the misguided youth (locals) who join terror groups. It is quite a mix. The numbers go up and down but if you were to look at the length, the time for which terrorists survive in Jammu and Kashmir, then the signal is very clear that it (terrorist recruitment) is having no impact. "The shelf life of terrorists, the time frame to survive, is very short. So, even if the numbers (of joining terror ranks) may be large, they may be more, but the consequence is limited," he said when asked if recruitment of local Kashmiri youths by terror groups is rising and is a cause of concern. The chief of the country's largest paramilitary force said the youth was being drawn into it (terror ranks) as "there was a little bit of glamourisation", but they have to understand that it will not get them any result. "It is only a matter of time. We have made a lot of efforts (to wean them away) and have also asked them to surrender, and a lot of them have come back. They have to understand that taking up the gun serves no purpose," he said. The CRPF chief also said, "Obviously this is something that we have to prevent and take appropriate steps so that the youth do not take to militancy and those who have done so, come back." "The official numbers show an increase in recruitment. However, with the increase in the number of neutralisations, the overall picture is better," he said. Bhatnagar acknowledged that the forces were taking it as a challenge to ensure that a lot of effort is taken to see that recruitment of youths for terror acts goes down. Good governance, transparency in official dealings and an all-round exercise is on to gain confidence of the public and the youth in Jammu and Kashmir and the Valley, he said. The chief of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which has over 60 battalions deployed in the Kashmir valley (over 60,000 personnel), said his force, the state police and the Army are operating in "very good synergy". The forces now have an edge or the upper hand in the terrorism scenario in the valley, Bhatnagar said. "We have worked as one unit. That has given us a lot of success. This year, 142 terrorists have been neutralised. If you look at last year's figures, it was more than 220 terrorists who were killed. "Their (terrorists') notable commanders have been neutralised. Fidayeen attacks on camps have been effectively rebuffed. We have denied them any success in terms of camp attacks also," the DG said. He said the law and order situation in the Valley is not like any other theatre in the country as there is a "guerrilla hit-and-run like tactic" used here. "We are, hence, working very closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police," Bhatnagar said. "Our drills, our equipment as well as our schemes are working well and we are able to counter efforts to disrupt the operations through stone-pelting. "It is in only on very rare occasions that the stone-pelters have managed to disrupt the operations, that too when it has been a sudden exchange, and the preparation has not been there. That has been the only time that the terrorists have managed to get away," the DG said. He also spoke about better equipping his personnel to combat the security challenge in the state, specifically in the Valley. "We have gone in for better protection, full body protectors for our people, use of less lethal weaponry so that there is less collateral damage and the number of casualties and serious injuries on our side and the public is less...The collateral damage has been fairly minimised," the DG underlined. When asked about the use of much-debated pellet guns and the damage rendered by them on locals, Bhatnagar said while these ammunition are not being discarded, its use is part of a well-laid out standard operating procedure. "The sequence in which we use force is well-laid out. We fire and disperse them (protestors) by using tear smoke and other allied irritant kind of non-lethal gases...So, our first effort is to disperse them by making a proper bandobast. Also, we have a large number of plastic bullets that are used," he said. Pellet guns, the CRPF chief said, are used where we find that it is required to disperse the mob. "We are taking precautions by using deflectors (on pellet guns) so that injuries are on the lower part of the body. There is a graded use of force. Even when crowd tries to come very close, our boys have shown restraint. We have done our best to meet the objectives for which we have been deployed in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Narendra Modi to address BJP national executive meet today. Novak Djokovic will look to cut Juan Martin del Potro down to size when they meet in the singles final of the US Open. Narendra Modi to address BJP national executive meet today Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to give the valedictory speech at BJP's national executive meet on Sunday. The two-day meet was inaugurated by party president Amit Shah on Saturday, who dubbed the proposed grand alliance of the Opposition as an "illusion, eyewash and sham for fulfilling self-interest". On the first day, he also asserted that the saffron party would return to power in 2019 with a bigger majority than what it got in 2014. The BJP will win in all the 19 states where it is in power and will also do well in the Opposition-ruled states due to anti-incumbency, Shah had claimed. Top party leaders, including Modi and the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states, were in attendance as Shah asserted that the party will return to power on the basis of the Central Government's performance, Modi's charismatic leadership and its organisational strength. Djokovic, Del Potro in US Open finals On Sunday, Novak Djokovic, who hailed Juan Martin Del Potro as a "gentle giant", will look to cut his close friend down to size when they meet in the singles final of the US Open. Djokovic, the 2011 and 2015 champion, will be aiming to complete the Wimbledon-US Open double for a third time when he tackles the 2009 winner in New York with a 14th major within touching distance. And he will start the heavy favourite, boasting a 14-4 record over the Argentine who will be playing in just his second final at the Slams. England vs India, 5th Test, Day 3 Ben Stokes' twin strikes late on Day 2 have severely dented India's hopes of registering their second Test win of the series. The scoreline of 4-1 seems certainly possible. India, though, would like to pin their hopes on debutant Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja. Either way, with the trail being 158, they find themselves in a precarious position and would need something miraculous to come out of it. RSS doesn't believe in Constitution of India, says Asaduddin Owaisi Criticising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that the organisation does not believe in the Constitution of India. His statement comes after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, at an event in Chicago, United States, said, "If a lion is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion. We must not forget that." Owaisi also said that the RSS has weird ideas to demean people by comparing them with dogs and referring themselves as tigers. Yogendra Yadav arrested in Tamil Nadu, accuse state police of threatening farmers Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav claimed on Saturday that he was arrested in Tamil Nadu when he was on his way to meet farmers protesting against the proposed Salem-Chennai Expressway project. He had also accused the police of detaining farmers who came to meet him and manhandling him. He later claimed that they were all "released unconditionally" and he met with women farmers of Nammianthel village. MNP set to become easier Mobile Number Portability is apparently set to become much swifter. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has reportedly decided to quicken the entire Mobile Number Portability (MNP) process. Instead of taking a week to a 15-day work period, the number may soon be ported in as soon as two days. Microsoft set to announce new products in October Microsoft has sent out invites for an event in New York on 2 October, where it is expected to announce its latest hardware, software, and services. Reportedly, Microsoft will refresh its Surface Pro line and Surface Laptops. National Conference threatens to boycott Lok Sabha polls Days after the National Conference announced its decision to not participate in the panchayat and urban local bodies (ULB) elections, the party on Saturday threatened to boycott the Assembly and Parliamentary polls too if the Centre does not take effective steps for protection of Article 35A. Party president Farooq Abdullah asked the Centre to clear its stand on Article 35A and said that his party was not running away from polls, but wanted the Centre to take effective steps for the protection of the state's special position. Six killed after chopper crashes in Nepal A helicopter crashed into a hillside in central Nepal on Saturday, killing six on board including a Japanese tourist. One woman survived the crash with injuries and was airlifted to capital Kathmandu. The single-pilot Kathmandu-bound Altitude Air helicopter lost contact with air traffic control after taking off from the central district of Gorkha. Nepal to not join BIMSTEC military exercise The Nepal government has confirmed that they will not join the first ever BIMSTEC military exercise, which is slated to begin from 10 September in Pune, Maharashtra. Prime Minister KP Oli asked the national defence force not to participate in the drill, compelling the Nepal Army's leadership to rollback its earlier decision to take part in the first ever military exercise of the regional grouping initiated by India. Flood threat loomed large over Patna district on Saturday after the Madhya Pradesh government released 3.55 lakh cusecs of water from Bansagar dam. Patna: Flood threat loomed large over Patna district on Saturday after the Madhya Pradesh government released 3.55 lakh cusecs of water from Bansagar dam into Sone river that would increase the Ganga water level which is already flowing above the danger mark in Patna. "Due to heavy rains, Bansagar dam is completely full to its capacity. Our Water Resources Department's Principal Secretary talked to the concerned officials of Madhya Pradesh government over phone requesting them to release the water from Bansagar dam slowly into the river Sone so that Ganga does not witness sudden surge in its water level," WRD Public Relations Officer Arvind Kumar Singh said. Madhya Pradesh released 3,55,572 cusecs of water at 5.40 am Saturday in Sone river, Singh said adding that the water level of Ganga would rise further. As per earlier information, the Madhya Pradesh government was supposed to release 5.25 lakh to 7.0 lakh cusecs of water from Bansagar into Sone river around 10 pm of 7 September, 2018, Singh said. A Water Resource Development official explained that the water released from Bansagar dam takes two-three days in reaching Indrapuri barrage built across Sone river in Rohtas district. Materials for flood fighting have been stored at places which may be affected by the increase of water level of rivers, he said adding that officials have been asked to keep a strict vigil and remain alert to tackle any situation. A nun from Kerala has accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar of raping her 13 times between May 2014 and September 2016. Obedience is one of the three vows nuns take before they are ordained. On the occasion of Virgin Marys birthday on Saturday, 8 September, five nuns from the Missionaries of Jesus congregation under the Jalandhar diocese of the Latin Catholic Church defied this sacred vow. The five nuns from the congregations convent in Kuravilangad in Keralas Kottayam district committed the mortal sin to stage a protest against authorities of the Church and the police, alleging denial of justice to their fellow nun. This nun has been knocking on all doors for the past two years seeking action against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, alleging that he raped her multiple times. The nun has accused the bishop of raping her at the convents guest house 13 times between 6 May, 2014, and 23 September, 2016. While the numerous complaints she lodged with authorities of the Church, including Pope Francis himself, since September 2016 did not elicit any response, the police have been dragging their feet in the case for the past 75 days. In Kuravilangad on Saturday, the five nuns sat near the office of the Ernakulam Range inspector general for three hours demanding Bishop Mulakkals arrest. Four of them continued their protest spearheaded by the Joint Christian Council on Sunday, too. Such a protest by nuns is believed to be the first in the history of the Catholic Church in Kerala. We have not received any response to our protest from either the Church authorities or the police. We have lost hope. Our last hope now is the judiciary. We are planning to take our plea to the high court, said the rape survivors sister. On 13 August, the high court had disposed of a petition seeking speedy investigation into the nuns complaint, after the police claimed that the evidence they had was enough to implicate the bishop, and that they might arrest him after interrogation. The available evidence collected so far revealed that the accused bishop committed an unnatural offence and raped the nun repeatedly against the will and consent of the victim by abusing his dominance over her as the bishop of Jalandhar. The offence was committed after confining her in the guest room of the convent in Kuravilangad, the police submitted in court. However, the police made a volte-face the next day after the investigative team, led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Vaikom K Subhash, questioned the bishop in Jalandhar. The victims sister suspects that this could be due to intervention from higher authorities under pressure from the Church. We have come to know that there is a move to hand over the investigation to the Crime Branch. We suspect this is part of an attempt to torpedo the case. The current investigative team has collected all the evidence required to take the bishop into custody. But their hands are tied because of the top brass, the nun alleged. The Director General of Police of Kerala Loknath Behra has denied any decision to change the investigative team at the moment. He said that the Ernakulam inspector general, who is supervising the investigation, is satisfied with the inquiry. I have not reviewed the investigation. Therefore, I cannot say whether the bishop will be arrested and if so, when. The inspector general is reviewing the investigation, and he will make an appropriate decision at the appropriate time, Behra said, when asked about the possibility of Bishop Mulakkals arrest. The head of the investigative team said they had completed the inquiry and are awaiting directions for further action. When asked why he was not exercising his power as an investigative officer to arrest the accused bishop, the deputy superintendent of police said he had sought directions from his bosses because the case has inter-state connections. The incidents related to the case took place two to four years ago. There is no scientific evidence available to corroborate the charges. However, the other evidences we have collected are strong. I think they are sufficient to make a solid case against the bishop, Subhash said. The protesting nuns told reporters in Kuravilangad on Sunday that they had full faith in the current team investigating the rape case. However, they accused the director general of police and the inspector general of not giving the investigative team a free hand. They claimed this is part of a high-level attempt to save Bishop Mulakkal. Advocate Indulekha Joseph of the Church Reform Movement said there was strong ground to believe that the police was giving the bishop and his supporters time to influence and intimidate the victim and witnesses in the case. She added that the strategy was to put maximum pressure on them to drop the case. Two nuns, who alleged sexual harassment by the bishop, quit the religious order, unable to bear the pressure. Another nun who supported us has been transferred to Bihar. The nun wanted to stay in Kerala as she has to support her widowed mother to take care of her mentally challenged brother. All those supporting us and their family members are also being harassed in one way or the other, the victims sister said. My sister is under a lot of pressure now. The police have taken her statement 12 times. A local MLA has called her a prostitute. There was even a plot to kill her by dislodging the brakes of her bike. I dont know how long she will be able to hold on, she added. Moreover, the rape survivors sister claimed that the Pala diocese of the Church, which gave the nuns pastoral care, has stopped the service. The priest deputed by the diocese to conduct the mass at the convent for four days a week has been withdrawn, she said, adding that they were able to attend a mass once a week only after a Franciscan priest volunteered to conduct the service on Sundays. The protest by the nuns has angered the authorities of the Church. Binu Chacko of the Indian Catholic Forum accused the nuns of playing into the hands of those who are trying to put the Church in the dock with ulterior motives. It is highly unbecoming of the nuns to take part in the protest in their official habit. They have become tools in the hands of the enemies of the Church. They have done an unpardonable harm to the Church, he said. Felix J Pulludan, a member of the Joint Christian Councils executive committee, said their fight was not against the Church but against those trying to destroy it with their wrong deeds. The fight will continue till the Church is purged of wrongdoers, he added. Poonjar MLA PC George called the nun, who has accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her, a 'prostitute'. An independent lawmaker on Saturday courted controversy after he reportedly called the nun, who has accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her, a "prostitute" and questioned her claims. Addressing a press conference in Kottayam, Poonjar MLA PC George also questioned the nun's "character". "I am not saying that the Bishop hasn't done any wrong, but when you weigh his character against that of this nun, it is evident she is not above reproach. She says she was abused 13 times. How is it possible that she did not have any complaint the first 12 times and it only became rape the 13th time?" he was quoted as saying by News18. "No one has doubt that the nun is a prostitute," ANI quoted him as saying. He further sought to know why she had not complained in the initial stage of sexual misbehaviour by the bishop. George added that when the nun lost her virginity, she ceased to be a nun and should give up her holy dress, according to The New Indian Express. At the same time, he demanded that the bishop be jailed if allegations against him are proven right. He, however, said that he is not defending the bishop but, speaking out against the misuse of the sexual abuse laws by women to "frame people of repute". News18 also quoted him as saying, "I initially thought the bishop was detestable. But after examining the case, I realise this nun is a troublemaker." The nun's family said they would initiate legal action against George for hurting her sentiments. They said that the nun, who planned to hold a press conference on Sunday, called it off, saying she was hurt by George's abusive charges against her. In her complaint lodged with the Kottayam district police, the nun accused Mulakkal of raping and having unnatural sex with her 13 times between 2014 and 2016 at a convent in Kuruvalangadu near Kottayam in Kerala. A case was registered on 28 June. Meanwhile, members of various Catholic reformation organisations took to the streets on Saturday to protest the alleged laxity in the probe into the nun's complaint. Five nuns from a convent in Kottayam also took part in the demonstration and alleged that she had been denied justice by the church, police and the government as no action has been initiated against the accused. "We are fighting for our sister. She has been denied justice by the church, government and the police. We are ready to go to any extent for ensuring justice to our sister," a nun said and sought to know why Bishop Franco has not been arrested despite sufficient evidence against him. She also questioned the church's stand on the matter. Former chief minister VS Achuthanandan came out in support of the nun and urged the government to take steps to redress the grievances of agitating nuns. He said the culprit in the case was an influential person who still remained untouched and it puts the survivor under pressure. With inputs from agencies MEA termed President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic as successful. Prague: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic as successful, adding that agreements were signed in the fields of energy, defence, and trade, among others. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary in the MEA, said, "President Kovind's visit to the three countries were very successful. After the visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, relations with these countries have become stronger with India. During the visit, there have been various discussions on mutual matters and agreements reached related to energy, environment, tourism, trade and investment, financial services and defence production." MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted about the President and his wife Savita Kovind visiting the Strahov Monastery in Prague, a library which has over 3,000 manuscripts and 200 thousand volumes of old books. #PresidentKovind visited Strahov Monastery of Prague and it's library which holds over 3000 manuscripts and incunabula and 200 thousands volumes of old books including 9th century Book of Gospels printed on parchment. pic.twitter.com/RN69M8uFeT Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 8, 2018 President Kovind also paid a visit to the Czech Academy of Sciences, a public research institution in the city. #PresidentKovind visited ELI Beamlines ,High Energy Laser Beams Research Facility of Czech Academy of Sciences in which Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is also involved in frontier scientific research. @TIFRScience @Akademie_ved_CR pic.twitter.com/94JCH0QyLj Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 8, 2018 Before addressing a gathering of teachers, students, Indologists and faculty members at the Charles University, President Kovind was welcomed in four Indian languages - Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Sanskrit by the students of the institution. The President is scheduled to return to India on Sunday. National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma lashed out at Kerala MLA PC George over his derogatory comments about the rape victim nun from Kerala. New Delhi: National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma on Sunday lashed out at Kerala MLA PC George over his derogatory comments about the nun from Kerala, and demanded strict action against the lawmaker. This comes a day after George, an independent MLA, termed the nun a prostitute. The nun has alleged that Jalandhar Bishop, Franco Mulackal raped her. "No one has doubt that the nun is a prostitute. 12 times she enjoyed it and the 13th time it is rape? Why didn't she complain the first time?" George had said. Reacting on the statement, Sharma told ANI, "I am ashamed of such lawmakers who are giving these statements instead of helping women. This is absolutely shameful. The NCW has already taken up the matter and we will write to DGP demanding strict action against him." She added that she herself went to see the nun, who was in a deep trauma, and alleged that the Punjab government and the Kerala Police were not taking the matter seriously. "I met the nun in person, who was in a deep trauma. She was crying. She was protesting against the Bishop and demanding justice for herself. I have seen her being denounced by the church. She was denied basic facilities like ration and stipend. On that bishop, I have written to the home ministry as the Punjab government and Kerala Police have not done anything. The bishop should be punished," Sharma further said. Former NCW member Shamina Shafiq echoed similar views and said that George does not deserve to be called an MLA. "I condemn such disgusting statements made by the MLA. He does not deserve to be called as an MLA. What kind of mentality is this, where the people, who are holding public positions are using such kinds of words? I am ashamed of repeating those words. It is absolutely shocking and unfortunate. Such people should be brought to books and strictly punished," she added. On Saturday, a group of nuns staged a sit-in protest at the High Court Junction bus station in Kochi demanding the arrest of the Jalandhar bishop, who is accused of sexually assaulting a nun in Kottayam. The incident came to light after a case was registered in June against four priests of Malankara Orthodox Church for alleged sexual assault. The accused had allegedly threatened to disclose the nun's confessions, made in the church. The petitioners are all members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, and represent Pravriti an informal network of more than 350 LGBT alumni, students and faculty from across India's 12 IITs. New Delhi: Tanveen Kaur Randhawa was in her laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru when the Supreme Court pronounced its judgment striking down Section 377, the colonial-era law that banned consensual gay sex. "I was overwhelmed, emotional, jubilant. It was a mix of emotions," Randhawa, an alumnus of IIT-Roorkee, said. She was one of the petitioners who fought tooth and nail against the law in the apex court. "The decision will give the community visibility and confidence," she told PTI over phone from Bengaluru. "For me," she said, "The judgment is empowering. It would give us the courage to come out and acknowledge our sexuality." However, the 25-year-old PhD student at the IISc-Bengaluru acknowledged that achieving wider social acceptance to same sex relations is still "a very big challenge". "There is a need now to sensitise people, especially from rural parts of the country who still view homosexuality as a taboo and crime," Randhawa said. Another petitioner, Viral, an IT engineer from Ahmedabad, said the judgement was a "people's verdict". "What matters the most to me is the acceptance we got, the kind of response from the public we got. The judgment was welcomed and celebrated not only by celebrities or activists but also by the common man," the 28-year-old alumnus from IIT Kharagpur said. "Hearing the judgemnt gave me goosebumps. For the first time, I felt I am a part of this society," Viral said. Another petitioner, Debottam Saha, a student of IIT-Delhi, said he feels "my country has grown up". "I am no longer ashamed of who I am. I am not a criminal anymore and that feeling is liberating," the 28-year-old PhD student at IIT-Delhi said. A group of 20 students and alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised homosexuality. The petitioners are all members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, and represent Pravriti an informal network of more than 350 LGBT alumni, students and faculty from across India's 12 IITs. The Supreme Court, in its landmark judgement, on Thursday unanimously struck down part of the section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalised gay sex, saying that it violated the constitutional right to equality and dignity. Section 377 declared "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" punishable by imprisonment for life. The judgment was widely welcomed by most sections of the society especially the youth who called it a victory of love. Romel Baral, an alumnus of IIT Guwahati working as a senior analyst at Goldman Sachs, said the next step is acceptance. "We have been granted a fundamental right that we deserved," the 25-year-old petitioner said. For Balachandran Ramaiah, another petitioner who is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta, there are two-three issues that still remain unaddressed. The social attitude and mindset still need to change considerably so that the LGBT community could come out of the closet. There is also a need to deal with stereotypical opinion about the community, the 55-year-old investment banker said. "We would want a long-term serious commitment between same-sex couples legalised, like in European countries," he said. "But for same sex marriages, we fear there would be very fierce opposition by the fringe groups. "Whenever we tested the waters, we found the opposition very strong." Offence of open defecation would invite fine of Rs 500 while fines for throwing garbage would be Rs 180 and for spitting in public, Rs 150. The fine amount has been levied as per categorisation of areas into classes A, B C and D, officials said. (Representational image) Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has laid down fines ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 150 to curb the menace of open defecation, littering, and spitting in public. In an order issued on Friday by the state Urban Development department, which is headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the government said that the offence of open defecation would invite a fine of Rs 500 while that for throwing garbage and spitting in public would be Rs 180 and Rs 150 respectively. The fine amount has been levied as per categorisation of areas into classes A, B C and D, officials said. "The government wants local bodies to achieve a target of 100 per cent segregation and disposal of solid waste. Local bodies have now been delegated powers to ensure individuals, societies and organisations cooperate in keeping the state clean," an official from the Urban Development department said. The state government's orders come in the wake of a Supreme Court order on August 31 castigating some states and Union Territories, including Maharashtra, for not framing any policy under the 2016 Solid Waste Management Rule even after the passage of two years. Speaking at the second WHC on Friday, Bhagwat had said that Hindus had no aspiration of dominance and the community would prosper only when it worked as a society. Nagpur: Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar Saturday condemned RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement at the World Hindu Congress in Chicago, US. Speaking at the second WHC on Friday, Bhagwat had said that Hindus had no aspiration of dominance and the community would prosper only when it worked as a society. "If a lion is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion. We must not forget that," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief had said. "We want to make the world better. We have no aspiration of dominance. Our influence is not a result of conquest or colonisation," he added. The WHC marks the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. Condemning Bhagwat's statement, Ambedkar, while addressing a press conference in Nagpur on Saturday, claimed that the "dog" reference was for the "Opposition parties" in the country. "I condemn this 'mansikta' (mentality) of Mohan Bhagwat that he has referred to Opposition parties in the country as dogs," Ambedkar said. He said parties have come and gone out of power but this mentality indicated that the ruling dispensation thinks that the Opposition cannot fight them. He claimed that it was this mentality that led to the imprisonment of RSS functionaries in 1949 by then deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel. The RSS members were released subsequently but the organisation has, ever since, been misusing its freedom, alleged Ambedkar. "I believe people should rethink before bringing them to power again," he said referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an affiliate of the RSS. Ambedkar also took a swipe at the "Ajey BJP" (invincible BJP) slogan coined by the party at its meeting of national office-bearers and state unit presidents held in New Delhi. "They (BJP) were nearly defeated in Gujarat and lost in Karnataka. Now, it is just a matter of two months before results of polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram come out," Ambedkar said. He said, having toured some of these places, the ruling BJP could be wiped out if the Congress allied with other parties to fight Assembly polls slated for later this year. "And I see this alliance (between Congress and other parties) happening," he claimed. Speaking on the recent arrests by Maharashtra Police of some activists with alleged links to proscribed Maoist outfits, Ambedkar said he didn't think the people, termed "urban naxals" by the government, had any links to actual Maoists. He alleged that the government had started emphasising on "urban naxals" to weaken the protests taking place in the unorganised and organised sector against its labour policies. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra alleged that the RSS' ideology was "anti-Hindu". NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "The ideology of RSS and BJP is anti-Hindu and they only know how to do caste politics." "The day they stop dividing Hindus on the basis of caste, every Hindu and people from other religions as well will be lions," Malik added. Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, "RSS ideology is anti-Hindu. It is known for hatred towards other castes and religions. It is shameful of the RSS chief to describe any religion in this way." Ram Nath Kovind said Saturday that India and the Czech Republic have built a strong contemporary partnership on a shared past of flourishing trade in spices and silk. Prague: President Ram Nath Kovind said Saturday that India and the Czech Republic have built a strong contemporary partnership on a shared past of flourishing trade in spices and silk. President Kovind, who is in the Central European country on the final leg of his three-nation tour, was welcomed in four Indian languages Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Sanskrit by the students of the Charles University at the campus. He said that he deeply appreciates their pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence as students of Indology, the study of Indian history, literature, philosophy and culture. "It delights me that Rabindranath Tagore, our national poet and one of the greatest sons of India, once came to this very campus and delivered a thought provoking speech, captivating many," he said. About a millennia back, the Kingdom of Bohemia and India had a flourishing trade in spices and silk. On that shared past, today India and Czech Republic have built a strong contemporary partnership, Kovind said. "Indology has a very old tradition in Prague starting with the establishment of a Chair in Sanskrit, at this university, in 1850. Professor Lesny was one of the founding fathers of the Czech school of Indology and a friend of Rabindranath Tagore. "He was the first European Indologist who translated Tagore's poetry directly from Bengali instead of using English translations," he said. All the Indologists in the Czech Republic exposed the lyrical beauty of Indian literature to the Czech people, bringing India's cultural traditions closer to each other, Kovind said. Remote sensing studies of the Ghaggar-Hakra basin have changed our understanding of the Harappan civilization and the role of a lost river Saraswati that once flowed in those plains and was celebrated in Vedic literature, he said. This wonderful cooperation among different disciplines presents a great opportunity to rediscover aspects of ancient Indian wisdom that can solve many of our contemporary problems, the President said. Studies on Yoga have confirmed the positive impact it has on human health and well-being. "I am happy to learn that Yoga and Ayurveda have been receiving overwhelming support and interest in the Czech Republic," he said. "Indology has not just brought our two countries together. It has had an enormous impact in the making of Modern India. It rediscovered India's rich past and triggered a cultural awakening. It enabled India to imbibe and assimilate modernity without letting go of its cultural roots. "From Vidyasagar to Vivekananda and from Tagore to Mahatma Gandhi, one finds that the socio-cultural modernisation of India was built upon a foundation that emphasised an organic synthesis of the eastern and western thought," Kovind said. Indological studies continue to bind the world into that universal family where there are no barriers and no walls, he added. Kovind also visited ELI Beamlines, a scientific research centre focused on laser technology, in which Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is also involved in frontier scientific research. Talking to PTI, Fadnavis also said bringing petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST) was one of the ways of reducing the prices. Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state government was working on various proposals to give relief to the people from the rising fuel prices. Talking to PTI, Fadnavis also said bringing petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST) was one of the ways of reducing the prices. "The state government is working on various proposals to reduce the prices of fuel in the state," he said without elaborating on the measures. "The best way to control fuel price is to bring it under GST. If the GST Council moves this proposal, then Maharashtra will support it," Fadnavis added. Taking a dig at the Opposition, Fadnavis said the NDA government reduced the petrol prices 13 times in the first three years. "They know that oil prices are dependent on the international markets. This government reduced the price of petrol 13 times in the first three years. Now, international prices of crude oil have skyrocketed," he said. He added that if the Opposition is so concerned about the high fuel prices, it should announce in the states ruled by the Congress or their alliance partners that there would be no tax on petrol and diesel. "But they will not do so, because this is all politically motivated," Fadnavis said. The chief minister also slammed the Opposition over its call for 'Bharat bandh' Monday over on the issue. The BJP-led government has been under fire over the fuel price hike. The Congress has given a call for a nation-wide shut-down on Monday to protest the increasing petroleum prices. Uday Lodh, president of Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers Association (FAMPEDA) said the government charges 65 percent taxes of the basic prices of fuel. In Maharashtra, apart from 25 percent and 21 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel respectively, the government has also introduced Rs 9 and Re 1 as various cess on petrol and diesel respectively. "Since the basic price of fuel is increasing due to international crude prices, the income of the government increases as the taxes being levied on basic price is stagnant. This means the government is making money at a time when the common man is harried," he said. Lodh said the government should either cut down on VAT or the cess to give relief to the common man. Maharashtra finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said in 2014, the state government had imposed a drought cess of Rs 2 per litre on petrol to support drought-prone Marathwada region. "It was the need then and hence the cess was introduced across the state. But, later we removed it and gave exemption of Rs 3,067 crore to the people," he said. The minister said the fuel prices depend on the international rates of crude oil and added that the rates had reached Rs 83.56 during the UPA rule in 2013. The petrol and diesel prices in Mumbai on Sunday are Rs 87.89 per litre and Rs 77.09 per litre respectively. Since mid-August, petrol price has been marked up by Rs 3.24 a litre and diesel by Rs 3.74 per litre as the rupee hit a record low against the US dollar, making petroleum imports costlier. The Union government had raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 11.77 a litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in nine instalments between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre. Criticising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that the organisation does not believe in the Constitution of India. Hyderabad: Criticising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that the organisation does not believe in the Constitution of India. Owaisi's statement comes after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, at an event in Chicago, United States, said, "If a lion is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion. We must not forget that." When asked about the same, Owaisi told ANI, "So who are dogs and the lion? Indian Constitution defines everyone as humans and does not treat them as dogs or lion. The problem with RSS is that they don't believe in the Indian constitution." Owaisi did not stop there and further went on to say that the RSS has weird ideas to demean people by comparing them with dogs and referring themselves as tigers. "They (RSS) have their weird ideas to demean people by calling others dogs and assuming themselves as the tiger. This has been the language of RSS from last 90 years and I am not surprised. People of India will reject such crass and crude language," he said. Meanwhile, Owaisi said that Article 35A is "very important for Indian interest." "People in Jammu itself are saying that article 35A should be retained. Article 35A is essential and will remain the part of the Constitution," Owaisi added. Earlier, the Supreme Court had deferred, until January 2019, the hearing on a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A. Article 35A disallows people from other states residing in Jammu and Kashmir, buying or owning immovable property in the state, settling permanently, or getting state government jobs. (ANI) For people from sexual minorities, it will be an uphill task to gain acceptance in the public psyche, even after the apex court's judgment on Section 377. Bengaluru-based activist Romal Singh was recently reported to have said that after the Supreme Court's judgment on Section 377 of the IPC, people working on LGBTQ rights will 'barge into' public offices to sensitise them about the issue. This statement is, at first glance, worrying. However, in all fairness, it is probably an expression of frustration over the official stand on the matter. In the coming days, if authorities do not take steps to sensitise people about diverse sexual orientations, it would defy the very basis of the judgment, which became seminal as it recognised that sexual proclivity is linked to fundamental rights. If any elected official or bureaucrat or religious leader stokes prejudice against sexual minorities, or denies them basic civil rights, he or she should be penalised. The law has spoken, and there is no going back. That said, the likes of Singh would be well advised to exult in the victory of LGBTQ rights, but choose their words carefully, so that they are not open to misinterpretation. For people from sexual minorities, it will be an uphill task to gain acceptance in the public psyche, even after the apex court's judgment. People from these groups should reassure society at large that decriminalising homosexuality is not a license to break any other law. If one transgresses the law, one has to face the consequences irrespective of sexual orientation. Also, such statements, even if taken out of context, perpetuate negative stereotypes. Like anyone else, people from LGBTQ communities want to work, raise families, pay bills and take up various occupations. Thus, activists representing these communities should respond to the apex court verdict in a sober and mature manner. It may not be appropriate to entirely blame the people of the country for the marginalisation of sexual minorities. Section 377 was perpetuated by the British primarily to impose the values of the Church of England on the non-believing natives, to "cleanse" and "civilise" them, and to create a deep hatred for same-sex relations. The fact that England itself repealed the law in 1967, and now even allows for same-sex marriage, indicates how deeply our well was poisoned. So, while young Indian males might hold hands and walk around with arms around each other's shoulders in non-sexual camaraderie (much to the surprise of the rest of the world), sexual relations between people of the same sex are unacceptable. Indeed, so deep is the brainwashing that even Rahul Gandhi, who speaks on any and every subject, will skirt this one and lie low. At the most, we might get a small sound byte, but nothing more. Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat is not likely to embrace the "others" with any great enthusiasm. The poison of prejudice against these communities has to be cleared away through tact, patience, harnessing opinion from eminent scientists, media; the use of cinema, TV and radio; documentaries that break the mould, opinions of men and women of substance, and education at all levels. Hopefully, then, no one will have to barge in anywhere. The Tamil Nadu Government rejected the report and requested the Centre to immediately withdraw the entire report. Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government has rejected Centre's report on groundwater contamination in Thoothukudi district, where the Sterlite copper smelter plant is located. Rebuffing the Union Ministry of Water Resources' groundwater analysis, the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, Girija Vaidyanathan termed the report "vague and unscientific". In a letter, addressed to Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources Upendra Prasad Singh, Vaidyanathan said, "The report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) cases in various judicial fora. Such an unscientific report will be likely to aggravate the law and order situation. We reject the report and request you to immediately withdraw the entire report." On 5 September, the Ministry of Water Resources had directed the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to conduct a study on groundwater contamination in Thoothukudi. Hitting out at the Centre for directing the CGWB to conduct the study without informing the Tamil Nadu government, Vaidyanathan said, "Extremely perturbed that ministry chose to commission a study and obtain report from CGWB without any intimation to Tamil Nadu government." "Circumstances under which ministry has asked CGWB to carry out assessment of quality of water when the matter is Sub-Judice to say the least, is lacking in bonafide," the letter added. On 28 May, the Tamil Nadu government ordered the closure of Sterlite plant following the death of 13 people in police firing during the anti-Sterlite agitations in the district on 22 May. The people were protesting against the construction of the Sterlite copper plant, claiming that it was polluting groundwater, and was hazardous for the environment. The windowpane of Shivraj Singh Chouhan's campaign vehicle was damaged in the stone-pelting that took place in Churhat town. Bhopal: A 23-year-old man on Saturday alleged that police forced him to "falsely" testify against seven people for allegedly pelting stones on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's vehicle on 2 September in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district. The windowpane of Chouhan's campaign vehicle was damaged in the stone-pelting that took place in Churhat town, about 540 kilometres from Bhopal, and nine Congress workers were arrested the next day for allegedly being behind the incident. Speaking to reporters at the residence of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh, "witness" Sandeep Chaturvedi claimed that a Sub-Inspector had made him sign a statement "under duress". "Neither did I witness the 2 September (stone pelting) incident at Churhat nor do I know the men arrested in the case," he said. "Around 1.30 am, Sub Inspector Dipak Baghela came to the petrol pump where I work and took me to the Kamarji police station. He asked me to give a statement that these men, whose names were already written on a piece of paper handed to me, had pelted stones at Chouhan's vehicle," he claimed. Chaturvedi alleged that he was thrashed by police after he told them that he did not see the incident and did not know the people named on the piece of paper. "Baghela and other policemen thrashed me and made me falsely testify that Sanjay Singh, Charan Singh, Gaurav Singh, Saurabh Singh, Roshan Singh, Saurabh Dwivedi and Shivendra Singh pelted stones at the chief minister's vehicle," he alleged. "Kamarji police station in charge was mounting pressure on me to falsely testify before the trial court under section 164 (of CrPC)," Chaturvedi claimed, adding that he now feared for his life. When contacted, Sidhi superintendent of police Tarun Nayak told PTI that he would not be able to speak on the issue as the probe into it was still underway. Meanwhile, Ajay Singh claimed that the Madhya Pradesh government had registered a case in this incident in order to defame him. Singh dared Chouhan to fight Assembly polls from Churhat, from where the former is sitting MLA. The Opposition parties and many activists have been questioning the change in the Rafale deal for the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets by the present government. Ahmedabad: Senior Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan on Saturday alleged that to justify the changed Rafale deal, the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials were being forced to speak in praise of the new deal signed by the Narendra Modi government. The Opposition parties and many activists have been questioning the change in the deal for the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets by the present government. The earlier deal by the UPA government to purchase 126 fighter planes from France's Dassault was allegedly altered to buy only 36 fighter planes for around Rs 60,000 crore. "After the expose, the NDA government doesn't have anything to justify the change in the deal, so now IAF officials are being pressurised to speak in favour of the new deal," Prashant Bhushan told reporters. Calling it a major scam, he alleged, "This is a scam of unimaginable proportions. The country has never witnessed a defence scam of such magnitude," he said. "The Bofors deal involved a scam of only Rs 64 crore, but the present change in original UPA deal, points to a scam of at least Rs 21,000 crore. Not only that, but far more is the seriousness of compromising the country's security," he said. Questioning the prime minister's motive, Bhushan asked, "Who gave the prime minister the permission to reduce the requirements of the IAF from 126 planes to only 36, overriding the IAF demands and the Defence Acquisition Council's decision?" Tamil Nadu minister D Jayakumar, speaking after the cabinet meeting in Chennai, said the recommendation would be sent to Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit immediately, The Tamil Nadu cabinet on Sunday accepted the mercy petition of seven convicts in the case of the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Speaking after the cabinet meeting in Chennai, state minister D Jayakumar said they would send the recommendation on their release to Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit immediately. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Purohit the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, who are serving life imprisonment. Arputhammal, mother of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict AG Perarivalan, speaking to ANI, said, "I met the Tamil Nadu chief minister today and he assured me that the governor would surely accept our recommendation and very soon all seven convicts will be free. We thank this government which has paved the way for the release." Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, earlier forwarded a petition to the Tamil Nadu home secretary, urging the government to consider her plea for early release. The plea comes just days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu governor to consider the mercy petition of AG Perarivalan, another convict in the 1991 case. A life convict at the Special Prison for Women in Vellore, Nalini in her petition recalled that she had made a representation on 22 February, 2014, to the government, seeking her release under Article 161 of the Constitution, which deals with the judicial powers of the governor of a state. Her plea for release was in accordance with the state government's 1994 Scheme of Premature Release of Life Convicts, she said. In her petition, which she forwarded through the superintendent of prisons in Vellore on Friday and made available to the media, she said that after her 2014 petition, she moved the high court in 2015, seeking a direction to the government to consider her plea for release. In its order dated 20 July, 2016, the Madras High Court had said that the authorities were at liberty to consider her representation in accordance with law, subject to the outcome of another writ petition in the Supreme Court. The high court's judgment was confirmed by a division bench in its order of 27 April, 2018, Nalini said. Days ago, "the Supreme Court had disposed of" a related pending petition, too, she said. In view of the ruling of the Madras High Court and the apex court disposing of a related plea, Nalini said "my representation dated 22 February, 2014, seeking release under Article 161 of the Constitution in accordance with the said scheme... may be considered, and I may be released from prison at an early date." She said she was "fully eligible" to be released under the scheme. The Supreme Court has disposed of a petition by the Centre regarding a proposal for the release of the convicts, filed by the Tamil Nadu government. The Centre had on 10 August told the apex court that it does not concur with the Tamil Nadu government's proposal to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, saying remission of their sentence will set a "dangerous precedent" and have "international ramifications." On 23 January, the apex court had asked the Centre to take a decision within three months on a 2016 letter of the Tamil Nadu government written on 2 March, 2016, seeking its concurrence on releasing the seven convicts. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of 21 May, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a female suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. With inputs from agencies Psephologist, activist and Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav on Saturday was allegedly arrested and manhandled by Tamil Nadu Police when he was on his way to express solidarity with farmers protesting against the proposed Salem-Chennai Expressway project in Tiruvannamalai. He was later released. Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav on Saturday was allegedly arrested and manhandled by Tamil Nadu Police when he was on his way to express solidarity with farmers protesting against the proposed Salem-Chennai Expressway project in Tiruvannamalai. However, he, along with 40 other farmers, were released late on Saturday night, following which Yadav held a meeting with women farmers from the village Nammianthel. Yadav and and some others were earlier detained at Chengam in Tiruvannamalai district on Saturday morning. The Swaraj India leader tweeted that he was "manhandled" and pushed into a police van. "We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way. We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones snatched, manhandled and pushed into police van. Firsthand experience of police state in TN," he had tweeted on Saturday. TN police has detained me and team in Chengam PS, Thiru Annamalai district. We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way. We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones snatched, manhandled and pushed into police van. First hand experience of police state in TN! Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018 Yadav said he had come to Tiruvannamalai on a fact-finding mission on land acquisition for the Salem-Chennai Expressway when he was stopped from proceeding. In another tweet, Yadav, a well-known psephologist and activist, said he had been locked with some others in a marriage hall. It's 4 hours now, we are still locked inside this marriage hall. No formal order Not even oral information about whether we are under detention or arrest 9 Farmers who met me this morning detained Another 40 farmers waiting to meet me also detained. Rule of law? Or police Raj? Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018 The Rs 10,000 crore eight-lane expressway connecting Salem and Chennai is being opposed by a section of farmers and landowners who do not want to part with their land. Yadav also tweeted that he was detained without a formal order, and said he was not allowed to meet farmers because of a police order which restrained him from interacting with them. Here is my response to the police order restraining me from meeting farmers. As a law abiding citizen, it's my duty to defy this illegal order. pic.twitter.com/8FVejcXJO2 Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018 He said, "I have refused to obey the illegal police order restricting me from meeting farmers at their home. I am proceeding to village Nammianthel." In a tweet, Yadav also detailed the conversation he had with the police officer before he was arrested. This is when they decided to arrest me. ASP: we have reliable info that you are going to organise public protest Me: I have already given to you in writing that we won't do any public meeting or protest. You can accompany me and check. ASP: sorry, we have orders to arrest you. https://t.co/sP1wACYW6R Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018 Yadav's arrested evoked strong condemnation from Opposition leaders including DMK leader MK Stalin who condemned the "arbitrary detention". "The DMK strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of @_SwarajIndia chief @_YogendraYadav who supported farmers affected by #ChennaiSalemExpressway project," he tweeted. The "intolerant" AIADMK government will pay the price for denying people the democratic right to dissent and protest, Stalin added. Makkal Neethi Maiam founder-president Kamal Haasan on Saturday condemned the detention of the Swaraj India leader. He said 'brother' Yadav, "a politician from a different state" had come to learn about the opinion of the farmers of our state". "This act is to be criticised and condemned, as it prevents opinions from being shared and is an act of dictatorship," Haasan said in a statement in Chennai. People should have the freedom to express their views without fear, the actor-turned-politician added. The Chennai-Salem Expressway project, a Central Government initiative being implemented by the Tamil Nadu government, aims to bring down the travel time between Salem and Chennai. The proposed 277.3-kilometre expressway has been facing opposition from local residents, including farmers, as well as activists. Environmentalists are also opposed to the prospect of a large number of trees being cut for the project. Tiruvannamalai is one of the five districts that the proposed superhighway is to pass through. The other districts are Kancheepuram, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, and Salem. The longest stretch of the proposed highway, which will pass through Tiruvannamalai, is expected to have a damaging impact on the pristine Eastern Ghats forest environment, say ecologists. In Tiruvannamalai alone, where 123.9 kilometres of the proposed highway would pass through, about 95 percent of the land procured is precious agricultural land. The state government has been insisting that it will help address the issue of fatal accidents on this stretch, besides saving on fuel and vehicular wear and tear. Chief Minister K Palaniswamy said compensation being offered to landowners was more compared to the past, as the guideline value has increased. With inputs from PTI https://www.studyfinds.org/study-quarter-college-students-diganosed-mental-health-condition/ New survey shows 75 percent of students at U.S. colleges have battled significant stress in the past year, leading 1 in 5 to consider suicide BOSTON For some, its the best four years of their lives. For others, its a period of constant struggle, whether academically, socially, or both. College brings about new experiences and challenges for young adults that can be difficult to adapt to and overcome, so perhaps its no surprise that a new study reports high rates of stress and mental health conditions among students. The newly-published report out of Brigham and Womens Hospital shows that a quarter of college students received were diagnosed with a mental health condition in the past year, and a fifth have had suicidal thoughts. Researchers looked at survey results from 67,308 students across 108 American colleges and universities during the spring of 2015. Students were questioned on the frequency of stressful events, depression or anxiety in their daily lives, and reported whether or not theyd been diagnosed with a mental health condition in the past year. Stressful events were viewed as anything that students viewed as traumatic or difficult to handle, whether academic or personal. That includes financial struggles, family problems, trouble sleeping, self-esteem issues, or health matters. Participants were also asked whether or not theyd had suicidal thoughts or attempted to take their own lives, or if theyd tried any other form of self-harm. The results showed alarming rates of mental health issues and a significant risk for suicidal thoughts among all students, though minorities, whether racial, sexual, or gender, were especially prone. Colleges and family members who are sending students off to college need to remember that this is a phase of life where young people are confronted with expectations from new relationships and living situations and other encounters that are stressful, says lead author Dr. Cindy Liu, of the Departments of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry at BWH, in a statement. The authors found that 75 percent of students faced at least one stressful event in the past year, while one in five reported at least six stressful events in the same period. Such events were linked to a greater risk of mental health diagnoses, self-harm, and suicide. In fact, one in four students was diagnosed with a condition, while one in five considered taking his or her own life. Nearly 10 percent admitted to attempting suicide, and nearly 20 percent had committed self-harm of some form. Some stressful events cannot be prevented and, in some cases, are completely normal. But for others, a plan should be in place for family, friends, and colleges to provide support, says Liu. Our study highlights an urgent need to help students reduce their experience of overwhelming levels of stress during college. Like studies? Follow us on Facebook! While sexual minorities were found to have high rates of mental health diagnoses along with reports of self-harm and suicidal thoughts or actions, transgender participants showed high rates over all outcomes. Two-thirds of transgender students admitted to self-harm, while more than a third having attempted suicide. Similarly, more than half of bisexual students admitted to self-harm or suicidal behavior, while more than a quarter attempted suicide. Asian students showed a greater risk of suicidal behavior, yet lower rates of mental health diagnoses compared to white students. Black students reported lower rates across all outcomes versus white students. The Saamana editorial states that the government is business as usual and has failed on the Pakistan front. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for keeping mum on the provocative statements made by Pakistans Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. The Sena in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, asked status of the assurance given by Mr Modi before he was elected to the post of PM. The Sena editorial states that the government is business as usual and has failed on Pakistan front. Pakistan Armys chief said that the country will take revenge of the blood of its soldiers. He also praised the people of Kashmir for fighting against India. This is a pattern of Pakistani army. It keeps talking and acting against India. So, the days of being soft towards Pakistan are over, said the editorial in Sena mouthpiece. It further states, The question is about our behavior. When will we wake up and act against these anti-India statements? These statements are a result of Chai Pe Charcha, which our leadership does with its Pakistani counterpart. Rulers of the day hold first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru responsible for the Pakistan issue. Then what is the difference in action between them and Mr Nehru. Reminding Mr Modi about his poll promise to make Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) a part of India prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, The manner in which the Pakistan Army chief has threatened, the Prime Minister and defence minister should be asked questions about it. Before the elections (2014), BJP and Mr Modi had said that they will make PoK a part of India. We would like to ask the PM about it (his poll promise). The Bharat Bandh called by the Congress against high fuel prices will be observed between 9 am to 3 pm, during which Opposition parties will hit the streets. Patna: Opposition parties in Bihar on Sunday resolved to make the 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday, called by the Congress in protest against spiralling fuel prices, a "grand success". Opposition leaders from the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), Samajwadi Party and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) held a joint press conference at the Sadaquat Ashram in Patna the Congress' state headquarters and appealed to various trade and industry bodies to make the bandh a grand success. Prominent leaders who addressed the joint press conference included Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri, senior Congress leaders Sadanand Singh, MM Jha, RJD Bihar chief Ram Chandra Purbey, HAM-S state chief Vrishin Patel, Samajwadi Party Bihar unit chief and former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav. They said that medicine shops, medical services, ambulances and school buses will be kept out of Monday's bandh. Qadri said the price of petrol and diesel were Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre, respectively, when the crude oil price was $107 per barrel during the UPA regime on 16 May, 2014, whereas the price of petrol and diesel is currently Rs 86 and Rs 78 per litre, when the crude oil price is $73 a barrel. He said the price of LPG cylinder has gone up by Rs 340 in the past 52 months of the Narendra Modi regime, and the railway fare, which was Rs 6 per kilometre earlier, was now Rs 9 per kilometre. "The BJP government has nothing to do with burning issues like fuel price hike or general price hike that concern every common man. We, along with other Opposition parties, including the Left, will hit the streets tomorrow (Monday) to protest against the steepest-ever fuel price hike. We will also appeal to transport association, various trade and industry bodies and people to make the bandh a grand success," Qadri said. In reply to a query on whether he would appeal to the Janata Dal (United), which seemed annoyed with the BJP on the fuel price issue, to join Opposition parties, Qadri said: "Why would I appeal to the JD(U)? They are very much part of the ruling alliance. I would ask them to exert pressure on the Centre to cut excise duty to give relief to common men." Purbey said RJD has already asked its workers and leaders right from block to district levels to participate in the bandh to make it a grand success. HAM-S Bihar unit chief Vrishin Patel asserted that "tomorrow's bandh will send a message to the Modi government that we will emerge as an 'aandhi' (storm) that will make the government bite the dust". Yadav said that the bandh will prove to be a "milestone". "The situaton has worsened because of the central government's poor and anti-farmer and anti-poor policies," he added. Senior Bihar Congress leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said he would appeal to people not to send their children to school on Monday as a precautionary measure. The bandh will be observed between 9 am to 3 pm, during which leaders and workers from Opposition parties will hit the streets requesting people to cooperate and support the bandh. Meanwhile, Left parties, which had already given separate call for a Bharat Bandh on Monday on the issue of fuel price hike, also held a joint meeting in this regard in the state capital on Sunday. After the BJP national executive meet, Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted Narendra Modi as saying that the Opposition is characterised by lack of leadership, unclear policy and corrupt ethics. On the second day of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) national executive meeting in Delhi on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for "Ajey Bharat, Atal BJP" (Invincible India, Resolute BJP) and launched a strong attack on the Opposition, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. "Parties that could not see eye to eye earlier are now being forced to embrace each other. This is the biggest vindication for us," Prasad quoted Modi as saying during his address after the meet. The prime minister added that the alliance of Opposition parties is characterised by an absence of leadership, unclear policy and corrupt ethical standards, Prasad said. Earlier on Sunday, the BJP projected the Lok Sabha polls as a battle between a "daydreaming" Opposition and the National Democratic Alliance, whose leader Narendra Modi has an "approval rating" of over 70 percent and is set to build a "New India" by 2022. "The prime minister said it is important to have an Opposition in a democracy, so that it holds the government accountable. However, he remarked that those who had been failures in power had also turned out to be failures in Opposition," Prasad said. Modi also said that the Opposition should challenge the government on issues of ideology and policy, but rued that it challenges the government based on "lies". "Repeating lies has become a habit of sorts for the Opposition," Prasad quoted the prime minister as saying. During the meet on Sunday, BJP president Amit Shah said, "We will win the 2019 polls, and after victory in the 2019 polls, nobody will be able to remove us for the next 50 years. We are not saying this out of pride but on basis of our work." Modi also recalled the contribution of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in glowing terms, saying that he took took the ideology, culture and leadership of the BJP to new heights. "Today, our sun is no more, but we should be like stars who spread the light of our ideas," he said. BJP National Executive meet saw extensive discussions on many subjects. Party colleagues expressed their insightful views. Our Party is humbled by the strong support across India. In the spirit of Ajay Bharat, Atal Bhajpa we will continue working tirelessly for Indias growth. pic.twitter.com/aWsNxkQwaM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2018 On Saturday, BJP president Amit Shah had touched upon a number of pressing issues, including the floods in Kerala, the arrests of 'urban Naxals' and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in his address during the national executive meet. He had said that while the BJP is focussing on "Make in India", the Congress is working on "breaking India". The political resolution passed by the BJP national executive said that while the prime minister was building an India of "no poverty, casteism, corruption and communalism", the sole agenda of the "frustrated" Opposition was "roko Modi" (stop Modi), Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters. With inputs from agencies At the BJP national executive meet, Narendra Modi asked party workers to 'unmask' the Congress with facts and logic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday scoffed at Opposition efforts to forge a Mahagathbandhan for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, saying it was nothing but their compulsion and a vindication of the BJP-led governments success. Setting the tone for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he sees "no challenge" to the BJP and described unity efforts among Opposition parties "unable to stand each other" as proof of his government's popularity and his party's big success. Modi said that the proposed grand alliance of the Opposition was leaderless, had no clear policy and its intentions were corrupt. The Bharatiya Janata Party does not see a challenge anywhere. The opposition parties had failed to deliver when they were in power and now in their present role, he claimed. Giving the slogan of 'Ajey Bharat, Atal Bhajapa' (invincible India, firm BJP), Modi exuded confidence that his party will win in 2019. "We have started our journey with confidence of victory. We enjoy the confidence of 125 crore people of India." In his concluding address at the party's two-day national executive meeting, Modi also heaped scorn on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying his party's leadership is not acceptable to any ally, is seen as a burden by some others and is not acceptable to a few within his own party. The Opposition has neither ideology nor a leader and any coordination, with its policies unclear and intentions corrupt, Modi said, according to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed the media on the speech in the closed-door meeting. "Today, there is discussion about Mahagathbandhan. People who do not see eye to eye, who cannot walk together, who have no political or ideological understanding, who can't even tolerate each other are thinking of forging a Mahagathbandhan and embracing each other. It is the biggest vindication of our success," Prasad quoted Modi as saying. "Mahagathbandhan its leader is not known, the policy is unclear and intention is corrupt. These are so powerful words of the Prime Minister...," Prasad said. "We do not see any challenge," he said, lashing out at the Opposition over its allegations based on "falsehoods and web of lies" against his government. When they were in power they were a failure, and they are a failure even in Opposition, the prime minister said. Slamming rival parties, Modi said they cannot see eye to eye and never stand each other but have been forced to embrace one another to challenge the BJP. It shows the government's popularity and acceptance of its programmes and leadership by the people, he said. He added that his government has lived up to the slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' by bringing development to all without any consideration of caste, religion or region. Mocking Rahul without naming him, Modi said nobody, including small parties, is ready to accept the Congress's leadership. "Some even consider it a burden. There are some within it (Congress) who are not in a position to accept the leadership," he said. The Opposition has not challenged the government on issues or its policies and ideology, but manufacture lies every day and keeps repeating it, he said, apparently in reference to its attack on him over issues of corruption in the Rafale deal and demonetisation, among other matters. If issues are debated, then the question will come as to what "one family" did for 48 years and what his government had done in 48 months, Modi said, targeting the Congress's Gandhi family. He asked BJP workers to "unmask" the Congress with facts and logic. On a day BJP president Amit Shah claimed that his party would rule for 50 years on the basis of its performance once it comes to power in 2019, Modi like Shah also cited the example of Gujarat, where the BJP has had an almost uninterrupted reign for 31 years. Modi said unlike other parties, the BJP has neither arrogance of power nor does it see government as a chair to grab by all means but uses it as an instrument to empower people. "We work to fulfil our principles to which we remain firm. Our strategy may change from time to time," he said. Asking his party to bust the Opposition's "lies and falsehoods", he said the Congress nationalised banks and mines claiming that it will help the poor and then changed track in the name of reforms. It is important to ask what benefits the poor got during the period, he said. The world, Modi said, is discussing policies of his government based on 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas". He spoke of the intensive drive to cover the poor households, especially in villages with high concentration of scheduled castes and tribes, with LPG connections, electricity and insurance cover, among other welfare measures. Modi also mentioned the newly-launched health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, which seek to cover over 10 crore poor families. He also paid rich tributes to party stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee and recalled his message to the party when its ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya died in 1968 that the sun may have disappeared but stars should shine to further its ideology. He drew on the former prime minister's name to give the slogan 'Ajey Bharat, Atal BJP'. He batted for development with human face, and equality with humanity. The prime minister also said he wanted the country to be affluent but its foundation should be simplicity. He asked party workers to strengthen its presence at every polling booth across the country, saying this is gateway to electoral success. He also pushed for use of social media. Modi asked them to move around in groups to tell people how his government has worked to fulfil dream of Mahatma Gandhi, whose birth anniversary falls on 2 October. On simultaneous polls, he said his government has already done "one nation, one tax", a reference to the Goods and Services Tax, and "one nation, one power grid", but is not for creating pressure on this issue. He said he wants a debate in all sections of society on the issue of simultaneous polls. When asked whether issues such as the Opposition's allegation on the Rafale deal or the raging issue of rise in oil prices came up for discussion, Prasad answered in the negative. Various government functionaries have been speaking on this matter. When asked about the Ram temple issue, Prasad said the matter is currently being heard in the Supreme Court. Prakash Javadekar said that a political resolution proposed by Rajnath Singh at BJP national executive meet was passed by the working committee. With elections to Lok Sabha and four Assembly states around the corner, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday passed a resolution reaffirming the party's commitment to build "New India" by 2022, and said the opposition has neither a leader nor a policy while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular leader in the country. The political resolution was presented by senior party leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh at its ongoing national executive. The BJP said the opposition's plan to defeat the saffron party was a "day dream". Union minister Prakash Javadekar who announced the resolution at a press conference on Sunday said that the 'New India' as envisioned in 'Vision 2022' will be free of poverty, corruption, terrorism and casteism. Javadekar also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading the country in the right direction and said the Modi government has vision, passion and imagination, and a lot of development work has been done in the last four years under the NDA rule. Talking about the Modi-led government, he also said that internal security has become better and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir has also come down. The Union minister also hit out at the Opposition saying, it has neither a policy nor a leader. He added that the Opposition's main aim is 'Modi roko (stop Modi)'. He also slammed the previous UPA government and said that there were bomb blasts in every state under its rule. This has now stopped, he added. #BREAKING -- Internal security has been enhanced, during the UPA era there were bomb blasts every now and then, this has stopped, and the terrorism in Kashmir has gone down. AFSPA has also been removed from Tripura and Meghalaya: @PrakashJavdekar | #BJP2019Plan pic.twitter.com/W5H5TXv3Nt News18 (@CNNnews18) September 9, 2018 Javadekar also said that India is the fastest growing economy today and attributed it to the prime minister and the Centre's policies. He added that ports, airports, educational institutions, AIIMS, and IITs have been opened across the country and it has helped in the growth of the nation. He also said that Modi was the most popular leader in the country and even after four years in power, his approval rating is more than 70 percent. He reiterated that BJP will win the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 with a bigger mandate. Quoting party president Amit Shah, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday, "We will return to power strongly and with a good majority. We will win with a bigger majority than what we got in 2014." Shah had said on Saturday, the first day of the national executive meet, that Modi government is working for "making India" whereas the Congress is working for "breaking India". Launching a blistering attack on the Opposition in his inaugural address, he had also said the proposed "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) of the BJP's rivals is an illusion and myth, and will make no difference to its fortunes. With inputs from PTI Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday that democracy is in danger in the BJP regime, and once again the Congress will have to stand up to save it. Pune: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday that democracy is in danger in the BJP regime, and once again the Congress will have to stand up to save it. He was speaking at the concluding function of the first phase of the Congress' 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' in Western Maharashtra. "Maharashtra played a key role in the freedom struggle... freedom fighters from the rest of the country received energy from Maharashtra," Azad said. "The freedom struggle of the Congress then was to achieve a democratic rule in the country but today the same democracy, for which Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and thousands of freedom fighters gave their lives, is in danger and today the Congress has to rise up to save our democracy from a dictatorship," he said. "Before independence, the repression was done using bullets and sticks, but today it is being done using the Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate," he said. Only "two or three people" (in the BJP regime) are behind this repression, Azad said, without naming anyone. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP could fulfil none of their election promises. "If we do not stop the BJP now, more 'Bure Din (bad days) are ahead," he said. Due to demonetisation and a poor implementation of the GST, the country is facing problems such as the soaring fuel prices, rise in non-performing assets, agrarian crisis and an increase in terrorism, Kharge said. State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said the support this campaign received showed that the public sentiment is against the BJP government. Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said people are now saying that it was a mistake to vote for the BJP in 2014. "People have realised that the government has cheated them and this time they will not get cheated again," he said. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala described the ruling party's national executive as 'arrogance Modi-fied' and 'shahi arrogance'. New Delhi: The Congress dubbed the BJP's political resolution as a testament of "unpardonable failures and betrayal" by the Modi government and said the exclusion of key promises of 2014 establishes that Modi-Shah duo has failed to deliver. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala described the ruling party's national executive as "arrogance Modi-fied" and "shahi arrogance". "Deliberate elimination and deceptive exclusion of key promises of 2014 establishes that Modi-Shah duo has miserably failed to deliver. "The BJP now stands for - 'Break, Jam & Perish'. 'Breaking' the backbone of India's MSME's and shopkeepers through flawed GST, 'Jamming' the economy through demonetisation disaster and 'Perish' the future of youth and farmers," he said. Surjewala said shifting goalposts is ingrained in the DNA of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected by the people of India because he promised to deliver 'New India' in 60 months, he said. "Having run a 'jumla' govt for 52 months, Modi-Shah duo is weaving another set of lies to befool the people. There conspiracy will be exposed in 2019 itself. Year 2022 'Goalpost' is nothing 'Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne'," he said in a statement. The Congress leader said the last 52 months have been a "sordid saga of betrayal and backstabbing". "The term 'jumlas' has now been embedded in the consciousness of the people of India and it squarely represents the character of the BJP's leadership. The BJP is the ultimate 'Break Jam Perish' party of India that has mastered the art of 'Dupery', 'Deception', 'Doublespeak' and 'Duplicity'. A Scheming BJP only knows to implement one Scheme - 'Headlines Management'," he said. Surjewala said the political resolution is devoid of key promises like bringing back 80 lakh crore of black money, depositing 15 lakh in every Indian's bank account, corruption-free governance, creating 2 crore jobs per year, tackling price rise, creating infrastructure, ensuring women security, strengthening national security apparatus, 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', among others. He said the Modi government and the BJP has plunged Jammu and Kashmir into a deep turmoil through an "unethical opportunistic alliance, marred with a disquiet border, corruption, mal governance and false promises". Sixteen major terror attacks have taken place on our security installations that include CRPF camps, army camps, air force station and military stations: Pampore, Uri, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amarnath, Yatra attack Sunjwan, where scores of lives have been lost since May 26, 2014 during the Modi government, Surjewala said. In the last 51 months, 410 jawans have died and 256 civilians have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir alone, he said. The Congress leader said the rupee is at an all time low and has crossed Rs 72 and the GDP growth is a 4 year low and people's households savings is at a 20 year low. "There are no jobs. Joblessness is rampant," he said, adding that even Niti Aayog has admitted in February that India is plagued by 'unsatisfactory jobs and underemployment'. During the BJP's National Executive meeting in New Delhi, party president Amit Shah attacked Singh saying 'Manmohan Singh follows his party, while Modi leads'. New Delhi: Taking strong objection to BJP's criticism of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress on Saturday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him arrogant and one who had no respect for democracy. During the BJP's National Executive meeting in New Delhi, party president Amit Shah attacked Singh saying "Manmohan Singh follows his party, while Modi leads". Congress leader Anand Sharma said Singh was far better prime minister than Modi is. "We take strong objection to the kind of language that has been used by BJP against Singh," Sharma said. "He (Singh) was far better prime minister than Modi. The difference is that Manmohan Singh had humility, decency and grace, he upheld the dignity of his office. It is the reverse in case of Modi. "He is arrogant and doesn't behave as a prime minister who respects parliamentary democracy. He is not leading, he is dictating. He doesn't have the capacity to listen or even respond to bona fide questions," said Sharma. "The Modi government has been a failure on all fronts. Today what is happening the country is matter of shame, things like mob-lynchings, rapes, an environment of fear and violence. "All these should have been reflected in the national executive. The responsibility is theirs about the non- performance and bad performance of the government. They cannot escape the responsibility by just criticising the Congress," said Sharma. In his letter to the Election Commission, Congress leader Vivek Tankha said these BJP 'yatras' are party-motivated and have no element of public interest. New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday urged the Election Commission to issue advisories to the chief ministers of poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to stop all public expenditure on 'yatras' undertaken by them. Chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Legal and Human Rights department Vivek Tankha also urged the EC to issue "peremptory" orders to the Telengana chief secretary to ensure that no public money is utilised by caretaker government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and no unfair publicity is given to the ruling party. This should also include taking off all hoardings, banners and advertisements, etc, he said in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat. Tankha, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, urged the EC to send an advisory to the chief secretaries of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh asking them to "stop all public expenditure on the 'yatras' of chief ministers" by whatever name they are conducted. He alleged that these states have indulged in rampant "extravagant publicity" by way of the Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Guarav Yatra and Vikas Yatra, respectively, at the state's expense. These are party-motivated 'yatras' and have no element of public interest involved, he said. "I am sure such directions will go a long way to enhance the credibility of the Election Commission of India and our electoral system, which in the past has received international acclaim," he said in his letter. He added that of late, people were witnessing an increased "propensity" by state governments and chief ministers to put in large advertisements in newspapers at public expenses. "It is an abhorrent practice and blatant misuse of public funds," he added. The Opposition Congress has called for a nationwide shutdown on Monday to protest against rising prices of petrol and diesel. Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress on Sunday urged people to make the Bharat Bandh a successful one, even as an association of fuel pump owners in the state said that its establishments would remain open. The Opposition Congress has called for a nationwide shutdown on Monday to protest against rising prices of petrol and diesel as well as the fall in the value of the rupee in comparison to the US dollar. Congress leaders in Bhopal said that 21 Opposition parties as well as several chambers of commerce and traders' bodies were backing its shutdown call. "People have been suffering due to rising prices of petrol and diesel. Everybody from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi are keeping mum on this issue," Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath said on Sunday. Appealing to people to make the shutdown successful, Nath said that these leaders (from the BJP) used to vehemently protest during the Congress-led UPA government when petrol prices rose to Rs 55 per litre. Price under the current BJP dispensation had now touched Rs 86 per litre of petrol, Nath pointed out. Speaking to PTI, Madhya Pradesh Petrol Pump Owners Association president Ajay Singh said that fuel pumps would remain open Monday. "Petrol pumps across Madhya Pradesh will remain open and work normally on Monday," Ajay Singh said Sunday. Ram Madhav criticised president of National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah, saying that Abdullah is playing party politics. New Delhi: The General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ram Madhav, on Sunday criticised president of National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah, saying that Abdullah is playing party politics ahead of the panchayat and urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Madhav said that the Kashmiri leader does not want the people of his state to avail democratic rights. After announcing his party's plans to withdraw from the panchayat polls a few days ago, Abdullah on Saturday threatened to boycott Lok Sabha and Assembly elections also if the Centre fails to give an assurance on protecting Articles 35A and 370, which are enjoyed exclusively by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Reacting to the National Conference's chief's threat, Madhav said, "In order to provide Kashmir people with their democratic rights, we want local body election to happen in the Valley, Jammu and Ladakh. Farooq Abdullah has always done politics of his own party and never made efforts to ensure the democratic rights of people. Now when Prime Minister Modi is doing so then he is opposing it by making excuses." He added, "I want to ask Farooq Abdullah if he is opposing panchayat election because of Article 35A, then why did he contest the election in Kargil and how did he win 10 seats? These are just excuses." While addressing an event commemorating the death anniversary of his father late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah on Saturday, the former chief minister said, "We will not only boycott Panchayat elections but also Lok Sabha and Assembly elections if the Centre doesn't clear its stand on Article 35A and Article 370." Meanwhile, National Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh feels that Abdullah's decision to pull out Panchayat polls is a "blessing in disguise" for the people. "I come from Jammu and Kashmir and was MLA during Abdullah's government in the state. Will there be any difference if they will not contest in the election? I have received around 1,000 texts from people of the state asking not to let National Conference contest in the election," Singh told ANI. "If they (National Conference) will not contest in the election then it will be a blessing for the people. People of Jammu and Kashmir welcome this decision," he added. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Sumit Sharma (30) and Sumail Khan (34). Mumbai: Mumbai police arrested two accused for allegedly duping hundreds of people by getting them to invest in their firm with the promise of high returns and using the money for personal gratification instead. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Sumit Sharma (30) and Sumail Khan (34). The police said that the duo set up a firm called Quirky Technology Private Limited at the Saki Naka junction on the Andheri-Kurla road last year, and started seeking out investors, promising to get them returns with ten per cent interest on their original investment. The duo, since March 2017, convinced hundreds of people to invest and made up to Rs 22 to Rs 25 crore in this manner. They paid the returns till July 2018, after which they suddenly ceased to pay. When there was no payment from their side for a long time, the investors approached the Saki Naka police station earlier this year, and an FIR was registered against the duo on September 3, said deputy commissioner of police N.D. Reddy. The police subsequently initiated inquiries into the matter and on Friday arrested Sharma and Khan from their residences. The police examined the bank account data of the firm as well as the personal accounts of the accused, and found that the money was transferred into their accounts from over 1500 accounts since March last year. The firms office was also raided and documents of financial transactions, computer hard disks and other evidence was seized. An officer with the Saki Naka police said that, the accused seemed to have spent a lot of the money on their lavish lifestyles. However, we are also investigating whether they bought any property using the ill-gotten money. We have 430 investors who have recorded their statements with us so far, and more are expected to come forward in the days to come, he said. Apart from the Indian Penal Code, the police have also invoked the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act in the case, which empowers the investigating agency to liquidate the assets of the accused and reimburse the victims with the proceeds. What will Governor Banwarilal Purohit do now? It is highly unlikely that he will go purely by the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu cabinet. "The governor is bound to go by the decision of the cabinet.'' Tamil Nadu fisheries minister D Jayakumar's comment after the cabinet meeting that recommended the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was significant. On the face of it, he was stating the constitutional position. But without much subtlety, Jayakumar was also reminding Governor Banwarilal Purohit that he has no other option. Under Article 161 of the Constitution, the President of India and the governors of states have been given the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute sentences. The question is whether the power is vested entirely in the president and the governor allowing him to disagree with a recommendation made by the government, or whether he simply has to sign on the dotted line. In normal cases, the governor would have simply gone with the cabinet recommendation. But the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case is far more sensitive and high-profile. The NDA government on more than one occasion, the latest being 10 August, has made it clear that it is not in favour of releasing the seven convicts. The BJP argument has been that it was an international conspiracy, five of the seven are Sri Lankan nationals, it is a question of national security and most importantly, it will set a wrong precedent. There is also the view that the case cannot be about Rajiv Gandhi alone. Though Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi have taken a sympathetic position on the killers of their father, 14 other people also died in the bomb blast and the sentiments of the kin of those who were killed, too need to be taken into account. Those killed included Congress leaders and policemen who were at the spot. In 2014, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that her government will ensure the release of the convicts irrespective of the Centre's opinion in the matter. After AG Perarivalan, one of the convicts, filed a mercy petition in 2015 before the governor, Jayalalithaa the following year once again reiterated that her government was ready to release the convicts. Why the Tamil Nadu cabinet once again recommended the release now is because the Supreme Court on 6 September, lobbed the ball back into the governor's court, stating that under Article 161 of the Constitution, he has the powers to grant pardon. What will Governor Purohit do now? Given that he knows that the Centre and the state are not on the same page on the case, it is highly unlikely that he will go purely by the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu cabinet. He is certain to ask the Ministry of Home Affairs for an opinion and if its word to the apex court is anything to go by, Governor Purohit will be asked to reject the recommendation. This will mean Perarivalan and the others will once again seek a judicial review of the Governor's decision. Apart from Perarivalan, the other convicts are Nalini, Murugan, Robert Payas, Santhan, Ravichandran and Jayakumar. All the political parties in Tamil Nadu, barring the BJP, are in favour of the release of the convicts. Privately, the BJP is worried that it will be branded an anti-Tamil party because of its stand on the matter. Its argument, though, is that it is taking a more nationalistic view than looking at the issue only through the prism of Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK and the DMK argue that India should take a more humanitarian position. The convicts have spent 27 years behind bars and can be given a chance to taste freedom. Perarivalan for instance, was charged with supplying a 9-volt battery which was allegedly used for the belt bomb that killed Rajiv Gandhi and 14 others on the night of 21 May 1991 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The belt bomb was triggered by Dhanu, the woman suicide bomber of the LTTE at an election rally. Perarivalan, who is 47 years old now, has maintained that he was not aware of the purpose of the battery and those sympathetic to him argue he has already paid a heavy price for that one mistake. What are the political implications of such a move? In both the 2014 and 2016 elections, the AIADMK did exceedingly well and though there is no evidence to suggest that Jayalalithaa's decision on the Rajiv killers had anything to do with the victories, Edappadi Palaniswami wants to emulate his late leader's move. Two, of late, in Tuticorin and on the issue of the Salem-Chennai expressway, the state has been accused of using strong-arm tactics and taking an anti-people position. The decision on the convicts is Palaniswami's attempt to show a softer side. The question is whether people will buy into it. For the past year and a half, the impression has gained ground that the BJP is indulging in back-seat driving. This cabinet resolution will count as an AIADMK attempt to stand up to the BJP. It will also send a message to the BJP that with Lok Sabha elections just eight months away, the dynamics of the BJP-AIADMK equation need to change. While the BJP has used the agencies to keep the AIADMK under control, politically, the saffron party will need to lean on the Dravidian outfit at election time. Telangana Congress in-charge Ramachandra Khuntia accused KCR of dissolving the state Assembly before term to get minority votes. New Delhi: Days after the dissolution of the Telangana Assembly, the Congress on Sunday ruled out joining hands with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM for early elections in the state. The Congress also said its chief ministerial candidate will be decided upon after the elections and in consultation with party MLAs. Telangana Congress in-charge Ramachandra Khuntia alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao had dissolved the Legislative Assembly before the completion of its term to get minority votes. Then Rao can join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls, he added. "The Congress is ready to contest and win the Telangana Assembly elections," Khuntia said. He added that the party will hold talks for a tie-up with the Telangana Jan Samiti, CPI and other smaller parties in the state. "A (pre-poll) arrangement with the AIMIM is out of question," he said. Speaking about the TRS releasing its list of candidates for the elections, Khunti said: "The TRS is a party of one person and family. The Congress is a national party and candidates are decided after deliberations at all levels of the organisation. The names of (Congress) candidates will be announced at the right time." Khunti said only Congress president Rahul Gandhi could announce the name of the party's chief ministerial candidate. "Rahul Gandhi has the right to announce the party's chief ministerial candidate. But the party normally does not do it," he said. "The elections will be fought under the leadership of state Congress chief Uttam (Kumar) Reddy. He will decide on the chief ministerial candidate after the elections based on the opinion of the MLAs," Khunti added. He claimed that Muslims, Dalits and other weaker sections of society have no faith in Owaisi or KCR, as Rao is popularly known, because the two leaders are focused only on the prosperity of their families. The Congress in-charge also accused Rao of not fulfilling his promises. "Reservation was not granted to minorities in Telangana. The poor did not get houses. The area of influence of the land and sand mafias has grown. They (KCR's government) have made the state 'Telangana of KCR family.'" Reuters Alibaba Group Holding Ltds billionaire co-founder Jack Ma will announce a succession plan on Monday to hand the reins of his sprawling empire to a new generation of leaders but will remain executive chairman for the time being. Ma will announce the plan on his 54th birthday and the handover strategy will stretch over a significant period of time, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper reported citing a company spokesman. Alibaba declined to comment but pointed towards the SCMP story when asked about Mas plans. Ma, who co-founded Alibaba in 1999, stepped down as chief executive in 2013. He currently serves as the companys international face at top political and business events. The New York Times reported on Friday that Ma would retire from the e-commerce company on Monday as the former English teacher seeks to focus on philanthropy in education. Chinas third richest person with a net worth of $36.6 billion according to Forbes magazine, Ma was quoted by the New York Times as saying his retirement was not the end of an era, but the beginning of one. While Mas plan to gradually step back is a milestone, analysts and industry professionals said it was unlikely his involvement would change significantly. I dont think it means that much, frankly. He stepped back from the CEO role about four or five years ago and very specifically made a comment about wanting the younger people to lead the company, said Kevin Carter, founder of The Emerging Markets Internet exchange-trade fund. Ma oversees a number of charitable projects in education and environmental fields. He is a cult figure in Chinas internet industry and has attracted a big following among entrepreneurs and in pop culture. At events, he is often met with screaming fans. Tricky Time Ma maintains a prominent international profile, frequently inviting global leaders to the companys Hangzhou headquarters. Last year, he met U.S. President Donald Trump, who described him as smart and open minded. Alibaba was founded by 18 people led by Ma. Chinas biggest e-commerce firm, it now has more than 66,000 full-time employees, the companys latest annual filing showed. The company had a market value of about $420 billion as of Friday. Ma also controls Ant Financial, which was valued at about $150 billion after a recent fundraising round. The succession plans come at a tricky time for Chinese tech firms. Authorities have increasingly sought to regulate the industry where Alibaba and main rival Tencent Holdings Ltd are battling for consumers. Trade tensions also present a new challenge for Chinese tech firms, especially those like Alibaba which are rapidly expanding overseas. This year, regulators shot down a $1.2 billion bid for money transfer service Moneygram International Inc by Ant Financial on national security grounds, which the company said was related to geopolitical changes. Mas decision also comes as U.S. police investigate an allegation of rape against Richard Liu, head of e-commerce rival JD.com Inc, which has hammered its shares. Indo-Asian News Service After Apple hinted at increasing the price of its products owing to tariffs on China, US President Donald Trump has once again asked the iPhone maker to shift manufacturing from Beijing to Washington. Apple has written a letter to the Trump administration, saying the proposed $200 billion tariffs on China-made products will make the Apple Watch, AirPods headphones, HomePod smart speaker, Macs and key computer parts more expensive. "Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China - but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting! MAGA." In January 2017, Trump said he spoke to Apple CEO Tim Cook over the phone and he promised to build "three big plants" in the US. But Cook never directly responded to that claim. What Apple actually announced in January was to contribute $350 billion to the US economy over the next five years that includes an estimated $55 billion investment in 2018. In a letter written to the US Trade Representative on Friday, Apple said some of its popular products will get hit by the 25 percent increase in import tax as proposed by the Trump administration on Chinese products. Other products are Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Apple Pencil, Apple adapters, chargers, cables and cords, Apple main logic boards with microprocessing units, memory modules, video graphic/audio cards and PCBAs, Apple computer parts (e.g., housings and internal components) and printed circuit boards, among others "Because all tariffs ultimately show up as a tax on US consumers, they will increase the cost of Apple products that our customers have come to rely on in their daily lives," Apple wrote in the letter. According to a report in The Verge, Apple asked that the US revise its proposal and decline to place tariffs on the product categories that cover these devices. The company's hardware products have taken it to become a $1 trillion company but those products are built in China which also creates thousands of jobs. Apple is set to unveil new iPhones and other services on September 12. Reuters Google removed a YouTube advert by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny after authorities complained that the videos would violate an election silence law before Sundays vote for regional governors, an aide to Navalny said on Saturday. The series of YouTube videos featured Navalny inviting Russians to join demonstrations on Sunday, when polls suggest President Vladimir Putins former chief-of-staff Sergei Sobyanin will be comfortably re-elected as the capitals mayor. Navalnys aide, Leonid Volkov, said in a social media post that Google deleted the videos after the Central Election Commission had sent a letter of complaint to Google about the advertisement a demand Volkov called illegal. Googles Russian office said in an emailed comment: We consider all justified appeals from state bodies. We also require advertisers to act in accordance with the local law and our advertising policies. Navalny, who ran against Sobyanin in 2013 and had planned to lead a protest against proposed pension changes on Sunday, will spend election day behind bars after being convicted of violating protest laws. His supporters plan to demonstrate across Russia. While Sobyanin appears on track for an easy win, public anger over the planned increases to the nationwide pension age means many voters may stay away, which would tarnish his victory, some political analysts have said. Elections will also be held for the governorships of another 25 of Russias 85 regions. tech2 News Staff The Mi 8 series has been launched in China for well over a few months now and still, it hasn't landed in any market apart from that. However, that may change soon as reports are coming in that the Mi 8 Explorer edition is going to be launched as the Mi 8 Pro in other countries. As per GizmoChina, a device which has the exact same model number as the Mi 8 SE Explorer Edition seen on TENNA last month has been spotted on Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). The product had the codename, Xiaomi M1807E8A and its marketing term was listed as the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro. The listing spotted last month on TENNA looked for like it had a slightly smaller notch that the original Mi 8 SE. As per the listing on IMDA, the Mi 8 Pro has a 6.21-inch OLED screen with a 2248 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset with along with 4 GB, 6 GB, and 8 GB of RAM and depending on the RAM several storage options up to 256 GB. Apart from that the phone also has a 20 MP sensor in the front and dual 12 MP sensors on the rear. It has an in-display fingerprint scanner and packs a 2900mAh battery. It also runs Android 8.1 Oreo. There's no word on which country the phone plans on releasing, but since India is the biggest market for Xiaomi after China, chances are high that it might come here first. tech2 News Staff The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may be a great smartphone on its own but Samsung dock-less DeX feature is something that a lot of Note fans look forward to and the dongle which lets you work on the move is finally up for sale. Instead of requiring a dock where you need to plug your phone in, Samsung at the Galaxy Note 9 announcement spoke about how a simple USB type-C to HDMI dongle could be used to move work to a bigger screen. According to a report by GSMArena, Samsung's official dongle which supports HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 standards, is finally up for sale online on Amazon. The dongle which allows up to UHD resolution screens with 60 Hz refresh rate, hooking up the Note 9 to say a living room TV seems ideal. You could even shoot 4K 60fps video on the phone and play it on a TV using the dongle. The dongle is currently priced at $31.01 in the US which is approximately Rs 2,236 and is available for shipping to India. Seems like a worthwhile purchase if you do intend on shelling out Rs 67,500 for a base variant of the Galaxy Note 9. The attacks near Afghanistan capital Kabul came on the eve of the death anniversary of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who led the resistance to the Taliban in the 1990s. Kabul: Insurgents have killed at least 20 Afghan security forces in separate attacks as many marked the 17th anniversary of the killing of a prominent anti-Taliban leader. The Taliban attacked a district headquarters west of Kabul late on Saturday, killing 10 police, including a district chief, and setting of a gunbattle that is still underway, said Hakmat Durani, spokesperson for the police chief of Maidan Wardak province. He said dozens of insurgents were killed in Afghan airstrikes, and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. In a separate attack late on Saturday, militants targeted a checkpoint in the western Herat province, killing nine security forces and wounding six others, said Gelani Farhad, the provincial governor's spokesman. He blamed the attack on the Taliban, saying around 10 insurgents were killed and five wounded during the ensuing gunbattle. No one claimed responsibility for either attack. The attacks came on the eve of the anniversary of the killing of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who led the resistance to the Taliban in the late 1990s and was killed by suicide bombers two days before the 11 September attacks. The US responded to the attacks by invading Afghanistan to topple the Taliban, who had harboured al-Qaeda. On Sunday, a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of mourners marking the anniversary, killing at least one person, according to Public Health Ministry spokesperson Wahid Majroh. Kabul police spokesperson Hashmat Stanikzai said another 10 people were hospitalised, some in critical condition. Earlier, another suicide attacker was shot dead by police in Kabul before he could detonate his payload, Stanikzai said. Afghan government officials commemorated Masoud's death on Sunday by laying flowers at his monument in Kabul. Supporters of Masoud, including young people who came of age long after his death, fired guns in the air in an expression of mourning. At least 13 people were wounded by the stray bullets, Majroh said. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday rejected concerns that China was burdening Pakistan with debt through its investments in the $50 billion CPEC. Islamabad: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday rejected concerns that China was burdening Pakistan with debt through its investments in the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as he reaffirmed China's all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with the country. Wang's remarks came as he met his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and discussed various issues of mutual interest, including the CPEC. Wang, who arrived in Pakistan on Friday on three-day visit, held one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Qureshi, according to Pakistan Foreign Office. He said that the CPEC helped create more than 70,000 jobs in Pakistan and contributed to the national growth. "The CPEC has not inflicted a debt burden on Pakistan, rather when these projects get completed and enter into operation, they will unleash huge economic benefits... and these will create considerable returns to the Pakistani economy," Wang said. He said Pakistan's 47 percent debt was due to loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Wang further said that the (CPEC), which is a flagship project of Chinese president Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), increased economic growth. Wang's remarks came after some analysts warned of the Chinese debt trap. "We have decided to strive for a greater balance in two-way trade. China will earmark amounts of subsidiaries to encourage imports from Pakistan and will send more tread coalition teams to Pakistan. We will also broaden the market access to Pakistan's competitive agricultural products," he said. Wang said that the two sides decided to complete negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of this year and China would help in developing a local manufacturing center in Pakistan. Qureshi said that Pakistan was committed to CPEC which is a "proof of how seamless the belt and road initiative can become with the help of all stakeholders." He said Wang extended an invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit an expo in China in November as a guest of honour. Chinese president Xi and Chinese premier Li Keqiang were also invited to visit Pakistan, he said. The foreign office said in a statement that following one-on-one meeting, the two leaders held an in-depth exchange of views on the entire gamut of bilateral relationship including economic cooperation, the CPEC, defence cooperation and cultural and educational cooperation. Wang, who is also the Chinese State Councilor, congratulated Qureshi on his appointment as the foreign minister. While reaffirming the "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership" between the two countries, Wang underlined that Pakistan will always be a priority for China in its foreign policy. "The state councilor reiterated that Pakistan was China's 'Iron brother' and the bilateral partnership served as an anchor for regional peace and stability. China will work with Pakistan to prioritise CPEC projects so as to benefit all regions of Pakistan," the foreign office said. Qureshi reciprocated the sentiments of the state councilor and reaffirmed the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. He underlined that regardless of political changes, the bilateral relationship will remain as strong as ever. "The foreign minister highlighted the significance of the CPEC for the socio-economic development of Pakistan and stressed that it will always remain a national priority for Pakistan," it said. During the meeting, the regional situation also came under discussion. In addition to meeting his Pakistani counterpart, Wang will also meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, outgoing president Mamnoon Hussain, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa. He is also likely to meet President-elect Arif Alvi. Trump has been harshly critical of Maduro's leftist regime, as Venezuela has spiraled downward into a grave economic and humanitarian crisis that has sparked violent protests and prompted a wave of emigration into nearby countries. Washington: Officials from President Donald Trump's administration met secretly with Venezuelan military officers to discuss plans to oust President Nicolas Maduro but eventually decided not to help, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Trump has been harshly critical of Maduro's leftist regime, as Venezuela has spiraled downward into a grave economic and humanitarian crisis that has sparked violent protests and prompted a wave of emigration into nearby countries. A National Security Council spokesman in remarks to AFP, said that: "US policy preference for a peaceful, orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged." "The United States government hears daily the concerns of Venezuelans from all walks of life... They share one goal: the rebuilding of democracy in their homeland," added spokesman Garrett Marquis. "A lasting solution to Venezuela's worsening crisis can only arise following restoration of governance by democratic practices, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms." The Times, citing unnamed American officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who took part in the secret talks, said the coup plans stalled. On Twitter, Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza denounced "US government intervention plans and support for military plotting against Venezuela." "Right there in US media, new and disgusting evidence is there to see," he said. After explosives-laden drones allegedly blew up near Maduro at an 4 August event in Caracas he blamed the US, Colombia and his domestic enemies the State Department condemned the "political violence" but also denounced what it said were the arbitrary detentions and forced confessions of suspects. US National Security Adviser John Bolton insisted there was "no US government involvement" in the incident. In August 2017, media reports said Trump asked top advisers about the potential for a US invasion of Venezuela. Around the same time, he said publicly that he would not rule out a "military option" to end the chaos there. The collapse of Venezuela's oil-based economy under the increasingly authoritarian Maduro has led to dire shortages of food and medicine. Maduro has angrily blamed the US for many of his problems. The idea that the Trump administration might have even considered backing a coup attempt seems sure to fuel such charges. Mari Carmen Aponte, who was a top US diplomat for Latin American affairs under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, told the Times that "this is going to land like a bomb" in the region. KCR is entitled to his point of view, but I have a foundational problem with the manner in which he expressed it. Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is a democratically elected leader. This week he has recommended the dissolution of the Telengana Assembly, and this has been accepted by the governor. In the press conference where he announced his decision to dissolve the Assembly, he made a frontal attack on Rahul Gandhi, calling him the biggest buffoon in the country. KCR is entitled to his point of view, but I have a foundational problem with the manner in which he expressed it. However competitive and acrimonious democratic politics may have become today, are leaders free to completely ignore the expected restraints of public articulation? Political leaders may have differences with others and in a democracy this is not only inevitable but perhaps desirable as well this does not entitle them to abuse each other? To oppose another party, or its leader, is one thing. But, to do so, by resorting to personalised attacks, in words that have no connect with linguistic restraint, is quite another. The word buffoon is clearly abusive, and does little credit to a democratically elected leader in the worlds largest democracy. How did Mr Rao expect the Congress Party or Mr Gandhi to respond? One local Congress spokesman rose to the bait and called KCR a bigger buffoon, who behaves like Hitler. In this kind of discourse, each could call the other the biggest idiot, or the biggest fool or a total joker. Soon the debate could descend to lower levels, and involve the use of expletives. This downward spiral of political discourse could well end in fisticuffs. The central point I am trying to raise is not about one party or one leader. My concern is about the worsening quality of discourse in India. Members of the political class are without doubt the most guilty of this crime, and, in this sense, KCR is not an exception. Just the other day, a senior member of the BJP and a Cabinet minister in the Central government to boot said that Mr Gandhi is a naali ka keeda, a gutter insect. Does such language add lustre to this gentlemans political profile, and does the fact that many spokespersons of the BJP seemed to defend what he said, add dignity to their party? There are other offenders too, and they come from all sides of the political spectrum. Citizens are mute spectators to this kind of discourse. Leaders want their vote, but do very little, through this kind of language, to win their respect. There was a time in our country when even the most bitter political hostility was conveyed with civility. This did not dilute or weaken the attack. On the contrary, the use of irony, sarcasm, understatement and wit, strengthened the attack. It was expected that however great the political differences, a certain maryada or decorum must prevail in public life. Moreover, political rivalry was about differences on policy and principle. They were rarely reduced to a personal attack on the person in the form of abuse. Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose had, even as part of the same party, major differences as regards strategy and tactics. But a perusal of their letters shows unmistakably that while they remained resolute about their views, they disagreed with civility, and never reduced the dialogue to vituperation. Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi disagreed with each other on many occasions. This too comes out clearly in the letters they wrote to each other. But, the discourse was always about issues, and never about undignified name calling. Perhaps Atal Behari Vajpayee is one of the best examples one can quote about how to maintain linguistic decorum even when provoked to the utmost. He responded to criticism with vigour, and with an eloquence that was unmatched. But his eloquence had class. It never degenerated to personal attack, invective or foul language. On the contrary, it was elevated by his ability to use satire and humour to decimate his opponents in a debate. It was for this reason that he was one of the finest parliamentarians India has ever seen. What has happened to the great civilisational legacy of India, which taught us to differ with dignity, to disagree without rancour and to attack without becoming personal? India may be a young nation, but it is one of the oldest civilisations. This civilisation was one of the first in the world to introduce the concept of shastrartha or civilised debate, where you could have a dialogue even with an ideological opponent with decorum. In fact, many of the greatest bhashyas or commentaries written in ancient India include, with respect, the point of view of the ideological opponent. The question that all Indian citizens need to ask today is why politics has degenerated to a point where personalised attacks in unparliamentary language have become par for the course? Either those who use such language believe that people at large approve of this. Frankly, I dont believe so. Or, they think that because they are in power they have the licence to say anything they want in any manner they like. This, I think, is more likely. But, the time has come for citizens themselves to tell such leaders that this form of undignified hubris is in very poor taste and will be punished. As we move towards the 2019 general elections, we are likely to see far more examples of linguistic diarrhoea. Tempers will rise, hate speeches will abound, personal attacks will proliferate and vitriol will be in full flow. The difference between truth and untruth will blur, so long as anything said accusation or defence gets the desired votes. But, somewhere, a silent prayer also needs to be made that sanity is not entirely shelved. For a leader to call another leader the biggest buffoon is bad enough. For an entire nation to be reduced to malicious buffoonery in the name of politics is unforgiveable. All of us and especially our political class need to remember that we are legatees of a refined and ancient civilisation, and not only the playthings of a handful of foul-mouthed politicians. The writer, an author and former diplomat, is a member of the JD(U). The views expressed are personal. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has no interest in a 'hard' Brexit but such a scenario cannot be ruled out, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Saturday. Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, yet little is clear. There is, so far, no full exit deal, rivals to Prime Minister Theresa May are circling and some lawmakers are pushing for a second referendum BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has no interest in a 'hard' Brexit but such a scenario cannot be ruled out, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Saturday. Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, yet little is clear. There is, so far, no full exit deal, rivals to Prime Minister Theresa May are circling and some lawmakers are pushing for a second referendum. "We have no interest in it coming to a hard Brexit," Maas told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview, using the term widely used to mean Britain distancing itself from the EU by leaving the single market and the customs union. "But that is not to be ruled out," he added. "We also don't want it to come to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland." British Prime Minister Theresa May recently outlined proposals on economic and trade policy in a white paper, but lawmakers in her Conservative Party who want a clean break from the EU have criticised the plan, saying it offered a Brexit in name only. If the world's fifth largest economy leaves without a detailed agreement - a 'no deal' scenario - financial markets fear a chaotic divorce that would disrupt trade flows across Europe. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said in evidence published on Friday that he was willing to consider new ways to solve the Irish border issue, the toughest of the remaining issues in Britain's exit negotiation. On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany was doing all it could to ensure the EU and Britain reach a divorce deal, but she warned success was not guaranteed. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Clelia Oziel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jemima Goldsmith, former wife of Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan, has launched a scathing attack on her ex-husband's government for withdrawing the nomination of noted economist Atif Mian. London: Jemima Goldsmith, the UK-based former wife of Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan, has launched a scathing attack on her ex-husband's government for withdrawing the nomination of noted economist Atif Mian from a newly-constituted economic panel "because of his minority faith". Goldsmith (44) who is prolific on social media, tweeted her disappointment at Khan's apparent bowing to far-right pressure to remove Mian over his Ahmadi faith. Ahmadis are designated non-Muslims in Pakistan's Constitution and their beliefs are considered blasphemous in most mainstream Islamic schools of thought. They are often targeted by the extremists and their places of worship vandalised. She said: Indefensible & v disappointing. New Pak gov asks renowned & respected Prof of economics to stand down because of his Ahmadi faith. NB: The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-I-Azam appointed an Ahmadi as his Foreign Minister. https://t.co/qBubETGwOg Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) September 7, 2018 Goldsmith, a leading columnist and campaigner in the UK, went on to re-tweet a second message in reference to this, which quoted Jinnah from 1947 when Pakistan was created as a result of Partition with India. "You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state," Jinnah's quote reads. Goldsmith, who has two sons with Imran, had been among the first to congratulate him on his victory in the general elections but had also sounded a note of caution in her Twitter message back in July. She said at the time: "22 years later, after humiliations, hurdles and sacrifices, my sons' father is Pakistan's next prime minister. "It's an incredible lesson in tenacity, belief and refusal to accept defeat. The challenge now is to remember why he entered politics in the first place. Congratulations." The sister of Conservative party MP Zac Goldsmith is known for her outspokenness. The attack on her ex-husband's methods comes in the wake of mounting criticism of the Imran-led government for giving in to extremist pressures by withdrawing the nomination of the leading economist because he belonged to a minority faith. The move triggered resignations from other members of the Economic Advisory Council, including London-based economist Dr Imran Rasul, who said he "profoundly disagree(s)" with the circumstances in which Mian was asked to resign from the council. "Basing decisions on religious affiliation goes against my principles, or the values I am trying to teach my children," he said. Earlier, Dr Asim Ijaz Khwaja, professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, had also announced his decision to resign from the advisory council in protest. The first meeting of the recently reconstituted 18-member council was presided over by Imran on Thursday. With the resignation of Rasul, all three international economists of Pakistani-origin on the council are no longer part of the advisory body. Succumbing to pressure from the hardliners, the Pakistan government on Friday withdrew the nomination of noted economist Mian from the newly-constituted Economic Advisory Council, according to media reports. Mian, an Massachusetts Institute of Technology-educated Pakistani-American economics professor at the prestigious Princeton University, was recently named member of the 18-member EAC to advise the government on economic policy. He is the only Pakistani to be considered among International Monetary Fund's list of 'Top 25 brightest young economists'. His appointment embroiled in a controversy after it was opposed by several individuals and groups, including the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), who objected to his Ahmadi faith. GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran executed three Iranian Kurdish men accused of belonging to a militant group and taking part in attacks against civilians and security forces in the Kurdish region of western Iran, the judiciary's news service reported on Saturday. The executions took place despite a call on Friday for them to be halted by two U.N. GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran executed three Iranian Kurdish men accused of belonging to a militant group and taking part in attacks against civilians and security forces in the Kurdish region of western Iran, the judiciary's news service reported on Saturday. The executions took place despite a call on Friday for them to be halted by two U.N. human rights special rapporteurs, Javaid Rehman and Agnes Callamard, who said in a statement that the men had not been given a fair trial. Amnesty International said the accused men had been denied access to their lawyers after being arrested and had said they were tortured into making confessions. "We are horrified by the news that the Iranian authorities have executed these men, despite widespread condemnation of their death sentences and calls from U.N. human rights experts and other bodies to halt their executions," Philip Luther, Amnesty International's research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement on Saturday. The judiciary's Mizan news service said Loqman Moradi and Zanyar Moradi were accused of carrying out an attack in the western town of Marivan in July 2009 that killed three people, including the son of a prominent cleric. Ramin Hossein Panahi was accused of participating in an assault targeting security forces in the town of Sanandaj in June 2017. Iran has one of the world's highest execution rates. According to Amnesty International, 51 percent of all recorded executions in 2017 were carried out in Iran. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Helen Popper) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Nepal Army will not participate in the first ever joint military exercise of BIMSTEC nations in India next week. Kathmandu: The Nepal Army will not participate in the first ever joint military exercise of BIMSTEC nations in India next week, an aide of Prime Minister KP Oli said on Saturday, amid reports that the political parties in the country have expressed concern over the drill. The proposal for the joint military drill was first forwarded by the Indian Army in June, followed by an initial meeting of BIMSTEC senior army officials in New Delhi. Kundan Aryal, press advisor to Oli, told PTI that Nepal will not to join the week-long joint military drill to be held in Pune from 10 September. "Nepal will not take part in the BIMSTEC joint military exercise. This is the official decision of the government," he said. Aryal, however, did not give any details but indicated that the concerned ministry may issue a formal statement soon. The government's decision came after strong criticism from different quarters, including influential leaders from the ruling Nepal Communist Party, The Kathmandu Post reported. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The military drill was dragged into controversy as no diplomatic or political level agreement was made before deciding to take part in the exercise. Experts are also objecting to the drill saying there is no advantage to Nepal. By Aref Mohammed and Raya Jalabi BASRA/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Basra airport was attacked with rockets on Saturday after another night of protests against Iraq's political elite, during which demonstrators set fire to the Iranian consulate and briefly took oilfield workers hostage. Iraq's second city has been rocked by five days of demonstrations, in which government buildings have been ransacked and set alight by protesters angry over political corruption. Protests first erupted in July over poor government services, but intensified this week By Aref Mohammed and Raya Jalabi BASRA/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Basra airport was attacked with rockets on Saturday after another night of protests against Iraq's political elite, during which demonstrators set fire to the Iranian consulate and briefly took oilfield workers hostage. Iraq's second city has been rocked by five days of demonstrations, in which government buildings have been ransacked and set alight by protesters angry over political corruption. Protests first erupted in July over poor government services, but intensified this week. Organisers of the demonstrations said they would pause on Saturday, but there was still a heavy presence of security forces in the city of more than 2 million people as a curfew resumed at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT), with streets emptying out. Security sources said three Katyusha rockets fired by unknown assailants had hit the perimeter of the airport, although no damage or casualties had been reported. The U.S. consulate is adjacent to the airport. An airport official said there had been no disruption to operations. The attack came shortly after the overnight curfew was lifted and hours after the reopening of Iraq's main seaport, Umm Qasr, which protesters had paralysed by blocking its entrance. On Friday, protesters broke into the Iranian consulate, shouting condemnation of what many see as Iran's sway over Iraq's affairs, and set it alight. Iran and Iraq both strongly condemned the move, raising fears of possible retribution. Another group of protesters entered a water treatment facility linked to the West Qurna 2 oilfield and held two workers hostage for about an hour before leaving peacefully. Production was not disrupted, a manager at the oilfield said. POLITICAL INFIGHTING Residents in Basra say they have been driven onto the streets by corruption and misrule that have allowed infrastructure to collapse, leaving no power or safe drinking water. The crisis comes at a time when politicians still have not agreed on a government after an inconclusive election in May. The new parliament met for the first time on Monday, but failed to elect a speaker, much less name a prime minister. Parliament convened an emergency session on Saturday to discuss the crisis in Basra and the current prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, warned that the situation could descend into armed conflict. "Politics should be separated from security and services," he said. Nevertheless, leaders of all the major blocs vying to form a ruling coalition criticised one another's roles in the crisis. Following the session, the two largest electoral blocs, the Conquest Coalition and Sairoun, called on Abadi to resign. Sairoun is led by Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist Shi'ite cleric whose electoral bloc came first in May's election, who has allied himself with Abadi. Their alliance is competing to form a new government against the Conquest Coalition, backed by Abadi's predecessor Nuri al-Maliki and the leader of an Iran-backed Shi'ite armed group, Hadi al-Amiri. Amiri first called for Abadi to resign on Friday. Three protesters died on Friday and 48 more were wounded, 26 of whom were shot, sources said, while two members of the security force were wounded. At least 13 protesters have died, some in clashes with security forces, since Monday. At a cabinet meeting, ministers agreed to send a delegation to Basra, and Abadi said he had ordered an investigation into the security forces "for not fulfilling their duties" in protecting government buildings and the Iranian consulate. The heads of Basra Operations Command and the Basra Police were both sacked on Saturday. (Reporting by Aref Mohammed in Basra and Raya Jalabi in Erbil; writing by Raya Jalabi; editing by Alexander Smith and Kevin Liffey) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded towns in Syria's opposition-held Idlib province on Saturday, a day after a summit of the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall a Russian-backed offensive. Idlib is Syria's last major stronghold of active opposition to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded towns in Syria's opposition-held Idlib province on Saturday, a day after a summit of the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall a Russian-backed offensive. Idlib is Syria's last major stronghold of active opposition to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. At least a dozen air strikes hit a string of villages and towns in southern Idlib and the town of Latamneh and Kafr Zeita in northern Hama where rebels are still in control, witnesses and rescuers said. Syrian helicopters dropped so-called barrel bombs -- containers filled with explosive material -- on homes on the outskirts of the city of Khan Sheikhoun in southern Idlib, two residents said. The Syrian army denies using barrel bombs. However, United Nations investigators have extensively documented their use by the army. The Western-sponsored Syrian Civil Defence rescue service known as the White Helmets said they pulled four bodies, including a child, from the rubble of a building bombed by Russian planes in the village of Abdeen, near Khan Sheikhoun. Russia says it avoids civilians and only targets radical al Qaeda inspired groups but opposition sources and residents say most of the casualties in the last few days were civilians. The opposition accuse Russia and its allies of striking at hospitals and civil defence centres to paralyse life and force rebels to surrender in a repeat of earlier, large-scale military offensives. Hundreds of civilians were killed in Russian-backed bombing campaigns on the former besieged rebel stronghold of Ghouta near the capital Damascus this year and a recent offensive in southern Syria displaced tens of thousands. A hospital in the town of Hass was put out of service after it was bombed, a rescue worker said. Idlib's two main rebel coalitions, the mainstream nationalist National Liberation Front, and a jihadist grouping known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, spearhead by a former al-Qaeda offshoot, say they were putting aside ideological differences to face a common threat. Rebels say the battle could be decisive and a defeat may bring the end of their over seven-year, armed rebellion against Assad. "There is coordination and cooperation with all the fighting factions to defend our people," Emad al Din Mojahed, spokesman for Hayat Tahrir al Sham, told Reuters. SUMMIT FAILS TO BRING TRUCE Friday's summit had focused on a looming military operation in Idlib. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pushed for a ceasefire during the summit but Russian President Vladimir Putin said a truce would be pointless as it would not involve Islamist militant groups Assad and his allies deem as terrorists. Tehran and Moscow have helped Assad turn the course of the war against an array of opponents ranging from Western-backed rebels to Islamist militants, while Turkey is a leading opposition supporter and has troops in the country. The United Nations fears a full-scale offensive could cause a humanitarian catastrophe involving tens of thousands of civilians. The White House said this week that U.S. President Donald Trump had warned that such attacks would be a reckless escalation of an already tragic conflict and risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of people." A U.S. State Department official said Washington was aware of reports of Russian and Syrian air strikes in Idlib in spite of warnings from the United States, the UN and others, and was closely monitoring the situation. Russia claims that it is targeting terrorists, but observers reported that only civilian casualties resulted from the strikes, the official said. This demonstrates that only a precise counterterrorism campaign can be effective. Indiscriminate regime and Russian military offensives will only continue to lead to humanitarian catastrophe, the U.S. official added. The State Department official said the United States was continuing to engage the Russian government and military at senior levels to make clear that such escalation must be avoided. The White House has warned that the United States and its allies would respond "swiftly and vigorously" if government forces used chemical weapons in the widely expected offensive. Tens of thousands of Syrians living in rebel-held towns in Idlib took to the streets on Friday to protest the impending campaign vowing they would never accept Assad's rule and would resist any offensive to retake opposition areas. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington and Dalia Nehme in Beirut; editing by Catherine Evans and Jason Neely) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Nelson Renteria and Gustavo Palencia SAN SALVADOR/TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States suspended a meeting with Central American officials that was to take place this week, the government of El Salvador said, as the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump test relations in the region By Nelson Renteria and Gustavo Palencia SAN SALVADOR/TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States suspended a meeting with Central American officials that was to take place this week, the government of El Salvador said, as the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump test relations in the region. In a statement issued late Saturday, the El Salvadoran government said it regretted that U.S. officials had called off the meeting scheduled in Washington among members of the Alliance for Prosperity, a U.S.-led group that seeks to boost economic growth in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. El Salvadoran officials said they were notified of the meeting's cancellation on Friday and would be willing to meet in the future. "El Salvador is ready to participate and waiting for this conference to be rescheduled," officials said in the statement. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jose Isaias Barahona, Honduras' deputy foreign minister, said the meeting was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. "Surely when schedules line up, El Salvador, along with Honduras and Guatemala, will attend the meetings of the Alliance for Prosperity," he said in an interview. Marta Larra, a spokeswoman for the Guatemalan foreign ministry, said she had been informed that the meeting had been postponed because the dates did not work well for the Central American countries. Citing U.S. officials, the Washington Post reported on Saturday that the meeting was cancelled after representatives from El Salvador and Guatemala said they would not send envoys. But El Salvador said it was planning to attend and did not know why the meeting had been halted. "We reiterate our willingness to strengthen the Alliance for Prosperity," the government said. Launched in 2014, the Alliance for Prosperity was a U.S. bid to curb migration from the "Northern Triangle" of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras by strengthening economic growth and funding security programs. But U.S. and Central American officials have clashed in recent months. Many Central American families were affected by the U.S. government's policy earlier this year of separating migrant children and parents at the border, and governments in the region have demanded information from the United States as they seek to reunite families. On Friday, the United States said it had recalled its top diplomats in El Salvador, along with the Dominican Republic and Panama, over those countries' decisions to no longer recognize Taiwan. (Reporting by Nelson Renteria in San Salvador and Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; Additional reporting by Jorge Pineda in Santo Domingo, Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City and Mary Milliken in Washington; Writing by Julia Love; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Two things that exchange-traded funds offer investors is diversification and value. Many ETFs offer their services at rock-bottom prices, and recently, Charles Schwab has fought back against fund rival Vanguard by slicing its expenses on its proprietary ETFs to the bone. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity (NYSEMKT:SCHD) is just one example of how Schwab is undercutting Vanguard where it hurts, with cheaper expense ratios than the index pioneer's Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEMKT:VYM). What investors want to know, though, is which one delivers the better performance, both in terms of total return and in the dividend income that they want to see. The following look shows how dividend ETFs have behaved during the recent market correction and whether the Schwab or Vanguard offering would be a smarter pick right now. Valuation and stock performance Over the past year, Vanguard High Dividend Yield has shown a predilection for being slightly less volatile than Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity. When you look at the past 12 months, the Schwab ETF has a slight performance lead, with a total return of 14% edging out Vanguard's 13% gains. Yet as volatility in the market has ramped up, Vanguard's fund has held up better, posting a 1% gain year to date versus a slight loss for its Schwab counterpart. ETFs don't have valuation-based metrics per se, but you can look at the stock holdings within each fund to see how they compare. Dividend stocks have generally been fairly expensive lately, although the stocks that these two ETFs hold aren't quite at as lofty a valuation as some of their counterparts. Vanguard's stocks have a price-to-earnings ratio of just over 18. Schwab's ETF holds stocks that trade at closer to 16 times trailing earnings. Dividends Dividend ETFs pay out the dividends from the dividend stocks they hold on a quarterly basis. Both the Vanguard and Schwab dividend ETFs do a good job of delivering above-market dividend income to their shareholders. Based on figures used by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Vanguard ETF has a current dividend yield of 3.06%, while Schwab is only minimally lower at an even 3%. For those who prefer to see dividend growth, the Schwab offering has been more aggressive in boosting its payouts over time. In 2013, the ETF paid out just over $0.90 per share, but over the past 12 months, that's grown to more than $1.28 per share, for a gain of more than 40%. The Vanguard ETF has paid roughly $2.45 per share since mid-2017, up about 40% from the $1.75 per share it paid in 2013. The two ETFs are very similar in the way they've rewarded their investors over the past several years. How these funds pick their stocks It's pretty obvious that any dividend ETF will invest in dividend-paying stocks in order to match up to investor expectations. Yet even with that as a given, there can be big disparities between any two ETFs that focus on dividends. For instance, consider the following differences between the Vanguard and Schwab funds: Schwab's ETF holds only about 100 stocks, compared to roughly 400 for Vanguard. Schwab's portfolio is a lot more heavily weighted to tech and consumer stocks, while Vanguard has a somewhat more diversified set of weightings across multiple sectors that also include financials, healthcare, and industrials. Schwab's methodology requires the fund to weigh both dividend yields and track records of consistent dividend payments, while Vanguard focuses almost exclusively on above-average dividend yields. Yet the two funds do have some big similarities. Schwab's expense ratio of 0.07% is just a hair less than the 0.08% that Vanguard charges. They've also been equally efficient from a tax perspective, using the advantages of the exchange-traded fund framework to avoid having to make the capital gains distributions that most regular mutual funds have to pay. You can't go wrong It's pretty much impossible to pick a winner between these two strong dividend ETFs. Both of them are inexpensive and offer good exposure to dividend stocks. With commission-free trading available to those with brokerage accounts with their respective companies, the answer to which one of these is a better buy might well depend on whether you already have a relationship with Vanguard or Schwab -- or which one you're likely to prefer for all of your financial needs. Though retired and serving bureaucrats and Army officers have joined political parties in the past, this trend is catching up fast now. Shashi Tharoor, the high-profile Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has a penchant for courting controversy. Recently, he was in the eye of a storm when he travelled to Europe last month while his home state Kerala was battling unprecedented floods. Under attack for being missing at such a critical time, Mr Tharoor maintained he had gone to Geneva to lobby for funds for flood-hit Kerala when he had actually gone there to condole with the family of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who passed away recently. Mr Tharoor later joined Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Germany. Despite the flak he received, Mr Tharoor is expected to travel abroad again this time to England. But he has taken care to insulate himself against any further criticism as he is scheduled to attend a fundraising event for those affected by floods in Kerala at an upmarket restaurant in Londons Tony Mayfair on September 12. The poster advertising the programme says the evening will begin with a speech by Mr Tharoor and will be followed by drinks and a delicious Kerala meal. The charges: 150 for a ticket. Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Nainital, has been unhappy with the party leadership after he was denied the chief ministers post in his home state Uttarakhand over a year ago. Though he has been keeping a low profile since then, Mr Koshyari has now publicly declared that he is not interested in contesting the next Lok Sabha election, thus sending out a clear message to the BJP bosses that he cannot be taken for granted. Realising that Mr Koshyaris decision could create fissures in the partys state unit, BJP president Amit Shah has tried to mollify the senior leader but to little avail. Mr Shah also enlisted the help of shipping and transport minister Nitin Gadkari in this task. The Union minister is learnt to have called on Mr Koshyari twice and conveyed the partys offer of a governors post to him. Mr Koshyari, however, remained unmoved. In fact, the angry MP is said to have told Mr Gadkari that the party is wasting its time and that the BJP chief emissaries would be shown the door if any further attempt is made to placate him. Though retired and serving bureaucrats and Army officers have joined political parties in the past, this trend is catching up fast now. Recently two retired officers joined the Congress in Chhattisgarh, while the young collector of Raipur put in his papers to enrol with the BJP. The Congress leaders have been surprised by the unusually large number of civil servants who are approaching them for tickets for the year-end Assembly election in Rajasthan. It is said that this list includes officials at different levels and cuts across caste lines. All the applicants profess to endorse the party philosophy and maintain they have been promoting the Congress both directly and indirectly. While this is good news for the Congress as it shows that the party is on a strong wicket in the desert state, the rush of these applications has created a fresh problem for the state leadership. Though the list of candidates is far from finalised, party workers have make it clear to the Congress leaders it would be most unfair if their rightful claims are overlooked in favour of what they describe as lateral entrants. The ticket-seeking bureaucrats, they maintain, have been enjoying the fruits of power, while they have been toiling in the field for the party. Clearly, the Congress has a tough choice at hand. Many Delhiites were taken aback when they were recently contacted on the phone and asked about the political party they would pick in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The callers maintained they were ringing on behalf of a well-known Hindi news channel, which was conducting a survey on the poll prospects of various political parties. When people did not divulge their preferences on the ground that their vote was a secret, the caller persisted and wanted to know if they were uncomfortable about this question and did it mean they did not wish to vote for Narendra Modi. Now that elections are around the corner, it is only to be expected that both political parties and media houses will be commissioning such surveys but it is unusual to seek feedback in this fashion. However, the line of questioning in this instance points a needle of suspicion to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as it has an organised set up to track public opinion about the party and the Prime Minister. There are reports that the BJP has converted its old party headquarters on Ashoka Road into a war room for next years general election. It is said to be staffed by 200-odd young persons who have been entrusted with the responsibility of analysing poll data, uploading material about the BJPs achievements on various digital platforms and tracking the Twitter handles of journalists and writers to identify those who are pro or anti-BJP. America loves its military. The vitriol heaped on returning Vietnam veterans in the 1960s and 1970s -- most of whom had no choice in the matter of their deployment -- caused such a public backlash that most Americans swung hard from anger to hero worship, and our default reaction to military service has been hero worship ever since. And why shouldn't it be? After all, no other profession explicitly asks its workforce to make the ultimate sacrifice. However, just because military servicemen or servicewomen might someday be asked to die in service to their country doesn't mean that they will. In fact, modern military service isn't even America's deadliest job! There are certainly a number of serious factors to consider before joining the military, including the commitment to sign away at least four years of your life and the stress of essentially being on call 25 hours a day (that's not a typo) for your entire enlistment, but if the threat of death is your primary concern, you may want to dig into the realities of U.S. military casualties before making up your mind. Can you keep the peace and keep your life? Make no mistake -- people can and do die during military service. The Defense Manpower Data Center, one of the Department of Defense's analytical groups, has recorded 48,834 military personnel deaths from 1980 to 2010, which works out to 1,575 deaths per year. However, the American military is a huge organization, which has never slipped below 1.35 million active-duty servicemembers in any given year across all branches. There were 1.7 million active servicemembers on average per year from 1980 to 2010, and when you add in the full-time equivalent service hours of reserve forces, the United States has fielded nearly 1.9 million full-time equivalent servicemembers each year for the past three decades. Because enlistment figures fluctuate from year to year, assessing military casualties based on the rate of death per 100,000 serving each year gives us a more consistent picture of the dangers faced by our servicemembers. Over these three decades of tracking, 82 servicemembers per 100,000 have died each year to all possible causes, and the leading cause of death is probably not the one you'd most suspect: Accidents are by far the most consistent danger to military personnel, surpassing all other causes of death in every year tracked except the five (2004 through 2007 and 2010) most identified with major actions in Iraq. In fact, before 2002, the U.S. military endured only two years (1987, when an Iraqi jet attacked the U.S.S. Stark, and 1991, during Operation Desert Storm) of combat-related casualties in excess of one servicemember per 100,000. Accident-related deaths, on the other hand, while in decline since 1980 (reaching a three-decade low of 25.2 per 100,000 servicemembers in 2010), still account for the lion's share of all military deaths, and have been responsible for an average of 40.8 deaths per 100,000 servicemembers per year since 1980. Had the United States not mired itself in first "liberating" and then policing of Iraq, the average number of combat fatalities would be far lower, as U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan didn't surpass deaths in Iraq until 2009. Even though American troops withdrew from Iraq at the end of 2011, total U.S. military deaths in that country are still roughly twice as high as U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan. Despite this uptick in combat deaths, illness (which claimed 14.3 servicemembers per 100,000 per year) and suicide (which claimed 11.8 servicemembers per 100,000 per year) were still greater scourges of the military than battle, which has been responsible for an average of 9.3 deaths per 100,000 servicemembers per year from 1980 through 2010. However, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq did push the number of combat-related deaths up significantly, to a rate of 27.7 servicemembers per 100,000 per year from 2001 through 2010. This higher fatality rate pushed the overall military death rate up to 93.4 servicemembers per 100,000 per year from 2001 through 2010. But serving in the military isn't even the most dangerous job in America, even if we focus only on the period after the opening of these two combat theaters. Would you like to know what's more dangerous than military service? Logging: 127.8 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2012 You're a lumberjack, but you might not be OK, because you work in the most dangerous occupation in America, with 45 more deaths per 100,000 workers than the armed forces. In the three decades we've examined, the military never suffered more deaths per 100,000 personnel than the logging industry suffered in 2012. The military's worst year was 2007, when combat deaths hit modern highs of 52.7 per 100,000 servicemembers and total military deaths reached 121.4 per 100,000 servicemembers. Fishing: 117.0 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2012 The high death rate of fishermen (or fisherfolk, if you prefer something gender-neutral) might not be so much of a surprise, as this is a profession that has a reality show -- Deadliest Catch -- that tells you it's dangerous right in the title! The military's annual death rate only surpassed that of the fishing industry in 2007, and its three-decade average death rate is nearly 35 personnel per 100,000 lower than it is for fishing. If you're looking for job security and personal safety, you'd actually be better off joining the military than working as a lumberjack or in the fishing industry. Military service will -- unless you do something horrendously improper -- guarantee at least four years of pay, which should generally be at least $20,000 per year (pay grade E-3, which is a private first class in the Army or a seaman in the Navy, pays $21,700 per year), much of which will be take-home because of general military policy of providing room and board to servicemembers. Loggers, on the other hand, make a median salary of only $33,600 per year, nearly identical to the $33,400 median salary in the fishing industry. The logging industry is expected to see a 9% decline in its employment numbers by 2022, and the fishing industry is expected to lose 5% of its workforce during the same time frame. Nearly any military servicemember with career ambitions is likely to earn more than the median logging or fishing salary after several years, and some may even start off earning more -- the lowest pay grade for the officer corps (a second lieutenant in the Army or an ensign in the navy) equates to an annual salary of $34,900. Combat isn't that common If you're still concerned about the risk of death in combat, keep in mind that the military won't have its boots on the ground in hostile countries all the time -- at least not as long as voters have a say in the matter and choose to elect less hawkish politicians. Even so, there were still several other jobs more likely to kill you than combat in the military during this period of global police action: The military certainly isn't the safest place to earn a living, but it's hardly the death trap many concerned parents and nervous would-be enlistees might think. In fact, analysis performed by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center found that death rates were significantly lower in the Navy (60.9 deaths per 100,000 servicemembers per year) and in the Air Force (47.4 deaths per 100,000 servicemembers per year) from 1990 through 2011 than for the military as a whole -- Marines, at 103.8 deaths per 100,000 servicemembers per year, are taxed harder than any other military branch, but even this heightened death rate doesn't surpass that suffered by logging or fishing workers. No one should join the military expecting it to be a cushy cakewalk, but at the same time, it's worth keeping in mind that there are deadlier jobs with less job security than military service. There are plenty of other considerations as well. Military life can still be very dangerous, even if it's not deadly, and these casualty figures don't account for grievous but survivable wounds that can have lifelong impacts on a servicemember's life. However, barring another major conflict -- and since it took about 30 years for Americans to get over Vietnam before committing to another long-term fight in Iraq, it seems unlikely that the military will be plunged into a new quagmire any time soon -- we should probably expect military casualty rates to keep falling in the coming years. Events have been moving in this direction for nearly a decade. In Britain, buggery between consenting adults became legal in 1967. Let me hasten to assure that I use the crude term buggery not to mock the LGBT community. This is the physical act, defined by its antiseptic moniker voluntary carnal intercourse against the order of nature, which was excised from Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, that dates back to 1860, by a five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court last week (Navtej Singh Johar case). The court tagged the right to choose gender and sexual preferences to the expansive fundamental rights vested in our Constitution, which encourage every individual to express themselves, form like-minded communities and live enriched, free lives, albeit within reasonable restrictions. Events have been moving in this direction for nearly a decade. In 2009, the Election Commission of India, under Navin Chawla, encouraged voters to voluntarily register their gender as other rather than male or female, if it described them better. This revolutionary move was balm for the transgender community, traditionally called hijra, which were outlawed in the colonial period and exists today as societys underbelly. It is easy to exclude a community legally but much tougher to excise it from social memory. Rare is the Indian parent who would risk not getting newborn children or newly-married couples blessed by hijras. On July 2, 2009, the Delhi high court made history by allowing the petition of Naz Foundation. It held that Section 377 of the IPC was unconstitutional. The 2011 census followed and recorded 0.5 million transgender people on a self-declaration basis. The next milestone was the April 2013 judgment by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court (National Legal Services Authority case) which recognised transgenders as a minority identity. It was the first step towards fuller state inclusion for benefits and protection. Unfortunately, the bill for enabling such rights has been under consideration since 2014 in Parliament. Meanwhile, strongly influenced by the international narrative to actively protect individual privacy against the State or private predators, a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court on August 24, 2017 (Puttaswamy case) ruled that individual privacy was a part of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights. Using privacy as an entry point, the court also ruled that the law must not be normative on what consenting adults could do in private. Given this progressive trend, the decriminalisation of Section 377 was a logical conclusion. But the lay person could well ask why adopt a tortuous, scattered process for what should be a comprehensive decision First, gender diversity is a reality. Second, sexuality is a mutual choice not limited by laws or morality. The answer is yes, these issues should be debated comprehensively and legislated on by Parliament. The judiciary has no original legislative power. It makes or unmakes law only as a default option on a petition for judicial review of whether or not a law is aligned with the basic framework of our Constitution (Keshwanand Bharati case 1973). To be fair to Parliament, it reflects what citizens feel, think and expect. The tyranny of democracy is that it binds us to where we exist today, not where we might want to be a half century hence. History has also not helped. Rule by the Mughals, followed by the British Raj, had stymied organic social development. Alternative sexuality was hardly an issue in Ancient India. As evidence, one needs go no further than Section 282 of the Indian Penal Code, which defines obscenity as anything lascivious, appealing to prurient interest or which may corrupt or deprave persons and prescribes punishments for such acts or objects. The exception to this section is revealing. Ancient monuments, their sculptures and art are exempted from prosecution under obscenity laws as are any sculptures or art meant for religious purposes. Our ancient culture and religion pre-dates the puritanical social norms of the eighth century AD in Arabia and eighteenth century AD in Europe, which were internationalised through conquest. We are stuck in a past which is not our own. A past abandoned, in Europe, from where we partially assimilated our prudish present. A survey by daliaresearch.com shows that six per cent Europeans identify themselves as being Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT). If the same were true for India, we would have 70 million LGBT people. Those between 25 to 35 years are four times as likely to claim an alternative gender as compared to those above 60 years. Gender and sexual diversity is the future. But State support is crucial. In the UK, same-sex marriage is legal. But 20 per cent of LGBT have battled hate speech or worse from social conservatives. Changing the pattern of acceptable social behaviour is a long, hard struggle. Lofty judicial pronouncements change behaviour only when embedded, by law, into the lives of real people who study, marry, have or adopt children, work productively and raise families securely. This is a long haul given the current parliamentary passivity on this subject. It is endearing that 20 geeks from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, an institution of eminence, are at the frontier of change. They challenged the regressive Supreme Courts two-judge decision of December 11, 2013 (Suresh Kumar Koushal case), which had overturned the Delhi high court decision ruling that Section 377 was unconstitutional on the narrow ground that unproven harm to a small minority was not significant enough to warrant judicial intervention to curtail the legislative privilege of Parliament. The decision in the Navtej Singh Johar case last week illustrates three important trends. First, institutional collapse is not imminent in the higher judiciary. Second, the court, by coming out strongly against majoritarianism, has stirred up the political pot. Third, it illustrates a failure of governance. Why cannot the government simply change the provision for survivor pensions for a spouse to partner as a one-time choice to be made by the pensioner? Similar changes in the definition of family for health insurance or social benefits can embed sexual and gender diversity deeply. Aadhaar was driven by executive zeal, and so can social reform. The future of all Indians is at stake. It is only a physiological variation that occurs in a very small percentage of the population, says Arvind Datar. On September 6, the Supreme Court partially struck down IPC Section 377, which criminalises gay sex and homosexuality between two consenting adults. Senior advocate Arvind P. Datar, who was one of the lawyers who fought for the gay community, speaks with J. Venkatesan on the landmark verdict. Excerpts: The Supreme Court has given a historic verdict in the LGBTQ issue. As a senior advocate you have spearheaded the fight for justice to the gay community. What is your take on the judgment, which has partly declared IPC Section 377 unconstitutional? The writ petitions were filed to challenge only one part of Section 377, the portion that made even same-sex relationship among consenting adults a crime. The challenge was to the basis of Section 377, which was embodied in the phrase carnal intercourse against the order of nature. This was a law drafted in 1860 and medical evidence has now clearly established that a same-sex relationship is not against the order of nature. It is only a physiological variation that occurs in a very small percentage of the population. The referral order also indicated that the Constitution Bench would deal with this limited issue and, to that extent, the petitioners have succeeded. On December 11, 2013, a two-judge Supreme Court bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhaya upheld Section 377 holding that it does not suffer from the vice of unconstitutionality. The court had then left it to Parliament to consider the desirability and propriety of deleting Section 377 from the statute book or amend the same. How did this sudden turn around happened? The 2013 decision of a two-judge bench reversed the landmark ruling of the Delhi high court in 2009. The high court judgment had elaborately examined the entire history of the legislation and also noted the legislative progress in several counties. The earlier criminalisation of same-sex relationships was based on certain religious beliefs and a lack of understanding of why such relationships occur. The high court judgment was extremely well written. Unfortunately, the two-judge bench did not consider the reasoning of the high court but reversed the judgment on untenable grounds, particularly pointing out that the issue of decriminalisation should be left to Parliament. This was an incorrect approach as the statute, which becomes void with the passage of time, can be struck down by the Supreme Court or high courts. The Supreme Court has repeatedly pointed out that the Constitution is a living document and has to keep pace with the changing needs of each generation or the felt necessities of time. The Supreme Court did not bother to consider that a law made in 1860, based on no evidence but on prejudice and religious beliefs could not be sustained in a civilised democracy in the 21st century. The 2013 Supreme Court decision put the clock back to 1860. Looking back, Section 377 should have been automatically rendered void by the recognition of the right to privacy, since sexuality is a private issue. What prompted you and others to file petitions for declaring this section unconstitutional? Do you think the court ought to have struck down the entire section without exception? A statute cannot be automatically rendered void; it has to be expressly declared as unconstitutional by a competent court. The original petition was by Naz Foundation, an NGO. To avoid any objection on issues of locus-standi, the petitioners, who actually belong to the gay community, filed writ petitions under Article 32 because their individual fundamental rights were at stake. Each of them woke up every morning as a potential criminal, who could be arrested and sent to jail. That is why individual writ petitions were filed by the people who were actually affected by Section 377 continuing to be on the statute book. It was not possible for the court to strike down the entire section, as the other parts of Section 377, dealing with children and animals, will continue to be valid. This was also made clear in the referral order. It will raise a host of questions relating to parenting and adoption, housing, military service, employment and inheritance. Following decriminalisation, denial or restriction in such matters would invite legal action, since the right to equal access would be violated. Though the Supreme Court has declined to examine these while dealing with the present set of petitions, the judiciary will eventually have to ponder over them, even if Parliament legislates in the matter. The issues relating to marriage and adoption are complex and will require extensive legislative amendments to the laws dealing with those subjects. For example, the Hindu Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act both proceed on the basis that a marriage is between persons of the opposite sex. Various sections of these laws will have to be changed if rights of marriage and adoption are to be given to members of the gay community. On the second day of hearings, additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta filed an affidavit declaring that the government would leave the validity of the law entirely in the hands of the court. Do you think that this stand of the Centre has helped the Supreme Court in deciding the issue? The stand taken by the Central government was laudable. It did not oppose the petitions for the sake of opposition. Perhaps, it realised that same-sex relationships have been decriminalised not only in Western democracies but even in Israel, Trinidad, Fiji and so on. It would have been very difficult for the Central government to justify the continuance of an archaic portion of Section 377 in the worlds largest democracy and which rightly prides itself on being governed by the rule of law. Any other aspect of the judgment you would like to express? What impact this verdict will have on society as a whole? The result of the judgment is that same-sex relationships will no longer be a crime and all persons of the LGBT community can live a life of dignity and free of fear or harassment. Further, such relationships cannot be a ground to disqualify a person either at the time of recruitment or at the time of promotion. Similarly, any other benefits that are given to citizens cannot be denied only on this ground. At the same time, the validation of these relationships will not mean that the right to marry automatically follows. Such further rights will have to await either amendment in the existing law or fresh legislation. The 19-seater commercial Baby air plane had been travelling from South Sudan capital, Juba. The three survivors are a 6-year-old child, an adult man and an Italian doctor with an aid organization who was in surgery and in serious condition. (Representational Image) Juba: A overloaded commercial plane crashed into a lake in South Sudan on Sunday and killed 21 people, a local official said. The 19-seater commercial Baby air plane had been travelling from the capital, Juba, the minister of information for the town of Yirol, Taban Abel Aguek, told The Associated Press. Officials were investigating the cause of the crash. The three survivors are a 6-year-old child, an adult man and an Italian doctor with an aid organization who was in surgery and in serious condition, Aguek said. "There were people everywhere," the minister said of the crash site. Yirol is in the central part of the civil war-torn East African country. Eat your veges: See the latest marketing push THE Tryfor5 is an annual campaign powered by Nutrition Australia encouraging Australians to increase their vegetable consumption to the recommended five serves per day, launching during National Nutrition Week, 14 20 October. Nutrition Week raises awareness around the role of food on our health, and supports the community to enjoy healthy eating. This years Tryfor5 theme is Small Change, Big Gains where Nutrition Australia will transform some of Australias favourite recipes by adding more veg, to make them even more healthy and delicious. A brand-new competition will also be announced, plus tasty tips to enjoy more veg every day, so stay tuned for more info! Nutrition Australias principal partner in Tryfor5 is Bayer Australia. Bayers primary areas of business include human and veterinary pharmaceuticals; consumer healthcare products; agricultural chemicals and biotechnology products; and high value polymers. Nutrition Australia and Bayer vary in their claims but each says only somewhere between 5 and 10 per cent of Australians eat the correct amount of vegetables. Leading up to National Nutrition Week, Bayer and Nutrition Australia brought four experts together at the recent AusVeg HortConnections18 conference in Brisbane to discuss the critical challenge of boosting vegetable consumption. Also in Australian Food News Smartphones to go on sale in India this week: Redmi 6 Pro, Poco F1, JioPhone2, Vivo V11 Pro and more Features oi-Harish Kumar Smartphones and other gadgets sale have been consistently reaching new heights. Like, earlier weeks, in this week also you have good collection of phones to be considered worth. The purchasing of them is another important think to consider. Some users still prefer going for these phones from outlets. Thus, they end up buying these smartphones at a fixed price with no good deals. While, there are now more number of users who prefer to avail the handsets from couple of renowned E-commerce sites, with Amazon, India and Flipkart- the prime ones. Those who still prefer going with the outlets, can visit these shopping platforms. As, both are coming with several attractive offers. Amazon, India has lot of things to cater. These include- better EMI price rate depending on the type of a handset, no cost EMI option, much better Exchange offers, 100% Purchase Protection Plan, better discount with Axis Bank cards, and 5% instant discount on HDFC Bank Debit EMI,. On the other hand, Flipkart too moves equally in the race with many valuable bids. It also offers very nice Exchange offers on some devices with good EMI rate, no cost EMI option, good discount with Axis Bank Buzz Credit Card, better discount with HDFC Bank Debit and Credit cards, and Complete Mobile Protection Plan. Other benefits include: Exchange offers with minimum Rs. 500 off, Free Case Cover and Screen Protector, additional data from Jio and many more. We bring before you a list of few smartphones, which you can consider before purchasing them. Redmi 6 Pro Redmi 6 Pro sale on Amazon Key Specs 5.84-Inch FHD+ 18:9 Display 2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 Processor 3GB/4GB RAM With 32GB/64GB ROM Hybrid Dual SIM 12MP + 5MP Dual Rear Camera With LED Flash 5MP Front Camera 4G Bluetooth 4.2 Fingerprint Sensor Infrared Sensor 4000mAh Battery Poco F1 Poco F1 sale on Flipkart Key Specs 6.18-inch (2246 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18.7:9 2.5D curved glass display Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU 6GB/8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 64GB / 128GB/256GB (UFS 2.1) storag expandable memory with up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI 9, upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie) Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 12MP rear camera and secondary 5MP camera 20MP front-facing camera Dual 4G+ VoLTE 4000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging JioPhone 2 JioPhone 2 sale on Jio.com Key Specs 2.4-inch (320 x 240 pixels) QVGA display QWERTY hardware keyboard and 4-way nav bar 512 MB RAM 4GB internal storage expandable memory with microSD KAI OS Dual SIM 2MP rear camera 0.3MP (VGA) front camera 4G VoLTE 2000mAh battery Nokia 6.1 Plus Nokia 6.1 Plus sale on Flipkart Key Specs 5.8-inch (2280 1080 pixels) Full HD+ display with 19:9 aspect ratio with 96% NTSC Color Gamut, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU 4GB LPPDDR4x RAM 64GB (eMMC 5.1) internal storage expandable memory up to 400GB with microSD Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android P 16MP (RGB) rear camera and 5MP secondary rear camera 16MP front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor Dual 4G VoLTE 3060mAh (typical) / 3000mAh (minimum) battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Vivo V11 Pro Vivo V11 Pro sale on Amazon Key Specs 6.41-inch (1080 x 2340 pixels) Full HD+ Super AMOLED 19.5:9 aspect ratio display Octa-Core Snapdragon 660 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 512 GPU (V11) / Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 12nm processor (Quad 2GHz Cortex A73 + Quad 2GHz Cortex A53 CPUs) with 800MHz ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU (V11i) 4GB (V11i) / 6GB RAM (V11) 128GB storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Dual SIM Funtouch OS 4.5 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) 12MP Dual PD rear camera and secondary 5MP camera with f/2.4 aperture 25MP front-facing camera, f/2.0 aperture Dual 4G VoLTE 3,400mAh battery with fast charging Redmi 6A Redmi 6A sale on Amazon Key Specs 5.45-inch (1440 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display, 1000:1 Contrast ratio 2GHz Quad-Core MediaTek Helio A22 12nm processor with IMG PowerVR GE-class GPU 2GB RAM 16GB / 32GB internal storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI 9, upgradable to MIUI 10 Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD) 13MP rear camera with LED Flash 5MP front-facing camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3000mAh (typical) / 2900mAh (minimum) battery Redmi 6 Redmi 6 sale on Flipkart Key Specs 5.45-inch (1440 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 2GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P22 (MT6762) 12nm processor with 650MHz IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU 3GB RAM with 32GB / 64GB storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI 9, upgradable to MIUI 10 Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD) 12MP rear camera and secondary 5MP camera 5MP front-facing camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3000mAh (typical) / 2900mAh (minimum) battery Realme 2 Realme 2 sale on Flipkart Key Specs 6.2 Inch HD+ IPS Touch Screen Display 1.8GHz Octa Core Snapdragon 450 Processor 3GB RAM With 32GB ROM Dual SIM 13MP + 2MP Dual Camera With LED Flash 8MP Selfie Camera Face Unlock Dual 4G VoLTE/WiFi Bluetooth 4.2 4230 MAh Battery Honor Play Honor Play sale on Amazon Key Specs 6.3-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ LCD 19:5:9 2.5D curved glass display, 85% NTSC color gamut Octa-Core Huawei Kirin 970 with 10nm processor with Mali-G72 MP12 GPU, i7 co-processor, NPU, GPU Turbo 4GB / 6GB LPDDR4X RAM with 64GB (UFS 2.1) internal storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.2 Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 16MP rear camera and secondary 2MP rear camera 16MP front-facing camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3750mAh (typical) battery with fast charging Honor Nova 3i Honor Nova 3i sale on Amazon Key Specs 6.3-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:5:9 2.5D curved glass display, 85% NTSC Color Gamut Octa-Core Kirin 710 12nm with ARM Mali-G51 MP4 GPU 4GB RAM 128GB internal storage expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.2 Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 16MP rear camera and secondary 2MP rear camera 24MP front-facing camera and secondary 2MP camera Dual 4G VoLTE 3340mAh (typical) / 3240mAh (minimum) battery Yu Ace Yu Ace sale on Flipkart Key Specs 5.45-inch (1440 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display 1.5GHz Quad-Core MediaTek MT6739 64-bit processor with PowerVR Rogue GE8100 GPU 2GB RAM with 16GB storage / 3GB RAM with 32GB storage expandable memory up to 128GB Android 8.0 (Oreo) Dual SIM ( nano + nano + microSD) 13MP rear camera with LED Flash 5MP front-facing camera with LED flash Dual 4G VoLTE 4000mAh battery Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Confusion Reigns Over Identities of Alleged Russian Hitmen By Jamie Dettmer September 08, 2018 The two Russian hitmen who British authorities accuse of attempting to murder former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia made several European trips including half-a-dozen to Geneva in the months leading up to the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Western intelligence agencies are probing the movements of Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov trying to establish what they may have been doing during frequent trips across Europe from September 2016 when their passports were issued until March this year. Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious in March on a public bench in the English town of Salisbury after being poisoned with the nerve agent novichok. British Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons midweek that Boshirov and Petrov were members of Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU. She said the Salisbury attack had been approved "at a senior level of the Russian state." The British prime minister's comments came as a vitriolic war of words between Britain and Russia escalated following the accusation by British police and prosecutors of GRU involvement in the poisoning carried out on British soil. Kremlin officials vehemently deny Russia's involvement in the attempted assassination. Britain's security minister, Ben Wallace, says Russian President Vladimir Putin bears ultimate responsibility for the Salisbury poisoning because "it is his government that controls, funds and directs" the GRU. "I don't think that anyone can ever say that Mr Putin isn't in control of his stateThe GRU is, without doubt, not rogue, it is led, linked to both the senior members of the Russian general staff and the defense minister and, through that, into the Kremlin and the president's office," he told BBC radio. On Friday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied the British accusations, saying, "frankly, they are lies." The Kremlin has said it has no idea about the men the British have identified as prime suspects in the nerve agent attack. Both men have been charged in absentia and Britain has issued Europe-wide arrest warrants for them after police combed more than 11,000 hours of CCTV surveillance footage to identify the men and to track their movements from when they arrived on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow at London's Gatwick airport on March 2 to their departure from Heathrow on March 4. The suspects stayed at a budget hotel in east London allegedly police found traces of novichok in their room and went to Salisbury on March 3 and 4. The first visit was likely for reconnaissance, say British police and prosecutors. But mystery still surrounds the identities of the two would-be assassins. British authorities have said both men were using pseudonyms but that they know their real names. It is unclear why the British have refrained from publishing the real names. Some Russian journalists, though, believe Boshirov and Petrov are indeed their real names and not assumed identities. Ruslan Boshirov has a profile on a Russian social media site, My World, that was posted in July 2013. The details in the profile, including the date and place of birth, match those on the Russian passport. The email address that Boshirov used for the My World account was also used for a Facebook account that listed Boshirov as working for a Moscow pharmaceutical-purchasing company called Headway. Russian crime journalist Sergey Kanev argues the documents Boshirov and Petrov used to fly to London in March belong to real people. He analyzed information held in Russian state databases and found Petrov registered as the owner of a Chevrolet Tahoe in 2001. In another database he discovered Boshirov was fined for a driving offense in 2015. Other Russian media outlets, though, argue the names are real enough but were grabbed by the GRU for operational purposes many years ago. The two men's passports were issued in 2016, just weeks apart. The frequent trips the pair took across Europe to the northern Italian town of Bergamo, Paris, Amsterdam and Geneva are also being focused on. The trips are sparking a mixture of bemusement and surprise. One of their Geneva visits coincided with Syria peace talks being held in the city last November and December. Travel manifests obtained first by British newspaper the Daily Telegraph and Russia's Fontanka newspaper show the men booked about 30 flights in and out of the Russian capital between September 2016 to last March. They flew mainly with Aeroflot but also took flights with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as well as a Russian low-cost carrier to fly to Bergamo. One theory behind the frequent travel is that the men or their superiors felt they needed to build up their travel to establish their 'false identities' as wealthy international businessmen. On their British visa applications the men said they were businessmen, according to British officials. But other intelligence experts are surprised the pair were traveling overseas so much in the run-up to the assassination attempt, arguing it was hardly discrete and risked drawing attention to themselves and imperiling an attack that was clearly planned months ahead. British spy author Ben Macintyre argued Saturday: "Rather than a state-ordered hit, this appears more like a job by incompetent elements within Russian military intelligence carrying out a semi-autonomous action that they, or their superiors, believed would please the ultimate boss." Britain and nearly 30 other countries expelled more than a hundred Russian diplomats earlier this year in retaliation for the nerve agent attack. British allies the United States, Germany, France and Canada issued a joint statement with Britain's Theresa May Friday agreeing with London's assessment that the operation was "almost certainly approved at a senior government level" in Moscow. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Seeks to Mitigate Risk, Learn Ground Truth in Afghanistan Sept. 8, 2018 By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity KABUL, Afghanistan -- Taliban reconciliation with the Afghan government is at the core of the peace program in Afghanistan, but it will be a difficult path to tread, the spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support mission and the U.S. Operation Freedom's Sentinel said yesterday. Army Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell said new commander Army Gen. Austin Scott Miller is traveling the country speaking to Afghan and coalition forces to get a sense of what is happening on the ground now. Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a previously unannounced visit to Afghanistan yesterday. Miller, who has a special operations forces background, has served in Afghanistan many times, and is already familiar with the terrain and the people of the nation. Still, O'Donnell said, the general needs to get the ground truth and is talking to service members about managing risk. "It is a combat zone," the colonel said. "We will never remove risk from the equation. But we've got to figure out ways to deal with it, and then balance risk with reward." Interacting With Afghan Forces Miller also is stressing the need for coalition service members to interact with the Afghans, who are carrying the main burden of the war. "We're in Afghanistan," he said. "If we're not speaking with an Afghan, something's probably wrong -- we're not getting the complete perspective." The general is working to get views from all parts of his command. Leaders often have a different perspective than the service member on the ground, O'Donnell noted, and Miller wants to ensure he is getting the straight story. Different parts of Afghanistan offer different challenges. Tactics that work in the desert south, may not work in the mountainous east. One tool Miller can use is the Army's 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade. While the brigade's headquarters is in Advisor Platform Lightning, its subordinate units are advising, training and assisting Afghan units all over the country. Afghanistan is a complicated country and the subordinate units can tailor their assistance to the Afghan unit they serve with. "The needs of one unit may not be the needs of another," O'Donnell said. "What we've seen is there's some [units] that are more competent than others," he said. The brigade's units will go where the need is the greatest, he added, and they are able to reach down to the kandak level the Afghan equivalent of a battalion to perform their mission. Another effect of the unit is that American service members all around the country are able to report up the chain about the situation on the ground. From a terrorist perspective, the situation on the ground is complicated. The Taliban are Afghans who have taken up arms, and while they are an enemy force, there is the idea that they can be brought back to civil society. "The enemy are the terrorists that pose a threat not only to the United States, but to the 40 contributing nations to the NATO mission here," O'Donnell said. Terrorist Organizations The real threat is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria- Khorasan, al-Qaida and at least 20 other terrorist organizations that will never compromise with any government, anywhere. The area between Afghanistan and Pakistan has the greatest concentration of terrorist organizations in the world, O'Donnell said. Recent Afghan and counterterrorism operations in Nangarhar province resulted in the ISIS-K self-declared caliphate being destroyed. "But they will try to establish it elsewhere," the colonel said. "We've got to apply that constant pressure to them to not let that happen." If the group succeeds in worming its way into another area, it can plot attacks against NATO allies and partners. ISIS-K is a difficult sell for Afghans, O'Donnell said. "We've seen ISIS-K not able to grow its ranks," he added, "but we've seen them able to replenish its ranks." One of the ways groups can replenish their ranks is by changing allegiance to ISIS. The porous Afghan border also means that a small number of foreign terrorists have joined the group inside Afghanistan. The main branch of ISIS in Iraq and Syria has been attacked mercilessly. Some the ISIS terrorists who escaped the Syrian or Iraqi death traps have made their way to Afghanistan, but officials haven't seen a massive influx, O'Donnell said, adding that foreign fighters are not the same problem they were in Iraq and Syria. The majority of the counterterrorism mission is aimed at ISIS-K or al-Qaida, he said. There is no purely military solution to the problems of Afghanistan, O'Donnell said. The military is one aspect, and diplomacy, politics and economic progress still must catch up. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen consultations have started: UN envoy IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency New York, Sept 8, IRNA -- A positive environment exists for building trust between the opposing parties involved in discussions for a political solution to the Yemen conflict, despite the absence of one of the delegations in Geneva and insecurity on the ground, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths said on Saturday. Acknowledging the "elephant in the room"--the fact that the Ansarullah-Houthi delegation was not present in the Swiss city for the consultations--the UN negotiator insisted it was not a "fundamental blockage" to his work, UN official website said. "The important aspect of these last three days is that we've started consultations," he said, before adding that the "environment for discussions is fairly positive. Despite what's happening on the ground and despite the fact that we did not of course get the opportunity to receive the Ansarullah delegation." Both the people of Yemen and the "remarkably united" international community wanted him to succeed, Mr Griffiths insisted, adding that he intended to meet Houthi representatives in Muscat, Oman, and in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, which they control. "We will have similar consultations with Ansarullah," he explained. "Because one of the advantages of consultations is, that you don't actually need to be in the same room, you don't actually need to be in the same city. It's more convenient-- it's what we planned, I don't want to underplay that--but we will go, and we will discuss with them the fruits of the discussions we've had here. So we will be going to Muscat and Sana'a to take up the issues that we will have discussed here. This is what I mean by, 'We have begun.'" He insisted on the Houthi delegation's willingness to engage in the UN-organized political process. "I think it's important to note that Ansarullah also wanted to be here, and they're disappointed not to be here," he said. "It's important to make that point very clear. We have had extensive discussions with their representatives in Sana'a and in Muscat this past week and I have no doubt about that, whatever you may think. And they're very keen to take this process forward, and so is the international community, who are remarkably united." During three days of "very fruitful" discussions with the Government of Yemen Mr Griffiths underscored the progress made on so-called confidence-building measures: the release of prisoners, the reopening of Sana'a airport, economic issues "of extreme importance" and a humanitarian access in areas "where it is possible" and pauses in clashes to allow the vaccination of children to proceed. Noting the importance of his parallel discussions with women's representatives in Yemen as well as those participating in the Geneva consultations, the Special Envoy insisted on the importance of remembering the grave humanitarian situation in the war-torn country. "There are two roads to peace," he said. "There's the high road, which is a description of the 'track one' negotiations between the official parties to a conflict, who of course have the fundamental responsibility of resolving it, of achieving an agreement which will resolve the conflicts, not the war. And then there's a low road to peace, which is about local arrangements to stabilize areas, to allow humanitarian access, to build confidence between the parties, to get prisoners out, detainees out and so-forth. And frankly, for 90 percent of the population, that's the road that counts." Speaking to journalists, the UN negotiator added that he was also keen not to let "too many days and weeks" before fresh meetings resumed. "If I didn't think, if the Secretary-General didn't think that there was a real desire for peace, firstly, and secondly that there is a real solution--a political solution to this war--then we wouldn't be wasting your time," he said. 8072**1396 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi military base targeted by Yemeni missile IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Sept 8, IRNA -- The Yemeni missile unit and the popular committees targeted a Saudi military base in Asir, southwestern Saudi Arabia on Friday night. According to Yemeni TV Channel 'Al-Masirah', the newly-established base was targeted by 'Badr-1' ballistic missile and various parts of it has been seriously damaged. Earlier Yemeni Army and popular committees targeted Jizan Airport south of Saudi Arabia with a ballistic missile. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of Hadi back to power and crushing the country's Houthi Ansarullah movement. Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression. The assaults of the Saudi-led coalition forces have failed to stop the Yemenis from resisting the aggression. Recently, the Yemeni army unveiled its home-made underground missile launching pads. 9376**1420 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address American marines fire shots to warn Russian forces in Syria Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 06:39PM US Marines stationed in Syria have fired air and artillery shots into a desert area in south to send Russian forces a warning. The air assault in the southern Syrian desert backed by artillery fire aimed to send a strong message to Russia, two US defense officials told Fox News on Friday. The message we want to convey to Russia is to not send your forces inside a restricted area near an American military outpost in southern Syria, they said. Earlier, the Russian military command had on two occasions coordinated with the Americans that it intended to launch a military operation against militants in southern Syria near the At Tanf garrison where US special operations forces are located. Both times, American forces declined to cooperate with the Russian command. Back in July, US Defense Secretary James Mattis had said that the US forces, for the time being, would have no cooperation with the Russian military command stationed in Syria. US defense officials are opposed to coordination with the Russian forces fighting the militants in Syria. The US military and Russian forces are conducting two independent military operations in the country. Russian forces are in Syria at the request of the government of Bashar al-Assad to help fight the Daesh militants who have been wreaking havoc across the country for years. The US military forces, which have been launching attacks on Syria since 2014, claim they seek to fight the terrorist groups, as well; however, in reality Americans are also giving aid and training to the militant groups fighting against the Damascus government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to cut off aid to Palestinian hospitals in al-Quds Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 05:55PM The United States has decided to cut off financial aid to Jerusalem al-Quds hospitals that provide cancer treatments and other critical care for Palestinians, amid warnings of the "collapse" of medical centers. Alessia Dinkel, the US State Department spokeswoman, told the National Public Radio (NPR) on Friday that the administration of President Donald Trump is cutting $25 million it had planned to give to the East Jerusalem al-Quds Hospital Network, a group of six hospitals, some church-run, which provide care primarily to Palestinians. According to the World Health Organization, the medical centers provide healthcare for Palestinians to whom such medical assistance is unavailable in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip. Adnan Husseini, Palestinian Authority minister for Jerusalem al-Quds affairs, said the latest cuts were "not surprising at all", stressing that Palestinians would not surrender to pressure from Washington. "Let America know that all these acts will not change our position toward our cause one bit. On the contrary, it consolidates our positions toward every issue, including Jerusalem [al-Quds]," Husseini told NPR. Dave Harden, a former senior US official overseeing aid to the Palestinians under the Obama administration, said the cuts were "particularly vindictive", warning that they could cause the "collapse" of two of the medical centers in the East Jerusalem al-Quds network. Last Friday, the US announced it would end all funding to the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, and the previous week cut over $200 million in aid for the West Bank and Gaza. The US-Palestine ties deteriorated last December, when Trump declared Jerusalem al-Quds as the "capital" of Israel and announced plans to transfer the embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city. The contentious move led Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to formally declare that the Palestinians would no longer accept the US as a mediator to resolve the conflict because Washington was "completely biased" towards Tel Aviv. Experts in the US have warned over the Trump administration's single-minded focus on satisfying the short-term goals of Israel and its supporters in the US, even at the cost of American interests. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Scores of Saudi troopers, mercenaries slain, injured in Yemeni army offensives Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 05:03PM Scores of Saudi soldiers and Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi have lost their lives when Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Committees launched separate offensives against their positions in the kingdom's border regions over the past 24 hours. An unnamed Yemeni military source told the Arabic service of Yemen's Saba news agency that Yemeni troops and their allies fired a Badr-1 ballistic missile at a gathering of Saudi troopers in the kingdom's southwestern border region of Asir, leaving several of them dead or injured. Eight Saudi mercenaries were also killed when Yemeni troops and fighters from Popular Committees targeted their camp in the al-Alab border crossing of the same Saudi region. Elsewhere in Najran region, located 844 kilometers south of the Saudi capital Riyadh, a group of Saudi-backed militiamen were targeted in al-Ajashar desert with a barrage of Katyusha rockets. A number of artillery rounds also slammed onto al-Khazra border crossing, with no immediate reports about casualties or the extent of damage caused. Moreover, Yemeni snipers shot and killed a Saudi soldier at al-Shabakah military base in the al-Sharafa region of Najran. Four Saudi mercenaries were killed and several others injured when Yemeni troops and their allies targeted their positions in Talah area. Yemeni forces also shelled the fortifications of Saudi soldiers and their mercenaries in Sawda, Jabal al-Doud and Jabal Qais mountainous districts in Saudi Arabia's border region of Jizan, situated 966 kilometers south of Riyadh, according to the Yemeni military source. Separately, dozens of Saudi-sponsored militiamen were killed or injured when Yemeni troopers and their allies destroyed their positions in the al-Durayhimi district of Yemen's strategic western province of Hudaydah. A military vehicle carrying dozens of Saudi mercenaries was struck with a guided missile in the al-Ghayl district of the northern Yemeni province of Jawf. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of Hadi back to power and crushing the country's Houthi Ansarullah movement. Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression. More than 2,200 others have died of cholera, and the crisis has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian disaster. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Many feared killed as Boko Haram militants raid town in northeast Nigeria Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 04:01PM Many people are feared dead after militants dressed in military uniforms carried out an attack on a town in the northeast Nigerian state of Borno, residents and a vigilante say. Local residents and witnesses said on Saturday that the militants from Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group struck Gudumbali in the Guzamala region of Borno state at around 4 p.m. on Friday. Heavily-armed militants wearing military uniforms fired upon Nigerian soldiers and residents across the troubled region. They noted that the troops and thousands of residents had fled. "Many civilians lost their lives, we don't have casualty figures for now," said Mohammed, one of the residents, who identified himself with first name. The vigilante, Baba Ali Musa, said the militants came on motorbikes and in pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns, while others fired rocket-propelled grenades on the town. "They came towards the town shooting sporadically," he said. "They were saying if you know you're an innocent person just leave the town, our target is not you, or if you wish to stay with us, it's no matter, you can stay with us." "They came towards the town shooting sporadically," he said. "They were saying if you know you're an innocent person just leave the town, our target is not you, or if you wish to stay with us, it's no matter, you can stay with us." The Nigerian government in June ordered thousands of people who fled the decade-long war with Boko Haram to return to Gudumbali, one of the most dangerous areas of the country's troubled northeast . Officials cut off food and other aid to those who refused. There is mounting pressure to show progress in the war against militant groups ahead of a presidential election. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a former general, came to power in 2015 on a platform of stamping out the Boko Haram militancy. But despite retaking swathes of territory from the group, it continues to stage attacks targeting both civilians and military targets. Since 2009, the Boko Haram militancy has left at least 20,000 dead and made over 2.6 million others homeless. The United Nations warned late last year that areas affected by Boko Haram militancy face humanitarian crisis. Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in northeast Nigeria are the three states most affected by the Boko Haram militancy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Angola's former president steps down as party chief after 4-decade rule Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 02:43PM Angola's former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has handed his position as the leader of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (PMLA) party to incumbent President Joao Lourenco after more than four decades of political rule. Dos Santos handed the PMLA leading position to Lourenco in an official ceremony at the party headquarters in the Angolan capital of Luanda on Saturday. The 76-year-old veteran politician marked the ceremony by addressing the crowd, "Today, with my head up, I leave and pass on the baton to comrade Joao Lourenco," marking the two men's long-lived party affiliation. The PMLA was born fighting against the Portuguese colonial rule over the country, gaining Angolan independence in 1975. The party dominated the Angolan political scene ever since, defeating other rival anti-colonial parties over the course of a bloody and prolonged civil war that lasted for over 26 years. President Lourenco had served as defense minister under dos Santos' presidency. The announcement of dos Santos stepping down as party leader was not unprecedented. The former president had declared his intent to do so many times before, ultimately declaring in 2016 that he would resign in two years. After dos Santos' presidential tenure ended in 2017, the PMLA chief handpicked Lourenco as president, ending speculation on his successor. Many observers had speculated that the outgoing president was seeking to appoint a puppet, one that would preserve the lucrative business and political monopoly dos Santos had built up for his family. The incumbent president has, however, shown himself as an independent leader, depriving many of the previous president's affiliates of their positions, hoping to stifle corruption and ensure economic stability for foreign investors. "Lourenco is already entirely autonomous as shown by his sacking of the dos Santos children, all of the country's sectors have been purged," said Benjamin Auge, an analyst with the French Institute for International Relations. The firing of the former president's daughter Isabel dos Santos from heading the state-owned oil company Sonangol by Lourenco is among the most important instances of the new president reining in on dos Santos' economic monopoly. The dos Santos resignation as PMLA leader signals a smooth handover of power in the country, leaving Lourenco in full power of state institutions. Angola, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is Africa's second largest oil exporter after Nigeria. The country's economy fell into recession in 2016 with the unemployment rate reaching 25 percent. Despite being one of Africa's richest states per capita, Angola remains one of the world's most unequal countries with much of its population living in poverty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi-backed delegates leave Yemen peace talks Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 09:50AM A delegation from Yemen's former government has left UN-brokered talks in Geneva after representatives of the Houthi movement were prevented by Saudi Arabia from attending the negotiations. "The government delegation is leaving today," said an official from the Saudi-backed team on Saturday, referring to the former Yemeni administration. "There are no expectations the Houthis are coming," he added. UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths told a news conference that the Houthis were "keen" to get to Geneva. "They would have liked to get here. We didn't make conditions sufficiently correct to get them here," he said. Ansarullah accused the Saudis of planning to strand the delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. The Saudis were "still refusing to give permission to an Omani plane" to land at the Yemeni capital Sana'a and take the delegation to Geneva, the movement said. It posted a statement , saying the Houthis needed to "ensure the safety of the delegation" and require a guarantee that they would be allowed to return "smoothly" to Sana'a airport. Yemenis took to the streets in Sana'a on Friday, blaming the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia for preventing the Houthis from joining the peace talks. "The decision not to send an Omani plane (for the Houthi delegation) was made by the US and it is an American conspiracy with the help of Saudi Arabia," senior Houthi official Abdulrahman al-Motawakel said. "The US meant to delay the delegation from leaving, and the UN is helpless, and cannot do anything about it," he added. Loay al-Shamy, a senior Information Ministry official in Sana'a, said, "Regarding the peace talks, the delegation was formed and their names were announced and were ready to go but the UN, under pressure from the United States and Britain could not fulfill what was agreed on." The agreement was "to provide an Omani plane for the delegation that will participate in Geneva and offer the assurances required for the return of the delegation," he said. "We saw during the last talks that the delegation was stuck abroad and the UN could not bring them back home," he added. The two sides held their last UN-sponsored negotiations in Kuwait in 2016 in a bid to hammer out a "power-sharing" deal but they fell apart after the Saudi-backed side left the venue. Yemen has been in turmoil since 2015 when former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi stepped down and then fled to Riyadh. Hadi then asked Saudi Arabia to launch a military campaign against Yemen, leading to a crisis which has continued to this day. Thousands have been killed in the Saudi-led invasion which has also pushed Yemen to the edge of famine. A cholera outbreak, resulting from the devastation of Yemen's health infrastructure, has also claimed more than 2,000 lives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemenis slam Saudi Arabia for barring Houthi delegation from attending Geneva talks Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 12:46AM Thousands of Yemeni people have taken to the streets of capital Sana'a to protest against a Saudi-led military coalition for its alleged refusal to allow a delegation of the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement to fly to Geneva to attend the United Nations-sponsored peace talks in the Swiss city. Speaking amid the protest rally on Friday, Loay al-Shamy, a senior Houthi official in the Ministry of Information, said that the Houthi delegation had been ready to leave Sana'a International Airport for Geneva, but the UN, under pressure by the so-called coalition, "could not fulfill what was agreed on, which is to provide an Omani plane for the delegation that will participate in Geneva and offer the assurances required for the return of the delegation." Saudi Arabia and some of its allies, including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan, launched a brutal war, code-named Operation Decisive Storm, against Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Yemen's former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which plays a significant role in aiding the Yemeni army in defending the impoverished country against the invading coalition. The former Yemeni government resigned in 2015 as the country was experiencing political turmoil. Shortly afterwards, Hadi fled to Riyadh, where he encouraged the Saudis to launch attacks on Yemen in a bid to regain power. The Houthi movement has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective administration since the onset of the imposed war, which has so far killed some 15,000 people. The UN invited the two opposing sides, the Houthis and Hadi's Saudi-backed administration based in the southern Yemeni city of Eden, to send their respective delegations to a fresh round of peace talks, which were slated to open on Thursday. As the Saudi-led military coalition has imposed a tight sea and air blockade on Yemen for months, the Houthi delegation was scheduled to fly to Geneva through an Omani airplane provided by the UN, but it has so far failed to do so due to purported pressure from Riyadh. On Wednesday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths voiced confidence in the planned negotiations despite a delay as the delegation representing the Houthis remains stranded at the Sana'a airport. He had to postpone the talks due to delay in the arrival of the Houthi delegation. "The national Yemeni delegation that will participate (in Geneva talks) has not yet left from Sana'a airport, and that is because the decision not to send an Omani plane was made by the US and it is an American conspiracy with the help of Saudi Arabia. The US meant to delay the delegation from leaving, and the UN is helpless, and cannot do anything about it," said Abdulrahman al-Mutawakel, a senior Houthi official during the Friday rally. The UN envoy says the talks the first since 2016 are meant to be trying to build trust between the two parties. The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories. The United Nations has said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. Several Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Campaign Adviser Whose Russian Contacts Sparked Probe Jailed For 14 Days Mike Eckel September 08, 2018 WASHINGTON -- George Papadopoulos, a low-level adviser to President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, was sentenced to 14 days in prison for lying to federal agents. Papadopoulos's sentence was announced on September 7 in Washington federal court, where he apologized repeatedly and said he lied to "minimize both his own role as a witness and the extent of the campaign's knowledge of his contacts," according to a court document. Papadopoulos was the first person to plead guilty to charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose prosecutors sought a six-month sentence for him. Papadopoulos was on Trump's foreign policy team during the 2016 election campaign when he made contact with some people whom U.S. authorities later suspected of being Russian agents. One reportedly told him they had compromising materials on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Trump's rival. Papadopoulos's contacts with the Russians triggered the FBI investigation in July 2016 into whether Trump associates had tried to collude with Russia. In October 2017, Papadopoulos admitted to lying to the FBI about those contacts. During the September 7 hearing, defense lawyer Thomas Breen argued for leniency for his client and dismissed prosecution arguments that his actions hindered Mueller's investigation. "The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever did," Breen said. Last month, Mueller won the first conviction to arise from his political fraud investigation when Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was found guilty on charges of bank and tax fraud related to his work for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians done several years ago. Manafort was fired by the Trump campaign a month after the FBI investigation began, amid revelations about the extent of his Ukrainian political work. Manafort goes on trial a second time in late September on charges of conspiracy to defraud, failing to register as a foreign agent, witness tampering, and other charges. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-campaign- adviser-whose-russian-contacts-sparked-probe- jailed-for-14-days/29478500.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Merkel Urges Macedonians To Vote For Name Change, Possibility For EU, NATO Membership RFE/RL's Balkan Service September 08, 2018 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on Macedonians to vote in favor of a name change that would open the door to the Balkan country joining the European Union and NATO. Merkel made her comments on September 8 after arriving in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, for talks with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. "This is a historic chance that a generation has only once," she said at a news conference with Zaev. "Don't stay at home. Seize the democratic opportunity to say what you think about the future of your country." Merkel's visit comes in the wake of trips to Skopje by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on September 6 and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz the following day. On September 30, Macedonians will vote in a referendum posing the question: "Are you in favor of NATO and European Union membership and of accepting the name agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece?" Under the agreement, which was signed by Greece and Macedonia in June, Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia, in response to Greek concerns that the name "Macedonia" implied territorial claims to the northern Greek region of the same name. Macedonia will also be required to change part of its constitution. The name dispute has blocked Macedonia's progress toward European integration for many years. Although nationalists in both countries oppose the compromise, recent polling in Macedonia shows 57 percent favor changing the country's name if it will lead to membership in the EU and NATO. Twenty-two percent said they would vote against the referendum proposal. A minimum of 50 percent of the electorate must take part in the referendum in order for it to be valid. During their visits, Stoltenberg and Kurz urged Macedonians to vote affirmatively on September 30. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to his Macedonian counterpart, Gjorge Ivanov, on September 6, saying: "The agreement and Macedonia's membership in NATO will bolster security, stability, and prosperity throughout the entire region." With reporting by AP and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/germany-s-merkel-in-macedonia- for-talks-ahead-of-key-referendum/29478758.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Meet In Moscow, Praise State Of Relations RFE/RL's Armenian Service September 08, 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian praised the current level of relations between the two countries as they met for talks in Moscow. The Kremlin said the negotiations between the two leaders focused on "key questions of developing allied Russian-Armenian relations as well as cooperation in Eurasian territory, in particular within the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)." The quickly arranged meeting came after reported tension in Armenian-Russian relations over a Pashinian government investigation into events surrounding the deadly postelection demonstrations in 2008, including criminal charges being brought against former Armenian President Robert Kocharian and current CSTO Chairman Yuri Khatchaturov, actions that the Kremlin has criticized. In his remarks before the meeting, Putin said relations between Moscow and Yerevan "develop steadily in all directions." "This concerns the sphere of political relations, the military sphere, and issues of security and economic cooperation," he said. Putin singled out Russian energy supplies to Armenia, stressing that Yerevan receives Russian natural gas "at the lowest prices Gazprom sells gas in the world -- $150 per 1,000 cubic meters." Pashinian, for his part, stressed the fact that he was having his third meeting with Putin within the space of just four months. "I think that such frequency emphasizes the special nature of relations between our countries, let me say also the special nature of our personal relations," he said. "Despite certain pessimism that is present both in the Armenian and Russian press and in social media, I think that our relations are developing in a fairly dynamic way, very naturally," Pashinian said. "And I think our top objective is to try to use the whole potential in developing our relations." Still, Pashinian acknowledged the existence of "some questions" that need to be discussed by the two countries. "God save us from a situation where we would have no questions in our relations, because that would mean we have no relations at all. I can say with certainty that we have no issues in our relations that can't be solved and today, of course, we are going to discuss a wide range of issues," he said. "I am sure that these issues will be solved and we will be guided by respect of interests in our allied relations, respect for the interests of our countries, respect for the sovereignty of our countries. and the principle of noninterference in each other's internal affairs," Pashinian underscored. Both Kocharian and Khachaturov are accused of breaching the constitutional order during a deadly postelection crackdown in 2008. After charging Khachaturov, Armenia also initiated a procedure to recall him from the top CSTO post. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov twice publicly denounced the prosecutions of former officials in Yerevan, arguing that they ran counter to the new Armenian leadership's earlier pledges not to "persecute its predecessors for political reasons." And on August 31, the Kremlin reported a phone conversation between Putin and Kocharian during which the Russian leader congratulated the former Armenian president on his birthday -- a rare event in state diplomacy that some analysts took as a sign of Moscow's backing for Kocharian, who recently announced he will return to politics. In his public statements, Pashinian downplayed the significance of the political implications behind Putin's congratulations to Kocharian, something he reportedly had not done since Kocharian left office in 2008. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-armenian-prime-minister-meet -in-moscow-praise-state-of-relations/29478947.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni Rebels Fire Missile at Saudi Arabia Injuring Troops - Reports Sputnik News 08:37 08.09.2018(updated 10:44 08.09.2018) A missile strike was carried out by Yemeni Houthi rebels targeting Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of Asir, resulting in troops being injured, Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday. According to the Tasnim News Agency, rebels claimed that the strike against the kingdom was in retaliation for earlier bombings of the province of Hodeidah by Saudi forces. The incident followed another missile attack conducted by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia's southern province of Najran on Wednesday. According to Al Arabiya, at least 37 people were injured in the strike. Saudi Arabia is frequently targeted by the Houthi rebels from within Yemen, who conduct frequent missile launches. Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government, headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the Houthi movement for several years. A Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Somali Regional States Suspend Ties With Federal Government By Mohamed Olad Hassan September 08, 2018 The leaders of Somalia's federal member states said Saturday that they had suspended all ties with the central government in what was likely another setback for the Horn of Africa nation as it emerges from two decades of conflict. At the end of a crucial four-day conference in the southern coastal city of Kismayo, the leaders of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland, Puntland and South West states accused the Mogadishu government of failing to handle the country's security, of failing to fulfill its responsibilities toward the states in line with the country's federal structure, and of taking its eye off the fight against al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants. "Because it had been responsible for the issues that had worsened its relations with the Federal Member States, we came to the conclusion that we suspend our collaborations with the Federal Government until it mends its mistakes," the leaders said in a joint communique. In a country where clan loyalties, not ideology, determine political support, analysts say Mogadishu is not willing to hand more power to the provinces, fearing a breakup of the state. Meanwhile, the regional authorities are demanding more autonomy and a better share of the foreign aid. "Our move came when we have realized that government could not prove its mechanisms to deliver its promises for the country, including the fight against al-Shabab and the constitutional reforming process," said Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, the leader of Puntland region. Some analysts say they are concerned that the deepening rift between the federal government and the states may plunge the country back into political crisis. "This mounts the pressure on to the already political fragility within the country, especially a government that has only been in office less than two years, having a lot of challenges on its plate, including the upcoming one-person-one-vote elections in 2020," said Mursal Saney, deputy director of the Heritage Institute, a Mogadishu think tank. He said the militant groups might try to exploit any political instability in the country to remobilize and increase their attacks against the government. On Thursday, Somalia's Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Guelleh said his government was willing to resolve any issues with the states "in accordance with the national constitution." There was no immediate response from the federal government to Saturday's decision by regional leaders. In an interview with VOA, Galmudug's deputy leader, Mohamed Hashi Arabey, was critical of state leaders, including his boss, Ahmed Duale, saying their objective was to team up against the federal government to lead the nation into another political crisis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN: More Than 1M Displaced Ethiopians in Dire Need By Lisa Schlein September 08, 2018 The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) warns more than one million Ethiopians who were displaced by violence in southwestern Ethiopia, including those who have returned, are suffering from extreme deprivation and are in need of life-saving assistance. Conflict between ethnic communities over dwindling resources has sent more than one million people fleeing for their lives since April. Most are living in schools, hospitals and makeshift shelters in the border areas of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region and the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. UNHCR reports the displaced are in dire need of basic relief, including food, water, blankets and cooking supplies. It warns many IDPs are at risk of serious health problems and disease outbreaks with the approach of heavy seasonal rains. It says they urgently need plastic sheeting and warm clothing. UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said people continue to flee the conflict zones. At the same time, he says more than 200,000 people have returned to their areas of origin. He told VOA some people are reluctant to return for fear violence will break out again. "Some of the monitoring that we have done it highlights that communities are still afraid. They are worried that there is nothing left to go back to. So, that is very important for us to make this call that for the remaining more than 600,000 displaced, people should be the ones deciding when to go back to their places of origin," he said. Baloch said it also is important that those who have returned to their homes, lands and farms be helped to rebuild their lives. In all cases, he said, returns must be voluntary and be conducted in safety and dignity. He said the UNHCR and its partners urgently need more than $21 million for their humanitarian operations over the coming 12 months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France joins space race with Russia spying accusations Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 06:52AM France has announced measures to join a space race which escalated recently as the US unveiled plans for militarization of the Earth's outer space. French Defense Minister Florence Parly said in a speech on Friday that Paris would complete a strategic space defense plan by the end of this year. "We are in danger. Our communications, our military exercises, our daily lives are in danger if we do not react," Parly said. "I have heard many people mock the announcement of the creation of an American Space Force. I am not one of them... all I see is an extremely powerful sign, a sign of future confrontations," she added. Under the militarization plan, Paris will order a series of new satellites to provide surveillance and communications for the army and the intelligence services. The European Union also plans to allocate $19 billion in its 2021-2027 budgets for space. Parly also claimed that Russia was trying to spy on a European satellite when it flew a satellite close to the Athena-Fidus satellite which is used by both French and Italian armies to exchange secret intelligence. She made the remarks only one week after President Emmanuel Macron called on the EU to modernize its post-Cold War relations with Russia. Parly said France was still monitoring the Russian satellite Louch-Olymp "and we noted that it continued to move actively in the following months close to other targets." US President Donald Trump outlined plans in August for American dominance in space by ordering the establishment of a sixth branch of the military - a "space force" by 2020. Trump said he did not want "China and Russia and other countries leading us" in space and that he wanted to revive America's flagging space program. Space Force would be a branch of the military on par with the army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard. Russia said last week that there had been deliberate attempts to sabotage a Russian space craft docked at the International Space Station. Russian space agency Chief Dmitry Rogozin said a hole was detected in the Soyuz ship craft, which was caused by a drill, adding could have been done deliberately, either back on Earth or by astronauts in space. "There were several attempts at drilling," Rogozin said. "What is this: a production defect or some premeditated actions?" "We are checking the Earth version. But there is another version that we do not rule out: deliberate interference in space," he added. Rogozin said a state commission will seek to identify the culprit by name. The Untied States and its European allies have warned about what they describe as the possession of destructive space weapons by China and Russia. A US intelligence report said earlier this year that Russia and China could be ready to use such weapons in "the next few years." Russia, however, has already warned about an arms race in outer space, with its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressing the importance of preventing such a conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia, New Zealand to help Japan enforce North Korea sanctions Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 10:06AM Australia and New Zealand say they will send surveillance aircraft to Japan to help the enforcement of United Nations sanctions against North Korea. Two AP-3C Orion patrol aircraft from Australia and one P-3K2 aircraft from New Zealand will help Japanese forces which have allegedly observed numerous instances of sanctioned North Korean trade at sea. The maritime patrol planes are reportedly on the lookout for ship-to-ship transfers of oil and goods by North Korean vessels, which is in violation of UN sanctions imposed over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. "This deployment supports Australia's ongoing economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea," Australian Defense Minister Christopher Pyne said in a statement. "It is a continuation of our strong stand to deter and disrupt illicit trade and sanctions evasion activities by North Korea and its associated networks," he added. New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters also said his government was deploying a P-3K2 aircraft to carry out patrols of international waters in North Asia for signs of vessels undertaking activities that break UN sanctions against North Korea. "We welcome the recent dialogue North Korea has had with the United States and South Korea. However, until such time as North Korea abides by its international obligations, full implementation of the United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions will be essential," Peters said. The Japanese Defense Ministry welcomed the involvement of Australia and New Zealand in a statement and said such undertaking would help effectively enforce the UN sanctions. "The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japan Coast Guard are also conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected to be in the violation of UNSCRs, and Japan will work closely with related countries," the statement said. The aircraft will be operating out of US Kadena Air Base on Okinawa in southwestern Japan and in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula from mid-September, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. North Korea has been under a raft of crippling UN sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear tests as well as multiple rocket and missile launches. Pyongyang has firmly defended its military program as a deterrent against the hostile policies of the US and its regional allies, including South Korea and Japan. Trump expecting 'positive' letter from Kim US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which he believes will be positive, is on its way to him. "A letter is being delivered to me, a personal letter from Kim Jong-un to me. That was handed at the border, I don't know if you know that, but it was handed at the border yesterday," he told the press aboard Air Force One. "It's being delivered. It's actually an elegant way. The way it used to be many years ago before we had all the new contraptions that we all use," Trump said. "But a letter is being delivered to me and I think it's going to be a positive letter." A US State Department official later confirmed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had received a letter from the North Korean leader to the US president. The two leaders have already traded correspondence as they negotiate over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Kim met with Trump in Singapore in June. The two sides agreed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. While the summit was seen as a test for diplomacy that could end the long-running nuclear standoff, foreign policy experts say the stakes are high if it does not result in a nuclear agreement. Trump recently cancelled a planned trip by Pompeo to North Korea, citing unsatisfactory progress on denuclearization. The North Korean leader has already told Trump that denuclearization depends on ceasing antagonism between the two countries, while the United States says tough sanctions will remain in place against Pyongyang until its complete denuclearization. North Korea has stressed that its nuclear arsenal is a deterrent against potential aggression by the United States. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean Leader Kim Confirmed Readiness to Visit Russia - Matvienko Sputnik News 15:32 08.09.2018(updated 15:47 08.09.2018) PYONGYANG (Sputnik) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un confirmed his readiness to visit Russia, Speaker of the Russian Parliament's Upper House Valentina Matvienko told reporters adding that the timing and place of the visit would be clarified through the diplomatic channels. Speaker of the Russian Parliament's Upper House Valentina Matvienko has met with Kim in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. "Kim said that that he confirmed his readiness and will to make an official visit to Russia. He said that the did not want to delay [the visit] and the work on coordination of place and timing of this visit will start via diplomatic channels now. He said that the bilateral meeting with the Russian president was very important for him, they had to discuss the strategy and prospects of our cooperation as well as a number of the important, serious issues of the international agenda," Matvienko said. Matvienko pointed out that during the talks with Kim she handed Russian President Vladimir Putin's letter to Kim. "I fulfilled the order, submitted a letter by Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," the speaker said. During the meeting with Matvienko Kim confirmed the importance of the Russian role in settling the Korean nuclear issue. "He [Kim] pointed out that Russia played a very important role in the political and diplomatic settlement of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue. [Kim added] that our approaches were similar," the speaker said. Matvienko said that the talks with Kim had lasted for more than an hour and were held in a friendly manner with the North Korean leader has noted that he would preserve the traditions of friendship with Russia. North Korean Leader Committed to Korean Reunification North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is committed to the reunification of the two Koreas, Valentina Matvienko noted. "The North Korean leader is committed to moving in this direction, toward the unification of the two Koreas. But this is, once again, a two-way street. There is an understanding that some regional players and some players outside the region are not interested in the unification of the two Koreas, as somebody wants to use it as a means for manipulation and for maintaining positions in the region," Matvienko stated. The Russian lawmaker added that North Korea needed motivation in order to progress to denuclearization. "We share this point of view, we believe that motivation should be created, and the aspiration of the [North] Korean leader, people and country to move toward denuclearization should be encouraged in every way," Matvienko said. North Korea's position is clear as they have made two serious steps, showing that their intentions to eliminate nuclear weapons and stop the nuclear programs are very serious, Matvienko stressed. "But reciprocal steps should be made then. It is not possible for the document signed [following the North Korean-US summit in Singapore] to be implemented by one party only, so they are of course negotiating with the US side so that there is some movement toward each other, so that the accepted obligations are fulfilled step by step, so that there is understanding that there cannot be any quick decisions there, as it takes patience, demeanor, a long time and the obligations' fulfillment by the other side," Matvienko said. She went on to voice her concern over "intensification of unilateral sanctions" by the United States. Speaking further, the senior official said that the North Korean leader would not be able to take part in the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok. "Yes, we have discussed the possibility [of Kim's participation in the forum]. But due to his busy, tight schedule in September, and the scheduled inter-Korean negotiations, although he personally would really want to, he won't be able to take part. However, a North Korean representative delegation, comprised of seven people and headed by the minister of external economic relations, will certainly take part," Matvienko said. The event is scheduled for September 11-13. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S., India Talks Demonstrate Shared Commitment, Pentagon Official Says Sept. 8, 2018 DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON -- The Sept. 6 "two-plus-two" dialogue in New Delhi between Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and their Indian counterparts provided "a demonstrable signal of the U.S. and India's shared commitment to a forward-looking strategic partnership based on shared values and strategic interests," chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hosted Pompeo and Mattis for the first such talks between the United States and India. "Both sides welcomed the signing of the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, an agreement that will deepen our interoperability and facilitate India's access to advanced defense systems," White said in a statement summarizing the talks. "They also look forward to initiating negotiations on the Industrial Security Annex, a second enabling agreement that will facilitate greater defense industrial cooperation." The United States reaffirmed the strategic importance of India's designation as a major defense partner, and the ministers committed to expanding the scope of that status to encompass greater strategic and security coordination, White said. They also welcomed the establishment of a new tri-service military exercise as a tangible commitment to increase military-to-military ties and growing interoperability, she added. Importance of Defense Trade and Innovation "Both sides acknowledged the increasing importance of defense trade and defense innovation in our strategic partnership," White said. "Towards that end, the ministers welcomed the signing of a memorandum of intent between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and the Indian Defence Innovation Organization - Innovation for Defence." The ministers also committed to start exchanges between U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Indian navy, underscoring the importance of deepening their maritime cooperation in the western Indian Ocean, White said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China defies US with record 874,000 bpd Iran oil imports Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 07:12AM China's imports of Iranian oil spiked to record 874,000 barrels per day in August, ahead of US plans to sanction Iran's energy sector, leading market news provider Platts has reported. Citing new figures, the agency said the arrivals last month took inflows from Iran over January-August to 165.57 million barrels, 72% of total Iranian crude imports of 229.99 million barrels over full year 2017. Chinese refiners Sinopec and PetroChina told Platts they would not let the US sanctions affect their intake of the Iranian crude. "Since we have performance obligations under our Iran-related contracts in 2018, we are contractually required to continue our [purchases]," Sinopec said. A Sinopec executive said last week that the company's business would be hurt if it had to suspend imports from Iran. Sinopec's dependence on Iranian crude, he said, is "natural" because many Chinese refineries were so configured to process Iranian oil, which has a rich aromatics content. According to Platts, China is expected to remain the biggest buyer of Iranian crude despite the sanctions. Beijing itself has asserted it would not let the bans come in the way of its trade with Iran. The US says the sanctions will take effect on November 4, and has warned countries that they would face "secondary" bans if they continued to buy Iranian oil in defiance of the measures. This is the second round of sanctions the US imposes against Iran since its withdrawal in May from a multilateral nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. Aside from China, Turkey has said it would not submit to the oil embargo. Other countries such as Japan and India have been trying to obtain waivers from the bans. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi officials condemn violent Basra protests, point finger at US, Daesh, Ba'athists Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 10:10AM Iraqi officials have denounced recent deadly demonstrations in the southern city of Basra, saying they believe the US, Daesh terrorists and remnants of former Ba'ath regime are behind the violence. Protesters have taken to the streets of Basra over the past few days to condemn corruption and lack of basic service and criticize the government for the collapse of regional infrastructure. But the protests took an ugly turn on Friday as a group of masked assailants ransacked government buildings and offices of political parties and set fire to them in the southern oil-rich city of Basra. The Iranian consulate was among the premises damaged in the rampage. Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, secretary general of Iraq's Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq group, a main component of the Popular Mobilization Units also known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi, said that the Basra riots were part of an American project to disintegrate the Arab country. He also warned that the situation in Basra had reached a boiling point and that Washington sought to designate a US-allied person as the new Iraqi prime minister. Khazali stressed that Iraqi fighters would not allow the Basra crisis to turn into a sectarian strife. Ammar Hakim, Iraqi Shia cleric and head of National Wisdom Movement (Hikma), released a statement expressing concern about the Basra incident. He warned that the country is at a dangerous juncture and needs realistic reflection. Hakim also condemned attempts meant to turn peaceful protests into deliberate destruction of public property. The Iraqi Health Ministry said a total of 12 people had been killed and 50 others injured since Tuesday when the Basra violence erupted. Basra Coordination Committee said the latest acts of sabotage had been committed by Daesh elements and Ba'athists. It also announced a halt to protests on Saturday in order to "study mistakes that led to the burning of buildings that has nothing to do with the grievances of the protesters." Additionally, Iraq's Foreign Ministry said the storming of the Iranian consulate had nothing to do with protesters' demands. "The targeting of diplomatic missions is unacceptable and detrimental to the interests of Iraq," said ministry spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the protest deaths and instructed security forces not to use live ammunition. Iraqi officials have also imposed a curfew on Basra starting at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Saturday, a military statement says. Iraqi premier warns of armed conflict amid Basra unrest Meanwhile, Abadi has warned that unrest in Basra could turn into an armed conflict, the Arabic-language Iraqi news website reported. An Iraqi parliament source said that during an emergency meeting of lawmakers of Saturday, the premier warned that "we have to separate the political aspect from the security and service one; otherwise, the disagreement will develop into an armed conflict." This comes as the two leading groups in Iraq's parliament called on Abadi to resign, after the emergency meeting of lawmakers. "We demand the government apologies to the people and resign immediately," said Hassan al-Aqouli, spokesman for the list of senior Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, which won the most seats in a May election. Ahmed al-Assadi, spokesman for the second-largest Conquest Alliance list, denounced "the government's failure to resolve the crisis in Basra." Iraqi lawmakers met Saturday to discuss the unrest in Basra. Abadi joined the session with several ministers. Hours before parliament met, four rockets fired by unidentified assailants struck inside the perimeter of Basra airport, security sources said. Staff at the airport, which is located near the US consulate in Basra, said flights were not affected. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rockets Strike Airport In Iraq's Basra As Tensions Remain High RFE/RL September 08, 2018 Security officials in the Iraqi port city of Basra, which has been rocked by several days of sometimes violent protests, say three rockets were fired at the city's airport on September 8. There were no casualties in the incident and no disruption to airport operations. The same day, Iraq's Health Ministry said at least 12 people were killed in the Basra protests, which began when some 30,000 people fell ill from polluted drinking water. The ministry added that 50 people 48 civilians and two police officers had been injured during the protests. On September 7, protesters set the Iranian Consulate on fire to protest what they see as Iran's excessive influence in Iraqi domestic affairs. The Iranian government condemned the attack, in which there were no reported injuries. "We expect the immediate arrest and punishment of the attackers," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said. The Iraqi parliament was expected to convene an extraordinary session on September 8 to discuss the protests. Iran and Iraq -- enemies in a brutal eight-year war that ended in 1988 -- have developed close ties since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003 by a U.S.-led invasion. Shi'a-led Iran has become heavily involved in Iraq's political affairs and sponsors powerful Shi'ite militia groups that played a role in defeating Islamic State (IS) extremists last year. Iraq's population is 60-65 percent Shi'ite, 15-20 percent Sunni Arab, and 17 percent Sunni Kurd, creating a tense balance of power in the country. News agencies quoted Basra residents and protesters as saying they have become angered by corruption, mismanagement, and a collapse of infrastructure that has led to a loss of electricity and safe drinking water in the blazing summer heat. Smaller protests have been reported in other cities, including the capital, Baghdad, and Karbala. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's national security council met on September 7 and said it was investigating the protests. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/rockets-strike-airport-in-iraq-s -basra-as-tensions-remain-high/29478622.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Human traffickers in Libya are posing as UN staff, says Refugee Agency 8 September 2018 - The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has called on Libyan authorities to take action against criminals targeting desperate refugees and migrants, amid reports that smugglers and traffickers in the country are impersonating Agency staff. The Agency says that reliable sources and refugees have reported criminals using vests and other items with logos similar to that of UNHCR, at disembarkation points and smuggling hubs. Genuine UNHCR staff are present at official disembarkation points in Libya, providing medical and humanitarian assistance, such as food, water and clothes, to refugees and migrants. UNHCR is opposed to the detention of refugees and migrants, but has staff monitoring the situation at Libyan detention centres, aiding and identifying the most vulnerable. However, the Agency insists that they do not engage in the transfer of refugees from disembarkation points to detention centres. The reports of criminals impersonating UNHCR staff come as the situation for refugees and migrants detained or living in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, has dramatically deteriorated. Following the violent clashes in Tripoli that erupted on 26 August, when tanks and heavy artillery were deployed in residential neighbourhoods, UNHCR has received reports of atrocities committed against refugees and migrants in Tripoli, including rape, kidnapping and torture. The UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, says that 61 Libyans were killed, and nearly 160 were injured. Looting and crime were widespread, and the Ghassan Salame, Head of the Mission, described the city as being "on the brink of all-out war". UNSMIL brokered a ceasefire between the major parties to the conflict, halting the fighting and restoring some order. Thousands escaped the detention centres close to the clashes, in a desperate attempt to save their lives. UNHCR is calling for alternatives to detention to be put in place, including the immediate use of the Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli, which will serve as a platform to find safety in third countries, and which will be managed by the Libyan Ministry of Interior and by UNHCR. The facility has the capacity to host 1,000 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers and is ready for use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Rejects Criticism It's Pushing Pakistan Into 'Debt Trap' By Ayaz Gul September 08, 2018 China is defending its billions of dollars of historic investment in Pakistan, dismissing allegations the economic development program is pushing the cash-strapped South Asia ally into a "Chinese debt trap." Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks Saturday in Islamabad after talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The massive bilateral program, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is the fastest-moving and flagship part of President Xi Jinping's global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPEC aims to construct and upgrade the transportation network, energy projects, a deep-water port at Gwadar and special economic zones to eventually support Pakistan's industrial development as a manufacturing hub by 2030. In the last four years, Wang said, the CPEC has brought about $19 billion in Chinese investment to Pakistan, and 22 "early harvest" projects have been or are being completed. The Chinese foreign minister explained that 18 of the projects are financed through direct Chinese investment or with the Chinese assistance. He also rejected concerns about the transparency of CPEC projects "Only four [projects] have been using concessional loans [of roughly $6 billion] from the Chinese side to make sure that CPEC has not inflicted a debt burden on Pakistan, rather when these projects get completed and enter into operation, they will unleash huge economic benefits ... and these will bring considerable returns to the Pakistani economy," Wang said. He noted the Chinese investment already has boosted Pakistan's annual economic growth by between 1 percent to 2 percent, and it has created more than 70,000 jobs for Pakistanis. The power plants upgraded or built under CPEC have added about 12,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, effectively overcoming crippling outages "These are real and tangible outcome. Our two sides have agreed that under the CPEC cooperation, the focus of cooperation will gradually shift to industrial cooperation and priority to help Pakistan develop local manufacturing, strengthen capacity for self-driven development," said Wang. Wang noted that 47 percent of Pakistan's external debt comes from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank. He shared the details apparently in response to U.S. criticism that Islamabad plans to seek a new IMF bailout package only to pay off Chinese lenders, assertions both Beijing and Islamabad rejected as unfounded. Out of Pakistan's more than $69 billion foreign debt, Beijing's share is about $8.4 billion, including $6 billion in CPEC loans, according to figures Pakistani Finance Minister Asad Umar shared with the parliament earlier this month. Pakistan is paying two percent interest on CPEC loans until they are completed, according to Pakistani and Chinese officials. The total interest due by 2022 will be about $1 billion, they say. Islamabad is facing a debt crisis and Finance Minister Umar recently told the parliament the government would decide by the end of September whether or not it will require an IMF bailout program. Wang arrived in Pakistan just a few days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the country to hold the first official talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan's government to try to reset bilateral ties that have plunged to their lowest point over the past year. While Islamabad's ties with Washington have deteriorated, Beijing has deepened bilateral economic and military relations with its South Asian partner. Wang's delegation also is scheduled to meet with Khan and army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, during his three-day official visit, the first since the new Pakistani government has assumed the office. Pakistan's tensions with the U.S. stem from allegations the country is harboring terrorist sanctuaries used for attacks against American and local forces in neighboring Afghanistan - charges Pakistani officials reject. Foreign Minister Wang reiterated Beijing's unwavering support for Islamabad's counterterrorism efforts, and he welcomed the recent U.S. engagement with Pakistan. "China also supports the U.S. in developing a mutually beneficial relationship with Pakistan on a basis of mutual respect. We believe China and the United States and the wider international community should support the new Pakistani government in delivering governance." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Angered Over Pension-Reform Plan, Russians Vote In Local Elections RFE/RL's Russian Service September 08, 2018 Voters in regions across Russia head to the polls on September 9 for regional and local elections being held in an atmosphere of unusual public discontent sparked by a controversial government plan to raise retirement ages. According to the Central Election Commission website, 21 of the 85 administrative areas of the Russian Federation, including the city of Moscow, will select executive-branch heads. Sixteen regions will elect legislatures. Other areas will be holding mayoral and other local votes. The vote will be the first major test for the government of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev since it proposed raising the retirement age for men from the current 60 to 65 and, for women, from 55 to 63. Later, Putin modified the proposal so women would retire at age 60. According to various polls, about 90 percent of Russians oppose the initiative, and a recent poll by the Levada Center polling agency found that more than 50 percent of Russians say they would participate in protests against it. Approval ratings for Putin, Medvedev, and the ruling United Russia party have fallen noticeably since the proposal was passed in its first reading by the Duma in July. "In this situation, the authorities are interested in suppressing turnout a bit and making sure only 'their' electorate shows up and votes the way they are supposed to," Stanislav Andreichuk, an elections analyst with the independent Golos election-monitoring group, told RFE/RL. "They will do what they can to get protest voters to stay home." Opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has called for nationwide protests against the pension reform to coincide with the September 9 voting. On September 7, Russia's Supreme Court upheld a decision to bar the opposition PARNAS party from participating in legislative elections in Yaroslavl Oblast. Previously, the region was the only one in Russia with PARNAS deputies in its legislature. Earlier in the week, PARNAS lawmaker Sergei Balabayev was attacked by unknown assailants, while a PARNAS local councilman, Dmitry Bondaryov, had his car set on fire. In Moscow, incumbent Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Putin's former chief of staff who has run the capital since 2010, was expected to receive about 70 percent of the vote. Two independent liberal candidates were not allowed to run against him, while his four registered opponents are virtual unknowns. Moscow has implemented an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign, including promises of free concert tickets to voters and setting up polling stations outside of Moscow to enable voters spending the summer at their dachas to participate. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/angered-over-pension-reform-plan- russians-vote-in-local-elections/29478937.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi, Spain row puts warship deal at risk of cancellation Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 05:57AM A multibillion-dollar deal to sell Spanish warships to Saudi Arabia is on the brink of being cancelled amid a row between the two countries over Madrid's decision to block shipment of bombs to the kingdom. The tiff started earlier this week after Spain's Defense Ministry cancelled a 2015 agreement to sell 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, which is waging a deadly war on Yemen. The decision enraged Saudi Arabia which is already under international pressure over rising civilian deaths in its brutal bombing campaign on Yemen. Now, the Spanish daily El Independiente is reporting that Saudi Arabia plans to scrap a $2.2 billion contract to purchase five Corvette warships from state-owned military shipbuilder Navantia. The report has raised serious concerns in Spain as the cancellation of the deal could endanger thousands of jobs. Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told reporters on Friday that Madrid was working to preserve the warship contract. "The government is working to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia and to defend the contracts for the construction of five Corvettes in Navantia's shipyards," she said. Celaa tried to play down "a diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia," but acknowledged that "there may be an exchange of opinions and divergence which I think will be resolved." Asked whether the government was considering reversing its decision to block the sale of the bombs, the spokeswoman was unforthcoming, only saying that it was "maintaining the government's international commitments." Spain's Defense Ministry has said it would pay back the $10.6 million it had already received from Riyadh as part of the arms deal to sell 400 bombs to Riyadh. Spain's Deputy Trade Minister Xiana Mendez told the parliament's defense commission that the government was "aware of the importance of this ... splendid [warship] contract with close to 6,000 jobs" involved. She further stressed that the accord "is still in force" and that "the government will not endanger" the sale of the warships. The Madrid government has faced criticism for selling weapons to Riyadh. Campaign groups such as Amnesty International, Spain's FundiPau, Greenpeace and Oxfam have called on Spain to stop supplying military equipment to the Saudis, accusing them of abusing human rights. Alberto Estevez of Spain's Arms Control Coalition welcomed the cancellation of bombs sale to Saudi Arabia. "These kind of weapons have been used in alleged war crimes in, in attacks to markets, hospitals, schools and the likes, which are clear violations of international humanitarian laws and the laws of war." The Saudi aggression, which began in March 2015, initially consisted of a bombing campaign, but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground forces into Yemen. Several Western countries have been supplying Saudi Arabia with advanced weapons and military equipment. Spain is said to be one of the biggest arms exporters to the Saudi kingdom. Last week, UN human rights experts raised the alarm at the high rate of civilian casualties in Saudi Arabia strikes on Yemen, saying the air raids "may amount to war crimes." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian-Led Idlib Offensive Would Be Humanitarian Disaster, Dunford Says Sept. 8, 2018 By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity NEW DELHI -- The consequences of a Russian-Syrian regime offensive into Idlib, Syria, against terrorists hiding there would almost certainly be a humanitarian disaster, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. U.S. military planners believe there are better, more focused ways to go after terrorists who have taken shelter in Idlib. "The consequences of a major offensive operation in Idlib will almost certainly be the suffering of a large number of innocent civilians," Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford told reporters traveling with him. A meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, yesterday among Turkey, Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime failed. Russian and regime forces have been building up around the enclave for days, and most observers expect the forces to attack into the area. An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 terrorists entered Idlib to hide among the hundreds of thousands of people who went to the northwestern Syria city to escape violence. 'Disappointed, But Not Surprised' Dunford said he is "disappointed, but not surprised" by the failure of the Idlib talks. The city was declared as a designated deconfliction zone. "People were committed to approaching it as such," he said. "It looks to us as if people are walking away from an agreed-upon approach to deal with Idlib." U.S. military officials believe there is a more effective way to do counterterrorism operations than major conventional operations in Idlib. The chairman said the United States was not talking about cooperating, but about using U.S. capabilities to spot the terrorists even in an urban environment and take them out with a minimum of civilian casualties. The chairman said he has not spoken with Gen. Valery Gerasimov, his Russian counterpart, since the crisis over Idlib began, and that he is not scheduled to speak with him. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian govt. forces target Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorists in Hama Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 02:38PM Syrian army forces have targeted terrorists from the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terror group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, in the country's west-central province of Hama as government forces and allied fighters from popular defense group are trying to purge the Arab country of foreign-backed Takfiri militants. Syria's state-run television reported that army troopers had shelled terrorist strongholds in the town of al-Lataminah, located 39 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital Hama, and other militant-held areas in the northern edge of the province. The offensive came after Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militants fired shells on the government-controlled town of Mahardah, located about 23 kilometers northwest of Hama, killing nine people and wounding 20 others. Three of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. Meanwhile, Syrian army forces have beefed up their presence in the hilly Tulul al-Safa region northeast of Jabal al-Arab volcanic plateau in the country's southwestern province of Sweida. Syria's official news agency SANA reported that army units, in cooperation with allied forces, carried out special military operations against Daesh terrorists in the area, destroying a large number of their positions. The report added that government forces had managed to kill a large number of militants, and cut off their supplying routes. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. Syrian army troopers, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have recently made major territorial gains in battles against Daesh and other foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorist groups, almost capturing the entire southern part of the country after securing the capital Damascus and other key areas. The major militant stronghold remains in the northwestern province of Idlib, where government forces are preparing to launch a full-scale military offensive. Takfiri militants are also in control of some areas of Hama province, and are holding some desert regions near the border with Turkey. Moreover, negotiations have been taking place between the political wing of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are backed by the US, and the Syrian government on ways to end violence in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian, Syrian Aircraft Pound Opposition-Controlled Idlib Province RFE/RL September 08, 2018 Russian and Syrian government aircraft have carried out intense attacks on opposition-held towns in Syria's Idlib Province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on September 8 that the attacks were the "most violent" raids since the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad threatened to attack the area a month ago. The group said nearly 60 Russian air raids hit the province over the course of three hours early in the day. Syrian helicopters reportedly dropped "barrel bombs" metal containers filled with explosives on homes in the outskirts of the city of Khan Sheikhoun. The attacks come one day after the presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey failed to reach an agreement to forestall an attack on Idlib. On September 7, thousands of civilians took to the streets in cities across the province to protest the expected assault. The UN Security Council met to discuss Idlib late on September 7 at the request of the United States, with the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura saying there are "all the ingredients for a perfect storm" in Idlib. "The dangers are profound that any battle for Idlib could be, would be, a horrific and bloody battle," de Mistura said. The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, warned the Syrian government and its allies against an assault in Idlib, vowing that "the consequences will be dire." "We urge Russia to consider its options carefully," Haley said, calling the approach Moscow has taken in Syria a "playbook of death." For Russia, Iran, and the Syrian government, retaking Idlib is crucial to completing what they seek: a military victory in Syria's civil war, which has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions. Syrian troops in the last year have recaptured nearly all other major towns and cities in the country, largely defeating the rebellion against Assad that began in 2011. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/thousands-protest-assad-plan-retake-last- syrian-rebel-stronghold-idlib-province/29478452.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon Source Reveals US Drills in Homs, Syria is Message to Russia Reports Sputnik News 15:25 08.09.2018(updated 17:38 08.09.2018) Earlier, American media reported that Russia had allegedly warned the US of its intentions to launch precision strikes on territory under the protection of the US-led coalition in Homs province. Moscow hasn't commented on the claims. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced military drills will be held near its At Tanf garrison in the province of Homs, Syria on September 7 aimed at preparing the troops for further battles against Daesh* forces; however, CNN suggested that there is more to it. According to an anonymous source in the Pentagon, cited by the news outlet, the drills are being conducted in response to recent warnings allegedly issued by Russia to the US via deconfliction communication lines. Citing Pentagon spokesman Sean Robertson, CNN reported that Moscow has planned to conduct "precision strikes" against militants in the At Tanf area, which is protected by the US-coalition. The official statement by CENTCOM did not mention that the drills were a response to alleged Russian warnings. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Bill Urban said the drills will "demonstrate the capability to deploy rapidly, assault a target and conduct a rapid exfiltration," but added that the exercises are aimed at bolstering "defeat-ISIS[Daesh]* capabilities." Furthermore, the CENTCOM statement noted that their Russian counterparts had been duly notified via deconfliction communication channels about the upcoming drills to "prevent miscommunications or escalations in tension." The forces of the US-led coalition are conducting operations against Daesh* in Syria, despite protests from Damascus and the lack of authorization or mandate from the UN Security Council to do so. Syrian authorities consider US forces to be occupiers. On the other hand, the Russian Armed Forces were officially invited by Damascus to assist its forces in defeating terrorist groups acting on Syrian territory. Both US-led coalition and Russian forces in Syria have been in continuous contact via special channels over the last several years in order to avoid striking each other's positions or troops and to avoid confrontation. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chemical Weapons Provocation in Syria to Start September 8 - Russian MoD Sputnik News 13:58 08.09.2018(updated 19:07 08.09.2018) Terrorists in the rebel-held Syrian city of Idlib have almost completed their preparations for a provocation involving chemical weapons, chief spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense Major General Igor Konashenkov stated Saturday. According to the general, leaders of the terrorist group Tahrir al-Sham*, the Turkistan Islamic Movement and representatives of the White Helmets met in Idlib on September 7 in order to coordinate their participation in the upcoming false flag operation. "The scenarios for the filming of staged 'incidents' with the alleged use of poisonous substances by Syrian government troops against civilians in the settlements of Jisr Al-Shugur, Serakab, Taftanaz, and Sarmin were finally agreed upon during the meeting. The full readiness of all participants involved in carrying out staged provocations should be ensured by the evening of September 8. The signal for the beginning of the practical phase of the terrorists' provocation in the province of Idlib will be a special team from some 'foreign friends of the Syrian revolution'," Konashenkov said. Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Tahrir al-Sham terrorists were preparing a provocation in Syria's western Idlib province in order to accuse Damascus of using chemical weapons against civilians, while the UK, the US, and France said in August that they "will respond appropriately to any further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime." READ MORE: US Representative for Syria Says Possible Idlib Offensive Would Be 'Reckless' Idlib province is a remaining stronghold of insurgency in the country, being also one of Syria's de-escalation zones. Syrian President Bashar Assad has previously underlined that liberation of the province was among the priorities for the Syrian military's operations. *Turkistan Islamic Movement and Tahrir al-Sham (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Nusra Front) are terrorist groups, banned in Russia. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. calls back ambassadors over severing of ties with Taiwan ROC Central News Agency 2018/09/08 12:21:29 Washington, Sept. 7 (CNA) The United States has called back three of its head diplomats in Central America and the Caribbean for consultations related to recent decisions by these countries to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the U.S. State Department said Friday. They are the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes, and the U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Panama Roxanne Cabral, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement. "Our three chiefs of mission will meet with U.S. government leaders to discuss ways in which the United States can support strong, independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean," she added. In Taipei, Presidential Office spokesman Sidney Lin () said the government has learned of the news, but said it would not comment on "individual measures." "We have been keeping close communication with the U.S. government," Lin said. Taiwan has lost five diplomatic allies to China since President Tsai Ing-wen () took office in May 2016, including Panama in June 2017, the Dominican Republic in May this year, and most recently, El Salvador last month. This has led to a sharp drop to 17 the number of countries which recognize Taipei instead of Beijing. Commenting on El Salvador's decision at that time, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington was "deeply disappointed" and was reviewing its relationship with El Salvador. The White House, meanwhile, issued a stern statement saying the decision "affects not just El Salvador, but also the economic health and security of the entire Americas region." "The El Salvadoran government's receptiveness to China's apparent interference in the domestic politics of a Western Hemisphere country is of grave concern to the United States, and will result in a re-evaluation of our relationship with El Salvador," it said. Subsequently on Sept. 6, U.S. Senators Cory Gardner, Ed Markey, Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez jointly introduced the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act that requires a U.S. strategy to engage with governments around the world to support Taiwan's diplomatic recognition or strengthen unofficial ties with Taiwan. It also authorizes the U.S. State Department to downgrade U.S. relations with any government that takes adverse action with regard to Taiwan. In response, China's foreign ministry has said it is "unreasonable" for the United States to criticize, as both China and El Salvador are independent sovereign states with the right to determine their own foreign relations. El Salvador has also defended its decision, saying linking its growth to that of a booming major economy was in the best interest of the country. The United States itself switched to recognizing China, not Taiwan, back in 1979. Analysts say Washington may be worried Beijing will have too much influence in its backyard. (By Chiang Chin-yeh, Yeh Su-ping and Y.F. Low) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US recalls envoys from Latin American countries for cutting Taiwan ties Iran Press TV Sat Sep 8, 2018 02:07AM The United States has recalled its envoys to three Latin American countries after their leaders decided to cut ties with Taiwan in favor of diplomatic relations with China. "The Department of State has called back the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, the US Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes and the US Charge d'Affaires in Panama Roxanne Cabral," said a statement on Friday. "Our three chiefs of mission will meet with US government leaders to discuss ways in which the United States can support strong, independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean," it added. China and Taiwan split amid a civil war in 1949; however, Beijing's leadership pursues their reunification, saying the two will eventually be one. In 1979, the US adopted the "One China" policy of recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. In March, President Donald Trump, however, signed a new travel bill, allowing senior US officials to go to Taiwan to meet Taiwanese counterparts and vice versa, a move that angered China. Trump had previously undermined the "One China" policy by taking a congratulatory phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory in November 2016. Meanwhile, relations between Taipei and Beijing have deteriorated since Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016 as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China." El Salvador, which switched its relations in August, became the fifth diplomatic loss under Tsai's presidency and the third this year so far. But while most countries have developed formal relations with Beijing rather than Taipei in recent decades, Taiwan still has unofficial ties with powerful countries. Its most important unofficial ally is the US, which is also Taiwan's leading arms supplier. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Recalls Envoys From 3 Central American States Over Taiwan Recognition Row Sputnik News 02:57 08.09.2018(updated 03:28 08.09.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US government has called back its top envoys from the Central American nations of Panama, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic over their decisions to end diplomatic recognition for Taiwan, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release. "The Department of State has called back the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, the US Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes and the US Charge d'Affaires in Panama Roxanne Cabral for consultations related to recent decisions to no longer recognize Taiwan," Nauert said on Friday. Last month, El Salvador announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with China after breaking official ties with Taiwan, becoming the third country to do so in the past few months. Previously, the Dominican Republic broke away from Taipei and establish diplomatic relations with mainland China. In April, the signing ceremony of an official communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Dominican Republic was held. Previous year, Panama and China have established official diplomatic relations as the Central American country had broken ties with Taiwan. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Calls On Russia To Halt Separatist 'Elections' In Donbas RFE/RL September 08, 2018 European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has criticized a plan by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine to hold elections and has called on Moscow to use its influence to stop the vote from taking place. A statement by Mogherini's spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said reports that "so-called 'elections' will be held in the so-called 'Luhansk People's Republic' and 'Donetsk People's Republic' on November 11 runs contrary to the spirit and letter of the Minsk agreements, which have specific provisions regarding the organization of local elections in that region." It added that "all steps that would obstruct the advancement of the implementation of the Minsk agreements must be avoided" and that the EU expects "Russia in particular to make full use of its influence on the separatists in this regard." Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also decried the announcement by separatist officials in the Donbas region about the elections. "If fake 'early elections' are conducted, their outcome will be legally void, they will not create any legal consequences, and will not be recognized by Ukraine or the global community," the ministry said in a statement on September 7. The fighting in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,300 people since 2014 and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-calls-on-russia-to-halt- separatist-elections-in-donbas/29479063.html Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address GREENWICH The process of dissecting organs in biology class conjures up the smell of formaldehyde and the feel of rubbery flesh. But in one classroom in Greenwich, dissection labs are taking an innovative and new high-tech approach to learning the mysteries of anatomy. Sacred Heart Greenwich is the first high school in the state to acquire an Anatomage table, according to the manufacturer. The digital teaching tool displays the human body and all of its organs on a long screen that acts as a dissection table. The device and accompanying software provide a virtual dissection table, and students have been carrying out procedures on a three-dimensional digital cadaver. During a recent session with the Anatomage, biology and science teacher Amy Dillane walked a group of students through the devices many features, which are activated with a swipe of the finger. Go ahead, take the skin off, Dillane told a student, and as she completed the swipe, the image on the table switched from a corpse to a mass of organs and tissue Another finger tap brought up the annotation mode, in which all of the major arteries in the abdominal area are highlighted and named. A subsequent swipe across the table showed a cross section of the body. One student selected a virtual dissection tool and made an incision in the chest area. Draw your line to where you want to cut, Dillane told the student, and her incision slowly became visible. Sacred Heart senior Meredith Wilson said the device has given her a new appreciation for anatomy and opened up the possibility of engaging in a career in the life sciences. Its definitely useful to have this interactive aspect, instead of learning from a textbook, or a one-dimensional source, said Wilson, whose enthusiasm for anatomy helped inspire the schools acquisition of the modern device. She said the digital dissection table was giving her a much more realistic view of what lies beneath the flesh, and what a medical career could be like. Nia Foster, another senior, has been working on the cadaver of a dog that is also available on the Anatomage device. Ive always been interested in veterinary school, and this will help me get the basics. It will take me further than I thought, she said. The schools acquisition of the Anatomage table, at a cost of about $70,000, aims to reinforce the schools science curriculum. New initiatives in astronomy and computer programming have also been introduced this new school year, said the Head of School at Sacred Heart, Pamela Juan Hayes. Science is a very important program here, we have a big emphasis on women in science. We thought this would be a great teaching tool, Hayes said. Mary Musalino, a science teacher and director of the Science Research Program at the private school, said the Anatomage had a lot to offer. After we researched it, we decided it would be a perfect fit for us - a lot of our students are interested in medical research, she said, Its easy to go from one body system to another - muscular, digestive, nerves. And theres a world of possibilities - any of the medical related fields, its supportive of that. Dillane, who teaches the advanced anatomy and physiology course, said the device could work with students at different levels of ability Its user-friendly, but its complex as well. The school is looking to invite specialists to lecture on various medical topics in coming months. The anatomy table has already been inspiring enthusiasm among students, she said. Theyre really fascinated and excited by it. In a real dissection, its a lot messier, and it can be hard to see. ... This allows them to think critically and learn the basics, she said. It brings your classroom to life. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com History Is ... The inaugural exhibition at the Greenwich Historical Societys reimagined campus opens Oct. 6, which is the date of the official opening of this spectacular new campus. Spectacular. This word came to mind as I experienced the nearly completed entrance building with its archive and gallery spaces. The commanding view of the campus, seen through so much glass, creates a dynamic relationship with the past. Construction, with sounds of hammering and drilling, was in its final stages during my visit. I was there to be interviewed by exhibit designer David Lackey. The History Is ... exhibition explores seven different avenues for viewing and interpreting the past: history is ... measured in time, told in the news, people on the move, found in places, remembered in small things, passed through generations, and personal. I am one of several Greenwich residents, of all ages, invited to lend a small object for display in the section of the exhibition that focuses on history as personal. We were asked to select an artifact that illustrates a memorable personal experience, something we may have collected in the course of our life, or something passed on from a friend or family member. A narrative, part of the display, would emerge during the interview with Lackey. After accepting this invitation, the challenge was to select an object. There were many possibilities, each pointing to different stages of life, relationships, types of narratives. I found myself increasingly drawn to one particular object on my desk: a small rams horn, known as a shofar. I had no long-standing personal connection to this particular shofar. It was something Id acquired on one of more than a dozen trips to Israel, probably sometime in the 1990s. I remember selecting it from among many shofars in a barrel-like container in a Jerusalem shop. Id felt a need to have a shofar, not necessarily this specific one, rather a generic shofar. Thats because the shofar is an integral part of my spiritual journey. The opening chapter of my as yet unfinished memoir about this journey takes place in September 1976. Inexplicably attracted to all things Jewish, compulsively clipping from newspapers, buying books, going alone to an Erev Rosh Hashanah service at the Friends Meeting House on Rutherford Place in New York, where I knew no one and had never before attended a Jewish service, I thought I was losing my mind. I now know this was the first step in my journey home. In hindsight, this interpretation seems simple, an obvious conclusion, given my commitment to Jewish life. But 42 years ago, it was neither simple, nor obvious. In my memoir, I eventually attribute the strange happenings in those waning days of the summer of 1976 to the fact that it was the Jewish month of Elul. According to Jewish mystical tradition, Elul is a time of elevated consciousness and revelation, during which the gates of divine mercy are opening, and the pathways to these heavenly gates have strong connections to the earthly world. Orthodox Jews sound the shofar every morning throughout the month of Elul as a wake-up call. Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment, is approaching. Its time to repent. According to the Jewish sage, Maimonides, these shofar blasts call upon us to awaken from our sleep and search our deeds that we can return in repentance. The Hebrew word for repentance, teshuva, literally means return. Memoir excerpt: Ive come to believe that contained in this Jewish mystical tradition, theres a plausible explanation for the strange things that were happening to me before the start of the Jewish year 5737 ... Id like to believe my behavior could have been an unwitting response to the call of a heavenly shofar, rousing me from my slumber, shaking me up and beckoning me home in teshuva ... Id like to believe this. Then again, its equally plausible that I was just plain crazy. All during my interview, which was taking place in Elul, I caressed the little shofar that I held in my hands. As the narrative unfolded, this object acquired its own special meaning, soon to be on display. History is ... always in creation, I thought, as the narrative came to life. It was real. I was not crazy. Alma Rutgers served in Greenwich town government for 25 years. Her blog is at blog.ctnews.com/rutgers/ The sad truth is that women in business must always be on the lookout for people who will try to discredit them. The opposition could come in the form of a direct challenge to your authority or a sneak attack to damage your reputation with your clients, your customers, your bosses and peers. Ask any woman in any line of work, and she'll tell you how simple it is for a carefully planted seed of doubt or a well-placed bit of gossip to jeopardize her position by raising questions about her professional competence or her effectiveness in her business. Watching your back, unfortunately, is an inescapable part of the track to success. When it comes to protection from sneak attacks, you have to go it alone. Related: If Another Woman Is Being Rude or Uncivil to You at Work, Here's What You Can Do Sniper alert: king snakes, queen bees and mean girls While working in big corporate law, I took on a high-stakes case requiring a team of associates and one junior partner. Unfortunately, all the junior partners were fully booked. Arriving to the "rescue," another senior partner volunteered to "help" me. No sooner had he signed on than he announced to me that he'd be taking lead on the entire case. I doubt that he saw his actions as an attempt to push me aside. He was simply doing what powerful men do: He was conflating his involvement with being the boss. I didn't take his attempt to usurp me lying down. But, dealing with these sniper attacks is tricky business. A well-placed male enemy with deep connections in the old boys' network is no small matter. If you're not careful, one back-room political maneuver by a jealous rival could knock you off the rung you earned with your merit and grit. For all the attacks that may come from men, however, what is often more unexpected is an attack from another woman. Whether arising from naked ambition or from the perception that there can be only one "queen bee" in the company, a back stab from within your own tribe carries its own unique sting. Related: How to Present an Authentic Self at Work as a Woman While taking lead on a case for a Fortune 100 client, I pulled in several junior partners, including one woman. Within two weeks of bringing her on board, she was trying to poach the client. Her actions blindsided me. Fortunately, I had a 15-year relationship with the client, and she had zero chance of succeeding. Still, being double-crossed by someone who should be your ally is difficult to forget. "Queen bee syndrome" describes a woman who has succeeded in her own career only to pull up the ladder behind her. It can also describe a woman who treats her female subordinates more critically than their male counterparts. I've long maintained that this corrosive phenomenon is rooted in the misguided perception that there is only room for one woman at the table, but I was surprised to learn that research now theorizes that queen bees are simply trying to emulate the men in an attempt to fit in. Queen bees are trapped in a vicious cycle, according to one recent study. As they rise in their careers, they distance themselves from junior women, legitimizing and perpetuating the very gender discrimination that they faced while advancing their careers in male-dominated organizations. According to the study, queen bee behavior is a response to misogyny and the social-identity threats that women encounter in businesses controlled by men. Related: 9 Ways Successful Group Networking Empowers Women Entrepreneurs "Queen bees" may control the hive, but they're not the only women standing in the way of progress. "Mean girls" are women who undercut or bully out of a desire for supremacy, jealousy or in response to a perceived slight, real or imagined. A 2010 study conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute found that female bullies directed their hostilities toward other women 80 percent of the time. In contrast, male bullies are equal opportunity bullies. A 2011 study of 1,000 working women conducted by the American Management Association found that 95 percent of these women felt they had been "undermined by another woman at some point in their careers." The fine art of career self-defense Protect yourself from attack with these five strategies: 1. Maintain constant vigilance. It's not helpful to become paranoid or to spend your entire professional life looking for slights or attacks. It does, however, make sense to expect that an attack could come at any time and to guard against exclusions, putdowns and lies before they go too far. 2. Build alliances. Countering sabotage is much easier if you've already established genuine working relationships. Well-placed allies, including people senior to you, can tip you off to threats and come to your defense if needed. Don't neglect your broader network either. Leverage your contacts to build alliances beyond your own organization. Related: It's Time for Women to Stop Apologizing So Much 3. Don't let it slide when you are attacked. Your enemies need to know that you can't be trifled with -- you're tough as nails and will staunchly defend your position against their sabotage. Call out your attackers. Be direct. Make it clear that you're not inviting debate; you're simply explaining that you're fully up to speed and that sabotage won't go unpunished. You'll be surprised how effective open confrontation can be. 4. Keep it professional. Counter-sabotage and underhanded tactics rarely work. Stick to the high road no matter how tempting the low road may be. When the truth comes out -- and it will -- you want to be able to hold your head high. Your integrity will distinguish you from those who have tried to undermine you. 5. Go above and beyond in proving yourself. Women are held to higher performance standards than men. Starting on Day One, deploy all the skills women have -- talent, grit, emotional intelligence, femininity and strong relationships -- to build your standing with your organization. That way you'll be in as strong a position as possible when someone questions your character or suggests that you can't cut it in terms of performance. Perhaps you'll be the rare woman who makes it through her career unscathed by sniper fire. But, it's smarter to assume that you won't and prepare yourself accordingly. Related: How to Protect Your Career From Those Who Try to Undermine You Free Webinar: 3 Women Share Their Best Tips on Leadership, Growth, and Success Fundraising While Pregnant: How to Raise $20 Million for Your Startup #LikeAGirl Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved All chat clients these days have "delivered" and "seen" labels to reassure you that your message reached its intended recipient. But what if getting the message delivered was literally a matter of life and death? Enter Research in Motion or as it would later be known, BlackBerry. In 1996 the company introduced its first product, the Inter@ctive Pager, a two-way pager built on the Mobitex data network designed for emergency services (police, ambulance, firefighters). Another pager, the BlackBerry 850, would give rise to the iconic name - its distinctive keyboard was reminiscent of the fruit. The first phone was the BlackBerry 5810 (aka 5820 in Europe). It worked on the GSM/GPRS networks (dropping Mobitex), but you had to connect a headset to make a call. It ran a Java-based OS and supported J2ME apps, supported push email (for instant delivery), had a WAP browser and an organizer with wireless sync. RIM Inter@ctive pager BlackBerry 850 BlackBerry 5810 Then came the 6000 series dubbed "Quark" (BlackBerrys have physics-based code names). The BlackBerry 6230 did work as a proper phone, but its screen (2.6" in landscape) and keyboard show that it was still text-focused. A sibling device, the 6210, was was on Time's All-Time 100 Gadgets list. BlackBerry 6230 Later in 2003 RIM introduced its first color screens with phones like the BlackBerry 7230. The 7270 was the first BB with Wi-Fi, which could be used for VoIP calls and with phone exchanges installed at the office. The BlackBerry 7290 has the distinction of being the first BlackBerry with Bluetooth and also the last with the classic pager-inspired design. BlackBerry 7230 BlackBerry 7290 RIM introduced a new narrower design language for the 7100 series ("Charm"). To pull it off, the SureType keyboard was designed - a half-QWERTY with predictive input. Each key carried two letters (plus a digit or a punctuation symbol) and the software had a dictionary of 35,000 words to help it guess what you were typing. This setup had the advantage of leveraging your spacial memory (the position of letters is unchanged from QWERTY) and offering more keys than the competing T9 setup (which ordered letters alphabetically on a phone keypad). BlackBerry 7100v BlackBerry 7100t BlackBerry 7100x With the Electron series RIM started offering more consumer-oriented devices to fight Palm's Treo and Motorola's QWERTY ambitions with the Q-series. This became more pronounced with the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 - RIM's first phone with a camera, a 1.3MP shooter with LED flash (back then cameras were viewed as a security risk by businesses). There was even an MP3 player (you needed to buy a microSD card for that to work). While we mentioned the keyboard, we didn't talk about the scroll wheel. Too late now, the 8100 replaced it with a track ball, which enabled horizontal as well as vertical navigation of the UI. Like with "blackberry", "pearl" was an association - the white, translucent trackball looked like a pearl. It wasn't always white, an RGB LED could be used as a notification light (even though there was a dedicated notification LED). BlackBerry Pearl 8100 The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 upgraded the camera to 2MP and was the first BB with a built-in GPS receiver. With the right J2ME app you could replace a dedicated SatNav unit. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 adopted a flip form factor and came pre-loaded with RIM's own satellite navigation app, BlackBerry Maps. The bar-shaped BlackBerry Pearl 8130 ran the app too, it even had a built-in GPS receiver (which the flip model inexplicably lacked). BlackBerry Pearl 8110 BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 BlackBerry Pearl 8130 The BlackBerry Bold 9000 was the pinnacle of the QWERTY models - a full QWERTY, unlike the 7100 series. The Bold 9700 replaced the iconic track ball with an optical trackpad, a move welcomed by users and media alike. BlackBerry Bold 9000 BlackBerry Bold 9700 The Bolds were released in the same year as BlackBerry's crisis of faith - the success of the iPhone pushed RIM to release an all-touchscreen phone. But not just any touchscreen, a clicky one. We have to admit that the technology of the BlackBerry Storm 9500 was impressive, offering tactile feedback where most had to fake it with vibration. It also offered the distinction between "touch" and "press" while capacitive and resistive touchscreens did not. And it was universally hated. BlackBerry Storm 9500 RIM released a tablet, the BlackBerry Playbook. It ran an OS based on QNX, which was recently acquired by the company. QNX was normally aimed at embedded software, e.g. a car's infotainment system (it was later acquired by Harman, one of the biggest makers of head units). This platform didn't go anywhere, but it recognized an issue - compared to iOS and Android, the J2ME apps of classic BlackBerry OS were pretty bad (not to mention few and far between). To remedy this, the Playbook could run Android apps (though compatibility was a bit iffy). BlackBerry Playbook RIM was struggling, everyone could see that a major change was needed. That came in 2013 when the company officially changed its name to BlackBerry and unveiled the BlackBerry 10 OS. It was based on QNX again, but switched away from Adobe AIR to Qt as the application framework. And once again, it supported Android apps. The new OS debuted on two phones - all touchscreen BlackBerry Z10 and the touchscreen + keyboard BlackBerry Q10. With no physical keys, the Z10 tried a gesture navigation that was efficient once you learned it, but the gestures lacked discoverability and there was quite a learning curve. The Q10 did offer keyboard shortcuts and Instant Actions (which let you launch apps and perform other tasks through the search interface). While the keyboard was similar to the Bold series, it lacked an optical trackpad (no track ball either). The oddball BlackBerry Passport is from this era too. It was wide, at 90.3mm it was wider than even the original BlackBerrys. It too lacked a trackpad, instead the whole QWERTY keyboard was touch-enabled so you can use it for swipe gestures. BlackBerry Z10 BlackBerry Q10 BlackBerry Passport Then came the BlackBerry Priv, which gave up on the hybrid solution of Blackberry 10 OS and Android app support - it was pure Android (with a BB launcher, of course). It was a slider, but unlike the Torch before it, it offered both a large AMOLED screen and a touch-sensitive keyboard. BlackBerry Priv The Priv failed to gain traction and BlackBerry tried all-touchscreen phones again, before returning to the classic QWERTY bar. The company no longer manufactures phones itself, instead it handed over that responsibility to TCL (which you may know from its alcatel phones). Aside from the form factor, something else returned - the focus on corporate clients. The prices of the Keyone and KEY2 scared off modern consumers, even the ones curious about having a hardware keyboard. The KEY2 LE (unveiled last week) tries to bring the price down to more palatable levels, but it remains to be seen how that goes. Today BlackBerry mostly provides enterprise services - providing a secure, reliable platform on which others can build services for the corporate world. The iconic image of a someone in a business suit typing on their BlackBerry is already fading from memory. In years past the phones that were unveiled at IFA went on to define the second half of the year. Will this year be the same? Maybe, but the roster seemed thinner than usual this time and some big names were missing. Sony Xperia XZ3 Huawei Honor Play The competition was especially sparse in the flagship segment, but that shouldnt take away from the decisive victory of the Sony Xperia XZ3, which trounced the Axon 9 Pro. The XZ3 is the first big redesign from Sony in years and the awesome 6 QHD P-OLED was added to the list of beloved Xperia features. That said, we should probably start making Bring back the 3.5mm jack t-shirts. As for its opponent, it seems that ZTE forgot what made the Axon 7 popular. The mid-range field was busier. Some protested against the LG G7 One being here, the companys first Android One phone gathered some vocal supporters. But it wasnt enough, it came second. The Honor Play won by a fairly wide margin. Its a gaming phone, but doesnt go all in gaming aside, its one of several Honor models with the Kirin 970 chipset and a great battery. This one seems to have hit the right features/price ratio. Last week's IFA saw several major launches, but not as many as previous years. You can check out our IFA 2018 wrap-up for an overview of what we saw. But here's a second look at things that aims to put them in perspective. Winners Sony The Triluminos display is beloved by many and indeed looks stunning in person, but despite how much it has improved over the years, it felt like Sony was getting left behind. Earlier this year we saw it jump to 18:9, though still at 1080p resolution. Last week the company finally acknowledged that QHD is a thing. Not only that, but the Sony Xperia XZ3 has a larger screen than the XZ2. The extra 0.3" of screen diagonal didn't add much to the phone's width because of the curved sides of the screen. It looks cool, but I side with the "flat is better" side of the debate. Still, it's a design element that's a clear mark of a flagship (Galaxy S9, LG V30, Nokia 8 Sirocco). Sony Xperia XZ3 While the screen is awesome, it's about all that Sony changed. The company has been dragging its feet on the dual camera front, RAM capacity is stuck in 2015 too, the competition is well past that. Sony has never been easily swayed by market trends, but now it has to deal with consumers that didn't grow up with Trinitron, Walkman and Cybershot. HiSilicon This was just a taste of the Huawei Mate 20, but the world's first 7nm chipset deserves recognition. The Kirin 980 chipset is also the first to use ARM's latest Cortex-A76 CPU cores and the Mali-G76 GPU, plus a faster LPDDR4X standard to keep both well fed with data. That said, I think the improvements to the ISP are even more exciting - multi-pass noise reduction has proven to be the right way to improve a camera's low-light performance. Early this year we were stunned by P20 Pro night shots and it's crazy to think that they can be old news just half a year later. The Honor sub-brand announced plans for Honor Play's global launch. It wants to ride the gaming phone buzz while sticking to the recipe established by the Honor View 10 and Huawei nova 3 (our poll suggests the Play will be a popular model). We were kind of hoping for the Honor Note 10, however, as it seems a 7" battleground is shaping up. BlackBerry Yeah, you read that right. It's a niche device, but the BlackBerry KEY2 LE is the only way to get a hardware QWERTY on mobile today. The only! You're not going to pay 600+ euro for the other KEY2, are you? BlackBerry KEY2 LE Anyway, this BlackBerry makes me feel old. Kids today prefer texting over calling, but have probably never experience the ergonomics and speed of a BlackBerry keyboard. Plus, the LE model breaks away from the drab colors of the old KEY2 - the red one in particular looks great with those accents on the keyboard. I just wish they kept the capacitive trackpad feature of said keyboard. PS. Check out the Counterclockwise article from earlier today, it covers BlackBerry's history. ZTE Quite a turnaround - from essentially shutting down operations to unveiling one of the cooler phones at IFA. The Axon 9 Pro has three of my favorite things - vanilla Android, an AMOLED display and a large 4,000mAh battery. ZTE Axon 9 Pro I'm a little conflicted about the 650 price as the old Axon cost about the same as a OnePlus. Still, I have to give it to ZTE - the Axon 9 Pro is waterproof, has stereo speakers, wireless charging and a useful secondary camera. The OnePlus has none of those, so the extra 80 could well be worth it. LG Last year at IFA, LG was quick to fill the Galaxy Note-shaped void with the excellent LG V30. This year... well, there's an LG V40 on the way and the rumors make it sound like a worthy follow-up to the V30, but it didn't launch last week. Instead we got more of LG's meandering strategy. As if the V30, V30+, V30S and V35S weren't enough, we're getting a variety of LG G7 models. Okay, the LG G7 One is pretty cool, you don't see many rugged and waterproof Android One phones. Certainly not with a QHD screen that can push out 1,000nits of brightness. I don't much care about the chipset these days, but I think LG dropped the ball with the camera. No wide-angle lens, no OIS, no high frame rate mode (or even just 60fps at 1080p), the camera feels barebones even in the mid-range. LG G7 One As for the LG G7 Fit, I'm waiting to hear the price, but for the most part I think it's just tarnishing the G7 name. The G7 ThinQ price has dropped noticeably already (we saw it at $450), better get that one instead of dealing with a Snapdragon 821 chipset (should have been S710/S670) and a disappointing camera. LG G7 Fit HTC This is more of an honorable mention as the phone technically wasn't at IFA. Still, the HTC U12 Life offers an interesting twist on the Pixel design and offers a more affordable alternative for those who can't quite afford the HTC U12+. The 3,600mAh battery is appreciated, though some form of fast charging would have made it even better. HTC U12 life Losers IFA Dare I say it, IFA 2018 was boring. Samsung launched the Galaxy Note9 before it, Huawei will launch the Mate 20 after it, the LG V40 was also MIA. There were many other great phones with non-IFA launches: Pocophone, the Find X, NEX S and so on. It feels like the most exciting phones of the second half of 2018 are not IFA launches. Okay, the Winners section has several arguments against that statement, but it's the trend that is worrying - if a few more brands drop out and choose to do their own events, IFA 2019 will be pretty barren. Motorola Motorola hasn't had the most exciting launches recently and while the Motorola One is a solid entry level phone, it's really starting to look like Moto has given up on flagships. As if the Moto Z3 didn't telegraph this clearly enough. Motorola One Motorola One Power (P30 Note) At least that one is an Android One phone, unlike Motorola P30 Note, which is essentially a Lenovo phone complete with the ZUI customizations. A far cry from the Moto X days of pure Android and innovative features. Okay, okay, the sky isn't falling - the P30 Note hardware is also available in Android One flavor as the Moto One Power. Still, neither Google nor Lenovo have managed to return the Motorola brand to its once dominant position. Published on 2018/09/09 | Source A growing number of elementary schoolchildren are accused of attacking their teachers. Advertisement According to data from the Education Ministry, reported cases of abuse from elementary schoolkids rose from 58 in 2013 to 167 last year. Over the same time, cases of abuse of teachers by middle schoolers fell from 2,937 to 1,008 and by high schoolers from 2,567 to 1,391. The number of reported physical attacks against teachers in elementary schools increased six-fold from only six to 36 over the five years, compared to 34 by highschoolers in 2017. Instances of verbal attacks also more than doubled from 19 to 40. Violence between elementary schoolkids is also rising. A survey by the ministry of 3.99 million schoolchildren across the nation showed that 70 percent of victims of schoolyard bullying were in elementary school. The proportion of elementary schoolkids who fell victim to bullying was 2.8 percent, significantly higher than in middle (0.7 percent) and high school (0.4 percent). Experts attribute the rise to the increasing physical stature of kids and early exposure to violent and provocative contents on the Internet. Lee Ho-joong at the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations said, "Even elementary schoolkids use smartphones these days, and this exposes them to foul language and violence at a young age". Jeon Soo-min at a law firm in Seoul said, "It is partly because the problems that used to be considered negligible offenses are increasingly being reported. In many cases involving elementary schoolkids, parents actively participate in disputes, which leads to more cases being reported than in middle and high schools". By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2018/09/08 Films about the "underground" fights of the spy agencies of North and South Korea have been one of the most significant trends of contemporary Korean cinema. It is interesting, however, to look at how a movie like that would be presented in 1954, just a year after the ending of the Korean War, when the animosity between the two Koreas reached one of its apogees. Han Hyeong-mo presents exactly that with "The Hand of Destiny". Furthermore, the film presents the first onscreen kiss in a South Korean movie, an event which, reportedly, made the recipient housewives whose eyes were beholden to the screen to emit gasps during the infamous scene. (source: koreanfilm.org) Advertisement The story revolves around Margaret/Jeong-ae, a North Korean spy who poses as a cabaret girl in a Seoul parlor and Yeong-cheol, a poor student and day laborer, whom Margaret meets when the police accuse him of stealing her wallet. Instead, the woman decides to take him under her wing, buying him clothes and offering him money, in a rather obvious, but also quite dubious as to its purposes, seduction. Eventually, the two of them form a relationship that makes them both happy. The notion, however, does not last for long, since Margaret uncovers a very dangerous secret Yeong-cheol was hiding, which brings her two identities to a direct clash. Han Hyeong-mo directs a film in three parts, each of whom seems to be of a different genre. In that fashion, the film starts as a romance, continues as an espionage thriller with much action, and concludes as a melodrama, although the latter element actually permeates the film. Han's approach to his subject, however, is quite minimalist, since the two protagonists are almost the only ones that appear on screen, and the rest of the cast get very few lines, almost exclusively without revealing their faces. This tactic extends to the production values, with the majority of the images in the film just showing the two protagonists interacting with each other, with the sole exception of the few action scenes, which are the only that take place in a non-urban environment. Lee Seong-hwi's cinematography is quite good in this setting, particularly excelling in the framing of the two characters and the way he avoids revealing the faces of the rest of the characters. Han Hyeong-mo's own editing changes for each part, with the romantic and the melodramatic parts mostly comprising of relatively lengthy one-shots, and the action of many, rapidly changing cuts. Both tactics serve the respective genre's aesthetics quite nicely. Apart from the above, the film provides an obvious metaphor for the effect of the split of the country, through a number of rather melodramatic dialogues between the two protagonists ("You're so close now, but why have we been so far apart?") and some messages directly addressed to the audience ("Be strong") (source: koreanfilm.org). The kiss of the two also moves in this direction, particularly when one connects it with the true identities of the protagonists. However, Han Hyeong-mo could not avoid submitting himself to propaganda, presenting Jeong-ae as a woman who has come to hate communism, eventually even being vocal about her ideas. On another social comment, Han Hyeong-mo makes a point of highlighting the modern woman that had emerged at the time, with Jeong-ae being an archetypical character of this concept. In that fashion, Yoon In-ja is exceptional as a woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it, although she is also presented as morally loose, which, at the time, referred to women who stayed out until late and smoked. Her prowess is equal in both the romantic and the dramatic scenes, with Han building the film around her and her delivering in great fashion. Lee Hyang as Yeong-cheol is also quite good in presenting his two different personas, although his role consists mostly of him interacting to Yoon In-ja's performance. Despite some evident faults, mostly deriving from the melodramatic part and the production values in the action scenes, "The Hand of Destiny" is a great film, full of meaning, and a great sample of the social circumstances in S. Korea after the Korean War. Review by Panos Kotzathanasis Facebook "The Hand of Destiny" is directed by Han Hyeong-mo, and features Lee Hyang, Yoon In-ja and Ju Seon-tae. Published on 2018/09/09 | Source Kim Bok-dong holds a placard in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Monday. /Yonhap A 92-year-old woman held a solo protest on Monday in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul over the way it handled the dispute with Japan over victims of wartime sex slavery. Advertisement Kim Bok-dong, a victim of the wartime atrocity, demanded the government get rid of a foundation set up based on a murky 2015 deal between Seoul and Tokyo to help the survivors without committing Japan to admitting guilt. Kim said the foundation, funded by 1 billion yen Tokyo paid, misses the point. She said the victims have not been fighting just for compensation but for a sincere apology from Tokyo for its past actions. Similar protests are planned through the end of September. HR professionals today are faced with many challenges, says Emma Marrett, event manager. Youre tasked with making the workplace more diverse and inclusive and ensuring employees have an amazing experience, but also with managing difficult staff, and implementing change. It can be a tough role. This event brings together thought leaders, award-winning HR directors and business leaders to explore the challenges facing HR professionals and share insight into better practice in todays workplace. The HR Summit Brisbane will be held on 24-25 October at the Stamford Plaza. Online registrations are now open for the event. Group bookings of four or more delegates qualify for further discounts. See http://brisbane.hrsummit.com.au/index.php. Employees involved in the campaign alleged mass layoffs resulting from Amazons consolidation have upset the livelihood of team members, stirred anxiety, and lowered moral[e] within stores. Amazons acquisition came with an agreement to trim hundreds of millions of dollars of labor, they said, adding the retrenchment would continue in 2019 and beyond before Amazon expands with new technology and labor models. The success of Amazon and WFM should not come at the cost of exploiting our dedication and threatening our economic stability, the employees said. The group is demanding a minimum wage of US$15, 401k matching, paid maternity leave, and lower health insurance deductibles, among other benefits and bonuses. WFM executives have long insisted unions were not a priority for the company since employees could communicate issues directly to managers. For Subscribers Supply chain crimping your Christmas gift style? Try shopping local Having trouble finding gifts due to supply-chain issues or looking for something new? Tri-State events, galleries offer locally made wares. Abhishek Bachchan and Anurag Kashyap in a new interview have spoken about their past differences and how they patched up before working together in the upcoming romantic drama, Manmarziyaan. Abhishek said in an interview with journalist Rajeev Masand that he agreed to do Manmarziyaan the second he was told Anurag would be directing, regardless of their history. I knew it was going to fly, he said, speaking about the enticing pairing of Kashyap and writer Kanika Dhillon. I went home and told Aishwarya (his wife) that I dont think Ive ever been this excited to do a film. When asked about whether he had any apprehensions about reconnecting with Abhishek, Anurag said that initially when Abhisheks name was floated for the role, he had wondered that maybe the studio didnt know about their past, so he requesting a meeting first. They all knew, he said. Everybody thought there was tension, but our tension was resolved years ago, he continued. Abhishek played the lead in Mani Ratnams Yuva, which had been written by Kashyap. It was rumoured that Kashyap was displeased with Abhisheks performance in the film. Thats history now. I first worked with Anurag in Mani Ratnams Yuva; he had written it. I dont think he liked my work in the film. And its only fair because we had spent a lot of time doing readings for the film. So somewhere, maybe he felt a little disappointed when he watched the movie. But we never spoke about it. Now, weve put all that behind us, Abhishek said recently, according to a Pinkvilla report. Kashyap in a recent interview to DNA had said that because of his negative reaction towards Abhisheks performance, they didnt talk for 10-15 years. Indian actors Taapsee Pannu(C), Abhishek Bachchan (L) and Vicky Kaushal pose for a picture during a promotional event for the upcoming film Manmarizyaan. (AFP) This so-called reconciliation was like a nikaah, Abhishek told Masand. A long time back at a Diwali party we sat and talked about it, Anurag chimed in. Once we sat across (from each other) it was all clear. Anurag had written in a 2010 Facebook post that Abhisheks father, actor Amitabh Bachchan, had sabotaged the release of Shonali Boses film Chittagong to give a clearer shot to Abhisheks similarly themed film, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. Anurag, according to a Times of India report, had written on Facebook, See Chittagong, a far superior film made on the same subject as Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.. At 1/8 th the cost, far superior actors and immense passion... Producers decided to sit on it, because of a phone call from someone, because that someone was trying desperately to save his sons career... welcome to Bollywood, where whose son you are outshines all the hard work and passion and potential and talent. KHJJS came and went, now what? Manmarziyaan will be released in cinemas on September 14. The film is co-produced by Aanand L Rai and also stars Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal. Follow @htshowbiz for more Not one to take this stress about a number being added to his age each year, actor Akshay Kumar still lives in his Khiladi times with undiminished zeal. Having hit a spectacular half century in life, Akshay, as he turns 51 on September 9, talks to us about his most special birthday gift this year and how his fan clubs celebrate his birthday. Read| Twinkle Khanna launches new book as Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh cheer her on. See pics Fifty-one and still rocking... what keeps you going year after year? I actually dont take this stress of the number in my head about turning 50, 51, 55, 60, or whatever. I still feel I can have a lot of fun... I still feel I can run fast, feel like jumping. A couple of days back, I was giving a shot for Housefull 4 and the jump wasnt required, but I still did it. I forget that Im 51 now and I should keep away from it... Im still thinking that I am in my Khiladi times and just doing action. So, how are you celebrating your birthday this year? Well, my son is studying in London, so Im going to miss him... Ive flown down to Mumbai for two days (from film sets at Ranthambhore) for my wifes (Twinkle Khannas) book launch, plus Ill get to spend my birthday with my wife, daughter, my mother-in-law and my mother. We are just going to sit and maybe have a drink (smiles). Your brainchild, Bharat Ke Veer, is tax-free now. Was it just the perfect gift for your birthday? Bharat Ke Veer going tax-free is my biggest birthday gift. Thanks to the government, the Home Ministry, Finance Ministry, for doing this in such a quick way. The app is doing so well with civilians contributing for the families of martyrs (soldiers). Do you feel that now more people will be drawn to this noble cause? Yes, because its tax-free, obviously more people will come forward. My dream is now to even get people and families whose son or father or brother have lost their limbs, on Bharat Ke Veer... Woh bhi haqdaar hain (They, too, are deserving). You can expand only when the money flow is more from the civilians side. Even your fans celebrate your birthday by doing good deeds... holding blood donation camps, gifting lunch to disabled students, and so on. How does it feel? Im shocked myself that they do it every year, and they do it on their own. Its not that anybody tells them; they believe in these things. Im so happy and so grateful to them for doing such good things. Also, they do it according to my films when I did Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, they did something with that, or if I did Pad Man, they planned on those lines. It means that my movies make a difference in their lives. Blood donation camps and all, theyve been doing for ages. I cant tell you how lucky I feel that I have such sweet people like them. Blood donation camps and feeding children and disabled students are among fan club activities organised to celebrate Akshay Kumars birthday every year around the country. Have you ever met them or supported them with funds to organise any of this? Whenever I am in [a particular] state, they contact my digital team. So, they come to see me, have a photograph, and I talk to them briefly and they are happy, thats it. As for funds, you first need to know the genuineness of things. So, I find out, and then all kinds of help just keep on flowing to them slowly, and on its own. You see, you have to be careful also with these things, because you dont want anything wrong to happen there can be wrong people taking money from you and doing wrong things. But these fan clubs manage it all [themselves] and Ive never come across any of them asking for any money from me. Follow @htshowbiz for more Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja are the cutest couple in Bollywood and their every appearance together just goes to prove this. On Saturday, Sonam was in Delhi to walk the ramp for a jewellery brand. Looking every bit a blushing bride in a gorgeous purple lehenga, the actor accentuated her look with statement jewellery. However, as much as we loved Sonams ramp appearance, what had the internet - and us - clicking over and over again were her photos with Anand. As the two posed for paparazzi after the event, Anand absolutely refused to let go of his wifes dupatta. The two were all smiles as they posed for photos hand in hand, with Anand holding on to the dupatta as well. Sonam with her husband Anand in Delhi. Sonam walked the ramp for a jewellery brand. Sonam and Anand got married in a tasteful ceremony in Mumbai in May this year, with a reception party that was easily the Bollywood event of the year. The couple has been in news since then for their beautiful relationship and PDA. Anand-Sonam PDA was cute. Speaking to Vogue after the wedding, Sonam had given a peek into their relationship, I was apparently wearing the worst sneakers he had ever seen. I keep telling him that he fell in love with me despite my bad sneaker game That day, walking and talking in London, I knew he was the love of my life. He apparently knew the first time we spoke on the phone It was just so easy, Sonam said about her entrepreneur husband. Looking on less than a queen, Sonam on the ramp. Anand believes Sonam gives him confidence. I can see both sides of a story, but I often get stuck in the grey zone. I sometimes need to be able to say no, and Sonam gives me the confidence to do that, she supports me. Shes intuitive and patient, I second-guess, he said about his bride. On the work front, Sonam has finished shooting for Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga that also stars father Anil Kapoor and is working on The Zoya Factor with Dulquer Salmaan. (All pictures by Viral Bhayani) Follow @htshowbiz for more The Switzerland authorities are planning to install a statue of veteran Indian actor Sridevi, whose superhit movie Chandni was shot at the country's picturesque locations. The statue of the renowned Indian filmmaker, Yash Chopra, was unveiled in Interlaken in 2016. "Many of Chopra's films featured Switzerland as a backdrop and he is credited with boosting the popularity of the Alpine nation among Indian tourists. Now, considering Sridevi's role in promoting tourism here, there is a proposal to honour the actor by having her statue here," a senior official familiar with the development said. The 1989 blockbuster Chandni had also put Switzerland on centre stage as almost half the song and dance sequences in the film had a Swiss backdrop. Raj Kapoor's 1964 film Sangam was the first Indian film shot in Switzerland, which was followed by An Evening in Paris in 1967. Since then Bollywood made Switzerland their favourite shooting location paving way to cement the image of the country's alpine scenery as a romantic paradise for Indians. "However, for many Indian tourists visiting the country today, it is Chopra's 1995 production Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that is their Swiss point of reference. Interestingly, for the tourists who happen to be cinema fanatics, there is also a provision to arrange Bollywood packaged trips here," the official said. The government of Interlaken had also awarded the honorary title of Ambassador of Interlaken to Yash Chopra in 2011 and a train is named after him "Chopra's last movie as a director- Jab Tak Hai Jaan also had Switzerland in its original screenplay however it had to be cancelled due to his sudden demise. There is also a lake which is known as Yash Chopra lake here as he shot many of his scenes at the lake in Lauenensee," the official said. Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, died at the age of 55 due to accidental drowning in Dubai earlier this year. Follow @htshowbiz for more The acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart may negatively impact the net income of the latter this fiscal and also the next, said Walmart in its recent regulatory filing. The US retail giant had last month said it completed the acquisition of 77% stake in Flipkart Group, an Indian-based eCommerce marketplace, for approximately $16 Billion. We also expect the ongoing operations of Flipkart to negatively impact fiscal 2019 and 2020 net income, including additional interest expense due to the long-term debt issuance in the second quarter of of fiscal 2019, Walmart said. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, Walmart will consolidate the financial statements of Flipkart using a one-month lag, it added. Speaking in an investors meet in US recently, Douglas McMillon, president, CEO and director Walmart Inc said they are learning about retail ecosystems and how they work around the world. Were learning a lot from China. Well be learning even more from India.And we basically want to be in places that have a tremendous opportunity, which is what led us to Flipkart in India, he said in response to a query. According to him, Flipkart, which has a strong management team, was built out an ecosystem. In the case of India, its worth it. If it had been a smaller market, we may have passed. But this is a unique opportunity. And when you look out 5, 10, 20 years from now, time will tell, McMillo had said. As Flipkart is expected to generate meaningful losses for at least the next few years, this is clearly an investment for Walmart for the future, Moodys vice president Charlie OShea had earlier said in a report commenting on the acquisition. Regulator TRAI has imposed penalties on major telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular (now merged), for slipping on various service quality benchmarks for the March quarter, according to multiple sources. The fines cover various parameters and service areas, and all the operators are in the process of making the payment, sources told PTI. About Rs 34 lakh fine has been imposed for March 2018 quarter on Reliance Jio, the aggressive player whose offerings since 2016 have shaken the market and triggered a bruising tariff war among operators. The penalty on the Mukesh Ambani-led firm is on account of Trai-defined service quality parameters, including Point of Interconnect congestion, accessibility of call centres or customer care, and percentage of calls answered by operators (voice to voice) in a set timeframe. An e-mail sent to Reliance Jio seeking its response on the penalty did not elicit a response. Maintaining its watch on service quality in the sector, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had tightened the rules and asked players to abide by its new quality of service (QoS) benchmarks from October 1, 2017. The latest assessment reflects how the operators have fared between January and March 2018 on Trais new service quality benchmarks. Bharti Airtel which was the largest telecom operator in the country till the merger of Vodafone and Idea Cellular shuffled the pecking order late last month has been fined to the tune of about Rs 11 lakh for the three months to March, as per sources. Its penalties are on account of norms relating to metering and billing (postpaid), accessibility of call centre and customer care, percentage of calls answered by operators within defined timeframe parameters. The fine imposed on Idea Cellular is about Rs 12.5 lakh for the March quarter. The penalties pertain to various circles on parametres like call drops, percentage of calls answered by operators within a set timeframe, and requests for closure of services complied within seven days. In case of Vodafone, the March quarter penalties stood at only about Rs 4 lakh on issues like metering and billing (pre-paid), time taken to comply with request for termination or closure of service, and percentage of calls answered by operators within a timeframe. While Bharti Airtel declined to comment, Idea Cellular and Vodafone did not respond to e-mails queries on the issue. Trai chairman RS Sharma had earlier told PTI that the regulator is in the final stage of imposing penalty on operators which have not met service quality norms for the March quarter, but had not given details. Trai has been maintaining that it does not wish to name specific operators or penalties slapped on them for not meeting the service quality criteria. Accordingly, it has never published this information either on its website or through a statement. As per the new quality of service benchmarks of Trai, now call drops are measured at mobile tower level instead of telecom circle level. Trai was of the view that average calculated at circle level may hide many issues. A sex racket running under the garb of a spa centre was busted in Kondhwa on Friday. Five girls including three foreigners have been rescued from the spot, according to police officials. The spa located on the second floor of the Dorabjee Mall was raided by the sleuths of Kondhwa police on the basis of a tip-off which mentioned about the prostitution racket running under the garb of Thai Wellness Spa. Police arrested a 37-year-old woman hailing from Nagaland who was working as the manager of the Spa centre. Three girls from Thailand and two girls from Mizoram and Nagaland were rescued. The Kondhwa police informed that the five girls including the three foreign nationals were forced into prostitution. Three girls from Thailand came to India on tourist visa and were entrapped by the racketeers into prostitution. Further probe is going into the matter and a case under relevant sections of the Indian penal code (IPC) has been registered against the accused manager. While Marvel protects the secrets of Avengers 4 with actual Tony Stark-level security (no joke, it has been rumoured that they have facial recognition on the doors of their offices), a new video theorises that Iron Man will absolutely die in the upcoming Marvel movie. In a video posted by the popular CinemaWins channel, the host suggests that not only will Tony die (for good) in Avengers 4, but that the signs were there for everyone to see in Avengers: Infinity War. The video says that Stark will most likely die in some sacrificial way similar to what he attempted to do in the first Avengers. Marvel fans would remember that Tony had attempted to fly a nuclear weapon into outer space to save New York in the first film, fully aware that it was going to be a suicide mission. He survived, but in doing so managed to attract the attention of Thanos, thereby setting them on a collision course that will likely come to a head in Avengers 4. To back his theory up, the host presents many points. The first includes Doctor Strange, who foresaw 14 million outcomes to the Avengers fight with Thanos, and concluded that theyd win in only one. Strange needed (Tony) alive more than he needed Thanos to not snap. That one-in-fourteen-million-winning scenario must not work without Iron Man. The host says that signs pointing to Iron Mans eventual death were present all over Infinity War, starting from the fact that Iron Man got so much screen time in the film. His larger arc in Infinity War as compared to the relatively less screen time given to Captain America suggests that the ratio will be reversed in Avengers 4. His engagement to Pepper and the talk of kids is all meant to make you feel his death even more, the video says. The other huge clue is that his suit is way overpowered now. Iron Man was the only one who went toe-to-toe with Thanos in the film, even though it had been established that Thanos was powerful enough to send Hulk scurrying away. The video also goes on to say that Tony will be the only major character to die in the film, simply because Marvel would not want to water down the impact of his death with other characters biting the bullet. The renewed interest in Thor essentially confirms that hell stick around, and instead of killing Steve Rogers, the video says that he will probably just retire, and that Bucky will pick up Captain Americas shield. Also, Shuri will be the next Iron Man, provided they de-power her to an extent. The video predicts that Tony will die a heroic death, probably saving Peter Parker, to whom he acts as the Marvel Cinematic Universes version of Uncle Ben. The rest of the characters, the video says, are probably inside the soul stone or the soul world. The host backs this up by bringing up the similar structure that we saw in Thanos and Gamoras flashback and the strange bloody world Thanos woke up in after acquiring the soul stone by sacrificing Gamora. Another point worth mentioning is that of all the major Avengers actors, Robert Downey Jr is the only one to have announced several big-time upcoming projects. He is currently filming a new version of Doctor Doolittle - intended to kick off a new franchise - and he also recently announced that he would be reprising his role as Sherlock Holmes for the third time. There has been no shortage of fan theories predicting the plot of Avengers 4 on the internet. But well have to wait till May 2019 to find out. The fourth Avengers movie is currently undergoing a final round of filming, before heading into the worldwide promotional tour towards the start of 2019. Follow @htshowbiz for more At a meeting of its state and central level leaders this week, the Congress finalised plans for a 40-day mass outreach programme to seek donations for the party. The party believes that by doing this it is going back to its old system of resource mobilisation, when crowd-funding was an important source of financing election expenses. The move, however, is as likely to be a result of the drying up of corporate funding as it is of a rediscovered enthusiasm for grass-roots fund mobilisation. Election and political party watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) last month released its report on donations received by 31 regional parties in 2016-17. Earlier this year, it released details of donations received by national parties for the same year. A comparison of these reports highlights the difficulty the Congress has been facing in raising funds after it lost power to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has received less in donations than the Shiv Sena (SHS) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), two regional parties, collectively received in both 2015-16 and 2016-17. (See chart 1) ADRs website www.myneta.info has details of donations received and incomes of political parties since 2001-02. HT has scraped this information to make long-term comparisons of these figures. The BJP and the Congress were almost equally placed in terms of donations received between 2004-05 and 2008-09, when the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was in power. Donations to the BJP were more than twice what the Congress got during the years when UPA II was in power. In the first three years of the Narendra Modi government (ADR only has data till 2016-17), donations to the BJP have risen to more than five times what the Congress got. Read: Funding elections in India: Whose money has the most influence? In fact, the Congresss overall share in total donations received by all political parties fell to an all-time low in 2015-16 and even more in 2016-17. (See chart 2) To be sure, the ADR database has information for a small number of regional parties in the earlier period. However, this database is the only consolidated and publicly available source of donations received by political parties in India. It needs to be underlined that donations are not the only source of income for political parties. In fact, it is hazardous to draw a one-to-one relation between donations received by a political party and its total income. While total donations received by the Congress in 2016-17 were less than what the Shiv Sena and the AAP got together, its total income was more than 3.5 times the income of these two regional parties. Even among the regional parties, the Samajwadi Party reported the highest income in 2016-17, even though it was ranked fourth in terms of donations received. Read: Power to the rich: India needs to talk about money in politics The Congress retaining second position in terms of income does not tell us anything about the widening of the gap between its incomes and the BJPs. Between 2013-14 and 2016-17, the BJP has quadrupled its lead over the Congress in terms of income. The Congresss share in total income of all political parties went below 30% for the first time in 2014-15 and has been falling continuously since then. (See chart 3) Bloomberg in May 2018 reported that the Congress had stopped sending funds to maintain its party offices in various states due to a shortage of funds. With elections getting more expensive in India, a cash crunch is bound to have an adverse impact on the Congresss ability to challenge the BJP in the 2019 elections. To be sure, election spending and poll performance need not have a one-to-one relationship. According to the expenditure reports submitted to the Election Commission by the two parties, the BJP spent only about 1.5 times more money than the Congress during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, yet it won 6.4 times more seats. Read: Money matters in Indian elections: Why parties depend on wealthy candidates Banned Manipur outfit Kangleipak Communist Partys (Military Council Progressive) chairman Amon Nelson Singh was arrested in Kolkata by the city polices Special Task Force (STF) late Saturday night, police said. Singh, 28, alias Chingkhei Khuman alias Mahekhomba Metel, was arrested in a case filed by the STF on Friday and booked for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and for acquiring, possessing and carrying illegal firearms under the Arms Act, according to a statement issued by deputy commissioner (STF), Murlidhar Sharma. A 9 MM pistol, two 7 MM pistol and some ammunition was recovered from his possession, Sharma said. The arrest comes four days after the outfits general secretary Moirangthem Rana Pratap alias Paikhomba, 37, was apprehended by the special cell of Delhi Police in the national capitals Bishnupur area for allegedly threatening businessmen and influential people. Although the arrest took place on September 4, but Delhi police only announced it on September 8. On August 28, another commander of the same banned outfit, Oinam Ibochouba Singh alias Khoirangba was arrested from south Delhis Kotla Mubarakpur area. Deputy commissioner (special cell) of Delhi police, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that it was Moirangthem who directed Oinam to go to Delhi and set up a base there to conduct their activities. Amon was produced at a city court on Sunday and remanded to police custody. A STF official, who did not wish to be named, said that they were investigating why he had come to Kolkata. Last year, some members of Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council Progressive) were arrested in connection with a robbery at a jewellery shop in Kolkata. We are also trying to probe whether Amon was involved with that robbery or not. He was so far confessed that he was responsible for extortion from a number of people in Manipur, the STF official added. Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council Progressive) came into existence in the late 2000s and was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by the Centre for waging war against the Indian state. On Saturday three minor parties in Mizoram, Peoples Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM), Mizoram Chhantu Pawl (MCP) or Save Mizoram Front and Operation Mizoram forged a pre-poll alliance with the aim of contesting the assembly polls due later this year. This is the second such alliance of regional parties in Mizoram, the only state in the north-east under Congress rule. A year ago, the Zoram Nationalist Party, Mizoram Peoples Conference and Zoram Exodus Movement came together to form the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM). Schedule for polls in the northeastern state is yet to be announced and there is speculation that it might be held along with the general elections. But battle lines are already getting drawn. Addressing the press at Aizawl on Saturday, Operation Mizoram convenor Vanlalhuma Kawlni said the alliance, if it comes to power, would strive to bring the entire state under the Sixth Schedule to protect the tribal nature of Mizoram, end border disputes with Assam and drive out illegal immigrants. The ruling Congress too had a meeting of senior leaders chaired by Chief Minister and partys Mizoram unit chief Lal Thanhawla where it discussed poll strategy for the 40 assembly seats. Though he has been in power since December 2008, the 76-year-old Lal Thanhawla told party colleagues that Congress would be able to win the assembly polls easily as the party had brought peace and tranquility. While the BJP has been able to expand its footprint in the region with governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura and is part of the ruling coalition in Meghalaya and Nagaland, in Mizoram the scene could be different. It will be a straight fight between the Congress and our party, said Zoramthanga, chief of the Mizo National Front, the states biggest regional party that had been in power twice between 1998 and 2008. MNF is part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance, a conglomeration of anti-Congress parties in the region, but there is unlikely to be any pre-poll alliance between the two parties. We will contest all the 40 seats on our own and are confident of coming to power again. People are fed up of Congress misrule. The BJP would be lucky if it manages to win even one seat, Zoramthanga said. The BJP, too, is not planning to forge any alliance in Christian-dominated Mizoram at the moment and could seal post-poll tie-ups much like it did in Meghalaya in March.. Earlier this year, the party had come third in Nagaland winning 12 of the total 60 seats in the Christian-majority state. In Meghalaya, another state with a majority Christian population, the BJP bagged two seats and joined the ruling coalition after announcement of results. The party hasnt taken any decision yet on Mizoram polls. Our national executive meet is underway and maybe some strategy would be formed, said Pawan Sharma, BJP in-charge for Mizoram, over phone from Delhi. The two alliances of smaller parties dont appear to be in the fight at the moment but in the event of a hung assembly the few seats bagged by them or independents could prove crucial in government formation. Till now we are planning to contest from 38 of the 40 seats on our own and there has been no talk of alliances. Theres no possibility of joining hands with the BJP as well, said K Sapdanga, general secretary of the ZPM. The Congress said on Sunday petrol and diesel should be brought under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax as it claimed the support of about 20 political parties for a nationwide protest on Monday against rising fuel prices. Petrol was selling in Delhi on Sunday at a record price of Rs 80.50 per litre, while diesel rose 10 paise to Rs 72.61 per litre amid a surge in rates over the past month that has increased pressure on the government to find a solution for relief to consumers. The Congress had called a Bharat Bandh on September 10 in protest, saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had profited from the fuel loot. Congress party has called for a nationwide Bharat Bandh against the continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices and the drop in rupees value against US dollar. The bandh will be violence-free. We request all the businessmen to support us in this, Congress leader Ajay Maken said on Sunday. In last four years, excise duty has increased by 211.7% on petrol and 443 percent on diesel. In May 2014, excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.2, while now it is Rs 19.48. Similarly, on diesel excise duty was Rs 3.46 in May 2014, however, it is now Rs 15.33, he added. The Congress said bringing fuel under GST would lead to a drop of Rs 15-18 in prices. Almost half of the retail selling price of petrol and diesel is made up of central and state taxes. Prices have been increasing since mid-August, rising almost every day due to a drop in rupee and rise in crude oil rates. India is the third biggest importer of oil. Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced a 4% reduction in value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel on Sunday, which was set to reduce prices by Rs 2.5 per litre in the state. (It) will provide much-needed relief to the people of the state..., Raje said after the announcement. The Congress has also protested the weakening of the rupee that, weighed down by trade concerns and rising crude prices, breached the 72 mark last week. The value of rupee is below 72 now. Earlier when rupee value used to cross 60, then Prime Minister Modi used to say that rupee is in ICU. What will he say now? Maken said on Sunday. The government has blamed international factors for the hike in fuel price and said that one major reason for the rise in petrol and diesel prices is the depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Samajwadi Party (SP), among others, have extended support to the nationwide shutdown called by the Congress. While the Aam Aadmi Party condemned the rising prices, it said the party would not join the protest called by the Congress. The Shiv Sena, too, has decided to stay away from the agitation. Responding to the Congresss request to join the protest, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said: The opposition should show their unity. The Sena is looking at the bandh neutrally, he said. The remarks came after the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena announced it was supporting the bandh. (With inputs from PTI) Congress and People Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday urged Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik to facilitate a consensus over panchayat and urban local body elections scheduled to be held from October in the state. Congress chief G A Mir said that taking any unilateral decision would not be wise in a state like Jammu and Kashmir. We think it is a sensitive state and, here, taking any unilateral decision is not prudent. If he (governor) has to take issues forward successfully then consensus is necessary, Mir said during a media interaction in Srinagar. The Congress leaders statement comes after National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah declared that the party will not take part in the upcoming elections until the Centre clears its stand on Article 35A and Article 370 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court last month adjourned hearing to January 2019 on a bunch of petitions against the Article 35A of the Constitution, which empowers the Jammu and Kashmirs legislature to define permanent residents of the state. In the court, the state had pleaded for deferment of hearing till the panchayat elections were conducted. Militants have warned candidates against taking part in the polls while separatists have called for a boycott. Mir went on to say that even those not in the mainstream should also be taken on board. Whether mainstream parties or those not in the mainstream, they should be taken onboard from time to time. Indian government has also appointed an interlocutor and if he (governor) wants he could use the services of the interlocutor. Till people understand the differences between panchayat, urban bodies, and assembly and parliament elections, it will be a mess, he said. He said that the panchayat and municipal elections are development-oriented, not politics-oriented and they could even be fought on non-party basis. The state unit of the Congress has called for a meeting of its leaders on September 11 to decide their participation in the upcoming elections. Mir said that they met the governor Malik as a party and wanted him to improve situation on ground before showing any haste in conducting the elections. A Lok Sabha election last time here showed 7 per cent polling. It did not send a positive message. We told him, if you want to increase it, then the grievances and issues of people have to be addressed, so that there is a change on ground. So you have to have a review of central policies as well as local, soften these policies so that there is a sigh of relief, Mir said. When children leave home in the morning there are apprehensions whether they will return. Till these apprehensions are cleared people wont support any democratic processTake some decisions based on feedback from people and get people on board, then we can talk of elections, he said. The municipal and panchayat polls are set to start on October 1 and last till first week of November. Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that governor should call for an all-party meet before going ahead with the elections. In our time we called an all-party meeting where it came to fore that the situation is not right and we cant provide security to so many people, violence can erupt and even people can get killed. Today I also hope that government will consult all parties and then take a decision so that lives and properties of people are safe, she told media after a public meeting in central Kashmir. Mehbooba said that people are apprehensive about the elections and the fate of Article 35 A. People are apprehensive, parties are apprehensive. Another problem is that Article 35 A in court, and then deferring it on the premise that a decision will be taken after panchayat elections has further aggravated the atmosphere. So in this situation I think governor should call all the parties to consult them and then take a decision, she said. Central and Delhi state drug regulators on Saturday carried out joint surprise checks to search for any unauthorised sale and distribution of oxytocin, the cuddle hormone used medically to induce labour in pregnant women and control post-delivery bleeding but also misused in dairy industry, and seized some injections, suspected to be of the hormone, from a city departmental store. Apart from the dairy industry where animals are injected with the drug to make them produce more milk, there have been some cases of its use on trafficked young girls so they attain early puberty. To curb its misuse, the Centre banned the production and distribution of oxytocin by private companies from September 1 but this has been extended to October 1 on the orders of Delhi high court. As the drug is in the schedule H1 category, its over-the-counter sale, without prescription, is illegal. Based on intelligence gathered by Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), a joint surprise check was carried out in various chemist shops, departmental stores and dairies in Gazipur, East Delhi, by a team of officers of CDSCO and drug control department, Delhi, for search and seizure of unauthorized sale, distribution of oxytocin, according to a Union health ministry statement. During the search, the team has seized plastic bottles (200 ml & 100 ml ) suspected to be oxytocin injection, from a departmental store situated at Gazipur Dairy Farm, Delhi... The shop does not hold any license for sale & distribution of drugs as required under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 & Rules,1945. The samples of seized bottles have also been collected for test/analysis as per the procedures under the said Act and Rules, it said, adding that a case has been lodged against the shop owner at the local police station. The CDSCO had also raided various places in the same area in 2015, and seized a large quantity of oxytocin bottles from some stores and unlicensed premises. Two persons were arrested and a case was filed against them. It is currently being heard in a Delhi court. The CDSCO has requested all the state/union territory drug controllers as well as its zonal, sub-zonal and port offices to sensitize their inspectorate staff to keep strict vigil on manufacture, sale and distribution of oxytocin in the country and take all measures to ensure that the drug is not manufactured or sold illegally and its misuse is prevented. An informal and free exchange of seeds across the India-Bangaldesh border in Murshidabad and Nadia districts of Bengal continues to fuel wheat blast disease a year after the state government banned wheat cultivation within five km of the international border. In July 2017, the state government on the advice of the Centre banned wheat cultivation for a year within an area of 5 km from the border in these districts to control crop damage. Earlier this week, the ban was extended for another year but a shortage of manpower to enforce it still dogs the government. But farmers continue to cultivate wheat in large swathes of unfenced border areas. West Bengals agriculture minister, Asish Banerjee, sounded quite helpless. Though we were expected to come out with a solution for tackling wheat blast within this period, it simply did not happen. There is a huge unfenced border in these two districts and we are unable to control exchange of seeds between the farmers of the two countries, Banerjee said on Sunday. Rahul Amil, a farmer in Basantpur village in Murshidabad district who has been cultivating wheat for the past few decades, regularly procures seeds from farmers of Bangladesh. Quality and price are both factors in opting for seeds from Bangladesh, he says. There is no fence between his village and the neighbouring country. Not that a fence may have mattered much. Krishna Halder, a share-cropper in the Mahakhola village in Nadia district exchanges seeds with farmers from the neighbouring Chuadanga district of Bangladesh despite the presence of a fence. Every day, farmers cross over for farming plots that happen to be on Bangladeshi soil through the gates and across the BSF screen. BSF does not check whether farmers are taking seeds or bringing them back, said Halder. Despite the border, we live like a single society, where we exchange food items and even goodies during festivities. In many regions, the mobile tower signals from Bangladesh are stronger than those on Indian side, said Biplab Biswas, a farmer from Chapra area of Nadia district. The exchange of seeds has been happening for years, either for money or through simple barter, he added. Minister Asish Banerjee said that cattle that stray across the border on either side to graze are also carriers of the disease. Wheat blast is caused by a fungus and can travel easily through seeds and even wandering cattle. Around 800 hectares of land have been affected by the wheat blast. Wheat blast devastated the wheat production of Brazil for the first time in 1985. In 2016, the fungus entered Asia, creating havoc in Bangladesh where crops of over 20,000 hectares in six districts had to be burnt. Bangladesh has a 4,096-km border with India of which 2,217 km is with West Bengal. Last year, the state government paid a compensation of Rs 4.10 crore to farmers for the wheat that we had to burn in the fields, said the agriculture minister. A district officer of the state agriculture department in Murshidabad district said on condition of anonymity that in certain pockets in Domkal subdivision, some wheat was cultivated last year despite the ban. We are trying to prevent it, but it is impossible to check it everywhere due to shortage of manpower. The criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police on Saturday night arrested three members of a WhatsApp group and one more person for spreading a fake message on outbreak of Morphine Virus in the state, police said. According to a statement issued by the CID late on Saturday night, the police on Friday evening came across a message being circulated about the outbreak of the virus in the state claiming the carriers are fish above one kg in weight. After initial probe when it was noticed that the message originated from Bongaon sub- division in North 24 Parganas district, a joint investigation team of CID and district police started a probe and traced the message to a WhatsApp group Bangaon Local, which was responsible for spreading the fake message. The three group administrators Amit Dutta, Avi Kundu and Abrajit Roy were arrested on Saturday night. Another member of the group, Sanjib Biswas, was also arrested for forwarding the fake message to more than 200 WhatsApp users. According to the CID statement, the fake message was attributed to West Bengal government and to make it look genuine quotes attributed to some doctors were also falsely incorporated. The doctors quoted in the fake message, a copy of which is with HT, were Bangaon-based Dr Davis Dsouza and Dr Asim Kumbhakar, who is based out of Durgapur, the industrial city in West Burdwan district, who himself became a victim of this virus Quoting Dr Dsouza, the fake message said that the sources of this deadly Morphine Virus are fishes in Ichamati river and the virus affects the kidneys severely. As per the message, Dsouza also cautioned that no treatment for this virus has been detected as yet and hence people should refrain from consuming fishes weighing over one kg for the time being. In June this year, Kolkata Police had summoned Sanjay Dixit, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Rajasthan cadre, in connection with the circulation of a fake West Bengal government notification about extended Eid holiday. Kolkata Police then filed an FIR against Dixit, an additional chief secretary with Rajasthan government, at the cyber police station after the fake notification went viral on social media. Few people from Kolkata who had shared the post without verifying were also questioned. The government is in the process of framing a new emigration policy to replace the current one that was framed back in 1983, according to a top bureaucrat. Dnyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, ministry of external affairs and overseas Indian affairs, said: The current policy of emigration enacted by the government of India is very old and needs to be reworked. He did not elaborate on which parts of the old policy need changing Since 1983, the conditions globally have changed significantly. There are many areas where many new things have emerged from the time the earlier policy was drafted, Mulay added. The process of working on the new act has already started, he said, although many of the current processes, he admitted, have already moved ahead of the act. According to the Emigration Act, 1983, emigrant means any citizen of India who intends to emigrate, or emigrates, or has emigrated to another country. Refusing to give the estimated time of completion of the new draft, Mulay said: After the draft is ready, Parliament will have to approve it and only then will the new policy be enacted. Consequently, it is not possible to comment as to when exactly it will be implemented as the entire process will take time to finish. Reacting to the governments decision, Nikhil Varma, who is a practising advocate in the Supreme Court of India and a co-owner of a Delhi-based law firm said, The current obsolete Act dates back to 1983 and has on several occasions been publicly criticised for its shortcomings. People emigrating by bypassing the clearance process and no strict oversight on protector-generals are some of the shortcomings of the current policy, experts said. According to Varma, another issue is that the current emigration act does not distinguish between regular and irregular emigrants going outside the country. In the new policy, the government must amend this particular section and incorporate some distinctions between the two categories, he said. Varma pointed out that when the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) had kidnapped 39 Indians in June, 2014, the kidnapped irregular emigrants were not helped by the government as their emigration record was not in order. The new law must have some humanitarian grounds and consider such genuine cases as well, he added. The Gujarat police have launched a hunt for a man in Porbandar city who was allegedly raping his three minor daughters for the last five years, police said. According to officials of Kamlabaug police station in Porbandar, the man has gone underground after the eldest daughter registered a complaint with them on Saturday night . Accused is a resident of Chayya locality and around 40 years of age. On Saturday late night, the eldest daughter had come to Kamlabaug police station to file an FIR, said a police spokesman. The police said the eldest daughter is 16 years old, the second one is 13 and the youngest 10. Their mother passed away in 2008. After the death of the mother, the three girls where shifted to a residential school in Junagadh, police said. The police said the eldest daughter has claimed in her complaint that her father first raped her five years ago when she was visiting him during the holidays. After he managed to keep the eldest daughter mum over the issue, he made the other two sisters his target, the police said. The police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the father. On August 21, a 12-year-old girl had delivered a baby boy in Surat. Her father had allegedly raped her multiple times after divorcing her mother. A woman head constable with Haryana police has accused a man and his brother, who too is a head constable, of raping and blackmailing her, an official said on Sunday. Following the rape case being filed at women police station, Palwal on Saturday, a probe was launched, Palwal SP, Waseem Akram said. However, he denied the rumours that the victim was raped inside a police station as reported by a section of the media. The woman head constable has complained that she came in contact with the main accused Joginder alias Mintu of Alawalpur, Palwal in 2014. She had first met him in Mahendergarh, Akram said quoting the complaint by the woman. She stated that they were in touch since then and Joginder had allegedly repeatedly raped her during her posting in Faridabad, Jind and Palwal, he added. The complainant further alleged that in June 2017, Joginder introduced her to his brother a head constable with Faridabad police who too allegedly raped her, Akram said. She alleged that Joginder has been blackmailing her for money and sexual favours as he possesses objectionable photographs of her and threatens to post them on social media. During the investigation, it has been found that the accused Joginder is married and has two children. The complainant is also married, he said. A six-member Indian Air Force crew is on its way to France to train on Rafale fighter planes, amid politics over the controversial Rs 59,000-crore deal showing no signs of dying down in the country. A fighter pilot, an engineer and four technicians form the first batch of a hand-picked crew that will train on the Rafale jets as the IAF prepares the ground for inducting the first lot of its new planes from September 2019, two persons familiar with the development said. The crew, which left for France on Sunday, will be trained at the Saint-Dizier air base in eastern France. The IAF will send more pilots and technicians to France for Rafale training in the coming months in batches. It will be the responsibility of these crews to fly the jets to India, said one of the officials cited above. The Rafale will be the first imported fighter jet to be inducted into the IAF in 22 years after the Russian Sukhoi-30 fighters. The first Su-30 entered IAF service in June 1997. India and France signed the deal for two Rafale squadrons (36 planes) in September 2016 as an emergency purchase to arrest the worrying slide in the IAFs capabilities. The squadrons will be based at Ambala in Haryana and Hasimara in West Bengal, covering the northern and eastern fronts. All 36 fighter planes will arrive by September 2022, a small step on the long road towards building a stronger air force. The count of the IAFs fighter squadrons has reduced to 31 compared to an optimum strength of 42-plus units required to fight a two-front war with China and Pakistan. The Rafale jets are tailored for the IAF: India-specific enhancements include helmet-mounted sight, radar warning receivers, flight data recorders with enough storage for 10 hours of data, infra-red search and track systems, jammers, cold engine start capability to operate from high-altitude bases and towed decoys to lure incoming missiles away. The fighters will be equipped with Meteor beyond visual range missiles built by European defence major MBDA Missile Systems. The Meteors no escape zone is touted to be three times greater than that of current medium range air-to-air missiles. While the UPA has alleged that India paid Rs 351 crore more for each jet than other Rafale customers, the NDA government has asserted that the basic aircraft price is 20% cheaper under the NDA than what was on offer under the UPA in 2007. The IAF has defended the deal saying the Rafale brings tremendous capabilities at a reasonable price. The government has said the prices are not comparable because of several factors: the fighter numbers, the time since the previous negotiations; the fact that the previous deal was not viable and couldnt have been closed; and the weaponisation and customization of the warplanes. The NDA has also said that it cannot disclose the price on two counts: a confidentiality agreement with France, and the strategic reason of not showing its hand to Indias enemies. The opposition has claimed the confidentiality agreement doesnt apply to this deal. At the DNS College of Engineering in Uttar Pradeshs Amroha, Saturday was a little different from any other day. The college, which operates from a nondescript building and has 500 students, witnessed a constant stream of visitors. Almost all of them were policemen. Personnel of the Uttar Pradesh polices intelligence unit and the Centres Intelligence Bureau, along with the local cops, had swarmed the college to gather details about Parvaiz Rashid Lone, a former student who was arrested from a bus stop in old Delhi on Thursday night. Police claimed he had links with the Jammu & Kashmir unit of the Islamic State (ISJK). The last time Lone was spotted in Amroha was on Tuesday. We suspect that Lone had used his college as a hideout to spend the night, before he returned to Delhi to board a bus to Jammu, said a police officer present at the college on Saturday. A manager at the DNS said it was around 11.30 pm that Lone came to the college with a young man. Lone said the man wanted admission in DNS using his reference. Since Lone was our student in 2012 and had also taught at a school here for a few months in 2017, we allowed him to stay the night. The next day, they left after lunch. In the afternoon, he called one of our teachers, Bashir Ahmad Dar. Dar was picked up by the local police on Friday when they traced Lones calls, said the manager, requesting anonymity. No one could identify the young man who accompanied Lone on the night of September 4, but police suspects it could be Jamsheed Zahoor Paul, the second ISJK suspect who was arrested with Lone in Delhi. The Delhi Police have accused Paul of keeping regular contact with the head of ISJK, Omar Ibn Nazir, for the past few months. On Friday, deputy commissioner of police (special cell), Pramod Kushwah, had said that Paul arranged accommodation and travel for terrorist Abdullah Basit. Basit, the alleged chief of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its recruiter in the Indian subcontinent, was arrested by the National Investigations Agency last month. A senior police officer from the Delhi Polices special cell, who refused to be named, said that the unit had identified two probable weapons suppliers. Both the identified suspects could be minors. We are verifying their association with Paul and Lone, the officer said. Till the beginning of 2018, Lone had stayed in Amroha, some 180 km from Delhi. Dr Irfan Ahmed, who runs a hospital and rents out rooms to students, was Lones landlord for about four months. He used to stay with two other students in an 8x8 room here, and each paid ?500 per month as rent. After he left my house, no one saw Lone in the neighbourhood, the doctor said. Lone had come to Amroha in August 2012 when he got enrolled in DNS college to study B.Tech civil engineering. Among his juniors and faculty members at DNS college, Lone is known as a quiet man who always had headphones on. They said he was mostly seen with some Kashmiri students in the hostel. Lone failed the first semester and withdrew his name from the college. In his first semester, he flunked in six subjects. After that, he did not attend classes, said Azim, who did not give his full name. Azim teaches civil engineering at DNS. To complete his graduation, Lone got admission in Shri Venkateshwara University in Gajraula, 20km from Amroha. After completing B.Tech from the university, Lone returned to a school run by the same institution as a teacher and taught there for about four months. Sharad Kumar, head of the engineering department in Shri Venkateshwara University, had taught Lone in his last year of B.Tech. He was not seen in class much. I remember he had submitted his final year civil engineering project on a topic related to concrete. His final percentage was between 60%-62%. We never thought any of our students would be in the news for terror affiliations, Kumar said. Prabhat Srivastava, the OSD to the chairman of Shri Venkateshwara University, said they were totally unaware of Lones presence or activities after he left the institute in 2016. Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has urged external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to make every possible effort to accept the offer by the Pakistan government to open a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara so that Sikhs from India can pay obeisance at the historic shrine on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019. Its time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue. When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door. The opening of this corridor will be a huge thing for the Sikh community all over the world. Even though both neighbours have had sour relations for decades, opening of the corridor can usher in peace and prosperity between the two countries, Sidhu wrote in his letter to Swaraj on Saturday. The historic gurdwara at Kartarpur, located around 5km from the India-Pakistan international border in Narowal district of Pakistans Punjab province and opposite the border belt in Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, holds monumental significance for the Sikhs as it is associated with Sikhisms first master Guru Nanak. The gurdwara is revered by the Sikhs because it was there that Guru Nanak spent 17 years of his life until his death in 1539. Devotees from the Indian side can see the Kartarpur gurdwara while standing on a high place constructed along the border, with the help of a telescope under the surveillance of the Border Security Force (BSF). There have been demands from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Sikh leaders time and again to build a corridor to enable pilgrims to visit the gurdwara. On Friday, Pakistan information minister Fawad Chaudhry in an interview to BBC Urdu had said the Kartarpur border crossing with India will be soon opened for Sikh pilgrims to visit a historic gurdwara without visas. Chaudhry said a system was being developed for Sikhs to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur and soon some forward movement is expected. Circketer-turned-politician Sidhu had faced flak after he returned from the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad last month where he was seen hugging Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Defending his hug with Bajwa, Sidhu had said that he was overwhelmed when told that Pakistan was making efforts to allow access to Kartarpur Sahib. FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots' depth at running back took a big hit Sunday, as Jeremy Hill exited New England's season opener against the Texans due to what appears to be a serious knee injury. Playing in his first career game with the Patriots, Hill exited the contest with 12:09 remaining in the third quarter after a fumble by Rob Gronkowski was scooped up by Houston defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. While attempting to corral Mathieu, Hill appeared to take a shot to his knee by Patriots fullback James Develin -- who was attempting to wrap up Mathieu. He remained on the field and was attended to by the Patriots' medical staff before heading to the blue medical tent. He did not appear to be putting any weight on his injured leg while walking off. Before exiting Sunday's game, Hill had just one rushing attempt for six yards. While the Patriots still have Rex Burkhead and James White healthy in the backfield, rookie Sony Michel was listed as inactive for Sunday's game as he recovers from a knee injury. With 6:05 remaining in the third quarter, the Patriots still lead the Texans, 21-6. A day after hitting the streets seeking justice for a nun who was allegedly raped by Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mullakal, the group of agitating nuns on Sunday alleged Kerala director general of police (DGP) Loknath Behra was sabotaging the ongoing inquiry and said they will move the court. The National Commission for Women (NCW) said it directed the DGP to file a case against law-maker P C George for portraying the victim in bad light by terming her a prostitute. Support swelled to five nuns of Missionaries of Jesus Congregation as many priests, politicians, activists and a retired judge visited them at dharna site and decried the police inaction. Nuns said they have much hope from the judiciary and will move the high court on Monday. Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan and Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member Brinda Karat also pledged their support. We have full faith in the ongoing investigation being carried out by Vaikkom deputy superintendent of police K Subhash. But we suspect DGP Loknath Behra and inspector general of police (IGP) Vijay Sakre are not allowing him to carry out a free and fair investigation, said sister Anupama, adding 75 days passed since their fellow nun filed the police complaint. The investigating team quizzed the victim at least seven times but the accused was questioned only once. It seems higher police authorities are quite frightened to touch the bishop. Nobody is with us and our lives are in danger but we will go to any extent for justice, she alleged, questioning the silence of church authorities. Former judge of the High Court Kamal Pasha said the state was witnessing a dirty drama being enacted by police officials and rulers. It is a shame these nuns were forced to the streets. The DGP says inquiry was in its final stages even after 75 days. If people suspect some omissions and commission they cant be blamed either, said Justice Pasha. Father Paul Thelekkat, editor of church-run magazine Sathyadeepam, and many other priests also called on the nuns. However DGP Behra denied any move to delay the case or hand over the probe to the crime branch. At present there is no move to hand over the probe to any other team. I have directed the IG to speed up the inquiry, he said. In her complaint, the 43-year-old nun alleged that the bishop had sexually abused after summoning her on the pretext of discussing an important issue in 2014. She said in next two years she was raped 13 times by him. The nun said she made a complaint to the church in last December and forced to file a police complaint in July after it failed to take action against him. She said after filing a complaint she was removed from the official position and framed many complaints of financial irregularities against her. Meanwhile the National Commission for Women said it will direct the DGP to book MLA PC George who verbally abused the victim and cast aspersions on her. It is really shocking such comments came from a law-maker, said chairperson Rekha Sharma. A suspected leopard is on the loose in Hisar, causing panic among the villagers, including dhanis, residing near Deer Park, located about 6kms from the Hisar city on Dhansu-Hisar road.. On August 25, a wildlife officer witnessed a carcass of a black buck that was suspected to have been killed by an animal belonging to the cat family. Rameshar Kumar, district wildlife inspector said, We have sent samples of saliva, pug marks and hair of the animal to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun and the report is likely to come by Monday. Meanwhile, we have formed four teams that are keeping round the clock vigil in the area. We also came to know that a farmer working in a field near the deer farm spotted the animal once. The people of nearby villages visit the wildlife office at Dhansu daily to know if the wild animal has been caught. The villages are willing to help wildlife officers in catching the animal. Kumar further said that they have already shifted 110 deer, including black buck, cheetal and sambar at the treatment park, which is spread on 2.5 acres. Residents of Dhansu village, about 6km from the Deer Park, are living under constant fear and have started keeping their cattle inside their houses. Other nearby villages include Dhinktana, Bugana, Mirzapur and Sulakhni. Sarpanch of the village, Manohar Lal Bhakar told HT, We have asked the residents of the village to start thikri-pahera (night vigil) and keep in touch with the officers of the wildlife. Every villager is ready to help the department. If we spot the animal, well try to capture it and not hurt the animal. There are over 100 dhanis (cluster of houses) near the village and their houses are so close to the Deer Park, Bhakar added. Ram Prakash, a resident of Dhansu village, said, We came to know of the threat from news only. Some of us used to sleep out in the open at night but now, the villagers are very cautious and we are keeping inside their houses. We hope the animal is caught soon. Meanwhile, district wildlife inspector Rameshwar Kumar said, Shortage of electricity is a major problem in the area. The only transformer is about 6km from the park. We have written to deputy commissioner (DC) Ashok Kumar Meena about the problem. We need ealectricity to charge all our equipment. Police have arrested a 27-year-old casual worker of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) for allegedly raping his stepdaughter. We have arrested the accused Etwa Mahto for raping his 13-year-old daughter, said Doranda police station in- charge Ramesh Kumar Singh. He said the accused had married a woman, who already had a daughter from her first marriage. He used to beat his wife regularly. The woman fled to Pune and had left her daughter with Mahto. Police said the woman recently returned to Ranchi and the minor narrated her ordeal that the accused had been raping her for the past six months. The woman then registered a case on Saturday, following which Mahto was arrested. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats strong pitch for the consolidation of Hindus invited criticism from Opposition parties on Saturday, while BJP general secretary Ram Madhav defended the statement. Speaking at the second World Hindu Congress in Chicago, US on Friday, Bhagwat had said that Hindus had no aspiration of dominance and the community would prosper only when it worked as a society. If a lion is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion. We must not forget that, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)chief had said. We want to make the world better. We have no aspiration of dominance. Our influence is not a result of conquest or colonisation, he added. Attacking Bhagwat over his remarks, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the RSS was demeaning others. The RSS is trying to demean people by calling others dogs and assuming themselves as the tiger, Owaisi said. This has been the language of RSS and people will reject it, he added. Meanwhile, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar claimed that the dog reference was for the Opposition parties in the country. I condemn this mansikta (mentality) of Mohan Bhagwat that he has referred to Opposition parties in the country as dogs, the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader said. The Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra too slammed the RSS and alleged that its ideology was anti-Hindu. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, The ideology of RSS and BJP is anti-Hindu and they only know how to do caste politics. The day they stop dividing Hindus on the basis of caste, every Hindu and people from other religions as well will be lions, Malik added. Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, RSS ideology is anti-Hindu. It is known for hatred towards other castes and religions. It is shameful of the RSS chief to describe any religion in this way. However, Madhav defended Bhagwat and said that the RSS chief has always spoken for the welfare of Hindu society and the country. The WHC marks the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas historic speech at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in 1893 in Chicago. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) The Opposition is incapable of challenging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections because its fighting on lies and not issues, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Our problem is that those who were failures while in government are also failures in the Opposition. I dont see a challenge anywhere (in the 2019 elections), he said at the BJPs national executive meeting in Delhi. We are ready to fight on neeti (policies) but we dont know how to fight on lies, he said in a closed-door speech on the second day of the meeting. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed the media on the speech, said Modi rejected the Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance being put up by Opposition parties. Their leadership is unknown, their policy is unclear and their intention is corrupt, Modi said about the Mahagathbandhan. BJP president Amit Shah, on the first day of the national executive on Saturday, had said the BJP will fight the 2019 elections on the strength of its performance in the past five years, making light of the grand alliance. The national executive meeting affords an opportunity for the BJP to take stock of the political situation and discuss strategy for the elections in the face of Opposition attempts to cobble together a broad-based coalition to take on the ruling National Democratic Alliance. Even arch rivals such as the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh have been in talks to contest the next parliamentary election together to stop the BJPs juggernaut. The opposition has focused on issues such as suspected irregularities in a deal to purchase fighter jets from Dassault Aviation of France, perceived farm distress and alleged economic mismanagement in the implementation of polices such as the demonetisation in 2016 and the goods and services tax. The Tamil Nadu cabinet recommended the release of all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to the governor under article 161 of the Constitution. The development came on Sunday after the Supreme Court last week directed Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit to take a decision on a petition filed by AG Perarivalan, one of the convicts. A resolution was passed at the cabinet meeting chaired by AIADMK chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in the state secretariat, fisheries minister D Jayakumar said. A copy of the resolution will be sent to the governor immediately. The cabinet urged governor Purohit to use his powers under article 161 of the constitution to release Murugan, Santhan, AG Perarivalan, Nalini, Rober Pious, Ravichandran and Jayakumar, the minister told reporters on the secretariat premises. Article 161 deals with the judicial powers of the governor and gives him the power to pardon a person who has been proved guilty in court. The governor is bound to go by the decision taken in the cabinet meeting. It is mandatory to stick with the cabinets decision, Jayakumar said. In 2014, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had chaired a cabinet meeting, after which she urged the Centre to release the seven convicts who have been in prison for over 27 years. But the Centre had then opposed it. Since article 161 deals with the states power, we believe that the governor will endorse the cabinet decision, Jayakumar said. Reacting to the TN governments decision, Arputham Ammal, mother of AG Perarivalan, met the chief minister at his residence and thanked him. I have been waiting for 27 years for the release of my son. Even our former CM Jayalalithaa was interested to release my son. I believe that the current government has taken proper steps to release my son... I request the governor to take appropriate steps..., Arputham Ammal told Hindustan Times. Six members of a Delhi family, including a two-year-old boy, were killed and one was severely injured after their car crashed into a truck on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Jaisinghpur Khera village, around 70km from Gurugram, on Sunday morning, police said. The victims were identified as Champi, his wife Anita, son Aryan, cousin Sunil, Sunils wife Rekha and Rekhas brother Naresh. The police identified them by first names only. Police said the family members were on their way back to their house in Badarpur in east Delhi after attending a prayer meeting in their native village Shivdaspura, near Jaipur. According to the police, the incident took place around 4.15am, about 500 metres from a petrol pump near Rewari-Gurugram border. The car, with seven passengers, lost control and hit a divider in the middle of the road. The car then hit a tree on the divider before colliding head-on with a truck on the other side of the road, said Suresh, deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Bawal, who goes by his first name only. Police said apart from the two-year-old boy, all victims were aged between 30 and 40 years. Police said the victims were taken to the civil hospital in Rewari, where six were declared brought dead. Another family member, Likshma Devi, was referred to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, where her condition is said to be serious. DSP Bawal said that the car was being driven at high speed and a crane was used to pull the bodies out of the mangled remains of the vehicle. The autopsy was conducted and preliminary reports showed no signs of alcohol in the drivers system, the DSP said. Police said the truck driver, who was on his way to Jaipur on National Highway-48, abandoned his vehicle on the side of the road and fled after the crash. The truck driver is at large. There was no closed circuit television (CCTV) camera in the vicinity of the scene of the crash. We are conducting raids to arrest him, said the investigating officer, requesting anonymity. Laxman, Champis cousin brother, said that Champi had been staying on rent in Delhi for the last ten years in Saurabh Vihar, Jaitpur and Badarpur. He had gone to Delhi in search of a livelihood, since there were not many opportunities for earning in his native village. Sunil and Rekha got married recently. Sunil had also been staying in Delhi for over two decades, said Laxman The family had a small business in Badarpur, said a police officer privy to investigation. Police registered a case against the deceased driver and the unidentified truck driver under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of Indian Penal Code. The case filed at the Bawal police station in Rewari. The campaigning in Madhya Pradesh for the state assembly elections, which is barely two months away, has reached a new low with dissent being expressed through black flags, stones and slippers, and sometimes also heckling of the leaders. The two main political parties in the state, the BJP and the Congress, are blaming each other. On Sunday, stones were pelted on chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans Jan Ashirvad Yatra bus at Churhat in Sidhi district, where slippers were also hurled during his public function. The same day, he was shown black flags at two other places. Over 34 people have been booked under various sections for the attack on Chouhan, with home minister Bhupendra Singh calling it an attempt on the CMs life. The BJP blamed the Congress for the disruptions. Congress leader and Churhat legislator Ajay Singh demanded an inquiry into the events and agreed that this has never been the culture of Madhya Pradesh. I am saddened by the events, but it is equally true that wrong people have been framed. Calling it an attempt on the life of the CM is ridiculous. There is anger among the youth over several issues and social media is fuelling it. Political parties should sit down and work out a way of addressing them rather than blame each other, Singh said. Chouhan is not the only BJP leader greeted by black flags. Over the last week, Union minister for social justice and empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot faced black flags in Guna, state health minister Rustam Singh and BJP MP Prabhat Jhan was presented with bangles and shown black flags in Morena, while Mandsaur MP Sudhir Gupta had to face the ire of locals in his constituency. The Congress too is seeing its share of problems. AICC general secretary and State in-charge Deepak Babaria was allegedly heckled by his own party members in Rewa on July 29, and had to leave an event in Vidisha on August 6 when supporters of two groups clashed over sharing of dais. Babaria had blamed the BJP for the trouble, which the saffron party refuted. The Centres decision to get a law passed to restore the stringent provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which were diluted by a Supreme Court order in April is one of the reasons behind such protests Posters have been put across several villages in the state by families belonging to the upper castes ,claiming they will not vote for BJP and the Congress because of the new law. Political commentator LS Hardeniya said, Such a trend (of violence) is unfortunate. We do not want to turn this state into a Bihar or Kerala where violence is often used instead of words. Both parties should sit together and decide not to use violence against each other. Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu has said those involved in incidents of hate and lynching cannot call themselves nationalists while holding that legislation alone was not enough as a change in societal behaviour was required to prevent such cases. The vice president also expressed anguish over the politicisation of incidents of lynching, saying such cases should not be linked with political parties. Societal change (is needed). This (lynching) is not because of this party or that party. The moment you attribute it to these parties, the cause is lost. That is what is happening, let me be very frank, he said. Asked about the incidents of hate and lynching, he said it was not a new trend and there were such instances in the past also. It is the societal behaviour that has to change...when you kill the other man, how can you call yourself nationalist. On the basis of religion, on the basis of caste or on the basis of colour, or on the basis of gender, you discriminate. Nationalism, Bharat Mata Ki Jai has a wider meaning, Naidu told PTI in an interview on Tuesday. He said some of these things cannot be tackled through legislation alone, and a societal change was needed to check them. The government has been under attack from Congress and several other opposition parties for a spate of lynchings in various parts of the country in the last couple of years. According to Home Ministry data, around 40 people were lynched in nine states in the past one year. The opposition and various civil rights groups have also accused the government of not coming down hard on those involved in the incidents. On July 17, the Supreme Court said that horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued a slew of guidelines to deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism. It also asked the Centre to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with such incidents. A panel appointed by the government to examine ways to contain such incidents is believed to have recommended framing a new legislation. When the Nirbhaya issue came, there was a clamour for Nirbhaya act. Nirbhaya act has come, did they stop. I am not getting into politics, the political parties they have their own way of highlighting it. I (had) said, what is required is not a mere bill, political will, administrative skill, and then go for the kill of the social evil. I had said in Parliament, said Naidu. Noting that there was also a debate on about nationalism in the country, Naidu said it should also be properly defined and articulated. According to me nationalism or Bharat Mata Ki Jai means Jai Ho to 130 crore people. Any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion or region is against nationalism, the vice president said. Five men and a juvenile gang-raped and brutally assaulted a woman on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a running bus in South Delhi. She succumbed to injuries on December 29, 2012 at a Singapore hospital. Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Surendra Das, who was battling for life for the last four days after consuming a pesticide in an alleged suicide bid, died at Kanpurs Regency hospital on Sunday afternoon, police said. A 2014 batch officer, Das, 30, had taken over as superintendent of police, Kanpur (east) last month. On Wednesday (September 5), his wife, Raveena Singh, who is a doctor, found froth oozing out from his mouth when she woke up at about 5 am and rushed him to UHM hospital. Later, he was shifted to a private hospital from where he was referred to Regency hospital, where he was continuously on life support and in a critical condition. Doctors suspect Das had consumed Celphos, a pesticide, which affected his entire body. They said Das underwent multiple operations but his condition worsened on Saturday when blood circulation in some parts of his body stopped. He breathed his last at 12.19 pm on Sunday. While searching his room on Wednesday in the presence of the officers mother Indu Devi and brother Narendra Das, the forensic team had found a torn suicide note on Wednesday. ADG, Kanpur zone, Avinash Chandra said Das had not blamed anyone in the suicide note. He has mentioned several issues that indicate towards discord in his personal life. We will investigate the matter. We are looking as to who tampered with the two-page suicide note, he said. Read | UP IPS officer googled ways to end life before consuming poison, say police Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and UP director general of police (DGP) OP Singh expressed grief over the officers death. The DGP said he was extremely saddened by the untimely death of Das, who was a young and hard working officer. I pray for peace to the departed soul and extend my condolence to the bereaved family, he said. The DGP had earlier visited Kanpur on Saturday to enquire about Dass condition. Das, a BTech in electrical engineering, hails from Ballia but his family including father RC Das, mother Indu Devi and younger brother Narendra Das stays in Ekta Nagar locality in Lucknow. The family members were in Kanpur since Wednesday. With Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announcing early state elections, the Congress has begun talks with other opposition parties, mainly the Telugu Desam Party, to form an alliance to take on Raos Telangaga Rashtra Samithi. Dr Rama Chandra Khuntia, Congress general secretary in-charge of Telangana in an interview to Srinivasa Rao Apparasu said the Telangana alliance will be part of the overall strategy to form a grand alliance at the national level. Edited excerpts: Has the announcement of early elections caught you off guard? No, we were expecting it. The talk of early polls has been doing rounds especially after Congress president Rahul Gandhis visit to Hyderabad. We have been saying it since then that we are ready for the polls whenever they are held. Why do you think KCR (as the CM is popularly called) has dissolved the assembly nine months ahead of the completion of its term? KCR might have got scared after seeing the kind of response (Rahul) Gandhi received from a cross section of the population and also the response the Telangana Congress party is getting for its bus yatra. Secondly, he may have thought the opposition parties were not prepared for early polls in terms of resources, unlike the TRS which has all its money and muscle power ready. Finally, he thought he would surprise us by announcing early polls. But KCR says there is a political fragility in the state that forced him to go in for early polls.. That is a strange and stupid reasoning. Where is the political fragility in the state? He has 90 MLAs in the 119-member assembly, besides the support of seven MIM MLAs. With nearly 100 MLAs on his side, he is reigning supreme and so, where is question of fragility? Normally, the government of the day dissolves the assembly when there are extreme circumstances such as a collapse of the administration or political instability due to slender majority. There is no such situation here in Telangana. It is obvious that Rao is afraid of Opposition unity and Congresss growing popularity. How well is the Congress party prepared for the elections? We are fully prepared. We have formed committees from booth level to state level, except in some areas. We have come out with a manifesto to tell people what we will do if we come to power. But, the TRS is already way ahead of you in declaration of candidates for 105 seats and also launching the campaign.. Why should we be in such a hurry when the election schedule itself has not been announced? It means KCR has an ulterior motive behind his strategy. He has conspired with the BJP in dissolving the assembly and even going to the extent of announcing the election dates. How can he do that? It is the prerogative of the Election Commission. As far as the Congress is concerned, we are taking feedback from our leaders at the grassroots level on the candidates. We may come out with a list by the months end. Why are you going in for an alliance with other parties? The Congress party has been trying to bring all the non-BJP parties together across the country with an objective of bringing down Modi from power. As part of the overall strategy, it is also looking for alliances in the states to prevent BJP and its allies from coming to power. In Telangana, we strongly believe that KCR is a puppet of Modi. That is precisely why we are looking forward to forging an alliance with like-minded parties like the TDP, the CPI, Telangana Jana Samithi etc. KCR calls the Congress a Delhi sultanate and wants the people of Telangana not to be slaves of Delhi but live with self-respect... Ours is a national party and we have to take decisions at the national level. TRS is a regional party and hence takes decisions at the regional level. Where is the question of mortgaging self-respect here? And what self-respect he is talking about? It was our former president Sonia Gandhi, who granted Telangana statehood and restored the self-pride and self-respect of the people. According to a recent analysis presented by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) at a workshop on Saturday, dust is the most significant pollution source in most districts of the national capital region (NCR), followed by industrial emissions. The percentage share varies for different months, but dust and industrial emissions remain major pollutants during summer as well as winter months. Other sources of pollution include biomass and vehicular emissions. The state government is working on a biofuel policy, massive plantation drives and is also organising a hackathon to promote startups that can provide solutions for tackling air pollution. We are also actively looking at introducing more public transport with cleaner fuel, Anup Chandra Pandey, the chief secretary of UP, said. According to an August 2018 report, PM10 is the most prominent pollutant in NCR cities. In Noida, during the summer months, 47% of the PM10 in the atmosphere was because of dust, 22% was contributed by industries, 13% by vehicles, 12% by biomass and 6% by others. During winters, 29% of the PM10 was caused by dust, 25% each by industries and vehicles, 12% by biomass and 9% by others. A similar sectoral share of pollutant sources can be seen in Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad, Bahadurgarh and Panipat. The report mentions that several NCR cities outside Delhi contribute majorly to the high concentration of PM2.5 in the atmosphere. As per the report, efforts are being made to monitor ambient air quality in UPs NCR cities to gather data on sources of pollution and devise a mitigation plan. It mentions that in 2017, just one Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) each was installed in Noida and Ghaziabad and just one, among all seven UP districts of the NCR, is functional as of now. However, three new CAAQMS each in Noida Ghaziabad and Meerut are to be installed in the next three months. More realistic data will be available after the installation of nine new CAAQMS in NCR districts, states the report. Talking about the need for better data to monitor air quality, the Noida authoritys chief executive officer Alok Tandon said that having more centres to monitor air quality was essential for Noida, so that steps could be taken accordingly. We need data to find the source of pollution in NCR so that we can work out solutions to fight the exact cause and type of pollutant, be it vehicular, industrial or due to construction, Tandon said. Eleven years after a police constable and an informer went missing, the Ghaziabad police came to know on Friday that the two were brutally murdered and their chopped body parts thrown in a drain in Greater Noidas Jarcha area in 2007. All these years, police investigation had remained inconclusive and the two victims were assumed missing. The revelation came from a man who was arrested by the police in connection with a mobile theft case. The police on Saturday arrested Meghu alias Vijay, a resident of Dehra village in Hapur district, as well as his accomplice Rajvir, from Bajhera village in the same district. The two, the police said, were arrested in connection with the theft of an iPhone that was robbed from a resident in 2017. A case for mobile theft had been lodged at Sihani Gate police station. After the two were arrested, an informer told us that Meghu holds a clue to the case of police constable Ikrar Ali and informer Vijaypals disappearance. When questioned, Meghu said that he, along with four others, including his maternal uncle and brothers, had murdered the two men in 2007, Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, said. The police said that Vijaypal used to make money off of Meghu and his gang and that led to an altercation in April 2007. Vijaypal, in order to have the altercation settled, took Ikrar to meet the gang, but both men were brutally murdered. The cop was then stationed at the Ghaziabad Police Lines. The two men were chopped to pieces with sharp-edged weapons and packed in a gunny bag. The men later put the bag on a cycle and dumped the body parts in a drain at Jarcha, Greater Noida, sub-inspector Sanjay Verma, in-charge of Ghaziabad crime branch, said. After the police constable went missing, a missing person complaint was by lodged by his brother Israr Ali at Kavi Nagar police station on April 23, 2007. However, police investigation yielded nothing. The police said they also recovered the missing constables watch from the prime accused Meghu, along with other documents, and these would make crucial evidence against him. According to the police, the five men involved in the twin murders were Meghu, his brothers Pawan, Neetu, Subodh and their maternal uncle Prakash. Two of his brothers, Pawan and Subodh, are presently lodged in Dasna jail in connection with other cases. Neetu is on the run. Pawan had shot their maternal uncle dead in 2010, after a dispute over the distribution of robbed valuables. A case was lodged at Jarcha police station and Pawan and Meghu had also gone to jail, SSP Krishna said. A massive search was conducted, but the police could not find any clue about the missing constable and informer. The accused men moved around districts committing crime, he added. The police said that Meghus accomplice Rajvir was not involved in the 2007 twin murder case but has been committing thefts and robberies with the prime accused of late. However, Ikrars family expressed dissatisfaction over the police disclosure. It has been over 11 years, and the police could not trace one of their own. What can a normal citizen expect, then? We have made hundreds of rounds to police stations over a decade and written to whoever could, hoping my father would be found, Nadeem, the oldest son of the constable, said. Ikrar was aged around 48 years when he went missing and was to retire from service in 2017. The police informed me of the development on Friday, but I am not satisfied and have not revealed it to anyone in the family yet, he added. There only 16,000 registered housing societies in Pune and approximately 20,000 unregistered housing societies. These unregistered housing societies are facing problems and daily life is difficult for flat owners. For several years, home buyers have been mum about them being cheated by builders out of sheer hope that they will get compensated. On Saturday, as many as 35 societies and home buyers came together to file a petition to guardian minister Girish Bapat. Around 200 flat owners were present at Patrakar Bhavan at a discussion forum where Vijay Sagar, Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP); Yuvraj Pawar, Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association (MSWA) and other civic activists were present. Societies like Clover Highlands in Kondhwa (Clover builders); Palladium Grand in Dhanori (Raoji Constructions); Kumar shantiniketan, Pashan; Marvel Fria in Wagholi (Marvel constructions); Nyati Enivron in Tingarenagar (Nyati group); Blue Ridge in Hinjewadi (Paranjape constructions) and many more have taken home buyers for a ride. We have been fighting the builders individually for the past many years and now we have a better opportunity at getting justice, now that we present a united face, said Arun Kumar Nair, who has been fighting with his builder Raoji Constructions for water and conveyance deed for the past 10 years. Calling it a National United Flat Buyers Movement, many of the home buyers submitted a flat buyers petition to Girish Bapat, guardian minister. The issues that this petition highlights are non completion of amenities by builders, no action by PMC, PMC works like extended offices of builders, non formation of housing societies and no conveyance deeds. The petition also highlights that the Maharashtra Ownership Flat Act (MOFA) is being misused by builders and suggests that the government should either amend it or scrap it. According to the petition, they also seek arrests or action by the government under MOFA. It also appeals to the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) to not allow permissions and approval to builders without consent of existing flat owners. According to a home buyer Shivraj Kalshitte, living in Aspiria society, Hinjewadi, his builder Bhagyalaxmi properties, SMP, Orbit and Pristine, offered apartment ownership. I purchased a flat in 2012 and got possession in 2014. Until 2017, the builders asked us to give consent of ownership of open space to form the society or he would form an apartment. The builders sent many mails that they would form a cooperative housing society, but they asked us to give full control of the open space and future FSI. Our builder also took our signatures for the formation of the society. Finally after three years, the builders declared the deed of apartment without consent of residents. We were waiting for three years for the formation of the society, but were finally fooled. We filed a case at the deputy registrars office, but our application was rejected. Now, we have filled a petition in the Bombay High Court. The homer buyers feel that Maha-Rera is ineffective because it has not passed any judgements and punishment which will deter builders from wrong doings. Many Maha-Rera judgements have not been enforced. The concillatory body of Maha-Rera is made of builders and Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, both are working for builders. Flat buyers are being fooled, said Arun Kumar. A local court has granted default bail to Gurdev Singh Tanda,35, who was arrested on 28 February 2018, from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after he was extradited from Thailand in an eight-year old terror case. Defence counsel Jaspal Singh Manjhpur and Navjit Singh Turna on Saturday said that the court of additional session judge, Sarabjit Singh Dhaliwal, revised halqa magistrates order, observing that the magistrate had wrongfully denied default bail to Tanda. Manjhpur said, A bail application was moved before the magistrates court on May 30,2018 after the police had failed to file the chargesheet within 90 days of his arrest. The magistrate had adjourned the hearing for next day. On May 31, the prosecution filed an application seeking 90-days extension in statutory time to file the chargesheet, following which the bail was denied, he said. We challenged the magistrates order in session court. Allowing revision, additional sessions judge granted the bail. The court also observed that Gurdev Singh had incurred the right to be released on default bail after the expiry of 90-days period, the defence counsel added. He will be released from Amritsar jail in coming days as his bail bonds are yet to be furnished, said Manjhpur. The Punjab Police had claimed that Tanda had connections with pro-Khalistan militant organisations. Resident of Jhajjan village, Hoshiarpur district, Tanda, was arrested under Sections 12A1, 122, 120-B of the IPC, 25/54/59 of the Arms Act, 3 and 4 of Explosives Act and 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and a case was registered against him at police station State Special Operations Cell (Amritsar) in 2010. A respected Sikh face in the national capital, Manjit Singh GK, 60, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) was in the spotlight last month when he was assaulted by pro-Khalistan radicals during his trip to the US. True to his Facebook page credo never give in, he refused to get cowed down. A confidant of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, GK is playing a troubleshooter for the party besieged by a resurrected Sikh anger over the sacrilege issue in Punjab. In an hour-long conversation with Executive Editor Ramesh Vinayak and Assistant Editor Gurpreet Singh Nibber on Saturday, GK analysed the Akalis woes with a rare candour and exuded confidence in overcoming the partys worst political crisis in recent history. Excerpts: What is your take on the crisis that SAD has been facing since the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report blamed the Parkash Singh Badal-led govt for the incidents of firing and sacrilege in 2015? Right now, we are facing a crisis of credibility with the Sikhs. The report has ignited anger against us, but it will subside when people understand the truth. Religious sentiments have washed away all the good we did in our 10-year rule till 2017. The Akali Dal failed to answer sentimental issues of Sikhs and we suffered the loss in the last assembly elections. On development, the Badal government was way ahead of what the Congress has done so far. (Chief minister) Captain Amarinder Singh has forgotten his promises and, in a diversionary tactic, has latched onto the Panthic agenda. He is trying to put the Akalis on the mat on Panthic issues. This will not work. The Akalis will bounce back. For Akalis, the sacrilege issue seems to have become what Operation Bluestar is to the Congress? Yes, I agree. This (sacrilege) is our Operation Bluestar. Even if we are not at fault, the blame is on us. Right now, people are taking our truth as a lie. Dont forget that we (Akalis) are leading a sentimental community. You do 100 good things for them but if one incident such as the sacrilege happens, the good work is negated. The Akalis were not involved in the sacrilege but there is a negative perception against us. The Badal government failed to stop the sacrilege and fired on Sikh protesters... That doesnt make us guilty of sacrilege. Since the Congress government took over last year, there have been more than 70 sacrileges. In the one-sided debate in the assembly, the Congress issued a fatwa against us. It is the same party that was responsible for attacking Harmandar Sahib and killing thousands of Sikhs in 1984. Nobody is questioning the Congress for that, while the Akalis are at the receiving end and people are not trusting us. Why so? Thats because the Akalis are considered thekedars of the Panth.The Akali Dal has been synonymous with the panth for more than nine decades. The Sikhs never expected the sacrilege to happen under our watch. Badal saab, as chief minister, had no knowledge of the firing at Behbal Kalan. But the situation then was such that firing took place. The government immediately removed then DGP Sumedh Saini and ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. The Amarinder government should have trusted the CBI, but it is now taking the case back and referring it to the special investigation team (SIT). Through that, it will fix whoever it wants to fix. The key question is: Where is the involvement of Parkash Singh Badal? Since the Akalis were in power when the firing happened, public perception is against us and their anger is not subsiding. There seems to be a disconnect between the Akalis and the Panthic constituency. One reason is the generation gap in the Akali Dal. Senior Akali leaders feel they are in the backseat, while the new generation doesnt have an understanding of Panthic matters. That is why the Akali Dal committed mistakes. Another reason is that SAD changed its character after the 1996 Moga declaration, calling itself as the party of Punjabis. That was a shift from being the sole representative of the Sikhs to an inclusive approach. Then, we gave tickets to non-Sikhs in the 2007 assembly elections. Both factors led to a discontent among the Sikhs and we failed to make them understand. We need leaders like Gurcharan Singh Tohra. After his death, the taksali think tank is missing in Akali Dal. That could be why we faltered on the Panthic agenda. Are you referring to the pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh? Yes. The pardon was not wrong. The way it was granted was a blunder. There is a concept of pardon in Sikhism, but there is a process to be followed. The way this (pardon) was granted trapped us. We should have taken the matter to the Panth and evolved a consensus. A gap between taksali Akalis and the new generation has led to the situation we face today. When we realised the pardon was wrong, it was revoked. But the damage was done. Is SAD open to atone its blunder? In politics, the biggest punishment and repentance is when people reject you in the elections and make you sit home. Thats what we faced in the 2017 elections. We are leading a sentimental community that is not ready to listen to us at this stage. We have been pushed to the wall for a mistake we never committed. But I agree that the party should take the course of repentance. Whats the way out? Time is a big healer. When the community is angry, there is no point reasoning. Im sure it will understand the facts soon. Yes, the onus to protect the honour of Guru Granth Sahib was on our government, but its intentions were not bad. So far, we have failed to explain this to the people. Some Akali leaders want the Akal Takht jathedar to resign. This is the prerogative of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). I dont know whether jathedar sahib committed a mistake or not but the credibility of our party and that of the Sikh clergy is being questioned. Why does the anger seem to be more against the Badals than the Akali Dal? The general of an army faces the flak for anything that goes wrong. The Akali Dal is a 98-year-old party. It will not diminish. Parkash Singh Badal has been five-time chief minister because of his credibility. He has weathered graver crises before. The Akalis and he will emerge out of this crisis. How about the reforms in the SGPC to restore credibility of Sikh institutions? There is a need for reforms in appointing jathedars. They should be appointed the way Christianity appoints a pope. The community should have a say in the way jathedars are appointed. At present, jathedars are seen as the handmaidens of the Akali Dal. Even if the Akalis dont interfere, people feel that we get what we wish done from Akal Takht. That has hampered the credibility and status of the jathedar. Thats why we need to redefine the process of the clergys appointment. What do you think of those sitting on dharna at Bargari? They are protesting in the name of Guru Granth Sahib which is why they are getting support from some Sikh quarters. But they have a shady background and cant be given a clean chit. The conflict between the Akalis and radical Sikhs is getting sharper? Radicals are a handful. Social media is controlled by radicals, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. Together, they are hitting out at the Akali Dal on the sacrilege issue. Yet, Sukhbir is leading from the front and mobilising cadres. You were assaulted by radicals during your recent trip to the US. Whats the mood of Sikhs abroad? I was attacked by Pakistan-backed elements behind the so-called Referendum 2020. It is a paper tiger created by social media. It is true that Sikhs abroad nurse a sense of grievance and injustice. Our governments approach in dealing with them is flawed. Thats what I told Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and home minister Rajnath Singh on my return from the US last week. Many Sikhs who left India in the 80s and 90s and got political asylum abroad want to visit India. By refusing visas to them, we are antagonising and driving them to the fold of Khalistanis. There is a festering outrage over denial of justice in the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom. All Sikhs abroad are not Khalistanis. But the Modi government has failed to address their sense of grievance. The Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission on sacrilege and police firing incidents in Punjab has the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a bind. It is both trashing the report and using it as its shield against attacks from Congress leaders. The Akalis had rejected the one-man commission as a Congress mouthpiece when it was constituted in April last year. Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had refused to appear before it when summoned. On the day the panels report was to be tabled in the Punjab assembly, the Akalis called it waste paper and dumped its copies outside the House. Sukhbir and his MLAs also walked out of the debate the next day saying the report had no sanctity. So have the Akalis rejected it? Not quite. At a press conference the same day, Sukhbir claimed neither he, Badal or any other Akali leader has been indicted in the report. During the mock session the party held in the precincts of the state assembly, Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia had trashed the report. Congress salvos confuse Akalis The Congress salvos have only added to the confusion in the Akali ranks. A day after the session ended, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar issued his own charge-sheet against Sukhbir. He said the then home minister (Sukhbir) was the General Dyer of Behbal Kalan, where two protesters were killed in police firing on October 14, 2015. The Akalis were quick to remind Jakhar that Sukhbir finds no mention in the report for the police firing at Behbal Kalan. Either Jakhar has rejected the report or not read it, SAD spokesman Mahesh Inder Grewal had said. Interestingly, neither the report nor chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh have indicted Sukhbir, who Congress will have to contend with as Badal has passed on the party baton to the son. At the press conference, Jakhar made no bones about his dissatisfaction with the report. Sukhbirs name figures just thrice in the report. For an alleged meeting with Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, for securing Akal Takht pardon for him in a 2007 blasphemy case and for meeting the Punjab Governor to give a memorandum alleging foreign hand behind the sacrilege incidents, he said. While scathing in its criticism of Badal for the firing, the report puts the home department, then under Sukhbir, in the dock only for lack of seriousness in probing sacrilege incidents. Amarinder, who has vowed to go hammer and tongs at Badal, too slipped on facts. In an interview last week, Captain said former DGP Sumedh Saini told the commission that Badal asked him to lift the dharna forcibly. The report makes no such observation. It says Saini wanted to lift the dharna forcibly and Badal was kept in the loop on this. AAPs Phoolka queers the pitch As the Congress and the Akalis were using the report for scoring political points, Aam Aadmi Party leader HS Phoolka queered the pitch by asking five Punjab ministers to quit if Badal and Saini are not booked for Kotkapura firing by September 15, claiming they had said so during the debate. Sukhbir, while addressing a workers meeting at Jakhars home turf, Abohar, dared the Congress government to accept Phoolkas advice. The government should either share what are the concrete, actionable parts of the so-called Ranjit Singh panel report or ask its ministers to resign en bloc by September 15, he said. However, a day later, SAD spokesman Daljit Cheema said Phoolka had grossly misread the report with his biased mind and deduced wild conclusions, not remotely related to its contents. Phoolka has taken an unscrupulous, illegal and unconstitutional stance that the government can register a case against the former chief minister. This was least expected from a senior practising lawyer of the Supreme Court, Cheema said. The Akalis are now claiming that even Amarinder, at an interview, backed their partys claim that some sacrilege incidents were the handiwork of foreign agencies such as Pakistans ISI. The report says a few of the nearly 162 sacrilege incidents could have been to foment trouble in the border state. But the SAD has found its ruse. A day after his arrest for allegedly using objectionable language against Dera Sachkhand Ballan leader Ramanand Dass, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur was sent on Saturday to 14-day judicial remand by the SBS Nagar district and sessions court. Ramanand, a follower of Guru Ravidas, was murdered in the Austrian city of Vienna in 2009. Also, police in Jalandhar and Nawanshahr received more complaints against Bhaur on Saturday. Bhaur, who had joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the assembly polls last year, was arrested from Mohali after hundreds of members of the Ravidassia community gheraoed his Banga residence on Friday over a purported video that surfaced on social media. In Nawanshahr, at least three fresh complaints were received while nearly a dozen associations of the Ravidassia community met Jalandhar police commissioner Praveen Kumar Sinha to lodge a complaint against Bhaur. A complaint was lodged at the police station concerned and legal opinion has been sought whether to register a first information report (FIR) as a case is already registered against him at SBS Nagar, Sinha said. Banga deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Deepika Singh said they received three more complaints from Phagwara and Adampur associations. As a case has already been registered and so no action will be taken on these complaints, she said. A case was registered on Friday under Section 295-A (malicious acts to outrage religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66-A of the Information Technology Act against Bhaur at the Banga police station. Satpal Kahlon, the complainant, had said they suspect Bhaur to be behind Ramanand Dasss murder. It is a politically motivated Case The Dal Khalsa slammed the Punjab government for the arrest of former SGPC Sukhdev Singh Bhaur. The arrest is motivated by reasons other than legal. Bhaur should be released immediately and the case be withdrawn, Dal Khalsa leaders HS Dhami and Kanwar Pal Singh said in a press release. The Congress government acted in an undue haste and under political pressure. Bhaur has apologised for his remarks against the late Dera Ballan sect head, the Dal Khalsa leaders added. Two policemen on duty at a check-post were killed in Tarn Taran district after being hit by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that dragged them for nearly 100 metres before stopping. The accident took place near a bus stand in Amarkot village, 45kms from the district headquarters, on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The deceased were identified as head constable Inderjit Singh of Theh Sarhali village and Home Guards constable Kuldeep Singh of Khemkaran village. A case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been lodged against the unidentified driver of the SUV (Toyota Innova) that belongs to the brother of a Congress worker, Saraj Singh, of Dasuwal village, police said. The unidentified driver of the SUV has been booked, they added. The SUV was at a high speed and the driver was in an inebriated state, said Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Darshan Singh Mann. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sulakhan Singh Mann told HT, The deceased were deployed at Amarkot. Around 12:30 am, the duo gave an indication asking the SUV to stop, which was coming from Rajoke. Instead of making a halt, the SUV driver crushed the cops and dragged their bodies for nearly 100 metres. The SUV then hit an electricity pole and stopped. The driver fled from the spot immediately, he added. The DSP said the bodies of cops were handed over to their families after autopsy. In April 2015, police had booked Saraj in a drug case after recovery of around 5kg heroin in Bhura Kohna village, but was later acquitted. Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has written to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj urging her to make every possible effort to accept the offer by the Pakistan government to open a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara so that Sikhs from India can pay obeisance at the historic shrine on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019. Its time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue. When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door. The opening of this corridor will be a huge thing for the Sikh community all over the world. Even though both neighbours have had sour relations for decades, opening of the corridor can usher in peace and prosperity between the two countries, Sidhu said in his letter to the external affairs minister. The historic gurdwara at Kartarpur, located around 5km from the India-Pakistan international border in Narowal district of Pakistan Punjab province and opposite the border belt in Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, holds monumental significance for the Sikhs as it is associated with Sikhisms first master Guru Nanak. The gurdwara is revered by the Sikhs because it was there that Guru Nanak spent 17 years of his life until his death in 1539. Devotees from the Indian side can see the Kartarpur gurdwara while standing on a high place constructed along the border, with the help of a telescope under the surveillance of the Border Security Force (BSF). There have been demands from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Sikh leaders time and again to build a corridor to enable pilgrims to visit the gurdwara. On Friday, Pakistan information minister Fawad Chaudhry in an interview to BBC Urdu had said the Kartarpur border crossing with India will be soon opened for Sikh pilgrims to visit a historic gurdwara without visas. Chaudhry said a system was being developed for Sikhs to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur and soon some forward movement is expected. Sidhu had faced flak after he returned from the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad last month where he was seen hugging Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Defending his hug with Bajwa, Sidhu had said that he was overwhelmed when told that Pakistan was making efforts to allow access to Kartarpur Sahib. September is probably one of the best months to travel almost anywhere in India. The weather is pleasant with the monsoon slowly starting to subside by the end of August, and there is cool weather needed for leisurely travel. Be it the mountains up north, the south, or even the deserts of Rajasthan, this month is a better time to visit tourist spots rather than going during the travel boom at the end of the year. Here are some recommendations for you from Confirmtkt and Travelyaari: * Jaipur Jaipur is a city in Rajasthan is a good place to visit for a fam jam where you can savour the local culture. There is chaotic traffic but also lots to shop, street food to enjoy and you can top off your stay at one of the numerous palace hotels in the region. * Manali The romantic city is surrounded by mountains and is a good place to travel to this September. It is a honeymoon destination, trekking paradise, a hippie hangout and even a quick getaway from your work commitments. * Ziro Honestly, anytime would be perfect if you are planning to visit this place among the hills. September is when you can glimpse the essence of the place and there is only mild rainfall. The remote hillock town offers a handful of activities, one of them being the acclaimed Ziro music festival which is a must-attend. Go on a biking trip to Ladakh. (Unsplash) * Leh: A trip to Leh by road is one of its kind and makes for a memorable experience. There are many surprises along the way. * Diu Diu is a small beach city in the union territory of Diu and Daman. It is a serene destination which is recommended as the best alternative to Goa. It boasts of cheap liquor, beachside shacks, and seafood. You can also indulge in sightseeing at the lesser-known Portuguese colony. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more At least seven people were killed and 25 wounded on Sunday when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated explosives near a procession in Kabul commemorating the death of former anti-Soviet mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, a government official said. Police said the suicide attack came hours after another suspected suicide bomber was shot by police in Kabul before he could detonate his device. Government spokesman Wahid Majroh said that seven bodies and 25 injured people were taken to the hospital from the attack site. Earlier, gunfire could be heard across the city as demonstrators fired automatic weapons in aggressive displays of support for Massoud, an ethnic Tajik leader who was killed by suicide bombers in 2001. At least 13 people were injured by gunmen firing their weapons into the air in defiance of a ban on celebratory gunfire, officials said. With parliamentary elections approaching next month and rivalry between Afghanistans ethnic groups on the increase, the annual commemoration day for Massoud has created a tense atmosphere in Kabul, where major roads were blocked by police. The blast came four days after more than 20 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a wrestling club in Kabul as well as a secondary blast apparently aimed at first responders and journalists. Former US president Barack Obama returned to politics with a scathing and unusually direct rebuke of his successor Donald Trump. President Trump pretended to be unmoved, saying, I watched it but I fell asleep. I found hes very good...for sleeping. But he cared enough to retweet posts by supporters denouncing Obama. American presidents tend not to publicly criticise their successors or campaign against them directly, but Obama has been under pressure to step up to defend his policies and programmes from being dismantled by Trump and to rally Democrats who are without an impressive leader. Im here today because this is one of those pivotal moments when every one of us, as citizens of the United States, need to determine just who it is that we are, just what it is that we stand for, Obama said on Friday, kicking off his campaign schedule for the mid-term elections in November. He went on to attack Trump by name. The current climate of fear, divisions and cynicism, he said, did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause. Hes just capitalising on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years. Speaking to a largely young audience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Obama urged them to vote if they wanted to make a difference In two months we have the chance, not the certainty but the chance, to restore some semblance of sanity to our politics. If you thought elections dont matter, I hope these last two years have corrected that impression, he said. Obamas return is not without some downsides for Democrats, as a Republican senator pointed out. The more former President Obama speaks about the good ol years of his presidency, the more likely President Trump is to get re-elected, senator Lindsey Graham tweeted. In fact, the best explanation of President Trumps victory are the results of the Obama Presidency! Also, Obama has been known to be unsuccessful in transferring votes of his supporter to other Democrats. The party did poorly in both the mid-terms during his presidency 2010 and 2014 and he failed to hand them over to Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson has compared Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plan as akin to wrapping the Constitution in a suicide vest, sparking furore from colleagues. Johnson, 54, is a strong supporter of Brexit and quit Mays cabinet in July after rejecting her proposal for close economic ties with the EU after the UK quits the bloc next year. Attacking Mays Brexit plan in an article in the Mail on Sunday, he accused the EU of bullying, but questioned why the response had been so utterly feeble from British negotiators. He wrote that rather than getting a generous free trade deal, Britain is saying, yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir to Brussels. It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to (EUs chief negotiator) Michel Barnier, he wrote. According to Johnson, the May government always had a secret agenda to keep the UK in the single market and customs union, adding: We have put our own heads deliberately on the block. Tom Tugendhat, former army officer and the Conservative chair of the foreign affairs committee of Parliament, attacked Johnson over his choice of words, saying: A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died In horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt funny. Two ministers in the foreign office who had worked with Johnson also criticised his statement. Alan Duncan said the article was one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics, adding that if it were not the end of Johnsons political career, I will make sure it is later. Alistair Burt, tweeted: Im stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. If we dont stop this extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough. As Johnsons remarks dominated politics, The Sunday Times reported that Mays aides had written a 4,000-word dirty dossier on Johnson in 2016, exposing a catalogue of lurid allegations against him, but officials at Downing Street and Conservative headquarters denied circulating it. An Egyptian court on Saturday upheld death sentences against 75 people, in one of the largest mass trials since the 2011 uprising, and gave a five-year jail term to an award-winning photojournalist. Amnesty International said the sentences, linked to clashes in 2013 between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, amounted to a mockery of justice. Photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid was among 739 defendants on trial, most of them charged with killing police and vandalising property. The journalist, widely known as Shawkan, was arrested as he covered the clashes that turned into a bloodbath in which hundreds of demonstrators died. The court also confirmed death sentences initially passed in July against 75 defendants, including leaders of Morsis outlawed Muslim Brotherhood such as Mohamed el-Baltagui, Issam al-Aryan and Safwat Hijazi. Of the 75 defendants facing the death penalty, 44 were in the dock while the rest were tried in absentia. Forty-seven were handed life sentences, while 347 were given 15 years in prison, and 22 minors received 10-year terms. The court sentenced Morsis son, Ossama, to 10 years in jail, while 215 people were handed five-year prison terms. In a statement, Amnesty condemned Saturdays death sentences and heavy prison terms after what it called a disgraceful mass trial. The rights watchdog called for a retrial in front of an impartial court. It said the verdicts were a mockery of justice, since not a single police officer has been brought to account. Shawkan, who earlier this year received UNESCOs World Freedom Prize, is expected to walk free within days because of time served, his lawyer said. He was accused of murder and membership of a terrorist organisation charges that can carry the death penalty but has already spent five years in jail. Smiling in the dock, the photojournalist made a V for victory sign, while his lawyer, Karim Abdelrady, said he would launch a legal bid to have the conviction overturned. His detention sparked outrage among human rights groups and NGOs who lobbied continuously for his release. A photo of Shawkan behind bars with his hands in front of his face mimicking holding a camera has circulated widely on social media. Amnesty said he had been convicted simply for doing his job as a photojournalist and documenting the police brutality that took place that day. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index and says that at least 31 journalists are currently detained in the Arab worlds most populous nation. British police arrested a woman for attempted murder Saturday after reports that she chased a man through a shopping district with a large knife before stabbing him. A 28-year-old woman arrested this morning on suspicion of attempted murder remains in police custody, police said after the incident in the northern English city of Barnsley. The woman is currently being assessed from a mental health perspective. One man suffered minor injuries in the attack. Britain is on high alert after a string of deadly terror attacks, many involving knives, and the incident raised fears of terrorism. Assistant chief constable Tim Forber of South Yorkshire Police earlier said officers were keeping an open mind as to the motivation. He said his force was receiving support from a local counter-terrorism unit. Market stall holder Terry Ellis told AFP he saw a woman with a big knife, (measuring) about 12 inches (30.5cm) running after a man and shouting kill, kill, kill. Another trader, Abdul Razak, added: This lady followed this man saying Ill kill you, Ill kill you. Other local traders said the stabbing, initially declared by police as a serious incident, caused the covered market and other parts of the town centre to be locked down. Police were alerted at around 8.20am (0720 GMT), and recovered a kitchen knife at the scene. Forber called on any witnesses to come forward, but urged locals to remain calm. We understand that this mornings incident will have been distressing and shocking for those in the town centre and wider Barnsley communities, he said. Rest assured we are working relentlessly to piece together what happened. Several crime scenes have been established and police said they would stay in the area until there was more clarity about what happened. Earlier the Facebook page of Barnsley Mayday Green Market reported that this market and most of the town centre is in lockdown, before later declaring it had received the all-clear. The rollout for 6LACK's forthcoming East Atlanta Love Letter album has been one of the more creative efforts this year with the rapper and crooner announcing aSeptember 14th release date via exclusive customized postcards sent off to 25,000 fans with the album cover on the front and the question, "Can I Ask You A Question About Love?" written on the back. Now, in keeping up with thematic elements, 6LACK has returned with a supplement to that very question with a brief clip in which it is answered in detail by the likes of Sir Elton Jonh, Davido, Majid Joradan, A. Chal and more. "I think what we're trying to do is communicate with our words a feeling that you can't describe," says A. Chal in one scene before the clip transitions to Elton John as he sits next to his husband and Canadian filmmaker David Furnish. "You don't stop loving until you die," adds the legendary entertainer. Next up, Bear plans to gift 25,000 more lucky fans with another round of exlcusive postcards that will be delivered to their mailboxes in which they will be able to have a first look at his sophomore album's track list just ahead of its release. To get in on the action seen in his latest video, fans can also record their own confessionals about the intricacies of love and upload them directly to 6LACK's website. Jorge Nava, one of the most recognizable faces from "90 Day Fiance" was caught with approximately 300 pounds of weed in his car. The reality television star was looking at a class 2 felony charge and up to 24 years spent in prison for his crime. His lawyer was able to reduce the severity of the crime to a class 4 felony, thanks to a plea deal. The sentence was adjusted in accordance, dropping to 2 and a half years behind bars. Nava is upset considering that the substance he was carrying is legal in many American locations. Although his sentence was reduced, the reality television star still believes that his punishment is exaggerated. Nava will likely be placed on 5 months parole after serving his time. Despite his legal troubles, his wife Anfisa Arkhipchenko is sticking by her man's side. The Russian model, who is infamous for shamelessly marrying Nava for his money, is committed to supporting her husband while he faces these legal consequences. "There's really nothing wrong with our relationship right now. We've been really good these last couple months. She's been here supporting me through this whole journey and she's gonna be with me through this who process and after that too. I really don't see us splitting up." Anfisa posted a video of the couple in support of her Nava's challenges. Kanye West's overture towards Drake didn't go unnoticed. According to TMZ, the Canadian rapper is willing to call it (their feud) water under the bridge. Kanye West first apologized on Twitter, praising Drake for his cirque du soleil-esque stage dynamics. In the example shown, a giant Scorpion apparatus creeps up from behind. The illusion Drake has created is in reality nothing more than a high resolution 3D projection, as confirmed by those who've taken part in the festivities. Kanye was clearly drawn to the multimedia aspect of Drake's stage presentation. His own "floating stage" apparatus constructed in 2016 bore a similar illusion of grandeur. In all seriousness, Kanye's compliment to Drake doesn't come without cause for "friendly" competition. Kanye West has reportedly expressed a willingness to take part in the show somehow, most likely as a spectator. TMZ's sources have said that Drake will not bar Kanye West from attending any show on the Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour. In fact, security have been instructed to let him pass inside under any circumstances. Kanye has adamantly denied passing any information over to Pusha T put towards "The Story of Adidon." Kanye has vowed to attend a Drake concert as a symbol of good faith. The opportunity is ripe. Tekashi 6ix9ine has been showing his soft side lately. The rapper's latest expression of kindness is found in his celebration of his mother's birthday. A video was uploaded to his Instagram account, showing how generous of a son he is. The camera follows the rainbow-haired dude to a table at which his mother sits. Her eyes are covered by a homie as a cake is placed in front of her. Tekashi sets down stacks of cash around the desert. When it seems like he is done, he retrieved more banded bills from his bag and adds to the collection. There was no caption needed for this one. His mother receives this gift silently, without acknowledging the camera. Although she doesn't seem surprised by the extravagant gesture, the 55-year-old shows appreciation as she hugs her child with tears in her eyes. This moment must be bittersweet for the family as 69 faces legal issues. The money might not provide much solace for the mom's worry since the New York native is facing jail time. We've also seen Tekashi's generous side when he visited a 5-year-old cancer patient on behalf of the Make A Wish Foundation. The kid was left smiling with a ring the size of his eyeballs. A guilty verdict late Friday against Plains All American Pipeline has left the Houston energy company a convicted felon for its role in causing a large oil spill in California, adding new ammunition to the fight over pipelines, which have become a prime target of the movement against fossil fuels in North America. The California jury found Plains guilty on one felony and eight misdemeanor counts, agreeing with the prosecution that the company failed to maintain the badly corroded pipeline responsible for spilling about 3,400 barrels of oil at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara and then failed to promptly report the incident. The spill, the biggest on the California coast in 25 years, spread into the Pacific Ocean and killed marine, bird and wildlife. The verdict comes not only at a time of transition for Plains as its co-founder and chief executive retires at the end of September but also for an energy industry thats desperately trying to build more pipelines to accommodate record volumes of U.S. oil and gas production, especially in Texas. The general impact will be to increase scrutiny of new pipelines not just in California, but throughout the U.S. where we have seen increasingly lengthy and polarizing permit battles, said Sandy Fielden, director of oil and products research at Morningstar, an investment research firm. Fielden cited fights over the still-pending Keystone XL pipeline in the Midwest and the recently completed Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, as well as smaller projects such as the Bayou Bridge pipeline extension in Louisiana, which is now the target of environmental protests. The Plains All American verdict could energize pipeline opponents who argue that some companies cut corners on maintenance to afford healthy dividend payouts to investors, Fielden said. The likely result is project delays and continued pipeline constraints that could boost energy prices as producers turn to more expensive rail and trucking. Environmentalists, meanwhile, hailed the verdict and vowed to fight Plains All Americans plans to rebuild the pipeline. Plains criminal negligence caused this devastating oil spill, and we cant give it a second chance to spill again, said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director with the advocacy group Center for Biological Diversity in California. Governments frequently launch civil cases against corporations for pollution and other cases when they suspect misconduct, seeking restitution as well as financial penalties. Criminal prosecutions, which require a higher burden of proof, tend to be reserved for high-profile cases, such as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in the 1980s or the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, said Philip Hilder, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice. Its unusual, however, that these criminal cases go to trial, Hilder said. For example, BP, which operated the Deepwater Horizon rig, pleaded guilty to several felonies and paid billions of dollars in criminal penalties before the case went before a jury. Companies tend to settle cases before trial by paying fines, Hilder said. When theres a high-profile spill, the government will tend to use those as teaching moments and prosecute. The Santa Barbara spill occurred on May 19, 2015, after a Plains pipeline called Line 901 ruptured. Corrosion issues had been documented as early as 2012, according to court records. In addition, an alarm that should have signaled the leak was turned off at the time, allowing more oil to spill and delaying reports to authorities. About a year after the spill, a California grand jury indicted Plains All American and an employee, although the employee was later dropped from the indictment. Plains All American took responsibility for the spill but vehemently denied that it had acted criminally. Despite the guilty verdict on some counts, the jury found that Plains was not guilty of knowing misconduct. In a statement, the company said: We are committed to doing the right thing. The verdict reflected no knowing wrongdoing by Plains or our employees with respect to the operation of Line 901, and the testimony established our comprehensive cleanup effort. No company executives or employees face jail time. Plains may still appeal the case. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13. Plains could face penalties of more than $1.5 million, but those fines pale in comparison to the $150 million Plains said it spent on cleanup, as well as many millions more lost from the extended pipeline shutdown. All things being equal, said Ed Hirs, energy economist at the University of Houston, this is probably the best outcome Plains realistically could have hoped for. Plains still faces civil lawsuits filed by California fishermen, property owners and some Plains investors, and the conviction could bolster these cases and lead to bigger payouts by the company, he said. The lesson here, Hirs added, is companies must go above and beyond state and federal regulations to ensure that pipelines are properly inspected and maintained. Its quite clear Plains missed something here, Hirs said. A pipeline does not corrode or fall apart over just six months. The line is part of the All American Pipeline System that receives crude from Exxon Mobils Santa Ynez field at Las Flores, south of Los Angeles, and ends at Plains Emidio Station north of Santa Barbara. Exxon Mobil is applying to use tanker trucks to transport oil so it can restart production in the region. Over the past dozen years, Plains and its subsidiaries have reported about 280 incidents that spilled some 30,000 barrels of hazardous liquids, according to the U.S. Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The number of incidents ranks among the highest in the industry, but Plains is one of the nations largest oil pipeline firms. Plains CEO Greg Armstrong will retire at the end of September after more than 25 years, setting up the chief operating officer, Willie Chiang, who joined the company in 2015, to succeed him. Armstrong became CEO in 1992 when the company was launched as Plains Resources. It was renamed Plains All American six years later. Armstrong will remain Plains chairman through 2019. jordan.blum@chron.com twitter.com/jdblum23 The Dallas police officer accused of killing a man after entering the wrong home was arrested Sunday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. Guyger was booked into the Kaufman County Jail on a manslaughter charge, the authorities said. Her arrest came amid intensifying calls for the 30-year-old officer to be charged in the fatal shooting of her 26-year-old neighbor, Botham Shem Jean, on Thursday. Authorities say Guyger mistakenly entered Jean's apartment and killed him. Authorities had initially held off on obtaining an arrest warrant on manslaughter charges. Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said investigators needed more time to decipher what they have described as an unusual case of a shooting by an officer. The Texas Ranger Division, a separate agency that's investigating the case, had asked that the warrant be postponed. But that changed Sunday. The Texas Department of Public Safety said after Guyger's arrest that the investigation is ongoing. The Dallas Morning News reported that Guyger's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The newspaper noted that Guyger's bail was set at $300,000. The shooting has raised questions about whether Guyger, who is white, used deadly force against Jean, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, because he was black. Jean was shot Thursday night in his unit in an apartment building near downtown Dallas. Police said Guyger, still in uniform after working a shift, went inside Jean's apartment believing it was hers. Police have not said what transpired afterward, other than to say that Guyger fired her weapon. She called 911, and Jean died at a hospital. Dallas civil rights attorney Lee Merritt had said hours earlier that based on his conversations with officials, including Hall, there was enough evidence to arrest Guyger on suspicion of manslaughter. Merritt said he asked investigators with the Texas Ranger Division whether the postponement meant there was no probable cause to arrest Guyger. "They said, 'Not necessarily,' and that they just wanted more evidence," Merritt told The Washington Post earlier on Sunday. The delay frustrated Jean's grieving family members and raised questions about deferential treatment for police officers. "In any normal case where there's probable cause . . . you make an arrest," Merritt said. "When law enforcement [is under investigation], for some reason, we don't use the normal protocol in dealing with criminal activity." Merritt said Jean and the officer did not know each other. The officer's apartment was directly below Jean's, he said. Jean's mother, Allison, a former St. Lucia government official, called the news of his death "a nightmare." "I need to look into her eyes and ask her why did she do that to my son," Allison Jean told NBC News. "Botham would want me to get justice for him. The state needs to pay for my son." Guyger, who has been with the police department for four years, has been placed on administrative leave. She was not injured. Officials have not explained why she thought Jean's apartment was hers or what her mental or physical state was at the time. A blood sample has been drawn for alcohol and drug tests. A police spokeswoman referred questions to the Texas Ranger Division. The Texas Department of Public Safety, which oversees the rangers, has not responded to a request for comment beyond issuing a brief news release announcing Guyger's arrest. During a criminal justice panel Saturday, Hall promised that the police department would be transparent. She said that her agency was in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant last week, but that after the ranger division interviewed Guyger, investigators asked for more time to look into the information the officer gave. Jean's death has renewed calls for policing reform and places the national spotlight back on a police department that, just two years ago, lost five of its officers in a shooting. A gunman who "said he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," opened fire in July 2016 in the middle of what had otherwise been a peaceful protest over police shootings. Hall said she did not know whether race was a factor in Jean's death and asked the public for patience as investigators do their work. "There is so much rhetoric surrounding this incident. We have a lot of questions that are unanswered," Hall said. "Allow us to get to the bottom of those answers that we could give to you, and then let's have a discussion." Merritt, who also represents the family of Antwon Rose II, an unarmed teenager who was shot by an East Pittsburgh police officer, said race and police's use of force are deeply intertwined in this country. The night of the shooting, Guyger's apartment key was found in Jean's door, suggesting that she had tried to open it, Merritt said. Seeing a black man inside an apartment she thought was hers influenced her actions, Merritt concluded. "I have to believe based on experience that her decision to use deadly force in the way that she did was influenced by the fact that she was standing in front of a black male and that our society has allowed law enforcement to use deadly force in unnecessary situations against black men with impunity," he said. Jean moved from St. Lucia to Arkansas, Merritt said. He graduated in 2016 from Harding University, a private Christian school in Searcy, Arkansas, where he was a member of an a cappella group that performs spiritual songs for churches. Jean frequently led singing at the university chapel and during campus events. "The entire Harding family grieves today for the loss of Botham Jean, who has meant so very much to us," university officials said. Bruce McLarty, president of the university, said he once asked Jean to lead the singing of an unfamiliar old hymn. Jean was excited about singing it, though he had not heard of the song. The day he was to perform it, McLarty recalled, Jean called his grandmother in St. Lucia, and she taught him the song over the phone. "He shared it with us. . . . It was a truly special moment," McLarty said. Jean was an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas, an international company that does assurance, tax and advisory work for firms around the world. "This is a terrible tragedy," the company said in a statement. "Botham Jean was a member of the PwC family in our Dallas office, and we are simply heartbroken to hear of his death." Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said Saturday that he had talked to Jean's family and to St. Lucia's prime minister to apologize for the young man's death. Jean, Rawlings said, "was exactly the sort of citizen we want to have in the city of Dallas." --- The Washington Post's Lindsey Bever and Taylor Telford contributed to this report. Imagine three fully-loaded 737s crashing each year at Houston airports, killing everyone on board. Then imagine their deaths being shrugged off as an acceptable cost of air travel. People knew the risks when they got on board, didnt they? Trying to improve safety would just mean expensive and annoying regulations. This metaphor should be seared into your brain after reading the first part of the Out of Control series by the Chronicles Dug Begley and St. John Barned-Smith. It basically describes the status quo of driving in Houston. Each year, 640 people die on Houston-area roads and 2,850 more are seriously injured. These numbers arent normal and they shouldnt be acceptable. These statistics make us the deadliest metro area for drivers, passengers and anyone else who dares to use our roads. The Texas Department of Transportation acknowledges that were facing a crisis in road safety. Yet, for whatever reason, our collective consciousness not to mention our political system allows this continuing tragedy to pass by most of us with little attention paid beyond a few minutes in the morning news. Perhaps this lackadaisical attitude stems from lack of a unifying horror to demand our attention. Theres no single, unavoidable mass disaster no fireball, no shouting terrorist, no smoking gun. Yet, no part of our region is spared rich and poor, black and white, Hispanic and Asian. Every day, people die. And victims friends and families are left with a lifetime of mourning. Why? Its not as if this inevitable. So far, the attitude from our elected leaders could be summarized as: Weve tried nothing and were all out of ideas. There are plenty of policy options that can target unsafe drivers and dangerous streets. At a local level, Houston and Harris County can direct law enforcement to stop and ticket dangerous drivers. While the population has grown, both the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriffs Office handed out fewer tickets last year than in 2012. Resources are already stretched thin. Houston has a culture of speeding. Handing out tickets is politically unpopular. But all you have to do is watch drivers hit the brakes the moment they enter West University or Southside Place to know how stricter enforcement can lead to safer streets. The city and county also need to design roads with safety in mind. This means narrower streets that slow traffic in neighborhoods and create space for cyclists and pedestrians. If drivers feel comfortable going 50 miles per hour, it doesnt matter what the speed limit sign says theyll drive at 50. The city should also reduce parking minimums in dense, walkable parts of town so that people dont have to get in their cars in the first place. Currently the city requires new construction to include mandatory parking lots with rules that dont differentiate between a feeder-road pit stop and dive-bar watering hole. Eliminating parking minimums at bars could also help discourage drinking and driving. Better transit options will take commuters off the roads, reducing the chances of getting in a deadly crash in the first place. Safety should be part of the calculus as Metro tinkers with its next capital improvement plan. At a state level, the Legislature has a responsibility to instruct TXDOT to make safety a higher priority. This not only means better design standards for streets, but also providing funding for mass transit, bike and pedestrian options that dont put people at risk. The state also can create a dedicated program to identify, study and rebuild the deadliest roads and intersections in Texas. Each year, more people die on Houston-area roads than the total number of Texans killed in Iraq since 2003. Each year, the situation gets worse. It is time to slam on the brakes and put a halt to this relentless carnage. Imperial Valley News Center Historical Encryption: The Great Cipher Jacksonville, Florida - For nearly 250 years The Great Cipher remained uncrackable, even today much of its ciphertext remains undecrypted Its time to take another look back at some historical encryption, today were going to talk about The Great Cipher. Invented sometime around the middle of the 17th century, under King Louis XIV, The Great Cipher remained unsolved until 1893. In fact, even to this day many of its enciphered documents in the French Archives are unreadable. So, who invented The Great Cipher? Who cracked it? And what made it so formidable? Lets hash it out. Rossignol is an Aptronym At the heart of todays historical tale is a family with the surname Rossignol. Rossignol is French for nightingale, but perhaps more appropriately, since about 1400 the word had been used as the French term for skeleton key. A skeleton key is, in reality, a type of master key that has been filed down to its essential parts, which can open most locksthough the term takes on near-mythic qualities in popular lore. Antoine Rossignol first appears in the historical record in 1626. Rossignol was under the employ of a local prince, assisting with what seemed like it would be a months-long siege of a city called Realmont. When a courier carrying an enciphered letter from the besieged city was intercepted, Rossignol decrypted it within an hour. The letter showed that the Huguenot (a French Protestant minority) forces hold on the city was tenuousthey were under-supplied and out of ammunition. The princes forces returned the letter along with the deciphered copy and the Huguenots surrendered immediately. This caught the attention of Louis XIIIs chief minister, who was quite fond of using secure ciphers and cryptography in both his diplomatic and intelligence gathering functions. Rossignol acquitted himself so well in his years of service that famous poems were even written about him and his cryptanalytic abilities. By the time Louis XIVs reign began Rossignol was working with his son, Bonaventure, splitting time between his own estate and a room in the Palace of Versailles adjacent to the Kings study. There they developed The Great Cipher that would remain uncracked for the next 250 years. What is The Great Cipher? The Great Cipher was a nomenclator cipher that the Rossignols continued using for several generations in the service of the French crown. A nomenclator cipher is a kind of substitution cipher. In addition to substitution tables (nomenclators) that were used to replace each letter of a text, there was also a codebook. Originally the code words or symbols only replaced the names of people (hence the prefix nomen-) but eventually it evolved to also replace important places and other common words. This was done to avoid a specific cryptanalytic technique called frequency analysis, where an attacker would look for commonly occurring words to help break the encryption. What made The Great Cipher so special? Well and this definitely adds to the lore a lot of the specifics of the cipher died with the Rossignol family. What we do know is this: the cipher had thousands of symbols, but only 587 of them were different (others were redundant, with multiple symbols for the same thing). Now, this is where it gets unique. Most substitution ciphers are going to be limited to the 26 letters in the alphabet and maybe ten numerals. Regardless, you are working with a knowable, finite number of characters. The Great Cipher didnt work that way because the Rossignols were starting with a plaintext that was basically written phonetically. They were substituting on a syllabic basisliterally one syllable at a time. This basically meant they were encrypting vocal sounds. Of which there are many, many more than there are characters in the alphabet. 587, by their count. Nobody ever accused The Great Cipher of being efficient. To counter the frequency analysis technique we discussed earlier some number sets were Nulls, meant to be ignored by the decryptor, some dictated adjustments that needed to be made to other parts of the ciphertext and some were straight up traps including one code group that told the decryptor to ignore the previous one. In one nomenclator, 131 of the 711 code numbers stood for the sound made by the letter E. All of this made The Great Cipher nearly unbreakable. In fact, at the time it was thought to be completely unbreakable. It wasnt until 250 years later that anyone would get close. Etienne Bazeries cracks The Great Cipher kind of Etienne Bazeries was a French cryptanalyst that served from 1890 until the first World War. His contribution to cryptography is worth its own article (a topic for another day), but he began as little more than a hobbyistsolving cryptograms in local newspapers until he began applying his cryptanalytic skills to his role in the military. After his decryption forced the French military to switch to a new cipher, word began to spread about his abilities. Much like Antoine Rossignol centuries earlier, he became one of the foremost cryptographers in all of France, working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs starting in 1891. It was there, after he had begun work on it three years earlier, that in 1893 Bazeries cracked The Great Cipher. This was truly a strenuous undertaking, where Bazeries would work out various theories over the course of months before ultimately proving them to be false. He finally arrived at the hypothesis that Rossignol had been encrypting syllables after exhausting nearly every other reasonable idea he had. The string of numbers that proved to be the strand that unraveled everything was 124-22-125-46-345, which he surmised stood for les ennemis (the enemies). From there, he began to reverse engineer the cipher until he was finally able to begin decrypting some of the enciphered documents. The legacy of The Great Cipher Part of what made The Great Cipher so robust was the experience Rossignol had accumulated in his own time as a cryptanalyst. Rossignol was a skilled mathematician. He also ran the Cabinet Noir, an early intelligence agency that intercepted communication headed to and from criminal suspects and political enemies so that it might be decrypted and the information contained there within used by Louis XIV and his government. The man knew what he was doing. Bazeries for his part was self-taught. The son of a mounted police officer, he enlisted in the military in 1863 and continued to serve until 1924 when he retired at 78. He wrote a book on cracking ciphers in 1901 that is still revered in cryptography circles to this day. Unfortunately, even with what Bazeries discovered on how to break The Great Cipher, few have the skills or the wherewithal to do it today, which means huge sections of the French Archives are unreadable. The cipher was used from the mid 1600s until 1811 when the last of the Rossignols died off and it fell out of use. That means critical documents and unknown perspectives from entire chapters over 150 years of French history are enciphered away. Imperial Valley News Center The integrity principle Washington, DC - In 1964 I was a young reporter at the American Forces Network headquarters news desk in Frankfurt, West Germany. My editor -- a crusty, chain smoker who routinely tossed copy back at me and said just two words, fix it, had assigned me to cover the controversial Johnson- Goldwater presidential election campaign. Fix it, he said tossing my first story back to me. Hed done a word count and was concerned that I had devoted 10 or 15 extra words to Mr. Goldwater. He saw it as bias. I learned my lesson. It was a lesson about integrity. Without that quality journalists become irrelevant. They become partisan hacks. They become hit men for personal causes. More important, they erode the confidence the public had in them and in all news reporters. Its their job to provide the facts; it is the readers prerogative to interpret those facts. We dont need the spin of a biased newsman. The majority of journalists and their editors still adhere to the rules and most publishers offer swift justice in the form of pink slips for those who stray. But, it seems that these days it has become difficult, at best, to know when a report in a newspaper or on TV is actually news or a personal opinion. Its bad enough that anyone with a computer, a basic knowledge of grammar and a vivid imagination can be a reporter these days by posting their so-called news stories on the Internet. These new age town criers have no rules; they are free to twist and turn their so-called coverage of an event or personality to suit their personal agendas. But when mainstream reporters do it, we all lose. We lose confidence in the purpose and accuracy of the stories we read in the morning paper and those we watch on the evening news. Doctor of Psychology Seth Meyers, writing in the journal Psychology Today, says, an individual with integrity is the antidote to self-interest. The late Dr. Charles Krauthammer was such an individual. In his Washington Post obituary Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, a publication focused on American interests, is quoted as saying: Krauthammer wasnt simply a reflexive, unthinking conservative who was peddling the party line. He had real discernment and independence. At bottom, he was an intellectual, not just a journalist, with real literary flair and style and insight. Before he died, Krauthammer, who was a columnist for the Post, wrote what was to be his last column for the newspaper. It was an Opinion article in which he discussed his ill health and impending death. His words are the very essence of what it means to be a journalist with integrity: I believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking. I am grateful to have played a small role in the conversations that have helped guide this extraordinary nations destiny. News reporters are bound by a code of ethics. They stick to the facts. They do not take advantage of the stories they are covering to promote a personal agenda. The integrity principle is taken seriously and, if they stray, there are editors who strictly enforce the code. Editorials are for the editorial pages. Imperial Valley News Center Fifteen Violent Jewelry Robbers Have Been Arrested for 11 Robberies and Attempted Robberies Targeting Traveling Jewelry Salesmen in Five States Dallas, Texas - Fifteen defendants who were wanted by the FBI for their suspected involvement in a series of violent robberies against traveling jewelry salesmen across the United States, have been arrested, the last of whom on Sept. 2, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Eric K. Jackson of the FBI Dallas Field Office. An indictment and three superseding indictments, issued in Feb. 18, 2016; Jan. 24, 2017; Nov. 21, 2017; and Jan. 23, 2018, respectively, charge the 15 defendants, all Colombian nationals, with the following offenses relating to the 11 robberies/attempted robberies: Jonathan David Malpica, 33 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Tito Andres Vargas Urbina, 31 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Roger Zamora, aka Jaime Alba Juarez, 40 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Camila Andrea Espitia, 23 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Mohammed Natour, 32 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Omar Gonzalez, 38 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery Fabrizia Cavanna Sarmiento, aka Fabrizia Cavanna, 41 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery Andres Felipe Henao, 32 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Brayan David Vargas Londono, aka Brayan Vargas, Brayan David Vargas Gonzalez, Mario Steven Cuellar, Joshua Steven Cavarez, Blanco Elizanoro Recioachach, 25 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery Rodolfo Vargas Londono, aka Christian Vargas, 30 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery Luis Garcia, 31 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery Catherine Salas, 34 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery Erika Gutierrez Machado, aka Angela Cuebas, 45 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery James Jeanphier Tobar Ramon, aka Panda, Jonathan Tapia, Jhonatan Vasquez Toloza, 27 RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery Jesus Jean Pool Tovar, aka Yakusa, 24 Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery The indictments charge the defendants for their alleged involvement in 11 robberies/attempted robberies in five states, from 2014 through 2016: Date (on or about) Robbery Location Sept. 26, 2014 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Jan. 30, 2015 Dallas, Texas March 31, 2015 Miami Beach, Florida July 8, 2015 Houston, Texas Sept. 3, 2015 Dallas, Texas Oct. 26, 2015 Houston, Texas Nov. 10, 2015 Hollywood, Florida Nov. 15, 2015 Indianapolis, Indiana Dec. 6, 2015 Vienna, Virginia Jan. 21, 2016 Farmers Branch, Texas Jan. 27, 2016 Dallas, Texas The series of indictments charged that the members and associates of the robbery enterprise allegedly operated in the following ways: Members of the enterprise and their associates allegedly obtained rental vehicles, airline tickets, hotel rooms, and other short-term housing, and opened bank accounts and obtained bank cards and credit cards using fraudulent identification documents to facilitate the robberies and surveillance operations; Members of the enterprise and their associates allegedly conducted surveillance on diamond and jewelry stores and traveling diamond and jewelry salesmen in order to identify prospective robbery victims, using teams of individuals to watch the stores from their vehicles and on foot; Members of the enterprise and their associates allegedly blocked-in the vehicles of traveling diamond and jewelry salesmen and often disabled the vehicles by, among other means, flattening the vehicles tires and breaking the vehicles windows; Members of the enterprise and their associates allegedly used violence, threats of violence, and weapons, including BB guns, knives, blades, and center punches; and Members of the enterprise and their associates allegedly sold the stolen diamonds, jewels, jewelry, and other goods to individuals who buy and sell stolen goods (fences), including an individual who traveled from Colombia to the United States to purchase the stolen goods, and then split the proceeds of their unlawful activities. Further investigative efforts led to the location and arrest of all 15 defendants, the most recent of which took place on Sept. 2, when Tobar was arrested in Miami, Florida, by the Miami Beach Police Department Robberies Unit, in coordination with the FBI. Rodolfo Vargas Londono, Cavanna, and Brayan David Vargas Londono, were all arrested in Colombia by the Colombian National Police, DIJIN Vetted Team, on Oct. 27, 2017, Dec. 24, 2017, and Feb. 12, 2018, respectively. The other 11 defendants were arrested in the United States from 2016 through 2017. The defendants allegedly embarked on a multi-state spree of violent robberies, putting the lives of their victims and other innocent civilians at risk, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. Thanks to the dedication and cooperative efforts of prosecutors in the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of Texas, along with our partners with the FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force, all 15 defendants indicted for this interstate armed robbery conspiracy have been apprehended and now must face justice. I especially thank our Colombian law enforcement partners for their hard work in securing the arrest of three fugitives in this important case. These individuals painstakingly surveilled, menaced, and violently robbed salespeople in the Northern District of Texas and elsewhere, said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. My office is committed to rooting out these kinds of criminal conspiracies. I thank our law enforcement partners both here in the United States and in Colombia for helping us bring these defendants to justice. The investigation and indictments of this violent and dangerous foreign criminal enterprise by the personnel of the Dallas FBI Office, our law enforcement partners, and prosecutors hopefully have sent a clear message, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jackson. We have no tolerance for those who would violate the sovereignty of the United States to further their criminal goals and we will bring you to justice no matter where in the world you are located. To date, nine defendants in total pleaded guilty to charges relating to the robberies: Gonzalez pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on July 27, 2017. Gonzalez was sentenced to 66 months in prison on Feb. 20. Urbina pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Aug. 29, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing. Malpica pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Sept. 5, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing. Machado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery on Sept. 5, 2017. Machado was sentenced to 40 months in prison on Jan. 22. Salas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery on Oct. 31, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing. Henao pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery on Jan. 9, and is awaiting sentencing. Natour pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on March 13, and is awaiting sentencing. Zamora pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on March 20, and is awaiting sentencing. Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery on March 27, and is awaiting sentencing. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from the Colombian National Police, DIJIN Vetted Team. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the extradition matters. Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Robinson of the Northern District of Texas, are prosecuting the case. Imperial Valley News Center Man Charged With Fraud and International Money Laundering Conspiracies, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Naturalization Fraud Atlanta, Georgia - A Georgia man is charged with fraud and money laundering conspiracies and related offenses, according to an 18-count indictment unsealed Wednesday. The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak of the Northern District of Georgia, Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBIs Atlanta Division and Special Agent in Charge Nick Annan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta Field Office. Onosemeraja Idodo-Umeh, 41, a native of Nigeria who was residing in Atlanta, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of unlawful procurement of naturalization. He was arraigned on the charges earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet King. Idodo-Umeh was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 7. Onosemeraja Idodo-Umeh allegedly perpetrated multiple fraudulent schemes over many years, including by conspiring with violent gang members, and then laundered the illicit proceeds, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. He also allegedly obtained U.S. citizenship only after lying to immigration authorities. These extremely troubling charges once again demonstrate the Department of Justices resolve to protect the American people and our financial system from transnational fraud. This Defendant has allegedly moved a substantial amount of money out of the United States to Nigeria, and he did so with the help of gang members already indicted by my Office, said U.S. Attorney Pak. By prosecuting not only the gang members but those who reaped the financial benefit of their crimes, we will dismantle the entire criminal network. The indictment alleges a conspiracy spanning roughly seven years, in which Idodo-Umeh and his co-conspirators perpetrated fraud schemes using stolen identities, compromised credit card numbers, and stolen and counterfeit checks. The alleged conspiracy involved, among other tactics, the creation of fake businesses to which Idodo-Umeh and his co-conspirators, including members of the gang the Gangster Disciples, would make credit card payments using stolen credit card numbers. The indictment also alleges the use of forged checks written for tens of thousands of dollars each. Idodo-Umeh would allegedly funnel the fraud proceeds through bank accounts belonging to a network of subordinates who he recruited and paid on commission, transfer dirty money back and forth between the United States and Nigeria, and take other steps to launder his criminal income. The indictment also alleges that Idodo-Umeh unlawfully obtained his naturalized U.S. citizenship by falsely telling immigration authorities he had not committed any crimes when in fact he was engaged in the charged fraud. This gang not only threatened our communities with violence, but as a criminal enterprise, victimized innocent civilians by stealing their identities and money, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Hacker. FBI investigators are determined to uncover every facet of their illegal activity, and this defendants arrest exemplifies that determination. This case illustrates the complexity of financial crimes transnational criminal networks seek to exploit, said HSI Special Agent in Charge Annan. With this indictment, HSI special agents in collaboration with our DOJ partners have taken an important action to increase the security of our nation by dismantling a significant transnational criminal organization. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by FBI Atlantas Safe Streets Gang Task Force with assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, and by HSI and IRS Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim S. Dammers, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Section of the Northern District of Georgia, are prosecuting the case. 2018 California Agriculture Special Interest License Plate Sacramento, California - The California Department of Food and Agriculture is currently accepting proposals for the 2018 California Agriculture Special Interest License Plate (CalAgPlate) grant program. This program makes available $250,000 in grant funding to promote agricultural education and leadership activities for students at the K-12, post-secondary, and adult education levels. Proceeds generated through the sales of specialized, agriculture-themed license plates through the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have made this opportunity available. "Im so very pleased to announce our fifth year of CalAgPlate funding, said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. This program directly supports agricultural education and leadership opportunities throughout the state. Without the support of consumers who purchase agricultural special interest license plates and the dedication of students in FFA, 4-H and other programs this funding opportunity would not be possible. A purchase of a CalAgPlate helps to fund educational opportunities statewide which include agricultural workshops, farm tours and the State FFA Leadership Conference. The CalAgPlate program has funded more than $994,629 in youth educational activities since the program's inception. Funding is available on a competitive basis for state-adopted Agricultural Education Programs (Education Code Section 52450-52454), government agencies, and non-profit organizations that administer agricultural education programs. The application deadline is October 5, 2018. For further information and grant application materials, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/calagplate You can help support agricultural education and the CalAgPlate program by purchasing a special interest license plate at your local DMV office or online today. Heber Community Workshop Announced Heber, California - The County of Imperial announces a Heber Community Workshop scheduled for Wednesday, September 12, 2018 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Heber Community Center located at 1132 Heber Avenue in Heber. This workshop is an opportunity for Heber residents to learn more about upcoming projects being planned for the Heber community. The following presentations are expected: Road Improvement Projects for Heber Townsite John Gay, Imperial County Department of Public Works Transportation Projects Planned for Heber Mark Baza, Imperial County Transportation Commission Census Reporting Update Esperanza Colio-Warren, Imperial County Executive Office The workshop is open to the public and all Heber residents are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors at (442) 265-1030. Psychiatrist Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Role in $155 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Houston, Texas - A Houston psychiatrist was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for his role in a $155 million Medicare fraud scheme involving false and fraudulent claims for psychiatric services. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBIs Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Special Agent in Charge D. Richard Goss of IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Kristin Osswald of the Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector Generals (RRB-OIG) Chicago Regional Office, and Unit Division Chief Stormy Kelly of the Texas Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement. Riyaz Mazcuri, 67, a former attending psychiatrist at Riverside General Hospital (Riverside) of Houston, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore of the Southern District of Texas. Judge Gilmore also ordered Mazcuri to pay $20,607,410.22 in restitution to Medicare and $2,250,789.69 in restitution to Medicaid. On May 23, 2017, following a five-day trial, a jury convicted Mazcuri of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and five counts of health care fraud. According to the evidence at trial, from 2006 until February 2012, Mazcuri and others engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting to Medicare, through Riverside, approximately $155 million in false and fraudulent claims for partial hospitalization program (PHP) services. A PHP is a form of intensive outpatient treatment for patients with severe mental illness. In addition, evidence presented at trial showed that Mazcuri indiscriminately admitted and readmitted patients into these intensive psychiatric programs often for years on end many of whom suffered from severe Alzheimers or dementia and were unable to participate in the treatment purportedly provided at the PHPs, and who therefore did not qualify for the services. Evidence also showed that Mazcuri falsified medical records and signed false documents to make it appear as if patients admitted to the PHPs qualified for, required, and actually received the intensive psychiatric services. Evidence also demonstrated that Mazcuri personally billed Medicare for psychiatric treatment he purportedly provided to Riversides PHP patients treatment he never actually provided. Mazcuris signature on patient documents enabled Riverside to bill Medicare for over $55 million of the total $155 million that Riverside billed Medicare for fraudulent psychiatric services, the evidence showed. To date, 15 others have been convicted of offenses based on their roles in the fraudulent scheme, including Earnest Gibson III, 73, the former president of Riverside; Earnest Gibson IV, 41, the operator of one of Riversides PHP satellite locations; Regina Askew, 53, a group home owner and patient file auditor; and Robert Crane, 61, a patient recruiter, all of whom were convicted after a jury trial in October 2014. Earnest Gibson III was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Earnest Gibson IV was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Regina Askew was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Robert Crane has not yet been sentenced. Mohammad Khan, 68, an assistant administrator at the hospital, who managed many of the hospitals PHPs, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Sharon Iglehart, 61, a physician, was also convicted after a jury trial in August 2015. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Walid Hamoudi, 66, a physician, pleaded guilty in August 2015. He was sentenced to five years in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and IRS-CI with assistance by RRB-OIG and MFCU. The case was prosecuted by former Assistant Chief Ashlee Caligone McFarlane and Trial Attorneys Aleza Remis and Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in 10 areas nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion. Former Arkansas State Senator Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Bribery Scheme Fort Smith, Arkansas - A former Arkansas State Senator was sentenced Wednesday to 220 months in prison for organizing and leading a bribery scheme in which state funds were directed to non-profit entities in exchange for kickbacks, many of which were funneled through a consultants business, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Duane DAK Kees for the Western District of Arkansas. On May 3, a jury found Jonathan E. Woods, 41, of Springdale, Arkansas, guilty of 15 counts, including conspiracy, honest services wire and mail fraud, and money laundering. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas sentenced Woods to serve three years of supervised release and ordered Woods to pay restitution in the amount of $1,621,500 to the State of Arkansas and two economic development districts including the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District and forfeit $1,097,005. Jonathan Woods abused his position as an Arkansas State Senator and betrayed the public trust by taking bribes and kickbacks, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. This conviction demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice and our federal partners to investigate and prosecute public officials who misuse their authority to benefit themselves at the expense of the citizens they pledged to serve. Todays sentence is the result of very hard work by the assigned Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the special agents from the IRS and the FBI, said U.S. Attorney Kees. We both respect and appreciate the judgment of the Court and the sentence that Judge Brooks ordered today. This sentence should send a message to the people who would abuse the trust of Arkansas voters and citizens. It should serve as a serious warning to those who would intentionally steal money from taxpayers and use their elected office to both commit and conceal their crimes. As I stated after the jury trial concluded, my office, along with the Criminal Division from the Department of Justice, will continue to investigate, pursue and prosecute public corruption cases in Arkansas in order to ensure the fairness and justice that the people of Arkansas deserve. According to the evidence presented at trial, Woods served as an Arkansas State Senator from 2013 to 2017. Between approximately 2013 and approximately 2015, Woods used his official position as a senator to appropriate and direct government money, known as General Improvement Funds (GIF), to two non-profit entities by, among other things, directly authorizing GIF disbursements and advising other Arkansas legislators including former State Representative Micah Neal, 43, of Springdale, Arkansas to contribute GIF to the non-profits. Specifically, Woods and Neal authorized and directed the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, which was responsible for disbursing the GIF, to award a total of approximately $600,000 in GIF money to the two non-profit entities. The evidence further showed that Woods and Neal received bribes from officials at both non-profits, including Oren Paris III, 50, of Springdale, Arkansas, who was the president of a college. Woods initially facilitated $200,000 of GIF money to the college and later, together with Neal, directed another $200,000 to the college, all in exchange for kickbacks. To pay and conceal the kickbacks to Woods and Neal, Paris paid a portion of the GIF to a consulting company controlled by Randell G. Shelton Jr., 39, of Alma, Arkansas. Shelton then kept a portion of the money and paid the other portion to Woods and Neal. Paris also bribed Woods by hiring Woodss friend to an administrative position at the college. Shelton also was found guilty by a jury on May 3. He was convicted of 12 counts, including conspiracy and honest services wire and mail fraud, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6. Paris pleaded guilty on April 5, before Judge Brooks to one count of honest services wire fraud, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12. Neal pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2017, before Judge Brooks to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 13. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Sean F. Mulryne of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyra Jenner and Aaron Jennen of the Western District of Arkansas prosecuted the case. Need for Free and Fair Election in Maldives Washington, DC - The United States is concerned about continued democratic backsliding in Maldives, particularly as the country prepares for a presidential election on September 23. We join the international community in calling for the release of falsely accused political prisoners; full implementation of the Maldivian Supreme Courts February ruling overturning the convictions of opposition members; an end to executive interference in the Parliament and judiciary; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and holding a free and fair election that reflects the will of the Maldivian people. The restoration of democratic institutions and practices, to include a free, fair, and inclusive election held on its scheduled date of September 23, is of critical importance to Maldives future. Absent Maldives return to a democratic path, the United States will consider appropriate measures against those individuals who undermine democracy, the rule of law, and a free and fair electoral process. Secretary of State Pompeo's Meeting With Indian Prime Minister Modi Washington, DC - Thursday Secretary Pompeo, jointly with Secretary Mattis, met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Secretary Pompeo conveyed the importance attached by President Trump to the deepening strategic partnership between the United States and India, and U.S. support for Indias role as a leading global power and regional security provider. Secretary Pompeo discussed with Prime Minister Modi joint efforts to safeguard the Indo-Pacific as a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity. Secretary Pompeo noted the important role people-to-people ties play in the bilateral relationship and highlighted the contributions of the Indian-American community to the United States. Secretary Pompeo and Prime Minister Modi also discussed the importance of the U.S.-India economic partnership and joint efforts to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and reciprocal manner. And your bags don't have to change planes either. Getty Images Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. How much do you care about money? When you book a flight, that is. Will you fly Basic Economy, just to save perhaps $25? Are you also prepared to tolerate connecting flights, which might take longer, but, hey, you never know which flights will be on time these days, so it's worth taking the risk? American Airlines wants those who book connecting flights to feel better about their decisions. It's testing a service whereby it might just offer you a direct flight instead. Yes, even after you've booked. First spotted by the self-effacing and highly influential JonNYC, this effort is called Project Direct. I asked American how this might work. A spokesman told me: We're testing with a small number of customers, who will receive a phone call from American with the offer. This is actually something we had a few years ago and we're bringing it back. Who, though, might get the offer? The spokesman said: We look for situations where it's likely to make sense both for the customer and for the airline. So when the airline hasn't filled the direct flight, it'll try and move some of those with connecting flights over to it. Oh, and you can't call up and beg. You have to be one of the chosen ones. Still, I can feel you swooning at American's thoughtful magnanimity. It is, indeed, a fine idea. It's also not free. Those who get the phone call and leap at the notion of a direct flight will have to pay $75 for the joy of changing their flight. You might decide this is deeply generous. After all, American's usual voluntary change fee before the day of travel is $200. (It's up to $750 for international flights.) You might also decide that airlines want you to understand that the era of free is over. You simply can't expect airlines to give you anything for free these days. On the morning of Irelands abortion referendum this May, novelist Sally Rooney was sitting on an plane, scrolling through her Twitter feed and crying. They were tears of anxiety. It was the most important day in her life, politically speaking, a vote she had wanted to cast since she was 15, and as far as she knew the country was split right down the middle. Too much hung in the balance. When she landed in Dublin, Rooney saw women handing out leaflets arguing for a repeal of the abortion ban and blurted out her thanks, feeling very grateful to them, and feeling like they were my friends but also realising they were complete strangers, and that there was nothing really behind my immense emotional attachment to them in that moment. Recommended Let Northern Irish women take the abortion pill at home too Rooney had plenty of experience as an outsider, at least in her ideas. Raised in conservative northwest Ireland, she identified as a Marxist by her teens, and in college specialised in opinions so fringe-left that they could alienate leftists: that men belong to a privileged class and it is reasonable for feminists to hate them; that prisons should be abolished, as should borders and privately held capital. On the day of the abortion referendum, she expected another reminder that she did not belong. As we now know, the result was a landslide vote to repeal the ban on most abortions, propelled by support among voters younger than 25. It meant that in Ireland, the past was past; new people were emerging. Rooney felt something unusual, that she was part of a coherent group of people who shared a set of ideas. I felt incredibly happy to feel normal, she recalled. It was like, Oh, this is amazing. I feel so at home, walking down the street, seeing people who probably agree with my opinion. Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Members of the public hold yes placards on Fairview road Getty Images Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Taoiseach Leo Varadkar casts his vote at Scoil Thomas, Castlenock Dublin PA Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Members of the public hold no placards on Fairview road Getty Images Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures A woman wears a campaign T-shirt and badges REUTERS Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures REUTERS Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Lorraine Curtin with her son Cillian Curtin, age 5 months, and Petrina Conmee arrive at Dublin airport from Portugal, having traveled especially to vote in Ireland's referendum REUTERS Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Members of the public hold yes placards on Fairview road Getty Images Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures A nun casts her ballot REUTERS Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures PA Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadakar leaves a polling station after casting his vote AFP/Getty Images Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Tom Harrington arrives to cast his ballot at Knock national school AP Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures PA Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures Leo Varadkar casts his vote PA Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures A woman carries her baby as she arrives to vote Reuters Ireland votes in historic abortion referendum: in pictures REUTERS Rooney, 27, has had that kind of year. Her first novel, Conversations with Friends, published last spring, received rapturous reviews. Her second, Normal People, just published, is on the longlist for this years Man Booker Prize. Both are being adapted for film. Most notable, though, is her word-of-mouth success. Her voice has been greeted as something identifiably new: the arrival of millennial fiction. She has been called the Jane Austen of the precariat, and compared to hipster luminaries like Greta Gerwig and Lena Dunham. And it is true, her characters are people we havent encountered much in print. They communicate through emails and instant messaging, but do not regard these as degraded forms: They do not just speak, but compose their remarks, like characters in an Oscar Wilde play. They are sceptical of the ability of markets to provide people with a decent life. They view human relationships especially sex as deeply political, worthy of unsparing and precise analysis, but do not seem to read the newspaper. Standing at the threshold of adult life, they halt, failing to see any reason to proceed. Repeal the 8th: Rooney felt at home after Irelands decision to withdraw the abortion ban (Reuters) Rooney, who wrote Conversations With Friends while studying for a masters degree in American literature, expected to reach readers like herself, people who share my ideology or have a similarly jaundiced view of social systems. Her mass-market success is clearly still a little disorienting. Light and sparkling is the phrase that has been used, she said. I cant complain if people think its sparkling, but then theres a sense that wasnt what I set out to do. As a student in a Catholic high school a decade ago, Rooney was required to attend lectures by Pure in Heart, an organisation that discouraged premarital sex. The presenters, having gathered a roomful of teenage girls, would ask for a volunteer to extend her arm and would display a length of clear adhesive tape, telling them that the tape signified them as virgins. Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis celebrates the Holy Mass at the Phoenix Park, in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis arrives at Phoenix Park for a Papal Mass of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin EPA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A vigil takes place at the site of the mass grave which contained the remains of 796 named babies from the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home in Tuam. The vigil coincides with the Phoenix park mass which is taking place in Dublin held by Pope Francis. Excavations at the site in 2017 revealed underground structures which held babies bodies with ages ranging from 35 weeks to three years old with most of the dead buried in the 1950s when the facility was run by the Bon Secours Sisters, a Catholic religious order of nuns who received unmarried pregnant women to give birth Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures An aerial view of the crowd at Phoenix Park Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Children queue for communion during Pope Francis' closing Mass PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures The Stand4Truth rally gathers outside a former Magdalene laundry in Dublin as part of the demonstrations against clerical sex abuse PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis leads the Holy Mass at Phoenix Park AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Holy Mass at the Phoenix Park AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures The names of the victims are read out as a vigil takes place at the site of the mass grave which contained the remains of 796 named babies from the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis leads the Holy Mass at Phoenix Park AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A member of the clergy carries a bowl of incense PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A vigil takes place at the site of the mass grave which contained the remains of 796 named babies Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Members of the public pray as they watch Pope Francis deliver a Papal Mass of the World Meeting of Families at Phoenix Park EPA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis attends the closing Mass at the World Meeting of Families at Phoenix Park in Dublin PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis passes by a banner of a protester as he leaves St Mary's Pro-Cathedral AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis speaks during his visit to the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to the waiting crowds on Christchurch PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to the waiting crowds on College Green PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Members of the public wave at Pope Francis as he travels through the city Getty Images Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis laughs as he leaves St Mary's Pro Cathedral during his visit to Dublin Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Two boys wave flags after climbing a post as they wait for Pope Francis Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pairs of baby shoes are hung from black ribbons on Gardiner Street in Dublin in memory of the children who died at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Crowds on O'Connell Street PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures WMOF2018/Maxwell Photography/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis memorabilia on sale on O'Connell Street PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis arrives at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral during his visit to Ireland to attend the 2018 World Meeting of Families AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to the waiting crowds on O'Connell Street PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis addresses the congragation at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Stephen O'Brien selling bottles of holy water from the St Mary's Pro Cathedral PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis prays inside St Mary's Pro Cathedral Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A man waves a rainbow flag behind a model of a pope which stands in the window above a bar Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures People hold a banner against Pope Francis on the way to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Nuns wait by the side of the road for Pope Francis Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A model of a pope is placed in the window above a bar as crowds wait for Pope Francis to travel through the city Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Crowds on O'Connell Street, Dublin waiting to see Pope Francis as he travels in the Popemobile PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis waves to wellwishers as he arrives at Dublin Airport Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures His visit, the first by a Pope since John Paul II's in 1979 is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of Catholics to a series of events in Dublin and Knock PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis talks to journalists aboard a plane flying from Fiumicino aiport to Dublin AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures LGBT protestors from Dublin Pride and We Are Church with flags and umbrellas on Ha'Penny Bridge, Dublin to remember the victims of clerical sex abuse ahead of the start of the visit to Ireland by Pope Francis PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis disembarks from the aircraft as he arrives at Dublin Airport Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Woman wait for Pope Francis to drive past, in Dublin Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Taoiseach Leo Varadkar delivers a speech watched by Pope Francis in St. Patrick's Hall at Dublin Castle WMOF2018/Maxwell Photography/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Protesters hold banners during a demonstration against clerical sex abuse, in Dublin Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis plants a tree during a meeting with Irish President Michael D Higgins, at Aras an Uachtarain PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis walks with the President of Ireland Michael Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain WMOF2018/Maxwell Photography/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Reuters Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis, center, is flanked by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, right, as they arrive to meet authorities, in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Protestors wearing baby shoes, to signify the children who died in mother and baby homes in Ireland, protest in Dublin ahead of the start of the visit to Ireland by Pope Franci PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar AFP/Getty Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Pope Francis speaks with President Michael D Higgins in his study during a visit to Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park, Dublin PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Navy band march prior to the arrival of Pope Francis at the Presidential residence in Dublin AP Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures Eddie McGuinness from Dublin LGBTQ Pride carries a rainbow flag across Ha'Penny Bridge, Dublin ahead of the start of the visit to Ireland by Pope Francis PA Pope Francis visits Ireland in pictures A message left by Pope Francis in the visitors book at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park PA This is you when you decide to sleep with your boyfriend, they would say, attaching the tape to the girls arm and peeling it off, now cloudy with skin cells. Then they would do the same thing multiple times, to signify multiple partners, so that the tape was clogged with dirty particles, and hold it up before the class, asking, Would you want to marry this? Rooney and her classmates sat there, smirking. No piece of Sellotape strikes me as an adequate marital partner, she said. We perceived them as bizarre. The abortion ban, she said, was more offensive: It felt like a vestige of a culture that was not in tune with how people were living their lives. Rooneys fictional 20-somethings furnish a kind of response. In the Dublin circles she describes, the Catholic Church barely figures. Relationships are everything. Sex is described with great care and detail. (I could hear myself making a lot of noise, but only syllables, no real words. I closed my eyes. The inside of my body was hot like oil, says Frances, the narrator of Conversations With Friends.) She writes attentively of pain, offering eye-watering descriptions of menstrual cramps caused by endometriosis. Rooney arrived at Trinity College, Irelands most elite university, from Castlebar in County Mayo, where her father worked as a technician for the state-owned telecom company. Her parents were socialists; they so often repeated Marxs slogan from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs, that as a child she took it to be a religious quote, or maybe a parenting guideline . She found her tribe as a competitive debater at 22, she was the top debater in Europe and settled into what she would later describe as an analytic way of living. She and her friend Aoife daydreamed about being a brain in a jar, liberated from the encumbrance of a body. Her characters long for the analytic way, too, but are jolted out of it, again and again, often by sex. I dont really believe in the idea of the individual, Rooney said. I find myself consistently drawn to writing about intimacy, and the way we construct one another. They are battered, as well, by economic conditions. The 2008 financial crash, and its catastrophic effect on Irelands young people, hangs like an invisible backdrop to all of Rooneys fiction. Her own friends, after receiving prestigious degrees, took retail jobs, or went on welfare, scrambling to pay exorbitant Dublin rents. Rooney settled into an analytical way of living at the prestigious Trinity College Dublin (Rex) In my parents generation, or even before that, people who are in their 30s or 40s, youd go to college and it was easier to get a job in one of the big law firms, and youll be set up youll be able to get a mortgage, said Rooneys partner, John Prasifka, 25, a high school math teacher. Our generation is seeing thats not worked out for us. Earlier generations may have naturally shed their leftist beliefs as they lofted into the middle class, he added. But with their cohort, he said, it is difficult to see that happening. I got all my Marxism from Sally, he said cheerfully. Last week, to avoid reading the wave of publicity that would accompany the release of Normal People, Rooney deactivated her Twitter account. This was no small thing. For 10 years, Rooney has delighted in Twitter, trafficking in cerebral self-mockery ( getting into lengthy Facebook wars about Greek debt / using words like creditors and Eurogroup in my actual free time / why ); earnest declarations (the Irish state has always been organised on the unpaid labour of women); and too-cool-for-school banter (this New Statesman piece from last year is so bad I laughed until I literally wept.) Rooney even gave her character Frances, in Conversation With Friends, a Twitter voice, which she described as a tone of casual self-revelation that deprives others of the ability to criticise. Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Show all 20 1 /20 Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Women in Dublin celebrate the result of yesterday's referendum on abortion law Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A woman in Dublin celebrates the result of yesterday's referendum Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Activists react at the count centre as votes are tallied folowing yesterday's referendum Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Co-Director of Together For Yes Ailbhe Smyth speaking to the media at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes voters react, as the results of the votes begin to come in PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Long time campaigner Annette Forde, from Drumcondra, at the count centre in Dublin's RDS as votes are counted PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Minister for Health Simon Harris (centre) with Fine Gael's Kate O'Connell and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy (left) speaks to the media on arrival at the count centre PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes voters celebrate at the count centre in Dublin as official results for constituencies are announced PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners celebrate at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A woman writes a message on a mural to Savita Halappanava, a woman who died of pregnancy complications AFP/Getty Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Activists react at the count centre as votes are tallied folowing yesterday's referendum Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald reacts with a member of the Yes campaign PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners celebrate at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners react, as the results of the votes begin to come in Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Senator David Norris at the count centre in Dublin as votes are counted PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A woman sits in front of the Dublin mural of Savita Halappanavar, a woman who died of pregnancy complications PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Repeal supporters at Dublin's RDS await the start of the count last night PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Minister for Health Simon Harris is greeted by retired Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners react, as the results of the votes begin to come in AP Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A Yes voter poses with a badge as votes are counted AFP/Getty But now a lot of what she reads on Twitter is about her, and she hates that. The attention is hard for her to bear. During an interview in Dublin, she worried aloud that novelists are over-glamorised, and said newspapers should write more profiles of nurses or bus drivers. I cant help feeling that I am not a very important person, and being treated like one gives me strange feelings, she explained in an email. She lingered over the question of whether, in a world facing climate change and white nationalism, novels about intimate relationships small lives serve a political purpose. At some point, I realised I was no longer central to the conversation; she seemed to be interrogating herself. You cannot write about what people are really like without making a political adjudication, she said. All our ideas of what human nature consists of, or how people really feel and experience life are at their base political ideas. Then she paused, and gave a different answer. Im not trying to convince anyone of anything, and sometimes I feel, if I really believe this is the state the planet is in, why should I write novels? I must enjoy it. New York Times Nothing stops for filming in Hong Kong. As we slalom our way through the crowds of people crammed into the exceptionally busy fish market at Lau Fau Shan, its a struggle to keep up with the cameras capturing a scene for the new ITV thriller Strangers. In it, John Simm plays a British professor whose life is turned upside when his wife (Dervla Kirwan) dies in a car crash in the Chinese territory. Limbo-dancing as we go, we are doing our best to follow a trolley being wheeled through the labyrinthine corridors of the market. The air is thick with pungent aromas from stalls displaying unfamiliar fish. Lying on the trolley is a (prosthetic) corpse wrapped in a tarpaulin and trussed up with rope. As the dead body weaves through the throng, no one bats an eyelid. Theyre far too busy to take a second glance. Outside, we look on as Simm, in pursuit of answers, leaps out of a taxi that looks like it has been driven here straight from losing a demolition derby. He dashes from the vehicle into the fish market. It is all very discombobulating. The perfect setting, then, for Strangers, which has been exec-produced by the creators of The Missing, Harry and Jack Williams. Simms devastated Jonah has to overcome his fear of flying to travel to Hong Kong to identify his wife Megans body. There he uncovers a string of dark secrets that reveal she was leading a double life. Meanwhile, the authorities who are purporting to help him turn out to be far from trustworthy. The deeper he delves, the more dazed and confused he feels. Nobody does dazed and confused better than Simm think of the look of perpetual bafflement on his face when his modern day detective Sam Tyler was confronted by 1970s copper Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) in Life on Mars. Between scenes in the Happy Seafood restaurant in Lau Fau Shan, Simm has the same magnetic energy he displays on screen. Ive got form when it comes to wandering around looking confused in a city I dont seem to recognise, he laughs. Maybe thats why they cast me! (BBC/The Forge (BBC/The Forge) Hong Kong, the 48-year-old says, is an intense place to shoot. Its so busy. We are all out of our comfort zone here. Walking down the street with a camera following you feels very edgy and exciting. We had one afternoon filming on the street here, when it was like Oxford Street on New Years Eve. I thought London was busy and polluted. But when I go back from Hong Kong to London, I think, Deep breaths. Its so lovely to be somewhere so empty and unpolluted! He underlines that the Hong Kong setting only adds to Jonahs sense of disorientation, and it really helps me with the character. Hes completely bewildered and discombobulated by Hong Kong. He feels very ill at ease. The whole drama has an unsettling quality, and the setting enhances that. The music is great, too. Its jarring and emphasises the sense that Jonah is out of his comfort zone. When Jonah arrives in Hong Kong, he says, its like landing on the moon. In fact, it could be Mars! But its not as mad as Mars. I know because Ive been there! Its full of Ford Cortinas and dodgy coppers. Actually, they do have that in common; there are a lot of dodgy coppers in Strangers, too, but not so many Cortinas! Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up (BBC (BBC) Jonahs sense of perplexity is merely exacerbated by what he unearths about Megan. There is a line in Strangers where a reporter says to Jonah, You think you know someone, and Jonah replies, Tell me about it! His whole life has been a lie, Simm says. Nothing is quite as it seems in this drama, and thats brilliant for the audience. After leading roles in dramas such as State of Play, The Lakes, Crime and Punishment, Exile, Prey, Mad Dogs and The Village, Strangers is the latest opportunity for Simm to play a troubled hero. What draws him to these men in turmoil? To me, they are always the most interesting characters to play, he reflects. There are so many layers to them. Youre the eyes of the audience. Youre trying to get people on your side and make this character remarkable, even if hes not. Its about extraordinary things happening to ordinary people. But after this, Simm admits, I want to say no to troubled characters for a while and wait for some comedy! Its not a genre that we particularly associate with him, although he has appeared in the sitcoms Toast of London and Spaced, but Simm has always tried to ring the changes. For instance, in 2007 he tapped into a whole new audience by bringing a rare glee to The Master in Doctor Who, then reprised the role last year. Its great fun playing The Master, he says. He is the nearest thing Ive done to comedy for a while. He wants to destroy humankind, but hes having terrific fun doing it. Simm has also interspersed his TV career with many acclaimed stage performances. He was a well-regarded Hamlet in 2010, and three years ago he appeared as Lenny in Jamie Lloyds much-admired 50th anniversary production of Harold Pinters The Homecoming. He recalls, however, how the experience was interrupted by personal tragedy. Halfway through the run, my dad died. When someone dies, it leaves a big hole in your soul, never to be replaced. It is as life-changing as birth. But I only missed four performances of The Homecoming. My dad put me on the stage. I could hear his voice telling me, Get back on stage. Its your part. He used to say that to me all the time The show must go on. It was very tough, but ultimately it was cathartic pretending to be someone else for two-and-a-half hours every night. Simm, who has two children with his wife, actress Kate Magowan, is also a talented musician, having played lead guitar at Ian McCullochs solo live shows, including a night at Wembley Arena supporting Coldplay. He grew up playing working mens clubs in the North with his father, but ultimately chose acting as a career path. He has worked consistently for two decades. This year alone, he has already starred in both the ITV drama Trauma (written by the creator of Doctor Foster and Press) and the David Hare thriller Collateral for BBC One. He laughs that Ive been on TV the whole time since I was 27. Perhaps I should stay away for three years and give everybody a break, including myself! To that end, Simm will be returning to the stage later this year to perform in two Pinter one-act plays, Party Time and Celebration, at the Pinter Theatre. They will be part of a season, which goes under the umbrella title of Pinter at the Pinter and also features Danny Dyer, Martin Freeman, Tamsin Greig, Rupert Graves, Keith Allen and Gary Kemp. Simm is really looking forward to the prospect. The only problem, he says, is that its all over Christmas and the New Year, so I cant indulge. I might have one cheeky eggnog on Christmas Day, but then Ill have to lock it in the drinks cabinet! Strangers begins Monday September 10 on ITV A contestant in the Miss America pageant has described President Trump as the biggest issue facing our country today. Madeline Collins made the critical comment onstage on Friday when she was asked to explain what she thought was the most pressing issue facing Americans right now as part of the competition. Unfortunately, he has caused a lot of divide in our country, Collins can be heard saying in a video captured by local reporter Lauren Carroll, who was in the audience at the pageant. Until we can trust in him and the choices that he makes for our country, we cannot become united, Collins concludes. Carroll posted a clip of the interview on Twitter, which has since garnered more than 65,000 views and 890 likes. Many people responded by commending Collins, who was representing West Virginia, for using her public platform to make such a bold statement at an event that doesnt typically address political issues. Recommended Former Miss America contestants react to swimsuit ban Amazing! She has more courage than all of the Republican congressmen, wrote one person. Thank you for standing up for your beliefs and not being afraid to express them, commended another. The world needs more young people like you. Despite online acclaim, Collins did not make it through the interview round and onto the next stage, losing out to fellow contestant Gabriela Taveras (Miss Massachusetts), who was asked to explain how Americans should go about interacting with foreigners when travelling abroad. According to the Boston Herald, Taveras responded by suggesting letting them know that: We as Americans are supporting them and that we are there to help them." Each contestant is given just 20 seconds to respond to questions asked in the interview round, which famously replaced the pageants controversial swimsuit competition. When Miss America organisers announced the change in June, they described the interviews as an opportunity for contestants to highlight their achievements and illustrate how they would use their talents to perform the job of Miss America should they win. The next Miss America will be revealed on Sunday 9 September in a live finale recorded in Atlantic City. Love among the haystacks? Not exactly. But for years the haystack provided safe repose for drifters, wanderers, tramps, wayfarers, knights of the road, vagabonds. And if a vagabond chose a night in the spike (prison), instead, he usually a he was expected, after chores and a crust, and sustained only by cold water and one cheese cob, to trudge to a different dosshouse 10, 20 miles distant. This all sounds rather romantic. But as we went into the postwar era, was tramping a noble calling? Was it poetic? Did the image of a bedraggled nomad suit our collective unconscious, burdened with duty towards persons less fortunate? Recommended Terminally ill homeless people are dying on our streets Well, who better than former rover Philip OConnor to answer this in Britain in the Sixties: Vagrancy one of publisher Allen Lanes topical Penguin Specials? Nobody would accuse the turbulent writer and surrealist poet of using secondary sources. Jeremy Sandfords astute foreword sets the tone, taking us to 18,000 beds in kip-houses charging five bob a night for bed and breakfast, conditions terrible urine-soaked mattresses, blood-stained sheets, washrooms afloat with pee, meths bottles bobbing up and down in an atmosphere of despair. Conditions worse than prisons a cesspit where the ladder out is missing its bottom few rungs. No rosy spectacles his. Sandford introduces us to vagrancys pattern and progression, one that is punctuated by a serial dropping-out from orphanage, army or asylum, and characterised by the failure of all attempts at self-belief, integration or respectability. This nonconformist population was ignored, despised, or rejected but disappearing no time soon. The Poor Law the legislation around help for poor people between 1603 and 1929 always spelled retribution, not beneficence. Vagabonds were considered too embarrassing to merit acceptance; on the contrary, they were shown irritation for their parasitic lifestyle, despair at their Bohemianism, condemnation for their criminal potential. A purportedly Christian, settled country could not tolerate the challenge of a totally alternative lifestyle choice. Quite reasonably, the author questions why followers of Jesus himself a propertyless vagrant found it so difficult to abandon or even share their accumulation of wealth. With its distinctive red cover, Vagrancy cost three shillings and six pennies (Penguin) OConnor then advances the controversial but difficult to refute argument that society needs vagrants almost more than they society misfits considered irredeemable, therefore deserving minimum outlay in return for maximum expectation. Thus when Elizabethans tired of giving out charity and found shortcomings in their houses of correction, they simply tied mendicants to horses galloping towards neighbouring parishes where, with any luck, newly appointed guardians might assign any survivors to the workhouse. There, on receipt of meagre bread and gruel and laid upon Spartan sleeping platforms, able-bodied idlers were deemed guilty of professional vagabondage. Here OConnor is at his most persuasive, charting a relentless War on Beggars to dwarf the present day War on Terror. He realises as we do now that whereas war makes heroes of the brave, conflict only intensifies intolerance of the non-combatant, with demand for the right paperwork actually presaging Tony Blairs thirst for identity cards and Theresa Mays disposal of undocumented Windrush cargo. The author then directs his spotlight on what we now call workfare government policies whereby individuals must undertake work in return for their benefit payments or risk losing them. Then, as now, need was not the sole qualification for relief, desire for improvement and amenability to self-help instead emphasised. In the 1960s, this work was repetitive factory employment. The state still had re-establishment centres, pointing to the institutionalised legitimacy of a settled, working existence. Wards took in 1,400 vagrants in 1963, compared with 17,000 in 1932, with a success rate of 10 per cent. The causes of homelessness Show all 7 1 /7 The causes of homelessness The causes of homelessness Family Breakdown Relationship breakdown, usually between young people and their parents or step-parents, is a major cause of youth homelessness. Around six in ten young people who come to Centrepoint say they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. Many have experienced long-term problems at home, often involving violence, leaving them without the family support networks that most of us take for granted The causes of homelessness Complex needs Young people who come to Centrepoint face a range of different and complex problems. More than a third have a mental health issue, such as depression and anxiety, another third need to tackle issues with substance misuse. A similar proportion also need to improve their physical health. These problems often overlap, making it more difficult for young people to access help and increasing the chances of them becoming homeless Getty/iStock The causes of homelessness Deprivation Young people's chances of having to leave home are higher in areas of high deprivation and poor prospects for employment and education. Many of those who experience long spells of poverty can get into problem debt, which makes it harder for them to access housing Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Gang Crime Homeless young people are often affected by gang-related problems. In some cases, it becomes too dangerous to stay in their local area meaning they can end up homeless. One in six young people at Centrepoint have been involved in or affected by gang crime Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Exclusion From School Not being in education can make it much more difficult for young people to access help with problems at home or health problems. Missing out on formal education can also make it more difficult for them to move into work Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Leaving Care Almost a quarter of young people at Centrepoint have been in care. They often have little choice but to deal with the challenges and responsibilities of living independently at a young age. Traumas faced in their early lives make care leavers some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities, with higher chances of poor outcomes in education, employment and housing. Their additional needs mean they require a higher level of support to maintain their accommodation Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Refugees Around 13 per cent of young people at Centrepoint are refugees or have leave to remain, meaning it isn't safe to return home. This includes young people who come to the UK as unaccompanied minors, fleeing violence or persecution in their own country. After being granted asylum, young people sometimes find themselves with nowhere to go and can end up homeless Getty Images/iStockphoto The whole of another chapter is devoted to Why Men Tramp. Here some incredibly sensitive field interviews greatly enrich and enlighten the text. Men: once rich, now poor; once loving, now misunderstood; sacked; suffering nervous breakdown; slipping into crime, gambling, alcoholism. Interviewed in posh surroundings, several interviewees flatly turn down fine food, each man clinging onto his pride. OConnor concludes that wayfarers are not visionaries or deepthinking philosophers; rather, they are restless labourers anxious to sell their brawn to whoever might hire them. Critically, they are men not ready to settle down in the steady employment society considers essential for the able-bodied. With this in mind, the author recommends a model of natural cooperation as opposed to a harsher alternative compulsory competition. *** Fast forward 55 years of noteworthy progress followed by steep reverse and regression for rough sleeping adults, here is a 2018 snapshot. Social Security initially fostered claim and entitlement, not application and obstacle. Successive rough sleeping initiatives culminated in Labours 1999 setting up of a remarkably high-profile and effective Rough Sleepers Unit offshoot of its equally novel Social Exclusion Unit. Multi-pronged, multi-agency, intervention became orthodoxy, aided by homeless shelters bulging to capacity. At the same time, the charity Crisis at Christmas, among other operators, encouraged potential donors to remember those coming in from the cold. Government figures indicate 4,130 rough sleepers in England in 2016, an increase of 16 per cent over 2015 rising to 4,750 totally homeless in 2017: 89 per cent male, 11 per cent female, a quarter dossing down in contravention of the Vagrancy Act of 1824 in the capital, London. Nearly 40 per cent of homeless people nowadays have no qualifications (Godfrey Holmes) Specific figures for the northwest are far worse, having doubled in two years and quadrupled since 2010. Elsewhere, Oxford, Southend-on-Sea, Hastings, Eastbourne, Thanet, Medway, Peterborough and Reading are hot spots, cool spots, for vagrancy greatly enhanced in daylight hours by those hidden homeless forced, or directed, to reside and beg in the nations doorways and on its streets. Some 38 per cent of modern vagrants have no educational qualifications, while one third struggle with alcohol, one third take non-prescribed drugs, and one quarter have dual or triple dependencies. Most are aged 26-49, with 10 per cent being 25 or under. Care leavers and ex-prisoners are heavily overrepresented in the absolutely homeless population and often overlap. One quarter of all rough sleepers are sexually abused while outdoors. Crucially, life expectancy on the street is age 47, thirty years short of normal lifespan. And why this plight this blight? Abolition of the Greater London Council, widespread closure of hostels, local government austerity; an astonishing cut of 7bn housing benefit; abandonment of social or affordable housing; a disastrous introduction of new benefits, such as the employment support allowance and universal credit; mechanisation; computerisation leading to demand for workers with advanced IT skills; relatively high levels of separation and divorce; the invention and distribution of methamphetamine hydrochloride, spice and other psychotic drugs; mass closure of adolescent, mental health or drug rehabilitation units; above all, a removal of safety nets. Philip OConnor did not foresee food banks, or reopening church crypts to the destitute. He certainly didnt imagine a government turning away so many asylum seekers and refugees. Nor anti-tramp benches, anti-tramp studs, anti-tramp clearances, anti-tramp cameras, anti-tramp job centres. He might puzzle over the same Oxford Street, Trafford Centre or Bull Ring dedicated to affluent consumerism also boasting inert, hooded souls sitting on the bare pavement extending a plastic cup. There has been little change in societys approach to vagrancy since the Black Death. If his analysis was bleak, ours must be bleaker. This week marks the 20th anniversary of the day Google was incorporated as a private company and its now one of the planets best known brands. More than 80 per cent of internet searches in the UK use Google, according to Jumpshot, and a recent Mozilla report into the health of the internet estimated that 90 per cent of the global market share for search relies on Google. Theres plenty of debate over how much influence on politics and public opinion this gives the search giant, as well as how much influence one single organisation should have. But theres another important issue: the power of Google to affect your personal finances. Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: It has been 20 years since the birth of Google the search engine was launched back when we were listening to Britney, watching Titanic, and looking things up in books. Since then, a number of other search engines have been fighting for our attention, but most people have got used to Googling whatever they want, wherever they are, at any time. It has changed our world, dramatically, not least when it comes to our finances. In many ways, internet search has transformed our money matters for the better. Of course, few things are ever either entirely good or entirely bad, so there are ways in which search engines also make us more vulnerable. Its why we should be making the most of the positives of search and protecting ourselves from the potential downsides too. The positives are fairly obvious and save most of us an awful lot of money. Google and other search engines allow customers to shop around for better deals and to find the best prices. Search engines have prompted many financial services providers to publish guides and easy-to-read information to make themselves rank more highly when people search for information. And it makes it easier to find contact information and company information when we need a response to a financial gripe or query fast. But the convenience of the internet doesnt come entirely without risks. Search engines like Google and Bing may simply feel like just part of the internet furniture for many people, but there are still issues they need to be aware of to stay safe and financially healthy. Finding a great deal from a bad firm Google and other search engines make it so easy to find the best deal but that can lead to shoppers focusing only on price and not a companys reliability. Hargreaves Lansdown recommends doing a bit more research before making any purchase: When you find a great deal through search, a few minutes checking with authorities like the FCA or Companies House, and Googling the name of the company and the word review or complaints, could save you a great deal of trouble. Being followed round by the items you didnt buy Googles algorithm is great for searches but its also focused its expertise on making advertising cleverer. Ad technology via Google and other online platforms can make it more likely you succumb to an impulse purchase, as Vix Leyton, from the podcast Spenditwidely.com, explains: With ad technology, items that you might really want but have sensibly decided against, haunt you round the internet like a ghost Ive given in to this quite often. It really puts paid to any notions of leaving it for a few days and if you still remember it then you actually want it. Finding wrong information Primary schools are now teaching kids how to critically assess what information they find online but its all too easy to assume that a financial guide or blog is providing accurate information. That information can be wrong, risking landing you in financial hot water if youve taken incorrect or misleading advice and applied it to your own finances. Charles Brook, partner at insolvency practitioners Poppleton & Appleby, warns: We have at least two generations of adults who now treat the internet as a primary source material and who make value judgements on the potential quality and value of a product or service based upon its ethereal online presence. While googling information can mean youre much better informed, its always a good idea to check financial guidance with a reputable website like the Money Advice Service. Being hit with a higher price The price you see in the search results may not always be what you pay at the end. Paul Went, product and markets director at Shawbrook Bank, says: Many household consumer brands carry out the practice of teaser pricing online where they use Google ads to advertise lower prices to capture attention of online shoppers. However, more often than not, customers end up paying more when they actually get to the checkout. Weve long been a critic of this teaser advertising and believe that retailers and brands should advertise the final price to consumers upfront. All too often the process of shopping online for holidays, flights, hotels, train tickets, car hire, tickets to gigs or sporting events and personal loans is difficult, complicated and unexpectedly expensive. Sadly just trying to get what you were promised at the start of the process can feel like a battle. Falling into the hands of scammers Google is actually remarkably clever at pushing scam websites lower down the search results but, depending on what youre searching for, its still all too possible to fall victim to a scam you stumble on through a search. Hargreaves Lansdown says: If you go looking for the impossible, youre not going to find the right answer, but you may well find scammers targeting the hopelessly optimistic. If, for example, something is sold out, its tempting to search to see if you can track one down. Scammers know this, and a search may well lead you to their sites. It's also a good idea to double check the web address of the site youve landed on. Google usually does a good job of prioritising genuine sites in the search results but its not infallible. Just recently Richard Howard was sentenced for breaking consumer protection law. He ran three websites, including one that was found to be misleadingly implying it was the official passport application office. Visitors to the site would pay what they believed to be their passport application fee but the only service they received was a booking service, meaning they had to pay twice. Many people who fell victim to Howards website did so because they found him via various search engines and believed the site was the official government page. Its all too easy to shop Thanks to Google and other search engines, its possible to move from idly looking up an item to ordering it within a very short period. Nathan Baranowski, managing director of tech agency Ojo Solutions, says: Google always being accessible through our devices is damaging to all our financial health because it means we are unconscious consumers, moving through a purchasing process that has lost a lot of its pleasure; products are bought in one click and arrive in an hour. Search history can mean the adverts youre shown are also very targeted, making it even easier to spend. Rick Smith is managing director of Forbes Burton, a firm that helps businesses in financial difficulties. He says: Targeted online advertising, created by cookies and on social media, also creates a constant pressure to buy, especially when products are visually endorsed by celebrities. The targeted advertising and endorsements are often paired with typical marketing slogans of buy now while stocks last or sale ends soon which results in quick spending and causing strain on financial resources. Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnsons disgusting criticism of Theresa May. Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having wrapped a suicide vest around Britain. Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences. He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use measured language. But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnsons defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms Mays Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnsons career over the matter. Boris Johnson's resignation letter Show all 2 1 /2 Boris Johnson's resignation letter Boris Johnson's resignation letter Boris Johnson's resignation letter Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team for two years, wrote on Twitter: For Boris to say the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnsons comments wrong. He said: I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isnt right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan. But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan. He wrote: There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnsons suicide belt accusation was little more than a characteristically colourful catchphrase. He added: I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boriss wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boriss criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him. Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnsons opponents were terrified of his popular appeal, adding: Dont underestimate the vitriol thatll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him. If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a clean and prosperous Brexit, she said. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Show all 14 1 /14 Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnsons disgusting criticism of Theresa May. Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having wrapped a suicide vest around Britain Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Sajid Javid, Home secretary Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences. He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use measured language BBC/PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnsons defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms Mays Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnsons career over the matter PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alan Duncan, Foreign minister Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team for two years, wrote on Twitter: For Boris to say the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide James Brokenshire, Housing secretary Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnsons comments wrong He said: I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isnt right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Zac Goldsmith But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan. He wrote: There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Jacob Rees-Mogg Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnsons suicide belt accusation was little more than a characteristically colourful catchphrase. He added: I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boriss wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boriss criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him. Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Nadine Dorries Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnsons opponents were terrified of his popular appeal, adding: Dont underestimate the vitriol thatll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him. If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a clean and prosperous Brexit, she said Rex Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Andrew Bridgen Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems. Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Steve Baker, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan. Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver. "If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid. But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Tom Tugendhat The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary. Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to grow up. He said: A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt happy. PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alistair Burt Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team, said: Im stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. If we dont stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide It comes amid that Ms Mays former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnsons sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects. The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended AP And Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems. Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that. On Sunday night the battle lines were drawn over the UK's exit from the EU as Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan. Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver. "If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid. But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister. Mr Johnson has been accused of plotting a leadership coup. The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary. Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to grow up. He said: A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt happy. And Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team, said: Im stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. If we dont stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough. It comes amid that Ms Mays former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnsons sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects. The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster. Mr Johnson confirmed this week that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended. Britains trade unions have told Theresa May she must give the public a vote on whatever Brexit deal she negotiates with the EU. The Trades Union Congress said it was serving notice to the prime minister, as it accused her of holding the country to ransom by insisting her Chequers plan is the only alternative to a no-deal Brexit. The proposals would be devastating for working people, the TUC said. The body, which brings together unions representing more than 5.5 million workers, demanded Ms May call a general election or a Final Say referendum to seek public approval for her Brexit deal. Recommended Former Tory minister joins calls for public to get final say on Brexit And it threatened to throw its weight fully behind growing calls for another referendum unless the prime minister abandons plans for a hard Brexit. The major announcement by Britains trade unions will add to pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to shift Labours own policy towards backing a vote on the Brexit deal. The Labour leader appeared to leave open the possibility earlier in the week when he said of the prospect of another vote: We dont have a position on it yet. Speaking in Manchester at the start of the 150th congress, Frances OGrady, the TUC general secretary, said Ms May must allow the public to decide whether the deal she negotiates is good enough. She said: Im a trade unionist. When we do a deal, we go back to the members and have to get their approval. Whether its through a general election or a popular vote, Ms May should take her deal on the terms of Brexit and put it back to the people, so the people can decide whether that deal is good enough. Demanding the prime minister adopt a softer stance and keep Britain closely tied to the EU, Ms OGrady said: No deal would be devastating for working people, but so would the prime ministers proposals. And if Theresa May takes a my deal or no deal approach, she wont be giving parliament a real choice. She is holding the country to ransom, and no one voted for that. So today I want to give the prime minister fair warning. I am serving notice: that if her deal doesnt deliver for working people, if it doesnt protect jobs, rights at work and peace in Northern Ireland, then the TUC will throw our weight behind the call for a vote on the terms of Brexit. People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Show all 30 1 /30 People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Rex People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young protestor shouts as she takes part in the People's Vote demonstration against Brexit Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A protester's pro-EU t-shirt EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Gina Miller and Caroline Lucas EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Tens of thousands of people march through London EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EPA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Demonstrators at the People's Vote March Getty People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal 'Two months too young to decide on my future' REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A young girl joins in the march PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal An EU flag is draped across the statue of Winston Chruchill in Parliament Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal AFP/Getty Images People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Vince Cable MP, Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller, Tony Robinson and Caroline Lucas MP join with crowds PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Crowds gather on Pall Mall PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal A man resembling Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, joins EU supporters Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Reuters People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal People gather in Trafalgar Square REUTERS People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller and Tony Robinson PA People's Vote march demanding vote on final Brexit deal EU supporters, calling on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal, participate in the 'People's Vote' march REUTERS Several unions, including the GMB and TSSA, have already called for a second vote on Brexit, while more than three-quarters of a million people have now backed The Independents campaign for a Final Say referendum. And a new poll today revealed members of Britains three biggest unions Unite, Unison and the GMB back a new referendum by a margin of more than two to one. Arguing that the Brexit process is now at crisis point, Ms OGrady said Ms May had let Conservative Party politics take priority over the interests of working people and accused her of being too weak to stand up to the hardliners in her party. She called on the government to try to extend the Article 50 period to allow more time to avert a no-deal Brexit. Ms OGrady, who previously said she has met German chancellor Angela Merkel more than she has Ms May, also said she was disappointed at the prime ministers lack of engagement with Britains unions on Brexit. She said: Its more than disappointing that union leaders, representatives of nearly 6 million workers, have not yet been heard on Brexit. Where is the voice of workers? GMB General Secretary Tim Roache releases Brexit statement She was speaking after the TUCs general council agreed a lengthy statement outlining its position on Brexit. The council said: In the face of so much instability and mistrust in the ability of politicians to deliver, it comes as no surprise that polls show a growing number of people want a say on the Brexit deal. Given the real risk of a collapse in the talks, or a deal that does not deliver on the TUCs priorities, whilst respecting the result of the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union we do not rule out the possibility of campaigning for people to have a Final Say on the Brexit deal through a popular vote. On Monday, union members at the conference will vote on a motion calling for a Final Say vote regardless of the deal Ms May brings back from Brussels. The draft text, tabled by the transport workers union TSSA, calls on the TUC to campaign for ordinary people to have a Final Say through a referendum on any Brexit deal agreed so that people can make an informed decision on the deal on offer. A no-deal Brexit could lead to the real possibility of police calling on the military to help with civil disorder, a leaked document claims. Contingency plans are being drawn up by police chiefs if there is chaos on the streets due to shortages of goods, food and medicine, The document prepared by the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) warns of traffic queues at ports with unprecedented and overwhelming disruption to the road network. Concerns around medical supplies could feed civil disorder, while a rise in the price of goods could also lead to widespread protest, the document obtained by the Sunday Times said. The potential for a restricted supply of goods raised concerns of widespread protest which could then escalate into disorder. It could also trigger a rise in non-Brexit-related acquisitive crime such as theft, officers fear. The document, set to be considered by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) later this month, also sets out concerns of increased data costs, loss of warrant cards and queues at ports and docks around the country. Shadow police minister Louise Haigh lashed out at the Governments handling of the situation. This is the nightmare scenario long feared; according to the UKs most senior police officers a no-deal Brexit could leave Britain on the brink, she said. There is not a corner of this country that will not suffer if the govt ploughs ahead with no deal, she added in a tweet. The Home Office said it would not comment on leaked documents. A spokesman said: We do not want or expect a no-deal scenario and are increasingly confident that we will secure a deal with the EU. However, it is the duty of any responsible government to prepare for every eventuality, including the unlikely scenario that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal. With that in mind, we are working closely with operational partners including the police on contingency planning so we can ensure the safety and security of our citizens in all scenarios. The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty NPCC lead for operations Chief Constable Charlie Hall told the Sunday Times: The police are planning for all scenarios that may require a police response in the event of a no-deal Brexit. At this stage, we have no intelligence to suggest there will be an increase in crime or disorder. However, we remain vigilant and will continue to assess any threats and develop plans accordingly. Additional reporting by PA One person has been killed in a shooting at a McDonalds in Alabama, police say. Four others including three teenagers were injured when gun fire was exchanged during a dispute in the fast-food restaurant near Auburn University. The incident occurred just before 2.30am on Sunday. The deceased has not yet been identified but police say he was a 20-year-old male from nearby Tuskegee. Recommended Military manufacturer swamped with US orders for bulletproof schoolbag It is understood the killer has not been caught and remains at large. In a statement reported by Fox News, police suggested shots came from more than one person. "Preliminarily, information has been obtained that an altercation occurred just prior to an exchange of gunfire," it said. A further statement released on the City of Auburn website said the incident, in the city's West Magnolia Avenue, was reported at 2.24am local time. It read: Officers were already in the immediate vicinity of the call dispersing a large crowd. Officers confirmed shots were being fired and located several victims. A 20-year-old male from Tuskegee was discovered deceased, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Additionally, four other individuals were found to be injured from the gunfire. Three victims were transported to East Alabama Medical Center by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries One male was also flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center by air ambulance with serious injuries. The wounded were three males aged 16, 19 and 21, and a female aged 17. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Police say they are continuing to investigate. Mike Pence has said he would submit to a lie detector test in a heartbeat to prove he was not the author of an anonymous op-ed describing an apparent resistance movement within the Trump administration. Calling the article an assault on our democracy, the vice president dismissed a theory he was the potential author of the piece because it uses the word lodestar a word Mr Pence has repeatedly used in speeches as a mere effort to distract attention from the Trump administrations achievements. With the president clearly irked by The New York Times op-ed, Mr Pence made clear he would do whatever Mr Trump needed to prove his own innocence that he was not the senior administration official said to be behind the piece. I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do, Mr Pence told Fox News Sunday. Possible use of lie detector tests had been discussed by Trump administration officials in the wake of the op-eds publication last week, according to The New York Times. Mr Pence added that whether or not to administer lie detector tests to administration officials would be a decision for the president. This individual [needs] to recognise that they are literally violating an oath, he said. If they are a senior administration official, that they are violating an oath, not to the president, but to the constitution. To have an individual who took that oath literally say that they work every day to frustrate the president advancing the agenda he was elected to advance is undemocratic. Its not just deceitful, but its really an assault on our democracy. And that person should do the honourable thing, step forward and resign, the vice president added. Mr Pence said that the op-ed posed a risk to national security, and that the author described as a senior administration official was un-American. Well find out if there was criminal activity involved, Mr Pence said. I think the presidents concern is that this individual may have responsibilities in the area of national security. The interview was one of a number for Mr Pence on Sunday, with another Trump administration official, Kellyanne Conway, echoing the vice president on CNNs State of the Union. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images There could be a national security risk at hand, she warned. It depends on what else has been divulged by this individual Anybody who would do this, you dont know what else theyre saying. There is no indication yet, other than from the Trump administration, that the person who wrote the op-ed may have had a hand in national security matters. Mr Trump has called the op-ed treasonous, and on Friday the president called on attorney general Jeff Sessions to lead an investigation to identify the author. I think this person is going to suss himself or herself out, Ms Conway said, suggesting that writing the op-ed itself was likely not criminal behaviour. Cowards are like criminals, eventually they tell the wrong person. Speaking on CBSs Face the Nation, Mr Pence said he thought nobody on this staff had anything to do with the article: Let me be very clear, Im 100 per cent confident that no one on the vice presidents staff was involved in this anonymous editorial. Donald Trump says Jeff Sessions will investigate the op-ed The author of the op-ed wrote that executive branch officials are working to insulate their operations from [the presidents] whims and that his impulsiveness results in half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions that have to be walked back. It also alleged that senior staffers had spoken about the possibility of invoking the 25th amendment of the US constitution as a mechanism for removing Mr Trump. The 25th amendment provides for a sitting presidents removal if the vice president and a majority of cabinet secretaries pronounce him or her unfit to discharge the duties of office, however Mr Pence denied that he or others in the administration had spoken about it. No. Never, Mr Pence told CBS when asked if he had had conversations about invoking the 25th amendment, adding: Why would we be...? In regards to one of the other clouds hanging over the White House special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump campaign officials Mr Pence said he would be willing to do interviews by Mr Muellers team. Mr trump has constantly decried the probe as a witch hunt. The NYT op-ed appeared in the same week that excerpts from the new book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward also about the state of the White House under Mr Trump made their way into the press. Fear: Trump in the White House has its official release on Tuesday, and paints a similar picture to the author of editorial. In a number of examples collected by Mr Woodward one of the journalists who helped break the Watergate scandal there is an instance of former Trump adviser Gary Cohn allegedly stealing a letter about withdrawing the US from a trade deal with South Korea from the presidents desk so he cannot sign it. Collected through dozens of anonymous interviews with officials, Mr Woodward also suggests that top administration officials, such as chief of staff John Kelly and defence secretary James Mattis, insulted the presidents intelligence. Cabinet ministers have lined up to deny being the author of the op-ed, and have also denied the instances described in Mr Woodwards book ever took place. Mr Kelly and Mr Mattis were particularly strong. On Sunday Mr Pence also spoke about the book, saying that he doubted the story about Mr Cohn was true but stopped short of disputing claims that Mr Trump had himself mocked senior staff. According to Fear, Mr Trump criticised Mr Sessions and told commerce secretary Wilbur Ross he was past his prime. Well, I would tell you I know this president has great respect for the men and women who serve in this cabinet, Mr Pence said when directly asked if he denounced the specific claims in Mr Woodwards book about insults against cabinet members. These accounts are very foreign to me. And Im just not aware of instances where theyve occurred and or where they would occur. But look, I want to stipulate that working in the White House is not for everybody. The release of The New York Times editorial has somewhat stolen the thunder away from Mr Woodward, known around Washington as a diligent reporter who generally refuses to insert his own judgement or analysis. Some critics have hit out at this flat, reportorial style, but with the Trump administration denying all insider accounts of the presidency as fabrications the authority provided by that style should be welcomed. Over more than half a dozen books about various presidents, Mr Woodward has built up a reputation where few would discount what he writes, even if the interviews are anonymous. The release of his book on Tuesday will likely fan the flames of discussion about the Oval Office and provide another headache for Mr Trump and his administration. The governor of Virginia has declared a state of emergency ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Florence, expected to strengthen into a major hurricane next week. Forecasters expect Florence to reach hurricane status on Monday as it swirls across the Atlantic towards the US East Coast. The National Hurricane Center said a rapid phase of intensification would begin today, with Florence set to approach the southeastern coastline on Thursday. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam warned of high winds and possible flooding, insisting the state gets ready for hurricane storms. The governor urged residents to assemble an emergency kit with food, water, medication, pet supplies and any important documents. Coastal residents have been advised to check what hurricane evacuation zone they live in. I am declaring a state of emergency so that we can begin to prepare state assets, and I encourage Virginians to monitor forecasts and make their own preparations now, said Mr Northam. Although there is still some uncertainty over exactly when, where and how powerfully the storm could hit the US mainland, the National Hurricane Center said the risk of direct impacts continues to increase. Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Show all 7 1 /7 Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Inez Gibbs During September of 2017, the Caribbean was hit by two powerful hurricanes, Irma and Maria. Almost a year after the rebuilding effort continue at a slow pace and with fear of what this year hurricane season could bring. who is diabetic, lost everything except her bed and her teddy bears. Cash assistance from the Red Cross helped her to support herself while she waited to return to work. These and my bed are the only things I saved. The teddy bears are my buddies, they are my friends. I bought them here from Jamaica 20 years ago. Everything else I had I lost. The cash I got was very helpful because I wasnt able to work after the hurricane so it helped me to pay my bills and buy my medication. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Cleve Pennyfeather, Disaster Response Officer at BVI Red Cross Cleve has been working for the British Virgin Islands Red Cross since January this year, working with local communities to help them recover from Irma and prepare for future hurricanes. The house he grew up in was badly damaged by the hurricane. This house is very sentimental to me - it has been in my family well over 80 years and it means a lot to us. I grew up in this house as a little boy until I left for high school. It belonged to my grandparents, and now belongs to my uncle who is 91. Irma completely destroyed the roof, but thankfully the Red Cross provided him with some cash so that he could buy materials to get it rebuilt. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Joan Chimney, 56 Joan runs the popular Sugar and Spice cafe on the island of Jost Van Dyke. She was on holiday in Grenada when the hurricane hit, but returned home to find her business badly damaged. Everybody always comes to my restaurant and says theyre here for my patties. I make them every morning, wake up and come down to my shop to make them from scratch. The hurricane did some damage to my restaurant though - all the windows and doors gone. Its a good thing that the Red Cross was there to give me some help buying them back so I could keep my business going. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Lorie Rymer, 70 Lorie, a keen viola player, saw his most treasured possession damaged in Hurricane Irma, all he has now is the broken remains. My house I will build back, but theres no way that I could replace my instrument, my viola, I cannot replace it. It was just precious, I can still hear it in my mind how it used to sound. I would give anything if I might be able to purchase one again, a used one. It has to be very old and seasoned wood, maybe 30, 40, 50 years old. Im going to take this one with me to the UK and have it repaired. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Lucia Harrigan, 81 81-year-old Lucia, who had lived in her home for 60 years before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is looking forward to returning to her own home. When I see the destruction and I see what I had loved so dearly I sit down and I cry. The whole roof went, the shutters, and a brand new washer that I had just bought. I lost all my dining chairs, my living room set and a lot of my clothes, but Im not worried about that, as long as I could find something to wear. But I saved a few things, maybe some are salvageable or maybe not. My favourite thing that I lost is the deeds to my land. I hope that I will get back in the house soon, because when you get to my age you like to be by yourself. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Darrel Turnball Hurricane Irma destroyed almost everything Darrel owned, including his much-loved photo-album, but he managed to recover one of his favourite childhood toys. This is my best friend I have carried him with me my whole life. When I got married he was with me, when I got divorced he was with me, he goes everywhere I go. I was so happy when I realised he hadnt been damaged in the hurricane. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross Things lost and saved: One year on from Hurricane Irma Rasheed Jennings, 20 When Irma hit, Rasheed sheltered in the bathroom with his mother, father and brother - from there all they could do was watch as Irma shattered their home. The first thing that Irma blew out was the windows and then once the wind started to circle through the house it lifted up the doors and the roof, and once that was gone there was no protection and everything just started to float through the doors. Even my computer and PlayStation and all my gaming stuff was blown away, I didnt even think to protect them. We could see the damage through the window in the bathroom but there wasnt anything we could do at that point. Dennis Rivera/British Red Cross The US Navy has ordered ships stationed in Virginia to be moved out of the port. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Friday, followed swiftly by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. We are preparing for the worst and of course hoping for the best. Being prepared is always the best strategy, said Mr McMaster. Florence is currently located about 790 miles southeast of Bermuda and the storm has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. Swells from the storm are already beginning to reach parts of the US coastline and could result in life-threatening surf and rip currents, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Miami-based body tweeted: This weekend take a few minutes to review your hurricane preparedness plan or develop one. Greek police have fired tear gas at protesters furious at a deal to allow the country north of its borders to call itself the Republic of North Macedonia. People wearing gas masks hurled stones at riot police in the city of Thessaloniki, where prime minister and Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras later spoke about his plans for the economy. Many Greeks, backed by right-wing nationalist politicians, say only the northern Greek region of Macedonia should be able to use the name and not the former Yugoslav state, which is currently known as Fyrom (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). They claimed the name change could eventually lead to its northern neighbour claiming the Greek territory as its own, as well as watering down ancient Greek culture and civilisation. Thousands took part in the demonstrations on the streets of Thessaloniki, with many waving Greek flags. In chaotic scenes, riot police were seen pursuing protesters as they ran alongside barriers ahead of a speech by Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras. Mr Tsipras said on Sunday he did not expect that the naming row would force early elections despite disagreement within his governing coalition. Macedonians will vote in a referendum to decide on the name change on 30 September. But for the countrys citizens there is more than just a name at stake: the move would also see the nations potential inclusion in Nato and the EU. In the Macedonian capital Skopje on Saturday, German chancellor Angela Merkel told her audience that now Greeces veto had ended, it now had a historic opportunity to join the European Union. Similarly, Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg addressed Macedonians on Thursday to persuade them to vote for the name change and thus potentially join the international military alliance. This is a historic opportunity, Mr Stoltenberg said. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to join the international community, to become a member of Nato, to become a member of the EU, but for this you have to agree with the name agreement. The move is opposed by right-wing nationalists in Macedonia however who label it unconstitutional. I believe that the real place for Macedonia is in the European Union and Nato. Ill continue to support our strategic goals. But, EU and Nato cannot be an alibi for a bad deal, President Gjorge Ivanov said after meeting Mr Stoltenberg. The following email was just sent to Tesla employees: First, Id like to thank you for your incredible efforts and contribution as we enter the final few weeks of this quarter. This is a very exciting time for Tesla, to say the least, and you are the reason for the tremendous progress weve made in a relatively short period of time. It is easy to forget that our company was almost unknown 10 years ago and didnt even exist until after the start of the 21st century! We are about to have the most amazing quarter in our history, building and delivering more than twice as many cars as we did last quarter. For a while, there will be a lot of fuss and noise in the media. Just ignore them. Results are what matter and we are creating the most mind-blowing growth in the history of the automotive industry. Even the Ford Model T, which held the world record for the fastest growing car in history, didnt grow as fast in sales or production as the Model 3. Moreover, we also have the most exciting new product lineup of any company in the world. There is the Model Y, the Tesla (pickup) Truck, the Semi and the new Roadster. Then there is the Solar Roof, which is spooling up in production, and continued advancements in Powerwall and Powerpack. And thats just what people know about To help achieve our goals, after discussing this in-depth with the Tesla board of directors and executive staff over the past several weeks, I am excited to announce a number of management changes: Jerome Guillen has been promoted to President, Automotive, reporting directly to me. In his new role, Jerome will oversee all automotive operations and program management, as well as coordinate our extensive automotive supply chain. Jerome has made major contributions and acquired deep knowledge of Teslas operations over the past eight years at our company, from being the first Model S Program Manager to managing all vehicle programs, then all vehicle engineering and worldwide sales & service. Recently, Jerome played a critical role in ramping Model 3 production, leading what almost all thought was impossible: creation of an entire high-volume General Assembly line for Model 3 in a matter of weeks. Before coming to Tesla, Jerome was responsible for creating and running the most successful semi truck program in history at Daimlers Freightliner division. Kevin Kassekert has been promoted to VP of People and Places, with responsibility for Human Resources, Facilities, Construction, and Infrastructure Development. Kevin has been with Tesla for 6 years and was previously VP, Infrastructure Development. Kevin led the construction and development of our Gigafactory in Nevada, turning what was a pile of rocks in the Sierra Nevada mountains into a factory employing 12 thousand people with greater output than the entire rest of the worlds battery factories combined, in roughly three years. That is insanely badass. Prior to joining Tesla, Kevin engineered and built multi-billion dollar production plants in the semiconductor industry. As many of you know, Teslas Chief People Officer Gaby Toledano has been on leave for a few months to spend more time with her family and has decided to continue doing so for personal reasons. Shes been amazing and Im very grateful for everything shes done for Tesla. Chris Lister joined Tesla last year and was key to solving our production problems at the Gigafactory and ramping Model 3 production. He is being promoted to VP, Gigafactory Operations. In this role, he leads our production and manufacturing engineering at Giga. Before Tesla, Chris ran several ultra high volume factories at PepsiCo. Felicia Mayo, Sr. HR Director and head of our Diversity and Inclusion program, has been promoted to VP, reporting to both Kevin and me. Felicia has done great work promoting the importance of having one of the most diverse workforces in the world and ensuring fairness across hundreds of roles and Tesla operations in over 50 countries. She previously worked in senior HR roles at PwC and Oracle, and, most recently was Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition and Diversity for Juniper Networks. Laurie Shelby, Teslas VP, Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) will also report directly to me. Your safety and just generally making sure that you love coming to work is extremely important, which is why EHS will report directly to me. We are working hardcore on having the safest (and most fun) work environment in the automotive industry by far. Laurie came to Tesla last year after a 25+ year career at Alcoa, where she made tremendous progress in workplace safety. Since joining, she has already overseen a reduction in our employee injury rate, as well as major improvements in our EHS program. Cindy Nicola, VP of Global Recruiting, will report to both Kevin and me. Cindy has overseen the companys global recruiting efforts since 2015, bringing on tens of thousands of highly talented people. Prior to Tesla, Cindy led worldwide Corporate Recruiting at Apple, and before that was VP, Global Talent Acquisition at Electronic Arts. Finally, Dave Arnold has been promoted to Sr. Director, Global Communications, overseeing Teslas communications team. Dave was previously Director of Corporate Communications at Virgin America. Thanks again for your incredible work in making Tesla successful. What you are doing is vital to achieving an amazing and sustainable energy future for all of humanity and life on Earth. Elon https://www.tesla.com/blog/company-update Police beat protesters and arrested some 300 in mass rallies across Russia against a planned rise in the pension age. Witnesses accused riot police of using excessive force and even of arresting children as thousands of supporters of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny took to the streets. Some were seen being hit with batons during scuffles before being dragged away to police cars. In Moscow demonstrators chanted Putin is a thief, Russia will be free, Russia without Putin and down with the tsar, while placards asked when the president himself would retire or simply read Goodbye with Vladmir Putins picture. Demonstrations took place in more than 80 towns and cities, including Moscow and St Petersburg, urged on by Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption activist who is barred from state television and was earlier this year prevented from running for president against Mr Putin. He had planned to lead todays protest in Moscow but last month a court convicted him of breaking protest laws and jailed him for 30 days. He said the move was designed to derail the protests. The pension changes, which are going through parliament, have prompted widespread anger and knocked around 15 percentage points off Mr Putins popularity rating. The reform is a robbery of my parents and grandparents Igor Panov The plan raises the retirement age by five years, to 65 for men and 60 for women. The protests across Russias 11 time zones started in the far east and Siberia when it still was early morning in Moscow. There, a demonstration with an estimated 2,000 people ended in scuffles when riot police used barriers to stop people from marching to the Kremlin. OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said 291 people had been detained by police in 19 towns and cities, including some of Navalnys closest aides. Factory worker Olga Sokolova, 52, said she was dumbfounded when the pension age proposal was introduced in June because she had hoped to retire from her physically taxing job at 55. Police used batons and blocked the protesters path in Moscow (AP) I cant keep being afraid any more, she said of her decision to risk detention by joining the Moscow rally. However, many of those who took part were young and decades away from retirement. I have come here to protest against the pension reform. I have to live in this country and I want to have hope for the future and a good old age, said 22-year-old Nikolai Borodin. Katya Shomnikova, 23, said: They [the authorities] stole my future life. We will have to correct whats been done. I want a better life for myself and my children. The reform is a robbery of my parents and grandparents. Stealing our future, too. Right now the only thing we can do is protest, 24-year-old Igor Panov said at the Moscow demonstration. Yegor Zhukov, 19, at the St Petersburg protest, said: The state should have found the money it needed in the budget or through fighting corruption. Popular opposition leader Yevgeny Roizman, a former mayor of Yekaterinburg, said on Twitter that a younger generation took the lead because middle-aged Russians were too scared to protest. The protests were also a challenge to the authorities who were hoping for a high turnout at regional elections today. Raising the pension age is opposed both by older Russians, who fear they wont live long enough to collect significant benefits, and by young adults worried that keeping people in the workforce longer will limit their own employment opportunities. Additional reporting by agencies Sweden's ruling centre-left party is leading in preliminary results but achieved its worst ever share of the ballot in a general election, as nearly a fifth of voters backed the far-right Sweden Democrats. As the count neared completion on Monday morning, all indications are that it will be a hung parliament with the ruling Social Democrats leading on 28.4 per cent of the vote. Put together with their left-leaning coalition partners, the left looks to have gained 40.6 per cent of the vote, compared to 40.3 per cent for the opposition centre-right Alliance - a deadlock that is likely to lead to weeks of wrangling before a majority government can be agreed. Of the remaining votes, some 17.6 per cent went to the Sweden Democrats, a party with roots in the white supremacist fringe that has previously been described as neo-Nazi. Their result is either better or worse than predicted, depending on the poll, but regardless means they have secured far greater support than in the previous election four years ago when they won 12.9 per cent. Speaking at a party rally Mr Lovfen said he would continue to work on calmly as prime minister until a new government formed. Sounding sombre and firm, Mr Lofven told his supporters the election presented "a situation that all responsible parties must deal with," adding that "a party with roots in Nazism" would "never ever offer anything responsible, but hatred." "We have a moral responsibility. We must gather all good forces. We won't mourn, we will organise ourselves," he said. Acrimony between the two main political blocs has defined Swedish politics for decades, and the rise of the Sweden Democrats considered pariahs in parliament has complicated the political landscape. Both blocs have said they will not accept the party in their groupings. Jan Bjorklund, the leader of the centrist Liberal Party, said he wanted a centre-right government but ruled out working with the Sweden Democrats. In 2015, the Swedish government allowed 163,000 migrants into the country with a population of 10 million. The number was far lower than the asylum-seekers Germany accepted that year, but the highest per capita of any European nation. Before the election, the rising prospects for the Sweden Democrats had many Swedes worried about an erosion of the humanitarian values that have long been a foundation of their countrys identity. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The Sweden Democrats have attempted to soften their white supremacist image while breaking down taboos on what Swedes could say openly about immigration and integration without being shunned as racists. The party's logo was changed from a flame-thrower to a flower, and some of the most extreme elements were forced out. During a heated debate among party leaders on Friday, the Sweden Democrats' Jimmie Akesson blamed migrants for the difficulties they often face in finding employment and for not adjusting to Swedish life. SVT afterwards called his remarks degrading and against the democratic mandate of public broadcasting. Mr Akesson responded that state television should not take sides, and later announced that he would not take part in any of SVTs election programmes on Sunday. At a rally on Saturday, he strongly criticised Mr Lofvens government for prioritising the cause of immigrants over the needs of citizens. Mr Akesson was jubilant as he addressed supporters after the first exit polls emerged on Sunday night, declaring the estimated 14 parliament seats the Social Democrats picked up a victory other parties could not ignore in coalition negotiations. "This party has increased and made the biggest gains. Everything is about us," Mr Akesson said. "I am ready to talk with others." With about 15 per cent of the count remaining, turnout was reported at 84.4 per cent, up from 83 per cent in 2014. Additional reporting by agencies Bord Bia, Greencore, and the Revenue Commissioners were among a batch of parties to issue stark warnings to the Irish food industry on its looming tariff-laden future last week. Talk of rotten produce and intensified border checks painted a bleak picture during a British and Irish Chamber of Commerce event. The agri-food industry exports around 11.15bn a year, 37pc of which ends up in the UK. Those exports face an uncertain future with it now likely that numerous changes will be made to the way they enter the UK. Revenue has already said that it is preparing for a no-deal Brexit, which will result in the development of a 54-box customs declaration. The CEO of Greencore, one of Britain's largest sandwich-makers, Patrick Coveney described Brexit as a "profoundly depressing topic" and said that the final deal will ultimately be a "fudge". "Many of us wrestled with this tension of Brexit emotion versus Brexit logic," he said. "There's a certain part of all of us that wants Britain to get their comeuppance. This is a self-inflicted wound on a massive scale and they almost deserve to be punished for it." The brother of foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney also issued a stern warning around the net effect increased border checks, or a divergence between the UK and the EU on food standards could have on the supply chain. "We at Greencore are not really concerned about tariffs at all, our issue is the logistics and administration of getting fresh food in and out of the UK," he said. "If you end up with 50-mile tailbacks in Calais and corresponding tailbacks in Dover, it won't really matter whether there is a 15pc or 20pc surcharge on lettuce and fruit and vegetables coming from southern Europe. It will all rot in containers, and there is no good answer to that at the moment." In relation to his company, Coveney outlined a specific set of challenges around staffing that have already come into effect as a result of the June 2016 vote. The company employs around 12,000 people in the UK, around 4,000 of which are EU nationals. The food chief said that a "huge amount" of work had gone into the retention of staff after floods of people emigrated from the UK as they no longer "felt welcome". A heightened cost base around staffing will be one of the issues assessed by analysts in evaluating the food giant, according to Goodbody analyst Jason Molins. "There are a number of players and companies that have found themselves in the same position as Greencore," he said. "They have flagged that you either need to replace, or you need to put structures in place to get permits for a number of these workers and have them bypassed by the new stipulations that could be implemented." Coveney's grim scenario of trucks bumper-to-bumper in France and the UK while the goods inside perish, was backed up by details of the new reality from Carol-Ann O'Keeffe, Revenue's assistant principal officer in the corporate affairs and customs division. She has warned that the inspection of goods as they are coming in and out of the country will now need to be conducted at the Border. O'Keefe said that Revenue was preparing for the worst, and that it was ultimately putting in place precautions for a no-deal Brexit where the UK will plummet out of the Customs Union. The looming changes have left Irish exporters facing significant challenges, but many of them have made progress in bringing forward plans to prepare for Brexit. Around 85pc of agrifood businesses here are actively moving to break into new markets, according to the most recent Brexit barometer from Bord Bia. The outlook among Irish firms has improved too, with just a quarter viewing Britain's exit from the EU with pessimism. Bord Bia has been telling its clients repeatedly to speak to their customers. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, chief executive Tara McCarthy said that companies have been told not to get "distracted" by the drama of Brexit. "The companies that we have found in our research that haven't been talking to their customers, they're the guys that we're really, really trying to get in contact with," she said. "They have to engage with their journey or they will lose if they're not prepared." McCarthy said that while larger companies such as Greencore may be able to absorb the cost of increased tariffs, smaller companies will need to build their financial resilience against the prospect of World Trade Organisation charges. "The challenge for smaller companies is how to negotiate that, and that's why financial resilience is absolutely core. Every retailer in the UK is becoming more and more aware of the tariffs that they will be exposed to but everyone who exports to the UK will be hit by those exact same tariffs," she said. "The big challenge is the time that will take to work itself through the system. Some companies from a working capital perspective were very, very close to the edge because of the volatility and that resilience wasn't in there." Another risk posed to Irish businesses is the suspension of food controls in the UK after Brexit. Head of policy at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Tony Lewis warned that the British government was aware such a scenario could come into fruition. He said it would likely leave it open to "food fraud and criminality". In July, a report by UK think tank Food Research Collaboration warned that Britain would be forced to open its borders to food imports in the event of any delay in a Brexit deal. The same study also outlined potential plans by the EU to block exports from the UK due to its "cavalier" approach to safety standards in food and drink. The think tank said that it had been informed by a senior UK government adviser that the border controls needed to be suspended to prevent produce from going off at the nation's ports. McCarthy said that it was hard to see a situation where there were no food controls in the UK. She said that retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury's will only buy produce from food producers that they trust. "It is in nobody's interest to undermine confidence in the supply chain by implying or by allowing there to be no checks," she said. "Big retailers in the UK that export Irish goods have their produce checked in Ireland and clearly we won't be reducing our standards." McCarthy warned that it was "positively dangerous" to discuss a landscape with no controls as it could undermine the supply chain. Danske is the target of criminal investigations in Denmark and Estonia amid allegations its Estonian unit was used to launder between $8bn and $9bn in illicit funds. Denmark's minister in charge of financial legislation says it now seems very likely that "illegal" acts were committed in connection with laundering allegations against Danske Bank that are still being investigated. "A lot suggests that things have happened that are illegal," Business Minister Rasmus Jarlov said on Friday. "Therefore, I am glad that the authorities are investigating this case to the bottom and drawing the conclusions that ought to be drawn." The comments follow a report in the Wall Street Journal that $150bn flowed through Danske's Estonian unit between 2007 and 2015. Though it's by no means a given that the entire amount can be deemed suspicious, Jarlov said it's now clear that "enormous" amounts are being looked at in connection with the laundering investigations. Danske Chairman Ole Andersen said in an email that "it is clear that the issues related to the portfolio were bigger than we had previously anticipated. "We take the matter very seriously, and are committed to understanding the full picture," he said, reiterating comments the Copenhagen-based bank has made each time a new, bigger figure has been revealed in connection with the case. For now, Danske is the target of criminal investigations in Denmark and Estonia amid allegations its Estonian unit was used to launder between $8bn and $9bn in illicit funds, mostly from Russia, between 2007 and 2015. CEO Thomas Borgen, who was the bank's head of international operations during much of the time in question, has apologized for failing to act sooner to prevent the laundering. The bank is due to publish the conclusions of an internal probe this month, and has urged the public not to draw conclusions based on figures it says are taken out of context. Estonia's Finance Ministry issued a similar plea on Friday. "We'll be able to talk about more specific amounts only after the end of the investigation because surely not all money from abroad is suspicious in terms of money laundering," Marten Ross, deputy secretary general for financial policy and external relations at the ministry in Tallinn, said by email. Shares in the bank fell as much as 7.3pc after the report on Friday, putting Danske Bank at the bottom of Bloomberg's European index of financial stocks, together with ING Group NV, another bank tackling a money-laundering scandal. On his Facebook page, Jarlov said Denmark's fraud squad has made it a "top priority" to get to the bottom of case that might lead to "punishing Danske Bank". In the interview, he made clear it's up to the courts to decide on any possible punishment. Jarlov also said the latest figure mentioned in the media isn't surprising, given information provided by Danske. The bank said in July it intended to donate 1.5 billion kroner ($233m) in profits from its Estonian unit to an unspecified cause, an amount Jarlov said made it clear that the size of the suspicious transactions is "significant." Danske's chairman, Andersen, said the bank expects its internal probe "to be finalized in the very near future, and we will share the conclusions once they are completed". But some politicians indicated they were growing impatient. Jeppe Kofod, a Danish member of the European Parliament's financial crime committee, called on Danske Bank to release its internal report immediately, in response to the Wall Street Journal article. Jarlov said he doesn't have "much insight" into Danske's internal probe. But he also said it's "clear that it isn't enough for us that the case is being investigating by Danske Bank". The scandal has raised questions about the need for Borgen, and even Andersen, to step down. According to a Bloomberg survey of nine analysts conducted before the Wall Street Journal report, the likelihood of the Danske CEO staying on until the end of this year is about 50pc. By the end of 2019, the analysts put the probability at about 40pc. Bloomberg Fast-food chain Eddie Rocket's is planning to expand into the Middle East after its first German outlet opens next month. The wholly-owned Irish company has more than 50 restaurants dotted across Ireland and will now seek to expand its 'Rocket's' franchise arm. The company's secondary brand is targeted at millennials and aims to fill the gap between fast food and casual dining. Over the next five years, 20 Rocket's outlets will be opened in various transport hubs such as airports, train stations and bus shelters across Germany. The European expansion was the result of a long-term agreement with contract food business Elior Group. Rocket's business development officer Tobias Lukaschek told the Sunday Independent that the move will be the "first of many if things go well". "Of course we're looking to get into other European continental countries as well; likewise we're looking at expansion outside of Europe too," he said. "The Middle East is looking promising also, so that's where we would see the company as well. The likes of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, all of those are certainly interesting for us. "Once we get to Germany then we're in the centre of Europe and it's not too far from Austria, Switzerland, to France, to Spain and so on." Lukaschek said that expansion into the Middle East is not dependent on further deals in Europe. He said that both expansions could happen simultaneously, provided the right franchise partner comes along. "Having said that, Elior is globally active and we have found the partnership to be incredibly fruitful. The best thing we could imagine would be to expand and grow with them Europe-wide and even globally," he said. "The lion's share of the business is the Eddie Rocket's brand, it is the breadwinner. The Rocket's brand is probably the one with the strongest growth opportunity. As for now, it's certainly a growth vehicle for us, where we see opportunity and demand." Despite travelling thousands of kilometres to its new branch in Allgau, south-west of Munich, none of the burgers will be frozen. The company has agreed a new supply chain deal with Irish meat supplier Kepak to ensure it can market fresh Irish beef as its unique selling point. After it is produced in Cork, the meat is then vacuum-packed and shipped to a warehouse in Germany. Rocket's will get around 15 days of shelf-life out of the Irish meat. The company's Rocket's brand is targeted at those born in the 1980s up to the 2000s and aims to move away from the appearance of a chain restaurant, with stripped-back aesthetic design throughout. Last year, parent group Rocket's Restaurants Ltd, which was set up by Niall Fortune 29 years ago, reported a turnover of 70m. Irish food producers will be able to win a national advertising campaign as part of a new awards series backed by Love Irish Food. The association has invested 1m in media and creative content so far this year to support food brands across the country. Indigenous businesses can win up to 75,000 in out-of-home advertising space that will appear nationally over a two-week period. Love Irish Food and advertising company Exterion Media will work with the winning brand to develop a strategy for the funding and how best to use it. The executive director of Love Irish Food, Kieran Rumley, described the award as the "largest of its kind" for the industry. "At a time when Brexit has added much uncertainty to the market, the award allows the winner the certainty of knowing that they have an advertising campaign for their brand in their plans for 2019, a critical year for Ireland's food industry," he said. "The award will provide Irish SME brand producers with the opportunity to advertise to Irish consumers on a national level, giving them a huge opportunity to connect with their target audience and build their brand." Entries can be made on loveirishfood.ie, and the closing date for entries is September 28. Politically, there is never a good time to award bankers in state-controlled banks pay increases. The 10th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers; the legacy 200bn national debt following the economic crash and the housing and health crises, all form a backdrop that isn't too good for bankers 'labouring' under the salary caps introduced at the height of the collapse. The Government is in the middle of a review on the operation of the pay caps that still apply to new appointments in state-controlled banks AIB and PTSB. The departure of AIB's very well-regarded chief financial officer (CFO) Mark Bourke raises the question of pay caps once again. Bourke's remuneration came under the cap, which is set at 500,000. It's a pretty good pay packet by any standards but, in a marketplace where CFOs are paid a lot more, one has to wonder if it was a factor in his decision to leave the bank following a very successful multibillion-euro IPO. Perhaps he would have moved on anyway, having brought the bank through that process. But the cap certainly ties the bank's hand when it comes to convincing somebody to stay. It is relatively easy for senior Irish executives to land jobs across the water in the UK. According to the Financial Director's annual CFO salary survey back in 2016, the average remuneration for a CFO in a FTSE 250 company was 1.25m. This index contains many companies with market capitalisations that are a fraction of AIBs. Former AIB boss David Duffy left to run Clydesdale Bank in the UK. He is paid more than 2m per year while his CFO at Clydesdale Ian Smith, earns 935,000. Clydesdale's market value is around 3bn (3.3bn). AIB's is 12.9bn. Closer to home, FBD chief executive and former central banker Fiona Muldoon was paid more than 1m last year as chief executive of an insurer with a market cap of 370m. Her finance director, John O'Grady, earned 453,000. The CFO of Kerry Group (market cap 16.9bn), Brian Mehigan, earned 1.8m in remuneration last year. Glanbia has a market value of 4.3bn and its CFO, Mark Garvey, earned 1.1m. A spate of recent management departures from AIB at various levels might suggest the bank's management team is badly weakened and the salary cap has a large part to play. However, the cap didn't stop the bank from attracting David Duffy to the job of CEO or his successor, Bernard Byrne. And the same argument might apply to Bourke, a former chief executive of IFG, he was happy to become CFO within the salary cap and go on to do a very good job. Whatever recommendations the Government review on the caps comes up with, it won't be easy for Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to push the button on allowing state-controlled banks to pay what they believe is warranted. There doesn't seem to be a lot wrong with remuneration rates at the Central Bank for example, yet it has attracted a high calibre of senior management only to then lose them as they move on to do other things. At the end of the day, these banks have to be able to attract the best people. It is a false saving to shareholders (mainly the public) on a handful of top salaries only to lose talented executives. How to be clever, but not too smart, on corporate tax changes While Paschal Donohoe might want some political cover on banker salaries, he has plenty of cover when it comes to changing our corporation tax system. The Finance Minister has outlined a road map for future changes to the corporate tax system in response to a changing world and a clamour to end aggressive tax avoidance. The road map doesn't really say where we will end up or even how we are going to get there. It is really a statement of intent that says we are willing to respond to demands for change. Ireland has thrown in its lot with the OECD process on this issue rather than just the EU. Some of our 'tax competitors' are outside the EU and some of our biggest clients are American multinationals. The government has had to weather the storm of the European Commission Apple investigation and the heavy criticism from EU partners about facilitating tax avoidance. The challenge here is to move with the tide of change that is demanding an end to the most aggressive forms of tax avoidance while remaining competitive compared to other countries as a destination for inward investment. It is a tough juggling act. The government keeps repeating its commitment to the 12.5pc corporation tax rate, but it isn't really under threat anyway. The real action is on transfer pricing and where digital revenues are booked by tech companies. Studies have shown that, internationally, corporations are paying on average less corporate tax than in the past. How can Ireland fully participate in the movement to fix that without financially shooting ourselves in the foot at the same time by losing significant investment. In the past, Ireland has relied on some very clever tax experts to advise the government on how to structure tax laws to make this country very attractive for foreign investment. If anything, our experts got too smart at it and we have been often legitimately open to criticism. Now the minister is proposing a consultation process with industry to examine new ways forward. We will need the best brains to be smart again, but just not too smart this time. Political masterclass in 'failing forward' from our leaders Aviation-leasing entrepreneur Domhnal Slattery was playing host to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the opening of the new global headquarters for Avolon in Dublin. Slattery founded Avolon which after its IPO and takeover, has now become the third-largest aviation leasing business in the world. So inevitably, the Clare man knows a lot about entrepreneurship. He gave an upbeat but measured summary of the state of play regarding enterprise here, saying the culture was still "nascent", while suggesting that Irish entrepreneurs tend to sell out too early. The Taoiseach meanwhile went off on one, using a buzzword from the world of business about "failing forward". It is an irritating phrase that first appeared as the title of a corporate self-help book back in 2007 written by John C Maxwell. He is also author of several other books with cheesy titles including: Some You Win, Some You Learn, Put Your Dream to the Test, and Becoming a Person of Influence. The idea behind failing forward is that you learn from your mistakes and move on to the next thing to ultimately become successful. Varadkar said he wanted to see a culture shift in Ireland in the years ahead regarding enterprise. He wanted to see people from an early age saying they would like to set up a business as opposed to just saying I want to be a doctor or a solicitor. Of course, when it comes to failing forward, the business community has a lot to learn from politicians who seem to be masters of failing forward. When they mess up, it doesn't seem to affect their careers and they just plough on to the next portfolio. Take the two biggest messes in the country today - health and housing. One former health minister is Taoiseach and one former housing minister is Tanaiste. Now that is failing forward. Kevin Hassett, who will address business executives in Dublin this week, said President Donald Trump was right to call out the Irish trade deficit. Photo: Getty Images The chief economist to the White House says that sweeping reforms to the US corporate tax code, the largest in 31 years, will not result in an exodus of investment and jobs created by US multinationals in Ireland. Kevin Hassett, chairman of the powerful Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), spoke to the Sunday Independent ahead of a controversial visit to Ireland in November by US President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly criticised Ireland's "chronic" trade surplus with the US, which is largely dominated by a high level of pharmaceutical exports from Ireland to the US by American drugs firms. "I don't think we should think of it [Trump's trade agenda] as sucking factories out of Ireland," said Hassett, adding that it was "extremely unlikely" that companies would close or stop maintaining and growing their subsidiaries here. However Hassett, a former Federal Reserve economist, said that the new reforms, which saw the US reduce its corporate tax rate from 35pc to 21pc - and targeted the foreign profits of US multinational corporations - will result in more US companies choosing America for new investments. US firms employ 155,000 in Ireland, with 40pc of the corporate tax take - a record 8.2bn last year - coming from just 10 firms. More than half of the largest taxpaying firms in Ireland are American. Ireland, whose companies employ 100,000 in the US, is now the ninth-largest supporter of FDI to the US economy. Hassett (56) said that President Trump was "right" to call out the Irish trade deficit, which he says will close in the following years as new pricing transfer rules take effect. "The benefit of locating tax profits in Ireland has declined sharply for US multinationals and that should reduce the trade deficit significantly," said Hassett, who will address the US Embassy-sponsored US-Ireland business summit this week. The visit by Hassett will set the scene for the forthcoming arrival of Trump, who will travel to Ireland on the way back from the Armistice Day commemorations in Paris. Last Friday, Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the surprise visit will be controversial. "The fact we are facilitating a visit from the US president doesn't mean it is an endorsement of US policies or the policies of this current president," said Coveney."We don't agree with Donald Trump in terms of his approach to climate change, we don't agree with his approach with migration, we don't agree with his approach in terms of international trade, and the imposition of tariffs, we don't agree with the US's approach to elements of its Middle East policy." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who will also address the event, said there was "enormous divergence" between the position of the Irish Government, the EU and the US on issues such as free trade. But he insisted that Ireland and the US will seek to maintain and deepen their economic and cultural ties. Photographers sitting around the entrance lobby of a newspaper group's office is not an unusual sight. But when those photographers have orders to get the first shot of High Court inspectors walking into the office it is a sure sign that the company has found itself at the wrong end of the news cycle. In the High Court, Justice Peter Kelly had just decided to grant the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) - the State's corporate watchdog - application to appoint inspectors to investigate the conduct of the affairs of Independent News & Media (INM), which publishes the Sunday Independent among other newspapers. As the photographers waited downstairs, INM staff journalists debated what it would all mean, worrying about the potential implications. Chief executive Michael Doorly had sent a memo to reassure them on any concerns around journalistic privilege and the protection of sources: "Whilst it is the Company's policy that we should cooperate with the inspectors, that co-operation is not without limit. "We will take every action to preserve privilege and protect sources. That includes all steps up to and including seeking court orders," he wrote. Justice Kelly's 76-page ruling laid out his reasoning for the appointment of inspectors in clear and stark detail. "The appointment of inspectors is a serious matter and such a sledge hammer should not be used to crack a nut," wrote Justice Kelly. "What has been disclosed in the evidence before me is no nut." There may, he continued, be "a complete explanation" for all the concerns raised by the ODCE about what had transpired in recent years in INM but if there is not then "what is alleged is very serious indeed". INM had strongly opposed the application but, after taking time to consider Justice Kelly's judgment, had decided against any appeal. That had cleared the way for the two appointed inspectors - barrister Sean Gillane SC, who specialises in criminal law, and Richard Fleck, a UK-based solicitor and corporate governance expert - to come knocking any time they saw fit. Central to the ODCE's successful application was the removal and subsequent interrogation of computer data from INM's Talbot Street premises in 2014, an operation that had, stated Justice Kelly, been directed by former INM chairman Leslie Buckley. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Buckley's name - as well as that of the company's largest shareholder Denis O'Brien - featured prominently in Justice Kelly's judgment. "During the course of the interrogation, tapes and associated data appear to have been accessible to and accessed by a range of individuals who are external to the company. These individuals have business links with Mr Buckley, with each other and appear also to have links with Mr O'Brien," wrote Justice Kelly. He outlined how data appeared to have been searched against the names of no fewer than 19 individuals, including that of two Senior Counsel who had previously acted for the tribunal that had investigated allegations relating to the awarding of the second GSM licence to O'Brien's company Esat. Justice Kelly detailed how the bills for the data interrogation exercise were presented to an entity controlled by O'Brien called Island Capital and paid by an Isle of Man company called Blaydon Ltd, of which O'Brien is the beneficial owner. "Many questions remain concerning this whole affair," wrote Justice Kelly. It was, he said, "certainly suggestive of the company's affairs being conducted for a purpose that is unlawful." At the same time as the data interrogation was taking place, Island Capital was seeking payment from INM of 1m for work "allegedly done" in respect of the disposal of INM's stake in Australian company APN. The following day, the ODCE had alleged that Buckley and O'Brien exchanged text messages referring to a "cosi [sic] deal" and in which Buckley wrote "we in INM need to handle it very carefully". Justice Kelly outlined how the ODCE believed that inside information and confidential information was furnished by Buckley to O'Brien. For his part, Buckley released a statement to say he welcomed "the opportunity to vindicate my good name through the inspection process". The former chairman said he would "robustly defend myself against each and every allegation". O'Brien has not commented in public but, in April, he wrote to ODCE director Ian Drennan to tell him that he would be held "fully and personally responsible" for the leaking of allegations surrounding INM. He had been subjected to "extraordinary" and still intensifying levels of media coverage which suggested "wrongdoing", he wrote. The company had argued alleged wrongdoing had been that of Buckley and not of the current board or management of INM and that the company would face serious reputational damage should inspectors be appointed. But, wrote Justice Kelly, the allegedly wrongful activity engaged upon by Buckley was done in his capacity as INM chairman and that "I am satisfied on the basis of the evidence which has been put before me that a number of the incidents relied upon by the [ODCE] Director are suggestive of the conduct of the affairs of the company for an unlawful purpose". Neither was Justice Kelly swayed by fears of reputational damage to INM: "It seems to me that a good deal of that has already occurred as a result of what has been disclosed to date." It was difficult, he wrote, to see "how the appointment of inspectors is likely to cause very much more reputational damage to the company". As the week went on and the inspectors did not appear at Independent House, the photographers left the lobby and thoughts returned to the day job. For management, that means implementing a new corporate strategy they believe will diversify revenue and steer the company through a difficult period for newspapers to a brighter new diversified future. Goodbody analyst Rachel Fox told the Sunday Independent that the print advertising market has been in "consistent decline" for a number of years, describing the industry as a "challenging place" at the moment. According to Fox, INM's significant market share in print in Ireland "means it is probably in a somewhat better position than some of its competitors". "But it is still facing declines on its print verticals and management have kept the market well flagged that it is a very tough environment to operate in," she said, not least because of the competitive threat in digital advertising from the likes of Facebook and Google. Nevertheless, CEO Michael Doorly remained sanguine about the challenges ahead. Late last week as INM settled into the reality of life under inspection, he insisted that for the inspectors to get to the real story of what happened in the past they would have to look outside the company. He will know, however, that when it comes to creating the brighter future the company has promised, that the answers will very much need to come from within. My first advice is to talk to your boss or human resources (HR) manager and explain to them that this is unsustainable. (Stock picture) Query: I recently moved to a four-day week as I found the juggle of a full-time job and the rearing of two children too difficult. However, although my pay has been cut by a fifth to reflect the fact that I'm no longer working five days, I'm finding that I'm still expected to produce the same amount of work in four days as I did in five days. This seems very unfair and is putting me under enormous pressure. What can I do? Grace, Co Dublin Answer: This is something we hear a lot - that is, when a person is offered a four-day week but is expected to do the work of a full week in that time. My first advice is to talk to your boss or human resources (HR) manager and explain to them that this is unsustainable and that as you say, is very unfair and putting you under enormous pressure. In approaching your boss or the HR department, it is always best to put everything in writing. Also, go to your hiring manager with a solution to the issue you have. For example you could identify tasks that can be taken off your desk or a new account which someone else could take over easily. By providing a well-thought-out solution that suits your needs and also does not affect the bottom line for the company, you have a much better chance of getting a positive response from your employer. Another question to address is whether or not you have a new contract since you have changed from full-time to part-time - and if your duties are laid out clearly in this regard. You will need to go through this with your employer and highlight that you cannot possibly do a full-time job in part-time hours. The Work Relations Commission (WRC) has some very clear guidelines for employers when an employee moves from full-time to part-time work. One of the considerations is how the applicant's proposed revised hours will fit with the tasks of his or her job and how these tasks will be performed during the period of part-time work. I would be querying my boss as to what considerations he or she has taken to allow for the fact that the role has changed from full-time to part-time. If your boss does not make allowances for the fact that the role is now part-time, I would contact the WRC for advice on how to proceed. The information line for the WRC is 059-9178990. You can also visit the WRC's website on workplacerelations.ie. Overlooked for promotion Query: I have worked with the same company for the last 10 years. Over the last four years, I have had three children - and taken six months maternity leave for each child. I don't think this has gone down too well with my employer - I feel I have been an inconvenience to my employer since I started having children. My partner and I are not planning to have any more children. While I was away on maternity leave for my third child, a promotion came up in work which I would have been interested in applying for and for which I would also have had the necessary skills and experience. However, I was never informed of the promotion or given the opportunity to apply for it when on maternity leave. The job went to a colleague. I feel very aggrieved about this. Can I dispute this promotion? Eimear, Dublin 5 Answer: My first advice is to get as much information as possible in writing about this situation so that you have a paper trail and there is no dispute afterwards about who said what to whom. You say you felt that you have been an inconvenience to your employer - if you have any evidence to this effect, I would be collating this at this point. If you feel that you had the necessary skills, experience and competencies to be considered for this particular role, I would inform the company in writing that you feel you have been discriminated against and would have liked the opportunity to have been considered for this position. If you are not happy with the response from your human resources department, you could consider taking a case to the Workplace Relations Commission. If it finds that you were discriminated against on the grounds of your gender by reason of your maternity leave - and contrary to Sections 6(2A) and Section 8(1) of the Employment Equality Acts, you could be due compensation. Remote working issues Query: My husband and I have four children. We will soon be moving from Dublin to the west of Ireland following a promotion he has been offered. I have worked as an accountant for a Dublin accountancy firm and my boss wants to keep me on in some shape or form. Much of the work I do can be produced from home, so I am considering working remotely. My boss is suggesting that I set myself up as a self-employed accountant - and that I could then work for the firm under an annual contract which would be renewed each year. I'm concerned though about the loss of my employment benefits such as pension, sick leave, holiday pay and private health insurance. Surely as I'm producing the same work for my employer (albeit remotely), he could continue to employ me as an employee? If not, is there any way I could protect the current employment benefits I have (such as sick leave and holiday leave and pension) if I set myself up as a self-employed accountant? My boss says that the pension scheme is only available to employees. Laura, Co Dublin Answer: There are quite stringent laws as to whether you can be set up as self-employed or not in this instance. The following are the rules to determine whether you are self employed or not: A worker is normally an employee if they are directed by someone on how, when and where to work; have set working hours; have no personal financial risk relating to the work; receive a fixed wage; supply labour only; cannot subcontract the work; are covered under the employer's insurance; and work for only one person or business. A worker is normally self-employed if they control how, when and where the work is done; control their working hours; are exposed to financial risk; control costs and pricing; can hire other people to complete the job; provide their insurance cover; own their business; and can provide the same services to more than one person or business at the same time. In your instance, it sounds like your employer is going to have to keep you on their books and maintain your employment contract. It is pertinent to point out here that there is a talent shortage at the moment and there is a particular shortage of accountants in practice. I would imagine that your employer will not want to lose you if you have the knowledge and experience to continue to do the job. Accountancy is definitely one of those roles which can be done remotely and can be managed easily with good communication. Employmum finds Slack is a great tool for managing and communicating with remote teams and this is something you could discuss with your employer. It happened 41 years ago but I still recall locating the gate into a field near Turlough village in Mayo, where the caravan of 73-year-old Sheila Fitzgerald - whom I had hitch-hiked from Dublin to meet - was parked. It was 1977 and I was 18. The field seemed dark until I saw a faint glow emanating through her curtained windows. My hands blindly made contact with a caravan door. I knocked and it opened in a luminous square of light. A tiny, radiant woman stood there with white hair and a delighted smile. "You found us," Sheila said. "Isn't life exciting?" It felt like glimpsing a flame of energy as I entered her den, crammed with books and heated by a wood-burning stove. Three cats bestowed hospitable gazes upon me. Sheila's address was The Ark, Turlough, Co Mayo, and her caravan was an ark of happiness and refuge. Yet even its name was linked to one of the many tragedies in Sheila's life - having been named by her teenage granddaughter who had died tragically in Kenya two years previously. Our friendship started in 1977 when Sheila read something about me. She sent me a postcard saying, if ever in Mayo, I was welcome to sleep in her caravan and use a nearby wood as a sanctuary in which to write poems. There was a 55-year age gap but, because I had lost my mother and Sheila had lost a son, we felt an affinity. Sheila opened my eyes to new ways of seeing things. Although penniless, she was the richest person I knew because she wanted nothing. She had her beloved dog, Johnny, her books and the cats who shared her caravan, along with numerous callers of all ages, inspired by her positivity. Sheila would stand out in any generation. She removed the hands from the only clock in the Ark and wrote the word 'NOW' across the clockface. This clock always told the right time, because Sheila lived in the present. This did not mean the past was forgotten. Her walls were lined with pictures of family members she had lost. I became a regular visitor. If you dream of being a writer, you need one person to take you seriously. Unemployed in Dublin, I'd hitch-hike to sit in her candle-lit caravan and read her my latest poems. We always talked long into the night and she was unafraid to address her tragedies. The stories about her in my new novel were stories I heard on my first visit to her Ark. Sheila had the gift of being true to herself and passionate about causes she believed in. The artist Pauline Bewick remembers her as a tiny crusader, covered in flour hurled at her by an outraged citizen when Sheila took part in a protest. As a child, the poet Paul Durcan attended her innovative art classes, sparking his life-long passion for painting. Sheila's tragedies might have overwhelmed a lesser soul, but at her lowest ebb - having lost her son, daughter and only granddaughter - she made a deliberate choice in old age to embrace happiness. Her happiness came from refusing to be conquered by grief. She was happy not because of life, but in spite of what it stole from her. At 18, I was too inexperienced to understand how much easier it would have been to sink beneath the weight of grief. But in the years since, when bad things have happened, it is Sheila I try to emulate when picking myself up, borne forward by the inner strength of this woman who first told me her life story four decades ago. Born in 1903, Sheila was one of five Goold-Verschoyle children raised in Dunkineely, Co Donegal, amid a babble of debate where no viewpoint was taboo. Her brother Neil inherited the family property as eldest son, but Neil Goold (he dropped the Verschoyle surname) rejected his inheritance and become a communist. He worked in Dublin's worst slums and was jailed for communist agitation. Brendan Behan's mother, who considered Neil a saint, sheltered him in her Crumlin home before he moved to Moscow. Sheila's beloved youngest brother volunteered to fight with the Soviets in the Spanish Civil War. Growing disillusioned, he was tricked onto a Soviet ship and disappeared, dying in a Soviet gulag, with their mother spending her final years desperately seeking news of his fate. Sketching was Sheila's childhood passion. Her father, a pacifist who supported Home Rule, was a utopian barrister who often defended locals without seeking payment. But the outside world intruded on Sheila's paradise. She stopped sketching when two young men arrived who "brought the more complex world into our small oasis [and] heralded the time to grow up". The two young men included the man she married. Sheila often talked about writing a memoir. But I never realised how seriously she longed to be a writer until I found her 1968 passport, listing her occupation as "writer". A tattered envelope listed stories she wrote and comments from editors who'd rejected them. She was a separated woman of 65 when applying for that passport, travelling cheaply in Spain and Morocco, engaging with new ideas and people. Video of the Day By 1992, when Sheila was 89 and living in a field near Kilmore in Co Wexford - where locals helped her to lead an independent life for as long as possible - it seemed unlikely she would write her memoirs. We discussed the idea of my writing a novel about her life. For several nights we sat up in her caravan, making recordings about her life. A year after her death, I found those tapes. They let me reconnect with Sheila when she was still in good health and see the totality of her life. I needed to write as a novelist and not a biographer, guided by a line from Sheila on the tapes about how she admired artists with the courage to shape reality into something new. In 2005, I published a novel about her early life, The Family on Paradise Pier. But I've waited 13 years to publish An Ark of Light: this stand-alone novel telling Sheila's later story, when she needed to make a new life as a separated wife in a society that didn't recognise divorce, and as the mother of a gay man at a time when danger lurked everywhere for lesbians and gays. It explores how she found the courage to leave an unhappy marriage and start on a quest both physical and spiritual: to strip away the veneer of complexity and strive - despite setbacks - to grasp the joy at the core of life. Eighteen years after her death and 41 years after she first told me her story, An Ark of Light is my account of that remarkable life. Sheila died in a nursing home in 2000. Her Wexford friends tried to honour her last requests. One friend made the small wooden box she wanted as a coffin. To reflect her radiance, it was painted in vibrant colours. Sheila wished to avoid the ostentatiousness of a black hearse, so her body was transported to Glasnevin Crematorium in an unassuming white van, before the body she'd outgrown entered the flames to the joyous finale of Beethoven's ninth symphony. Sheila's handmade coffin looked like a small boat that would cause only the barest ripple. But her influence is still rippling out to touch distant shores. I hope I have captured something of her uniqueness. There are certain inescapable patterns in life we dont mean to follow them, it just happens that way. For example, no matter how young at heart you may feel, theres a good chance that by the time youve hit 30 youve started kvetching about the younger generation. By the time youve hit 16, youve started moaning that the oldsters had everything handed to them on a plate and no generation absolutely none! has ever had to go through the angst and problems that your generation, and your generation alone, face. Its entirely normal, and has probably been that way ever since we stopped dying of old age and rickets at the age of 40. Generational spats are simply part of life and heres the thing both sides of the argument usually have a few points in their favour. There is little doubt that the current crop of millennials have been given the rotten end of the stick. Theyre the ones who can vaguely remember a time when their parents seemed loaded, everyone had money and the possibilities were endless. Then the country flew over the edge of the cliff and all those hopes and aspirations disappeared as quickly as their parents three-bedroom holiday home bought off the plans in Bulgaria. Thats a raw deal for anyone to have to suffer. As much as many of us have a massive degree of sympathy for those people who rightly feel as if theyve had the rug pulled out from under their lives, there is also a rather wearisome degree of smug certitude displayed by so many of them. Thats not unique to this generation, of course after all, the hippies were quite certain they could change the world for the better. And look how well that ended up. Video of the Day But the emergence of social media has now turned everyone into a philosopher/campaigner and the inevitable naivete of youth is now amplified and multiplied and measured in likes and retweets. Which brings me to the mess left behind at the Electric Picnic. One estimate reckons that several million euro worth of camping gear, electronic equipment and other valuables were simply discarded by departing revellers, presumably on the understanding that someone else would pick up their rubbish. Its hardly the first festival site to be left looking like a bomb had hit it although fan of hyperbole that I am, even Id probably stop short of describing it as looking like a nuclear holocaust but the pictures and footage wouldnt have received so much traction if so many of the EP-goers werent so bloody insufferable and self-righteous about everything. I cant be the only person who rolls their eyes whenever some kid starts to lecture everyone else about how their generation is different and, like, totally better than everything that has gone before them. But they seem to have a weird desire to start generational fights that they simply cannot hope to win. Heres the truth we live in a disposable, shallow and trite age. Maybe the limited number of characters you can use on Twitter has changed the architecture of the modern brain and we can now only understand soundbites. But for all the talk and blather we constantly hear about the environment to use this particular example we seem to have developed a culture where words mean more than actions. How many of those who left their stuff behind them have happily signed petitions about the environment? How many of the people who left their stuff behind them were quick to condemn Trump for backing out of the Paris climate accord? The environment isnt some abstract concept. The environment is where you live, and you can spout all the hot air you like about the need to protect Mother Earth, but the first step begins with you cleaning up your own detritus. Jordan Peterson has been widely accused/credited (delete according to political taste) of being two things either a rabble rousing alt-right/Nazi demagogue, or the man who can save Western men. Hes neither, as it happens. Hes just a bloke who espouses some rather unfashionable old-school common sense. One of his arguments is that you cant hope to save the planet if you cant even clean your own room and while that might seem like Dad advice, its not wrong. It was certainly the first thought which struck me when I saw the pics of the carnage down in Stradbally the other morning. Its easy to protest against Trump, or to sign the latest petition to have someone you never met sacked from their job because they said something you didnt like. But its hardly a formula for a successful life. Similarly, the more you wallow in the bigger picture, the less attention you pay to the world thats right under your nose. Lets put it this way, none of us has the power to change the environment. But we can control our environment and that starts by taking care of the small stuff first and foremost, the litter you create. Of course, that doesnt lend itself to a catchy hashtag or dressing like youre in The Handmaids Tale. But one simple rule remains unchanged no matter your age or generation clean up after yourself. Kelly Macdonald is one of those actors who's so good at disappearing into roles that it's easy not to notice her. Since breaking through as a wild Glasgow teenager in Trainspotting, she's quietly shone in films like Gosford Park, Finding Neverland, Anna Karenina and No Country for Old Men, and impressed critics in the TV dramas Boardwalk Empire and State of Play. Her soft voice and understated prettiness have not always helped her cause: she's seen more as a character actress than a star, and has rarely been given centre stage. In her new film, however, she is the star, and gives a superb performance as a downtrodden suburban wife. Puzzle tells the story of Agnes, a long-suffering wife and mother whose efforts as a homemaker go largely unnoticed. Her husband, Louie (David Denman) is an affable mechanic whose views on domesticity are positively antediluvian: he's not a bad man; it just doesn't seem to have occurred to him that his wife might be dissatisfied with a life of stultifying monotony. In the film's opening scene, Agnes bustles around in the kitchen making food and baking cakes for a family occasion. While she works, her husband and sons relax outside, chatting with friends: only later do we realise that the occasion was her own birthday. She's entirely taken for granted, but Agnes has hidden depths - which becomes clear when she opens one of her birthday presents. Expand Close Quietly illustrious: Kelly Macdonald plays downtrodden houswife Agnes in her new film, Puzzle. Photo: Michael Buckner/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Quietly illustrious: Kelly Macdonald plays downtrodden houswife Agnes in her new film, Puzzle. Photo: Michael Buckner/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock It's one of those 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles and when Agnes settles down to it one afternoon, she finds that she can do it again and again, really fast. She gets more jigsaws and, as her horizons expand, she enters the world of competitive puzzling, guided by the soft-spoken and effortlessly cosmopolitan Robert (Irrfan Khan), a Manhattan-dwelling emigre who'll become a friend, and perhaps something more. Agnes is a fascinating character, a deep well of possibilities slowly stirring to life: she must have been fun to play. "I really liked her bravery," Kelly tells me. "She starts off as this quiet, naive, mousey person, but then her inner life starts to bubble up, and by the end of the film she seems very different, suddenly confident." Apart from her self-awakening, Agnes has to reassess her relationship with her husband and decide if it's really worth anything any more. "Louie's not a bad man, you know - he's just doing what he saw done before him, and following the example of his father. So when she starts to change, it just totally throws him out of whack because so far as he's concerned his life is fine. And to be fair, in a way her life is perfectly peaceful and fine, but I think there comes a point where she's got something inside her that starts to leak out, and once there's a leak there's no corking it." While some actors would have moved to the suburbs and lived as a housewife in preparation for this role, Macdonald is not a practitioner of the method. "I'm always fascinated by actors that write out a whole history," she says. "Lots of them do: they come up with all this stuff, and I don't know if that's a tool you're taught at drama school, but I didn't get that memo. I'm a bit more instinctive. I work quite instinctively and then it's usually after I've done it that I think, 'Oh, maybe I should have done that,' or, 'Maybe I should have sat down and done a puzzle beforehand,' but I like to just feel my way through things." She tells me she's very happy with how Puzzle turned out. "I feel really proud of it actually; it sort of surprised me - normally I hate watching myself in anything. I mean, the joy for me is being on set and doing what I enjoy with people I respect, so it's not my business afterwards to worry about if the film's going to do well. There are things I've done that I've never seen. But this one I liked." Video of the Day After a relatively quiet patch between 2012 and 2015, Kelly has been furiously busy of late and last year reprised her very first screen character in Danny Boyle's sequel, T2 Trainspotting. Macdonald made her name playing Diane Coulston, Renton's devious and self-obsessed teenage girlfriend, in the original film but her appearance in T2 was all too brief. "Shamefully short," Macdonald says, laughing. "I think with Diane, and the way she's clearly changed, there could have been an interesting story there, but you know it was about the boys." Was it an emotional experience being reunited with Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller after all this time? Expand Close Actress Kelly Macdonald arrives on the red carpet at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, for the premiere of Puzzle (Jane Barlow/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress Kelly Macdonald arrives on the red carpet at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, for the premiere of Puzzle (Jane Barlow/PA) "It was. I almost feel like they're my distant family or something, and I think it was a long enough amount of time since the first one that it wasn't uncomfortable. It was really lovely, I have to say, being in a room with Ewan again, and being more of an adult this time. When I made the first film I was just... didn't know what I was doing. I was 19, but I was a very young 19." Macdonald was working in a bar in Glasgow when she heard about the Trainspotting shoot. "They were handing out flyers around Glasgow and Edinburgh for that part, just the Diane role, and so I went along to the open casting." She got the gig, and promptly began to wonder what the hell she'd gotten herself mixed up in. "I was terrified," she says. "I would literally hide in the toilets, and the assistant directors would come and get me when they were ready to shoot." You'd never guess it looking at the finished film, which put her and her male co-stars on the map. Had she ever acted before that? "I was interested," she tells me. "I had sent away for an application for drama school before I got Trainspotting, and when I was in my younger teens I was in a little amateur dramatic group for a few weeks, which I was absolutely terrified of. It was one night a week and I would spend a whole week fretting and wracked with nerves about it, and then I would go along and come out buzzing, then I'd get all nervous again for another week." Does she still get nervous? "I do. I just had to do an extra wee scene last week on something - and it had been a year since I shot it - and I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to get back into what I had done the last time. It's always fine in the end, but I just fret a bit." During her quietly illustrious career, Macdonald has tended to play maids, servants, unhappy satellites of male protagonists. But in the acclaimed HBO drama Boardwalk Empire, she was given the chance to show her talent, and range. Over five eventful seasons, her character, Margaret Thompson, became first the mistress, then the wife, of Depression-era New Jersey mobster Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), but instead of becoming a gangster's subservient moll, had the courage to leave him, start a new life and end up becoming wealthy in her own right. Did she know how big that show was going to be when she started making it? "No, and honestly I didn't really know while we were doing it either. I was just sort of doing it; I didn't really think too much about it, and it was funny being that long on a project, you know? I was away filming for nine months, and then I would be back in Scotland for the remainder, and it seemed to me that nobody in Scotland had Sky. And so all I'd get from people when I went home was, 'Oh, I've not seen it.' I loved working with Steve, though. I really miss him - he's just a great person." Is there a film or show she's proudest of? "It changes all the time," she says. "I've got favourites along the way, benchmark films if you like: I really enjoyed working on Gosford Park. I mean, there were just so many amazing British actresses and actors, and it was Robert Altman - I got to work with that great auteur. So that was special, and No Country for Old Men is another one. Every now and then, these amazing things come up." Sarah Greene poses at the 'Black 47' photo call during the 68th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Grand Hyatt Hotel on February 16, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) Sarah Greene attends the 'Black 47' premiere during the 68th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Berlinale Palast on February 16, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) Irish actress Sarah Greene has spoken of her emotions at representing a homeless family in her new film Rosie. The film follows a woman, her partner and four children as they come to grips with finding a place to live in Dublin after spending seven years renting a property when they are told the owner wants to sell. The story arc focuses on her the aftermath of that decision as they seek shelter, either temporary or permanent and they become increasingly desperate for stability. The trailer is harrowing, following the young mother and her children filling their belongings in bin bags and carrying them from various hotel rooms to their car, where they wind up sleeping some nights; and it's this emotive concept that motivated scriptwriter Roddy Doyle to pen the screenplay, his first in nearly 20 years. The film was received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and is receiving positive early reviews. "It's a story of loss, resilience, how the system and the government has failed them," Greene says of her take on the titular role," she told the Sunday World. Expand Close Rosie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rosie "This struggle is happening to lots of families in Ireland and globally. We meet them two weeks after losing their home." Doyle said he was "angry" while he was working on the script as he considered the family's struggles, many of which have real life parallelsin Dublin as the homelessness crisis worsens. In fact, it was listening to a news report about the crisis back in 2016 that he felt compelled to tell this story. I wish, in many ways, that I hadn't felt the need to write Rosie but I cant wait for Irish audiences to see it in October," he said. One morning, in late 2016, I was listening to the radio news and heard a young woman describing how shed spent the previous day in her car, with her children, trying to find a place to stay that night. I thought to myself as I listened: Thats the story. I immediately went upstairs to my office and started writing the script." It rounds off an exceptionally busy year for Greene, a Cork native who now splits her time between Dublin and London, where she lives with family and said part of her commitment comes from acceptance that there will be dry spells in your career as an actor. "If you want to do this job you have to give yourself over to the fact that you're going to be unemployed," she said. "Two years ago, I had five months off. You just have to go, 'OK, what's for me won't pass me by'. You have to be prepared to be unemployed." Expand Close Sarah Greene in Rosie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sarah Greene in Rosie Video of the Day She also appears in famine action drama Black 47 opposite James Frecheville and Barry keogh Having played Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, as well as Elrond in The Lord of the Rings franchise, Hugo Weaving is recognised everywhere he goes. And when it happens in Dublin it's usually in Grogan's pub on South William Street. While he was filming his latest big screen outing - Black 47, Lance Daly's revenge thriller set during the Famine - in Wicklow, the actor frequented the legendary watering hole in Dublin's city centre on occasion with fellow Aussie star James Frecheville, who plays Black 47's lead, Feeney. While he's best known for the blockbuster franchises, Weaving regularly treads the boards at home in Australia and beyond, and this week a woman from Chicago who was drinking in Grogan's approached him outside the pub. Expand Close Hugo Weaving in Black 47 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hugo Weaving in Black 47 "She recognised me and said, 'My husband is a big fan. He saw you on stage in New York'", he tells Independent.ie. "So it depends who it is and what they've seen you in." However, his co-star Frecheville recalls another encounter with a fan of Weaving's, also in Grogan's, earlier this year. This fan was Irish. "It was jammed, and there's that tiny little passageway and it can get really congested, and a man walks past Hugo and goes, 'You look like Hugo Weaving' and Hugo goes, pint in hand, smiling, 'I am!' and he goes 'Feck off! You're not!' and Hugo goes, 'You're right, I'm not'," laughs James. Expand Close Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix "This man starts walking away, but because it's so congested, he takes one more glance back and catches Hugo poking his tongue out at me, just like, 'that's all a bit silly', and at that point [the fan] just went slack in the face and sort of started teetering over [stammering] 'A-A-Agent Smith!'" Video of the Day He adds with mock sadness, "I never get recognised!" "That means you're a fine actor, a fine actor," says Weaving. Read more: Black 47 movie review: 'Lance Dalys Famine epic is an admirable attempt to go where no one has gone before' Frecheville is now clean-shaven but he grew a 'crazy' red (natural, thanks Scottish and Irish ancestors) beard for the role of Feeney in Black 47. Feeney is a Connemara man who returns from fighting with the British Army in Afghanistan to the country ravaged by Famine. The actor started growing the beard before he had been confirmed for the role, and is thankful he did as he says it was "a large part of the character". However, it did cause people to view him in a certain way when he was walking the streets of Dublin, or out for a pint, by himself. Expand Close James Frecheville in Black 47 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Frecheville in Black 47 "I couldn't go down Dun Laoghaire eating a Teddy's '99 without scaring people," he remembers. "I'd forget I had it on my face. People would really steer past me on the street, especially because it wasn't trimmed. It was coming right up to my eyelashes." When it came to going for pints he says people "were all looking at me a bit like, 'oh, who are you? And what are you up to?'" Now he is beardless, however, and believes he is unlikely to be recognised as the star of Black 47. "They don't know my chin under the beard," he says. Black 47 is out now. Fox was alerted by actress Olivia Munn, who stars in the film and played opposite Striegel in his one scene (Francis Specker/PA) Actor Olivia Munn poses at the premiere of The Predator during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 6, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Actor Olivia Munn poses at the premiere of The Predator during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Actor Olivia Munn poses at the premiere of The Predator during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Olivia Munn attends the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. 27522_010 (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Turner) Actress Olivia Munn said she feels "isolated" after successfully fighting to have a scene with a convicted sex offender cut from The Predator movie. Munn stars in the Shane Black-directed film, which she is currently promoting, and learned after filming had wrapped that actor Steven Wilder Striegel, a friend of Black's, was a registered sex offender, something she was unaware of prior to signing on. When she discovered this history, Munn brought it to Fox who cut his one scene in which she acted opposite him, from the film. Black apologised in a statement to the Los Angeles Times to "all of those, past and present, I've let down by having Steve around them without giving them a voice in the decision." Munn said last night at the Toronto International Film Festival that she doesn't accept his apology, saying she questions its merits because she has yet to receive a private one. "Whatever small amount of power or fame that I've created, I'm not willing to share it with someone like that. And if Shane wants to share his platform and his power with someone like that, that's on him. But I deserve to make that choice for myself," she said. The 38-year-old said her co-stars haven't acted favourably to her since the story broke, with several cancelling joint interviews with her and another walked out when they were asked about it. Expand Close Olivia Munn attends the 2018 Spotlight Awards Dinner on September 8, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Brian Summers/Getty Images for Substance Group) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Olivia Munn attends the 2018 Spotlight Awards Dinner on September 8, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Brian Summers/Getty Images for Substance Group) "Right now the reality is that there will be people who wear Times Up pins and say they support Times Up, [but] there will be people in Times Up who arent really down with the cause," she told Vanity Fair. She said she has been filled with doubt about her decision, in particular because of some of the industry reaction, but is grateful for the support flooding in on social media from fans and campaigners. I kind of feel like Im the one going to jail, she explained. I didnt go to jail, I didnt put this guy on our set. I had this scene deleted. Thank God, honestly, that there is social media. Its the fans and news outlets thats confirming it to me that what I did was the right thing. If I didnt have that feedback, Id kind of go a little crazy thinking, Why am I being treated like this? Thats not O.K., to feel like the bad guy. "I love being an actor, but if it comes at this cost, who wants it? Who cares? Im so much more than who I am as an actor, and so many other things going on in my life. I love it, but they can take it, if thats what it comes down to." Video of the Day A Twentieth Century Fox spokesperson said Striegel's scene was removed within 24 hours of learning about his past background, saying they were "not aware" when he was hired. "Several weeks ago, when the studio learned the details, his one scene in the film was removed within 24 hours. We were not aware of his background during the casting process due to legal limitations that impede studios from running background checks on actors," they said. A top Irish playwright has gone to the birds for the Dublin Fringe Theatre Festival. Liam Heylin's hilarious new play, 'Lex Talionis', will receive its Irish premiere in Smock Alley Theatre on September 13 next as part of the 2018 festival. Mr Heylin, Courts Correspondent for The Irish Examiner, has penned multiple hit plays including 'Love, Peace & Robbery' and 'The Hung Juror' which have been staged both in Ireland and off Broadway. His work is largely inspired by his coverage of judicial matters through his work as a courts correspondent. However, his latest work takes an unique slant on the old Latin motto of Lex Talionis or the rule of 'an eye for an eye'. It revolves around a group of rooks or crows on a building overlooking an Irish park - and how they respond to the arrival of a suspicious magpie into their group and the resulting murder of a rook chick. "It's a tale of vengeance - and feathers," he explained. The play is being staged by Wandering Star Theatre Company and features a special preview on September 13 followed by a nightly run until September 16. Mr Heylin, who lives in Cork but is originally from Waterford, has been writing plays for almost 20 years. His work also includes such hits as 'Ding Dong' and 'The Girl from Gdansk.' A DUBLIN-BASED entrepreneur who claimed he could only afford to pay 100 a month following a personal injury claim against him was accused in court of "misrepresenting himself in public and giving contradictory evidence in private". Paul Mooney, owner of companies The Cosmetic Outlet and Madison Makeup, was driving without insurance when he was involved in a road traffic accident in September 2011. The Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland pursued him for costs of 50,116.85 and had to take legal action in a bid to recover them. Mr Mooney argued that he couldn't afford to make significant monthly payments towards discharging the monies, yet his social media posts and previous interviews raised suspicions with the MIBI. He provided a Statement of Means to the court in the summer of 2017, but the MIBI claimed it didn't provide an accurate reflection of his financial position. He also gave in tax returns that were two years out of date. The MIBI's legal team then came across interviews with the Irish Times and Sunday Business Post, which counsel said showcased a "good lifestyle". He told the Irish Times in 2016 that he purchased an extravagant car for himself as a birthday present. He also outlined how he prefers quality over quantity as "buying cheap means buying twice". "It was a gift to myself for turning 30 this year and doing so well with Flormar Ireland. I cant tell you how much it cost my wife will probably read this," he said. He later claimed in court that he didn't own any car when the MIBI pursued him for costs. When asked about a Mercedes CLA 180, he said this was his wifes vehicle which her father had bought for her. The MIBI's legal team questioned why he was making car loan repayments of 340 per month if he didn't own a car. He stated this was his wifes loan. Judge Michael Coghlan criticised this evidence, saying: "These days nobody drives a flash car and talks it up in the media and then says it is non-existent." Mr Mooney was later ordered to sell the Mercedes. The MIBI sought for a Toyota Rav, which he claimed was a company car, to also be sold. He received a combined total of 28,355 for the two cars and Judge Coghlan this week ordered him to discharge the full amount within seven days. Judge Coghlan warned Mr Mooney that he was not impressed with someone who "misrepresents himself in public and gives contradictory evidence in private." Social media posts of the Dubliner, a former CEO in Ireland of global cosmetics brand Flormar, showed him holidaying in hotspots like Dubai. The MIBI, not for profit organisation which compensates victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured vehicles, questioned how somebody, who claimed he couldn't pay more than 100 a month towards its costs, could afford to travel on such holidays. Mr Mooney must now make monthly payments of 1,500 from October 11 to discharge the remaining monies owed. He had made a number of monthly 1,000 payments over the course of the year. David Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the MIBI, welcomed the outcome this week. "One of the key reasons we were established was to ensure that if an uninsured driver should cause a road traffic accident, then the other people impacted wouldnt be left out of pocket for their medical bills, for the personal injury compensation they are due or for the property damage caused," he said. "While the MIBI covers the claim in the short term, the uninsured driver is still very much on the hook. They are liable for all the costs involved and the MIBI has the authority to recover those costs in full from the uninsured driver. If that means bringing the uninsured driver to court then we will bring them to court. "Everyone who drives on Irish roads is legally required to have insurance. The law is there for a reason. Those who ignore this law are on very thin ice. They risk not just severe legal penalties for breaking the law, but they also face having to make substantial personal payments to cover off any damages they cause. This is why driving uninsured is such a reckless act and why those who have faced the recovery process are not in a hurry to make the same mistake again." When contacted by Independent.ie, Mr Mooney said "I have no comment to make at this time. I am happy the case has been resolved and I can move on with my life". TENANTS renting a property in one of the most sought-after areas of Dublin have told of "horrific" living conditions as a dispute rumbles on between the landlord and receivers. The five-floor property, named 'Leinster House', is on Leinster Road in Rathmines and has been converted into 11 small apartments. No planning application was made to have this work carried out, a Dublin City Council spokesperson confirmed. Photos and video taken by Independent.ie lay bare the substandard conditions tenants have been living in. The front door of the house has been broken for weeks; there are holes in the hallway walls, mould on the carpet and walls and issues with overflowing sewage. Expand Close Dirty carpets in the property / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dirty carpets in the property Tenants also claim that fire alarms aren't working and fear the banister on the stairs is on the "verge of collapsing". Despite the conditions, tenants in the 11 apartments have been asked to pay varying rents of up to 1,400 per month. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Damp and evidence of leaks The bathroom in one of the apartments / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Damp and evidence of leaks The owner of an electrical services company who carried out work at the property a year ago said his employees "wouldn't go back there due to issues with overflowing sewage". "The lads found the place so grim they were refusing to work there," he said. The house is owned by a Mr Con Ryan from Ballinahinch, Co Tipperary, according to documents filed in the Registry of Deeds. Con Ryan was previously director of Con J Ryan & Co, an estate agents which was dissolved in 2010. Expand Close Dampness and evidence of leaks / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dampness and evidence of leaks It is understood he doesn't have any involvement in the running of the property, as he leased it to a woman named Sarah Ryan in 2014. However, Grant Thornton confirmed in an email to one of the tenants in November 2017 that the property went into receivership on June 7, 2016. It is unclear whether all the tenants living in the building were aware of this. Ms Ryan insisted to Independent.ie she is still the landlord of the property. Expand Close One tenant had covered their apartment with red and white tape / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp One tenant had covered their apartment with red and white tape "I'm the landlady and I'm keeping it all above board. There's no issue with overcrowding. I've had Dublin City Council out and I got a letter from Dublin Fire Brigade saying particular works are needed, but some of the tenants won't let them in to their apartments to carry out work," she said. "There are two sides to every story and I've had issues with certain tenants not paying rent." According to the Residential Tenancies Board website, four of the apartments - no 6, 7, 8 and 11 - are registered as tenancies. The exact number of tenants living in the building is unclear but Ms Ryan confirmed a couple shares one of the apartments with their baby. Another tenant in the property claimed they had been paying rent of 1,400 per month. An adjudication report from the Residential Tenancies Board in August 2017 found that the tenant was in rent arrears of 11,788.84. Expand Close Part of the ceiling which collapsed / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Part of the ceiling which collapsed However, the tenant is arguing that this is "null and void due to the receivership." This tenant provided invoices to Independent.ie showing how much money he spent trying to address the issues in his apartment. He paid 285.00 having the drain in his bathroom cleared due to overflowing water; 136.20 to have waste removed due to sewer overflow and had to have new tiles put down in the bathroom. "We've had a nightmare situation here, the conditions are horrific," he said. "We're trying to find somewhere else but it's impossible." The RTB adjudicator also found that "the dwelling did not meet the required standards and that this was confirmed by the report of the City Council on the condition of the dwelling". Ms Ryan served a Notice of Termination on the tenant, saying she wanted to carry out works to the apartment to improve the conditions following an inspection by the council. She claimed she would offer the tenancy back to tenant when the works were completed. A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said they are continuing to monitor the situation. "Dublin City Councils Environmental Health Section are aware of this situation and a referral was made to the Fire Prevention Section of Dublin Fire Brigade. A preliminary inspection has been carried out by a Fire Prevention Officer and a further more detailed technical inspection will be carried out this week. "Based on the initial inspection a formal letter outlining areas of concern is being sent to the person with responsibility for the premises. "Dublin City Councils Planning Enforcement Section have also been notified." A Grant Thornton spokesperson said they couldn't comment further on the details of the receivership due to "ongoing legal proceedings". Gardai last week seized four SUVs from the gang, along with phones and documents As many as 300 people mostly working in low-paid jobs in Ireland could have been recruited into an extensive money-laundering network linked to West African criminals involved in cybercrime. The network was busted last week by Garda fraud detectives who raided 15 homes and businesses in several countries and froze 350 bank accounts. Gardai believe the network had a three-tier structure, with around 10 key figures at the top. Detectives suspect that the crime gang used a second tier of middlemen to recruit low-paid immigrants working in factories, service industries and labouring jobs to open the bank accounts here for money-laundering purposes. They suspect that potentially up to 300 people were recruited in this way, often by middlemen targeting their places of work, demonstrating the potentially huge scale of the operation. Gardai observed large sums of money, in some cases 20,000 or more, lodged to these bank accounts, and later transferred on, minus a small percentage of a suspected payment for the account holder. The value of the fraud has been put at 15m but Gardai say this is a conservative estimate, given the scale of the money-laundering network they uncovered last week. Investigators are focusing on the 10-strong gang, which is comprised of families and close associates, most of them Nigerian, and living in Ireland for some time. According to Garda sources, the suspects have comfortable lifestyles, although without any obvious means of income. Some are claiming social welfare. Gardai believe that around 15m suspected of being laundered by the gang is the proceeds of cyber frauds perpetrated in Ireland but mostly abroad, particularly involving 'invoice redirection fraud'. This entails tricking a person or company into transferring funds to a particular bank account, by sending bogus emails purporting to be a supplier notifying of a new bank account. Once transferred, the funds are laundered through a series of bank accounts, including accounts in Ireland, before being transferred out of the country again, in a variety of ways, including buying high value products here and exporting them. Gardai believe the Irish-based suspects are part of an international network of West Africans engaged in invoice redirect fraud globally. Some of the stolen funds that washed through Irish accounts had moved through bank accounts in China and west Africa. In addition to the 300-plus bank accounts in Ireland, the Garda's National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) identified a further 170 bank accounts abroad. The GNECB seized computers, phones, ledgers, log books, bank statements in raids on 15 homes and business premises last week. Also confiscated were four SUVs and a false passport. Arrests are expected to follow. Superintendent Alf Martin, who is leading the investigation, said a team of detectives worked over many months tracing connections between dozens of suspect bank accounts. He said that last week's raids produced new evidence that confirms what the Gardai had already established, and provides further insight into who was transacting, how and what methods they were using. "Money laundering is probably one of the more serious crimes that can be committed because without it, front-line crime is almost irrelevant. As regulations freeze the use of cash in all societies in the developed world, criminals have to forge greater ties with money launderers to ensure they are able to disguise the source of the funds," he said. The National Economic Crime Bureau has been working to raise awareness of cyber crimes and ransom attacks amongst businesses in Ireland in recent years. Some of the large organisations targeted by fraudsters here include Dublin Zoo and Meath Education and Training Board, from which around 750,000 was stolen. The new owners of Sean Quinn's business empire fear that a renewed campaign of violence against the company could result in deaths or serious injuries. The warning follows an arson attack on a business owned by a senior manager at Quinn Industrial Holdings last weekend which destroyed offices and caused thousands of euros of damage. The arsonist is captured breaking into the building and setting it alight on CCTV footage now being examined by gardai. Quinn Industrial Holdings fear the attack marks a return to the violence, harassment and intimidation that have dogged the business since Sean Quinn, once Ireland's richest man, was ousted from the industrial cement and glass businesses in 2011 over 2bn debts. Mr Quinn has publicly and repeatedly condemned the attacks. The company has initiated a high-level security review to protect staff, management and company property. In a statement this weekend, the company said it is "very concerned that a resumption of violence and intimidation may result in serious injury or loss of life". A dossier obtained by the Sunday Independent reveals that the arson attack is the 20th act of violence or hostility on Quinn Industrial Holdings operations on the Fermanagh-Cavan border in its three years running the business. More than 90 attacks on the group have occurred in total, since a share receiver was appointed to take over Quinn's business on behalf of the former Anglo Irish Bank. A local consortium that included executives who worked for Sean Quinn bought back the business, with US investment, to protect local jobs. Sean Quinn returned to the business as a "consultant" but left following a dispute in 2016. The company reported record profits this year but a group claiming to be supporters of Sean Quinn have continually criticised company executives, accusing them of destroying the business. The log sets out what QIH says are "examples of Personal Harassment of Directors/Senior Management, and Damage to Property, in addition to ongoing Facebook postings". The first incident is logged on January 2015, a month after the local consortium concluded the deal to take over Sean Quinn's former businesses, and describes an arson attack on a parked lorry belonging to the company at Derrylin cement works. Later that year, a petrol can and a box of matches were left beside a windfarm substation and, on the same day, a pig's head was dumped at home of a director. The log also lists threatening signage erected close to the company offices; bullets and a funeral wreath sent to staff at windfarms formerly part of the Quinn Group; diesel contaminated in various company vehicles and in one instance, sand and corrosive material inserted into the fuel and oil tanks of machines. Eight incidents were logged last year and four this year, including an alleged physical assault on a relative of a member of the Quinn management team in April. A new Facebook account began posting critical commentary about the company in April this year, after a previous Facebook account was the subject of High Court action. The arson attack on the Eco Tyre business in Belturbet last weekend is regarded by the company as a serious escalation in the campaign. The attack occurred just hours after the chairman of Quinn Industrial Holdings emailed staff to counter what it claimed was false information concerning the company, propagated at a local meeting organised by Sean Quinn. In a statement to the Sunday Independent this weekend, the company said: "Those engaged in promoting provocative and false information, whether online, or at public meetings such as the recent Tilermade meeting, need to reflect on its potential impact on the behaviour of those prone to mindless violence." It continued: "Intimidation of this nature is an attack on the community and on jobs. Whereas we are very grateful that no was injured or worse in the recent arson, we remain very concerned that a resumption of violence and intimidation may result in serious injury or loss of life." The 221 women and families affected by the CervicalCheck fiasco have been invited to meet for the first time at the inaugural event organised by the support group founded by campaigners Vicky Phelan, and Stephen Teap. The support group for those impacted is expected to launch formally in the coming weeks but the details of its inaugural meeting are not being made public to protect the privacy of those who choose to attend. The meeting will be the first opportunity for the women - many of whom are seriously ill - and families of those who have died to gather together to discuss their concerns, outline their needs and to have a collective voice. It coincides with the completion of the Scally Inquiry report into the CervicalCheck controversy, which was given to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, last Friday and will be presented to cabinet on Wednesday. The report is understood to run to several hundred pages and makes a significant number of recommendations on the controversy over the cancer screening programme's failure to disclose to women with cervical cancer audit results that showed their original smear tests were misread. The Attorney General is also examining the report. Dr Gabriel Scally is expected to brief personally both the Minister for Health and representatives of the impacted women and families this week. Ms Phelan said this weekend the group would make a statement after its official launch: "The support group has been established to meet the needs of those directly affected by the CervicalCheck crisis, by providing information, advice and support to women on a wide range of specialist areas such as fertility, information on clinical drugs and new treatment options, bereavement and legal advice amongst others." She said the support group would be funded by the Department of Health for three years but would be completely independent. It will be overseen by a management committee which includes patient representatives - currently Ms Phelan, Mr Teap and Lorraine Walsh, each of whom has been impacted by the controversy. Many of the women learned about the audit of their smear tests only after Ms Phelan settled her legal action against the US laboratory for 2.5m over her own misread smear. She went public to raise concerns about other women who were not told their smears had been misread. The Health Service Executive later identified the 221 women with misread smears who could have received treatment earlier. Mr Teap's wife, Irene, died of cervical cancer last year. He learned in April that her tests were twice misread. Mr Teap and Lorraine Walsh, who lost her chance to have children over a missed smear test, are both on a steering committee that will oversee implementation of the Scally Inquiry's recommendations. The minutes of last month's steering committee meeting state that 241 patients or their families have met the Health Service Executive's liaison officers; 637 medical cards have been issued to affected women; and 200 families had received the ex-gratia payment of 2,000 - one of the recommendations of Gabriel Scally's interim report. The HSE reported that there is currently a testing backlog in all three labs engaged by CervicalCheck, the minutes note. "This is a priority concern for the HSE. Weekly calls and meetings with the labs continue to monitor and manage the situation. As smears must be captured on a slide within six weeks, processing times in particular are being scrutinised. The HSE confirmed that if a smear needs to be retaken in this situation, the GP/smear taker will be reimbursed." The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London is leading an international review of 3,000 test slides of women with cervical cancer, to examine whether misread slides impacted on their treatment, prognosis and outcome. The Ataxia Foundation Ireland board (from left to right): Fergal Lynch Executive Board (EB), Rita McDermott (EB), Ita Kelleher (Guest Advisor) Tom Kelleher Management Committee (MC), David Power (EB), Brenda OHara (MC), Al Young (CEO), William Barrett (MC), Sean OHara (MC), Chairman John Kelleher (EB) The man behind a new charity after the closure of controversial Ataxia Ireland has slammed "career CEOs" and said this time, "the members are doing it for themselves." Wexford man Albert Young, who suffers from the brain condition Friedreich's Ataxia, is now CEO of Ataxia Foundation Ireland (AFI). He said the charity is "breaking the mould" as five of the seven board members have an Ataxia themselves. "We're getting a lot of support from the public because they're aware of the controversy with the previous organisation," Mr Young told Independent.ie. He described the board membership as a "good strategy". "It's supported by the public and they see it as a good thing, especially with all the controversies in different charities," he said. Expand Close Speaking at AGM (left to right): Al Young (CEO) John Kelleher (Chairman) Rachel Byrne (EB) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Speaking at AGM (left to right): Al Young (CEO) John Kelleher (Chairman) Rachel Byrne (EB) "I call them 'career CEOs', when the main focus is their career rather than the cause. This time it's the members doing it for themselves." Ataxia Ireland was forced to close earlier this year after a damning Charity Regulatory Authority report and its functions were fully transferred to AFI. The investigation, published in July 2017, discovered that two founding trustees at the charity, Clare and Tim Creedon, were wrongly paid 84,009. The payments broke Revenue Commissioner rules, which state charity trustees cannot be paid. It was also learned that its generous funding from the HSE quadrupled over the years. Ataxia Ireland was given 102,383 by the HSE last year - up from 27,934 in 1999. The charity was reported to have weak internal financial controls and the Creedons' daughter Barbara Flynn, the charity's chief executive, had a pension contribution of 38,500 which was paid from funds rather than from her salary. In addition to the annual HSE funding, Ataxia Ireland also received yearly lottery payments through the Department of Justice - reaching a high of 109,212 in 2011. "Now we're starting totally from scratch financially," Mr Young said. "And we've been contacting as many people as we can about our new charity. It's a small community because it's such a rare disability. "I think people's confidence will be restored in charities when an organisation does something like what we're doing now," he continued. "It's the people who were affected that are trying to change things here. "A lot of members were shocked and surprised at the time of the [Charity Regulatory Authority] report, and really the organisation had been around for some time. Now we're approaching things a different way." Mr Young said the board has created a number of cost-effective measures for their new charity. "We designed our own logo, built our own website, we're operating without the use of an office for as long as possible. "We rent a boardroom from another charity for our monthly management meetings. We're very slow about renting an office, we'll rent one when we really need it. We're focusing the money on the members." The charity have applied for HSE funding and Mr Young said he is now confident for the future. "I suppose the pressure has eased off compared to when we were getting the charity off the ground," he said. "We have a pretty solid team around here." Mr Young previously told Independent.ie he had no regrets on making an official complaint about Ataxia Ireland. He first became concerned when he noticed that a large number of committee members were leaving the organisation without explanation. And then later became concerned about finance issues. He then moved to distance himself from the Leopardstown-based charity. "I could not stay silent and allow funds being donated to the support of members not going to them," he said. "There were pensioners giving 50 out of their pension to support the charity." Ataxia is a term for a group of disorders that affect co-ordination, balance and speech. In severe cases it can be fatal. Child killer John Clifford is unlawfully at large after failing to return to Maghaberry Prison A notorious criminal who absconded from custody last Sunday has been spotted at a train station in Dublin. John Clifford (56) was jailed in 1989 for murdering his niece Sue Ellen. Clifford raped and strangled the eight-year-old, before leaving her on a deserted railway line in 1988. The on-the-run child killer failed to return to Maghaberry Prison after being temporarily released to attend an appointment. Expand Close John Clifford / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Clifford Security sources confirmed to the Sunday World that Clifford was spotted on CCTV getting off at Balbriggan train station this week. On Friday a spokeswoman for An Garda Siochana said: "An Garda Siochana are assisting the in the PSNI in their investigation into man unlawfully at large." Detective Inspector Michael McDonnell said: I would like to thank those members of the public who have contacted us with information. "I would again appeal to anyone who may have seen him, or who may have information about his whereabouts to contact us immediately on 101. I would also appeal directly to John to hand himself in. It emerged that Clifford may have gone AWOL as he is facing fresh criminal charges. He was due to appear at court in Belfast this week. A whistleblower claiming to be a senior and long-serving RTE employee has contacted 11 members of the Oireachtas with explosive new claims about the broadcasters coverage of the 2011 Presidential election. Stock photo A whistleblower claiming to be a senior and long-serving RTE employee has contacted 11 members of the Oireachtas with explosive new claims about the broadcasters coverage of the 2011 Presidential election. In a 4,000-word statement, the whistleblower outlined a series of serious allegations about the national broadcasters approach to the election and its response to the fake tweet controversy which engulfed the station after the result. In the statement, which has been seen by Independent.ie, the RTE employee said it was critical that a fresh investigation takes place into what went on in 2011 and the events that followed. This whistleblower said they have agonised personally over the stations coverage of the election for seven years and feel cowardly for not speaking out sooner. I could see what was happening and I failed to shout stop. It is a regret that has sat with me to this day. Perhaps this document is part of an admission of my own role in it, the whistleblower wrote. The whistleblower claimed to have had a major role in the election coverage and maintained that Sean Gallagher, David Norris and Martin McGuinness did not get fair coverage during the campaign in comparison to the ultimate winner, Michael D Higgins. The whistleblower said issues around election coverage extended beyond the controversy surrounding the final RTE Frontline televised debate hosted by Pat Kenny. The whistleblower told Independent.ie they sent an email last week to seven national politicians who were members of the Oireachtas Communications Committee in 2012 when senior RTE officials were questioned over the incident involving Sean Gallagher during the Frontline televised debate. Three members of the committee yesterday confirmed they had received correspondences from the person purporting to be an RTE employee. Fianna Fail communications spokesperson Timmy Dooley said he was contacted by the whistleblower. Former Communications Committee chairperson John OMahony and Sinn Fein TD Dessie Ellis also said they received an email from the alleged RTE employee. Separately, the whistleblower said they contacted four other members of the Oireachtas who were provided with the 4,000-word statement and internal RTE documents which allegedly support the serious claims about the stations coverage of the election. One of the politicians, who personally met the whistleblower, told the Sunday Independent that he will be bringing the allegations to the attention of the Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten. This politician said the whistleblower asked him not to speak publicly over fears it would identify the RTE employee. Eleven Oireachtas members have been approached by this individual within RTE and four Oireachtas members have spoken to this person over the last week, the politician said. In the statement to politicians, the RTE insider said that while it would be unlikely to cost me my job, it would most certainly impact upon my career should their identity become known, and added: I have a family to consider. The statements also contained an expression of concern that attempts may be made to discredit the whistleblower. Yesterday an RTE spokeswoman said: RTE has a clear and established policy around protected disclosures for any member of staff who wishes to raise confidential concerns. No allegation has been raised by any individual to current RTE News and Current Affairs management. The whistleblower claimed: I am one of two whistleblowers that have come forward with internal RTE information, documentation, notes, emails and associated material. I am a current RTE employee, the other whistleblower is not. In the past week, I have met with or spoken directly to four Oireachtas members in relation to the contents of the document obtained by the Sunday Independent. Last Thursday, the whistleblower claimed to have met with a Government Oireachtas member and provided the politician with what were described as copies of minutes and notes from RTE meetings during the 2011 Presidential election. Last Friday, the whistleblower said they met with an Opposition Oireachtas member and gave them what they claimed were a number of previously unpublished internal RTE reports. Yesterday afternoon, the whistleblower said they met with a fourth Oireachtas member and claimed to have provided them with copies of a large number of internal RTE emails concerning this matter. I gave them permission to submit them to the Minister and the Government, or to put them into the public domain, so long as my identity and the identity of the Oireachtas member in question was not made public, the whistleblower said. In November 2012, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Compliance Committee found that the production of the RTE Frontline programme fell significantly short of the standards expected by the public of Irish broadcasters. It also highlighted the serious and significant editorial failings during a debate of utmost public importance and interest and found that these failings related to the fundamentals of journalistic practice and could have been avoided had the broadcaster applied established good practice in the conduct of a news and current affairs debate. Regarding the Today with Pat Kenny broadcast, the committees view was that those parts of the programme dealing with Mr Gallagher exacerbated the unfairness evident in the Frontline debate. However, the BAI also said there was no evidence that the broadcaster, presenter or production team deliberately concealed information relating to the initial or second tweet or constructed the programme in a way that lacked objectivity or impartiality. An RTE spokeswoman said: Providing news and current affairs that is fair and impartial, accurate and challenging is at the heart of RTEs editorial mission. RTE accepted the upholding of a complaint by the BAI regarding the Frontline programme, acknowledged it made mistakes in relation to the debate, and brought in an external expert, Rob Morrison, the former head of News & Current Affairs at UTV, to conducted a review, the findings of which were all published at the time. RTE also brought in new sets of journalism, programme making and social media guidelines since 2011. Since the last presidential election, RTE has covered a general election, European election, and local elections in addition to a range of referendum coverage including a number of live TV debates - all of which have been fair and impartial. Puppy love: Artist Kevin Sharkey and his dog Spooky at Kilkenny County Council offices, where he was seeking support for the presidential election. Photo: Dylan Vaughan Presidential hopeful Kevin Sharkey has revealed that he worked as a paid escort in the past, but "never had sex for money." Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, the artist and political activist said that he has decided to set the record about his past straight, stating that he is "not ashamed of anything." The former TV presenter disclosed that during his time in Ibiza, he encountered some tough tides. It was then that he worked as a male escort, earning 250 an hour. "For six weeks in Spain I worked as an escort but I didnt get paid for sex," he said. "I went out for dinner with people and that sort of thing." Expand Close Presidential hopefuls Kevin Sharkey and Senator Joan Freeman pictured at Wicklow County Council on Monday. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Presidential hopefuls Kevin Sharkey and Senator Joan Freeman pictured at Wicklow County Council on Monday. Mr Sharkey, who previously said that he wants to be Irelands first black President, emphasised that even though times were hard, "there was no paid sex." Describing his struggles during the time he was an escort, he said: "It was at the time when the crash happened. Expand Close Kevin Sharkey Pic:Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kevin Sharkey Pic:Mark Condren "I gave an interview afterwards and was a bit over enthusiastic. I tried to make it more juicy, but the reality is that there was no paid sex." The Presidential hopeful has said he doesn't see why his past should affect his chances of running for the Aras. Mr Sharkey is currently vying to join the Presidential race and believes that the "gates of hell will open" when the Presidential nominations come through. Mr Sharkey is currently looking to join the Aras race and is visiting councils in a bid to secure a nomination. Mr Sharkey recently told Roscommon County Council that he believes the death penalty to be an appropriate permission for those who harm the elderly people. "I personally believe that the death penalty would be appropriate for anybody who harms an old person in their home," he said. How do you have a conversation with someone who is going to die? Do you focus on practical things like legalities and the funeral service? Do you eschew the dreaded d-word in favour of euphemisms that soften the blow? Or do you just pretend it's not happening and talk about the weather instead? There was a time when author Patricia Scanlan didn't know the answer to this question. She hadn't been intimate with death and, like a lot of people, it wasn't something she cared to dwell upon. Then she lost her mother. The experience helped her lose her fear of death but, more than that, it taught her how to be truly present during the passing of a loved one, just as it inspired her to share her new-found knowledge. We all know Scanlan as a prolific fiction author whose books go straight to the top of Irish best-seller lists. In more recent years, however, she's been exploring new territory. If the author was testing the water with Winter Blessings - a book of poems and affirmations meant for the 'Mind, Body, Spirit' section rather than the 'Popular Fiction' one - she has dived right in with her latest work, Bringing Death to Life. "It's going to happen to all of us so we have to stop thinking of it as this taboo subject," says the author when we catch up ahead of the book's release. "Of course, for a lot of people, the 'cult of immortality' is preferable to facing reality" Bringing Death to Life could be described as a manual on death and dying. What makes it different to other books that deal with the same topic is that it takes the spiritual view that the soul separates from the physical body during death "for the next stage of a journey that knows no end". This is where her co-authors, metaphysical healers Dr Mary Helen Hensley, Aidan Storey and Pamela Young, come in. They all claim to be able to see through the veil, so to speak, and they each share their own insights and personal stories. Scanlan lost her mother in 2007 and her father almost 10 years later. She was at her mother's side when she died and the experience had a profound effect on her. "It was the first time I had seen somebody die," she remembers. "And she said to me, 'Are you afraid?' and I said, 'No - I'm not afraid', even though I was petrified. "It was my mother - my mother was dying - and then I heard myself saying, 'I'm here to help you on your journey'. "Then I remember saying, 'Go on Mum, you're doing great'. My dad looked at me a bit shocked. And then he got it. And that's the empowering thing. You can empower yourself by being part of it with them. Expand Close Healing: Dr Mary Helen Hensley, Patricia Scanlon, Pamela Young and Aidan Storey, authors of Bringing Death to Life / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Healing: Dr Mary Helen Hensley, Patricia Scanlon, Pamela Young and Aidan Storey, authors of Bringing Death to Life "The moment she actually died, I could feel her leaving her body," she continues. "It was very strange - powerful - and I felt like she was just shaking herself off this frail body of hers and there was so much more to her. She was a powerful spirit. And I just felt that she had done what she had to do and now she was free again." The experience made her approach her father's death differently by looking out for signs that he was letting go. When he told her he had seen his parents across the room while his ulcers were being dressed, she knew "the end was not far away". Interestingly, her mother had a similar vision 10 years previously. Around the time of Scanlan's father's last visit to hospital, a woman they both knew told her that he had tried to talk about what was going to happen to him. "She said to me, 'I think he's afraid of hospital - he keeps asking me is he dying.' And I'm just very sorry I didn't say, 'Why didn't you tell him he was dying?'" It reminded her of her own experience with a much-loved aunt many years previously. "I loved her dearly and she was brought into hospital down in Wexford and I went to see her. I was by her bed and she said, 'I don't know - do you think I'm dying?' And I said, 'No, no, no, you'll be grand Aunty Peg'. She wanted to talk about it but because I didn't know and I was afraid, I shut it down. "I was young, I didn't know any different," she continues. "I wasn't enlightened enough or aware enough, whereas if that happened now, I would have said to her, 'Well, what do you think and how do you feel about it?'" These experiences were upsetting for the author, but they were eye-opening too. They told her that many of us struggle to talk openly and honestly about death at a time when our loved ones need it most, and they encouraged her to write a book that shined a light on the subject. Scanlan met Reiki master, angelic healer and spiritual therapist Aidan Storey in 2004. At the time she was suffering from debilitating back pain, which wasn't helped by an ongoing row she was having over a work matter. "This particular friend of mine - she has sent me to loads of people - said, 'I think you should go to Aidan Storey. He's really, really good but he's really, really busy - you might not get an appointment'. "I rang him anyway and when he told me he was in Palmerstown I remember my heart sinking as I thought of the drive over the M50 because I was literally having spasms constantly. Then he was just silent for a minute and he said, 'No. They're actually telling me you can't drive - I'll have to come to you.'" A few days later Storey arrived at her door at 7.30pm. Scanlan says it was like "meeting an old friend". The pair of them got carried away in conversation - so carried away, in fact, that the Reiki session didn't start until 11.30pm. There was another instant connection when Storey introduced Scanlan to his friend Dr Mary Helen Hensley, who wrote about her life-transforming near-death experience, in a car crash in December 1991, in Promised By Heaven. It was the same when Scanlan met Pamela Young, who wrote about the psychic gift that was passed down through the generations of her family in Hope Street. All four of the authors share their experiences of losing a parent in Bringing Death to Life, and they don't hold back. Young admits that she was full of remorse that she didn't take up her mum's invitation to "pop in for a cuppa" when she dropped her home the night before she died. Storey didn't have a good relationship with his late father who, he says, pulled his hand from his just as it seemed like he was about to slip away. "There was no softening," he writes, "even in the hour of death." Hensley reflects on losing her father to Alzheimer's while her 89-year-old mother, Helen, recalls the moment a doctor friend asked her if she had told her dying husband that it was "all right to go". "We forget that someone in their death might be concerned that you're not going to be OK," Hensley says, when we chat a few days before her talk at the International Association for Near Death Studies conference. They hang on as long as they can and all they're waiting to hear from you is that it's OK to go. And if that's the one thing that somebody gets out of this book, then haven't we done our job?" In Bringing Death to Life, Hensley describes life and death as "two different points on the same beam of light". She elaborates on this as we chat, explaining that she came back from her near-death experience with "the ability to touch someone and download their hard drive". "If someone comes to me with something, I'm able to cut through all the BS and figure it out," she explains. "It comes to me like a mind movie." She says she can also see a person's "auric field" and has "the capacity to see what it looks like when the soul leaves the body". "It's the most amazing thing you can imagine," she says. "Rather than a light switching off, it looks like a fireworks display. That energy is gearing up to go back to where it came from. It's not snuffing out like atheists would have you believe. "As part of my work I have been fortunate enough to have been at many deaths and, to be honest, my favourite part of what I do is being there when someone is passing," she adds. "It's an honour - it's an incredibly beautiful process to watch - and one that is very misunderstood." Like her fellow authors, Hensley has a lot to say - even if some of it might be a bridge too far for some readers. And it's a shame because Bringing Death to Life has plenty of practical advice too. Storey writes about inheritances tearing families apart: "And when the battle is over, what are they left with? A pocketful of money and a broken family." Scanlan highlights the dangers of using benzodiazepines like Xanax to cope with the grieving process. "The grief had to be got through and there was no point putting it off." Hensley makes the point that "society has replaced the pursuit of a good-quality life with the absurd belief that quantity outweighs substance". Sure, the book can be quite esoteric in parts but it keeps coming back to the central message which is that dying people need a deeper level of guidance and support during their last days. If you're looking for an easy beach read, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you're about to lose somebody you love, this book may well become your light in the dark. Scanlan, for her own part, says her exploration of life after death will resonate with a lot of people, but she is well aware that some readers have no truck with what they disparagingly call 'woo-woo'. "This is one of the things we're trying to explain in the book," she says. "It's not woo-woo. It's perfectly natural and normal and when you open yourself up to the signs you see from the ones that have passed, they're unmistakable." "I'm sure there will be people who say, 'Oh, this is a load of nonsense', but, you know, everybody is at their own pace. Everybody is at their own stage and evolvement with what we're doing on this earth but if it even helps one person - and I know it will - we're happy with that." Scanlan is currently writing another book on Mary Magdalene with Hensley but says she'll continue to "straddle the two genres" of metaphysics and popular fiction. Hensley isn't so sure though. "I have gently bullied her out of popular fiction," she laughs. "She's so knowledgeable and so fascinating and of course her capacity to write and translate feeling into words is incredible. "Mind you," she adds, "even in popular fiction, she has been able to touch a different audience and she has been very gently introducing these ideas to an audience that might not have read this type of material. "She's been planting seeds for as long as she has been writing and for me, as her best friend, it's exciting to see her shift into this new modality." 'Bringing Death To Life', published by Hachette Ireland, is out now, priced 14.99 End-of-life empathy: Patricia Scanlan's advice If you are caring for a terminally ill loved one and you've never before been close to someone who is preparing to die, this is advice I would share from my own experience: Always try to follow their lead. Don't force them to try to eat or do what they no longer wish to do, such as reading the paper or watching TV. Be gentle, accepting and accommodating to ensure their journey is not fraught with arguments, even if well-intentioned. Don't shy away from letting the person give away their belongings or make their funeral plan if they want to. But don't force the conversation if they are reluctant to pursue it. It's very important to honour their choices. It will also be a great help in the aftermath of their death. It's very hard but ultimately you will be glad to have gone down this road: you will look back and know you did your very best for your loved one when they were at their most vulnerable. Relatives and those who assist in the care of the dying are used to seeing certain end-of-life signs, which offer us insight into the spiritual and emotional changes taking place in the person who is facing death. Subtle changes may take place months before death occurs as the body prepares to shut down and the soul prepares to take the next step on its journey. Your loved one may experience all, some or none of these signs but it's helpful to know what may lie ahead. Having seen my mother's passing, I was much more prepared when it came to assisting my dad on his journey. My older cousins, and friends like Aidan, Pam and Mary Helen, who'd all been down that route, gave me invaluable advice, as had my dear mother when she was alive. This is why talking to people about death, becoming 'intimate' with death, can be so helpful. It takes away the fear of the unknown and helps to prepare you for what lies ahead. Just when you thought Brexit couldn't get any more worrisome, the EU has raised another potential border scare for the island of Ireland, raising the possibility that north and south could soon be further cleaved by different time zones. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has declared his intent to abolish the biannual changing of the clocks in favour of keeping the EU on year-round summer time. Earlier this year a survey of 4.6 million EU citizens recorded an 80pc landslide in favour of doing away with the transition to winter time when the clocks go back an hour each autumn. The vast majority - three million - of those surveyed who favoured the adjustment were Germans, and as the economic powerhouse of Europe, Germany usually gets its way. Juncker was adamant that the change will happen in the near future. Fired with certainty, he assured a German news channel: "The changing of the clocks will be scrapped. The people want it, so we will do it." Of course it's not in the power of one man, however cocksure. The change would have to be approved by all member states and by a majority of MEPs. If Britain has exited the EU by then, it will have no influence on the outcome and will be free to go its own way, raising the appalling vista that from October to March each year, border crossers would need to reset their watches and schedules as business opening hours fall out of kilter. Whether the clock-changing survey and Juncker's proclamation have been timed to put extra pressure on the UK's Brexiteers is open to speculation, but the management and order of time has always been close to the hearts of those seeking social and political control. As ambassador of the American Colonies to pre-revolutionary France, Benjamin Franklin courted unpopularity with the peasantry as the first modern advocate of adopting summer time in order to keep workers in the fields later in an operation he claimed would save 64 million pounds of candle wax annually. His plan was dismissed. Reviving Franklin's scheme, at the start of the 20th century, an English builder called William Willett spent a fortune lobbying to get a hearing for his Daylight Savings Bill, which would have imposed summer time on Britain and Ireland. It was done down by the farm workers lobby who claimed it would mean longer working hours and branded it 'The Daylight Slavery Bill'. In an age when theatre and music hall were the only shows in town, the powerful showbiz lobby was deeply hostile, fearing a drop-off in trade if people sought outdoor diversions on the brighter evenings. Daylight savings eventually came to pass in 1916 as an energy saving measure during the Great War. The politics of time zones was made explicit that same year when Dublin Time, by which Ireland operated 25 minutes behind British time, was abolished as punishment for the Easter Rising. Decades earlier, the coming of the railways signalled the beginning of the end for very many local times which had led to the Angelus bell ringing at different times from village to village, as nationwide timetables had to synchronise. In 1847, the railways of Britain and Ireland set their clocks to Greenwich Mean Time and the pattern was set for 24 one-hour time zones pivoting on the London observatory as the British Empire sprawled to cover a quarter of the globe. Expanding westward to fulfill its "manifest destiny" on the breakneck thrust of the railroads, the young US divided itself into four time zones based on the existing location of major railway junctions. Had the scheme been imposed 600 years earlier when the Caliphate was the leading world power, today's computer world might be running on Baghdad Mean Time. It's all timing and politics. Politics have determined that while the 24 time zones based on GMT are useful for global trade, they'll always be trumped by closer priorities. The vast breadth of China, for instance, runs on a single time zone imposed following the Communist takeover in 1949 in an effort to engineer at least the illusion of national unity. The uneven outcome is that sunset falls at midnight in one provence, while another mainly Muslim district observes the old time as an act of political defiance. In an effort to put some distance between its covetous neighbour China, Nepal maintains a 2 hour 15 minute time difference to the land 10 metres across the border. Across the globe, wary neighbours express their separateness through divides as short as 15 minutes. When the Free State staged the first Brexit out of the UK, Britain held all the aces. In the interests of political and economic expediency, of a softer border, summer time was adopted as a temporary measure for 1923, and again for 1924, and then for good in 1925. In 1968, Britain began observing Standard Time (GMT + 1) all year, with no winter change. It was thought that synchronising with the continent would ease entry into the Common Market (EU) in 1973. Ireland had no choice but to follow suit, and then again when the Brits called time on the experiment. As the spectre of dislocated time zones north and south raises itself once more almost a century on, it looks like the boot may be on the other foot this time. There is a great irony in plans for a mass protest to welcome US President Donald Trump when he arrives in Ireland in November. Over the past 10 years we have watched in horror as our own politicians made one reckless, unpatriotic, decision after the next. They bailed out the banks, put Ireland up for sale to US vulture funds and imposed a harsh austerity programme to socialise the costs of private debt. Yet - save for a few, relatively small movements - in comparison to the sheer scale and loss suffered, we didn't make much of a fuss. And, here we are, eight weeks from the world's most powerful man visiting to ''renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations'' and suddenly we become revolutionaries. Surely we should march about decisions made closer to home before taking on the world. Aside from anything else, including the fact that we should respect democracy, we need President Trump. This weekend the Government's financial watchdog has warned an "adverse shock" to the Irish economy is inevitable. Brexit, the US president's protectionist trade policies and changes to the international tax environment leave us at serious risk. Meanwhile, the value of American multinationals in Ireland is of critical importance. More than 155,000 people are directly employed in over 700 US firms in Ireland, while a further 100,000 jobs are indirectly supported by these giants. US firms, in total, account for 20pc of employment in Ireland and will remain the largest source of new investment in the future. And some people want us to shut the door in his face? Protesters are entitled to register their unhappiness at US policy decisions but surely they can also see the absurdity in it. Is it not time to get our own house in order first? If you want an issue to harness the energy of hundreds of thousands of your countrymen, perhaps then, the housing crisis, would be a better place to start. There are nearly 10,000 Irish people now homeless. That includes the highest number of children ever recorded. Dublin rents have soared past Celtic Tiger levels, a lack of student accommodation means students will have to give up college places or drop out due to long commutes, house prices make the prospect of ever owning a home a distant dream for many and the Government's failed ''Rebuilding Ireland'' programme has proven its incompetence and left us open to another crash. I read this week that campaign groups want to ''revive the spirit'' of Daniel O'Connell's mass demonstrations. I'm sure O'Connell could think of a lot better issues to get vocal about. I'm also sure, if Trump was in charge here, we wouldn't be in this mess. A shrewd, canny operator in the viper den of New York real estate, he has survived serious financial crises, which would have floored lesser men. His real estate developments and brands are now worth 3.3bn. Merely putting his name on a building increases the property's value by 25pc. In 2014, as part of his comeback, he bought Doonbeg golf course, which - after trawling through Nama properties looking for a potential investment - he snapped it up from receivers for 8.7m, a snip considering the initial build cost at 28m. It would certainly be interesting to hear his take on our Government's handling of the crisis now. Meanwhile, his own economy is booming. More Americans are satisfied with the direction of the country than in any other time in the last 12 years. People there are confident - in their leaders, their prospects and in their economy. They voted for him; we should respect it. And if anything, we shouldn't be marching against Trump, we should be asking him for help. I can remember my first day at school. I think I can. I can't always trust my memory. I have vivid recollections of things that never happened. I've a very clear memory of telling Ingrid Bergman that if she didn't get on the train behind her she'd regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of her life. I know it's a scene from Casablanca but it's a lived memory, an event that happened to me. I spoke to her in Kilbarrack, not in Casablanca. And it wasn't a plane; it was the DART. She got on the DART and I said, "I was only messing, Ingrid." But it was too late. The doors slid shut and the train started moving. I never saw her again. I know, it's daft. But it's there in my memory and no amount of evidence will ever shake it. You can prove to me that none of the Bergmans ever lived in Kilbarrack but I can still see Ingrid on the southbound platform, with her hat and her Swedishness. Anyway, I'm nearly certain I remember my first day in school. Or, the end of it. I was thinking about it a few days back because I saw a load of little kids going into school. Actually, it was their mammies I saw but the kids were with them, getting in the way. I've no real idea what goes on in a classroom these days. The daughter tells me there aren't any blackboards anymore - which seems weird. Although I wouldn't ever be nostalgic about blackboards. I've had nightmares about blackboards. Or, not the blackboards - the chalk. Let me explain. This was a few years after my first day of school - I'll get back to that one in a bit. But, anyway, I was in the school play. I was the male lead, Prince Charming in Snow White. Those of you who've never acted might think that this a cushy enough role, because all I had to do was walk on at the end and kiss Snow White. But you'd be wrong, for three reasons: 1. I had to wear a pair of green tights and these actually belonged to Veronica Kelly from next door. Missis Kelly was in the audience and she shouted, "There's our Veronica's tights on Charlie Savage!" 2. Snow White didn't want to be kissed, not by me or anyone else. I can't remember the name of the young one who played Snow White. (It wasn't Ingrid Bergman, by the way.) But when I went to kiss her on the cheek, she pulled back her head and butted me, bang on the loaf. Ever the professional, I kept on singing Some Day My Prince Will Come, even though I couldn't see a thing and Snow White kept whispering that she was going to slaughter me when the curtain came down. 3. The most demanding aspect of the part was that I had to wait for ages to go on, and - reasonably enough; I was only seven or eight - I got bored. I was alone, waiting in the classroom, and I started drawing on the blackboard. But I got bored with that too, so I broke the piece of chalk into two parts and shoved a lump of chalk up each nostril. And I couldn't get them back down. The teacher, Miss O'Keefe, came charging into the room and asked, "Are you ready to go on, Charles?" Have you ever tried to say "Yes" with two pieces of chalk lodged up your nose? She grabbed a compass out of a drawer in her desk and she demolished the chalk with one of the pointy ends. Then she dragged me down to the hall and shoved me out onto the stage and Snow White's forehead. Anyway. The blackboards might be gone but the things that definitely remind me of my own school days, especially my first day, are the school railings. They don't seem to change over the years, do they? Unless they're a bit higher, because the inmates - sorry, the pupils - are a bit taller. But anyway, I remember the teacher leading us all out in a line to the front of the school. And I saw my mother at the other side of the railings, looking in. And her face: she looked like she'd been the one in school and I was the one who was supposed to come and collect her. She couldn't see me. She was looking from face to face to face and all I could see was her face, between the bars. So, I walked right up to her. - Here I am, I said. She looked down and she saw me. And she smiled. - There you are, she said. Amanda Brunker has revealed her secret blind date with Piers Morgan "many moons ago" - even if it was platonic. The media personality (44) was seven months pregnant with with now-husband Philip McLaughlin at the time, but neglected to tell anyone in advance as she was curious to have a sit-down with the former newspaper editor (53). Speaking about Morgan's visit to Ireland on Friday night for a chat with Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show, during which he said Ireland will have to "hold its nose" when US president Donald Trump visits in November, she detailed her brief encounter with him. "Having been set up on a blind date with Piers many moons ago - more blind for him admittedly - I have to say I like him, yet not necessarily what he says or does. Considering I arrived for the date seven months pregnant and failed to mention to the person who organised it that I was already in a relationship, because I wanted to meet Piers, he took it in good humour. We had a great, platonic night," she wrote in her Sunday World column. Brunker then urged Irish people to take to the streets in protest later this year. Expand Close Piers Morgan on The Late Late Show / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Piers Morgan on The Late Late Show "I wasn't surprised that he told the Irish people to 'hold your nose' in regard to Trump's visit in November," she added. "He's right that our government needs to welcome him, but as a people we must protest. I know I will." Today, seven million Swedes - or as much as 85pc of the population - are expected to hit the polling booths as they elect a new parliament and government to succeed the current prime minister, Stefan Lofven, leader of the Social Democrats. The lead-up to the Swedish general election has been mired in controversy, leaving many Swedes feeling angered and much of the country dismayed. In recent days, a damning report has revealed Swedish Twitter users were being bombarded with false news stories in the run-up to today's election. Oxford University published the report Mapping the 2018 Swedish General Election on Twitter last Thursday. It claims many of the purported news stories contain misleading information about topics like immigration and Islam. Research included analysis of around 275,000 tweets published between August 8 and 17, just weeks before today's election and right in the midst of a hotly contested political canvassing campaign that has divided the nation. The report concluded that one in three news stories shared on Twitter during this time-frame in August and related to Swedish politics was "junk news". The report's researchers claim the sources of these news stories were "deliberately publishing misleading, deceptive or incorrect information purporting to be real news about politics, economics or culture", and that they contained "various forms of extremist, sensationalist and conspiratorial material". The volume of fake news stories circulating on Twitter in the lead-up to the election campaign was "higher than any other European country studied - and second only to the US in recent major elections", the report revealed. Three sites identified in the report as spreading misinformation - Fria Tider, Samhallsnytt and Nyheter Idag - have been linked to former members of Sweden's far-right party, the Sweden Democrats. In total, these three websites account for more than 85pc of the false information being spread. Caroline Jonsson, a mother of one who uses Twitter to keep in touch with her child's school, says it's hard to quantify whether these false news stories will influence Swedish voters in any way. "Stories like this are contributing to the climate of anger, frustration and confusion," she says. "But I'm hopeful cooler heads will prevail when it comes to electing our next government. It's crucial that we get that right." As it stands, the shape of the next government is hard to predict. Sweden, long considered a moral superpower, has traditionally welcomed immigrants. In recent years, that attitude has been challenged under the pressure of immigration and anxiety about national and cultural identity. The wave of asylum seekers that drifted through Europe in 2015 affected Germany and Sweden the most - Sweden took in more than 160,000 people. Since then, attitudes have shifted and opinions diverged. For some immigrants, Sweden is now considered less welcoming than it once was. Omar Dahlgren, a 31-year-old university student of economics, was born in Stockholm but has parents from Iran. Growing up with a mixed background has given him a unique perspective on today's election, he says. "Immigration is something that needs to be addressed in a much better way than the current government is doing," he says. "People are too afraid to talk about it. Generally speaking, Sweden is an extremely tolerant and open society where I've felt like I can do what I want and express myself freely. But it can still be improved. Asylum seekers need to be made feel more welcome, otherwise they won't want to integrate here, and that's when problems like crime or racism can begin." The surge in popularity of the Sweden Democrats, led by Jimmie Akesson and with its roots in fascism and neo-Nazism, has astounded many, not least many Swedes. Anti-immigrant and anti-European, the Sweden Democrats has been targeting voters who feel alienated by traditional parties and overlooked because of asylum seekers, who they believe are straining the country's famed social welfare system. Their tactics appear to be working. According to an average of seven polling institutes published in the past two weeks, the Sweden Democrats is tipped to win around 20pc of today's votes. That could make it Sweden's second biggest party behind Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's Social Democrats. Perhaps feeling the heat, Lofven gave an interview to Sweden's national newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, last week in which he urged Swedes to vote for a "stable government... capable of leading Sweden in uncertain times". Even if it's possible that the Sweden Democrats gets a lot of support in today's election, it's likely the other parties will work together to ensure they will be kept out of government once again. But the question of whether to make a deal with it, as mainstream parties elsewhere in Scandinavia have with their far-right counterparts, or to continue to try to freeze them out, is unlikely to go away. "Sweden is joining the rest of Europe," said Carl Bildt, the former prime minister, during last week. "And the myth of the Sweden model is melting away." Flowers and candles sit at the scene of the altercation in Koethen (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP) Two Afghans have been arrested after a 22-year-old man died in an eastern German city, police said. A fight between the Afghans, aged 18 and 20, the German victim and another German man allegedly took place in the city of Koethen after a dispute over who had impregnated a woman, news agency dpa reported. Police said an autopsy revealed the man died of heart failure that was not in direct causal relationship with his injuries. Local media reported he had a previous heart problem. Given the autopsy results, police said the 18-year-old was being investigated on suspicion of bodily harm and the 20-year-old on a charge of bodily harm with death resulting. Expand Close People gather in Koethen after police arrested two Afghan men (Jens Meyer/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People gather in Koethen after police arrested two Afghan men (Jens Meyer/AP) Despite unanswered questions about what led to the mans death, Alice Weidel, a leader of the anti-migrant Alternative For Germany party, wrote on Facebook: How many more need to die? Germany needs a migration turnaround. Organised services for the German who died were held at the scene and later at a city church. In the evening, about 500 far-right supporters marched in the city. A few dozen were on hand for a counter-protest. Large numbers of police, including from surrounding states, were deployed to keep watch and no major incidents were reported. The death comes after hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the city of Chemnitz over the killing of a German man who was stabbed and killed on August 26 after authorities say a verbal argument with migrant men escalated. An Iraqi and a Syrian have been arrested on manslaughter charges. That day several foreigners were injured after authorities said they were attacked in the streets. The next night, around 6,000 far-right protesters including neo-Nazis, members of Alternative For Germany and others clashed with counter-demonstrators. Expand Close Protesters hold photos of people they claim have been killed by migrants, during a demonstration in Chemnitz (Jens Meyer/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters hold photos of people they claim have been killed by migrants, during a demonstration in Chemnitz (Jens Meyer/AP) On the sidelines, masked protesters attacked the kosher Shalom restaurant with rocks and bottles, injuring the owner while shouting Jewish pig, get out of Germany. The unrest following the killing has focused new attention on Chancellor Angela Merkels decision three years ago to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country, straining its resources and hospitality beyond what some Germans considered acceptable. Anti-migrant sentiment has been particularly strong in Saxony, the state where Chemnitz is located. The nearby state capital of Dresden is home to the group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, or Pegida, and Alternative For Germany received almost a quarter of the vote in Saxony last year. The protests have also exposed a rift between Ms Merkel and top security officials. Her domestic spy chief last week openly questioned her spokesmans statement that foreigners were hunted in the streets by the angry mob, saying he had seen no credible evidence of it, and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday expressed sympathy for the protesters. If I were not a minister, Id have gone to the streets as a citizen, Mr Seehofer said, quickly adding: Naturally, not together with the radicals. Saxony state Interior Minister Roland Woeller met the owner of the Jewish restaurant on Saturday and assured him police were working intensively to solve this abhorrent crime, the dpa news agency reported. Police last week said they had already identified six far-right protesters who gave the stiff-armed Hitler salute or committed other violations of Germanys statute banning the display of Nazi symbols during the protests. They said they were reviewing video evidence in dozens of other cases. BUCKS COUNTY >> Over the 2021 Halloween Weekend (October 30 and 31) the Warrington Township Police Department responded to multiple burglaries. According to police, the suspects gained entry to unoccupied homes by breaking a rear sliding door or window. The burglarized homes were ransacked for jewelry, cash, and personal belongings. Two vehicles have been linked to the crimes - a... North Korea is celebrating its 70th anniversary as a nation (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Korea marched its troops through Kim Il Sung Square during a parade to mark the countrys 70th anniversary. Expand Close North Koreas troops were out in full force (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Koreas troops were out in full force (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Tanks also paraded around the streets in Pyongyang. Expand Close Some of its latest tanks were rolled out (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some of its latest tanks were rolled out (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) But the countrys nuclear arsenal took more of a back seat than usual with nearly half of the event dedicated to civilian efforts to build the domestic economy. Expand Close Civilians took up a large chunk of the parade (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Civilians took up a large chunk of the parade (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Tens of thousands of North Koreans waving brightly coloured plastic bouquets filled the square. Expand Close Pyongyang residents had been training for months for the anniversary (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pyongyang residents had been training for months for the anniversary (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) The combining of military and civilian sections is a familiar North Korean parade format. Expand Close Aeroplane formed the number 70 in the sky (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aeroplane formed the number 70 in the sky (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un attended the morning parade but did not address the crowd. Expand Close Kim Jong Un was in attendance (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Un was in attendance (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) At the end of the two-hour event he strolled to the edge of the balcony with the Chinese special envoy, Li Zhanshu, who is also the third-ranking member in Chinas ruling Communist Party. Expand Close Mr Kim was joined by Chinas third highest ranking official Li Zhanshu (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kim was joined by Chinas third highest ranking official Li Zhanshu (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) The two held up their joined hands to symbolise the countries traditionally close ties. Expand Close Kim Jong Un and Li Zhanshu raised hands together (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Un and Li Zhanshu raised hands together (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The civilians taking part in the parade ranged from nurses to students to construction workers. Syrian government and Russian planes have targeted the southern edge of Idlib province with a series of air strikes, activists said. The strikes have ratcheted up the pressure on the densely populated rebel-held bastion, a day after Iran and Russia backed a military campaign in the area despite Turkey's pleas for a ceasefire. Turkey has troops and observations points that ring Idlib. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported four dead in more than 30 air raids yesterday on a number of towns and villages in south-western Idlib and adjacent northern Hama province, an area targeted over the last few days which overlooks government-controlled areas. Schools were shut in Khan Sheikhoun, an area under attack, because of the raids. State-run television said the government was retaliating after overnight shelling from rebel-held areas on a government-held town in Hama. The shelling late last Friday in Mhradah killed nine civilians, according to state media. The local council of Morek, a town that serves as a crossing between Hama and Idlib, sent an urgent appeal, asking Turkey for help. "We need a quick solution or our town will burn," an official pleaded in an audio recording shared on social media. Separately, clashes broke out in eastern Syria in Qamishli, a town close to the border with Turkey, between government and Kurdish security members. The Observatory said the clashes left 10 government security personnel and seven Kurdish fighters dead. The town is run by Kurdish-led administrators and forces, but Syrian government troops hold pockets of territory there, including the airport. Clashes rarely erupt there over turf control and authority, and are usually a reflection of deepening political tension between uneasy partners. One person has been killed in a shooting at a McDonalds in Alabama One person has been killed in a shooting at a McDonalds in Alabama, police say. Four others including three teenagers were injured when gun fire was exchanged during a dispute in the fast-food restaurant near Auburn University. The incident occurred just before 2.30am on Sunday. The deceased has not yet been identified but police say he was a 20-year-old male from nearby Tuskegee. It is understood the killer has not been caught and remains at large. In a statement reported by Fox News, police suggested shots came from more than one person. "Preliminarily, information has been obtained that an altercation occurred just prior to an exchange of gunfire," it said. A further statement released on the City of Auburn website said the incident, in the city's West Magnolia Avenue, was reported at 2.24am local time. It read: Officers were already in the immediate vicinity of the call dispersing a large crowd. Officers confirmed shots were being fired and located several victims. A 20-year-old male from Tuskegee was discovered deceased, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Additionally, four other individuals were found to be injured from the gunfire. Three victims were transported to East Alabama Medical Center by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries One male was also flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center by air ambulance with serious injuries. The wounded were three males aged 16, 19 and 21, and a female aged 17. Police say they are continuing to investigate. It's just been a few hours that Taimur Ali Khan and his cousin sister Inaaya Naumi Khemu landed in Mumbai, and the brother-sister duo is already making headlines. The little munchkins had gone on a trip to the Maldives with their parents and after spending and enjoying on the Island, they are now back and strolling on the streets of Mumbai. This evening, the two stepped out, while Taimur looked very excited the moment he spotted his papz uncles, Inaaya looked confused. Taimur along with his mom Kareena Kapoor Khan visited his Masi, Karisma Kapoor 's home and Inaaya was spotted on an evening stroll. Check out their pictures here: Featured Video Several real stories reveal a lot about reel life stars. We have time and again come across several stories on the web that has left us in awe of Bollywood stars. Today, a news that is floating on the internet is about superstar Aamir Khan. According to reports, Aamir has proved out to be a hero for his Dangal sound engineer Shajith Koyeri. Shajith, who worked with Aamir in Dangal suffered a massive stroke and was rushed to the hospital. However, due to the negligence of doctors, he remained unattended for hours. Agencies In this difficult time, the technicians family got in touch with Aamir Khan to ask for help and he didn't just promptly respond but even extended help by shifting him to Kokilaben Hospital. Immediate medical help was offered to him and Aamir proved that sometimes, just a little help is what can change lives. Aamir's help for his former employee has left the internet absolutely speechless. They took to Twitter to thank Aamir for his act of kindness. Aamir Khan is not only a great actor but also to be a great person. Thank you for caring for the crew of your film. Truly an inspiration for us fans! https://t.co/4vppjJlK7k Mansaaaaaa (@Mad_Hu_Naa) September 9, 2018 As an Aamir Khan fan I feel very proud of what he has done. Shajith Koyeri get well soon. We all are praying for you. https://t.co/EblEgxYJee M Ajith (@Ajithspeaks) September 9, 2018 This is why @aamir_khan is a real life hero.https://t.co/k5fKf49AkS Abhishek Simlot (@abhishek_simlot) September 9, 2018 As an Aamir Khan fan I feel very proud of what he has done. Shajith Koyeri get well soon. We all are praying for you. https://t.co/EblEgxYJee M Ajith (@Ajithspeaks) September 9, 2018 Saif said, "Awwww! We had so much fun on this film it was insane. Saif and I fought so much on and off camera that the crew didn't know if we were rehearsing our lines or really wanted to kill each other. I miss Saif. 13 years of 'Salaam Namaste'." Along with a heartfelt post that she wrote for her co-star and friend Saif, she also shared a short video of the title track of the film. "Sharing my experience with depression made me feel lighter. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, I felt transparent with no fear of being judged," Deepika said, adding that it left her happier, more sensitive, aware, and with an understanding of how fragile life is. "I haven't given a single hit in fact. I think that all my films should be banned so that no one can watch it."Earlier, Twinkle wrote a book titled The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad which was a collection of short stories - one of which was adapted for Akshay's Pad Man, produced by Twinkle. According to reports, Aamir has proved out to be a hero for his Dangal sound engineer Shajith Koyeri. Shajith, who worked with Aamir in Dangal suffered a massive stroke and was rushed to the hospital. However, due to the negligence of doctors, he remained unattended for hours. Madhavan said, "I don't think that's the case. If you're talented and hardworking, you will get what you deserve, eventually. It also depends on what actors want to do and what makes them happy. There are actors who are sticking to one genre and are happy. There are also people who are doing multiple genres, and they are happy too. Having said that, you need to have a combination of talent, hard work and perseverance to make a name in any cinema you enter." There are very few people in the world who can take a joke on them and laugh at them too. One such person, who has a delightful sense of humour is Twinkle Khanna, who is fondly known as 'MrsFunnyBones' on Twitter. Twinkle, who left acting years ago is now a published author and everything she says or writes is a perfect combination of 'classy' and 'sassy'. Writer-producer Twinkle Khanna, who was once an actress in the Hindi film industry has said that all the films which featured her in the lead should be banned so that no one can watch it. Just to jog your memory a little, Twinkle made her Hindi film debut with Barsaat in 1995 and thereafter featured in a series of unsuccessful films like Itihaas, Zulmi and Mela. She quit acting after getting married to Akshay Kumar in 2001. Asked which film of hers should now be re-made and she jokingly said, Agencies "I haven't given a single hit in fact. I think that all my films should be banned so that no one can watch it."Earlier, Twinkle wrote a book titled The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad which was a collection of short stories - one of which was adapted for Akshay's Pad Man, produced by Twinkle. Asked whether she thinks that a film can be made on her latest book as well, she said, Agencies "I don't think that a film should be made on each story of mine. I have done my job by writing the story and that is all I am interested in." Twinkle is a mother to a teenage son Aarav and five-year-old daughter Nitara. Commenting on the constant media scrutiny around her children, she said, "The times are such that I think the freedom that we enjoyed whether it was going by train or taking a cycle and roaming around in a neighbourhood, those times are gone. What does scare me is that once these children become very recognised, it is dangerous for them." As a feminist, there is advice that she wants to pass on to her daughter. She said, "There is no advice as such as I think the biggest advice or example that you can give to your daughters is by setting a good example yourself and I hope I am doing that." Twinkle interacted with the media at the launch of her book Pyjamas Are Forgiving, along with husband Akshay Kumar and mother Dimple Kapadia, as also with Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Bobby Deol, Tanya Deol, R. Balki, Gauri Shinde, Abhishek Kapoor, Mana Shetty and Sikandar Kher on Friday in Mumbai. If you have watched Love Sonia's trailer, you will know who Mrunal Thakur is and if you havent watched the trailer then you are definitely missing something important. Mrunal Thakur is a TV actress who will be making her debut with Love Sonia. The film revolves around the life of a girl who is trafficked for prostitution and what all she goes through. The trailer is dark and gritty. Apart from Mrunal; you will see powerhouse talents in the film, right from Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Freida Pinto, Manoj Bajpayee to Adil Hussain.. Twitter Mrunal is currently elated with the kind of response the trailer has got and is looking forward to the big release. Actors Have The Power To Make The World A Better Place Ever since I discovered myself as an actor, I always wanted to do something that would inspire others, Being an actor is such a privilege, you have the power to make the world a better place, I was not so headstrong when I took this film, but today I am confident and it has also made me a better person. Twitter You May Feel Sorry For Sonia In The Trailer But Trust Me, She Is A Hero And She Will Surprise You In Love Sonia, my character is trafficked, when girls get trafficked they want someone to come and help them, Sonia in this film is a superwoman and a wonder woman with no powers. I am glad that despite being a newcomer, I got this kind of cinema to do it which is so powerful and courageous. You must have felt sorry for Sonia after watching the trailer but trust me when you will see Sonias journey, you will be surprised and you will say she is such a hero. Twitter Stayed In Songachi For The Prep Of My Character It wasnt easy to prepare for the role; I had to work very hard. I had gone to Sonagachi (Sonagachi is the largest red-light district in Kolkata) to take references of playing my character and my god, I was so driven seeing the girls, they are so full of life. The girls who have been rescued and who are still in the prostitution, I had a chat with them and I was throughout crying when they were telling their story. I asked them, dont you feel like crying? They said. We dont have any tears left. Twitter Men Easily Call Girls A Whore, But It Takes Courage To Be One Its so funny that a man can just abuse a girl by calling her a prostitute or a whore, but they dont know what courage it takes to be one. The actress revealed how spending time in Sonagachi was hard hitting and depressing but at the same time she realized they are the real heroes. They want to get out of it, earn a better life, and in spite of all that has happened to them, they are surviving and living their lives and they want to make sure no more girls get trafficked. Twitter Aim Is To Sustain In The Industry I want to sustain in this industry, I want to be a better performer. I grabbed this opportunity because not all newcomers get to play the titular character. I know tomorrow, I will be singing and dancing in another film, but this film is something that I am very proud of. Twitter If you haven't watched the trailer of Love Sonia yet you are surely missing out some brilliant performance. The movie is slated to release on September 14. In a rather bizarre incident, a marriage in Uttar Pradesh was called off by the groom's family at the last moment for an unusual reason -WhatsApp! The incident happened in Naugaon Sadat area of Amroha district on Wednesday. The bride and her family were waiting for the groom at the reception center when they were told over the phone that the marriage was called off. AFP According to the bride's family, the groom's parent alleged that the girl was addicted to WhatsApp and was spending too much time on her phone. They even had a problem with the bride sending messages on WhatsApp to her in-laws before the marriage! AFP Rejecting the claim, the bride's family said that the real reason for the groom kin to call off the proposed alliance was dowry. The brides father, Uroj Mehandi said the groom's family was demanding a dowry of Rs 65 lakhs, for which the girl's family had filed a police complaint. In a highly insensitive comment, Kerala MLA from Poonjar, PC George called the nun who accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her a prostitute in full media presence in Kottayam and questioned her allegations. What do you call a nun who has sexual relations with someone over a two-year period? Read more Cyberabad Police Busted A Haryana-Based Rs 1,200 Crore Multi Level Marketing Fraud In one of its biggest success in the recent times, the Cyberabad Police in Hyderabad has busted a multi-level marketing money circulation fraud of more than Rs 1,200 crore. The Economic Offence Wing of the Cyberabad Police on Saturday said they have arrested two men from Hisar, Haryana in connection with the case. Read more Eastern Railways Warned Of Danger 6 Weeks Before Kolkata Bridge Collapse Tragedy The shambolic state of the bridge that fell in Kolkata and claimed three lives and injured scores was not hidden from the authorities as the Eastern Railways had warned the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) about the poor condition of the bridge 39 days before its collapse. "The condition of RCC beam which supports utility services are not in good condition, and it requires suitable replacement in a programmed manner at the earliest. Read more Police Constable Gangraped Inside All Women Police Station In Palwal In a gruesome incident, a woman head constable of Haryana Police has been allegedly gang-raped inside an all-women police station in Palwal, Faridabad. Haryana government had started all-women police stations in order to help rape victims who face discomfort while reporting their ordeal. But now even women police officers are not safe inside the stations. According to the victim, the two accused raped her inside the police station at knife-point and also threatened to kill her if she told about the incident to anyone. Read more Supreme Court Blasts Lower Court For Delivering Order Through WhatsApp Call The bizarre incident has surfaced from Hazaribagh, in a case involving former Jharkhand minister Yogendra Sao and his wife Nirmala Devi, who is accused in a 2016 rioting case. While the duo was granted bail in the case last year by the top court, it had imposed a condition that they shall stay in Bhopal and not enter Jharkhand except for attending the court proceedings. Read more Now Get Ready To Shell Out Extra From Your Income To Pay For Parking Cars Outside Home There should be no "free parking" space outside homes, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal said on Saturday. He added that even on-street parking during night should attract some charge including from local residents. Speaking at the Global Move Summit, Baijal said he dreams of the day when vehicles are not parked on Delhi roads or streets. Read more There should be no "free parking" space outside homes, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal said on Saturday. He added that even on-street parking during night should attract some charge including from local residents. Speaking at the Global Move Summit, Baijal said he dreams of the day when vehicles are not parked on Delhi roads or streets. Parking of vehicles has become a menace across Delhi, which not only blocks the main carriageways causing congestion but also deprives people from using the footpath and cycle tracks. samacharnama/Representational Image The LG's assertion is in line with the proposed parking policy for Delhi, which is yet to be notified. The proposed policy provides for collecting some charges for night parking of vehicles by local residents. The policy proposes allowing one household to park not more than two/ three cars on a public street during night after paying the charge. The fee will increase substantially, if the numbers of cars for a household is more. Moreover, the charges for day time parking on residential public streets would be higher. BCCL Global experts on public transport who gathered at the summit also pointed out the need to deal with the parking needs efficiently. On September 6, 2018, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court decriminalized Section 377. People from and outside the LGBT community celebrated the decision and the pride took over the country. Several heartwarming stories surfaced, that showed just how important this judgement was and how it had changed the lives of those, who had thus far been considered criminals for just being themselves. facebook / arnab nandy One such amazing story of love and acceptance was Arnab Nandy's. When he entered his house, he was welcomed by his parents with a wide smile and a tight hug. Coming out of the closet is, more often than not, a challenge because of the lack of understanding and acceptance of people from the LGBT community. But, Arnab calls himself privileged. His parents come from a conservative background and he did not want them to face the taunts of the society. In a beautiful Facebook post about love and gratitude, Arnab said that "Sexuality is a part of your identity and not your identity. Everyone takes their own time to accept themselves thereafter its a journey of self-awareness and owning your personality traits. Two years ago I lived a life which was not letting me live like a free bird." If you are not moved by this picture, I wish I had your heart. pic.twitter.com/TyxkGAo90q Arnab Ray (@greatbong) September 6, 2018 He wrote that it hurt him to keep this hidden but he took time to tell them, and then when he felt the time was right, he mustered the courage to let them know about his lifestyle. "The reaction was not negative and I feel privileged." he wrote. "Today, as I entered my home mom and dad, gave me a tight hug and said in their happy face 'Congratulation Son now it's legal' and I couldn't help but let out tears of joy (Im getting this sudden tear burst even while writing this). I learnt that my mother started sensitizing the folks around her." Arnab and his parents rejoiced after the Supreme Court verdict where they jumped with joy. He also learnt that his mother and father had been working towards sensitising people around them. A bad law partially scrapped is definitely progress, but more than that, it is love and acceptance that will make all the difference. In a heartbreaking footage from a national park in South Africa, a baby elephant is seen wandering around without a trunk. This has obviously raised grave questions about its survival and safety. newsflare Footage shot at Kruger National Park, shows the young elephant, walking with most part of its trunk missing. The workers at the safari are not aware on how the elephant lost its trunk but doubt it may have been attacked by a predator like a lion or a crocodile. newsflare In a video by Newsflare, the little elephant is seen roaming around. Crocodiles are most likely to attack a baby elephant by grabbing its trunk while they drink water, which could be one of the reasons of its damage. It is very difficult for an elephant to survive without their trunks because everything from eating and drinking to cleaning and interacting depends on it. By not having a trunk, the young one would also have a problem fending off predators as it would make it more vulnerable to attacks. To accomplish anything in life, you need a certain degree of skill - even to be a robber. However, when it comes to some of the burglars, they may be geniuses in their own ways - in failing how to rob a place, and also making a fool of themselves! Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the who is the clumsiest robber of them all? Probably this guy. And the award for twat of the day pic.twitter.com/fC8vo7IpJQ Ffs OMG Vids (@Ffs_OMG) September 8, 2018 Seen on Twitter, this thief tried to rob a place, but ended up clumsily handing over the gun to the attendant at the entrance itself! This hilarious goof-up is spreading like wildfire over social media platforms... Obviously. But it's not like he is the only (or the last) robber to have made a fool of himself. Take a look at these guys. 1. Transparency is most important in any business. Well, not really. This thief thought that covering his face was a good idea - but with a transparent polythene bag. His absolute naivety is explained in this footage recorded on a CCTV camera where the man is seen with a plastic bag covering his head while attempting a robbery. 2. Slow and steady do NOT win the race. This thief stole gold and thought he really needed some rest. Perhaps he took the childhood tale of 'Hare and the Tortoise' too seriously? He thought he deserved sleep after a long day of robbery, but the police were faster and nabbed him along with the stolen items at Saidapet Railway Station in Tamil Nadu. 3. The dude who wanted to dance his troubles away #WATCH CCTV footage of a thief dancing before he and two other people attempt to break into a shop, in Delhi (10.07.18) pic.twitter.com/zWhyaqqKDP ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2018 This thief was caught pulling some really smooth dance moves on the night he was robbing a shop. A CCTV camera somewhere in Delhi, captured the thief dancing carefree, perhaps celebrating his early victory? Colourful kites will fill the skies over Berrow beach today (Sunday) when Beachside Holiday Park hosts a kite festival. The organisers of Burnham-On-Seas Kite Festival have teamed up with the holiday park to hold the event on Saturday September 8th and Sunday 9th. The event started on Saturday and continues today from 10am to 5.30pm. Amarinth, a 50ft high kite will also be flying during the weekend. There are only five of these dragons in the world and this one made its first flight in the UK in May, so be prepared to be astonished, says organiser Gaynor Brown. There will also be a huge bouncy city in the field above the beach and stalls, displays and a Learn to Fly area. At Beachside Holiday Park, novice kite flyers can try out their skills in the Learn to Fly area before making their way to the main display field. Parking is on the beach with normal parking fees applying. Indian actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai was honored with Meryl Streep Award for Excellence at the Women in Film and Television (WIFT) India Awards in Washington. She was accompanied by her daughter to the event. (Aishwarya Rai/Instagram photo) Hogs Up Triple Digits in Futures, While Cash Market Retreats Barchart - 32 minutes ago Thursday hog trading gapped $1 higher on the open and held it. December futures ultimately closed above their day session open by 87 cents as the market ended $1.15 to $1.92 over yesterdays close. USDAs... HEZ21 : 77.875s (+2.53%) HEJ22 : 84.100s (+1.72%) KMZ21 : 95.825s (+1.51%) Cattle Lower As Basis Firms Barchart - 32 minutes ago Thursday fat cattle futures went home with 25 cent to $1.02 losses. December led the way, widening Feb 22s premium to $5.22. Feeder cattle were also weaker, ending the session with $0.82 to $1.15... LEZ21 : 130.625s (-0.78%) LEJ22 : 138.825s (-0.43%) GFX21 : 158.025s (-0.72%) GFF22 : 158.175s (-0.66%) EURUSD Looks South Near 1.1450-1.1480 Level: Elliott Wave Analysis EW-Forecast.com - 52 minutes ago URUSD has made a nice drop from wave B resistance and is now at the lows so there is room for a wave C ideally, a final leg of wave 5 ^EURUSD : 1.15272 (-0.22%) Jobs Friday Market Tea Leaves - 1 hour ago Yesterday the market traded Mixed as suggested. Will we see the same today? Arabica Coffee (KC) Bouncing Off Weekly Chart Upchannel Support Tradable Patterns - Thu Nov 4, 10:36PM CDT Arabica Coffee (KC) edged lower yesterday, forming a second straight daily Doji near the psychologically key 2.10 whole figure level. Significantly, despite the consolidation since Tuesday, KC remains... KCZ21 : 204.35 (-2.04%) JO : 57.42 (-0.14%) Half of all garda stations in Cork city had fewer gardai this summer than in 2014 before the lifting of an embargo on the hiring of new recruits. Official figures published by the Department of Justice show eight of the citys 16 garda stations recorded a reduction in staffing levels in the past four years, despite an overall increase in the size of the force in Cork, aided by the deployment of more than 50 newly qualified gardai. They reveal that the number of gardai in the city has increased from 671 in 2014 to 685 at the end of June. The increase has largely arisen from the deployment of extra gardai to just two stations Anglesea St and Gurranabraher. The number of gardai based in Anglesea St, the divisional headquarters of Cork City, has risen from 275 to 297 over the period, while Gurranabraher is up 10, from 53 to 63. The station in Blackrock has suffered the biggest reduction in staffing levels down 10 to 22 since 2014. Mayfield has five fewer gardai, with its current number of 50, while the Bridewell and Ballincollig each have four fewer gardai at 25 and 19 respectively. Other stations to experience a slight reduction in garda numbers are Glanmire, Douglas, Crosshaven, and Bishopstown. Numbers in Passage West, Blarney, and Carraig na bhFear remained static. The figures also show the overall strength of the force in the city has only grown by 14 since 2014, despite the deployment of 53 new recruits to stations in Cork over the period, due to the impact of retirements. The trend is replicated elsewhere and is particularly acute in Dublin, where the force has only grown by 36 despite 930 new recruits being assigned to stations. The figures highlight how the unprecedented intake of trainee gardai across all 28 garda divisions has been largely offset by numbers retiring or leaving the force. The Garda Representative Association claims the figures demonstrate that the stop/start nature of garda recruitment creates staffing problems that would not occur with a regular annual intake of new trainees. Nationally, staffing levels have fallen at 155 stations despite the deployment of more than 1,900 graduates who passed out from the Garda College in Templemore since it reopened in 2014, as the allocation of new gardai has been concentrated in cities and large towns. The net increase in number of gardai attached to more than 560 stations is 688, as a result of 1,961 new gardai being attested. A garda spokesperson said local management closely monitored the allocation of gardai in the context of crime trends, policing needs, and other operational strategies, to ensure optimum use of resources. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said last week that the force is expected to reach 14,000 members by the end of the year, with another 800 trainee gardai to graduate in 2019. The new Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, has stated he wants garda resources to be used efficiently and effectively. The Government has set a target that the size of An Garda Siochana will rise to 21,000 by 2021, consisting of 15,000 gardai, 4,000 civilians, and 2,000 Garda Reserves. The first buses operated by a private operator have begun services in Dublin. Go Ahead was awarded the contract to take over control of 10 percent of Dublin Bus routes in April. Its first service began at 8 this morning on a new route, the 175 from Citywest to UCD. Go Ahead Ireland CEO, Ed Wills said it is a "great day" for the company saying: "We are really happy to have started operations." The company has also been awarded some former Bus Eireann routes in Naas, Newbridge, Kildare and Edenderry which will begin next year. In Dublin, their services will start on another 23 routes on a phased basis as Mr Wills, explains: "Over the rest of this year and early into 2019, we'll be rolling out a lot of routes in three further phases - one in October, one in November and one in January." Mr Wills says fares on their services will be the same as those on Dublin Bus. "All the fares, Leap cards and everything are exactly the same as on Dublin Bus services and we are just delighted to be up and running today." Digital Desk By David Raleigh Latest: Firefighters spent several hours tackling a major fire at a building which previously housed the old Limerick Leader newspaper printing press works. The blaze broke out in the derelict building, located off Upper Glentworth Street a short distance from the rear of the offices of the Limerick Leader. The premises - which is no longer owned by the Leader - was completely destroyed in the flames. Dozens of crews of firefighters fought the flames from the ground, and, also via a Bronco elevated platform that can extend up 100 foot. The building is located a few yards from the offices of the newspaper, but the two buildings are not physically joined. Previously both properties were linked by a gangway, sources at the newspaper said. They are separated by an alleyway, said another reliable source. No injuries have been reported. Munster Fire Control received the alert around 4pm. Four appliances attached to Limerick City and County Fire Service attended the blaze. At least twenty emergency calls were received by Munster Fire Control about a fire in the vicinity of Upper Glentworth Street. It is a substantial fire, a source said. A large plume of black smoke from the fire spread across the city centre. The scene was captured by local press photographer Liam Burke and more shots were posted across a number of social media. Mayor of Limericks Metropolitan District Daniel Butler, tweeted: Black smoke covers the skies with at the rear of the old Desmond Arms or Temple of Sound. The Mayor praises firefighters for their quick response. Traffic on Mallow Street and Cecil Street was closed to traffic for a time as thick black smoke permeated around the streets. Mallow & Cecil Street closes to traffic. @LimerickFire at the scene. Quick response, the Mayor tweeted. A dramatic photo of smoke billowing across the city was also posted by @Siara347 via their twitter feed. Gardai and the fire service are investigating the cause of the fire. Black smoke covers the skies with at the rear of the old Desmond Arms or Temple of Sound. Mallow & Cecil Street closes to traffic. @LimerickFire at the scene. Quick response. pic.twitter.com/lhHSxKqulO Cllr Daniel Butler, Mayor of Limerick (@DanielButlerFG) September 9, 2018 Original story (5.32pm): Fire brigades attending to 'substantial fire' in Limerick city A major fire is raging at a building in Limerick city. The building is believed to be a derelict premises formally owned by the Limerick Leader newspaper, a number of sources at the newspaper said. The building is located a few yards from the offices of the local newspaper, but the two buildings are not joined. They are separated by an alleyway, said another reliable source. No injuries have been reported. Munster Fire Control received the alert around 4pm. Four appliances attached to Limerick City and County Fire Service are attending the blaze. At least twenty emergency calls were received by Munster Fire Control about a fire in the vicinity of Upper Glentworth Street. It is a substantial fire, a source said. A large plume of black smoke from the fire has spread across the city centre. Mayor of Limericks Metropolitan District Daniel Butler, who posted a picture online, tweeted: Black smoke covers the skies with at the rear of the old Desmond Arms or Temple of Sound. Mallow & Cecil Street closes to traffic. @LimerickFire at the scene. Quick response. A 25-year-old man will appear in court this evening, charged in connection with a robbery in County Monaghan. It happened at a shop on the Castleblaney Road, Ballybay on March 24. President Michael D Higgins has said that global feminism is tackling "pervasive structures of oppression" that remain in today's society. In a speech to women parliamentarians and diplomats from around the world, President Higgins praised the "confident and renewed feminism" which he said will advance the economic and social spheres. Speaking at the first International Congress of Parliamentary Women's Caucuses at Dublin Castle, the president said the recent women's movement is capable of "overturning existing injustices". The global gathering includes parliamentarians and diplomats representing more than 40 countries - including the UK, Australia, the USA and Malawi - as well as activists, writers, artists and academics. The event will discuss issues facing women and how parliamentarians can work to address them. The Oireachtas Women's Caucus was established last year and is made up of past and present female Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Caucus aims to bring awareness to the issue of women's representation and the range of concerns facing women in politics, nationally and locally. Speaking at the event on Sunday evening, President Higgins said: "We can now speak of a fourth-wave of feminism, a feminism global in its scale and in its ambition and universal in its solidarity, dedicated to confronting some of the most pervasive structures of oppression which yet still remain. "Yes, it is about participation, but it is also about transformation in the achievement of equality, the deepening of democracy in our institutions. "The workplace is now, in some settings more than ever across the world, the site of struggle against sexism, discrimination and exploitation. "Women still carry the double burden of labouring in the fields and factories, and in the house - the United Nations estimates that women do three times the amount of unpaid domestic labour and care work, so that on average women spend nearly 20% of their day undertaking the unpaid work necessary to sustain their families." The theme of the congress is 'Our Vision for Women in 2118' and will feature speakers Harriet Harman QC MP, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy and Professor Mary Beard. Chair of the Oireachtas Women's Caucus, Catherine Martin TD, said she hopes the event will further women's impact on political decisions. Speaking at the event, she added: "It is my hope that we will encourage all women, of every age and background, to aspire to step forward, to represent and to lead. "And most importantly, that this will encourage them to refuse to accept the historical narrative - a narrative that has often ignored and undervalued women. "Tonight we remember those who have been written out of that narrative, and we recognise the invaluable work of those who seek to restore the place of women in our histories. "And tonight we salute those women who today are still persecuted and who remain unfree, and we pledge to work together to free all from discrimination. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail, said that while huge strides have been made over the last 100 years, there is some distance to a "truly equal society". He said: "Much work remains to be done to encourage more participation by women in politics and to ensure that there is a balanced participation of women and men at all levels in political life. "Progress in politics here in Ireland has been slow over the past 100 years - and I'm sure other countries have had similar experiences. But it should not take another 100 years to reach equal representation. "Any group, organisation or society where half of the people are not fully participating, for whatever reason, is the lesser for it." PA Media agency UM will introduce and drive awareness of the content to Australians through a broadcast strategy across TV, radio and social and via a Broadsheet partnership. To help communicate Lamb as the easy option to bring people together, this activity will be followed by product focused messaging across small format transit Out of Home and a locational-based mobile campaign. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution. Subscribe or contribute | BY Ricki Green | Budget Direct has launched its new campaign via 303 MullenLowe, Sydney with a 2min 30sec TVC, which airs tonight on primetime television, including Sunday Night on 7, 60 Minutes on 9 and The Project on 10. The 2min 30sec spot will also run on cinema and YouTube. A 60sec version of the TVC also starts its run on Sunday. The campaign blends together a new take on the classic crime thriller mystery with a unique series of otherworldly events. The campaign introduces a new character, a detective named Sarge, who investigates a series of truly remarkable incidents. Despite the inexplicable happenings, Sarge uncovers the real mysterywhy the people involved in these incidents paid more than they had to for their insurance. The spot concludes with the message, Its a mystery why anyone would pay more for insurance. Get award-winning cover for less with Budget Direct and the new campaign line, Budget Direct Insurance Solved. The campaign was shot by legendary British director Daniel Kleinman, through production company Goodoil. Kleinman is well-known for his award-winning commercial work as well as the James Bond film title sequences. The project was led by ECD Richard Morgan, creative director Adam Whitehead and copywriter Mike Burdick. Regarding his final project for the agency Morgan said: Its been a privilege working with such a talented team and courageous brand on a new campaign of this scale. Over four years Captain Risky became a household name and helped Budget Direct to become Australias fastest growing car and home insurer. Not one to rest on their laurels, Budget Direct challenged us with another unique brief, and its been a pleasure to create the new campaign that truly reflects Budget Directs ambitions to lift the bar once again. Says Jonathan Kerr, chief marketing officer, Budget Direct: We set out to make Budget Directs new marketing campaign just as innovative, engaging and unique as our ability to offer award-winning insurance for less. Now that weve got Sarge on the case, we hope Australians enjoy the ads and in turn consider our message even more. The campaign was filmed in and around Sydney. Says Kleinman: It was a marvellous opportunity for a director to work on the new Budget Direct campaign, bringing new characters to life and working with not only great actors but also a wonderful team of people in Australia, including the crew, agency and client. I feel that Sarge and Jac are characters that well enjoy watching and following now and in the future as the sensible question they have for Australia is posed in a such an entertaining way. The commercials were cut at The Editors, Alt.VFX were tasked with the VFX, and Sonar contributed the original music score. All campaign photography was shot by Mat Baker. Says Nick Cleaver, CEO, 303MullenLowe: This is a campaign that will lead the category in terms of being highly entertaining and effective. Its not only compelling viewing it vividly highlights the benefit of taking out a policy with Budget Direct. In the run up to the launch, 6sec teasers were seeded on YouTube and Facebook, with teaser large format digital billboards across major cities and online display. The campaign will encompass the full array of integrated channels, created and managed in-house by Budget Directs in-house marketing & digital team. Client Budget Direct Chief Marketing Officer Jonathan Kerr General Manager Brand & Media Marketing: Warren Marsh Marketing Manager New Customer Acquisition: Catherine Harty Budget Directs Remarkable In-House Marketing & Digital Team Agency 303 MullenLowe Executive Creative Director Richard Morgan Creative Director Adam Whitehead Senior Copywriters Mike Burdick / Sean Larkin Agency Producer Sean Ascroft Client Services Director Tony Dunseath / Joanna Gray Senior Business Director Meredith Raskopf Business Director Olivia Maguire Head of Strategy Jon McKie Production Company Goodoil Films / Rattling Stick Director Daniel Kleinman Executive Producers Sam Long / Johnnie Frankel Producer Andrew McLean DOP Ginny Loane Editors Mark Burnett @The Editors Editorial Assistant Lily Davis Post Production alt.vfx VFX Supervisor Jay Hawkins VFX Producer Celeste Fairlie Music and Sound Company: Sonar Music Music Composer Matteo Zingales Executive Producer Sophie Haydon Sound Designer Timothy Bridge Audio Director Wes Chew Foley Longstocking Studios Stills Photographer LOUIS & CO, The Mighty Mat Baker Reddit Email 142 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Environmental activists protested Saturday in 90 countries and 800 cities across the globe and the United States against inaction on the Climate Crisis in the run-up to a major climate conference in San Francisco organized by Gov. Jerry Brown for Wednesday in the wake of Trumps violation of the Paris Climate Accords.. The events were organized by 350.org and allies among Non-Governmental Organizations. Many of the rallies or demonstrations explicitly rejected the high-carbon policies of US President Donald Trump. Global carbon dioxide emissions have continued to rise since the Paris Climate Accord, to 32.5 gigatons last year, though the rate of growth has slowed because of all the wind farms and solar panels people have installed around the world. Humans burning coal, gas and petroleum releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a potent greenhouse gas that is heating the earth but also having other dire effects. The US rallies culminated some 30,000 protesting in San Francisco, which is threatened by sea level rise. A prominent part was played in SF by native peoples, whether on the North American mainland or from Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. Islands are in particular peril from the climate crisis, since sea-level rise will sweep away their beaches and low-lying lands. West Coast demonstrators wanted to put pressure on government Jerry Brown of California, which despite a relatively progressive record, still allows hydraulic fracturing throughout the state. In Paris, as many as 50,000 demonstrators came out Saturday afternoon, for, as they said, the sake of the human species. Even in a smaller city, Lyons, there were 10,000. Organizers said that throughout the country, 115,000 protesters came out. In France, the event took on a special urgency in the wake of the resignation in August of the Minister for Ecological Transition, Nicolas Hulot, a prominent environmentalist. President Emmanuel Macron gives pretty speeches about the climate crisis, but his government has few achievements to its credit, and Hulot began to feel that he was by serving on the cabinet engaged in a sort of greenwashing, with this presence making the Macron government look better than it is. Some of the organizers of Saturdays demonstrators in Paris were keen to hold the rally in part to support Hulot and put pressure on Macron to do something practical. France actually has a relatively small carbon footprint, given that it is one of the biggest economies in the world. Much of its electricity comes from an aging array of nuclear plants, which are now being retired. Frances carbon dioxide emissions will skyrocket unless the government makes a push to support wind and solar power. - Bonus video: ABC 7 Bay Area: Thousands protest climate change in San Franciscos Rise for Climate march Reddit Email 810 Shares Washington (AFP) The United States plans to cut $25 million in aid to six hospitals primarily serving Palestinians in Jerusalem, a State Department official confirmed Saturday. The official said the decision followed a President Donald Trump-directed review of assistance to the Palestinian Authority and in the West Bank and Gaza to ensure these funds were being spent in accordance with US national interests and were providing value to the US taxpayer. As a result of that review, at the direction of the president, we will be redirecting approximately $25 million originally planned for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network. Those funds will go to high-priority projects elsewhere. Palestinians reacted angrily. This is not a formula of peacebuilding, this is a complete inhuman and immoral action that adopts the Israeli right-wing narrative to target and punish Palestinian citizens to compromise their rights to independence, said Ahmad Shami, a spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Such an act of political blackmail goes against the norms of human decency and morality, added Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee. In the past, the US funds made it possible for many Palestinians to seek specialized treatment such as cardiac surgery, neonatal intensive care or childrens dialysis unavailable in the West Bank and Gaza, according to the World Health Organization. Palestinian officials vociferously protested US President Donald Trumps December 2017 decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israels capital. They accuse him of using aid as a coarse lever to force them back to peace negotiations with Israel. The Trump administration this year cut funds to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and scrapped around $200 million in payments by USAID to the Palestinians. Trump made it clear Thursday he was working to force the Palestinians to negotiate. Youll get money, but were not paying you until we make a deal, he said in Washington. If we dont make a deal, were not paying. Instead, Palestinians say his position has weakened moderates and encouraged radicals across the Middle East. Featured Photo: Maqassid Hospital, Jerusalem via Maan News Agency. Reddit Email 540 Shares Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) A Palestinian teen died of his wounds Saturday a day after he was shot by Israeli troops during a protest on the Gaza border, the enclaves health ministry said. Ahmad Abu Tayoor, 17, was shot late Friday on the border close to the southern city of Rafah, the ministry said. The Israeli army shot dead another 17-year-old Palestinian, Bilal Khafaja, on Friday and wounded at least 45 others as thousands of demonstrators approached Gazas border with Israel in multiple locations. The military said in a statement on Saturday that it was opening an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two young protesters. The army also said that it had arrested four Palestinians on Saturday. They were armed with a knife and an axe (and) attempted to break through the security fence from Gaza into Israel, it said on Twitter. On Friday, Palestinians had set tyres ablaze and thrown Molotov cocktails and grenades towards nearby Israeli soldiers, the army said. There have been regular protests along the border since March 30 as Palestinians demand the right to return to homes their families fled or were expelled from during the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. At least 175 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since then. Over the same period, one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper. Israel accuses Gazas Islamist rulers Hamas of manipulating the protests and of seeking to use them as cover to carry out attacks. This week, it closed its only people crossing with Gaza after violent protests damaged the infrastructure. Israel said it would reopen the passage next Thursday providing the situation is calm. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than a decade, and its Hamas rulers have fought three wars with Israel since 2008. Some 80 percent of the enclaves two million residents rely on aid, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Featured Photo: AFP / SAID KHATIB. A Palestinian relative mourns 17-year-old Bilal Khafaja, killed the day before by Israeli forces, during his funeral in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on September 8, 2018 3 Shares Share In the living room of the house where I grew up hangs a framed copy of a 17th-century map of Pennsylvania. The land is divided into tiny plots, each painstakingly labeled with a family name. When I was little, Id stand in front of the map and search for the little squares labeled Sharples the original version of my last name. Id imagine my distant ancestors, John and Jane Sharples and their seven children, dressed in bonnets and breeches as they sailed across the Atlantic in 1682. As Quakers, theyd purchased land from William Penn and had fled religious persecution in their home country England. To a young girl, their immigration story sounded romantic; but as I grew older, I realized that it wasnt. Their life in England must have been unbearable for them to be willing to risk losing everything in order to rebuild their lives in a strange wilderness. Indeed, they paid a steep price: One of their children died on the journey. I also had to consider their role as colonizers, living on land that had once belonged to Native Americans. How should I feel about my familys immigration story? During two of my summers in medical school, I drove through the fields of rural Maryland, armed with a stethoscope and a tape recorder, interviewing migrant farm workers about their experiences with U.S. medical care. Ostensibly, I was helping to take blood pressures and learning how to do qualitative research; in reality, I was collecting stories. I spoke with mothers whod left their infants in Mexico so that they could spend six months a year picking crab meat out of sharp shells for five dollars a pound. Their arms were marked with cuts and rashes from exposure to the shells iodine, and the meat they picked was sold to tourists in town for twenty dollars a crab cake. At one camp, I spoke with a man, a biochemical engineer by training, whod come here to earn money to help pay for his wifes treatment for a parasitic brain infection. He spent his days planting trees at a nursery. At another camp, I heard that the field supervisor had shot a worker in the leg during an altercation. The worker had fled to Florida, and no one had reported the assault for fear of drawing the attention of the law. These stories overwhelmed and awed me. My patients spoke largely without rancor, but I was filled with indignation. Their words buzzed like hornets in my ears. Perhaps, I thought, if more people knew how brave migrants and immigrants are in the face of so much adversity, theyd respect them more, welcome them, help them. Hoping to create a bridge between these people and the country theyd come to, I wrote profiles of them, one of which was published in a medical journal. But often, after their stories had filtered through my ears and out through my fingers onto the page, they no longer felt so genuine. I began to wonder, Am I telling their stories for their benefit, or for my own? When I chose my family-medicine residency program, I wanted to train in the Bronx largely because I knew that many of my patients would be immigrants: More than one-third of people who live in the Bronx were born in another country. I wasnt disappointed. I saw patients from Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Asia and South and Central America. I loved that my role as a health care provider made it easy to ask about immigration stories. After all, people are used to doctors prying into the intimate details of their lives. In the fall of my first year, I met Mr. Cuevas in the hospital. The admitting diagnosis was pneumonia, although his chief complaint was not cough or shortness of breath but blindness. A fellow intern who was caring for him told me that Id be his primary-care doctor after discharge and that I should go to meet him. Hes been through a lot, she said. You should see his old Mexican ID from when he first came to the U.S. Youd never recognize him. I knelt by Mr. Cuevass bedside and took his hand, knowing that he couldnt see my smile. His face was swollen and puffy a classic steroid-induced moon face. His hooded eyes stared askew at the wall. I explained who I was and added that, since he was undocumented, hospital policy dictated that we could provide him with only two weeks of medications upon discharge. Ill help you get more medication when you come to visit me in the office, I finished. He nodded and thanked me. Afterward, I asked my fellow intern how hed gone blind. Years ago, he was diagnosed with asthma and given a course of prednisone, she told me. It helped him, and he didnt know that if he kept taking it, it might cause cataracts. Somehow, he kept getting refills. He took prednisone every day for more than a decade. When he showed up at the hospital this week complaining that he couldnt see, he was found to have pneumonia and new diabetes, so he got admitted. The hospital ophthalmologists said that, without insurance, removing Mr. Cuevass cataracts would be too expensive; they referred him to another public hospital. The pneumonia found on his chest X-ray was treated, but he was sent home from the hospital as blind as hed come in. Over the many months that followed, I worked with Mr. Cuevas to wean him off of prednisone, to send him to the endocrinologist to manage his prednisone-related hormonal imbalances and to set him up for eye surgery. Since going blind, he hadnt been able to work at his construction job, and he didnt have enough money to pay even the minimal copays on his sliding-scale payment plans. Trying not to go broke, he rationed his medications and doctor appointments. Moreover, he couldnt see well enough to get to his appointments alone and even if hed been able to see, he was illiterate, so couldnt have read our directions. He had no family in the U.S., but a kind neighbor shepherded him to his appointments until, finally, his cataracts were removed, and his vision partially restored. Shortly afterward, I asked Mr. Cuevas, If you could change something about your life, what would you change? If I hadnt come here, I wouldnt have been blind or diabetic, he said. But you cant fight the things that come. Now I have to live with the good and the bad. But if I could go back to live with my family, I would smile and not worry that I didnt have shoes. During my second year of residency, Donald Trump was elected president. Suddenly, asking people about their immigration experiences took on a whole new feeling. The day after the election, as I rode the subway home from work, one man turned to another who was reading the Koran and screamed, Go back to where you came from! The woman next to me, who was wearing a hijab, turned to me. And its only the first day, she said. Imagine how much worse it can get. Over the months that followed, I kept on asking my patients about their immigration experiences while trying to keep from doing or saying anything to worsen their fears. Nevertheless, some patients would respond to my questions with, Why do you want to know? Others voiced worries about cousins or parents or spouses who might be deported. Our newspapers and TVs were flooded with news of ICE raids and the sights and sounds of small children crying for their lost parents, trapped in detention centers located miles or even states away. Even in relatively liberal New York City, it was becoming more and more dangerous to be an immigrant in America. When it came time for me to choose a topic for a social medicine project required by my residency program, I knew that I wanted to do something to celebrate the strengths of the immigrants in our community. I asked Mr. Cuevas and several of my other patients to sit down with me and tell me about their lives in their home countries, their journeys to the U.S. and their experiences while here. I created artwork featuring their words, and photographs of their hands holding something or someone meaningful to them. These words and photographs are now exhibited in my residency programs family health center, in the hopes of creating a welcoming atmosphere for current and future immigrants. This time, instead of filtering my patients stories through my words, Ive let them speak for themselves. Joanna Sharpless is a family physician. This piece was originally published in Pulse voices from the heart of medicine. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Five people who want to stand in Irelands Presidential election made their case to members of Kilkenny County Council at a special meeting last Friday. James P Smyth, Kevin Sharkey, Senator Joan Freeman, Gavin Duffy and William Delaney 1957-1970 all spoke, setting out the main points of their campaigns. James P Smyth is standing on three key principles - the arts, the homelessness crisis and Article 47/48 of the Constition (citizen initiated referenda). Ireland, he said, has a broken democracy but we can fix it. Mr Smyth said he was active in the Repeal the Eight and equal marriage referenda, movements he said were harbingers of us moving forward as a first world republic. He said President Michael D Higgins is doing a great job and he would continue that but turbo. Kevin Sharkey told the meeting that his public service to the state was speaking out, years ago, about institutional abuse, and being first man in Ireland to say gay rights were human rights. He said he believes he played a part in opening debate and dialogue. As president I would talk about integration, Mr Sharkey said, speaking about racism in Ireland. He remarked that he had sold 10,000 paintings and if he had 'red hair and freckles' he would have had a statue erected to him. Senator Joan Freeman said she has spent her life campaigning for the mental health of this country. A psychologist and founder of Pieta House, Sen Freeman said: I am here because I want to lead this country into a better life. She said her track record shows she can persuade and influence people and her power to do that would be greater as president. Sen Freeman said that while she voted no in the recent referendum her private convictions would have nothing to do with her private duties. Gavin Duffy differentiated between the soft and hard powers of the presidency - the hard are clearly set out in the constitution and soft the influence the president can bring to issues. I want to offer a more active presidency using those soft powers. The five pillars of his campaign will be: Youth; Older people; Diversity and inclusion; starting a conversation about respect; and Encouraging enterprise. He said he has already suspended all his business interests and is funding his campaign personally through a loan. Final speaker Seamus Nolan on behalf of the campaign in the name of William Delaney 1957-1970, said his campaign is to highlight the life of a nine year-old Kilkenny boy who died in Letterfrack Industrial school. His campaign, he said, is run with the highest degree of respect, and it is simply to get Williams name on the ballot and acknowledge him as a person who could have been president. Kilkenny councillors will not take a decision on who to nominate until after a second special meeting is held to hear from six more candidates, on September 10. The six candidates who will speak at that meeting will be: Sarah Louise Mulligan, Gemma O'Doherty, Patrick Melly, Peter Casey, John Groarke, and Marie Goretti Moylan. By Mayank Singh Pune (Maharashtra) [India], Sep 8 (ANI): The Nepal Government has confirmed that they will not join the first ever military exercise, which is slated to begin from September 10 in Pune, Maharashtra. The sources told ANI that Nepal is not joining the BIMSTEC military anti-terror training exercise. BIMSTEC is a regional construct and it expands as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. As told to ANI, 30 personnel from each country is supposed to participate, which will comprise of five officers and 25 men. This will now not include the soldiers from Nepal. Defence analyst Major General SB Asthana (Retd) described it to be more due to the anti-India political sentiments within Nepal. He said, "Three observers of Nepal are already in Pune so there was an intent to participate. But, it is due to the local political pressure that this decision has been taken." There will also be three observers from other countries, except for Nepal at the BIMSTEC military anti-terror training exercise. Indian Army is fielding it's elite 4th Battalion of the 5th Regiment of Gorkhas. India has been holding counter terror exercises with China which has lines of communication open in Bay of Bengal with the help of Myanmar and here Myanmar is participating. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bollywood actress Sridevi's sudden demise left the fans in the state of shock. The superstar diva who was off to a family wedding in Dubai, breathed her last after she accidentally drowned in a bath tub. While the fans are still coping up with this huge loss, a heartwarming tribute to the star is already on the way. This tribute will not be seen in India but in Switzerland. According to the latest reports, the Switzerland authorities are likely to install a statue of her here as her super hit film Chandni was shot at the countrys serene locations. As we know that late filmmaker Yash Chopra was known for his movies shot in Switzerland, Chandni was one of them. Many of Chopras films featured Switzerland as a backdrop and he is credited with boosting the popularity of the Alpine nation among Indian tourists. Now, considering Sridevis role in promoting tourism here, there is a proposal to honour the actor by having her statue here, a senior official familiar with the development said. Earlier, statue of the Jab Tak Hai Jaan director was unveiled in Interlaken in 2016. Currently, it is Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol's blockbuster film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' which is attracting the Indian tourists in Switzerland. The official revealed, "However, for many Indian tourists visiting the country today, it is Chopra's 1995 production Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that is their Swiss point of reference. Interestingly, for the tourists who happen to be cinema fanatics, there is also a provision to arrange Bollywood packaged trips here." Janhvi Kapoor Pairs Sridevi's Dupatta With an Outfit and That Proves She Misses Her Mom Too Much- See Pic It is indeed a beautiful gesture shown by the authorities for this legendary actress of Bollywood. Her performance and look in Chandni was hailed by the critics as well as the fans. This tribute is surely of the precious ones and we can already imagine tourists thronging the location. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 05:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). We bet Taimur Ali Khan is not so keen to return to Indian from his Maldives holiday. The Prince of Pataudi was chilling on the exotic beaches of the country with his entire family and his pictures from the same were too cute for words. From enjoying a nap with his uncle Kunal Kemmu to playing with the waves and enjoying a pool session, this little munchkin was having the time of his life. However, the Khan's and the Kemmu's returned to India today morning and Tim, as he's fondly called in not really happy about it. Kareena Kapoor Khan Turns Water Baby With Taimur and Inaaya During Their Recent Maldives Holiday - View Pics. We got our hands on some of his pictures from the airport clicked today morning and the kiddo looked visibly tired. He was sleepy and those camera flashlights bothered him a bit. Taimur was grumpy or probably he just wanted to complete his sleep and not let the cameras disturb him. However, the kid went from being sad to all smiles within a couple of minutes. He flashed his million dollar smiles for the paparazzi clicking him and we wonder what made him laugh so hard. Guess he saw a familiar face. Kareena Kapoor Khans Fashion Faux Pas and Saif Ali Khans Kohl Smeared Eyes Were Missed Thanks to Baby Taimur See Pics. View this post on Instagram En route Mumbai!!! #mommiesonthego A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) on Sep 8, 2018 at 8:11am PDT Earlier, Soha Ali Khan had shared a picture of Tim with Inaaya from Maldives airport and the kids were in no mood to pose. Okay, that makes us wonder where was Inaaya and her family? Guess, Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu didn't return to India with the Pataudis and had some other plans. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 08:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Islamabad, Sept 9: Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday wrote to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, seeking talks with Pakistan for the opening up of the inter-border corridor which will connect Gurdaspur to Kartarpur, a holy site for Sikhs. Sidhu, in his letter, said Pakistan has taken a step forward by offering visa-free access to Indian pilgrims. "Now an opportunity has knocked on our doors. Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long pending demand of Kartarpur Sahib corridor," he said, adding that visa-free access to Kartarpur has been a dream for Indian Sikhs for the last 70 years. Following Sihdu's visit to Islamabad last month to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Pakistani government has indicated its willingness to open up the Kartarpur route in November -- on the occasion of Guru Nan Dev's 550th birth anniversary. The recent reiteration came from Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who claimed that the government is contemplating over visa-free access to Sikhs from India visiting Kartarpur. Chaudhry, while speaking to BBC Urdu, said a roadway ticket will be issued to the pilgrims for the route which will connect them directly to the Kartarpur shrine from the Gurdaspur border. The two stops are located at a miniscule gap of 6-km, yet separated by the international border. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 05:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, Sept 9: Fuel prices continue to remain on the boil as petrol rate has surged to Rs 87.89 in Mumbai and Rs 80.50 in the national capital. Diesel rate has also jumped to Rs 77.09 in Mumbai and 72.61 in Delhi. Stay tuned here for other breaking news and updates from India and across the world. Among other major news, the second day of the BJP national executive meet will commence today. At the opening session on Saturday, party president Amit Shah addressed the office-bearers, reiterating that the Narendra Modi regime will be re-elected to power with a stronger mandate than 2014. On the international front, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be among the keynote speakers addressing the World Hindu Congress underway in Chicago. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who addressed the event on Friday, had pitched for unity among Hindus worldwide. From sports, all eyes will be glued on the third day of the fifth test match between India and England. In response to the latter's 332 in the 1st innings, the Virat Kohli-led side was struggling at 174/6 at stumps. New Delhi, Sept 9: In what is being seen as a major snub to India, considered as the "natural ally" of Nepal, the government of KP Sharma Oli has decided not to participate in Milex 2018, the first-ever BIMSTEC anti-terror drill, which is scheduled to be held in Pune between September 10-16. Kundan Aryal, press secretary of Prime Minister Oli, confirmed to reporters in Kathmandu on Saturday that Nepal would not be a participatory in the multilateral exercise. This is the official decision of the government," he said. Kathmandu would be sending only three non-military "observers" at the event. Earlier, Nepal had indicated that their army chief, General Purna Chandra Thapa, would be attending the closing ceremony of the drill. However, Aryal clarified that Gen Thapa would not be going to India due to prior commitments". The Miex 2018 will feature the participation of 30-soldier platoons from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, along with India, which is hosting the event. Among those BIMSTEC nations which would not be participating in the exercise include Thailand, apart from Nepal. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the 4th BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu on August 31, had reiterated the importance of the joint military drill among the member-nations. Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali had, however, marked apprehensions saying BIMSTEC is a forum to promote regional development, "which does not prioritises military exercises". He further quipped that India was "free to float the agenda" of their choice, but other BIMSTEC members are free to endorse it or not. Nepal's abeyance from Milex 2018 comes a day after the country finalised an agreement with China to use its ports for sending and receiving shipments. The deal has ended decades of Kathmandu's sole-dependence on India for offshore trade. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 10:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Hyderabad, Sept 9: Two alleged fraudsters were held by the Hyderabad police after busting a Rs 1,200-crore multi-level money circulation racket. The accused, who have been sent to custody, were identified as Radhe Shyam and Surender Singh, belonging to Hisar in Haryana. The arrests were made by the Economic Offences Wing of the Cyberabad police, which monitored the financial activists of the accused to establish the prima facie case against them. The investigators have seized Rs 200 crores after apprehending Shyam and Singh. The amount was deposited in various banks, including the IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC and Canara Bank. Their accounts have also been freezed. Cyberabad police chief VC Sajjanar, while explaining the modus operandi of the scam, said the duo had set up a firm named as Future Maker Life Care Global Marketing Pvt. Ltd, and registered it with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) in New Delhi to avoid suspicion. Over the past two years, they held several public meetings in Mumbai, Pune, parts of Maharashtra, Telangana and Hyderabad. Investors were asked to join the company with a fee of Rs 7,500. They were assured monthly returns of Rs 2,500, if they could get two new investors registered each month. On each new entrant, they were ensured a commission of Rs 500, apart from the monthly return of Rs 2,500. The accused duo had earlier worked as professionals in various companies, including Goodway, RCM (Right Connect Marketing) and others. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 04:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a new slogan and set the tone of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. PM Modi gave the slogan 'Ajay Bharat, Atal BJP', paying tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who died on August 16. The Prime Minister was speaking at the concluding day of the two day national executive meet of the BJP. Bharat Bandh Tomorrow: Congress Calls 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday Against Fuel Price Hike. PM Modi also attacked the Opposition and called their attempt at unity an "opportunistic effort." PM Modi, referring to the mahagathbandhan, said that people who couldn't see eye to eye, are planning of a grand alliance. He called the move by opposition a "vindication" of BJP's work in the Centre. Bharat Bandh on September 10: After SP, NCP and DMK, MDMK Extends Support to Congress' Call for Nation-wide Protest Over Rising Fuel Prices. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, after the BJP national executive meeting, said that "PM Modi ji paid tribute to Atal ji and called a powerful phrase in his honour,'Ajay Bharat, Atal BJP'. An India which is not to be subjugated by anyone and BJP which remains firmly committed to its principle(sic)." Bharat Bandh on September 10: Congress, Left to Hold Nationwide Strike Against Modi Government Over Fuel Price Rise, Farmers' Woes. The minister also said that BJP president Amit Shah claimed that "we will win 2019 polls and after 2019 polls victory, nobody will be able to remove us for next 50 years." The minister added that "We are not saying this out of pride but on basis of our work." Meanwhile, the high cost of global crude oil and a weak rupee took the petrol price in Delhi to a record Rs 80.50 per litre on Sunday. The Congress, supported by other opposition parties, has announced for a nation wide protest (Bharat Bandh) on Monday against the raising fuel prices. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 07:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, Sept 9: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will "actively support" the bandh called by a slew of Opposition parties tomorrow against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. MNS chief Raj Thackeray issued a statement on Sunday, appealing his party workers to work towards making the bandh a success. He, however, warned them against resorting to the use of violence. "I appeal to all my Maharashtra sainiks, in its full force, to be part of the bandh," he said, adding, "(but) they should bear in mind to ensure no public property is damaged and the common man doesn't suffer." Thackeray, however, appealed the common man to voluntarily support the bandh as the spiralling fuel prices is adversely impacting the lives of all citizens. Blaming the demonetisation drive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the skyrocketing fuel prices, Thackeray said heavy duties are being levied on petrol and diesel to "normalise the economy" from the shock suffered due to the note ban. While the Thackeray scion has extended support for the bandh, his cousin brother and chief of Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray, is still undecided. While the party has attacked the Prime Minister on the inflating fuel prices, it is yet to support the shutdown call issued by the Opposition. Notably, the Shiv Sena is a coalition partner of the BJP not only in the state, but at the Centre as well. "It is an opportunity before Shiv Sena to jolt the Modi government," said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik, adding that if Mumbai, the financial capital, remains shut, it would be akin to the entire nation participating in the bandh. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2018 01:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). UKs Prime Minister Theresa Mays plan to exit the European Union in a way that causes least damage to the British economy is going badly her proposals have been repeatedly shot down by the top EU diplomat Michel Barnier and she has little support for it in her own country. But what is worse is the line many in her own political party have taken against it. The man at the forefront of protest against Mays Brexit plan also known as the Chequers plan is former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Johnson quit his position over the prime ministers decision to go ahead with the Chequers plan. The Chequers plan proposes the UK adopt a common rule book for food and goods but not services with the European Union. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Johnson accused May of repeatedly caving in over Brexit terms to the EU and its chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, saying that in the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants. He wrote: Under the Chequers proposal we are set to agree to accept their rules forever with no say on the making of those rules. It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla. Using strong language, Johnson also criticised the so-called backstop plan to ensure no hard Irish border, which would see Northern Ireland effectively remain part of the single market of the EU if no other workable solution is found for the UK. Almost all in the UK government agree that there should be no hard border with substantial physical infrastructure between Ireland and Northern Ireland. All have failed to find an answer to the conundrum of how the UK can be outside the EU Customs Union and Ireland still in it without some checks at the border about goods entering and leaving the two entities. Johnson wrote: We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier. Mays soft-Brexit plan would expose U.K. business to potentially hostile regulation over which we have no control whatever, according to Johnson. It means we cant do any real free trade deals, he wrote. It means we are a vassal state. The column is Johnsons second intervention in a week, after writing in the Daily Telegraph on Monday that the Chequers plan would be a disaster for the U.K. In a separate column in the same newspaper, current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt defended the governments Chequers plan and called on the country to unite behind May, claiming she is better than anyone I know at holding the line in the face of intense pressure. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2018 01:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Photo: Contributed Ivan Coyote is a writer, storyteller and proud member of the trans community. Ivan Coyote is a writer, storyteller and proud member of the trans community. Coyote be bringing a message of inclusion and tolerance to Vernon next week. School District 22 is bringing Coyote to the area Sept. 17. As a seasoned stage performer, Coyote often visits many schools and tackles topics such as family, class, gender, identity and social justice. Coyote's stories remind people of their own fallible and imperfect humanity while at the same time inspiring them to change the world. Speaking with passion and an eye for beauty found in what makes us all human, Coyote will challenge youth to take an honest look at bullying and how we can all take an active part in creating safer schools for everyone. School District 22 is inclusive and open to all students and staff members, regardless of gender and identity, said Supt. Joe Rogers. We believe our students deserve a safe place to get an education and we look forward to hearing Ivan speak. The topic of sexual orientation, gender identity and inclusion is not something that is new at School District 22. Earlier this year, Seaton Secondary Leadership students painted an entrance wall in rainbow stripes to show their support in making their school more inclusive. The greater Vernon community is invited to attend Coyotes show, sponsored by Vernon DPAC, on Monday, Sept.17 at 7 p.m. at Vernon Secondary School. Got to the School District 22 website for more information. Sep 8, 2018, 5:01pm ET Genesis mulling production Essentia It would serve as a limited production halo car Genesis is considering building a halo grand tourer based on the wild Genesis Essentia concept that debuted at the New York Auto Show earlier this year.Speaking with Motor Trend, executive director of Genesis North America Erwin Raphael confirmed the luxury marque's intention to build it as a low volume limited edition. "We are very committed to the Essentia," Raphael told the magazine. "We love the car. We think the car will do very well." Design chief Peter Schreyer has said that everything shown on the concept was "technically feasible" though it would probably have more traditional doors replace the concept's butterfly doors.However, while Motor Trend took this as confirmation of the Essentia's production, Jalopnik received some conflicting information from a Genesis spokesperson. "Genesis is pursuing the feasibility of Essentia--but as of now, there's no production confirmation. Some reporters may have gotten ahead of themselves based on speculation. No timelines to share at this time," the spokesperson explained.The Genesis brand currently has only sedans, but previous reports from company officials have indicated that a luxury crossover and coupe are part of the eventual lineup. An unknown thief broke into several vehicles in Lower Macungie Township neighborhoods last week and made off with an undetermined amount of cash, Pennsylvania State Police said. State Police in Fogelsville said the thefts they were investigating took place between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday in neighborhoods that included Crane Crossing, Iron Drive, Furman Drive and Vista Drive. In all of the cases, the victims -- who ranged in age from 33 to 49 -- left their car doors unlocked when they parked their vehicles in their driveways, police said. Cash and other items were reported stolen in the thefts. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Police say a Bucks County man admitted to killing his girlfriend, whose body was found in his SUV, authorities said. Jason K. Lutey (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) Jason K. Lutey, 42, is charged with homicide in the death of 46-year-old Colleen Patterson after the man's sister called the cops on him, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said in a news release Saturday. Lutey and Patterson lived together in the 100 block of Keeley Avenue in New Britain. Lutey's sister, Jamie McCollum, dialed 911 about 8:30 p.m. Friday saying Lutey had killed his girlfriend at the couple's home, according to the release. Central Bucks Regional police responded to the home and spoke with Lutey, who said Patterson's body was in his vehicle, Weintraub states. Officer James DiBenedetto looked in the 2018 Toyota Highlander and, after moving some items, found Patterson's lifeless body wrapped in a white cloth with red stains that appeared to be blood, according to the release. Patterson was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not immediately release a cause of death. During a search of the home, police found "what appeared to be blood at various locations inside the residence," court papers say. Police would later learn Lutey had told two people other than his sister on Friday that "he thinks he killed Colleen," according to court papers. Lutey was arraigned Saturday morning on a single count of homicide and sent to the Bucks County prison without the possibility of bail. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled Sept. 18 before District Judge Regina Armitage in New Britain. Neither the release nor court papers identify a motive for the alleged killing. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Last Sunday in Larrys pub in Prosperous a local man launched a CD of Kildare songs. Nothing terribly unusual about that. Local man, local songs, local pub except that the genesis of the album, and one of the songs in particular, has a most unusual tale. The lyrics to the song The Battle of Prosperous are more than 200 years old, and its likely that nobody alive today has ever heard it sung before this year. The musician, Darren Brereton, released a CD of Kildare songs on Sunday last, September 2. This is a project that has stemmed from Prosperous Heritage Festival, on whose committee he was a member this year. The Heritage Festival was very successful and celebrated the links between the village and the 1798 Rebellion. In the process of researching the history of the time, Darren and his fellow organisers uncovered affidavits from people who were alive and living in Prosperous at the time the rebellion began. We also uncovered many poems, songs, witness statements and even came across some extracts about the Battle of Prosperous in some old British military journals, he explained to the Leinster Leader. It was truly an exciting journey piecing the story of how things transpired together and read into the role of the village in the rebellion. When you start to read information presented from books from either side of this period, you really do start to see the story unfold in front of your eyes. Read also: Naas photographer Tony G Murray marks 25th anniversary of iconic portraits For the rest of my life I know that every single time I walk down the old Main Street of Prosperous, I can picture the few days and where certain events took place. We are very lucky that a lot of the old buildings from that time are still standing and in pristine condition, considering they were built in 1780. To have so much detailed information about where you come from buried in your memory banks is a truly amazing thing for anyone into local history. One of the committee members Joe Murphy, who is a huge local history fan, presented Darren with a page of lyrics last winter called The Battle of Prosperous. After much research there was literally no known music they could find for it. The only information they could find was that it was a very popular song that was sung in Prosperous and surrounding areas following the 1798 Rebellion, but unfortunately it got lost in time, like much of Irelands songs and stories. Darren was asked to try and put some music to it by Joe. What resonated with me in the context of the lyrics was the story deep within it. It wasnt just your typical rebel song. It had the characteristics of a typical rebel song but there is a deeper and more emotional story in the lyrics. For me it is all about the story of a man called Edmond Lalder. Lalder was a suspected United Irishman and when the British soldiers arrived to Prosperous in search of stolen weapons and suspected members of the United Irishmen, he was one of the first they came looking for. They had received intelligence from a spy that he was in the village at the time. The soldiers first went to his house where his wife and newborn baby were. After failing to give up the whereabouts of her husband, the soldiers murdered her and her baby in cold blood by bayonet blades. The soldiers then went to his parents house looking for the suspect. Again, just like his wife, his parents would not give up his whereabouts so the soldiers murdered them too. The fact that they feel like they had to wipe out his family really goes to show the tensions between the Irish Catholics who wanted liberty and equality, versus British forces. It was barbaric and didnt just happen in Prosperous, Darren said. It is a sad song but in the lyrics of the song we do find out that poor Lalder got his revenge. He found the soldiers involved in the murder of his family and piked them to death while the barracks of Prosperous was stormed. Darren says there are two other songs on the CD and a spoken piece. The songs are Sean Bhean Bhocht and The Curragh of Kildare and the spoken piece, which was written by Mario Corrigan is called If We Dare. The Prosperous Heritage Festival was attended by over 1,000 people back in May and was recognised nationally by history fans and reenactment groups as the biggest 1798 commemoration of 2018. Its something I am proud to have been involved in, Darren says. I put a video up on the Facebook page performing the song and within 24 hours it had thousands of views and hundreds of shares. I was quite shocked about that. When we had our launch before the festival, members of Kildare County Council asked if I would be interested in recording the song. So,of course I said yes! They funded a day in the studio and the CD duplications for the project. It was a great experience. For all my years playing music, I have never seen my own name on the front of a CD before. He said that there were e certain key people involved in the project that he wanted to acknowledge. Mario Corrigan from Kildare Decade of Commemorations and Kildare library was a driving force behind this ever happening. And Joe Murphy, for his vision of having the commemoration stemming this project... and also his extremely good photography work! A Newbridge resident appeared at Naas District Court last Thursday, September 6, charged with two drugs-related offences. Adrian Rozpedowski, 35, with an address listed as 49 College Orchard, Newbridge is charged with possession of cannabis at his home address on February 5, 2017 and with possession of the cannabis for sale or supply. Judge Desmond Zaidan heard evidence how the defendants home was search by Gardai using a warrant. The value of the cannabis was approximately of 2,200. Sgt Brian Jacob revealed that Gardai also discovered weighing scales and deal bags at the premises. The court heard that the defendant made admissions and was cooperative. He said that he only supplied his friends with the drugs. He has no previous convictions. Representing him, Matt Byrne explained that Mr Rozpedowski is single and supports his mother back in Poland. Although living in Newbridge, he works in the UK. Mr Byrne said that his client was willing to offer a charitable donation of 2,000. Judge Desmond Zaidan adjourned the case until November 15 next to allow him to come up with that money. Having counterfeit laptop chargers for sale landed a former retailer in Naas in court. Muhammad Tayyab, whose address was given as 25 The Waterways, Sallins, was prosecuted for the unauthorised use of a trademark at his premises at 1 Railway Terrace, Naas on September 17 2014. The case was heard at a sitting of Naas district Court last Wednesday. Detective Garda Martin Long got a warrant to search the premises. This was done as part of a nationwide operation seeking counterfeit Hewlett Packard chargers. When he entered the premises the chargers were for sale and there discrepancies on some of the boxes in the form of words spelled incorrectly. He said he showed the warrant to the defendant and he added the defendant was very cooperative and handed over all of the chargers - eight in total. Det. Gda. Long said he spoke to a Hewlett Packard expert based in Switzerland who was satisfied that all the chargers were counterfeit. He said the defendant said he got them from someone in Kilkenny and was not aware that this was against the law. He said that person was no longer answering his phone number. The defendant told the court he had the shop for twenty years but now works elsewhere. He said he bought the chargers after seeing them on eBay. He said he also bought phone chargers in this way but later removed them. He said there were no customer complaints about the chargers. Judge Desmond Zaidan said counterfeit goods is an international racket but the defendant is a small fry in a huge pond. Her imposed a fine of 1,000. A POP-up bakery in aid of youth mental health charity Jigsaw raised much-needed funds during a takeover of the Potato Market. The aim of The Bakery, run by Lidl Ireland, was to raise money while also encouraging positive mental health through mood-boosting events and a friendly atmosphere. The pop-up cafe ran from Thursday to Sunday, with events taking place in the evenings. Hermitage Green and Nile St James played intimate gigs at the space, while laughter yoga and mindfulness events also helped to raise funds. The Bakery had a great weekend in Limerick, said a spokesperson for Lidl Ireland. The final tally of funds raised for Jigsaw will not be announced until the full campaign - which includes an in-store promotion where one cent of every bakery item sold goes to Jigsaw - is over in two weeks time. Jigsaw is the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, and provides free, confidential and professional support to young people between the ages of 12 and 25 in locations nationwide. Its Limerick branch is based in Arthurs Quay. Hundreds of Limerick people turned up at the pop-up cafe over the weekend to buy a treat and chat, all in aid of mental health services. Former Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh was ambassador for The Bakery. Its not often that we get to sit down and take a moment in our busy lifestyles. Youth mental health is something I am hugely passionate about we all have a role to play, she said. Lidl recently announced the launch of a three year partnership with Jigsaw, which saw the discount supermarket pledge to donate 1m to the charity over the three-year partnership. The partnership also aims to raise awareness of Jigsaws One Good Adult campaign, which encourages young people to confide in one adult in their life, be it a parent, sibling or teacher, to gain support and advice. The campaign encourages listening, encouragement and awareness to become One Good Adult to a young person in their life. LIMERICK City and County Council has refused to release detailed information relating to the payment of almost 30,000 to the RTE subsidiary 2RN. According to figures published on its website, the local authority paid a total of 28,475.46 earlier this year for what it describes as Community Facility Rental. 2RN is a communications network operator which distributes the free-to-air programming of national TV and radio broadcasters such as RTE, Virgin Media and TG4. The company, formerly known as RTENL, also provides transmission services and facilities to a number of local radio stations, mobile phone operators and the emergency services. A request from this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act seeking further details relating to the payment of the monies was refused for reasons of confidentiality. The contract contains a confidentiality clause which precludes Limerick City and County Council from sharing this record with a third party, stated a spokesperson in their response. A copy of an invoice from 2RN which was released to the Limerick Leader states the monies paid related to unregulated site facilites at its Mullaghinish tranmission site on the Cork / Kerry border. The invoice which is dated November 30, 2017 relates to fees for the 2018 calender year and includes 5,324.68 in VAT. The Mullaghinish transmission site is located in the Derrynasaggart Mountains and is home to Irelands tallest and most powerful TV transmitter. The duration of the contract between Limerick City and County Council and 2RN is not known. Photo: Colton Davies Clear skies on Saturday from Munson Mountain in Penticton, looking north towards Summerland and Peachland. Smoky skies on Friday cleared on Saturday across the Okanagan, providing a late-summer treat of a day with temperatures reaching the mid-20s in much of the region. But wetter weather will be moving in beginning Sunday night, and is forecast throughout most of the week. That could make Saturday the unofficial end of summer. "We're having a change in the weather pattern here," Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sehkon said. "It's looking like we're in this broad upper trough, which will keep the weather fairly unsettled. Some showers and seasonal or slightly below seasonal temperatures for this time of year." On the plus side, Sehkon said the cold front moving in will likely mean better air quality will be around for the long haul after weeks straight of smoky air and, more recently, occasional smoky days. "There's still a possibility of local smoke being around since there are still fires burning," Sehkon said, noting much of the recent smoke in the Okanagan has come from fires in the Similkameen and in Washington state. "However, in large part, we think the air quality will be improving." Air quality in the South, Central and North Okanagan was rated two on the Air Quality Health Index Saturday afternoon, posing a "low risk" for health to the general public. Late Saturday afternoon, Kelowna and Osoyoos were the warmest places in the valley at 25 degrees celsius, according to Environment Canada. Osoyoos was the Okanagan's hotspot on Friday, hitting 30.5 degrees. HIGH-profile Labour councillor Joe Leddin has called on his party leader Brendan Howlin to step aside and let Alan Kelly do the job. Mr Kelly, a former Ireland South MEP, called for a radical shake-up within the party, which has just two councillors locally, and seven Dail representatives. He said a different vision is needed and he would be prepared to lead Labour. Mr Kelly has gained the support of City West councillor Leddin, who said at present, Labour is an ageing party. Were not in a good place, thats the reality. Were averaging eight per cent on a good day. It doesnt give me any comfort, he said. I wouldnt question Brendan in terms of his ability, integrity and his professionalism and experience. Hes a shrewd politician. But the reality is, the leaders of successful parties or organisations motivate people. Brendan, I think lacks that skillset. I dont think he has the skillset which can capture the minds and hearts of the people in the context of the very good policies the party is developing. Its a hugely difficult job, Cllr Leddin said. Of Mr Kelly, he said: The Labour party is in his DNA. He is younger. The reality is we have a young population. He has the vigour, the enthusiasm and energy to do what is a hugely difficult job to go around the country, motivate the members, get new members in and galvanise the party ahead of the local, European and general election. Mr Kelly tried to become Labour leader two years ago following the partys general election meltdown. But he failed to secure vital support from a number of TDs, including Jan OSullivan who failed to provide a seconder for his nomination to allow a contest take place. As a result, Mr Howlin secured a coronation. Speaking this week, Ms OSullivan described talk of replacing the current leader as a distraction. Its up to us all to do the work which is needed to grow the party again. Its a job for all of us - that includes Alan, me, our public representatives and members, said Ms OSullivan. We do need to discuss how we communicate with the public, but I dont think there is anything wrong with our values. Theyre the same as they always were. Talking to the public is what's needed, she said, adding There isnt an opening right now. But, she said, with a general election likely in the next 12 months, I think we will go back to the situation at that stage. Talking about it now is completely distracting. I want to be out there talking of housing, not talking about Brendan Howlin and Alan Kelly, she added. Labours only other elected representative in Limerick, Cllr Elena Secas declined to comment. This is an internal issue, and should be dealt with internally. I know there is a meeting to discuss that this week. I wouldnt make a comment before I get an insight of what is going on and talk to the people on both sides to see where they are coming from, she said. DONAL Neville, from Croagh, was awarded the prestigious Reserve Diageo Baileys Champion prize for his superb cow, Milliedale Rusk Rhapsody. Diageos cream supplier, Glanbia co-sponsored the competition for the past 35 years. It rewards strength and form in body conformation as well as proven excellence in quality milk production. Widely acknowledged as Irelands top dairy livestock event, attracting the super-elite of the Holstein Friesian breed, the top awards in the 10,000 prize fund were presented at the Virginia Show by vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuiness; Robert Murphy, head of Baileys Operations, Diageo Baileys Global Supply; Martin Keane, chairman of Glanbia Ireland. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was even anxious to get his photo taken with Donals prize cow. It capped a great year for Donal and Kathleen, and their three children Ann, Thomas, Caitriona, and their herd Emerald Holsteins. Milliedale Dusk Rhapsody (EX94) was crowned supreme dairy champion, and also won best udder at Charleville show. Mr Keane praised all the entrants for the calibre of pedigree cows on display and he congratulated Virginia Show on 35 years of the All-Island Champion Dairy Cow Contest. The competition attracts the super-elite of the Holstein Friesian breed with a 10,000 prize fund on offer, said Mr Keane. It is the hard work and community spirit of exhibitors, competitors and volunteers that have combined to make this particular show such an enduring success for 77 years, he added. Mr Murphy said: Baileys is one of the great international food and drink success stories to come out of Ireland. The Diageo Baileys Champion Cow event celebrates the drinks heritage and the source of its primary raw ingredient, namely the farmlands and rich pastures of this island, that give our agri-food industry such world-class credentials. IN JUNE 1961, a casket was carried down the steps of St Marys Cathedral, Sydney. Cardinal Gilroy, with mitre and crosier, led the funeral procession. The casket carried one of Australias great Biblical scholars, Dr William Leonard, a theologian, academic and priest who taught at St Patricks Seminary, Manly for decades passed, the story of Dr Leonard moved from legend to memory to being almost forgotten. Although he suffered from a kind of paralysis that rendered speechless and immobile, the Irish-born priest who achieved a reputation as a great writer and a multi-lingual Biblical scholar maintained an extraordinary devotion to the Holy Mass. He would, for example, celebrate Mass at 4am and attend up to four Masses a day. The mystical experience emanating from his Masses was very much etched in the memory of John Leonard - his cousin from Corbally who attended his 6am Masses at the Leonard family homestead at Ballycraheen, Ireland. Dr Leonard became immobile - went into a trance-like mode and looked to be in pain, he says, It was perceived that he was suffering Christs passion on Calvary. His apprehension of the divine was mostly apparent on Fridays, Australian historian, Fr Edmund Campion SJ, notes that each Friday brought him to share in the Passion of Christ. On other weekdays, priests who entered the Manly chapel noticed Dr Leonard in a corner behind the door, totally engrossed in another world, apparently wrapped up in God. Born in Ballycraheen, Ballysimon in County Limerick, Ireland, on 18 December 1891, Dr Leonard was the eldest of six children. Ordained for the Diocese of Limerick in 1915, he went on to complete two doctorates in Divinity and Philosophy in Rome. In 1923, he made his way to Sydney to teach at St Patricks Seminary, Manly. Later he embarked on a journey to the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, to gain the then-rare distinction of a doctorate in Sacred Scripture. Upon returning to Sydney in January 1939, he served as a Professor in the Faculty of Theology, Archaeology and Hebrew at St Patricks. In 1961, he died at Lewisham Hospital, following a heart attack. His brother, Fr Timothy Leonard, was a Columbian missionary who suffered a cruel death at the hands of the Communists in China in 1929 while celebrating Mass. When another priest warned Fr Timothy of the peril that awaited him in China, he responded what is it but a bad quarter of an hour - think of the reward. When the news of his brothers death reached Australia, it was said Dr Leonard stood in front of the altar of the Irish Saints at St Marys Cathedral, eyes filled with tears but a warm smile etched on his face. Rejoice with me John, said Dr Leonard to his colleague, we have a martyr in the family, he immediately wrote to his mother in Ireland, saying Congratulations Mam you have become the mother of a martyr. Leonard was also a great friend of the Maronites - attending an annual Mass in 1961 at St Marouns Church, Redfern, with over 2,000 in attendance. In that ceremony, Bishop Muldoon said that Maronite and Irish people were very similar, in that both suffered for their faith but had treasured it; It is only in the crucible of suffering that is formed the spirit of steel that is strong to resist in the hour of trial, said Bishop Muldoon. Dr Leonard also had a great devotion to the Second Heart of Jesus. In his 1948 Catholic Weekly publication. A synthesis of devotion to the Sacred Heart; he wrote the cross is hard, but all the same it is the only source of a peace and joy which nothing can take away. In all his excellence and wisdom Dr Leonard was an immensely humble man. His former student from Manly, Father David Coffey, now 83, sharply recalls that his memory of Leonard was that he was a very kind, good man, simple but brilliant. He lived in another world, different to the one we live in. Last November, my mother and I were walking through Rookwood cemetery praying for the Holy Souls. Passing the statue of St Michael the Archangel beside the graves of priests - one grave stood out, with a beautiful plant growing next to it: the grave of Dr William Leonard. Weeks later, our parish priest mentioned to us that Dr Leonard was a holy man, a mystic, and with this. I started a quest, unearthing all I could about him. I started interviewing elderly priests, researching archives and newsletters from Ireland, and when I interviewed Fr Coffey, he remarked that just that week he had been pondering upon the literary works of Dr Leonard. I think a few strings must have been pulled up in heaven, he said. In the modern era, the persecution of the Church is not so much visible in the blood of martyrs but in societies that uses the ostensive power of the State to curtail religious freedoms and liberty, with the political Left aggressively seeking to ban religion from the public sphere. It is the faith of figures such as the Irish scholar priest Dr William Leonard that we need so much. Georgette Bechara is a journalist with Catholic Weekly in Australia where this article was originally published. THE METROPOLITAN Mayor has called for traffic safety measures to be installed in Clarina following a recent three-car collision on a stretch of the N69. Metro-Mayor and Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler made the call following the recent collision at Elm Park, just west of Clarina Cross. No serious injuries or fatalities were reported following the incident. However, Cllr Butler believes the accident should be taken as a warning. It's a serious accident waiting to happen out there, Cllr Butler said, adding that there has been serious road accidents in the area in the past. I have been highlighting the need for measures here for some time now, he added. There has been a bit of back and forth but no real movement in terms of installing the measures. That accident is a prime example of why there needs to be traffic cameras put in place in Clarina before somebody is seriously hurt or killed, cllr Butler said. The speed limit coming into the village needs to be reduced, he added. We have pedestrians in the area and we have drivers doing 80 to 100 km per hour which is unsafe for pedestrians, never mind the drivers. Realistically the limit needs to be 50 or 60 km per hour. Theres issues as well with traffic; People taking shortcuts through Clarina itself to avoid the traffic lights in the village. This collision is an example of why we need to get these measures installed out there before something serious happens. Following the three car collision in August, the N69 was closed both ways and traffic diversions were put in place. Lengthy delays in the area were reported. Originally from a small village in the West of Ireland, I never set foot in Limerick until the day I attended Limerick School of Art and Designs open days. Walking into LSAD, I knew instantly that this was where I wanted to attend college. Enthralled by the architecture, the friendly people, and the creative atmosphere, I couldnt imagine myself being anywhere else. I attended a small primary school in a village called Attymass, Co Mayo, with my class being the largest (14 pupils!). Art was always the part of the day that I looked forward to in primary school and began winning art competitions. After primary school, I moved to Castlebar where I went to St Josephs Secondary School. I have just recently graduated from LSAD with a First in Animation and Motion Design. My granddad, Michael Naughton, remains my greatest single creative influence. One of my oldest and most treasured memories was sitting on his lap at the kitchen table and drawing together for hours everyday. I would draw on any surface I could find, envelopes, phonebooks, and I once even took my grandmothers lipstick to the wallpaper. My granddad had videotaped nearly every episode of Bob Ross and we would watch them in the evenings. As I got older I became fascinated with my granddads storytelling, and began creating my own stories with the aid of drawings. When I did the Animation elective at LSAD, I knew straight away that this was what I wanted to do with my life. I loved the mixture of storytelling, visuals, and audio, and the methods of bringing it all to life. I remember the first time I made a hand drawn animation on a flip book, it actually felt a little bit like magic. Although the process was slow and tedious there was nothing more rewarding than seeing your drawings come to life before your eyes. I became obsessed with movement and I loved the challenge of trying to make it visually as smooth as possible. Ideas for animation can come from anywhere and when you least expect them, often randomly hearing something interesting sparks my imagination. I follow the work of animators and illustrators that I admire which then ignites new ideas, for example, about animals or wildlife. I also draw inspiration for colour palettes using the natural world, such as the warm tones of sunsets and the blue hues cast by moonlight. I love playing with lighting and shadows in my work. Movement is very important to me and thats why I love to draw animals to capture them in motion. To do this I use a loose, fluid style and a hand-drawn aesthetic and even when drawing digitally I tend to use natural brushes to mimic pencil and paintbrush strokes. For my LSAD Graduate Show I chose to base my animated short on true events that occurred during the Soviet Space race, but told through the eyes of the heroic little dog involved, Laika. Throughout this animation I explore the blind trust and unconditional love dogs place in people. Pursuing the strong bond between canines and humans I depict how easily a relationship can be established and then broken. Through the innocent eyes of a dog, the viewer experiences first hand the tragic betrayal of trust experienced. For my exhibition space, instead of opting for a plinth, I decided to make a replica of the capsule that Laika was sent out into space in, (using a giant Perspex sphere suspended on a metal tripod). I placed the monitor displaying the animation inside the sphere so the viewer could watch the events unfold from where Laika was seated during lift-off to emphasise the emotional impact of her sacrificial death on November 3, 1957. There are a lot of elements involved in making an animated film, from script, through storyboarding to finished animation. Storyboarding is one of the most crucial elements as it cements the storyline and the composition of the scenes. For my animated short I drew the characters digitally using software called Toon Boom. This allowed me to animate quickly frame by frame at twenty-five frames per second. I created the background with a mix of traditional and digital techniques. I first drew the assets by hand in a sketchbook with a pencil and then scanned them into Photoshop where I painted them digitally and pieced them together to create the finished background. For more about Niamhs work please see: www.behance.net/ niamhnaughton Photo: Contributed Join our wine writer, Allison Markin, every week for a wine review complete with food and music pairings. Featuring Okanagan and Canadian wines, with an occasional international bottle, Castanet celebrates the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry and influences from around the world. For current availability and pricing, consult the winery. Unless indicated, international selections are generally available at government liquor stores or private wine shops. Wine: Syrah-Malbec, 2016 Winery: Road 13, Oliver Why drink it? As you pour this expressive red blend into your glass, the first impression is the colour: a vibrant, deep, almost luscious purple, owing mostly to the Malbec. To fully enjoy this wine, you need to save a second glass for the next day, as the aromas of blueberries, vanilla bean, and dark plums open up. On day two, the leathery and black fruit flavours mingle with each other, and the already soft tannins become a little more rested, creating lovely balance on the palate. The intensity from the first days glass gives way to a red wine that needs only a good friend to help finish off the last drops. Price: $33 Pair with: The winery recommends game meat wrapped in bacon nothing wrong with that. Anything from the pork family will do nicely, including good, fresh tacos from your favourite food truck, or a pulled pork grilled cheese. Or just a selection of creamy cheeses. Music pairing: Brandy (Youre a Fine Girl), Looking Glass Have a wine to suggest? Email Allison at [email protected] Photo: CTV A bevy of women named Nicole at the University of Calgary have united, thanks to a mass email from a young man on a quest to locate his missed connection. The Friday morning email came from Carlos Zetina, who wrote that a woman named Nicole gave him the wrong phone number after he took her and her friend home on Thursday night. "Who sends an email to that many people? If it was me, I'd be a little horrified about how this all played out," said Nicole DuGraye, one of the 246 people copied on the message. "But I thought this was a great way to connect and meet new people and to try to find the real Nicole." The thought prompted her to create a Facebook group called "Nicole From Last Night," and they've now planned a get-together in a bid to make friends and to find the woman Zetina was looking for. A mini meetup happened Friday, she said, with plans for bigger gatherings to come. Zetina, a first-year student at the university, said he sent the email because he didn't want Nicole to think he was "a bad guy who didn't text back." "We met at the campus bar and we talked and had struck a pretty interesting conversation," said Zetina. "She gave me her number, but I guess she accidentally gave me the wrong one because when I texted her the next day, a different person messaged me back that it wasn't her." So the following morning, Zetina said, he sent an email to 246 people with "Nicole" in their name, writing that the Nicole he is looking for is from Holland and thinks German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is "depressing." "If you don't fit this description then ignore and if you are the one and just don't want to talk to me that's ok as well," Zetina wrote in the email. He said the university's email had a directory, so it only took him a few minutes to copy anyone with Nicole in their name to the message. Zetina said one of the Nicoles messaged him about the Facebook group and said they were all getting together to help him find the right Nicole. "I thought it was funny," he said. "Some of the Nicoles started messaging me pretending to be her as a joke." Another woman who received the message, Nicole Larsen, said she felt "happy to be a part of a love story." "I felt like this was Cinderella or something ... but I was just an ugly step-sister." A post in the Facebook group from the email's intended target says she didn't receive the email, but learned about it because it started circulating on social media. That Nicole said in the group that she also wants to meet all of the other Nicoles in the next few days. In the post, she writes that she meant to give Carlos her number, but he might have gotten a digit wrong when he wrote it down. Zetina said later that day the Nicole he had been searching for texted him. "We're planning to hang out maybe next week," said Zetina. "I really didn't expect this to become a big thing." A wildfire ignited in Napa County near the northwestern shore of Lake Berryessa on Saturday, quickly growing to at least 1,700 acres and forcing residents to flee. The Snell Fire prompted evacuations of Snell Valley Road and roads into Berryessa Estates and Snell Valley, according to the Napa County Sheriffs Office. The fire was 10 percent contained by early Sunday. The fire is burning in some hot, dry and relatively low humidity areas, said Will Powers, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Pope Valley Farm Center, near the Pope Valley Fire station, has been set up as an evacuation center. The blaze threatened 180 structures, Cal Fire reported. Farther north, evacuations remained in place and Interstate 5 was still closed as firefighters worked to protect homes from the flames of an inferno that has more than quadrupled in size in just a few days in Shasta County. The Delta Fire, which started Wednesday, had grown to 40,580 acres by Saturday evening with no containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The agency said the blaze was human-caused, but did not provide further details. Fire officials said they do not expect to gain control of the blaze for at least two weeks. Crews cut bulldozer lines and set control fires overnight as the blaze continued to grow on its northwestern edge. The conflagration was also extremely active along the eastern edge, between Interstate 5 and the Hirz Fire, officials said. A 45-mile stretch of Interstate 5, the main route between California and Oregon, was expected to remain closed until at least Sunday, officials said. The blaze burned through control lines on its southern edge. Bulldozers and hand crews worked to prevent the fire from making even more progress there, the forest service said. The biggest challenge facing crews over the weekend was a dry cold front expected to bring wind gusts that could fan the flames, officials said. Winds will shift to the west and northwest, with gusts along the ridgetops reaching 25 mph, the forest service said. Meanwhile, crews gained more containment of the Hirz Fire that was burning in Shasta National Forest northeast of Redding adjacent to the Delta Fire. There was no growth of the blaze overnight. It remained at 46,150 acres Saturday and was 89 percent contained, the forest service said. The Hirz Fire is expected to be fully contained by Sunday. Crews also expect to reach full containment soon on the Ranch Fire, which grew to be the largest wildfire in California history at 459,123 acres. As of Saturday, the blaze was 98 percent contained. In the Tahoe National Forest along Interstate 80 at Emigrant Gap, the North Fire remained at 1,274 acres Saturday as crews made headway. Officials said it was 70 percent contained. Firefighters were focusing on strengthening containment lines and dousing hot spots Saturday, officials said. In all, firefighters are battling 17 wildfires across the state. Cal Fire, the states firefighting agency, said Thursday that it is running out of money and needs an additional $234 million to fund operations through the middle of next year. Sarah Ravani and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani, @LizzieJohnsonnn Authorities are investigating an early Sunday shooting of a car theft suspect involving Santa Clara police officers in San Jose. San Jose officers were called at 5:20 a.m. to assist Santa Clara police officers who were involved in the shooting that occurred at the end of the chase of a stolen vehicle, San Jose Police Department spokesman Enrique Garcia wrote in an email. The shooting took place at Mayellen Avenue and Scott Street. Border Patrol agents assigned to the checkpoint on Interstate 35 said they recently rescued 55 undocumented immigrants from a tractor-trailer. READ MORE: Laredo pool company owner arrested after construction left unfinished It happened after agents encountered a tractor-trailer at the primary inspection lane. During the immigration inspection, a service canine alerted agents to the odor of narcotics or concealed humans. At secondary, agents broke the seal to the trailer and discovered 55 individuals concealed amid the commodity being transported. The conditions inside the trailer were potentially lethal with an internal temperature of nearly 100 degrees and limited airflow. The immigrants were sweating profusely and were immediately evaluated by an EMS. All were found to be in stable health conditions. The individuals were from Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras and Nicaragua. The male driver, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and the tractor-trailer was seized. READ MORE: Cultura Beer Garden opens for business in new downtown locale "The United States Border Patrol not only protects the nation's borders, but also ensures those who cross into the United States illegally are treated humanely. We will continue in the disruption and deterrence of any careless tactics utilized by smugglers," said Laredo Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens. Anaheim, Calif. Former President Barack Obama said Saturday that November midterm elections would give Americans "a chance to restore some sanity in our politics," taking another swipe at his successor as he raises his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House. Obama didn't mention President Donald Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County but the allusions were clear. "We're in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, there's always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those who are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear," he said. His appearance one day after a strongly worded critique of Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education. "If we don't step up, things can get worse," the former president told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Center. "In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Representatives and make sure there are real checks and balances in Washington." Obama gave shout-outs to seven Democratic candidates in competitive House districts across California that are considered crucial to the party's efforts to oust Republicans from control. Four of those districts are at least partly in Orange County, a formerly reliable GOP bastion that went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. "We're going to put on our marching shoes, we're going to start knocking on some doors, we're going to start making some calls," he said to cheers. Clinton trounced Trump by more than 4 million votes in California in 2016 and carried Orange County by 9 percentage points. A surge in immigrants has transformed California and its voting patterns. The number of Hispanics, blacks and Asians combined has outnumbered whites in the state since 1998. New voters, largely Latinos and Asians, lean Democratic. In Orange County, Republicans held a 13-point edge in voter registration 10 years ago but that has shrunk to 3 points while independents, who tend to vote like Democrats in California, have climbed to 25 percent. Democrats, hoping to build on their 39-14 advantage in the state's congressional delegation, are eyeing Republican seats in districts that Clinton won in 2016. Each of the seven candidates that Obama campaigned for on Saturday fits that description. In Orange County, GOP Rep. Mimi Walters faces a challenge from Katie Porter, a law professor at University of California at Irvine. Environmental lawyer Mike Levin is seeking an open seat to replace retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa in a district that includes part of Orange County. Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, whose district encompasses part of Orange County, is fending off a challenge from Democratic real estate investor Harley Rouda to secure a 16th term in Congress despite barely winning 30 percent of the primary vote. Obama is expected to deliver a similar message in Cleveland on Thursday, when he campaigns on behalf of Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, and other Democrats. As Canada's prairies continue to churn out more canola, there's mounting concern about the rapid spread of a soil-borne disease that's threatening to crimp yields. Clubroot is taking hold in parts of Canada's vast prairies. It's an invasive disease that grows like a cancer on canola roots, preventing the plant from taking up water and nutrients, cutting yields and potentially killing plants. While the disease first appeared in Alberta in 2003 in only a handful of fields, there are now hundreds of new cases identified each year and new strains are becoming resistant to some of the only tools available to limit its spread. The threat has sparked concerns that farmers won't be able to grow the oilseed profitably if it continues to spread. "We're bracing for a record year in terms of the number of clubroot fields found," said Dan Orchard, an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. "People are finding wilted, dead patches in their field." Canada is the world's largest grower of canola, an oilseed invented by Canadian scientists in the 1970s by breeding out undesirable traits from the rapeseed plant. Since then, it's become the go-to cash crop for farmers as global demand exploded for use in everything from salad dressing to french fries. The number of acres planted has increased 40 percent in the past two decades, surpassing spring wheat as the country's most planted crop. While the surge in production has helped create a domestic industry worth more than C$27 billion ($20 billion), tight rotations are helping to facilitate the spread of clubroot. The disease releases spores that can live in soil and spread by the wind or hitching a ride on farm equipment. Planting canola every year or every other year on fields increases the risk that clubroot could take hold. There's now as many as 300 new fields a year in Alberta and cases have started to spring up in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the country's largest canola grower, Orchard said. There are nearly 3,000 confirmed fields with clubroot, though the actual number is probably much higher as there are still limited resources to survey and inspect fields, he said. While there is no hard data on exactly how much of the country's total canola crop is affected by clubroot, it may be at least 2 percent of all acres as not all cases have been reported, said Stephen Strelkov, professor of plant pathology at University of Alberta. "It's a devastating pest and it's very difficult to control," said Sebastien Dutrisac, an agricultural fieldman at Northern Sunrise County in Alberta's Peace River region. "We only have a very small amount of options genetically and if we don't take care of it we're going to be ruining the tool that we have." Dutrisac's county, like other Alberta municipalities, has zero-tolerance policies to stave off clubroot's creep. In Peace River, a northern area where canola accounts for about 40 percent of all crops, municipal officials don't allow farmers to plant the oilseed in fields where clubroot is found for as many as five years, Dutrisac said. Even that may not be enough. The first canola seeds with genetic resistance to known strains of clubroot were introduced in 2009 and became the most widely-used method for managing the disease, said plant pathologist Strelkov. Since then, researchers have been finding increasing number of fields where new strains of clubroot have emerged and have overcome that resistance, he said. There were more than 100 known fields with resistance issues identified as of last fall, Strelkov said. Companies such as Bayer are working to tap clubroot resistant traits from vegetables such as rutabagas to breed into new canola seed varieties, said Jed Christianson, the canola pipeline lead at Bayer Canada in Winnipeg. Still, the next generation of clubroot resistant seeds are potentially a year or two away from release, he said. "It's a significant issue because of the fact that it's continued to spread and once it's there it's very difficult to get rid of and manage properly," Strelkov said by telephone, noting as much as 15 percent of fields with clubroot experience severe infestation. "If it does become severe in a field it can have devastating effects." BRUSSELS - Swedish voters angry about crime and migration on Sunday delivered a blow to two centrist parties that have traded power for decades, but an insurgent far-right party still fell short of capturing a commanding position inside the parliament. The election had been watched closely for signs about the extent to which a cascade of anti-immigrant fear could hit even Sweden, which has long been one of Europe's most open nations toward refugees. The far-right Sweden Democrats had at times during the campaign appeared to have a shot at becoming the biggest party in the country, but in the end they placed third, capturing 18 percent of initial tallies of the vote. Still, they succeeded in defining the election's agenda and expanded their power in parliament. Now Swedish leaders will head into a chaotic period of politicking as they seek to build a ruling coalition out of the fragments of their old political landscape. Both the ruling center-left Social Democrats and the center-right Moderates had among their worst results in modern Swedish political history. The coalition blocs that each party leads were neck-and-neck with each other, leaving the ultimate result in doubt and raising the possibility the center-right group might seek to seize power with support from the Sweden Democrats. "Now we will gain influence in Swedish politics for real," Sweden Democrat Jimmie Akesson told a cheering crowd of supporters as the results came in. He said his party had "won" the elections because of its gain in seats. The Sweden Democrats want to slam the door to new arrivals, pull out of the European Union and significantly increase the rate of deportations. In the past, Akesson has condemned the spread of mosques and Muslims. The result was a mark of the success Akesson has had in gentrifying his party, which traded in its black boots and swastikas for suits and has sought to portray itself as a defender of ordinary working Swedes. Although both major parties have ruled out formally ruling with the Sweden Democrats in a coalition, the center-right Moderates have said they would not reject support in areas where the parties' positions coincide. One of those areas is likely to be migration. Sweden, a nation of 10.2 million, took in 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015, the highest per capita in Europe. Although the country initially welcomed the new arrivals, moods quickly soured amid fears that the wave of people fleeing war and poverty could capsize Sweden's generous social welfare system. Leaders soon imposed border controls and started talking about large-scale deportations. Arrivals dropped the following year to levels seen in previous years. But the surge crystallized long-running worries about Sweden's ability to integrate immigrant groups, turning what had been a taboo issue into one that dominated airwaves and the political conversation. More for you North Korea celebrates 70th birthday with parade - but doesn't show off ICBMs A string of high-profile crimes, including arsons, stoked the discussion even as overall crime figures remained flat or even improved, according to criminologists. Just last month, a spate of more than 80 arsons in a few hours in the Swedish city of Gothenburg drove Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to toy with deploying the military to heavily immigrant neighborhoods outside city centers. The center-right Moderates have become especially tough on immigration, echoing many of the positions of the Sweden Democrats. That raised questions whether the parties might find a way for the far-right party to vote with the Moderates at least part of the time and helping to install a center-right leader in the prime minister's office. Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson hinted Sunday that could be his goal by demanding that Lofven resign based on the results. The election also touched on the future of Sweden's generous welfare state, as voters searched for the best way to secure it in coming decades. The Sweden Democrats' strong showing was echoed on the far-left by a pop for the ex-communist Left Party, which captured 7.9 percent of the vote, up 2.2 percentage points from the previous election in 2014. Sweden's struggles have captured attention around the world, including in the United States, where President Donald Trump has at times held it up as an example of the failures that come from too much immigration. If Sweden takes a more restrictive approach to its borders, it would join other European countries in tightening migration rules, notably Italy, where a government coalition that includes the far-right League party came to power this year and began an ambitious campaign to discourage migration. The Nepal Government has confirmed that they will not join the first ever military exercise, which is slated to begin from September 10 in Pune, Maharashtra. The sources told ANI that Nepal is not joining the BIMSTEC military anti-terror training exercise. BIMSTEC is a regional construct and it expands as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. As told to ANI, 30 personnel from each country is supposed to participate, which will comprise of five officers and 25 men. This will now not include the soldiers from Nepal. Defence analyst Major General SB Asthana (Retd) described it to be more due to the anti-India political sentiments within Nepal. He said, "Three observers of Nepal are already in Pune so there was an intent to participate. But, it is due to the local political pressure that this decision has been taken." There will also be three observers from other countries, except for Nepal at the BIMSTEC military anti-terror training exercise. Indian Army is fielding it's elite 4th Battalion of the 5th Regiment of Gorkhas. India has been holding counter terror exercises with China which has lines of communication open in Bay of Bengal with the help of Myanmar and here Myanmar is participating. (ANI) When a speeding car struck and injured four people waiting for a bus on Culebra Road the morning of Aug. 28, almost all the witnesses said it was tragic but not uncommon. The crash occurred on the deadliest stretch of one of the deadliest streets in the city Culebra Road, between Zarzamora and General McMullen. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, nine pedestrians were killed by cars there between 2010 and 2017. A recent news report called it a seven-lane, inner-city free-for-all. But the problem isnt just that stretch of road. In the past 10 years, dozens of pedestrians have been seriously injured throughout the entire length of Culebra. It doesnt have to be that way. This most recent incident is emblematic of a citywide street and traffic-design problem that must be prioritized through the citys Vision Zero initiative an international pedestrian safety movement that I brought to our citys attention and was adopted by the City Council in 2015. It sets a goal of zero fatalities on our citys roadways. Vision Zero focuses on four things: serious injury or the loss of life is unacceptable; the community shares responsibility for ensuring everyones safety; the responsibility for roadway safety is shared between those who design the road and those who use it; and every person in our community matters. Achieving Vision Zeros goal will take a concerted effort by planners and policymakers. Speed and distraction are key factors in most, if not all, of the crashes in which pedestrians are injured or killed. So Vision Zeros first goal reducing vehicle speed is a logical target. We need to reduce vehicle speeds and redesign our roadways, making the priority moving people safely, not moving cars fast. Weve spent decades designing streets and highways to accommodate urban sprawl, moving cars quickly across large distances. And it has cost lives. When I was first elected to City Council, I quickly came to the realization that pedestrian safety was a priority among my constituents. People came to me with stories of a grandmother hit by a car while walking to church, of children walking to school struck by automobiles. In every one of those incidents, the primary factors were speed and poor street design. Vision Zero addresses those factors in a sensible and innovative way. The most recent program was the San Antonios Safest Driver contest, in which driver safety was rated through a downloaded app and participants had a chance to win up to $10,000. There is much more to be done. Aside from educating drivers, cyclists and pedestrians on the importance of safety and encouraging everyone to follow traffic laws, we must design and construct better crosswalks, sidewalks and bikeways a complete streets vision that puts people, not cars, first. A significant part of that responsibility falls on our state government, because some of the most dangerous roadways in town fall under the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation. Ive had conversations with state elected officials, and were looking for the best way to slow traffic to make our roadways safer. Public transportation is central to Vision Zero as well, with fewer cars on the streets and more of us using buses or bikes to get around. And, finally, reimagining our citys growth will put us on the right track so that people dont have to get in their cars to go to work, the grocery store, church or school. This is a long-term vision, and weve started to take the steps to make it a reality. But there are problems that cant wait. Since I came to the City Council, I have been asking for a change to the seven-lane free-for-all on Culebra Road. Four people were seriously injured while they sat, waiting for a bus. We can and must do better. Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales represents San Antonio Council District 5. The odds were never in my favor. Neither one of my parents have a college degree and three out of four kids from my old neighborhood are considered at risk of dropping out. The deck was stacked, but I persisted. It was my dad and the women in my life my mother and grandmothers who taught me my first real lesson: Education is the one thing no one can ever take from you. That lesson stuck with me as a young woman making my way through public schools in San Antonio: at Crestview Elementary, Kitty Hawk Middle School, and then Judson High School. Each semester, As made their way onto my refrigerator. I worked day and night to make my family proud, overachieving in every way possible. After graduating from Judson, I took my diploma and broke a family tradition by enrolling at the University of Texas at Austin. I later went on to Harvard for my masters. There were many adversities I faced along the way, but I benefited tremendously from those educational experiences by developing the grit to persevere. As an African-American woman and a first-generation college graduate, I found success. My concern is for those who might not. Our education system has to change so that more kids find the success I did. In Bexar County, 25 percent of our students fail to graduate from high school. San Antonios students trail significantly behind their peers across the state for college readiness in reading and math. Less than 1 in 5 African-American students from our region will go on to complete a post-secondary degree. We need to acknowledge these problems and work together to make things better. Fortunately, there are countless individuals and organizations hard at work to put students and families at the forefront of the conversation. My organization launched Keep learning, San Antonio a critical push to move our city into the future. Were connecting volunteers to help countless local families explore their school options, and weve given free school supplies to make sure kids start off the school year right. The message is clear every kid, no matter his or her zip code deserves the chance to succeed. But if we want San Antonio to move forward and set our city up for prosperity down the road, we must do more now. We must empower families with more school options so they can make choices that are right for their children. We must grant teachers the flexibility and the tools they need to mold our children into the leaders of tomorrow. We must innovate and always put kids at the center of everything we do. We need to support districts that take the courageous step to form partnerships with charter schools, where more than 40,000 San Antonio families applied in the last year alone. Most important, we must never be afraid to reimagine and improve upon the antiquated systems that have failed to grow and innovate in an ever changing world. Now, as a parent with one daughter in preschool and a second baby girl on the way, Im already searching for great public schools that will help my girls achieve their dreams. Im thankful Northside Independent School District has great in-district choices, and San Antonio ISD welcomes students from outside their boundaries. But as I consider all of my options, I want to see more options for all families, not just my little girls. Which schools will prepare my daughters for college? Will their schools have the academic rigor to prepare them for the future? Will my girls have opportunities to lead, to create, to collaborate and to build their self-confidence? Education changed my trajectory in life, along with guidance from my dad and the women in my family. Childrens lives tomorrow depend on our ability to give them great school options today. Let there be no doubt, as students begin their school year, that there are great school choices out there, but with 141,000 Texas students stuck on waiting lists, we need more. Our city needs to keep moving forward in a way that truly empowers families. Quincy Boyd is the San Antonio Regional Director for Families Empowered. I was having breakfast one early morning with a friend, who just completed his computer science degree. He was enthusiastic about his field of study and bragged about the successful opportunities awaiting in the burgeoning field of apps, smart phones, and driverless cars. We debated our career choices when he facetiously ridiculed my choice of study history. Why history? he asked. What is so interesting about studying what is dead and long gone? Its a common question asked by people about my profession. What my technocratic friend (and others like-minded) do not understand is that the dead sometimes have a habit of resurrecting from the ashes of the past. In fact, Spanish philosopher, George Santayana, said it best, Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. We are beginning to see resurgent practices of the past in the Trump administrations immigration policy. Trumps America has run rampant, with ICE agents arresting, detaining, and separating immigrant families from their children literally throwing them in cages. The architect of Trumps tactics has been linked to his senior policy advisor, Stephen Miller. According to an article in The Atlantic Monthly by McKay Coppins, titled The Outrage Over Family Separation is Exactly What Stephen Miller Wants He is, by all accounts, an avowed restrictionist, and he likely believes that separating children from their parents at the border will deter future illegal immigration. Trumps reign of terror on immigrants has recently spilled over and fallen onto the laps of law-abiding U.S. citizens. Mexican Americans living on the Texas border are reportedly being denied U.S. passports and are accused of fraud. Some are entering into deportation proceedings, according to a report by Texas Public Radio. The State Department has created a list of suspicious people by focusing on their birth certificates, explicitly those who were delivered by midwives. Among the victims, ironically, are former border patrol agents and military veterans, including one from San Antonio. The actions taken by Trump and his lackeys regarding the social status of Latinos in this country, is reminiscent of the treatment of Mexican-Americans in Texas during the 1950s. The classification of Mexican Americans as second-class citizens dates to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in 1848. After incorporation into the United States, Anglo-Americans, including in Texas, had to deal with what they deemed as The Mexican Problem. Much of this xenophobia increased after World War II, when Bracero workers, who came to the fields to pick crops, decided to stay after the war. Politicians and private businesses practiced a variety of tactics steeped in southern hospitality, including segregation, violence, and ultimately, deportation. It was a dark period, the tactics approved by a man nicknamed Ike President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The militarization of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) under President Eisenhower led to Operation Wetback, an effective, yet highly illegal, operation of rounding up brown people suspected of being in the country illegally. Unfortunately, many were deported without proper due process Sheriff Joe Arpaio style. According to Rodolfo Acunas Occupied America, the infamous term was coined by Lt. Gen. Joseph M. Swing, a classmate of Eisenhower at West Point in 1911, who was appointed INS Commissioner. Swing was determined to flush out every Mexican he deemed suspicious of entering the country illegally, even proposing building a 150-mile long fence among the inspirations for Trumps border wall. Illegal searches and seizures were committed on brown people along the border, including those born and raised in the United States. While Trumps praise of the program during the 2015 primaries was despicable, what is more despicable is that more people are not outraged. How would Americans react if Trump proposed bringing back Jim Crow segregation? Maybe history must be remembered lest it repeat itself to the detriment of the less powerful. Alfredo Torres, Jr. is an independent historian, working on a book on the Texas Good Neighbor Commission. Early voting begins Monday for the special election runoff for the state Senate District 19 seat. We recommend Democrat Pete Gallego. The special election was necessary because of the conviction of former state Sen. Carlos Uresti on multiple counts of fraud and money laundering. Emerging from the special election for the runoff were Republican Pete Flores, a retired state game warden, and Gallego, a former state legislator and congressman. The district both men hope to represent is a sprawling one, from Bexar County west to Brewster County, running along the Texas/Mexico border and containing 17 counties total. Gallegos residency has been questioned and weve criticized him on that score his wife claims a homestead exemption in Austin, where their son also attends school. Gallego says he lives in Alpine, where he pays utilities and is registered to vote. A court has refused to take Gallego off the ballot and the Secretary of State has certified him as a candidate. Yes, messy, but we recommend Gallego because is clearly the better choice on policy. He represents a distinct departure from much of the divisive policies that distracted state legislators in the last session. Gallego says the so-called bathroom bill, that would have required transgender Texans to use the bathroom according to their gender at birth, was divisive and unnecessary. Flores says he supported it. Business groups in particular noted that such a law would have dissuaded new businesses from coming and caused conventions and conferences to boycott Texas. The bill didnt become law. But Senate Bill 4 the sanctuary cities bill did. Gallego opposes it because it alienates law enforcement from the immigrant community. Flores supports it because, he says, law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold all laws. The governor and the Legislature dispatched Department of Public Safety resources an estimated $800 million over two years to or near the border in the interest of helping secure the border. Flores backs the move, but is open to examining its effectiveness. Gallego correctly notes that border security is a federal role and asks how many children can be educated for that amount of money. Both candidates agree that Texas public education is deficient, but differ on how to address this. Part of the solution for Flores is what amounts to school vouchers for students to attend private schools. Gallego says that the pie isnt big enough to siphon money from an already insufficiently funding public education system. Flores repeats a mantra too often used as an excuse not to provide that needed additional funding that we shouldnt just throw money at the problem. Yes, true reform would require a top to bottom look at what impedes quality education, but lets not fool ourselves into believing that the inequities inherent in our school financing system arent a big part of the problem. Property tax-rich school districts have enough resources and low-wealth districts merely struggle to get by. Gallego knows this to be so and knows also that in the absence of additional state funding any proposed cap on school districts ability to raise property taxes exacerbates the problem. Flores said hed consider such a cap. Gallego for Senate District 19. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic as successful, adding that agreements were signed in the fields of energy, defence, and trade, among others. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West) in the MEA, said, "President Kovind's visit to the three countries were very successful. After the visit to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, relations with these countries have become stronger with India. During the visit, there have been various discussions on mutual matters and agreements reached related to energy, environment, tourism, trade and investment, financial services and defence production." On Saturday, the President and his wife Savita Kovind visited the Strahov Monastery in Prague, a library which has over 3,000 manuscripts and 200 thousand volumes of old books. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "#PresidentKovind visited Strahov Monastery of Prague and it's (a) library which holds over 3000 manuscripts and incunabula and 200 thousands volumes of old books including 9th century Book of Gospels printed on parchment." It was reported over the weekend that Mac Miller tragically passed away due to a suspected drug overdose, he was 26. Tributes flew in from all around the world, with fans and friends alike sharing their own dedications to the rapper. Chilidish Gambino made sure to pay tribute to his friend during his performance in Chicago last night, going into a heartfelt monologue about Miller and the friendship they shared: Im a very sensitive person but this Mac Miller s**t got me f**ked up Gambino continued: "He was so nice. He was the sweetest guy, he was so nice. And we were both internet music kids, and a lot of critics were like, 'This corny-ass white dude, this corny-ass black dude,' and we used to talk. And this kid, he just loved music." The "Redbone" rapper continued the emotional dedication: And we should be allowed to be sad about it. Like my heart was broken and I feel good about being sad, because it tells me that he was special, that I had a special moment Everybody in this room deserves that." He then brought the tributary moment to a close with a song dedication and a message of: "I love you Mac." Everything you need to know about Aotearoa's new COVID-19 'Traffic Light' system Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the new step in the COVID-19 response plan and we're breaking it all down for you. "It's my last first day of school for a while," 22-year-old Jessica Bram Murphy says from the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is filled with enthusiasm as she begins her final year of college. Her studies in international development have spanned a broad spectrum - from Middle East policy and Arabic to the analysis of developing countries and how they approach poverty. Last fall, she spent a semester abroad, studying in an Arabic language immersion program in Amman, Jordan. "I'm not 100 percent sure of my future plans. I am really interested in the Middle East as a region, and I'm really interested in journalism. I can't guarantee that will be my aspiration forever, but I'd like to spend more time in the region, perhaps as a foreign correspondent for a news agency," she says. "I'm also interested in diplomacy and humanitarian work, so going into the nonprofit sector is something I can see myself doing, too." At Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, her sister, soon-to-be 21-year-old Leila Nicole Murphy, thinks law school may be in her future one day, although not immediately. Her two majors are ethics, politics and economics, and education studies, both focused in areas of social and political inequality. She also mentors New Haven high school students, leads outdoor trips for incoming students at Yale and teaches yoga. "I enjoy thinking and reading about the law. I think the law can be used to advocate for change in very powerful ways," Leila says. Seventeen years ago, the sisters were beginning kindergarten and nursery school, respectively. Each was in a classroom in schools in New York City on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 11 was flown by hijackers into the north tower of the World Trade Center shortly before 9 a.m., the first of the terror attacks to strike the U.S. that day. Their father, Brian Joseph Murphy, 41, was at work as a vice president with Cantor Fitzgerald Securities on the 104th floor of the north tower. His specialty was the then-new world of e-bond trading. By day's end, he would be one of three natives of Westfield, Massachusetts, to perish at the trade center. Tara Shea Creamer was aboard Flight 11, and Daniel P. Trant was also at work for Cantor Fitzgerald. "I don't really remember much. It was my second week of kindergarten," says Jessica. "Memory is an odd thing. I certainly have fabricated memories, imaginings of him, but I don't know if I have actual memories of my dad." Leila was just 3 years old and would turn 4 three weeks after the attack. She says she remembers nothing of the day, nor does she have any memories of their father. As they grew up in Manhattan, their mother, Judith Bram Murphy, and members of their extended family shared stories of their dad to help ensure they understood the man he had been. "My mom wanted his presence to be in our lives, so there have been lots of photos and the telling of stories," says Leila. Their mother is a clinical psychologist and thus, each sister shares, is acutely aware of how different the process of grief and trauma has been for each of them. Anniversaries of 9/11 during their early childhood would often see them participating in the ceremonies at Ground Zero and more recently at the national memorial built on the site of the trade center. As teenagers, they participated in a summer camp program that brought together children from around the globe whose lives had been touched by violence. It proved a touchstone for their exploration to learn more about 9/11, they say. "The peace building camp ... really opened our lives to the violence that exists in Afghanistan, Palestine and other places around the world. It was pretty impactful for both of us," says Jessica. "It's kind of what started my interest in the Middle East." For Leila, having a camp roommate from Palestine brought home for her that 9/11 was not an isolated event. "I think I realized there are a lot of places in the world where senseless violence happens all the time, whether it be because of terror, war or military intervention," she says. Neither was aware, though, of the events which have been unfolding over the past six years at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where five men accused of helping mastermind the 9/11 attacks are incarcerated and facing trial before a U.S. military tribunal. "I was a young child who grew up in the post-9/11 world," says Jessica. "There was never really a shift between the two for me, even though for the whole world, there was a dramatic shift. I've become aware of a lot of the history of what happened in Iraq five years later. As I learned more about this, it's made me increasingly confused and upset. I'm still in the process of reading, learning and understanding some of the many atrocities that happened in the wake of the attack." Then, last fall, they read an Op-Ed piece published in the New York Times, "Guantanamo Is Delaying Justice for 9/11 Families," by Julia E. Rodriguez, a history professor at the University of New Hampshire who is a member of the organization September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. The author's brother, Greg Rodriguez, was among those killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11. In the piece, Rodriguez described her participation in a program that brings victim family members and first responders affected by the 9/11 attacks to Guantanamo to observe the pre-trial hearings. It sparked the Murphy sisters to contemplate following in Rodriguez's footsteps to Cuba. "I didn't know the men accused were in Guantanamo Bay. I thought it was one and done with (the 2011 killing of) Osama Bin Laden," says Jessica. Leila took the lead, setting up a meeting for the two of them with Peaceful Tomorrows in New York City in January. "I think once we found out more about the program, because we are both intellectually interested in issues related to U.S. policy related to Middle East and international relations ... we thought it would be a great opportunity to learn a lot," she says. "I do want to see justice done, and it's important to know about it." There were reservations, Leila acknowledges. Their mother did not want to make the trip herself and had concerns about the impact it might have on each of them emotionally, she says. "My sister and I were both very young when (9/11) happened. It was traumatic in different ways for each of us and (going to Guantanamo) could be retraumatizing," Leila says. "I think for most of my childhood I did not want to be singled out. People can have very dramatic reactions. I didn't want to be pitied so I kept it hidden, even from close friends. I really detached the national tragedy from my personal tragedy. ... I was really focused on the loss of my father, (but) I was privileged in a lot of ways so did not have to deal with that loss." "It almost feels like there is a burden on me, not in a negative way, when your life starts with something so hateful and out of your control, all I can try to do is try to understand, extend love and respect, (and) to understand what I can and do what I can," Leila adds. "It was a haphazard decision in some ways," remembers Jessica of how they agreed they wanted to visit Guantanamo. "(My sister and I) have that in common. We like to take adventures, but I think it was more calculated than that underneath the impulsive act." Both were grateful, she notes, to learn there are members of other 9/11 families who share their politics, being opposed to the death penalty, advocating for peace and searching for non-violent responses to all forms of terrorism. Jessica also says she felt "a weird sort of responsibility" to take the trip "given the U.S. is acting on behalf of victims and family members." She adds, "It's a difficult place to be when you are personally impacted by such a public national event. Since I have a stake, I wanted to make sure I knew what is happening." Along with other NGOs (non-government observers), the sisters were part of a group who flew via military aircraft from Andrews Air Force Base in July and were then taken by boat to Guantanamo for what were to be five days of pre-trial hearings. Defense lawyers were among those on the trek. It wound up being only two days of hearings as two other days of proceedings were closed sessions and one was canceled, according to Leila. The down days involved sightseeing of the island, including a visit to Camp X-Ray, the first and most notorious of the facilities at Guantanamo where the first captives were brought and where incidents of torture and mistreatment were reported to have occurred. For the court proceedings, the sisters sat with other observers in a room, separated from the defendants by a wall of glass and listening via audio on a 40-second delay, making it disconcerting at times. "The hearings focused on torture and what the prosecution has released to the defense. I think some family members wonder why does this matter," Leila says. "While I think it does matter to talk about torture, I can have empathy for the CIA and military because no one really knew what to do. I think we should have accountability for the U.S. missteps post-9/11." "I am morally opposed to the death penalty, especially given the torture. I try to empathize with everyone, but I do think there should be justice done and some form of punishment," Leila shares. "I don't think this is the way we should be doing it." She suggests trying the defendants in federal court - a move the Obama administration sought in 2008 but which was blocked by Congress - might result in a far more expeditious and less costly judicial process for all. For her, the trip proved impactful in many ways. "Healing is a long process. I've definitely had to process a lot of emotions because I couldn't really process them at 3 years old. I am still processing it. It's been hard in the weeks in post-Guantanamo, (but) I think it was really a worthwhile trip." For Jessica, there were points during the trip in which she felt she was participating in some sort of charade as the reality of what was transpiring struck home. It also "made me think really, really deeply for both sides." "I was waiting to feel something. It's hard to explain," she says. "I don't think they're innocent nor that anyone thinks they are innocent. They are Islamic jihadists. ... I didn't feel anger. I felt a lot of confusion, curiosity and sadness. It's sad, and a reminder of how sad 9/11 was, and how many people were affected and how many lives lost. "That sadness isn't directly connected to these men, no matter the outcome," she adds. "There is no way they are going to be released." Like her sister, Jessica says she feels "there is significant evidence they are guilty (and) probably deserve life sentences." How each woman spends a particular 9/11 anniversary now depends on where she is. Says Leila, "I always talk to my mom and sister that day. I have very close friends so I definitely spend time with them. I try to take care of myself and remember my dad." For Jessica, last year's anniversary saw her in Jordan where the Arabic immersion program required students to speak only in that language. "I did feel pretty emotional, kind of confused. I don't want to associate Muslim or Arabic people with 9/11. It's a connection I feel vehemently against. I don't associate that culture or religion with 9/11. It was one of the reasons I started learning about it." Jessica remembers she mentioned to the mother of her host family "how I was kind of sad my dad died on this day. It was a struggle to explain." Then, the woman figured things out. "She was like, 'Oh my goodness, I so sorry,' (adding) that it was Arab people who did it. Even she made that connection, and I thought, 'How acceptable is that?' I didn't even know what to say." The following day, the mother circled back in their discussion and shared how there had been a terror attack in Amman on Nov. 9, 2005, one in which suicide bombers killed 60 people at a series of hotels. "She wanted to show me that we shared this common loss and took me to the memorial site," Jessica remembers of what she says was a particularly inspirational moment for her. As each anniversary comes to pass, Jessica says, "I try to think of my dad, and I do. It's hard to think of someone who you don't really know, but in a lot of ways I do feel connected with him. I have a lot of qualities I know I didn't get from my mom." Their aunt, Ann Murphy, says it's her nieces' curiosity and love of adventure and travel that most mirror the brother she misses to this day. Asked what he might think of his children, she doesn't miss a beat: "Oh, Brian would be tremendously proud of them. You do see Brian in them. It's unbelievable." She remembers with laughter his post-master's degree summer adventures, which took him and three friends off on a "grand vacation," first to California, then to Maui and on to New Zealand, Australia and Tahiti, from where he called home, asking his parents to change his flight reservation so he could extend the journey by an extra week. "I would not be going on those adventures," Ann Murphy says. "Brian loved to travel. He loved to meet people. He was very social, very adventurous and curious about the world. (Jessica and Leila) are the embodiment of his spirit." Retired as an English teacher from Southwick-Tolland Regional High School, she marvels at the women the two have become. "Given the fact their dad was killed in 9/11, they might have gone the other way where intolerance exists. (Instead) they want to improve the world," Ann Murphy says. She credits the guidance of her sister-in-law, who, she says, "did an excellent job in raising them, exposing them to opportunities which have led them to be dedicated in pursuing causes they believe in." "I am very proud of the fact that they have pursued higher education with enthusiasm and exploration. They are not afraid to try new subjects," Ann Murphy says. "They want to experience the world and, once they do, they want to improve the human condition, to make a difference in the world. I'm convinced both of them will." Cynthia G. Simison is managing editor of The Republican. She may be reached by email at csimison@repub.com. A 66-year-old man was killed Sunday morning when he was struck by a train in Cambridge. MBTA Transit Police officers responded to call for a person struck by a Red Line train at Porter Square in Cambridge around 7 a.m. Authorities did not release the man's name. Police say the man was on the right of way roughly 10 yards into the northbound tunnel when he was struck. A temporary bus shuttle service was set up during delays. Authorities say service has resumed and the scene is clear. Transit Police detectives and the Middlesex District Attorney's Office is investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident. Foul play is not suspected. The 21-year-old man who fell off a cruise ship near Peddocks Island Saturday night has been identified as Aaron Dibella of Peabody. Dibella died after he fell from the vessel. The company running the cruise ship said he was involved in horseplay before falling off the vessel. The Plymouth County District Attorney's office said around 8:40 p.m., the cruise ship Providence II, broadcasted a man overboard in the area around the island, located in Hull. Authorities said a security guard on the ship jumped into the water to help Dibella but was unable to locate him. The security guard was able to get out of the water. The Coast Guard, Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Environmental Police responded to the scene. A scan sonar by Environmental Police located the victim around 11 p.m. State Police divers entered the water around 12:45 a.m. Sunday and located the victim in the Fore River Channel in Weymouth. Dibella was taken to the Coast Guard station at Point Allerton in Hull. The district attorney's office continues to investigate the death. The medical examiner's office will determine cause and manner of death. A cousin told WCVB that Dibella was in the Army. Bay State Cruises, the company operating the vessel, said Dibella fell into the water after "engaging in horseplay aboard the vessel." "The tragic and overwhelming sadness that has swept through all of us; our crew, our staff - everyone associated with our company - has left us without adequate words to express just how sorry we are for the family and friends of the gentleman that went overboard", said Bay State Cruise Company's owner, Michael Glasfeld. "We had him located and illuminated with the ship's spot light, the several life rings were within just a few feet of him, and a crew member was additionally in the water also within five feet of him to assist." The statement said minutes before he fell, Dibella was engaged in a "type of vertical push up from the bulwark of the vessel." A crew member told him to climb down. "Although the passenger initially appropriately responded to the warning of the crew member and climbed back down onto the deck, when the crew member turned to go back into the interior of the vessel, the passenger started in on the even more dramatic form of dangerous play," the company said. Glasfeld said the company aches for Dibella's family. "To our passengers we say, we so, so sincerely regret that your night on the water should be marked by such tragedy," Glasfeld said. " To our crew, we say, bless you for your efforts and commitment to your training, and, to the family of the lost passenger, there are no words - none - to convey our deepest and most sincere sympathies. We are heartbroken." AGAWAM -- Tennessee Gas Pipeline will be before the Conservation Commission on Thursday, seeking a determination of applicability for its "261 Upgrade and Loop Project." The Kinder Morgan subsidiary plans to boost horsepower at its compressor station near the Connecticut border, and build a new, two-mile pipeline loop heading north toward West Springfield. The project would alter 25 new acres, widen an existing right-of-way, cross five streams, affect wetlands, convert some farmland, and impact habitat for two rare reptiles, according to a filing. Tennessee's new 12-inch diameter pipeline would start at the 1615 Suffield Street compressor, cross the road, head north, and cross Shoemaker Lane, Gold Street, and Silver Street before terminating at a tie-in for Columbia's distribution network. While Tennessee has said the route was chosen to minimize impact to residential properties, the state recently required a full, two-step environmental impact report from the company, and demanded more information about emissions and other topics. Tennessee will need a variety of state and federal permits in addition to approval from the local conservation commission, which oversees wetlands law compliance. The Agawam project is designed to support separate plans by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts to increase its delivery capacity in the Pioneer Valley. TGP plans a related expansion project in Longmeadow. Correction: A previous version said TGP would seek an order of conditions from the commission. They are in fact seeking a determination of applicability. If you go: What: Agawam Conservation Commission When: Sept. 13, 2018, 6 p.m. Where: Agawam Public Library, 750 Cooper St. SPRINGFIELD- Under cloudy skies, a crowd gathered at The Plaza at MGM Springfield on Saturday to rock out as Jam Fest 2018 was underway. The second annual event, which is presented by the Springfield Business Improvement District, was a free, all-day music festival featuring a variety of local and regional artists including returning performers Michelle Brooks-Thompson, Trailer Trash, FAT as well as newcomers Quinn Sullivan, Duppy Conquerors, The Big Sway and Grayson Ty. Local food and specialty vendors included Frigos, Sun Kim Bop, Palazzo Cafe, Simply Grace, Spin that Records and Wonderland Gifts. Springfield Jam Fest will continue to donate proceeds to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Massachusetts. Last year, the music festival raised over $10,000 to the organization which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education and advocacy. This year's event sponsors included MassLive, United Bank, Bud Light, Wormtown Brewing Company, MassMutual, KIX 100.9, MIX 93.1, News Talk Radio 560, Dunkin' Donuts, Springfield Sheraton, Rock 102 and Nicebox. SPRINGFIELD - The Mattoon Street Arts Festival features more than 100 exhibitors and food vendors nestled under stately London Plane shade trees and cast iron ornamental street lights. The 46th edition of the two-day festival, which calls itself the longest running arts festival in the Pioneer Valley, continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many of the exhibitors have been coming here for years. Deborah O'Neill is making her 13th showing at the festival, featuring European photos, paintings and photo paintings. "I take photos that look like paintings and do paintings that look like photos," she said. Jan Bajgair of Janjems of South Deerfield is back for her 10th festival. She uses her hands to form metal clay into jewelry. The material is metal, not clay. "No, it's not hard," Bajgair said. "It's therapeutic. I love it." The street festival is organized by neighborhood volunteers to raise money to maintain the area, which features a quaint street of restored Victorian row houses. The festival features works of ceramics, glass, fiber, wood, metal, jewelry, photography, printmaking and more. Only works created by the artists and exhibitors themselves are allowed. Free parking is available at the nearby TD Bank lot, and admission is free. HOLYOKE - Ward 1 Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez will hold a meeting Thursday at the Holyoke Public Library concerning drugs, blight, trash, sex trafficking and homelessness that affect the quality of life for residents. Lebron-Martinez filed an order at the council's Sept. 5 meeting that mentions problems near Lawrence School, the Chestnut Street corridor, Churchill, Prospect Heights and bordering wards. The council forwarded Lebron-Martinez's order to the Public Safety Committee, Police and Fire Departments, Board of Health, the mayor's office and other city departments. Lebron-Martinez and Samantha Singh, who lives on Sargeant Street, asked residents and business owners to sign a petition that addresses the chronic quality-of-life issues that plague the community. Homeless individuals camp in alleyways or inside boarded-up buildings, Lebron-Martinez said. She invited council members to attend the meeting. Singh told the council residents want the drug, criminal and sex trafficking activities in the neighborhood curtailed. "I've been knocking on doors, and every resident has signed the petition," she said. "No one refused me. Everyone agreed." She invited residents, business owners, and Lawrence School parents to the meeting. She often participates in neighborhood cleanups. "I can look out my window and see these people getting high all the time," Singh said. "I call the police all the time. There's only so much they can do. The Police and Fire Departments need a whole lot more support." Ward 2 Councilor Nelson Roman said the ongoing problems cut across Wards 1, 2 and 4. He commended the Chestnut Street Alliance for engaging and rallying the community. Roman dubbed the street lighting in Churchill, while energy efficient, as "horrendous," offering poor illumination, a public safety risk. He asked the council to forward a copy of the order to Holyoke Gas and Electric. He added the neighborhoods lack adequate trash receptacles. "If you don't physically have a place to put trash, then there's no other place to put it," he said. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Thursday inside the library's Community Room. AMHERST - A college student attacked a paramedic and then kicked and punched three others and one Hadley Police officer while being brought to the hospital Saturday night. The University of Massachusetts student, whose name and age was not released, was arrested and faces three counts of assault and battery on an EMT, which is a felony, and one count of assault and battery on a police officer, Hadley Police Officer John Robitaille said. Amherst Fire Department paramedics treated a man injured in a fight at about 6 p.m. on Hobart Lane. They were bringing him to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton when he removed the straps holding him on the stretcher, Fire Chief Tim Nelson said. While a paramedic's back was turned, the man punched him in the back of his head, knocking him down, and he then continued to punch the employee, he said. The second paramedic, who was driving the ambulance, called for assistance, pulled over the ambulance and jumped in the back to help his partner. A second Amherst ambulance crew which was nearby turned around and assisted and Hadley police also responded because the ambulance was parked on Route 9 in that town, he said. The man continued to fight with the four paramedics and the police officer, kicking and punching them. He was finally subdued and brought to the ambulance, Nelson said. Four of the five responders suffered bruises and other minor injuries. The paramedic who was punched first has been placed on medical leave and being evaluated for a possible concussion, Nelson said. The attacker was treated at the hospital for undisclosed injuries and then released to police custody, Robitaille said. "Why would you expect someone who is trying to help you attack you," Nelson said. "This could have been a lot worse if he grabbed something that could have been used as a weapon." Nelson said he is infuriated about the attack and will pursue the case. He said he has also contacted the University of Massachusetts at Amherst dean of students since the man is a student there. "I'm not going to stand for this. Our people are trying to help," he said. "People are working hard to care for others." AMHERST - A porch to a multi-family house collapsed Friday night displacing 15 University of Massachusetts students who had just returned to college. A group of students were standing on the porch at 15 Fearing St at about 11:30 a.m. when it collapsed. No one was injured and when firefighters responded to the scene most had left the home, Fire Chief Tim Nelson said. "The entire porch structure was rotting away and sometimes you find this out when they fail," Nelson said. Firefighters notified the building inspector and other authorities, he said. The building inspector condemned the home because the second exit to the home leads to the porch so it cannot be used. Safety codes require all homes to have at least two clear exits, Nelson said. The property owner is currently housing students in hotel rooms until the porch can be rebuilt. Nelson said it is likely to take several weeks for the repairs to be made, especially if more damage is found at the house. "We notified UMass as well. The University does step up and take care of their students even if they are living off campus," he said. In late April, University officials offered on-campus housing and a meal plan to 21 students who were displaced after a fire badly damaged their Main Street home about two weeks before the end of the semester. Several were later arrested in the blaze which was caused by people setting off fireworks in an apartment. FOXBORO - The Massachusetts Air National Guard will celebrate the home opening game for the New England Patriots with a flyover during the opening ceremony. The 104th Fighter Wing located at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield will fly its F-15 Eagle jets in formation over the stadium at about 1 p.m., Sunday. The Patriots will take on the Houston Texans. Seen@ New England Patriots season opener against Houston 101 Gallery: Seen@ New England Patriots season opener against Houston "The F-15 Eagles will fly in formation serving as a symbol of air power and patriotism," said Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey, of the public affairs department for the wing. The flyovers performed by the 104th Fighter Wing during special events serve as n additional training opportunity for the pilots and ground crews and are scheduled as part of the regular annual flying training plan when the operational mission allows, she said. Crews from the 104th Fighter Wing and the nearby 439th Airlift Wing located at Westover Air Reserve Base, in Chicopee, conduct a variety of flyovers at Patriots games, the Springfield July 4 fireworks, Memorial Day parades and Veterans Day events. Lori Trahan announced her lead for the race for the Democratic primary for the Massachusetts 3rd Congressional District has more than doubled with more than 80 percent of the votes certified by city and town clerks. Trahan, who was in a tight contest against Dan Koh, made the announcement Saturday. "As we have said since Tuesday, Dan is committed to making sure all ballots are counted," Koh's campaign said in a statement. "That is why we are moving forward with our petition for a recount. We want the process to progress as swiftly as possible so that the ultimate nominee will have adequate time and resources to win in November." Trahan's lead more than doubled from 52 votes to 131 votes, according to her camp. Among the communities reporting include Andover, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen, Chelmsford, Fitchburg, Acton, Concord and Carlisle. Trahan announced victory late Tuesday night when 99 percent of the votes were in. "A big part of campaigning is about building trust with the people you will represent in Washington. I believe it is vital for everyone to have confidence in the result of this week's primary, and I respect the right of the Koh campaign to pursue a recount," Trahan said at her "Women for Lori" rally in Lowell. "But I continue to believe that when all the votes are counted again, I will remain the Democratic nominee for Congress." Both candidates sought a recount in the election. A recount in the 3rd District primary could start in the following week. The recount must be finished by Sept. 17. The winner will face Republican Rick Green and Independent Mike Mullen in the November general election. The incumbent, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, is retiring. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 7, 2018 Elite SEM has announced the acquisition of San Diego-based CPC Strategy, known for its expertise in Amazon, as well as retail and e-commerce. The acquisition represents Elite SEM's third acquisition since partnering with private equity firm Mountaingate Capital in February 2017. The CPC Strategy investment will allow Elite SEM to more deeply support brands running ads across Amazon. CPC Strategy brings to the combined company a team of 125 employees, including the founding members, who provide services such as media planning and placement, creative and content services, and data and analytics. About 45 specialists focus on Amazon marketing and advertising. Clients at CPC Strategy include Pfizer, Reef, Guthy Renker, The Honest Company, Hallmark, Nestle, Comvita, Riddell, Unilever's Seventh Generation, and Nutrisystem, as well as many Amazon-only sellers. The combined company will have more than 500 employees this year. We took a look at hundreds of companies in this space that support advertising at Amazon, said Zach Morrison, president, Elite SEM, told Search Marketing Daily. CPC Strategy was the perfect fit, from their relationship with Amazon to the technology they built. advertisement advertisement Morrison estimates the company will close out 2018 with $86 million in combined revenue, rising to more than $100 million in 2019. For now, the CPC Strategy brand will reside under the Elite SEM umbrella. Nii Ahene, co-founder and chief operating officer at CPC Strategy, will remain with the combined company to oversee the integration. Integration will take at least one year, he said. As we map together the teams, Ill shift toward innovation and strategy. The acquisition includes CPC Strategy's proprietary Amazon media and bid optimization platform, CAPx. When Kerala was battling with one of the worst floods in the state's history, the world saw some real heroes in action, who were neither wearing any cape nor any metallic suit or powerful weapons. All they carried with them was courage, bravery and a strong will to rescue each and every person who was stuck in the deluge. One such brave hero was this fisherman Jaisal, who knelt down on all fours in knee-deep water, and offered his back to the women to climb onto the rescue boat. This man commands our respect for this heartwarming gesture. Twitter Although, no amount of words or actions are enough to salute the efforts of the volunteers, NDRF members, Indian Navy, Army, fishermen and the local police during the rescue operations; people are doing their bit to thank these unsung heroes. Social media was already filled with praise and good wishes for Jaisal, now Mahindra and its dealer in Kerala called Eram Motors have rewarded him with a brand new Mahindra Marazzo for his heroic efforts. Twitter The car's key was officially handed over to Jaisal by Kerala Excise and Labour minister TP Ramachandran. Jaisal said that the situation, where he saw women facing a difficulty in climbing onto the boat, prompted him to do it. He didn't do it for any fame or reward. Anand Mahindra too tweeted about this kind gesture. Jaisal was overjoyed after he recieved the gift and said that he will use it for social good in the future too. The world needs more selfless and brave people like Jaisal who don't think twice before risking their lives to save others. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, will carry out a visit to Norway on 10 September. He will meet, in Oslo, with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ine Eriksen Sreide, at the Latters invitation. The talks will focus on bilateral relations and further development of cooperation between the two countries. Regional and international issues will also be discussed, including the future of Europe, EU-Norway relations, the situation in the Western Balkans, and the handling of the refugee and migration crisis. On the same day, Mr. Kotzias will speak at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), an eminent state research institute and think tank of internationally recognized standing. He will speak on principles of Greek foreign policy in Southeast Europe. 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 California's 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. Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens said the case still shows up in reports he receives on how the village is being portrayed on social media. He has no regrets about putting the investigative materials onto Rosemonts website, he said, but found it ironic that many refuse to take it at face value. The older man suffered a gunshot wound to his right arm and was taken to the same hospital, where his condition was stabilized. MIDDLETOWN The Department of Planning, Conservation and Development will be expanding after the Common Council approved a new position at its last meeting. The vote passed unanimously last week to appropriate the funds of $85,092.80 for a new city planner position. According to the job description, the purpose of the position is to review development applications and development projects, and the implementation of planning activities for the city. There are other vacancies within the department, including zoning enforcement officer and environmental specialist. The council also approved the reclassification of the deputy director post to community development specialist, a city position vacated when former deputy director Bruce Driska retired in 2017. What were missing is that full staff and complement of people that we can rely on and trust on to really help us do our jobs well as elected personnel, said Commissioner Elizabeth Emery. Common Councilwoman Linda Salafia did not agree on how the department will be reorganized, however, she voted in favor of the proposal. I am going to vote in favor of them because I feel like a salmon swimming upstream. Im not making any headway, so I will be supporting these because you cant stop the train. Residents urged leaders to approve the new position but emphasized the importance of hiring qualified, vetted candidates. Certified planner and Middletown resident Laura Baum spoke in support of the hires during the public hearing. She holds a masters degree in urban planning and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Ive seen the process that goes through, the education thats required to get that certification, as well as the ongoing professional development that is required, and Ive seen what that can bring, and I think that is really important for the city of Middletown, Baum said. The new city planner will be required to be AICP certified a designation some have criticized Director of Planning Joseph Samolis for lacking. AICP is a professional institute that provides the only nationwide, independent verification of planners qualifications, according to its website. In an email to commissioners, resident David Stott expressed deep concern over decisions being made in the department and stressed the need for a certified planner within the office. There is uncontrolled development going on all over Middletown without any consideration toward the neighborhoods or the area, Stott said in the email. He argued that traffic has become a nightmare on Newfield Street and feels Washington Street is rapidly becoming Middletowns version of the Berlin Turnpike. Planning and Zoning Chairman Stephen Devoto expressed his concerns during the public hearing. We need not just a planner in the city in title; our city needs someone with a working knowledge of the principles of planning, knowledge of the states statutes regarding land use, regulations, sustainable development practices; knowledge of the best practices in urban design, preserving cultural resources, adaptive reuse and building renovation, housing, transit, street design, parking, active transportation retail, environmental practices and land conservation. Devoto further urged leaders to maintain transparency in the hiring process by ensuring candidates are vetted by planning professionals, and that the position be open to the public. The more open the hiring process is, the more confidence the public has in the person, the stronger they will be, and the better off we will be as a city. Concerns over the hiring process stem from controversy over Samolis appointment to director of the department despite pushback last year. Having previously served as Mayor Daniel Drews chief of staff, Samolis was nominated for the position by the mayor despite not having the minimum educational requirements and certifications to qualify for the job. During an April 2017 meeting, the common council voted to rewrite the job description to no longer require masters-level course work in the field and offer the ability to obtain AICP certification within three years of appointment. Samolis was appointed director shortly after, replacing Michiel Wackers, who was AICP certified. Samolis did not return a call and email for comment. Some members are optimistic about the newly approved position within the department and feel the decision was a step in the right direction. I think the new position will help out Joe Samolis, and I think its something that the department needs. I know there was a lack of people in the office. I think its good that we will have someone else to ease the burden. Hopefully, we can have that department working more effectively for the city, Commissioner Tyrell Brown said. Im pleased the positions were approved, and I hope they will be filled as soon as possible, Devoto said after the meeting. NEW HAVEN A Madison man was killed after his car fell into the Mill River on Sunday morning. A witness saw the car, which was driving on Grand Avenue where the road goes over the water, go into the river around 8:30 a.m., said Rick Fontana, emergency operations director in New Haven. The witness called 911 and police and firefighters arrived quickly afterward. The man was attacked by a male on a sidewalk in the 200 block of South State Street around 10 p.m. Still undetermined is whether the impact caused the October leak, or if the line was hit by something else at a later date. FLINT, MI -- A 20-year-old man is in critical condition at a local hospital following a shooting early Saturday morning in Flint. Officers told around 5:45 a.m. Sept. 8 that the victim had arrived at Hurley Medical Center, 1, Hurley Plaza, in a personally-owned vehicle for treatment of a gunshot wound. He was listed in critical condition by medical personnel. The scene where the shooting took place and suspect information are unknown at this time, police said. Anyone with information on a shooting that occurred around that time has been asked to contact Det./Tpr. Jason Walters at 810-237-6916 or report a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245) or on the P3 Tips app. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Republican lieutenant governor nominee Lisa Posthumus Lyons' family home in Alto was significantly damaged in a fire on Sunday, Sept. 9. According to a release from Republican Governor candidate Bill Schuette's campaign, the fire started in the garage and spread throughout the home. The home is likely to be a total loss, the campaign said. The Posthumus Lyons' family is assessing the situation to determine where they will relocate temporarily, according to the release. All of the family members are safe and accounted for, the release said. "Lisa and her husband Brad, and their children Easton, Charlie, Gage, and Fisher, thank everyone for their prayers and offers of assistance. They are very grateful for the firefighters, sheriffs, deputies, and first responders who rushed to the scene," the campaign said in a new release. It was the childhood home of Posthumus Lyons and her siblings, the campaign said. Schuette named Lisa Posthumus Lyons as his lieutenant governor running mate in August. She currently serves as Kent County Clerk, a job she took after being term-limited out of the Michigan House of Representatives. In the House she took on leadership roles within the House Republican caucus, chairing House committees on education, ethics and elections. Posthumus Lyons' father, Dick Posthumus, served as lieutenant governor under former governor John Engler. NEWAYGO COUNTY, MI -- A White Cloud man was killed when his vehicle crashed into some trees in Newaygo County. Police identified the man as Daniel Bourassa. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report by Michigan State Police. The single-vehicle crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, on Walnut Avenue, north of 40th Street, in Everett Township. Police said Bourassa's vehicle was southbound on Walnut Avenue when it failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The vehicle left the roadway and crashed into some trees, causing the vehicle to overturn. Bourassa was the lone occupant of the vehicle. Police said alcohol and speed are believed to be contributing factors to the crash, which remains under investigation by state police. Troopers were assisted on scene by the White Cloud Police Department, White Cloud Fire Department, and Life EMS. SPRING LAKE, MI - The transformation of downtown Spring Lake seems to be on the horizon. To many passersby, it may not seem that there is a downtown in the village. That's what entrepreneur Kim VanKampen is setting out to change. With more than 7 million cars passing through M-104/Savidge Street annually, VanKampen says the historic downtown Spring Lake should be a year-round destination. Her plan to completely overhaul three vacant downtown buildings will be on the Spring Lake Planning Commission agenda on Tuesday, Sept. 25. If the plan is approved, the buildings at 108 and 110/112 W. Savidge St. would be demolished. The new three-story buildings could house retail and residential units. The building at 106 W. Savidge St. would be renovated into a two-story restaurant with a rooftop deck. The project is expected to be complete by spring 2020, according to the website. VanKampen is a Florida resident who calls Spring Lake home during summers. Since October 2017, she has purchased six buildings in and near the downtown, investing more than $2 million in real estate acquisition. "Something had to change - if not me, someone else," VanKampen said previously of the downtown area in which one building has been unused for more than a decade. "I hope that this is an accelerator. ... I hope other people will invest." VanKampen did not immediately return a call for comment. A sign featuring a rendering of the three-building complex now blocks out the windows of 106 W. Savidge. It also says, "Future home of Epicurean Village." "I am very impressed with what Ms. VanKampen has put together," said Christine Burns, Spring Lake Village manager. VanKampen's focus for the complex's design is historical integrity. The hope is that the Epicurean Village will be an amenity that serves locals year-round. She's partnered with Progressive AE, GDK Construction and real estate agent Sandi Gentry, among others. "She has done a lot of historic research and assembled a very talented team of people who have designed some extremely attractive buildings," Burns said. "This is a very exciting time for the village as we believe this will be the tipping point for other development downtown. Our goal has been to create a destination and no longer be a pass-through community. Kim's significant investment has the potential to be the change we've been working towards. Most communities can only dream of a project such as this." There will be a public hearing regarding the plan at the commission meeting on Sept. 25. The proposed residential units above first-floor commercial space requires a special land use permit, said Jennifer Howland, Spring Lake village planner. The commission will also consider building elevations. If the planning commission approves the plan, the Spring Lake Village Council would consider a joint parking agreement with the developer since no private parking is proposed, Howland added. While the three connected Savidge Street properties are the top priority for VanKampen, she also plans to renovate three other properties. Plans have not been revealed. The properties are the Haight Professional Building, 109 S. Jackson St.; Citgo gas station, 411 W. Savidge St.; and Bilz Pool and Spa, 304 W. Savidge St. The Citgo will be demolished. The six properties were purchased during October 2017 and January 2018 for a total of $2.14 million. Here's the breakdown: Bilz Pool and Spa, 304 W. Savidge St., $400,000, Jan. 31, 2018 Citgo gas station, 411 W. Savidge St., $315,000, Jan. 15, 2018 108 W. Savidge St., $165,000, Oct. 25, 2018 106 W. Savidge St., $550,000, Oct. 23, 2017 110/112 W. Savidge St., $400,000, Oct. 23, 2017 Haight Professional Building, 109 S. Jackson St., $310,000, Oct. 23, 2017 The VanKampen family's love of Spring Lake began in 1950s when Kim VanKampen's grandparents bought a vacation home on the lake, she said. Kim VanKampen owns a summer home on Spring Lake and Hampton Greens Horse Farm in Fruitport. GRAND HAVEN, MI - Beach lovers, beware: Water temperatures in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have really taken the plunge as of Sunday. In some places along the coast, temperatures have fallen 20 degrees in the last day, according to the National Weather Service. Lake Michigan readings earlier today showed 44 degrees at Grand Haven State Park, and 48 degrees at both the South Haven and Bridgman buoys. Temperatures had been in the 60s just 24 hours earlier, the NWS said. "Jumping into cold water can be deadly. You have one minute after being submerged in cold water to get your breathing under control. The cold shock of the water can cause involuntary gasping, making it hard for you to catch your breath, and increasing the potential to swallow water," the NWS office in Grand Rapids warned. They're talking about the 1:10:1 rule, which staff at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City explained to MLive readers earlier this year. Both boaters and swimmers should take this rule to heart, the station's rescue crews said. 1: "Any time you get immersed in cold water, your initial reaction is just to gasp," Lt. Ted Borny said. If that happens, you could suck in a gulp of water and start to drown. Instead, keep your head above water for that first minute and steady your breathing. Get control so you can survive. 10: You've got 10 minutes where your body will function well enough in cold water to pull yourself back into your boat, or swim to shore if you're very close. This is your self-rescue window. After this, you'll likely lose control of your muscles. "This is why we push life jackets so much," Borny said. "If you are not wearing a life jacket, you are going to be going down from there." "Life jackets allow you to cough water out of your lungs, take a breath of air and regroup." 1: It can take about one hour for hypothermia to make you lose consciousness. If you're not wearing a life jacket, it's unlikely you'll make it that long. Lake Huron also has some cold spots. Water off Oscoda was showing a temperature of 53 degrees earlier today, while Bay Port was at 49 degrees, according to the NOAA's Coast Watch readings. Lake Superior water temperature appeared to be holding steady in the high 50s and into the 60s along the Michigan's Upper Peninsula coastline. A stretch of warming weather is forecast for this week, so there's a good chance we'll see the waters in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron warm up again. Last Thursday, authorities said Jackson tried to rob a female CPS employee walking to work around 6:10 a.m. in the 500 block of North Leavitt Street a short distance from Mitchell Elementary School. When the woman told her assailant that she had no money, Jackson forced her into a gangway and then made her undress, Gamboney said. After fondling the woman, she screamed and managed to escape her attacker, he said. She packed a bag and she left, said Anderson, who said she hasnt seen her daughter since Friday morning when she left for school. The girls father informed Anderson that their daughter came back after school, changed and left home without letting the family know where she was going. "We need to be more civil to one other, Durbin said. We need to obviously do our job. But at the end of the day, we need to have a focus on the fact that this country moves forward when we do it in a positive way, with mutual tolerance and forbearance, and I will tell you we have not seen that from this president." Moneycontrol News The government is considering relieving the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) of its regulatory duties and plans to create a separate entity to handle such functions, The Financial Express reported. The rationale behind the proposal is to avoid conflict of interest, since EPFO is both Indias largest provident fund (PF) provider and a regulator. The Labour Ministry has already begun working on the division after a suggestion from the Finance Ministry, sources told the paper. The Finance Ministry suggested that the bifurcation be implemented after identifying and separating regulatory activities from that of the PF provider, the report said. As per the Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the EPFO can penalize firms that dont follow the Acts instructions. The EPFO also acts as a service provider to around six crore beneficiaries throughout India. Parliamentary approval is required if changes are to be made to the provisions under the Act. The Financial Services Department has recommended regulation of PF trusts that are excluded from the EPFOs scope, the report said. At present, certain trusts are allowed to manage retirement funds for exempted and excluded categories. A consensus needs to be built across various government departments on making the EPFO the regulator for all provident funds, including the exempted and excluded categories, sources told the paper. A standing committee, in a report to the Lok Sabha, had expressed the need to create a regulatory mechanism for all PF trusts. Flipkart Walmart The acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart may negatively impact the net income of the latter this fiscal and also the next, said Walmart in its recent regulatory filing. The US retail giant had last month said it completed the acquisition of 77 percent stake in Flipkart Group, an Indian-based eCommerce marketplace, for approximately $16 billion. "We also expect the ongoing operations of Flipkart to negatively impact fiscal 2019 and 2020 net income, including additional interest expense due to the long-term debt issuance in the second quarter of of fiscal 2019," Walmart said. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, Walmart will consolidate the financial statements of Flipkart using a one-month lag, it added. Speaking in an investors meet in US recently, Douglas McMillon President, CEO and Director Walmart Inc said they are learning about retail ecosystems and how they work around the world. We're learning a lot from China. We'll be learning even more from India.And we basically want to be in places that have a tremendous opportunity, which is what led us to Flipkart in India," he said in response to a query. According to him, Flipkart, which has a strong management team, was built out an ecosystem. In the case of India, it's worth it. If it had been a smaller market, we may have passed. But this is a unique opportunity. And when you look out 5, 10, 20 years from now, time will tell," McMillo had said. As Flipkart is expected to generate meaningful losses for at least the next few years, this is clearly an investment for Walmart for the future," Moody's Vice President Charlie O'Shea had earlier said in a report commenting on the acquisition. Foreign investors have pulled out a massive Rs 5,600 crore from the Indian capital markets in the last five trading sessions, after putting in money during the previous two months, on unabated fall in rupee and rise in crude oil prices. The latest outflow comes following a net infusion of close to Rs 5,200 crore in the capital markets, both equity and debt, last month and Rs 2,300 crore in August. Prior to that, overseas investors had pulled out over Rs 61,000 crore during April-June. According to the latest depository data, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) withdrew a net sum of Rs 1,021 crore from equities during September 3-7 and a net amount of Rs 4,628 crore from the debt market, taking the total to Rs 5,649 crore. Market analysts attributed the latest outflow to the fall in the rupee, rise in crude oil prices, concerns over markets regulator Sebi's FPI circular and weakness in global markets. Foreign investors lobby group Asset Managers Roundtable of India (AMRI) last week said that USD 75 billion will flow out of India if Sebi implements its proposed norms on KYC and beneficial ownership. However, the markets regulator brushed aside the concerns and termed the claim as "preposterous and highly irresponsible". According to Himanshu Srivastava, Senior Research Analyst at Morningstar, there is a fair bit of uncertainty and cautiousness among FPIs at the moment. "The focus of FPIs would be on their sustainability over the long-term," he said. Overall, so far this year, FPIs have pulled out over Rs 3,400 crore from equities and more than Rs 42,600 crore from the debt markets. State-run power major NTPC's trading arm NVVN will begin power supply of 300 MW to Bangladesh from midnight Sunday. "The 300 MW power supply to Bangladesh by the NVVN will commence from 00:00 hrs of 10th September 2018," NTPC said in a statement. NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited. According to the statement, NVVN signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) on September 6, 2018 at Dhaka for supply of 300 MW power from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and back to back agreement has also been signed with the DVC. The company said the testing of additional 500 MW Baharampur (India) Bheramara (Bangladesh) High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link has been completed. This will be used to supply power to Bangladesh. BPDB had invited bids for buying 500 MW power from Indian firms under short-term (June 1, 2018 - December 31, 2019) and long-term (January 1, 2020 - May, 31 2033) timeframes. Vodafone Idea (Image: Reuters) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Vodafone India and Idea Cellular recently merged to form Indias largest telecom company of India, Vodafone Idea, about two months behind schedule. This new union targets $10 billion synergies from both companies, with a major part being rationalisation of tower tenancies, but may have to cap its employee headcount to 15,000 levels, The Economic Times reports. Both companies will have to lay off about 2,500 from their total staff of 17,500-18,000. Many employees may get absorbed in the parent companies of two telecomsAditya Birla Group and Vodafone groupothers will have to be let go of. There will be some rationalisation, which is natural, and the company will look at reducing about 2,000-2,500 employees in the next few months, a senior company official told the paper. The new firm, officials told the paper, will treat employees from both merging partners Vodafone India and Idea equally. The company will take care of the welfare of employees completely, with reasonable severance packages and internal transfers within parent companies, the official added. The newly merged entity will also control promotions and incentives while it is starting out, sources told the paper. Even hikes will be skipped this year as the main motive of the company is to settle into the market and pace ahead of competition, it stated. The company is also seeing voluntary attrition, which would naturally reduce headcount. Many operators have wound up their business, merged or shut shop as the telecom business has seen tough times, and employee exits have been on in the last two years. A Bank of America Merrill Lynch report said integration of the two companies will be the most critical for the post-merger entity. One is a domestic company while the other is an international one. On day 1 of the merger, the 2 tenancies of each of these sites will be accounted as 1 tenancy and 1 loading, which should result in Rs 2,000 crore savings on an annualised basis according to estimates, it said. As per the report, the new company has 73,000 overlapping sites, adding that the next steps of integration would involve removing the overlapping 3G/4G equipment, which would lead to power savings. Yes Bank Focussing aggressively on the retail segment, Yes Bank aims to grow its retail loan book by 75 percent to around Rs 56,000 crore in the next two years, a top company official said. "For the last three to four years we have given our complete focus on the retail segment. We see a huge opportunity in retail. Currently, our retail asset book size is close to around Rs 32,000 crore. We would be looking to grow it to anything between Rs 55,000-56,000 crore by 2019-20," Rajan Pental, Group President and Group Head- Branch and Retail Banking, Yes Bank, told PTI in an interview. Prior to turning the focus on the retail segment, Yes Bank built a strong customer franchise and when the equation was right, with a large retail customer base, the bank decided to offer retail services across products, Pental said. "We entered this segment of business considering the fact that you need to have the entire range of products for all our valued customers," he said. Asked if the focus on retail base was driven by sluggish credit growth in the corporate loans segment, he said it is a "life-cycle development" for Yes Bank. "Unlike other banks, it is more like life-cycle development for us. We are completing our customer franchise. In our life-cycle, our objective is to get aggressive on retail. It is not because we thought something else is not doing well so we should get into it," he said. He said the bank has taken a differentiated approach of segregating branches geography-wise and offering tailor-made products as per the needs of customers. "We have different products for different markets. On a few products, there will be a focus on rural only, like small lending, tractor financing or farmer loans, while the urban and semi-urban markets have the entire range of products. "Our footprint of branches is across the country and we have now created rural and urban branches segregation," he explained on being asked how it plans to reach a wider base. As of end-June 2018, the bank had 1,100 branches, of which 400 are in rural and semi-urban areas. Yes Bank has a good number of branches in the rural areas to cater to the specific financing needs of the customers residing in those areas, Rajan said. Besides, the auto loans is a new product line which seems to have good potential for the bank, he added. In residential loans, the bank is seeing a good opportunity. "In mortgages space, we are an active player in affordable housing finance, besides our existing customers who need a luxury loan. We are seeing an upswing in affordable housing. We are seeing that the projects are delivered on time and the money rotation is good both for the builder as well as the financier," he said. Timely delivery of projects and government subsidy is also helping the affordable housing segment, which is boosting opportunities, he added. The bank is currently involved only in those affordable housing projects that are in the periphery of metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, among others. Rajan also said there is good traction in the affordable housing segment from the unorganised sector but the bank will be exercise caution before reaching out to those customers. Congress BJP, BJP Congress Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday that democracy is in danger in the BJP regime, and once again the Congress will have to stand up to save it. He was speaking at the concluding function of the first phase of the Congress's 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' in Western Maharashtra. "Maharashtra played a key role in the freedom struggle...freedom fighters from the rest of the country received energy from Maharashtra," Azad said. "The freedom struggle of the Congress then was to achieve a democratic rule in the country but today the same democracy, for which Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and thousands of freedom fighters gave their lives, is in danger and today the Congress has to rise up to save our democracy from a dictatorship," he said. "Before independence, the repression was done using bullets and sticks, but today it is being done using the Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate," he said. Only "two or three people" (in the BJP regime) are behind this repression, Azad said, without naming anyone. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP could fulfill none of their election promises. "If we do not stop the BJP now, more 'Bure Din' (bad days) are ahead," he said. Due to demonetisation and a poor implementation of the GST, the country is facing problems such as the soaring fuel prices, a rise in non-performing assets, agrarian crisis and an increase in terrorism, Kharge said. State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said the support this campaign received showed that the public sentiment is against the BJP government. Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said people are now saying that it was a mistake to vote for the BJP in 2014. "People have realised that the government has cheated them and this time they will not get cheated again," he said. The Centre is working on creating a single official website that will host every central law and its subsidiary Acts along with rules and procedures, according to a report by The Economic Times. The website, called India Code, is already up. However, the work of putting all laws on the mobile-friendly portal is ongoing. According to the report, the progress is being monitored by the Cabinet Secretary. India Code website In 2016, Vansh Sharad Gupta had filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking online access to Indian laws. The High Court has been reportedly regularly monitoring progress on its directions given in 2017. According to the court order, all Central Acts and subordinate legislations passed by the Centre, including rules, regulations, notifications and circulars, will be made available on the portal. The data uploaded on the portal would be available in machine readable PDF format. The court had said that navigation on the portal should be such that the complete law-making process, from the parent Act to the subordinate legislations, is clearly visible, the report added. All ministries and departments must have a nodal officer for this exercise, the high court had directed. The high court had said the portal should allow uploading of state government Acts, rules, regulations and subordinate legislations as well, it stated. "It doesn't take a bigger bureaucracy to clean our environment," Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., who chairs the House subcommittee overseeing the EPA's budget, said in a statement. "A lean and efficient workforce at the EPA is a win for taxpayers and the environment by allowing more funding to go towards efforts to clean our water and air." The agency also underwent buyouts during the Obama administration, but EPA still had about 15,000 employees when he left office. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said those involved in incidents of hate and lynching cannot call themselves nationalists while holding that legislation alone was not enough as a change in societal behaviour was required to prevent such cases. The vice president also expressed anguish over the politicisation of incidents of lynching, saying such cases should not be linked with political parties. "Societal change (is needed). This (lynching) is not because of this party or that party. The moment you attribute it to these parties, the cause is lost. That is what is happening, let me be very frank," he said. Asked about the incidents of hate and lynching, he said it was not a new trend and there were such instances in the past also. "It is the societal behaviour that has to change...when you kill the other man, how can you call yourself nationalist. On the basis of religion, on the basis of caste or on the basis of colour, or on the basis of gender, you discriminate. Nationalism, Bharat Mata Ki Jai has a wider meaning," Naidu told PTI in an interview on Tuesday. He said "some of these things" cannot be tackled through legislation alone, and a societal change was needed to check them. The government has been under attack from Congress and several other opposition parties for a spate of lynchings in various parts of the country in the last couple of years. According to Home Ministry data, around 40 people were lynched in nine states in the past one year. The opposition and various civil rights groups have also accused the government of not coming down hard on those involved in the incidents. On July 17, the Supreme Court said that "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued a slew of guidelines to deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism. It also asked the Centre to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with such incidents. A panel appointed by the government to examine ways to contain such incidents is believed to have recommended framing a new legislation. "When the Nirbhaya issue came, there was a clamour for Nirbhaya act. Nirbhaya act has come, did they stop. I am not getting into politics, the political parties they have their own way of highlighting it. I (had) said, what is required is not a mere bill, political will, administrative skill, and then go for the kill of the social evil. I had said in Parliament," said Naidu. Noting that there was also a debate on about nationalism in the country, Naidu said it should also be properly defined and articulated. "According to me nationalism or 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' means 'Jai Ho' to 130 crore people. Any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion or region is against nationalism," the vice president said. The Congress's women's wing chief on Sunday hit out at the BJP over the Women's Reservation Bill issue, alleging that the ruling party's "lack of conviction" was holding back the biggest social and political reform that India awaits. All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev also claimed that women in the BJP had no voice with not a single woman BJP MP or MLA speaking out against the recent incidents of rape. The (Women's Reservation) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJP and other parties. Now, the BJP has the numbers in the Lok Sabha, which we did not in 2009 to 2014, she told PTI in an interview. The BJP manifesto also expressly commits to it, but the ruling party has done nothing to revive the bill, the MP from Assam's Silchar said. "The Congress president (Rahul Gandhi) has agreed to support reservation, so has the TMC (Trinamool Congress), DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) and many other parties. "It is only the lack of conviction of the BJP that is holding back the biggest social and political reform that India awaits," Dev alleged. Referring to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) that had expressed its opposition to the bill, the BJP has slammed the opposition party of adopting "double standards" on the matter by being in alliance with those opposed to the bill, The Women's Reservation Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010, but is stalled in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lower House and state legislative assemblies. Ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to demonstrate his commitment to the cause of women, and ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during the session. Dev also attacked the government over the Triple Talaq Bill, saying the Congress was for any law that empowers women, but it was worried over the BJP's handling of triple talaq. "The bill criminalised a civil wrong without any discussion whatsoever with stakeholders. "Contrary to popular belief, this law is anti-woman. It pushes her into an adversarial position with her husband, so (it) closes the door for reconciliation," she said. Noting that the Supreme Court banned instant triple talaq because it gave no opportunity for reconciliation and was against Islam, Dev said the BJP has "no interest" in helping Muslim women as there is no provision for maintenance in the bill. The contentious Triple Talaq Bill, which criminalises the practice of instant "talaq", could not be taken up for passage in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session, owing to lack of consensus among political parties on the issue. Dev asserted that Gandhi was aggressively working on the agenda of women empowerment and said the Congress chief consistently writes to her to raise issues impacting women. For Rahul ji, women are not just symbolic, but they actually exert power within the party. Many other parties have women in place, but with no voice. Recently, not a single woman BJP MP or MLA has spoken against the recent incidents of rape, especially in Unnao, where a BJP MLA is accused. So they have no voice. They are silent on price rise too, Dev said. The Congress president is committed to political empowerment of women. The party's last plenary saw many more women enter the organisation, and the Congress Working Committee also has many prominent women, she noted. Asked about why very few women were part of the Congress leadership, Dev said things were changing and cited examples of Selja Kumari, Asha Kumari, Ranjeet Ranjan holding key positions in the party. The work culture is changing in the Mahila Congress. We are working more scientifically in the field. We are better coordinated with the AICC office bearers. We will give a pool of trained women leaders, she said. Asked what were the key women's issues the Congress would give priority in its manifesto for the 2019 polls, Dev, who was recently named in the manifesto committee set up by Gandhi, said, It will be a people's manifesto." "We will talk to women across different castes, communities, and then decide what to insert. As a party, we listen to people, we do not impose anything without consultation, she said. Kerala, which was ravaged by floods in August, is ready to welcome tourists from October, a senior official from the southern state said here Saturday. The Kerala Disaster Management Control Room Tuesday had stated that, since May 29, a total of 491 people had died there due to the rains, the maximum number of deaths occurring after August 8. "Kerala tourism is quickly bouncing back from the flood-related damage which has not affected most of the tourist spots, hotels and resorts in the state," P Bala Kiran, director, Kerala's Department of Tourism, told reporters. Addressing a press conference here on the sidelines of the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF), Bala Kiran said priority was being accorded to the restoration of road links in the state. He also said that that the arrival of tourists had started picking up from August 29. "Airports, road and rail networks are operational. The fourth airport at Kannur in north Kerala will be opened soon," he said, adding that the state's Malabar region would get a fillip due to Kannur airport. Munnar, Thekkady and Wayanad, which were affected due to rains and landslides, are now open for tourists and public as was Eravikulam National Park, he said. Kerala Travel Mart 2018, being held as scheduled from September 27-30, and the 4th edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art event in Asia, will be held from December 12, 2018 to March 19, 2019, he said. Bollywood star Sridevi checks her make-up during the making of a television serial "Malini Iyer", in Bombay January 15, 2004. Sridevi plays the title role of a housewife in the comedy serial which is scheduled for release on January 19. REUTERS/Sherwin Crasto SC/ - RP4DRIIDZOAA The Switzerland authorities are planning to install a statue of veteran Indian actor Sridevi, whose superhit movie "Chandni" was shot at the country's picturesque locations. The statue of the renowned Indian filmmaker, Yash Chopra, was unveiled in Interlaken in 2016. "Many of Chopra's films featured Switzerland as a backdrop and he is credited with boosting the popularity of the Alpine nation among Indian tourists. Now, considering Sridevi's role in promoting tourism here, there is a proposal to honour the actor by having her statue here," a senior official familiar with the development said. "The 1989 blockbuster 'Chandni' had also put Switzerland on centre stage as almost half the song and dance sequences in the film had a Swiss backdrop. Raj Kapoor's 1964 film "Sangam" was the first Indian film shot in Switzerland, which was followed by "An Evening in Paris" in 1967. Since then Bollywood made Switzerland their favourite shooting location paving way to cement the image of the country's alpine scenery as a romantic paradise for Indians. "However, for many Indian tourists visiting the country today, it is Chopra's 1995 production 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' that is their Swiss point of reference. Interestingly, for the tourists who happen to be cinema fanatics, there is also a provision to arrange Bollywood packaged trips here," the official said. The government of Interlaken had also awarded the honorary title of Ambassador of Interlaken to Yash Chopra in 2011 and a train is named after him "Chopra's last movie as a director- 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' also had Switzerland in its original screenplay however it had to be cancelled due to his sudden demise. There is also a lake which is known as Yash Chopra lake here as he shot many of his scenes at the lake in Lauenensee," the official said. Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, died at the age of 55 due to accidental drowning in Dubai earlier this year. Tens of thousands of people across the globe, including India, took to the streets on Saturday to demand that governments step up action on global warming, even as United Nations climate talks tasked with breathing life into the Paris Agreement faltered. Nearly 1,000 events in more than 90 countries delivered a two-pronged message: speed up the shift to a world powered by renewable energy rather than planet-warming gas, oil and coal; and protect the people most vulnerable to rising seas and climate-enhanced extreme weather. The rolling, 24-hour protest peaked in San Francisco, where thousands snaked through the city chanting and carrying handmade signs and banners. Many slogans were barbs from the heart of Blue America pointed at Washington. "Alternative Energy, not Alternative Facts," read one, while another more blunt said: "More Science, Less Bullshit." "Defend democracy: impeach Putin's poodle," read a third, taking aim squarely at US President Donald Trump, who opted out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty and has moved aggressively to dismantle the climate policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. California by some estimates the fifth largest economy in the world has committed ambitious goals for slashing carbon dioxide emissions over the next three decades. Governor Jerry Brown leads a coalition of subnational regions and cities also taking aggressive climate action. Many will be represented next week in the port city at the Global Climate Action Summit. But within his own state, Brown has come under attack for allowing the continued extraction of natural gas and oil under his watch. In France, up to 115,000 people turned out in what may be the country's largest environmental demonstration. Clemence Dubois, the France campaigner for 350.org, an umbrella organization for climate activists worldwide called the march "proof that citizens are ready to demand commitments from our elected officials." A "catastrophic summer" of heatwaves and wildfires across the northern hemisphere made many people realize that climate change is already upon us, she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined in on Twitter. "Extreme weather is threatening our children. The only way to protect our future is ambitious #ClimateAction now," he tweeted. Dozens of Thai fishermen and labourers whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels kicked off the day of protests in Bangkok at the site of the UN climate talks. "I came here today to ask the government to put coastal erosion on the national agenda," 58-year-old fisherwoman Aree Kongklad told AFP. The Paris treaty enjoins nations to cap the rise in global temperatures at "well below" 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two Celsius), and promises USD 100 billion per year from 2020 in climate finance to the world's most vulnerable nations. But sharp divisions between rich and developing countries -- especially over money -- have deadlocked the technical talks, tasked with hammering out a draft "rule book" that ministers and heads of state can push across the finish line at a UN climate summit in December. More than 10,000 people turned out in Danish capital Copenhagen, police there said, while 1,300 rallied in front of the European Parliament in Brussels. "The idea was to challenge the elected officials and governments in the European capital," said teacher Kim Le Quang at the demonstration. "There are a lot of lobbies here and we realize that NGOs do not necessarily have the influence to fight them." As part of protests in Australia, a tall ship moved through Sydney Harbour in front of the Opera House as activists on board held up protest signs. Its billowing sails featured banners that read "Rise for Climate Action with 350," referring to the advocacy group 350.org that spearheaded the global protest. In Manila, more than 800 people including one dressed as a T-Rex holding a "Go Fossil Free" sign marched through the streets protesting the country's heavy reliance on coal. Along with Bangkok, the Philippine capital is projected to be among the world's urban areas hardest hit by climate change impacts. "We are among the most vulnerable and we are among those still stuck in an energy system that is backwards," campaigner Chuck Baclavon told AFP, adding that the government is out of excuses. Around 10,000 school students and their teachers in northern India tied red ribbons to trees in a call to end deforestation. Subnational governments, cities and businesses will gather in San Francisco on September 12 for the three-day Global Climate Action Summit, an explicit counterweight to actions by Trump. Military officers stand near portraits of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Reuters) Soldiers march during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang. (Reuters) TM Racing Factory 3570 MTA's Kevin Zannoni crashes during a race at San Marino Grand Prix, Italy. (Reuters) Actor Shamier Anderson arrives for the InStyle party at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Canada. (Reuters) Stefan Lofven, leader of the Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Sweden goes to cast his vote on election day alongside with wife Ulla in Stockholm, Sweden. (Reuters) Members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha block the historic Howrah Bridge during a protest against Majerhat Bridge collapse incident and poor condition of many other bridges in the city, in Kolkata. (PTI) People play giant chess during the celebration the Day of Minsk in the capital centre, Belarus. (Reuters) President Ram Nath Kovind visits 12th century Strahov Monastery in Prague, Czech Republic. (PTI) A woman holds dolls representing Our Lady of Charity (R) and the Virgin of Regla during the annual procession of Our Lady of Charity, the patron saint of Cuba, on the streets of downtown Havana. (Reuters) Former US president Barack Obama on Saturday urged voters to mobilize and return control of Congress to Democrats as he denounced what he said was the "politics of fear" dividing the country. Obama told a large and enthusiastic crowd in Anaheim, California in the traditionally Republican stronghold of Orange County that the nation was "in a challenging moment." Casting aside the traditionally low profile of a former president, Obama returned to the campaign trail on Friday in Illinois in an effort to help Democrats running in the upcoming midterm elections. In Anaheim on Saturday, he said voters needed to send a clear signal in November that they want to "reverse that cycle of anger and division" and "restore some sanity in our politics." Although Obama did not refer to the president by name, his intent was clear. He said stakes were high not just for Democrats but for all Americans, as "people feel scared" about a litany of issues: a troubled health care system, the high costs of education, a warming climate and more. "If we don't step up, things can get worse," he said. "Other voices (will) fill the void." Obama, who is 57, said the greatest threat to US democracy comes not from any single individual, or even from any group of billionaires seeking to dominate the nation's politics. "It is apathy, it is indifference. It is us not doing what we're supposed to do," he said. Obama's speech was notably shorter and more restrained than the previous day's often fiery remarks in Illinois, when he attacked Trump more frontally, breaking with the long American tradition of restraint by former presidents toward their successors. Trump, asked about that speech during a trip to North Dakota, quipped that he had watched it but fallen asleep. As of June 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made foreign trips to 84 countries across six continents in official capacity. He has visited major countries such as China, South Korea and several smaller countries such as Fiji and Seychelles. (Image: Reuters) Total of Rs 1,484-crore was spent on chartered flights, maintenance of aircraft and hotline facilities during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visits to 84 countries since June 2014, according to the government. (Image: Reuters) Modi made five trips to the US and China, which is the highest made to any country. His visits to a number of countries were for summit meetings. (Image: Reuters) The highest amount was spent on his nine-day tour of France, Germany and Canada between April 9 and 15, 2015. The trip included key decisions such as purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft, push for Make in India and agreements on cybersecurity and transportation. (Image: Reuters) But "they need to make their own decisions," she said. "I'll tell them what my choices are. But they also need to research the candidates. There's a lot of people who don't even know who is on the ballot." Jay-Jay & Flynny Flynny thanks the courier for this moment of kindness when he wasn't okay With midterm elections less than two months away, U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway thinks fellow Texas Republicans are taking seriously their runs for office. He said its possible for the Senate contest between incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto ORourke to make a difference for down-ballot candidates. It could have an impact there where the races are tighter to have a more energetic Democratic turnout than might have otherwise been the case had we not had that competitive statewide race with Beto and Ted, Conaway told the Reporter-Telegram last month. Polls have shown ORourke, an El Paso congressman, is less than 10 points behind his opponent. His campaign reports outraising Cruz during the last five reporting periods, without taking money from political action committees. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas in more than two decades. In his bid, ORourke has traveled across the state to share his message with voters. Hes going off in 254 counties and all this kind of stuff, Conaway said. But hopefully we are really focused on what he stands for, how hes voted in the House. The Midland representative thinks Cruz in the upcoming months will distinguish himself and his plans for the state. He believes the incumbent ultimately will win the Senate seat. Conaway doesnt think the down-ballot effect will make a difference in Texas 11th Congressional District, which he has represented for seven terms. He will face Democrat Jennie Lou Leeder of Llano in November. Conaway said other Republicans in the state face competitive elections this fall. U.S. Reps. John Carter, John Culberson, Will Hurd and Pete Sessions some of whom serve districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election are vying to keep their seats. The folks whose names are on the ballot understand how serious this is, Conaway said. The four guys I mentioned are going at it hammer and tong. At the polls, Conaway thinks supporters of President Donald Trump will back GOP candidates to avoid turnover in Congress in the midst of talks about possible investigations and impeachment. I think the Trump voter who may not be particularly interested necessarily in voting for Republicans will vote to protect their guy, the congressman said. Conaway thinks another factor affecting midterms will be the economy. The national unemployment rate in August was 3.9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Though the party controlling the White House often loses congressional seats in midterm elections, the Midland lawmaker pointed out that situation didnt happen in 1998 under former President Bill Clinton. Conaway said the economy was doing well at that time, as it is now. Starting in January, we began to understand that this is a tough election season, Conaway said. But the economy is good a 4.2 growth rate in the second quarter, job satisfaction at the highest since 2005. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke were in Midland recently as they campaign for the Nov. 6 election. The Reporter-Telegram had the opportunity to ask the same three questions related to issues in the oil industry. Here are their responses. MRT: How do you view the current efforts to update the Endangered Species Act winding their way through Congress? Ted Cruz: There is a real need to reform the Endangered Species Act, to both allow economic development and oil and gas exploration and to encourage conservation of endangered species. The current law is often abused by environmental activists and overzealous federal regulators to try to shut down exploration and eliminate jobs. That is not the intended purpose of the statute. I strongly support efforts to reform the Endangered Species Act to create real incentives, to save species, to expand populations and at the same time to maximize economic development and the opportunities for energy exploration Beto ORourke: I think theres a way to achieve a balance and ensure that we protect the habitats and the wildlife that help to distinguish Texas and are a part of our heritage. And also making sure that the regulations are common sense, allow for input from local stakeholders so ranchers, farmers, property owners, public officials from local communities as well as the federal government. I think its got to be a collaborative approach. And I just want to make sure that we continue to move forward in that manner. How do you view the economic and security importance of energy production for the communities of the Permian Basin, the state and the nation? Cruz: The Permian Basin is extraordinary; it accounts for almost half the oil production in the lower 48 states. The shale revolution that the Permian Basin is experiencing is transforming the Texas economy, the American economy and rearranging the global geopolitical map. America is becoming an energy exporter and the Permian is front and center in that transformation. In the next five years, output in the Permian alone is expected to more than double, and in order to continue that growth we need federal policies that allow oil and gas to flourish. In my time in the Senate, I have worked to be the leading champion for energy and for oil and gas in the United States Senate. I have introduced legislation the American Energy Renaissance Act that would remove unnecessary regulations, unchain entrepreneurs and wildcatters, and create an environment where the maximum number of jobs will be created. The effects of the historic tax cuts we passed in December and the Trump administration pulling back job-killing regulations have been dramatic. Today, Texas has produced 33 percent more oil than we did in 2016. That is the difference with sound policy. And I would note there is no race in the country where the candidates have a more starkly different record on energy and oil and gas in particular than the U.S. Senate race in Texas. As I said, I have been the leading defender of oil and gas in the Senate. On the other hand, Democratic Congressman Beto ORourke has voted repeatedly in support of a carbon tax, has voted in support of a $10 a barrel tax on oil, has strongly supported the Paris Climate agreement, which would have had a devastating impact on the energy industry, has opposed efforts to expedite LNG exporting permits and has supported aggressive federal regulations of fracking that would restrict fracking. Every one of those policies is contrary to the interests of the Permian Basin and is wrong-headed for the people of Texas. ORourke: Its fundamental to our national security and our energy security and our energy independence. I mentioned earlier [during the Midland town hall on Aug. 30] that were in our 27th year of war in Iraq. We began those wars in 1991, and weve been there every year through six successive presidential administrations. I dont ever want to be dependent on another part of the world again for our energy. I love that Texas has made us independent. And I also am grateful for the jobs and the economic growth that come with that. I want to make sure that we continue to do this in a responsible, safe way that does not jeopardize the environment. Ive been really pleased at the willingness of industry to work on issues like fugitive emissions, which are not only not good for the environment. Theyre not good for their bottom line in their businesses. I think that natural gas that we use as a cleaner energy source here in this country could be something that replaces coal-fired plants in China, in India two of the largest economies on the planet that are burning coal and contributing to climate change. Id much rather they burn natural gas from Texas thats connected to jobs here. Its connected to a much cleaner way to produce energy than coal. I think thats a great job opportunity and an environmentally responsible opportunity. So, this part of Texas is fundamental to our national security. Dont tariffs threaten the ability to obtain the steel needed to build pipelines and therefore threaten the nations ability to achieve energy dominance? Cruz: Yes. There is a real potential that tariffs or a trade war could impose meaningful damage on the energy industry. I support free trade. I have urged President Trump and the Trump administration repeatedly to use NAFTA renegotiations to expend our access into foreign markets, to expand our access into Mexico and Canada rather than a vehicle to restrict trade and erect barriers to the U.S. markets. In my view, the single greatest opportunity on NAFTA renegotiation is energy and opening up the Mexico energy markets, which would produce thousands of high-paying jobs in Mexico and Texas. When it comes to trade, trade is the single biggest concern I hear from the Texas business community. Texas small business owners are enthusiastic about the positive benefits of the tax cuts that we passed last year, they are enthusiastic about the reduction in job-killing regulations from Washington but very concerned that tariffs in a trade war could hurt Texas. I agree with those concerns, and I have encouraged President Trump not to listen to those voices in his administration urging higher tariffs but rather for the administration to aggressively negotiate for lower tariffs across the board. Because when Texas businesses, when Texas farmers and when Texas ranchers have access to foreign markets we can compete with anyone on a fair and level playing field. ORourke: Tariffs are bad for Texas. Theyre bad for Texas farmers and growers, producers, manufacturers and exporters. Theyre also bad for a state that buys more aluminum and steel I believe than any other state in the Union. So our cost for construction, our cost for pipelines, our cost for civic projects, for building has gone through the roof. We were just in Abilene, Texas, and learned that I think its a new convention center the cost for that convention center had gone up 20 percent as their costs for lumber, steel and aluminum have gone up 20 percent. So, I think there is a way to meet the challenge of China manipulating their currency, China dumping steel and aluminum which they shouldnt be doing. And Im grateful that the president is trying to stand up against them. But the presidents also entered this country into a trade war without going into that war with any allies. Weve estranged Canada. Weve estranged the European Union. Weve estranged our trading partners who could have been our allies against China, and were trying to go it alone. No states economy is going to be hit harder than Texas, so we need to help this president and help the country to do the right thing. Around 9:52 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2017, the Midland County Sheriffs Office responded to the Midland County Courthouse in reference to a bomb threat. A male caller phoned an employee at the courthouse and advised there were two bombs located inside the courthouse and two additional bombs placed on the grounds outside of the courthouse. Investigators need your help in identifying this person of interest. Midland Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime. The Nov. 6 election that will determine control of Congress is likely to hinge on President Donald Trump to a remarkable degree. (Yuri Gripas / Bloomberg) Letter writer Judy Weik asked Friday why Republicans are hurrying the Brett Kavanaugh nomination. The fact is, historically, there was no opportunity to rush a judicial nomination through the Senate because the Senate rules allowed the minority party, be it the Democrats or the Republicans, to filibuster the nomination, setting in place a requirement for 60 votes for the nomination to proceed. Were that the Senate rule today, the Democrats could emphatically stop the Kavanaugh nomination in its tracks. Sharon Mather has joined the development and alumni relations team at Illinois College as director of donor relations and stewardship. In her role, Mather manages all aspects of stewardship and donor relations at the college. Mather brings with her more than 20 years of experience working in college advancement. The Jacksonville native will focus on strategic donor relations and stewardship. She will also manage the Illinois College Society, the colleges annual-giving recognition circle. Mather most recently served as coordinator of testing services at the University of Illinois at Springfield. In addition, she has served as director of alumni engagement and event management at Westminster College, annual fund coordinator at William Woods University, and as a fundraiser for the Show Me Innovation Center in Fulton, Missouri. Mather has also previously served as director of alumni services at MacMurray College. Mather attended Illinois College and earned a masters degree from William Woods University and a bachelors degree from MacMurray College. She currently serves on the Jacksonville Main Street board of directors and has been named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Jacksonville Rotary Club. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has recognized Republican state Rep. Avery Bourne of Raymond for her commitment to job creation and growth in the state. This is Bournes second time receiving the Champion of Free Enterprise Award. In 2016, she was given the award and was also recognized as the Outstanding Freshman Lawmaker. The Illinois Chamber also honored 34 members of the Illinois House of Representatives and 13 members of the Illinois Senate with its biennial Champion of Free Enterprise Award, given in recognition of their support for voting to further economic opportunities for Illinoisans. The Illinois Chamber recognizes legislators that have made special contributions in the defense of free enterprise and the furtherance of economic opportunities for Illinoisans. Compiled by Greg Olson WINCHESTER A town hall meeting is scheduled today to give residents a chance to see the progress made in a program that started in the spring, along with an opportunity to be part of the improvements being made to the city. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Winchester EMS Building, the committee formed through the MAPPING, or Management and Planning Programs Involving Non-metropolitan Groups, program will discuss the past and future of the program that started last spring. According to Jackie Kuchy, a Winchester Civic Group board member, the meeting will also be a community gathering to allow residents to share ideas and have fun, complete with vendor booths, prizes, and a wienie roast weather permitting. Were looking for people who care about what is happening in our community and want an update on whats been going on, Kuchy said. People who want to share ideas or even want an opportunity to volunteer and contribute. The MAPPING program, done in collaboration between Western Illinois University and the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, helps communities strategize and plan ways to improve certain aspects of the community. Kuchy explained that through MAPPING three committees were formed to tackle different issues throughout the city: one for retail and dining, one for parks and recreation, and one for business. While the meeting will certainly touch on these three committees achievements, Kuchy said that theyre hoping to get a large turnout of people to give feedback and maybe help generate some new ideas. If we really are going to see significant change and improvement, were going to need more voices and input from the community members and what they want to see, she said. We have to work collaboratively. Also at the meeting, a sneak peak of the Lincoln Mural, part of the Paint the Town initiative, that will depict some of Abraham Lincolns connections to Winchester will be available. Other highlights include a drawing for three $100 bills, kids activities, and donation opportunities for the initiative to replace the trash receptacles around the downtown. Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper. 'People need songs to party in ... - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." A 76-year-old man was killed Friday evening in a fire that broke out in a two-story home in Daly City, authorities said. The blaze was reported just before 6 p.m. at 90 Muirwood Drive, said Klaus Zalinskis, a spokesman for the North County Fire Authority. STAMFORD As a steady rain beat down on the city Thursday night, ending a week-long heat wave, parents, teachers and administrators breathed a sigh of relief. Temperatures creeping up into the 90s caused classes to be dismissed early three times in the first week, including on the very first day of the new year. Bobby Pavia was one of those educators freed from schlepping through muggy classrooms. In the seven years Pavia has been working in Stamford schools, he cant remember a back-to-school season as hot as this one. Were in an unprecedented heat wave right now, Pavia said last week. Being so hot this time of year when were in school, its too much. Pavia, who works in the special education department at Westhill High School, said it had been a challenge for administrators and teachers to combat the sultry temperatures with just window units and fans. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures hit the low 90s on Aug. 30, the first day of classes in Stamford where nine of the 21 schools have full air conditioning. The average high temperature for that day is 79 degrees. The temperature can affect any student after a long basis of sitting in the same spot for a long time, Pavia said. When its that hot, it affects teachers and students all around the board. That's why Im happy theyre giving these half days. However, the early dismissals left some families scrambling to find child care and questioning what is being done to improve the situation. Im a single mom and its incredibly disruptive, said Sue Yasav, who has a seventh-grader at Scofield Magnet, which is fully air conditioned. Every time they cancel, we get notice that day and it seems like the school system doesnt really care about working parents. They say it takes a village, but doesnt that village include the schools? Other parents were relieved. Krystyna Romano, who has two children at Stamford High School and one at Rippowam Middle School, said last week was the hottest its been to start a school year since her daughter a high school senior was in kindergarten. My son said how hot it is and my girls said the same thing, she said. Theres no circulation. Some classrooms have A/C and some dont. Its hard to get A/C in every room. Its a lot of money and its only short term. According to Superintendent Earl Kim, the schools track the weather and the temperatures in the classrooms, especially in buildings without air conditioning. He said classrooms have retained heat up to 90 degrees with the recent spike. We follow the forecast, not just the temperate, but the real feel, Kim said. We take into account whether our buildings are retaining a lot of heat and how much air conditioning we have in each building. Stamford schools with full air conditioning Academy of Information Technology and Engineering Davenport Ridge Elementary School Hart Magnet Elementary School Rogers International School Scofield Magnet Middle School Julia A. Stark Elementary School Stillmeadow Elementary School Toquam Magnet Elementary School Westover Magnet Elementary School See More Collapse Kim said the district plans to improve the air conditioning in the schools based on priority over the next several years. Clarence Zachery, chief financial and operations officer for the district, said all public school buildings have some air conditioning, but only the newer buildings have full A/C. The older schools have partial air conditioning, which varies in each building. Many rely on assorted window units and A/C in hubs like the main office and media center. On hot days, students in some schools rotate into air conditioned classrooms known as cooling centers. Zachery said its not possible to only have early dismissals at schools without air conditioning to maintain equity across the district. Zachery said last weeks hot weather has not changed the districts long-term plan for the schools. He said the district looks for grant opportunities to fund more air conditioning, but issues like the electrical capacity of a room and the size of the windows can complicate adding more units. Were going to have hot days, but the question is how much resources do we dedicate to those few days out of 180 days a year? Zachery said. We have to evaluate whether its cost effective. We have to keep a long-term view on things. erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayata Bill Gates is a visionary who co-founded one of the world's best-known tech companies that made him the richest man in the world. Gates led the world into the digital world, making computers accessible to everyday people with his Microsoft PC software. You would think his kids would have been some of the first students at school to show up with cell phones. Not so. Gates and his wife Melinda banned their three children from owning cell phones until age 14, even though their kids often protested and said their friends all owned them. Any modern-day parent knows 14 is on the older end of cell-phone ownership. The average child is getting his first phone at age 10, according to 2016 research by Influence Central. That's down from 12 in 2016. Once the Gates kids Jennifer is now 20, Rory, 17, and Phoebe, 14 got their first phones, the parents set strict limits on usage, banning mobiles from the dinner table. "We often set a time after which there is no screen time and in their case that helps them get to sleep at a reasonable hour," Gates told The Mirror. Gates isn't the first tech titan to limit his kids' technology use. In an article in the Sunday New York Times on September 14, 2014, reporter Nick Bilton says he once asked Jobs "So, your kids must love the iPad?" Jobs response: "They haven't used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home." WASHINGTON Federal prosecutors are backtracking on their allegation that a Russian woman accused of working as a secret agent offered to trade sex for access, according to a Justice Department court filing. Prosecutors had earlier accused Maria Butina, a gun rights activist in U.S. custody on charges she worked as a covert agent and tried to establish back-channel lines of communication to the Kremlin, of offering to exchange sex for a position with a special interest organization. The salacious allegation, which immediately raised public interest in the case, was based on a series of text messages to and from Butina and other information that prosecutors say they had obtained. But in a new court filing late Friday, prosecutors said they misinterpreted the messages. They said even granting that the governments understanding of this particular text conversation was mistaken, there is other evidence to support keeping Butina in custody as the case against her moves forward in Washington. Butina, 29, was arrested in July and accused of gathering intelligence on American officials and political organizations. Prosecutors say she used her contacts with the National Rifle Association and the National Prayer Breakfast to develop relationships with U.S. politicians and gather information for Russia. They also say she used her role as a student at American University in Washington as a cover for her activities. The case is being handled by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and not by special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been leading an investigation into possible coordination between Russia and President Trumps campaign as well as Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The filing came ahead of a status hearing in her case scheduled for Monday. Butinas lawyer, Robert Driscoll, had strongly denied the accusation and said the government had relied on an innocuous 3-year-old text message exchange between Butina and a longtime friend, assistant and public relations professional for a gun rights group that she had founded. The individual, identified in court papers only as DK, had said in the text that he didnt know what Butina would owe him after he took her car for an insurance renewal and government inspection. She replied, Sex. Thank you so much. I have nothing else at all. Not a nickel to my name. In a court filing last month, Driscoll said that the sex comment was clearly a joke and that Butina is friends with DKs wife and child and treats him like a brother. The impact of this inflammatory allegation, which painted Ms. Butina as some type of Kremlin-trained seductress, or spy-novel honeypot character, trading sex for access and power, cannot be overstated, Driscoll said. In an interview on Sunday, Driscoll said, Im happy the government walked back their false allegation. Butina has pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Russia. Eric Tucker and Chad Day are Associated Press writers. MARYVILLE In and effort to save money, Maryville may soon be a bit greener. At the last regular meeting of the Maryville Village Board, trustees approved a resolution authorizing the village to enter into a services agreement with Bluestem Energy Solutions to investigate the feasibility of green energy development and energy cost reductions for village-owned facilities. Bluestem Energy Solutions will be paid an amount not to exceed $25,000 to create a study that would provide green energy plans that in the long-run would save the village on energy costs. Trustee Julie Clark expressed some concern over a portion of the contract that dealt with confidentiality. Does this agreement mean we cant talk or discuss the plan with other communities that this company has worked with, she said. I think it would be very helpful to talk to other communities who have worked with this company. Village Attorney Ron Motil explained that the village has the right to talk to and with anyone and can share with anyone any documents that are provided by the company. He said what cant be released is proprietary information on how data is collected or methods the company uses to come up with solutions. As a municipality we have to operate under Illinois law and any FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests would be honored and we would share any documents that were requested, Motil said. Bluestem Energy Solutions is based out of Omaha, Neb. According to information on its website (www.bluestemenergysolutions.com), Bluestem has built solar power and wind farms in communities throughout the country. Motil said in Illinois the company has worked with Monmouth and Eldorado. With the agreement, Bluestem will begin working on an 8-month study of detailed metrics that come from usage, location and existing infrastructure. It will study the villages facilities to determine whether Maryville would be in a position to make use of alternative energy supplementation. The agreement allows the company to begin a feasibility study that does not obligate the village to anything. After we get the feasibility study we will see if what they recommend works for Maryville, Motil said. We can either enter into a power purchase agreement or walk away. A man who said he went to the hospital with food poisoning after dining at Pasha Mediterranean Grill is suing the restaurant for up to $1 million. Brady Passant filed a lawsuit Friday claiming that he began to experience nausea, chills and vomiting the day after eating at the San Antonio restaurant Aug. 30. His symptoms worsened, he states in the lawsuit, and was in such intense pain that he went to one of Baptist Emergency Hospitals locations for treatment. Early voting begins today and continues through Friday in the special election runoff to replace former state Sen. Carlos Uresti. Republican Pete Flores, a retired game warden, and Democrat Pete Gallego, a former U.S. and state representative, were the first- and second-place finishers, respectively, in the special election. Election day is Sept. 18. The winner will serve the remainder of Urestis term, which lasts through 2020. Uresti vacated his seat in June after he was sentenced to 12 years in prison on felonies because of his involvement in a Ponzi scheme. In the first round of voting, Flores received 34 percent of the vote, while Gallego got 29 percent. State Rep. Roland Gutierrez, who was eliminated from the runoff, received 24 percent. Flores, who ran for the seat in 2016 and lost to Uresti, said Thursday that his top priorities for the district, which covers much of San Antonio and a large swath of West Texas, would be working on meaningful property tax reform he favors a statewide, uniform approach to calculating rates and transportation. Gallego served as a U.S. representative from 2013 to 2015 before he was ousted by current Rep. Will Hurd. He also served for more than two decades in the Texas House of Representatives. The Democrat said Thursday that his priorities in the state Senate would be investing more money in Texas public schools, increasing access to health care for seniors and veterans, and emphasizing small businesses in economic policy. Early voting sites in Bexar County for Texas Senate District 19 election Polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 10-14. Claude Black Center, 2805 East Commerce Copernicus Community Center, 5003 Lord Road John Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway Johnston Library, 6307 Sun Valley Drive Mission Library, 3134 Roosevelt Ave Precinct 1 Satellite Office, 3505 Pleasanton Somerset ISD Administration Building, 7791 6th Street, Somerset South Park Mall, 2310 S.W. Military Universal City City Hall, 2150 Universal City Blvd. See More Collapse Gallego has faced scrutiny over whether he lives in the district. He has repeatedly said he lives with his mother in Alpine, where he grew up, but his wife lives in a home in Austin, outside the district. State law requires candidates to live in the district theyre running in for at least six months before the filing deadline. The Republican Party of Texas filed a lawsuit in August over Gallegos residency, trying to keep him off the ballot. A judge denied that request. The GOP said it has now filed a complaint with the FBI. (Theres) no update. I still live in the same place, Gallego said Thursday. A political consultant for Flores previously told the San Antonio Express-News that Gallegos claim of living in Alpine was absurd, but Flores himself distanced the campaign from the issue Thursday. Were not a party to that (lawsuit). Were gearing for a stand-up fight with Pete, Flores said. The state Senate seat has belonged to a Democrat for at least the last 24 years, but Flores exceeded most expectations during the first round of voting, buoying Republican hopes in the district. Flores performed even better on the day people went to the polls, July 31, garnering 48 percent of those votes more than Gallego and Gutierrez combined to overcome a deficit from the early voting period. Pete Flores came out of nowhere, said Colin Strother, Gutierrezs campaign strategist, after the election. Dylan McGuinness covers county government and local politics for the San Antonio Express-News. Reach him at dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net and follow him on Twitter @DylMcGuinness. A Texas man who spent 12 years on death row after he was convicted of a murder he didnt commit will speak about criminal justice reform at the University of the Incarnate Word on Wednesday. Anthony Graves, now an author and advocate, is the universitys College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Distinguished Speaker. Graves was arrested in 1992 and convicted of murdering six people in Somerville, about 90 miles northwest of Houston. In 2006, his sentence was overturned and he was released in 2010. Since his release, he has created the Anthony Graves Foundation and this year published a book, Infinite Hope: How Wrongful Conviction, Solitary Confinement, and 12 Years on Death Row Failed to Kill My Soul. RELATED: Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy arrested for assault Sunday morning At the university lecture, Graves will speak about his experiences, the need for meaningful criminal justice reform, and his work through the foundation, the university said in a news release. Kevin Vichcales, dean of the college, said that restorative justice is the focus of the schools Criminal Justice program and one of todays most important issues. We want to spark a meaningful dialogue about justice, race relations and building community, Vichcales said. Anthony Graves case speaks to those issues and to the ideals of equity and impartiality that we expect to have in our criminal justice system. Graves will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the UIW Concert Hall, and will sign copies of his book after the lecture, which is free and open to the public. A San Antonio woman faces 17 years in prison for helping her lover, an Army sergeant, kill his wife in 2015. Dolores Delgado, 33, pleaded guilty in Baltimore and was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge George Russell III. The crime was interstate travel to commit domestic violence, resulting in death, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland. In August 2015, Karlyn Ramirez, a soldier assigned to Fort Meade, was found shot to death in her Maryland home with her 4-month-old daughter in her arms, according to the plea agreement and other evidence in the case. RELATED: Texas officer arrested on manslaughter charge in man's death Ramirez was married to Sgt. Maliek Kearney at the time. The couple had recently separated, and Ramirez had a protective order barring contact between the two. On Aug. 24, 2015, Kearney drove from South Carolina, where he was stationed, to Severn, Maryland, and entered Ramirezs home. Kearney brandished a gun while Ramirez told him that she didnt want to see him again. He shot her three times before making it look as though shed been sexually assaulted. He also put the couples daughter in her arms. Kearney was assigned to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston when he was arrested in 2016. A jury convicted Kearney, 37, of murder and a gun charge last month. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November. RELATED: Frances Hall, convicted of killing husband 2 years ago, heads back to San Antonio During Kearneys trial, Delgado testified for the prosecution and described the affair. She thought Kearney would resolve his issues with Ramirez, the Baltimore Sun reported. She cried as she apologized to Ramirezs family, according to the Sun. Delgado said she gave Kearney the gun used to kill Ramirez and lent him her car to drive from South Carolina to Maryland. She also bought gas cans for Kearney so he wouldnt have to stop and risk being seen. She remained at his South Carolina apartment with his phone and car so it would seem as though he had stayed in town. Delgado and another person later disposed of the gun, shell casings, the clothes Kearney wore during the murder and a key he used to get into Ramirezs home. Delgado also tried to destroy the guns serial number, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. A part-time detention deputy in the Bexar County Sheriff's Office was arrested by San Antonio police early Sunday morning and charged with assault, according to the BCSO. Following news of the arrest, Sheriff Javier Salazar went to the magistrate's office and had Aida Santos, 28, pulled from her cell to "personally terminate her and advise her that paperwork would be forthcoming," according to Sgt. Elizabeth Gonzalez, BCSO spokeswoman. No one knew what a perilous death trap the White House was until a swaying chandelier caught the eye of President Harry S. Truman during a formal reception in 1947. As the guard of honor marched across the floor, "Dad looked up and saw the big chandelier above his head and the heads of all his guests swaying," tells Margaret Truman in her father's biography. The beams supporting the ceiling and second floor above were "staying up there from force of habit only," reported the commissioner of the Public Buildings Administration after he and the White House architect inspected the 150-year-old mansion. Click through the slideshow to see shocking photographs of the White House completely gutted during one of the most challenging restoration projects of the time. Ceilings sagged. Floors swayed. Bricks bought second-hand in the 1880s were disintegrating under the grand staircase used by reception crowds, reported the New York Times. RELATED: Presidential homes before and after the White House Additionally, a federally commissioned report declared the White House's plumbing to be "makeshift and unsanitary," while the overall "appalling" structural deterioration threatened "complete collapse." After the leg of Margaret's piano fell through the rotting floorboards of her sitting room, Truman summed up the state of the dilapidated residence to his sister: "The White House is still about to fall in. Margaret's sitting room floor broke in two but didn't fall through the family dining room ceiling. They propped it up and fixed it. Now my bathroom is about to fall into the red parlor. They won't let me sleep in my bedroom or use the bath. I'm using Old Abe's bed and it is very comfortable." Social events for the holiday season were called off, and on January 20, 1949, there was no inauguration luncheon, tea or reception in the White House. The building was too unsafe and closed for repairs when Truman began his second term as president. While some considered it more thrifty to raze the building and erect a new one, Truman lobbied to restore the historically significant landmark. And in 1949, Congress approved a $5.4 million restoration project (roughly, $53 million today) to completely gut and replace the mansion's interior while preserving the historic exterior facade. Photographer Abbie Rowe, who was employed by the National Park Service, had unprecedented access to the White House during this time. Cataloged in the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, Rowe's amazing photographs, featured in the gallery above, document with incredible detail the dilapidation of the White House and the historic reconstruction. For this epic fixer-upper, everything the walls, floors and furniture was removed and put in storage. Bulldozers and other large excavation and construction vehicles were taken apart to enter the White House and reassembled inside. Truman was adamant that no large holes were made in the walls of the White House. Truman and his family had to relocate across the street to the much smaller Blair House during the 22-month renovation project, but Truman found at least one consolation to the gutting of the White House: "It's a shame the old White House had to fall down. But it's a godsend it didn't when we had 1,500 people in it." jmscott@mysa.com Apple Inc. set Sept. 12 as its most important day of the year when the world's most valuable public company will unveil the next iPhones. A couple of hours later, images of two of the new devices appeared online. The event will be held in Cupertino, California, at the Steve Jobs Theater on the company's Apple Park campus, according Apple's website. "Gather Round," the invite said, likely referring to the shape of the company's new campus. The company will unveil its renewed iPhone strategy at the event. It's planning three new models that look like the iPhone X, including a refresh to the flagship device, a larger premium model, and a larger, cheaper model that comes in different colors. All three devices will have facial recognition and edge-to-edge screens like the iPhone X, but the two premium models will have OLED screens, while the cheaper phone will use LCD technology, Bloomberg News has reported. RELATED: 3 iPhones coming next month, in an 'S' year Later on Thursday, website 9to5Mac published photos of two new iPhones and a new Apple Watch. The images corroborate earlier Bloomberg News reporting that the new high-end devices would come in two sizes, feature a gold color option and use the name iPhone Xs. The image of the Watch shows a new face that displays more information and a bigger display. Seth Weintraub, who owns 9to5Mac, said the photos were spotted on a hidden portion of Apple's website and are actual photos of the products to be announced in September. Apple goes to extensive lengths to keep its products under wraps. However, this is the second year in a row where details about new products leaked at least partly through Apple. Last year, details about the iPhone X, cellular Apple Watch, and HomePod speaker emerged early via software accidentally released online by Apple. The iPhone accounts for about two-thirds of the company's revenue, and serves as a hub for Apple Watches, AirPods, and services like the App Store and Apple Music, which generate most of Apple's other sales. Last quarter, the iPhone generated almost $30 billion in sales. Apple will collect more than $61 billion in revenue in the September quarter, the period when the new iPhones are likely to go on sale, according to data on analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. On Thursday, Warren Buffett said he slightly increased his stake in Apple recently, adding that the iPhone is "enormously underpriced" for the utility it offers users. Apple shares rose 1.5 percent to $226.37 on Thursday afternoon in New York. MORE MACS: Apple planning new low-cost MacBook, pro-focused Mac mini Beyond the iPhones, Apple is also planning new Macs, Apple Watches, and iPad Pros for debut this year. Each time Apple has unveiled a new Apple Watch model, it has done so alongside a new iPhone, while Mac and iPad updates are sometimes unveiled separately. The new Apple Watch models will include larger screens that cover nearly the entire front of the watch. The Apple Watch isn't an iPhone-like revenue generator, but is part of the company's growing Other Products segment. That division, which also includes AirPods, the Apple TV, HomePod, Beats headphones, and iPad accessories, generated a $3.7 billion in revenue last quarter. Apple is also working on two new iPad Pro models with slimmer bezels and facial recognition along with a new low-cost MacBook laptop and a Mac mini desktop geared toward professionals, Bloomberg News has reported. 2018 Bloomberg L.P. Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the Chronicle for regular access to TechBurger stories and to be able to comment. MDC Alliance co-principal and ZimPF leader Brigadier-General (Rtd) Agrippa Mutambara yesterday called on fellow opposition leaders to shun being enticed into a coalition government with Zanu PF, but watch from the sidelines as President Emmerson Mnangagwas administration struggles to restore economic stability. Mutambara said there was no point in rescuing Zanu PF through a Government of National Unity. The Mnangagwa leadership has no clue to turn around the economy and doesnt even have the confidence of the generality of our people, he said. They dont enjoy the confidence of the business people internationally and, therefore, it is very difficult for them to deliver. Already after the inauguration of Mnangagwa, prices have shot up and there is scarcity of basic commodities and even the people who voted for Mnangagwa are blaming themselves for doing so. Added Mutambara: The position that I think we should adopt as an alliance is that if the government says it was elected by the people on the promises that he [Mnangagwa] gave, including turning around the economy, let us not interfere. Let them deliver what they promised and as the alliance we must not be lured to join the bandwagon of Zanu PF. Let them deliver what they promised. When we said we are capable of delivering, they said a lot of things, promising economic success to the people of Zimbabwe and let them show us now. There is no need for a GNU and if there is one, I will not be part of it. The MDC Alliance co-principal said the new government was not going to last, not because of anything, but because they dont know what to do with the economy. We are going to urge our supporters that peacefully, we must air our views that what happened is not right, he said. The leadership of Mnangagwa is not sustainable and in the first instance, the manner it came into power was irregular. They cheated to get into power and used methods that are not right to win the elections. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The determined bids by MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and some Zanu PF bigwigs to bring down President Emmerson Mnangagwa are now effectively dead in the water after Zimbabwes former leader Robert Mugabe and veteran opposition kingpin Eddie Cross put paid to these quests this week. Addressing mourners at his Blue Roof mansion in Harare, following the recent death of his wife Graces mother Idah Marufu a deliberate Mugabe urged Zimbabweans to wholly embrace Mnangagwa as the countrys undisputed new leader. There was an election. Zanu PF was represented by Emmerson Mnangagwa and (Nelson) Chamisa represented MDC Alliance and results came out saying the person who won was Emmerson Mnangagwa, and I said zvava mugwara zvino (everything is now in order). We have accepted the result and we hope that we will continue respecting the will of the people. The gun does not and should not lead politics, he said sealing Mnangagwas leadership of the country. Until his successors inauguration last month, Mugabe had done all in his power to derail Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu PF, including urging Zimbabweans to vote for Chamisa in last months hotly-disputed presidential poll. Speaking at the same memorial service on Thursday, Grace who had been in Singapore receiving treatment when her mother died, prompting Mnangagwa to scramble to find funds to charter a plane to bring her home for the burial also praised the new Zanu PF leader for showing love towards the former first family. VaMnangagwa comforted me. If it takes my mothers death for us to restore our old friendship, then let it be. VaMnangagwa loves us. He knows we love him too. We pray for him because it is Gods will that he is president of the country, she said. Meanwhile, and writing in his latest instalment of his keenly-followed blog on national politics, Cross challenged his party boss Chamisa to accept Mnangagwa as the leader of the country. Firstly, we have held another election, it was more open, democratic and acceptable than any other election I can recall, and I have been a player in all of them since 1980. When you appreciate that the MDC Alliance won only 570 councillor seats out of nearly 2 000 (28,6 percent), you can understand why I think the MDC Alliance claim of a presidential victory with 2,6 million votes is most unlikely and not credible. Not one of these council elections have been challenged and how can they? That is why the Constitutional Court unanimously decided that Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected as president. It must also be understood that he (Mnangagwa) beat Nelson Chamisa by over 300 000 votes nearly the same majority that Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in 2002, Cross wrote. Secondly, it is now clear that the international community has accepted the above outcome Theresa Mays comments in South Africa that Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected as president and then the German minister of Development Cooperation announcing that their government was again open for business with Zimbabwe, sealed the issue. Thirdly, the new president, for the first time, is asking the whole country for help to secure the future and he has extended the hand of reconciliation to the opposition. I am deeply disappointed that the MDC Alliance seems to have turned its back on these initiatives and instead have continued to make the assertion that this was a stolen election and that Chamisa is the legitimate president. Not only is this futile, but it also threatens further violence and instability when what we really need is national unity and an agreement to put our differences aside in a concerted effort to deal with the tough issues that confront us in the next five years, Cross added. Analysts who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said Mugabes, Graces and Cross sentiments were very significant as they all had the net effect of sealing Mnangagwas victory in last months presidential election. At the same time, the analysts said, this also meant that Mnangagwas Zanu PF rivals who were still hopeful of either derailing or succeeding him for any number of reasons had now had their hopes dashed. Part of Mnangagwas political headache has been cured. All this strengthens his legitimacy. Regional leaders will now also respect him more. This also weakens Chamisa as Mugabe was one of Chamisas chief endorsers. Crosss sentiments also further isolate Chamisa, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure said. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News - Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly engaged troops in heavy gun battle in Gudunbari town, Borno state - A security source says the terrorists captured the town after overpowering the troops around 5am on Saturday, September 8, 2018 - Air Force destroys Boko Haram facilities in Sambisa forest A reported attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Gudunbari town of Guzamala local government area in Borno state has allegedly led to the deaths of several persons. Daily Trust reports that the attack occurred on Saturday morning, September 8, when the insurgents recaptured invaded the town after hours of gun battle with Nigerian soldiers. A security source who pleaded not to be named, said the terrorists captured the town after overpowering the troops around 5am on Saturday. READ ALSO: I will emerge PDP presidential candidate - Saraki boasts As I speaking with you insurgents are moving freely at the headquarters of Guzamala LGA, they had reclaimed the town," the source said. "The attacks started last night. They burnt the recent reconstructed houses. I believed many may have been killed. Hundreds of civilian are now in Gubio town, many are in bushes. We have reached out to the military authority and will update as soon as we get a response. Troops of Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE deployed at Gudumbali, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State on Friday 17 September 2018 foiled an attempted attack by the Boko Haram terrorists on their location. However, Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, Army director public relations, who confirmed the attack on phone, said the troops had promptly repelled the attack and restored sanity in the area, contrary to report that the insurgents had taken over the town He said troops of Sector 3 Operation Lafiya Dole deployed at Gudumbali, Guzamala LGA also inflicted overwhelming casualty on the terrorists due to superior fire power while some of the terrorists fled to the fringes of Lake Chad. Chukwu said the insurgents who came to extort, terrorize law abiding citizens as well as to attack the military base in the town met a serious resistance by the gallant troops. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force says the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole has successfully destroyed some Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) facilities and equipment at Alafa Yagayaga in Sambisa forest. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app According to the Air force, ATF has also destroyed a suspected BHT ammunition depot in Kusuma on the fringes of Lake Chad, Borno, NAN reports. Legit.ng gathers that Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF director of public relations and information, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, September 8, in Abuja. He said that the air strikes were in continuation of Operation Thunder Strike 2 which commenced on Monday, September 3. Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The Ekiti state governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi, promises to make a difference in the life of the people the moment he assumes office on October 16 - He says he will commence work immediately he is sworn into office - Fayose abandons presidential ambition The Ekiti state governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi has said he has left incumbent Governor Ayo Fayose to God to judge after leaving office. He said he would accept whatever liability and assets left behind by the outgoing government, saying he believed government is a continuum, and that he was coming to office to simply make a difference. The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that Fayemi spoke while receiving the report of the transition committee constituted to interface with the outgoing administration to facilitate smooth change of government. He said he was leaving the outgoing governor and his regime to God over the alleged mismanagement of state funds and resources. He promised to make a drastic change in the life of the people the moment he is sworn to office on October 16. NAN reports that the governor-elect was reacting to the latest debt figure released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) which revealed that the debt profile increased from N18 billion during Fayemis era to N117 billion, under Fayoses watch. READ ALSO: I will emerge PDP presidential candidate - Saraki boasts The committee had told Fayemi that the humongous debt was outside arrears of salaries, pensions, gratuities and money owed retirees and contractors by the Fayose administration. Fayemi also suggested the enactment of a law to be known as transition act that would stipulate the duties of an outgoing administration and an incoming administration to pave the way for seamless transfer of power. This he said had become imperative, given the uncooperative attitude and difficulties the committee faced in meeting with officials of the outgoing government as well its refusal to allow his own committee obtain information from it. According to Fayemi, if such law were in place, it would have been difficult for an outgoing government to refuse to cooperate with his transition committee. He said such laws are already operating in countries like Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and the western world. The chairman (of the committee) talks about liabilities, that is what government is all about, assets and liabilities, government is a continuum We are not unmindful of the fact that there will be debts but we are focused on our agenda to make a difference in the lives of our people So for us, we leave whatever that is done by the outgoing government to God and God will handle that in the best way possible We want to focus on making the difference in the life of our people, so our people remain our priority We hope some reason will prevail between now and inauguration day for the outgoing government to come up with the information this committee has been asking for since it was inaugurated.he said The governor-elect, who promised to hit the ground running after taking the oath of office on October 16, also charged aspirants to national and state legislatures in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to familiarise themselves with the contents of the report. Earlier while submitting his reports to Fayemi, its chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi said the outgoing government agents refused to cooperate with the committee. He however said the sub-committees of the transition committee was able to meet with 76 interest groups outside of government, including labour unions, interest groups, civil society bodies, development partners who assisted with information of what is going on in the outgoing administration. The report we are submitting to you represents the voice of the peoplethat voted you (Fayemi),and it contains what they want in the short term, medium term and in the long term, he said. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, the outgoing Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, seems to have abandoned his 2019 presidential ambition. He gave the hint about the development when he received the duo of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and former minister Kashim Taminu, on Saturday, September 8, Daily Trust reports. Legit.ng gathers that the governor, who was the first to indicate his interest for the highest political office, said he dropped the ambition as a mark of sympathy and concern for his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, who lost in the last gubernatorial election in Ekiti. Governor Fayose Warns Nigerian Youths Ahead of 2019, Tells Them What to Do | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit But as much as the city wants a Paramount worthy restaurant in that first-floor area of the historic Leland Tower, the size and layout make it highly unrealistic without at least a $1 million remodeling job, noted Karademas. And no investor is willing to throw those numbers at it until there is more of a demand for restaurants, other than on Paramount nights or when other major events are occurring downtown. - Senator Ali Ndume has been asked to stop playing politics with the lives of people - A group in Borno said the timing of the statement by the Senator on Boko Haram is suspicious - According to the group, the Senator should concentrate on facing the electorates at the polls A group, Borno Integrity Forum (BIF) has called on the Senator representing Borno south federal constituency, Ali Ndume, to stop playing politics with the safety of his people. The group also urged the Senator to face the electorates at the polls like his counterparts in the progressive and peaceful constituencies of the country are doing. BIF while reacting to a statement credited to the Senator where he expressed regret over resurgence of Boko Haram said the timing of the statement by the senator is suspicious. READ ALSO: Kayode Fayemi reacts to Ekiti N117bn debt, reveals what he will do to Fayose after he assumes office The group said such comment by the Senator is "fraudulent and politically masterminded." A statement signed on Saturday, September 8, by the national coordinator of the group, Ali Abbas, said Ndume may have made the call in an attempt to scare away would be voters to ensure that he returns to the senate. Abbas said, "The Senators expression of worry is therefore apparently a bid to again have the people scampering out of their towns and villages so that there would be no voters left to sack him at the polls. READ ALSO: Meet Nigerias first millionaire Candido Da Rocha who lived in Lagos and sent his dirty clothes to Britain for laundry "The worry he has expressed rankles considering that the very people he left without food, clothes and other lifes essentials languished in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) without a Senator Ali Ndume visiting them to provide succour," Abbas said. He further urged the federal government to take active steps to prevent Boko Haram from being reactivated as a political tool for those wishing to exploit the group for the next general elections. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Ndume had expressed concern over escalation of Boko Haram attacks on Nigerian troops and locals in the northeast. Ndume while talking to journalists on the situation on Friday, September 7, said that Boko Haram had launched several attacks which led to mass casualties of troops in the last two months in Borno and Yobe. Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Garba Shehu says a national newspaper should be ready face Abba Kyari in court for allegedly writing a false story - The presidential spokesperson states that the newspaper was notified of the various falsehoods contained in the allegations but still went ahead to publish the weak accusations - Lai Mohammed says APC has no viable opposition ahead of 2019 Malam Abba Kyari, the chief of staff to President Buhari, has threatened to sue a national daily over a news story alleging he collected a N29million bribe over a contract. A statement by Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president said Kyari has been left with no other option than to seek legal remedy after the newspaper ignored notifications that the story was false, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. They should be prepared to face Abba Kyari in court, Garba said. Garba in the statement punctured what he called the improbable and outlandish publication by the newspaper. READ ALSO: I leave Governor Fayose and his regime to God - Kayode Fayemi He said the report was false in its entirety. We wish to state with full authority that the allegation is wrong and the Chief of Staff did not have any private meetings with the person making those allegations. What is even more surprising is the decision by the newspaper to run the cooked up lies despite obvious loopholes in the story, such as the Bureau of Public Procurements denial that a major source for the story was a member of their staff. "With a slew of crucial elections ahead, some politicians and their media agents appear to be working together to build pressure on the Buhari administration by wielding non-existent scandals against it. We equally note that the supply of 15 Hilux vehicles for the Presidency was an unlikely contract to have been awarded, as it did not exist anywhere in the 2016 and 2017 budgets. Checking the appropriation for 2016 and 2017, that request is not even there. How could Abba Kyari have asked for money to award a contract that did not exist anywhere at all? In addition to that, the amount allegedly given in bribe was also suspicious, as the office of the presidential aide had been known in the past to receive imprest of 200 million naira and above every month, with no one expected to give account. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app It was only since Abba Kyari occupied that position that things changed. In blunt terms, it is difficult to make a case of N29 million bribery against an official who spurned a monthly payment of N200 million to his office, money for which he didnt need to account to anyone. Once again, we wish to caution against the media's haste to publish unverified accusations against government officials simply for the sensationalism value, without journalists doing the due diligence required of them by their profession. The Punch was notified of the various falsehoods contained in the allegations but still went ahead to publish the weak accusations. They should be prepared to face Abba Kyari in court. In another report, the minister for information and culture, Lai Mohammed, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2019 general elections as there is no viable opposition to the party. The minister stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin on Saturday, September 8, where he chaired the wedding of the son of Edo commissioner for budget and economy planning, Hajia Mariam Abubakar. He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that would have provided a kind of opposition is in disarray. He attributed the reason the APC would win the elections to its performance in the last three years. EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Several roads and homes around the Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos were flooded following an early morning downpour on Saturday - Lamenting, some residents said there were no working drainage channels in Ibeju-Lekki like other parts of Lagos - The residents also appealed to the Lagos state government to fix the Lekki/Epe expressway Some residents of Ibeju Lekki in Lagos on Saturday, September 8, lamented their loss of valuables worth millions of Naira to flood from persistent rainfall since the early hours, coupled with the poor drainage facilities in the community. Some of the residents, in interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the early morning downpour left several roads and homes in the area flooded. Luqman Balogun, a member of the Community Development Association (CDA), in Ibeju-Lekki, said that it had been a long time since the community witnessed such torrential rain. READ ALSO: Farmers/herders conflict: 3 soldiers killed in Plateau We can neither go to the office nor stay at home comfortably now as many of our valuables are already destroyed by flood. I never believed we could be sacked by flood because we live in a predominantly sandy environment, due to our proximity to the ocean. What I have observed now is that there are no working drainage channels in Ibeju-Lekki, as we have in other parts of Lagos state," he said. Balogun mentioned some of the areas affected by the flood included Kajola, Majek first-gate area, Lakowe, Eleko, Oribanwa and Awoyaya, among several others. According to him, the flooding has affected commercial businesses in the community, including the hospitality sector. I am a hotel operator. We hotel owners are also complaining of low patronage due to bad roads, epileptic power supply, the absence of a functional drainage system and other issues. Despite all the challenges, government is still giving us estimated taxes and ridiculous bills. We have not been enjoying any infrastructure in this community, yet we pay our taxes and there is virtually no serious encouragement from government," he said. Also, Seyi Bakare, a resident, decried the poor condition of the Ibeju/lekki expressway. He noted that the major road in the area had started to develop several portholes, thereby causing some traffic bottlenecks on the expressway. Bakare added that the journey from the Ajah axis to Epe/Ibeju -Lekki which ought to take about 45 minutes now lasts about an hour-and-a-half. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Another resident, Lanre Solution, appealed to the Lagos state government to fix the Lekki/Epe expressway, which he said, was the major road linking Ibeju/Lekki to Epe. He said that adequate maintenance of the road would enhance business activities in the area. Bola Fadahunsi, another resident, lamented that the bad roads and flooding were causing a lot of damage to the vehicles of residents, costing them much more money to maintain them. Victims of Lekki Flood Rendered Homeless, Jobless Speak to Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Controversy has surrounded the alleged resignation from public service of the accountant general of Osun state, Alaba Kolawole - He was said to have tendered his letter of resignation from public service less than two weeks to the state governorship election - Kolawole was said to written most financial banks in the state informing them of his resignation and telling them against honouring any cheque in his name The accountant general of Osun state, Alaba Kolawole, has allegedly resigned, sparking allegation of fraud against the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led government in the state. He was said to have written letters to some commercial banks that they should no longer honour any cheque bearing his signature starting from Monday, September 10. The Punch reports that Kolawole was granted an extension of service by the governor until October but he reportedly tendered his resignation on Friday, September 7. However, the commissioner for information in the state, Adelani Baderinwa, when contacted said the accountant general ho celebrated his 60th birthday in July did not resign but retired on the account of clocking the mandatory age of 60. READ ALSO: The day a woman becomes president of Nigeria, the countrys problem will be solved - Afolabi A statement was released by Baderinwa announcing Kolawoles retirement. He said Governor Aregbesola had accepted the resignation and wished him well in his future endeavours. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has linked the alleged sudden resignation of Kolawole to the secret release of N16.67 billion election fund to Osun state by the All Progressives Congress-controlled Federal Government. The Osun state PDP chairman, Soji Adagunodo, in a statement also called on anti-corruption agencies to investigate the development. He said this confirmed the several concerns raised by the PDP about the manner in which Aregbesola had been handling the finances of the state in the last eight years. The opposition party also alleged that the federal government was secretly funding the APC election through a selective disbursement of Paris Club refund to Osun state. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The statement read: The sudden and controversial resignation of the Accountant General of Osun State, Alaba Kolawole, is linked to the secret disbursement of a sum of N16.67bn election funds to the state by the federal government. We also have it on good authority that top officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General have raised concerns about the manner in which Governor Aregbesola is applying another N13bn recently refunded to Osun State for federal roads purportedly rehabilitated by the state. Adagunodo wondered why the governor had not paid arrears of workers 34 months salaries and pensions. In an earlier report, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and national leader of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, called on the people of Osun state to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the governorship election slated to hold in the state on September 22. Legit.ng regional reporter in Osun, Sola Adetona, said while addressing the party faithful at the freedom park, Osogbo on Thursday, September 6, Falae said the Osun people should not vote for the party that is owing civil servants and pensioners. Governor Rauf Aregbesola interview: 'State of Osun' is correct (Exclusive) - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Some female politicians in Kogi state have borne their hearts out concerning the alleged suppression and relegation they experience - In their response to the rather unwholesome development, the women mention about four reasons responsible for the majorly patriarchal mode of politics in the state - One of them being that most women do not want their colleagues to be in positions of power over them and as such support the males to maintain the status quo Women politicians in Kogi have alleged that they were being denied the opportunity to contest elective posts, and accused male politicians of constantly seeking to dominate the political space. Some of them, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, accused the men of using women as mere voters without giving them any chance to test their popularity. READ ALSO: Controversy as Osun AG resigns, warns banks not to honour any cheque bearing his signature Kemi Oluyori, a former aspirant to the Kogi House of Assembly, said that she was not allowed to partake in her partys primary election because she was a woman. When I indicated my interest in contesting the seat in 2014, youths kept visiting my house in the middle of the night to warn me to steer clear. "They threatened to disgrace me if I insisted. At a point, they started calling me names that gave the impression that politics was not for responsible women, she said. She, however, implored women to work toward voting at least one woman into an elective position to serve as their voice. On her part, Bisi Abejide, another politician, said that women were often forced to vote candidates supported by their husbands. Some husbands force their wives to vote for their candidates, not minding the opinion of the wives. This is not fair. Some women are also afraid of coming out on election days because of the harassment and violence visited on voters. We must purge our politics of such evils if we want our women to truly participate, she said. Abejide, however, enjoined women to vote for candidates of their choice, saying that voting was one of their fundamental human rights. Balikis Arome, a trader, said that women had the highest number of voters in the country but had not been allowed to use such advantage to decide who should lead them. Arome, however, accused women of being their own enemy. Women are the problems of women, They dont want women like them to control or rule them. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Some of us (women) sell out our rights to vote because of money only to complain after election. This is not wise, she said. She advised women against selling their votes, urging them to vote for candidates that would listen to them and address their concerns. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that six female presidential aspirants had given reasons for the ambition to occupy Nigeria's highest seat of power. The women - Professor Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davis, Dr Oluremi Comfort Sonaiya, Dr Elishama Rosemary Ideh, Adeline Iwuagwu-Emihe, Eunice Atuejide, and Princess Oyenike Roberts - said the electorate must look the way of women to bring forth desired change in Nigeria. STREET GIST: Name a Nigerian politician who is not corrupt - On Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The labour unions issued a statement in Osogbo, the Osun capital to announce the notice to the state government - They said they decided on the 7-day notice and an indefinite strike action after the ultimatum when they did not get results from an earlier agreement - They say nothing will stop the industrial action except prompt payment of the outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities Labour unions Nigeria Labour Unions (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Osun state have issued a 7-day notice to the government that it would embark on strike action over the non-payment of salaries areas, pensions and gratuity. Channels reports that the notice comes just a week after the workers in the southwest state returned from a three-day warning strike. A joint press statement between the labour unions said the strike became necessary following the failure of an earlier agreement between them and the state government in December, 2017 to generate results. READ ALSO: Controversy as Osun AG resigns, warns banks not to honour any cheque bearing his signature Those who signed the statement included Bayo Adejumo (Chairman (JPSNC)), Jacob Adekomi (Chairman NLC), Adebowale Ademola (Chairman TUC), R.A Oyegbami (Secretary JNC), Rufus Adeyemi (Secretary NLC) and Akin Olatunbosun (Secretary TUC). The statement read in part: After a critical review of the unbending posture of the government, despite the three days notice strike warning to accede to the demands of workers, the situation fails to provide the expected answer to the amelioration of the workers. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app We are constrained to use this medium to give the government a 7 days notice of strike action which will commence on September 10, the statement read in part. The labour unions, vowed to go ahead with the strike action until salary arrears, pensions and gratuity are paid. Recall that Legit.ng had reported earlier that workers in the southwest state began a three-day warning strike on Wednesday, August 29 to press home their demands over unpaid salaries. The warning was contained in a notice issued on Tuesday, August 28 by the Joint Negotiating Council, Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, Oyo State chapter. In the notice, workers in the state were directed to begin a three-day warning strike from Wednesday, August 29 to Friday, August 31, to press for payment of their salary arrears. How Aregbesola broke African records in Osun state - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News - Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has lashed out at the incoming governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi - He says Fayemi is spreading falsehood about him or the finances of his administration - According to Fayose, his handover note will address Fayemi's worries on the finances of the current administration Exactly 35 days to his leaving office, outgoing Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose on Sunday, September 9, said his handover note is ready for the scrutiny of people making enquiries about his government. The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the governor did not cooperate with the transition committee set up by incoming-governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi. Legit.ng gathers that Governor Fayose snubbed the request by the committee, for certain records of his tenure. He claimed the committeee is illegal. Fayose, in a statement by his special assistant on public communications and new media, Lere Olayinka, urged the governor-elect to stop spreading falsehood about him or the finances of his administration. READ ALSO: Shekarau reveals why he will not challenge Buhari for APC presidential ticket He described as mere fabrication, the claim that his government had accumulated a debt of N117 billion as against the N18 billion it inherited. Fayose said Fayemi was already preparing excuses for his impending failure at the tribunal. The governor insisted that the state government under him has no obligation to relate with any committee not empowered by law, stating that the governor-elect should wait for the handing over note that will be handed to him on October 16. He said it was funny that the same transition committee that claimed it did not get any information from the state government estimated the state debt at N117 billion. He reiterated that his government only received N10 billion grant from the Excess Crude Account, which was released to all states for capital projects as well as Budget Support fund released to states by the federal government. The statement read: It is on record that Ekiti state government was indebted to the tune of N86, 013,689,097 as at October 16, 2014 that Governor Fayose took over. The debts are broken down as follows: Bank Loans; N15, 831,613,425.62, Bond; N26, 749,796,784.75, Outstanding Warrants; N15, 522,552,900.76, Outstanding to Road Contractors; N21, 286,126,749, Outstanding Remittances to FG; N709, 883,656.75, Outstanding Remittances (State Govt); N592, 995,374.89 and EKSG Public Servants Outstanding Emoluments; N5, 137,888,224.37." The governor counselled Fayemi to face the task of defending the mandate that he stole and his fraudulent emergence as the APC candidate instead of treading the usual path of deceiving the public to cover up his failure. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Ekiti state governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi, said he had left incumbent Governor Ayo Fayose to God to judge after leaving office. He said he would accept whatever liability and assets left behind by the outgoing government, saying he believed government is a continuum, and that he was coming to office to simply make a difference. Governor Fayose Warns Nigerian Youths Ahead of 2019, Tells Them What to Do | on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - APC governorship cabinet aspirants in Oyo were on Sunday, September 9, asked to resign from their offices by Governor Abiola Ajimobi - Ajimobi said that he made this decision because he observed that the aspirants no longer have time for their primary duties to the state - He further said that resigning will afford them the need time to concentrate on their political ambition Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state has called on members of his cabinet aspiring to contest elective positions in the 2019 general elections to resign immediately. Ajimobi made the call on Saturday, September 8, in Ibadan at a meeting with governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). READ ALSO: Shekarau reveals why he will not challenge Buhari for APC presidential ticket The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor also met with political appointees aspiring to contest elective positions in the 2019 elections. The governor said that it was mandatory that they resign their appointments immediately, adding that some of them no longer have time for their jobs. The governor stated that resigning would give them the opportunity to concentrate on their aspirations while providing others opportunity to serve. We still have some months to the end of this administration. They either stay or leave for others to have the opportunity to serve. You will see that some will not resign. We want to reduce the gamblers. We want people who are serious; those who are seriously committed to either seeking offices or focused on governance, he said. Ajimobi also disclosed that unity and progress of the party were among topics discussed at the meeting. He added the meeting also availed those present the opportunity to appreciate the aspirants for their commitment to the party. The governor described the APC as the party to beat in the next election, saying other political parties in the state were subsidiaries. It is clear to all and sundry that APC is a party to beat in the state. When you have this kind of position, there is the tendency to have people fighting for positions. We appeal to them to work as a family. The leadership of the party is ready to accept whatever type of primaries they prefer, be it consensus, direct or indirect. We want to ensure that we practise democracy in the truest sense. We are happy with the response of the aspirants and they have all agreed on indirect primaries, he said. The governor, however, disclosed that aspirants had resolved that whoever was chosen as the flag bearer at the end of the primaries would be acceptable to all. Ajimobi expressed delight at the spirit of brotherhood displayed by the aspirants, saying they were all eminently qualified to govern the state. We have told them to go and negotiate with themselves. You are all eminently qualified. We are not going to name anybody. The aspirants are in there now discussing with themselves. They are not desperate people or do-or-die politicians. They have their jobs and they can survive without politics. I think politics is just their vocation, he said. Among those present were former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Olusola Ayandele, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Azeez Adeduntan, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Joseph Tegbe and Olalekan Alli. Also present were Soji Eniade, Morounkola Thomas, Isaac Omodewu, Ayodeji Karim, Owolabi Babalola and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari. The rest were Kehinde Olaosebikan, Abiodun Awoleye, Akeem Agbaje, Kolawole Asanke and Sunday Dare. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! NAN further reports that the deputy governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo, and the minister of communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, who had both signified interest in the governorship race, were absent at the meeting. The meeting, which was inconclusive, was postponed till Sunday when a communique signed by the aspirants would be made available. It was gathered that the governor and other party leaders would on Sunday, September 9, meet with Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly aspirants. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Ajimobi had assured members of the APC in the state that he would not impose any candidate on the party for the 2019 general elections. He gave the assurance on Monday, September 3, at the Oyo south senatorial district stakeholders meeting of the party held at Lafia hotel in Ibadan. Election 2019: I represent the future - 36-year old APC presidential aspirant says | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng Homelessness impacts thousands of families and can touch every neighborhood, said Jennifer Alter Warden, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Baird & Warner. We believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home and continue to be inspired by the incredible work of these organizations to provide shelter and support to those who need it most. The usual rule is never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence. But CalPERS choice not just to implement internet voting, but to press eligible voters to use it over clearly safer methods, is obviously dodgy given the post-2016 focus on hacking elections, and worries about the ability to tamper with electronic voting. Remember that electronic voting is light years more secure than Internet voting, since the voting machines in electronic voting are not usually open to the Internet. But of course, the big risk in election integrity doesnt come from scheming Rooskies, but from insiders trying to assure a win for their candidate by suppressing or tampering with votes. And why might we think that CalPERS motives in implementing voting by Internet and phone were less than pure? The vendor CalPERS is using for those two methods, Everyone Counts, does not provide a paper trail to allow for any pretense of independent verification of its tallies.1 Everyone Counts is also not certified by the Secretary of State. And we arent exaggerating when we say that CalPERS is pushing the most tamper-friendly method hard. First, the Election home page tells eligible voters to Vote Now before it gives them any other information: And if you click on the little icon in Vote Now above, you go to this page: And if you didnt get the message, CalPERS flogs insecure Internet Voting later in the same page: CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost has said she wants to eliminate paper balloting entirely. The justification, that this would save costs, is a convenient cover for the real aim, that of suppressing votes by retirees, who have a higher level of election participation, and have also been strong supporter of board members who have the temerity to ask questions and demand accountability, like Margaret Brown and former board member JJ Jelincic. In other words, even before you get to the opportunity to engage in nefarious conduct, the motive is to give the unions even more sway over the board. The balance of the post will discuss: Experts agree that Internet voting is not secure and recommend against it Internet voting is explicitly illegal under California law CalPERS chosen vendor, Everyone Counts, has a poor track record and cannot comply With CalPERS election regulation CalPERS told more whoppers in its voter FAQ Experts Agree That Internet Voting Is Not Secure and Reject Its Use The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a new report, Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy, the result of a two-year effort led by a committee that included computer science and cybersecurity experts, legal and election scholars, social scientists, and election officials: From the press release: Internet voting should not be used at the present time, and it should not be used in the future until and unless very robust guarantees of secrecy, security, and verifiability are developed and in place. Currently, no known technology can guarantee the secrecy, security, and verifiability of a marked ballot transmitted over the Internet. (The Internet is an acceptable way to transmit unmarked ballots to voters as long as voter privacy is maintained and the integrity of the received ballot is protected.) Some of the supporting detail from the report proper: Election administrators face a daunting task in responding to cyber threats, as cybersecurity is a concern with all computer systems There are many layers between the application software that implements an electoral function and the transistors inside the computers that ultimately carry out computations.As a result, there is no technical mechanism that can ensure that every layer in the system is unaltered and thus no technical mechanism that can ensure that a computer application will produce accurate results. This has several important implications for election systems: all digital informationsuch as ballot definitions, voter choice records, vote tallies, or voter registration listsis subject to malicious alteration; there is no technical mechanism currently available that can ensure that a computer applicationsuch as one used to record or count voteswill produce accurate results; testing alone cannot ensure that systems have not been compromised; and any computer system used for electionssuch as a voting machine or e-pollbookcan be rendered inoperable. Election systems are especially vulnerable when they are connected to the Internet, telephone network, or another wide-area network. A hot take on the report from Fast Company: Paper ballots should be used to help guarantee election security, and digital voting machines that dont produce a paper trail should be replaced as soon as possible, according to a new report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. As we noted earlier, Everyone Counts, the vendor conducting the Internet voting for CalPERS, does not provide a paper trail. In the interest of keeping this post to a manageable length, rather than providing more excerpts, below are links to other authoritative sources on the inherent failings of Internet voting: And even the mainstream media is leery: Online voting could be really convenient. But its still probably a terrible idea. Washington Post Internet Voting Is Explicitly Illegal Under California Law The fact that Internet voting is not and cannot be made secret means it violates a central provision of the California constitution: Voting shall be secret. CalPERS has implicitly acknowledged that it needs to comply with that requirement. Last year, we criticized CalPERS for having a non-secret ballot by having voters sign the face of the ballot. The board approved changing procedures for this election to return to the old system of having voters sign the envelope only, which will then be separated from the ballot before the count is made. Not only does Internet voting fail to meet this standard, it is also not a permitted voting method in California. We pointed out a year ago: However, voting by Internet is very rare in the US and is explicitly illegal in California. From the Secretary of States website: Additionally, pursuant to Elections Code section 19205, no part of a voting system shall be connected to the internet at any time. Nor shall any part of a voting system electronically receive or transmit election data through an exterior communication network of any type. Indeed, the statue is terse and the Secretary of State had cited it word for word in his overview: No part of the voting system shall be connected to the Internet at any time. In a FAQ embedded at the end of this post, CalPERS contends that its election process is hunky-dory because CalPERS governing statute allows it to set its own election procedures. However, the Legislature was very clear in stating that any changes to the election method required new law. In a classic example of CalPERS General Counsel Matt Jacobs school of lawyering, the FAQ cites a court case that in fact does not clearly support CalPERS claim that it has the authority to implement Internet voting (among other things). The ruling bizarrely took the position that the disputed changes, like going from winner of a plurality wins the election to only a plurality winner means CalPERS will hold a runoff to be changes in procedure, as opposed to changes in method, without ever discussing the criteria for determining if a rule change rose to the level of being a change in method. However, the court cited this section of Proposition 162 as support for its ruling in CSEA v. CalPERS: The integrity of our public pension systems demands that safeguards be instituted to prevent political packing of retirement boards. In fact, the insecure, audit-trail-free Internet and phone voting run by Everyone Counts looks to be tailor-made for political packing by CalPERS to assure that only its cronies will win. Another proof of the dubious legal status of Internet voting is the unprecedented qualified certification given by the Secretary of State last year. Here is the sort of certification the Secretary of State issued for CalPERS elections before the pension fund took up Internet voting: Contrast that image with the certifications issued for last years elections: It appears that the Secretary of State, which for obvious reasons could not cause a political firestorm by not ratifying an election by a major state agency, instead tried to distance himself from the process. Needless to say, a search of recent CalPERS election certifications shows that none prior to last year contain a disclaimer by the Secretary of State about the election methods. We spoke to a former general counsel to the Secretary of State. He said when he was in office, under a different Secretary of State, that they would not have approved CalPERS use of Internet voting.2 He also thought a legal challenge to CalPERS vote-by-Internet scheme would have good odds of prevailing. CalPERS Chosen Vendor, Everyone Counts, Has a Poor Track Record and Cannot Comply With CalPERS Election Regulation CalPERS engages in sleight of hand by depicting the elections as being run by IVS/Everyone Counts. As we explained last year, IVS is Integrity Voting Systems, which is a brand name for the vote-counting services of K&H Printing, which has a large ballot and envelope printing business. Everyone Counts is an Internet voting company which also offers phone voting. IVS and Everyone Counts teamed up to manage the CalPERS election, but each voting channel is run by a separate vendor. As we wrote last year: My, why are we hearing that Everyone Counts name only now? Why has it been kept under wraps, with nary a mention to the board? Could it be because a web search would have revealed unflattering information about Everyone Counts overhyping its pet initiative, voting over the Internet? From a 2016 article in the Atlantic, which among other things, discusses an Internet voting fiasco in Estonia: Theyre pretending like voting is no different than buying a book on Amazon, and theyre completely, by virtue of ignorance or malice, ignoring the truth of the world, said Joe Kiniry, a cybersecurity researcher. The simplest way to check the veracity of their statements is to call up any security researcher in the world that you find online who has made public statements about end-to-end verifiable elections and ask them. And you will find that 999 out of 1000 will tell you that [the likes of] Everyone Counts, [other online voting venders], and Estonia are full of shit.. Note that Everyone Counts has no election certifications whatsoever from the California Secretary of State. Moreover, no matter what assumptions you make about how the paper ballots are being counted, it cannot comply with CalPERS own regulation: 554.8. Ballot Counting and Runoff Election. On the date specified in the Notice of Election at the location designated by CalPERS, the validated paper ballots shall be tabulated publicly by an independent, neutral agent appointed by CalPERS for that purpose. Online and telephone votes will be tabulated on the date specified in the Notice of Election and be auditable by an independent, neutral agent appointed by CalPERS for that purpose.. Finally, the regulation calls for the online and telephone votes to be auditable by an independent, neutral agent appointed by CalPERS for that purpose. That means auditable by a party separate from the one that does the tabulation, which is Everyone Counts. However, in the meeting with the candidates, Everyone Counts said it does not produce paper records. This means its process cannot be verified. Even in more secure voting via voting machines, ones that produce paper records are the only type that can be audited properly. As NBC News pointed out: Breaches in Arizona and Illinois, tied to Russian hackers by intelligence officials, involved Internet-linked registration databases, not the manipulation of voting or tabulation machines, which are offline. I really think its negligence for a secretary of state anywhere in the country now not to have a paper trail for their votes, not to have some backup system, because the risks are just too great in this cyber Wild West, Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said last month. Back to the current post. Oh, and if you read the FAQ below, CalPERS has the chutzpah to mention a successful online pilot run by Everyone Counts in Los Angeles. If Everyone Counts considers Los Angeles to have been a success, I shudder to think what they would define as a failure. An LA CityWatch article described the online election that Everyone Counts tried to run for the LA Neighborhood Councils. It had to be terminated and the process rebooted with paper ballots. And our concerns with the inability to audit results were borne out. From LA CityWatch: A major issue with online voting was the impossibility of doing election verification after the election. No actual ballots were kept for the online votes and no final tally that reconciled the ballot count issued. CalPERS Told More Whoppers in Its Voter FAQ If you look at the FAQ weve embedded at the end of this post, youll see weve already exposed some of the misrepresentations and misleading statements, like depicting CalPERS election methods as perfectly legal, when that idea is quite a stretch. For instance: California law allows CalPERS to offer electronic voting. Section 554.7 of the California Code of Regulations, provides:.. CalPERS is merely citing its own regulation. Regulations can only promulgate statue. They cannot create new law. CalPERS regulations continue to run afoul of the requirement for secret voting, and could also be separately challenged for violating the election code by providing for Internet voting. Some other examples: We protect the privacy of the voter no matter which method is used.All votes are kept in confidence by IVS/Everyone Counts to protect the secrecy of the vote. As numerous experts said earlier, that is flat out false. There is no way to assure privacy in Internet voting. The most secure way is paper ballots. IVS/Everyone Counts ballot facility has been certified by the California Secretary of State.Paper ballots are placed in a secured caged storage area that meets the requirements of the California Secretary of State for manufacturers of ballots. This is a lie. There is no IVS/Everyone Counts facility. There is a K&H Printing facility in Everett, Washington, and an Everyone Counts facility in La Jolla. Neither company is on the list of certified voting technology vendors. The K&H Integrated Print Solutions facility is Washington is certified only for printing of Dominion Imagecast, ES&S Unity, Hart eSlate, Premier AccuVote-OS, and Sequoia OpTech ballots. Last year, there was no IVS sign on the facility nor did any employees have IVS business cards. The Integrity Voting Systems part of the operation was very much an afterthought. More important, the Secretary of State does not certify third-party vote counting services of any kind. And the blather about ballot cages is designed to mislead. The standards, such as they are, for protecting mass printed blank ballots and perhaps also the envelopes to send them to voters are irrelevant to the procedures that need to be in place once voters have voted and sent them back to be counted. Moreover, why should we believe CalPERS assurances as to how the completed ballots are stored? Last year, at a site visit, then board candidate Margaret Brown found ballots out in the open, and employees said they were kept overnight in boxes. This year, since CalPERS has stated that the public can visit the K&H facility during business hours while the election is on, theyll presumably do a better job of keeping up appearances. But even if the employees can grandly show some unopened ballots in cages, a visitor will have no way of knowing whether this is some or all of the ballots received to date. Finally, the FAQ loftily announced that public viewing will be allowed of the vote count of paper ballots in Washington, followed by the electronic tally of the phone/Internet votes in La Jolla. The latter is a complete sham, since the system will have been keeping a running total throughout the election. Even worse, as we recounted last year, the tabulation took place with two sheets of glass and a corridor between the observers and the Everyone Counts employees supposedly working on the election with their laptops screens turned away from the public. Anyone who has seen vote counting in a system run with real integrity has repeatedly watched observers, particularly officials of the competing parties, hover over the people tabulating the votes. The idea that seeing employees play with their laptops amounts to adequate election supervision or transparency is pathetic, but CalPERS is so devoid of shame that it does not mind showing that its election procedures are a joke. This continuing insult to CalPERS beneficiaries is yet another example of Frosts ineptitude as a manager. It was more than a year ago that board candidate Margaret Brown visited the K&H operation in Washington and saw how the paper ballots were being kept in an insecure manner, open to all employees of the firm. She and fellow candidate Mike Flaherman obtained a copy of the election contract and demanded answers. The election contractors told demonstrable lies and eventually admitted to poor practices that violated CalPERS regulations. Frost has had a year to fix this. All she did was address the most glaring problem, that of having voters sign ballots that also had a bar code on them. The rest has been public relations and per the FAQ, lying. Given the ease of tampering with Internet voting and the lack of an audit trail, CalPERS heavy-handed promotion of it looks like a way to make sure its clearly favored candidate wins no matter how the votes really shake out.3 ____ 1 As well discuss, audit trails for Internet and phone voting arent such a great control anyhow, since those records would be digital and therefore subject to alteration. But not even making a gesture in the direction of verifiability is awfully cheeky. 2 CalPERS almost certainly arm-twisted conferred with the Secretary of State before implementing Internet voting. 3 The reason this charge is not as extreme as it might seem is that CalPERS refuses to disclose voting results by channel, that is, for paper ballots versus phone voting versus Internet voting. This information would allow independent observers to see if the voting on one channel was implausibly out of whack with another, since you would expect the results in each channel to be broadly similar. For instance, if mail-in ballots coame in 60% to 40% in favor of candidate 1 while Internet and phone ballots were 75% to 25% in favor of candidate 2, it would strongly suggest vote tampering. But CalPERS refuses to provide any data of this sort. (Natural News) Huang qi (Astragalus membranaceus) is one of the fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, with earliest records of its use dating back over 2,000 years ago. Now, a study in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine has found that Huang qi is also able to prevent the spread of breast cancer cells in the body. Breast cancer, in particular, is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., next to skin cancers. In fact, the current average risk of an American woman developing breast cancer in her lifetime is around 12 percent. This means that around one in eight women will develop the illness over the course of her lifetime. For 2018, approximately 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S., according to the estimates of the American Cancer Society. In the study, researchers from the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China looked at how the Huang qi extract can affect breast cancer cells and the process behind this biological effect. They also looked at the primary isoflavones in the extract, as well as its anti-proliferative activity on three breast cancer lines: MCF-7 (ER+), SK-BR-3 (HER2+) and MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative). They did this by exposing these breast cancer cells to Huang qi extract for 48 hours. In addition, they examined the effect of Huang qi extract on phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways, a primary intracellular signaling pathway that contributes to cell proliferation, growth, migration, metabolism, and apoptosis. The results of the study showed that the treatment of Huang qi extract exhibited anti-proliferative activity on breast cancer cells. Furthermore, the therapy promoted the death of breast cancer cells. These suggested that Huang qis ability to inhibit breast cancer cell growth was linked to its ability to inhibit PI3K/Akt/mTOR activity. Moreover, the researchers found that the Huang qi extract contains four types of isoflavones, such as campanulin, ononin, calycosin, and formononetin, which contributed to the inhibitory effect of Huang qi extract on breast cancer cells proliferation. Huang qi and its medicinal uses Huang qi, which means yellow leader, is a dried root of the astragalus herbal plant. Huang qi is well-known in China for its ability to boost the immune system, which also explains most of its benefits. (Related: How astragalus benefits people with cancer and low immunity.) Some health benefits of Huang qi include: Treating the common cold and upper respiratory infections as it stimulates the immune system. Strengthening the body, especially during periods of immune deficiency. Helping the body avoid white blood cell deficiencies, such as leukopenia, which occur during chemotherapy. Protecting the body (including the liver) against bacteria, viruses, and inflammation. Supporting the digestive system, thanks to its diuretic properties. Treating skin disorders, such as burns and carbuncles, as well as hepatitis, chronic colitis, cardiovascular diseases, and viral conditions. Huang qi can also be combined with other herbs, such as Dan Shen (Salvia) and Dang Gui (Angelica senesis root), to enhance their functions. This herb is sold in slices or small pieces. It can also be used alone, typically as a liquid extract or tea. This herb is also often used in cooking and can be added to soups, congees, stews, and other dishes to provide additional health benefits to the meal. Read more news stories and studies on natural cancer treatments by going to CancerSolutions.news. Sources include: Science.news Cancer.org TCM007.com (Natural News) Vitamin C appears to have protective properties against gout. An analysis of nearly 47,000 men ages 40 to 75 years shows that those who had high vitamin C intake had reduced odds of developing gout over a study period of 20 years. Researchers also note a dose-dependent reduction in gout risk. Men who took 500 mg of vitamin C per day have a 15 percent lower risk of gout, while those who took 1,000 mg daily had a 30 percent decreased likelihood of developing gout. Men who took 1,500 mg of vitamin C per day show the greatest decline in gout risk at 45 percent, researchers say. Given the general safety profile associated with vitamin C intake, particularly in the generally consumed ranges as in the present study, vitamin C intake may provide a useful option in the prevention of gout, said lead researcher Dr Hyon Choi. (Related: Vitamin C Prevents Gout.) These results were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. However, rheumatologist Dr Michael Snaith of the UK Gout Society cautions that taking higher doses of vitamin C intake may not guarantee total gout remission. Vitamin C may reduce the frequency of attacks and provide a degree of protection. But that does not mean to say that taking whacking great amounts of vitamin C is going to eliminate gout. It would be unwise for people to think they can compensate for eating and drinking too much by taking vitamin C with their pint of beer, Dr. Snaith says. CDC: More Americans crippled by gout, arthritis A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the rates of arthritis and its many forms such as gout, osteoarthritis, lupus, and fibromyalgia recently reached an all-time high. As many as 54 million Americans were diagnosed with the disease between 2013 and 2015 . The report also showed that 32 million of these patients were of working age between 18 to 6-years old. Twenty-four million adults aged 45 to 64 were diagnosed with the condition. The estimated direct health expenses associated with arthritis is $81 billion per year, the CDC reported. According to the report, more patients claim that the condition severely limited their activities. The total number of diagnosed patients claiming the said effect rose to 24 million in 2015, which equates to a 20 percent increase since 2002, the report showed. Women are more susceptible to arthritis and its other forms compared with men. Patients suffering from obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are also at an increased risk of the condition. According to the report 49 percent of patients with heart disease and 47 percent of patients with diabetes also have arthritis. However, regular physical activity may mitigate this risk by 40 percent, researchers said. Other facts on gout The number of gout cases in the U.S. continue to rise over the years. Gout is a rheumatic condition that occurs when uric acid crystals accumulate in tissues and body fluids. Acute gout manifests as red, hot, and swollen joint that induces severe pain in patients. Recurrent acute gout may lead to gouty arthritis, a degenerative form of chronic arthritis. According to the CDC, gout and other crystal arthropathies account for 2.3 percent of the 38.6 million hospitalizations in 2010. CDC data also show that 4.98 million ambulatory care visits in 2010 are tied to gout flare-ups, which account for five of all ambulatory visits among adult patients with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. In addition, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study shows that male gout patients had higher odds of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality than those without the condition. Excessive alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, and obesity are major causes of gout. Eating meat high in purine also exacerbates the risk. Read more articles on the healing potential of vitamin C at Healing.news. Sources include: NaturalHealth365.com CDC.gov BBC.co.uk AARP.org DailyMail.co.uk (Natural News) Though well-intentioned, a home heating policy in Northern China is actually taking several years off the lives of Chinas residents, researchers claimed. In a study that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers focused on the Huai River policy, wherein northerners receive free coal during winter to power their indoor heating systems. They found that the long-term exposure to smog from the coal-powered burners was cutting down average lifespan of northerners by 3.1 years due to air pollution concentration being 46 percent higher compared to south China. According to ScienceDaily.com, their findings suggest that every 10 micrograms per cubic meter of long-term smog particle exposure cuts down ones life by 0.6 years. The national standard for particulate matter pollution is 35 mcg, yet the northern Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region stood out with their average particulate matter pollution reaching as high as 69 mcg. Moreover, the researchers also examined and compared the pollution and mortality data from 161 different cities between the years of 2004 and 2012. The higher death rates were attributed to cardio-respiratory illnesses such as lung cancer, stroke, and respiratory and heart diseases. These results greatly strengthen the case that long-term exposure to particulates [of] air pollution causes substantial reductions in life expectancy, said Michael Greenstone, study co-author and director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. They indicate that particulates are the greatest current environmental risk to human health, with the impact on life expectancy in many parts of the world similar to the effects of every man, woman, and child smoking cigarettes for several decades. Co-author Maigeng Zhou added: Unveiling this important information helps build the case for policies that ultimately serve to improve the lives of the Chinese people and the lives of those globally who suffer from high levels of air pollution. (Related: Chinas industrial pollution now creating second-hand smog in California.) Whats being done against Chinas air pollution? As China wages its own war against air pollution, the country is taking drastic steps in its efforts. Most recently, the country issued a ban on all major construction projects in Beijing during winter to curb its smog levels. The ban will cover six of Beijings downtown districts and suburbs for a period of four months starting on Nov. 15, 2017. This means that road and water system construction and housing demolition work will be suspended until four months after November have passed, though major livelihood projects will be allowed to continue provided they can secure special permission from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Moreover, Independent.co.uk reported that cement and casting factories across the nation have been ordered to cease production during the winter months; at the same time, steel plants in the province of Hebei will have to reduce their output by 50 percent. The intensified endeavors against air pollution is most likely a response to the drop in air quality, which worsened during the first half of this year. Coal-fired power stations have been pegged as the cause behind the diminishing number of clean air days. Fast facts about Chinas air pollution The poor air quality of Beijing has given rise to the Beijing Cough, a unique health condition marked by persistent, dry coughing and throat tickling. These symptoms are said to disappear once the affected persons leave Beijing. An image taken in 2013 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) showed a 750-mile-wide cloud of smog hanging above Shanghai and Beijing and stretching over the East China Sea. A 2015 photo showed the haze lifting somewhat, though the air pollution situation has continued to be dire since then. The air pollution in China results in the deaths of 1.5 million people a year, or 4,400 people everyday. In 2015, a small percentage of Chinas atmospheric pollution drifted across the Pacific and ended up at Californias coast. Visit Environ.news to remain updated on the smog situation in China. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com PNAS.org Independent.co.uk ThoughtCatalog.com (Natural News) A new material created by Japanese researchers is able to change its coloration like a chameleon. This bio-inspired composite could see use in the next generation of display technology, providing a more vivid viewing experience in the future, a Science Daily article stated. Chameleons are just one of the many creatures that can change their color in response to environmental stimulation. Others include frogs and octopuses. Researchers studied the anatomy, cells, and molecules behind the ability of these animals to change their color. They hope to find ways to adapt these abilities into human technology such as display screens, which need to be able to change colors. The research team from Nagoya University (Nagoya) came up with a new material that implemented their findings on the color-changing capabilities of certain frogs. The crystals and dyes are able to change their colors and patterns based on the background color of the material and the presence of visible or ultraviolet light. (Related: In the near future, paint colors may be grown from bacteria.) New material is almost as complex as the color-changing skin of frogs The researchers came up with the color-changing material after studying several species of frogs. The skins of these amphibians are made of multiple layers of different cells. Every layer and its component cells have different properties. When they work together, these organic parts can pull off impressive changes in color. The new composite material replicates that natural ability to change color. It involves a good mix of crystals and dyes that respond to different stimuli. Each dye has its own inherent pigmentation. Some of them change their color when they get hit by light. By combining different dyes together, the appearance of the material can be altered according to the requirements of the user. In addition to the dyes, the material also features spherical crystals that change color through a different means. Whereas the dyes rely on the pigmentation process, the crystals use microscopic structures to manipulate light. Last but not least are a black pigment and the background color of the material. The combination of these, the crystals, and the dyes can change the colors of the other parts of the system display. Color-changing composite could change display technology Researcher Yukikazu Takeoka explained how the Nagoya team examined the effects of the various parts of the composite material. They experimented with altering the size of the light-bending crystals, changing the color of the background, and using two different kinds of light: visible and ultraviolet. Takeoka, who served as the corresponding author of the study, reported that the changes led to different colors appearing on the material. He noted that their material was able to replicate the color-changing capability of chameleons and other animals, especially the way in which they responded to environmental stimuli like light and stress. This is an exciting stage in this field of study, as we are increasingly able to adapt the color-changing mechanisms that some animals use to artificial devices, said researcher Miki Sakai, the first author of the study. Animals are capable of taking on brilliant hues and shades of color in order to blend with their surroundings or stand out all the more. Sakai, Takeoka, and the rest of the Nagoya research team believe their composite material could match or even exceed these natural displays. If perfected, the color-changing material could see use in the displays for mobile devices and larger appliances. The researchers published their results in the science journal Small. Drop by Discoveries.news for more articles about the lessons we are learning from studying nature. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com AlphaGalileo.org (Natural News) As the internet continues to enable people to bypass in-person social interaction, savvy tech execs are doing their best to make people feel like they are somehow not missing out on face-to-face conversations. In this spirit, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey called the platform a public square while speaking before Representatives and Senators this week. Although those of us familiar with actual public squares might find the comparison far more metaphorical than literal, he appeared committed to the idea, repeatedly referring to it as a public square and a digital public square before the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. That wording could come back to haunt him, however, as Twitter continues to ban people because of the comments they post to the site. Thats because the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly protects speech and expression in the public square even when said public square happens to be under private ownership. The 1946 Supreme Court ruling in Marsh v. Alabama set the precedent, as Breitbarts Allum Bokhari points out. It stands to reason, therefore, that as a public square under private ownership, Twitter must protect its users First Amendment rights. Moreover, banning speech on the platform that has been afforded constitution protection violates the First Amendment. This means that Twitter should not be the arbiter of what people are allowed to say there, although individual users could decide what theyd rather not see using filters. Of course, its not just Twitter acting this way; they were actually one of the last platforms to ban the controversial radio host Alex Jones after a coordinated suspension was carried out by YouTube, Facebook and Apple a few weeks ago. After treading carefully initially, Twitter issued a permanent ban to Joness accounts as well as that of his show, InfoWars, this week for what the company says are violations of their abusive behavior policies. In a series of tweets, the official Twitter Safety account wrote: We took this action based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy, in addition to the accounts past violations, the company said in a series of tweets. It appears they also plan to go after those who are affiliated with Jones, tweeting: We will continue to evaluate reports we receive regarding other accounts potentially associated with @realalexjones or @infowars and will take action if content that violates our rules is reported or if other accounts are utilized in an attempt to circumvent their ban. In his speech before Congress which Jones himself attended Dorsey said that the purpose of Twitter is to serve the public conversation. He said that it must support free and open discussion but apparently that doesnt apply if youre a strong far-right voice. Will social media platforms be held accountable for their conservative bias? Ultimately, legislators suggested greater scrutiny was in order when it comes to social media companies, with Senator Mark Warner of Virginia calling for an end to the era of the Wild West in social media. As allegations of a conservative bias continue even President Trump has accused Google of silencing conservative voices Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he planned to meet with a number of state attorney generals to address whether such firms are stifling free speech intentionally. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com USAToday.com The Trump administration is withdrawing $25 million it had committed to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network after a review found that the funds were not advancing U.S. interests, a State Department official said. The decision follows an announcement last month that the U.S. would cut more than $200 million in aid to the Palestinians. It also comes days after the state department said it would end funding to the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees, raising fears that programs already straining to help millions of people will collapse and that unrest could ensue, NBC News reported. The Palestinians had held out hope that the hospital money would be spared because it was not included in the $200 million aid cut. On Saturday, the Palestinian Authority denounced the administration's move as "an act of political blackmail." President Donald Trump declared Friday the U.S. Justice Department should work to identify the writer of a bitingly critical New York Times opinion piece, purportedly submitted by a member of an administration "resistance" movement straining to thwart his most dangerous impulses. Trump cited "national security" as the reason for such a probe, and he called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to open the investigation in comments to reporters. He also said he was exploring bringing legal action against the newspaper over publication of the essay two days earlier. "Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," Trump said. If the person has a high-level security clearance, he said, "I don't want him in those meetings." It's all but unthinkable that the Justice Department could open an investigation into the op-ed article. Though it was strongly critical of Trump, no classified information appears to have been revealed by the author or leaked to the newspaper, which would be one crucial bar to clear before a leak investigation could be contemplated. Still Trump's call is the latest test of the independence of his Justice Department, which is supposed to make investigative and charging decisions without political interference from the White House. A day earlier, Trump's top lieutenants stepped forward to repudiate the op-ed in a show of support for their incensed boss, who has ordered aides to unmask the writer. By email, by tweet and on camera, the denials paraded in from Cabinet-level officials and even Vice President Mike Pence apparently crafted for an audience of one, seated in the Oval Office. Senior officials in key national security and economic policy roles charged the article's writer with cowardice, disloyalty and acting against America's interests in harsh terms that mimicked the president's own words. In an interview Thursday with Fox News, Trump said the author "may not be a Republican, it may not be a conservative, it may be a deep state person who has been there for a long time." There is a long list of officials who plausibly could have been the author. Many have privately shared some of the article's same concerns about Trump with colleagues, friends and reporters. With such a wide circle of potential suspicion, Trump's men and women felt they had no choice but to speak out. The denials and condemnations came in from far and wide: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis denied authorship on a visit to India; Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke chimed in from American Samoa. In Washington, the claims of "not me" echoed from Vice President Pence's office, from Energy Secretary Rick Perry, from Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman from Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, and other Cabinet members. The author professed to be a member of that same inner circle. So could the denials be trusted? There was no surefire way to know, and that only deepened the president's frustrations. When asked to elaborate on Trump's call for the writer to be turned over to the government or on the unsupported national security grounds of his demand, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump was simply "opining." "Look, hes concerned that someone is trying to undermine the executive branch and he wants it looked at," she told reporters. When asked what law was broken by the op-ed author, Sanders didn't identify one and said she's not a lawyer. "The department does not confirm or deny investigations," said Sarah Isgur Flores, a DOJ spokeswoman. Some people who agreed with the writer's points suggested the president's reaction actually confirmed the author's concerns, and Democrats were quick to condemn the president's call for a federal investigation. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said, "President Trump continues to show a troubling trend in which he views the Department of Justice as the private legal department of the Trump organization rather than an entity that is focused on respecting the Constitution and enforcing our laws." But Rudy Giuliani, the president's attorney, suggested that it "would be appropriate" for Trump to ask for a formal investigation into the identity of the op-ed author. "Let's assume it's a person with a security clearance. If they feel writing this is appropriate, maybe they feel it would be appropriate to disclose national security secrets, too. That person should be found out and stopped," Giuliani said. And Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a key ally of Trump's, called for the president to order those suspected of being the author to undergo lie-detector tests. "People are suggesting it," Trump said Friday, steering clear of explicitly endorsing the proposal. "Eventually the name of this sick person will come out." As the initial scramble to unmask the writer proved fruitless, attention turned to the questions the article raised, which have been whispered in Washington for more than a year: Is Trump truly in charge, and could a divided executive branch pose a danger to the country? Former CIA Director John Brennan, a fierce Trump critic, told NBC, "This is not sustainable to have an executive branch where individuals are not following the orders of the chief executive. ... A wounded lion is a very dangerous animal, and I think Donald Trump is wounded." The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the resistance "working diligently from within" the administration, said, "Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office." "It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room," the author continued. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't." First lady Melania Trump issued a statement backing her husband. She praised the free press as "important to our democracy" but assailed the writer, saying, "You are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions." Down Pennsylvania Avenue, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he did not know of any role Congress would have to investigate, though Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a Trump ally, said the legislative body could take part. The writer said Trump aides are aware of the president's faults and "many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them." Honestly, the normal comic con is just way too expensive, said Majer, 18, a Norridge resident. I went to a comic con once, and I didnt even have fun because you have to spend so much money there. And Im just like, no, I dont want to do that. I mean, just getting in, it was expensive. One person was killed and five others were wounded, including one teenager, between about midnight and 11 p.m. Saturday in shootings across the city. The days only fatal shooting happened on the border of the Old Town and Cabrini Green neighborhoods on the Near North Side, police said. A 24-year-old man was found unresponsive shortly after midnight in a corridor behind an apartment building at 12:13 a.m. in the 500 block of West Division Street, according to Chicago police. The man had been shot in his left thigh, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiners office did not immediately release details about the fatality. Area Central detectives were conducting a homicide investigation. The most recent non-fatal shootings happened at 10:51 p.m. in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side. A 26-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk with a group of males when a blue car drove by and someone inside fired shots in the 7700 block of South Paulina, according to police. He was shot in the back and chest and was taken to Christ Medical Center where he was in critical condition, police said. About 8:20 p.m., a man was shot in the Little Village neighborhood on the South Side. The 36-year-old was standing on a sidewalk in the 2700 block of South Pulaski Road when a gunman exited a tan-colored car and opened fire, according to police. He was struck in his hand and refused medical attention, police said. Another man was wounded in a shooting about 2:40 a.m. in in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. The 33-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk in the 1600 block of North Talman Avenue when heard gunfire and realized hed been hit, police said. He was struck in his abdomen and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said. Two minutes earlier, a woman was wounded in a shooting at 2:38 a.m. in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side. The 21-year-old was seated in a parked car in a parking lot in the first block of East 83rd Street when she heard shots and felt pain, police said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center with a gunshot wound to her abdomen, police said. Her condition had stabilized. About a half hour earlier, a teenage boy was critically wounded in a shooting in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More The 16-year-old was riding a bicycle about 2:10 a.m. in the 2500 block of South Trumbull Avenue when someone inside a white Honda opened fire, according to police. The boy was hit in his torso and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. On Friday, five people were shot, one fatally. The Chicago Cubs' game against the Washington Nationals Sunday has been postponed due to rain. The series, which has been impacted by rain throughout, will now conclude on Thursday, as the Cubs will fly back to Washington for a game agaisnt the Nationals before returning to Chicago for a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds. The rescheduled game means that the Cubs will only have one day off for the rest of the regular season, with scheduled games on 20 of the next 21 days. The Cubs will now head back to Chicago to take on the Milwaukee Brewers for the final time this season, as the three-game series will go a long way toward determining the team that wins the National League Central race. A 24-year-old man is dead and at least three other people have been wounded in shootings across Chicago on Saturday. Saturdays first fatality occurred in the 500 block of West Division just after midnight, according to police. A 24-year-old man was discovered behind an apartment building with a gunshot wound to his left thigh. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are still investigating. In the 2500 block of South Trumbell, a 16-year-old was riding a bicycle just after 2 a.m. when a person in a white Honda fired shots at him, striking him multiple times. The teen was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition, according to authorities. Here are the rest of Saturdays shootings: Police have released information about the body that was found inside of a vehicle that crashed and landed in a river in New Haven on Sunday morning. Officers said a 2010 Nissan Altima crashed through a fence at a vacant lot on Grand Avenue, drove off the road and into the Mill River shortly before 8:30 a.m. Firefighters went into the river in an attempt to rescue anyone inside the vehicle, but attempts to free the person inside were unsuccessful. Police said the driver was found dead inside. A dive team worked to remove the vehicle, that was in about ten feet of water, but visibility was very limited for them, officers said. The water conditions for visibility are horrible at best. Divers are having a hard time seeing their hand extended in front of themselves, said New Haven Police Officer David Hartman. A 75-ton rotator truck was called in to recover the vehicle and successfully picked it up after it was rigged for extraction by police divers. The body inside was removed from the vehicle and was taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy. Police said the body has been tentatively identified as a 28-year-old man from Madison. His name has not been released. Representatives from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were at the scene to monitor environmental procedures in order to minimize any impact the vehicle could have on the waterway, officials said. Firefighters were checked out after being in the cold water, but officials said there were no injuries reported. The cause of the accident is under investigation, but police said at this point, there is no evidence to suggest this was anything other than a single car crash. Officers are hoping a camera in the area may have caught the moments that led up to the crash. We do have potentially camera views, a lot of them. Maybe up to a dozen cameras in the area and were hoping some video from those surveillance cameras will provide us some of the answers we need, Officer Hartman said. Police in Middletown are investigating an untimely death on Saturday. Officers said a woman's body was found in the Westlake area of Middletown. The investigation is in the preliminary stages and police did not release further information about the incident. According to police, this is an isolated incident and the public is not in jeopardy. Texas Rangers arrested the Dallas police officer accused of fatally shooting Botham Jean inside his own apartment Thursday night and charged her with manslaughter. The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Jean's death a homicide with a gunshot wound to the chest and abdomen. Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, 30, was arrested Sunday at 6:37 p.m. after she surrendered in Kaufman County. Guyger posted $300,000 bond and was released Sunday night before 8:30 p.m., the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office said. The Dallas Police Department requested that the Texas Rangers conduct an independent investigation of the Thursday night shooting, Texas DPS said. The warrant for Guyger's arrest was issued after the investigation by the Texas Rangers, in coordination with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. At about the time of the arrest, attorneys working with the Jean family held a press conference after meeting with Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson. Attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump and Texas Sen. Royce West (D-Dist. 23) said a witness presented new evidence to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, just hours before Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was arrested. At the time of the press conference the family's attorneys were not under the impression that the officer had been arrested. Attorney Lee Merritt would not specify, but said the attorneys brought forward new evidence Sunday that could change the course of the investigation. "We brought forward a witness and video evidence, and again we can't get into the content thereof, but the prevailing narrative is challenged by the evidence that was presented today," Merritt said. Family attorney Benjamin Crump, who has been involved in high profile shooting cases, including Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin's deaths, said they demanded that authorities treat the officer as they would any other suspect. "[Jean] went to his grave not knowing why a police officer came into his apartment and shot him. Let that sink in," Crump said. "He went to his grave not knowing why the police officer came into his door and shot him. And so the family has many questions for the authorities. The main one is that this police officer should not be given any preferential treatment." Crump said Jean was shot in the chest. He said Jean's mother, Allison, made a direct plea to the district attorney. "[Allison Jean] bared her heart that another day would not go by with the killer of her child being free," he said. Following Guyger's arrest, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings issued a statement. "I am grateful to Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall for her leadership and foresight in calling for the Rangers to handle the investigation to ensure there was no appearance of bias," Rawlings wrote, before asking for prayer for Jean's family. My statement on tonights arrest of Amber Guyger pic.twitter.com/pIfToTpSsN Mike Rawlings (@Mike_Rawlings) September 10, 2018 Dallas police said Guyger has been with the department for four years and is currently assigned to the Southeast Patrol Division. Hall said police were notified of an officer-involved shooting at the South Side Flats apartment building just before 10 p.m. Thursday the building is about one block away from the Dallas Police Department Headquarters south of downtown. Earlier Friday morning, Dallas Sgt. Warren Mitchell said Guyger was heading home after working a full shift when she mistakenly entered a neighbor's apartment and was confronted by a man, identified by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office as 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean. A Dallas police officer shot and killed a man after entering an apartment unit she believed was her own, police said. At some point during the interaction between Jean and Guyger, she fired her weapon, hitting him, police said. Guyger then called 911 to report an officer-involved shooting minutes later, Hall said, officers and EMS with Dallas Fire-Rescue arrived and began to treat the victim. Jean was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. The Dallas Morning News reported an anonymous law enforcement official said Guyger entered Jean's apartment because the door was unlocked. According to Chief U. Renee Hall, the Texas Rangers asked Dallas police to hold off issuing an arrest warrant for the officer who shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Jean. Resident Tomiya Melvin said the hallways in the building all look the same so it could be a simple misunderstanding, but that, of course, she never expected anything like this to happen. "It's more than a tragedy because that person is gone forever and this is going to be forever in that person's [officer's] mind and be embedded," Melvin said. Many residents told NBC 5 they chose to live at the complex because they believed it was safe. They said keyfobs are needed to access each floor, but that doors do not automatically lock when closed. A funeral service for Botham will be held Thursday at noon at the Greenville Avenue Church of Christ in Richardson. A viewing will be held prior to the service from 10 a.m. to noon. Editor's Note: A previous version of this story included an account of events told by a Dallas police source. Due to conflicting reports of the incident from various sources, we've removed that account from the story. North Korea held a major military parade and revived its iconic mass games to celebrate its 70th anniversary, but in keeping with leader Kim Jong Un's new policies the emphasis was firmly on building up the economy, not on nuclear weapons. The North rolled out some of its latest tanks and marched its best-trained goose-stepping units in Sunday's parade but held back its most advanced missiles and devoted nearly half of the event to civilian efforts to build the domestic economy. It also brought the mass games back after a five-year hiatus. The games are a grand spectacle that features nearly 20,000 people flipping placards in unison to create huge mosaics as thousands more perform gymnastics or dance in formation on the competition area of Pyongyang's 150,000-seat May Day Stadium. The strong emphasis on the economy underscores the strategy Kim has pursued since January of putting economic development front and center. Tens of thousands of North Koreans waving brightly colored plastic bouquets filled Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square as the parade began. Residents of Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, trained for months for the anniversary and held up the bouquets to spell out words and slogans that can be seen from the VIP viewing area. Kim attended the morning parade but did not address the assembled crowd, which included the head of the Chinese parliament and high-level delegations from countries that have friendly ties with the North. At the end of the two-hour event he strolled to the edge of the balcony with the Chinese special envoy, Li Zhanshu, the third-ranking member in China's ruling Communist Party. The two held up their joined hands to symbolize the countries' traditionally close ties, though the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping could indicate Beijing still has some reservations about Kim's initiatives. Senior statesman Kim Yong Nam, the head of North Korea's parliament, set the relatively softer tone for the parade with an opening speech that emphasized the economic goals of the regime, not its nuclear might. He called on the military to be ready to work to help build the economy. After a truncated parade featuring tanks and some of North Korea's biggest artillery, fewer than the usual number of missiles and lots of goose-stepping units from all branches of the military, the focus switched to civilian groups ranging from nurses to students to construction workers, many with colorful floats beside them. The combining of military and civilian sections is a familiar North Korean parade format. The past two big anniversaries of North Korea's founding, in 2008 and 2013, did not feature the Korean People's Army, only the civil defense units, which are officially called "Worker Peasant Red Guards." Although North Korea stages military parades almost every year, and held one just before the Olympics began in South Korea in February this year, Sunday's parade came at a particularly sensitive time. Kim's effort to ease tensions with President Donald Trump has stalled since their June summit in Singapore. Both sides are now insisting on a different starting point. Washington wants Kim to commit to denuclearization first, but Pyongyang wants its security guaranteed and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War. With tensions once again on the rise, a parade featuring the very missiles that so unnerved Trump last year, and led to a dangerous volley of insults from both leaders, could have been seen as a deliberate provocation. The North also refrained from immediately televising the event, though North Korean media were out in force to film it, deploying booms and for possibly the first time drones with cameras. "This is a big and very positive statement from North Korea," Trump tweeted. "Thank you To Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! Much better than before I took office." The North did show off a battery of big artillery pieces known as self-propelled guns that could be used to threaten Seoul, South Korea's capital. But the only types of missiles displayed were short-range surface-to-surface missiles, a surface-to-air missile and an anti-ship cruise missile. That's a big departure from February's parade, when it displayed its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, believed capable of reaching the U.S., and a number of other formidable missiles and the erector-launchers used to fire them off from remote locations. Pyongyang residents unable to attend at the square on Sunday lined the streets around town to cheer and applaud convoys carrying the troops after they completed the parade duties. Soon after the anniversary celebrations end, Kim will meet in Pyongyang with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss ways to break the impasse over his nuclear weapons. The "new line" of putting economic development first has been Kim's top priority this year. He claims to have perfected his nuclear arsenal enough to deter U.S. aggression and devote his resources to raising his nation's standard of living. The economic theme was also prominent in the new mass games routine, which was markedly lighter in tone and more entertaining than in previous years, when it tended to be more dramatic and overtly political. The mass games, dubbed "Shining Fatherland," featured everything from a display of drones flying in formation to fireworks, lasers, circus-style performances and at one point hundreds of martial artists doing taekwondo. A running commentary throughout the show pointed out the importance of following Kim's economic and development strategy, while significantly playing down the role of the military and not once mentioning North Korea's nuclear weapons. The mass games performances are expected to continue for the next month or so, with tickets for foreigners starting at just over $100 and going up to more than $800 per seat. Rapidly intensifying Hurricane Florence could strike a direct and dangerous blow anywhere from the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic region later this week. Florence crossed the 74 mph threshold from tropical storm to a hurricane Sunday morning, and by evening its winds were up to 85 mph as the National Hurricane Center warned a hurricane hunter plane found the storm strengthening quickly. Forecasters said Florence was expected to become an extremely dangerous major hurricane sometime Monday and remain that way for days. Click here to download the free NBC 6 weather app. As of 5 a.m. EDT, Florence was centered about 625 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving west at 9 mph. Its maximum sustained winds are at 105 mph. Drawing energy from the warm water, it could be a fearsome Category 4 with winds of 130 mph or more by Tuesday, the Miami-based center said. The center also said that Hurricane Isaac has become the 5th named hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic season. Isaac was about 1230 miles east of the Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph early Monday. The storm was moving west at 13 mph and expected to accelerate over the next 36 hours. It poses no threat to land at this time, the center said. Forecasters said it is too early to know the exact path Florence will take but warned that it could roll ashore in the Carolinas by Thursday. But authorities were taking no chances as the governors of North and South Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency far ahead of the approaching storm. Navy ships off Virginia's coast are getting set to sail out of the path of the powerful hurricane, one North Carolina university has canceled classes and people have begun stocking up on plywood, bottled water and other supplies even with Florence still far out at sea southeast of Bermuda. People up and down the densely populated coast were told to be ready for the worst and not just for a possible direct blow against the coast. They warned that Florence could slow or stall on or near shore, with some forecasting models showing it could unload a foot or two of rain in places, causing devastating inland flooding. Forecasters also warned of a rising threat of life-threatening storm surge, along with the damage of a hurricane's high winds. Red flags flying on beaches warned swimmers to stay out of waters as seas began kicking up. People rushed to get emergency kits ready, map out escape routes and fill sandbags and secure their homes. "Pretend, assume, presume that a major hurricane is going to hit right smack dab in the middle of South Carolina and is going to go way inshore," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said. The state's emergency management agency said it is "preparing for the possibility of a large-scale disaster." In Charleston, South Carolina, along the coast, city officials offered sandbags to residents. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune urged people to secure their homes but said it was too early to know if evacuations will be ordered. Myrtle Beach hardware stores and supermarkets were busy ringing up sales of bottled water, plywood and generators. "Literally, they are filling buggies full of water, shopping carts full of water," Ryan Deeck, grocery department manager at a Walmart, told The Sun News. "They're coming in and buying water and plates, and that's about all they're buying." North Carolina officials started getting bulldozers and chain saws ready. In Jacksonville, North Carolina, about 20 miles from the coast, some residents picked up hurricane supplies during their normal weekend shopping, The Daily News reported. Ilija Cesal told the newspaper he wouldn't worry about buying extra water or other supplies for a few more days. "I'll see by Wednesday how that goes we got over 48 hours before that happens," Cesal said. As Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington canceled classes and encouraged its students to leave campus for a safer location. In southeast Virginia, Naval Station Norfolk told its employees they should not leave their vehicles parked at the sprawling base in coming days because of the flood threat. The Navy planned to send ships from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia out to sea. Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line re-routed its cruise ships. Police in Tallahassee have found a Florida State University student who went missing Wednesday, the Leon County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter. "WE FOUND HIM...ALIVE!!!" the department tweeted. Police said Justin Dean Shields, 19, went missing on Sept. 5. His car was found on a local road Friday near a heavily wooded area. After finding the vehicle, sheriff's deputies - along with FSU police, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and multiple other agencies - worked to locate the missing student. Police dispatched K9 and aviation units to try and find Shields, who attended Coral Reef High School in Miami-Dade County. Around 4 p.m. Sunday, police and Shields' sister, Ashley, confirmed the 19-year-old student had been found in a wooded area miles away from the main roadway, Old Magnolia Road. Officers said Shields was found with the help of search dogs who took police to the student's location through a scent trail. Shields was dehydrated and scratched up when officers found him, but is in good health otherwise and expected to recover. Shields' family and friends are overjoyed and grateful that their loved one is okay. "My brother, Justin Shields, has been found alive. Thank everyone so much for helping us search. We couldnt have done this without you all and the lord. God is more than good," his sister Ashley said on Twitter. This is a developing story and will be updated. Please check back for more updates. The bike ride is similar to the annual pilgrimage in Poland every August when tens of thousands of people journey to the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa at the Monastery of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland, to see the Black Madonna, the countrys patron saint. What to Know A 14-year-old cyclist was killed after he was struck by two different cars on Long Island, police said The boy was biking when a driver in a Jeep hit him. When a passenger got out to help him, both he and the boy were struck by another car The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital, and the passenger who helped him suffered minor injuries A 14-year-old cyclist was killed after he was struck by two cars on Long Island, police said. Davon Mention was biking on Lakeland Avenue near Union Parkway in Ronkonkoma around 8:10 p.m. Saturday when a 21-year-old driver traveling south in a 2001 Jeep hit him, Suffolk County police said. When a 20-year-old passenger in the Jeep got out of the vehicle to help the boy, both he and the boy were struck by a 39-year-old driver in a 2015 Nissan Altima, police said. Mention was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. The 20-year-old who got out of the Jeep to help Mention was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center with minor injuries. The two drivers remained at the scene, police said. No charges have been filed against either of them. Mention's mother, Diane Mention, told News 4 New York her son was riding his bike to a trampoline park when he was struck. Davon was "a fun kid, always running, always playing, a busy kid, with a lot of friends knocking at my door, asking for him," she told News 4. "I just want him back," she said. "I know that's not going to happen." A police officer has lost his job after being charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a man reported to have been hanging on or jumping on moving cars near an eastern Pennsylvania amusement park. South Whitehall Township's manager, Renee Bickel, said officials decided not to keep probationary officer Jonathan Roselle on the force following expiration of his probation period. Defense attorney Gavin Holihan told The (Allentown) Morning Call that his client was informed of the decision a few days ago and was disappointed. "We think the decision by the district attorney's office obviously carried a lot of weight," he said. The Lehigh County district attorney's office said Roselle, 33, had an "unreasonable" belief that his safety was endangered when he shot Joseph Santos on July 28. District Attorney Jim Martin, in announcing the charges last month, said Roselle was directing traffic near Dorney Park when a "frantic" woman stopped and said someone had tried to enter her vehicle. When the officer arrived, Santos climbed on the hood of his vehicle and pounded on his windshield and side windows, then walked away but wheeled around and approached, ignoring the officer's commands to stop and get down on the ground, and the officer fired five times, he said. Santos, 44, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, had been engaging in "somewhat bizarre" behavior and was walking toward the officer, but wasn't running or rushing toward him, had no visible weapon and didn't present any threatening posture, Martin said. The officer had a flexible baton, stun gun and pepper spray, he added. "In my opinion, this was the act of a relatively inexperienced officer who held a subjective fear for his own safety but made a decision which objectively was unreasonable in light of the facts as they existed and appeared at the time he discharged his weapon and killed Mr. Santos," Martin said. A Montgomery County school will be closed next week due to mold. Superintendent Dr. Alexis McGloin announced to parents that Upper Perkiomen High School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, will be closed from Sept. 10 through Sept. 14 due to moisture and mold issues. McGloin said officials first noticed mold in areas of the high school over the summer break and hired companies to clean it. The problem reoccurred however due to the recent wet weather. The moisture challenges have become larger than we and the experts initially thought, and some new problems have popped up since the start of the year, including new mold growth in the gymnasium, McGloin wrote. The companies will take a closer look at the root of the moisture problem in the school, according to McGloin. What these experts have suggested is that we make significant changes to our high schools oldest HVAC system to make it more efficient and take steps to alleviate our moisture problem, McGloin wrote. They also recommended cleaning the affected areas and ductwork, to ensure that the problem is remediated effectively and that our high school is a healthy environment for students and staff. Make up days for the school will take place on Nov. 6 (Election Day), Nov. 19, Nov. 20 and Jan. 21 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). A board meeting for parents of students to ask questions will be held on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. North County Congressional candidate Democrat Mike Levin was at a rally in Anaheim with former President Barack Obama Saturday afternoon. During his speech, Obama praised Levin as a tireless advocate for the environment. "He's the kind of champion we're going to need in Congress right now," Obama said. "Somebody who's going to be a leader on environmental issues, a leader on climate change, a fighter to make sure everybody's getting higher wages, working to prevent gun violence, working to protect our health care." Obama said when there is a vacuum in "our democracy, other voices fill the void, but the good news is in two months we have a chance to restore some sanity into our politics." He spoke at the Anaheim Convention Center with the hopes of boosting the chances of seven U.S. House candidates running crucial races in California. There's no set of issues that we cant solve if were working together and were true to the traditions that are best in America, Obama said. "If we don't step up, things are going to get worse." The former president has largely stayed out of politics since President Trump took office, but he returned Friday to speak at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They stepped up, theyre fired up, theyre ready to go! Obama said of the candidates to cheers in the crowd Saturday. Mike Levin is battling Republican Diane Harkey for Rep. Darrell Issas seat in the 49th district. Issa announced his retirement last January. President Trump recently endorsed Harkey on Twitter. Diane Harkey responded to Obama's appearance with a statement that read in part, "the voters in the 49th district, not the Washington, D.C. politicians, will determine the outcome of our race." Last Wednesday via Twitter, Levin wrote, My opponent can have the endorsement of @realDonaldTrump Ill take @BarackObama. He also said he was [t]hrilled that @BarackObama is coming to Orange County this Saturday to support seven key Congressional campaigns, including ours! Its an incredible honor to have his support. Dr. Casey Dominguez of the University of San Diego told NBC 7, One of the things that Dems need to do is get a lot of people to come out and knock on doors for campaigns, and there's no better way to motivate people than to have President Obama tell them to do it. Dominguez also said Obama will likely do substantial fundraising for Levin and the other candidates. The 49th district encompasses Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, Encinitas and a small portion of southern Orange County. "And if these candidates win, I am absolutely confident that Washington will start working better, and if Washington starts working better, we are going to solve the problems that this country faces, and we're going to deliver to our kids the kind of brighter future that they deserve," he finished. All seven races are considered essential in the Democrats efforts to win back control of the House of Representatives. Traditionally, Orange County has been a Republican stronghold. The other candidates Obama rallied for were Josh Harder, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Harley Rouda and Katie Hill. A Catholic clergyman at a prominent church called for Cardinal Donald Wuerl to resign and said he could not "in good conscience" assist the D.C. archbishop as a deacon. Deacon James Garcia said in a letter published online on Saturday that victims of sexual abuse by priests and church personnel deserve justice and accountability. He called on Wuerl to serve those victims. "I implore you, for the good for the Church we both love so dearly: Act with courage and humility. Relinquish your position as Archbishop without delay," the letter says. Garcia said he will not attend to Wuerl personally, "whether as an assisting deacon or a master of ceremony." Garcia, of Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in D.C., said he did not arrive at his decision easily. A lifelong Catholic who was ordained in 2013, Garcia said he was called to act in support of those who suffer. "With respect to the sexual abuse crisis in the church, the first priority of particularly those who minister to the faithful is make sure that we are attentive to the needs, first and foremost, of the victims," he said. A representative of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington declined to comment on Garcia's letter, which was published on a friend's website. Wuerl is facing a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation after a Pennsylvania grand jury report said he allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children to be reassigned or reinstated when he was the bishop of Pittsburgh. Wuerl has asked for prayers and forgiveness for what he calls his lapse of judgment in dealing with reports of abuse by priests. The archbishop recently called for a "Season of Healing," inviting parishes and parishioners to observe six weeks of Friday prayers in recognition of the pain of the victims and the need for healing. Garcia said he believed that was a start, but only a beginning. "A critical part of genuine healing involves accountability, in particular accountability on the part of those who lead the church," he said. Wuerl is scheduled to lead a Mass later this week. Garcia said he may attend, but not in his role as a deacon. Earlier this month, a man stood in a Mass Wuerl was celebrating in D.C. and yelled "Shame on you" after Wuerl asked parishioners to keep Pope Francis in their prayers. During his post-Communion remarks at the Church of the Annunciation, Wuerl asked the parishioners to forgive his own "errors in judgment" and to pray for Pope Francis. "We need to hold close in our prayers and our loyalty our Holy Father Pope Francis," Wuerl said. "Increasingly its clear that he is the object of considerable animosity." That's when Brian Garfield shouted, Shame on you! and then walked out of the church. Wuerl continued, At each mass, we pray for him by name as we do so with our voices, so may we do so also with our hearts. Yes, my brothers and sisters, shame. I wish I could redo everything over these 30 years as a bishop and each time get it always right. Thats not the case. Garfield, who is Catholic but not a parishioner of Annunciation, said he was upset at being lectured to by Wuerl and was surprised that more people didn't express the same outrage. He said his faith in God remains strong, but he cant say the same thing about his faith in the church. What to Know An anonymous author claiming to be part of the resistance working within the Trump administration penned a critical NYT opinion piece President Trump was incensed about the column, fuming that a "deep state" within the administration was conspiring against him Many prominent administration members, including Vice President Pence, have denied on-the-record that they were behind the op-ed One after another, President Donald Trump's top lieutenants stepped forward Thursday to declare, "Not me." They lined up to deny writing an incendiary New York Times opinion piece that was purportedly submitted by a member of an administration "resistance" movement straining to thwart Trump's most dangerous impulses. By email, by tweet and on camera, the denials paraded in from Cabinet-level officials and even Vice President Mike Pence apparently crafted for an audience of one, seated in the Oval Office. Senior officials in key national security and economic policy roles charged the article's writer with cowardice, disloyalty and acting against America's interests in harsh terms that mimicked the president's own words. Trump was incensed about the column, calling around to confidants to vent about the author, solicit guesses as to his or her identity and fume that a "deep state" within the administration was conspiring against him. He ordered aides to unmask the writer, and issued an extraordinary demand that the newspaper reveal the author to the government. As striking as the essay was the long list of officials who plausibly could have been its author. Many have privately shared some of the article's same concerns about Trump with colleagues, friends and reporters. With such a wide circle of potential suspicion, Trump's men and women felt they had no choice but to speak out. The denials and condemnations came in from far and wide: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis denied authorship on a visit to India; Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke chimed in from American Samoa. In Washington, the claims of "not me" echoed from Vice President Pence's office, from Energy Secretary Rick Perry, from Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman from Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, and other Cabinet members. The author professed to be a member of that same inner circle. So could the denials be trusted? There was no surefire way to know, and that only deepened the president's frustrations. On Twitter, Trump charged "The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy - & they don't know what to do." White House officials did not respond to requests to elaborate on Trump's call for the writer to be turned over to the government or on the unsupported national security grounds of his demand. Some who agreed with the writer's points suggested the president's reaction actually confirmed the author's concerns. Rudy Giuliani, the president's attorney, suggested that it "would be appropriate" for Trump to ask for a formal investigation into the identity of the op-ed author. "Let's assume it's a person with a security clearance. If they feel writing this is appropriate, maybe they feel it would be appropriate to disclose national security secrets, too. That person should be found out and stopped," Giuliani said. As the initial scramble to unmask the writer proved fruitless, attention turned to the questions the article raised, which have been whispered in Washington for more than a year: Is Trump truly in charge, and could a divided executive branch pose a danger to the country? Former CIA Director John Brennan, a fierce Trump critic, called the op-ed "active insubordination ... born out of loyalty to the country." "This is not sustainable to have an executive branch where individuals are not following the orders of the chief executive," Brennan told NBC's "Today" show. "I don't know how Donald Trump is going to react to this. A wounded lion is a very dangerous animal, and I think Donald Trump is wounded." The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the resistance "working diligently from within" the administration, said, "Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office." "It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room," the author continued. "We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't." First lady Melania Trump issued a statement backing her husband. She praised the free press as "important to our democracy" but assailed the writer, saying, "You are not protecting this country, you are sabotaging it with your cowardly actions." The Beltway guessing game seeped into the White House, as current and former staffers traded calls and texts trying to figure out who could have written the piece, some turning to reporters and asking them for clues. In a rare step, Pence's communications director Jarrod Agen tweeted early Thursday that "The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds. The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts." With many prominent administration members delivering on-the-record denials, the focus could now fall on other senior aides to do the same, with questions raised about those who stay silent. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to head off reporters' inquiries of Trump officials, tweeting that the questions should be aimed at the Times, which she said was "complicit in this deceitful act." The anonymous author wrote that where Trump has had successes, they have come "despite not because of the president's leadership style, which is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective." Down Pennsylvania Avenue, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he did not know of any role Congress would have to investigate, though Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a Trump ally, said the legislative body could take part. "Nothing in this town stays secret forever, and so ultimately I do think we will find out who is the author," he said. The writer said Trump aides are aware of the president's faults and "many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them." Lemire reported from New York. AP writers Catherine Lucey, Mary Clare Jalonick, Darlene Superville and Ken Thomas contributed reporting. Voters handed Sweden's ruling party its worst-ever election result Sunday and delivered a parallel lift to a far-right party with white supremacist roots, leaving the ideological outline of the Scandinavian country's next government uncertain. After a campaign dominated by debates over immigration, the center-left Social Democratic Party emerged with the greatest share of the vote 28.4 percent as the count neared completion yet looking at holding fewer parliament seats and having its mandate to govern questioned. The potential for an immigration backlash to result in a big boost for the far-right Sweden Democrats inspired fear among many Swedes before the election. It received a little more than one in six votes, or 17.6 percent. Its showing was not as strong as the one-in-five polls had predicted, but good for a third-place finish that had the party's leader telling supporters, "We won." Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who brought the Social Democrats to power in 2014, said he intended to remain in the job. The leader of the Moderates party that came in second, Ulf Kristersson, already had called on Lofven to resign and claimed the right to form Sweden's next government. Sounding somber and firm, Lofven told his supporters the election presented "a situation that all responsible parties must deal with," adding that "a party with roots in Nazism" would "never ever offer anything responsible, but hatred." "We have a moral responsibility. We must gather all forces for good. We won't mourn, we will organize ourselves," he said. Final election returns were expected later in the week. The preliminary results made it unlikely any party would secure a majority of 175 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, Sweden's parliament. It could take weeks or months of coalition talks before the next government is formed. Both the left-leaning bloc led by the Social Democrats and the center-right bloc in which the Moderates is largest of four parties have said they would refuse to consider the Sweden Democrats as a coalition partner. Sweden home to the Nobel prizes and militarily neutral for the better part of two centuries has been known for its comparatively open doors to migrants and refugees. Sunday's general election was the first since the country of 10 million took in a record 163,000 refugees in 2015 as mass migration to Europe rose dramatically. Lofven eventually said Sweden no longer could cope with the influx and immigration laws were tightened. Like other far-right parties in Europe, the Sweden Democrats worked to soften its neo-Nazi image in the lead-up to the election. The party symbol was switched from a flaming torch to a flower. Members known for making pro-Third Reich statements were pushed out. It made its first mark in politics with municipal council seats in 2006, and since then slowly helped revise long-accepted social norms for what Swedes could say openly about foreigners and integration without being considered racist. At the Swedish Democrat's election eve rally Saturday, party leader Jimmie Akesson criticized Lofven's government for "prioritizing" the needs of new immigrants the ones of Swedish citizens. Akesson was jubilant as he addressed supporters a day later, declaring the estimated 14 parliament seats the Social Democrats picked up a victory other parties could not ignore in coalition negotiations. "This party has increased and made the biggest gains. Everything is about us," Akesson said. "I am ready to talk with others" Turnout in the election was reported at 84.4 percent, up from 83 percent in 2014. ___ Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. Jeff Schaeffer and Philipp Jenne in Stockholm, Jari Tanner in Helsinki and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw contributed. What to Know A state police diver recovered the body of a 21-year-old man who fell overboard from a party cruise ship near Peddocks Island, near Hull, MA The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office identified the man as Aaron DiBella, 21, of Peabody. State police detectives are leading the investigation. Massachusetts State Police recovered the body of a man who went overboard during a cruise in the area of Peddocks Island near Hull on Saturday night, and a company official says the incident was preceded by "horseplay aboard the vessel." On Sunday afternoon, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office identified the man as Aaron DiBella, a 21-year-old military veteran from Peabody. State police found DiBella in the Fore River Channel in Weymouth. A medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Provincetown II, a ferry that goes between Boston and Provincetown, reported a man overboard to watchstanders at Sector Boston at 8:30 p.m. NBC10 Boston spoke with one of DiBella's friends who was with him Saturday night aboard the "Get Lei'd" party cruise. "Came back from the bathroom, he was just being wild. Hung off the side and fell," Jake Langlois said. Langlois says they were celebrating a friend's birthday when the 21-year-old fell into the water. Langlois says he tried to jump in the water to save DiBella but that the crew on the boat stopped him. "He went under and I never saw him again," Langlois said. DiBella's body was found four hours later. "When the water starts to get a little bit colder, your time of survival goes down significantly," said Lt. J.G. Lucy Daghir with the US Coast Guard. In a statement released by the cruise company prior to identification of DiBella, Bay State Cruise Company officials said the man was "engaging in horseplay" aboard the vessel before falling in. The company's owner says they put a spotlight on DiBella in the water and threw several life rings landing feet from him. "He kept swimming towards it. He couldn't swim any longer. I think he got like too cold," one witness said. A crew member jumped into the harbor but couldn't reach DiBella. Langlois says he wishes he had a chance to save his friend. "All of us did. There's nothing we wouldn't have done. Just wouldn't let it," he said. "The tragic and overwhelming sadness that has swept through all of us; our crew, our staff - everyone associated with our company has left us without adequate words to express just how sorry we are for the family and friends of the gentleman that went overboard," said Bay State Cruise Companys owner, Michael Glasfeld. "We had him located and illuminated with the ships spot light, the several life rings were within just a few feet of him, and a crew member was additionally in the water also within five feet of him to assist." Officials have not determined exactly what happened but said they are investigating how DiBella ended up off the boat and in the water. Authorities said a security guard from the cruise ship went into the water to try to save DiBella but couldn't reach him. DiBella submerged beneath the water and didn't resurface, police said. In the company statement, they reported that a crew member first saw the man "engaged in a type of vertical push up from the bulwark of the vessel." The crew member told him to climb down. They said the man complied but then "started in on an even more dramatic form of dangerous play, according to the statement. To our passengers we say, we so sincerely regret that your night on the water should be marked by such tragedy. To our crew, we say, bless you for your efforts and commitment to your training, and, to the family of the lost passenger, there are no words none to convey our deepest and most sincere sympathies. We are heartbroken, according to the statement. One witness further described the incident. "I was standing outside when it happened. They rushed us all in and he was floating in the water. The crew shut all of the doors and wouldn't let anyone outside," the witness said. According to the witness, the man was struggling in the water. "He went under and then we didn't see him again. There were a lot of event staff trying to take care of it, but I don't think they got to it as fast as they wanted to," said another witness. Some people say they saw the man in the water for five to 10 minutes before it seemed he could no longer swim. State police divers recovered the man's body at about 1 a.m. Sunday following a joint search by the Coast Guard and Environmental Police. State police are leading the investigation. DiBella's family tells NBC10 Boston that they have questions for the cruise company, including how they train their employees. Police in Vermont are looking to identify a man who reportedly approached a teenage girl walking down the street in his car. According to Newport police, they received a report that a 14-year-old girl was walking down Mount Vernon Street in Newport when she was approached by a man she didn't know and told her to get into his car. The report came in around 8:15 p.m. Friday, two hours after the incident allegedly occurred. After multiple demands, the girl refused to get into the car and kept walking down the street to meet her boyfriend and the man drove off toward Western Avenue, police said. According to police, the man was described as driving an older model dark green Subaru Outback with several items filling up the back seat. He was an older white male with white hair that was cut short. His face was clean shaven and he had a deep voice. The girl told police that as he drove off, the car's muffler was loud and rattling and that part of the vehicle's undercarriage was loose. She didn't have a license plate number but said the car had Vermont plates. Anyone who may be able to identify the man or may have witnesses any suspicious activity in the area Friday night is asked to call Newport Police at 802-334-6733. Ashford HIll primary schoolboy raises thousands for SAFE AN Ashford Hill Primary School pupil has walked a mammoth 121 miles over the summer holidays to raise thousands for SAFE, a charity close to his heart. Ten-year-old Euan Dalgarno started his challenge by walking a mile around the school grounds on Tuesday, July 17 and on Monday he walked his 121st and final mile. Euan wanted to raise money for the charity as it gave him counselling after he was bullied at a previous school, which resulted in anxiety and sleeping disorders. He initially set off walking 105 miles for the charity. His mother Rachel Dalgarno, said: The challenge found us walking in Cornwall for a week, where we covered 36 miles, so we were off to a great start. Weve also walked in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Lancashire, Dor-set, and Berkshire over the past four weeks and the landmark 105 miles was covered while walking over the Severn Bridge. Friends invited us to walk over from Wales and back with them as it was on their to-do list. Of course we said yes. The chalkboard has featured at every mile marker where we took a picture every time. A lovely catalogue of pics to remember his journey. We have been joined by friends and family the support has been fantastic, not only in sponsorship, but people wanting to be part of his walking journey. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who has contributed in one way or another. Euan is amazed at just how much money has been raised and how many people have wanted to walk with him. I still dont think he really appreciates what he has achieved and the impact he has had or will have on others in the future. Mrs Dalgarno added: Euan has said that changing schools was the best thing. You wouldnt recognise him now if you had seen him before. He wanted to raise money for this charity to help another child who is going through the same thing he went through. SAFE is a service for young people in the Thames Valley who are affected by crime, which includes being bullied at school or online. Euan has raised a remarkable 2,088.25, plus gift aid, for the charity, smashing his original target of 300. To donate, visit https://localgiving.org/fundraising/euans105 milewalk/ They do an excellent job and we have a lot of guys who wouldnt miss it. They enjoy the food and the companionship, Harken said. We have an active group of 23 people in our post. We have all branches of the military, World War II and Korean veterans. We all enjoy getting together and this is great event for our community. The next Coffee with New Milford Mayor Pete Bass will be held Sept. 15 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the E. Paul Martin Meeting Room at Roger Sherman Town Hall, 10 Main St. Residents are invited to come with ideas, questions or concerns, and general conversation. The Kent Art Association will present the fifth lecture in its Discovering Our Founders series Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. at its gallery. The program at the 21 South Main St. gallery will focus on Spencer Baird Nicholas, one of the nine founders of the KAA. Barbara Sussman, a respected artist and gallery owner from Hoosick Falls, N.Y., will discuss her grandfather, Baird Nichols. Nichols was born in Washington, D.C., and dropped out of school at age 11 to become an artist. He studied under Howard Helmick and continued his art education at the Corcoran School of Art and Design and also took classes at the Washington Art Students League where he later became an instructor. When Helen Mather arrived from South Dakota to study art at the Corcoran School, she and Nichols fell in love. Nichols refused to marry until he was able to support at a family. She waited 10 years, until in 1911 Nichols was contracted to provide illustrations to the publishing house, Frederick A. Stokes & Co. and to design stained glass windows and murals for Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios. The couple moved to Bronxville, N.Y., where they joined the Bronxville Art Colony. They moved to Kent in 1922, after the death of their oldest son, where Nichols was one of the nine founding members of the Kent Art Association in 1923. Nichols portrait of House Speaker Andrew Stephenson hangs in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and he has paintings in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. He was the director of art at Marot Junior College in Thompson from 1936 until 1941. He did murals in the Kent, Litchfield, and New Milford schools for the WPA Arts project and he was a member of the Washington Water Color Club, Society of Washington Artists, the Salmagundi Club, the National Arts Club, and was an elected associate of the National Academy of Design. The next talk will be held Nov. 17, when Kent Historical Society Curator Marge Smith will talk about George Laurence Nelson. Still to be scheduled are Eliot Candee Clarke and F. Luis Mora. A donation of $5 is suggested. For more information, call 860-927-3989. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's billionaire co-founder Jack Ma will announce a succession plan on Monday to hand the reins of his sprawling empire to a new generation of leaders but will remain executive chairman for the time being. Jack Ma, founder and chairman of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, attends a plenary session on E Commerce during the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Jan 24, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] Ma will announce the plan on his 54th birthday and the handover strategy will stretch over a significant period of time, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper reported citing a company spokesman. Alibaba declined to comment but pointed towards the SCMP story when asked about Ma's plans. Ma, who co-founded Alibaba in 1999, stepped down as chief executive in 2013. He currently serves as the company's international face at top political and business events. The New York Times reported on Friday that Ma would retire from the e-commerce company on Monday as the former English teacher seeks to focus on philanthropy in education. China's third richest person with a net worth of $36.6 billion according to Forbes magazine, Ma was quoted by the New York Times as saying his retirement was not the end of an era, but the beginning of one. While Ma's plan to gradually step back is a milestone, analysts and industry professionals said it was unlikely his involvement would change significantly. "I don't think it means that much, frankly. He stepped back from the CEO role about four or five years ago and very specifically made a comment about wanting the younger people to lead the company," said Kevin Carter, founder of The Emerging Markets Internet exchange-trade fund. Ma oversees a number of charitable projects in education and environmental fields. He is a cult figure in China's internet industry and has attracted a big following among entrepreneurs and in pop culture. At events, he is often met with screaming fans. Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter to the 20th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, which opened Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, Fujian Province. For more than 20 years, the fair has been committed to creating the platforms for promoting two-way investments, publishing official information, and discussing investment trends, Xi said in the letter. The fair has become one of the most influential international investment events in the world, and has made positive contributions to China's reform and opening-up as well as socialist modernization, Xi added. Noting this year marks the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up, Xi said that China will only become more and more open. Xi said that he hopes the fair, featuring the theme of promoting two-way investment, could be made meticulously into an international, professional, and branded event that will become an important platform for a new round of high-level opening-up, and play a positive role in creating a new pattern of opening-up on all fronts and building an open world economy. The fair is scheduled from Sept. 8 to 11. Hardik Patel continues hunger strike from hospital New Delhi : Patidar leader Hardik Patel continues his hunger strike from the hospital bed for reservation for his community and farm loan waiver. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday evening after his health deteriorated. Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Union minister A Raja paid him a visit at the hospital to extend their support in his agitation. "...Sharad Yadav-ji came to meet me in the hospital. He has supported my fight for social justice and farmers' right. Quite impressed by him," Hardik Patel tweeted. He also tweeted a photo of A Raja arriving at the hospital and said the DMK has declared support for him. Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) spokesperson Manoj Panara said that Mr Patel's fast continues. "He has not eaten anything but has only had water. Our fight will continue until all our demands are met," Mr Panara said. Hardik Patel had started his hunger strike on to death on August 25. Jakarta : At least 20 people were killed and scores of others wounded after a bus carrying employees of a firm plunged into a ravine in West Java province on Saturday, officials said. Daeng Sutikna, senior official at the disaster management agency in Sukabumi district, told Xinhua news agency that six out of the 20 died on the spot and the rest succumbed to injuries on the way to or in hospitals. The bus, as part of a convoy of four buses carrying the employees of PT Catur Putra Group, was heading to a tourist destination in Cikidang for rafting, he said. The driver lost control of the vehicle when it was travelling on a Cikidang road at midday and it plunged into the 30-metre ravine. The bus departed from Bogor district of the province, an official said. Kathmandu : A domestic helicopter of Altitude Air airline with seven people on board went missing in central Nepal on Saturday, officials said. The chopper, en route from Samagaun of Gorkha district to Kathmandu, went out of contact with the air traffic control tower at 8.05 a.m, the Kathmandu Post reported. There were six passengers including a Japanese tourist and five Nepalis on board, said Nima Nuru Sherpa, Managing Director at Altitude Air Pvt Ltd. Though some local media reported about the possible crash in Dhading district, 50 km away from Kathmandu, the authorities could not confirm as the search and rescue operation was underway. Tribhuvan International Airport General Manager Rajkumar Chhetri said that the helicopter was supposed to land in the capital at 8.18 am. Bangkok : A joint platform of developing countries on Saturday called on the developed nations to make a greater commitment towards honouring the Paris Agreement during the Climate Change Conference being held in the Thai capital. The platform, which brings together around 20 countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba and Venezuela, called for respecting the vital and delicate balance reached in 2015 in Paris, Efe news reported. Iran's Majib Shafiepour, a spokesperson for the coalition, expressed disappointment over the position taken by developed nations and their alleged unwillingness to make progress on key issues like the funding required to combat climate change pledged under the Paris Agreement. As agreed in the landmark 2015 conference, developed countries have to contribute $100 billion annually starting in 2020 to be given to the most disadvantaged nations to fight against climate change and alleviate its effects. Ecuador's Walter Schuldt blamed the change in the financial narrative provided by the bloc of developed nations for the delay in the realization of measures. Part of the funds will be used to alleviate and mitigate the damage and consequences of environmental disasters and to finance adaptation to technological change in developing nations. "There is a lack of progress and interest on the part of developed countries," said Bolivia's Ivan Zambrana. "This indifference creates new obstacles." Although no specific developed countries were mentioned by name during the media appearance, a source participating in the meetings told Efe news that the US was the main country hindering the dialogue process. Although US President Donald Trump announced in June 2017 the withdrawal of his country from the Paris Agreement, the move will not be effective until November 2020. More than 1,400 delegates from 182 countries are participating in the Bangkok Climate Change Conference from Tuesday to Sunday, the last preparatory meeting before the Climate Summit set to be held in Katowice, Poland in December. Delegates in Bangkok were also negotiating on a handbook of standards and guidelines that included goals, schedules and policies for countries to reduce their emissions of polluting gases responsible for global warming, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Chennai : DMK President M.K. Stalin on Saturday said the party has decided to hold protests at various district headquarters on September 18 against the state government. Speaking to reporters here after a meeting of party district secretaries and lawmakers, Stalin said the protests were aimed at the "misrule" of the AIADMK government. He said the DMK demands dismissal of the gutkha scam tainted Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and Director General of Police (DGP) T.K. Rajendran. Stalin said the party also adopted a resolution urging the state government to call a Cabinet meeting and pass a resolution to release the seven convicts in the late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He said Governor Banwarilal Purohit should immediately order the release of the seven convicts based on the resolution. You are here: China Deals for 121 projects worth 90.42 billion yuan (US$13.22 billion) were signed during the investment promotion conference of the 6th China (Mianyang) Science & Technology City's International High-tech Expo in Mianyang, Sichuan province, on Sept. 7. The investment promotion conference of the 6th China (Mianyang) Science & Technology City International High-tech Expo is held in Mianyang, Sichuan province on Sept. 7. [Photo by Zheng Chengqiong / China.org.cn] The annual High-tech Expo has become a significant platform for exchanges and cooperation for Sichuan province. Among the signed projects, 57 relate to Mianyang and involve a total of 76.08 billion yuan. Peng Yuxing, vice governor of Sichuan province, said Sichuan will go all out to coordinate development within its four economic zones the Chengdu Rim Economic Circle, the South Sichuan Economic Zone, the Northeast Sichuan Economic Zone and the Panxi Economic Zone. Mianyang is the only science and technology city approved by the State Council, and the second-largest city in terms of economic output in Sichuan province. Liu Chao, Party chief of Mianyang, said the city is on course to become a dream destination for investment and start-ups. During the conference, the Chengdu Plain Economic Zone, South Sichuan Economic Zone, Northeast Sichuan Economic Zone, Panxi Economic Zone and Northwest Sichuan Ecology Demonstration Zone were also pitched to investors. The conference attracted many top enterprises from China and abroad, financial institutions, R&D institutes as well as colleges, and more than 650 guests. New Delhi : Former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who is now the Co-Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday to discuss bilateral ties. "The two leaders discussed the progress in India-Nepal relations, as well as other issues of mutual interest," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement. "The Prime Minister fondly recalled their previous interactions, and thanked Dahal for his valuable contributions in strengthening India-Nepal relations," it stated. Modi also said that India-Nepal relations have received a boost with frequent high-level interactions. Modi last visited the Himalayan nation in August to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) regional group's summit. Earlier in the day, Prachanda met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Following the meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that the two leaders "exchanged views on advancing bilateral ties between the two countries". Prachanda arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit with the aim of improving bilateral relations. After the merger of the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist), Prachanda is sharing the post of Chairman with another co-chair and Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. He aims to become the Prime Minister after Oli completes his tenure. Tehran : Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned Iraq's ambassador in Tehran to protest the burning of the Iranian consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. In a statement, ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi blamed the Basra police for withdrawing from the area around the Iranian consulate on Friday night, amid a week of protests in southern Iraq in which government offices and political party headquarters have also been set on fire. Iran has wielded significant influence in Iraq in the wake of the US' invasion in 2003, particularly in the country's south, but this political power has led Iraqi protesters to direct some of the blame towards Iran for government corruption, unemployment and the lack of basic services such as water and electricity. Iraqi authorities confirmed that at least three protesters died during Friday's protests, raising the death toll to at least 13, while around 50 protesters were wounded in clashes with security forces overnight. On Saturday, three mortar rounds were fired at Basra's airport but landed in an open area, security sources told Efe news. Basra, which sits in the heart of some of Iraq's largest oil fields, has been the scene of anti-government protests since July, which intensified this week as tens of thousands of people in Basra were made ill due water contamination. Kathmandu : Nepal will not join the first-ever joint military drill among the armies of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) members, to be hosted by India next week, an advisor to the Prime Minister said here on Saturday. Kundan Aryal, Press Adviser to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, told Xinhua news agency that Nepal will not join the joint military drill to be organized in Pune from September 10-16. "Nepal will not participate in the BIMSTEC joint military drill. This is the official decision of the government," he said, without giving details about the reasons behind the decision. Official sources told Xinhua that the decision was made by the Nepali government amid growing criticism from multiple quarters over the country's participation in the first ever military drill among the armies of BIMSTEC members. BIMSTEC -- founded in 1997 -- is a regional bloc grouping India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Washington : The US Department of State has demanded that the Nicaraguan government release "all persons arbitrarily detained". The US made that request in a statement on Friday, aimed at condemning the "arbitrary" arrest of six students, of whom five have been released, reports Efe news. "We demand the release of all persons arbitrarily detained, and we also call on the (Daniel) Ortega Government to guarantee the safety of all those who choose to exercise their universal rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly," said the spokeswoman for the Department of State Heather Nauert. "All governments should promote democracy, good governance and human rights for the greater well-being of their citizens, we will continue to support the people of Nicaragua and we will make the Ortega Executive respond for their repression and violence." The six students referred to in the State Department statement include: Ariana Moraga, Iskra Malespin, Judith Mairena, Gracia Rivera, Alejandro Centeno and Edwin Carcache, the latter a member of the opposition Civic Alliance and the only one remaining in the custody of the authorities. For Nauert, these students are the "last example" of the thousands of people who have protested against Ortega, only to be "harassed, detained, disappeared or even killed". The protests against Ortega and against his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, began on April 18 amid failed social security reforms and became a demand for his resignation, after 11 years in power, with accusations of abuse of power and corruption. The crisis, the most difficult in Nicaragua since the 1980s, has left between 322 and 448 dead, according to figures from humanitarian groups, while the government counts 198 fatalities. President Ortega denied that he had suppressed the protests with repression, and said he did not feel responsible for the deaths in the streets during the last months and blamed the US and drug traffickers for financing, supporting and arming violent groups. Islamabad : A second economist resigned from Prime Minister Imran Khan's Economic Advisory Council (EAC) on Saturday in protest over the removal of renowned academic Dr Atif Mian from the body due to his Ahmadi faith. "With a heavy heart, I have resigned from the EAC this morning," Dr Imran Rasul, a professor of economics at University College London, said in a tweet. "I wish the government and EAC luck in their future work and remain willing to offer non-partisan, evidence based advice that can help improve economic policy making in the country," he said. His resignation came a day after another EAC member Dr Asim ljaz Khwaja, a professor of International Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, resigned hours after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government asked his colleague Dr Atif Mian to step down on Friday, Geo News reported. Dr Atif Mian, a professor at Princeton University and Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy, had been appointed to the body last week and said he was resigning because the government was facing pressure from religio-political parties regarding his appointment. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had taken to Twitter about Dr Atif Mian's removal, saying: "The government wants to move forward alongside scholars and all social groups, and it is inappropriate if a single nomination creates an impression to the contrary." The appointment of Dr Atif Mian to the 18-member EAC set up to advise the government on economic policy was opposed by some individuals and groups, including Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, who objected to his Ahmadi faith. A social media smear campaign had erupted against Dr Atif Mian's appointment, with many calling for his removal. On the other hand, there were a large number of supporters who defended his appointment on the social media, saying that one's religion should not factor into their professional qualifications or employment. Yangon : Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, it was announced here on Saturday. Suu Kyi will attend the 27th World Economic Forum on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) scheduled to be held from September 11 to 13 in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Xinhua news agenc reported. It will be the State Counsellor's second visit to Vietnam this year. She earlier visited the country in April. The two nations established diplomatic relations in 1975. Geneva : After two days of delay due to the absence of the Houthi delegation, one of the major warring parties in the conflict in Yemen, the new round of UN-led peace talks collapsed on Saturday. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told a press conference here that the world body failed to get the Houthi delegation to the talks, Xinhua news agency reported. Stressing that the UN will sooner or later bring the parties together, Griffiths said the Houthi delegation was actually keen to travel to Geneva for the peace talks, and that he doesn't take this as a "fundamental blockage" in the political process. "They would have liked to get here. We didn't make conditions sufficiently correct to get them here," Griffiths said, adding that it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place". However, he did not go into details on why the Houthis did not show up. Media reports from Yemeni capital Sana'a said that the Houthis will not join peace talks in Geneva until their minute conditions were met, while another report said the Houthi delegation was stranded in Sana'a because the Saudi-led coalition, which controls the airspace, had not given their permission to fly. "The consultation process has started. We had three days of fruitful discussions with the delegation of the government of Yemen as planned and the consultations will continue in Muscat and Sana'a," the UN envoy said, adding that he will travel to the region in the coming days. Nepal to skip first BIMSTEC anti-terror drill New Delhi : Snubbing India, Nepal Army has decided to skip first BIMSTEC anti-terror military exercise scheduled for the next week. The idea of the joint military drill was first forwarded by the Indian Army in June, followed by an initial meeting of BIMSTEC senior army officials in New Delhi. An aide of Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli spoke to news agency PTI and said that Nepal will not to join the week-long joint military drill to be held in Pune from September 10. "Nepal will not take part in the BIMSTEC joint military exercise. This is the official decision of the government," he said. Without revealing much details behind the decision, he said an official statement will be released by his ministry soon. BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The military drill was dragged into controversy as no diplomatic or political level agreement was made before deciding to take part in the exercise. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Flash With the development of the anticipated battle to retake the last major rebel stronghold of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, the upcoming military campaign is likely to be limited, not a full-scale one. In previous battles across the country, the rebels were forced to surrender and accept a deal to evacuate to Idlib. Idlib has turned to the main destination for the defeated rebels, including al-Qaida-linked militants, which are the strongest among all other factions. The turn of Idlib came after major victories and there is no place else for the rebels to evacuate to, as the Syrian army captured most of the country. For the Syrian army and its Russian and Iranian allies, now is a golden opportunity to launch an offensive to defeat the rebels who are mostly gathered in Idlib. But it is not an easy task, due to regional and international complications. When the army started sending reinforcement to the frontline areas among the central Hama province, the northwestern province of Latakia and Idlib, the United States, Britain, and France issued a warning. The warning was simply reviving old pretexts to threat with the use of force against the army. The three powers alleged they had information that the Syrian army was planning a chemical attack in the upcoming battle in Idlib and warned that they would respond with force. They had done it before in April when the three powers struck Syrian military positions over the same pretexts, which were slammed by Damascus and its allies as lies to justify foreign strikes. This time, the Syria side and its allies also slammed the Western claims, saying the United States was plotting with the rebels to stage such an attack to justify another foreign attack on the Syrian army. The U.S. administration has repeatedly warned against the battle, saying it would cause a humanitarian catastrophe. The Turkish side, which is engaged with the Iranians and Russians in negotiations for the situation of Idlib, also warned against such operation. A day earlier, the presidents of Turkey, Iran, and Russia met in the Iranian capital Tehran to discuss the situation in Idlib. Despite previous arrangements between the officials of the three countries ahead of the meeting, differences were hard to be missed during the summit that was aired live by the Iranian TVs. While Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's Hassan Rouhani were heavily backing a military operation to get rid of the ultra-radical rebels in Idlib once and for all, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to the summit with a proposal. The Turkish president proposed a cease-fire in Idlib, a suggestion that was not approved by the two other leaders. Turkey is now in the eye of the tornado, especially after it had previously failed in persuading al-Qaida-linked militants to dissolve themselves. It is worth noting that the Syrian government has prioritized the "reconciliation" deals in Idlib in tandem with the preparations for the battle. Even now, the battle is expected to target the rebels who reject reconciliation and open the way for others to embrace the government deal, which was implemented in other parts of the country where the rebels laid down their weapons in exchange for an amnesty. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a recent report that the Nusra Front rounded up and killed tens of the advocates of the reconciliation with the government in Idlib. The group has even issued a statement last month, stressing resolve to keep on fighting the Syrian army and to confront the attack on Idlib. Maher Ihsan, a Syrian political analyst, told Xinhua that the battle in Idlib is inevitable. He said the al-Qaida-linked groups will likely refuse to surrender. He noted that Turkey and the Western powers will more likely support a limited operation against the terror-designated groups, but now a full-scale one as Idlib is home to nearly 3 million people. Ihsan also referred to the recent stance by Ankara, when it branded the Nusra as a terror group, "which is a green light that this group should be fought." For his part, the retired Major-General Mohammad Abbas told Xinhua that the Idlib battle will take place and would be a "surgical one." "It would be a partial one, meaning that it would hit certain targets," he said, adding that the Syrian forces have focused on, with artillery and airstrikes, specific targets of the Nusra Front and other radical groups in Idlib. The preliminary targeting weakens the capabilities of the terror-labeled groups and when the army moves to the ground offensive, they will not have the strength to resist, he added. Earlier on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry was cited by local media outlets in Syria as saying that the rebels are expected to stage the chemical attack in certain areas in Idlib on Saturday evening. But the Russian side seems determined to end the file of Idlib despite the Western threats as it has carried out war games off the Syrian coast after bringing in military fleets. Bashar al-Jaafari, permanent representative of Syria to UN, said on Friday during a UN Security Council session that there are "50,000 terrorists" in Idlib, stressing the Syrian government's determination to capture all Syrian areas. Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Sept. 8, 2018. [Photo / Xinhua] China and Pakistan pledged in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Saturday to push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new high. While meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed the smooth and successful general elections in Pakistan in July, saying China respects the choice made by the Pakistani people on their own will. As Pakistan's good friend, good partner and good neighbor, China will stand firmly with the Pakistani side, Wang said. Stressing ties between China and Pakistan as all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, Wang said relations between the two countries have been established on the basis of long-term mutual understanding, mutual support and mutual trust beyond party differences and government changes. China and Pakistan are "iron brothers" who have forged time-tested friendship, Wang said. Noting that China highly appreciates the reaffirmation of Pakistan's new government to continue taking the development of ties with China as the cornerstone of its foreign policy, Wang said China will also continue to take the development of ties with Pakistan as a priority in its foreign policy and neighborhood diplomacy. China will firmly support Pakistan's new government, help Pakistan in its efforts to realize new development targets, consolidate strategic mutual trust and strategic coordination and expedite the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), so as to elevate the level of all-round cooperation, deepen the friendship between the two peoples, push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new high and forge a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future, Wang added. For his part, Qureshi said Pakistan and China are most reliable partners and friends, and their friendship will not be affected by the change of governments. The new Pakistani government fully supports the unique Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and always views its relations with China as the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policies, he said. The Pakistani side has always been, and will be fully supportive to China's core interests and issues of its major concern, the Pakistani foreign minister said. On issues related to Pakistan's national security and sovereignty, the Chinese side has also been standing with the Pakistani side as well, he added. The Pakistani new government is now pushing forward an ambitious reform agenda, and is willing to learn from China's experiences on economic development, poverty relief, disaster reduction, anti-corruption and environmental protection, among which the promotion of CPEC is the priority, Qureshi said. Pakistan is also willing to work with China to strengthen anti-terrorism and defense, and intensify coordination and cooperation on multilateral occasions, in a bid to lift Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new high, he added. At a joint press conference after the meeting, the Chinese state councilor said the two sides have reached a 10-point consensus, including deepening strategic mutual trust, better pushing forward the construction of CPEC, developing bilateral trade in a balanced manner, vigorously promoting industrial capacity cooperation, and strengthening development and cooperation with an emphasis on people's livelihood. The two side also agreed to enhance cooperation on defense and security, increase experience exchanges on governance, expand cultural exchanges, cement cooperation on international and regional affairs, and build a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future. Wang is paying an official visit to Pakistan from Friday to Sunday. They show up most every day, hard hats in hand, and put in a full day riveting together the buildings sprouting across southwestern Connecticut, whether new homes in Greenwich, huge structures like the SoNo Collection mall taking shape in Norwalk, or renovations at schools and other buildings across the region. These days they are getting harder to find with implications for the costs and timelines of projects that would not be built without their work. In an Associated General Contractors survey with Autodesk of more than 165 Northeast builders published recently of contractors looking to hire hourly tradesmen for construction jobs, 86 percent said they had difficulties filling those jobs. Only one in 10 Northeast builders had no jobs to fill, according to the AGC survey, highlighting the difficulties facing contractors and their clients as private-sector employment in Connecticut and the nation continues to climb even as foundations are poured for new projects. In southwestern Connecticut where a slow-growing employment market has become the new norm, builders were a notable outlier, adding 1,400 jobs in the past year an 11 percent hiring clip that was among the 21 fastest rates in the nation, according to AGC. Higher prices with a full belly The effect of worker shortages is cascading into projects, according to AGC. Nearly half of U.S. general contractors told the association it is taking them longer to complete projects. About a quarter say they are baking longer timelines into their bids for future work in anticipation of problems securing qualified tradespeople. Remember that (when) the construction industry in Connecticut was struggling with an aging workforce problem before the downturn, that situation was exacerbated when the industry had to scale back on its training programs for years because (the state) did not want to train people for unemployment, said Don Shubert, head of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association. Now the industry is faced with a five- or six-year skills gap. The good news is that we have very well-established, privately funded apprenticeship training programs that can be easily ramped up to meet demand if work stabilizes again. Mark De Pecol ran a construction company before creating Senior Living Development, which has offices in Norwalk and Westport. SLD got senior communities designed and approved before selling the turnkey projects to other developers to build and run. Its all cyclical, De Pecol told Hearst Connecticut Media. The labor market tightens up and (labor) prices go up. Contractors who have a full belly quote higher prices. Things turn, and they get hungry again. A mechanism for foreign-born workers Still, AGC found that wages have been slower to follow, with 62 percent of construction firms nationally reporting they had increased their base pay for craftsmen as a result of hiring difficulties. Only one in four added benefits or incentive pay such as bonuses to lure workers. AGC sees immigration as one answer to the problem, saying the U.S. government should issue more visas to people with construction skills. And it would double funding for workforce development. The broken immigration system is a prime area to look to address the worker shortage with an estimated 10 million unauthorized individuals in the United States without the ability to lawfully work for employers, AGC said in a late August study of how to improve the number of qualified tradespeople. The lack of a legal visa program for construction workers and a recent tightening of legal immigration will worsen worker shortages if not addressed comprehensively. True reform must include a mechanism for construction industry employers to hire the temporary foreign-born workers they need when American workers are unavailable and economic demand merits. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman KIN MAN HUI / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS BROOKFIELD Brookfield High School will urge students to combat bullying and violence through an initiative coming to the school this week. Students and staff will hear presentations on Tuesday on Rachels Challenge, a program started by Darrell Scott, the father of a girl who was killed in the Columbine High School tragedy. In a major reversal, the U.S. hotel industry is prepared to launch an employee safety initiative this week, after unions coast to coast pressured major brands to give panic buttons to their workers, the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit has learned. Top executives of at least five of the biggest American hotel brands Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Wyndham are scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday afternoon in Washington to unveil their plans, which will go "far beyond" the slice of hotel workers who belong to unions and will impact "hundreds of thousands" of employees, sources say. In addition, a representative of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, launched as part of the #MeToo movement combating sexual assault in the workplace, will also be part of the announcement from the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Hotels in Las Vegas; New York; Washington, D.C.; and some properties in Los Angeles provide panic buttons as part of union contracts. Safety devices are required by law in Seattle; Chicago; the unincorporated parts of Sacramento County in California; and Miami Beach, Florida. But not everyone supports them: the city council in Long Beach, California, has voted not to require them, and a bill in the California State Senate which had already been approved in the Assembly to require them statewide failed to move out of committee last month. CalChamber, which represents businesses, did not object to panic buttons themselves, but warned some of the requirements of hotels were "unworkable" and once called the bill a "job killer." 'We need this' When the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history occurred in October in Las Vegas, none of the unionized hotels provided panic buttons, including the Mandalay Bay, where the shooter rained down bullets and terror on the concertgoers gathered below. Now, less than a year later, almost all of the major hotels have agreed to give safety devices to their workers. The union that represents 50,000 hotel workers in Las Vegas and in Reno, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, did have one worry about panic buttons, however: digital snooping. "It is a big concern," union leader Geoconda Arguello-Kline explained in an interview at the local union's headquarters off the Las Vegas strip recently. She led negotiations with Sin City's most famous hotels, extracting a promise that they would not use panic buttons to continuously track workers. Members had voted in May to authorize a strike if they didn't get panic buttons. Arugello-Kline said it amounted to an ultimatum. "We say: 'We need this. We need this because it's protecting people's lives," she told Hearst Television. Union member Dallamy Santos says a guest at the hotel where she's worked for 17 years once "offered me money" for a sex act. The hotel does not provide workers with panic buttons. "If they would like to have their workers safe," Dallamy said in an interview, "they will do it." 'Protect their loved ones' New, portable panic buttons on an iPhone, keychain, or wearable device use small Bluetooth beacons to overcome limitations in GPS. The current GPS determines a person's location based on latitude and longitude, but not which floor of a high-rise hotel a person is on. Bluetooth beacons and other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as thermostats and smart door locks, can triangulate a person's position down to within 5 to 10 feet, allowing first responders to know which floor, and which room, a victim of a shooting, assault or medical emergency is in. In an interview, Robb Monkman, the CEO of React Mobile, a provider of Bluetooth-enabled panic buttons, explained the sobering source of his inspiration for starting his Seattle-based company: a frightening home invasion. "Two guys, who were armed with guns, broke through our front door, they ended up holding us up at gunpoint, they robbed us and they ended up taking one of our roommates hostage," Monkman recalled. "I realized then that when you feel that steel of a gun pressed against [your] forehead, that it makes it just about impossible to reach for your phone to call for help." "We want to give people a useful tool that can protect their loved ones," Monkman added. He demonstrated for the National Investigative Unit the response times of the three main types of panic buttons his company sells to hotels, universities, railroads, and other industries. The cost to a hotel varies between $0.70 and $2.00 per room, depending on the size of the location and layout, Monkman said. There are many other companies that also sell Bluetooth-dependent safety devices. "You can click this as many times as you want and the alert will go off," Monkman explained while pressing a keychain panic button. A few seconds after he pressed the button, a siren wailed and a message box popped up on a laptop security monitor nearby that read, "SOS alert activated." NEW HAVEN Delta Kappa Epsilons New Haven chapter houses on Lake Place have been sold. The New Haven assessors office confirmed Friday that 73 and 79 Lake Place, both DKE houses, were sold May 18 to the Clifford Group of Clinton, which buys houses for cash in as is condition, specializing in quick purchases, according to its website. John Maturo, a consultant with the Clifford Group, said Friday the company was renting out the houses but that a condition of the sale was that DKE could not occupy them. Thats one of the things I advised them to do was get [DKE] out of there completely, he said. Two of the fraternitys members were accused of sexual assault, Business Insider reported, during the 2016-17 school year and the chapter was barred from the Yale University campus in 2016 because of a ritual in which pledges marched on campus yelling vulgar, misogynistic chants. DKE, or Deke, was founded at Yale in 1844, according to the Phi chapters Facebook page. Its last post was dated April 21. While it is listed as an active chapter on the national fraternitys website, the current leadership of New Havens DKE chapter could not be determined. A phone message was left with the national office in Ann Arbor, Mich. The national fraternitys web page calls its members Gentlemen, Scholars, and Jolly Good Fellows. Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush are Dekes, as is Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who graduated from Yale in 1987 and from Yale Law School in 1990. After the accusations of sexual assault were published in January 2018, the chapter asked the national fraternity to investigate the sexual climate of the chapter, according to the Yale Daily News. The investigation was to be turned over to Yale administrators but was not released publicly. In February, Yale Provost Marvin Chun announced that Deputy Title IX Coordinator Jason Killheffer would investigate the chapter. A group of chapter members wrote their own report on fostering a safer and more welcoming environment at the chapter, which is linked on the Phi Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon Facebook page. Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart said she would have no comment on the fraternity or the sale of its houses. The two-family brick house at 73 Lake Place was built in 1900, has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, according to the city assessors database. It was appraised at $300,400 in 2016 and was bought by the Mother Phi Foundation in 2013 for $451,000. The blue clapboard, four-family house at 79 Lake Place was appraised at $324,000 in 2016. It also sold to Mother Phi for $451,000 in 2013. It also was built in 1900, according to the city website. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com The op-ed by an anonymous senior Trump administration official published in The New York Times Wednesday was explosive. It conveyed a cadre of government officials collaborating behind the scenes to protect the country from an incompetent and amoral president. It is impossible to read the piece and not react strongly one way or another. The writer tries to reassure Americans that when President Donald Trump goes off the rails, the whole country wont go with him. Comforting, at first, but as the full impact of the message sinks in, it is chilling. A secret group of administration officials is operating behind the scenes to run the country, a country that needs saving from its own elected president. Not even thriller novelist Tom Clancy could have conjured such a plot. In the op-ed, the writer called President Trumps leadership style, impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do whats right even when Donald Trump wont. The result is a two-track presidency. Unfortunately, the weight of the message is getting lost. Quickly the focus shifted to figuring out who wrote the op-ed. President Trump wants the attorney general to investigate. Administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have publicly denied they are the author. It was unusual for The New York Times, but not unheard of, to publish an anonymous opinion piece. Select op-ed page editors there, who report direct to the publisher and are not connected to news coverage, know who wrote the piece. But they are not disclosing the name, position or even gender and granted anonymity because the writer feared getting fired. And becoming ineffective. Our policy here is that every op-ed, letter or even a 50-word You Said It must include the writers full name, hometown and contact information. (We dont publish phone numbers or email addresses, but we have to be able to reach the writer for possible verification or with questions.) People must stand up for what they believe in by using their real names. I have noticed, in editing opinion pieces, this has not stopped many writers from pulling any punches. If anything, knowing their name is attached has made them write more persuasively. Occasionally, someone will request that his or her name not be used. It might be because of work or family sensitivities or other reasons. I always explain why we dont allow unnamed opinion on our pages. In my nine years on the Editorial Board of The News-Times and two of those years also with The Norwalk Hour, we have never run anonymous opinion from readers. This extends to resisting cross-publishing comments from our web site, where writers need only handles, not full names. The cloak often encourages meanness and does little to further understanding of the complex world in which we live. Our opinion pages clearly marked at the top operate differently than the web site and separately from the newsroom. Why, you might wonder, do we insist on identification of writers but our editorials are unsigned? The reason is that editorials, labeled as such, reflect the institutional position of the newspaper as a community leader not the opinion of a single person. My column what you are reading here is my opinion, not the newspapers, and so my name and picture go with it. If faced with the situation as consequential as the anonymous piece given to The New York Times, I would consult the other editorial page editors at Hearst Connecticut Media and we would go to our publisher, who would make the final decision. Before shaping an opinion, its worth considering the conclusion of the piece: There is a quiet resistance within the administration of people choosing to put country first. But the real difference will be made by everyday citizens rising above politics, reaching across the aisle and resolving to shed the labels in favor of a single one: Americans. Given the gravity of the message, the opinion editors at the Times made the right call. Thats my opinion. Contact Editorial Page Editor Jacqueline Smith at jsmith@hearstmediact.com. Next time you go through airport security, it might be worth washing your hands afterward. According to the results of a new study published by Finnish and British researchers, half of plastic airport security bins may carry viruses that cause respiratory infections. The study, published last week in the BioMed Central Infectious Diseases journal, tested swabs from surface samples of the plastic bins at Helsinki Airport that were taken at three different times during the peak of the 2015-2016 flu season. Four of the eight samples contained the rhinovirus or adenovirus, which both cause cold-like symptoms. The lead authors of the article, who hailed from Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare and the University of Nottingham, concluded that the screening trays "appear commonly contaminated," and that they are one of the surfaces at an airport where passengers are most likely to pick up harmful viruses. "We found the highest frequency of respiratory viruses on plastic trays used in security check areas for depositing hand-carried luggage and personal items," the scientists wrote in their journal article. "These boxes typically cycle with high frequency to subsequent passengers, and are typically seized with a wide palm surface area and strong grip." The results, they said, demonstrated that airports can serve as a potential risk-zone for an "emerging pandemic threat" - a prospect that has already become a major concern in the aftermath of the 2002 SARS outbreak, and the 2014 Ebola epidemic. And the preponderance of viruses on airport screening bins may be even more cause for concern among Americans, who are increasingly encountering TSA screeners instructing them to empty their food and snack items straight into the plastic bins. At the conclusion of the study centered on Helsinki Airport, the researchers concluded that airports should offer hand sanitizer to travelers before and after each security checkpoint, and that the baggage trays should be cleaned and disinfected more frequently. "This knowledge helps in the recognition of hot spots for contact transmission risk, which could be important during an emerging pandemic threat or severe epidemic," the scientists wrote in the article. But plastic bins aren't the only place in airports where researchers found frequent presence of cold-causing viruses. On the buttons of the Helsinki Airport pharmacy's payment terminal, 50 percent of samples tested positive for the rhinovirus or the human coronavirus. Of the samples taken at the desks and glass dividers at the airport's passport control checkpoint, one in three contained the rhinovirus. And when the scientists repeatedly swabbed a plastic toy dog in the airport's children's playground, they found that the toy played host to cold-causing viruses a whopping 67 percent of the time. In these cases, the scientists concluded, the best approach might be the simplest one: a good old-fashioned wipedown. "Many cleaning agents, household (antibacterial) wipes and anti-viral tissues are able to rapidly render influenza virus nonviable, offering multiple simple possibilities and opportunities for reducing the risk of indirect contact transmission," the scientists said. Frequent cleaning, they pointed out, is exactly the reason why an unlikely surface topped the list of the most virus-free spots in the airport: the toilet. Of the 42 samples taken on toilet lids, on the flush buttons, and on the door locks, there were zero samples where scientists detected the presence of a cold virus. "No respiratory viruses were detected in a considerable number of samples from the surfaces of toilets most commonly touched, which is not unexpected, as passengers may pay particular attention to limiting touch and to hand hygiene, in a washroom environment," the scientists said. Flash The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths addresses the media in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 8, 2018. After two days of delay because of the absence of Houthi delegation, one of the major warring parties to the conflict in Yemen, the new round of the UN-led peace talks collapsed on Saturday. [Photo Xinhua] The UN-sponsored talks between the Yemeni warring rivals failed Saturday after two days of delay because of the absence of a delegation representing the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Undermining the first attempt in two years to negotiate an end to the four-year civil war raised fears among the majority of Yemeni people about the fate of their impoverished Arab country. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths told a press conference in Geneva that the UN failed to get the Houthi delegation from the capital Sanaa to join the talks with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government team that arrived early in Switzerland. The exhausted Yemeni citizens started their preparations for the worst after their expectations of a permanent peace from Switzerland's Geneva faded away again for the fourth time. "The failure of Geneva talks means that our future will be more difficult," said Amjad Abdullah, a Yemeni citizen, adding that "all the warring factions will engage in fighting instead of peace talks because they don't care about the suffering of ordinary people." "We expected that this year would be the last one with fighting and suffering but unfortunately it turned out that we were wrong because more years of war will come," he said. All the leaders of the warring factions in Yemen are linked to other neighboring powerful countries that provide them with instructions and directions about what to do, according to the observers. "The Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels only keep exchanging accusations and ultimatums because they did not receive instructions from Iran or from Saudi Arabia to engage in peace talks to end the war," Haitham Haidrah, a political activist and observer said. The international community must take necessary measures to bring peace to Yemen by preventing foreign interventions that keep fueling proxy wars in Yemen, said local observers. Fighting heavily erupted hours after the failure of Geneva talks amid expectations that the country will be thrown into more chaos. In the Red Sea coast city of Hodeidah, the pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition continued to make ground advancement during the second day of an offensive launched to capture the city's strategic port from the Iranian-backed Houthis. The country's Foreign Minister Khaled Yamani who leads the government delegation to Geneva accused Houthis of "intending to sabotage the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva by creating obstacles to the UN that was not firm enough with them." The UN envoy to Yemen announced during a press conference he exerted hard efforts and tried by all means to bring the Houthi negotiation team to Geneva but received no response. Griffiths said that that he will fly to Muscat and Sanaa again in the upcoming days in order to meet the Houthi leaders but gave no clue or specific time about next negotiations. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government issued a statement and highly appreciates the efforts of UN envoy, which aimed at implementing the UN Security Council resolutions and restarting the peace talks. The government delegation responded to the UN envoy invitation and showed up on the appointed date and time of the peace consultation in Geneva; whereas the Houthis made up excuses, failed to show up, and created obstacles to the peace process, the statement said. For his part, chief of Yemen's Houthi rebel group, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, on Saturday accused the Saudi-led coalition of hindering Houthi delegation from traveling to UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva. "The reason behind the failure of the UN-hosted round of consultants was because the aggression coalition has blocked our national delegation from travelling to Geneva," al-Houthi said in a speech aired by the group's al-Masirah television. The last UN-backed peace negotiations for Yemen were held in 2016 in Kuwait, which continued for several months in the Gulf country but no constructive results had been reached due to serious differences between the rival parties. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including capital Sanaa, in 2014. The internal military conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government recently entered its fourth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the world's worst humanitarian crisis. This appeared in Sunday's Washington Post. - - - Talks between the United States and Canada continued over the past week, with the fate of North American trade at stake. President Donald Trump and Mexico have cut a deal in which Mexico essentially conceded more market share in the automotive industry to the United States, so now it is up to negotiators for Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to come to an agreement that brings Canada into the bargain, so as to assure that the whole thing makes the most economic sense and Congress approves it. How can everyone get to yes? It would have been easier without Trump's gratuitous slaps at Canada and its prime minister. Trump alluded recently to "decades of abuse" by Canada in trade, which is ridiculous. The merchandise trade balance, Trump's favorite (if misleading) indicator of "fair" trade, showed a $17.1 billion deficit with Canada in 2017, almost a rounding error in the context of a total $581.6 billion cross-border flow, and considerably lower than the all time-high 2008 deficit, which was $78.3 billion. When you account for services, the United States enjoyed a small surplus. There are certainly kinks to be worked out in the trade relationship, but the deficits are hardly evidence of "abuse" by Canada. The main kink is Canada's highly protectionist system in the dairy market, which favors a special interest located in vote-rich Quebec and Ontario. Trump is right to complain about it, and Canadians as a whole would be better off without it, just as American consumers would benefit from ending our dairy subsidies. In fact, however, dairy is a non-factor in the bilateral trade deficit because U.S. dairy exports to Canada exceed imports. Trump is essentially holding the U.S.-Canada relationship hostage over a demand to increase an existing U.S. advantage. Even so, Trudeau would be wise to offer the United States an increased market share, as his predecessor Stephen Harper agreed to do under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). That is admittedly harder to do, now that Canada already gave some of that access to other countries in the U.S.-less version of the TPP it signed after Trump canceled U.S. participation. It would be worth Trudeau's while to go that extra mile, though, in return for the United States continuing some version of the North American Free Trade Agreement's alternative dispute settlement system, a resolution mechanism that Canadian prime ministers of both parties have insisted on going back to the Reagan administration. The system helps Canada protect its softwood lumber exporters from American charges of "dumping," which have been an irritant between the two countries for decades. Dairy for dispute resolution: Trump should be more than willing to take that deal, which would let him tout substantive gains (more dairy sales) in return for a procedural concession. It also happens to be a pretty fair trade on the merits, since Canada's dairy policy is indeed protectionist, whereas its dispute resolution claims amount to a reasonable request for a neutral forum. Trump never should have started this clash, of course; if he really wants to end it, though, this is a way to do it. Tuesday The Milford Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681. The Rotary Club of Hamden: meets each Tuesday. For meeting time and location please visit the calendar section of their website at www.hamdenctrotary.org. The Ambassador Group for the Milford Chamber of Commerce: meets visit the calendar section of its website at www.milfordct.com. The Inter-Service Clubs Committee of New Haven Inc.: meets at 5:30 p.m. at Camp Cedarcrest, 886 Mapledale Road, Orange; call 203-258-1088. The Rotary Club of New Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm St. Call 203-624-3197. The Rotary Club of North Haven: meets at 7:15 a.m. at the Breakfast Nook, 448 Washington Ave. Visit www.nhrotary.org. The East Haven Lions Club: meets at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Twin Pines Diner, 34 Main St., East Haven. Membership is open. Call 203-467-4045. Wednesday The Rotary Club of Branford: meets from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at the Parthenon Diner, 374 E. Main St., Branford. Call 203-315-2444, ext. 450. The Devon Rotary: meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Bridge House Restaurant, 49 Bridgeport Ave., Milford. Visit www.devonrotary.org. The Greater New Haven chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 6:30 p.m. at New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. Call 203-287-0037. The Milford Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681. The Rotary Club of Guilford: meets at 12:15 p.m. at The Maritime Grille, 2548 Boston Post Road, Guilford. Call 203-453-0774. The Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association: meets at 11 a.m. at 192 Dixwell Ave. Call 203-562-2193. The Rotary Club of Wallingford: meets at 12:10 p.m. at the Library Wine Bar and Bistro, 60 North Main Street. Call 203-235-3816. North Branford Rotary: meets at 6 p.m. at Nataz, 2025 Foxon Road. Call 203-484-7707. The Greater New Haven Breakfast Club: meets at 8 a.m. at Clarks Pizza & Restaurant, 68 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Email info@rosnerdoherty.com. The Rotary Club of West Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Apps Ristorante, 283 Captain Thomas Blvd. Thursday The Middlesex County Toastmasters: meets from 7-8:30 p.m., Wesleyan University, Exley Science Center (Woodhead Lounge), 265 Church St., Middletown, http://middlesex.toastmastersclubs.org. The Madison Rotary Club: meets at 8 a.m. at the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Road. Call Robert Anderson, 203-907-9032. The Milford Chamber of Commerces Health & Wellness Council: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the chamber, 5 Broad St. Call 203-878-0661. The Clinton Rotary Club: meets 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Country Club, Old Westbrook Road. Call Dee Tully at 860-388-7013. The East Haven Rotary Club: meets at 5:45 p.m. at Twin Pines Diner Restaurant, 34 Main St., East Haven. The Milford Rotary Club meets: from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at Gusto Restaurant, 255 Boston Post Road. Visit www.milfordrotary.org. Friday The Orange Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Racebrook Country Club, 246 Derby Ave. Call 203-799-2327. The Woodbridge Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. for a luncheon meeting at Woodbridge Social, 12 Selden St., Woodbridge. For more information, call Mary Ellen LaRocca at 203-389-3429. The Milford Chamber of Commerce Friday Morning Leads Group: meets at 11 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681. Send notices of business events to Business Datebook, New Haven Register, 100 Gando Drive, New Haven 06513 or email to business@nhregister.com, at least a week before the event. EAST HAVEN The East Haven Fire Department was recently awarded a $328,000 federal grant that will go toward replacing outdated equipment. Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli and Mayor Joseph Maturo announced that award in a news release Friday. The grant will go directly to the Fire Department and will be used to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus units and a new breathing air compressor. All of the breathing apparatus units being replaced through this award were purchased in 2005, which exceeds the operational life expectancy of this equipment, Marcarelli said. The money will allow the department to buy 41 new self-contained breathing apparatus air packs and a new breathing air compressor to be installed at headquarters. The 41 units will include new masks, backpacks and two spare cylinders for each firefighter. The new equipment will offer a wide array of advanced safety features to increase the safety and well-being of firefighters and improve interoperability of the departments within the town and beyond, Marcarelli said. Maturo said he encouraged Marcarelli to pursue grant funds whenever possible to reduce financial obligation on the town, which would normally pick up the tab to fund these purchases. This is essential life-saving equipment that will improve firefighter safety and public safety. This funding will help provide those firefighters with important equipment to protect themselves on the job, Maturo said. The award comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agencys Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. East Havens award was the second-highest in Connecticut. Flash Sixteen people have been confirmed dead and around 26 people still remain missing in the wake of a powerful earthquake that rocked Hokkaido Prefecture in northern Japan in the early hours of Thursday morning, the government said on Friday. As search and rescue efforts continue Friday after a 6.7-magnitude quake struck Japan's northernmost prefecture a day earlier, police, firefighters and thousands of Self-Defense Forces personnel used heavy machinery to remove rubble. In one of the hardest-hit towns of Atsuma where massive landslides buried numerous homes, rescue teams were combing through the rubble with their hands, looking for signs of those still unaccounted for. Whole mountain ranges in the hardest-hit regions had their landscapes altered owing to massive landslides, local media reported. Some 2.95 million homes were without electricity, as the entire prefecture suffered a power outage, with Hokkaido Electric Power Company initially saying it might take up to a week until power is fully restored in its service area. In addition, hundreds of thousands of households were reported as having no water supply, local utilities also said. But easing the pressure somewhat Friday, power was reconnected to 3 million homes in Hokkaido, the utility said. Nevertheless, according to prefectural officials, more than 6,400 people were forced to spend the night at evacuation centers in the prefectural capital of Sapporo. According to transport officials, Hokkaido's Shinkansen bullet train service will likely resume at noon on Friday and Sapporo's subway system will also resume services. According to local media reports, the local office of the transport ministry said that power has been restored to the terminal building at New Chitose Airport, the gateway to Hokkaido. Airlines are now making arrangements to resume operations, but all Friday morning flights have been cancelled. At least 300 people have been injured as a result of the earthquake measuring the maximum 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale. This marked the first time a quake in Hokkaido has reached this intensity level since the seismic scale was revised in 1996, Japan's weather agency said. Hundreds of aftershocks have since followed and the JMA has warned that earthquakes over 5.0-magnitude could continue in the area for about a week. Editors note: This is the 41st story in the Register Top 50 series. Much of history has been defined by what happened in a single moment and that history is replete with men who, in that defining moment, left behind a legacy far larger than the lives they led. It is probably not what some of these men wanted to be their legacy, but some names and faces have become synonymous with police shootings and cities where they took place and always will be. In New York, its Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, and too many others to list; in Ferguson, its Michael Brown; in Cleveland, its Tamir Rice; in Minnesota, its Philando Castile; in Oregon, its Kendra James; and in Chicago, its Laquan McDonald. And in Kenosha, Wis., there is Michael Bell Jr., whose shooting has not produced the national outcry as many other victims. Here in Greater New Haven, the face synonymous with a police shooting is Malik Edward Jones, who was unarmed when he was shot and killed by East Haven police Officer Robert Flodquist following a chase from East Haven to New Havens Fair Haven section on April 14, 1997. More than 21 years after Jones death, his killing remains an open wound that continues to fester and swings people both ways emotionally. It was a big, big deal, said Frank Harris, a professor of journalism at Southern Connecticut State University, who wrote about the shooting and its aftermath. It just did not seem like it was necessary for the officer to shoot him. Jones killing ignited months of tension-filled protests and counterprotests in East Haven, years of court cases, spiked further tension and unease between police and the black community and raised the public debate about civil rights and racial profiling. The killing made national news, stripped across front pages, led evening broadcasts, and provided an endless stream of commentary on both sides of the aisle. The New York Times reported the unprecedented killing galvanized the religious, political, academic and law enforcement communities unlike any other event in the region in recent years. The Rev. Eric B. Smith, then of Community Baptist Church in New Haven, preached a passionate sermon at St. Bernadettes Roman Catholic Church before approximately 500 people. Among them were then-New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., then-East Haven Mayor Henry Luzzi, then-New Haven Police Chief Melvin H. Wearing and then-East Haven Chief James Criscuolo. Smith told the congregation the area found itself in the eye of a hurricane. We can no longer hide in our homes and avoid race, Smith said. We are in the midst of peril, and we are reacting in that place where our anger runs high. For many, the divisive racial overtones over the shootings echoed another time and another place. East Haven was like the 1950s South you could feel the tension, animosity and acrimony, Harris said. The Rev. Howard Nash, then-pastor at St. Bernadettes, said at the time he opened the doors of his church to help promote racial harmony among residents. We wanted to bring people together to reflect, celebrate and rejoice all the things we share as human beings, Nash said. If we do not end racial tension, racial tension will end us. After the ceremony, DeStefano said, This event was very positive, but unless ordinary people, all of us, make the kind of every day changes in our attitudes, this issue is going to remain very much a part of our lives, he said. Years later, crowds still gather at the corner of John Murphy Drive and Grand Avenue with Emma Jones to mark the anniversary of her son Maliks death and demand justice for him. While Emma Jones became the family spokesperson and the face most seen in relation to her sons killing, his father, Jimmie Jones, who admits after the killing he was muted by rage, continues to appear at events where he leads discussions such as the 2017 Black Lives Matter Because All Lives Matter event at Yale University. The struggle for Malik has not ended, said Emma Jones. The history It has been 21 years since Malik Jones, then 21, was shot and killed by the East Haven police officer who was later cleared of all charges. According to police reports, Jones was speeding and driving erratically. Following a pursuit, Jones pulled into an empty lot near his home, and was boxed in by police cars. During his testimony, Flodquist went and stood by the hinge of the drivers door, then the car started to move, he said. The car struck him on the leg, he said. Jones then drove in a backward arc, prompting Flodquist to move with the car to avoid being run over, according to previous testimony. Flodquist broke the window and fired his gun, striking Jones. The East Haven Police Department maintained the position the shooting was justified. Samuel Cruz, who was in the car at the time, said Jones was simply trying to avoid hitting another police car. To many people, this same type of scenario continues to play out between unarmed black men and police and nothing changes. Ferguson put the spotlight back on police shootings and reignited the conversation that in too many cases, police get away with what would be considered murder under any other circumstances. Burying a child is one of hardest things a parent has to do particularly since it could have been avoided, said Jimmie Jones, Maliks father. Given the reality of race relations and implicit bias then and now, I never taught my son to run from police in such situations. Further, it is unconscionable that the city of East Haven chose to aggressively defend the tactics employed by the officer that day. The case went to trial twice before U.S. District Judge Alvin Thompson and had been before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals a number of times over different issues. In 2003, a federal jury in Hartford awarded Emma Jones $2.5 million in punitive damages. Jones and her supporters felt vindicated and rode a caravan flouting the victory through the main street in East Haven, enraging supporters of police. But the celebration was short-lived. Thompson rejected the award in 2007 although Thompson upheld the finding that Jones civil rights had been violated. Dan McCann, then a member of the East Haven Town Council, penned an oped that stated in part that for as long as I sit on this Council I will never vote to give one red cent to the Jones Family. McCann said it had nothing to do with race and everything to do with Malik Jones, who he said was no stranger to breaking the law and his parents had turned a blind eye to his destructive behavior. During the last years of his life, Jones had numerous encounters with police. When he died, he was on probation for selling narcotics, had two misdemeanor convictions for resisting arrest by Hamden police in July 1995, and for sixth-degree larceny in connection with an arrest by state police in January 1996. And two warrants had been issued for his arrest alleging Jones violated terms of his probation. When he was killed by Flodquist, he had the drug PCP in his system. The appeal process over his death seesawed through the courts. In a second trial, Emma Jones and her sons estate were awarded $900,000 in compensatory damages in October 2010 by a federal jury in Hartford. The jury ordered East Haven to pay that sum in a wrongful-death lawsuit. But in August 2012, a three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit federal appeals court reversed the jurys decision, saying there was insufficient evidence to prove municipal liability. Emma Jones lawyer, David Rosen, filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari an official request to have the U.S. Supreme Court hear the case. But the nations highest court brought the case to a halt after it declined to review the case. Grieving parents The bullets just dont stop coming or hitting their target for Emma Jones and Jimmie Jones, who are divorced but united in the cause to see justice done for their son. Over the years, Emma Jones has had to cloud her eyes and dim her brain as the shootings of unarmed black men took over front pages and evening news. The images of people protesting the shooting of unarmed, 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson with police in riot gear, she cannot bring herself to watch. To Emma Jones, Brown is Malik, just with a different face, a different family and a different story but an ending that remains the same. Watching the aftermath of the shooting makes her feel as if it is happening all over again. Jimmie Jones said his sons death and the national coverage that followed has been heart-rending leaving a hole that cannot be repaired. I never believed the extreme positive and negative characterizations that appeared in the press, he said. I understand that many people have their political axes to grind. I am sad that my sons death was used in this way. Emma Jones firmly believes if there had been justice for Malik, the Brown family would not feel the pain they are experiencing. It really hasnt got that much better, she said. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Police shootings There are 18,000 police departments in the United States and approximately 700,000 cops on the streets, according to John DeCarlo, chairman of the department of criminal justice at the University of New Haven. DeCarlo said police shootings are getting more attention than ever before because of public access to technology, which puts an instant spotlight on any shooting and a wave of opinions. Police shoot and kill an average of 900 American citizens black, white and otherwise every year, according to the Washington Post. In 2015, they shot and killed 1,146 people and in 2016, they shot and killed 1,092. According to a report in The Atlantic magazine, 52 percent were white, 26 percent were black, and 17 percent were Hispanic. So far this year (as of Sept. 6 ), police have shot and killed 691 people nationwide, The Washington Post is reporting. The Washington Posts report, which has analyzed shootings during the past several years, shows black males are shot by police at disproportionately high rates in lockstep with other studies that show black men between the ages of 15 and 34 are nine to 16 times more likely to be killed by police than other people. And black men are shot while young, as opposed to white men who tend to be older. A study by Anthony Bui, Matthew Coates, and Ellicott Matthay that appeared in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health looked at the toll of police violence by focusing on years of life lost. Of the people shot and killed in 2015, the victims lost 57,375 years to police violence and 54,754 to police violence in 2016. Young people and people of color were disproportionately affected: 52 percent of all the years of life lost were lost by nonwhite, non-Hispanic ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the decision to use deadly force is a split-second decision that no officer wants to have to make in their career, said Lt. David Emerman of the East Haven Police Department. But the perception of the general public that the shooting deaths of people like Malik Jones and Brown are dismissed by police and it is back to business as usual is a misconception, said DeCarlo, who is also the former Branford police chief. DeCarlo said though the shootings are deadly acts, in the end, they are a precursor to the current look at excessive force, and training to come up with best practices. It doesnt mean we didnt learn, he said, noting the recent shift to community policing rather than beatdown policing. DeCarlo said things are nebulous at the scene and they (police) are doing it in the moment. The majority are a response to dangerous situations, he said. So far this year, 98 police officers died in the line of duty and 557 have died since 2015, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. DeCarlo said police need more resources, more bodies in uniforms, and better training but are caught between unions and local politics. But DeCarlo noted that even with limited resources, police are improving the way they handle things. All in all, it is better in 2018 than in the 1980s, he said. East Haven Police Department The East Haven Police Department is no stranger to controversy or headlines for the actions of its officers against minorities. In December of 2011, U.S. Department of Justice officials cited the East Haven Police Department for engaging in a pattern or practice of systematically discriminating against Latinos in violation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Four police officers were charged with civil rights abuse in the case and three were sent to jail. The DOJ, the town and the department entered a consent decree in 2012 to revamp its policies. It was released from the consent decree in 2017 in what was called a remarkable turnaround and the department is now seen as a model for police departments nationwide. Latinos in the community including those who sued the town and won $450,000 say the police are good people now and applaud the changes and adjustments made for the betterment of the community. Police Chief Ed Lennon said at the time, there had been a positive and monumental transformation within the department. Emerman said the changes started with equipment, such as Tasers for another less-lethal force option. Police are now trained using de-escalation principles, said Emerman, who noted, in part, that other improvements include training that goes beyond state minimums for firearm training, specifically, we train utilizing shoot/dont shoot scenarios, Simunitions, and have also used video simulators. We have body cameras and dash cameras to accurately capture interactions with officers, insuring accountability as well as capturing evidence for court proceedings. Training is completely different. Everything has changed, Emerman said. The case against Internal Affairs Michael Bell Jrs. name may not synonymous with police shootings nationwide, but his father is making sure his name is not forgotten in Kenosha, Wis. While police shootings of black men grab headlines nationwide, there are many white families who also grapple emotionally at having a child killed by police. Michael Bell, Sr., a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, has been fighting since Nov. 9, 2004, when a police officer fatally shot 21-year-old Michael Bell Jr., who was handcuffed, in the head in front of his mother and sister. My son was executed, Bell Sr. said. They pointed a gun at his temple and killed him. As a former military man who served in Afghanistan, Desert Storm, and assisted in 9/11, he said he was very familiar with investigations and was stunned when police wrapped up its investigation in two days No way can it be done in two days, Bell said. I was really bothered by that. But Bell said it was seeing the officers get a meritorious award for their actions that night that drove him to tell the world about it. That was the last straw, he said. He hired a private investigator, who found the forensics didnt match the story the officers told. The case went to court. Four officers lied on witness stand and they got caught, he said. Unlike the Jones family, Bell Sr. settled a lawsuit against the city for a reported $1.75 million that stood. But he refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement. He continued to question how police could investigate themselves and remain fair-minded. It is something that Emma Jones has been irate about since her son was killed. Do away with IA (Internal Affairs), she said. Jones believes it is not possible for police to investigate police and remain objective about people they work side-by-side with for a common cause, which must make it difficult for them to be fair, she said. Emerman said policies have been revamped and updated and the department has been completely restructured. Use of Force incidents, citizen complaints, and internal affairs investigations are investigated extremely thoroughly, he said. All supervisors have had 40 hours of internal affairs training in how to investigate these. But in Wisconsin, nothing will change Bell Sr.s mind. He took a page from the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to continue to question and express his outrage over police investigating police. He has put up 43 billboards with the question When police kill, should they judge themselves so that 12.5 million people (in his region) can see it every day. And a documentary, Forensically Impossible: Anatomy of a Police Cover-Up, is available so the public can come to its own conclusion. I used the settlement money to fight back, Bells Sr. said. An honest mistake? Bell Sr. said he did not believe the officer shot and killed his son with malice. In fact, he believes it was a mistake. During the traffic arrest and scuffle, a police officer yelled Bell Jr. had grabbed his gun. Bell Jr. was pinned against a car by the two officers. His hands were in handcuffs. The private investigator, whom Bell Sr. hired, concluded the officers holster may have gotten caught on the sideview mirror, leading him to believe Bell Jr. had grabbed it and his life was in danger. Bell Sr. said as a military officer, he understood how bad things can happen in the heat of the moment. I believe the officer made an honest mistake, said Bell Sr. The problem is the department tried to cover it up and got caught. Erich R. Strausbaugh, 34, one of the officers involved, killed himself in 2010. He did not pull the trigger on Bell, but according to the lawsuit, was one of two officers restraining Bell Jr. when a third officer shot him in the head. The Jones family and an unwanted legacy It has been 21 years since Emma Jones and Jimmie Jones last laughed with their son. It has been 21 years since their own degrees of separation passed through the stages of grief while passing through the halls of justice. For Emma Jones, she won, she lost, she fought. Twenty-one years later, she is still fighting for justice for her son. Jones believes had Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram been available during the shooting, there would have been a much different outcome. I didnt have social media when Malik was murdered, she said. If I did, people would clearly, just clearly, see it as what it was a gross overuse of police abuse and authority. For the vast majority, the killing of Malk Jones will always be a headline, the subject of endless commentary, and the impetus for racial divide and police abuse. But for Jimmie Jones, Malik was much more than a black man killed by the police. He was a special son, sibling, father and friend who did not deserve to die at the end of a traffic stop, he said. Malik was and always (will) be that bright, special person with an impish engaging grin who always wanted the best for other people. He said what he misses most about being with his son is laughing and joking with each other as well as talking about life and making plans for the future. But for both parents, out of their grief came joy. Malik Jones left behind a daughter, Priya, who was just 3 when he was killed. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2016 with a bachelors degree in interdisciplinary studies. I write poems and letters to my dad when missing him is all I can think about, she said. It helps to sit somewhere peaceful and talk to him about my life, my friends, and any complaints that I have. Hes apart of who I am even to this day. Priya Jones said when she was younger, she believed the loss of her father would define who I was as a person and who I would eventually become, she said. However, Ive realized that it doesnt define me but it helped to shape who I was, am and will grow to be. Emma Jones has made it clear that her struggle to get justice for Malik will never end. She said she promised her dead son I would wear white for the rest of my life in silent protest. And for 21 years, she has never wavered. It saddens me every moment of the day when I think of my son, she said. James Walker is the Registers senior editor. He can be reached at 203-680-9389 or james.walker@hearstmediact.com. Follow him on Twitter @thelieonroars. Knock, knock, knock. Oh, hi Mrs. Stefanowski. Can Bob come out and play? Well, apparently not. Its so much easier to run a disembodied campaign for governor via the comfortable scripts of TV and video ads. Whats better than the friendly softballs of conservative-radio hosts? Its tough getting out on the campaign trail every day like Democrat Ned Lamont and interact with the public and those pesky reporters, with their pointed questions, who represent the 2 million voters expected to show up at the polls Nov. 6. Republican Bob Stefanowski, the former business executive who thinks he can run the state like a failing corporation, is staging a no-show campaign. His public appearances are few and far between. His knowledge of how government works is sketchy, and his supply-side guru Arthur Laffer, as he is quick to name check isnt exactly the economic gold standard. Stefanowski ignores questions that are uncomfortable. He defaults to a standard mantra. Im lowering taxes and Ned Lamont is raising taxes, Stefanowski says. Thats what this race is gonna come down to. I dont think the argument is about what the details of peoples plans (are). This is a stark contrast. Fred Carstensen, professor of finance at UConn, who heads the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, told me that the alleged tax-cutting-spurs-growth idea that Laffer espouses is a fraud that caused real damage in states such as Kansas. No serious economist takes Laffer seriously, Carstensen said. I don't know a single person who takes it seriously. Of course, the Laffer approach would eviscerate education, as it has in several states that went to four-day school weeks and slashed all kinds of programs, stopped buying new textbooks, etc. It would also eviscerate investments in infrastructure. Stefanowskis promise that the cuts would pay for themselves is also unproven. Neither theory nor history offer any support for his mythology, Carstensen said. It would also require a massive increase in local property taxes. Then theres the matter of Connecticut not knowing where Stefanowski stands on hundreds of other subjects that are part of a governors job. So his high marks for President Donald Trump should be translated as what? Does he buy the tax plan that will take away deductions for hundreds of thousands of Connecticut homeowners? How can you argue with what hes doing? more than one Republican operative has told me. He won the primary. Primaries and general elections are two different processes. All the Republicans who voted for the primarys five candidates for governor dont equal the votes Lamont received in crushing Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim in the Democratic primary. So, are voters going to accept that he can cut the income tax? I guarantee that its going to go down, he said. How will he cut expenses? Theres a lot of discretionary spending that happens in this state that we can cut back. Gee, you dont think the General Assembly has gone after it already? He talks of cutting the size of government as if it were an underperforming division of his former employer, General Electric, which is now practically a penny stock. You got to be able to hold politicians accountable for what they say theyre going to do, he said. Which is one of my plans, as well, is to have referendum, initiative and recall. Amendments to the state Constitution can occur in two ways, according to the state attorney generals office. The General Assembly can pass a constitutional amendment that would then be ratified by the voters, such as the one that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot to protect transportation funding from predatory lawmakers. The other way is for the General Assembly to convene a constitutional convention, which would open it up for anything, including an ultra-conservative agenda. Does Stefanowski support an ultra-con shopping list? Beats me and you because hes running a stealth campaign. Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, notes that there are clear rules on how the General Assembly and governor can get changes to the Constitution on statewide ballots. Hed be pleased to know that in fact we the have election reforms hes interested in, Quickmire said. While Connecticut doesnt have direct California-style referendum through public petition, there is a legal recall process. Its called elections. There is also an impeachment process, which was last used in 2004, before John G. Rowland, the disgraced former governor, went to prison for the first time. Ken Dixon, political editor and columnist, can be reached at 860-549-4670 or at kdixon@ctpost.com. Visit him at twitter.com/KenDixonCT and on Facebook at kendixonct.hearst. NEW HAVEN Makayla Dawkins, a senior at James Hillhouse High School, has been much too busy for the beach. Over the summer, 17-year-old Dawkins one of two student members of the Board of Education took two five-week summer courses at Yale University as one of six recipients of the Shafer Scholarship and learned she received the Yale Bassett Award for Community Engagement, one of 15 recipients from a pool of 970. Dawkins has something of a routine: Hillhouse Independent Study Coordinator Dominique Argo approaches her with opportunities she finds for exceptional students and Dawkins puts her record of academics and community service to paper. Dawkins didnt flinch when describing the process by which she applies to many of these programs: sending along transcripts, test scores, essays and letters of recommendations and participating in multiple rounds of interviews. Further, although Dawkins has been recognized for her accomplishments within the city limits multiple times, either by Yale University or the school board, one of her most recent triumphs brought her to Colorado for one week this summer. Dawkins is one of 18 students across the country this year accepted to the Bezos Scholars program, a community leadership program run by the Bezos Family Foundation, the private foundation owned by Jackie and Mike Bezos, parents of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The yearlong program began with Dawkins and an educator mentor biology teacher Rachele Thomas taking an all-expenses paid trip to the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado where they spent three days meeting noteworthy people such as New York Times columnist David Brooks, grit advocate Angela Duckworth, and Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani during three days of participating in leadership training as Dawkins began to develop a sustainable community service project she could lead. I felt like my heart was glowing, Dawkins said of the opportunity to view panels with director Ava DuVernay, the #MeToo social movement founder Tarana Burke and former presidential candidate and senator John Kerry. I was in awe. She recalled that Aspens mornings were cold, the afternoons were warm and the altitude was kicking our butts. Dawkins said her idea for a community service project began when she and Thomas began to think about gun violence and emotional trauma in New Haven and the impact it has on students mental health. While in Aspen, both Dawkins and Thomas learned about a number of gun homicides taking place back in New Haven that summer. The two developed a concept that healthy communities equal positive living as Dawkins began thinking of how she could leverage the $2,000 grant, renewable for a second year, into a mental health awareness week. I wanted to create a space to be vulnerable, she said. That means some time shortly before AP exams, she wants to run an entire week of mental health programs at James Hillhouse High School, which she hopes could potentially spread throughout the district in the future: Mindfulness Monday, Trauma-healing Tuesday, Wellness Wednesday, Therapeutic Thursday and Funday Friday. Thomas said the two have brainstormed ideas involving yoga and meditation, poetry, music and dance. Dawkins, who said mental health services and dedicated educators at school helped guide her through her own mothers death, said placing attention on mental health is more important than ever after the school board voted to lay off a number of guidance department employees, giving many of the counselors that remained case loads from multiple schools. I think it is even more important now to put focus on this, she said. Thomas said the school had a trauma team program that no longer exists. Her goal is to create something sustainable, Thomas said. If the school agrees to Funday Friday, we would want to open it up to the community and to stakeholders and to address issues in a positive manner. The Bezos Scholar program also provided leadership training for Thomas and other educator mentors. They want to cultivate educators as well to help us become leaders in the community, she said. Its been a wonderful experience to see, even in that one week, how much Makayla matured. Dawkins said she always viewed Thomas as a mentor since she had her for biology as a sophomore, but she believes the two have been brought together as two people passionate about the betterment of the community. Currently, Dawkins is working on a grant proposal to the Bezos Family Foundation to provide funding for a community outreach program, which would extend the viability of her mental health week program after she graduates in June. She announced at the most recent school board meeting that she was selected as one of two students to serve on the state Board of Education, the second in three years after Hillhouse alumna Coral Ortiz. She said she is set to be sworn in next month. Although the city charter does not permit student members of the New Haven school board to have an official vote, Dawkins said she identified the state Board of Education as an opportunity to use her voice to make a change. Too often, she said, she hears school board members lament low funding for New Havens schools from the state. I thought: Why cant I have a seat at the table? she said. Our students are being affected. Dawkins said she sees serving on the state Board of Education as an opportunity to make the case directly for the resources that New Haven students need. If shes getting her story out there, other students can step up to the plate, Thomas said. Hillhouse Principal Glen Worthy said Dawkins is one of our gems who is very involved in service projects. We told her that whatever resources she needs for her project to be successful, wed give to her, he said. I think shes a special young lady and really cares about the community. He said hes interested to see what she comes up with, especially in an environment where there are fewer school counselors on hand for mental health services. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com Neither rain nor controversy could keep the Miss America Show Us Your Shoes Parade off the Atlantic City Boardwalk on Saturday night. The local tradition, held on the eve of the televised final, united the various factions of the divided pageant, including volunteers, state directors, former Miss Americas and pageant queens of all levels from across the country. For decades, until the pageant moved to Las Vegas and starting again in 2013 upon its return to New Jersey, Miss America contestants have donned over-the-top costumes and footwear emphasizing some detail about their state in a parade along Atlantic City's famed Boardwalk. Miss New Jersey, Jaime Gialloreto, was inspired by the Jersey Devil and the Pine Barrens. She wore a flowing red cape imprinted with the name of the mythological creature and red horns on both her head and her shoes, which were covered with greenery representing the Pinelands. While some contestants chose to ride inside covered cars because of the rain, Gialloreto, 19, who lives in Woolwich Township, proudly sat atop a convertible, holding one of her shoes out for all to see. The young pageant queen accompanied Miss America legends like BeBe Shopp, Miss America 1948, and Lee Meriwether, Miss America 1955 (you might also know her as Catwoman), in the parade. Despite the internal strife over the recent elimination of the swimsuit competition and dismay at bullying allegations made by the reigning Miss America, the pageant faithful gathered on the Boardwalk in ponchos and T-shirts showing support for each of the 51 contestants. Some, like Julianna Erdesz, Miss Nevada 2008, had walked in those same shoes. Since she competed in 2009, when the pageant was still in Vegas, this was her first time in Atlantic City. "At first I was a little upset because I always loved swimsuit when I was competing," said Erdesz, 34, of the decision to cut the pageant tradition. Because of the way they say the decision was made, representatives from 46 state pageants have signed letters asking for the resignation of Gretchen Carlson, chairwoman of the Miss America board (who was Miss America 1989) and Regina Hopper, pageant CEO. But Erdesz said that maybe the elimination of the swimsuit section has been good for the pageant. "It's not really been missed this year," she said. "I watched all three nights of preliminaries and it's been fun to just see the girls speak more. That's what it's all about. That's what the job is all about." Miss West Virginia, Madeline Collins, who called Donald Trump the biggest issue facing the country at preliminary competition on Friday, rode atop a convertible in a feathery red dress and heels Saturday. "Sometimes change is good and sometimes change could be not so good," said Deborah Butler, 54, co-director of the Miss Greater Wilmington pageant in Delaware, who was rooting on Miss Delaware Joanna Wicks. "We have to give it a chance." Still, she was disappointed when the swimsuit competition was cut. "No matter what your body shape was, as long as you appreciate your body and it made you encouraged and you enhance yourself and you are empowered, it shouldn't matter if I'm skinny-minny, I'm a size 2 or whether I'm a size 14 or full-figured. It's how you feel and you can empower yourself. It makes you stronger." Miss America Cara Mund stood on a parade float next to a giant high-heel shoe adorned with flowers. She didn't wear the usual gown, but a Wonder Woman costume instead. In August, the national titleholder, 24, accused Carlson and Hopper of bullying and ignoring her for months. "No young woman in this organization should ever feel that way," said Erin Gambrell, who competed in the organization in 2003 and 2004. "At minimum, we were looking for the national leadership to at least offer an apology and that's not what we got," said Gambrell, 38, a volunteer for the Miss South Carolina pageant for 10 years. Rachel Daly, 33, the executive director of the Miss Nebraska Pageant, who competed in 2008, called Mund a "pioneer in her year" for speaking out against the leadership. "Because of her speaking out against those issues, those are things that can be changed where whoever's crowned tomorrow night hopefully doesn't have to endure that and those lines of communication can be open from the get-go." Miss America was founded by Atlantic City businessmen in 1921 as a way to keep visitors coming the city after Labor Day. From the beginning, the competition featured teenagers parading around the Boardwalk in their swimsuits (though they were of course a far cry from bikinis.) Jim Thompson has been a volunteer for the Miss New York Pageant for 46 years and a volunteer for the national Miss America organization, based in Atlantic City. "I think the pageant is moving in the direction of today's woman," Thompson, 63, said on Saturday. The most common misunderstanding about the pageant is that it's something other than a scholarship program, he said. Why should people tune in for the 2019 Miss America Pageant on Sunday? To get an education about the so-called "Miss America 2.0," Thompson said. "The contestants of today are relevant to what the young woman of America and the world are today." The 2019 Miss America pageant airs at 9 p.m. Sunday Sept. 9 on ABC. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. They generally agree that the recent hard liquor ban at sororities and fraternities across the U.S. is a good thing, but experts and educators in New Jersey are still questioning how the rule will be enforced. The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), which represents over 80 percent of fraternities nationwide, voted last week to ban drinks above 15 percent alcohol by volume from "any chapter facility" or event -- unless a licensed third party sells it. The hard alchohol ban applies to everyone, including adults over the age of 21, and comes in the wake of several instances of students dying at fraternity events after drinking. NIC member fraternities and their more than 6,000 chapters must approve a policy compliant with the hard alcohol ban by Sept. 1, 2019, according to the resolution. Representatives for many New Jersey colleges said they were happy with the ban, but not yet sure just how it will play out on their campuses. "We don't have a way of enforcing it," said Marybeth Boger, dean of students and campus life at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Most of NJIT's fraternity houses are off-campus and privately owned by the fraternities themselves, Boger said. NJIT has imposed several rules about drinking on its Greek Life groups for over a decade, including no kegs, no selling alcohol, and requiring students must provide identification at the door to fraternity and sorority parties. If university officials hear of an infraction of those rules -- for example, an underage student is caught drinking -- the student is reprimanded through a process that includes alcohol education. Only NIC-member fraternities will be forced to adopt the policy, meaning NJIT will have about 10 frats that do, and a handful of others that don't. Still, Boger said she supports the NIC's ban and thinks it is the university's role to work with the affected fraternities to develop ways in which the groups can monitor themselves. She said NIC's decision "opened the door" for universities to take similar hard-line approaches in the future and it is only a matter of time before all NJIT students see more alcohol-related restrictions. It's unclear exactly how many NIC-member Greek organizations there are in New Jersey. The NIC does not track their member chapters by state, but on "virtually all campuses that have fraternities (or) sororities, there are NIC organizations," Chief Communication Officer Heather Kirk said. Some Jersey fraternities are ahead of the curve. Sigma Phi Epsilon, which has a chapter at Rider University, adopted alcohol-free common spaces by August 2018 and voted for all of the chapter facilities to be dry by 2020. Carristian Brown, a senior and the Sigma Phi Epsilon president at Rider, said the fraternity decided to go dry to make it easier to insure. Insurance can cost anywhere from $20 to $300 per student member, and those numbers have been on the rise because of the recent tragedies, Marc Mores, Executive Vice President of James R. Favor and Company said. "If somebody died, God forbid, their insurance policy would go up," he said. Mores said his company insures about 40 percent of all U.S. fraternities, including 60 different chapters at various campuses in New Jersey. According to him, although beer, wine and malt drinks will still be allowed, the absence of hard liquor could reduce the risk of injury to members and severity of insurance claims fraternities file. "Nearly all hazing and over-consumption deaths in the past two years have involved students consuming high-percentage alcohol beverages," the NIC policy said. Tim Piazza, a sophomore from Lebanon, New Jersey, who died after consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol at a Penn State fraternity event last year, is still on the minds of many school officials. Piazza suffered a series of falls that left him with a fractured skull and severe abdominal injuries at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity event. Monmouth University, a private college in West Long Branch, took matters into its own hands, announcing last week it's suspending its entire Greek life system indefinitely. A letter obtained by NJ Advance Media cited a series of "serious conduct violations," involving hazing, alcohol, drug use and lack of academic focus. In 2014, another New Jersey student, 19-year-old Caitlyn Kovacs died of alcohol poisoning after a party at Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house near Rutgers University. Rutgers fraternity members will seemingly be unaffected by the new ban. The school's "long-standing policy on parties by registered fraternities or sororities requires that beer is the only alcoholic beverage allowed at parties," Neal Buccino, the school's associate director of public and media relations, said. Beer is typically below 15 percent ABV, and therefore within the NIC's standards. Montclair State University, which has eight fraternities associated with the NIC, will largely go unaffected by the ban, as well, Director of Media Relations Erika Bleiberg said. All of the fraternity houses are off-campus, so drinking policies are an issue between the students and the landlords, not the university, she said. The various set-ups have led some to question the efficacy of the hard liquor ban. "The rule is as only as good as its being enforced," Mores said, adding that fraternities and sororities often depend on student leaders to monitor their peers. Rowan University has a "grey area" when it comes to enforcing its existing alcohol rules, Gary Baker, who works in Rowan's Greek affairs department, said. Rowan formally recognizes several fraternities, but not the houses or facilities the fraternities own or rent. Some houses are completely filled with residents of only one fraternity or sorority, but it is more common for indivdual students to face disciplinary measures, rather than a whole organization to recieve a sanction. Still, the new hard alcohol ban is a good thing, Baker said, as it will assist administration in making it easier to hold students and organizations accountable and promote social responsibility. Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips For decades, the leaders of the Catholic church have mouthed the language of virtue as they protected child rapists. It is heartbreaking to think of the 1,000 sexual abuse victims described in the Pennsylvania grand jury report - most of them children, some of them in diapers or hospitals - but more chilling was the bishops' meticulous strategy to cover up this criminal rampage over more than half a century. The policy lobbyist for our state's Catholic bishops asserts that "New Jersey is not Pennsylvania," but that doesn't exactly merit an amen. New Jersey is where Archbishop John Myers' tenure was marked by victim payoffs, coverups, and predator protection. Myers' predecessor, Theodore McCarrick, had a history of abusing seminarians and a minor as he ascended to be the highest prelate in the nation. So the offer to review sexual abuse allegations in the Newark archdiocese by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, while appreciated, doesn't change an institutional legacy of moral cowardice and manic secrecy that allowed corruption to flourish. This could only end through the intervention of the law, so it comes as a relief that state attorney general Gurbir Grewal - compelled by the depravity in Pennsylvania and a two-decade quest for justice from Joseph Vitale, the intrepid state senator from Middlesex County - has seized this moment as an inflection point for abuse victims and the church itself. Grewal announced Thursday that he will form a task force to investigate allegations of abuse by clergy members in our five Catholic dioceses and examine the 2002 agreement requiring them to report abuse to county prosecutors, which is the only place to start the long process of healing and validation for past and present victims. The force, led by Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino, will have every investigative tool necessary to compel testimony, including subpoena power. The AG also set up a clergy abuse hotline (855-363-6548), which advocate Mark Crawford of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) predicts will lead to "a deluge - they will be overwhelmed by the calls they get." This is a good start, but judging by the 900-page Pennsylvania report, which covered 70 years, it's going to be a harrowing process. While we know the vast majority of priests are not child molesters, the opening words from the Pa. investigation - a plea of terrified bewilderment - warns us to be prepared for anything. "We, the members of this grand jury, need you to hear this," it began. "There have been other reports about child sex abuse within the Catholic Church. But never on this scale. For many of us, those earlier stories happened someplace else, someplace away. Now we know the truth: it happened everywhere." So the task force is merely a step. Other measures are needed to get a headlock on this crisis, as Vitale sees it. He has drafted legislation that removes name redactions from grand jury proceedings if there is a "credible" accusation of abuse or a coverup, which Pennsylvania shows is best for transparency. And Vitale wants another crack at extending the civil statute of limitations for abuse cases, as the existing window is ludicrously short: A victim currently has to bring a case before they are 20, or within two years after they connect the abuse to existing trauma. Vitale has been trying to eliminate the statute since 2002, but the church has proved a formidable opponent. The Legislature needs to support this effort. We know why the church wants to maintain the status quo: Victims of assault take time to come forward. Some are children, too young to understand what happened to them, and by the time they figure it out, justice is out of their reach. Yes, the church, like any institution, has a right to protect itself. But when children are raped and the crime is hidden, the law must step in. Lawmakers must engage - starting by extending the window to prosecute - because this is the moral calling of our age. The Catholic Church in New Jersey cannot be a subsidiary of a global child sex ring or just another nonprofit corrupted in the name of God. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. By Bonnie Watson Coleman On Aug. 21, prisoners across the country began a three-week strike to draw attention to the deplorable conditions that exist in many of the over 7,500 prisons and jails in the United States. By the time it ends, it may prove to be the largest prison strike in American history. We need to face a hard truth: the United States has a prison problem. We are home to less than four percent of the world's population yet house 22 percent of the its prisoners. Our rate of incarceration dwarfs that of some of the most oppressive regimes in the world -- Cuba, Syria, Russia, Egypt, Iraq, and Venezuela don't come close. Here in New Jersey we saw our prison population increase by 278 percent between 1975 and 2015. One in 250 New Jersey residents currently reside in one of our prisons -- about 35,000 people. The War on Drugs, among other practices of overcriminalization, led to overcrowding. Overcrowding compounded already deplorable conditions. We regularly hear reports of abuse by guards, negligent medical attention, terrible sanitary conditions, and even county sheriffs pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for feeding inmates while serving substandard meals. Practices like indefinite solitary confinement, including of juvenile offenders, exist in no other free country on earth, yet are commonplace here. To be incarcerated in the U.S. is to be subject to dehumanization on a scale that is unconscionable in a free society. We should never forget that the ability of the incarcerated to share in humanity upon their release is directly linked to the humanity they experience while incarcerated. In response to these trends and conditions, prisoners around the country have gone on strike. Some have organized boycotts of the prison commissary, some have staged sit-ins at their prison jobs (where the average wage is 20 cents per hour) while others have begun hunger strikes. They've asked supporters outside the prison walls to boycott agencies and companies that benefit from prison labor. All of this is to draw attention to a list of 10 demands: Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under U.S. jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor. The The An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services. Pell grants must be reinstated in all states and territories. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called "ex-felons" must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count! Each of these demands is important, reasonable and deserves to be heard. If we are to live in a peaceful and safe society, we should not aspire to put more of our fellow citizens into jail and throw away the key. We must have a system based on public safety and rehabilitation, not revenge and dehumanization -- a failed system that begets a cycle of arrest, release, and re-arrest, wasting lives and taxpayer dollars. There are several bills in Congress meant to address these issues. The Reverse Mass Incarceration Act would reward states that reduce rates of incarceration without seeing spikes in crime. Kalief's Law would provide pre- and post-release mental health screenings and social services to individuals who are incarcerated. And my own End For-Profit Prisons Act would phase out existing contracts with private prison companies as well as provide to prisoners, as part of prerelease procedures, information and counseling about criminal record expungement; educational, employment, and treatment programs; and applications for public assistance programs. I stand with these prisoners exercising their First Amendment right to petition their government for a redress of grievances, demanding that their humanity be restored to them so that we may all live in a safer and more free nation. We can't be the society or the country that we aspire to be until we correct the failings of our criminal justice system -- and that includes our prisons. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat, represents the New Jersey's 12th Congressional District. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. This week, we learned that members of President Trump's cabinet discussed removing him from office under the 25th Amendment, which was drafted during the Cold War and is intended, basically, to keep presidents who have gone nuts away from the nuclear button. Some people believe that the New York Times should have kept that fact secret, which is amazing to me. Isn't this something we need to know? The revelation came in an op-ed drafted by a "senior official" in the Trump administration, who offered it on the condition that his or her name would not be revealed. So, the choice was to publish it anonymously, or to keep it secret. Easy call, folks. It's big news, and the source has good reason to fear retaliation. This is why God made anonymous sourcing. My problem is with the author, who appears to be among the many Republicans who know that Trump is a dangerous monster without a shred of decency -- but support him anyway to score conservative policy wins. "Don't get me wrong," says Anonymous, after describing the president's unhinged rantings. "There are bright spots that the near-ceaseless negative coverage of the administration fails to capture: effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more. "But these successes have come despite - not because of - the president's leadership style, which is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective." That is the Faustian bargain embraced by millions of Republicans today. Not the true believers screaming at his rallies, many of whom are indeed deplorable. I'm talking about people who know better, like Anonymous. Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear" relies on dozens of people in the administration who made this same dirty deal with themselves. Trump is a useful idiot, they told Woodward, a man who refuses to read briefing papers or pay attention at meetings; a man who decided to kill a trade treaty with South Korea on a whim, and then didn't notice when a senior aide stole the paperwork from his desk; a man who ordered the assassination of Syria's leader, Bashar al-Assad, and was ignored by his own defense secretary, who said Trump has the understanding of a "fifth or sixth grader." So, what is a non-deplorable Republican to do? Anonymous made his deal. Keep Trump in office, help him when he's right, and secretly subvert him when he's wrong. Write an anonymous op-ed that proves you didn't like him all along. Think of yourself as a kind of hero, working behind enemy lines. "The erratic behavior would be more concerning if it weren't for unsung heroes in and around the White House," Anonymous writes of people like himself. "Some of his aides have been cast as villains by the media. But in private, they have gone to great lengths to keep bad decisions contained to the West Wing." Two problems with this. One is that we live in a democracy, Trump was elected, and it is beyond arrogant for these folks to appoint themselves as the guardian angels of the public welfare. If they think Trump is screwing up, they need to tell him that, and explain why, even if it means they'd get fired. It's called patriotism. The second reason is political. They are helping Trumpism survive. They may be toning down Trump's crazy around the edges, but that's just not enough. Trump is still ginning up hatred towards immigrants and picking at America's racial scabs whenever he can. He lies, constantly. He tries his best to weaken the FBI, the free press, and the independent judiciary. He's spitting at our allies and chumming up with our enemies. He's targeting blue states like New Jersey because we're on the other team. He could easily blunder into a war with Iran, or even China. He only goal is to promote himself, to win, even if the country loses. The "unsung heroes" haven't done squat about all that. President Obama spoke about them Friday during a speech in Illinois. "They're not doing us a service by actively promoting 90 percent of the crazy stuff that's coming out of this White House and then saying, 'Don't worry, we're preventing the other 10 percent,'" he said. "I'm serious here. That's now how our democracy is supposed to work." This is the core problem that Republican candidates in New Jersey face in this midterm elections. No matter what they say about Trump, a win for them is a win for him. They can't shake free of Trump any more than Anonymous can. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th, has veered away from Trump more than anyone else, voting against the tax plan and the repeal of Obamacare. But a win for Lance is a win for Trump. He may bail on a few key votes, but if he helps Republicans keep control of the House, then Trump wins. Like Anonymous, Lance is tethered to Trump as long as he stays on the GOP team. There is no escaping it. Anonymous claims to be part of the "Resistance" to Trump. Please. To join that club, he or she would have to come out of the closet, bear witness to Trump's unfitness for office, and use that testimony to help Democrats win seats in November. That's not likely. So, for now, at least stop pretending that fiddling on the margins is an act of heroism. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. WASHINGTON -- Here are some ideas on what it will take for workers to earn a good living in this economy. The federal government needs to raise the minimum wage and make it easier -- not harder -- for employees to organize. The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that unleashed unlimited corporate spending on campaigns needs to be reversed. Stock buybacks should be banned, executive pay curbed, and corporations should be required to help their employees and their communities when they close up shop and move. That's according to a report issued by Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist., and three of his House Democratic colleagues, who have been looking at the future of organized labor for more than a year. "To make our economy work for all of us, not just the rich and powerful, working people must be able to stand and fight for higher wages, better health care and a more secure retirement," said Norcross, a former electrician who became assistant business manager for an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local, the only former union business agent in the House. One problem is that union members embraced candidates who championed the very policies the report criticized. Donald Trump was backed by 42 percent of union households, according to network exit polls reported by CNN. Hillary Clinton, who campaigned on pro-union policies, received a bare majority, 51 percent. At the same time, union households accounted for just 18 percent of the votes cast, down from 23 percent in 1996 when Democratic President Bill Clinton won a second term. Clinton defeated Republican nominee Bob Dole, 59 percent to 30 percent, among households with at least one union member. Trump's first pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, provided the fifth vote to overturn 40 years of precedent and ruled that public employee unions could not collect fees from employees who choose not to pay dues, even though the unions still must represent them. The president also championed a tax bill that gave most of its benefits to corporations and wealthy taxpayers, while withholding a promised raise for federal government employees. Even as unemployment continued to drop, real wages dipped 0.2 percent in the last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said that figure was not an accurate picture of workers' total pay since it excludes bonuses, health insurance and other benefits. "Employees appreciate such benefits just as much as cash, and that's why we look at the sum, rather than one in isolation," Hassett said as CEA released its own analysis. In addition, the average wage goes down as older workers retire and are replaced by younger, lower-paid employees, he said. When everything was taken into account, wages grew 1.4 percent over the past year, and they will go even higher as a result of the GOP tax cut, he said. While Hassett said he hadn't seen the Democrats' report, "there's real wage growth, which means that there's a lot less of a puzzle." AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said union members will vote for those who champion their issues when they know their positions. "When you give the American working people the facts, they make the right decisions," he said. As proof, Norcross pointed to the election of Gov. Phil Murphy, who supports a $15 an hour minimum wage and signed legislation requiring paid sick leave. Norcross and three other Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Mark DeSaulnier of California, Debbie Dingell of Michigan and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, held hearings and meetings across the country, including one in Camden in August 2017 when they also toured the Holtec International plant there. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. SEATTLE -- Just enough. A few moments of pop and a turnaround performance from Lance Lynn was all the Yankees needed to down the Mariners, 4-2, at Safeco Field before 38,733 on Saturday -- and, more importantly, maintain their lead in the race to host the elimination playoff game toward which they're barreling. Andrew McCutchen and Austin Romine each clubbed solo shots. Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton recorded sacrifice flies. And Lynn, who had been pitching himself out of the rotation, gave up just two runs and three hits over six innings. He had been winless in his last three starts, going 0-2 with a 8.59 ERA. Dellin Betances got the save despite giving up a leadoff double and loading the bases with one out in the ninth. He struck out Kyle Seager swinging on a curveball for the tense ending. What it means The Yankees improve to 89-53, winning their second straight game. They have won six of their last 10 and are 3-2 on their current road trip. They stayed at 3 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the battle for the top American League Wild Card spot. The A's defeated the Rangers earlier in the day. Getting ahead With one out in the seventh, Romine tore into reliever Nick Vincent's 90-mph fastball in a 2-2 count, sending it deep into the right field seats. It was the eighth pitch of the at-bat. That gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead to hand off to their back end of their bullpen. It also gave Romine his first double-digit home run season. His previous career-high was four in 2016. Back and forth McCutchen's second home run in as many days sparked the scoring. McCutchen ripped a 2-1 pitch from Hernandez deep to the left-field corner, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first inning. That would last until the third inning, when Mike Zunnino would absolutely demolish a Lynn offering off the batter's eye behind the center-field wall. That made it 1-all. The Yankees jumped back ahead a run in the fifth before Seattle tied it up again. Brett Gardner walked to start the inning and then he stole second base with McCutchen up. After McCutchen walked, too, a trainer examined Hernandez on the mound. Hernandez walked off with him. His night was over. Seattle later announced Hernandez had right hamstring tightness and that he was day-to-day. That brought in righty reliever Shawn Armstrong, who almost immediately watch Zunino let a ball past him, allowing the runners to advance. Not long after, Giancarlo Stanton lifted a fly ball to the right field warning track, scoring Gardner. Didn't last long. In the inning's bottom half, Kyle Seager hit a single to lead off to center, and Ben Gamel hit into a fielder's choice. Zunino moved him to second and then Dee Gordon singled on a fly ball just out of the reach of Gardner, who was running in. Gamel, an ex-Yankee, scored, tying things again. Injury report Didi Gregorius, just off the disabled list Friday, started and played just six innings. He's working his way back from a bruised left heel. Aaron Judge (right wrist fracture) swung in the cage, performed defensive drills and threw. Next Yankees lefty CC Sabathia (7-6, 3.54 ERA) vs. Mariners righty Erasmo Ramirez (2-3, 5.56) at 4:10 p.m. EST Sunday at Safeco Field. Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook. After a Sept. 5 Kenner memo banning the purchase of Nike products for the city's recreation department went public Sunday, reaction from locals and national talking heads and activists came swiftly. The memo, which does not seem to have been intentionally made public by Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn or other city officials, notes the Nike ban was effective immediately. It came after the international sports gear company publicized an advertisement featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has become the face of a protest movement in which athletes kneel during the National Anthem to protest racial inequality. See local and national reactions to the Kenner Nike ban below. Roseburg, OR (97470) Today A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Managing Editor Having lived and worked in Indy on and off since 1977, and currently living in Carmel, I've seen the city change a great deal. I love covering the arts in all its forms, and the places where the arts and broader cultural issues intersect. Researching the present to build the future Updated: 2018-09-07 07:06 (HK Edition) While China embraces an ambition to become a great power in artificial intelligence, Sylvia Chang finds that this aspiration originates from a transformative vision four decades before. When a young Nevin Zhang Lianwen left China in 1987 to study overseas for a year, he didn't know his journey would eventually lead him back to his homeland as a leading scholar helping the nation become a frontrunner in developing a potentially world-changing technology: artificial intelligence. "The frameworks I learned that year were of particular importance to my later research on AI," Zhang said recently in his office at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Zhang's journey could be said to have begun in 1978, with the beginning of China's reform and opening-up policy. Former State leader Deng Xiaoping's bold plan to transform the nation's economy involved much more than just inviting foreign investors into China. It also sent the first wave of Chinese university students to travel outside of the country to further their studies. Zhang was part of that wave. "An important step which had far-reaching influence on the later development of AI, and technology development in general, is seen in the number of government-sponsored postgraduates who went overseas to study in the 1980s," said Yeung Dit-yan, also a professor with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and its acting chief. In 1987, Zhang was studying applied math at Beijing Normal University (BNU) when the Chinese government sponsored him to participate in a one-year exchange program at the University of Kansas in the US. He studied under Glenn Shafer, an American mathematician and statistician famous for his evidence theory. It was from there that Zhang's AI journey began. After completing his doctorate in applied math at BNU in 1988, Zhang returned to North America in 1990 - this time to Canada to attend the University of British Columbia, where he would earn a second PhD in computer science. He settled in Hong Kong in 1994, where he developed his own model of analysis for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), based on Shafer's theory, and has become well recognized in the area. Scholars at universities and TCM hospitals have been using Zhang's model for further research. The major considerations for changing his research field to computer science, Zhang said honestly, were better career and earnings prospects. But there was always a voice in his mind reminding him to do something that could benefit his own country, including his boyhood home, a remote village in Nanchong city in southwestern China's Sichuan province. Some people are skeptical about TCM treatments, thinking that a doctor's diagnosis is subjective, rather than being based on science. But having been born and raised in a village without high-end hospitals, Zhang's parents usually took him to TCM clinics when he felt ill as a child. "I saw TCM doctors in my village start to practice medicine after only two years' training," Zhang said. "But they were good. I thought they should be recognized." He went overseas without realizing this childhood dream. But a seed of hope was buried deeply in his mind, seemingly to absorb nutrients and wait for the day it could blossom. Exodus overseas The acme for Chinese post-graduate students going overseas for further studies arrived in the mid-1990s. Many overseas companies opened research operations on the Chinese mainland. The opening in 1998 of Microsoft Research China (later renamed Microsoft Research Asia) was an important milestone. The company is a research subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, the world's leading computer system service provider. "That was an important step because it started a trend toward high-quality research," Yeung said. He added that the vision of Microsoft Research China, back then, was to nurture and train a new generation of researchers focused on computer science and information technology. The company cooperated with top-tier universities such as Tsinghua University and supported researchers training abroad. AI began to emerge through early technologies, like speech recognition. While some of the early group of researchers remained overseas, many went to Singapore and Hong Kong for research and teaching positions. Among them was Zhang, who settled at HKUST. "After achieving a tenured position as associate professor, I began to think, what should I concentrate on for my lifelong research?" It seems at that moment the resonance of his voice as a child returned, as the seed of his childhood dream began to sprout. Like Zhang, the tide of early researchers going outside the country began turning after the millennium, and grew dramatically over the past 10 years, when China's economy grew at an exceptional pace. High-tech industries blossomed and along with them, the demand for young talent. Technology giants, including Baidu and Tencent, spread their wings and carried technology research to new heights. "The remuneration packages given to top-notch researchers by those technology giants these days are very competitive, comparable to many high-end companies in the U.S.," Yeung said. Zhang applied AI technology to TCM in the early 2000s. He developed a data-driven approach, termed "latent tree analysis," which he hopes will unravel the classification problems associated with TCM. He aims to validate TCM theories with data sets and a scientific approach in order to provide standardized results for the classification of TCM symptoms, leading to more valid and efficient treatments. "The approach helps to provide a quantitative summary of TCM doctors' know-how by justifying the existing medical records statistically. It also reduces the variance in diagnostic results," Zhang said. To some extent, the technology of AI replaces part of the roles of TCM doctors in diagnosis. Meanwhile, AI is booming in China and delving into many different issues. AI is applied to big business, forecasting market demand, recruitment of staff, and setting out best practices for dealing with clients. Marketers, sales experts and supply chain managers use AI to increase the market value of their products. Alibaba and DJ.com jumped aboard, adding to a growing snowball effect. At the university level, a favorable visa policy, called the 1,000 Talents Plan, drew leading professionals to China to continue their careers. Later in 2017 the State Council set out a development plan aiming to build the domestic AI industry to $150 billion by 2030. "The professionals who returned already had established their positions, either in academia or in industry abroad. Their return has deeply affected the development of AI in China," Yeung said. Some of them came back on a no-pay leave arrangement from their original universities. Zhang joked that some of his students who were hired by those high-end companies have already earned enough for retirement. Cross-boundary cooperation Yeung noted that Hong Kong has become a bridge linking high-standard research in Hong Kong and industry on the mainland. In the past five years, more cooperative schemes in AI have sprung up between Hong Kong and the mainland. The collaboration ranges from the levels of individual scholars and universities to companies and governments in the forms of joint-research schemes, exchange programs and sponsored research internships. In the past few years, HKUST set up joint laboratories with two Chinese technology giants - Didi, a taxi-hailing application and WeChat, the biggest social media platform on the mainland - and South Korea internet content service company NAVER, to collaborate on research and development. Tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars have been provided to support joint research projects. For Zhang, cooperating with medical universities on the mainland is significant too. The data on the mainland are huge and valuable. He expects that the application of AI not be limited to TCM theoretical studies but should extend to clinical experiments and objective evidence. Deng set in motion a transformation that has improved the lives of countless Chinese persons, including poverty alleviation and improved healthcare. For Zhang, it provided the path to a doctorate in computer science, which he is applying to TCM. Like many others who passed through Deng's opened door, Zhang returned through it and is helping to perpetuate the late Chinese leader's vision of a better life for future generations. Contact the writer at sylvia@chinadailyhk.com (HK Edition 09/07/2018 page12) A momentous journey to nation's future Updated: 2018-09-07 07:06 By Luo Weiteng in Hong Kong(HK Edition) Annie Wu Suk-ching - one of the first Hong Kong entrepreneurs to invest on the Chinese mainland - has lived to witness the historic rise of China from a rustic backwater to the world's No 2 economic powerhouse. At 40, I no longer had doubts, the great Chinese philosopher Confucius once said. For Annie Wu Suk-ching - the legendary founder of the Chinese mainland's first joint venture, Beijing Air Catering Co, who has played a zestful role in China's four decades of reform and opening-up - she had no doubts either about the nation's bright future. As the bellwether of the first batch of Hong Kong-based entrepreneurs who headed north to embrace a daring, near iconoclastic spirit of change, Wu, born and bred in Hong Kong, has seen her life trajectory intertwined with one of the most magnificent episodes of Chinese history. Her story, bearing the imprint of a nation-wide "just-do-it" push and with the appearance of the so-called serendipity or coincidence in history, began with a search for roots in the eventful and momentous year of 1978 when China launched its historic campaign for economic prowess. In mid-December 1978, Wu set foot on mainland soil for the first time to catch a glimpse of the motherland that used to be on the lips of nostalgic teachers and between the lines of ancient Chinese poetry. Her maiden visit was to southwest China's Sichuan province - the home to giant pandas and from where the late architect of economic reform Deng Xiaoping hailed. "For years, I had been like a lone traveler, leading a rootless wandering life and looking for long-lost treasures. When I stepped onto the land of Sichuan, I was overwhelmed with a strong sense of national identity and got a taste of what it was meant to be Chinese," she recalled. "I found my roots - the treasures that define who I am and where I come from." At Wuhan Railway Station on Dec 23, 1978, on the journey back to Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, Wu heard a radio address by Deng, who announced gai ge kai fang, or reform and opening-up, with his iconic thick Sichuan accent. She heard the paramount leader, in his determined and clear voice, pledge to focus the nation's total energy and resources on economic development and open the door to overseas investors, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, through joint ventures. It was an eye-opener. With good business sense presumably inherited from her father James Tak Wu, who founded Hong Kong's largest catering group Maxim's Group from scratch, Wu smelled a harbinger of serious change in the most populous country on earth. The next year, came the sort of historic opportunity she had been longing for. In the following two years, she would take the good hard road to establishing Beijing Air Catering Co - then registered as "Sino-foreign Joint Venture 001" - that essentially laid the foundation for the creation of more foreign-funded enterprises and put an end to the inflight menu that offered nothing more than biscuits, boiled eggs and cold luncheon meat. At that time, the reopening and normalization of Sino-US relations put the scheduled passenger airline service between the two countries on the agenda after a 30-plus-year hiatus. The historic move brought the spotlight on the food supplying capability of the Chinese airline industry, raising eyebrows among people from Pan American World Airways, which was chosen by the United States government to operate the US commercial flights to China. Dismissing the US proposal for stopovers in Tokyo for catering services, Deng was adamant that inflight meals must be supplied at Beijing International Airport to make it a real direct flight. The Chinese side needed a helping hand to tackle the burning question that presented a stumbling block to the restoration of regular flights between China and the US. Extensive family experience Wu believed it was the right time to do something for the motherland. She took the idea of capitalizing on her family's extensive experience in the catering business to help airlines flying out of Beijing to deliver a selection of hot meals for passengers to her father and convinced him. Wu and her father were next on a wearisome, 13-hour train-and-plane pilgrimage to Beijing for protracted talks with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in mid-1979. The negotiations moved slowly. Without a precedent, both sides found themselves virtually clueless and could only "cross the river by feeling the stones" - the famous saying Deng had coined to describe the process of learning as they go. "With almost no knowledge of Mandarin, we used facial expressions, gestures and traditional Chinese characters written down on paper to communicate with the officials at Beijing Hotel," said Wu. "A person from the Beijing side knew a bit of Cantonese, and helped out as an interpreter." Those days, the Chinese government, with the whole existing legacy of a centrally planned economy that must be taken down, had exactly zero experience dealing with foreign investors. Officials did not have the slightest idea of what was legal or illegal, so much so Wu had to translate the contract, letter of intent, and relevant clauses of corporate law commonly used in Hong Kong into Chinese for their reference. As the deadline set by Deng for May 1, 1980 approached, then CAAC chief Shen Tu could barely sit still. He asked Wu's father if he could start the preparatory work before getting the final nod from officials, many of whom had no concrete idea about joint ventures and dared not give a clear-cut answer. "Without any contract or letter of authorization in black and white, a handshake with Shen simply meant the deal was nailed down," Wu said. Out of the firm belief in Deng's foresight and determination, Wu's father raised HK$5 million in Hong Kong - a substantial sum of money at that time - to buy equipment overseas and transport them to Beijing via Hong Kong. By March 1980, all the equipment had been installed and set for a trial operation. But, an official go-ahead still hanged in the air. When Deng eventually learned of this, he asked, "What does Mr. Wu do in Hong Kong?" "Catering business," he was told. "Does he know how to make croissants?" asked Deng, who had lived and worked in France in the 1920s and reputedly developed a strong taste for croissants. "He knows very well." "Then why not approve it?" Deng said. On Deng's instructions, the deal finally got the green light in no time. All the paperwork had been in place by April 1980, heralding the much-awaited birth of China's first ever joint venture, with the government taking a 51-percent stake and earning Wu her nickname "Miss 001". "No one had ever expected we could make it. Both sides treated each other heart-to-heart and shared the weal and woe of the mother country. It was our shared ancestral and cultural roots that fostered mutual trust, sincerity and patience in the months-long negotiations. This ultimately helped Maxim's beat other three bidders to secure the partnership," Wu reckoned. The historic tale and anecdotes behind the founding of Beijing Air Catering stand as a living embodiment of Wu's dogged commitment to the development miracle that transformed the nation from a bucolic backwater into a modern market economy. Over the past four decades, Wu had been known as a "backpacker", frequently traveling between the mainland and Hong Kong to facilitate foreign investments in burgeoning mainland cities and help home-grown companies set off for the world. Such a role bears a striking resemblance to that of her hometown Hong Kong - the "super-connector" having the best of both worlds. "For years, Hong Kong has played the part of a bridge linking the Chinese mainland with the rest of the world. It's the most classic example of luring foreign capital to the world's second-largest economy, thanks to our cultural and linguistic similarities that have enabled us to do half the work with double results," Wu noted. Redefining Hong Kong's role Today, Hong Kong is in the throes of a major transformation, looking to redefine its role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "In the next three to five years, Shenzhen, the fishing village-turned-boomtown that stands as the poster child of China's economic take-off, has what it takes to become the world's most successful 'Silicon Valley'," Wu forecast. "It will be Hong Kong offering services to Shenzhen, rather than Shenzhen serving as an economic hinterland for Hong Kong." Now a bustling metropolis of nearly 13 million residents peering at Hong Kong across the Shenzhen River, Shenzhen will continue to gain momentum from the government's unwavering support and chart its course to becoming the magnet for talents across the country and the world. "This is where Hong Kong could come in by recruiting a clutch of top minds to pioneer reforms with policy blessing," said Wu. The entrepreneur, now in her 70s, attributes her "original aspiration" that put her on the frontline of the ground-breaking reform and opening-up to her deep love for the homeland. Wu's sheer attachment and devotion to the country had its roots years back when she studied at Hong Kong Sacred Heart Canossian College, where she sketched a fainted and original outline of the motherland from Tang poetry, ancient Chinese prose, books about the May Fourth Movement and stories from teachers. "Since then, at the age of eight, I had made up my mind to see for myself what the Chinese mainland really looks like, and do something for my mother country some day in future." That resolution propelled her to be a determined supporter, keen contributor and an active participant in China's dizzying economic growth. It also highlights her role as an earnest promoter of the nation's time-honored cultures and traditions. Wu voiced concern over the decades-long unbridled economic, social and technological development that has made people preoccupied with the materialist way of life, and gives little care to traditional culture. "The fundamental driving force for realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation lies in the traditional culture," she reckoned. "Without it, we're like a river without headwaters, a tree without roots." sophia@chinadailyhk.com (HK Edition 09/07/2018 page18) For months, Mayor Bill de Blasio has ducked questions about whom he would endorse in the Democratic primary for governor. Would he back Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, with whom he has carried on a bitter feud or Cynthia Nixon, the actress who was an early supporter of his mayoral campaign and is a close friend? On Saturday, he finally gave an answer: neither. It will be my job to partner with the next governor and lieutenant governor on behalf of the working people of our city, Mr. de Blasio said in a statement emailed to reporters just after 6 p.m. New York City must have a voice in state policy that shapes so much of our lives. I believe endorsing a candidate in these races is at this moment counterproductive to that advocacy. My vote Thursday will be between me and my ballot. Translation: Mr. de Blasio chose to play it safe. Had he endorsed his friend, Ms. Nixon, it could have further exacerbated his vitriolic rivalry with Mr. Cuomo. In contrast, if he were to endorse Mr. Cuomo, as he did four years ago, he would expose himself to criticism that he was cravenly currying favor with the man he has called an obstacle to progress on many issues and it could seem a betrayal of his progressive values. But his caution in making no endorsement at home belies his ambitious positioning as a national progressive leader; he recently created a political action committee, Fairness PAC, to support his national political activities. The PAC has raised more than $71,000 so far, according to campaign finance reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections. Will Jordan, a gifted impressionist who mimicked the voices of many stars but became known mainly for his full-body imitation of the variety-show host Ed Sullivan, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91. Dr. Paula Rauch, his niece, said the cause was complications of a stroke. Sullivan, whose Sunday show was must-see television for nearly a quarter century, was an awkward, wooden physical presence who mangled words and names. Mr. Jordan turned him into a mumbling character who cracked his knuckles, popped his eyes, hunched his shoulders, folded his arms, spun in place and promised the audience it was in for a really big shoo. But it was largely an invention. Sullivan was not inherently funny, so Mr. Jordan created a comic version of him. He started by putting his tongue under his upper lip as if he were imitating an ape and rolled his eyes so audiences could see the whites. More gestures followed, he told Gerald Nachman, the author of Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s (2003). WASHINGTON Federal prosecutors have admitted that they wrongly accused Maria Butina, a Russian citizen now in custody on charges of illegally acting as a foreign agent, of offering to trade sex for a job as part of a covert effort by Russian government officials to infiltrate Republican circles in the United States. In a court filing late Friday, prosecutors in the United States attorneys office in Washington acknowledged that they had been mistaken in interpreting what were apparently joking text messages between Ms. Butina and a friend who had helped her renew her car insurance. Ms. Butina was charged this summer with conspiracy and illegally acting as an agent of the Russian government in what prosecutors have claimed was a secret campaign to try to influence high-level Republican politicians, including Donald J. Trump, both as a candidate and after his election. Denied bail, she is now in custody in the detention center in Alexandria, Va. Defense lawyers for Ms. Butina are arguing that the prosecutors error is emblematic of a flawed federal case that has wrongly landed their client in pretrial custody. A federal judge is scheduled to review Ms. Butinas request that she be released from jail, as well as whether to impose a gag order, on Monday. However, some former officials defended the meetings, arguing that something must be done to stem the humanitarian crises set off by Mr. Maduros authoritarian leadership, from shortages of food and medicine to the migration of millions of Venezuelans from the country. If you dont like the idea of the U.S. talking to the military, then what do you propose? said Richard N. Haass, a former top State Department official in the George W. Bush administration who is now the president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He said that while he did not support a coup, the region should consider a Latin American coalition of the willing, an alliance of Venezuelas neighbors created for a possible regional military intervention, similar to the United States invasion of Iraq. While Latin American leaders loudly condemned remarks by President Trump last year saying there was a military option to thwart Mr. Maduro, the reaction to the news that American officials had met with coup plotters was muted this time. Mr. Morales was the only president who came to the defense of Mr. Maduro. That reflects the growing exasperation with Mr. Maduros government, some experts say. There is so little sympathy now, said Michael Shifter, the president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington policy forum. While Mr. Shifter does not support a coup either, he said comparisons to the overthrow in Chile of Salvador Allende in 1973 by Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who became a military dictator, were unfounded, given the humanitarian crisis Mr. Maduro had caused. There are signs that the Trump administration may harden its stance toward Mr. Maduro, one of the few sitting presidents currently under sanctions imposed by the United States. The White House is expected to name Mauricio Claver-Carone to head Latin America affairs at the National Security Council. Mr. Claver-Carone is considered a conservative hard-liner on Cuba and was involved in tightening American sanctions against Venezuelan officials. He would report to John Bolton, who came to lead the N.S.C. in April and is also seen as more hawkish than his predecessor. They can do both, their argument goes, because they not only have more data on what the audience wants and, with their algorithms help, are better able to personalize the experience but also their system of analyzing taste is more refined than that of others in the industry. Unlike traditional media outlets, Netflix does not fixate on categories of age, gender or race. We dont pull demographic information because you would be in danger of imparting biases of what a 75-year-old Japanese grandmother would want to watch versus a 14-year-old kid from Ohio, Ms. Nishimura said. But there are moments in time when they are in the exact same taste cluster. We see it all the time. The Netflix system has more than 2,000 taste clusters that measure content by tone, timbre and feeling to predict what you will want to see when you log onto the site. Netflix places more emphasis on whether a show is uplifting, somber or redemptive than on genre or who the director is. But what do these new metrics say about comedy that the rest of us cannot see? Netflix is famously tight-lipped about data. It wont release audience information to the news media or comics, who would love to know who watches their specials to plan tours. But the two executives will discuss some details. Mr. Praw said one of the many misconceptions he brought to Netflix was that there would be no overlap between fans of, say, Gabriel Iglesiass broad comedy and Maria Bamfords more cerebral standup. What we discovered is that for some people thats the case, he said, but for others, that assumption is wrong. At the end of the day its really about your audience if they forgive Louis and Aziz, then theres nothing we can really do about that. My question always is, what should we be doing about it? Because if I dont ever want to watch him again or you dont ever want to watch him again, its just your choice. If Bill Cosby did a set one day where he just said, Look man, Im tired of this, and just went on a rant said whatever the hell he wanted to say, I think people would have been like, All right, lets see what he says, though. Thats what made Richard Pryor brilliant. Richard didnt mind talking about all the crazy things he did. Can you imagine Richard Pryor in 2018? CARMICHAEL I love Rel so much because hes such an out of the frying pan, into the fire type of guy. With that answer he was like, I see your Louis C. K., and Ill raise you Bill Cosby. Louis and Aziz are different, though CARMICHAEL It is different. Truly, its a personal preference for you to support or listen to what they have to say or not, right? The court of public opinion doesnt have a jail to put anybody in, so I dont know exactly what were directing this outrage at. If you feel like they came back too soon, I dont know what amount of time is right. If you dont support them, then just dont support them. Thats kind of all you can do. I cant see much past that. HOWERY Thats real. With Louis it seems like the question is, what has he done to atone for it? He admitted that he did what he was accused of, but when you think of the women CARMICHAEL Thats when it gets hard. Yeah. CARMICHAEL When someone does wrong and it operates outside of the parameters of the justice system, then its on us, the public, to figure out first among ourselves how to deal with it. Im saying I dont have the answer. If people were hurt, then you always want to have empathy for that and understand that people are going through pain, and there are victims attached to it. At the same time, these people have audiences that still want to hear what they have to say, and theres not much you can do about it. There really isnt. Would you work with Louis in the future? CARMICHAEL Rel? HOWERY If we did a show on me going to see Louis C. K., and they only have backstage passes. Jim Carrey returns to television in his first continuing TV role since the 90s. And The Deuce moves to the disco age. Whats on TV KIDDING 10 p.m. on Showtime. Theres no one I cant sit with now, after what Ive been through, and say, Whats your thing whats your pain? And what an incredible place to be as an artist. Thats what Jim Carrey, who has been mostly on hiatus since the 2015 death of his former girlfriend, recently told The New York Times. He returns in this new series under the direction of Michel Gondry, with whom he collaborated on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Mr. Carrey plays Jeff Pickles, a Fred Rogers-like childrens-TV host who, at the start of the shows premiere episode, sings the question, Isnt growing up funny and sweet? Not really, it turns out; the image that follows is Mr. Carreys character watching footage of an armed conflict. Along with Mr. Rogers, Mr. Carrey himself, an outspoken critic of the Trump administration, has unambiguous ties to his character, a beloved entertainer discovering that his philosophy of kindness and tolerance may not be enough to sustain him in a world that is often tragic and downright hostile, as Dave Itzkoff wrote in The Times, adding that its not a stretch to wonder how much of that might also apply to the man portraying him. Its not the darkened room and table, but we want to say this is a different show, Mr. Shapiro said. We, as TV producers, labor over them, but people dont watch the set. They watch the host and the guest. The centerpiece was a glass table, which seemed not to thrill Ms. Amanpour. What is this New York woman kind of desk? she asked. Like Fox News! a producer replied, drolly. It turned out that Ms. Amanpour wasnt exactly joking. In a later interview, she said, I never like the idea of sitting under a transparent desk so my legs could be the object of interest. Ms. Amanpours castmates sounded sanguine about the prospects for a new show that is heavy on talk. Ms. Martin, the NPR host, said: Think about the popularity of podcasts. What are podcasts? Uninterrupted conversations, really. And the fact that people love them so much they love the conversation, they love being able to carry a thought from one minute to the next without having to stop and revisit something. Mr. Isaacson said the segments would move beyond the latest bit of ephemera to light up social media. Its going to have a broad range, which is important in an era in which weve all gotten a little too hyper-focused on crises of the moment, he said. While Ms. Amanpour has had a long run as the host of a CNN International show, she has yet to prove herself as the anchor of a long-lasting program in the United States. When ABC made her the host of its Sunday morning public affairs show, This Week, in 2010, she said her main mission was to make foreign news less foreign and found herself out of the job in little over a year. Mr. Zucker blamed the failure partly on Ms. Amanpours not quite fitting a morning television genre that demands plenty of inside-the-Beltway talk. I woke up this morning a tad sad. I knew that the trip is coming to an end and we are on the way to our final destination, Dublin. It would be a 2+ hours drive from Galway and last night the hubby has found a little stop along the way.That stop was in Kilbeggan for a whiskey tour and tasting. Before we got there, we stopped for gas and inside there was a snack shop and a deli. In the deli, we purchased a wrap and a sandwich just because we were hungry already. These we ate inside the car while we parked roadside across from the distillery.Once we have something in our stomach, we crossed the street to the distillery and signed up for a tour. Next tour wasn't until 12:30 and we had about 20 minutes wait. The lady took us across the courtyard to the gift shop to wait.The tour was just me and the hubby and a guide. We were shown the process of making whiskey. We were educated as to the history behind the Kilbeggan brand. The traditional method of distilling and the equipment used as well as the modern way of distilling were covered in this tour.It was about a 30-minute tour covering many areas of the compound. At the end, we were taken to the tasting room. We were given three different kinds of whiskey to sample - one with 2 different types of cereal or grain, one with maize and the last one with barley. It was a nice experience even for someone who doesn't drink whiskey like me. Just before we left, we grabbed two whiskey sampler box for us and for our friends.This was a very good diversion. Let me tell you that this day was one very cold day as well. China's Global Newspaper Sorry, the page you requested was not found. Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Chinadaily.com.cn, try visiting the Chinadaily home page President Trump on Sunday suggested Ford Motor could begin making a small car in the United States instead of importing it from China. But the automaker quickly issued a statement saying it has no such plans. In August, Ford announced it had killed a plan to import the Focus Active, a roomy hatchback, saying the tariffs Mr. Trump has threatened to impose on vehicles built in China would increase costs too much for the company to hit its profit targets. Mr. Trump hailed the decision in a Twitter post on Sunday, apparently after he saw a report about the Focus Active on television. Ford has abruptly killed a plan to sell a Chinese-made small vehicle in the U.S. because of the prospect of higher U.S. tariffs. CNBC. This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE U.S.A. and Ford will pay no tariffs! Aditi Banga and Jonathan Ross Schwartz were married Sept. 8 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. Aashish D. Devitre, a friend of the brides family who became an American Fellowship minister for the occasion, officiated, with Rabbi Roger Ross taking part. The bride, 31, works on strategic partnerships in the New York office of Instagram, the social media company. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and received an M.B.A. from Stanford, where she is now a member of the Business School Fund Council. She is a daughter of Ritu Banga and Ajay Banga of New York. The brides father is the president and chief executive of Mastercard, which is in Purchase, N.Y. He is also a member of the Presidents Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations and is a governor of the American Red Cross. Her mother is a founder of Zoomdojo, a college-to-career initiative in New York. Mr. Schwartz, 32, is a project leader in the Summit, N.J, office of the Boston Consulting Group, the management consulting firm. He graduated from Brown and received a masters degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Laura Mae McFeely and Lee-Or Ankori-Karlinsky were married Sept. 8 at the vacation home of the brides parents in Truro, Mass. James Goodman, an uncle of the bride who received permission from the state of Massachusetts, officiated. The couple met in 2010 at Dartmouth, from which they graduated. Ms. McFeely, 26, is a research associate at Harvard Business School, where she works on the Case Method Project, which brings case method teaching to high school history classrooms in Boston. She is the daughter of Karen E. McFeely and W. Drake McFeely of Chappaqua, N.Y. The brides father is the chairman of W.W. Norton & Company, a publishing company based in New York. The brides mother, who is retired, worked as a marketing specialist in the White Plains office of IBM, the computer manufacturing company based in Armonk, N.Y. The groom, 28, is the senior program officer of Beyond Conflict, a global nonprofit organization in Boston that works with leaders to address conflict and promote social change. Dr. Lauren Frances Allison and David Aran Sandor Minchin are to be married Sept. 9 in Larchmont, N.Y. Alan D. Marrus, a retired justice of the New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, is to officiate at the Larchmont Yacht Club. Dr. Allison, 30, is a pediatrician and a partner in Willows Pediatrics, a group medical practice in Westport, Conn. She graduated summa cum laude from Wellesley College, and received a medical degree from Dartmouth. The bride is a daughter of Robert F. Allison of Redding, Conn., and the late Frances Shannon Allison. The brides father owns Dr. Mikes Ice Cream, a storefront and manufacturer in Bethel, Conn. Her mother was a vice president for mergers and acquisitions at GTE, which was in Stamford, Conn. Mr. Allison, 34, is a candidate for a doctoral degree in international relations at Yale. His doctoral research concerns the American military, specifically how being good at fighting conventional wars has made it more difficult to secure victory in counterinsurgency campaigns. He graduated summa cum laude from Columbia and holds two masters degrees in political science from Yale. From 2010 to 2014 he served in the United States Army, attaining the rank of captain, and was deployed to Ghazni Province in Afghanistan in 2013, where he oversaw security for groups of Army engineers who were engaged in detecting explosive devices along roadways. Mallika Khandelwal and Aneal Kumar Tenjarla were married Sept. 4 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. Angel L. Lopez, a staff member of the New York City Clerks Office, officiated. Ms. Khandelwal, 28, works in Manhattan as a founder of Choice Fertility, a start-up company that is working to build an egg-storage and implantation clinic. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and received an M.B.A. from Stanford. She is a daughter of Dr. Meena Khandelwal and Dr. Manoj Khandelwal of Narberth, Pa. The brides father, an interventional cardiologist, is in private practice in Philadelphia. Her mother, an obstetrician and gynecologist, is a staff physician at Cooper University Health Cares hospital in Camden, N.J., and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, also in Camden. Mr. Tenjarla, 30, is a senior analyst for biotechnology and pharmaceuticals at Citadel, a hedge fund in Manhattan. He graduated with high honors from the University of Texas. The chief executive of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center sent an email to all staff members on Sunday saying that the institution and its faculty need to do a better job of disclosing their relationships with the drug and health care industries. The matter of disclosure is serious, wrote the executive, Dr. Craig B. Thompson, along with Kathryn Martin, the chief operating officer. The email, which was labeled an important message, referred directly to an article published this weekend by The New York Times and ProPublica about the failure of Dr. Jose Baselga, the cancer centers chief medical officer, to disclose his extensive industry relationships in dozens of research articles since 2013. The Times and ProPublica found that Dr. Baselga had received millions of dollars in consulting fees and in ownership interests in health care companies, but had often failed to disclose those ties in appearances at scientific conferences and in journal articles. His reporting failures included articles in prestigious publications like The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet as well as in Cancer Discovery, a journal for which he serves as one of two editors in chief. When I entered, Mr. Jones was holding a printout of a story I had written. The article included his demand, in court documents, for more than $100,000 in court costs from the parents of Noah Pozner, who died at Sandy Hook. He jabbed his finger at me. You have a responsibility. You wrote the blueprint article everybody else picked up where they said, Alex Jones is the scum of the earth . . . People need to go after Alex Jones, people need to bankrupt Alex Jones, people need to kill Alex Jones, he said, because he sends people to these parents houses and he wont stop doing it. After a public outcry, Mr. Joness lawyer altered his demand, saying in a hearing in the Pozner case that week that hed now accept a dollar in court costs. Mr. Jones claimed, wrongly, that I hadnt reported that gesture, something that my lawyers have never seen before. (In court filings before a separate defamation hearing last month, Mr. Jones sought more than $200,000 in court costs from Neil Heslin, another Sandy Hook parent.) Mr. Jones asked whether Id seen his Fathers Day message to the Sandy Hook families, broadcast in 2017. He complained that his on-camera acknowledgment of long-accepted facts got little attention because hes the target of a mainstream media plot. I said I thought that the children died and I was sorry for their loss. And I said that I wanted to reach out to them and try to heal things, he said. I thought thatd be pretty newsworthy, but no newspapers reported it. Pretty amazing discipline to, all in unison, do that. Mr. Jones was wearing a starched, white, too-snug monogrammed shirt and one of his Rolex watches (more on that later). He recited a rasping medley of plots by globalists, Chi-coms, Muslims, Robert Mueller, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and his newest villains: social media companies whose actions are eating into his business. Humanity will be obsolete by 2050. This is the consensus at Google and Facebook and Twitter, he said. Were going to merge with machines and become gods, but first weve got to reduce the world population 90 percent. I wondered aloud what the Jones family dinner table conversation must be like. Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how news, features and opinion come together at The New York Times. WASHINGTON Though Ive been lucky to have been insulated from gun violence most of my life, it was at the core of the identity of my hometown, Washington, D.C. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, Washington recorded more killings per capita in a year than any other American city eight times between 1985 and 2012, earning the nickname murder capital. The citys homicide rate peaked in 1991 when there were 482 killings, or about 80 for every 100,000 people. I was aware of the arguments for and against regulating firearms partly because my father was a federal judge who handled one of the seminal cases in the citys fight over gun rights. In 2003, Washington was sued in response to a local law, then one of the strictest in the nation, that prohibited residents from owning handguns. The law required all firearms, including rifles and shotguns, to be kept unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock. However, the law excluded weapons registered before 1975 and those possessed by active and retired law enforcement officers. Fancy wearing Han Solos jacket? Or perhaps donning Indiana Joness fedora? Or how about a trip on Marty McFlys hoverboard? Movie buffs have a chance to get their hands on memorabilia from fan favorites including Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Back to the Future Part II in an auction of film props and costumes in London this month. The London- and Los Angeles-based Prop Store is putting more than 600 lots from some 150 movies and television shows under the hammer on Sept. 20. The leading lot of the sale is the jacket worn by Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back, which is expected to fetch between 500,000 and 1 million pounds (from about $647,000 to $1.29 million). ALBANY, N.Y. It must have seemed like such a fine idea. On Friday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was standing alongside his mother, Matilda, and Hillary Clinton celebrating the grand opening of the eastbound span of a gleaming bridge bearing his fathers name. Emotional words were spoken; selfies were taken. But that span never opened as planned on Saturday as engineers cited a potentially dangerous situation involving the old and adjacent Tappan Zee Bridge, which is being taken apart. What had seemed a perfectly orchestrated ribbon-cutting, just days before Thursdays primary, quickly morphed into a cudgel for the governors opponents, who accused him of putting politics above public safety and called for a federal investigation. Then, a second problem erupted for Mr. Cuomo on Saturday, when a flier landed in mailboxes of Jewish New Yorkers: a political mailer, paid for by the State Democratic Party that Mr. Cuomo funds, tying together a photograph of his opponent, Cynthia Nixon, and the loaded words anti-Semitism. The flier drew swift rebukes from fellow Democrats as Mr. Cuomo distanced himself from its content. I am the mother of Jewish children, Ms. Nixon said on Sunday, demanding a full account of how the piece she said was a smear campaign was approved, and for Mr. Cuomo to record a robocall for voters apologizing for calling me an anti-Semite. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form This is dirty politics, nearly as sleazy as it gets. Days before voting Thursday in Gov. Andrew Cuomos primary race for re-election, the New York State Democratic Committee has sent voters a campaign mailer falsely accusing his challenger, Cynthia Nixon, of being silent on the rise of anti-Semitism. It says she supports the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. She does not. It accuses Ms. Nixon of opposing tax-supported funding of yeshivas, the private religious schools attended by many of New York Citys Orthodox Jews. She has never said that. With anti-Semitism and bigotry on the rise, we cant take a chance, the mailer reads. Re-Elect Governor Andrew Cuomo. This is the lowest form of politics, and the most dangerous, exploiting the festering wounds and fears along ethnic and religious lines. To the Editor: They Sought Help on Campus, but Were Sent Home Instead (news article, Aug. 31) seemed to criticize colleges for going overboard to ensure the safety of suicidal students. In May, The Times published His College Saw Despair. His Parents Didnt, Until It Was Too Late, in which grieving parents called for colleges to do more for suicidal students. In treating college students and suicidal patients every week, I sympathize with universities challenge of balancing individual autonomy against paternalistic care. Remember two facts about this age group: Their prefrontal cortex is still developing, which contributes to impulsivity, and the second leading cause of death is, in fact, suicide. Professionals struggle with this conundrum every day: Is this person safe right now, or is a higher level of care needed? In my own career, I have overstepped the bounds in an abundance of caution, and I have worked with someone who insisted on remaining in school even though I thought a medical leave would be beneficial. The experts do not get this right every time. Why would we expect colleges to do so? Ravi N. Shah New York The writer is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. [Like the Science Times page on Facebook. | Sign up for the Science Times newsletter.] The cleanup system is supposed to work like this: After the boom detaches from the towing vessel, the current is expected to pull it into the shape of a U. As it drifts along, propelled by the wind and waves, it should trap plastic like Pac-Man, the foundation said on its website. The captured plastic would then be transported back to land, sorted and recycled. The boom has an impenetrable skirt that hangs nearly 10 feet below to catch smaller pieces of plastic. The nonprofit said marine life would be able to pass underneath. But the ocean can be unpredictable, and simulation models are no guarantee of future performance. Theres worry that you cant remove the plastic without removing marine life at the same time, said George Leonard, chief scientist at the Ocean Conservancy. We know from the fishing industry if you put any sort of structure in the open ocean, it acts as a fish-aggregating device. Small fish, drawn to a new structure, can attract bigger fish, he added, creating an entire ecological community. It is unclear how well the boom would fare on the open ocean, where it faces high winds, corrosive salt water and other environmental challenges. And then theres the question of whether it is possible to clean half of the garbage patch in just five years. But the reserved, slow and steady approach has long frustrated some investors and employees, who believe that it has neutered growth, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who have worked with or for the company. Many of those people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the companys private affairs. Matt Novak, a partner at All Blue Capital, said his firm was trying to sell its stake in Pinterest, which the firm acquired on the secondary market, because it had not lived up to its potential. If they dont keep up, they very quickly become prehistoric, said Mr. Novak, who would not disclose the size of his firms stake in Pinterest. And yet despite Mr. Silbermanns approach or maybe because of it the company is worth $12.3 billion and growth is accelerating. In the past week, the company crossed a new milestone 250 million monthly active users. Those users have pinned 175 billion items on 3 billion virtual pinboards. The company is on track to top $700 million in revenue this year, a 50 percent increase over last year, according to a person familiar with the company. There is wide speculation that it will go public next year. If Pinterest continues its trajectory, it could change the narrative of what it takes to build a successful company in Silicon Valley, a meaningful feat at a time that the start-up world is seeking new templates for leaders. If it doesnt, itll serve as another example of wasted potential, or worse, a cautionary tale. Workers with iPads have been stationed outside offices, to serve as guides through the bureaucracy alerting people to wait times and sending them away if they are missing documents or have arrived too late to make it to the front door before closing time. The state, in a notable act of bureaucratic kindness, also rescinded restrictions on bringing food and beverages into D.M.V. offices. The situation is putting pressure on Mr. Brown, who is heading toward the end of a long career here, and it is threatening to add a discordant punctuation mark to his legacy. He knows he has to step in and get the situation fixed, Mr. Allen said. The D.M.V. has laid much of the blame for the escalating delays on the new Real ID program being imposed by the federal government, part of an effort to ramp up airport security. As of 2020, a newly designed drivers license or state identification card which states are racing to create will be required to clear airport security. (A passport will also suffice.) The new secure license cannot be issued by mail, the way a standard renewal can. The criticism, much of it from Republicans but some from Democrats, has been withering. This has been, in my judgment, one of the most significant large-scale failures of a state bureaucracy that I have experienced, said Jim Patterson, a Republican member of the Assembly and former mayor of Fresno. It is a combination of failures and an unwillingness to admit the failures. The buck should have stopped on Governor Browns desk a long time ago, and I think he let it get out of control, Mr. Patterson added. It smacks of a lame duck walking through the finish line. He really has the obligation here. Evan Westrup, Mr. Browns spokesman, said the governors office was taking action. We want this fixed now, and will continue to throw everything we can at it, Mr. Westrup said. State officials said that wait times have already been reduced, reflecting their new efforts. For people showing up without an appointment, the average statewide wait time dropped from 126 minutes in July to 100 minutes at the end of August, they said. A report by a special counsel to a state legislative committee had said that Mr. Bentley encouraged an atmosphere of intimidation around his staff to keep them from speaking of his relationship with Ms. Mason, and that he had directed state employees to cover up the relationship. (Mr. Bentley had denied a physical relationship with Ms. Mason long before he resigned, despite recordings that suggested physical intimacy.) Central to Mr. Bentleys resignation was a guilty plea to two misdemeanor charges: failing to file a major contribution report and knowingly converting campaign contributions to personal use. The report describes how Mr. Bentley tried to use a member of his security detail to break up with Ms. Mason on his behalf, and how Mr. Bentley demanded that she be allowed to travel in official vehicles after she left the states payroll. Before the plea deal, the Alabama Ethics Commission had said it had probable cause to find that Mr. Bentley had committed felonies before he resigned, and had referred its findings to prosecutors. [Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping the 2018 elections with our new politics newsletter.] ____ At a rally in Montana last week, the crowd cheered for President Trump as he gave a freewheeling speech that touched on the economy, his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton and his success as your favorite of all time president. Online, the cheers were for a teenager in a plaid shirt. The teenager, who was standing behind the president in the cameras view, could be seen raising his eyebrows, grimacing and shaking his head throughout much of the event, in Billings, Mont. At one point, he widened his eyes and mouthed a word of confusion: What? Eventually, a woman approached him, gestured for his exit and replaced him in the crowd. He gained widespread attention and on social media came to be known as Plaid Shirt Guy. OGDEN, Utah In this conservative state, which has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate in more than a half-century, a grass-roots campaign to expand Medicaid is building considerable momentum as Election Day approaches. If it wins approval here, it could happen almost anywhere. On Nov. 6, Utah voters will consider a ballot measure that would expand Medicaid to cover up to 150,000 more people under the Affordable Care Act. Two other conservative states, Idaho and Nebraska, will also vote that day on Medicaid expansion proposals. The states, if the measures pass, will join more than 30 others that have expanded Medicaid under the 2010 health care law. In all three states, advocates are trying to outflank Republican lawmakers who have blocked expansion efforts. The Utah push is five years in the making. State politicians and advocates have tried repeatedly, by one means or another, to expand Medicaid. Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican, and his team have spent countless hours in negotiations with the Obama and Trump administrations. In 2015, the State Senate passed a bill, but it never reached the floor of the State House of Representatives. DIRKOU, Niger The C.I.A. is poised to conduct secret drone strikes against Qaeda and Islamic State insurgents from a newly expanded air base deep in the Sahara, making aggressive use of powers that were scaled back during the Obama administration and restored by President Trump. Late in his presidency, Barack Obama sought to put the military in charge of drone attacks after a backlash arose over a series of highly visible strikes, some of which killed civilians. The move was intended, in part, to bring greater transparency to attacks that the United States often refused to acknowledge its role in. But now the C.I.A. is broadening its drone operations, moving aircraft to northeastern Niger to hunt Islamist militants in southern Libya. The expansion adds to the agencys limited covert missions in eastern Afghanistan for strikes in Pakistan, and in southern Saudi Arabia for attacks in Yemen. Nigerien and American officials said the C.I.A. had been flying drones on surveillance missions for several months from a corner of a small commercial airport in Dirkou. Satellite imagery shows that the airport has grown significantly since February to include a new taxiway, walls and security posts. CHIVARRETO, Guatemala Perched high on a mountain slope above a hamlet in Guatemala, the sign is hard to miss: 10 metal letters, each 33-feet-high and painted white, spelling out the towns name. CHIVARRETO. That the sign calls to mind a much more famous one, in Southern California, is no accident. Residents proudly refer to their hamlet as Little Hollywood, and their association with that corner of America is heartfelt. The sign was the idea of a group of immigrants from Chivarreto who were living in the Los Angeles region and wanted to do something for their birthplace, a gesture that both honored the hamlet and underscored its ties to the migrants adopted home in the United States. They found inspiration in the Hollywood sign they could see on their way to jobs on construction sites and in restaurant kitchens. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. BAGHLAN-E-MARKAZI, Afghanistan In a chaotic day of violence throughout Afghanistan, scores of police officers, soldiers and civilians were killed by insurgents who, in four separate attacks, overran a major military base, killed a police chief, destroyed a police post and bombed a memorial event. In the capital, Kabul, a commemoration for a man some Afghans regard as a hero turned violent as suicide bombers attacked celebrants, killing seven, and the police arrested more than 100 mourners for shooting in the air. The deadliest single episode was the destruction by Taliban insurgents of an army base in Baghlan Province on Sunday, with at least 22 and as many as 40 security force members killed, local officials said. The military installation was the second major base to fall to the insurgents in Baghlan Province in the past month, and the third in northern Afghanistan during the same period. HONG KONG When industrialized nations pledged in 2009 to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 to help the poorest countries deal with climate change, it won over some skeptics in the developing world who had argued that rich nations should pay up for contributing so much to the problem. But the money has been slow to materialize, with only $3.5 billion actually committed out of $10.3 billion pledged to a prominent United Nations program called the Green Climate Fund. President Trumps decision last year to cancel $2 billion in promised aid did not help. At a climate change conference in Thailand this past week, some delegates reached by telephone said that the setting the heart of Southeast Asia, a region where challenges relating to warming are readily apparent was grimly fitting. They described the United Nations programs shortcomings as a symbol of a broken promise. The fund of hope is becoming a fund of hopelessness, said Meena Raman, legal adviser to the Third World Network, an advocacy group in Malaysia, and a former nonvoting member of the Green Climate Funds board. Our poll is a decent result for Republicans. But remember: Its just one poll, and we talked to only 501 people. Each candidates total could easily be five points different if we polled everyone in the district. And having a small sample is only one possible source of error. Can a Tea Party hero hold off a strong challenge in a Republican-leaning district? We made 25823 calls, and 501 people spoke to us. This survey was conducted by The New York Times Upshot and Siena College. Hey, Im Alex Burns, a politics correspondent for The Times. Ill give you the latest reporting and intel on the midterms and take your questions from the campaign trail. Its generally best to look at a single poll in the context of other polls: Mr. Brat defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a stunning upset in the 2014 Republican primary here. Mr. Cantors moderate backers could be part of Mr. Brat's challenge this time. On paper, this reliably Republican district shouldn't be one of the most competitive in the country. But its considered a tossup by the Cook Political Report. This sprawling district stretches from the well-educated suburbs of Richmond to the countryside. is the current representative and a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus. 44% favorable rating; 30% unfavorable; 26% dont know If sampling error were the only type of error in a poll, we would expect candidates who trail by four points in a poll of 501 people to win about three out of every 14 races. But this probably understates the total error by a factor of two . One reason were doing these surveys live is so you can see the uncertainty for yourself. As we reach more people, our poll will become more stable and the margin of sampling error will shrink. The changes in the timeline below reflect that sampling error, not real changes in the race. Our turnout model Theres a big question on top of the standard margin of error in a poll: Who is going to vote? Its a particularly challenging question this year, since special elections have shown Democrats voting in large numbers. To estimate the likely electorate, we combine what people say about how likely they are to vote with information about how often they have voted in the past. In previous races, this approach has been more accurate than simply taking people at their word. But there are many other ways to do it. Our poll under different turnout scenarios Who will vote? Est. turnout Our poll result The types of people who voted in 2014 238k Brat +7 People who say they are almost certain to vote, and no one else 266k Brat +10 Our estimate 276k Brat +4 People whose voting history suggests they will vote, regardless of what they say 281k Brat +4 People who say they will vote, adjusted for past levels of truthfulness 291k Brat +4 The types of people who voted in 2016 370k Brat +9 Every active registered voter 483k Brat +7 Just because one candidate leads in all of these different turnout scenarios doesnt mean much by itself. They dont represent the full range of possible turnout scenarios, let alone the full range of possible election results. The types of people we reached Even if we got turnout exactly right, the margin of error wouldnt capture all of the error in a poll. The simplest version assumes we have a perfect random sample of the voting population. We do not. People who respond to surveys are almost always too old, too white, too educated and too politically engaged to accurately represent everyone. How successful we were in reaching different kinds of voters Called Inter- viewed Success rate Our responses Goal 18 to 29 2 7 1 4 2 1 1 in 129 4% 8% 30 to 64 1 6 3 0 6 3 1 7 1 in 51 63% 62% 65 and older 5 2 6 0 1 6 3 1 in 32 33% 30% Male 1 0 3 7 4 2 1 1 1 in 49 42% 46% Female 1 3 9 0 6 2 9 0 1 in 48 58% 54% White 1 6 7 3 7 3 6 6 1 in 46 73% 70% Nonwhite 5 9 0 5 1 0 4 1 in 57 21% 24% Cell 1 4 2 5 5 2 6 0 1 in 55 52% Landline 1 0 0 2 5 2 4 1 1 in 42 48% Pollsters compensate by giving more weight to respondents from under-represented groups. Here, were weighting by age, primary vote, gender, likelihood of voting, race, education and region, mainly using data from voting records files compiled by L2, a nonpartisan voter file vendor. But weighting works only if you weight by the right categories and you know what the composition of the electorate will be. In 2016, many pollsters didnt weight by education and overestimated Hillary Clintons standing as a result. Here are other common ways to weight a poll: Our poll under different weighting schemes Our poll result Dont weight by primary vote, like most public polls Brat +2 Dont weight by education, like many polls in 2016 Brat +3 Weight using census data instead of voting records, like most public polls Brat +3 Our estimate Brat +4 Just because one candidate leads in all of these different weighting scenarios doesnt mean much by itself. They dont represent the full range of possible weighting scenarios, let alone the full range of possible election results. Kalinga Literary Festival, British Council Come Together For 5 Films for Freedom' In Bhubaneswar Religious institutions in Bhubaneswar to reopen for devotees from this date Odisha: CRPF constable shoots self Bhubaneswar oi-Vikas By Vikas Bhubaneswar, Sep 9: A CRPF constable has allegedly committed suicide in Odisha's Gariaband. The deceased, Karan Singh, was a constable in CRPF's 65th battalion, said reports. Singh allegedly shot himself in his room in Gariaband. The police have begun probe into the matter. In July this year, a soldier allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in a camp near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu. Rifleman Ranbir Singh (28) was on guard duty at Hamirpur Nawan Military Garrison in Khour area of Akhnoor sector when he shot himself in the forehead on July 16, causing his instant death. Also Read | Army jawan commits suicide in Jammu In May, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan shot dead three colleagues with his service weapon before committing suicide at a border outpost at Maguruli in Unakoti district. In February, a 31-year-old Army jawan allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself to the ceiling. The deceased, Krishna Nagu Kolhe, hailed from Kolhapur and was working at the MT Park unit in Devlali near Nashik. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 11:20 [IST] TNEA Supplementary Counselling registration ends today at 5 pm: Direct link to register here All colleges to have anti ragging committee Chennai oi-Madhuri Chennai, Sep 9: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit Saturday chaired the ninth state-level monitoring committee meet to eradicate ragging in educational institutions and advised further strengthening of the mechanism. Minister for Higher Education K P Anbalagan, chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, DGP T K Rajendran, Higher Education Department's principal secretary Mangat Ram Sharma along with senior committee members participated in the meeting, an official release said here. "It was emphasised in the meeting that all colleges will have an anti-ragging committee and was ensured that the present monitoring mechanism will be further strengthened", it said. Also Read | Student hospitalised after being ragged in Kerala There would be zero tolerance and severe punishment will be imposed on the students indulging in ragging practices, it said. The members of the committee would work with an aim to build positive attitude among students, it said. Also Read | Ragging in colleges doubled in 3 years, UP, WB and MP top list Expeditious steps will be taken to eradicate the menace of ragging throughout Tamil Nadu by forming monitoring cells in all educational institutions at district levels to make a ragging free state, the release added. For More Chennai News, Click Here For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 10:42 [IST] Prashant Kishor in viral video: With or without Modi, BJP will be centre of Indian polity for decades BJP-ruled states slashes petrol, diesel rates further: New price to come into effect from today Opposition has no leader or policy; sole agenda to stop Modi: BJP India oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Sep 9: The second day of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) executive meeting on Sunday will see a valedictory speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the executive meet, Prakash Javadekar said,''The opposition has no agenda or policy, or strategy. They only believe in 'Modi roko abhiyan'. The people of the country know them well. We will win with an even bigger majority in 2019.'' The meeting is being attended by its national leadership, key leaders from all states and union territories and office bearers. This is the first National Executive meeting which is being held in absence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapyee. Strategy for upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections are expected to be discussed at the meet. National Executive will also discuss ways to ensure how the work done by the Narendra Modi government can be taken to the people in the most effective manner. BJP President Amit Shah yesterday described the grand alliance of opposition parties as an eyewash, illusion and based on falsehood and asked the party workers to expose it. Curfew in Ahmedabad extended till 6am on May 21; Night curfew to continue in 36 cities for another 3 days Into the deep: Ahmedabads Science City gets a boost! Nature Park, Aquatic, Robotic Galleries and more! Gujarat Board GSHSEB Result 2021 declared: How to check through SMS Gujarat: Over 2,000 people get COVID-19 vaccine at home in Ahmedabad Ahmedabad: Crime Branch arrested former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadia in Bitcoin extortion case India oi-Madhuri Ahmedabad, Sep 9: Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Sunday has arrested former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadia from Maharashtra's Dhuliya in connection with a Bitcoin extortion case. Kotadiya, former Dhari MLA, had openly supported the Hardik Patel-led Patidar quota agitation and is also facing a case of allegedly extorting money from a city-based builder. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 14:32 [IST] ISI link, India and beyond: NIA exposes dangers of urban naxals, their friends in the jungles Naxal movement in urban areas were being expanded through International seminars How the urban eco-system of 'liberals' helped naxals become a Rs 2,500 crore network Arrested activists were part of Maoist fronts says police India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Sep 9: The Pune police claimed on Saturday that all the seven organisations, to which some of the left-wing activists arrested recently for alleged Maoist links belonged, were fronts of the banned CPI (Maoist). The police have arrested 10 activists during the probe into alleged Maoist connection behind the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune in December last year. According to a media report published on Saturday, only one of the outfits to which eight of the arrested activists belonged was declared as unlawful. Also Read | Urban Naxals threat to the unity of the country; involve in illegal mining and extortion A senior Pune police official, however, said all the seven outfits were "formations and front organisations" of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), banned in 2009. The ban on the CPI (Maoist) covered all its offshoots, Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Shivajirao Bodkhe said, citing the Union government's gazette of June 22, 2009. "The Central Government hereby makes an order so as to add that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and all its formations and front organisations as terrorist organisations," the gazette said. According to the police, arrested Telugu poet Varavara Rao is allegedly connected with the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), which has been declared unlawful in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana for allegedly being a front of the CPI (Maoist). Also Read | Most important component of the naxal movement lies in the urban areas; Former R&AW chief Besides, Gautam Navlakha is allegedly connected with the People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) and Sudha Bharadwaj and Surendra Gadling with the Indian Association of People's Lawyers. Rona Wilson is allegedly connected with the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, Shoma Sen with the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, Sudhir Dhawale with the Republican Panthers and Mahesh Raut with the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan. Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira are allegedly associated with the Maharashtra State Committee of the CPI (Maoist), the police have said. Also Read | Bhima Koregaon: House arrests to continue, SC livid with Maha cop's presser Rao, Navlakha, Bharadwaj, Gonsalves and Ferreira were arrested last month, while the five others were arrested in June. Following the arrest of the five activists last month, the Supreme Court had ordered to keep them under house arrest on a petition challenging the police action. (With PTI inputs) Be fit to get booze; Indian coast guards given strict orders India oi-Pushyarag New Delhi (Sep 9): In a one of its kind rule, the Indian coast guard's Northwest region commander Rakesh Paul has issued a new order saying that obese and overweight personnel on board, irrespective of ranks will be denied subsidised liquor. The rule has been implemented after the medical board issued a notice to reduce weights of the navy personnels. Rakesh Paul said that alcohol was one of the major reason behind obesity and over weight personnels cannot be posted at sea. The decision came after repeated orders to reduce weight, he added. The order applies to the Northwest unit covering Gujarat. It is necessary for the coast guards to remain physically fit since most of their service period id spent in the sea. Rakesh Paul also said that once the personnels are fit, their entitlement for alcohol will be restored. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 11:53 [IST] Gone too soon: From Puneeth Rajkumar to Sidharth Shukla, untimely deaths leave family and fans stunned Bharat Bandh on Sep 10: Bengaluru to be worst hit, what will be open and closed India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 9: Normal life is likely to be affected due to the day long Bharat Bandh on Monday. The bandh call was given by an alliance of the opposition parties and trade unions in protest against the rising prices of petroleum products. Normal life will be affected in Bengaluru as the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition has lent support to the Bharat Bandh. Bharat Bandh: Nation wide shut down on September 10 "We have called for a bandh on Monday from 6 am to 3 pm and we have the support from all the Left parties and other political parties besides trade unions. Pro-Kannada organisations, KSRTC and BMTC workers' unions have also expressed support to our cause" said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao. While many organisations have come out in support of the bandh, the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association has chosen to be neutral. "We are not a political organisation even though we are severely hit by the fuel price hike like any other citizen. We have extended moral support and called for a meeting on September 21 to discuss the future course of action," said G R Shanmugappa, president of South India Motor Transport Association. Fuel price rise: Congress calls for Bharat bandh on September 10 The education department has made it clear that there would be no holiday for schools and colleges. However, the Associated Management of Private Schools in Karnataka has left it to the discretion of the individual school managements. What will be affected: Taxi services Government and private bus services Private, airport taxis Schools, colleges, commercial establishments Cinema halls, multiplexes and shopping malls What will not be affected: Hospitals Emergency services Milk supply Medical shops Metro services For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 7:36 [IST] BJD spokesperson Sashmit Patra "The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has been fighting against the price rise of petrol and deisel in the country and it is not for the first time that the country has seen such hike in fuel price. We are neither supporting nor opposing the BharatBandh," BJD spekesperson Sasmit Patra told ANI. "Congress which was sleeping for the last 4.5 years has suddenly woken up. Why has it woken up now? To ensure safety and security of children all schools in the state will remain closed," he added. (Image credit - ANI/Twitter) Raj Thackeray The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, has extended its support to the Bharat Bandh, called by the Congress party on Monday, September 10, over continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices. Releasing a statement in this regard on Sunday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said that the common man is in anguish as the prices of petrol and diesel have sky rocketed. "The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extends its full support to the bandh and will actively participate in it," said Thackeray. TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee The Trinamool Congress has refused to extend its support to Bharat Bandh. The Trinamool Congress said that it did support the issues on which the bandh has been called, it was against a strike and would take all measures to ensure that public services remained functional in West Bengal during the Bharat Bandh. Trinamool Congress general secretary Partha Chatterjee Trinamool Congress general secretary Partha Chatterjee said that the government was against causing any inconvenience to people because of the strike. It, however, added that the though the party would not be a part of the bandh, it would hold protests on the issues across the state. Normal life is likely to be affected due to the day long Bharat Bandh on Monday. The bandh call was given by an alliance of the opposition parties and trade unions in protest against the rising prices of petroleum products. Lawyer without brief is like Tendulkar without his bat on cricket ground: SC Dowry harassment cases not permitted after divorce: SC India oi-Pushyarag New Delhi, Sep 9: The Supreme court said that the prosecution under section 498A of IPC or under other provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act will not be viable after divorce. There cannot be any FIR against a man or his family under dowry harassment charges once the couple are divorced, it said. A bench of Justices SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said that once the divorce is completed, no man or woman can file a case of dowry harassment as section 498A will not be attracted anymore. Similarly, there cannot be a case under Sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, the court said. The maximum punishment under penal provisions goes up to five years in jail along with monetary penalty. The judgement was passed after a case of a man and his family sought to squash an FIR registered against them under 498A of IPC and Dowry Prohibition act. The Allahabad High Court had dismissed their plea for acquittal in an FIR lodged in Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh in 2016. The lawyer of the former husband requested the court to acquit the family and the man since the woman was divorced four years before the registration of the FIR. Agreeing to it, the court said that, "In view of her own averment that she was divorced four years ago, we are of the view that the prosecution is not sustainable under section 498A of the IPC and Sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The Supreme court quashed the prosecution against all the accused persons under dowry harassment charges. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 13:58 [IST] Explosives case: Maharashtra ATS arrests two more men in in Jalgaon district India pti-PTI Mumbai, Sep 8: The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police on Saturday arrested two more persons in connection with the seizure of explosives and an alleged conspiracy to carry out blasts in the state, an official said. This takes the number of arrested persons in the case to seven. Following the interrogation of those held earlier, ATS detained Vasudev Suryawanshi (29) and Vijay alias Bhaiyya Lodhi (32) from Sakri in Jalgaon district of North Maharashtra on Friday, an ATS official said. They were arrested after questioning. Kamala Mills fire: HC asks probe panel to submit report on Sep 10 The ATS suspects that the duo provided vehicles to other accused to conduct reconnaissance of various places. Some incriminating documents including maps were also seized from their possession and the duo would be produced before a court on Sunday, the ATS official said. Now, Sanatan Sanstha demands that word secular be removed from Constitution Last month, the ATS arrested Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanwa Gondhalekar, Shrikant Pangarkar and Avinash Pawar following seizure of explosive materials and arms from various places in the state. Some of the accused were allegedly linked to radical Hindu groups, ATS had said. Among other things, they were planning to target a western music festival in Pune, it had said. PTI BJP leader Ram Madhav "Farooq Abdullah has always done politics and never made efforts to ensure democratic rights of ppl. Now when Modi Ji is trying to do so he is speaking against it. If Farooq Abdullah is objecting to panchayat polls over 35A issue then why did he contest Kargil polls?" Madhav told news agency ANI. Farooq Abdullah Abdullah's threat on Saturday came a day after the National Conference said that it will boycott the upcoming local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir over Article 35A, a constitutional provision that defines "permanent residents" of the state. "We will not only boycott Panchayat elections but also Lok Sabha and assembly elections if the centre doesn't clear its stand on Article 35A and Article 370," Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said on Saturday. Row over Article 35A: Farooq Abdullah threatens to boycott Lok Sabha polls Omar Abdullah Farooq Abdullah's son Omar Abdullah, who is also a former CM of the state, earlier said the Centre must clarity its stand on Article 35 A. "It is now for the central government to clarify where it stands with regard to Art 35-A. It's not enough to use Panchayat & Municipal elections simply to delay proceedings in court," Omar had tweeted. The Supreme Court Farooq Abdullah had last Sunday (September 2) denounced Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) for saying in the Supreme Court that "there is an aspect of gender discrimination" in Article 35A of the Constitution. He asked the government of J&K to take immediate steps to ensure that the state does not facilitate the striking down of Article 35-A by its subtle support and admissions made before the Supreme Court. Last Friday (August 31), the Supreme Court deferred till January next year the crucial hearing on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35 A, which provides special rights and privileges to the natives of Jammu and Kashmir, after the Centre and the state said that polls to local bodies polls there would go on till December. Earlier, the separatists of Kashmir had called for a boycott of the panchayat and municipal elections scheduled in the state of J&K from October 1 onwards. The Joint Resistance Leadership said that the government of India wanted to thrust the elections on the people by deploying additional forces. No gay pride as yet: Why the SC ruling on Section 377 is not yet applicable to J&K As cries for same sex marriages grow, government likely to put its foot down Why was Section left to the wisdom of the court asks SC judge 2018: The year of the judiciary, from landmark verdicts to an unprecedented presser 19-year-old woman arrested under Section 377 for raping another woman using sex toy in Delhi How Henry VIII paved the way for Section 377 in 1533 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 9: The Supreme Court, which unanimously struck down part of the British-era law that criminalised gay sex, has traced the history of the 158-year-old provision in its judgement back to the reign of King Henry VIII in 1533. A five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malohtra said that the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) violated the constitutional right to equality and dignity. Justices Nariman and Chandrachud, in their separate concurring judgements, dealt in detail about the evolution of the section as it exists in the present form. Justice Nariman said section 377 was modelled on the Britain's Buggery Act of 1533 which was brought in by the then king Henry VIII which prohibited "the detestable and abominable offence" of buggery (anal intercourse) committed with mankind or beast. Also Read | No gay pride as yet: Why the SC ruling on Section 377 is not yet applicable to J&K The word "buggery" is derived from the old French word "bougre" and was taken to mean anal intercourse, Justice Chandrachud said in his judgement. "The Buggery Act, 1533, which was enacted by Henry VIII, made the offence of buggery punishable by death, and continued to exist for nearly 300 years before it was repealed and replaced by the Offences against the Person Act, 1828. Buggery, however, remained a capital offence in England until 1861, one year after the enactment of the IPC," Justice Chandrachud said. He said that Section 377 was allowed to operate in Independent India as under Article 372 (1) "all laws in force prior to the commencement of the Constitution shall continue to be in force until altered or repealed". Justice Nariman said 8,921 men were indicted between 1806 and 1900 for "sodomy, gross indecency or other unnatural misdemeanours" in England and Wales. Also Read | Does striking down of Sec 377 pave the way for same sex marriage? Knot yet On an average, ninety men per year were indicted for homosexual offences during this period, he said. "Most of the men convicted were imprisoned, but between 1806 and 1861, when the death penalty for sodomy was finally abolished, 404 men were sentenced to death. Fifty-six were executed, and the remainder were either imprisoned or transported to Australia for life," he said. Referring to the rule of East India Company in the country, Justice Nariman said the then Parliament had established the Indian Law Commission and in 1833, Thomas Babington Macaulay was appointed as its head. Justice Nariman wrote that Lord Macaulay's draft was substantially different from what was finally enacted as Section 377. He wrote that even in the most "prudish of all periods of English history", Lord Macaulay had recognised a lesser sentence for the crime of "unnatural lust", if performed with consent. After several reviews of the draft, the Commission concluded that the Draft Penal Code was sufficiently complete, and, with slight modifications, fit to be acted upon, noted Justice Nariman in his 96-page judgement. "The revised edition of the Penal Code was then forwarded to the Judges of the Supreme Court at Calcutta in 1851, and also to the Judges of the Sudder Court at Calcutta. "A Council was formed with Bethune (the Legislative member of the Legislative Council of India), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta, Justice Buller, Justice Colvile, Sir Barnes Peacock as members to review the Penal Code," Justice Nariman wrote. He noted that it was the Committee of Peacock which finally sent the draft equivalent of Section 377 for enactment, said Justice Nariman. After twenty-five years of revision, IPC entered into force on January 1, 1862. The IPC was the first codified criminal code in the British Empire. Justice Nariman, who wrote a separate concurring verdict, referred to Irish poet Oscar Wilde and said his trial paved the way to consider the law and practice relating to homosexual offences in Victorian era England. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 9:26 [IST] India requests Pakistan government to allow Srinagar-Sharjah flight to use its airspace Islamic State terrorist shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Srinagar India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Sep 9: A militant, apparently belonging to Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir (IS-JK), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said. "An Individual was today (Saturday) killed when he was fired upon in Hazratbal area of Srinagar district. A pistol was also recovered from the spot. Consequently he was identified as Asif Nazir Dar, a resident of Panzgam area of Awantipora (in south Kashmir's Pulwama district)," a police spokesman said. The Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir: What the arrested duo were planning He said the Dar was active since January 2017. "Initially he had joined the proscribed terror outfit HM (Hizbul Mujahideen) but later got associated with the Eisa Fazili group of terrorists," the spokesman said. He said police have registered a case in this regard and the investigation has been initiated. The body has been handed over to the legal heirs after completion of legal formalities, the spokesman said. Eisa Fazili alias Eisa Roohullah al Kashmiri, a son of a Kashmir University employee, hailed from Soura area of the city here was killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag in March along with two other ultras. No gay pride as yet: Why the SC ruling on Section 377 is not yet applicable to J&K Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir (IS-JK) had owned up the three militants killed in the encounter and had earlier also taken responsibility for the attack on the police guard post at the residence of Hurriyat Conference leader Fazal Haq Qureshi in Soura area of the city which police believed was done by Fazili. A policeman was killed in the attack and the assailants had fled with his service rifle. Earlier, based on preliminary information, a police official had said that Dar belonged to'Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind' - an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the valley led by Zakir Mussa. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 8:32 [IST] JNUSU elections 2018: NSUI candidate's nomination cancelled India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar New Delhi, Sep 9: The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) is planning to approach the Delhi High Court over the alleged cancellation of nomination of its presidential candidate in the JNU Students' Union elections. The Grievance Redressal Cell (GRC) of the university has "recommended" to the Election Committee (EC) that NSUI Presidential candidate Vikas Yadav's nomination be cancelled. Yadav was intimated of the cancellation of his nomination by the JNU Dean Students' Welfare (DSW) office on Thursday evening, citing a proctorial inquiry previously initiated against him under which he was punished with a Rs 20,000 fine and hostel transfer. "We have not been told the reason behind the cancellation our candidate's nomination. We were just sent an email by the Dean of Students Welfare (DSW) saying that the candidature of Vikas Yadav was cancelled," said Sunny Mehta, NSUI coordinator at JNU, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. JNU elections The annual election to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), a traditional Left bastion, will be held on September 14. For the last two years, all four top posts in JNUSU have been held by a Left-alliance involving the Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Association (AISA) and Democratic Students Front (DSF). ABVP candidates President : Lalit Pandey Vice President : Geetasri Boruah Gen. Secretary : Ganesh Gurjar Joint Secretary : Venkat Choubey NSUI candidates: President : Vikas Yadav VP: Lijy K Babu GS: Md Mofizul JS: Nurang Reena SFI candidates President :N Sai Balaji Vice President :Sarika Chaudhary Gen. Secretary :Aejaz Ahmad Rather Joint Secretary :Amutha Jayadeep Quit if you can't run administration: Congress leader slams BJP over COVID-19 crisis Two Congress leaders link KPCC president DK Shivakumar to scam in viral video: What's in the leaked clip? Karnataka: ED likely to arrest DK Shivakumar India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Bengaluru, Sep 9: After Congress manged a power tussle between leaders in Belagavi district, the party is facing another major challenge. Congress strongman DK Shivakumar likely to be arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in connection with disproportionate arrest case. The case is said to be relating to recovery of four crore rupees in cash in a flat belonging to the minister in New Delhi. If the charges are proved and the court holds him guilty, the offence is punishable with imprisonment up to a period of seven years. Telangana polls: TDP-Cong pact on cards, but seat sharing remains a concern Also, ED is expected to file an FIR against Minister for Water Resources DK Shivakumar. The Congress party alleged that probe agencies have been under pressure from the Centre. Congress MP DK Suresh, Shivakumar's brother, said IncomeTax department, CBI and ED have been functioning as BJP wings. He also added central agencies are planning to arrest DK Shivkumar. Also, DK Suresh accused BJP of trying to destabilise Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Fuel price rise: Congress calls for Bharat bandh on September 10 commenting on DK Shivakumar's impending arrest, he said, "BJP is targeting us for protecting Gujarat Congress MLAs during Rajya Sabha polls." However, State BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa denied his role in the imminent arrest of DK Shivakumar. Yeddyurappa said he had not written to income tax department on January 16, 2017 as alleged, seeking action against the minister. BS Yeddyurappa stated DK Suresh has been trying to mislead everyone under the chief Ministership of HD Kumaraswamy. Also, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje accused the DK Brothers of spreading fake news and desperately trying to bring in caste into the picture to save themselves and their unaccountable wealth from the clutches of law. DK Suresh and DK Shivakumar Congress MLA D K Shivakumar with his brother MP D K Suresh Kumar during the swearing-in ceremony of the new council of ministers of the JD(S) and Congress coalition government DK Shivakumar at I-T office DK Shivakumar arrives to appear at the Income Tax Department's regional office in Bengaluru. PTI file photo 2017-08-07 I-T raids in Bengaluru Police and CRPF frisk the people during IT officials' raids at the residence of Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru.(2017-08-04). PTI file photo DK Shivakumar at his residence D K Shivakumar at his residence in Bengaluru.The Income Tax Department conducted searches at multiple properties in connection with a tax evasion case.(2017-08-02) PTI filephoto I-T raids in New Delhi IT officials carrying currency counting machines during a search operation at D K Shivakumar's residence in connection with a tax evasion case, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (2017-08-02) PTI file Photo Dalit man in Kerala beaten up by wife's brother allegedly for not converting to Christianity In a new worry, Kerala see rise in breakthrough infections: How common are serious cases? Kerala: Nun found dead in a well India oi-Vikas By Vikas Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 9: A 55-year-old nun has been found dead inside a well in Mount Tabor Dayara Convent in Kerala's Kollam, said reports. The incident took place in Pathanapuram. This comes at a time when several cases of sexual harassment by those associated with Kerala's churches are making headlines. Yesterday, five nuns joined a public protest in Kochi to demand the immediate arrest of a bishop who has been accused of raping a nun. In June, a nun had complained that Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal had raped her 13 times, over a period of two years from May 2014. A case was registered by the Kottayam police on June 28, and Mulakkal was questioned last month. Journalists assaulted at Jalandhar Bishop's house Even as the Kerala police failed to make any progress in the rape case Jaladhar Bishop Franco Mullackal, an independent lawmaker waded into a controversy over his derogatory statements on the rape survivor. In an interaction with media, PC George questioned the character of the nun and called her - a prostitute. Will provide financial support to 7 new defence companies if required: Rajnath Singh India not for starting conflicts but always ready to face challenges: Rajnath Singh On NRC, Rajnath Singh has this assurance for Indians India oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Sep 9: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday assured that no Indian national would be excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Addressing the Northeast Students' Festival here to welcome new students from the region to Delhi, Singh said the NRC was necessary to identify Indian citizens and weed out illegal immigrants. "I want to say that no genuine Indian will be excluded from the NRC," he said at the event organised by 'My Home India', an NGO founded by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunil Deodhar. With terrorists recruiting on the dark net, here is what the agencies are doing "It is absolutely necessary to know who are Indians and who are foreigners," said Singh as he asserted that the update of the NRC, a list of Assam's citizens, was carried out under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. Deodhar was the BJP in-charge in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and a key architect of BJP's victory in last assembly elections in Tripura. The update of NRC, the massive Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam excluded over 40 lakh people from the draft list published on July 30, creating a huge political controversy. The exercise aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in the state that borders Bangladesh was carried out in Assam following a decision in 2005 after a series of meetings between the central and state governments and the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU). Assam, which faced influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC, first prepared in 1951. The current exercise, started in 2005 under the then Congress regime got a major push only after the BJP came to power in the state with illegal immigration from Bangladesh as a poll plank. GoM headed by Rajnath discusses panel's recommendations to check lynching incidents When the NRC was first prepared in Assam way back in 1951, the state had 80 lakh citizens then. As per 2011 census, Assam's total population is over 3.11 crore. The process of identification of illegal immigrants in Assam has been widely debated and become a contentious issue in the state's politics. A six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the AASU in 1979. It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, in the presence of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 9:57 [IST] Poll-bond state to depend on central leadership on vexed issues India oi-Vinod By Vinod New Delhi, Sep 9: The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the election-bound states of the country will have to heavily rely on the central leadership of the party. The challenges that the party is facing at the moment seems difficult to be handled by the state leadership. Sources said that the central leadership has assured the states leadership all help and has asked to identify the places where it wants programmes from the central leaders especially of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national party president Amit Shah. PM Modi sounds poll bugle for 2019 with 'Ajay Bharat Atal BJP' slogan State leadership tried to put across sentiment of the state party leaders as issue of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and fuel price rice. States leadership is finding it difficult to deal with issues like this in their respective states. Leaders from Rajasthan were more concerned about the matter and wanted some intervesion from the Centre. War cry: Amit Shah tells BJP to take opposition to the cleaners on urban naxals But they were asked to identify places where as per their assessment the BJP needs boost, the central leadership is keeping a tab on every development. So wherever they feel like more support from the central leadership, they must prepare a big rally there. Though elections have not yet been declared but the party is in election not only in four states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mijoram and possibly Telengana where the Assembly was dissolved recently. Central leadership asked the state BJP to plan rallies and assured them to get as many rallies as they will ask for. The state BJP has also been asked to start preparation where they want rallies to be held. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 20:53 [IST] TN will not implement NEP, to form expert panel to formulate State policy: CM Stalin After months of closure due to COVID-19, schools reopen in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala Semesters in Tamil Nadu education institutions to be conducted in Physical mode Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Tamil Nadu cabinet recommends release of all 7 convicts India oi-Deepika By Deepika Chennai, Sep 9: Tamil Nadu government taken a resolution to call for the release of the seven persons convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met here under Chief Minister K Palanisamy's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The moves comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts. Though the apex court had asked the Governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also petitioned seeking premature release, he said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the Governor "immediately," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. All the convicts - Nalini Sriharan, Murugan alias Sriharan, Perarivalan alas Arivu, Robert Payas, Ravichandran, Santhan have been imprisoned for last 27 years. With a scathing attack at the UN, India takes on Pakistan Watch: Indian delegate walks out of UN meet during Imran Khan's speech India highlights efforts in fight against pandemic at UN Special Diwali stamp to be issued by UN postal agency India oi-Madhuri United Nations, Sep 9: The UN postal agency will issue special stamps here next month to commemorate the festival of Diwali. The United Nations Postal Administration will issue a New York special event sheet on October 19 to commemorate the Indian festival. "Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is the joyous and popular festival of lights, which is celebrated in India and across the world by followers of many faiths," the UN agency said. The sheet in the denomination of USD 1.15 contains ten stamps and tabs featuring festive lights and the symbolic lamps known as 'diyas'. The background of the sheet features the United Nations Headquarters building illuminated with the message of "Happy Diwali" to celebrate the spirit of the festival. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin welcomed the announcement with a tweet, "Nice Diwali gift from @unstamps coming next month." The United States Postal Service (USPS) had in October 2016 launched a commemorative stamp in honour of the festival of Diwali. The USPS Diwali stamp became a reality after seven-years long efforts and advocacy by the Indian-American community and several Congressional resolutions by influential American lawmakers such as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 10:03 [IST] Sterlite plant row: TN govt slams Centre, calls Tuticorin ground water report prejudiced India oi-Vikas By Vikas Chennai, Sep 9: The Tamil Nadu government came down heavily on the Union Government over the report on the groundwater contamination in Tuticorin. The state government further demanded the Central government to immediately withdraw the report. In May this year, there were massive protests in Thoothkudi (Tuticorin) over the Sterlite Copper plant, of the Vedanta Group, which left 13 people dead. The Tamil Nadu government then ordered the closure of the Tuticorin plant The Ministry of Water Resources had instructed to the Central Ground Water Board to conduct a study on September 5, 2018 after the locals alleged the Sterlite plant, which has now been closed following protests, caused pollution and affected their health. NGT will decide on Sterlite Copper at Tuticorin The Centre's report has stated that "it can't be claimed that the Sterlite industry is only cause of pollution." "The state strongly feels that the report is motivated and has been prepared only to prejudice the government of Tamil Nadu and the TNPCB cases in various judicial fora. The law and order situation in and around Tuticorin has returned to normalcy and such an unscientific report will be likely to aggravate the law and order situation," the state government said, as per reports. In a strongly-worded letter to the Union Ministry, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan hit back, saying the study was both inappropriate and unwarranted. "It does not appear to be made on any scientific basis and it is not known how the two scientists who have submitted the report have made such a vague and an unsubstantiated statement in the report," Vaidyanathan said. Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu to remain shut: NGT The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordered the closure of the plant on May 24, two days after police shot dead 13 civilians during the anti-Sterlite agitations in the district. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had in July rejected Vedanta's request to grant interim stay on Tamil Nadu Government's order to shut down Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi. Sterlite's factory had made headlines in March 2013 when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, after which then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure. The company had appealed to the NGT which had overturned the government's order. The state had moved the Supreme Court against it and the case is still pending. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 10:18 [IST] Dont be nervous says Chandrababu Naidu after four of his MPs join BJP Immoral and un-democratic says TDP after four of its MPs join BJP Take a call I will back it, Naidu tells TDP leaders on alliance with Congress in Telangana India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Hyderabad, Sep 9: The chief of the Telugu Desam Party has constituted a committee under the leadership of L Ramanna and asked for a report on an alliance with the Congress. Naidu told Ramanna that he would have to take a decision and it would be endorsed. I will endorse any decision you take, Naidu also said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also left the decision on the TPCC whether to form the alliance or not. Also Read | Telangana polls: TDP-Cong pact on cards, but seat sharing remains a concern The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana TPP president, L Ramanna have already held discussions to this effect. While the units in Telangana have shown interest in an alliance, the problem however lies in Andhra Pradesh, where the two parties are pitched against each other. Naidu has however been able to convince the leaders in AP about this alliance in Telangana. The Congress is yet to take a similar call in AP. The TPCC on the other hand has constituted a committee to discuss the alliance, not just with the Congress, but other parties as well. Also Read | Telangana polls: EC's decision will be based on assessment, not on 'astrological predictions' Reddy told the media that to end the dictatorship by the TRS, the party is ready for an alliance with the TDP. He also said that all opposition parties should come under one platform to defeat the TRS led by K Chandrasekhar Rao. Sources say that the Congress wants to give 15 seats to the TDP. The TDP on the other hand is demanding at least 40 seats in Telangana, where it says it has a very strong presence. In the 2014 assembly poll, the TDP had won 15 assembly seats. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 11:29 [IST] Telangana elections: Karimnagar not impressed by Yogi Adityanath, BJP down to 1 from 5 Relying on 'Lucky 6', KCR takes oath as Telangana CM at 1.34 pm 25 candidate lost election by less than 2000 votes in 3 states Telangana assembly elections: Shah to launch BJP campaign on September 15 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Hyderabad, Sep 9: The BJP is gearing up for the Telangana Assembly Elections 2018 and its chief, Amit Shah would kickstart the campaign on September 15. Shah would hold a public meeting at Mahabubngar on September 15. National leaders of the party and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states are also expected take part in the campaign, BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao told PTI Saturday. Also Read | When will Telangana assembly elections will held They are expected to frequently visit Telangana till the elections are over, he said. The BJP would be organising public meetings in each assembly segment and the party would have not only state manifesto but also "local manifestos," Rao added. Also Read | Take a call I will back it, Naidu tells TDP leaders on alliance with Congress in Telangana BJP's Telangana unit president K Laxman has already said the party would go it alone in the coming assembly polls. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 12:13 [IST] To be bride spending too much time on whats app, irks grooms family; calls off marriage India oi-Madhuri Lucknow, Sep 9: You might have been familiar with marriages being called off because of several reasons like dowry and some over the drinking habits. But in Uttar Pradesh, it was a different thing altogether. A family in Amroha district called off the marriage alleging that the bride spends too much time on WhatsApp. The family of the bride was waiting for the groom and his family to arrive for the ceremony. They, however, received a phone call from the groom's side informing them that the marriage was called off due to her habit of excessive use of whatsapp. The bride's family shot down the allegation, saying that the real reason for the marriage being cancelled at the last minute was dowry demand by the bridegroom's side. Police said the bride's father, Uroj Mehandi, had lodged a case against the bridegroom's family, accusing them of demanding Rs 65 lakh in dowry. Superintendent of police, Amroha, Vipin Tada told Hindustan Times, "The bridegroom's side have claimed that they snapped the marriage, which was to take place on September 5, as the bride had a habit of using WhatsApp excessively, and was sending messages to her in-laws even before the wedding." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 12:29 [IST] ISI link, India and beyond: NIA exposes dangers of urban naxals, their friends in the jungles War cry: Amit Shah tells BJP to take opposition to the cleaners on urban naxals India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 9: Build a strong campaign against the Congress and other opposition parties which are supporting urban naxals for the sake of vote bank politics, BJP chief Amit Shah said. Shah sought to pitch the debate between BJP with programmes for making India and a breaking India intent by other parties such as the Congress. He said that these would be important matters ahead of the assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Shah also went on to praise, Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis for the police crackdown on naxal sympathisers. Also Read | Arrested activists were part of Maoist fronts says police He said that the opposition continues to shamelessly endorse these naxals who have serious charges against them ranging from conspiring to to purchase arms and also plotting to kill the Prime Minister. He said that the administration in Maharashtra should be congratulated for the actions it has taken in the interest of national security. When will Telangana assembly elections will held India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Hyderabad, Sep 9: There are ample indications that the Telangana Assembly Elections will be held this year itself. This can be said as the Election Commission of India had issued an order to advance he deadline for the final publication of the electoral rolls to October 8 against the original date of January 4 2019. The EC can hold the election anytime after the publication of the final electoral rolls. There is also no need to maintain any gap once the rolls are published. It may be recalled that K Chandrasekhar Rao had said following the dissolution of the Telangana assembly that the elections would be held in November. He had said that he had spoken with the EC officials and was assured that polls in Telangana would be held in November along with four other states. Also Read | Telangana polls: EC's decision will be based on assessment, not on 'astrological predictions' Based on earlier schedule, the EC had published draft electoral rolls on September 1, 2018, and sought objections till October 31. Now this stands cancelled. The EC will publish draft rolls on September 10, Monday. People will be allowed to file claims and objections till September 25. Only 15 days have been given for the purpose keeping in view the urgency for holding elections, against two months time given earlier. Disposal of claims and objections will be done by October 4 and updating database and printing by October 7. The final publication of electoral rolls be will done on October 8. The communique issued by TS Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rajat Kumar on Saturday stated: "In the wake of premature dissolution of State Legislative Assembly of Telangana under Article 174 (2) (b) of the Constitution of India on September 6, 2018, the Election Commission of India, after taking all aspects into consideration and the law laid down by the Supreme Court in the matter of Special Reference No.1 of 2002, has decided to stop all the activities relating to ongoing Special Summary Revision of Photo Electoral Rolls with reference to January 1, 2019, as qualifying date in the State of Telangana with immediate effect and also to order second Special Summary Revision of Photo Electoral Rolls with reference to January 1, 2018 as qualifying date in the State." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 11:49 [IST] Why was Section left to the wisdom of the court asks SC judge India oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Sep 9: A Supreme Court judge expressed disappointment over the government's decision to leave it to the court's wisdom to take a call on sensitive issues such as the recent challenge to Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised homosexuality between consenting adults, saying that politicians handing such power to the judges are happening on everyday basis. Justice DY Chandrachud, who was a member of the five-judge constitution bench which ruled that gay sex among consenting adults was no more a criminal offence, said on Saturday that in Section 377 the judgment really represented in that sense the battle between laws of a colonial origin and laws which must truly represent constitutional values. The judge also said that this concern about the need to harmonise pre-Independence or colonial laws with the ethos of constitutional jurisprudence was reflected in the judgment. 'Supreme Court is ours, Ram temple will be built': Uttar Pradesh minister "Why do politicians sometimes hand over power to judges and we see that happening in the Supreme Court everyday. We saw that in 377 where the government told us that we are leaving this to the wisdom of the court and this 'wisdom of the court' was too enticing a principle for me not to respond so I responded in my judgment the other day," said Justice Chandrachud. "It is well for a judge to remind himself or herself of the fact that flattery is often the graveyard of the gullible," he quoted from his judgment. Justice Chandrachud was speaking on the topic, "Rule of Law in Constitutional Democracy", at the 19th Annual Bodh Raj Sawhny Memorial Oration 2018, organised by National Law University, Delhi. He said that out of the many layers of the judgment, the most significant part was where "we try and give individual dignity, the autonomy, the choice and liberty of an individual, some substantive content". "And therefore you find that in some parts of the judgment, there are reference to the fact that says 'I am as I am and let me be as I am'. There are other judgments which do not regard this right 'to be that I am' as something that is immutable," he said. He also said that all our identities are shaped by our constant interaction with each other, with the society and one's self. "...is gender in that sense an identity which is not shaped by our social milieu," he said. Noting that Section 377 rested on deep-rooted gender stereotypes, he said that "what 377 did essentially was to say that this is how a man should be and this is how a woman should be. And, this not what a man is and this is not what a woman is." "LGBT individuals as well as those who do not conform to societal expectations of sexual behaviour defy gender stereotypes," he quoted from his judgment. As cries for same sex marriages grow, government likely to put its foot down He further said that the issue is how do you deal with sexual orientation with an expression of sex in Article 15 of the Constitution. Section 377, imposing deep prejudices in terms of gender stereotypes, was found to be offensive to Article 15, he said. "Article 15 also uses the word 'only'. It says that no citizen shall be discriminated only on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth. If you follow a very formalistic 'Rule of Law' approach the word 'only' means the moment you discriminate against an individual on the ground of sex and something else, that discrimination is valid," he said. He added that there is a need for emphasising an equal society. "Rule of Law, if it has to flourish in a constitutional democracy, has to be amidst the diversity of culture, in a plural society," he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 8:08 [IST] Easter Bombings: Inside story on why the Sri Lankan intel chief was sacked No early polls in Sri-Lanka says Sirisena International oi-Madhuri Colombo, Sep 9: President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday ruled out the possibility of a snap presidential poll in Sri Lanka ahead of schedule. The next election in the country is scheduled to be held between November 2019 and January 2020. Sri-Lanka secures 1 billion US dollar Chinese loan Speaking at Nivitigala, a south western region this morning, Sirisena said "the election won't be held even a day earlier than the schedule". Media speculation in the recent days suggested that Sirisena may opt to have a presidential poll after January next year, at the end of 4 years of his 5 year term. He is constitutionally empowered to hold the presidential poll after a lapse of 4 years. He was elected in 2015 as the then common opposition challenger to the incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa who had called the election in January 2015, 2 years ahead of the schedule. Sirisena who formed a unity government with the UNP of prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe now have deep running differences with Wickremesinghe. He asked the UNP leader to step down early this year and was secretly backing a motion of no confidence to oust the PM. India will always be 'first responder' for Sri Lanka: PM Modi Wickremesinghe easily defeated the motion to oust him with the support of Tamil and Muslim minorities. It is no secret that Sirisena wants Wickremesinghe's ouster so that he could replace him with his own choice. Wickremesinghe was recently replaced as law and order minister after clashes erupted in the Kandy district. Sirisena in 2015 quit the Rajapaksa government to join hands with Wickremesinghe, the then main opposition leader, to defeat Rajapaksa in the presidential election ending his 10-year rule. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 11:04 [IST] World Hindu Congress 2018 Swami Poornatmananda of Bharat Seva Ashram said all Hindus should unite to achieve resurgence. Emphasising that Hindu religious teachings are for humanity, he said, schools and colleges in India should be opened to impart Hindu teachings. On the resurgence of Hinduism, the spiritual head of the Chinmaya Mission, said, "Everything begins at home. When family breaks down, culture breaks down, and life of disharmony follows. We have to convert Hindus to Hinduism." He further said, "The spirit of unity does not mean all should be the same. In the midst of diversity, we must have a common goal of dedication." RSS Chief Mohan Bhagawat with Anupam Kher at World Hindu Congress 2018 "We have to reform the education system that inculcates Hindu culture and religion. We have to re-discover the way the 'Rishis' taught the disciples in the ancient gurukul system." Swami Paramatmananda, secretary general of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, said Hindus should think collectively not only for its own resurgence, but for the resurgence of the whole world. "Society has a relationship problem, where one person is unable to relate to the life of another person," he said. World Hindu Congress 2014 Calling Hindus to address the ecological problems of the world, he said, "God did not create the world for man's consumption. The responsibility lies on Hindus to protect the ecology." Sadhguru Dalip Singh of Namdari Panth told the Congress that Hindus and Sikhs can never be separated. The Guru Granth Saheb says that Sikhs should remain Hindus, he added. He urged Hindus to stop using English to describe India and instead call it "Bharath", and that Hindus who know Hindi should always speak in Hindi. Mohan Bhagwat addressing at World Hindu Congress 2014 Decrying those who habitually blamed their motherland, he said one should instead find what is good in India and espouse it. Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairperson of Akshaya Patra Foundation, ISKCON, said the different denominations of Hinduism are a strength rather than a weakness. "There are common grounding principles in these denominations," he said. He drew attention to the declining birth rate among Hindus and said, "take pride in having more children". The second World Hindu Congress is being held here to mark the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. OneIndia News with PTI inputs Diwali 2021: How to perform Lakshmi puja at home, puja samagri, vidhi and shubh muhurat 9 dacoits accused of several loots arrested New Delhi oi-Madhuri New Delhi, Sep 9: With the arrest of nine people, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) Saturday claimed to have busted a gang of dacoits involved in several highway robberies, including the goods laden trucks of e-commerce giant Amazon. The gang used to target trucks carrying goods on highways in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, the Noida unit of the STF said. "The accused persons were held on the service road near the Gautam Buddh University in Greater Noida at around 12.30 pm following an encounter with an STF team," it said, adding that a huge quantity of robbed items, including mobile phones, computer monitors and footwear, were seized," it said. Also Read | Robbery chain busted: Police arrest 3 "The gang targeted trucks carrying goods of e-commerce giant Amazon the most," the agency said. The STF said 388 mobile phones, 129 pairs of shoes, 10 pairs of sandals, belts, LED and TFT monitors, Rs 70,000 cash and two firearms were seized from their possession. "A Honda City car and two Maruti Eco vehicles used by the gang in the crimes have been impounded," it said. The arrested persons were identified as Navneet Atri, Sandeep, Bhanu Tomar, Karan Thodia, Badal Sharma, Rakesh, Nitin, Rahul and Balram Chandeliya. They hailed from various places, including Bulandhshahr, Gautam Buddh Nagar Aligarh, Fairdabad, Bhivani and Delhi, the agency said. Also Read | Man arrested for robbing businessman The kingpin of the gang, Navneet (24), a resident of Haryana, had also designed three sensational robberies in the state earlier this year, and was wanted in those cases as well, the STF said. During probe, he told the officials that after clearing class 10 he had moved to Gurgaon and had started driving trucks as a professional. It was then when he met a person named Sanjay, who was from Faridabad and was already into robbing Amazon's trucks. Navneet started working with Sanjay and together they robbed several trucks of the company. "Five or six months back, they had looted a truck laden with goods of the Amazon company at the Hero Honda Chowk in Faridabad. Since April, he formed a gang and also started using firearms to intimidate the truckers and their aides during the crime," the STF said. The arrested persons were booked under IPC sections 395 for dacoity, 397 for dacoity with intention to hurt, 328 for causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence, among others and the Arms Act. For More New Delhi News, Click Here For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, September 9, 2018, 10:21 [IST] Trader kidnapped from MP found in Bihar Patna oi-Madhuri Patna, Sep 9: A trader kidnapped from Madhya Pradesh more than a month ago was on Saturday rescued from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and five persons were arrested from two districts in this connection. In Rohtas district, police also seized Rs 40 lakh in cash hurled from a moving train by the trader's family members as ransom demanded by the abductors. Afghanistan: Indian among three foreigners found dead after being kidnapped in Kabul Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarpur, Harpreet Kaur said Sant Bahadur alias Lala, a resident of Sidhi district, was rescued during a raid conducted in Baruraj police station area of the district. Three persons, Ankit Sharma and Ajit Singh, both residents of Nawada district, and Baruraj resident Shehlan Raza - at whose house the abducted trader was kept - were arrested from the spot, the SSP said. Some firearms, ammunition and fake police uniforms have also been seized from the spot, she said. Superintendent of Police, Rohtas, Satyaveer Singh told reporters in Dehri on Sone that he had received information from the Superintendent of Police of Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh that the abducted trader's family members had been asked to drop a bag containing the ransom amount from the Howrah-Mumbai mail between Mohania and Kudra stations. Accordingly, a team of police personnel boarded the train and upon noticing that a bag has been thrown out, they pulled the chain and got down and noticed that the ransom money had been picked up by two persons riding a motorcycle. Four year old abducted Delhi girl rescued from Rajasthan The policemen alerted a toll plaza nearby where the duo - Balindar Kumar and Narayan Sohar - were nabbed along with the cash, the Rohtas SP said adding that during interrogation they disclosed the spot in Muzaffarpur where Lala had been kept. "The Muzaffarpur police was informed accordingly," Singh said adding that Balindar hailed from Aurangabad district, was wanted in a dacoity case in Rewa and Madhya Pradesh police had announced a reward of Rs one lakh on his head. Narayan Sohar hailed from Indore, a release issued by the DGP office in Patna said. Fore more Patna news, Click here Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and regional issues, especially the peace process in Afghanistan on Saturday. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday, September 8, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn] Wang said that the Pakistani military is the protector of the China-Pakistan friendship, and the bilateral military relations are an important part of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and a symbol of their high political mutual trust. The Chinese state councilor told Bajwa that his visit aims at a comprehensive contact with the new Pakistani government so as to push the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides to a new stage and build a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future. The Pakistani military has made great efforts to ensure the security of CPEC which is a key to Pakistan's long-term development, said Wang, adding that he believes the Pakistani military will continue to improve relevant security work for the construction of CPEC and China-Pakistan cooperation. Meanwhile, Wang said the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have started to improve, hoping that the two sides will keep engaging in dialogues and accumulating mutual trust. China is willing to utilize the trilateral foreign minister dialogue among China, Pakistan and Afghanistan to continuously play a constructive role in improving the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said. For his part, the Pakistani army chief said that the new Pakistani government is devoted to lifting the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new high and the Pakistani military fully supports the development of the bilateral friendship and will keep adopting effective measures to guarantee the smooth development of CPEC. Bajwa also said that the Pakistani side commits to the anti-terrorism cause and will continue to firmly fight against the East Turkistan Islamic Movement. The army chief expressed his appreciation over China's efforts on mediation for the improvement of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying Pakistan is devoted to improving its relations with Afghanistan and is willing to make more efforts on the reconciliation in Afghanistan. Beverage Refrigeration Market 2018-2024 | Electrolux, Daikin Industries, Avanti, Dover Corporation, KingsBottle, Whirlpool Corporation, Edgestar, Haier, Ford and General Electrics. Beverage Refrigeration Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2111 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/beverage-refrigeration-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2111 https://www.gminsights.com/ North America Beverage Refrigeration Market is anticipated to surpass USD 1 billion by 2024. This can be credited to escalating consumption of refreshment drinks and technological improvements in refrigeration systems. In addition, government encouraging utilization of energy-efficient and eco-friendly technologies in refrigerators.Beverage Refrigeration Market is estimated to exceed USD 4.5 billion by 2024. Escalating demand for refrigerators to store and serve drinks for social gathering and private events, is a key factor driving beverage refrigeration market growth. Ongoing technological advances to reduce the overall cooling time and consumer demand for distinctive features such as bottom freezer drawer and powerful filtered water will boost beverage refrigeration market.Sample copy of this Report @Increasing consumer preference for packaged drinks which are convenient to consume at home will support the product demand. According to recent statistics, the global consumption of packaged drinks was estimated more than 1.05 trillion liters in 2016 and Chinese consumption amounted to about 178.6 billion liters.Manufacturers are anticipated to invest in new product development to comply with new energy standards implemented by the regulatory bodies. Further, increasing penetration of refrigerators that employ specific features such as modifiable shelves to accommodate bottles and cans will boost product sales.Under counter beverage refrigerator was valued at over USD 1 billion in 2016. Product offering such as stainless-steel body or custom panel-ready fronts are stimulating the demand. In addition, better shelving and temperature control will support segment penetration over the forecast period.Rising demand to preserve milk in dairy shops will propel coolers demand over the projected timeframe. Diary companies are upgrading their existing capacities, and setting up cold storages along with the processing plant. This will generate the overall revenue over the forecast period.Browse Report Summery @Asia Pacific market holds over 20% of overall industry share in 2016. According to industry estimates, the region is anticipated to account for more than two-thirds of the global beverages consumption by 2020. The region accounts for 60% of the world population and increasing consumption will provide lucrative opportunities for manufacturers.Global Beverage Refrigeration Market is fragmented in nature. Key industry players are Electrolux, Daikin Industries, Avanti, Dover Corporation, KingsBottle, Whirlpool Corporation, Edgestar, Haier, Ford and General Electrics. Other Industry participants are Koolatron, Coca-Cola, Danfoss, Gamko, Liebherr, Marvel, Kegco, Danby, Johnson Controls, U-line, HABCO, Allavino, Kenmore, Marvel, United Technologies Corporation and Illinois Tool Works.Partial Chapter of the Table of ContentChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Global beverage refrigeration industry 3600 synopsis, 2013 20242.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Product trends2.1.3. Regional trendsChapter 3. Global Beverage Refrigeration Industry Insights3.1. Beverage Refrigeration Industry segmentation3.2. Beverage Refrigeration Industry landscape, 2013 - 20243.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1. Distribution channel analysis3.3.2. Profit margin trends3.3.3. Vendor matrix3.3.3.1. Role3.3.3.2. Product portfolio3.3.3.3. Global presence3.4. Technology landscapeMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @3.5. Raw material analysis3.6. Industry best practices & key buying criteria3.7. Regulatory landscape3.7.1. U.S.3.7.2. Europe3.7.3. Asia Pacific3.7.4. Latin America3.7.5. Middle East & Africa3.8. Pricing analysis3.8.1. Regional pricing3.8.1.1. North America3.8.1.2. Europe3.8.1.3. Asia Pacific3.8.1.4. Latin America3.8.1.5. MEA3.8.2. Cost structure analysis3.9. Industry impact forces3.9.1. Growth drivers, by region3.9.1.1. North America3.9.1.2. Europe3.9.1.3. Asia Pacific3.9.1.4. Latin America3.9.1.5. MEA3.9.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.10. Innovation & sustainability3.11. Growth potential analysis3.12. Competitive landscape, 20163.12.1. Market share analysis3.12.2. Key stake holders3.12.3. Strategy dashboard3.13. Porter's analysis3.14. PESTEL analysisAbout Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Angela Rose knew the cancer had returned when she started feeling the abdominal pain. Then came the nausea. And the weight loss. And the relentless fatigue. Doctors thought it unlikely, but experience told her differently. The retired nurse had been diagnosed with breast cancer before. Now, at 41, she was sure it was back. "When things aren't going right, you start to really get in tune with your body," she said. Rose is one of the approximately 3,000 women living with breast cancer in Oregon, according to figures compiled by the National Cancer Institute. She was 34 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. Back then, she worked as a traveling nurse, taking on 13-week contracts with hospitals in Arizona, Florida and points in between. She lived in an RV she bought just for the job. The traveling gig is how she met her husband, Matt, who was working as a nurse in Arizona. Before that, Rose worked in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Gainesville, Florida, where she'd gotten used to being the one who delivered bad news. That's how she knew what was coming when the doctor walked into her examination room soon after she went to get the lump checked. "When they come out and talk to you like that, it's usually not good news," she said. Like so many other cancer patients, Rose underwent chemotherapy and dealt with the side effects as they came. She lost her hair and her appetite. The hip-hop yoga enthusiast didn't have as much energy as she used to. Worst of all, Rose could tell the changes were taking a toll on her daughter Gabrielle, then 4. "It affected her behavior, but it wasn't something she could explain," Rose said. Soon enough, though, the treatments seemed to take hold. By the time Rose and her husband relocated to Oregon in 2014, she was in remission. Two years later, the abdominal pains began. Doctors told her it could be stress. Ultimately, though, the tests showed metastatic cancer. She opted to take medication that left fewer outward marks on her appearance. Ibrance and letrozole didn't make her hair fall out, for one. But the drugs don't do much to mitigate some of the internal pain. Sometimes Rose can manage a smile when her head is throbbing. Compliments can cut deeply on a bad day, kind words only amplify the physical pain. "It's hard to be a fairly 'normal-looking' cancer patient," she said. Still, Rose focuses on the things she can control. She and her family go camping whenever they can. She regularly attends hip-hop yoga classes in Wilsonville. And she quit her nursing job in Washington County. "Health care just wasn't a good option for me in terms of the stress," Rose said. She's found comfort through a support group organized through Komen, Rose said. She also has a running list of projects around the house. Exercising to the Beastie Boys and Cardi B, however, is where Rose finds herself most at peace. "I feel like that, more than anything, is the most helpful," she said. --Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344 ecampuzano@oregonian.com In 2013, the Susan G. Komen organization set out to improve local Latinas' odds against breast cancer. That meant more mammograms, more awareness and, most importantly, getting them in the door. To that end, the nonprofit partnered with such community organizations as Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center to launch its Latina Initiative known as Poder y Vida. The five-year project has translated into 2,675 mammograms for a group that counts breast cancer as its leading cause of death. The initiative had three primary objectives: Reduce late-stage breast cancer diagnoses; increase screening rates; and raise awareness about breast health for 35,000 Latinas in Oregon and southwest Washington. Though Komen will not know whether it reached its goals for a few years, the feedback has been positive, said Cindy Fletcher, the director of programs. Among the nonprofit's findings: Fifty-five percent of the 2,675 Latinas screened said it was their first-ever mammogram. Eleven women were diagnosed with breast cancer and got treatment; all told, 528 women needed follow-up care. Program participants went four years between mammograms, on average. Some women reported as much as a 30-year wait between exams. The majority -- 88 percent, by Komen's estimation -- needed an interpreter. And 9 in 10 of those surveyed didn't have health insurance. Komen said the project "helped build trust and relationships" in the community. Building on that success, the nonprofit launched a new initiative this year, this time targeting black women, another underserved group. --Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344 ecampuzano@oregonian.com By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News Surgery is a mainstay of breast cancer treatment, offering most women a good chance of cure. For frail nursing home residents, however, breast cancer surgery can harm their health and even hasten death, according to a study published Aug. 29 in JAMA Surgery. The results have led some experts to question why patients who are fragile and advanced in years are screened for breast cancer, let alone given aggressive treatment. The study examined the records of nearly 6,000 nursing home residents who had inpatient breast cancer surgery the past decade. It found that 31 to 42 percent died within a year of the procedure. Thats significantly higher than the 25 percent of nursing home residents who die in a typical year, said Dr. Victoria Tang, lead author and an assistant professor of geriatrics and hospital medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. Although her study doesnt include information about the cause of death, Tang said she suspects that many of the women died of underlying health problems or complications related to surgery, which can further weaken older patients. Patients who were the least able to take care of themselves before surgery, for example, were the most likely to die within the following year. Dementia also increased the risk of death. Its unlikely that many of the deaths were due to breast cancer, which often grows slowly in the elderly, Tang said. Breast cancers often take a decade to turn fatal. When someone gets breast cancer in a nursing home, its very unlikely to kill them, said study co-author Dr. Laura Esserman, director of the UCSF breast cancer center. They are more likely to die from their underlying condition. Yet most patients in the study got sicker and less independent in the year following breast surgery. Among patients who survived at least one year, 58 percent suffered a serious downturn in their ability to perform activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, eating, using the bathroom or walking across the room. Women in the study, who were on average 82 years old, suffered from a variety of life-threatening health problems even before being diagnosed with breast cancer. About 57 percent suffered from cognitive decline, 36 percent had diabetes, 22 percent had heart failure, 17 percent had chronic lung disease, and 12 percent had survived a heart attack. The high mortality rate in the study is striking because breast surgery is typically considered a low-risk procedure, said Dr. Deborah Korenstein, chief of general internal medicine at New Yorks Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The paper provided an example of how sick, elderly people can suffer from surgery. An 89-year-old woman with dementia who underwent a mastectomy became confused after surgery and pulled off all her bandages. Health care workers had to restrain her in bed to prevent her from pulling off the bandages again. The woman died 15 months later of a heart attack. Surgery late in life is more common than many realize. One-third of Medicare patients undergo surgery in the year before they die, according to a 2011 study in The Lancet. Eighteen percent of Medicare patients have surgery in their final month of life and 8 percent in their final week. Nearly 1 in 5 women with severe cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimers disease, get regular mammograms, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health. The new study leaves some important questions unanswered. The paper didnt include healthier nursing home residents who are strong enough to undergo outpatient surgery, said Dr. Heather Neuman, a surgeon and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. These women may fare better than those who are very ill. Esserman and Tang said their findings suggest doctors need to treat breast cancer differently in very frail patients. People think, Oh, a lumpectomy is nothing, Esserman said. But its not nothing in someone who is old and frail. In recent years, doctors have tried to scale back breast cancer therapy to help women avoid serious side effects. In June, for example, researchers announced that sophisticated genetic tests can help predict which breast cancers are less aggressive, a finding that could allow 70 percent of patients to avoid chemotherapy. The Medicare database used in this study didnt mention whether any of the patients had chemotherapy, radiation or other outpatient care. So the UCSF researchers acknowledged that they cant rule out the possibility that some of the women suffered complications due to these other therapies. In general, however, authors noted that only 6 percent of nursing home residents with cancer are treated with chemotherapy or radiation. The authors said doctors should give very frail patients the option of undergoing less aggressive therapy, such as hormonal treatments. In other cases, doctors could offer to simply treat symptoms as they appear. The new study raises questions about the value of screening nursing home residents for breast cancer, Korenstein said. Although the American Cancer Society hasn't set an upper age limit for breast cancer screening, it advises women to be screened as long as they're in good health and expected to live at least another decade. Residents of nursing homes generally cant expect to live long enough to benefit from breast screening, Korenstein said. It makes no sense to screen people in nursing homes, Korenstein said. The harms of doing anything about what you find are far going to outweigh the benefits. -- Kaiser Health News By Phil Keisling Del Riley isn't a household name among Oregon citizens, but he certainly deserves to be. Almost four decades ago, Riley sparked a revolution in participatory democracy. His leadership is especially important to acknowledge now, as we celebrate the 20th birthday of the law Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved in 1998: to mail every voter their ballot in the mail for every election -- and then let us return them (or not). Riley was the Linn County Clerk when he and a few others started asking a somewhat heretical question. If the county was already required to print and distribute "sample ballots" before each election - a practice still common in many U.S. states - why couldn't they just skip all that expense and print and distribute actual ballots instead? In the spring of 1981, Riley joined then-Secretary of State Norma Paulus and a bipartisan group of legislators to observe an all mail-ballot election in San Diego, Calif. Riley returned from that trip to eager to run Oregon's first-ever "Vote by Mail" election. Riley's advocacy, along with Secretary Paulus' leadership, convinced the 1981 Legislature to pass a two-year trial for the idea. Riley and his team got to work, meeting with U.S. Postal Service officials to coordinate logistics and inform citizens that their traditional polling places would be shuttered for this election. More than 25,000 ballots were mailed out. Riley outwardly was confident, assuring reporters "it's going to sail along like clockwork." But his colleagues understood keenly the tremendous risk he was taking. As an elected official - and a registered Democrat in a county that was increasingly trending Republican - any snafus or even a whiff of problems might have made this a career-ending move. Riley's faith was rewarded when the ballots started to stream in, eventually reaching a turnout of more than 75 percent of those received by voters. And remember: This was a special election in an odd-numbered year, not a midterm -- much less a presidential election. But as often is the case, the path to election reform would not be immediate, or even proceed in a straight line. Not until the 1985-86 cycle did more than a handful of counties embrace the idea. And despite advocacy of Riley and fellow county clerks, it wasn't until the wee morning hours of the 1995 session's last day that the Oregon Legislature passed a bill to allow any election to be conducted that way. Even then, celebration quickly turned to despair. Then Gov. John Kitzhaber decided to veto the bill, encouraged by the Democratic National Committee, along with prominent Republicans including future U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith and State Sen. Randy Miller (who was also the vetoed bill's chief sponsor!). It took until 1998 with a push from a successful, all-volunteer ballot initiative effort to overwhelmingly enshrine the idea in Oregon law. Over these 20 years, Oregon voters have received more than 100 million "vote at home" ballots. Meanwhile, the various objections and "bogey-persons" that have been throw up to block this reform -- rampant fraud, coercion, confusion, loss of civic tradition -- have all proven imaginary or utterly inconsequential. Far more real has been the higher voter turnout spurred by the simple practice of delivering a ballot to every voter. In the 2014 midterm, for example, Oregon turned out 71 percent of its active registered voters, in an election many considered one of the dullest in recent memory. The national average that year was just 48 percent, based on data from the Election Assistance Commission. That's not to mention the tens of millions of tax dollars we've saved - a benefit valued by Riley and his Linn county colleagues also foresaw when they started this revolution nearly 40 years ago. Recently, some colleagues and I launched a national effort - the National Vote at Home Institute, www.voteathome.org - to convince other states to follow Oregon's lead. Washington and Colorado already have, while in Utah, 27 of 29 counties now use this system. At times during the last 25 years, I've sometimes been introduced as the "father" of vote-by-mail. While I'm certainly proud of the chance I had as Oregon Secretary of State to push for this reform, I always wince at the accolade, because it's undeserved. Among Secretaries of State, Norma Paulus far more deserves parental billing in this reform; I played more the role of a mid-wife, helping expand the idea to all elections. But there is a actually a true father of vote-by-mail, and it's Del Riley. Last month, Riley passed away at the age of 93. But just before his death, I had the privilege to visit with him and his family and to thank him - as all of us should -- for having the vision and courage to pioneer this innovation in democracy. -- Phil Keisling is director of the Center for Public Service in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. He served as Oregon's secretary of state from 1991 to 1999. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. Gov. Kate Brown has worked to improve our state's educational institutions from kindergarten through college. Since she took office, high school graduation rates have climbed to 77 percent and dropout rates are falling. While that improvement hasn't solved the issue of low graduation rates, it demonstrates an important path forward. Thanks to her hard work, Oregon funded full-day kindergarten statewide, providing a solid foundation for students. In 2018, Brown announced Future Ready Oregon, a skill and job training initiative supporting students and adults on their path toward graduation and beyond. This goes along with her previous leadership to provide significant funding for statewide career and technical education in her state budgets. Brown has also expanded opportunities in higher education by making funding more accessible and opening doors for low income families. Under her leadership, the state increased funding for the Oregon Opportunity and Oregon Promise grants, the latter of which allows Oregonians to attend community college for as low as $50 a term for tuition. The journey to improve our education system, increase graduation rates to 100 percent and provide every Oregon student with a post-graduation or career plan won't happen overnight. This journey requires perseverance and thoughtful planning. Brown has done this and Oregonians must continue to pursue it with her as our governor. Heidi Edwards, Beaverton Arizonans gave a sigh of relief with the Aug. 28 defeat of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in his run for the U.S. Senate. Arpaio elevated the practice of racial profiling to new heights during his 24-year reign of terror in Maricopa County with regular gratuitous raids, traffic stops and detentions. He would still be in prison today had he not been pardoned by our sad president last August. It is no secret Oregonians witnessed regular instances of racial profiling by local law officials in the decades prior to the 1987 passage of Oregon Revised Statute 181A.820. This law was enacted 30 years ago to put an end to this practice. But now Oregon fans of Arpaio, otherwise known as Oregonians for Immigration Reform, are trying to turn the clock back 30 years with Measure 105. In June 2015, Oregonians for Immigration Reform featured Joe Arpaio as the headline speaker at its rally in Salem. Today the group continues to receive financial support from outside right-wing anti-immigrant groups. Fellow Oregonians, pay attention to the company Oregonians for Immigration Reform keeps: I urge you to vote "no" on Measure 105. Doug Holmgren, Southwest Portland WASHINGTON On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency "in almost every form. We're going to have little tidbits left, but we're going to take a tremendous amount out." As president, he is making headway on that promise. During the first 18 months of the Trump administration, records show, nearly 1,600 workers left the EPA, while fewer than 400 were hired. The exodus has shrunk the agency's workforce by 8 percent, to levels not seen since the Reagan administration. The trend has continued even after a major round of buyouts last year and despite the fact that the EPA's budget has remained stable. Those who have resigned or retired include some of the agency's most experienced veterans, as well as young environmental experts who traditionally would have replaced them stirring fears about brain drain at the EPA. The sheer number of departures also has prompted concerns over what sort of work is falling by the wayside, from enforcement investigations to environmental research. According to data released under the Freedom of Information Act and analyzed by The Washington Post, at least 260 scientists, 185 "environmental protection specialists" and 106 engineers are gone. Several veteran EPA employees, who have worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations, said the agency's profound policy shifts under Trump hastened their departure. "I felt it was time to leave given the irresponsible, ongoing diminishment of agency resources, which has recklessly endangered our ability to execute our responsibilities as public servants," said Ann Williamson, a scientist and longtime supervisor in the EPA's Region 10 Seattle office. She left in March after 33 years at the agency, exasperated by having to plan how her office would implement President Trump's proposed cuts and weary of what she viewed as the administration's refusal to make policy decisions based on evidence. "I did not want to any longer be any part of this administration's nonsense," she said. In a statement Friday, Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said he was focused on right-sizing the EPA, which Republicans have argued overreached under President Barack Obama, burdening industry with regulations such as those focused on climate change. "With nearly half of our employees eligible to retire in the next five years, my priority is recruiting and maintaining the right staff, the right people for our mission, rather than total full-time employees," he said. Congress has so far maintained the EPA's budget at just more than $8 billion, and while current proposals could shrink that amount, any cuts are likely to be modest. "The Trump administration comes in and goes way, way beyond what the budget requires," said Rep. David Price, D-N.C., a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and whose district is home to a major EPA research center. Price said multiple constituents have told him that working at the EPA has become "intolerable" after seeing their findings sidelined. "It is profoundly demoralizing, and I think, profoundly damaging in terms of the agency's mission," he said. The EPA is not alone in shedding personnel under Trump, despite the fact that Congress passed a $1.3 trillion budget bill in March that boosted both military and domestic spending. The State Department's total number of permanent employees, for instance, fell 6.4 percent between Trump's inauguration and March 2018, according to federal records, while the Education Department declined 9.4 percent during that time. Part of the drop stems from a government-wide hiring freeze Trump imposed after his inauguration, which lasted nearly three months. The president has continued to press for a leaner federal payroll, asking Congress recently to withhold pay raises for federal workers in 2019. In a few instances, Trump's deputies are trying to fill the widespread vacancies in their department's ranks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently began trying to staff the many senior positions that remained empty under his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. Meanwhile, Veterans Affairs is eager to hire doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to fill thousands of vacancies. But at the EPA, it is largely a case of career staff members headed for the exits. Hundreds of employees accepted buyouts last summer, and records show that nearly a quarter of the agency's remaining 13,758 employees are now eligible to retire. At its peak in the late 1990s, the EPA employed more than 18,000 people. -- The Washington Post An early morning dispute over loud music ended with a gunshot, then the arrest of a 27-year-old Portland man accused of firing the gun, court records show. Devonte T. Smith faces charges of unlawful use of a gun, firing a gun in a city and possessing a loaded gun in public, all tied to the Sept. 1 incident. No one was injured, court records show. The argument began when a woman heard a car playing loud music drive into the parking lot of an apartment complex near Southeast 148th Avenue and Stark Street, according to a probable cause affidavit. The woman told police it was 6 a.m., and she yelled out that it was too early for such loud music. She said the driver started "pounding on her door" in response, the affidavit said. The woman said she would call the police, and she did. She eventually opened her door while holding a Taser. "The suspect then left while saying, 'I have something for you, too,' the affidavit said. Devonte Smith The driver told the woman he would shoot her, and the woman saw he had a gun, according to the court records. She told police he aimed the gun at the sky and fired. Officers who were responding to the dispute also heard the gunshot, the affidavit said. A neighbor told police she saw the driver put the gun into his waistband and run into an apartment. Court records say police also saw a man matching the suspect's description go into a nearby apartment. Officers found out Smith owned the car, the affidavit said. A relative offered to ask Smith to come speak to police. Smith told police that a neighbor chased him with a Taser during an argument, but said a gun wasn't involved. Officers got a warrant to search the apartment, and found .40 caliber bullets but no gun, court records show. Smith was arrested Sept. 1. He was released on his own recognizance four days later and ordered not to possess weapons or return to the apartment complex. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 18. -- Molly Young myoung@oregonian.com SEATTLE -- When Fawn Bauer started doing youth outreach at Mount Rainier National Park a decade ago, she made city kids a priority. Most could see the snow-capped icon from their neighborhoods - but too few of them were visiting. So Bauer contacted schools with high rates of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches. She got transportation grants to bring their students, many Latino and African-American, to the 5,400-foot overlook where hiking trails cut through wildflower meadows. The spot is called Paradise. "We don't have to spend all our time saying to them, 'And 50 miles from your home, there's a national park' . . . because they get it," Bauer said. With the Olympic Mountains on its western fringe and the Cascade Range to the east, the Seattle area is at the center of some of the most eye-popping landscape in the United States. Several million acres of wilderness lie within an easy drive, and in recent years, the increasingly crowded trails here have also begun to reflect a growing diversity - despite Seattle being one of the least diverse major cities in the country. That hasn't happened just by chance. A new wave of affinity groups and meetups for people of color have drawn growing numbers of trekkers, backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. Facebook and Instagram posts feature photos of Asian women scaling the rocky crags of Little Si in the central Cascades or black hikers celebrating at the summit of Mount St. Helens. Such images spur more interest while challenging the myth that only white people seek the great outdoors. "We can't continue to accept these fairy tales about things that black people don't do, can't do," said Audrey Peterman, an African American environmental leader who, with her husband, wrote "Legacy on the Land" after exploring sites across the country. "There's been a lot of grass-roots work to create this change." And in response to the nation's shifting demographics, major outdoor advocacy organizations and government agencies such as the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service are forging partnerships with schools, youth groups and these same affinity groups. Together, they aim to reach communities that have been long ignored or underserved. The issues involved have broad implications. The most diverse generation in history will help determine the future of this country's open lands. Yet people who have not used them - who have never seen the vastness of the Grand Canyon, for example, or the towering dunes of Cape Cod's national seashore - may feel little connection and lend little support. There's also a social- and environmental-justice argument for encouraging diversity, noted Tom Vogl, chief executive of The Mountaineers. The century-old conservation and education club, which has members across the Pacific Northwest, offers classes in a range of activities. Those have included workshops for young women, many of them immigrants and women of color. "These places that we've grown to love and that have become such a part of our identity . . . everyone should have an opportunity to experience them," Vogl said. "They shouldn't be just for white people or people of privilege or wealthy people." Part of the national parks' problem around access and equity is rooted in history. Often lost in the official narrative were stories about Native Americans' connection to these treasured sites, or about the role of the Buffalo Soldiers, African-American regiments in the U.S. Army who were among the original park rangers in locations such as Yosemite and Sequoia. For some African-Americans, wild or remote places still hold negative associations with where lynchings took place in the Deep South for nearly a century following the Civil War. Through World War II, Jim Crow laws kept both national and state parks segregated - a legacy they are still working to overcome. In remarks commemorating the National Park Service's centennial in 2016, then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell acknowledged that the majority of park visitors still looked like her: older and white. "We haven't found a way to connect with the young people of today, who are more diverse, more tech-savvy and more disconnected from nature than ever before," she said. That same year, the parks saw a record 330 million visitors, although there's no way to know who they were. According to a 2018 report by the Outdoor Industry Association, participation among Asians and Latinos in hiking, fishing, mountain climbing and more has increased slightly over the last five years. The Park Service and six other federal agencies now sponsor an initiative entitling all fourth-graders - and their families - to a year's free admission to federal parks, lands and waters. The Every Kid in a Park program, launched in 2015 by President Barack Obama, features images clearly intended to signal the outdoors as an inclusive experience. Its goal is just as obvious: to foster a lifetime of interest, especially among communities that once were not as welcome. A childhood of camping and hiking was what hooked 49-year-old Shamay Thomas, although it was on land her father's family owned in Eastern Washington. Her interest turned urban after her parents divorced and her mother moved her and her siblings back to Seattle. As a young adult, she returned to the mountains to seek the solace she had always found there, she said. About a decade ago, she recalls, hardly any people of color were on the trails. She began noticing a change about five years ago, and she still jokes about her excitement in seeing a cluster of other black hikers - and literally chasing them down to ask them who they were. "We deserve to be in these spaces as much as anyone else," she said recently. Black People Hike, the Seattle-area group Thomas discovered that day, was started by some friends chatting over dinner about why there were so few African Americans on wilderness trails. The Facebook group they formed began slowly, co-founder Dorian Waller said, then hit 500 members. That number has now topped 2,000 - inspiring a sister organization in Phoenix. Dieu Nguyen belongs to the group and to Hikers of Color, which allows her to plan treks with others when she travels out of town. The 36-year-old mother of two hits the trail at least once a week and has summited Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood and Mount Adams. But she never goes alone, having faced some uncomfortable backcountry encounters. For her, the hiking groups provide an opportunity to network but also guarantee natural allies. "It's a way to keep yourself safe on the trails." The push for greater inclusiveness extends to images and messaging. The Mountaineers' Vogl was executive vice president of marketing for REI when the national outdoor retailer and consumer co-op, which is based in Seattle, began tracking the gender and race of people featured in its catalogues and on its website in the late 2000s. "We started to hold ourselves accountable for making sure that the imagery we were conveying was that all people are welcome in the outdoors, that whether you were black or Latina you could see yourself in our communications," he said. Yet few people dispute that a big gap remains. Along the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, 140 miles of wilderness stretches to the Canadian border. There, in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the staff has teamed with Latino Outdoors to provide its members with snowshoeing and hiking adventures. Officials now are trying to track visitor information to get a better handle on who's using forest trails. Recreation planner Sarah Lange, for one, is dubious that the people coming, especially in areas close to Seattle, are "representative of the diversity of the city." So the leadership has engaged scientists from the University of Washington, who are using a combination of social media posts, trail reports and crowdsourcing via text messaging, as well as on-the-ground surveys, to generate real-time data on trail use. The information should help with long-range plans, including how to best accommodate a new generation of visitors, said Spencer Wood, research scientist at the university's Center for Creative Conservation. "As novel as it is to have good estimates of the popularity of these places," said Wood, who is leading the study, "it's really novel to have frequent and good estimates of who is using them - what are the different races and their income levels, and what kind of activities are they interested in?" -- The Washington Post Los Angeles Bill Daily, the comic sidekick to leading men on the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show," has died, a family spokesman said Saturday. Daily died of natural causes in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, at his home where he had been living with his son, J. Patrick Daily, spokesman Steve Moyer told The Associated Press. Daily was not a household name but he was a household face, familiar to many millions of baby-boomer viewers in the 1960s and '70s from two of the era's biggest shows. He played Maj. Roger Healy in all five seasons of "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1965 to 1970. Healy was the astronaut partner to Larry Hagman's Maj. Anthony Nelson as both men tried to contain the antics of Jeannie, the childlike blond bombshell who lived in a bottle played by Barbara Eden. Eden said on Twitter Friday night that Daily was "Our favorite zany astronaut." "Billy was wonderful to work with," Eden said. "He was a funny, sweet man that kept us all on our toes. I'm so thankful to have known and worked with that rascal." Just two years later he landed a very similar role and had an even longer run on "The Bob Newhart Show," playing aviator Howard Borden behind Newhart's psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley for 140 episodes between 1972 and 1978. Newhart, now 89, said in a statement Saturday that he and Daily had been friends since both were trying to break into comedy in Chicago in the 1950s, and Daily was a clutch comedian that could make anything work on the sitcom. "I called him our bullpen man. Whenever we were having trouble with a script on the show, we'd have Bill make an appearance," Newhart said. "He was one of the most positive people I ever knew, and we'll dearly miss him." Daily saved scenes instead of stealing them like other sidekicks of the era. He specialized in support. He said he was always a class clown despite losing his father while still a child. Before acting, he tried to make it in show business as a jazz bass player, playing in a combo called "Jack and the Beanstalks." Appearing in variety shows drew him into standup comedy and then acting. He landed one-off roles on the oddball shows of the early 1960s like "My Mother the Car" and "Bewitched," which brought him to the attention of the creators of "I Dream of Jeannie." He said his work at first was derivative and not very good. "I was doing Bob Hope and Bing Crosby," Daily said in a 2003 interview with the Archive of American Television. "I was terrible. I think I was funny, but I didn't know what I was doing." After "Jeannie" he returned to guest-starring roles, including one on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," before his old friend Newhart came seeking a sidekick. On "The Bob Newhart Show," Daily's Howard Borden was the neighbor across the hall who always popped in looking to borrow or mooch something, like Kramer on "Seinfeld" two decades later. He said the writers and his co-stars made the part a breeze. "I just think the scripts were just written so beautifully," Daily said in the TV archive interview. "Bob was a brilliant straight man, he'd just give you everything." Daily later appeared on game shows and in reunion specials for his two shows. In his last well-known role, he played a psychiatrist on the cult hit alien-puppet sitcom "Alf" from 1987 to 1989. Daily married three times. His third wife, Becky Daily, died in 2010 after 17 years of marriage. He adopted two children, daughter Kimberly and son J. Patrick Daily. He had been living for several years in New Mexico with his son and son's wife Sharon. At Bill Daily's request no funeral is planned. He just wanted his loved ones to have a party, which is tentatively planned for next year, the family said. Facing criticism and questions about his handling of clergy sex abuse issues, Washington's Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Donald Wuerl has announced plans to launch a six-week-long "Season of Healing" beginning Friday. Wuerl relayed the plan, for the region's 139 parishes holding special prayer services, in a letter to his priests on Thursday. It was distributed via a listserv for priests of the archdiocese and someone close to a priest provided a copy to the Post. Catholics are closely watching Wuerl's actions and words, following the release of an explosive grand jury report in Pennsylvania that alleges that over seven decades more than 1,000 children had been abused by priests in six dioceses, including the diocese of Pittsburgh. Wuerl led that diocese for 18 years before coming to Washington in 2006. The report shows that in some instances Wuerl went well beyond the norm in trying to push out predators, but in others he sought to protect the Catholic Church and allowed an abuser to remain in ministry. Wuerl's critics have also questioned what he knew about the behavior of his now-resigned predecessor Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was accused this summer of abusing youth and sexually harassing adult seminarians. Wuerl's letter followed a private meeting he held with his priests last week, in which he told them about his recent meeting with Pope Francis. Wuerl typically hosts a Labor Day picnic, but this year, given the controversies, he told those gathering that the emphasis would not be on joy, but on support and prayer. In the letter written Thursday, he thanked the priests, and said he had clearly heard their support for survivors, for people in the archdiocese, and for him, but that the purpose of the meeting was to discern how he could best serve the church. Some said the archdiocese would be best served by new leadership, "to help move beyond the current confusion, disappointment and disunity." Others had called for the beginning of healing, he wrote. "This I believe we need to do now." The letter was the subject of discussion among priests and other Catholics this weekend. Some people deeply involved in the archdiocese felt it signaled his understanding that he must resign - while others interpreted his words very differently. "I think what he's saying there is he hears the consensus that it may be time for him to step down," said a priest in the archdiocese who requested anonymity to speak frankly about a private meeting. "This depends on the pope - it's not something [Wuerl] can quickly decide this afternoon." Wuerl submitted his retirement paperwork in 2015, when he turned 75, as the Vatican requires of all bishops. He could request that the pope accept his resignation, if he wanted to step down, but only Francis can choose when Wuerl leaves his position. That priest described the meeting between Wuerl and the priests on Monday as respectful and loving, even on the part of those those asking him to step down. Wuerl listened with openness and was moved to tears, he said. "No one spoke in a harsh or accusatory way." The priest, who also became emotional in speaking about the meeting and the ongoing scandal, said they mourn for the victims, and feel respect for Wuerl, even if they agree he must go. Another priest in the archdiocese who also spoke on the condition of anonymity said, "I think if the mentality is that this 'Season of Healing,' [will end with] people trusting him or feeling comfortable with him shepherding the archdiocese - if that's the thought process, I think it's mistaken. I think people see it as almost kind of a cynical ploy, to distract from the questions that have yet to be answered." He said many people in the pews, as well as himself, feel that Wuerl needs to pay the consequences for things he has done wrong. If there isn't a change in leadership, he said, that dissatisfaction will intensify greatly, and people will lose faith in the church. "There's still not a long-term solution," said Patricia McGuire, the president of Trinity University, who has said that while Wuerl had been a great leader for the archdiocese, it is time for him to step down. She said the letter sounded sorrowful, rather than defensive, as she felt two earlier messages had been. "There's a note of anguish that I think all of us can hear." The "Season of Healing" would begin next Friday, with Wuerl leading a Penitential Mass. He called it an invitation for parishioners to unite in prayer, give voice to the pain of survivors of clergy abuse "while recognizing the pain and wound of the whole Church." Wuerl wrote that he would also send resources they could use, such as guidance from the Child Protection Advisory Board and other experts on how best to respond to survivors who reach out and help with their healing. They will have a one-day healing retreat, with counselors on hand, for any survivors who wish to attend. He told the priests, "I know the path to healing will be long and arduous." (c) 2018, The Washington Post * Michelle Boorstein, Susan Svrluga The flood watch in effect for most of the state has been elevated to a flood warning in most of the region. The National Weather Service at State College has issued a flood warning for most of Cumberland, York and Lancaster counites, as well as all of Adams County and southern Pennsylvania. Dauphin County remains under a flood watch. As the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon hammer the region, the flood watch had been issued until 8 p.m. Monday. The flood warning is in effect until 4:30 p.m. today. The flood watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Monday. You can see live weather updates via the National Weather Service and other Twitter sources below. Tweet us at @pennlive with photos of inclement weather at your place, incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. Editor's note: Updated with the 5 p.m. coordinates from the National Weather Service. It's once again Hurricane Florence. The 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center showed the storm's winds have reached 75 mph, the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane. They have increased since then, and the hurricane is expected to continue intensifying rapidly over at least the next 24 hours after spending several days as a high-end tropical storm. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Florence had sustained winds at 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was centered about 720 miles southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 8 mph. The storm is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday. Here's the late Sunday afternoon assessment from the National Hurricane Center: "A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by Monday, and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week. On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern coast of the United States on Thursday. "Aircraft and satellite data indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Florence is forecast to rapidly strengthen to a major hurricane by Monday, and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday. "Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km). Florence is forecast to become larger over the next few days." A hurricane is defined as having wind speeds between 74 mph and 110 mph, and a major hurricane is defined as having wind speeds greater than 110 mph. National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Colbert told PennLive on Saturday said there is potential for the storm to impact Pennsylvania, but it is still too early to say for certain. "It [forecast] doesn't take it quite all the way to a landfall yet," he said. If the storm does make landfall, Colbert said it will depend on what happens next and how slowly it moves. If it moves too slowly after making landfall, most of the rainfall will stay well south of the area. But, if the storm moves north, it will mean "plenty of rain" for Pennsylvania, Colbert said. Virginia's governor on Saturday has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the potential impact of Tropical Storm Florence. The order issued Saturday by Gov. Ralph Northam helps mobilize resources to prepare for the storm, mitigate any damage and streamline the process Virginia uses to send assistance to other states. Northam said in a statement that while the impacts are still uncertain, forecasts increasingly expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane that could affect the East Coast, including Virginia, next week. Impacts could include flooding, high winds and a possible storm surge. Dr. Jeff Masters, who writes for Weather Underground, said in a Saturday post that the storm is moving into an environment that's conducive to strengthening. He said a direct hit from Florence could happen anywhere along the swath of coast from northern Florida to Massachusetts, with North Carolina and South Carolina being at greatest risk. He continued: "The main scenarios as I see them, with some rough odds as to their likelihood: 1) Florence will continue heading west-northwest to northwest until landfall in North Carolina or South Carolina on Thursday (40% chance). Recent operational runs of the European model have championed this scenario, along with some recent operational runs of the GFS model. 2) The Bermuda High intensifies as Florence approaches the coast, resulting in a more westerly or even west-southwesterly motion, with a landfall in Georgia or northern Florida on Thursday (10% chance). Recent runs of the UKMET model have suggested this outcome. 3) Florence will turn to the north just off the coast of North Carolina, making landfall in the mid-Atlantic or New England between Virginia and Massachusetts on Saturday (20% chance). Several recent operational runs of the GFS model and many members of the GFS and European model ensemble forecasts have made this forecast. 4) Florence will turn to the north just off the coast of North Carolina, then head northeast out to sea, without making any landfall (30% chance). Members of the GFS and European model ensemble forecasts have made this forecast. A landfall in Canada isn't completely out of the question, even if Florence misses the United States. All of these scenarios also carry the risk that Florence will stall just inland or just off the coast, and potentially perform a clockwise loop, delivering a multi-day punishment of the coast." Hurricane #Florence Advisory 42: Noaa Hurricane Hunter Finds Florence Strengthening. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 9, 2018 As Gordon slowly crawls through Pennsylvania, the remnants of the tropical storm will bring up to 4 inches of rainfall to the Harrisburg region. The good news, meteorologist Aaron Tyburski said, is unlike the flooding we saw in July and August, this rain is falling over the course of several days rather than several hours. "This may help with a lot of the flash flooding concerns," Tyburski said. But the bulk of the rain is coming down now, which Tyburski said the National Weather Service at State College will monitor and update in case the flood watch we're under until 8 p.m. Monday needs to be elevated to a flash flood warning. Since Friday night, most of the Harrisburg region has seen 1.5 inches of rain. One isolated band in the Gettysburg area dropped 4 to 6 inches of rain, he said. The unseasonably-cool temperatures and heavy downpours we're experiencing now come from two sources. A cold front dropped into Pennsylvania and stalled out over the central part of the state, practically riding along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Tyburski said. This became the focus area for most of the moisture from Gordon, which is slowly making its way from west to east. Gordon is far from the end of the storms we'll see this week. Tropical Storm Florence is moving through the Atlantic toward the coast of the Carolinas and could bring more rain towards the end of this week. Here's a look at what you can expect: Today will see 1 to 2 inches of rain with a high of 57. It will be a windy day, too, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Another three quarters of an inch to 1 inch of rainfall can be expected tonight, which will see a low around 56. A 90 percent chance of rain, and possible thunderstorms, continues into Monday, bringing up to another inch and a half of rain. Monday should be warmer with a high of 76 and a low of 67. The rain tapers off to a 30 percent chance of showers Tuesday morning, which will remain mostly cloudy with a high of 78 and a low of 65. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms and a high of 82 and a low of 68. Thursday will see scattered showers and thunderstorms on a mostly-cloudy day with a high near 83 and a low of 69. Friday will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Expect a high of 81 and a low of 67. And Saturday will be another mostly-cloudy day with a high of 79 and a 30 percent chance of rain. Visit PennLive.com/weather for your latest weather updates. You can see live weather updates via the National Weather Service and other Twitter sources below. Tweet us at @pennlive with photos of inclement weather at your place, incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file) The much anticipated Senate hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States got off to a rocky start and went downhill from there. The three-ring spectacle the nation witnessed this week was most remarkable for the fact that not a single senator's mind was changed as a result. The Democrats on the Judiciary Committee who squawked the most about a "full and fair hearing" had already made clear that they weren't voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh. Our own Senator, Bob Casey, said, even before Judge Kavanaugh was nominated, that he'd wouldn't vote for him. So much for a full and fair hearing. We've strayed a long way from the confirmation of justices for whom the entire process lasted a few days and resulted in voice votes on the Senate floor. We've even come a long way from the confirmation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who's further to the left than Kavanaugh is to the right. There were only three negative votes on her confirmation. That was only 25 years ago. The unwritten rule for most of our history was that justices would be confirmed if they passed a three-pronged test of objective qualifications, personal integrity and that hard-to-define quality of "judicial temperament." There's no question that Kavanaugh is eminently well-qualified. He has impeccable credentials. His distinguished record as a federal judge, includes authoring more than 300 opinions and weighing in on hundreds more. He has a reputation as an incredible hard worker and has a dedicated record of service to others through his Church and in his community. His integrity is unquestioned as is his temperament. As a result, American Bar Association gave Kavanaugh their highest rating. Kavanaugh is going to be confirmed. He'll even get a couple of Democratic votes. So what's all the fuss? Simply stated, it was political theater. Several Democrats on the Judiciary Committee spent their allotted time auditioning for their party's nomination for president in 2020, masking their routines in objections to Kavanaugh's appointment. Using the television exposure that comes with nationally watched events like this to further personal ambition is nothing new. Neither party has a monopoly on it. But if mere theatrics is the goal, they should at least be good. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker's, D-N.J., 15 minutes of confirmation hearing fame certainly fell far short of that mark. His "Spartacus moment" turned out to be a dull joke. His overreach for the sake of trying to upstage his Democratic contenders for a presidential nomination collapsed like a bad souffle. As U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, observed, "All of this drama this morning apparently was for nothing." The bigger problem for Democrats were the ninnies in the back of the room who consistently acted out and were hauled from the hearing room. For those undecided folks watching clips of the hearings, the visual images of disruption and disrespect didn't auger well for the anti-Kavanaugh forces. Beyond preening for their political base, which incidentally was not limited to Sen. Booker, the Democrats had cause for some angst which manifested itself in other ways during the hearing. For many years the Left saw the federal courts as their last hope to overturn legislation they didn't like or to insert, by judicial fiat, public policy pronouncements they wanted. As we've so often been reminded, elections have consequences. The presidential election of 2016 certainly did, and one of the key factors was the possibility, now a reality, of nominations to the Supreme Court. President Donald Trump nominated, in both Justice Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, jurists exactly in the mold he promised and for which the American people voted. That's a very different direction than the Left wanted or foresaw. They envisioned Hillary Clinton making those picks. No wonder they're making a fuss. Kavanaugh is not going to be a super-legislator. He's going to be a justice who rules by the philosophy he has consistently espoused. He will interpret the Constitution within its plain meaning and according to the words the Framers used. He won't write laws from the bench or insert his personal policy preferences into his opinions. Kavanaugh is what the American people want and will get. The circus-like theatrics of his detractors only made his path temporarily a little less pleasant. PennLive Opinion contributor Charlie Gerow is CEO of Quantum Communications in Harrisburg. His "Donkeys & Elephants" column appears weekly opposite progressive commentator Kirstin Snow. Health department to begin 5-11 year-old vaccination clinics Friday, Nov. 5 The Health Department of Northwest Michigan announced Wednesday it will begin to give COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-11 starting Nov. 5. *** Include a contact email address if you want a response *** Please tell us about the problem you are having... See your usage details You will also be sending us basic usage details to help us fix this problem. Details about your session Javascript: not enabled. Submit my Problem Please tell us about your problem before you click submit. Thank you for flagging this problem, we very much appreciate your time and helping us improve the site. 163 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING By Tom Hals (Reuters) Immigrant parents separated from their children by the Trump administration and returned to their homes are refusing to be reunited with their children because their countries are so dangerous, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union told a court. Weve had very difficult conversations with the parents this week, Lee Gelernt of the ACLU told a federal judge in San Diego. As much as they want to be with their child, and its heartbreaking, they feel its too dangerous. ADVERTISING Gelernt told the court that he had spent time over the past week in Guatemala trying to locate parents of some of the roughly 300 children in U.S. care and found about two-thirds were refusing to have their child returned to them. Gelernt said parents who refused to be reunited tended to have older children who could be recruited by violent gangs if they returned home. In addition, some children have relatives in the United States and are unlikely to end up in foster care. The ACLU contacted parents in Central America of 162 children and said 109 refused reunification, according to a court filing. U.S. authorities separated about 2,600 children from parents who had crossed the U.S. southern border with Mexico, many fleeing gang violence in Guatemala and Honduras. In late June, the administration was forced under intense global criticism to abandon the policy, which was aimed at discouraging illegal immigration. Soon after it was rescinded, U.S. Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego ordered the children to be reunited with their parents. Reunifications have slowed to a trickle, largely because about 300 parents were removed from the United States without their children. Immigration advocates have said it is difficult to find the parents because many live in remote areas of Central America or have gone into hiding. Gelernt said if the children failed to get U.S. asylum they would be reunited with their parents. The Trump administration said on Thursday it plans to withdraw from a federal court agreement that strictly limits the conditions under which authorities can detain migrant children, and proposed new rules it said would enable it to detain minors during their immigration proceedings. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware) 1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING Former President Obama had a message for Trump, the Republican Party, and his fellow Democrats, We are going to fight. Video: ADVERTISING Obama said: During these times of uncertainty, its always tempting for politicians and their own gain and people in power to try to see if they can divide people. Scapegoat folks. Turn them on each other. Because when that happens, people get cynical and they decide not to participate. And when people dont participate, then that vacuum is filled by lobbyists and special interests and we get into a downward spiral where people get more and more discouraged and they think and the only way the only way we reverse that cycle of anger and vision is when each of us as citizens step up and say were going to, were going to take it upon ourselves to do things differently. Were going to were going to fight for the things that we believe in. Were going to fight for the idea that every child in America should get a decent education. Were going to fight for the idea that anybody out there whos willing to work hard should be able to get a job that pays a living wage. Were going to fight for the idea that women should be paid same as men for doing the same work. Were going to fight for the notion that our seniors should be able to rely on Social Security and Medicare and be able to retire with dignity and respect. We are going to make sure that the men and women in uniform who fight on our behalf when they come home, they are not just given lip service to, but theyre actually also getting the benefits and the support that they have earned. Were going fight for the notion that were all in this together. And that what makes America exceptional unique is that from all around the in some cases, fairly recently, came here because they believe nd a certain set of ideas. We hold these truths to be self-evidence. All of us created equal, endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. Obama Gets It. Democrats Are Ready To Fight Republicans have gotten lazy and complacent after the 2016 election. They have followed the lead of their lazy president and assumed that they dont have to do anything to win. Obamas message that Democrats are going to fight for what is right and decent. Democrats are going to fight to end the corruption in Washington and get to the truth about the Russia scandal. Democrats are going to fight for better wages, and more opportunities are exactly what the majority of Americans want to hear. The American people are seeing this fight as outnumbered Democrats are battling to stop the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination. Obama is back and leading the fight for Democrats to take back Congress. Policies are important, but the message that voters most need to hear is that Democrats are the party who will fight for them. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 1.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING George Papadopoulos said on ABCs This Week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was an excited supporter of a potential Trump/Putin campaign meeting, which means that Jeff Sessions might have been caught telling a big lie to the Senate. Video: ADVERTISING Transcript via ABCs This Week: STEPHANOPOULOS: What was the reaction? PAPADOPOULOS: The reaction, of course, was mixed. There were many people in that room that came from conservative think tanks, including the Heritage Foundation, who you know, nodded in disapproval. Candidate Trump at the time nodded at me. I dont think he was committed either way. He was open to the idea. And he deferred, of course, to then senior Senator Jeff Sessions, who I remember being quite enthusiastic about hosting STEPHANOPOULOS: You say he was quite enthusiastic. The attorney general has testified under oath something quite the contrary. I want to show that. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEFF SESSIONS, ATTORNEY GENERAL, UNITED STATES: And I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government or any other foreign government for that matter. MALE: There are reports that you, shut George down, unquote, when he proposed that meeting with Putin. Is this correct, yes or no? SESSIONS: Yes. I pushed back. Ill just say it that way because it was MALE: Yes. SESSIONS: Yes. (END VIDEO CLIP) STEPHANOPOULOS: Attorney general says he pushed back. Is he telling the truth? PAPADOPOULOS: I all I can say is this this was a meeting from about two years ago. My recollection differs from Jeff Sessions. STEPHANOPOULOS: He did not push back? PAPADOPOULOS: All I can say is my recollection differs from his at this point. It Is Insane That Trump Thinks Sessions Shouldnt Have Recused Himself If Papadopoulos is telling the truth, and he has no motivation to lie, since he has already been convicted, Sessions is in the Russia scandal a lot deeper than anyone might have imagined. The Attorney General had no choice, but to recuse himself, and he should be a target of all of the Russia investigations. Sessions knows a great deal more than he has ever let on, and it reveals the level of corruption of this president that he demanded that Sessions oversee the Russia investigation to protect Trump. It is easy to lose sight of the other components of the investigation because the country is watching Trumps presidency collapse in real time, but Jeff Sessions could go from attorney general to orange jumpsuit depending what comes out about his involvement in Trumps crimes against the United States. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 798 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway told NBCs Meet the Press Chuck Todd that the author of the anonymous NYT op-ed would tell the wrong person, because cowards like criminals always tell the wrong person. They always confess their crime to the wrong person. Video: ADVERTISING These are people in books and in I guess anonymous Op-Eds Im not even sure they know the president or know John Kelly, its not clear to me who are I think motivated by conceit and deceit. And that person is going to suss out himself or herself, because cowards like criminals always tell the wrong person. They always confess their crime to the wrong person. Its not a crime to author an op-ed and the New York Times would not have published an op-ed from someone who didnt know the President, contrary to Conways claim. This is the kind of push back expected by a dictator, not a democratically elected president. Conway echoed the Trump line that sussing out this person is a matter of national security, when it is obviously a matter of the Presidents need for petty retribution: If this is somebody who in fact has access to national security information and the presidents made clear he doesnt want to be in a meeting with somebody whos dealing with Russia China and North Korea who has access to that type of information and then is is using it. Conway put the cherry on her alternative facts day by claiming this is all evidence that the President is a strong leader, dismissing talk of 25th Amendment in the White House as such nonsense. All of this is noise, ultimately, in history. Brett Kavanaugh will be there for decades, the White House counselor to the man who is under FBI investigation, and whose own charitable foundation and business organization are under state and federal criminal investigation. The real danger to national security is Donald Trump, and enabling that danger are all of the people who are standing by him, even if just in public, including Republicans in the House and Senate as well as Trumps own cabinet. We are in danger, but as horror movies go, its coming from *inside* the White House. 100.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING According to a new article in the Huffington Post Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska may be forced to vote against Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. But the reason for this is not that Murkowski is pro-choice while Kavanaugh is anti-abortion. The reason is that Murkowskis seat in the Senate was dependent on votes of Native Alaskans, and they are fiercely opposed to Kavanaughs nomination. It was because of tribal communities that she won re-election in 2010, so if she harms them it could threaten her future. In 2010 Murkowski lost the GOP primary to a tea party challenger. She then ran as an independent, and started a write-in campaign, and to everyones surprise, actually won the election. She won because of the support of Alaska Natives, not because of the support of the Republican Party, and she hasnt forgotten that. ADVERTISING According to a person close to the senator: If the Alaska Native community raises its decibel level on matters from subsistence to civil rights, that would register with Sen. Murkowski. Local Alaska tribes and constituents have a lot of influence in shaping Murkowskis decisions, and she has been hearing from them. Four Alaska tribal councils have contacted Murkowski, asking her to oppose Kavanaugh. Letters were sent to her from the heads of the Hughes Tribal Council, the Ruby Tribal Council, the Tanana Tribal Council and the Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government. On top of that, on Friday, the leader of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska, with more than 30,000 voters, posted a letter on Facebook on behalf of the tribes. In that letter they urged Murkowski to vote no on Kavanaugh. We are concerned moving his nomination forward due to his unsound views and the potential injury that his misperceptions would wreak upon your Native Alaskan constituents, our Native Hawaiian friends and fellow indigenous peoples, wrote Richard Chalyee Eesh Peterson, the tribal president. There are three reasons that many Alaskans, including most Native Alaskans, oppose Kavanaugh: Concerns about his record on climate change, which is already causing real damage in Alaska. Kavanaugh in 2017 held that the Environmental Protection Agency lacks the authority to regulate hydrofluorocarbons, chemicals linked to global warming. Concerns about his record on voting rights. Kavanaugh voted in 2012 to uphold a South Carolina voter ID law that disenfranchised more than 80,000 minority registered voters. A case the Supreme Court is reviewing in November that could devastate Alaska Natives subsistence fishing rights. The case, Sturgeon v. Frost, raises questions about who has the authority to regulate water in national parks in the state the federal government or the state of Alaska. Kavanaugh agrees with four existing Justices that federal power should be limited, and this would take destroy the way of life for tribal communities who rely on subsistence fishing in protected federal waters. This would be a death knell to us in Alaska, absolutely, said Heather Kendall-Miller, an Alaska Native and an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund. If this goes down, Alaska will be in a state of chaos when the fishing season begins. There will be lots of civil disobedience. It will be explosive. 541 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING George Papadopoulos has told ABC News that he clearly remembers Attorney General Jeff Sessions giving a go-ahead to a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, contrary to what Sessions told the U.S. Senate under oath. Jeff Sessions was quite enthusiastic about setting up a meeting between Trump and Putin, according to George Papadopoulos. Sessions told Congress he opposed the idea. It is a federal crime to knowingly make a false statement to Congress. Jeff Sessions was quite enthusiastic about setting up a meeting between Trump and Putin, according to George Papadopoulos. Sessions told Congress he opposed the idea. It is a federal crime to knowingly make a false statement to Congress. pic.twitter.com/AgJf3z7mOe Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) September 9, 2018 ADVERTISING Papadopoulos was a mid-level foreign policy adviser to candidate Donald Trump in 2016 who worked closely with Sessions who was one of the Trump campaigns most senior advisers. Papadopoulos was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, lying to the FBI. After being thrown under the bus by Trump and his people, he has maintained that members of Trumps campaign team were fully aware and supportive of his efforts to broker a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I actively sought to leverage my contacts to host this meeting, Papadopoulos told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on This Week Sunday. The campaign was fully aware of what I was doing. Papadopouloss interview with ABC News is his first public appearance since being sentenced Friday to 14 days incarceration, one year of supervised release, 200 hours of community service and a $9,500 fine. In October of 2017 he pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents but it took him this long to be sentenced. During the interview he said that he believes his testimony was helpful to the Russia investigation of special counsel Bob Mueller. All I can say is that my testimony might have helped move something towards that, but I have no idea, he said. George Papadopoulos, asked if he believes collusion will be demonstrated between the Trump campaign and Russia: "All I can say is that my testimony might have helped move something towards that." (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/t0H2isIcUT Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 9, 2018 Papadopoulos said he was at a campaign security team meeting on March 31, 2016 where the team discussed his proposal of a summit between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Putin. He said Senator Jeff Sessions liked the idea and was enthusiastic about his proposal for Trump-Putin summit. Trump was open to this idea, and he deferred, of course, to then senior Senator Jeff Sessions, who I remember being quite enthusiastic, Papadopoulos said. Stephanopoulos pointed out that Sessions later gave Congress a different account of the March 31, 2016 meeting. Sessions testified under oath that he shut down the idea of a Trump-Putin summit at that campaign meeting. I pushed back, Sessions told Congress. So Stephanopoulos then asked the question on everyones mind: When the attorney general says he pushed back. is he telling the truth? Papadopoulos responded by saying: All I can say is this is a meeting from about two years ago. My recollection differs from Jeff Sessions. Papadopoulos also said that many people in the Trump campaign were aware of his work to set up meeting with Russians, such as campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and professor Sam Clovis, a senior adviser to the campaign. And also, Papadopoulos said, there was Donald Trump himself, who was very well aware of what he was doing. 273 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ADVERTISING The Democratic Leader of the U.S. Senate, Senator Charles Schumer of New York, issued a warning on Sunday, saying that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will allow President Trump to overreach his authority if he is confirmed. Schumer gave an interview with AM 970 The Answer in New York, and told host John Catsimatidis that out of all potential Supreme Court nominees Kavanaugh was the one most willing to allow the president to overstep his authority. In other words, Schumer is saying that Trump chose Kavanaugh primarily because he would be the one LEAST likely to hold Trump accountable for his crimes and misdeeds. ADVERTISING Schumer said Trump had reviewed a list of 25 potential Supreme Court nominees and chosen Kavanaugh from the list because of his past writings and views on presidential authority. The Minority Leader said: With a president who seems to want to overreach in terms of his power, Kavanaugh, of the list of 25, was the one who is most willing to allow the president to overreach. He said a president should never be investigated or subpoenaed. Schumer also said that he hopes the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings will show the public that Kavanaughs views about massive presidential power with few limits are not appropriate. He also said he thinks its important that everyone realize that the nominee would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade while also restricting healthcare rights under the Affordable Care Act. If the American people truly believe that Kavanaugh would overturn Roe and undo healthcare, there will be a bipartisan majority, Democrats and Republicans, to defeat him. Whether the hearings prove that sufficiently to people, we will see. Kavanaughs hearings this week started with a barrage of Democratic criticism, as they attempted to delay his confirmation. Schumer and other Senate Democrats are unhappy with the timing of the Kavanaugh hearings because they started shortly after the president was implicated in criminal conduct when his former attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to eight different criminal charges last month. At that time Schumer spoke from the Senate floor and said: Its a game changer. It should be. In my view, the Senate Judiciary Committee should immediately pause the consideration of the Kavanaugh nomination. At the very least, the very least, it is unseemly for the president of the United States to be picking a Supreme Court justice who could soon be effectively a juror in a case involving the president himself. From the very beginning, Democrats have expressed concerns that Kavanaughs views on a presidents authority are way too broad. They say that Kavanaugh, if on the Supreme Court, would attempt to shield Trump from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into possible crimes, including obstruction of justice charges. For his nomination to the Supreme Court to be confirmed, Kavanaugh must not have more than one Republican vote against him. As we previously pointed out, committee Democrats are attempting to get Senators Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska to vote against Kavanaugh because of his position on abortion. Also, new charges have been raised that Kavanaugh may be guilty of multiple counts of perjury, and if that is found to be true this could also threaten his confirmation. On September 5, British authorities named two suspects in the Salisbury and Amesbury poisoning case, and also released photographs of the two men in security camera footage from different locations in the Britain. According to British Prime Minister Theresa May, the two men are suspected operatives of Russias Main Intelligence Directorate, colloquially known as the GRU. Among the materials released by the British government were two separate photographs, one of each suspect passing through a customs control corridor at Londons Airport. Later, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova appeared on the Russian talk show 60 Minutes, on the state-owned channel Rossiya-24. She attacked the British evidence based on the photographs of the two men at Gatwick. With the photos of both men on the screen in front of her, Zakharova pointed out that the time stamps on both photos were identical down to the second. She implied that it would be impossible for two people to occupy the same space at the same time. Fact checkers on the internet quickly pointed out a problem with the spokeswomans detective work. It is clear that the two men are walking in different, but identical-looking corridors at the same time. While the surroundings are identical, the photographs were taken at slightly different angles, indicating different cameras in different positions. Bellingcat released a report showing the corridors from another angle. Given their position and construction, it is entirely possible for two people walking abreast at the same pace to walk into adjacent corridors and be photographed at the same second, as Bellingcat put it, here are multiple parallel gates that would have allowed the two suspects pass through the gates at the same time. One question remains, however. When comparing the photographs released by British authorities to the ones shown on the Russian TV program, part of the upper left-hand corner of one of the photos cannot be seen. What does appear in that corner makers it much easier to see that the camera is at a different angle and thus cannot be in the same corridor as the one which took the other photo. It It is not possible to know if the omission on the TV program was coincidental, or whether that was deliberately cropped out. But no matter the motive, the cropped pictures support a false claim by Zakharova. A significant moment in the citys recent food-and-beverage history ended on Saturday night with a raucous wake for Bar Normandy, forced out of its Normandy Farms Bakery home because the landlord suspected its nightly annexation of the space was causing structural damage. The going-out-of-business party was as wild as promised, with customers singing into sex toys and passing around a porron of cider, sporadically tilted into other peoples gullets from recklessly high altitudes. He was the first, one of owner Alex Liras devoted fans said between pours. The man was apparently referring to the spate of scaled-down pop-ups that have taken over the dining scene since Lira opened in 2016. But Lira was also the first local chef in a long while to demonstrate that making good food and caring about guests is always a successful strategy. Never mind the rigmarole. Rigmarole was the guiding principle of McCradys when it opened (one month after Bar Normandy) as a tasting menu counter. Then-executive chef Sean Brock sketched out the McCradys experience to the second, so even the best meals there felt like dispassionate exercises in fidelity. Now, though, Brock is officially out of the picture, having severed ties with Neighborhood Dining Group this summer. And while he was almost never at McCradys, allowing the on-site cooks to fully claim the 10 courses theyre creating seems to have reinvigorated the restaurant. What looked like an end since no format is more dependent on head chefs and the diners who fawn over them was actually a beginning. I ate at McCradys after stopping by the celebration at Bar Normandy, since its loyal customers ate almost everything in Liras inventory in the days leading up to the restaurant closing down, and nobody on Saturday night was in any shape to prepare what was left. Outwardly, McCradys highly formalized service and exquisite glassware seemed like the total opposite of what Bar Normandy was offering just down the block. At McCradys, for example, the chefs werent wearing bathing suits. Yet there was the tiniest hint of overlap in the way a 2017 J. Brix Chardonnay and the brown butter underlying a wedge of locally caught mahi vocalized the same pro-citrus message. McCradys has begun to appreciate the value of forging connections between wine and food; servers and guests; place and dishes. On Saturday night, the menu included a witty interpretation of garlic crab and an outstanding hoppin John made with flawless rice. Is The Rare Wine Companys Charleston Madeira, paired with a chocolate-and-sweet potato confection, a sop to tourists? Sure. But Saturday night marked my first time at McCradys that guests didnt look uniformly somber. Maybe it helped that one of them was wearing a hot pink bachelorette sash. In any case, whether at McCradys or the late Bar Normandy, connection is what Charleston restaurants do best. The Boston Globes Devra First recently published a deep dive into her citys failure to win critics hearts, concluding in part that the problem is it is not enough to simply be excellent anymore. To stand out, a restaurant must have a point of view. It needs to express something resonant, be it deeply personal, cultural, or both. Charleston is not especially good at reflection and deep thoughts in the dining room: Its forte is hospitality and fun, which is all about personal connections. I like to think its not a coincidence that the letter I swiped from Bar Normandys changeable letter board menu as a souvenir is a capital C. If Charleston can stick to that script, its restaurants stand a chance of not being brought down by staffing shortages and rising rents. Years ago, when I talked to economists, historians and Realtors about the growth of the citys restaurant scene, they agreed that once a city acquires a reputation as a dining destination, it usually maintains it. Even Lira has plans to cook here again. All of them added a caveat, though. Their predictions for Charleston would be invalidated by a hurricane. By which they meant roads closed to tourists and dining rooms inundated with flood waters could devastate the food-and-beverage sector. That remains true, but it might not take a storm of Hurricane Hugos magnitude to have the feared effect. As of this writing, Florence is supposed to reach South Carolina around Thursday evening. There are many downtown Charleston restaurants that cant afford to lose a weekends worth of business, whether to an actual hurricane or an evacuation ordered in deference to a forecasted one. Theres no telling what a hurricane will do. But as you stock up on bottled water and check the batteries in your flashlights, consider adding one more item to your list of Florence-readiness tasks: Go eat in a Charleston restaurant. Thats obviously a costlier proposition than clearing out your freezer, but its Restaurant Week! All it takes is $30 (plus taxes and tip) to show you care about the restaurants that, in Charleston tradition, have cared for you. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 56F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 47F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Higher wind gusts possible. Harsher sentences are needed so people know, in no uncertain terms, that taking advantage of the innocence and vulnerability of our children i Read more WASHINGTON The assault on civil rights that was mandated by the civil rights division of Barack Obamas Education Department might soon abate. Current Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is moving to halt the life-shattering procedures that began in 2011, when the department sent to colleges and universities a dear colleague letter: To avoid costly and reputation-damaging investigations, and perhaps the loss of federal funds, institutions must embrace the departments new interpretation of a then-39-year-old provision of federal law that said merely that no person at an institution receiving federal funds shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex. From this, the department began micromanaging institutions disciplinary practices in ways that traduce constitutional guarantees. For seven years, men accused of sexual assault, a category elastic enough to encompass broad ranges of behavior (read on), have been convicted, sometimes expelled, their futures blighted. Sometimes justice has been done, but injustices have been perpetrated by improvised campus tribunals orchestrated by administrators with vocational incentives to discover offenses that justify their offices. The guidance has mandated convictions on the basis of a mere preponderance of the evidence 51 percent suffices not clear and convincing proof, let alone proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The guidance strongly discouraged allowing the accused (almost always males) to cross-examine their accusers, who frequently are identified in proceedings as survivors note the prejudgment. Accusers could appeal acquittals, exposing the accused to double jeopardy. DeVos improvements, still being formulated, should reflect this fact: Heather Mac Donald, in The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine our Culture, notes that as of early 2018, 79 judges had issued rulings against schools rape trial procedures adopted in conformity with the Obama administrations dictates. Tellingly, they did not pressure institutions to immediately involve professionals from the criminal justice system in investigating sexual assaults. Mac Donald suggests why: She says that a 2006 University of Virginia survey found that only 23 percent of the subjects whom the survey characterized as rape victims felt that they had been raped, a figure that the universitys director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services called discouraging. Stanford reported 33 rapes in 2016, a horrifying number except, Mac Donald notes, that in none of those cases was there an arrest, even though the alleged rapist was almost certainly known to the accuser. Believing in the campus rape epidemic, writes Mac Donald, depends on ignoring womens own interpretations of their experiences supposedly the most grievous sin in the feminist political code. The epidemic paradigm derived from a study purporting to document that 20 percent of women will suffer sexual assault during four years on a campus. If so, the 300,000 to 400,000 assaults would make campuses astonishingly dangerous places. Nevertheless, some insist that because the campus rape culture condones violence against women, underreporting of campus rapes is actually proof of the epidemic hundreds of thousands of victims suffer in silence. The two most publicized campus rapes that supposedly proved the existence of a campus rape culture were of a stripper by Duke lacrosse players and of a University of Virginia woman in a fraternity. Neither happened. Mac Donald notes that campus sexual-assault policies often assign wildly asymmetrical responsibilities and liabilities. In campuses alcohol-saturated hookup culture, men are assigned the Victorian role as guardians of frail females virtue: If he and she are drunk, she typically is absolved of agency and he is accountable for both of their behaviors. Yet, contradictorily, a core tenet of academic progressivism is that the differences between men and women are not innate, they are socially constructed, having nothing to do with biology. Never mind various cultures centuries of experience with laws and courtship rituals developed to tame the male libido. As DeVos revises her departments guidance, she should consult Brooklyn College law professor KC Johnsons analysis of Yales just-released report on the sexual dangers on its campus: The 1.75 percent of undergraduate females assaulted in the first half of 2018 is, if accurate, appalling. It also is a violent crime rate nearly as high as in Detroit, which the FBI rates Americas most dangerous city. The report provides no details of 18 of the 50 victims because the allegations came from a third party and the accuser did not pursue the matter. Only five of the other 32 cases went before Yales adjudication panel. The report says Yale uses a more expansive definition of sexual assault than does Connecticut or federal law Yales definition encompasses broad ranges of behavior but does not say why. George Wills email address is georgewill@washpost.com. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group Peter Stone and Greg Gordon of McClatchy News smeared Cleta Mitchell in their story Lawyer who worked for NRA said to have had concerns about groups Russia ties. The gist of the McClatchy story was false. Stone and Gordon have refused to support the smear with a single fact. The smear was planted by Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS behind the veil of anonymity. The story replicates in small the techniques that Simpson used to conjure the Russia hoax and roil the United States over the past two years. The theme of this series is that its Glenn Simpsons world. Were all just living in it. Sharyl Attkisson addressed the medias use of Fusion earlier this year in her Hill column For press and public, big risks lurk behind opposition research.' Attkisson took up a few of her questions with Simpson himself: I recently posed several queries to Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS. Thats the oppo research company at the center of the surveillance controversy in our intel agencies Russia probe. I asked what news organizations Fusion GPS has worked with, what news and media personalities it has researched for what clients, and whether its researched any congressional members or staffers. I also wanted to know if, as a former news reporter himself, Simpson thinks news organizations should disclose their relationship with firms like his. As of this writing, I havent received a response. Simpson isnt talking because anonymity is an essential element of his modus operandi. It enhances the credibility of otherwise nakedly partisan stories. Attkisson also specifically identifies ProPublica (a supposed good-government organization) as a group that uses information supplied by Fusion GPS: I also posed queries to one of the respected investigative journalism groups that has used opposition research firms, including Fusion GPS, according to an insider: ProPublica. (Im a big fan of some of ProPublicas excellent work.) I asked what their policies are regarding learning and disclosing who the oppo research firms paying client is. ProPublica president Richard Tofel wouldnt confirm that ProPublica has consulted specifically with Fusion GPS and/or Glenn Simpson, and says the news group doesnt discuss sourcing outside of the stories themselves. Attkisson raised the questions whether Fusion GPS is now targeting congressmen and congressional staff who are involved and identifies ProPublica as a Fusion conduit. A few weeks after Attkisson published her Hill column ProPublica published this obvious Fusion GPS piece attacking a staffer of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley who has worked on the investigation of matters related to the Mueller probe that bear on Simpson, Steele and Fusion GPS. Because good government! Andrew McCarthys weekly NR column poses this pointed question: For precisely what federal crimes is the president of the United States under investigation by a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department? He observes: It is intolerable that, after more than two years of digging the 16-month Mueller probe having been preceded by the blatantly suspect labors of the Obama Justice Department and FBI we still do not have an answer to that simple question. Pursuing at length a point he has made before, McCarthy demonstrates that this isnt how its supposed work. He postulates that the Steele Dossier features prominently in the answer. McCarthy demonstrates that the improprieties and anomalies inherent in the Mueller probe are profound and varied. We have grown accustomed to them. We now take them for granted. McCarthy asks the Republican-controlled Congress to get answers if not to do something about it. Even if we know that is an impossible dream we should understand this isnt how its supposed to be and do whatever we can to light a fire. The Washington Post reports that the grand jury investigation of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe has been proceeding apace and now seems to be intensifying. As I understand it, McCabe is under investigation for misleading government officials about leaking. The investigation was triggered by the Justice Department inspector generals finding of wrongdoing by McCabe. The inspector general, Michael Horowitz (an Obama appointee), concluded in a detailed report that McCabe lied at least four times, three of them under oath, and that he approved a media disclosure to advance his personal interests over those of the Justice Department. The grand jury activity, which includes hearing from witnesses, doesnt mean McCabe will be charged with a crime. It seems clear, however, that prosecutors are taking the matter quite seriously. As well they should. Robert Muellers team has prosecuted several people for not telling the truth to federal investigators. Based on the inspector generals report, there is good reason to believe that McCabe committed the same offense. If he did, he should be prosecuted, just as those whom Mueller has scrutinized have been. McCabes lawyer is crying foul, though, claiming that the investigation is politically motivated. This claim gains surface plausibility from President Trumps tweets imploring the Justice Department to prosecute his enemies, including McCabe. As noted, though, the investigation of McCabe is actually the byproduct of a Democrats investigation that of Horowitz. Moreover, Jeff Sessions unwillingness to be cowed by Trumps public call for partisanship in prosecutions should give fair-minded observers confidence that McCabe is not, and wont become, the victim of a witch hunt. I should also note that the case against McCabe may not be open and shut. For one thing, some of the evidence against him is based on clashing accounts by McCabe and James Comey about a conversation they had. Comey may not be telling the truth or the two might simply remember things differently. Horowitzs conclusions weigh heavily against McCabe, in my book. But whatever the prosecutor concludes about what the evidence shows, he will have to consider whether that evidence is strong enough to convict McCabe. The key for now, though, is that the prosecutor seems to be digging hard into the evidence. That is what observers expect from tomorrows election, anyway: Far-right poised for big wins in Sweden election. The anti-immigration far-right is expected to soar in Swedens September 9 general election, capitalising on voter discontent as Swedes punish traditional parties over immigration, integration and health care. Prime Minister Stefan Lofvens Social Democrats, who have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s, will remain the biggest party in the country but likely with a record low score, polls suggest. The far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) are heading to make the most gains and come in a close second, followed by the conservative Moderates. Bloomberg has a heartwarming headline: Panic Grips Swedish Establishment Facing an Election Beating. It is nearly impossible to get objective reporting from Europe where immigration is concerned: The birthplace of Ikea flat packs and Volvo cars is starting to look just as vulnerable to the populist movement as Italy, Hungary and the U.S. A bastion of welfare and equality, Sweden faces an election on Sunday that could be its most tumultuous in a century. As in other democracies across the world, the establishment is being challenged on multiple fronts. Yes, for good reasons. For a country that prides itself on stability and is seen as a model for social democracy across the world, the development is hard to grasp. But voters are now flocking to a party that was born of Swedens neo-Nazi, white supremacist movement. Oh, please. This is the sort of brain-dead reporting that portrays all concerns about mass immigration as far right. Swedes who dont like the direction in which their country is going are not neo-Nazis or white supremacists. The established parties are pulling out all the stops in an effort to maintain the status quo. The Moderates are promising tax cuts and the Social Democrats are offering families an extra week off work. Both want increased spending on healthcare and education. They also pledging to crack down on crime and further restrict immigration, allowing the Sweden Democrats to set the debate. So the established parties are catering to the neo-Nazis and white supremacists? Or are they acknowledging that skepticism of mass Islamic immigration is legitimate? The nationalist groundswell has coincided with a record inflow of migrants and refugees. About 600,000 people flooded into the nation of 10 million over the past five years, straining public coffers and offsetting a broader drop in unemployment. That corresponds to an influx of over 19 million immigrants, almost all Middle Eastern, into the United States. It is remarkable that anyone can be surprised that such a massive demographic change will create problems and resistance. But the liberal press is doggedly and deliberately obtuse. We will comment further when Swedens returns are in. As President Muhammadu Buhari met with Chancellor Angela Merkel, behind closed-doors last week, a lively Business Round Table was holding in The Brown Room, one of the many meeting rooms in Villa. It was there the secret behind the success of German businesses was revealed by the visitors. It could not be ignored; it dominated the talks for several minutes. The economy of Germany is a social market economy, the largest national economy in Europe. Size is not why our businesses are successful; we are successful because we are mostly family businesses that grow over generations, not just small-scale enterprises, a member of the German delegation, who is a founder and CEO of a company, said. German businessmen are extremely focused, extremely serious, and we also focus on communication. Some other members of the 16-member business delegation, led by Dr Ulrich Nussbaum, Secretary of State, Federal Ministry for Economy and Energy spoke in the same vein. These founders and/or CEOs of successful German brands spoke passionately about Mittelstand, said to be the backbone of the German economy. The Mittelstand are a core of small and medium-sized firms, many of which have existed for generations and noted for their durability and resilience. According to Wikipedia, Mittelstand companies are highly focused, achieving unprecedented efficiencies by designing a business model with a razor-thin focus and learning to do the one thing really well; then to compensate for their razor-thin focus, they diversify internationally and enjoy great economies of scale. Although the term could be more loosely applied, Mittelstand companies share the following features: Family ownership or family-like corporate culture, generational continuity, long-term focus, emotional attachment, flexibility, and lean hierarchies. Among other things, the German delegation was also apprised of the strength of the Nigerian economy as well as opportunities for investments and partnerships. On the Nigerian side were Okey Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who chaired the talks, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, Segun Awolowo, CEO of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and members of the private sector, among others. In his opening remarks, Mr. Enelamah enjoined participants of the round table to take advantage of the Forum to partner with the government to build synergies that will translate to increased trade and investment flows between Nigeria and Germany, help establish and strengthen business relationships, and provide practical lessons. He explained the objectives of the forum as: presenting the case for why we believe that Nigeria is the investment destination of choice. And we believe the German business community will continue to take advantage of the massive investment opportunity that Nigeria represents. Nigeria remains the number one investment destination in Africa, with announced investments of US$66.36 Billion in 2017. Apart from our domestic market of over 180 million, the largest in Africa, we are also the main gateway to the regional West African consumer market that is about as large as ours. Discussing and learning about two underlying strengths of the German Economy the small and medium scale businesses (SMEs) and technical training. It is a well known fact that Germany enjoys a leading position among the worlds exporting nations because of your successful SMEs. Germany boasts an exceptional number of hidden champions companies which rank among the top three on the global market or are European leaders but are little known to the public. It is estimated that SMEs in Germany constitute more than 3.6 million companies and provide more than 60 percent of all jobs in your country. He said the Nigerian government is committed to building on our core advantages and using examples from countries like Germany to deliver a sustainable and inclusive economy. We believe that our role is to create the enabling environment for investors and businesses to thrive, he stated, adding that there has been a renewed emphasis on building out the hard and soft infrastructure to make Nigeria one of the most attractive places for business. In a presentation, Mr. Awolowo, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, highlighted Nigerias economic performance under the Buhari administration and outlined foreign investment opportunities and incentives in Nigeria. He said Nigerias zero-oil plan is aimed at generating an extra US$25-30 billion from non-oil exports, and eliminate the countrys over dependence on crude oil prices. Germany is expected to play a significant role in providing foreign investments to boost the Nigerian exports agenda, he added. Towards the end of the forum, President Buhari and his guest, Chancellor Merkel, draped in simplicity with no airs around them joined in from an adjoining office. As they took their seats among their respective delegations the optics showed contentment about the success of the day. After a briefing of the two leaders by Dr, Enelamah, they commended the outcome of the deliberations. The forum had started earlier in the meeting room of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with the signing of Memorandums of Understanding between the two countries. They were: MoU between the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, (NACCIMA) and the German-Africa Business Association. Deputy national president of NACCIMA, Saratu Abubakar, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while Stefan Liebing, of German Africa Business Association, signed on behalf of the German business delegation. Agreement between the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL, and the PETKUS Technologie GmbH, a company that specializes in post-harvest agricultural value chain which was signed by Aliyu Abdulhameed and a representative of PETKUS Technologie GmbH, Peter Huser. The MOU between Nigeria and Volkswagen was signed by the Dr. Enelamah on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, and Mr. Thomas Schaefer, Head of Volkswagen sub-Saharan operations for the establishment of an automotive hub in Nigeria. Speaking after signing the MOUs, Mr. Enelamah said the agreements would increase collaboration between Nigeria and Germany to grow small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. We want our MSMEs to learn from the German experience and be as important. The other area of German excellence is the technical area- technical education, technical training and technical development. Its also an area of great interest to Nigeria, Enelamah said. Theresa May A few days before the visit of the Germans, British Prime Minister Theresa May led a delegation to Nigeria. Both in Abuja and Lagos, where they visited trade and investment featured prominently in his meetings. I was in Abuja and also in Lagos to see the thriving business community here. We want to see increased trade between Nigeria and UK, increased investment, bringing jobs here in Nigeria, jobs in the UK. Speaking on her visit to Lagos, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said it centred on in improving investment in the state and the country in general. FOCAC in China In China where President Buhari attended the 7th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) shortly after the visit of the Germans, trade and investment also got prime attention. Indeed about 100 Nigerian businesses and 300 Chinese firms participated in the Nigeria-China business forum which took place a day after President Buhari began his visit. President Buhari expressed satisfaction with the fruitfulness of FOCAC, disclosing that Nigeria has gained from China the execution of infrastructure projects worth $5bn across the country in the last three years. Outlining the benefits of last weeks visit to China, Presidential Spokesman Garba Shehu said the Nigerian delegation signed 13 agreements during the summit out of 25, with more to be signed by the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation. He added that: In all, more than USD 10 billion agreements were signed. Others, still under discussion will be quantified upon the conclusion of discussions by various parties. Among those that have been signed, in agreements or MOUs include the agreement entered by the Ministry of Industries, Trade and Investment with Shandong Ruyi International Fashion Industry for USD 2 billion, for a first-ever cotton value chain that is from cotton growing to ginning, spinning, textile manufacture and garment with Katsina, Kano, Abia and Lagos States as the chosen locations; and the agreement between the China National Petroleum Corporation, and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation for the Ajaokuta Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline. Conclusion So in less than two weeks, Nigeria had high-profile engagements with three of the worlds leading economies. Industry, Trade and Investment Minister unpacks the implications for Nigeria: Naturally, these are strong stimuli to trigger excitement. The leaders of those powerful nations demonstrated belief in the potentials of the Nigerian economy; and endorsement of our efforts in exploiting the potentials in the various sectors of the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians. They also see in the economy investment opportunities for their nationals, which they didnt mince words about. For sure, Nigeria is a strong economic force for partnerships in trade and investment. The several MoUs signed in the last few days testify to this. The Ministry, and the Federal Government in general, is committed to ensuring that the country derives maximum benefits from the engagements and continue to improve the investment climate. Bisi is Strategy and Communications Adviser to Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), operators of the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO), has sued its partner Samsung Heavy Industries, over an alleged disregard for Nigerian laws and regulations on doing business. LADOL is in charge of logistics for the Egina FPSO while Samsung handles the fabrication and integration. There has been wrangling between the partners over claims that LADOL imposes charges outside the contract of the Lagos free zone thereby making it unattractive to investors. In a statement issued over the weekend, LADOLs managing director, Amy Jadesimi, stated that her company had filed a suit at the Federal High Court against Samsung alleging that its partners operation in Nigeria has been fraught with mischief and reckless disregard for stakeholders including regulators, employees and Nigerian citizens. Samsung has brazenly and persistently flouted Nigerian laws and breached contracts it duly signed with Ladol and its affiliates, the statement read. According to Ms Jadesimi, the suit was precipitated by Samsungs refusal to abide by Conditions of Service for Nigerian Staff and abuse of Nigerian workers, violating procedures of the Nigerian Customs Service, Violation of Nigerian immigration procedures, breaches of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board regulations, refusal to remit statutory tariffs to the Federal Government despite several demands from the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority. She also alleged that Samsung was sponsoring the publication of malicious and false information about Nigerian government agencies and the business climate in Nigeria, thereby denigrating the Ease of Doing Business regimen in Nigeria, Persistent failure to comply with rules and regulations of the Free Zone, concealing sums of money provided for in the head contract from LADOL, their local content partner. LADOLs boss further accused Samsung of demanding huge unconscionable variations from their client (Total/NNPC Joint Venture) and by extension from the Nigerian people, exclusion of their Nigerian content partner from operational activities, and thereby refusing to transfer technology and blatant repudiation of major contractual terms in agreements duly signed with Ladol. Samsungs activities threaten the safety and peace of the free zone and of other responsible Nigerian and foreign Enterprises doing legitimate business within the zone. Samsung is committed to operating in a manner that brazenly defies our Nigerian regulators, flouts our laws, maltreats Nigerian workers and sabotages the economy of our dear country, the statement claimed. Ms. Jadesimi added that her company has, therefore, decided not to renew Samsungs licence. Samsung failed to meet the minimum standard required to qualify for an Operating License in a Free Zone, their license has therefore expired without renewal Samsungs Sublease Agreement has been duly terminated Ladol has been the local content partner for Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (Samsung) for the Egina FPSO project. As a responsible Nigerian company, Ladol has put public duty and national interest ahead of its private interests and concerns for some time, with respect to the Egina project and the actions of Samsung. However, LADOL now has no choice but to bring to the fore issues that have arisen due to the actions of Samsung. Grace Olasumbo, a Nutritionist, has advised Nigerians to be wary of fruits and vegetables that do not have uniform colours, especially when they appear with yellow and green patches. Olasumbo gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja against backdrop of the federal governments concern over the dangers in using carbide and other chemical substances to forcefully ripen fruits and vegetables. She noted that fruits and vegetables that appear in such manner were an indication of artificial ripening, which is most prevalent at the beginning of a fruit season. The nutritionist added that calcium carbide remained the most commonly used chemical for ripening these fruits. She said that application of this chemical always put the fruits under severe pressure to become ripe prematurely. This is the same chemical that is used to manufacture fire-crackers; they are also used as pesticides. They contain phosphorous and releases acetylene gas, which hastens the ripening of fruits. When an individual takes in such poisonous substance, the chemical components would cause a fatal reaction which could affect the liver, kidney and throat. Intake of Calcium Carbide has also been found to be the leading cause of various health conditions such as diarrhoea, severe gastrointestinal upset, eye problems, ulcers and emotional trauma. Others are restlessness, seizures, tremors, irritation of the skin, mouth, throat, liver and cancer, she said. Ms Olasumbo added that careful physical examination of the fruits before buying would save Nigerians from having these diseases. She advised that people should pick their fruits wisely at the stores or markets. Fruits such as bananas, mangoes, apples, watermelons, orange, peers, among others, should be properly checked. Most times, the colour of the fruits will not be uniform; it may have yellow and green patches unlike when it naturally ripens. The texture will also be hard even when it appears yellow. The fruits will also be low on flavour, less juicy and often will not be as sweet as they should, she added. The nutritionist advised Nigerians to ensure adequate washing of fruits and vegetables before consumption and once the taste is odd, they should discontinue its intake. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Association of Fruits Sellers, Kano State Chapter, has appealed to members across the country to fear God and stop artificial ripening of fruits and related commodities because of its inherent health dangers. The Public Relations Officer II of the association at Yanlemu Market, Ado Shehu, made the call in an interview with NAN in Kano on Sunday. I am using this opportunity to call on our members nationwide to have the fear of Allah in mind so that they will not cause any harm to consumers as carbide is dangerous to human health, he said. Mr Shehu said members of the association at Yan Lemu Market in Kano had since stopped using chemicals such as carbide for artificial ripening of fruits following measures adopted by the state Ministry of Health in sensitising them on the dangers of the practice. The practice has stopped due to the health talks made by the Kano State Ministry of Health on the dangers of carbide and other chemicals on consumers health. It has been a long time ago we caught two sellers using carbide and they were punished by the association. We usually go round the market from time to time to make sure that fruits sellers abide by the law on the use of carbide and other chemicals, he said. The spokesman explained that the price of naturally ripe 20 bunches of banana is N15,000 while the green one is sold at N11,000. According to him, the ripe fruits are being sold in town while the unripe fruits are being sold to buyers that come from neighbouring states to purchase the commodity. By the time they get to their various destinations, the fruits would have been naturally ripened, Mr Shehu said. However, a plantain seller at Sabon Gari Market, Kano city, told NAN on condition of anonymity that some of the plantain sellers still used artificial ripening substances like carbide to force the fruits to ripen especially during harmattan season. Carbide is popularly used to ripen fruits such as banana, plantain and mango inside a container like box, the source said. He said: I normally buy green plantain from the market and put it inside a special leather in a box and store it for three to four days for it to be ripen. Sometimes if we need ripe plantain urgently, we apply carbide and it takes only one day for it to be ripened and ready to be sold out. Twelve bunches of green plantain is sold at between N15,000 and N12,000 depending on the size, while the naturally ripe plantain is sold at between N8,000 and N10,000 per bunch, he said. He further revealed that the naturally ripe plantain spends four days before it is spoilt while the artificially ripe ones get spoilt in two days. (NAN) While the Nigerian government has continued to be silent over the certificate forgery scandal of its finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, it has successfully prosecuted a civil servant for falsifying his ICAN certificate. James Lebi-Ayodele, who worked at the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, was convicted by an FCT High Court in Jabi in July and sentenced to two years in prison without an option of fine for forging the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria certificate. According to a report in Vanguard, the judge, Yusuf Halilu, said the convict would have risen to the position of the Auditor General of the Federation with a forged certificate in the future if the forgery had not been detected. The judge also ordered Mr Lebi-Ayodele to pay 100, 000 in restitution. The conviction came days after PREMIUM TIMES exposed how Ms Adeosun skipped the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps scheme and forged a certificate that fraudulently indicated she was exempted from participating. The revelation trigerred widespread outrage from Nigerians, with the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, a nongovernmental organisation, petitioning the police inspector general demanding an investigation into the claims against the minister. Last month, another nongovernmental organisation, the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), sued the NYSC for its failure to disclose details of the certificate paraded by the minister. The group had earlier made a freedom of information request to the NYSC which the agency ignored. In August, Lai Mohammed, the information minister, said the appropriate agency was still investigating the allegations against Ms Adeosun and that the president would only act at the end of the probe. So far, the corps only comment on the scandal was a short statement on July 9 saying it would investigate the claims. But the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) acted swiftly in the case of Mr Lebi-Ayodele, arraigning him on three counts of forgery, being in possession of a forged document, and giving false information. In sentencing the convict, the judge said it would serve as lesson to those who procure fake certificates and those who intend to engage in such act in the future. The convict knew full well that he never had ICAN certificate, the judge said. He forged the certificate and eventually got elevated from executive officer to a senior auditor in a country where securing government employment is a huge challenge, and with the army of graduates who have truly earned better certificate but (have) remained unemployed. Government should scrutinise all employees in her payroll to ensure only those who deserve to be gainfully employed are employed. The convict shall serve his term in Keffi Prison. It is now over 60 days since Minister Adeosun was exposed for forgery but authorities are yet to open investigation into her case. Many Nigerians believe Ms Adeosuns offences might be higher than Mr Lebi-Ayodeles, having used her forged NYSC certificate to clinch high level jobs, including those of commissioner in Ogun State, and minister in the federal cabinet. There are suggestions that she could be prosecuted for perjury as well for presenting the fake certificate to the Ogun House of Assembly and the Senate as genuine. Lying on oath is a criminal offence in Nigeria, which attracts jail terms. For instance, a year ago, the Federal High Court in Lagos jailed one Ibikunle Olusakin, to seven years imprisonment for presenting forged documents to the court when he acted as surety for a suspect. According to a report by The Nation, Mr. Olusakin stood as surety for Emmanuel Nweke, charged with unlawful importation and possession of prohibited firearms. After Mr. Nweke jumped bail, the police found that he lied on oath and that all the documents he presented were fake. The forged document presented ny the surety included a University of Lagos (UNILAG) degree certificate dated March 3,1982, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate with no. A815994, dated September 4, 1983 and a Lagos State Government Confirmation of Appointment letter dated October 16, 1989. He also presented a Lagos State Government offer of appointment as Primary Class Teacher dated August 12, 1985; Lagos State Government Educational District II letter dated April 4, 2011 and Lagos State Government Staff Identify Card. Justice Mohammed Idris promptly sentenced him to seven, three and seven years respectively in count one, two and three. The sentence is running concurrently. At the last count, no fewer than 14 members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have indicated their intention to seek the presidential ticket of the party. The aspirants are a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; his predecessor, David Mark; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso; a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; and a former governor of Kaduna State and former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi. Others are a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; a former governor of Plateau State, David Jang; a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki; and a former Kaduna North senator, Datti Baba-Ahmed. Barring any last minute change of mind, all the aspirants will present themselves to the delegates to the partys national convention slated for October 5 and 6, to be chosen as its flag bearer in the February 16 presidential election. Although, all the aspirants are tested politicians who have also occupied varied prominent positions in the public and private sectors, the ambitions of some of them are dogged by controversies and allegations of corruption against them. The aspirants with baggage are: Atiku Abubakar Mr Abubakar was Nigerias vice president between 1999 and 2007 on the ticket of the PDP. He later contested for president on the platform of the defunct AC but lost. He also contested the primaries of the PDP and APC in 2011 and 2014, respectively and also failed. On July 21, Mr Abubakar declared his bid to contest again on the ticket of the PDP in Yola, the state capital. Mr Abubakars ambition is dogged by allegations of corruption while he was in office as vice president. A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar In 2006, the Senate ad hoc committee headed by Victor Ndoma-Egba investigated and indicted him and his former principal, Olusegun Obasanjo, of mismanagement of funds belonging to the Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF). The committee in its report the following year said Mr Abubakar abused his office by aiding and abetting the diversion of public funds in the sums of $125 million and $20 million, and should be sanctioned. The committee was constituted in 2006 following verbal brickbats between Messrs Obasanjo and Abubakar on the mismanagement of the funds. One of the 12 findings of the panel, said, With regards to the approval which the vice president gave in respect of the $20 million on 14th October, 2003, without the authority of Mr President, the Committee views the approval of the vice president as illegal and therefore recommends that the vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar be referred to the Code of Conduct Bureau for further action. But Mr Abubakar dismissed the report, citing political persecution. He spoke again on the matter on Tuesday while on a visit to Ekiti State. I have always said that if they have any evidence of corruption against Atiku, please come forward. But nobody has been able to come forward, he said. Besides, Mr Abubakar is also trailed by another corruption allegation in faraway U.S. The former vice president was alleged to have received kickbacks for his role in helping an American firm, iGate, secure a contract to expand broadband in Nigeria. Williams Jefferson, an American politician who was a member of the U.S. Congress at the time, was convicted for his role in the contract fraud. Mr Jefferson was said to be an associate of Mr Abubakar, and it was reported that the infamous $100,000 cash that was found in Mr Jeffersons refrigerator was intended as parts of the bribes to be paid out to Mr Abubakar. Mr Jefferson was convicted on 11 out of 16 counts of criminal charges filed against him in 2009 and sentenced to jail shortly thereafter. But prosecutors could not find Mr Jefferson guilty of allegations of bribing foreign officials, which meant that there was no evidence to link Mr Abubakar to the $100,000 bribe. Despite this, Mr Abubakars critics insist he cannot travel to the U.S. because of the matter. Mr Abubakar however has repeatedly said he had nothing to do in the U.S. He explained that he had no reason to visit the country because his wife, Jennifer, no longer lives there. Bukola Saraki Mr Saraki was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011. In 2011, he was elected into the senate and has since been there. Early in the life of the current federal administration in which he is number three in the hierarchy, Mr Saraki was charged by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki He faced a 13-count charge bordering on corruption and false assets declaration. The senate president was specifically accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) while he was governor of Kwara state. After about three years of tortuous judicial journey, Mr Saraki was cleared of all the allegations by the Supreme Court on July 6. While the CCB case lasted, findings by PREMIUM TIMES and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (Paradise Papers), in 2017, indicated that Mr. Saraki sat on the board of an offshore entity while he was governor and later member of the Nigerian Senate in violation of Nigerias code of conduct law. The senate president set up Tenia Limited in the Cayman Islands a notorious tax haven in the Caribbean in 2001, and ran it until at least 2015 as director and sole shareholder. It is not clear what business he transacted with the entity and what asset he might have used it to conceal. Findings indicated that Mr Saraki failed to list the firm in his assets declaration filings when he was elected governor of Kwara in 2003, in defiance of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. He also did not list the company when he was reelected governor in 2007 and when he was elected senator in 2011. Also, PREMIUM TIMES reports on the Panama Papers linked several firms to Mr. Saraki based on the trove of 11.5 million documents and reported that the first, Girol Properties Ltd., was registered in the British Virgin Island (BVI) on August 25, 2004, a year after the politician became governor. The second company, Sandon Development Limited, was registered in Seychelles Island on January 12, 2011 and had Toyin Saraki, his wife and one Babatunde Morakinyo, (a long-term personal aide and friend of Mr. Saraki) as shareholders. The third hidden company in the name of Mrs. Saraki is Landfield International Developments Ltd., a company registered in the British Virgin Islands on April 8, 2014. The companies were never disclosed and it turned out Mrs. Saraki was a mere front for her husband. But in his response, Mr. Saraki said the controversial assets belonged to the estate of his wifes rich and famous family, and that the law did not mandate him to declare such category of assets. Recently, the Nigeria Police linked the senate president with armed robbery in Offa, Kwara State, that led to the death of over 30 persons. The police said some of the arrested suspects in the April Offa robbery confessed that Mr Saraki and Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, were their sponsors. In August, a Federal Capital Territory High Court ordered the suspension of investigation into the alleged involvement of Mr Saraki pending further hearing on the matter. David Mark He was senate president from 2007 to 2015 on the ticket of the PDP. Mr Mark, who represents Benue South, is the longest serving senator in Nigeria having been first elected into the chamber in 1999. The former senate president was first questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in December 2017 and again in January 2018 over receipt of illegal funds in the days before the 2015 elections. Senator David Mark He was grilled over alleged payment of N2 billion into the National Assembly account by the PDP for distribution to senators. Mr Mark has since denied receiving such fund. PREMIUM TIMES also reported that Mr Mark had links with eight offshore companies in British Virgin Island as shown by the Panama Papers. The database showed Mr. Mark was one of Nigerias most extensive users of offshore shell companies while serving as a public official. The companies are Sikera Overseas S.A, Colsan Enterprises Limited, Goldwin Transworld Limited, Hartland Estates Limited, Marlin Holdings Limited, Medley Holdings Limited, Quetta Properties Limited, and Centenary Holdings Limited. In the documents, Mr. Mark was repeatedly marked as a politically exposed person, and at a point the former senate president had to send documents, across to Mossack Fonseca to prove that he was clean. But Mr Mark denied that the PanamaPapers database mentioned him anywhere. Sule Lamido Mr Lamido is the immediate past governor of Jigawa State, which he governed between 2007 and 2015. He had been foreign affairs minister between 1999 and 2007. In July 2015, Mr. Lamido and his sons were arraigned by the EFCC on allegations of money laundering, amongst other charges. Sule Lamido, Former governor of Jigawa state A 28-count charge bordering on a number of alleged breach of trust was slammed on Mr Lamido, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido and one Aminu Wada Abubakar, in a Kano High Court. They allegedly received N1.35 billion kickback from a government contractor. The money was allegedly paid into accounts controlled by the governor and his sons. They all pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them and were granted bail. They were however remanded by the court pending their bail application hearing. In July 2017, the EFCC re-arraigned Mr Lamido, his two sons, and five others before Justice B.O. Quadri of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Mr. Lamido, his sons, Aminu and Mustapha, were on re-arraigned alongside Aminu Abubakar, Batholomew Agoha and three companies on charges bordering on corruption, money laundering and illegal diversion of public funds to the tune of N1.35 billion. They also pleaded not guilty to the charges. The accused were admitted to a N25 million bail bond each, in addition to a requirement that they submit their travel passport to the court. The court also directed that they provide two sureties each, one of which must be a civil servant of grade level 16 or retired as such, or a businessman who owns a landed property not worth less that N75 million in Abuja or Jigawa state. Attahiru Bafarawa Mr Bafarawa was the governor of Sokoto State from 1999 to 2007 on the ticket of the defunct ANPP. He ran for president on DPP platform in 2007 but lost. He joined the PDP in 2014. He was a member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic. In 2015, Mr Bafarawa, his son, Sagir, a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, and others were arraigned in court for alleged money laundering and criminal breach of trust. Attahiru Bafarawa They were accused of diversion, misappropriation and breach of public trust in respect of N19.4 billion. Mr Bafarawas son, Sagir, allegedly acting as front for his father, received N4.6 billion from the NSAs office. They were arraigned on 22-count charge before Justice Peter Affem of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High court. When the charges were read to them, all the accused persons denied the charges one after the other. Earlier in 2009, the EFFC had preferred N15 billion corruption charge against the former Sokoto governor. Mr Bafarawa and four others were arraigned in a Sokoto High Court in 2009 on allegations bordering on corruption, illegal sale of government shares, misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen properties and unauthorised payments allegedly committed between 2003 and 2007. The others were Beedash Nigeria Limited, Nasdabap Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Nasiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and Alhaji Salihu Maibuhu Gummi. The defendants alongside 12 others were first arraigned on 47 counts on December 16, 2009 before the Sokoto State High Court. Upon arraignment, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Commission. However, in July this year, the court discharged and acquitted them of the charges, an action the EFCC described as shocking and unacceptable. However, the recent case involving the former NSA is still ongoing. Jonah David Jang He is the immediate past governor of Plateau State and a serving senator representing Plateau North. Mr Jang, a retired air commodore, was military governor of Benue and the old Gongola States between 1985 and 1987. Jonah Jang Mr Jang, 74, is being prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged corruption. He and a former cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Yusuf Pam, were fingered in the diversion of N6.3 billion belonging to the Plateau State Government. In May, the former governor was incarcerated and later granted bail by the Plateau State High Court after one week in detention. Mr Jang had earlier dragged the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to court for including his name in a controversial looters list published by the federal government. According to the list, the former governor stole N12 billion from the states treasury while in office. What the law says Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) says, a person shall not be qualified for election to the office of the President if he is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by such a court or tribunal, or e) within a period of less than ten years before the date of the election to the office of the President has been convicted and sentence for an offence involving dishonesty or he has been found guilty of the contravention of the of the Code of Conduct;. What PDP will do The PDP says despite the allegations, its aspirants will be allowed to contest the primary at the national convention because the countrys laws are clear about the qualifications of a presidential aspirant. Remember Baba (former President Obasanjo) wanted to use EFCC case to stop Atiku (in 2006). Atiku went through the High Court up to Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court and the ruling was that the constitution has specified those that cannot contest election and the provision of the constitution and the Electoral Act are unambiguous and any other law is inferior to the provision of the constitution, Kola Ologbondiyan, its spokesperson, told PREMIUM TIMES. Nigerians know the kind of president that they want. Who will become the president of Nigeria is not within the ambit of any individual to determine. It is left for voters to decide who will be their president. I am aware that the APC/Buharis government is plotting with the EFCC to use the EFCC to determine those who will run for the election. But the provision of the constitution is very clear. Our electoral law has removed the screening of aspirant and candidates from the INEC and put it in the hands of the party. They dont understand governance. The provision of constitution and electoral law is unambiguous. They have no power to screen anybody and they have no power to stop any body. They have no power to stop anybody. Everybody (the aspirants) will be given a level playing field. The way our presidential candidate is going to be elected will be transparently clear and clean to all Nigerians and in fact to the entire world. Boko Haram gunmen on Friday night carried out another attack on a military base in Borno State, an official said. The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Usman Durkwa, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Maiduguri on Saturday said the troops and neighbouring communities were attacked in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state. It was in Gudumbali, the headquarters of Guzamala Local Government Area that the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, in July this year, inaugurated a cenotaph to commemorate the killing of about 144 soldiers in an attack by Boko Haram in 2014. The inauguration was done at the time persons displaced from the liberated community were returning to it. The deputy governor however said he has no idea of the casualties from Fridays attack. It is unfortunate to confirm to you that there was an attack by Boko Haram extremists in a military base and other communities of Gudumbali, he said. Thousands of the people who were displaced and spent some years in a resettlement camps in Maiduguri have returned back recently after the liberation of those surrounding communities by our gallant security forces. I regret to inform you that there was another attack by insurgents in Gudumbali, but I am yet to get the number of casualties. I just spoke with the Police Commissioner, Damian Chukwu and the Brigade Commander in Monguno, both confirmed to me that the attack actually took place, and our security forces were on top of the situation, Mr Durkwa said. I therefore call on the good people of the state not to panic, as government in collaboration with security operatives and members of Civilian Joint Task Force, JTF are doing everything possible to restore peace in the affected area and the state as a whole. An official of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Gudumbali, Bunu Bukar, told journalists in Maiduguri on Saturday that the attack was large and unexpected. It was on Friday evening and all of a sudden we saw people fleeing and screaming in panic, I saw the gunmen marching into our community and telling people to calm down and quietly pick whatever items of ours, and move out of the town as they said we were not their target. Mr. Bukar said he was not sure if any civilian was hurt in ensuing shootout between the armed group and Nigerian soldiers. The military has not issued any statement on the attack. The attack is the latest by the Boko Haram on security forces. Scores of soldiers have died in recent similar attacks in Borno and Yobe, with many of such attacks denied by the military. The attacks by the Boko Haram prompted the army chief, Tukur Buratai, to warn army commanders of grave consequences should they abandon their positions in the face of firepower from Boko Haram insurgents. The Boko Haram insurgency has caused about 100,000 deaths since 2009, according to the Borno State Government. Efforts by soldiers have since 2015 limited the actions of the insurgents to three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. The Nigerian Army on Sunday reacted to the daring Boko Haram attack on a military base and neighbouring communities in Guzamala Local Government Area. The army said its officers regrouped and have restored total normalcy in Gundubali and other neighbouring communities in Guzamala. PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on the military base and surrounding communities by Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday. The attack was first confirmed to journalists by the Borno State Deputy Governor, Usman Durkwa. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that scores of jihadists in gun trucks and various caliber of arms, stormed the town and engaged in fierce battle that lasted for many hours with the troops. Texas Chukwu, Director Army Public Relations, in a statement in Maiduguri, said combined troops of 82 Division Task Force Brigade and 158 Task Force Battalion involved in the counter-insurgency operations had encounter with the Boko Haram insurgents in Gudumbali. The encounter took place when the insurgents attacked the community, set some buildings ablaze and quickly withdrew from the community. However, no human casualty was recorded in the encounter, Mr Chukwu said. He added that The troops have regrouped and normalcy have been restored. The troops have also been reinforced with additional troops to dominate the general area. It will be recalled that Gudumbali is one of the communities in Borno that were recently reoccupied by Internally Displaced Persons who had voluntarily returned to their ancestral homes. The people of Gudumbali community and Guzamala Local Government in general are urged to remain calm and resilient as Operation Lafiya Dole troops tirelessly combat the terrorists. They are also implored to maintain high level of vigilance and monitor strange faces to prevent fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from infiltrating and hibernating in their communities. The good people of the North East are assured of the unalloyed resolve of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole to continue to combat the Boko Haram terrorists in the region, Mr Chukwu, a brigadier general, said. In his reaction to the attack, the Commander Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole, Uwem Bassey, lauded troops for repelling the Boko Haram attack on the military base on Saturday. Mr Chukwu quoted Mr Bassey as commending the troops during an assessment visit to Gundumbali. The commander urged the troops to continue to remain courageous while confronting the insurgents, he said. Mr Chukwu provided more details of the incident. He said the insurgents came to extort, terrorise law abiding citizens as well as to attack the military base in the town. However, they met a serious resistance by the gallant troops, he said. He did not disclose the figure of casualty or injuries sustained from both parties during the attack. The troops inflicted overwhelming casualty on the terrorists due to superior fire power while some of the terrorists fled to the fringes of Lake Chad, he said. According to him, efforts are on by the troops to get other fleeing members of the terrorists group. He advised locals in the area to be vigilant and carry out their legitimate businesses in their communities as well as report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest military base. NAN reports that the residents of Magumeri were yet to recover from the panic caused by Saturdays attack, as many of them have relocated to Gubio and Monguno. About 2,000 IDPs comprising of 200 households had returned to Guzamala to resettle and resume their traditional occupation of farming and fishing, as well as other socio-economic activities earlier this year. The army also built a cenotaph in the town to remember over 100 soldiers killed by Boko Haram in a battle in the town in 2014. The Saturday attack is the first since the residents return to the liberated community was celebrated in July. Bukar Mele, who escaped from the fighting, told NAN that the attackers invaded the town unexpectedly and asked the villagers to run away for their lives. Mr Mele said he immediately took his family and began running just as they (Boko Haram) instructed the residents, leaving behind his belongings. They told us in Kanuri to vacate the place so that what they came to do will not affect us. So we all took to our heels in different directions for safety, he said. Abdul Bari, another local in the area, said the insurgents assured that they did not come with intention to kill civilians. Their target was the military and not civilians. This is what they told us as they ask us to get out of their sight within a blink of an eye. The insurgents were fully kitted with khaki and covered their faces. After one minute, they began shooting from the gun truck facing the military location. There were sounds of sporadic gunshots from many directions. I dont know what happened but the army was engaging with the terrorists, he said. The mode of the attack where insurgents decline to attack civilians is typical of the Boko Haram faction led by Abu-Musab Al-Barnawi. The Al-Barnawi faction mainly targets security forces but also kidnaps civilians to raise funds through ransom. The faction is believed to have been responsible for the kidnap of scores of girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State. One of the girls, Leah Sharibu, is still with the terror group after she reportedly refused to denounce her Christian faith when others were released after negotiations with government. The Al-Barnawi faction is different from that led by Abubakar Shekau which randomly attacks both civilian and military targets at will. Buharis refusal assent to the Electoral Bill, Release of timetable for APC primary elections/nomination fees, adoption of indirect primaries by APC in the states, Shekaraus defection, others dominate political scene The refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the 2018 electoral bill, adoption of mode of primary elections by APC in states, former Governor Ibrahim Shekaraus defection from PDP to APC, David Mark and Donald Dukes declarations for the presidency were some of the major political events in the country last week. Sunday APC State Chairpersons Meet Some state chairpersons of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met in Abuja over the decision of the party to adopt direct primaries for all elective positions in the states. The ruling party, at its National Executive Committee meeting the previous Thursday resolved to adopt direct primary for the election of its presidential candidate and direct primaries at the state level. The meeting followed a clarification the previous day by the APC that agreement was reached on direct primaries to select its candidates for the presidential, governorship, national and state assemblies in 2019, a development which some state governors were not comfortable with. The chairpersons resolved to resist the option of direct primaries in their states. They met to challenge the decision despite an earlier warning in a statement by the APC acting spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, that the meeting was illegal. File photo of APC Secretariat The party chiefs, following the warning, changed the venue of the meeting from Transcorps Hilton Hotel to Barcelona Hotel in the nations capital. Most APC state chapters have since adopted indirect primaries, contrary to the wish of the NEC. Monday Buhari Declines Assent To Electoral Bill In what many watchers of Nigerias democracy described as a possible setback for the coming general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018 due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the bill. Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), disclosed the presidents action and discomfort in a statement in Abuja. Presidential aide, Ita Enang, Mr Enang said the president had already communicated his position to the Senate and the House of Representatives on August 30. Mr President is declining assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the Bill. Mr President invites the Senate and House of Representatives to address these issues as quickly as possible so that he may grant assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill, the presidential aide said. The opposition party, PDP, later criticised Mr Buhari for not signing the bill. Tuesday PDP Asks National Assembly To Override Buhari On this day, Nigerias main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged the National Assembly to use their constitutional power to override President Muhammadu Buhari on the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill. PDP made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday in Abuja. The party said Mr Buharis veto did not come as a surprise, since his commitment to a free and fair 2019 election was mere lip service. It said that it had become clear to Nigerians that the reasons adduced by the president for withholding assent to bills were lame excuses. David Mark Joins 2019 Presidential Race A former senate president, David Mark, picked the nomination form of the PDP to run for president. David Mark arriving the PDP Headquarters Mr Mark, who represents Benue South at the Senate, joined a list of over a dozen aspirants to declare their intention to run for president on the PDP platform. He is the fourth of his Senate colleagues to declare his intention to be Nigerias president in 2019. The previous week, his colleagues, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Jonah Jang separately declared their intentions to run for the same seat on the ticket of the PDP. Mr Mark, the longest serving senate president in Nigerias history, explained that he wanted to be president in order to restructure the nation. Donald Duke Dumps PDP For SDP A former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, defected from the PDP to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and said he would run for the office of Nigerian president on the latters platform. Donald Duke entering SDP The two-term governor of Cross River State announced his decision at the national secretariat of the SDP where he was received by the national secretary, Shehu Gabam, the publicity secretary, Alfa Mohammed, amongst others. Osinbajo, Atiku trade tackles over restructuring The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, replied a presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, who criticised his stance on restructuring. Yemi Osinbajo Mr Osinbajo had spoken in the U.S. about restructuring not being Nigerias major problem. Mr Abubakar, also a former vice president, said Mr Osinbajo got it wrong. former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar He said it was surprising that Mr Osinbajo would take such a position and, in particular, fail to appreciate the connection between Nigerias defective structure and its underperformance. In his response contained in a letter to the editor, the vice president said among other things that he rejected the notion that geographical restructuring was a solution to our national problems. I then argued that what we required now was not geographical restructuring but good governance, honest management of public resources, deeper fiscal Federalism, and a clear vision for development, he said. Mr Abubakar later replied Mr Osinbajo, listing six steps he believes are crucial to restructuring. APC Releases Timetable For Primaries, Nomination Fees The APC released the timetable for its primaries ahead of the 2019 general election. In the timetable signed by the National Organising Secretary of the party, Emmanuel Ibediro, the APC said the activities would commence with the sale of forms from September 5 to 10. This will be followed by nationwide congresses on September 12 to elect delegates for other primaries except the presidential which will be decided by direct primary. The timetable showed the presidential primary will be conducted on September 20 while governorship primaries will be held on September 26. The party also fixed nomination fees for various elective positions. House of Assembly aspirants will pay a total of N850,000; House of Representatives aspirants are to pay a total of N3,850,000. Senate aspirants will pay a total of N7 million, governorship aspirants a total of N22.5 million and presidential aspirants a total of N45 million. Wednesday Group pays N45m to buy APC presidential form for Buhari A group, Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN), paid the N45 million required by President Muhammadu Buhari to buy the presidential form, a presidential aide said. President Muhammadu Buhari nomination form and expression of interest form The groups action came barely 24-hours after the formal announcement of dates for the APC primaries and fees for forms for various political positions by the governing party. Mr Buhari was still in China on an official visit when the group paid the money. Zamfara, Yobe, Plateau APC adopt indirect primaries; Kebbi, consensus The APC in Zamfara, Yobe, Plateau, Borno, Nasarawa and Sokoto States adopted indirect elections for the partys primaries to select candidates for the 2019 general elections. The party in Lagos, Kano and Niger settled for direct primaries. However Kebbi and Ogun State chapters of the party opted for consensus selection of candidates for the elections. IPAC Gets New National Officers The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) elected Peter Ameh as its new chairman. Mr Ameh, who is the National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) defeated the National Chairman of the United People Party (UPP), Chekwas with 51 votes to 28. Other winners included Geff Ojinika (deputy chairman), Ikenga Ugochinyere (spokesperson), Dakpokpo Georgina (national secretary), Eunice Atuejide (deputy national secretary) and Okey Chikwendu (national treasurer). A total of 82 out of the 91 political parties participated in the election. Osun PDP Factions Sign Peace Agreement The rivalry between the Osun PDP gubernatorial candidate, Ademola Adeleke, and his rival, Akin Ogunbiyi, was settled with the signing of a peace pact. Senator Ademola Adeleke,[Photo: Pulse.ng] The governorship election holds on September. The process which led to the emergence of Mr Adeleke on July 21 generated a lot of controversies within the party and resulted in pro-Akinbiyi faction and pro-Adeleke faction of the opposition party. The signing of the agreement between the duo was announced on Wednesday by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who heads the partys campaign team for the gubernatorial election. Thursday Katsina, Kaduna Opt For Indirect Primaries The Katsina and Kaduna States chapters of the APC resolved to adopt indirect primaries to pick the candidates for the various elective positions. In Katsina, the party faithful endorsed the 2019 re-election aspirations of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari. Furthermore, the meeting also agreed to raise money to donate to the president for his re-election campaign. In Kaduna, the party said, Experience of Direct Primaries from the recently concluded primary elections for councillorship in state where the party adopted direct primaries to select its candidates was marred by significant disruption and controversy and over stretched the security agencies. Using this mode for the upcoming primary elections would definitely not produce the desired results and its credibility may be called to question. Earlier on Wednesday, Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna central district, had joined some other aspirants in the state to write the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, requesting that the state chapter be compelled to adopt direct primary mechanism which the party earlier settled for. Fracas At PDP Secretariat Violence erupted at the PDP national secretariat as supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who accompanied him to submit his presidential nomination form, clashed with some thugs. PDP Headquarters (Photo Credit: TVC News) Mr Abubakars supporters arrived at the secretariat at about 9 a.m., drumming and dancing while waiting for him. The aspirant arrived at about noon, and while submitting his nomination form inside the party secretariat, pandemonium erupted as some persons suspected to be political thugs attacked his supporters. The development caused chaos as people scampered for safety, causing stampede at the secretariat main entrance as the supporters, especially women tried to rush into the premises. The situation was, however, brought under control following the intervention of policemen who promptly fired gunshots into the air to dispel the thugs. The PDP later accused the APC of sponsoring the thugs. Nigerias Voting Population Now 84.3 million The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the voting population had risen to 84,271,832. INEC CHAIRMAN, MAHMOOD YAKUBU The Commissions chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, also said at the regular meeting of the commission with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) in Abuja that it will print 16,500,192 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and make them available for collection by citizens ahead of the 2019 general elections. Mr Yakubu said that for a period of 16 months, from April 27, 2017 to August 31, it registered a total of 14,551,482 new voters for its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). He said if the figure was added to the existing register of 69,720,350 voters, it meant that the nation now had a voter population of 84,271,832. Friday Shekarau, Ganduje, Oshiomhole meet in Kano A former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, incumbent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, met in Kano to put finishing touches to his (Shakarau) official defection from the PDP. L-R Ibrahim Shekarau, Adams Oshiomhole [Photo: Punch Newspapers] Mr Shekarau received the two men at his residence at Mundubawa Avenue, Kano. His spokesperson, Yau Sule, had earlier said on Tuesday the former governor was returning to the party he left for the PDP just before the 2015 general elections. But the following day, Mr Shekarau refuted the claim of his spokesperson, saying he was still consulting with his supporters. Fayose Drops Presidential Ambition The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, hinted why he is no longer interested in running for president in 2019. Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose. The outgoing governor spoke in Ado Ekiti on Friday while receiving a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Musa Kwakwanso, who was in the state to seek the support of Ekiti delegates. As a good leader, I cannot abandon my loyal deputy whose mandate was stolen by the APC and be pursuing another ambition, Mr Fayose said. My posters are there in a room. I am committed to the recovery of the mandate. Saturday Shekarau formally rejoins APC The back and forth of former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, over his political future ended as he has formally defected from the PDP to the APC. Ibrahim Shekarau Mr Shekarau declared his much anticipated defection at a meeting with loyalists held at his Mundubawa avenue residence on Saturday. He said he decided to leave PDP due to the injustice the national leadership of the party meted against the state leadership of the PDP. Mr Shekarau said the main reason for taking this decision is due to the concession of 51 per cent of the partys leadership structure from state to ward level to a presidential aspirant, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who recently decamped to the party. Mr Shekarau defected along with the dissolved state executive vice chairman, Ibrahim KT; state secretary, Auwalu Danzabuwa and state women leader, Hajiya Riga. Kingsley Moghalu Gets YPP Presidential Ticket Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, emerged the presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP). Kingsley Moghalu picks party for 2019 presidential election Mr Moghalu emerged after a delegates election at the partys first national convention and presidential primaries in Abuja. Mr Moghalu obtained 243 votes from 253 accredited delegates to beat his only opponent, Donald Igwegbu, who stepped down for him. Mr Igwegbu, announcing his decision to step down, said he took the decision not because he was not qualified to contest in 2019 but because Mr Moghalu shared the same vision with him. Saraki Appoints Campaign Spokesman Mr Saraki named a lawyer, Ilemona Onoja, as the spokesperson for his campaign. Bukola Saraki, Senate President The director general of the Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation, Mohammed Wakil, made the announcement in a statement Saturday. Mr Wakil explained that Mr. Onoja attended the Benue State University, Makurdi, the Nigerian Law School, Lagos campus, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2006. In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Cletus Ukpong, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State opens up on the 2019 general elections in Nigeria, his quarrel with the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and his many battles with the federal government and its agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Excerpts: PT: Whenever your name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is a man who is always standing up against the federal government. Wike: No, thats a misconception. I dont stand up against the federal government; I stand up against injustice, I stand up against marginalisation. It has nothing to do with you as the federal government. If this government is not in place tomorrow and another government comes in and perpetuates injustice, I will stand up against them. PT: You mean if it were a PDP government? Wike: (Cuts in) . Of course, go and ask people! Now, let me tell you something. When (goodluck) Jonathan was the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aminu Tambuwal was not the one that was supported to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Mulikat Akande-Adeola from Oyo State was the one PDP proposed and I said Look, we are talking about how to move the country forward and I supported Tambuwal then. PT: Publicly? Wike: Of course, it was not hidden! Even before Mr. President made me a minister! So, it has nothing to do with whether it is PDP or another political party in government. I have no delight to say because it is APC-led government I must, therefore, stand up against it. No! What is right must be done. What is wrong is wrong and what is right is right! PT: You have constantly accused your predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, of election-rigging. As one of the pillars that helped him to become governor, it could be assumed that you may have also taught him the art of rigging? Wike: I admit I am one of those who helped him to win the election. But who is that person who contested against Rotimi Amaechi that would have won the election against him as at that time? People must be realistic in life. Who contested against him that would have won that election at that time? The issue of rigging does not arise. Who would have won the election against him as at that time? Abiye Sekibo? Under ACN? How would ACN have won election in Rivers State as at that time? You must take into consideration that Rivers State has been a PDP state since 1999. For you to say that the election was rigged, you must also know who contested against him. Is there any way ACN would have won election as at that time? Not possible! PT: Will there ever be peace between you and Rotimi Amaechi? Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. [Photo credit: Qed.ng] Wike: I dont have any problem with him. My concern is in the interest of the state which supersedes the interest of individuals. PT: When last did you speak with Amaechi on phone? Wike: We didnt speak regularly on phone even when he was governor and I was his chief of staff. It was purely official. I did my work and he appreciated it. I dont know what he thinks now. And we dont belong to the same political party. PT: For instance, Rivers State has just lost its attorney-general, one would have expected him to probably call you. Wike: You see. Again, thats what I am saying. The attorney-general of the state died. Am I the one to call you to say my attorney-general is dead or you are the one to call and say you heard that the attorney-general died and that you want to pay a condolence visit to the state? The chairman and the managing director of NDDC (Nsima Ekere) just left here. They came on a condolence visit. PT: What have you done behind the scene to get the two of you working for the good of the state? Wike: What do you want me to do? I was a minister, he was in APC as the governor then, but I brought development to the state. I brought the Faculty of Law to the University of Port Harcourt, I brought N500 million grant to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic. I brought N500 million grant to the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. I brought UBEC (Universal Basic Education Commission) intervention to so many schools in Rivers State. I am from Rivers State and must contribute to the development to the state. This is my state. PT: Its often said that the gang up of politicians and security agencies, especially the police, started with you when you were a minister and the PDP was in control of the government at the centre. You were using the police against Governor Amaechi, when you were a minister. Now, some people believe what is happening to you today is nemesis. Wike: I never knew the then commissioner of police in the state, Mr Mbu. Mbu was not even in Rivers when I did my governorship election. Okay, assuming, though not conceding, that I used security agencies against Amaechi, and you promised Nigerians that all these things we did would not happen in your own time. So, what has happened? PT: Are you saying that you did not use the police. Wike: (Cut in) . To do what? Let me tell you I never used police convoy anywhere when I was a minister. PT: But are you aware that this is the public perception. Wike: (Cuts in) What is public perception? It is the media. The media, of course, is one body that created problem in this country, sending out false information against the government of Goodluck Jonathan. Tell me what I did. Has anybody ever seen me moving with army for one day? Has anybody ever seen me with SSS? The Department of State Security, they are here. Let them say it if they have ever given me with one SSS officer as a minister. I challenge the DSS, I challenge the army, whether as a minister I have ever used the army for one day. PT: So, the then Rivers State police commissioner, Joseph Mbu, was not working for you? Wike: He was not even here. How did I know Mbu? As a minister, I was coming home. Protocol demands that you must tell the police commissioner that you were coming home. I wrote a letter and the CP sent one convoy vehicle to take the minister, which was me, from the airport. The governor confronted him and asked him why would he send police in a Hilux truck to escort the minister. A minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is coming home and you send an escort vehicle! I never knew Mbu before. I never saw him anywhere. That is how I knew Mbu, because the governor queried him. What is nemesis? Nemesis is catching up with who? What I never participated in? PT: Theres reduction in crime rate in Rivers and the state has been peaceful. How did you achieve this? Wike: It is God! Theres nothing the APC government did not do to turn Rivers State into a place of insecurity. PT: How did God come in here? Wike: I believe in Him. Of course, this state is a Christian state, I didnt do anything. PT: You didnt do anything? Wike: Do what? I have been doing that before. Did it work? And our state is one state that has supported security agencies in this country. I have been sabotaged, but God in his infinite mercy has kept us in this state. Has the federal government ever said one day that they were sending special squad to tackle insecurity in Rivers State? We cannot rely on man, God is the ultimate, and he is the chief security officer. PT: You recently declared to run for a second term in office. We will like to know what projects and programmes you have executed that could motivate the people to support you. Wike: The public has seen what we have done so far. The former president was here to commission projects. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate President, including Senator Godswill Akpabio all came here individually at different times to commission projects. The European Commission Ambassador came here. The British High Commissioner, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, and the Obi of Onitsha came here to commission projects. The former vice president, Atiku, was here. Sule Lamido was here. Markafi was here. Aminu Tambuwal was here. I dont need to say it; the people have seen what we have done. PT: But President Buhari has not come here? Wike: We will invite him to come, we have so many projects to commission in October. But I know he wont come because he doesnt like us. PT: Did Senator Akpabio tell you he was moving to APC? Wike: He knows I wont believe it. Its a smokescreen. PT: It is like the APC in your state wants to pick someone from the private sector as their governorship candidate, someone with a deep pocket. What implication would this have on your ambition for a second term? Wike: What implication? Is it all about money? Yes, I know money is important. From what I have read, Senator Magnus Abe said he never knew the man was a member of his party. Look, let me tell you, in 2015, Tonye Cole is the man the former governor wanted to bring out for the governorship election. But he couldnt bring him out because Jonathan was running for president, and the man felt he couldnt have run against an Ijaw man. The man he is presenting today isnt a new thing, except for those who dont understand the politics of the state and what has been going on. We know and so we are not surprised. APC has a right to choose whoever they want to choose to fly their flag. I dont have a problem with that. We have prepared and we have been waiting for them to choose whoever they want to choose. What we have done will speak for us. I know the young man, there is no need to talk about him since he has not won the primary yet. For the APC to even think of bringing out anybody to stand election against me in this state, to challenge whether I have done something or not, then you should know that something is wrong somewhere. What has the federal government done for this state? Is it in terms of electric power, port, or roads? All their meetings, all their gatherings, is that they must take over Rivers State by crooks or whatever means, they want to use soldiers, police, and the SSS. The cry by the international community does not matter to them, they dont care. PT: Recently, you rejected EFCC investigations into the finances of your state. You told them to back off. Have they backed off? Wike: Im not interested whether they back off or not! A body that doesnt respect the rule of law. A body that is full with impunity, because that is what the federal government is all about impunity! You heard when the federal government, through the president, said that national security supersedes rule of law. EFCC operatives Im not against EFCC fighting corruption if at all they are fighting corruption. My concern is we must do it according to the law. Assuming, though not conceding, that we withdrew $1 trillion, what is your business? The law says we have a federation, comprising the federal government, the state government, and the local government, we go to monthly federal allocation committee meetings. When money comes into the federation account, the federal government takes its own shares of the money, the states take their shares. And now the federal government is saying that the money that comes to us as a state government, they have to monitor and know what we are doing with the money. The law says no. That is why we have the state House of Assembly that could query the governor on the expenditure or as regards the money that comes from the federation account. I was not here in 2007. In 2007, Rivers State Government went to court against the EFCC to say that you have no constitutional power to look into the expenditure and the finances of the state government. And the matter was adequately addressed and judgement was given against EFCC. Since 2007, EFCC has been struggling to appeal against the judgement, and they have not succeeded till now. What they are doing now is that if they feel that this government is not pro-Buhari or is not talking well about Buhari, they would come out to say we are investigating Rivers State Government for $300 million withdrawal. And they think that would worry us. No! No Rivers State government official will appear before them. We dont have any sleepless night. If the EFCC does not follow the law, we will not respect them. If they think they have what it takes to surround a state, they would be pushing people to do what they wouldnt have wanted to do. We are not running a military government. We are in a democracy, and democracy is shaped by the rule of law. Okay, you dont like Wike. So, what? Must you like him? Those that APC accused of being corrupt in the past 16 years are now in the APC, helping them to fight corruption! The APC people are shameless! PT: We understand there is this dichotomy between the upland and the riverine people of Rivers State. We are told that an agreement exists on power rotation and that the riverine people should take their turn for the governorship in 2019? Wike: I dont want to reduce myself to ethno-politics. Tell the person who say so, during the Ada George period, who are those who contested the election against him? In 1999, when Dr. Peter Odili contested for governor and won, who and who contested against him? Chief Ebenezer Isokariari ran against Dr. Odili. In 2003, did Dumo Lulu Briggs not run for governor against Odili? Where was it zoned to? In 2007, who and who ran against Amaechi? In 2011, who and who ran against him? In 2015, who and who ran against me? But that does not mean that one would say that it would not be fair to allow power to go to them. Okay, if Odili, as they claimed, is from the upland area and he was governor for eight years, and after that, he gave it to Amaechi, why would Amaechi not say no, it is the turn of the riverine areas? This is somebody who wants to preside over the state as a governor for the third time, and the only way he can do that is to bring a stooge to contest for governor! PT: If you win re-election in 2019, after your tenure, will you support a riverine person to emerge as governor? Wike: Fine! When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. Theres nothing wrong with the riverine people becoming governor of the state. You see, I work as a team. I dont want to deceive people, we must sit down to agree, and which is correct; not one person sitting down to dictate. They are really qualified. They have supported the PDP, and when the time comes I will do everything to support them. If you want it to go the riverine, allow the riverine people to bring anyone, and not you choosing someone for them. PT: Does it work that way? Isnt it the governor who determines who succeeds him? Wike: Let me tell you today, I will not put a successor in office. PT: Your Excellency, you are on record! Wike: Yes, I am on record! My friends and colleagues, they know me and I have told them I am a student of history. Mention who have survived it that you put your life at stake and bring up somebody to become the governor, and therefore youll be in charge and he will protect you! It is not correct! As a student of history, I know it does not work that way. Ill do what I have to do to serve my people and will retire when my time has come to an end, those who want it let them go and take it. Let the people of Rivers State decide. Thats the problem we are having in Nigeria, people want to continue as godfather. PT: Some of the leaders in the PDP complain that you have a strong grip on the party because you are one of its major funders. And they are uncomfortable with it. PDP Headquarters (Photo Credit: TVC News) Wike: In politics, every governor supports the party. Most leaders support the party. Those who are complaining about me are those who are afraid because they are the agents of APC. We know those PDP presidential aspirants who are agents of APC. We know them. The presidency and the APC have planted people within our party, and we know it. They planted Modu Sheriff and we fell for it. I bought into it not knowing it was a set-up. And then when we realised, we said no, we have to fight it. And we fought it. I cannot again fall the fool that I became under Ali Modu Sheriff. I know some of our presidential aspirants who are running on the sponsorship of the APC and the presidency. (To be continued.) The All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to name the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants allegedly being sponsored by the ruling party. Mr Wike had in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES said the APC is sponsoring some PDP presidential aspirants. We know those PDP presidential aspirants who are agents of APC. We know them. The presidency and the APC have planted people within our party, and we know it, Mr Wike said without naming the alleged moles. In its reaction, the APC in a statement by its publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena, said Mr Wikes statement is another sign of the PDPs despair over its failed 2019 election bid. We challenge Governor Wike to be brave enough and name the APC-sponsored aspirants among the crowd that have signified interest to run for the presidency under the PDP. Instead of putting it house in order, it is laughable that Governor Wike and his PDP cohorts are clutching on straws it is desperate bid to remain in public reckoning in the face of imminent 2019 defeat the statement read. The APC asked PDP members who share its progressive ideals to leave the sinking and rudderless ship and come over to the APC which it said is rebuilding and repositioning the country in all facets. The party therefore urged the PDP to quickly wake up to what it called the reality that the 2019 presidential elections have been won and lost. Mr Wike is considered the most influential politician within the PDP, having played a major role in the emergence of Uche Secondus as the partys national chairman. The Alumni Association of 3rd Regular Course of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has endorsed presidential aspirant, David Mark, for Nigerian president, his spokesperson said. According to a statement by Mr Marks media assistant, Paul Mumeh, members of the association declared that he is the stimulus needed to address the security, socio-political and economic challenges facing the nation. The endorsement came during the associations annual general meeting in Abuja on Saturday with a resolution to support Mr Marks ambition. The attendees mentioned his wealth of experience, both in the military and democratic dispensation, as a reason for the support. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association was held to mark the 51stanniversary of members admission and enlistment into the Nigerian Army (between 1967 and 1970). Speaking to journalists after the event, according to the statement, the spokesman of the association, Tunde Ogbeha, said the association identifies with Mr Mark and commends his courage for his ambition. Mark has the requisite experience and he has the deep knowledge of the Nigerian nation, he said, adding he occupies a vantage position to proffer solutions to the myriads of our problem. We will support him to ensure that he succeeds. In supporting him, we will be guided by democratic tenets and within the ambits of the law, he said. Mr Ogbeha said the association has no doubt that Mr Marks leadership of Nigeria would usher in an era of prosperity for the nation if elected. The association, he explained, meets yearly to among other things cater for the welfare of the widows of their colleagues, children and orphans in the society. Earlier, the chairman of the association, Mr Mark, noted that the association was born out of patriotism to serve the nation. Either in or out of service, we have resolved to continue to serve the nation and keep the entity as one united country, he said. He said Nigeria is endowed with abundant human and material resources which need to be harnessed for the good of all citizens. Mr Mark, who represents Benue South at the Senate, has declared his ambition to run for presidency in 2019. He has also purchased his presidential nomination form from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat. The lawmaker, the longest serving senate president in Nigerias history, joins a list of over a dozen aspirants to declare their intention to run for president under the PDP platform. He specifically promised to tackle poverty, unemployment and neglect which he said have forced some Nigerian youth to undertake the very risky route of going through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in their quest for greener pastures in Europe. Sweden faces shortage of doctors, nurses Swedes are frustrated over their universal healthcare, one of the main pillars of their cherished welfare state, with long waiting queues due to a shortage of nurses and doctors in some areas. The AFP citing official data said 80 percent of the healthcare sector is in need of nurses. Online services where patients see a doctor via webcam, have mushroomed as a result of the shortages. The health crisis is a major issue for voters as the country gets set for another election on September 9. Swedes, who on average pay more than half of their income in tax, see access to healthcare as the most important issue in the general election, polls suggest. Council inducts 45 foreign trained laboratory scientists The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has inducted 45 foreign graduates of Medical Laboratory Science. Tosan Erhabor, Acting Registrar of the council, at the induction in Abuja said the graduands have scaled through the seven months pre-qualification training and examination. Mr Erhabor, who described the induction as third in the series, noted that no fewer than 179 foreign trained scientists have so far been inducted by the council since the commencement of the pre-qualification training programme and examination. While congratulating the inductees, he urged them to brace up for the challenges ahead. Chinese scientists develop new wound healing material Chinese scientists have developed a new kind of adhesive antibacterial hydrogel that can be used in wound healing treatment. A dressing material is essential for skin wound healing. Designing wound dressing materials with antibacterial properties, therapeutic effects and suitable mechanical properties has practical significance in health care. Hydrogel wound dressings have gained popularity in recent years, but they have shortcomings such as an inability to fit the skin and a lack of antibacterial properties. Researchers at Xian Jiaotong University in northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province have designed a self-healing, injectable hydrogel that has multiple functions as a wound dressing, especially for joint skin damage. Rising HIV infections in Kenya The government of Kenya has raised concern over the increase in new HIV infections among the adolescents and the youth. Over 40 per cent of new HIV/AIDS infections occur among youth in the 15-24 age bracket. It described the trend a drawback in the fight against the disease. HIV Ribbon The Kenya Standard newspaper reported Kenya Health Secretary, Sicily Kariuki, as saying the 2018 Global Progress Report by UNAIDS confirms that attainment of 90:90:90 targets by 2020 may be an uphill task if interventions are not scaled up where new infections and stigma levels are concerned. She also expressed concern over funding urging a relook at the financing models to ensure a sustained resource base for HIV and AIDS response. Scientists reveal best combo drugs to prevent heart attack Researchers from the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary University London in the United Kingdom have made public the results of a large long-term study that looked at the efficiency of different treatments in keeping cardiovascular disease and heart attack at bay. A combination of blood pressure-lowering drugs and statins (which are drugs that help regulate cholesterol levels) shows the best results, the experts explained. They presented the studys results at the European Society of Cardiology annual congress, held in Munich, Germany, and they featured them in a dedicated paper now published in The Lancet. Patients in their mid-60s with high blood pressure were less likely to die from heart disease or stroke by age 7580 if they had taken both calcium channel blocker-based blood pressure lowering treatment and a statin, explained Ajay Gupta. Nigerian doctors give Buhari administration deadline to constitute crucial medical board The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has given the Nigerian government till the end of September to constitute the Board of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) or face its wrath. President Muhammadu Buhari The President of the association, Francis Faduyile, who announced the ultimatum on Thursday, said the association was prepared to approach the court on the issue. Mr Faduyile said it is saddening that three years after dissolving the last board, the government was yet to constitute a new one. He said the action of the government has badly affected health delivery in the country, as the profession has gone unregulated. ABUTH to conduct first open heart surgery in Northern Nigeria The Chief Medical Director of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Lawal Khalid, says the hospital will carry out its first open heart surgery by the end of September. Mr Khalid, a professor, said the exercise will be the first in northern Nigeria. He said the surgery will be conducted in collaboration with a University in Ghana and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, which is a national centre for open heart surgery in Nigeria. According to him, the surgery was the culmination of several years of careful planning and upgrade of the capacity of ABUTH. Nigerian govt approves N6 trillion health development plan The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved a N6.01 trillion National Strategic Health Development Plan II. The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said the new plan which covers 2018 to 2022, involves the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The minister revealed that the plan was approved at the National Council of Healths meeting that took place in Kano on June 21. Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gets new CMD President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Ahmed Ahidjo as the Chief Medical Director for University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State. The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, while congratulating the new CMD on his appointment, reminded him of the enormous responsibility of his office and the yearning of Nigerians for an effective and responsive healthcare delivery system. Prof. Isaac Adewole. Minister of Health Mr Adewole also advised Mr Ahidjo to justify the confidence reposed on him by the president, working with all stakeholders to ensure industrial harmony in the health sector. Mr Ahidjos appointment is a four years term with effect from September 3. Some food vendors of the federal governments Home Grown School Feeding Programme in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday complained that N35 was grossly inadequate to prepare a quality meal. The vendors told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaura that they supply the food at N50 per plate, with N35 as cost price and N15 profit. Yakubu Kajang, the Desk Officer of the programme in the local government area, confirmed that the 261 vendors in the area received N50 per plate directly from the Federal Government. The vendors said that the cost of food items in the market had made it impossible to prepare a plate of rice with beans, fish, vegetables and crayfish with N35. They appealed to the federal government to review the rate from N50 to N100 per plate in line with current market prices. According to them, the aim of empowering local women through the programme will be defeated if nothing is done about it. One of the vendors, Alice Emmanuel, who supplied food to U.B.E. Zwahu Kazah in Manchok, said that most of the vendors spent more than the budgeted N35 for the food to meet the minimum standard. Price of food items are on the increase and we are expected to prepare a nutritious meal with just N35. If you put one and two together you will realise that we spend more than N50 per plate. We have to use the vegetable we planted in our backyards meant for family use and, in some cases, even beans in the house are not spared, just for us to really have something to take home as profit. We are in a serious dilemma because N35 is no longer feasible to prepare a nutritious meal, and if the food falls below quality it will be rejected by the school authorities. We are appealing to the federal government to increase the amount from N50 to N100 per plate for the programme to achieve its aim of empowering poor women like us. We are currently running at a loss, she said. Another vendor, Hajaratu Kato, said that a measure of rice sells for between N550 and N600, and that of beans cost N500. Ms Kato said that she feeds 53 pupils at Unguwan Nka, Gizagwai, Manchok primary school, and use seven measures of rice and three of beans which cost her N5, 700. When you multiply N50 by 53, it will give you only N2, 650, that is what I get for supplying rice and beans that cost me N5, 700, minus money spent on fish, vegetable, crayfish and other ingredients. When you minus N2, 650 from my cost of N5, 700, you will see that I am already at a loss of N3, 050. This is why some vendors had to either cut down the quantity of food per plate or reduce the quality to make profit, or better still, use some food items for family use to reduce cost, she said. Jummai Dauda, another vendor said: We are incurring huge losses in the name of empowerment. The federal government should look into this and do the needful. Food items are expensive. N35 is really not realistic. Some of us are still doing this because we are mothers and a mother is always ready to make the needed sacrifice for her children, particularly when it comes to feeding. If the rate can be increased to at least N100 per plate, it would go a great way in meeting the programmes objectives, but as it is now, it is simply impoverishing us. NAN reports that that about 1.6 million primary one to three pupils in 3,752 primary schools in Kaduna State are being fed under the programme. NAN also reports that five non-governmental organisations with support from MacArthur Foundation, are currently monitoring the programme in the state to ensure judicious use of resources, accountability and transparency. The NGOs are Connecting Gender for Development, Action Aid Nigeria, Girl Child Concern, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria and Nigeria Popular Theatre Alliance. (NAN) A motorcyclist was on Sunday morning crushed to death by a hit-and-run truck driver around Van Milk roundabout on Iloawela road in Ogun. Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), disclosed this to journalists in Abeokuta. Mr Akinbiyi said that the accident occurred around 12:59 a.m. and that it involved an unidentified truck and a red Boxer Motorcycle with registration number ABG 973 QB. He said that the accident was caused by dangerous riding by the motorcyclist and also excessive speeding on the part of the truck driver. The truck hit the motorcycle and in the process ,the rider died on the spot while two other passengers sustained injuries, he said. The public relations officer said the injured persons were taken to Ifo General Hospital, while the deceaseds body was deposited at the mogue of the same hospital. (NAN) The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has set up three committees to kick start preparations for Hajj 2019. The chairman of the commission, Abdullahi Mohammed, set up the committees on Friday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. . A statement Sunday by the spokesperson of NAHCON, Fatima Usara, said the three groups comprising staff of NAHCON and officials from State Pilgrims Welfare Boards (SPWBs) were created to start preparation for 2019 Hajj, vis-a-vis arrangements for accommodation and other matters in Makkah and Madinah. The statement also said Mr Mohammed who met with officials from SPWBs expressed the commission s appreciation to the officials, Nigerian pilgrims, the Saudi Arabian government and President Muhammadu Buhari for a successful 2018 Hajj In a meeting with SPWB Executives in Makkahs Ummul Judd office of NAHCON, the CEO thanked President Muhammad Buhari for continually supporting NAHCON and paving the way for it to overcome its challenges. He commended Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for overseeing a Hajj season devoid of outbreak of any major diseases, mishaps, and called for more prayers for prosperous Hajj seasons, the statement said. It also said Mr Mohammed acknowledged how difficult handling the affairs of millions of people from different socio-cultural backgrounds must be yet, the Saudi government goes the extra mile to protect and provide satisfaction to guests of The Merciful Lord. Mr Muhammad also complimented SPWBs for their cooperation throughout the 2018 Hajj operation, urging them to continue to join hands with NAHCON and air carriers for the smooth movement of pilgrims back home. He called on them to educate pilgrims on the need to comply with luggage regulations to avoid unnecessary delays at screening points in the airports. The NAHCON chairman also commended Nigerian pilgrims to this years Hajj for their patience, comportment, most especially their orderliness. He also acknowledged that most of them remained within the precincts defined for hand luggage, thus, the bane of arriving Jeddah Airport with multiple excess luggage was minimal compared to other years. He promised that all pilgrims will be transported home to Nigeria within the shortest time possible. Meanwhile, 40 flights have so far transported about 12,000 pilgrims back to Nigeria with FlyNas making the most trips. To date, Kogi, Oyo, Nasarawa states and the Federal Capital Territory have concluded the movement of their pilgrims back to Nigeria while Ogun and Lagos states are at the verge of concluding. A professor and communication scholar, Umar Pate, on Saturday elaborated on the factors that fuel fake news and hate speech. Mr Pate, of the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University Kano, also praised PREMIUM TIMES, saying it is the best media outfit in Nigeria. The don spoke at a colloquium organised by the Plateau State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists ( NUJ). The theme of the colloquium was fake news, hate speech and Nigerias democratic sustenance. The communication scholar said the content of PREMIUM TIMES is more investigative and not highly commercial or partisan like many others. Premium Times is the best media outfit in Nigeria. Its content and house style is more investigative. It is not highly commercialised or partisan like other media outfits in the country, Mr Pate said. He said because of its content, people rely more on the news published by it adding that that the unique feature is giving PREMIUM TIMES an edge over others. The professor enumerated factors responsible for fake news and hate speech He described hate speech as any speech act aimed at inciting to denigrate other people on the basis of ethnicity, religion, geography, gender and other socially conceived parameters. Fake news, he explained, is partly caused by absence or late arrival of official information which creates a vacuum filled by rumour and imagination Explosion in social media makes the spread of rumours, hate and dangerous speech and fake information easy and fast. Fake news is being spread for economic reason, especially on social media where efforts were often made to attack people to pages and timelines. Desperate politicians, ethnic and religious jingoists, foreign interest and mischief makers are main sources of fake news, Mr Pate added. He said the consequence of fake news is that it undermines the confidence people have in the media. Mr Pate called on Nigerian media to venture into investigative journalism and not concentrate on politics or commercial activities.This, he said, would enhance journalism practice in Nigeria. The presidency on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari was not opposed to the use of card readers for the 2019 general elections. A presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said this in a statement Sunday evening. Mr Shehu was reacting to criticisms of Mr Buharis decision to decline assent to an electoral bill passed by the National Assembly. Read Mr Shehus full statement below. The presidency rejects allegations of opposition politicians, as well as some newspaper editorial opinions creating the impression that President Muhammadu Buhari is against e-voting, the use of card readers in the upcoming elections, hence his decision to decline assent, for the third time, to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018. We wish to state in clear and unambiguous terms that the issue of e-voting and use of card readers was NEVER an issue for the Presidents decision to decline assent to the Bill. It is equally important that this issue was not raised either by the Executive or the Legislature in the recent reviews. Moreover, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adoption of e-voting reforms is enshrined in the 2015 Amendment Act to the Electoral Reform Act. Card reader is therefore a settled matter. The presidents recent decision to decline assent to the Bill has no effect whatsoever on INECs use of card readers. Regrettably, purveyors of fake news have been quick to churn out sensational headlines such as that of a leading newspaper, which screamed: Card Reader in Jeopardy, Buhari Rejects Electoral Act Amendment Bill Again. Unfortunately, most of the critics of the President, including the editorial of a national daily this morning read out parts of the letters, as made available by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, detailing the issues that were of concern to the government. An issue has been raised by the president concerning some ill-prepared and flawed parts of the bill for which corrections needed to be made to allow for his signature. The president wanted engagement with the parliament for the corrections to be effected so that, at the end of the day, both arms of government will be happy with the fact that we have a good electoral law in place. The president is not in confrontation with the parliament on this issue. He has asked his officials to dialogue with the legislature for the corrections to be effected. As for his alleged rejection of the card reader, nothing can be farther from the truth. The president is the countrys number one fan of the card reader. For a candidate who ran three times and lost in an electoral environment in which votes were allocated and losers asked to go to court if they felt unhappy, the president knows fully well the role that the card reader played in his emergence in 2015. He has said times without number that he would strengthen and widen its application in the country and this, he is determined to do. Accordingly, we would like to appeal, especially to the media to disregard baseless allegations against the President, even as he puts in his best efforts in working with the National Assembly to give the nation a good electoral law, and in time. The card reader is not in danger of being discarded. It is a sine qua non for credible elections. We appeal to the National Assembly to reconvene as soon as possible to consider and approve the necessary corrections to the amended electoral act. Nigerias premier tertiary institution, University of Ibadan (UI), has again honoured the Founder of FCMB Group, Otunba (Dr.) Michael Olasubomi Balogun by naming its modern and multi-purpose conference centre after him. On Thursday, September 6, 2018, the Centerwas unveiled and renamed Otunba Subomi Balogun Conference Centre. According to the University, the decision is in recognition of Otunba Baloguns numerous and significant contributions to the development of the institution, education and the country over the years. The University of Ibadan, in a letter to the FCMB Founder from the Governing Council and signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mrs. Olubunmi Faluyi, said, we acknowledge with gratitude, your prayers and goodwill for the continuous progress of the University. The Olori Omo-Oba Akile Ijebu, Otunba (Dr)Michael Olasubomi Balogun is said to be the first Board Chairman of UI Ventures, who brought his business acumen into play to transform the organisation into a full-fledged business group. Today, UI Ventures whose hotel arm has about 110 rooms of quality standard, is into printing, landscaping and horticulture, consulting, bakery products, has a computer training center, petrol station as well as a fast food business, among other interests. Commenting on the naming of the architectural masterpiece after him, Otunba Balogun expressed profound gratitude to the University of Ibadan for finding him worthy of the honour. He stated: I thank you for appreciating my services and commitment to the University of Ibadan by this recent honour that you bestowed on me. I feel honoured by and I deeply appreciate the long and personal relationship I have had with the University of Ibadan over the years. It is my prayer that the University will continue to retain the position of a primus-inter-pares among the tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Otunba Subomi Balogun, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), is the icon of the Nigerian financial industry. He is also a philanthropist par excellence and a distinguished leader who has devoted substantial part of his resources towards the care and service of humanity and the society. His impact on the University of Ibadan and other public as well as private institutions has been acknowledged as legendary. He was also the first in Nigeria, through First City Merchant Bank Limited (now First City Monument Bank, a member of FCMB Group), to endow a Professorial Chair in a University when at the University of Ibadan, he set up a Chair for Capital Market Studies in the Department of Economics and Finance. Otunba Balogun, in 2014 totally donated to the University of Ibadan, the Otunba Tunwase Paediatric Hospital (the largest in Nigeria) which he built in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, a facility worth N4billion in current market evaluation. He was the first Nigerian to receive special training in Legal Drafting in Whitehall and the City of London with particular specialisation in financial legislation, instruments and agreements. The FCMB Founder served as a Crown Counsel in both the Ministry of Justice of the then Western Nigeria and subsequently as Assistant Parliamentary Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice in Lagos. PHOTO GALLERY: In 1979, he single-handedly set up the first wholly Nigerian owned merchant bank, entirely conceived and promoted by him and this he christened First City Merchant Bank Limited. Under his leadership as Chairman & Chief Executive, First City Merchant Bank Limited (FCMB) in its first twenty years of existence, experienced steady and uninterrupted growth and earned national and international recognition as market leaders in investment banking and capital market services. Among other national and international awards, in November 1989, the University of Ibadan awarded him the Degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his outstanding achievements both in the field of Law and his contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. In January 1994, the President of the Republic of Italy conferred on Otunba Balogun the prestigious honour of Cavaliere dellOrdine Al Merito della Repubblica Italiana which means, Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy. In October 1995, he was installed The Olori Omo-Oba Akile Ijebu by His Royal Majesty, the Awujale of Ijebuland. Otunba Balogun is an author, a prolific writer and a distinguished opinion leader. In these capacities, he has contributed remarkably to the formulation of several and impactful economic policies in Nigeria. The newly named Otunba Subomi Conference Centre has five halls altogether. It can accommodate between 3,000 and 5,000 guests in the main auditorium and up to a total of 7,000 guests in the entire complex. The parking lot that can accommodate about 700 cars is also a major value added. The interior of the conference rooms are tastefully decorated. The Center comes equipped with varied facilities and a high standard of service to complement its relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It offers an extensive range of modern facilities and services. Such facilities include presentation screens, projectors and individual highly sensitive microphones that can be used independently in each of the halls or in all the halls simultaneously. PHOTO GALLERY: The Kogi State Government has set up temporary camps for victims of flood in Lokoja, as more houses get submerged in the confluence city. According to Sanusi Yahaya, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, camps have been opened in Wada Estate and Old Poly Quarters in the states capital city to accommodate the flood victims. We are already collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that relief materials and other essential facilities are provided in the camps. We had challenge of water supply yesterday (Saturday) because the borehole is not functioning, but we have been able to resolve that by providing alternative water supply sources. Light and clinic are also other challenges because the camp has not been connected to the grid, but since it is an emergency, we will solve the problems as they are being identified. The accommodation is adequate for the number of people currently displaced. We can still accommodate more people. Already, NEMA officials have visited the camps in Koton-karfe. As we speak, they are on their way to Lokoja with other teams sent by the federal government to assess the situation, Yahaya said. The commissioner advised residents of flood-prone communities to relocate to safer places to avoid loss of lives and property. All the indices that were in place before the 2012 flood are already here except for the Lagdo Dam in Cameroun that is not spilling water as yet. As at Saturday morning, the water level in River Niger was already 10.014 metres, compared to its 9.5 metres depth on September 8, 2012; it is time to move away from water, he said. James Ahmadu, Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, who also spoke with journalists, said that the flood victims had been trooping into the camps that were set up on Friday. Fifty-five households arrived the camp on Friday while additional 33 came on Saturday. Umar Zakari, the Camp Leader, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that victims from Adankolo Estate lost practically everything they had. He commended the state government for the temporary accommodation and appealed to relevant stakeholders to assist the flood victims. We thank government for providing water, but we need food, mosquitoes nets, light and a clinic. Our children are getting sick, Mr Zakari said. NAN recalls that the Kogi government set up five camps to accommodate 64 communities displaced by flood in Kotokarfe, last month. (NAN) Adamu Aliero, a former governor and senator representing Kebbi Central constituency, on Sunday declared his intention to represent his constituency for the third time in the Senate. Mr Aliero, a two-term governor of the state, submitted his nomination form to seek re-election at the State APC Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi in company of hundreds of his supporters. On the occasion, the former FCT minister pledged to continue to provide dividends of democracy to his constituents, the state and Nigeria. I thank you for the confidence reposed in me, I promise to offer selfless service to humanity, he said. He urged the people to collect their Permanent Voter Cards to re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governor in the 2019 elections. At the APC Secretariat, two other aspirants Abu Najakku and Shehu Koko also submitted their forms respectively for Birnin Kebbi / Kalgo and Koko Besse / Maiyama federal constituencies. (NAN) Ralph Uwazuruike, Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), has endorsed Bianca Ojukwus bid to contest the Anambra South Senatorial election in 2019. Mr Uwazuruike endorsed Mrs Ojukwus aspiration when the latter, wife of late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and Godwin Maduka, billionaire US-based Nigerian surgeon, visited Ojukwu Memorial Library, Owerri, on Sunday. He said that he supports Mrs Ojukwu because her late husband meant everything to the identity of the Igbo people and was his bosom friend and mentor, who struggled for the emancipation of Ndigbo. Mr Uwazuruike, who also doubles as the leader of Biafra Independence Movement, said that though he was not from Anambra Senatorial District, but would deplore tools available to him to ensure Bianca emerged victorious. Bianca already has the backing of more than 15 Igbo billionaires for her 2019 senatorial project, and I make bold to say that she has my full support and we call on Anambra people to look back on our history and support her, Mr Uwazuruike appealed. Mrs Ojukwu had recently declared to vie for the senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a party which her late husband founded in 2003. Mrs Ojukwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that she commended Mr Uwazuruikes zeal and interest in engraving the name of her husband and Ndigbo in the sands of time. When Uwazuruike started this Ojukwu Memorial Library project after the death of my husband, it was like a bourgeois dream, but the project today is almost completed, she said. Although Mrs Ojukwu said that her visit to the project site had no significance to her political ambition, she however, described her visit as home coming. NAN reports that the Ojukwu Memorial Library complex has 2,000 capacity auditorium and E-library which on completion would serve as meeting place for discussion on Igbo historical heritage and issues affecting them. Also, Mr Maduka, who described the auditorium as magnificent, expressed delight on the thoughtfulness of Mr Uwazuruike on the library and conference centre. I am indeed happy to see this kind of magnificent structure that could be likened to aesthetic buildings in the Netherlands, I will certainly identify with the initiator of this project in seeing to its completion. I must add that doing this is to demonstrate that I am a core Igbo man and I feel any privileged son or daughter of Igbo nation should show interest in this project that represents our history and unity, he said. Mr Maduka, the Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Centre, Nevada, U.S. criticised what he called the continued marginalisation of a section of the country in favour of others. He said that the beauty of Nigeria was the unity of all segments, and urged the leaders to kick against tribalism and nepotism to take the country to the next level. NAN also reports that Mr Maduka, who recently commenced construction of police academy at his Umuchukwu country home had completed a 16-storey skyscraper Medical Research Centre at Umuchukwu community in Orumba South Local Government, Anambra State. He equally built and handed over High Court and Magistrates Court complex as well as involved in litany of developmental projects in a bid to turn his obscure community to a centre of medical destination in Nigeria and entire African continent. (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that 30 commissioners of police will be deployed to Osun State ahead of the September 22 gubernatorial election. As earlier reported by PREMIUM TIMES, 48 political parties have been listed to contest the Osun State governorship seat. The deployment of the security chiefs was made known by the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje, at a meeting with student leaders on Saturday in Osogbo. For maximum security, 30 commissioners of police will be deployed to the state and each will man a local government. Osun is a peaceful state and we dont want the security to be compromised, he said. The police are, however, yet to announce the deployment. The student leaders addressed by the INEC chief represent the tertiary institutions from where students who will work as ad-hoc staff for the election were selected. While briefing the students on their roles as ambassadors of the commission, Mr Agbaje said, As an INEC ambassador, you should tell the electorates that INEC is focused on conducting a free and fair election. Mr. Agbaje condemned vote-buying and stated that the commission is trying everything in its capacity to curb the act and apprehend perpetrators. He also reiterated that security operatives are not meant to intimidate the electorates but to provide security at the polling units, protect election materials and arrest offenders as well those with the intention to cause violence. Exactly 35 days to his leaving office, outgoing Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday says his handover note is ready for the scrutiny of people making enquiries about his government. The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the governor did not cooperate with the Transition Committee set up by incoming governor, Kayode Fayemi. Mr Fayose snubbed the request by the committee, for certain records of his tenure. He said the committee is illegal. Mr Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, urged the governor-elect to stop spreading falsehood about him or the finances of his administration. He described as mere fabrication, the claim that his government had accumulated a debt of N117 billion as against the N18 billion it inherited. Mr Fayemi was already preparing excuses for his impending failure at the tribunal, Mr Fayose said. Mr Fayose insisted that the state government under him has no obligation to relate with any committee not empowered by law, stating that the governor-elect should wait for the handing over note that will be handed to him on October 16. He said it was funny that the same transition committee that claimed it did not get any information from the state government estimated the state debt at N117 billion. He reiterated that his government only received N10 billion grant from the Excess Crude Account, which was released to all states for capital projects as well as Budget Support fund released to states by the federal government. It is on record that Ekiti State Government was indebted to the tune of N86, 013,689,097 as at October 16, 2014 that Governor Fayose took over. The debts are broken down as follows: Bank Loans; N15, 831,613,425.62, Bond; N26, 749,796,784.75, Outstanding Warrants; N15, 522,552,900.76, Outstanding to Road Contractors; N21, 286,126,749, Outstanding Remittances to FG; N709, 883,656.75, Outstanding Remittances (State Govt); N592, 995,374.89 and EKSG Public Servants Outstanding Emoluments; N5, 137,888,224.37, he said. The governor counselled Mr Fayemi to face the task of defending the mandate that he stole and his fraudulent emergence as the APC candidate instead of treading the usual path of deceiving the public to cover up his failure, (NAN) An All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Bola Tinubu, at the weekend in Osogbo, Osun State capital, solicited support for the partys candidate in the September 22, 2018 governorship election in the state, Isiaka Oyetola, saying with his impeccable credentials, competence and the sterling performance of the outgoing Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the APC flag bearer is the best man for the job and the one to beat in the race. He said he was backing the renowned insurance guru and corporate player in order to help replicate the economic and infrastructural development witnessed in Lagos in Osun. Mr Tinubu spoke during separate visits to the palaces of Ataoja of Osogbo, Jimoh Olanipekun, and Owa-Obokun of Ijeshaland, Adekunle Aremolaran. During the visits, the APC leader sought royal blessing for Mr Oyetola. At the palace of Ataoja, the former Lagos State governor described Mr Oyetola as a technocrat and shrewd manager and administrator, recalling how he single-handedly founded and raised his own company, an insurance company, to a place of enviable status. Mr Tinubu said Mr Aregbesola had laid the infrastructural foundation for the state and that Mr Oyetola, with his experience and expertise in the corporate world, would take Osun to the next level, which is to raise its economic and investment profile. Receiving Mr Tinubu, Mr Olanipekun expressed gratitude to the APC leader for the role he played when the traditional ruler had challenges over his emergence as Ataoja of Osogbo. Mr Olanipekun also commended Governor Aregbesola for doing an excellent job in the state, admitting that Osogbo particularly benefited from the administration with the good network of road and other infrastructure put in place in the state. He, however, said if elected, Mr Oyetola should help to further develop the city. The APC leader was accompanied on the visit by Health Minister, Isaac Adewole, former APC National Vice Chairman, South-West, Pius Akinyelure, Lagos State Information Commissioner, Kehinde Bamigbetan, and Executive National Commissioner, Stakeholders Management of the National Communications Commission, Sunday Dare. Speaking at the palace of Owa-Obokun, Mr Tinubu described the traditional ruler as a foremost author and popular economist who is no push-over in the land. Mr Aromolaran requested through Mr Tinubu that if the APC candidate is elected, he should help upgrade the College of Education in the city into a full-fledged University of Education. He also asked that his palace burnt by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by then PDP-led government in the state, in the wake of the struggle by Mr Aregbesola to reclaim his mandate stolen in 2007, be rebuilt. Baghdad, Sep 9 : The Iraqi Ministry of Health has said 15 people have been killed and 190 others wounded since violent protests against worsening living conditions broke out in Basra several days ago. "The casualties come from both demonstrators and security forces," the Health Ministry Spokesman Sayf Bader said in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. Bader said that most of the wounded have received treatment and left the hospitals of Basra province. During the week, hundreds of angry demonstrators burned the provincial government buildings, the offices of leading political parties and the headquarters of some Shiite militias in protest of wide-spread corruption, poor public services, unemployment and water contamination in the province. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for restraint over the deterioration of the security situation in Basra. "The deaths of civilians and the growing number of casualties at the ongoing demonstrations is particularly worrying, as is the use of firearms for restoring public order," ICRC statement said. Basra, the province's capital city which bears the same name, has long witnessed complaints among its over 2 million residents about the collapsing infrastructure, power cuts and corruption. Water supply in the province is also widely criticised for high salinity, with thousands of residents having been hospitalised. The protesters also accused the influential political parties of being behind the wide-spread corruption, which led to high unemployment and failure in rehabilitation of the country's electricity, water and other basic services. Los Angeles, Sep 9 : Governor of US state of California, Jerry Brown has signed bills to block the Trump administration from expanding offshore oil drilling along the western US state's coast. According to a statement from office of the governor on Saturday, Brown also announced the state's opposition to the federal government's plan to expand oil drilling on public lands in California, Xinhua news agency reported. "Today, California's message to the Trump administration is simple: Not here, not now," said Governor Brown in the statement, adding that California will not let the federal government pillage public lands and destroy California's treasured coast. This action comes days before grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and international leaders convene in San Francisco for the express purpose of mobilizing climate action at the Global Climate Action Summit. Bills signed by Brown block Donald Trump administration's plan to expand offshore oil drilling by prohibiting new leases for new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure, such as pipelines, within state waters if the federal government authorizes any new offshore oil leases. The bills also require new public notices and processes for lease renewals, extension amendments or modifications to authorize new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure associated with new federal leases. There has been no federal expansion of oil and gas drilling along California's coastline for more than 30 years. President Donald Trump's move for the largest expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling in US continental waters in decades is met with resistance by coastal states officials. The 2019-2024 Outer Continental Shelf Draft Proposed Plan, unveiled by US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, is scheduled to lease sales along the country's coast, and will vastly expand offshore oil drilling from coast to coast. California has been taking a tough stand to protect its coast from the offshore oil and gas development since 1994 when the state legislature passed the California Coastal Sanctuary Act. It prohibits the state from entering into any new leases within state tidelands. In 2017, the California Senate passed a resolution opposing new oil or gas drilling in federal waters located offshore California. Earlier this year, Brown joined Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee to condemn the Trump administration's proposal to expand oil and gas offshore drilling. Pyongyang, Sep 9 : North Korea is preparing to stage a military parade this weekend along with its first mass games in five years to mark its 70th anniversary. The parade will be closely watched for clues about North Korea's weapons arsenal and professed commitment to denuclearization, BBC reported on Sunday. A large display of ballistic missiles would be widely seen as provocative. The Arirang Mass Games, meanwhile, are an elaborate propaganda spectacle with enormous co-ordinated displays. Relations between North Korea and the US have been under strain since the landmark June meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. The two men signed a vague agreement to work towards denuclearization of the Korean peninsula - this sounded well-meaning but sceptics were quick to point out it did not include a timeline, details or mechanisms to verify the process. High level talks and visits have continued and there have been some gestures from the North like sending back the remains of some of the US troops killed during the Korean War in the 1950s. But the most recent scheduled trip by FUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was called off last minute and both sides have blamed each other for the stalling negotiations while insisting they're committed to the progress. Donald Trump has also blamed China for pressuring Pyongyang against Washington. Observers say the military parade could cast doubt on North Korea's sincerity about denuclearizing and pausing its missiles programme. Previous parades have put tanks, missiles and tens of thousands of military personnel on show. But analysts say it's not about how many soldiers or how much weaponry will be on display - but what kind. "The most important part here is whether we will see any intercontinental missiles (ICBMs) at the parade and if so, how many of them," Fyodor Tertitskiy of NK News told the BBC. ICBMs, which can reach the US mainland - potentially carrying a nuclear warhead - are of huge concern internationally. Tertitskiy thinks North Korea has no plans to give up its missiles, "but should they show the missiles at the parade, it would be a good sign to show that they don't even pretend that they do". "That would indicate that the talks with the US are coming to a breakdown." Washington, Sep 9 : US President Donald Trump has sought to move past a lawsuit from pornstar Stormy Daniels, stating in a court filing that he would not seek to enforce a 2016 settlement agreement between Daniels and Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen. The so-called hush agreement, forged between Daniels and Cohen on behalf of his shell company Essential Consultants in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election, included a $130,000 payment to the actress in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump, CNN reported. Earlier this year, Daniels sued Trump, saying the secret agreement should be void since the President himself never signed it. Trump on Saturday made clear that Daniels was right, he was never party to the deal. His attorney, Charles Harder, said in Saturday's court filing that Trump would not contest Daniels' "assertion that the Settlement Agreement was never formed, or in the alternative, should be rescinded". Harder ended his letter by calling for Daniels to "immediately dismiss" Trump from her lawsuit, and he requested a meeting with her attorney Michael Avenatti if she would not agree to dismiss the President voluntarily. Trump's move followed a separate filing from Cohen on Friday. In it, Cohen agreed to tear up the original 2016 agreement with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Trump has denied the alleged affair. "These shenanigans by Cohen and Trump are going nowhere," Avenatti told CNN on Saturday. "They are desperate." Pathanapuram (Kerala) : Pathanapuram (Kerala) Sep 9 (IANS) The body of a nun was found inside a well at a convent in Kerala, police said The body was identified as that of 54-year-old Susan, a nun who teaches at the St. Stephens School in Pathanapuram, about 80 kms from the state capital. At around 9 a.m., workers at the Mount Tabor Convent first found blood stains near the well and then saw the body floating inside the well, the police said. Susan had been teaching at the school for the past 12 years. Both the school and the Convent, is run by the Kottayam-headquartered Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church. The cause of the death remains unknown. New Delhi : The week gone by marked the first death anniversary of braveheart Gauri Lankesh, whose murder shook the nation and thrust her in the limelight -- but all too late. The ringmasters of the well-planned murder as well as the actual offenders of the horrendous act remain at large, or yet-to-be-proven-guilty, but her passing has left a void in the lives of those who knew her closely, and those who discovered her thereafter in the pages she penned. The brutal act continues to face widespread and vociferous condemnation. Notably, it is not an anti-establishment protest, far from anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too -- instead, it is the people's appeal to the regime to serve them what the constitution guarantees. If anything, it is a protest against the forces attempting to curb free speech, and therefore the government -- tasked as it is to uphold constitutional rights and beliefs -- should, ideally, dedicate itself willfully to the cause. While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has shown no concrete inclination to express its slightest displeasure, if at all, for such gruesome attacks, the pages of future history are forever maligned by other similar attacks that continue to surface even after Lankesh's untimely passing. The government may hide behind the veil of doing actual work than talking, but the fact remains that silence can sometimes be misinterpreted as indirect approval, further inciting violence and threats. Or so the events of recent past suggest. The government's track record of upholding free speech is not sound either. One vociferous statement, like the Prime Minister's historic speech on the eve of November 8, 2016, announcing the demonetisation of high-value currency notes, would perhaps have given much more strength to the advocates of free speech than the sum total of all protests they attend. The condemnation that followed the killings of three rational thinkers -- M.M. Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar -- which snowballed into the award wapsi protest in 2015, was met with constant blows along the way. In one instance, actor and BJP parliamentarian Paresh Rawal directly provoked violence against writer-activist Arundhati Roy by saying that the Booker-winning novelist should be tied to the jeep instead of stone- pelters in the Kashmir Valley. While, on the one hand, criticism of the army was opposed as threats to India's sovereignty, on the other hand, there was not even a word of condemnation from the government. Rawal stuck to his stance even in interviews thereafter, a shock to many fans of his excellent work in cinema. Since when did such provocative statements directly inciting violence become the accepted norm? And, by the way, since when did it become wrong to utter a word of criticism against the army? And then the fateful day of September 5, 2017, arrived when Lankesh was murdered. Her former husband Chidanand Rajghatta penned a book in her memory "Illiberal India: Gauri Lankesh and the Age of Unreason", bringing to fore the rather obscured life of the veteran journalist-cum-activist. Adding a personal touch that only Rajghatta, who lived with Lankesh as a couple for five years, could, the book provides an insight into the firebrand personality that Lankesh was. The running theme throughout its pages, however, remains -- the void that has been created since she was slain. But if she had not been the target of her assassins, she might well have lived an eventful life fighting for the causes that she did and, like many social activists do, die in oblivion. Her untimely death sparked public outrage. However, those who lamented her death and called upon the government to punish the offenders became the target of vitriol and online trolls. The saga of making the unaccepted accepted that Rawal began, returned to mock Lankesh's sacrifice as voices of dissent were, and are, publicly made fun of, ridiculed, called names and trolled. Since when did it become wrong to condemn a killing? Since when did non-violent sermons become the norm in the country for whose freedom Gandhi dedicated his life to? And with that potent tool -- ahimsa? Lankesh may have died, but the cycle of events post her death points to the fact that, if anything, her murder has only immortalised her in the pages to be read, discussed and studied by generations to come. And the journey has already begun. Spanning the length and breadth of the country, numerous seminars, literary forums and events of similar kind were, and are being held. Lankesh's writings have been reproduced, translated and compiled in several anthologies by mainstream publishers in English as well as Indian Languages. All of this suggest that Gauri Lankesh will have a legendary presence in the life of perhaps everybody growing up today. Books will, of course, be the primary medium. (Saket Suman is a Principal Correspondent at IANS. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019 Washington, Sep 9 : US Vice President Mike Pence has denied being a part of discussions to invoke the 25th Amendment in order to remove President Donald Trump from office. He made the remarks in a CBS News interview. Asked whether any such discussions had taken place between members of Trump's Cabinet, Pence said: "No... never." The Vice President was responding to claims made this week in a rare anonymous op-ed published by The New York Times. The op-ed's author, identified as a "senior administration official", claims to be part of a "quiet resistance" working to thwart President Trump's "occasionally reckless decisions" from within the administration. In it, the official describes "early whispers within the cabinet" to invoke the 25th Amendment, prompted by the president's apparent "instability". "I think the author of the anonymous editorial, and frankly The New York Times, should be ashamed," Pence told CBS News, denouncing it as a "disgrace". The 25th Amendment empowers the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to replace the President, in the case he is deemed "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office". In the years since the amendment's ratification in 1967, the mechanism has never been used. Trump on Friday publicly implored Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the identity of the author, later accusing the "senior administration official" of treason. Kolkata, Sep 9 : The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police has arrested a Manipuri militant here and seized arms and ammunition from him, a police officer said on Sunday. Amon Nelson Singh alias Chingkhei Kuman (28) is the self proclaimed Chairperson of the Manipur-based Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP). He was arrested from Kolkata on Saturday and a 9mm pistol, two 7mm pistols and three rounds live ammunition were seized from him, the officer said. Police said the accused had confessed he was involved in a number of extortion cases in Manipur while his group was allegedly involved in a case of robbery at a city jewellery shop. New Delhi : Those travelling to England for the first time in the sixties were recipients of a tract from the British High Commission listing the dos and don'ts. Among the don'ts was a paragraph in italics: "A single woman may invite you to her apartment for tea and refreshments. This must not be taken for license." That the tract did not warn me about the risks of accepting gentlemen's hospitality was presumably because Victorianism had not quite faded in the sixties. In those days the androgynous appeal of Twiggy, the modelling sensation, was the big draw. The fashion industry had marketed flat chested girls, looking like boys, as the new sex symbols. The trend had been initiated by the haute couture in Paris. Balenciaga and Givenchy were in love and presumably had copious sex too, as did others in that business. You were a square if you were straight. If men were going to be so unidirectional, women too were beginning to experience things they called freedom. All generalization are hopelessly inadequate. The freedom was in fact a device to protect self esteem, increasingly bruised by the casual indifference of men. Women's emancipation clashed headlong with the "femininity" which poetry, thumri, folk songs, love letters had burdened our aesthetics with for centuries. "Motia hiraye gayee, Rama Kaise dhoon dhoon, (search) Dhoondat, dhoondat, baorae gayee, Rama" (I have lost the pearl, my father's gift, O'Rama, how to find it? I am going mad searching for it.) The pearl has been lost in a moment of passionate ecstasy. "Hiraye aanyein kangana Gaunwaye aanyein jobana nadia naarey" "Defiantly, she surrendered her virginity by the riverside. In the sexual ecstasy, she lost her gold bangle." This raw ecstasy in the two folk songs is not the stuff of sex today - when urban emancipation conditions sexual behaviour. Behari Lal Chaube (1595-1663) describes a "devar", husband's younger brother, a constant in erotic Hindi poetry, throwing a flower playfully on his sister-in-law. "Goosebumps of joy appeared on her limbs, Mistaking them for insect bites I hastened with a jar of ointment. But when she smiled I guessed the truth and stayed my hand." Even Ghalib (1797-1869) puts his urbanity aside in her presence. "Is nazakat ka bura ho, woh bhaley hain bhi to kya Haath aayein to unhein haath lagaye na baney" (Though wonderful she be, I hesitate to touch her, such is the delicacy of her form) Even Josh Malihabadi (1894-1982), proud of his several love affairs, is mesmerized by her shyness. (Haya ki shama jal uthi harim e dil rubai mein Ghumaya sar jhuka ke der tak kangan kalai mein." (When I asked for her hand, her eyes were like shyness illuminated. For a long while she played with her bangles." Raghupati Sahai Firaq Gorakhpuri (1896-1982) describes: "Woh hai ghuncha, ghuncha jo dekhiye Woh hai choomiye to dahan dahan." (Look at her, and she is a half open bud. Kiss her and she is all mouth.) John Keats in his letters could address Fanny Brawne as "My dear girl". Try the patronizing tone, however, steeped in lyric, on the professional MBA you are trying to date and she will hurl a paperweight at you. Make allowance for some exaggeration either way, and the truth remains incontrovertible: gender equality has wrenched man-woman equation from romantic traditions which admittedly engendered inequality. When T.S. Elliot's single woman, after her one night stand, "paces about her room again, alone She smoothes her hair with automatic hands, And puts a record on the gramophone." The boredom of it is palpable. The emancipated, professional woman is light years away from the village belle who lost her pearl during sex. In asserting her gender equality does the contemporary woman cause her partner to feel inadequate and begin to withdraw from women for emotional security? In brief, the belle who lost the pearl is more relaxing; the emancipated woman, more challenging. Freudian complexities which attend evolving man-woman equation causes some of the youth of both sexes to find greater comfort, relaxation and friendship in seeking out persons of their own sex for all purpose relationships. The withdrawal of men from the market causes women to move in the other direction. This sociologically conditioned augmentation of the LGBT community is only a fraction of those who are gay or heterosexual for hormonal reasons. Social reasons for this increase will cause the stream to join the torrent, a function of many streams, which could lead to unsettling demographic changes. That is possibly the most frightening consequence of the issue the Supreme Court addressed in a historic judgement. The judgement brings out of the purdah that which was hidden. Does a whole body of poetry on that which was behind the curtain become kosher too? It is great poetry from Chaucer and Iqbal to Jaffar Zatalli, Chirkeen, Rafi Ahmad Khan, Mahshar Enayati, Abba Changezi, Uriyan Hyderabadi. Do we have their Lordship's permission to bring it all out in the open? (Saeed Naqvi is a commentator on political and diplomatic affairs. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com) Brasilia, Sep 9 : A new study has found the Brazilian Spix's macaw parrot has become extinct in the wild. The bird achieved onscreen fame as an animated character in the Disney movie "Rio" as a charming parrot named Blu. The Spix's macaw is one of eight bird species, half of them in Brazil, confirmed extinct or suspected extinct in the report from BirdLife International published on Sunday, reports CNN. But 60 to 80 Spix's macaws still live in captivity. Deforestation is a leading cause of the Spix's macaw's disappearance from its natural habitat, according to the report. For the first time, extinctions on the mainland are outpacing those on islands, it said. "Ninety per cent of bird extinctions in recent centuries have been of species on islands," said Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's chief scientist and the paper's lead author. "However, our results confirm that there is a growing wave of extinctions sweeping across the continents, driven mainly by habitat loss and degradation from unsustainable agriculture and logging." In the 2011 movie, Blu was raised in captivity and travels from Minnesota to Brazil with his owner to repopulate his species with the last wild female of their kind, Jewel. But the movie was 11 years too late, the study found, as Jewel likely would have died in 2000. Seoul, Sep 9 : South Korean authorities on Sunday confirmed the first case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus since the outbreak that affected the country in 2015 leaving 187 infected and 38 dead. The patient, a 61-year-old man, was diagnosed with the virus on Saturday after returning from a business trip in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with transit in Kuwait, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. The South Korean government has convened an emergency meeting to analyse the situation and take preventive measures. The patient was admitted to a hospital in Kuwait when he began to show some symptoms of the disease and upon arrival to South Korea was transferred to the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul. The hospital alerted the authorities that it could be a possible case of MERS as symptoms included high fever and pneumonia and moved the patient to the Seoul National University Hospital where he tested positive for the potentially deadly virus. Around 20 people who were in close contact with the patient, including passengers and crew members of his flight and immigration officers, have been quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. This is the first case of MERS in South Korea since its outbreak recorded between May and December 2015, after this virus was first detected in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and subsequently expanded to other countries. The mortality rate of MERS in South Korea reached 20 per cent during the outbreak, below the figures between 30 and 40 per cent that were recorded in other areas. Most of the 38 deaths that occurred due to the virus in South Korea were elderly people or patients affected by other illnesses. San Francisco, Sep 9 : As cities around the world accelerate efforts to meet their commitments to the Paris climate agreement, a new research on Sunday showed that ambitious urban climate policies can vastly reduce carbon emissions globally. The research has been conducted by C40 Cities, The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the NewClimate Institute. Titled "Climate Opportunity: More Jobs; Better Health; Liveable Cities", the research estimates that by 2030 a boost in urban climate action can prevent approximately 1.3 million premature deaths per year, generate 13.7 million jobs in cities and save 40 billion hours of commuters' time plus billions of dollars in reduced household expenses each year. Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the report examines a number of effective urban solutions to climate change, including energy efficiency retrofits in buildings, enhanced bus networks and district-scale renewable energy. It shows that these climate actions are strong drivers of positive public health and economic outcomes across countries and regions. Its findings show investments in residential energy efficiency retrofits will result in a net creation of 5.4 million jobs in cities worldwide. These investments will also result in significant household savings, as well as emissions reductions. Improved bus services and more extensive networks can prevent the premature deaths of nearly one million people per year from air pollution and traffic fatalities worldwide. It says district-scale renewable energy for heating and cooling in buildings can prevent a further 300,000 premature deaths per year by 2030, as well as create approximately 8.3 million jobs and contribute to significant emissions reductions. Overall, climate action policies can have proportionally greater outcomes for lower income groups in developing cities, where populations have the most to gain from the introduction of new technologies. "Climate Opportunity shows what the mayors of the world's great cities have known for a long time: climate, public health, and a strong economy are deeply connected," C40 Cities Executive Director Mark Watts said in a statement. "We need cities around the world to implement the bold climate policies detailed in this report, if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change." Thomas Day, partner at NewClimate Institute who led the research, said: "Cities account for 73 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making large-scale climate action in urban areas an urgent focus of efforts to meet the highest goals of the Paris Agreement." The release of the research comes just ahead of next week's Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, a global gathering of policymakers, scientists, businesses and activists committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement. In the lead-up to the summit, C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors invited mayors to enhance their commitments to bold climate action, as part of the "One Planet Charter." London, Sep 9 : Boris Johnson, the former UK Foreign Secretary, attacked Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan, saying she had "wrapped a suicide vest" around the British constitution and "handed the detonator" to Brussels. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Johnson said the plan had opened the UK to "perpetual political blackmail", reports the BBC. Johnson resigned from his post in July after the plan was agreed by the cabinet. In his article, Johnson accused the European Union (EU) of "bullying" the UK. He said that rather than getting a "generous free trade deal", Britain is saying, "yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir", to Brussels. "At every stage of the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants... It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb (pounds) gorilla." This is Johnson's second attack on the May's Brexit strategy inside a week. Last week, he used his Daily Telegraph column to say the deal "means disaster" for Britain. Johnson's Sunday attack has been criticised by two senior Conservative MPs, said the BBC. Former Army officer and member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat graphically described the aftermath of a suicide bomb that had gone off near his office in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He said comparing such an attack to the May's plans "isn't funny", adding: "Some need to grow up". Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan said the article was "one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics". Mumbai, Sep 9 : "Gali Guleiyan" director Dipesh Jain, who has taken the film on child abuse to many prestigious international film festivals, feels different cultures respond differently to violence. "This has become a talking point everywhere that I've taken the film. It's amazing how differently diverse cultures react to the child abuse in my film. When I showed it in Britain, they found it to be extreme violence. But in Israel they responded to the child's physical abuse as we do (in India). Many cultures tend to normalise violence," said the Los Angeles-based director. Jain undertook rigorous research on domestic and child abuse. "I was doing research for a documentary I was planning to make on child violence and how that leads to mental issues. There's an alarming number of kids that go through violence across cultures. And more horrifically, these kids have 80 per cent more chances of developing schizophrenia. "There was a big case in Texas where the kid was tried in court for killing his father because he was brutally beaten. And it was debated the world over if it's okay to place total responsibility on a kid who is still growing up." Casting Manoj Bajpayee as a man traumatised by his circumstances and trapped in his environment proved a blessing and a curse. "Blessing for me, and a curse for Manoj," laughed the director. "I was scared of what the character was doing to Manoj. I thought he was immersed in his character. But when he told me that he was on the brink of a mental breakdown, I panicked. He just sat there and waited for his shot. Always in character." Jain said Manoj's character represents urban disaffection at its most acute. "I see it everywhere. Essentially I wanted to tell a story of man trapped in the maze of an old city. But I was not interested in just physical entrapment. That would have been too thin and not layered. But when I was working on researching for a documentary on child violence, it suddenly hit me -- what about entrapment of the mind? "These people never get out of their past and trauma. So a man trapped in the city because he is still trapped in his mind, and the past won't let him go. And city becomes representative of his mind. It started to make sense for a story." The shock ending of "Gali Guleiyan" has been seen by many critics as a means to send audiences home with a delectable secret. But Jain doesn't see the film's finale as a fit of flourish. "My idea was never to build a film suspense like Manoj Shyamalan's 'The Sixth Sense'. For me, that would have cheapened it. I didn't want audiences to come out of the film only talking about the twist. Though I could have easily done that in the edit by removing the clues, but I deliberately kept them -- wanting the audience to find out, then watch the journey unfold. "I thought that will create a bigger discussion about the movie. Because right now, the point of revelation is different for a different audience. So they also come out and talk about this, along with their experience of the movie." Jain is now working on two projects. "One is in casting in LA. It's called 'A Stone's Throw Away', a political drama set in Kashmir that explores relationship between a loner American dam engineer and Kashmir child soldier. The second is a series we will pitch to HBO, based on a real person. It will be shot in New York and Sikkim (we currently have four writers from London and LA in our writers' room). That will have Chinese, Hollywood and Indian actors working on it." Kabul, Sep 9 : At least 12 militants, including a key commander of the Taliban, have been killed in Afghanistan's western province of Badghis, police said on Sunday. "Taliban commander Mawlawi Nazir nickname Mutamen, who had served as the commander of the Taliban special force the Red Unit, was killed along with 11 others in clashes with security forces in Abkamari district," police spokesman Naqibullah Amini told Xinhua news agency. Without providing more details, the official added that 16 more militants and two security personnel were injured in the fighting. The Taliban have not commented on the report. Bhubaneswar, Sep 9 : Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday said it will not support the Bharat Bandh called by the Congress against fuel price rise on Monday. The party, however, said it was against the hike in fuel prices. "We have been holding protests across the state since last three days to make the people aware about the steep price rise of the petroleum products. We are not supporting the Bharat Bandh," said BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra. However, the government has declared that schools will remain closed on Monday to ensure the safety of the students. Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik appealed to the people to make the shutdown a success. He said the party MLAs would not attend the Assembly on Monday as they would participate in the bandh call. Chandigarh, Sep 9 : Undeterred by BJP criticism over his praise of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the issue of the Kartarpur gurdwara corridor, Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has written to the Centre seeking a "positive step". "It is time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue. When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door. The opening of this corridor will be a huge thing for Sikh community all over the world. The corridor can usher in peace and prosperity between the two countries," Sidhu said in a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that was released to the media on Sunday. Sidhu, who was present at the swearing-in of his "friend" Imran Khan as the Pakistan Prime Minister on August 18 in Islamabad, has been claiming that he has been virtually instrumental in getting the Kartarpur corridor opened to devotees. "Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long-pending corridor demand. Some positivity came out when I visited Pakistan for the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan. Now their Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary has categorically said that the corridor will be opened and even visas won't be required to visit the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara as part of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. It is time for India to take a positive step on this highly emotional issue," Sidhu said in the letter. Sidhu pointed out that after Partition in August 1947, several historical gurdwaras fell in Pakistan territory, including the Katarpur Sahib gurdwara associated with Guru Nanak Dev. "Since then, Sikhs living in India always pray that they should be able to pay obeisance at the gurdwaras across the border. Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara holds great significance as it is the place where Guru Nanak Dev spent almost 18 years. The gurdwara is very close to the international border," he pointed out. The Minister said that thousands of devotees in India visit Dera Baba Nanak area in Punjab's Gurdaspur district daily just to catch a glimpse of this holy shrine through binoculars arranged by the Border Security Force. "With Pakistan showing a positive intent, the common belief is that this can turn into reality. Appropriate steps on the corridor must be taken due to strong Sikh sentiments attached to it. Hoping for a positive response from you," the Congress leader added. Sidhu on Friday thanked Imran Khan for enabling the opening of the religious corridor, drawing flak from the BJP which said that the praise was an insult to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Toronto, Sep 9 : A documentary on cystic fibrosis activist and YouTube star Claire Wineland, who died last week at the age of 21, is in production. Oscar winner Nicholas Reed is working on the project, with all proceeds going to Claire's Place Foundation, the non-profit organisation the 21-year-old started to help families living with cystic fibrosis, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Wineland was taken off life-support on September 2, a week after suffering a massive stroke following a successful double-lung transplant. But for the previous 18 months, she had been working on a documentary with Reed, alongside producers Ryan Azevedo, Paul Foley and Phil Goldfine. The film is slated for completion in November. Diagnosed with the genetic disorder at birth, Wineland helped inspire numerous sufferers around the world, and was featured in major international media outlets as well as generating millions of views on her YouTube channel where she chronicled her ongoing health battles. "When I met Claire I was totally blown away," said Reed, who won the Oscar for Best Documentary short in 2013 with Malcolm Clarke for "The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life". "All my partners instantly said, 'She is the most amazing young person we have ever met, we have to do a film on her.' And wow, with each meeting we were humbled more and more by her story. We are honoured to have worked with Claire and with the blessing of her family on this official documentary that encapsulates the true nature of Claire and her courageous battle to help dignify people who are sick." Chennai, Sep 9 : The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday decided to recommend to Governor Banwarilal Purohit the release of seven convicts serving life term for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami. Jayakumar told reporters that the decision was taken after the Supreme Court asked Purohit to consider the mercy petition of A.G. Perarivalan, serving life term for the 1991 assassination of Gandhi, for release under Article 161 of the Constitution. Jayakumar said though the apex court had given its order in the petition filed by Perarivalan, the state government had decided to recommend to the Governor his release as well as six other convicts as they had also sent their mercy petitions. The other six are V. Sriharan alais Murugan, T. Suthendraraja alais Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini Sriharan, wife of Sriharan alias Murugan. They include both Indians and Sri Lankans. All seven have been in prison since 1991, the year a woman Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew up Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally near Chennai. Jayakumar said the Supreme Court was the highest court and the cabinet decision was taken based on the basis of its decision. He said the Governor had to agree with the cabinet decision. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was blamed for the assassination of Gandhi. The Sri Lankan military crushed the Tamil Tigers in 2009. New Delhi, Sep 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday scoffed at opposition efforts to forge a Mahagathbandhan for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, saying it was nothing but their compulsion and a vindication of the BJP-led governments success. The Prime Minister said the proposed grand alliance of the opposition was leaderless, had no clear policy and its intentions were corrupt. The Bharatiya Janata Party does not see a challenge anywhere. The opposition parties had failed to deliver when they were in power and now in their present role, he claimed. Modi also had a veiled dig at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying that various opposition parties were not prepared to give the Congress any leadership role, with some even regarding it a burden. Addressing the concluding session of the BJP National Executive here, Modi said that there was also a situation of non-acceptance of the leadership within the Congress which he said spoke "lies." Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad later briefed the media about Modi's remarks. "Today, there is discussion about Mahagathbandhan. People who do not see eye to eye, who cannot walk together, who have no political or ideological understanding, who can't even tolerate each other are thinking of forging a Mahagathbandhan and embracing each other. It is the biggest vindication of our success," Prasad quoted Modi as saying. "Mahagathbandhan -- its leader is not known, the policy is unclear and intention is corrupt. These are so powerful words of the Prime Minister...," Prasad said. Referring to the Congress, Modi said that "nobody is prepared to accept its leadership. Even small parties are not willing to accept its leadership. Some treat it as a burden." The Prime Minister said that there should be an effective opposition in a democracy for accountability. "Our pain is that those who were failure in the government are also failures in the opposition. They have till date not raised relevant issues." He said the BJP was willing to answer questions on its ideological commitment, its work but will also pose questions about "48 years of a family" and 48-month rule of the BJP-led government. "Surely, we will ask what that family worked for, for what consideration, with what objective and purpose. Our difficulty is that they do not fight on issues, nor on our performance," Prasad quoted Modi as saying at the party meet. "They fight on lies. They speak a lie everyday. Manufacturing lies and then repeating these has become a habit." "But as part of our strategy, we have to expose their lies. The lie, the misrepresentation of opposition in general and the Congress in particular must be defeated strongly with reference to the great work we have done," Modi said. Srinagar, Sep 9 : Three militants were arrested on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district immediately after they infiltrated into the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC), police said. The three, arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Karnah area of Tangdhar sector, belong to Bandipora district. Police said they had gone across to obtain training in handling weapons. New Delhi, Sep 9 : With slogans of "Ajeya Bharat" and "Atal Bhajapa" the two-day BJP National Executive concluded here on Sunday not only pledging to return to power in 2019 but also to remain there for the next 50 years on the basis of performance and its organisational strength. On the last day of the meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call of "Ajeya Bharat" and "Atal Bhajapa" while BJP President Amit Shah claimed that if the BJP succeeds in 2019, there would be no one to remove it from power for the next 50 years. The executive meet also formed a strategy to reach out to every household involving its workers from booth level to national level and called upon party activists to work tirelessly to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands to turn the country into new India. "The Prime Minister gave a clarion call of Ajeya Bharat (A country which remains victorious and cannot to be subjuguated by anyone) and Atal Bhajapa (A BJP which remains firm to its principles)," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi made his remarks to charge up party workers before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in his concluding speech. The PM said that the BJP does not see power as an instrument to occupy high position but as an instrument to go among the masses and work for them with dedication. "We work with dedication for our principles. The principles remain firm but the strategy keeps changing from time to time," the Prime Minister said, according to Prasad. He said that the Prime Minister also highlighted that how his government has worked for the development of all the segments of the society without discriminating on the basis of the caste, region or religion. "The focus of this government is on 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. About five crore got benefits under the Ujjawala scheme and the gas connections were given to the people without discriminting anyone," Modi said. "About 18,000 villages were electrified in the last four-and-half-years. Around 5,000 of them were from northeast region. They do not vote us but despite that we worked for them," he said. Addressing the party workers, BJP President Amit Shah said the hard work of the Prime Minister and his dedication for the country has made him unbeatable till date. "Modiji has not taken rest after the 2014 election. He has covered almost 300 Lok Sabha constituencies after becoming Prime Minister and he will cover the rest of the parliamentary constituencies before the 2019 elections," he said. "Our Prime Minister works tirelessly for the country. I am sure we will win in 2019 and will remain in power for next 50 years," Prasad quoted Shah as saying. "The Congress came to power in 1947 and remained undefeated till 1967," he said adding that he was not saying in arrogance but on the basis of government's performance. "The people of the country are getting more oriented on performance and works of the government," he said. "Modiji has not lost a single election since 2001 because of the kind of the work he has done in the state," he said. To win the 2019 elections, Shah asked nine crore dedicated party workers to visit about 22 crore families to highlight the work of the government in the last four-and-half-years. "By contacting them we can reach out to every household before 2019," Shah said. New Delhi, Sep 9 : Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has written to IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad advocating free flow of data across borders as such a step will encourage global companies to contribute to Indias digital economy. In a letter earlier this week, which was made available to the media here, Pichai said that the free flow of data across borders would also benefit Indian start-ups looking to expand globally. The Google CEO also said the company remains firmly committed to being part of the Indian growth story. "Free flow of data across borders - with a focus on user privacy and security - will encourage start-ups to innovate and expand globally and encourage global companies to contribute to India's digital economy," Pichai said. "The Google team in India will be in touch with your office to follow up on some of the specific topics we discussed during our meeting." He also thanked Prasad for his visit last month to Google's Mountain View campus in the US. In July, the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India submitted its report to the government suggesting amendments to various laws, including the Aadhaar Act, to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries for violations of the data protection law. "The citizens' rights have to be protected, the responsibilities of the states have to be defined, but the data protection can't be at the cost of trade and industry," the report had said. Earlier this week, the government reiterated its firm stand on data privacy and against online platforms abusing data to impact free choice in India. The Minister had emphasised the need for a balance among data availability, and its utility, innovation, anonymity and privacy. New Delhi, Sep 9 : Unauthorized sale of Oxytocin by a chemist shop in East Delhi's Gazipur area came to light during a raid by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. Oxytocin is a peptide hormone which is being misused mostly in the dairy industry, where livestock are injected to make them release milk. According to the ministry, a surprise check was carried out in various chemist shops, departmental stores and diaries in Gazipur on Saturday. The shop does not hold any license for sale and distribution of drugs. Samples of the seized bottles have been sent for test/analysis, the ministry said. CDSCO had in 2015 raided various places in the same area and seized a large quantity of Oxytocin bottles from some stores and unlicensed premises. The ministry had in April banned the sale of Oxytocin at retail private chemist stores and said that private pharmaceutical companies will have to stop manufacturing the drug from September. However, the Delhi High Court on August 31 had suspended the ban for a month. Kathmandu, Sep 9 : Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed General Purna Chandra Thapa as the country's new army chief on Sunday. President Bhandari administered oath of office to the newly appointed army chief at a special function held at the presidential palace, according to a statement issued by the president's office, Xinhua news agency reported. The President appointed him as the 43rd chief of the Nepali Army, who joined the military service in 1979 as an officer cadet, according to the Army Headquarters. The new army chief has succeeded General Rajendra Chhetri, who is retiring on Sunday. The new army chief had served in various capacities including company commander and battalion commander during his 39 years of service. General Thapa was born in a military family in 1960 in Lamjung, a hilly district in Western Nepal. New Delhi, Sep 9 : BJP President Amit Shah met party's Chief Ministers and state unit leaders and discussed Assembly elections slated for this year, informed sources said on Sunday. Shah took stock of the poll preparedness of BJP units in a meeting held on Saturday evening on the sidelines of the party's two-day National Executive meeting. The source said that the meeting was attended by state BJP chiefs of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana. The source said that Shah also held discussions with Chief Ministers of these states. Good results in Assembly polls in Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh will boost the morale of party workers ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the sources pointed out. New Delhi, Sep 9 : Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for implementing National Register of Citizens (NRC), the BJP on Sunday reiterated that after identification, each and every illegal infiltrator will be deported. The BJP National Executive passed a resolution on NRC which asserted that the government was committed to defending the interest of its people and will ensure that they are not deprived of citizenship. "The BJP has been speaking continuously that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not allow the illegal infiltrators to use India as a safe shelter. Each infiltrator will be identified and deported," the resolution said. It said that the Modi government with strong determination started the NRC process in a scientific and transparent manner and this was the reason for finalising the draft on July 31, 2018. "The government is committed to save the interest of its citizens. It will also ensure that no Indian is deprived of citizenship," the resolution read. "The NRC is important for India's security and for the economic, political and cultural rights of the people of Assam," the resolution said hailing Modi and Sonowal. The resolution also said that the government has initiated the process of identification of Rohingyas in many parts of the state and would take all appropriate steps to deport them. It also said that the Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and Jains in neighbouring countries who seek refugee status will be given shelter without hesitation. "The BJP understands the seriousness of the problem of those who want to come to India to take shelter for saving lives, religion and for security. With this purpose, the BJP supports the Citizenship Amendment Bill," it said. Hyderabad, Sep 9 : Election strategist Prashant Kishore on Sunday said that he would not be involved in the 2019 elections as he wants to go back to the grassroots. He said he had worked enough with leaders. He also denied media reports that he is joining politics. Interacting with students of Indian School of Business (ISB) here, he said for last two years he wanted to leave this domain but wanted to leave his organisation IPAC in safe hands before taking the decision. "I will not be part of the 2019 election campaign in the manner and form seen for last 4-5 years," he said. The 41-year-old said he want to go back to grassroots either in Gujarat or Bihar. He, however, did not elaborate. Prashant, who formulated election strategy for Prime Minister Modi in the 2014 elections, said he never met Modi after he left Prime Minister's Office in March 2015 till last year when the PM called him when his mother was on death bed. Since then he had been meeting and talking to Modi. He, however, ruled out working with him or drafting political strategy for BJP in the next elections. Prashant, who also worked with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Congress party, said he took up the assignment with YSR Congress party's Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy as he had made a commitment earlier. He claimed that Modi, Nitish and Amarinder Singh did not hire him and that money was the last criteria. He denied reports that he or his organization received huge money for working with different parties. Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Ahmedabad, Sep 9 : Patidar leader Hardik Patel, whose indefinite fast continued on the 16th day on Sunday, was discharged from a private hospital and taken home from where he intends to continue with his indefinite hunger strike. A key community organisation pledged support to the agitating leader while processions were taken out in north Gujarat to back him. After the state government refused permission for any venue for his agitation, the 25-year-old Patidar leader on August 25 launched an indefinite fast from his home to press for his demands for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for his community, debt waiver for farmers and release of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Alpesh Kathiria, who has been jailed on sedition charge. As his health deteriorated, Patel was first shifted to the Sola Civil Hospital on Friday and later moved to a private trust-run SGVP Holistic Hospital. He was discharged on Sunday but he continued his fast from the hospital bed. Before his discharge, Patel told his supporters through a Facebook Live message that he would continue his hunger strike from his residence. He, meanwhile, also alleged in a tweet that a police officer had threatened to kill him when he was brought out of the hospital. Leading Patidar organisation, Shri Umiya Mataji Sansthan, Unjha, on Sunday held a meeting and resolved to support Hardik Patel in his agitation till the state agreed to his demands. "We pledged support to Hardik on his demand for debt waiver and release of Alpesh Kathiria," Sansthan's Chairman Dilip Patel told reporters. As a mark of solidarity, a large number of people from the Patidar community took out a march from Patan to Unjha, a distance of 30 km, in the Patidar-dominated Mehsana district in north Gujarat in support of Hardik Patel. Congress MLAs Lalit Vasoya and Asha Patel joined the "padyatra". People walked from Patan to offer prayers to their family deity, goddess Umiya, at the temple in Unjha. A posse of police was deployed at the entrance to Greenwoods housing colony where Hardik Patel resides, and prevented mediapersons from following him. Some reporters were even pushed around and baton-charged by the police. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner A.K. Singh later ordered an inquiry into police action against journalists after their protest while Joint Commissioner of Police J.K. Bhatt spoke to them to cool the tempers. In his Twitter message, Hardik Patel condemned the "attack" on the media. He said the deployment of police reminded him of "angrez hukumat" (British rule). New Delhi, Sep 9 : The Congress on Sunday urged the Election Commission of India to stop the state governments of Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from splurging huge amounts of public money on self-promotion. In a written submission to the poll panel, Congress's legal cell head and MP Vivek Tankha has demanded that the EC should ensure the Chief Ministers of these poll bound states do not spend public money on self-promotion or yatras. "Of late, the people of India are witnessing excessive propensity on the part of the state governments and the Chief Ministers to put in large advertisements in national newspapers at public expense. It is an abhorrent practice and blatant misuse of public funds," the Congress said in the letter. It asked the EC to issue "peremptory orders" to the Chief Secretary of Telangana to ensure no public money is utilised by the caretaker government on advertisements with pictures of the caretaker Chief Minister till the conclusion of the elections. The Telanaga government decided to prematurely dissolve the assembly on Friday. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekara Rao is running a caretaker government in the state now. Elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh (all ruled by BJP) and Mizoram are due by the end of this year. Jaipur, Sep 9 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday announced that the state will reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel and petrol prices by four per cent. She said that while VAT on petrol was 30 per cent, it was 22 per cent on diesel, she said. With the reduction, petrol and diesel prices will come down by an average Rs 2.50, Raje added. She said that the state will bear a financial burden of Rs 2,000 crore due to VAT reduction. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the Chief Minister was forced to reduce VAT under pressure. "Looking at the immense support to the bandh call given by Congress against the fuel hike, she had to reduce the price, he said. Gehlot added that the decrease in petrol and diesel prices is insufficient and the state government should bring down the price of LPG cylinders too. Los Angeles, Sep 9 : CBS chief Les Moonves has been accused of sex crimes and violence by more women, and the board of the CBS Corp is currently negotiating his departure from the company. In an article published by The New Yorker on Sunday, six more women claim Moonves forced them into unwanted sexual situations and allegedly retaliated when they refused, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The women said Moonves allegedly did an array of unwanted actions, including forcing them to perform oral sex on him and allegedly exposed himself to them. The board of the CBS Corp has selected outside counsel to lead an investigation into the claims against Moonves, who was previously accused of similar unwanted behaviour by a number of women. Moonves responded to the new allegations in the same article with a statement to The New Yorker. He said three of the women who were accusing him of assault were, according to him, participating in consensual situations, reported the Hollywood Reporter. "The appalling accusations in this article are untrue. What is true is that I had consensual relations with three of the women some 25 years ago before I came to CBS. And I have never used my position to hinder the advancement or careers of women," Moonves said. He did not specify which of his accusers he refered to in his statement. "In my 40 years of work, I have never before heard of such disturbing accusations. I can only surmise they are surfacing now for the first time, decades later, as part of a concerted effort by others to destroy my name, my reputation, and my career. "Anyone who knows me knows that the person described in this article is not me." The Reserve Bank of Australia could cut the official cash rate if banks raised their mortgage rates several times, economist Chris Caton has suggested. So far this month, Westpac Banking Corporation, ANZ Banking Group and Commonwealth Bank of Australia have raised their mortgage rates by 0.14 to 0.16 percentage points citing increases on offshore funding costs. The Reserve Bank of Australia has held the official overnight cash rate at 1.5 per cent for 25 months. Dr Caton, a retired former chief economist with BT Financial group, told the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees conference in Cairns could cut the cash rate. "Of course if the banks raised their variable rates again and again and the Reserve Bank was unhappy with that it would offset that it would. "There's no question about that. Dr. Roy Labban, director of computer modeling and simulation at Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), a leading diversified construction, engineering, procurement, development and investment company, spoke at the 2018 OReilly Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference on September 7 in San Francisco, Calif. The presentation, Machine Learning for Optimizing Construction, detailed how CCC uses machine learning in construction to accurately predict future performance. What: Dr. Roy Labban, director of computer modeling and simulation at Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), a leading diversified construction, engineering, procurement, development and investment company, discussed how it uses machine learning, leveraging large datasets of actual performance of trucks on construction sites, to more accurately predict future performance and allow the company to make realistic performance assumptions. Who: Dr. Roy Labban is the director of computer modeling and simulation in the Information Systems Department at Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), which is ranked among the top 20 international contractors in 2018 by ENR. Dr. Roy Labban in an expert in AI computing. When: Friday, September 7, 2018 at 4:50-5:30 PM Where: OReilly AI Conference (September 6-7, 2018) Hilton Union Square 333 O'Farrell Street San Francisco, CA 94102 About CCC Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) is a global leader in the engineering and construction industry. Established in 1952 and operating worldwide, CCC has provided more than 65 years of project management, engineering, procurement and construction services to the industry and employs around 172,000 people internationally. The company's landmark construction projects include the Dubai Mall, the Abu Dhabi International Airport - Midfield Terminal Building, residential towers, hotels, power stations, water and sewage treatment plants and networks, roads and bridges, industrial and process plants and pipelines worldwide. Consolidated Contractors Company contributes to the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative of the World Economic Forum, along with the UN Global Compact, to ensure business ethics, anti-bribery policies and sustainable growth in all forms of its operations. Philippine Airlines will introduce its new Airbus A350 on its London Heathrow and New York JFK routes to and from Manila on September 15. We spoke to the airline to find out what passengers can expect from Business Class as well as Premium Economy and Economy on the new aircraft. China is Africas biggest and strongest ally and in recent years has pumped millions of dollars into the continent, funding one mega project after another. At the close of the 2018 China-Africa Forum for Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in Beijing, the worlds second biggest economy announced that it had set up a new $60 billion kitty meant for Africas development as part of a raft of new measures to strengthen Sino-Africa ties. The fund, which is broken down into several parts, will be channelled to projects aligned to the Chinese governments Belt and Road Initiative covering telecommunications, construction of roads, bridges and sea ports, energy, and human capacity development. Also read: A peek inside top ten most grand and beautiful presidential palaces in Africa Considering that, here are ten million-dollar projects in Africa which are standing today and others are in the pipeline thanks to Chinese money. 1. Railways projects At least five African countries have had their railway systems funded by China: Kenya, Ethiopia, Angola, Djibouti, and Nigeria. Kenyas largest infrastructure project since independence, Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, was funded by China at an estimated cost of Sh327bn ($3.8bn). In Ethiopia, China has funded two railways projects; Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit and Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway. Lobito-Luau Railway in Angola and Abuja-Kaduna Railway in Nigeria were also funded by China. 2. AU Headquarters The $200 million African Union headquarters located in in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was fully funded and built by China. 3. ECOWAS Headquarters In March 2018, West African regional bloc ECOWAS signed a deal with China to build their headquarters at Abuja at a cost of $31.6 million. 4. Ghanas Bauxite Exploration In 2017, Ghana agreed to a $10 billion bauxite exploration deal with the government of China aimed at further exploiting the West African countrys vast solid mineral deposits. 5. Angolas Caculo Cabaca Hydropower plant In 2017, Angola signed a deal with China for the construction of the Caculo Cabaca Hydropower project in Dondo, Angola. The project is worth $4.5 billion and is set to produce 2,172 megawatts of electricity. The project will take about seven years to be completed. A similar project is ongoing at the Kaleta hydroelectric facility in Guinea, worth $526 million, with China funding 75 per cent of the project. 6. Congos Special Economic Zone China will be investing in the Republic of Congos Special Economic Zone. The zone will be build in Pointe Noire in what China calls a direct investment and not a loan or gift. 7. Nigerias Edo State Oil refinery Nigeria and China signed a deal to build an oil refinery in Edo State at a cost of $2 billion. 8. Zambias cement factory China is responsible for a number of projects in Zambia including the China National Building Material which was recently launched by President Lungu. The project is worth $500 million and will be completed in two phases. 9. Egypts new city Shanghai-listed developer China Fortune Land Development is set to invest up to $20 billion to build an upmarket residential district, an industrial zone, schools, a university and recreational centers in a new city in Egypt. 10. Zimbabwes new parliament Before President Robert Mugabe was ousted, China presented the former head of state with a million dollar gift: a new parliament. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! READ ALSO: undefined According to the commercial motor bike (Okada) operator, the convicted person requested for his mobile phone to make a call. He further noted that, the convict then pulled a locally manufactured pistol and ordered him to stop. Razak Ibrahim told the court that, the convicted person turned off the engine of the motor -bike and shot him in his left thigh after which he robbed him of 30 Ghana Cedis. The complainant further indicated that, the convict wanted to snatch his motorbike. I resisted him in a scuffle and I shouted for help. Some people came to my aid which led to his arrest, he told the court. READ ALSO: undefined Ali Mohammed denied the charge but later pleaded guilty and prayed for mercy. The presiding judge of the Ashaiman Circuit court, Mr Gabriel Mate -Teye, upheld the charge of robbery contrary to section 149 of Act 26/60 as amended by Act 646 of 2003. Mr. Mate-Teye noted that the convicted person had knowledge of his intent and that he must face the full rigous of the law to serve as a deterrent to other criminals. The mother of the victim had died about four years ago and she has been living together with the father in the same room at Denu. The court was told that Adelashie took advantage of the situation and routinely subjected the girl to bouts of sex, ignoring her disapproval. He would threaten beating her up anytime she refused to give in to the fathers demand for sex. Unable to bear the abuse she gathered courage and reported her traumatic ordeal to her school teachers, who reportedly invited Adelashie and advised him to stop doing that. READ ALSO: undefined He would not change and continued to make life miserable for the girl. Matters came to a head on November 19, last year, when Adelashie attempted to sexually attack her and this time she decided she had had enough of the fathers bad conduct and would no longer be intimidated. Yoga is a great form of exercise if you are thinking of improving your fitness level. Yoga can be done in the comfort of your home. It combines aspects of cardio, functional and strength training all in one. READ ALSO: Improves lung function A lot of breathing exercises are said to improve lung function. Doing such exercises in a long run could cure respiratory problems. It also increases of the capacity of your lungs. Lose weight Practicing yoga every day helps to lose weight. It fuels the metabolic system and that helps to burn fat, leading to weight loss. Daily yoga can also help restore the hormonal balance in your body, which can normalize your body weight. Levels of cortisol, the hormone that is released in response to stress and low blood-glucose concentration, will be lowered, leading to less overeating. Increase your energy As ET reports, the video starts with Blunt working out on a vertical knee raise machine while quipping, "Hey guys, just hanging out here at Iron Paradise. A cast who trains together, stays together." Meanwhile, The Rock is working on his arms, and as Blunt walks over to him, he begins counting "198. 199. 200," but Blunt points out that he's actually only done three. Blunt and Whitehall, who are both British, then start to mock Johnson's American accent. Whitehall starts with, "All me, all me. No pains, no gains," while Blunt exclaims, "Iron Paradise, just hanging out. I'm Dwayne Johnson, I like squats and shakes." Not to be outdone, Johnson gets his own ribbing in. "Let's go watch some Quidditch, I'm Mary Poppins - yes it's cool, it's iconic, it's you," he jokes about Blunt's Mary Poppins film role. But while he tried, Blunt tells Johnson to "never ever" do that again, and Whitehall declares "no negativity." All is forgiven by the end, and the co-stars close out the video with the hug. Whitehall also posted the video on his Instagram page, captioning it: "Finally got let loose in the Iron Paradise. Hard work and a lot of sweating and grunting but I fully expect to wake up tomorrow morning looking like @therock . Its good that weve got to a stage now where weve spent so much time together that we are comfortable doing each others voices and Emily is calling Dwayne toots -which he loves. Great way to start the week and makes a change from my usual gym experience which is pootling along on an exercise bike for twenty minutes whilst listening to an audiobook." The registration was open for non-North American special category which will be for 200 delegates that makes the total number as 2,000 delegates, which is the capacity of the grand ballroom of Hotel Westin in Lombard of Chicago, the venue for inaugural and plenary sessions. Regarding arrangements for the comfort of guests and delegates from around the world, volunteers and office bearers of the respective committees are taking utmost and minute care. The delegation from the Hindu Monastery of Africa includes a former Communications Minister, Victoria Hamah. Victoria Hammah also happens to be the representative of the Women and Female Youth of the Monastery. Other members of the delegation are Mr. Attoh - the President and Mr. Sarpong, youth leader of the Monastery. The Hindu Monastery of Africa observes most of the major auspicious days and festivals in the Hindu mythology such as Ayyappa, Maha Shivaratri, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Gayatri Jayanti etc. About Hindu monastery of Africa The Hindu Monastery of Africa was established in 1975 under the auspices of His Holiness Swami Krishnanand Saraswati. Creditably the first indigenous Ghanaian Hindu temple dedicated to the teachings of Sanatana Dharama, witnessed in March 1975, the initiation of the first black African monk, His Holiness Swami Ghananand Saraswati into the divine order of Sanyasi. Until 2016, when Swami Ghananand attained divine transition (Samadhi), the Hindu Monastery of Africa under divine leadership of the same, has expanded and built five more branches in three regions of Ghana and one branch in Togo. Farouk Mahama, the elder son of the late vice president, is said to have nursed the ambition for years now and will contest for the seat when the party opens nominations for aspirating MPs. The Ghana COCOBOD employee, Pulse.com.gh has been told, has recruited activists in the Yendi Constituency to further his ambitions in the NPP parliamentary primaries. He is lately seen organising events in his father's hometown, Yendi, and meeting with party officers in a bid to catch their attention and convince them that he is their best bet. Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani , NPP, is the current MP for the area and has served for two terms. He is also the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. When he was appointed minister by President Akufo-Addo, the Yendi Constituency said his appointment was "an honour and recognition of your loyalty, hard work and trust by the President of the Republic of Ghana. "Mr. President you have made an excellent choice based on expertise, experience and talent and the good people of Yendi are happy and grateful to you for such an honour done their illustrious son, a congratulatory statement from the Constituency said. READ MORE: Why political parties are forming vigilante groups We are delighted to hear of your appointment and we are sure that under your great leadership, wisdom and guidance, Yendi will strive to much greater heights and achievements, the statement emphasized. Habib Tijani is also credited with virtually turning the Yendi Constituency into a safe seat for the governing NPP. It is unclear what Farouk's message will be but Pulse.com.gh has been hinted the aspirant hopes his father's legacy will further his ambition. President Nana Akufo-Addo's cousin in a Facebook post said the government is taking the nation in the right way and that Ghana's destiny is tied to the NPP succeeding. The New Patriotic Party member also urged on the government to find a balance between pursuing the 'big vision goal' and responding to the needs of Ghanaians. He said: "Where government is taking the nation is the right way, and must be made to succeed. I pray for two things: that government will find a workable balance between pursuing the big vision goal, and responding to the necessary electoral cycle relief expectations on the other hand. Again that the people will have the information and the patience to keep faith with the NPP. If we do not help the NPP to succeed, then I dont knowGhanas destiny is tied practically to the NPP succeeding. If in doubt just observe that the Ghanaian actually holds the NPP to a higher standard than the NDC. Trust me! His comments come following the depreciation of the cedis. "As we work towards the selection of national executives, we should be guided by the enormity of the obstacles well-resourced individuals with parochial agendas will place in our way," he said in a statement issued by his Communications Directorate and signed by Kobina Andoh Amoakwa. "We have to confront these stumbling blocks and ensure that the image and strength of the party come first. The ex-president called on members of the NDC not to rest on their oars after the conclusion of the partys regional elections over the weekend. "While the results of the elections are a good indication of the sense of purpose of delegates and the membership of the party at large, we cannot rest on our oars, he stated. The scourge of monetization which has engulfed our body politic was still manifest in many of the last regional elections. According to him, some victors won through monetary and material inducements instead of commitment to the ideals of the party. We have to be on the lookout for self-centred personalities, who managed to slip through the net due to revolting levels of monetary influence. Let us not allow such people to dilute, contaminate and weaken the progress that has been made, he warned. READ MORE: Rawlings condemns vulgar inducements at NDC primaries He said as a party that seeks to rebuild and strengthen itself, its imperative that we see the results of the last elections as a small step towards confronting the bigger challenges facing the party. Chinas role in the world has been rising sustainably over the past decades and it is now one of the most important countries and markets in the world. Closely trailing the United States, China is the second biggest economy in the world but economists predict the country to overtake the US within the next decade. China is one of the most attractive markets and international trade is embedded in the DNA of the Chinese economy, representing 47% of its GDP. It is the largest exporter of merchandise and the second largest importer. As a result, everyone wants a piece of China, including African entrepreneurs. China and Africa can forge a stronger comprehensive and strategic partnership. China promises to engage with Africa on a principle of sincerity and real results, said President XiJinping during the recently concluded the China-Africa Forum for Cooperation (FOCAC) 2018 summit. Kenyan entrepreneurs have not been left behind either and annually make multiple trips to China, accumulating hundreds of miles in the process, to buy their wares, stock and even explore new opportunities. Chinas 1.3 billion people and Africas 1.2 billion want a shared future, said the Chinese leader as he promised that no obstacle will be allowed to hold back the joint march. One such entrepreneur is Pamellah Oduor, the Proprietor of Spice Land, who recently flew to China for Business. I visited the state of Guangzhou in to purchase unique catering equipment to boost the general outlook of my catering business and I was there for 7 days, Pamellah told Business Insider SSA. Pamellah is also a mentor and the founder of one of the most popular and active Kenyan Facebook groups, Let's Cook Kenyan Meals, which she founded in 2013. For seven days, Pamellah went about her business in Guangzhou, a sprawling port city northwest of Hong Kong on the Pearl River, armed only with her charming smile, street smartness and of course lots of Chinese Yuan and without the aid of a Chinese translator. I was keen on the business models and realised that most businesses in China are run by families. Each family member has a role to play in the daily running of the business. Everybody in China works so hard and is always on the move. Also read: Kenyan entrepreneur with arguably one of the biggest online markets shares 5 secrets of running a business So here are five things to do to ensure your next business trip to China is stress free straight from the horse's mouth. 1. Make Google Translate app your friend On her business trip to China, Pamellah decided not to source the services of a Chinese translator but instead threw herself on the deep end of the Chinese trade swimming pool. There was a lot of use of sign language, Google translate but most importantly the only language that is finally understood by all is the language of the calculator which is universal. To bypass the language barrier, she had a couple of smart tricks up her sleeve. Make sure to download your VPN App before you land in China as you will not have access to Google [there] and will need the Google Translate. 2. Only withdraw your money from the Bank ATMs Fake money is a big problem in China and many unsuspecting entrepreneurs have been on the receiving end of it and got conned thousands of their hard earned money. Pamellah, a former banker, was determined not to be their next victim so she came prepared. She made sure she withdrew her money at only recognised and official financial centers. If possible withdraw your money from the Bank ATMs to avoid being given fake money by the street money changers. You could also change money from your hotel tuck shop, she said. 3. Use only the green government taxis Pamellah says Chinese markets are located far from each other and one will to need to do a lot of commuting and hence taxis will be a necessary tool. Use only the Green Government Taxis that will run their meters in order to charge for your trip, she says. While at it, she also advices entrepreneurs to be extra vigilant since there are some rogue taxi drivers who have a nasty habit of dumping passengers midway before reaching their destination which in most cases are far from one another. The Chinese markets are targeted such that you will have the kitchen market away from the clothes market, shoes market, beauty market or even leather market, says Pamellah. 4. Always have your business cards ready Always have your business cards ready as this is how you will get directions to the shops you want to visit. The most important thing you should always have with you is the hotel address which is usually in the form of the hotel business card. This is the document that you will show to the taxi driver when you want to get back to the hotel, Said Pamellah. 5. Use your freighting company to make for you your hotel booking The prices in China for goods are very good but the freight costs are extremely high though as Pamellah found out. Use your freighting company to make for you your hotel booking, The fact that most shops do not have ready stock means that one needs to make an order then come back after 2-3 days to confirm their goods before sending them to the warehouses of the shipping companies which are miles apart is also another challenge. After purchasing your goods, make sure you are there when they are being packed, ferried to the warehouse and when loading. This way you will be sure you have carried all the correct goods that you had purchased. The most important survival tip of all Always have all your identification documents and money in a money bag on your waist. This way there is no chance of you forgetting your bag anywhere. This week, the Silicon Valley social networking giant announced that it is spending more than $1 billion US (1.4 billion Singapore dollars) building its first custom data centre on the continent, in Singapore. It will be a big, rectangular affair, according to renders released by Facebook, featuring translucent cladding "made of a perforated lightweight material that allows airflow and proceeds glimpses of the state-of-the-art mechanical equipment inside," and its front is bedecked with rows of plants. Why Singapore? " Nala, based in Tanzania, a mobile money application that works offline, beat the ten other finalists to emerge as the winner of the competition. Virtual Identity from South Africa and Wallet.ng from Nigeria emerged first and second runners-up. The three startups won cash prizes worth $10,0000, $7,000 and $5,000 respectively. Ade Ayeyemi, Ecobank Group CEO, praised the finalists for their innovative solutions and welcomed them to the Fellowship. We are proud of the impressive startups that made it to our 2018 final. They are shining examples of the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity that will propel our continents global competitiveness in the commercial services markets, and I sincerely expect some, if not all, of them to be the business titans of tomorrow. They have my congratulations and we look forward to working closely with all eleven Fellows over the next year to deliver innovative banking services at better price-points that will improve the lives of Africans. Ecobank inducted all the 11 finalists into the Ecobank Fintech Fellowship programme to explore commercial partnerships with the pan-African banking giant. Launched in 2017, Ecobank Fintech Challenge brought together fintech start-ups and innovators, policymakers, investors and development organisations from across the world to network, witness the 2018 finalists exhibitions, and celebrate the induction of the finalists into the 2018 Ecobank Fintech Fellowship. Godwin spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the closing ceremony of an eight-week free-skill- acquisition training for young boys and girls held at the Igando/Ikotun Local Council area of Lagos State. Godwin, the director of PELLX Empowerment Programme (PEP), said that no fewer than 2,500 children from about 50 schools benefitted from the empowerment. NAN reports that the children were trained in bead making, make-up, tying of headgear gele, how to make flower vase, ankara-craft, theatre arts and music. Godwin said, Gone are the days when the graduates from tertiary institutions depended on white collar jobs or ready-made professions. The available white-collar jobs in contemporary times are far less to go round the unemployed graduates, he said. He noted that the school curriculum did not provide opportunities for most children to acquire skills that would expose them to what they could do with their hands and brains. The entrepreneur said that the programme had exposed the participants to various creative skills that would eventually help them become financially independent and also reduce unemployment in the country. A nation with lesser job suffers higher crime rate, but a nation with higher jobs, enjoys peace and prosperity. The challenges created in youths by cultism and cybercrimes are products of idleness and unemployment which can be reduced through employment, he said. The entrepreneur while addressing the youths advised them to always embrace vocational skills and formal education. These two have the potential to heal the world of its vices. When a child is empowered with skills, it assists him or her all through his or her journeys in life. When you support skills with the knowledge you acquired from school, it distinguishes you from the crowd. Keep practising what you learn wherever you find yourself so that you do not forget such skills, he said. He advised them to also study their surroundings closely to see how they could apply these skills there as a means of serving their neighbours with a view to earning a living from their services. Always remember that you are the next legend the whole world is waiting to celebrate, do not waste any acquired knowledge, even if it was freely acquired, he said. Some of the beneficiaries told NAN that the training was an added knowledge to their academics. According to Olamide Ajoke of Hopeful Private School, Ijeododo, I concentrated on bead-making because it is the current-money-making handiwork. Akindeinde Esther from Durable Comprehensive High School described the training as very skillful and worthwhile. Emmanuella Ebuzor from Bridge School, Joseph Adesuwa from Simic College in Abaranje, Akinloye Aminat from Sky Fountain School and Christmas Please from Gods Banner School, appreciated the programme. While the gang members beat up the new recruit at his mother's nest, she manages to inform the police who were able to arrest 11 gang members. What could have passed as an ordinary initiation into a newly formed confraternity named, The New Black Movement of Africa, a breakaway faction of the Aiye cult, turned sour when one of the recruits, who couldnt endure the torture and other initiation rites he was subjected to, bolted for his dear life and ran to his mothers house in Jakande Estate, Ajah, Lagos. Miffed by the apparent show of cowardice by the intending recruit and the fact that he may give them up to the police, the group chased him to his mothers residence and began to beat up everybody in sight. They also robbed residents of the estate who were woken up by their noise. Unfortunately for the group, the mother of the runaway boy, sneaked out of the house and placed a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer of the Ilasan division, CSP Onyinye Onwuamaegbu, who led a police team to the estate and arrested 11 members of the group, CSP Chike Oti tells Punch. ALSO READ: Cult members beat policeman to death in retaliation The spokesman for the command, CSP Chike Oti, made the development known in a statement in Lagos on Sunday. Oti said that the suspects were arrested on Saturday at their home at No.15, Irepodun Street, Egan, Igando, a Lagos suburb. He said that the woman was said to be a chief priestess and custodian of an Ifa shrine. She was alleged to be aiding her sons, aged 26 and 32, who allegedly lure their victims with charms to their home. Oti described the suspects as deadly bunch of kidnappers. He said that they used the social media to lure their victims and put them in captivity until they paid ransoms for their release. The trio met their waterloo when one Bridget Obazee came to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Igando Police Station, CSP Taiwo Kasumu, on Sept. 7 and complained that her brother, Osahon, was missing. The complainant told the DPO that the kidnappers were threatening to kill Osahon if they (family) failed to pay a N1.5 million ransom. She added that they warned her not to involve the police, otherwise her brother would be killed. Oti said that the DPO quickly contacted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal, who deployed men from the Intelligence Unit of the command to reinforce the DPOs team. He said that the team immediately set out in search of the suspects. The same day, at about 11a.m., through discreet investigation, the team arrested the woman and her sons, Akeem Bashiru and Ojo Solomon, he said. He said that besides Osahon, the police also rescued two other victims in the home of the suspects, which doubled as their hideout. He gave the names of the other victims as Adugbagbe Akindele of No.7 Peace Crescent Salolo, Meiran, Lagos and one Ekwegbalu Augustine, who was lured from Anambra with the promise for a job in an oil company. Oti said, the victims have been held for weeks, pending the payment of ransom by their families. He said that those rescued had been re-united with their relations. He said that during interrogation, Solomon confessed that he lured the victims with the promise of getting them employment. He further confessed that he lured some victims for a gay relationship and that their mother empowered him and his brother spiritually, Oti said. He said that the mother used charms to intimidate and instil fear in victims. Ngige, on Sunday, September 9, 2018, gave journalists seven reasons President Buhari's administration remains the best so far since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria. The minister also said the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by President Buhari met Nigeria in near ruins when it took over from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDPin 2015. Here are some of the reasons Ngige said about Buhari's administration 1. We are wonderful with the economy; nobody, I mean no person would have done better than this present government in those two areas. 2. I want you to take something away and that thing is that any other person handling this situation; economy, security, it would have been worse. 3. We came in and oil nosedived to 37 dollars a barrel with a production of 600,000 per day, a drop from 2.2 million and yet we managed the economy out of recession. 4. Nigerians should be clapping for us on daily basis, and after thanking God, they should thank us. Yes, because God has used Buhari and some of us to make Nigeria work. 5. Weve encouraged people and said there is dignity in labour with the hand. Today, we are second to America in world production of sorghum; today, we are importing about four per cent of the rice needs of the country. 6. Prior to that, this country was spending $5m daily on rice and about $1.8b annually on rice importation. And you dont want to clap for us! NAN learnt that the fighters were said to be with the Boko Haram faction under the leadership of Abu-Mosad Al-Barnawi. Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, Director Army Public Relations, said Bassey commended the troops during an assessment visit to Gundumbali. The Commander urged the troops to continue to remain courageous while confronting the insurgents,he said. Chukwu provided more details of the incident. He said that the insurgents came to extort, terrorise law abiding citizens as well as to attack the military base in the town. However, they met a serious resistance by the gallant troops. He did not disclose the figure of casualty or injuries sustained from both parties during the attack. The troops inflicted overwhelming casualty on the terrorists due to superior fire power while some of the terrorists fled to the fringes of Lake Chad, he said. According to him, efforts are on by the troops to get other fleeing members of the terrorists group. He advised locals in the area to be vigilant and carry out their legitimate businesses in their communities as well as report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest military base. NAN reports that the residents of Magumeri were yet to recover from the panic caused by Saturdays attack, as many of them have relocated to Gubio and Monguno. NAN recalled that about 2,000 IDPs comprising of 200 households had returned to Guzamala to resettle and resume their traditional occupation of farming and fishing, as well as other socio-economic activities following relative peace. But the peace was broken Saturday when scores of insurgents in gun trucks and bearing various calibre of arms stormed the town and engaged the troops in fierce battle that lasted for many hours. Malam Bukar Mele, who escaped from the fighting, told NAN that the attackers invaded the town unexpectedly and asked the villagers to run away for their lives. Mele said he immediately took his family and began running just as they (Boko Haram) instructed the residents, leaving behind his belongings. They told us in Kanuri to vacate the place so that what they came to do will not affect us. So we all took to our heels in different directions for safety, he said. Mr Abdul Bari, another local in the area, said the insurgents assured that they did not come with intention to kill civilians. Their target was the military and not civilians. This is what they told us as they ask us to get out of their sight within a blink of an eye. The insurgents were fully kitted with khaki and covered their faces. After one minute, they began shooting from the gun truck facing the military location. There were sounds of sporadic gunshots from many directions. I dont know what happened but the army was engaging with the terrorists, he said. Alhaji Mamman Durkwa, the Deputy Governor of the state, who confirmed the development, said security forces were on top of the situation. It is unfortunate to confirm to you that there was an attack by Boko Haram extremists on a military base and other communities of Gudumbali. Thousands of the people who were displaced and spent some years in resettlement camps in Maiduguri have returned back recently after the liberation of those surrounding communities by our gallant security forces. I regret to inform you that there was another attack by insurgents in Gudumbali, but I am yet to get the number of casualties. I just spoke with the Police Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, and the Brigade Commander in Monguno. Both confirmed to me that the attack actually took place, and our security forces were on top of the situation, Durkwa said. Reacting, Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, Army Director Public Relations, who confirmed the attack on phone, said the troops had promptly repelled the attack and restored sanity in the area. Fowler made this known at a recent stakeholders meeting in Lagos - months after the tax holiday elapsed. Fowler said over 6772 defaulting billionaire taxpayer were identified by leveraging on banks data. ALSO READ: FIRS set to commence audit of taxpayers nationwide Fowler The FIRS boss noted that most of such defaulting taxpayers, who have between N1 and N5 billion in their accounts, have no Taxpayer Identification Number, TIN, or have TIN and have not filed any tax returns. It was further said that FIRS, through all banks in the country, will do substitution on accounts for such identified taxpayers. How we found defaulting billionaires in Nigeria Speaking on how the FIRS compiled lists of tax defaulting billionaire, the FIRS Chairman said, "What we have done is what we call substitution which also is in our laws which empowers us to appoint the banks as collection agents for tax. So, we are putting them under notice that it is their civic responsibility to pay tax and to file returns on these accounts. We looked all businesses, partnerships, corporate accounts that have a minimum turnover of N1 billion per annum for the past three years. First of all, the law states clearly that before you open a corporate account, part of the opening documentation is the tax I.D. From the 23 banks, we have analysed so far, we have 31,395 records, out of which effectively minus duplications we had 18,602. We broke those into three categories: Those that have TIN tax I.D, those that dont have no TIN and of course no TIN no pay and those that have TIN and have not even paid anything. So, on a minimum, every company or business included here over the last three years have had a banking turnover of N3 billion and above. Some of them have had banking turnover of over N5 billion and have not paid one kobo in taxes Now the total number of TIN and no pay is 6772. So, if someone is good in mathematics and you take the minimum level of N3 billion multiply by 409 and they are operating within our society and economy and do not remit or make any taxpayment," he said. Fowler concluded by saying the FIRS will soon go after the bank accounts of defaulting taxpayers who are raking in billions in Nigeria and are not paying taxes. Jonathan reportedly made the disclosure while addressing an audience at the Peace Summit at the Junior Chamber International, JCI, in Malaysia. The ex-president noted that when he became Nigeria's president, at least 10.5 million children across the country were out of school despite being of school age. ALSO READ: Goodluck Jonathan wants to take a lecturing job He further said it was sad to find out that 80% of that population are from the Northern region of Nigeria. His words: "In Nigeria, there were 10.5 million (about 15% of the population) out of school children who were of school age, going by UNICEF figures, as at the time I became president. ALSO READ:Goodluck Jonathan takes shot at President Buhari on Facebook Over 80% of these children for which majority are known as Almajiri came from the northern part of Nigeria, where I recorded the least votes in the elections I contested. Knowing the value of education, I could see that the ugly situation was limiting the opportunities of these children and negatively affecting the development of my country. That was why my administration decided to build 165 Almajiri Integrated Model Schools which combined both western and Islamic education in its curricula, he said. Northern Nigeria is the most backward - Ribadu With very little acceptance of family planning methods resulting in an increase in birth rate and an Almajiri system of education, the northern region of Nigeria has been considered the most backward in the world. Nuhu Ribadu, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated this at a book launch in Abuja on Wednesday, August 15, 2018. Ribadu expressed displeasure over the acceptance of the Almajiri system of education in most parts of the north. In a statement made available to Pulse, Akande explained that to qualify for the Trader Moni scheme no documentation of any kind is required. Akande said, the petty traders are not required to show PVC, or any document for that matter, they are only expected to show they are petty traders and this is why the enumeration is done in the markets and wherever the traders ply their trades. Continuing, the media aide said, "those who question the timing of the loans have forgotten that the credit scheme is part of the Social Investment Programme of the Buhari presidency, and has commenced in 2016. "The Trader Moni specifically was conceived in 2016. Must we then suspend the empowerment of the traders just because some people will insinuate motivations? The petty traders whose trades and lives are being positively impacted as they receive the N10,000 are telling a different story from those making political insinuations. And it is their stories that inspire us. Nigerians already know that the Buhari Administration is one that is projecting the interests of the common man, Nigerians who are at the lower rungs, and this is not a new perception at all, he said. Aregbesola made the assertion while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo, after a fitness walk organised for the newly absorbed 20, 000 youths into the states Youths Empowerment Scheme (O-YES). What you are witnessing today, the O-YES scheme, started in 2010/2011; 100 days after our inauguration and we are still running it. Because we are not just a conventional administration like the previous governments, we have designed and empowered our young ones to cater to all needs of the people. It is clear that no government has the capacity to employ all youths but we have, through the O-YES scheme, created opportunities that will engage and take them out of vices, he said. Two-third of youths in the O-YES are either in one employment or the other or self-employed. This explains the results of all surveys, political, social, undertaken nationwide which throws up the fact that Osun has the highest index of happiness. We have the lowest unemployment rate in Nigeria, as well as the 7th largest economy in the country. Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the Osun 2018 governorship election who took part in the walk, said O-YES was a laudable scheme which, he noted, would be kept and improved upon if he was elected governor. He said: The scheme has taken cumulatively, 80, 000 youths off the streets and provided them with a platform to do something productive. The state is very peaceful because the youth are engaged and because they have something to do, they are not vulnerable. The government is encouraging youths through the scheme to embrace hard work, to shun vices and also remove vulnerability. The Head of the O-YES programme, Mr Enibukun Oyewole, lauded the government for setting up the scheme which, he said,0 had transformed the lives of lots of youths. Oyewole said a lot of the O-YES cadets had been sent abroad for training in various skills acquisition, noting that N3.6 billion was expended on the scheme annually. He said the success of the programme attracted the attention of the World Bank had which studied it. The publication alleged that Kyari collected N29 million bribe from a contractor. Malam Garba Shehu, the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, condemned the publication in a statement in Abuja on Saturday. Shehu explained that Kyari did not have any private meetings with the person making those allegations. The statement read: Presidency takes strong offence to the improbable and outlandish publication by Punch Newspaper today (Saturday Sept. 8) in a dig at presidential aide Abba Kyari who was alleged to have collected a 29 million naira bribe for the awarding of a contract. We wish to state with full authority that the allegation is wrong and the Chief of Staff did not have any private meetings with the person making those allegations. What is even more surprising is the decision by the newspaper to run the cooked up lies despite obvious loopholes in the story, such as the Bureau of Public Procurements denial that a major source for the story was a member of their staff. With a slew of crucial elections ahead, some politicians and their media agents appear to be working together to build pressure on the Buhari administration by wielding non-existent scandals against it, he said. The presidential spokesman also noted that the supply of 15 Hilux vehicles for the Presidency was an unlikely contract to have been awarded, as it did not exist anywhere in the 2016 and 2017 budgets. Checking the Appropriation for 2016 and 2017, that request is not even there. How could Abba Kyari have asked for money to award a contract that did not exist anywhere at all?, he said. Shehu added that the amount allegedly given in bribe was also suspicious, as the office of the presidential aide had been known in the past to receive monthly Imprest of N200 million and above with no one expected to give account. It was only since Abba Kyari occupied that position that things changed. In blunt terms, it is difficult to make a case of N29 million bribery against an official who spurned a monthly payment of N200 million to his office, money for which he didnt need to account to anyone, he said. He therefore cautioned against the medias haste to publish unverified accusations against government officials simply for the sensationalism value without doing the due diligence required of them by their profession. The presidential spokesman observed that the newspaper was notified of the various falsehoods contained in the allegations but still went ahead to publish the weak accusations. Ajimobi made the call on Saturday in Ibadan at a meeting with governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor also met with political appointees aspiring to contest elective positions in the 2019 elections. The governor said that it was mandatory that they resign their appointments immediately, adding that some of them no longer have time for their jobs. The governor stated that resigning would give them the opportunity to concentrate on their aspirations while providing others opportunity to serve. We still have some months to the end of this administration. They either stay or leave for others to have the opportunity to serve. You will see that some will not resign. We want to reduce the gamblers. We want people who are serious; those who are seriously committed to either seeking offices or focused on governance, he said. Ajimobi also disclosed that unity and progress of the party were among topics discussed at the meeting. He added the meeting also availed those present the opportunity to appreciate the aspirants for their commitment to the party. The governor described the APC as the party to beat in the next election, saying other political parties in the state were subsidiaries. It is clear to all and sundry that APC is a party to beat in the state. When you have this kind of position, there is the tendency to have people fighting for positions. We appeal to them to work as a family. The leadership of the party is ready to accept whatever type of primaries they prefer, be it consensus, direct or indirect. We want to ensure that we practise democracy in the truest sense. We are happy with the response of the aspirants and they have all agreed on indirect primaries, he said. The governor, however, disclosed that aspirants had resolved that whoever was chosen as the flag bearer at the end of the primaries would be acceptable to all. Ajimobi expressed delight at the spirit of brotherhood displayed by the aspirants, saying they were all eminently qualified to govern the state. We have told them to go and negotiate with themselves. You are all eminently qualified. We are not going to name anybody. The aspirants are in there now discussing with themselves. They are not desperate people or do-or-die politicians. They have their jobs and they can survive without politics. I think politics is just their vocation, he said. Among those present were former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala, Dr Olusola Ayandele, Chief Niyi Akintola(SAN), Dr Azeez Adeduntan, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Mr Joseph Tegbe and Mr Olalekan Alli. Also present were Mr Soji Eniade, Dr Morounkola Thomas, Mr Isaac Omodewu, Mr Ayodeji Karim, Dr Owolabi Babalola and Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari. The rest were Mr Kehinde Olaosebikan, Rep. Abiodun Awoleye, Mr Akeem Agbaje, Mr Kolawole Asanke and Mr Sunday Dare. NAN further reports that the Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo, and the Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, who had both signified interest in the governorship race, were absent at the meeting. The meeting, which was inconclusive, was postponed till Sunday morning when a communique signed by the aspirants would be made available. The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the governor did not cooperate with the Transition Committee set up by Incoming-Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Fayose snubbed the request by the committee, for certain records of his tenure. He claimed the committee is illegal. Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, urged the Governor-Elect to stop spreading falsehood about him or the finances of his administration. He described as mere fabrication, the claim that his government had accumulated a debt of N117 billion as against the N18 billion it inherited. Fayemi was already preparing excuses for his impending failure at the tribunal, Fayose said. Fayose insisted that the State Government under him has no obligation to relate with any committee not empowered by law, stating that the governor-elect should wait for the handing over note that will be handed to him on October 16. He said it was funny that the same Transition Committee that claimed it did not get any information from the State government estimated the state debt at N117 billion. He reiterated that his government only received N10 billion grant from the Excess Crude Account, which was released to all States for capital projects as well as Budget Support fund released to states by the Federal Government. It is on record that Ekiti State Government was indebted to the tune of N86, 013,689,097 as at October 16, 2014 that Governor Fayose took over. The debts are broken down as follows: Bank Loans; N15, 831,613,425.62, Bond; N26, 749,796,784.75, Outstanding Warrants; N15, 522,552,900.76, Outstanding to Road Contractors; N21, 286,126,749, Outstanding Remittances to FG; N709, 883,656.75, Outstanding Remittances (State Govt); N592, 995,374.89 and EKSG Public Servants Outstanding Emoluments; N5, 137,888,224.37, he said. Shekarau made this known to his supporters in Kano after he was welcomed to the All Progressive Congress, APC, by the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and the national chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole. In a detailed speech, Shekarau narrated what transpired between July 2018 when Kwankwanso dumped the APC for PDP and August 30, 2018 till the time he decided to quit the party. ALSO READ: Oshiomhole, Ganduje welcome Shekarau to APC The former governor claimed that Kwankwaso demanded the control of the party structure in Kano state with high demands, which were met by the national chairman of the PDP. Shekarau further claimed that Kwankwaso literally demanded for 51% control of the PDP structure in Kano and he was obliged by PDP chairman, Uche Secondus. Read all Shekarau said about Kwankwaso I wish to first of all, give some little background, sometime in July this year, a number of APC leaders decided to cross over from APC to PDP. In appreciation, our party, the PDP set up a Committee of Integration and Contact led by former governor of Cross River state, His Excellency, Liyel Imoke. Unfortunately, all of these procedures were violated, they were not observed they were not respected. The technical committee under Liyel Imoke, five of them, reported directly to the national chairman some agreement signed between them and members of the Reformed APC. Some of these agreements included, for example, in Kano, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was granted the following privileges: 51 percent of the structure of the leadership of the party; while the existing PDP members should take 49 percent. They also granted to Kwankwaso that all national and state legislators who come with him should have automatic ticket to contest 2019 election. We called a meeting of the stakeholders in the state and we vehemently disagreed. We passed a resolution on the 25th of August and we put it in writing, addressed to the national chairman that we have not agreed with the contents of the said agreement. We wrote a letter of protest which we titled Integration of PDP Returnees Members. We disagreed, we wrote, we would be given copies for all the media people to see. Kwankwaso said that he wanted 51 percent and we said we are not willing to agree to that. This deliberation could not continue. We held four separate meetings with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the committee of Liyel Imoke, he said. We went as far as granting delegates at the Ward level that would be shared between Aminu Walis group, my group and Kwankwasos group; but Kwankwaso said he does not recognize such, what he is after is that he would be granted 51 percent of the party structure at all levels; which we said we would not tolerate. On the basis of this, the national chairman decided that we of the PDP in Kano are not cooperating. He felt we are not cooperating for unconstitutional act, because of this, he felt we have disagreed with the party and therefore, he pronounced the dissolution of the party structure in Kano which is unconstitutional; and we said we didnt recognise it. To make it worse, when he constituted the caretaker committee, the seven-member caretaker committee were all nominees of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and they are all from Kano. This has violated many constitutional provisions. The tradition of the party indicates that whenever it is necessary or constitutionally right to form a caretaker committee in a state, the chairman and secretary of the committee must come from outside the state. In this case, that was not done. All the members of that committee are from the Kwankwasos camp of the Kwankwasiyya. We said we cannot take this. We gave the party a deadline to restore the unconstitutional act of returning back the elected officers of the party. We also demanded that we dont recognize automatic ticket because it is unconstitutional; it is against the spirit of democracy. At this point, Shekarau said he considered three options; either to remain in PDP under this crazy, unconstitutional, unacceptable arrangement, which does not go down well with our people, or we abandon political activities or we move to another political party. Kwankwaso joins race to battle Buhari for President in 2019 Former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has officially declared his intention to run for president in the 2019 presidential election. The former governor made his anticipated announcement to a sea of supporters at Chida Hotel in Utako, Abuja, on Wednesday, August 29, 2018. In his declaration speech, the serving lawmaker said he'll offer Nigerians something different from the crop of leaders who created the country's present problems. He said he'll lead the country into a future that all Nigerians can be equally proud of. The APC National leader said this during the campaign of Gboyega Oyetola ahead of the Osun state governorship election. Speaking in Yoruba language, Tinubu said the APC candidate and ex-Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola is trustworthy and dependable in a three minutes long video. ALSO READ: Aregbesola's aide emerges APC governorship candidate in Osun Watch Tinubu speak about Gboyega Oyetola here Here's exactly what Tinubu said "We would have said Rauf should continue but we have seen your son, who is equally illustrious, Gboyega Oyetola. I will hand him over to you. He's trustworthy and dependable. He might not be tall, he might not talk much but what he has in his brain can be called an encyclopedia of finance. "He will not collect bribe, he will not steal your money because he's upright and if he was looking for money, he would have stayed back in Lagos. You don't have his money, in Osun, I don't mean to insult you and I won't look at the king to say these ones I want to say. ALSO READ: 5 quick facts about Osun APC governorship candidate, Oyetola "They might be saying Jagaban, Asiwaju came to install a commissioner and I simply told them that how much do you have so much that I would want to install someone here? They asked oo but my King, I am not liable to say this in front of you but you don't have my wealth except if anyone want to steal. "But to contribute meaningfully to this state, to help the state, provide job opportunities for indigenes of this state, create industries, these are are the opportunities and things that brings development to a state. To find one of your illustrious sons and encourage him to go back home and give good governance to the people, make landmark achievements. "The prayer being said is for indigenes to return home with the goodies, bounties and proceeds of their sojourn and that is what you say and that is the position you are and may all the indigenes bring home the goodies, bounties and proceeds of their sojourn in foreign lands. So that is what we did with Oyetola, he has returned home after his sojourn with goodies and bounties for his people. The party with roots in the neo-Nazi movement has called the arrival of almost 400,000 asylum seekers since 2012 a threat to Swedish culture, and claims they are straining Sweden's generous welfare state. The traditionally two biggest parties, the Social Democrats and the conservative Moderates, were together predicted to win around 40 percent of votes, down by 10 percentage points from the last elections in 2014. Candidates from the eight parties campaigned down to the wire on Saturday, targeting in particular the 20 percent of the 7.5 million eligible voters believed to still be undecided, according to pollsters. "I'm still hesitating between the Moderates and SD. SD is quite close to the Moderates but they're a little more clear in what they want. They're more direct," Elias, an 18-year-old voting in his first election, told AFP. Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has repeatedly called the legislative elections a "referendum on the future of the welfare state". But the far-right has presented it as a vote on immigration and integration, after Sweden took in more than 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone, a per capita record in Europe. 'Hateful forces' On the eve of the election, Lofven condemned "the hateful forces" in Sweden. He urged voters to "think about how they wanted to use their time on Earth", calling on them to "stand on the right side of history". Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson meanwhile said that after the election, Sweden would need "a strong cross-bloc cooperation to isolate the forces... pushing for Sweden to withdraw from international cooperation". In southern Sweden, an SD stronghold, party leader Jimmie Akesson campaigned among throngs of supporters as detractors booed him and shouted "No racists on our streets!" "We're now competing against the Social Democrats and Moderates to become the biggest party in the country," he said, dismissing the protesters as "communists". Polling stations open across the country at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and close at 8:00 pm, with first estimates expected soon afterwards. Final results are due before midnight (2200 GMT), but the composition of the next government may not be known for weeks. Deal with 'the devil' Neither Lofven's "red-green" bloc nor the opposition centre-right four-party Alliance (Moderates, Centre, Liberals and Christian Democrats) were expected to win a majority in parliament. Lengthy negotiations will be needed to build a majority, or at least a minority that won't be toppled by the opposite side. Lofven, whose minority government made up of the Social Democrats and the Greens with the informal support of the ex-communist Left Party, has managed to hang onto power by sealing deals with the right-wing on energy and migration, among other things. But the opposition is intent on ousting Lofven, with some Moderates willing to go so far as to put an end to SD's pariah status and open negotiations with them. That could prove fatal for the Alliance, with the Liberal and Centre parties repeatedly ruling out a deal with "the devil", as Akesson occasionally calls himself. In an interview with AFP during the campaign, Akesson stressed he would "lay down his terms" after the election, citing immigration policy, crime-fighting and health care as priorities. He sparked an outcry during a televised debate on Friday when he said foreigners had more difficulty finding jobs "because they're not Swedes". "They don't fit in in Sweden and of course then it's hard to find a job." That prompted Centre Party leader Annie Loof to bang her fist on her podium, retorting angrily: "How can you talk that way?!" Akesson's remarks, and the raw tone unusual in Swedish debates, triggered a wave of criticism in media and political spheres. Meanwhile, refugee aid associations said they have noted "anxiety" among asylum seekers over the far-right's surge. The anniversary is a major occasion in the North, and is being marked with a series of events expected to include a military parade and the return of the 'Mass Games' -- unique acrobatic shows that are staged on a vast scale. The celebrations began on Saturday evening with a concert in front of an invited audience of several thousand people at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium. Featuring three of the state's top musical ensembles -- the State Merited Chorus army choir, the Samjiyon Orchestra and the Mansudae Art Troupe -- a red grand piano took centre stage. At such events in North Korea performers normally play in front of a giant screen displaying the country's successes. In recent years that has always included footage of the ballistic missile launches under leader Kim Jong Un that, along with Pyongyang's nuclear tests, have earned the North multiple sets of UN Security Council sanctions. But in a dramatic turnaround on the peninsula triggered by the Winter Olympics in the South in February, the North is engaged on multiple diplomatic fronts, even as the US insists it give up its weapons. After a June meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore and its third summit with the South's President Moon Jae-in due in Pyongyang later this month, the North is keen to send a different message to the past. Instead of missiles, the imagery at Saturday's concert highlighted North Korean landmarks, from its spiritual birthplace Mount Paektu to the Pyongyang skyline, and economic development, with shots of factories, steel plants, and abundant fields of wheat. Only a few short segments featured the military, with only conventional equipment on display. And in one, when tanks rolled, jets flew and infantry marched, a message ran across the top of the screen: "Military strength ensures peace". Moments later the hardware was replaced with images of ripe red apples. In April, leader Kim declared the North's nuclear programme a success and said the country's new strategic priority would be "socialist economic construction". Every time Kim's grandfather, the North's founder Kim Il Sung, or his successors appeared on screen the audience broke into applause, with the loudest reserved for the current leader. Songs included 'Socialism, I love you', and the first-ever public performance of a new ode to Kim Jong Un, "Be loved, our father". Unlike earthquake generated tsunamis, landslip ones get enormously high and can be even more destructive. Theyve even happened in modern times and a couple of rare survivors of a half kilometre high wall of water describe the bizarre event here. Pictured below, you can see the wreckage of what was half of the Hawaiian island of Molokai under the sea. That's a landslide. Astronomer Dr Grant Christie joins Graeme Hill to talk the latest in astronomy news. This week Dr Grant Christie describes the Chinese Change 4 mission to soft-land on the far side of the moon, but why are they taking silk-worm moths and potatoes? See a full presentation of the mission here. Are there detectable signs of interference from another universe in this universe? Some astronomers think maybe yes. Slight echoes of black holes from parallel universes may explain some strangeness observable in the cosmic microwave background radiation. Why does Earth and heaps of other stuff out there rotate - and why are we tilted at 23 degrees? Finally, Graeme and Dr Grant explore massive glowing aurorae on the poles of Saturn and its mysterious hexagon thing, which is yet to be satisfactorily explained. Listen to the full interview with Dr Grant Christie above. Weekend Variety Wireless with Graeme Hill, 8pm - midnight Saturdays and Sundays, on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the Rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. John McCrystal explores the modern horror story of the Soviet nuclear submarine Kursk whose rescue was paralysed by bureaucratic inaction and a Soviet system that refused to accept reality. Listen to the full audio above. Weekend Variety Wireless with Graeme Hill, 8pm - midnight Saturdays and Sundays, on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the Rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. Think of rainforests and the picture is inevitably one of a dark and forbidding realm where life is abundant, yet alarmingly cryptic. Rather than the sense of space offered by long, iconic grassland vistas, distance is compressed into tangled webs of foliage, veiling both predators and prey. Diffuse and difficult to access proteins, carbohydrates and fats increase the chances of encountering an array of lurking dangers. For these reasons, it has long been thought that humans were only able to colonise rainforests in the last few thousand years, after the development of agriculture. In fact, we still have no clear idea when humans first began to inhabit rainforests. But mounting evidence is deconstructing the idea that rainforests that is, forests requiring between 2,500 and 4,500 mm of rain a year were hostile green deserts to early hunter gatherers. In South Asia, there is now compelling archaeological evidence that Homo sapiens rapidly adapted to life in rainforests. At Niah Cave in Borneo, toxic plants obtained from nearby rainforest habitats were being processed as far back as 45,000 years ago, soon after people were first documented in this region. In Sri Lanka, there is evidence for direct reliance on rainforest resources at least 36,000 years ago. And a paper published in Nature last year reported the presence of humans in a rainforest environment on Sumatra dating back to a staggering 70,000 years ago. If early humans could adapt to the rainforests of South Asia, then perhaps they also did so much earlier in Africa at the inception of our species. While this is not a new suggestion, we now know that our species first arose in Africa more than 300,000 years ago, leaving plenty of time for our ancestors to adapt to varied habitats. But finding conclusive evidence for rainforest habitation is difficult. Rainforests are very challenging fieldwork environments, not least because the warm and wet conditions mean that very little of the archaeological record survives the test of time. In addition, Africas rainforest ecologies are fragile, sustained by annual levels of rainfall that are at the lowest limit of what is required to maintain a rainforest. This means that there were frequent episodes of rainforest fragmentation in prehistory, making it difficult to establish the environmental context of past human habitation in regions that are forested today. With the exception of a few dedicated individuals, Africas rainforests have barely been explored for their potential role in human evolution. Early African rainforest dwellers? Despite the many problems described above, there are tantalising suggestions that humans used and perhaps lived in African rainforests far before the development of agriculture some 8,000-9,000 years ago. It is also becoming apparent that this line of research has growing implications for how we understand our evolutionary history. Rigorous ethnographic studies have demonstrated that the availability of wild plant foods have been considerably underestimated in Africas rainforests, and there is some evidence supporting the ancient exploitation of such resources. Eleanor Scerri , Author provided An ancient hominin tooth from Central Africa indicates that our hominin ancestors were already living in mixed environments at the edges of forests around 2.5m years ago. Composite foraging tools argued to be forest adapted may have appeared as early as 265,000 years ago and have been found across vast regions of modern rainforest. And new evidence published this year shows that humans were exploiting mixed tropical forest/grassland environments in Kenya up to 78,000 years ago. Later human fossils dating to around 22,000 years ago from the Democratic Republic of Congo and 12,000 years ago in southern Nigeria feature enough distinctive morphological features to suggest that the populations they belonged to did not often mix with others from elsewhere in Africa. Specifically, these fossils bear more physical similarities to people living between 100,000-300,000 years ago than their contemporaries. Its possible that they were separated because they had adapted to life in very different environments. My fieldwork in tropical West Africa has also uncovered striking cultural similarities. Some groups living here up to 12,000 years ago were making stone tools that were more typical of people living in similarly earlier time periods. This is not akin to findings from elsewhere which emphasise the late presence of a single artefact form in an otherwise advanced tool kit. My findings from Senegal could easily be transplanted to a situation 50,000 or 100,000 years earlier, and they would not look out of place. Why were people here maintaining such ancient material cultural traditions when populations elsewhere had begun to experiment with agriculture? Did they choose to sustain strong cultural boundaries? Or were they cut off, either by distance or some other factor? Eleanor Scerri , Author provided Implications for human evolution While we are still working to establish the environmental context of these sites, it seems plausible that regions of dense forest may have played an important role in separating and hence diversifying early Homo sapiens populations. Such regions represented discrete human habitats, heralding the beginnings of our adaptability or ecological modernity and adding to the gamut of processes driving the significant physical variation of early members of our species. Indeed, such processes of diversification may even have been the cauldron of our biological plasticity and behavioural flexibility, as I argue in a recent paper. The plot thickens further at this point. It seems that our species shared Africa with other, more genetically divergent hominins such as Homo heidelbergensis, Homo naledi and perhaps other as yet undiscovered species. There are even suggestions that there may have been gene flow between Homo sapiens and one or more such hominins. If proved, the shifting patchwork of Africas diverse environments including rainforests may therefore also have played a role in facilitating the late persistence of such species and subsequent episodes of gene flow with Homo sapiens. Its possible that the last groups of species such as Homo heidelbergensis hid out in forests. Given the extraordinary discoveries of the last decade, it is certainly wise to keep an open mind and shy away from overly dogmatic assertions about human evolution. This is particularly the case when so little is known about vast swathes of Africa, whose rainforest regions alone cover 2.2m square miles. The only inescapable fact is that there is a lot yet to be discovered. Eleanor Scerri, Visiting Research Fellow, University of Oxford This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Athens is a town known for drawing musical talent from all around the world. With so many venues and artists to choose from, it can be hard to HARTFORD Connecticut high school freshmen and seniors are encouraged to apply for the 2018 CHET Advance Scholarship. The program is sponsored by Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET). This year CHET will again provide awards of up to $2,500 to 200 high school students. Up to 100 high school seniors with a grade point average of 2.0 or above will be eligible for a $2,500 scholarship. In addition, up to 100 freshmen will be awarded an initial $2,000 scholarship, with the opportunity to receive an additional $500 if the students family saves $500 in a CHET account by the time the student graduates from high school. High school seniors and freshmen can apply online at www.chetadvance.com. The application deadline is 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Oct. 2. Since the program launched in 2013, 1,000 Connecticut high school students have been awarded $2.5 million in CHET Advance Scholarships. Winners will be selected through a random drawing from all eligible applications received. The program is open to Connecticut students who attend public, private, and parochial schools and who are home schooled. No state funds will be used for the scholarship awards issued under the CHET Advance Scholarship program. CHET Advance is administered under the banner of CHET, Connecticuts 529 college savings plan. Treasurer Nappier negotiated for the establishment of the scholarship program with TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (TFI) and The Hartford, plan managers for CHET Direct-Sold and CHET Advisor-Sold, respectively. The two plan managers contribute annually into a Scholarship account to finance the program. For additional information, an application, and the complete Official Rules, go to the CHET Advance Scholarship website, www.chetadvance.com. Or visit Facebook at facebook.com/CHETcollegesavings, on Twitter at @CHET529 or on Instagram at instagram.com/chet529. Contributed photo / WASHINGTON After three decades of hosting the Washington Connecticut Antiques Show, Gunn Memorial Library is turning a page and introducing a new fundraising event in its place. Booked! The Next Chapter will be held Saturday, Oct. 6 of Columbus Day weekend, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Bryan Memorial Town Hall. A cocktail party in a transformed space will be the place to be for those wishing to clink glasses with friends while supporting the institution that stands at the center of our community. Ryan Brown Caterers of Brooklyn will provide hors doeuvres and a signature cocktail while live jazz is performed by the Bentley Lewis Trio. The event will also include a silent auction featuring high end leather goods, art, jewelry, and customized events and services from local businesses and restaurants. (CNN Money) New tariffs on China would make some Apple products more expensive. That's what the company told U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in a letter dated Wednesday, a last-ditch appeal to avoid additional tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 billion that could go into effect as soon as Friday. "Because all tariffs ultimately show up as a tax on U.S. consumers, they will increase the cost of Apple products that our customers have come to rely on in their daily lives," the company said. In addition to its Apple Watch and its wireless Air Pods, Apple said tariffs would affect the Apple Pencil, HomePod and MacMini, along with adapters, cables and chargers. It did not mention the iPhone. "Our concern with these tariffs is that the U.S. will be hardest hit, and that will result in lower U.S. growth and competitiveness and higher prices for US consumers," the company said. Trump said Friday that tariffs on China worth $200 billion would "will take place very soon depending on what happens." He added that he's ready to place yet another round of tariffs on $267 billion in Chinese goods after that bringing the total imports from China subject to tariffs to more than $500 billion. The U.S. imported $505 billion in goods from China last year. The Trump administration has already imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, intended to punish Beijing for alleged unfair trade practices and intellectual property theft. Other tech companies have expressed concern, too. Dell, Cisco, Juniper Networks and Hewlett Packard said the tariffs would increase the costs of their networking equipment, damaging the companies' bottom lines and leading to possible US job losses. Apple also mentioned that tariffs would raise the cost of servers, hard drives and cables for US data centers. -- Donna Borak contributed to this report. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Apple says China tariffs would hit Apple Watch, Air Pods." "Breaking Bad" fans can now buy the Albuquerque, NM, home featured in the series finalethe memorable mansion is on the market for $2.5 million. To refresh your addled memory, the modern home stood in for the home of Walter Whites science partner from college, Elliott Schwartz (Adam Godley). Elliott and his wife, Gretchen Schwartz (Jessica Hecht), amassed a fortune as co-owners of the fictional Gray Matter Technologies while Walter stews about his research being used as the basis for the billion-dollar company. Walter (Bryan Cranston) confronts the couple in their luxe abode in the last episode and gives them one final chance to make it right. Living room where "Breaking Bad" scene was filmed realtor.com Kitchen realtor.com Formal dining room realtor.com Covered patio and cabana realtor.com Pool and spa realtor.com Aside from the chilling confrontation between the former colleagues, the beloved show's location scouts had excellent taste in real estate. The well-appointed, 5,900-square-foot home comes has four beds and 5.5 baths. It comes with 2 acres. Even for our market, this house is just beyond, says listing agent Alicia Feil. Take any fame away from it, its such a sophisticated level of design." The home was designed by Lorri Brunacini, CEO of Simply Home, in partnership with John Brooks Design. Completed in 2010, it went on the market in 2015, at the same time another famous home from the show was also up for sale. Brunacini studied under the legendary designer Christian Liaigre, who conceived homes for Calvin Klein and Karl Lagerfeld. According to Brunacini, the look of the Albuquerque home was inspired by Liaigre's style. The well-lit home features walls of glass, a living space that opens to the outdoors, a high-end kitchen, and a formal dining room. Outside there's a pool, cabana (with kitchen, bath, and shower), and covered patio. The glamorous interiors caught the attention of the show's New Mexicobased production staff. They said they would be using their own furniture and artwork, Brunacini recalls. After seeing my house, they used all my furniture and all of my artwork. Everything you see is exactly the same. That picture-perfect decor could be included in the sale for an additional fee, notes Feil. Despite the avalanche of attention, it's not a slam-dunk sale. The famed home is at the top of the market for the high desert town. According to realtor.com, the median home price in Albuquerque runs about $230,000. You just might have to start your own version of Gray Matters to afford it. But the house is that special of a house, says Feil. Its a labor of love. Potential buyers would get to say their house was in Breaking Bad. People love that, she adds. The post Albuquerque House in 'Breaking Bad' Finale Is on the Market for $2.5M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Afghan officials say at least nine security officers were killed and five others injured in an attack by insurgents in the western province of Herat. Jilani Farhad, a spokesman for Herat's provincial governor, told RFE/RL on September 9 that security forces killed at least 10 armed assailants and wounded five more in the clashes the previous day in the Oba district of Herat. "Security forces have been deployed to the site, and the area is under their control," Farhad said. Farhad said the attack was carried out by the Taliban, though the militant group did not immediately comment on the incident. Afghan government forces have struggled to counter attacks from both the Taliban and the extremist Islamic State group since the United States and NATO formally concluded their combat mission there in 2014. With reporting by AP Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it was behind a rocket assault on an Iranian Kurdish rebel group in Iraq that killed at least 11 people. In a September 9 statement carried by Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency, the IRGC said it fired seven missiles in the attack a day earlier on the armed opposition group in northern Iraq. "In a successful operation, the Guards' aerospace unit, along with the army's drone unit...targeted a criminal group's meeting and a terrorist training center with seven short-range surface-to-surface missiles," the statement said. The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) told the AFP news agency on September 8 that its organization was holding a meeting at the time of the attack. "Eleven KDPI members were killed and 30 wounded by Katyusha rockets fired on their headquarters in Koysinjaq," Kamran Abbas, director of the city's hospital, told AFP. "Iran used long-range missiles in a coordinated attack on [KDPI] bases and adjacent refugee camps," the group said on Twitter. The KDPI occasionally carries out attacks inside Iran from its bases in Iraq and is listed as a "terrorist" group by Tehran. Several of its leaders have been killed in attacks the group has blamed on Iran. The group is an armed leftist party made up of ethnic Kurds from Iran. It has been based in northern Iraq after it was banned in Iran. It conducted a guerrilla war against Iranian forces from 1979 to 1996, when it declared a cease-fire. In 2016, it announced it would resume armed resistance. The Kurdistan regional government -- the Irbil-based and Western-backed government of the autonomous region in Iraq -- condemned the attack, saying it violated Kurdish law and territorial integrity "We reiterate our rejection of using the Kurdistan region's land to attack neighboring states, which is in no way acceptable and can lead to instability in the Kurdistan region," it said in a statement. Millions of ethnic Kurds live in the mountainous region along the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. Some have links to Turkey's militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has for decades fought for an independent homeland. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa Police in Germany have detained two Afghan suspects in the death of a German man in the eastern city of Kothen. The 22-year-old victim in Kothen died of heart failure overnight on September 9 following an alleged fight with Afghan men. However, police and prosecutors said that "the concrete circumstances of the event are not yet known" and that all lines of inquiry remained open. It comes two weeks after an incident involving a Syrian and an Iraqi in Chemnitz, about 160 kilometers to the south, sparked clashes between far-right and anti-Nazi protesters. The Syrian and Iraqi suspects were detained after a 35-year-old German man was stabbed to death in a fight in August. Following the protests by rival sides in the migrant debate, a German court on September 3 gave an 8 1/2-year prison sentence to a failed asylum seeker who claims to be from Afghanistan over the stabbing death of his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend. Identified as Abdul D., the defendant admitted to the court that he stabbed the girl at a drugstore in the southwestern town of Kandel in December. The case sparked national outrage and led to German far-right groups holding protests as part of their campaign against migrants. With reporting by the BBC, dpa, and AFP During a visit to Skopje, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has voiced support for Macedonia's upcoming referendum over former Yugoslav republic's official name change. "In the end, this is their decision. It is really Macedonians' decision, which is again, let me emphasize: please, get out and exercise your right to vote, and let your leaders know exactly where you stand on this issue," Johnson said in the Macedonian capital on September 9 after arriving from neighboring Greece. "A very strong turnout is probably the best thing that you can do to support your nation and its ascension into NATO," said Johnson, who heads the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs as well as its Subcommittee on European and Regional Security Cooperation. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have also traveled to Skopje in recent days ahead the referendum set for September 30. During their visits, they called on Macedonians to vote in favor of a name change that would open the door to the Balkan country joining the European Union and NATO. On September 6, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to his Macedonian counterpart, Gjorge Ivanov, saying, "The agreement and Macedonia's membership in NATO will bolster security, stability, and prosperity throughout the entire region." The Macedonian and Greek foreign ministers signed a deal on June 17 to rename the country the Republic of North Macedonia -- North Macedonia for short -- and resolve a 27-year dispute between Skopje and Athens. Macedonian lawmakers later voted in favor of the bill to ratify the agreement, but hurdles remain for the deal to come into effect, including the support of Macedonian voters in the upcoming referendum. Although nationalists in both countries oppose the compromise, recent polling in Macedonia shows 57 percent favor changing the country's name if it will lead to membership in the EU and NATO. Twenty-two percent said they would vote against the referendum proposal. A minimum of 50 percent of the electorate must take part in the referendum in order for it to be valid. In Greece, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on September 9 acknowledged that full implementation of the agreement with Skopje "will not be easy," as it also requires a constitutional change in Macedonia. Tsipras also said he didn't expect that Greece will be pushed to early elections because of disagreements within his governing coalition over the agreement. The name dispute between Skopje and Athens dates back to 1991, when Macedonia peacefully broke away from Yugoslavia, declaring its independence under the name Republic of Macedonia. Greece has objected to the name Macedonia, saying it implies territorial claims on the northern Greek region with the same name. Because of Greek objections, Macedonia was admitted to the UN under a provisional name, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Dozens of protesters have blocked a road in Kosovo to prevent Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic from visiting the ethnic Serb village of Banja. Kosovar Albanian veterans from the 1998-99 Kosovo War took part in the September 9 protest near the village of Vojtes, which eventually stopped Vucic and made him cancel his visit to Banja. Hungarian and Swiss troops from the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) were deployed alongside the blockade and said they were ready to intervene if Kosovar authorities asked for that. CHISINAU -- Moldovan President Igor Dodon has sustained minor injuries after the car he was traveling in was involved in a crash, officials say. The head of the state security service, Anatolie Golea, said Dodon sustained only scratches and bruises in the crash, which took place on September 9 north of the capital, Chisinau. He did not provide further details. Presidential adviser Maksim Lebedinschi said that a collision occurred near the town of Straseni as cars in the presidential motorcade crashed into an oncoming vehicle as they were passing another vehicle. Lebedinschi said the other car hadn't respected traffic rules. Dodon "is well and doesn't need medical help," the presidential adviser also said. Earlier, Russia's state-run TASS news agency quoted Dodon himself as saying that "everything is OK." Dodon's mother and one of his sons, who were travelling with him, were said to be more seriously injured. But Mihai Chekan, a doctor at a hospital in Chisinau where they were treated, told the AFP news agency that they were in satisfactory condition. The security services released a video from the car travelling behind Dodon's, showing an oncoming truck moving to pass before colliding with the presidents Mercedes. Pictures posted on social media after the accident showed the wreckage of a Mercedes by the side of the road. Dodon, the Moscow-friendly leader of the Socialist Party, won the presidency in 2016 after a campaign that capitalized on a wave of nostalgia for what many in Moldova perceived as the more prosperous Soviet era. Dodon has pushed for stronger economic relations with Russia, although he concedes that the bulk of Moldova's mainly agricultural exports goes toward the European Union -- mainly to Romania, with whom Moldova shares a common language and history. With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and TASS North Korea has marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the country with a massive military parade, but it did not display its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that have become the subject of international sanctions. The missiles' absence from the September 9 parade drew praise from U.S. President Donald Trump, who called it "a big and very positive statement from North Korea." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's efforts to ease tensions with the United States and build a relationship with Trump have become stalled in recent months, with Washington expressing disappointment with Pyongyangs lack of progress toward denuclearization. Pyongyang is pushing for security guarantees and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War before making further commitments on its nuclear program. Kim observed as troops, artillery, and tanks rumbled past his stand in the center of the capital, Pyongyang, Western news agencies reported. Kim did not address the crowd, which also included high-level delegations from countries that have friendly ties with the North, including China and Russia. There had been speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend, but Beijing instead sent the head of the its parliament. Russia was represented by Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament and a loyal ally of President Vladimir Putin. In an opening speech, Kim Yong Nam, the head of North Korea's parliament, focused the economic goals of the government and stayed away from remarks about the country's banned nuclear program. Kim Jong Un's efforts to ease tensions with the United States and build a relationship with President Donald Trump have become stalled in recent months, with Washington expressing disappointment with Pyongyangs lack of progress toward denuclearization. North Korea is pushing for security guarantees and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War before making further commitments on its nuclear program. Matviyenko said that she met with Kim during her visit for the anniversary of North Korea's founding and delivered a message from Putin. She said Kim "confirmed his willingness and desire" to visit Russia and that talks would begin via "diplomatic channels" to determine the date and time for such a trip. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and TASS Russian actress Natalia Kudryashova has won a prize for her performance in the film The Man Who Surprised Everyone at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. Kudryashova on September 8 was announced as the winner of the leading female role in the Horizons Section, which honors feature films and documentaries representing new trends in cinema. "We have brought a complicated film," the 39-year-old actress said after receiving the award. "In Russia, it is difficult for us to make bold movies, but it seems to me we have begun and, I hope, will continue," she added. The film was directed by Natalia Merkulova and Aleksei Chupov and tells the story of a change of sexual identity and an incurably ill man's fight for life, set in Siberia. The man, who discovers he has cancer, attempts to trick death by taking the identity of a woman. The film was backed by the Russian Culture Ministry and received financial support from Estonia and France. Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron won the Golden Lion top prize for his film Roma, which focused on an indigenous maid working for a middle-class family in Mexico City in 1971. Based on reporting by Interfax, Variety, and TASS The Russian Orthodox Church has threatened to retaliate against its Istanbul-based rival if it allows Ukraine to cut its spiritual ties with Moscow and thereby end Russian religious rule in the country. Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Russian Orthodox Church's External Relations Department, said on September 8 that if the patriarch of Kyiv was recognized, "we will have no choice but to sever relations with Constantinople." Hilarion also accused Istanbul-based Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople of acting in a "despicable and treacherous way." Bartholomew, known as the "first among equals" of Orthodox Christian leaders in the world, is expected to rule in the coming months on an appeal from Ukraine to break away from Moscow and create an independent church. The Russian Orthodox Church is especially upset with a decision on September 7 by Bartholomew to send two envoys to Ukraine as a step toward declaring ecclesiastical independence for the church there. The Istanbul-based Patriarchate said it will send two bishops to Ukraine "within the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine," strongly suggesting it had already decided to grant independence to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. "When one brazenly and cynically interferes in the affairs of a local Orthodox Church, one creates not only a hopeless situation, but threatens the global Orthodox world with a schism," Russian news agencies quoted Hilarion as saying. Bartholomew's rival in Russia, Patriarch Kirill, has called the prospect of the Ukrainian church being separated from Moscow an "all-Orthodox catastrophe." The Russian church claims authority over the church in Ukraine. But many Ukrainian parishes reject the Moscow Patriarchate and have formed a separate church that is pushing for recognition as a self-governing, or autocephalous, institution. The Orthodox Church in Ukraine is therefore split between a branch whose clerics pledge loyalty to Moscow and one that is overseen by the unrecognized Kyiv-based Patriarch Filaret. While Constantinople is the oldest Orthodox Church, Moscow is currently the most powerful, with the largest number of worshippers. It is unclear what granting Ukraine the right to create an independent church will mean in practice. But experts say it would be a blow to Russia's spiritual authority in the Orthodox world. The row comes against the backdrop of a four-year conflict between Kyiv and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine that has made many Ukrainians turn away from the Moscow church. With reporting by AFP and AP MOSCOW -- More than 1,000 people were reportedly detained as thousands of anti-Kremlin demonstrators took to the streets in Russia to protest the government's plan to raise the retirement age in rallies coinciding with regional and local elections nationwide. The protests on September 9 triggered tense confrontations with police and may have contributed to the low voter turnout across the country, reported at 28 percent two hours before polls closed. The Russian news portal OVD-Info, which tracks the arrest of protesters, said at least 1,018 demonstrators were detained at protests in 33 towns and cities across Russia. The largest number was in St. Petersburg, Russias second-largest city, where 452 demonstrators were held, OVD-Info reported. The rallies were announced last month by opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence for what authorities call violations of the law on public gatherings related to street rallies in January. The elections, which included a vote on executive-branch heads in 21 of Russia's 85 administrative areas, was the first major test for the government of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev since it proposed raising the retirement age. The original plan would have increased the retirement age for men from the current 60 to 65, and from 55 to 63 for women. Later, Putin modified the proposal so women would retire at age 60. According to various polls, about 90 percent of Russians oppose the plan to raise the retirement age, and a recent poll by the Levada Center polling agency found that more than 50 percent of Russians say they would participate in protests against it. PHOTO GALLERY: Beatings, Arrests As Russians Protest Pension Reforms (click to view) OVD-Info said 183 were held in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, 60 in the southwestern city of Krasnodar, and 43 each in Moscow and the Siberian city of Omsk. Footage of the rallies showed police officers sometimes using force to disperse gatherings, hitting demonstrators with batons and dragging them away. A demonstration in Moscow's Pushkin Square attracted around 2,000 people, who chanted slogans such as "Russia without Putin" and held signs reading, "Putin, when will you go on pension?" Riot police ordered the crowd to disperse or face prosecution. But some of the protesters started marching toward the Kremlin before riot police halted them with metal barriers and sometimes rough detentions. In St. Petersburg, a crowd of around 1,000 people shouted "shame" and held signs calling for Putin's resignation. The protests started in Russias Far East, where Navalny's team said that more than 400 protesters took to the streets in the city of Vladivostok chanting "No to pension reform" and calling on Putin to resign. Regional authorities put the number of protesters in Vladivostok at 120. Organizers reported that police detained the head of Navalny's headquarters in the Far East city of Khabarovsk. Video footage from the demonstration in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk showed a tense standoff between riot police and protesters, who chanted "shame, shame." Police in the video are seen trying to carry away a person by force. Reports said protests also took place in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. Authorities detained several prominent Navalny associates on the eve of the protests as well. Georgy Alburov, the investigations chief for Navalny's anticorruption foundation, said on Twitter that he was detained in Moscow on September 8 and was being accused of violating laws on public events in connection with the election-day protests. Alburov said his detention caused him to miss his train to St. Petersburg, where he had planned to take part in a protest against the pension-reform plan. Navalny's group said its St. Petersburg coordinator and another of its activists were detained in St. Petersburg as well. In addition to the federal administrative areas -- including the city of Moscow -- that were electing regional heads in the September 9 polls, 16 regions were electing legislatures, while other areas were holding mayoral and other local ballots. Approval ratings for Putin, Medvedev, and the ruling United Russia party have fallen noticeably since the proposed pension-age hike was passed in its first reading in the lower house of parliament in July. "In this situation, the authorities are interested in suppressing turnout a bit and making sure only 'their' electorate shows up and votes the way they are supposed to," Stanislav Andreichuk, an elections analyst with the independent Golos election-monitoring group, told RFE/RL. "They will do what they can to get protest voters to stay home." In Moscow, however, authorities have implemented an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign, including promises of free concert tickets to voters and setting up polling stations outside of the city to enable voters spending the summer at their dachas to participate. But two hours before the polls closed, just 28 percent of voters had turned up, according to the election commission. Sergei Sobyanin, the Kremlin-backed incumbent mayor who has run the capital since 2010, received about 70 percent of the vote in the Moscow mayoral election, according to preliminary results. Turnout was listed at 30.3 percent, down from 32.07 percent four years ago. Early on September 10, Sobyanin declared victory, telling supporters that "this is our common win." Putin offered his congratulations, the Kremlin press service said. Two independent liberal candidates were not allowed to run against him, while his four registered opponents are virtual unknowns. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, TASS, Current Time TV, and Dozhd TV KABUL -- A suicide bomber on a motorcycle has blown himself up near a procession in the Afghan capital commemorating the death of a revered resistance leader, killing at least seven people, officials say. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai told RFE/RL that more than 20 people were wounded when the blast hit a procession honoring former mujahedin commander Ahmad Shah Masud. All the casualties were civilians, according to the Interior Ministry. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest deadly attack in the Afghan capital. Hours earlier, Afghan security forces shot and killed a man they said was planning to blow himself up near supporters of Masud, who led resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s and to Taliban rule from 1996-2001. Masud, an ethnic Tajik, was assassinated ahead of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, and other late defenders of Afghanistan. Before the September 9 blast rocked Kabul, gunfire could be heard across the city as demonstrators fired automatic weapons to commemorate the 17th anniversary of Masud's death. Health Ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said at least 13 people were wounded by falling bullets and taken to hospital. Police arrested 110 people carrying weapons and firing aimlessly, and seized 20 cars, the Interior Ministry said. The September 9 blast came four days after a twin bomb attack at a Kabul wrestling club killed more than 20 people. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the bombings, which occurred in a predominately Shiite neighborhood. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, officials said more than 20 members of the Afghan security forces were reported killed on September 9. Ten security personnel died and eight wounded during an hourslong gunbattle with militants in Wardak Province, near Kabul, provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal said. "Air strikes were called in and over 50 Taliban fighters were killed" in the fighting in Daimirdad district, he added. In the western province of Herat, attackers targeted a checkpoint in Obe district, killing nine members of the security forces, according to provincial governor spokesman Jailani Farhad. Five others were wounded in the attack that ended when reinforcements were sent to the scene, Farhad said, adding that 15 militants were also killed. And in northern Baghlan Province, five army soldiers were killed when militants attacked checkpoints, Defense Ministry spokesman Ghafor Ahmad Jawed said. He added that reinforcements were being sent to the area. The officials said the three attacks were carried out by the Taliban, though the militant group did not immediately comment on the assaults. Afghan government forces have struggled to counter attacks from both the Taliban and the IS group since the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014. The latest violence comes ahead of parliamentary elections next month and amid escalating tensions between ethnic groups in Afghanistan. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP Britain will catch two men accused of using the Novichok nerve agent in the English town of Salisbury if they ever step out of Russia, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said. In an interview with the BBC broadcast on September 9, Javid acknowledged that in Russia the men were beyond the reach of British law. But "if they ever step out the Russian Federation, Britain and its allies will get them and we will bring them to prosecution," he added. Britain announced charges against two alleged agents of Russia's GRUmilitary intelligence service for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in March. The attack left the Skripals hospitalized for weeks. Britain and its allies blame Russia for the attack, a claim Moscow vehemently denies. British authorities said that a European arrest warrant had been issued for the two Russians, identified as Aleksandr Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, although it is suspected the names are aliases. Calling the poisoning a "sickening and despicable" attack, Javid said it was "unequivocally, crystal-clear this was the act of the Russian state -- two Russian nationals sent to Britain with the sole purpose of carrying out a reckless assassination attempt." Javid described the GRU as a "very well-disciplined organization" that would "only act with orders from the highest level of the Russian government." He also said that Britain had "considerable powers" to respond to Russia, adding, "We will bring all those powers, both overt and covert, to bear on Russia and what it represents today." Britain secured the support of the leaders of United States, France, Germany, and Canada, who issued a joint statement on September 6 in which they agreed with the British assessment that Russia's government "almost certainly" approved the poisoning. At a UN Security Council meeting held the same day, Russia dismissed Britains evidence as "lies" and said its investigation was "politically motivated." The attack led Britain, the United States, the European Union, and others to carry out a series of diplomatic expulsions and financial sanctions against Moscow. British police have linked the Salisbury attack to a separate Novichok poisoning on June 30 in nearby Amesbury that led to the death of a 44-year-old woman. Federal prosecutors in Washington say they were "mistaken" when they accused Russian citizen Maria Butina of offering to trade sex for a job at a U.S. lobbying group. In a court filing late on September 7, prosecutors acknowledged they had misinterpreted what apparently were joking text messages between Butina and a friend. While admitting the error, prosecutors stood by the main charges of their case and argued that Butina should not be released on bail because she is likely to flee the country. Butina is being held without bail in Alexandria, Virginia, outside of Washington awaiting trial on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the Russian government. The Justice Department says Butina's efforts were part of the Russian government's secret campaign to try to influence high-level Republican politicians, including Donald Trump, both as a candidate and after his election as president. Before her arrest, the gun-rights advocate had built up a network of prominent Republican contacts in Washington, including at the powerful National Rifle Association, while working toward a master's degree in political science at American University. Butina's lawyers argued that the prosecutors' error was evidence of a flawed criminal case that has wrongly implicated their client. Twice since her arrest, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has complained about her detention with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, prosecutors noted. "The actions of the Russian Federation and its officials toward the defendant have confirmed her relationship with, and value to, her own government," prosecutors said in their filing. A federal judge is scheduled on September 10 to review her request to be released on bail. Based on reporting by The New York Times and CNN 1 Donkeys And Llamas Are Ruthless Anti-Coyote Security Guards In recent years, coyotes have started invading urban areas, overcoming their natural fear of humans. That's good news for their therapy sessions, but bad news for us. Efforts to eradicate them have failed spectacularly, since coyotes under pressure from hunters simply start producing bigger litters and replicate like larger, meaner bunnies. In other words, the more annoying and awful they get, the more of them there seem to be. They're the Instagram celebrities of the animal kingdom. Continue Reading Below Advertisement The solution: donkeys. As it turns out, when donkeys catch one whiff of a coyote in their territory, they drop their sweet, stubborn demeanor and proceed to lose it on the first one they catch. Naturally aggressive toward anything canine-shaped, donkeys will chase, stomp, and bite the intruders, making them ideal guardians for a herd. If you don't believe us, we invite you to browse the disturbingly prolific "donkey mauling coyote" section of YouTube. But donkeys are still donkeys, and occasionally you'll get one who doesn't give two craps if a coyote eats every last animal in its pasture. In that case, you might up your game and go for the Hail Mary solution guaranteed to solve even the worst coyote problem: an attack llama. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Quick! Paint a fake tunnel on a rock! These goofballs are scarily effective. Most ranchers who use llamas for herd protection report a "100 percent reduction in their predator losses after employing the animal as a guard." According to Purdue University, one llama can effectively protect up to 2,000 sheep over 300 acres, giving you an awful lot of anti-coyote bang for your bucks. What will we do once llamas realize they are this planet's apex predator, you ask? Oh, probably die. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Kelly Stone's fence has been eaten by the neighbor's goat on more than one occasion. She occasionally tweets, and would love it if you'd consider supporting Cracked! Ever considered trying your own beehive? Support your favorite Cracked writers with a visit to our Contribution Page. Please and thank you. For more, check out 7 Mind-Blowing Ways Jobs Are Being Outsourced To Animals and 5 Animals Who Taught Themselves Eerily Human Skills. Also, we'd love to know more about you and your interesting lives, dear readers. If you spend your days doing cool stuff, drop us a line at iDoCoolStuff at Cracked dot com, and maybe we can share your story with the entire internet. Follow us on Facebook. Because why not? Having taken part in the fruitful discussions with the world leaders at the Asian Summit held recently in Vladivostok, Ernie Blom, President, World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) now looks forward to taking the worthy inputs received at the Summit and the Executive Committee Meeting for further growth of the diamond industry. The WFDB, with 28 bourses around the world affiliated to it now, was created in 1947 to protect and advocate the sustainable development of the diamond cutting industry and the market. Here, in an Interview with Rough&Polished, Ernie Blom, while steering the organization amicably, expresses confidence in the world diamond industry, reiterating his hope to take forward the role of the WFDB on the global stage. Some excerpts: While the global diamond industry looks forward to the ensuing World Diamond Congress in October at Mumbai, how optimistic are you about the outcome of the discussions with business leaders? The industry hopes to find solutions for all the current issues related to the global diamond industry. Can it look forward to some solace? Your thoughts. This biennial meeting is a very important international forum which provides the opportunity for WFDB Presidents and their delegations as well as other members of the global trade to come together. Debate on the main issues affecting the diamond business is absolutely critical. We are all so busy with our daily work, so the Congress agenda is specially created to deal with all the issues that concern our trade. It is not a question of solace but that we need to become proactive to meet with business leaders to promote the industry. What was the outcome of the recently concluded Asian Summit/Executive Committee meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) in Vladivostok, Russia? With the Russian Federation's Finance Ministry, Gokhran and others having participated, any game-changing decisions taken during the event regarding the diamond industry at large? We debated a wide range of issues, and I was delighted with the very broad representation at the Asian Summit, and the Executive Committee meeting. We met with members of the Kimberley Process review mission to Russia and they were very informative regarding the KP's work and the nature of Review Missions, and we discussed a broad range of industry topics with them. Representatives of the Gokhran and Finance Ministry were also invited to get a better understanding of the diamond industry and its needs. The WFDB Executive restated its support for the World Diamond Council's System of Warranties and the Strategic Plan which are currently under review. We agreed on an important resolution about the Federal Trade Commission's Jewelry Guides and the change to the nomenclature. We reiterated our position that the only definition of a diamond that we support is the one agreed upon last year by the WFDB, IDMA, CIBJO, the International Diamond Council and the International Standards Organisation. While we do understand that national jurisdictions always take precedence, we hope there can be an agreed global definition. We also took a strong step forward in agreeing that we need to ensure that the WFDB is seen as by far the world's leading trade body. We critically assessed our role as an industry body and looked at ways of maintaining that presence. Can you give us a gist of the discussions on issues pertaining, especially to diamond exchanges in that region, as it is said that the Presidents from bourses in the region were present at the event? Was the issue concerning the Kimberly Process discussed? Some details, please. There was a long and in-depth discussion of the System Of Warranties, the World Diamond Mark, the KP and its importance to the diamond industry and also succession planning and how to encourage the younger generation to enter the industry together with the work of the Young Diamantaires and its meetings. As members of the WFDB Executive Committee from across the world attended the meeting at Vladivostok, can we conclude that major issues have been discussed, screened and decided upon resulting in a clearer agenda for discussions at the World Diamond Congress in Mumbai? It's certainly the case that we were able to refine our overall view on the major issues of the day which will help us enormously at the Congress in October. They will be discussed at the Congress and that's why the agenda for the Congress is so important. The revised U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidelines relating to the issue of descriptors for diamonds has created confusion in the global diamond industry. Will WFDB take any action to offset the consequences of the revised guidelines? In the event of the guidelines remaining unchanged, what do you think will be the market situation in terms of natural/synthetic diamond confrontation? Your views? As mentioned above, we agreed on an important resolution about the Federal Trade Commission's Jewelry Guides and the change to the nomenclature. We do not want one set of definitions for the United States and another for the rest of the world. The FTC has pointed out that synthetic diamond manufacturers must absolutely make clear what they are selling in their description and we are pleased with that. However, we do believe that the FTC swayed unnecessarily to the side of factory diamond manufacturers. We will endeavour to ensure there is no confusion among consumers and we are actively engaging through industry bodies with the FTC and hopefully, eventually, there will be an agreed global standard. What, in your opinion, will be the position of the natural diamond industry say in a decade from now with challenges of like low demand; being hit with competition from other luxury products; no new diamond fields discovered; millennials losing interest; cheaper synthetic stones emerging; liquidity problems; diamond financing issues, etc.? Should the natural diamond sector be concerned? I do not see this in such pessimistic terms. There are challenges as there always have been, but there are also solutions and many other factors which influence the overall picture. I don't believe there will be low demand. Firstly, we must bear in mind the approaching supply-demand shortfall. This will become acuter due to the lack of large new mines, but it also will underpin diamond prices, and this is a positive. The issue of Millennials is the mission that the Diamond Producers Association has set itself. This year it has a budget of $70 million compared with $57 million last year and $6 million the year before. The DPA is doing extremely dedicated work, starting with the US market, then India and China and then moving on to European and Asian markets. The DPA's aim is to engage with Millennials via the social media and other platforms that they use and I believe we will see excellent results. Synthetic diamonds are an issue where they are undisclosed. As far as synthetics for diamond jewellery more widely, will a consumer buy one today knowing that it has almost no inherent value and will be manufactured more cheaply in a few months or next year and has no resale value? Or will the buyer prefer the real thing that has been made by Mother Nature, has a real and romantic story to tell and does good by providing a livelihood for miners and their families? As you are aware, the Indian diamond/jewellery industry is going through a challenging phase right now. Though it is known for its resilience, the industry is facing multiple issues of late. What's your advice to the industry during these trying times? As long as I have been involved in the diamond trade and that is for more than 40 years there have been challenges. There always are in business. We tend to think that only our industry is undergoing them, but they affect all trades. The $2 billion fraud case in India is extremely unfortunate. It just goes to show how vigilant diamantaires, bankers and the authorities need to be. The Indian diamond business is huge and powerful and that is why it is a leading diamond centre. I believe the vast majority of diamantaires run their businesses in a very prudent manner. This is a setback, but the Indian trade will bounce back forcefully. The Indian diamond industry must always do what it does best - and that is manufacturing and trading. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished Hong Kong jewellery sales up 16.2% in September Sales of jewellery, watches and clock, and valuable gifts reached around $408.68 mn in September up 16.2 per cent y-o-y, but down 12.39 per cent from pre-pandemic 2019. This is attributed to a government-led consumption voucher scheme that partly boosted... LGD production hit due Chinas power crisis The lab-grown diamond industry (LGD) is the latest sector to feel the effects of Chinas energy crisis. The output of jewelry-grade gems has dropped by about 10% to 15% for the past month or so. Christies Hong Kong raises the bar yet again with two auctions on 27 November Christie's Hong Kong Watches Department has announced two phenomenal live sales on 27 November, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, following the huge success achieved this May. NAMDIA diamond sales drop due to COVID-19 State-owned Namib Desert Diamonds (NAMDIA) only conducted six rough diamond sales totalling 144,967 carats at an average of $494.75 per carat, during the 2020/2021 financial year, according to the local media. You've likely heard of hot hands or hot streaks -- periods of repeated successes -- in sports, financial markets and gambling. But do hot streaks exist in individual creative careers? A team of researchers, including two from Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology, examined the works of nearly 30,000 scientists, artists and film directors to learn if high-impact works in those fields came in streaks. According to Lu Liu, a doctoral student in the College of IST and member of the research team, they found a universal pattern. "Around 90 percent of professionals in those industries have at least one hot hand, and some of them have two or even three," she said. The team's paper, "Hot streaks in artistic, cultural, and scientific careers," recently appeared in Nature. Liu says that there are two previous schools of thought regarding hot streaks in individual careers. According to the "Matthew effect," the more famous you become, the more likely you'll have success later, which supports the existence of a hot streak. The other school of thought -- the random impact rule -- implies that the success of a career is primarily random and is primarily driven by levels of productivity. advertisement "Our findings provide a different point of view regarding individual careers," said Liu. "We found a period when an individual performs better than his normal career, and that the timing of a hot streak is random." She added, "Different from the perception [in innovation literature] that peak performance occurs in an individual's 30s or 40s, Our results suggest that individuals have equal chance to perform better even in their late careers." The researchers also wanted to learn if individuals were more productive during their hot streak periods, which last an average of four to five years. Unexpectedly, they were not. "Individuals show no detectable change in productivity during hot streaks, despite the fact that their outputs in this period are significantly better than the median, suggesting that there is an endogenous shift in individual creativity when the hot streak occurs," wrote the team in their paper. Through their research, the team analyzed data they collected from a variety of sources. They looked at scientists' most-cited papers from Web of Science and Google Scholar, auction prices for artists, and Internet Movie Database (IMDB) ratings to gauge popularity of films and their directors. Then, they reconstructed a career path for each individual based on that data. advertisement "The question starts from looking at the random impact rule," said Liu. "We start from that to analyze if it applies to different domains. To our surprise, we found something more interesting." She explained that when the researchers looked at a scientist's highest-impact work through their most-cited papers, its timing was random, as well as the timing of the second-most cited paper. But in looking at the relative timing of these highest-impact works, the researchers found that they are correlated. "That's how we find a hot streak period," said Liu. "We then analyzed [this finding] in other creative domains, like artists and movie directors, to see if there are similar patterns in these careers." Liu said that there are many cases when the most famous works of an individual came in sequence. She cited Peter Jackson, director of "The Lord of the Rings" film series; Vincent Van Gogh, whose most famous paintings were completed late in his career; and Albert Einstein, whose four published papers in his "miracle year" of 1905 contributed significantly to the foundation of modern physics. "[A hot streak] doesn't just matter to these individuals," said Liu. "It matters to society as well." Liu said that this could help to understand the innovative process, and have the potential to discover and cultivate individuals during a hot streak. As the research shows that hot streaks do in fact exist in creative careers, the researchers hope to apply the research methods to more domains, including musicians, inventors and entrepreneurs. "We know that these domains have different natures," Liu said. "For example, scientists collaborate with each other and artists work alone. If we can find the triggers and drivers behind the universal pattern, that would be much more interesting." Childrens Fairyland mechanic Brett Bye spent the three weeks leading up to Sundays Oakland Pride festivities fine-tuning the 1968 Chrysler tractor that every year pulls the tram at the front of the parade. After all, the tram was carting precious cargo: dozens of kids from Our Family Coalition, an LGBTQ organization in Oakland. Brakes, new tires, just make sure the engine is running well, said Bye. Every year we are at the front of the parade not accidentally. It really makes you feel like youre part of Oakland. In typical below-the-radar fashion over the past decade, Oakland has home-brewed a low-key alternative to San Franciscos world-famous Pride march. Its scrappier, funkier and less corporate. And like the best parades, it seemed to have as many marchers as onlookers Sunday. Its easier for us to navigate as a family San Francisco can be stressful, said Steve Disselhorst, an Our Family Coalition board member whose 6-year-old daughter Kaitlyn Rivera was part of the tykes on trikes entourage. Now Playing: Participants get ready for the start of the Oakland Pride parade on 14th Street in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, September 9, 2018. Video: Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle Sunday marked Oaklands ninth Pride festival and fifth parade. Eighty-three contingents marched up Broadway from 14th to 19th streets, where Franklin Street was closed to traffic and transformed into a rollicking street festival. There were 200 venders and exhibitors. About 250 volunteers in tie-dyed Oakland Pride T-shirts worked the gates and answered questions. Entrance to the post-parade festival was $10. You could buy polish sausages, psychedelic paintings of sunsets, dairy-free milkshakes, ice-cold Coronas, fishnet stockings, nipple tassels and Oakland-centric, LGBTQ T-shirts. Nina Diamzon, founder of Legacies of the Pacific, a Pacific Rim community group, led a sashaying squadron of hula dancers. The theme was Tahitian on Sunday. We go from 4 years old to 75, Diamzon said. We take everyone all sizes, shapes and sexual orientations. Whatever, were open for business. With President Trump in office and conservative Brett Kavanaugh nominated for the Supreme Court, some positive vibes were in order for the East Bays LGBTQ community, especially families with kids, according to Our Family Coalition Executive Director Renata Moreira. At a time when families are being separated at the border, our hope is to send a message that Oakland is about family-friendly pride, she said. It demonstrates the evolution of a movement. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Along Broadway, onlookers stood on the median, which was newly planted with black-eyed Susans. Alamo residents Jeanine Newman and Kuchen Glazier held rainbow-hued signs that said free mom hugs. By 11:30 Newman said she and her friend had already dispensed approximately 15 hugs. But we just started there are lots of hugs to come, she said. We know there are a lot of moms who, for whatever reason, dont embrace their gay kids. Thats where we come in. Parade and festival producer Jacob Dornan said that the event is getting more popular every year. This is definitely the biggest yet, he said. We have big plans for the 10th anniversary next year. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen Well-financed and well-organized eco-activists are planning to put the squeeze on Gov. Jerry Brown during his big San Francisco climate change conference this week and mass demonstrations and civil disobedience are on the agenda. The Global Climate Action Summit at Moscone Center is expected to draw 4,500 delegates from around the world, everyone from former Vice President Al Gore and former Secretary of State John Kerry to 70s punk rocker Patti Smith. Brown convened the three-day summit, and the star-studded lineup is seen as a testimonial to his crusade to keep California at the forefront of the fight against climate change. But a large coalition of activist groups says that while Brown has pushed for global greenhouse gas reductions, he has done little to curb polluting oil and gas drilling in his own state. Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA, predicted a a loud, diverse and impressive turnout of activists, who have been talking, planning and having training in nonviolent civil disobedience for months. The termed-out governor has done some fabulous things as far as addressing the use of fossil fuel, Leonard said. But we are at risk of enshrining the model that you can be perceived as a climate leader even as you permit new oil and gas drilling wells. Just to make sure their message gets national attention, the progressive group Consumer Watchdog bought airtime on CNN and MSNBC for a 30-second spot featuring a 9-year-old girl calling out the governor as cruel and heartless for allowing kids to live near polluting oil and gas rigs. The group has also put up a billboard in downtown San Francisco near the approach to the Bay Bridge, featuring the same African American girl near an oil derrick with the tagline, Jerry Browns Climate Legacy. We have tried everything, and if children cant break through to the governor, then the world should know that he doesnt care about young children who are having health problems living in the shadow of oil wells, said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. Activists point to 20,000 new oil and gas exploration permits issued on Browns watch, including 238 for offshore state waters. Thousands of other state and federal offshore leases that predate Browns administration remain on the books. Consumer Watchdog and other groups also point out that Brown has taken $9.8 million in fossil fuel industry money for his various campaigns, causes and initiatives since he began running for governor in 2009. In contrast, they note that other top California Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, have pulled the plug on such donations. About 800 environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth, Californians Against Fracking, Breast Cancer Action and Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles, have signed on in support of the Browns Last Chance website campaign. It calls on the governor to commit the state to a policy of no new fossil fuels and ... real action on climate change and healthier communities. Greenpeaces Leonard laid out the activists three key demands of Brown: Hit the brakes on new oil and gas drilling permits. Impose a half-mile buffer zone between oil rigs and schools and residences. Lay out a long-term plan to end fossil fuel production in the state. Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said his boss is doing what he can to reduce Californias use of fossil fuels, but that charting a real path forward requires much more than slogans and PR campaigns. He pointed to Browns commitment to invest billions in zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure, produce half of Californias energy from renewable sources by 2030 and strengthen the states oversight of oil and gas production. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Clearly the world needs to curb its use of oil, and the phaseout is already under way in California, Westrup said. He noted that oil production in the state has dropped 56 percent over the past three decades. Theres a reason the White House and fossil fuel companies fight California on almost a daily basis, Westrup said. No jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere is doing more on climate. Leonard says Brown has been willing to talk. The two had a 2-hour sit-down in April to go over their differences, but she said that there are no answers he gave us that will satisfy us. This is his moment to be a history-making, climate change transformative leader, Leonard said. We are ready to protest him or celebrate him its up to him. San Francisco police say they have been meeting with people organizing protests against Brown and will be ready for anything that happens inside or outside the convention hall. Several cops, meanwhile, have volunteered to work at the conference on 10-B overtime shifts meaning their OT will be covered by the summits sponsors, which include Facebook, Google and former New York Mayor Michael Bloombergs philanthropic foundation. San Francisco is no stranger to demonstrations, said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman. We hope its nonviolent and peaceful, and we are going to facilitate peoples First Amendment rights to say what they want and to have the platform. But just to be safe, Gatpandan said, the department has canceled all days off during the Wednesday-through-Friday gathering. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Midway through Gabriela Alemans phantasmagoric novel, Poso Wells, a dogged Ecuadoran reporter named Gustavo Varas tells a friend, Flash fiction is done, aphorisms are next. Varas explains that aphorisms are the germ that produces everything else: story, plot, dialogue, characters. Condensed information for people in a hurry. That last sentence serves as an apt description for this fast-paced novel that offers dramatic action, racy dialogue and a string of aphorisms, including, If you spend all your time inside yourself, youll end up thinking thats all there is. Still, not all of the pithy sayings in Poso Wells are quotable, and not all the fictional characters are wise. The politicians and the police are venal. The corporate executives are villainous and the tourists comical. An ongoing legal battle between a Bay Area neurologist and her former employer is shedding light on financial pressures in medicine that experts say could intensify as more doctors practices get absorbed by large health systems. Dr. Diana Blum, who now runs a private neurology practice in Menlo Park, worked for Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group from 2009 until she resigned in 2013. Two years later, she sued the group and its affiliates, Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Sutter Health, alleging administrators retaliated against her and pushed her out for complaining about policies she felt harmed patients. According to Blums lawsuit, doctors at the practice were: Encouraged to characterize ailments as more complex, so the group could bill insurers at higher rates. Discouraged from referring patients to specialists outside the Sutter network so as to not lose the business. Encouraged to prescribe generic instead of brand-name drugs to cut costs. More for you Hospital consolidation in California linked to higher health prices Not given enough time and resources to treat their patients because they had to meet productivity standards. There was this constant push to see patients more quickly, see patients in shorter interval times, see more patients in an hour, Blum said during the trial, which concluded in February. And so patients that should have been given 60 minutes were constantly being put in 30-minute slots, and I couldnt do my job. ... It impaired my ability to take care of them. Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group denies the allegations, saying Blum did not raise concerns about patient care until after she left the practice and sued the group an account that Blum disputes. Marcie Isom Fitzsimmons, an attorney representing the medical group, said Blums complaints during her employment were about the pay system and scheduling normal workplace gripes that have nothing to do with patient care, Fitzsimmons argued at trial. The trial in Santa Clara County Superior Court ended with Blum being awarded $28,415 for a breach of contract claim. Blums other claims, including wrongful termination and retaliation, were dismissed or withdrawn after the judge deemed there was not enough evidence for the jury to hear some of them. Now, Blum must pay nearly $1.3 million in legal fees incurred by the medical group. That might sound strange, but under California law, because Blum won less at trial than the $201,000 the medical group had offered her earlier to settle the case, Blum must cover the cost of the medical groups legal fees, the judge ruled in July. Blum plans to appeal. Blums case against Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Sutter has been dismissed. The remaining conflict over legal fees is between Blum and Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group. Three former doctors at Palo Alto Medical Foundation say they too felt forced to rush through appointments to see as many patients as possible. Doctors were evaluated in part by how quickly they could open and close cases and other metrics they felt were aimed at maximizing profits, according to the other doctors, who declined to be named because some still work in the medical profession and treat patients who seek care at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group CEO Rob Nordgren said in an email that while the group, like most medical groups, is conscientious of its economics, patient care always comes first and our doctors have full autonomy to make the best medical practices for their patients. Dr. Blum had her opportunity to try her claims in front of a judge and jury, and the judges and jurys rulings speak for themselves. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes A PowerPoint presentation that was among the pretrial documents and obtained by Blums attorney suggests the medical group emphasized the importance of increasing productivity to hit targets for 2013 involving relative value units one measure of physician productivity. Its all about throughput ... more patients per hour ... more patients per exam room, according to the presentation, which Blums lawyer said she saw at a shareholder meeting during her time at the medical group. An expert witness for the medical group, Dr. Bryan Bohman, said at trial that it is common for large health care organizations to be concerned about throughput, and that measuring productivity this way helps patients get access to care. Experts say such concerns among doctors are not specific to any single health system like Sutter, but rather are becoming more frequent across the medical industry. Hospitals and health systems are acquiring doctors practices at a much faster rate than in previous decades, and its making some doctors feel they have less independence to make medical decisions. From 2012 to 2016, the proportion of U.S. doctors employed by hospitals increased from 26 percent to 42 percent, according to an analysis by the consulting firm Avalere Health. Similarly, in California, the percentage of doctors in medical practices owned by hospitals grew from 25 to 40 percent between 2010 and 2016, according to a study released last week by UC Berkeley health economists. A health care system looks at cost and productivity, not just the care of the patient, said Richard Scheffler, a professor of health economics at UC Berkeley and the lead author of the study. It changes everything because the system has to deal with costs, improve productivity, its owned by the hospital and they want to tell (doctors) to do more so they can bill more. Theres nothing ethically wrong with that, but it does conflict with the autonomy of doctors, who are used to calling their own shots. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho MILAN If there is one thing Italy would not seem to need, especially from Americans, it is another place to buy a cup of coffee. But hundreds of people in Milan thought otherwise Friday, lining up for at least an hour to take part in the latest place-to-be event in Italys fashion and design capital: the countrys first Starbucks cafe. No ordinary Starbucks, this is a Reserve Roastery the companys third, after locations in Seattle and Shanghai complete with an in-house coffee roastery, a 30-foot-long Tuscan marble bar, various coffee stations (customers are given a physical map to the shop) and more than 115 beverages. It lies in the heart of the city, a short walk from the Milan Cathedral and the Royal Palace in one direction, and the Sforza Castle in the other. With its splashy entree into Milanese society, Starbucks tailored its offerings to Italian tastes, which may need time to get used to some of the companys American fare, like a venti pumpkin spice latte with maple pecan sauce. For now, there is novelty aplenty, but no Frappuccino. Its something different from your typical cafe, said Beatrice Volonterio, who came from Seregno, about 13 miles to the north, for the opening. She and a friend waited in a line snaking around the building a scene broadcast live on the website of Milanese daily newspaper Il Corriere della Sera but she said it was worth it. Volonterio liked the sleek decor, the friendly staff and even the cappuccino, though it sells for around three times the going price at other Milanese venues. Its not cheap, she admitted. The high prices are one reason some Italians were steamed. Customers should know that theyre paying an additional cost, said Massimiliano Dona, president of Italys National Consumers Union, who was especially outraged at the 1.80-euro price for an espresso, which typically costs around a euro in a Milan cafe. (By his estimation, the same cup would cost 12 cents if made at home, making the Starbucks espresso a 1,400 percent markup.) Dona compared the hype of the Starbucks opening to another contentious American invasion: McDonalds opening its first restaurant in Italy, near the Spanish Steps in Rome in 1986. It was a fad to go, at first, he said, but it later died down. But drinking coffee is a question of habit, Dona said, predicting that Starbucks would never supplant the neighborhood cafes and bars that are daily caffeine pitstops for many Italians on the way to work or school. The established cafes were not admitting any fear of the new competition if it could be called that. Were not so worried, we are pretty well known here and abroad, said Marina Brusaferro, who works at Pascucci, one of Milans best-known coffee shops. She said Pascuccis prices were more competitive, and the coffee was better. At a central Milan branch of the Caffe Vergnano 1882 coffeehouse chain, the manager, Raffaele Schiavone, said he was not fazed by the new rival, even though one of four regular Starbucks scheduled to open in Milan by the end of the year will be nearby. Those four locations will serve Frappuccino, much to the delight of those who complained on social media that it was missing from the roastery. Our traditional blend of coffee is very appreciated, we offer quality, Schiavone said. We have a niche clientele, who come for the food, and for the relaxed atmosphere. Life is already hectic. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes On one wall of the new Starbucks, which occupies an elegant converted post office dating to 1901, is an inscription dedicated to Milan: The city that inspired our dreams. Every coffee that we have ever served brought us here. It refers to a 1983 visit here by Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman emeritus, which he has repeatedly cited as the inspiration for the coffeehouse chain that began in Seattle and now has more than 27,000 outlets worldwide. He has had his sights set on this city for a long time. Milan is the closing of a circle, said Giampaolo Grossi, general manager of the Milan Reserve Roastery, as it is known, which opened after a year of construction and three months of staff training. Grossi spoke of the roastery as an experience, not in competition with Milanese coffeehouses, which have their own traditions and histories. Instead, Starbucks will offer the amenities typical of its stores in the United States, including free Wi-Fi and the possibility to come, sit, not buy anything, and hold business meetings, he said. Or, Grossi said, customers could opt for the quick Italian experience, and knock back an espresso standing at the bar, as most Italians do. Elisabetta Povoledo is a New York Times writer. A tight Bay Area housing market hasnt hurt Bungalow, a San Francisco startup trying to connect homeowners looking to lease out their property and renters looking for space. Bungalow recently raised $14 million from investors, prompting it to trend on the startup database Crunchbase. It signs long-term leases with homeowners and then matches roommates, typically early-career professionals. The company can take of everything from furnishing rooms to streamlining rent and utility payments and arranging for cleaning. The idea for Bungalow came about after co-founders Andrew Collins and Justin McCarty found it hard to get housing in a new city and establish a group of friends. We thought initially that it was really a San Francisco-New York problem, but its around the U.S., Collins, the CEO, said. The company, which has 40 full-time employees, operates in seven cities and has about 200 homes in its network, Collins said. It plans to be in 12 metro areas by the end of the year. The new funding comes from Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund and other firms. Bungalow has also taken out a $50 million line of credit. The expansion will provide customers with more opportunities to stay with Bungalow if they have to move to a new city. Tenants dont have to worry about breaking a lease if they are offered a job in a different city and need to move, provided they choose to rent another Bungalow property. To hear more To listen or subscribe on Apple devices: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1316784843 For other devices, search for "Startups of the Week" in your favorite podcast app. See More Collapse McCarty, the companys chief operating officer, said that when Bungalow has lost clients, its generally because they moved to a city where the service didnt exist. In the Bay Area, Bungalow rooms range from about $1,000 to $1,600, according to Collins. The company also hosts monthly events in each city, so residents can meet and be part of a social circle. Though potential tenants can search for properties through Bungalows website, the company also lists rooms on places like Craigslist and Zillow. Next stop? The world. We are eyeballing and looking to go international in early 2019, Collins said. Deal of the week: Gener8 What it does: Gener8 designs and manufactures products for startups, with an emphasis on biotech and medical devices. What happened: The company was acquired by Sverica Capital Management. Why it matters: Gener8 has about 150 engineers, about 40 of whom have doctorates. It has the people and skills that would typically be found at much larger companies, according to CEO David Klein. Headquarters: Sunnyvale Funding: Undisclosed Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Employees: About 250 Also trending: Modsy What it does: The company works with more than 150 interior designers around the country to create custom 3-D renderings of a clients space. Clients can work with a designer until they are satisfied, and they can buy all of the pieces used in the rendering through Modsy. What happened: Sean and Catherine Lowe, who met five years ago on The Bachelor, recently used Modsy to design their dining room. Modsy also designed a 2018 version of the Golden Girls house. Why it matters: Modsy has partnerships with companies like Crate and Barrel, and makes it easier for clients to design their space and shop for furniture, according to Modsy director of style Alessandra Wood. Headquarters: San Francisco Funding: $33.75 million Employees: 68 Sophia Kunthara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaKunthara The San Francisco Opera opened its season Friday, Sept. 7, and in keeping with tradition, that red-letter night was occasion to doff ones T-shirt and don ones diamonds ... and, if ones family is that kind of family, to sit in the seats where ones grandparents once sat. The opera company had been founded 10 years before its first performance in its grand new home on Van Ness Avenue. Have things changed much? Excerpts from writer Willis OBriens Oct. 16, 1932, account (in italics) of that opening performance are interwoven with reports from this years festivities. In a new setting of incomparable beauty, welcomed by a throng as brilliant, as colorful, as beautiful as has ever been seen in the Western world, the opera, ultimate climax of the twin arts of music and the drama, came to its new San Francisco home last night. Are you ready for a night of passion? asked opera general director Matthew Shilvock, noting, as the crowd gathered before Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, that the production is set in Argentina, land of tango. Do Matthew and Kate Shilvock tango? We tried it a decade or so ago in Argentina, said Shilvock. It was the most embarrassing night of my life. Gone are the glories of those happy, extravagant, gorgeous courts of Europe! Although the female of the opera-going species is usually more brightly plumed than the male, some men wore white tie with golden exclamation points, for example, the $20 gold-piece pendants affixed to the lapels of Randy Laroche and David Laudon, always dressed to the 9.9s; Lisa Grotts was wistful that her tassel earrings, which went with her tasseled skirt, were her last purchase at Gumps; Donna Sachet said that vats of glue had been employed to make wearable her huge bejeweled ear ornaments. Im not sure whether this was to keep the gems in the earrings or the earrings on her ears. With regard to the top-hatted men roving about in the lobby like wannabe Abraham Lincolns: Gents, although you probably dont get enough bang for your top hat bucks to wear the the things only for the approach to the Opera House, is it polite to wear the things inside? Gone are those glories. Yes. But in democratic America there is a pageant, a festival, that surpasses even the most gorgeous of those courts at its most color The opera! Mayor London Breed greeted supporters with the happy confidence of a rookie batting .350, but smilingly allowed that since taking office, shes been unable to avoid what seems to be a side effect: increasing numbers of gray hairs. I used to have hair, said a shiny-scalped supporter standing nearby. Through the spacious rotunda they sauntered, the tall men in sober black and white, the women in their kaleidoscopic gowns, bare shoulders agleam, jewels reflecting the lights multiplied a hundredfold, their smiling faces thrown up to their escorts. Standing by the huge bouquet in the Opera House lobby, I got pressed into service to snap one couples picture. A few seconds later, Vera Carpeneti said, We have to have happy moments sometimes. Otherwise, its doomsday. And standing there for a few seconds more, I was asked to hold someone elses Champagne glass while she and her husband posed for selfies. Not complaining. Id enlisted a strangers aid to restore a fallen bracelet to my wrist. Then a bugle call summoned them all to their seats. The lights dimmed low. In preperformance speeches, the familiar phrases spectacular experiences in this legendary space, transformative experience, great opera available to all, on the leading edge of opera in all the world were flung about, but most remarkable was Shilvocks shout-out to Nancy and Paul Pelosi, greeted with sustained applause and cheers. Board chairman John Gunn called the audience wonderful and advised them, I want to make sure that you stay healthy because our 100th season is coming soon. So stay away from fast foods. Maestro Gaetano Merola stilled the applause his entrance summoned and held high his baton. The baton swept down and the first music was heard in the opera house! In Cavalleria Rusticana, Santuzza, knocked-up, excommunicated and abandoned by her lover, tries for a reunion, singing to him, If you beat me up, Id still forgive you. Art allows liberties; in this #MeToo era, someone should have inserted between the phrases, Ill call the cops. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING Its dress management. You kind of back up into the chair. Camille Bently, describing the process of taking a seat in a ball gown, overheard at the Opera Ball dinner by the Public Eavesdropping editor Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik Albert Einstein famously warned that the unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe. Unfortunately, similar catastrophe awaits us if we ignore the horrors of climate change and fail to take the decisive action needed. That is why people from all over the world are gathering this week in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit. Against the indifference of an entrenched global leadership, these delegates are demanding action now. We all know that Donald Trump has declared war on every effort to stop global warming and that his congressional acolytes have abetted his insane crusade. Tragically, even the leaders of nations who joined in the 2015 Paris climate accord are also failing to do what it takes to reverse global warming. Greenhouse gas levels are still rising, and they are producing an unsustainable human future. The summit in San Francisco is bringing together grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and international leaders for the express purpose of mobilizing climate action at the local level and to demand that their national governments get serious and raise their ambitions. There will be panels and workshops, music and art. There will be electric ferries and zero-emission vehicles. And there will be marches and demonstrations we are in San Francisco, after all. But most importantly, there will be real action pledges and examples of change that can set us on a path to save our planet. When President John F. Kennedy gave his Strategy of Peace speech at American University in June 1963, the Cold War was at its peak, and there was wide discouragement. He said, Peace need not be impracticable, and war need not be inevitable. By defining our goal more clearly, by making it seem more manageable and less remote, we can help all peoples to see it, to draw hope from it, and to move irresistibly toward it. This is exactly what we must do now. Like peace, the decarbonization of our planet will not be realized in a single act or by a single government. It will require sustained, global awareness and action at all levels from the smallest cities and towns to every sovereign nation in the world. We got a glimpse of whats possible in 2015 at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris, when nearly 200 countries committed to limiting global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius. But weve also seen whats happened since: total abdication by the White House with its reckless schemes to promote coal and gut the regulations that protect us from toxic carbon spewing out of power plants and cars. This political madness has only strengthened our resolve. These attacks on science have galvanized action in California and beyond. Weve long known that we, the people, must rise up to get the job done. But the clock is ticking. Last year, we had the most destructive wildfires in our states history, and already this year record infernos have raged well before the traditional peak of wildfire season. Eight of the 10 most destructive and nine of the 10 largest wildfires on record have burned in the past 15 years. This is not a fluke. It is the new normal, and the worst is yet to come. Last month, California released new climate research that warns the average area burned by wildfires will nearly double by 2100. But there is hope. Here in California, we are forging a path forward. Were not waiting for the national government. Were thinking globally and acting locally. We have put a price on carbon through our cap-and-trade system, recently extended to 2030. Were endeavoring to cut oil consumption nearly 50 percent, put 5 million zero-emission vehicles on our roads, doubling the rate of energy efficiency savings in buildings, producing 60 percent of our electricity through renewable energy and cutting emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels all by 2030. Were also building a global coalition of subnational partners committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement through the U.S. Climate Alliance and the Under2 Coalition, whose members represent 40 percent of the world economy. No jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere is doing more than California. But frankly, its not enough. We must all do more together. We must have the imagination and the will to push beyond what today we think possible. As President Kennedy said in that same speech at American University, No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Mans reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable and we believe they can do it again. And we can do it now at the Global Climate Action Summit and continuing in the months and years ahead. First, we wake up ourselves. Then, we wake up the rest of the world. Jerry Brown is the governor of California. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters. Californians who only see the ads for Proposition 11 may be likely to vote yes. After all, it sounds not only reasonable, but also a matter of essential public safety: to require ambulance workers to remain on call during their paid work breaks. It also would guarantee mental health benefits for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and additional training for active shooters, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. But, as is too often the case in the initiative process, the pitch is decidedly deceptive. The question of whether ambulance personnel should remain on call during breaks came to the fore because the state Supreme Court ruled in 2016 (Augustus vs. ABM Security Services) that private security guards are subject to state labor rules and thus could be unreachable during breaks. Ambulance companies are understandably worried that such legal reasoning could be extended to them and went to the state Legislature for a bill that would clarify that their crews could be kept on call during their paid breaks. They have argued that organized labor has stood in the way. Here is what you need to know: The union representing 4,000 ambulance workers agrees with the need for a fix. In fact, it supported AB263, which spelled out that employees could be required to monitor pagers, radios, station and alert boxes, intercoms, cell phones and other communications devices during their breaks and could be required to answer an emergency call. That bill cleared the Assembly on a 56-17 vote on June 1, 2017. However, that bill stalled in the state Senate over two key issues: One was whether the interruptions could include less serious calls; the other was whether the legislation should effectively void pending labor-related lawsuits against American Medical Response, which also happens to be the funder of Prop. 11. Those workers should not be denied their day in court. This issue should be resolved in the Legislature, with all parties at the table to negotiate and compromise. Vote no on Prop. 11. 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. The rumble of heavy machinery might as well have been harp music to Todd Steiner, who stood on a bluff next to Lagunitas Creek in Marin County last week and admired the channels and trenches the belching excavators were digging out of the banks. The mile-long network of machine-carved features that include tree-covered islands, carefully sculpted banks with overhanging branches, strategically placed logs and a tableau of freshly planted trees and bushes are part of an eight-year effort to transform a creekside ghost town into a floodplain for endangered coho salmon. The effort is the most ambitious salmon habitat restoration project that Steiner, the executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network, has ever put to work on the picturesque waterway, which supports the largest wild population of coho in the region. Weve been dreaming about this for years, said Steiner, whose Olema organization also runs the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, or SPAWN, which is working with local, state and federal agencies on the creeks restoration. The $5 million project is an attempt to save a local run of coho that has long been considered the bellwether of wild salmon health in the Bay Area. Now Playing: The ancient floodplains of Lagunitas Creek, in Marin County, are being restored so coho salmon can survive. Video: SFChronicle Coho, also known as silver salmon, once spawned over the entire Lagunitas waterway and up the side of Mount Tamalpais. But the cold-water-loving fish have declined dramatically in recent decades because of a combination of factors, including dams, a lack of water during droughts and limited spawning habitat. Development on the floodplain and marshlands where coho historically rested and fed during winter storms has meant the coho have had nowhere to go when the rain-fueled creek is raging, causing young fish and eggs to be flushed out. We are re-creating the floodplain, Steiner said, so that the fish have an opportunity to get out of the high-velocity flow during storm events. The Lagunitas run is unique not only because the fish are wild a large proportion of the coho in other places are raised in hatcheries but because their primary spawning grounds run through developed communities in western Marin. The new floodplain will cover a stretch of land next to Samuel P. Taylor State Park where the community of Tocaloma once stood. It is expected to be completed late this month. The creekside towns of Tocaloma and Jewell, built on the banks of Lagunitas Creek in the 1800s next to the old North Pacific Coast Railroad tracks, were responsible for a lot of the damage. The unincorporated communities covered the floodplains with summer cabins, retaining walls, patios, boat docks and non-native plants like bamboo, ivy and blackberry. The former waterfront playgrounds for vacationing San Franciscans were acquired in the early 1970s by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which was created by the National Park Service to preserve the region and prevent proposed large-scale developments. Both towns were abandoned in 2001 after the last of the 25-year leases issued by the Park Service to the homeowners ran out. One of the last buildings left in Tocaloma is now managed by the Point Reyes National Seashore and is occupied by the Turtle Island Restoration Network. More than a dozen abandoned residences, outbuildings, wells and septic systems had to be removed over the past three years to make way for the project, which will create wetland habitat at the former sites of Tocaloma this year and at Jewell next year. A 1-mile stretch between the two abandoned communities will be included. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Besides Turtle Island, the project is being funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service and State Water Resources Control Board and designed by the planning firm Environmental Science Associates. The excavation began a couple of weeks ago at Tocaloma, where 16 million pounds of soil have since been removed out of necessity. Workers are sculpting side channels as a refuge habitat for juvenile salmon and trout, removing invasive plants and installing large woody debris left over from the non-native trees they removed to create eddies and pools for fish to rest. Volunteers will cover the banks of the creek contoured for both wetland and upland habitat with 10,000 native plants from SPAWNs nursery once the rains begin. The idea is to help coho, steelhead trout and California freshwater shrimp, an endangered species native to the Bay Area that has its highest concentrations in Lagunitas Creek. Were essentially creating a nursery here for juvenile salmon to rest and fatten up on bugs and small critters, said Jason White, a designer for Environmental Science Associates. They need to get as big as possible before they go out to sea. The biggest ones are the ones who survive and come back. Know the coho Range: Coho salmon are found on both sides of the North Pacific Ocean from Hokkaido, Japan, and eastern Russia, around the Bering Sea to mainland Alaska, and south all the way to Monterey Bay. Description: Adults typically weigh 8 to 12 pounds and are 18 to 30 inches long, although individual fish weighing 31 pounds have been caught. Life cycle: Anadromous, meaning adults re-enter natal freshwater streams to spawn after spending half of their three-year life cycle in the salty Pacific. Adults die within two weeks of spawning. Fry grow to 4 to 5 inches long before heading to the Pacific. Sources: Marin Municipal Water District, National Marine Fisheries Service, ESRI, GDT and Alaska Department of Fish and Game. See More Collapse During good years, the celebrated coho salmon of West Marin are known for leaping up waterfalls and putting on a wriggling show for visitors. The fish swim 33 miles through the redwood- and oak-studded valley on the northwest side of Mount Tamalpais. They lay eggs and die, and their progeny return from the ocean to the streams where they were hatched at age 3 to repeat the cycle. They were once so plentiful that, legend has it, old-timers living along the creek used to spear them from their decks. The salmon runs kept up even after 1873, when the first of seven dams was built in the watershed, blocking 50 percent of the historic spawning habitat. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The decline has been precipitous ever since, but the numbers have dropped even more dramatically in recent years. In the late 1950s, an estimated 6,000 coho returned to the creek every winter. Despite a community-wide effort to restore coho habitat, including school work parties and limits on development next to the creek, an average of only about 500 fish have returned to the Lagunitas watershed over the past 24 years. In 2009, only 50 returned, and the count during the drought years from 2011 to 2015 wasnt much better. Biologists say a full coho recovery would require the return of 2,600 fish to the Lagunitas watershed, which includes Devils Gulch, Lagunitas and San Geronimo creeks. The best winter since biologists began keeping records in 1994 was 2004-05, when 1,342 coho were counted. Its not an isolated problem. Coho now make up only about 1 percent of their historic population from Mendocino to Monterey counties. The species was listed in 2005 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Coho restoration projects like this one dont always immediately bear fruit. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service released 188 coho salmon into Redwood Creek at Muir Beach early this year in a desperate attempt to save a critically endangered run that had all but vanished. The emergency release was needed in spite of a $15 million restoration of the historic marshlands and tidal lagoon at Muir Beach, which included the rerouting into the ocean of the creek, which flows past the Pelican Inn on scenic Highway 1. The Tocaloma floodplain restoration is nevertheless giving fisheries experts, watershed managers and the creekside communities where the fish lay their eggs renewed hope. Were trying to fix 200 years of mistakes. and its not going to happen overnight, but this keeps us going forward, Steiner said. This is the biggest project in the watershed. All the others have been like Band-Aids. Were resetting the clock back. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite The Trump administration held secret meetings with rebellious military officers from Venezuela over the last year to discuss their plans to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, according to U.S. officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who participated in the talks. Establishing a clandestine channel with coup plotters in Venezuela was a big gamble for Washington, given its long history of covert intervention across Latin America. Many in the region still deeply resent the United States for backing previous rebellions, coups and plots in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil and Chile. The White House, which declined to answer detailed questions about the talks, said in a statement that it was important to engage in dialogue with all Venezuelans who demonstrate a desire for democracy. But one of the Venezuelan military commanders involved in the secret talks was hardly an ideal figure to help restore democracy: He is on the U.S. governments own sanctions list of corrupt officials in Venezuela. He asked not to be identified out of fear of reprisals by the Venezuelan government. He and other members of the Venezuelan security apparatus have been accused by Washington of a wide range of serious crimes, including torturing critics, jailing hundreds of political prisoners, wounding thousands of civilians, trafficking drugs and collaborating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. U.S. officials eventually decided not to help the plotters, and the coup plans stalled. But the Trump administrations willingness to meet several times with mutinous officers intent on toppling a president in the hemisphere could backfire politically. Most Latin American leaders agree that Venezuelas president, Maduro, is an increasingly authoritarian ruler who has effectively ruined his countrys economy, leading to extreme shortages of food and medicine. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Even so, Maduro has long justified his grip on Venezuela by claiming that Washington imperialists are actively trying to depose him, and the secret talks could provide him with ammunition to chip away at the regions nearly united stance against him. This is going to land like a bomb in the region, said Mari Carmen Aponte, who served as the top diplomat overseeing Latin American affairs in the final months of the Obama administration. Ernesto Londono and Nicholas Casey are New York Times writers. Interstate 5, the states main north-south transportation artery, will remain closed indefinitely by the raging Delta Fire, authorities said Sunday. The freeway has been shut down since Wednesday afternoon in both directions for a roughly 45-mile stretch from 10 miles north of Redding to 3.6 miles south of Mount Shasta. Brandon Vaccaro, a U.S. Forest Service fire spokesman, said the blaze is still burning on both sides of the freeway but the flames are no longer close to the road. But there is some concern it could wrap back around the freeway, he said. That could force us to have to close the freeway again, which would be bad, or trap motorists on the freeway, which would be worse. Caltrans and California Highway Patrol officials, working with fire authorities, are regularly evaluating the freeways status. With I-5 closed, drivers many of them truckers are forced to take a lengthy detour on highways 229 and 89 that adds two hours or more to the trip. The Delta Fire is burning mostly to the northwest and north, Vaccaro said. The fire, which has scorched 40,903 acres and was just 5 percent contained Sunday night, burned intensely throughout Sunday with high temperatures and dry vegetation. The fires eastern flank has connected with already burned areas of the Hirz Fire, where containment lines are restraining both fires. Fire officials said those shared lines account for the 5 percent containment. In Napa County, the Snell Fire, which ignited Saturday near Lake Berryessa, grew to almost 2,000 acres in 24 hours. It grew by 500 acres Sunday to 2,400 acres, forcing evacuations of Berryessa Estates, Snell Valley Road and the west side of Berryessa-Knoxville Road from the Pope Creek Bridge to the Napa-Lake county line. An evacuation center was set up at Pope Valley Farm Center at 5800 Pope Valley Road in Pope Valley. According to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials, about 180 homes are threatened. The fire was burning in grassy oak woodlands at a moderate rate of spread in remote areas that make access more difficult. It was being fought by 1,241 firefighters on 31 crews. It was just 20 percent contained Sunday evening. Its cause is under investigation. Meanwhile, firefighters were extending containment lines around the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex burning in Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties. The fire northeast of Ukiah was 98 percent contained and could reach full containment Monday. The conflagration began July 27 and has burned through 459,123 acres. It is the states largest wildfire, far exceeding the previous record-holder, the Thomas Fire, which consumed 281,893 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in December. Off of Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap in Placer County, the North Fire was 77 percent contained Sunday after burning 1,120 acres and closing several campgrounds last week. Some of those campgrounds were reopening Sunday. The U.S. Forest Service had reported the acreage at nearly 1,300, but downsized the estimate after getting better mapping. The Hirz Fire, northeast of Redding, was 95 percent contained Sunday after charring 46,150 acres. The 573-acre Tulloch Fire at Highway 108 and Tulloch Road, about 50 miles west of Yosemite National Park, was 100 percent contained on Sunday. Chronicle staff writer Roland Li contributed to this report. This article, Alex Jones' Infowars banned from Apple App Store permanently, originally appeared on CNET.com. Apple permanently kicked Alex Jones' Infowars app out of its App Store late Friday, further limiting the notorious conspiracy theorist's reach a day after Twitter banned Jones and Infowars for good. Apple didn't respond to a request for comment, but a spokeswoman told The New York Times that the app was pulled because of App Store policies that prohibit content that's "offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust or in exceptionally poor taste." Infowars didn't respond to a request for comment. Jones is the fiery right-wing broadcaster who's claimed, among other things, that the Sept. 11 attacks were an inside job, that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was an anti-gun hoax and that Hillary Clinton was involved in a child sex ring run out of a Washington, DC, pizzeria. He's currently facing at least five defamation lawsuits, including three filed by families of Sandy Hook victims, according to the Times. The App Store ban further shrinks Jones' public reach. A Times report said visits to the Infowars website fell after Jones was banned last month by Facebook and that views of Jones' videos similarly tumbled after the Facebook lockout and an August ban by YouTube. Audio platforms iTunes and Spotify had also booted Jones. After last month's crackdown, the Infowars app saw a jump in downloads, rising to the third slot under top free apps in the App Store's news category, according to The Washington Post. But the distribution channel the App Store represents has now been denied to Jones. The permanent App Store and Twitter bans come as huge tech firms confront a groundswell of criticism over their perceived inability to keep their platforms from being used to spread propaganda and misinformation, such as that disseminated during the 2016 US presidential elections. The call for these companies to step up has grown louder as the US moves closer to its important 2018 midterm elections. At the same time, the companies face accusations from the right that they're biased and are censoring conservative views. Infowars and Silicon Valley: Everything you need to know about the tech industry's free speech debate. The Honeymoon is Over: Why tech is under Washington's microscope. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. MILPITAS (BCN) Officers have arrested two suspects in an August stabbing that took place at a fast-food restaurant in Milpitas, police said. Osbaldo Cobos, 19, of Alviso and Jose Gonzalez, 20, of San Jose have been arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail in connection with an Aug. 30 stabbing at a Jack in the Box, according to police. The case began when officers responded to the restaurant on South Main Street in Milpitas, finding a 51-year-old man with a stab wound in his abdomen, police said. The victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to police. Witnesses at the scene help the officers identify the two suspects, police said. On Aug. 31 around 9:30 p.m., Milpitas police detectives saw Gonzalez leaving his home and took him into custody, police said. Then around 8:50 p.m. on Sept. 4, detectives located Cobos at his home, with the help of the county's regional auto theft task force and San Jose police. Cobos tried to flee, but eventually surrendered and was arrested, according to police. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at (408) 586-2400. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SANTA ROSA (BCN) Carelessly discarded smoking materials are being blamed for a noontime fire on Saturday that caused an estimated $150,000 in damages, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department. Firefighters received the alarm at 11:59 a.m. Saturday of a fire on the second floor on an apartment complex at 1528 Apple Creek Lane, just west of U.S. Highway 101, and arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the windows. Santa Rosa Battalion Chief Matt Dahl said the fire was under control in about 15 minutes. Though fire damage was mostly limited to the room where it started, several apartments sustained water and smoke damage. A woman in the apartment that burned was evaluated for medical complaints but was not hospitalized. The American Red Cross was asked to help residents affected by the fire. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The Snell Fire about eight miles southeast of Middletown in unincorporated Napa County had burned more than 1,700 acres as of 9 p.m. Saturday, and approximately 180 structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire. The wildland fire, first reported about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, was considered 10 percent contained Saturday night. More than 380 personnel from Cal Fire, Napa County Fire and other area firefighting agencies are using 10 air tankers, four helicopters and six water tankers to help fight the blaze, Cal Fire said. No injuries have been reported. The Snell Fire is centered near the intersection of Snell Valley Road and Butts Valley Road about eight miles southeast of Middletown and 10 miles northwest of Lake Berryessa. The mandatory evacuation area connected to the Snell Fire covers residents of Snell Valley Road and connecting roadways, the Berryessa Estates residential community northwest of Lake Berryessa and residents of the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from Pope Creek Bridge to the Napa County line, the Napa County Sheriff's Office said. The Pope Valley Farm Center, on Chiles Pope Valley Road near the Pope Valley Fire station, has been set up as an evacuation center. A climate action march Saturday in San Francisco drew about 30,000 people and sent a message to Gov. Jerry Brown in advance of the upcoming Global Climate Action Summit, organizers said. The marchers left the Embarcadero Plaza at 11 a.m., marching to the Civic Center, demanding an end to the global climate crisis, according to Antonio Diaz, organizational director of People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights. Marchers banged drums, played instruments, chanted and sang. When they reached the Civic Center area, the coalition of about 50 organizations did street painting, Diaz said Saturday afternoon. The paintings depict trees, suns and other symbols of climate justice, he said. The participants in the march belong to a variety of environmental, labor and faith organizations. "We wanted to lift up peoples' voices before the Global Climate Action Summit," Diaz said. The summit is scheduled to take place Sept. 12-14 at the Moscone Center, spearheaded by the governor and the United Nations. Four people suffered injuries and were displaced in a two-alarm blaze at a Pittsburg home Saturday morning that firefighters knocked down in about 45 minutes, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said. The blaze was reported around 6:30 a.m. at a one-story home in the 200 block of Andrew Avenue, according to Steve Hill, an information officer with the fire district. The cause is under investigation. The four residents of the home were treated on the scene, Hill said. One was treated for smoke inhalation. None of the residents were taken to the hospital; they were either released or refused further medical care, Hill said. Two people were injured Saturday night in a shooting at a San Pablo Avenue barbershop, Richmond police said. Police were called about 5:30 p.m. after two men walked into The Fadeaway Barbershop at 12871 San Pablo Ave. and fired several shots, said police Lt. Matt Stonebraker. One man in the shop was hit by gunfire, and a second was injured by flying broken mirror glass, Stonebraker said. Both men suffered moderate but non-life-threatening injuries. One suspect left the scene on foot; he was captured a short time later in the 3700 block of McBryde Avenue about three blocks from the barbershop. The second man left the barbershop in a car, and police were still searching for him Saturday night. Stonebraker said the shooting is still under investigation, and it wasn't immediately known what prompted the shooting. Milpitas police officers have arrested two suspects in an August stabbing that took place at a fast-food restaurant in that city, police said. Osbaldo Cobos, 19, of Alviso, and Jose Gonzalez, 20, of San Jose, have been arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail in connection with an Aug. 30 stabbing at a Jack in the Box, according to police. The case began when officers responded to the restaurant on South Main Street in Milpitas, finding a 51-year-old man with a stab wound in his abdomen, police said. The victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to police. Witnesses at the scene helped the officers identify the two suspects, police said. On Aug. 31 around 9:30 p.m., Milpitas police detectives saw Gonzalez leaving his home and took him into custody, police said. Then, around 8:50 p.m. on Sept. 4, detectives located Cobos at his home, with the help of the county's regional auto theft task force and San Jose police. Cobos tried to flee but eventually surrendered and was arrested, according to police. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at (408) 586-2400. A magnitude 2.8 earthquake centered in Oakland struck around 1:07 p.m. Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake was centered 1.5 miles northeast of Oakland, according to John Bellini, a geophysicist with the USGS. No injuries were reported. By 1:45 p.m., 377 people had gone to the USGS site and reported feeling the quake. 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. DANVILLE (BCN) El Capitan Drive is down to one lane between St. Christopher Drive and Borica Drive because of a water main break this afternoon, according to the Town of Danville on social media. The break created a gaping hole in the roadway about four feet in diameter at about 3 p.m. East Bay Municipal Utility District crews are on scene on Danville's south edge with a flagger to direct traffic. Danville police have provided assistance, including cleanup. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A few months ago, a man slapped my bottom in a nightclub. This was surprising for a number of reasons, not least that I was 49 and no match for the pert 20somethings dancing all around me. I was also with three 6ft-plus men. Nevertheless, the man who was foolish enough and, it transpired, drunk enough to put his hand on my behind clearly thought he was perfectly entitled to do so and that he could get away with doing it. What he did was rude, unacceptable and wrong, as I explained in no uncertain terms, before insisting he apologise. Labour MP Stella Creasey (pictured) wants to make misogyny an aggravating factor in hate crime But was his bottom-slapping a crime? And does the fact that he only did it to me because I am a woman make it an even worse crime? According to Labour MP Stella Creasy and her band of feminista warriors, the answer to both those questions is an overwhelming Yes. The MP, along with the Fawcett Society and a litany of other womens rights campaigners, wants to make misogyny an aggravating factor in hate crime. Extraordinarily, the Government agrees with them. Last week, Ms Creasy tabled an amendment to the Voyeurism Bill, which aims to criminalise upskirting, the practice of taking unsolicited photographs up womens skirts. She wanted the draft law to be extended to allow judges to hand out tougher sentences if people convicted of crimes against women were motivated by misogyny. Now, Conservative Ministers have ordered the Law Commission to carry out a review into whether misogyny should indeed be listed as a hate crime, along with racism, homophobia and other factors. For the first time, we are now saying as a country that misogyny is not a part of life, Ms Creasy said as she welcomed the Governments announcement. It is something that shouldnt be tolerated. We have just sent a message to every young woman in this country that we are on their side. But have we? Or has the Government taken us one step further along the road of creating the Thought Police? This isnt just politically correct madness, its downright sinister. Misogyny, after all, is a strong word. It is not simply someone (usually a man) being a bit sexist, a bit of an old dinosaur who thinks a womans place is in the kitchen. Its the actual hatred of women. (None of the campaigners is calling for the new law to include the crime of misandry, the hatred of men, it should be noted.) So who gets to decide if a man who does or says something nasty or mean to a woman is motivated by misogyny? Under the current law, judges can already give harsher sentences to anyone convicted of assault, threats or abuse if those crimes are, as the Crown Prosecution Services official definition states, perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards the victims disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity. The key word is perceived. The definition of hate crime is already too vague and wide, including as it does acts of ill-will, spite, contempt, prejudice, unfriendliness, antagonism, resentment and dislike. Extending it to cover pretty much any unpleasant interaction between a man and woman as perceived by the victim is even more dangerous. It is also absurd that it comes at a time when police are struggling to tackle the growing spate of stabbings and shootings on our streets, when they cant find the time to investigate house burglaries and when the CPS hasnt successfully prosecuted a single case of Female Genital Mutilation. Last week, Ms Creasy tabled an amendment to the Voyeurism Bill, which aims to criminalise upskirting More importantly, why should misogyny, even where it can be proven to exist, be an aggravating factor in a crime? What difference does it make if a man punches me in the face because he hates me or because he hates all women? Either way, Ive still been punched in the face and either way, hes guilty of a serious crime. I know what youre thinking: this will never happen, and not under a Tory government. Wrong again. Two police forces, Nottinghamshire and North Yorkshire, already include misogyny in their list of hate crimes, defining it as incidents against women that are motivated by an attitude of a man towards a woman, and includes behaviour targeted towards a woman by men simply because they are a woman. Thats a terrifyingly wide definition and one that would instantly turn 99 per cent of men in Britain into criminals. Ever made a clumsy pass at a woman because shes, well a woman? Youre guilty of a hate crime. Ever offered your seat to a woman on the train because shes a woman? Guilty as charged, mlud. Dont be silly, the campaigners insist, no one is trying to criminalise men being nice to women. But if a crime depends on how an act is perceived then who gets to decide when chivalry or flirtation crosses the line into misogyny? This is a slippery slope. Campaigners for this change in the law wont stop there. They are, after all, the same people who want to make it a criminal offence to wolf-whistle or cat-call at women in the street because, the Fawcett Society claims: We are living in a society in which violence against women and girls is endemic [and] normalised. Are we? Really? This doesnt ring true to me or any of the women I know. Are our streets really packed full of violent women-haters? Do millions of men seek out lone women to harass? Do most women run the gauntlet of sexual comments and groping every time they venture onto the streets? And are we seriously suggesting that women should call 999 if a man wolf-whistles at her because he doesnt wolf-whistle at men, ergo he must be a misogynist? Never mind all the stabbings and shootings, folks, a man whistled at a woman; cue the sirens and blue lights! Conservative Ministers have now ordered the Law Commission to carry out a review into whether misogyny should indeed be listed as a hate crime Tellingly, almost every campaigner has been citing a study carried out by two researchers at Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham University, which found misogynistic crimes against women are endemic and that there is overwhelming public support for this change in the law. Yet a cursory glance at this academic research (funded, by the way, by taxpayers) reveals these extraordinary claims to be laughably misleading. In fact, the study consists of the results of 591 people responding to an online questionnaire. Most of the respondents were young women, with a whopping 94 per cent saying they had experienced or witnessed misogynistic hate crime, the majority of which was whistling, leering and sexually explicit language. Surprise, surprise, most respondents supported making misogyny a hate crime. Call me a cynic, but is there the tiniest possibility that this research is not an accurate picture of most womens lives? Is it conceivable that women who have experienced harassment might be a tad more likely to respond to an online survey about harassment than women who havent? Yet this deeply flawed research is now the basis of a Law Commission review into whether or not we should make misogyny a hate crime. Theres a difference between right and wrong and most people know where that line should be drawn. But theres an even bigger and starker difference between what should and should not be a crime. This is a bad idea, backed up by bad research, that is well on its way to becoming bad law. Julia Hartley-Brewer presents the talkRADIO breakfast show 6.30am to 10am every weekday. A few weeks ago a Labour MP shared a link to a self-help website entitled How To Leave A Cult with his fellow backbenchers. It was funny, one of them said. It had advice like make sure you have arranged another place to stay and keep your plans secret. At least it would have been funny if it hadnt been so real. Theres a perception it is Jeremy Corbyns supporters who are the cultists. But after recent events, a number of Labour MPs are beginning to question whether it is their own supposedly moderate colleagues who have become the unblinking minions of the phoney messiah. The long-awaited purge of Corbyns opponents is under way. On Thursday night, former minister Joan Ryan, MP for Enfield North, and Luton South MP Gavin Shuker became the initial sacrificial victims, subject to votes of no-confidence from their constituency parties. The long-awaited purge of Jeremy Corbyns opponents is under way (pictured leaving his home on Wednesday) On Thursday night, former minister Joan Ryan, MP for Enfield North, became one of the initial sacrificial victims, subject to votes of no-confidence from their constituency parties Ryans humiliation was streamed live by a journalist for Press TV the propaganda arm of the Iranian government in what amounted to Britains first social media show trial. Its co-ordinated, one moderate MP told me. There are no-confidence motions being tabled all over the place. Yet, incredibly, some moderates still believe they can strike a bargain to save their political skins. Theyre convinced that by indulging in some deft manoeuvring, and discarding the final vestiges of their shredded integrity, they can reach an accommodation with Corbyn and his posse of neo-Stalinist corner boys. The favoured word among these Red Appeasers is leverage. In other words they think that the threat of a split and the creation of a new centre party gives them power. As one of the more robust anti-Corbynites explained: Some moderates are thinking: Well, we can use this. Even if a few people do leave, then the rest can stay and use it to force concessions. And the key concession they want? Getting Corbyns backing to sabotage Brexit. They intend to offer Corbyn or those that are viewed as the more pragmatic members of his inner-circle a deal: agree to a second referendum, or at a minimum, whip Labour to veto whatever deal May secures. Halt the de-selections. Ryans humiliation was streamed live by a journalist for Press TV the propaganda arm of the Iranian government in what amounted to Britains first social media show trial In return the Red Appeasers will step back: tone down the charges of anti-Semitism, demonstrate more consistent support for Corbyns economic and social agenda and, crucially, prevent the split in the party that could cost the Corbynites their once-in-a-lifetime chance of power. A number of their moderate colleagues are scornful in the face of such self-abasement. Its too late to stop the split now. Its just a question of when and how we do this, one said. Another MP told me that Labours Jewish MPs, and their allies, would never countenance a deal with the Corbynites. But there are clear signs one is being contemplated. Twelve months ago Lord Adonis self-appointed cheerleader of the so-called Peoples Vote movement demanding a second Brexit vote called on Corbyn to resign. But on Monday, he publicly flourished a hand-written letter he had sent to Lord Sacks, chastising him for his comparison of Corbyn with Enoch Powell. A day earlier, Tottenham MP David Lammy, another high-profile second referendum backer, tweeted: We can stop a split with a single press release. Its time for Labour to stop pussyfooting around & lead calls for a Peoples Vote. Both interventions followed a stern email from the Peoples Vote to the campaigns supporters, demanding they do nothing to damage or undermine the Labour leader. That email emerged entirely coincidentally as the Corbynite pressure group Momentum was deciding whether to consult its members over a second referendum. Twelve months ago Lord Adonis self-appointed cheerleader of the so-called Peoples Vote movement demanding a second Brexit vote called on Corbyn to resign. But on Monday, he publicly flourished a hand-written letter he had sent to Lord Sacks, chastising him for his comparison of Corbyn with Enoch Powell A day earlier, Tottenham MP David Lammy, another high-profile second referendum backer, tweeted: We can stop a split with a single press release. Its time for Labour to stop pussyfooting around & lead calls for a Peoples Vote After the vitriol and bloodshed of the past three years, it seems inexplicable that any Labour moderate could seriously contemplate passive co-existence with their persecutors. Yet some are advocating precisely that. This is partly due to the anti-Brexit virus that is now infecting the coolest of heads. To those in its feverish grip, the decision the British people took in June 2016 must be overturned at any price. It also reflects the fact that some criticism aimed by the Corbynites at Labour moderates is valid. There is a small but significant subsection of the Labour parliamentary party who really are venal, cowardly, shallow, self-centred, unprincipled charlatans who would nationalise their own grandmothers if they thought it would secure their own personal advancement. But they represent the minority. The real problem is that, in their own way, the Labour moderates are indeed as cultish as the Corbynites. Their years in their party have not left them politicised so much as institutionalised. Their social circles. Their world view. Their sense of self-identity and worth. All to a greater or lesser extent are governed controlled even through membership of Labour. And so they are trapped. Like the Corbynites, they see, but do not comprehend. They sense, but cannot feel. They speak, but their words are not their own. They are a moderate zombie army that watches their colleagues being abused and threatened. That witnesses the Jewish community being demonised. That knows full well the catastrophe that would befall Britain were Corbyn ever to secure power. But all they can do is mouth enough is enough, then pin on their red rosettes, step on to the doorstep, and continue their dead-eyed effort to convince their fellow citizens to elect him as their Prime Minister. I had my own look at the How To Leave A Cult website. Its key piece of advice is: Stay strong in your decision to leave the cult. Remind yourself why you wanted to get away, and tell any current members of the group that you dont want to talk to them. For many Labour moderates, that is a strength they do not have. Last week, I asked a Tory backbencher for his tip for a Tory leadership dark horse. Penny Mordaunt, he replied. Shes popular, shes across her brief, and shes no fan of Chequers. You heard it here first. BoJos poll ploy misses the mark News of Boris Johnsons marital separation has Westminster insiders trying to calculate what if any impact it could have on his leadership chances. But Tory MPs have been pointing to what they feel may be a more significant development: last weeks monthly ConHome survey of Tory supporters. Boriss allies were quick to pounce on figures showing their champion receiving the backing of 35 per cent of Conservative members. But his colleagues remain unmoved. Team Boris are trying to get the grass-roots to put pressure on us, one backbencher told me, but at the moment its not working. Yes, theres support for him, but no avalanche. If two out of three of my party members want other candidates, then its going to be easy enough to hold the line. BoJo needs more mojo. News of Boris Johnsons marital separation has Westminster insiders trying to calculate what if any impact it could have on his leadership chances Maverick Corbynite backbencher Chris Williamson has been touring the country, drumming up support for his leaders proposed changes to Labours candidate selection rules. But I learn the tour has had some unintended consequences. Williamson has proved such a hit with Labour members that bookies Ladbrokes last week slashed his odds on becoming leader from 100-1 to 33-1. In response, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has announced his own national anti-austerity speaking tour. The jockeying over the succession has begun. TEHRAN Irans Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility Sunday for a missile attack targeting an Iraqi base of a Kurdish separatist group. Iranian state television aired footage of surface-to-surface missiles launching Saturday toward the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan base in Iraq, as well as drone footage of the base in the aftermath of the strike, which the separatists say killed at least 11 people and wounded 50. The footages release appeared to be a stark warning by the Guard to the separatist group, known by the acronym PDKI, which has resumed hit-and-run attacks in Iran after some two decades of uneasy peace. A Kurdish attack in July killed at least 10 Iranian border guards, likely sparking the Guards show of force. The Iranian armed forces wont allow terrorists to again threaten the countrys national security, the Guard said in a statement, warning that its future operations would be even more crushing. Video aired by state television showed the short-range missiles being fired from mobile launchers in a field in an undisclosed location. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said the missiles traveled some 135 miles to reach the base in Koya, in northern Iraq. The Kurdish satellite news channel Rudaw reported that the secretary-general of the PDKI, Mustafa Mawludi, and his predecessor, Khalid Azizi, were wounded in the strike. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Sunday issued a statement criticizing Irans attack, saying it rejects the violation of Iraqi sovereignty by bombing any target within Iraqi territory without prior coordination with the Iraqi authorities to spare civilians the effects of such operations. Iraq and Iran have close political and military ties, and Tehran provided extensive military support in the war against the Islamic State group. Saturdays attack comes after the PDKI accused Iran on Friday of carrying out indiscriminate shelling targeting the border region. Kurds represent about 10 percent of Irans population of 80 million people, with many living in the mountainous northwest that borders Iraq and Turkey. Amir Vahdat is an Associated Press writer. MOSCOW A government plan to increase the age for collecting state pensions brought protests across Russias 11 time zones Sunday even though the opposition leader who called them was in jail. Nearly 300 people were reported arrested. The plan calls for the eligibility age for retirement pensions to be raised by five years, to 65 for men and 60 for women. Opposition to it spans the political spectrum. The rallies got started in the Far East and Siberia. In Moscow, a demonstration in the afternoon ended in scuffles when riot police stopped participants from marching to the Kremlin. Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption activist who is President Vladimir Putins most prominent foe, urged supporters to protest the pension proposal Sunday before he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for organizing an unsanctioned January protest involving a different issue. Factory worker Olga Sokolova, 52, said she was dumbfounded when the proposal was introduced in June because she had hoped to retire from her physically taxing job at age 55. I cant keep being afraid anymore, she said of her decision to risk detention by showing up at Moscows Pushkin Square. The demonstrators, predominantly people in their 20s and decades away from retirement, chanted Russia without Putin and held signs with messages such as Putin, when will you go on pension? Demonstrations took place throughout the sprawling country, from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on a Pacific island and in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. The OVD-Info organization that monitors political repression reported 291 people were detained in connection with the protests. Nataliya Vasilyeva and Jim Heintz are Associated Press writers. BAGHLAN-E-MARKAZI, Afghanistan In a chaotic day of violence across Afghanistan, scores of police officers, soldiers and civilians were killed by insurgents who, in four separate attacks, overran a major military base, killed a police chief, destroyed a police post and bombed a memorial event. In the capital of Kabul, a commemoration for a man some Afghans regard as a hero turned violent as suicide bombers attacked celebrants, killing seven, and police arrested more than 100 mourners for shooting in the air. The deadliest single incident was the destruction by Taliban insurgents of an army base in Baghlan province on Sunday, with at least 22 and as many as 40 security force members killed, local officials said. The military installation was the second major base to fall to the insurgents in Baghlan province in the past month, and the third in northern Afghanistan during the same period. Abdul Hai Nemati, the governor of Baghlan province, said the Afghan National Army base at Mangalha village, in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district, had been completely surrounded by insurgents. Casualties for Afghan security forces have steadily risen in recent years, as the international coalition has mostly withdrawn and left most of the fighting to Afghans. In Kabul, hundreds of gunmen took to the streets Sunday, blocking traffic and firing their weapons into the air, defying a ban on such celebrations in honor of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the northern leader who was killed by al Qaeda in 2001. Health officials said 13 people were hospitalized, struck by falling bullets. Massoud is revered by his fellow Tajiks as the leader of the Northern Alliance fighting the Taliban, but he is regarded by other Afghan groups as a war criminal involved in mass murder of opponents. In northern Baghlan province, a senior police official said insurgents had captured the Mangalha base by Sunday and had killed 40 soldiers and national and local police officers at that installation and at smaller outposts in the area. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. A spokesman at the Ministry of Defense in Kabul, Ghafoor Ahmad Jawed, claimed that local officials description of the military facility as a base was inaccurate. Jawed said it was a check post that included representatives of the Afghan National Army and other units. Jawed also denied that the Taliban had captured it, saying it had been abandoned by defenders. Mangalha village was formerly a Taliban stronghold and the insurgents had surrounded the military base last year, only to have the government reclaim control of the area. Najim Rahim and Rod Nordland are New York Times writers. I pray every day for Archbishop Justin Welby, though with no very great hope of success. Christians are supposed to pray for their enemies, and he seems to be one of those. I will never forget the panic-stricken look on his face when I said a friendly hello to him at a Lambeth Palace reception, to which I had obviously been invited by mistake. I suspect judging by his open dismay that he would have preferred to have had Satan at his party. I left very soon afterwards. And later I came to have a really low opinion of his abilities, and of his interest in justice, as I and others battled to get such justice for the truly great Bishop George Bell of Chichester, who died 60 years ago. Under Archbishop Welbys leadership, Bishop Bell was publicly denounced by his own Church as a paedophile after a miserable secret kangaroo court. The evidence against him was ancient, thin and uncorroborated, and no defence had even been heard. Yet, now that this process has been exposed as the unfair botch it was, the Archbishop still wont accept he made a mistake. Wealthy families should pay more tax to help the poor, Justin Welby (pictured) said this week And his endorsement of last weeks wild Blairite demand for more taxes and a severe assault on our freedom to pass on our hard-earned life savings to our children, did nothing to improve my opinion. Christians can be socialists or conservatives, or liberals in politics. Or they can be none of these things. It is their personal actions, not their views, that matter. It is absolutely not the task of the religious leader of England to take sides on political and economic quarrels of which he plainly knows little and understands less. But does he understand the Gospels any better? In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ at no point says Blessed are the Tax Collectors. When he tells us to help the hungry, the sick and the homeless, he does not tell us to hand on the job to the State. He tells us to do it ourselves, not through the cold, impersonal agencies of PAYE and the Universal Credit system. Governments are often very bad at spending money. I pay quite a bit of tax, and wouldnt mind at all if it went (for example) on an NHS that was well-run, schools that I thought were good, or on a criminal justice system that I thought was effective. But I get none of these things. And its not because the State has too little money that this rich country now has so many food banks. It is because the state is so incompetent at helping those in real trouble. Charities, sustained by private donations and private hard work, often do the job much better. Higher tax will not mean people give more to charity. It will mean they give less. Worse, if you threaten the freedom to inherit, you threaten private property itself. And if you threaten that, you threaten the whole basis of freedom. Without private property we all become slaves of the secular, anti-Christian state. How can that be a Christian desire? Nobody is against tax as such. Most of us are in favour of other people paying more tax. But almost nobody is in favour of paying more himself, in practice. Look into many tax avoidance schemes and you will generally find plenty of right-on leftist comedians and media figures, taking full advantage. And, though HM Revenue & Customs is always happy to accept voluntary extra contributions, for some reason these are rare. The Archbishop, amusingly, issued his fatwa against inherited wealth and in favour of tax through the Institute for Public Policy Research. This leftist coven was set up to provide a fancy figleaf for New Labours wild debauch of spending and borrowing, which destroyed many pension funds and plunged the nation deep in debt. But, oh, look, the IPPR, so keen on taxing others, has somehow qualified to be a registered charity. This status normally means not having to pay income or corporation tax, capital gains tax, or stamp duty. Gifts to registered charities are also usually free of the inheritance tax that Archbishop Welby wants to be so strictly applied to the rest of us. They are often spared all or most business rates on their premises, and can get special VAT treatment. Quite why such outfits as the IPPR should escape the punitive taxes which are now putting so many small firms and shops out of business, I have no idea. Couldnt the money be better spent on the poor? Perhaps the Archbishop could do something about it? BBCs squalid excuses for child killers The over-praised BBC drama Mothers Day seemed to me to have forgotten who actually murdered Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry in Warrington in 1993. Well, I certainly remember: the IRA, whose apologists and supporters are now invited to the White House and Windsor Castle, planted high explosives in cast-iron litter bins in the heart of an English town where as it happened many Irish people lived. These cruel monsters made sure those fleeing the first bomb would run straight into the blast of the second. Daniel Mays as Colin Parry and Anna Maxwell Martin as Wendy Parry in BBC's Mother's Day The culprits have never been caught, and if they were, they would be almost immediately released under the nauseating terms of our surrender to the IRA. The drama, in my view, made far too much of stupid excuses issued by Republicans for this crime. It gave valuable airtime to fictional mouthpieces and excuse-makers for the IRA cause. It also greatly exaggerated a minor fire at the Irish club in Warrington to suggest it was six of one and half a dozen of the other. No doubt Tim and Johnathan were not the first or only children to die in the Troubles. No doubt Loyalist bombs were just as savage. No doubt the British Army and the police were not without faults. But so what? The IRA men who coldly planted bombs outside a town centre branch of McDonalds, set to go off at lunchtime on a Saturday, deliberately set out to kill and maim innocent people including children and did so, horribly. Nobody made them do it. There was no excuse for this. There never will be. Nobody, least of all the BBC, should try to make one. A moving message from the Cold War If ever you are tempted to forget how lucky we are to live on our safe island, see the brilliant new Polish film Cold War, in which Joanna Kulig plays one of a pair of lovers whose lives which in a free country would have been happy and contented are utterly ruined by the Iron Curtain. There are no car chases, and there is mercifully little sex. But there is a lot of thought. Joanna Kulig (pictured) plays one of a pair of lovers whose lives are ruined by the Iron Curtain When I lived in crime-ridden Moscow, I had a solid steel front door. Such things were and are common there. After the recent incident in Bexley in South-East London, when a family out for a meal watched in amazement on a mobile phone (linked to their doorbell) as armed robbers kicked their front door off its hinges at 9pm, I wonder if the time has come to follow Moscow rules here. British houses are not made to withstand such attacks. We assume the law keeps us safe. But bad people are not afraid of the law now. I am increasingly frightened by electric bicycles, actually rather fast, near-silent heavy motorbikes which are unregistered but can kill or maim. Are these ever-more-common things adequately regulated or controlled? If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A former Staten Island resident, who was injured three years ago when she was struck by a car in a marina parking lot, has settled her lawsuit for $345,000, said her lawyer. Judith Arond, then 64, was walking in the parking lot of One World's Fair Marina in Queens on Sept. 17, 2015, when she was struck, court papers said. Arond was hit by a 2004 Mitsubishi driven by Carlos Vega and owned by Horacio Vega, said Michael H. Bush, her lawyer. Arond, who now lives in Florida, suffered fractures of the right thumb, an orbital bone in her eye and some teeth, her court papers said. The one-time Rosebank resident was hospitalized for nine days, then spent nearly three weeks in a rehabilitation and nursing facility, said court documents. Arond sued the Vegas in Brooklyn state Supreme Court. The venue was based on where the defendants live. The case recently settled, said Bush, a partner in the New Dorp firm Chelli & Bush. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Children enjoyed face-painting and more while parents chowed down during the Family Fun Festival at Historic Richmond Town, hosted by Eden II Programs on Saturday. Eden II Programs provides services to over 400 children and adults with autism in New York City. All proceeds from the celebration will benefit the organization's capital campaign for a new building in Stapleton. The festival featured bouncy rides, a performance by a magician, face-painting, food trucks, popcorn machine, costume character visits, a pumpkin patch, arts & crafts, raffle baskets and a 50/50. "We are welcoming the community to spend a fun day with their families and friends decorate a pumpkin, eat some good food, and watch a magic show," said Dr. Joanne Gerenser, Eden II executive director. "While you're having a great time, you'll be helping Eden II's youngest participants. Our Capital Campaign for our new building on St. Paul's Avenue will allow us to continue the vital services these young individuals greatly need." Eden II Program's new preschool building is located in Stapleton and features improved classrooms and technology, a full-size gymnasium, teacher's lounge and nurse's station. A little over 130 individuals and families make use of Eden II, including the full-day school program at its new state-of-the-art autism center on Staten Island; preschool; Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETTS), and Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) services. About 50 adults with autism reside in the program's seven adult homes (located on Staten Island and Long Island). The Adult Day Habilitation program serves over 90 individuals. The event was sponsored by: Northfield Bank; Fidelis, Richmond University Medical Center; South Shore Rotary; Northwell Health; Island Auto Group; the Eden II PTO; Ivy Branding and Marketing Group; Carroll's Florist; Weichert Realty; Surmanek Wealth Management; Victory State Bank, and several families. For those unable to attend Saturday's event, donations to the capital campaign can be made by clicking here. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Ford is recalling approximately two million pickup trucks in North America due to an issue with the seat belt pretensioners -- a device that locks the seatbelt in place -- in the front seat. The company is recalling some 2015 through 2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles after an investigation found that some front seat belt pretensioners "can generate excessive sparks when they deploy." "When sufficient sparks are present, gases exhausted inside the lower portion of the B-pillar by the pretensioners may ignite," Ford said in a news release. "If this gas ignites, components behind the B-pillar, such as insulation and carpet may subsequently catch fire." Ford said it's aware of 17 reports of smoke or fire in the United States, and six known incidents in Canada. Ford isn't aware of any accidents of injuries as a result of the issue. The recall affects 2015-2018 Ford F-150 trucks built at the Dearborn Assembly Plant between March 12, 2014 and Aug. 23, and at the Kansas City Assembly Plant between Aug. 20, 2014 and Aug. 23 of this year. There are 1,619,112 vehicles in the U.S., 339,884 in Canada and 36,780 in Mexico, that are being recalled. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S27. Ford dealers will remove insulation material from the B-pillar trim and remnants of wiring harness tape in the B-pillar area, and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation. They will also modify the back interior panels of Regular Cab vehicles. The repairs will be at no cost to customers. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - It's all about math. If opposition to President Donald Trump has real teeth, Judge Brett Kavanaugh won't be confirmed to the Supreme Court, and the House and possibly the Senate will go blue this fall. Not that any of that is a given. Republicans have the Senate majority, and have the tie-breaker, if needed, in Vice President Mike Pence. That should be enough to get Kavanaugh over the hump. And that should hold true even if GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski feel like they have to vote against Kavanaugh because of Roe v. Wade implications. Because Dem senators like Joe Manchin, Joe Donnelly, Claire McCaskill and Heidi Heitkamp are all facing stiff challenges and pretty much have to vote for Kavanaugh if they want to keep their jobs. Republicans will no doubt lose seats in the House. The party in power in the White House always does during mid-term elections. Will it be the 23 that the Dems need to flip the House? Possible, but not guaranteed. If Dems are energized to come out against Trump, you can bet that plenty of Trump supporters are primed to come out and back their president, who's only done everything they could ask on immigration, national security, the courts, trade and the economy. Former President Barack Obama joined the midterm battle on Friday, slamming Trump and Republicans in a speech at the University of Illinois. It was everything that hazy-eyed Dems could have hoped for. They've been praying for Obama's return to the battlefield. But Obama won't be on the ballot anywhere himself this year, and his full-throated endorsement of Hillary Clinton couldn't keep the roof from caving in in 2016. As much as he energizes Dems, Obama also gasses Trump supporters up in opposition. It could be a wash at the polls. We've got a lot to tide us over until then, including the anonymous op-ed in the New York Times supposedly written by a "senior" White House official who's a member of the resistance within the administration. Funny how there's more talk about who wrote the piece than what was actually in it. Instead of calling for a national security investigation, Trump should just let the story die a natural death. Then there's the Russia collusion investigation. Things looked downright dicey when former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump attorney Michael Cohen both cut deals with the feds on the same day last month in unrelated cases. But the needle really jumped when stories surfaced that Cohen had info that Trump knew and approved of the fabled Trump Tower meeting with the Russians where dirt on Hillary Clinton was offered. Remember? But the bubble burst when Cohen attorney Lanny Davis had to admit that Cohen had no such info on Trump after all. Another "gotcha" moment down the drain. Not that it matters to the resisters. They moved onto another of their standard themes: "Trump is crazy!" That's part of what the op-ed was about. As were the "Crazytown" bombshells from Bob Woodward's upcoming book, "Fear: Trump in the White House." Thing is, we already know that Trump is off-the-wall and impolitic. That he shoots from the hip and says things that are downright offensive. That he's all over the place and rubs people the wrong way. It hasn't hurt him much with his supporters. But, right on cue, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a possible 2020 presidential contender, said the other day that Trump is unfit for office and should be removed under the 25th Amendment. Good luck getting the cabinet to sign on. And good luck working with President Pence! Dems have even taken to co-opting "good" Republicans. They suddenly love late GOP Sen. John McCain after denigrating his service in the Vietnam War when McCain had the temerity to run against Obama in 2008. And former President George W. Bush, whom Dems once called a war criminal, is lionized for slipping Michelle Obama a piece of candy during McCain's funeral. Even Watergater John Dean is getting positive face time on CNN. In other words, any Repub is a good Repub as long as they're not Trump. Or running for president. But we won't really know where the Dems and Trump stand until November. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Australia and New Zealand's major airlines say $18 billion in benefits would flow into Australia's economy over 15 years and fares would drop if tighter rules were introduced to curtail what they say is price gouging by the country's airports. Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) representing the Qantas and Virgin groups, Air New Zealand and Regional Express has told a Productivity Commission inquiry the competition watchdog should be brought in to rule on disputes with airports over how much they pay to use runways, terminals and other infrastructure. Regulating airports better would lead to lower fares and more routes, the region's airlines say. Credit:Peter Braig "Monopolists will overcharge unless faced with a credible threat of regulation," said A4ANZ chairman and former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission boss Graeme Samuel. "The current system is not sustainable". The headmaster of a prestigious private school where a female staff member slept with five male students has angered the parents of the boys by writing a letter saying the school had "worked hard" to support all those involved. The Armidale School headmaster Murray Guest wrote the letter to the school community following a sentencing hearing in the NSW District Court for the 25-year-old woman, who is due to be jailed over the prolonged abuse this week. The 25-year-old former staff member (centre) is due to be sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to the charges. Credit:Brook Mitchell "We are deeply sorry that these offences occurred and for their impact on former students and their families," Mr Guest said in the letter distributed on Friday. "Behind the scenes, we have worked hard to support all parties involved over the past three years." Premier Gladys Berejiklian says voters' mistrust of politicians at both levels of government was the deciding factor in the Liberal Party's thumping defeat in the Wagga Wagga byelection on Saturday and her government will "double down" to rebuild trust ahead of the March state election. Independent candidate Joe McGirr, a doctor and academic, was on track for a historic win in the seat on Sunday as swings above 30 per cent hammered the Liberals in booths across the electorate. The Liberals' Julia Ham had edged ahead of Labor's Dan Hayes and was in second place on Sunday morning but Mr Hayes, in the third spot, was expected to benefit from preferences from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party. Schools in NSW are facing some exciting but complicated challenges in the next few years and the Herald today launches a dedicated page to try to help our readers understand the debate. A new weekly education section will invite educators, parents, students and anyone else with a smart point of view to talk about what is needed to improve school results and help children become happy, positive citizens. There is a sense of anxiety about where the education sector is headed. There is certainly a sense of anxiety about where the education sector is headed and whether our schools are delivering the skills to help Australia compete economically. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) standardised tests carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an average 15-year-old Australian student is now seven months behind where they were in 2006 in science and a year behind where they were in maths in 2003, while their reading ability has declined by a year since 2000. While some want to focus on these narrow academic outcomes, schools are simultaneously being dragged into an unprecedented culture war over what values children should be taught. Prime Minister Scott Morrison entered the fray last week by warning about "gender whisperers" in schools. In NSW some of these issues will come into sharp focus in coming months as the state Education Standards Authority undertakes a historic review of the whole curriculum to adapt it to the 21st century. It will have to implement the national curriculum but add NSW characteristics. The process is sure to involve discussion of the big philosophical choices in schooling. Some focus on adaptive lifetime learning, others stress specific academic disciplines. Some want to strip back the curriculum, which they say is overloaded and unteachable, others want to load in more life skills and citizenship education. The role of the HSC as the final day of judgment is sure to be reassessed. If that is the philosophical end of the debate there is also a very concrete argument about the physical buildings of schools themselves. Parents are demanding new schools in growth areas in the inner city but they come at a huge cost and become political footballs. The Herald on Friday reported that some schools in the eastern suburbs are running at barely half capacity yet politicians want to build more. The eternal battle for funding between public and private schools is shaping up as a key point of difference in the federal election. Both parties seem committed to a needs-based funding model but the application of those principles varies hugely. Billions of dollars are at stake. Equally the federal election will have a crucial role in determining the future of the NAPLAN tests. This year's tests have been complicated by a transition online but the broader issue is whether NAPLAN needs a total rethink. For instance, some say the school league tables encourage parents to "school-shop". The role of parents in schools also needs to be discussed. Perhaps they should have more input but equally, teachers resent excessive interference that undermines authority. Speaking of teachers, some are complaining about the low university entrance requirements for teaching courses. More broadly, a debate is needed on how to attract and pay top teachers. The credits rolled, the veteran NBC News anchor Brian Williams sat behind his desk and the headlines began: The portrait of a volcanic President who wants a newspaper to hand over a mole in his own government. Or, as we call it, Wednesday night. Volcanic? The President was Vesuvian. He was shooting out molten lava in all directions and sulphurous gas clouds rose high into the humid Washington sky at what had become the latest, and maybe greatest, betrayal an excoriating attack on him in the New York Times, apparently written by an anonymous member of his staff. There are no quiet days and no calm weeks in the Trump presidency. No period where the whirring machine of government forms a carefully assembled and thought-through policy, whose roll-out proceeds effortlessly. There are times when you can feel the chaos. I was at a media briefing a couple of weeks ago where the Presidents long-suffering Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders, looked like she hadnt slept a wink. She probably hadnt. Then theres the regular drama. I and other journalists alighted from Air Force One to be rushed into the press buses only to be rushed out again because the President had changed his mind on the itinerary. Talk to officials and they either shrug their shoulders with a What can I do? or after a few drinks they will unburden. President Donald Trump arrives for a political rally at Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia Its exhausting enough reporting on this President. But working for him? When I had my now famous clash with Donald Trump when he picked on me at a televised press conference, calling me another beauty it was over precisely this. I had challenged him on whether this administration could be described as a smooth-running machine. He has always insisted that it is. But the pretence has gone. Things were bad enough on Tuesday when excerpts of the soon-to-be published Bob Woodward book landed, with officials speaking off the record about the dystopian dysfunction of this White House. According to Woodward one half of the investigative Washington Post duo who helped expose Watergate White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had referred to the President as unhinged. The Defence Secretary had described him as a fifth- or sixth-grader in other words a ten-year-old. The former chief economic adviser apparently removed papers from the Oval Office desk, fearing the economic damage that Trump might do if he signed them. And on it went. The White House did what you do in those circumstances: it circled the wagons. But it was the events of the next 24 hours that took the lid off the volcano. A senior official from the administration penned a damning opinion piece for the New York Times, with the headline: I am part of the resistance inside the Trump Administration. It is, on the face of it, the most scathing piece of invective you could read. An essay from a senior official on how he or she and others are engaged in a concerted effort to protect America from Trumps excesses. Thats one way of putting it. The other is to say that this is an effort to subvert the Presidents agenda and the will of millions of Americans who voted for him. My jaw doesnt drop easily after 20 months of covering the Trump presidency, but it was slack by the time I finished reading the final sentence of this op-ed on the Presidents shortcomings. He is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. And Mr or Ms Anonymous goes on: He engages in repetitive rants, and his impulsiveness results in half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions that have to be walked back. This treacherous article concludes with the self-justification that he or she is part of the quiet resistance putting country first. But listen to an alternative argument. The country went to the polls. Nearly 63 million Americans voted for Trump, and by the rules of the electoral college he was the duly elected President. And furthermore, no one can say hes not doing what he promised. Renegotiating trade deals, tougher immigration laws, confronting North Korea, cutting taxes, exiting the Iran nuclear deal, winding back regulations, are exactly what he promised during the campaign. As Sarah Sanders noted, while it may not always be pretty, Trumps economic policies are paying dividends, with 200,000 new jobs created, salaries growing at their fastest rate in nine years, and unemployment at a historic low of 3.9 per cent. So what legitimacy does the writer have in declaring that he or she is the guardian of US democracy? For better or worse, the ballot box is where elections are decided and in November 2016 the American people spoke. If you are that unhappy about the administrations direction of travel, you have the choice of resigning and fighting the Trump agenda at the next election. Or you stay and argue your corner. But if you lose the battle while fighting from within, your duty as a public servant is to enact the policy that has been agreed. President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with the Emir of Kuwait Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah There are two other things Trump said repeatedly during the campaign, which were designed to appeal to those who always love to smell conspiracy: there was a deep state powerful, but secret forces at the heart of the establishment and that Washington was a swamp that needed to be drained. Lurking around every neo-classical column were bad actors whose allegiance was to the status quo, who would thwart the newly elected President and scupper him as if their lives depended on it. At the time, I thought it was tendentious in the extreme, designed to show that Trump was the non-politician in the race, the change-maker and peoples tribune taking on the deeply entrenched elites. Yet the New York Times article can be seen as the very definition of the deep state. Maybe Ive been watching too much of the political thriller House of Cards on television, but Ive started thinking conspiratorially about whether the article might have been penned by Trump himself as a means of justifying a crackdown on those around him, while demanding greater, unfettered power in decision-making. I cant see him writing those nasty things about himself. It is now likely well see the President becoming even more distrustful of those around him and allowing even fewer people to be brought in to decision-making, which must be a bad thing for government. Another thought: if you are part of a deep state conspiracy, dont you just keep your mouth shut about it, rather than advertise what you are doing in the New York Times? I know that in spycraft, hiding in plain sight can be mighty effective. But this? Im not sure it strengthens your hand. Mr or Ms Anonymous, has probably never heard of the late Sir Alan Walters, Margaret Thatchers economic adviser for a while as she sought to fight off Cabinet demands for Britain to join the precursor to the single currency. He was thought to have Svengali-like powers over the Iron Lady. Some in her Cabinet wanted him banished and they eventually succeeded. But not before she came up with the memorable phrase, designed to allay fears: Advisers advise, Ministers decide. The problem for Mr or Ms Anonymous is that you werent elected to decide. Donald Trump was. Gladys Berejiklian owns the Liberals spectacular loss in Wagga Wagga to independent Joe McGirr. While there is no doubt that the bloody war that erupted mid-campaign between Berejiklian's federal Liberal colleagues was very damaging, it was not the major factor. The byelection in the safe Liberal seat only came about because its long-term MP, Daryl Maguire, was caught on a phone-tap trying to broker a deal with Chinese developers. After Maguire resigned, Berejiklian handpicked the Liberal candidate who tried to replace him. The Premier was the face of the re-election bid. And she allowed her office, not party headquarters, to run the campaign. Electorates punish parties for byelections. The average swing against the government of the day in NSW byelections over the past decade has been 16.1 per cent. We are going to rebuild this council - thats what Ive been telling staff. A sign outside Ipswich City Council offices still has sacked mayor Andrew Antoniolli's name. Credit:Alison Brown Well be famous in 18 months time, but not for the reasons were famous now. It might be a lofty ambition, but Mr Chemello said he wanted Ipswich to be the best example of local government in Australia - the council others would turn to when they wanted a template for best practice in procurement or other council policies and procedures. We want to be an exemplar local government, and I want other councils to copy us, he insisted. Two weeks into the job, Mr Chemello had already heard complaints from a handful of staff who had produced new information about alleged past misdeeds. [Were] still looking under the rocks of the past, he said. Mr Chemello said he was encouraging staff to put aside their misgivings and bring complaints into the light. I know there will still be historical concerns about misconduct, he said. [Thats why] Ive been encouraging the staff to bring those issues out, [so that I] can deal with them openly. Ive said to staff, if they were concerned about repercussions in the past, dont be concerned now. We will deal with them. Loading We are collating [complaints] now, and I will be in a position to get back to staff in the next week or two about those issues and explain how this is going to work. He insisted the complaints, or a flavour of them, would be put on the public record and the media would be briefed. 'Relief, trepidation' from staff on his first day His administrator powers also extended to sacking staff who might have been involved in illegal or inappropriate activities. Ive been pleading with people to bring [their complaints] out now, not in 16 months time when Im almost out the door," Mr Chemello said. By then, I wont have had the time to fix it. So, I want them brought out now. His first day behind the desk was met with a mix of relief combined with trepidation by long-suffering council staff. There was relief because theyd had a very difficult couple of years, and then a difficult couple of months during the show cause period, Mr Chemello said. Some had trepidation. What does being in administration mean? What happens to our jobs, and so on. There was concern about the unknown, but I didnt take it personally. There is no manual for this. There is no guide book on how to do administration of councils. I wish there was, but there isnt. 'I'm trying to carve out to staff what I'm not' As administrator supported by five advisers from consultants KPMG, Mr Chemello fully replaced the role of mayor, councillors and committees. I am not acting mayor, or an acting councillor. I replace the councillors and mayor in terms of decision-making, but I also do not pretend to know and understand and represent the views of various interest groups in the way an elected politician would, he said. An administrator does not get involved in the operational running of the council, either. That job is left to chief executive officer, Sean Madigan. Im trying to carve out to staff what Im not, Mr Chemello said. Ive said to them - give me a couple of weeks with my five advisers to determine exactly how this is going to work. Well get a clear map of that soon, and then well publish that. He was at pains to explain that he needed honesty and transparency from the staff and in return, he would help them rebuild. Claims of misconduct will still be dealt with by the CEO, and any misconduct complaints against the CEO will come to me, Mr Chemello said. Loading He dismissed claims by former councillors that the community would have no voice if they were sacked. The community still deals with council the way that it always did, he said. If people have a concern about a council operation they used to ring the call centre or walk into the local division office (now rebranded as community offices). They can still do that. Its the same staff who answer the phone, and the same staff who sit behind the community office desks. Its not politicians who fix potholes. Diary crammed for days ahead There would be no round-tables or community reference groups during the period Ipswich City Council was in the administrators hands. There is no 100-day plan ... I wont be doing a vision for Ipswich, but I will [produce] regular community reports about what we are doing as interim administrators, Mr Chemello said. And the Advance Ipswich strategy document will also still be in place because its still a good document. Mr Chemellos diary was crammed with appointments over the coming weeks as he planned to meet with everyone from Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Phillip Bell, to industry reps, local MPs and staff. His days will largely spent determining the future of Ipswich City Properties, the council-owned business that issued the contracts for the redevelopment of the Ipswich Mall. ICP is the only company left standing, as it were, and I have undertaken to staff to give them a decision on what will happen as soon as I can, he said. This is a tragic event and it will no doubt have an impact on not only on the family and friends of the deceased, but on the whole of the community, those first responders who are faced with attending a scene with deceased people," Mr Steel said. Police discovered the bodies about midday. Credit:Nathan Hondros I can assure people that the WA Police force are conducting a thorough and proper investigation to determine what events led to this tragic matter. Its just so sad, theyve got primary school aged kids and I thought it just couldnt be Neighbour The homicide squad currently have teams of detectives on the ground, accompanied by specialist forensic police who are meticulously working their way through this crime scene," he said. Police are expected to remain at the house for days while investigations are carried out. Credit:Phil Hickey Assistant Commissioner Paul Steel provides media with the tragic news. A distraught neighbour near the scene said she often saw children playing in the front yard of the house. Its just so sad, theyve got primary school aged kids and I thought it just couldnt be, she said. Its sickening to think someone could do that. Maria Manfredini lives behind the property at the centre of the tragedy. Its taken us by complete shock, she said. Its just horrific on every level. Ms Manfredini said she did not know the occupants of the home personally, but would often wave and say hello as she walked past. Loading This is a very close community," she said. Its always been so calm and peaceful. We never wouldve expected anything like this at all. Im still in shock. Im deeply saddened by whats happened. Nearby residents have revealed how the streets and the home in question appeared normal when they left their own houses late this morning. Shine Joseph said the roads were clear when he left his home on Fort Street this morning. We actually left for shopping at 11 oclock in the morning and the roads were actually clear, he said. When I came back ... the roads, all of them were blocked off. I had to take a different path to get home. Entire blocks around the crime scene at the corner of Coode and Fort Streets were cordoned off until about 5.30pm. A major police presence will remain on the street as investigations continue. Its understood police are examining CCTV footage from nearby homes which sit opposite the Coode Street house. Forensic police officers are inspecting the property in Bedford. Credit:AAP Mr Steel said police were trying to identify relatives to notify them. Police would remain at the scene for a number of days and homicide squad officers would interview the man in custody. He did not answer the question about whether weapons were found at the scene. It is a tragic thing when incidents like this occur," he said. The tragedy comes after a family murder-suicide in Margaret River earlier this year. Peter Miles, 61, his 58-year-old wife Cynda, their daughter Katrina, 35, and her four children - daughter Taye, 13, and sons Rylan, 12, Arye, 10, and Kadyn, eight - were found dead at their Forever Dreaming Farm in Osmington on May 11. The services which help women secure legal protection against their violent partners are over-worked and could be further diminished if a restructuring process goes ahead, the state's peak domestic violence body has warned. Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Moo Baulch said the state government's decision to proceed with a three-week tender process for the provision of women's court support services has caused considerable angst in the sector. Moo Baulch, chief executive of Domestic Violence NSW. Credit:Peter Rae "The major concern is disruption to clients," Ms Baulch said. "It's a very short timeframe for services to tender for this, and a short time for new services coming in to hire staff, train staff and receive a handover of clients and be up and running." Senior NSW Liberals have conceded the Berejiklian government is "getting it wrong" on key issues and is facing the likelihood of being unable to retain its majority at next year's election. As MPs were coming to terms with the spectacular loss of one of the Liberal Party's safest seats in the Wagga Wagga byelection, senior party figures warned that the Coalition was in "certain danger". "We lost Orange when we didn't expect it, we lost Wagga when we didn't expect it and now we only have six seats before we are in minority. I think it is almost a certainty," one senior minister said. "This train wreck in Wagga will no doubt panic MPs, and I would expect some will start to jump ship as they face the possibility of being in opposition." London: Flynn Talbot was home in Perth with his wife and children in December last year when inspiration hit. The source was unlikely Parliament House in Canberra a place known for inspiring betrayal and back-stabbing, but rarely beauty. But on December 9, Flynn and his family tuned in to watch history being made as parliament legislated to enact Australia's overwhelming vote of "Yes" to legalising gay marriage. Australian artist Flynn Talbot with his rainbow flag-inspired work at the London Design Biennale. Credit:Latika Bourke "And I just thought that's the most perfect symbol for me to work with," Talbot said. "The pride flag being such a global symbol of love, I just knew instantly that I wanted to create a rainbow coloured light space, and work with the emotion of love because it has a new, tangible feeling in Australia." Stockholm: Sweden is heading for a hung parliament after an election that saw the popularity of the nationalist Sweden Democrats surge, as one of Europe's most liberal nations turns right amid fears over immigration. Far-right parties have made spectacular gains throughout Europe in recent years amid growing anxiety over national identity and the effects of globalisation and immigration following armed conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Akesson is interviewed in Stockholm, as results came in. Credit:AP In Sweden, an influx of 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015 - the most in Europe in relation to the country's population of 10 million - has polarised voters and fractured the political consensus. Partial results from Sunday's vote, with some 80 per cent of districts counted, show the ruling centre-left Social Democrats and Greens and their Left Party parliamentary allies winning 40.6 per cent of the vote, while the opposition centre-right Alliance were seen at 40.1 per cent. Cairo: An Egyptian court has sentenced 75 people to death, including leaders of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in protest in Cairo that spiralled into violence and resulted in the death of hundreds of demonstrators by security forces. Mahmoud Abu Zaid, a photojournalist known as Shawkan smiles inside a cage in an Egyptian Court in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday. Credit:AP Cairo Criminal Court was considering the case of 739 people facing charges ranging from killing police officers, incitement to violence and damaging property during the 2013 violence in Rabaa al-Adawiya, a square in Cairo. Forty-seven people, including the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie, were sentenced to life in prison. The mass trial has been widely condemned by human rights organisations, including Amnesty International which called it a "grotesque parody of justice". Mahmoud Abou Zeid, a photojournalist known as Shawkan who was detained for photographing the anti-government protests, was sentenced to five years in prison. Because he has been held since his arrest, time served will be counted toward his sentence and he is to be released. He faces five more years of probation, however. San Francisco: Engineers are deploying a rubbish collection device to corral plastic litter floating between California and Hawaii in an attempt to clean up the world's largest garbage patch in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. The 600-metre long floating boom is being towed from San Francisco to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - an island of trash twice the size of Texas. The Ocean Cleanup, a long floating boom that will be used to corral plastic litter in the Pacific Ocean is assembled in Alameda, California. Credit:AP The system was created by The Ocean Cleanup, an organisation founded by Boyan Slat, a 24-year-old innovator from the Netherlands who first became passionate about cleaning the oceans when he went scuba diving at age 16 in the Mediterranean Sea and saw more plastic bags than fish. "The plastic is really persistent and it doesn't go away by itself and the time to act is now," Slat said, adding that researchers with his organisation found plastic going back to the 1960s and 1970s bobbing in the patch. Theresa Mays speech writers are sweating on the issue du jour: how to deliver her traditional gag about Boris Johnson in her party conference speech. Said one May ally: Theres plenty to go on. Its just finding something thats, er, tasteful and Prime Ministerial. Hope springs eternal in the PMs right-hand man. Gavin Barwell, her chief of staff, is trying to raise No 10 spirits by promising a Christmas celebration if his boss pulls off a Brexit deal by then. Or presumably a collective leaving do if she hasnt and Typhoon Bojo blows in instead, sighed one world-weary staffer. Not for the first time, Frank Field has shown Jeremy Corbyn how to behave. When veteran MP Field, who quit Labour over the leaders failings on anti-Semitism, visited Salisbury after the Novichok poisoning, he met local Tory MP John Glen and posed for snaps with locals. Corbyn seems to have slipped in and out of the town with all the stealth of a Russian spy. Someone should check the CCTV. Ruth at the ready for Corbyn heavies Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth received close protection training before entering Parliament Jeremy Corbyns militant heavies should think twice before targeting Ruth Smeeth. Dog hears the Jewish Labour MP who has been at the centre of the partys raging anti-Semitism row, received close protection training before entering Parliament in 2015 allowing her to deftly disarm attackers a la James Bond. Tory bosses may struggle to stop Brexit bad boy Arron Banks joining the party. Unlike Labour, the Tories let people join any constituency association in the country not just where they live. And they can also be members of more than one association. I joined both in my constituency and where I live, said one ex-Minister. I even got two votes in the last party leadership election. Only voted once, though. Such principle. Judging from their joint grilling by MPs, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is now a human shield for Olly Robbins, chief Civil Service Brexit adviser to the PM. Every time we tried to bowl a bouncer at Robbins, up popped Raab to fend it off, fumed one Brexiteer Tory. Robbins is obviously so important to the PM that if someone has to take a bullet, its poor old Dom. Not all MPs are boasting tans from sunny summer holidays. Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyles souvenir is an alarming skinhead haircut the result of a lost in translation mishap. My French wasnt up to it, lamented Lancastrian Lindsay. I thought I asked for short back n sides. The barber obviously heard shave it all off. Three years after being exposed by the MoS for his role in the Tatler Tory bullying scandal, Mark Clarke has crawled back on to social media. His first Facebook post? A picture of him posing next to Boris Johnson. With friends like that, Bojo Tyler glanced upward and appeared to mouth: "Is that true?" His facial expressions soon caught the attention of his friends, who had been watching the rally on TV and texted Tyler to say he was extremely visible. It was around that point that Tyler took a "Democratic Socialists of America" sticker from his pocket and affixed it to his shirt, he said. Tyler's friends weren't the only ones who noticed his face. Scores of other people watching the rally on television were quick to zero in on Tyler's divergent reactions to Trump's speech, like a real-time game of Where's Waldo meets "One of these things is not like the others." On social media, "the guy in the plaid shirt" quickly translated to #PlaidShirtGuy - and a meme was born. "I don't have a poker face at all": Tyler Linfesty. Credit:Youtube Tyler said it was never his intent to troll Trump. Though he is not a Trump fan, per se, he had planned to attend the rally when he heard Trump would be visiting Montana because he didn't want to miss an opportunity to see the President. The day of the rally, Tyler was notified that he had been chosen at random for "VIP status," meaning he would get to meet Trump for a photo-op, he told the Washington Post. "Before I got the picture and the handshake with Donald Trump, I asked him if me and my friends could sit behind him," he said. "I had no idea I was going to be on Trump's shoulder. I didn't know it was going to be so zoomed in right on me and my friends. I didn't know it was going to be like that all." Everyone behind Trump was told to cheer and look as energised as possible. Tyler said his reactions or his stone-faced lack of reaction while others were applauding were simply him keeping it "real." He clapped when Trump said Bernie Sanders had had the Democratic nomination stolen from him. Though Tyler was too young to vote in the 2016 presidential election, he had been a big supporter of the senator from Vermont. More often than not, though, Trump said things Tyler disagreed with. #PlaidShirtGuy Tyler Linfesty, 17, on his CNN appearance. Credit:CNN "Whenever we thought he said something completely outrageous, we would look at each other and say, like, 'Did he really just say that?' Did that really just happen?' " he said. "I wasn't planning on trolling him or protesting. When I heard something that I disagreed with, I visibly disagreed. I had to be real with myself. I'm not going to pretend to support something I don't support." It took Trump's campaign team a while to zero in on Tyler and his friends, but sure enough, a woman in a black dress eventually could be seen walking up to Tyler onstage and taking his place. Shortly afterward, his two friends were also removed. "I just saw her coming on my left, and all I heard her say was, 'I'm going to replace you now,' " he said. "I knew I was getting removed because I wasn't enthusiastic enough. I didn't try to resist, so I just left." The Trump campaign did not return a request for comment. 'I'm going to replace you now': Linfesty's spot behind Trump was taken over by a woman in a black dress. Credit:AP The teen said some Secret Service members and local police escorted him to an area at the edge of the auditorium, where they asked for his ID and held him for about 10 minutes. They then "in a nice way asked me to leave and not return," Tyler said. "I'm not sure what they would have done if I didn't leave," he said. "I didn't want to make a scene more than I already did." Tyler knew he had gone viral after he bumped into some friends outside the arena and they told him: You're trending. The Billlings Gazette tracked him down and identified him as a senior at Billings West. The Daily Beast described Tyler's facial expressions as "Jim Halpert-like." He was interviewed on local news and invited to appear on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, still clad in the same plaid shirt. Tyler said he expects the hubbub to fade soon. "Things on the internet die quickly," he said. He's more excited to finally turn 18 next month - in time to be able to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. "Um, I don't know when it started," Tyler said of his interest in politics. "I've always just liked being informed. I like knowing what's going on." He had, in fact, attended a rally with Vice President Mike Pence the month before, also in Billings, with little fanfare. "I don't want to miss out on these opportunities," Tyler said. "That was pretty different. There was no one sitting behind Mike Pence at that rally, so I got there really early and I sat in the front row. I was doing the same thing. I wasn't clapping [when I disagreed with things he said]. When I did agree, I would clap." He paused when asked to consider if he had reacted as nakedly to Pence's speech as he had Thursday. Butina was charged this summer with conspiracy and illegally acting as an agent of the Russian government in what prosecutors have claimed was a secret campaign to try to influence high-level Republican politicians, including Donald Trump, both as a candidate and after his election. Denied bail, she is in custody in the detention centre in Alexandria, Virginia. In a court filing late last week, prosecutors in the US attorney's office in Washington acknowledged that they had been "mistaken" in interpreting what were apparently joking text messages between Butina and a friend who had helped her renew her car insurance. Maria Butina, leader of a pro-gun organisation in Russia, speaks to a crowd during a rally in support of legalising the possession of handguns in Moscow, Russia, in 2013. Credit:AP Washington : Federal prosecutors have admitted that they wrongly accused Maria Butina, a Russian citizen now in custody on charges of illegally acting as a foreign agent, of offering to trade sex for a job as part of a covert effort by Russian government officials to infiltrate Republican circles in the United States. Defence lawyers for Butina are arguing that the prosecutors' error is emblematic of a flawed federal case that has wrongly landed their client in pre-trial custody. A federal judge is scheduled to consider Butina's request that she be released from jail, as well as whether to impose a gag order, on Monday (US time). "I'm glad they walked it back, but in a lot of ways, the damage is already done," Robert Driscoll, Butina's lawyer, said in an interview. In court filings, he has argued that his client engaged in innocent political activity but has now been falsely portrayed as a villain in a sensationalised spy drama. "A simple Google search using the phrase 'Maria Butina and sex' yields over 300,000 hits," he said. Loading In their latest filing, prosecutors argued that even if they had wrongly interpreted Butina's text messages to a friend, she should not be released from custody, because she was likely to flee the country. Since her arrest, they said, it has become even clearer that she was not simply a foreign graduate student with an interest in US politics, but a Russian operative. They said that Russian government emissaries had visited her at least six times in jail, and that Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, had complained twice about her prosecution to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "The actions of the Russian Federation and its officials toward the defendant have confirmed her relationship with, and value to, her own government," they said. Georgetown, SC (29440) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 56F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 44F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. SpaceX launched a Telstar communications satellite into orbit in July 2018 and will launch a second one Sunday (Sept. 9). SpaceX is prepared to loft a hefty communications satellite into orbit tonight (Sept. 9) and then attempt to land a rocket's first stage on a drone ship at sea. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Telstar 18 Vantage communications satellite, also known as Apstar 5C, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, during a launch window that starts at 11:28 p.m. EDT (0328 GMT on Sept. 10). You can watch it online here at Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX. In case of delays, the launch window stretches for 4 hours. The satellite, which will operate as a partnership between the Canadian company Telesat and the Hong Kong-based company APT Satellite Co. Ltd., will provide broadcast, enterprise and government communications services over the Pacific Ocean, stretching from Hawaii across to India and Pakistan, according to a statement from Telesat. The satellite weighs in at a hefty 15,564 lbs. (7,060 kilograms), according to Spaceflight Now. SpaceX will use one of its newest Falcon 9 rockets, the Block 5, for the launch though, unlike for its previous Telstar launch in July, the company is lofting a new, rather than previously flown, rocket first stage. After the launch, SpaceX plans to attempt to land the stage on the company's East Coast drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You. SpaceX is prepared to launch the Telstar 18V satellite late on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. (Image credit: Telesat) SpaceX successfully test-fired the rocket's engines on Sept. 5 at the launchpad, Launch Complex 40, but then the launch was delayed by 24 hours to complete preflight checkouts, SpaceX officials wrote in a tweet Thursday (Sept. 6). As of Friday (Sept. 7), the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron gave a 60 percent chance of favorable weather; the main risks are the possibility of thick cloud layers and cumulous clouds whose tops reach freezing temperatures. After the launch, the satellite will maneuver into a high geostationary orbit, staying still over the Pacific Ocean as the satellite orbits and Earth rotates. APT Satellite will use 57.5 percent of the satellite's communications, with Telesat taking the rest. The satellite is rated to operate for 15 years, according to Telesat. Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Adrienne Porter lost her first husband and 'childhood sweetheart' Mark when the professional racing car driver crashed at Bathurst in 2006. The couple shared a two-year-old son, Flynn, who is the spitting image of his father. For years Adrienne, 42, couldn't entertain the thought of meeting someone else, until fate would have her attend a function and meet veterinarian John Rigley, 39. Scroll down for video Adrienne Porter lost her first husband and 'childhood sweetheart' Mark when the professional racing car driver crashed at Bathurst in 2006 For years Adrienne couldn't entertain the thought of meeting someone else (Mark Porter pictured right), until fate would have her attend a function and meet John Rigley, 39 (left) 'We met at a function back in 2010... I wasn't actually meant to go because I'd been really sick but my girlfriend made me,' the Gold Coast native told FEMAIL. 'John was a friend of her husband's. She'd never thought to set us up but as serendipity would have it, we hit it off. 'I don't think we came up for air for about four hoursjust talked and talked and talked. 'I really wasn't sure if I'd ever find anyone that could occupy my heart again like Mark had but John does a million times over. He's the most incredible human. The pair were married two years later and immediately started trying for a baby, something Adrienne thought would happen 'straight away' 'I mean, I know all people say that about their spouses, but John is some kind of wonderful. 'He adores Flynn, he never ignores the fact Flynn's dad is still and will always be a big part of his life, in fact he honours that which is so important to me. 'John's a vet so obviously he's compassionate but when I see him work, I see what he puts into his practice it makes my heart so warm. 'He's had to put up with so much from me through this whole journey and is the most humble human you'd ever meet.' The pair were married two years later and immediately started trying for a baby, something Adrienne thought would happen 'straight away'. 'We got married in April 2012 and I thought I'd be up the knock by May. Except it didn't happen that way. At all,' she said. 'I knew something wasn't right after four months and that's when we went to my specialist. Over the six years we spent in IVF, our list of issues became as long as your arm basically that our chances of conceiving naturally, and using my own eggs were fairly slim. Adrienne and John pictured with their gorgeous daughter Evie Lauren 'We got married in April 2012 and I thought I'd be up the knock by May. Except it didn't happen that way. At all,' she said (Flynn pictured left) 'I didn't want to accept it at first but after about the 10th failed cycle I knew we had to try a different approach. Find someone who could help us.' After 1,439 needles, hundreds of thousands of dollars, six years and a devastating miscarriage Adrienne knew it wasn't working. 'I wrote a post asking for help on my blog thirtysomethingmama.com, that I needed eggs,' she explained. 'A very dear friend then called up and offered us hers. She was a perfect fit. I couldn't speak. Her kindness will never ever be forgotten. 'To offer up a part of yourself in such a generous way is something quite extraordinary. It's such a process to go through, the egg collection.' Finally, Adrienne saw those two little lines on a pregnancy test and the family were gifted the news they had so badly wanted. Their daughter, Evie Lauren Rigley, was born in April 12 this year. After 1,439 needles, hundreds of thousands of dollars, six years and a devastating miscarriage Adrienne knew it wasn't working Their daughter, Evie Lauren Rigley, was born in April 12 this year (pictured with her brother Flynn) 'Our little miracle Evie Lauren is the blessing that has made our family complete,' she said. 'Looking back on what we went through over six years... It was hell at the time. 'One in six women in Australia go through infertility and it is the most grueling, painful, emotionally challenging experience to have to put your body and soul through. 'But I refused to give up, even when John was at a turning point, I said we had to keep going. 'We needed the final piece to our puzzle and look, it paid off, now we have this most precious baby girl who lights up our life every day. 'As Flynn says: "She's the best thing to ever happen to our family". Now we are complete.' Dear Abby: I recently traveled to Germany to help my 19-year-old daughter settle in for her semester of study abroad. I was in tears the entire trip home, not because I was sad to leave her, but because she kept lashing out at me for anything from using a cotton swab to following proper directions exiting the train, to asking simple but, in her mind, ridiculous questions. This is not new behavior. Her brother has also observed her overreactive behavior to minor things. I treated her and her roommate to dinners out and stocked her apartment with groceries, in addition to making significant financial contributions toward her tuition. Im also splitting the cost of her monthly rent with her dad. I feel hurt, like she regards me as only an ATM. She wouldnt even let me use her European electrical adapter to charge my phone before leaving for the airport. Should I convey how hurt I feel and, if so, what are your suggestions? I feel if I have a phone conversation, she will sigh, tell me she doesnt have time for this or accuse me of being a killjoy. If I put it in a letter, Ill feel like a coward, but it will allow me to express my feelings without interruption or protest. Unappreciated in Vermont Dear Unappreciated: Frankly, Im surprised you werent crying because you recognized your part in creating the self-entitled monster your daughter has become. You should have put a stop to it when she first started overreacting with rude, insensitive and ungrateful behavior. By all means write her a letter, and when you do, tell her she behaved shamefully, it was hurtful, and that you will no longer tolerate it. Be sure she understands she will not get another penny until you receive an apology and assurances that you wont be subjected to that kind of abuse again. Continue practicing tough love until you see real changes in your daughters attitude. Its the only kind of language she will understand. To My Jewish Readers: At sundown tonight, Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins. At this time of solemn introspection, I would like to wish you all Lshana tova tikatevu may you be inscribed in the Book of Life and have a good year. S ix British sailors from the Royal Navys 3 billion aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth have been arrested over allegations of drunken behaviour in the US. Two of the sailors were tasered by police when the arrests were made in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on Wednesday night, according to reports. They were held mostly on suspicion of drunk and disorderly behaviour and three of the sailors resisted arrest, local police reports said. The trouble is said to have started outside Lynchs Irish Pub. The Royal Navys 65,000 tonne huge aircraft carrier, nicknamed Big Lizzie, arrived in the US this week. HMS Queen Elizabeth - Key facts and figures Police sergeant Larry Smith said: Six sailors were arrested in the bar district and all the offences were alcohol related, such as disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. A Royal Navy spokesman told the Standard: We can confirm that a number of naval personnel are assisting US police with their enquiries - it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. The Naval Service places great importance on maintaining the highest possible standards of behaviour from its personnel at all times. HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth Naval Base on August 18 and docked at Mayport, Florida after just under three weeks on the open seas. The purpose of her visit is to conduct trials with US F-35B fighter jets, which are expected to carry out 500 landings. The vessel will undergo flight trials with fighter jets for the first time / PA The honour of landing the first of the training jets on to the carrier will go to one of three British pilots taking part in the US deployment. They are a Royal Navy commander, an RAF squadron leader and a civilian test pilot accompanied by a major from the US Marine Corps. Speaking ahead of the journey to the US, Commodore Andrew Betton, commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, said that the carrier would be provided full protection in the face of Russian threats during its journey. He said: Russian submarines are more active in the North Atlantic than they have been since the Cold War and we take that very seriously, the ship will be well protected as she makes her transit across the Atlantic. We will seek to operate professionally and within the standard of laws of the high seas operating in international waters going about our business. F our more Russian suspects in the Wiltshire Novichok attack are under investigation, but yet to be named, according to security sources. The team of hit men dubbed "The Cleaners" who are believed to be behind the deadly poisonings, are said to still have agents in the UK. The Sunday Mirror reports today that security sources revealed there were six members of the hit squad - appearing to back up previous claims by a Russian defector living in the UK. The Standard has asked the Home Office to corroborate claims but is yet to receive a response. The agents who planned the nerve agent attack were actually a larger group, according to a former Russian spy who spoke to the Mirror, and had other men on look out while suspected murderer. Former double agent Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia, police officer Nick Bailey, and Charlie Rowley, who found the perfume bottle containing novichok, all survived exposure to the nerve agent. Rowleys partner Dawn Sturgess died in July after contact with the banned chemical weapon. The crime scene outside the home of former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, in Salisbury, Wiltshire. / Getty/Matt Cardy Speaking from his own training, ex-spy Boris Karpichkov, 59, told the newspaper that eavesdroppers from Russian spy agency the FSB would have monitored Yulia Skripals mobile, email, internet and Skype before she travelled to the UK to meet her father Sergei in Britain, the newspaper reported. Mr Karpichkov said that the minds behind the operation will still be laying low in the UK, after the planners undertook a finely organised mission, likely involving six men. The team would have formed a "Special Operations Group", or SOG, and cloned the passports of prisoners in other EU states to travel without visas into the UK. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia both survived the nerve agent poisoning One agent would have maintained surveillance of Sergei Skripal's daughter, Yulia, as she travelled to Britain on March 3. Meanwhile a sleeper agent based in the UK would have organised safe houses, vehicles and done reconnaissance on the locations where the operation would be carried out. Mr Karpichkov also told the Mirror they would plan routes to avoid CCTV. But the plan was not as "quiet" and "without fuss" as bosses may have liked, as a large quantity of CCTV stills were shared with the media, and while failing to kill their targets, the hit men also poisoned three innocents in the area by disposing of the nerve agent "recklessly", according to police. Mr Karpichkov said he had himself been given a licence to kill with the nerve agent, before he defected to Britain, and now claims to be one of eight men on a Russian "kill list". He said: I was told that just one drop or a pinch of powder of the substance I would be supplied with was more than enough to liquidate anyone. I had to wear two pairs of gloves, one made of rubber, and take care to hold my breath. All thats then necessary is to spread it on an item of everyday use, door handles, personal bag locks, rucksacks, diplomat-cases, car door handles, car fuel hatch and so on." Dawn Sturgess died in July / PA He also claimed he was previously poisoned in a similar attempted hit to the Skripals, in London in 2006, when a man dressed as a beggar "sprayed something into his face", leaving him seriously ill for weeks. The former agent, who has spoken on numerous occasions in the British press, has made further allegations this weekend. In the Sunday People, he claimed that after the failed attempt to kill Mr Skripal, the novichok killers will return, and that the senior agent, travelling as Alexander Petrov, was previously sent to the UK to assassinate Christopher Steele, the former MI6 chief for Russian operations. According to Karpichkov, wrote the People, Vladimir putin was so angry at Steele's leaks over his relationship with Donald Trump that he wanted him killed. The Met Police has charged in absentia two men named Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, believed to be their aliases, for numerous counts of attempted murder and chemicals weapons crimes. 'Russian spies': Prime Minister Theresa May updates MPs in the House of Commons / PA Theresa May announced during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that security services believed the two men were working for the Russian GRU - and were on orders from "the highest levels of the Russian state". But Russia's foreign ministry has refuted the claims, and said Britain has been "manipulating information", and the Russian Embassy tweeted mocking the government's position on the attack. There are fresh warnings that the intelligence agency believed to be responsible for the attack, the GRU, has been responsible for numerous cyber attacks on Britain's infrastructure since it was found in 2016. A West London woman has been charged with attempted murder after a man was stabbed in Barnsley town centre. On Saturday morning, police received several calls from around 8.20am after a man suffered minor injuries following a stabbing. Ayaan Ali, 28, of Isleworth, west London, has been charged with attempted murder, affray and possession of an offensive weapon, South Yorkshire Police said. She was remanded in custody and will appear before Barnsley Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police officers secure an area in the town centre after reports of a stabbing in Barnsley / Reuters/Ed Sykes Chief Superintendent Scott Green, district commander for Barnsley, said: "There remains a lot of speculation and rumour on social media, much of which is inaccurate and is creating a lot of fear and distress locally. "While it would be inappropriate to provide specific information about ongoing legal proceedings, what I can clarify is that at this stage, there is absolutely no information whatsoever to suggest that this was a group attack. "We've had officers scouring hours of CCTV, working in partnership with other agencies, to gather as much information as we can about the circumstances surrounding yesterday's incident. A police forensics officer looks for evidence inside a cordon in Peel Square / AFP/Getty Images "We are satisfied that this was an isolated incident by a single person. We would therefore ask the public to stop reinforcing the rumour that there were multiple people involved. "We can now also confirm definitively that this was not an act of terrorism." A man has died after being hit by a Northern line train at Warren Street station. Emergency services rushed to the busy central London station just after 1pm on Sunday. The man, whose age is not currently known, was pronounced dead at the scene. The station was closed and Central line suspended between Camden Town and Oval via Charing Cross while emergency services dealt with the incident. A spokeswoman for British Transport Police (BTP) said: The incident is being investigated but is not being treated as suspicious. Officers are conducting enquiries to identify and advise next of kin. S hocked witnesses who saw a mother and her child hide under Tube tracks screamed at the driver to stop before driving over the family, according to reports. On Friday evening, a mother and her child miraculously survived after falling onto the rail tracks, in Baker Street station, after scrambling into a pit to allow the oncoming train pass over them. The father also leapt down to help the pair as the terrifying incident unfolded at about 10.15pm. Passengers who saw the fall have spoken about the unbelievable incident. Peter Holland, a theatre producer from East Dulwich, said: We got to the platforms at Baker Street just as this happened the train whistling, people screaming and running in tears. I cant tell you how relieved I am to hear this wasnt fatal. Thoughts out to the driver of the train. Unbelievable, the Guardian reported. The Sunday Times reported an onlooker's account of CCTV footage. Commuters wait at Baker Street station / Tube Mapper The source told the newspaper that people were screaming and waving to the train driver as the Tube pulled into the platform. He added: It was a miracle they survived. They were also very lucky not to have been electrocuted by the live rail. The woman was walking along the platform, pushing her child in a pram and looking up at the indicator board when she accidentally fell, according to British Transport Police (BTP). Officers said she did not realise how close she was to the edge of the platform and accidentally pushed the buggy wheels over it. When she, the child and the pram fell on the track, the father jumped down to help. Police said that when they saw the oncoming train, all three were extremely fortunate as they were able move into a pit under the track. The train then passed over the top of them. A spokesman for the BTP said: Amazingly none of them were seriously hurt, but as a precaution they were taken to hospital for check-ups. Nigel Holness, director of network operations at Transport for London added: "We are relieved that the family who were involved in the incident at Baker Street last night were able to escape unharmed and we offer them our best wishes. "Having reviewed footage from our platform cameras and spoken to those involved, we understand this incident was an accident but it does underline the need for all customers to remain behind the yellow line when waiting for trains or walking along the platform. If you are truly fed up with the endless debate about Brexit, read on. Lord King Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England hit the headlines with the comment that the Government's preparations for Brexit had been incompetent. Details were released of a BBC programme on the ten years since the economic crisis, to be aired this week. In the interview he said it 'beggared belief' that the world's sixth-biggest economy should be talking of stockpiling food and medicines. He said that 'a government that cannot take action to prevent some of these catastrophic outcomes illustrates a whole lack of preparation'. Lord King Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England hit the headlines with the comment that the Government's preparations for Brexit had been incompetent He is right, of course. Whatever your view on Brexit, and he is a leaver, the preparations have been dire. But actually embedded in the interview was something much more important. He said that there were really big issues facing the economy that were being neglected. These, he explained, included how to get people to save more, including how to save for retirement, how to save for and finance the NHS, and how to save enough to provide care for the elderly. All these issues were evident before the Lehman crash, let alone Brexit. Successive governments have, if anything, made matters worse. For example, the company pensions crisis was exacerbated by Gordon Brown's tax raid when he came into office, and all the fiddling around with pensions taxation has subsequently undermined the system. The failure to accept the Dilnot Commission's report in 2011 on funding social care has kicked that problem further down the line. I would add the other huge issues facing the economies of the West. How do we adapt to a world economy when China, around 2030, passes the US in size? How do we train people to adapt when Artificial Intelligence takes over many jobs? Why have Britain and Europe failed to develop high-tech giants to challenge the US and increasingly China? Most brutally, we have to ask what is our competitive advantage in the West? Along with another 380,000 people , Hamish McRae said he received 'the grovelling email from Alex Cruz, the chairman and chief executive of British Airways, about customers' data being 'compromised'' Finally, broadening Mervyn King's point, there is the whole question of the world's addiction to debt, which still looms large ten years on from the credit crunch. How do we deal with all the dangers that carries at an international level? And at a personal level, how do we teach people to manage their financial affairs wisely? Huge questions indeed. Please, when this Brexit business has settled down, let's think about them instead. *** We are not exactly an exclusive club. Along with another 380,000 people I received the grovelling email from Alex Cruz, the chairman and chief executive of British Airways, about customers' data being 'compromised'. If you ring them up you get a similar statement, though voiced not by Mr Cruz but by a youngish-sounding female. He did, however, go on the radio to explain that it was not their encryption that had failed; it was something else, though quite what is not clear. The markets took their cue and knocked 3 per cent off the share price. Computer disasters are part and parcel of corporate life, and BA has had its share. In May last year, it had its worst ever disruption, and there was a further glitch this July. Sometimes they are bad enough to unseat the chief executive, as in the case of TSB. Sometimes the management survives and we'll see what happens to Mr Cruz. The real charge against him is not that he has presided over two serious screw-ups. Rather it is that he does not have an intuitive feeling for what used to make BA special. His experience has been with American Airlines, and the Spanish budget airline, Clickair, which then merged with Vueling and under the Vueling livery is now part of IAG, holding company for BA. BA still produces the lion's share of IAG profits, but is deeply vulnerable to the attack that it no longer offers premium-brand value for the extra it charges. Mr Cruz has the decency to acknowledge there is a problem. In an interview with The Mail on Sunday in January he admitted: 'There were a few days last year that were bad so it had an impact on our reputation.' He added optimistically: 'This year, I think, is the year we sort ourselves out.' B oris Johnson has launched an extraordinary attack on Theresa Mays Brexit strategy, accusing her of putting a suicide vest around Britain and handing the detonator to Brussels. The former foreign secretarys comments come just two days he and his wife Marina Wheeler announced their divorce after 25 years of marriage and will fuel speculation about his leadership ambitions. He has provoked an immediate backlash from Tory critics. He wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "At every stage in the talks so far, Brussels gets what Brussels wants. Brexit: Article 50 Triggered - In pictures 1 /20 Brexit: Article 50 Triggered - In pictures Britain's ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow delivers British Prime Minister Theresa May's formal notice of the UK's intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty to European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels AFP/Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Common PA Britain's ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow delivers British Prime Minister Theresa May's formal notice of the UK's intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty to European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels AFP/Getty Images European Council President Donald Tusk holds a news conference after receiving British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit letter in notice of the UK's intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty to EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels, Belgium Yves Herman/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May takes her seat after announcing in the House of Commons PA The time 12:20pm shows on Big Ben on March 29, 2017 in London, England. The British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the Houses of Parliament as Article 50 is triggered and the process that will take the United Kingdom out of the European Union begins Carl Court/Getty Images D-day: pro-EU protesters outside of the Houses of Parliament today as Theresa May prepares to trigger Article 50 AFP/Getty Images EU Council President Donald Tusk holds British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit letter which was delivered by Britain's permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow (not pictured) that gives notice of the UK's intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty in Brussels, Belgium Yves Herman/Reuters PMQ's in The House of Commons PA Jeremy Corbyn speaking at PMQ's in The House of Commons Sky News Theresa May leaving for the House of Commons Jeremy Selwyn Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the headquarters of Vivendi in Paris where he took part in TV interviews to discuss the imminent triggering of Article 50 by the UK to leave the EU Stefan Rousseau/PA Britain's permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow arrives at the EU Council headquarters for as meeting before hand delivering British Prime Minister Theresa May's notice of the UK's intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty to EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels, Belgium Yves Herman/Reuters Britain's ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow arrives at the British representation of the European Union in Brussels Aurore Belot/AFP/Getty Images A giant headed Theresa May in Parliament Square, London during a protest by Avaaz after PM signed a letter to trigger Article 50 that starts the formal exit process by the UK from the European Union David Mirzoeff/PA British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson walks down Whitehall Jack Taylor/Getty Images Britain's PM Theresa May signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, invoking Article 50. AFP/Getty Images "We have agreed to the EU's timetable; we have agreed to hand over 39 billion, for nothing in return. "Under the Chequers proposal we are set to agree to accept their rules - forever - with no say on the making of those rules. "It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla." Boris Johnson and Marina Wheeler to divorce after 25 years Mr Johnson said the reason for this was simple and referenced the insanity of the Northern Ireland "backstop". This is Mrs Mays promise to Brussels that, if no trade deal with the UK resolved the issue, Northern Ireland would effectively remain part of the single market. Mr Johnson said: "We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution - and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier. "We have given him a jemmy with which Brussels can choose - at any time - to crack apart the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland." The UK's alternative backstop and the Chequers plan would both mean "agreeing to take EU rules, with no say on those rules", leaving the country a "vassal state". He said: "We have managed to reduce the great British Brexit to two appalling options: either we must divide the Union, or the whole country must accept EU law forever." Mr Johnson, who quit the Cabinet in July in opposition to Mrs May's Chequers plan, said there are "far better technical solutions" to the Irish border issue. His comments drew a furious response from Tory MP and ex-army officer Tom Tugendhat, who has been viewed as a possible rival in a leadership contest. "A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand," he said. "Comparing the PM to that isn't funny." Conservative MP Sir Alan Duncan wrote: For Boris to say that the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Elsewhere, the Sunday Times reported that Mrs May's aides had drawn up a 4,000-word dossier on Mr Johnson containing a catalogue of lurid allegations at the time the 2016 leadership contest. It was not used after his campaign failed to get off the launch pad, but the newspaper reported the "war book" was circulating in Westminster last week. Officials at Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters denied circulating the document. With Monday marking just 200 days until the UK's exit from the EU, Mr Johnson's successor as foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt pleaded for Tories to get behind Mrs May and the Chequers plan. Ahead of a potentially difficult Conservative Party conference, Mr Hunt said the Prime Minister's efforts to achieve the best outcome for Britain "will be greatly strengthened if we are united behind her". In a Mail On Sunday article, he said: "We should not rush to judgment on a deal that is still under negotiation. "Nor should we assume that unacceptable further concessions will 'inevitably' be made on the Chequers proposals. I know this Prime Minister and she would never recommend a deal inconsistent with what the country voted for." H ome secretary Sajid Javid has rebuked Boris Johnson over his claim that the government's Brexit plan had put the UK constitution in a "suicide vest" and handed the detonator to Brussels. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show this morning, Mr Javid discussed the prospect of a "no-deal" Brexit, and was grilled on his thoughts on Mr Johnson's comments, made this morning in the Mail on Sunday. He said: "I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences. "It's a reminder for all of us in public policy, whichever party we represent, to use measured language because I think that's what the public want to see." Waiting in the wings: Boris Johnson retains a visceral appeal among grassroot Tories / Getty Images On Mr Johnson's previous use of the term "letterboxes" to describe women who wear the hijab he said: "It's not language I would use," going on to add: "I don't in the slightest (think he's islamophobic). Boris Johnson is one person I have known over a number of years and I think he loves all Britain's communities no matter where they come from." Mr Javid laughed at the former foreign secretary's claim that the government's deal was "insane and mad" and said: "It's not news that Boris that he has a difference of opinion with the Prime Minister." When asked if the basic choice in front of the country was "Chequers" or "no-deal", Mr Javid said: "The only deal that we've got on the table is the Chequers deal." "No-deal is better than a bad deal and we will not be signing up to a bad deal." Conservative MPs have come out to criticise Johnson's comments as "disgusting" and one commented that the events of this week mark the end of his political career. MP Tom Tugendhat made a scathing attack against Johnson on Twitter - highlighting this brutality of a suicide attack he was close to in Helmand, Afghanistan. Sir Alan Duncan MP joined in the public outrage at the remarks, saying "this is the political end of Boris Johnson." Sam Coates, Deputy Editor of the Times, told the programme the move was a "stunt" by "Team Boris". "This is an article designed to cause controversy, designed to change the subject and designed to cause outrage," he said. The news comes days after he and his wife Marina Wheeler announced their divorce. Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor of the Times, Gisela Stuart of Vote Leave and True and Fair campaigner Gina Miller, spoke to Andrew Marr this morning. / BBC Businesswoman Gina Miller told the show: "I think it is disgraceful that he is using language in this disrespectful way. And the aggression in these tweets is very very striking. The flood of criticism comes after a commentary by Mr Johnson appeared in this morning's Mail on Sunday, in which he wrote: "We have agreed to the EU's timetable; we have agreed to hand over 39 billion, for nothing in return. "It is a humiliation. We look like a seven-stone weakling being comically bent out of shape by a 500lb gorilla. "We have opened ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution - and handed the detonator to Michel Barnier. "We have given him a jemmy with which Brussels can choose - at any time - to crack apart the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland." He said: "We have managed to reduce the great British Brexit to two appalling options: either we must divide the Union, or the whole country must accept EU law forever." Claims today in the Sunday Times that the government put together a "dirty dossier" Boris Johnson, and thwart a leadership challenge, have been denied by Number 10. But Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said on social media he heard from Westminster sources that his "Boris Johnson is about to go public with a full-frontal leadership bid to topple Theresa May". He wrote on his website: "Backers are now compiling the requisite 48 names required to send to the backbench 1922 Committee to trigger a no confidence vote. "I am told that Johnson's MP backers are now compiling the requisite 48 names required to send to the backbench 1922 Committee to trigger a no confidence vote in Mrs May. One source even says this will happen on Monday." T housands of people are calling for the entire UK to get voting rights in Londons mayoral elections. A petition entitled Let the UK vote for the next London Mayor. It is our capital after all! has been signed by more than 6,500 people. Launched by Lorraine Davis, it claims voters outside the capital should have the right to vote because the Mayor of London's decisions have a roll-on effect on the rest of the UK. She said: After the disastrous last few years of Sadiq Khan being the mayor of London, let the people of the country elect the next mayor, as it does affect the rest of the country, what does and does not happen in London seems to have a roll-on effect. Sadiq Khan, second right, at the mayoral election results in 2016 / Dominic Lipinski/PA However, the petition is guaranteed to be rejected by the government because the mayor is directly accountable to Londoners under local democracy laws. The government received a similar petition - "Let all UK citizens vote on who is mayor of London not just Londoners" - in May. It had over 20,000 signatures. In a rejection response, it said: A London mayor whose electoral mandate comes from the whole nation may seek to serve the interests of voters in the UK as a whole, rather than those of Londoners. Sadiq Khan confirms he will run for second term as Mayor of London If elected by the UK voters as a whole, the mayor would no longer be representative of the city the mayor is elected to govern. When government devolves significant powers to an area, as it has with the London mayor, and with mayors of other city regions such as Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, it has done so on the basis that the mayors are directly accountable through the ballot box to the area they govern and serve. A British tourist has died after needing medical attention on a flight to Ibiza. The man, who has not been named, was on a Jet2 flight from Manchester when there was a sudden medical emergency. The plane had to be diverted to Toulouse on Saturday evening, where the man was rushed to hospital. A spokeswoman for the airline has confirmed that he died. A no-deal Brexit could force the police to call on the military amid fears of civil disorder, a leaked report claims. Police chiefs have drawn up contingency plans in the event that shortages of goods, food and medicine spark riots after the UK's withdrawl from the EU in March 2019. The document prepared by the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) and obtained by The Sunday Times includes the "real possibility" of calling on military assistance and preventing officers from taking leave. It warns of traffic queues at ports with "unprecedented and overwhelming" disruption to the road network. Home Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: "I'm glad the police and other experts are looking into this and thinking what might happen in a no-deal scenario." Home Secretary Sajid Javid appears on The Andrew Marr Show / Getty Images He added: "I don't expect a no-deal outcome but we need to prepare for all contingencies." Asked if the UK could face civil disorder resulting in widespread unrest, Mr Javid said: "I think it is right that Government prepares for all possible outcomes." The leaked document revealed concerns that a lack of medical supplies could "feed civil disorder", while a rise in the price of goods could also cause problems. The potential for a restricted supply of goods has raised concerns of "widespread protest which could then escalate into disorder". 200 days until Brexit: The key dates It could also trigger a rise in non-Brexit related acquisitive crime such as theft. Shadow police minister Louise Haigh lashed out at the Government's handling of the situation. "This is the nightmare scenario long feared; according to the UK's most senior police officers, a no-deal Brexit would leave Britain on the brink," she said. "But as the clock ticks, the Tories indulge in their own internal melodrama. "Through their gross mismanagement, and their reckless flirtation with no-deal, the Tories are showing nothing but contempt for the safety and security of the British people. "Years of Tory cuts have left the police overstretched and a no-deal Brexit would see our already grossly under-resourced police put under intolerable strain." NPCC lead for operations Chief Constable Charlie Hall told the Sunday Times: "The police are planning for all scenarios that may require a police response in the event of a no-deal Brexit. B arack Obama has taken another swipe at Donald Trump as he called the upcoming US midterm elections "a chance to restore some sanity in our politics. The former US president has been back on the campaign trail in support of fellow Democrats ahead of the crucial vote. Although he did not mention Mr Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in Orange County, California, he warned his audience about the challenging moment they faced. "When you look at the arc of American history, there's always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear," he said. Mr Obamas appearance came one day he launched a stinging attack on Mr Trump at the University of Illinois. Trump 'fell asleep' watching Obama speech "If we don't step up, things can get worse," he told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Centre. "In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Representatives and make sure there are real checks and balances in Washington." Barack Obama launched a thinly veiled attack on President Donald Trump / AFP/Getty Images Speaking about the Democrat campaign, Mr Obama said to loud cheers: "We're going to put on our marching shoes, we're going to start knocking on some doors, we're going to start making some calls." But California Republicans said Mr Obama's appearance would have little impact, and may even help their party. "I wish he would come more often because he reminds Republicans of eight years of misery," Republican National Committeeman Shawn Steel said. "It reminds the Republicans why these midterms are important." A fter a bruising election campaign, the populist and nationalist Sweden Democrats have come a close third in the election, upping their vote share from 13% to 18%. They are most unlikely to win a place in any ruling coalition that is formed, but their strong polling performance in this election has changed the conversation in Sweden, which has been a standard-bearer for liberal values and social democracy in Europe. The urbane citizens of Stockholm are shocked that a party that espouses turning back refugees and a referendum on EU membership has gained nearly one-in-five of the votes cast, and that Sweden has become part of the wider story rise of the right in Europe. All parties left-leanin have, in the course of this campaign, had to toughen their own stances on immigration, amid hostility from sections of the electorate The Sweden Democrats appear to have drawn votes from both the two largest parties, the left leaning Social Democrats and the right leaning Moderates. Electoral officials count ballots / AP Carl Bildt, the former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister for the Moderates told the Evening Standard on Sunday: Sweden is becoming like a lot of other European countries - we [now] have a more fractured political landscape. There is the hollowing out, the decline of the big parties. Over the next days, and possibly weeks if no easy answer is found, the parties will form blocks under proportional representation system. The Social Democrats, Greens and the Left could collectively command 144 seats in the Swedish Parliament, the Riksdag according to projected figures at 11pm with half the votes counted. The Alliance of centre-rights parties, with the Moderates, Liberals, Christian Democrats and Centrists would have 142 seats, of the total of 349. The Sweden Democrats have traditionally been shunned from all coalition agreements but hold some sway over Parliament decisions. They are projected to win 63 seats. The Eurosceptic Left party has also seen its vote rise by around 2 per cent. Together with the Sweden Democrats, that means a rise of 6 or 7 percent in anti-EU parties. Swedish Democrats supporters react / AFP/Getty Images There is some relief that, despite predictions, the losses have been small. However the incumbent Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven, even as the leader of the Social Democrats, may not remain in post as the bargaining goes on. The first test of any government which is formed is whether they can pass the budget in November. As well as trying to sort out a government, there will also be a series of post mortems among the established parties about how they lost their footing and the media war. One reason may be the lack of movement up until now. "The [main] parties are no longer dependent on their members, Jans Scherman, a former CEO of Swedish TV4 who has made films on Swedish democracy toldt Swedish English language newspaper TheLocal.se. S weden goes to the polls today and the temperature for this election is unusually high. The reason why? The insurgent Sweden Democrats, a populist right-wing party that has jumped in polling. Most poll put them in second place, with the occasional poll showing a slight lead. That would be a major upset. The Social Democrats have come first in every election in the last 100 years (as Sweden uses proportional representation this does not mean they were always in power). This all happens against a backdrop of a series of arson attacks on cars, a rise in gang-related murders and some incendiary Donald Trump tweets and is making this one of the most tumultuous elections in Swedens recent history. The Sweden Democrats are most unlikely to form a government as other parties wont go into coalition with them, but their rise along with anti-immigration and anti-EU rhetoric is changing the flavour of Swedish politics. The country of Abba, Spotify and social democracy is having a serious look in the mirror. The Key Players The incumbent Stefan Lofven: the Prime Minister for the last four years leader of the centre-left Social Democrats. This is the party that has come first in every single election in Sweden since 1917 . They are still leading in the polls, at around 23%, but thats not something to be proud of. Their vote share has halved over the last 25 years. When Lofven came to power he was generous towards the immigrant influx, including 163,000 asylum seekers, when Syria was in meltdown. But he has changed his tune, dialled down Swedens generous asylum policy to EU bare minimums and said Sweden needs some breathing space. A former union boss, he is seen as an honest, decent man, but not making any waves.They have been governing for the last four years in coalition with the Green Party. The challengers Ulf Kristersson: leader of the Moderates, the centre right party in Sweden. They are polling just under 20%m but as part of a coalition of centre right parties, could make 40%. Kristersson is standing on a platform of jobs and and social mobility, which he believes is key for making immigration work. Good looking, sharp-suited, hes seen as a bit of a lightweight - a coffee break politician - good chat but not much action. He took over from Frederik Reinfeldt who was Swedish Prime Minister until 2014 and had an Angela Merkel moment over Syrian refugees saying the Swedish people must open their hearts to them. Jimmie Akesson: leader of the Sweden Democrats, a party founded in 1988 with Neo-Nazi roots. It has rejected fascism and tried to shed its early history to become a more consumer friendly variety but still attracts unsavoury elements. The Sweden Democrats are calling for an end to asylum, highly restricted immigration and a referendum on Europe. In 2010 the party made it into Parliament for the first time with 6% of the vote, in 2014 it increased its share to 13% and in some recent polls, has been ahead of the Social Democrats. Most polls predict it will get around 20% and so become the second biggest party. Akesson, a hipster-styled web designer, has been a member of the party since 1995. A regular opener to his hustings speeches is a Congo-born pastor turned councillor to prove the party isnt against immigrants but immigration. Steve Bannon, Trumps former advisor, is planning to start The Movement in Europe, a foundation to unite right wing parties, ahead of next years Parliamentary elections. Hes spoken about having watched and admired the rise of the Sweden Democrats. They havent return the compliment yet. What are the issues? Immigration Sweden took a decision of conscience in 2014 to accept a large number of asylum seekers at the height of the Syrian crisis - there were 163,000 applications in 2015 alone, though it dropped back to 29,000 the following year. The Sweden Democrats, campaigning for controlled immigration, are making gains on this in populist issue. The other mainstream parties have now also had to put immigration on the menu, and talk a tougher game, especially on benefits, Swedish identity and asylum seekers. Law and Order In August dozens of cars were set on fire in a co-ordinated arson attack in Gothenburg, that made headlines around the world. They were carried out by masked vandals and the timing presumed to upset the election campaign. On top of that theres been a rise in violent crime, largely linked to drugs, with daylight shootings and even grenades. It has now become a top line in all the parties campaign The EU Well sort of an issue. The Sweden Democrats have a position of wanting to re-open negotiations with the EU and then hold a referendum (much as David Cameron did in the UK). Its leader Jimmie Akesson has called the EU a large web of corruption where no one has control over anything. Thats triggered a conversation about Swexit. The SD arent alone in their views on the EU. The Left party, which polls around 6%, has a traditional anti-EU stance but has not been campaigning hard on the issue. What happens next? Polls close at 8pm on Sunday, and the exit polls then are likely to give a good indication of how each the parties have fared. Official results may be in by 10pm at which point we learn the proportion of seats each party will win. That will be followed by the election of the Speaker, who will invite the party with the largest number of seats to form a government in coalition with others. The Social Democrats are currently polling around 23 per cent with the Sweden Democrats at 20 per cent. But that doesnt mean either will be in power A s Sweden goes to the polls, Joy Lo Dico speaks to Carl Bildt, the former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, about why this famous social democracy is lurching to the right and talking about a Swexit. Carl Bildt is the eminence grise of Swedish politics, a former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, who has been touring the country helping his party, the centre-right Moderates with their campaign. We are sitting in a cafe near the centre of Stockholm on Saturday evening, as the city prepares to vote. Opinion polls over the last few weeks have been showing the Sweden Democrats, a populist hard right party with a strong anti-immigration line and EU scepticism and a Make Sweden Great Again mantra, reaching new heights in the polls. Most predict they will come a close second behind the Social Democrats, upending years of gentle pendulum swings between the centre-left Social Democrat block and centre-right Alliance block, led by the Moderates. The occasional poll, including one from YouGov, international pollsters that have been good at spotting surprising swings in British politics, puts the Sweden Democrats first. Sweden is becoming like a lot of other European countries - we [now] have a more fractured political landscape, says Bildt, who was Prime Minister as leader of the Moderates from 1991-94, and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2014. There is the hollowing out, the decline of the big parties. It has come as something of a shock to the metropolitan classes. The Social Democrats are polling at the lowest ever, around 23%. Their leader, the Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, widely described as a decent honest chap, is the one presiding over the decline of a party that made Sweden, as a supposedly happy functioning social democracy, the envy of the left-liberal world. This was the party that until 1976 could command an overall majority and from 1936-1976 fielded every Prime Minister. The Moderates, led by new leader Ulf Kristersson, are around 17% and the Sweden Democrats around 20% - a big jump. At the last election they picked up 13% and in 2010, 6%. Because of proportional representation-driven electoral arithmetic and the main parties not wanting to go into coalition with the Sweden Democrats, they most probably wont be part of any government that finally emerges. But their rise has pushed every other party into uncomfortable territory. The Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson, a hipster styled web designer, has been generating headlines and a following with his his aggressive stance on asylum, immigration and the EU. Jimmie Akesson, center, of the Sweden Democrats speaks after a party leader debate / AP Bildt concedes that the Sweden Democrats, which grew in the 1980s from Neo-Nazi roots, has mutated to a more consumer-friendly variety. They wouldnt go Farage (sometime leader of UKIP), or AfD (the hard right party in Germany). They try to be a somewhat softer, more respectable version. What is disturbing, which we found out through the election campaign, is that theres a still a reservoir of really nasty people there. With a world view that is make Sweden great again which means taking Sweden back to the 1950s. That was a time, Bildt notes when foreigner meant anyone beyond neighbouring Finland. All the main political parties have now had to start talking about immigration and asylum as a result of their rise. It had become a big issue in 2015 when 163,000 asylum seekers were received, four or five times the usual numbers, at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis. The Moderates leader in 2014, Frederik Reinfeldt, who had an open our hearts policy, along the lines of Germanys Angela Merkel. That was later withdrawn and numbers have since waned to normal levels. The Moderates leader Kristersson has tougher policies on benefits and citizenship for newcomers. He is not one of the star performers on stump speeches, but a considered man, says Bildt, who cares deeply about how Sweden absorbs its incoming population, refugees and migrants alike. Ulf delivered a rather thoughtful speech on social inclusion and social mobility, says Bildt. Kristerssons top line is not about integration but creating the opportunities for recent immigrants to make their own living and succeed - the opposite of social exclusion or benefits culture. Tensions over immigration have been compounded by a spate of violence, a sign of an unsettled society, and with the blame perhaps unfairly apportioned to outsiders. There was the torching of dozens of cars in Gothenburg by masked vandals three weeks ago - the perpetrators are yet to be identified - and a significant rise in violent crime linked to gangs and drugs. The Balkans has been an endless supply of guns all over Europe. It is related almost exclusively to drugs, different gangs competing for market share or profit, says Bildt. Is it primarily immigrants? Most probably. Is it solely immigrants? No. Is it normally young men? Yes. Is it drugs? Always. It is a problem in some of the Stockholm suburbs as well. But we might not be entirely unique in this world. There have also been instances with grenades an innocent man killed when picking one up in the street, and another lobbed in through the open window of an apartment. Bildt is somewhat surprised when I point out that, although London has a gun violence problem, car arson and grenades are not a regular feature on our crime pages. The other question that has arrived on the agenda for this election is the EU. Both the Social Democrats and the Moderates are loyal to the EU concept. Bildt was the Prime Minister who, with John Majors support, took Sweden in - Swenty if you will. But the Sweden Democrats have also cracked open up the question of a referendum on membership, and so a possible Swexit, after a David Cameron style renegotiation. The issue is sovereignty and open borders. Akesson, says Bildt, believes that the EUs mission is to abandon the nation state. He recounts a recent radio programme, in which he was on air with the Sweden Democrats leader. They were asked a simple question: which of two things would you prefer? One question they were presented was Macron or Putin? He couldnt choose, says Bildt, astonished. Afterwards, off-air, Bildt recounted he asked him why he hesitated. Because Macron is out there to destroy the nation state, Bildt reports Akesson as saying. I said Have you been to France, a country that is so keen on on preserving its own identity and culture? No, he says. Macron is there to destroy the French national state. The guy actually believes it. Akesson, Bildt said, viewed Macron as a leftist liberal imperialist. And i the Sweden Democrats minds, if you are leftist liberal, you are the worst, you are beyond the pale. Although Russia is a near neighbour, and Sweden has traditionally been supportive of the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - against Russian passive aggression, he doesnt see any significant evidence of election meddling as has been suspected in other populist victories around the world In fact, a distrust of the US President Donald Trump means the Moderates arent singing from the rooftops about how their policy of wanting to join NATO. Why? I think because of a certain Mr Trump. Aligning with America is basically a good thing among the Swedish electorate but at the moment America seems to have gone slightly nutty. Sweden is not in total meltdown, despite how foreign media might like to portray it now. Or indeed Trump himself did in his Last Night in Sweden tweet in February 2017. (Nothing had happened last night in Sweden, but Trump seemed to be making a reference to refugee policies in Europe and terrorism.) Some of the foreign media has been presenting Sweden as being on the brink of complete collapse, breakdown, revolution, fascism. At the moment I think it looks ok, he says gesturing to the perfectly contented citizens strolling down street past our cafe. And I dont think any major turmoil is imminent. Tonights vote will establish who wins what share of the vote. Sunday evening we will know the composition of Parliament. Then there is a two week period until Parliament reconvenes. We have the formal open, champagne, a concert in the evening. Well be nice to each other. The next day, Bildt explains, is when the viciousness begins. Stefan Lofven, the sitting Prime Minister is likely be thrown out as Prime Minister and the horse-trading begins. Although the Sweden Democrats are most unlikely to be invited into any position of power, they have some sway, says Bildt. At first they will try hard ball. Im not quite certain they are good at brinkmanship. He thinks it inconceivable they will vote for Lofven again as Prime Minister. The likely alternative will be the Moderates Kristersson as leader of the centre right Alliance block, which should command around 40% of the vote collectively. Bear in mind here that is the man Bildt has been campaigning for. Will they vote for Kristersson? Bildt wonders. Well if he went a did a deal with them, yes they would. But he will not do that. So will they abstain. Yes that could happen in which case were going to have an alliance government by mid-September. Thats the easy ending. Negotiations could take a while if there is not clear consensus, a budget needs to be passed in November, and there again a rump of Sweden Democrats votes could a cause problems. T ropical Storm Florence is expected to "rapidly intensifying" into a hurricane as it swirls towards the US east coast. Forecasters have upgraded their warnings as the storm builds pace as it heads towards the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. They said the storm is expected to become a "major hurricane". Winds speeds could reach over 110 mph by Thursday, and is expected to hit the southeast coast by around 2am on Friday morning (7am GMT), according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. A "rapid intensification" has started with Florence's currently reaching speeds of up to 70mph. Tropical Storm Florence, center, in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, Sept. 8 / AP/NOAA The Hurricane Centre said it was still too early to predict its exact path but forecasters said that the risk of "direct impacts continues to increase" and that a huge coastal area from northern Florida to North Carolina should prepare for a major hit. The governors of North and South Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency to give them time to prepare, and the Navy said ships in Virginia's Hampton Roads area would leave port for their own safety. Virginia has warned residents to prepare against the storm themselves, while the state rolls our its own measures to mitigate the potential impacts of flooding, high winds and potential storm surge. While the impacts of Tropical Storm Florence to Virginia are still uncertain, forecasts increasingly expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane that could seriously affect the East Coast and Virginians, said Governor Ralph Northam. Accordingly, I am declaring a state of emergency so that we can begin to prepare state assets, and I encourage Virginians to monitor forecasts and make their own preparations now. An NOAA chart shows the predicted path of Tropical Storm Florence as she develops into a Major Hurricane over the coming seven days. / NOAA The Governors Office, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia State Police, and other state agencies have already begun preparations for the impacts of Tropical Storm Florence. "Citizens should remember that flash floods could happen at any time and that flooding is the most deadly and damaging part of any hurricane," the Governor's office added. North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper signed a transportation waiver, allowing farmers to move important stocks during the harvest amid fears they could get jammed up on he roads when the devastating weather hits. While its still too early to know the storms path, we know we have to be prepared, Gov. Cooper said. During harvest, time is of the essence. Action today can avoid losses due to Florence. A Canadian technology group is circling scandal-hit Telit Communications with a view to creating a 1 billion internet company. City sources told The Mail on Sunday that Sierra Wireless is interested in merging with Telit, which is listed on London's Aim market. Both are 'internet of things' companies, designing and making technology that allows machines to communicate with each other. A Canadian technology group is circling scandal-hit Telit Communications with a view to creating a 1 billion internet company Telit last year stunned the City when it revealed its chief executive Oozi Cats was at the centre of allegations he is actually a fugitive called Uzi Katz on the run from US police. Cats, allegedly wanted for his involvement in a 1990s property scam, was fired and replaced by Yosi Fait, the company's finance director. He has overseen the disposal of Telit's automotive division to Chinese firm TUS International for 81 million. However, Telit revealed on Friday that some of its largest shareholders, including hedge fund manager Davide Serra, have called a general meeting with a view to ousting Fait and Simon Duffy, the senior independent director and former vice chairman of Virgin Media Group. Serra runs Algebris, one of Britain's best-known hedge funds. The move to oust Fait comes after Telit shareholders refused to endorse the appointment of Richard Kilsby, former 888 chief executive, as chairman. In another move a Chinese investment vehicle, Run Liang, has built a 15 per cent stake in the company over the past year. It is thought to be keen on acquiring a division of Telit or all of it. Telit declined to comment. Sierra Wireless did not return calls for comment. Letter: Whats governors plan for scarce water supply? I have often heard our governor urge us to slow the flow. He is so very right the drought isn't going away. On the other hand he is encouraging lots of new people to come here. People need water. The same water we don't have enough of. I would like to know the plan for solving this ... The Duchess of Cambridge seen wearing a black lace Temperley evening gown in 2013 Patricia Sancho, chief executive at the Duchess of Cambridge's favourite dressmaker Alice Temperley, has resigned her position at the fashion label for 'difficult family reasons'. Sancho, who was drafted in last year, has returned to Spain over summer and has been replaced, founder Temperley said last night. Her departure is the latest twist in the saga of Temperley's designer label. In February The Mail on Sunday revealed that Temperley Holdings had run up further losses of nearly 2 million for the last set of accounts and had losses of more than 19 million since it was set up in 2009. Auditors RSM posted a warning of 'a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the group's ability to continue as a growing concern.' When The MoS contacted Temperley yesterday, the well-connected designer said, 'Sadly Patricia had to move back to Spain for difficult family reasons earlier in the summer. We have a great new CEO, Sally Hughes, in place who has come with a fantastic background, including Innocent, Google and Net-a-Porter.' Temperley said in February she has the backing of shareholders and the accounts stated the brand 'now has the right operational structure, personnel and trading plans in place' to drive growth. Temperley's impeccable Society credentials and connections have only served to burnish the reputation of her bohemian flowing frocks, which have won a legion of famous clients and cost more than 2,000 each. The owner of Checkatrade has hired O2 high-flier Mike Fairman The owner of Checkatrade has hired O2 high-flier Mike Fairman to run the website which puts homeowners in touch with tradesmen. Richard Harpin, founder of domestic insurance firm HomeServe, last week told the MoS he wants to turn his firm into a multi-billion global tech giant. He has now poached Fairman who calls himself 'the Gaffer' from mobile phone network Giffgaff, which uses the O2 network and is owned by O2 parent Telefonica. The appointment could be announced this week. HomeServe has grown Checkatrade's network of tradesmen by 6,000 tradesmen to 29,000 in the first year. But Harpin, who is worth 460 million, said he wants to extend that to 200,000 about half the number of tradesmen in the UK. He said last week he wanted to grow his business into a British version of US digital giants Booking.com which is worth over 77 billion Airbnb or TripAdvisor. Harpin has clashed with tradesmen over charges for using Checkatrade. But he has since offered concessions and has insisted he intends for them to share in the site's success. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe What a waste: Some 840million gallons of water leak every day Britain's biggest water companies have paid out 1 billion in dividends to shareholders this year instead of using the money to fix leaky pipes or cutting bills for customers. Analysis by The Mail on Sunday shows the top nine water suppliers lavished their shareholders mostly large City institutions and overseas investors with vast sums ahead of a crackdown by the watchdog Ofwat. Water companies have been criticised by both the Conservative and Labour parties for overcharging customers and for wasting 840 million gallons of water a day through leaks enough to meet the needs of 22 million customers. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has outlined plans to renationalise the sector while Environment Secretary Michael Gove has attacked the firms for paying large bonuses and high dividends. Ofwat is currently reviewing customer pricing and dividend payments are under intense scrutiny. This year there was a 1 billion dividend bonanza. The largest single payment was 180.6 million by United Utilities in early August, first revealed by this newspaper in July. The company also paid shareholders which include American investment giant BlackRock 90.3 million in February. The 180.6 million dividend proved controversial as it came just two days before a proposed hosepipe ban was set to be introduced across the North West of England. The company eventually decided against imposing the ban. On Tuesday, Pennon, which owns South West Water, paid shareholders 112 million, following a 50 million payout in April. Severn Trent, the other main listed water company, handed out 123 million in July and 82 million in January. Thames Water decided to suspend dividend payments and halted bonuses for bosses this year after Ofwat criticised it for failing to tackle leaks. Last week, companies submitted to the regulator their plans for customer charges between 2020 and 2025. Ofwat will publish its initial assessments of the proposals in January with its final decisions due in December 2019. United Utilities and Severn Trent said they would cut bills by 10.5 per cent and 5 per cent respectively over the period in real terms. Thames Water said it would keep bills flat but invest 11.7 billion in upgrading infrastructure, which will help to reduce leaks. Pennon suggested giving away shares to its 800,000 customers but critics pointed out that these would be worth an average of just 25 per household. Professor David Hall, a water industry expert at the University of Greenwich, is sceptical about whether the industry review will result in significant cuts to customer bills. 'Unless the system is torn up and is recreated which Ofwat itself can't do it's hard to see any significant changes,' Hall said. 'These companies continue to pay out high levels of dividends. In fact, some of them have made a point of reassuring their shareholders that they promise they will continue paying dividends at this kind of level.' President Klaus Iohannis addressed the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania a message on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah celebration - the Jewish New Year 2018, specifying that the values of respect, dialogue and tolerance need to be passed on to the new generations, as cornerstones of good coexistence. "I have the joy to address the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania and the members of the Jewish Communities in Romania my warm welcome accompanied by wishes of prosperity and peace in the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah provides a good opportunity to be together and to ponder, with solidarity and responsibility, on the role incumbent on each of us, within our family and society. Let us honour the memory of our forefathers and pass on to the new generations the values of respect, dialogue and tolerance, as cornerstones of a good coexistence. I wish you bright days and fruitful start in all the things that we can achieve together, for the common good! 'Shanah Tovah!," is the message conveyed by the head of state. Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban considers that the 2019 elections for the European Parliament are the most important such ballot since Romania joined the EU, emphasizing that PNL must win because this will define the extent to which the electorate will turn towards other political forces, thinning the base of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). "The first in the calendar are the elections for the European Parliament. This is the most important vote for the European Parliament ever since Romania joined the EU. (...) It will provide an instant accurate picture of the population's options. It will gauge the extent to which people have had enough of PSD and are turning their attention to other political choices. It is essential that PNL mobilizes for the EU Parliament election. I fully trust our capacity to defeat PSD. There is no argument to convince me that PNL cannot win. (...) The EP elections are important because they come ahead of the presidential election. I am convinced that President Iohannis will win a new term in office and we must be at his side to show that our force complements his force and the confidence he enjoys, and that we are able to convince the Romanians that re-electing President Iohannis in office is the guarantee that Romania is on the right track. (...) We are the only voice that is respected, listened to and has the capacity to observe the decisions taken within the European institutions in Romania's favor," Orban said at the Summer School of the Liberal Women's Organization devoted to the theme "Force in Unity: Teamwork and the Power of Communication", held in the Eforie Nord sea resort. Orban called on Liberal women to get involved in the elections with all their "confidence and energy," although he said he cannot promise them a certain share on the electoral lists."What is important is a meritocratic system that acknowledges participation in the party's life and activities. Gain the trust of the citizens, side with your party colleagues in all the electoral battles and you will naturally win the positions you aspire to," added Orban. A notorious Perth woman who allegedly racked up hefty food and beverage bills in restaurants and hotels and left without paying says the latest episode was just down to a miscommunication. Lois Loder, 44, was dubbed the 'dine-and-dash queen' after she allegedly left several West Australian businesses earlier this year without footing the bills she had racked up. Last week, Loder was allegedly back to old ways after being photographed by a disgruntled manager who claims she bolted from his cafe before paying the bill. Now she has attempted to explain her latest incident. Serial dine-and-dasher Lois Loder, who gained national notoriety following her string of pending criminal offences, has opened up about the reasons behind her peculiar behaviour The 44-year-old earned the reputation after she allegedly fled a bevy of Perth businesses earlier this year, without footing the several thousand dollars in bills and was on Tuesday captured (above) by another business owner claiming she struck again 'I have lots to say about this latest scandal - the guy .... is talking absolute rubbish,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'When I read what he said, I couldn't believe he was talking about the same occasion.' The manager of Gordon St Garage cafe in West Perth accused Loder of making a swift exit without picking up the $22.50 bill but she had a different version of events. "He said I couldn't pay by card, only cash, due to the electricity being disconnected. I said that's fine and that I only had a $20 note on me. 'If I had known I would've got more from the ATM. It was at this point I was thinking I might go, but he told me to sit down.' The cafe's manager Callum Jennings disputed Loder's claims. 'We had a quick chat when she came in before ordering a croissant from me over the counter and later a mojito,' he said. 'She was only there for a couple of minutes before a colleague of mine noticed she was scurrying away outside a different exit. The pictures follow her alleged dart from Gordon St Garage cafe in West Perth on Monday, where Loder is said to have once again made a swift exit without picking up the $22.50 bill. 'I made a joke that he hadn't paid the bill which (the manager) totally ignored,' she said. But the cafe's manager Callum Jennings rubbished the claims, saying Loder was clearly nabbed after her hasty exit, and left with no intention of paying 'I then waited until I was pretty sure she was making a run for it and followed her outside, pulled her up and said 'you'll need to come back and pay for your bill' and she then tried to convince me that she left some money on the table but I didn't believe her.' Mr Jennings added that the business had a power outage at the time and customers needed to pay by card for their payment to be processed. 'Once I told her she had to come back inside she wasn't really having any of it and I couldn't get her back in and I said if I couldn't get her back in to pay for it, I will take a photo and post it online. That's when she started to call me a psycho and other things and I said 'it is going to happen regardless unless you want to come back and pay.' The commotion follows a series of high profile dine-and-dashes from Loder (pictured) across Perth earlier this year The commotion follows a series of high profile dine-and-dashes from Loder across Perth earlier this year. Loder first made headlines in April when West Australian restaurant Terrazza Cafe Applecross took to social media attempting to identify her after she and a male friend skipped out after racking up a $200 bill. When it came to settling her debt with establishments she allegedly scammed, Loder resorted to threatening to plague public platforms with false negative reviews. Photos of the couple were posted to the cafe's Facebook page, with it asking public members who knew the couple to let them know 'they haven't paid for their lunch'. Loder is pictured at Terrazza Cafe Applecross where she and a man (pictured together) ordered a $48 bottle of white wine, four cocktails at a cosst of $18 each, a soup dish, an antipasti platter, barramundi, a pasta and dessert before allegedly leaving without paying Shortly after, Loder used her alias account 'Lois Lynn' to give the cafe a one star review, writing 'Awful. Really bad. Wouldn't go there unless you like pubic hair in your butter'. Several other Perth-based businesses then stepped forward to reveal they too believe they were targeted by the pair. The unpaid bills totalled thousands of dollars, including an almost $2000 stay at the Quest West Perth, $960 at Ocean View Motel, a $500 tab at 3 Sheets Restaurant in Hillarys and $240 at The Royal on the Waterfront. In total Loder is now facing 33 charges of fraud along with 16 charges of attempted fraud in addition to charges to stolen property and drugs. She is due to appear in Perth Magistrate's Court on October 9. Quite a lot happened at the beginning of September, including threats by the US president against a mainstay American ally, Canada; the total cutting of US aid to Palestinians; and release of a national survey showing that 60 per cent of Americans disapprove of President Trumps performance. The President of the United States certainly shows the world that he has influence. The trouble for Washington is that its mop-haired mover and shaker doesnt realise the potential effects of his antics and insults. Then the White House announced that in November Trump will go to Paris to attend a military parade like the one he enjoyed so much last year, after which hell travel to Buenos Aires for a global economic forum. Hes not going to bother going to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Papua New Guinea or to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Singapore. This means he will have visited only one single Asian nation in 2018 and that was Singapore, to meet the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Australians are far from impressed, because it had been hoped he would visit their country, which has nailed its flag firmly to the mast of US expansionism rather than being sensible and forging closer ties with China, on which it relies so much as an export market. Contrast Trumps behaviour with that of his opposite number in China, President Xi, who has just finished hosting a Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, attended by the leaders of almost every African country who, of course, were treated with appropriate civility. (Trump refers to African countries with his customary insulting vulgarity.) African statements in Beijing were eminently practical, with, for example, Rwandas President Paul Kagame (the rotating chair of the African Union), saying that China engaged Africa as an equal partner. He commended the two sides growing economic and political partnership, and observed that Africa is not a zero-sum game. Our growing ties with China do not come at anyones expense. Indeed, the gains are enjoyed by everyone who does business on our continent. Eat your hearts out, Canada and Australia, who are somewhat annoyed with the US because of its presidents spurning of the best allies the Washington Establishment could wish for. But not content with treating friends with spiteful contempt, Trump decided to punish the Palestinians by stopping US aid to the UN Relief and Works Agency, a saintly organisation which works all the hours on the clock in order to provide assistance and protection for some 5 million registered Palestine refugees to help them achieve their full potential in human development. Now : UNRWA isnt perfect. Its a UN body, which means that its under all sorts of peculiar rules, like being unable to always choose the best person for a job because of such things as rostering but make no mistake, most members of such teams as UNRWA and the UN High Commission for Refugees are worth their weight in gold. And its gold we are talking about, because some of that lifesaving 300 million dollars that Trump cut off from the Palestinians will now go to increasing US aid to Israel by 200 million dollars next year. This handout is in addition to the 3.8 billion dollars that the US is giving Israel in military aid for ten years. And thats not all, because there are lots of cherries and a great deal of cream on that aid cake. Israel can use 26% of US military aid to purchase equipment from Israeli manufacturers. According to the Congressional Research Service, no other recipient of US military assistance has been granted this benefit. In Israel, what goes around, comes around, just as it does, in a very different fashion, in Palestine. The effects of Trumps vicious punishment of Palestinians, wholeheartedly endorsed by the US Congress, which is unconditional in its support of Israel, was much regretted by all those of merciful and humanitarian inclination, and especially by the Relief Agency, whose spokesperson said this decision is likely to have a devastating impact on the lives of 526,000 children who receive a daily education from UNRWA; 3.5 million sick people who come to our clinics for medical care; 1.7 million food insecure people who receive assistance from us, and tens of thousands of vulnerable women, children and disabled refugees who come to us. There are going to be countless thousands of young Palestinians who will be gravely affected by this callous, vindictive and totally unnecessary ruling. And this brings us to what is probably going to be the longest-term and most hideous effect of the Trump anti-Palestinian, pro-Israel policy. Place yourself in the body, in the mind, of a clever teenage Palestinian boy. Try to imagine what he might feel about the United States of America. Is he going to regard the US as a benevolent democracy that exercises compassionate guidance throughout the world? Of course hes not. He is going to loathe Trump and America and every American with a profound, unrelenting, everlasting hatred that could well find release explosively, in all meanings of the word. There he is, a thin, malnourished, ill-clad, intelligent Palestinian young man whose ambition is limited entirely by what he sees in the world around him. He sees life stretching before him in a confined line dictated by malevolent outsiders. He sees little ahead but poverty and persecution. His people are downtrodden, and he has experienced nothing but suffering in his entire life, so far. The lure of revenge by terror must beckon with compelling attraction. The young Palestinian has seen and will continue to see demolition of Palestinian villages by the Israeli army in order to build condo-blocks for Israeli settlers; if he lives in Gaza he will have witnessed the slaughter of 152 unarmed Palestinians by the Israeli army; he will have seen thousands of his compatriots wounded by Israeli army gunmen; and he will know well that across the Gaza Strip, psychological trauma, poverty and environmental degradation have had a negative impact on residents physical and mental health; many, including children, suffer from anxiety, distress and depression. And many feel anger. Anger at their Israeli oppressors, and anger at the United States. What Trump and Washington do not realise is that they could win over the Palestinians and remove or at least diminish their hatred of everything that is American by behaving in a reasonable manner. Simple recognition of their right to their lands, combined with expressions of understanding and compassion, would at least initiate an approach to tranquillity, as well as benefitting millions of utterly blameless Palestinians. But of much more importance, it would remove the anger that one of these days is most probably going to result in a terrorist strike of catastrophic proportions. The report titled Information Manipulation: a Challenge for Our Democracies prepared by two government-linked think tanks the French Foreign Ministrys Center for Analysis, Planning and Strategy (CAPS) and the Defense Ministrys Institute for Strategic Studies (IRSEM) saw light on Sept.4. The paper urges the French government to name and isolate outlets that act as foreign propaganda organs. It suggests that journalists of Russian RT and Sputnik news outlets should not be accredited or invited to press conferences. Its important never to grant [these organizations] accreditation rather than to invite them to press conferences for journalists, the document states. Moscow is the prime target of the efforts to curb freedom of speech. The 200-page long report mentions Russia 60 times, the word Kremlin is used 48 times, Sputnik is referred to 14 times and RT is also not forgotten with the abbreviation repeated 10 times. The authors say they express personal opinions but its hard to believe it as they work for the government. The French administration has demonstrated its hostile attitude toward the Russian outlets a number of times. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron accused them of having spoken mistruths about him and his campaign behaving not as media outlets and journalists but as organs of influence, propaganda, and false propaganda. Thats what he affirms though not a single example of spreading misinformation by the Russian media outlets has ever been provided. The activities of Russian journalists in France are often obstructed. Its not unusual for them to become victims of harassment. For instance, when RT France channel started to broadcast last December, 11 French public figures called on the countys broadcasting watchdog Conseil superieur de laudiovisuel (CSA) to recall its license. Meanwhile, President Macron is mulling a new restrictive law on media under the pretext of fighting fake news. It will introduce new rules on media publication during pre-election campaigns, providing the French Conseil superieur de laudiovisuel (CSA) broadcasting watchdog with a broader authority over the operations of foreign media in the country. The Commission on Legislation of the French Senate rejected the two bills designed to fight "fake news" on July 17 but the French administration hopes a new law will come into effect before the European Parliament elections in May 2019. In April, the French Foreign Ministry organized an international conference titled "Civil societies, media and public authorities: democracies facing the manipulation of information." The French 2017 Defense and National Security Review as well as the 2018 Strategic Review of Cyber Defense emphasize the importance of measures to be taken against fake news and disinformation. All the proposed legal initiatives and measures to regulate media activities presuppose only restrictions and prohibitions. The retract, bar, ban and block moves are proposed in abundance but no initiatives are put forward to advance freedom of press and unbiased reporting. After all, nobody forces French viewers and readers to rely on RT or Sputnik as information sources, they have a wide choice. It should be noted that with all the accusations piling up, no legal action has ever been taken against the Russian news outlets. So far, Moscow never retaliated against France Medias Monde holding, which comprises the France 24 television channel and the RFI radio station. The issue of press freedom in France is coming to the fore as international events that need to be highlighted are to occur soon. France has stated it would join the US and the UK striking Syrias government forces in case of a chemical attack. Russia has offered evidence of a false flag operation being prepared by rebels to subvert the efforts to drive them out from Syrias Idlib province. By striking Syria the French armed forces are going to side with terrorists but getting people acquainted with this fact is tantamount to conducting disinformation campaign. France has joined the US, the UK and Canada to condemn Russia for complicity in the so-called Skripal poisoning case. Accusations and emotions are plentiful, with nothing but a photo of two men who are supposed to be Russian military intelligence officers in Britain to support the charges brought against Moscow. Lets look at what we have. One may like Russia or not, but nothing proves it has any relation to the Skripal case. Whats so wrong with this point of view? No information that could be fake, no lies, no concoctions of any kind are offered to the audience, nothing but stating obvious facts there is no hard evidence to support the accusations against Moscow. Thats it. Is there any explanation why French people should be deprived of their right to get acquainted with different points of view, so that they could form an independent opinion? Isnt it what journalism is about? The French government has chosen the wrong way to quell opposing views. Bans incite interest toward the information that powers that be try to deny access to. This policy will make RT and Sputnik more popular. The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest. Ukrainian troops drive a BMP, a multi-track amphibious vehicle, across muddy terrain during a military training exercise at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv, Ukraine, Sept 6, 2018. The exercise was part of a demonstration for Rapid Trident that also included parachuting, a medical evacuation, a river crossing and artillery contact. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Army Spc. Amy Carle) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: A man who plummeted to his death from a Melbourne city apartment tower has been revealed as a wanted criminal known to police. Police believe the man, who fell from the balcony of the 63-storey EQ Tower on Friday morning, may also have been trying to avoid being captured when he died. Officers were called to the high-rise tower on A'Beckett St about 6.25am after they received a tip-off about suspicious behaviour from neighbours, The Herald Sun reported. A man who plunged to his death off the troubled EQ Tower (pictured) was a wanted criminal When they arrived at the building, police found a number of cars parked outside that were allegedly reported as stolen before commencing a search of the block. They chased five people allegedly linked to the stolen cars, before arresting a 25-year-old from Bulleen, a 33-year-old from Epping and a 40-year-old from Chadstone. An unknown woman was chased at the scene but she remains on the run, and it is understood the unidentified man fell from the tower during the pursuit. While it's unclear why the man was wanted by officers, a police source told the Herald Sun he was a 'scumbag who had hurt a lot of people'. Police believe he may have been trying to scale the building to avoid being captured by officers when he slipped and fell. Two of the arrested men faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning, while the 40-year-old from Chadstone remains in custody on outstanding warrants. Jacky Tran, 25, from Bulleen, was charged with possession of the drug GHB, while Oner Atesok, 33, from Epping, faced additional charges of handling stolen goods. Police chased five men allegedly linked to stolen cars parked at the building, arresting two, who faced Melbourne's Magistrate's Court (pictured) The court heard that both men had wanted to apply for bail, but Magistrate Catherine Lamble advised them against it. 'It's not my position to advise you, but you may want to reconsider anything you say could be reported,' she said. While Mr Tran followed her advice and had his care adjourned to Monday, Mr Atesok applied for bail later in the day without legal representation. One of the men arrested was on bail for vehicle offences when he was arrested at the EQ Tower (pictured) on Friday afternoon When he reappeared in the dock, Mr Atesok told the court that his life had been 'hell' over the last year. 'Since meth my life has gone downhill and it keeps going downhill,' he said. But after hearing that Mr Atesok was on bail for vehicle offences when he was arrested at EQ Tower on Friday, Magistrate Len Brear denied the man's application. The court also heard that identitity cards and a tomahawk were also allegedly found in one of the stolen vehicles linked to Mr Atesok. The latest incident at the high-rise apartment comes just months after Sudanese teenager Laa Chol, 19, was stabbed to death during a party in July. Bay of Plenty Labour MP Angie Warren-Clark is holding a public meeting in Papamoa to discuss the new proposed renting law. On October 10 Angie will hold the public meeting at the Papamoa Community Centre with MP Jan Tinetti holding a public meeting in Tauranga on October 8 at the Greerton Senior Citizens Hall. The government is making laws about renting a home fairer and more modern. This coincides with Phil Twyfords announcement on Tuesday about the Healthy Home Standards Proposal. Healthy homes standards will set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage and draught stopping in residential rental properties, says Phil. He says the Government is committed to improving the quality of rental properties so families living in rental properties are happier and healthier. Renting is now a long-term reality for many Kiwi families with over one-third of New Zealanders living in a rental home. We know rental homes are more likely to be older and poorer quality than owner-occupied home, says Phil. Angie says that with the new proposed law changes, the government is looking to strike a better balance between providing security of tenure and allowing tenants to make their house a home, while protecting the rights and interests of landlords. Most landlords want to provide decent housing and act with integrity. These reforms are designed to stop exploitative behaviour by a minority of landlords, says Angie. More secure tenancies and tenants who treat their house like their homes, are better for both landlords and tenants. It is certainly an ideal situation for both parties where a tenant stays for many years, treating the property like their own. Like others around the country, renters in the Bay of Plenty know full well how tough and competitive the rental market is. We all have friends, family and people we have met who have had to move on from a rental because its going on the market, or the rent has been raised and the home is now unaffordable. We have a low wage economy here which means that its particularly hard to find an affordable home. Insecure tenure can force families to continually move house, which is particularly tough on children when they have to keep changing schools. By ending no cause tenancy terminations, while ensuring landlords can still get rid of rogue tenants, and increasing the amount of notice a landlord must give tenants to terminate a tenancy, we can provides families with a stable home and secure tenure. Were also consulting on limiting rent increases to once a year, banning rent bidding, and how we can better enable tenants and landlords to reach an agreement about pets and minor alternations to the home. These changes will enable tenants to make their house a home, enable families to put down roots and fully participate in their local community. RTA reform is just one part of the governments plan to fix the housing crisis. They are also building thousands of modest and affordable starter homes through KiwiBuild to be sold to first home buyers, building over 6,400 public houses nationally over the next four years and expanding the Housing First programme to help tackle homelessness, and increasing the amount of transitional housing places to help those in need immediately. In the Bay of Plenty specifically, the government is building at least 275 public houses to help local families and those in need. To have your say on these ideas go to: www.mbie.govt.nz/rta-reform. Submissions close on October 21. The Blind Foundation is putting out the call for people to sign up as a volunteers for the nationwide Blind Week street collection on Friday October 26 and Saturday 27. Every year, thousands of volunteers give up a few hours of their time to help raise funds for New Zealanders who are blind or have low vision. We are incredibly fortunate to have amazing people in our communities who support their fellow Kiwis every year, whether that be through volunteering their time or by donating, says Blind Foundation Chief Executive Sandra Budd. Sandra explains that the Blind Foundation plays a vital role in New Zealand by providing personalised assistance to people who are blind or have low vision, with the goal of helping people to be self-reliant and independent. Every day, an average of four New Zealanders come to the Blind Foundation for support. That number is growing and we know there are many more out there who could benefit from our services. A much greater number of people may not need us yet but we will be there to support them in the future should that change. Some of the most common eye conditions are age-related, such as macular degeneration and glaucoma, so many people come to us later in life for help with adjusting to living with deteriorated eyesight. The services offered by the Blind Foundation are vast and include counselling, ways to continue reading and accessing information and technology, getting around, day-to-day living techniques and support on staying in or looking for work. The Blind Foundations vital work is made possible thanks to the generous support of the public around the country. Show your support for people in your community who have lost their sight by volunteering a couple of hours the Blind Week. Sign up today at blindweek.org.nz. Excitement is building in Pyes Pa and The Lakes as the community gets set to welcome a new primary school in February. While the buildings of Taumata School are starting to take shape on a five-hectare site on Kennedy Road, foundation principal Gen Fuller and her teaching team are gearing up to welcome its first pupils. Enrolments have opened for the school, which will cater for Years 1-6 next year, followed by Year 7 in 2020 and Year 8 in 2021. The build roll is 400 with room to expand up to 650 in the future. The new $18 million school will include a hall, library, technology suite and special needs learning space, as well as three learning studios, each containing four hubs and designed to cater for up to 150 students each. We have a talented and committed establishment board that has worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Southbase Construction to ensure we have a building design that fits what we know teaching and learning may need to look like for the future, says Gen. Modern, open learning environments provide the ability for students to work at a variety of levels. Its about having access to more than one teacher, adds Gen. Research says education is about being social, and when youve got one teacher in one classroom its a lot more limiting. The design of the learning studios is based around that agile, flexible and open learning model. It wont be all open spaces, however. The beauty of this design is theres lots of internal break-out spaces and opportunities for spaces that are small and intimate for peer or small group work, as well as the larger spaces for presenting information or whole group work. Gen says the The Lakes/Pyes Pa community is excited about the school opening, with good attendance at the four community consultation evenings that have been held so far during the building phase. A further two information sessions will be held on September 18-19. Now were getting down to the nitty gritty stuff of teaching and learning and answering questions such as how many children will be in that space with the teacher?, will my child have one teacher they will build a relationship with?. These are the crucial things parents want to know. The school is sited on a former kiwifruit and avocado orchard. Some of the avocado trees, as well as a grove of macadamia trees, have been retained for the purpose of experiential learning and there is also a stormwater pond on site that could also be linked to learning in future. Research tells us that learning needs to be emotional, relevant and linked to real life, says Gen. We want to look at ways to use our environment to really add those factors into learning. The unexpected discovery of some historic kumara pits resulted in an eight-week delay in building the school earlier in the year, however Gen hopes some of the artefacts discovered by Heritage New Zealand will find their way back to the school and form part of its narrative. We want to capture the historical significance and history of the area as we go. The name Taumata was chosen both to acknowledge an ancestor of local hapu Ngai Tamarawaho and for its meaning to reach the pinnacle. Each of our learners will have their own pinnacle, and its about reaching the top of your own pinnacle, says Gen. Gen, two deputy principals and six new teachers will sit down next month to build and design the schools curriculum. She has also been meeting some of the schools future students. Thats been absolutely amazing, because we have met with these little people who are really excited about coming to the new school. Gen, a former deputy principal at Papamoa Primary School, says being the foundation principal of a new school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I feel really privileged to be the foundation principal of something unique like this. Bay of Plenty Ever thought of joining the civil construction industry? if so then this is your chance to get a foot in the door. We are... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Prisoners should be given telephones in their cells, the Justice Secretary said last night. David Gauke claimed that having access to a landline would improve behaviour in jails by helping inmates keep in touch with their families, as well as ending fights over communal phones in landings. The handsets would only be allowed to ring approved numbers and prisoners would have to pay for their calls. Justice Secretary David Gauke, pictured, has expanded a trial installing landlines into prison cells allowing convicts easier contact with their families Prisoners will have to pay for calls and the landlines will only be able to connect with pre-authorised numbers However, the policy will anger those who believe the regime behind bars is already too lax, with illicit drugs and mobile phone use rife. Mr Gaukes suggestion is partly designed to curtail the use of illicit mobiles. Trials of in-cell phones have already been held in 20 jails and in July it was announced that a further 20 prisons would have them installed in the next two years, at a cost of 7 million. But in an interview last night, Mr Gauke suggested a wider roll-out, saying: The message I hear time and again from prison governors and officers is that can be a real game-changer. All the evidence is pointing towards in-cell telephony helping, so its wider use, I think, makes a lot of sense. He said he had visited a prison in Germany where the system was in place and added: It improves behaviour. Mr Gauke suggested being able to speak to their loved ones in private would aid the rehabilitation of prisoners, leading to less reoffending when they are released. He said that currently inmates dont have the same degree of privacy, and very often it can be a source of friction as people are waiting to go on the phone. Click the image above to watch the video Thousands of anti-1080 protesters marched across the country on Saturday imploring the Government to stop allowing the controversial poison to be used. Protesters carrying signs reading "Ban 1080" and "It kills everything" gathered at 40 sites around New Zealand. Outside Parliament, hundreds stood and chanted with some wearing skull and crossbones capes, chemical hazard suits and masks while others dressed in black with white crosses to symbolise the loss of the wildlife they say was killed by the poison. One South Island group met the Wellington party at the ferry terminal then walked to Parliament at 10am as part of the nationwide Operation Ban 1080, a social media promoted demonstration against the pesticide. Other marches were held in Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Kaikoura, Napier, Queenstown and Taupo as well as in smaller centres. DoC, Federated Farmers and Forest and Bird all support the use of 1080 but environmental groups nationwide have been outspoken in calling for it to be banned claiming it kills native animals and birds. Supporters say predator pest numbers are so high that without serious action some native forests would be seriously damaged. More photos from the weekend's protest: -Stuff.co.nz/Maddison Northcott and Christina Persico Click the image above to watch the video In today's forecast we are expecting a fine day with high cloud from the afternoon. Also light winds. It's a three-clothing layer day today with a high of 16 and an overnight low of 7 degrees. Humidity is 81 per cent. Low tide is at 12.50pm and high tide is at 7.10pm (Tay Street times). There's a sea swell of .5m with a sea temperature of 15 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 5.57pm. If you're going fishing the next best fish bite time is between 11.30 and 1.30pm. On this day in NZ history in 1914 ten miners working on White Island were killed when part of the crater wall collapsed, causing a landslide. In 1984 the Te Maori exhibition opened in New York. The landmark Te Maori exhibition was a milestone in the Maori cultural renaissance. Featuring traditional Maori artwork, it toured the United States between 1984 and 1986, before returning to New Zealand for a nationwide tour in 1987. In world history on this day in 1588 Thomas Cavendish returned to England, becoming the third man to circumnavigate the globe. In 1846 Elias Howe patented the first practical sewing machine in the United States. In 1912 Jules Vedrines became the first pilot to break the 100 mile per hour barrier. In 1967 Gibraltar voted to remain a British dependency instead of becoming part of Spain. In 1981 Pablo Picassos painting Guernica was returned to Spain and installed in Madrids Prado Museum. Picasso stated in his will that the painting was not to return to Spain until the Fascists lost power and democracy was restored. In 2008 the Large Hadron Collider, the worlds largest and most powerful particle acceleratordescribed as the biggest scientific experiment in historywas powered up in Geneva, Switzerland. Today is the birthday of Gunpei Yokoi, inventor of Game Boy. Born in 1941, he once said I came up with a lifetime of ideas and continued making playthings. Check out activities and events around the Bay on our What's on page. Have a great day! LIVERPOOL, N.Y. -- Tom Anelli, who made a name for himself as the "DWI guy" lawyer, was arrested Friday night for DWAI, according to New York State Police. Driving while ability impaired is considered a traffic violation -- not a misdemeanor or felony. At 9:25 p.m., troopers responded to a disturbance near Tulip and Sixth streets in Liverpool, police said. A woman told police she'd been verbally arguing with Anelli, her boyfriend, and he dropped her off in the area, police said. As the woman talked to police, Anelli returned to the scene, police said. Troopers said they smelled alcohol on his breath and that he showed signs he was impaired. Anelli refused a field sobriety test and was arrested, police said. Troopers took him to New York State Police barracks in Lysander, where Anelli blew a .06 BAC on a breath alcohol test, police said. Anelli is due back in Village of Liverpool Court on Oct. 2. Editor's note: Anelli is no longer associated with the DWI Guy name, but continues to practice DWI defense. This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Rabbi Daniel J. Fellman Beginning tonight, Jews will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. No big parties or ball dropping in Time Square; Jews head to the Synagogue, to begin an intense 10-day period of atoning for shortcomings over the past year and while also looking ahead to new opportunities in the coming year. Jewish tradition teaches that atonement comes from God only after atonement has been achieved by humans. So first we must attend to ourselves and find ways to forgive ourselves. Then, we can reach out to others and seek forgiveness. And only after both of those, can we reach out to the Almighty. The three levels of atonement -- from oneself, from others and from God -- challenge every individual Jew during this holy season. Jewish tradition teaches us to see the fragility of life. Judaism urges us to live fully, to use every gift we have as completely as possible. Often the charge we Jews hear this time of year is not "why were you not as good as so and so," but rather, "why were you not your best self?" When Rosh Hashanah arrives, we are face to face with the impermanence of life. We are forced to recognize that everything is temporary, and we are called to account for how we have used our precious resources. So easily these questions bring us to guilt's doorstep. Rosh Hashanah is like the all-important mirror conversation we all face sooner or later. When I look in the mirror can I honestly accept what I see? And if not, can I make the necessary changes? Will I give in to the negative voices or can I find a way to rise up, filled with honesty and acceptance, and return to a life more fully lived? Rosh Hashanah offers these vital moments each year. We Jews wrestle. And with a little blessing and good fortune, we begin anew in our quest for shalom, peace, and shalem, wholeness. Rabbi Daniel J. Fellman is the Rabbi of Temple Concord in Syracuse and serves as chairperson of the InterFaith Works' Faith Partners. Why it matters: With a $40 billion net worth Jack Ma is Chinas richest man and is idolized as a business hero, so to many his retirement is a sign of a worsening business environment in China. He insists, however, that this is part of a long-term plan to allow him to transition back to being a teacher and will let him improve education across China. Update: Alibaba has announced Jack Ma's succession plan as expected. One year from today, on September 10, 2019, CEO Daniel Zhang will succeed Jack Ma as chairman of the board of Alibaba Group. Jack Ma will remain as chairman for the next 12 months to ensure a smooth transition, and is set to complete his term as a member of Alibaba's board of directors until its annual shareholders meeting in 2020. Jack Ma also shared a letter to Alibabas customers and stakeholders. Mr. Ma is a lifetime partner in the Alibaba Partnership and is a member of its partnership committee. The Alibaba Partnership is currently comprised of 36 partners who are also members of senior management of Alibaba Group or its affiliates. Pursuant to the articles of association of Alibaba Group, the Alibaba Partnership has the right to nominate a majority of the directors to the board of the company. With 17 other students and friends, Ma founded Alibaba out of his apartment in 1999. Its since grown into a $420 billion giant but now Ma has revealed his plan to detach himself from the corporate structure, so he can focus on his philanthropic ventures. The move isnt a huge surprise 10 years ago he asked his executives what theyd do without him, and he now says hes very proud that Alibaba now has the structure, corporate culture, governance and system for grooming talent that allows me to step away without causing disruption. In 2013 he stepped back from CEO and into the executive chairman role, but hes remained the face of Alibaba regardless. He only has a 6.4% stake in the company but maintains substantial influence due to its complex structure. In 2017, he even had a meeting with Donald Trump regarding Alibabas attempts to enter American markets. Alibaba was denied their request to purchase American company MoneyGram over security concerns. There are so many things that I want to devote my time to - education, the environment, philanthropy, Ma said. He intends to focus on his Jack Ma Foundation, a venture dedicated to improving education in rural China. He constantly reaffirms how much he loves education, delivering public lectures on it and hes even known as Teacher Ma to his friends and the executives at Alibaba. However, there have been strong concerns that his slow exit from the company is due to a worsening business environment in China. Under President Xi Jinping internet companies like Alibaba have been focused on and placed on a tighter leash. Chinas economy is slowing, and debt is increasing - and thats before the impacts of the potential trade war with the US is even accounted for. Hes a symbol of the health of Chinas private sector and how high they fly whether he likes it or not, the author of Mas bibliography Duncan Clark says. Its more a case of not liking it anybody who knows me knows I embrace the future, Ma insists his gradual retirement has nothing to do with any business troubles. Ma says he is looking forward to seeing what younger minds with fresh ideas can bring to Alibaba. Im excited to see what changes he can make to education in Chinas struggling regions. The technical details will be released on tomorrow, which also happens to be his birthday and Teachers Day in China. Why it matters: AI on the battlefield has the potential to allow for faster and more coordinated military strikes and responses. In the future, it could also be used to calculate the enemys strategy far more accurately and effectively. But imagine if you were trying to live peacefully in a war-torn country with drones flying overhead would you be able to trust computers not to make a mistake? I couldnt. I dont want AI to be able to decide if my life should be ended, so I dont think it should be given that power over anyone. It seems that military commanders share my opinion and refuse to trust AI without extensive human oversight, but the Pentagon and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) have initiated a new AI program to change that. In a Washington conference celebrating the 60th anniversary of DARPA, they revealed that they have allocated $2 billion to develop military AI over the next 5 years. While this isnt much by DARPA standards, its a lot for AI and will bring about some serious improvements. Its the most spent on AI yet, but its only one of over 25 concurrent AI programs DARPA is running. In July they revealed that defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton received $855 million for a 5-year unspecified AI-related project and that DARPA would be granting up to $1 million per research group that can improve complex environment recognition in AI. The main target is to create an Artificial Intelligence that can explain its choices to an overseer so that it can prove that it is using common sense and has a digital moral compass. DARPA also aims to tackle concerns that AI is unpredictable and prove that it can account for unexpected variables the way a human can. Currently, the AI in use can only give a confidence rating as an error percentage, and they are not permitted to fire without a human signing off. This move could be a successor of Project Maven an initiative by the Pentagon to improve object and environment recognition in military situations. Google was their primary partner but after an outcry from Google employees afraid they were creating software that could one day be used to kill people, Google executives decided against renewing the contract. The Rand Corporation, another Pentagon contractor, has also voiced its concerns. They have particularly emphasized the impact of AI on nuclear warfare, highlighting that AI could possibly circumvent certain foundations of the theory of mutually assured destruction. Most notably, they claim that in the future AI could be used to predict the exact location of mobile Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles and use conventional weapons to destroy a foreign powers nuclear arsenal. The only solution for the foreign power is an immediate attack, thus initiating nuclear war. So far, the government has not responded to these concerns. Instead, the Trump administration has begun constructing a Joint Artificial Intelligence Center to coordinate AI research across the Department of Defense. Ron Brachman, who was previously in command of DARPAs AI research, said during the conference that we probably need some gigantic Manhattan Project to create an AI system that has the competence of a three-year-old. Well simply have to wait and see if Trump wants to invest that much money, time and energy into AI or if Putin will do it first. Big quote: "Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China - but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting!" - Donald Trump Trump's increasing aggression toward China and his strong desires for increases in tariffs have many companies worried. In a public letter to the government, Apple highlighted how the latest $200 billion worth of tariffs would "ultimately show up as a tax on U.S. consumers, [and] they will increase the cost of Apple products that our customers have come to rely on in their daily lives. As you can see in Trump's tweet above, his solution to that is for Apple to finally move production to the US, something Trump has been campaigning for since before he was elected. So, will they? To begin with, it's hard to be sure the tariffs will even eventuate; despite Trump saying on Friday that they would "take place very soon," the White House says they are still receiving feedback from the community and no decision has been reached yet. Secondly, the tariffs would not drastically affect Apple's trillion dollar bottom line, the largest product lines they would affect appear to be Apple Watches, AirPods and HomePods. Substantial, yes; cataclysmic, no. It's also very unclear exactly what Trump means when he says, "zero tax." Obviously, Apple would have to pay zero import tax if their products were manufactured here, but Trump hasn't specified what other kinds of tax Apple could be exempt from. It could be a lot, or a little. Plus, a tweet isn't exactly a signed document and it wouldn't be the first time Trump has backed away from promises he's made on Twitter. It's also unknown if any tax reductions would actually make manufacturing in the US worth it. It's alleged that "making iPhones in the US means the cost will more than double. Apple asked its manufacturing partners Foxconn and Pegatron to investigate the cost of production facilities in the US. Pegatron didn't, saying it simply wasn't viable, and though Foxconn did, they weren't optimistic. It's hard to foresee if Apple will begin manufacturing in America, but even if they do, it could take years before production kicks off. Why it matters: Its no secret that HTC has been having a tough time this year, with its new smartphones failing to make a big impression on consumers, but the company isnt giving up its mobile ambitions. According to new information, the Taiwanese firm is working on an upcoming device that will not only feature a Snapdragon 855 but also support 5G. Earlier this year, HTC announced it was laying off almost a quarter of its workforce. Combined with a 68 percent decline in sales, things arent looking good for what was one of the first companies to launch a 4G phone. But according to the LinkedIn profile of senior RF designer Kevin Duo, HTC is aiming to turn its fortunes around with a new device powered by Qualcomms future Snapdragon 855. Like Huaweis recently revealed Kirin 980one of our top picks of IFA 2018the US firms next SoC will be built on the 7-nanometer process. Duo writes that HTC is currently sampling the 855, which will bring plenty of performance and efficiency improvements over the current Snapdragon 845 that's found in many flagships. Additionally, the profile suggests that the Snapdragon 855 in HTC's phone will be paired with Qualcomms Snapdragon X50 5G modem. While the SoC features an X24 LTE modem as standard, manufacturers have the option to pair it with the 5G-capable X50, which is what HTC appears to be doing. Qualcomm says it is on track to help launch the first 5G mobile hotspots by the end of 2018. Smartphones featuring the Snapdragon 855 arent expected to arrive until the middle of next year, so weve still a while to wait before HTCs mystery device is unveiled. Other companies will doubtlessly be implementing the new chips in their next-gen handsets, too, so it remains to be seen if HTC can drag itself out of its current downward trend by beating them to the punch. But its seems the one-time big industry player isnt ready to stop trying just yet. 20th Century Fox omitted a scene from The Predator after it had discovered that one of its actors is a registered sex offender. The actor, Steven Wilder Striegel, is a friend of director Shane Black. Reports stated that Black is aware of Striegel's background. The actor notably pleaded guilty to an online relationship with a minor in 2010. This prompted the studio to quickly edit Striegel's scene out before the movie premieres on the big screen. According to Striegel, the minor is his distant relative who became close to him via e-mails, however, the e-mails turned explicit. The actor was arrested in 2009 and suspected to commit many cases of physical contact. However, Striegel said that the allegations were not true. Director Shane Black Airs His Side At the time of the case, the director and Striegel have known each other for quite a number of years. Since he was convicted, the director has hired him to be a part of Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys, and even Black's future films. The studio announced that it did not know about Striegel committing sexual crimes. In a statement to the LA Times, the director explained that he personally decided to help out a friend. "I can understand others might disapprove, as his conviction was on a sensitive charge and not to be taken lightly," Black said. However, after the director had read a report that contained the e-mail exchange of his friend and the minor, he apologized and said that his decision of hiring him was wrong. "Having read this morning's news reports, it has sadly become clear to me that I was misled by a friend I really wanted to believe was telling me the truth when he described the circumstances of his conviction," he said in a statement. He added that although he believed in giving second chances to individuals, sometimes, people find out that the chance given is not as deserved as initially hoped. He continued that after he had learned more about his friend's case, he felt very upset with himself. The director also apologized to the people he disappointed by hiring the actor on his team without giving them an opportunity to voice out their opinions. Steven Wilder Striegel's Role In 'The Predator' In the movie, Striegel portrayed a character who hit on its lead Casey, played by Olivia Munn. The scene was reportedly three pages. When the famous actress found out about Striegel, she encouraged the studio to boot the actor out and even stated that it was unsettling that the director did not inform the production about Striegel's status. The Predator premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6 and is set to be released in theaters on Sept. 14. The film also stars Jacob Tremblay, Sterling K. Brown, and Boyd Holbrook. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sajid Javid today admitted he cannot rule out civil unrest if Britain crashes out of the EU - amid fears the turmoil could lead to a wave of violence on the streets. A leaked report has revealed that police chiefs could call in the army to deal withdisorder if the country faces shortages of goods, food and medicine. Contingency plans include the 'real possibility' of calling on military assistance and preventing officers taking leave around the date of the UK's withdrawal in March 2019, according to the document prepared by the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC). Asked about the report today, Mr Javid urged people not to 'worry', but repeatedly refused to rule out the idea there could be civil unrest. 'I think it is right that the government is preparing for all possible outcomes. This is an unprecedented situation,' the Home Secretary said on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. Asked about the report on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today (pictured), Sajid Javid urged people not to 'worry', but repeatedly refused to rule out the idea of civil unrest Police chiefs have drawn up plans to call in the army if there is a no deal Brexit because they fear it could spark a wave of violence on the streets, a leaked document has revealed (file photo) The document prepared by the National Police Co-ordination Centre, pictured, warns of traffic queues at ports with 'unprecedented and overwhelming' disruption to the road network The leaked report warns of traffic queues at ports with 'unprecedented and overwhelming' disruption to the road network. Concerns around medical supplies could 'feed civil disorder', while a rise in the price of goods could also lead to 'widespread protest'. The potential for a restricted supply of goods raised concerns of 'widespread protest which could then escalate into disorder', the document obtained by the Sunday Times said. It could also trigger a rise in non-Brexit related acquisitive crime such as theft. The document, set to be considered by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) later this month, also sets out concerns about: EU police officers losing their legal right to carry a warrant card, potentially affecting 750 officers in the Metropolitan Police alone. Increased data costs hitting the budgets of forces which rely on mobile communication. Disruption potentially lasting for three months either side of the March 29 Brexit day, rather than the six weeks planned for by the Government. A perceived lack of communication between the Home Office and the Brexit department. The impact of the Operation Stack arrangements for queuing traffic at Channel ports being used at docks around the country. Shadow police minister Louise Haigh lashed out at the Government's handling of the situation. Concerns around medical supplies could 'feed civil disorder', while a rise in the price of goods could also lead to 'widespread protest', the document said (file photo) 'This is the nightmare scenario long feared; according to the UK's most senior police officers a no-deal Brexit could leave Britain on the brink,' she said. The Home Office said it would not comment on leaked documents. A spokesman said: 'We do not want or expect a no-deal scenario and are increasingly confident that we will secure a deal with the EU. 'However, it is the duty of any responsible government to prepare for every eventuality, including the unlikely scenario that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal. 'With that in mind, we are working closely with operational partners - including the police - on contingency planning so we can ensure the safety and security of our citizens in all scenarios.' NPCC lead for operations Chief Constable Charlie Hall told the Sunday Times: 'The police are planning for all scenarios that may require a police response in the event of a no-deal Brexit. 'At this stage, we have no intelligence to suggest there will be an increase in crime or disorder. However, we remain vigilant and will continue to assess any threats and develop plans accordingly.' A dolphin superpod is observed passing through California waters this past week, gaining the attention of many who marveled at the sight. What is a superpod, and what are some interesting facts about the short-beaked common dolphin? Dolphin 'Superpod' A superpod of dolphins fascinated many people as hundreds of the energetic creatures were spotted as they raced through California waters in pursuit of bait fish. While it is typical for common dolphins to hunt in pods or groups of about 20 to 30 individual dolphins, the so-called superpod or mega-pod consists of multiple pods that travel together. In this particular instance, hundreds of dolphins were observed hunting together. The video was taken by Patrick Webster of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and he states that while such occurrences are actually quite common, whats rare about it is that it was seen by many because it was close to the shore, when superpods often gather far offshore. Short-Beaked Common Dolphin Short-beaked common dolphins, as their name suggests, are one of the most common and abundant dolphin species in the world. They look very much like their close relatives, the long-beaked common dolphins, and are often mistaken for them, but they differ very slightly in appearance, size, and habitat preference. In fact, the two species were once thought to be a single dolphin species. What distinguishes the short-beaked from the long-beaked common dolphins is actually a color pattern referred to as an hourglass. It is called as such because of the color that gives the creature an hourglass-like pattern on its skin. Short-beaked common dolphins are very energetic and playful creatures that are often seen leaping out of the water and doing somersaults in high speeds. They are quite active at the surface and have been observed to swim alongside ships and large whales for long periods. They have even been observed to swim alongside spinner dolphins and striped dolphins. They typically rest during the day and feed at night when they can dive up to a thousand feet to feed on schooling fish. Although they are not considered endangered or threatened, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Some of the major threats to short-beaked common dolphins is entanglement in fishing gear and hunting, especially in Japan, Russia, and some nations along the Black Sea where the dolphins are hunted for their meat and oil. As such, conservation groups work to protect the dolphins by reducing interactions between the creatures and commercial and recreational fishing gear, responding to dead, injured, or entangled dolphins, minimizing the effects of human impacts, and minimizing dolphin harassment and illegal feeding. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission The idea of pulling apart Baton Rouges city and parish governing systems has caught the attention of East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, who stepped out early to voice their opposition. But it remains to be seen whether the proposal has enough traction to compete for ballot space. The NAACP has pushed to abandon the current consolidated East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council and instead create separate city and parish councils. They argue that those who reside within the Baton Rouge city limits have too little representation in local government under the current structure. NAACP state conference President Mike McClanahan said the group is prepared to collect signatures to force the issue onto ballots but is hopeful the Metro Council will consider acting on its own to put the proposal on the ballot. Both Broome and BRAC have announced their opposition, and several Metro Council members recently said they are also not ready to commit to the idea. Many noted that a Plan of Government committee is reviewing the city-parish governance structure and said they hope to lean on that committee for guidance before charging forward with any proposal to split the council into two entities. +3 Making St. George comparison, Mayor Broome, BRAC oppose effort to create separate city council An idea that local NAACP officials have pushed to break up Baton Rouge's governance structure into separate city and parish councils received Similar tension over government consolidation have also spilled over in Lafayette. The city-parish council there agreed last month to send a plan to voters there that would create one council to oversee the city of Lafayette and another to govern Lafayette parishs rural areas. Lafayette voters will weigh in on Dec. 8. Democratic Metro Councilwoman Erika Green said she expects the East Baton Rouge Parish Plan of Government committee to help figure out how the Metro Council can become more representative of the city-parish. A frequent complaint at council meetings lately has been that the councils makeup of seven white Republicans and five black Democrats does not accurately reflect the city-parish's demographics. We want to be a government that is representative of our people, whatever they look like, Green said. McClanahan contends that a small group on the council has disproportionate power over decisions affecting the wider city-parish. He said the push to create a city council is a matter of letting people vote on how they want to be governed a frequent argument also made by organizers for the proposed city of St. George in southeast Baton Rouge. With this particular issue, we just want the peoples voices to be heard, McClanahan said. And once they speak, however they speak, its fine with us. We just want them to have that opportunity. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up NAACP officials: Baton Rouge needs its own city council again; here's why It is now time to stop the fake news stories and have a truthful conversation regarding the City of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish go Others on the Metro Council worry, though, that separating the city and parish governance structures will result in more bureaucracy for each area thats carved out of the parish. Personally, I think the more political layers you have for anything is not good, said Republican Councilwoman Barbara Freiberg. Some people would say you serve your constituents better if you have a smaller area to govern. But ... I just think were stronger as a metropolitan district. Democratic Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker said she has concerns about whether Baton Rouges city tax base is large enough to sustain itself without help from the rest of the parish. Wicker said those pushing for the city council have not properly studied how it would affect Baton Rouge and the additional cost to taxpayers in terms of duplication of service. Wicker emphasized that she still believes the Metro Council should become more representative of the makeup of Baton Rouge and said she would prefer an even racial split on the council. But, she said, there are other ways to make that happen, especially as Baton Rouges demographics shift. +2 Tempers flare as Baton Rouge approaches two years without a permanent airport director The search for a new Baton Rouge airport director a quest variously described as "embarrassing" and a "circus" continued to devolve Thursd Both Wicker and Freiberg said they could get behind an idea from the Plan of Government committee that would add at-large seats to the Metro Council. Those seats could potentially include one person who represents the city as a whole and another who represents the parish. Freiberg said she likes the idea of at-large seats, but would not support increasing the total number of council members, which is already at 12. She said she would rather see the districts redrawn for fewer council members so the addition of at-large members would not bring the total above 12. Republican Councilman Matt Watson said it would not be fair to call the seats at large if they are only meant to represent certain geographic areas, like the city limits alone. Watson opposed the push for a city council as well. Are we going to put a larger request for tax dollars on the citizens just to create more positions that are in the government to just shuffle paper? he said. We need to get more out of what the constituents already pay for instead of asking more people to get involved in the governmental process and instead of (placing) a larger tab on the taxpayers back. Ask The Advocate: Why so long to get Baton Rouge police accident report? Sometime during the 14th straight day sandblasting rusting metal in the Gulf, I soured on offshore work. On my next day off, I drove to Baton Rouge from south Lafourche Parish, applied to LSU, signed up for classes, paid the fees and was admitted before lunch. An indifferent student, at best, a high school diploma was all that was necessary to start down the road to a better life. As far as the new life thing goes, opening a restaurant would have come close to having a similar outcome as attending LSU 59 percent of restaurants fail, only about 47 percent of LSU students graduated in the early 1980s, meaning 53 percent failed to receive a diploma. That graduation statistic launched a debate spanning generations over how admissions policies define the role of higher education in Louisiana. After 125 years of admitting all comers, at least the white ones, then-LSU Chancellor Jim Wharton set off a firestorm in 1985 by setting rigid minimum requirements that selected only higher performing students. Last week when LSUs quiet move to relax those standards became public, the debate flared up again. Low ACT score? No problem: LSU to increase opportunities for all students with 'holistic admissions' LSU is relaxing a generation-old policy of automatically rejecting applicants who score too low on the standardized entrance exams like the ACT. LSU President F. King Alexander defended the move toward a more holistic approach of looking harder at essays, recommendations and life experiences as a way to keep attracting the best students. High schoolers who perform poorly on standardized tests but otherwise demonstrate scholarly prowess had been, with some narrow exceptions, summarily rejected admission. Having failed to gain entrance into LSU, theyre not going to in-state universities, like the University of New Orleans or the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, theyre heading out of state because most of the nations universities already have moved to holistic admissions. +2 F. King Alexander: LSU not lowering standards; new 'holistic' method the right choice LSU is preparing to announce its largest freshman class in history, and I want to celebrate this accomplishment with you, the Baton Rouge comm Having experimented with the concept on the incoming class, LSU is going all in for the fall of 2019. High school seniors seeking a slot will have to send the essays and recommendations on the front end of the application process. Alexander says this years crop of freshmen has the highest ever grade-point averages and scored about 26 on the ACT, well above the national average of 20 on a test that tops out at 36. The graduation rate is now 67 percent. Board of Regents member Richard Lipsey, perhaps the most vocal opponent of the move, argues that reducing the emphasis on ACT college board test scores will water down qualifications, thereby endangering LSUs flagship status and provide cover for admitting less-qualified children of the elite by way of political influence. Group blasts new LSU admissions policy, calls 'holistic' process 'lowering standards' A group headed by a member of the Board of Regents blasted LSU President F. King Alexander on Tuesday for the universitys recent decision to Lipsey says Alexanders bragging about freshmen prowess proves that hard ACT scores work and dont need fixing. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Hes literally trying to take credit for what Dr. Jim Wharton did so long ago, while trying to dismantle it, Lipsey said Thursday. Letters: Don't lower LSU standards I would like to thank LSU President F. King Alexander for so effectively supporting my argument in his guest column in Thursday's Advocate tha Whartons efforts to install admission standards and change LSUs mission caused an uproar in the 1980s. I remember it well. John McKeithen just about had a heart attack, Lipsey said. Former Gov. McKeithen, as a member of the Board of Supervisors, said in April 1985 that Whartons admission standards were anti-egalitarian and violated LSU's tradition as a poor man's university, a place where any Louisiana youngster, no matter how humble his parentage, can get a college education. The measures passed and in September 1999, then-Chancellor Mark Emmert raised the required ACT test score. Theres a growing national evidence that increases in admission standards, increases applications, Emmert said at the time. Thats because its a clear signal that academic standards and the quality of the university are moving up, and that makes it more attractive to people. In 2001, the Board of Regents, which oversees all the public universities in Louisiana, proposed arranging the states four-year institutions into tiers with progressively more difficult minimum entrance requirements. Southern University enrollment dropped 7 percent. The idea is not to have fewer people go to college. The idea is to have more students go to college and succeed when they get there, T. Joseph Savoie, then commissioner of higher education, said at the time. J. Stephen Perry, who until Friday chaired the LSU board, said times have changed and Alexanders adoption of holistic admissions accomplishes similar goals. The college board entrance exams have been widely criticized for helping families who put an emphasis on college those who take their kids to museums, read to them, and push academic pursuits. But a do-or-die test score disadvantages students from poorer families and those with disabilities or family crisis whose academic aptitudes can be picked up with closer scrutiny of other factors allowed under holistic review. It ensures that the university has every tool with which to evaluate every students potential to excel and not just rely on binary digits of academic proficiency, Perry said last week. CLINTON Billy Burkette received international attention for his campaign earlier this summer when he was led away in handcuffs after officially signing up to run for a seat in the U.S. Congress. Embarrassed at seeing their leader, Burkette, or Chief 2 Eagles, yelling to reporters that he was being targeted because he is a Native American, the leadership of the Louisiana Band of Choctaw Indians on Saturday ousted Burkette from the tribe on charges of treason. Burkette told The Advocate after the meeting that he doesnt recognize the Tribal Councils authority to expel him but stopped short of threatening legal action. The meeting was called by the secretary, who isnt allowed to call meetings in the bylaws, he said. Also, because he and the vice chairman didnt attend, the council didnt have a quorum. Burkette said his arrest and the subsequent publicity the story was carried in London was aimed at neutralizing him as an opponent against U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-Alto. They did this strictly as a political move to destroy me so that I wouldnt be a legitimate candidate for Congress, he said. Louisiana congressional candidate arrested, accused of falsely impersonating an officer BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A candidate who had just registered to run for one of Louisiana's congressional seats was arrested after signing up fo The council disagreed: Not only does his arrest constitute bad behavior reflecting on the dignity and integrity of the Louisiana Band of Choctaw Tribal Council and the tribe itself, it also shows his negligence in his position as chief. A chief should be held more accountable, said Rebecca Britt, of Ferriday and the councils secretary. The tribe, recognized by the state in the 1970s, has about 600 members. After ejecting Burkette and his chief lieutenant, Vice Chairman Jeff Harrison, the council approved certified letters informing them of the decision. They are sending a delegation to the secretary of state to change the names on the charter. We also went to Congressman Abraham to let him know that we are not going along with Billy Burkette, said Larry Rainwater, of Baton Rouge and a tribal elder. We are moving to disassociate ourselves with him. The council also approved an apology to the town of Clinton, to law enforcement, to state officials and to other Native Americans for Burkettes actions. Burkette and Harrison have been at odds with Britt and some members of the council for some time. They have traded charges and countercharges. Among the list of claims, for instance, the council noted Burkette had not properly filed 501(c)3 papers with the Internal Revenue Service, leaving the group with a number but no official tax-exempt status. But the arrest was the last straw, Britt and Rainwater said. Burkette, a 49-year-old tow truck driver, was recognized by staff at the Secretary of States Office when he arrived July 20 to pay the $900 in fees and file the paperwork putting his name on the ballot as an opponent without party affiliation to Abrahams re-election. The secretary of states staff knew Burkette had an outstanding arrest warrant for impersonating a law enforcement officer. The Secretary of States Office had issued the law enforcement commission card at the root of the Choctaw chiefs legal problems. He was detained in the break room about 100 feet from where he signed up to run, then was arrested and taken to the East Baton Rouge Parish jail. He sat in jail through the weekend until East Feliciana Parish sheriffs deputies fetched him and took him to Clinton. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Burkette said he was unaware of the warrant. The incident stems from a problem he had with a clerk at the Office of Motor Vehicles in Clinton. He had gone three times to help his handicapped daughter, a minor, get a drivers license, Burkette said. On July 2, he arrived wearing his tribal police chief cap and carrying his weapon, Burkette said. The clerk refused to process the transaction until ordered to do so by a supervisor because the paperwork had two different addresses listed. The clerk also pointed out that guns are not allowed in state buildings. Burkette responded that he was a peace officer and entitled to carry the weapon. The clerk, according to the complaint, felt he was argumentative. Burkette said he was forceful but respectful. Burkette carried a card identifying him as a commissioned chief of police for the Louisiana Choctaws, which is a recognized tribe by the state but not federal authorities. One requisite for a tribe to be recognized by the federal government, which amounts to being considered a sovereign nation, is having law enforcement to protect tribal lands and property. But the Louisiana Band has no property or assets. Its incorporation papers list the headquarters for the tribe as Burkettes house in Slaughter. Burkette said the tribe in November 2014 started efforts to gain federal recognition. He was appointed police chief, filed the paperwork with the secretary of state and received his card in March 2015. He became chief of the tribe in early 2016. During the August 2016 flood, Burkette said he worked with law enforcement to gather water, meals and other supplies. During that time, he repeatedly showed his commission card and wasnt ever questioned about its authenticity. The council criticized Burkette for not discussing the matter after his arrest. He refused to answer their questions, saying he was under an FBI gag order, according to the council. The uncomfortably shaped 5th Congressional District is based in northeast Louisiana, stretches south down the Mississippi River, then pivots east into the Felicianas, along the top of the Florida Parishes, including Hammond and Bogalusa, to the toe of the boot. Burkette unsuccessfully challenged Abraham in 2016 and polled 18 percent of the vote. Jessee Carlton Fleenor, D-Loranger, and Kyle Randol, a Monroe Libertarian, also are on the ballot opposing Abraham in the Nov. 6 election. Burkette said he would continue campaigning. Hes meeting with an American Legion group on Sunday and heading up Monroe later this week, he said. When you make every headline around the world, what chance do I have? Burkette said. Weve learned what Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards does to opponents of his signature criminal justice initiative. Now well find out how he treats its friends. Last month, a panel of legislators approved using $8.5 million saved from 2017s criminal justice changes for new programs to cut the recidivism rate. These changes reduced the states imprisoned population and related costs. Legally, 70 percent of the savings must go to rehabilitation efforts. Unfortunately, the justice reform initiative did things in reverse. Logically, programs to help keep freed inmates out of prison should have kicked in before they got out. And with sentencing changes diverting more of those convicted away from jail, measures to keep them on the straight and narrow also need beefing up. The initiative fulfilled an Edwards campaign pledge to cut the number of those incarcerated by 5,500 so the state would no longer reign as the countrys biggest per capita jailer. But critics of the cart-before-the-horse approach, of which the most vocal might be Republican Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, repeatedly and publicly pointed out that the governor was putting a campaign promise ahead of public safety. Prator also complained the sentencing changes put dangerous criminals on the street. Perhaps not coincidentally, Edwards rejected the nomination of Prators wife Carolyn to sit on a state board. When the administration claimed the denial came from a paperwork issue, Prator produced a convincing trail of evidence contradicting that assertion. Prator, northwest Louisianas most powerful politician, isnt someone Edwards should cross lightly. That may cause political damage, but Edwards also has the chance to win friends by how he uses proceeds from the justice reform plan. Almost a third of the savings will go to groups inside and outside of government for anti-recidivism efforts. Will the choices reflect best practices or politics? Unreassuringly, the state already has said it would relax requirements to allow organizations that might not qualify under more stringent criteria to compete for these grants, which could send largesse to groups generally supportive of Edwards. Edwards can steer the money toward local programs run by courthouse gangs that delivered him votes when he ran for governor. The administration said it would concentrate the rehab programs in parishes with large populations Jefferson, Orleans, East Baton Rouge, Caddo, and St. Tammany. However, as the reform is envisioned, sheriffs in "nearby" parishes also will be eligible for this money. Itll be interesting to see just how geographically close nearby ends up being (and especially how much Caddo receives). Finally, a variety of local and state agencies will receive the remaining funds set aside for victim services. When budgets go up in affected agencies, it cant hurt the reelection efforts of the politician seen as responsible. The distribution of these funds among clerks of court as well as the amount that goes to the governor's proposed rehabilitation and "family justice center" in Baton Rouge will bear watching. No doubt Edwards will want to leverage political advantage out of this trough of dollars, but sunshine can prevent politics from overwhelming good policy. Legislators tasked with reviewing the initiatives outcomes should insist on full transparency, which would help in comparing the winning and losing proposals. Lawmakers should also demand rigorous evaluation standards for all the efforts. A body created by Edwards that could perform such evaluations seems unlikely to do so. The governor should spread this money responsibly even if that means funding worthy programs run by Prator. Jeff Sadow is an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, where he teaches Louisiana government. He is author of a blog about Louisiana politics at www.between-lines.com. When the Louisiana Legislature is in session, he writes about it at www.laleglog.com. Follow him on Twitter, @jsadowadvocate or email jeffsadowtheadvocate@yahoo.com. His views do not necessarily express those of his employer. Medicare is embroiled in a gender war after it was revealed MRI scans for prostate cancer are eligible for a rebate, but not for breast cancer. Breast MRIs can cost up to $1500 per sitting, with some at-risk women requiring multiple tests a year to monitor potentially cancerous cells. In May of 2018, the Liberal government dedicated up to $20million to the detection and monitoring of prostate cancer via MRIs in the new budget, however, they made no adjustments to the already failing breast cancer levy. Breast MRIs can cost up to $1500 per sitting, with some at-risk women requiring multiple tests a year to monitor potentially cancerous cells Medicare is embroiled in a gender war after it was revealed MRI scans for prostate cancer are eligible for a rebate, but not for breast cancer As it stands, only women who are under the age of 50, are at serious risk of developing cancer and have at least two immediate family members who also have breast cancer are entitled to a partial rebate for the service. Under these restrictions, even those family members listed as the close relatives with cancer are unable to receive subsidised MRIs which could aid in identifying problems a regular mammogram or ultrasound cannot, the Daily Telegraph reported. Miranda Bahr, a mother from Hobart has seen the direct ramifications of the current system. Only women who are under the age of 50, are at serious risk of developing cancer and have at least two immediate family members who also have breast cancer are entitled to a rebate She was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, and has never been entitled to a rebate for a breast MRI. 'My sister gets her yearly MRI covered even though she's not had breast cancer because myself and my mother have cancer,' she said. 'I just don't think that is fair, that people who have been through cancer don't get it covered.' On average, more than 17,000 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and of those, one in five need an MRI On average, more than 17,000 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and of those, one in five need an MRI. With prices through the roof and no means to subsidise costs, many women are simply foregoing the scan. Some forms of the disease, as well as different types of breasts, make it difficult for doctors to pick up cancer via regular procedures of mammograms and ultrasounds. The Australian government has responded to public outcry regarding medical procedures in the past. When word spread women's cancers were in a higher band than men's in health fund policies, the laws were efficiently amended. The government is yet to respond to the latest revelation. Louisiana top transportation official is a regular commuter, so Shawn Wilson's a consumer of his product. These days, the head of the Department of Transportation and Development can also see the result of his agency's work almost all the way into his office from his home near Louisiana Avenue in Lafayette. On Interstate 10, rebuilding of the heavily used highway to the Atchafalaya Basin is underway. At Baton Rouge, there is work on the I-10 bridge to end the bottleneck and improve safety, a long-sought goal of the department. If Wilson continues toward New Orleans, he's driving along the urban part of the interstate that is to be widened under a new funding plan he pushed, and there's the widening of the I-10 toward Gonzales under construction. If Wilson went on to New Orleans, there would be other projects where funding has been put into place, including the early work on a much-needed new exit for the new Louis Armstrong International Airport. The problem, as Wilson pointed out recently to the Press Club of Baton Rouge, is that almost all of this needed work is being paid for with what he called one-time money. Agreement on financing for I-10 expansion, other work signed; here are next steps State and federal officials have reached agreement on plans for Louisiana to borrow up to $650 million to widen Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge a The projects arent being funded by the day-to-day fuel taxes that are the mainstay of the state's highway program. Instead, theyre paid for through special federal grants, some of them won in competition with other states, such as the I-10 corridor to Lafayette. Big projects like the I-10 widening in Baton Rouge and the New Orleans airport exit are part of a special bond program that will borrow against future federal highway funding to generate the money for today's projects. In every case, Wilson pointed out that these projects have to be maintained and repaired over the long term, from keeping the pavement intact to cutting the grass. Louisiana's overstretched transportation funding has to pay for maintenance, match federal funds annually and then find new dollars for expansions. That doesnt add up for the future. While these projects are under construction, in some cases for years, taxpayers might get the impression that Louisiana is making the long-term investments needed. But because of the Legislatures failure to raise the gasoline tax, the basic state funding for transportation has not been increased in decades. That means Louisiana's capacity to grow economically is facing a future bottleneck. While we commend Louisianas congressional delegation, the governor, DOTD and others responsible for securing transportation dollars from Washington, we can't depend on getting lucky all the time at the casino of federal funding. State government will have to kick in more, too. Yes. Covid cases have been low and the city is ready No. It's way too soon, especially with the holiday season Do what you want, but I'm still wearing a mask Def keeping my plague doctor costume for 2022 Vote View Results On Friday, word spread quickly among residents in the Bell Artspace Campus in the 6th Ward. Michael Foster, a 35-year-old man arrested in their yard on Tuesday after a shooting incident, had bonded himself out of jail. Theres no question that New Orleans Police Department officers arrested Foster quickly and without anyone being injured outside the artists lofts, which sit on the corner of Ursulines Avenue and North Galvez Street and were created from a renovation of the former Andrew J. Bell School building. In total, Foster fired off at least nine shots, one into the air and eight into the windshield of a Nissan that was sitting in the parking lot along North Galvez. Some residents believe that Fosters $15,000 bail was the result of an inappropriately low charge filed against him. The arrest report also didnt mention some racially hateful comments that some residents said they overheard Foster make after he was handcuffed and interviewed by an officer in the yard. I have heard from witnesses who have described there being hate speech and a desire to hurt people of a different race. That should have been included in the report so that the magistrate and prosecutors were able to use it in court, said City Councilman Jason Williams, who has been in touch with building residents. I can tell you for a fact that folks that live there are very, very nervous. Theyre traumatized. Williams, who also works as a criminal defense attorney, said he planned to reach out to the Police Department and to discuss the matter in a future Criminal Justice Committee hearing. Officers are open to hearing more from residents about the case, NOPD spokesman Andy Cunningham said Saturday. The NOPD always encourages citizens to come forward with evidence that could lead to changes in the investigation and, if warranted, additional charges," he said. "Should additional evidence be presented to the NOPD, our investigators will look into the matter further. At this point, much is unknown. Theres no evidence that Foster had ever met the woman who owns the Nissan or her two small children, so it's unclear why he fired at the car. Although surveillance video shows Foster, who uses a walker, exiting an Uber car next to the Bell building, no one knows why he got out there or if he had a specific target once he arrived. We need to know more, why this happened. Wed like to press for more information so that our residents can make the best decisions possible, said Joe Butler, director of the New Orleans office of Artspace. After Fosters arrest about 6:20 a.m. Tuesday, he was booked on illegal possession and discharge of a firearm along with simple criminal damage to property. The stiffer charge of aggravated criminal damage is often used when human life is endangered. Some residents feel the charges were too lenient given the terror he caused them early Tuesday morning. Some said Foster scanned the four-story building with the red laser scope on his firearm, in a way that seemed as though he was waiting for a target to appear in a window. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up I feel like my life has been threatened, said Jazzmine Johnson-Zucconi, 29, a building resident who stood off to the side of her window videotaping while her husband called police. A 65-year-old resident who didnt want her name used told The Advocate she saw the first gunshots and ran to knock on the Nissan owners door. But the owner said shed never seen the shooter before, the older woman said, and then rushed to hide her children on the floor of their closet. She said the kids are still afraid to get into a car, thinking that they could be shot. On a lower floor, a 77-year-old woman saw the guns red light moving around and dropped to the floor, crawling to her bathroom to take cover. The feeling of panic returned once word spread that Foster had bonded out, using a home address just four blocks from Bell. Im upset. Im angry. Im confused. I feel like I could be picked off by someone whos just angry at the world, said resident Ellis Joseph, 38, who heads up the Free Agents Brass Band and was one of the people who overheard part of Fosters conversation with the arresting officer. He mentioned the (French Quarter) bar Erin Rose. From what I understood, he'd gotten into it with somebody black. The cop asked him another question and he said, 'Yes, African Americans.' The 65-year-old woman had been outside before Joseph arrived. He was saying something about some black bikers had attacked him, hit him in the back of the head, she said. He basically said he was coming here to kill black people. That was scary to hear, she said. She hoped that Foster was just on a drunken rant. Foster had another recent brush with the law: On Sept. 1, New Orleans police cited him for disorderly conduct after he admitted hed thrown his walker in front of an oncoming motorcycle. On Tuesday morning, Foster was less forthcoming about how hed used the Taurus pistol confiscated by officers. The subject stated he did not admit to firing the weapon, but did state that if he did fire, it would have been in self-defense, the officers wrote. Despite all the controversy over Colin Kaepernicks emergence as the new face of Nike, that unmistakable swoosh was all over the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Sunday, including on the right shoulder of each and every Saint. If the company logo ruined the experience for anyone in the boisterous opening day crowd, it didnt come across on television. Kenner has more delicate souls, apparently or at least one of them. Mayor Ben Zahn didnt explain in his Sept. 5 memo why he was suddenly ordering local booster clubs to have all their purchases approved by the city, but he made the underlying objective clear. Under no circumstances will any Nike product or any product with the Nike logo be purchased for use or delivery at any City of Kenner Recreation Facility, he wrote. Now, booster clubs are not part of government, so that makes the move questionable on one level. These organizations should clearly have the right to buy what they see fit with the money they raise. The much larger issue, of course, is whether any government should essentially censor the message that Kaepernick has spent the past couple of years highlighting, that racial injustice, including by police, remains a deep problem in this country. That Kaepernick chose to draw attention by refusing to stand during the national anthem has caused some offense, which President Donald Trump has purposefully stoked. But hes also joined a long line of African-American athletes whove used their prominence to promote social justice, often at a cost to their careers. Hence the slogan on Nikes Kaepernick-centered ad campaign: Believe in Something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Not everyone likes it, obviously, but the ad had prompted a huge spike in sales. Nike figured that this message would resonate widely, and it was clearly a good bet. Id suspect one place it resonates is Kenner, a diverse suburb where 25 percent of the population is African-American and 23 percent Hispanic or Latino, according the U.S. Census Bureau. The issues Kaepernick has highlighted are the same ones that some of those kids who play on those playgrounds may well face in life. This is not a game. But it is a teachable moment. What a shame that the lesson from on high is that an important point of view should be shut down. Elon Musk's wild, accusing, buyout-scheming and now weed smoking ways aren't just a problem for Tesla anymore. They're also giving Telstra a headache. The Australian telco giant with an annoyingly similar name to Musk's electric car company is breathing in second-hand smoke from the South African born billionaire. And it's getting to the point where the 1.4 million ordinary Australians who own shares in the behemoth carrier could be forgiven for feeling paranoid about it. The link between the two companies is Robyn Denholm. The senior Telstra executive, who will become the telco's chief financial officer in October, also happens to sit on Tesla's board of directors a role that looks increasingly awkward. The latest, farcical chapter in the Tesla tragi-comedy unfolded late on Friday (Australian time) when Musk took a couple of hours out of his busy schedule to appear on a podcast. During which he talked about life, drank some whisky and took a few puffs of marijuana. As you do. Former Aussie Home Loan boss Stephen Porges has been forced to pay almost $1 million for inducing a private equity firm to buy shares in a worthless tech startup. Mr Porges, who ran Aussie Home Loans from 2008 to 2013, was found to have engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and failed to disclose to investors that the startup, SecureOne, was in potentially ruinous litigation. Stephen Porges has been forced to pay nearly $1 million for conduct the NSW Supreme Court found to be deceptive and misleading, or likely to deceive or mislead. Credit:Peter Stoop NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert McDougall ordered Mr Porges to pay $941,700 in damages and interest to Adcock Private Equity, whom he said Mr Porges acted in a misleading or deceptive manner towards. Mr Porges had become disenchanted with his investment in SecureOne, had fallen out with the management ... and, in the vernacular, wanted out, Justice McDougall said. In a round of press at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Munn described feeling lonely and isolated in the wake of the report. Munn also told Vanity Fair that she has not heard from Black, who apologised in a statement for casting his friend. Munn alerted the studio to the status of actor Steven Wilder Striegel - a regular casting choice for the film's director Shane Black, having previously featured in 2013's Iron Man 3 and 2016's The Nice Guys - and the scene was cut within 24 hours. Actress Olivia Munn says she has found little support from some of her Predator co-stars and director after a Los Angeles Times report revealed that Twentieth Century Fox had removed a scene that featured a man who is a registered sex offender, following Munn's concerns. "It's a very lonely feeling to be sitting here by myself when I should be sitting here with the rest of the cast," Munn told the Hollywood Reporter. "I do feel like I've been treated by some people that I'm the one who went to jail or I'm the one that put this guy on set." Some of her cast mates also backed out of interviews with her, according to The Hollywood Reporter. One of her co-stars, Keegan-Michael Key, was never booked to do that interview as he departed the festival early for the Jewish new year holiday. His publicist said on Sunday that Key reached out to Munn privately last week to express his admiration for her. Another co-star Sterling K. Brown had publicly thanked Munn for doing "the right thing". The Times' initial article was published hours before the TIFF premiere of The Predator. In a statement confirming the scene's removal, Fox had stated they had not been "made aware of Mr Streigel's background when he was hired". Stardom can be a terrible fate. Saint-Tropez was once a small and innocent fishing village, Mykonos was a sleepy island, and what's happened to most of coastal Spain just doesn't bear thinking about. Problem is, we love these places to death for good reason. They have what it takes good looks, warmth, vivacity, natural charm to make them irresistible. So where do you go in Europe when you want Spain without selfie sticks, France minus the flock? UMBRIA, A PLACE FOR ALL SEASONS The hilltop town of Trevi, Umbria, Italy. Credit:Getty Images Tuscany might still be the numero uno choice for first-time visitors in search of classic Italy, but those who have had enough of the hordes are turning to Tuscany's southern neighbour, Umbria. It's a place of seasonal pleasures, ruled by the cycles of the vineyard and the olive tree. May is the month of poppies, followed by fireflies and sunflowers in June, heralding the mid-year Spoleto Festival and mid-July's Umbria Jazz festival. Throughout August, local communes sponsor cultural festivals and exhibitions in the piazze, culminating in giant open-air feasts. Come September, the markets are ablaze with the rich palette of the harvest and attention focuses on that most Umbrian of organs, the stomach. September also marks the sagre: small, local celebrations of food and wine, and a chance to taste local specialties. Ms Bourne is the donor register services manager with the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority. On Monday, she will present findings from the authority's outreach efforts among Victorian donor-conceived people at a major fertility conference in Melbourne. The infertility counsellor said her data showed the vast majority of donor-conceived adults had no idea about the truth of their conception. "My study was looking at people aged between 21 and 39 [and] only 8.3 per cent knew they were donor-conceived," she said. Victorian legislation has been progressively expanded since 1998. Credit:Virginia Star Ms Bourne said this was indicative of the period starting in the early 1970s, when donor conception became more common in Victoria, until 1988, when legislation was first introduced that recognised donor-conceived people's rights to information about their donors. "Parents were encouraged not to tell [their children about the conception] and parents were very private and stigmatised about it. "[Also] people thought that love was enough, and I think that they didnt consider that the donor-conceived person would need to know, or want to know. "They thought it would be an easy secret to keep." In many cases, they were wrong and it is not only DNA testing which has let the cat out of the bag. From 1998 that initial legislation was progressively expanded upon and Victoria is now the only place in world where donors can apply for identifying information about their donor offspring. For contact to occur, the donor offspring has to provide consent. But a letter from the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority seeking that consent is the first step for many in learning the truth about their conception. Ms Bourne said her data looked at applications to contact offspring that were made to the authority between March 2017 and July 2018 by men who donated sperm before 1998. The applications were from a total of 36 people aged 21 to 39. Half of those contacted agreed to exchange information with their donor, 22 per cent said they did not want contact and 28 per cent said they needed time to consider the approach. Ms Bourne said those who made contact experienced differing relationships with their donors. Some got the answers they sought and nothing more, others remained in sporadic contact. Some became close friends. She hoped her findings would encourage parents with adult donor-conceived offspring to talk openly about their conception. "It's really important for parents of adult donor-conceived people to be aware that they face a risk in keeping it a secret," she said. "Most people would prefer to find out from their parents rather than from other sources." She said it was never too early or too late to have that conversation. And, contrary to parents' fears, it often brought children and the parents who raised them closer together. Chloe Allworthy from Geelong said her parents first told her about her conception when she was aged about six. Now 26 and finishing a masters degree in social work, her message to other parents is to follow her parents' lead. Two men have died after a head-on highway crash north-west of Brisbane on Saturday. Emergency services were called to the Burnett Highway near Gayndah, about 325 kilometres north-west of Brisbane and directly west of Maryborough, about 10pm. The remnants of the Toyota Prado after the head-on crash near Gayndah in the North Burnett region. Credit:7 News Brisbane - Twitter Two men in a sedan were declared dead at the scene. A man and woman in a four-wheel-drive suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Sergeant Joshua Ryan told 7 News the road was wet from earlier rain when the collision happened. The owner of a vegan cafe who was forced to shut down after complaints from customers about not serving dairy milk will protest by walking the length of New Zealand. Morgan Redfern-Hardisty who owns Cool Beans in the North Island of New Zealand, was told by The Mangawhai Activity Zone Charitable Trust (MAZCT), which manages the operations of the cafe, he could not renew his contract, forcing him to shut down his business. The cafe has been offering plant-based only products since July 27. Scroll down for video The Cool Beans cafe is expected to close on Labour Day after refusing to serve dairy milk 'The relationship between the trust and myself has very much been tainted,' said Redfern-Hardisty in a video on Cool Beans Cafe Facebook page. 'I'm going to do something that I've wanted to do for a while but never had the time to do it and that is the Te Araroa Trail. 'And I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna call it the barefoot walk for those who can't talk.' Redfern-Hardisty will walk the Te Araroa trail which is 3000km barefoot. The Te Araroa trail is 3000km long and is expected to take Refern-Hardisty roughly five months barefoot. The protest comes in response to the closure of his cafe amidst complaints about not serving dairy milk. It will also aim to raise awareness about plant-based living. Refern-Hardisty has said that the last operating day of the shop will be on October 22 - New Zealand's Labour Day. The council that owns the premise of the cafe has made the choice not to renew the contract. Chairman of the MAZCT Colin Gallagher made the decision to shut down the business after nine alleged public complaints. But Redfern-Hardisty said the amount of complaints was nothing in comparison to the support received from customers, with the business up by 25 per cent since menu changes. 'I think I had one customer over those four weeks that said "On no, I only drink normal milk," but 98 per cent of New Zealanders were adaptable,' he said. An online petition on change.org was set up to stop the closure of the cafe and has received close to 15,000 signatures from supporters. Redfern-Hardisty turned vegan three years ago after developing Crohn's disease, a condition that causes inflammation to your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain. The first-time offender was jailed for two months, given a 12-month community corrections order and ordered to pay the money back. The victims had moved money into Choi's 12 bank accounts, thinking they were paying tuition fees for Monash University, Deakin University, Kangan TAFE, Whitefriars Catholic College for Boys and private training colleges Royal Gurkhas Institute Of Technology Australia and St Peters Institute. They'd hired Choi to help them navigate Australia's education system, secure enrolments and apply for student visas. Choi, who sobbed during the hearing, also admitted to falsifying documents. Magistrate Dominic Lennon said the 47-year-olds actions were sophisticated and serious and had put young, vulnerable international students under incredible stress. It is a shocking breach of trust and responsibility, he said. Mr Lennon said Choi had deceived families who had spent years saving to send their children to Australia for an education. He said after discovering they owed money to their education providers, many of the victims were worried their student visas would be cancelled. Many abandoned their dreams of studying in Australia and returned home. If they return to Australia they'll be chased for the debts they accrued through no fault of their own. One student told The Age he had no option but to return to his home in South Korea after discovering Choi had stolen his tuition fees for Deakin University. She falsified the bank details on his letter of offer, which meant he inadvertently transferred around $15,000 in tuition fees into her account. He deposited his next tranche of tuition fees directly to Deakin University. But he said Choi used counterfeit documents to create a bank account in his name and then asked the university to refund his fees. "She refunded the tuition fees and sent the money to her own bank account afterwards," he said. Choi gambled the money she stole from students. Her bank records revealed a $128,000 loss at Crown Casino and a $14,000 loss on online pokie machines which were linked to her bank account. Chois lawyer, Jacqueline Parnell said her client had been chasing that next big win to make it better. She said Choi was remorseful, had admitted to the crimes and intended to pay the money back. She is attempting to piece herself back together, she said. Ms Lau said the saga had eroded her brothers trust in adults. We thought in Australia, everyone was meant to be much more trustworthy, she said. Christal Lau says the saga eroded her little brother's trust in adults Credit:Paul Jeffers Her father, who lives in Hong Kong, took out a loan to fund her brothers international student fees at Whitefriars. It was a big sacrifice, she said. After discovering the fraud, he had to borrow more money so his son could commence his Year 9 studies. We have had to pay twice, she said. Missing seven-year-old boy Xavier Jones has been found safe after a search that lasted more than 12 hours. The boy went missing in Melbourne's north on Saturday evening but was found at 7.45am on Sunday morning, safe and well near the Glenroy skatepark. Channel Nine TV reporter Melanie Slade spotted the young boy while doing live crosses from the area. The young boy reportedly told the journalist that he had slept the night at a friends house, and was seemingly unaware of the commotion his disappearance had caused. An unruly passenger forced a Qantas Dreamliner on a direct flight to London to turn back to Perth on Saturday night. The captain made the decision to turn around two hours into the flight after the man's alleged disruptive behaviour. The Qantas Dreamliner was forced to return to Perth after the incident. Australian Federal Police officers took a 32-year-old man off the flight when it landed back in Perth. He is currently assisting police with their enquiries. Six of her work colleagues were also impacted: one had head injuries, another a fractured leg; two were there when the incident took place and another two were first responders. She had head injuries and was left in a wheelchair for months, and has improved but is still recovering, physically and emotionally. Staff members from Think Talent return to the spot on Flinders street where they were injured last year in the Flinders street attack. (L to R) Ainsley Johnstone, Cara Mullan and Natalie Firth. Credit:Meredith O'Shea The Irish woman, 26, was in Australia on a working holiday visa. The company she had just started working for, Think Talent, was already in the process of lodging a sponsorship visa application for Ms Mullan when she was seriously injured on December 21 when 19 people were hit by a car in Flinders Street. While they were dealing with the fall-out from the incident, the government changed its sponsorship conditions, ruling Ms Mullan meaning she would no longer be eligible under the new rules on her current salary. Her bosses Ainsley Johnstone and Natalie Firth are angry that they have not been able to sponsor Ms Mullan on the basis of the pre-January 17 conditions, especially given recent revelations of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's interventions to help au pairs who had been detained. Mr Dutton intervened in the case of a French au pair at the request of AFL boss Gillon MacLachlan on behalf of his cousin, it has been revealed. A Senate committee into Mr Dutton this week also heard his chief of staff had asked for help to get an Italian au pair out of immigration detention on behalf of a former Queensland police colleague. The company asked for special consideration, given what Ms Mullan and the firm's staff had been through, but it was to no avail. To get a response saying the minister didnt have the power to intervene in our case and then to see the news and seeing he has intervened in the case of a nanny," said Ms Firth, co-CEO of Think Talent. TIRE RACK STREET SURVIVAL Street Survival teen driver safety is coming to Joliet to help stop the #1 killer of teens! CHICAGO - September 9, 2018: Car crashes are the leading killer of American teens from ages 15 a 20, with more than 5,000 teens involved in a fatal crash each year and an additional 196,000 injured. Simple driving errors, avoidable but common among inexperienced teens, cause the majority of fatal accidents. Tire Rack Street SurvivalA is a 501c3 organization and is the largest active non-profit national driver education program that teaches teens the skills they need to stay alive behind the wheel. Unlike traditional driveras education programs based on classroom theory and simple maneuvers, the Tire Rack Street SurvivalA program improves driver competence through hands-on experiences in real-world driving situations.Students will receive a valuable classroom session and then will learn, hands-on, how to manage everyday driving hazards, obstacles and challenges in a controlled environment on an advanced driving course to ultimately aarrive alive.a Students learn emergency braking and skid control, how to control proper braking, and how to avoid accidents entirely. In select schools, in addition to spending time in the driveras seat of parked 18-wheeler to fully comprehend its massive blind spots, teenagers witness the violent detonation of an air bag, which reinforces proper hand placement on the steering wheel. Students are taught in their own cars, not specially prepared program vehicles, so the skills they learn can be directly translated to their daily driving experiences. Tire Rack Street SurvivalA challenges teenagers to understand how to control a vehicle, rather than just operate one.a Tire Rack Street SurvivalA is open to licensed and permitted drivers ages 15 a 21. Forms, schedules and more information can be found online at [http://www.streetsurvival.org]. The program is in its 16th year, having trained over 25,000 new drivers in over 1,000 schools! For the 9th year, Michelin North America is supporting the Street Survival program by providing funding for pavement rental for each school throughout the United States. That is no small task, given that this year the Tire Rack Street Survival schools plan to offer its training to teens all across the U.S. To view video of the program, please visit [http://www.streetsurvival.org]. DETAILS: WHAT: Tire Rack Street SurvivalA Teen Driving School WHERE: Route 66 Raceway, W Schweitzer Rd, Elwood, IL 60421 WHEN: Sunday, October 14th, 2018; 9:00am a 4:00pm HOST: Chicago Region SCCA; BMW Car Club of America Foundation is a 501(c)(3)non-profit charitable corporation. Thousands Celebrate Two Decades of the New VW Beetle "2018 Beetle Sunshine Tour to Wolfsburg" The highlight of this year's "2018 Beetle Sunshine Tour to Wolfsburg" was a procession of more than 200 Beetles, New Beetles and original Beetles through the Volkswagen plant. This was something that had never been done before. Part of the crowd: rare editions like the Hebmuller convertible, dating back to 1950, and one of the rare model year 2000 New Beetle RSI models with an output of 225 PS. And of course the most recent models were also attending, for instance the Beetle Cabriolet Dune. The 2018 edition of the Beetle Festival took place in Wolfsburg for the very first time. The special location beneath Autostadt and the plant are a tribute to the New Beetle's anniversary. The Beetle Sunshine Tour was established 14 years ago by Beetle driver Gabriele Kraft from Lubeck/Travemunde. She has remained the life and soul of the tour to this day. Les Moonves. Photo: Ray Tamarra/WireImage Mere hours after The New Yorker published a bombshell report on Sunday morning with new allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Les Moonves, CNNs Brian Stelter revealed that the embattled CBS chairman and CEO will be leaving the network imminently. Ronan Farrow first published an investigation into decades of sexual abuse allegations against Moonves in August. At the time, the report was the latest blow against CBS, which Moonves first joined in 1995. The network had been in hot water since similar allegations emerged against legendary anchor Charlie Rose emerged, followed by a subsequent investigation into how CBS reportedly mishandled the Rose allegations. On Sunday morning, Farrow published a follow-up about Moonves, which included an additional six accusations against the CBS head. In the report, Farrow wrote that members of the CBS Corporation board were currently negotiating an exit agreement with Moonves. By Sunday afternoon, CNNs Stelter reported that Moonvess departure was imminent. Two executives close to the matter told Stelter that the board of directors would be announcing the deal by Monday morning, and that attorneys were still putting the finishing touches on the settlement. Stelter also reported that the agreement is being referred to internally as a global settlement, as it will resolve ongoing litigation between Moonves and Shari Redstone, CBSs controlling shareholder. CBSs board did not suspend or fire Moonves once the accusations of sexual misconduct against him emerged. Instead, Stelter reports, they hired two law firms to investigate the matter. Now that the exit deal is being finalized, he is expected to step down before the investigations are completed. A payout limit of 500,000 to victims of terrorist attacks could be raised under Government plans. Ministers will tomorrow announce a review of compensation payments available to people suffering life-changing injuries. Justice Secretary David Gauke said the move was necessary to ensure people affected by terrorism got the awards they were due. Survivors of a terror attack can currently receive from 1,000 up to 500,000, depending on their injuries. A payout limit of 500,000 to victims of terrorist attacks could be raised under Government plans, according to Justice Secretary David Gauke Victims of sex abuse are also eligible under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. But there are concerns that some people are unfairly denied payouts or the level of compensation they deserve. Mr Gauke said it was time to review the scheme as part of a cross-government victims strategy. He said: 'While no amount of compensation can make up for the immense suffering endured by victims of violent crime, it is vital they receive the help and support needed to rebuild their lives.' 'Today I'm announcing that we will review the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to ensure it reflects the changing nature of crime and can better support victims, especially of historic and current child abuse. 'Over the years we've seen more prosecutions for sexual offences and sadly experienced the horror of terrorism. 'We need to make sure these victims get the awards they're due so we will be looking to ensure the criteria are appropriate.' Victims of violent crime received 150 million last year. In addition to the review, which will start immediately and report back next year, the Government also announced that a controversial bar on financial awards to victims if they lived in the same home as their attacker before 1979 will be abolished. People who suffer as a result of violent crimes that take place in England, Wales or Scotland can be awarded taxpayer-funded payments of up to 500,000 through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Claims can be made in relation to mental or physical injury, sexual or physical abuse, loss of earnings and the death of a close relative. He said the pre-1979 'same roof rule', which unfairly blocked some victims from compensation, will be scrapped. The rule was part of the original compensation scheme introduced in 1964. In 2017/18, the scheme paid out more than 150 million. But ministers have faced calls for an overhaul from MPs and campaigners over claims its rules are outdated and illogical. It applies to adults and children and states that applicants are not entitled to compensation if they were living with their assailant as members of the same family at the time of the incident. In July, the Court of Appeal declared that the rule is incompatible with human rights laws. The Government is not appealing against the decision, and will bring forward secondary legislation to abolish the rule. QI presenter Sandi Toksvig has revealed she is paid less than half of Stephen Frys fee for hosting the BBC quiz show despite asking for equal pay when she took over the job. I recently discovered I get 40 per cent of what Stephen used to get, she said yesterday. I get the same pay as Alan Davies who is not the host. At the time she took over as presenter, Toksvig, 59, said it would be absurd if she was paid less than Fry. He was estimated to earn more than 245,000 but as the programme is made by independent production company Talkback, it is not covered by BBC pay transparency rules. QI presenter Sandi Toksvig has revealed she is paid less than half of Stephen Frys fee Fry presented QI for 13 years before Toksvig took over in 2016. The comedian, who also presents Channel 4s The Great British Bake Off, spoke yesterday of her disappointment at being treated differently. I temper this with the fact I love the show and I am the first woman to host such a show, she said. I never wanted the argument to be about me because Ive been spending my life trying to fight for the greater good. Alan Davies and Stephen Fry who got double the fee for the same presenter job as Toksvig I earn a very nice living and I do very well, so I was much keener to focus on women in supermarkets stacking shelves, who cant stand up and speak for themselves. The BBC has been caught up in a pay scandal for the past year, with top women presenters discovering they are often earning considerably less than their male counterparts. Toksvig was asked about her QI salary while speaking at the Womens Equality Party conference, a movement she started in 2015 with journalist Catherine Mayer. Mayer said the news was greeted with a huge gasp. A new series of QI begins tomorrow on BBC2. The BBC said QIs production company managed its own talent fees. 1 Dead, 4 Wounded in Shooting at Alabama McDonalds A man was shot and killed and four others were injured on Sept. 9 during a shooting at a McDonalds near Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, according to police. The Auburn Police Department said in a news release that it got a call at 2:24 a.m. of shots fired in the 200 block of W. Magnolia Avenue. Officers were already in the area of the shooting and were dispersing a large crowd, officials said. OaNow.com reported that the address is a McDonalds. As of Sunday afternoon, the McDonalds was open and serving customers, the report said. Officers confirmed shots were being fired and located several victims. A 20-year-old male from Tuskegee, Alabama, was discovered deceased, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Additionally, four other individuals were found to be injured from the gunfire. Three victims were transported to East Alabama Medical Center by ambulance with nonlife-threatening injuries, according to police. The victims were identified as a 17-year-old male, a 19-year-old female, and a 21-year-old male Auburn University student. A 16-year-old was also flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center by air ambulance with serious injuries, said officials. An altercation took place just before the shooting occurred, and police said that it doesnt appear to be a random shooting. Fox News reported that students were celebrating an Auburn Tigers win over the Alabama State Hornets. The report said that the suspect is still at large. The shooting is still under investigation. Anyone with information in connection with this case are being asked to call Auburn police at 334-501-3140 or at its tip line at 334-246-1391. South Sudanese women collect sacks of maize and sorghum dropped from air by a World Food Programme plain in Jeich village in northern South Sudan. (Patrick Meinhardt/AFP/Getty Images) Large Portion of South Sudans Population Unable to Access Basic Necessities NAIROBI, KenyaA large portion of the population in South Sudan is unable to access basic necessities such as food, water, and health care, in a humanitarian crisis thats been exacerbated by years of armed conflict, the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said. Aid workers face a difficult time accessing some areas to deliver medical supplies due to increased insecurity, Teresa Murray, MSF Spains deputy director of operations, said at a press event in Nairobi. This, she explained, is threatening the lives of many civilians, among them displaced persons, women, and children. Theres already [crisis-level] food insecurity in South Sudan and non-access will exacerbate that further, Murray said. While its been seven years since the country gained independence from Sudan, five years of fighting have left tens of thousands dead and taken a toll on the nations economy. Humanitarian groups say the fighting has left the worlds youngest nation with a dysfunctional healthcare system and some of the most tragic health indicators in Africa. According to MSF, the nations infant mortality rate is about 60 deaths per 1,000 live births and maternal mortality is at 789 per 100,000. The U.N.s World Health Organization estimates that 67 of South Sudans 80 counties have inadequate or no health care services, due to dilapidated or destroyed structures. Some regions of the country that face the most severe crisis include Greater Upper Nile state in the northeast, as well as the Equatoria regions, MSF spokesman Jairo Gonzalez said. He said malaria remains endemic, while cases of pneumonia are on the rise, raising fears of preventable deaths unless urgent action is taken to reinforce access to treatment in the most high-risk areas. At the moment, we have not seen an outbreak but malaria is endemic in South Sudan, and we are in the peak of a rainy season, so cases of malaria are on the extreme, Gonzalez said. According to the medical aid group, malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea account for almost 80 percent of the countrys most childhood illnesses. The South Sudanese Ministry of Health estimates that only 44 percent of the population have access to health services. MSF said the humanitarian situation in the oil-rich country is worsening and urged the international community to continue providing aid. One of our major challenges is that we have to scale up to fill the emergency gap and that stretches us, Murray said. South Sudan plunged into civil war in 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused then-vice president Riek Macha plotting a coup. In addition to the tens of thousands of people killed in the fighting, about four million people have been displaced. A demonstrator wearing a mask painted with the colours of the flag of East Turkestan and a hand bearing the colours of the Chinese flag attends a protest of supporters of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority and Turkish nationalists to denounce China's treatment of ethnic Uighur Muslims during a deadly riot in July 2009 in Urumqi, in front of the Chinese consulate in Istanbul on July 5, 2018. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images) Brainwashing Centres in China Targeted by Australian Senator Australian Conservatives Senator Cory Bernardi put forward two motions to federal Parliament tightly linked to strained Australian-China relations, on Aug 15. The first motion, which was rejected, called for a review of the Department for Education and Trainings engagement with Chinese Communist Party-administered Confucius Institutes. The successful second motion, while avoiding direct reference to China, targeted political re-education internment camps, which have become a hallmark of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) oppression. Confucius Institute: CCP Soft-Power Influence In the course of ostensibly delivering Chinese language and culture education, Confucius Institutes have come under scrutiny for, among other things, impinging on Australian academic freedom. Over 1,500 Confucius Classrooms and Confucius Institutes are hosted by primary and secondary schools and universities throughout the world. Bernardis motion noted that Australia has the third largest number of such institutions, after the United States and the United Kingdom. The setting up of Confucius Institutes involves forming a partnership between a Chinese university, a foreign university, and Hanbanthe Office of Chinese Language Council International, which is an arm of the CCPs Ministry of Education. Steps have been taken by various education facilities in North America to block Confucius Institutes. The recent U.S. defense budget bill prohibits the Pentagon from funding Confucius Institute Chinese-language programs. This comes after the CIA warned of CCP efforts to breed academic censorship in foreign universities and policy institutes by giving them funding. An unclassified page in the CIA report, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, says, The CCP provides strings-attached funding to academic institutions and think tanks to deter research that casts it in a negative light. Canadas McMaster University terminated its partnership with Hanban in 2013, citing its hiring practices as the reason. Hanban precludes its employees having membership in illegal organizations such as Falun Gongthe spiritual discipline which the CCP has heavily persecuted since 1999. Senator Bernardis motion cites a review of the Confucius Institutes practices initiated by NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes. Obviously I have concerns, Stokes told The Australian in June. [Those are] concerns in relation to control of the curriculum and staffing decisions. Stokes called for a review after media scrutiny of interactions between Australian politicians and Chinese political donors. The coverage, indicating CCP interference in Australian politics, peaked in 2017. Liberal and Labor Slow to Act Bernardi suggested that there were political motivations behind the major parties rejection of his bid to have department of education relations with Confucius Institutes reviewed: We thought the motion was uncontroversial, given that the NSW government and other governments overseas are reviewing their engagement with Confucius Institutes. The Liberal and Labor Parties wont disclose who their donors are until after the next election and there are serious allegations about CCP influence through donations. The Conservative Party has been calling out Chinese Communist Party influence in Australian politics, and the major parties have been acting far too slowly, he added. A Chinese-born mother with a son at a Sydney elementary school who preferred to keep her identity private, said she had concerns about her son being in a school that hosts a Confucius Classroom. I have already come to Australia, I dont want to receive Chinese-style education or accept a Chinese teacher from the CCP. Then of course, Ill worry that there will be some CCP kind of things happening in the classroom, she told The Epoch Times in Chinese. The mother expressed specific concerns that Confucius classrooms must comply not only with Australian law but with Chinese law too. How can the class comply with Chinese law? For example, if the child of a democracy activist inadvertently comments on how bad the CCP is, how is the class and the Confucius Institute teacher going to react to him? Political Re-education Camps Bernardi identified the human rights violations of the CCP as the prime target of his re-education camp motion. Australia must never surrender our principles for trade or appeasing a Chinese Communist Party that tramples freedoms, he told The Epoch Times. The motion urges the Minister for Foreign Affairs to raise with foreign governments any concerns brought to her attention about the existence of [political re-education interment] camps. Re-education camps are a component of the CCPs ethnic, religious, and political oppression apparatus. The CCP operate an extensive network of labour camps, detention centres, psychiatric hospitals, prisons, and black jails, which human rights investigators David Kilgour, Ethan Gutmann, and David Matas call Chinas Gulag. In 2013, an SOS note successfully snuck out of the Masanjia Labour Camp prisoner drew international attention to the notorious compounds. This spurred the CCP to announce their closure. However, the closure of the camps was a token gesture, according to Minghui.org, a website that monitors the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The abuses continue at other sites, or at the same sites, in some cases rebranded as rehabilitation facilities. Bernardis motion focused on political re-education internment camps. In Xinjiang, Western China, the CCP has imprisoned potentially hundreds of thousands of Muslim Chinese in such camps. I was very pleased for the families here in Australia that my motion passed. Theyre grieving over what has happened to their loved ones in Western China, he said. In Xinjiang, the CCP tortures citizens physically and mentally. They force them to denounce their faith, their ethnicity, and their family members. They must turn against their fellow inmates and parrot party propaganda to be given reprieve from incessant daily torment. Kazakh Muslim, Omir Bekali, was arrested and imprisoned for 8 months. He was accused of trying to help Chinese Muslims escape China, because he had invited them to apply for Kazakh tourist visas, in his work with a tourist agency. The psychological pressure is enormous, when you have to criticize yourself, denounce your thinkingyour own ethnic group, Bekali said. I still think about it every night, until the sun rises. I cant sleep. The thoughts are with me all the time. Feng Chongyi, a University of Technology Sydney Associate Professor in China Studies and repeated critic of the CCP, called political re-education internment camps instruments of mass ethnic and religious persecution. [Its] a massive violation of human rights and has intensified ethnic conflicts with Muslims in Xinjiang, he told The Epoch Times. On a visit to China in 2017, Feng was detained and interrogated by Chinese officials for 10 days for his criticisms of the CCP. Australian Conservatives Prompt Action Feng said it is vital to Australias national integrity to hold fast to its belief in human rights, democracy, and freedom, and to be prepared to take a stand against violations by the Chinese regime. You cannot sell your basic value because of money, he said. Feng commended Bernardi and the Australian Conservative Partys initiative in raising in Parliament the issues of the Confucius Institutes and political re-education internment camps. Given the Parliaments support of the internment camp motion, Bernardi said that families concerned for their loved ones, as well as anyone with evidence about the camps must now raise their concerns with the foreign minister. He suggested they cc copy his office (bernardi.office@aph.gov.au) in their emails to the foreign minister. If modern nations cant expose and close these camps, we have learned nothing from past atrocities, Bernardi said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Chinas Record Trade Surplus With US Adds Fuel to Trade War Fire BEIJINGChinas trade surplus with the United States widened to a record in August, even as the countrys export growth slowed slightly, an outcome that could push U.S. President Donald Trump to turn up the heat on Beijing in their trade dispute. The politically sensitive surplus hit $31.05 billion in August, up from $28.09 billion in July, customs data revealed on Sept. 8, surpassing the previous record set in June. Over the first eight months of the year, Chinas surplus with its largest export market has risen nearly 15 percent, adding to tensions in the trade relationship between the worlds two largest economies. Chinas annual export growth in August moderated slightly to 9.8 percent, the data showed, the weakest rate since March. The number missed analysts forecasts that shipments from the worlds largest exporter would rise 10.1 percent, slowing only slightly from 12.2 percent in July. Even with U.S. tariffs targeting $50 billion of Chinese exports in effect for their first full month in August, Chinas exports to the United States still accelerated, growing 13.2 percent from a year earlier from 11.2 percent in July. There is still an impact from front-loading of exports, but the main reason [for still-solid export growth] is strong growth in the U.S. economy, said Zhang Yi, an economist at Zhonghai Shengrong Capital Management. Chinas imports from the United States grew only 2.7 percent in August, a slowdown from 11.1 percent in July. But Chinas economic outlook is being clouded by the rapidly escalating U.S. trade dispute and cooling domestic demand. Trump upped the ante on Sept. 7, warning that he was ready to slap tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports to the United States. He threatened duties on another $267 billion of goods on top of $200 billion in imports primed for levies in coming days. Washington has long criticized Chinas huge trade surplus with the United States and has demanded Beijing reduce it. But disagreements between the two major economic powers run deeper than just the trade balance and tensions remain over limits on U.S. firms access to Chinese markets, intellectual property protection, technology transfers, and investment. The surplus with the United States was larger than Chinas net surplus for the month, indicating that China would be running a deficit if trade with the worlds largest economy was excluded. Official and private manufacturing surveys for China show global demand for Chinese goods is clearly on the wane, with export orders shrinking for months in a row. Risks have increased due to the negative impacts of ChinaU.S. trade friction. The impact on exports may gradually start to show up, with future export growth possibly declining, said Liu Xuezhi, an analyst with Bank of Communications. By Elias Glenn, Lusha Zhang, & Xu Jing Curiosity Rover Sends Selfie From Mars NASA has released a selfie from Mars of its Curiosity rover. The 360 degree panoramic image is made from photos taken from a camera on the rovers mast on Aug. 9. The photo shows the rover at Vera Rubin Ridge. Curiosity had just drilled for a rock sample. The photo shows a thin layer of dust coating the robot explorer; during the summer dust storms enveloped the Red Planet. Mars experienced two large dust storms over its northern hemisphere during the week of May 28 to June 3, 2018, NASA previously reported. NASA said that the sky is dark in the photo because of dust still in the atmosphere. Unlike NASAs older rover, Opportunity, Curiosity is nuclear-powered and unaffected by the lack of sunlight. Curiosity landed on Mars on Aug. 6, 2012, at Gale Crater. Its mission is to investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and for preserving clues in the rocks about possible past life, according to NASA. It has a suite of instruments called Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM). SAM analyzes Martian material collected by the rover. NASA says its analysis tools can identify many materials that contain carbon, which can sometimes indicate life. It can also figure out the ratios of different isotopes, which NASA says can help us understand Marss atmospheric and water history. The first samples that Curiosity ever drilled from Martian rocks gave evidence of conditions that could have supported life in Mars early history, Nasa said. The evidence was geological and mineralogical, and suggested there was sustained liquid water, other key elemental ingredients for life, a chemical energy source, and [that the] water not too acidic or too salty. Later, Curiosity figured out the age of its Martian rock sample; the rock was 4.2 billion years old, and exposed at the surface of the planet for 80 million years. NASA has said that researchers hope to find further evidence about habitable past environments and about the evolution of the Martian environment from a wetter past to a drier present, during the rovers extended mission. Curiositys job is to explore Mars and collect, grind, distribute, and analyze approximately 70 samples of soil and rock. It was meant to do this for one Martian year (687 Earth days). Having done that, it is now on extended missions. Opportunity Lost NASA lost contact with its older, solar-reliant rover named Opportunity in June, and has not had contact since. Opportunity and Spirit were twin rovers that preceded Curiosity. They landed on Mars on January 2004. Opportunity and Spirit completed their initial 3-month mission that April and then went onto bonus overtime work. NASA has not had communication with Spirit in 2010, after it was unable to collect the solar energy it needed to run its survival heaters during the cold Martian winter. Now Opportunity may be lost too. After almost 15 years exploring the planetmore than 14 years after completing its original missionNASA says Opportunity may not have the strength for a comeback. Flight controllers hope as the Martian sky clears, Opportunity will get back in contact. Hitting the Jackpot Opportunity and Spirit were tasked with looking for clues that Mars had areas that were once wet enough to be hospitable to life. NASA said Opportunity hit the jackpot within three months of arriving. It found evidence that there was once salty water deep enough to splash around in flowing over an area it explored. This suggested an environment that could have been hospitable to life and could even have preserved fossil evidence of that. By September 2004, the twin solar-powered robots had been approved for a second extension of their missions, but were beginning to show signs of aging. Spirits front right wheel was damaged. Controllers at NASA had to drive the rover in reverse, dragging its balky wheel. NASA didnt know how long the rovers would survive, but they had already racked up successes beyond the high expectations set for them when the Mars Exploration Rover project began. Florence Predicted to Become Hurricane as It Threatens to Hit Carolinas, Virginia Forecasters are expecting Florence, now a tropical storm but expected to become a hurricane, to get dangerously close to the U.S. East Coast and will potentially make landfall in North Carolina and South Carolina. The governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of the storm, according to reports. A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by [Sept. 10], and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week. On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center. As of 8 a.m. on Sept. 9, Florence is still at tropical storm strength. Currently, there are no coastal warnings or watches for the storm. The U.S. Navy also said that ships are preparing to depart Hampton Roads on Sept. 10. Our ships can better weather storms of this magnitude when they are underway, said U.S. Fleet Forces Commander Adm. Christopher Grady, according to Military.com. Winds will start to hit the U.S. coast at around 8 p.m. on Sept. 12, according to the NHC. States of Emergency While the impacts of Tropical Storm Florence to Virginia are still uncertain, forecasts increasingly expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane that could seriously affect the East Coast and Virginians, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said on Sept. 8, ABC News reported. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said on Sept. 8 that there is no way to tell when the storm will hit or where it will hit. We are preparing for the worst and of course hoping for the best. Being prepared is always the best strategy, McMaster said, Fox News reported. Here are the 5 AM AST Sunday Sep. 9 Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Florence. Latest information available at https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/E77cw9NlTL National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 9, 2018 North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Sept. 7 and called on residents to prepare. We are entering the peak of hurricane season and we know well the unpredictability and power of these storms, Cooper said, Fox reported. The National Hurricane Center, meanwhile, is advising interests along the U.S. East Coast, particularly from North Florida through North Carolina, should closely monitor the progress of Florence, ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, and follow any advice given by local officials. Swells generated by Florence are affecting Bermuda and starting to reach parts of the Eastern Seaboard, the National Weather Service said. At 5 a.m. EDT, the hurricane center said Florences maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 70 mph. The storm was centered about 765 miles southeast of Bermuda and moving west at 6 mph, according to The Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report. How 57,000 Socialists and Communists Are Planning to Take Over the Democratic Party News Analysis In a move that could have major implications for American politics, the leading socialist and communist organizations in the United States have formally allied to increase their infiltration and manipulation of the Democratic Party. Communist Party USA (CPUSA) leader John Bachtell partially explained the new strategy in a pitch to Party members to attend an online webinar that was held on May 23, 2018. According to Bachtell, the webinar would feature a panel of representatives from the CPUSA, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), LeftRoots, and others. The event was sponsored by a group called the Left Inside/Outside Project, which is the idea of building power inside and outside the Democratic Party. The organization began shortly after the 2016 election as a response to the presidency of Donald Trump. Bachtell claimed that CPUSA is collaborating with several left groups and progressive activists to promote unity and coalition building in the electoral arena. The plan is to encourage all elements of the left to vote, which would result in defeating the extreme right domination of government and the courts. This strategic imperative, according to Bachtell, is why building electoral coalitions with every force possible including with the Democratic Party is key. Inside/Outside The Left Inside/Outside Project first announced itself in a letter, titled The Left We Want to Build: Breaking Out of the Margins, published on the FRSO-aligned website Organizing Upgrade on June 9, 2017. The letter laid out a bold plan by Americas leading communist groups to massively expand their collective influence both inside and outside the Democratic Party. In the wake of the ascent of authoritarian white nationalism to the White House and the GOPs headlock on 25 state governments and Congress, the letter called for building a left trendan alignment of organizations and individualsbased on strategic unity. Further: We believe that only determined, long-term, energetic efforts to break out of the margins based on a common view of how to engage in our electoral system, while also building mass protest, offer a chance to make the left a force in U.S. politics and, eventually, a contender for power. The letter went on to propose better coordination among Americas largest Marxist organizations, to increase infiltration of the Democratic Party, and to further pressure it from without, through mass protest action: The fight against the far right is strongest when it is energized by an inspiring vision for economic and social justice. Campaigns for openly socialist candidates and progressive challenges to neoliberal Democrats must all be part of the political mix. And the opportunities for broadening the reach of progressive and left forces will be greatest when they both struggle within and work in tandem with the larger anti-Trump or anti-right front. The letter described this proposed communistsocialist alliance as a left trend. All of the organizations and networks we belong to have important strengths, but also very real limitations in terms of size, demographics, or geographic or sectoral concentration. None of them, in their current form, are capable of playing the strategic role we believe the left must play in the next period. A left trend might have that potentialthe ability to reach far beyond the existing left to create a force that can move us from defense to offense. The letter was signed In unity and struggle by key leaders of Americas most powerful Marxist organizations, CPUSA, FRSO, DSA, and the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS). Potential Disaster Broadly speaking, there are two lefts in America. One side is the anti-Democratic Party leftwhich consists of the Revolutionary Communist Party, Socialist Alternative, Socialist Party USA, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Party of Communists USA, and so on. On the other side are the groups willing to work inside the Democratic Partythat is, those organizations signing on to the strategy outlined above. These organizations are not to be underestimated. Separately, all these groups are dangerous. Together, they spell potential disaster. For example, CPUSA claims about 5,000 members, but its support base is much wider. Many Communist Party USA leaders are also Democrats. Examples include Houston Communist Party Chairman Bernard Sampson (local Democratic Party precinct chairman) and Ohio Communist Party Chairman Rick Nagin, who serves on the Cuyahoga County Democratic Executive Committee. The CPUSA is strong in organized labor, in black churches, and in the peace movement. CPUSA strongholds include New York City, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Arizona, California, and Texas. The CPUSA is aligned with China, Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela, and the communist parties of Russia, Britain, Canada, Mexico, Iraq, and Iran. CCDS is only a few hundred strong. It often shares members with DSA, FRSO, and CPUSA. Its strongholds include Boston, New York City, Chicago, Louisville, Kentucky, and the Bay Area. CCDS has close ties to China, Vietnam, and Cuba. FRSO is extremely secretive about membership numbers. Fewer than 100 cadres are publicly acknowledged. My estimate is around 2,000 members, but that is purely an educated guess. Dozens of front organizations of FRSO are extremely well funded through the Ford Foundation and other large leftist nonprofits. FRSO is strongest in the following areas: Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, southern Florida, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. FRSO also has smaller bases in Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Vermont, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington state. FRSO supports Cuba and Vietnam. Some elements also support China and North Korea. The organization focuses heavily on racial politics and is the main force behind Black Lives Matter. FRSO-aligned activists currently holding public office include Philadelphia City Councilor Helen Gym, Memphis Tennessee County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, and Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. LeftRoots is a national organization of 250 front-line organizers and activists, committed to politically developing their members to lead social movements across the U.S. It is essentially a project of FRSO. DSA is the giant of the bunch. On the back of the Bernie Sanders movement, DSA has grown from 6,000 to upwards of 50,000 dues-paying members in less than two years. The organization has locals in every state but South Dakota. The larger local groups include Seattle (600 members), Portland, Oregon (350 members), East Bay (850 members), Los Angeles (1,200 members), Chicago (1,100 members), Boston (1,000 members), New York (more than 3,000 members), District of Columbia (1,200 members), Baltimore (450 members), Atlanta (500 members), and Austin, Texas (more than 700 members). Thousands of DSA comrades are active in the Democratic Party and have taken hold of local Democratic County committees from Maine to Nebraska. In Iowa, DSA controls about 20 percent of the delegates to the Democratic state convention. DSA has run hundreds of members and supporters across the country on the Democratic ticket this election cycle. They include DSA members Kaniela Ing (Hawaii, Congressional District 1), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan, Congressional District 13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York, Congressional District 14), Zak Ringelstein (Maine, U.S. Senate seat), and Connie Johnson (Oklahoma, governor). The Democratic Socialists of America is in many ways further left than the Communist Party. In 2017, DSA voted to leave the Socialist International because it was too moderate. Democratic Socialists of America also controls Our Revolution, the reportedly 100,000-strong nationwide organization set up to support candidates sympathetic to the Bernie Sanders movement. Working Together David Duhalde, former deputy director of Democratic Socialists of America and now senior electoral manager at the activist website Truthout, said in an interview published by the website: I have been rather pleasantly surprised about how well the different post-Bernie formations have been doing and working together to keep this political revolution going. I want to give one great example, which is Our Revolution, [which] either locally or nationally endorsed all of our candidates that we endorsed nationally, as well. Not to mention tons of local races. We have a very good working relationship with Our Revolution. We often share information and talk about candidates. We, also, have this affiliation program where DSA chapters can be the local Our Revolution chapter, as well. That is to avoid unnecessary conflicts, duplication of efforts. So, our Knoxville chapter which helped elect two DSA members is, also, the Our Revolution chapter. According to Bachtell, the CPUSA also has a presence in Our Revolution, as well as other grassroots progressive organizations: [CPUSA] members were involved with Bernie Sanders campaign and are continuing their activism in Our Revolution, Swing Left, Indivisible, Working Families Party, statewide groups like the New Virginia Majority and local Democratic Party groups and 2018 electoral campaigns. The hard left has infiltrated the Democratic Party in virtually every state, from the largest cities to remote rural areas, from New York City and Los Angeles to North Dakota and Central Oregon. In rural areas in Republican-dominated states, the Democratic Party is often a shell, nothing more than a ballot line. It is easily conquered by disciplined socialist activists. In the big cities DSA and their friends can overwhelm local Democratic party branches by sheer weight of numbers. The shock primary victory of 29-year-old socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over high-ranking Queens Congressman Joe Crowley is but one of many examples. Our Revolution and the communists and socialists of the Left Inside/Outside Project are rapidly taking over the Democratic Party. All in all, the Democratic Party-aligned U.S. left can boast about 57,000 cadres. Support organizations and affiliated unions, churches, civic groups, and non-profits would add several hundred thousand more to that total. If well organized, these numbers are more than enough to solidly take over the Democratic Party. The party of FDR, Harry Truman, and LBJ is rapidly becoming the party of Marx, Lenin, and Mao. Voters need to be acutely aware of their choices when they go to the polls in 2018, 2020, and beyond. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, looks out from his soundproof glass dock during his trial in the capital Cairo, on September 8, 2018. (Mohamed el-Shahed/ AFP/Getty Images) Jailed UNESCO Award-Winner Photojournalist Soon to Be Released in Egypt Photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, winner of this years UNESCO Press Freedom Prize, is expected to be released soon from an Egyptian jail. He has been detained since his arrest in August 2013. Abu Zeid, also known as Shawkan, was arrested for covering mass protests against the military coup that immediately followed the removal of President Mohamed Morsi. Initial charges against Abu Zeidmurder and membership of a terrorist organizationcarry the death penalty. A court decision on Sept. 8 imposed a sentence of five years, which he has already served. He is expected to be released soon, but according to a tweet from his lawyer Karim Abdelrady, Abu Zeid will remain under police observation for five years. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the sentence and called for Abu Zeids full release without restrictions. His treatment, and that of scores of other journalists under Egypts totally discredited judicial system, is a stain on Egypt, said Sherif Mansour, CPJs Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. Press freedom organization, PEN America, called Abu Zeids conviction an absurd injustice. 75 Others Sentenced to Death While Abu Zeid received a shorter jail term, the court issued death sentences to 75 people, including prominent Islamist leaders. Over 600 people were jailed over the 2013 protests, which ended with hundreds of protesters being killed by security forces. Cases were dropped against five people who had died while in prison, judicial sources said, without giving further details. Amnesty International condemned the courts decision, calling the trial disgraceful. Human Rights Watch says more than 800 protesters, and possibly as many as 1,000, died in the 2013 clashes. The government originally claimed more than 40 police had died, but later said eight members of the security force were killed in the indecent. The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize, was created in 1997. The prize honors a person, organization, or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to defend and promote press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Reuters contributed to this report. Vice President Mike Pence at the 64th annual National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., on Nov. 11, 2017. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Obamas Speech That Broke Tradition, Criticized Trump Very Disappointing, Pence Says Vice President Mike Pence criticized former President Barack Obama in an interview aired on Sept. 9, for breaking with tradition and giving a speech filled with criticism of President Donald Trump. Traditionally, former presidents avoid criticizing their successors and dont take active roles in political affairs. Despite previously indicating that he would follow that norm, Obama broke with tradition on Sept. 7 with a speech kicking off his campaign blitz to help Democrats regain control of Congress in the 2018 midterm elections. It was very disappointing to see President Obama break with the tradition of former presidents, and become so political, and roll out the same tired arguments that he and liberals have made over the last eight years, Pence said in an interview on Fox News. The truth is, the American people in 2016 rejected the policy and direction of Barack Obama when they elected President Donald Trump. The vice president pointed out that the Trump administration inherited an economy growing at slightly more than 1 percent but has managed a turnaround with growth at 4.2 percent last quarter. Four million new jobs, unemployment at a 50-year low, Pence said. And to have President Obama come out and tout his policies that resulted in less than 2 percent growthwhich saw tax increases, Obamacare regulation, and a doubling of the national debtI think was very disappointing. In a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Obama accused Trump and Republicans of abusing power, dividing the country, threatening democracy, and cozying up to Russia. Trump ridiculed the speech at a during a fundraiser in North Dakota the same day. Im sorry, I watched it, but I fell asleep, he said. I found that hes very, very good for sleeping. Trump is conducting a campaign blitz of his own to help Republicans retain control of the House and Senate. Trump needs the GOP to maintain a majority in both chambers to continue delivering on his campaign promises. Obama hadnt publicly criticized Trump prior to the speech, although he took a veiled jab at the president in his eulogy for the late Sen. John McCain. Watch Next: President Donald J. Trump Committed to Protecting Religious Liberty President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative Southwest Airlines Passengers on 4 Separate Flights Possibly Exposed to Measles: Reports A number of Southwest Airlines passengers on four flights may have been exposed to measles, according to officials. The travelers shared flights on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 with someone from North Texas who was diagnosed with the measles, a highly contagious virus. Those flights went to Houston, Dallas, and Harlingen, Texas, Fox News reported. The Houston Health Department said it is trying to locate passengers who may have been exposed. USA Today, citing officials, reported that the person who had measles took four flights in two days. On Aug. 21, they were aboard Flight 5 from Dallas Love Field to Houston Hobby, and Flight 9 from Houston Hobby to Harlingen. And on Aug. 22, the flights were Flight 665 from Harlingen to Houston, and Flight 44 from Houston Hobby to Dallas Love Field. Our safety and security groups worked with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to support the agencys work in reaching our customers who traveled onboard four intra-Texas flights last week with a passenger later diagnosed with measles, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, citing a statement from Southwest Airlines. Weve shared awareness of the situation and protocols with our employees who also were onboard these aircraft. The infected traveler wont be identified. NBC 5 in Dallas reported that passengers on the flights received a letter from the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, telling them to watch for potential measles symptoms until Sept. 11. According to the CDC, Measles starts with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat. Its followed by a rash that spreads over the body. Measles virus is highly contagious virus and spreads through the air through coughing and sneezing. Measles symptoms usually include a high fever, a cough, a runny nose, and red and watery eyes, the CDC said. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth, it added. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body. When the rash appears, a persons fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the health agency. Reports of Sick Passengers Elsewhere On Sept. 5, there was a scare over a number of passengers who fell sick on an Emirates Airlines plane that landed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The CDC immediately quarantined the plane of 520 passengers so it could evaluate about 100 of them, according to The Associated Press. When officials did the evaluations, some had complained about coughs, headaches, sore throats, as well as fevers. A passenger on the plane uploaded video footage (seen at the top of the article) of how the incident was handled. Erin Sykes posted a video on Twitter of an official telling passengers to keep out of the planes aisles while telling them no baggage in the aisles. People were coughing the whole time. Now, some people have fevers over 100, Sykes told CNN. They should never had been allowed to board. Demonstrators in Leiyang, Hunan Province, China on Sept 1, 2018. (provided to The Epoch Times by interviewee) Suppression of Leiyang Protest Belies Chinese Regimes Financial Challenges On Sept. 1, hundreds of angry parents in the Chinese city of Leiyang gathered outside six schools to protest a government plan to place 9,000 fifth- and sixth-grade children in expensive, remote, hastily constructed, and formaldehyde-laced private boarding schools. When the protesting parents received no answers from the school authorities, they marched to a Leiyang government building and voiced their demands until riot police were sent to clear them early on Sept. 2. A large but indeterminate number of protesters were injured and 46 were arrested, locals say. Authorities in Leiyang, located in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, had made the decision in order to conform with a regulation from the central leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) designed to combat rising student-to-teacher ratios. Rising urbanization has caused the average class size to swell from 50 to 100 students. The CCP policy aims to bring the ratio down to 66 students per teacher. But lacking the financial means to expand the availability of public schooling to bring down class sizes, the Leiyang municipal government instead appears to have colluded with private investors, causing the public uproar. The unrest in Leiyang reflects a common problem faced by local authorities across China, who struggle to maintain public services and carry out policy as shrinking revenues brought on by a combination of corruption and economic malaise limit their ability to do so. Following initial protests and arrests, the number of demonstrators had risen to over 10,000, to which the police dispatched thousands of officers to control the crowd. Mr. Zhang, who was in the demonstration told The Epoch Times: There were people everywhere within a kilometer (0.6 mi). Most of the children and elderly went home before midnight, but the young and middle-aged were prepared to protest overnight, asking the police chief to resign. In the days following the protest, the police imposed strict watch over the city, particularly at the high-speed rail station and important intersections. According to Leiyang resident Chen Yanhui, who spoke to the New York-based NTD Television on Sept. 4, police tracked down those who had participated in the demonstrations and sought many of them out for conversations. Police said they released all the protesters, but we cant verify this and people dont believe them. Furthermore, its hard to count how many people were injured, a protester surnamed Li told The Epoch Times on Sept. 3. The authorities also issued threats to parents whose children were sent to the private schools, with a message saying if you plan on protesting, prepare for jail. Zhang said that the demonstrations were sparked by the high costs of tuition at the private schools in an area where the average monthly salary is around 2,000 yuan ($300). In multiple provinces across China, debt-laden local authorities are finding themselves hard-pressed to maintain upkeep, leading to protests among public employees. The Leiyang protests come just months after civil servants working for the municipal government complained about delayed salaries on June 13. The Leiyang government is several billion yuan in debt, and a recent audit by the Communist Party central leadership found that the Leiyang authorities had been hiding the true scope of the crisis. Data from 2012 to 2017 shows that of 31 provinces in China, only eastern Chinas Zhejiang experienced positive revenue. Chinas economy has been weakened by increasing wages, capital outflows, corruption, and recent tariffs imposed on it by the United States in response to Beijings protectionism and unwillingness to abide by fair trade practices. File photo of buildings in Syria damaged by the ongoing civil war. (MOHAMAD ABAZEED/AFP/Getty Images) Syria and Russia Resume Air Strikes in Rebel-held Idlib Russian and Syrian jets resumed intensive strikes in rebel-held Idlib and Hama on Sunday, Sept. 9, according to residents and rescuers. Damascus stepped up its assault on the rebels last major stronghold after a Russian-Iranian-Turkish summit failed to agree on a ceasefire. Residents and rescuers said Syrian army helicopters dropped barrel bombstypically filled with high explosives and shrapnelon al-Habeet and Abdin villages in southern Idlib and a string of other hamlets and villages in the area. The Syrian army denies using barrel bombs. However, United Nations investigators have extensively documented their use by the army. Russian jets were believed to have hit the nearby towns of Latamneh and Kafr Zeita in northern Hama in a succession of raids, according to an organization which monitors air strikes in Syria and a rebel source. Damascus, backed by allies Russia and Iran, has been preparing a major assault to recover Idlib and adjacent areas of the northwest. The province is the rebels last major stronghold of active opposition to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Warnings of a Bloodbath Russian and Syrian warplanes have resumed their bombing campaign a day after a summit of the presidents of Turkey, Iran, and Russia on Friday failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall the offensive. Turkey and Western powers have warned of a bloodbath if a major Russian-backed bombing campaign is launched in the heavily populated northwestern province that borders Turkey. The United Nations also said it feared a full-scale offensive could cause a humanitarian catastrophe involving tens of thousands of civilians. So far the aerial strikes have not hit a major city in the province where over three million civilians, many displaced from other areas, have found refuge in the course of the conflict. Russia says it avoids civilians and only targets radical al Qaeda-inspired groups but opposition sources and residents say most of the casualties in the last few days were civilians. The opposition accuses Russia and its allies of striking at hospitals and civil defense centers to force rebels to surrender in a repeat of earlier, large-scale military offensives. A U.S.-based medical charity that operates in the provinces said three hospitals and two civil defense centers were bombed in the last two days, leaving thousands with no access to medical care. It is distressing to see a rise in attacks on medical facilitiesThere are over three million civilians in this crowded area of Syria who are in a life-threatening situation, Ghanem Tayara, head of Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) said in a statement. The Idlib Kill Box Conundrum Many fear the Syrian regime has set up Idlib as an area into which foes are being funneled for a final decisive defeat, with Arab officials warning of the potential for Idlib to become a kill box. Free Syrian Army-aligned rebel commanders concur. They have been making the kill box argument since Russian-backed regime forces last December drove insurgents from Aleppo. Western military tacticians have suggested that concentrating the enemies of the Syrian government into a single kill-zone was the strategy of Russian and Iranian commanders, who have been providing crucial support to the regimes war machine. The conundrum is that Idlib is at once the last vestige of refuge for millions, and a region firmly controlled by the jihadist alliance Heiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has rejected de-escalation. Idlib, according to Hassan Hassan, a senior fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, is the only major enclave in Syria where the former official branch of Al Qaeda dominates. No force in the country appears to be ready to fight a sustained battle to reclaim the province in the foreseeable future. Russia, Iran, and Western powers all view HTS an irreconcilable terrorist organization that must be defeated by force. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), via its digital service Reliefweb, published a report (pdf) by the International Crisis Group called Averting Disaster in Syrias Idlib Province. The ICG argues that the way to prevent Idlib from turning into a bloodbath is for Turkey to work with moderate rebels in the province to overthrow hardline Islamists and work toward a permanent peace. Turkey should deploy along the front line in cooperation with Russia, which should press the Syrian regime to delay, or even desist from, its assault, the ICG writes. This would buy time for renewed Turkish efforts to curtail transnational jihadist influence within HTS in favour of militants more open to de-escalation and compromise. With the apparent growing appetite on the part of the Syrian government for military intervention in Idlib, the ICG call is becoming increasingly urgent. Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Director L. Francis Cissna of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), speaks during a press briefing at the White House, on Dec.12, 2017. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Trump Administration May Require Immigrants to Be Able to Support Themselves Financially A long-anticipated plan to enforce provisions in the nations immigration laws that require prospective immigrants to be able to support themselves financiallyso-called public-charge provisionsmight be introduced by the Trump administration this month. The proposed regulations, defining the phrase public charge under Section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, may be published this fall, and possibly as early as this month, according to a person close to the rulemaking process of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who requested anonymity. Left-wing advocacy organizations have attacked any attempt to formally define public charge as being cruel and xenophobic, and aimed at drastically curtailing the flow of immigrants to the United States. But the lengths to which the new regulation will go remain to be seen. Francis Cissna, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency within DHS, discussed a possible draft of the regulation during an Aug. 15 event at the National Press Club in Washington, hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies. The goal is not to reduce immigration or, in some diabolical fashion, shut the door on people, family-based immigration, or anything like that, Cissna said. The goal is simply to enforce a ground of inadmissibility to this country thats been on the books for about 100well, more than 100 years. Cissna said the public-charge section in the law, a provision that has hardly ever been enforced, states that an alien who in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the secretary of Homeland Security at the time of application for admission or adjustment of statusgetting a green cardis likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible. The phrase likely to become a public charge has never been, as far as I know interpreted in any regulation, he said. There was an attempt in the 1990s to define the expression, but it was dropped. Cissna said the administration wants to issue proper regulations open to full public comment, to, at long last, interpret what that means. A document purporting to be a copy of the draft regulation was published online by The Washington Post. It states: Aliens who are seeking adjustment of status or an immigrant visa, or who are applicants for admission, must establish that they are not likely at any time to become a public charge. Moreover, DHS will require aliens seeking an extension of stay or change of status demonstrate that they are not using or receiving, nor likely to use or receive, public benefits. The public-charge principle has been part of the American experience for centuries. As James R. Edwards Jr. wrote in a 2001 paper for the Center for Immigration Studies, Public-charge doctrine has been part of American immigration law since colonial days. The English colony of Massachusetts enacted the earliest American public-charge laws in 1645. The arrival in the colonies of undesirables spurred other colonies to enact similar laws. By the end of the seventeenth century, American colonists were especially reluctant to extend a welcome to impoverished foreigners and the rogues and vagabonds that England had so graciously decided she could spare. Many colonies protected themselves against public charges through such measures as mandatory reporting of ship passengers, immigrant screening and exclusion upon arrival of designated undesirables, and requiring bonds for potential public charges, he wrote. Watch Next: Texas Sheriff Talks About Why Sanctuaries Dont Help Public Safety Bob Wendorff with his grandchildren before a Make America Great Again rally in Billings, Mont., on Sept. 6, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trump Supporters in Montana Weigh In on Kavanaugh Nomination Chaos BILLINGS, Mont.Diving straight into the chaotic Supreme Court nomination hearings after Labor Day was a shock to many. But the obstruction and protests by Democrats struck Trump supporters in Montana as being over the top. Retiree Bob Wendorff said hes been following the confirmation process of Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I think the way he is being treated by some of the senators is absolutely ridiculous, Wendorff said before a Trump rally in Billings, Montana, on Sept. 6. During the opening day of the hearings, as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) attempted to make his opening statement, he was interrupted for a full hour by Democratic senators pressing for an adjournment. Protests and disruptions ensued all day, with Kavanaugh giving his opening remarks at the end. Kavanaugh kept his cool under three subsequent days of intense questioning by Democrats and didnt have any major stumbles. Many pundits characterized the proceedings as a 2020 Democrat campaign bid for president. Theyre insane. Theyre afraid that theyre going to lose some of their power and a lot of the things theyve pushed through and thats why theyre fighting tooth and nail, Wendorff said. But theyre going a little overboard. If Republicans had ever treated Obama the way that theyre treating some of the Trump appointees, they would have had an absolute fit. Democrats and protesters are concerned that having Kavanaugh on the bench would signal an overturn of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. However, Kavanaugh called the legislation settled as precedent of the Supreme Court. One of the important things to keep in mind about Roe v. Wade is that it has been reaffirmed many times, he said. Wendorff said he has read up on Kavanaugh and believes he will do an excellent job. We need more judges that will go by the rule of law and the Constitution, instead of trying to write their own way in and changing the laws as they go. Theres been too much of that, he said. Kavanaugh was asked during the hearing on Sept. 5 by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) about whether he was picked because of an expectation of loyalty to Trump. My only loyalty is to the Constitution. Im an independent judge, Kavanaugh said. Kavanaugh, 53, is President Donald Trumps second nominee to the countrys highest court, after Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was sworn in on April 10. The balance of the nine-seat Supreme Court will be more conservative if Kavanaugh is confirmed; he would replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was often the swing vote on the bench. Kennedy announced his retirement in June. More Qualified Hertha Voorhis attended the Trump rally with a friend who drove eight hours from West Glacier, Montana, to be there. Voorhis, 62, is a pharmacist who owns a pharmacy in Billings. She said Kavanaugh is a fabulous choice for Supreme Court. His qualifications make him more qualified to be a Supreme Justice than anyone, probably, thats ever been nominated, she said. I believe he will be very fair. I think he will use the Constitution and make judgments based on the Constitution of this country. Voorhis said the Constitutional documents are as solid today as they were 250 years ago, and I think its time that we honor that. She said she thinks Trump very much believes in the Constitution. He knows the absolute blessings that our forefathers gave this country. Voorhis said she loves that Trump is a businessman and doesnt view him as being either a Democrat or Republican. Hes a pragmatist. Hes a man who sees a problem and wants to fix it, she said. His vision is exactly what I envisioned for America. I love this country, and Donald Trump loves this country, too, and hes doing it for the right reason. Civility Gone Army veteran Kendall McRae said he has been following the Kavanaugh nomination closely. I think civility has gone out the window, he said, referring to Democrats. Theres a lot of information that has been released and yet theyre asking questions like theyve never been given access to anything hes done. I think that under those circumstances there should be a lot more civility and a lot more really honest questions rather than just gotcha questions. McRae said he appreciates judges that follow the law; hence his support for Kavanaugh. He also has high praise for what Trump has accomplished so far during his presidency. I talked to my wife about it this morning, I cant think of a single decision hes made I dont agree with, he said. I like the fact he moved the embassy to Jerusalem; I like his foreign policythe way hes talking with other nations; I like the fact he got us out of some of those trade agreements; I like the way the economy is beginning to come back. I like the direction hes taking the country, I agree with him a lot. Unbelievable Ed Halland, 68, retired after 42 years working in the federal government in the departments of Interior and Energy. He said the partisanship in the Supreme Court nomination process is ridiculous and the worst hes ever seen it. I cant believe how childish these people are. Civil discourse has gone out the windowthey dont even want to listen to anything thats going on, he said. Theyve made up their mindsat least the Democrats haveand its unbelievable to me to see the direction that theyve gone. For the People Homemaker Monica Myers, 64, said she has been following the nomination process enough to know the Demos are putting him through the press. She said Kavanaugh is a great man who stands for the Constitution and he should be nominated. Myers said she believes Trump wants things to be right and for the people, adding that he needs our prayers. Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and Kavanaugh is expected to win confirmation before the Supreme Court convenes on Oct. 1 for its fall session. The judiciary committee plans to make its recommendation to the Senate this week, and after any delays put forth by Democrats, the full Senate will vote. Trump Touts Progress After Pyongyang Yanks ICBMs From Parade President Donald Trump thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following reports that a military parade held in Pyongyang didnt feature any intercontinental ballistic missiles. To mark the 70th anniversary of its founding, the communist regime staged a military parade on Sept. 9 focused on conventional arms, peace, and economic development. Unlike the prior years, the parade didnt include ballistic missiles and wasnt accompanied by a nuclear test, prompting a celebratory tweet from the U.S. president. This is a big and very positive statement from North Korea. Thank you To Chairman Kim, Trump wrote on Twitter on Sept. 9. We will both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! Much better than before I took office. Kim, joined by a special envoy from China and officials from other nations, reviewed columns of soldiers and tanks, followed by crowds waving flags and flowers. According to Chinese state television, Kim told the Chinese envoy that North Korea is now focusing on economic development, and wishes to learn from Beijing. North Korea upholds the consensus of the Singapore meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States and has taken steps for it, and hopes the United States takes corresponding steps, to jointly promote the political resolution process for the peninsula issue, Kim said, according to the Chinese state television report. Trump has promised North Korea a prosperous future if Kim carries out his commitment to completely, irreversibly, and verifiably abandon nuclear weapons. Pyongyang has used military parades to show off the progress of its missile program. That trend was less apparent this year, a sign that Kim is serious about commitments he made at the summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump. This years parade was dedicated instead to economic development and reunifying North and South Korea. The two countries are still technically at war and have been since 1950, since no peace treaty has been signed to replace the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War. A giant float showing wind power plants, dams, a modern train, and solar panels rolled down the parade route under the slogan, All our might to build economy! alongside men marching in work gear. North Koreas titular head of state, Kim Yong Nam, told a crowd at the parade that Pyongyang has reached a status as a military power and will now shift focus to growing the economy. Several floats featured the unification theme and a group of North Koreans waved unification flags. All Koreans should join forces to accomplish unification in our generation. Unification is the only way Koreans can survive, said an editorial in North Koreas party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Kim and Moon are scheduled to meet Sept. 1820 in Pyongyang. The pair will discuss denuclearization, according to officials in Seoul. Kims Letter Signs of trouble between North Korea and the United States arose last month when Trump canceled a scheduled Pyongyang trip by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a new envoy for North Korea, citing insufficient progress on denuclearization as the reason for the cancellation. Despite the cancellation, Trump sent warm wishes to Kim and indicated that he looks forward to meeting soon. The president also said that China wasnt enforcing economic sanctions on North Korea as diligently as before because of Washingtons tough trade stance on China. South Korean officials say that Kim wants to denuclearize North Korea within Trumps first term. Trump said on Sept. 7 that Kim had sent him a letter and suggested that the message will reveal more progress. Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies who studies imagery for clues about North Koreas emerging nuclear and missile programs, said the parades military component appeared to be scaled down this year. I am very curious to hear what is in the letter to Trump, because this parade could have been more provocative, Hanham said. Satellite evidence has shown that North Korea is continuing missile-related activities, such as testing solid fuel motors, she added. Kim was seen laughing and holding hands up with Chinese parliament chief Li Zhanshu as he oversaw the festivities at Pyongyangs main Kim Il Sung Square on a clear autumn day. Kim waved to the crowd before leaving but didnt make any public remarks. North Korea has invited a large group of foreign journalists to cover a military parade and other events to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding. That includes iconic mass games that Pyongyang is organizing for the first time in five years, a huge, nationalist pageant performed by as many as 100,000 people in one of the worlds largest stadiums. Both the mass games and the military parade have been criticized by human-rights advocates and North Korean defectors for the pressure placed on performers and for painting a distorted picture of the country through stage-managed displays. But thousands of jovial North Koreans clapped in unison and rallied support for their leader Kim. A concert on Sept. 8 attended by Kim Yong Nam and foreign delegations featured little in the way of martial messaging or images, with only a few American bombers shown briefly in footage of the 195053 Korean War. Reuters contributed to this report. A dairy cow cleans her newly born calf on a dairy farm in Saint-Valerien-de-Milton, southeast of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 30, 2018. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo U.S. Agriculture Chief Says Canada Must Make Concessions on Dairy Policy for NAFTA Deal Canada must end its low-price milk proteins policy to reach a U.S.Canadian deal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said. Canada has encouraged overproduction and flooded export markets for milk proteins used in cheese and yogurt, hurting U.S. dairy farmers, Perdue said in an interview aired on Sept. 9 on C-SPAN television. Our farmers dont have access to the Canadian markets the way that they have access to us. Class 7 has to go. It cant be renamed something or called something else, Perdue said, when asked about dairy concessions needed to reach a NAFTA deal, referring to a new milk class created last year by Canada to price milk ingredients such as protein concentrates, skim milk and whole milk powder. It allowed them to export milk solids on the world market and below prices that cut into our opportunity for our dairy people to have access to that world market, Perdue said. Canadas closed, $16 billion dairy market is among the last sticking points in talks between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, which broke up Sept. 7 without a deal. Talks are expected to resume after Lighthizer travels to Brussels for trade talks with European Union trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom on Sept 10. A spokesman for Freeland couldnt immediately be reached for comment on Perdues remarks. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow last week said milk was the main issue standing in the way of a NAFTA deal. In an interview with Canadas Global News network published Sept. 9, Freeland declined to discuss specific issues in the talks and noted that Kudlow is not at the negotiating table. Freeland added that to achieve a NAFTA deal, Its going to take flexibility on all sides. By David Lawder The best friend of Sergei Skripal has revealed the Russian spy suspected retribution was coming in the weeks before he was poisoned. Speaking for the first time, Ross Cassidy said Mr Skripal who betrayed dozens of his old comrades to MI6 seemed spooked and changed his mobile phone amid concern it was being monitored. On the day before the Novichok attack, Mr Cassidy and his wife drove the 67-year-old to Heathrow to pick up his daughter Yulia, 33, who had flown in from Moscow. Best friend of Sergei Skripal (pictured right) has revealed the Russian spy suspected retribution was coming in the weeks before he and his daughter Yulia (left) were poisoned Sources close to the investigation said Mr Skripal told detectives they were then followed home to Salisbury. This newspaper has learned that the security services believe a second team in addition to the two-man hit squad accused last week of the attempted murder of the Skripals were involved in the operation. Interpol has been put on red alert to detain the two GRU intelligence agents, who use the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. But others, also still at large, are suspected of tracking the Skripals movements. Mr Cassidy, 62, a former submariner, said: In hindsight, with some of the things Sergei said, he suspected retribution was coming. Sergei was very apprehensive. It was as though he knew something was up. Had he been tipped off or heard that things were moving against him back in Russia? One thing is for sure. He was unusually twitchy. He was spooked. The Mail on Sunday can also reveal that the security services are investigating the possibility that UK Border Forces computer systems were hacked to enable Petrov and Boshirov to pass easily through Gatwick passport control. Something has overridden the system to allow them to come in unhindered that is what is being investigated now, said a highly placed source. Ross Cassidy (left) said Mr Skripal (right) seemed spooked and changed his mobile phone amid concern it was being monitored Petrov and Boshirov arrived at Gatwick from Moscow at 3pm on Friday, March 2. Police said that the next day they travelled to Salisbury by train on a reconnaissance mission, arriving at 2.25pm. By this time Sergei Skripal, Mr Cassidy and his wife Mo were at Heathrow awaiting Yulias flight. Police say Novichok was sprayed on to the front door handle of the Skripals house the following afternoon between midday and about 1pm. Sergei and Yulia became ill around three hours later. But Mr Cassidy questions the police timeline. It is his understanding that Sergei and Yulia were at home until 1pm. And he said Mr Skripals heightened state of awareness would have frustrated any attack in broad daylight. He said: I spent hours and hours with the Counter Terrorism Command being interviewed and talking about this attack. I found their work on this inquiry very thorough and meticulous. Every little detail was talked about and refined over and over again. I have the utmost respect for these officers. I find it very difficult to dispute their findings. Russia's shadowy 'Wagner Group' Russia has set up a 70,000-strong private army, the Wagner Group, which has been deployed in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and central Africa while allowing the Kremlin to deny any official involvement. The force, inspired by the controversial American private contractor Blackwater, is the brainchild of a former GRU spetsnaz commando colonel, Dmitry Utkin, an admirer of Hitler whose nom-de-guerre comes from the Fuhrers favourite composer, Richard Wagner. The Wagner Group is registered in Argentina but has a training base next to the GRUs 10th Independent Special Forces base at Molkino in south-west Russia. It is believed the business brain behind the Wagner Group is Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as Putins chef, who served nine years in jail in the Soviet era for running teenage prostitutes. Prigozhin ran a hot dog stall in St Petersburg and became a celebrity chef with restaurants such as New Island, where Putin takes foreign dignitaries. He became hugely wealthy by providing most of the catering for Russias huge military. He has since been accused of running internet troll factories. The Wagner Group was first detected in Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014. Three Russian journalists investigating the group were murdered in July. Advertisement However, I was surprised that they said the Novichok was placed on the Sunday lunchtime. I have always thought it was placed on the Saturday afternoon when we were collecting Yulia from Heathrow, or even Saturday night. These guys are professional assassins. It would have been far too brazen for them to have walked down a dead end cul-de-sac in broad daylight on a Sunday lunchtime. Sergeis house faces up the cul-de-sac. He had a converted garage that he used as his office this gives a full view of the street. Almost always, Sergei used to open the door to us before we had chance to knock. Whenever we visited, hed see us approaching. Something had spooked Sergei in the weeks prior to the attack. He was twitchy, I dont know why, and he even changed his mobile phone. You might say the precise timings dont matter. But they do matter because they dont currently make sense. Mr Cassidy was among the first Britons to befriend Mr Skripal when he arrived in the UK after a 2010 spy-swap with the Kremlin. He said: While I was aware he was a former Russian agent, we never discussed it because I felt it was none of my business. And besides we had good fun. To me, Sergei was just a nice guy, very approachable and funny and liked a drink. All the aspects that appealed to me in a friendship. US Adopts More Holistic Approach to Defending Itself: Expert An expert on global competitiveness sees the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as bringing a more holistic approach to the defense of the United States. The National Defense Authorization Act is a recognition at all levels of the economy from the supply chains to the defense industrial base to military deployment that we need to have the most robust national security system in the world to protect our interests fully, said Stephen Ezell, Vice President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Ezell told New Tang Dynasty, a member of the Epoch Media Group, that his overall impression of the NDAA signed by President Trump on Aug. 13 is the defense package clearly shows that the United States is intending to take a more active navy presence in the Pacific Ocean and a more active presence globally. But more broadly, it is a recognition that there is a need to respond through a holistic set of national security measures, not only defense and navy but also our core economic assets, so that these factors go hand in hand. Eventually the ability of a nation to fuel a strong economy gives us the ability to underpin a robust national security apparatus. These aspects are reflected in the NDAA. Ezell also noted that the Act is also meant to revitalize the U.S. manufacturing communities and defense industrial supply chains. Protecting US Core Technologies One of the key components of the NDAA is FIRRMA (Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018). The Bill has been tasked with ensuring foreign investments in the United States dont harm its national security. In recent years, it was reported Chinese enterprises have been trying to take the ownership of American technology companies by making venture capital investments. These actions put the Trump administration and Congress on alert. Ezell said it is important to contextualize the nature of Chinese economic strategy and global competition to understand the intent of the NDAA. China is focused on the strategy of technology upgrade, moving up the value chain to higher value in forms of production and a wide range of production industries such as advanced manufacturing, biosciences, information and communication technology. These goals are reflected in the China Made 2025 Strategy which covers twelve key sectors that China wants to be globally competitive. The way China has tried to pursue this technology upgrade is through a number of mechanisms. Some are legitimate, and some are unfair trade practices. When China wants to compete by investing more in its science and research development, graduating more engineers to make China more globally competitively, thats fine, Ezell said. However, when China deploys other practices such as plagiarizing intellectual property, placing conditions on foreign enterprises competing in China such as requiring them to transfer technology or imposing conditional market access, these types of practices are not consonant with Chinas commitment to the WTO. And these are the practices U.S. policies are trying to tackle. China has attempted to pursue the path to its technology upgrade by making investment in foreign enterprises either in order to wholesale acquire them or take positions on boards, or to be in a position where they can have access to non-public technical information. These can be source code or core technologies. But these simply represent the core intellectual property and knowledge. When we see these across the board, there has been more attention placed to Chinese attempted purchases of large enterprises such as KUKA from Germany or Micron (Technology) from the U.S. Ezell also suggested that recent Chinese government-funded investments, often through venture capital firms, are looking to invest or even acquire technology startups in Silicon Valley. With that in context, the new piece of legislation called FIRRMA will expand the criteria available for CFIUS [Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.] to screen broader ranges of these transactions including cases where foreign persons are coming in possession of materials with non-public information or for circumstances in which investment will give a foreign person a different controlling stake in technology companies in the United States. So FIRRMA does represents a very significant expansion of the U.S. governments ability to review transactions by foreign individuals or companies and to control the U.S. technology or enterprises. Ezell remarked. Different Approach to China In terms of different approaches to China taken by the Trump administration and the previous administration, Ezell noted There is a recognition from the Trump administration that the tactics and strategies pursued by previous administrations were failing to prevail on China to adhere to its commitment made to the international organizations like WTO. So the Trump administration is taking a firmer stance through mechanisms such as bringing cases before the WTO, and levying tariffs, particularly on imports from Chinese advanced technology industries. So we are going to take a firmer line on China and insist that it is time that the country adheres to both the spirit and the letter of the commitments it made in organizations like WTO. Finally, Ezell believes that the Trump administration will be more successful in its policies towards China. Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert holds a press briefing at the Department of State in Washington on July 31, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) US Recalls Top Diplomats From 3 Latin American Countries Over Break With Taiwan U.S. ambassadors to El Salvador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic were called back to the United States over the three countries decision to break ties with Taiwan. Panama cut diplomatic relations with the small island nation in June last year, followed by the Dominican Republic in May, and El Salvador last month, leaving just 17 nations with which Taiwan maintains formal relations. Our three chiefs of mission will meet with U.S. government leaders to discuss ways in which the United States can support strong, independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement. As I said yesterday before their decision was announced,their would be real consequences in our relationship with #ElSalvador if they broke with #Taiwan in favor of #China. They think we are going to react the same way we did to #Panama & #DominicanRepublic. They are very wrong. Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 21, 2018 The Sept. 7 announcement came three days after Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced a bill called the TAIPEI Act that would allow the secretary of state to modify diplomatic relations with and foreign aid to countries that break off relations with Taiwan. Beijing has been seeking to bring Taiwan into its fold since the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan after losing to Chinese Communist Party forces in 1949. The Chinese regime considers Taiwan a province of the mainland and has tried to eliminate any references to it as an independent country. The United States switched diplomatic recognition to the Peoples Republic of China from Taiwan in 1979, but the Taiwan Relations Act, passed shortly after, provides for de facto diplomatic relations with Taiwan and provision for its self-defense needs. After El Salvador cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the White House put out a statement accusing China of luring the country away with promises of state-backed investment, and warning that any economic benefits China could offer would facilitate economic dependency and domination, not partnership. The White House also said it would be re-evaluating its relationship with El Salvador in light of its decision. This is a decision that affects not just El Salvador, but also the economic health and security of the entire Americas region, it said in a statement. A Chinese student checks out various university booths during an International Education Expo in Beijing on May 8, 2008. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) US Report Shows Chinas Infringement on Academic Freedom on US College Campuses Academic freedom at U.S. universities is under siege because of interference by Beijing, according to a report by a Washington-based research organization. Anastasya Lloyd-Damnjanovic, a researcher at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, detailed Beijings tactics in a 143-page report titled, A Preliminary Study of PRC Political Influence and Interference Activities in American Higher Education. China has ranked first for eight consecutive years as the top country of origin for foreign students studying at U.S. colleges and universities in the United States. That includes 350,755 students from China on American campuses in the 2016-2017 academic year, according to Lloyd-Damnjanovics report. Lloyd-Damnjanovic interviewed more than 100 college faculty members, in addition to many college students and administrators, between December 2017 and June 2018. Additionally, she consulted academic studies, official reports, and news reports, to draw her conclusions. Her research revealed that Chinese diplomats stationed in the United States often tried to influence speech at U.S. colleges about China, either by probing or using intimidating forms of conversation with faculty and staffers. Pressuring School Faculty For example, Robert Barnett, a former faculty member at Columbia University, told Lloyd-Damnjanovic in an interview that he was visited frequently by Chinese officials from Chinas New York consulate office, to pressure him into supporting Beijings policies in Tibet. The officials sought to know Barnetts position on changes in American policy toward the region and U.S. officials plans to meet with Tibets spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Barnett said he suspected these Chinese officials either worked for Chinas intelligence agency or Chinas United Front Work Department. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invaded Tibet in 1949, declaring it a part of Chinese territory. The Party has since enacted harsh controls over the Tibetans way of life, particularly by suppressing their Tibetan Buddhist faith. The CCP has continually pressured the international community to fall in line with Beijings stance to delegitimize the faith, including by ostracizing businesses and individuals who express support for the Dalai Lama. The United Front, once referred to by former CCP leader Mao Zedong as a critical weapon in the communist revolution, carries out covert operations inside and outside the Chinese border. Overseas, it recruits spies and infiltrates Chinese communities to spread Party propaganda and persuade local Chinese to agree with Beijings policies. Another incident took place at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where a staff member recalled being pointedly questioned by Chinese officials visiting from the Chicago consulate about an incident in 2002. An altercation had occurred between Tibetans and a mainland Chinese student, who was then the president of the schools Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA). Such university student groups, geared toward international students from mainland China, are known to be recruited and monitored by Beijing to assist in carrying out the CCPs agenda. One senior consular official asked the staff member why she didnt do more to help the CSSA president. Such Chinese diplomats also arranged delegations from China to visit U.S. colleges and universities and meet with academics and professors to discuss sensitive subjects, such as Tibet; the Falun Gong spiritual group, persecuted by the CCP since 1999; Uyghurs persecuted in the Xinjiang region; Taiwan, also claimed by Beijing as part of its territory; and Chinese democracy activists. According to Lloyd-Damnjanovics report, some of these visits served the purpose of spreading the Chinese regimes propaganda about those topics. U.S. professors who study topics considered sensitive by Beijing may also be offered bribes or be threatened by Chinese officials. For instance, Xia Ming, a professor at the City University of New York (CUNY), recalled that he received a phone call from New Yorks China consulate office, offering him money if he withdrew from participating in the making of the HBO documentary Chinas Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province. Xia said he was told by the consulate that he would pay the price if [he] went ahead with the movie. The documentary, co-produced by Xia, was about the earthquake in southwestern Chinas Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008, that killed about 70,000 people; many of them were children who died when their poorly constructed schools collapsed. In 2009, the documentary was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Student Pressure Some Chinese students studying at U.S. colleges have been recruited by Beijing to help promote its causes. For example, these students might demand that professors or instructors alter their language or teaching materials, pressure their school to cancel academic activities, monitor other students and activities on campus, and probe faculty for informationall to defend Beijings agenda on sensitive content. For example, a faculty member from the University of Denver recalled two instances of harassment in the form of student emails after he gave a lecture about the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989, which left scores of pro-democracy protesters dead. In one of the emails, a Chinese student accused the faculty member of lying about the number of casualties, and insisted that nobody died in the incident. Future Steps Lloyd-Damnjanovic offers several suggestions for U.S. schools and American policymakers to prevent Chinese influence. Schools should work with federal law enforcement, she said, and report instances of Chinese diplomats pressuring or threatening retaliation against staff at American colleges. Lloyd-Damnjanovic also suggested that the U.S. government declare persona non grata status to Chinese officials in the United States if they pressure American universities or their staff. In diplomacy, a person declared persona non grata is prohibited from entering or remaining in a given country. Additionally, universities could set up a reporting system so school faculty and students can report cases of interference and infringement, she suggested. NORWALK Neighbors requests to shut down F&G Constructions storage yard on Meadow Street in South Norwalk is on hold for now awaiting an opinion from the citys law department. It seems to me that what we need to do, rather than just continue to hash this over, is to continue this public hearing and give it to the corporation counsel so that we can get an opinion, Norwalk Zoning Commission Chairman Nathan Sumpter said Thursday after hearing from residents and F&Gs attorney at City Hall. Elizabeth Suchy, the attorney who has represented F&G Construction since June, earlier Thursday questioned in writing whether the commission has the authority to revoke a permit once it has been issued. When we discovered and we did some research and found that the regulations may be inadequate with respect to what kinds enforcement opportunities you can employ, we felt compelled to provide you with that information, Suchy told the commission. At issue is F&G Constructions operation of a contractors storage yard on Lajoies Auto Parts property at 46 Meadow St. While the company was granted a city permit to operate the yard, its actual use of the property has exceeded whats permitted, according to Norwalk Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning Michael Wrinn. Using a map, Wrinn showed F&G Constructions use of the site extended beyond the two limited storage areas approved in the permit. He named erosion control and wind-borne dust as problems. Suchy acknowledged that materials were stored beyond where they were allowed, but added cleanup efforts have been underway for a month and should wrap up in several weeks. A lot has happened on the site, Suchy said. Commissioners expressed little patience for the companys violation of its permit. The public got involved and is involved and they felt there was a need for this, Sumpter said of the permit revocation request. Residents of Village Creek Association, a 65-household neighborhood organization, were among the neighbors whove asked the Zoning Commission to revoke F&Gs permit. Teresa Petersen, vice president of the Village Creek board of directors, was among those speaking at the public hearing Thursday evening. She described the F&G Constructions storage yard at 46 Meadow St. as part of a broader problem of violations in South Norwalk. We frustrated. Theres nothing we can do except write letters and sit in meetings and beg you guys to please help us, Petersen said. So were asking you to revoke this permit, not just because theyre chronic violators who will continue to do this but other yards have to understand they need to get compliant. NORWALK The Norwalk Common Councils Public Works Committee wants a little more lead time built into an over-height vehicle detection system aimed at keeping oversize trucks from striking the Metro-North Railroad Bridge above Washington Street. Rather than install the laser detection system near the bridge, the committee has asked if one sensor could be placed a block away at Water Street. The issue is trying to catch it (a truck) before it hits Washington Street or before it gets too far on South Main Street, said Councilman Douglas Hempstead, a District D Republican on the committee. I mean, backing a truck out in SoNo is not a good thing, either. Can you catch it at the light there at the corner of Water Street? While a large truck striking and getting stuck under the railroad bridge can jam up traffic in the heart of SoNo, so also can a truck having to back up along shop-and-restaurant-lined Washington Street, the committee concluded. Its a great idea and it needs to be done, said Councilman George Tsiranides, a District D unaffiliated voter on the committee. I like that fact that theres state funding associated with this so the city is not coming completely out of pocket for it. If theres a way to get it (placed), at least on the Washington Street and Water Street side, before they start down Washington Street. Michael Yeosock, assistant principal engineer in the Norwalk Department of Public Works, said the system would alert trucks early enough in three of the four approaches to the bridge. At issue for committee members was the approach along Washington Street from Water Street. More News Norwalk aims to reduce Washington Street bridge strikes with lasers We could definitely work with the state to see if we could correct that location a little bit, Yeosock said of the committees request to install a detector at the intersection of Water and Washington streets. After discussion, the committee advanced Tuesday a resolution stating the citys support for the over-height vehicle detection system for the Washington Street Metro-North Railroad Bridge. The council will take up the matter this Tuesday evening. With a substandard vertical clearance of 11 feet, 2 inches, the Metro-North Railroad Bridge over Washington and South Main streets has been the site of numerous bridge strikes and traffic congestion over the years, Yeosock wrote in a memorandum to council members. Despite the fact that there are several signage on the various approaches to the bridge structure, the bridge strikes have continued, Yeosock wrote. As a result, the City had applied for and received a federal local road accident reduction grant aimed to reduce the number of bridge strikes. The grant will allow the public works department to install an active warning system consisting of an infrared over-height vehicle detector and a full-matrix variable message sign. Such systems have been found to be up to 80 percent effective in reducing bridge strikes. This is far greater than the 10-20% effectiveness of passive systems such as signage of the 30% - 50% effectiveness of sacrificial system like crash impact beams or hang bars, Yeosock wrote. In addition, sacrificial systems can cost upwards of $100,000 per approach. The project would install foundations, message poles and variable message signs on all four approaches to the railroad bridge, which crosses diagonally above the intersection of Washington and North and South Main streets in the heart of SoNo. A Federal Highway Administration grant would cover 90 percent of the $450,000 project. That would leave the city picking up $45,000 of the cost, according to city officials. On Aug. 22, the public works department held a public information meeting to outline the project. After taking into consideration comments received at the meeting, the department recommended advancing design of the system. During this design process, the Department will work with the neighborhood, other stakeholders, and the State to design a project that will greatly benefit the area and protect the safety of the public, Yeosock wrote council members. This appeared in Sunday's Washington Post. - - - As the midterm elections approach, one thing is clear: Neither the Trump administration nor Congress has done enough to deter Russia and other hostile foreign powers from interfering in the U.S. democratic process. That is despite the Kremlin's clear record of meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and despite consistent warnings from intelligence professionals and other experts that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to continue his influence campaigns. Too much of the conversation has so far focused on defending the nation from attacks with better cybersecurity and election technologies. That is needed. But a more potent strategy would convince Putin and others that the consequences of even trying to penetrate American defenses are too grave to risk. Finally, nearly two years after the 2016 vote, members of Congress are getting closer to imposing a more robust deterrence policy. Two bipartisan bills have been introduced, one shepherded by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and the aptly named DETER Act, whose leading co-sponsors are Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.),and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. The Senate Banking and Foreign Relations committees held hearings Wednesday and Thursday in which witnesses such as former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and former undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns, both respected experts, endorsed a deterrence approach. "Putin's a rational person," Burns said. "He'll understand that those are going to be the penalties; we've got to make sure that he perceives we're serious about it." One idea is to meet future Kremlin aggression with tough, automatic sanctions. These could target the Russian energy sector, without which the country would not have much of an economy. Individualized sanctions could be aimed at top Putin cronies. Russian sovereign debt could be rendered radioactive in the West. President Donald Trump could be legally required to impose these punishments. On top of threatening massive automatic sanctions, Congress could give federal prosecutors more authority to go after botnets and cyber wrongdoers. One of the more creative suggestions is imposing new reporting requirement on large, suspicious real estate transactions, which might help crack down on foreign money laundering via cash purchases of expensive U.S. property. The White House has been drawing up an executive order that might cover some of these bases, and senior administration officials have been working with members of Congress to craft a strategy with enough bite to satisfy lawmakers and enough flexibility to allay concerns in the executive branch about being locked into a long-term sanctions policy that might not be appropriate in future circumstances or one that inadvertently harms European allies. Given Trump's past weakness on Putin, whatever policy that results must present the Kremlin with a sure, credible deterrent. To that end, it would be better if it were written into law rather than just an executive order. It would also be better if it came sooner rather than later. As it stands, there is little time for deterrence before November's vote. The message from now through 2020 must be clear and consistent. YMCA to hand out Distinguished Citizen Awards The Riverbrook Regional YMCA named Dr. Susan G. Weinberger and Richard J. Dubow as the recipients of this years Distinguished Citizen Awards. These awards are presented annually at the YMCA Community Celebration, being held this year at Millstone Farm, 180 Millstone Road in Wilton. The Distinguished Citizen Award has been given to over 83 individuals, businesses and organizations since the Community Celebration began in 1986. It honors outstanding volunteers who have been serving the community on a long-term basis and making a positive difference that benefits Norwalk, Redding and Wilton and its residents. Richard J. Dubow, who has lived in Wilton for about 40 years, has served on the Board of Selectman, the Board of Education, and the Board of Finance. Dubow is also a longtime volunteer for the Jewish Senior Services of Southern Connecticut. Additionally, he has also served on the Board of Trustees for Manhattan Country Day School, served several terms on the Board of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, several years on the Board of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce and currently serve as a trustee of the Wilton Historical Society. Weinberger, who moved to Norwalk almost 50 years ago, developed the Norwalk Mentoring Program for the Norwalk Public Schools in the early 1980s, the first school-based mentoring program in the country. Her work has been published widely and the program she designed has been replicated in the United States, Bermuda and Canada and internationally, impacting the lives of thousands of young people. Dr. Weinbergers volunteer contributions to the Greater Norwalk area include leadership board positions on the Norwalk Community College Foundation; Norwalk Mentor Scholarship Fund; the Board of the United Way of Norwalk & Wilton; the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield Board and the Board of Directors of the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County. She has collaborated with several lower Fairfield County organizations including Person-to-Person (P2P), the Carver Center, Norwalk ACTS, and the Norwalk Symphony. She is a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Labor and Justice, as well as to many state-level government agencies involved in mentoring. In 1993, Weinberger traveled to the White House to receive President Bill Clinton's Volunteer Action Award for her work in mentoring. Sponsored by Fairfield County Bank, this years Farm-to-Table Event Celebration is on Sunday, Sept. 23. For ticket information, contact the Development Office at 203-762-8384 x 273 or visit ymca.givesmart.com. Cats Cradle and other string games On Saturday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Museum Educator Lola Chen will discuss string games, and teach the kids how to play four classic string games: Cup and Saucer, The Witchs Broom, Cats Cradle, and Jacobs Ladder. The children will help make their own snack, cookies decorated with cinnamon sugar in lattice patterns. Suggested for ages 6-12. The cost for Wilton Historical Society members is $10 per child, maximum $25 per family; Non-members, $15 per child, maximum $35 per family. Register at info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257. Former President Barack Obama has heralded his former Vice President Joe Biden's return to Instagram. 'My brother and friend @JoeBiden is back on Instagram. Welcome back, Joeyou'll always be one of the rare exceptions to my no-selfies rule,' Obama wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday. Along with the note, Obama posted a photo of himself and Biden that appears to have been taken in July, when the two men had lunch together at Dog Tag Bakery in Washington DC. Biden, 75, returned to Instagram on Thursday for the first time since leaving office - but quickly racked up more than 900,000 followers and ecstatic comments from fans who hope he will run for president in 2020. Obama welcomed Biden back to Instagram by posting the above photo, taken when they had lunch together at the Dog Tag Bakery in Washington DC in July Biden, 75, returned to Instagram on Thursday for the first time since leaving office - but quickly racked up more than 900,000 followers. His first post is seen above Among the thousands of comments on the post were many urging Biden to consider a presidential run. He shared the snap above in his first post So far, the only post on Biden's new personal Instagram account is a photo of him in New York, walking with a group of wounded veterans who walked across the country to raise awareness of PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. Among the thousands of comments on the post were many urging Biden to consider a presidential run. 'Joe, Thank you for coming back .... what about 2020????' one wrote. 'Run, Joe, run!!!' another remarked. Biden remains hotly discussed as a potential contender for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination. The former vice president is convinced he can beat President Donald Trump, friends and advisers say. Biden campaigns for Democratic candidates in Montclair, New Jersey on Wednesday Biden has given himself until January to deliberate and size up potential competition for the Democratic nomination, according to people who have spoken to him about his decision-making. For an elder statesman in a leaderless party, one who long envisioned himself in the top job, the pull toward another presidential bid is strong. But Biden must weigh the realities of jumping into a crowded primary full of up-and-comers eager to debate the future of the party. Meanwhile, Obama recently jumped back into electoral politics to a degree unusual for a former president, delivering swipes at Trump as he campaigns for midterm candidates this week. Obama said on Saturday that the November midterm elections would give Americans 'a chance to restore some sanity in our politics,' taking another swipe at his successor as he raises his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House. Obama didn't mention Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County but the allusions were clear. Obama participates in a political rally for California Democratic candidates during a event in Anaheim, California on Saturday 'We're in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, there's always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear,' he said. His appearance - one day after a strongly worded critique of Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education. 'If we don't step up, things can get worse,' the former president told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Center. 'In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. We have the chance to flip the House of Representatives and make sure there are real checks and balances in Washington.' Six Royal Navy sailors have been arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour in the US after the first transatlantic voyage of Britains 3 billion aircraft carrier. Two of the sailors from HMS Queen Elizabeth were tasered by Florida police while witnesses reported seeing sailors urinating from a pub balcony into the street. According to local police reports, three of the six sailors resisted arrest. A seventh member of the aircraft carriers crew was taken into custody for trespass. The 65,000-ton ship, nicknamed Big Lizzie, began her maiden transatlantic voyage last month and docked at Mayport naval base on Wednesday. Two of the sailors from HMS Queen Elizabeth (pictured) were tasered by Florida police The purpose of her visit is to conduct trials with F-35B fighter jets which will eventually be based on board. The trials have been described as an iconic moment for the modern Royal Navy by the carriers commanding officer, Captain Jerry Kyd. But within hours of reaching dry land, hundreds of the crew began drinking. While the vast majority were well behaved, some fought among themselves in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on Wednesday night, according to local police. Police sergeant Larry Smith said: Six sailors were arrested in the bar district and all the offences were alcohol related, such as disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. He added that one of the two sailors tasered had been tackled by a female police officer who took action when he refused to stop fighting. Violence broke out outside Lynchs Irish Bar. A manager said: The Royal Navy guys came in like a flood, boom. Like they had suddenly been let out of a cage and now they were free. It was unreal and we just werent prepared for it. Six Royal Navy sailors from 'Big Lizzie' have been arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour The nearby Tavern bar has now banned all Queen Elizabeth personnel because of the sailors aggressive behaviour on Wednesday night. The six sailors appeared in a Florida court on Thursday morning and were released. It is unclear whether they face any further criminal action in the state. But they do face further sanctions under UK military law. Last night, former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West, played down the incident. He said: You might get one or two people behaving badly. That certainly happened in my 53 years in the Navy. A Ministry of Defence spokesman added: The Naval Service places great importance on maintaining the highest possible standards of behaviour from its personnel at all times. 3 hours ago 3 COVID Stock Plays That Are Here to Stay COVID Stocks Can Still Offer Upside If You Focus on the Right Companies Not long ago, essentially any company that had exposure to COVID vaccines, treatments, or testing saw their stock prices catch a bid. Read Article Its an all-too-familiar scene of war an Afghan home reduced to rubble by an explosion. Yet this recreation of the horrors of battle is being marketed as a toy by Airfix. British veterans of the Afghanistan campaign have described the model which includes a pile of debris left by a bomb blast as sick and MPs too have expressed disbelief over the product. The model is described by Airfix as a typical single storey house found in Afghanistan used for both living space and storage. The collapsed wall and rubble adds to the diorama possibilities. The model is described by Airfix as a typical single storey house found in Afghanistan used for both living space and storage The 32.99 model comes in a choice of colours, dark stone, pale stone and chocolate. Airfix is owned by Hornby, one of Britains most cherished toy-makers. Earlier this year, the company secured 18 million in new loans to keep them in business. The model is also sold on Amazon and by other online toy retailers. Airfix made its name selling models of aircraft and ships. Customers can also buy a range of US and UK aircraft that saw action in Afghanistan, including the Harrier GR9A. In 2017, 3,438 Afghans were killed in the fighting between Coalition Forces, including some UK Special Forces troops, and the Taliban. Some 7,015 Afghans were wounded. Deaths caused by air strikes, as depicted in the 1:48 scale Airfix model, also increased last year to 295 deaths and 336 wounded. The model is also sold on Amazon and by other online toy retailers. Airfix made its name selling models of aircraft and ships. Customers can also buy a range of US and UK aircraft that saw action in Afghanistan, including the Harrier GR9A Last night Madeleine Moon MP, a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee, said: This conflict is not in the dim mists of time, it is going on today, civilians are being killed in air strikes on an almost daily basis and there are still British personnel involved in the conflict in Afghanistan and trying to stop the bloodshed. I think it is insensitive and that the model trivialises the trauma of everyday life in Afghanistan. One UK soldier said: I couldnt believe what I was seeing when I first saw it. Youd never want your children playing with a model of a blown-up Afghan house if youd seen the horrors of the war for yourself. I think it is pretty sick. But former SAS soldier Ben Griffin, of the Veterans For Peace group, added: The brutal reality of modern warfare is often excluded from news reports and TV dramas. Coalition forces destroyed thousands of homes in Afghanistan, often injuring and killing the families inside. If anything, this Airfix model does not go far enough. Hornby was unavailable for comment last night. A leading exam board has urged markers to refrain from using the words fail for fear of hurting the feelings of teachers. The guidance from the OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations) board is for annual reports aimed at school staff reviewing how pupils performed in GCSEs and A-levels. Critics have dubbed the reluctance to dispense frank advice to help improve exam technique for children in future years an example of snowflake teachers being mollycoddled. A leading exam board has urged markers to refrain from using the words fail for fear of hurting the feelings of teachers. Rather than allow experienced chief examiners to choose their own words, the board has instructed them on how to write a good report. The 2018 guidance says: The reports are produced for teachers and should be written with this in mind... Set the right tone by beginning with positive statements that do not suggest criticism of teachers/teaching. Among a list of words and phrases to avoid are weak and poor, which the report suggests could be replaced by lower ability, while conversely strong should instead be higher ability. It adds that what may seem a normal, light-hearted comment can easily be interpreted as a sarcastic or patronising one. Examiners, it continues, should avoid judgemental language such as shocking or disappointing, while even words such as but and however are judged too harsh. Critics have dubbed the reluctance to dispense frank advice to help improve exam technique for children in future years an example of snowflake teachers being mollycoddled It also gives suggestions of how to rewrite sentences. For example, it offers that the line: Some of the responses were excellent with detailed arguments on either side of the debate, however many were too brief and lacked detail and balance, could instead be written as: Many excellent responses contained detailed arguments on either side of the debate. Others needed to develop more detailed, balanced arguments in order to achieve high marks. The reports are directed at teachers in the first instance but are often shared with pupils who will be taking their tests in future years, to help prepare them and sharpen up their exam techniques. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said: The OCR seems to assume that teachers are snowflakes but in fact they would welcome frank feedback to enable them to get the best out of their pupils. This mollycoddling approach underestimates the teachers and lets them down. But OCRs Peter Canning said: We are making significant changes to the way we support teachers delivering OCR qualifications, including improved examiner reports in many subjects, and a key part of this work is encouraging examiners to be as constructive as possible. Dangerous criminals who breach strict rules after being released from jail are being spared lengthy terms in order to keep the prison population down. Offenders, including murderers, are being let off the hook if they break the terms of their licence, an offence that would previously have put them swiftly back behind bars. Official documents, marked Sensitive and seen by The Mail on Sunday, reveal that officials dealing with offenders are being ordered to bend over backwards to avoid returning them to jail because it is putting too much strain on Britains overcrowded and crime-ridden prisons. Shockingly, they reveal how probation officers are told to ask themselves if they hold any conscious or unconscious bias against the criminal for wanting to see them behind bars again, and consider if the offender is merely struggling to adapt to freedom. Dangerous criminals who breach strict rules after being released from jail are being spared lengthy terms in order to keep the prison population down The documents also show that staff must go through a long list of steps in an effort to avoid returning offenders to jail, including: Allowing them to miss vital monitoring meetings; Making their life easier by visiting them at home; Allowing them to go on courses to boost their skills and knowledge; Letting them off bad behaviour with just a warning. Merseyside Police warn in the documents: This is a clear example of legislation being introduced to reduce one problem (prison population) but causes an increase on demand on other areas, and may place the community and victims at serious risk of harm. Everyone who serves time in jail is subject to supervision on release, and during this licence period they must attend regular meetings with their probation officer, live at an approved address and stay out of trouble. They can be recalled to custody if they do not keep to these requirements, and Ministry of Justice figures show that 5,616 offenders were recalled between January and March this year, up five per cent on the same period last year. Of these, 70 were serving life sentences for the most horrific crimes such as rape and murder. However, the statistics do not record how many criminals broke their licence terms but were kept out of jail under the unpublished Alternatives To Recall guidance developed by the National Probation Service last year. Last night, Harry Fletcher, of the Victims Rights Campaign, said: The Government is putting pressure on probation not to recall these dangerous criminals to custody, because the prison population is going through the roof. This means that bad behaviour is not being punished and so offenders feel they are getting away with it. Victims are being let down again. Probation officers have to consider a list of 15 questions when assessing whether it is safe and appropriate to use an alternative to recall, and then look at 17 different options to continue the ongoing effective management of the offender in the community. The police claim pressure for the policy has come from Ministers, who want to keep the prison population down. Britains jails are in crisis with drug use and violence rife, cells overcrowded and buildings filthy and dilapidated. The Merseyside report says: There is a pressing need from the National Offender Management Service, driven by the [Government], to reduce the number of offenders being recalled to prison custody. Recalled prisoners are the fastest-growing part of the prison population. It is clear there is a drive by the [Government] to reduce the number of offenders in custody. Devon and Cornwall Police back up the damning conclusions in another top-level report obtained by this newspaper. It says: Current Government policy is to manage offenders and their associated risks in the community. An HM Prison and Probation Service spokesman said: We will not hesitate to recall offenders if they show signs of risk. Five sisters from Pennsylvania were all abused by the same Catholic priest in the early 1980s when one of them was just 18-months-old, in the latest shocking example of child sex crimes in the US branch of the church. The Fortney sisters, Patty, Lara, Teresa and Carolyn, said Father Augustine Giella would regularly give them gifts before attacks, one of which took place on 13-year-old Patty while her other three sisters looked on. 'He was constantly hugging me in front of them, kissing me in front of them, trying to put his tongue in your mouth,' Patty Fortney-Julius told CBS News. Lara was then 10, Teresa in first grade, and Carolyn one. Another sister chose not to speak out. Scroll down for video. The Fortney sisters suffered horrific sexual abuse at the hands of their local Pennsylvania priest in the 1980s. Pictured from left to right: Carolyn Fortney, Teresa Fortney-Miller, Laura Fortney McKeever, Patty Fortney-Julius Giella, their local pastor in Enhaut, was a trusted family friend who was often invited round for family meals, where he would say grace. Even at our kitchen table things happened in front of my parents' face that they couldn't see,' said Lara Fortney McKeever. Through his deception, and the great esteem he was held in as a priest of the Catholic Church, Giella was able to hide the abuse for years. I would continually remind myself, 'He's my priest. He's the mediator between God and man. This is okay,' Patty Fortney-Julius said. Father Giella, (pictured) their local pastor in Enhaut, was a trusted family friend who was often invited round for family meals, where he would say grace Aged 18 months when the abuse happened, Caroloyn said she only realized what going on when she turned 12. 'I was watching a movie of a priest molesting altar boys and that's kind of the day that I put it together, she said. Giella retired from the church in 1989 but the Fortneys still saw him. Three years later, a relative found a box containing child pornography, including naked photos of Caroloyn. The children's parents, Ed and Patty, reported the photos to the Harrisburg diocese, while one sister called child services, which informed the police. Giella was charged with sexual assault and possessing child pornography, but died awaiting trial. Although deprived of real justice, the sisters settled two civil lawsuits with the Harrisburg diocese. The sisters said avoided talking about the abuse as adults, but decided to speak out three years ago to prevent the same happening to other children. 'I believe that there's going to be change,' said Fortney-Miller. 'I pray that there's going to be change because nobody should live like this with this pain. Nobody should. It's every day. But I have hope now. I do.' Some 1,000 children are thought to have been abused by 300 predator priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses, according to a recent report. Forty-five of the priests named in a grand jury report served in the Harrisburg diocese. Through his deception, and the great esteem he was held in as a priest of the Catholic Church, Giella (pictured) was able to hide the abuse for years Giella retired from the church in 1989 but the Fortneys still saw him. Three years later, a relative niece found a box containing child pornography, including naked photos of Caroloyn The diocese said it sent its 'deepest apologies and prayers' for failing to stop the abuse. Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer was named in the report for failing to advocate the defrocking of an abusive priest. The diocese defended Gainer, saying he took swift action against that priest and another abusive priest after becoming bishop in 2014. While acknowledging the church is faced with a 'spiritual crisis,' Gainer said most of the abuse happened long ago. The diocese has taken 'significant and effective measures to protect our children and remove any person who intends to do harm to them,' he said. The sheer number of children who were abused by Catholic priests in America has only recently started coming to light. On Thursday, officials in New York, New Jersey and New Mexico announced investigations into how the church had handled abuse allegations. Missouri recently announced a similar investigation. Military chiefs are sending a task force to protect British ships designated as war graves after The Mail on Sunday revealed how they are being plundered by pirates. We exposed how at least ten vessels that provide a final resting place for more than 1,000 UK sailors off the Malaysian and Indonesians coasts have been ransacked in a flagrant breach of international law. Chinese-owned barges fitted with cranes have been carrying out the illegal operations and disturbing human remains entombed in the wrecks since the ships were sunk in 1941 and 1942. But last night, the Defence Secretary heeded the MoSs call for action to prevent further desecration of British war graves. British Royal Navy Battleship HMS Prince of Wales, H 12911, anchoring in an undisclosed naval port ca. 1941 Gavin Williamson confirmed that Royal Navy survey vessels have been ordered to examine the wrecks of warships such as HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse and HMS Banka and report back on their state. From now on British satellites will also monitor stretches of the South China Sea where the ships were sunk and take photographs of anyone attempting to remove highly valuable non-irradiated steel also known as low-background steel from the wrecks. Steel produced prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in the 1940s and 1950s is not contaminated by radiation. It is much sought after by manufacturers of surgical implements and scientific equipment. Mr Williamson said: We will never tolerate anyone vandalising or desecrating our graves sites on land and we will not tolerate this at sea. Every wreck is the final resting place of the brave sailors who fought for freedom and against oppression. If there is any commercial activity around their graves this dishonours their memory. I have therefore ordered this survey to undertake further investigations. Defence sources added that the British Embassy in Indonesia was engaging with local maritime authorities in an effort to make the wrecks protected sites. The ten vessels lying off Malaysia and Indonesia were sunk in 1941 and 1942. Gavin Williamson confirmed Royal Navy survey vessels have been ordered to examine wrecks Some 508 officers and men went down with HMS Repulse while a further 327 were killed aboard HMS Prince of Wales, which sank just a few miles away. The destruction of the vessels just days after the Japanese attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor came as a major blow to the British in the Far East as they attempted to resist the invasion of Malaya and, ultimately, the occupation of Singapore and Indonesia. The battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse, accompanied by four UK destroyers, were on a mission to intercept Japanese invasion convoys in the South China Sea in December 1941. But the vessels put to sea without air cover and the fleet was attacked by waves of Japanese aircraft, with eight torpedoes striking their targets. Both ships turned over as they sank with Repulse now at a depth of 183ft and Prince of Wales in 223ft of water. Callous gangs of scavengers have now looted about half of their 750ft-long structures, with the remains of fallen heroes dredged up with the metal. One heavy cruiser HMS Exeter, which went down with the loss of 40 crew in March 1942 has all but disappeared from the seabed. Last night, former head of the Royal Navy Admiral Lord West praised the MoS for convincing the Defence Secretary to take action. He said: I am delighted that were taking these steps and well done to your newspaper for championing this issue and getting such a swift response. It is imperative now that we build detailed criminal cases against the scavengers using all the technology at our disposal. We owe it to all those who perished aboard these ships. Indias billion-dollar battle INDIA: The worlds biggest statue is rising in a remote corner of India to honour an independence hero but it could quickly be outdone by a monument to a Hindu warrior king in the sea off Mumbai. constructionculturepoliticsreligiontourism By AFP Sunday 9 September 2018, 12:00AM This photo taken on Aug 25 shows the under-construction Statue of Unity, a monument dedicated to Indian independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, overlooking the Sardar Sarovar Dam near Vadodara in Indias western Gujarat state. Photo: Sam Panthaky / AFP In a burst of nationalist fervour, around US$1 billion (B32,743bn) is being spent on the two giant effigies, each more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. A 182-metre-high tribute to independence icon Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat state will be the first to dwarf the Spring Temple Buddha in China, currently the worlds biggest statue at 128m in height. Pick-axes are also swinging for a 212-metre-high likeness of 17th-century king Chhatrapati Shivaji, resplendent on a horse and brandishing a sword, which should dominate the Mumbai shoreline from 2021. An army of 2,500 workers including several hundred Chinese labourers is toiling around the clock to put 5,000 squares of bronze cladding on the figure of Patel so it can be ready for inauguration on October 31 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 29.9-billion-rupee (B14,079bn) Statue of Unity overlooking the isolated Sardar Sarovar Dam is a pet project of Modi. He has predicted it will attract hordes of tourists, as the Statue of Liberty does in New York. Visitors will be able to access a viewing gallery 153m up about chest height on the huge standing figure. But they will have to travel 250 kilometres from the states main city of Allahabad to get there. There is also a political motive to the mega project, with India heading into a campaign for a national election early next year. Patel was deputy to Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after independence in 1947 and Modis nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party says his name has been unfairly overshadowed by the dominant Nehru dynasty. Patel became known as the Iron Man of India by persuading through talks and a hint of force some 550 princely states to become part of India after independence from Britain in 1947. He died three years later. Many Hindu nationalists feel it was a slight when Patel was asked to step aside to let the secular Nehru become the countrys first leader. Every Indian regrets Sardar Patel did not become the first prime minister, Modi said while campaigning in 2013. Modi has used Patels legacy a lot in his election campaigns, said Ghanshyam Shah, a former professor of class politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He is very likely to use the Statue of Unity during the upcoming campaign but I am worried about how it will influence voters, Shah added. The opposition Congress party says that a plan to change the Nehru Memorial museum in New Delhi into a centre devoted to all of Indias prime ministers is another bid to taint Nehrus name. In 2016, Modi laid the foundation stone in Maharashtra state for the statue of Shivaji, a hero of the 80 million strong Marathi community based in the state. Hindu nationalists have also adopted Shivaji, who made his name battling the Muslim Mughal empire. Critics say the 36-billion-rupee (B16,863bn) statue is a way of winning Marathi votes in next years election. Fuelling the fervour, the government announced last week that the word Maharaj, or king, had been added to the title of Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The BJP has been appropriating icons for some time, said Sudha Pai of the Indian Council of Social Science Research. Patel has been used to wipe out the Nehru legacy. The BJP wants to change the way history is perceived and show that the right wing was as important in Indias freedom struggle. Preliminary work has started on the controversial project with a museum, park and helipad on reclaimed land two kilometres out to sea. Environmentalists and thousands of fishing workers oppose the statue because of the threat to fishing stocks. The price of the monument is certain to rise, analysts say and the state government has already changed the design to bring down costs. How it will eventually look and when it will be finished remains in doubt. Indias statue politics often fall victim to hard economic reality, according to Badra Narayan, a professor at the Pant Social Science Institute in Allahabad. An overrun is inevitable, according to I.C. Rao, head of a Mumbai citizens group, who has questioned the cost and safety of the Shivaji design. He said finishing the statue on time, would be an impossibility even for the Trojans. The sweet taste of success URUGUAY: Ahmed Ahjam spent more than 12 years in the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects, but now he has seen a dream come true by starting a business in the country that welcomed him when the nightmare ended. culture By AFP Sunday 9 September 2018, 02:45PM Syrian Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, a former Guantanamo inmate, greets a customer during the opening of his Arab gastronomy shop at the Montevideo Farmers Market, in Montevideo , Uruguay. Photo: AFP Ahmed Ahjam. Arab gastronomy, reads a sign marking the small food stand that Ahjam has opened in Uruguays capital with help from city hall. He mainly sells sweets. Ahjam, 41 and born in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, arrived here in 2014 along with six other prisoners from Guantanamo under an accord signed by the United States and Uruguay. Washington was seeking countries willing to accept such inmates so it could move to empty the facility for terror suspects that was notorious for mistreating prisoners. Ahjam was one of the roughly 780 people sent to Guantanamo prison since 2002. His stand has small chalkboards advertising some of his wares: baklava, the sesame paste tahini or Uruguayan- style candy. Ahjam now aims to make a new life in Uruguay thanks to this undertaking he began by selling his treats on Facebook. For me it is a dream come true. It is very important in my new life. I am very grateful to the Uruguayans who are close to me. I am going to work very hard, Ahjam told reporters as he inaugurated his stand. He declined to take questions. US Department of Defense officials believe he fought US and Coalition forces in the Tora Bora mountain cave complex in Afghanistan used by late Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. He fled bombardment before being captured by Pakistani authorities. According to Department of Defense records, he was handed over to US authorities in the Afghan city of Kandahar in January 2002 and incarcerated at Guantanamo from June 14, 2002. Many of the assertions in the records are contested by former Guantanamo detainees and their lawyers and cannot be independently verified. His is a success story that comes out of an integration initiative that has had its ups and downs here. Uruguay took in the Guantanamo prisoners in exchange for economic aid that grows smaller and smaller over time. These men had trouble integrating into Uruguayan society and finding work. One of them left several times, only to come back, until he managed to depart definitively this year. But Ahjam seeks just the opposite: he wants to remain in the country that welcomed him. It is highly symbolic that someone who is a refugee finds an alternative way to live, a productive thing to do. Everyone deserves an opportunity, said Montevideo mayor Daniel Martinez, who was at the opening of the food stand. Ahjams store, which also serves coffee and juices, is located in the Montevideo Farmers Market, which used to be a wholesale venue but underwent a makeover to feature food stands, cultural exhibits and shops. His project was developed with help from a city agency called Cedel. In Syria he was a jeweller. These are different markets and times now, and in wanting to live in Uruguay and develop himself here, he thinks the cuisine of his country could be a way to make a living, said Veronica de Gregorio, who runs one of the departments at Cedel. He is not in the program because he is a former prisoner at Guantanamo but rather because he has entrepreneurial spirit, she added. Buyers in a cancelled Vaughan condo project are asking a court to declare their contracts void so they can sue the developer for the appreciation they lost in the two years between when they bought the pre-construction units and when their deposits were returned. The unusual legal application, filed Aug. 30 on behalf of 451 buyers of Liberty Developments Cosmos condos, argues that the sales contracts went beyond whats allowed by Ontarios building regulator, Tarion, in pre-construction agreements. A class-action lawsuit can take years to work through the courts, said the buyers lawyer Ted Charney. But this legal application will likely be heard within four months, he said, because it is going through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice Commercial List, a specialized court that handles business matters. If the application succeeds, Charney says it will put developers on notice that they must stay within those contract rules, even in the kind of heated real estate environment that the Toronto area experienced when the Cosmos units went on the market. The court action comes amid calls for greater consumer protection for home buyers who face having their deposits tied up for years, only to have the money returned after the cost of similar homes has increased. Liberty Developments sold Cosmos units in the spring of 2016, when the average price of a highrise condo in the GTA hit about $461,000 in April. When Liberty cancelled the project this past April, that average price had soared to almost $740,000, according to the Building and Land Development Association. Liberty Development is named on the court application, along with three numbered companies that share the same Markham address. The companies have 45 days to respond to the application. Liberty did not respond to the Stars repeated requests for comment through its media spokesperson. Eleven projects with 3,992 units have been cancelled since the beginning of 2017, according to Urbanation, a market research company. Cosmos buyers signed take-it-or-leave-it contracts that gave the vendor, one of the numbered companies, sole, absolute and unfettered discretion, to cancel the project if it found the financing terms unacceptable, said Charney. He compared it to someone making an offer on a house conditional on mortgage financing. Then if (the buyer) want(s) to drop the deal all they have to do is say, I didn't like the mortgage rates or I couldn't get the mortgage I wanted, see you later, he said. Charney is among those who say developers should have a limited period 90 or 120 days in which to cancel projects. If they exceed that time limit, he says, they should have to pay buyers the difference in the propertys value. Liberty has said that it cancelled the project solely due to the inability to secure satisfactory construction financing. It told buyers that the decision was made by vendors. The court application says those vendors are among the numbered companies named on the court application. Darvish Fereydoon is the director and the president of all the companies named on the buyers court application. In April, the companys spokesperson Danny Roth of Brandon Communications called the Cosmos cancellation an isolated event. The court application notes that Liberty is now planning a new condo project adjacent to the Cosmos site at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and it is redeveloping the Promenade Mall near Bathurst St. and Clarke Ave. in Vaughan with 1,006 condos in three towers, a hotel and commercial space. Liberty Development has filed a $1 million defamation suit against Charney, claiming he published false and defamatory words about the company on a website designed to entice hundreds of purchasers to sue Liberty with a false statement as to Libertys involvement in the cancellation of the Cosmos condos project. Real estate lawyer Bob Aaron, who writes a column for the Star, agrees with Charney that there should be a finite period in which developers can cancel sold projects. The problem is that developers have to pre-sell condos to finance the projects. To change the system there would need to be a period in which sales and financing could be arranged at the same time, he said. Even though many condos sell to investors who never plan to live in them, the government owes all buyers greater protection. Right now there's a loophole in the legislation which allows builders on the flimsiest of excuses to terminate deals when the values of properties have gone up. That does not protect consumers in a rising market, said Aaron. Buyers pick up the pieces after condo cancellation The price, the parking and the proximity to a new subway station at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre helped the Cosmos condo development sell out in the spring of 2016. When Liberty Development cancelled the project in April, some purchasers bought other homes. But some say they have been pushed off the property ladder in a tough GTA housing market where their refunded deposit checks simply dont buy much two years later. Jay Reddy bought his Cosmos unit as an investment. He planned it as a retirement place for his mom, 70, and dad, 76, who had planned to sell their house. For them to live in a four-bedroom house in Vaughan and keep up with everything outside and inside, it was just becoming too much, Reddy said. But now, theyre staying. Theyll probably just wait and see if its worth it to relocate to somewhere in Vaughan condo-wise. My guess is theyll probably just have to stay there for now, he said. A lot of these condos in Vaughan are just skyrocketing in price. Cosmos was offering parking, the location was better as opposed to further up Jane north of Hwy 7. When we went to the open house, we felt comfortable with what was being offered, said Reddy, 41. Four people that I know of either bought a townhouse or a condo. A lot of them had to go to Etobicoke. A lot of them couldn't stay in Vaughan. Reddy is one of a group known as the Cosmos 8 that maintains a Facebook page and helped organize a court application by 451 buyers against Liberty Development. Their lawyer says there were investors among the 1,100 buyers of the cancelled development, but the 451 purchasers he represents are not offshore high rollers. For most, it was going to be their major rental property or it was going to be their home, Ted Charney said. Heres where the Cosmos cancellation has left some other buyers. *** It should have been an evening of joyful anticipation when Julia Notarfonzo arrived at her parents Woodbridge home on April 6, the night before her wedding. Instead, the bride noticed that her dad appeared anxious. She assumed it was the wedding plans until her father handed her a letter from Liberty Development. It informed her that the $465,000, two-bedroom, two-bath condo she and fiance Luca Loiacono had purchased was cancelled. She called Loiacono on the verge of tears. The night before your wedding you're just thinking, OK, we have our life set up, we're going to get married, we're going to move into our place, everything's going to be great. And then it's just like, where do we go? said Notarfonzo. It wasnt her first disappointment with a pre-construction home. Before buying at Cosmos, she had invested in another project that was rezoned, adding $70,000 to the price, so she walked away. When her relationship with Loiacono became serious, the pair decided to buy jointly in 2016. They were living together in a rental and expected to get married and move into their condo. The Cosmos location allowed them to maintain only one car, which Notarfonzo would use for her teaching job while Loiacono could take the subway to work in a downtown bank. I had already invested when I was 23 years old. It didnt work out, said Notarfonzo, 26. I worked so hard for that money, extra jobs, tutoring, working at a grocery store. I got screwed twice pretty much. After buying their condo in the spring of 2016, we watched the whole GTA housing market boom at a crazy pace, said Loiacono. The couple have since purchased a 17-year-old stacked condo townhouse in North York for $665,000. It is a happy ending, except I paid $200,000 more, said Loiacono, who says he would never again buy a pre-construction home. Other people are back to square one and a $70,000 deposit might not be able to get them something they want anymore. *** Ina Cici was living with her parents when she bought a 638-square-foot, one-bedroom-plus-den Cosmos unit at the end of her first year as a full-time teacher. As soon as she signed the contract, she took on extra tutoring work to pay back the deposit money she had to borrow from family. Two years later, when she got the Cosmos cancellation letter, Cici, 26, thought she was the victim of a scam. All along, I thought everything was OK. I couldn't believe it, she said. Because the market had changed so much in two years, I felt ripped off. I felt I was being played with. They were keeping my money until the real estate market went higher and higher. Now Cici sees herself remaining in her parents home and potentially having to move out of the Toronto area if she wants to own her own place. She continues to search. Recently, she looked at a Toronto condo plan. The only comparable unit in terms of price was $397,000 for 380 sq. ft., she said. Unlike the Cosmos apartment, this one had no parking. Cici says tighter mortgage rules are also making it tougher to buy. I honestly feel like nothing that is affordable is livable anymore 380 sq. ft. is a box, she said. I could pay for it, but its just not livable. It doesn't excite me at all. Cici figures that she would need a family member or co-purchaser to afford something comfortable in the Toronto area. I dont think one person alone can afford a house anymore, and it sucks. *** Santino Paglia bought his Cosmos unit on his own. Now, he and his fiancee are looking for a place to purchase together while he continues to live with his parents in Bolton. Unfortunately, all the places have gone up in price, he said. They have been checking out new developments in Etobicoke. The summer has given him time to reflect on the Cosmos cancellation, said the 33-year-old teacher. Being able to sit back, I realize how much damage its done, he said. We bought that place for $280,000, which was a pretty good price in 2016. In those two years, prices have gone up 30 per cent. Now we've got to put down a bigger deposit. Now we're going to be paying $300 or $400 more a month on the mortgage. Hes also noticed that the 600-square-foot, one-bedroom unit he bought in Cosmos for $280,000 looks different in other developments. Now, he says, buildings are configuring two bedrooms into the same space, and youre paying $200,000 more at least. I'm angry. I think were all angry about what happened and how it happened, Paglia said. He thinks the bad publicity and court action around the Cosmos cancellation will make developers a little more cautious about cancelling projects. But despite his bad experience, Honestly I think I would still buy pre-construction, he said. More than likely to get something affordable you'll have to get into something pre-construction. *** Carla Gravina bought a pre-construction bungalow loft in Tottenham in 2015. She sold her house in Vaughan and planned to make the August 2016 move to the town south of Barrie her last. But when her nephew asked her to accompany him to the third tower release of Cosmos condos in September 2016, Gravina went along. She loved the location and the buildings amenities, and decided to buy with an eye to getting a good price on the Tottenham place when the Vaughan condo was ready for occupancy around 2020, where it would be a base from which she could fly south in the winter when she retires. When Cosmos was cancelled, she said it felt like the blood moved from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. The hope was to move back into the GTA without having to spend $2 million on a tiny home, said Gravina. I refuse to buy a 500-square-foot something for $600,000. I cant fathom that. Gravina knows that living in a house mortgage free puts her a better position than some first-time home buyers in Cosmos, who have been devastated. But living in Tottenham isnt her dream. She finds it a gruelling 90-minute rush hour commute to her office near Victoria Park Ave. and Sheppard Ave. E. During the winter months, before I leave my home, I have to plan for weather. I have an overnight bag in my car at all times so that if the weather is bad, I will not travel north on the 400 highway and just stay where I am for the night. Because I have two dogs, I also need to plan for them take them with me or figure out how to get them looked after if Im stuck in Toronto, she said. Her company allows her to work from home four days a week so she only has to do the drive once but, she said, Im basically in a house by myself and working on the telephone. That Vaughan is allowing Liberty to build adjacent to the Cosmos site, is galling, she said. I get that the city wants to grow, but at what cost? Read more about: CALGARYA group of women named Nicole at the University of Calgary have united thanks to a mass email sent by a man trying to locate his missed connection. By all accounts, the network of Nicoles can trace its start to Nietzsche, a number and a woman named Nicole from the Netherlands. First year U of C student Carlos Zetina was reportedly at campus pub The Den Thursday, when he met a woman named Nicole, on exchange from the Netherlands. We met at the campus bar and we talked and had struck a pretty interesting conversation, said Zetina. She gave me her number, but I guess she accidentally gave me the wrong one because when I texted her the next day, a different person messaged me back that it wasnt her. So Zetina resorted to a very specific approach: Email everyone who had a U of C email account with the name Nicole or one of its variants. He said the universitys email had a directory, so it only took him a few minutes to copy anyone with Nicole in their name to the message. Zetina said he sent the email because he didnt want the Nicole he met to think he was a bad guy who didnt text back. He wrote: If you (sic) name is Nicole and youre from Holland and you think Nietzsche is depressing then text me, then gives his phone number. Im Carlos btw Im the guy who took you and your friend home last night. He added if you are the one and just dont want to talk to me thats ok as well. By 11 a.m. Friday, PhD candidate Nicolette Little had a message in her inbox with the following subject line: Met you last night and you gave me the wrong number. I did a double-take and noticed 246 other Nicoles and Nicolettes and Nikkis were copied on this email, she said. Who sends an email to that many people? If it was me, Id be a little horrified about how this all played out, said Nicole DuGraye, who also got the message. But I thought this was a great way to connect and meet new people and to try to find the real Nicole. The Nicoles started exchanging messages about the email, according to Little, and thats when the group began to grow. DuGraye decided to create a Facebook group called Nicole From Last Night, containing many of the Nicoles who received the original email. They planned a get-together to find the woman Zetina was looking for. I thought it was funny, Zetina said. Some of the Nicoles started messaging me pretending to be her as a joke. There was just Nicoles saying theyd never been so happy to be called Nicole or Nicolette in their lives. Others were wishing Carlos good luck buddy, and just talking about how it was an epic way to start your school year, Little said. The like-named ladies, dubbed the Congress of Nicoles, got together Friday night at Side Street Pub in Kensington. It was funny, because you just saw Nicole, after Nicolette, after Nikki kind of wandering by and looking around. We would just jump up and say, Hey, are you a Nicole? and theyd be like yes! Little explained, estimating about 20 women were at Fridays meeting. The unusual get-together drew lots of attention on Twitter, with users tweeting their support with the hashtag #nicolefromlastnight. Some dude emailed every Nicole at U of C to try to find the girl he met last night and instead they formed a girl gang and I am legit DYING, tweeted @ParisEsther, prompting thousands of likes and hundreds of retweets. Alas, the intended Nicole was not in attendance, according to Nicole Macmillan, who was. The women discovered that the original Nicole did not have a university email address yet, and had only heard about the email after it had gone viral. She eventually posted on the Facebook group, revealing herself as the real Nicole. Macmillan said they werent sure if Nicole had given Zetina the wrong number on purpose as a gentle brush-off. She told me it was a total accident, she had only had a Canadian number for about a week so it was a mistake, she wanted to give him her real number. In the end, Zetina said the Nicole hed been searching for did text him. Were planning to hang out maybe next week, he said. I really didnt expect this to become a big thing. Macmillan said she was glad to see the saga have a beautiful ending. Another woman who received the message, Nicole Larsen, said she felt happy to be a part of a love story. I felt like this was Cinderella or something ... but I was just an ugly step-sister. Regardless of whether Zetina and his Nicole are meant to be or not, Macmillan said she and the other Nicoles plan to meet monthly. And they will be meeting the Nicole who started it all in person later this week. Macmillan said the whole situation, from the formation of their little girl gang, to the matchmaking, to the story going viral has honestly been wild. Its been so fun! I havent stopped laughing since Friday. ER With files from Alexandra Jones and Canadian Press. Evan Radford is a reporter/photographer for StarMetro Calgary. Follow him on Twitter: @EvanRadford Read more about: WATERTON, ALTA.Crews battling a wildfire near the U.S. border in Alberta are hoping an avalanche path will prevent the flames from spreading further into a national park that was badly burned last year. Dry and windy conditions Friday afternoon pushed the Boundary Wildfire north across the border for the first time into Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta. Parks Canada says in a news release the area received a small amount of rain overnight, but it was so small that it couldnt be measured, and Saturdays forecast called for strong winds and sun. John Stoesser, a spokesman for Parks Canada, says the flames have reached a stretch of mountainside that has been swept mostly bare of trees by winter avalanches. Read more: U.S. wildfire crosses border into Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta Oh, no. Not again. Waterton residents and visitors on high alert as wildfire moves closer A different type of beauty will emerge in Waterton park after 2017 wildfire, officials say Stoesser says sparks have crossed the avalanche zone and ignited spot fires on the eastern side. He says helicopters are dumping water on those spot fires to keep them from growing and burning further through the Boundary Valley towards the Waterton Valley. When the fire burns through those coniferous trees leading towards the avalanche path, those are a little bit more flammable. But then when it reaches that avalanche path, theres not as much trees there, theres not as much vegetation there so the fire activity slows right down when it gets to that line, Stoesser said in an interview Saturday. So thats why its a good place to drop water from the helicopters. Parks Canada said two helicopters were on the job at the avalanche boundary on Saturday and that a third chopper was on its way. Stoesser said its an aerial effort at this point, since its steep, rocky terrain. Once the flames are knocked down a bit, he said firefighters can go into the area and do what they can from the ground. Waterton was devastated a year ago by a wildfire which consumed more than 190-square kilometres within the park and led to a two-week mandatory evacuation. An evacuation alert was issued last month for Waterton Lakes National Park due to the fire thats been burning on the U.S side in Glacier National Park, but the alert was later lifted when the area got rain. A Parks Canada news release on Saturday said the agency and U.S. fire managers are working together and are in constant communication about fire activity and response. The fire is estimated to be about 11-square kilometres in size. Read more about: EDMONTONA councillor is looking at ways to get more women working for the city after a new report showed women make up just over 37 per cent of City of Edmonton employees. We have some work to do, Councillor Bev Esslinger said. I can see specific departments where were going to have to have a conversation and look at strategies to improve it. The city administration report will go before councils executive committee Monday. Esslinger said the areas that jumped out at her most are the category of Firefighter, Prevention Officer, Captain, Station Captain, which is just over two per cent women, and Transit Operator, DATS and Community Service Operator, which is just over 19 per cent women. The city has several initiatives aimed at closing the gap, including the Womens Advocacy Voice of Edmonton (WAVE), which formed in 2014. Overall, the percentage of women on staff has been gradually increasing. In 2012, women accounted for 34.5 per cent of city staff. That rose to 36.3 per cent in 2014 and 36.9 per cent in 2016, before inching up to 37.2 per cent as of June 2018. It just shows that while we have made overall progress, we seem to be progressing slowly, said Esslinger, one of two women on Edmontons 13-member council. She said now is the time to start targeting specific city branches to develop strategies for recruiting more women. Ideally, she would like to see women comprise 50 per cent of city staff. We still want to have the right people doing the right jobs, but if theres an opportunity or a barrier within the system that is preventing women from also doing those jobs, then Id like to understand if we have a strategy to address the barriers or to improve recruitment, she said. WAVE chair Sandra Woitas said she is unfortunately not surprised by the stats. She noted women continue to be under-represented in engineering and trades, among other areas. Great change has been made, but weve got a ways to go, Woitas said. WAVE has advocated for Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) training, an online course that examines how diverse groups can benefit or be excluded from policies, practices, services and initiatives at the city. The city report states 433 employees in roles that influence policy and program development have completed GBA+ training. WAVE has also offered to assist human-resources staff with outreach to womens groups to bolster recruitment. Theyve got to start doing some really good outreach. And we thought maybe even an in-house mentorship program for women who are interested in employment with the city, Woitas said. There has to be some flexibility in the workplace for single parents, and some family-friendly practices. Labour economics researcher and University of Alberta associate professor Andrew McGee said the citys gender segregation by occupation looks reasonably consistent with Canada as a whole. He said studies show gender gaps in male-dominated jobs are driven by work hours and workplace flexibility. He said evidence shows women tend to opt out of occupations that demand extremely long hours and tend to place more value on non-monetary aspects of work. While men hold the vast majority of labour jobs with the city, women hold most communications and human-resources positions including 84.62 per cent of emergency communication specialist jobs and all 50 administrative assistant and legal secretary jobs. I think the reason you see a gender gap in the citys workforce as a whole is that you have some very large employment categories, like transit operators, where the gender split is pretty extreme, McGee said. For Esslinger, one bright spot in the report is that women seem to be taking more initiative to advance. Women accounted for 61 per cent of participants in the aspiring supervisors program in 2017, up from 47 per cent two years earlier. Mentees in the Leadership Mentor Program are 55 per cent women. Do they see theres an opportunity now to move up, or do they feel they need to have the skills to move up? I dont know, Esslinger said. To me it shows that women are interested, which is a good sign. They are looking to further their careers in the city; theyre not looking at leaving. Read more about: HALIFAXA Nova Scotia man has been arrested and charged after an alleged murder at a hotel in New Glasgow, N.S. Friday morning. Jason David Bezanson, 33, of Annapolis County, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of a 39-year-old male from Annapolis County, according to a news release from New Glasgow Regional Police. The release says officers responded to a call at the Travelodge hotel on Westville Rd. in New Glasgow, N.S., at about 2:40 a.m. Friday. There they found a man in a hotel room who was not breathing and showed signs of trauma. Const. Ken Macdonald said in an interview Saturday that the man was taken to Aberdeen Hospital with life-threatening injuries then airlifted to a hospital in Halifax, where he was declared dead. The name of the deceased has not been released while next of kin are being notified, Macdonald said. The news release says the suspect and victim were known to each other. Bezanson is the only suspect in the ongoing investigation, according to Macdonald. Bezanson remains in police custody and will appear in court in Pictou Monday morning. Read more about: NIAGARA FALLS, Ont.A Kitchener woman is in hot water after allegedly slapping a U.S. border officer during an ill-fated trip to Niagara Falls. American officials said 40-year-old Tianna Natasha McPherson was arrested Sept. 2 at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing, where she had been dropped off by cab with the intention of visiting Niagara Falls State Park in New York. A U.S. Attorneys report states that due to derogatory information about McPhersons past behaviour while crossing the border, she was taken aside for secondary inspection, denied admittance into the U.S. and told she would be returned to Canada. At this point, officials say she became verbally combative and unco-operative. They said she insisted she was an American citizen and tried to leave. When a Customs and Border Protection officer blocked the exit and told her to sit down, the report says McPherson challenged the officer and open-hand slapped the officer on the left side of her face. McPherson was arrested and charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer of the United States, and is being held in custody. The charge carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Her next detention hearing is set for Thursday. VANCOUVERThe mail-order cannabis industry is expected to grow by leaps and bounds once legalization officially takes effect, with one report projecting that more than a third of recreational users will turn to online purchasing after Oct. 17. And restricting young peoples access to the drug is one of the central, explicit goals of the Canadian government taking over what, for decades, has been a largely illicit market. But opening up cannabis access to all Canadians of legal age is raising concerns about whether pot deliveries will provide young people with a workaround to the mandatory ID checks at storefront retailers. Marc Paris, executive director of Drug Free Kids Canada, said his organization feels a number of questions have yet to be answered about how cannabis will be kept out of the reach of Canadian kids. With the impending legalization of recreational cannabis there are many potential risks to our youth, he said in an email, adding postal delivery is one of his top concerns. How secure is the (delivery) system? Will they be dropping it at the door like Amazon? The federal government itself acknowledges that youth use and misuse of cannabis is an issue in the country. Canadians continue to use cannabis at some of the highest rates in the world, reads a statement from the governments website. In 2015, 21% of youth ... reported using cannabis within the last year, reads a statement on a federal government webpage. But the B.C. Liquor Distribution Board, which will control all online recreational sales of cannabis in the province, says a raft of measures have been put into place to frustrate youth access to weed. Age verification is one primary deterrent, said BCLDB communications manager Viviana Zanocco. Recipients of mail-order cannabis will be asked to show valid identification at the point of delivery, Zanocco said, while consumers will also be required to enter identifying information during online ordering. Additionally, a third-party delivery service trained in federal protocols around age verification will be responsible for moving cannabis packages from the BCLDB warehouse direct to customers around the province, she said. These customers will be required to produce valid identification before a package is released into their possession. The packages themselves, Zanocco added, will be sealed in odour-proof, tamper-evident containers. And just as (with) any other item a consumer might purchase online, the exterior package would have no indication of the contents. Medical cannabis has been legal for delivery since 2001, since the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) were first implemented. This legislation enabled Canadians approved by a health care practitioner for medical cannabis use to either grow their own pot, designate someone to grow it on their behalf or purchase it from a Health Canada approved supplier (which would then be delivered to them). Philip Legault, a spokesperson for Canada Post, wrote in an email that the Crown corporation has been delivering medical cannabis safely since 2013. (Many legal medical cannabis providers have, for many years, used private delivery services such as Purolator). Canada Post employees, Legault wrote, are also currently undergoing training around safe delivery of recreational marijuana. These include ensuring, for instance, that packages which smell strongly of cannabis are not delivered until the conspicuous odour can be controlled. This particular measure, Legault suggested, is meant to deter identification of any package as containing cannabis. All cannabis shipments will also be fully trackable, Legault wrote, meaning that a customer can see where the package is located along the delivery chain and know when it will be arriving at her door. Proof of age, he added, will also be mandatory. Some Canadian parents, however, are less concerned about online access than about peer access in general. Michael Bramwell, a Vancouver father who works in law enforcement, said kids tampering with online cannabis deliveries is certainly no more pressing a concern than whether young people share cannabis theyve obtained from the black market, with little understanding of its potency. And while he is concerned by the idea of a child secretly making an online cannabis order on a parents credit card, Bramwell said that particular issue has largely to do with parenting, and might be mitigated by open, frank conversations around substance use and misuse. Those tough conversations that all parents face, he added, are necessary regardless of the legal status of a drug. Kids often share drugs or alcohol theyve obtained illegally, said Bramwell, adding that if his child were to experiment, hed rather it be done in a safe environment with an informed understanding of what to expect. If youre restrictive, (kids) are gonna go behind your back, Bramwell said in an interview in August. Kids are still getting drunk at bush parties. Or when they do hit (legal) age, theyre going to go buck wild, and go too crazy. Bramwell emphasized that he does not feel as if theres nothing to worry about. Rather, he hopes legalization will take some of the glamour of taboo out of cannabis use, and make safe, educated engagement with drugs an easier topic for families to broach. (The) prohibitive mindset is not the best way to handle parenting, Bramwell said. With anything. Including marijuana. Read more about: She is among the most powerful women in British policing, overseeing one of the countrys biggest forces. But behind closed doors, crime tsar Alison Hernandez has privately been recovering from the ordeal of an abusive relationship that lasted more than two years. Her job as Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall made her reluctant to seek help to bring her ex-boyfriend Gill Winfield to justice. But now, with Winfield awaiting sentence for assault and stalking, she is speaking out in a bid to help other women in her position. Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Ms Hernandez said: The police were the last people I wanted to speak to and I think he knew that and thats why he persisted. Crime tsar Alison Hernandez has privately been recovering from the ordeal of an abusive relationship that lasted more than two years Being in a position of power in my working life but then being so powerless in my personal life is a dichotomy in itself. I like to feel in control. The commissioner, 44, who has a young daughter from a previous marriage, met chartered surveyor Winfield in 2015, a few months before she was elected to her 85,000-a-year post. She said the warning signs were there from the start and his jealousy left her walking on eggshells constantly. The first time Gill hit me, we were away in Italy, Ms Hernandez recalled. He threw a hot cup of tea at my head and it narrowly missed me. It smashed against the wall and went all over the floor. We were arguing because I said I wanted to go home early. I wanted to end the relationship and he went absolutely crazy. He started shouting and yelling. I remember locking myself in the toilet to get away from him and I called my friend, crying. What was I supposed to do? I felt trapped. I was on holiday with this man for another three days. After returning to the UK on an earlier-than-planned flight, Ms Hernandez made her first attempt to end the relationship but the smooth-talking Winfield convinced her to stay with him. She said: I tried to leave him around six times but he would talk me round. He would turn up at my house with gifts or send messages and cards. As their rows escalated, Winfield became more violent and the final straw came earlier this year when he hit Ms Hernandez in the face. She recalled: We were driving to Lidl to get some food for dinner and we argued the whole way there. Her job as Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall made her reluctant to seek help to bring her ex-boyfriend Gill Winfield, pictured, to justice When we parked up, I said I didnt want to go into the supermarket and asked him to take me home. Then on the journey home, he suddenly hit me. I was completely silent, just sitting there. I didnt see what happened as he hit me from the side. I thought to myself, Has he really just hit me? I punched him back in self-defence and I think I probably shouted and called him a wife-beater. I ran into the house and locked the door. He stayed outside and was trying to talk to me through the letter box but I refused to speak to him. Thats how it ended with him. But she says Winfield, 48, would not take no for an answer and began making her life hell. He stalked her, and bombarded her with emails, texts and voicemail messages, begging her to reconsider. He even ignored solicitors letters ordering him to leave her alone. After confiding in a police chaplain at work, she finally found the courage to report his crimes. Winfield was arrested and will be sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday after admitting two charges of assault and a further charge of stalking. He has also been suspended from practising as a chartered surveyor for 12 months. Even so, the commissioner admits that her ordeal is not yet fully over. I may need counselling to come to terms with this, she said. The one question I need to iron out in my mind is why on earth did I stay with him for as long as I did? My message to anyone suffering is contact help as soon as you can. I feel very passionately that police intervention is really the only thing that can put a stop to it. For free advice, call the National Stalking Helpline, 0808 802 0300. DIRKOU, NIGERThe CIA is poised to conduct secret drone strikes against Al Qaeda and Daesh, also known as ISIS, insurgents from a newly expanded airbase deep in the Sahara, making aggressive use of powers that were scaled back during the Obama administration and restored by U.S. President Donald Trump. Late in his presidency, Barack Obama sought to put the military in charge of drone attacks after a backlash arose over a series of highly visible strikes, some of which killed civilians. The move was intended, in part, to bring greater transparency to attacks that the United States often refused to acknowledge its role in. But now the CIA is broadening its drone operations, moving aircraft to northeastern Niger to hunt Islamist militants in southern Libya. The expansion adds to the agencys limited covert missions in eastern Afghanistan for strikes in Pakistan, and in southern Saudi Arabia for attacks in Yemen. Nigerien and U.S. officials said the CIA had been flying drones on surveillance missions for several months from a corner of a small commercial airport in Dirkou. Satellite imagery shows that the airport has grown significantly since February to include a new taxiway, walls and security posts. One U.S. official said the drones had not yet been used in lethal missions, but would almost certainly be in the near future, given the growing threat in southern Libya. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the secretive operations. A CIA spokesperson, Tim Barrett, declined to comment. A Defense Department spokesperson, Maj. Sheryll Klinkel, said the military had maintained a base at the Dirkou airfield for several months but did not fly drone missions from there. The drones take off from Dirkou at night typically between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. buzzing in the clear, starlit desert sky. A New York Times reporter saw the grey aircraft about the size of Predator drones, which are 27 feet long flying at least three times over six days in early August. Unlike small passenger planes that land occasionally at the airport, the drones have no blinking lights signalling their presence. All I know is theyre American, Nigers interior minister, Mohamed Bazoum, said in an interview. He offered few other details about the drones. Dirkous mayor, Boubakar Jerome, said the drones had helped improve the towns security. Its always good. If people see things like that, theyll be scared, Jerome said. Obama had curtailed the CIAs lethal role by limiting its drone flights, notably in Yemen. Some strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere that accidentally killed civilians, stirring outrage among foreign diplomats and military officials, were shielded because of the CIAs secrecy. As part of the shift, the Pentagon was given the unambiguous lead for such operations. The move sought, in part, to end an often awkward charade in which the United States would not concede its responsibility for strikes that were abundantly covered by news organizations and tallied by watchdog groups. However, the CIA program was not fully shut down worldwide, as the agency and its supporters in Congress balked. The drone policy was changed last year, after Mike Pompeo, the CIA director at the time, made a forceful case to Trump that the agencys broader counterterrorism efforts were being needlessly constrained. The Dirkou base was already up and running by the time Pompeo stepped down as head of the CIA in April to become Trumps secretary of state. The Pentagons Africa Command has carried out five drone strikes against Al Qaeda and Daesh militants in Libya this year, including one two weeks ago. The military launches its MQ-9 Reaper drones from bases in Sicily and in Niamey, Nigers capital, 800 miles southwest of Dirkou. But the CIA base is hundreds of miles closer to southwestern Libya, a notorious haven for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups that also operate in the Sahel region of Niger, Chad, Mali and Algeria. It is also closer to southern Libya than a new $110 million drone base in Agadez, Niger, 350 miles west of Dirkou, where the Pentagon plans to operate armed Reaper drone missions by early next year. Another U.S. official said the CIA began setting up the base in January to improve surveillance of the region, partly in response to an ambush last fall in another part of Niger that killed four U.S. troops. The Dirkou airfield was labelled a U.S. air force base as a cover, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential operational matters. The CIA operation in Dirkou is burdened by few, if any, of the political sensitivities that the U.S. military confronts at its locations, said one former U.S. official involved with the project. Even so, security analysts said, it is not clear why the U.S. needs both military and CIA drone operations in the same general vicinity to combat insurgents in Libya. France also flies Reaper drones from Niamey, but only on unarmed reconnaissance missions. I would be surprised that the CIA would open its own base, said Bill Roggio, editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Long War Journal, which tracks military strikes against militant groups. Despite U.S. denials, a Nigerien security official said he had concluded that the CIA launched an armed drone from the Dirkou base to strike a target in Ubari, in southern Libya, on July 25. The Nigerien security official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the classified program. A spokesperson for the Africa Command, Maj. Karl Wiest, said the military did not carry out the Ubari strike. Ubari is in the same region where the U.S. military in March launched its first-ever drone attack against Al Qaeda militants in southern Libya. It is at the intersection of the powerful criminal and jihadi currents that have washed across Libya in recent years. Roughly equidistant from Libyas borders with Niger, Chad and Algeria, the areas seminomadic residents are heavily involved in the smuggling of weapons, drugs and migrants through the lawless deserts of southern Libya. Some of the residents have allied with Islamist militias, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates across Algeria, Mali, Niger and Libya. Dirkou, in northeast Niger, is an oasis town of a few thousand people in the open desert, bordered by a small mountain range. For centuries, it has been a key transit point for travellers crossing the Sahara. It helped facilitate the rise of Islam in West Africa in the 9th century, and welcomed salt caravans from the neighbouring town of Bilma. The town has a handful of narrow, sandy roads. Small trees dot the horizon. Date and neem trees line the streets, providing shelter for people escaping the oppressive midday heat. There is a small market, where goods for sale include spaghetti imported from Libya. Gasoline is also imported from Libya and is cheaper than elsewhere in the country. The drones based in Dirkou are loud, and their humming and buzzing drowns out the bleats of goats and crows of roosters. It stops me from sleeping, said Ajimi Koddo, 45, a former migrant smuggler. They need to go. They go in our village, and it annoys us too much. Satellite imagery shows that construction started in February on a new compound at the Dirkou airstrip. Since then, the facility has been extended to include a larger paved taxiway and a clamshell tent connected to the airstrip all features that are consistent with the deployment of small aircraft, possibly drones. Five defensive positions were set up around the airport, and there appear to be new security gates and checkpoints both to the compound and the broader airport. It is not the first time that Washington has eyed with interest Dirkous tiny base. In the late 1980s, the United States spent $3.2 million renovating the airstrip in an effort to bolster Nigers government against Moammar Gadhafi, then the leader of Libya. Compared with other parts of Africa, the CIAs presence in the continents northwest is relatively light, according to a former State Department official who served in the region. In this part of Niger, the CIA is also providing training and sharing intelligence, according to a Nigerien military intelligence document reviewed by The Times. The Nigerien security official said about a dozen U.S. Green Berets were stationed earlier this year in Dirkou in a base separate from the CIAs to train a special counterterrorism battalion of local forces. Those trainers left about three months ago, the official said. It is unlikely that they will return anytime soon. The Pentagon is considering withdrawing nearly all U.S. commandos from Niger in the wake of the deadly October ambush that killed four U.S. soldiers. Read more about: Its clear that around half of all Americans, politicians and voters alike, are either too stupid or too greedy to oppose the soulless policies of Donald Trump, or even to go on record as being horrified by his xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia and racism. On behalf of a large but apparently ineffectual minority of Americans, I am asking for Canadians help. Im hoping you, with 1/10th our population, will be able to summon more spine than we can. Please dont allow Trump to bully you into accepting his warped idea of a fair trade agreement. John W. Nelson, Kenmore, N.Y. Read more about: Ontario elementary teachers union files court challenge over sex-ed rollback, snitch line, Sept. 4 I am an educator. Unlike every stereotype the public has about teachers relaxing for two months, I spent my summer working, preparing for a full year of professional learning with my colleagues. Like all professionals, I have tried to ensure that the resources I will use are based on evidence, so I relied on the Ministry of Educations website to support my learning. When I visited the ministrys website, I found a disclaimer that said, This information was posted by the previous government. I was astonished. I wasnt looking up policy. I wasnt even looking up curriculum. I was looking for documents on child and adolescent development and how to prepare for student success. Had this changed since the provincial election? The new snitch line for the public to report teachers who dare to deliver the 2015 health curriculum and consider the best interests of their students over a governments political gain seems a little Big Brotherish to me. This was when the new reality dawned on me. I didnt realize that now all policy and curriculum development was going to be based on public opinion instead of research. We now have a provincial government akin to an Orwellian novel. Government worrying about being popular so they can stay in control. There is little interest in research, evidence, academia and how these endeavours can improve the quality of life for an individual, community, society or culture. The government is interested in power wielding power for petty private and corporate interests. I have very little time left in my public education teaching career, but I now see that there will always be a need to be an educator, because we are living in a time when people will need critical thinking skills more than ever before. Nora Green, Toronto As the school year gets started, please consider using the Conservatives snitch line as a medium for praising the good work done by your child or grandchilds teacher(s), thereby providing an antidote to the character assassination that is the intended purpose of the snitch line. Our kids need an education that prepares them for the 21st century in all areas of life. An international tribunal found the Republic of Ecuador violated a treaty with the U.S. by allowing its court system to issue a $9.5 billion (U.S.) judgment against Chevron Corp. in an environmental case. The Friday ruling by the international arbitration court in The Hague further bolsters Chevrons campaign to invalidate the massive 2011 Ecuadorean judgment, which sought to hold the energy giant responsible for environmental damage in an Amazonian village. The tribunal, echoing earlier U.S. court rulings, concluded in a 500-page decision that the Ecuadorean case was tainted by fraud and corruption and that the $9.5 billion judgment cant be enforced. The tribunal detailed conduct by a judge that it called grossly improper by any moral, professional and legal standards. Chevrons general counsel, R. Hewitt Pate, said the tribunal explicitly found that it would be contrary to international law for the courts of any other state to recognize or enforce the Ecuadorean judgment, adding that the company takes no pleasure in any dispute with a sovereign nation. Ecuador Attorney General Inigo Salvador Crespo said an international arbitration against the country should not have been used to interfere with the dispute between Chevron and the indigenous plaintiffs. The underlying dispute has spanned decades and crisscrossed the globe. It began with a partnership in the 1960s to drill oil in the Amazon rain forest between Texaco Inc., now a Chevron subsidiary, and Ecuadors state-owned energy company. A few years after Texaco pulled out of the area in the 1990s, it reached an agreement with Ecuador to clean up some of the waste its operations left behind. Read more: Former Ecuadoran president ordered jailed after missed court date Residents of a village in northeastern Ecuador called Lago Agrio said the cleanup efforts didnt reach their region. Represented by lawyer Steven Donziger, the villagers sued Texaco in 1993, seeking compensation for what they said were illnesses spawned by polluted water. Chevron, which has never operated in Ecuador, inherited the case when it bought Texaco in 2001. Mr. Donziger spent years crusading for the villagers and seeking a payday. An Ecuadorean court handed his clients a $19 billion win in 2011, later reduced to the $9.5 billion still at issue. Because Chevron denied causing the environmental damage and refused to pay, Mr. Donziger went after the companys assets around the world. Mr. Donziger said Friday that the tribunals ruling, which he and his clients werent a party to, wont stop his efforts to collect the judgment. He said he is currently focused on Canada, where an appellate court ruled earlier this year that Chevrons Canada subsidiary cant be held liable for the judgment. The tribunal noted in its analysis that it couldnt prevent individual plaintiffs from continuing to pursue their claims. Chevron won a major victory in 2014, when a New York judge found the Ecuadorean verdict was the product of fraud and racketeering. The court concluded Mr. Donziger and his litigation team fabricated evidence, promised $500,000 to an Ecuadorean judge to rule in their favour, ghost-wrote much of the final verdict and took other actions that perverted the course of justice. Mr. Donziger disputes the findings An appellate court upheld that decision in 2016, affirming the inability to collect on the judgment in the U.S. Chevron initiated The Hague proceeding in 2009, arguing the company did its part to clean up the drilling site under a 1995 agreement with Ecuador and that any further pollution should be the countrys responsibility. It later amended its complaint to contest the 2011 judgment. The proceedings ground on for years, including having the tribunal members visit the contested site in Ecuador. In its Friday decision, the tribunal found that by allowing the judgment to stand, Ecuador wrongfully committed a denial of justice under international law. The panel said the ruling wasnt an indictment on the entirety of the Ecuadorean legal system, but focused on the corruption of a single judge. The tribunal found Ecuador released Texaco in 1998 of its cleanup duties after the company spent $40 million on environmental remediation. The ruling orders Ecuador to make the $9.5 billion judgment unenforceable and wipe out all the consequences from it. A later phase of the proceeding will determine what damages Chevron is entitled to from Ecuador. Read more about: A mysterious academic who allegedly acted as a link between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and the Kremlin is missing and may be dead, according to court papers. Joseph Mifsud, 57, became embroiled in scandal after he was said to have offered dirt about the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to a Republican aide at a London hotel. The Maltese professor, based at the University of Stirling in Scotland until last year, has previously denied suggestions that he was a Russian agent saying: Secret agent! I never got a penny from the Russians. My conscience is clean. Professor Joseph Mifsud, 57, who allegedly acted as a link between President Donald Trump's campaign and the Kremlin is 'missing and may be dead' according to court documents Papers lodged by the Democratic Committee made the claims in a lawsuit against Russia, the Trump Campaign and Wikileaks for allegedly interfering in the 2016 election But last week he was named in papers lodged with a New York court by the Democratic National Committee the Democratic Partys governing body which is suing Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks for allegedly interfering in the 2016 election. The documents said all the defendants in the case have been served with the complaint, with the exception of Mifsud (who is missing and may be deceased). Lawyers did not elaborate. Mifsuds fiancee, who gave birth to his daughter this year, is based in Ukraine. She reportedly said she hasnt seen or heard from him for months. Last week, George Papadopoulos, the former Trump adviser to whom Mifsud is said to have made his offer, was sentenced to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI during its investigation into election meddling. He is the first former campaign aide to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe, which is also investigating any possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. It was claimed Mifsud, a former honorary director of the London Academy of Diplomacy, also told Papadopoulos he could set up a meeting with Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2016 election. Authorities were alerted after Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat during a drinking session in a London pub about his meetings with Mifsud. Mifsud was lauded by the University of Stirling as part of its diplomacy A-team, a globetrotting ambassador flying the flag for the Scottish institution. Allegations contained in federal indictments against Papadopoulos say that while Mifsud was working with Stirling, he was offering to cultivate his substantial connections with Russian government officials to deliver thousands of emails that would damage Mrs Clinton. Mifsud has a colourful career history. He is said to have left a job at the University of Malta under a cloud in 2007, before becoming president of a university in Slovenia. He quit that job, disputing claims he fiddled expenses worth 34,320. He was once described as Ambassador Mifsud but although he worked for six months in the private office of the Maltese foreign minister, he was never a diplomat. He has been, however, an adviser to Maltas government on its entry to the EU, a guest lecturer at seminars around the world, a speaker on Capitol Hill, and an expert on Brexit for Russian MPs. There is no cause for what is being said about President Trump as he performs within the Executive Branch of our government. I am moved away from those who attack, rather than away from President Trump. First, what hypocrisy to hate him that much and then call him a man of hate. Who does he hate when he tries to keep out criminal elements from our country? When a celebrity calls for his assassination or a congresswoman calls for harassment of his associates, who is doing the hating? Or should I think him a racist when he declared about Charlottesville that there is blame on both sides. He had the guts to say that vs. other presidents that would say the politically correct thing. And this anonymous piece in the NY Times (Wednesday) by a senior official, who has the nerve to go behind his bosss back and supposedly give us the inside scoop on his spasmodic behavior, makes me wonder how the country can prosper if that is all true. Or even if it is true, should we contemplate impeachment? Any members of Congress who will work for impeachment after November, they are the ones who will turn this country in a deranged direction. I heard recently a correspondent on NPR said get out your scorecard for what we have against President Trump in the investigation, but then just mentioned the misdeeds of a few around him, not collusion with Russia. So what? We could say that about any president. I also remember in the days of President Clinton that that same news source had on a lawyer, Lawrence Walsh, who blasted the criticism going on about the president for his unfaithfulness because he has the hardest post in the world! Why were we not supposed to distract that president by criticism for his misdeeds in office, yet we can have open season attacking President Trump for his past deeds? He is evidently faithful to his wife now, he is weathering senseless attacks while working hard for the United States, and he is showing that he isnt a psychotic about to push the nuclear button at anytime like candidate Hillary Clinton suggested. In November lets judge rightly. Michael Fox Alton Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk was filmed smoking marijuana and wielding a sword on a webcast, just hours before the automaker said its recently-appointed accounting chief would leave, the latest in a string of unusual behavior and executive departures that have stunned investors. Shares of the electric carmaker tumbled more than six per cent on Friday to $263.24, with investors on edge after a tumultuous August during which Musk proposed and then abruptly pulled the plug on a go-private deal. Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton resigned after just one month in the job because of discomfort with the attention on the company and pace of work during that time, Tesla said in a filing on Friday. It later said that Chief People Officer Gaby Toledano would not return from a leave of absence, just over a year after joining. Later on Friday, Tesla named a new president of automotive operations, promoting eight-year Tesla employee and former Daimler truck exec Jerome Guillen into the role overseeing all automotive operations and reporting to Musk. That move, described in a company blog with several other promotions as a result of board and management discussions, gives Musk a seasoned auto industry veteran to lean on at a time when some investors have called for a new chief operating officer. Shares barely moved after hours, when the promotions were announced. Morton and Toledano, whose departures come shortly after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission opened an inquiry into Musk's aborted privatisation plan, join dozens of senior executives who have left Tesla. "Since I joined Tesla on August 6th, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations. As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future," Morton said in the filing. Late on Thursday, Musk was filmed drinking whiskey, briefly smoking marijuana and wielding a Samurai sword during a 2-1/2-hour live Web show with comedian Joe Rogan that swiftly spread across social media. Taking a puff from a joint, which Rogan said was a blend of tobacco and marijuana and legal in California, Musk said he "almost never" smoked. "I am not a regular smoker of weed," Musk said. "I don't actually notice any effect ... I don't find that it is very good for productivity."It was the latest in a string of unconventional behavior by the billionaire South African native who is also CEO of rocket startup SpaceX. Even before Musk's surprise Aug. 7 tweet that he had funding"secured" for a go-private deal, Tesla had been under scrutiny from investors, analysts and short-sellers as it works to hit production targets and slow its cash burn. Morton, who is walking away from a $350,000 base salary and a $10 million new-hire stock grant that would vest over four years, said he believed "strongly" in Tesla and that he had no disagreements with the company's leadership or its financial reporting. Analysts on Friday reiterated their call for Tesla to bring in another senior leader. "We have been calling for a co-CEO or COO to assist to codifying the leadership structure and in so doing, the culture at Tesla," said James Albertine, analyst at brokerage Consumer Edge, speaking before the promotions were announced. The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite... Flood threat loomed large over Patna district after the Madhya Pradesh government released 3.55 lakh cusecs of water from Bansagar dam in Sone river that would increase the Ganga water level which is already flowing above the danger mark in Patna. "Due to heavy rains, Bansagar dam is completely full to its capacity. Our water resources department's principal secretary talked to the concerned officials of Madhya Pradesh government over phone, requesting them to release the water from Bansagar dam slowly into the river Sone so that Ganga does not witness sudden surge in its water level," WRD public relations officer Arvind Kumar Singh said. Madhya Pradesh released 3,55,572 cusecs of water in Sone river, Singh said, adding that the water level of Ganga would rise further. As per earlier information, the Madhya Pradesh government was supposed to release 5.25 lakh to 7.0 lakh cusecs of water from Bansagar into Sone river around 10 pm of September 7, Singh said. A water resource development official explained that the water released from Bansagar dam takes two to three days to reach Indrapuri barrage built across Sone river in Rohtas district. Materials for flood fighting have been stored at places which may be affected by the increase of water level of rivers, he said adding that officials have been asked to keep a strict vigil and remain alert to tackle any situation. Hindus have no aspiration of dominance and the community will prosper only when it works as a society, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat urged the community leaders to unite and work for the betterment of the mankind. Addressing a gathering of 2,500 delegates attending the second World Hindu Congress, Bhagwat said one of the key values to bring the whole world into a team is to have controlled ego and learn to accept the consensus. The second World Hindu Congress marks the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago. "If a lion is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion. We must not forget that. We want to make the world better. We have no aspiration of dominance. Our influence is not a result of conquest or colonisation, he said. Bhagwat said a sense of idealism is good and described himself not as "anti-modern", but as "pro-future". He sought to describe Hindu dharma as "ancient and post-modern". "Hindu society will prosper only when it works as a society," he said at the conference inspired by the Hindu principle 'Sumantrite Suvikrante' or 'Think Collectively, Achieve Valiantly'. "One of the key values to bring the whole world into a team is to have controlled ego and learn to accept the consensus. For example, Lord Krishna and Yudhishtra never contradicted each other," Bhagwat said. In this context, he alluded to the war and politics in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and said politics cannot be conducted like a meditation session, and it should be politics. "To work together, we have to accept the consensus. We are in a position to work together," Bhagwat said. He urged the conference attendees to discuss and evolve a methodology to implement the idea of working collectively. He said the Hindu society has the largest number of meritorious persons. "But they never come together. Coming together of Hindus in itself is a difficult thing," he said. He noted that Hindus had been suffering for thousands of years because they forgot to practice its basic principles and spiritualism. "We have to come together," Bhagwat said, noting that all the people need not to register under one umbrella. He noted that Hindus had been suffering for thousands of years because they forgot to practice its basic principles and spiritualism. Addressing the congress on the theme drawn from the Mahabharat, 'Think Collectively, Act Valiantly,' Bhagwat highlighted the need for such an action, and how Hindus should work together. He said in Hindu dharma, even a pest is not killed, but controlled. "Hindus don't live to oppose anybody. We even allow the pests to live. There are people who may oppose us. You have to tackle them without harming them," Bhagwat said. SP Kothari, chair of WHC, said he and many speakers attending the conference received calls and petitions from organisations and individuals to withdraw from the Congress on the ground WHC or some of its organisers are "socially and religiously divisive." "I categorically reject this supposition," Kothari said. "I urge them to listen to my talk and reflect on whether it is tainted with hate. I have chosen to disregard those petitions as originating from a lack of complete understanding of the Word Hindu Congress," Kothari said. "The three goals of WHC are enlighten, reform and advance. WHC brings enlightenment throughout the world about Hindu community through spirituality, harmony and inclusiveness," he said. "Hindus must reform and be in the forefront in eliminating social and economic inequality, fostering cooperation among those with ideas and resources, and view commerce as a means to furthering Hindu dharma for a better tomorrow," he said. Vice-president of the Republic of Suriname, Ashwin Adhin, in his address said, We as Hindus never forsake our mission. Hindus have always been the missionaries of renunciation and service. "Words like peace, harmony and spirituality do not appeal to ordinary people easily and they have to be framed in the right perspective terms so that they become established in people's mind," Adhin said. Addressing the confluence of Hindu leadership who have come to connect, share ideas and inspire one another and impact the common good, WHC coordinator Abhaya Asthana stated we have gathered to reaffirm the same message of diversity, cooperation and universal acceptance uttered by Swami Vivekananda 125 years ago. WHC, he stated, is not an event, but rather a community movement. It seeks to encourage Hindus around the world to ascend to the highest levels of excellence. Speaking at the confrence, actor Anupam Kher said Hinduism is a way of life and one becomes a Hindu by living like one. "Tolerance was the centerpiece of Vivekananda's message. Despite being refugees in their own country, Kashmiri Pandits have practiced tolerance for 28 years like nobody ever has," he said. "As a Hindu, it pains me deeply to see how half knowledge and ignorance are trying to destroy one of the world's oldest, most peaceful religions, he said. Attacking Bhagwat over his remarks, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the RSS was demeaning others. "The RSS is trying to demean people by calling others dogs and assuming themselves as the tiger," Owaisi said. This has been the language of RSS and people will reject it, he added. Meanwhile, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar claimed that the "dog" reference was for the "opposition parties" in the country. "I condemn this mansikta (mentality) of Mohan Bhagwat that he has referred to opposition parties in the country as dogs," the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader said. The opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra too slammed the RSS and alleged that its ideology was "anti-Hindu". NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "The ideology of RSS and BJP is anti-Hindu and they only know how to do caste politics." "The day they stop dividing Hindus on the basis of caste, every Hindu and people from other religions as well will be lions," Malik added. Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, "RSS ideology is anti-Hindu. It is known for hatred towards other castes and religions. It is shameful of the RSS chief to describe any religion in this way." However, Madhav defended Bhagwat and said that the RSS chief has always spoken for the welfare of Hindu society and the country. Lashing out at Kerala MLA P.C. George for using 'abusive language' against an alleged rape victim, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said such incidents are shameful. Sharma noted that the commission would be writing to Kerala DGP Lokanath Behera to take action against such lawmakers. The NCW chairperson said the nun was allegedly facing discrimination after levelling sexual assault charges against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal and that she was not getting support from the church. George had said, at a press meet, that he did not believe the bishop was at fault. He went on to say that it was suspicious that the woman raised a complaint only when she was harassed the 13th time and kept quiet at all the previous instances. According to ANI, he called the nun a 'prostitute'. No one has doubt that the nun is a prostitute. 12 times she enjoyed it and the 13th time it is rape? Why didn't she complain the first time?: PC George, Kerala MLA (Independent) on the nun who levelled rape allegations against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulackal. pic.twitter.com/Br2sxyhVgX ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2018 The nun's family, along with five of her mates from the convent at Kottayam, where she was repeatedly raped and abused, are meanwhile on a hunger strike demanding the bishop's arrest. The nun had accused Bishop Franco of raping and having unnatural sex with her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. The victim had also alleged that she had received death threats from unknown people two months ago. A special team probing the case has stated, as per preliminary investigation, Bishop Franco had abused his position and repeatedly raped the nun. -Inputs from Onmanorama and PTI Jaipur, Sep 9 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announced a four-per cent reduction in value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel on Sunday, which will reduce their prices by Rs 2.5 per litre in the state. VAT on petrol will be reduced from 30 to 26 per cent and on diesel from 22 to 18 per cent, Raje announced at a public meeting organised in Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district as part of her 'Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra'. The decision will cost the exchequer Rs 2,000 crore and will provide the people a relief of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and diesel. "We have decided to reduce VAT on diesel and petrol by 4 per cent, which will provide much-needed relief to the people of the state, be it farmers or women or others," Raje told reporters in Rawatsar after making the announcement. Petrol and diesel prices set new records Sunday as they continued their upward march on fall in rupee and surge in global crude oil rates. The opposition Congress has called for a nationwide shutdown on Monday over rising fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee. Targeting the Congress, the chief minister said that the party had failed to play the role of an effective opposition and came out of its shell just before the election. Assembly election in Rajasthan is scheduled for later this year. PTI SDA SMN SMN Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) Legendary actor Dilip Kumar, who was admitted to a hospital here due to chest infection, has shown "lots of improvement" and is currently doing fine. The actor was diagnosed with mild pneumonia, his wife Saira Banu said Thursday. The 95-year-old actor was admitted to Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra on Wednesday. "He is in ICU but is fine now. There has been a lot of improvement in his health. Doctors are doing the check up and the treatment is on too. He is normal and we are very much happy with the progress," Ajay Kumar Pande, Vice President of Lilavati Hospital told PTI. Dilip Kumar's nephew Faisal Farooqui had first shared the news about the actor's ill health on his official Twitter account. "Saab has been admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital as he was bit uneasy due to a chest infection. He's recuperating. Requesting your duas and prayers," he had written. Known as the 'Tragedy King of Bollywood', Dilip Kumar has given memorable performances in films such as "Andaz", 'Aan', 'Madhumati', 'Devdas' and 'Mughal-e-Azam'. PTI JUR SHD Auburn (US), Sep 9 (AP) One person is dead and four people have been injured following a shooting at a McDonald's near Auburn University in Alabama. Auburn Police say in a statement that officers responded to the restaurant on West Magnolia Ave. just before 2:30 a.m. local time Sunday and found a 20-year-old man from Tuskegee dead from gunshot wounds. Police say four other people, including an Auburn University student, were injured. The injured included a 16-year-old victim from Opelika, Alabama, who was flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. Three additional people injured ages 17, 19, and 21 were transported to East Alabama Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Police say they do not believe the shooting was random and an investigation is ongoing. No further details were immediately available. (AP) CK Prague, Sep 9 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind's tour of Cyprus, Bulgaria and Czech Republic was "highly productive" and all the three nations supported India's position on terrorism, a senior Indian diplomat said Sunday. During the President's visit, aimed at continuing India's high-level engagements with the European countries, a number of MoUs were signed, including combatting climate-related challenges and cooperation on peaceful use of nuclear energy. "All the three visits were highly productive, very substantive and resulted in good outcomes. All three countries are very important countries for us in the Central Europe. We share very warm and friendly relationships with them, not just at the political level, but also at the cultural and people-to-people levels," Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Ruchi Ghanashyam said. "The visit helped to consolidate these ties and provide new energy, new visions for us to take forward in the years to come," she said in the wind-up briefing. Ghanashyam said all the three countries supported India's Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). "All three countries support India's position on terrorism. They have unequivocally expressed their position...All three countries are members of the EU and the EU has a list of proscribed terror outfits. When the EU has got the list, all its members automatically subscribe to that," she said in response to a question. The President's Press Secretary Ashok Malik said it was one of the "most substantive" visits, asserting that while there have been tangibles outcomes from the previous visits, the outcomes from this tour were "really rich". There were 12 agreements signed during the three-nation trip which included five broad ones, he said. "One is strengthening the already strong bilateral ties, issues concerning terrorism, UNSC reform and India's membership at the UNSC, strengthening people to people contacts and cultural ties, creating investment, technology cooperation especially in sensitive and critical areas such as defence and laser technology and the issue of sustanibility, an issue close to the President's heart," Malik said. "In all his interactions, the President brought up the salience of the international solar alliance which is an institution that India has promoted. We are happy with the visit and have come out with rich outcomes," Malik said. PTI MRJ MRJ Oppn parties in Bihar resolve to make 'Bharat bandh' a success Patna, Sep 9 (PTI) Opposition parties in Bihar on Sunday resolved to make tomorrow's 'Bharat Bandh', called by the Congress in protest against spiralling fuel prices, a "grand success". Opposition leaders from Congress, RJD, HAM(S), Samajwadi Party, NCP held a joint press conference at Sadaquat Ashram here - the Congress' state headquarter - and appealed to the various trade and industry bodies to make the bandh a grand success. Prominent leaders who addressed the joint press conference included Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri, senior Congress leaders Sadanand Singh, M M Jha, RJD Bihar chief Ram Chandra Purbey, HAM(S) state chief Vrishin Patel, Samajwadi Party Bihar unit chief and former union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav. They said that medicine shops, medical services, ambulances and school buses will be kept out of tomorrow's bandh. Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Qadri said the price of petrol and diesel were Rs 71.41 and Rs 55.49 per litre respectively, when the crude oil price was USD 107 per barrel during the UPA regime on May 16, 2014 whereas the price of petrol and diesel is currently Rs 86 and Rs 78 per litre when the crude oil price is USD 73 a barrel. Qadri said the price of LPG cylinder has gone up by Rs 340 in the past 52 months of Modi regime, and the railway fare which was Rs 6 per km has now gone up to Rs 9 per km. "The BJP government has nothing to do with the burning issues like fuel price hike or general price hike that concern every common man. We, along with other opposition parties including Left parties, will hit the streets tomorrow to protest against the steepest-ever fuel price hike. We will also appeal to transport association, various trade and industry bodies and people to make the bandh a grand success," Qadri said. In reply to a query whether or not he would appeal to JD(U), which seemed annoyed with the BJP on fuel price issue, to come along with opposition parties, Qadri said that "Why would I appeal to JD(U) as they are very much part of the ruling alliance. I would ask them (JDU) to exert pressure to cut excise duty to give relief to common men." RJD Bihar unit chief Ram Chandra Purbey said that the party has already asked its workers and leaders right from block to district levels to participate in the bandh to make it a grand success. HAM(S) state unit chief Vrishin Patel asserted that "tomorrow's bandh will send a message to the Modi govenrment that we will emerge as 'aandhi' (storm) which will make the government bite the dust." Bihar SP chief Devendra Prasad Yadav said that bandh will prove to be a "milestone". "The situaton has worsened because of the central government's poor and anti-farmer and anti-poor policies," Yadav said. Senior Bihar Congress leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said he would appeal to people not to send their children to school tomorrow as a precautionary measure. The bandh will be observed between 9 am to 3 pm during which leaders and workers from opposition parties would hit the streets requesting people to cooperate and support the bandh. The opposition parties will be holding torch light march at 6.30 pm at various places in the state capital in order to make people aware about tomorrow's bandh, Mishra said. Meanwhile, left parties- which had already given separate call for Bharat Bandh for tomorrow on the issue of fuel price hike, also held a joint meeting in this regard in the state capital on Sunday. PTI AR JM JM Meghalaya to seek Centre's help for boosting border trade Shillong, Sep 9 (PTI) The Meghalaya government is planning to appeal to the Centre to facilitate the increase of trading points along the India-Bangladesh border for the benefit of the people living at the eastern edge of the country, an official said. Currently, there are 10 land custom stations in the state for import and export of commodities with the neighbouring country. "The state's Commerce and Industries Department is preparing a draft proposal addressed to the central government, seeking parleys between the officials of the two countries for increase of trade channels along the border," a senior official of the industries department told PTI. The proposal will be in line with the state's 'Look South' policy, which is aimed at boosting Meghalaya's economy through trade with Bangladesh, he said. "Last week, Meghalaya Commerce and Industries Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar met a group of traders to solicit their opinions and inform them about the proposal, which is still under consideration of the state," the official stated. Dhar said the plan, if realized, will adequately improve the livelihood of people living in the border areas. "We are keen to open more import-export points along the India-Bangladesh border," he said. The state had earlier proposed setting up of 22 border haats during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17). "The slow progress of paper works on both sides is a reason why the border haat plan was never executed," the commerce and industries department official said. The state, endowed with natural resources, also offers excellent potential for export for agro-horticulture products, handloom and handicrafts, he said. "As the state faces location disadvantages and infrastructure at many levels is not up to the mark, bilateral trade has always suffered a setback," he maintained. Echoing similar sentiments, M Lyngdoh, a limestone exporter, said all 10 land custom stations in the state are in bad shape. "If measures are not taken to improve the infrastructure at these custom stations, international trade will suffer in the days to come," he added. PTI JOP RMS RMS Srinagar Sep 9 (PTI) Rejecting PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's attempt to mend strained relations, former minister Haseeb Drabu turned down his nomination to the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC), saying it "lacks authority" and its reorganisation appeared to "an appeasement than atonement". Mufti had nominated Friday the former Jammu and Kashmir minister to the party's highest decision-making body along with another senior leader and former minister Altaf Bukhari. He was first inducted into the PAC by then PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed after he joined the party in 2014. Drabu said he was "pleasantly surprised" to read, first on social media and then print media, that he was nominated to the party's PAC. Drabu said he knew the value and significance of being a PAC member, especially at a time when the state was "going through a phase of exceptional political chaos and social crisis" and the party was confronted with serious challenges both from within and outside. "Both these make the PAC an even more important institution for navigating the party as well as contributing to restore political order in the state through sagacious political conduct," the former minister said in a letter to Mufti. He said, however, the PAC has, in the recent past, not only "lacked authority but was consciously made to be seen as lacking authority". "In this context, the ongoing party reorganisation and reconstitution of the PAC appears to be a more of an appeasement than atonement. "No wonder the party constitutional limit on members of the PAC has been breached. In addition to 18 members (against the stipulated 11) there are 10 invitees, taking the number to 28," the letter reads. He said that after giving it a serious thought, he was not convinced that the PAC was genuinely empowered to pursue whatever was required to bring back the politics of the state from its "current state of abyss". "Nor is it able to function in a framework of open and emancipated deliberations to find ways of repairing and restoring the value system of the civil society which has been seriously impaired. I thank you for the nomination, but regret my inability to be part of this PAC," the PDP leader said in the letter. Mehbooba Mufti, as chief minister, had dropped Drabu from her council of ministers in March after he said "Kashmir was not a political issue" but rather a society with social issues during a function in New Delhi. The PDP chief reconstituted the PAC of her party after losing the government in the wake of BJP pulling out from the coalition in June. The nomination of Drabu into the PAC was seen as an attempt to mend strained relations with the senior party leader and to mollify the disgruntled elements within her party. Soon after the PDP-BJP government fell, seven PDP legislators had raised a banner of revolt against her leadership and accused the party president of nepotism. While Drabu did not rebel openly against the party leadership, he was reportedly miffed after being dropped from the council of ministers. PTI SSB AAR New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) People in Delhi will get doorstep delivery of 40 government services, including obtaining a marriage certificate, driving license and new water connection, from Monday, an official said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government had proposed doorstep delivery of services earlier this year and had alleged that Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal was stalling it. However, a five-judge Constitution Bench had on July 4 laid down broad parameters for governance of the national capital, paving the way for the government to proceed with the scheme. "Doorstep delivery of services. A revolution in governance. A big blow to corruption. Super convenience for people. Happening for the first time anywhere in the world. Starts from 10th Sept (sic)," Kejriwal had tweeted last month. The government has claimed that no citizen of Delhi would have to stand in queues for the services listed under the scheme. According to the plan, the Delhi government will provide 40 services such as caste certificate, driving licence, at the doorstep of people in the first phase. The services will be provided for an extra fee of Rs 50. In July, the government had approved Administrative Reforms proposal to give the work to a company, which will be an intermediary agency, to execute the project in the national capital. According to the plan, Mobile Sahayaks (facilitators) will be hired through the agency that would set up call centres. Various certificates such as caste, new water connection, income, driving licence, ration card, domicile, marriage registration, duplicate RC and change of address in RC, among others, will be covered under the scheme. If a person wants to apply for driving licence, he or she would have to call a designated call centre and give the details. Thereafter, the agency would assign a Mobile Sahayak, who will visit the applicant's residence and get the required details and documents. The applicant will have to visit the Motor Licensing Office (MLO) once for a driving test. In November last year, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said Mobile Sahayak would be equipped with all necessary equipment such as biometric devices and a camera, adding that for doorstep delivery of services, the applicant would be charged a nominal fee. PTI BUN SLB SLB NSD NSD Jammu, Sep 9 (PTI) Claiming the Centre was not doing enough to bring down the prices of petrol or diesal, a senior Congress leader Sunday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to support the nation-wide strike call given by his party over rising fuel prices in the country. "We appeal to all concerned citizens and organisations to observe a voluntary bandh (strike) from 9 am to 3 pm tomorrow to protest against the unprecedented hike on petrol, diesel, domestic gas and other essential commodities, AICC secretary co-incharge Jammu and Kashmir affairs Shakeel Ahmad Khan told reporters here. He said a nationwide call for 'Bharat bandh' was given by the Congress and other like-minded parties to draw the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government towards the plight of the common man. Khan claimed the Modi government had already collected over Rs 11 lakh crore as tax on petrol, diesel and gas, which he alleged was an "open loot" of the budget of common people. He claimed the excise duty on petrol since May 2014 was increased by 211.7 per cent and on diesel by 443.06 per cent. The excise duty was hiked during BJP government's tenure 12 times, the cost of gas cylinder (non-subsidised) has gone up from Rs 414 to 754 per cylinder and that of subsidised cylinder from Rs 412 to Rs 496 during the period, he said. He said the Congress, time and again, demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under the GST ambit which would reduce the price but the Modi Government and BJP had remained unmoved. So we have no option but to call for a Bharat Bandh to move the Modi government, he said. He said Congress cadres along with other like-minded people would organise peaceful protest demonstrations in different parts of the state tomorrow. PTI TAS ADS ADS New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Legal aid lawyers are defenders of human rights and there is a need for them to be paid at the same level as public prosecutors, Delhi High Court judge Justice S Muralidhar said Sunday, during the launch of a national report on legal aid for persons in custody. The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative's (CHRI) report -- Hope Behind Bars? -- highlighted that per capita spending on legal aid in India is just Rs 0.75. The report also stated that there is 14 per cent under-utilisation of funds allocated to state legal services authorities. While states like Bihar, Sikkim and Uttarakhand have utilised less than 50 per cent of allocated funds, only 339 of the 520 district legal service authorities (DLSAs) have full-time secretaries to manage delivery of legal aid services. "Delhi High Court Justice S Muralidhar today defined legal aid lawyers as human rights defenders, and spoke on the need for legal aid lawyers to be paid at the same level as public prosecutors," a statement quoting Muralidhar said. Speaking at a panel discussion on 'improving quality of legal representation,' Justice S Muralidhar explained the need for having a "human-rights based approach to legal aid instead of an approach based on criminal law and procedures", the statement said. He also emphasised the need to "incentivise lawyers". The report draws on hundreds of RTI applications and material available on the public domain on the legal aid framework in the country. The report was launched by Justice (retd) A P Shah, former chief justice of Delhi High Court. Justice Shah pointed out that many prisoners are unaware of the status of their cases as well as their basic human rights, the statement quoted him. "Access to justice is the most basic human right," the statement quoting him said. He stressed on the need for competent legal aid lawyers, providing effective legal representation. Dr Srikrishna Deva Rao, vice-chancellor, NLU Odisha, urged for extensive use of para-legal volunteers in the legal system as a link between the community and courts. To spread awareness, schools and colleges need to have systems in place to familiarise them (the youths) on the role of the police, he said. He also highlighted the importance of legal representation immediately after arrest and also pointed out the necessity of legal aid at different stages including, at the point of arrest, when first produced in front of a competent officer, and during remand orders passed by magistrates. Raja Bagga, author of the report, while sharing key findings said at present there is no national scheme which establishes a mechanism to provide legal aid at the police station. He further said that 60 per cent of the districts which responded to the RTI had constituted a monitoring committee. Monitoring committees are mandated to review each case to ensure the quality of legal aid provided by lawyers. Maintaining records and registers and keeping a separate staff to manage monitoring committees are crucial for its working. "Only 16 per cent of the committees had staff and 23 per cent maintained registers," Bagga said. The report said India's per capita lawyer ratio is better than most countries in the world. There are about 1.8 million lawyers in India which means one lawyer for every 736 persons but still, many people remain unrepresented for long periods, the report said. There are 61,593 panel lawyers and 9,56,323 remand lawyers in the country and therefore 3.95 per cent of these 1.8 million lawyers are legal aid lawyers. This translates to one legal aid lawyer per 18,609 people or five legal aid lawyers per 1,00,000 population. Another important category of legal aid providers are para legals. NALSA trained 67,844 para legals last year, the report said. PTI TDS ABA IND IND An Egyptian court has ruled 75 people must be executed for their involvement in a sit-in protest by Islamists in 2013 which was broken up by security forces, leaving at least 600 people dead. Those convicted, in a case involving 739 defendants, included senior leaders of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Charges ranged from murder to damaging property. The court in Cairo sentenced the head of the Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie, and 46 others to life in prison. The sit-in at a square in a Cairo suburb was staged by supporters of Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood stalwart. He became Egypts first freely elected President in 2012 but was ousted a year later by the military, then led by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. One of Mr Morsis sons, Osama, was among 22 defendants who received 10-year jail terms. A total of 374 people were sentenced to 15 years and 215 to five years. The convictions can be subject to appeal. Lucknow, Sep 9 (PTI) The 30-year-old IPS officer, who was is in a critical condition after consuming some poisonous substance, died Sunday at a private hospital in Kanpur. Surendra Kumar Das, an officer of the 2014 batch, was posted in Kanpur as Superintendent of Police City (East) and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital after consuming poisionous substance on Wednesday. "He died during treatment Sunday. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deepest condolence to the family members of the young IPS officer on his demise," an official spokesman said here. Dr Rajesh Agarwal a senior doctor at the private hospital where Das was undergoing medical treatment had on Saturday said that many organs of the officers body had stopped working. State Director General of Police (DGP), O P Singh had visited the hospital on Saturday. Senior police officers including DGP, ADG (Law and Order) and others have expressed grief over the demise of the officer. PTI ABN TVS TVS Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) The Bombay High Court is likely to pronounce on Monday, its verdict on whether or not some senior Gujarat and Rajasthan police officers deserve to be discharged in the 2005-2006 encounter case of suspected gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife and their aide. Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and their aide Tulsiram Prajapati were killed in "fake" encounters by the police of the two states in 2005-2006, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On July 16, a single bench of the high court, presided over by Justice A M Badar, had reserved the verdict on five revision applications challenging the discharge granted in the case by a trial court to Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian, former Gujarat ATS chief D G Vanzara, Gujarat police officer N K Amin, Rajasthan cadre IPS officer Dinesh M N and Rajasthan police constable Dalpat Singh Rathod. Justice Badar had been conducting hearings on a daily basis since July 4 on the five revision pleas filed by Sohrabuddin Shaikh's brother Rubabuddin Shaikh and the CBI. Rubabuddin Shaikh had filed three of these five pleas, challenging the discharge granted in the case by the trial court to Pandian, Dinesh and Vanzara. The remaining two pleas were filed by the CBI challenging the discharge granted to Amin and Rathod. The CBI had booked these five officials, along with 33 other people, as accused in the "fake" encounters of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Kausar Bi in November 2005 and Prajapati in December 2006. The Gujarat Police had then claimed Sohrabuddin Shaikh had terror links. Between 2014 and 2017, a special court in Mumbai, where the case was shifted from Gujarat following a Supreme Court order, discharged 15 of these 38 accused. Those discharged included 14 police officials and BJP president Amit Shah. As per the CBI charge sheet, Sohrabuddin Shaikh, a suspected gangster based in Gujarat, and Kausar Bi were abducted by officers of the Gujarat ATS and the Rajasthan Police from near Hyderabad, and killed in a fake encounter in November 2005. Prajapati, an eye-witness to these killings, was shot dead in another staged encounter in December 2006 by some Rajasthan Police officials at the behest of the Gujarat and Rajasthan officers, who had been involved in the killing of the husband-wife duo, the CBI had claimed. Justice Badar also conducted a separate hearing on a discharge plea filed by Gujarat IPS officer Vipul Aggarwal. A co-accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case, Aggarwal's discharge plea was rejected by the trial court last year. He then approached the HC challenging the order, seeking parity with the others who have been discharged. The verdict in Aggarwal's case is also likely to be pronounced Monday. The encounter cases of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Kausar Bi, and Prajapati were clubbed together in 2013 after the apex curt directed that the trial be shifted to Mumbai from Gujarat. PTI AYA RSY ANB ANB Hyderabad, Sep 9 (PTI) A metropolitan court here will Monday pronounce the quantum of punishment for the two Indian Mujahideen operatives convicted in the 2007 Hyderabad blasts case. Two powerful explosions had ripped through a popular eatery and an open air theatre here on August 25, 2007, killing 44 people and wounding 68. On September 4, Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge (in-charge) T Srinivas Rao pronounced Aneeq Shafique Sayeed and Mohammed Akbar Ismail Chowdhari guilty in the 11-year-old case, but acquitted Farooq Sharfuddin Tarkash and Mohammed Sadiq Israr Ahmed Shaik for want of enough evidence. The quantum of punishment, as also the judgement on the fifth accused Tarik Anjum, accused of harbouring the perpetrators in New Delhi and other places, will be pronounced Monday by the special court set up on the premises of Cherlapalli Central Prison, where they are currently lodged. The prosecution will seek capital punishment for the convicts, said Special Public Prosecutor C Seshu Reddy, who represented the Counter Intelligence wing of the Telangana Police, which had investigated the case and arrested the five accused. However, the defence counsels said they would challenge the verdict in the high court. Another Public Prosecutor K Surender said the duo -- Aneeq and Chowdhari -- were found guilty of carrying out blasts at Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park and also in connection with the recovery of the unexploded bomb from under a foot over bridge in the Dilsukh Nagar area. The duo were found guilty under Section 302 (murder) and various other sections of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Arms Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the prosecutors said. Two synchronised blasts had rocked Gokul Chaat, a popular eatery on August 25 2007, killing 32 people and leaving 47 injured, and an open air theatre in Lumbini Park close to the state secretariat where 12 people died and 21 wounded. Three other accused named in the chargesheets filed by police, including 'Indian Mujahideen' founder Riyaz Bhatkal, his brother Iqbal, and Amir Reza Khan are absconding. The Bhatkal brothers of Karnataka are believed to have taken shelter in Pakistan. The trial against five accused in the case was shifted to a court hall located on the premises of Cherlapalli Central Prison from a court located in Nampally Court complex in June this year. Two of those acquitted face some other cases in Maharashtra. PTI VVK APR GVS New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) A 40-year-old taxi driver was shot dead by unidentified men in south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when the deceased, Umesh, was talking to his friend while his car was parked nearby, they added. At that time, three-four men came there in a Honda City car and got into an argument with Umesh and shot him, a senior police officer said. It is suspected that the accused persons' car accidentally brushed past Umesh's. This led to the argument during which the accused pulled the trigger, he added. Umesh was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. He was a resident of Sangam Vihar and the police are on the lookout for the accused who fled from the spot. PTI SLB SLB DIV DIV Jammu, Sep 9 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has filed a charge sheet against a government official for allegedly taking a bribe, an official said on Sunday. Darminder Singh, a junior Engineer with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in Doda district, was caught taking the bribe in January from a contractor to expedite release of pending payments, a SVO spokesman said. The charge sheet against Singh was filed in an special anti-corruption court in Doda on Saturday, he said. He said on January 18, a complaint was lodged by Bashir Ahmed of Manoo village, alleging that the officer had withheld a payment of Rs 4 lakhs and had demanded a bribe of Rs 35,000 for its release. The complainant also alleged that a payment of Rs 2.40 lakh of Jaffer Iqbal of his village was also not released and Singh had demanded Rs 20,000 as bribe. "The officer was apprehended by SVO sleuths while demanding and accepting the illegal gratification of Rs 55,000 from the complainant, he said. The spokesman said next date of hearing in the case is September 26. PTI TAS ANB ANB Prince Harry shed a tear when he embraced the mother of a soldier who helped protect him in Afghanistan but later took his own life after developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The 33-year-old Royal, who completed two tours of duty fighting the Taliban in Helmand province, threw his arms around the mother of Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt when they met last week at a charity concert in London. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were visibly moved as they listened to Maria and Derek Hunt describe how they had struggled to come to terms with Nathans death in January. Harry gave me a bear hug as soon as he saw me, just like Nathan used to do, said Maria, from Lincoln. Id spent a week practising a little bow for when I met Harry, but he didnt give me the chance. He just pulled me into his arms. Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt (circled front) with Prince Harry (circled back) with members of their battle group on deployment in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan in 2008 When I looked up, Harry had a tear on his cheek. It was very emotional because he knew my son well. They went through a lot together. He is so warm and caring and so was Meghan. Derek and I are, of course, still grieving for our Nathan, but I really felt that Harry and Meghan appreciated what were going through and that meant so much to us. Harry remembered Nathans sense of humour and praised his professionalism. Nathan found a lot of Taliban bombs, any of which could have killed Harry. The death of WO Hunt, who served in a desert reconnaissance unit with Prince Harry in 2008 and was mentioned in dispatches for his work to find roadside bombs, inspired a campaign by The Mail on Sunday for a 24-hour mental health helpline for serving military personnel. The Government bowed to pressure from this newspaper and Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, and set up the helpline, which has since received hundreds of calls. Prince Harry has a deep interest in mental health, including the work that Heads Together, a coalition of charities, does for current and former military personnel. In June, The Mail on Sunday revealed how he had confided his fears about a recent surge in suspected suicides in a private letter to a decorated former war hero. The letter to Colour Sergeant Trevor Coult, 43, a former non-commissioned officer in the Royal Irish Rangers and leading campaigner on veterans issues, requested that he gather details about the recent deaths on Prince Harrys behalf and pass on any information. The Hunts met the Duke and Duchess during the 100 Days To Peace concert at Westminster Central Hall on Thursday. The event raised funds for the charities Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and The Royal Foundation, which all work to help soldiers and veterans with mental health issues. Renters across the country have been waiting almost two years for the promised ban on astronomical letting agent fees to materialise. But this week, the Government got one step closer as the tenant fees bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons. It will now pass over the House of Lords to be scrutinised before becoming law. The new rules, first proposed by Chancellor Philip Hammond two years ago, would see a ban on landlords and letting agents in England charging tenants any additional fees when they sign up for a new rental property. The bill passed through the Commons yesterday, and will now pass over the House of Lords It was brought into place due to a minority of agents routinely overcharging tenants for simple tasks - many of which they also billed landlords for, either as part of standard agency fees or as extras. The bill also proposes a cap on the security deposits renters pay at the beginning of their tenancy - to the equivalent of six weeks' rent. Government analysis suggests tenants will on average save around 300 every time they move house as a result of the ban. Minister Rishi Sunak MP said: 'Tenants across the country, whatever their income, should not be hit with unfair costs by agents or landlords. 'The tenant fees bill will make renting fairer and more transparent for all.' The latest version of the bill also includes a proposal to prevent agents and landlords from overcharging tenants for extras - such as slapping them with a 60 bill to refit a smoke alarm. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: 'The tenant fees bill is good news for renters and recent changes inch millions of people closer to important protections. 'It's great that renters can no longer be fined hundreds of pounds for something as simple as losing a key, but it still doesn't stop landlords charging for a whole range of ridiculous things like cleaning cobwebs from light fittings. 'The Government needs to make the bill completely watertight before it comes into force by getting rid of unfair charges. Only then will renters get the absolute protection they deserve.' Why is the government looking to ban tenant fees? There is evidence that fees paid by tenants have increased significantly in recent years. Citizens' Advice found that 64 per cent of tenants experience problems paying letting agents' fees, and 42 per cent have to borrow money to cover the cost. Meanwhile a report from the charity Shelter found that nearly one in four people in England and Wales feels they have been charged unfair fees by a letting agent. Letting agencies typically charge tenants 337 in fees to rent a home and many tenants in London are forced to pay over 400. This has led to concerns that costs are being ramped up rather than passed on. Credit checks, for example, can cost as little as 3 but many letting agents charge tenants in excess of 50 for them. In other instances, tenants can be charged for admin work, such as tenancy renewals and inventories, when these should be covered by the letting and management fees already being charged to landlords. According to comparison site Letting Fees UK, as of April 2016 a two-person household paid an average 386 in letting fees, with fees charged ranging from 40 to up to 780. The Government predicts that the bill will cost landlords 83million, or 31 a landlord in the first year of implementation. It could also cost letting agents 157million and even lead to branch closures and job losses. Renters collectively can expect to save 240million a year. A Government consultation found that 93 per cent of tenants agreed with the proposals. Tenants will on average save around 300 every time they move house as a result of the bill Letting agents were less pleased by the bill's progress. 'We're disappointed but unsurprised the tenant fees bill has passed the House of Commons,' said ARLA Propertymark chief executive David Cox. 'As the bill moves into the House of Lords we will continue working to ensure parliamentarians understand the impact the ban will have on the whole private rented sector.' Tradebody ARLA Propertymark has previously suggested that the bill could push rents up by as much as 103 a year for the average tenant. Should we have any sympathy for Paul Pester as he contemplates clearing his office at TSB HQ? Yes, and no. Yes because the ongoing IT fiasco was almost certainly not his fault. No because the buck must eventually stop at the top. Yes because he was dealt a bit of a duff hand from his ultimate employers Sabadell Group, who appear to be largely responsible for the catastrophic migration of TSB customers accounts and records to their tech platform in April. No because hell walk away with a 1.7million pay-off. Yes because its a lot to ask a chief executive to be fully conversant with the nuts and bolts of his banks systems. Paul Pester has resigned as chief executive of TSB after some serious tech hiccups. No because Mr Pester had previously held very senior management positions at Virgin Money, Santander and Lloyds TSB for nearly two decades in which the digital age transformed banking. Youd think he might have picked something up along the way. TSB do at least have a chief information officer on their board, whose duties appear to be roughly the same as a chief technology officer. They also have a chief operations officer who joined the bank to lead its build and development as a new multi-channel, challenger bank on the UK high street. Although this duty is listed after the fact that she is executive sponsor for gender diversity with a particular focus on building a sustainable female talent pipeline. You will not find a technology or systems director on any of the major banks boards. Not surprising perhaps, because the board is a tight team: usually just a chairman, chief executive, finance director, maybe a chief risk officer, and then a bunch of independent non-executive directors. So no tech guru in the Cabinet then what about among the junior ministers? Go to the senior management teams, which typically number anything from eight to 15 bigwigs, and you will find a chief operations officer only part of whose responsibilities are the systems and applications that the functioning of the retail bank actually relies upon. But thats it. This is the case at HSBC, RBS (which owns Natwest), Lloyds Banking Group (which owns Halifax) and Barclays the four biggest retail banks in the UK, the old High Street names. The one other really big name is Santander. This bank was built by its Spanish owner from the initial purchase of Abbey National more than 15 years ago, and then bulked out subsequently with Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley. Not exactly a challenger bank then but a relatively new and fresh presence on the High Street, with a whiff of innovative spirit behind it - and by far the most popular bank among customers of the Big Five High Street presences (Big Seven if you break out Halifax and Natwest). The jury is still out on the growing number of start-up digital banks , but the old lenders will have to change very quickly if they dont want to lose their current younger customers. And proof surely that it is possible to create a new, fully functioning bank fit for the digital age from legacy institutions. After some early teething problems in 2007, it has not suffered anything like the number or extent of glitches and outages that the others have. Oh and look they have a Technology & Operations Officer on the management board, as well as a Strategy & Projects Director. You cant help feeling there was a realisation early on at Santander that to make their UK operation work they would have to do some pretty smart technological coordination and integration. It seems Sabadell didnt employ the same foresight or if it did, it wasn't acted on very well. The majority of current bank customers who are less than 40 years old and just about every single new customer who enters the market henceforth will demand a good digital banking experience - and leave if they don't get one. The jury is still out on the growing number of start-up digital banks, but the old lenders will have to change very quickly if they dont want to lose their customer base. The new fintechs almost by definition were founded - and are led - by entrepreneurial people who understood the technology behind them. Meanwhile, the pace of innovation at the old High Street banks has been glacially slow, in their product offering, in their systems and in their governance. If they want to still have customers in 30 years time, they will have to introduce bosses for technology and systems to the highest levels of management. An email popped into my inbox last week telling me the thing no investor wants to hear. One of the investments Id sold had actually done rather well since I dumped it. Well, that was bound to happen, wasnt it? When you sell a stack of investments, you cant get them all right. What you try to do is bring a better balance to your portfolio and increase your chances of improved returns over the longer term. Hard to take: It is never easy to learn an investment you dumped has since soared Threadneedle UK Equity Alpha Income is the fund in question. So congratulations if you hold it. At the end of June 2014, I invested at a cost of 130.71p per unit. I sold on February 22 for 133.68p. In the six months since then someone must have put a rocket under it, because the price has risen to 147.45p. That 10.3 per cent increase will have turned a 10,000 investment into 11,030. The financial adviser who had taken a brief break from fly fishing to send the email promised his intention wasnt to gloat he merely thought I would be interested. And I was. His email made me realise it was high time I took another thorough look at the changes I had made to the Hazells pensions and Isas had they actually left me better off after all? At the beginning of this year, I had looked at our investments and thrown up my arms in despair. They needed to deliver better returns to keep up with Mrs Hazells never-ending round of home improvements. While it wasnt all bad news, my portfolio was showing clear signs of neglect. My overhaul started towards the end of February, followed by some more juggling in June. I had three objectives to cut the number of funds, produce a better balance of investments and, most of all, to improve my returns. So what happened to the other funds I sold in the initial cull? Invesco Perpetual High Income has risen by 9.2 per cent, so would have turned 10,000 into 10,920, while Quilter Global Best Ideas has risen by 8.2 per cent. Those are the best performers, other than the Threadneedle fund. Others leave me with no regrets whatsoever. Woodford Equity Income has crawled up 3.8 per cent, Man GLG Balanced Fund is up 2 per cent, Troy Trojan is up 1.9 per cent, FP Argonaut European Alpha has fallen by 2.4 per cent and Jupiter Absolute Return is down 0.7 per cent. Long-term game: If every fund was zooming ahead I would definitely be questioning whether my portfolio was balanced sensibly Im most relieved to be rid of Templeton Emerging Markets, which is down by 8.7 per cent, and Jupiter New Europe, down 11.2 per cent this latter would have taken 10,000 and reduced it to 8,880. Of course, the key thing is whether the funds I have replaced them with have done any better. Lets start with a benchmark. I bought more units of a cheap tracker fund, Vanguard FTSE UK All Share, on February 9, which shadows the UK stock market. This has increased by 9.4 per cent every 1,000 is now worth 1,094.So this computer-run drone fund has beaten all of the expert-run funds I sold, bar one. This in itself shows the value of trackers as core holdings, especially if you do not have the time, expertise or inclination to manage your own money. My biggest success is Scottish Mortgage, for which I paid 4.39 per share on February 13. It is now worth 5.62. So thats a gain of around 28 per cent. Scottish Mortgage looks to invest in growing companies and is currently heavily weighted towards technology/retail companies such as Amazon, biotech firm Illumina, Alibaba (the Chinese equivalent of Amazon) and Tencent (another Chinese tech company). Part of my reorganising has been to boost my holdings in global growth companies. Lindsell Train Global Equity has also proved a winner, growing by around 18 per cent since I bought it on February 22. Fundsmith Equity another flexible worldwide investment fund has also increased by 15 per cent since I added to my holding at the end of February. Jupiter European has advanced nearly 19 per cent in just under six months since my purchase on March 13. However, other funds have shown more modest gains. Since I added to my holding of FP Crux European Special Situations in February, it has increased by a mere 4 per cent. But over the longer-term, manager Richard Pease has provided fantastic returns. When I originally bought into an earlier version of this fund in mid-2012, I paid 114.02 per unit. Now its price is 294p, so Ive seen a 157 per cent return in little more than six years. To put this into pounds and pence, every 1,000 invested has grown to 2,570.This is definitely a fund I will be sticking with. Remember, investment is a long-term game, and if every fund was zooming ahead I would definitely be questioning whether my portfolio was balanced sensibly. So, overall, I feel that I am on the right track. Its far too soon to make judgments on my summer juggling, but Ive recorded the data and will let you know about my successes and clangers in a few months time. t.hazell@dailymail.co.uk With seven months to go until B-day, tensions are ramping up with politicians across parliament questioning the likelihood of reaching a satisfactory deal on Brexit. While negotiators continue to battle it out, the British Government has also admitted it is preparing for the possibility that the UK crashes out of the EU next March with little or no agreement on trade with the rest of Europe. As part of this preparation, last month saw the publication of 25 positioning papers outlining the no-deal Brexit effect on a range of sectors from nuclear research funding and the treatment of organically produced food to stockpiling medicines. Among these papers - the first of many set to be released over the coming weeks - was a guidance note for all financial services companies operating in the UK and British firms operating in the European Economic Area. No deal on Brexit means Britain gets back control of its financial services - but is there a cost? It's dense and full of jargon but that doesn't mean it isn't also full of vital information for every single person with a mortgage, pension or savings in the UK. To help you work out how you could be affected, This is Money has pulled together the basics on what no-deal Brexit would mean for your personal finances. Who would be affected by no-deal? The Government has said that European companies offering UK-based customers a service can keep doing that after 29 March 2019. UK companies offering services to UK customers will carry on as normal under UK law. Most of the laws affecting UK financial services will stay pretty much the same as European laws are at the moment. Where a UK company provides services to EU-based customers whether British expats or not they may be able to keep doing this after Brexit. Their ability to do this will depend on two things. 1. If the EU agrees to let them, then nothing will change. Currently, the EU hasn't agreed this. 2. If they establish an EU-based subsidiary, they could potentially keep providing these services to EU-based customers under European law through that. But this could be complicated if EU countries decide they don't like this approach. If neither of these things is agreed by 29 March, then customers based in the EU won't be able to access the services of UK-based firms. Customers in the UK who use financial services provided by a European firm may also have problems if there's no deal, but not immediately. There's a three-year grace period starting on 29 March 2019 during which EU providers of financial services to UK customers can keep providing these legally without direct authorisation from the UK regulators. During this time, the idea is that they'll apply for UK authorisation and get it (they hope). So for these customers, there shouldn't be any change. The Bank of England: Philip Hammond has warned no deal could mean Treasury needing to borrow an extra 80 billion to shore up the British economy after Brexit Following the publication of these papers Chancellor Philip Hammond immediately warned that no-deal on Brexit could wipe up to 10 per cent off the UK's national income. He also said it would have 'large fiscal consequences' for Britain and could mean an extra 80billion of borrowing. Theresa May quickly dismissed his forecasts, insisting no-deal would not be the 'end of the world'. The official analysis notes: 'The UK is a major centre for investment banking in Europe, with UK investment banks providing investment services and funding through capital markets to business clients across the EU. 'In the absence of EU action to agree a deal, EEA clients will no longer be able to use the services of UK-based investment banks, and UK-based investment banks may be unable to service existing cross-border contracts.' This is not just the case for investment banks. Pension providers, insurance companies and personal banking services will all be in the same position. Britain is clearly keen to avoid a halt in offering its banking services in Europe but the Government still needs European negotiators to agree to allow UK operators to trade with European firms in the way they do now for that to be achieved. Companies are already preparing for no deal As a result - and regardless of a deal - many UK financial services firms which currently operate in Europe are already taking independent steps to ensure that they could continue after exit. The most obvious way is to establish a new EU-authorised subsidiary. This would allow the UK firm to offer new services after exit through this subsidiary, and in some cases existing contracts could be transferred to the new entity. What does no deal mean for investors? It's technically possible that some European companies and investors might not legally be allowed to trade on UK markets At the moment European customers and firms can trade equities and derivatives at any EU designated market 'venue'. But in a no-deal scenario, UK-based trading venues will stop being EU approved. This means it's technically possible that some European companies and investors might not legally be allowed to trade on UK markets such as the London Stock Exchange. This is because individual European countries have their own laws which prescribe where their citizens and firms can trade. It's important for both the UK and Europe as the UK is currently home to many markets that don't exist anywhere else in the EU. So if there's no deal, both European and UK markets may be disrupted. No deal could also have implications for individual investors. UK firms providing investment services in the European Economic Area may have to stop on 29 March, causing obvious problems for EU-based investors who might lose access to their accounts until a solution is agreed. But it could also pose difficulties for UK-based investors. This is because under EU legislation, it is possible for UK fund managers to delegate portfolio management services to a third party in another country. If your fund manager delegates to an EU-based servicer then your account could be affected by a no-deal. In extremis, this could mean UK investors might lose access to their accounts until a solution is found. Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab announced the Government's planning position in the event that no deal is reached over Brexit last month The Government has warned that unless Europe agrees a deal, Britain's hands are tied when it comes to funds and managers that are authorised under certain EU legislation. They've told asset managers to plan on the basis that there will be a deal, but they have also raised the possibility that the EU could confirm it does not intend to put in place the legislation needed to allow UK-based firms to operate in Europe in the same way other non-EU countries do. What does no deal mean for pensions? Britons living in the EU could struggle to receive their UK annuity payments if there's no deal The Government has admitted that UK expats living in the EU might not be able to access financial services from UK providers that don't have an outpost in Europe if there's no deal by 29 March 2019. It will depend on the country they live in. For example France, Spain and Luxembourg have already said independently that UK firms can to pay pensions to existing customers living there. Britons living in EU countries where there's no independent agreement and collecting their annuity from a UK provider could potentially stop receiving it, because the company will be breaking European law to keep giving it to them. They'll also be breaking UK law by not continuing to provide it. This is the worst-case scenario and the British Government has said it's doing everything it can to work with EU negotiators to avoid this outcome. But simply put, there is not yet any confirmation from Europe that it's prepared to allow UK financial services firms to continue to provide their services in the European Economic Area after Brexit unless they also have a subsidiary on the continent. >> Read more on how expat pensioners could be affected in a no deal scenario What does no deal mean for mortgages? Most homeowners in the UK have mortgages with UK-based lenders. So even if there's no deal, there wouldn't be a change for them. However, there might be knock-on effects on the price of mortgages in the future. As explained above, if companies and individuals find it hard to trade in the way they do now because of restrictions after Brexit, this could put pressure on UK lenders' funding. Banks and building societies borrow money in a variety of ways in order to be able to lend out mortgages. They take savings deposits, they get funding from the Bank of England and they borrow money from each other on the 'money markets'. The cost for banks of borrowing like this depends on various factors but how much money is available to be borrowed - liquidity - is one of the most important. This is the bit of the Government paper that is relevant here: 'Without action from the EU, when the UK leaves the EU, UK trading venues would no longer qualify as EU trading venues. 'This means that, under their national law, firms may not be able to be members of UK venues. UK venues will also not be eligible venues for firms to execute certain equity and derivatives trades. 'This may prevent firms from being able to trade in certain derivatives, where there is no alternative venue available in the EU. This would reduce market liquidity in the UK and EU.' Quite apart from this posing problems for investors, this means that the pool of money available to UK banks would shrink; they wouldn't be able to trade certain funding instruments with EU banks anymore. Crudely put, that means the cost of money will go up and banks and building societies that rely on this form of funding will put their mortgage rates up. This also goes for landlords with a buy-to-let mortgage. Their costs will go up and it is likely they'll charge more rent to cover them. What does no deal mean for savings? If your savings are in a UK bank or building society, you shouldn't see anything change. If they're with a provider based in the EU and that doesn't have a UK-based subsidiary, then you'll need to keep an eye on things. Savers who have European accounts may find they are no longer protected by the FSCS The UK's savings safety net, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, protects money held by customers of UK-authorised firms when firms go bust, including some products with EEA firms. But for savings held in those EEA firms, protection rights under the FSCS aren't yet clear. The Government has said regulators are due to consult this autumn on arrangements for coverage to continue. What does no deal mean for spending in Europe? The Government was most explicit about this in the papers. If there's no deal on Brexit, then using your credit or debit cards in the EU will be more expensive. This is because of the complex system of payments and clearing that sits behind us spending on plastic. UK-based payments providers work with our banks, building societies and credit card providers to make payment transfers happen for a certain cost. Currently, that cost is regulated by various laws in Europe. If there's no deal, then these laws won't apply, so costs are likely to go up as there will be no law to prevent providers from charging more to UK customers. The Government is very keen to avoid this but it's really up to Europe what happens next. So should we be preparing for no deal? The Government has been very keen to emphasise that we should assume there will be a deal. In fact, it signs off this paper by saying: 'This notice is meant for guidance only. EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier (right) and Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) Dominic Raab (left) are still locked in talks to agree a deal The Government has been very clear on its position on this. Act like there will be a deal. 'You should consider whether you need separate professional advice before making specific preparations. 'It is part of the Government's ongoing programme of planning for all possible outcomes. 'We expect to negotiate a successful deal with the EU.' The reality is that with so little certainty about what any deal will end up looking like, it's very difficult to plan in advance. But there are some basic steps that can keep any potential damage to a minimum. We've put together our top tips below: Piggy bank: Junior Isas help encourage long-term saving When it comes to saving or investing for children there are a number of different options depending on whether you want something tax efficient but rigid or flexible but liable for tax. You can save and invest for your children in a standard account, but there are some slightly bizarre tax rules on this, explained below. Ultimately, these mean that any savings or investment income generated above 100 per year from money derived from either mum or dad is taxed at that parent's tax rate. Parents can save tax-free for their children up to the age of 18 through a Junior Isa which was launched in November 2011 to replace child trust funds. Every year they have an allowance, it is up to 4,260 for the 2018 tax year. There are also saving and investing plans for children that have fewer age and contribution limits but may charge income tax. Outside a Junior Isa or CTF, the interest on most children's savings is paid tax-free. But there is a very big stumbling block which means parents and step-parents are restricted on how much they can gift to their child tax-free. We take a look at the ways you can save for your children, how the schemes work and provide tips and guidance. > Is your child sitting on a lost CTF windfall The Junior Isa Like a normal Isa, there is a cash and stocks and shares option for the Junior version, but remember, you are not investing for yourself, but for your child who will be able to access the money age 18. Nowithdrawals are allowed until the child's 18th birthday, except in cases ofdeath or terminal illness. Upon reaching 18 only the child (and no one else) can withdraw the money. Most DIY investing platforms offer a Junior Isa, look for those with low charges that suit how you will invest and that offer any assistance you may need. The rates on cash Junior Isas are better than standard savings accounts. A selection of the best is below and you can check all the top Junior Isa and children's savings rates here. JUNIOR CASH ISAS Bank/building society (min investment) % tax-free Coventry BS (1+) 3.60 Nationwide BS (1+) 3.25 Tesco Bank (1+) 3.15 Darlington BS (1+) 3.00 Halifax (1+) 3.00 (1) You need to give the society 45 days' notice if you want to switch out of this account. (2) You lose 90 days' interest if you transfer out of this account. (3) Preferential rate for children of 123 and Select customers. Do you really want a Junior Isa? Before deciding to save into a Junior Isa or put money into CTF, parents should consider carefully the restrictions. Money put in cannot be taken out until the child is 18 and when they reach that milestone age, their pot is passed to them. Ultimately, beyond bringing parental influence to bear on them, you will not be able to stop them doing what they like with the money when they hit 18. One alternative to a Junior Isa is to simply save into a standard child's savings account or invest using a standard DIY investing platform account, or even a children's specific investment plan. This carries tax implications, however, as explained above. Some financial advisers suggest that if you are not using all of your own annual Isa allowance, then you could set aside some of this to invest for your children, holding some funds or a pot earmarked for them within your own DIY investing account. This is a much more viable option now that the Isa allowance is 20,000 a year. Bear in mind though that money retained in your accounts will fall into your estate for inheritance tax purposes. For many there will be plenty of spare capacity for this, but for those who use a lot of their Isa allowance, plan on investing a sizeable sum for their children, or have a number of kids, this may be restrictive. A couple with two children could both have DIY investing Isas and use one of each per child. Start them early: Teaching kids about saving and helping them do so is the first step on the path to learning about money and financial life Child trust funds Underthe child trust fund scheme all babies born on or after 1 September, 2002 received a minimum 250 at birth and will get a similar lump sum when they reach the age of seven. Parentsalong with friends and relatives can top up to 4,080 in the tax-free fund each year. No withdrawals can be made from the account until the child reaches 18 - at this point he or she is free to spend the money asthey wish. You could open an account as soon as you receive your voucher The child trust fund scheme was replaced in 2011 by Junior Isas. Parents could keep on putting money into the child trust funds but there would be no more government support and no transfers were initially allowed into Junior Isas. As a result of this closure fund houses have concentrated their business on junior Isas meaning the choice of investments in and providers of CTFs has shrunk. We have successfully campaigned for the government to allow transfers from CTFs to Junior Isas, and following a consultation on the issue, you are now able to move from your CTF to a Jisa. Moving from a CTF to Junior Isa You will need to choose a Jisa provider to move to and it should take up to 15 working days to transfer to a cash accounts and 30 days for non-cash accounts. You will have to transfer the full amount from your CTF before then closing it. The provider cannot refuse. However, the Junior Isa provider can decline the funds. Five steps to move your Child Trust Fund 1. Check the value of the Child Trust Fund and whether there will be any loss of guarantees or excessive charges upon transfer 2. Choose the Junior Isa provider to move to 3. Complete the Junior Isa providers application/ CTF transfer form and return to the Junior Isa provider 4. The Junior Isa provider opens the account and submits the transfer application to the CTF provider 5. After the transfer of the savings from the CTF to the Junior Isa, the Child Trust Fund is closed The Junior Isa provider does the anti-money laundering checks electronically and may ask for further proof after the application. Transfers should not take more than 30 days. In most cases CTF savings will be transferred as cash. The bizarre tax treatment of childrens savings Children can earn money from savings interest and dividends from shares and in theory if it is below the personal allowance of 11,850 they would pay no tax. There is a catch though. Children can only earn up to 100 in interest or dividends a year tax-free on money gifted by their parents or step-parents. If it generates income above this, then tax will be charged at the parent who gifted the money's tax rate. The parent's savings allowance, of 1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and 500 for higher rate taxpayers, can be used to cover this but if they have used that up then tax will be charged to them at their tax rate. The idea here is to stop parents salting money away in childrens' accounts but with a 20,000 annual Isa allowance, 1,000 savings allowance and 2,000 dividend allowance this looks like an even more bizarre anachronism than before. Money given by grandparents and other adults is not subject to this cap. If you do want to invest or save outside of an Isa for children, investment companies, banks and building societies also offer children's investment and savings plans. These products use a child's personal tax allowance as an amount they can earn a year before being taxed. Parentsneed to fill out an R85 form - available at every bank - for each children's account opened so that tax isn't paid on savings. If tax is mistakenly paid, use an R40 form to claim back. For a longer term investment, you could put money into a children's investment plan. Aberdeen offers the choice of 16 investment trusts and you can put in a lump sum minimum of 150 per trust or 30 a month per trust. Baillie Gifford provides a range of eight investment trusts. You can invest a lump sum from 100 or make monthly contributions from 25. Both have annual management charges and you will need to pay stamp duty on share purchases. As much as 3.8 billion was wiped off the value of Tesla after two executives quit and boss Elon Musk was shown smoking what appeared to be marijuana on a live podcast. The billionaires fitness to run his company was questioned when he was filmed apparently taking a drag from a joint during a two-hour long interview with comedian and commentator Joe Rogan. Recreational marijuana is legal in California, but Musk had previously dismissed questions about whether he used the drug. Down in the mouth: Elon Musk's fitness to run his company was questioned when he was filmed apparently taking a drag from a joint Just hours later Tesla was rocked again as human resources boss Gabrielle Toledano and accounting chief Dave Morton left. It prompted the worst day for the stock in more than two years, with shares plunging by as much as 9.6 per cent. The turmoil followed a chaotic month which saw Musk propose and then abruptly call off a plan to take the company private. CNBC reported Morton, 46, who had only been at Tesla a month, left because he felt his concerns about Musks plans to take Tesla private were being ignored. Within an hour of Mortons exit being confirmed, Toledano said she would not return from a leave of absence. Shares shot up after Musks buyout tweets. However, they have since fallen by 26 per cent. Godlike: Due to his relentless charitable work John Studzinski is a Papal Knight He's the fabulously wealthy dealmaker with the gilded existence who very much does do God. He's on close terms with the Prince of Wales, has prime ministers on his WhatsApp and, for all we know, a direct line to the Pope Francis's modest appartamento. Due to his relentless charitable work he is a Papal Knight, holds a CBE and graces more boards than Tom Daley. As a redoubtable hostess might remark when introducing her prized guest: 'Do you know John Studzinski?' 'Studz' as he is known among his eclectic milieu is investment banking's megastar. During a 38-year career he has had spells at Morgan Stanley, HSBC and Blackstone. This week, he announced he was joining American investment giant Pimco, meaning his frenetic NY-LON existence will now also encompass Newport Beach, California. His interests, however, extend way beyond his Bloomberg terminal. Devout Studz's is one of life's do-gooders. He still finds time to volunteer in homeless shelters and reckons he gives away half his annual earnings to good causes. His aptitude for social networking is unparalleled. Conversations often start: 'As I was saying to David Cameron' or 'when I worked with Mother Teresa'. Charming and popular at the last count he had no fewer than 39 godchildren he is also something of Gatbsyesque figure. For all his largesse, Studz remains intensely private and rarely grants interviews. He has never married. Born in the working class neighbourhood of Peabody, Massachusetts, Studz's parents were Polish immigrants. His old man was financial manager at General Electric Co's aircraft-engine division and instilled in his son a Stakhanovite work ethic. During his spare time, young Studz was expected either to study or do something constructive. His social conscience was stirred at an early age. At six he was helping out in soup kitchens. When he was 14 he set up a telephone helpline for people with venereal diseases. After gaining an MBA from Chicago University in 1980, he joined Morgan Stanley in New York. Four years later he was dispatched to London to develop its mergers-and-acquisitions division. After rising to become head of the bank's European banking arm, he was chauffeured around in a limo big enough to accommodate his three dogs. Studz became an ardent Anglophile. It's our history and our decency, he says. He has donated as much as 10m to the Tate Modern and even greater sums nurturing and supporting developing artists through his charity the Genesis Foundation. Over the years, his Bostonian accent has steadily given way to cut-glass vowels. In 2003, Sir John Bond lured him to HSBC to create its investment banking division. This was the heady, boom-time era before the crash. At one point, he was earning as much as 13m a year. He moved to Blackstone three years later and when the credit crunch hit, Studz was placed in charge of restructuring tottering US insurer AIG. Home in London is a lavish 22m mansion in Chelsea which has its own chapel. There are some candlesticks in there which belonged to St Ignatius Loyola. An extensive art collection includes Man Ray and Picasso. His left pinky is adorned with a sixth-century filigree gold ring previously worn by two Popes. He developed his religious fervour not long after he came to London. While being driven to a dinner in Germany, his car became involved in a pile-up, killing his driver as well as six others. Studz lost a lung. He's not afraid to indulge himself from time to time. When he turned 60 he threw a three-day extravaganza at Venice's Gritti Palace. Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato serenaded the host with a rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Yes, life has been good to old Studz, but unlike many of his contemporaries in the banking world, he seems determined to give something back. 'To whom much has been given, much is expected,' he likes to say. Amen to that. Mortgage interest rates already started going up today amid warnings that Britain's homeowners face soaring payments in the coming year - with brokers advising them to make overpayments now while rates are still low. Barclays said today it was hiking rates by up to 0.35 percentage points on a range of fixed-rate mortgages and Halifax today announced rises of up to 0.20 percentage points on a handful of products from November 1. HSBC also said its rates would go up, and NatWest has increased rates on a range of its fixed deals by 0.1 per cent since Chancellor Rishi Sunak (top left, at Bury Market in Greater Manchester today) spoke yesterday, and TSB said they would be increasing their rates tomorrow. One expert said it was 'another, unwanted squeeze on the family budget', while another said homeowners should get on a fixed rate now, with those on a variable rate expected to feel the impact of inflation the greatest. Forecasts produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) alongside Rishi Sunak's Budget yesterday suggested homeowners will have to prepare for the biggest hike in interest payments since the financial crisis. This is because, according to the Treasury-funded public body, rising inflation may prompt the Bank of England to put up interest rates from the current 0.1 per cent to 0.75 per cent by the end of 2023 (centre). The OBR also said that in a worst-case scenario, interest rates would hit 3.5 per cent by then. The forecasters said even a 0.75 per cent interest rate would have a huge knock on effect on the amount of interest mortgage payers have to pay. They said that it would see the amount paid in mortgage interest soar by 13 per cent in 2023 (top right) - followed by another rise of 5.4 per cent the year after. The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced it is closing 54 more of its branches up and down the country next year. The bank, which taxpayers still own a 62 per cent slice of, said the additional closures were going ahead because it was no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank. The bank's latest round of closures will be made in addition to the 162 closures and 792 redundancies announced in May. SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO SEE IF YOUR BRANCH IS CLOSING Closures: The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced it is closing 54 more of its branches The closures announced today mean RBS will end up with just 54 branches across England and Wales. Unite union has branded the move, which will see 258 RBS staff made redundant, 'utterly disgusting', claiming it will further decimate communities relying on local bank branches. Meanwhile, rival Lloyds Banking Group will cut 380 jobs as it continues to reorganise the business, trade union Accord has said. The move will hit staff in the bank's commercial banking, people and productivity, and retail and transformation divisions. The reorganisation will also involve the creation of 435 new roles, which will result in a net increase of 55 positions. 'Whilst on the face of it the plans look positive, not all existing colleagues will have the transferable skills for the newly created roles and will mean some will face redundancy,' Accord said. Earlier this year, research from consumer group Which? revealed that around 60 bank branches are being closed every month, risking financially isolating millions of consumers, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, reliant on cash and branch services. In a statement, RBS said: 'As we are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other in England and Wales - NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland. 'As a result we have reviewed our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and have made the difficult decision to close 54 Royal Bank of Scotland branches.' Among the branches being closed include those located in Basildon, Bolton Harwood, Kingston Upon Thames, Notting Hill Gate in London, Swansea and Wolverhampton. Unions reacted with fury to the news, describing the decision as a hammer blow to the disabled and elderly. In charge: Ross McEwan became RBS' chief executive in October 2013 Sparse: The closures announced today mean RBS will end up with just 54 branches across England and Wales Rob MacGregor, of union Unite, said: 'It is utterly disgusting that Royal Bank of Scotland has the audacity to announce that yet more important local bank branches will permanently close their doors. 'This announcement heaps further misery on communities across England and Wales that have already seen the demise of local banking services as branches that were signposted by the bank earlier in 2018 as an alternative for customers whose branches were closing, now suffering a similar fate. 'The disabled, elderly and many local businesses will today be deeply disappointed that their bank has chosen to withdraw from their community and no longer provide them with the access to banking services which we all deserve.' RBS said that since 2014, branch transactions across its sites in England and Wales had fallen by 30 per cent, while online customer numbers grew by 53 per cent and mobile transaction levels rose by 74 per cent over the period. A spokesman for RBS said: 'We will now focus on investing in our Royal Bank network in England and Wales to make sure customers have a consistent range of products and services wherever they bank, be it Scotland, England or Wales.' RBS said it will be writing to customers affected by the branch closures to inform them about how they can carry on banking. The group said RBS customers can now use NatWest branches for their everyday banking, such as withdrawing cash, checking balances or paying in. Shares in RBS are up 1.97 per cent or 4.85p to 251.35p. In June, figures published by consumer group Which? revealed that around 60 bank branches are being closed every month. At the time, Which? money expert, Gareth Shaw, said: 'While the decision is clearly a commercial one for a bank to take, it is also crucial that banks do recognise the needs of their customers and the communities they serve, before simply shutting their doors and their customers out.' This week, This is Money columnist Steve Webb tackles a question about a tax quirk that deprives low earners of pension cash automatically handed to better paid workers. The Government recently announced it plans to review how pension tax top-ups are paid to savers, following an outcry over what has been called a 'secret scandal' and 'indefensible' by critics. Free pension top-ups: A reader whose wife earns around 7,000 a year working in a school asks for an explanation of a confusing technicality that could deprive her of pension cash I've been reading the articles on This is Money about low paid people not receiving tax relief. Some articles state people who earn 10,000-11,850 are affected. Other articles suggest anyone earning less than 11,850 does not qualify for this 20 per cent tax top up on pension contributions. So I am confused. My wife is 56 and earns approximately 7,000 per annum working part time in a school. We have savings and if possible would like to pay 3,000 per annum for a few years to then receive 20 per cent tax relief top-up for her. This would represent an excellent savings plan for a few years until we retire. Can my wife start a personal pension and receive a 20 per cent tax top up from our chosen pension provider. Steve Webb replies: It is not surprising that you are confused! Whether or not lower earners get tax relief on their pension contributions depends both on how much they earn and the sort of pension scheme of which they are a member. Steve Webb: Find out how to ask the former Pensions Minister a question about your retirement savings in the box below This issue has become a lot more important in recent years as automatic enrolment has brought millions more people on modest earnings into pension saving, so the need to sort out this mess is getting more pressing. The first figure that you mention, 11,850, is the income tax personal allowance. This is the amount of money you can earn each year before you have to pay income tax. The 10,000 figure is the earnings level above which firms are obliged by law to enrol their employees into a workplace pension. Whilst auto-enrolment has brought lots of new people into pensions, there were already people earning below 10,000 per year who had pensions (for example, many part-time public sector workers) and the issue that you raise applies to people under 10,000 as well as those over 10,000. You might assume that people earning above the tax allowance of 11,850 (and hence paying income tax) could benefit from tax relief on their pension contributions, whilst those earning less cannot. Unfortunately it is not quite as straightforward as that. The complication is that there are two ways in which pension schemes administer tax relief and one method only gives tax relief to taxpayers whilst the other gives tax relief to all scheme members. Let us consider each in turn. A lot of traditional occupational pension schemes deliver tax relief on pension contributions through the paypacket, a method called the 'net pay arrangement'. Low paid workers deprived of up to 720 a year in free pension cash Hundreds of thousands of the poorest workers are being denied free Government pension cash that is automatically handed to the better-paid due to a tax technicality. This is Money covered the story here, while pensions campaigner Ros Altmann has spearheaded efforts to persuade the Government to address the issue. A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman recently promised it would review how pension tax top-ups are paid to savers, following the outcry. The way they do this is by deducting your pension contribution from your wage before the tax is worked out. The effect of this is to cut your tax bill because your taxable income has been reduced. For example, suppose that you earn 13,000 per year and want to put 100 into a pension. Your employer will deduct 100 from your pre-tax income and that money will go into your pension. When HRMC comes along to work out your income tax, they only tax you as if you were earning 12,900. This reduces your taxable income by 100 and your tax bill by 20 per cent of this or 20. This is fine if you are a taxpayer, but is a problem if you are not. Consider a second worker at the same firm who earns 11,000 per year and also wants to put 100 into a pension. The employer will deduct the 100 from the worker's pre tax pay and this money will go into their pension. But because the worker earns less than 11,850, they would not have been paying income tax in the first place. Whether they are taxed on earnings of 11,000 or 10,900 (the wage minus the pension contribution) makes no difference their tax bill is still zero. In short, in this arrangement, the non-taxpayer gets no tax benefit from saving in a pension. There is however a different way of delivering tax relief which gives a tax bonus to everyone in the scheme, not just taxpayers. This method is known as 'relief at source' or RAS and is often used by group personal pension arrangements and also some big workplace schemes such as the Government's NEST scheme. Under the RAS arrangement, you pay your pension contributions out of your take-home pay and the scheme then claims tax relief on your behalf. Did you receive Family Credit between 1995 and 2001? If you got either this benefit or Working Families Tax Credit at any time during those years, it counted towards your state pension and could give it a boost. Steve Webb would like to hear from anyone who got these credits back then, whether you are already drawing a state pension or are yet to do so. You can write to Steve at pensionquestions@thisismoney.co.uk and we will forward your messages. Please put FAMILY CREDIT in the subject line. To take our earlier example, our two employees on 13,000 and 11,000 a year would each put 80 out of their take-home pay into their pension. The pension scheme then contacts HMRC and asks them to top up that contribution with basic rate tax relief. HMRC adds 20 to the pension pot of each worker, making a total of 100. As you will see, in this case the non taxpayer is still benefiting from tax relief. They put money in to their pension at a cost to them of 80 but 100 ends up in their pension. It is, unfortunately, a bit of a lottery as to which method of delivering tax relief is used by your workplace scheme. But anyone who is unsure should certainly ask their employer's personnel or HR department (if they have one) how things work with their scheme. If you feel you are losing out you could ask your employer to consider whether to use a different pension arrangement so that you benefit from tax relief. Regarding your wife's specific situation, in principle she should be able to take out a personal pension in the way you describe and receive tax relief, even though she is a non taxpayer. This is assuming that she doesn't have the opportunity of joining the Teachers' Pension Scheme. That operates a net pay system so she wouldn't get the tax relief, but she would benefit from the generous employer contribution. Capital DJ Vick Hope looked like the cat who go the cream last night after she was paired with Strictlys new Italian Stallion. The 28-year-old Cambridge modern languages graduate was momentarily lost for words when she found out she would be dancing with Scillian-born Graziano Di Prima. But Hope will be advised to keep a close eye on her new partners emotional well-being because he once sobbed after being criticised by a judge on a TV dance contest. Vick Hope and Graziano Di Prima on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing this week The 24-year-old burst into tears three years ago after crashing out of a Amici, a talent show in his homeland. Di Prima seen as an hunky replacement for Brendan Cole, who has left the show appeared distraught when judge Alessandra Celentano told him: You are always the same. You have the same facial expressions which are forced and false. After being eliminated the Sicillian cried on the shoulder of a fellow contestant, insisting his dream of a dance career was over. Hopes pairing with the Italian marked the end of a whirlwind week for her. Speaking before last nights show, she said she had been scared when she met her celeb rivals. It was more scary being in a room full of celebrities than it was to dance. I was so tongue-tied trying to speak to Faye from Steps who was my idol when I was young. For many youngsters, the start of university is their first step towards financial freedom, as they take control of their spending, bills and budgets. This can be a daunting prospect for students, already acclimatising to a new environment, worrying about making friends, and getting on top of their studies. While freshers week is fast approaching, parents still have time to lay the foundations for good money management. To help, we have come up with a list of the four essential lessons to teach your children before they fly the nest, from bank accounts to budgeting. Financial foundations: Parents sending their youngsters to university this September should arm them with money lessons Get a decent bank account Banks know that once they get students through the door, thanks to inertia they are likely to be customers for a while - if not for life. For years now, they have been dangling tempting 'freebies' to entice the new crop of customers in. It's no longer free CDs or cinema tickets, banks reel in millennials with Amazon vouchers, tastecards for discounts on dining out and free railcards. But a decent overdraft is worth far more, as the costs of a bad one will swiftly outweigh any freebies. Despite the best intentions two thirds of youngsters live in their overdraft, according to new Nationwide Building Society data. If that wasnt motivation enough to help them choose the right account 44 per cent of parents end up picking up the bill for borrowing, so point them in the right direction. You can read our full round up for more top student accounts and the small print to be careful of when choosing. But our favourites include Nationwide and HSBC for their bumper 3,000 overdraft and Santander for its four-year rail card. The bigger the interest-free overdraft limit, the lower the likelihood students will turn to a credit card and clock up expensive debts. Teach then about setting up a budget A whopping 85 per cent of students rely on additional sources of income to their student loan - with 46 per cent coming from family and parents, according to research. Get them off to a good start by sitting down and making a realistic budget. This at least sets them up with the awareness of what their outgoings are before their student loan instalment drops and they head straight out the door and blow the whole lot. We have a helpful student budget calculator to get you started. The table below, of average student spends compiled by MoneySupermarket as part of its student spending report, may also be helpful starting point. Source: Moneysupermarket Check if they need insurance? Once you take into account laptops, expensive smartphones, headphones, smart watches, games consoles and tablets, the value of youngsters' belongings quickly reaches into the thousands. Thieves are wise to this and often target students during freshers week. If their prized laptop, mobile, or any other belongings get stolen not only will they be very upset but their finances will be dented by having to replace the items. Making sure their things are properly protected by insurance should they be lost or stolen is therefore a real long-term money-saver for parents, who are otherwise likely first in line to foot the bill. Before you sprint to take out a new policy though, check your home insurance documents first. Up to 80 per cent of students could be covered by their parents' insurance as their cover will extend to student digs during term time, but make sure you inform them first. You may also want to check whether you need to add on accidental damage cover too. If not insurers such as Endsleigh, recommended by NUS, specialise in student insurance. You could also consider a gadget insurance policy that protects the costliest items to replace - phones and laptops. Help with budget-friendly recipes And finally, take the time to teach them a few budget-friendly, simple recipes. Each year student spending surveys reveal shocking figures for the amount students shell out on convenience food and takeaways. Giving your child a few easy-to-follow recipes will help both their bank balance and their health. Ideally, this will be a combination of things. Firstly, teach them how to do your home-cooked favourites. They know these and are likely to be willing to try them out. Secondly, teach them a few things to cook that are relatively easy and cheap but can be shared with friends or guests. Finally, track down some easy and quick recipes that can be knocked up after a night out - avoiding prime takeaway temptation time. For some inspiration BBC Goodfood's student section is a great starting point. If healthy meals are something you want to make sure your child can always afford, you could also consider a student meal ticket. Some supermarkets, such as Sainsbury's and Asda, offer parents special gift cards that can be given to kids and topped up regularly by them. TCF Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for TCF National Bank that provides various financial products and services in the United States and Canada. It operates through Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Enterprise Services segments. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; individual retirement accounts; debit and credit cards; and check cashing and remittance services. It also provides investment management and custodial services, trust services, financial and estate planning, and retirement planning and employee benefit programs; residential, consumer, and small business lending products; and consumer real estate secured lending, consumer loans, loans secured by personal property, and unsecured personal loans. In addition, the company offers loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services. Further, it provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate banking, and lease financing; and treasury services comprising investment and borrowing portfolios, as well as manages capital, debt, and market risks. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 478 branches, including 373 traditional branches, 102 supermarket branches, and three campus branches located in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, and South Dakota; and 1,062 ATMs. TCF Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Bruno Tonioli is arguably the most forgiving of the Strictly judges, but dont be surprised if he is even more generous than usual to new contestant Danny John-Jules. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Tonioli has known the actor for decades and even helped teach him to dance. The 62-year-old Italian and John-Jules who performed in musicals and pop videos before finding fame in the TV comedy Red Dwarf and more recently Death In Paradise trained together at Londons Dance Centre in the late 1970s. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Tonioli has known the actor John-Jules for decades When its head choreographer and former Strictly judge Arlene Phillips was away, Tonioli would often take her classes. John-Jules said: I have known Bruno for over 35 years. We used to do the same class for Arlene and a lady called Libby Rose and sometimes Bruno would take over teaching from them. The 57-year-old partnered with new Strictly professional star Amy Dowden in the latest series, which launched last night is one of the most experienced dancers ever to appear on the BBC show. As well as appearing in West End musicals Starlight Express, Soul Train and Barnum, he has danced in videos with acts including Wham!, Lena Zavaroni and The Muppets. SOUL TRAIN at the Victoria Palace Theatre starring Danny John-Jules and Karen McSiree Arlene Phillips confirmed Toniolis role as a teacher, but said John-Jules had raw talent. Danny was an amazing dancer. He was bright and full of style and vitality, she said.Reflecting on his determination to become a professional dancer, John-Jules said: It wasnt hard for me. This was a doddle compared with growing up in [Londons] Notting Hill. The luvvies would be like, Oh, darling, Im absolutely shattered today. But I had all that juice. John-Jules, who plays Dwayne Myers in the BBCs Death In Paradise, found himself embroiled in controversy last month over tweets he posted in 2016 alleging Strictly discriminated against black contestants. He said the messages had been intended as a joke and taken out of context. And he insisted he wants no favours from Tonioli. I dont want him to be nice to me because it would look like a fix. Tonioli declined to comment. The drought being felt across Australia has weighed down on farmers but it's likely to be good news for those who regularly suffer from hay fever. This year's Australian winter was the fifth-warmest on record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. A dry winter is a positive for hay fever sufferers because it means there will be a lower than average pollen count this spring. The Australian drought is bad news for farmers but means hay fever won't hit as hard Canberra is known for provoking large amount of hay fever reactions in Australia due to a range of plants such as the elm, larch and oak. Dr Simon Haberle and researchers from Canberra Pollen Monitoring Program at Australian National University have developed a pollen app and website. It will provide information on pollen types, collect data from users about how they use pollen information to alleviate their hay fever and an improved seven-day pollen forecast to prepare regular sufferers. Canberra is known for provoking large amount of hay fever reactions in Australia due to a range of plants such as the elm, larch and oak The elm tree in Canberra is known for provoking hay fever during the spring season An additional two versions of the Pollen Count app have been developed, specifically for the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria to help monitor pollen. Users are encouraged to frequently report their symptoms so developers are able to improvements to predictions and advice. 'The more you know about something like pollen and the impact it has on you, the the better you are at managing that condition,' Dr Haberle told ABC Canberra. The improvements the website and app will extend to advice on suitable places to live to help reduce hay fever. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B were involved in an altercation Friday night that got physical at a New York Fashion Week party and left Cardi B with a mark on her head. A person who witnessed the incident who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said Minaj was finishing up a conversation with someone when Cardi B tried to attack her, but Minaj's security guards intervened. Video circulating on social media shows Cardi B lunging toward someone and being held back at Harper's Bazaar Icons party Friday night. Cardi B reportedly threw one of her shoes at Minaj. Another video shows the platinum rapper being escorted out of the event by security. Cardi B, wearing a voluminous red Dolce & Gabanna gown, was seen leaving the party with what appeared to be a bump on her head. She was barefoot. She and Minaj have been rap rivals since Cardi B began achieving huge success over the last year. In a post on Instagram Cardi B didn't call out Minaj by name but alluded to the fight and said she was sparked because her mothering skills were being disparaged. She and rapper Offset recently had their first child together, a girl. Associated Press McCartney plays Grand Central show Commuters with tickets to ride out of New York's Grand Central Station heard a special serenade on Friday evening, with Paul McCartney taking over a corner of the majestic hub for a concert. Only invited guests including Jon Bon Jovi, Meryl Streep, Amy Schumer, Kate Moss and Steve Buscemi were let behind black curtains to see the stage, but everyone could hear a 24-song set that spanned more than 50 years of music. It was a stunt to promote a new album called "Egypt Station." The band set up under a chandelier and in front of a giant clock, just off the 42nd Street entrance. He performed familiar hits like "Let it Be," "Can't Buy Me Love," "A Hard Day's Night" and "Lady Madonna." He also dug deeper into his songbook for "I've Got a Feeling," "Hi Hi Hi" and "1985." While he played three songs from his new album, McCartney did more from the 50-year-old White Album. The sweaty, dancing crowd hardly minded the trip back in time. Seemingly nervous as he stood on a riser in the middle of the audience with an acoustic guitar for one song, McCartney flubbed the words to "Blackbird" not once but twice, starting over both times. Surrounding fans, famous and non-famous, knew all the lyrics and coaxed him on. "I know this song," he said in frustration. "I wrote it!" Sean Lennon, the son of McCartney's late partner, was in the audience. So was McCartney's wife, Nancy Shevell, and he dedicated the song "My Valentine" to her. Associated Press Rascals guitarist collapses on stage A theater official says Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Gene Cornish of The Rascals collapsed on stage while performing in Montana. The Billings Gazette reports the 74-year-old Cornish was taken to a hospital Friday. There was no immediate word on his condition. Cornish's publicist, Melissa Kucirek, said Saturday she didn't have an update. Jody Grant, programming and marketing director for the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, says Cornish and Rascals organist Felix Cavaliere had completed the first song of a concert and Cavaliere began the second when Cornish collapsed. Medical personnel treated Cornish on stage before he was taken to a hospital. The Rascals' 1960s hits included "Good Lovin,'" "Groovin'" and "A Beautiful Morning." They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Associated Press 'Roma' wins top prize at Venice "Roma," Alfonso Cuaron's intimate, black-and-white portrait of the women who raised him in Mexico City's turbulent 1970s, has won the top prize at the 75th Venice Film Festival. Cuaron accepted the Leone d'Oro on Saturday, which he said was the birthday of the woman who inspired the lead character Cleo, a young domestic worker with her own troubles amid political strife in the city's Roma neighborhood. The jury prize went to "The Favorite" by Yorgos Lanthimos, about the women surrounding Queen Anne; Olivia Colman won best actress for her role as the queen. Best director went to Jacques Audiard for "The Sisters and Brothers." Willem Dafoe picked up best actor for "At Eternity's Gate," Julian Schnabel's homage to Vincent Van Gogh. Guillermo del Toro headed the jury. Associated Press Keegan-Michael Key likes to tell the story of how three years back, when the end came for "Key & Peele" his socially provocative, deeply hilarious Comedy Central sketch show with Jordan Peele a friend who would eventually become his wife asked him a simple question: "What do you want to do?" It took a while but he eventually came up with an answer. "I said, 'I want to be Jason Bourne and I want to do Shakespeare,'" he recalled. "My career the career that most folks know me for is ostensibly a 19-year detour." Last year, Key got his Shakespeare, portraying Horatio to critical acclaim opposite Oscar Isaac's Hamlet at the Public Theater in Manhattan. Now he is getting if not exactly Jason Bourne, then a character swimming in enough blood and guts to feed his action-thriller nightmares. In Shane Black's movie "The Predator," opening Friday, Key plays Coyle, one of a motley crew of veterans known as the Loonies sent to fight a hyper-lethal, genetically upgraded alien who likes to hunt humans. "I'm a huge fan of the original 'Predator,' so this was a no-brainer when they offered me the job," Key said. "If I can tell jokes and shoot guns, I'm your man." As for Key's Jason Bourne dreams, his new wife, the producer and director Elisa Key, happened to be friends with Doug Liman, who directed "The Bourne Identity" and who cast Key in his YouTube Premium action thriller series "Impulse." "See what happens when you ask the universe for something?" Key said. He will also appear this fall in Season 2 of the Netflix comedy "Friends From College" and recently shot "Dolemite Is My Name," a biopic about comedian Rudy Ray Moore, starring Eddie Murphy. On a balmy August day, Key, 47, bounded into a Manhattan photo studio before settling into a candid discussion about rethinking his career, life beyond "Key & Peele" and why he does not miss what he had. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation. Q: Tell me about Coyle and the rest of the Loonies. A: They're shattered men with very sad pasts, and Coyle tries to cover everything with a layer of humor and jokes. They're all suffering from some form of PTSD. They're being haunted by old memories of war. It's very unlike the original "Predator," where there's beefcake and muscles on top of muscles and guys who weren't afraid to run into a buzz saw. Q: So you're the comic relief? A: I would say Shane Black's writing is the comic relief. But make no mistake, the subject matter is dark, it's thrilling, it's scary, it's ominous. But it's got that Shane Black signature where these really serious themes are in place but always done with a dollop of humor (in movies like "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"). It's a good transition piece for me because as I move forward in my career and do more action stuff, more thriller stuff, get back to my dramatic roots, this is what I would call a "bridge job." Q: Is it daunting to rethink your career after so much success with "Key & Peele"? A: I felt like I was at my absolute best with the best possible partner. There was an alchemy there that will never happen again. I will admit that there is a certain amount of trepidation to moving forward and going: "How naked do I want to be in front of people? What will it cost me to show who I truly feel I am to audiences?" Q: You've called comedy "a 19-year detour." Can you explain? A: I was on my way to doing dramatic and classical work in Detroit, and I met a bunch of real fun actors, and they were all performing at Second City. And I thought: "Well, I feel like I have a facility for comedy. I should go audition for this place." And I got in and that was the beginning of this other path. So from June or July 1997 until October 2015, that was my life. I enjoyed it and I learned so much from it. But then you just start getting itchy. Q: You jumped for joy when Jordan won the best original screenplay Oscar for "Get Out." Are you competitive with him? A: I'm not. I was at one point in time and then I realized it was an unhealthy endeavor. Q: Do you miss "Key & Peele"? A: I don't. If Jordan wanted to do it again, that might be something I'm interested in doing. But right now, any time I'm asked this in an interview, I just have to honestly answer: "I don't miss it." Nineteen years of the same thing I didn't have any more desire to do it. We had new, stronger desires that were pulling us. Q: So there's no strong desire that's pulling you to resurrect Luther, President Barack Obama's anger translator, for President Donald Trump? A: He doesn't need one. He has an anger translator. It's called Twitter. Ballston Spa Soon after Lois Christie's son died, she received a phone call from Patty Jackson. Christie's son was Daniel Satre, who died four years ago this month after police in Ballston Spa repeatedly shocked him with stun guns under circumstances that remain unclear and troubling. Jackson's son, Darryl Mount Jr., died that same year, 2014, nine months after he ran from police in Saratoga Springs and was grievously injured. The circumstances of Mount's death also remain controversial and aspects of the case, including a police chief's admission that he lied about investigating the incident, are certainly troubling. In that call, Jackson offered condolences and support from a mother who had suffered through a similar experience. In the years since, the mothers have formed a deep friendship, one born of grief, but also of the conviction that their sons died improperly and that the full truth has not been told. "It's an awful thing to have in common," Christie said. Christie lives in Vermont, about two hours from Jackson's home in Saratoga County. Like many friends, the women keep up on Facebook, but also talk regularly on the phone and visit once or twice a year. "I adore Lois," Jackson said. "I completely appreciate her support, and I know she feels the same about me." Christie's son died after police were called about an agitated man in the road. When they arrived, officers found Satre yelling outside his house and tried to take him into custody. When he resisted, they tasered him until he passed out. In the only publicly available video of the incident, a neighbor can be heard asking, "Do they have to tase him that much?" As the stun guns crackled in the darkness, the woman added: "That's enough. They're going to kill him." The neighbor was right. Satre was taken to Saratoga Hospital after he became unconscious, where he died just after midnight Sept. 21, 2014. He was 43 years old, a father with two children who owned a screen-printing business. A grand jury declined to indict the six officers two from Ballston Spa, two sheriff's deputies and two state troopers and officials declined to say much about what had happened. That means Christie has been left with unanswered questions, all of them valid. Why couldn't six officers subdue a pudgy, middle-aged man without repeatedly tasering him? Why did they need to subdue the unarmed Satre at all? Why did they respond to an apparent and unexplained psychological meltdown with aggression? More for you When police shoot And why was Satre so badly battered? His family says his body was so bruised that he was unrecognizable; a family attorney said Satre's ears had been pulled from his head. A potential wrongful death lawsuit fizzled amid family conflict and missed deadlines. The statute of limitations has passed, and Christie understandably believes her son's case has been forgotten. "His life was swept under the rug," she said. "It meant nothing. Nothing was done." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. But Christie is encouraged by what's happening for her friend. Unlike the Satre case, Mount's death remains in the public eye, largely because of a civil lawsuit filed by Jackson. Police say Mount assaulted his girlfriend (she says the assault was merely a shove) early in the morning on Caroline Street. During the subsequent foot chase, police say, Mount climbed and then fell from scaffolding. He never regained consciousness and died nine months later. Jackson believes his injuries are inconsistent with a fall and were inflicted by police. Whether that proves to be true, her lawsuit brought a startling revelation: In a deposition, Police Chief Greg Veitch admitted he misled the public about conducting an internal probe into Mount's death. Turns out, there was no investigation. That has led to calls for Veitch to resign and demands for a new review into Mount's death. Christie, watching it all from a distance, noted with pride that her friend is getting results and forcing change. "She needs the closure and justice for her son," Christie said. "I had hoped that there would be a day when that would happen for me, when I would get answers and the truth. I don't know how that's going to happen for me now." The veil of secrecy surrounding Satre's death is unfair to the public, which has the right to know why a man died in front of his home. And it certainly is unfair to Christie. "She has struggled badly with it," Jackson said. "Your child is your child is your child, no matter what age." More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse Jackson says the circumstances of Satre's death still shock her. And while she's grateful to have Christie as a friend, she would rather they hadn't been brought together by such sorrow. "I just wish it could be different for her," Jackson said. "I would never want anybody to feel the pain that comes with something like this." Cohoes The fate of the replica of the Half Moon that took part in the 1909 festivities celebrating Henry Hudson's voyage was a topic intriguing enough to cross the Atlantic and back again. That was in the form of Peter Mulder, a University of Leiden professor - of science, actually who came upon a book's historic photo caption that he just knew was wrong. It raised his eyebrows about a tiny wooden ship being loaded on a bigger vessel in the Netherlands more than 100 years ago for shipment to New York. It was a spark that turned into an intellectual challenge, and then a book: "De Halve Maen: Een Jacht van Lust tot Last." (From joy to burden). Mulder researched Dutch and American records in his studies. Papers in the U.S., sadly, were less organized: papers in a local archive were in "hundreds of boxes in a basement," Mulder said at Smith's restaurant in Cohoes, which he visited as a guest of former city historian Walt Lipka late last month. Mulder said he had to rely on newspapers of the 1910s and 1920s, with no real way to double check. "He's done a fantastic job of research," said Lipka, a former art teacher who was city historian for 10 years. "It's full of great details." Mulder's book, all in Dutch (translating and republishing in English would be a very expensive proposition), details the Half Moon replica's journey, its participation in the 1909 festivities and its fate being destroyed by fire in Cohoes in 1930s. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. So obscure was the fate, that the Dutch government sent letter a several years later hoping to use it at a world exposition not knowing it had burned, Lipka said. Mulder said he hopes his book might rekindle interest among the Dutch about their small 1600s fur trading posts in the Americas that became a colony that eventually became New York. It's not something most Hollanders are very familiar with these days, he said. The contemporary Half Moon replica was used for years as an educational vessel plying the Hudson River, calling Albany home for 25 years. It was shipped via a much larger vessel to the Netherlands and is now displayed at the Westfries Museum in Hoorn. Gov. Andrew Cuomo was forced Sunday to confront two controversies less than a week before the Democratic gubernatorial primary his timing of the Tappan Zee bridge replacement opening just before conditions were considered too dangerous to open it and backlash about a mailer sent by the state Democratic Committee that targeted challenger Cynthia Nixon on what it claimed was her silence on anti-Semitism. Cuomo held a press conference in New York City Sunday afternoon where he continued his attack on President Donald Trump this time on a topic the governor has visited many times: how he believes the federal changes in the state and local tax deduction is costing New York state billions of dollars a year. Reporters at the Cuomo press conference also asked about a state Democratic Committee mailer voters received Saturday, which said Nixon is "silent on the rise of anti-Semitism," and said she supports BDS, a global group that calls for boycotting Israel until certain conditions on behalf of Palestinians are met. "With anti-Semitism and bigotry on the rise, we can't take a chance with inexperienced Cynthia Nixon," the mailer said. A stunned reaction from some elected officials and Jewish leaders around the state was swift. "The accusation that my family promotes anti-Semitism is deeply, deeply offensive," according to a statement from Nixon, who is raising her two oldest children Jewish. "I am incredibly angry and sad that Governor Cuomo and his official New York State Democratic Party would engage in the kind of Trump-style divide and conquer tactics at a time when we need to come together." Democratic Committee executive director Geoff Berman sent out a statement Sunday saying, "The State Party sent out a wrong and inappropriate mailer we will work with the Nixon campaign to send out a mailing of their choosing to the same universe of people." It was unclear Sunday night if a mailer could be printed and mailed in time to reach voters by Thursday. Berman said on Twitter that he would not reveal "internal HR" details about who approved the mailer, "but the people involved are being held accountable. Believe me, we take this seriously." When asked by a reporter at the Sunday press conference, Cuomo said he thought the mailer was inappropriate and a mistake, and "they better figure out how it happen and make sure it doesn't happen again." The governor said he did not know about the mailer before it was released. But others, such as state Senator Liz Krueger, were unconvinced. "As an elected Democrat in New York State and as a Jew, I am doubly offended and aghast that my party organization would produce and mail such a false, damaging attack on Ms. Nixon and then watch the Governor and key staff act surprised they had done this. Shameful," wrote Krueger on Twitter. Independent candidate Stephanie Miner also weighed in, saying on Twitter, "Sunday Quiz: is there anyone who believes Cuomo did not know about the offensive smear mailer? If so, there's a bridge you may want to buy that was safe on Friday, but not Saturday." The governor made a statement on the kerfuffle surrounding the opening of the eastbound lanes of the new Mario M. Cuomo bridge. A day after Cuomo held an event Friday on the bridge to officially open all lanes of the new span, engineers determined that a remaining piece of the old Tappan Zee bridge was in danger of collapsing, possibly putting the new span in danger. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Cuomo's challengers, which included not just Nixon but also Republican Marc Molinaro and Miner, alleged the governor held the ceremony before the bridge was ready to open to only bolster his profile ahead of Thursday's Democratic primary. "It's now clearer than ever that the bridge was opened to meet Governor Cuomo's political timetable without regard to public safety," Molinaro said in a statement Saturday. On Sunday, Cuomo called the news about the old span's possible collapse a "bizarre coincidence," in its proximity to the opening ceremony, and stressed that the ceremony was greenlit because the new bridge is safe and ready to open. "In political silly season people can say anything," Cuomo said in response to a question about the timing of the ceremony less than a week before the primary. "You can say what you want to say. But there has to be some connection to reality. This has nothing to do with the new bridge." The governor said workers heard a loud sound come from an old piece of the Tappan Zee. They determined something shifted in the old span, and there is now a concern that it could collapse. More for you Race for state's second office could shake up New York politics Officials were concerned the bridge collapse would frighten or distract motorists on the new bridge, which could cause dangerous chain-reaction accidents, Cuomo said. A danger to boat traffic or the new bridge has been ruled out by engineers as of Sunday night. The new lanes are expected to re-open Tuesday evening. Drivers of 'clean' cars will be able to show off their environmental credentials with special green number plates. The plates would be fitted to low-emission vehicles under new Government plans. And the drivers of electric and hydrogen cars would potentially be allowed to use bus or 'green' vehicle lanes through town centres. The green-plate plan, based on existing schemes in Canada and China, has been backed by the Government's so-called 'nudge unit' as one way to encourage use of low-emission cars and vans. Drivers of electric and hydrogen cars would potentially be allowed to use bus or 'green' vehicle lanes through town centres with special green number plates fitted to 'clean' cars Elisabeth Costa, director of the Behavioural Insights Team, said: 'Green plates would be more noticeable to road users and can help normalise the idea of clean vehicles.' Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, who today announced a public consultation on the plan, said the plates would be a 'badge of honour' for car owners. He added: 'The UK has a proud history of leading the world in technological advances and that is no different for ultra-low emission vehicles, where we are at the forefront of innovation. 'This new cleaner, greener transport has the potential to bring with it cleaner air, a better environment and stronger economies for countries around the world. Adding a green badge of honour to these new clean vehicles is a brilliant way of helping increase awareness of their growing popularity in the UK.' Sunday, Aug. 31, 2018 At least nine times since April 2016, police have shot someone in an encounter in the Capital Region that has either led to an injury or death. Those cases include an elementary school teacher who police say orchestrated his own suicide, a Schenectady man shot by police in an incident captured on a Facebook Live video, and the shooting of a black man whose family disputes police claims that he was armed. RELATED: Local training program helps police make the right decision when confronted with an armed suspect and other dangerous situations. Out of those cases, six people were killed. None of the officers who fired their weapon have faced criminal charges for the shootings. The concentration of police-shooting incidents locally comes at a time of heightened awareness of similar incidents nationwide. Each case has involved split-second decisions amid fast-moving and hard-to-control situations. Some of the shootings sparked outrage, protests. Police maintain the shootings were justified to save the lives of officers or civilians. Law enforcement officers are also working on training and other steps to avoid deadly force scenarios. Here's a look at the details of each shooting since 2016, the community reaction and, in a related story, what police learn in the academy about when to use their weapons. When: Aug. 20, 2018 Where: 395 Elk St., Albany Who: Ellazar Williams, 19. Injured. What happened: Police said Williams had been involved in a fight at a store on Central Avenue and fled when police arrived. Three detectives pursued Williams because he matched the description of a man who had displayed a gun during the fight. Police said Williams was holding a knife when he tripped while running from officers behind the Tony Clement Center for Education. Based on surveillance video police have shown publicly, Williams dropped the knife, then picked it back up as Detective James Olsen ordered him to stay down, police said. Olsen shot twice at Williams, one of the bullets hitting him in the back of the shoulder and lodging into his spine. As a result Williams is paralyzed from the waist down. No gun was recovered, but police said they found a large hunting knife near Williams after the shooting. Police couldn't definitively say whether Williams was standing, getting up, or still on the ground when the shots were fired. Aftermath: Williams was charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor weapons possession. At a protest on Tuesday, participants called for the release of surveillance video and 911 phone calls related to the incident. During a news conference Thursday, police showed surveillance video of the shooting and said it was "justified" because as soon as Williams went to pick up the knife he was rearming himself and became a threat to the detective. The matter is under review by Albany County District Attorney David Soares. When: June 22, 2018 Where: 61 Partridge St., Albany Who: Schuyler Lake, 20. Killed. What happened: Officers responded to a residence around 11:30 p.m. for a report of a person with a weapon. When they arrived, they found Lake's 52-year-old mother unconscious and suffering from stab wounds at the foot of the stairs inside. As police tried to break down the locked door to help her, Lake appeared at the top of the stairs holding a knife. He walked down the stairs and began to stab his mother again. Officers demanded he drop the knife, but he did not. Police broke the glass door and Officer Elston Mackey stuck his hand through the glass and fired several rounds. Aftermath: Lake's mother, as well as his uncle, who was also stabbed, were taken to the hospital. Albany Police Chief Robert Sears said, at a news conference following the incident, that the shooting was "must and just" and that the "actions of the officers saved the woman's life." When: Aug. 15, 2017 Where: Near Eighth and Rensselaer streets, Troy Who: Dahmeek McDonald, 22. Injured What happened: Police tried to pull over McDonald, who was wanted for a parole violation. McDonald, who was unarmed, began driving toward Officer Jarrod Iler, which a ballistics analysis "largely corroborated." Iler fired four shots at the vehicle, one of the bullets went through McDonald's forearm and the other grazed his temple. Aftermath: Video, showing police arresting a bloodied McDonald, sparked a protest in the community and demands that Iler be held accountable. Iler testified before a grand jury. The jury determined Iler's actions justified and announced in July 2018, that he would not face any criminal charges and he was cleared. Shortly after, people gathered outside Troy police headquarters protesting the grand jury's decision. When: July 28, 2017 Where: 10 Pashley Road, Glenville Who: Brian Skinner, 32. Killed What happened: Police went to Skinner's home after he called 911 twice and said he was in the basement while his boyfriend was upstairs with a gun, which police later determined was untrue. Minutes after police arrived, Skinner allegedly charged at them while wielding a kitchen knife with an 8-inch blade. Glenville Sgt. Matthew Weise and Scotia officers Danielle Peck and Mark Kopczynski fired nine shots. Skinner was hit six times, authorities said. Glenville Officer Benjamin Ferretti was injured when one of the bullets struck him in the lower abdomen. Aftermath: Officials said they believed Skinner, who was a fifth-grade teacher at Shenendehowa's Orenda Elementary School, had orchestrated his own "suicide by cop." Police said Skinner had previously attempted suicide and that his actions led officers no choice but to use deadly force. The injured officer, Ferretti, is suing the village, alleging that the rookie cop Peck acted negligently and wasn't trained properly. When: June 5, 2017 Where: 535 Mumford St., Schenectady Who: Anthony Logan, 23. Injured. What happened: Police arrived to the residence for a domestic dispute call. In a Facebook Live video, Logan could be seen standing on the porch for several minutes and talking to police as they surrounded the house. At one point, Logan moved abruptly toward the officers below and police opened fire. Logan was hit twice, in the shoulder and his hip. Logan was not armed when he was shot, but police said they found a bag that he had thrown that he had thrown into a nearby house had a sawed-off shotgun in it. Aftermath: Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford called the shooting justified and said it complied with the department's policy and state law on the use of deadly force. In October 2017, Logan filed a claim against the city alleging civil rights violations and police brutality. Logan was later convicted of felony criminal possession of a weapon as well as misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment, menacing, criminal contempt, criminal solicitation and tampering with a witness. In July 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. When: Sept. 12, 2016 Where: Green Street, Albany Who: Thomas Smith, 53. Not injured by bullet. What happened: Police were trying to arrest Smith, who was suspected of robberies, when he allegedly began to back his car toward the officers. Detective Robert Lawyer fired a round into the window of Smith's vehicle. No one was injured. In 2015, Smith was part of a protracted battle with Walmart officials after he was fired for redeeming a few dollars in empty cans left unclaimed outside the East Greenbush store. Aftermath: In 2017, Smith was sentenced to 15 years in state prison for bank robbery. In addition, the Albany Police Department cleared the officers involved in the shooting, stating that they "were within the policy of the Albany Police Department and in accordance with the law." When: June 13, 2016 Where: First Avenue, Schenectady Who: Joshua Scism, 33. Killed. What happened: Plainclothes detectives Ryan Kent and Brett Ferris were in their car and briefly exchanged words with Scism, who was on the street. Police said as Scism walked away he lifted his shirt to show a handgun that was tucked in his waistband. The two officers got out of their unmarked car, identified themselves as police and drew their weapons, they said. Scism allegedly pulled his gun and pointed it at the cops before one of them fired several fatal rounds at him. Aftermath: State police were investigating the incident, according to a Times Union report. In June 2018, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Scism's widow in federal court. The suit alleges that police acted negligently and used excessive force. The lawsuit also said Scism was unarmed. The document named the city, police department, and the two police detectives as defendants. Both officers remain on active duty with the department. When: April 22, 2016 Where: High Point Road, Berne Who: Carl Baranishyn, 51. Killed What happened: Baranishyn called the police, saying he was feeling suicidal and homicidal. When two troopers arrived at his home, Baranishyn was outside holding two folding knives. He charged at the troopers who shot him three times. Aftermath: State Police officials said the Albany County coroner ruled the death suicide by police. A State Police major said at a news conference that the two troopers were "justified to shoot." When: April 17, 2016 Where: Hoosick Street, Troy Who: Edson Thevenin, 37. Killed What happened: Thevenin had fled from an officer who tried to pull him over when he crashed his car into a concrete barrier near the Collar City Bridge. Two police cars arrived at the scene, boxing Thevenin in. As Thevenin tried to back up, Troy Police Sgt. Randall French got out of his patrol car. French said he was pinned by Thevenin's car and fired eight rounds through the windshield. State prosecutors later said ballistics evidence showed Thevenin's vehicle did not pin French. Aftermath: Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove presented the case to a grand jury four days after the shooting, and gave French immunity from prosecution to testify. In addition, two citizens who witnessed the incident were not asked to appear in court. French was exonerated. Under a 2015 Gov. Andrew Cuomo executive order regarding police shootings of unarmed civilians, the state Attorney General's office took over as special prosecutor. Abelove was later charged with lying to a grand jury and manipulating the investigation; a state Supreme Court justice dismissed all three charges against Abelove in June, ruling that the Attorney General's office improperly pursued a felony perjury charge that the justice said was beyond the AG's authority. The justice's decision, however, did not dispute the attorney general's authority to investigate Abelove's role, so the attorney general is now fighting to have the charges against Abelove reinstated. Albany Police Commander Michael Basile leads a press conference where a video is played on Sept. 6 at the Albany Public Safety Building in Albany, N.Y. The video shows an Albany Police Detective vehicle pulling across the street towards Ellazar Williams and two other individuals. Williams was later shot by an Albany Police Detective. (Paul Buckowski/Times Union) less Albany Police Commander Michael Basile leads a press conference where a video is played on Sept. 6 at the Albany Public Safety Building in Albany, N.Y. The video shows an Albany Police Detective vehicle pulling ... more Photo: Paul Buckowski Buy photo Photo: Paul Buckowski Image 1 of / 87 Caption Close When police shoot 1 / 87 Back to Gallery When: April 10, 2016 Where: 1061 Roberta Road, Rotterdam Who: William Clark III, age unknown. Killed. What happened: Police were called to the home by Clark's mother. When they arrived they found Clark hiding behind a bedroom door. Clark lunged at Sgt. Keith Collins with a knife, stabbing him in the chest and shoulder, while his protective ballistic vest absorbed the blows. Clark then slashed Officer Mark Frodyma in the back of the head; he required stitches. Collins used a Taser, but it malfunctioned, then Frodyma shot at Clark four times, striking him twice in the chest and once in the head, police said. Aftermath:State Police officials determined the officers' actions were justified. Web presentation by Joyce Bassett / Times Union ALBANY When Democratic voters go to the polls Thursday, the main event will be the primary between incumbent Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and actress Cynthia Nixon. But a lesser-watched race just down the ballot has a much greater chance to shake up New York's politics. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul a former congresswoman from western New York who had been Cuomo's running mate in 2014 is facing a fierce challenge from Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn, who is serving his third term as a New York City councilman. Williams, who previously was a tenants-rights organizer, is a well-known liberal activist and has often been arrested at protests. As a lawmaker, he is credited with helping pass a number of laws, from protecting tenants in New York City to reforming the New York Police Department's controversial stop-and-frisk practices. Running as a team with Nixon, Williams has the support of the liberal Working Families Party and received a major endorsement last week when the New York Times endorsed him for the job, calling him "an independent-minded New York City Council member, (who) has shown that he can be a real leader and is the right choice for lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary ..." In that same endorsement, the Times' editorial board characterized Hochul as "little more than an echo for Gov. Andrew Cuomo," noting that during a debate with Williams she could not recall a single instance where she had opposed one of Cuomo's policies or "changed the governor's mind on an issue." Hochul has spent heavily from her ample campaign fund and is clearly taking her poorly-funded challenger seriously. In recent months, she has been a fixture in New York City, where Williams is better-known and has garnered significant support in the state's Democratic epicenter. If Williams pulled off the upset, he could use the office to challenge the governor and Albany's status quo and also use it as a sounding board to press his positions on affordable housing, healthcare, eduction, criminal justice reform and voting rights. The outcome of the race could also have a substantial impact on the race for governor in November because of the way that ballots are counted in New York elections. While the governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primary, in the general election, they run as a ticket. If Cuomo wins as expected, while Williams scores an upset, they would appear together on the Democratic ticket in the November general election. But Cuomo and Hochul are the nominees of the Independence and Womens' Equality parties, and votes for Cuomo-Hochul on those ballot lines would count separately and not be added together with the Cuomo-Williams votes. If that scenario plays out, it could help provide a path to victory for Republican nominee Marc Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive. It is possible, but not guaranteed, that legal maneuvering by Democrats to get the losing Democratic primary candidates off ballot lines could occur. For instance, candidates could be nominated for judgeships or other offices that would allow their removal from those lines. If Williams is indeed elected as lieutenant governor, he has promised to provide a check-and-balance in the mold of the more adversarial role the New York City Public Advocate has played to the New York City mayor. He's declared he will be the "peoples' lieutenant governor, not the governor's lieutenant governor," and has characterized Hochul as essentially a Cuomo cheerleader who mostly attends ribbon cuttings. Hochul and Williams have had only one televised debate, which took place on a weekday morning and aired on a small, public-access television station in Manhattan. It also took place the same day as the only debate between Cuomo and Nixon, almost ensuring it would get little coverage. Hochul in July had promised NY1 host Errol Louis that she would debate on his much larger television network, but later pulled back. Questioned repeatedly about the matter in a radio interview last week with WNYC host Brian Lehrer, Hochul would only say that an unspecified "scheduling conflict" had submarined the debate. Williams quickly responded on Twitter that he was willing to work around Hochul's schedule to make the debate happen. In her interview with Lehrer, Hochul said her partnership with Cuomo has been positive, contrasting it with toxic political divides in Washington, D.C., and the turmoil in Albany before Cuomo took office. She said state politics should not turn into "two men in a fistfight every day" and compared her relationship with Cuomo to that between President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. "Working as a partnership, we have been able to accomplish so much more," Hochul said, noting the $15 minimum wage and her leadership in cracking down on sexual assaults on college campuses. Nixon supporters argue that Cuomo has only shifted to the left on many issues due to her primary challenge. Williams said he would be able to press Cuomo from the left, as well. Hochul said that is not necessary. She noted the first-in-the nation, same-sex marriage law pushed through by Cuomo in 2011, and the nation's toughest gun-safety law, the SAFE Act, that passed in 2013. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "I reject the notion that Gov. Cuomo needs someone else to tell him to do what's right," Hochul said. Hochul has also noted her broad experience in government, saying that the most important attribute of a lieutenant governor as second in line to the governor is readiness to assume that office if necessary. That took place as recently as 2008, when then-Lt. Gov. David Paterson took over Eliot Spitzer's office after he abruptly resigned in the wake of a prostitution scandal. Paterson served the rest of Spitzer's term through 2010. One mark on Hochul's liberal record, which has been exploited by Williams, is the 'A' rating she earned from the National Rifle Association for her voting record while a member of Congress. Hochul has said that she regretted the votes, and noted that at the time she was representing a more conservative, gun-owning western New York district, not the more liberal statewide electorate she now represents. Hochul also said that she lost her seat in Congress, in 2012, to Republican Chris Collins because she had voted to pass Obama's signature law, the Affordable Care Act. Williams also has a blemish in his progressive record. Originally hailing from the socially conservative Caribbean community in Brooklyn, Williams has evolved over the years on social issues to recently personally support both same-sex marriage and abortion rights. William notes that as an elected official, he has always supported those rights in his public positions and votes. Hochul noted in a recent interview that abortion rights may be under threat nationally as conservative U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is on a path to confirmation. She said that could swing the court against Roe v. Wade. "The sky will have fallen," Hochul told WNYC. "And we need people that are personally committed." In his own interview with Lehrer last week, Williams noted he has long embraced labels "agitator" and "troublemaker" that are now only politically en vogue with the left's ascent in recent Democratic primaries. Williams also noted that he has been rated as the most productive member of the New York City Council after the speaker. Cuomo and Hochul only recently moved to the left during election season on issues like legalizing marijuana and bail reform, Williams said, while he has been championing them for years. "It's funny to see them fumbling around with concepts that they haven't been used to speaking about," Williams said. Williams noted that in 2007, Hochul, as Erie County clerk, had vowed to have undocumented immigrants arrested if they applied for drivers' licenses. A spokeswoman now says she supports licenses for undocumented immigrants. If Cuomo continues his leftward shift, Williams said, they could work well together. But regardless, he also promised to be an independent voice who would try to stem major problems before they metastasized, such as the Cuomo administration's major corruption scandals that resulted in convictions of multiple people at two high-profile federal criminal trials this year. "You should not equate partnership," Williams said, "with rubber stamp." ALBANY - Protesters with the New York State Poor Peoples Campaign spilled out of the state Capitols park and into city streets in May, blocking roads used by emergency vehicles and public transportation. The group was billed $1,451 by the city for a police presence, which city officials said was necessary to ensure public safety. The protest was one of six rallies and marches the group held once a week in Albany beginning May 14 and continuing through June. The events were planned in about 40 capital cities across the nation. A bill for an additional $4,907 in charges for police details has been sent to the state Labor-Religion Coalition, which facilitated the Poor Peoples Campaign activities in the area. Those bills were invoiced Aug. 8 and mailed Aug. 29, according to the city treasurers office. Campaign organizers say they will not pay the bills issued by the city and await a response to a June letter sent by local attorney Mark Mishler to Albany Treasurer Darius Shahinfar asking that the May bill be voided. Mishler has argued the charges are a penalty for "participating in protected activity" and believe it's an "effort to chill, intimidate, or bully people from continuing to engage." The bills to New Yorks Poor Peoples Campaign of which there are dozens of local chapters across the country using civil disobedience to call attention to systemic racism, poverty, militarism and ecological devastation have sparked debate over the fairness of the permitting process in Albany, and whether there is need for reform. We have a procedure that is in place. If you want to have these types of rallies, you dont go through the corner office (mayors office), you go through the clerks office, Common Councilman Owusu Anane said. Thats where we should address it. Why are we waiving (fees) for certain groups and not for others? Fair should be fair. Anane introduced a resolution earlier this year urging the bill be rescinded, but it didn't gain traction. Anane and others have pointed to other rallies and marches like the Women's March in January 2017 and the Black Lives Matter and Capital Area Against Mass Incarceration protest for Dontay Ivy in 2015 as examples of groups not applying for city permits and not getting charged for the police details and other city services provided. Because of this "selective enforcement," campaign organizers said they didn't apply for city permits. They did, however, apply for state permits to assemble at West Capitol Park. Billing for city services for different events happens often. The city through the police, fire and general services departments have billed schools, nonprofits, and groups organizing events more than $2 million since 2014 for various services provided, according to a Times Union review of city department invoices from 2014 to present. Albany requires groups planning a demonstration or other events, like a charity walk, on city property to submit a special event permit, which goes through the clerks office. The application asks organizers to detail whether traffic control or street cleaning may be necessary, which prompts a discussion regarding costs for those services. Even if the event is permitted, Albany may bill for the necessary services provided. Records show invoices ranging from a $45,768 bill for police detail to an organization called 350 Vermont, Inc. in May 2016 to $126 for barricades during the Race for the Cure in October 2015. More for you Poor People's Campaign balks at $1,451 bill for Albany Police Most of the bills were reoccurring for specific institutions like Albany Medical Center Hospitals emergency department, the Palace Theatre and the Times Union Center, which city officials said have running agreements for services. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. While some bills remain outstanding like the nearly $46,000 bill to 350 Vermont which helped organize a protest of crude oil trains in the South End most organizations pay within 30 days of receiving the bill, as requested by the city. Maeve McBride, director of 350 Vermont, which co-organized the protest with several other groups, said they obtained permits from the city for the 2016 rally and march, but later were sent a bill for police detail they didn't agree to. "The city of Albany sent us a bill for alleged police services that we never requested or agreed to," she said in an emailed statement. "We considered their request unconstitutional, and the city has not pursued payment. It's not an open issue at this time." Anane said all organizations should go through the clerk's office and follow the process. More education on that process is necessary, he said. "I feel like this campaign (the New York State Poor People's Campaign) was really singled out. There have been similar rallies where organizations did not notify the clerk's office," he said. "I want to make sure we're on the right side of history." Some events aren't billed at all. Over the years, protests have been organized by groups not familiar with the city's permit process. Those events were held without permits and werent charged for city services because they came together within a matter of days or even hours. The groups coordinate with city officials, allowing departments to mitigate costs and the city to prepare for disruption, said Brian Shea, Mayor Kathy Sheehans chief of staff. Its comparing apples to cinder blocks, he said. The Poor Peoples Campaign organizers did know the process, were asked if they would avail themselves of the process, and week after week they declined to do that," he said. Shea said the mayor personally called people who were part of the campaign. He declined to provide the names of exactly who was contacted. The New York State Coordinating Committee for the Poor Peoples Campaign confirmed two people with the campaign were contacted by Sheehan on May 14 and 15, during which she expressed her concerns regarding the disruptions. Neither understood those calls to be an attempt by the city to coordinate or meet with organizers. Like Mark A. Edelman ("Standing for anthem an issue of respect," Sept. 1), I am also a veteran and someone who does not support President Donald Trump's racist and divisive politics. Unlike Mr. Edelman, I would never rise to respect the most narcissistic, bigoted and feckless person ever to occupy the White House simply because he is the president. Mr. Edelman's belief that athletes who take a knee during the national anthem are disrespecting our flag misses the point. It is often only through highly publicized controversial acts that we as a people can bring attention to issues that demand, but would otherwise not receive, our attention. In this case the issue is police treatment of black citizens. He unwisely states that athletes who choose not to stand should attend local veteran funerals and explain their reasoning to the families of departed veterans. The reason for their actions has been well covered by the press thanks to the continual provocative statements by Trump, and they should be under no obligation to explain to any individual. Deadly Russian nuclear submarines with advanced stealth capabilities are slipping undetected into UK waters, defence sources have conceded for the first time. President Putins latest high-tech submarines can sail so quietly, they cannot be picked up by our underwater defence systems, including sonar. In a chilling echo of the film The Hunt For Red October, according to military sources the new submarines have carried out missions to track Britains submarines as they leave the top-secret Faslane base in Scotland. Deadly: Illustration of a Borey-A firing a torpedo. The crest on its nose includes the Russian flag and that of the Russian navy. Borey-A has a length of 557ft, a width of 44ft and a weight of 24,000 tons The Yasen-M (pictured) has a length of 390 ft, a width of 49 ft, a weight of 13,800 tons, speed of 35-40 knows, and has rockets, torpedos, and anti-sub missiles The Russians have also been mapping a network of vital energy and telecommunications and internet cables beneath the English Channel. If these were destroyed, the UK could be plunged into chaos and darkness. Earlier this year, it was revealed that there has been a tenfold increase in Russian submarine activity in UK waters since 2015. But the actual numbers and the locations visited by Russian submarines remain classified for security reasons. The revelations come as Russia is increasing its military activities around the world, including 25 surface vessels sailing in the Eastern Mediterranean in support of operations in Syria. The new Borey-A and Yasen-M vessels entered service in 2017 after a decade of research and development. Like a plot from the Sean Connery film, The Hunt For Red October, both are undetectable and designed to destroy an enemys submarines and surface ships, naval bases, ports and naval task forces In the past two years, Russian submarine activity in British waters - including around the nuclear base at Faslane - have increased tenfold. Russian Navy Spetsnaz (pictured) are trained in underwater warfare, including laying mines. They can deploy in rigid surface vessels and underwater vehicles narrow enough to pass through a torpedo tube Yesterday, Russian aircraft carried out bombing raids over the Syrian city of Idlib, where the last remaining opponents of President Assads regime have been holding out. This week, Russia is also due to start its biggest military exercises since the Cold War. More than 1,000 military aircraft and 300,000 servicemen are expected to take part in the Zapad-18 war games, which will also involve Chinese forces. Last night, a defence source said: We believe that a specific Russian submarine is focusing its attentions on the UK naval base in Western Scotland [Faslane] and on undersea piping in the English Channel. The UK has four undersea connections linked to the Continent (pictured) and a further four for gas. Experts fear the UK#s way of life could be threatened by the vulnerability of cables which crisscross the sea beds The propulsion systems of this new submarine are a lot more sophisticated. As a result, the submarine is a lot quieter than its predecessors. Until recently, Russian submarines tended to be horrendously noisy. Russian subs seeking to approach Faslane have usually been identified as they pass through a stretch of water known as the Iceland Gap. Their progress was monitored by hydrophone listening devices which could pinpoint the whereabouts of a submarine based on the noise from its propeller. This system, known as SOSUS, was developed in the 1950s. The Mail on Sunday understands the new Russian submarine that has entered UK waters and remained undetected is the latest version of the Yasen-A. So why are they impossible to track? The Borey-A has a compact, hydro-dynamically efficient hull and uses pump-jet propulsion to reduce noise and provide the submarine with a higher tactical silent speed. This makes the boat extremely difficult to detect. Experts believe only Russia could build a nuclear submarine capable of evading US and UK detection. The Yasen-M also has upgraded electronic warfare and automation systems. Advertisement A second sub, the Borey-A, which carries intercontinental ballistic missiles has also recently come into service. According to nuclear expert John Large, technological advances have made Russian submarines more competitive. He said: The Russians were a long way behind in submarine warfare, particularly stealth technology, but much may have changed. Russians commanders are pushing the limits all the time of what they can get away with. They are increasingly confident and aggressive. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy is arguably in a weaker position because so much manpower and resources has been concentrated on the new aircraft carriers. Amanda Zara Amanda Zara remembers vividly the day she told her dad she wanted to buy his HVAC business. "He was worried. He didn't want to see me working all the time, the way he did," she says. "I told him, 'If I grow it the right way, it will take care of us.'" Joseph Zara started P. Mechanical Inc. in 1997. Twenty years later, he was ready to sell the business and retire. He showed Amanda, then 24, the deal he was offered. "I didn't want to see him work throughout his life on it and then sell and have it be the end of the road. I was up for a challenge, and it was the time to run with it," Amanda Zara says. She took over the business and created PMA Mechanical. Her father spends time in Florida and the family home in Broadalbin, where Amanda grew up. He continues to be a resource for her as she learns the business. In February 2018, Zara discovered four of her employees were doing side jobs on her dime, with her equipment. She fired them, leaving the company with three employees. "I didn't think we would survive," she says. Zara started to take on residential work, which accounted for $425,00 of the more than $2.5 million in business PMA did between June 2017 and July 2018. She invested in cloud-based software to run the business, hired a salesman to recruit customers and started promoting PMA online. It worked, and the company has grown from three employees to 14 in less than a year. Prior to starting PMA, Zara managed an accounting office. She also flipped houses. She is still learning the HVAC business, but says her team is willing to teach her because she is willing to get her hands dirty. At meetings with potential clients, people often direct questions to Zara's father or the operations manager. But they defer to her, letting strangers know she is the boss. "My mission is to run a company where everyone matters, and I will never ask anyone to do what I wouldn't do," Zara says. During a stretch of 90-degree weather in the summer, she suspended the emergency fees many companies charge for an unscheduled visit to fix air conditioners. She offered her guys $20 to share that information on their Facebook pages. "People thought I was crazy. Some took it upon themselves to call my father," Zara says. But she has no regrets. The deal allowed PMA to get its foot in the door in places they had never done work before, business she hopes to keep with excellent customer service. Kay-Deen Byrd Kay-Deen Byrd became a real estate agent at 18 years old, the minimum age for becoming licensed. "People told me all the time I looked young, because I was," Byrd says. She went to Macy's to buy a ring to wear on her left hand so she would appear married, and hopefully, a little older. Byrd sold two houses in those early days before she stepped back from real estate to go to college. She earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from Siena College in 2014 and became an operations manager for Target. But her desire to help people buy houses to attain their piece of the American dream, as Byrd describes it didn't go away. She watched her mother, a Jamaican immigrant, buy her first house in 2013, after saving for more than 10 years so she could pay cash, in full. It was a big day, Byrd says; a happy day. In March 2017, she jumped back into the real estate business. She works for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, based in Clifton Park. "I'm so excited at every closing, I feel like it's me buying the house whether it's a $100,000 house or a $350,000 house," Byrd says. Her average sale is $147,000. "When I looked at it I wanted it to be a higher number, but I value my relationships and I know the number will grow." Byrd maintains an active social media presence highlighted by a weekly video series she posts to Twitter and Facebook called "The Real Estate Word with Kay-Deen Byrd." And, because Byrd knows referrals make up a great deal of any real estate agent's business, she works to set herself apart. She finds out when her buyers are going to move into a their new house, and sends them a pizza. On the anniversary date of a client's closing date, she sends a bottle of wine. Once, to entice visitors to an open house, she hired an ice cream truck to park on the street. "Attention sets you apart," Byrd says. "I've heard the things about real estate agents becoming obsolete, that you don't need one to buy or sell a house, but we offer a service. We do it everyday, as opposed to someone learning what to do for the first time." Byrd likes to share her knowledge, especially with the black and Latino community. Her mother paid cash for her home, a fire-damaged property in Troy that she fixed up. Byrd said she appreciates her mother's motivation, having everything paid off, but there are programs out there that make homebuying cheaper. The federal Section 8 program is known as rent assistance, but it helps people buy houses, too. Other programs offer down payment assistance. "I enjoy being a resource for people," she says. Yvonne Manso Yvonne Manso traded a career in a glamorous setting for one in road construction, but she sees more similarities than differences between managing the front desk staff at a fancy Las Vegas hotel and selling asphalt. "Sales is sales. At the Four Seasons I was selling hotel rooms, here I'm selling road materials. You have to like your product, sell a quality product and provide good service," Manso says. She was raised in Michigan and went into the Army after she graduated from high school. She served two years active duty as a specialist and spent four years in the reserves. After leaving the military, she moved to Las Vegas, where she worked in the hospitality industry for 14 years. She met her husband, Art Manso, in Vegas and the couple eventually moved to New Jersey and then to Mechanicville, where Art grew up. D.A. Collins hired her as a sales coordinator even though she had no experience in the field. Manso threw herself into learning about her product, spending time in the lab and on job sites watching, listening and learning largely from staff at Kubricky Construction Corp., a division of D.A. Collins that does road building. Although she is now the director of sales for the materials division, which includes concrete, stone and precast concrete, her specialty is asphalt. "I didn't know I would love it," Manso said. "The company has been so supportive." Manso has been at D.A. Collins for 11 years. During that time, she went to SUNY Adirondack, where she earned a degree in sales and marketing. She graduated magna cum laude in 2016. Most days will find her on a job site, wearing work boots and a hard hat. Her job is to make the sale, but she likes to check in at each site to make sure the product is meeting expectations. She is long accustomed to being one of a few women among men. "I'm not afraid to get dirty, I'm fearless, and I'm a strong woman," she says. "Other people might underestimate me at a job site, until I speak, and they find out I can make things happen." Manso likes to help other women in her industry. "We need women to bring other women along," she said. "And because women are often the ones taking care of children at home, it might mean going to lunches instead of happy hour." Manso says she had a mentor in Las Vegas who taught her how to be a good manager. She looks at the women who work for her and finds ways to build on their assets. "Even if we are more emotional than men, we have to communicate and handle things professionally," Manso says. "I found a niche here and I've had the opportunity to have two amazing careers." Lisa Breen Lisa Breen was a real estate agent who found building houses more fun than selling them. Breen became a Realtor in 2001. Part of her job was to find lots for builders. In 2007, she found herself with a lot, but no builder connected to it. She hired a crew and built a house on spec in other words, there was no buyer for the home until after it was finished. The house sold quickly, Breen said, and she built two more. She learned valuable lessons. "No one took me seriously," Breen says. "Subcontractors overcharged me." Over time, she learned the value of materials and work, and she stopped paying too much. A developer came up with the name "La Femme," and told her to capitalize on what set her apart being a woman homebuilder among a crowd of men. "I think women bring an attention to detail men don't always have," Breen says. Breen grew up in Lake Luzerne and her father, Tom Hebert, was a general contractor. As an adult, Breen bought a house that needed work, and she found she liked doing it. In the early years of her career, her father and now ex-husband helped. Hebert still makes custom counters for Breen's houses. "I used to do the painting myself," Breen says. She's been working steadily and currently has three homes under construction for clients, including a 6,000-square-foot home on Brown Road in Stillwater, not far from the house she built for herself. The smaller house is on Joseph Street in Saratoga Springs and will be in the Saratoga County Showcase of Homes in September. Several different builders are also building on vacant lots. Breen's 25-year-old son, an artist, is working for his mom this summer alongside workers Breen has come to trust over the years and hires for every house she builds. Breen doesn't see big subdivisions in her future, but she likes the idea of a collection of four or five of her houses on a cul de sac somewhere. She works with a real estate agent to market her houses the job she used to do but she keeps her overhead low and takes on a couple clients at a time who buy lots and then hire her to build their homes. Breen says her car is her office and she spends her days driving from one place to another, checking on progress, making sure materials are where they need to be, and taking calls. "The phone rings constantly," she says. Christina Audi Going from child care to building steel structures may not seem like an obvious leap, but it was one Christina Audi was willing to take when she saw an opportunity. Audi worked in insurance and real estate before running a day care business. In 2000, she and her ironworker husband, George Audi Jr., learned the company he was working for wasn't doing well financially. "My husband's employer had no experience in the field as an ironworker. I felt with my husband having 10 years experience in the Iron Workers Union, he was able to establish relationships with other ironworkers in the field, which would ultimately give us an advantage to build a great team for the field operations," Audi said. "The timing just seemed right for me to start my own company." Audi also applied for and received certification from the state as a woman-owned business, which helps the company land jobs, and named her company "Christina Steel" branding it with her feminine first name - to reinforce the point. The company supplies labor, tools and equipment required to erect buildings. The core of Christina Steel includes 8 to 10 employees, but over the course of a calendar year, more than 70 employees are on the payroll, depending on the size of a project and the schedule. "We wanted to change the dynamics. We wanted control over making sure that when we started a project, all of our employees had the proper personal protective equipment and tools they needed to perform their work," Audi says. The company provided and hung steel for The Washington, a mixed-use building on Broadway in Saratoga Springs; the Corning Tower; new headquarters for CapCom Federal Credit Union; the Bow Tie Cinema in Saratoga Springs; corporate offices for the Golub Companies; and the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, among others. In the beginning, the men she dealt with were often dismissive. "Luckily, I developed a thick skin over the years," Audi says. "I would say I haven't encountered that issue in quite some time. Perhaps, as the years passed, it's because I gained more experience and confidence. I am not afraid to take someone to task if I have to, but I think times have changed." For her business to be profitable, Audi has to be extremely organized, she says, because time is money. "You have to know where potential issues may arise before they become problems," Audi says. "Pre-planning and making sure everyone is on the same plan is very important, and micromanaging every now and again isn't a bad thing." *** Not a member of Women@Work? Sign up at womenatworkny.com and tell a friend. Mother used in ad attacking Kansas Dem candidate is state GOP official A mother used in an attack ad to tear into a Kansas Democratic Congressional candidate is a top GOP official in the state. Red meat for the party loyal comes off desperate in this ad that has actually backfired on Kansas Republicans.Read more: Despite high homicide clearance rate, police still need help with unsolved cases Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are clearing homicide cases at a better rate than any year since 2013, but they need witnesses to help solve an unsolved caseload. The murder of Kendrick Anderson is one such murder, but family and investigators believe people have information about the case. Authorities recently touted their. . . Whilst the statistical observation is accurate . . . Overall the growing number of local shootings and homicides make it tough to tout crime fighting success.Accordingly, check a recent, tragic story of a family waiting more than a year for justice without much sign of hope . . . KCMO Mayor James asks Gov. Parson for help with Pre-K funding ST. LOUIS - Missouri Governor Mike Parson spent Friday in St. Louis along with Kansas City Mayor Sly James and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson to tour several locations that highlight programs aimed at growing the state's workforce to build the economy. More deets as the lame duck local mayor takes his show on the road and asks for help to inflict a regressive tax on the residents of KCMO. Read more: Genesis is pushing forward with plans to launch a production version of the Genesis Essentia Concept. The revelation was made by Genesis North America Executive Director Erwin Raphael, who told Motor Trend that the automaker has every intention to build the sports car as a special edition model. Theres no timetable on when the production model will arrive, but Genesis Global Brand Chief Manfred Fitzgerald hinted that it could be in production by 2021 or 2022. This isnt a flight of fancy, ladies and gentlemen. The Genesis Essentia Concept will be offered as a production model at some point in the future. The companys North America executive director, Erwin Raphael, made that clear in a conversation with Motor Trend. "We are very committed to the Essentia," Raphael said. "We love the car. We think the car will do very well." Raphael didnt specify details about the production model, but he did say that it will be offered in limited quantities. It wont be cheap, either, so if youre planning on getting one, nows as good a time as any to start saving up for it. Fortunately, the production model is unlikely to arrive before 2021. The current timetable estimate, at least according to Genesis global chief Manfred Fitzgerald calls for the production Essentia to arrive sometime in 2021 or 2022. That may sound like a long time from now, but it really isnt in the grand scheme of things. That said, dont expect the production model to look exactly like the concept. Its unlikely to have the concepts transparent hood and the blue velvet carpeting inside. Forget about the butterfly doors, too, because the companys design chief, Peter Schreyer, has already said that it would be replaced by conventional doors. The biggest question at this point is what will power the production model. The concept was showcased at the 2018 New York Auto Show as an electric car. That didnt stop Genesis from being vague with the powertrain details, opting only to say that the concept features a state-of-the-art high-density battery, and multiple electric motors. Not surprisingly, theres been no development on that front, and for what its worth, Genesis has yet to dip its toes in the electric car world so, at this point, its anybodys guess what kind of powertrain the production version of the Essentia will carry when it arrives in the next few years. Dont let the opaque details bring you down, though. The important thing is that Genesis is building a production version of the Essentia. Sometimes, thats all you need to know to get excited about what that production model is going to be about. Further reading Read our full review on the 2018 Genesis Essentia Concept. Read more Genesis news. Source: Motor Trend Health officials were last night trying to avert an outbreak of a potentially deadly African virus related to smallpox after the first person ever was diagnosed with monkeypox in the UK. They said a Nigerian individual who flew into the UK last Sunday has been diagnosed with the bug, which kills up to one in ten of those infected. There is no vaccine. Like Ebola, monkeypox resides in wild animals but humans can catch it through direct contact with animals, such as handling monkeys, or eating inadequately cooked meat. Monkeypox, A Member Of The Orthopox Family Of Viruses, Is An Infection Accidentally Transmitted To Human It can pass from human- to-human via droplets in the air, and by touching the skin of an infected individual, or touching objects contaminated by them. Initial symptoms include fever, headache and chills. As the illness develops large welts can appear over the face and body. Officials from Public Health England said they were in the process of contacting people who sat near the Nigerian on the flight, who is being treated in strict isolation at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 9 Even after elapsing of 24 hours, the police are clueless about the three robbers who looted a Nepalese family in Mohindra Colony located near Lal Devi Temple here on Saturday. Though the police have managed to get a CCTV footage in which three robbers are seen entering the house, it is not clear enough for identification of the culprits. The police have shown the pictures of the unscrupulous elements to the victim family, but they couldnt be identified. ADCP Lakhbir Singh said the police were trying to track the movement of the robbers. We are hopeful to get some clues soon, he added. Panic gripped Mahindra Colony in posh Rani Ka Bagh when three persons, armed with firearms, barged into a house and took away cash and jewellery from a family of Nepal in broad daylight here on Saturday. Though several policemen carried out a search operation in the area soon after the incident, the robbers managed to escape away from the rooftops of the neighbouring houses. The victims, Kishan Kumar and Sangita, were alone at home and their son had gone out for some work. Their another son is an Army man. The accused decamped with over Rs 35,000 in cash, earrings of Sangita and other gold jewellery items after pointing a pistol at them. Kishan said that immediately after barging into his house, the robbers pointed pistols at his forehead and stomach. They demanded cash along with whatever valuable the family was having. They threatened to shoot them in case they tried to resist or raise the alarm. The police have registered a case under section 392, 452 IPC and 25, 54, 59 arms act in this regard. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Beijing, September 9 Alibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma will unveil a succession plan on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday, with a company spokesman denying a New York Times report that he would retire that day. The SCMP, which is owned by Alibaba, said Chinas most famous tech billionaire will unveil a succession strategy on Mondayhis 54th birthdaybut remain the companys executive chairman for the foreseeable future. The New York Times ran an article on Friday, based on an interview with Ma, saying the former teacher turned billionaire planned to use his birthday to announce his retirement as chairman of Alibaba to focus on philanthropy. The paper quoted Ma as saying the decision was the beginning of an era. But an Alibaba spokesman told the SCMP that the New York Times story was taken out of context, and factually wrong. An Alibaba spokesman said Ma remains the companys executive chairman and will provide transition plans over a significant period of time, the SCMP wrote. The paper added that the Monday succession strategy was part of a plan for grooming a generation of younger executives to take over the reins of the company. Eileen Murphy, a spokesperson for the New York Times, said the newspaper stood by its story. Ma was an English teacher before starting Alibaba in 1999 and built it into a multibillion-dollar internet colossus, becoming one of the worlds richest men and a revered figure in his homeland. His own worth has soared along with that of the company, which has added cloud computing, films and e-payments to its growing portfolio and was valued at USD 420.8 billion when the stock market closed on Friday. The New York Times report surprised many in the global business community because of Mas comparative youth, especially in China where it is not unusual for tycoons to remain in place into their eighties. Alibaba did not return requests for comment on Saturday after the story ran. Ma gave up the title of Alibaba CEO in 2013 but remains a pivotal figure within the company as well as its most recognisable face. In an interview with Bloomberg TV released on Friday, Ma hinted at his retirement plans, saying he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the worlds most prolific philanthropists. Theres a lot of things I can learn from Bill Gates. I can never be as rich, but one thing I can do better is to retire earlier, he said. The SCMP report ran quotes from Ma himself, but they did not address when exactly he would retire. Ma said he met with company executives 10 years ago to work out what Alibaba would do without me. Anybody who knows me knows I embrace the future. This is not about retiring, stepping away, or backing off. This is a systematic plan, the paper quoted Ma as saying. The SCMP said Ma would be in Russia next week for Alibaba business meetings as well as an upcoming trip to South Africa and a planned speech at the companys investor day in mid-September. AFP Satyawan Malik Satyawan Malik Associate Professor, Government PG College, Jind THE Supreme Court has finally decriminalised Section 377 of the IPC which held, before September 6, that whosoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal committed an unnatural offence. The part of the Section that deals with the criminality of sexual intercourse with children and animals stays. The rest of the provisions have been repudiated, having been termed 'irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary'. It brings cheers to the LGBTQ community, which has been fighting against the 158-year-old punitive Victorian law, seeking equality and right to freedom in the matters of sex. The repeal of Section 377 will provide sex liberty to consenting adults and see sexual readjustments of men and women "outside" the hetrosexuality norm. But the shift in locations of sexuality will carry certain novelties, or complexities, for scriptures across religions are rigid in regard to sex plurality. The First World dispensed with the Victorian views on morality in '90s, following feminists' activism. But in India, gay/lesbian/transgender sex or marriage is viewed as bizarre and against the order of nature. Homosexuality-based movies like Water, Fire and Earth were opposed by dogmatic minds. Many minds are orthodox vis-a-vis homosexuality. The Bench pertinently said homosexuality was not a mental disorder but a natural condition. It said the denial of self-expression was akin to inviting death and termed sexual orientation as a "biological phenomenon". True, our material conditions, such as availability of resources, economic security, police effectiveness, will require improvement like in Slovenia, Germany, Australia and the USA where homosexuality or same-sex marriage (SSM) is legalised. India is still wanting in facilities of sex reassignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy. However, want of medical facilities may make LGBTQ practices see health hazards. It may add to the already stressful courts' pendency if consensual sex encounters start turning into rape complaints! Admittedly, liberty, equality and dignity to live and love, which is essential to all life forms, can't be dispensed by old arrangements alone. All 'orders' are human constructs which must change with times, especially when they don't withstand the fundamental constitutionality yardsticks. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Senior political analyst REACTIONS to the government's beyond-the-brief directive to the media to desist from using the D-word while referring to members of the Scheduled Castes has stayed within two confines. Firstly, responses have examined whether the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court and the Madhya Pradesh High Court once again stepped into the terrain of the executive in the name of public interest and if the orders were part of the perilous trend of judicial activism on every occasion. The second aspect that has been commented upon is whether the Centre, first the Social Justice and later the Information and Broadcasting ministries, again provided evidence of this regime's undemocratic craving for controlling framework and vocabulary of social discourse. However, there is a deeper socio-political facet to the media edict which manifests the historical confusion within the Sangh Parivar. In theory, the saffron leaders recognise the necessity of securing support of one of India's most discriminated against communities, yet are unable to consistently get hold of the community's backing because the dominant Brahminical mindset within the organisation and its affiliates stands as bulwark against social justice. True that every executive order need not be viewed from the prism of the political objectives or limitations of the saffron fold or the BJP specifically. But responses of various BJP leaders to issues which are of grave concern to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes provide an indication of the social outlook within which the party remains closeted and provide proof that at least on this issue, the missive to the media is not just a bureaucratic endeavour. Take the instance of Sumitra Mahajan, a far more politically aligned Lok Sabha Speaker, post assumption of office, than one of her illustrious predecessors who recently passed away, Somnath Chatterjee. In response to the opposition to the amendment to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including from BJP supporters, she used a thoroughly lamentable analogy. Explaining to opponents of the amendment, Mahajan argued that if she had erroneously given a piece of chocolate to her son and later, on realising it was not good for him, wanted to take it back, the child would naturally bawl. At that point, "some sensible person can make the child understand and take back the chocolate." Constitutional safeguards and instruments which empower the SCs and STs to achieve parity with other communities and castes placed socially higher to them is thereby akin to harmful chocolate, ruinous to oral health at the least! Founders of the Hindu nationalistic movement comprehended that forging all-encompassing Hindu solidarity would remain an impossibility till caste-based discrimination existed. Although KB Hedgewar set up the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh emphasising upper caste values and chose symbols portraying Brahminical ritualism and kshatriya valour, VD Savarkar who remained interned, post 1925, within the confines of Ratnagiri district and was prevented from participating in any political activity, was socially more progressive. He engaged with groups campaigning for temple-entry rights for various untouchable castes. He also participated in inter-caste community dinners, traditional in western India as part of the social reform movement. Yet, no other major Hindu nationalist leader unswervingly adopted this as a socio-political programme. Savarkar, too, did not take inter-caste dinners to the next plane. This, BR Ambedkar argued in Annihilation of Caste, would have meant promoting inter-caste marriages, "real remedy" for breakdown of caste barriers. Even today, few within the Sangh Parivar are open to what is referred by many of them as roti-beti ka rishta (inter-marry and share a meal) with shudras (Backward Castes) or ati-shudras (the Schedules Castes). Paradoxically, despite the Sangh's public embrace of Ambedkar and attempts to appropriate his legacy, his argument that "fusion of blood can alone create the feeling of being kith and kin" is completely ignored. Because this is not done, the "separatist feeling the feeling of being aliens created by Caste will not vanish". Unambiguously, the Sangh has restricted itself to cosmetic efforts to give a sense of Hinduness to the Scheduled Castes. The advice to media houses to stop referring to the community as Dalits reveals that within Hindutva thought, any identity which has an assertive connotation is strict anathema. Across the rainbow of Hindutva proponents, the primary problem over using the Dalit as tag or self-image stems from it denoting political assertiveness as against the image of acceptance of secondary status by use of a benign label like Harijan or the derisive ati-shudra. In the era of relative economic prosperity of the community, words like Dalit are symbolic of the community's transformation from passive acceptors of their position in the Hindu hierarchy to proactive contesters insisting on parity. The phenomenon of the prosperous SC middle class youth riding powerful motor cycles with Chamar emblazoned on them denotes a community willing to flaunt its identity instead of camouflaging it. Balasaheb Deoras, the third RSS sarsanghchalak, realised the limitations of growth if no Dalit outreach was initiated. But immense resistance to social inclusion from within derailed the programmes and it was only due to unfailing efforts that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad deputed a Dalit activist to lay the symbolic first brick during the shilanyas ceremony for the Ram temple at Ayodhya in November 1989. In 1991, the then BJP general secretary KN Govindacharya coined the term social-engineering, underscoring efforts to broaden caste base of the party's candidates. This strategy continued, but the process has been accompanied at every step by resistance from within. The BJP's gains in 2014 and thereafter in state elections were partially the result of success in engaging with non-dominant sub-castes among OBCs and SCs. Despite outrageous anti-Dalit incidents since this government assumed office, many of these sub-castes stayed with the BJP. This is caused by the absence of pan-Indian Dalit identity, effectively a post-Independence political entity. Incidents like the media advisory are distinct from acts of violence unleashed by upper castes, with the state remaining a silent spectator. In this case, it is more likely that the government action would be interpreted as evidence of the ruling party targeting Dalit identity. The oppressed community is known to accept every assault, whether it jeopardises social or economic security. But, they have traditionally been overprotective of their identity and undermining this runs the risk of losing whatever political support the BJP secured from within this community. The leadership of the Sangh Parivar has always been on the horns of a dilemma when tacking the Dalit question. It remains undecided over the seriousness with which it woos potential supporters while risking the traditional constituency, unabashedly socially conservative and favouring perpetuation of discriminatory caste order. This predicament is now deeper. harinder@tribunemail.com Chicago, September 8 Fifteen persons, including seven Indians, and five India-based call centres have been indicted in a multimillion-dollar scam which defrauded over 2,000 US citizens, resulting in over $5.5 million in losses, the Department of Justice said on Friday. The scam involved call centre operators who called potential victims while impersonating officials from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or individuals offering payday loans, US Attorney Byung J Pak said. Later, they threatened victims with arrest, imprisonment, or fines for failing to pay taxes or penalties to the government, the Justice Department said in a statement. In connection with the scheme, seven individuals were arrested on Thursday in the US. Seven co-conspirators and five call-centres based in Ahmedabad were also charged for their alleged involvement. The indictment alleges that the defendants were involved in a sophisticated scheme organised by co-conspirators in India, including a network of call centres in Ahmedabad. IRS and payday loan phone schemes seek to profit by exploiting US citizens, including the most vulnerable members of our community, said the US Attorney. This indictment and yesterdays arrests demonstrate our commitment to identifying and prosecuting those who hide behind these types of phone scams, Pak said. This indictment makes clear that the IRS impersonation scam has risen to a new level, with indictments against five call centres and seven co-conspirators in India who allegedly directed their employees to participate in the scam, said J Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. PTI How they did it From 2012-2016, individuals from call centres in Ahmedabad impersonated US govt officials to defraud Americans, including elderly and immigrants Using info obtained from data brokers and other sources, the operators called victims offering fictitious payday loans They would then threaten victims with jail or fines if they didnt pay taxes or penalties to the govt If victims agreed to pay, US-based co-conspirators would liquidate and launder the extorted funds by purchasing prepaid debit cards or through wire transfers Jaguar seized in another scam Mumbai police have seized a Jaguar car worth over Rs 1 crore from David Alphonso (22), the kingpin of a call centre scam who conned Americans for nearly a year David and his accomplice Sandeep Yadav (30) had set up Xfinity Tech Support Centre at Andheri a year ago Around 90 employees at the centre would call up US citizens warning them about malware in their computers, obtain remote access of their computers, steal data while pretending to remove virus and extort money from victims Jalen Darrel Bonner, 20, was arrested on Friday in Center Point, Alabama A man accused of stripping down to his socks and grabbing a 22-year-old woman in her back yard has been arrested. Jalen Darrel Bonner, 20, was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual abuse on Friday in Center Point, Alabama, a city of about 17,000 on the northeast outskirts of Birmingham. The shocking incident occurred on Tuesday outside a home on a well-maintained residential street. The female victim was smoking in her backyard. When she turned around to go back inside, she suddenly felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist from behind. Startled, she spun around and saw an unfamiliar black male wearing nothing but his socks, the woman told police. A neighbor's surveillance camera captured this image of Bonner prowling fully clothed, before he allegedly stripped down to his socks and grabbed a woman in her backyard The unknown subject sprinted away after she turned and confronted him. Police responded to the scene but were unable to located the suspect. At a neighbor's house, police found a surveillance camera that showed the suspect prowling while clothed, and distributed the image to deputies and the public. On Friday morning, deputies assigned to the area spotted Bonner and identified him as the man in the surveillance image. The shocking incident occurred on this well-maintained residential street in Center Point Bonner was taken in for questioning and admitted to taking his clothes off and grabbing the victim, according to police. He is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail, and bond is set at $100,000. It is unclear whether Bonner has an attorney who can comment on his behalf, and his next court date is not listed in the online docket. laxmi@tribune.com KARTARPUR, at a tantalisingly approachable distance of 3 km from the border, has a multi-hued significance for the Sikhs. It is here that Guru Nanak Dev spent 17 years, establishing the first Sikh centre, naming his successor before giving up his mortal body. Kartarpur is within sighting distance, but the route is barred by the two armies. The birthplaces of Guru Ram Das and the samadhi of Guru Arjan Dev, both in Pakistan, are also out of bounds, except for a fortunate few who make the pilgrimage to Pakistan, as much a land of gurus as is India. Navtoj Sidhus announcement about Pakistans readiness to open a corridor to the Kartarpur shrine naturally sent a thrill of anticipation among the devout. The sentiment for reviving lost connections while forsaking the baggage of the past has strong bipartisan support in both Punjabs. Sukhbir Badal disregarded rabid anti-Pakistan discourse by his alliance partner to visit Lahore in 2012. The present CM Amarinder Singh preceded him by a decade and was gifted a horse. Neither the horse lived for long nor did the Captains initiative to break the ice. Each time the two Punjabs have tried to make amends, the initiative has run into the wall of obdurate and unyielding state interests where the bigger picture does not allow for minor concessions. A visa-free corridor was first proposed by Benazir Bhutto nearly 25 years back and has since then struck an emotional chord in Indian Punjab. New Delhi has much to be upset with Islamabad but gurdwara diplomacy and a reciprocal shrine diplomacy in India will build up a badly-needed peace constituency to neutralise the existing negativity in Indo-Pak ties. A liberal visa policy will bring increasingly larger number of Sikh devotees which will help in the upkeep of the nearly 200 gurdwaras and historical sites in Pakistan. A constructive approach towards the Kartarpur shrine will not just heal emotional scars, but also help move towards peace in the region, more so as the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak approaches. editorial@tribune.com Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, September 9 The Fatehabad police have registered two criminal cases against a Hisar-based firm, Future Maker Life Care Private Limited, in a chit fund scam. The economic offences wing of Telanganas Cyberabad police had busted the racket being run by the firm. The Telangana police had raided the firms head office in Hisar and the firm owners house in Sishwal village on Saturday and reportedly seized cash. Sources said the economic offences wing of the Cyberabad police had arrested the firms owner Radhey Shyam from Gurgaon on Saturday. The firm also had corporate offices in Gurgaon and Nepal, the sources said, adding that the firm, which runs on network-marketing model, had grown to the tune of about Rs 2,000 crore in three years. The city police registered the fraud case on the complaint of advocate Subhash Chander Jangu against the firms CMD Radhey Shyam and three accomplices Satbir Singh, Vinod Kumar and his namesake Vinod Kumar. The Sadar police have also lodged a similar case on the complaint of a BJP leader, Anil Sihag, who was the secretary of the CM windows eminent citizen cell in the district. Fatehabad SP Deepak Saharan said they had started investigation into the two cases. A special investigation team (SIT) would be set up to investigate into the matter after discussion with the SHOs of the police stations in the district, he said, while refusing to speculate on the volume of the scam. A resident of Bahbalpur village said a group of three youths got in touch with the firm and minted easy money. These youths have fled the village after duping some co-villagers in the name of similar chain-marketing firm. They came back to the village two years ago, promising a huge return in investment. They have constructed big houses and own SUVs bought off peoples money, said a man whose nephew had invested Rs 1 lakh in the firm four days ago. In Baddo Patti village, people were cheated of around Rs 1 crore. A Bhiwani-based whistleblower tried to take the lid off the multi-crore fraud about a month ago. He had lodged complaints about the activities of the firm to the Chief Minister office, the Union Finance Minister office, besides the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of Bhiwani on August 10. He emailed the complaints to these authorities about 3-4 times and followed them up with the phone calls to the offices. In the emails, which have been accessed by The Tribune), the whistleblower opted to withheld him name but assured of his availability whenever the authorities wanted his presence. editorial@tribune.com Mukesh Tandon Tribune News Service Panipat, September 9 Industrialists have raised their voice against the pathetic infrastructure in the city industrial area, which includes old industrial area and Sector 29 part-1 and part-2. They have complained of poor sanitation, choked sewers, broken roads and non-functional streetlights. There are nearly 300 industries in the area. Vinod Dhamija, an exporter, said industrialists had paid taxes to the state government but were still deprived of the basic amenities. The condition of the internal roads of the area was very poor and potholes made transportation difficult, he rued. Industrialist Nitin Jindal from the old industrial area said roads in the area were in a deplorable condition. Streetlights seldom functioned and the area was not safe at night. Dhamija said the government had last year announced Rs 31 crore for improving the infrastructure of the area but nothing had been done so far. Nilesh Guria, a buyer from Mauritius, said I have been visiting Panipat to purchase handloom items for the past 10 years but the infrastructure, including roads, have remained pathetic. I love India because my ancestors were from here. The government should provide better infrastructure in the industrial areas, he added. The members of Industrial Association, led by president Shree Bhagwan Aggarwal, reached at MC office on Friday to meet Commissioner with their problems. Aggarwal highlighted that there was no arrangement of streetlights in industrial area. Miscreants looted workers and businessmen on daily basis and an industrialist was murdered here recently. The administration had allotted a tender to install 150 lights but the work had not even started yet, he added. Industrialists Sanjeev Garg and Atul Mittal alleged that two tenders of Rs 50 lakh each had been allotted for repair of the roads but nothing concrete had been done on the issue. gspannu7@gmail.com Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service Palwal, September 9 The police are yet to arrest the accused named in the FIR lodged by a woman head constable alleging rape by three persons who hail from Alawalpur village of the district. A case under various sections, including Section 376-D 313, 450, 323, 354-D 506, 384 and 120- B and Section 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered at the Women police station here. Acco rding to the complaint lodged with the police, the 32-year-old victim posted here has alleged that while the main accused, identified as Joginder alias Mintoo, a resident of Alawalpur village, who befriended her in 2014, had raped her on June 15, 2014, Joginders brother Toshraj alias Chintoo and Pappu, a friend of Chintoo, had also raped her at knife point in the locality here, where she had been residing. She has further alleged that Joginder and his kin Pappu and his wife Peeri had not only assaulted her but had threatened with dire consequences in case the matter was revealed to anyone. Revealing that a probe was on, SP Palwal, Wasim Akram said the matter appeared complicated as the both the victim and the accused had been very well known to each other for the past few years. He said while all the accused will be arrested soon, the victim will be produced before the magistrate for her statement on Monday. ASI Parveen, the investigating officer of the case, said that the victim had told the police that she had been under constant fear and threat as she had been beaten up recently by the accused and the undue pressure from the accused had resulted in delay in lodging the complaint. Sources in the police department claimed that both the victim and the main accused are already married and have kids, but have been maintaining the relationship secretly for the past four years. The main accused has been dealing in property, it is reported. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent NURPUR, SEPTEMBER 9 The Pong Dam Oustees Samiti (PDOS) has criticised Vasundhara Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, for not attending the meeting on September 7 with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Jaipur. The samiti met under the chairmanship of its president Hans Raj Chowdhary at Raja Ka Talab in Nurpur last evening and criticised the Rajasthan Government for playing with the interests. Hans Raj said skipping the meeting with the Chief Minister had disappointed thousands of the oustees who had been waiting for the permanent solution. Earlier too, the Rajasthan Chief Minister had skipped a meeting at Jwalamukhi on June 9, 2017. It indicated that the Rajasthan Government was not serious to solve the problems, he said. The oustees had been feeling the pinch of their displacement for the past 49 years and none of the governments had succeeded in their smooth rehabilitation in Rajasthan. The samiti said the main demands of the oustees were to rehabilitate them on the pre-reserved land in Sriganganagar district in Rajasthan and give them compensation on the pattern of Narmada and Renuka dams. It would move to the apex court if the demands were not met. Around 20,000 families of Kangra district had been displaced after the construction of the Pong Dam reservoir in lower Kangra out of them, 16,000 had been identified for allotment of lands (murrabas) in Sriganganagar where 2.50 lakh hectare cultivable land had been reserved for their allotment. Only 9,000 families were allotted murrabas and of them, a large number of allotments were cancelled on the pretext that the oustees were not self-cultivating their lands. Rests of the oustees are being allotted barren land in Jaisalmer where no human life is possible. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Una, September 9 Two persons were killed and 42 others injured when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus rolled down a gorge in Bharwain near Chintpurni at 3 pm on Sunday. The bus (HP36-1318) was going to Punjabs Hoshiarpur from Chintpurni. One of the deceased was identified as Uma Wati, wife of Anil Kumar, a resident of Behar Bhated village near Chintpurni. The other victim is yet to be identified. Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati and SP Devakar Sharma reached the spot to oversee the rescue operation. The DC said the bodies had been shifted to the Una district hospital for postmortem and two critically injured passengers too were undergoing treatment there. Prajapati said the other passengers had been rushed to nearby health institutions in Chintpurni, Amb, Gagret, Dadasiba and Garli. As per reports, an altercation between the bus driver and some passengers of a tempo was on when the accident occurred. It is yet to be ascertained if the driver pulled over or lost control of the bus. The DC said he had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident, which would be conducted by the SDM of Amb. He said immediate relief to the next of kin of the deceased and to the injured was being provided. editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, September 9 The back-to-back operations by security forces in the Kashmir valley have reduced the shelf life of terrorists and over 360 were killed in less than two years, CRPF Director General (DG) Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has said. In an interview, he said as figures show an increase in the number of local youths joining terror groups in the Valley, security forces are reaching out to young men through all possible ways to stop them from taking up arms. Bhatnagar said keeping in mind the security challenges, the CRPF has increased the protection level of its troops operating in J&K by inducting full-body protectors, bulletproof vehicles and special armoured interception vehicles to enable personnel to operate in life-threatening situations. The terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir... some of them are from outside and there are also the misguided youth (locals) who join terror groups. It is quite a mix. The numbers go up and down but if you were to look at the length, the time for which terrorists survive in J&K then the signal is very clear that it (terrorist recruitment) is having no impact. The shelf life of terrorists, the time frame to survive, is very short. So, even if the numbers (of those joining terror ranks) may be large, they may be more, but the consequence is limited, he said when asked if recruitment of local Kashmiri youths by terror groups is rising and a cause of concern. The chief of the countrys largest paramilitary force said the youth was being drawn into it (terror ranks) as there was a little bit of glamourisation, but they have to understand that it will not get them any result. It is only a matter of time. We have made a lot of efforts (to wean them away) and have also asked them to surrender, and a lot of them have come back. They have to understand that taking up the gun serves no purpose, he said. The CRPF chief, on youth taking up arms, also said, Obviously this is something that we have to prevent and take appropriate steps so that the youth does not take to militancy and those who have done so, come back. The official numbers show an increase in recruitment. However, with the increase in the number of neutralisations the overall picture is better, he said. Bhatnagar acknowledged that the forces were taking it as a challenge to ensure that a lot of effort was taken to see that the recruitment of youths for terror acts went down. Good governance, transparency in official dealings and an all-round exercise is on to gain confidence of the public and the youth in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. The chief of the CRPF, which has over 60 battalions deployed in the Kashmir valley (over 60,000 personnel), said his force, the state police and the Army were operating in very good synergy. The forces now have an edge or say the upper hand in the terrorism scenario in the Valley, Bhatnagar said. We have worked as one unit. That has given us a lot of success. This year 142 terrorists have been neutralised. If you look at last years figures, more than 220 terrorists were killed. There is an excellent coordination between security forces and they have the upper hand. Their (terrorists) notable commanders have been neutralised. Fidayeen attacks on camps have been effectively rebuffed. We have denied them any success in terms of camp attacks also, the DG said. He said the law and order situation in the Valley was not like any other theatre in the country as there was a guerrilla hit and run-like tactic used there. We are, hence, working very closely with the J&K Police, Bhatnagar said. Our drills, our equipment as well as our schemes are working well and we are able to counter efforts to disrupt the operations through stone-throwing. It is in only on very rare occasions that the stone throwers have managed to disrupt the operations, and that is when there has been a sudden exchange and the preparation has not been there. That has been the only time that the terrorists have managed to get away, the DG said. He also spoke about better equipping his personnel to combat the security challenge in the state, specifically in the Valley. We have gone in for better protection, full-body protectors for our people, use of less lethal weaponry so that there is less collateral damage and the number of casualties and serious injuries on our side and the public is less. The collateral damage has been fairly minimised, the DG underlined. When asked about the use of the much-debated pellet guns and the damage rendered by them on locals, Bhatnagar said while such ammunition had not being discarded, its use was part of a standard operating procedure that was well laid out. The sequence in which we use force is well laid out. We fire and disperse them (protesters) by using tear smoke and other allied irritant kind of non-lethal gases... So our first effort is to disperse them by making a proper bandobast. Also, we have a large number of plastic bullets that are used, he said. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 9 Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir on Sunday urged Governor SP Malik to build a consensus on holding the urban and local bodies elections on a non-party basis. So far there has just been the mere announcement of elections the Governor should build a consensus on holding municipal elections on a non-party basis just like the panchayat polls were held in the past political parties can be kept away, Mir said while addressing a press conference here. However, he reiterated the party stand that elections should be held after ensuring peace in the state. We have a core group meeting on September 11 where we will discuss the situation and get feedback from all. We are the only party that met the Governor and submitted a memorandum. We presented in written that first the law and order should be reviewed. Till there is peace, it will not be conducive to hold elections, he said. Meanwhile, Mir said the Congress would sit on a six-hour-long dharna tomorrow as part of the country-wide protests against price rise. He also appealed to trade bodies and the civil society to stage protests tomorrow at their respective levels as the issue of price rise concerned everybody. All India Congress Committee spokesperson Meem Afzal, who was also present on the occasion, said 21 political parties across the country, including the National Conference, had extended support to the Congress protest tomorrow. pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, September 9 Back-to-back operations by security forces in the Kashmir Valley have reduced the shelf life of terrorists and over 360 were killed in less than two years, CRPF Director-General (DG) Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has said. In an interview to PTI, he said as figures show an increase in the number of local youths joining terror groups in the Valley, security forces are reaching out to young men through all possible ways to stop them from taking up arms. Bhatnagar said keeping in mind the security challenges, the CRPF has increased the protection level of its troops operating in Jammu and Kashmir by inducting full-body protectors, bullet-proof vehicles and special armoured interception vehicles to enable personnel to operate in life threatening situations. The terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir... Some of them are from outside and there are also the misguided youth (locals) who join terror groups. It is quite a mix. The numbers go up and down but if you were to look at the length, the time for which terrorists survive in J-K, then the signal is very clear that it (terrorist recruitment) is having no impact. The shelf life of terrorists, the time frame to survive, is very short. So, even if the numbers (of joining terror ranks) may be large, they may be more, but the consequence is limited, he said when asked if recruitment of local Kashmiri youths by terror groups is rising and a cause of concern. The chief of the countrys largest paramilitary force said the youth was being drawn into it (terror ranks) as there was a little bit of glamourisation, but they have to understand that it will not get them any result. It is only a matter of time. We have made a lot of efforts (to wean them away) and have also asked them to surrender, and a lot of them have come back. They have to understand that taking up the gun serves no purpose, he said. The CRPF chief, on youths taking up arms, also said, Obviously this is something that we have to prevent and take appropriate steps so that the youth does not take to militancy and those who have done so, come back. The official numbers show an increase in recruitment. However, with the increase in the number of neutralisations the overall picture is better, he said. Bhatnagar acknowledged that the forces were taking it as a challenge to ensure that a lot of effort is taken to see that recruitment of youths for terror acts goes down. Good governance, transparency in official dealings and an all-round exercise is on to gain confidence of the public and the youth in Jammu and Kashmir and the Valley, he said. The chief of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which has over 60 battalions deployed in the Kashmir valley (over 60,000 personnel), said his force, the state police and the Army are operating in very good synergy. The forces now have an edge or to say the upper hand in the terrorism scenario in the Valley, Bhatnagar said. We have worked as one unit. That has given us a lot of success. This year 142 terrorists have been neutralised. If you look at last years figures, it was more than 220 terrorists who were killed. There is excellent coordination between security forces and they have the upper hand. Their (terrorists) notable commanders have been neutralised. Fidayeen attacks on camps have been effectively rebuffed. We have denied them any success in terms of camp attacks also, the DG said. He said the law and order situation in the valley is not like any other theatre in the country as there is a guerrilla hit-and-run like tactic used here. We are, hence, working very closely with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Bhatnagar said. Our drills, our equipment as well as our schemes are working well and we are able to counter efforts to disrupt the operations through stone pelting. It is in only on very rare occasions that stone-pelters have managed to disrupt the operations that is too when it has been sudden exchange and the preparation has not been there. That has been the only time that the terrorists have managed to get away, the DG said. He also spoke about better equipping his personnel to combat the security challenge in the state, specifically in the valley. We have gone in for better protection, full body protectors for our people, use of less lethal weaponry so that there is less collateral damage and the number of casualties and serious injuries on our side and the public is less. The collateral damage has been fairly minimised, the DG underlined. When asked about the use of much-debated pellet guns and the damage rendered by them on locals, Bhatnagar said while these ammunition are not being discarded, its use is part of a well laid out standard operating procedure. The sequence in which we use force is well laid out. We fire and disperse them (protestors) by using tear smoke and other allied irritant kind of non-lethal gases... So our first effort is to disperse them by making a proper bandobast. Also, we have a large number of plastic bullets that are used, he said. Pellet guns, the CRPF chief said, is used where we find that it is required to disperse the mob. We are taking precautions by using deflectors (on pellet guns) so that injuries are on lower part of the body. There is a graded use of force. Even when crowd tries to come very close, our boys have shown restraint. We have done our best to meet the objectives for which we have been deployed in J-K, he said. The pure intent is always to have less and less collateral damage, he added. PTI editorial@tribune.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 9 An all-woman Bench of the Supreme Court has convicted a Karnataka teacher who assaulted a Class-II student resulting in loss of vision in pupils left eye. A Bench of Justice R Banumathi and Justice Indira Banerjee passed the order on September 5 when they sat together in a women-only Bench. The accused, CR Kariyappa, had used a stick to beat up the student for not wearing uniform shoes, resulting in an injury to the left eye. He was acquitted by the trial court but the High Court convicted him under Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC and sentenced him to two-year imprisonment, forcing him to move the top court. In his appeal before the SC, he contended that the trial court was right in acquitting him holding that the child witness was tutored. However, the Bench rejected his contention and chose to convict him under Section 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the IPC and modified the sentence from two-year jail term to one-year imprisonment. It also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict. This was only the second time that an all-woman Bench had assembled in the SC. In 2013, Justice Gyan Sudha Misra and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai had sat together in a Bench. The SC created a history of sorts last month when Justice Banerjee took oath as a SC judge taking the number of woman judges to three an all-time high. Since its inception in 1950, the SC never had more than two sitting woman judges. Justice Banerjee was only the eighth woman to become an SC judge. Now, Justice R Bhanumathi, Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Indira Banerjee are the only women among the 25 SC judges. Centre to issue advisory A crack that was found on a notorious San Francisco skyscraper last week could signal bigger problems, according to a new report. Inspectors issued a violation to management of the sinking Millennium Tower after a large crack formed in a 36th-floor window. The high-rise condominium building - dubbed by locals as the Leaning Tower of San Francisco - is the tallest residential building in the city. It has sunk 16 inches into its foundations since it was completed in 2009. And according to a report, filed Friday with the city's Department of Building Inspection, there may or may not be cause for concern. Scroll down for video A homeowner found this crack in a window of his home on the 36th floor at the corner of the 58-story high-rise Millenium Tower in San Francisco 'The fact that this piece of glass may have failed due to the building tilt may be a localized defect or potentially be more widespread,' the report, filed Friday with the city's Department of Building Inspection read. Pictured is the area where the glass cracked 'The fact that this piece of glass may have failed due to the building tilt may be a localized defect or potentially be more widespread,' the report, obtained by SF Gate, said. 'Further investigation of the building exterior is required to understand and assess the issue.' According to the report, engineers from Allana Buick & Bers will examine the building next week, photograph the crack from the outside and tape up the glass as a safety precaution. Residents heard creaking sounds and a popping noise at 2.30am Saturday before the crack appeared on the building (pictured) The company is still trying to determine what caused the crack. Last week, residents heard creaking sounds, then heard a popping noise around 2.30am on Saturday. Later, a homeowner found the crack in a window of his home on the 36th floor at the corner of the 58-story high-rise. City officials have blocked off part of the Mission Street sidewalk as a precaution and ordered management to report back on the extent of the problem and soundness of the building's facade. San Francisco City Supervisor Aaron Peskin told NBC: 'When you have a window at the 36th floor that cracks in the middle of the night that is a big wake up call.' He also added that the broken window was supposed to withstand hurricane force winds. 'If a window failed entirely it would rain shards of glass hundreds of feet below down onto one of the busiest, most congested parts of the city,' Peskin told the San Francisco Chronicle. The downtown tower has settled about 16 inches into landfill and is tilting. Residents have filed multiple lawsuits against the developers and the city since the structural problems started after building completion in 2009. A photo from October 2016 shows stress gauges placed along a wall with floor-to-ceiling cracks in the parking garage of the Millennium Tower Millennium Towers homeowner and President of the Homeowners Association, Steven Mayer told Fox2 KTVU: 'Immediately we went over and inspected the unit personally and we arranged for our experts to come in. 'What our structural engineer preliminary has to say as well as our administration or window expert is that this is a one off issue right now. Mayer said officials hope to have 'more definitive answers' soon. In January San Francisco city building inspectors issued a citation against the tilting tower for an apparent fire safety risk. KNTV of San Jose reported the Department of Building Inspection issued the violation notice against Millennium Tower after consultants found the tilting building had gaps between the facade its concrete and steel core. Experts said smoke and flames can shoot through such gaps, making it easier for a fire to jump to a higher floor. The fire safety hazard warning was part of a December 2016 report commissioned by the Millennium Homeowners Association after a condo owner complained of a mysterious odor. Attorneys for the Millennium homeowners association (HOA) said in July 2017 that the building's foundation needed to be rebuilt as soon as possible after it was discovered that the tower had sunk. The luxury building where penthouses have sold for more than $13million, has a sprawling indoor lap-pool, a health club and spa, an in-house cinema, and a restaurant and wine bar run by celebrity chef Michael Mina. uttara@tribuneindia.com Kolkata, September 9 The CPI (Maoist) is looking for urban and intellectual youths to overcome its leadership crisis and educate their ground-level cadres, including tribals and Dalits, a politburo member of the banned outfit has said. The party has failed to build its second-rung of leaders due to the lack of educated youths in its ranks, politburo member Prashanta Bose alias Kishanda said recently in the party's mouthpiece Lal Chingari Prakhashan. The Maoist's search for intellectual youths comes amid a raging debate on the term urban naxal following reports of growing influence of extremist ideology in urban areas. The outfit's proscribed eastern regional bureau secretary admitted that with regard to building the next generation leadership, the CPI (Maoist) had failed to achieve much success. Right now creating the second-rung leadership is one of the biggest challenge, Bose said in an interview to the outfit's internal publication, a copy of which is with PTI. Bose's admission comes a year after the CPI (Maoist) launched a retirement scheme for its aged and physically unfit leaders to relieve them of underground activities and revamp the organisation. Except West Bengal, in areas of Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand we have created base among Dalits, tribals and the poor. So, in such a situation where the level of education is low, making them understand the real meaning of principles of Marxism is a tough job, the 72-year-old leader said. Therefore, to train and educate tribals, Dalits and poor, the outfit needs several revolutionary, educated and intellectual comrades, he said. It needs lot of determination to train and educate Dalit and poor cadres of our party. The number of educated cadres in war zones is very less, Bose said. These are the big challenges the organisation is facing in preparing its cadres politically, he said. The CPI (Maoist) has asked all its committees to send educated students and its intellectual comrades, who are true to the principles of revolution, to Left-wing conflict zones as early as possible, Bose said. We are confident that we will be able to get such educated, young and dynamic comrades very soon, who will enable us to start building a good third and second generation leadership in the party, Bose said. He said though the outfit had prepared an organisational and political document along with a training manual for next generation leaders, it has not been able to implement it at the ground level. The party has expanded its base mostly in tribal and backward areas of states such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam, but cadres lack of proper education, and this is a problem, Bose said. In a three-page resolution and circular adopted by the CPI (Maoist) central committee last year, the outfit said leaders unable fulfil their responsibilities should be relieved by their respective committees and given work according to their capacity. But, according to sources, this particular decision has created a vacuum in the mid- and senior-level leadership. Most of the top brass of the CPI (Maoist) are above 60 years. General secretary Ganapathy (Mupalla Laxman Rao) is 67 years old, Bose 72 and central military commission chief Vasavaraj is 62. Sonu, in-charge of the Maoist headquarters of Dandakaranya, and Anand, who heads the central regional bureau, are 60 years old. The crisis in the banned outfit might be true as most of its top leaders have been either killed or arrested, a senior West Bengal Police officer, who had closely monitored the Maoist insurgency in the state from 2008 till the death of politburo member Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji in November 2011. This is true that they are facing a leadership crisis. But the fact is their call to the educated youth will not bear any result as the current generation might not be interested in leading a life of a guerrilla fighter in jungles, the officer told PTI. He said it takes at least 15-20 years for a ground-level cadre to become a Maoist leader through experience in jungle warfare, and political and ideological grooming. Most of the ground-level cadres of the Maoist are either uneducated or have very less education so it is not possible for them to take the baton of leadership, he said. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 9 In an apparent attack against Congress president Rahul Gandhi but without naming him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said many within the Congress are not ready to accept its leadership let alone people of the country. "No one is ready to accept the leadership of Congress. Many think it is not capable of giving leadership," Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said quoting the PM's valedictory address to the BJP's two-day national executive that concluded today. Significantly, the two-day meeting which came a day before the 'Bharat Bandh' on fuel price rise, made no mention on the issue. The party, which normally also issues an economic resolution, concentrated on political situation, the PM's pro-farmer steps and one on NRC and the Citizen Amendment Bill that the BJP is now pushing ahead of the 2019 polls. "The political resolution blends the essence of economic resolution. This time focus was on political resolution and the NRC," Prasad said as he briefed about points made by the Prime Minister, who slammed the Congress for spreading "lies and falsehood". The Prime Minister said there was also no acceptance of Congress leadership even within the Congress and slammed the "mahagathbandhan" as a clueless, leadership formation. "Magathbandhan-netritva ka pata nhi, neeti aspasht, neeyat bhrasht. Those who cannot see eye to eye, have no political or logical understand of working with each other are thinking of 'mahagathbandhan'- that is our biggest victory because the people have accepted us and our programmes," the PM said. While the PM gave two new morale-boosting slogans to the BJP cadres-'Ajaye Bharat' and 'Atal Bharat' saying that he saw no challenge to the party from anyone, party chief Amit Shah told the national executive that if the BJP wins 2019, it will remain unvanquished for next 50 years. "We have to contact 22 crore families of the country, in other words the entire population. We have a corpus of nine crore members and have the capability to contact at least 36 crore Indians directly through them. "After we win 2019, no one can remove us in the next 50 years. This we are not saying with any arrogance but on the basis of our work. Modiji has never lost an election since he first contested in 2001 in Gujarat," Shah said. Meanwhile, the PM who slammed the Congress and the idea of 'mahagathbandhan' said those (Congress) who were failure as a government were also a failure as an Opposition. "Those who are asking us questions should also answer on work done during 48 years of the family (Nehru-Gandhi) and 48 months of our BJP government. When comparison is made, we will also ask questions regarding on who the family worked for, with what consideration and objectives," he said, accusing the Congress of spreading lies. "We can fight on principles but don't know how to fight their lies. However, their falsehood, and lies must be countered with the great work we have done in past four years," he said. amansharma@tribunemail.com Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, September 9 Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has indicated that its cadres will use the one-day Bharat Bandh called by opposition parties to protest rising prices of fuel to flex their muscles. In a statement released here this afternoon, Thackeray asked his party's cadres to "actively participate" in Monday's Bharat Bandh. "The demonetisation step was a huge blunder and its repercussions plummetted our economy into a precarious state (sic). To cover this heavy taxes are being imposed on fuel...," Thackeray said in his statement. He went on to ask his party workers to support the bandh with "full force" though he requested them not to damage public property or hurt the common man during the bandh. While the Shiv Sena has been taking potshots at the Narendra Modi government, it has not stated whether it would support the bandh till late this afternoon. However, the party put out posters across Mumbai highlighting the rise in fuel prices. Titled 'Yehi hain Acche Din', the posters compared the prices of cooking gas, petrol and diesel in 2015 and 2018. Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam told reporters this afternoon that Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ashok Chavan was in touch with Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and was trying to bring him on board to support the bandh. Prices of petrol and diesel are among the higest in Mumbai. Pump prices for petrol and diesel in the city on Sunday were Rs 87.89 and Rs 77.09 per litre, respectively. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been quoted as saying on Sunday that the state government was looking to reduce taxes on fuel in order give some relief to the common man. However, no concrete reduction in taxes have been announced so far. amansharma@tribunemail.com Yash Goyal Jaipur, September 9 Trying to dilute the impact of the Congress' Monday 'Bharat Bandh' on escalating fuel prices, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday night announced 4 per cent reduction in VAT (value added tax) on petrol and diesel. During her ongoing 'Gaurav Yatra' at Rawatsar in Hanumangarh, the Chief Minister told a public rally that the state government would bring down the fuel prices by Rs 2 to 2.5 per litre. Meeting this demand of masses in the state suffering from rising prices would put a financial burden to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore on state exchequer, she said. "The Congress which emerged on the eve of Assembly polls never had any issue to talk except for creating rumours and misleading public. Nor the Opposition members could speak in the Assembly," she commented when reminded of Congress' 'Bharat Bandh' tomorrow. In Jaipur, Finance Secretary Praveen Gupta told The Tribune presently the VAT on petrol and diesel is 30 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively. A notification to this effect would be issued later tonight, he added. amansharma@tribunemail.com Chennai, September 9 The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu Sunday decided to recommend to the state Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet which met here under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's leadership, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters. It decided to recommend to Governor Purohit, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment. The moves comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Tamil Nadu Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution and disposed of the Centre's petition opposing Tamil Nadu government's earlier proposal for the release of the convicts. Though the apex court had asked the Governor to consider the plea of Perarivalan, the government decided to recommend setting free all others also as they had also petitioned seeking premature release, he said. The cabinet resolution will be sent to the Governor "immediately," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Dhanu, at an election rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Chicago, September 9 India has made tremendous progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last four years and the entire world is now looking towards the country, Vice President Venkiah Naidu told a gathering of Telugu Americans here. The entire worlds economy is slowing down. The only economy which is growing faster is India, Naidu said. Addressing a gathering of Telugu Americans in the city on Saturday, Naidu referred to the latest growth figures and projections by various international financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The entire world is looking towards India now, Naidu said in his speech in Telugu. I was Minister for Urban Development till recently. Thirty-five to 40 Ambassadors met me. They all wanted to invest in India, the Vice-President said, adding he was happy that there was a broader consensus on reforms. Naidu arrived in Chicago on an unofficial visit to address a meeting of Telugu diaspora and deliver the keynote address to the ongoing World Hindu Congress. He was also scheduled to interact with the foreign dignitaries attending the World Hindu Congress. He urged the Telugu community to be partner in Indias development story. Naidu said he was proud of the success of the Telugu American community. The event was organised in Chicago by several Telugu groups. Prominent among them being Telugu Association of North America, America Telugu Association, North America Telugu Society, North America Telugu Association, American Telangana Association and Telugu Association of Greater, Chicago. PTI Protest against RSS Chief Bhagwat Members of Sikh, Muslim and Christian communities besides people from weaker sections (Dalits) and Kashmiris living in the US staged a demonstration against RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during the three-day World Hindu Conference in Chicago. The protesters raised anti-Bhagwat slogans demanding end to persecution of minorities in India. Earlier, a section of protesters disrupted one of the sessions addressed by Bhagwat. TNS singhking99@yahoo.com Abohar: The SAD didn't face any protest during its rally here on Sunday, but a group of Sikhs showed black flags to the party top brass when the cavalcade of former CM Parkash Singh Badal and party chief Sukhbir Badal passed by en route to the rally venue. These protesters had assembled near a flyover on the town's outskirts early in the morning. A heavy police force was deployed. Leading the protest, Bakhshish Singh, an Abohar resident, said: We have converged here to express resentment against the Badals role in sacrilege cases. The Akalis stand exposed today as the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report has virtually indicted the party's top leadership. Heera Singh, another protester, said the then SAD-BJP government should have acted tough against those responsible for sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. Ajaib Singh, a protester from Patti Sadiq village, said, The Badals eroded the authority of institutions such as the SGPC and Akal Takht by granting pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. They also facilitated the release of his movie. TNS singhking99@yahoo.com Ferozepur: In a goodwill gesture, BSF men on Sunday handed over a Pakistani intruder back to the Rangers. The intruder was arrested on Saturday while roaming inside the Indian territory. The BSF had apprehended the Pakistani national, identified as Hanif, a resident of Rattanwala village in Kasur district while roaming under suspicious circumstances near border outpost Maboke around 5 pm on Saturday. BSF officials said during the search of the Pakistani national, a necklace and soap were recovered and nothing suspicious was found. OC gspannu7@gmail.com Ferozepur, September 9 The BSF on Sunday handed over a Pakistani intruder, who had inadvertently crossed over to the Indian territory, back to the Pakistani Rangers, officials said. The BSF had apprehended Hanif, son of Allahadin, a resident of village Rattanwala in Kasur district on Saturday. BSF officials said Hanif was found roaming near the border out post (BOP), Maboke, around 5 pm. During the search of the Pakistani national, a necklace and soap was recovered but nothing incriminating was found, they said. Later, a flag meeting was held on request of Pakistani Rangers at BOP Maboke following which Hanif was handed over back to them after the completion of necessary formalities, they said. PTI The Royal Albert Hall filled with Promenaders waving Union Jacks and joining in the chorus of Land Of Hope And Glory has become one of the best-loved TV spectacles of the year. But BBC bosses last night restricted views of the crowds at The Last Night Of The Proms in a bid to avoid giving undue prominence to anti-Brexit campaigners. In the hours leading up to the event, which was broadcast live on BBC1, pro-Remain campaigners handed out 20,000 European Union flags to concertgoers. Protest organisers hoped the EU flags would have a stronger visual presence than the Union Jacks that normally dominate the event. BBC bosses last night restricted views of the crowds at The Last Night Of The Proms in a bid to avoid giving undue prominence to anti-Brexit campaigners. In the hours leading up to the event, which was broadcast live on BBC1, pro-Remain campaigners handed out 20,000 European Union flags to concertgoers This is the third time the protest has taken place since the Brexit vote in 2016, although twice as many flags were handed out this time around. A BBC source said: We are still going to have shots of the crowds but we are more mindful of undue prominence. The primary focus will be the music. The pro-EU protest was last night criticised by classical musical enthusiasts who thought it was out of keeping with the event. David Mellor, The Mail on Sundays own classical music correspondent, said: I think The Last Night Of The Proms should not be hijacked for political purposes. The event attracts a significant number of visitors from overseas, including many German fans. And ex-Tory Minister Mr Mellor, who described last nights line-up of talent and music as more British than in previous years, added: In all the years I have been going and I have been going a lot of years there is always a significant overseas element and particularly a German element, which is rather endearing in a way. The pro-EU campaigners spent the days leading up to the protest drumming up support on social media. Leading figures from the world of classical music last night defended the patriotic elements of the event. Acclaimed conductor Sir Andrew Davis, who last night conducted his first Last Night for 18 years, said on Radio 4s Today programme yesterday: Nobody thinks that Britannia rules the waves. Its sort of historically of its period. These things represent a naive and innocent pride in being British. Jonathan Kent, renowned opera and theatre director, added: The jingoism is sometimes unfortunate but nonetheless it is a celebration of the event itself. To lose that would be a pity. A BBC spokesman said: On television we try very hard to avoid undue prominence when reflecting and conveying the atmosphere of the live event as it unfolds in front of our cameras our focus is on the musicians and their performances. singhking99@yahoo.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 9 Lashing out at SAD president Sukhbir Badal, PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar on Sunday questioned the necessity of dispersing anti-sacrilege protesters using police force in 2015. He claimed that former CM Parkash Singh Badal had been shielding his son by taking the onus on himself, whereas it was Sukhbir who had ordered firing at Behbal Kalan protesters, while they were reciting prayers. All that was done to facilitate screening of the dera heads film in the state. The dera chief was granted pardon despite objection by the then SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar. Sukhbir had failed not only as Home Minister, but also as the head of a Panthic party, he said, adding that the SIT would do its bit in a time-bound manner and the guilty would face action. Meanwhile, Jakhar hailed Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for initiating a move for opening corridor to historic gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. He said: Sidhu took the first move by writing to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. We will also ask CM Capt Amarinder Singh to take us to PM so that we could request him to initiate steps in this direction, he said. No protest in Amritsar today Jakhar said the nationwide Bharat Bandh call given by the Congress and other Opposition parties for Monday against rising prices wont have any impact in Amritsar keeping in view the Parkash Utsav of Guru Granth Sahib. Praise for Sidhu (Navjot Singh) Sidhu took the first move on corridor to historic Gurdwara Kartarpur Sabib. We will also appeal to PM to initiate steps in this direction. Sunil Jakhar, PPCC chief gspannu7@gmail.com Perneet Singh Tribune News Service Abohar, September 9 Under fire after tabling of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report in the Vidhan Sabha, the SAD on Sunday held a rally on PPCC chief Sunil Jakhars home turf. It accused the Congress of trying to disturb the hard-earned peace in Punjab and pitting Punjabis against each other. Sensing the crisis that the grand old party is facing, former CM Parkash Singh Badal also attended a political event after a long hiatus. Addressing the rally, the SAD stalwart said: Peace and communal harmony has been the motto of the SAD-BJP, but today it is under threat. I cannot sit back and allow the Congress to push the state into the turmoil again. The Congress wants to repeat the history by hobnobbing with the people who were responsible for the dark days. He accused CM Capt Amarinder Singh of returning to his old agenda of vendetta and confrontation that he pursued during his last stint in 2002-07. He dared the CM to demonstrate the courage to prosecute and try them in a court of law, if there is any shred of truth in his allegations against them on the sacrilege issue. He alleged that Amarinders tirade against the SAD on the sacrilege issue was merely an attempt to divert peoples attention from his own sacrilegious act of making false promises to the people while holding Gutka Sahib. On incidents of sacrilege during his tenure, Badal said: Guru Granth Sahib is dearer to us than our lives. We can sacrifice ourselves just to safeguard the honour, dignity and glory of the sacred granth. How can those who rolled tanks into the Golden Temple and destroyed Akal Takht even understand the purity and profound depth of our sentiment? Overwhelmed with the response to the rally, he said: Your support has come as a morale booster for us. You seem to have reversed my age. I am 93, but feel like 39 today. He said they always stood for a fair inquiry into all cases of sacrilege by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court. He alleged that Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) was a close relative of AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira and an evening pal of the CM. SAD president Sukhbir Badal accused the CM of trying to revive extremism by encouraging the likes of Dhian Singh Mand and Baljit Singh Daduwal. He said earlier also the Congress had given birth to terrorism by encouraging radical elements to target the Akalis. He said the present Congress regime was again doing the same by facilitating the dharna at Bargari. Others who spoke on the occasion included Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Bikram Singh Majithia, Manjit Singh GK, Sikander Singh Maluka and Virsa Singh Valtoha. On the sidelines amansharma@tribunemail.com Kuljit Bains Political parties come to power on the back of certain promises that are at the core of their respective ideologies. But soon after electoral victories, they gain enough confidence to neglect their core thought, and also become greedy enough to eye the vote bank aligned to the rivals ideology. That is what the Akalis did in their last tenure, and that is what the Congress may just be in the process of doing now. The Akalis are paying for it, the Congress may pay soon. AAP in Punjab, of course, has been on shifting sands right through, and is paying even before gaining anything. The Akalis, or rather the SADs, flip-flop is now well-documented. From being primarily a Sikh Panthic party, it brought in many non-Sikh faces, and subsequently even went on to woo Dera Sacha Sauda followers and the latter, in particular, backfired. It tried to make amends by getting the pardon granted to the dera chief revoked. In future, under pressure from the party old guard, the SAD may even increase the concentration of Sikh faces among its leadership. Without going into the merits of whether a political party in a secular democracy should profess to represent a particular community, it is clear that the SAD under the Badals did not remain true to its Sikh core. Perhaps that is what real politics in a democracy is. You cannot remain true to any ideology beyond a point. A party has to win, and for that it has to take in as many votes as it can, which in turn means taking in a diverse set of voters. The Congress over the years has perfected this art of pandering to every thought, depending on the circumstances of the moment even as it professes to have secularism at the core of its ideology. It has, in fact, also used secularism as a cover to turn communal, with prejudice to none but votes. Capt Amarinder Singh, according to most political observers, snatched victory from AAP as the latter was seen by many as walking into the fold of Sikh extremist thought, therefore fetching Hindu votes for the Congress. After coming to power, he remained unable to pursue cases against the Badals as per the expectations of the popular sentiment. Desperate to make up for this failure and unable to resist the temptation of wooing the Sikh vote ahead of 2019 he today stands accused of turning Panthic, which is a vague expression used for any effort to assuage the hurt or serve the aspirations of Sikhs. Not going into what the fallout of insincerity to stated ideologies may be for the political parties, there are already indications of unhappy consequences for the state. The dharna at Bargari by Sikhs has gone on long enough for it to turn into an agitation beyond just a demand for justice on sacrilege incidents and the police shooting that caused two deaths. The demands include release of Sikh prisoners. Among the protesters are not just common Sikhs, but also Sikh leaders who have taken hard political lines. Many from outside India who have extended support are also associated with the Khalistan demand. Some have even been sending funds. By association, even common Sikhs simply angry over the sacrilege incidents are beginning to be labelled as Khalistanis. There are speeches by leaders who may have ulterior motives, or may just be irresponsible or immature. AAP leader Sukhdev Singh Bhaur has been arrested following speeches that attacked Dera Ballan, creating caste tension in Doaba. In their bid to run down each other, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar and SAD president Sukhbir Badal seem to have lost all sense of decorum and responsibility in public speaking. The original cause, thus, is under threat of being subsumed by extraneous issues that anyway lie just below the surface at all times. Political parties have compulsions of survival, but the governments compulsion can necessarily be only one -- to ensure the safety and dignity of the people of the state. And the only holy book that has the power to ensure that is the Constitution of India. Follow it. laxmi@tribune.com NEW DELHI, September 9 (UNI & PTI)The PM, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, returned here this morning after a visit to Kanpur and the flood-affected areas of West Bengal. Talking to newsmen at Dum Dum airport prior to her departure for Delhi, she reiterated Indias willingness to talk with China provided a proper climate was created. Asked when she thought a proper climate would be created, she said: It is very difficult to prophesy, I only hope that it will come. She expressed the hope that a satisfactory solution would be found on the proposed reorganisation of Assam. Mrs. Gandhi, who was giving her reaction to the threat by the All-Party Hill Leaders Conference to launch a non-violent movement against the failures of the Union Government to take a decision on the issue of reorganisation of Assam, said a decision would be taken on September 12. When there are opposing views, it is very difficult to reconcile them. You have to find some way out which is the least objectionable to either party, she said. shalender@tribune.com Kabul, September 9 Insurgents killed at least 29 Afghan security forces in separate attacks as many marked the 17th anniversary of the killing of a prominent anti-Taliban leader. Hakmat Durani, spokesman for the police chief of Maidan Wardak province, said the Taliban attacked a district headquarters west of Kabul late Saturday, killing 10 police officers, including a district chief, and setting off a gunbattle. He added that dozens of insurgents were killed in retaliatory airstrikes by the air force, and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. In a separate attack late Saturday, militants targeted a checkpoint in the western Herat province, killing nine security forces and wounding six others, said Gelani Farhad, the provincial governor's spokesman. He blamed the attack on the Taliban, saying around 10 insurgents were killed and five wounded during the ensuing gunbattle. Meanwhile in northern Baghlan province, Taliban fighters attacked security check points, killing five army soldiers, according to Ghafor Ahmad Jawed, spokesman for the Defence Ministry. He added that a gunbattle is still underway there and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. Zabihullah Shuja, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Baghlan, said four police officers were killed in that attack. No one claimed responsibility for either attack. The attacks came on the eve of the anniversary of the killing of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who led the resistance against the Taliban in the late 1990s and was killed two days before the September 11 attacks in the US. AFP gspannu7@gmail.com Kabul, September 9 Insurgents killed at least 29 Afghan security forces in separate attacks as many marked the 17th anniversary of the killing of a prominent anti-Taliban leader, officials said Sunday. Hakmat Durani, spokesman for the police chief of Maidan Wardak province, said the Taliban attacked a district headquarters west of Kabul late Saturday, killing 10 police officers, including a district chief, and setting off a gunbattle. He added that dozens of insurgents were killed in retaliatory airstrikes by the air force, and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. In a separate attack late Saturday, militants targeted a checkpoint in the western Herat province, killing nine security forces and wounding six others, said Gelani Farhad, the provincial governors spokesman. He blamed the attack on the Taliban, saying around 10 insurgents were killed and five wounded during the ensuing gunbattle. Meanwhile in northern Baghlan province, Taliban fighters attacked security check points, killing 5 army soldiers, according to Ghafor Ahmad Jawed, spokesman for the Defense Ministry. He added that a gunbattle is still underway there and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. Zabihullah Shuja, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Baghlan, said four police officers were killed in that attack. No one claimed responsibility for either attack. The attacks came on the eve of the anniversary of the killing of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who led the resistance against the Taliban in the late 1990s and was killed by suicide bombers two days before the September 11 attacks in the United States. The US responded to the attacks by invading Afghanistan to topple the Taliban, which had harbored al-Qaida operatives. On Sunday, a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of mourners marking the anniversary, killing at least two people, according to Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh. He said another 10 people were hospitalised, some in critical condition. A police official who was not authorised to speak with the media said that at least seven people were killed and more than 25 others were wounded in the suicide attack that targeted the mourners in Kabul. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said that earlier Sunday another suicide attacker was shot dead by police in Kabul before he could detonate his explosives. Afghan government officials commemorated Masouds death on Sunday by laying flowers at his monument in Kabul. Supporters of Masoud, including young people who came of age long after his death, fired guns in the air in an expression of mourning. At least 13 people were wounded by the stray bullets, Majroh said. AP pardeepdhull@gmail.com Islamabad, September 9 Arif Alvi, a close ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of the founding members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was sworn in as Pakistans new President on Sunday. The 69-year-old dentist was administered the oath of office as Pakistans 13th President by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar at a simple ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) here. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by top civil-military brass including Prime Minister Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Saudi Information Minister Awwad Bin Saleh Al Awwad were also present at the event. Dr Alvi had defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Aitzaz Ahsan and the Pakistan Muslim League-N nominee Maulana Fazlur Rehman in a three-way presidential contest. In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the recommendations of the prime minister. Alvi belongs to Karachi and comes from a family that migrated to Pakistan after partition. His predecessors Mamnoon Hussains family came from Agra and Pervez Musharrafs parents migrated from New Delhi. He shares an interesting connection with India as his father Dr Habib ur Rehman Elahi Alvi was a dentist to Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, according to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Alvi started his political career about five decades ago when he was a student of deMontmonrency College of Dentistry, an affiliate of University of Punjab in Lahore. He was part of the students wing of Jamaat-i-Islami (JIH) and protested against military ruler Ayub Khan. During one of the protests on the Mall Road in Lahore, he was shot at and wounded, and still proudly carries a bullet embedded in his right arm as a mark of his struggle for democracy in Pakistan, according to the PTI website. He participated in elections from the JIH in 1979 but lost. Later he became disillusioned with the politics of the JIH and joined the PTI as one of its founding members in 1996. He also helped in writing the Constitution of the new party. Alvi contested his first election for the PTI in 1997 but lost. His affiliation with the party continued and he steadily rose in its ranks. He was the Secretary-General of the party from 2006 till 2013. In 2013 he was elected as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Constituency NA-250 Karachi and was re-elected in July 2018. Apart from his political struggle, Alvi is also a professional dentist. He acquired his dental degree BDS (Dentistry) from deMontmonrency College of Dentistry and Master of Science degree in Prosthodontics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1975 and Master of Science in Orthodontics in 1984 from University of the Pacific, San Francisco. In 1997, Alvi was declared a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He was the primary author of the constitution of the Pakistan Dental Association and has been elected the President of the Pakistan Dental Association. The new President is married with Samina Alvi and the couple have four children. With his close ally Alvi as President, Prime Minister Khan can smoothly implement his agenda, according to observers. PTI shalender@tribune.com London, September 9 Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal wraps a suicide vest around the British constitution and hands the detonator to the European Union, former foreign minister Boris Johnson said in comments that drew strong criticism. In an article in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Johnson pressed his attack on Mays so-called Chequers plan to leave the EU, calling it a humiliation that opens ourselves to perpetual political blackmail. May is under fire from all sides of the divisive Brexit debate, with Johnson, favourite to succeed her, leading a push by eurosceptic lawmakers for the government to chuck Chequers and pursue a clean break with the bloc. But so far, May has signalled she will not drop her blueprint for Britains future ties with the bloc after Brexit, the biggest shift in the countrys foreign and trade policy for almost half a century. We have wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution - and handed the detonator to (EU chief negotiator) Michel Barnier, Johnson wrote. His words, particularly the reference to a suicide vest, drew condemnation from fellow members of the governing Conservative Party. Alan Duncan, a minister at the Foreign Office, said Johnsons comments marked one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. For Boris to say that the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much, he said on Twitter. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. Johnson resigned as foreign secretary over the Chequers plan, named after Mays country residence where the government agreed proposals to maintain close trade ties with the EU in July, and has attacked it as making Britain a vassal state. Frances OGrady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said her organisation would back a second vote on Brexit if May failed to win a deal that supported workers. But two ministers batted away Johnsons appeal for Britain to drop Chequers and negotiate a Canada-style trade deal instead, saying such an agreement would not solve the problem of a new border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Housing minister James Brokenshire urged Conservatives to move forward with the Chequers plan, which May has failed so far to win backing from her party, Britains parliament and also EU negotiators. Many of Johnsons supporters hope his increasingly vocal criticism of May signals that he will launch a leadership bid while other Conservatives suggest his Mail article was solely to distract attention away from his marital difficulties. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Pyongyang, September 9 With no long-range missiles on display, North Korea staged a military parade on Sunday focused on conventional arms, peace and economic development, to mark the 70th anniversary of the countrys founding. Line upon line of goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks shook the ground before giving way to chanting crowds waving flags and flowers as they passed a review stand where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat with a senior envoy from China, as well as other visiting foreigners. The parade allowed Kim to highlight themes of military accomplishment, national development, and international engagement at a time when doubts are arising over his commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons. Unlike in previous years, there were no inter-continental missiles on display. And there were no nuclear tests to mark the holiday, as has happened in each of the last two years. North Korea routinely uses major holidays to showcase its military capabilities and the latest developments in missile technology. But that has lessened this year, underlining Kims stated aim for denuclearising the Korean peninsula and his recent meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The theme for the celebrations this year was economic development and unifying the Korean peninsula, divided since World War Two. A huge float was decorated with a modern train, solar panels, wind power plants and dams, under a slogan of All our might to build economy!, as North Korean men in construction work wear marched. Kim Yong Nam, North Koreas titular head of state, gave a speech at the parade in which he said the country had achieved status as a military power, and would now pursue efforts to strengthen its economy. Floats on unification also passed by a throng of North Koreans waving unified Korea flags. All Koreans should join forces to accomplish unification in our generation. Unification is the only way Koreans can survive, said an editorial in North Koreas party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Kim Jong Un and his South Korean counterpart Moon will meet in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20 for the third time this year and discuss practical measures towards denuclearisation, officials in Seoul have said. Kims letter Despite stalled progress on talks with Washington, the North Korean leader wants to denuclearise the peninsula within Trumps first term, according to South Korean officials. Trump said on Friday that Kim has sent a letter to him, which he believes will be positive. Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies said the military component of the parade appeared to be scaled down this year. I am very curious to hear what is in the letter to Trump, because this parade could have been more provocative, Hanham said, adding satellite evidence showed North Korea continued missile-related activities such as testing solid fuel motors. Kim was seen laughing and holding hands up with the Chinese special envoy as he oversaw the festivities at Pyongyangs main Kim Il Sung square on a clear autumn day. Kim waved to the crowd before leaving but did not make any public remarks. North Korea has invited a large group of foreign journalists to cover a military parade and other events to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding. That includes iconic mass games that Pyongyang is organising for the first time in five years, a huge, nationalist pageant performed by up to 100,000 people in one of the worlds largest stadiums. Both the Mass Games and the military parade have been criticised by human rights advocates and North Korean defectors for the pressure placed on performers and for painting a distorted picture of the country through stage-managed displays. But thousands of jovial North Koreans clapped in unison and rallied support for their leader Kim. A concert on Saturday night attended by Kim Yong Nam and foreign delegations featured little in the way of martial messaging or images, with only a few shadowy American bombers shown briefly in footage of the 1950-1953 Korean War. Reuters uttara@tribuneindia.com Auburn (US), September 9 One person is dead and four people have been injured following a shooting at a McDonald's near Auburn University in Alabama. Auburn Police say in a statement that officers responded to the restaurant on West Magnolia Ave. just before 2:30 a.m. local time Sunday and found a 20-year-old man from Tuskegee dead from gunshot wounds. Police say four other people, including an Auburn University student, were injured. The injured included a 16-year-old victim from Opelika, Alabama, who was flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. Three additional people injuredages 17, 19, and 21were transported to East Alabama Medical Centre with non-life threatening injuries. Police say they do not believe the shooting was random and an investigation is ongoing. No further details were immediately available. AP Three people were killed in flash flooding incidents on Saturday in Forth Worth, Texas, with a mother and her toddler daughter among the fatalities. Family members identified the first two victims as Jessica Romero, 18, and her two-year-old daughter Llaylanii. The male victim killed in the separate incident has not yet been publicly identified, pending family notification. The first incident occurred at around 10am, when the mother's four-door sedan was swept off of the road on the 4900 block of East Loop 820, the Star-Telegram reported. Police said that the car stalled out in rising water, and that waves created by other passing vehicles pushed the vehicle down into a culvert. Scroll down for video Jessica Romero, 18, and her two-year-old daughter Llaylanii (above) were killed when their car stalled in rising water on Saturday and was swept off of the road Rescue crews are seen pulling a sedan from a roadside ditch in Fort Worth on Saturday, after a mother and her toddler daughter were killed when it was swept off of the road The sedan is seen being removed from the scene after a mother and toddler died inside Within minutes, the car was completely submerged with the mother and daughter trapped inside. 'When we got here the water was 30 feet deep and we couldn't go in,' fire Department spokesman J.M. McAmis told the newspaper. 'There was nothing we could do, the current was too strong.' Several of the woman's family members arrived at the scene and appeared distraught as first responders tried to comfort them. The second incident occurred around 11am less than a mile away, on the 4200 block of South Cravens Road, according to WFAA. Witnesses called 911 reporting that a car had been swept off of the road by water from a rising creek, but rescue crews arrived and were unable to located the completely submerged vehicle. A car is seen stuck in floodwaters in Arlington on Saturday. Though nobody was hurt in this incident, three were killed in two other flood incidents in nearby Fort Worth Flooded streets are seen in Arlington on Saturday. Officials warned citizens not to drive through standing water, which can stall vehicles and quickly sweep them away The top of the vehicle became visible several hundred feet downstream from the road at around 2.30pm, and dive crews recovered the body of a man in his 70s. Officials had warned of flash flooding conditions in Fort Worth early on Monday and throughout the day. In nearby Arlington, police and fire crews initiated at least a dozen rescues of drivers caught in rising water. None of those incidents resulted in fatalities. After the fatalities in Forth Worth, the fire department reiterated its advice to citizens not to attempt driving though standing water. 'Condolences to the families involved in the fatalities today in Fort Worth,' the department said in a statement. The rising floodwaters are seen beneath train tracks at Forest Edge in nearby Arlington Police in Arlington were able to get everyone out of this stranded SUV safely on Saturday, but in nearby Fort Worth there were two separate fatal incidents, with three dead 'FWFD responded to two different incidents involving high water and fatalities. Remember: Turn Around Dont Drown.' Flash flood watches remain in effect for much of Texas through Sunday afternoon and evening, with the National Weather Service warning that already saturated soil could easily give rise to flooding. Separately, the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon are expected to bring heavy rainfall to the Ohio River Valley through the weekend into early in the week. Flash flood watches have been issued from southern Illinois to Pennsylvania and New York. shalender@tribune.com Bern, September 9 The Switzerland authorities are planning to install a statue of veteran Indian actor Sridevi, whose superhit movie Chandni was shot at the countrys picturesque locations. The statue of the renowned Indian filmmaker, Yash Chopra, was unveiled in Interlaken in 2016. Many of Chopras films featured Switzerland as a backdrop and he is credited with boosting the popularity of the Alpine nation among Indian tourists. Now, considering Sridevis role in promoting tourism here, there is a proposal to honour the actor by having her statue here, a senior official familiar with the development said. The 1989 blockbuster Chandni had also put Switzerland on centre stage as almost half the song and dance sequences in the film had a Swiss backdrop. Raj Kapoors 1964 film Sangam was the first Indian film shot in Switzerland, which was followed by An Evening in Paris in 1967. Since then Bollywood made Switzerland their favourite shooting location paving way to cement the image of the countrys alpine scenery as a romantic paradise for Indians. However, for many Indian tourists visiting the country today, it is Chopras 1995 production Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that is their Swiss point of reference. Interestingly, for the tourists who happen to be cinema fanatics, there is also a provision to arrange Bollywood packaged trips here, the official said. The government of Interlaken had also awarded the honorary title of Ambassador of Interlaken to Yash Chopra in 2011 and a train is named after him. Chopras last movie as a director Jab Tak Hai Jaan also had Switzerland in its original screenplay however it had to be cancelled due to his sudden demise. There is also a lake which is known as Yash Chopra lake here as he shot many of his scenes at the lake in Lauenensee, the official said. Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, died at the age of 55 due to accidental drowning in Dubai earlier this year. PTI We've found that the cost for a mid-range AI is similar to staying at a non-AI. Assume an AI will cost around $200pp/nite... A non AI will run about the same: Hotel on the beach: $130-150/nite per couple. Food: $45-75pp/day. (Yes, you can get by for a bit less (or way more), but that's a reasonable comparison vs. the food choices at an AI.) Drinks: $10-50pp/day. (Again, you can get by for a bit less, but that's a VERY reasonable comparison vs. what most folks will imbibe in at an AI.) Add in a snorkel trip or 2 and some snacks and the price PP is a wash. Of course, if you're a K-mart shopper like me, you CAN get by for cheaper. The absolute minimum if you skimp would be around $130pp/day: Hotel (w/AC) $130/nite. Food: $50pp/day. Drinks: $15pp/day. That's pretty austere though. If you do an activity or two like snorkeling/sailing, and like to eat & drink like a rock star, then $200 would be a minimum pp/day. So... the AIs are a nice option. We have 3 weeks in Costa Rica from 16 December flying into San Jose. Looking at the itinerary suggestions on this forum, we think that we will concentrate on the west coast. Broadly, Arenal/Monte Verde and work our way down to OSA. Where would be good (but not expensive) towns to spend Xmas and New Year? We saw the Tamarindo area recommended on this forum. We are 57 (but young at heart), so this maybe too much of a developed party town. Relaxed, with some atmosphere and something going on would be nice, maybe some live music. Based on our experience in Laos last year, when we booked our hotels too late, we thought that we had be better organised this year. Thanks for any suggestions. So, a looseleaf visa? Like this: Well, a few choices: 1) Get someone to send it by post or a courier company to somewhere along your route 2) Get someone who's flying to Bali or wherever to bring it to you 3) Ask the Vietnamese embassy local to where you are if they can issue a duplicate (good luck on this) 4) Just get a new E-Visa or pre-approved visa letter. If it gets lost or delayed on the way out, you're not much worse off than you are now. Personally, I'd just get a new visa. Hi Ive used the JR pass calculator and its marginal whether a 21 day pass pays off. We have developed our plans a little further for next May but wonder if using some of the local passes with or without JR pass makes more sense? So over 21 days we are flying into Kansai Airport, travel to Osaka for four nights, while there visit Hiroshima and Myajima, possibly Nara, US Japan, then visit Himeji and transfer onto Tokyo from there, three nights in the city then four nights near Disney. From Bayside station travel to Kamakura for one night and visit Enoden and the Buddha at the temple, then onto Hakone for two nights and use ropeway/boat etc, leave Hakone for Kyoto, spend five nights in that area, visit Nara if we didnt do it before. Then transfer from Kyoto to Kansai Airport for flight home. Its been suggested to get a local pass for when we are in Kansai area, Im also wondering about a Kamakura or Hakone free pass. There seem to be so many options and while it seems easier just to stick to JR lines throughout are we maybe overlooking better or more scenic routes or buying too many days on the JR pass? Sorry this is such a complicated question. Ive bought guide books and tried checking sample itineraries but weve already booked accommodation and our plans dont quite fit with any of the published ones. Many thanks - The residents have not laid their eyes on newspapers for at least two days - The newspapers were being bought very early in the morning before most people woke up - The dailies started vanishing a few days after discovery of Sharon Otieno's body in a forest - Migori governor was put on the spot over the brutal murder of the Rongo University student -The governor made it to front pages of all local dailies as many linked him to Sharon's murder - It is understood Obado had an affair with the deceased and was responsible for her pregnancy For the past few days, the residents of Migori County have not been able to lay hands on their favourite local dailies. A group of strangers loaded with cash have reportedly been patrolling Migori town every dawn and buying all the major newspapers off the streets in an apparent attempts to deprive the locals of daily news. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Detectives refuse to rule out Obado among seven persons of interest in Sharon's murder Migori County Governor Okoth Obadohas been in the news for all the wrong reasons following the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Migori journalist who broke murder story of lady associated with governor Obado receives death threats TUKO.co.ke on Sunday, September 9, learnt the yet to be identified individuals bought the newspapers when most people were still asleep to avoid any suspicions. "They went around every corner where the newspaper vendors were stationed, ordered all the papers and paid cash instantly," said one of the vendors who were more than happy to clear their stocks earlier than usual. READ ALSO: Migori journalist who broke murder story of lady associated with governor Obado receives death threats By the time everyone else was awake in the area, there were no newspapers on the streets. The bizarre shortage of local dailies in the area was not taken lightly by the residents who were now left craving for news. This was happening at a time the demand for news in the region had also drastically shot up following discovery of Sharon Otieno's body in Kodera Forest a day after news went round that the sophomore had been abducted. READ ALSO: ODM chairman cleverly rebukes Migori governor for murder of university girl Governor Obado, a married man and church leader, was thrust into the media spotlight after it emerged he had an illicit affair with the slain Rongo University student who was seven-month pregnant at the time of her murder. A section of the Migori residents strongly believe Obado was behind the bulk purchase of newspapers because he did not want the locals to consume negative stories about him. 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. Fuel Shortage in Kenya - GSU Officers to Escort Trucks from Depot - On Tuko TV Source: Kenya Breaking News Today - Uhuru left Dubai on Saturday night and was expected to land in Kenya on Sunday - The president left the country for a trade summit in Beijing, China - He left before he could assent to the amended Finance Bill 2018 - Signing the Bill would suspend implementation of 16% VAT on petroleum products - Kenyans are hoping Uhuru would sign the Bill as many protest hiked fuel prices and rising cost of living President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected back in Kenya on Sunday, September 9, from China amid protests over hiked fuel prices and skyrocketing cost of living occasioned by the introduction of 16% VAT on petroleum products. TUKO.co.ke can confirm the president had already left Dubai where he had been since the end of the two-day China-Africa Forum for Cooperation (FOCAC) 2018 Summit in Beijing. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Picha 11 zinazoonyesha maisha ya kifahari aliyokuwa akiishi Sharon Otieno kabla ya kuuawa President Uhuru Kenyatta had gone to attend the two-day China-Africa Forum for Cooperation (FOCAC) 2018 Summit and also spend sometime in Dubai. Source: UGC READ ALSO: We are slowly selling Kenya to the Chinese - Senator Mutula Kilonzo The president, who jetted out of the country on Friday, August 31, left before he could assent to the amended Finance Bill 2018 that had just been passed by Members of Parliament and which sought to suspended the now controversial fuel tax. According to the amended Bill, the levy on petroleum products was to be suspended for two years following public uproar, but since it was not signed, the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Henry Rotich, directed that the new law takes effect from September 1, 2018. READ ALSO: Yes, it costs KSh 1 billion every month to run Standard Gauge Railway - DP Ruto Implementation of the 16% VAT on petroleum products saw the cost of fuel significantly go up, leading to increase in the prices of basic commodities across the country. The overall cost of living went through the roof with majority of Kenyans struggling to make ends meet. An attempt by a Bungoma High Court Judge, Stephen Riech, to suspend the 16% VAT on fuel did not bring any relief, as government authorities continued to implement the new tax law with a litre of petrol retailing at KSh 127 at minimum. READ ALSO: Kenya's fuel most expensive in the East Africa region Uhuru is now the only hope left for those protesting the new fuel prices. A section of leaders joined Kenyans in urging the president to sign the amended tax law and have the punitive VAT on fuel suspended. It is however not guaranteed that Uhuru will assent to the Bill, as the government is also struggling to raise funds for development projects. The new tax law was one of the measures proposed by CS Rotich to raise money to finance the KSh 3 trillion 2018-2019 national budget. Should the president sign the amended Bill, then the government would be forced to come up with new ways of generating revenue to meet its budget deficit. 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. Fuel Shortage in Kenya - GSU Officers to Escort Trucks from Depot - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke Actor Jim Carrey has compared President Donald Trump to the Nazis, before taking several swipes at the current US administration. Weighing on the controversial 45th President, The Pet Detective star said that Republicans should do the right thing and 'stay home' ahead of the mid terms. Candidly speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the 56-year-old said he believed the country was on the precipice of fascism. Scroll down for video 'If there is one more term, then you're going to see flat-out, in your face fascism': Actor Jim Carrey, 56, has compared Trump to a Nazi over his controversial immigration policy 'If there is one more term, then you're going to see flat-out, in-your-face fascism,' the comedian said. Known for his roles as the quirky pet detective Ace Ventura, the Canadian-born comedian also hit out at the President's controversial immigration policy. The policy saw children and parents separated at the border, which prompted the funnyman to draw the Nazi parallel. 'If you allow them to steal people's babies at the border and not give them back to their parents, these children are psychologically whipped man': The actor (above) appeared to be angered by the policy of child separation After footage emerged of children being separated from their parents, President Trump ended the policy in June. 'Everyone freaks out when you make the Nazi parallel, but guess what? If you allow them to steal people's babies at the border and not give them back to their parents, these children are psychologically whipped man.' The actor doubled down on the remarks, comparing the policy to kidnapping and hitting out at the President for his relationship with dictators. Not impressed: The actor also accused the President of 'making friends with dictators' Jim also rejected the term 'separating' and said Americans were 'kidnapping people'. He went on to say: 'We are alienating everybody that has been on this planet to help us for the last 100 years and are making friends with all the frickin' fragile dictators.' One of the most bankable stars of the 1990s, with such hits as Dumb and Dumber and The Mask, Jim is currently promoting his new Stan series, Kidding. The series follows how the entertainer attempts to keep his personal troubles form seeping into his public image. - Haji warned there would be no sacred cows in prosecution of criminals - He said all persons linked to murder of Sharon will be questioned including the fake KDF officer - The impostor showed up at a police station where one of the suspects, Oyamo, was being held - He claimed he was part of a team sent to Homa Bay to help in investigation of Sharon's murder - Oyamo, Governor Obado's PA, was arrested days earlier in connection with abduction of Nation reporter The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji, has ordered investigation into the circumstances under which a man posing as a Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officer was allowed to meet Governor Okoth Obado's personal assistance (PA), Michael Oyamo, in a police cell. Haji also clarified all persons linked to the murder of Rongo University student, Sharon Otieno, would be interrogated and those found guilty would face the law. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Picha 11 zinazoonyesha maisha ya kifahari aliyokuwa akiishi Sharon Otieno kabla ya kuuawa DPP Noordin Haji, on Sunday, September 9, ordered probe into the circumstances under which a man posing as a Kenya Defense Forces officer was allowed to meet Okoth Obado's PA, Michael Oyamo. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Two people arrested in connection with murder of Rongo University student In a statement issued on Sunday, September 9, the DPP said there would be no sacred cows in the prosecution of crimes, including Sharon's killing. "I want to assure the Kenyan public that this incident will be investigated and in the next two or three weeks, we will look into setting up a public inquiry into these matters, not only killings here but across the country because they seem to have a certain pattern that is no longer tenable and must be curbed," Haji said while addressing journalists in Mombasa.. READ ALSO: Body of pregnant Rongo student who was kidnapped with journalist found in forest The DPP however urged Kenyans to allow the ongoing investigations into the murder of Sharon to be concluded. "I want to caution Kenyans that investigations sometimes take times, you have to be patient. You cannot expect for us to have answers and prosecute immediately a murder occurs. There is a process," the DPP said. Reports that a stranger, identified as Lukas Ouko, managed to deceive police officers and meet one of the key suspects in Sharon's murder sparked sharp reactions from Kenyans on social media with many indicating the homicide probe was going nowhere. Others suggested the key suspects be put under witness protection. READ ALSO: Police Retrieve 3 Bodies From Mount Kenya Forest A few days earlier, a key suspect linked to the shooting of former Garissa County finance executive, Idris Adan Muktar, was found dead while in police custody. David Mwai was alleged to had hanged himself in a police cell. National Police Service spokesperson, Charles Owino, claimed Mwai took his own life in a toilet within the police cells using the lining of his jacket. Both Mwai and Oyamo were suspects in high profile murder crimes implicating powerful people, except Mwai died before he could spill all the beans. Oyamo, who graduated from being a suspect in kidnapping case to a suspect in murder crime, may have gotten lucky. 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. Kenyans Angry Over High Fuel Prices - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko Newspaper - The heckling came following murder of ex-police commander Muhammad Kirumira - Museveni showed up at the scene where Kirumira was shot and tried to address a gathering - The crowd however turned hostile towards the president and had to be dispersed by the army - Kirumira's murder was just the latest in a series of high profile assassinations in the country - The killings are believed to be deliberate efforts by Museveni's government to silence dissent Uganda's strongman, President Yoweri Museveni, has been on the receiving end following assassination of former Buyende District police commander, Muhammad Kirumira, who was murdered alongside his wife. The president arrived at the crime scene, where Kirumira and his wife were shot, under heavy security and tried to address a gathering, but his speech was rudely cut short by hecklers who called the head of state all sorts of names, forcing the army to intervene. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Museveni explains why Uganda police killed vocal MPs driver Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has in the recent past been on global spotlight over rampant killings and assassinations in the country and harassment of opposition leaders. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Museveni bans hoodies and heavy jackets after killing of MP Reports seen by TUKO.co.ke on Sunday, September 9, revealed efforts by the security officers to silence the crowd proved futile as public rage over the cold-blood murder of Kirumira flared up. We are tired of you and your men in uniform. We want you to take action. People are getting finished! What will you rule, an empty country? one of the rowdy youths shouted as quoted by Uganda's Daily Monitor. READ ALSO: Uganda MP who predicted own death shot dead alongside his bodyguard Museveni was eventually whisked away from the scene by the Special Forces Command as he waved at the charged crowed saying thank you very much, to which no response was forthcoming. The security officers were at some point forced to disperse the crowd and ordered journalists to switch off their cameras and desist from covering the president as the situation appeared to escalate. READ ALSO: Aspiring MP among cons posing as DP Ruto's security arrested with over 700 laptops Some of the Ugandan citizens could be heard blaming Museveni for the rampant killings in the country. They claimed Kirumira had informed the president that some unnamed people were after his life but he did not listen. The ex-commander was allegedly gunned down at around 7 pm on Saturday, September 8, with people riding on a motorbike. Police arrived at the scene moments later but the assailants were already gone. The late Arua Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Abiriga, was killed in the same manner. 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. When Uhuru, Ruto and Raila Met at State House - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The man insisted he was a KDF officer, despite the millitary disowning him - He also attempted to explain the purpose of his visit by claiming he came to sought clearance from Oyamo - Oyamo left the Navy in 2014 - The mystery man's story however does not check out since the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesperson Paul Njuguna denied he was a military man The identity of the man who against the odds managed to acess the cell of Migori governor Okoth Obados Personal assistant Michael Oyamo on Saturday, September 8 has been revealed. This was after the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesperson Paul Njuguna came out strongly to refute claims that the man identified as one Lukas Ouko represented the military. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Picha 11 zinazoonyesha maisha ya kifahari aliyokuwa akiishi Sharon Otieno kabla ya kuuawa A man who claimed to be millitary visited Oyamo on Saturday , September 8 Source: UGC READ ALSO: Detectives refuse to rule out Obado among seven persons of interest in Sharon's murder As TUKO.co.ke reported, Ouko somehow managed to pose as a KDF officer and was allowed to meet the governors PA in his cell. According to reports from Nation, the mystery officer on Sunday, September 9 insisted he was part of the KDF, despite the military denouncing him. Ouko claimed he made the visit to confirm whether Oyamo had made the necessary clearance from the Navy, a force which he left four years back. Oyamo is a key person of interest in the death of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Obado is guilty and must be jailed - Lugari MP Ayub Savula I was sent officially to find out whether Mr Oyamo had made necessary clearance from the Navy, which he left sometime in 2014, he was quoted by Nation. On the question of the controversial murder of 26-year old Rongo University student Sharon Otieno, Ouko denied having the contentious conversation with Oyamo during the visit. "I did not discuss Sharons death with him. In fact, I was accompanied by a police officer, Inspector Wafula, and only took less than 20 minutes with Oyamo. he went on. READ ALSO: Rongo University girl died from 8 stab wounds, unborn baby stabbed too - Postmortem report His unprecedented visit to governor Obados PA raised further questions on Saturday, with a general feeling that the visitor was sent to cover some loopholes in the murder of Sharon. As investigations continue, the Migori governor continues to be a key person of interest in the death of the University student after reports strongly suggested the deceased was on the verge of bearing a child allegedly belonging to him. Two suspects have already been arrested so far in connection with the murder. 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. Breaking News Kenya: William Ruto and Anne Waiguru: Will They Come To Power In Kenya in 2022 Tuko TV: Source: Tuko.co.ke - Alicia Nyawaga denied having any links to the death of her spouse - She took to Facebook to clear her name , adding she was pregnant with the deceased's baby - Dickson Jared Samba died after falling from the balcony of a flat - He was allegedly tossed by another man who was having an affair with his wife The lady involved in the bizzare love triangle which led to the death of her husband has denied any involvement in the murder. Sue Alicia Nyawaga, in a series of Facebook posts, cried foul over what she claimed was a false account of events which was being peddled online. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Former senator and politician hubby drive newborn baby home in Hummer limousine According to the distraught lady, she couldnt have imagined hurting the deceased identified as Dickson Jared Samba for the simple fact that she was expecting his child. Even if you're so cold blooded, how can you kill a man you're expecting his own baby? she posed. Initial reports claimed Simba met his untimely death after an altercation with another man who was allegedly warming his matrimonial bed with his wife. Woman whose husband was pushed from balcony by lover denies involvement in murder Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Picha 11 zinazoonyesha maisha ya kifahari aliyokuwa akiishi Sharon Otieno kabla ya kuuawa According to witnesses, the altercation got physical and Simba was thrown off a balcony and plummeted to his demise. However, Nyawaga, who has clearly been receiving massive back clash, took to Facebook to rebuke those accusing her of being responsible for her husbands death. Rumors! Be sure of what u spread out of your mouths before spitting them out. What happened to Dickson Samba is only him and God that knows. If he was truly pushed to his death, the truth will always reveal itself. Let God handle this battle. This battle belongs to the Lord. Another one of her posts read. The suspect disappeared from the scene immediately with his whereabouts remaining a mystery. 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. Breaking News Kenya: William Ruto and Anne Waiguru: Will They Come To Power In Kenya in 2022 Tuko TV: Source: Tuko She admitted to 'falling out of love' with Lachlan Gillespie long before announcing their marriage split last month. But according to The Goss on Sunday, The Wiggles' Emma Watkins has hinted at a reconciliation as she described recent time spent working with her estranged husband as 'wonderful'. The pair has been closely collaborating on the 28-year-old's new TV series, Emma, which returns by popular demand to ABC later this year. Are they getting back together? The Wiggles' Emma Watkins has hinted at reconciliation with Lachlan Gillespie after claiming working together on her new TV series has been 'wonderful' 'Lachy has been writing all of the music for the new series and we've been in the recording studio every single day and it's been wonderful,' she told The Goss. The optimistic admission comes hot on the heels of Emma claiming she has no intention of dating anyone else anytime soon. 'No, I am too busy and too tired to date,' the redhead performer told the Daily Telegraph on Friday. Still holding a candle? The optimistic admission comes hot on the heels of Emma, 28, claiming she has no intention of dating anyone else anytime soon The Yellow Wiggle maintained all her focus is currently on work right now. 'We just have our eyes on the tour ahead,' she said. Earlier this month, the children's entertainer said she 'fell out of love a little bit' with her husband of two years before they decided to call it quits. Open book: The admission comes shortly after the children's entertainer said she 'fell out of love a little bit' with her husband of two years before they decided to call it quits She also admitted it was she who initiated the split. 'We are not really cranky at each other, we just realised that our situation had changed... probably more from me, than from him.' Emma and Lachlan, 32, announced their shock split on August 3. However, the couple actually broke up earlier this year - with Purple Wiggle Lachlan moving out of the pair's Sydney marital home in February during a trial separation. Once communication is broken off, Constantinople will not have any rights to claim leadership in the Orthodox world, according to a Russian cleric. The Russian Orthodox Church threatened to break off relations with Orthodox Christianity's leading body - the Patriarchate of Constantinople - if it endorses the new self-governing, or autocephalous, Ukrainian Church. In an interview in Moscow on Saturday, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, said that the Russian Orthodox Church wil sever ties with Constantinople if a decision is made there to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate, according to TASS. "The Russian Orthodox Church will not accept this decision," the cleric said. Read alsoEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople authorized to grant autocephaly: Synaxis He added that, once communication is broken off, "Constantinople will not have any rights to claim leadership in the Orthodox world." The ROC believes that Constantinople's moves are "sneaky and treacherous" with regard to Moscow's position on the Ukraine issue and that the situation means "the legitimization of the split in Ukraine." As UNIAN reported earlier, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed two Exarchs in Kyiv as part of preparations for granting autocephaly to Ukraine's Orthodox church. Further measures, such as the adoption of documents at the Synod, are expected to be taken in October. This is not the first case of an illegal detention and accusation of children in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions beyond government control. A number of underage youths were arrested in the militant-held town of Makyivka in eastern Ukraine, a human rights activist and a Ukrainian ombudsman's representative in Donetsk and Luhansk regions Pavlo Lysyamsky reported on Facebook. Teenagers are charged with setting on fire a local monument and working for Ukraine's intelligence, the report says. "On September 8, while monitoring of online resources and social networks, information was received about the detention in the 'DPR'-controlled Makiyivka of a group of teenagers aged 14-16. They were accused of arson of the monument to the miners Later, our sources confirmed the report. In addition to said charges of setting the monument on fire, teenagers are being accused of working for Ukraine's special services," wrote Lysyansky. Read alsoAlmost 20 people go missing after Zakharchenko's assassination in occupied Donetsk According to the activist, this is not the first case of illegal detention and accusation of children in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions beyond government control. "Now we are working to confirm the information," he added. Earlier it was reported that a railway ticket office in Makiyivka, the town occupied by Russian terrorist forces, changed the sign over the front door to the one in Ukrainian. This year, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is celebrated September 9-11. Tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims arrived in Ukraine's Uman (Cherkasy region) for the celebration of the Jewish New Year, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. About 28,000 pilgrims have already crossed the border, the agency reports. This year, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is celebrated September 9-11. Most groups of Hasidic Jews, totaling over 10,000 people, arrived on September 6. They crossed into Ukraine mainly at the airports Boryspil, Zhuliany, Lviv, and Odesa, as well as at land crossings on the border with Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Read alsoIntel of "enemy state" behind 2017 Uman blast Police chief The State Border Guard Service recalled that last year, more than 20,000 pilgrims arrived in Ukraine in organized groups. UNIAN memo. Every year, Hasidic Jews travel to Uman to visit a Jewish cemetery, where Reb Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810), the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, is buried. His grave is one of the most revered shrines of Hasidim, being the place of annual mass pilgrimage. According to intelligence reports, two invaders were killed and another five wounded. Over the past day, September 8, militants opened fire 25 times on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbas. As a result of shellings, one Ukrainian military was wounded, according to a daily summary by the press center of the Joint Forces Operation HQ. In particular, the enemy opened aimed fire from infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various types, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms. Armament, banned by Minsk agreements, was not employed," the report said. Russian-occupation forces fired at the positions of the Joint Forces near the settlements of Krymske, Zolote, Luhanske, Svitlodarsk, Mayorsk, Pivdenne, Verkhniotoretske, Krasnogorovka, Maryinka, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, and Lebedynskiy," the report said. Read alsoJFO: Ukraine reports 1 KIA, 2 WIA's in Donbas in past day In addition, at around 18:00, two soldiers of the Joint Forces died in a road accident in a non-combat situation. According to intelligence, reports, in the past day, two invaders were killed and another five wounded. It is also reported that from day-start on September 9, militants fired from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms near Vodiane. Ukraine reported no losses on September 9. Trucks were carrying men sporting military uniforms, according to the report. On Friday afternoon, September 7, local residents in Donetsk region spotted a convoy of military trucks. The convoy consisted of 12 KamAZ trucks, two vans, and a mobile e-warfare complex, volunteer Yuriy Mysyagin wrote on Facebook. "Most likely, the convoy crossed from the Russian side early in the morning. From the border, it was moving offroad, across fields, and was spotted at a crossing in the area of Kuteinikovo, at a turn towards Mospino. Mospino is really close to Donetsk. Almost a suburb," said the report. Read alsoOSCE spots over 20 main battle tanks, about 30 artillery systems in Russian-occupied Donbas The volunteer noted that the trucks had been carrying men sporting military uniforms, most likely only soldiers, since officers were transported in two vans. The soldiers were 25-45 years old. Earlier, OSCE observers spotted another convoy of trucks near the Ukraine-Russia border. This is not the first report on Russian clerics' visa issues with Greece. The Chancellor of Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga has been refused a Greek visa ahead of his planned pilgrimage to Athos. "For many years the archbishop has been going on a pilgrimage to Athos. This year, he was denied a Schengen visa," the Chancellery told TASS. As UNIAN reported earlier, the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) had been facing problems obtaining Schengen visas through the Greek consulate amid the conflict between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople over the issue of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). "This is the policy of the Greek government. Now the priests of the ROC are perceived as potential spies and agents of influence," a source close to Constantinople told the BBC Russian Service. The original plan would have increased the retirement age for men from the current 60 to 65, and from 55 to 63 for women. Later Putin modified the proposal so women would retire at age 60. Anti-Kremlin demonstrators have taken to the streets in Russia to protest the government's plan to raise the retirement age in rallies coinciding with regional and local elections nationwide. The election-day protests in cities across Russia on September 9 were announced last month by opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence for what authorities call violations of the law on public gatherings related to street rallies in January, according to RFE/RL. The elections, which include a vote on executive-branch heads in 21 of Russia's 85 administrative areas, is the first major test for the government of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev since it proposed raising the retirement age. The original plan would have increased the retirement age for men from the current 60 to 65, and from 55 to 63 for women. Later Putin modified the proposal so women would retire at age 60. According to various polls, about 90 percent of Russians oppose the plan to raise the retirement age, and a recent poll by the Levada Center polling agency found that more than 50 percent of Russians say they would participate in protests against it. Navalny's team said that more than 400 protesters took to the streets in the Far East city of Vladivostok on September 9, and that demonstrators chanted "No to pension reform" and called on Putin to resign. Regional authorities put the number of protesters in Vladivostok at 120. Organizers reported that police in several cities detained protesters, including the head of Navalny's headquarters in the Far East city of Khabarovsk. Authorities detained several prominent Navalny associates on the eve of the protests as well. Read alsoRFE/RL: Russians rally against retirement-age increase (Photos, video) At least 50 people had been detained by the authorities in connection with the protests between September 5 and September 9, according to the Russian news portal OVD-Info, which tracks the arrest of protesters. In addition to the federal administrative areas -- including the city of Moscow -- that are electing regional heads in the September 9 polls, 16 regions are electing legislatures, while other areas are holding mayoral and other local ballots. Approval ratings for Putin, Medvedev, and the ruling United Russia party have fallen noticeably since the proposed pension-age hike was passed in its first reading in the lower house of parliament in July. "In this situation, the authorities are interested in suppressing turnout a bit and making sure only 'their' electorate shows up and votes the way they are supposed to," Stanislav Andreichuk, an elections analyst with the independent Golos election-monitoring group, told RFE/RL. "They will do what they can to get protest voters to stay home." In Moscow, however, authorities have implemented an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign, including promises of free concert tickets to voters and setting up polling stations outside of the city to enable voters spending the summer at their dachas to participate. Sergei Sobyanin, the Kremlin-backed incumbent mayor who has run the capital since 2010, was expected to receive about 70 percent of the vote in the Moscow mayoral election. Two independent liberal candidates were not allowed to run against him, while his four registered opponents are virtual unknowns. She's rumoured to make the final four on The Bachelor. But on Saturday, Brooke Blurton, 23, proved she's able to turn plenty of heads as flaunted her trim pins while attending Perth Fashion Festival on Saturday. Spotted front row at the Djurip Djenna Kooling fashion show, the youth worker looked glam as she took in the Aboriginal Runway showcase. Scroll down for video Leggy lady! The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton, 23, flaunted her trim pins in a tight leather mini skirt while watching model Samantha Harris strut the runway at Perth Fashion Festival on Saturday Brooke was all smiles as she eagerly took in the fashion show which was billed as communicating Aboriginal art, culture and stores through fashion. For the outing, Brooke paired a racy leather miniskirt with a tight-fitting white Calvin Klein t-shirt and a biker's leather jacket which she wore over her shoulders. Proving herself the eye-catching beauty, Brooke gave the look an edge with a pair of strappy red stilettos while accessorising with a gold statement watch. Fashion forward: Currently appearing on The Bachelor, youth worker Brooke sat front row at the Djurip Djenna Kooling fashion show while watching the Aboriginal Runway showcase Showing she's fashion forward, the reality star opted to wear her luscious brunette mane in an elegant up-style with a fringe, while adding a pop of colour with ruby red lipstick. This week, Brooke is set to shake-up the Bachelor mansion with a major revelation to Nick Cummins on the dating series this Wednesday. Brooke said in the teaser for the episode: 'There is something that I do want to tell Nick. It is something big and it's something [he] should know.' Chic! The reality star gave her stylish ensemble a pop of colour with a pair of strappy red heels, as she sat happily with a friend at the show 'I didn't see this coming at all,' the former Wallabies star responded in the preview clip, looking rather solemn. In the teaser, host Osher Gunsberg described youth worker Brooke's upcoming confession as an 'urgent revelation'. The preview comes after Brooke - who is the show's first ever Indigenous finalist - spoke publicly about her traumatic upbringing. 'I don't have a lot of family, unfortunately,' she told OK! magazine last month. 'It's something he should know': It comes as Brooke is set to make waves in the Bachelor mansion this week, with a revelation to Nick Brooke added that the hardest thing she had been through in her life was the death of her mother and grandmother. 'Mum and Nan dying when I was younger and having to grow up without any parents [was the hardest thing],' she said. After overcoming the tragic loss of her mother to suicide at age 11, Brooke spent the rest of her upbringing living in fear of drug-fuelled violence. 'I didn't see this coming': Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins (pictured) appeared shaken by what Brooke had to tell him in a teaser for Wednesday's episode this week 'I grew up in a country town in Carnarvon. I spent my childhood there up until I was about 11, when my mum unfortunately passed away - she committed suicide,' she previously told SBS program Noongar Dandjoo. 'That was a hard time, living in Carnarvon with my mum and nan, losing Mum, and then Nan actually passed away a month later.' The footy enthusiast is widely believed to make it to the final four The Bachelor, but is unclear if she ultimately wins Nick's heart. If you, or someone you know, needs support please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au "More than 200 servicemen and 400 family members will not be coming home as planned in the next year," reads the report. UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson has ordered hundreds of British troops to remain in Germany to deter Russian aggression. The defense chief has decided to tear up plans to withdraw all forces from Germany by 2020, and will keep forward bases on the central European plain, The Sunday Times has learned. Williamson will issue a stark warning to Vladimir Putin at the Conservative Party conference this month after intelligence chiefs and military commanders told him Russia was at its most dangerous since the end of the Cold War. Read alsoRussia secretly finances news outlets in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia as part of information warfare "More than 200 servicemen and 400 family members will not be coming home as planned in the next year," reads the report. Those due to remain in Germany include an engineering regiment that is NATO's main unit ensuring river crossing by tanks in locations where bridges have been destroyed. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Sep, 2018) Dubai FDI, the investment development agency of Dubai Economy (DED), is going on to second investment promotion mission to the United States this month in a bid to further strengthen its bilateral relations with one of the worlds leading economic powers. The high-level mission will visit the cities of Indianapolis and Detroit. The main objective of the mission, which will take place from 15th to 22nd September, is to strengthen trade and economic ties with the states Indiana and Michigan, in the fields of technologies, healthcare and life sciences, agriculture, education, aerospace, transportation, and infrastructure, as well as highlight partnership opportunities and knowledge between the UAE and the US in the field of exports and investments. The mission, supported by the Embassy of the UAE in Washington and number of top executives from Dubai Exports, leading free zones in the Emirate, the US-UAE Business Council, and the Emirates Airlines Group will be part of the mission led by Dubai FDI. CEO of Dubai FDI Fahad Al Gergawi said, "The mission to Indiana and Michigan is part of Dubai FDI Global Mission Programme to the United States, and is in line with our efforts to establish partnerships with international investors and enable them to expand and grow their business in Dubai." He added, "The mission follows our successful business mission to Columbus and Cincinnati cities in Ohio last March, where our delegation met with US businessmen and government officials to introduce Dubai's advantage as a gateway to other global markets. During the mission, we will highlight all significant opportunities in the local market and how American companies - especially those involved in exports - can grow their business by capitalizing on the many competitive advantage in Dubai as an investor-friendly city and regional or sub-regional hub for their business. " CEO of Dubai Exports Saed Al Awadi said, "We will discuss with our US counterparts the value proposition that Dubai offers to the foreign investors, as the emirate provides not only global connectivity but also provides an encouraging environment for doing business for international companies in various sectors, as well as the continued development of infrastructure facilities that enable the smooth flow of goods across global markets." Detroit enjoys a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 9.8 percent from 2011 to 2016. It is considered an international gateway to the US, being the 6th largest export market in the country, valued at USD 42.1 billion in 2016. It is home to 1,300 international businesses from 38 countries. Indiana - where Indianapolis is located - has a total population of 6.6 million in 2017 and is known for its large durable goods manufacturing sector, which accounts for 16 per cent of Indianas GDP. Finance, insurance, real estate, and leasing are the next largest sectors. The US states current-dollar GDP reached US$359.1 million in 2017. The value of non-oil trade between US and UAE reached US$24.28 billion in 2017. To date, there are over 1,500 American companies registered in the UAE and over 50,000 US citizens living in the country. The US, which will host a country pavilion, will also participate in Expo 2020 Dubai. (@rukhshanmir) DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Sep, 2018) Muhammad Imran, Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE, said, "We have witnessed a growing interest among both Emirati businesses to invest in Bangladesh while a large number of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are also setting up companies in the UAE, therefore strengthening the two-way economic ties between the two countries. "Our government has announced the establishment of 100 economic zones, where foreigners, including our Emirati brothers could invest in 100 percent foreign-owned export-orient industries and benefit from lower cost of licensing, land and production and benefit from higher margins and duty-free export quota access to a number of countries in the world." He was speaking at the inaugural Bangladesh Economic Forum at Swissotel Al Ghurair, Dubai, attended by more than 200 delegates, investors, businessmen, bankers and investment advisors, organised by Pan Asian Group, a Dubai-based company. A number of UAE businesses, including Malabar Gold and Diamonds and Vahedna Group as well Aydin Group are investing in Bangladesh economy, organisers said. "Our bilateral relation with the UAE is underpinned by the presence of a large Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) community base with more than 50,000 businesses owned by Bangladeshi expatriates," Muhammad Imran said. "Gradual relaxation of visit and employment visas can help two-way investment and trade as well as people to people contact. With increased trade and investment flow, the economic relations between the two countries will accelerate in the coming months and years." In the last two months July and August 2018 NRBs remitted US$444.23 million to Bangladesh, according to Bangladesh Bank. The UAE is Bangladeshs second biggest source of foreign remittance. More than 152.52 million among Bangladeshs 161 million people use cell phone, according to the statistics issued by Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in July 2018, raising the mobile penetration rate to 94. 73 percent. Internet subscriber base has reached 88.68 million in July 2018, or 55.08 percent of the countrys population currently have access to the internet. According to the latest statistics by BKash a digital payments platform 28.8 million users made BTK2.17 trillion (US$25.91 billion) payments through 1.57 billion transactions in 2017. BKash, which has 31.9 million users, expects its subscriber base to cross 47.8 million by December 2018 making it the fastest growing payment channels in the world. Dr Reza Khan, Principal Wildlife Specialist at Dubai Municipality, said, "These indicators show a very strong case for foreign investment into Bangladesh and I urge all Emirati and Bangladeshi businessmen and professionals to help the increase the flow of two-way investment between the two brotherly countries." RAK Ceramics (Bangladesh) Ltd, 68.13 percent owned by UAEs RAK Ceramics, reported a 11.22 percent jump in net profits to BDT1.02 billion (Dh44.73 million) in 2017. Bangladesh delivered 21 percent growth in tiles and sanitary ware revenues across RAK Ceramics global operations last year and now represents 13 percent of its global revenue. "Our strong growth in Bangladesh came as a result of our dominant market leading position, increased product demand and was backed by the production capacity expansions which we completed in 2016," said a company statement. "Bangladesh delivered strong tiles revenue growth and maintained high margins following last years capacity expansions with tiles revenue increasing by +32.6 percent year-on-year and sanitaryware by +3.3 percent." RAK Ceramics investment provides a very strong case for investment in to Bangladesh. ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Sep, 2018) Ahmed Sari Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has received a copy of credentials of Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Ambassador of Denmark to the UAE. The under-secretary wished the ambassador success in carrying out his duties to enhance cooperative relations between the UAE and Denmark. In turn, Mellbin expressed his pleasure for representing his country in the UAE, which, he said, enjoys a prestigious regional and international standing thanks to the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Over the next 100 days, 3,500 job opportunities will be available for Emirati job seekers in the financial, banking, insurance, retail and tourism sectors in the second phase of the national Emiratisation and direct employment programme in vital economic sectors. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Sep, 2018) Over the next 100 days, 3,500 job opportunities will be available for Emirati job seekers in the financial, banking, insurance, retail and tourism sectors in the second phase of the national Emiratisation and direct employment programme in vital economic sectors. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has signed 13 Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs, with Federal and local government entities to provide these jobs within the said timeframe. Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and representatives of these entities attended the signing ceremony. Under these cooperative agreements, the financial and banking sector will provide 1,000 jobs, insurance 500, and retail and tourism 2,000 jobs. ''These MoUs laid the groundwork for a strategic partnership between the ministry and federal and local government departments as well as with companies operating in these sectors in order to accelerate the pace of Emiratisation,'' Al Hamli said. The minister stated that the ministry would provide every possible assistance to its strategic partners to deliver targets of the qualitative Emiratisation in these sectors. The first phase of the Emiratisation programme covered aviation, transport, ICT, real estate and services centre sectors and secured 5,740 employment offers and contracts for Emiratis, which exceeded the Emiratisation targets by 47 percent. (@rukhshanmir) SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Sep, 2018) The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SCCI, will organise a number of trade missions to a number of Arab and foreign countries during the next three months, starting from mid-September until mid-December, as part of its foreign visit programme of 2018. The chamber also intends to participate in a variety of prominent economic events around the world, in cooperation with a number of official departments inside and outside the country, with the aim of promoting Sharjah as a prominent economic centre regionally and globally. In a press release issued on Sunday, the chamber said that the list of trade missions that the SCCI will organise or participate in includes; the 2nd UAE Saudi Economic Forum; the 2nd edition of the Emirati Portuguese Forum; an official trade mission to the Tangier Tetouan - Al Hoceima region in Morocco; the UAE Week in Saudi Arabia; and the 14th edition of the UAE-Algeria Joint Committee. The chamber will also participate in the World Investment Forum in Geneva and the SIAL Paris Exhibition, in addition to organising trade missions to both Uganda and Kenya. Commenting on the announcement, Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, stated that the chambers initiative to send trade missions and to participate in a number of global economic activities comes as part of the framework of its annual foreign visit programme, which is organised by the Sharjah Exports Development Center, and the International Cooperation Department at the SCCI. Al Owais added that the visits and trade missions have proven their effectiveness in raising the rate of trade exchange, establishing new investment partnerships between Sharjah and other friendly countries, and contributing in promoting national products, in addition to opening doors for the local business community to expand into various promising markets around the world. In turn, Mohamed Ahmed Amin, Acting Director-General of the SCCI, said that the move is a continuation of some of the visits which took place during the previous years. He added that the visits aim to build on what has been previously achieved, and to enhance trade relations, as well as increase mutual cooperation between the Emirati business community and their peers in other countries. (@FahadShabbir) DHAKA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Sep, 2018) UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Saed Mohammed Al Muhairi recently met with Chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed. During the meeting, which was held at the chief's office in Bangladesh, the two sides discussed a number of issues of common interest and ways of enhancing cooperation for the benefit of both countries. NEW YORK, Sept 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2018 ) ::Trump administration officials held three meetings with rebel Venezuelan military officers over the past year to discuss their plans for a possible coup to replace President Nicolas Maduro, a socialist leader, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing unidentified U.S. officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who participated in the talks. In a front-page report, the Times said that a covert channel was set up between Trump administration officials and coup plotters. Venezuelan military officials were reportedly rebuffed by the Obama administration, but they were more successful in reaching out to the Trump White House after the president said last year that the U.S. had a "military option" for Venezuela. "It was the commander-in-chief saying this now," the former Venezuelan commander told The New York Times. "I'm not going to doubt it when this was the messenger." As a humanitarian crisis involving massive food and medicine shortages continued to plague Venezuela, U.S. officials decided the time was ripe to try to replace the authoritarian President Maduro, according to the report. The U.S. was asked to supply encrypted radios to a few hundred service members who had reportedly soured on Maduro, but decided to not send material support while dozens of the coup plotters were later detained. The White House, according to the report, declined the Times' request to answer in detail about the talks, saying in a statement that it was important to engage in "dialogue with all Venezuelans who demonstrate a desire for democracy" in order to "bring positive change to a country that has suffered so much under Maduro." Maduro has retained a level of support by claiming that the U.S. is trying to depose him and meddle in Venezuela's affairs. While some scoffed at the assertion, the developments could provide the embattled president with ammunition as he struggles to maintain his base of support, the Times reported. The newspaper noted that the reported discussions with coup plotters could raise alarms in the region given the United States' list of interventions there, including a controversial U.S.-backed coup in Chile in 1973 and the failed Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow Cuba's Fidel Castro in 1961. Sindh Government has issued Code of Conduct to maintain law and order and counter any unwanted incident during the month of Muharram, said DIG Shaheed Benazirabad Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh while addressing a meeting chaired by Commissioner Akram Ali Khawaja. NAWABSHAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2018 ) :Sindh Government has issued Code of Conduct to maintain law and order and counter any unwanted incident during the month of Muharram, said DIG Shaheed Benazirabad Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh while addressing a meeting chaired by Commissioner Akram Ali Khawaja. He said that no new route would be allotted to mourning processions and Majalis under the Code of Conduct and old routes would continue as usual. He said that police and rangers would be deployed for the security of Majalis and mourning processions while contingent of army would remain standby to meet any emergency situation. He said that all arrangements are finalized for the security of majalis and mourning processions throughout the division Shaheed Benazirabad. He said that movement of instigating speakers would remain completely banned and would be strictly implemented. He said that home ministry has issued code of conduct for the use of loudspeaker through which the sound of loudspeaker would be restricted to majalis participants. Addressing the meeting Commissioner Akram Ali Khawaja said that Code of Conduct would be implemented during Muharram at all cost and miscreant activities would not be permitted. He appealed religious leaders of all sects to cooperate with district administration and inform concerned administration in case of any issue. He further said that a committee comprising elites of Shia and Sunni Sects would be formed at divisional level while control rooms would be set up at divisional level at the offices of Commissioner and DIG. He instructed all deputy commissioners and SSPs to set up control rooms at their offices to monitor law and order and other arrangements, visit Imambargahs, places of Majalis, routes of mourning processions and mosques and also take a view of street light, sanitation, electric supply lines and other arrangements. He instructed officials of health department to post doctors at health centers and with mourning processions during Muharram and ensure availability of ambulances and medicines. He said that the movements of mourning processions and majalis would be monitored by CCTV cameras. Sector Commander Indus Rangers Col. Shakeel in his address said that security arrangements cannot be made better without the cooperation of general public. He said that enemy powers remain in search of soft target to spread anxiety in the country and added that Rangers contingents would remain present during Muharram days. Earlier Deputy Commissioners of Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushehro Feroze and Sanghar informed meeting about the arrangements made for Muharram in their districts. Ulema from division including Muzzaffar Hazarvi, Habib Khan Mari, Haji Muhammad Yameen, Muhammad Ashraf Arain, Moulvi Abdul Rehman Dangar, Syed Naveed Shah and others presented related issues and proposals for improvement of security and other arrangements during Muharram days. ISLAMABAD, Sep 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2018 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaurdhry Fawad Hussain Saturday paying tribute to Pakistan Navy said the Navy had written an exemplary chapter in the history during 1965 war with its bravery and martyrdom of its Jawans. The Navy had left lasting imprints in Pakistan's victory in 1965 war by using the power of undeterred resolve and passion of sacrifice for the homeland, the minister said in a statement issued here on Pakistan Navy Day. The role of Pakistan Navy in the victory of 1965 war was a proud and golden chapter of the history. The magnificent and distinguished history of Pakistan Navy was an asset of its force equipped with latest technology, he added. Fawad said Pakistan Army was enjoying a distinction among the armies of the world due to sheer dedication and commitment of its soldiers to embrace martyrdom. He said the importance of naval war could also be gauged from the fact that even islam had promised double reward for those taking part in it. He said Pakistanis were proud of their Navy, adding, Pakistan Navy was always ready to safeguard the country's maritime boundaries. She was dubbed America's sweetheart for her striking features and string of hit movies in the 1980s and 90s. And on Saturday Julia Roberts, 50, lived up to that moniker once again. She stunned on the red carpet for the premiere of her new movie Ben Is Back at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. Hollywood starlet: Julia Roberts shined on the red carpet for the premiere of Ben Is Back at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on Saturday A-lister: Julia worked the crowd with her America's sweetheart magic The longtime Hollywood a-lister looked like the starlet that she is, as she eased her way through the crowd of adoring fans to the red carpet. And along the way, she showed she is still 'sweetheart' worthy wearing a black backless gown that showcased her everlasting toned figure. The black number was an equal mix of Julia's bubbly personalty: fun and sexy-sophistication. She paired the gown with a pair of open-toed black platform shoes, and she wore her golden-blonde tresses long, with some major body and parted slightly to the left. Stylish: The 50-year old rocked golden blonde hair with major body for the premiere They're family: David Zaldivar, Courtney B. Vance, Julia, director Peter Hedges and Kathryn Newton got chummy while strutting on the red carpet Leading the way: Julia Roberts took co-star Kathryn Newton under her wing as they posed for photographers Ohhh that smile: The look that helped dub Julia, America's sweetheart, in the late 1980's/90s But, of course, any of Julia's outfits wouldn't be complete without that big beaming smile that has melted the hearts of fans since she wowed audiences in the 1988 movie Mystic Pizza. Julia was joined on the red carpet by Ben Is Back co-stars Kathryn Newton, David Zaldivar, Courtney B. Vance, and director Peter Hedges. In the movie, Lucas hedges plays Ben Burns, a man in serious trouble, who has just returned home on Christmas Eve. The family drama dives into the complexity of family dynamics and the current opiate crisis in America. It is also a film about people and 'their power to love.' 30 years and counting: Julia's breakout role came in 1988's Mystic Pizza Wow factor: Julia's gown was equal parts fun and elegant with it's figure-fitting backless cut In an interview with ET Canada, Julia talked about how trust in her family comes from having an 'open discussion' policy in their home. 'Our dinner table is a pretty open forum and I'm always fascinated when questions come out and inside you go "Ahhhh" and outside you go, "I'm so glad you've asked that,' she shared, 'because really to feel safe to ask questions and to say "What does that mean?" or "Have you ever heard of this?" it makes me so happy, it's when my husband and I feel like we must be doing something right.' Julia's long and illustrious career in Hollywood includes hit movies like Steel magnolias (1989), Pretty Woman (1990), Dying Uoung (1991), Pelican Brief (1993), Notting Hill (1999), America's Sweethearts (2001), the Ocean's franchise (2001, 2004) and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), among others. Ben Is Back premieres in theaters across the U.S. December 7. Movie with a message: Julia describes Ben Is Back as a film about 'people's power to love'; the actress pictured with Newton, 21, who is best known for her role in TV series Gary Unmarried (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, Sep 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2018 ) :Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force has visited the headquarters of Royal Air Force of Oman at Muscat during his visit to Oman. On his arrival at Headquarters, the Air Chief was received by Air Vice Marshal Matar Ali Matar Al-Obaidani, Commander Royal Air Force of Oman. A smartly turned out contingent of Royal Air Force of Oman presented him the Guard of Honour, said a press release issued by PAF directorate of media affairs. Later on, the Air Chief called on Commander of RAFO in his office. Both the dignitaries remained together for some time and discussed matters of professional interest. Commander RAFO appreciated high standards of professionalism being set by Pakistan Air Force over the years. The Air Chief said that we are proud of friendly relations between two great countries and its two air forces and pledged to further enhance these brotherly relations. (@ChaudhryMAli88) LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2018 ) :The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has decided to set up a Consultation Food Helpline to give free information about food and nutrition. The decision was made in a meeting of the Public Awareness Wing of the PFA presided over by its Director General Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman held here on Sunday. In the meeting, it was also decided to launch a monthly magazine of the PFA to publish opinions of food experts, awareness and strategy. Giving briefing about the Food Helpline, it was told in the meeting that under the Food Helpline, qualified nutritionists and food experts would give free information and opinion to people so that provision of pure and healthy food could be ensured. The DG PFA claimed that the helpline would create massive awareness among people about intake of food. (@ChaudhryMAli88) LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2018 ) :The Pakistan Medical Association has hailed the decision of Prime Minister Imran Khan for appointing Dr Yasmin Rashid as a health minister Punjab. PMA Centre President Prof Ashraf Nizamani, Punjab President Dr Izhar Chaudhary and President PMA Lahore Prof Ajmal Naqvi, in a joint press statement, said that the doctors community welcomed this remarkable decision of the prime minister for appointing a doctor as a health minister to run the affairs of the health sector in a better way. They said that the decision would definitely create a positive impact in resolving the matter of the health sector because a doctor could understand the health sector in a good way. They said that Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid would make efforts to protect dignity of doctors and will ensure their safety in hospitals as well. Clifton police seized 250 bottles of liquor worth over one million rupees during snap checking near Toheed Commercial Road, here on Saturday. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2018 ) :Clifton police seized 250 bottles of liquor worth over one million rupees during snap checking near Toheed Commercial Road, here on Saturday. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South Omer Shahid Hamid, said that SHO Clifton Jawed Abro during snap checking stoped a Hiace van and recovered 250 bottles of liquor and arrested four suspects. The SSP said the liquor was intended to be smuggled from Karachi to Islamabad. Meanwhile, two suspected street criminals Kazi, son of Yaar Khan, and Mehran, son of Rehman Zareen, were arrested by Sachal police. The police recovered two pistols and stolen bike from the possession of the suspects. SHO Sachal Farukh Shehryar said the suspects are involvedin several incidents of street crimes. RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2018 ) :Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has requested Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Islamabad to proceed against the owners and sponsors of illegal and unapproved housing schemes to protect the general public from financial losses. According to Jamshaid Aftab,Director Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE), RDA, a letter has been written to Director, FIA Islamabad about illegal advertisements of the private housing schemes on Social Media, WhatsApp, YouTube and other online Apps. He said, the general public have been advised not to make any investment in any illegal and unauthorized Housing Scheme. The owners and sponsors of the illegal housing schemes have been warned of strict action if the marketing of the illegal housing schemes is not stopped, he added. He informed that some owners and developers of illegal schemes claimed bluntly that their projects are legal as they have got NOC from the RDA. This can be verified from the video clips uploaded by them on YouTube. Some illegal housing schemes like Al-Meraj, Blue World City and Bin Alam City are claiming it incorrectly, he added. He said, recently, several housing schemes namely Organic Farms Islamabad, Capital Smart City's extension, CPEC Resort, Abdullah City, Khanian Homes and Bin Alam city have been declared illegal by the authority. The RDA spokesman Hafiz Muhammad Irfan informed that Director General, RDA, Rana Akbar Hayat haddirected the MP&TE Directorate to take strict action against illegal and unauthorized housing schemes, constructions and commercial activities, booking offices and encroachments without any discrimination. (@FahadShabbir) LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2018 ) :The visit of Saudi Minister for Information Dr Awwad Bin Saleh Al Awwad to Pakistan would further strengthen relations between the both countries. These views were expressed by several ulema while talking to APP on Sunday. Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong brethren relationship and they were friends of all times. He said that the visit of the Saudi minister would open new horizons of mutual cooperation in several sectors. He said that the minister's visit would be helpful in promoting economic cooperation between the two countries. He said that Pakistan is an independent country and it has its own foreign policy. Therefore, no other country could affect the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, he added. Renowned religious scholar Ibtesam Elahi Zaheer said that the visit of Saudi information minister would encourage the investors of Saudi Arabia and other countries to bring their investment to Pakistan. He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoyed strong and brotherly bilateral ties, which would be fortified by the current visit of the minister. He said that Saudi Arabia had always supported Pakistan in its efforts towards peace and stability. He said that Pak-Saudi relations were not only deep-rooted at government level, but also between the peoples of the two countries. Another religious scholar Maulana Zahid Qasmi said that it was high time to enhance relations between the media of the two countries. He said that trade relations between Riyadh and Islamabad were very strong and both countries were keen on further enhancement of the trade ties. Ulema said that after formation of a new government, the Saudi information minister was on a three-day visit to Pakistan and he had come to the country on the orders of Saudi Arabia King Salman. The ulema said: "The Saudi minister ensured to enhance cooperation in the information sector, including social, electronic and print media, with Pakistan which will also be helpful for closer relationship between the both countries." ISLAMABAD, Sep 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2018 ) :Making a steady progress on the dream project to connect Pakistan and China through a viable road link, a Chinese company has operationalized two long tunnels at Havelian-Thakot section of Karakorum Highway (KKH) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. "Two, out of the six tunnels have been made operational at a very difficult track, while work on the remaining tunnels is in final stages and would be completed as per the schedule time," Zhu Jiangfan project manager of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) told media. He further informed that the total lengthen of tunnels are 10.3 kilometers and the total cost of the project is about $ 1.3 billion, under which 118.124 km road divided into three sections would be constructed. Elaborating, he said "the first section is from Havelian to Abbottabad with 27 km length, the design speed is 100km/h two-way, 4-lane highway standard, the second stage is from Abbottabad to Mansehea with 11.88 km length, the design speed is 80 km/h two-way 4-lane expressway standard, the third section from Manshera to Thakot is 78.81 km long and designed in two-lane with speed of 60 km/h." The main structures included 60 large bridges, 45 middle and small bridges, 11 flyovers, 464 culverts, 40 underpasses, six tunnels (2 in Expressway section, four in Class-II Highway), three interchanges, 2 service areas, three tunnel management stations and six tool stations, he added. He said that currently, around 60 percent work has been completed. The Hazara Motorway from Hakla (M-1) to Shah Maqsood Interchange has already been completed and opened for traffic. He further said that more than 200 mountains were chopped for the construction of the road with modern machinery for timely completion of the project. He said Chinese standard and specifications are adopted on the design and construction of the project, the roadbed with expressway section is 24 km and 12. 3m in the class-II Highway. To another question, the project manager said that about 70 percent work force had been employed from Pakistan while only 30 percent were hired from the China. "We preferred to hire the workforce from Pakistan as it's cheaper as compared to China. We only invite technical workers from the China if these not available in the Pakistan" he added. Zhu said that under such difficult conditions, the staff always adheres to the vision of "making world smoother, making cities more livable and living better" and abide by the corporate tenet of "building road and bridges, contributing to the society, taking people as the center and pursuing excellence. He said that price of the land along road had witnessed sharp increase and completion of the project would pave the way for agricultural and industrial development and open up new avenues of economic uplift and generate new opportunities of employment. He said that the completion of project will be another landmark of bilateral cooperation which would further strengthen the ties between the two countries. He said that the project had created job opportunities for the local and hopefully would improve living standard. He said to ensure protection of environment, he said, tree plantation drive had also been launched, while plane grass had also been planted along the road. Riasat Ali, a local resident told the media that before starting of the project, the area was considered to be backward as there was no road and no job opportunities for the local. But now, he said, locals are getting jobs and market value of their land has also witnessed a sharp increase. He said the project would connect the area with motorway network, opening a new era of public prosperity. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi Saturday visited Shoukat Khanum Hospital Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) and appreciates its role in mitigating the sufferings of ailing community. PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2018 ) :The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi Saturday visited Shoukat Khanum Hospital Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) and appreciates its role in mitigating the sufferings of ailing community. He was addressing the unveiling ceremony of Medical Equipment donated to the hospital by UNHCR. He praised Shoukat Khanum Hospital for providing best available medical treatment to patients. Visiting dignitary said that objective of giving best medical care to patients cannot be achieved without having the necessary facilities. He said that SKMCH is persistently endeavoring to ensure provision of quality health care treatment to people. He also donated 6.2 million Dollars to the hospital. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2018 ) :Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Saturday said the visit of Saudi Minister for Information Dr Awwad Bin Saleh Al Awwad to Pakistan would further strengthen relations between the both countries. He added that Pakistani nation was remained priority of Saudi Arabia and impact of the Saudi minister's visit would be pleasant for future of the country. Talking to APP about the visit of Saudi Minister, Ashrafi said after the formation of new government, the Saudi information minister was on a three-day visit to Pakistan and he had come to the country on the desire and order of Saudi Arabia King Salman. He said the Saudi minister had met several high officials of Pakistan and members of civil society, adding the visit of Saudi information minister would positively enhance Pak-Arab relations. Ashrafi said the enemy of Saudi Arabia was the enemy of Pakistan and strong relationship with Saudi Arabia was very important and it was also the need of the hour. He said: "The Saudi Minister ensured to enhance cooperation in the information sector, including social, electronic and print media, with Pakistan which will also be helpful for more close relationship between the both countries. To a question, he said Pakistan was an independent country and it had its own foreign policy so no other country could affect the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Armenia and Russia will carry out a joint humanitarian mission in Syria, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sunday following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "I can already declare officially that the Republic of Armenia will carry out a humanitarian mission in Syria, Aleppo, and the main goal of the mission will be to provide help to Aleppo's Armenian community and to Syria in general. I am happy that our countries [Armenia and Russia] have made this joint decision, and the representatives of the Armenian Defense Ministry's humanitarian mission will act under the flag of the Republic of Armenia," Pashinyan told reporters. He expressed hope that other representatives of the international community would also engage in the Russian-Armenian mission. "Armenia is especially interested in this issue, as there is an Armenian community in Syria, and it is especially large in Aleppo. We consider it important to provide humanitarian aid. In this case, we're talking about humanitarian mine clearance and health care delivery," Pashinyan said. He pointed out that this would be an exclusively humanitarian mission, with no military component. Before the crisis broke out in Syria, the Armenian community was considered as one of the country's largest diasporas, as it included around 110,000 people, with most of them living in the province of Aleppo and in the country's capital of Damascus. However, over 90,000 Armenians have reportedly left Syria since the beginning of the civil war. In October 2017, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said that the country had accepted over 22,000 Syrian citizens since the beginning of the conflict. Strictly Come Dancing was been hit by fix claims after actor Danny John-Jules revealed he is friends with judge Bruno Tonioli. Yet the 57-year-old Red Dwarf star told The Mirror he has insisted the judges score him harsher to avoid any fans thinking that the show is fixed, after he revealed that and Bruno, 61, met at the same dance school in their youth. Danny was revealed to have been partnered with Welsh beauty Amy Dowden during the Strictly launch on Saturday night, as he prepares to take to the dance-floor for the first time in two weeks. Strictly Come Dancing has been been hit by fix claims after actor Danny John-Jules revealed he is friends with judge Bruno Tonioli. Danny admitted that he and Bruno first struck up a friendship many moons ago as they went to the same dancing school. He said: 'I've known him over 35 years. We first met in the late 70s. I don't want him to be nice to me on Strictly because it would look like a fix. 'I want him to be as wicked to me as he is to anyone else.' Surprising: Danny told The Daily Star that he and Bruno first met at the same dance class in their youth, but that would no affect his performance in the competition Legendary: Dance expert Bruno, 61, has made his return to the Strictly panel this series, alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Dame Darcey Bussell and Shirley Ballas But Danny has also adamantly said he does not want Bruno to judge him differently due to their close friendship, as he wants to avoid sparking talk that the show is fixed. He told The Mirror: 'I don't expect any old pals' act. Bruno and I used to go to a dance centre together but I want him to be as wicked to me as he is to everyone else on Strictly and he will be. 'I don't want him to be nice to me on the show because it would look like a fix.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Strictly Come Dancing and Danny John-Jules for further comment. Determined: And despite their friendship, Danny also told The Mirror that he insists the judges score him harsher to avoid any claims the show is fixed Strictly has never been stranger to a fix row, after fans were outraged last year to see head judge Shirley Ballas choose to save Mollie King over Aston Merrigold - who had been a consistently higher scorer throughout the competition. The show has also been at the centre of a race row on more than one occasion, after viewers questioned how Chizzy Akydou was eliminated despite finishing in the middle of the leaderboard. Radio presenter Melvin Odoom, actress Tameka Empson and BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty were also the first three contestants to be voted off in 2016. Danny's appearance came after he also revealed that he had apologised to Bruno for comments he made in resurfaced tweets, which saw him accused the judges of making racist decisions. The Death In Paradise star said he expressed apologies to Bruno for his social media comments, saying that the Italian dance legend responded with: 'Darling, we've known each other far too long.' Saturday's launch show saw Danny finally meet his dance partner in the form of Welsh beauty Amy Dowden, and as the pair squealed at the pairing they seemed elated to finally hit the training room together. YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze is expected to pay an official visit to Armenia on Monday and meet with a number of senior state officials, Arman Yeghoyan, spokesman for the Armenian Prime Minister, said on Sunday. "On September 10, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze will arrive in Armenia for an official visit," Yeghoyan said via his official Facebook page. The spokesman added that the Georgian prime minister was set to take part in a one-on-one meeting with his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan. The prime ministers will also hold a joint press conference after the meeting in an extended format of the two countries' delegations, Yeghoyan said. "Bakhtadze's meetings with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and President of the [Armenian] National Assembly Ara Babloyan have been planned as well. The Georgian prime minister will visit the Armenian Genocide memorial Tsitsernakaberd," Yeghoyan said. He added that a formal dinner would be organized in Bakhtadze's honor on the part of the Armenian prime minister. (@rukhshanmir) ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Greece has expressed protest over the statement made by US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell, who claimed that the US diplomacy "played a lead role" in resolving the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia, media reported. On June 17, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov signed an agreement to rename the former Yugoslav Republic as the Republic of North Macedonia. Athens and Skopje had been involved in the dispute over the use of "Macedonia," which is also a name of a Greek region, since the 1990s. According to the Documento newspaper, Kotzias expressed his discontent over Mitchell's remark, which prompted the assistant secretary to apologize to Kotzias. However, the outlet added that Athens later also stressed that it was unacceptable for Washington to take credit for the dispute settlement, which was resolved thanks to the Greek diplomacy, and that Greece did not want to yield to the pressure of the United States or any other country. (@ChaudhryMAli88) BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Islamist militants killed two and wounded another two volunteers of local defense forces in the Narathiwat Province in the south of Thailand, local media reported on Sunday. Channel 3 broadcaster reported that the militants attacked a guard post at a local educational center and a nearby house belonging to one of the volunteers at 5:30 p.m. local time (10:30 GMT) on Saturday. According to the news outlet, the owner of the house was shot dead, while three men at the guard post sustained gun-shot injuries and were transported to a hospital, where one of the injured died. The broadcaster added that an improvised explosive device detonated in a garage in the neighboring Songkhla Province at around 5 a. m local time (22:00 GMT) on Sunday. The first explosion was followed by a more powerful one, which occurred after police officers arrived at the scene. No one has been injured as a result of the attack, the television channel added. According to the broadcaster, the police believe that the attacks were carried out by the Islamist separatist groups operating in the south of the country. Both Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces have been involved in an almost-century-long dispute between the Patani Region in the south of Thailand and the government. (@rukhshanmir) SIMFEROPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Member of the Bulgarian delegation that is currently visiting Russia's Crimean peninsula Valentin Vatsev told Sputnik on Sunday that he was proud of the way the Crimean Bulgarians lived on the peninsula. The delegation of 10 people, including entrepreneurs and scientists, arrived in Crimea on Friday to take part in the festival of Bulgarian culture "Bulgarian Meetings," according to the leader of local Bulgarian community. "We liked the state, well-being and lifestyle of my people - the Crimean Bulgarians. I was unaware that they lived here proud of the fact that no one prevented them from being Bulgarians. It is wonderful. We are proud and a little bit envious. It is a lesson for us," Vatsev said. He added that Bulgarians were encouraged to abandon their ethnic background, because of the country's membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while in Crimea, no one forced them to forget their roots. The Crimean peninsula, former part of the Ukrainian territory, rejoined Russia in 2014 following a referendum. Kiev and the majority of countries refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the referendum and accuse Moscow of annexing the peninsula. Russia, however, has repeatedly stated that the vote was held in compliance with international law. Delegations from a number of countries, including France, Germany, Italy and most recently the United States have paid visits to the peninsula despite sanctions imposed on Moscow following the referendum. (@rukhshanmir) GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2018) UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will meet for the second time with representatives of the three Syria guarantor states - Russia, Turkey and Iran - in Geneva to discuss the formation of the Syrian constitutional commission and the situation in Idlib province. The first meeting of the kind took place in June. Now it will also last two days, September 10-11, and is supposed to go further into details of the composition of the future Syrians-only body. The decision to set up the commission, tasked with introducing changes to the country's constitution, was made at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in the Russian resort city of Sochi in January. De Mistura, who is in charge of forming the commission, is expected to single out some 40 people from 150 candidates from guarantor countries, government, opposition groups and civil society. The guarantors are represented by Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari. Issues that are to be reviewed are the composition, decision-making process, ways to get out of the situation of impasse, and the time frames for its work. There is a feeling among the guarantors and the UN of the need to launch the constitutional commission in as soon as possible, since the idea was first announced eight months ago. When the guarantor states met just few days before Geneva at a presidential level in Tehran, Russian President Vladimir Putin said all necessary conditions had been created for the Syrians to independently decide their future destiny. Another issue that the guarantor states and de Mistura will not avoid to review is the current situation in Idlib province - the last area in the country dominated by the armed opposition. According to the United Nations, Idlib is the base for approximately 10,000 members of the Nusra Front and al-Qaeda terrorist groups (both banned in Russia). The Nusra Front terror organization is the backbone of a terrorist alliance called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which groups five radical Islamist factions and is widely regarded as the dominant force on the ground in the province. The Syrian government has pledged to drive the remaining terrorists out of Idlib and has begun taking steps toward a full-scale military operation in the area. Russian officials have repeatedly warned that HTS terrorists are planning a false-flag chemical weapons attack in Idlib in a bid to provoke Western retaliation against the Syrian government. In Tehran, the three leaders voiced their concern over the current crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed to declare a ceasefire in Idlib, but Russian President Vladimir Putin argued that the three leaders could not undertake any obligations on behalf of various militant groups, though he noted the appropriateness of Erdogan's proposal. Later on the same day, de Mistura addressed the Security Council in New York, where he for the first time said directly that the armed opposition groups in Idlib demonstrate unwillingness to separate themselves from the Nusra Front terrorist group (banned in Russia). He called on the international community to review possible steps for the separation between civilians and terrorists, as well as between extremists and other armed groups, and noted that ideally all militants should be removed from the province with a deadline. Ahead of the guarantors' representatives arrival in Geneva, de Mistura said this meeting would be "an important moment of truth." On September 14, a few days after hosting Russian, Turkish and Iranian officials, the UN Special Envoy will hold the meeting with senior diplomats from the so-called Small Group on Syria - Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States. They will also discuss the UN efforts to establish a constitutional committee in Syria. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed Sunday in a greeting to the participants and spectators of the international Sovcomflot (SCF) Far East Tall Ships Regatta 2018 his confidence that the event would encourage humanitarian contacts in the Asia-Pacific region. "I am confident that the regatta will be held successfully and will encourage humanitarian contacts in the Pacific Rim and, of course, will become a memorable event for the participants of the Eastern Economic Forum, which will also be held in Vladivostok in the coming days," Putin said as quoted in a telegram released on the Kremlin official website. The Russian president welcomed the fact that the regatta had been widely supported both in Russia and abroad, adding that the event united dedicated people of all ages. The SCF Far East Tall Ships Regatta 2018 is being held in Vladivostok on September 9-14. As many as six A-class square-rigged vessels Russia's Nadezhda and Pallada sailboats, Japan's Kaiwo Maru and Ami frigates, South Korea's Koreana schooner and Bima Suci vessel from Indonesia will take part in the regatta. (@rukhshanmir) ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Protests against the Macedonia name deal in the Greek northern port city of Thessaloniki left 15 police officers injured, and have also resulted in the detention of eight people, including two minors, local media reported on Sunday. According to the Kathimerini newspaper, an estimated 6,000 of demonstrators took part late on Saturday in a rally dubbed "Macedonia is Greece," set to express protest over the former Yugoslav Republic's renaming. Around 100 people, wearing masks, started throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the police officers, while the police responded by applying tear gas and concussion grenades against the protesters. The protesters were trying to reach the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center, where country's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was delivering a speech at the opening of the Thessaloniki International Fair. A total of 28 people were initially seized by the police, but most of them were released later. The injured police officers have received medical aid. This is not the first rally against the name deal, as a similar mass protest had gathered between 300,000 and 500,000 people in January, according to the coordinators. On June 17, Greek and Macedonian foreign ministers signed an agreement on the former Yugoslav Republic's renaming to the Republic of North Macedonia, following a decades-long dispute over the use of "Macedonia," which Greece has been objecting as this it is also the name of one of its regions. On September 30, a referendum on the former Yugoslav Republic's new constitutional name will be held, and if the move is approved, the country will be able to seek NATO and European Union membership. The Russian Orthodox Church will stop full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople if it grants autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow, said on Saturday. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th September, 2018) The Russian Orthodox Church will stop full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople if it grants autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow, said on Saturday. "When one meddles in such a bold and cynical manner into the affairs of the Orthodox Church, this does not just bring the situation to a deadlock, but poses a threat of the split of the world's orthodoxy ... The canonical church will not accept this autocephaly. We, in the Russian church, do not recognize this autocephaly. We will have nothing left to do but stop communication with Constantinople," Hilarion said, as broadcast by Russia 24 tv channel. He went on to say that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople had "put itself beyond the so-called canonical pale, the legal framework of the universal orthodoxy" by its recent actions. According to Hilarion, the "church diplomacy" measures, which could be taken in the context of the relations with Constantinople, have been already exhausted. (@ChaudhryMAli88) SIMFEROPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) Member of the Bulgarian delegation that is currently visiting Russia's Crimean peninsula Valentin Vatsev told Sputnik on Sunday that he was proud of the way the Crimean Bulgarians lived on the peninsula. The delegation of 10 people, including entrepreneurs and scientists, arrived in Crimea on Friday to take part in the festival of Bulgarian culture "Bulgarian Meetings," according to the leader of local Bulgarian community. "We liked the state, well-being and lifestyle of my people - the Crimean Bulgarians. I was unaware that they lived here proud of the fact that no one prevented them from being Bulgarians. It is wonderful. We are proud and a little bit envious. It is a lesson for us," Vatsev said. He added that Bulgarians were encouraged to abandon their ethnic background, because of the country's membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while in Crimea, no one forced them to forget their roots. Vatsev also said that people should not fall for the anti-Moscow propaganda claiming that Russia stole a part of the Ukrainian territory. "We can see that Crimea rejoined Russia as a result of the willpower and a resolute decision of the Crimean community . .. Crimea has been Russian for a very long time and it will remain like this through eternity," Vatsev said. He noted that the delegation should have been more numerous and that more people would arrive next time, adding that the members of the delegation were not afraid of sanctions following their visit to Crimea. The Crimean peninsula, former part of the Ukrainian territory, rejoined Russia in 2014 following a referendum. Kiev and the majority of countries refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the referendum and accuse Moscow of annexing the peninsula. Russia, however, has repeatedly stated that the vote was held in compliance with international law. The peninsula originally joined the Russian Empire in the end of the 18th century, however, in 1954, it was given to the Soviet Ukraine, with Russia later questioning the legitimacy of the transfer. Delegations from a number of countries, including France, Germany, Italy and most recently the United States have paid visits to the peninsula despite sanctions imposed on Moscow following the referendum. (@rukhshanmir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2018) The United States is committed to policy providing for Venezuela's peaceful return to democracy, US National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said in light of media reports alleging that the US authorities had discussed with the Venezuelan servicemen plans to topple the country's leadership. On Saturday, The New York Times newspaper reported, citing the US and Venezuelan sources, that the administration of US President Donald Trump had discussed with rebellious Venezuelan military officers plans to topple country's President Nicolas Maduro. "U.S. policy preference for a peaceful, orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged . .. The United States government hears daily the concerns of Venezuelans from all walks of life - be they members of the ruling party, the security services, elements of civil society or from among the millions of citizens forced by the regime to flee abroad. They share one goal: the rebuilding of democracy in their homeland," Marquis said as quoted by the Politico news outlet. Marquis added that Venezuela needed the restoration of the rule of law and the governance based on democratic practices to find a way out of the country's worsening crisis. Venezuela is facing an ongoing political crisis triggered by a difficult economic situation caused by the fall of oil prices. He's one third of the famous Thomas trio, who have all carved out a career in showbusiness. Yet it seems Adam Thomas has turned his back on the industry as he's landed a job as an estate agent. The 30-year-old actor, who famously starred on Emmerdale for nine years, before leaving in January this year, is now a sales executive for Kamani Property. Moving on: He's one third of the famous Thomas trio, who have all carved out a career in showbusiness. Yet it seems Adam Thomas has turned his back on the industry as he's landed a job as an estate agent The star - who came third on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016 - is working for his friend Adam Kamani, who owns fashion labels Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing. The Kamani Property website also features Adam on the team page, where he is described as a Property Executive. It states that Adam joined the team in March, and is tasked with 'sourcing new potential acquisitions and assists with the management of both the residential and commercial sides of our portfolio'. As seen on screen: The 30-year-old actor, who famously starred on Emmerdale for nine years, before leaving in January this year, is now a sales executive for Kamani Property Adam's new role comes as his family have been thrown into crisis over his brother Ryan's stint on Celebrity Big Brother, after Roxanne Pallett accused the actor of punching him. Adam is the twin brother of Scott Thomas, who starred in Love Island in 2016, and the younger brother of CBB star Ryan, 34. Scott recently revealed how difficult it's been for his family to watch Celebrity Big Brother, in the wake of the 'punch' scandal. Fan favourite: The star - who came third on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2016 - is working for his friend Adam Kamani Appearing on sister show, CBB's Bit On The Side, the former Love Island contestant told Rylan Clark Neal: 'I was sat at home literally in tears, Mum was on the phone crying. She can't get her head round it, she is watching her baby boy crying on the TV. It's been a massive test.' Lauding his brother - who was accused of hitting ex-Emmerdale star Roxanne after play-fighting with her in the house - Scott said: 'He handled it like a superstar!' 'He's like my dad, so to see him break down like that. It's his career, his whole life. I am just blown away by him and can't wait to give him a cuddle,' Scott added, affectionately. Speaking out: Scott Thomas - brother of actor Ryan - revealed how difficult it's been for his family to watch Celebrity Big Brother, in the wake of the Roxanne Pallett 'punch' scandal He also hinted that his family - which includes soap actor Adam Thomas and TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh - will find it difficult to forgive Roxanne for nearly ruining his career. 'As a family we want to forgive but so much has come out of the woodwork since - and there's no smoke without fire,' he said. Scott was referring to the fact that, since the ordeal, dozens of former colleagues of Roxanne have flocked to Twitter with tales of similar instances in the past while they worked alongside her. Heartbreaking: 'He's like my dad, so to see him break down like that. It's his career, his whole life. I am just blown away by him and can't wait to give him a cuddle,' Scott added, affectionately 'A massive test': Appearing on sister show, CBB's Bit On The Side, the former Love Island contestant told Rylan Clark Neal 'I was sat at home literally in tears, Mum was on the phone crying. She can't get her head round it, she is watching her baby boy crying on the TV' 'We've not had to do much because the nation - the whole nation - has been behind it. So we have been able to sit back and let the nation do the talking,' Scott added, of the support the family have received. 'The most amazing moment was when they chanted "Get Roxy Out",' he said, also pointing out that he has been overwhelmed by the social media reaction from fans. 'I can't deal with all the social media. He's top Thomas again now,' he quipped. Proud: Lauding his brother - who was accused of hitting ex-Emmerdale star Roxanne after play-fighting with her in the house - Scott said 'He handled it like a superstar' Scott also made sure to thank Emma Willis for the interview she did with Roxanne, which was shown on Monday night's main show. 'Thank you to Emma for not holding back,' he said. Emma had been applauded by fans of the show for her hard-hitting interview with Roxanne - the second one to take place since she walked out of the show on Saturday morning, since her housemates realised Ryan had not 'punched' her. (@FahadShabbir) BLAGOVESHCHENSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2018) The Western states are trying to use the Salisbury poisoning incident as a means to provoke a new round of sanctions against Russia, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Sunday. "They are certainly trying to turn us into an outsider country, into a malevolent member of the international community that neglects its obligations, and they are, ultimately, provoking a new round of sanctions," Nebenzia said in an interview for the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program, broadcast by the Russia 1 tv channel. The senior diplomat added that the Western states were counting on "the exhaustion" of the Russian authorities. "Of course, they [in the UN Security Council] subtly imply that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, the authorities are one thing, while the Russian people are another thing. This is certainly very naive, and, most importantly, far from being true, but yes, they have really placed their bets on the regime exhaustion," Nebenzia said. He went on to say that Russia should act "withing the framework of decency" anyway. "We are really acting prudently, reservedly. And I hope that the people who compare our country's stance, and the stances of the countries that bring these unfounded, groundless accusations against us, appreciate this," Nebenzia concluded. The attempted poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury on March 4 has caused tensions between Russia and the United Kingdom, as London and its allies are accusing Moscow of orchestrating the attack, which Moscow refutes. Recently, the UK authorities claimed that two Russian nationals, suspected of the attack, were tied to the Russian intelligence. The incidents prompted the United States to introduce new sanctions against Russia on August 27, while a number of EU countries have expelled some of the Russian diplomats. Fargo Police officers responded to a disturbance at the Americinn Hotel. Once on scene officer located a male, laying in a hallway with an apparent stab wound to his lower torso. The victim, identified as Jakob A. Dirks, 23, from West Fargo, was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. The incident is still under investigation by the Fargo Police Department. --------------------- Saturday morning at 2:33 a.m., Fargo Police officers responded to a disturbance at the Americinn Hotel, 4325 23 Ave. S. The caller advised dispatch there was a male walking the hallways with an apparent firearm. Fargo Police officers arrived on scene and located a male laying in a hotel hallway. The male appeared to be a victim of an apparent stab wound to his lower torso. The victim was transported to a local emergency room where he later died as a result of his injuries. Fargo Police Investigations personnel responded to the scene to assist in the investigation of the incident. While on scene, Fargo Police officers detained and arrested two males in connection with the incident. Alan J. Bear, 21 years of age, from Cooperstown, ND was arrested for Murder (AA felony). Shawn A. Bear, 24 years of age, NPA was arrested on two unrelated warrants. The incident is still under investigation and an autopsy will be completed. Additional information regarding the incident may be forthcoming early next week. At this time the victims identify is being withheld pending next-of-kin notifications. Wrapping up its Plenary Assembly, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has reiterated the primary importance of listening to survivors of clerical abuse as underscored by Pope Francis. By Linda Bordoni The safeguard and the protection of minors from clerical sexual abuse has become an urgent priority for the Catholic Church that is increasingly under pressure to give a credible and robust response to victims, their families, their communities and to all Catholic faithful. One body that was established to do so is the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that was established as an advisory body to the Pope. Headed by Cardinal Sean OMalley, its mandate is to propose the most opportune initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable adults in order that the Church may do everything possible to ensure that crimes such as those which have occurred are no longer repeated. It does so by uniting its efforts to those of other institutions and to bishops conferences across the world and producing tools like guidelines, good-practices and formation courses for Church leadership. A press release was published on Sunday at the conclusion of the Commissions 9th Plenary Assembly that took place in the Vatican. Cardinal OMalley spoke to Vatican News Sergio Centofanti about the most urgent and significant issues Commission members focused on during the Assembly. Asked whether, given the present situation, is the Church really listening to survivors and learning from them, Cardinal OMalley said recent events in the Church have us all focused on the urgent need for a clear response on the part of the Church for the sexual abuse of minors. Listen to the full interview with Cardinal Sean O'Malley The importance of listening to survivors Of course, he pointed out, one of the Commissions tasks and responsibilities is to listen to survivors: we are always anxious to have the testimony of survivors to inform our deliberations and judgment and as we often have, he said we began our meeting listening to two testimonies. One priority OMalley singled out is the work Commission members do to address newly appointed bishops. Every year, he said, we make a real effort to bring the voices of the survivors to church leadership. It is crucial if people are going to have an understanding of how important it is for the Church to respond quickly and correctly any time a situation of abuse may arise. OMalley also pointed out that if the Church is unable to respond wholeheartedly and make this a priority, all its other activities are all going to suffer. Commissions mandate to promote local responsibility in safeguarding The Cardinal also explained how the Commission has been tireless in taking the message of safeguarding throughout the world. In some continents, he said, it is a new theme and in some areas the Church is under-resourced, so the Commission is planning new conferences in places like Brazil, Colombia and Poland and working on guidelines and best practices as well as developing auditing instruments to be used by Bishops Conferences to measure their implementation and compliance. Cardinal OMalley commented on the positive feedback the Commission is receiving regarding education and formation and of a series of initiatives to set up advisory panels in different continents. Role of the Commission Cardinal OMalley agreed there is much confusion in the public - about the Commissions role and mandate and explained it is not a body that deals with past cases or particular situations of abuse. We are trying to change the future so it will not be a repeat of the sad history, and we do that making recommendations to the Holy Father and promoting best practices and guidelines that take into account safeguarding, prevention, educational programs that address the formation of leadership so that bishops, priests and religious will be equipped to be able to respond and put the safeguarding of children and the pastoral care of victims as their priority he said. In English we have a saying, OMalley confided: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! The Indianapolis Colts reached an injury settlement with the offensive tackle Thursday, pushing him into free agency. Tyreek Burwell had a one-year contract remaining with the franchise. The linesman's story with the franchise came to an abrupt end after he was moved to the injury reserve due to an undisclosed injury. However, he and the Colts reached an agreement which will allow Burwell to sign elsewhere. Burwell arrived to the Colts on September 12, 2017 after he was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers. During November of the 2017 season, the Colts elevated the Huntington Station, NY native to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. He only played one game. She recently admitted feeling back to her best after adopting a 'healthier lifetyle.' And Kate Moss was out to showcase her transformed physique on Saturday as she sat front row for New York Fashion Week's Longchamp show. The 44-year-old flashed her trim pins in a quirky black fringed minidress as she sat alongside actress Priyanka Chopra and model Kendall Jenner on the catwalk. Supermodel status: Kate Moss was out to showcase her transformed physique on Saturday as she sat front row for New York Fashion Week's Longchamp show Kate went for all-out leather as she perched herself on the front row, teaming the fringed mini dress with matching knee-high boots. The former supermodel's hair, chopped at the shoulder, was styled in beachy waves, and her glam makeup included a nude lip. As she watched the latest looks, Kate was seen chatting with Kendall and Priyanka ahead of the show. Incredible: The former supermodel had her flawless complexion on full display as she sat front row at the fashion event Beautiful: Kate went for all-out leather as she perched herself in front of the catwalk, teaming the fringed mini dress with matching knee-high boots Flawless: The fashion star's hair, chopped at the shoulder, was styled in beachy waves, and her glam makeup included a nude lip Kate was also keen to showcase her incredible figure following reports that she has given up alcohol in a bid to turn over a new leaf, with sources claiming the beauty has swapped cocktails for mocktails and late nights for early mornings at health retreats. The runway favourite is said to have been teetotal for an entire year after deciding to overhaul her life and focus on her health following the premature deaths of some of her closest friends. A source told The Sun on Sunday: 'Kate is like a new woman and a much better version of herself. She is focused, professional and glowing with health.' They added of her success: 'Everyone is amazed at how well she has done in not drinking for a whole year, considering what she used to be like. Fashion week fun: Kate was sat front row alongside fellow model Kendall Jenner, who made a bold statement in a bright purple look Celeb status: She was also joined by actress Priyanka Chopra, who showed off her daring fashion sense in chic printed co-ords High spirits: Kate and the newly-engaged actress looked to get on swimmingly as they laughed in the front row Where she belongs! Kate looked in her element as she sashayed into the event with a female companion Style maverick: The runway favourite proved she can't put a foot wrong when it comes to style as she wowed in her fashion-forward fringed dress 'But she has found it easier as time has gone on and when you see her she is actually more chatty and confident as she doesnt have that fake confidence that drinking gives you. The turnaround may come as a shock given that Kate's love of boozing, which reportedly extended to flutes of prosecco at 8am and glasses of wine and vodka at lunch, saw friends coin her the nickname 'The Tank'. After attending a week-long detox in Turkey back in June 2015, the runway sensation wound up being escorted off an easyJet flight home after her airport drinking session took a heavy turn. But Kate is determined to make her healthier lifestyle stick and has reportedly steered clear of moving in with boyfriend Nikolai von Bismarck, 31, so she has no distractions in her quest for clean living. New look: Kate was also keen to showcase her incredible figure following reports that she has given up alcohol in a bid to turn over a new leaf Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music. A highly prized species of tuna appears to be making a slow but noticeable comeback in the Atlantic Ocean. But as sushi lovers rejoice, conservationists are concerned about the future of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna as fishermen seek bigger commercial catches. VOAs Julie Taboh has more. Swedes vote on Sunday in a tight election dominated by fears about asylum and welfare, with the populist, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats vying to become the biggest party in a country long seen as a bastion of economic stability and liberal values. Far-right parties have made spectacular gains throughout Europe in recent years following a refugee crisis sparked by civil war in Syria and conflicts in Afghanistan and parts of Africa. In Sweden, the influx of 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015 has polarized voters, fractured the cozy political consensus and could give the Sweden Democrats, a party with roots in the neo-Nazi fringe, a veto over which parties form the next government. 'Sense of discontent' "Traditional parties have failed to respond to the sense of discontent that exists," Magnus Blomgren, a social scientist at Umea University. "That discontent maybe isn't directly related to unemployment or the economy, but simply a loss of faith in the political system. Sweden isn't alone in this." The center-left bloc, uniting the minority governing Social Democrat and Green parties with the Left Party, is backed by about 40 percent of voters, recent opinion polls indicate, with a slim lead over the center-right Alliance bloc. The Sweden Democrats, who want the country to leave the European Union and put a freeze on immigration, have about 17 percent support, up from the 13 percent they scored in the 2014 vote, opinion polls suggest. But their support was widely underestimated before the last election and some online surveys give them as much as 25 percent support, a result that would most likely make them the biggest party, dethroning the Social Democrats for the first time in a century. That could weaken the Swedish crown in the short term, but analysts do not see any long-term effect on markets from the election as economic growth is strong, government coffers are well-stocked and there is broad agreement about the thrust of economic policy. Euroskeptic voices Sweden has flirted with populism before. New Democracy, founded by an aristocrat and a record producer, won nearly 7 percent of the vote in 1991 promising strict immigration policies, cheaper alcohol and free parking, before crashing out of parliament only three years later. But if the Sweden Democrats get a quarter of the vote, it would be a sensation in a country described as a "humanitarian superpower" by then-Moderate Party Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in 2014. It would also make them the biggest populist party in the Nordic region, topping the Danish People's Party, which got 21 percent support in 2015, and trump the 12.6 percent for the far-right Alternative for Germany, which swept into the Bundestag in 2017. With an eye on the European Parliament elections next year, Brussels policymakers are watching the vote in Sweden closely, concerned that a nation with impeccable democratic credentials could add to the growing chorus of euroskepticism in the EU. Sweden took in more asylum seekers per capita than any other country in Europe in 2015, magnifying worries about a welfare system that many voters already believe is in crisis. Lengthening queues for critical operations, shortages of doctors and teachers, and a police service that has failed to deal with inner-city gang violence have shaken faith in the "Swedish model," built on a promise of comprehensive welfare and social inclusion. Akesson's objectives Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson has labeled the vote a choice between immigration and welfare. He has also promised to sink any government that refuses to give his party a say in policy, particularly on immigration. Mainstream politicians have so far rebuffed him. But with some kind of cooperation between parties in the center-left and center-right blocs the only other alternative out of the current political deadlock, analysts believe Akesson may yet end up with some influence on policy. With both options unpalatable to the traditional players, forming a government could take weeks. Polling stations open at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), with exit polls set be published by Sweden's two main broadcasters around that time. Results from the vote count will become clear later in the evening. Cameroon says it has deployed additional troops to Bamenda several hours after armed separatists blocked access into and out of the northwestern English-speaking town, attacking buses and passengers. At least 20 passenger buses are still lined up at Akum, a village 10 Kilometers from Bamenda, the capital of the Cameroon's English speaking northwest region. Some of the buses that were traveling to the French-speaking cities of Yaounde and Douala have been burned and others damaged. The Cameroon military has accompanied some travelers who were chased from the buses to help them identify and collect their luggage. University student Philip Njie was traveling to Yaounde when at least 100 gunmen ordered passengers out of the buses late Saturday. "There were so many of them. So many of them holding their hands at the trigger, ready to shoot at anyone who disrespected them so we were very scared," said Njie. At least 1,000 people traveling into and out of Bamenda were stopped by the gunmen. The government troop commander in northwestern Cameroon, General Agha Robinson, calls the gunmen "terrorists." "There is an operation to dislodge these terrorists to make sure weapons are seized, and therefore, we go down to the field and then we shut down these areas where these guys produce these weapons. We have been searching some areas where we deem necessary and in our check points too, we have our eyes on the bags which people are carrying," said the general. Separatists groups claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. They have warned that no buses would be allowed to travel into or out of the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon after September 16. The separatists say it is part of their plan to disrupt Cameroon's October 7 presidential election, which they say can not take place in their territory because they are an independent state called Ambazonia. Unrest began in Cameroon in November 2016 when teachers and lawyers in the English-speaking northwest and southwest began calling for reforms and greater autonomy. The United Nations reports 300 people, including 130 policemen and the military, have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled, including 20,000 who crossed into Nigeria. Turkey's arrests of an American pastor and other Western citizens have thrust its troubled judicial system to the forefront of ties with allies, reinforcing suspicions that the Turkish government is using detainees as diplomatic leverage. Turkey scoffs at the idea that it treats detained foreigners as foreign policy pawns, and points the finger at the U.S. for cases against Turks in American courts. Turkey's top appeals court judge weighed in this week, saying only "independent" courts can free pastor Andrew Brunson. The reality is more complex in a nation where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tightened his grip on the state, including a judiciary purged of thousands of judges and prosecutors after an attempted coup in 2016. Constitutional changes have since expanded Erdogan's control of judicial appointments, undermining Turkey's avowals that it wants to mold impartial courts. There is no evidence that jailed foreigners in Turkey were arrested to be used as "hostages," and Erdogan could genuinely believe they were acting on behalf of foreign governments against Turkey, said Nicholas Danforth, an analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. "In taking and holding prisoners to combat the West's presumed hostility, Ankara ends up creating the kind of hostility it imagines," Danforth wrote in a blog post last week. Recent Turkish court rulings seemed to align with diplomatic outreach to Europe. Two Greek soldiers held for months were freed; Taner Kilic, an Amnesty International representative, was released; and a judge lifted a travel ban on a German of Turkish descent accused of terror offenses. Conversely, the courts ruled against freeing Brunson, who is accused of links to Kurdish rebels and the 2016 coup plotters, after U.S. economic penalties deepened the Turkish currency's slide. A coincidence? Some analysts don't think so. "As the crisis with the U.S. heated up and as the economic crisis heated up, Erdogan saw a need to speed up the process of normalization with Europe," said Howard Eissenstat, an associate professor of Middle East history in Canton, New York. Eissenstat, also a fellow at the Washington-based Project on Middle East Democracy, speculated that President Donald Trump's focus on freeing Brunson had backfired, encouraging Turkish officials to think: "'This guy's really valuable and we can get a lot for him.'" For Turkey, "a lot" would be the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who lives in Pennsylvania and denies Turkish allegations that he engineered the coup attempt, which killed nearly 300 people. Turkey has also criticized the case against Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an official at Turkey's state-controlled Halkbank who was jailed in the U.S. for helping Iran avoid American sanctions. Last year, Erdogan floated a possible trade in which the U.S. sends Gulen to Turkey in exchange for the release of Brunson, now under house arrest in the city of Izmir. However, comments on Monday by Ismail Rustu Cirit, the Turkish judge, reflected an official view that Turkey's sovereignty in the matter is paramount. "The only and absolute power that can rule on the arrest of a foreign citizen in Izmir and decisions about his trial are the independent and impartial courts," Cirit said. The European Union has urged Turkey to guarantee the impartiality of its courts, a key requirement in an EU candidacy bid that stalled years ago. Judicial reforms more than a decade ago, in the early years of Erdogan's rule, reduced the power of the military and moved Turkey closer to European standards. But backsliding followed, amid increasing accusations that the ruling party was using the courts to muzzle opponents. In another twist, internal conflict erupted at the end of 2013 when prosecutors launched an investigation of alleged corruption at the top of the government, a move described by Erdogan's camp as a power grab by Gulen supporters. Detainees remain an irritant between Germany and Turkey, which freed Die Welt journalist Deniz Yucel and activist Peter Steudtner. But Turkey still holds a number of Germans for what Berlin considers political reasons. Turkey, meanwhile, has bemoaned a Greek court's decision to grant asylum to some servicemen who fled to Greece a day after Turkey's coup attempt. In a reverse scenario, Turkey would never "shelter" coup plotters acting against Greece, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. Turkey doesn't have "very much" to show for what may be opportunistic attempts to use detainees as leverage with other countries, according to Eissenstat. He said there could be a parallel with similar cases in Iran or the former Soviet Union, in which "local officials would sometimes make decisions and then the central government would decide, 'OK, how does this fit into a larger policy?'" The U.N. childrens fund reports only half of Syrias four million school children will be able to return to the classroom this month because of conflict and a severe shortage of money. UNICEF reports more than seven years of war in Syria has put one in three schools out of use. It says many have been destroyed or damaged, while others are sheltering displaced families. Some schools are being used for military purposes in this war, which is estimated to have killed more than one-half million people. This year, UNICEF says more than 60 schools have been attacked. Despite the destruction of infrastructure, a severe shortage of teachers and lack of money, the agency says children eagerly go to school when they can. It says school provides them with a sense of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic environment. But UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac says it is increasingly difficult, and in some cases impossible for children to go to school in areas of conflict, including Idlib where military action is intensifying. In Idlib, schools opened ahead of schedule in an effort to gain more instruction time as schooling is often suspended because of insecurity, shelling and violence. An estimated 400,000 school children, including 70,000 internally displaced students began the school year on the first of September, said Boulierac. UNICEF reports some 700,000 Syrian refugee children in neighboring countries also are unable to get an education, largely because there is little money to keep them in school. It warns children out of school are at risk of exploitation, of early marriage, recruitment as child soldiers and of engaging in some of the worst forms of child labor. UNICEF says it needs $135 million to run its school programs inside Syria this year and more than $517 million to keep education programs going in five neighboring countries of refuge. Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization, a Kabul-based rights group, plans to exhibit mementos of war victims in several European countries in coming months. The group launched the initiative, named Memory Box, in 2011 with the aim of putting a human face on the ongoing violence in Afghanistan. "We are planning to open exhibitions of the memory boxes in Sweden and Spain in the near future after it was put on display in Germany in June 2018," Muhammad Salim Rajabi, manager of Memory Box initiative, told VOA. At least three boxes, stuffed with mementos were displayed in Frankfurt, Germany June 1 - 27, where visitors saw the belongings of people killed and injured in Afghanistan. "The visitors were moved by the stories of the Afghan war victims. Some of them shared their feelings in writing," Rajabi said of the June exhibition in Germany. Memory boxes Nearly four decades of war in Afghanistan, beginning with the Soviet Union's 1979, followed by the country's civil war, the Taliban regime and its insurgency in the post 2001 era, has killed, injured and displaced millions of Afghans throughout the country. Several million Afghans are currently living as refugees in Iran, Pakistan and Europe. Memory Box is a way to help keep the memory of loved ones alive. Since its launch in 2011, about 300 boxes have been prepared with mementos of war victims. "Families used to get together to listen to each other's stories, under our "Setam Dedagaan" or [The oppressed ones] project. Later we put our efforts together to turn these personal memories to a more meaningful thing and give the victims and their families the feelings that they are not alone," Rajabi said. Memory boxes are decorated with the Afghan flag and filled with belongings of the war victims, including clothes, books, shoes, pictures, cups and documents. The initiative is currently only focused on Kabul, but organizers are planning to expand it to other parts of the country as well. Each family is asked to write two letters, one for the deceased, and the other for the larger Afghan community, as a way to express their grievances and find a way to heal. The letters are placed in the boxes. More boxes As violence continues to claim more lives, organizers are pessimistic about the prospect of peace in the near future and foresee filling more boxes with belongings of victims. Twenty one militants groups, including Islamic State and the Taliban, are active in the country, according to officials. From the beginning of 2018 until end of July, violence across the country has killed at least 1,226 people injured 2037 others, according to a survey by Civilian Protection and Advocacy Group, an Afghan watchdog documenting civilian casualties in Afghanistan. War museum To find a permanent place for the memory boxes, the Afghan Human Rights and Democracy Organization plans to establish a war museum in the future. "We have collected 40,000 signatures from families of the victims, civil activists, and government officials. Although the government had agreed to build the museum, the promise has yet to be fulfilled." Rajabi said. In the meantime, the organization plans to launch an online museum. Work on the virtual museum is in its final stages and will soon launch make the stories of war victims available to anyone with an Internet connection. "We don't want to let this process and momentum die out. We want to avail every opportunity to keep the hope for transitional justice alive," Rajabi said. Waiting for justice In the post-Taliban era, many Afghans hoped that the new government would bring to justice those responsible for the violence. But instead the government adopted a controversial amnesty law shielding from prosecution those who may have committed war crimes. Human rights advocates say movements like Memory Box may not be able right the wrongs of the past, but they can definitely keep the debate alive. "At least movements like this demonstrate that people are still waiting for justice to be served, and show that people have no access to justice," Horia Mosadiq, an Afghanistan researcher for Amnesty International, told VOA. "The most important part is that how these families bear to see that those who committed war crimes are still walking free and even holding official posts," she added. Some Afghans who lost their family members and relatives haven't lost hope. Afghani, an Afghan woman in her early 50s, lost almost all male members of her family to war. "My husband and my father-in-law disappeared after they were taken by Russian puppet regime in 1979. My father-in-law was buried alive. My brother and brother-in-law were also killed. They left me with two of my kids," Afghani told VOA. Afghani said her wish is that all war criminals are brought to justice, but she is skeptical. "Who can bring them to court? They are all powerful people," she said. South Australian Public Service Association members have been ordered to maintain minimum staff levels in the state's prisons during protest action on Monday against state budget cuts. The order has come from the South Australian Employment Tribunal after the government sought a hearing to resolve the issue. The PSA has organised a rally of all its members after the government revealed plans to privatise management of the Adelaide Remand Centre and to also cut more jobs across the public sector in Tuesday's budget. As part of that action the union initially refused to guarantee minimum staffing in the prisons, a situation the government said put the safety of prisoners and the wider community at risk. Treasurer Rob Lucas has described the tribunal's decision as a victory for common sense. "We've said all along the government respects the union's right to protest but we simply couldn't accept a situation that put public safety at risk," Mr Lucas said on Sunday. "The orders will ensure minimum critical staffing levels in prisons are maintained during their members' planned industrial action." The PSA said the government failed to consult before announcing the budget decisions. It said its members were outraged at plans to privatise the remand centre along with budget measures to close down TAFE campuses and threats to privatise other agencies including pathology and radiation services. "The budget represents an attack on the essential services provided to the community by all agencies and sets a dangerous agenda for the next four years - public service cuts, more cuts, and privatisations," the union said. Hundreds of trucks carrying thousands of troops lined a Pyongyang riverbank in the pale light of dawn early Sunday, as nuclear-armed North Korea prepared to celebrate its birthday with a huge show of military strength. Sunday is the 70th anniversary of the 1948 founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the North is officially known, three years after Moscow and Washington divided the peninsula between them in the closing days of the Second World War. Such set-piece dates are a mainstay of the North's political calendar, particularly when round numbers are involved, and have traditionally been occasions for showing off its latest hardware. "Anniversaries are important in the DPRK, and this one is particularly so," said Evans Revere of the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. "These celebrations are also occasions for the leader to demonstrate accomplishments and national power, and to take credit for them." Looking for clues The displays overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, the third member of his family to rule the country are crucial to Korea-watchers, who observe them closely for clues about its latest advances. First, companies of soldiers goose-step through Kim Il Sung Square. Then the material becomes steadily more intimidating, with tanks rolling past and aircraft flying overhead, until the program culminates with intercontinental ballistic missiles. But the rockets may not be on show this time, analysts say. Too militaristic a display could risk upsetting the diplomatic dalliance on the peninsula, after Kim's Singapore meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in June and his third summit with the South's President Moon Jae-in due in Pyongyang later this month. 'Slap in the face' "If they show off ICBMs it will be a massive provocation and it will be a slap in the face for the United States," said Andrei Lankov of Korea Risk Group. He did not expect the North to do so, particularly because it would put the visiting Chinese delegation in the difficult position of appearing to endorse the weapons programs that have resulted in Pyongyang's being subjected to multiple international sanctions. Beijing is its neighbor's key diplomatic protector and trade partner, and after years in the deep freeze over the North's missile and nuclear tests, their ties have warmed rapidly this year, with Kim visiting China three times to meet President Xi Jinping. There was speculation that Xi might reciprocate for the anniversary Hu Jintao was the last Chinese president to visit in 2005, and Wen Jiabao followed suit in 2009 when he was premier. Instead, Xi will be represented by Li Zhanshu, the head of China's parliament and a member of the Communist Party's politburo standing committee, the most powerful body in the country. Xi's decision not to go, but still send a senior envoy, may be calculated to show backing for Pyongyang while not antagonizing Trump, at a time when China and the U.S. are embroiled in a trade dispute. At the same time it could indicate that Beijing wants to see Kim do more to reduce tensions before a presidential visit. Diplomatic invitations for the anniversary have gone out around the world, but the only head of state known to be attending is Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Kickoff concert At a concert on Saturday evening that kicked off the celebrations, the imagery on display focused heavily on the economy, with only a few short military segments, none of them showing missiles. The content of the parade will be key, John Delury of Yonsei University in Seoul told AFP. In April, Kim declared that the North's development of nuclear weapons had been completed and "socialist economic construction" would be the new strategic priority. "It'll be interesting to see if Kim Jong Un does try to change the symbolism, change the message to essentially diminish the militaristic message and enhance the economic message," Delury said. "That's what I'm watching for, anyway." Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday told attendees at a Democratic rally that the United States government "is a government for everybody. It's not for sale." Obama has maintained a low public profile since leaving office, but with midterm elections coming in November, he spoke Saturday at an Anaheim, California, rally in support of Democratic candidates in districts won by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016. "We are bound by the notion that this is a government of and by and for the people," he said. "We don't have a situation where some are more equal than others." "The stakes are high in this election," Obama warned, referring to the congressional elections that will be seen as a referendum on the presidential administration of Donald Trump and Republican rule in Washington. "This is a consequential moment in our history. And the fact is that if we don't step up, things can get worse. ... But the good news is, in two months we have a chance to restore some sanity in our politics." Obama also said the biggest threat to U.S. democracy is not one individual, nor is it wealthy political supporters. "It's apathy," he said. "It's indifference. It's us not doing what we're supposed to do." On Friday, Obama made his first appearance in the midterm election battle, in a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he accepted an ethics in government award. He told the students in the audience: "You need to vote because our democracy depends on it." The former president said the current state of Washington politics "did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause. He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years a fear and anger that's rooted in our past but is also born out of the enormous upheavals that have taken place in your brief lifetimes." Trump was dismissive of Obama's speech. At a fundraiser in North Dakota, the U.S. president told a crowd of supporters: "I watched it, but I fell asleep." A district police chief was among dozens of security forces killed in Afghanistan in overnight attacks by the Taliban, officials said Sunday. The insurgent raids occurred in the central eastern Maidan Wardak, western Herat and northern Baghlan provinces, the officials said. A provincial government spokesman in Maidan Wardak told VOA Taliban fighters stormed the Day Mirdad district center late Saturday, killing its police chief, Said Younus Hussaini, and 10 other security personnel. Abdul Rahman Mangal dismissed reports, however, that Day Mirdad was on the verge of collapse, saying reinforcements have arrived in the district and a counteroffensive was underway to retake the lost territory in Day Mirdad. Separately, reports said a coordinated Taliban attack against army and police posts in a troubled district of Baghlan has killed at least 20 Afghan security forces. Afghanistans largest private broadcaster, TOLOnews, said insurgents also overran all the outposts and surrounding villages in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district. Afghan authorities have not commented on the fighting in Baghlan. The Taliban issued a statement, claiming it killed 60 government forces and seized a large quantity of weaponry placed there. The insurgent group often issues inflated battlefield gains. Meanwhile, officials in Herat confirmed a late-night Taliban raid against a security checkpoint in the province killed nine Afghan forces and wounded six others. A provincial government spokesman said 10 assailants were also killed in the ensuing gunbattle. U.S.-trained Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have struggled to contain the Taliban and suffered heavy losses in the process during fighting season. The insurgent group is said to be controlling or hotly contesting about 50 percent of Afghanistan's 407 districts. Islamic State militants have also increased attacks, particularly against members if the Afghan Shiite community, adding to the challenges of the beleaguered government forces. In Kabul, hundreds of armed men took to the streets Sunday as part of annual celebrations in honor of the slain Afghan politcal and military leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. The crowd blocked traffic on already congested streets in the Afghan capital and shots into the air, wounding at least 13 civilians, residents and health officials confirmed. Massoud was assassinated by al-Qaida suicide bombers disguised as journalists on September 9, 2001. The Afghan government has imposed a ban on carrying arms during the annual celebrations but Massoud's supporters rarely respect the restriction. Police say during Sunday's celebrations a suicide bomber on motorbike detonated his explosives near a rally in the city, killing at least seven people and wounding more than a dozen others. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called Sunday for the anonymous senior official carrying out inside resistance to the Trump administration to "do the honorable thing and resign." Pence told Fox News Sunday that the official, who wrote an op-ed opinion article in The New York Times last week that called Trump amoral, was "literally violating an oath, not to the president, but to the Constitution" by seeking to undermine Trump's presidency. Pence reiterated that he did not write the article even though it contained an unusual word "lodestar," meaning one who serves as an inspiration that he has used in numerous speeches. The vice president said he would agree to take a lie detector test "in a heartbeat," but said it was up to Trump to decide whether other White House officials should do the same to try to identify who wrote the article. Pence said he does not know who wrote it. The official said he or she was part of an internal resistance "working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations." "The root of the problem is the president's amorality," the official said, denouncing Trump's "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective" leadership style. Trump has railed against the writer, telling a political rally in Montana last week, "Nobody knows who the hell he is, or she. Unidentified deep state operatives who defy voters to push their secret agendas are truly a threat to democracy itself." The article in the newspaper came a day after the first details were revealed from veteran investigative journalist Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," depicting chaotic White House operations under Trump, with his own key administration officials attacking him as dangerously ignorant of world affairs. Woodward said Trump aides at times have plucked documents off the president's Oval Office desk to keep him from signing documents the officials considered to be detrimental to U.S. national security interests. Woodward, a longtime Washington Post reporter and editor, quoted Trump chief of staff John Kelly as saying that the White House under Trump was "crazytown" and that the president was an "idiot," remarks Kelly denied uttering. Trump and other White House officials have attacked Woodward's book as fiction. But the author told CBS on Sunday that the president's claim he does not speak the way Woodward quoted him is "wrong," saying his reporting was "meticulous and careful," backed up by hundreds of hours of interviews with current and past Trump aides. Woodward said he has no idea who was the writer of the New York Times article, but said its vague description of White House events did not meet his own standard reporting life behind the scenes in Trump's administration. Pence defended Trump's performance, saying the president promotes "a vigorous debate" within the White House over public policy issues, and then "he makes the decision. He's in command." Pence called him "a president of almost boundless energy." In a Twitter remark last week, Trump assailed Attorney General Jeff Sessions for bringing criminal charges against "two very popular Republican congressmen," Chris Collins in New York and Duncan Hunter in California, just as they face re-election contests in November. Trump said, "two easy wins now in doubt.... Good job Jeff." Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike criticized Trump for saying that the charges should not have been brought because of the political ramifications affecting Republicans. Pence said the serious charges against the two lawmakers "ought to be pursued," but defended Trump's criticism, saying it was aimed at not bringing charges too close to an election, so as to not impact the outcomes. Combined support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative alliance and its partners, the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD), has hit a record low for any such "grand coalition" government, according to a survey published Sunday. Germany's two biggest and most established parties have had a difficult summer, blighted by infighting over immigration that is flaring up again after violent right-wing protests in the eastern city of Chemnitz followed the fatal stabbing of a German man, for which two migrants were arrested. The survey by pollster Emnid for the weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag had support for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU), down by 1 percentage point on the week, to 29 percent. In last September's federal election, the CDU/CSU bloc won 32.9 percent of the vote. The poll put support for the SPD down 2 percentage points to 17 percent. In the last election, the SPD won 20.5 percent of the vote. Their combined score of 46 percent was the lowest for any CDU/CSU/SPD coalition a combination that also held power in 2005-09 and 2013-17 in Emnid's poll for the Bild am Sonntag. The pollster surveyed 2,472 voters between August 30 and September 5. Support for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) was unchanged from the previous week at 15 percent, the poll showed. The far-left Linke gained a point to 10 percent. The ecologist Greens were unchanged at 14 percent and the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) remained at 9 percent. Support for other parties rose 2 percentage points to 6 percent. Power had been restored to almost all customers in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido by early Saturday, two days after an earthquake caused an island-wide blackout and killed at least 21 people. But the impact of Thursday's 6.7 magnitude quake was set to rumble on with Toyota Motor planning to halt operations at 16 of 18 domestic full-assembly plants due to a parts factory shutdown. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the confirmed death toll was 21, with six people in cardiopulmonary arrest - a term used in Japan to describe a victim's condition before death is officially confirmed -- and 13 people were missing. The earthquake triggered landslides that buried houses and paralysed Hokkaido with widespread power and transport cuts, the latest natural disaster to hit Japan after typhoons, floods and deadly heat waves in the past two months. Toyota Motor said it would suspend work at the 16 plants on Monday due to the shutdown of its transmission factory in Tomakomai in Hokkaido following the quake. The company said it would decide later on whether to extend the shutdowns beyond Monday. Suga called on businesses and Hokkaido's 5.3 million residents to save power by about 10 percent from Monday, when usage rises, and said the government would likely resort to rolling blackouts if demand threatened to exceed supply capacity. That would be the first use of rolling blackouts in Japan to deal with power shortages since March 2011, when a magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Hokkaido Electric said power supplies had been restored island-wide to 2.93 million customers by early Saturday, leaving only 20,000 customers without electricity. The utility will have supplies of up to 3.6 GW available by the end of Saturday, the trade ministry said, which is still short of pre-quake peak demand of 3.8 GW. Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co is preparing to resume lorry product shipments at its 150,000 barrels-per-day Hokkaido refinery, a company official said. Refining operations have been halted since Thursday. Officials from President Donald Trump's administration met secretly with Venezuelan military officers to discuss plans to oust President Nicolas Maduro but eventually decided not to help, The New York Times reported Saturday. Trump has been harshly critical of Maduro's leftist regime, as Venezuela has spiraled downward into a grave economic and humanitarian crisis that has sparked violent protests and prompted a wave of emigration into nearby countries. A National Security Council spokesman, in remarks to AFP, said that "U.S. policy preference for a peaceful, orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged." "The United States government hears daily the concerns of Venezuelans from all walks of life. ... They share one goal: the rebuilding of democracy in their homeland," added spokesman Garrett Marquis. "A lasting solution to Venezuela's worsening crisis can only arise following restoration of governance by democratic practices, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms." The Times, citing unnamed American officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who took part in the secret talks, said the coup plans stalled. 'Disgusting evidence' On Twitter, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced "U.S. government intervention plans and support for military plotting against Venezuela." "Right there in U.S. media, new and disgusting evidence is there to see," he said. After explosives-laden drones allegedly blew up near Maduro at an August 4 event in Caracas he blamed the U.S., Colombia and his domestic enemies the State Department condemned the "political violence" but also denounced what it said were the arbitrary detentions and forced confessions of suspects. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton insisted there was "no U.S. government involvement" in the incident. In August 2017, media reports said Trump asked top advisers about the potential for a U.S. invasion of Venezuela. Around the same time, he said publicly that he would not rule out a "military option" to end the chaos there. The collapse of Venezuela's oil-based economy under the increasingly authoritarian Maduro has led to dire shortages of food and medicine. Maduro has angrily blamed the U.S. for many of his problems. The idea that the Trump administration might have even considered backing a coup attempt seems sure to fuel such charges. Mari Carmen Aponte, who was a top U.S. diplomat for Latin American affairs under Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, told the Times that "this is going to land like a bomb" in the region. Trauma victims in conflict zones cannot always receive immediate treatment for their emotional scars. A dance school in southeastern Turkey is trying to help victims of violence by teaching them the art of dance. VOAs Mahmut Bozarslan files this report, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. Preliminary results from Sweden's parliamentary election Sunday found one of Europe's liberal nations taking a decided turn to the right. The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, which wants the country to leave the European Union and put a freeze on immigration, appeared poised to become the third largest party in parliament. With most ballots counted, the ruling center-left Social Democrats had 28 percent of the vote, trailed by the Moderates with 19 percent and the nationalist Sweden Democrats with almost 18 percent. Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson declared victory at a supporters' rally saying, "We will gain huge influence over what happens in Sweden during the coming weeks, months and years". Ahead of the election, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven had warned, "The haters are mobilizing in Sweden and are egging on people against people. ... We will resist. We will stand up for equality." Sweden, like most of Europe, has been hit by an influx of asylum-seekers, who are fleeing mainly from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. The influx of 163,000 asylum-seekers in Sweden in 2015 has polarized voters and fractured a cozy political consensus. Pollsters say the growing popularity of the Sweden Democrats, a party with roots in the neo-Nazi fringe, could result in the far-right group winning veto power over which parties form the next government. Magnus Blomgren a social scientist at Umea University, says, "Traditional parties have failed to respond to the sense of discontent that exists." The Horn of Africa continued to resolve diplomatic impasses with the announcement Friday that Eritrea and Djibouti will normalize relations. Leaders in the region, and beyond, are celebrating the development, which promises to end a decadelong dispute and follows renewed diplomatic ties between Eritrea and both Ethiopia and Somalia in July. The Eritrea-Djibouti dispute stemmed from a 2008 border skirmish that left several dead and resulted in prisoners of war on both sides. Relations remained frozen for years after previous attempts at mediation failed. Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Djiboutis ambassador to the United Nations, said the time is right for the nations of the Horn of Africa to support one another. I think we all have a patriotic duty in the Horn never to engage in fratricidal struggles provoked by efforts to challenge brothers, and build an economic future for our people, Doualeh told VOA. This is a patriotic duty. We owe it to our people in the Horn. Regional accomplishment Ahmed Isse Awad, Somalias foreign minister, told VOAs Somali service that both Ethiopia and Somalia played prominent roles in Eritreas reconciliation with Djibouti. Our president, along with the prime minister of Ethiopia, has played an important role in working toward a region that is united, thats peaceful, thats cooperating on political, economic and security fronts, and silencing the gun, as the goal of the A.U. (the African Union) is, and bringing these two brotherly countries of Djibouti and Eritrea together to resolve their feuds and conflicts, Awad said. Ethiopias foreign minister, Workneh Gebeyehu, told VOAs Amharic service that peace between Eritrea and Djibouti benefits the entire region. Ethiopia can only find peace if the region is peaceful. If neighbors are closer, Ethiopia greatly benefits. Trade, investment and tourism will pour into this region, and Ethiopia would benefit, Workneh said. When there is peace in the region, Ethiopia benefits more than anyone, and that is what we are working toward. Sanctions and port access Both nations have much to gain from rapprochement. For Eritrea, the conflict with Djibouti was the last major hurdle before the possibility of seeing United Nations sanctions lifted. Those sanctions were imposed in 2009 by the U.N. Security Council for Eritreas alleged support of al-Shabab in Somalia and its border conflict with Djibouti. Somalia announced in July that it supported lifting the sanctions following its own rapprochement with Eritrea. For Djibouti, peace with Eritrea diminishes the risk of isolation. Djibouti once offered Ethiopia, a landlocked nation of 100 million people, its only access to the sea, and it has invested heavily in a railway project designed to connect Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, to its port. But Ethiopias peace with Eritrea created the possibility of additional port access, putting Djiboutis role into question. Peace across the region, however, should lead to overall tighter integration. I think the future is bright for all of us, you know, Doualeh said. As far as Djibouti is concerned, weve been building and investing in world-class port facilities that are designed not just for the region but also the COMESA countries (a trade agreement between 19 African members). And we would really like to see those facilities serving the purpose of supporting the economic development of the region, the Horn, he added. Whats happening is momentous The U.S. has cheered the thawing of tensions in the region. We commend the mutual efforts of Djibouti and Eritrea to restore good relations. Upon request, we stand ready to support next steps toward the resolution of outstanding issues, Tibor Nagy, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, said on Twitter. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined a chorus of international support praising the end of the impasse as well. This is another important step in the rapprochement among the countries in the Horn of Africa region, Guterres said Saturday. Countries in the region believe recent strides toward peace will lead to transformative changes to the Horns economy, stability and security. We are hopeful that this is signaling a radical change in ways of doing things in the Horn. We should just welcome that and not doubt or cast suspicion on the developments, Doualeh said. Whats happening is momentous. VOA Somali Service reporter Sahra Abdi Ahmed and VOA Horn of Africa Afaan Oromo Service reporter Sora Halake contributed to this story. Cronulla's rivalry with Penrith is set to reignite with the Sharks' batch of ex-Panthers now staring down the barrel of ending their former club's NRL season on Friday night. Cronulla and Penrith have never met in a final but the two sides, who came into the competition in 1967, have plenty of recent history between them. James Maloney and Matt Moylan's off-season switch has been a public point of discussion all year, with debate raging over which club won out over the deal. The injured Wade Graham and fit Luke Lewis and James Segeyaro are all now at the Sharks after spending time at Penrith, with Lewis, Segeyaro and Moylan's exits all coming on differing terms. Segeyaro even suggested there was a hate for the Panthers at Cronulla, before going back on the comments and describing it as a family rivalry. The Sharks hooker could already see the excitement in the grudge match after Cronulla were sent to the second week of the finals after their 21-12 qualifying final loss to the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night. "I think in a way if you paint a bigger picture of how life goes and how footy life goes, a lot of the boys here are from Penrith," Segeyaro said. "So it happens to be we're going to play them in do-or-die this Friday." Segeyaro isn't the only player up for the battle. Earlier this year he noted Moylan's increased motivation before their round-seven clash, while the Sharks' No.6 was easily Cronulla's best in their round 18 win in Penrith. The history between the two clubs includes Panthers general manager Phil Gould last year uttering the word "soft" in reference to their 2016 premiership, leaving Sharks players fuming. Cronulla haven't lose to the Panthers since then and the team offered "three cheers for Gus" when they beat Penrith on their home turf shortly after the comment in 2017. "Semi-finals, everything is a bit quicker, it's a lot faster and more physical," Segeyaro said. "It's an opportunity we need to take otherwise we'll be licking our wounds. "What a stage to do it on, a do-or-die semi-final. "And it's not just us (former) Penrith boys, it's the whole team will get up for it. "It's pretty much that or we're gone." As military attacks on Idlib intensify, the United Nations is trying to put the Syrian conflict back on the political negotiating table. Senior officials from Russia, Turkey and Iran will gather in Geneva Monday for two days of discussions on drafting a new constitution for war-torn Syria. U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura views these talks as the curtain-raiser on a renewed political process for Syria. The aim is to help this conflict-ridden country transition to a more democratic society. De Mistura says the focus of the two-day meeting will be to establish a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned constitutional committee. The task of the committee will be to rewrite the Syrian constitution, paving the way for new elections. "But, we have reached a point, due to many circumstances in realpolitik, that the constitutional committee can be and should be now the entry point for what we call a credible political process, as long as the constitutional committee is credible as well," he said. And that is a major sticking point. Earlier this year, the Syrian opposition presented a list of 50 names it wants on the committee. This is equal to the number proposed by the Syrian regime, which insists it gets 60 percent of the seats. De Mistura says he would like to have the constitutional committee in place before world leaders gather for the General Assembly in New York later this month. The U.N. envoy is a realist and recognizes the current tensions and escalating offensive in Idlib by the Syrian government and its Russian ally could upend his political-led process. He says he hopes this does not happen. "We still believe that the political process should not be hostage of anything, otherwise there will always be a reason, or an excuse used by anyone to postpone everything else," he said. Next week's meeting will be taking place in the shadow of the escalating war in Idlib, the last rebel-held enclave in Syria. The United Nations warns an all-out onslaught against Idlib will put at risk the lives of nearly three million civilians, including 1 million children. It says the determination of the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies to defeat an estimated 10,000 terrorists in Idlib must be weighed against the potential massacre of many of the millions of vulnerable people who live there. The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) on Saturday recommended that thousands of refugees who escaped from detention centers amid clashes between militia in Tripoli be directed to a facility in the capital to help them to safety. The UNHCR recommended "the immediate use of the Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli, which will serve as a platform to find safety in third countries." The facility is ready to use and can host 1,000 vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers and is to be managed by the Ministry of Interior and the UNHCR, the agency said in a statement. Recent fighting pitted two of the capital's largest armed groups the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigades and the Nawasi against the Seventh Brigade from Tarhouna, a town 65 km (45 miles) southeast of Tripoli. Refugees and asylum seekers in the city are exposed to atrocities including rape, kidnapping and torture, the UNHCR said. One woman said that unknown criminals kidnapped her husband and then raped her and tortured her year-old baby, the agency said. It also said the detention centers from which the refugees fled remained at risk of being hit by rockets. Conflicts among militias are at the heart of a conflict that has divided Libya since an uprising that forced leader Moammar Gadhafi from power seven years ago. The UNHCR also called for action to hold smugglers and traffickers accountable after receiving "reliable reports" that they impersonate UNHCR staff at disembarkation platforms and migrant hubs. "UNHCR information comes from refugees who report having been sold to traffickers in Libya, and subjected to abuse and torture, including after having been intercepted at sea," it said, adding that investigations of these allegations were continuing. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation led by Nelson Chamisa is planning to install him as the legitimately-elected president of Zimbabwe following the disputed July 30 presidential poll won by Zanu PFs Emmerson Mnangagwa. MDC-T presidential spokesperson Dr. Nkululeko Sibanda says the swearing-in scheduled for this Saturday, will be conducted by Zimbabweans and not the countrys chief justice or his deputy, who are supposed to administer the oath of office for a president as stipulated in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Dr. Sibanda dismissed suggestions that such moves were illegal, saying the people of Zimbabwe have the right to install a president of their choice. Zanu PF activists warned Chamisa to desist from conducting the symbolic swearing-in ceremony with some calling it treasonous. Section 94 Subsection 1 of the Zimbabwe Constitution stipulates that persons elected as president and vice-presidents assume office when they take, before the Chief Justice or the next most senior judge available, the oaths of president or vice president. Mnangagwa was sworn-in after the Constitutional Court ruled that he won the presidential poll whose results were challenged by Chamisa. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga in January this year conducted the same ceremony in an effort to force President Uhuru Kenyatta to the negotiating table following a disputed presidential election. But in Chamisas case, Dr. Sibanda VOA Zimbabwe Service this is designed to officially declare the MDC-T leader the countrys legitimately-elected president. Reacting to the MDC-Ts move, Zanu PF Central Committee member, Believe Gaule, says the MDC-T will commit treason if it goes ahead with the swearing-in ceremony. Human rights lawyer Matshobana Ncube says the MDC-Ts proposed inauguration is just a big joke. Stronger than expected employment figures from the United States may help the Australian market recover from seven straight days of losses when trading opens. Figures released from Washington after the Australian market closed on Friday showed 201,000 jobs had been created in the US in August while wage growth picked up 0.4 per cent. Commonwealth Bank chief economist Craig James says the better than expected numbers will have an impact in Australia on Monday. "That's just cementing expectations that we're going to see a rate hike by the United States at the end of this month," Mr James told AAP. "The implications of that are that we saw the US dollar continue to strengthen ... that's positive for us in some sense, it helps the exporters and foreign investors looking at our market." As a result of the American job numbers, the Australian dollar lost about a half a cent and was buying just over 70 US cents on Sunday. Mr James said futures index predictions of a downturn of 23 points may be a touch pessimistic. "We've had significant declines already," he said. "Over the last week our market has fallen almost three per cent over the past week and I think some of the more bargain-hunter investors will be looking at our market wit a little bit more favour now." Australia's own jobs figures are expected to be released on Thursday and Mr James said the outlook was good with an unemployment rate somewhere around 5.2 or 5.3 per cent. Unresolved US-China trade concerns are also expected to continue to play on the market. "It could lead to a softer Chinese economy, could actually - if it continues - lead to a slow down in global trade and that would be bad news for us here in Australia," Mr James said. "That stronger greenback and also the China wobbles has had some implications in terms of the markets." Samuel W. Bodman, a onetime venture capitalist and business executive who served as energy secretary during the second term of President George W. Bush and who was a deputy secretary in two other Cabinet departments, died Sept. 7 at his home in El Paso. He was 79. It said he was taken into custody by Herndon police with the aid of Fairfax County police and charged with 10 offenses. A statement listed them as four counts of credit card theft, three counts of obtaining money by false pretenses and three counts of identity theft. Prosecutors said she has deep ties to Russia and few connections to the United States. They also assert other materials and communications investigators uncovered throw doubt on Butinas claim that she should be freed on bond because she has U.S. ties in her longtime relationship with Paul Erickson, a South Dakota-based Republican consultant she met in Moscow in 2013 and with whom she has been romantically linked. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The VHB analysis homed in on several factors Metro had previously identified as driving ridership. For example, it confirmed that ridership is a function of service quality/quantity, development around rail stations and along bus corridors, track work, events/weather, and gas prices, Ly said. The finding that service quality and reliability is critical to ridership confirms the importance of many Back2Good initiatives that resulted in 80 percent customer satisfaction last quarter for the first time since 2014, as well as transit-oriented development near and around stations. The name of an 84-year-old melanoma patient shows as an online signature in an individual public comment that described the programs reform as a matter of life or death. But the Florida man, who asked not to be identified, had little recollection of writing it. His wife remembered that he signed something at his doctors office out front on a clipboard before getting his biweekly cancer treatment. Bladder cancer is the sixth-most common cancer in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 81,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year, and more than 17,000 will die. Many of the cases are cancers in the lining of the bladder that have not invaded the muscle wall; the tumors are removed, repeatedly if necessary. But cancer that has grown into the muscle wall of the bladder is considered invasive, with the potential to spread to other organs, making the disease much harder to treat. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been the target of harsh criticism from President Donald Trump Officials from President Donald Trump's administration met secretly with Venezuelan military officers to discuss plans to oust President Nicolas Maduro but eventually decided not to help, The New York Times reported Saturday. Trump has been harshly critical of Maduro's leftist regime, as Venezuela has spiraled downward into a grave economic and humanitarian crisis that has sparked violent protests and prompted a wave of emigration into nearby countries. A National Security Council spokesman in remarks to AFP, said that: "US policy preference for a peaceful, orderly return to democracy in Venezuela remains unchanged." "The United States government hears daily the concerns of Venezuelans from all walks of life... They share one goal: the rebuilding of democracy in their homeland," added spokesman Garrett Marquis. "A lasting solution to Venezuela's worsening crisis can only arise following restoration of governance by democratic practices, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms." The Times, citing unnamed American officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who took part in the secret talks, said the coup plans stalled. On Twitter, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced "US government intervention plans and support for military plotting against Venezuela." "Right there in US media, new and disgusting evidence is there to see," he said. After explosives-laden drones allegedly blew up near Maduro at an August 4 event in Caracas -- he blamed the US, Colombia and his domestic enemies -- the State Department condemned the "political violence" but also denounced what it said were the arbitrary detentions and forced confessions of suspects. US National Security Advisor John Bolton insisted there was "no US government involvement" in the incident. In August 2017, media reports said Trump asked top advisors about the potential for a US invasion of Venezuela. Around the same time, he said publicly that he would not rule out a "military option" to end the chaos there. The collapse of Venezuela's oil-based economy under the increasingly authoritarian Maduro has led to dire shortages of food and medicine. Maduro has angrily blamed the US for many of his problems. The idea that the Trump administration might have even considered backing a coup attempt seems sure to fuel such charges. Mari Carmen Aponte, who was a top US diplomat for Latin American affairs under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, told the Times that "this is going to land like a bomb" in the region. The gunmen drove at full speed from one part of the city to another on Sunday, firing various types of weapons. In some parts, the gunfire was so intense that it was reminiscent of the civil war era in Afghanistan. The center-right Moderates have become especially tough on immigration, echoing many of the positions of the Sweden Democrats. That raised questions about whether the parties might find a way for the far-right party to vote with the Moderates at least part of the time and helping to install a center-right leader in the prime ministers office. Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson hinted Sunday that could be his goal by demanding that Lofven resign based on the election results. Senator Kamala Harris, considered a Democratic hopeful in the 2020 presidential elections, took the spotlight during confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to sit on the Supreme Court The much-anticipated and nationally televised Senate confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's latest Supreme Court nominee provided a golden opportunity for three Democrats touted as 2020 presidential prospects to make their mark. All three made the most of it. The confirmation hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh had scarcely begun when Senator Kamala Harris jumped in with a point of order. The daughter of a cancer researcher from India and a Jamaican economics professor, Harris coolly interrupted the Senate Judiciary Committee's Republican chairman -- a man 31 years her senior -- to complain that thousands of pages of Kavanaugh's record had been provided to Democrats only hours before the hearing. Her Democratic colleagues then quickly joined in, turning what normally might have been a sedate and relatively civil hearing into a running and at times fiery partisan skirmish. Cory Booker said he was prepared to face expulsion from the Senate in order to release previously confidential documents about Kavanaugh And that was only the first of three days of high-voltage hearings that allowed Harris and ambitious fellow senators Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar to position themselves as fervent defenders of American -- and Democratic Party -- values. Whether their outpouring of energy changed anything is less clear. The Senate's Republican majority is thought to offer a clear path for Kavanaugh's confirmation to the high court, where he is expected to provide a decisive conservative vote on explosive issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. "It is all about the 2020 Democrat presidential primary," John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, groused on Twitter. The three senators have yet to express official interest in running for the presidency. But their words and actions during the hearing were revealing. - Young but hardly shy - As junior senators, Booker and Harris had to wait their turn but made the most of their chance to question Kavanaugh There are only three African Americans in the 100-seat US Senate, but two of them -- Booker, 49, of New Jersey, and Harris, 53, of California -- managed to place themselves squarely in the spotlight during the Kavanaugh hearings. As junior members of the Judiciary Committee, they had to wait hours before being able to question Kavanaugh on Wednesday. But they did not lack energy once they had their chance, even with night already falling over the Capitol building. Pointed questioning by Harris, a former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, produced some of Kavanaugh's few moments of hesitation or uncertainty. "Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?" she asked in an effort to pry a moment of unfiltered candor from the ever-cautious nominee on the question of abortion. "I'm not aware -- I'm not -- thinking of any right now, senator," he finally said, stammering a bit. In the same incisive tone, Harris grilled Kavanaugh about the investigation Special Counsel Robert Mueller is leading into possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. She repeatedly hinted that she possessed compromising information, though she never laid it out. Still, videos of the exchange quickly went viral on social media. On Thursday, it was Booker's turn in the spotlight. In fiery remarks, he said he was ready to risk expulsion from the Senate for having revealed confidential documents about Kavanaugh's positions on racial profiling. Saying he embraced the tradition of "civil disobedience" made famous by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, Booker went so far as to compare himself to the rebel gladiator Spartacus, who led a slave uprising against the Roman republic. But Republican Cornyn took him to task, suggesting that Booker's dramatic defiance was transparently political. "Running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate or the confidentiality that we are privy to," he said. In fact, the release of the documents had been authorized hours before Booker's remarks, and expulsion was not a serious threat. But like Harris, Booker, a former mayor of Newark, New Jersey, had secured his moment in front of the cameras -- and on social media. In more conciliatory tones but with notable rigor, Klobuchar, 58, questioned Kavanaugh about laws governing election finance and discrimination -- subjects of profound interest to the Democratic base. Senator Amy Klobuchar, right, grilled Kavanaugh about his position on election and discrimination law Two other Democratic senators thought to have their eyes on 2020 -- 76-year-old Bernie Sanders, who lost in the 2016 primaries to Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren, 69 -- are not on the Judiciary Committee and so were unable to join in the questioning. But, coincidence or not, Warren broke with her usual discretion to tell journalists during the week that she plans to speak with them more often. And even as the Kavanaugh hearings were wrapping up, she seized attention amid the recent debate about Trump's competence, urging his cabinet members to use a constitutional provision to force him aside if they determine he is genuinely unfit to govern. Most parents would be understandably nervous to change their newborn's nappy for the first time. But for Jodie Harris, seeing her premature baby wreathed in tubes and drips inside an incubator, she felt frightened. "I was scared to touch her; Georgia was tiny and covered in wires and the thought of fumbling my way through and lifting up her bottom was too much," she said. Jodie Harris with her baby daughter Georgia at The Royal hospital in Randwick. Credit:Louise Kennerley It was only when nurses at the Royal Hospital for Women's Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) laid pink-skinned Georgia born at 32 weeks and weighing just 975 grams on Jodie's chest for "kangaroo cuddles" that her fears disappeared. "As soon as she felt me, she stopped crying and curled up into her foetal position. She just knows the voices, the heartbeat, and that's what they need to grow, not just nutrients, but love." BEIJING (AP) - China's trade surplus with the United States widened to a record $31 billion in August as exports surged despite American tariff hikes, potentially adding fuel to President Donald Trump's battle with Beijing over industrial policy. Exports to the United States rose 13.4 percent to $44.4 billion, ticking up from July's 13.3 percent growth, according to customs data. Imports of U.S. goods rose 11.1 percent to $13.3 billion, decelerating from the previous month's 11.8 percent. That could help reignite U.S. demands that Beijing narrow its trade gap, which has temporarily been overshadowed by their clash over complaints China steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. The two sides have imposed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of each other's goods. The Trump administration is deciding whether to extend penalties to another $200 billion list of Chinese imports. Beijing says it will retaliate. With no settlement in sight, the spiraling conflict between the two biggest economies has fed fears it will chill global trade and economic growth. The Commerce Ministry expressed confidence Thursday that China can maintain "steady and healthy" economic growth despite the trade pressure. On Friday, Trump he was ready to step up pressure by raising tariffs on yet another $267 billion list of Chinese imports. That would mean penalties cover almost all goods from China sold to the United States. Chinese leaders have rejected pressure to scale back plans for state-led development of global champions in robotics and other technologies. Their trading partners complain those violate Beijing's free-trade commitments and U.S. officials worry they might erode American industrial leadership. But communist leaders see their industry plans as the path to prosperity and global influence. As tensions mounted, Beijing agreed in May to narrow its trade gap with the United States by purchasing more American soybeans, natural gas and other exports. Chinese leaders scrapped that deal after Trump's first tariff hikes hit. Chinese exporters of lower-value goods such as handbags and surgical gloves say U.S. orders have fallen off. But sellers of factory machinery and other more advanced exports express confidence they can keep their U.S. market share. The Chinese customs agency took the rare step of announcing August trade data on Saturday instead of a working day. That would give financial markets a chance to digest the politically sensitive data before trading opens Monday. The Chinese trade gap with the United States was up from July's $28 billion and June's $29 billion. Beijing reported a record $275.8 billion trade surplus with the United States last year. Forecasters had said China's sales to the United States, its largest national export market, might weaken after manufacturers rushed to fill orders ahead of Trump's first tariff hike July 6. But trade data have yet to show a significant impact. China's global exports rose 12.2 percent to $217.4 billion, down from July's 12.6 percent. Imports rose 20.9 percent to $189.5 billion, down from 21 percent. The country's global trade gap was $27.9 billion. That meant that without sales to the U.S. market, China would have run a trade deficit. China regularly runs deficits with many of its trading partners that supply oil, industrial components and other imports and pays for those by running a surplus with the United States and Europe. Exports to the 28-nation European Union, China's biggest trading partner, rose 11 percent to $37 billion. Imports rose 15 percent to $24.9 billion, leaving a surplus of $6.1 billion. Last week, luxury fashion label Balmain debuted their three new brand ambassadors: Shudu, Margot and Zhi. The women will join some of the biggest names in the business Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner are both tied to the brand to front the French fashion house's Fall/Winter 2018 campaign. However, there is a key point of difference between Balmain's three new models and the rest of the "Balmain army": Shudu, Margot and Zhi aren't real. Margo and Zhi. CGI models are now being used by leading fashion houses such as Balmain. Credit:Instagram The three "women" are CGI creations. They exist only as images, wearing digital versions of the brand's upcoming collection. But according to Balmain's creative director Olivier Rousteing who calls the women his "virtual reality army" these models are more than just a collection of pixels. Julie Bishop is too late a convert to the feminist cause. This is the consensus of both the progressives who got there first and the troglodytes within her own party, the guys who live in caves where they can hide from the terrifying bogeys of modern society, like gender quotas, gender dysphoric children and - whisper it - female ministers who care more for fashion than footy. This week, former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop added her considerable moral weight to reports of bullying in the Liberal Party, some of it allegedly anti-women. She also told her Liberal colleagues it is not acceptable that only 25 per cent of their parliamentarians were female. Bishops replacement as Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne - now the Liberals most senior woman, along with Minister for Women Kelly ODwyer - said her party had a very serious issue concerning the role of women in the parliamentary party. Julie Bishop has added her considerable moral weight to reports of bullying in the Liberal Party. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen ODwyer said Liberal MPs "were subject to threats and intimidation and bullying" during the ghastly spill week. Liberal frontbencher Sussan Ley also broke ranks and said her party should consider introducing quotas to address their woman problem. Quotas have long been considered anathema to Liberal Party values but the dumpster fire of the leadership wars may have helped change attitudes. This week, the Prime Minister called his own governments recent gambols a muppet show. It is no longer possible to make the argument that pure, blind merit forms the basis on which promotion decisions are made. Greek authorities insist they found no incriminating evidence in their investigation into the death of Instagram model Sinead McNamara, despite the 20-year olds parents doubts over the circumstances in which she died. The parents of Sinead, who was found tangled in a rope on a billionaires superyacht in the Greek island of Kefalonia a week and a half ago, have issued a statement pleading for further investigation of the lead-up to their daughters death. The family's lawyer said Sinead McNamara cried in her last phone call to her family. Credit:Facebook The family have serious doubts about reports from the Greek media that all evidence pointed to suicide. Their suspicions were aroused by a phone call from Sinead less than 48 hours before her death, in which she was crying and talked about an incident involving another crew member. But sources close to the investigation which is being carried out by local port authorities and one of Greeces chief coroners said nothing they had found during their investigation led to any suspicion of foul play. Boris Johnson and talk of plots in the Conservative party make the majority of Sundays front pages, while Brexit also features. The Sunday Times leads with allegations that Theresa Mays aides drew up a dossier about Mr Johnsons personal life in an attempt to thwart his leadership plans. The Sunday Telegraph runs with a proposal from Justice Secretary David Gauke to allow prisoners access to phones. What the papers say - September 9 Sunday Telegraph front page 'Minister: give all prisoners phones' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/lqg84dHENL The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 8, 2018 Brexit leads the Observer, with the paper reporting that members of Britains three largest trade unions support a second vote on the country leaving the bloc. The Independent reports that a planned compromise on the Irish border post-Brexit has been deemed unacceptable by cabinet ministers. Brexit talks at risk of collapse as British cabinet ministers brand EU compromise on Irish border 'unacceptable' https://t.co/e684uXt0I1 pic.twitter.com/41pAu4JgQY The Independent (@Independent) September 8, 2018 The Sun on Sunday and Sunday Mirror contain more allegations about Mr Johnsons life outside Parliament. Tomorrow's front page: Boris Johnson grows close to ex-Tory aide since his marriage hits the rocks https://t.co/2QqmHkCFim pic.twitter.com/R4fuz28mDT The Sun (@TheSun) September 8, 2018 While the Mail on Sunday speaks of the furore caused by comments made by Mr Johnson in which he said Mrs May had wrapped a suicide vest around Britain and handed a detonator to Brussels. And Johnson has an op ed in the Mail on Sunday, delivering a full frontal political attack on Theresa May. His most outspoken attack yet. Its certainly going to be a busy in Westminster next week. pic.twitter.com/9fSk7ojyjn Tom Watson (@tom_watson) September 8, 2018 The Sunday Express reports an ex-KGB officer who claims Russia told him to kill dissidents in a similar way as was seen in the attack on the Skripals in Salisbury. Sunday Express: Kremlin ordered me to poison enemies #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/XW0if2ieL7 Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) September 8, 2018 And the Star on Sunday sees Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood air his views on X Factor and the ratings war between the two shows. A leak was reported in a pipeline carrying fuel from tankers to Muthurajawela terminal, the Navy said today. They said the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had informed about the leak to the Navy yesterday and that the CPC had taken action to prevent the leak. However, litres of fuel have reportedly spilled into the sea areas off Uswetekeiyawa. Navy Spokesman Commander Dinesh Bandara said the Navy and the Coast Guard personnel were taking measure to remove the oil from the surface of the sea. Meanwhile, the CPC said the renovation could take up to three days to complete. "We have brought divers and obtained technical assistance" an official of the CPC said.(Darshana Sanjeewa) WiGBits Headline News Would you like to receive our WiGBits? Signup today! WiG Entertainment News Would you like to receive our WiG Entertainment News? Signup today! Digital Issue Would you like to receive our Digital Issue? Signup today! oday we are witnessing an ever-increasing number of natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, landslides, earth slips, flooding, droughts, wildfires and tsunamis occurring worldwide. Earlier this year in Greece, devastating wildfires killed around 85 people, while wildfires in California and in Sweden raged out of control and burned for days. In Kerala, India, unusually heavy rains during the recent monsoon led to landslides and floods which killed over 483 persons and around half-a-million persons had to be evacuated. In April 2015, Nepal was hit by an earthquake killing nearly 9,000 people. Over 22,000 suffered injury. The quake toppled muti-storeyed buildings in Kathmandu and created landslides and avalanches. In our own country last year (May 2017), we witnessed large-scale landslides and flooding which brought about widespread death and destruction. The Disaster Management Centre reported 100 deaths, 250,000 people affected, 71 houses destroyed and 163 houses were severely damaged by landslides and flooding after three days of continuous rainfall. No single country; whether it be the rich, developed or the poorest in Asia or Africa, has been spared by natures wrath, as human activity continues to damage the environment. A UN environmental study involving 1,203 scientists, hundreds of scientific institutions, and more than 160 governments, brought together by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) found degradation of the worlds natural resources by humans was rapidly outpacing the planets ability to absorb the damage - meaning the rate of deterioration is increasing globally. Studies have also shown that deforestation is one on the main causes behind the climatic changes leading to natural disasters, rising sea levels and the creation of holes in the ozone layer which protects us from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Deforestation means less trees, less trees means less cleansing of oxygen, the displacement of the wildlife, changes in weather patterns, desertification and water scarcity. Deforestation also gives rise to a dangerous decrease in a natural fighter of global warming which leads to climate change and rising oceans. With sea levels rising from the melting of glaciers and icebergs. Scientists warn many small islands could be submerged. According the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Maldives is projected to experience sea level rise on the order of 1.5 feet (half-a-meter) -- and to lose some 77% of its land area -- by around the year 2100. If sea level were instead to rise by 3 feet (one metre), the Maldives could be almost completely inundated by about 2085. Achim Steiner, administrator of the UN Development Programme says, the world has lost over 130m hectares of rain-forests since 1990, and we lose dozens of species every day, pushing the Earths ecological system to its limit. Biodiversity and the ecosystem services it supports are not only the foundation for our life on Earth, but critical to the livelihoods and well-being of people everywhere. Between 2000 and 2012, 2.3 million sq km (890,000 sq miles) of forests around the world were cut down. As a result of deforestation, only 6.2 million square km (2.4 million square miles) remain of the original 16 million square km (6 million sq miles) of forest that formerly covered the Earth. Forest cover world-wide which stood at 31.81 in 1990 was down to 30.825 by 2015. Forest cover in Sri Lanka has reduced by more than 3 percentage points. According to Global Forest Watch between 2001 and 2017, Sri Lanka lost 154 kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 3.9% decrease since 2000. A rate far exceeding the international drop in forest cover of around 1%. Biologist Paul Ehrlich, has warned that civilisational collapse is a near certainty in the next few decades due to the destruction of the natural world. As though this were not bad enough fumes from fossil fuel-based motor vehicles are creating holes in the layer of ozone, which protects the earth and all its beings from the ultra-violet rays of the sun. Plastic waste on the other hand is now even clogging sections of the ocean posing a danger to marine life. So, is our planet doomed? Is there anything we can do to protect this planet we call home? The answer is YES! Yes We Can, and Asia is showing the way. In northern Asia, forest cover has increased by more than 22% -- a result of tree-planting programmes mainly by China, where as a result of tree-planting programmes, forest cover has increased by more than 22%. As individuals we too can play an important role in protecting the Earth. We need to help farming families realise the danger of slash and burn agricultural practices which are denuding our forests. Every action counts. Lets help save our planet. A poignant drama, which depends not on the spoken word but uses mime, dance and body language Uses a pure dance format as a vehicle for his ideas He has taken no major liberties with the original legend "Sri Lankans are more familiar with the traditional nadagama and its post-1956 version" Nilan Maligaspes Sinha Ballet is a new interpretation of a familiar legend and should not be seen as a re-working of Ediriweera Sarchchandras Sinhabahu. Nilan uses a pure dance format as a vehicle for his ideas, with neither song nor spoken word, with changes of scenery and mood conveyed by lighting and an occasional projection instead of elaborate stage sets. It is both innovative and mentally stimulating. He has taken no major liberties with the original legend which we are familiar with but gives it a new twist. Instead of a lion, we see a man. The king of Vagu and his queen Mayawathi are told that their only daughter Suppadevi would fall in love with a lion and beget children by him. Though they do their best to prevent this from happening, their worst fears come true and the two children of Suppadevi are named Sinhabahu and Sinhaseevali. Sinhabahu eventually escapes from his lion father, taking his mother and sister with him. When the enraged lion begins devastating the countryside in revenge, the son confronts the father and kills him. Whereas Sarachchandra took this story literally and gave it dramatic form, Nilan attempts to see the genesis of this spectacular folklore. "Ballet is little understood in this country. The nadagama style adapted and further developed by Dr. Sarachchandra is remote from the techniques and modern perspectives of modern ballet, where body language is supreme" He gives Sinhabahu a human form and avoids the use of lion masks till the very end when Sinhabahu appears with the bloodied head of his father, Sinha, who may have been a feared tribal leader. The result is a poignant drama, which depends not on the spoken word but uses mime, dance and body language to achieve its end. Nilan Maligaspe is a hard-working choreographer, who has produced seventeen ballets since his debut production in 1998. This is his 18th. As an artist, his dedication to his art is unquestionable and goes beyond the average artists involvement. Apart from training his young proteges in the intricacies of expressing a range of emotions through body language, he plans and executes everything to the minutest detail, from scriptwriting to directing, choreography, stage; lighting and costume design to even doing the laundry of his ensemble himself to save money. Recognition has come, both here and abroad. But its light from a jewellers lamp in the countrys whirlpool of art. Ballet is little understood in this country. The nadagama style adapted and further developed by Dr Sarachchandra is remote from the techniques and modern perspectives of modern ballet, where body language is supreme. Sri Lankans are more familiar with the traditional nadagama and its post-1956 version than with the more versatile modern ballet. Even though the country holds State Ballet Festivals, even the theatre-going public, remain largely unaware of what is seen as an esoteric, fringe cultural activity. It takes an unusual degree of perseverance to perform so consistently in that context, and Nilan Maligaspe is a maverick, who has blazed his own stylistically individual path. He has been ably supported by a closely-knit team. The music for his ballets, as in this instance, is composed by Sanjeeva Paranamana, a faithful friend. His youthful dancers, some of whom come from troubled family backgrounds, are loyal to him. That in itself is a feat in a sphere where ego conflicts are common and relationships volatile. Though Nilan himself has played the Sinha role earlier, this time it was performed by Madushan Sabaragamuge. Suppadevi was played by Nipuni Jayasinghe and Sinhabahu and Sinhaseevali were played by Tharuka Jayaweera and Chamitha Weerabahu respectively. Their roles as children were played by Anshupathi Perera and Divyanjali Abeywickrama, and the maid was played by Chamitha Weerabahu and the carter was played by Anurudda Rathnayake. Pethum Weerasinghe assisted with the script and production. 1347 Property Insurance Holdings, Inc., an insurance holding company, provides property and casualty insurance products to individuals in Louisiana, Florida, and Texas. The company offers homeowners' insurance, manufactured home insurance, dwelling fire insurance, and wind/hail insurance products, as well as reinsurance products. It offers its insurance policies through a network of independent agents. 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The Global Finance Solutions segment provides technology solutions for bank and non-bank issuers, such as credit, retail private label, commercial card, and loan processing, as well as licensed financial software systems; suite of account services that include card personalization and embossing, customer communications, and professional services; and call center solutions and back office processing. The Network & Security Solutions segment offers EFT network, stored value network, and security and fraud solutions, as well as other value added solutions to its clients in GBS and GFS segments, smaller financial institutions, and other enterprise clients. First Data Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More At Landsec, we strive to connect communities, realise potential and deliver sustainable places. 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MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Anglo African Oil & Gas wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. "Vocational education should be oriented to the manpower need of the country" "Vocational education is economic education" "Every person is important and has dignity and right to be educated" "Pupils at all levels should have some occupationally oriented education" Due to the technological change in concrete terms have led to rapid introduction of modern technology in every sphere of economic activity. The rate of change has also led to continuous changes in education and occupation. These changes have been occurring in different directions and different speeds compared to changes in education system. When most students have to be educated up to the age of 16 or 18, it is imperative that education imparted. especially in later years, should be linked with their working life. At early stages of technological transformation of society, the skill profile is pyramidal. most of the jobs would be at the base of pyramidal requiring small preparation in terms of education and skill development. At later stages the structure tends to become urn-shaped with maximum workers at the middle level of skills with concomitant requirement of education and skills. Vertical specialization become an important feature and differentiated entry points in occupational areas emerge. The stratification occupational levels has given rise to three levels of education namely, vocational, technical, professional. Concept of vocational education Vocational education is specific career or trade excluding the professions. Vocational education sources on practical application of skill learned and is generally unconcerned with theory or traditional academic skills. A large part of the education in vocational institutes is learned on training. Vocational training of those provided a link between education and working world. It is usually provided either at the high school level or in a post-secondary trade school. Principles of Vocational Education Vocational education is based on the following principles. (a) Every person is important and has dignity and right to be educated. Society has responsibility to give every youngster the appearing to develop to the fullest extent of his capabilities. (b) Vocational education is economic education as it is geared to the need of job market and those contribute to national economic strength. (c) Vocational education can develop a marketable man by developing his ability to perform skills that extend his utility as a tool of production. (d) Vocational education is an education for production to serve the end of economic system and is said to have social utility. (e) Vocational education at the secondary level is concerned with preparation of the individual for initial entry employment. (f) Vocational education should be orient to the manpower need of the country. (g) Vocational education should be evaluated on the basis of its economic efficiency. In the history of vocational education, a number of definitions have emerged. Smith Hughes defines vocational education on that education which is under public supervision or control that the controlling purpose of such education shall be to fit far useful Employment. That such education shall be of less than college grade and that such education be designed to meet the needs of persons over fourteen years of age who have entered or who are preparing to enter work (work of the farm trade of industrial per unit) George Deen the George Barder did not appreciably change the definition but added more disciplines and services. They also provided for federal funds to be spent to distribute occupations. Salaries and counsellors and research. Apart from that education for work a report on the current scene in vocational education, spend out a frame work which postulates the followings. One objective of education for and youth be preparation for occupation. Pupils at all levels should have some occupationally oriented education. Such schooling on the part of the core of all education should touch all of the capacities of all individuals and it should be viable in a rapidly changing technological society. It should be open entered not terminal and It should be recognized a providing only part of the total continuing educational input to an occupational career. Constrained present vocational education on system: Zero sum problem - Young students are attached toward the stream because of the advantage or incentives it offers Especially those related to the labour market in forms of jobs, income on career prospects. Therefore, an improved incentive in one part of the system must be matched by reduced incentive elsewhere. Labour market recruitment and training - Education policy makers are unable to influence the way labour market incentive are distributed in relation to participation and attainment in education. They have little control over selection process and the resulting market. Signals conveyed to future students. Institutional inertia -Educational institutions do not easily restructure themselves. Vested interests and expectations are slow to change. Learning -Enable students to acquire the knowledge and competencies required at their destinations. They must take account of changing skills demands and the way tasks and skills are combined within occupations. Mismatch Between Education and Occupation Lack of congruence between number of young people completing a program and occupational opportunities create mismatches and unemployment. Operationally, the extent of mismatch between education and employment is measured by the following indicators as follows. The correspondence between the aggregate supply of occupational skills and distribution of employment across occupation. The extent to which individuals entering the labour market find employment in occupations related to their field of study. Other labor market indicators such as the rate of return or more simply earnings or employment rates of young workers from different disciplines or trades. Evidences of skill shortages or recruitment difficulties experienced by employees. In the Sri Lankan Context Sri Lankan vocational education system has been introduced by British in 1893, Initially to train the blue colour personnel to run the railway and the tea factories. urrently, Sri Lankas Technical Vocational education training is characterized by multitude of agencies including training program of public and private sectors. tandards and curriculum development agencies and regulatory body. Which is the tertiary and vocational education commission. Operating under the preview of the ministry of vocational training and skill development. National Apprenticeship and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) and the University for Vocational Technology (UNIVOTEC) previously had been known as the national institute of technical education Sri Lanka. In Europe, Vocational Education and Training (VET) are considered necessities and prepared skill for professional jobs. Large scale companies hire vocationally trained all individual who prosess the strength and soft skills experiences and the job training needed to the challenges in day to day work environment. Because of this youth unemployment and unemployment related problems remain relatively low in Europe specially, Germany and Switzerland considering other counties such as India and Vietnam are looking for similar mechanism to overcome unemployment and to strengthen their economics through a workforce that has been empowered by vocational training. "In Sri Lanka, vocational training follows the dual programmes where students obtain on the job training as well as work experience the three year programme consist of theoretical as well as practical component" Unfortunately, in Sri Lanka for instance most companies and public sector institute will hesitate to recruit an employee without a degree despite having the advantages On the Job Training (OJT) skills and learned knowledge. In Sri Lanka, vocational training follows the dual programmes where students obtain on the job training as well as work experience the three year programme consist of theoretical as well as practical component. Sri Lankan public and private sector organizations will also tend to get this advantage of this trade. By following the European System, it will shift the onus from the government sector to private sector to provide training to the youth of the country. Because the private sector identified needs and is also able to adopt the training to changing requirements. However large private sector companies including. ICC, Sanken and public sector institutes such as SEC, CECB have played pivotal roles and active parts in training, interning and recruiting students from university colleges and VET centres throughout Sri Lanka. Many of these trainees have gone on to make a significant difference to their centres and changes to their life style as well. Some of them have faced lucrative employment overseas. Author is Director - University College of Batangala Wall Street analysts have given Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Romanias presidency of the Council of the European Union seems to fail even before it starts, warns Chairman of the Bundestag European Affairs Committee Gunther Krichbaum (photo) in an interview with Hotnews. The Berlin official refers to recent slippages of Darius Valcov and Liviu Pop, which he says affects German-Romanian relations, especially since no delimitation existed from the Government, which shows that they are accepted and assumed by the majority coalition. What it is about: Liviu Pop compares the United States, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands with some cockroaches, in an image posted on Facebook related to the alleged strategic interests of these countries regarding the exploitation of the natural gas in Romania: * STOP! Gases do not leave Romania for free Well, we arrest you and still take them America Austria Germany The Netherlands * Liviu Pop also posted messages on Facebook according to which The Forum of Germans in Romania is a Nazi-based organization and its former leader, Klaus Iohannis, is, as a consequence, a Nazi. Darius Valcov, the right hand of Prime Minister Dancila, compared President Klaus Iohannis with Hitler in a graphic illustration, followed by a text in which the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania was labelled as a fascist organization that has Svastica as the logo. Several publications in Germany and France have written about this political attack that uses symbols whose promotion is banned by law, including in Romania and offends German people: Olguta Vasilescu, a minister in the Romanian Government, said after the repression of protest on August 10, referring to President Iohanniss criticism, that you should have courage, as a German, to talk about gassing. Harsh statements by Gunther Krichbaum, Chairman of the Bundestag European Affairs Committee for Hotnews: Recent slippages are the sad apogee of a dispute that has lost the measure. These people (Valcov and Pop-editors note) became intolerable in the positions they hold. It can be seen that the intensity of the attacks keeps increasing. At the same time, some red lines have been crossed several times, including by criticizing the German Forum, which was presented as the continuation of the Nationalist Socialism . . It should be noted that the use of swastikas and other anti-constitutional symbols in Germany is a crime. At the same time, such behaviour shows a shocking ignorance of the history. Since the Government of Romania has not clearly distanced itself from all that, it seems reasonable to assume that it deliberately accepts, if not controls them. In addition to the good German-Romanian relations being affected, that leads to an even higher loss in prestige for the Romanian Government at the international level. Romania is under the close supervision of the European Commission. So for me it is very clear that MCV cannot be ended. For the Presidency of the Council of the European Union that follows (in 2019 editors note), these are not good signs. The presidency seems to fail even before it starts. The parliamentary group of minorities demands Darius Valcovs dismissal The parliamentary group of national minorities has asked Premier Viorica Dancila, with a letter, to dismiss the advisor Darius Valcov following the post in which he associates the emblems of the Democratic Forum of Germans with the swastika. The parliamentary group of national minorities has taken note with concern about the appearance in the public space of a presentation of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania having the electoral sign and the logo (heart) replaced with the swastika, the letter states. Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce: We want to believe that the message does not represent the official position of the Romanian Government The Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Romania) will take a stand against the slippage of some officials in recent weeks regarding the approach to the German community, announced on Tuesday evening Dragos Anastasiu, President of AHK Romania. We will never deny the dialogue with the Romanian Government, although we want to believe that things that happened yesterday, for example, regarding the messages of an advisor of the state, do not represent the official position of the Romanian Government on the German Forum. It is a matter that concerns us; AHK will react, through a letter addressed to the Government, by which we express the hope that these slippages are not the official position of the Romanian Government, the AHK President said. We are somewhat in a paradox, one year ago we also were, but now there is more: in an economic situation, even very good for the German community in Romania, on all pillars of activity that our members have, and the entire community in Romania, we are well but, on the other hand, we are worried because there are some issues that are important to Romania and which we see as hindrances, said Anastasiu at the monthly meeting of AHK Romania members. Dragos Anastasiu is the Chairman of Eurolines group, which has activities in transport and tourism. In addition to the fact that the sentiment of the German community in Romania is not a positive one, the President of AHK Romania listed, among the obstacles, the lack of labour force, lack of digitization and lack of decrease in bureaucracy, Romanias image, infrastructure, health and education, first of all. German Forum will notify the judiciary The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR) has issued a press release stating that it firmly rejects the Facebook post of Darius Valcov, the advisor of Prime Minister Viorica Vasilica Dancila, which suggests that the FDGR would be a Nazi organization: The FDGR reiterates that it is the legitimate representative of the German minority established on the basis of the Romanian Constitution and the legislation in force, having a statute approved by Romanian courts () Considering the repeated attacks of PSD members, since 2014, the FDGR has the right to refer not only to the courts and institutions in Romania (as it did so far), but also to those of the RFG under the Treaty between Romania and RFG signed on April 21, 1992, which stipulates the shared responsibility for protecting the rights and preserving the identity of the German minority in Romania. The Nun, a prequel to The Conjuring series of horror films, finds a young nun traveling to Romania to investigate a demon that has potentially latched itself onto a nun. With that premise, things are bound to get a little crazy. Of course, theres a long history in film of taking chaste, pious women who have become nuns on film and testing their resolve, of taken their faith to wild extremes, or playing on that goodness for comedy. Say a few rosaries and check out these nun movies. Sister Act (1992) Whoopi Goldberg goes into the witness protection program and winds up a jump-roping, gospel singing, foul-mouthed nun with Maggie Smith looking down her nose at her in Sister Act. The film made an ungodly sum as the sixth highest grossing movie of the year and spawned a sequel. Black Narcissus (1947) Powell & Pressburgers 1947 drama is about as lush and gorgeous of an early color film as youre likely to see. And those eye-popping colors help to underscore the insanity of the story of a nun (Deborah Kerr) tasked with opening a convent in the Himalayas, all while battling the impulses and panics of the other nuns in the convent. The true crazy one is Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron), who goes jealous with rage over her attraction to a man helping the convent, leading to her spectacularly wild-eyed demise. Viridiana (1961) The story of Viridiana is simply about a young nun about to take her final vows who visits her widowed uncle, but Luis Bunuel turns this innocent act and character into the blackest and surrealist of comedies, including staging a scandalous re-enactment of The Last Supper. Doubt (2008) Meryl Streep gives one of her fiercest performances as Sister Aloysis Beauvier in the film adaptation of Doubt, playing a nun that the whole school she watches over is thoroughly terrified around. Her sharp tongued dialogue comes with Streeps imposing sense of certainty as she tries to prove sexual misconduct between their parishs priest and a young boy. Story continues The Sound of Music (1965) Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria? It isnt easy being a nun when all you want to do is sing, spin around on top of a hill and fall in love, not to mention when there are Nazis afoot. The Singing Nun (1966) There was a real singing nun, Sister Smile, known for her song Dominique and who became a surprise recording smash, but theres also this delightfully silly, playful movie in which Debbie Reynolds sings all of the Singing Nuns hits. The Little Hours (2017) Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson and Kate Micucci play three surly, horny nut jobs of nuns in this raunchy comedy, and thats BEFORE Dave Franco shows up and gets everyone hot and bothered. Agnes of God (1985) In this film based on a play of the same name, Meg Tilly and Anne Bancroft play two nuns in a lonely convent where a newborn baby is found dead, sparking an investigation from a psychiatrist (Jane Fonda) as to the identity of the father and the murderer, making for a grizzly whodunnit. The Magdalene Sisters (2002) Peter Mullens The Magdalene Sisters documents the true story of institutional cruelty and abuse toward women at the hands of a convent of nuns called The Magdalene Laundries. The film follows three women sent to the asylum to atone for their sins. Their crimes? Everything from flirting with boys to getting pregnant out of wedlock to even being raped. Ida (2013) A Foreign Language Oscar winner, the Polish film Ida is about an orphaned nun who learns in a bombshell of a family reunion that her name is not Anna, how her parents died, and that shes a Jew. Gorgeously shot in black and white, this shocking coming-of-age story about a woman who has never been outside her convent grapples with harsh realities in post-war Poland designed to test this nuns faith. Airplane! Among the countless zany things to happen in Airplane! is a nun with a guitar. She sings some Aretha Franklin in this clip, but the best gag is when the camera finds her reading Boys Life magazine before cutting to a young boy reading Nuns Life. Read original story 11 Crazy Nuns in Movies, from Black Narcissus to Sister Act (Photos) At TheWrap On Dec. 7, 2017, the price of bitcoin was above $17,000. Nine months later, its below $7,000. Bitcoin (BTC), the primary cryptocurrency, is down more than 60% in 2018. The rest of the market looks even worse. Bitcoin has not taken as brutal a hit as most of the other cryptocurrencies this year, but it has recently shown a closer correlation with all the other coins than in the past, which means that altcoins are pulling bitcoin down with them. Ether (ETH), the token of the Ethereum network, is down more than 75% in 2018 and has lost its spot as the No. 2 cryptocurrency by market cap to ripple (XRP), which is down more than 85% in 2018. Rounding out the top five coins by market cap are bitcoin cash (BCH), down more than 80%, and stellar lumens (XLM), down more than 60%. The cryptocurrency market in 2018 is ugly, and some people are panicking. Prices of BTC, ETH, and XRP in 2018, the three biggest coins by market cap, through Sept. 7. (Chart: Daniel Roberts/Yahoo Finance) But as always in crypto, misconceptions and misinformation are circulating. So it helps to take a look at the facts, as well as the varying reasons why believers still see cryptocurrencies as viable financial instruments. Why crypto prices are down On Wednesday, Business Insider reported that Goldman Sachs was ditching its plans to launch a crypto futures trading desk. But by the next day, Goldman CFO Martin Chavez called the report fake news. He also said Goldmans entire crypto strategy is still in exploration mode, which suggests that the initial hype around Goldmans crypto interest, ignited by a report in May, was overblown all along. The reality is that crypto prices have been plummeting this year due to multiple major concerns, all of which are more macro than conjecture about what Goldman Sachs does or doesnt want to do with bitcoin. (Most likely, the bank doesnt actually know yet.) Yahoo Finances cryptocurrency heatmap on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. EST. There are serious concerns about whether the SEC will ever approve of a bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded fund), an investment vehicle seen as crucial to bringing legitimacy to crypto trading. In July, the SEC rejected a bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded fund) from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss for the second time. In August, the SEC delayed its decision on a bitcoin ETF from Van Eck, with a decision now expected in late September. Story continues There are also fears about ether, which has fallen the farthest in recent weeks of any major coin. Many of the scores of startups that held ICOs (initial coin offerings), which are typically conducted in ether, either rushed to cash out their ether or failed entirely. The proliferation of scammy ICOs has cast a negative light on Ethereum. And then there are the issues regarding tether, a stablecoin pegged to the value of the U.S. dollar and believed by many to be the driving force behind bitcoin price manipulation at the end of 2017. Tether, the company behind tether tokens, was subpoenaed by the CFTC in December along with the crypto exchange Bitfinex, and in May the CFTC and Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into manipulation of bitcoin prices. The findings of that probe are still unknown, creating even more uncertainty. Crypto believers hold on And yet, amidst the 2018 crash, there remains a huge ecosystem supporting cryptocurrencies and their future as financial instruments. These believers typically fall into one of three factions: 1. Coin speculators: These are people who may not be convinced bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies have a future as an important technology but are buying, holding, and trading crypto as a speculative investment. They want coins to rise for the sake of their return. Many of these are the institutional investors and new funds that have rushed in. This group also includes people who bought up bitcoin, ether, litecoin, ripple, and other coins during the run-up at the end of 2017, in the hope that prices would rise further. (They did the opposite.) Some of those folks, according to sad stories you can easily find, bought high last year and sold low this year in a panic. Others held their coins and are eager and anxious to see them go back up. Amid the fervor, established fintech players like Robinhood and Square set up easy crypto buying options as a way to cater to curious newbies who want to invest. Cryptocurrencies have plunged in 2018. (Photo: Getty) Morgan Creek Capital Partners is just one of many examples of established hedge funds that have hastened to set up crypto trading operations. Morgan Creek is launching a crypto index in partnership with Bitwise. We had inbound interest from institutional investors saying, How do we get exposure to crypto?' CEO Mark Yusko said on Yahoo Finances Midday Movers show. Our hashtag is #GetOffZero. Zero is the wrong allocation to this asset going forward. 2. Blockchain, not bitcoin: These are the big banks or traditional Wall Street types who have dismissed the viability of bitcoin, the cryptocurrency, but keep hyping the applications of blockchain technology. Bitcoin believers insist the two go hand in hand, and that its silly to try to divorce them. After all, the argument goes, blockchain (a decentralized, peer-to-peer ledger) originated with the invention of bitcoin in 2009. But as crypto prices remain volatile, traditional types have voiced interest in implementing distributed ledger technology without having to touch cryptocurrencies. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is among this group. Dimon told the Harvard Business Review last month that cryptocurrency is, not the same as gold or fiat currencies. Those are supported by law, police, courts. Theyre not replicable, and there are strictures on them. Blockchain, on the other hand, is real. Were testing it and will use it for a whole lot of things. Even those who dismiss bitcoin but see value in blockchain should be rooting for the success of the ecosystem, given that successful use cases for blockchain would (hypothetically) buoy the digital assets that are traded on blockchains. (Graphic: Reuters) 3. Bitcoin believers: This group includes the bitcoin enthusiasts who have believed in the space since the early days: developers, programmers, and entrepreneurs who still think bitcoin (or other cryptocurrencies) will fuel a revolution in financial technology. They believe in the power of digital assets themselves, not just the rails they run on. You could put many of the earliest, well-funded crypto startups in this camp, like Coinbase, which some have called the Goldman Sachs or Google of crypto, or Blockchain, the biggest provider of free wallet software for storing your crypto. You can include here not just bitcoin maximalists but those bullish on ether, or stellar lumens, or any other tokenized assets. These folks often use the phrase internet of money. Balaji Srinivasan, founder of the bitcoin startup Earn.com (which Coinbase acquired this year), framed this vision to Yahoo Finance in 2016: Bitcoin can create a machine economy that would, effectively rent or sell resources to other computers. In other words, it would be an internet of money that has all kinds of positive implications for needs such as paying for online content or storing a contract. That hasnt exactly happened yet, but crypto believers are convinced it will. Blockchain CEO Peter Smith (L) and Chain CEO Adam Ludwin (R) at the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit: Crypto on Feb. 8, 2018. (Gine DePinto/Oath) The people in this group mostly scoff at the idea of blockchain without bitcoin. As Chain CEO Adam Ludwin said at Yahoo Finances All Markets Summit: Crypto in New York in February: Think of the asset first, not the architecture first. Anticipating the trust net Of course, none of this is to say that people cant fit into more than one of those groups. There are certainly many crypto traders who are trading these assets because they do believe in the long-term future of the technology. Morgan Creeks Yusko is one such believer or at least claims to be. He says cryptocurrencies and the rails they run on will bring about the trust net, which is I think going to start in 2024. The bottom line: With so many people still holding on to crypto, for whatever reason, the assets are here to stay, regardless of the highs and lows of price drama. Daniel Roberts covers cryptocurrency and blockchain at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @readDanwrite. Read more: Crypto market crash prompts people to post suicide hotline on Reddit Exclusive: Former FBI director Louis Freeh talks Tether investigation Bitcoin VC: People are going to lose a lot of money on new coins Beware: An ICO is not like an IPO The 11 biggest names in crypto right now Ailing US man gets 15 years in Egyptian prison in case lawyers call 'bogus' and 'a disgrace' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A New York City taxicab driver, a U.S. citizen, who was arrested in Egypt when he went to visit his wife and children has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in a case his lawyers call "bogus" and "a disgrace." Moustafa Kassem, whose sentencing on Saturday came in a mass trial with more than 700 co-defendants, was convicted of trying to overthrow the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi. He has already been held in Egyptian jails for five years, since his arrest in August 2013 at a checkpoint in Cairo while visiting his wife and two children, then 3 and 6 years old. He was out shopping when security officials detained him, accusing him of being part of protests in a nearby square against a military takeover led by then Gen. Sisi, Kassem's lawyers said. One of Kassem's lawyer called the charges against his client "bogus" claims against "an innocent American." PHOTO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) meets with Vice President Mike Pence (L) at the Presidential Palace in the capital Cairo on Jan. 20, 2018. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images, FILE) "What a disgrace," said lawyer Praveen Madhiraju, who is executive director of Pretrial Rights International. "The White House and State Department should not sit idly by when so utterly disgraced by an 'ally,'" Madhiraju added. (MORE: Egyptian government targets journalists, labels them 'forces of evil') The Egyptian embassy and the White House have not yet responded to ABC News' requests for comment. A State Department spokesperson said it is "deeply concerned by the conviction" and has raised his case "repeatedly with the Egyptian government." The Department of State takes seriously its responsibilities to assist U.S. citizens abroad, the spokesperson said. We will continue providing appropriate consular services. Kassem's case has been followed by the Trump administration, with Vice President Mike Pence saying he raised it directly with Sisi when the two met in Cairo in January. Story continues PHOTO: Destruction is seen in Cairo's Radaa al-Adawiya Sqaure on Aug. 14, 2013 during clashes as security forces try to disperse protest camps that were set up in Cairo by supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi. (Hassan Mohamed/AFP/Getty Images) The administration has made a noted priority of freeing Americans unlawfully detained abroad. But Pence's appeal was not enough to free Kassem at the time or help him avoid a conviction now. Kassem is just one of several U.S. citizens currently held by Egypt, swept up in Sisi's enormous crackdown on political opposition and civil society since the military took power following days of protests against the democratically elected government of Mohamed Morsi. While there are about 20 Americans in Egyptian jails, there are as many as 60,000 political prisoners, according to a Human Rights Watch report last year. Sisi has 10 to 12 times as many political prisoners as former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak, who was forced out in the 2011 Arab Spring, according to a Freedom House report in 2006 during Mubarak's reign. Saturday's mass trial resulted overall in 75 people getting sentenced to death and over 600 to prison for the August 2013 protest that was put down by security forces in what human rights groups say was the single deadliest incident in Sisi's sweep to power, with as many as 800 killed. Kassem, 53, is diabetic with a heart condition. But in Egyptian jails he has been denied regular access to medical treatment, including insulin, his lawyers said. Multiple requests by his family to have him hospitalized have been denied or simply ignored by Egyptian authorities, according to his lawyers. PHOTO: Egyptian riot police arrest a demonstrator during clashes as security forces backed by bulldozers moved in on two huge protest camps of supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi, on Aug. 14, 2013 in Cairo. (Hassan Mohomed/AFP/Getty Images) "Moustafa can only be so strong," his sister Iman Kassem said in a statement Saturday. "For his children and to prevent another tragedy, we urge President Sisi to release and pardon Moustafa immediately and for U.S. authorities to help see him home." (MORE: Trump congratulates Egypt's president after heavily criticized election) Without that treatment, Kassem has experienced frequent body tremors, lost control of his extremities temporarily, and had his vision worsen. "It is not clear how much longer he can survive" in detention, his lawyers warned in a petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention last month. When Kassem was arrested and presented his U.S. passport, his lawyers say he was beaten, accused of being a spy, and charged with intent to cause chaos and overthrow the government for his alleged involvement in the protests. The Egyptian government had been seeking the death penalty for him, too. Along with the more than 700 other defendants, he had his detention renewed en masse every 45 days for more than five years, according to his lawyers, even though Egyptian law allows for pretrial detention of only two years. Among the others convicted and sentenced Saturday for their alleged roles in the protests are famed Egyptian photojournalist Shawkan, who was covering the protests, as well as several senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders. Cases were dropped against five people who had died while in prison, judicial sources told the news agency. The Trump administration has been accused of going soft on Egypt, with a tight bond and warm words between strongman Sisi and President Trump. PHOTO: Egyptian security forces escort detained supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi during an operation to dismantle a huge pro-Islamists protest camp near Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo, Aug. 14, 2013. (Mohammed Abdel Moneim/AFP/Getty Images) In July, the State Department announced it was releasing $195 million in aid to Egypt that had previously been withheld over human rights concerns. Despite Egypt taking no noticeable steps to address human rights issues, the State Department said it was providing the aid "in the spirit of our efforts to further strengthen this partnership," an official told ABC News. The U.S. effort has at times yielded some rewards. In April 2017, Egypt freed Aya Hijazi, a U.S. citizen and humanitarian aid worker, her husband Mohamed Hassanein, and four others after Trump and top aides urged Sisi to do so as a gesture of goodwill. But even then, Trump seemed to blame ousted President Morsi for her detention, according to Hijazi.Morsi is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a political party with support throughout the Middle East that is seen as a terrorist network by some in the U.S. Hijazi told PBS Newshour that Trump had a "conviction" that Morsi's government arrested her, not the strongman Sisi whom the U.S. president described as "a fantastic guy" just days before Hijazi's release. Trump campaign members were 'fully aware' of efforts to set Putin meeting: Papadopoulos originally appeared on abcnews.go.com George Papadopoulos, the one-time foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump who became swept up in the special counsel investigation, says members of the Trump campaign team were fully aware and in many cases supportive of his efforts to broker a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I actively sought to leverage my contacts with the professor to host this meeting, Papadopoulos told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on "This Week" Sunday. "The campaign was fully aware what I was doing." Papadopouloss comments were his first in public since being sentenced Friday to 14 days incarceration, one year of supervised release, 200 hours of community service and a $9,500 fine. He pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to FBI agents about his interactions with a Russian national and a Maltese professor believed to be an operative for the Russian government. PHOTO: Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos exits U.S. District Court after his sentencing hearing, in Washington D.C., Sept. 7, 2018. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters) Stephanopoulos asked if Papadopoulos thinks that when the entire Mueller investigation is finished that they will demonstrate that there was collusion between the Trump campaign, between Trump advisers and the Russians? Papadopoulos, who had four sessions with Muellers team, responded, I have no idea. All I can say is that my testimony might have helped move something towards that, but I have no idea. He said that during the campaign he floated the idea of a summit between then-candidate Trump and Putin at a campaign security team meeting on March 31, 2016. (MORE: Papadopoulos sentenced to 14 days in Russia investigation) Among those who seemed to like the concept, he said, was then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, who he says appeared enthusiastic about a Trump-Putin summit, in contrast to what Sessions later told Congress. Papadopoulos said Trump was open to this idea, and he deferred, of course, to then senior Senator Jeff Sessions, who I remember being quite enthusiastic. Story continues Stephanopoulos noted that Sessions later gave Congress an apparently different account, saying that he shut down the idea of a Trump-Putin summit at that campaign meeting. I pushed back, Sessions told Congress. The "attorney general says he pushed back," Stephanopoulos said to Papadopoulos. "Is he telling the truth?"Papadopoulos said, "All I can say is this is a meeting from about two years ago. My recollection differs from Jeff Sessions. He also said that there were mixed reactions to the summit idea among Trumps advisers at that March 2016 meeting, but that many in the campaign were aware of his efforts, including Corey Lewandowski, the then-campaign manager, Sam Clovis, a senior aide, and Trump himself. Papadopoulos was the first Trump campaign adviser arrested as part of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling and possible collusion in the 2016 campaign. While Papadopoulos still must surrender himself and serve the two-week prison stint, he says he is already looking beyond that sentence, to a life after his brief and tumultuous foray into electoral politics. PHOTO: President Donald Trump sits with Attorney General Jeff Session, Dec. 15, 2017, in Quantico, Va., before participating in the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) The 31-year-old energy specialist was a novice to politics in early 2016 when he signed up to be an unpaid foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump. His lawyer, Thomas Breen, told the court Friday that at the time he was "unsophisticated, he was naive, and he was a fool. He said he was swept up by the campaign, finding himself at a young age, hanging with the big guys. He developed unbridled loyalty to Trump, Breen said. Court records show he was first approached in Italy by a professor whom the FBI believes was working on behalf of the Russians. That led to contacts between Papadopoulos and the Russian foreign ministry. In April 2016, the professor told him the Russians had thousands of Hillary Clintons emails, court records say. Papadopoulos is believed to be the first Trump campaign adviser told of hacked emails tied to Clinton information shared in April 2016, well before any pilfered material was published. PHOTO: Former Trump Campaign aide George Papadopoulos arrives with his wife Simona Mangiante at the U.S. District Court for his sentencing hearing Sept. 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) The early date of this contact is significant: Even the Clinton campaign was not yet aware that Russia possessed their stolen emails, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee wrote in a status report about their investigation. (MORE: Lawyers for former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos claim Trump 'nodded with approval' over Putin meeting) Papadopoulos described in court the day in January 2017 when FBI agents knocked on the door of his Chicago home while he showered, and asked him to come into their offices for an interview. It was in that interview he now says he tried to create separation between himself and the professor and his Russian contacts. His fear he would be swept into a brewing scandal about Russian contacts and miss out on a job in the Trump administration. Speaking for the special counsel's office, Andrew Goldstein said during Fridays sentencing hearing that Papadopoulos "chose to lie again and again to advance his personal interests." His lies were "purposeful, calculated and caused harm to the investigation, he said. PHOTO: FBI Director Robert Mueller testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., June 19, 2013. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE) He made at best begrudging efforts to cooperate, the prosecutor argued. Papadopoulos acknowledged making a dreadful mistake. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss called the young, former campaign aides lies a serious offense." Papadopoulos, Moss said, had lied to place his own personal ambitions above the interests of the United States. Those are not noble reasons to tell a lie," the judge said. "This was not a noble lie. At the same time, he said he recognized that Papadopoulos had genuine remorse for letting himself get caught up. After ordering him to spend two weeks in prison, Moss concluded by saying: Just the process of having to go to prison will leave a strong impression on him for the rest of his life. After the judge issued the sentence, Papadopoulos stepped away from the defense table and paused in a long embrace with his wife, Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos. A lawyer by training, she had become his public spokeswoman during the long months between his arrest and his sentencing. While Papadopoulos is planning a move to California to begin his new life supporting his wifes fledgling acting career, he may not be entirely finished with the investigations that led him to prison. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee conducting its own investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign, said Friday he believes Papadopoulos could be called to testify. As an influential foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, Mr. Papadopoulos was informed that Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails at a critical time during the campaign, Warner said. I still have significant questions about how high that information went, and I know the Senate Intelligence Committee would like to hear directly from Mr. Papadopoulos." Papadopoulos's wife acknowledges that special counsel team suspected her of being a Russian spy originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The wife of a one-time Trump adviser who was sentenced Friday for lying to federal investigators acknowledged that special counsel Robert Muellers team suspected she may have been a Russian spy. Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos, wife of former Trump campaign foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos, said in an exclusive live interview with her husband on This Week Sunday that her international political background raised a red flag for U.S. investigators. She was responding to a question from ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos about her interactions with the special counsels team, asking, You were questioned, as well, by Robert Muellers team and from the start, they suspected you were a Russian agent. How did that manifest itself? Mangiante Papadopoulos responded, I come from a political background myself. I used to work as a diplomat at the European Parliament for a few years and this could be a red flag because many officials at European Union actually -- its a cover-up for spy jobs. PHOTO: George Papadopoulos married Simona Mangiante in Chicago, March 2, 2018. (Obtained by ABC News) MORE: Papadopoulos sentenced to 14 days in Russia investigation She added that she understands their concern about her role as it relates to her husband, but has denied that she has any ties to Russia. Of course this connection was highly suspicious. I respect the, I always said I respect Muellers interest in my profile because clearly its quite alarming, the fact that I marry George Papadopoulos in the middle of this storm, Mangiante Papadopoulos said. The couple married in March of this year. They met through Joseph Mifsud, a mysterious Maltese professor who is believed to be an operative for the Russian government and who attempted during the campaign to introduce George Papadopoulos to people purportedly connected to Russia. PHOTO: Former FBI Director Robert Mueller departs Capitol Hill following a closed door meeting, June 21, 2017. (Andrew Harnik/AP, FILE) Stephanopoulos asked the couple about a Democratic National Committee lawsuit suggesting that Mifsud might be dead. The DNC -- which is suing Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks for interfering in the 2016 election -- said in a court filing Friday that it believes all the defendants in the case have been served with the complaint, with the exception of Mifsud (who is missing and may be deceased), Bloomberg reported. Story continues "Do you know anything about that?" Stephanopoulos asked. "As far as you know, hes missing and its possible?" "Its possible, yes," Mangiante Papadopoulos said. Her husband said, "I have no idea, George. But its possible." MORE: Trump campaign members were 'fully aware' of efforts to set Putin meeting: Papadopoulos Papadopoulos said even his family was concerned about his romantic relationship and suspected his wife was a Russian spy. I think everyone was a little paranoid throughout this past year," Papadopoulos said. And yes, you know, I think they thought that she might have been some sort of Russian spy. Of course I never believed anything like that. Shes just, I dont think every beautiful blonde person necessarily has to be a Russian agent. You know, there are many blonde Italians as well. Papadopouloss comments on This Week were his first in public since being sentenced Friday to 14 days incarceration, one year of supervised release, 200 hours of community service and a $9,500 fine. He pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to FBI agents about his interactions with a Russian national and the Maltese professor. PHOTO: Former Trump Campaign aide George Papadopoulos leaves the U.S. District Court after his sentencing hearing, Sept. 7, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images) After the judge issued the sentence Friday, Papadopoulos stepped away from the defense table and paused in a long embrace with his wife. A lawyer by training, she had become his public spokeswoman during the long months between his arrest and his sentencing. While Papadopoulos still must surrender himself and serve the two-week prison stint, he is already looking beyond it and planning a move to California to begin his new life supporting his wifes fledgling acting career. But he may not be entirely finished with the investigations that led him to prison. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee conducting its own investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign, said Friday he believes Papadopoulos could be called to testify. As an influential foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, Mr. Papadopoulos was informed that Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails at a critical time during the campaign, Warner said. I still have significant questions about how high that information went, and I know the Senate Intelligence Committee would like to hear directly from Mr. Papadopoulos." Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday said he would take a lie detector test as Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday said he would take a lie detector test as part of a potential White House effort to identify the anonymous writer of a New York Times op-ed describing an alleged resistance movement within the Trump administration. During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Pence doubled down on his calls for the unnamed author, a senior official in the Trump administration, to resign. He said he did not know the writers identity, but would agree to being polygraphed about the op-ed in a heartbeat and would submit to any review [by] the administration. Every senior official in any administration takes an oath to the Constitution, Pence said. The Constitution of the United States vests all executive power in the president of the United States. He continued: To have an individual who took that oath literally say that they work every day to frustrate the president advancing the agenda he was elected to advance is undemocratic. Its not just deceitful, but its really an assault on our democracy. And that person should do the honorable thing, step forward and resign. .@VP on anonymous author of NYT oped: "That person should do the honorable thing, step forward and resign." pic.twitter.com/MAjEzD5IFU FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 9, 2018 In the explosive op-ed, published Wednesday, the unnamed author describes being one of several staffers under President Donald Trump working to undermine his agenda. Trump on Friday urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the Times op-ed as a matter of national security. A day earlier, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) raised eyebrows when he told reporters that the White House should require officials with security clearances to take a polygraph test, also known as a lie detector test, to help determine who wrote the incendiary op-ed. Story continues I think if you have a security clearance in the White House, I think it would be acceptable to use a lie detector test and ask people whether they are talking to the media against the policy of the White House, Paul said. There has been unrelenting speculation about the authors identity since the op-eds publication last week. Some readers have suggested Pence wrote the piece, which includes the word lodestar an uncommon term frequently used by the vice president. Pence has vehemently denied writing the op-ed. When asked Sunday if he believed the anonymous author used lodestar to set him up, Pence said he wouldnt know. Its all an effort to distract attention from this booming economy and from the presidents record of success, he said. Related Coverage One Word Has People Convinced Mike Pence Wrote Anonymous New York Times Op-Ed Who Wrote The Anonymous Op-Ed? We Polled Anonymous New York Times Employees. Trump Calls On Jeff Sessions To Investigate New York Times Op-Ed Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Khokha (Yemen) (AFP) - Clashes and air strikes have left 84 people dead around Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeida since the collapse of UN-brokered peace talks, hospital sources said Sunday. The sources in Hodeida province, controlled by Huthi rebels, said 11 soldiers and 73 insurgents had been killed since the talks were abandoned on Saturday. Dozens of rebels and at least 17 soldiers had been wounded. The pro-government coalition, which includes Saudi and UAE air forces, has been pushing to close in on Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, since June. The coalition on Sunday was positioned to attempt to seize the main road linking Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, to the port city, a military official told AFP. The road is a key supply route for the Huthis. In July, the coalition announced a temporary ceasefire in Hodeida to give a chance to UN-brokered peace talks. But UN attempts to hold peace talks between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Huthis, linked to Saudi Arabia's archrival Iran, were abandoned on Saturday, sparking fears of an escalation in the conflict. The rebels refused to leave Yemen for Geneva, saying the UN had not met their demands -- including a plane to transport their wounded to nearby Oman and a guarantee their delegation would be allowed to return to Sanaa. In 2014, the Huthis seized control of a string of Red Sea ports and the capital, driving the government out of Sanaa and the president into exile. In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, recognised by the UN as Yemen's president. They now control Yemen's airspace. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine. The Daily Beast ABCAaron Rodgers is currently quarantined with COVID-19 and Jimmy Kimmel did not express any sympathy Thursday night, taking the Green Bay Packers quarterback to task for refusing to get vaccinated.No one seems to know that he wasnt vaccinated, the late-night host explained. He hasnt been wearing a mask, even where its required, and at one point, he claimed he was immunized, but looking back at when he said it, it should have been obvious that he was not.Kimmel then rewound the tape, ad (Photo: Ji Sub Jeong/HuffPost Photo: Getty Images) The violence began in earnest two days after The New York Times published my op-ed. It was June 2009 and hundreds of thousands of Iranians had taken to the streets to protest a fraudulent national election. Under the uncommon byline of Shane M., I had condemned the re-election of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as bogus, as well as the U.S. media for its apparent determination to dismiss the ensuing protests as an isolated event, the two parts of my identity brought in for reproach in equal measure. Two mornings later, and one week after the voting had ended, the authorities began to follow through on threats to put a stop to the demonstrations. We watched it live and at home, Iranian television doing little to conceal the violence happening in the streets and alleyways around the country. There would be no quarter. My situation as an American in Iran was already precarious. State media had placed the source of the trouble outside of the country. The news for days ran footage of voluntary confessions by local citizens led astray by foreign elements, villainous Iranians operating out of the United Kingdom (Death to America gets the headlines, but the role of lead villain is reserved in Iran for the British). I was a kharaji, or foreigner, who had arrived on a flight from London shortly before the vote, and so I fit the profile of the states narrative too well. I was also an Iranian, one who could speak the language, albeit off kilter and by way of Texas and California, fluent in the most visible and obvious components of the culture. I knew my lines and could play the part. Nonetheless, I remained an Amrikai, or at minimum an az oon var-e ab (an Iranian from the other side of the water). My accent, dress, and even manner of walking being dead giveaways that I was not a local, a khodi. (Photo: Shervin Malekzadeh) I faced the worsening news by turning away. I curled onto my aunts couch, paralyzed by desperate fear, my back to the television. I didnt need to look to know what I had gotten myself into. My aunt told me not to worry, that everything would be ok, hamechi dorost mishe. I pressed my face against the cushions. When they came, if they came, maybe I could hide like this, maybe they would take pity on someone so clearly in over his head. Story continues Desperate Times, Desperate Measures The New York Times had run out of correspondents. Like other American and European media outlets, their reporters had been invited into Iran to cover the presidential election as the latest triumph of a democratic Islamic Republic, credentialed witnesses to the ritual of voting as an act of defiance against Irans enemies, a holy resistance by ballot box against the Americans. When the good news ran out and the voters lost faith with the results, the reporters were run out too, their visas expeditiously revoked by the authorities, who quickly ushered them out of the country before turning their attention back to the chaos brewing at home. All that was left were us, the young graduate students and stray researchers still on the ground, held there by the ballast of our nationality and passports. We were residents in Tehran by accident and circumstance during the greatest political crisis since the revolution, and so the news agencies dipped down into our ranks, reaching out to us through email and mutual contacts. And so we wrote. I tell my students to resist the passive voice, to place agency on their words, to link subject to object in a direct line of action. Not this, not the op-ed. The piece was written, in a haze and on deadline, the final draft finished in the narrow space between Tuesday and Wednesday, in the dark and against the wishes of my worried family members who wondered how they would answer to my parents were anything to happen to me. The story of what was happening, of what I had seen, sent by dodgy router from a kitchen table in a working and middle-class neighborhood to New York, a desperate signal from one of the countless residential towers scattered like dragons teeth along the arching foothills of western Tehran. It was written to push back on what was then the emerging narrative in Washington, what in fact was the reassertion of an old narrative, that these protests were false, a North Tehran production performed by a cast drawn exclusively from the more westernized sectors of the capital. To an American political class with a fixed narrative about Iran, the protesters in the streets didnt fit with the story and had to be explained away. More than a few analysts now credulously accepted the official line out of Tehran that maybe, just maybe, Ahmadinejad had won the election. This was the real Iran, these were the real Iranians, a society that supported a rude and racist demagogue despite an economy in the tank and an international reputation darkened by their presidents bizarre denials of the Holocaust and of homosexuals. That Iranians might have a say in the matter of who best constituted the values of Islam and the revolution, or that Iran in 2009 was a different place from Iran 1979, was rarely considered or taken seriously. Iranians, I argued instead, were courageous practitioners of self-governance, capable of discerning, of making a choice between bad and much worse. They had not re-elected Ahmadinejad but had instead cast their lot with the steady promise of Mir Hossein Mousavi, a comparatively bland if capable former prime minister, no less devoted to political Islam and the vision of its founder, Ayatollah Khomeini. Above all, the voters had made the choice to work through a lousy system as it existed rather than to see it collapse, to hold it to account, to force it to live up to its professed righteousness. Its not by accident that the slogan of the Green Movement was simply, Where is my vote? (Photo: Shervin Malekzadeh) Who Wrote This? To tell this story, I needed to be anonymous, but I also needed to be Iranian, a dyed-in-the-wool lets-make-Iran-great-again real Iranian. The script would be more powerful coming from a local version of me, the particular details left to the imaginations of my audience, and not Shervin Malekzadeh, American citizen from Fontana, California. So I performed real. My voice, amplified in the pages of Times op-ed section, would be the voice of countless Iranians. Left unspoken was the understanding that in order for the piece to work, we would have to leave out more than just my name. The Times described me as a student in Iran, an artful bio at once both precise and incomplete, one that skirted the line between revelation and concealment. There was a world of possibility in those words, in Iran. I was also an American, in Iran, an American immigrant who like most immigrants fell in between the two halves, at once and not at all Iranian and American. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. The essay itself offered confessions of these other identities throughout, visible for those who knew where to look. The use of collective pronouns in the opening paragraphs, our and we set against the American you, gave way to idiosyncratically American phrasing and markers. The descriptions of life north of Vanak and the urban geography of the capitals south centered me as Iranian. The references to the Dukes of Hazard and to day-old bagels, not so much. The piece was a Rashomon of signposts and signifiers, but only if the reader drew back from the story. The essay was based on the premise of complexity, the notion that Iranians have inner lives and local agency. I wanted to press back against the tendency to flatten out the experiences and beliefs of an incredibly diverse and contentious country of more than 70 million souls. Anonymity made it possible for me to express this fullness, to expand the picture of Iran that we normally have in the U.S., but it also had the effect of elision, of compression and erasure. Anonymity was necessary to protect myself, but anonymity also meant giving up myself, my true self, to the story. (Photo: Shervin Malekzadeh) I Am Shane M.: The Ethics Of Being Anonymous The print version of A Different Iranian Revolution today hangs over my office desk at Williams College, a 1,600-word anonymous manifesto by me and not by me, framed on the page by Krugman and Brooks, and the backdrop to countless conversations with students and colleagues. I wrote the piece in order to help bring change to Iran and the U.S., but it was the piece that would, in part, bring me to where I am now, this Arcadian idyll in the Berkshires. Hardly the place that I thought that I would end up when I was lying coiled and fetal on that couch all those years ago. I must admit that in the time since my op-ed was published, Ive entertained an uncomfortable ambivalence, even regret, about how it was delivered. Why hadnt I let them put my name on it, my Iranian first name at least, even if it had put my personal safety at significant risk? (The nickname Shane comes from my mother, an endearment that doubles as a small act of assimilation to her new American home.) Isnt transparency the measure of commitment? This guy was there. He saw what had happened. He had an op-ed in The New York Times. Putting my real name on the piece would have provided me with the authority that I needed to really affect the conversation around Iran, I sometimes tell myself, unconvinced. Immediately guilt seeps in, and I am at the edges of self-loathing. It all feels indecent. Which brings me to the anonymous piece the Times published this week,I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration, credited to a senior administration official. (Photo: nytimescom) Who is the anonymous op-ed for? There has been in recent days some debate whether the Times erred in judgment by granting anonymity to the senior White House official, much of the discussion being less political than professional, centered on the ethics and responsibility of journalists. What does a self-described senior official in the Trump administration have to lose by speaking publicly? NPRs Scott Simon asked Saturday morning. Their job? For most of the previous authors granted anonymity by the Times, the answer was, our lives. There have been only a handful of anonymous editorials run by the Times in the nearly 50 years that the section has existed, the paper of record being famously assiduous in insisting that its authors be on record. In the five and a half years that my indefatigable editor, Mark Lotto, worked at the paper, there was only one, ours. (If not for Marks efforts, and the timely interventions of my Georgetown adviser, Dan Brumberg, as well as my parents, that figure would have been none. The bosses at the paper only relented to the use of a pseudonym when we told them that I had been interviewed earlier that day by Robert Siegel at NPR.) I am a member of an unusual and exclusive group, at this point its only named member. From this perspective, I am personally less concerned with the anonymity of the piece than what that anonymity is being put to. The author says that he or she is a part of the resistance, acting alongside scores of unnamed others to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trumps more misguided impulses until he is out of office. The notion that the essay published on Wednesday counts as an act of bravery, that this self-designated member of the resistance can barely conceal his or her desire to be acknowledged as a servant of the commonweal, while plainly ignoring the real abuses of the administration, is too much to bear. The author fails to mention the nearly 500 migrant children still separated from their parents, the constant race-baiting by the president, or his ceaseless demonization of a free press, but happily celebrates effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more. Our country for 30 pieces of silver. What would our brave author say to the many Iranians who were victims of state suppression but who are now barred from entering the United States by the administration under the specious notion that Iranians pose a unique risk to the safety of the United States? How do we compare the sacrifices of the thousands of protestors on the streets of Tehran and other major cities in Iran that sweltering summer in 2009, or the many hundreds subsequently arrested, jailed or worse, with an individual writing from literally the pinnacle of political power, a senior official in the U.S. government? Theirs is a shame that no amount of anonymity can conceal, from which there is no hiding. Shervin Malekzadeh was the author of the June 18, 2009, New York Times op-ed A Different Iranian Revolution. He is a visiting assistant professor of political science at Williams College. ALSO ON HUFFPOST OPINION That New York Times Op-Ed Is Propaganda Disguised As Resistance Anonymous White House Writer Isn't A Patriot. They're Betraying The Constitution. No, President Mike Pence Would Not Be Worse Than Trump This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Niklas Pollard and Johannes Hellstrom STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden headed for a hung parliament after an election on Sunday that saw support for the nationalist Sweden Democrats surge, as one of Europe's most liberal nations turns right amid fears over immigration. Far-right parties have made spectacular gains throughout Europe in recent years amid growing anxiety over national identity and the effects of globalization and immigration following armed conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. In Sweden, an influx of 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015 - the most in Europe in relation to the country's population of 10 million - has polarized voters and fractured the long-standing political consensus. (GRAPHIC: Swedish general election opinion polls - https://tmsnrt.rs/2LmSZFD) With almost all districts having reported, the ruling center-left Social Democrats and Greens and their Left Party parliamentary allies had 40.6 percent of the vote, while the opposition center-right Alliance were at 40.3 percent. The Sweden Democrats, a party with roots in the white supremacist fringe, had 17.6 percent, up from 12.9 percent in the last election four years ago. (GRAPHIC: Sweden economy overview - http://tmsnrt.rs/2bylYpf) While the result looked set to fall short of leader Jimmie Akesson's predictions of 20 percent of the vote or more, he told a party rally it was nevertheless the winner of the election. "We will gain huge influence over what happens in Sweden during the coming weeks, months and years," Akesson told party colleagues. Akesson hopes his party, which wants Sweden to leave the European Union and put a freeze on immigration, can play a decisive role in negotiations over forming a government. He called on Ulf Kristersson, the center-right Alliance's candidate for the premiership, to choose between seeking support from the Sweden Democrats for an Alliance government or to accept another four years of Social Democrat prime minister, Stefan Lofven. Kristersson called on Lofven to resign, but rebuffed Akesson. "We have been completely clear during the whole election. The Alliance will not govern or discuss how to form a government with the Sweden Democrats," he said. The Sweden Democrats, shunned by all the other parties since entering parliament in 2010, have promised to sink any cabinet that refuses to give them a say in policy, particularly on immigration. Lofven said he would not resign and called for cross-party cooperation. GROWING CHORUS OF EUROSCEPTICISM The election will add to concerns in Brussels as the European Union enters campaign mode ahead of the European Parliament election in May, which could give more voice to eurosceptic groups and thwart efforts at closer EU integration. The record levels of those seeking asylum in 2015 magnified worries about a welfare system in Sweden that many voters already believe is in crisis, even though refugee numbers have fallen sharply since then. Lengthening queues for critical operations, shortages of doctors and teachers and the failures of police to deal with inner-city gang violence have shaken faith in the "Swedish model", built on a promise of comprehensive welfare and social inclusion. Akesson had labeled the vote a choice between immigration and welfare in a campaign that was unusually antagonistic. Voting in central Stockholm, student Katze Collmar, 32, said the campaign had been "really unpleasant". "It feels like Sweden could take a step in this election that we won't be able to recover from very easily." Lofven could hold on to power unless the Alliance accepts some kind of support from the Sweden Democrats, at a likely cost of the populists having more say over immigration policy. But he would need to overcome decades of acrimony between the two blocs and get support from parties on the center-right, something they have ruled out. (Additional reporting by Stockholm newsroom, and Reuters TV; Writing by Justyna Pawlak and Niklas Pollard; Editing by David Evans, Kevin Liffey and Daniel Wallis) When the 2018 Miss America competition concludes on Sunday night, it will mark the first time in nearly a century that it has taken place without a swimsuit round. While those in todays pageant world may disagree on the merits of the change, its been a long time coming. It was 50 years ago when, on Sept. 7, 1968, a group of women bused down from New York City to Atlantic City, N.J., to protest Miss America. Dubbing the swimsuit competition a cattle auction, this group of angry ladies as TIME called them back then, took to the boardwalk. But the demonstrators, organized by the group New York Radical Women, werent just calling for the end of the swimsuit competition, or even the abolition of the show in general. They had seized on Miss America as an example of a broader problem: the celebration of women who fit limited beauty standards and filled limited roles in society. The demonstrators had been active participants in the civil rights and antiwar movements; their 10-point manifesto also rebuked the pageant for supporting the Vietnam War, by sending Miss America protest winners to rally the troops, and for its lack of racial diversity, which led another group of activists to start a Miss Black America pageant that same year. A half-century later, six women who were there spoke to TIME about what their protest did and didnt accomplish and what that means for future womens rights activism. On the Decision to Protest Miss America Carol Hanisch, then 26 : At a New York Radical Women meeting in August, we were watching an art film, Schmeerguntz, that had clips of beauty pageant contestants. Im an Iowa farm girl who grew up with a family that watched the Miss America pageant with great interest. The whole family would gather around the set and pick a favorite, so when I was a teen I thought these women were fantastic and beautiful and this is what I was supposed to be like. But even though we spent so much money and time trying, none of us ever felt good about how we looked, and we certainly werent comfortable in the clothes we had to wear those scratchy bras, girdles that give you a stomachache, high heels that killed our feet and our back. As I watched [the film], it dawned on me that the Miss America pageant would be a really great way to get womens liberation in the public consciousness. Story continues Kathie Amatniek, known as Sarachild, then 25: There was an idea that women were already liberated, that we won the vote and that was it. The unequal pay, we were told, was because we werent qualified or werent interested in it. Well, when I was part of Freedom Summer in Mississippi, SNCC [the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] taught us that the best thing that you can do for the movement is to raise white peoples consciousness about [how] they, too, are oppressed in the U.S., which is not as democratic as it claims to be in many ways. So I felt I was on assignment from the civil rights movement. Robin Morgan, then 27: I had left the Yippie steering committee for the [protests] at the Chicago Democratic National Convention to organize this pageant protest and [the Yippies] thought I was crazy, that the revolution was going to begin in Chicago. I said, Im going to organize Atlantic City instead, because the other was basically male-defined and women had no real voice in it. It was beginning to dawn on us that the Left was, in its own way, as sexist as the Right. And that was a crushing blow. Alix Kates Shulman, then 36: To me, this particular demonstration was personal. I felt very strongly about the oppressiveness of beauty standards, having graduated high school in suburban Cleveland in the 50s, when you all had to look alike, and that is what I fled. I moved to New York to go to graduate school and then got a really good job as an encyclopedia editor but when I became pregnant, I had to leave my job. In 1967, I heard about New York Radical Women on alternative radio, and [the group] became the most important thing in my life. I was welcomed as a housewife mother, as a representative of the people that this revolution was supposed to be liberating. Hanisch: We werent opposed to the contestants; we were opposed to the pageants that pitted women against each other in beauty contests. On the Big Day Morgan: More people showed up at [our meeting point] Union Square than we ever dreamed, so I had to go find a phone book to call more buses. Charlotte Curtis at the New York Times came with us on the bus, elegantly dressed. We decided to only invite female reporters. It wasnt because we thought wed get a better break; we werent that naive. We wanted to give them a news story to cover because back then women were only assigned to flower shows, fashion shows or the society pages. Bev Grant, then 26: I wrote some parody songs that we sang while we traveled down on the bus. One was of Aint She Sweet: Aint she sweet / Making profit off her meat / Beauty sells shes told so shes out plugging it / Aint she sweet [Editors note: Grant also photographed the event; some of her work is seen here.] Hanisch: I remember it was a gorgeous, bright and sunny day, and not too hot. We threw items representing womens oppression and female torture into a Freedom Trash Can, like Playboy, Esquire, dishwashing detergent, floor wax, hair curlers, eyeliner, mascara, false eyelashes. We didnt burn bras, that was a myth. We got a permit ahead of time and were told absolutely no burning. But we got gussied up in high heels to go into the convention hall, so no one would identify us with the picket line. Shulman: I bought the tickets for the pageant so we could get the front row of the balcony to drop the banner Womens Liberation. My husband and I had a joint checking account. It was his money really, and I didnt ever use the money for my own purposes without discussing it with him, but for this I did. And I felt gleeful and proud. But he wasnt against the protest. In fact, he drove a few of us in our car to Atlantic City. On the boardwalk, people behind the barricades called us [names like] dirty commie, Jew, queer, lesbian, ugly, whore, bitch. Delightfully, several of the women who came to watch did come over to our side of the barricade and marched with us. Sarachild: At first I was terrified of getting arrested and not being able to go to my new job on Monday as an apprentice film editor. But civil rights activists took that risk for freedom, so that gave me the courage to volunteer to protest inside Atlantic Citys convention hall. Peggy Dobbins, then 29: My husband worked in city planning and he made the puppet [of Miss America], and we probably got the springs for the boobs from his tool chest. The chains [around her waist] were very important, to show that women were being sold, that we were puppets of corporations like Toni Home Permanent. My mother used to hold my head down in the sink and pour the stinky fluid over my head, so thats what I threw in the Freedom Trash Can and thats what led to us going up and down the aisles [of the convention hall] squirting it under the seats of people sitting at the pageant, to show that selling Miss America stank. Some security guy grabbed me, like a bear hug from behind. And then the next thing I remember is watching the end of the Miss America pageant in jail. I was charged with disorderly conduct for emitting a noxious odor. Morgan: Charlotte Curtis quietly bailed out the women who had been arrested inside the arena. On the Impact of the Protest Hanisch: If you didnt grow up in that time, Im sure its very hard to imagine that women were not complaining in public about their lot in life. I think thats the reason the protest gleaned such attention. It was shocking that women were saying these things. I think we had an effect on the fashion industry. Womens bras up to that point had been very, very uncomfortable, stiff and scratchy, and within a few years, we had soft bras that were much more comfortable. Were the grandmothers of the #MeToo movement. We did it in person, and they do it mostly online. Its taken 50 years [for Miss America] to drop the swimsuit competition, which was largely a cattle auction. Sarachild: Even though we didnt burn bras, the bra burning epithet got peoples attention. Women wrote to us from all over the country saying Ive been waiting all my life for you. Dobbins: Sometimes Im kind of ashamed and feel terrible that we legitimated a world in which many women are single working mothers working 60 hours a week, working two or three jobs. Sarachild: You hear a lot of the [Miss America] contestants say [they compete] to get scholarships, but we really shouldnt even need scholarships if we had free college tuition. As far as the [elimination of] the swimsuit competition, women used to be only judged on their looks, now theyre mainly judged on their looks. On Beauty Standards and Lessons for Today Shulman: Heels are twice as high as the ones we tossed into the Freedom Trash Can. We objected to having to shave our legs, and now you have to shave pubic areas. So I cant say those standards have disappeared at all. No, in some ways, its gotten much worse. That isnt to say our movement didnt have a tremendous effect. We did raise questions that can no longer be taken for granted. Dobbins: I live in downtown Atlanta across the street from a major office building, and I didnt expect to see women going to work in the morning in stiletto high heels. I want to say you dont have to wear that, but apparently you do. Hanisch: One thing that irritates me are the [exaggerated] reports out there that said 400 women came and protested. It was probably somewhere between 100 and 150 of us. It was only a small group of people that accomplished this, and I think its important for women to know that you dont need a big group to make an impact. Morgan: We used to have telephone trees, each call five people, and the phone bills were obscenely high. The Internet has made communication in general easier, but that also means its easier to spew venom. Dobbins: I love social media. Im nearly 80. Im not very fit and cant get out onto the street. But I also think that, if we had realized the degree to which we were different as strength and diversity, if we had applauded ourselves for that, we might have still all split up and started different things, but we wouldnt have hurt each other so much. Grant: Its time for yall to get it together. We are here and we can give advice, but youre going to have to lead it. Maybe what we did at Miss America was a little over the top, but thats how things move. Things dont really move smoothly. Theres always this jerk one way, and a jerk back a little bit, and then you jerk forward and you jerk back. Thats just how change happens. Former President Barack Obama speaks to students at the University of Illinois on September 7, 2018, in Urbana, Illinois. (Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images) Former President Barack Obama called Medicare for all a good new idea on Friday afternoon, providing a high-profile boost to the nascent progressive movement pushing the policy. In a speech at the University of Illinois, Obama argued that Democrats were innovating policies aimed at addressing the unique economic challenges facing young people, who in many cases do not have the same opportunities as their parents generation. Its harder for young people to save for a rainy day, let alone retirement, he said. So Democrats arent just running on good old ideas like a higher minimum wage, theyre running on good new ideas like Medicare for all, giving workers seats on corporate boards, reversing the most egregious corporate tax cuts to make sure college students graduate debt-free. Medicare for all is what progressive activists and lawmakers call a single-payer health care system. In such a system, which has become a top priority for parts of the Democratic Party base, Americans would receive health care coverage from the same federal program. Obamas complimentary remarks about Medicare for all, while not exactly a dramatic departure from his previous comments, represent the most significant establishment imprimatur for a policy that most mainstream elected Democrats viewed as fringe as recently as three years ago. During her presidential primary contest against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who went on to defeat Sanders and clinch the nomination, said that Medicare for all would never, ever come to pass. Obama, by contrast, has never dismissed the idea out of hand. While discussing the Affordable Care Act at a May 2009 town hall, Obama said, If I were starting a system from scratch then I think that the idea of moving toward a single-payer system could very well make sense. Thats the kind of system that you have in most industrialized countries around the world, he continued. The only problem is that were not starting from scratch. Its a sentiment Obama repeated as recently as January 2017. Story continues Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks during a Senate Budget Committee markup in November 2017. His presidential run brought Medicare for all into the political mainstream. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters) Obamas remarks were greeted with a mix of reactions from progressive activists on social media, some of whom asked why the former president had not backed the policy sooner. I can think of about 8 reasons why this is infuriating for people like me to hear him say now, but I sure am glad he said it, tweeted Dan Riffle, a congressional aide to Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the Houses lead co-sponsor of single-payer legislation. In a follow-up interview, Riffle, who previously worked for former Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), a longtime champion of Medicare for all, was more effusive in his response. Theres a very good chance that this is a watershed moment in the single-payer movement, Riffle said. He noted that Obamas stamp of approval could win over some Democrats who reflexively oppose ideas championed by Sanders. Its one of the things that can go a long way to heal that rift between people in the party, he said. Thank you President Obama for supporting Medicare for All. His support takes us another step toward ensuring that no one in the richest country in the history of the world has to forego health care because they cannot afford it. https://t.co/LK449oQ4ai Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 7, 2018 Medicare for all is not technically a new idea. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt considered including some form of universal public insurance in the 1935 law creating Social Security, and promoted the idea until his death in 1945. Present-day progressive crusaders like Sanders and Conyers pushed single-payer legislation going back to the early 1990s. But for decades, until Sanders presidential run, the policy was widely treated as a far-left pipe dream. During the ACA fight, many congressional Democrats and progressive activists unsuccessfully fought for the inclusion of a public option in the individual insurance market exchanges the law created. In the end, then-Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who caucused with the Democrats, withheld his support for the provision, preventing it from making it into the Senate bill, which became the final legislation. Ever since, advocates of the policy have debated whether Obama and other Democratic leaders exerted enough pressure on Lieberman and whether that would have mattered. While Lieberman ultimately killed the policy, other moderate senators and key industry groups also made their support of the bill contingent on its exclusion. Obama renewed his call for a public option in July 2016, joining Clinton, who ran on enacting it. In the wake of the 2016 election, however, its Sanders call for a wholesale expansion of Medicare and improvement of the benefits the program covers that has captured the imagination of activists and lawmakers alike. The Medicare for all legislation that Sanders introduced in September 2017 won the support of more than one-third of the Senate Democratic Caucus. The bills Democratic co-sponsors include rumored presidential contenders Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.); Cory Booker (N.J.); Kamala Harris (Calif.); and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) as well as Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, an incumbent up for re-election in a state that Donald Trump won in 2016. Backers of the policy are undoubtedly attuned to the growing support that it enjoys with the American public. A slim majority of the American public 53 percent now support single-payer health care, according to a June 2017 poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Obama has already endorsed a number of Democratic congressional and gubernatorial candidates who have either co-sponsored Medicare for all legislation or are publicly running on it. These candidates include California House contenders Katie Porter, Mike Levin and Ammar Campa-Najjar; New Mexico House candidate Debra Haaland; Rep. Jared Polis, who is running for governor of Colorado; Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams; and California gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom. This has been updated. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. The casket of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is carried up the steps of the Capitol. Cindy McCain (left) watches as a military honor guard team carries the flag-draped casket. Mourners surround McCain's casket in the Capitol rotunda. Roberta McCain, age 106, mother of the late senator, and granddaughter Meghan McCain attend the ceremony. Cindy McCain, wife of the senator, prays at the casket of her husband. Sen. Lindsey Graham lays his hand on the casket. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan kisses Cindy McCain as the casket of the senator lies in state. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (left) honors the late senator. The casket in the Capitol rotunda. Meghan McCain, daughter of the late senator, cries as she turns from her father's casket. Roberta McCain, mother of the late senator, wipes her eyes as she looks at his casket. Vice President Mike Pence confers with Cindy McCain. Sens. Chuck Schumer (right) and Mitch McConnell (left) walk away after viewing the casket. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Koethen (Germany) (AFP) - Around 2,500 people marched in a far-right demonstration in eastern Germany Sunday after a German man died following a fight with two Afghans, as officials pleaded for calm to avoid the anti-foreigner unrest that has shaken Chemnitz. Local police and prosecutors said the 22-year-old deceased had suffered acute heart failure after coming to blows with the suspects during a dispute on a playground in the town of Koethen late Saturday. The German man's death was "not directly" linked to the injuries suffered in the brawl, authorities said in a statement. Local media reported that he died in hospital and that he had a pre-existing heart condition. Prosecutors said one of the Afghan suspects, aged 18, stands accused of causing grievous bodily harm. The other, aged 20, faces charges of causing bodily harm with fatal consequences. The incident was expected to inflame anti-migrant tensions, coming just two weeks after the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German man in the city of Chemnitz, allegedly by two asylum seekers. "With emotions running high, we have to resist any attempt to turn Koethen into a second Chemnitz," the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, told DPA news agency. Chemnitz, also located in Germany's former Communist east, has been rocked by a series of far-right demonstrations that saw participants assault foreign-looking people and shout anti-immigration slurs while some flashed the illegal Nazi salute. Immediately after news of the latest incident broke, right-wing groups called for an evening "mourning march" in Koethen. Police estimated the turnout at some 2,500 demonstrators, who dispersed peacefully around 9:00 pm (1900 GMT). Many of the demonstrators waved the German flag, occasionally shouting "Resistance!" and "We are the people". "Today is a day of grief but we will turn that grief into anger," one of the speakers told the crowd, according to DPA. Story continues A counter-demo by far-left protesters at Koethen's rail station drew around 200 people. - 'Keep calm' - Mayor Bernd Hauschild, in a Facebook message, urged locals to shun the right-wing demo because he had "information that people prepared to use violence were planning to travel to Koethen in large numbers". Bild newspaper said around 100 federal police officers had been sent to Koethen to help keep the peace, after police were criticised for underestimating the scale of the Chemnitz demonstrations. According to local media the latest incident started when three Afghan men were arguing with a pregnant woman over who was the father of her unborn child. Two German men then approached the group and the row escalated into a brawl on the playground. The third Afghan was not arrested as he was not believed to have been involved in the fighting. Local residents and politicians on Sunday placed flowers and candles at the scene. State interior minister Holger Stahlknecht said on Twitter that he deeply regretted "the tragic death" and understood citizens' concerns. But he urged residents to "keep calm" and let justice run its course. - 'Reprehensible' - The recent unrest in Chemnitz in neighbouring Saxony has reignited debate in Germany about Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to open the country's borders at the height of Europe's migrant crisis. More than a million asylum seekers have arrived since then, deeply dividing Germans and fuelling the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Merkel has strongly condemned the angry mobs in Chemnitz, saying there was no place for "hate in the streets". But interior minister Horst Seehofer of her CSU sister party, and one of Merkel's fiercest critics, responded by blasting immigration as "the mother of all political problems". It also emerged at the weekend that a Jewish restaurant was attacked on the sidelines of the Chemnitz protests on August 27. The owner told AFP that around a dozen masked neo-Nazis shouted: "Jewish pig, get out of Germany!" and hurled rocks, bottles and a metal pipe at the Schalom restaurant. The head of the New York-based World Jewish Congress slammed the "reprehensible" attack. "It is inconceivable and outrageous that neo-Nazi elements or Nazi-inspired individuals in Germany continue to feel empowered to engage in violent acts against Jews and other minorities," Ronald Lauder said. Seehofer told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday that Germany faced three big challenges: growing right-wing radicalism, "worrying" anti-Semitism and violent crimes committed by foreigners. "We aren't blind to any of this," said Seehofer. Basra (Iraq) (AFP) - After several nights of deadly protests, calm returned to the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Sunday, even as residents stuck to their demands that the central government no longer neglect their region. The city of three million people was abuzz with trade, after violence that has killed 12 and seen several key buildings torched by protesters. "After a week of smoke and anger, everything is back to normal", said Faeq Abdel Karim, a 44-year-old wedding photographer whose studio is on a busy downtown street. At the market, egg seller Faleh Mane was happy to be serving clients once again. "The market is as it was before -- likewise road traffic", the 50-year-old said, dressed in a traditional long white robe matching his hair colour. But the gripes that lit the fuse -- endemic corruption and poor public services, culminating in 30,000 people being hospitalised by polluted water -- remain unresolved. - 'Angry wind' - Since early July, 30-year-old Mohammed Shaker has, with others, been organising demonstrations in Basra. He and the other protest leaders decided on Saturday not to take back to the streets. They want to disassociate themselves from the violence that peaked with the torching of local government buildings and an Iranian consulate. But there is no question of declaring the protest movement dead, Shaker told AFP. The demonstrators have succeeded in "creating a collective conscience and inspired a frank and courageous movement against corruption", he said. The "angry wind that has blown across Basra... has forced politicians to speak aloud about the problems", shaking them out of their apathy and negligence, he added. Montazer al-Karkuchi, coordinator of the Rally for Basra Youth, also believes change is in the air. From now on, politicians will be forced to "think twice" before taking on the streets, he said. The protest movement is "not finished while there are no concrete projects and serious government measures" to tackle the problems afflicting Basra, he added. Story continues Like many here, Karkuchi identified the water crisis, electricity shortages, endemic unemployment and unpunished corruption as the key drivers of discontent. The crisis in Basra even led to tense exchanges between provincial governor Assad al-Eidani and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday in an emergency parliamentary session. "Basra is on fire, my home has been burned down", raged the governor -- only to be told by Abadi that his provincial administration is responsible for the crisis. "I have already told you a hundred times that the police chief was corrupt", responded Eidani. The parliamentary exchanges have brought cautious optimism among Basra's residents that the crisis will finally be addressed. "The governor's words have warmed our hearts and restored hope", said 29-year-old Abdallah al-Basri. - New deal in Baghdad? - The prime minister appears to have been the main political victim of the Basra unrest. Dropped by his brief ally Moqtada Sadr, whose bloc won the largest share of seats in national elections in May, Abadi's chances of staying in government seem to have been hit. Experts say the new situation could unblock a long-running political paralysis next Saturday when lawmakers are due to elect the speaker, after failing to do so in their inaugural post-election session on September 3. Sources in parliament even said the appointment could be brought forward. Abadi's position has been undermined further by Sadr allying himself with the Conquest Alliance, a bloc of pro-Iranian former anti-jihadist fighters. Sadr's Marching Towards Reform bloc is "on the same wavelength (as us)", Conquest Alliance spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi said on Saturday. The factions are the two largest in Iraq's parliament -- Sadr won 54 seats in May and the Conquest Alliance 48 seats. With further horse-trading, the way could be open to forming a majority in the 329-seat parliament, even without Abadi, who has been hit by dissent in his own bloc -- and threats of defections. Abadi suffered another setback on Saturday evening. Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis, the deputy leader of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force, accused Abadi of attempting to take the glory for neutralising the Islamic State group. After years of brutal fighting, the prime minister declared victory against the jihadists in December. Abadi "had no role in this victory over IS -- it was the soldiers, the police and your brothers in Hashed that won it", Muhandis said in a televised interview. By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Firefighters battled on Saturday to outflank a wildfire that has forced the closure of an interstate highway in Northern California as the blaze swept through explosively dry mountain timber in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest for a fourth day. As of late Saturday, the Delta Fire had scorched more than 40,500 acres (16,839 hectares) in the Cascade range since erupting on Wednesday in a forest canyon along the Sacramento River, about 250 miles (402 km) north of San Francisco, fire officials said. No serious injuries or deaths have been reported, but the blaze has caused major travel disruptions. On Wednesday, flames raced across Interstate 5, chasing a number of truckers from their vehicles before flames engulfed their abandoned rigs. A 45-mile (72-km) stretch of the I-5, a key north-south route through the entire state, has remained closed since then, requiring traffic detours of up to 120 miles (193 km). Although containment of the blaze, a measure of the progress made in carving buffers around the fire's perimeter to halt its spread, remained at zero, crews have made gains clearing away tinder-dry brush beyond its leading edge. Firefighters were using natural barriers like roadways and ridges to set up control lines, which will allow them to burn away fuel ahead of the wildfire to slow its growth, Captain Brandon Vaccaro, a spokesman for the Delta fire incident command, said. "The topography here is very steep, with a lot of canyons and valleys that make it very difficult for firefighters to work," he said. Much of the effort has also focused on protecting scattered homes and small communities in the sparsely populated fire zone. Two single-family homes have been destroyed, and two other buildings damaged, Vaccaro said. Approximately 150 people were under mandatory evacuation orders in Shasta and Trinity counties, Vaccaro said. Farther north, an evacuation warning was in effect for the town of Dunsmuir, advising some 1,600 residents to be ready to flee at a moment's notice. Story continues Cooler temperatures and higher humidity arrived overnight on Friday, providing a bit of a respite from the scorching weather that has hampered firefighting this week. Forecasters at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park Maryland said temperatures are expected to slowly drop from a high of 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6C) Sunday to a high of 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28.3C) by Tuesday. Shasta County communities are still recovering from a devastating blaze this summer that killed eight people and incinerated hundreds of dwellings in and around Redding. (Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Rich McKay in Atlanta and Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Alexander Smith and Diane Craft) (Reuters) - Dallas police identified an officer late Saturday who is accused of shooting a man to death after she mistakenly entered his apartment, thinking it was her own. Officer Amber Guyger, who has been on the force for four years, faces possible manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal shooting late Thursday, police said. Guyger had completed a shift late and was still in uniform when she returned to what she believed was her home and encountered 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean, Dallas police chief U. Renee Hall said at a news conference. "It's not clear what (the) interaction was between her and the victim," Hall said. "But at some point, she fired her weapon, striking the victim. She called 911." No charges have been filed as of late Saturday and the case has since been handed over to the Texas Rangers for investigation, officials said. Jean is black and Guyger is white. The shooting comes at a time of a national debate over the shooting of unarmed black men by police officers. An attorney for the family, Lee Merritt speaking after a prayer vigil Saturday for Jean, told media that Guyger should be arrested. But Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said Saturday that he supported Chief Hall and her decision to bring in state investigators. "It is important that the citizens know that I believe what Chief Hall has done is the right thing," the mayor said at a news conference. "This is a tough situation, a unique situation." "We want to make sure everything is transparent and above board," the mayor added, after praising Jean for being a church-going, young professional who is "exactly the sort of citizen we want to have in this city." It was unclear if Guyger had legal representation and she could not be reached early Sunday for comment. (Reporting by Rich McKay and Bernie Woodall; Editing by Robert Birsel) On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a new name for what had been called the United Colonies. The moniker United States of America has remained since then as a symbol of freedom and independence. Benjamin Franklin popularized the concept of a political union in his famous Join, Or Die cartoon in 1754. A generation later, the concept of unity became a reality. Thomas Jefferson is credited as being the first person to come up with the name, which he used while drafting the Declaration of Independence. In June 1776, Jeffersons draft version of the Declaration started with the following sentence: A Declaration of the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress assembled. The final version of the Declaration starts with the date July 4, 1776 and the following statement: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia had used the name United Colonies in a June resolution to Congress: Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved, Lee wrote. These thoughts are included in the Declarations final paragraph. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, it reads. On Monday, September 9, 1776, the Congress moved to approve some important resolutions, including payments for the army. The fifth resolution read as follows: That in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, the words United Colonies have been used, the stile be altered for the future to the United States. Story continues John C. Fitzpatrick from the Library of Congress, back in 1920, explained the origin of United Colonies and the abbreviation U.S.A. in an article for the Daughters of the American Revolution magazine. Fitzpatrick said the words United Colonies were used by the Congress when it appointed George Washington as commander in chief in June 1775. The abbreviation U.S.A. had its origins as a way that government inspectors approved official gunpowder. Fitzpatrick said the army needed to have inspectors verify that gunpowder met standards, and it stamped U.S.A. on the casks as a mark, starting in August 1776, Also, the words United States of America appeared in the first draft of the Articles of Confederation on July 8, 1776, as it was submitted to Congress. The Articles werent ratified by the states until March 1781. New York (AFP) - Nike's unexpected move this week to feature Colin Kaepernick in a major ad campaign met instant condemnation in some circles, with critics destroying their Nike garb in protest. The reaction was hardly surprising following boycotts of Dick's Sporting Goods by NRA supporters due to its gun control stance and of Macy's and other stores over carrying Ivanka Trump's now-defunct clothing line. There is even precedent within Nike's sector for customer blowback, with some consumers burning their New Balance shoes after a company executive lauded US President Donald Trump's trade policies and Under Armour garnering criticism when its chief executive praised Trump. Despite the backlash, Nike's embrace of civil rights activist Kaepernick was seen as deepening the brand's appeal to millennials and non-white consumers. Many marketing experts saw it as a shrewd cost-benefit calculation in a politically divided, Trump-era United States. Companies are increasingly "willing to lose a few to gain a lot," said Scott Farrell, leader of the brand reputation group at Golin, a public relations firm. Brands have long tailored images and phrases to appeal to core consumer groups, implicitly ranking some parts of the population higher than others. But companies also have a tradition of seeking the broadest possible audience, a practice that still governs many brands, even as others -- like Nike -- speak out in ways that are almost certain to alienate some customers. "Whereas in the past, marketers would always look for win-win situations, that is practically an impossibility today," Farrell told AFP. "That is just a needle that is too difficult to thread," he added. "You are going to be dealing almost all of the time in some degree of a win-lose situation and the lose part of it has to be part of your strategy as well." - Hit to sales? - Corporations were becoming more socially focused prior to Trump, with campaigns geared to consumers who care about gay rights, climate change policies and some other causes. Story continues But the trend has accelerated since the November 2016 election of a US president who has unapologetically eschewed the traditional role of national unifier and instead courted his political base full time. Technology behemoths like Apple and Microsoft have been outspoken critics especially of Trump's immigration policies, fighting measures that would see "Dreamers" -- immigrants who were brought illegally to the United States as children -- deported. Much rockier has been the reception facing Dick's Sporting Goods, which announced in February after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida that it would remove assault-style rifles from stores and end all gun sales to consumers under 21. Dick's cited "negative reactions from our customers and vendors" following the announcement as a reason for a "continuing decline in our hunt business," according to a quarterly securities filing. But Dick's executives have also said the stance on guns attracted new customers who may benefit company sales in the long-term. Delta Air Lines also found itself under fire from gun rights supporters after it ended a travel discount program for NRA members following Parkland. Politicians in the Georgia legislature yanked a tax break that could have saved Delta about $40 million a year. However, in a victory for Delta, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal announced in July he would halt collection of the tax. The company's chief executive, Ed Bastian, was also hailed by Fortune magazine among the "world's greatest leaders" for the Parkland response, in which he said, "Our decision was not made for economic gain, and our values are not for sale." Major brands continue to take action on guns, with Levi's this week pledging financial and volunteer support for gun control efforts, saying business leaders "simply cannot stand by silently when it comes to issues that threaten the very fabric of where we live and work." - Preparing for blowback - David Armano, global strategy director at Edelman, said he urged brands to think hard before taking on hot-button issues directly, something many companies are still leery of. "Most of them are hesitant," he said, adding that "there's an appetite for how can we more clearly act and communicate about the bigger things in life that we feel are right for our brand to talk about." Such an approach can often lead brands to favor spots that are "culturally relevant without being culturally divisive," he said. Brand reputation expert Farrell is currently reviewing ad campaigns for two companies with consumer products, advising the clients on whether to tweak the ads and how to prepare for any negative reaction. Both campaigns "speak to diversity," Farrell said. "We've been asked to look at the creative through the lense of this polarized environment." "In another time and place, they would be rather neutral," he said of the ads. "In today's environment, they're edgy by definition." (WASHINGTON) George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation, was sentenced to 14 days in prison Friday by a judge who said he had placed his own interests above those of the country. Papadopoulos, the first campaign aide sentenced in special counsel Robert Muellers ongoing investigation, said he was deeply embarrassed and ashamed for having lied to FBI agents during an interview last year and acknowledged that his actions could have hindered their work. I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption, Papadopoulos said. The punishment was far less than the maximum six-month sentence sought by the government but also more than the probation that Papadopoulos and his lawyers had asked for. Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trumps campaign, has been a central figure in the Russia investigation dating back before Muellers May 2017 appointment. He was the first to plead guilty in Muellers probe and is now the first Trump campaign adviser to be sentenced. His case was also the first to detail a member of the Trump campaign having knowledge of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election while it was ongoing. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said that Papadopoulos deception was not a noble lie and that he had lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and didnt want to jeopardize that possibility by being tied to the Russia investigation. In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self interest over the national interest, the judge said. Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats , now declassified, also show that information about Papadopoulos contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBIs counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mueller. According to a sweeping indictment handed up this summer, Russian intelligence had stolen emails from Hillary Clintons campaign and other Democratic groups by April 2016, the same month Papadopoulos was told by a professor that Russian officials had told him they had dirt on Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. Story continues Papadopoulos later used his connections with the Maltese professor, Joseph Mifsud, and other Russian nationals in an attempt to broker a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He admitted last year to lying to the FBI about those contacts. In court papers filed ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors say those lies caused irreparable harm to the investigation during its early months. Prosecutors wrote that those false statements, made during a January 2017 interview with federal investigators, caused the FBI to miss an opportunity to interview Mifsud while he was in the United States. The defendants lies undermined investigators ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States, they wrote, noting that Mifsud left the U.S. in February 2017 and hasnt returned. In court Friday, prosecutor Andrew Goldstein said Papadopouloss cooperation didnt come close to the standard of substantial assistance. It was at best begrudging efforts to cooperate and we dont think they were substantial or significant in any regard, he said. He said Papadopouloss deception required investigators to scour more than 100,000 emails and gigabytes of data to reconstruct the timeline of his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries. Defense lawyer Thomas Breen said his client was affected by Trumps cries of fake news ahead of the interview and was torn between wanting to cooperate with investigators and wanting to remain loyal to the president. The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could, Breen said. Even after his arrest and plea agreement last year, prosecutors say Papadopoulos continued to be difficult with investigators, only providing information after being confronted with documents such as emails and text messages. In response, Papadopoulos attorneys have acknowledged his offense was unquestionably serious, but they downplayed any damage he caused. His attorneys, Breen and Robert Stanley, said their client lied to save his career and to preserve a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master, a reference that is not fully explained in court papers. Stanley and Breen also argued that their client cooperated fully. He participated in four proffer sessions, they said, and was willing to answer any questions posed. His arrest and prosecution served as notice to all involved that this was a serious investigation, the attorneys wrote. He was the first domino, and many have fallen in behind. Dubai (AFP) - The collapse of UN efforts to organise peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels is likely to lead to an escalation in the country's war, analysts say. Long-awaited talks between the Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels linked to Iran were set to start Thursday but failed to take place. The Huthis, armed tribesmen from northern Yemen, refused to leave Sanaa to attend the talks, saying the UN had failed to guarantee the return of their delegation from Geneva to the Yemeni capital and to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. With hopes of political conciliation dashed, experts fear both the rebels and Saudi-backed troops will turn to more violence. "We will almost certainly see a military escalation, as the initial failure of Geneva will deepen the Saudi-led coalition's conviction that only further losses on the battlefield will cause the Huthis to compromise," said Graham Griffith, senior analyst at the UAE-based consultancy Control Risks. "However, the military campaign is likely to be hampered by the additional scrutiny the coalition is facing over its conduct in the war," he added. The Saudi-led coalition has drawn heavy international criticism for the high civilian death toll from its more than three-year-old bombing campaign in Yemen. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes but accuse the rebels of routinely using civilians as human shields. The head of the Huthi rebels, for his part, on Saturday issued a message of defiance. "Our choice is steadfastness and resistance to aggression," said Abdulmalik al-Huthi. "We must move on all fronts to recruit for our defence." - 'Mistrust' - The Geneva talks were abandoned on Saturday as fresh fighting broke out on the ground. Analysts say the failure to bring Yemeni representatives to the summit, which would have been the first since lengthy talks in Kuwait collapsed in 2016, will only raise mistrust between the government and rebels. Story continues "The peace talks did not begin, and because there is no peace process to be considered that means there are fewer constraints in place for the behaviour of both sides on the ground," said security and defence analyst Aleksandar Mitreski. "While there is mistrust between the actors, as much as there is in any conflict of this kind, I believe the failure of the peace process is due to the imbalance of power between the two sides," said Mitreski, researcher at the University of Sydney. Yemen's government on Saturday accused UN envoy Martin Griffiths of defending the rebels. Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani criticised Griffiths for "appeasing" the Huthis by refusing to lay blame for the failure of the talks squarely on their shoulders. "The UN, unfortunately, does not have the capability to be the equaliser," said Mitreski. - Hodeida - Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Griffiths is UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. All previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. The envoy said Saturday he would travel to Muscat and Sanaa in the coming days to lay the groundwork for future talks, but hinted he might initially engage in separate discussions with the two sides. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place". Complicating things further, fighting has flared again around the vital rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, the entry point for some 70 percent of Yemen's imports including food and aid, after a temporary ceasefire was declared by the Saudi-led coalition in June. Government forces on Friday launched another attempt to close in on Hodeida, which had been expected to be one of the main topics of discussion in Geneva. "The next month or two may be critical for fighting over the control of Hodeida. The military operation... could continue since nothing in the political process has changed," said Mitreski. "The only concern for the Saudi-led coalition remains to manage the reaction of the international community." Addis Ababa (AFP) - The popular leader of a formerly outlawed opposition group returned to Ethiopia on Sunday where he was greeted by a crowd of thousands after 11 years in exile, an AFP reporter witnessed. Berhanu Nega, the leader of the former armed movement Ginbot 7, returned with scores of other senior members of the group, after reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed removed the group from a list of "terrorist" organisations in July. Speaking at a ceremony in the capital Addis Ababa, Berhanu said he had been forced to wage an armed struggle to fight for Ethiopians' rights, however recent political changes had convinced him to return to the country and conduct a peaceful campaign. Since taking office in April, Abiy has released imprisoned dissidents and prioritised reconciling with the country's various opposition groups in a country long under the iron-fisted rule of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. "We didn't return to Ethiopia in the belief that all is settled, the political reform process faces risks from those who want to sabotage it as well as those impatient with the pace of change, however we've returned with the belief that we should contribute to the reform process," said Berhanu. One of Ginbot 7's supporters, Sileshi Bekele, told AFP he believed Berhanu was capable of transforming Ethiopian politics due to his support from the youth. "There is a young population which wants to see change, this youth has come out in mass to see the change, I as part of this group have come out to support the change, he said. Ginbot 7 had been accused by authorities of armed banditry and small-scale terrorist plots. Berhanu was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in a contentious May 2005 election, however was imprisoned before assuming office and accused of leading a civil insurrection with intent to overthrow the ruling party after accusing the EPRDF of trying to rig the results. Story continues His party called for street action that was violently suppressed by security forces, leading to the death of around 200 people. In the aftermath of the bloody protests Berhanu and other opposition leaders were jailed for 20 months before being released as part of a pardon agreement in July 2007. Ever since then the party has been based in neighbouring Eritrea -- former arch-foe of Ethiopia. As part of his reforms, Abiy has been credited with the lightning peace process between the two nations, who signed a peace pact in July, and have since re-opened embassies, trade routes and air links. The flurry of diplomacy in the Horn of Africa has also seen Somalia establish diplomatic links with Eritrea, while Eritrea this week made moves to end a long spat with neighbouring Djibouti. In August Abiy promised that the next election in Ethiopia in 2020 would be "free and fair" and promised a democratic transition if his party loses. San Francisco (AFP) - A climate protest rolling across the world's time zones Saturday peaked in San Francisco, where thousands marched in a bid to shame political leader into stepping up action on global warming. In a festive, sun-soaked atmosphere, demonstrators from across the state and country set out from the city's Embarcadero Plaza beating drums and carrying handmade banners and posters. The dominant message was two-fold: speed up transition to a world powered by renewable energy rather than planet-warming fossil fuels, and protect the people most vulnerable to climate-addled weather, including droughts, heatwaves and superstorms. Several slogans were barbs from the heart of Blue America pointed at Washington. "Alternative Energy, not Alternative Facts," read one, while another -- more blunt -- said: "More Science, Less Bullshit." "Defend democracy: impeach Putin's poodle," read a third, taking aim squarely at US President Donald Trump, who opted out of the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty and has moved aggressively to dismantle the climate policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. Many participants were demonstrating for the first time. "We're not really the protesting kind," said Mariko Eastman, 65, speaking also for her husband Dick, 81. "But for this, we had to come out. There is too much at stake." - 'Keep fossil fuels in ground' - "Climate change is not a niche topic anymore," said Payal Parekh, program director for 350.org, an umbrella organiZation for hundreds of activist groups worldwide. "More and more people are seeing how the fossil fuel industry is ultimately responsible for the climate crisis," he told AFP. "Fossil fuels need to be kept in the ground." California -- by some estimates the fifth largest economy in the world -- has committed ambitious goals for slashing carbon dioxide emissions over the next three decades. Story continues Governor Jerry Brown leads a coalition of subnational regions and cities also taking aggressive climate action. Many will be represented next week in the port citty at the Global Climate Action Summit. But within his own state, Brown has come under attack for allowing the expansion of natural gas and oil extraction under his watch. "Normally a pragmatic visionary, Governor Brown has failed to reconcile to key climate facts: California is a major oil producer and climate science demands that we phase out oil and gas," said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, a major conservation group. The protests in San Francisco and elsewhere are unfolding as United Nations climate talks struggle to breathe life into the Paris Agreement, which enjoins nations to cap the rise in global temperatures at "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). "If national governments are not willing to do the work necessary to stop greenhouse gas emissions... then others are willing to fill the gap," said Parekh. Global climate march organizers said some 450 grassroots groups held nearly 1,000 events across more than 90 countries. Photo credit: Michael Simari - Car and Driver From Car and Driver WHAT WE LIKE: Although this may sound familiar, the Honda Accord is just really, really good. Even after 10,000 miles and four months in the fleet, logbook comments remain overwhelmingly positive. Associate online editor Joseph Capparella deemed the Accord "a near-ideal cruiser" after a trip to Nashville, during which he saw an indicated 35 mpg on the highway (to date, our Accord, equipped with the available turbocharged 2.0-liter four and 10-speed automatic, has averaged 30 mpg overall). The car is comfortable and quiet, and with plenty of space in the trunk and ample power for highway passing, it's one of the best in our fleet for long trips. Senior buyer's guide editor Rich Ceppos used the lane-keeping system to cruise down I-94 hands-free (for 15-second intervals, anyway), which is either a sign of the impending driving apocalypse or good news for fatigued road-trippers. For even deeper coverage of the Honda Accord, view our Buyer's Guide in-depth review. WHAT WE DON'T LIKE: There is little of substance that we don't like about this car, but as in any happy relationship, small annoyances crop up over time. Chief among them is that the automatic transmission's upshifts into second gear can be unusually rough, especially under hard acceleration. We'd hoped the 10-speed automatic's one-two upshifts would smooth out over time, but we're now well past the break-in period, so it's clear the problem won't resolve itself. Honda assures us that this is not a known issue with 10-speed Accords, so we're sending our car in for a diagnosis. With any luck, there will be one less mark in the cons column at our next update. Our only other significant issue has to do with the Accord's forward collision-warning system, which beeps and lights up a red "BRAKE" message on the instrument cluster under a variety of circumstances entirely consistent with normal driving and wholly inconsistent with the imminent threat of crashing. Of course, it's better to be safe than sorry, but the Accord's hyper-sensitive warnings have made us both. Story continues Photo credit: Michael Simari - Car and Driver WHAT WENT WRONG: Despite so little having gone wrong during our test, we've spent quite a lot of money on repairs. A rock demolished the windshield at around 7000 miles, and the replacement cost a whopping $1011. New glass installed, we took the Accord to the dealer to recalibrate the car's camera-based safety systems, which are mounted below the rearview mirror, at a cost of another $120. (With the increased popularity of active-safety systems, you can expect similar repair bills for simple fixes like a windshield replacement no matter which brand you buy, thanks to the delicate hardware behind or right next to that glass.) Otherwise, the Accord's only trip to the dealer was for its first scheduled oil-change service at 10,000 miles. That was $79. WHERE WE WENT: The Accord's polished highway manners have made it a popular choice for the summer driving season, and it served us well during trips to Nashville, upstate New York, Kentucky, Chicago, and western Michigan. The return of fall weather means it'll likely stay closer to home during the coming months, but something tells us the Accord will be just as good at commuter duty as it is at everything else. Months in Fleet: 4 months Current Mileage: 14,099 miles Average Fuel Economy: 30 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 14.8 gal Observed Fuel Range: 440 miles Service: $79 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0 Damage and Destruction: $1131 ('You Might Also Like',) Rinkeby (Sweden) (AFP) - "I'm not afraid, but I am worried," Hassan Abdullahi said while distributing voting papers at a polling station in a disadvantaged Stockholm suburb, as the far-right was set to win record support in Swedish elections Sunday. With roots in the neo-Nazi movement, the Sweden Democrats (SD), who call the arrival of asylum-seekers a threat to Swedish culture and vow to end dual nationality for non-Nordic citizens, could win up to 25 percent of the vote nationally. "Their roots are Nazi and we know what Nazism has done in Europe," Abdullahi, a member of the ex-Communist Left party, told AFP as he handed out ballots to families arriving at the polling station in a school in the mostly-immigrant populated Rinkeby. In this northern suburb dominated by apartment blocks, Misky, a 19-year-old girl wearing a green headscarf, is voting for the first time. "Many of my friends became interested in voting when they saw how huge the SD were," she told AFP. "This scares me a bit." More than 80 percent of Rinkeby's population is of immigrant origin. SD's nationalist leader Jimmie Akesson, who once called Muslims "our greatest foreign threat since the Second World War", on Saturday said he feared "the application of Islamic Sharia law in Swedish courts". At the Rinkeby mosque, worshippers are encouraged to vote, says Mohamad, a 21-year-old student. He says he "no longer trusts the Social Democrats" who have been in power for four years. Incumbent Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's Social Democrats won nearly 70 percent of the neighbourhood's vote in the 2014 election, but only 50 percent of voters bothered to vote. - 'They come from dictatorship' - Mohamed Issak, a transport worker in his fifties, lamented the fact that many people in the neighbourhood do not vote. "It probably depends on their origin... if we do not have the opportunity to vote in our native countries, then we do not necessarily think about voting here", he said. Story continues For Amineh Kakabaveh, an Iranian Kurdish ex-Peshmerga fighter who is now a left-wing Swedish MP, said most immigrants "come from a dictatorship". "They never had their voices heard and are very suspicious of institutions," she told AFP. Babou Ngie, 45, believes the residents have now begun to mobilise themselves. "We are going in the right direction, it is very important now when the extremist parties are more popular." Rinkeby frequently makes headlines for gang shootings and juvenile delinquency. More than seven percent of locals are unemployed, over twice the average for Stockholm. In Rinkeby's main square in front of the metro entrance, people go about their daily business, buying fruit and vegetables. Women, some wearing burkas covering their entire face, talk to each other while youngsters relax in kebab shop. Here in Rinkeby, the SD won barely three percent in the previous election, but according to a May survey by the government agency Statistics Sweden, 11.3 percent of Swedes born abroad nationally expressed sympathy for the party. Tehran (AFP) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed Sunday they had launched deadly missile strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq the previous day. "The terrorists' headquarters... was successfully struck by seven surface-to-surface rockets on Saturday by the missile department of the Guards' aerospace force," it said on its Sepah News website. The statement added that their drone division was also involved. Fifteen people were killed in the rare cross-border attack on the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, which is blacklisted as a "terrorist" group by Tehran, a KDPI spokesman, Soran Louri, told AFP on Sunday. Around 30 others were injured, according to local medical sources. Iranian state television showed images of the missiles being launched and drone footage of the impact. "The punishment of transgressors was planned following the recent months' wicked acts by terrorists from the Kurdistan realm against the Islamic republic's borders," the Guards' statement said. It cited incursions by numerous "terrorist teams" into Iran's West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces bordering Iraq. The KDPI had recently clashed with Revolutionary Guards forces in the towns of Marivan and Kamyaran in Iran's own Kurdistan region, the statement added. The Kurdish group was holding a meeting at the time of the missile strikes, and the party's secretary general and his predecessor were injured, according to one of its officials. The headquarters is in Koysinjaq, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Iraq's foreign ministry denounced the Iranian missile strike. "Iraq protects the security of its neighbours and does not allow its territory to be used to threaten these countries," spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub said in a statement. "But it categorically rejects the violation of its territorial sovereignty by strikes against certain targets on its territory with previous coordination," he added. The KDPI is Iran's oldest Kurdish movement and has seen several of its leaders assassinated by Tehran in the past. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the quake-hit northern region of Hokkaido Sunday as officials confirmed more deaths, bringing the toll to 42. Abe toured the city and commercial hub of Sapporo, where Thursday's 6.6-magnitude jolt has left houses tilted and roads cracked. He also visited hard-hit Atsuma, a small rural town which has seen most of the deaths caused by the quake. A cluster of dwellings in the town were wrecked when a hillside collapsed from the force of the quake, creating deep brown scars in the landscape. After visiting local political leaders and residents at shelters, Abe quickly returned to Tokyo to hold a cabinet meeting where he said the government will release 540 million yen ($4.9 million) from a reserve fund for the disaster. "We must create a framework in which the affected municipalities can... take emergency measures and rebuild themselves," Abe said during the cabinet meeting. Abe also reported that the death toll rose to 42, according to local media including national broadcaster NHK and Jiji Press. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga separately told local media that one person remained missing, Jiji Press said. The Hokkaido government however said the death toll stood at 39 as of Sunday evening, with one person unaccounted for. Abe visited the area as search-and-rescue operations continue around the clock to pull more bodies. "There is on-and-off rain at Atsuma. The work is continuing to look for the missing persons," a regional disaster management official told AFP. Abe said the central government has dispatched some 40,000 rescue workers, including Self-Defence Forces, to look for the missing with the aid of bulldozers, sniffer dogs and helicopters. All three million households in Hokkaido lost power when Thursday's quake damaged a thermal plant supplying electricity to the region. Power has been restored to nearly all homes but officials are asking local residents and businesses to save energy, particularly after the weekend, as electricity supplies remain unstable. Story continues The quake was the latest in a string of natural disasters to batter the island nation. Western parts of the country are still recovering from the most powerful typhoon to strike Japan in a quarter of a century, which claimed 11 lives and shut down the main regional airport. Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded. On March 11, 2011, a devastating 9.0-magnitude quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives. Geneva (AFP) - UN-backed talks between Yemen's warring parties ended Saturday before properly getting off the ground, with the UN envoy acknowledging it had not been possible to convince the rebels to come to Geneva. "We didn't manage to get... the delegation from Sanaa to come here... We just didn't make it," Martin Griffiths told reporters in Geneva. He said it was "too early to say when the next round of consultations will take place." His comments came after the Huthis, powerful armed tribes locked in a war with Yemen's Saudi-backed government, have refused to take off from the rebel-held capital of Sanaa unless the United Nations meets a list of conditions, which includes securing a safe return from Geneva to Sanaa for their delegation. The talks had been scheduled to formally open Thursday but were put on hold, leaving Griffiths scrambling to save them. Griffiths hosted a number of meetings with the government delegation, which arrived in Geneva on Wednesday, and diplomats from countries with influence in Yemen's bloody conflict. Griffiths said the meetings were "fruitful consultations", insisting that "we made some good progress... (on) confidence-building measures". A day earlier, the Huthis' Supreme Revolutionary Council said they were becoming "increasingly suspicious that the coalition intended to insult" the rebels. It accused the Saudi-led alliance of planning to strand the rebel delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. The Huthis hinted they feared a repeat of 2016, when 108 days of talks in Kuwait broke down and a rebel delegation was stranded in Oman for three months due to an air blockade, the council said in a statement on Telegram. The Saudi-led military coalition controls the country's airspace and Sanaa international airport has been largely disused for years. The Iran-backed Huthis also demand the evacuation of their wounded fighters from Sanaa to Oman. Story continues Saudi Arabia and its allies have meanwhile said they have already granted the Huthis clearance to fly, accusing the rebels of intransigence. Griffiths, who said earlier this week he believed the Geneva talks would offer a "flickering signal of hope" to the Yemeni people, has been up against difficult odds from the start. He is the UN's third Yemen envoy since 2014, when Huthis overran the capital and drove Hadi's government into exile. All previous attempts to resolve the conflict have failed. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened on behalf of the government in 2015, triggering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Womens fashion site Need Supply priced this item as $46. But that only applied to size small. The retailer has since changed the price to $54 for all sizes. (screenshot from August 6, 2018) Shopping for clothes online has generally become a positive experience for consumers, as the saturated landscape drives retailers to offer everything from free shipping and returns to competitive pricing. But sometimes the advertised price does not apply to all sizes. While not a new practice, Yahoo Finance has discovered that more e-commerce players are pricing larger sizes of products at a significantly higher price point. Need Supply, a Virginia-based womens clothing site that ships globally, advertised a crop top from its in-house brand Farrow for $46. But once you changed the sizing options, it was evident that the price only applied to a size small. The other two available sizes medium and large were listed for an additional $8. The screenshot above was taken on August 6. Yahoo Finance reached out to Need Supply multiple times for comment. While Need Supply did not respond, two weeks later, when we checked the website on August 20, the site had raised the price of the shirt to $54, with no additional cost attached to the larger sizes. Need Supply pricing on August 20 Typically, dynamic pricing is something you see when purchasing time-dependent items like airline tickets or concert tickets. However, I have yet to see examples of this in fashion. The area where dynamic pricing may be applicable in clothing is in fast fashion where products go in and out quickly, said Brian Lee, associate director of research at retail consulting firm Gartner L2. On many sites, the disparity in pricing is not immediately noticeable. Farfetch is a UK-based online platform that sells products from 900 luxury boutiques around the world. Several items on the site had a gaping disparity in pricing between the smaller and larger sizes. A Calvin Klein x Andy Warhol tank dress is listed as on sale. This is true for size small, which is 70% off and goes for $119. However, no other size of the dress is on sale, the size medium goes for $212 and large for $277. The stealthy part of this pricing is that its only visible once you toggle to the size of your choice. Story continues Farfetch womens pricing The site insists that being a third-party platform absolves it from the boutiques pricing structures. Farfetch is not a retailer. It operates a marketplace platform on which boutiques and brands, which are selected to feature on the marketplace, set prices on their products for both full and sale price. Farfetch does not set the prices, Giorgio Belloli, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Farfetch, told Yahoo Finance. When asked about why the larger sizes are priced so much higher, Belloli blamed import duties and currency rates for fluctuating prices. There can be instances in which different boutiques set different prices across products and sizes. Ultimately, however, he said its not a size-ist practice and that consumers will continue to come to the platform for a differentiated luxury experience. The discrimination debate Tiered pricing is not a new practice, but it seems to be proliferating in the industry far more than in the past. While charging more for plus sizes has long been the case in mens fashion (Big & Tall), it hadnt permeated the womens fashion industry in the same way. Sites like Amazon use dynamic pricing models based on algorithms and availability, as previously reported. And sites like ASOS and Boohoo have been under fire for charging more for plus-size versions of the same items. Maureen Mullen, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Gartner L2, believes the pricing structure is a product of supply and demand. Dynamic pricing on these sites is merely reflective of their inventory pools. As sites like Farfetch and Need Supply dont actually hold or buy any inventory they are dependent on the size depth through the third party boutiques that are listing products on their sites as well as prices they set, she said. There are examples where its not just the smallest sizes that are the cheapest price. A pair of mens jeans from the same Calvin Klein x Andy Warhol collection on Farfetch are billed as 40% off. While waist sizes 28, 30 and 34 are $309, and size 32 is $402. Farfetch mens jeans There isnt distinct pricing discrimination going on here; rather this would suggest that they have smaller SKU [an ID code that allows an item to be tracked for inventory management] depth in particular sizes because boutiques are likely either buying less or selling more via other channels, explained Mullen. This doesnt feel like any overt discrimination is taking place, however, likely many of these third party boutiques (that often lack sophisticated planning tools) are still right sizing their assortment to match todays customer. Keith George, co-founder and CEO of plus-sized womens clothing site CoEdition, believes this is discrimination at its base form. Prior to starting CoEdition, which only offers sizes 10 to 26, George was an executive at Gilt.com and Gap. Unfair pricing is one of many reasons he felt compelled to build a company that focused solely on plus-sized women, who have long been alienated in the fashion industry. On our sites, pricing is standard and uniform. There are a lot of things that go into producing a garment, but materials and labor associated with size are not material to driving the cost. For us, its important that pricing is standard and consistent, he said. Pricing should be standard across the board I understand that historically for brands, they tended to shy away from plus sizes because they thought that the costs were higher. They thought they had to have a new fit model for this customer, but this is the majority of women in America. Everything that goes into the cost, like materials, labor, branding, store, have nothing to do with the size of the customer. We come back to being size inclusive, putting the majority of women front and center. Pricing should be standard across the board, he added. E-commerce facilitates this ability for retailers to offer tiered pricing. While a consumer may be outraged at seeing a medium-sized item priced differently than a small-sized of the same item online, she likely would just move on or tweet at the retailer. Its hard to imagine how sales associates in brick-and-mortar stores would respond to customers wondering why theres such stark differences for a larger article of clothing. Given that e-commerce now accounts for 13.3% of all retail sales in the U.S., its clear that the market share of online shopping will continue to grow. But as sites continue to keep up with demand, they should price with caution. Dynamically pricing products based on sizing seems a dangerous path to go down due to the potential backlash that might outweigh any sort of gain, said Lee. Melody Hahm is a senior writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm. Read more: Millennial men prefer to buy just about everything on Amazon This $1500 mirror works as a personal trainer Men and women arent that different: investing app Stash RVs and recliners are back thanks to millennials Anaheim wants to be the Disneyland of beer MITROVICA, Kosovo (AP) The Latest on the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia (all times local): 1:40 p.m. Serbia's president says the Balkan country no longer wants to wage wars in Kosovo and is seeking to build trust and friendship with majority Albanians after an era of conflicts. But Aleksandar Vucic also issued a veiled threat in a keynote speech during his visit to Kosovo, saying that Serbia will defend minority Serbs in its former province if they come under attack. In a lengthy address in the Serb-held Kosovo north, Vucic reiterated that an agreement to resolve the long-standing dispute with Kosovo was still far away, but promised to work to achieve it. Despite expectations, Vucic failed to outline a concrete proposal for a future deal with Kosovo, whose 2008 declaration of independence Serbia doesn't recognize. The two sides must mend ties first before being considered for entry into the European Union. ___ 12:30 p.m. Kosovo's president says that opposition by Kosovo's citizens to the visit by Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic is understandable, but he urged restraint for the sake of peace and reconciliation after the 1998-99 war. Hashim Thaci wrote Sunday on his Facebook page that he "fully understands" the reaction of citizens in central Kosovo who put up roadblocks to prevent Vucic's visit to a Serb-populated village in the area. Thaci said that the blockade "shows that the pain and war injuries are still fresh." Thaci added that as Kosovo and Serbia seek to mend ties, "the protests and road-blocking don't help us." He says "we should know to rise beyond ourselves, beyond the injuries and manifold pain. We should do this on behalf of peace and reconciliation." ___ 12:10 p.m. Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic says gunshots have been fired at barricades erected by Kosovo Albanians that prevented him from visiting a Serb-populated village. Vucic said Sunday "I don't like guns, but we won't allow anyone to harass Serbs in Kosovo." He didn't indicate what kind of response he had in mind, but said that he won't call for the arming of Kosovo Serbs in retaliation. Story continues Vucic was a fiery ultranationalist during the 1998-99 Kosovo war. Kosovo was a Serbian province when a crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in 1998-99 led to the deaths of more than 10,000 people. The conflict ended with NATO intervention, which forced Serbia to pull out of the province. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia doesn't recognize. ___ 11:55 a.m. NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo say the safety of Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic during a visit to Kosovo isn't threatened despite roadblocks that prevented his visit to a central Serb-populated village. KFOR, which is the acronym for the force, said Sunday in a statement that they are working with the Kosovo authorities to remove the blockade around the village of Banje peacefully. The statement says "nobody is threatening Mr. Vucic and his safety is guaranteed." It adds that "KFOR is working to do it peacefully, but it is ready to intervene ... if required." In Belgrade, Serbia Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said that ensuring that the visit to Banje took place "was important for the credibility of the international community" in Kosovo. NATO deployed in Kosovo in 1999. ___ 11:45 a.m. Serbia's president has addressed Serbs in a central village in Kosovo over the phone after Kosovo Albanians blocked roads and prevented him from getting there. Dozens of people in the village of Banje lined up Sunday as Aleksandar Vucic told them that "I am very sorry I couldn't come because the authorities in Pristina didn't want me to." Some women could be seen crying as Vucic spoke. Vucic later criticized NATO-led peacekeepers for not preventing the blockade. Vucic said that Kosovo Albanian authorities were behind the blockade "so they could show, like little children that it has to be the way officials in Pristina want." Vucic had planned to visit Banje as part of a two-day visit to Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia doesn't recognize Kosovo's independence. ___ 10:15 a.m. Kosovo Albanians have blocked roads and burned tires on a planned route by Serbia's president who is visiting Serbs in the former Serbian province. Aleksandar Vucic planned to visit a Serb-populated village in central Kosovo on Sunday, but the roads leading to the region were blocked by wooden logs, trucks and heavy machinery. Serbian media said gunfire could also be heard, but those reports couldn't be independently verified. Vucic wasn't under attack. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic blamed the blockades on former Kosovo Liberation Army soldiers who fought Serb troops in Kosovo during the 1998-99 war for independence. The conflict ended with a NATO intervention that forced Serbia to pull out of Kosovo. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 which Serbia doesn't recognize. Nouakchott (AFP) - Mauritania's ruling party is well ahead in legislative, regional and local elections held earlier this month, the electoral commission said Sunday, in the west African country's last vote before key presidential polls. "The Union for the Republic is the leading political party according to provisional results" of the first-round September 1 vote, commission spokesman Mustafa Sidel Moktar told AFP. The party won 67 of the 157 seats in the national assembly, compared to 14 for the second-place Islamist party Tewassoul. Tewassoul was one of several opposition parties to boycott the last polls in 2013, but a record 98 parties took part this time. Sidel Moktar said numerous smaller parties gained between one and six seats, including the opposition Gathering for Democracy headed by Ahmed Ould Daddah, which won three, as did Mohamed Ould Moloud's Union of Forces of Progress. Anti-slavery activist Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, the runner-up in 2014's presidential election, also won a seat. The ruling Union for the Republic also took four of the 13 regional councils up for grabs as well 108 of the 219 municipalities, Sidel Moktar said. The turnout was 73.4 percent, Mohamed Vall Ould Bella of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said on Saturday, in a country with a registered electorate of some 1.4 million. But at press conference Sunday Daddah, speaking for the opposition coalition, called the vote "an electoral masquerade". He said "massive fraud, the incompetence of CENI and the weakness of its structures" allowed the "ruling party and administration to falsify the election". The opposition also called for a larger coalition against the ruling party in the second round vote which will be held on September 15. It will decide 22 national assembly seats, nine regional councils and 111 municipalities, CENI said. The elections in Mauritania, a frontline country in the fight against Islamist extremists, were seen as a test for head of state Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz seven months before a crucial presidential vote. Aziz, 61, who came to power in a coup in 2008, won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. He has been frequently accused by opposition figures and NGOs of rights abuses, and though he says he will not seek a third mandate -- which would be against the constitution -- statements by ministers and supporters have led some to suggest he might. Nouakchott (AFP) - Mauritania's ruling party is well ahead in legislative, regional and local elections held earlier this month, the electoral commission said Sunday, in the west African country's last vote before key presidential polls. "The Union for the Republic is the leading political party according to provisional results" of the first-round September 1 vote, commission spokesman Mustafa Sidel Moktar told AFP. The party won 67 of the 157 seats in the national assembly, compared to 14 for the second-place Islamist party Tewassoul. Tewassoul was one of several opposition parties to boycott the last polls in 2013, but a record 98 parties took part this time. Sidel Moktar said numerous smaller parties gained between one and six seats, including the opposition Gathering for Democracy headed by Ahmed Ould Daddah, which won three, as did Mohamed Ould Moloud's Union of Forces of Progress. Anti-slavery activist Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, the runner-up in 2014's presidential election, also won a seat. The ruling Union for the Republic also took four of the 13 regional councils up for grabs as well 108 of the 219 municipalities, Sidel Moktar said. The turnout was 73.4 percent, Mohamed Vall Ould Bella of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said on Saturday, in a country with a registered electorate of some 1.4 million. A second round vote will be held on September 15 to decide 22 national assembly seats, nine regional councils and 111 municipalities, CENI said. The elections in Mauritania, a frontline country in the fight against Islamist extremists, were seen as a test for head of state Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz seven months before a crucial presidential vote. Aziz, 61, who came to power in a coup in 2008, won elections in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term. He has been frequently accused by opposition figures and NGOs of rights abuses, and though he says he will not seek a third mandate -- which would be against the constitution -- statements by ministers and supporters have led some to suggest he might. Vice-president says anonymous newspaper article was obvious attempt to distract attention from booming economy Vice-President Mike Pence says he has never discussed removing Donald Trump from the presidency. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images A bombshell newspaper essay which detailed efforts to sideline Donald Trump from government was just an obvious attempt to distract attention from this booming economy and [the presidents] record of success, Vice-President Mike Pence has said. Speaking to CBSs Face the Nation in an interview for broadcast on Sunday, Pence also denied that White House officials discussed invoking the 25th amendment and removing Trump from power. The comment piece was published by the New York Times on Wednesday, under the title I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration and attributed to a mystery senior official. It came a day after the Washington Post detailed veteran journalist Bob Woodwards reporting in a new book that Trump aides regularly disobeyed orders or removed papers from the presidents desk. Though the author of the New York Times article said there had been discussion of removing the amoral impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective Trump from power, he or she also drew attention to administration achievements Republican goals including effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more. The adults in the room had achieved this while working around the presidents half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions, the author said. Amid criticism and denials and a gleeful Washington whodunnit and with suspicion falling on Pence himself, given the use of lodestar, a word common in his public remarks the vice-president told CBS he wouldnt know who wrote the piece. But what I can say, he said, is its a disgrace. I think the author and frankly the New York Times should be ashamed. CBS said that after the interview, Pence asked for cameras to be switched back on, so he could make a clarification. Interviewer Margaret Brennan asked: Mr Vice-President. I asked you earlier if anyone on your staff wrote this op-ed. Have you asked your staff? Oh well, Pence replied. I I thought you were speaking about the administration staff. Let me be very clear, Im 100% confident that no one on the vice-presidents staff was involved in this anonymous editorial. Story continues I I know my people, Margaret. They get up every day and are dedicated, just as much as I am, to advancing the presidents agenda and supporting everything that President Trump is doing for the people of this country. Elsewhere in the interview, Pence repeatedly praised Trumps leadership, saying: Ive seen this president in action. Is he demanding? Yes. Is he a strong leader who expects things done yesterday? Yes. Asked in the supplementary questioning if he had asked his own staff about the editorial, Pence said: Well you know, honestly, I dont have to ask them because I know them. I know their character. I know their dedication and I am absolutely confident that no one on the vice-presidents staff had anything to do with this. He then added: But that being said, you know, who whoever this was they should do the honourable thing and resign. In an interview with Fox News Sunday, the vice-president said he would take a lie detector test on the matter in a heartbeat and would also submit to any review the administration wanted to do. The 25th amendment provides for the removal of a president on grounds of inability to discharge the powers and duties of his office. It must be invoked by the vice-president and members of the cabinet. Asked if the process had been discussed, Pence said: No. Never. And why would we? In his book, Fear, a copy of which the Guardian obtained, Woodward quotes then Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus as saying in October 2016 Pence was prepared to step up, with former secretary of state Condoleeza Rice as his VP, when Trump faced the Access Hollywood tape scandal. In his CBS interview, Pence chose not to dwell on tantalising what-ifs. Instead, he attacked the work of a veteran and Pulitzer-winning reporter who with Carl Bernstein did much to bring down Richard Nixon nearly 50 years ago. The only thing thats wrong about [Woodwards] narrative, he said, is everything. Because it shows a complete misunderstanding of how this White House works. In a note in Fear, Woodward writes that the book is drawn from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand participants and witnesses to these events. Much of the book is written with direct quotes. In an opening chapter that has already become famous, Woodward describes then senior economic adviser Gary Cohn removing from Trumps desk in the Oval Office a letter meant to withdraw the US from a trade agreement with South Korea. I stole it off his desk, Woodward quotes Cohn as telling an associate. I wouldnt let him see it. Hes never going to see the document. Got to protect the country. Pence said: What that suggests, and and what I get from other examples and narratives is, is that that that people are managing the president, when in fact what happens in the White House every day is the president invites opinions. He tends to put people around the resolute desk in the Oval Office who have diverse views. And and and he invites a vigorous debate. On Fox, Pence said the anonymous op-ed was really an assault on our democracy, because every senior official in any administration takes an oath to the constitution. He defended Trumps call for the Department of Justice to investigate the piece. Pence also attacked Trumps immediate predecessor. Since Friday, Barack Obama has delivered two explicitly political speeches, criticizing the president and aiming to fire up Democrats for the midterm elections. The truth of the matter, Pence told CBS, is over the last eight years, despite what we heard from President Obama on Friday, I mean this country was struggling. Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday hes more than willing to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of a federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Though Mueller has not yet asked to interview Pence, the vice president said he would continue to fully cooperate with the investigation. I would be more than willing to continue to provide any and all support in that, Pence said on CBS Face The Nation. And we have outside counsel that will advise me accordingly, he added. The @VP tells @margbrennan that he would be willing to sit for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller if asked. You can catch more of our interview with the Vice President this morning on @FaceTheNation at 10:30 a.m. on your local CBS station. pic.twitter.com/bu98au8mh8 Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 9, 2018 Pence has called on Mueller to wrap up his expansive probe, which is also reviewing whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice as the investigation proceeded. Unlike his boss, Pence has refrained from repeatedly attacking the credibility of the investigation. Trump frequently accuses Mueller of carrying out a witch hunt against him. He initially said he would be willing to sit down with Mueller for an interview, though his attorneys have strongly advised against doing so for fear their client would fall into a perjury trap. So if I say something and [former FBI Director James Comey] says something, and its my word against his, and hes best friends with Mueller, so Mueller might say: Well, I believe Comey, and even if Im telling the truth, that makes me a liar. Thats no good, Trump told Reuters last month. Story continues Pence, in his Sunday comments, insisted that the investigation hasnt been a main concern for the White House. Its just not been my focus and its not the presidents focus, he said. Related... What Robert Mueller Reportedly Wants To Ask Donald Trump No, President Mike Pence Would Not Be Worse Than Trump Mike Pence: I Would Take A Lie Detector Test About Anonymous NYT Op-Ed 'In A Heartbeat' Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. The Trump administrations weekly report on efforts to reunite children it separated from their parents at the border shows 416 children, including 14 under age 5, remain in custody. The latest status report, filed Thursday as part of an ACLU lawsuit, shows the government continues to make slow progress in returning children to their families. It has been more than a month since a federal judges July 26 deadline to reunite all of the more than 2,600 children detained under the Trump administrations highly criticized zero-tolerance immigration policy. Gilberto Calmo hugs his son Franklin Noe Calmo, who was sent back from detention on Tuesday, after they were separated at the U.S. border, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 7, 2018. (Photo: Stringer . / Reuters) The latest government report shows that in addition to the more than 400 children who remain in government custody, 204 have been discharged under other appropriate circumstances, such as returning to family members other than their parents, or to guardians or sponsors. Government officials say they have delayed some reunifications because of red flags, such as criminal histories discovered through background checks, or other safety and well-being concerns. But the ACLU argues in Thursdays report that some of these concerns are questionable, and asks the government to expedite two such cases. In one case, a 4-year-old boys mother is a suspected gang member, according to the government. She has denied the accusation, and a judge found that a warrant was not sufficient evidence that the mother was a danger to the community, according to the ACLU. The government, however, has refused to reunite her with her child. This child is suffering greatly in detention and is at particular risk of grievous and irreparable harm, the ACLU says in the report. The ACLU also asks the government to explain discrepancies, such as why the government lists 35 delayed reunifications involving criminal red flags, while the ACLU has identified about 50 parents who havent been reunited with their children because of background checks. The Trump administration on Thursday announced that it plans to detain more children indefinitely by withdrawing from a 1997 legal agreement known as the Flores Settlement, which prevents migrant children from being detained for more than 20 days and in inhumane conditions. Story continues Related Coverage Nearly 500 Children Separated At Border From Parents Are Still In Government Shelters Inside The Desperate Search For 343 Parents Deported Without Their Kids Trump Administration To Defy Court Order On Child Detention The Trump Administration Plans To Detain More Children And For Longer Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Moscow (AFP) - Russia on Sunday accused the United States of carrying out bombing using white phosphorous in eastern Syria against military targets in civilian areas, which is banned under international law. "Two American F-15 planes carried out bombings on September 8 (Saturday) targeting the area of Hajin in the Deir Ezzor region using incendiary phosphorous ammunition," Russian general Vladimir Savtchenko said in a statement. "These strikes resulted in fierce fires. We are clarifying the information concerning possible deaths and injuries," he added. In Syria, the jihadist Islamic State group still controls a pocket in Deir Ezzor between the Euphrates River and the Iraqi border, and also remains in the vast Syrian desert. An international coalition led by the United States is helping a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (FDS) which for months have been conducting an offensive to oust IS. The Russian army, which has been intervening militarily since 2015 in Syria in support of the forces of its ally President Bashar al-Assad, was accused in March by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights of having used incendiary bombs during the regime's offensive against the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. Moscow dismissed the allegation as a "shameless lie". Use of white phosphorous is banned under the Geneva Convention for use against civilians and against legitimate military targets in areas with a major civilian population. - Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. North Korea on Sunday marked the 70th anniversary of the countrys founding with a parade of goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and military hardware, but it held back on displaying its intercontinental ballistic missiles, believed to be capable of hitting the United States. The parade was considerably more muted than the bombast seen in previous years and much of the mass public event was devoted to lauding civilian efforts to strengthen the local economy. Analysts said the switch in focus and absence of the usual visual jingoism not only underscored leader Kim Jong-uns strong emphasis on the economy but could also be interpreted as a conciliatory gesture towards Washington. Sunday mornings parade came amid stalled diplomatic talks with the US over the issue of denuclearisation. It had been feared that the appearance of advanced missiles would have been viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration and could have destabilised the uneasy detente that has existed since the two countries leaders met at a historic June summit in Singapore. Washington and Pyongyang have reached an impasse over the starting point for disarmament. The US wants Kim to proceed with denuclearisation first, but North Korea wants its security guaranteed and a peace agreement to formally end the Korean War of 1950-53. North Koreans wave flowers at Kim Jong-un as he surveys their procession from a balcony Credit: Ed Jones/AFP However, the stalemate has been showing signs of softening in recent days. On Friday President Trump told reporters on Air Force One that a personal letter from Kim Jong-un was going to be delivered soon. I think its going to be a positive letter, he predicted. Earlier the president had tweeted his thanks to Kim for his unwavering faith in him, adding We will get it done together! in reference to denuclearisation. Flare-up: aeroplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Kim and Trump are trading gestures to appease the US Congress and show to the world that the deal is on. And, indeed, the deal is on but Kim will not fully denuclearise, North Korea analyst Loretta Napoleoni told The Telegraph. Story continues Analysts have repeatedly warned that despite the current thaw on the Korean Peninsula, Kim has never committed to fully surrendering his nuclear weapons. Korean People's Army soldiers march across Kim Il-sung Square Credit: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images Jeffrey Lewis, a nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, tweeted that the understated nature of the Pyongyang parade indicated that North Korea wants a version of the Israel deal. He explained: They dont test nuclear weapons or show them off at parades; we pretend they dont exist. According to reporters at the scene, the parade was split into two sections, civilian and military. The military segment featured soldiers wearing uniforms from different periods of national history, then switching to civilian groups, ranging from nurses to construction workers alongside colourful floats. Kim Jong-un clasps the hand of Chinese envoy, Li Zhanshu during the parade Credit: Ed Jones/AFP Kim surveyed the procession from a balcony in Kim Il Sung square, at times locking hands with Li Zhanshu, a senior envoy sent by Xi Jinping, the Chinese president. Foreign delegations from Russia, Syria, Vietnam and African nations reflected Kims concerted push this year in terms of promoting his own personal diplomacy and trying to cultivate a more statesman-like image. French actor Gerard Depardieu was in attendance Credit: SEBASTIEN BERGER/AFP/Getty Images In a break from recent tradition, he did not address the crowd. Instead Kim Yong-nam, the countrys ceremonial head of state told the audience that North Korea had achieved status as a military power, and would now pursue efforts to strengthen its economy. A gala was held on the eve of the 70th anniversary Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan The anniversary celebrations also mark the revival of North Korea's iconic mass games after a five-year hiatus. The mass games involve tens of thousands of people performing precisely choreographed dancing in a symbol of national unity. This year's spectacle - tickets start at just over $100 and go up to more than $800 per seat - also has a strong economic theme. Sebastien Roblin Security, Asia Thanks to Japan? Northrop's F-23 Stealth Fighter Might Have Been Better Than the F-22. We Might Just Find Out. Japan has been seeking foreign partners to help develop an F-3 air-superiority oriented stealth fighter for its Air Self-Defense Force. The concept that has attracted by far the most public interest is Lockheed Martins proposal for a hybrid of the F-22 Raptor, the worlds top air warfare platform, and the newer F-35 Lightning II. However, some commentators believe the F-3 program could see a resurrection of sorts for the F-22s rival of yore: the Northrop YF-23 Black Widow IIan aircraft many believe would have surpassed even the Raptors impressive performance. In 1981, the Pentagon debuted the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition seeking a next-generation stealth fighter that was not only low-observable on radar, but that could also beat new Soviet Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters in a dogfight. This was a major leap, as the only stealth aircraft yet developed, the F-117 Nighthawk, didnt possess air-to-air weaponry or supersonic flight capability. The Air Force also wanted the ATF to be capable of super-cruise, sustained supersonic flight without using fuel-gulping afterburnersa challenge given that jet engines fan blades often prove to be an Achilles heel when trying to reduce radar cross-section. In 1986, competitors for the ATF program were narrowed down to Lockheed-Martin and Northrop, which were then instructed to produce YF-22 and YF-23 prototypes of their respective designs to face off in a competition four years later. By then, both companies had some experience with stealth aircraft design, Lockheed having manufactured the F-117 and Northrop involved in the subsequent B-2 stealth bomber. Northrop also involved McDonnel-Douglas as a sub-contractor. Lockheeds YF-22 possessed striking looks, but the YF-23, dubbed the Black Widow II, was truly otherworldly, with diamond-shaped wings to reduce radar observability and a very thin side profile evocative of the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. Two huge rear tail fins were canted far outwards at a 50 degree angle above the wing, and were rotated by a fly-by-wire system to induce yaw, roll and pitch. Story continues Northrop built two prototypes: the dark grey PAV-1 Spider (initially, it even had a Black Widows trademark red hourglass on its belly), which first flew June 1990, and the light grey PAV-2 Grey Ghost that took to the sky that October. While the former used the same Pratt & Whitney F119 turbofan as the Raptor, the latter used a General Electric YF120 variable-cycle engine which could switch between turbojet and turbofan modes for better low and high-speed performance respectively. The engine inlets used S-Ducts to minimize radar cross section, while heat signature was reduced by channeling exhaust down trenches of heat-absorbent tiles. The YF-23 prototypes were tested for 65 flight hours. Both had in-flight refueling receptacles and a weapon bay that could accommodate four AIM-120 long-range missiles. Production aircraft would have also incorporated a single 20-millimeter Vulcan cannon and a bay to carry two more short-range Sidewinders missiles. Both YF-22 and YF-23 prototypes did no yet include key systems avionics such as radars. However, the YF-23 lacked one key feature of the Raptor: heavier vector-thrust engines which could rotate horizontally to assist in executing tight maneuvers at low speed. Thus, the Raptor came to be considered the more maneuverable of the two planes. In reality YF-23 was hardly a slouch in terms of agility, capable of attaining angles of attack sixty or seventy degrees above the vector of the plane even without vector thrust propulsion, but apparently only 25-degree maneuvers were performed before Air Force testers. In fact, the YF-23 reportedly scored ahead of the Raptor in most categoriesdemonstrating higher sustained supersonic super-cruise capabilities and longer range. Furthermore, it had an even lower Radar Cross Section, particularly from the side and rear, further reducing the range at which it could be detected. Recommended: Forget the F-35: The Tempest Could Be the Future Recommended: Why No Commander Wants to Take On a Spike Missile Recommended: What Will the Sixth-Generation Jet Fighter Look Like? Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber Some sources familiar with the competition allege that the Lockheed Martin team simply did a better job of showcasing the YF-22s agility to an evaluation team primarily composed of fighter pilots schooled in traditional dogfighting. Another may be that the YF-23 was believed to be more expensive and riskyand the Raptor would already prove exceptionally pricy at between $137 to 150 million per plane. The YF-22 was also reportedly more polished, and the Pentagon may have been skeptical of Northrops project management capabilities due to the delays and skyrocketing costs of its B-2 stealth bomber. Some even claim the contract was awarded to Lockheed to keep the company afloat. Ironically, were the Air Force given the choice today between greater maneuverability or longer range and greater stealth, it would almost certainly choose the latter. This is because theorists believe future air wars may be fought primarily beyond visual rangemaking detection capability rather than agility the most important factor. Furthermore, reliance upon short-range fighters constrains them to operating from forward bases highly exposed to enemy missile attacksand these days the Air Force must contemplate operations over the expanses of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the Air Forces sixth-generation stealth fighter project, Penetrating Counter Air, emphasizes long range over maneuverabilityand Lockheeds proposed design happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to the YF-23. Of course, Northrops YF-23 tech didnt simply vanish after the loss of the competition. Over a decade later, Northrop tried pitching a revised YF-23 for a proposed medium-range stealth bomber, though ultimately the Air Force ended up choosing Northrop long-range B-21 instead in 2016. Today, the PAV-1 can be seen at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, while PAV-2 is on display at the Western Museum of Flight in California. In 2018, Tokyos inquiries to potential partners in its F-3 stealth fighter program reportedly received an enthusiastic response from Northrop-Grumman. While Northrop might seek to revive the YF-23, more likely that it would offer unique aspects of the airframe and engine design which might then be integrated with new or existing Japanese technologies. This is because many aspects of Northrops 1980s-era design would need upgrading, particularly the old-fashioned Radar Absorbent Material coatingswhich remain highly expensive on the F-22 compared to the modular panels on the newer F-35and the avionics, which were never really developed into a mature system. Still, the Japanese Self Defense Force might prefer to start with the basis of an existing and tested airframe and subsequently improve upon it, instead of starting from scratch. This could mean that nearly three decades later, the Black Widow and Raptor may be pitted against each other in a second competition. Sebastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring . Image: Top view of the Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23 in flight. (U.S. Air Force photo) Read full article Controversial New York Times essay raised questions about who is really in control in the White House The New York Times published an anonymous opinion piece Thursday detailing a White House resistance. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP One by one, all the presidents men and a handful of women came forward. They did so to deny writing an extraordinary anonymous essay, published in the New York Times, that described a White House resistance to the worst impulses of the president: Donald Trump. Vice-President Mike Pence said he was above such amateur acts. Not mine, said the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. It would be laughable, said treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, to think he wrote it. It would be patently false to say it came from Dan Coats, director of national intelligence. Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross? Thoroughly appalled. Education secretary Betsy DeVos? She signs her opinions. Labor secretary Alexander Acosta? He does not play these sophomoric Washington games. Trump tracked the denials, reportedly helped by aides who printed and hand-delivered the statements. By the end of Thursday, nearly every top official and cabinet member had publicly disclaimed the column, which was credited only to a senior official in the Trump administration. It was all part of a high-stakes whodunit that is riveting Washington and raising profound questions about who is really running the country. Many Trump appointees, the anonymous author wrote, have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr Trumps more misguided impulses until he is out of office. The result is a two-track presidency. The depiction of a presidency in crisis was strikingly similar to that contained in a forthcoming book, Fear, by the veteran journalist Bob Woodward, whose dogged work with Carl Bernstein on Watergate led to the resignation of Richard Nixon. The Washington Post, for whom Woodward works, reported its contents. The Guardian also obtained a copy. Trump called the book a fraud and suggested the author of the essay committed treason. On Friday, he told reporters aboard Air Force One the White House was running beautifully and claimed no previous president had accomplished what he has, not even close. Story continues Woodward, however, writes that administration officials and staff are so alarmed by the presidents lack of judgement, leadership and sophistication that they take direct action to thwart his initiatives, setting in motion what the author calls an administrative coup detat. In one story reported in Fear, defense secretary James Mattis ignores an order from Trump to assassinate the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, after his regime uses chemical weapons against civilians. In another episode, then economic adviser Gary Cohn removes from the presidents desk a letter that would formally withdraw the US from a vital trade agreement with South Korea. Cohn is reported to have done the same to stop Trump withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), a pact he railed against as a candidate. Of the anonymous op ed, meanwhile, George W Bush speechwriter David Frum said in the Atlantic: The author is hoping to vindicate the reputation of like-minded senior Trump staffers. But what the author has just done is throw the government of the United States into even more dangerous turmoil. He or she has enflamed the paranoia of the president and empowered the presidents willfulness. The headline on Frums piece: This is a constitutional crisis. Nothing in this town stays secret forever In a White House where turnover is high and leaks are already pervasive, Trump is reportedly left unsure of who to trust. He is also nursing a well-documented fear, that a so-called deep state is working to override his authority. After all, the anonymous official wrote: Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do whats right even when Donald Trump wont. The biggest issue theyre going to have is finding who wouldnt have written a letter like that Bob Corker On Thursday, Trump duly lashed out on Twitter: The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy & they dont know what to do. According to the Washington Post, the president is hellbent on finding his betrayer. On Friday, he called on the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to launch an investigation. Outside the White House, meanwhile, everyone in Washington joined in the whodunnit, from the cashier at a local convenience store to the House minority leader. The vice-president that was my first thought, said Nancy Pelosi, unable to conceal a smile. I guess by process of elimination it will come down to the butler. House speaker Paul Ryan said he didnt know who wrote the article and did not see a role for Congress in trying to figure it out. But, he added wryly: Nothing in this town stays secret forever, and so ultimately I do think we will find out who is the author. Some preferred a more aggressive approach. Rand Paul, a Kentucky senator and libertarian who is usually an advocate of privacy rights, suggested the White House subject employees to a lie detector test. If you have a security clearance in the White House, I think it would be acceptable to use a lie detector test and ask people whether they are talking to the media against the policy of the White House, he said. He or she is saying that those closest to the president of the United States believe he is unfit for the presidency David Kusnet Bob Corker of Tennessee, a Republican critic of Trump, said the concerns detailed in the op-ed shouldnt be news to anyone who has had any dealings with the White House. This is the reality that were living in, he said. The biggest issue theyre going to have is finding who wouldnt have written a letter like that. Amateur sleuths and professional language detectives pored over the text, in search of rhetorical clues. Lodestar, many noted, is an uncommon word that happens to be a part of the vice-presidents lexicon. Others argued it was a deliberate red herring. Either way, Merriam Webster reported that searches for its definition had spiked. Other observers noted provocative moves by the author. He or she chose Trumps home town paper, which the president still reads religiously despite repeatedly deriding it as failing, instead of the Washington Post. He or she also invoked the late senator John McCain, who refused to allow Trump to attend his funeral. Whats important is to find out if this person is telling the truth David Kusnet, once a speechwriter for Bill Clinton, was first to reveal that the journalist Joe Klein was the anonymous author of the 1996 novel Primary Colors. He said the Times essay contained the quirks of a speechwriter. But, he added, this time the quest to unmask the author is not just a Washington parlor game. Bob Woodward speaks at the Newseum in Washington. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images If you take the anonymous writer at face value, he or she is saying that those closest to the president of the United States believe he is unfit for the presidency, Kusnet said. They dont trust him to run the country. Whats important is to find out if this person is telling the truth both about Trump and about the administration. The White House and Trumps allies have fiercely attacked the Times, for its decision to publish the piece, and the author for writing it. But few have challenged its substance, which echoes reports by media outlets, former officials and authors. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders simply demanded reporters stop asking about the identity of the gutless loser behind the op-ed. All questions should be directed to the Times opinion desk, she said, in a statement that included the phone number for the newspapers switchboard. The Times refused to provide any details. On Thursday, a Wall Street Journal article from 1974 pinballed across Twitter. Its headline: If you drink scotch, smoke & read, maybe youre Deep Throat. The story ran just 10 days after Bernstein and Woodward published their devastating account of the Watergate scandal, All the Presidents Men. It opened with a denial: W Mark Felt says he isnt now, nor has he ever been, Deep Throat. In fact, he was. But it took 31 years for the world to be told. To the social media skeptics, the story was a reminder that all this weeks denials, and all Trumps fire and fury, brought Washington no closer to identifying #lodestar. Mike Pence defended himself and President Trump during television interviews on Sunday: AP Mike Pence has said he would submit to a lie detector test in a heartbeat to prove he was not the author of an anonymous op-ed describing an apparent resistance movement within the Trump administration. Calling the article an assault on our democracy, the vice president dismissed a theory he was the potential author of the piece because it uses the word lodestar a word Mr Pence has repeatedly used in speeches as a mere effort to distract attention from the Trump administrations achievements. With the president clearly irked by The New York Times op-ed, Mr Pence made clear he would do whatever Mr Trump needed to prove his own innocence that he was not the senior administration official said to be behind the piece. I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do, Mr Pence told Fox News Sunday. Possible use of lie detector tests had been discussed by Trump administration officials in the wake of the op-eds publication last week, according to The New York Times. Mr Pence added that whether or not to administer lie detector tests to administration officials would be a decision for the president. This individual [needs] to recognise that they are literally violating an oath, he said. If they are a senior administration official, that they are violating an oath, not to the president, but to the constitution. To have an individual who took that oath literally say that they work every day to frustrate the president advancing the agenda he was elected to advance is undemocratic. Its not just deceitful, but its really an assault on our democracy. And that person should do the honourable thing, step forward and resign, the vice president added. .@VP on anonymous author of NYT oped: That person should do the honorable thing, step forward and resign. pic.twitter.com/MAjEzD5IFU FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 9, 2018 Mr Pence said that the op-ed posed a risk to national security, and that the author described as a senior administration official was un-American. Story continues Well find out if there was criminal activity involved, Mr Pence said. I think the presidents concern is that this individual may have responsibilities in the area of national security. The interview was one of a number for Mr Pence on Sunday, with another Trump administration official, Kellyanne Conway, echoing the vice president on CNNs State of the Union. There could be a national security risk at hand, she warned. It depends on what else has been divulged by this individual Anybody who would do this, you dont know what else theyre saying. There is no indication yet, other than from the Trump administration, that the person who wrote the op-ed may have had a hand in national security matters. Mr Trump has called the op-ed treasonous, and on Friday the president called on attorney general Jeff Sessions to lead an investigation to identify the author. I think this person is going to suss himself or herself out, Ms Conway said, suggesting that writing the op-ed itself was likely not criminal behaviour. Cowards are like criminals, eventually they tell the wrong person. Speaking on CBSs Face the Nation, Mr Pence said he thought nobody on this staff had anything to do with the article: Let me be very clear, Im 100 per cent confident that no one on the vice presidents staff was involved in this anonymous editorial. The author of the op-ed wrote that executive branch officials are working to insulate their operations from [the presidents] whims and that his impulsiveness results in half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions that have to be walked back. It also alleged that senior staffers had spoken about the possibility of invoking the 25th amendment of the US constitution as a mechanism for removing Mr Trump. The 25th amendment provides for a sitting presidents removal if the vice president and a majority of cabinet secretaries pronounce him or her unfit to discharge the duties of office, however Mr Pence denied that he or others in the administration had spoken about it. No. Never, Mr Pence told CBS when asked if he had had conversations about invoking the 25th amendment, adding: Why would we be...? In regards to one of the other clouds hanging over the White House special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump campaign officials Mr Pence said he would be willing to do interviews by Mr Muellers team. Mr trump has constantly decried the probe as a witch hunt. The NYT op-ed appeared in the same week that excerpts from the new book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward also about the state of the White House under Mr Trump made their way into the press. Fear: Trump in the White House has its official release on Tuesday, and paints a similar picture to the author of editorial. In a number of examples collected by Mr Woodward one of the journalists who helped break the Watergate scandal there is an instance of former Trump adviser Gary Cohn allegedly stealing a letter about withdrawing the US from a trade deal with South Korea from the presidents desk so he cannot sign it. Collected through dozens of anonymous interviews with officials, Mr Woodward also suggests that top administration officials, such as chief of staff John Kelly and defence secretary James Mattis, insulted the presidents intelligence. Cabinet ministers have lined up to deny being the author of the op-ed, and have also denied the instances described in Mr Woodwards book ever took place. Mr Kelly and Mr Mattis were particularly strong. The @VP weighs in on specific instances mentioned in the new Bob Woodward book. Hear more of what the Vice President has to say when the interview airs this morning on Face the Nation starting at 10:30 EST on your local CBS channel. pic.twitter.com/22EmpL3wCK Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 9, 2018 On Sunday Mr Pence also spoke about the book, saying that he doubted the story about Mr Cohn was true but stopped short of disputing claims that Mr Trump had himself mocked senior staff. According to Fear, Mr Trump criticised Mr Sessions and told commerce secretary Wilbur Ross he was past his prime. Well, I would tell you I know this president has great respect for the men and women who serve in this cabinet, Mr Pence said when directly asked if he denounced the specific claims in Mr Woodwards book about insults against cabinet members. These accounts are very foreign to me. And Im just not aware of instances where theyve occurred and or where they would occur. But look, I want to stipulate that working in the White House is not for everybody. The release of The New York Times editorial has somewhat stolen the thunder away from Mr Woodward, known around Washington as a diligent reporter who generally refuses to insert his own judgement or analysis. Some critics have hit out at this flat, reportorial style, but with the Trump administration denying all insider accounts of the presidency as fabrications the authority provided by that style should be welcomed. Over more than half a dozen books about various presidents, Mr Woodward has built up a reputation where few would discount what he writes, even if the interviews are anonymous. The release of his book on Tuesday will likely fan the flames of discussion about the Oval Office and provide another headache for Mr Trump and his administration. Mitrovica (Kosovo) (AFP) - Hundreds of Kosovar Albanians blocked access to a village due to be visited by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Sunday, an AFP journalist said, as a festering row over Kosovo independence clouds hopes that the war foes can normalise relations. Demonstrators used vehicles and tree trunks to create a barricade on the main road between Mitrovica, in the north of Kosovo, and the village of Banje, a Serbian enclave some 60 kilometres (40 miles) away. "Vucic does not pass" and "Those who committed genocide against innocent civilians cannot pass" read messages on placards at the blockade, which according to Serbian state television RTS was one of five set up by protesters to cut off all road access to Banje. Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo, an Albanian-majority former southern province that broke away from the then Yugoslav republic in a bloody war in 1998-1999 and declared independence a decade later. According to RTS, Vucic's route was blocked by former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the pro-independence guerrilla movement that fought Serb armed forces in the conflict. The Serbian president is making a two-day visit to Kosovo, just days after planned talks with Kosovo president Hashim Thaci in Brussels under EU auspices fell apart at the last minute. The talks have been stalled for months but started generating attention in recent months after Thaci and Vucic signalled an openness to the idea of border changes to resolve their longstanding differences over Kosovo's independence. The presidents have not laid out any detailed plans but the talk has alarmed critics, who say redrawing the map of the Balkans could wreak havoc in a fragile region scarred by war. Vucic is due to speak at a public event later Sunday in Serb-majority Mitrovica. Serbia needs a deal with Pristina to move forward in EU accession talks, while Kosovo is hoping that recognition from Belgrade that would unlock its path into the United Nations. Kosovo is recognised by more than 110 countries, but outliers include Russia, China and five EU countries, including Spain, which does not want to set an independence precedent for its own regions. By Photo: LA(Phot) Dave Jenkins/MOD, OGL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26896636 Grant Newsham Security, Asia Any why China should take notice. Royal Marines and Japans Amphibious Force: A Match Made in Heaven? In late August, the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) put on its annual Fuji Firepower Demonstration at a training area near Mt. Fuji. Its a choreographed display of GSDF weaponry with lots of shooting and explosions and draws thousands of spectators. But theres a Potemkin aspect to it all, suggesting a more capable JSDF than exists. However, a few days earlier and not far away at a smaller training site on the beach at Numazu, something more critical for the GSDF (and JSDF) almost happened. Troops from Britains Royal Marines and the GSDFs newly activated amphibious brigade (ARDB) were primed to conduct a joint landing exercisecoming ashore from the HMS Albion and the Japanese Navys JS Shimokita. Unfortunately, the exercise was canceled owing to a passing typhoonthough all preparatory work was done. This near-miss at Numazu was significantit was the first time foreign ground troops, other than Americans, were to train in Japan. And there was no public or political opposition, to the extent anyone even noticed. Prime Minister Abe has had some success pulling Japan's defense back to the center' and changing public thinking. A joint landing with British forces and a combined GSDF/MSDF amphibious team was unthinkable not many years agoeven if the planned landing exercise was a modest affair involving a small number of troops landing in rubber boats and a landing craft, with a Japanese Navy LCAC (hovercraft) making an appearance. The HMS Albions visit to Japan (along with a 120-man company sized Royal Marine detachment) was part of a 10-month cruise out and back from the United Kingdom. The JSDF has worked closely with the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy to develop its amphibious force, so the British infused some fresh bloodas they have a somewhat different approach to amphibious operations than the Americans. Story continues The Numazu exercise and the HMS Albions presence at the U.S. Navy Base in Yokosuka and an open house in Tokyo harbor also highlighted several challenges facing the JSDFs amphibious development effort that still has a ways to go. First, Japanese ships used for amphibious operations are not built to handle GSDF ground troops and their hardware and need to be jury-rigged to accommodate them. However, HMS Albion was purpose-built for amphibious operationsand with the Royal Marines in mind. Indeed, the HMS Albions design offers Japanese shipbuilders a good blueprint for ships that maximize efficient command and control of ground, sea, and air operations as needed for amphibious operationswhile also allowing easy movement of heavily laden Royal Marines and their equipment off, on and around the ship. Next, while the Numazu training area is better than nothing, JSDF needs a full-service' amphibious training area in Japan. Numazu is too small for training once ashore, and beach conditions are not ideal for moving equipment. Improving amphibious skills requires constant practice. The ARDB and MSDF ships cant make the lengthy, expensive trip often enough to Southern California, Hawaii, or Australia where better training areas are located. And U.S. facilities on Guam and in the Northern Marianas are still years from completion. But Japan has 18,000 miles of coastline and many potential amphibious training sites. The central government just has to choose a place, figure the price local residents will demand and then pay for it. Another longstanding obstacle to ARBD (and JSDF) improvement is excessive safety restrictions during training. Sea conditions genuinely were unsafe at Numazu and warranted canceling the exercise. But many military observers comment on Japanese risk aversion when it comes to training. An oft-mentioned example is a prohibition on GSDF attack helicopters firing while movingand shooting only while hovering. Do that and combat will be a short experience. Finally, amphibious workinvolving air, sea, and ground operationsis complex and almost nothing goes exactly as planned, including the weather. This is a problem because JSDF officers often seem reluctant to change the plan without calling back to headquarters for permission. The Royal Marines and Royal Navy, however, personify the concept of mission orders and letting the forces get on with it using their initiative. The JSDF can learn from this example. One hopes ARBD becomes the place where officers and troops that want the freedom to use their initiative and imagination want to be assigned. The start of an ARDBRoyal Marine friendship? One hopes the Royal Marines and the ARDB will see more of each other. Indeed, American advisors have suggested the JSDF study the highly professional British Marines (and their close relationship with the Royal Navy which in some respects is tighter and better than the USMC/USN relationship), rather than aiming at being a Japanese version of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Royal Marines' small size (only 6,000 men), equipment, organization, and operational techniques differ from the Americans, and some aspects are well suited for the ARDB. Unfortunately, the HMS Albion is the British Navys only amphibious ship, so it may not return to Japan for some time. In a pound foolish move, the Her Majestys Government recently sold its other amphibious ship, HMS Ocean, to the Brazilian Navy. But its still easy to bring the Royal Marines out to Japan or nearby to train with the Japanese Marines and MSDFmaking use of the Japanese Navys seven amphibious shipsand also join with the Americans and other friendly forces. Something like this already happened in 2017, when Royal Marines and French Marines aboard the French amphibious ship Mistral trained on Guam and nearby Tinian in a four-way exercise with U.S. Marines and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. Even better, the United Kingdom might assign a Royal Marine officer to Japan to work with the GSDF and MSDF. And vice versa. ARBD officers will particularly benefit from assignments with the Royal Marines in the United Kingdom or afloat. Moreover, the GSDF may procure its own transports and possibly landing craft. This means the British Marines might help ARDB build a version of the Royal Marine Assault Squadronsea specialists' permanently embarked on Navy ships which serve as Landing Craft Coxswains and the like. In addition, the MSDFs helicopter destroyer JS Kaga (an amphibious ship in all but name) recently set off on a show-the-flag cruise to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. However, it appears to have neglected to embark ARBD Marines and thus squandered a valuable opportunity to build the GSDF-MSDF amphibious relationship. Tokyo should get it right next time by taking the Japanese Marines along and linking up with Royal Marines somewhere along the way. Britain reportedly plans to have a Royal Navy ship operating in the Asia-Pacific region for the foreseeable future. This has its uses as marker' demonstrating London's looks askance at Beijing's efforts to dominate East Asia. But one ship is still just one ship in a vast region. So, use the Royal Marines to augment this effort, and in the process, they can also help improve local amphibious forces, such as Japan's, that all need improvement in different areas. The Fuji Firepower Demonstration is admittedly a lot of fun to watch. But rather than showing off at Mt. Fuji, more and better amphibious trainingand with partners like the Britishis a better way to spend JSDFs limited time and money. Grant Newsham is a retired U.S. Marine Officer and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies. Image: Wikimedia Read full article By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Polls show President Vladimir Putin's former chief-of-staff will comfortably be re-elected Moscow's mayor on Sunday, but public anger over planned increases to the nationwide pension age means many voters may stay away, tarnishing his win. The election is the first test at the ballot box for the authorities since Putin, whose popularity has tumbled by around 15 percent due to anger over the changes, intervened to soften the reform last week. The changes, going through parliament, are the most unpopular government measure since a 2005 move to scrap Soviet-eras benefits led to nationwide pensioner protests. Frontrunner Sergei Sobyanin, who has run Moscow since 2010, has recorded a rare personal appeal to voters asking them to show up to vote. Sobyanin has also promised to protect Moscow's around three million pensioners, who like the rest of the country face a phased five-year increase in the pension age. After being amended by Putin, the reforms envisage raising the retirement age for men to 65 from 60 and to 60 from 55 for women. Average life expectancy for men is 66 and for women 77. "It's clear that Sobyanin will win, but turnout will be really low because there is a protest mood in society," Dmitry Oreshkin, an independent political analyst, said. "It's a Soviet-type of protest when people carp in their kitchens but believe there's no point in taking part in any official procedure." Polls show just under one third of the seven million registered voters will turn up. Turnout at the last Moscow mayoral election in 2013 was just over 32 percent. Official turnout at previous mayoral elections, which critics say have often been falsified, varied from 57 to 66 percent. Elections to select the heads of another 25 of Russia's 85 regions will also be held on Sunday. FREE CONCERT TICKETS The authorities' approach to the Moscow vote has been to exclude awkward candidates and mount a get-out-the-vote operation, a sign the Kremlin takes anger over the pension changes, which polls show most Russians oppose, seriously. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who ran against Sobyanin in 2013 and had planned to lead a protest against the proposed pension changes on Sunday, will spend election day behind bars after being convicted of violating protest laws. His supporters plan to demonstrate across Russia. Registration rules that allow the ruling United Russia party to decide who takes part in the election were used to prevent two liberal opposition candidates from running against Sobyanin. His four rivals are virtual unknowns. The get-out-the-vote push has involved 10,000 volunteers and a billboard campaign. Young Muscovites are being offered free concert tickets if they vote, voting hours have been extended and voting stations will be set up outside Moscow to allow people spending time at their dachas or country houses to vote. Candidates for the Communist Party and the Fair Russia Party oppose the pension changes. But Sobyanin, who polls show should win around 70 percent of the vote, has declined to debate them on TV. "Sobyanin is a smart person," said Oreshkin. "He talks about road building, but not about politics. He understands that speaking about pension reform would be extremely painful for him." Sobyanin, 60, seen by some in the elite as a possible future president or more likely prime minister, has transformed the face of Moscow. With an annual budget of around 2 trillion roubles ($28.90 billion) he has overseen the city's biggest post-Soviet overhaul of public transport, roads and parks, at times even winning plaudits from anti-Kremlin critics. Detractors say this renewal is to pacify young and middle class Muscovites who have voted for Putin in smaller numbers than the rest of the country in the past. The strategy has had some success, say experts, but when it comes to Sunday's election the agenda is much broader. "It's impossible to separate the city's agenda from the federal agenda," wrote Alexander Baunov, a senior fellow at Moscow's Carnegie Centre think tank, last week. "It's hard to create a situation where the election will be focused on questions of transport, pavements and parks, rather than on pension reform, Donbass (separatist-controlled east Ukraine) and the Russian authoritarian tradition." (Editing by Janet Lawrence) Stockholm (AFP) - Sweden's Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has probably never stood so alone: roasted by the right for leaving the door wide open to asylum-seekers and lambasted by the left for later slamming it shut. Either way, like German Chancellor Angela Merkel he has faced some hard decisions on immigration and lost support in his own camp since shutting Sweden's borders at the end of 2015, having taken in more than 240,000 asylum-seekers after coming to power in 2014. At 61, Lofven, a former metal worker and union leader, now faces the biggest challenge of his career -- to keep one of Europe's last centre-left governments in power. As the son of a poor single mother who came into politics after rising through the ranks of the trade union movement, he can truthfully claim to understand the challenges faced by "ordinary" voters. Born in Stockholm in 1957, poverty forced his mother to give him up when he was 10 months old to a foster family in Solleftea, 500 kilometres (310 miles) north of the capital, where the father was a factory worker. He became a welder and spent 15 years working in a defence factory, joining the union in the early 1980s and ending up as head of the metal workers' union Metall from 2006 to 2012. - Boxer's nose - "I'm sometimes described as a right-wing socialist because I think industry is important. I find that very bizarre," retorts the politician with the square build and nose of a boxer to those who accuse him of turning his back on the party's base. Ahead of Sweden's legislative elections, he has tried to court everyone from the left to the centre, one eye firmly on the thorny negotiations likely to lie ahead to form a government. His Social Democrats, which have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s, are leading in the polls, but they look set to post a record low score, just ahead of the far-right Sweden Democrats and conservative Moderates, who are battling for second place. Story continues - Migration U-turn - Despite some internal dissension, "Stefan Lofven has managed to keep the party united, his leadership isn't questioned", Ulf Bjereld, a University of Gothenburg political science professor and a member of the Social Democrats' executive committee, told AFP. Lofven announced on November 24, 2015, that Sweden was aligning its asylum policy with the European Union's minimal levels and cracking down on family reunifications. "It pains me to say that Sweden can no longer take in asylum-seekers at the same high level... Sweden needs some breathing room," Lofven told a news conference, his Green Party deputy prime minister Asa Romson at his side, tears streaming down her cheeks. Just two months earlier he had said: "My Europe doesn't build walls, my Europe takes in refugees." "Even Angela Merkel in Germany had to do a U-turn on immigration. But no leader in Europe did as brutal an about-face as Stefan Lofven," wrote Sweden's paper of reference Dagens Nyheter in May. - 'Genuine' - Lofven's detractors say his stance on immigration and integration is "naive" and "irresponsible". To counter that he has taken a hard line, repeatedly stressing that new arrivals in Sweden have both "rights and responsibilities". And with cars being torched and gangs settling scores in Sweden's disadvantaged suburbs, he regularly calls for "law and order" -- a phrase more commonly used by the right. Seen by some as a poor orator who lacks charisma, he is nevertheless popular with many Swedes who see him as "genuine". A recent Skop poll showed a majority of Swedes would rather break bread with him than with his Swedish Moderate Party challenger Ulf Kristersson. He and his wife Ulla -- who lead the sort of simple, modest lifestyle seen as a virtue in Sweden -- were recently featured in the pages of a celebrity magazine, and on television, an unusual move for a Social Democratic politician. If elected to a second term, Lofven is likely to have to contend with a downturn in the domestic and international economy, as forecast by experts after Sweden's long period of growth. Brett Kavanaugh speaks to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in an Aug. 21 meeting. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images) As a reminder of what could be at stake if President Donald Trumps latest Supreme Court pick is confirmed, abortion rights activists have been sending Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) coat hangers for months. A lot of coat hangers. Around 3,000 have been delivered so far to the office of the senator, The Associated Press reported Saturday. Collins is considered to be a key vote in the upcoming confirmation vote for Trumps nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Many supporters of abortion rights fear Kavanaugh would dismantle the landmark 1973 abortion case Roe v. Wade in no small part because thats precisely what Trump promised during his campaign. Given the chance, Trump said, he would nominate judges to the Supreme Court who would significantly roll back Roe v. Wade. Collins, a centrist, supports abortion rights. The hangers are symbols of a dangerous method for terminating a pregnancy used when abortion was illegal and many women resorted to risky procedures. While Collins has vowed to oppose any Supreme Court candidate who demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade, whether she believes Kavanaugh has done so in his career remains unclear. She has declined to indicate publicly what her decision may be. Although Collins said Kavanaugh told her that he considered the case settled law, his critics are concerned about past rulings and an email he sent suggesting Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Progressive groups are also running TV spots in Maine urging Collins to reject the judge, the AP noted. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another centrist generally supportive of abortion rights, has similarly not indicated which way she will vote. In addition to the issue posed by Kavanaughs abortion record, advocates for Native Alaskan groups have urged the senator to vote no, and Native Alaskans were key to Murkowskis election. Kavanaughs Senate Judiciary Committee hearing wrapped Friday after four contentious days that saw more than 200 protesters arrested. Story continues Democrats on the committee made their opposition to the nominee and Republicans procedural decisions known from the moment Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) gaveled in the first day on Tuesday. Several senators interrupted Grassley to protest the withholding of well over 100,000 pages of documents related to Kavanaughs judicial record. Related Coverage Brett Kavanaugh's Confirmation Hearings Have Been Shrouded In Secrecy For Susan Collins, A Vote For Kavanaugh Would Be Political Suicide Read More Updates From Brett Kavanaugh's Confirmation Hearing Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Jimmie Akesson, leader of Sweden Democrats, celebrates his party's success - Bloomberg A Swedish nationalist party with neo-Nazi roots made major gains in elections on Sunday, robbing the mainstream centrist parties of a majority and pushing the country towards a hung parliament. Sweden Democrats, which has blamed a recent surge in rapes, sex attacks and riots on immigrants, is set to secure 18 per cent of the vote. The ruling centre-left Social Democrats were in the lead with 28 per cent of the votes, down from 31 per cent in the 2014 election and its lowest score in decades. Meanwhile the centre-right Moderates scored just 19 per cent. Stefan Lofven, the Swedish prime minister, will have heaved a sigh of relief at the result for the nationalist Sweden Democrats, which according to earlier polls could have reached first place. The hard right party, led by 39-year-old Jimmie Akesson, has called for a two-year ban on asylum seekers and wants to ban the niqab, or face veil. Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Akesson arrives at the TV-channel TV4 in Stockholm Monday Credit: TT News Agency Sweden Democrats also claim immigrants put undue pressure on the country's cherished welfare state and are are diluting Swedish culture and values. If they are confirmed as the largest party, the Social Democrats are likely to form a coalition with the pro-refugee Left party, which has risen in the polls due to its pro-refugee stance, and the Green party. The centre-right bloc of parties, known as the Alliance, could unseat Mr Lofven if they joined forces with the Sweden Democrats - but they have so far refused to do. Far-right parties have made significant gains throughout Europe in recent years after a refugee crisis sparked by civil war in Syria and ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and parts of Africa. Sweden has taken in more refugees per capita than any other country in Europe, a statistic frequently deployed by the Sweden Democrats on the campaign trail as they called for a border shutdown. As Mr Lofven cast his ballot in Stockholm on Sunday, heurged Swedes not to vote for the "racist party". "It's ... about decency, about a decent democracy. Story continues And the Social Democrats and a Social Democratic-led government is a guarantee for not letting the Sweden Democrats extremist party, racist party, get any influence in the government," he said. At the Sweden Democrats' last rally before polls opened, Mr Akesson accused the socially liberal prime minister of prioritising the needs of asylum seekers over Swedish citizens. "This government we have had now, they have prioritised, during these four years, asylum-seekers...Sweden needs breathing space, we need tight responsible immigration policies," he said. Supporters attend the Social Democratic Party's election night party in Stockholm Credit: TT NEWS AGENCY Once a far-right party with links to neo-Nazi and fascist groups, such as Keep Sweden Swedish, Sweden Democrats has undergone a major detoxification campaign. The group's old logo of a burning touch, similar to that of the British National Front, has been swapped for a blue and yellow flower, while a "zero tolerance" policy on racism has been adopted. Some voters in Stockholm, a liberal stronghold, said the Sweden Democrats were a welcome shake-up to mainstream politics as they were not afraid to attack immigration policy. "They should be taken seriously, they have raised serious issues, not just immigration but health care too," 46-year-old voter Henrik, a doctor, told AFP. Prime minister and party leader of the Social Democrat party Stefan Lofven speaks at an election party in Stockholm Credit: TT News Agency "It's a problem for democracy if the other party leaders refuse to talk to a party that represents the views of so many people," his wife Josefine added. "We need to close the borders. Its what people want - even the Moderates and the Social Democrats. But they refuse to talk about it as an option and we do," Peter Wallmark, chairman of the Sweden Democrats Stockholm division, told the Telegraph. "At the moment they are saying they wont form a coalition with us but thats because were in the middle of a campaign. Im very confident we will get about 25 per cent of the vote and then they will have to talk to us," he said . "I think we could form a coalition with the Moderates. They wont admit that yet though. He added: "There is a serious problem with Islamic fundamentalists, and we need to address that." A film that follows two friends through four nightmarish years of the Syrian civil war has lifted some of the top prizes at the Venice film festival, which ends Saturday. "Still Recording", a documentary by Ghiath Ayoub and Saeed Al Batal, records what happened to two idealistic art students after they were swept up in the fervour of the Syrian revolution. It picked up two awards at Venice Critics' Week. Friends Saeed and Milad leave Damascus and go to Douma in 2011, a suburb under rebel control, to set up a radio station and recording studio. There they struggle to keep a flicker of hope and creativity alive as they endure fighting, siege and famine. Ayoub and Al Batal, who shot 500 hours of footage, told AFP that with so little reporting coming out of Syria it was important to bear witness. "We started doing this because there wasn't, and still isn't, an efficient working media in Syria because it's not allowed to enter and if it is, it's under the control of the regime," said Al Batal. "Art is nothing if it is not resistance, even if there isn't revolution... it is resistance against a huge amount of emotions you have got inside you. "Emotions need to come out and expressing them through art can do that," he added. The win comes as the Syrian regime and its Russian allies are preparing to launch an assault on Idlib, the northern province that is the last major stronghold of the rebel and jihadist groups which have been trying to overthrow Bashar al-Assad for the past seven years. Al Batal said the situation in Syria "is more dangerous than ever now" because the Russian military are more ruthless than Assad's badly trained soldiers. "They know where to hit, and how to hit hard," said Al Batal, who said the "media army behind them" was the same. By Jonathan Stempel and Sweta Singh (Reuters) - The prominent short-seller Andrew Left has sued Tesla Inc and its Chief Executive Elon Musk, saying Musk fraudulently engineered his since-abandoned plan to take Tesla private to "burn" investors hoping the electric car company's stock price would fall. Left, whose reports at Citron Research often push stock prices lower, said in his proposed class-action complaint on Thursday that Musk's issuance of materially false and misleading information harmed short-sellers like himself, as well as those hoping Tesla's stock price would rise. The shareholder lawsuit is one of at least seven targeting Musk since he stunned investors by announcing on Twitter on Aug. 7 that he might take Tesla private for $420 per share, in a $72 billion transaction for which "funding" had been "secured." That announcement drove Tesla's share price up more than 13 percent from its close the prior day. Musk announced on Aug. 24 that Tesla would stay public. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on Left's lawsuit, which was filed in San Francisco federal court. Short-sellers borrow shares they believe are overpriced, sell them, and then repurchase shares later at what they hope will be lower prices to make profits. Known as an activist investor, Left was among the first short-sellers to challenge Canadian drug company Valeant, which he called a "pharmaceutical Enron" after the failed energy company, before its stock price plunged amid worries about its business practices and regulatory probes. Valeant is now called Bausch Health Companies Inc. Musk has long used Twitter to criticize short-sellers, and Left said his conduct violated federal securities laws. "Defendant Musk artificially manipulated the price of Tesla securities with objectively false tweets in order to 'burn' the company's short-sellers," Left said. "In the succeeding days, the truth regarding the supposedly 'secure' financing needed to effectuate the going-private transaction began to emerge, exposing the fraudulent scheme," he added. Story continues The proposed class period runs from Aug. 7 to Aug. 17, over which time Left said he bought and sold many millions of dollars of Tesla shares. That period ended after the New York Times published an interview in which Musk, who owns about one-fifth of Tesla, described severe stress he faced running the Palo Alto, California-based company. Finally, on the evening of Aug. 24, a Friday, Musk, by then facing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission scrutiny into the factual accuracy of his "secured" tweet, blogged https://www.tesla.com/blog/staying-public%20 that Tesla would remain public, citing investor resistance. "The sentiment, in a nutshell, was 'please don't do this,'" he wrote. Tesla shares rose 21 cents to $280.95 in Thursday trading. They have fallen 27 percent from their Aug. 7 intraday high of $387.46. The case is Left v Tesla Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 18-05463. (Reporting by Sweta Singh in Bengaluru and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Jennifer Ablan in New York; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Lisa Shumaker) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attends a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the National Guard: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images White House officials secretly met with Venezuelan military personnel seeking to overthrow the countrys government, according to reports. Trump administration staffers are said to have attended multiple meetings with rebel leaders seeking to stage a coup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, starting in the autumn of 2017. The officials eventually decided not to help the rebels and never provided any material support, but reportedly engaged with at least one Venezuelan military official currently under US sanctions. The meetings came as the Venezuelan economy took a massive downturn and Mr Maduros government became increasingly restrictive, causing thousands of citizens to flee and countless others to starve. At least three factions of the Venezuelan military were plotting against Mr Maduro at the time, according to the New York Times, which first reported the claims. At the same time, President Donald Trump had signalled his openness to a possible intervention, stating publicly that a military option was something the US certainly could pursue. He had also privately asked several advisers about the possibility of invading the country, according to CNN. Early in Mr Trumps term, one of the rebel factions reportedly attempted to reach the White House through a US embassy in a European city. The White House was hesitant first, thinking they were being set up, but eventually decided to listen to what they had to say, a senior administration official said. The White House reportedly dispatched a senior diplomat to attend the meetings purely on listening mode, with instructions not to a negotiate. The official attended a total of three meetings before talks dissolved. The rebels tried several times to stage a coup on their own, but were unsuccessful at each turn. The White House did not deny the reports, saying in a statement to the Times that it was important engage in dialogue with all Venezuelans who demonstrate a desire for democracy in order to bring positive change to a country that has suffered so much under Maduro. Story continues Former President Barack Obama rebuffed the rebels when they reached out to his administration years ago, according to the Times. But the Trump administrations willingness to entertain the idea of a coup is not entirely unheard of, and plays into a long history of US intervention in the region. Starting in 1812, US president James Monroe declared the US would no longer tolerate European colonisation of South America a proclamation that became known as the Monroe Doctrine. A corollary coined by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 reaffirmed the United States dominance over other interests in the region. The US also intervened in South America several times after the Second World War, in hopes of stopping the spread of Communism. Under President John F Kennedy, the US trained and funded a group of rebels seeking to overthrow President Fidel Castro in Cuba. In Chile, the US helped General Augusto Pinochet overthrow the left-wing government of Salvador Allende. In 2015 Mr Obama declared, in relation to Latin America, that he hoped to move past the days in which our agenda in this hemisphere presumed that the United States could meddle with impunity. The Democrat did however oversee the expansion of US military operations elsewhere, with a troop surge in Afghanisation and drone strikes in a number of countries. The White House did not immediately respond to The Independents request for comment. Hunt for author of piece depicting sidelining of president Pence: Well find out if criminal activity involved Donald Trump speaks in North Carolina last month. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images The Trump administration warned of a potential national security risk related to an opinion piece published last week in which an anonymous administration official declared he or she was working from the inside to subvert the president. Well find out if there was criminal activity involved, Vice-President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday. I think the presidents concern is that this individual may have responsibilities in the area of national security. Pence was echoed by the Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, speaking on CNNs State of the Union as the hunt for the author continued. There could be a national security risk at hand, she warned. It depends on what else has been divulged by this individual Anybody who would do this, you dont know what else theyre saying. The anonymous editorial was published on Wednesday by the New York Times and attributed to a senior administration official. It described a two-track presidency in which many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr Trumps more misguided impulses until he is out of office. Trump called the piece treason. All cabinet members to have been asked about the piece have denied authorship. On Sunday, Pence told CBSs Face the Nation he was 100% confident that no one on the vice-presidents staff was involved in this anonymous editorial. He also told Fox News Sunday he was not the author, would take a lie detector test on the matter in a heartbeat, and would submit to any review the administration wanted to do. But the suggestion the piece represented a national security risk had not previously been aired. Speaking to Fox, Pence called the piece deceitful and said its really an assault on our democracy. On Friday, Trump called on his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to lead an investigation to identify the author. But Conway acknowledged that the opinion piece per se did not constitute criminal activity. Story continues I think this person is going to suss himself or herself out, Conway said. Cowards are like criminals, eventually they tell the wrong person. There is no evidence or indication apart from the Trump administrations assertion that the author of the piece has a national security role. But it would not be unprecedented for a member of the national security team to buck the president, according to a book to be published on Tuesday by the veteran reporter Bob Woodward. The Guardian obtained a copy of the book, Fear. Woodward reports that the defense secretary, James Mattis, did not act on a Trump order to assassinate the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Were not going to do any of that, Woodward quotes Mattis as telling an aide. Were going to be much more measured. Trump has claimed he would have liked to speak with Woodward for the book but was not asked to. I never got a call. I never got a message, Trump told Woodward in a taped telephone call between the two that was published by the Washington Post this week. Woodward replied that he had requested an interview with the president through about six people, including Conway. On Sunday, Conway told NBCs Meet the Press she had not forwarded a request by Woodward to speak with Trump to the president. I didnt bring the request to the president directly, she said. George Papadopoulos became the first campaign aide to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation. With his wife Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos - AFP A former adviser to Donald Trump, whose remarks in a London pub set off the investigation into possible collusion with Russia, has been jailed for 14 days after lying to the FBI. George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty last year to not being truthful with agents investigating whether members of the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia before the 2016 election. At his sentencing on Friday he told a court in Washington: "In January 2017, I made a terrible mistake for which I paid dearly, I am ashamed. I was young and ambitious. Papadopoulos had cooperated for more than a year with the probe being led by special counsel Robert Mueller in to possible collusion. During the election he was a foreign policy adviser to Mr Trump, and relayed to the campaign that he had been told by a Maltese academic, Joseph Mifsud, that the Russians had "dirt" on Hilary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. Papadopoulos also suggested to the Trump campaign that he could set up a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. US authorities were alerted in mid-2016 after Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat, during a drinking session in a London pub, about his meetings with Professor Mifsud. The diplomat told US investigators, but Papadopoulos then lied and said his contact with the professor happened before he joined the campaign. US District Judge Randolph Moss, sentencing, noted that he "lied in an investigation that was important to national security." A demonstrator outside court Credit: Bloomberg The judge said he took into consideration Papadopoulos's "genuine remorse" in issuing the light sentence, which included a $9,500 fine, a year on parole and community service. By lying to investigators, Papadopoulos had made "a calculated exercise of self-interest over the national interest," said the judge. In cooperating with Mr Mueller's investigation Papadopoulos has said that senior Trump campaign members encouraged him during 2016 to build ties with Russia. Story continues Out of the 35 people and entities so far charged in the probe Papadopoulos is one of five who have pleaded guilty, and the second to be sentenced. Mr Trump has regularly lashed out against the sprawling investigation, which he dubs a "witch hunt" driven by his Democrat enemies. George Papadopoulos at a meeting with Donald Trump in March 2016 Credit: AFP Papdopoulos's lawyer Tom Breen said "the President of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever did". Papadopoulos, from Chicago, was a petroleum analyst based in London when he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 as one of a handful of members of the Republican candidate's national security and foreign policy advisory board. Within weeks he had made contact with Prof Mifsud, who introduced him to others including a woman who claimed to be Mr Putin's niece. At the end of March 2016 Papadopoulos told Mr Trump, then-senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and members of the national security team at their first meeting in Washington, that he had connections in London who could set up a Trump-Putin meeting ahead of the November election. "While some in the room rebuffed the offer Mr Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it," Papadopoulos later claimed in a statement to a court. President Donald Trump has claimed he fell asleep watching former President Barack Obamas scathing critique of the president and his party. Mr Obama did not mince words in his address at the University of Illinois on Friday, claiming Mr Trump and Republicans in Congress were part of a backlash to progress taking place in America. It did not start with Donald Trump he is a symptom, not the cause. He is just capitalising on resentment that politicians have fanning for years, Mr Obama said, in an address designed to mobilise young voters for the upcoming midterm elections. It was the first time the former president had criticised Mr Trump by name since the 2016 election, and his comments generated backlash from across the aisle. But Mr Trump played down the remarks, telling attendees at a fundraising event that he had tried to watch the speech but could not get through it all. I think [Mr Obama] is trying to take credit for this incredible thing thats happening to our country, he added, referring to recent increases in the employment rate. Mr Trumps fellow Republicans were more critical, with Representative Mark Meadows calling the speech an eloquent reminder of why Americans made the right choice when they elected President Trump. The more President Barack Obama speaks about the good ole years of his presidency, the more likely President Donald Trump is to get re-elected, tweeted Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. In fact, the best explanation of President Trumps victory are the results of the Obama Presidency! The address was much more positively received by Democrats, who seemed thrilled to have the former president back in the ring. Joe Biden, who previously served as Mr Obamas vice president, called the speech inspiring. A powerful reminder that its on all of us to vote this fall if we want leaders who reflect the civility, character, dignity, and goodness of the American people, Mr Biden tweeted. The stakes couldnt be higher, but Americans always rise to the occasion. Story continues Still others pointed out the contrast between Mr Obamas speech on Friday morning and Mr Trumps conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One at around the same time. Among other things, Mr Trump told reporters he wanted the Justice Department to launch an investigation into which senior official had penned an anonymous New York Times editorial claiming to be part of an internal resistance to his presidency. Mr Trump also said he was looking into taking action against the Times, which he had earlier lambasted as phoney and failing. It was unclear what action the president wanted taken against the author or the Times, as neither appeared to have broken any laws. Mr Obama touched briefly on the issue of the op-ed in his speech, but focused primarily on the larger issue of Mr Trumps attacks on the press. I complained plenty about Fox News, but you never heard me threaten to shut them down or call them enemies of the people, Mr Obama said. He added: It should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents. ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was open to sitting down with investigators probing possible collusion between his election campaign and Russia "under certain circumstances," but did not want to get caught in a "perjury trap." "Id do it under certain circumstances," Trump told reporters on board Air Force One. "I think that if we're going to meet it's got to be a fair meeting," he said. "I don't want to be set up with a perjury trap." Rudy Giuliani, an attorney representing the president, told Reuters on Thursday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the Russia probe, wanted Trump to commit to a follow-up interview after providing written answers to questions about possible coordination between members of Trump's presidential election campaign and Moscow. "I dont see how we can do it," said Giuliani, who has repeatedly expressed concern about the risk of Trump committing perjury. Lawyers for Trump have been negotiating over a potential interview with Mueller's team since last year in the U.S. investigation of Russian meddling in the election, which Moscow denies. Trump has also denied any campaign collusion. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bernadette Baum) Donald Trump wants Apple to open plants in the US: AFP/Getty Donald Trump has told Apple that it should make its products in America if it wants to avoid tariffs set to be placed on imports from China. The US president told the worlds most valuable company: Start building new plants now. Exciting. He took to Twitter to make his position clear after Apple wrote to government officials saying the proposed import levies would increase the prices of a wide range of its gadgets, including its watches, headphones, smart speakers, chargers, cables and cords. "Because all tariffs ultimately show up as a tax on US consumers, they will increase the cost of Apple products that our customers have come to rely on in their daily lives," the company said in a letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. It added: The burden of the proposed tariffs will fall much more heavily on the United States than on China. But Mr Trump responded by saying: Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Make your products in the United States instead of China. Apple which became the worlds first $1 trillion company last month is highly exposed to a trade war between the two countries on two fronts. Because it makes many products for the US market in China, it would be hit by American tariffs. But, because it also sells its gadgets in China, it may also become a target of potential retaliation taxes. The US is set to impose its package of $200bn in tariffs in the coming days. Geneva (AFP) - An Egyptian court's confirmation of 75 death sentences was not based on a fair trial and should be reversed, the UN said on Sunday, sparking condemnation from Cairo. New United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet said she was "extremely concerned" at the decision handed down by the Cairo Criminal Court Saturday in one of the largest mass trials since the 2011 uprising. "The evident disregard of basic rights of the accused places the guilt of all those convicted in serious doubt," she warned in a statement. Bachelet, who took the reins of the UN rights office less than a week ago, urged Egypt's appeals court to "review this verdict and ensure that international standards of justice are respected by setting it aside." The Egyptian foreign ministry released a statement saying it "strongly denounces Michelle Bachelet's statement" and accused the new UN rights chief of "lacking objectivity". The 75 people who initially received their death sentences in July were among 739 defendants on trial in the same case -- most of them facing charges of killing police and vandalising property during clashes in 2013 between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. "The 739 people were tried en masse, and were not permitted individual legal representation before the court," Bachelet noted out in a statement. "In addition, the accused were not given the right to present evidence in their defence, and the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to prove individual guilt," she said. In light of the obvious unfairness of the trial, she warned that "the 75 death sentences affirmed yesterday, if implemented, would represent a gross and irreversible miscarriage of justice." The foreign ministry in Cairo said "Egypt rejects everything that was said in the statement", dismissing Bachelet's accusations against the Egyptian judiciary. Story continues In addition to the death sentences, 47 people were sentenced to life behind bars, while the remainder were handed prison terms of varying length. They included award-winning photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, who was sentenced to five years behind bars. On August 14, 2013, one of the bloodiest days in Egypt's modern history, a month after the army ousted Morsi, police moved to disperse a sprawling Islamist protest camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya square in Cairo. The military crackdown "is alleged to have led to the killing of up to 900 mostly unarmed protesters by members of the Egyptian security forces," the United Nations said. Despite the large death toll, the United Nations noted that no state security personnel have ever been charged in relation to the so-called Rabaa massacre. Bachelet pointed to the stark contrast between the many mass trials since then and a law passed in July effectively bestowing complete impunity on security personnel for offences committed in the period after the overthrow of Morsi's government on July 3, 2013. "Justice must apply to all, no one should be immune," she insisted. "Attempts to bestow immunity from prosecution for crimes allegedly committed by members of the security forces merely promotes impunity," she warned. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal prosecutors are backtracking on their allegation that a Russian woman accused of working as a secret agent offered to trade sex for access, according to a Justice Department court filing. Prosecutors had earlier accused Maria Butina, a gun rights activist in U.S. custody on charges she worked as a covert agent and tried to establish back-channel lines of communication to the Kremlin, of offering to exchange sex for a position with a special interest organization. The salacious allegation, which immediately escalated the public interest in the case, was based on a series of text messages to and from Butina and other information that prosecutors say they had obtained. But in a new court filing late Friday, prosecutors said they misinterpreted the messages. They said "even granting that the government's understanding of this particular text conversation was mistaken," there is other evidence to support keeping Butina in custody as the case against her moves forward in Washington. Butina, 29, was arrested in July and accused of gathering intelligence on American officials and political organizations. Prosecutors say she used her contacts with the National Rifle Association and the National Prayer Breakfast to develop relationships with U.S. politicians and gather information for Russia. They also say she used her role as a student at American University in Washington as a cover for her activities. The case is being handled by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and not by special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been leading an investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's Republican presidential campaign as well as Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The filing came ahead of a status hearing in her case scheduled for Monday. Butina's lawyer, Robert Driscoll, had strongly denied the accusation and said the government had relied on an "innocuous" 3-year-old text message exchange between Butina and a longtime friend, assistant and public relations professional for a gun rights group that she had founded. Story continues The individual, identified in court papers only as DK, had said in the text that he didn't know what Butina would owe him after he took her car for an insurance renewal and government inspection. She replied, "Sex. Thank you so much. I have nothing else at all. Not a nickel to my name." In a court filing last month , Driscoll said that the sex comment was clearly a joke and that Butina is friends with DK's wife and child and treats him like a brother. He said there is no evidence that the two ever had sex. "The impact of this inflammatory allegation, which painted Ms. Butina as some type of Kremlin-trained seductress, or spy-novel honeypot character, trading sex for access and power, cannot be overstated," Driscoll said. In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, Driscoll said, "I'm happy the government walked back their false allegation." Butina has pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Russia. Driscoll has denied that Butina is a Russian agent, calling the case "overblown." He has said his client was merely a student who wanted to see a better relationship between the U.S. and Russia and sought to network with influential people in American politics. There was nothing covert about her work, Driscoll said, noting several news stories about her over the past several years. The sexual allegation was only a small part of the evidence presented by prosecutors in arguing to jail Butina. Prosecutors largely argued that she posed an "extreme" flight risk and raised the prospect of her being swept out of the country by Russians using their diplomatic immunity to shield her from U.S. law enforcement. The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Russia. Prosecutors have said her activities in the U.S. were being directed by a Russian official, identified by Driscoll as Alexander Torshin. He is a senior official in the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, a former lawmaker and a member of the NRA since 2012. Prosecutors say Torshin was Butina's handler, but Driscoll has said he was only a friend and mentor with whom Butina traveled openly when he visited the U.S. Torshin was also among a number of Russian businessmen and officials sanctioned this year by the U.S. Treasury Department for their ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and for their part in "advancing Russia's malign activities." Prosecutors have said they also found evidence that Butina has had contact with Russian intelligence. FBI agents photographed her dining with a diplomat suspected of being a Russian intelligence agent. They found she had contact information for people suspected of being employed by Russia's Federal Security Services, or FSB, the successor intelligence agency to the KGB. They also found notes in her home referring to a potential job offer from the FSB. The notes were found among the belongings of her boyfriend, conservative political operative Paul Erickson, who is referred to as "U.S. Person 1" in court papers that allege he was Butina's channel for establishing ties with the NRA. Prosecutors have questioned the authenticity of Butina's romantic relationship with Erickson, who is in his mid-50s. Driscoll has disputed the government's characterization of the relationship. Driscoll said during a hearing this summer that Butina cooperated with a federal fraud investigation into Erickson in South Dakota. Erickson has not been charged with any crimes. ___ Online: Read prosecutors' court filing: http://apne.ws/rIV3Yy7 Read Butina's argument for release from jail: http://apne.ws/4I6nHlA A Connecticut woman was taken to the hospital after lighting a stick of dynamite she mistook for a candle: David Silverman/Getty Images A Connecticut woman has been seriously injured after lighting a stick of dynamite she thought was a candle, police have said. Thunderstorms knocked out power to several homes in the historic town of Bridgeport, Connecticut on Thursday night, leaving residents scrambling for a way to see in the darkness. In the confusion, a 30-year-old woman reportedly grabbed a quarter stick of dynamite she had mistaken for a candle. The woman suffered severe injuries to her face and hand, which may result in the loss of at least one finger. She was transported to a local hospital and she is receiving treatment. Her husband and two children were home at the time of the incident, but no other injuries were reported. Bridgeport police spokesman Av Harris said the family had attempted to go to Home Depot to buy emergency lighting during the blackout, but the store was closed. They remembered that the previous owners had left what appeared to be candlesticks in the basement, and went to light them. The sticks turned out to be explosives. In a city the size of Bridgeport we see a lot of different incidents, but nothing like this, Mr Harris told The Independent. The Bridgeport police and fire departments responded shortly after the explosion occurred, around 9:20 pm. They quickly called in the state police, state fire marshal, and state police bomb squad to investigate. At least one other dynamite device was discovered in the house, Mr Harris said. It was taken to a secure location to be detonated. It was unclear why the dynamite was in the house to begin with, but Mr Harris said small sticks are occasionally sold on the black market for use in fireworks. The Bridgeport police said they would not be pressing any charges at this time, as it appears the family was previously unaware of the explosives in their basement. The police department cautioned residents in a statement to immediately contact their local fire department if they found any unknown, possibly explosive objects in their homes. They also reminded families to always keep emergency lighting on hand. "Preferably the lighting should be battery-operated, glow stick, or hand crank lighting so as to avoid the risk of fire damage," they added. Yale Law School's 2009 statement on alumna Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court exposed some of the extra hurdles women and people of color face in the legal world. (AFP/BLOOMBERG) Generations ago, there was a Yale Law School professor who would start every class with: Good morning, gentlemen. Despite the growing number of women in the room, he reasoned that all lawyers should behave as gentlemen regardless of their gender or background. The greeting is part of my alma maters unofficial history, a story that is still retold for its enduring subtext: the preference the legal profession has for those who have always been members of its gentlemens club. This week, several of my former professors and fellow alumni, along with dozens of other well-known lawyers and academics, came out to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh the quintessential gentleman. But interpreting their statements requires understanding the archaic context in which theyre made. A telling example of how legal elites overvalue men of privilege and pedigree is the statement Yale Law School itself released lauding the nomination of Kavanaugh. The gushing announcement included quotes from five different professors praising the thoroughbred nominee as one of the most learned judges in America, a true intellectual who writes smart, thoughtful, and clear opinions. Contrast that with the statement Yale Law School issued in 2009, in which just two professors commended the nomination of now Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Those faculty focused heavily on personality traits, admiring a warm and wonderful human being and thoughtful and fair-minded jurist who combines heart and head. Kavanaughs privilege and status not just his ideology might influence his ability to appreciate the practical consequences of his opinions and votes. The differences between the two statements might seem subtle. But as any lawyer will tell you, subtlety matters. One reads like a glowing endorsement of a gentlemans intellect and prestige; the other like a cautious job reference hedging on a brown womans qualifications by focusing on her personality traits. Add to that a University of Chicago professors recent tweet calling Sotomayor a second-class intellect, along with Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribes private memo to the Obama White House before her nomination in which he acknowledged her personal history and demographic appeal, but noted, shes not nearly as smart as she thinks she is. Story continues And yet, Sotomayor made history as a Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx who rose to become the first Latina on our nations highest court. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh as smart as he may be is a particularly run-of-the-mill Supreme Court nominee with an elite upbringing and fancy high school classmates that include potential future colleague Justice Neil Gorsuch. As Justice Clarence Thomas once pointed out, a law degree from Yale meant one thing for white graduates and another for blacks, no matter how much anyone denied it. Yet, while he blamed affirmative action, research suggests confirmation bias is the likely root culprit. Study after study shows that lawyers consistently deny minorities the presumption of competence simply because they dont look the part while overestimating the abilities of the gentlemen that do. Too often the only way for minorities to have a successful legal career is to do what law professor Kenji Yoshino calls covering, playing down outsider identities in order to fit in. When I started at Yale Law School in 2011, it had never had a Latino tenure-track faculty member in its nearly 200-year history. As a member of the Latino Law Students Association, I saw for myself how the administration either ignored or rejected dozens of qualified candidates our group researched and recommended, as it had been doing for years. Either there wasnt a single Latino legal academic who met Yales rigorous standards, or, more likely, it was holding Latinos to an entirely different standard. The senators vetting nominees should be wary of taking endorsements like the one provided by Yale Law School at face value ones that elevate prestige and abstract intellectualism over real-world considerations. In fact, other lawyers have had very different things to say about Kavanaugh, describing him as insulated, and immovable and very stubborn and frustrating to deal with on some issues. Most importantly, the Senate should seriously question whether Kavanaughs privilege and status not just his ideology might influence his ability to appreciate the practical consequences of his opinions and votes. It should ask why the originalist approach to constitutional interpretation favored by Kavanaugh so often produces results that seem to favor the powerful over the powerless on issues ranging from immigration and affirmative action to labor rights and campaign finance. Before voting to confirm Kavanaugh, senators should carefully assess the testimony of witnesses like Yale Law School professor Akhil Amar, who was invited by Republicans to appear before the Judiciary Committee on Friday. Are they using balanced criteria of the qualities a judge should embody, or are they simply rubber-stamping one of their own? Sotomayor and Kavanaugh are both objectively sharp, learned and accomplished jurists. But her background and credentials were never permitted to speak for themselves. Neither should his. Andrea Nill Sanchez is a director at The Raben Group, where she helps clients navigate the media, policy and advocacy spaces. She is a former reporter for ThinkProgress and trial attorney. Since the signing of the Oslo Accords 25 years ago and since the start of the occupation nearly 50 years ago, we can congratulate the signatories of the Oslo agreement on a current reality in the Palestinian territories, and not because the agreement was signed, but rather because it was never fully implemented, and although the Palestinian terror is mostly to blame for this failure, Israel has also played its part. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Oslo agreement is not dead, it is alive and breathing. Although only the first articles were ever implemented, the reality it had created has benefitted Israelthe occupation of the territories became much cheaper. The establishment of a political Palestinian entity exempted Israeli governments from a burden of sustaining the territories, not only when it comes to: economy, education, health, employment, infrastructure and welfare, but from the enormous security burden that only those who have been to Nablus, Jenin and Hebron before Oslo, would understand. (Photo: Saar Yaacov ) The security cooperationthe principles of which were outlined in Oslohas been successfully maintained for the past 15 years to Israel's delight, when the Palestinian Authority is actually demilitarized and has no tanks or planes, only rifles and pistols. The finished version of the Oslo agreement did not harm Jerusalem, which remained unified, the right of return did not materialize, no borders were established in the eastern part of the country and the areas under a Palestinian control are reminiscent of enclaves. As previously mentioned, the agreement freed Israel of its obligations when it comes to expenses and investments in the territories residents, not to mention the civil and military rule that would have only increased the friction with the local population and encouraged terror activity. As far as the Right is concerned, the agreement did not interfere with a settlement enterprise. If there were construction delays in the territories, it was due to the international involvement, or more precisely, the American one. The bottom line is that since Oslo there has been a fourfold increase in the number of settlersat the time of the signing of the agreement, there were around 115,000 settlers in the territories, and today there are nearly 450,000. The Rights opposition to Oslo did not stem from its fear of terrorism, but rather from a fear of handing over to the Palestinians the territories that belong to the Land of Israel. The Right even used terrorism as an excuse to build settlements since it is "an appropriate Zionist response." The Oslo Accords gave certain advantages to the Palestinians as well. The agreement paved a way for the idea of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian entity is run as a state in every sense of the wordwith a flag, an anthem, police and army forces and government apparatusesand it does not cost the Israeli taxpayer a penny. (Photo: Ohayon Avi) Equally important to the Palestinians is the international legitimacy they have received because of Oslo, and the embedding of an idea of the two-state solutiona consensus among the international community, including the Arab states. However, since the latter stages of the agreement were never implemented, the Palestinians did not reach their national aspirations. Today they are disappointed, frustrated, hopeless and are awaiting the unknown. Oslo created a hybrid reality in the territories: a Palestinian state in Area A, comprising 17.2 percent of the West Bank (972 square kilometers); Area C, under full Israeli control and constitutes 59 percent of the West Bank (1,344 square kilometers), and is being slowly annexed; and Area B, under joint Israeli-Palestinian control, which represents 24 percent of the West Bank (about 1,344 square kilometers). The relations with the Palestinians in the West Bank are integrated when it comes to economy and infrastructure, including the water and electricity sectors. The problem is that although the reality created by the Oslo Accords is convenient for the Israeli Right, it is dragging the two nations into a de facto binational statea sure recipe for continuing violence and bloodshed, which only harms Israel as a Jewish, democratic and Zionist state. If we were to entertain ourselves with an idea of if and imagine the Oslo agreement had been implemented in its entirety, Israel would have been a country with a Jewish majority that would not need a legislation such as the Nation-State Law, with recognized borders and open relations with the Arab world, and without the stain of occupation stamped on its forehead. Most importantly, the word "peace" would have been part of our everyday discourse. Too bad that did not happen. The widow of Sgt. Tuvia Yanai Weissman, who was killed in 2016 during a terror attack carried out by Palestinian teenagers, has written a letter calling on the judges to impose the death sentence on the terrorist who murdered her husband. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter I will ask the honorable judge to read my letter, which expresses a little bit of what one small family is going througha widowed mother, and a frail little daughterwho all that is left for them of their Yanai are memories, longing, and a huge empty void that was left by our Yanai, who was decorated for his acts of bravery, a hero in his death, but mostly a hero in his life, wrote Yael Weissman in a letter set to be read to the judges as they give their sentence. Two Palestinians, aged 14 from Beitunia, carried out a stabbing attack in the Sha'ar Binyamin Industrial Zone north of Jerusalem in February 2016 in a Rami Levi supermarket. Tuvia Yanai and Yael Weissman A third terrorist invovled unsuccessfully attempted to enter the the supermarket to join the attack. Weissman, 21, was killed and a 36-year-old Israeli civilian was moderately wounded. Shoppers there pushed the terrorists back with shopping carts and a civilian at the scene then shot them, seriously wounding them. All three terrorists were immediately caught and indictments were filed against them. In her letter, Yael goes on to describe her husband, who served in the Nahal Brigade. Yanai was the first to get to the scene and fought with the terrorists and pushed one away from his victim, thereby saving his life. During the fight Yanai was stabbed and suffered serious injuries. At that point I was shielding Netta with my body during what was happening in a back aisle, she said in reference to her daughter, who was four months old at the time. I began looking for Yanai, I ran between the aisles of the supermarket and what I saw and experienced I will never be able to forget. The amount of blood that was there, the screams of pain, she recalls in the letter. At the conclusion of the letter, Yael addresses the judges directly, recalling her experiences since Yanai was killed, before calling on the courts to use the full weight of the law against the terrorists. I am sure that Netta will be proud of her father when she grows up. I want Netta to grow up and know that there is no place in our country, in our environment, for the wretched and evil who choose evil, she wrote. Yanai sacrificed his life, and both Netta and I sacrifice our lives every day, every hour, every minute as we continue to live without him. I call on the court, the honorable judge, to give the maximum punishmentthe death penalty, which the wretched murderers deserve. A court discussion on the sentencing of one of the terrorists is set to take place on Wednesday in the military court in Ofer. The judicial process is still ongoing against two of the other terrorists. German media reported Saturday that German authorities are investigating an anti-Semitic attack on a Jewish-owned restaurant that took place during the far-right demonstrations at the end of August in the eastern city of Chemnitz. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Police in Saxony confirmed that they had received a complaint of the attack on the kosher restaurant "Schalom" on the sidelines of the demonstrations. According to Die Welt newspaper's reports, on August 27, a mob of around a dozen people, wearing black with their faces covered, hurled rocks, bottles and a metal pipe at the restaurant, smashing one of its windows and vandalizing the entrance. The owner, Uwe Dziuballa, standing in front of his restaurant (Photo: AFP) The masked demonstrators stormed the restaurant and shouted "Get out of Germany, Jewish pigs." Many chanted We are the people, a slogan used by far-right supporters. The restaurant's owner, Uwe Dziuballa, suffered an injury to the shoulder during the attack, the reports said. Far-right demonstration in Chemnitz (: ) X "Schalom" restaurant, which opened in 2000, has been attacked several times before. A spokesman for the German Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the reports are being investigated on suspicion of being motivated by anti-Semitism, but no clear conclusion has been drawn. The German Federal Commissioner to Combat anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, called on the police and the State Prosecutor's Office to bring the perpetrators to justice and show that similar cases in the future will be severely punished. Violent far-right, anti-immigration demonstrations in Chemnitz (Photo: EPA) "If the reports are true, this is a new level of anti-Semitism. It's impossible not to compare this to what happened in the 1930s," Klein said. Chemnitz has been convulsed by violent far-right, anti-immigration demonstrations since the a German man was stabbed to death, allegedly by asylum-seekers, on August 26. The police arrested two asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq on suspicion of murdering the German man, 35, while conducting a search for the third suspect. German police at the riot in Chemnitz (Photo: EPA) The Chemnitz attack is the latest in a series of violent crimes by refugees that have garnered massive media attention and stoked anger at German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to allow in more than one million migrants and refugees since 2015. Far-right groups and thousands of local citizens have taken to the streets since the stabbing, mainly at night, with some seen flashing the illegal Nazi salute. In several cases violent riots were reported that included attacks on police officers, journalists and passers-by who were suspected of being migrants. Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the demonstrations and said that the scenes from Chemnitz "convey a message of hatred towards innocent people." That was a horrible incident. What we saw afterwards is something that has no place in a state under the rule of law, she told a news conference in Berlin. We dont tolerate such unlawful assemblies and the hounding of people who look different or have different origins, and attempts to spread hatred on the streets, Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert told a regular news briefing. "That has no place in our cities and we, as the German government, condemn it in the strongest terms. Our basic message for Chemnitz and beyond is that there is no place in Germany for vigilante justice, for groups that want to spread hatred on the streets, for intolerance and for extremism," Seibert concluded. Police arrested Sunday a 50-year-old man from Jerusalem on suspicion of molesting a 16-year-old boy who has been praying with him in a synagogue for about two years. According to suspicions, the suspect used to hold meetings with the boy in various places and commit sexual offenses in return for payment. The suspect was arrested Saturday at the synagogue and will be brought to the Jerusalem Magistrates' Court Sunday. Pro-Palestinian activists recently posted anti-Israeli adverts on bus stops across London, with a caption reading "Israel is a racist endeavour" written in the colors of the Palestinian flag. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan ordered the removal of the posters while a spokesman for Transport for London said: "These adverts are absolutely not authorized we have instructed our contractors to remove any of these posters found on our network immediately." London bus stop with an unauthorized advert reading 'Israel is a racist endeavour' Point five of the definition defines "Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour" as anti-Semitism. The British Daily Mail reported that some London residents said the posters are disturbing and anti-Semitic. "I'm sure Jews passing by the signs will be offended," Jonathan, a London resident, said. A spokesperson for the London mayor noted that the posters were unlawfully put up, and therefore constitute acts of vandalism. "These offensive adverts are not authorized and are acts of vandalism which Transport for London and its advertising partner takes extremely seriously. They have instructed their contractors to remove any posters found on their network immediately," the spokesperson said. The pro-Palestinian organization "London Palestine Action" also posted several pictures of adverts across London with a caption reading "Created by ethnic cleansing; maintained by ethnic exclusion." The campagin was also not limited to the public domain, with anti-Israel slurs being posted on Twitter. "1.8 million Palestinians, mainly refugees, locked in Gaza for being the wrong ethnicity," read one tweet. In addition, in a tweet about Britain's actions regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the group wrote: "70 years of UK government-approved dispossession, destruction and displacement. Israel is a racist endeavour." Amid reports concerning the statements and conduct of the British Labour Party's leader, Jeremy Corbyna staunch critic of Israelthe party tried to put an end to the anti-Semitic tumult by adopting the international definition of anti-Semitism, while adding the caveat that "free speech" was permissable when it came to Israel. The party was harshly criticized last July after it adopted major parts, but not all, of the IHRA's definition of anti-Semitism. A survivor of the Halamish terror attack last year, which claimed the lives of three members of the Salomon family, met last Thursday with the IDF soldier who neutralized the terrorist and prevented more deaths, describing him as a "quiet and modest hero." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The soldier, who is identified as A and who serves in the elite Oketz canine special forces unit, heard the screaming and shot Omar al-Abed through the window, bringing the bloodletting to an end. Michal with A. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) The murders occurred on July 21, 2017 when 19-year-old al-Abed from the nearby village of Kobar broke into the Salomons home in the settlement of Halamish (Neve Tzuf) on a Friday evening and stabbed four people as they celebrated their Shabbat meal. Three of the victims Yosef Salomon, 70, and his children Haya Salomon, 46, and Elad Salomon, 35died of their wounds while Yosef's wife Tovah Salomon, 68, was seriously wounded in the attack. The meeting between A. and Michal took place as part of a special project launched by the Defense Ministry with the publication of the book entitled Our Heroes, marking Israels 70 years of independence. The book is composed of pieces written by 70 people from various parts of the Israeli public about their military hero. Elad and Michal Salomon with three of their children When I asked to write about A. as a hero, it was obvious to me what I would write on the page, said Michal. I wrote about a heroic character who does not look like a hero and does not talk like a hero. He is a quiet and modest hero, who did what he did with the modesty and quiet that characterizes him, she added. A. did not talk about it in public, he didnt take photos and didnt make noise in the press. Even today, when you talk to him about it he is very modest. This is a heroic, quiet and modest character, Michal continued. Omar al-Abed (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) A. also reflected on his meeting with Michal, saying that he too was able to draw inspiration from her and her family's determination to continue and celebrate life. The encounters with Michal will always leave a strong impression on me, A. said. She is a person with great strength. I have become someone who admires the Salomon familyhow they derive faith and choose life. I just learn from them, he said. Michal said that every meeting with A. brings back memories of the night in which her family members were murdered. The terrorist arrested after the attack We have met on several occasions both in Israel and abroad. I always tell him that the small thing that he did saved all of our lives. For me, that is heroism. Our attitude is extremely positive. With all the pain, life goes on. A. is not a symbol of the attack, but a symbol of life that he gave, she said. Last September, A. was awarded a military citation for his act during a ceremony in Maale Adumim. His father Shimon also received a certificate of appreciation for taking action to stop the massacre by entering the home of the family. In February this year, al-Abed was given four life sentences Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that the United States continually sends messages to Iran asking it to begin negotiations. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Tensions between Iran and the United States soared after President Donald Trump pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May, and then reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic last month. Trump has said he would meet Iran's leaders. President Rouhani and President Trump (Photo: AFP, AP) "From one side they try to pressure the people of Iran, on another side they send us messages every day through various methods that we should come and negotiate together," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast on Iranian state television. "(They say) we should negotiate here, we should negotiate there. We want to resolve the issues ... Should we see your message? ... Or should we see your brutish actions?" Washington aims to force Tehran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups in Syria and Iraq. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took aim at US criticism of Iran's regional policy in a Twitter post on Saturday. "Trump regime flip-flops are truly comical," he wrote. "One week, its talking point is that we are 'squandering' our resources abroad, the next week it's that we've not financially supported the Palestinians enough." Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Rouhani (Photo: AFP) US sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector are scheduled to be reimposed in November. Iran is facing an "economic, psychological and propaganda war", Rouhani said Saturday, pointing to the United States and Israel as the Islamic Republic's main enemies. The Al-Jazeera network reported Sunday that Russian and Syrian air force planes had attacked villages in the Idlib district in Syria in the past hour. According to the Syrian Center for Human Rights, in the past two days, 22 civilians were killed in the attacks, including five children. It was also reported that about 5,000 residents had to leave their homes. Former Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov (Yisrael Beytenu), was released Sunday from the Hermon Prison after serving nine months behind bars. He was released early since the parole board had reduced his sentence by a third. Misezhnikov was convicted of fraud and breach of trust. The number of Jews around the world stands at 14.7 million on the eve of the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah, according to the Jewish Agency, marking an increase of 100,000 since 2017. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Around 8.1 million Jews live outside Israel, 5.7 million of whom reside in the United States, a little shy of the 6.6 million Jews living inside Israel. With 453,000 Jews, France is home to the second largest Jewish population outside the US, followed by Canada, in which 391,000 Jews live. Britain has the second largest population of European Jewry with 290,000 Jews while in South America, Argentina is in the lead with 180,000 Jews. Russia is home to 172,000 Jews while Germany's Jewish population falls behind at 116,000, the Jewish Agency figures show. Australias Jewish population stands at 113,000. Muslim countries contain the fewest number of Jews, with none of the Jewish population figures reaching beyond 4 digits. 8,500 of the total 27,000 Jews spread throughout the Arab countries reside in Iran, while 2,000 live in Morocco and 1,000 live in Tunisia. In total, 98 countries around the globe host 100 Jews or more. (Photo: Uri Davidovitch) In all, Israels population stands at approximately 8.907 million as the country heads into the new year, up from 8,743,000 compared to the same period in 2017 , according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The CBS report also predicts that Israels population will reach 10 million by the end of 2024, and 15 million residents by the end of 2048. By the end of the projection period, in 2065, the population of Israel is expected to grow to 20 million, the fresh statistics reports says. The report also breaks down Israels demographic composition, with the Jewish population accounting for 74.4% of the total population at approximately 6.625 million. The number of Arabs living in Israel is said to be approximately 1.864 million (20.9%), while those registered as other account for approximately 418,000 (4.7%). Since Rosh Hashanah last year, the population of Israel has grown by approximately 162,000. The annual population growth rate in 5778 was 1.9%, similar to the rate in previous years, the report noted. During the year, approximately 175,000 babies were born and approximately 43,000 people died. Approximately 29,000 people were added to the population of Israel in the migration balance. Of those, approximately 25,000 were new immigrants, the report summary added. A Border Police officer who was arrested last week for allegedly stealing money from Palestinian vehicles attacked a Ynet photographer at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Thursday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The officer began beating photographer Moshe Mizrahi after seeing that he was recording him on camera. Soon after, two members of the assailant's family joined the brawl and began assaulting the photographer, smashing wall paintings in the process. Court guards trying to stop the assailant (Photo: Yishai Porat) Within seconds, the court's security guards arrived at the scene and after a short struggle handcuffed the violent police officer. The attack took place in front of the photographer's young son, who arrived with his father to court. Following the attack, the Police Investigation Unit said that it was opening an investigation. The attorney of the suspect said in response that his client "claims that a camera was pushed into his face, scratching him in the eye in the process. As a result, a riot ensued, the court guard intervened and took my client aside. I condemn any violence whatsoever, and if there are allegations regarding the attack, they should go through the appropriate channels." Police officer attacks Ynet's photographer in court (: ) X The policeman and his colleague were arrested last Tuesday on suspicion of stealing money and property from vehicles belonging to Palestinian residents whom they arrested. Last week, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended the suspects' detention by three days. In her decision, Judge Mika Banki wrote that the defendants' explanations for the theft were unacceptable. "The gravity of the actions attributed to the defendants cannot be underestimated. The assailant's claim that he committed the theft because of financial distress cannot justify his actions at this point," the judge said. Ynet's photographer attacked in court (Photo: Yishai Porat) A senior official from the Israel Border Police said that his force takes the violent incident seriously, adding that steps are already being taken to immediately discharge the suspect from his police service. The Police Investigation Unit said in response that "Ynet's photographer has filed a complaint and the Department for the Investigation of Police Personnel opened an investigation into the incident. In addition, the police questioned the two officers for allegedly robbing Palestinians' vehicles at a police checkpoint while on duty." President Reuven Rivlin called on Saturday for unity as he urged Jews to reflect on what we share in his Rosh Hashanah message. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Speaking from Jerusalem, the president began by acknowledging that there are times when we do not feel like friends but sought to draw attention to the similarity between the Hebrew word for "friend" and for "connection." "The bonds that hold us together stretch across the world today and deep into our shared history. I know we are at a time when some see the things that divide us more clearly than those that unite us, Rivlin said in a video message recorded in Jerusalem. President Reuven Rivlin (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) Adding that it can be hard to see what we have in common and accepting the disagreements that divide opinion both in and outside Israel, Rivlin called on his listeners to use the Jewish new year to focus more on what unites the Jewish people than that which divides them. So, as we approach this Rosh Hashanah, let us reflect on what we share, on the links that bind us together. We are one people, with a shared history and a shared future. We share a commitment to the future of the Jewish people, despite our differences. We share a belief in a better world, and a commitment to bring it about," the president said. President Rivlin also highlighted the rise in anti-Semitism around the world, reminding Jews that they, together and as friends must face it down, along with racism and hatred around the world. Wherever we choose to live, we must be able to feel proud of being Jewish, and safe to identify as Jewish in whatever way we choose," Rivlin continued. The president also praised what he described as Israels ability to bridge differences without regard for race, religion, creed or politics. "Here in Israel, our society brings together different communities: religious and secular, Jewish and Arab, old and young, left and right. We share this land that we love, he said as he neared the conclusion of his 3-minute remarks. The bonds between us, friends, are our best hope for a bright future. So let us hope that this year we will feel closer to each other, more like friends," Rivlin said. "From the heart of the Jewish world and the capital of the State of Israel, I wish you and your familiesShana Tova uMetukah (Good and sweet new year), and may we all be blessed with many happy and sweet years ahead." Former tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov, who was convicted of fraud and breach of trust, was released from Hermon Prison on Sunday after serving eight months of a 15-month sentence which he began in December 2017. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Israeli Parole Board accepted last month Misezhnikovs appeal to reduce his sentence, which was submitted by his defense attorney, Shani Iloz. Misezhnikov signed a plea bargain, conceding that he acted in a serious conflict of interest during his term in office, transferring NIS 1 million from Tourism Ministry funds to the Eilat Funjoya Student Festival in 2010, and at the same time recommending that the festival organizers employ Yulie Roth, with whom he had a close and discreet relationship. (Photo: Ido Erez) In addition to time in prison, the court also sentenced Misezhnikov to six months of probation and ordered him to pay a fine of NIS 70,000. After being allowed out of prison to his home over weekend, still as a prisoner, Misezhnikov appeared at Hermon Prison on Sunday morning where he was instructed not to violate the terms of his release. Leaving the prisons premises, the former minister said: Happy new year. (Photo: Ido Erez) After the approval of the plea deal last year, Misezhnikov told the judge: "I confess and I'm very sorry. I take full responsibility for my error in judgment. I'm far from being a corrupt man. There are no patterns here. I'm paying a heavy price even today. Now, I'll have to start everything anew. But I'm determined after having taken responsibility for committing the offense to rehabilitate my life and the life of my family." According to the amended indictment, Misezhnikov personally promoted the Eilat Funjoya Student Festival with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and demanded that the Director General of the ministry keep him abreast of progress on the approval of the festival's funding. (Photo: Avihu Shapira) The former politician did not disclose his connection to Roth, who was employed by Peles Group (the producer of the festival) following his recommendation as Tourism Minister, and the fact that Roth is supposed to receive money for her work in producing the festivalroughly NIS 100,000 in salary. Misezhnikov, the State Prosecutor's Office announced, took advantage of his senior public position and high standing to arrange lucrative ventures for Roth, and in so doing, committed fraud and an act of breach of trust that harms the general public. Misezhnikov was initially also charged with bribery, disruption of proceedings and possession and use of an illegal narcotic (cocaine). These charges were retracted of as part of the plea deal. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ordered Sunday the release of the two "Taliban women" suspected of abducting and neglecting their children. The suspects will be released to house arrest until next Monday Judge Eitan Cohen said that he does not believe "with certainty that the defendants know where their children are...when there is no proof for the main argument, release should be granted." North Korea leader Kim Jong Un told an envoy of Chinese president Xi Jinping that North Korea is upholding the denuclearisation agreement it reached with the United States this year, China's state broadcaster said. Chinese parliament chief Li Zhanshu, who is in Pyongyang for celebrations marking 70 years since the founding of North Korea, was told by Kim that North Korea hopes the United States keeps to its side of the agreement, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Kim met US President Donald Trump in June and agreed to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but negotiations appear to have stalled since then, with both sides increasingly critical of each other over a lack of progress. Iranian senior military official said Iran has the capability to export the know-how to produce solid rocket fuel, the state news agency IRNA reported. Solid fuel rockets can be fired on short notice. "In the scientific field, today we have reached a stage where we can export the technology to produce solid rocket fuel," said Brigadier General Majid Bokaei, director-general of Iran's main defence university, quoted by IRNA. Iran said earlier this month it planned to boost its ballistic and cruise missile capacity and acquire modern fighter planes and submarines to boost its defence capabilities. On Saturday Iran dismissed a French call for negotiations on Tehran's future nuclear plans, its ballistic missile arsenal and its role in wars in Syria and Yemen, following the US pullout from Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards assumed Sunday responsibility for firing seven Fateh 110 short-range missiles in an attack Saturday on a Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) base in Iraq. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that the Revolutionary Guards had launched the short range, road-mobile missiles that can reach up to 300 km, hitting the PDKI base located in the city of Koya, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Baghdad and 200 kilometers from Iran. The separatist group said that at least 11 people were killed and 50 were wounded, with officials immediately blaming Iran for the assault. Iran launches Fateh 110 short-range missiles at PDKI base in Iraq X Iran's State television broadcasted the launching of the surface-to-surface missiles at the Kurdish dissidents' headquarters. Kurdish media outlets reported that the secretary-general of the group, Mustafa Mawludi, and his predecessor, Khalid Azizi, were wounded. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that "Iran won't allow terror groups to threaten its national security," adding that the next attacks would be even more lethal. Iran launches Fateh 110 short-range missiles at PDKI base in Iraq Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iran's armed forces on Sunday to increase their power to "scare off" the enemy, as the country faces increased tension with the United States. "Increase your power as much as you can, because your power scares off the enemy and forces it to retreat," Khamenei's official website quoted him as saying at a graduation ceremony for cadets of Iran's regular armed forces. "Iran and the Iranian nation have resisted America and proven that, if a nation is not afraid of threats by bullies and relies on its own capabilities, it can force the superpowers to retreat and defeat them," Khamenei said during a visit to Iran's Caspian port city of Nowshahr. Iran's State television also showed Khamenei praising Iranian naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, while speaking to their commander via videolink. Meanwhile, a senior military official said Iran had capability to export the know-how to produce solid rocket fuel, the state news agency IRNA reported. Solid fuel rockets can be fired on short notice. Fateh 110 short-range missiles "In the scientific field, today we have reached a stage where we can export the technology to produce solid rocket fuel," said Brigadier General Majid Bokaei, director-general of Iran's main defence university, quoted by IRNA. Iran said earlier this month it planned to boost its ballistic and cruise missile capacity and acquire modern fighter planes and submarines to boost its defense capabilities. On Saturday Iran dismissed a French call for negotiations on Tehran's future nuclear plans, its ballistic missile arsenal and its role in wars in Syria and Yemen, following the US pullout from Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement. Shi'ite power Iran rejects accusations from Saudi Arabia that it is giving financial and military support to Yemen's Houthis, who are fighting a government backed by a Saudi-led military coalition of Sunni Arab countries. Some say Iran's attack was triggered by the Kurdish dissidents' recent strike in Iran in July, killing 11 Iranian soldiers. Iraq condemned the attack executed by the Revolutionary Guards, and its foreign ministry said, "Baghdad opposes any violation of its sovereignty by attacking in its territory without prior coordination between the authorities in order to prevent any harm to its civilians." In recent years, Iran and Iraq have been fighting against the Islamic State (IS). Teheran has been transferring military aid to Baghdad to bolster its operations against the terror group. The Kurds represent about 10 percent of Iran's population of 80 million people, with many living in the mountainous northwest that borders Iraq and Turkey. IDF forces shot dead Sunday a Palestinian who had approached the Gaza border fence and attempted to sabotage it. IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that the Palestinian had been evacuated to receive medical attention before succumbing to his wounds. In addition, the IDF detained three Palestinians attempting to breach the border fence in northern Gaza. They were caught carrying two knives. US President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday, "North Korea has just staged their parade, celebrating 70th anniversary of founding, without the customary display of nuclear missiles. Theme was peace and economic development. Experts believe that North Korea cut out the nuclear missiles to show President TrumpThis is a big and very positive statement from North Korea. Thank you To Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! Much better than before I took office." IDF forces shot dead Sunday a Palestinian who had approached the Gaza border fence and attempted to sabotage it. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that the Palestinian had been evacuated to receive medical attention before succumbing to his wounds. Gaza border riots (Photo: AFP) Earlier, the Palestinian tried to sabotage the security fence several times. In addition, the IDF detained three Palestinians attempting to breach the border fence in northern Gaza. They were caught carrying two knives. The three were taken for questioning by the security forces. GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Sunday morning that "We will not witness complete calm during the upcoming decade in the Gaza Strip," referring to the ongoing talks to reach a ceasefire agreement with the Hamas terror group. "I think it will be wrong to deceive ourselves. Terror-run Gaza is developing capabilities. We are stronger than it, but from time to time it will attempt (to overpower us-ed). During Friday's weekly clashes on the Gaza border fence a 17-year-old Palestinian was killed by a gunshot to his chest in the southern strip after throwing stones at IDF soldiers. The Palestinians released Saturday footage of an alleged shooting of 16-year-old Ahmad Abu Tayoor by the IDF, who later succumbed to his wounds. Palestinian teen shot after throwing stones at IDF soldiers X Abu Tayoor was filmed hurling stones and provoking soldiers. The incidents will be investigated by the relevant command echelons. The cases in which two Palestinians were allegedly killed will be transferred for examination to the IDF's General Staff, stressed the IDF statement. "During violent riots that erupted along the border fence in the Gaza Strip yesterday, IDF soldiers were prompted to use crowd dispersal measures in accordance with the regulations in response to attempts to breach the fence and harm our forces, added the statement. "The rioters burned tires and threw rocks and explosive devices at the forces. We are also aware that two peoplewho took part in violent clashes on Fridayreported to have been killed, the statement concluded. Gaza border riots (Photo: AFP) An IDF aircraft attacked Friday a Hamas observation post in northern Gaza in retaliation to "March of Return" protesters throwing grenades at soldiers near the border fence. In addition, the IDF attacked a Hamas post in southern Gaza, responding to rioters causing severe damage to infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered remarks for the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah on Sunday, reminding Jews around the world that despite any disagreements, above all our differences, this is a great commonality. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In a short clip recorded from the Prime Ministers Office, Netanyahu began his remarks by lauding Israels accomplishments in recent decades saying, weve come so far since the Holocaust, while reflecting on his recent state visit to Lithuania and Vilnius. PM Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Motti Kimchi) On two separate occasions during World War II, that community was taken in mass, to death pits, 15 minutes from Vilnius and they were shot and thrown into these pits of fire, he said. I came back to Vilnius, at the head of a Jewish state that is looked up to, its almost revered: a progressive, enlightened, advanced Jewish state that is now being courted by countries, large and small, the prime minister said, adding that he believes in the Jewish future. Netanyahu emphasized that the Jewish people are united not only by their common past, but by a common and burning support and reverence for liberty, for pluralism, for debate. Thats one thing Jews do very well, he quipped. Wrapping up his remarks, the prime minister called on his listeners to reach out to a fellow Jew, embrace him or her, understand that above all our difference is this great commonality. And second, come to Israel, come for a visit, stay. But first come. Next year in Jerusalem. See you here, soon, he concluded. In a call for Jewish unity ahead of Rosh Hashanah, President Reuven Rivlin urged on Saturday Jews to reflect on what we share in his Rosh Hashanah message. President Reuven Rivlin (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) Speaking from Jerusalem, the president began by acknowledging, There are times when we do not feel like friends but sought to draw attention to the similarity between the Hebrew word for "friend" and for "connection." "The bonds that hold us together stretch across the world today and deep into our shared history. I know we are at a time when some see the things that divide us more clearly than those that unite us, Rivlin said in a video message recorded in Jerusalem. So, as we approach this Rosh Hashanah, let us reflect on what we share, on the links that bind us together. We are one people, with a shared history and a shared future. We share a commitment to the future of the Jewish people, despite our differences. We share a belief in a better world, and a commitment to bring it about," the president added. "From the heart of the Jewish world and the capital of the State of Israel, I wish you and your familiesShana Tova uMetukah (Good and sweet new year), and may we all be blessed with many happy and sweet years ahead," Rivlin concluded. With no long-range missiles on display, North Korea staged a military parade on Sunday focused on conventional arms, peace and economic development as it marked the 70th anniversary of the country's founding. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The reduced display compared to past years earned a thank you note from US President Donald Trump, who hailed it as a "big and very positive statement from North Korea." North Korea stages a military parade (Photo: AP) Trump on Twitter quoted a Fox News description of the event without long-range nuclear missiles as a sign of North Korea's "commitment to denuclearize." "Thank you To Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong! There is nothing like good dialogue from two people that like each other! Much better than before I took office," Trump tweeted. In Pyongyang, line upon line of goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks shook the ground before giving way to chanting crowds waving flags and flowers as they passed a review stand where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat with a special envoy from China, as well as other visiting foreigners. Kim told the envoy, Chinese parliament chief Li Zhanshu, that North Korea was focusing on economic development and hopes to learn from China's experience in this regard, Chinese state television reported. "North Korea upholds the consensus of the Singapore meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States and has taken steps for it and hopes the United States takes corresponding steps, to jointly promote the political resolution process for the peninsula issue," the report paraphrased Kim as saying. The parade highlight themes of military accomplishment, national development, and international engagement at a time when doubts are arising over Kim's commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons. Military parade marking N. Korea's 70th anniversary (Photo: AFP) Unlike in previous years, there were no inter-continental missiles on display. And there were no nuclear tests to mark the holiday, as has happened in each of the last two years. North Korea routinely uses major holidays to showcase its military capabilities and the latest developments in missile technology. But that has lessened this year, underlining Kim's stated aim for denuclearizing the Korean peninsula and his recent meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and summits with Trump in Singapore and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and Dalian. The theme for the celebrations this year was economic development and unifying the Korean peninsula, divided since World War Two. A huge float was decorated with a modern train, solar panels, wind power plants and dams, under a slogan of "All our might to build economy!", as North Korean men in construction work wear marched. Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's titular head of state, gave a speech at the parade in which he said the country had achieved status as a military power, and would now pursue efforts to strengthen its economy. Balloons instead of ballistic missiles (Photo: AFP) Floats on unification also passed by a throng of North Koreans waving unified Korea flags. "All Koreans should join forces to accomplish unification in our generation. Unification is the only way Koreans can survive," said an editorial in North Korea's party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Kim Jong Un and his South Korean counterpart Moon will meet in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20 for the third time this year and discuss "practical measures" towards denuclearisation, officials in Seoul have said. Kim's letter Despite stalled progress on talks with Washington, the North Korean leader wants to denuclearize the peninsula within Trump's first term, according to South Korean officials. Trump said on Friday that Kim has sent a letter to him, which he believes will be positive. Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said the military component of the parade appeared to be scaled down this year. "I am very curious to hear what is in the letter to Trump, because this parade could have been more provocative," Hanham said, adding satellite evidence showed North Korea continued missile-related activities such as testing solid fuel motors. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Photo: AP) Kim was seen laughing and holding hands up with China's Li as he oversaw the festivities at Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung square on a clear autumn day. Kim waved to the crowd before leaving but did not make any public remarks. North Korea has invited a large group of foreign journalists to cover a military parade and other events to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding. That includes iconic mass games that Pyongyang is organising for the first time in five years, a huge, nationalist pageant performed by up to 100,000 people in one of the world's largest stadiums. Both the Mass Games and the military parade have been criticised by human rights advocates and North Korean defectors for the pressure placed on performers and for painting a distorted picture of the country through stage-managed displays. But thousands of jovial North Koreans clapped in unison and rallied support for their leader Kim. A concert on Saturday night attended by Kim Yong Nam and foreign delegations featured little in the way of martial messaging or images, with only a few shadowy American bombers shown briefly in footage of the 1950-1953 Korean War. News Washington, DC - We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reiterate our outrage at the use of a chemical nerve agent, known as Novichok, in Salisbury on 4 March. We welcome the progress made in the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and take note of the attempted murder charges brought Wednesday against two suspects. We commend the work of the UK Police and all those involved in this investigation. We also note the UKs analysis, independently verified by the OPCW, that the exact same chemical nerve agent was used in the poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charles Rowley as was used in the poisoning of the Skripals. We urge Russia to provide full disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW. And we encourage those with information about the attack in Salisbury on 4 March, as well as the further poisoning in Amesbury, to come forward to the UK authorities. We have full confidence in the British assessment that the two suspects were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU, and that this operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level. We have already taken action together to disrupt the activities of the GRU through the largest ever collective expulsion of undeclared intelligence officers. Yesterdays announcement further strengthens our intent to continue to disrupt together the hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks on our territories, uphold the prohibition of chemical weapons, protect our citizens and defend ourselves from all forms of malign state activity directed against us and our societies. News Charlotte, North Carolina - Two high-ranking leaders of the Nine Trey Gangsters set of the United Blood Nation (UBN or Bloods) street gang, including the Godfather of the set, who also served as Chairman of the UBN, and a second leader who held the rank of Worldwide High were each sentenced today to 20 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBI Charlotte, North Carolina Field Division, made the announcement. Pedro Gutierrez, aka Magoo, Light and Inferno, 45, of New York City, New York, was sentenced by Chief Judge Frank D. Whitney to serve 20 years in prison. James Baxton, aka Frank White and Grown, 44, of New York City, New York, was also sentenced by Judge Whitney to serve 20 years in prison. Both of these sentences will be served consecutively to the defendants current New York State sentences. Pedro Gutierrez, James Baxton, and Cynthia Gilmore, aka Cynthia Young and Lady Bynt, 42, of Raleigh, North Carolina, had been convicted by a federal jury sitting in Charlotte on May 17, following a two-week trial. Cynthia Gilmore is awaiting sentencing. With todays sentencings of two violent gang leaders, including the purported Godfather of the Nine Trey Gangsters, law enforcement has delivered yet another devastating blow to the Nine Trey Gangsters and the United Blood Nation, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The defendants committed crimes that spanned the East Coast, including trafficking deadly narcotics in North Carolina and New York and ordering a gang war in North Carolina. As demonstrated by the 61 defendants now adjudicated guilty in this case, when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together in sustained efforts, we can disrupt and erode violent prison and street gangs. Drugs, thefts, guns, violent assaults, and murders are all crimes the Bloods commit every day to protect their turfs, increase their territory, control and recruit members, and intimidate rival gangs, said U.S. Attorney Murray. And all of it happens right here, in our neighborhoods, where honest, hard-working people are simply trying to raise their children without the fear of harm. We cannot overlook or underestimate the long-term impact of gangs on the well-being and prosperity of communities where gang activity is present. That is why the dismantling of criminal enterprises district-wide is both a priority for my office and a goal we share with law enforcement agencies throughout the Western District of North Carolina. In February 2017, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to reduce crime in America, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made violent crime reduction and eliminating gangs a priority during his tenure. In June 2018, the Attorney General announced the largest increase in Assistant U.S. Attorneys311 new prosecutors, including eight in North Carolinato combat violent crime and carry out other Department priorities. Additionally, Attorney General Sessions last year announced a reinvigorated Project Safe Neighborhoods program aimed at reducing the rising tide of violent crime in America. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina is an active participant in PSN. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein mentioned many of these announcements and more when he delivered remarks in August to the 17th Annual Gangs Across the Carolinas Conference, a conference which Attorney General Sessions delivered remarks to in August 2017. These leaders of the UBN thought they were untouchable, continuing to run their criminal enterprise from inside state prison, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Strong. The lengthy federal sentences they received today send a strong message to anyone who tries to fill the criminal void they leave behind. Do not be mistaken, well come after you next with the full strength of our federal, local, and state law enforcement partners. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is a violent criminal street gang operating throughout the east coast of the United States since it was founded as a prison gang in 1993. UBN members are often identified by their use of the color red, and can also often be identified by common tattoos or burn marks. Examples include: a three-circle pattern, usually burned onto the upper arm, known as a dog paw; the acronym M.O.B., which stands for Member of Bloods; the words damu, or eastside; the number five; the five-pointed star; and the five-pointed crown. UBN members have distinct hand signs and written codes, which are used to identify other members and rival gang members. The Nine Trey Gangster set of the UBN refer to themselves as Billies. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is governed by a common set of 31 rules, known as The 31, which were originally written by the founders of the UBN. Members of the UBN are expected to conduct themselves and their illegal activity according to rules and regulations set by their leaders. Prominent among these is a requirement to pay monthly dues to the organization, often in the amounts of $31 or $93. A percentage of these funds are transferred to incarcerated UBN leadership in New York; these funds also are used locally to conduct gang business. UBN gang dues are derived from illegal activity performed by subordinate UBN members including narcotics trafficking, robberies, wire fraud, and bank fraud, among other forms of illegal racketeering activities. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Nine Trey Gangsters leadership proceeds in rank, from lowest to highest, from Scrap, 1-Star General through 5-Star General, Low, High, and Godfather. Based on evidence introduced during the trial, Gutierrez was a Godfather of the Nine Trey Gangsters and had served since 2003 as the Chairman of the council that governs the UBN. Gutierrez, together with James Baxton and Omari Rosero, considered themselves the last ones that God put in power over the UBN. As the Godfather of the set, Gutierrez, along with Baxton, conducted gang business and participated in the distribution of gang dues while incarcerated in the New York State Department of Corrections. Trial evidence also established that Gutierrez ordered a gang war in North Carolina in 2011, directing that members of the Bloods gang attack and kill members of a renegade gang called Pretty Tony. The war resulted in numerous injuries among inmates and the lockdown of five North Carolina prisons for six months. Trial evidence also established that Baxton was a Worldwide High of the Nine Trey Gangsters and that, while incarcerated in the New York State Department of Corrections, Baxton trafficked heroin within the prison system and engaged in wire fraud by threatening the relatives of other incarcerated inmates. In all, 61 defendants have been adjudicated guilty in this case, including the two defendants who were found guilty at trial and sentenced today; 58 defendants have previously pleaded guilty in this investigation. This includes 10 defendants in high-ranking leadership positions: Montraya Antwain Atkinson, aka Hardbody, 31, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. According to the factual basis of his plea agreement, Atkinson admitted to holding the leadership rank of High, and admitted to possessing marijuana and cocaine with intent to distribute, and to purchasing and selling powder cocaine; Adrian Nayron Coker, aka Gotti, 28, of Gastonia, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and three counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics. According to the factual basis of his plea agreement, Coker admitted to holding the leadership rank of Low, and to possessing a stolen firearm and ammunition, despite having previously been convicted of a felony. Coker was also recorded discussing a potential murder of a rival gang member. Coker was sentenced on June 18, to a term of 140 months in prison; Bianca Kiashie Harrison, aka Lady Gunz, 28, of Midway Park, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. According to the factual basis of her plea agreement, Harrison admitted to holding the leadership rank of High, and to participating, at facilities within the New York Department of Corrections, in gang leadership meetings with alleged UBN Godfathers Gutierrez and Baxton. Harrison was sentenced on June 18, to a term of 32 months in prison; Quincy Delone Haynes, aka Black Montana, 39, of Lawndale, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and three counts of trafficking cocaine. According to the factual basis of this plea agreement, Haynes admitted to holding the leadership rank of Low. Haynes was sentenced on Aug. 15, to a term of 64 months in prison; Bobby Earl Hines, aka Swahili Red, 35, of North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. According to the factual basis of his plea agreement, Hines admitted to holding the leadership rank of High; Barrington Audley Lattibeaudiere, aka Bandana and Bobby Seale, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the factual basis of his plea agreement, Lattibeaudiere admitted to holding the leadership rank of High, and coordinating the transmission of hundreds of dollars of UBN gang dues to Gutierrez and Baxton. Lattibeaudiere further admitted to participating in a scheme to make and attempt to make over $64,000 in purchases using fraudulent credit and gift cards. Lattibeaudiere was sentenced on June 19, to serve 56 months in prison; MyQuan Lamar Nelson, aka Dripz, 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, and according to the factual basis of his plea agreement admitted to holding the leadership rank of Low; Omari Rosero, aka Uno B, 41, of Elmira, New York, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. During his plea, Omari Rosero admitted to holding the leadership rank of High, and to serving as an acting Godfather of the entire UBN. Rosero was sentenced on July 31, to a sentence of 87 months in prison, to be served federally after completing a sentence in New York State; Porsha Talina Rosero, aka Lady Uno B, 35, of Syracuse, New York, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Rosero admitted to participating in the distribution of gang dues, and to participating in a phone call during which Omari Rosero stated that a suspected cooperator would be faded straight up. Porsha Rosero was sentenced on July 31, to serve 21 months in prison; and Tywlain Wilson, aka 5 Alive, 25, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and firearm possession in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the factual basis of his plea agreement, Wilson admitted to holding the leadership rank of Low. Wilson was sentenced on July 30, to serve 82 months in prison. The following 33 defendants have also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced in this investigation: Sherman Devante Addison, aka Ace, 24, of Lawndale, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Addison was sentenced on Aug. 15, to serve 33 months in prison; Freddrec Deandre Banks, aka Drec and Banga, 22, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Banks was sentenced on Aug. 14, to serve 33 months in prison; Destinee Danyell Blakeney, aka Lady Rude, 23, of Morven, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Blakeney was sentenced on July 31, to serve 18 months in prison; Shakira Monique Campbell, aka Lady Rage, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. Campbell was sentenced to serve eight months in prison; Alex Levi Cox, aka Quick, 28, of Loris, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Cox was sentenced on Aug. 21, to serve 17 months in prison; Richard Diaz, aka Damu, 34, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Diaz was sentenced on Aug. 15, to serve 33 months in prison; Christopher Dentre Hamrick, aka Red Dot, 29, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hamrick was sentenced on May 30, to serve 64 months in prison; Lavaughn Antonio Hanton, aka Killem and Billy-D, 35, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Hanton was sentenced on Aug. 21, to 216 months in prison; Anthony ONeil Harrison, aka Ant, 20, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Harrison was sentenced on June 25to serve 27 months in prison; Delonte Maurice Hicks, aka BBB Shooter and Black, 29, of Bennettsville, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Hicks was sentenced on May 31, to serve 24 months in prison; Raheam Shumar Hopper, aka Bone, 24, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Hopper was sentenced on June 20, to serve 27 months in prison; Donl Lequintin Hunsucker, aka Remy, 31, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Hunsucker was sentenced on Aug. 15, to serve 52 months in prison; Muhammad John Jackson, aka Picasso, 33, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Jackson was sentenced on Aug. 21, to serve 27 months in prison; Terrence Thomas Johnsom, aka Sypher, 41, of Durham, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Johnsom was sentenced on May 30, to serve 57 months in prison; Joe Tarpeh Johnson, aka JR, Big Pusha and Kutthroat, 26, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Johnson was sentenced on April 28, to serve 31 months in prison; Latif Nakia Antoine Johnson, aka Billy Solo, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Johnson was sentenced on July 9, to serve 18 months in prison; Rashad Monte King, aka Billy Kilo Montana, 26, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. King was sentenced on July 30, to serve 25 months in prison; David Matthew Lowe, aka Gucci, 26, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Lowe was sentenced on May 29, to serve 24 months in prison; Charles Kenyon Lytle, aka Kam, 40, of Concord, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Lytle was sentenced on Aug. 22, to serve 46 months in prison; Brandon Theodore Manning, aka Billy B, 29, of Columbia, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Manning was sentenced on July 31, to serve 21 months in prison; Travis McClain, aka Fridaay Daa Thuurteenth, 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. McClain was sentenced on Aug. 14, to serve 27 months in prison; Isaac Nabah McIntosh, aka Mac, 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. McIntosh was sentenced on July 30, to serve 18 months in prison; DAngelo DeMara McNeil, aka Dutch, 27, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. McNeil was sentenced on June 20, to serve 33 months in prison; Kolawole Olalekan Omotosho, aka Rugged Red, 19, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Omotosho was sentenced on May 29, to serve 33 months in prison; James Brandin Pegues, 31, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Pegues was sentenced on May 29, to serve 33 months in prison; Deshawn Deonta Peterkin, aka Proo, 29, of Wallace, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Peterkin was sentenced on June 25, to serve 21 months in prison; Austin Demontry Potts, aka Big Tek and B-Tek, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Potts was sentenced on May 29, to serve 30 months in prison; Rashad Sattar, 20, of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Sattar was sentenced on Aug. 22, to serve 33 months in prison; Anthony Bernard Smith, aka Redd Lion, 25, of Gastonia, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Smith was sentenced on April 23, to serve 44 months in prison; Cedric Surratt, aka Hollywood, 5-Star and Lingo, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Surratt was sentenced on June 20, to serve 28 months in prison; Peatrez Lamar Teaste, aka P-Wheezy, 25, of Loris, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Teaste was sentenced on Aug. 21, to serve 109 months in prison; Lavon Christopher Turner, aka Hungry, 28, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Turner was sentenced on April 23, to serve 35 months in prison; and Jesse James Watkins, aka Showtime, 34, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Watkins was sentenced on July 30, to serve 27 months in prison. The following 15 defendants have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing in this case: Aaron Demitri Alexander, aka A Dawg, 25, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on July 9, to racketeering conspiracy; Antarious Quashard Byers, aka Bang, 25, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, to racketeering conspiracy; Renaldo Rodregus Camp, aka Rodeo and Drop, 40, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Brandon Khalil Covington, aka Blokka, 25, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; James Walter Dowdle, aka Staxx, 25, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; John Paul Durant, aka JP, Glock and Gudda, 29, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; Shamon Movair Goins, aka Rugie, 28, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; Jasmin Reikeem Hicks, aka Rude, 28, of Morven, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; Juan Cruz Leon, aka Jefe, 22, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; Terry Lavon Maddox, aka Turbo, 27, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Robert Allen McClinton, aka Trigga, 29, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Christopher Lashon Miller, aka Dro, 24, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; Christopher OBrien Moore, aka Ratchet, 23, of Shelby, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; Isaiah Devon Stallworth, aka Zay and Juice, 25, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, to racketeering conspiracy and to use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and Jhad Elijah Thorbourne, aka Flight, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on July 19, to racketeering conspiracy. The investigation was conducted by the FBI; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Shelby Police Department; the Cleveland County Sheriffs Office; the Gastonia Police Department; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office; the North Carolina Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice; the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; the U.S. Federal Probation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorneys Andrew L. Creighton and Beth Lipman of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Warren and Christopher Hess for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nations primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Wednesday, at approximately 5:57 p.m., a Yuma Police Department Officer made contact with Gilbert Gallegos in the 200 block of S. 9th Avenue. When asked to give his name, Gallegos gave a false name. When the officer asked about his identity a second time, Gallegos threw a cell phone at the officer striking him and ran. The officer gave chase and caught up with Gallegos, who began physically fighting with the officer. Gallegos managed to get control of the officers Taser. He fired off both cartridges at the officer, hitting the officer in the face with one of the darts. Gallegos then began grabbing onto the grip of the officers duty weapon. The officer was able to fight off Gallegos and keep control of his weapon. Gallegos then took off running again. Gallegos forced entry into a nearby residence by breaking the door. The residents inside the home were ordering Gallegos to leave when two officers arrived and were able to get Gallegos out of the house. After a short struggle, Gallegos was taken into custody. Two officers were taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center with injuries and later released. Gilbert Gallegos was transported to the Yuma Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Gallegos was booked into the Yuma County Detention Center. The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Austria ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Austria ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers short and medium-term bilateral, structured and syndicated credits, and loan commitments; financial guarantee contracts, such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, and stand-by letters of credit; and guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets, as well as co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing in the form of factoring and vendor financing, and financial leasing. The company also provides treasury solutions, which include term deposits and private placements. It primarily serves financial institutions, corporations, and sovereigns and state-owned entities. The company was formerly known as Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. in June 2009. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Panama City, the Republic of Panama. Read More Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and creditor and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its field sales force, advice centers, and online, as well as through independent insurance advisors and affinity relationships. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset, cash management, transaction banking, and treasury services to institutional clients; correspondent banking and trade finance services for financial institutions; and short-term funding and liquidity management services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, governments, and central banks. Royal Bank of Canada has a strategic partnership with Royal College Of Physicians & Surgeons Of Canada to support the needs of Canada's medical specialists. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More The North West Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company's Canadian operations comprise 118 Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; 5 NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; 25 Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; 5 Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; 2 Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; 2 Pharmacy and Convenience stores; 1 Solo Market store for rural market; and 1 North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands. The Canadian operations also provides contract tele-pharmacist services to rural hospitals and health centers; water and air-based transportation services; and produce and fresh meats to independent grocery stores. Its International operations include 27 Alaska Commercial Company stores that provides food and general merchandise to remote and rural regions; 12 Cost-U-Less mid-size warehouse stores, which offers discount food and general merchandise; 5 Quickstop convenience stores; 8 Riteway food markets; and 1 Cash and Carry store. The North West Company Inc. was founded in 1668 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. Read More North American Construction Group Ltd. provides mining and heavy construction services to the resource development and industrial construction sectors in Canada and the United States The company's Heavy Construction & Mining division offers constructability reviews, budgetary cost estimates, design-build construction, project management, contract mining, pre-stripping/pit pioneering, overburden removal and stockpile, muskeg removal and stockpile, site preparation, air strip construction, site dewatering/perimeter ditching, tailings and process pipelines, haulage and access road construction, tailings dam construction and densification, mechanically stabilized earth walls, dyke construction, and reclamation services. Its Equipment Maintenance Services division provides fuel and lube servicing, portable steaming, equipment inspections, parts and component supply, major overhauls and equipment refurbishment, onsite haul truck brake testing, onsite maintenance support, under carriage rebuild, machining, hose manufacturing, and technical support services, as well as welding, fabrication/repairs, weld certification, and inspection services. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a heavy equipment fleet of 626 units. The company was formerly known as North American Energy Partners Inc. and changed its name to North American Construction Group Ltd. in April 2018. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Acheson, Canada. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Abraxas Petroleum a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Abraxas Petroleum wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. - Sarkodie has finally replied Shatta Wale over recent feud - Sarkodie rather apologised to Shatta Wale all other persons who he may have offended with his actions Rapper Sarkodie has finally spoken on the alleged beef between himself and dancehall counterpart, Shatta Wale. The two artistes seemed to be getting on well until recent times when Shatta Wale started directing attacks on his colleague. In an interview with Accra-based Hitz FM, the Gringo hit maker said Sarkodie once refused to help him shoot a video for a song they recorded together, but had time to visit Nigeria to shoot videos for other artistes. READ ALSO: Handsome Ghanaian soldier dies one month to his wedding and its heartbreaking According to him, the Sarkcess Music boss acted in a disrespectful manner when he decided not to avail himself for the video-shooting of the song M3 gy3 wo girl. Shatta Wale took the issue further onto social media, insisting Sarkodies career could soon fade out if he doesnt tell his lousy fans to shut up. In all these, the rapper has preferred to be quiet, but he has now finally opened up to speak about his alleged beef with the self-acclaimed dancehall king. In a Twitter post, Sarkodie rather apologised to Shatta Wale and all other persons who he may have offended with his actions. According to him, he is sometimes overwhelmed by the responsibilities placed on his shoulders and normally has to shut. The rapper wrote: Sometimes I feel theres a lot of responsibilities on me and it gets overwhelming so 2 deflect em, I shut down sometimes Sorry if I trigger some emotions in people around me I will try to be better just know I got for all. Meanwhile, many people believe Shatta Wales recent attacks on Sarkodie is just a calculated ploy to hype the launch of his album, which is scheduled for October. A Hilarious Cartoon About Jennifer Lopez's Dresses - MTV Video Music Award | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Two prostitutes detain Okada man for trying to abscond after service Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen - Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo has refused to pay salaries of some heads of public institutions who delayed in responding to observations contained in audit reports - According to Mr. Domelevo, those who refused to respond to the observations on time, are those who embezzled funds from the state The Auditor-Generals office has frozen the salaries of some directors of state institutions who delayed in responding to observations contained in audit reports. Their salaries were frozen after some of them failed to respond to the audit observations despite being given a 30-day ultimatum to do so. This was revealed by the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM. Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo Source: UGC READ ALSO: Sarkodie apologizes to Shatta Wale According to him, those who refused to respond to the observations on time, are those who embezzled funds from the state. He, however, refused to publicly name the officials whose salaries have been frozen, adding that the move has led to heads of public institutions responding to the observations faster than they previously did. Mr. Domelovo said he will continue to pursue those heads who have superintended over corrupt practices and embezzlement of funds. It falls within our mandate to stop the salary if you fail to respond to us within the 30 days and I am disallowing some from getting their salaries, the Auditor-General said. Now my staff tell me that people respond very quickly. They say over the past two years peoples attitude have changed, because they know the consequences. He added that his office is currently collaborating with the Special Prosecutor to take on persons believed to have defrauded the state. READ ALSO: More photos of soldier who died one month to his wedding pop up He said it is mind-boggling that most public officials spend state monies but are unable to provide documentation on their expenditures. It is mind-boggling that somebody spends money, you ask him for documentation on it, he or she doesnt have it, but three to four years down the line, all of a sudden they have documents. They are definitely document which have been falsified, Mr. Domelevo noted. Ghana News Today: Lack of Evidence Against Former GFA President | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta finally wears suit Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen - Arsene Wenger visited John Agyekum Kufuor at his residence in Accra - Wenger met the former president for a courtesy call after both men had been honoured in Liberia by new President George Oppong Weah Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was in Ghana two weeks ago to visit former president John Agyekum Kufuor. The legendary gaffer accompanied Kufuor to the West African country after both men were honoured by Liberia president, George Oppong Weah. It is unknown what the pair discussed following the Frenchmans first visit to Ghana. Kufuor, who recently joined Twitter, took to his handle to post of photo of himself with Wenger at his residence. READ ALSO: Sarkodie apologizes to Shatta Wale The photo was accompanied by the caption: On 24th August 2018, I was called upon by former Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger at my residence. Two weeks ago, President Weah conferred upon several distinguished personalities Liberia's National Honors at the occasion marking Liberias National Flag. However, the aforementioned duo topped the list of personalities who were honoured on the day. Ex-president Kufuor was conferred upon the Honor: Collar of State, Most Venerable Order of the Pioneers. Meanwhile, long-serving Arsenal boss, Wenger, who managed Weah at Monaco, was also conferred upon the Honor: Knights Grand Commander, Humane Order of African Redemption (KGC-HOAR). Ghana News Today: Lack of Evidence Against Former GFA President | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Auditor-General blocks salaries of some heads of state institutions Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen.com.gh YEN.com.gh has sighted a post by Fella Makafui in which she appears to be announcing her wedding. Fella shared a nice photo of herself on Instagram, and wrote as caption that she was ready to take the last name of someone who had stolen her heart; a popular phrase used to describe marriage in recent times. According to Fella, she believes taking the persons last name is the best revenge she could have on him stealing her heart. READ ALSO: Afia Schwar breaks the internet with latest bathroom photo She wrote: He stole my heart so i am planning a revenge.... I am going to take his last name... .. YEN.com.gh observed that Fellas fans and followers have reacted massively to this post, with many of them asking questions about who that lucky guy is, and if she is indeed going to get married. For instance, Jose, asked plainly if Fella is getting married. joselucas.pbs: Your getting married? Kay simply commented wedding bells. perp_kay: Wedding bells. Another Instagram user, Seidu, wanted to know the one who stole Fellas heart. seidurashidatu35: Who stole your heart. Berri, perhaps wanted to be the wedding planner for Fella. hanarshberri: Lol that's the best revenge..... @fellamakafui tell me who's your revenge planner? READ ALSO: Prophet Nigel confesses to sleeping with other women behind his wife Edjust thanked God for Fellas upcoming wedding. edjustdrive: God is good... An event management company, 705 events, was already appealing for a contract to organize Fellas wedding. 705events: Congrats.,please sist that your event coming up soon, i mean your wedding because as he stole your heart your revenge is to seal the deal ,please let me plan and coordinate the revenge game. I am doing it for free and you will see for yourself how good I know my job. Please grant me this opportunity to showcase my talent. Thanks. @fellamakafui Olori also commented that wedding bell is ringing for Fella. olori_awolowo: This is caption! Are u cooking something @fellamakafui wedding bell is ringing. Ray believes the wedding is long overdue. agemanray4388: A subtle hint? What took him so long ? You're such a sweetheart . Jstorm wrote that Fellas husband-to-be is lucky. iam_jstorm: Dat revenge is on a Damn lucky guy!!! READ ALSO: Handsome Ghanaian soldier dies one month to his wedding and its heartbreaking There are many other comments from her fans which show that Fella Makafui is indeed loved and cherished by her followers. Her wedding announcement follows another major proclamation she made weeks ago about her seven-bedroom house which is nearing completion. Meanwhile, Fella Makafui has been in the news recently following some controversies including an adult video said to be leaked by an angry boyfriend. However, she debunked the reports, saying that she is not the one in the video. Fella has also been under fire on social media for what fans called poor dressing on her part. She was also accused of dressing in rags to an event in Accra. Fella Makafui has recently opened a new bigger shop for her wine business. READ ALSO: Photos of Chinese employers who stabbed and assaulted Ghanaian employee Ghana News Today: Duncan Williams - The Shocking Truth About His Divorce | Yen.com.gh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen - The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced plans of organizing vacation classes in church halls - The classes are designed for students who will be on break so they will be engaged as they wait for their turn to go to school The Ghana Education Service (GES), has revealed plans of using church halls, community centres and private schools across the country for students on vacation. According to a report by 3news.com, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of GES, Isaac Asiedu Odei, disclosed that this will help augment the regular double track system. He further explained that the move is to ensure that students on vacation can be engaged while they wait their turn to go to school. irector-General, GES-Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa Source: Depositphotos READ ALSO: Arsene Wenger pays a courtesy call on Former President Kufuor in Accra Odei went on to say that some church halls and community centres are already being used for extra classes as such the ministry will take advantage of the situation. You know we have a lot of church halls or community centres; its a temporary kind of structure and you know people are organixing classes in some of these structures already, and we can even take advantage of some private schools, when they close we can also go in there, he stated. Odei added that that government will place about four teachers in every district or circuit to take charge of the classes. He noted that all stakeholders have been duly consulted and are in the know of what is about to happen. READ ALSO: 7 photos of the soldier who died one month to his wedding Plan are in place to ensure the start of a double track system for the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy from September 2018. With the new system, the first year students will be split into two groups: Green Track and Gold Track, and attend the first phase of the first semesters in 41 alternating days. This means that while the Green Track is in school for 41 days, the Gold Track will stay at home. President Akufo-Addo had noted that the double track system is not an invention but an adoption, which has worked in other countries including the United States. But many including some educationists and key members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have raised concerns about the new system, which they say, will bring the country back to a shift system. READ ALSO: Sarkodie apologizes to Shatta Wale and others Ghana Funny Tricky Questions: 6X9? | #Yencomgh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: Yen Newspaper The Best Graduating Student of Mass Communication, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Best Somadina Nwabuwa, has been honoured for his outstanding performance. Nwabuwa who is the best graduating student of the 2018 set was honoured on Friday, September 7 at the Francis Oladele stand, on Igbariam campus of the institution. He was given an undisclosed cash price as well as a live chicken and yam tuber which are traditional gifts. READ ALSO: Arsene Wenger pays courtesy call on Kufuor at his residence Reacting to the award, Nwabuwa thanked the team for the honour and promised to do the department proud in the field. Still in the mood of celebration, 10 students of the department were given awards as outstanding IT students in 2018. Meanwhile, an inspiring photo of a senior high school graduate Theresa Frimpong had gone viral on social media. It was reported that the the young lady performed very well in the 2018 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). READ ALSO: Im taking his last name - Fella Makafui announces wedding Her picture was seen on the Facebook profile of one Charles Mogxy, who aptly captioned it: We must commend hardwork. Theresa scored AI (the highest score) in seven subjects at the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination. Congratulations to the graduating students. READ ALSO: Photo of Chinese employers who assaulted and stabbed Ghanaian employee Watch: Ghana News Today: Ghana-China Agreement - Ghanaians Reaction | #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen.com.gh - Prophet Nigel Gaisie had allegedly confessed earlier that he cheats on his wife with other women - He said women were his greatest weakness for which reason he fallen several times - Nigel has said again that the meaning of his weakness statement has been misconstrued by the media Reports of Prophet Nigel Gaisie confessing to cheating on his wife with other women spread like wildfire, with many people attacking him on social media. In an interview the self-acclaimed man of God granted on Zylofon FM, and reported by YEN.com.gh, Nigel revealed that women were his greatest weakness. He revealed further that women make advances towards him even though he is married and also a man of God, but he stays focus. Prophet Nigel Gaisie Source: UGC READ ALSO: Im taking his last name - Fella Makafui announces wedding According to him, he has fallen several times with women who make advances towards him, a statement that was reported to mean that he cheated on his wife. However, in a new report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Ghanaweb, Nigel is debunking media report that he cheated on his wife, calling it false. He has decried that rate at which the cheating on wife story has gone haywire, accusing media practitioners of reporting it that way to suit themselves. READ ALSO: Prophet Nigel confesses to sleeping with other women behind his wife Explaining what he actually meant by women are his weakness, Nigel is reported to have said: All manner of women come your way so if you are not strong, you will fall to the lust of flesh but I always choose the greatness ahead than present pleasures. The future because when you fall for the temptations from the ladies you will not achieve your future dreams as a man of God so you have to be strong, refuse to be distracted by negative forces and not allow women to pull you down, Nigel said. He added that interpretations to that statement meaning he cheated on his wife several times are false because he is a true man of God. READ ALSO: Afia Schwar breaks the internet with latest bathroom photo YEN.com.gh cannot say if Prophet Nigel Gaisie is making this U-turn on his earlier claims and confession because he was subjected to ridicules, insults and called names on social media; or whether this new explanation is the truth. He is the founder and leader of True Fire Prophetic Word Ministry, who came into the limelight following his claims to have predicted the death of late Dancehall diva, Ebony Reigns. Nigel has made other prophecies including who is winning and who is losing at the 2020 elections. According to him, Akufo-Addo will receive the shock of his life after that election is held. READ ALSO: Handsome Ghanaian soldier dies one month to his wedding and its heartbreaking Ghana News Today: Duncan Williams - The Shocking Truth About His Divorce | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Photo of Chinese employers who stabbed and assaulted Ghanaian employee Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen.com.gh - Two men, Emmanuel Nyarkonyo and Emmanuel Dadzie, have been arrested for stealing telephone cables - Together with a third suspect, Anthony Seleele, they used the companys pick-up with registration number GN 8731-17. - The two have been arrested and are assisting the police in investigating the matter Police officials have apprehended two men, Emmanuel Nyarkonyo and Emmanuel Dadzie, for stealing cables worth GHC16,000. According to a report by 3news.com, the suspects were picked up in Binabi in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region. YEN.com.gh understands that the two, both employees of Netis Company Limited, were caught stealing the cables under the guise of working on Glo network lines. The suspects, Emmanuel Nyarkonyo and Emmanuel Dadzie Source: UGC READ ALSO: GES to organize vacation classes in churches The two, and a third person known as Anthony Seleele, now at large, used the companys pick-up with registration number GN 8731-17. The two were subsequently handed over to the Zebilla Police together with the Nissan pick-up loaded with cables while the suspects have been placed in custody. READ ALSO: Arsene Wenger visits Kufuor at his residence Ghana Funny Tricky Questions: 6X9? | #Yencomgh Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen Newspaper - The Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Kingsley Ato Cudjoe, has been hooted at by some angry youth - This was when he attempted to address them during the celebration of the annual Akwanbo Festival. - The chiefs and elders of the town will soon summon the youth with respect to the matter The Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Kingsley Ato Cudjoe was hooted at and nearly beaten by some angry youth of Ekumfi Eyisam in the Central Region. According to a report by MyNewsGH.com, the incident occurred on Saturday, September 8, 2018. YEN.com.gh understands that Hon. Cudjoe would have been beaten, but for the intervention of the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ekumfi, Bernard Paa Grant and some security officers. Source: MyNewsGH.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Afia Schwar blasts social media user for talking about her makeup The Deputy Minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area had to be whisked away, as the situation became intense. It all started when the MP was invited to address a durbar of chiefs and people of Ekumfi Eyisam at their annual Akwanbo Festival. However, the moment he mounted the podium to speak, the youth who used to engage in galamsey in Tarkwa in the Western Region, began to hoot at him, and asking him when he is going to provide them with jobs. In their opinion, it was strange that they should be deprived of their jobs, and not be given alternative means of survival. The minister had no choice than to abruptly end his speech and leave the venue for the event. The angry youth however crossed him and started hitting his vehicle with their hands. This action of the youth angered the DCE who is a native of the town to alight from his car to confront the angry youth. This has led to the youth incurring the wrath of the chiefs and elders of the town. According to an opinion leader in the town, the youth will be summoned to appear before the chiefs to be queried and sanctioned accordingly for disgracing the town. READ ALSO: We will organize vacation classes in churches - GES reveals plan for the double track system Ghana News Today: Lack of Evidence Against Former GFA President | Yen.com.gh YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via Instagram or on YENs official Facebook page. Source: Yen News - A 30 year old carpenter, Ali Mohammed, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison - Mohammed shot a motorbike rider, Razak Ibrahim, and stole GHC30 from him - Mohammed initially denied the charge but later pleaded guilty and prayed for mercy. A 32-year-old carpenter, Ali Mohammed has been slapped with a 20 year jail term for stealing GHC30 from an motorbike rider. Information available to YEN.com.gh suggests that he sought to steal the motorbike from its owner, Razak Ibrahim, and shot him in the ensuing struggle. Luck however eluded Mohammed, when Ibrahims calls for help caught the attention of passersby, who came to his rescue. Source: Supplied Source: UGC READ ALSO: Minister runs for his life as angry youth threaten to beat him up at a function Ibrahim revealed that Mohammed hired his service to an unknown location at Santeo within the Ashaiman municipality in Accra. The suspect then requested for the complainants cellphone to make a call. Mohammed subsequently pulled a gun and ordered him to stop. Ibrahim further told the court that the convicted person turned off the engine of the motorbike and shot him in his left thigh, after which he robbed him of GHC30. The complainant further indicated that, the convict wanted to snatch his motorbike. I resisted him in a scuffle and I shouted for help. Some people came to my aid which led to his arrest, he told the court. Mohammed initially denied the charge but later pleaded guilty and prayed for mercy. The presiding judge of the Ashaiman Circuit court, Mr Gabriel Mate -Teye, upheld the charge of robbery contrary per section 149 of Act 26/60 as amended by Act 646 of 2003. He noted that the convicted person had knowledge of his intent and that he must face the full rigours of the law to serve as a deterrent to other criminals. READ ALSO: Afia Schwar blasts social media user for talking about her makeup Ghana News Today: Mensa Otabil Commented His Role In Capital Bank Collapse | #Yencomgh: Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: Yen.com.gh Popular media personality, Afia Schwarzenegger, has disclosed plans of having a child with the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi. In a message to her fans on Instagram, a social media platform, Schwar revealed the message as she posted a photo of herself and the popular politician. With smiles on their faces, the two popular personalities warmed the hearts of social media users with their smiles. READ ALSO: Carpenter thrown into jail for 20 years for stealing GHC30 Social media users could not resist the desire to pass comments on the photo: @bambino_87: This lady is gradually crossing over to NPP like that @erickwakugyamfi: See how beautiful it is; Afia sometimes you go too far. @misterprempeh: Love this vibe lady Afia Schwar has had several stints as a radio host with notable radio stations in Ghana, including Happy FM and EIB networks Kasapa FM. She also hosted the Kokooko show on Despite Groups UTV, before leaving to work with Angel TV and then with TV Africa. READ ALSO: Minister runs for his life as angry youth threaten to beat him up at a function Ghana Funny Tricky Questions: 6X9? | #Yencomgh Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now! Source: Yen Afia Schwarzenegger and her formerly best friend, Mzbel, are said to have gone their separate ways. Checks by YEN.com.gh on their Instagram handles reveal that Afia and Mzbel have unfollowed each other, making their break up reports somewhat true. This appears to be the third time these two friends have gone their separate ways after many allegations and accusations in the past. READ ALSO: Prophet Nigel 'weeps' after hot confession that he sleeps with other women behind his wife In their last break up which brought them together before this current separation, it was rumoured that the two had a misunderstanding following their personal interest involving politics as avid supporters of former president John Mahama. Their fresh separation, according to report sighted by YEN.com.gh on a celebritys blog on Instagram, reveals some of the possible causes of their new fight. 1. Two masters: Just as the old adage goes, two crocodiles do not drink from the same pot because obviously, there would be battle of supremacy and who should drink first and more since they are all see themselves as masters. This is one of the factors said to be the reason for their current separation. They both feel supreme and would not allow the other to rule over her. It is just the same as saying two wise men do not walk together, one must be a fool for the other to keep their relationship going. READ ALSO: Im taking his last name - Fella Makafui announces wedding 2. Envy: According to the report, there also seems to be envy among the two celebrities, with one being jealous of the other. 3. Challenge: There is also rumoured to be an unhealthy competition between them, as one always wants to outdo the other. Therefore, there seems to be hypocrisy between them hindering the smooth flow of their friendship, hence the latest separation. 4. One feels used: The report also indicates that whenever they were together, it seems to be the duty of Afia Schwar to constantly show that she loves Mzbel while Mzbel behaves like she doesnt care because Afia needs her friendship more than she Mzbel needs her. Afia is said to be tired of this attitude because she felt used. READ ALSO: Mc Jordan Amartey abandoned at his funeral and it's heartbreaking YEN.com.gh, however, cannot confirm if these are indeed the genuine reasons for Afia and Mzbel going their separate ways once again. The two, shortly after their reunion earlier this year, recorded a video together warning fake prophets to desist from making any death prophecies in their names, else they will lash him. Afia had often mentioned Mzbels name in most of her Instagram posts, for instance, on the occasion of her daughters birthday when she thanked Mzbel on behalf of her daughter. Meanwhile, Afia Schwarzenegger has often been in the news often because of controversies. READ ALSO: Prophet Nigel confesses to sleeping with other women behind his wife She was in the news recently for sharing a wild bathroom photo which made her fans talk much on social media. Afia was also in the news for being snubbed by actress Yvonne Okoro on social media. Afia has aso been in the news for running to the church of Prophet 1, also called Opambour, because of her ex-husband, Abrokwa. YEN.com.gh has also reported on Afia attacking fans on social media for criticizing her makeup in a new photo. READ ALSO: Afia Schwar breaks the internet with latest bathroom photo Ghana News Today: Duncan Williams - The Shocking Truth About His Divorce | Yen.com.gh READ ALSO: Mass Communication student gets yam tuber, live chicken as best graduating student Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen.com.gh Michigan Attorney General and Republican candidate for governor Bill Schuette has a new ad out suggesting that his Democratic opponents Gretchen Whitmer and her running mate Garlin Gilchrist are Hamas sympathizers that hate law enforcement agencies. On its face, its shitty ad that shows just how desperate Schuette is now that hes at least 9 points down in recent polling. But it really goes well beyond and below that. In the ad, you see numerous shots of Whitmers face looking unhappy. Theyve been doctored to make her look threatening and scary: Screenshot from Schuette ad Left Wing What makes this so contemptible and disgraceful is that, as I have confirmed with Robert McCann, Whitmers spokesperson while she was the Senate Democratic Leader, the photo of her in Schuettes odious ad was taken while she was sitting in her seat on the floor of the senate, watching the now-(in)famous plan ahead for your rape rape insurance bill that Republicans pushed through on December 11, 2013: Photo credit: Dave Olds for the Michigan Senate Democrats Just prior to that vote on a bill that would require women to get a special rider on their health insurance that would cover getting an abortion in the case of rape, Whitmer gave a powerful floor speech which went viral nationally in which she talked about her own experience as a survivor of sexual assault: There are people in this chamber who have lived through things that you cant even imagine. I have a colleague who I was trying to encourage his story, but hes still grieving. It was a planned pregnancy that went awry and required a D&C. I started to think about that and I thought, I cant push one of my colleagues to share a tough story if Im not brave enough to share one of my own. So, Im about to tell you something that Ive not shared with many people in my life. Over 20 years ago, I was a victim of rape and, thank God, it didnt result in a pregnancy because I cant imagine going through what I went through and then having to consider about what to do about an unwanted pregnancy from an attacker. As a mother with two girls, the thought that they would ever go through something like I did keeps me up at night. I thought this was all behind me. You know how tough I can be, but the memory of that still haunts me. If this were law then and I had become pregnant, I would not be able to have coverage because of this. How extreme? How extreme does this measure need to be? Im not the only woman in our state that has faced that horrible circumstance. I am not enjoying talking about it. Its something that Ive hidden for a long time. But I think you need to see the face of the women who you are impacting with this vote today. I think you need to think of the girls that we are raising and what kind of state we want to be, where you would put your approval on something this extreme. I ask that you at least let the people of this state have a vote on this. Dont ram it through using some loophole that is going to impact 100% of the women in this state when only 4% of signed onto a petition. Let the people decide. Let the people of Michigan decide. Its not surprising that Bill Schuette would go to the gutter. He is, after all, proud of the support hes getting from Donald Trump, a man who has 19 separate and credible accusations of sexual assault made against him and who has admitted to sexual assault in the Access Hollywood video released during the 2016 campaign. But this sinks to a level even lower than what I thought he was capable of. The contrast is stark and the choice is clear. Support Gretchen Whitmer today by clicking HERE. 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To find out more about managing your cookies, visit the site 'All about cookies' Privacy and data policies The Department of State has called back the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes, and the U.S. Charge dAffaires in Panama Roxanne Cabral for consultations related to recent decisions to no longer recognize Taiwan. Our three Chiefs of Mission will meet with U.S. Government leaders to discuss ways in which the United States can support strong, independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean. A high-level conference intended to highlight U.S. security cooperation with Mexico and Central America was abruptly called off Friday amid flaring diplomatic tensions with El Salvador and Guatemala, according to two Trump administration officials. Top diplomats and security officials from the United States, Mexico and Central America were scheduled to meet next week in Washington as a follow-up to the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, held in Miami last year and attended by then-Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly and Rex Tillerson, the U.S. secretary of state at the time. The talks scheduled for next week were scrapped after the governments of El Salvador and Guatemala notified U.S. diplomats that their representatives would not travel to Washington, The US, which has had diplomatic ties with the Peoples Republic of China since 1979, continues to fume that El Salvador decided to cut its own ties with Taiwan and establish diplomatic relations with the communist government in Beijing. Yesterday, the State Department announced that US Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes was being recalled to Washington:Meanwhile, four US Senators have introduced a bill requiring a downgrade of US relations for any government which acts adversely to Taiwan, and on August 23, the White House Press Secretary announced that the US was reevaluating its relationship with El Salvador as a result of the pivot towards the Peoples Republic by the FMLN government.The diplomatic tensions have also led to the cancellation, or at least postponement, of a security conference between Washington and Central American nations according to the Washington Post Since Washington has no real discernible policy regarding its relationships with Latin America (other than "build that wall"), Taiwan's friends in Washington have been able to create an issue where there should be none. 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surrounding those devices. Ariana Grande took to Instagram Saturday in the wake of her ex-boyfriend Mac Millers death a day earlier. The songstress shared a single black and white photo of Miller, who died on Friday at the age of 26. There was no caption accompanying the photo, which soon acquired several million likes on the platform. RAPPER MAC MILLER DEAD AT 26 Miller, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was discovered "unresponsive at his California residence and was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before noon, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed in a statement to Fox News. "At this time, an autopsy is pending and a cause of death has not been determined," the statement continued. Grande, now engaged to Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson, dated Miller for nearly two years before the pair split up in May. MAC MILLER MOURNED BY POST MALONE, CHANCE THE RAPPER AND OTHER STARS Other performers and celebrities mourning Miller's death also expressed their grief on social media. Among them: Wiz Khalifa, G-Eazy and Chance the Rapper. "I dont know what to say Mac Miller took me on my second tour ever. But beyond helping me launch my career he was one of the sweetest guys I ever knew. Great man. I loved him for real. Im completely broken. God bless him," Chance tweeted. Fox News Kathleen Joyce and Jennifer Earl contributed to this report. CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves has resigned after at least 12 women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct in a pair of New Yorker articles authored by Pulitzer Prize winner Ronan Farrow. In a statement released Sunday evening, CBS said that Moonves would depart his position as chairman, president and CEO "effective immediately." COO Joseph Ianniello was announced as president and acting CEO "while the Board conducts a search for a permanent successor." The network also announced that it and Moonves would donate $20 million to organizations that support "that support the #MeToo movement and equality for women in the workplace." The $20 million would come out of any compensation Moonves is due to receive following the conclusion of an ongoing investigation into the allegations against him. Moonves future at CBS came into question in July, when Farrow published an expose in the New Yorker detailing allegations from six women. This week, multiple news outlets reported that Moonves was negotiating a possible exit with independent directors of CBS' board. Then on Sunday, the New Yorker published claims against Moonves by six more women. Some alleged he forced them to perform oral sex on him, forcibly kissed them, exposed himself to unwilling participants and put the careers of those that rebuffed his advances in jeopardy. One of the women, Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, reported her accusations to Los Angeles police last year, but they weren't pursued because of the statute of limitations. She said that Moonves, while an executive at the Lorimar production studio in the late 1980s, pushed her head into his lap and forced her to perform oral sex. At another time, she said an angry Moonves pushed her hard against a wall. When she resisted later advances, she began to be frozen out at the company, she said. "He absolutely ruined my career," she told the magazine. Another woman, Jessica Pallingston, said Moonves had forced her to perform oral sex on her first day working as his assistant at Warner Bros. productions. Other women told the magazine of unwanted touching or advances by Moonves. In a statement to the magazine, Moonves said the "appalling accusations" are untrue, but he acknowledged consensual relations with three of the women before he started working at CBS. Ironically, Moonves was once a prominent voice in Hollywood's growing "#MeToo" movement. As the initial New Yorker article reported, he helped found the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace, which is chaired by Anita Hill. The organization Time's Up, which fights accusations of sexual misconduct, said the women had made "bone-chilling" accusations against Moonves. "We believe them," Times' Up said in a statement on Sunday. Time's Up said the CBS board has a responsibility to rid the company of a toxic culture toward women. "Remember that the world is watching," the statement said. "We will accept nothing less than full transparency of the investigation's findings, a commitment to real change across all levels of CBS management and no reward for Les Moonves." Moonves is the first network executive to lose his job over revelations related to the "#MeToo" movement, which was sparked by reports about movie producer Harvey Weinstein in October 2017. People like Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose and Kevin Spacey have lost work over allegations that came to light in the months that followed. Moonves' departure does not mark the first time "#MeToo" has touched the Tiffany Network. Rose, a former host of "CBS This Morning" and "60 Minutes" contributor, has been accused of sexual misconduct by 27 women, 14 of whom worked with him at CBS. He was fired by CBS and PBS late last year. The network is also investigating Jeff Fager, former CBS News chairman and executive producer of "60 Minutes," on charges that he condoned a hostile atmosphere to women. Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The View star Joy Behar says she doesnt believe people should feel sorry for first lady Melania Trump. Appearing on CNNs Van Jones Show Saturday, the 75-year-old host noted that Melania came on to her old HLN show to hawk her jewelry. That was the show, the famous show really, because that was the only place that she showed her true colors, because she believed in birtherism just like her husband, Behar said. She said that they dont have the right birth certificate in Hawaii. She is now enjoying the fruits of the American country, Behar said, before commenting on her parents. Theyre enjoying chain migration, which a lot of people in this country unfortunately are not enjoying because her husband wants to stop it. Why shouldnt she go along with it? You know, she was in Slovenia doing nothing. I don't know what she was doing there. Jones noted that Melania was working as a model. OK, she was a model, now shes the first lady. I mean, come on. As my mother would say, who is better than her? Behar also discussed her co-host Meghan McCains speech at her late fathers funeral and commended her on her patriotism. She then slammed Donald Trump, noting that he only seems to care about himself. Weve lost that whole feeling of, you know, the great country, because of him. And I resent it, she told the host. The View returns Sept. 15 for a new season. Burgerville employees are going to have to express themselves with a little less flair now that the restaurant chain has revised its button policy after several employees came to work wearing political pins, offending some customers. Originally, the small Pacific Northwest burger chain did not have a written policy in place, which led to workers wearing controversial pins like Abolish ICE and No one is illegal" while on shift. OREGON FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES CREATE STIR WITH 'ABOLISH ICE' AND 'NO ONE IS ILLEGAL' BUTTONS Some of our employees have been wearing buttons expressing their political views at work. While Burgerville had a long-standing verbal policy prohibiting the wearing of personal buttons, we did not have a written policy about this," the company said in a statement to Fox News. Now the fast food restaurant is creating a policy to keep its facilities "inclusive." "The company is adopting one that represents our long-standing commitment to creating a universally welcoming and inclusive environment for our customers and employees alike. We are instituting an updated uniform policy, and buttons and other messaging both political and personal will not be allowed. It is a policy that is common in public-facing businesses and is in alignment with our mission to Serve With Love," the statement read. The company said the new rule will go into effect Thursday, September 13. RESTAURANT FACES BACKLASH AFTER SHAMING TEEN WHO PAID BILL WITH QUARTERS The decision comes during negotiations with the fast food chains union, Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU), which was fighting for employees rights to make political statements at work after ten workers were sent home late last month for refusing to remove the politically-charged buttons. However, because of a lack of written policy, the workers were allowed back at work with their protest buttons the next day and given back pay. In a statement on Facebook, the union called on corporate to instate a policy allowing for political protest pins to be worn at work. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS However, Burgerville HR director Liz Graham, told the Oregonian that customers did not like the pins and the company was working to create a better way to roll out its new button-free policy. "Guests provided feedback that they didn't want to see personal and political messages while they ate," Graham told The Oregonian. "Additionally, some employees expressed that the content of the buttons was drawing unwanted attention that made them uncomfortable." The BVWU did not respond to Fox News request for comment. A Checkers employee has been arrested for allegedly throwing hot grease on a customer in the drive-thru early Saturday morning, according to Philadelphia Police. The incident reportedly happened at around 3 a.m. at a Philadelphia, Penn., location. The fast food employee, twenty-eight-year-old Latifah Linder, and three women in the drive-thru got into an argument over the order. The women allegedly told the employee their order was wrong, but the employee working the drive-thru refused to change it. Linder grabbed a cup of hot grease and threw it at the women in the car after they refused to leave the drive-thru, CBS Philly reports. CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEE FIRED, CUSTOMER ARRESTED AFTER 'INCREDIBLY DISTURBING' BRAWL INSIDE DC RESTAURANT The women continued to sit in the drive-thru. Linder then grabbed two pans of grease and threw it at the women. Police were called to the incident. The driver was taken to the hospital where she was treated with first degree burns, the outlet reports. The other two women were treated on scene. ARKANSAS MCDONALD'S WORKER FIRED AFTER ALLEGEDLY FLINGING HOT GREASE AT CUSTOMERS FACE Linder is facing charges including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Checkers did not immediately respond Fox News request for comment, but released a statement to CBS Philly saying the fast food chain is cooperating with police. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS This incident occurred at a franchised restaurant on Baltimore Avenue. The franchisee is taking this incident very seriously, and the manager involved is no longer with the company. That behavior was completely unacceptable, and does not represent the values of the hundreds of Checkers employees who serve our Philadelphia guests every day. The franchisee is cooperating fully with the police in their investigation, the statement read. Several parents are upset with a Tennessee schools response to students finding maggots in their cafeteria meals. The health concerns at Madisonville Middle School in Tennessee first came to light when student Madison Smith sent her mother, Brandy Shubert, a video of her granola with a maggot squirming around in it, Yahoo reports. TENNESSEE TEACHER'S 'PETTY' NOTE RESTRICTING BATHROOM AND NURSE BREAKS GOES VIRAL, SPARKS OUTRAGE Shocked, Schubert and another parent went to the school board meeting on Thursday to discuss the sanitary conditions in the cafeteria however, the parents were told the issue had been addressed and would not be discussed anymore, Knox News Sentinel reports. "They said they contacted the distributor and the health department has already been out there, and that's all they can do," Shubert said to Knox News. "We were not happy with that answer and so we told them we would go further with the issues and contact the state health department again." "I feel like they should have spoke to us about it and not be rude and cut us off," she added. MISSOURI PARENTS OUTRAGED AFTER SCHOOL DISTRICT BANS FAST FOOD Schubert told the news outlet school board representatives told the parents to contact the school board and have the topic be added to the agenda for the next meeting. According to Knox News, the Monroe County Schools District has remained firm that the issue has been handled and that the health department had inspected the cafeteria following the granola incident, and then re-inspected the cafeteria when another incident occurred involving maggots in blackberries the school served giving it a good rating both times. NEW JERSEY CHARTER SCHOOL SLAMMED FOR TURNING AWAY STUDENTS FOR MINOR DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS Weve done everything that we possibly can to answer to this situation, Board Chairwoman Janie Harrill told Knox News. Monroe County Schools Director Tim Blankenship claimed the incident was isolated and that no bugs had been found in the cafeteria. "After being made aware of the granola incident, the health inspector was contacted to return to Madisonville Middle School and follow-up after an unrelated health inspection that had occurred earlier that same day, resulting in a score of 97. During the reinspection all dry goods were checked and a report was issued by the inspector indicating that no bugs of any kind were found, as well as no out-of-date food. The food distributor was contacted and they are continuing to work with the manufacturer of the granola to identify the cause of the issue," Blankenship said in an email to Knox News. FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS After students shared videos of the maggots crawling in the cafeteria food, Schubert said teachers instructed students to write a letter to the cafeteria ladies using descriptive language to tell them what they are thankful for. Schubert said the kids were told to be positive. "It's like they are bullying our kids," she said of the assignment, Knox News reports. Fox News has reached out to the school district and is awaiting comment. A South Carolina nail salon allegedly refused to do a womans nails because she was too fat, leaving her humiliated, according to reports. Amanda Wolfenbarger said she visited Conways Nail Spa on Aug. 31 for a pedicure, but was told its against policy to offer the service to anyone more than 250 pounds, The State reported. Wolfenbarger was reportedly already seated in a pedicure chair, soaking her feet, when an employee asked her how much she weighed. She refused to answer the nail technician, saying the information was none of your business but the worker told her that she was too big and would break a chair. The employee then reportedly showed an embarrassed Wolfenbarger a sign that said, We are not accepting any person over 250 lb for pedicure service, sorry! Ive never been made to feel the way I felt then, Wolfenbarger told The State. Wolfenbarger then took to Facebook to detail the degrading incident in a now-viral post, but the huge response wasnt enough to convince the salon to change the policy. While she plans to reword the sign, salon owner Tin Bui said the policy is in place for customer safety, according to news station WBMF. She said Im sorry this happened to you. I cant help it, Wolfenbarger told The State. I can accept an apology, but Im not going to put myself in position where it could happen again. Im not going back. This article originally appeared on the New York Post. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The Jewish New Year Rosh Hashana in Hebrew begins at sundown Sunday, marking the start of the year 5779. And even if youre not Jewish, this holiday has a message for you. If you know a little about Rosh Hashana you probably associate it with traditions like eating apples dipped in honey (for a sweet new year) and the blowing of the shofar (rams horn). But to understand the true spiritual significance of this major Jewish holiday, you have to go a little deeper. Lets start by contrasting the Jewish New Year with traditional New Year's Eve festivities. Ever wonder where the custom came from to get drunk on Dec. 31 and start the new year bleary eyed and hung over? Believe it or not, the custom dates back all the way to ancient Rome, when the calendar consisted of 12 months, each 30 days long, which left roughly five days over at the end of the year. Those Romans weren't shy about finding excuses to throw a good party. So on those five extra days, they grabbed their wine jugs and sought to recreate, literally through drunkenness, the primeval chaos from which the world was formed. Think about that when they're pouring the champagne next New Years Eve. By contrast, Rosh Hashana is a far more solemn affair. According to Jewish tradition, this is a day when God reviews the lives every single one of His creatures, determining what type of year each of us will have. Our health, our livelihood, and even our very survival over the course of the next 12 months are set on the first night of Rosh Hashana. Secular New Year's Eve celebrates that sense of the pointlessness of life. Since nothing matters, since no one's in charge, since the whole thing began in chaos and has no real meaningful end point, lets just party on. The Mishnah, an ancient compendium of Jewish law, offers the metaphor of God as a shepherd, with every human being, not just Jews, passing under His staff for His review. According to tradition, we have until Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), which falls 10 days after Rosh Hashana, to avert any negative decrees we may have received on that first sacred night of the new year. Prayer, generosity, and repentance are the keys to receiving a positive verdict for the new year. A second vital aspect of Rosh Hashana is the celebration of God's ascent to His throne. Jews don't see God as an old man with a white beard in the sky. Heaven knows where that image came from. Instead, an invisible, incorporeal, God is said to have taken His place on an equally invisible throne ages and ages ago. So Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of God's coronation. Its the day when God's dominion over the world is renewed. When I was in college, the rabbi of Chabad House of Amherst, Rabbi Yisroel Deren, quoting the Lubavitcher rebbe, offered a slightly different spin on this message, one that has stayed with me for the past 40 years. "God," Rabbi Deren said, "if you want to rule over the world, that's your business. But please, God, rule over me." In our world today, perhaps as in Roman times, society and the heart both point towards nihilism, a sense that nothing important or enduring can exist. Secular New Year's Eve celebrates that sense of the pointlessness of life. Since nothing matters, since no one's in charge, since the whole thing began in chaos and has no real meaningful end point, lets just party on. The message of Rosh Hashana applicable to men and women of all faiths is that God's in charge, the world has a purpose, and each of us has a purpose within God's world. Each of us counts, and God has His eye on each of us. We can improve our lives by becoming closer to God through acts of generosity, repentance and planned rather than just random acts of kindness. So Rosh Hashana comes along to remind us that God rules over the world, and that if we let him, and bring him into our lives, God will rule over each of us as well. And thus at the core of the holiday we find this prayer: please, God, rule over me. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The anonymous anti-Trump op-ed published by The New York Times on Wednesday confirmed what we all suspected. Members of the arrogant ruling class in Washington, furious that a populist interloper was elected by the people to dismantle the elitist policies that have hurt working Americans for decades, are fighting back. Elitist commentators have mocked talk of the Deep State as feverish conspiracy-mongering. Well, now we know the Deep State exists. There really is a group of people embedded in the federal government actively working to block the policies that Americans voted for. At the same time, anti-Trump commentators have lectured us for two years about how this president is undermining democracy and subverting those famous democratic norms. Well, now we know they are hypocritical idiots (intellectual idiots, of course per Nassim Talebs wonderful formulation.) Im not sure what could undermine democracy more than a policy that was clearly articulated as part of a winning candidates platform being blocked by bureaucrats or political appointees who no one voted for. Isnt it quite an important democratic norm that the policies of winning candidates and parties get implemented, rather than the policies of the losers? Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of last weeks Washington elite meltdown was the hilarious spectacle of the left cheering on Goldman Sachs veteran Gary Cohn for his efforts to protect the profits of the super-rich from President Trumps efforts to protect American workers. Now the hunt is on to identify who wrote the op-ed published by The New York Times. But I fear that misses the point. Finding and even punishing this one individual is not going to solve the systemic and structural problem of the Deep State: the fact that we have permanent ruling class in our government that pushes forward an elitist policy agenda regardless of who actually wins elections. I have a bigger and better plan, and its one of the ideas in my new book, Positive Populism: Revolutionary Ideas to Rebuild Economic Security, Family, and Community in America. The first step in beating the Deep State is to unmask the Deep State. This idea goes back to my own experience battling the permanent bureaucracy as senior adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron in Britain. Before Cameron was elected, I went to see former Prime Minister Tony Blair to ask his advice about how to be effective in government. One thing above all that I remember was his stark warning about the civil service. Blair told me: You cannot overestimate the degree to which the civil service and the bureaucracy genuinely see themselves as the guardians of the national interest. They think its their duty to block and frustrate the here-today, gone-tomorrow politicians who come in with their crazy schemes. That is how they think. You have to realize that they really are there trying to stop you doing what you want to do. Youve got to understand that, and be ready to fight them. Blairs warning about Britains Deep State was prophetic, as I discovered even before David Cameron took office as prime minister. One of our key Conservative priorities was government transparency. We had pledged to publish details of everything the British government spent money on, as well as the names, job descriptions and the organizational charts of the entire civil service, so citizens could see what their government did. In a meeting ahead of the election, Cabinet Secretary and the head of the civil service Gus ODonnell asked me and David Cameron: Of course you dont really mean all this government transparency stuff, do you? When I replied that we very much did, ODonnell gave me a knowing look and said: Yes. Well, well see about that. And indeed, once we were in office, the civil service bureaucracy fought tooth and nail against the publication of any information at all about its scope and functions. And then it dawned on me: Blair was so right. The permanent bureaucracy, self-righteously convinced of its noble mission to protect the country from risk-taking, was never going to be an ally in the kind of radical change we were trying to make. The last thing they wanted was to decentralize power that would mean less power for them! I realized there was no way we were going to be able to truly decentralize power and make government more accountable unless we actually bit the bullet and cut back the size of the bureaucracy drastically. I had an idea: For centuries, the British Empire was run out of Somerset House, a magnificent, palatial complex on the Thames, not far from Trafalgar Square. Here were the offices of the empires civil servants. In the colonial era when the sun never set on the British Empire because it spanned the globe, the offices ruled from Australia and New Zealand to Africa, India and the Middle East, and across the Atlantic to Canada. In addition to all those charges, Great Britain administered all of Ireland and Scotland as well. How many staff worked at Somerset House? I inquired. The answer? Roughly 10,000. Well: if Britain could preside over the largest empire in world history from one building that housed 10,000 people, why couldnt modern Britain which now had no empire to administer? Why was it necessary for Whitehall (the nickname of the core civil service in London) to be staffed by well over 100,000 people? Using Somerset House as a guideline, I proposed an experiment: to cut the central civil service bureaucracy by 90 percent for a year or two, and to see the impact. To me, it was the logical corollary of our plan to decentralize power. If we really meant that, we would need fewer bureaucrats at the center, surely. As you can imagine, this plan did not go down well with either the political or bureaucratic establishment. The elites never want to give up power. But they must give up power or have it taken away from them if we are to make government truly accountable to the people. The federal bureaucracy in Washington the American Deep State is sorely in need of just such a radical shake-up. In 2017, the U.S. governments civilian workforce consisted of nearly 3 million taxpayer-funded jobs. Anyone who has been to Washington has seen in city block after city block the sprawling physical landscape of bureaucracy. But what exactly do they all do there? Many must do important work. But lets find out exactly what. Let's open them up to scrutiny and hold them to account. It's our tax dollars after all. Lets start by bringing into the open the secret world of the Deep State bureaucrats. Publish every civil service organization chart, along with salaries and job descriptions. Lets Unmask the Deep State. That will provide the necessary intelligence for establishing the scale of the cut in its numbers that we need. In the process, lets clear out all the leeches and hangers-on the useless elite management consultants who earn a fortune from the taxpayer for writing endless PowerPoint presentations for incoming administrations that really do nothing but rearrange the deckchairs on this bureaucratic Titanic that is the federal government. The result is a self-referential ruling class of mandarins stuck in acronyms, cost analysis reports, and legal jargon. Hardly the government of, by, and for the people that the Founding Fathers had in mind. Well be discussing this topic on The Next Revolution at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday on Fox News Channel with Dana Perino, Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk and Tezlyn Figaro. Hope you can join us! NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! A new, 2018 Pew Research Center Report polled a growing group in America: religious nones. This group describes themselves as nothing in particular when asked if they identify with a specific religious group. The vast majority are ex-Christians, and most are under the age of 35. Pew asked a representative sample of these religious nones why they now reject any religious affiliation and provided respondents with six possible responses. According to the Pew report, most religious nones left because they question a lot of religious teaching (51 percent agreed with this statement), or because they dont like the positions churches take on social/political issues (46 percent agreed with this statement). To a lesser extent, nones agreed with the statements, I dont like religious organizations (34 percent), I dont like religious leaders (31 percent), or Religion is irrelevant to me (26 percent). From this data, one might infer that Christians leave the faith because they no longer agree with the teaching of the Church or that they dont like religious organizations or leaders. But this is not why young Christians are leaving the church. One glaring statistic was largely overlooked in the latest data collected by the Pew Research Center. When religious nones were asked to identify the most important reason for not affiliating with a religion, the largest response was that none of the six responses provided by Pew were actually very important. In this poll, Pew did not allow respondents to answer in their own words. So, even though respondents searched for an answer that approximated their experience, most didnt believe that any of the reasons offered by Pew were very important to them when deciding to abandon their religious identity. What, then, is the real reason young Christians (and other religious believers) leave the faith? The answer lies in a prior, 2016 Pew Research Center survey which allowed respondents to answer in their own words. In this study, most nones said they no longer identified with a religious group because they no longer believed it was true. When asked why they didnt believe, many said their views about God had evolved and some reported having a crisis of faith. Their specific explanations included the following statements: Learning about evolution when I went away to college Religion is the opiate of the people Rational thought makes religion go out the window Lack of any sort of scientific or specific evidence of a creator I just realized somewhere along the line that I didnt really believe it Im doing a lot more learning, studying and kind of making decisions myself rather than listening to someone else. The data from this 2016 study may explain why ex-Christians question a lot of religious teaching, as reported in the 2018 study. The teaching they question seems to be about the existence of God, and this is consistent with the explanations offered by ex-Christians in a variety of other recent studies. When Christians walk away from the faith, more often than not, its due to some form of intellectual skepticism. Ex-Christians often describe religious beliefs as innately blind or unreasonable. But that doesnt accurately reflect the rich, evidential history of Christianity. The psalmist appealed to the design and fine-tuning of the universe to demonstrate the existence of God (Psalm 19:1). Jesus appealed to both eyewitness testimony (John 16:8) and the indirect evidence of his miracles (John 10:38) to argue for the authority of his statements. The disciples identified themselves as eyewitnesses and appealed to their observations of the Resurrection to make the case for the Deity of Jesus (Acts 4:33). Ex-Christians often leave the Church because they dont think anyone in the Church can answer their questions or make a case. Its time for believers to accept their responsibility to explain what Christianity proposes and why these propositions are true, especially when interacting with young people who have legitimate questions. Rather than embracing a blind or unreasonable faith, Christians must develop an informed, forensic faith that can stand up in the marketplace of ideas. We know why young Christians are leaving. Now its time to give them a reason to stay. Following a week of contentious hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the focus has shifted to swing voters in the Senate and the crucial role they will play in the confirmation process. One of the lawmakers on the hot seat ahead of the vote is Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who recently received a particularly unusual gift in an effort to sway her opinion. A package of 3,000 coat hangers arrived at Collins office in Washington, D.C. -- symbolizing back-alley abortions that took place before they became legal with the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling -- in the hopes of convincing the pro-choice senator to vote against Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation. Collins, a centrist Republican who fought the GOP effort to junk the Affordable Care Act, is one of a few Republicans being targeted by activists hoping to block Kavanaugh from joining the bench as abortion has become a front-and-center issue in the debate over the judge. Democrats argue that President Trump picked Kavanaugh because he will vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Liberal groups are running TV ads encouraging the senator to reject the nomination. Activists have also pledged to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund an opponent to Collins if she votes in favor of the president's nomination. She is up for re-election in 2020. If Collins votes yes, then he is likely confirmed. She and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska another pro-choice Republican -- probably would have to both vote "no" for Kavanaugh to be blocked. For her part, Collins has kept mum about how she'll vote. Still, she's sent signals that Kavanaugh cleared a hurdle by telling her that Roe v. Wade establishing abortion rights is settled law. A spokeswoman for Collins said Saturday that a recently released email from Kavanaugh in which he disputed that all legal scholars see Roe as settled didn't contradict what he told the senator because he wasn't expressing his personal views. "I always wait until after the hearings are complete before making a decision, and I'll do so in this case as well," Collins said. Collins, for her part, is following the same process she used with GOP nominees John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, and Democratic nominees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. "I have voted for Justice Sotomayor, and I've also voted for Justice Alito," she said, referring to justices at the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. "I respect the fact that one of my jobs is to determine whether or not the candidate is qualified for the court, has the requisite experience, and has the judicial temperament, as well as respect for precedence," she added. While she's never voted against a Supreme Court nominee, Collins has vowed to reject a candidate who's hostile to the Roe v. Wade ruling. She said Kavanaugh told her during their face-to-face meeting that he views the 1973 decision as established legal precedent. But Kavanaugh said in a 2003 email while working for the administration of President George W. Bush some legal scholars may view the idea of precedent differently and that the Supreme Court "can always overrule its precedent." Kavanaugh said that the comment did not reflect his personal views, but "what legal scholars might say." Collins voted last month to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood a day after the same organization rallied in Washington to encourage her to vote against Kavanaugh. On Thursday, the group delivered letters to her office in Bangor. "I've learned not to expect a 'thank you,'" Collins said. EDITORS NOTE: A previous headline stated that Sen. Collins received hangers from anti-abortion activists. The hangers were from pro-choice activists. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos on Sunday claimed Attorney General Jeff Sessions was "enthusiastic" about a potential meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, contradicting Sessions' sworn congressional testimony late last year. Papadopoulos was sentenced Friday to 14 days in prison and a $9,500 fine for lying to the FBI during Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller's team had sought a longer six-month sentence. Speaking on ABC's "This Week" with anchor George Stephanopoulos, Papadopoulos described the March 31, 2016, roundtable meeting on foreign policy in which he was pictured with both Trump and Sessions. "I explained to them that I come from a think tank background and I work in the energy industry, but I do have a connection that can establish a potential summit between candidate Trump and President Putin," Papadopoulos said. "[Trump] was open to the idea. And he deferred, of course, to then senior Senator Jeff Sessions, who I remember being quite enthusiastic." Papadopoulos' lawyers have previously said that President Trump "nodded with approval" at the suggestion of a meeting with Putin. But in November 2017, Sessions testified that he had "pushed back" when Papadopoulos floated the idea of a Trump-Russia meeting. "I pushed back, I will just say it that way," Sessions told Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. The attorney general responded, "I don't recall" when pressed for further details. TRUMP MOCKS COST OF MUELLER PROBE AFTER PAPADOPOULOS SENTENCING, INSISTS THERE'S 'NO COLLUSION' On Sunday, while Papadopoulos stopped short of accusing Sessions of lying, he flatly disputed his account. "My recollection differs from Jeff Sessions'." Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos "My recollection differs from Jeff Sessions'," Papadopoulos told Stephanopoulos. But not everyone at the Trump campaign was enthusiastic about a Russia meeting, according to Papadopoulos. "I actually had reached out to [campaign chairman Paul] Manafort and told him look, I have the information that the Russian government might want to host candidate Trump," Papadopoulos said. "Are you interested or not, or I just dont want to continue this exercise if its fruitless. And as far as I remember, it didnt seem that Paul Manafort wanted to pursue this meeting." Manafort was convicted last month on unrelated bank and tax fraud charges as part of Mueller's probe. Papadopoulos said that he had misled federal investigators about his meetings with Russia-connected Maltese professor Joseph Mifsud because he wanted to insulate him from poltical liability after a grueling campaign. "At the time of my interview with the FBI, I think around three or four days before that, I was at the inauguration attending parties with senior level transition officials," Papadopoulos said. "And I found myself, as somebody who worked incredibly hard over the past year with the campaign to actually have the candidate Trump be elected. And then I found myself pinned between the Department of Justice and the sitting president and having probing questions that I thought might incriminate the sitting president." According to Mueller team's federal indictment, Papadopoulos was told by Mifsud in April 2016 that Russian officials had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. The defense portrayed Papadopoulos as an eager campaign aide who was in over his head, and pushed back on claims by the prosecution that he had harmed the FBI investigation. "The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could," his lawyer said. On Sunday, Papadopoulos demurred when asked if he agreed that Trump had obstructed the Russia probe, saying only, "I have no idea about that." TRUMP DEFENDS PUTIN SUMMIT IN HELSINKI AFTER FIERCE BLOWBACK He also described in vivid detail his experience being arrested shortly after landing at Virginia's Dulles airport, on a flight from Athens. "I'm texting or messaging my girlfriend at the time and I'm letting her know that there's people watching me here at the airport," Papadopoulos said Sunday. "There's something very odd, you know, there's some gentlemen in a suit and red tie and they're just staring at me while everybody else is exhausted off a transatlantic flight. "I get to the kiosk where I'm attempting to put my passport in the kiosk to get my visa to re-enter the country and I am -- there's a badge in my face that this is the FBI, you should come with us," he continued. "Basically they told me that this is what happens when you don't tell us everything about your Russian contacts." Fox News' Adam Shaw and Jake Gibson contributed to this report. Amid the current national debate over immigration policies, racial discrimination, LGBTQ rights, and executive power, the anniversary of an important legal and political dispute that has directly shaped that debate will pass quietly, its legacy all but forgotten. In September 1958, sixty years ago next week, the United States Supreme Court finally earned its hard-fought reputation as a co-equal branch of the federal government, in a courtroom drama filled with urgency and uncertainty. For perhaps the first time, the high court put muscle behind its mandate, asserting in unequivocal terms that its interpretation of the Constitution was the "supreme law of the land," and ordering immediate state compliance. Thurgood Marshall, the prominent lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, had sized up his audience: nine older white men who were none too thrilled about revisiting their landmark precedent that was proving nearly impossible to fully enforce. The crafty civil rights veteran turned the tables on the justices in a civil rights case debated and decided within hours, which spoke as much about public confidence in government as it did about a hot-button social issue. Marshall was essentially arguing that officials in Little Rock, Ark. had to follow a federal court order to desegregate its schools. The 50-year-old's focus was not black students seeking equality, but about society's larger civic responsibilities. "Education is not the teaching of three R's. Education is teaching of the overall citizenship, to learn, to live together with fellow citizens and above all, to learn to obey the law," he says in rarely heard audio of the two-day argument. "I'm not worried about the Negro children at this stage. I don't believe they're in this case as such," Marsall went on. "I worry about the white children in Little Rock who are told as young people that the way to get your rights is to violate the law and defy the lawful authorities. I'm worried about their future. I don't worry about the Negro kids' future. They've been struggling with democracy long enough. They know about it." The audio was secretly recorded by the court, and only made available to the public decades later. (Marshall's words can be heard here, at the 27:50 mark of Part 2.) Just a day after the argument, the high court unanimously ordered Arkansas' governor to continue admitting African-American students. "No state legislator or executive or judicial officer can war against the Constitution without violating his undertaking to support it," wrote a unanimous bench in Cooper v. Aaron. Compliance with the principles of civil rights, as articulated by the federal courts, is "indispensable for the protection of the freedoms guaranteed by our fundamental charter for all of us. Our constitutional ideal of equal justice under law is thus made a living truth." LITTLE ROCK'S LEGACY The Court's ruling in Cooper v. Aaron came four years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which found "separate but equal" public facilities unconstitutional. It was groundbreaking, but many civil rights activists believed little progress was made in its initial aftermath, a sentiment echoed today. "What happened in 1954?" asked current Justice Stephen Breyer in a speech this past January. "Nothing happened. What happened in 1955? Nothing. What happened in 1956? Double nothing." The Brown ruling simply declared school segregation policies violated the 14th Amendment, implicitly leaving it to the states and lower courts to sort out the consequences. A follow-up decision a year later mandated school integration "with all deliberate speed," with federal court oversight to ensure compliance, but no timetable. Some states needed no federal encouragement, but others, particularly in the South, were deliberately slow to change, and many courts were reluctant at first to force compliance. Little Rock's school board initially created a court-backed integration plan, but the state legislature and Gov. Orval Faubus passed new laws banning such efforts. Local sovereignty was at stake, they insisted. The situation in Arkansas' capital gained national attention in September 1957, when the state's national guard prevented a group of black students from attending the largest high school in the city (the "Little Rock Nine"). The crisis escalated after federal courts again ordered Little Rock Central High School's doors to be open to all, and President Dwight Eisenhower sent in Army troops. Despite threats of violence, the black students entered and began taking classes. They were subjected to continuing taunts, threats, and physical violence. Months later, the school board asked for a delay in implementing the ongoing integration plan, citing "chaos, bedlam, and turmoil." A federal district judge agreed to do so, but a federal appeals court reversed that decision. It was then that the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in a pair of special argument sessions, ordering immediate integration, and reaffirming existing precedent that the rights of minority students could not be sacrificed in lieu of state concerns about "order and peace." But the united justices went further, asserting clear authority to bind states to their decisions, which could not be circumvented with competing legislation. Faubus was furious, closing the capital city's public schools, and ordering a special election within days to boost his actions. "The Supreme Court shut its eyes to all the facts, and in essence said integration at any price," he declared, "even if it means the destruction of our school system, our educational processes, and the risk of disorder and violence that could result in the loss of lifeperhaps yours." The open defiance continued, token desegregation continued slowly in many parts of the South and Southwest, and the impact is still being felt in many communities. The citizens of Little Rock called 1958 the "lost year" in Little Rock, but the Supreme Court's newfound recognition of its own inherent power in its decisions would carry on. Some scholars have since called that bench the "living voice of the Constitution." From the 1960s onward, a host of state laws on abortion, criminal procedure, and civil rights were debated and overturned by the Supreme Court in a series of cases known as single words: Gideon, Miranda, Loving, Roe, and Obergefell. POLITICAL BACKLASH But the Cooper vs. Aaron decision also created a legal and political backlash, especially among some conservatives. Edwin Meese, a former Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan, has been among those who have repeatedly criticized the Supreme Court for what they consider a self-affirming power grab. "Constitutional interpretation is not the business of the court only, but also, and properly, the business of all branches of government," Meese has written. The former AG has pinpointed the Cooper decision as the start of an era of an "imperial judiciary." ''Obviously the decision was binding on the parties in the case; but the implication that everyone would have to accept its judgments uncritically, that it was a decision from which there could be no appeal, was astonishing.'' Meese also believes that by saying its interpretation of the Constitution was "the supreme law of the land," that view ''was, and is, at war with the Constitution, at war with the basic principles of democratic government, and at war with the very meaning of the rule of law.'' Supporters of a more limited role for the nine unelected justices have cited Abraham Lincoln's remarks in his 1861 inaugural address. "If the policy of the government, upon vital questions, affecting the whole people, is to be irrevocably fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court," he said, "the people will have ceased to be their own rulers, having, to that extent, practically resigned their government, into the hands of that eminent tribunal." Lincoln had his own problems with the Supreme Court, ignoring its ruling the President had no authority to suspend habeas corpus, even in wartime. The justices did not bother to hold Lincoln accountable for his public defiance. And yet, a Supreme Court confident of its mandate is a concept the public seems now to accept to a large extent. The justices themselves lack any formal enforcement tool except their own legitimacy contained in the power of words and ideas. Breyer cites the 2000 Bush v. Gore decision that essentially handed the presidency to the Republican. "What was remarkable about it is that even though vast numbers of Americans thought it was wrong," and even though Breyer himself thought it wrongly decided, "people followed it. In other places, there would have been guns and bullets. The fact that no blood was shed after Bush v. Gore, is what makes America great." Former Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday decried what he described as incessant, politically-motivated efforts to take down American presidents as soon as they take office, which he argued has been a defining characteristic of politics in the U.S. since the Whitewater investigation dogged former President Bill Clinton's administration. In the same interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN's "GPS," however, Kerry suggested that the country is in the midst of a "genuine constitutional crisis" because President Trump is not capable of performing his job. Kerry's remarks were an echo of far-left Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who have floated the idea of removing the president using the 25th Amendment. "You had the Whitewater probe, this interminable investigation, which was legitimate perhaps in its beginning, initial effort ... but went way beyond that, and on and on and on," Kerry said. "But more than that, you had a concerted effort to destroy a presidency. And that now seems to have become the norm. New president comes in? We're going to destroy him. We're not going to see how we can work together." PENCE SLAMS 'VERY DISAPPOINTING' OBAMA SPEECH, SAYS HE'LL TAKE LIE DETECTOR OVER NYT OP-ED Kerry went on say that constant partisan efforts to torpedo presidents have distracted Americans and slowed domestic development. He noted that China is involved in major infrastructure and railroad projects, "and we're sitting here with, what, the Acela? ... We should be ashamed." But, Kerry suggested, Trump's presidency is different, and actually poses genuine problems that merit finding a new chief executive. "We have had confirmed now, for more than a year and a half, examples -- some by virtue of people who write a book, and talk to a person like [Bob] Woodward and tell them what they're seeking and observing ...and some of the evidence comes very directly from the president himself," Kerry told Zakaria. ANALYSIS: WOODWARD BOOK, ANONYMOUS OP-ED SHOW DEEP-STATE DESPERATION Kerry continued: "For instance, when you tweet, chastise the attorney general of the United States for following the law and doing what the Justice Department is supposed to do, by holding Republican congressmen accountable as anyone else ... you have a president who clearly doesn't understand America, doesn't understand the Constitution, doesn't understand the role of the Justice Department, the separation of powers, and that's dangerous." The former secretary of state also unloaded on Trump for reimposing sanctions that had been lifted as part of the now-defunct Iran nuclear deal, which Kerry oversaw and implemented during his time in the administration of former President Barack Obama. Kerry said Trump, who pulled the U.S. out of the pact earlier this year, had proved Iranian hardliners right when they called America the "Great Satan." WATCH: U.S. SANCTIONS WILL CRIPPLE IRAN'S ECONOMY "He has empowered the hardliners in Iran," Kerry said. "He has given power to the people who said, 'You can't negotiate with the United States. You can't trust them. Because they're the Great Satan. They're going to burn you. Well, guess what? Donald Trump proved them right." Asked whether he will challenge Trump for the presidency, Kerry, who was the Democratic Party's nominee for president in 2004, said he is not "wasting time thinking about 2020" and has "no plans" to run for office. Looking to rally support for several Democratic congressional candidates across California, former President Barack Obama took a more measured tone Saturday -- after a strongly worded speech the day before where he leveled blistering criticism of his successor and the GOP. Obama said the November midterm elections would give Americans a chance to restore sanity in our politics during his 20-minute speech to a crowd of around 900 Democratic faithful at the Anaheim Convention Center, while warning voters of the risks of keeping Republicans in power. If we dont step up, things can get worse, Obama said. We have a chance to flip the House of Representatives; to say Enough is enough. But California Republicans said Obamas appearance would have little impact and may even help their party. I wish he would come more often because he reminds Republicans of eight years of misery, said Republican National Committee member Shawn Steel, who lives in Orange County. It reminds the Republicans why these midterms are important. I wish [Obama] would come [to California] more often because he reminds Republicans of eight years of misery. It reminds the Republicans why these midterms are important. Shawn Steel, Republican from Orange County, Calif. Some Democratic supporters would disagree. Macy Bartlett, 17, a Democratic volunteer who registers other young voters in Los Angeles County, told the Orange County Register that Obamas message will help her effort. We just say Obamas name and it gets people interested, Bartlett told the newspaper. Hes such an icon for so many people, and he understands that flipping the House affects everyone. Obama led off his appearance with an anecdote about how he was once kicked out of Disneyland for smoking cigarettes on a ride during his days at Occidental College. "After [a Kool & the Gang] concert, because we were teenagers, you could still kind of hang out in the park, and so we went into the gondolas, and I'm ashamed to say this so close your ears, young people but a few of us were smoking on the gondolas," Obama said of his time at Occidental, before he transferred to Columbia University for his junior year. Saturdays rally was Obamas second campaign stop in a string of several planned appearances that Democrats hope will energize voters in an effort to flip 23 seats to take control of the House of Representatives. He campaigned for seven California Democrats in competitive House district races. Four of those districts are in Orange County, the location of Saturdays rally and a former GOP stronghold that Hillary Clinton carried by 9 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election. Statewide, Clinton beat Trump in California by more than 4 million votes. Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Trump loyalist, is running for a 16th term against a real estate investor Harley Rouda in his district, which encompasses parts of Orange County. Gil Cisneros, a Navy veteran and Democratic philanthropist, is vying to replace retiring Republican Rep. Ed Royce. Obama also praised venture capitalist Josh Harder in his bid to unseat four-term Republican Jeff Denham, and T.J. Cox, who is challenging David Valadao in a district where Democrats hold a 17-point advantage in voter registration. Both districts are in the states Central Valley. On Friday, the former president castigated President Trump and the Republican Party over its brand of politics at a public appearance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. But on Saturday, he said Democrats have a chance to woo independents and Republicans unhappy with the direction of the party. Trump offered no direct rebuttal to Obamas speech, but tweeted that Republicans were doing well leading up to the midterms. Republicans are doing really well with the Senate Midterms. Races that we were not even thinking about winning are now very close, or even leading. Election night will be very interesting indeed! Obama is no stranger appearances in California. In June, he headlined an expensive fundraiser in Beverly Hills where he participated in a discussion with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and attended and attended another Silicon Valley to raise money for candidates in hotly contested House races. Obama is expected to deliver the same message in Cleveland on Thursday where he will campaign for Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, and other Democrats. The Associated Press contributed to this story. A top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sunday refused to rule out the possibility that Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is facing an ethics committee investigation for releasing confidential documents during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh last week. Speaking exclusively to "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who also serves on the Senate Ethics Committee, repeatedly refused to confirm or deny the existence of a formal probe into Booker's actions. "I have to be careful what I say here, because I'm the vice chairman of the Ethics Committee, and in that role I can't comment on anything that may or may not come before the committee," Coons said. He added: "I really can't comment on whether or not this is breaking the rules of the committee." When pressed by Wallace on whether Booker was facing an ethics probe, Coons stayed mum. "I can't comment on that," the Delaware senator said. "The rules of the ethics committee prohibit any member of the committee from commenting on whether a matter is before the committee or not." Coons then confirmed that meant he could not deny the existence of a probe. In a dramatic moment on Thursday morning, Booker announced that he would release a series of Bush-era documents, which included Kavanaugh's thoughts on racial profiling in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks and his assessment of the Supreme Court's views on Roe v. Wade. ANALYSIS: CORY BOOKER TRIES BUT FAILS TO VIOLATE SENATE RULES IN COMEDY OF ERRORS The documents appeared to be labeled "committee confidential," meaning they were cleared to be viewed only by the Senate Judiciary Committee, not the public. This is about the closest I'll probably ever have in my life to an I am Spartacus moment, Booker said, making sure to emphasize that he felt he was risking expulsion from the Senate for what he claimed were serious rules violations. Senators can only be expelled by a highly extraordinary two-thirds vote of their colleagues, which has not occured since the Civil War. GRASSLEY UNLOADS ON BOOKER: 'CAN I ASK HOW LONG YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING?' A Judiciary Committee spokesperson told Fox News late Thursday that at least some of the emails Booker had released were still "committee confidential" when he published them hours earlier, suggesting Booker had, in fact, violated Senate rules, although Republicans confirmed earlier in the day that they had cleared many of the documents for public release the night before Booker posted them on Twitter. One of the documents was a 2003 email that had been marked "committee confidential" in which Kavanaugh wrote: "I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent, and three current Justices on the Court would do so." Kavanaugh, then a lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, was being asked for his opinion on a draft Op-Ed to be bylined by pro-life women. He repeatedly told Democrats that the email reflected only his opinion on the views of "legal scholars," and were not necessarily a fair reflection of his own opinions. Democrats also highlighted a 2001 email referenced on Wednesday in which Kavanaugh seemed dismissive of Department of Transportation regulations that gave preference to minority-owned companies, even where they did not offer the most competitive bid on a particular contract. "The fundamental problem in this case is that these DOT regulations use a lot of legalisms and disguises to mask what in reality is a naked racial set-aside," Kavanaugh wrote, as part of his analysis that conservative members of the Supreme Court would realize as much in short order and rule accordingly. Kavanaugh on Thursday defended the email as an assessment of his views on the Supreme Court's probable take on the matter. And in 2002, Kavanaugh wrote that he "generally" favored racially neutral security measures in the long term. But he acknowledged that administration officials would need to "grapple" with the viability of a potential interim solution that included race as a consideration, suggesting that until race-neutral policies could be effectively implemented, national security concerns in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks could demand another approach. Coons told Wallace that he remained "gravely concerned that [Kavanaugh] is not inside the judicial mainstream on several really important precedents that would have a real impact on individual rights and liberties of Americans and on presidential power." But the top Democrat agreed with the Trump administration on one thing: that the anonymous author of a New York Times Op-Ed describing efforts to undermine his presidency from within should leave the White House. "I agree with that position; I think the honorable thing to do is to resign and to go public with the author's concerns about the presidents fitness to serve," Coons said. President Trump is slated to provide written answers under oath later this month in a defamation lawsuit brought by a former Apprentice contestant, a Friday court filing said. The defendant, Summer Zervos, filed the defamation lawsuit in early 2017 after Trump called her a liar for claiming he groped and forcibly kissed her at a hotel in 2007. Trump has denied the claims. Zervos, who owns a restaurant in California, said Trumps denial has hurt her credibility and ability to make a living. Trumps lawyers agreed to exchange written answers and objections to formal questions no later than Sept. 28, the Washington Post reported, citing the document that was filed with the New York State Supreme Court. Providing false answers after being sworn would open the president to perjury charges. Trumps lawyers have unsuccessfully tried to circumvent the stipulation several times this year, the Post reported. Mariann Wang, Zervos lawyer, declined the Posts request to comment on the agreement. Marc Kasowitz, President Trumps lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the paper. An Aug. 29 letter released Friday indicated Wang had written to Judge Jennifer G. Schecter saying that Trumps lawyers and the Trump Organization were blocking her document requests, the Post reported. There can be no question here that Defendant has the practical ability and indeed, the obligation to have directed the preservation and collection of responsive documents at the Trump Organization, Wang reportedly wrote. Zervoss case is one of several pending against the president. Adult-film star Stormy Daniels, whose case has been more highly publicized, is trying to invalidate a 2016 nondisclosure agreement that prevents her from speaking about a supposed sexually relationship with the president 12 years ago. But Daniels case has been delayed as federal authorities investigate Trumps former attorney, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty last month to violating federal campaign finance laws when he paid Daniels hush money to keep quiet about the alleged affair. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) took to Facebook last week to share a beary important message. LOCK YOUR VEHICLE DOORS WHEN IN THE SMOKIES AND NEVER LEAVE FOOD INSIDE!!! the agency exclaimed in a Thursday post. The posting went on to describe an animal encounter involving a bear -- and photos of a badly-damaged truck. TWRA Officer Gene Parker was called to an incident in Gatlinburg yesterday where another black bear opened a truck door and became trapped inside, it explained. DOGS, HORSES IN KENTUCKY POSSIBLY KILLED BY 'LARGE CAT,' OFFICIALS SAY Further down in the post, the TWRA said spoke about bears in the area. Thieves are least of your worrys [sic] with hungry bears roaming around! Unfortunately, this occurs all too often around the Smoky Mountains. #tnwildlife, the agency concluded. The post has more than 2,300 reactions, 990 comments and 5,600 shares as of Sunday afternoon. This is a rush transcript from "Sunday Morning Futures," September 9, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. MARIA BARTIROMO, HOST: Good Sunday morning, everyone. Thanks for joining us. Democrats try to derail the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, but at what cost? Republicans forge ahead with tax form -- reform 2.0 before the midterms. And social media executives face some tough questioning from lawmakers. Good morning. I'm Maria Bartiromo. This is "Sunday Morning Futures." Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears on track to be our nation's next Supreme Court justice. But his fiery confirmation hearings this past week left a lot of Americans asking about civility and bipartisanship on Capitol Hill. Senator Lindsey Graham shares his thoughts coming up this morning. House GOP leaders are forging ahead with the second stage of tax reform, tax cuts 2.0, as President Trump dangles the threat of a government shutdown over border wall funding. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy weighs in on all of that. Plus, former President Obama's return to the campaign trail. Meanwhile, House conservatives renew calls for President Trump to declassify documents that they say prove bias in the Russia probe. We will hear from House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte this morning. Then: Top executives from Facebook and Twitter turned up on Capitol Hill to answer questions about how they operate. Google a no-show. Could these social media companies face sweeping government regulation in the future? We talk to the House chairman who led some of that questioning, as we look ahead right now on "Sunday Morning Futures." The nation is awaiting a decision on whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the Supreme Court. Senators on the Judiciary Committee are expected to vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation to the high court on September 20, that followed by a vote by the full Senate the following week. This all comes after last week's contentious confirmation hearings were judge Kavanaugh was grilled on everything from abortion, guns, civil rights, and his ability to be independent of the president who nominated him. But it all began with a rebellion from Democrats against restrictions on documents from Kavanaugh's years at the White House. Watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIFORNIA: Mr. Chairman, I would like to be recognized to ask a question before we proceed. The committee received just last night, less than 15 hours ago, 42,000 pages of documents that we have not had an opportunity to review or read or analyze. (CROSSTALK) SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: You're out of order. I will proceed. HARRIS: We cannot possibly move forward, Mr. Chairman, in this hearing. GRASSLEY: I extend a very warm welcome to Judge Kavanaugh, to his wife, Ashley. HARRIS: We have not been given an opportunity to have a meaningful hearing on this nominee. (END VIDEO CLIP) BARTIROMO: South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham it at all. He joins me right now to talk more about it. He sits on both the Senate Judiciary and Budget Committees. And, Senator, it is good to see this morning. Thanks for joining us. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-SOUTH CAROLINA: Thank you. Glad to be out of the hearing. (LAUGHTER) BARTIROMO: Your reaction to last week's -- your reaction to last week's proceedings? GRAHAM: Well, the Democrats are under a tremendous amount of pressure from the left to destroy everything Trump. I was very disappointed in the tone of the hearing, trying to suggest that Judge Kavanaugh wasn't telling the truth about a conversation between him and some person in a 300-person law firm that bore no fruit. In terms of documents, we gave Democrats more documents on Kavanaugh than the last five Supreme Court nominees combined. He's the most qualified judge of his generation, outstanding 12 years on the bench. You know exactly what you're getting with him, 300-plus decisions. This was an effort by the Democrats to respond to a base that's just really gone crazy with all things Trump. He's going to get confirmed. I think there'll be a handful of Democrats vote for him on the floor, nobody in the committee. Confirmation hearings now are about base politics. It's not about the qualifications of the nominee. And I really hate that. BARTIROMO: Well, you know, it's extraordinary when you look at the resistance that's happening on all fronts against this president... GRAHAM: Yes. BARTIROMO: ... including his nomination to the Supreme Court of Brett Kavanaugh. GRAHAM: Yes. BARTIROMO: How do you think the impact plays out here? Do you think voters will remember the resist and obstruction coming on the left in terms of trying to get things done come November? GRAHAM: I don't think voters remember process. They do -- they do remember results. I think a lot of voters who have had a chance to look at Judge Kavanaugh -- the ABA gave him the highest rating possible, well-qualified. You had liberal lawyers who had interacted with the judge throughout his career said that he was nothing but a tremendous, well-qualified, call-it-as-you- see-it judge. So I think, in 2020 particularly, those who are running on the Democratic side feel like they need to be loud and they need to be mean, they need to be rude to get the nomination. Kavanaugh will matter in terms of how you vote in 2020. The process won't. The economy will matter. How safe we are will matter. Results will matter. And I think that's why President Trump is doing so well, because he has had good results. They don't talk about results. They talk about personality and process, because they don't have an alternative agenda that makes any sense. BARTIROMO: Yes. And that is why the left is trucking out their, you know, big -- big prize here. And that is President Obama. (LAUGHTER) GRAHAM: Yes, Obama. BARTIROMO: President Obama was out on the campaign trail this weekend a lot. And he had something to say about the way President Trump handles things. Listen to this. I got to get your reaction. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents... (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: ... or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from persecution -- prosecution because an election happens to be coming up. I'm not making that up. That's not hypothetical. (END VIDEO CLIP) BARTIROMO: Wow. That's just one big wow, particularly after what we have witnessed... GRAHAM: Wow. (LAUGHTER) BARTIROMO: ... took place in the 2016 election... GRAHAM: Yes. BARTIROMO: ... where a group of individuals at the top of the FBI and the DOJ pushed to stop Donald Trump and exonerate Hillary Clinton with not a lot of investigating. Your thoughts on what you just heard, Senator? GRAHAM: Right. Well, it's not -- President Obama, it's not what you're making up. It's what you're leaving out. You're leaving out the fact that your attorney general, Loretta Lynch, told the FBI director, don't call the Clinton e- mail investigation an investigation. Call it a matter. You're forgetting to tell the public that the number four at the Department of Justice, Mr. Ohrs -- Mr. Ohr, Bruce Ohr, wife worked for Fusion GPS, which was on the payroll by the Democratic Party to hire a foreign agent to go to get dirt on candidate Trump and Russia. You're leaving out the fact that Mr. McCabe, the number two guy at the FBI, is under grand jury investigation for lying. You're leaving out the fact that the director of the FBI under your watch, Mr. Comey, actually leaked internal memos for the express purpose of getting a special counsel appointed. You're not talking much about the Page-Strzok memos where they openly hated Trump, in the tank for Clinton. Other than those few details, President Obama, you got it right. BARTIROMO: Yes. Well, where does that investigation stand at this point in Senate Judiciary? I mean, we have watched a handful of interviews, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, et cetera. GRAHAM: Right. BARTIROMO: Where does this go from here from your standpoint, sir? GRAHAM: We need a special counsel yesterday. I'm so disappointed in the Department of Justice. You have got the number four person at the Department of Justice ,who basically is in narcotics, handling Christopher Steele, who's the chief author of the dossier used to get a FISA warrant. Ohr's wife worked with Christopher Steele at Fusion GPS. They were on the payroll of Democratic Party. He met with Steele after Steele was found to be an unreliable informant. You got McCabe facing grand jury inquiries. BARTIROMO: Right. GRAHAM: You need a special counsel. And the documents that the House is asking the president for release about how corrupt the Department of Justice was on President Obama's watch, they need to be released, because, on President Obama's watch, the Department of Justice was political and corrupt to its core, and the top levels of the FBI under President Obama, on President Obama's watch were also corrupt, fired and facing indictment. BARTIROMO: Senator, why won't the president declassify the documents, so that the American people can understand and clearly see... GRAHAM: I have no idea. BARTIROMO: ... how this investigation was hatched? If you were to release the documents before the investigation was launched in July of '16, we could clearly see the conversations that took place to better understand why Hillary Clinton wasn't investigated and why they were trying to stop Donald Trump. Will he declassify? GRAHAM: Well, we're -- yes, they should. We're not compromising any informant. We know all about Christopher Steele. We know that he was a former British intelligence agent who hated Donald Trump, who felt like he needed to personally stop Trump from winning, that went to Russia, got information from the Russian intelligence services to write a dossier, this bunch of political garbage. It was used to get a warrant on Carter Page. We know that Bruce Ohr's wife worked for Mr. Steele. We need to get all this information out as part of oversight. Somebody needs to watch those who watch us. So if I were the president, for transparency's sakes, for oversight sake, for reforming the Department of Justice and FBI to get a better product in the future, I would release this just to show what President Obama said about how good his FBI and Department of Justice actually were. It's a complete falsehood. BARTIROMO: Well, there are calls for the president to do just that. We will be watching that. Let me move on to this op-ed from The New York Times this past week, because, with all of this going on... (LAUGHTER) BARTIROMO: ... the detractors on the left are basically trying to paint a picture of massive chaos all the time in the White House. The new book by Woodward comes out this upcoming week, "Fear," and then you have got this op-ed that The New York Times released from an anonymous source who says he's trying to stop the president from making all these bad decisions, but he is on the resist movement's side. Your thoughts? Who wrote that op-ed? GRAHAM: Right. I don't know. But here's what I would do know, that the op-ed and the book won't matter in 2020. The president will be judged on his results. As to the author of the op-ed piece, they suggest that, if it weren't for him and a few others, the president wouldn't be doing good things for the country. Isn't it kind of odd that everything the president's doing, he promised to do during the campaign? He promised to cut taxes. He did. He promised to destroy ISIS. We are. He promised to nominate people from the list of 25. He's done -- picked two out of that list. Everything the president promised about deregulating America -- deregulating America, he's delivering on. He promised to rebuild the military. It's kind of odd that everything he's doing, he promised. Here's what I think. Why this op-ed piece now? The New York Times is the choir director for the left. They set the agenda for the left and the mainstream media. They chose this op-ed piece to start a narrative that Trump is crazy, I think, because the Russia probe is falling apart. The idea that Russia -- that Trump colluded with Russia in his campaign is falling apart before our eyes. So I think The New York Times is trying to start a new narrative by publishing an op-ed piece from an anonymous source to suggest the president is unhinged. This is an effort on their part, in my view, to start a new storyline because the Russia probe storyline is falling apart. BARTIROMO: Well, you made a lot of comments there about the promises this president has made. One of the big promises was a border wall. I want to ask you about that, because the president said he wants the funding in place for that border wall... GRAHAM: Yes. BARTIROMO: ... before the deadline for funding coming up on September 30. Your colleagues in the Senate are poised to not give him that and not give him the vote. So, stay with us, Senator. I want to ask you about that, along with North Korea and Syria. More from Senator Lindsey Graham when we come back. New signs that North Korea is committed to denuclearization, as the regime celebrates its 70th anniversary. We will be right back. Follow me on Twitter @MariaBartiromo, @SundayFutures. Let us know what you would like to hear from Senator Lindsey Graham, as well as Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, when we come back, as we look ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures." (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BARTIROMO: Welcome back. I'm back now with Senator Lindsey Graham. And, Senator, North Korea now celebrating its 70th anniversary with a parade. (LAUGHTER) BARTIROMO: I want to get your take on that, because what was noticeably different this time in terms of the celebrations going on in North Korea was no display of long-range missiles. GRAHAM: Right. BARTIROMO: Do you think they're trying to tell the world something in terms of their -- their desires for denuclearization? What's the status? GRAHAM: Well, I hope they're trying to tell us something good. The fact that the missiles are not in -- not in the parade is a signal they don't want to be provocative. But they still have the missiles, so you can't forget the fact they still have them. Here's what I think has changed. I think we have got a chance here to end this in a peaceful way for the first time in 30 years because of President Trump. I think North Korea and China believe, if he had to, President Trump would use military force to protect the American homeland from a missile with a nuclear weapon on top of it coming from North Korea that he's going to end their nuclear program one way or the other. And he's offered a better way. It's sort of like, condos and develop North Korea is one option. The other is death. So there's now a timeline. Everybody agrees it should be done in President Trump's first term. There's also a goal that everybody agrees on, that North Korea gives up their nuclear weapons program. In return, they get security, prosperity and a peace treaty to end the Korean War. That's a darn good deal for Kim Jong-un. It's a good deal for the world. If I were North Korea and China, I would take this deal. I wouldn't play President Trump. I am more excited and hopeful about North Korea than any time in the last 30 years. And the credit goes to President Trump for being strong, but also for being smart. BARTIROMO: Wow. Big statement there. And there is a letter that we know of from Kim Jong-un to President Trump about basically suggesting that he would like to see progress. GRAHAM: Yes. This is working. I think Kim Jong-un wants security above everything else. Unlike Iran, I don't think he would use a nuclear weapon for a religious purpose. BARTIROMO: Right. GRAHAM: But he would sell it if he had it. He's got way too many. And if you don't do something, and he will have a lot more down the road. BARTIROMO: Yes. GRAHAM: So I think Trump has convinced Kim Jong-un and China that the best way for North Korea to be safe and secure is to give up your nuclear weapons. You will get security guarantees, and you will get economic assistance you have never had before to create a better life for the -- for the regime and their people. BARTIROMO: Yes. GRAHAM: It is all about Kim Jong-un, his inner circle, and survivability. BARTIROMO: And... GRAHAM: I think Trump has convinced him that you're better off without nuclear weapons than you are with them... BARTIROMO: Yes. And... GRAHAM: ... which would be one of the greatest foreign policy achievements since the end of World War II. BARTIROMO: You -- you have made the... GRAHAM: We're not yet, but we're getting closer. BARTIROMO: You have made the point that North Korea is watching Syria closely and Trump's response to Syria. I'm going to get to that in a moment. GRAHAM: Yes. BARTIROMO: But let me get your take real quick on something we talked about in the other block, the earlier block. And that is the border wall. Will we see the border wall funding before the September 30 -- for the for the budget funding? GRAHAM: The House has $5 billion. The Senate has $1.5 billion. We're 3.5 apart. We need 60 votes to get appropriations approved in the Senate, not 50. I don't think it'd be smart to shut the government down between now and the end of September. Under President Trump, we're going to fund about 70 to 80 percent of the government before September the 30th, the first time we have done that in 30 years. We will get wall money. We have got to do something with DACA. I thank you marry those two up. But the worst thing we could do, in my view, is shut the government down and be blamed for it. The last time that happened under Schumer's watch, it didn't work out well for them. We will get wall money. It will most likely occur after September 30. BARTIROMO: And you said the nine bills that you're going to put on the president's desk before the end of September deal with other substance, but 90 percent of the federal budget will have to be approved. Do you think you will get to the wall after the midterms? GRAHAM: Right. BARTIROMO: I mean, do conservatives want the funding for the wall, Senator? GRAHAM: Yes, I do. I do. I 100 percent want $25 billion, not $5 billion. But we got -- we got to deal with DACA. We will, because I think Trump's going to win in court. I think he can overturn President Obama's DACA decision. It was illegal. But we got to deal with the people who are affected by it. So when it comes to running the government, we're about to pass the defense bill and the Labor HHS bill, which is about 70 percent of funding for the federal government. If we can pull that off the next couple of weeks, it will be the first time we have done that in 30 years. And our military will get a pay raise and the equipment they need to keep us safe. That would be a huge accomplishment on President Trump's watch. We will get wall money. But I don't think it's smart to shut the government down between now and September the 30th. BARTIROMO: All right, we will leave it there. Senator, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks so much. We appreciate you joining us right now. We heard about the border funding from you. Next up is House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. He will weigh in on that, plus the economy, the midterms and the likelihood of taxes 2.0, as we look ahead this morning on "Sunday Morning Futures." Stay with us. Back in one's minute time. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are getting the wall done. But I have had so many people, good people, great people. They'd rather not do it before. They'd rather do it right after the election. They don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart. And my inclination, if it was up to me, I would shut down government over border security. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But, most likely, I will not do that. But we're going to do it immediately after the election. (END VIDEO CLIP) BARTIROMO: That was President Trump at a rally in Montana this past Thursday. The question now is, will he or won't he partially shut down the government to get the funding for the wall on the southern border? Federal funding runs out on September 30, with lawmakers looking to pass a majority of the 2019 spending bills before that deadline. Joining me right now is the House majority leader, Kevin McCarthy. Congressman, it's good to see this morning. Thanks so much for being here. REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, R-CALI., HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, thanks for having me on your show again. BARTIROMO: Will we get the funding for the border wall? Can you walk us through the priorities for this upcoming September 30 deadline? MCCARTHY: Yes, so, September 30 is the funding of all of government. So you have the 12 appropriation bills. I'm one of the conservatives that not only want the wall, but are fighting for the wall. And one thing that your viewers have to understand, we are building the wall right down in the southern portions, in California and in New Mexico. But we have to finish the job. Just as you listened to Senator Graham, our-- one of our biggest challenges is not the House, but in the Senate. It takes 60 votes. Now, I disagree with having to have 60 votes to pass it. But that is why the president is out campaigning in these states like Montana, West Virginia, North Dakota. We need a few more Republicans in, so we can finish the entire part of the wall. I was with the president in the Roosevelt Room this week talking about our strategy and our plan to make sure that wall gets built. It will get built. It's being built now, but we want to finish it sooner. BARTIROMO: And you have been campaigning a lot as well. You have been crisscrossing the country. You're on to Pennsylvania tomorrow supporting Republican candidates. What kind of a reception are you getting out there? MCCARTHY: We're getting a very big reception, because it's really about results vs. Pelosi's resistance. Think about the numbers you see time and again on your show. Wages are going up. Four million new jobs have been created since his election. What this tax bill has been able to do to individuals -- we just looked at the new factory reports coming in, the manufacturing. Made in America is back in America. This is different, and it's one of the best economies we have had in more than 50 years. But it's not leaving anybody behind. If you just have a high school degree, it's one of the best unemployment. African-American, Hispanic, women, the very best. I mean, only nine months in the last 49 years has unemployment been below 4 percent, and four of those months have been in this year. This is an unbelievable economy because of what this president has been able to achieve, not even counting what we have done with the VA or made you safer with our battles against opioids or the military being stronger. And then you just heard the report from North Korea has changed. We are safer today not only in our economy and our jobs and in our schools, but around the world, because of this majority working with this president. BARTIROMO: Well, it's interesting. You mentioned a lot of good things on the economy. Just Friday, we got very strong jobs numbers, 201,000 jobs added to the economy in the month of August, with wages up four-tenths of a percent. And yet there's a new element on the campaign trail right now, and that is President Obama. President Obama is looking at those results and basically saying, that's attributable to him. Listen to this. (LAUGHTER) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: When you hear how great the economy is doing right now, let's just remember when this recovery started. (APPLAUSE) OBAMA: I'm glad it's continued, but when you hear about this economic miracle that's been going on, when the job numbers come out, monthly job numbers, and, suddenly, Republicans are saying, it's a miracle, I have to kind of remind them, actually, those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015 and 2016 and... (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) BARTIROMO: Your reaction, Congressman? MCCARTHY: Just not true. Do you know he had eight years to try to solve this economy, and his highest growth year is still less than the worst year under Bill Clinton? President Trump's economy has grown 40 percent faster. President Trump has had less than two years, and he brought us to the best economy we have seen. I saw that joke on the Internet. He's like the guy trying to open the jar. He can't. He hands it to President Trump. President Trump opens the jar, and he said, I loosened it for you. (LAUGHTER) MCCARTHY: It's just unbelievable what he's coming back -- and the idea that he doesn't take the respect of past presidents -- you never saw George Bush going out talking in a campaign. He let somebody be president. And for the idea to criticize an economy that's created four million new jobs and a president that has brought North Korea to the table, where no longer do they have the parade of missiles, the idea that we have changed the VA, where the G.I. Bill is not 15 years and you lose it, it's now for a lifetime. And we gave the military a raise. And wages are now going up. That didn't happen under Obama. But we have proved that this president kept promises. BARTIROMO: I seem to remember businesses sitting on cash because of the regulatory environment. And this president and this Congress has loosened up restrictions, certainly, and the regulations have come down, enabling businesses to put money to work again. But, still, we're looking at probably the most consequential midterm elections that we have seen it in our lifetime. Even the president talked about the potential for impeachment on the campaign trail this weekend. Here's what he said over the weekend. Listen to this, Congressman. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: It's so ridiculous, but we will worry about that if it ever happens. But if it does happen, it's your fault, because you didn't go out to vote, huh? You didn't go out to vote. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) TRUMP: You didn't go out to vote. That's the only way it can happen. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) TRUMP: I will be the only president in history. They will say, what a job he's done. By the way, we're impeaching him. (END VIDEO CLIP) BARTIROMO: How sure are you that you will be able to hold on to the majority, so that doesn't happen? Obviously, the left wants this president impeached, Congressman. MCCARTHY: Not only do they want him impeached. They forced a vote twice already in Congress in this session. Listen, history is against us, but the last time an administration in an off-year had growth of six consecutive quarters and GDP over 4 percent, they didn't lose seats. They broke the trend and actually gained seats. And we have a number of retirements. So we're in a fight. And the president's right. You have to get out and vote. BARTIROMO: Yes. MCCARTHY: Because there's three things that the Democrats want to do. They want to abolish ICE. They have already proposed it and voted on it. They want to impeach the president, which they voted on twice. And then listen to what Barack Obama said he wants to have happen and what Democrats are co-sponsoring. They want government-run health care. And you talk about taxes today. If you doubled all the taxes people pay for right now, they couldn't pay for the cost of what this would be; 55 percent of Americans get their insurance from private -- from their companies. You can no longer have that. The veterans in the VA would no longer have the VA. That is their agenda. BARTIROMO: Yes. MCCARTHY: It's very clear, results vs. resistance. BARTIROMO: And yet they are pushing back aggressively. Even The New York Times is on board. We're going to get to that op-ed from The New York Times and your response. You wrote a response op-ed. More from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy when we come right back, as I ask him about the letter that The New York Times came out with, the op-ed by anonymous. We're looking ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures." Kevin McCarthy continues next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BARTIROMO: Welcome back. We're looking at the headline of the letter to the editor written by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, firing back at the anonymous op-ed in The New York Times. I am back with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. And, Congressman, you wrote that op-ed in response to the anonymous op-ed. Why did you feel the need to do that? And who did write that op-ed in The New York Times, in your view? MCCARTHY: Well, whoever wrote it is a coward. If you ever wondered, is there a deep state, is there somebody high in government that will hide behind media to work against the voters of America and create a constitutional crisis, it's proven today that it is. And this is unbelievable that this is allowed to go forward. I don't know who did it. I won't even speculate on the process. But what's most interesting to me is, the more success this president had -- you just had a new jobs report with more -- with more wages going up. He's about to have another Supreme Court justice confirmed. And all they do is resist. They bring another book out week by week. And now The New York Times allows somebody anonymously to claim things that are not true? That to me is most concerning about where our country is going. BARTIROMO: The president said that he suspects it's from national security. I mean, how long can we continue with all of these deep state actors and people against the president's agenda right there under his nose in the White House or in government? MCCARTHY: You can't. It -- and it's not just because it's President -- it's whoever in this office. We have a Constitution we have a responsibility to uphold. This individual thinks they are smarter than the voters of America, and they're going to change the course. It is a national security issue, because this person openly works with media, openly says he works against this president and this administration, which is working against the voters. Who knows what he is -- he or she is leaking or moving through? That's why this person is a coward. If this person really believed in their convictions, put their name on it, stand up and resign. BARTIROMO: All right. We're going to leave it there. Congressman, you got the technology CEOs on Capitol Hill in that hearing. We're going to talk about that next. It is good to see you this morning, sir. Thank you very much. MCCARTHY: Thank you. BARTIROMO: We will talk with Greg Walden on the technology hearings coming up. But first: The midterm is among the most consequential, so 12 House Republicans are calling on President Trump to declassify documents related to that FBI probe of Russian actions during the 2016 presidential election, specifically the surveillance renewal applications the FBI used to spy on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page and forms relating to the Justice Department's official Bruce Ohr contacts with Trump dossier author Christopher Steele. Want to bring in the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee right now, Bob Goodlatte. And, Mr. Chairman, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks very much. We have been talking about the importance of this upcoming midterm election, because we know that, if the House flips, we're not going to hear another word about your investigation into what took place in the '16 election. Where do we stand in that investigation, sir? REP. BOB GOODLATTE, R-VIRGINIA: Well, we're digging them out one at a time. And we're making a lot of progress. We didn't waste the August recess. We interviewed a number of key witnesses, including Bruce Ohr. And now we are proceeding to get additional documents from the FBI and line up, additional witnesses. But I also agree with those members who have called upon the president to declassify the documents that are necessary for the American people to see what was going on in 2016 and early 2017 regarding the disparate way the FBI handled these two major investigations, one involving Hillary Clinton, the other involving the Trump campaign. And it truly is stunning. We will persist to -- through this Congress. I agree with Leader McCarthy. We're going to hold on to the House and we will get to the truth of this matter. But it would also help greatly if the Justice Department would appoint a special counsel. We have been calling for that for over a year now. And it's my hope that they will see the wisdom in doing that. BARTIROMO: Well, where are you in terms of the interviews? Are you going to be able to interview people like Loretta Lynch, Jim Comey, Sally Yates before the midterm elections? GOODLATTE: We are working right now to schedule them. If they don't appear voluntarily, we will subpoena them. We're going to do that work right through the fall. And whether it falls before or after the election, we're going to persist. But we want them in as quickly as possible, as well as some other key people, Nellie Ohr, the wife of Bruce Ohr, Glenn Simpson, her employer at Fusion GPS, and others who have knowledge of what was going on where a major law firm and an opposition research firm were actually working -- that are related to the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign were actually working with the FBI to launch an investigation. That's an amazing thing. And then to use that information to try to get and, in fact, succeed and getting warrants to investigate, to listen in on Carter Page, this is a serious abuse of power, and it should never happen again. So, we will persist to get the truth out, no matter what. BARTIROMO: Well, why wouldn't the president declassify these documents, so that the American people can understand how this whole investigation was hatched and what took place during the 2016 election? Will he declassify? GOODLATTE: I think he will. I certainly hope that he will. He should declassify them. And he needs to do it, of course, to protect sources and methods, but he should do it, and he should do it quickly, so that the American people have the benefit of this information right now. BARTIROMO: OK. So in terms of this upcoming election, what do you want to see in terms of the focus going into the midterms for your party? GOODLATTE: Well, first of all, I think it's vitally important that we focus on exactly what has been accomplished by this administration, and that is economic growth and job creation. It was stunning results. The Congress did exactly the right thing in passing the tax reform legislation, putting more money back in the hands of the American people, so they could spend it and invest it in ways that have resulted in very, very substantial job growth. And not a single Democrat in either the House or Senate voted for that most important piece of legislation. BARTIROMO: That's right. GOODLATTE: It's also critical -- it's also critical that we point out how that effort and curtailing abusive government regulations is leading to major employment for women, for minorities. BARTIROMO: Yes. GOODLATTE: This is a growing economy that is helping everyone. And Republicans should campaign on it. BARTIROMO: Let me ask you, Congressman, because, recently, we heard the news that federal prosecutors have impaneled a grand jury to investigate FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. What's the significance of the grand jury now? GOODLATTE: Well, I think it's very significant. It means that those prosecutors are considering whether or not to bring criminal charges against Mr. McCabe related to his giving false testimony. And it is, again, a part of this overall problem with the leadership in the FBI and some in the Department of Justice in 2016 who were abusing their powers in ways that are very inappropriate. A lot of this was brought out in Inspector General Horowitz's report. He is continuing with a further investigation into how the FISA applications were handled. BARTIROMO: Right. GOODLATTE: Mr. McCabe's testimony was important. And he apparently didn't tell the truth. That is something that certainly should be investigated. BARTIROMO: Which is why you want the special counsel. But Jeff Sessions hasn't appointed a special counsel. Will the president fire Jeff Sessions after the midterms and get in another A.G. to put in a special counsel to investigate all of this? Real quick. GOODLATTE: Well, I hope that Jeff Sessions will step up and appoint a special counsel. And I also hope that we get to the bottom of this matter. We can do that with Attorney General Sessions, but it's important that he act, and he act properly. BARTIROMO: All right, Congressman, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks very much for joining us. Coming up next, former Assistant Director of the FBI Jim Kallstrom on what he just heard from Chairman Goodlatte. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BARTIROMO: Welcome back. More now on the investigations into the Justice Department and the FBI's actions leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Want to bring in James Kallstrom. He is former assistant director of the FBI. Jim, it's always a pleasure to see you. You worked with the FBI for 27 years. Your take on what you just heard from Chairman Goodlatte? JAMES KALLSTROM, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: A good man. I'm glad that he's moving forward. But, in the final analysis, we need to get a myriad of people before the grand jury. That's what's going to make the difference here. But his work is well -- it's good that they are putting them under oath and getting some testimony. BARTIROMO: We're talking about where the direction came from in terms of the FBI, DOJ, CIA trying to stop Donald Trump and not investigate Hillary Clinton. KALLSTROM: Right. BARTIROMO: I found this admission from James Clapper stunning on CNN recently. Watch this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: I'm alluding now to the president's criticism of President Obama for all that he did or didn't do before he left office with respect to the Russian meddling. If it weren't for President Obama, we might not have done the intelligence community assessment that we did that set off a whole sequence of events which are unfolding today, notably special counsel Mueller's investigation. President Obama is responsible for that. And it was he who tasked us to do that intelligence community assessment in the first place. (END VIDEO CLIP) BARTIROMO: Wow. There you go. Your thoughts? How far up the ladder does this go? KALLSTROM: It goes all the way to the top. And that's a -- that's a lie. If they were going to actually do an assessment, they would have been into the Clinton Foundation. They would have been into the DNC. They would have been into the Democratic Party. That's where all the connections with Russia was. So, I mean, it just another one of Clapper's lies. BARTIROMO: Where does this go? KALLSTROM: We have been talking about this for, what, two years, you and I. BARTIROMO: Yes, we have. KALLSTROM: And now it's crystal clear that there's a cabal, a far-reaching cabal, way beyond the bureau, into the intelligence community, into Brennan, into the National Security Council, into Samantha Power, I mean, into all these peripheral people, putting this thing together, this fraud against Trump and this fraud investigation, Mueller and the bullying tactics of Mueller and his cast of characters over there. The whole thing is a tragedy. If there actually is a grand jury now, finally, and they are looking at McCabe, they can't stop at McCabe. It has to be another 50 people. I mean, I have a list in my pocket of all the people that -- that are involved here, the unmaskings. We haven't even touched that yet. The frauds perpetrated on the FISA court by literally dozens, if not 30 or 40 different people that signed affidavits. I mean, this is serious stuff. Uranium One, they haven't done a thing on that. And this supposed U.S. attorney from Utah, he hasn't even interviewed the people. And that was one of the charges he supposedly had, this Uranium One thing. So, I mean, where is it going? It's good that maybe there's a grand jury, but I'm a little cautious that -- we're not going to just deal with McCabe and end this thing. McCabe is just one small part of it. BARTIROMO: Well, there is a group of people in Washington, it seems to me, that they don't want to go back. They don't want to reopen the books on Hillary Clinton. Do you think we're ever going to see accountability for the fact of what you just said, there was no investigation of Clinton, and yet there was this phony investigation, as you put it, of Trump? KALLSTROM: This is one of the biggest tragedies against the Constitution of the United States in my lifetime, what's gone on. If the Democrats win the House of Representatives, we will never see another thing about this. This will end. And what a tragedy to have something this big, this nauseous, this bad, trying to disrupt the legitimately elected president of the United States, and not only that, but the constitutional rights of literally hundreds of Americans that were unmasked. And we got contractors reviewing the NSA databases. I mean, the place is out of control. BARTIROMO: It's pretty extraordinary. Jim Kallstrom, it's a pleasure to have you. Thanks so much. KALLSTROM: Yes, thank you. BARTIROMO: Thank you for weighing, James Kallstrom. Next up: social media on the hot seat. That's coming up. We will talk with the House chairman who just held the hearings to get to the bottom of that. Back in a minute. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BARTIROMO: Welcome back. Social media giants in the hot seat last week, testifying before Congress about perceived bias on their platforms. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was specifically asked about how algorithms could be suppressing conservative views on his site. The question came from Oregon Republican Congressman Greg Walden. And he is the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Congressman, it's good to see this morning. Thanks very much for joining us, Mr. Chairman. REP. GREG WALDEN, R-OREGON: Good morning. BARTIROMO: I spoke with you going into hearings, and you weren't sure. You said to me, I don't know how this goes. I don't know where regulation goes. When did you learn last week? WALDEN: Well, it was interesting. Every time we gave them examples of what we believe is bias or shadow banning or something like that, they would kind of say, well, yes, the algorithms got it wrong. Yes, that was a mistake. Yes, that was a mistake. Yes, we fixed that. We need to be better. We need a reboot of the platform. If you go back and analyze the testimony and the answers to the questions, it's pretty hard not to argue they have got a big problem at Twitter. I didn't hear any examples from my Democrat friends of liberal major spokespeople that have somehow been shut down for periods of time. But we sure heard it on the right. And in this world, Maria, 280 carriers -- characters go around the world at the speed of light. If you're left out of that discussion for five hours or 25 hours, you're not in it at all. And democracy requires every voice be heard. BARTIROMO: Well, Congressman McCarthy mentioned that, at the hearing, Dorsey admitted that they did shadow ban. And he also admitted that verified accounts get treated differently. What -- what's the result of all of this? Will there be regulation on technology? WALDEN: Well, as you know, we have been marching through one at a time. We had Mark Zuckerberg before the committee for five hours recently, found similar sort of bias on that platform. We certainly saw it here with Twitter. And there are others we want to hear from, including Google, because when you think about how we communicate... BARTIROMO: Well, did Google blow it off? You invited Google, but they didn't show up. WALDEN: Well, no, we didn't invite them to this hearing, per se. But the open invitation remains. And they are a focus, because search is such an important part of how we communicate and how we do commerce in America. And they have an enormous advantage, huge market share on search. And they have these protections -- all these companies do -- through the Section 230 that says basically they're just a platform here and not responsible for content, except now they are responsible for content. They are making these decisions. And it is having an impact. And we're just trying to get behind the curtain and see who the wizard is, Wizard of Oz. BARTIROMO: Yes. WALDEN: Who is pulling the levers? BARTIROMO: Yes. WALDEN: And then, where does that lead? Can they clean up their own act? BARTIROMO: We will be watching, sir. (CROSSTALK) WALDEN: And I was a broadcaster. I want to go back to the days of fairness. BARTIROMO: Thank you so much, Congressman. Great. END Content and Programming Copyright 2018 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2018 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. An American Airlines pilot is being praised online for his sweet gesture after a flight was met with an unexpected diversion. Flight 2354 from Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort-Worth was diverted to Wichita Falls, Texas, due to extreme thunderstorms in northern Texas, American Airlines confirmed to Fox News. The plane was safely diverted into the regional airport on Thursday night. However, the next flight for Dallas/Fort Worth would not be until Friday morning. AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT TOLD PASSENGER TO 'PEE IN A BAG' AFTER PLANE'S TOILETS OVERFLOW Understanding the frustration of the 159 stranded passengers, captain Jeff Raines took it upon himself to make the best of an unfortunate situation. Raines called up the local Papa Johns and placed an order for 40 pizzas to be delivered to the small airport. In a video of the event, the pilot can be seen going back and forth between the delivery car and the passengers waiting outside the terminal. People in the video can be heard saying What a guy, about the pilots selfless action. Raines, however, explained he could not have done it without his crew. UPSET TEEN ON AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT RECEIVES 'LIFE ADVICE' FROM 64-YEAR-OLD Thanks for the compliments however this was a TEAM effort, Raines said in a statement on Facebook, FOX6 reports. My First Officer was on the telephone with crew tracking / hotel desk arranging for our release and hotels for the entire crew. The Flight Attendants manned a galley cart from the aircraft serving waters, juice, and sodas to all the passengers in the terminal. All while the Envoy SPS Personnel were arranging for a bus, re-booking flights, and answering a flurry of questions from these passengers. Thanks to everyone for your help there is no I in TEAM, he continued. American Airlines told Fox News it was proud of its crew members' actions. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS All of us are always proud of our crew members who take great care of our customers who fly on American Airlines. We are fortunate that our crew members are the best in the business, the airline said. The flight repotedly took off for Dallas/Fort-Worth Friday morning. The Pennsylvania SPCA on Thursday announced animal cruelty charges against a woman accused of cropping several miniature schnauzer puppies ears in what the organization called a traumatic experience. The charges against Joan Huber stemmed from a tip that led the PSPCAs humane law enforcement team to make a May 8 visit to the kennel where the four dogs were believed to be living, the organization said in a news release. A search warrant was executed. COUPLE THAT SURVIVED VEGAS MASSACRE SAYS COMFORT DOG WAS FATALLY SHOT BY NEIGHBOR Officials found that the roughly 3-month-old puppies had recently undergone an ear cropping procedure, which is illegal unless done with anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian, the organization said. These dogs suffered through this traumatic experience for no other reason than an outdated view of aesthetics, PSPCA Director of Humane Law Enforcement Nicole Wilson said in the news release. Whatever anyone may feel about the issue of ear cropping, no one would imagine that a purported lover of schnauzers would slice off these puppies ears without proper anesthetic or pain management as alleged in this case. TEXAS DOG FOUND WITH SHOELACE EMBEDDED IN NECK, SEVERELY SWOLLEN HEAD, SAVED BY ANIMAL RESCUE The pups were taken by PSPCA officials and received medical care, the organization said. The dogs have since been adopted. Included in the charges were four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals torture and aggravated cruelty of animals causing serious bodily injury or death, the organization said. Fox News attempts to reach Huber were unsuccessful. Tropical Storm Florence continued pushing toward the U.S. Southeast late Saturday, with forecasters predicting it will become "a dangerous major hurricane" posing "risk of direct impacts" by next weekend. But the National Hurricane Center cautioned that it was still too early to predict the "exact timing, location and magnitude of those impacts." The NHC did, however, advise officials from northern Florida up through North Carolina to monitor Florence's progress and have emergency-response plans in place. In an 11 p.m. ET Saturday update, the NHC located Florence southeast of Bermuda, coursing westward at 6 mph with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. TROPICAL STORM FLORENCE PROMPTS NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA TO DECLARE STATES OF EMERGENCY AS IT APPROACHES EAST COAST Ahead of the storm, governors of both North and South Carolina declared states of emergency. Virginia's Gov. Ralph Northum added his emergency declaration Saturday. The step helps free government resources to provide emergency aid and other assistance in response to the storm. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper made his announcement Friday and also signed a transportation waiver that would allow farmers to harvest and transport their crops more quickly. While its still too early to know the storms path, we know we have to be prepared, Cooper said in a news release. During harvest, time is of the essence. Action today can avoid losses due to Florence. On Saturday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster followed suit. Describing the storm as being very unpredictable, McMaster said the state would take cautionary measures. We are preparing for the worst and of course hoping for the best. Being prepared is always the best strategy," McMaster said. In Virginia, Northam said that while the impacts of the storm remained uncertain, they could include flooding, high winds and a possible storm surge. The governor urged residents to assemble an emergency kit with food, water, medication, pet supplies and important documents. Coastal residents should also check what hurricane evacuation zone they live in. Meanwhile, two other storms -- Helene and Isaac -- were following behind Florence in the Atlantic, but those storms were expected to be less of a threat to the U.S., forecasters said. Fox News Paulina Dedaj, Kathleen Joyce and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Her last day of life ended brutally. Dorothy Mae Neal, who was 83 and a familiar figure in her neighborhood, often seen walking with her cane to the bus stop, was raped and beaten to death allegedly at the hands of a 14-year-old neighbor, Baltimore police said, according to USA Today. Tyrone Harvin was charged with first-degree murder and rape. He was charged as an adult, in accordance with Maryland law, said police spokesman T.J. Smith. Alerted by concerned neighbors who had not seen Neal for days, police found Neal unresponsive on Aug. 26 in her apartment in West Baltimore, reported the Baltimore Sun. She was taken to a hospital, where she died. Eartha Davis, a neighbor, recalled seeing Neal always venturing out of her apartment to catch a bus. Neighbors described Neal as independent and trusting. Its sad when anyone dies, but she was an elderly woman, Davis said. Its very scary. Its the first time I heard of anything so close. Every homicide is sad and tragic, but when we talk about our vulnerable victims, it just adds a level of tragedy to it. Were talking about people sometimes who are completely defenseless. Baltimore Police Department spokesman T.J. Smith Smith said that as police investigated the savage attack, they came across signs which were not described publicly that the suspect was young. But, Smith added, I dont think any of us were thinking a 14-year-old could be capable of something like this. USA Today said that Harvin lived on the same street as Neal. Some neighbors on the street helped look after Neal, Smith said, and Harvin may have been one of them. Police said there were no signs of a forced entry. Physical evidence helped police identify Harvin as the attacker, Smith said, adding: Every homicide is sad and tragic, but when we talk about our vulnerable victims, it just adds a level of tragedy to it. Were talking about people sometimes who are completely defenseless. The newspaper said that a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 19. A woman and two men were charged after the mayor of a small North Carolina town and his wife were found murdered in their home, police said. Dakeithia Nesha Andrews, 30, was the third person arrested in connection with the deaths of Leggett Mayor Gary Skelton and his wife, Jackie Skelton, The Charlotte Observer reported. The Edgecombe County Sheriffs Office said Saturday that Andrews was charged with conspiracy robbery with a dangerous weapon and is being held on $100,000 bond. Keith Earl Williams, 25, and Mitchell Brinson, 18, were charged with first-degree murder on Friday. The Skeltons were found dead Thursday in their home after officers responded to a welfare check. Police did not provide the identities of the victims, but Leggett Town Commissioner Teresa Summerlin confirmed to the Charlotte Observer that Gary and Jackie Skelton died. Details on the cause of the deaths were not provided. I cant say enough good about them, Summerlin told the newspaper. They were the epitome of good people. ... Its devastating. Williams had been released on parole from state prison on Aug. 28, less than two weeks before the Skeltons were murdered. He was sentenced after being convicted in April 2017 for possession of a firearm by a felon and assault with a deadly weapon, The Charlotte Observer reported, citing records. He went to prison in 2014 when his probation for a felony larceny conviction was revoked because of other offenses. Ohio cold case detectives investigating the bizarre separate disappearances of a wealthy man in 1994 and his wife in 2003 searched a rundown farm last week owned by the couples 63-year-old son. Melvin Shoemaker was 71 when he was last seen in Chardon, Ohio, on April 17, 1994. Florence Shoemaker was 76 when she was last seen in Revenna, Ohio, on Feb. 3 2003. The search Wednesday and Thursday at the Hiram Township home of Glenn Shoemaker was conducted pursuant to a search warrant that remains sealed, WKYC-TV reported Thursday. Deputies brought in cadaver dogs and used a backhoe to search the property. Its unclear if anything was found, the station reported. I just want my house back, the son told the station. He declined an on-camera interview. Shoemaker was also quoted as saying, Im sick of this. I just want it to be over. Melvin Shoemaker was worth $700,000 when he vanished, the Kent Record-Courier reported. A 1995 article in a local paper said that after the disappearance detectives obtained a search warrant to search Glenn Shoemaker's farm, the paper reported. The farm was searched nine months after the disappearance. The article quoted the search warrant affidavit as saying that before the disappearance Glenn Shoemaker threatened to kill his father, according to the Courier-Record. The article also reported that the elder Shoemaker wrote in a diary that his son had threatened him with a gun, according to the Courier-Record. The wealthy stock trader took elaborate steps to conceal the network of tunnels beneath his house in this Washington, D.C., suburb. Even the young man helping him dig them didn't know where they were. A year ago, a deadly fire exposed Daniel Beckwitt's curious campaign to build an underground bunker for protection from a nuclear attack. Neighbors knew nothing about the tunnels before they heard Beckwitt's screams and saw smoke pouring from the house where 21-year-old Askia Khafra (ASK-ee-uh KA-fruh) died that afternoon. Maryland prosecutors portray Beckwitt, a 27-year-old millionaire, as a paranoid computer hacker who recklessly endangered Khafra's life. In May, they secured Beckwitt's indictment on charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Beckwitt's lawyer calls Khafra's death a tragic accident, not a crime. Defense attorney Robert Bonsib concedes Beckwitt is an "unusual guy" but says his client risked his own life in a failed attempt to rescue Khafra. Beckwitt was freed on bond after his May arrest. His trial is scheduled for April 2019. Monday marks the anniversary of the Sept. 10, 2017, fire. It's a day that Khafra's parents are dreading. During a recent interview at their Silver Spring, Maryland, home, Dia Khafra, 69, said he and his wife, Claudia, tried to persuade Askia to stay away from Beckwitt's tunnels. Their son met Beckwitt online and agreed to help him dig the tunnels in exchange for Beckwitt's investments in an internet company Askia was launching. "I always feared something dangerous would happen to him," the elder Khafra said. Investigators found the younger Khafra's charred body in the basement of Beckwitt's Bethesda home. A hole in the concrete basement floor led to a shaft that dropped down 20 feet (6 meters) into tunnels that branched out roughly 200 feet (60 meters) in length. A police report says Beckwitt told investigators how he tried to preserve his project's secrecy when he brought Khafra there. Beckwitt said he would rent a car, pick Khafra up and drive him to Manassas, Virginia, where he had the younger man don "blackout glasses" before driving him around for about an hour. Khafra spent days at a time working, eating and sleeping in the tunnels. He had his cellphone with him, but Beckwitt used internet "spoofing" to make it appear he was in Virginia, according to Montgomery County prosecutor Douglas Wink. "These are the lengths the defendant went through in order to hide the truth from Askia Khafra as to where he was and to maintain the secrecy of these tunnels," Wink said during a May 31 hearing. Beckwitt lived alone in "extreme hoarder conditions," forcing the men to navigate a maze of junk and trash, Wink said. The tunnels had lights, an air circulation system and a heater powered by a "haphazard daisy chain" of power strips that created a fire risk, the prosecutor said. Hours before the fire, Khafra texted Beckwitt to warn him it smelled like smoke in the tunnels. Beckwitt flipped a breaker that turned off lights in the tunnels but turned the power back on after Khafra said he couldn't see, Wink said. Beckwitt ignored those "obvious signs" of danger, the prosecutor told a judge. Wink said Beckwitt had a "paranoid fixation" on a possible nuclear attack by North Korea. Beckwitt's lawyer compared his client's concern to "the days of the Cuban missile crisis." Bonsib said Khafra posted photos of himself in the tunnels on social media, suggesting he was proud of the work. "He kept coming back," Bonsib said. Beckwitt's lawyer described him as a successful "day trader" who has made millions trading stocks. Dia Khafra said his son was impressed by Beckwitt's wealth. "I think Askia was very trusting," he said. "He believed in the guy." Dia Khafra said he only met Beckwitt once, when he dropped off his son at their home. He seemed shy. "He said he made his money off bitcoins," Khafra recalled. Beckwitt lived with his parents at the Bethesda house until college. He enrolled at the University of Illinois, where campus police arrested him in 2013 on charges including computer fraud. He was suspected of installing keystroke logging devices on the Urbana school's computers. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years of probation, according to online court records. The conviction didn't steer Beckwitt away from computers after he moved back to Maryland. In 2016, he spoke at a hacker convention using the alias "3AlarmLampscooter" and wearing a fire-resistant suit and visor that obscured his face. Wink said Beckwitt was teaching his audience how to make thermite bombs to destroy computer data "in order to get away with hacking." Bonsib said his client's use of a pseudonym and disguise was harmless, typical of the "weird things" people do on the internet. County officials sued Beckwitt over his property's condition, calling it unsafe and a "public nuisance." Wooden boards now cover the doors and windows of the house, which is surrounded by a chain-link fence and police tape. Meanwhile, Khafra's parents haven't touched their son's bedroom. The urn holding his ashes remains inside a cardboard box. "We haven't had the courage to open that box," Dia Khafra said. A food truck owner in Detroit, Michigan reportedly said she wont serve police officers or other law enforcement officials because she, along with the majority of her customers, do not feel safe around law enforcement agents. The owner of Rockys Road Brew, Rocky Coronado, wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post on Friday that she is well within [her] rights to refuse service to law enforcement agents, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police officers. The truck owner detailed in a separate post that she turned away two officers on Friday who were in a unmarked, black suburban with tinted windows both with bulletproof vests and badges. The officers, according to Coronado, circled back around with a third person after being told the food truck was closed, and asked why they werent served. Not feeling confrontational, I meekly told her that I dont serve law enforcement, the owner wrote. An officer allegedly said she was with the Michigan Humane Society, and quickly became belligerent. According to Coronado, one officer took photos of her and other customers, and the officers false account of what happened was posted online. The posts went viral and I decided to post why I do not serve law enforcement agents, the owner wrote. The Michigan Humane Society, which provides animal welfare and sheltering services to the metropolitan Detroit area, did not immediately return Fox News request for comment. Detroit Police Chief James Craig told The Detroit News that his officers find the business owner to be uncooperative with the department. Generally speaking, we have good relations in that neighborhood, but my officers tell me whenever theyve been in that area investigating criminal matters, shes been uncooperative and rude, Craig said. The Facebook post said that because of the madness and backlash the posts have received, Rockys Road Brew temporarily will be closed. Fox News' attempt to reach the business owner was unsuccessful. Hurricane Florence regained its strength Sunday as weather officials predicted it will turn into a "major" storm as it aims for a possible hit on the southeastern U.S. later this week. According to the National Hurricane Center, Florence is "forecast to become a major hurricane on Monday," and is expected to grow larger and move faster over the next few days. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Florence was centered around 720 miles southeast of Bermuda and moving west at seven miles per hour. The storm crossed the 74 miles-per-hour threshold from tropical storm to hurricane Sunday morning, and by evening its winds were up to 85 mph. Forecasters warned that it could be a fearsome Category 4 with winds of 130 mph or more by Tuesday. HURRICANE WARNING VS. WATCH: HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT? The hurricane center said it's too early to know what path the storm will take, but that it could hit the coast of the Carolinas by Friday. "There is an increasing risk of two life-threatening impacts from Florence: storm surge at the coast and freshwater flooding from a prolonged heavy rainfall event inland," the Miami-based center said in the advisory. Meteorologists warned that "large swells" hitting Bermuda and the eastern coast will continue throughout the week, which "will result in life-threatening surf and rip currents." Forecasters urged residents from South Carolina to the mid-Atlantic to get ready and not just for a direct blow against the coast. They warned that Florence could slow or stall after coming ashore, with some forecasting models showing it could unload a foot or two of rain in places, causing devastating inland flooding. The governors of North and South Carolina, along with Virginia, have declared states of emergency in preparation for the storm. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster emphasized Saturday that there's no way to know yet when and where the storm will hit land, or when evacuations might be called. We are preparing for the worst and of course hoping for the best. Being prepared is always the best strategy," McMaster said. In Charleston, S.C., along the coast, city officials offered sandbags to residents. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune urged people to secure their homes but said it's too early to know if evacuations will be ordered. HURRICANE FLORENCE BECOMES FIRST MAJOR STORM OF 2018 ATLANTIC SEASON Myrtle Beach hardware stores and supermarkets were busy ringing up sales of bottled water, plywood and generators. "Literally, they are filling buggies full of water, shopping carts full of water," Ryan Deeck, grocery department manager at a Walmart, told The Sun News. "They're coming in and buying water and plates, and that's about all they're buying." North Carolina officials started getting bulldozers and chain saws ready. Florence's effects were already being felt along the coast, with dangerous swells and rip currents in some spots. On North Carolina's Outer Banks, the town of Nags Head posted no-swimming flags on beaches. In Jacksonville, N.C., about 20 miles from the coast, some residents picked up hurricane supplies during their normal weekend shopping, The Daily News reported. Ilija Cesal told the newspaper he wouldn't worry about buying extra water or other supplies for a few more days. "I'll see by Wednesday how that goes we got over 48 hours before that happens," Cesal said. The U.S. Navy on Sunday ordered its warships and submarines at Naval Station Norfolk to prepare to leave the port as early as Monday. Florence briefly became a Category 4 hurricane last week, the first of the 2018 Atlantic season. It later weakened to a tropical storm after encountering strong wind shear and cooler waters. Meanwhile, two other storms Helene and Isaac were following behind Florence in the Atlantic, but those storms were expected to be less of a threat to the U.S., forecasters said. Tropical Storm Helene is expected to become a hurricane in the next few days. Fox News' Katherine Lam, Lucas Tomlinson and Frank Miles and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A man was killed and four others were wounded early Sunday during a shooting at a McDonalds near Auburn University in Alabama that doesn't appear to be random, police said. Officers responded to the shooting on West Magnolia Ave. just before 2:30 a.m. and found a 20-year-old man dead from gunshot wounds, Auburn Police wrote in a news release. Four other people, including a 21-year-old Auburn University student, were also injured from the gunfire. A 16-year-old was transported with serious injuries. The student, a 17-and 19-year-old were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. Authorities said they believe the incident was not a random shooting. "Preliminarily, information has been obtained that an altercation occurred just prior to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the injuries," police said. Just before the shooting, students were celebrating the Auburn Tigers' football game win over the Alabama State Hornets. Auburn University's emergency notification system wrote on its Twitter page that there's no indication of an active threat to the campus community. Officials urged to report suspicious activity. The university initially said the suspect is still at large. Police, in an updated news release, did not provide information about the suspect. Sen. Ben Sasse reiterated on Sunday that he frequently considers leaving the Republican Party and is tired of the partisan gridlock inside the Washington Beltway. Sasse, R-Neb., a deeply conservative lawmaker who has been a frequent critic of the Trump White House, said that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have a future for the country and that both are more focused on stymieing the other than passing actual legislation. The main thing the Democrats are for is being Anti-Republican and Anti-Trump, Sasse said on NBC's Meet the Press. The main thing the Republicans are for is being Anti-Democrat. When asked about how frequently he considers leaving the Republican Party, Sasse said he thinks about it every day and added that the Republican Party today bears little resemblance to the party of Lincoln and Reagan. Sasses comments come a day after the Nebraska lawmaker responded to a question posed to him on Twitter. The commenter said she believed changing her Democratic affiliation to "no-party" would be "part of the solution" and then asked the first-term senator whether he might follow suit. His response: "yep regularly consider it (except the 'from Dem' part)" Just before that, Sasse wrote of his fear that "we're headed toward a place where hefty majorities of both sides of the electorate are going to regularly embrace unsupported and blatantly false assertions." Republicans hold a 51-49 edge in the Senate going into the November elections. Sasse has been one of the most frequent and vocal critics of Trump policies calling out the president for his handling of issues ranging from gun control to tariffs. While admitting that the president has been successful in some respects - including the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court Sasse added that "its pretty obvious that the presidents administration is a reality show soap opera. "What you'd like is the president to not worry so much about the short-term of staffing, but the long-term of vision-casting for America," he said. Sasse also made news last week when he lashed out at Trump for complaining that his own Justice Department's indictments against two Republican congressmen were endangering the GOP's midterm election prospects. "The United States is not some banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice one for the majority party and one for the minority party," Sasse said in a statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A woman met her estranged husband at a Louisiana Walmart and then shot him dead in the presence of their three children, police said Saturday. The victim died of a gunshot wound to the chest, Alexandria Police said. His name was withheld by police. Kayla Coutee, 31, of Alexandria, was charged with murder. A report of shots fired sent officers to the Walmart in Alexandria Saturday morning, police said. GEORGIA WALMART SHOOTOUT LEAVES OFFICER WOUNDED, SUSPECTED SHOPLIFTER DEAD The victim was identified as Coutees husband, whom she was meeting to exchange custody, police said. The handoff of the children was taking place in the outer section of the parking lot, according to police. There were three children present at the time of the shooting, police said. None were injured. AT LEAST 5 SHOT INSIDE PHILADELPHIA-AREA WALMART, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY, INVESTIGATORS SAY They were later released to the custody of other family members. Coutee was being held in the local jail. The husband was being given CPR when police arrived, the Alexandria Town Talk newspaper reported. Two Turkish soldiers were released from Greek custody after they were arrested Sunday for entering Greece illegally. Both armies have released statements which differ slightly in the details. The Turkish army statement, released first, said the soldiers were trailing migrants to keep them from crossing into neighboring Greece, but accidently passed the border themselves. The Greek army said that the first Turkish soldier, a non-commissioned officer reservist, had been detained at 11:00 a.m. Sunday (0800 GMT) about 1,540 meters (yards) inside Greek territory. He had his rifle with him, but no ammunition. The second Turkish soldier, a reserve officer trainee, was arrested three hours later, at 2 p.m. (1100 GMT) carrying neither weapons nor ammunition. The two soldiers gave depositions, with the first claiming that he had lost his way and found himself inside Greek territory and the second saying he had gone to search for his fellow soldier. Both were given medical exams and found in good health, the Greek Army statement said. A Greek army spokesman earlier had confirmed the arrest to The Associated Press but had not been able to provide details. He denied Greek media reports that gunfire was exchanged during the incident. The spokesman requested anonymity because the case was under investigation. The Turkish army said the soldiers were detained at 11:00 a.m. Sunday (08:00 GMT) and released after 7 hours after talks with Greek authorities. The Greek army confirmed the time of release, adding that the defense ministers of the two countries, Greece's Panos Kammenos and Turkey's Hulusi Akar had been in contact. Turkey arrested two Greek soldiers in March. Greek officials said they had veered off course while on patrol near the border. They were detained until last month, when they were released to Greece pending trial. __ Zeynep Bilginsoy in Istanbul and Demetris Nellas in Athens, Greece contributed to this story. ___ Follow Costas Kantouris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CostasKantouris Insurgents killed at least 29 Afghan security forces in separate attacks as many marked the 17th anniversary of the killing of a prominent anti-Taliban leader, officials said Sunday. Hakmat Durani, spokesman for the police chief of Maidan Wardak province, said the Taliban attacked a district headquarters west of Kabul late Saturday, killing 10 police officers, including a district chief, and setting off a gunbattle. He added that dozens of insurgents were killed in retaliatory airstrikes by the air force, and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. In a separate attack late Saturday, militants targeted a checkpoint in the western Herat province, killing nine security forces and wounding six others, said Gelani Farhad, the provincial governor's spokesman. He blamed the attack on the Taliban, saying around 10 insurgents were killed and five wounded during the ensuing gunbattle. Meanwhile in northern Baghlan province, Taliban fighters attacked security check points, killing 5 army soldiers, according to Ghafor Ahmad Jawed, spokesman for the Defense Ministry. He added that a gunbattle is still underway there and that reinforcements were being sent to the area. Zabihullah Shuja, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Baghlan, said four police officers were killed in that attack. No one claimed responsibility for either attack. The attacks came on the eve of the anniversary of the killing of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who led the resistance against the Taliban in the late 1990s and was killed by suicide bombers two days before the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. The U.S. responded to the attacks by invading Afghanistan to topple the Taliban, which had harbored al-Qaida operatives. On Sunday, a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of mourners marking the anniversary, killing at least two people, according to Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh. He said another 10 people were hospitalized, some in critical condition. A police official who was not authorized to speak with the media said that at least seven people were killed and more than 25 others were wounded in the suicide attack that targeted the mourners in Kabul. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said that earlier Sunday another suicide attacker was shot dead by police in Kabul before he could detonate his explosives. Afghan government officials commemorated Masoud's death on Sunday by laying flowers at his monument in Kabul. Supporters of Masoud, including young people who came of age long after his death, fired guns in the air in an expression of mourning. At least 13 people were wounded by the stray bullets, Majroh said. Two women and three children were found dead in a home in Australia Sunday after a man surrendered himself to police and provided information leading to the gruesome discovery, officials said. The bodies were discovered in a house in Perth in Western Australia after a man in his 20s went to the regional police station, 9News reported. Its unclear how long the bodies had been in the house before police arrived. "This is a tragic event and it will no doubt have an impact not only on the family and friends of the deceased, but for the whole of the community and those first responders who are faced with attending a scene of multiple deceased people," WA Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Steel said. The man reportedly provided information that led police to the bodies, according to WAtoday. A forensic team will be investigating the scene. Steel said the investigation is in the very early stage, but added there is no ongoing threat to the community. No further information was provided on the victims and the man in custody. FAMILY OF SEVEN FOUND DEAD WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS IN AUSTRALIA Neighbors said they often saw children playing in the front yard of the home. "It's just really sad that something like this can happen in such a quiet neighborhood, it's horrid on every level ... poor children, Maria Manfredini, a resident in the area, told 9News. The incident marks the third tragic event in recent months in Western Australia. A mother and her two young children were murdered in July in the Perth suburb of Ellenbrook. In May, a man shot his six relatives, including his four grandchildren, before turning the gun on himself at his property in Osmington. The incident was described as Australias worst mass shooting since 1996. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Each morning, Erol Baytas checks for further damage on the imposing but derelict timber building on an island off Istanbul that for decades housed orphans from the minority Greek community. The scene on the hilltop on the island of Buyukada, the largest of the nine Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, looks more like the shattered remains of a horror movie set than the majestic hotel and casino complex that it was originally intended to be. Parts of the roof have caved in, wooden panels are missing and the kitchen stoves have rusted. It's quite a fall from grace for the 120-year-old building. "Every day, a piece of the building falls out," laments Baytas, the building's 56-year-old caretaker. "When it is raining, I go inside to survey the extent of the damage. Water will flow through every hole and it hurts me so much. I call them the building's tears. I get emotional because it is my home, and before me it was the home of thousands of children." The building over six floors was originally designed by architect Alexandre Vallaury for the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, the company which also ran the famed Orient Express. But when it was built in 1899, Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II withheld his permission for it to operate as a hotel and casino. The wife of a Greek banker later purchased it and donated it to the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which then ran it as an orphanage. The Prinkipo orphanage became home for about 5,800 minority Greek children from 1903 until 1964 when it was forced to shut down, a victim of political tensions between Turkey and Greece over the east Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The building later became the subject of a drawn-out legal battle between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Turkish government, which confiscated it in 1997. It was returned to the Patriarchate following a European Court of Human Rights ruling in 2010. Earlier this year, the cultural heritage organization, Europa Nostra, included it on a list of seven endangered monuments, but its fate remains unknown. The Patriarchate has said it wants it turned into an institute for environmental issue. "Prinkipo is a very important part of the culture and heritage of Istanbul, of the Greek population of Istanbul, or the Rum population rather," said Burcin Altinsay, chairperson of Europa Nostra Turkey, referring to the Greek Orthodox community of Turkey. "It is an important part of our cultural heritage and it is really in danger." A team from Europa Nostra and from the European Investment Bank Institute is expected to prepare a report on what needs to be done to save the building. The report will be ready by end of the year, according to the European Investment Bank Institute. Istanbul once Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire that was dominated by the Orthodox Church was captured by the Muslim Ottoman Turks in 1453. Istanbul's Greek population has dwindled to less than 3,000 in recent years, but the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the seat of the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, remains in the city. Sitting under the shade by the St. Nicholas Orthodox church in Istanbul's Yenikoy neighborhood, 80-year-old Vitleen Magulas still has vivid memories of Prinkipo, where she lived with her sister, from 1945 to 1951. "At night, when the moon came up, it was as if you could hug it. We had very beautiful nights there," Magulas said. "We had a beautiful life there, better than in our own homes," she said. "We were happy with everything, our clothes, our food . At that time, there were many Greeks in Istanbul and many benefactors. They gave donations to the orphanage. We had everything. They were taking good care of us when I was there." Baytas fears that the structure, which suffered a fire in 1980, may not survive another winter of neglect. "I do not know how they will repurpose the building but it does not matter, as long as it is saved," he said. "The building has been decaying for years but recently the deterioration has accelerated. This year it will not survive another winter if nothing is done." ___ Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara. An international meeting in Bangkok fell short of its aim of completing fruitful preparations to help an agreement be reached in December on guidelines for implementing the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. The six-day meeting, which ended on Sunday, was scheduled to step up progress in the battle against rising global carbon emissions by adopting a completed text that could be presented at the COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland, three months from now. A primary objective of the 2015 Paris agreement, to which 190 nations subscribe, is to limit the global temperature increase by 2100 to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees, which is vital to the survival of island nations threatened by rising seas. But the absence of guidelines for meeting that goal has led to fears that not enough action is being taken. There have been notable disagreements over fair financing for implementation of the rules by developing countries, and the technical details of their reporting on progress. Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said Sunday at the closing press briefing for the Bangkok meeting that progress was made on most issues but nothing was finalized. The meeting was attended by representatives of most of the countries party to the Paris agreement, as well as the United States, which has announced that it is pulling out of the pact. Espinosa said there was "limited progress" on the issue of contributions from developed nations to developing countries, adding that she is "hopeful" that future discussions will be productive because of the importance of the issue. "On the core issues of forward-looking climate finance and the degree of flexibility developing countries should be given on the information and reporting requirements for national commitments under the Paris Agreement, negotiators were stalemated in Bangkok," said a statement from Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy for the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based activist group. "It's now up to the incoming Polish presidency and officials leading negotiations to find ways to bridge the deep differences on these issues and to secure agreement in Katowice on a robust, comprehensive package of rules to implement the Paris Agreement," he said. Harjeet Singh, climate policy manager for ActionAid International, said Sunday that a vital component of the Paris agreement is for wealthy nations to provide financial assistance to developing countries as they fight natural disasters brought by climate change. But he said wealthy and developed countries "led by the United States and including countries such as Australia, Japan and even the European Union" refused to clearly show "how much money they are going to provide and how that is going to be counted." Advocacy for the developing countries was led at the meeting by China, said Meyer, but was also supported by others, including India, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Activists were critical of Washington's lobbying at the meeting, especially because President Donald Trump has announced plans to have the U.S. withdraw from the Paris pact, which had been heavily promoted by his predecessor, Barack Obama. "The U.S. has announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement but still negotiates as if it is a Party, weakening international cooperation by not contributing to finance and technology transfer to developing countries," Meena Raman, legal adviser at Third World Network, said in an emailed statement. Climate change is a polarizing issue in the United States, and some states and local communities have announced policies supporting the Paris agreement. Thousands of governors, mayors, company CEOs and civil society leaders are expected to gather this week in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 A sense of calm returned to Iraq's southern city of Basra on Sunday after a week of violent protests over unemployment and poor public services that left at least 15 people dead and threatened stability in the oil-rich region. Troops sent from Baghdad have reinforced police, and government offices and markets reopened after a quiet night. Municipality workers were out in force cleaning up the streets and carting away debris from the clashes. The oil-rich region and other cities in Iraq's southern Shiite heartland have been convulsed by the most serious protests in years, with residents complaining of power outages, filthy tap water and soaring unemployment. In recent days, protesters have attacked government offices, political party headquarters and the Iranian consulate. Many blame their woes on neighboring Iran's outsized influence on Iraqi politics and are calling for radical change. On Saturday, a spokesman for an alliance of powerful Shiite militias, many of them backed by Iran, vowed to respond against "those who are carrying out acts of arson and sabotage." The local commander, known as Abu Yasser al-Jaafari, said the lack of response thus far should not be taken as a sign of weakness. Hours later, masked government troops in combat fatigues deployed in the city, setting up checkpoints and riding through the city center in black pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted in the back. Security forces in Humvees deployed at intersections. Naqeeb al-Luaibi, a local activist, said protest organizers have decided to suspend the demonstrations after receiving death threats from Iran-backed militias. The militias accuse them of colluding with the U.S., which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq, allegations denied by the activists. "We'll suspend protests now to spare blood and we'll return with a new approach," he said. "We will not give up until our demands are met." Iraq is still without a new government nearly four months after national elections in which no party won a majority. Rival parliamentary blocs one seen as friendlier to the U.S. and the other closely allied with Iran each claim to have assembled a governing coalition. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, part of the pro-U.S. bloc, and Basra's governor have traded blame for the crisis. Basra, once known as the "Venice of the East" because of its freshwater canals, has been hit by an acute water crisis, including rising pollution and salt water levels. The city, where temperatures often approach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer, has also been crippled by electricity shortages. Iraq's government has scrambled to meet the growing demand for public services and jobs, but has been hindered by years of endemic corruption and a financial crisis fueled by diminished oil revenues and the costly war against the Islamic State group. Basra is Iraq's second-largest province and home to about 70 percent of the country's proven oil reserves of 153.1 billion barrels. It is located on the Persian Gulf bordering Kuwait and Iran, and is Iraq's only hub for oil exports. ___ Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin contributed from Baghdad. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The attack on a kosher restaurant in Chemnitz by masked neo-Nazis on the sidelines of an anti-migrant protest shows there's a deep problem with right-wing extremism in the region and should be treated as a call to action, the head of Germany's Central Council of Jews said Sunday. Josef Schuster, who had previously condemned the violent far-right protests on Aug. 26 and 27 before the attack on the Jewish restaurant was even known, said "we need to call the problem by its name." "The racist riots and the attack on the kosher restaurant in Chemnitz show how strongly rooted right-wing extremism is in the region," he said. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets after a German man was stabbed and killed Aug. 26 after authorities say a verbal argument with migrant men escalated. An Iraqi and a Syrian have been arrested on manslaughter charges. That day several foreigners were injured after authorities said they were attacked in the streets. The next night, around 6,000 far-right protesters including neo-Nazis, members of the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party and others clashed with counter-demonstrators. On the sidelines, masked protesters attacked the Shalom restaurant with rocks and bottles, injuring the owner while shouting "Jewish pig, get out of Germany." The unrest following the killing has focused new attention on Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision three years ago to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country, straining its resources and hospitality beyond what some Germans considered acceptable. Anti-migrant sentiment has been particularly strong in Saxony, the state where Chemnitz is located. The nearby state capital of Dresden is home to the group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, or PEGIDA, and the Alternative for Germany received almost a quarter of the vote in Saxony last year. The protests have also exposed a rift between Merkel and top security officials. Her domestic spy chief last week openly questioned her spokesman's statement that foreigners were "hunted" in the streets by the angry mob, saying he'd seen no credible evidence of it, and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday expressed sympathy for the protesters. "If I were not a minister, I'd have gone to the streets as a citizen," Seehofer said, quickly adding: "Naturally, not together with the radicals." Schuster slammed the officials, without identifying any by name, saying that efforts to "obviously minimize the incidents make me seriously doubt the work of these authorities." "Attempts at appeasement and a lack of distancing from the right-populists play exactly into the hands of these forces," he said. Saxony state Interior Minister Roland Woeller met Saturday with the owner of the Jewish restaurant, and assured him police were working intensively to "solve this abhorrent crime," the dpa news agency reported. Police last week said they'd already identified six far-right protesters who gave the stiff-armed Hitler salute or committed other violations of Germany's statute banning the display of Nazi symbols during the protests. They said they were reviewing video evidence in dozens of other cases. In an unrelated incident in the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt, police said Sunday they had arrested two Afghan men in the city of Koethen on suspicion of murder in the killing of a 22-year-old German man. A fight between the Afghans, the victim and another German man allegedly transpired after a dispute over who had impregnated a woman, dpa reported. Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Sunday claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting an Iraqi base of a Kurdish separatist group. Iranian state television aired footage of surface-to-surface missiles launching Saturday toward the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan base in Iraq, as well as drone footage of the base in the aftermath of the strike, which the separatists say killed at least 11 people and wounded 50. The footage's release appeared to be a stark warning by the Guard to the separatist group, known by the acronym PDKI, which has resumed hit-and-run attacks in Iran after some two decades of uneasy peace. A Kurdish attack in July killed at least 10 Iranian border guards, likely sparking the Guard's show of force. "The Iranian armed forces won't allow terrorists to again threaten the country's national security," the Guard said in a statement, warning that its future operations would be even "more crushing." Video aired by state television showed the short-range missiles being fired from mobile launchers in a field in an undisclosed location. The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the paramilitary Guard, identified the missiles fired as Fateh 110-Bs. Those missiles are believed to have a range of up to 300 kilometers (185 miles), according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Tasnim said the missiles traveled some 220 kilometers (135 miles) to reach the base in Koya, in northern Iraq. The Kurdish satellite news channel Rudaw reported that the secretary-general of the PDKI, Mustafa Mawludi, and his predecessor, Khalid Azizi, were wounded in the strike. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Sunday issued a statement criticizing Iran's attack, saying it "rejects the violation of Iraqi sovereignty by bombing any target within Iraqi territory without prior coordination with the Iraqi authorities to spare civilians the effects of such operations." Iraq and Iran have close political and military ties, and Tehran provided extensive military support in the war against the Islamic State group. Saturday's attack comes after the PDKI accused Iran on Friday of carrying out "indiscriminate shelling" targeting the border region. Kurds represent about 10 percent of Iran's population of 80 million people, with many living in the mountainous northwest that borders Iraq and Turkey. A breakaway Kurdish republic backed by the Soviets briefly emerged after World War II and a Kurdish uprising followed in the years after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. A guerrilla campaign by PDKI fighters in Iran continued into the mid-1990s. The PDKI declared a unilateral cease-fire with Iran in 1996 after fighting in northern Iraq between warring Kurdish forces backed by Iraq and Iran. Kurdish resentments have grown recently, buoyed by Kurdish control of areas in northern Iraq. The death of a Kurdish maid at a hotel in the northwestern city of Mahabad in May 2015 sparked unrest by local Kurds as opposition groups alleged Iranian security forces had a hand in it. Since 2016, clashes have erupted between Kurdish fighters and Iranian security forces, including the Guard, leading to casualties on both sides. The PDKI, operating out of northern Iraq, claimed many of those attacks, which prompted Iranian forces to shell Kurdish positions just across the Iraqi border in response. ___ Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Latest on the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia (all times local): 11:55 a.m. NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo say the safety of Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic during a visit to Kosovo isn't threatened despite roadblocks that prevented his visit to a central Serb-populated village. KFOR, which is the acronym for the force, said Sunday in a statement that they are working with the Kosovo authorities to remove the blockade around the village of Banje peacefully. The statement says "nobody is threatening Mr. Vucic and his safety is guaranteed." It adds that "KFOR is working to do it peacefully, but it is ready to intervene ... if required." In Belgrade, Serbia Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said that ensuring that the visit to Banje took place "was important for the credibility of the international community" in Kosovo. NATO deployed in Kosovo in 1999. ___ 11:45 a.m. Serbia's president has addressed Serbs in a central village in Kosovo over the phone after Kosovo Albanians blocked roads and prevented him from getting there. Dozens of people in the village of Banje lined up Sunday as Aleksandar Vucic told them that "I am very sorry I couldn't come because the authorities in Pristina didn't want me to." Some women could be seen crying as Vucic spoke. Vucic later criticized NATO-led peacekeepers for not preventing the blockade. Vucic said that Kosovo Albanian authorities were behind the blockade "so they could show, like little children that it has to be the way officials in Pristina want." Vucic had planned to visit Banje as part of a two-day visit to Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia doesn't recognize Kosovo's independence. ___ 10:15 a.m. Kosovo Albanians have blocked roads and burned tires on a planned route by Serbia's president who is visiting Serbs in the former Serbian province. Aleksandar Vucic planned to visit a Serb-populated village in central Kosovo on Sunday, but the roads leading to the region were blocked by wooden logs, trucks and heavy machinery. Serbian media said gunfire could also be heard, but those reports couldn't be independently verified. Vucic wasn't under attack. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic blamed the blockades on former Kosovo Liberation Army soldiers who fought Serb troops in Kosovo during the 1998-99 war for independence. The conflict ended with a NATO intervention that forced Serbia to pull out of Kosovo. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 which Serbia doesn't recognize. North Korea showcased its latest weaponry and best goose-stepping soldiers Sunday as the reclusive nation marked its 70th anniversary with a military parade at a time when it is under international pressure to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Tens of thousands of North Koreans waved colored plastic bouquets in Pyongyangs Kim Il Sung Square and held them up to spell out words and slogans as tanks and artillery rolled by. No long-range missiles were on display, with the parade instead focusing on economic development. North Korea traditionally uses holidays to showcase its military arsenal and new technology. The procession also celebrated civilian groups such as nurses, students and construction workers in an effort to emphasize the countrys economy. The focus on the military and civilian sectors was not new to celebrations of North Koreas founding. In 2008 and 2013, the Korean Peoples Army was not featured, only the civil defense units, officially called Worker Peasant Red Guards. Kim Yong Nam, head of North Korea's parliament, set the relatively softer tone for the event with an opening speech that emphasized the economic goals of the regime, not its nuclear might. He called on the military to be ready to work to help build the economy. Guests at the parade included the head of the Chinese parliament and high-level delegations from countries that have friendly ties with the North. North Korean leader Kim Jung-Un attended but did not address the crowd. Afterward, he met with Chinese special envoy, Li Zhanshu, who is also the third-ranking member in China's ruling Communist Party. The two held up their joined hands to symbolize the countries' traditionally close ties, though the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping could indicate Beijing still has some reservations about Kim's initiatives. North Korea holds military parades almost every year and held one just before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. This years parade wasnt televised but the state media apparatus filmed it even using drones with cameras. Earlier in the day, North Korea media reported Kim visited the mausoleum where his grandfather, the countrys founder, and his father lie in state, Reuters reported. The parade comes at a sensitive time in the region. Washington wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program while Kim wants security concessions and a formal agreement ending the Korean War. Kim will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in the coming weeks to discuss a path toward denuclearization. This years celebration also marks a return of North Koreas Mass Games, which involve tens of thousands of people dancing in unison in a display of national unity. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Two weeks after Pope Francis' papacy was thrown into crisis by accusations that he covered-up sexual misconduct by ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Francis has refused to respond, his accuser has changed his story and a host of new characters have entered the fray. Cardinals, bishops, priests and ordinary faithful, meanwhile, are demanding answers, given that the Vatican knew about it as early as 2000 . Increasingly, Francis is coming under pressure to respond to claims by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano that he rehabilitated McCarrick from sanctions Pope Benedict XVI had imposed. Here is a look at the scandal, which has split the U.S. Catholic hierarchy and tarnished Francis' already troubled record on abuse. WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL ACCUSATION? Vigano said in his Aug. 26 expose that Benedict imposed "canonical sanctions" on McCarrick in 2009 or 2010 that were similar to what Francis imposed this summer after McCarrick was credibly accused of groping a minor. "The cardinal was to leave the seminary where he was living, he was forbidden to celebrate Mass in public, to participate in public meetings, to give lectures, to travel, with the obligation of dedicating himself to a life of prayer and penance," Vigano wrote. Vigano said he told Francis on June 23, 2013 that McCarrick had "corrupted a generation of seminarians and priests" and that Benedict "ordered him to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance." But he said Francis effectively rehabilitated McCarrick and made him a trusted counselor as he sought to remake the U.S. church leadership to be less focused on the culture wars. The public record , however, is rife with evidence that McCarrick lived a life devoid of any sanction from 2009 onwards, travelling widely for the church, attending official functions, including at the Vatican alongside Benedict and Vigano, who as Vatican ambassador in 2012 had the duty of honoring him at an awards ceremony in New York. HOW HAS VIGANO'S STORY CHANGED? Faced with such evidence, Vigano altered his story to say that while Benedict's measures were in place, McCarrick "didn't obey" them and that he was unable to enforce them. Vigano told LifeSiteNews, an ultraconservative site, that Benedict had made the sanctions "private" probably because McCarrick was retired and Benedict, seeking to avoid scandal, thought he would obey. Even the conservative National Catholic Register, which originally published Vigano's revelation, acknowledged that the severity of the measures reported by Vigano is now an open question. Citing someone close to Benedict, the Register reported that Benedict couldn't recall how he handled the matter but that there was no formal decree against McCarrick, "just a private request" to keep a low profile. If true, that would undercut Vigano's core accusation that Francis rehabilitated McCarrick from actual canonical sanctions. HOW HAS THE POPE RESPONDED? Hours after Vigano's accusations came to light, Francis told an in-flight news conference: "I will not say a word about this ." He challenged journalists to investigate Vigano's claims and said "If time passes and you've drawn your conclusions, maybe I'll speak." That said, Francis has referred indirectly to the scandal a handful of times since. He has said "silence and prayer " were often the best response to people seeking scandal. He has said it was un-Christian to accuse other people, but necessary to accuse oneself to recognize sin. And he has told newly ordained bishops to work in communion not as lone actors bent on settling personal scores. The Vatican press office has refused all comment, including about what, if any, sanctions were ever imposed on McCarrick, and what, if anything, Francis did about them. WHAT WAS GOING ON IN 2013? When Francis and Vigano met in June 2013, Francis was three months into a new job where he knew he was going to make enemies with the type of conservative culture warriors that Vigano championed. A month after the reported encounter over McCarrick's sexual past, Francis would go on to win praise from the liberal Catholic world for having said of another purportedly gay priest he had named a close adviser: "Who am I to judge?" That suggests that Francis, at least in 2013, didn't consider the past sex lives or homosexual orientations of his counselors to be a fireable offense or recognize that those relationships could constitute an abuse of power. But Francis did recognize something was amiss when he sent the Vatican's top sex abuse expert to investigate Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who recused himself from the conclave that elected Francis pope because of allegations he slept with seminarians. O'Brien was a conservative hard-liner on homosexuality whose sexual peccadillos were aired publicly, which could explain the disparity in treatment. HOW HAS THIS BEEN RECEIVED IN THE US? More than a week before Vigano's disclosure, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, publicly announced he wanted an audience with Francis to present his request for a full-fledged Vatican investigation into the McCarrick affair. At the time, DiNardo's call was seen as a power play by the U.S. bishops, who were under fire for having covered for McCarrick for decades, to shift the blame to the Vatican. McCarrick was made archbishop of Washington and cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II, despite knowledge in the Vatican that he slept with seminarians. DiNardo followed up his original request for a Vatican investigation with a statement saying Vigano's accusations deserved answers. More than a dozen U.S. bishops have echoed the call, though others, including a top Francis appointee, Cardinal Blase Cupich, have demurred. Cupich has said Francis shouldn't go down the "rabbit hole" by responding. No date for a DiNardo audience has been set. He is due in Rome Sept. 27 to preside over an ordination ceremony. Meanwhile, Francis has met with embattled Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who is facing calls to step down over both the McCarrick scandal and for mishandling some cases when he was bishop in Pittsburgh that were exposed by the Pennsylvania grand jury report. Wuerl actually offered to resign two years ago when he turned 75, so the decision on when he leaves rests with Francis alone. WHO IS NOW SPEAKING OUT? Amid the official silence from the Vatican, some new players have emerged to try to discredit Vigano's version of events and defend Francis. One of them is a familiar face, the Rev. Federico Lombardi , the Jesuit who served as Vatican spokesman for Benedict and Francis until 2016. Last weekend, amid a communications crisis for the Vatican, it was announced that Lombardi would rejoin the Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica, which serves as an unofficial mouthpiece for the papacy. Also last weekend, Lombardi and his English-speaking assistant, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, issued a joint statement contesting Vigano's version of events about the controversial meeting that Vignao orchestrated between the pope and U.S. anti-gay marriage campaigner Kim Davis during Francis' 2015 visit to the U.S. The encounter made headlines because it was viewed as a papal endorsement of Davis' highly politicized campaign something Francis had been keen to avoid. Vigano claimed Francis had only praise for his handling of the visit. But Lombardi and Rosica issued a statement, based on Rosica's handwritten notes from the time, recalling that Vigano himself had reported that Francis scolded him for having "deceived" him about Davis and omitted that she had been married four times. Hey Long Beach! COMPLEX CON is back at the Long Beach Convention Center Nov. 6-7! Complex Con is an event like no other in Long Beach and in preparation for this years event we thought it might be cool to... On Saturday, in the morning, at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted an Investiture Ceremony for residents of Queensland who were recipients of awards under the Australian Honours and Awards System, announced in the 2018 Queens Birthday Honours Lists, and a recipient of an Australian Bravery Decoration, announced in March 2018, and the Governor addressed guests. In the afternoon, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey returned to Government House following official travel to Cairns. In the evening, at the Royal International Convention Centre, Bowen Hills, His Excellency attended the 2018 Queensland Training Awards State Gala Dinner. Air Products signed cooperation and equipment supply agreements with Beijing Sinoscience Fullcryo Technology Co., Ltd. (Fullcryo) to accelerate the development of hydrogen infrastructure and support Fullcryos first, and also Chinas first, commercial-scale liquid hydrogen-based fueling station. The two companies will cooperate from demonstration to commercialization, including construction, operation, maintenance, and gas supply for liquid hydrogen-based fueling stations in China. Under the equipment supply agreement, Air Products will provide two state-of-the-art, integrated Smartfuel technology fueling stations to Fullcryo for constructing the first-of-its-kind station located in Guangdong Province, South China. In compliance with the SAEs (Society of Automotive Engineers) J2601 fueling protocol, the station will consist of key components, including a liquid hydrogen storage tank, high-efficiency booster pump, high-pressure gasifier and gaseous storage tank, dispenser, and control system. Its fueling capacity is designed to reach 500 kilograms per day of hydrogen and can be expanded to 1,500 kilograms per day for both 35Mpa and 70Mpa fueling. Liquid hydrogen-based fueling stations, which involve advanced gas storage and fueling technology, can bring added benefits, including higher throughput, lower energy consumption, and relatively smaller footprint. Air Products has more than 60 years of hydrogen experience and an extensive patent portfolio with more than 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology. The company has been involved in more than 250 hydrogen fueling projects in over 20 countries worldwide. Cars, trucks, vans, buses and many other equipment have been fueled using Air Products trendsetting technologies. In China, Air Products has participated in several demonstration projects, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 2010 Asian Games, and 2011 Shenzhen Universiade, to drive the use of this clean energy. Early this year, the company signed an agreement with the state-owned Shenhua New Energy Co. Ltd. to provide two hydrogen dispensers to China Energy Investment Corporation Limited s First Hydrogen Fueling Station being built in Rugao City of Jiangsu Province, East China. Fullcryo (also known as Fuhaicryo) is a subsidiary of China Academy of Sciences, is dedicated to developing key technologies, core equipment, product and services for large-scale cryogenic systems. The company provides comprehensive solutions to the segments including aerospace, large scientific engineering, helium, green energy and industrial gases. Fullcryo provides solutions for liquid hydrogen storage and hydrogen transportation, covering liquid hydrogen station investment and construction, hydrogen liquefiers, liquid hydrogen storage tank and related technologies to drive the hydrogen energy and fuel cell development in China. Haiti - Education : Towards the finalization of a policy document for non-formal education On the initiative of the Ministry of National Education, in partnership with UNICEF and the program of the Initiative for the Development of Young People Out of School (IDEJEN), was held recently at the Royal Decameron Hotel (Montrouis, Cote des Arcadins) a workshop of reflections and consultations around the Non Formal Education Policy in Haiti (alternative education) for the benefit of more than 80 participants, public and non-public actors and technical and financial partners The purpose of this meeting was to share with the partners in the ground the latest trends and advances in the field of alternative education throughout the world and especially in Latin America in order to recognize the contribution of an alternative education program to formal education system in Haiti; To stimulate debate and reflection with a view to adapting the Policy document in the double sense of reviewing the data and updating the mechanisms and mechanisms to be put in place and finally defining the steps for the validation of the document Alternative education policy for implementation. The non-formal education system and the role of an alternative education program in a non-formal education system, alternative education in Haiti, NGO non-formal education experiences are among the topics that have been debated during several sessions of discussions and workshop work. The Ministry intends through this Workshop, to continue its work to review and adapt this document with a view to the adoption of this alternative education policy which will complete the formal education system and allow the Government of Haiti to achieve the major goals of sustainable development in education. For Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, the Minister resigning from the National Education "this Workshop will feed the reflection on the management of non-formal education at the time when my Ministry is finalizing its 10-year Education Plan and training (PDEF)". According to the Minister Cadet, non-formal education is "an important part of this vision of a nation in solidarity that takes into account all the sons and daughters of the nation without any distinction [...] It is high time to succeed in this challenge of universal access to school for all our children in order to achieve an inclusive school for a nation in solidarity." Maria Luisa Fornara, the UNICEF Representative in Haiti, emphasized that specific responses to multiple needs are needed for more than 300,000 children who are still out of school. UNICEF and the Education Cluster are pleased, she says, to see these issues taken into account in the development of the 10-year Education and Training Plan At the end of this work, the organizers hope to lay the foundations for the creation of a multi-sectoral entity in charge of the reflection on Alternative Education in Haiti. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... The storm Issac could become a hurricane Monday This Sunday, September 9th, 3 cyclonic systems are active at the Atlantic level, these are the tropical storms Florence, Helene and Issac. If Florence and Helene do not represent a danger for Haiti, the attention remains for Issac. Located about 2,600 km east of the Lesser Antilles, Issac could affect Haiti by the end of next week. Issac storm moves to +/- 14 km / hr, with sustained winds of 104 km / h and could become a hurricane on Monday, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) Osner Richard summoned to the Public Prosecutor's Office Me Osner Richard after being excluded from the Ministerial Cabinet to possess a dual nationality https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25468-haiti-flash-just-appointed-a-minister-removed-from-the-new-cabinet.html and having declared under oath and honor on the contrary, was summoned Wednesday, September 12 at 1:30 pm at the Public Prosecutor's Office by the Port-au-Prince Government Commissioner, Ocnam Clame Dameus, to explain with his original documents on his nationality. Statement of General Policy, the Senate in no hurry On Saturday, Senator Ronald Lareche stated that the Senate will take the time needed to review and verify the records of appointed Cabinet Ministers, which would suggest that the Prime Minister's General Policy Statement session Henry Ceant is for later ... The executive accepts the amending budget The executive in agreement with the Parliament did not change anything in the amending budget of 144 billion Gourdes (2017-2018) voted by the Senate [11 votes for, 2 against and 7 abstentions] https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25449-haiti-news-zapping.html in the same terms as the Chamber of Deputies (ratification unanimously after modifications) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25420-haiti-news-zapping.html The MUPANAH in solidarity with Brazil The Museum of Haitian National Pantheon (MUPANAH) expresses its solidarity with the Brazilian people, in shock, because of the fire that devastated the National Museum of Rio, the night of September 2 to 3, 2018. Rare collections of artifacts and high importance was took away by the flames. It's an irreparable loss for Brazil, the world museum community and for all humanity https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25469-icihaiti-mupanah-brazil-celebrates-the-196th-anniversary-of-its-independence.html Training on the treatment of detainees acording to gender The Canadian Embassy thanks Correctional Service Canada (CSC) officers Brigitte Bouchard and Marlene Wells for their three days of training on effective gender-based inmate treatment practices. An initiative of Minujusth in collaboration with the Directorate of Prison Administration (DAP) and Global Affairs Canada. HL/ HaitiLibre A STANDARD bearer from Henley has been recognised for his contribution to the Oxfordshire branch of the Royal British Legion. Brian Hughes, who carried the countys standard for 11 years, was presented with a certificate by branch chairwoman Lynda Atkins in front of 50 people at the Christ Church Centre in Henley. Mr Hughes, 86, who was also the standard bearer for the Henley and Peppard branch of the Legion for 17 years, said: I feel very proud. Its a challenge to be able to do a good job of carrying the standard and it was honour to carry the countys. Its also a good way to meet fellow service people. Mr Hughes, who lives in Harpsden Road, took part in Henleys Remembrance Sunday parade every year and has also been part of 80 repatriation parades. He said: We would all move into the middle of the road and the hearses would come by and tears were coming down my cheeks, I couldnt stop it. At the time I thought that could easily have been me there. Mrs Atkins called Mr Hughes a credit to the Legion. She said: He has done such a huge amount for the Royal British Legion in Henley and more broadly. He turned out in all weathers to all events. Last year Mr Hughes received the British Empire Medal for voluntary service to former armed services personnel and in 2016 he received the Henley town medal. In 2010 he was awarded the Legions Gold Badge in recognition of his service. He said: The certificate will have to fight for a place with the other ones! Mr Hughes started work in 1947 at Hammants of Henley and stayed there for 50 years, minus his National Service period from 1950 to 1952. He was conscripted into the Royal Army Service Corps and served in the Suez Canal zone with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, for which he earned the GSM medal. He started collecting for the Poppy Appeal in 1995 and has raised more than 60,000. A certificate was also presented to Martin and Margaret Morgan, who run the Black Horse pub in Checkendon, by the Henley branch committee for hosting a party in July to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Lameness prevention: it's all in the head An understanding of how cows think, how they see the world and how they move is essential for lameness prevention. West Virginia's first congressional district, the northern third of the state, gave Obama a respectable 41.5% of its vote in 2008. In 2016, the voters there were fed up and smart enough to figure out the status quo wasn't working for them. In the primary they turned overwhelmingly to someone offering to break with the status quo: Bernie Sanders. Although Debbie Wasserman Schultz had fixed the process to make sure the status quo candidate would get 18 convention delegates to Bernie's 19, Bernie took the state 123,860 (51.4%) to Hillary's 86,354 (35.8%). In the general, Hillary was eviscerated by Trump in WV-01, 68% to 26%. Have the establishment Democrats figured out that their base wants something different than what Hillary and the status quo establishment was offering. Nope. Morgantown law professor Kendra Fershee isn't running on a platform like that. She's running on a platform focused on universal healthcare, effectively dealing with the opioid crisis, better education, jobs with livable wages and getting corrupt corporate money out of politics. Please read her guest post below and, if you like it, consider contributing to her campaign by tapping the thermometer on the right, a thermometer that goes to an ActBlue page dedicated to progressives who won their primaries but who the DCCC is still ignoring. Living Free In A Free Country Requires Team Effort by Kendra Fershee My name is Kendra Fershee and I am the Democratic Nominee for Congress in the West Virginia First District. In May, I shocked West Virginia with a huge upset win over an extremely well-funded candidate who played it very safe, while I was open and honest about my values and policy positions. My grassroots plan will work against our Republican incumbent who was elected in the Tea Party wave in 2010. But people really misread West Virginia politics, even in West Virginia, so many people think a candidate who talks about universal health care and legalization of medical cannabis cannot win here, despite the fact that Bernie Sanders won all 55 counties in WV (and outperformed Trump in the primary in three counties in my district). Howie knows I can win; he did a deeper data dive during the primary and predicted I could win, even with a lot less funding than my opponent. He was 100% correct, and my success in the primary proved it. As a first-time candidate I'm obviously new to running a campaign, but I truly thought people would see my primary results and realize that we have a winning plan and help me fundraise. Many of the powers-that-be in my district are still not taking my calls, though, which is unfortunate because they control the purse strings in my district. I need a fraction of the money a typical congressional race needs to win. In the primary, I was out raised ten-to-one, outspent six-to-one, and I won by nine points. Alexandria Ocadio-Cortez and I are tied at the biggest money upsets in the country. Im confident I can win with $300k, which makes me the biggest bargain in the country (Ive raised a little over $100k in the primary so far). But Im having to show up in peoples offices without an appointment to do money pitches because they wont return our calls. There was one poorly conducted poll in June (sample size of 87 people in a district of 600k+) that had me getting beat badly. The power brokers are using that as an excuse to ignore me. But when I crash their offices, Im able to convince them that my campaign is worth the investment. Im just running out of time and we need the cash. Conventional wisdom these days is all wrong, which means that the power brokers are looking at the wrong measures to judge my campaign. Money and polls are bad indicators of success. I know I don't need more money than my corporate PAC-funded (mostly from Big Pharma) opponent, but I do need enough to raise my name recognition. And when I do that, I will win and shock the entire country. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Maud S. Mandel, left, and Brown President Christina Paxson proceed into Williams' Chapin Hall for Saturday's ceremony. Mandel is the first woman president in the college's 225-year history. Williams College faculty and dignitaries like former Presidents Adam Falk and Francis Oakley proceed into Chapin Hall. Williamstown Select Board Chair Anne O'Connor, a Williams alumna, was among those who welcomed incoming President Maud S. Mandel at Saturday's ceremony. PreviousNext Williams College Inducts Mandel as 18th College President Williams College's Zambezi Marimba Band performs outside Chapin Hall prior to the induction ceremony for President Maud S. Mandel. Saturday was marked with public events, picnics and a barbecue to celebrate. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Shortly after being inducted as the 18th president of Williams College, historian Maud S. Mandel shared a bit of her family's history that helps inform her worldview. Mandel told the crowd gathered in Chapin Hall how her family fled the Holocaust in the 1930s only to have their ship of refugees denied entry into the United States. And she mentioned how lucky they were to eventually be given sanctuary by Great Britain, one of the few European nations not to eventually be occupied by Nazi Germany. "These histories of my mother's narrow escape and of the murder of her extended family are formative to my thinking about the collective obligations to inclusion and justice," Mandel said. "Although the historical details may vary, many families, regardless of backgrounds, have their own experience illustrating the precariousness of liberty and the dangers of life on the margins. "Subsequent chapters in my family's history have taught me the power of fighting to protect rights for all. Having survived that arduous ocean journey on the St. Louis and finally emigrating to the United States at 9 years old, my mother dedicated her adult life to extending opportunities to others." Mandel's induction marked a historic moment in the 225-year history of the college, and her choice as the institution's first woman president was noted several times during the 90-minute ceremony. Mandel chose as the theme for the occasion "inside/outside," explained how that construct relates to the school's mission of educating the whole student. "The ambitious goal is to teach students that there are intrinsic connections between being an economic and social actor and being a moral and political agent," she said. "This is an ideal we would do well to stress all the more strongly in the current environment. "We strive to help students appreciate the relationship between their external lives as professionals, citizens and neighbors and their internal happiness and health. We work toward this goal through the close professor-student bond that flourishes both inside and outside our classrooms." Mandel said her discussions with dozens of faculty members and students since arriving on campus this summer has shown her how important it is for Williams professors to connect with students as people. And Mandel's own efforts to connect with the faculty have, in turn, been appreciated. Dean of the Faculty Denise K. Buell talked about how Mandel held those meetings with department heads in their offices rather than calling them to the corner office. And the assistant director of Williams' Center for Development Economics Rachel Louis talked about how the new president made a concerted effort to engage with a graduate program that sometimes can feel marginalized on a campus where undergraduate education is paramount. "In just two months here, you have already learned more about my department than many who have been here for years," Louis said. "Your interest and willingness to meet with our 27 graduate students from across the developing world has been noted with enthusiasm by our program's faculty, staff and students. "Despite the fact that our students are older than undergraduates and we are physically located on the edge of campus, the CDE is, in many ways, a microcosm of what all of us value at Williams. Our students make up a diverse community who live, eat, study and socialize together. Many arrive unfamiliar with the concept of liberal arts and with little experience with having direct and frequent contact with their faculty. They leave Williamstown with a network of friends and colleagues around the world. They continue to learn from each other and grow in their role as policy makers." Mandel, who was raised in Princeton, N.J., and educated at Oberlin College and the University of Michigan, has spent the last 20 years at Brown first as a member of the faculty and, for the last four years as the dean of the college. Brown University President Christina H. Paxson was one a dozen speakers on the dais Saturday afternoon. She said her friend and colleague was prepared to serve Williams well, and that she demonstrated her thoughtful leadership last year in the aftermath of events that shook the nation and academia to its core. Paxson recalled the "deeply disturbing" violence related to neo-Nazism and white nationalism in the college town of Charlottesville, Va., and her own decision to bring Brown's campus community together to reflect on what happened. "We invited eminent faculty members to examine the complex history of white nationalism in America," Paxson said. "I knew Maud had to be a part of that. When Maud spoke, she bridged past and present by drawing on her scholarship on anti-Semitism in Europe in the 1920s and '30s." Mandel taught that Jews in Europe experienced an ostracization known as "social death" as a precursor to the genocide that killed millions. "Jews experienced social death," Paxson said. "They were turned into outsiders. Among the lessons of the history of anti-Semitism, Maud concluded, is the call on all of us to disavow the turning away that leads to social death. Because we're all invested in making sure the society we live in is socially just." iciHaiti - Delmas : Distribution of motorcycles and money to municipal youth committees This week, the Deputy Mayor of Delmas, Mrs. Rose Trinita Louis, on behalf of the Municipal Council headed by Mayor Wilson Jeudy, hosted the National Commission for Innovation and Socioprofessional Integration of Youth (CNIISJ) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21658-haiti-politics-presidential-order-for-the-socio-professional-integration-of-young-people.html , during a ceremony of handing of materials to the communal youth committees of the Department of the West. The Coordinators of these Communal Committees from the 19 communes of the Department of the West, each received from the Presidential Commission (CNIISJ) a motorcycle, helmets and vest and an envelope of 50,000 gourdes. Ricot Pierre-Louis, the Coordinator of the Commission recalled that this initiative of the Presidency, aimed to strengthen the Local Youth Committees as part of their mission. In her speech, Trinita Rose Louis congratulated the Presidential Commission for this initiative and took the opportunity to invite young people to become more involved in the process of transformation and integral development of the country. Finally, she promised, on behalf of the Delmas Municipal Council, to give all the necessary support to the CNIISJ in the accomplishment of its task. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25467-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22100-haiti-politics-towards-the-socio-professional-integration-of-young-haitians.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21773-icihaiti-politics-investiture-of-the-commission-for-the-socio-professional-integration-of-young-people.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21658-haiti-politics-presidential-order-for-the-socio-professional-integration-of-young-people.html IH/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - UN : No Mission Change in Haiti before October 2019 Thursday, Bintou Keita, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, told the Security Council that the Integrated Security Transition Plan, as requested by the Security Council, will guide the first phase of a responsible and effective withdrawal of the UN police presence in Haiti. "This first phase will reduce the number of formed police units (FPUs) from seven to five between October 15, 2018 and April 15, 2019" For Keita the move to a United Nations presence in Haiti other than a peacekeeping operation should not occur before October 15, 2019. She said the Minujusth country team and the government will have to redouble their efforts to catch up the time loss following the July events concluding "Only a fully functioning government in Haiti can meet the challenges." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25478-haiti-un-bintou-keita-recalls-that-time-is-pressing-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25459-haiti-flash-un-warns-of-high-risk-of-major-unrest-in-haiti.html IH/ iciHaiti Abba Kyari, president Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff, made headlines on Saturday, after a publication by a national daily accused him of N29. 9m fraud. The news as soon as it broke, quickly drew a lot of sensation, as various groups began to call for the sack of Abba Kyari. Presidency on Saturday evening released a statement debunking the corruption allegations levied against Mr Kyari, and even threatened legal actions against the publisher of the news. Mr Garba Shehu wrote: The Presidency takes strong offence to the improbable and outlandish publication by Punch Newspaper today (Saturday) in a dig at presidential aide Abba Kyari who was alleged to have collected a 29 million naira bribe for the awarding of a contract. Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) September 8, 2018 Reacting to the statement, some Nigerians are saying it was wrong for the presidency to dismiss the allegations, just like that, without first setting up a committee to investigate thoroughly. Some where also of the opinion that, the presidency shouldnt be directly involved in dismissing the allegations especially using the official handle of the government. Where some berated the present administration for being silent on some salient issues buy would rushto defend corruption allegations. See reactions below According to Buhari's Presidency: "Abba Kyari can't steal N300m because his office gets over N200m as IMPREST monthly that he can spend as he likes." Issokay. Lere Olayinka Aresa 1 (@OlayinkaLere) September 9, 2018 The Presidency has not responded to the loss of our Soldiers lives but is stepping up to defend the geriatric fraud known as Abba Kyari. I put it to you that this government and its supporters hate us and Nigeria. Ndi Kato Mother/Politician (@YarKafanchan) September 8, 2018 So funny that the @MBuhari administration that uses media trial and unproven allegations to tarnish the image of opposition PDP members is now crying of media trial now that Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and Tinubus Alphabeta are accused of corruption #RenosDarts Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) September 9, 2018 What's d position of @officialEFCC and Dss on dis matter ? Why d rush to exonerate Abba Kyari on dis matter ? 29m is a big money..29m is not 29 thousand. Dat video frm Bereke studio might not be 100% true,but I strongly believe good investigators will come up wit something good. https://t.co/aSVANjey81 General IA KYARI (@batabosso) September 9, 2018 Vanguard One of the leading aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential ticket, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has warned that Nigeria is at a cross road as a result of leadership failure, saying the Buhari administration must be changed in 2019 for the country to move forward The Nation WHEN ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo issued a scathing statement in January denouncing President Muhammadu Buharis second term ambition, he hoped to capitalise on the wave of discontent against the president by forming a coalition to engineer a groundswell of opposition to the government. He had noted exaggeratingly that the biggest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was racked by division and acrimony. The scathing statement was well received, and its content fairly accurately ThisDay Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State and former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, yesterday reacted to the raging allegations of money laundering, fraud and tax evasion against Alpha Beta Consulting, a firm with exclusive right to collect taxes Guardian Former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and past Chairman of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Ledum Mitee has said that it is unfair to say people of the Niger Delta rejected the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) hook, line and sinker. The Sun I didnt betray former president Jonathan Daily Times The violence that ensued at the official submission of nomination and expression of interest forms by former Vice President of Nigeria and frontline PDP presidential Leadership Heads of State, Governments and delegations from 52 African countries, which included Nigeria and the Peoples, Republic of China met in Beijing, under the auspices of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The tri-annual summit was held with the theme: China and Africa: Towards an Even Stronger Community with a Shared The Authority A group, the Borno Integrity Forum has urged Senator Ali Ndume to stop playing politics with the safety of his Tribune Governor-elect of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has received the final report of the transition committee set up by him on July 25th lamenting that a N117 billion debt profile to be inherited by his This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going. Out-going governor of Ekiti states drew the attention of trolls after he announced that he had shelved his presidential ambition. According to his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor decided to bury his ambition to be president because the All Progressives Congress rigged the last gubernatorial election in the state. Adelusi said: Governor Ayodele Fayose has decided to bury his ambition because of the last Ekiti governorship election that was rigged by the APC and we have already filed a petition at the tribunal. Many have mocked the governor for dropping his ambition after he declared that God had told him. They teased him for not picking Gods call to rule Nigerias and shelving it because he wants to concentrate on claiming the stolen mandate of his deputy, Prof Kolapo Eleka. See some reactions below https://twitter.com/Bhadoosky/status/1038722410667814913?s=19 https://twitter.com/Ayuba_B/status/1038428911770759169?s=19 Reason @GovAyoFayose gave for dropping his Presidential race is so funny. He wants to concentrate on the petition filed by Eleka at the election tribunal over the last Ekiti election. In simple English. Ayodele Fayose can not multitask. https://t.co/fQlQzkcdqE Kayode Ogundamisi (@ogundamisi) September 9, 2018 https://twitter.com/DOlusegun/status/1038452620816510976?s=19 Fayose says he has buried his presidential ambition. The question is was there really any ambition? Ariwo ko ni music Abubakar Sidiq Usman (@MrAbuSidiq) September 8, 2018 After the news about the Anambra state pastor who miraculously survived an attack from unknown gun men hit the social media, photos of the pastor flaunting money before being shot has surfaced. The story had it that, Pastor David Elijah, the founder of Grace and power prophetic ministry international, was attacked in Awka, Anambra state on his way to church. The bullet holes can be seen all over the Pastors car, part of the screen was shattered by the bullet. Although the bullets tore his clothes, no damage was done to his body. See photos below; Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan(EEU) was a two-term governor of Delta state, from May 2007 to 2015, after which he handed over power to Ifeanyi Okowa. Uduaghan, though a medical doctor by profession, is not a newbie where Nigerian politics is concerned As he has always made his mark in the countrys political terrain . First appointed as a Commissioner of Health in 1999, by his predecessor, James Ibori and later as the Secretary to the State Government in 2003, Uduaghan is one of those, who founded the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). Uduaghan, later on contested in the gubernatorial election in the state in 2003, under the platform of the PDP, which he won. A victory which saw him emerged as the third governor of the state. Upon completing his term, he sought reelection in 2011, under the same platform and won again. It didnt come much as surprise to many, who are familiar with the former governors political history, when he announced his intention to run for Senate. Uduaghan, has always explained how important lobbying is to legislation. In his interpretation of a good senator, he says only those who know how to network and possibly lobby with contacts built over the years, can attract projects to their people, hence his decision to contest for the Delta South Senatorial seat. However, what was surprising to some, was that he would be running under a new party, the All Progressives Congress(APC). Critics came at him with sticks and stones, questioning why he would dumped the PDP, under which he had won two governorship elections for the APC. In a statement entitled MOVING ON TO THE BIGGER PLAYING FIELD, Uduaghan replied critics, explaining the reason behind his decision to move to APC. The two-term governor said, his decision was born out of his desire to attract development and lasting peace to the Niger Delta. In his words; ST-EUSTACHE, QC (September 8, 2018)- Andrew Ranger and the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge were one were hoping to score their third victory of the 2018 NASCAR Pintys Series season at round number 11 on Saturday night at the Autodrome St. Eustache just outside of Montreal, Quebec. After running with the leaders for a good portion of the race Ranger had to settle for an eighth place finish. During the afternoon practice session on the 4/10-mile track where Ranger is a former winner the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge wasnt performing as well as hoped. It was a little bit tight during the practice said the driver. We made a few changes and well see how it goes in the race, he added. The #27 Mopar Parts Dodge would roll off from the seventh starting position for the 250-lap feature event. It wasnt long before Ranger had moved into the top five. The team chose not to stop during the first two scheduled breaks in the action allowing competitors to fuel the cars and take on fresh tires. The team made the right move to stay out and keep the track position we had gained explained Ranger. In the middle portion of the race Ranger pushed the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge hard and into a potential podium finishing position. During the second scheduled break the team fueled the car, strapped on four fresh tires and made some handling adjustments hoping to give Ranger that little bit extra to push on toward the front of the field. In the closing laps the already aggressive driving by many went to another level. Ranger fought for hard to the end and would take the checkered flag with an eighth place result. We thought things looked pretty good for us in the middle of the race but it didnt happen that way at the end unfortunately. Well now focus on the next race in two weeks and look to improve. Thanks to the team for all their hard work this weekend said Ranger. Andrew Ranger and the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge team are headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire for the next event. Its the first time the series will race outside of Canada. Race fans can get more information and follow the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge team news during the off-season by going to www.mopar.caand clicking on Motorsports. Prepared by, TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com(239) 961-2618 Kuala Lumpur cityscape Im trying to see us maintain our competition, said an experienced indirect tax manager at a multinational oil company, who said she had been working weekends to get ready in time for SST, which replaced the unpopular goods and services tax (GST). We dont want to be any less competitive from our competitors [and] we want to make sure we are in line with the legislation, she told International Tax Review. It is difficult for businesses to be patient when profits, reputation and market share are on the line. As well as the uncertainty around how legislation and included/excluded item lists will develop, companies are struggling with a lack of guidance and having to make changes very quickly. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that much of the legislation is still in draft form. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has said that the government could still change its mind on whether some goods will be subject to the SST, but businesses are having to muddle through regardless. We will study all of these, he said, referring to prawns, bicycles and motorcycles under 250cc. We have been going around listening to feedback from the people. Some are asking that certain items affected by the SST be taken off the list. As a concerned government, we will do the needful. Be patient, added Lim, after a briefing on SST on September 1. Give us some time and we will make the necessary changes by years end. Will companies be better or worse off? The most immediate action companies should take, if they have not done so already, is to analyse whether or not they need to be registered for SST. The SST framework is a more targeted regime that only applies to manufacturers of taxable goods or persons providing specific taxable services, said Yvonne Beh, partner in the tax practice group of Wong & Partners, which is a member firm of Baker McKenzie. Hence, not all businesses who were previously registered under the GST would need to be registered under the SST regime. Many businesses will find that fewer, or even none, of their products are subject to SST. For those that were subject to GST, this will save a lot of time on compliance and allow for more competitive pricing as tax does not need to be applied. Beh pointed out that the SST will bring in MYR 21 billion ($5 billion) less than GST did for the Malaysian government. Industries that will benefit include real estate and construction because SST does not apply to the sale of properties and may not apply to the leasing of heavy machinery. The scope of the SST is narrower than the GST, said Saravana Kumar Segaran, partner at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill. Almost 60% of goods under the consumer price indexare exempted from sales tax while only a prescribed list of exhaustive services are taxable. For instance, consultancy, IT, management and engineering services are all taxable services but there is no guidance under legislation as to the scope of such services. However, most businesses expect to be worse off. While GST has an input tax credit mechanism effectively allowing the tax burden to move down the supply chain and ultimately be passed to the end consumer SST has no such mechanism. A particular industry which will likely be impacted will be the automotive industry as there will be a 10% sales tax rate for most imported motor vehicles and vehicles manufactured in Malaysia, said Beh. The retail sector will also likely see some impact from sales tax, in particular, imported luxury goods. The oil industry tax manager said: As an individual I am very, very sad because coming from a tax background I know the consequences. From a business perspective, as well, its definitely hitting the businesses because now service or sales tax has become a cost to the business. Its affected our pricing, she added. Weve needed to renegotiate a lot of contracts. Similarities to the old SST The new SST regime, as it exists upon implementation and before any change, is largely similar to the old, pre-2015 SST. That is to say, it is two taxes sales tax and services tax and only listed items are subject to the tax, as opposed to GST where only listed items were excluded from the tax. Irene Yong, partner at Shearn Delamore, said the difficulties for companies is the current period of transition from the GST regime to the SST, given the short time frame within which companies have to adjust. However, there is a positive aspect. As far as software and IT systems are concerned, those which had been used for GST can be migrated and adapted for SST, hence some cost savings can be expected, she said. Confusion Such is the confusion around the re-introduction of SST that even customs officials have confronted restaurant workers, demanding to know why they are imposing SST, reported Malaysian news outlet New Straits Times. All eateries making more than MYR 1.5 million per year must pay SST, unless they are situated in a free trade zone, special or tax-free area. Dont fault these outlets, said Lim. They are just being responsible and abiding by the law. The situation is in stark contrast to the 2015 introduction of GST, which was conducted smoothly for businesses at least, but there were individuals rioting in protest and with plenty of lead time. The law has been brought out very, very hastily, said the oil industry indirect tax manager. Its the same body, the same tax authority that was [administrating] GST. When they rolled out GST I thought they did a very good job, I thought they were very organised. The Malaysian tax authority did a great job because there was a lot of information available on the website, there had a lot of programmes where people were able to have sessions and dialogue, [the authorities would] speak to them, get their view and clarify their position. The very quick switch from GST back to SST is necessary for political reasons. The now-ruling Pakatan Harapan party, led by Mahathir Mohamad, swept to an unprecedented victory. Key to its success was a promise to repeal GST, which was deeply unpopular with poorer Malaysians, and replace it with SST. The tax authority now, moving from GST to SST, we can see that they are rushing because they have a deadline, the indirect tax manager added. The bills received Royal Assent on August 28, just four days before becoming effective and further tinkering is likely until the end of the year, as Lim has stated. Up-to-date versions of the proposed legislation, in both English and Malay, can be found on the dedicated Malaysia Sales & Service Tax website. The website also includes full lists of which goods and services are affected, and which regions are exempt for which aspects of the sales and services taxes. The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ. Share this article Apples Gather Round event is scheduled for September 12 where the company is expected to unveil the 2018 iPhone Xs, Apple Watch Series 4, AirPods 2, and more. The event will be held at the Steve Jobs theater in Apple Park and start at 10:00 a.m. PT. Find out the start time Apples 2018 iPhone event in your time zone after the break. Apple only invites select bloggers and publishers to its event which means not everyone will have the chance to watch the company unveil its 2018 iPhone lineup live. However, Apple will be live streaming the event which means you can watch it right from the comfort of the couch in your home. But for that, you need to know what time the event is scheduled to start as per your local timezone. iPhone XS Event Start Time in Your Time Zone Check out the table below to find out when Apples September 12 iPhone Xs event will start in your time zone so you can plan your day accordingly. A higher resolution version of the screenshot can be found here. * = Adjusted for DST or summer time (65 places). Tue = Tuesday, 12 September 2018 (120 places). Wed = Wednesday, 13 September 2018 (23 places). In case you dont find your city in the screenshot above, head over to this TimeandDate link to find the event start time in your local timezone. You can check our post if you would like to know how to watch Apples 2018 iPhone event live. Check out our posts to find out what we expect from this years event, based on all the leaks, rumors and speculations weve heard so far. As always, well be bringing exhaustive coverage of the event, so dont forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and RSS. Were super excited, cant wait to find out what Apple has in store for us. The leader of the Islamic Revolution: The defeat of the U.S.'s conspiracies in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon is a sign of God's power and realization of God's promises, that indicates if you assist the cause of God, God will help you succeed and persist. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The leader of the Islamic Revolution: The defeat of the U.S.'s conspiracies in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon is a sign of God's power and realization of God's promises, that indicates if you assist the cause of God, God will help you succeed and persist. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed ForcesAyatollah Khameneiattended the graduation ceremony of army cadets at the Imam Khomeini Naval Academy in Nowshahr today (September 9, 2018), as part of his visit to the city. At the beginning of this ceremony, Ayatollah Khamenei paid tribute to the martyrs of defense against Saddams US-backed war on Iran by visiting the graves of five unidentified martyrs buried at the site of the academy and recited sura Al-Fatiha. The Leader of the Revolution then inspected the troops at the field. The ceremony followed with appreciation of Commodore Habibollah Sayyari, the Coordinating Deputy of Islamic Republic of Irans Army. He was awarded a first grade Fath Medal by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed ForcesAyatollah Khameneifor his praiseworthy services in safeguarding water frontiers of the country, Oman sea, safeguarding the national interests of Iran and raising the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international waters, as well as endeavoring for renovating equipment and improving Makran coastal strip during the time he held office as the commander of the Strategic Navy of Islamic Republic of Irans Army. The ceremony also included granting epaulettes to the representative of the cadets and was closed with a field manoeuvre carried by the Naval Forces in the presence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. At this event, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces delivered a speech wherein he stressed that preventing the formation of an Islamic power in Southwestern Asia is what the U.S. and the Zionist Regime seek, adding: "They know that the fascinating message of Islam is defending the oppressed and the underprivileged; thus, they fear the formation of a power based on Islam." Ayatollah Khamenei dubbed the powerful resistance of the Islamic Republic against the Front of Arrogance as a factor that led to the defeat of the oppressors of the world in perusing their goals in the region and reminded his audience: "Political analysts and world-known intellectuals are astonished by how Iran, relying on God and the national power, has left the global powers unaccomplished in our region and they acknowledge this reality. The leader of the Islamic Revolution called threatening, domineering, and bullying in words, the main methods used by oppressive powers to terrify other nations and stressed: " If a nation is not scared of these methods; and moves in the path of truth and justice with bravery, confidence and belief in their capabilities, they will make the domineering powers to retreat. Ayatollah Khamenei regarded the Islamic Republic as a prominent example of this reality and stated: "Since 40 years ago, Iran has been the target of the sabotage by the U.S. and its allies. However, now Iran has grown from a small sapling into a big and fruitful tree. Despite the enemies' efforts and measures for countering it, Iran has attracted the hearts of other nations to the message of the revolution and has defeated the conspiracies of the U.S. in the region. The leader of the Islamic Revolution called the cases of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon as examples wherein the conspiracies of the United States in the region suffered a defeat and went on to say: "These cases are signs of the power of God and the affirmation of the Divine Promise, that: if you assist [the cause of] God, God will assist you with victory and persistence. In another part of his speech, the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces advised the Armed Forces to increase innovations, preparations and capabilities in academic, organizational, military, and other areas, adding: "According to a holy verse in the Quran, add to your power as much as you can, because your sovereignty frightens the enemy and make it retreat. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution advised all the people, especially the youth, to be cautious and to block the enemies' temptations from affecting the general ambience of their life. He then asserted: "Do not let the enemies infiltrate and disturb the homogenous lines of the devout youth. The leader of the revolution described the enemy's efforts in the cyberspace and other realms as desperate and added: Nonetheless, the enemy is very active in different fields, and we must stand against them with vigilance, unity, and while relying on God. /257 Dar e Arqam School Gulzar e Quaid Campus Jobs Latest Dar e Arqam Schools Pakistan Education Posts Rawalpindi 2021 Coordinator for secondary School section having MSc / Mphill Education with 5 to 7 year experience are required in Dar e Arqam Schools Pakistan Gulzar e Quaid Campus in Rawalpindi. How to Apply on Dar e Arqam Schools Pakistan Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. What a Paratha Rawalpindi Managers, Cashier & Helper Jobs Latest What a Paratha Hotel Posts Rawalpindi 2021 What a Paratha Islamabad, Pakistan is looking for the services from experienced candidates to fill the post of Manager, Cashier, Kitchen Helper, Cone Ice cream Operator, Waiter, Sweeper, Dish Washer. How to Apply on What a Paratha Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hit out at recent remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who claimed that Tehran was not sufficiently supporting the Palestinians. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hit out at recent remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who claimed that Tehran was not sufficiently supporting the Palestinians. Trump regime flip-flops are truly comical. One week, its talking point is that we are "squandering" our resources abroad, the next week its that weve not financially supported the Palestinians enough, Zarif tweeted on Saturday. The remarks came after Pompeo alleged on Twitter that the Islamic Republic had poorly contributed to UNRWA, the United Nations agency for the Palestinian refugees. Under the Trump administration, the US has started a review of the American aid to the Palestinians. Last Friday, it announced it would end all funding to the UNRWA. Later, it ordered some $25 million to be redirected from Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem al-Quds. The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry reacted by saying, This dangerous and unjustified American escalation has crossed all red lines and is considered a direct aggression against the Palestinian people. Washington is reportedly holding up the aid to force the Palestinians to agree to the terms of a proposal it is yet to unveil concerning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We were the United States was paying them tremendous amounts of money, Trump said during a conference call on Thursday. And I'd say, you'll get money, but we're not paying you until we make a deal. If we don't make a deal, we're not paying, he added. Trump's "deal of the century" reportedly gives the Palestinians limited sovereignty over about half of the occupied West Bank and set Abu Dis, east of the occupied holy city of al-Quds, as their capital. Palestinians have historically sought East Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of their future state. /257 Hundreds of displaced Syrians on Sunday returned from Lebanon to Syria via border crossings of al-Dabbosyia and Jdeidet Yabous in Damascus and Homs countryside. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Hundreds of displaced Syrians on Sunday returned from Lebanon to Syria via border crossings of al-Dabbosyia and Jdeidet Yabous in Damascus and Homs countryside. SANAs correspondents at the border crossings said that a number of buses carrying tens of the displaced families due to terrorism returned to their areas in Damascus countryside via the border crossings of al-Dabbosyia and Jdeidet Yabous after the Syrian Arab Army had restored safety and security over the countryside. The correspondents indicated that the authorities concerned has taken all required measures at the crossings to receive hundreds of displaced Syrians who return from Lebanon to their villages and towns after liberating them from terrorism by the Syrian Arab Army. The returnees expressed joy over their return to their houses after they were forced to flee due to the criminal acts of terrorist groups. On September 4th , hundreds of the displaced Syrian returned from Lebanon to their areas in Damascus, Homs, and Hama countryside through al-Dabbosyia and Jdeidet Yabous crossings. /257 LANESBORO, Minn. A motorcycle rider is hurt after losing control of his bike in Fillmore County. The Minnesota State Patrol says Caleb John Evans, 23 of Rochester, was riding south on Highway 250 when he lost control on a curve near Golden Drive and hit the left side of a bridge. Evans was taken to St. Marys Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The State Patrol says this accident happened around 12:28 pm Sunday. The Fillmore County Sheriffs Office and Lanesboro Ambulance assisted at the scene. The leader of Houthi Ansarullah revolutionary movement Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi on Saturday accused the Saudi-led coalition waging a brutal aggression against Yemen of blocking the Houthi delegation from traveling to UN-hosted peace talks in Geneva. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The leader of Houthi Ansarullah revolutionary movement Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi on Saturday accused the Saudi-led coalition waging a brutal aggression against Yemen of blocking the Houthi delegation from traveling to UN-hosted peace talks in Geneva. In a speech broadcast on Yemens Beirut-based al-Masirah TV, Sayyed al-Houthi said his movements only condition had been to arrive safely in Geneva. We all know that the talks collapsed because of the obstruction of the national delegation from leaving and traveling to Geneva by the coalition forces, al-Houthi said. Aggressors cannot act as guarantors of our delegates safety. The fact is that the US is not happy with peace talks as it has benefited a lot from the Saudi-led aggression on Yemen, the Ansarullah leader commented. Ansarullah delegates were reportedly prevented by Saudi Arabia from attending peace negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva earlier this week. The revolutionary group accused the Saudis of planning to strand the delegation in Djibouti, where their plane was to make a stop en route to Geneva. The Saudis were still refusing to give permission to an Omani plane to land at the Yemeni capital Sanaa and take the delegation to Geneva, the movement said. The attempt to hold peace talks was abandoned on Saturday after three days of waiting for the Houthi delegation, but the United Nations envoy vowed to press ahead with diplomacy. Meanwhile, Sayyed al-Houthi warned in his televised speech that Saudi and its regional allies are seeking to choke off the Yemeni nation through economic pressure. The Yemeni nation is going through a difficult economic situation. Enemies are seeking to freeze the Yemeni overseas assets. They want Yemen to be a client state, Sayyed al-Houthi addressed his supporters on Saturday evening. /257 Iraqi Alahad TV channel broadcasted several audio files, revealing the involvement of Saudi intelligence agency in the recent unrest in the Iraqi city of Basra and its relation with some mercenaries in the city's security organization. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iraqi Alahad TV channel broadcasted several audio files, revealing the involvement of Saudi intelligence agency in the recent unrest in the Iraqi city of Basra and its relation with some mercenaries in the city's security organization. The media has received some audio files from its sources which indicate the Saudi intelligence agency has been trying to recruit people in Basra to use them for special missions. The audio files which contained information, collected from Basra, were reportedly given to an officer named Abu Khalid al-Sa'udi, to whom the mission of creating unrest in Basra was assigned. The disclosed audio files also showed the Saudis gave money and gifts to those who provide them with information from inside Iraq. In one of the audio files, the Saudi officer asks the Iraqi spy to determine the kind of al-Hashd al-Shaabi centers and to inform him whether they are training centers or not, and whether the headquarters are primary or secondary. Based on the audio files, the Saudi intelligence service has an extensive network of spies not only in southern Iraq but also in the west, center and north of the country. Protesters in the southern city of Basra are rioting over poor public services, especially the lack of drinking water. In recent days, unrest has intensified, and at least 11 people have been killed in the clashes and more than 100 others, including a number of security forces, have been injured. On Thursday evening, a number of protesters attacked and torched Iraqi political party offices and headquarters, including Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran. /257 By Jhoo Dong-chan The number of people receiving state unemployment benefits has hit a record high as companies dismissed more employees amid the continued economic downturn. Economists say the Moon Jae-in administration's economic policies have made things worse for the labor market as tightening regulations on large business groups and hiking minimum wages have discouraged employers from hiring workers. The jobless rate and other recent economic indicators demonstrate Korea has failed for months to create jobs, and the public has turned against President Moon's "income-driven growth" policies that center on higher minimum wages and larger public sector employment, they said. According to the Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS), Sunday, 635,004 people received unemployment benefits in the second quarter of this year, up by 60,505 people, or 10.5 percent, from the same period last year at 574,499. The figure is the highest since the employment agency began compiling related data since 2010. The sum of the total unemployment benefits was 1.78 trillion won in the period, up nearly 300 billion won from the previous quarter. It was also a record-high quarterly figure. Korea's unemployment benefits are provided for workers with unemployment insurance who are laid off against their will. The data is often used to indicate the gravity of the nation's sluggish job market. "The government's policy has failed to address the nation's current economic situation. There wasn't much room for firms to invest amid the downturn. Due to mounting pressure in labor costs, not only conglomerates but also small businesses downsized their staffs," said Sung Tae-yoon, a professor of economics at Yonsei University. "The Bank of Korea plans to raise the key rate at some point by the end of this year, but I don't think it's time to raise it. Taking into account the current economic situation, the central bank rather needs to decrease the rate." According to Statistics Korea, the number of the unemployed was 1.10 million people in the second quarter this year, up 30,000, or 2.9 percent, from a year ago. It was also the highest second-quarter figure in the 20 years since 1999 the agency has been collecting related data. The data showed the manufacturing sector took up the largest portion of the nation's unemployment. The KEIS date demonstrated 127,951 people lost their manufacturing jobs in the second quarter, followed by health and public welfare where 82,332 people lost their jobs. There are also mounting concerns about the nation's job market as a growing number of workers in their 40s are losing their jobs. The data shows 133,705 workers in their 40s lost their jobs in the second quarter. The number of unemployed people in their 40s has been lower than those in their 30s, but started outnumbering the latter since the first quarter this year. "Workers in their 40s are the backbone of the nation's economy. If they start losing jobs, it means the country is losing initiative in economic growth," futures trader Lee Sang-hoon said. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un receives a letter written by President Moon Jae-in from National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong during the Chung-led South Korean delegation's visit to Pyongyang, Sept. 5 to discuss the third Moon-Kim summit, slated for Sept. 18 to 20. / Yonhap President asked to achieve breakthrough on N. Korea denuclearization progress By Yi Whan-woo The third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, slated for Sept. 18 to 20 in Pyongyang, is posing a challenge for Moon in finding a breakthrough and speeding up the North's denuclearization progress. The United States and North Korea are in a deadlock over their nuclear talks, with each side accusing the other over slow progress following the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore, June 12. This could put Moon in a precarious situation and tarnish his achievements as a key negotiator for the Singapore summit, if he fails to draw out more concrete measures toward nuclear disarmament, according to analysts. Moon, through his two previous summits with Kim between April and May, paved the way for the Trump-Kim meeting, especially when the U.S. leader cited North Korea's "tremendous anger and open hostility" in May and cancelled the summit. "The first Moon-Kim summit was lauded for the meeting itself because it came after years of hostile relations," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University. "It was also meaningful in that it prompted reconciliatory efforts between Washington and Pyongyang after a war of words between their leaders last year. But people no longer will be impressed by the event itself, and so taking a step closer to denuclearization will be critical in the third summit." Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, had a similar view. "The April summit resumed the dialogue between leaders of the two Koreas after it was last held in 2007, while the May summit served as a stepping stone for the Trump-Kim meeting," he said. "The third summit will be quite different from the two previous ones and assessing the denuclearization progress in a convincing manner will be the key for success." Park underscored that September may be the "last turning point" this year over whether the denuclearization dialogue deadlock is overcome or not. He pointed out that the U.S. midterm elections will take place in November and this will be a referendum on Trump and the Republican Party. "This means Trump will want a favorable outcome, regarding a breakthrough in U.S.-North Korea relations as a means to achieve a Republican Party victory. And September is deemed the best time to have such an outcome," Park said. He added that election defeat would lead to control of Congress by the Democrats, which could raise difficulties for Trump in pursuing his unconventional diplomacy on North Korea; and eventually Pyongyang's nuclear brinksmanship as in the past. "The Trump administration still insists on maintaining the sanctions on North Korea and the situation will get severe if Democrats control Congress," Park said. The latest U.S. sanctions include one imposed by the Treasury Department, Sept. 6, against North Korean computer programmer Pak Jin-kyok and the Chosun Expo Joint Venture, the company he worked for. The department accused them of the 2017 global WannaCry ransomware attack and the 2014 cyber attack on Sony Pictures. On Aug. 30, the U.S. State Department extended the ban on American citizens traveling to North Korea for another year, whereas the impoverished Pyongyang regime is stepping up its tourism campaign to earn cash. The ban was put in place in September 2017 after the death of American college student Otto Warmbier following his release from North Korea. Meanwhile, the analysts said a declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War is unlikely, despite Pyongyang's demand for this. The U.S. has not been satisfied with the progress of final, fully verified denuclearization (FFVD) of North Korea, as agreed to by Kim at the Singapore summit. The North Korean leader argued the international community is being too harsh in judging its denuclearization efforts, when Moon's special envoys visited Pyongyang, Sept. 5, to discuss the third summit. Kim referred to the country's "demolition" of its Punggye-ri nuclear test facility, and the dismantlement of the Tongchang-ri missile test site, according to National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong who led the South Korean delegation to the North. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media during his visit to New Delhi, India, Sept. 6. He said an "enormous" amount of work remains to be done to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program. / AFP-Yonhap On Sept. 6, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said an "enormous" amount of work remains to be done to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Speaking at a press event in New Delhi, India, Pompeo said the two sides were continuing negotiations in the wake of Kim's commitment to "complete denuclearization." "It is the case that there is still an enormous amount of work to do," Pompeo said. "We haven't had any nuclear tests, we haven't had any missile tests, which we consider a good thing. But the work of convincing Chairman Kim to make the strategic shift that we've talked about for a brighter future for the people of North Korea continues." Also on Sept. 6, the North Korean foreign ministry said it was ready to have friendly ties with countries that respect its sovereignty. The statement was seen as a reconciliatory gesture to the outside world ahead of the 70th anniversary of the regime's foundation, Sept. 9. "We will push to improve and normalize ties with any countries that show their respect for our sovereignty and treat us friendly even if they have had hostile relations with us before," it said. "Putting our dignity and interests first, we will actively manage our foreign affairs and develop them from various angles, while being ready to advance exchanges and cooperation on many fronts even with capitalist countries." The ministry added North Korea has never closed its doors to the outside and has rather maintained friendly and mutually respectful relations with many countries around the world. In a written interview published by the Indonesian newspaper Kompas, Sept. 7, President Moon said South Korea was seeking to formally end hostile relations with North Korea before the end of this year. "The most basic goal of our policy is that there must never be another war on the Korean Peninsula," he said. "The issue is sincerely implementing the agreement reached by the leaders, and the plan is to make enough progress by the year's end so the process cannot be reversed." "As a practical way of building trust, it would be great if a declaration ending the war, which would mark the end of hostile relations on the Korean Peninsula, could be made this year," he added. North Korean soldiers march during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday. North Korea staged a major military parade, huge rallies and will revive its iconic mass games on Sunday to mark its 70th anniversary as a nation. AP Korean People's Army soldiers march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang on Sunday. AFP People wave plastic flowers during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday. Reuters. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, raises hands with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu, during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday. AP Chinese President Xi Jinping sends letter to NK leader By Kim Bo-eun North Korea did not showcase intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in its military parade held in Pyongyang, Sunday, marking the 70th anniversary of the communist regime's founding. Pyongyang also did not provide live coverage of the event, which began around 10 a.m., ended before noon. Analysts said the event being held low key is seen as considering ongoing talks with the U.S. Washington, is known to be uneasy with the ICBMs, which are believed to be capable of reaching U.S. mainland. North Korea and the U.S. are engaging in dialogue after leaders agreed to work toward the former's complete denuclearization at a summit in June. The talks are currently stalled due to differences over initial steps to be taken in the denuclearization process. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the parade, watching the event alongside Li Zhanshu, the chief of China's top legislative body, who came as an envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kim did not deliver a speech at the parade, the regime's nominal leader Kim Yong-nam made an address instead. The speech did not make references to North Korea's nuclear program, but stressed its economic goals, according to an AP report. High-level officials of China, Russia, Cuba and 140 journalists of the foreign press were invited to the parade. Other weapons including short-range battlefield devices were reportedly incorporated into the parade. The size of the military forces in the parade was slightly larger than 12,000 at the military parade in February, according to intelligence sources. At the parade marking the founding of its military forces on Feb. 8, North Korea showed off two types of missiles comparable to ICBMs. "In his new year address the North Korean leader stated the regime would hold a massive founding day event, Shin Beom-chul, senior fellow of The Asan Institute for Policy Studies said. "However, the parade did not feature ICBMs, and Kim Jong-un did not deliver a speech _ this is seen as efforts to continue the dialogue momentum with the U.S.," he said. Professor Park Won-gon of Handong Global University said the low-key parade had been expected. "ICBMs are what the U.S. is sensitive about and U.S. President Donald Trump has been stating that threats from North Korea to the U.S. mainland have been removed," he said. "Displaying ICBMs would send the wrong message that could endanger the talks with the U.S. amid letters being exchanged between the leaders." Reports on Sunday cited the U.S. President as saying a letter from the North Korean leader was on its way to be delivered to him. Professor Park added North Korea is in an isolated position in diplomacy, as Chinese President Xi Jinping _ the leader of the regime's closest ally _ did not attend the event. China's Li, and Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of Russia's Council of Federation, attended the foundation day event, along with high-level officials of several other countries. Li delivered a letter from Xi to Kim Jong-un, China's CCTV reported. "My wish is to strengthen relations with North Korea and Chairman Kim Jong-un, to carry out the common thoughts of both sides and develop bilateral relations more swiftly," the Chinese state broadcaster quoted Xi as saying in the letter. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to the North Korean leader, the Korean Central News Agency (KNCA) reported Sunday. The Chinese leader stated his willingness to seek the development of relations between China and North Korea with Kim Jong-un, "to provide both countries and it peoples with greater well-being and facilitate peace and stability in the region." Putin, in his congratulatory message, stated cooperation with North Korea would contribute to the "boosting stability and security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia." Meanwhile, the North Korean leader visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, Sunday, the KCNA reported. The palace houses the remains of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and founder Kim Il-Sung _ Kim's father and grandfather. It is the incumbent leader's first visit to the palace since 2012. By Jung Da-min North Korea is staging a mass gymnastics and artistic performance in Pyongyang, Sunday, to mark Sept. 9 foundation day. On Friday, DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Korea's National Tourism Administration, released rehearsal photos of, "The Glorious Country," being held at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. Tickets cost from $115.7 to $925.7, according to the website. Below are scenes from "The Glorious Country." By Kim Yoo-chul Talks between the United States and North Korea over a possible joint effort for the recovery of more remains of U.S. soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War have resumed last week, a government official said, Sunday. "A general-level meeting was held at the truce village of Panmunjeon late Sept. 7 between representatives from each side in which they discussed ways to initiate moves for joint excavations of more remains of U.S. soldiers killed during the inter-Korean War within North Korean territory," the official said. "The potential for future remains being repatriated was also a key part of the agenda at the talks. The U.S. was hoping to receive more remains of its soldiers killed during the Korean War." Details on the specific timeline of the joint excavation project and how many U.S. military investigators will be allowed access to the battle sites remain unknown as the North was still reluctant to allow U.S. inspectors into its territory. The U.S. delegation was led by Major General Michael Minihan, chief of staff for the United Nations Command (UNC) and U.S. Forces Korea, while Lieutenant General An Ik-san represented North Korea, the official said. The general-level meeting between Washington and Pyongyang was the first official direct talks since U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his planned visit to Pyongyang abruptly last month. Pompeo received a handwritten letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stating U.S. President Donald Trump was expecting progress from Kim. Trump insisted Kim's recent statement that he wants to denuclearize North Korea during Trump's first term as president was "a very positive statement." The UNC estimates nearly 5,000 U.S. soldiers including 1,000 within the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, remain unaccounted for. In accordance with a June agreement between Trump and Kim in Singapore, under which the two countries would be collaborating to develop the process of finding and repatriating the remains of U.S. soldiers killed during the war, North Korea has returned the remains of 55 U.S. soldiers this year so far. The representatives also discussed the cost for the repatriation, said the official. However, he declined to elaborate further, citing the sensitivity of the issue. Washington is said to have paid about $22 million or 24.7 billion won to Pyongyang from 1990 to 2005 for receiving some 629 remains of U.S. soldiers who were unaccounted for from the war, according to government sources. In a related note, Stephen Biegun, the recently named U.S. special envoy for North Korea, will visit South Korea, China and Japan from Sept. 10 to 15. This will be his first diplomatic trip apparently aimed at advancing Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament talks, which have been stalled. By Kim Yoo-chul South Korea's spy chief Suh Hoon has arrived in Tokyo to brief Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on key updates of last week's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. "National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon will meet Abe on Sept. 10 in Tokyo. Suh will brief Abe about the latest findings of last week's meeting with Kim by South Korea's special delegation," the presidential office said. "Sending NIS Director Suh is part of President Moon Jae-in's envoy diplomacy to win backing for his engagement policy toward North Korea from major stakeholders in North Korean issues." It is unknown whether Suh will deliver any messages from Kim to Abe. More details about the Suh-Abe meeting will be released afterward. The trip to Tokyo came after President Moon's chief security adviser Chung Eui-yong went to China last Saturday to meet Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, to report on the delegation's meeting with Kim. Suh was a key member of the delegation during last week's visit to Pyongyang. China hailed South Korea's efforts to advance talks on the North's denuclearization. The South Korean envoys traveled to Pyongyang to help resolve the nuclear stalemate and pave the way for the Sept. 18-20 summit in the North Korean capital. A patient in Seoul was diagnosed on Saturday with the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea since 2015. The 61-year-old man, whose personal information was withheld for privacy reasons, was diagnosed with the disease at about 4 p.m. Saturday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. It is the first case of MERS diagnosed in South Korea since 2015, when an outbreak killed 38 people and triggered widespread panic. According to the KCDC, the man took a business trip to Kuwait from Aug. 16 to Sept. 6 and returned home via the United Arab Emirates on Friday. He visited a local hospital during his stay in Kuwait for diarrhea but showed the same symptom again on his way back home. He was rushed to the emergency room of Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport. The Samsung hospital checked the patient in an isolated section of the emergency room and reported him to the health authorities as a suspected case of MERS for showing symptoms of fever, phlegm and pneumonia. He was then moved to Seoul National University (SNU) Hospital in central Seoul and tested positive for the disease. "The man currently is not in a critical condition and does not have such symptoms as shortness of breath and a decrease in blood pressure, but we have to watch him closely because his conditions may deteriorate in the next one to two weeks judging from our experiences from the previous outbreak," Kim Nam-jung, a doctor treating the patient at the SNU Hospital, said. By Lee Kyung-min Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon called for "excessive" precautionary measures in dealing with a recent case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Sunday, saying such a response is far better than "belated regret." Lee presided over an emergency Cabinet meeting of relevant ministers convened to discuss countermeasures against the further spread of MERS. "In 2015, when the country had its first confirmed MERS outbreak that entailed 38 deaths, we as a nation experienced a great fear and frustration over the government's inept, irresponsible measures that fanned distrust among the public. We will not make the same mistake," he said. "The whole developments should be disclosed to the public in a transparent and swift manner to ensure public safety." The remarks came a day after a man, who took a three-week business trip to Kuwait, was confirmed to have been infected with MERS coronavirus (CoV), Saturday, a day after he arrived in Seoul. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the man, 61, whose identity is being withheld, returned to Korea from a business trip in Al-Zour, Kuwait. While staying there from Aug. 16 to Sept 6, he visited a local medical institute Aug. 28 to treat diarrhea. He returned to Korea after a brief stop at Dubai of the United Arab Emirates. No vaccines, treatment against MERS yet Gov't tracking down 408 people with 'indirect exposure' to MERS patient First MERS case detected in three years Upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport on 4:51 p.m. Friday, he underwent immigration and quarantine procedures. He met his wife who went there to see him and they took a taxi to visit the emergency room of Samsung Medical Center (SMC) in southern Seoul to treat his diarrhea at 7:22 p.m. The hospital examined him in an isolated area inside the emergency room where he showed symptoms of fever, phlegm and pneumonia, following which the hospital officials reported the case to the health authorities as a suspected case of MERS. Three hours later, he was moved to Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) in central Seoul at 12:33 a.m. Saturday. His test result came back positive for the disease, 4 p.m., following a test conducted by the Seoul city-run Health and Environment Research Institute. A doctor who treated him said further monitoring is required despite the seemingly negligible symptoms as of now. "His blood pressure has not dropped significantly, nor does he have difficulty breathing. But he should be under continued monitoring because his symptoms could progress rapidly over the next two weeks." Over 20 individuals who came into close contact with him remain quarantined at home including his wife, flight attendants, passengers, medical staff and quarantine and immigration officials. Over 440 that came to contact with him are under monitoring, officials said. The KCDC said given the incubation period of up to 14 days, he is presumed to have been infected while staying in Kuwait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the KCDC are conducting interviews to check if any Koreans who came into close contact with the man there exhibit similar symptoms. The MERS-CoV was first reported to cause human infection in Saudi Arabia in September 2012 and has since spread to other countries. Most people infected with the virus develop severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, coughing and shortness of breath. Korea had its first confirmed MERS patient on May 20, 2015. Since then, 186 were infected of which 38 died while 16,752 others had been quarantined until Dec. 23, 2015. MERS, a viral respiratory disease with a fatality rate of up to 46 percent, can be caused by a novel coronavirus carried by camels but it can be spread more frequently when someone is in close contact with a patient in a hospital setting. By Lee Kyung-min Criticism is mounting against quarantine officials, Sunday, over lax screening procedures at Incheon International Airport after they failed to report a passenger who was later confirmed to have been infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus (CoV). Despite the obvious major symptom of MERS _ diarrhea _ exhibited and reported by the patient prior to arrival at the airport, the quarantine authorities let him pass through the procedure. This led to over 20 people being quarantined at home for having come into close contact with him. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the man, 61, whose identity is being withheld, was confirmed to be infected with MERS-CoV, Saturday, a day after returning from a business trip to Al-Zour, Kuwait. While staying there from Aug. 16 through Sept 6, he visited a local medical institution Aug. 28 to treat diarrhea. He returned to Korea after a brief stop at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport at 4:51 p.m. Friday, he underwent immigration and quarantine procedures. By Jung Min-ho A man has received a prison sentence for assaulting a driver who attacked him first. The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the man, 39, to eight months in prison Saturday for retaliating against a driver, 52, who hit him first with a weapon after an argument about the driver's driving style. On the other hand, the court gave the driver a suspended prison sentence. According to the prosecution, the driver hit the younger guy with a "blunt weapon" in anger last September after repeatedly being told to drive slowly. But the younger man took the weapon from the driver and attacked him back with it, leaving the older man with injuries requiring six weeks of medical treatment. The younger man claimed he acted in self-defense, but the court said he had other options, including simply running away from the situation. Judge Jang Dong-min said the behavior should be considered an assault that was obviously beyond what should be allowed under the self-defense law. The case highlights Korea's conservative self-defense law, which is often criticized for its lack of flexibility for defenders. The forces of the Yemeni army and Popular Committees, in a retaliatory attack, fired two domestically made missiles at Saudi Arabias positions in Najran region near the border between the two Arab countries, local reports said. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The forces of the Yemeni army and Popular Committees, in a retaliatory attack, fired two domestically made missiles at Saudi Arabias positions in Najran region near the border between the two Arab countries, local reports said. The missile command of the Yemeni army and Popular Committees hit the Saudi forces positions in Najran with two homegrown missiles dubbed Zelzal-1, the Arabic-language al-Masirah TV reported. The artillery unit of the Yemeni forces also hit the same area with Katyusha rockets, targeting the vehicles of the Saudi troops. In another attack, the Yemeni forces shelled the positions of the Saudi forces and their mercenaries in the kingdoms southwestern border region of Jizan, according to the report. The attacks against the Saudi-led forces came in retaliation for the continued massacre of civilians and destruction of Yemens infrastructure by the coalition led by the Riyadh regime. Yemens defenseless people have been under massive attacks by the coalition for more than three years but Riyadh has reached none of its objectives in Yemen so far. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out deadly airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights announced in a statement on March 25 that the war had left 600,000 civilians dead and injured until then. The war and the accompanying blockade have also caused famine across Yemen. /257 By Kim Jae-heun A Seoul court ruled against a Chinese business leader's request for the lifting of a permanent entry ban on him due to his sex crimes against Korean employees. According to judicial circles, Sunday, the Seoul Administrative Court dismissed the Chinese chairman's of Jeshing Group's lawsuit filed against the head of the immigration office, which banned him from entering Korea ever again. The man was being investigated by the prosecution over the charge of sexual assault and harassment of two Korean women who worked as his private flight attendant and secretary. Prosecutors suspended the indictment of the man when the victims decided not to press charges despite the confirmation of his crimes. However, the immigration authorities slapped the man with a permanent entry ban and then he lodged a suit against the immigration office. "According to the prosecution's investigation, it clearly explains the plaintiff molested the victims using his position at work. There is a concern that he could commit acts against public safety and the national interest if allowed into the country," the court ruled. The businessman argued that the sexual assault took place in China and he has no prior criminal record but the judge said it did not matter. The man had a plan to build a luxury hotel on Jeju Island, together with a Korean partner. He argued that if he is banned from entering the country, it could lead to Korea's economic loss. However, the court said the public interest gained from banning a plaintiff who molested Korean citizens outweighs any potential business gains. By Kim Jae-heun A queer festival, scheduled for Saturday in Incheon, was unable to proceed due to strong protest from conservative groups that led to eight people being indicted. The first-ever queer event in the port city was planned to take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. near Dongincheon Station on Line 1, with over 300 people participating. However, right after the opening declaration, 1,000 anti-gay protesters, comprised of religious and other conservative civic groups, overran the festival, preventing it from continuing. The Queer Cultural Festival is an event to promote the rights and diversity of sexual minorities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT). The first queer event in Korea was held in Seoul in 2000. Since then, the LGBT rights group has hosted the event in different cities, including Daegu and Busan. While protesters were attempting to block the queer event, some of them clashed with festival organizers and violence broke out. As a result, the Incheon Jungbu Police Station booked eight without detention _ five on charges of interrupting the rally, two for obstruction of justice and one for obstructing traffic. Incheon's Dong-gu Office had disapproved the queer festival's request to host the event at Dongincheon Station last month, citing a lack of parking. However, the organizers of the queer festival filed an administrative adjudication against the district office saying there is no municipal ordinance requesting such standards and they proceeded with the event without permission from the office. The organizer pledged to hold the queer event next year with better preparation. "Protesters will once again try to stop us from hosting the event next year, but we will try to offer a safer festival," Lee Hye-yeon, head of Incheon's Queer Culture Festival organizing committee, said on Facebook. "We will meet again next year and do it again." If you hit back, don't expect Korea's self-defense law to excuse you. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won By Jung Min-ho On Oct. 9, a stranger made an unprovoked attack on a man in his 30s. To protect himself, the man grabbed the attacker and threw him to the ground. The altercation left the man with serious injuries, including a broken nose, which a doctor said would take six weeks to mend. On the other hand, the assailant suffered only a few scratches. Yet police concluded that both men were responsible for the "fight," in which, according to police, both attacked each other and suffered injuries. Korea has a "stand-your-ground law" that allows people to use force to protect themselves or others against threats. But many believe the law is nothing but a name because of its lack of flexibility for defenders. Under the law, people are allowed to use force to "prevent unjust infringement of one's or another person's legal interest," as long as there are reasonable grounds for that act and the degree of force does not go beyond reasonable bounds. But the law, as precedents and police guidelines show, deems using weapons and inflicting injuries on the attacker that would take more than three weeks to recover from unreasonable a standard many find almost impossible to meet in reality. If both sides sustain injuries, police almost always press assault charges on both, regardless of how the fight started and how serious each person is hurt, urging them to settle and drop allegations. "Police do not want to give an impression that they are taking sides with anyone," Kwak Dae-kyung, professor at the police administration department of Dongguk University, told The Korea Times. "This is why police are cautious about making a conclusion that one of them did so for self-protection." Also, there are too many petty altercations for police to handle. "It just takes too much time and effort to find out exactly what happened with physical evidence for every single case," he said. "Thus, police try to conclude the case quickly for everyone involved by convincing them to settle." Some people refuse to settle and bring the case to court. But the court rarely recognizes self-defense claims. "The court interprets the law very narrowly, which is the key of the issue," lawyer Kim Yong-min said. "As long as the court's current interpretation stands, there are few things police and prosecutors can do to change it." According to the law, which states that the defense act should not exceed reasonable limits, the person should not use greater force than that inflicted on him or her, which Kim thinks is the most nonsensical part of the law. Also, Korean laws do not treat such situations occurring inside homes differently from ones outside. This is why the Chuncheon District Court found a 20-something man guilty of beating a thief who broke into his house in 2014 a case that sparked a national debate on the self-defense law. The man, surnamed Choi, was given an 18-month prison term, suspended for three years, for beating a thief with his fist and an aluminum pole at his house in Wonju, Gangwon Province, at 3 a.m. The thief was rendered brain dead and has remained in a vegetative state. If the same thing occurred in the United States, experts say Choi would go unpunished for what he did. Nearly all states in the United States allow people to use deadly force to protect themselves inside their homes, based on the "Castle Doctrine," the legal notion that "your home is your castle and you have the right to use any force to defend it." Many states also have laws that expand the use of deadly force beyond their homes. But change may be coming here. Over the past few months, dozens of petitions were posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website to urge the government and the National Assembly to revise the self-defense law. "The current law is ridiculous," one petitioner wrote. "If the person wants to protect himself within the boundaries of law against a robber with a knife, the person should be able to kick the robber's hand to remove the weapon. This is close to impossible." The presidential office said it will respond to any petition that gains more than 200,000 signatures within a month. By Sandip Kumar Mishra South Korean President Moon Jae-in has shown for the third time that his engagement policy is able to bring back "renewed commitment" from North Korea for denuclearization. It happened in a context when there was pessimism that North Korea and the U.S. were at a stalemate in resolution of North Korean nuclear and missile issues. Moon sent South Korean special envoys to Pyongyang on Sept. 5 to convey his personal letter to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and suggest a mutually accommodative approach on the part of North Korea. The letter was sent with an apprehension that Kim might not meet South Korean visitors in person and thus, it's important to communicate directly to the North Korean leader through a letter. However, Kim not only met the South's delegation but apparently also had pleasant and productive dialogue with them. Moon had his first proactive intervention in the U.S.-North Korean contest by sending the same envoys in April to Pyongyang and got a nod from the North that it might directly talk with U.S. President Donald Trump and give up its nuclear and missile programs, if its security could be assured. On the second instance, President Moon had an unannounced visit to the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on May 26 when it was feared that a scheduled summit between Kim and Trump might not happen. Again the process was brought back on track and the historic Trump-Kim summit happened June 12 in Singapore. It's quite obvious from the sequence and contents of events in the 2018 calendar year that whereas North Korea has a clever plan and South Korea has a visionary policy, unfortunately the U.S. does not have either of them. Trump, after coming to power, has been talking about "fire and fury," "maximum pressure" and the option of a military strike. After a shift in North Korean priority and also because of the consistent engagement policy of Moon, when Kim agreed to talk and denuclearize North Korea, it was misperceived by the U.S. as success of its policy of "maximum pressure." The basic premise of the U.S. approach toward North Korea, which has been made operational through various contacts between high officials of both countries and through the Singapore summit, seems to be faulty. Trump, though has made several verbal appreciative remarks about the North Korean leader, wants to impose unilaterally his foreign policy goals on Pyongyang and postpones reciprocity, which are expected by North Korea from the U.S. Actually, the U.S. underestimates the North Korean shrewd moves that have led Pyongyang to reach out to China and South Korea in an unprecedented way in a very short time. Contrary to the North, the U.S. appears to have gotten into a few serious frictions with China and also with its old ally South Korea. North Korea, after rapid accomplishments in nuclear and missile capabilities until 2017, had consciously decided to focus on two of its other pressing objectives _ economic recovery and breaking its international isolation. Developments in the past few months indicate that North Korea has been relatively successful in its plan up to now. The most positive and visionary intervention has been from Moon, who through his "Moonshine" policy is not only trying to create trust between the two Koreas but also trying to connect and mediate relations between North Korea and the U.S. He has been successful in his limited objective so far. Bilaterally, the leaders of both Koreas are going to have a third summit from September 18-20 and in all likelihood get the armistice agreement of 1953 replaced by a peace treaty this year. Moon has also been successful in bringing the U.S. and North Korea to the negotiating table. However, there is a limit to Moonshine if the U.S. and North Korea don't devise an accommodative approach and maintain their uncompromising stances. Actually, the U.S. must realize a few important points. First, North Korea has not come to the talks because of the "maximum pressure" and so it's not going to accept each and every condition in the talks. Second, North Korea would not give up its nuclear and missile programs immediately. Third, it would also not agree on a clear timeline for denuclearization as it may have to change its course depending on the U.S. follow-ups. Fourth, the only option is to build trust with North Korea through a step-by-step approach, including providing it with security guarantees. For North Korea, it's important to note that there is a limit to its shrewdness. First, South Korea might not be able to sustain its engagement policy and attempt to engage Pyongyang if the U.S. decides to contain North Korea and deliberate on a military strike. Second, the support and security assurance from China would also not come to its rescue if a flare-up happens because of Pyongyang's adventurism and provocative behavior. Third, economic hardship on the domestic front and international isolation on the foreign front are also unsustainable indefinitely. North Korea clearly has to think about a way out through working with the South Korean leadership's visionary approach. To summarize, it could be said that Moon has again successfully saved U.S.-North Korea relations from being derailed. However, if the U.S. and North Korea are not ready to change their postures and approaches, the future of South Korean Moonshine could not be infinite. Right now, we could be "cautiously optimistic" but to sustain this optimism Moonshine alone would not be enough and the U.S. and North Korea also need to sincerely work for a futuristic solution. Sandip Kumar Mishra is associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, and can be reached at By Zerougui Abdelkader The publication of an anonymous opinion piece by a high-level official in the Trump administration in the New York Times (Sept. 5) has elevated the dilemma of the White House to a dangerous level, that could become a "constitutional" crisis. It is a close reminder of "Deep Throat" and the Watergate scandal that precipitated the downfall of the Nixon administration in August 1974. At the center of the crisis is the controversial "democratically" elected President Donald Trump, who is continuously at odds with the rest of the White House team and the Republican Party. President Trump on several occasions showed great "respect" and "understanding" to dictators such a Russia strongman Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. At the same time, he did not hesitate to antagonize his close European allies, Canada, South Korea and Japan. Swinging between building a wall along the Mexican border and imposing excessive tariffs on trade could spiral into something like the 1929 crash and Great Depression. Trump is on the loose. He was described by Defense Secretary James Mattis as "having the understanding of a fifth or sixth grader." Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described him as a "moron." Chief of Staff John Kelly has called Trump "an idiot." Trump engaged in a total war not only against former Democrat leader Barack Obama, but the former Republican administrations as well, calling them un-Americans, weak and jeopardizing American interests. The anonymous author describes the Trump leadership as being "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective." The president's erratic personality and impulsive behavior puts American policy at great risk. Resistance from within is a clear indication of a president that has lost control over public policy, and developed a grandiose self-image that can only be attributed to schizophrenic disorder. Trump called the "press," the most venerated institution in the free world a "public enemy." Only authoritarian rulers see the media as an enemy. Without a free press, the democratic free world will become what Ronald Regan called an "Evil Empire." The Trump "team" seems to be infuriated by a president that is running his chariot without looking at the horses. Any U.S. president does not have "carte blanche," but must adhere to the constitution, and work within moral, ethical and legal parameters that put at heart the greater welfare of the country and its citizens, without endangering the world order. So far the president has failed on both counts. The unpopularity of the Trump administration has reached its inner circle, an indication that this administration either before 2020 presidential elections or after will remain a dark dot in the history of the United States. ) is adjunct professor at American University. Zerougui Abdelkader ( zerouguiabdelkader@yahoo.com Main opposition slammed for 'birth-led' growth A speech at the National Assembly on Sept. 6 by Rep. Kim Sung-tae, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), is drawing a strong backlash from social media and other parties. During the speech, Kim heavily criticized the Moon Jae-in administration's income-led growth centered on controversial measures such as the minimum wage hike and shorter workweek. For revitalizing the economy, Kim instead proposed "birth-led" growth to respond to the record-low birthrate. The latest Statistics Korea report showed that the number of newborns numbered just 357,800 in 2017, the lowest in 48 years. The birthrate plummeted to 0.97 in the second quarter of this year, falling below the one child mark for the first time ever. Amid such a grave situation, it is natural for the main opposition's floor leader to bring up the subject of promoting the birthrate during a National Assembly speech. However, Kim's birth-led growth proposal is merely an empty political slogan rather than an effective policy suggestion stemming from a firm determination to create better conditions for parents and babies. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the opposition parties slammed Kim for the flawed proposal. We believe the concept is wrong for several reasons. First, it could be viewed as placing the primary blame on women for the population crisis, one of the most serious problems facing the country. Second, it shows disrespect toward women. DPK policy chief Kim Tae-nyeon said the term "birth-led growth" was "problematic" during a meeting at the National Assembly. "The LKP's view that women are tools for economic growth is very vulgar," Kim said. Last but not least, it cannot be a fundamental solution to the birthrate crisis. It is not the lack of government subsidies that is keeping Koreans from having children. Kim proposed a state subsidy of 20 million won ($17,800) per baby, and providing 100 million won in total by the time the child reaches adulthood. This kind of approach is no different from past and current administrations that failed with their pro-baby policies. The LKP has blasted the Moon administration's increase of childcare subsidies, so it is uncertain how such a costly policy can be carried out consistently. It is disappointing that the floor leader of the main opposition party only mocked the government during the speech, rather than proposing rational alternatives to improve conditions to boost the birthrate. Kim Hong-nuik, circa 1895-1898. By Robert Neff While waiting for Kim Hong-nuik's return to Seoul, efforts were made to extract confessions from Kim's wife, Kong Hong-sik, and Kim Jong-wha. There were many, especially among the diplomats, who thought the accused might be innocent. The Russian representative, Nikolai G. Matunine, wrote a passionate letter of protest to the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which he noted that the accused (Kim Hong-nuik and Kong Hong-sik) had previously been employed by the Russian legation in Seoul and were "devoted to the person of His [Korean] Majesty, and could not be guilty of the crime." He further denounced the torture of the men and Kim's wife as it would only bring about a false confession, allowing the real criminal to escape and continue to pose a threat to the emperor. He said that torture had been abolished in Korea by imperial decree. The Korean Minister of Law, Sin Kui-sun, vehemently denied that torture was being used but noted Korean law clearly stated "that a stroke of a lash may be administered to any person who refuses to tell the truth at a criminal investigation." It was not considered "excessive or illegal" when used on someone who declined to be submissive. The threat of the "stroke of a lash" might have been too much for Kong. Having discovered a nail in his cell, he attempted to commit suicide, supposedly due to his deep remorse for his act. Rumors, however, circulated that his injury was the result of an unsuccessful attempt to "destroy the mouth" and protect the identities of the real culprits. The "stroke of a lash" to ensure submissiveness, circa 1900s. Eventually, Kim Jong-wha confessed that Kong had hired him to put the poison in the emperor's foreign food and that when he was in the kitchen "he put the drug in the coffee pot which he found on the stove." Kong confessed that he met Kim Hong-nuik just before his exile outside the West Gate and was given a package containing the "deadly drug" and told to ensure it was placed in the emperor's food. All the authorities needed was Kim Hong-nuik's confession, which they obtained shortly after he arrived in Seoul on the evening of October 7. He claimed that he had found the drug in his hand bag by accident (it was the remaining medication he had used to treat his dyspepsia) and upon seeing it, "the thought of treason was suddenly awakened in his mind." He corroborated Kong's confession and sealed his fate. On October 10, Minister Sin sent a memorial to the emperor begging him to reintroduce the law of decapitation, saying that "to simply hang a traitor is not sufficient to vent the anger of men and gods and to terrify the hearts of rebels." But no answer was received. That evening, with "indecent haste", a trial was conducted and the accused were all found guilty. Capital punishment carried out in the streets of Seoul, circa 1900s. By Lee Jun-youb I've wandered over a hundred cities, but nowhere under the sun beats Berlin. A smorgasbord of humanity from beatniks to seniors fueled by kebabs to chemicals shimmy day and night in village-sized techno clubs, while the whole city reverberates to the beat. During my month-long zigzagging across Europe this summer, I made three pilgrimages to Berlin. I've heard today's Berlin compared to New York of the 1980s. Although I hadn't popped out then, it seemed true as every Berliner seemed an artist of sorts. What could degenerate into effete aestheticism seemed tempered by startups and multinationals including the German headquarters of Universal Music and Coca Cola. Their offices, along with mythic nightclubs such as Berghain that rejected me twice regardless of how much black I draped, dot East Berlin formerly occupied by communists. I wondered if the city's libido stems from the ecstasy of reunification. All across Berlin, the scars of division were palpable in the remnants of the wall and public art memorials. After the wall fell in 1989, Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Moon Jae-in unveiled in Berlin their blueprints for Korean unification. More than 300 Koreans have also devoted their dissertations to the parallels between German reunification and Korea. Their conclusion? Not much, but I disagree. Liberation came like a thief for Koreans, and so did reunification for Germans. Tocqueville's dictum that the most dangerous moment for a bad government is when it begins to reform may apply to the Kim dynasty just as it did to the Soviet satellite. Kim Jong-un is a Swiss-educated millennial after all, and the terminus of his royal reform could be a confederation of two Koreas similar to the cantons of Switzerland. Echoing young West Germans' apathy about reunification, today's young South Koreans are also blase about our other half. In contrast, young East Germans gave their blood for freedom, as most of the escapees and protesters during the 28 years of the Berlin Wall were twenty-somethings. My East Berlin-born hostel owner hid in a car trunk to cross the border when she was 18. Ironically, she returned to East Berlin to open a hostel after reunification. As young North Koreans are shackled by totalitarianism crueler than communism, young people in the south must generate the momentum to traverse the arc of history. Our grandparents and parents' historical imperatives were industrialization and democratization. Ours is unification. As the colloquialism "hell Chosun" and the macabre rates of depression and suicide in South Korea illustrate, we are not happy alone. North Korea presents not only an untapped market and labor, but also the proud histories of Goguryeo and Goryeo when Korea reached its military and artistic apogees. Once a rabbit-shaped peninsula at the terminus of the Silk Road, the sacrificial lamb of the Cold War is now two islands at the nexus of imperial crossfire. If young Koreans demand unity in duality, then Pyongyang can metamorphose into East Berlin. Lee Jun-youb (lee@hds.harvard.edu) is a freelance journalist and literary translator based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By Tong Kim Some of the statements that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made to the South Korean delegation of envoys, headed by National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, on Sept. 5 are significant enough to provide new momentum to restart the stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. According to Chung, Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to denuclearization and his trust in President Trump. Kim also "hoped to achieve denuclearization and to end hostile relations by the end of President Trump's first term." This is the first time Kim mentioned a target timeline. This new time frame is longer than a year's period that John Bolton, national security adviser at the White House, had in mind, but probably acceptable to secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who has been warning that denuclearization will take a long time as there is a lot of work to do. But, there is an important part missing that Kim did not mention: a list of the North's nuclear arsenal, including weapons and production facilities, which the U.S. has been demanding unsuccessfully from the beginning. Trump, who has recently said his good relationship with Kim could change, tweeted to thank Kim Jong-un for "his unswerving faith in President Trump. We will get it done together." Kim also said that he had never spoken ill of Trump, while expressing his frustration with a lack of recognition by the international community of positive measures that the North has taken toward denuclearization, including the closing of its nuclear test sites and dismantling a missile launch site, which, Kim said, should prove that North Korea has given up further nuclear development. Washington cancelled Pompeo's fourth visit to Pyongyang last month, after receiving a reportedly "hostile" letter from Kim Yong-chol, the North's top point man on the U.S. with a message that it would be futile for Pompeo to come to the North if he would not bring with him something new, something commensurate with what the North has done, especially on their demand for a declaration to end the war. The North has complained that Trump had promised to declare an end to the war at the Singapore summit, but his staff is backing away from his promise. It has demanded U.S. measures to establish a new relationship and a durable peace regime on the peninsula in accordance with the Singapore agreement. Perhaps conscious of pervasive concerns that an end-of-war declaration might entail, the North Korean leader said "ending the war will have nothing to do with the withdrawal of U.S. troops or weakening of the alliance between South Korea and the United States." This statement signals that his priority is not troop withdrawal or driving a wedge between Seoul and Washington. On the contrary, Kim maintains a continuing interest in improving relations with the South. He will meet with President Moon Jae-in Sept. 18-20 for their third summit in Pyongyang to discuss implementation of the Panmunjom declaration and to seek progress in denuclearization. As Moon says, improved inter-Korean relations can play a positive role in the process of denuclearization. Until April this year, the North shunned the South from any discussion of the nuclear issue, insisting that the issue will have to be dealt only with the U.S., because the issue was the product of U.S. hostility. Both the North and the U.S. now seem to recognize the South's positive role in promoting communication and understanding between them. Seoul claims that Trump entrusted President Moon as the "chief negotiator" on denuclearization. However, reconciling and narrowing their differences over the 79 years of hostility and bad experiences is not easy. Seoul appears to be pursuing an exchange of an end-of-war declaration and a declaration of nuclear facilities (or even a timeline for such a declaration). In short, Seoul is operating on the notion of a phased and synchronized process to which the North is sticking and which Washington is not ready to accept. We will learn more on how denuclearization may proceed, after Moon's third meeting with Kim Jong-un and Moon's meeting with Trump toward the end of this month in New York, during the U.N. General Assembly. Depending on how these two summits will turn out, a declaration to end the war is still possible within this year as agreed to in the Panmunjeom declaration, which will be only a beginning of the process of discussing a peace regime, which ideally should proceed in conjunction with denuclearization. Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Corean-American Studies. Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma gestures as he attends the 11th World Trade Organization's ministerial conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina December 11, 2017. Reuters Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's billionaire co-founder Jack Ma will announce a succession plan on Monday to hand the reins of his sprawling empire to a new generation of leaders but will remain executive chairman for the time being. Ma will announce the plan on his 54th birthday and the handover strategy will stretch over a significant period of time, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper reported citing a company spokesman. Alibaba declined to comment but pointed towards the SCMP story when asked about Ma's plans. Ma, who co-founded Alibaba in 1999, stepped down as chief executive in 2013. He currently serves as the company's international face at top political and business events. The New York Times reported on Friday that Ma would retire from the e-commerce company on Monday as the former English teacher seeks to focus on philanthropy in education. China's third richest person with a net worth of $36.6 billion according to Forbes magazine, Ma was quoted by the New York Times as saying his retirement was not the end of an era, but the beginning of one. While Ma's plan to gradually step back is a milestone, analysts and industry professionals said it was unlikely his involvement would change significantly. "I don't think it means that much, frankly. He stepped back from the CEO role about four or five years ago and very specifically made a comment about wanting the younger people to lead the company," said Kevin Carter, founder of The Emerging Markets Internet exchange-trade fund. Ma oversees a number of charitable projects in education and environmental fields. He is a cult figure in China's internet industry and has attracted a big following among entrepreneurs and in pop culture. At events, he is often met with screaming fans. TRICKY TIME Ma maintains a prominent international profile, frequently inviting global leaders to the company's Hangzhou headquarters. Last year, he met U.S. President Donald Trump, who described him as "smart" and "open minded." Alibaba was founded by 18 people led by Ma. China's biggest e-commerce firm, it now has more than 66,000 full-time employees, the company's latest annual filing showed. The company had a market value of about $420 billion as of Friday. Ma also controls Ant Financial, which was valued at about $150 billion after a recent fundraising round. The succession plans come at a tricky time for Chinese tech firms. Authorities have increasingly sought to regulate the industry where Alibaba and main rival Tencent Holdings Ltd are battling for consumers. Trade tensions also present a new challenge for Chinese tech firms, especially those like Alibaba which are rapidly expanding overseas. This year, regulators shot down a $1.2 billion bid for money transfer service Moneygram International Inc by Ant Financial on national security grounds, which the company said was related to "geopolitical" changes. Ma's decision also comes as U.S. police investigate an allegation of rape against Richard Liu, head of e-commerce rival JD.com Inc, which has hammered its shares. Liu was arrested and released without charge in the U.S. city of Minneapolis last week. Through his lawyers, he has denied any wrongdoing. Liu is chairman and chief executive at JD.com, and the incident spooked investors as the company has no clear succession plan. (Reuters) General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (Illustrative photo: VNA) His entourage includes Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh; Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its office Nguyen Van Nen; and member of the Party Central Committee and head of its External Relations Hoang Binh Quan. The Party leader is also accompanied by Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung; Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh; Minister of Education and Training Tran Xuan Nha; Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long; and Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee Nguyen Duc Chung. His Hungary visit holds historical significance as it is the first trip by Vietnamese Party leader to a country in Central Eastern Europe since institutional transformation in the region. It aims to create a new landmark and momentum for the bilateral relationship, while enhancing mutual trust and understanding between leaders and peoples of the two countries. The visit is also expected to deepen the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary, and advance their cooperation framework to a comprehensive partnership in order to make new and more practical changes in bilateral collaboration across various fields and promote Vietnams influence in Central Eastern Europe. Through the Party leaders trip, Vietnam wants to affirm its policy of considering Hungary an important and traditional partner in the region and enhance the bilateral relations in the areas of both sides potential and strength. Vietnam and Hungary established diplomatic ties on February 3rd, 1950. Over the past years, active progress has been made in the bilateral relations, with high political trust and regular exchange of delegations, especially at the high levels, through Party, Government, National Assembly and local channels./. By Jung Min-ho UL, the creator of the famous 3DMark test, has delisted four Huawei devices Huawei Nova 3, P20, P20 Pro and Honor Play from its database after discovering that Huawei cheated in its benchmark tests. According to AnandTech, an online computer hardware media outlet, some of the company's phones had been programmed to maximize performance specifically when running 3DMark, a popular benchmarking app. Anandtech reported that Huawei phones scored up to 47 percent higher with the program than they would otherwise. UL's rules require phone tests to be the same as for any other app. Chenglu Wang, Huawei president of software engineering, later told AnandTech that the company did so because "others do the same." He said it was common practice in China. The news is expected to be another blow to the reputation of Chinese firm, which is already struggling amid cyber-espionage concerns. LG Chem CEO and Vice Chairman Park Jin-soo, second from right, holds a conversation with those participating in the firm's recruitment event, "Business and Campus Tour," at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Friday. / Courtesy of LG Chem By Jun Ji-hye Park Jin-soo, CEO and vice chairman of LG Chem, has visited the United States to conduct a recruitment drive there, aiming to secure talented personnel who will lead the firm's future growth, the company said Sunday. Park, along with other top executives of the company, held a "Business and Campus Tour" at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Friday, with about 40 undergraduates and graduate and doctoral students at 30 major universities in the United States, including Stanford and Duke. Park informed the participants of the company's core businesses and vision. "LG Chem has entered the top 10 global chemical companies for the first time among domestic enterprises," he said during the event. "This was possible thanks to our employees who have an earnest wish to become the best in the world and our corporate culture that helps those wishes become realized." He stressed that a source of strength of LG Chem is the firm's attitude that "prizes its employees above all other virtues," vowing to offer opportunities of accomplishing what employees have dreamed of as much as possible. Park has visited the United States to hold the recruitment event for six years in a row since his inauguration. He has conducted such events in Japan and China as well as in the United States in person every year. The chemicals and biopharmaceutical business unit of LG Group, Park said, holds the firm belief that a company can grow only after securing talented personnel. "Recruiting talented people preemptively has become more important than ever as LG Chem is pushing to raise its sales by 15 percent every year," said an official of the firm. "We will be more active in securing creative and competitive people who will be able to lead the market." LG Chem took the No. 10 position in an annual survey of the global top 50 chemical companies conducted by the Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), a magazine issued by the American Chemical Society. The magazine announced a list of global chemical companies Aug. 1 after comprehensively considering their recent sales and operating profit. The company earlier said it was going to foster energy, water, bio and material areas as new growth engines to ensure sustainable growth. Danfoss Asia-Pacific Region President Soren Kvorning delivers a keynote speech at the Danfoss Energy Efficiency Summit 2018 at Seoul Dragon City, Thursday. / Courtesy of Danfoss By Park Jae-hyuk Korea needs efficiency in its use of energy if it wants to fulfill the Moon Jae-in administration's ambition of reducing the country's energy consumption, according to Danfoss Asia-Pacific Region President Soren Kvorning Danfoss, the Danish manufacturer of products for heating and cooling systems, is known in Korea for its contribution to the smart building engineering of Lotte World Tower in Seoul, which allowed the skyscraper to reduce electricity use by 5,040 megawatts a year and carbon dioxide emissions by 2,345 tons. Kvorning visited Korea to attend the Danfoss Energy Efficiency Summit 2018 held in Seoul to share his company's expertise with 200 experts in cold chain and commercial building. In an Interview with The Korea Times Thursday, he said Danfoss' success with Lotte World Tower proves that Danfoss can help the energy initiative of the Korean government, which aims to reduce by 37 percent the greenhouse gases the nation produces and achieve 20 percent of all energy generated in Korea by renewable energies by 2030. Emphasizing energy efficient operations, the executive refuted skepticism about the Korean government's goal. "There are two things needed for the transformation of the energy supply. One is the Korean government's ambition," he said during an interview with The Korea Times on the sidelines of the summit. "The other thing is the need to reduce the current energy consumption. We have energy consumption that is too high compared to the output, and we have massive opportunities for reducing the current consumption." Running four business units in Korea, including power management, cooling, drives and heating, Danfoss provided STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and stores of Home plus, Lotte Mart, E-mart and E-Land with facilities helping them optimize their energy efficiency Kvorning said his company still has more products to bring to Korea to support domestic companies and the government's efforts, what he said are "forward-looking." "We think we have very great opportunities for Korea with the initiative pushed by the government," he said. Calling the country a "technology-driven market," the president said the Korean market is important for Danfoss. "We see Korea as one of the biggest economies in the world," he said. "The market has the awareness, support and acceptance of our new technologies." According to Kvorning, Korea accounts for a third of his company's total sales in the Asia-Pacific region. Promising continuous investments in Korea, he said the company will keep putting equivalent emphasis on its four business areas here. He also said Danfoss will hold an event next year to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Denmark. Founded by Mads Clausen in Denmark in 1933, the family-owned enterprise sells its products in 100 countries around the world. The three most important markets for the company are the U.S., China and German markets. Seen is Chocolate Blossom Cake suspected of being the cause of mass food poisoning of over 2,000 students and staff nationwide. The cake was manufactured by W1F&B and distributed by Pulmuone Foodmerce. / Courtesy of Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Pulmuone CEO Lee Hyo-yul Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Source: VNA) Vietnam and Indonesia established diplomatic relations on December 30th, 1955. The bilateral traditional relations of friendship have been built on the firm foundation laid by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno, and nurtured and developed by generations of leaders and peoples of the two countries. The two countries share many similarities. Both are members of the ASEAN, APEC and many other regional and international organizations and forums. Indonesia is Vietnams important partner with great potential, and it highly values Vietnams role and position as one of the countries with great influence in ASEAN. Vietnam and Indonesia have signed many cooperation agreements and treaties in various fields. Many bilateral cooperation mechanisms have also been established. Since 1990, the two sides have exchanged many visits by high-level delegations of the two states, government and national assemblies, as well as by businesses and mass organizations. Bilateral relations entered a new stage with the historical visit by President Suharto in November 1990. In June 2013, during the Vietnam visit by President Megawati, the two countries signed a joint statement on the framework of friendly and comprehensive cooperation in the 21st century as well as an agreement on the demarcation of boundaries on the continental shelves. In the official visit to Indonesia by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in September 2011, the two sides issued a joint communique, declaring to push bilateral relations towards the strategic partnership. During the state-level visit by President Truong Tan Sang in June 2013, the two sides issued a joint statement, officially established the bilateral strategic partnership. In August last year, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to Indonesia, becoming the first Vietnamese Party leader to come to the country and ushering in a new chapter in the history of the bilateral relations. In recent years, trade between the two countries has seen encouraging progress. Two-way trade value rose to USD5.6 billion in 2016 from USD4.6 billion in 2012. The figure in the 2017 further increased to USD6.5 billion and USD4.7 billion for the first seven month of this year, while the two sides are striving to bring it to USD10 billion in 2020. Vietnams main exports to Indonesia include rice, crude oil, cement, electronic components and farm produce, and its main imports from the country are fertilizer, gasoline, packaging material, machinery, fabrics, paper and confectionery. In June 1989, the two sides officially launched the Vietnam Indonesia air route. Many of Indonesian firms have come to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities. As of June this year, Indonesia remained as the 5th largest among the ASEAN countries and the 30th largest among the 126 countries and territories worldwide investing in Vietnam with 71 projects and a total capital of USD514 million, mostly in oil and gas exploration and exploitation, coal mining, banking, hotel industry, wood processing and exporting, and garment. Indonesia is among the earliest countries to establish security defence relations with Vietnam. The two sides have exchanged many delegations and implemented bilateral cooperation in the fields of training officers and search-and-rescue activities. They have also made efforts to broaden cooperation in executive, legislative, justice, cultural, sport and fishery spheres. The visit by President Widodo will take place in the context that the Vietnam Indonesia strategic partnership has recorded new progress since the official visit to Indonesia by Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong in August 2017, and serve as an important focus that helps orient the bilateral cooperation in the new stage five years after the establishment of the strategic partnership./. After a years-long battle with medical challenges, beloved former Channel 2 anchor and reporter Jason Moore has died, according to his wife Susanna. He passed away peacefully in the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 8, surrounded by close family. The 51-year-old Moore, who was from Seward, Alaska, studied at Washington State University, where he majored in broadcast communications and journalism, graduating in 1989. He began his journalism career in Medford, Oregon, as a reporter in 1990. His LinkedIn profile shows that he then joined the KION-TV news team until 1995, before becoming part of the Channel 2 family in Anchorage later that year. At Channel 2, Moore was known as a compelling writer, passionate journalist and lively personality in the newsroom. His humor shone bright in the many feature stories he brought viewers - and colleagues - from across the Last Frontier. After 15 years with Channel 2, Moore left broadcast television to become a communications account manager, before most recently serving as Senior Director of Corporate Affairs for Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Service details are pending. At the meetings, the Party chief emphasised that cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, and energy, are of strategic significance in bilateral relations, and spoke highly of the cooperation between the groups and their Vietnamese partner. He also lauded the groups for maintaining signed contracts in an effective manner, and affirmed that Vietnam will create the best conditions for Russian firms to operate and expand their operations in Vietnam. He also expressed his belief that cooperation projects between the two sides will reap desirable outcomes and serve the common benefits of the two countries. Leaders of the two groups expressed their wish to continue the long-term cooperation with the Vietnamese side, and to broaden their cooperation to other fields such as electricity generation, environmental protection and human resources training. Also within the framework of Party leader Trongs official visit to Russia, Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long met with his Russian counterpart, Konovalov Alexandr Vladimirovich, in Moscow on the same day. The two ministers agreed to continue effectively implementing the cooperation programme for the 2018-2019 period, under which the two sides will boost the sharing of experience, continuing to effectively implement the legal and justice support agreement, and the Russian side will continue to provide scholarships for Vietnamese students. Few were hit harder in the recession than residential builders. Avi Brosh, 53, was one of them. His Palisades Development Group went from 50 employees to four. After losing millions of dollars, he was left with only the Palihouse West Hollywood hotel, part of a diversification effort. Now called Paligroup Management, Broshs firm operates three boutique hotels in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. The company employs 214 people. Under the Palisociety hotel brand, Brosh hopes to open five more by the end of 2019 in Westwood, Culver City, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami Beach. Unexpected success The recession, Brosh said, forced me to learn. I spent the better part of 2008 to 2013 learning the hotel business. It was, in a way, a blessing. When you have it all stripped away, you reevaluate what you want to do and how you want to do it. Brosh said the retrenching and subsequent rise taught him an important lesson. I would never want to go through that again, Brosh said, but what it did do is prove that I could get through that. If you can navigate through something like that, you can get through anything. Advertisement Delegating As a residential developer and with his first two hotels, Brosh said, his company did all of the heavy lifting. But then he decided on a new business model, starting with Palihouse Santa Monica in 2013. Brosh began, he said, to entrust responsibilities to partners and other investors. Brosh added, We still handle the branding, the design and the operations, but the new model quickly led to deals to expand in Westwood and other parts of California. Style sense Each of Broshs small hotels, ranging from 33 to 38 rooms, has its own style. An upcoming project in Westwood, for example, is described as a mix of Mid-century Modern with Parisian eclecticism. Brosh said his design choices hark back to his childhood in New Jersey. Brosh credits his mother, Adele Ariane Brosh, for her influence on his style. She was always very stylish, flamboyant. She had an eye for quality fashion pieces. She would scour flea markets and garage sales to find these little trinkets. Learning restraint Riding horses in equestrian competitions in his youth had Brosh rubbing elbows with families of vast wealth. Older money has a whole set of rules, he said. Its gauche to have a fancy car. Gauche to have designer anything. Its about hand-me-downs and restraint. Not ostentatious. Not showy. Thats what sticks with you. Its understated. Broshs family was much more budget-constrained but with that comes a sense of ingenuity. You learn how to make 75 cents look like a dollar. I loved that challenge of figuring out how to fit in but spending half of what others were spending. Early ambition Brosh showed drive and intiative early on when, at age 15, he was allowed to travel on his own to participate in equestrian competitions. I spent the summers traveling the East Coast, Brosh said. It was weeks at a time on my own, staying in hotel rooms, hanging out with people much older than me. Dads advice Brosh credits his father, Ammon, for not pushing him in a specific direction, making suggestions only when it clearly looked as if his son was finding his niche in real estate. He said, Hunker down and study it. Dad demanded a high level of morality and responsibility, but he never really pushed me into a field. So I took it upon myself to learn, Brosh said. Design talent During a stint working for Braemar Group, Brosh said, he discovered his design talent. He built a home for his family and saw that the bank appraised it for $250,000 more than he had invested in it. Soon he was designing and selling homes as a business. I did four houses on four lots, same vibe, same budget. I sold them right away and made more that year than in the prior 10 years, he said. He founded Palisades Development Group in 1997. For the first three years, he ran it while still working for the Braemar Group. In 2000, he left Braemar to focus fully on his Palisades Development venture. Epiphany Brosh remembers when showing one of his homes and the potential buyer said something that changed his life. She said, Could you imagine this with a lobby and a little cafe? A light switch went off. I can build this, design it, soup to nuts, in my style. Devised the idea. Called in a lot of favors. Four years later, we opened the Palihouse in West Hollywood at the end of 2007, beginning of 2008. Personal Brosh has been married for four years to his wife and business partner, Kirsten Leigh Pratt, who works as the companys principal of hotels and brands. His son, Archer, 22, is now working for the company, part of the pre-opening team for Broshs upcoming hotels. Its really nice to see him here, Brosh said. ron.white@latimes.com Claire Denis is a filmmakers filmmaker. Though the French writer-director has never had a commercial breakthrough in the U.S., she has been a steady presence in international cinema circles from her debut feature Chocolat in 1988 through such titles as 1999s Beau Travail, 2010s White Material, starring Isabelle Huppert, and Let the Sunshine In, which starred Juliette Binoche and was released in the U.S. last year. In part, Denis is so well-regarded because she remains so unpredictable. There is no signature style to her work and it remains surprising with each and every film. Her latest, High Life, which opens in New York and Los Angeles this week via A24, arrives with higher than usual commercial expectations. Long in the works, the film is a lo-fi sci-fi story that finds Denis working for the first time in the English language. She also has as a star Robert Pattinson, who continues his post-Twilight run of working with truly singular filmmakers. Advertisement Pattinson plays Monte, a man alone on a spaceship with his daughter Willow. Except they werent always alone Monte was a death-row inmate sent into space with other convicts. The narrative jumps around in time to reveal how the unusual intervention of an on-board scientist (Juliette Binoche) leads to Willows birth and sets in motion their future course. Robert Pattinson stars in Claire Denis High Life, which is having its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. (Wild Bunch) In a recent interview, Pattinson recalled that he was in Louisiana shooting one of the Twilight movies when he first discovered Denis, coming across White Material on TV late one sleepless night. He immediately emailed his agents about her. Though it took some time, they eventually met in Los Angeles. I was expecting a kind of philosophy lecturer or something, I was absolutely terrified for the meeting, recalled Pattinson. And then almost immediately, shes got the most perverse sense of humor and shes like a little weirdo. Shes really witty and odd. The way I always describe her, she seems like a genuine kind of punk to me. A very sensitive punk. Working with Denis, Pattinson appreciated the way in which so many of her films exist as a world unto themselves. High Life is brimming with peculiar rules and ideas, motivated by an internal logic that makes its own idiosyncratic sense. Reading the script, I was trying to understand how Claire approaches things, even the way the dialogue was written, so that I could understand it in some kind of cerebral way, said Pattinson. And then after a while I realized the bits that I liked the most are the bits which you dont understand at all. In conversation, Denis is much like one of her movies spinning vivid tales with their own internal narrative flow. Ahead of the films world premiere at last years Toronto International Film Festival and straight off a flight from Paris, Denis sat down to discuss High Life over a glass of red wine and a cup of hot water. And also just like her movies, there was an air of international adventure, at once sensuous and somewhat austere. Filmmaker Claire Denis is so well-regarded because she remains so unpredictable. (Wild Bunch) There has been a lot of expectation around High Life. Did it feel for you that this movie was more difficult to make? No, its a very strange thing because it came so easily. I mean I met this English producer Oliver Dungey, and like seven or eight years ago he showed up at my agents and he said he wanted to meet with me and he said, Claire, I have a project I would like so much to make with you. Would you consider possibly to work on a project that I could call Femme Fatale? And I liked the fact that he wanted to work with me. It was flattering, you know. But also he was very gentle, and he expressed so well what he wanted. And I said, Look, the only way for me to have a femme fatale is in the real sense of the word, which means its the last one. Its the end. And I think probably it could be a man alone in space, in a spaceship where everybody died and hes alone with a baby girl and he knows there is no return because they are so far away from the solar system. Its a poor ship. Its not a very elaborate ship. And this is a femme fatale because it is the tragedy of those two people, the baby and the man, that they are going to be the only alive human being for all their life. And the only thing hes afraid of maybe is to die too early because she might be alone as a baby in a ship. And then suddenly she is a teenager and shes almost a woman. And there comes another danger of attraction. This was the very beginning, like I told him that, and he said, Of course I am surprised, it was not at all what I thought, but if youre interested then lets do it. Tell me about casting Robert Pattinson. Of course everyone thought it should be a science fiction actor, like an action movie actor. And I thought exactly the opposite. And then I met Robert and I must say Robert really wanted to meet me, which was very nice, but I was also a little bit surprised because for me he was a young, iconic actor and I thought its exactly the opposite of what I had in mind sort of 40 years-ish actor, exhausted. And maybe I hesitated a little bit, it took me a few months and then I realized his wanting to be in the film was interesting. I was not flattered, on the other end I was a little bit afraid because as I said, he is an iconic actor and I wanted a sort of mysterious film, not an iconic film. But then I realized Robert was so ready to go anywhere with me. And then I realized he is a very mysterious young man. And have you been wanting to make a film in English? I told the producer, for me in space in my generation there is only two languages, Russian and American. So I thought it was better for me to do it in English because my Russian is not better than my English. And thats it, you know? I said you should have a good reason to do an English-speaking movie. Space is a good reason, I guess. Did this film feel more ambitious to you in the size of the production and that you had to work on sets? No. Its the first time I had a set, but it was so nice; its just for me. This story belonged so much to me that, for me, its not an expensive movie or a stylish movie. Its mine. Nothing else. Do you feel that way about all your movies, that they belong only to you? Maybe this one a little bit more because its like a box. I own the box and inside I have nine characters, you know, and its more like mine. Maybe, Im not sure. When I shoot on location, Im always aware that I am part of the world. My characters are part of the world. They are part of the story, but they are surrounded by the real word. It was the first time I was surrounded by void. There was nothing else but us. Robert Pattinson stars in Claire Denis High Life (Wild Bunch) This film has some additional writing credits, and Ive read that there was a draft of the film by Zadie Smith and Nick Laird you did not use. Is that something you can talk about? I can. No problem. The drafts were by Jean-Pol Fargeau and me. It was written in French, and Geoff [Cox] made it in English. Its not a new translation. I needed to speak with someone so I was sure it was like in French had the same feeling of the words. And then during shooting, because of the schedule, I wanted to make sure I had Andrew [Litvak] with me on the set to be able to correct the accent on the words. But the thing with Zadie Smith is different. My producer Oliver Dungey, he liked Zadie Smith a lot and he introduced me to her. We met in a pub in London. I had read her two novels in English and in French. And I thought, shes not really the type of writer I would care for, but shes great and it would be great to work with her and then it turned immediately down. She hated the story. She disliked the casting and she wanted to change the story and she wanted to work with her husband. So I asked her, Tell me the story you want. It was so different. It was so unsexy for me. So its not a fault, you ask someone to enter in my world, she did not. So there was not even a draft. There was nothing but a nightmare. A nightmare because it was a loss of time and painful. Do you consider the movie sexy? I think filmmaking is sexy. So every film is sexy for me. If a film is not sexy, its a little bit embarrassing, you know? Even if its very stern, even if its Mouchette by Bresson, it is sexy. A film that has no relation to sex, I dont know what it is. Given that High Life is a science fiction film and stars Robert Pattinson, would you hope that this movie gets you a new audience, a bigger audience? For people who havent seen your other films, this might be a way for them to discover your work. I dont believe in this kind of thing. I think if I was a kind of director using Robert to get a bigger audience, I would puke on myself. Its disgusting. I worked with Robert because Robert is great. Thats all. And just this sort of using him to get a greater audience is obscene to me. Really obscene. A number of recent filmmakers like Barry Jenkins and Greta Gerwig have talked about you as someone who really matters to them. What does that mean to you to hear a younger generation of filmmakers point to you as an influence? I dont consider its a generation thing. I think when I met Barry Jenkins, I never saw it like I was the teacher to someone. I think my films are made with a lot of irrational emotion, always touching the sensations and maybe I rely on that and maybe thats what some other directors younger, yes are interested in. I dont think I invented a style. I think I care for sensation, and many directors dont care anymore for that. And so maybe directors turn to me when they are like me. Review: Robert Pattinson takes a dark, thrilling space odyssey in High Life The Vietnamese Party leader thanked the Federation Council and parliamentarians for their support of the friendly and cooperative ties between Russia and Vietnam, and stressed that Russia is both a traditional partner and a loyal friend of Vietnam. He asked the Russian Federation Council to continue to cooperate and share its experience in law making and supervising activities with the Vietnamese National Assembly, especially when Vietnam is accelerating the building of a law-based state, perfecting its legal system and enhancing the role of the NA and elected bodies. The Federation Council Deputy Speaker affirmed that he will support the bilateral cooperation across all sectors, thus helping to deepen the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership. He appreciated the collaboration between the two law-making bodies in the recent past and pledged to work to promote stronger ties both bilaterally and at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums. He voiced his support of stronger economic, trade and investment cooperation between Russia and Vietnam through specific programmes, plans and projects, as well as more sharing of experience and closer coordination in supervising the implementation of the signed cooperative agreements. Host and guest both expressed joy at the progress in bilateral ties, noting that the sound political ties and mutual understanding create a solid foundation for diverse and effective cooperation between the two countries. They also praised the important contributions made by the two parliaments to strengthening the friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and peoples. The two sides also welcomed the contributions made by parliamentarians to local-level cooperation and reached a consensus on promoting cooperation between their businesses and localities and people-to-people exchanges, while facilitating the partnership between localities of the two countries based on each others potential and needs. Also in the framework of the Party General Secretarys visit, Minister of Education Phung Xuan Nha had working sessions with his Russian counterpart and officials of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education. He also witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and Russian universities. Hello! Im Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. This week saw the death of a Hollywood star the likes of which they simply do not make anymore, the incomparable Burt Reynolds. From his free-wheeling collaborations with director Hal Needham on titles such as Hooper and the Smokey and the Bandit pictures to roles in movies such as Deliverance, Hustle, Semi-Tough, Starting Over and Boogie Nights he always had a charming, easygoing screen presence. Plus, he made being a movie star just look fun. Jeffrey Fleishman wrote a wonderful appreciation of Reynolds career, saying, You had to like him, coming at you with a wink and a smile, as if he had swallowed all the worlds secrets Burt Reynolds was a charmer, a spinner of wiles and self-deprecating grace. He was the kind of guy youd sit with in a roadhouse and watch unfold a map to all the places youd never been. Well have a screening this week of All About Nina, a drama set in the world of stand-up comedy, followed by a Q&A with writer-director Eva Vives and star Mary Elizabeth Winstead. For info and updates on future screenings, go to events.latimes.com. Advertisement Maika Monroe, Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Grace Moretz from the film Greta, photographed in the L.A. Times Photo and Video Studio in Toronto. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival is many things, which is what makes it such a vital pivot point on the annual movie calendar. The festival provides a chance to catch up with many titles that have been premiering at festivals earlier in the year, allowing for a quick snapshot sample, but it more importantly serves as a launching point for many titles still to open, in particular those looking to sail on into the awards race. Weve got a big team up north covering all the action as it happens. Photographer Jay L. Clendenin is also running a photo studio to capture many of the festivals biggest names and rising stars. I wrote a preview and overview piece on this years TIFF, noting how many of the top titles seem more socially and politically engaged, including Barry Jenkins If Beale Street Could Talk and Steve McQueens Widows alongside documentaries such as Michael Moores Fahrenheit 11/9. This awareness has extended to the larger ecosystem of the festival itself, which made a commitment to change the makeup of the press corps that covers it by purposefully including more journalists from underrepresented communities. Cameron Bailey, artistic director and co-head of the festival, said that festival organizers had been noticing a disconnect between how certain titles were talked about at the festival and subsequently when they went into release, and they wanted to bridge that gap. And the more you notice that disconnect, Bailey said, the more you notice that what happens at festivals maybe needs to shift and get a little bit closer to the general reaction to movies. Jen Yamato wrote about Tim Suttons Donnybrook, a brutal action drama starring Jamie Bell, Margaret Qualley and Frank Grillo that is also a startling look at how drugs and poverty affect a community. Sutton and his three stars all spoke to Yamato about the film, which Bell summarized as a horrible Mark Twain nightmare set in a Trump America. Trevell Anderson spoke to the team behind The Hate U Give, an adaptation of the popular young adult novel that deals with contemporary issues of police violence. The whole process of filming felt like a grieving process, a space and time to honor the lives of those whove been killed by police, to think about the significance of their lives, said the films star, Amandla Stenberg. Actor Russell Hornsby, actress Regina Hall, actor Algee Smith, actress Amandla Stenberg and director George Tillman Jr. from the film The Hate U Give, photographed in the L.A. Times Photo and Video Studio in Toronto. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Justin Chang wrote about the opening night film, David Mackenzies Outlaw King starring Chris Pine, of which he said, the movie is a juicy slab of cinematic red meat, a symphony of mud, blood and viscera set to a soundtrack of thundering hoofbeats and howls of vengeance. Changs dispatch also took note of Olivier Assayas Non-Fiction, starring Guillaume Canet and Juliette Binoche in a story that juggles relationship issues with concerns over the encroaching power of digital technology over everyday life. As Chang put it, For anyone who has spent much time traveling the international film-festival circuit, it will be hard to watch Non-Fiction without reflecting on how the steady rise of all things digital has impacted the art and technology of cinema. Glenn Whipp took a look at the awards season chances for three films screening in the festival, Sara Colangelos The Kindergarten Teacher, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Renaldo Marcus Greens Monsters and Men, starring John David Washington, and Lee Chang-dongs Burning, South Koreas submission for the foreign language film Oscar. Amy Kaufman uncovered a controversy around The Predator, opening title of the Midnight Madness section, in that a convicted sex offender was cast in the movie and subsequently had his scene removed. I also spoke to Errol Morris about his documentary American Dharma, about controversial political advisor Steve Bannon. Morris said he was inspired to make the movie because the events it attempts to examine are ongoing, saying, You cant put a period at the end of this sentence... I mean I made the movie telling myself I just could not sit on my hands through all of this. I had to do something. And Josh Rottenberg spoke at Telluride to the directors of two movies that also promise to make a big impact at Toronto, Alfonso Cuaron with Roma and Damien Chazelle with First Man. Hal Ashby in a scene from the documentary Hal. (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Hal Hal Ashby, director of films such as Shampoo, Coming Home and Being There, is the kind of filmmaker about whom much has already been said and yet you can never say too much. His name is frequently invoked by contemporary filmmakers as someone who made the kinds of movies they would want to make, entertaining but serious, compelling and watchable with a lot on their minds. A new documentary on Ashby, titled simply Hal, is already playing in New York and is opening in Los Angeles on Sept. 14. Directed by Amy Scott, the documentary covers Ashbys trajectory from Oscar-winning editor to a director all his own, placing him squarely at the center of the New Hollywood of the 1970s without flinching from the self-destructive impulses, both professional and personal, that would be his undoing in the 1980s. In her review for the New York Times, Manohla Dargis wrote of the films many voices, including collaborators like Norman Jewison, Robert Towne and Jane Fonda and admirers like Judd Apatow, Lisa Cholodenko and Adam McKay, noting, Taken together, they may not always make the strongest case for Ashbys cinematic genius (the films themselves are greater proof), and theres also a bit too much vague talk about humanism and individuality. But with Ms. Scott, they remind you that some of his films remain among the finest American works of his era, even if Im not convinced that I need to see Harold and Maude again. At the Ringer, Sean Fennessey wrote a loving tribute to the filmmaker and his work, saying, Ashby had a way of making his movies about weighty ideals and real-seeming people, neither of which have aged much in the past 40 or so years. They explored friendship, romance, war, peace, sex, race, gender, celebrity, and parenthood. They scaled politics and international conflict and television. Ashby made message movies with a simple code of empathy and decency. They reflected the man, who carried one of the most unwavering reputations among colleagues in his profession. Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus. Three years ago, federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to several of Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nury Martinezs aides, instructing them to appear before a federal grand jury to discuss her 2015 re-election campaign. Within weeks, FBI agents also went to the homes of people listed in city records as donors to Martinezs campaign to ask them if they were indeed contributors. Four of them later told The Times they did not make those donations. The U.S. Attorneys Office never announced charges and since then has declined to say whether the probe is over. But earlier this summer, several people with ties to Martinez or her campaign were summoned to a different grand jury, this one representing Los Angeles County. At least two people who worked for the councilwoman in 2015 one a current employee, the other a former staffer were called to the grand jury in June. At least three others, each of them identified in city reports as Martinezs donors, were summoned that same month. Advertisement A spokesman for L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, responding to a Times inquiry, confirmed that prosecutors are looking at Martinez. He declined to say what his office is examining. Our office has received complaints regarding Nury Martinez and they are under review, said Lacey spokesman Greg Risling. We cannot comment further. Martinez told The Times she has not heard from either the D.A. or the U.S. Attorneys Office. I have no idea who theyre talking to, Martinez said in an interview. No ones ever made me aware of anything. Ive been sort of kept in the dark. The three donors who were summoned to the county grand jury in June were listed in Ethics Commission documents as having given $5 to Martinezs 2015 re-election campaign. Those contributions, while extraordinarily small, would have been especially valuable, since they came from residents in Martinezs district and could help the councilwoman qualify for taxpayer matching funds for her reelection bid. Such donations were examined by the federal grand jury in 2015 and 2016. Two years ago, federal investigators asked residents in Martinezs district if their contributions, which helped Martinez obtain $65,360 in matching funds, were fraudulent, according to several people interviewed by The Times who either made donations or were listed in city records as having given. Matching funds are designed to boost the campaigns of candidates deemed as having grassroots support. Council candidates are eligible for matching funds once they have received 200 donations of $5 or more from residents inside their districts, according to Ethics Commission rules. At the time, federal investigators were also trying to determine whether public employees had engaged in election-related activities on government time, according to one source familiar with the probe, who asked to remain anonymous because they lacked authorization to discuss it. The D.A.s spokesman would not say whether county prosecutors are also looking at that topic. Martinez represents such neighborhoods as Van Nuys, Sun Valley, Arleta, Lake Balboa and Panorama City. During the 2015 campaign, taxpayer matching funds made up nearly a fifth of the money taken in by her re-election bid. A year after she won re-election, a handful of people who live in Martinezs district told The Times they did not give to the councilwoman, even though Ethics Commission records identified them as having done so. One of them was Bryant Mota, who was named in city records as a $5 contributor who lived in Martinezs district. Mota was summoned to the grand jury office in late June. He declined to discuss his appearance when approached by The Times. Arleta resident Jaime Robles, also listed as a $5 Martinez contributor, was summoned to the grand jury office earlier this summer. Asked later if the panel was looking into Martinezs donations, he declined to discuss the matter. They didnt tell us what they were after, he said. Being called to testify before a grand jury is not an indication that someone has done something wrong. In Los Angeles County, prosecutors can use a grand jury to obtain information, such as testimony, without seeking an indictment from the panel. The Times reported in 2016 that some of the people who collected Martinezs $5 and $10 donations were the councilwomans staffers. In one instance, 18 relatives of a low-level Martinez staffer provided contributions ranging from $5 to $10. In recent weeks, some civic groups have been pushing for changes to the matching fund system, arguing that the number of donations needed to qualify for taxpayer funds should be reduced from 200 to 100. Among those groups is California Common Cause, a campaign finance watchdog. Martinez has previously appeared in a Common Cause video promoting the citys matching fund program. After The Times reported on the federal probe into the councilwomans contributions, the group replaced its video with a shorter version that did not feature Martinez. david.zahniser@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidZahniser Sundown on Sunday marks the beginning of Rosh Hashana, the two-day holiday celebrating the Jewish new year and the start of the 10 High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During the two days of Rosh Hashana, observers commemorate Gods creation of humanity. It is a time for introspection and prayer and to spend time with friends and family. Among the traditional food items served at this time is apple with honey symbolizing a wish for a sweet new year. Celebrations across Los Angeles will usher in the year 5779 on the Hebrew calendar. Most congregations require membership and tickets for High Holy Days services, but some synagogues and organizations are opening their observances to the public at no charge. Planning your menus? 27 Rosh Hashana recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen. Advertisement The Chai Center will hold a free service from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Writers Guild Theater at 135 S. Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills. It will be followed by what is billed as The Largest Free Jewish New Years Eve Party from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Another service will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday. The Laugh Factory in Hollywood, in a public announcement, said this will be its 35th year celebrating Rosh Hashana with the community. Services will be held Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Reform Jewish tradition by Rabbi Bob Jacobs. Two of the main reasons I love doing this is it gives so many actors, writers, comedians and the entire Hollywood community who are away from their families a place to pray for the holidays, Jamie Masada, owner of the Laugh Factory said. And, with the economic crisis this country has been experiencing now for over a decade, so many people cannot afford the high cost of tickets that most temples charge in order to attend services. At the Laugh Factory Temple, all are welcome to come and pray. Many are also expected to participate in the annual gathering at Venice Beach on Monday evening for the Tashlich ceremony and the blowing of the shofar horn. Tashlich, which means casting away, invites participants to throw bread or stones into a flowing body of water to symbolically cast away their sins. rosanna.xia@latimes.com Twitter: @RosannaXia When a fire consumed Brazils National Museum on Sunday night, American museums followed the news closely. Images circulating on Twitter showed the stately building engulfed in flames as staff scrambled to save what specimens they could carry. It will likely be weeks before we know exactly what was lost from the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro, the equivalent of our Smithsonian. But the initial assessment is bleak: nearly all 5 million specimens in the insect collection, as well as the museums historical and sociological archives, which housed recordings of now-extinct languages. For the record: This story originally suggested that the American Museum of Natural Historys Dinosaur Hall chose to hedge its message on climate change as a result of funding it received from the Koch brothers. Actually, its hedge on climate change preceded the Koch funding. This kind of disaster is every museum workers worst nightmare. Though the cause of the fire is not yet known, Brazilian academics were quick to point out that the museum had been woefully underfunded in recent years and that the risk of fire was well known. The museums budget was so meager, in fact, that its fire hydrants didnt work. Firefighters had to carry water from a nearby lake. Americans might be inclined to think: Well, thats Brazil, a country whose economy is in free-fall. But this would be false security. The infrastructure of our public museums is crumbling too. Advertisement Data compiled in 2012 by the American Assn. of Museums found that, since 1989, public funding of museums in the U.S. declined from 38% of total budgets to 24%. And now the Trump administration is seeking to turn this slow death into a bloodletting. If this tragic event can teach us anything, its that we must reinvest in our public museums. The administration has proposed eliminating funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides a significant amount of this federal financing. It has also proposed defunding the Biological Survey Unit, whose staff will soon be prohibited from curating 1 million of the specimens in the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History. This is a recipe for the kind of catastrophe that took place in Brazil. After years of paltry funding, one rare accident can easily become a disaster. Researchers have observed firsthand the results of poor funding at our public museums: cramped and dilapidated specimen cases, outbreaks of pests, spotty digital records. The heroic efforts of museum staff notwithstanding, there are simply too few of them to ward off natural decay. Generous investments are still made on an individual basis, such as the recent gift of $160 million to Yales Peabody Museum. But often such gifts come from private donors and are given to private museums. For every Peabody Museum, there are numerous public institutions like the San Bernardino County Museum, whose unheralded but important collections have faced consecutive budget cuts over the last decade and are overseen by a dwindling staff. Public museums have been urged to get creative with their fundraising. This can mean shifting the focus from research, which costs money, to earned income, a strange turn of phrase that means entrance fees for public exhibits. The term also seems to imply that if a museum is not selling something, its just loafing around. Exhibits are important for teaching and engaging the public, but their capacity to inspire multiplies when informed by active research. Another way to get creative is to shift from public to private funding. But private funding often comes with strings attached. One-donor museums, which some call egoseums, are also in fashion. Their exhibits and research objectives, if they have any, often dont serve the public and instead reflect the biases and blind spots of the 1%. An additional problem with relying on private donors is that investing in infrastructure isnt sexy. Solid infrastructure doesnt generate press releases. Quite understandably, donors arent lining up to slap their names on sprinkler systems. Building something shiny and new usually wins out over an economical refurbishing. When my colleagues and I were fundraising for a $13-million remodel of our building and collection space at Occidental College, we discovered that it was harder to raise $10,000 for a single part-time staff position than it was to raise $1 million for new exhibit spaces. It is fortunate that no human life was lost in Brazils museum fire. But if this tragic event can teach us anything, its that we must reinvest in our public museums. We cant rely solely on angel donors and staff heroics. Museums inspire the public and house our knowledge bank. Their collections contain solutions to some of our most pressing problems and answers to questions that have yet to be asked. They are venerable, but surprisingly vulnerable. Without investment, they could go up in smoke. John McCormack is an associate professor in biology at Occidental College and the director and curator of its Moore Laboratory of Zoology, which houses the largest Mexican bird collection in the world. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook To the editor: Heather Mac Donald raised the question of whether Albert Einstein would have been hired by UCLA today given the institutions focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Mac Donald offers a false choice between excellence in research and demonstrated concern about serving a diverse student population. We can and must do both. If UCLA could get Einstein, it would do well to hire him: He brings a strong physics background and an understanding of civil rights issues. Breaking his own self-imposed rule, he agreed to speak at and accept an honorary degree from Lincoln University, a historically black college in Pennsylvania, in 1946. There, he declared that the separation of the races is not a disease of colored people, but a disease of white people. I do not intend to be quiet about it. And Einstein brought experience lecturing in physics to students of color. Advertisement He was a dream candidate for higher education. Shirley M. Malcom, Washington The writer is director of education and human resources programs at the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science. .... To the editor: As a graduate of a liberal arts college, I have read several mission statements over the years, but never have I seen such a misguided application of one as whats going on at UCLA. Faculty members must be silently fuming. The personal commitment they must make to diversity is akin to having to take a loyalty oath. UCLA students are adults who should be engaged in meeting the challenges of more rigorous course work, not social engineering. Im all for civility, empathy and community service rather than on fixating on oppression and victimization. UCLA is clearly overreaching here. The next plea for more funds to avoid a tuition hike will fall on this taxpayers deaf ears. A. R. Atkins, Santa Ana .. To the editor: Like climate change, diversity as a driver of scientific accomplishment gets doubted through the mendacious denial of facts. Comprehensive analysis demonstrates the critical role of diversity for inventiveness and success in science, engineering and other fields. The United States vastly exceeds the closest country in Nobel laureates, and most recipients were under-represented minorities by heritage or outlook. Grudgingly accepted by our universities, they still found in our nations relative inclusiveness a better opportunity to get a foothold and pursue their science. But how many more have we missed? The UCLA faculty understands the fact of diversity as a driver of scientific discovery. To fulfill the universitys societal role, it is foolish and immoral for faculty to make less than a personal commitment to diversity as a strategy to maximize scientific progress. Dr. Jonathan Braun, Los Angeles The writer chairs the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UCLA. .. To the editor: As a college professor, I can say that Mac Donalds article reflects what is really happening at universities. Rather than focusing on the actual subjects mine is the French language teachers must address different learning styles. In other words, we must create a comfort zone for everybody. From inclusion and diversity to sensitivity training, the new requirements seem endless. College is college, take it or leave it. Christine Peterson, Woodland Hills Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: The Times Editorial Board rightly points out the flaws in Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) national paid family leave proposal, but it gives the false impression that Californias system remains the gold standard for the country. While Californias paid family leave law is a landmark achievement, it has become increasingly evident that cracks in the 15-year-old program leave many vulnerable residents to fend for themselves. While Californians working in the private sector can access benefits, many public sector workers are ineligible. Meanwhile, despite an improvement to the program last year, many low-income families simply cannot afford to take home only a portion of their pay. And, unlike other state programs, people working in California have no assurance they can return to their jobs after they take their leave, and they have no guarantee of continuing healthcare coverage. Californias families deserve better, and any federal paid family leave policy should learn from where California has so far fallen short. Advertisement Katie Bethell, San Francisco The writer is founder and executive director of the paid family leave advocacy group PL+US. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook I thought I was in a minority when it came to hearing loss, but learning that 14% of people ages 20 to 69 share my problem gave me a little comfort [Wait Whatd They Say?, All Systems Go, by Yomi S. Wrong, Aug. 26]. That comfort, however, does not alleviate the frustrated feeling of hearing, but not understanding, flight delays and gate changes announced on loudspeakers. The new paging screens and apps now at airports will make it easier for silent-generation folks like me to not miss important messages. The last few times I have flown, the announcements sounded loud but jumbled to my ears. Had it not been for my Generation X son, I might have missed something important. I guess the trick is to get a hearing aid and the proper app for your phone, stand close to a paging screen, be with someone younger or take a bus. Advertisement Bill Spitalnick Newport Beach Must I spend so much? San Pedro is indeed a nice place to visit for the day [Sailors, Dolphins and Ships, Aye, Aye, by Rosemary McClure, Aug. 26]. I also recommend the Maritime Museum, and Ft. MacArthur is nearby. But $600 relatively inexpensive? I guess people with my mind-set dont rev the economy, though I also wonder why most people have little or no savings. Bob Wieting Simi Valley They stranded her; she froze them Catharine Hamms column discussed some of the issues that may arise when using a credit card overseas [No PIN Could Spell Trouble, On the Spot, Aug. 26]. She mentioned a problem with her American Express card, which was frozen. When we were traveling in Vietnam, my husbands wallet was stolen, an American Express card and a Visa card taken. American Express froze the card and would not send a replacement to any place other than our home, where we would not be for two months. Visa, on the other hand, overnighted a new card to our hotel without difficulty. If we had not been able to replace either card, our travel experience would have been much more difficult. Our experience with American Express was enough to have us both cancel our American Express accounts. We have found it much easier to travel with other types of credit cards and believe others should be aware of this issue. Linda Cioppa Temecula Remember youre a guest I saved the Expats Guide to Paris Life by Peter Mandel [July 29] because I was so pleased to see the sentence, The city will open up to you in a thousand small ways if you can blend in and play by a few of its rules. I wish those words were printed on the cover of every passport issued to U.S. travelers. I dont travel frequently, but when I do I am always saddened when it doesnt occur to travelers that they are guests in someone elses home. Please continue to make that point as often as you can. And Mandel is correct: Observing and respecting the way things are done in a different culture (blending in) turns a sightseeing trip into an unforgettable, profound connection with that place and its people especially if you take the trouble to acquire some of the language. Phyllis Elliott Santa Monica travel@latimes.com @latimestravel Workers with paintbrushes and brooms put the final touches on Pyongyangs iconic Kim Il Sung Square on Saturday as North Korea prepared for what promises to be its biggest celebration in years the 70th anniversary of the countrys official birth as a nation. The spectacle, months in the making, will center on a military parade and mass games that will likely put both advanced missiles and leader Kim Jong Uns hopes for a stronger economy front and center. Although North Korea stages military parades almost every year, and held one just before the Olympics began in South Korea this past February, Sundays parade comes at a particularly sensitive time. Kims effort to ease tensions with President Trump have stalled since their June summit in Singapore. Both sides are now insisting on a different starting point. Washington wants Kim to commit to denuclearization first, but Pyongyang wants its security guaranteed and a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War. Advertisement With tensions once again on the rise, a parade featuring the very missiles that so unnerved Trump last year, and led to a dangerous volley of insults from both leaders, could be seen as a deliberate provocation. The North displayed its latest missilery in the February parade, however, and Washington hardly batted an eye. So its possible Kim might choose to display them but give the missiles a lower profile if he makes his usual address just before the parade begins. Either way, soon after the Sunday celebrations end, Kim will once again meet in Pyongyang with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss ways to break the impasse over his nuclear weapons. While it remains to be seen what kind of weaponry will be rolled out Sunday, North Korea is clearly trying to switch its emphasis away from just military power to its efforts to improve the countrys domestic economy. The new line of putting economic development first has been Kims top priority this year. He claims to have perfected his nuclear arsenal enough to deter U.S. aggression and devote his resources to raising the nations standard of living. Despite speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend, Beijing instead sent its third-highest party official. With Xi officially out, no major world leaders were expected to join in, though delegations from countries such as Syria, Vietnam and nations across Africa that have friendly relations with the North sent high-level delegations. This years celebrations also mark the revival of North Koreas iconic mass games after a five-year hiatus. The mass games involve tens of thousands of people holding up placards or dancing in precise unison and are intended to be a display of national unity. This years spectacle tickets start at just over $100 and go up to more than $800 per seat also has a strong economic theme. The economy was also a big part of a concert held on the eve of the anniversary for foreign dignitaries and a large foreign media contingent allowed in for the events. As is commonly the case, the visiting journalists were generally kept away from anything newsworthy. On Saturday, they were bused to a cosmetics factory and a very well-funded cooperative and not very representative farm on the outskirts of the capital. An official welcoming ceremony was held at the airport for the Party leader and delegation. During his stay in Hungary from September 8-11, the Party leader will hold talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and have meetings with other top leaders of the host country, including the Acting Chairperson of the National Assembly and the President. He will also meet with leaders of the Hungarian Socialist Party, the Hungarian-Vietnamese Friendship Association and the Hungarian Workers' Party. He will join various activities in Hungary, such as laying wreaths at the Heroes' Square in Budapest, visiting the ancient town of Szentendre, delivering a speech at the inaugural session of the 2nd Vietnam-Hungary University Rectors Conference, and visiting the Vietnamese Embassy to talk with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Hungary. The Party General Secretary's visit to Hungary is intended to enhance the mutual understanding and trust between leaders and people of both sides, while deepening the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation towards lifting the collaboration to a Comprehensive Partnership" framework and creating new and substantial changes in all fields, thereby consolidating and promoting Vietnam's influence within Central Eastern Europe. The visit also affirms the policy of Vietnam to consider Hungary a leading traditional partner in Central Eastern Europe, as well as strengthening the relationship between the two ruling parties of both sides, laying the basis for promoting bilateral relations in the fields of strength and potential for both sides. More than 18,000 people marched Saturday in Paris as part of an international mobilization to show popular support for urgent measures to combat climate change in advance of a San Francisco summit. Crowds overflowed a plaza in front of City Hall before marching east to the Place de la Republique, carrying an urgent message that its up to the public to put global warming at the top of the political agenda. Planet in Danger, read some banners. Activists around the world encouraged Rise for Climate protests before the summit taking place Wednesday through Friday. Californias governor proposed the event after President Trump vowed to pull the U.S. out of a landmark 2015 climate accord. Advertisement The international agreement was negotiated in Paris, and the French capitals march was more successful than ones held Saturday in other French cities or elsewhere in Europe. Thousands of people took to the streets of San Francisco, marching about 2 miles from the citys piers to City Hall. Demonstrators banged drums, sang and hoisted signs that said Rise for climate justice and Not a penny more for dirty energy. They called for politicians to spearhead a transition to 100% renewable energy. Police estimated that 18,500 took part in the Paris march, while organizers put the number at some 50,000. Several hundred people gathered in Frances southern port city of Marseille. Several dozen called for an end to the use of fossil fuels outside Londons Tate Modern art gallery. Only about two dozen showed up in Barcelona, Spain. The front page of Frances daily Liberation newspaper featured a call from 700 French scientists for the government to move from incantations to acts to move toward a carbon-free society. The language was a reference to French President Emmanuel Macrons use of the phrase Make our planet great again, a takeoff on Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan. The signing scientists also called for strong and clear political choices and said solutions are available. The march in Paris, organized with the theme Change the system, but dont change the climate, was both festive and serious. One protester denounced the plastic that inundates daily life. Another criticized the practice of driving down the road to buy bread. There is no Planet B, a sign read. Sweden has long been seen as the model of an open, liberal country with low crime and a strong social welfare system. But a campaign dominated by immigration and law-and-order issues has helped propel the far-right Sweden Democrats to new electoral heights: Nearly 1 in 5 Swedish voters backed the party, which has fascist and white nationalist roots and advocates a hard-line stance on immigration. With nearly all the results in Sunday night, the Sweden Democrats won 17.6% of the vote slightly less than projected, but still a significant increase over the 13% they won four years ago. They were again the third-strongest political force in Sweden, behind the center-left Social Democrats with 28.4% and the center-right Moderates with 19.8% of the vote. Though all of the major parties have said they would be unwilling to form a coalition with the Sweden Democrats, their share of the vote will make forming a government without them extremely difficult. Sundays election results in Sweden appear to reflect the broader political headwinds in Europe, which have seen right-wing populist parties such as the Sweden Democrats rise at the expense of traditional centrist parties such as the Social Democrats and the Moderates. In just the last year, similar parties have made significant gains in Germany, Italy and Austria, among others. Advertisement The Sweden Democrats gains come after they refocused their campaign largely on issues of law and order, a topic that has played a central role in Swedish politics since the 2015-16 refugee crisis in Europe. Sweden took in the highest per capita number of refugees in Europe: In this country of just under 10 million, more than 160,000 arrived in 2015 alone. During the campaign, the Sweden Democrats ultimately painted a picture of a country in decline, blaming the influx of refugees for increasing discontent among the electorate. They advocate for a full halt on asylum-seekers and insisted the Swedish government focus its attention and resources on Swedish taxpayers first. Though the unemployment rate is at a 10-year low and economic indicators suggest Sweden is doing well, a spate of incidents this summer fed the Sweden Democrats narrative that all is not well in this Nordic country. In mid-August, for example, the torching of dozens of cars in the western city of Gothenburg dominated Swedish and international headlines. Supporters attend a Sweden Democrats election party in Stockholm on Sunday. (Anders Wiklund / Associated Press) Sweden used to be a great country, said Markus Wiechel, a Sweden Democrats member of parliament and the partys spokesman on foreign policy. We used to be one of the richest countries in the world, we used to have the best welfare in the world, we used to be a peaceful country where people trusted each other, where people felt connected to each other. All of that is gone today, and its getting worse, he added. We wish to restore this. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, however, has pushed back on the idea that Sweden is a society that has spiraled out of control and ultimately, his Social Democrats performed better than expected Sunday. The recent unrest in the country, Lofven told the Los Angeles Times last week, means the government needs to invest more in its much-lauded social welfare system and that populist, emotion-driven rhetoric had supplanted facts in the national political conversation. We have forces that have used this as a way of painting a very dark picture of Sweden, Lofven said. Sweden has a very strong economy, unemployment is going down so we have a strong position. But we do have challenges as well. The reality is not black or white, it is a mixed picture. Some Swedish voters shook their heads at the Sweden Democrats strong performance, saying its a disappointment to see such strong numbers for a right-wing party. Its embarrassing for Sweden that we have a party that is so clearly rooted in a Nazi racist culture, and that is where they come from, said Linnea Nyberg, a government employee who lives in Stockholm and voted for the Greens on Sunday. But others understand the appeal, even if they didnt vote for the party themselves and say Swedens traditional parties waited too long to address growing anxiety over the influx of refugees in 2015 and 2016. I dont mind immigration itself, but when youre here, you need to actually become part of the society, said Carl Johan Hagstromer, a doctoral student in Lund, who voted for the center-right Moderates. I understand why [the Sweden Democrats] are becoming increasingly popular: Theyve had a bit of a monopoly on the immigration issue, and people have been too afraid to address it or acknowledge that they may be right in some places. Schultheis is a special correspondent. UPDATES: 5:05 p.m.: This article was updated with nearly all the votes counted in Swedens national election. The article was originally published at 3:15 p.m. >>> Party leader arrives in Budapest, starting official visit to Hungary >>> Party leader concludes Russia visit, starts trip to Hungary The visit is a historic event, as it is the first official visit by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam to one of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe since the regime transition in these nations. At the same time, the visit affirms Vietnam's policy of considering Hungary as a key traditional partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world. In particular, the capital city of Budapest is known as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Hungary is now a member of the European Union and NATO. In recent years, Hungary has achieved remarkable achievements in economic development. Accordingly, after being strongly affected by the world financial crisis of 2008, the Hungarian economy has recovered since 2010. In 2017, its GDP growth rate reached 4%; the unemployment rate fell to 4%; and trade turnover increased by nearly 10%, of which export turnover reached more than EUR100 billion. In the first quarter of 2018, GDP growth was at 4.4%, up 0.3% over the same period in 2017. In recent years, Hungary has steadied its political situation. The Hungarian Civic Alliance (FIDESZ) won three consecutive elections in 2010, 2014 and 2018 with overwhelming victories, winning two thirds of the seats in the National Assembly. After the recent parliamentary election, the new FIDESZ government, which was formed last May, continues to pursue the policies of the previous term, aiming to maintain a GDP growth rate of 4% a year, while seeking to keep stable finances and reduce the public debt and unemployment rate. Hungarian Prime Minister V. Orban has set a long-term plan with the goal of establishing Hungary as one of the top five living and working EU member states by 2030, with high competitiveness, highly developed infrastructure and highly improved population indicators. In terms of external relations, Hungary prioritises deep integration into Europe, strengthening relations with its neighbours and with the region. It also focuses on energy diplomacy, protecting the interests of the Hungarian community in neighbouring countries, and restoring and fostering relations with traditional partners, seeing Vietnam as a leading partner in Southeast Asia. Vietnam and Hungary have a traditional friendship and mutual trust. In recent years, bilateral cooperation has developed strongly. The two sides regularly maintain exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially at senior levels. Economic and trade relations between the two countries have increased sharply, with trade turnover in 2017 reaching over US$355 million for the first time. The Hungarian government offers a US$500 million preferential credit package to support development projects in the fields of healthcare, water treatment, informatics and agriculture. So far, Hungary has invested in 17 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of more than US$63 million, ranking 57th among 126 countries and territories with direct investment in Vietnam. Cooperation has also been promoted in the fields of legislation, justice, national defence and security, and healthcare at local levels, in which education and training is the traditional field between the two countries. Hungary has previously helped Vietnam train thousands of experts and engineers with high qualifications. In recent years, Hungary has continuously increased the number of scholarships for Vietnam (currently 200 scholarships per year). The Vietnamese Party has established formal relations with the ruling FIDESZ Party and maintains its traditional relationship with the Hungarian Socialist Party and the Hungarian Workers Party. The official visit to Hungary by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is an important political event, marking new milestones, new momentum and new heights for Vietnam-Hungary relations. The visit is also an opportunity to enhance the mutual understanding and trust between the leaders and people of the two countries, contributing to deepening the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two, aiming to raise the framework of bilateral cooperation to a comprehensive partnership, in order to create a new and more substantial change in all fields, thereby enhancing the country's position, as well as consolidating and promoting Vietnam's influence in Central-Eastern Europe. May Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to Hungary be a great success, bringing the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary to new heights, for the interests of the people of both countries and for the peace, stability, cooperation and development of the region and the world. A joint statement on the results of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs official visit to Russia affirmed the consistent policy of Vietnam in strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, in order to meet the long-term interests of their peoples, and affirmed the importance of maintaining joint efforts to promote cooperation in all areas. Taking place ahead of big events of the two countries, including the 25th anniversary of a treaty on the basic principles for bilateral friendship in 2019 and the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and Russia in 2020, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to Russia is a special event that holds important historical significance for both Vietnam and Russia. The leaders agreement on consolidating, expanding and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia showed a deep strategic vision, meeting the long-term interests of their peoples in the new period. During his trip, the Vietnamese Party leader held talks with President Vladimir Putin and met Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin, and Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia Andrey Turchak. He laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Mausoleum, and the Statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Moscow. He also attended a ceremony to celebrate the 60th founding anniversary of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association as well as meetings with Russian veterans and experts who have worked in Vietnam, and visited Kaluga province. During the talks and meetings, leaders of the two countries discussed how to further develop the Vietnam-Russia friendship and all-round cooperation, as well as international and regional issues of their common concern. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnamese officials received a warm reception, gracious hospitality and genuine friendship from Russian leaders and people. President Vladimir Putin affirmed that Russia has always held Vietnam in high regard as a leading partner in the Asia-Pacific region, expressing his confidence that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit would create an important milestone and be a new driving force for the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. The two leaders expressed their pleasure at the comprehensive development in bilateral relations, with many fields, from political, diplomatic, economic, financial, security and defense cooperation to cultural cooperation, health care, science, education and training, industry, electricity, mining and mining, agriculture, information and telecommunications, urban transport infrastructure, tourism, cooperation between localities. The leaders of the two countries discussed measures to further develop the Vietnam-Russia friendship and all-round cooperation, as well as international and regional issues of their common concern. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Russian leaders expressed their resolve to strengthen the bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation, to match their political ties, culture and the shared potential of the two countries. The leaders stressed the need for radical efforts to boost economic and trade cooperation, and the effective implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union as well as its member nations. They highly valued the important role played by the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Commercial, Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The two sides highlighted the need to improve the effectiveness of activities of the Vietnam-Russia Senior Working Group on priority investment projects in order to develop and implement projects in the fields of industry and electrical energy; mining and mineral processing; agriculture; information and telecommunications; and urban and transport infrastructure in localities all over Vietnam. Talking about cooperation in energy, oil and gas, a strategic sector for bilateral ties for years to come, the leaders agreed to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese and Russian firms to effectively carry out their existing projects. They said there will be more new projects with the participation of national oil and gas companies from both sides. They agreed to facilitate the operation of priority investment projects in both nations. During the talks, the leaders of the two countries agreed that border and territorial disputes and other disputes in the Asia-Pacific region should be addressed through peaceful means, while not using or threatening to use violence on the basis of international law, to ensure peace, stability, and security in the region. They affirmed that the two countries support the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and welcome the relevant parties efforts to soon adopt a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. The two leaders expressed their pleasure at the comprehensive development in bilateral relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the United Russia party that contribute to tightening the foundations of traditional friendly relations and to political trust between the two parties, the two governments and the people of the two countries while promoting cooperation and exchanges on the Party channel regarding important issues of mutual concern. The important results achieved during the official visit to Russia by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong create a solid basis to consolidate and deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, affirming the two sides' determination on strongly promoting the relations between Vietnam and Russia in all fields, commensurate with the aspirations of the two peoples, for the benefit of the two peoples and the prosperity of the region and the world. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Army Officers soliciting Judicial Protection during Operations in Good (...) by Gautam Sen In an unprecedented move, over 300 Indian Army officers have approached the Supreme Court of India on August 14 this year with a writ petition, posing a question on whether a soldiers discretion under operational conditions can be put under legal scrutiny. The move is in the backdrop of the investigation instituted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), at the behest of the highest judiciary, against some Army and State Police functionaries in certain cases emanating from alleged human rights violations based on prima facie evidence. The Army officers have made a submission to the Supreme Court for issuing a writ of mandamus or any appropriate writ laying down specific guidelines to protect the bonafide action of soldiers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) so that no soldier is harassed by initiation of criminal proceedings for actions undertaken in good faith in exercise of their duties, as mandated by the Union of India, in protection of the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of the country. The plea of the officers has neither been approved nor opposed by their higher Service echelons. It is therefore apparent that the petition of the officers has tacit support of their Service Headquarters. It is, however, not clear whether the Ministry of Defence was consulted by the Service Headquarters before they adopted their benign and virtually supportive posture towards the litigant officers. The Army officers move, though in their personal capacity, is against the Union of India, the entity they serve under and questions the directives, Acts and Rules promulgated by the latter, and under which they have certain legal and administrative commitments and norms to observe. A view could be taken to the effect that the litigant Army officers desire to function in a totally unfettered operational condition, beyond any parameter legally specified by the highest judiciary even under other-than-emergency conditions. The judicial challenge to the Union Governments authority is setting a dangerous precedent, undermining democratic governance and virtually the Constitution and permitting an erosion of its authority by those whose duty is to uphold it. Acts of the judiciary have also been challenged by virtue of the question raised on the CBI investigation ordered by the Supreme Court in certain cases of public outcry and where prima facie evidence seems to exist of high-handed action beyond the mandate and essence of the AFSPA. The import of the petition is significant as well as ominous. First and foremost, it is the Union Government, and particularly its Ministry of Home Affairs, which administers the AFSPA, and also the Ministry of Defence to an extent, that are to blame for allowing the grievances of the Army officers to arise as has been evident not now, but over quite some time. There is absolutely no justification for allowing the AFSPA to remain promulgated over wide areas of the North-East and also the entire Jammu and Kashmir. A former Union Home Secretary, Shri Gopal Krishna Pillai, an empathetic officer with wide experience in developmental and security matters in the affected areas, had questioned the rationale of the AFSPA as it has been executed and allowed to continue. In case of Nagaland, the officer had specifically questioned the rationale of the AFSPA in the entire State when the need for using the instrumentality of this statute did not exist in the context of the law and order and insurgency-related milieu prevailing there for quite some time, after the ceasefire of 1997. However, the same may not be the case in other areas within the ambit of the AFSPA. The point for consideration is whether the shield of this Act should not be used very selectively and in a monitorable manner so that aberrations do not occur and public confidence in the armed forces is not eroded. The AFSPA is intended for special situations and particularly where intense anti-national, violent insurgent actions are anticipated, and the normal law and order machinery is affected or substantially incapacitated. In such a scenario, the AFSPA is undoubtedly required. However, there is a need to have an internal control mechanism within its purview that critically and unbiasedly enables probes in cases of alleged excesses committed by the operating officers and lower personnel. The Army officers, who have approached the highest judiciary, seem to have lost faith in the existing system, thereby requesting for an unfettered scope to operate in defence of national security, sovereignty and dignity. The essence of the matter is that the sovereign Indian state should function and also be seen to function in a benevolent manner towards its citizens upholding their basic rights, while protecting national sovereignty and honour in an assured manner. These attributes of the nation-state has to be felt and perceived by its citizens and all stakeholders. When this is not so, unusual institutions like the AFSPA become necessary. A temporary palliative, which the AFSPA should have been, when converted to a long-term measure, results in undesirable consequences. The existing political elite, of different political orientations, have been resorting to such unusual measures and deploying the armed forces, particularly the Army, rampantly albeit brazenly, to deal with socio-economic, political and ethnic unrest, which should have been dealt with political instruments and the civic machinery of the state. Undue stressful conditions are concomitantly being created on the armed forces, leading to aberrations, and mostly unintended excesses. This phenomenon has to be controlled. Selective use of such coercive instruments of the state against its own people should be the norm rather than the extended applications noticed over the past two decades. Moreover, in supreme national interest, the Services should be deployed in the rarest of rare cases empowered with the AFSPA, and then too under modified arrangements which enable magisterial accompaniment to such forces operating on internal security duties and counter-insurgency operations, particularly in traditional civilian areas away from the borders. There is also a need to have a suitable civil element with appropriate experience of service in areas and operations under consideration, functioning with the Services and other armed forces in operational mode and not for liaison only, which enables an empathetic under-standing of the milieu in which our Services and armed forces have been operating. Needless to emphasise, moderating the existing institutions has become difficult over the years, owing to gradual erosion of trust between the civilian authorities, particularly the civil bureaucracy, and the military hierarchy. Though the two elements of the state have risen to the occasion during national emergencies, they have not functioned as a part of a continuum under many circumstances, particularly when long-drawn low intensity conflicts or insurgency conditions have prevailed. This backdrop explains the recent pheno-menon of a large number of Army officers approaching the Supreme Court of India for their grievance redressal invoking judicial intervention for acts in good faith during internal operations. However, red lines are required to be placed before the Services hierarchy as well MOD, not to take a casual view of the recent development pertaining to the writ filed before the Supreme Court, which actually poses a challenge before the Indian state and its institutions. If the democratic ethos of the Indian nation-state is not to be undermined and its institutions subverted, a channel is required to be put in place at the earliest, if required even independent of the MOD and the Service Headquarters, which can deal with and decide on such grievances within the constitutional framework, in a manner that engenders confidence of our Service and other operating personnel. Persons of eminence along with Service officers of appropriate temperament, predilection and experience should be an integral component of such an arrangement if at all it can be so evolved. The author is a retired IDAS officer who has served in senior appointments with the Government of India and is presently Adviser to a North-East State Government. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > What Happened at the Simla Talks with Pakistan in June-July, (...) After the conclusion of the Bangladesh War on December 16, 1971 it was decided through diplomatic channels that post-War talks would be held over June 30 and July 2 between Mrs Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who had become the President of a wobbly civilian government in Pakistan and their respective top Ministers and officials. Mrs Gandhi had with her, Foreign Minister Swaran Singh, D.P. Dhar, Chairman, Policy Planning Committee in the Ministry of External Affairs with the rank of a Minister of State, and Foreign Secretary T.N. Kaul. G.P., though at that time formally the Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, had just started his super-secret talks on J&K with Mirza Afzal Beg, the closest aide of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, relating to the Sheikh giving up his long-standing demand for a plebiscite in J&K with the obective of bringing him back into the national mainstream. More than that, G.P. was Indirajis closest adviser not only on foreign affairs and national security, but also on internal political problems as well. Bhutto, for his part, had not only his daughter Benazir (who was later to become herself the Prime Minister of Pakistan on two occasions), the Secretary-General of the Pakistan Foreign Office, Aziz Ahmed, and Aga Shahi, the Foreign Secretary. The talks, to be held for three days, began on June 30 to July 2, 1972 and were held in the beautiful Viceregal Lodge in Simla. The meeting opened with some welcome remarks by Indiraji. Contrary to her usually warm demeanour, this time her face was expressionless and she made it quite clear to Bhutto and his delegation that all she was doing was a formality. Bhutto also formally thanked Mrs Gandhi for welcoming him and his delegation to Shimla. He than began speaking. Bhutto had built up a reputation worldwide for (a) his histrionics; and (b) his foul language, even in public, for example, making repeated references to Indian dogs. But this time it was a very different Bhutto. He pleaded with Mrs Gandhi to recognise and appreciate his terrible predicament. He and his government were so weak that their very existence was a day-to-day mircale. The war had ravaged the country and not only the common people but many sections of the armed forces were thoroughly demoralised. He then made a remark most exceptional for Bhutto. He said: Madam Prime Minister, please help me to rebuild my nation. This was too much for our Foreign Minister, Swaran Singh. He raised his voice and said: Zulfikar (Bhuttos first name), you are a liar, a cheat and a genetically India hater. (This is what my father told me later.A.P.) Mrs Gandhi continued to keep her sombre demeanour. Bhutto then said another remarkable thing: Madam, I swear by the Quaid-e-Azam that I, my government and the people of Pakistan are all eager to arrive at a settlement of not only Jammu and Kashmir but of all outstanding problems between our two countries. Mrs Gandhi shot back: I note your remark, Mr Bhutto, but none of the official statements made by your Foreign Office nor any part of the state-controlled media in Pakistan reflect your vow. The hate campaign has continued even after the War with the same vitriolic venom and wild and baseless allegations against us. Why dont you make a beginning in what you say you wish our new bilateral relations to be. Have the hate campaign in your English, and more importantly, Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi press, radio and TV stopped at once. Such a step will give us some confidence that you mean what you say. A sheepish Bhutto promised Indiraji that he would do so as soon as he returned home. Bhutto, the past master of the English language, then changed the talk. He started pleading with Mrs Gandhi for time. I need time to prepare my people. Here Mrs Gandhi interjectedand a huge and powerful Army which permeates all of Pakistani society and economy and which no civilian government hitherto can control. Bhutto was speechless as Mrs Gandhis remark went to the very core of the Indo-Pak problem and Bhutto knew she was spot on. Adjusting herself in her chair, Mrs Gandhi said: Mr Bhutto, you know my senior aide G.P. well. G.P. was involved in all the six rounds of talks you had with him (G.P.) and with Sardar Swaran Singh who is here, in the mid-1960s. Most unfortunately, those talks ended in nothing. So, I now put the following proposition to you. You and G.P. have detailed discussions on the most important outstanding problem between our two countries, namely, Kashmir. Either he convinces you or you convince him. So, with Bhuttos agreement of Indirajis proposition the talks began in a beautiful side-room of the Viceregal Lodge. They lasted six hours. But all of G.P.s famous negotiating skills were of no avail. Bhutto preferred not to budge, despite the fact that several alternative propositions were put to him on Kashmir. So, at the end G.P. went back to Indiraji and said: He is absolutely rigid. I do not think he is serious about working out a settlement, Perhaps, his political position in Pakistan is far too weak for him to take the risk of that position at home. So, Indira, when the main talks resume this afternoon you have to Read the Riot Act to him and say that the only way to break the impasse is: within 15 days of the close of the current talks, the two Surveyors General have to meet and work out an alignment of the Line of Control (LOC) in J&K which is logical, which is in conformity with international law and which is such as to be implementable on the ground. They should then prepare new maps of J&K reflecting the new alignment. These signed maps could then be used by the Foreign Ministers to conduct political negotiations. G.P. went on to advise the PM that should Bhutto not accept her proposition, then the 90,000 Pakistani POWs we had captured in the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) would not be sent back to Pakistan and remain POWs in India until a mutually acceptable solution on Jammu and Kashmir is reached. Thus when the two delegations re-convened in the afternoon of the second day of the talks, Indiraji made an opening statement along the lines of what G.P. had advised. Bhutto hit the roof. He said: Madam, this is atrocious. It is a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter. We will leave no stone unturned to mobilise world opinion against such a barbarous act. Indeed, we will fight a 1000 year war to get our POWs back from you. He also threatened to walk out of the talks along with his delegation. At this outburst by Bhutto, Indiraji called a recess in the talks. She and the whole Indian delegation adjourned to another smaller room. Indiraji sought the views of her advisers. Some, like Swaran Singh, advised that she should reiterate her proposition and not be worried by Bhuttos outburst, some others advised that we should give in. However, after half-an-hours discussion a via-media was unanimously agreed upon. The core of this solution was that we would agree to a phased return of the 93,000 Pak POWs. In parallel near-continuous talks would be held by Swaran Singh and G.P. on our side and Aziz Ahmed and Aga Shahi on their side. The two sides would earnestly and intensively negotiate Mrs Gandhis proposition of joint work by the Surveyors General to produce a new map wherein the LoCs alignment was so altered as to make it an administrable and rational International Border in Kashmir. Using such a map the two teams would hold intense negotiations meeting every two months. If the negotiations made progress, the return flow of POWs would continue; if not, the flow would slow down. It was a carrot and stick approach. After careful study and further discussion Indiraji approved the proposal. She and our delegation went back to the main room and put this modified proposal. Bhuttos initial reaction was to reject the modified proposal out of hand. Then, at Indirajis instance, Bhutto and G.P. again moved to the small room where they had met earlier and hard bargaining took place. Finally, G.P.s persuasion-cum-pressure worked. Bhutto agreed to a further modified proposed in which we (India) would immediately release 30,000 of the 93,000 Pak PoWs. Concurrently the talks on Kashmir would start. Thereafter the conditional phased release of the remaining 63,000 PoWs would begin. The two sides agreed that to keep the optics correct, this super-secret compromise agreement would not be fully put into the official Joint Simla agreement. The whole package would be contained in a secret side-Memorandum to the Agreement and would be signed by both Indiraji and Bhutto. It may be mentioned that this compromise agreement worked out well in practice. However, it has never been made public before. It is being made public for the first time. Prof Ashok Parthasarathi is a former Science and Technology Adviser to late PM Indira Gandhi. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Democracy Under Siege! The following statement was issued on August 31, 2018 by the New Socialist Initiative (NSI) on the recent arrests of human rights defenders and public intellectuals. The New Socialist Initiative strongly condemns the arbitrary and malicious manner in which the Pune Police, at the behest of its saffron masters, raided the houses of leading human rights activists, lawyers, professors and poets in different cities simultaneously and arrested five of themSudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Varavara Raounder concocted charges. Demanding immediate release of all these persons unconditionally and withdrawal of fabricated charges filed against them under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), it also said that appropriate action should be taken against the guilty policemen as well involved in this act. Reports of these raids reveal that the police had no qualms in treating these personswho are highly educated and have devoted larger part of their lives fighting for the marginalised and exploited upholding constitutional methods as dreaded terrorists and also insulting their near and dear ones. The case of Prof Satyanarayan, Head of the Department of Cultural Studies and Dean of Inter-Disciplinary Studies at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU)a highly respected academic and scholar in his field and author of many booksreveals, how his house was also raided just because he happens to be the son-in-law of Varavara Rao, a well-known Telugu poet and activist. Police had the gall to question his wife why (despite being a Brahmin) she has opted for intercaste marriage (with a Dalit) and why does not she put sindoor on her forehead. The fast changing developments reveal this ill-conceived move has completely backfired and has led to tremendous outrage and uproar all over the country, with marches and rallies organised in different cities and towns joined by hundreds of people. Declaring that the unfolding situation in the country as worse than the Emergency, with a republic of Hope turning into a republic of Fear people have underlined that the present government has resorted to this move basically to deflect attention of the wider populace over its all-round failure in managing the economy or addressing the issue of growing ruptures in social fabric or reining in vigilante gangs who have made a mockery of the rule of law. It needs to be noted that even the mainstream print media has also questioned the government for this ill-thought move and charged that it is the BJPs McCarthy moment reminding the people of the witch-hunt by the US regime in the late forties and early fifties against writers, scholars and activists alleging Left leanings. The unprecedented intervention by the highest courts of the country in this issue has played a key role in putting the government on the defensive. The Supreme Court created history of sorts when it allowed a third party intervention in this case responding to a petition filed by leading intellectuals and constituting a three- member Bench and issued a notice to the Maharashtra Police. Terming that Dissent is the safety valve of Democracy it has reminded the government that democracy would not be safe if the government quells dissent. As of now the focus of the case has shifted to the Supreme Court, which will deliberate on the issue next week. It is crystal-clear that the immediate trigger for this action on part of the Pune Police was the great expose by the Maharashtra ATS itself of a cache of arms, explosives and detonators from the houses of Hindutva zealots allegedly associated with the Sanatan Sanstha and related Hindutva groups, arrest of five activists and unearthing of a plot to further exacerbate communal tension by putting bombs at crowded places and festivals. In fact, these revelations had put added pressure on the governments at the State level as well as the Centre to ban the Sanatan Sanstha and its affiliated organisation, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, which openly talk of Destruction of Evildoers as Spiritual Practice. It should not be forgotten here that these outfits have been under the scanner of the investigating agencies for more than a decade for their promotion of violent activities and even involvement of their associates in terror acts and earlier governments in the State had similarly sent its recommendations to the Centre to ban these outfits. It is important to emphasise that this expose was possible because of investigations into the assassination of Gauri Lankesh (September 2017) undertaken by the Karnataka Police that had revealed how people associated with these organisations were not only responsible for this particular killing but earlier assassinations of rationalists, scholars and Left activists, namely, Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Comrade Govind Pansare and Prof Kalburgi, that had rocked the nation. The Maharashtra ATS is reported to be in possession of a hit-list prepared by these terrorists of many scholars, activists, social workers who have always remained critical of the idea of the Hindutva worldview and have consistently opposed its proponents. The powers that be had also presumed that nationwide arrestsfollowed by a pliant media would also help cover up their blatant failures on the economic front. In fact it is for everyone to see that the way in which the BJP dispen-sation, led by Modi, has bungled the economy has also become more and more apparent. Close on the heels of the controversy around the Rafael deal which is being called a Defence Scandal Larger than any thus far and where gross misuse of office and monumental criminal misconduct (https://www.newsclick.in/rafale-defence-scandal-larger-any-thus-far) is evident, has come the report released by the Reserve Bank of India itself which has revealed that 99.3 per cent of the demonetised currency has returned to the bank thereby vindicating what ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said on the floor of the House that the whole demonetisation exercise was organised loot and legalised plunder. Barring a few cheerleaders of the present dispensation there is general consensus that within a span of one year the Modi Government has delivered twin blows to the economy firstly through demonetisation and secondly through the ill-conceived Goods and Services Tax (GST), which have proved to be a complete disaster for our economy and broke the back of small businesses. Whatever might have been the claims of the present dispensation before assuming power, they have proved to be a disaster on the employment front also. While two crore jobs were promised to the youth, not even two lakh new jobs have been created till date. As the unfolding developments demonstrate, the governments calculations in this case have gone awry. It had felt that with these arrests of leading human rights activists and renowned intellec-tuals it would be able to deflect the peoples attention from its cosy approach towards these Hindutva terrorists and their deadly machi-nations. And, as already discussed, the govern-ment is finding itself on the backfoot on this issue. Equally troubling for the government has been the arrest of a person associated with Shiv Pratishthan, an organisation floated by Sambhaji Bhide, a fanatic Hindutva leader, in the arms haul case. It is the same organisation which is alleged to be involved in the Bhima Koregaon violence against Dalits when they in their lakhs had taken out a massive procession to the Vijay Stambh situated at Koregaon near Pune to commemorate the victory of Dalits against the Peshwas two hundred years ago. An FIR filed immediately about the violence had directly blamed Sambhaji Bhide and another Hindutva zealot, Milind Ekbote, for this orchestrated violence. Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr Ambedkar, who was a key speaker at the Elgaar Parishad event held a day earlier in Pune to celebrate this Dalit victory had also lodged a similar complaint against these zealots and asked the police to take up the cases under the SC-ST Atrocity Prevention Act (1989). While the Maharashtra Police has not even deemed it necessary to even interrogate Sambhaji Bhidewith Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis giving him a clean chit on the floor of the Houseit seems to be hyper active in following a fabricated case by a Hindutva activist against these Left-leaning scholars, activists. We should not forget that these raids and arrests are in continuation of arrests of Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Advocate Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson in June on allegations of instigating the Bhima-Koregaon violence which was witnessed a day after the Elgaar Parishad event and also being part of a Rajiv Gandhi-type assassination plot targeting PM Modi. Time and again two retired judges of the Supreme Court, Justice P.B. Sawant and Justice Kolse Patil, have underlined that they were the organisers of this Elgaar Parishad event and the persons arrested earlier or in this round had no role to play in organising it, but the government wants to prove that these persons were involved in it. The cavalier manner in which the govern-ment itself is investigating the alleged assassi-nation plot is visible not only in the questions raised by the Delhi HC about the irregularities and lapses on the part of the Maharashtra Police when it was hearing the Habeas Corpus petition against the transit remand ordered by the CJM Saket Court in the context of Gautam Navlakhas arrest but also the time gap of around three months in the two round of arrests. The story of this plotsupposedly targeting PM Modireminds one of Gujarat in the first decade of the 21st century, when similar plots were the talk of the town, when Mr Modi happened to be the Chief Minister of the State. It witnessed deaths of many an innocent in fake encounters on the specious claim that the particular jihadi had come to assassinate Mr Modi. It is now history how many police officers spent years in jail for their alleged role in these fake encounters. Today, the word Jihadi has been replaced by Urban Naxala new narrative which the government wants to build against its critics and dissenting voices. The New Socialist Initiative is of the opinion that draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)which have been used in arresting these activists and which have earlier been used against thousands of activists and innocent personsshould not have any place in a democracy. The New Socialist Initiative has appealed to the people at largecitizens, residents of this country who still believe in democracy, secularism, equity, pluralismto remain vigilant about the machinations of the powers that be at the Centre, as survey after survey indicate that the BJP under Modi is fast losing its popularity, and it is possible that to remain in power in the next elections it may resort to divisive agendas to polarise the people. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > The Best and the Worst on Show IMPRESSIONS How many will learn how many lessons from the floods that devastated Kerala and Kodagu? The most important lesson is bound to go unlearnedthat, ultimately, these were again examples of nature collapsing under the impact of human greed. We were warned of it five years ago when cloudbursts and landslides turned Uttarakhand upside down, killing nearly 6000 people. It was adjudged a man-made disaster with hydroelectric dams, illegal mining and construction activities upsetting natures balance. The same greed-driven factors have been threatening most of the Western Ghats as Madhav Gadgil warned seven years ago. Land exploitation and illegal quarrying had reached dangerous levels. But the profiteers behind such exploitation always get support from government leaders and political parties. So, the Gadgil Report was subverted. Gadgil has pointed to the Kerala disaster and warned that Goa would be next. To see what he means, we only have to take a drive along certain areas of interior Goa that have been turned by mining companies into gaping holes in the earth. The miners and their political friends earned Rs 35,000 crores in profits, as an inquiry commission found. The story is the same whether it be Kerala, Goa or Kodagu, where entire plantations have disappeared in flood fury. Converting paddy fields and forest lands into resorts is an easy way to make money. When the natural move-ments of water are blocked and when hill slopes are cleared of vegetation, nature breaks into landslides, debris flows and rock falls. But we refuse to learn lessons as greed dances with corruption. The depredation that wrecked Kerala threw light on the best and the worst that make up our country. The way the local people rose to the occasion was both inspiring and humbling. Individuals and groups plunged into rescue operations disregarding all political and religious differences. Coastal fishing communities trans-ported 700 boats by lorries to the affected areas and helped move 65,000 people to safe shelters. Social media groups set up online control rooms and call centres manned by hundreds of volunteers. Prisoners in the States jails prepared food in vast quantities in addition to contributing Rs 12 lakhs from their prison-work wages. The authorities closed the gates of a dam to save a flood-trapped elephant. Four men risked their lives to save a dog that couldnt swim against a strong current. The media did a great job combining responsibility with dedication. The Chief Minister showed timely leadership and instilled confidence in people while coordi-nating relief activities. He was even courteous to the media. What the world saw was a spontaneous peoples movement with the We-shall-overcome theme as a driving force. This groundswell of voluntary action by a people who refused to be cowed down by catastrophe added weight to the help that rushed in from outside. The armed forces, Central teams with special skills, and flood relief experts from Odisha were so brave that the locals took to them as family. The message was: this is a country that citizens can be proud of. But one sinister streak marred the whole scenario. Discordant notes came from the religious Right and, astonishingly, from the Central Government. A Swamys comment that Kerala was punished for eating beef may be dismissed as the ranting of a mental case. But what about a man from the BJPs IT cell who uploaded an audio clip and text saying that the flood-affected people were mostly from well-to-do families who, therefore, deserved no assistance. He still asked for donations, but to a BJP-sponsored platform. There were others who said contributions should not be sent to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund because the money could go to the minorities. The Central Governments partisan positions were the worst. What cacophony over the UAEs supposedly Rs 700-crore assistance offer. It forced the UAE to diplomatically unmention any figure, and it forced Delhi to say that its own Rs 600-crore offer was only for starters. At one point Delhi said that no foreign aid would be accepted, then it changed its semantics. It said rice supplied to the State would have to be paid for, then it said it would be free. The air got so filled with hatred that the misery of multitudes of people was forgotten. A BJP television personality in Kerala said in effect, his voice trembling with emotion, that all those who disagreed with him were idiots. None of this is the real issue. The real issue is that the Government of India has given the impression that it is inimical towards the government and people of a State. This is unprecedented and bodes ill for the future. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Naipaul: An Abandoned Child looks and relooks at the Motherland by L.K. Sharma Naipaul always felt that his books would stand the test of time. But which of his books on India, after multiple visits to his ancestral land, will stand that test? Naipaul was obsessed with the idea of exile. His composite hero is a quintessential exile and most of his books reflect continuity. His ancestors came from India. He grew up in Trinidad, spent his life in England and experienced double exile. The scattering of the people from their original homes fascinated him, pained him and gave him material that he treated with pathos and humour. His relationship with India remains a topic of intense exploration. Naipauls travelogue An Area of Darkness, published in 1964, portrayed a poor and filthy India. It caused grave offence in his motherland. What mattered was its negative portrayal of India and Indians, not the books literary merits. No one read the title differently. Naipaul may have been suggesting that for him, India was and remained an area of darkness. He provoked sharp retorts in India and the book was banned. It was categorised alongside Mother India in which Katherine Mayo had attacked Indias society, culture and religion. The American historians polemical book, published in 1927, had been called by Gandhi a drain inspectors report. Naipaul may have been suggesting that for him, India was and remained an area of darkness. Poet Nissim Ezekiel issued a famous rejoinder Naipauls India and Mine, criticising the writer for his description of the grossness and squalor of Indian life, the routine ritualism, the lip- service to high ideals, the petrified and distorted sense of cleanliness and a thousand other things. Another distinguished literary critic, C.D. Narasimhaiah, said Naipauls comments lacked sympathy, penetration and concern for people as people. He himself gives a long list of Indias faults and shortcomingsbut from Naipaul he had expected an in-depth study of the Indian mind! Since the poverty and public defecation could not be denied, no one said that Naipaul had portrayed an imaginary land, not a real country. Many seemed to say: Yes, the reality is ugly, but let no outsider expose it. Indians indulge in self-criticism but do not appreciate others criticising them. The damning reports appear in the Indian newspapers every day; an outsider does not have to ferret out any inside information. Some readers blamed Naipaul for painting an incomplete picture. That was not all in their India, they said. Some charged Naipaul with viewing India with the Western kaleidoscope. Some wanted him to be sympathetic. Some doubted his intellectual integrity, saying that he wrote to suit Western readers. Many saw the book marked by cantankerousness and vitriolic asperity. Fortunately, An Area of Darkness was published when Indians had not yet discovered the extreme form of literary criticism that has in recent years silenced more than one writer. So, the book was just discussed and not burnt by those offended by the book. Nor did the book prevent Naipaul from visiting his ancestral land again and again. He was welcomed warmly and assisted by volunteers during his travels and interviews for his subsequent books. The barrage of criticism by the nationalist Indians gradually dried up but Naipaul was never written about without a mention of his offensive description of India. Inevitably, such references figured in the obituaries and eulogistic articles published after the death of the Nobel Laureate. Eminent poet Keki Daruwalla, for example, recalls that reading An Area of Darkness he had felt Naipaul physically assaulting India. In basic terms, Naipauls encounter with his ancestral land was not so unusual. Imagine a person born in Bombay who at the age of 30 goes for the first time to his ancestral village in a distant backward State of India. He was brought up on his grandmothers stories about the idyllic rural scenebeautiful trees and the river and the small temple and the courtyard, with the family members sitting and chatting. But what would this Bombay man see in the same poverty-stricken village after having lived in a metropole for three decades. Naipaul had a distinctive way of seeing. A Professor of Literature commuting daily by the local train in Bombay looks at the rows of men defecating, and sees little. But Naipaul looked and saw. He wrote about it and the critics could not take it. Some said Naipaul was obsessed with excrement because of his Brahminical fastidiousness. It could have been attributed to the British influence! Film-maker Danny Boyle says it is a British obsession. Many British films and TV ads have a toilet scene. His own film featuring Bombay shows human excrement. To understand Naipauls observations, one must study where Naipaul came from and what expectations he took with him on his visit to the land of his forefathers. The phrase love-hate does not explain it fully. Naipauls relationship with India has to be seen in the context of his early life experience and his observation of the lives of his father, mother and other Indians living in Trinidad. While growing up, he learnt about his ancestors who had carried India in their memories. The Hindu rituals and Ram Lila performances were replicated in Trinidad. The Ram Lila, the most popular event, conveyed a subtle message about India. That idea of India had enthralled Naipaul during his childhood while expectations about India were built up by the elders who knew all about Gandhi and Nehru. He heard great stories about the political India. He detected the civilisational strengths of the place from which his ancestors had come. Naipaul saw the able, resourceful, wise and somewhat learned Indians as well as a different kind of people with a darker complexion. India of the imagination Naipaul was exposed daily to the Remembered India! He grew up with the mangled bits of old India. Naipaul felt deep bonds with India formed during his childhood. He was not a critical outsider who went to collect embarr-assing facts to cause sensation and serve his Western readers. He went as an Indian with a bagful of romantic memories of a mythical India. The Hindu religious rites and other private ways created a belief in the wholeness of India. It was a romantic belief that got shattered when he found that the ancestral civilisation to which they paid tribute, had been broken and rendered helpless before the invaders. It shocked him. He found the gap between the imagined India and the real India so large that initially he even thought of not writing a book. In India, Naipaul witnessed a fractured society. There was no wholeness. Even the Trinidadian sense of an Indian community was missing. The people in the ancestral land needed to hold on to smaller ideas of who and what they were. With my idea of an Indian identity, I could not be reconciled with it. So, his visit ended in personal confusion, in futility and impatience... self-reproach and flight. To study Naipauls ties with India, one does not have to consult the history of Trinidad and the shipment of Indians to this distant British colony needing cheap labour. Naipaul left enough clues. India was the greatest hurt. It was a subject country. It was also the place from whose great poverty our grandfathers had had to run away in the late nineteenth century. He compares the rawness of his hurt to that reflected in Gandhis discovery in the 1890s of the wretchedness of the unprotected Indian workers in South Africa. Explaining the complexity of his relationship with India, he says: Im at once too close and too far. It isnt my home and it cannot be my home; and yet I cannot reject it or be indifferent to it. Naipaul makes a distinction between the political India and a personal India. He was deeply interested in the latter. He had no home anywhere and yet, perhaps the idea of homecoming filled him with anxiety. I was full of nerves. But nothing had prepared me for the dereliction I saw. No other country I know had so many layers of wretchedness. Naipaul could never handle poverty. The poor gave him neurosis. He was to later record his contempt for the men who are nothing and who allow themselves to become nothing. Such men have no place in this world, he declared. So, poverty in India aggravates Naipauls old neurosis. The feeling does not leave him even during his visit to the village of his maternal grandfather that should have been a grand home-coming. He refuses to give a lift to a young boy whom he calls an idler. Naipaul reacts in a certain way when he sees disagr-eeable people whether in Africa or in India or while travelling by ship. Naipaul did not want to falsify his intense personal experience by capturing it in a novel. That would have required an apparatus of invention. He did not want to repeat the failing of the Indian novel, a form borrowed from the West, that had learnt to deal with the externals of things, at times missing their terrible essence. So, he had to write nonfiction to render his experience faithfully. Encountering the self Naipaul went to India as an insider-outsider. It was an exploration of the self as much as that of a land. One Western critic says An Area of Darkness was about a country and also about the writer visiting the land of his ancestors. He wrote: ...true autobiography arises when a man encounters something in his life which shocks him into the need for self-examination and self-explanation. He talks about the great hurt. What he saw in India pained him. He was to say later that it was a journey that broke his life into two. It was a journey that should never have been made. Indians may feel less offended by Naipauls sharp criticism and understand Naipauls anguish better if they read the Mahabharats story of Kunti and her son Karna. The unwedded mother abandons her baby who is brought up by a person of a lower caste and thus Karna is known as soota putra. An Indian psycho-analyst might have diagnosed Naipaul as suffering from the soot putra syndrome! Naipaul was so distressed by the impotence of his great ancestral land, the land which his people had to leave in order to go searching for a better life in a far-away stupid plantation colony. Why did the motherland fail to protect them? Why were they thrown into the company of the insignificant other people? Why did the mother abandon her children? Was she indifferent? Was she cruel? Naipaul goes to India and discovers that she was helpless. This aggravates his own helplessness. Aggravates his anger about the abandonment. His early writing on India reflects that rage. Naipaul then finds the one to blame for the motherlands plight. He zeroes in on the early invaders and spares those who captured India later, waving the flag of the universal civili-sation! This led to another controversy about Naipaul but won him a new kind of admirer. In the eyes of some Indians, Naipauls image changed following his two books on Islam, his statements on the demolition of the Babri mosque and his favourable comments on the new India. Naipauls analysis of the converted Muslims worldview was again read in simplistic black-and-white terms. Because of the vagaries of public perception, his Beyond Belief got classified in Pakistan with An Area of Darkness. The response in the West was different. Naipauls comments on Islam came when it no longer needed the Islamists to fight communism. Of course, after 9/11, the West came to value every critical comment on Islam. It was just a coincidence. An expert on dislocation and its prime victim, Naipaul observed and beautifully recorded what Islam did to a large section of the worlds population constituted by the non-Arabic Muslims. But those uninterested in Naipauls luminous prose and masterly analysis got swayed by the rumour that Naipaul hated Islam. Encouraged by Naipauls view on the destruction of the Babri mosque, these few Indians gave Naipaul a heros welcome in New Delhi. Naipaul allowed himself to be appro-priated by those who played politics in the name of a temple and caused bloodshed. Had they read An Area of Darkness, they would have marched with its copy for a purpose other than reading! They did not know that Naipaul had coined the phrase Hollywood Hindus and ridiculed them for self-dramatising. Nor did they know that Naipaul had called India a country of headless people, the matchstick people! Naipaul had once referred to the barbaric religious rites of Hinduism. Those categorising a writer as pro-or anti-Indian were pleased that Naipaul had struck a slightly optimistic note in his third India book, India: A Million Mutinies Now. This was in the face of overwhelming anecdotal evidence that still validated much of what Naipaul had written in his first infamous volume. Those who admire Naipauls authenticity and his commitment to tell the truth were not impressed. The stark realism of his comments on Indian politics appears even more striking so many years later. While covering the Lok Sabha election campaign in Ajmer in 1971, Naipaul was dismayed by the politicians ignorance and hypocrisy. Today many political leaders make most unscientific statements that can embarrass even a school student. Every politician hides his real self and masquerades as someone else in order to make him electable. Masquerading is an art of great interest to Naipaul. India is still busy exchanging banalities with itself. It continues to be ruled by magic, by slogans and potent names. Naipaul had noticed that Indians had a strange frenzied attitude, the attitude of the conqueror who wants to plunder as fast as possible as if the opportunity might any moment be withdrawn. Hasnt the incidence of loot shot up in the wake of the economic reforms? The daily public defecation festival is still on like a long-running Western musical, but Naipaul had done with that kind of stuff. Naipauls favourite words were absurdity, banality, fraudu-lence, mimicry, mendacity, maladministration, chaos and corruption. Indians, perhaps out of respect for Naipaul, did nothing to falsify his narration incorporating these. And todays India also responds only to events. The Indian malady of taking shelter under grand words is still rampant. A new breed of Indians Why did this great discoverer of people fail to discover the emerging new breed of Indians the kind that provoked him in Africa to make biting remarks? Naipaul had expertly written about frenzy for the sake of frenzy but he did not see it in the TV images of the demolition of the Babri mosque. The cruel scenes of communal violence in India did not make him recall his description of a mob in a primitive society elsewhere killing a policeman and then gleefully dancing around his body. During his last years before he fell ill, he visited India more than once and was fully aware of what was going on in India. But his public statements reflected optimism. Only once in 2003 he found it necessary to warn the Vajpayee Government against the persecution of the internet media company, Tehelka.com, of which he was a director. At his press conference in New Delhi, he also spoke of his goodwill towards the Bharatiya Janata Party heading the ruling coalition. Has India progressed or regressed as a knowledge society? Has scientific temper become more popular? Has Indias march towards modernity slowed down? Is dissent valued or resented? Does the government cherish the spirit if democracy? Is freedom of speech getting full play? Naipaul noted with satisfaction the emergence of an intellectual class. One may argue that India had many more intellectual giants up until the sixties. No doubt since then the market intellectuals and promotional intellectuals have risen. What one sees is the disappearing breed of Indians who recited the Vedas in the morning and did blue-sky scientific research during the day, or those who lectured on political theory in universities and wrote books on classical theatre or music. Naipaul disliked the pointy-headed professors, but school and university teachers could have told him much about the falling standards of education. Naipaul was right in saying that the level of self-confidence among the people had shot up since his first visit. Naipaul has an eye for details and he was quick to spot that the standards of book design and production had improved. They did so because more standard publishing houses emerged and expensive printing and book-binding machines were imported! The market came to demand excellence in graphic design. Naipaul was right in saying that the level of self-confidence among the people had shot up since his first visit. Of course, a country changes. During his last few visits, Naipaul came to believe in an India that had given him no hope once. The Financial Times started covering this emerging economic power. Naipaul witnessed the crowds of aspiring Indians, those wanting to achieve something in life. Achievement mattered a great deal to Naipaul who had infinite disdain for the non-achievers. If Naipaul had gone to his wretched ancestral village where he was seen as a giver in 1962, he would have been welcomed as a receiver. The poor boy whom he denied a lift in his jeep is perhaps a rich mining magnate controlling an army of musclemen and two Members of Parliament. He would have served Naipaul the most expensive Scotch. That may have reminded Naipaul of Africa where he had noticed some people suddenly coming into big money! India did change but perhaps the reason for the writers new optimism was also personal. In 1962, Naipauls arrival and departure made no news. He was lost in the crowd as an ordinary Indian! In recent years, he always got a standing ovation in chandeliered halls brimming with made-up men and coiffured women. Naipaul found more Indians reading his books. Like the country, the writer changed! Another set of critics would say that Naipaul in recent years had failed to see the negative trends. In fact, on the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of An Area of Darkness, some readers took to social media to appreciate Naipauls earlier criticism and to contradict the mellower Naipaul by saying that in most respects, the country had hardly changed in five decades. Learned critics may say that Naipaul was wrong to appreciate the political fantasy acquiring a religious dimension. Naipaul wrote so well about the converted Muslims who fell under the influence of a faith that was not a matter of conscience or private belief but made imperial demands. And yet Naipaul did not see the rising political Hindutva seeking to replace Hinduism, the religion of his ancestors in India, and creating a disturbance throughout Indian society. Naipaul said during his visit to India in 1962, he saw things through the haze of my own nerves. But the clarity of his vision then was certified even by the critics of An Area of Darkness. Naipauls intensely angry personal tone is missing in India: A Million Mutinies Now. An African proverb says only a friend tells you that your mouth is stinking. A compassionate and mellower Naipaul was not being very friendly! Naipaul always felt that his books would stand the test of time. Considering the turn that his ancestral land has taken, will India: A Million Mutinies Now stand the test of time? Writing the third book was perhaps Naipauls way of making peace with his ancestral land. But his sympathy seems stained with a trace of inauthenticity. Leaving this book aside, India, marching on the path of perpetual sectarian strife, may yet validate Naipauls general pessimistic and disdainful assessment of the former colonies! (Courtesy: Open Democracy) The author is a senior journalist and writer who worked in India and abroad (notably Britain) in several major newspapers. Now retired, he is a free- lancer. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Russia and China in Alliance Conditions Three things stand out in the remarks made by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday (August 28) 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 historyfrom 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 Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu had said that the drills will be unprecedented in their scope and will involve about 300,000 troops and over 1000 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 characterising 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 realityto 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 the 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 Organisation (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 the 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 basisor any grandiose notions that some day the Russian-Chinese alliance will blossom into a global security organisation, 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 the NATO keeps proclaiming itself. Conceivably, these values will include strict adherence to international law and the UN Charter, respect for national sovereigntyno Libya or Iraq-style interventions, for exampleand 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 timesunlike the 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 manoeuvre 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, the 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. Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001). Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Which Party cares for Dalits Today? by Ram Puniyani Recently anti-Dalit atrocity laws were first diluted inserting the clause of anticipatory bail. Following this there were serious protests all over. In these protests, the anti-Dalit nature of the present ruling dispensation, the BJP-led NDA, was highlighted. Under the pressure of the protests, the government had to bring in a Bill to restore its previous provisions. The Lok Sabha on August 6, 2018 unanimously passed a Bill to reverse the effects of a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrests under the the SC/ST law. The amended Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 now rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against people from SC or ST communities, as it stood before the revision. Ram Vilas Paswan, a part of the NDA, thanked the Prime Minster and also criticised the Congress on the occasion. To show that the Congress is anti-Dalit he raked up the elections in which the Congress had contested against Ambedkar. Ram Vilas Paswans own allegiance to the Ambedkar ideology is strongly under cloud, as he is allying and empowering the BJP, the party with the agenda of Hindu Rashtra, something which was an anathema for Ambedkar as he stood for social justice, secularism and democracy. Paswan was well described as Mausam Vaigyanik (a scientist predicting the weather), who in order to remain in power always twists and turns and makes ideological compromises. His own ideology is that of hunger for power and his words in a way should not matter much except on the electoral chessboard. His projection of the electoral battle between Ambedkar and the Congress is a very selective presentation of the relationship between the Congress and Ambedkar. While he points this out, he forgets that Ambedkar was not a member of the Congress party at any time. Also that it is the same Congress party in whose government he was made a Cabinet Minister. He needs to be reminded that not only was he a Minister in the first Cabinet of India, he was also made the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, in which Babsaheb played a pivotal role. To cap this, it was he who was requested to draft the Hindu Code Bill, a major step to reform the family laws towards a gender-just society. While the likes of Paswan, hankering after power, do mouth the name of Ambedkar, they deliberately forget that the major opponents of the Constitution drafted by him, the major opposition to the Hindu Code Bill came from the stable of the RSS, the parent organisation of the party, in whose alliance he is enjoying the perks of power. One can say that his ally, the BJPs agenda of a Hindu Rashtra is a pole opposite to the dream of Babasaheb, the dream of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the dream of a secular democratic India. The RSS never hesitated in criticising the Indian Constitution, calling it Western; the BJP never severed its umbilical cord with the Hindu nationalist RSS. Lately from within the BJP itself, from top down, Hindu nationalism is being propagated and practised. On the eve of the 2014 general elections Narendra Modi, the BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate, himself pronounced that he was born in a Hindu family; he is a nationalist, so he is a Hindu nationalist. Another Minister at the Centre, Anant Kumar Hegde, stated that the BJP is there to change the Indian Constitution and that the secular identity should not be used by the people. To cap it all, the UP Chief Minster, Yogi Adityanath, stated that secularism is the biggest lie of independent India. The BJP itself is very consciously walking the tight rope, balancing the phrases and actions as far as Dalits are concerned. On the one hand the power-lust of some Dalit leaders like Paswan, Udit Raj and Ramdas Athwaley are used to give a pro-Dalit veneer to the BJPs actions; on the other hand the likes of Hegde and Yogi are forthright about their political agenda. It is also true that for the sake of electoral equations even the BJP has to pay obeisance to Ambedkar, despite having an agenda totally opposed to his political ideology. At the ground level the impact of the BJP-NDA, of which the likes of Paswan are members, has affected Dalits in a very serious way. While by social engineering they are also trying to woo a section of Dalits through manufactured icons like Suhel Dev and Shabri Mata among others, they have unleashed policies which affect the Dalits in a very adverse way. The merciless beating of Dalits in Una, which Paswan dismissed as a minor event, the emotive issue of the Holy cow has affected the livelihood of the Dalits in a big way. We also remember that it is during this period that the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula and the anti-Dalit attack at Bhima Koregaon tormented the Dalit community no end. Even the Modi Government on its own did dilute the Anti-Dalit Atrocity Act, but once they saw a serious opposition to their move they were forced to retreat because of electoral calculations. While the BJP pays tribute to Ambedkar on the one side, at the same time it presents Lord Ram as the central icon of its politics. What Ambedkar has said about Lord Ram in his various writings like Riddles of Hinduism is well known to us. For the BJP, what is important is to garland Babasaheb; it is of no consequence to them to take up the issues of social justice in any serious way. The attempt to selectively present the electoral battle of the Congress and Ambedkar is a deliberate ploy to undermine the efforts which the national movement and Mahatma Gandhi-Congress did to fight against untouchablity in particular. We have miles to go as far as Babasahebs dream is concerned, but one thing which Ambedkar pointed out was that a Hindu Raj will be a big tragedy for the Dalits of the country. It is too much to expect that the likes of Paswan will realise their folly of allying with the BJP-RSS whose very agenda is inherently anti-Dalit, as they are blinded by their lust for power! The author, a retired Professor at the IIT-Bombay, is currently associated with the Centre for the Study of Secularism and Society, Mumbai. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Atal Behari Vajpayees Homage to Jawaharlal Nehru on Panditjis (...) DOCUMENT In the wake of all kinds of things being spoken and written about former PM A.B. Vajpayee by leaders and followers of the Sangh Parivar after his passing away, it is worthwhile to recall the homage that Vajpayee had paid in Parliament to Panditji on May 28, 1964 following the latters demise (May 27, 1964). Sir, a dream has been shattered, a song silenced, a flame has vanished in the infinite. It was the dream of a world without fear and without hunger, it was the song of an epic that had the echo of the Gita and the fragrance of the rose. It was the flame of a lamp that burnt all night, fought with every darkness, showed us the way, and one morning attained Nirvana. Death is certain, the body is ephemeral. The golden body that yesterday we consigned to the funeral pyre of sandalwood was bound to end. But did death have to come so stealthily? When friends were asleep and guards were slack we were robbed of a priceless gift of life. Bharat Mata is stricken with grief todayshe has lost her favourite prince. Humanity is sad todayit has lost its devotee. Peace is restless todayits protector is no more. The downtrodden have lost their refuge. The common man has lost the light in his eyes. The curtain has come down. The leading actor on the stage of the world displayed his final role and has taken the bow. In the Ramayana Maharshi Valmiki has said of Lord Rama that he brought the impossible together. In Panditjis life we see a glimpse of what the great poet said. He was a devotee of peace and yet the harbinger of revolution, he was a devotee of non-violence but advocated every weapon to defend freedom and honour. He was an advocate of individual freedom and yet was committed to bringing about economic equality. He was never afraid of a compromise with anybody, but he never compromised with anyone out of fear. His policy towards Pakistan and China was a symbol of this unique blend. It had generosity as well as firmness. It is unfortunate that this generosity was mistaken for weakness, while some people looked upon his firmness as obstinacy. I remember I once saw him very angry during the days of the Chinese aggression when our Western friends were trying to prevail upon us to arrive at some compromise with Pakistan on Kashmir. When he was told we would have to fight on two fronts if there was no compromise on the Kashmir problem, he flared up and said we would fight on both fronts if necessary. He was against negotiating under any pressure. Sir, the freedom, of which he was the General and protector, is today in danger. We have to protect it with all our might. The national unity and integrity, of which he was the apostle, is also in danger today. We have to preserve it at any cost. The Indian democracy he established, and of which he made a success, is also faced with a doubtful future. With our unity, discipline and self-confidence we have to make this democracy a success. The leader is gone, the followers remain. The sun has set, now we have to find our way by the light of the stars. This is a highly testing time. If we all could dedicate ourselves to the great ideal of a mighty and prosperous India that could make an honourable contribution to world peace for ever, it would indeed be a true tribute to him. The loss to Parliament is irreparable. Such a resident may never grace Teen Murti again. That vibrant personality, that attitude of taking even the Opposition along, that refined gentlemanliness, that greatness we may not again see in the near future. In spite of a difference of opinion we have nothing but respect for his great ideals, his integrity, his love for the country and his indomitable courage. With these words I pay my humble homage to that great soul. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Will the RSS Answer First ? It has been clear in recent days that the RSS is seeking to enhance its political footprint. To this purpose it has been staging meetings and conferences to which people from outside the sphere of the Sangh have been invited, including some who have never seen eye to eye with its ideological agenda. Although it is effectively running the present-day state via its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party, its ambition now seems to find greater legitimation and more direct occupancy in power structures wherever opportunities arise. In that context there has been much tantalising speculation in the media whether the RSS will invite Rahul Gandhi to its next proposed conference, and whether Rahul Gandhi wil think it fit to go. What is currently often being referred to the North Korean Indian media channels have been airing this speculation in terms of will he dare to, or will he not sort of floater. What we have seen of Rahul Gandhi so far, the last thing he lacks is daring. So the question is: should he take the bull by the hornsas some noted political commentators like Shri Sudheendra Kulkarni in The Indian Express has suggestedor should he give weight to considerations that are more far-reaching than the merely heroic? For one thing, he may well ponder whether anything of substance was achieved by Shri Pranab Mukerjee when he spoke at an RSS meet recently. If it was Shri Mukerjees case that a penetrating and fairminded critique of the key RSS positions on nationhood, citizenship, cultural diversity, to name just a few things, would suffer desirable transformation at the end of his speech, this cannot be said to have happened. So, Rahul Gandhi must ask himself: should he as the head of the countrys oldest and largest political formation, one that steered our anti-colonial struggle for independence on principles of secular unity and a celebration of diversity, and one that was the vanguard of the subsequent historic labour to forge a Republican Constitution that guarantees non-discriminatory equality to all citizens, regardless of caste, creed, language, ethnicity, gender, lend formal recognition to a conglomerate that has been an adversary to most constitutional principles, and that, in fact, gave assent to the Constitution two full years after independence as quid pro quo to the lifting of the ban on it? Let us recall that Shri Golwalkar had suggested that the Manusmriti be adopted as the Constitution for independent India, along with the saffron flag as the national marker. Yet, if the RSS conference does transpire and the invite to Rahul Gandhi does come, there may be another way to answer to the call to constructive critical purpose. Shri Gandhi may consider sending a missive to the organisation seeking clarification from it on the following points as aids to his decision to go or not: Does the RSS regard Nathu Ram Godse as an assassin and terrorist or as a patriot? Would it be willing to say Godse murdabad just as it insists some others must say Vande Mataram? Does the RSS still subscribe to the Savarkarite enunciation of the right to Indian citizenship which holds that those inhabitants of this land whose principle places of worship lie outside the shores of the country cannot have such right? Does the RSS believe, after Golwalkar, that Muslims are Indias Enemy Number One and must not expect even citizenship rights unless they persuade themselves to be subordinate to Hindus, worship Hindu gods and deities, honour all Hindu rites and rituals, live on the sufferance of the Majority? Does the RSS believe that in pre-Christian times, all people everywhere in the entire world were Hindus (September, 1983 issue of the journal of the VHP)? Is the RSS now willing to accord membership to women in its ranks, and suitably change its Constitution to this effect? Is the RSS contemplating installing Dalit priests in mainline Hindu temples? Just to list a few posers. In the event the RSS remains silent on these forthright questions, or demures, or says no, it would then be rather odd to be participating in a conclave where such founding posers remained in jeopardy. And, if anything, the exercise would help many in the country to clear their own minds on issues fatally vital to the continuance of a Constitutional Republican state. The author, who taught English literature at the University of Delhi for over four decades and is now retired, is a prominent writer and poet. A well-known commentator on politics, culture and society, he wrote the much acclaimed Dickens and the Dialectic of Growth. His book, The Underside of ThingsIndia and the World: A Citizens Miscellany, 2006-2011, came out in August 2012. Thereafter he wrote two more books, Idea of India Hard to Beat: Republic Resilient and Kashmir: A Noble Tryst in Tatters. The Vietnamese Party chief is on an official visit to Hungary from September 8-11 at the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Szentendre city is known as the land of painters, with many museums and photo galleries. During his stay in the city, Party leader Trong met with Mayor of Szentendre city Verseghi-Nagy Miklos, who gave a warmly welcome to the Vietnamese delegation. Host and guest highlighted the traditional friendship between the two nations, which has been incessantly expanded in recent years. The two sides have exchanged many high-ranking delegations and promoted fruitful cooperation across spheres, especially economy, science, education and training, they said, noting that many Vietnamese officials, doctors and engineers have been trained in Hungary. Szentendre set up relations with Hoi An city of Vietnams central province of Quang Nam, the mayor said, expressing his impression on the hospitality of Vietnamese people. He voiced his belief that the visit made by Party leader Trong will contribute to pushing the friendship and cooperation between his country and Vietnam. The Party chief thanked the municipal authorities and people for their warm welcome, expressing his delight to have a chance to visit Szentendre - a culture and art city with long-lasting history, peaceful environment, and charming architectural works. He said that his visit to Hungary aims to bolster all-round cooperation between the two nations, including cultural exchanges and collaboration between their localities. The Vietnam-Hungary traditional friendship, an invaluable asset of the two countries, needs to be preserved and passed to next generations of their people, he underlined. The Party General Secretary stressed that the Southeast Asian nation has been grateful for Hungarys support during the national protection and construction. Thousands of Vietnamese officials and engineers received training in the central European country, many of them are holding important positions in the State apparatus, he added. He expressed his belief that the bilateral cooperation will further develop in the fields of politics-diplomacy, economy, trade, investment, culture, and tourism. Also, he lauded collaboration between Szentendre city and Hoi An ancient town, hoping that their cooperation will be bolstered in an effective and practical manner in the future. Sharing experience in preservation of heritages and tourism development as well as cultural and art exchanges will make significant contributions to consolidating and developing the Vietnam-Hungary traditional friendship. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Indo-US Defence Deal: What does it Presage? POLITICAL NOTEBOOK The Indo-US Defence Deal was signed in New Delhi today. It draws India closer into the US orbit. We are of course threatened by a hostile China. The US wants to build up India militarily as a bulwark against Chinas expansionist policy. This brings the interests of the two countries to convergence. But India will have to pay for this deal. New Delhi will now have to import advanced military hardware from Washington. How far it will impact on the governments Make in India policy remains to be seen. Also India will be under great US pressure to stop importing oil from Iran. [If that actually happens, what will be its impact on the Chabahar port project to be developed by New Delhi as a counter to Beijing and Islamabads influence in the region?] In return, Washington has agreed to speed up the process of New Delhis entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). How far the US will succeed against the determined Chinese opposition to induct India into the group also remains to be seen. Though the US has reportedly assured India that the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) will not stand in the way of Indias acquisition of the Rs 40,000 crore S-400 Triumf anti-missile defence system from Russia, it is difficult to anticipate how Moscow, which in recent times is coming very close to both China and Pakistan, will react to the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) which is the formal name of the Indo-US deal. The possibility of Russia, China and Pakistan coming closer together cannot be ruled out. The massive reduction in the traditional US arms aid to Pakistan is cementing the Islamabad-Beijing bond. US sanctions on Russia are forcing Moscow to lean more and more on Beijing. The BJP has been following a policy of getting closer and closer to Washington. If India is ultimately compelled to stop import of oil from Iran, how the Arab countries will look at us and whether there will be any change in their attitude toward India are imponderables. All through, the Arab world has been supportive of India, rather than of Pakistan, on the Kashmir issue. But now with the Kashmiri people getting more and more alienated from India due to our strong-arm tactics, we cannot expect to take the continued Arab support on Kashmir for granted. Meanwhile today the TRS CM of Telangana has dissolved the Assembly to hold fresh polls in the State in November (obviously with the connivance of the BJP) while launching a diatribe against the Congress President. The Congress and other Opposition parties, in turn, are organising a Bharat Bandh on September 10 to protest against the fuel price hike and Rafale deal. As for the CPM, its mass organisations Delhi march yesterday was noteworthy. However, Left unity was given a silent burial in the process; the partys increasing marginalisation has regrettably not yet forced it to abandon its sectarian outlook and approach. September 6 B.D.G. New Delhi: Reliance Jio has decided to celebrate its two years of commercial operations in the way it knows best, by offering free data to its users. Jio has launched the Celebrations Pack under which the users will get 2 GB of 4G data for four days. According to the reports, the plan will continue till September 11, during which users will get a total of 8 GB of 4G data. Jio will give 8 GB of free data each month during September and October under its celebrations pack. To check whether the free 2 GB 4G data has been credited or not, Jio users with active data plan need to go to the My Plans sections in the MyJio mobile application. Most Popular 1. 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The bus, as part of a convoy of four buses carrying the employees of PT Catur Putra Group, was heading to a tourist destination in Cikidang for rafting, he said. The driver lost control of the vehicle when it was traveling on a Cikidang road at midday and plunged into the 30-meter ravine, police officer at the district police office Hanapi told Xinhua. The bus departed from Bogor district of the province, he added. All the victims have been rushed into health clinics and a nearby hospital, the officer said. Governors Office partners with tribal colleges to offer first-of-their kind apprenticeships Governor Steve Bullock will tour first-of-their-kind tribal college apprenticeship projects to support college and career readiness for American Indian students in Montana. "Montana is leading the way through a first-of-its kind approach that breaks down barriers and ensures students in tribal communities can earn a college degree, while receiving on-the-job training," said Governor Bullock "Every student, no matter their background or where they are from, should have the opportunity to grow and expand their talent pipeline and fill good-paying jobs. When our future leaders in Indian Country succeed, we all succeed." http://governor.mt.gov/Newsroom/governor-bullock-to-tour-tribal-college-apprenticeship-projects "Coming to the United States was the best decision I ever made," Ms. Bonilla said. Martha Bonilla is not your typical middle-class worker. And its not just that she was born in a backwater of El Salvador and crossed Mexico hidden among a pile of bananas in the back of a truck to make her way illegally into the United States at age 20. Like millions of Americans lacking a college degree, the 44-year-old mother of three works on the bottom rungs of the service sector, in a kitchen run by the food-service contractor Restaurant Associates in Cambridge, Mass. Food preparation and service is the lowest-paid occupational group in the economy; even in Boston, it typically pays less than $27,000 for a full-time, year-round job. Yet there Ms. Bonilla sits at her kitchen table in the solidly middle-class neighborhood of West Roxbury. She and her husband, Felipe Villatoro, both legal residents, bought the house 12 years ago for $350,000. Its their second; she rents the first to members of her extended family. The vacations in Florida, the 401(k), the $1,700 a month they pay for their daughters college tuition and fees all speak of Americas dream. By Eduardo Porter The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum opens the nominations for the 2021 annual AWIEF Awards. Currently in its fifth edition, the prestigious AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa and across various industry sectors for their achievements and contribution to Africas inclusive economic growth and social development. AWIEF Awards cover emerging and established entrepreneurship in the private and not-for-profit sectors. AWIEF Awards noninees are women who have demonstrated outstanding vision and inspiration and have overcome challenges to make a significant social impact and/or become successful in their businesses in line with AWIEFs core areas of innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and socio-economic development. Daisy Mmabatho Molefhi, Founder and Vice Chancellor of ABM University College, the oldest private tertiary education institution in Bostwana, and last years winner in the category of Lifetime Achievement Award, had this to say, It was a great honour to receive this award. I want to see many more women holding this trophy. Its so significant to me, and I want to encourage women out there to enter or nominate someone so that Africa can recognise them. Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer commented: We have been amazed by the standard of entries over the years. This year we project entries from entrepreneurs who will be addressing some of humanities greatest concerns, especially in the current COVID-19 pandemic challenges. Each entrant is firmly grounded in the reality of the African landscape, presenting practical solutions to address relevant issues. We will continue to identify and bring these women to AWIEF to recognise and celebrate them for their passion and determination in making a difference in their countries and on the continent. Entries and nominations for the 2021 AWIEF Awards begin on 15 July 2021 and close on 23 August 2021. You can either nominate yourself or be nominated by someone else. Winners of the 2021 AWIEF Awards will be announced and celebrated at the 7th Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Virtual Conference and Awards hosted on 2-3 December 2021, with the theme Advancing inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth in the post-COVID-19 African economy. AWIEFs prestigious annual event is a platform that sees global thought leaders, industry experts, policymakers, academics, development partners, investors, and the media gather to dialogue, connect, network, share, collaborate and transact in a combined effort to boost Africas entrepreneurship ecosystem for women. The eight AWIEF Awards categories are: Young Entrepreneur Award Tech Entrepreneur Award Agri Entrepreneur Award Creative Industry Award Empowerment Award Energy Entrepreneur Award Social Entrepreneur Award Lifetime Achievement Award To nominate yourself or someone you know, go to www.judgify.me/AWIEFAwards2021 Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn President Xi Jinping and Prince Albert II of Monaco prepare to review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. [Photo by Wu Zhiyi / China Daily] China and Monaco should explore cooperation in areas including ecology and environmental protection, coping with climate change, and clean energy under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping said on Friday. Xi's remark came as he met in Beijing with Prince Albert II, Monaco's head of state, who is making a state visit to China. The visit also marks Prince Albert's 10th visit to China and fourth meeting with Xi. Xi said the two sides should maintain close exchanges, explore cooperation as well in green and low-carbon sectors and wild animal protection, and enrich cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Xi expressed his appreciation for the long-term commitment of Prince Albert and Monaco's monarchy to furthering bilateral relations. Even though they are far apart geographically and remarkably different in national conditions, the two nations stick to mutual respect, equal treatment and win-win cooperation, he said. The good relations between the two countries have set an example for friendship and common development of big and small nations, Xi added. It is the consistent position of China that countries, whether big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, should all be equal members of the international society, which is an integral part of building new types of international relations. Xi noted that as a member of the International Olympic Committee, Prince Albert extended his support to China for its hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, and he added that China welcomes the Monaco monarch to attend the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in China. Xi also briefed his guest on the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which concluded on Tuesday. China supports Africa in diversifying its partnership and is willing to work with different countries, including Monaco, to jointly support the lasting peace and sustainable development of Africa, he said. Prince Albert congratulated China for successfully hosting the FOCAC Beijing Summit. He said he was able to witness new achievements in China's economic, social and cultural development during each of his visits. Monaco is happy with the current bilateral relations with China and highly appreciates and actively supports the important role played by China in international affairs, especially the outstanding contribution by President Xi in global governance and coping with climate change, he said. Monaco is ready to step up mutually beneficial, win-win exchanges and cooperation with China, he said, adding that he supports China's hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics, and wishes it success. Prince Albert, who visited beekeeping and Siberian tiger protection programs in Jilin province before the meeting, said he was impressed with China's achievements in ecology and environmental protection. US tech firms appeal to the White House not to impose tariffs on IT products Cisco, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Juniper Networks made a last-minute appeal to the Trump administration to request that key products not be included in the list of tariffs on 200 billion US dollars' worth of Chinese exports to the United States. The current US business community is increasingly anxious about the escalation of the China-US trade war. These four tech firms pointed out in a letter to the US Trade Representative (USTR) that adding tariffs on network equipment will increase the price paid by consumers and cause a delay in investment, which may lead to job losses for workers and diminishing dividends to shareholders. "If USTR were to impose a 10-25 percent additional duty on networking products and accessories, it would cause broad, disproportionate economic harm to US interests, including our companies and US workers, our customers, US consumers and broader US economic and strategic priorities, wrote their letter to the USTR Robert Lighthizer on Thursday. Despite concerns over the impact of the Trump administration's trade policy on their own businesses, few leaders of large US companies have so far expressed their opposition directly and openly. But Cisco and its partners feel the need to talk about the dangers that tariffs pose to their businesses in that this wave of tariff list targets many components and finished products critical to cloud data centers, and these centers are at the heart of today's digital infrastructure. Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has confirmed his readiness to visit Russia, the RIA news agency quoted speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, as saying after she met Kim in Pyongyang on Saturday. But the DPRK top leader will not be able to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which will take place from September 11 to 12 in the city of Vladivostok, she said. Matviyenko also delivered a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim. Letter to editor: Congress can get this right September 09, 2018 MoA Week In Review - Open Thread 2018-45 Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama: The timestamp question is solved, but there still many, many other inconsistencies. There is a report of a very large Turkish Army convoy entering Syria's Idleb province. That is wishful thinking by some "rebel" circles. Turkey is only strengthening its border position. It is unlikely to intervene in the Syrian and Russian 'Idleb Dawn' operation to free the province of terrorists. --- Finally a realistic assessment of the British role in World War II: Peter Hitchens @ClarkeMicah - 7:40 utc- 9 Sep 2018 Actually no, we didn't Win the Second World War. We started it, but, thanks to our weakness and shortage of cash had to hand it over to the USA and the USSR half way through. First extracts, in the Mail on Sunday, from my new book 'The Phoney Victory' The limeys will be livid about this insult and ignore the truth. Recommended. Use as open thread ... Posted by b on September 9, 2018 at 17:20 UTC | Permalink Comments next page September 09, 2018 The Strategic Aspect Of Bashing China's Re-education of Uyghurs The New York Times reports on China's re-education program for Uygurs in Xinjiang, who are in danger for falling to Islamist extremism. The report is part of a larger U.S. campaign to instrumentalize the issue as a pressure point against China. It is a strategic issue for both sides. The lede: HOTAN, China On the edge of a desert in far western China, an imposing building sits behind a fence topped with barbed wire. Large red characters on the facade urge people to learn Chinese, study law and acquire job skills. Guards make clear that visitors are not welcome. Inside, hundreds of ethnic Uighur Muslims spend their days in a high-pressure indoctrination program, where they are forced to listen to lectures, sing hymns praising the Chinese Communist Party and write self-criticism essays, according to detainees who have been released. The goal is to remove any devotion to Islam. There are rumors that up to a million people are moved through such programs. That estimate is based on only 8 vague interviews with locals. The real number is likely in the lower thousands. There is no evidence that any serious harm is done to them. The NYT report includes this gem of Orientalism: One official directive warns people to look for 75 signs of religious extremism, including behavior that would be considered unremarkable in other countries: growing a beard as a young man, praying in public places outside mosques or even abruptly trying to give up smoking or drinking. The writers of the New York Times seem to have little knowledge of their own city. In 2007 the New York Police Department published a study on Islamist radicalization that remarked on exactly those points: As these individuals adopt Salafism, typical signatures include: Becoming alienated from ones former life; affiliating with like-minded individuals Joining or forming a group of like-minded individuals in a quest to strengthen ones dedication to Salafi Islam Giving up cigarettes, drinking , gambling and urban hip-hop gangster clothes. , gambling and urban hip-hop gangster clothes. Wearing traditional Islamic clothing, growing a beard Becoming involved in social activism and community issues The Chinese government probably copied its list of signs of religious radicalization from the NYPD and other 'western' sources. A French law prohibits public praying in the street. Other European states enacted laws against the wearing of certain religious attire. The Chinese do not lead in such analysis, they follow 'western' examples. The re-education program became necessary after religious and even ethnic radicalization in Xinjiang became a real problem for the local population and the government. Deep down the NYT acknowledges this: [Hotan, a] city of 390,000 underwent a Muslim revival about a decade ago. Most Uighurs have adhered to relatively relaxed forms of Sunni Islam, and a significant number are secular. But budding prosperity and growing interaction with the Middle East fueled interest in stricter Islamic traditions. Men grew long beards, while women wore hijabs that were not a part of traditional Uighur dress. Now the beards and hijabs are gone, and posters warn against them. Mosques appear poorly attended; ... The real wake up came only after and riots and acts of terrorism: The government shifted to harsher policies in 2009 after protests in Xinjiangs capital, Urumqi, spiraled into rioting and left nearly 200 people dead. But there is more behind this than the extinction of a local insurgency. The NYT report misses the geopolitical point of the endeavor. China is developing new rail and road connection throughout Eurasia as part of its strategic One Belt One Road initiative. Xinjiang province is larger than Great Britain, France, Spain, and Germany combined. It is a mostly uninhabitable landscape of mountainous and desert terrain with a tiny population of some 24 million of which only 45% are Muslim Uyghurs of Turkic ethnicity. It would be rather unimportant outer province for China were it not at the core of the new Silk road connections. It is a vulnerable point. An established insurgency in the area could seriously interrupt the new strategic communication lines. Chinese strategists believe that the U.S., with the help of its Turkish, Saudi and Pakistani friends, was and is behind the Islamic and ethnic radicalization of the Turkic population in the province. It is not by chance that Turkey transferred Uyghur Jihadis from Xinjiang via Thailand to Syria to hone their fighting abilities. That the New York Times publishes about the Xinjiang re-education project, and also offers the report in Mandarin, will only confirm that suspicion. China is determined to end such interference. The re-education or indoctrination program for people suspected of following an Islamist or national-ethnic trend is only one long term part of a security initiative that comes with intense surveillance and police control. The other part is economic development. Large infrastructure investments in Xinjiang create new options for a formerly rural or nomadic population. But people do not live by bread alone. It is doubtful that Turkic and Muslim identity of Uyghurs can be exterminated by re-education. It will be necessary to adopt it in some pacified form that can integrate itself into the larger ideological construct of the Chinese state. Posted by b on September 9, 2018 at 16:49 UTC | Permalink Comments next page